Light Candles before sunset ––:––.
Today's Laws & Customs:
• Elul Observances
As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionaly a time of introspection and stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming "Days of Awe" of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness (see "Today in Jewish History" for Elul 1) it is a most opportune time for teshuvah ("return" to G-d), prayer, charity, and increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew) in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to G-d. Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when "the king is in the field" and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace, "everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all."
Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) as a call to repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters ofPsalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). Click below to view today's Psalms.
Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60
Psalms 58:1 (0) For the leader. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” By David, a mikhtam:
2 (1) [Rulers,] does your silence really speak justice?
Are you judging people fairly?
3 (2) [No!] In your hearts you devise wrongs,
your hands dispense violence in the land.
4 (3) From the womb, the wicked are estranged,
liars on the wrong path since birth.
5 (4) Their venom is like snake’s venom;
they are like a serpent that stops its ears,
6 (5) so as not to hear the voice of the charmer,
no matter how well he plays.
7 (6) God, break their teeth in their mouth!
Shatter the fangs of these lions, Adonai!
8 (7) May they vanish like water that drains away.
May their arrows be blunted when they aim their bows.
9 (8) May they be like a slug that melts as it moves,
like a stillborn baby that never sees the sun.
10 (9) Before your cook-pots feel the heat of the burning thorns,
may he blow them away, green and blazing alike.
11 (10) The righteous will rejoice to see vengeance done,
they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked;
12 (11) and people will say, “Yes, the righteous are rewarded;
there is, after all, a God who judges the earth.”
59:1 (0) For the leader. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” By David; a mikhtam, when Sha’ul sent men to keep watch on David’s house in order to kill him:
2 (1) My God, rescue me from my enemies!
Lift me up, out of reach of my foes!
3 (2) Rescue me from evildoers,
save me from bloodthirsty men.
4 (3) For there they are, lying in wait to kill me.
Openly they gather themselves against me,
and not because I committed a crime
or sinned, Adonai.
5 (4) For no fault of mine, they run and prepare.
Awaken to help me, and see!
6 (5) You, Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot,
God of Isra’el,
arouse yourself to punish all the nations;
spare none of those wicked traitors. (Selah)
7 (6) They return at nightfall, snarling like dogs
as they go around the city.
8 (7) Look what pours out of their mouth,
what swords are on their lips,
[as they say to themselves,]
“No one is listening, anyway.”
9 (8) But you, Adonai, laugh at them,
you mock all the nations.
10 (9) My Strength, I will watch for you,
for God is my fortress.
11 (10) God, who gives me grace, will come to me;
God will let me gaze in triumph at my foes.
12 (11) Don’t kill them, or my people will forget;
instead, by your power, make them wander to and fro;
but bring them down, Adonai our Shield,
13 (12) for the sins their mouths make with each word from their lips.
Let them be trapped by their pride
for the curses and falsehoods they utter.
14 (13) Finish them off in wrath,
finish them off, put an end to them,
and let them know to the ends of the earth
that God is Ruler in Ya‘akov. (Selah)
15 (14) They return at nightfall, snarling like dogs
as they go around the city.
16 (15) They roam about, looking for food,
prowling all night if they don’t get their fill.
17 (16) But as for me, I will sing of your strength;
in the morning I will sing aloud of your grace.
For you are my fortress,
a refuge when I am in trouble.
18 (17) My Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for God is my fortress, God, who gives me grace.
60:1 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lily of Testimony.” A mikhtam of David for teaching about 2 when he fought with Aram-Naharayim and with Aram-Tzovah, and Yo’av returned and killed 12,000 from Edom in the Salt Valley:
3 (1) God, you rejected us; you crushed us;
you were angry; but now revive us.
4 (2) You made the land shake, split it apart;
now repair the rifts, for it is collapsing.
5 (3) You made your people suffer hard times,
had us drink a wine that made us stagger.
6 (4) To those who fear you because of the truth
you gave a banner to rally around, (Selah)
7 (5) so that those you love could be rescued;
so save with your right hand, and answer us!
8 (6) God in his holiness spoke,
and I took joy [in his promise]:
“I will divide Sh’khem
and determine the shares in the Sukkot Valley.
9 (7) Gil‘ad is mine and M’nasheh mine,
Efrayim my helmet, Y’hudah my scepter.
10 (8) Mo’av is my washpot; on Edom I throw my shoe;
P’leshet, be crushed because of me!”
11 (9) Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
12 (10) God, have you rejected us?
You don’t go out with our armies, God.
13 (11) Help us against our enemy,
for human help is worthless.
14 (12) With God’s help we will fight valiantly,
for he will trample our enemies.
Elul is also the time to have one's tefillin and mezuzot checked by an accredited scribe to ensure that they are in good condition and fit for use.
Links: More on Elul
Daily Quote:
The foundation of all foundations, and the pillar of all wisdom, is to know that there is a First Existence, who brings all existences into being; that all existences of heaven and earth and between them, derive existence only from the truth of His existence[Maimonides (Mishneh Torah, Laws of the Fundamentals of Torah, 1:1)]
Daily] Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Parshat Ki Tavo, 5th Portion (Deuteronomy 27:11-28:6) with Rashi
• Deuteronomy Chapter 28
7The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you, to be beaten before you; they will come out against you in one direction, but they will flee from you in seven directions. זיִתֵּ֨ן יְהֹוָ֤ה אֶת־אֹֽיְבֶ֨יךָ֙ הַקָּמִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ נִגָּפִ֖ים לְפָנֶ֑יךָ בְּדֶ֤רֶךְ אֶחָד֙ יֵֽצְא֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וּבְשִׁבְעָ֥ה דְרָכִ֖ים יָנ֥וּסוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ:
but they will flee from you in seven directions: Such is the way of those who flee out of fear: they scatter in all directions. ובשבעה דרכים ינוסו לפניך: כן דרך הנבהלים לברוח מתפזרין לכל צד:
8The Lord will order the blessing to be with you in your granaries, and in every one of your endeavors, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you. חיְצַ֨ו יְהֹוָ֤ה אִתְּךָ֙ אֶת־הַבְּרָכָ֔ה בַּֽאֲסָמֶ֕יךָ וּבְכֹ֖ל מִשְׁלַ֣ח יָדֶ֑ךָ וּבֵ֣רַכְךָ֔ בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ:
9The Lord will establish you as His holy people as He swore to you, if you observe the commandments of the Lord, your God, and walk in His ways. טיְקִֽימְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֥ה לוֹ֙ לְעַ֣ם קָד֔וֹשׁ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר נִשְׁבַּע־לָ֑ךְ כִּ֣י תִשְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־מִצְוֹת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וְהָֽלַכְתָּ֖ בִּדְרָכָֽיו:
10Then all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of the Lord is called upon you, and they will fear you. יוְרָאוּ֙ כָּל־עַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֛י שֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָ֖ה נִקְרָ֣א עָלֶ֑יךָ וְיָֽרְא֖וּ מִמֶּֽךָּ:
11And the Lord will grant you good surplus in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil, on the land which the Lord swore to your forefathers, to give you. יאוְהוֹתִֽרְךָ֤ יְהֹוָה֙ לְטוֹבָ֔ה בִּפְרִ֧י בִטְנְךָ֛ וּבִפְרִ֥י בְהֶמְתְּךָ֖ וּבִפְרִ֣י אַדְמָתֶ֑ךָ עַ֚ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֧ע יְהֹוָ֛ה לַֽאֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ לָ֥תֶת לָֽךְ:
12The Lord will open up for you His good treasury, the heaven, to give your land its rain in its [right] time, and to bless everything you do. And you will lend many nations, but you will not [need to] borrow. יביִפְתַּ֣ח יְהֹוָ֣ה | לְ֠ךָ֠ אֶת־אֽוֹצָר֨וֹ הַטּ֜וֹב אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם לָתֵ֤ת מְטַר־אַרְצְךָ֙ בְּעִתּ֔וֹ וּלְבָרֵ֕ךְ אֵ֖ת כָּל־מַֽעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהִלְוִ֨יתָ֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹ֥א תִלְוֶֽה:
13And the Lord will set you at the head, and not at the tail, and you will be only at the top, and you will not be at the bottom, if you obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I am commanding you this day, to observe to fulfill [them]. יגוּנְתָֽנְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֤ה לְרֹאשׁ֙ וְלֹ֣א לְזָנָ֔ב וְהָיִ֨יתָ֙ רַ֣ק לְמַ֔עְלָה וְלֹ֥א תִֽהְיֶ֖ה לְמָ֑טָּה כִּֽי־תִשְׁמַ֞ע אֶל־מִצְוֹ֣ת | יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָֽנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם לִשְׁמֹ֥ר וְלַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת:
14And you shall not turn right or left from all of the words I am commanding you this day, to follow other deities to worship them. ידוְלֹ֣א תָס֗וּר מִכָּל־הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָֽנֹכִ֜י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֛ם הַיּ֖וֹם יָמִ֣ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול לָלֶ֗כֶת אַֽחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים לְעָבְדָֽם:
15And it will be, if you do not obey the Lord, your God, to observe to fulfill all His commandments and statutes which I am commanding you this day, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. טווְהָיָ֗ה אִם־לֹ֤א תִשְׁמַע֙ בְּקוֹל֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר לַֽעֲשׂוֹת֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹתָ֣יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָֽנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם וּבָ֧אוּ עָלֶ֛יךָ כָּל־הַקְּלָל֥וֹת הָאֵ֖לֶּה וְהִשִּׂיגֽוּךָ:
16You shall be cursed in the city, and you shall be cursed in the field. טזאָר֥וּר אַתָּ֖ה בָּעִ֑יר וְאָר֥וּר אַתָּ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶֽה:
17Cursed will be your [food] basket and your kneading bowl. יזאָר֥וּר טַנְאֲךָ֖ וּמִשְׁאַרְתֶּֽךָ:
18Cursed will be the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your soil, the fruit of your livestock, those born from your cattle and the flock of your sheep. יחאָר֥וּר פְּרִֽי־בִטְנְךָ֖ וּפְרִ֣י אַדְמָתֶ֑ךָ שְׁגַ֥ר אֲלָפֶ֖יךָ וְעַשְׁתְּרֹ֥ת צֹאנֶֽךָ:
19You shall be cursed when you come, and you shall be cursed when you depart. יטאָר֥וּר אַתָּ֖ה בְּבֹאֶ֑ךָ וְאָר֥וּר אַתָּ֖ה בְּצֵאתֶֽךָ:
20The Lord will send the curse of shortages, confusion, and turmoil upon you, in every one of your endeavors which you undertake, until it destroys you and until you quickly vanish, because of your evil deeds in forsaking Me. כיְשַׁלַּ֣ח יְהֹוָ֣ה | בְּ֠ךָ֠ אֶת־הַמְּאֵרָ֤ה אֶת־הַמְּהוּמָה֙ וְאֶת־הַמִּגְעֶ֔רֶת בְּכָל־מִשְׁלַ֥ח יָֽדְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֑ה עַ֣ד הִשָּֽׁמֶדְךָ֤ וְעַד־אֲבָדְךָ֙ מַהֵ֔ר מִפְּנֵ֛י רֹ֥עַ מַֽעֲלָלֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲזַבְתָּֽנִי:
the curse of shortages: Heb. הַמְּאֵרָה, “shortage,” similar to“ צָרַעַת מַמְאֶרֶת,”“a lesion which causes loss [to the person stricken with it]” (Lev.13:51). המארה: חסרון כמו צרעת ממארת (ויקרא יג, נב):
confusion: Heb. הַמְּהוּמָה [Rendered by Onkelos as שִׁגוּשַׁיָא, meaning] confusion, the sound of panic. המהומה: שגוש קול בהלות:
21The Lord will make pestilence cleave to you, until it has exterminated you from upon the land, to which you are coming, to possess it. כאיַדְבֵּ֧ק יְהֹוָ֛ה בְּךָ֖ אֶת־הַדָּ֑בֶר עַ֚ד כַּלֹּת֣וֹ אֹֽתְךָ֔ מֵעַל֙ הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ:
22The Lord will strike you with consumption, fever, illnesses with burning fevers, a disease which causes unquenchable thirst, with the sword, with blast, and with yellowing, and they will pursue you until you perish. כביַכְּכָ֣ה יְ֠הֹוָ֠ה בַּשַּׁחֶ֨פֶת וּבַקַּדַּ֜חַת וּבַדַּלֶּ֗קֶת וּבַֽחַרְחֻר֙ וּבַחֶ֔רֶב וּבַשִּׁדָּפ֖וֹן וּבַיֵּֽרָק֑וֹן וּרְדָפ֖וּךָ עַ֥ד אָבְדֶֽךָ:
consumption: Heb. בַּשַּׁחֶפֶת, [a disease] whereby one’s flesh wastes away and swells. בשחפת: שבשרו נשחף ונפוח:
fever: Heb. וּבַקַּדַּחַת, as in the expression “For a fire burns (קָדְחָה) in My nose” (Deut. 32:22). [In this context, the term refers to] the feverish “fire” of the sick, malevei in Old French, which means intense heat. ובקדחת: לשון כי אש קדחה באפי (דברים לב, כב) והיא אש של חולים מלויי"ד בלע"ז (פיעבערהימצע) שהיא חמה מאד:
illnesses with burning fevers: Heb. וּבַדַּלֶּקֶת. A feverish heat, more intense than קַדַּחַת. [All] these [terms listed in these verses, refer to] various types of diseases. ובדלקת: חמה יותר מקדחת ומיני חלאים הם:
a disease which causes unquenchable thirst: Heb. וּבַחַרְחֻר. This is a disease which heats up inside the body, causing him [the patient] to suffer continuous thirst for water, esardement in Old French, parching fever, as in the expressions: “and my bones dried out (חָרָה) from the heat” (Job. 30:30), and “The bellows is heated (נִחַר) from the fire” (Jer. 6:29). ובחרחר: חולי המחממו תוך הגוף וצמא תמיד למים ובלע"ז אישרדימינ"ט (התיבשות) לשון ועצמי חרה מני חרב (איוב ל, ל) נחר מפוח מאש (ירמי' ו, כט):
and with the sword: He will bring [hostile] armies upon you. ובחרב: יביא עליך גייסות:
with blast, and with yellowing: Diseases of the grain in the field. שדפון וירקון: מכות תבואה שבשדות:
blast: Heb. שִׁדָּפוֹן, an easterly wind, hasled in Old French, [meaning that the east wind causes the grain to be blasted]. שדפון: רוח קדים אשלי"דה בלע"ז (זאננפערבראננט):
yellowing: Heb. יֵרָקוֹן, drought, whereby the surface of the grain pales and turns yellow, chaume (?) in Old French. ירקון: יובש ופני התבואה מכסיפין ונהפכין לירקון קמ"א בלע"ז (געלב):
until you perish: Heb. עַד אָבְדֶךָ. [This phrase could be misconstrued to mean: “until you become lost” by God and found by others. Therefore, Rashi cites] the Targum [which] renders the phrase as: עַד דְתֵיבָד, “until you perish,” meaning, “you will perish, of your own accord.” עד אבדך: תרגום עד דתיביד כלומר עד אבוד אותך שתכלה מאליך:
23And your skies above you will be [like] copper, and the earth below you [like] iron. כגוְהָי֥וּ שָׁמֶ֛יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־רֹֽאשְׁךָ֖ נְח֑שֶׁת וְהָאָ֥רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־תַּחְתֶּ֖יךָ בַּרְזֶֽל:
And your skies above you will be [like] copper: These curses [proclaimed here at Mount Ebal] were pronounced by Moses himself [albeit through divine inspiration], whereas those [curses] made at Mount Sinai (Lev. 26:14-39) Moses pronounced from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed is He (Meg. 31b). This is demonstrated by the verses themselves: The verse there says, “But if you will not listen to Me ” (Lev. 26:14), and, “And if you regard Me as coincidence” (26:21), [all referring to God in the first person]. Here, however, the verse says, “obey the Lord, your God ” (verse 15),“ The Lord will make… ” (verse 21), and “ The Lord will strike you” (verse 22) [all referring to God in the third person, demonstrating that Moses is speaking]. Moses made his curses milder [than those at Mount Sinai], for he expressed them in the singular form [as if spoken to an individual]. Furthermore, in this curse [in our verse here], Moses made his milder [than the corresponding curse at Mount Sinai by God], for in the first curses [in Lev.], God said, “[And I shall make] your skies like iron, and your earth like copper” (Lev. 26:19), [meaning that] that the skies will not sweat [i.e., be moist], just as iron does not sweat; consequently, there will be drought in the world. But the earth will sweat, just as copper sweats, thereby causing its fruits to rot. Here, however, Scripture says, “Your skies…copper, and your earth…iron.” [This means] that the skies will sweat [i.e., be moist], and thus, even though they will not pour down rain, there will not be a consuming drought in the world. Also, [this means that] the earth will not sweat, just as iron does not sweat; thus, the fruits will not rot (Torath Kohanim 26:28). [Although the curse here contains these milder elements as explained,] it is, nevertheless, a curse, for whether it [the earth] is like copper or whether it is like iron, it will not produce fruit. And similarly, the skies [whether they become like copper or iron] will not pour down rain. והיו שמיך אשר על ראשך נחשת: קללות הללו משה מפי עצמו אמרן ושבהר סיני מפי הקב"ה אמרן כמשמען ושם נאמר (ויקרא כו, יד) ואם לא תשמעו לי, ואם תלכו עמי קרי (ויקרא כו, כא) וכן הוא אומר (פסוק טו) בקול ה' אלהיך (פסוק כא) ידבק ה' בך, יככה ה' (פסוק כב) הקיל משה בקללותיו לאמרן בלשון יחיד וגם כן בקללה זו הקל שבראשונות הוא אומר את שמיכם כברזל את ארצכם כנחושה, (ויקרא כו, יט) שלא יהיו השמים מזיעין כדרך שאין הברזל מזיע, ומתוך כך יהא חורב בעולם והארץ תהא מזיעה כדרך שהנחשת מזיע, והיא מרקבת פירותיה, וכאן הוא אומר שמיך נחשת וארצך ברזל, שיהיו שמים מזיעין אף על פי שלא יריקו מטר מכל מקום לא יהיה חורב של אבדון בעולם, והארץ לא תהא מזיעה כדרך שאין הברזל מזיע, ואין הפירות מרקיבין. ומכל מקום קללה היא, בין שהיא כנחשת בין שהיא כברזל, לא תוציא פירות, וכן השמים לא יריקו מטר:
24The Lord will turn the rain of your land into powder and dust, raining down upon you from the heavens until you are destroyed. כדיִתֵּ֧ן יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־מְטַ֥ר אַרְצְךָ֖ אָבָ֣ק וְעָפָ֑ר מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ יֵרֵ֣ד עָלֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד הִשָּֽׁמְדָֽךְ:
[The Lord will turn] the rain of your land into powder and dust: [How do these two opposites coincide, rain and dust? The Talmud answers] (Ta’anith 3b): “[The text is referring to] a wind which follows the rain.” Rain will fall, but insufficiently; moreover, there will not even be enough rain to cause the dust to settle. Then, a wind will come and raise the dust and cover the vegetation [sprouting] from the seeds, which are still moist from the water. [The dust] will adhere to them, forming [a layer of] mud, [which] will dry up [on the vegetation], causing it to rot. [This, then, is the meaning of the curse:“The Lord will turn the rain of your land into powder and dust.”] מטר ארצך אבק ועפר: זיקא דבתר מטרא, מטר יורד ולא כל צרכו ואין בו כדי להרביץ את העפר, והרוח באה ומעלה את האבק ומכסה את עשב הזרעים שהן לחים מן המים ונדבק בהם ונעשה טיט ומתיבש ומרקיבין:
25The Lord will cause you to be broken before your enemy: you will come out against them in one direction, but you will flee from them in seven directions. And you will become a terrifying [example] to all the kingdoms on earth. כהיִתֶּנְךָ֨ יְהֹוָ֣ה | נִגָּף֘ לִפְנֵ֣י אֹֽיְבֶ֒יךָ֒ בְּדֶ֤רֶךְ אֶחָד֙ תֵּצֵ֣א אֵלָ֔יו וּבְשִׁבְעָ֥ה דְרָכִ֖ים תָּנ֣וּס לְפָנָ֑יו וְהָיִ֣יתָ לְזַֽעֲוָ֔ה לְכֹ֖ל מַמְלְכ֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ:
a terrifying [example]: [an example of] fear (אֵימָה) and trembling (זִיעַ) . [This means that] anyone who hears about your plagues, will“tremble in fear (יָזוּעוּ) ,” saying:“Woe to us! Let this not befall us, in the way in which it has befallen these [people]!” לזעוה: לאימה ולזיע, שיזועו כל שומעי מכותיך ממך ויאמרו אוי לנו שלא יבוא עלינו כדרך שבא על אלו:
26Your corpse will be food for all birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth, and no one will frighten them [away]. כווְהָֽיְתָ֤ה נִבְלָֽתְךָ֙ לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל לְכָל־ע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶֽהֱמַ֣ת הָאָ֑רֶץ וְאֵ֖ין מַֽחֲרִֽיד:
27The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with hemorrhoids, with oozing sores, and with dry lesions, from which you will be unable to be cured. כזיַכְּכָ֨ה יְהֹוָ֜ה בִּשְׁחִ֤ין מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ וּבַטְחֹרִ֔ים (כתיב ובעפלים) וּבַגָּרָ֖ב וּבֶחָ֑רֶס אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־תוּכַ֖ל לְהֵֽרָפֵֽא:
The boils of Egypt: This was a very severe [lesion]: it was moist on the inside and dry on the outside, as taught in tractate Bech. (41a). בשחין מצרים: רע היה מאד, לח מבחוץ ויבש מבפנים, כדאיתא בבכורות (מא א):
oozing sores: [This means] wet boils. גרב: שחין לח:
dry lesions: [This means] boils dry as shards. חרס: שחין יבש כחרס:
28The Lord will strike you with insanity, with blindness, and with bewilderment. כחיַכְּכָ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה בְּשִׁגָּע֖וֹן וּבְעִוָּר֑וֹן וּבְתִמְה֖וֹן לֵבָֽב:
and with bewilderment: Heb. וּבְתִמְהוֹן לֵבָב, lit.“clogging of the heart,” estordison in Old French. ובתמהון לבב: אוטם הלב אשטורדישו"ן בלע"ז [תדהמה]:
29You will grope at midday, as the blind man gropes in the dark, and you will be unsuccessful in your ways. You will be only oppressed and robbed all the days, and no one will save [you]. כטוְהָיִ֜יתָ מְמַשֵּׁ֣שׁ בַּצָּֽהֳרַ֗יִם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר יְמַשֵּׁ֤שׁ הָֽעִוֵּר֙ בָּֽאֲפֵלָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א תַצְלִ֖יחַ אֶת־דְּרָכֶ֑יךָ וְהָיִ֜יתָ אַ֣ךְ עָשׁ֧וּק וְגָז֛וּל כָּל־הַיָּמִ֖ים וְאֵ֥ין מוֹשִֽׁיעַ:
oppressed: Heb. עָשׁוּק, you will experience controversy regarding everything you do. עשוק: בכל מעשיך יהיה ערעור:
30You will betroth a woman, but another man will lie with her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not redeem it[s fruits]. לאִשָּׁ֣ה תְאָרֵ֗שׂ וְאִ֤ישׁ אַחֵר֙ יִשְׁכָּבֶ֔נָּה (כתיב ישגלנה) בַּ֥יִת תִּבְנֶ֖ה וְלֹֽא־תֵשֵׁ֣ב בּ֑וֹ כֶּ֥רֶם תִּטַּ֖ע וְלֹ֥א תְחַלְּלֶֽנּוּ:
will lie with her: Heb. יִשְׁגָּלֶנָּה. [This word stems] from the root שֵׁגָל, meaning a פִּלֶגֶשׁ [which refers to a wife without a Jewish marriage contract, i.e., a concubine. Nevertheless,] Scripture euphemizes the term [by having it read as יִשְׁכָּבֶנָּה instead], thus [giving it] a more delicate implication. This is [like] a modification made by scribes. — [see Meg.. 25b; and compare Rashi on Gen. 18:22] ישגלנה: לשון שגל, פלגש, והכתוב כנהו לשבח ישכבנה ותקון סופרים הוא זה:
redeem it[s fruits]: Heb. תְחַלְלֶנּוּ [This is referring to the fruits of a tree, which must not be used for the first three years of the tree’s life. Then, the fruits of the fourth year take on holy status and are taken to Jerusalem to be eaten. If it is too difficult to take them to Jerusalem, they are redeemed with money, which is, in turn, taken to Jerusalem, where food is purchased for it. Here, then, the curse means that the person will plant his vineyard, but will not live to redeem it] in the fourth year to eat its fruits. תחללנו: בשנה הרביעית לאכול פריו:
31Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat from it. Your donkey will be snatched right in front of you, and it will not return to you. Your flock will be given over to your enemies, and you will have no savior. לאשֽׁוֹרְךָ֞ טָב֣וּחַ לְעֵינֶ֗יךָ וְלֹ֣א תֹאכַל֘ מִמֶּ֒נּוּ֒ חֲמֹֽרְךָ֙ גָּז֣וּל מִלְּפָנֶ֔יךָ וְלֹ֥א יָשׁ֖וּב לָ֑ךְ צֹֽאנְךָ֙ נְתֻנ֣וֹת לְאֹֽיְבֶ֔יךָ וְאֵ֥ין לְךָ֖ מוֹשִֽׁיעַ:
32Your sons and daughters will be given over to another people, and your eyes will see [this] and long for them all day long, but you will be powerless. לבבָּנֶ֨יךָ וּבְנֹתֶ֜יךָ נְתֻנִ֨ים לְעַ֤ם אַחֵר֙ וְעֵינֶ֣יךָ רֹא֔וֹת וְכָל֥וֹת אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם כָּל־הַיּ֑וֹם וְאֵ֥ין לְאֵ֖ל יָדֶֽךָ:
and long for them: Heb. וְכָלוֹת אֲלֵיהֶם. [Meaning: Your eyes] will longingly look out for the return [of your children], but they will not return. The expression כִּלְיוֹן עֵינַיִם refers to a hope which never materializes. וכלות אליהם: מצפות אליהם שישובו ואינם שבים. כל תוחלת שאינה באה קרויה כליון עינים:
33A people unknown to you will eat up the fruit of your soil and [the result of] all your toil. You will be only wronged and crushed all the days. לגפְּרִ֤י אַדְמָֽתְךָ֙ וְכָל־יְגִ֣יעֲךָ֔ יֹאכַ֥ל עַ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יָדָ֑עְתָּ וְהָיִ֗יתָ רַ֛ק עָשׁ֥וּק וְרָצ֖וּץ כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים:
34You will go insane from the vision before your eyes that you will behold. לדוְהָיִ֖יתָ מְשֻׁגָּ֑ע מִמַּרְאֵ֥ה עֵינֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּרְאֶֽה:
35The Lord will strike you on the knees and on the legs with a terrible skin eruption from which you will be unable to be cured; [it will eventually cover you] from the sole of your foot to the top of your head. להיַכְּכָ֨ה יְהֹוָ֜ה בִּשְׁחִ֣ין רָ֗ע עַל־הַבִּרְכַּ֨יִם֙ וְעַל־הַשֹּׁקַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־תוּכַ֖ל לְהֵֽרָפֵ֑א מִכַּ֥ף רַגְלְךָ֖ וְעַ֥ד קָדְקֳדֶֽךָ:
36The Lord will lead you and your king whom you will have established over you, to a nation unknown to you or your fathers; and there, you will serve other deities [made] of wood and stone. לויוֹלֵ֨ךְ יְהֹוָ֜ה אֹֽתְךָ֗ וְאֶת־מַלְכְּךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּקִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ אֶל־גּ֕וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖עְתָּ אַתָּ֣ה וַֽאֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ וְעָבַ֥דְתָּ שָּׁ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים עֵ֥ץ וָאָֽבֶן:
37And you will become an [object of] astonishment, an example, and a topic of discussion, among all the peoples to whom the Lord will lead you. לזוְהָיִ֣יתָ לְשַׁמָּ֔ה לְמָשָׁ֖ל וְלִשְׁנִינָ֑ה בְּכֹל֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־יְנַֽהֶגְךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֖ה שָֽׁמָּה:
an object of astonishment: Heb. לְשַׁמָּה. [This word is] similar to תִּמָּהוֹן [meaning, astonishment], estordison in Old French. [Thus, the meaning here is:] whoever sees you will be astonished about you. לשמה: אשטורדישו"ן [תדהמה] כל הרואה אותך ישום עליך:
an example: When some terrible trouble befalls a person, [people] will say:“This is like the trouble that happened to so-and-so.” למשל: כשתבא מכה רעה על אדם, יאמרו זו דומה למכת פלוני:
and a topic of discussion: Heb. וְלִשְׁנִינָה. An expression similar to“And you will teach them (וְשִׁנַּנְתֶּם)” (Deut. 6:7) [… and speak of them. That is, people] will speak about you. The Targum [Onkelos] renders this [word] in the same way, [namely:] וּלְשׁוֹעִי, [which is similar to] וְאֶשְׁתָּעִי, [meaning to talk]. ולשנינה: לשון ושננתם (לעיל ו, ז) ידברו בך, וכן תרגומו ולשועי, לשון ספור, ואשתעי:
38You will take much seed out to the field, yet you will gather in little, for the locusts will finish it. לחזֶ֥רַע רַ֖ב תּוֹצִ֣יא הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וּמְעַ֣ט תֶּֽאֱסֹ֔ף כִּ֥י יַחְסְלֶ֖נּוּ הָֽאַרְבֶּֽה:
will finish it: Heb. יַחְסְלֶנּוּ-means, the locusts will consume it. And because [the word חסל means to consume], the locust is also called חָסִיל (see e.g.,Joel 1:4), for it consumes everything in its path. [Yerushalmi Taanit 3:6.] יחסלנו: יכלנו, ועל שם כך נקרא חסיל, שמכלה את הכל:
39You will plant vineyards and work [them], but you will neither drink of [their] wine, or gather [the grapes], because the worms will devour them. לטכְּרָמִ֥ים תִּטַּ֖ע וְעָבָ֑דְתָּ וְיַ֤יִן לֹֽא־תִשְׁתֶּה֙ וְלֹ֣א תֶֽאֱגֹ֔ר כִּ֥י תֹֽאכְלֶ֖נּוּ הַתֹּלָֽעַת:
40You will have olive trees throughout all your boundaries, but you will not anoint with [their] oil, because your olive trees will drop off. מזֵיתִ֛ים יִֽהְי֥וּ לְךָ֖ בְּכָל־גְּבוּלֶ֑ךָ וְשֶׁ֨מֶן֙ לֹ֣א תָס֔וּךְ כִּ֥י יִשַּׁ֖ל זֵיתֶֽךָ:
will drop off: [Meaning, the olive tree] will shed its fruit. This is similar to the verb,“and the iron flew off [or slipped off] (וְנָשַׁל)” (Deut. 19:5). כי ישל: ישיר פירותיו, לשון (לעיל יט, ה) ונשל הברזל:
41You will bear sons and daughters, but you will not have them, because they will go into captivity. מאבָּנִ֥ים וּבָנ֖וֹת תּוֹלִ֑יד וְלֹא־יִֽהְי֣וּ לָ֔ךְ כִּ֥י יֵֽלְכ֖וּ בַּשֶּֽׁבִי:
42All your trees and all the fruit of your soil the cicada will make destitute. מבכָּל־עֵֽצְךָ֖ וּפְרִ֣י אַדְמָתֶ֑ךָ יְיָרֵ֖שׁ הַצְּלָצַֽל:
the cicada will make destitute: [The word יְיָרֵשׁ stems from the word רָשׁ, which means destitute or devoid. Thus, the verse here means that] the locusts will cause the tree to be devoid of fruit. [Therefore,] יירש הצלצל: יעשנו הארבה רש מן הפרי:
will make destitute: Heb. יְיָרֵשׁ [has the meaning of] יַעֲנִי, “making it destitute.” יירש: יעני:
the cicada: Heb. הַצְּלָצַל, a [particular] species of locust [which makes a loud sound (צְלִיל)]. Now, [the word יְיָרֵשׁ] must not be understood as denoting יְרוּשָׁה, “inheritance,” for in that case, the Scripture would have written: יִירַשׁ [i.e., with a different vocalization. Similarly,] it should not be understood to mean הוֹרָשָׁה,“driving out” for in that case, Scripture would have written: יוֹרִישׁ. [Rather, the word means “to make destitute, devoid,” as explained above.] צלצל: מין ארבה. ואי אפשר לפרש יירש לשון ירושה, שאם כן היה לו לכתוב ירש, ולא לשון הורשה וגירושין, שאם כן היה לכתוב יוריש:
43The stranger who is among you will arise above you, higher and higher, while you will descend lower and lower. מגהַגֵּר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּקִרְבְּךָ֔ יַֽעֲלֶ֥ה עָלֶ֖יךָ מַ֣עְלָה מָּ֑עְלָה וְאַתָּ֥ה תֵרֵ֖ד מַ֥טָּה מָּֽטָּה:
44He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be at the head, while you will be at the tail. מדה֣וּא יַלְוְךָ֔ וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹ֣א תַלְוֶ֑נּוּ ה֚וּא יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לְרֹ֔אשׁ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה לְזָנָֽב:
45All these curses will befall you, pursuing you and overtaking you to destroy you because you did not obey the Lord, your God, to observe His commandments and statutes which He commanded you. מהוּבָ֨אוּ עָלֶ֜יךָ כָּל־הַקְּלָל֣וֹת הָאֵ֗לֶּה וּרְדָפ֨וּךָ֙ וְהִשִּׂיג֔וּךָ עַ֖ד הִשָּֽׁמְדָ֑ךְ כִּי־לֹ֣א שָׁמַ֗עְתָּ בְּקוֹל֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֛ר מִצְוֹתָ֥יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֖יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּֽךְ:
46And they will be as a sign and a wonder, upon you and your offspring, forever, מווְהָי֣וּ בְךָ֔ לְא֖וֹת וּלְמוֹפֵ֑ת וּבְזַרְעֲךָ֖ עַד־עוֹלָֽם:
47because you did not serve the Lord, your God, with happiness and with gladness of heart, when [you had an] abundance of everything. מזתַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־עָבַ֨דְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּשִׂמְחָ֖ה וּבְט֣וּב לֵבָ֑ב מֵרֹ֖ב כֹּֽל:
when [you had an] abundance of everything: when you still had all good things. מרב כל: בעוד שהיה לך כל טוב:
48Therefore, you will serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, [when you are] in famine, thirst, destitution, and lacking everything, and he will place an iron yoke upon your neck, until he has destroyed you. מחוְעָֽבַדְתָּ֣ אֶת־אֹֽיְבֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְשַׁלְּחֶ֤נּוּ יְהֹוָה֙ בָּ֔ךְ בְּרָעָ֧ב וּבְצָמָ֛א וּבְעֵירֹ֖ם וּבְחֹ֣סֶר כֹּ֑ל וְנָתַ֞ן עֹ֤ל בַּרְזֶל֙ עַל־צַוָּארֶ֔ךָ עַ֥ד הִשְׁמִיד֖וֹ אֹתָֽךְ:
49The Lord will bring upon you a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you will not understand, מטיִשָּׂ֣א יְהֹוָה֩ עָלֶ֨יךָ גּ֤וֹי מֵֽרָחֹק֙ מִקְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר יִדְאֶ֖ה הַנָּ֑שֶׁר גּ֕וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־תִשְׁמַ֖ע לְשֹׁנֽוֹ:
as the eagle swoops down: i.e., suddenly and successfully. The horses [of this enemy nation] will run swiftly. כאשר ידאה הנשר: פתאום ודרך מצלחת ויקלו סוסיו:
whose language you will not understand: Heb. תִּשְׁמַע. [Literally, “You will not hear his language,” i.e.,] you will not recognize its language. [We find a similar expression in Scripture:]“you understand (תִּשְׁמַע) a dream, to interpret it” (Gen. 41:15). Also,“[but they did not know] that Joseph understood (שֹׁמֵע)” (Gen. 42:23), entendre in Old French, to understand. לא תשמע לשונו: לא תכיר לשונו, וכן (בראשית מא, טו) תשמע חלום לפתור אותו. וכן (שם מב, כג) כי שומע יוסף אינטינדר"י בלע"ז [להבין]:
50a brazen nation, which will not respect the elderly, nor show favor to the young. נגּ֖וֹי עַ֣ז פָּנִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־יִשָּׂ֤א פָנִים֙ לְזָקֵ֔ן וְנַ֖עַר לֹ֥א יָחֹֽן:
51They will devour the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your soil, to destroy you. They will not leave over anything for you of the grain, wine, oil, offspring of your cattle or flocks of your sheep, until they annihilate you. נאוְאָכַ֠ל פְּרִ֨י בְהֶמְתְּךָ֥ וּפְרִֽי־אַדְמָֽתְךָ֘ עַ֣ד הִשָּֽׁמְדָךְ֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־יַשְׁאִ֜יר לְךָ֗ דָּגָן֙ תִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְיִצְהָ֔ר שְׁגַ֥ר אֲלָפֶ֖יךָ וְעַשְׁתְּרֹ֣ת צֹאנֶ֑ךָ עַ֥ד הַֽאֲבִיד֖וֹ אֹתָֽךְ:
52And they will besiege you in all your cities, until your high and fortified walls in which you trust come down, throughout all your land. And they will besiege you in all your cities throughout all your land, which the Lord, your God, has given you. נבוְהֵצַ֨ר לְךָ֜ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶ֗יךָ עַ֣ד רֶ֤דֶת חֹֽמֹתֶ֨יךָ֙ הַגְּבֹהֹ֣ת וְהַבְּצֻר֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֛ה בֹּטֵ֥חַ בָּהֵ֖ן בְּכָל־אַרְצֶ֑ךָ וְהֵצַ֤ר לְךָ֙ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ בְּכָ֨ל־אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֛ן יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לָֽךְ:
until your… walls come down: [The רֶדֶת here is [an expression of רִדּוּי וְכִבּוּשׁ] subjugation and conquest. עד רדת חמתיך: לשון רדוי וכבוש:
53And during the siege and the desperation which your enemies will bring upon you, you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the Lord, your God, gave you. נגוְאָֽכַלְתָּ֣ פְרִֽי־בִטְנְךָ֗ בְּשַׂ֤ר בָּנֶ֨יךָ֙ וּבְנֹתֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֖ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁר־יָצִ֥יק לְךָ֖ אֹֽיְבֶֽךָ:
And during the siege and desperation… you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons: Because [the enemies] will besiege the city, and there will be caused desperation, the distress of famine. ואכלת פרי בטנך בשר בניך וגו' במצור: מחמת שיהיו צרין על העיר ויהיה שם מצוק עקת רעבון:
54The most tender and delicate man among you, will begrudge his own brother and the wife of his embrace and the rest of his children, whom he will leave over, נדהָאִישׁ֙ הָרַ֣ךְ בְּךָ֔ וְהֶֽעָנֹ֖ג מְאֹ֑ד תֵּרַ֨ע עֵינ֤וֹ בְאָחִיו֙ וּבְאֵ֣שֶׁת חֵיק֔וֹ וּבְיֶ֥תֶר בָּנָ֖יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹתִֽיר:
The most tender and delicate man among you: This is referring to the same person, who is both tender and delicate. These terms denote a pampered existence. [The fact] that these two expressions refer to the same person is proved [by their use together], when it says, “מֵהִתְעַנֵּג וּמֵרֹךְ, because of delicateness and tenderness” (verse 56) [referring to the same person. And here, the verse tells us that] although he is so pampered and he [normally] cannot tolerate anything repugnant, the flesh of his sons and daughters will seem sweet to him as a result of his [intense] hunger. And it will reach a stage where he will begrudge his remaining children, by denying any of them the flesh of his sons, their brothers, which he is eating. Another explanation of הָרַךְ בְּךָ: The merciful and tenderhearted will become cruel because of the intense hunger, and they will not give the flesh of their slaughtered children to their remaining children. הרך בך והענג: הוא הרך הוא הענוג, לשון פינוק. ומהתענג ומרך מוכיח עליהם ששניהם אחד, אף על פי שהוא מפונק ודעתו קצה בדבר מאוס, ימתק לו לרעבונו בשר בניו ובנותיו עד כי תרע עינו בבניו הנותרים מתת לאחד מהם מבשר בניו אחיהם אשר יאכל. דבר אחר הרך בך הרחמני ורך הלבב, מרוב רעבנותם, יתאכזרו ולא יתנו מבשר בניהם השחוטים לבניהם הנותרים:
55of giving any one of them of the flesh of his children that he is eating, because not a thing will remain for him in the siege and in the desperation which your enemies will bring upon you, in all your cities. נהמִתֵּ֣ת | לְאַחַ֣ד מֵהֶ֗ם מִבְּשַׂ֤ר בָּנָיו֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֹאכֵ֔ל מִבְּלִ֥י הִשְׁאִֽיר־ל֖וֹ כֹּ֑ל בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֥יק לְךָ֛ אֹֽיִבְךָ֖ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶֽיךָ:
56The most tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set her foot upon the ground, because of delicateness and tenderness, will begrudge the husband of her embrace and her own son and daughter, נוהָֽרַכָּ֨ה בְךָ֜ וְהָֽעֲנֻגָּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־נִסְּתָ֤ה כַף־רַגְלָהּ֙ הַצֵּ֣ג עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ מֵֽהִתְעַנֵּ֖ג וּמֵרֹ֑ךְ תֵּרַ֤ע עֵינָהּ֙ בְּאִ֣ישׁ חֵיקָ֔הּ וּבִבְנָ֖הּ וּבְבִתָּֽהּ:
will begrudge the husband of her embrace and her own son and daughter: [referring to her] grown-up [children]. תרע עינה באיש חיקה ובבנה ובבתה: הגדולים:
57and the infants who emerge from between her legs, and her own children whom she will bear, for she will eat them in secret, in destitution, in the siege and the desperation which your enemies will inflict upon you, in your cities. נזוּבְשִׁלְיָתָ֞הּ הַיּוֹצֵ֣ת | מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלֶ֗יהָ וּבְבָנֶ֨יהָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּלֵ֔ד כִּי־תֹֽאכְלֵ֥ם בְּחֹֽסֶר־כֹּ֖ל בַּסָּ֑תֶר בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֥יק לְךָ֛ אֹֽיִבְךָ֖ בִּשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ:
and the infants who emerge from between her legs: i.e. the small children, she will begrudge all of them [the elder and the younger children] when she eats one by denying those beside her any of the flesh. ובשליתה: בניה הקטנים בכולן תהא עינה צרה כשתאכל את האחד מליתן לאשר אצלה מן הבשר:
58If you do not observe to fulfill all the words of this Torah, which are written in this scroll, to fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord, your God, נחאִם־לֹ֨א תִשְׁמֹ֜ר לַֽעֲשׂ֗וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי֙ הַתּוֹרָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את הַכְּתֻבִ֖ים בַּסֵּ֣פֶר הַזֶּ֑ה לְ֠יִרְאָ֠ה אֶת־הַשֵּׁ֞ם הַנִּכְבַּ֤ד וְהַנּוֹרָא֙ הַזֶּ֔ה אֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ:
59Then the Lord [will bring upon] you and your offspring uniquely [horrible] plagues, terrible and unyielding plagues, and evil and unyielding sicknesses. נטוְהִפְלָ֤א יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־מַכֹּ֣תְךָ֔ וְאֵ֖ת מַכּ֣וֹת זַרְעֶ֑ךָ מַכּ֤וֹת גְּדֹלֹת֙ וְנֶ֣אֱמָנ֔וֹת וָֽחֳלָיִ֥ם רָעִ֖ים וְנֶֽאֱמָנִֽים:
Then the Lord will bring upon you… plagues: [The Lord will bring upon you plagues which are more] remarkable and different from any other plagues. והפלא ה' את מכתך: מופלאות ומובדלות משאר מכות:
unyielding: [Literally, “faithful.” I.e., these plagues will “faithfully”] chastise you in order to fulfill their mission. ונאמנות: ליסרך לקיים שליחותן:
60And He will bring back upon you all the diseases of Egypt which you dreaded, and they will cling to you. סוְהֵשִׁ֣יב בְּךָ֗ אֵ֚ת כָּל־מַדְוֵ֣ה מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָגֹ֖רְתָּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְדָֽבְק֖וּ בָּֽךְ:
which you dreaded: [You dreaded] those diseases [not that you dreaded Egypt]. When Israel saw the extraordinary plagues that befell Egypt, they were afraid of them, i.e., they were afraid that these plagues would befall them too. You should know, [that the Israelites dreaded the plagues of Egypt,] because it is written,“If you hearken…, all the sickness that I have visited upon Egypt, I will not visit upon you” (Exod. 15:26) [implying that if you do not hearken, I will place them upon you! Since Israel feared those plagues, God used them as a threat, because] one can instill fear into a person only through something he fears. אשר יגרת מפניהם: מפני המכות כשהיו ישראל רואים מכות משונות הבאות על מצרים היו יראים מהם שלא יבואו גם עליהם, תדע שכן כתיב (שמות טו כו) אם שמוע וגו' כל המחלה אשר שמתי במצרים לא אשים עליך, אין מיראין את האדם אלא בדבר שהוא יגור ממנו:
61Also, the Lord will bring upon you every disease and plague which is not written in this Torah scroll, to destroy you. סאגַּ֤ם כָּל־חֳלִי֙ וְכָל־מַכָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א כָת֔וּב בְּסֵ֖פֶר הַתּוֹרָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את יַעְלֵ֤ם יְהֹוָה֙ עָלֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד הִשָּֽׁמְדָֽךְ:
will bring upon you: Heb. יַעְלֵם. [This term is] an expression of עִלִיּה, going up. יעלם: לשון עלייה:
62And you will remain few in number, whereas you were once as numerous as the stars of the heavens because you did not obey the Lord, your God. סבוְנִשְׁאַרְתֶּם֙ בִּמְתֵ֣י מְעָ֔ט תַּ֚חַת אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֱיִיתֶ֔ם כְּכֽוֹכְבֵ֥י הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם לָרֹ֑ב כִּי־לֹ֣א שָׁמַ֔עְתָּ בְּק֖וֹל יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ:
And you will remain few in number: Instead of being numerous [“as the stars of the stars of the heaven”], you will be few [in number]. ונשארתם במתי מעט תחת וגו': מועטין חלף מרובין:
63And it will be, just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do good for you and to increase you, so will the Lord cause to rejoice over you to annihilate you and to destroy you. And you will be uprooted from the land which you enter therein, to possess it. סגוְהָיָ֠ה כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֨שׂ יְהֹוָ֜ה עֲלֵיכֶ֗ם לְהֵיטִ֣יב אֶתְכֶם֘ וּלְהַרְבּ֣וֹת אֶתְכֶם֒ כֵּ֣ן יָשִׂ֤ישׂ יְהֹוָה֙ עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם לְהַֽאֲבִ֥יד אֶתְכֶ֖ם וּלְהַשְׁמִ֣יד אֶתְכֶ֑ם וְנִסַּחְתֶּם֙ מֵעַ֣ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ:
So will the Lord cause to rejoice: [I.e., “so will He make] your enemies [rejoice] over you, to annihilate you.” [But the Holy One, Blessed is He, Himself, does not rejoice. From here, we learn that the Holy One, Blessed is He, does not rejoice over the downfall of the wicked, for in our verse it does not say יָשׂוּשׂ [in the simple conjugation], “rejoice,” but rather יָשִׂישׂ in the causative conjugation, “cause to rejoice.” I.e., God will make others rejoice over your downfall, because you acted wickedly, while He Himself will not personally rejoice over your downfall. Nevertheless, when it comes to bestowing good upon the righteous, God Himself rejoices, as it is said: “just as the Lord rejoiced (שָׂשׂ) over you [to do good for you,” where the verb שָׂשׂ is in the simple conjugation, for God Himself rejoices here]]. — [Meg. 10b] כן ישיש ה': את אויביכם עליכם להאביד וגו':
and you will be uprooted: Heb. וְנִסַּחְתֶּם, an expression of uprooting. Similar to this is the verse,“The Lord will uproot (יִסַּח) the house of the arrogant” (Prov. 15:25). ונסחתם: לשון עקירה וכן (משלי טו, כה) בית גאים יסח ה':
64And the Lord will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve other deities unknown to you or your forefathers, [deities of] wood and stone. סדוֶֽהֱפִֽיצְךָ֤ יְהֹוָה֙ בְּכָל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים מִקְצֵ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ וְעַד־קְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ וְעָבַ֨דְתָּ שָּׁ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֛עְתָּ אַתָּ֥ה וַֽאֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ עֵ֥ץ וָאָֽבֶן:
and there you will serve other deities: As the Targum [Onkelos] renders: [and there you will serve nations that worship idols. Thus, the verse is] not referring to actual idolatry, but rather paying customs and head taxes to idolatrous priests. ועבדת שם אלהים אחרים: כתרגומו, לא עבודת אלהות ממש, אלא מעלים מס וגולגליות לכומרי עבודה זרה:
65And among those nations, you will not be calm, nor will your foot find rest. There, the Lord will give you a trembling heart, dashed hopes, and a depressed soul. סהוּבַגּוֹיִ֤ם הָהֵם֙ לֹ֣א תַרְגִּ֔יעַ וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה מָנ֖וֹחַ לְכַף־רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְנָתַן֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה לְךָ֥ שָׁם֙ לֵ֣ב רַגָּ֔ז וְכִלְי֥וֹן עֵינַ֖יִם וְדַֽאֲב֥וֹן נָֽפֶשׁ:
you will not be calm: Heb. לֹא תַרְגִּיעַ, [meaning, as Onkelos renders:] “You will not rest.” Similar to this is the verse,“and this is the rest (הַמַּרְגֵּעָה)” (Isa. 28:12). לא תרגיע: לא תנוח, כמו (ישעיה כח, יב) וזאת המרגעה:
a trembling heart: Heb. לֵב רַגָּז, a trembling heart, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders: דָחֵיל, “fearful, trembling,” similar to“Gehinnom from beneath quaked (רָגְזָה) for you” (Isa. 14:9),“Peoples heard; they trembled (יִרְגָּזוּן) ” (Exod. 15:14), and“The foundations of heaven trembled (יִרְגָּזוּ)” (II Sam. 22:8). לב רגז: לב חרד, כתרגומו דחל, כמו (שם יד ט) שאול מתחת רגזה לך, (שמות טו, יד) שמעו עמים ירגזון, (שמואל ב' כב, ח) מוסדות השמים ירגזו:
dashed hopes: [I.e.,] hoping for a salvation, but it never comes. וכליון עינים: מצפה לישועה ולא תבא:
66And your life will hang in suspense before you. You will be in fear night and day, and you will not believe in your life. סווְהָי֣וּ חַיֶּ֔יךָ תְּלֻאִ֥ים לְךָ֖ מִנֶּ֑גֶד וּפָֽחַדְתָּ֙ לַ֣יְלָה וְיוֹמָ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תַֽאֲמִ֖ין בְּחַיֶּֽיךָ:
Your life will hang in suspense: Heb. תְּלֻאִים, [meaning that they hang in suspense] because of uncertainty. Any doubt is denoted by the term תָּלוּי, “suspended.” [Here, the doubt is that you will constantly think:] “Perhaps I will die today by the sword that is befalling us.” Our Rabbis explain this verse as referring to one who purchases produce from the marketplace. [I.e., he relies directly on the marketplace for his sustenance, with the risk that if one time there is no produce in the market, he will not have provisions. Thus, his life “hangs in suspense.”] חייך תלואים לך: על הספק, כל ספק קרוי תלוי, שמא אמות היום בחרב הבאה עלינו. ורבותינו דרשו זה הלוקח תבואה מן השוק:
and you will not believe in your life: This refers to one who relies on the shopkeeper [for his sustenance. This curse, therefore, represents a level of trust far worse than the one who relies upon the marketplace. A person can take provisions from the marketplace to last a long time, but one who relies upon the middleman is at further risk of not receiving sustenance]. — [see Men. 103b] ולא תאמין בחייך: זה הסומך על הפלטר:
67In the morning, you will say, "If only it were evening! " and in the evening, you will say, "If only it were morning!" because of the fear in your heart which you will experience and because of the sights that you will behold. סזבַּבֹּ֤קֶר תֹּאמַר֙ מִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן עֶ֔רֶב וּבָעֶ֥רֶב תֹּאמַ֖ר מִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן בֹּ֑קֶר מִפַּ֤חַד לְבָֽבְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּפְחָ֔ד וּמִמַּרְאֵ֥ה עֵינֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּרְאֶֽה:
In the morning, you will say, “If only it were evening!”: [I.e.,] if it were only yesterday evening! [The trouble will be worse in the morning, so that you will yearn for the previous evening]. — [Sotah 49a] בבקר תאמר מי יתן ערב: ויהיה הערב של אמש:
and in the evening, you will say,“If only it were morning!”: [I.e.,] if it were only morning of that day! Thus, the troubles will always progressively intensify; each hour, the curse will be more severe than the preceding one. — [ibid.] ובערב תאמר מי יתן בקר: של שחרית, שהצרות מתחזקות תמיד וכל שעה מרובה קללתה משלפניה:
68And the Lord will bring you back to Egypt in ships, through the way about which I had said to you, You will never see it again. And there, you will seek to be sold to your enemies for slaves and handmaids, but there will be no buyer. סחוֶֽהֱשִֽׁיבְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֥ה | מִצְרַ֘יִם֘ בָּֽאֳנִיּוֹת֒ בַּדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֣רְתִּי לְךָ֔ לֹֽא־תֹסִ֥יף ע֖וֹד לִרְאֹתָ֑הּ וְהִתְמַכַּרְתֶּ֨ם שָׁ֧ם לְאֹֽיְבֶ֛יךָ לַֽעֲבָדִ֥ים וְלִשְׁפָח֖וֹת וְאֵ֥ין קֹנֶֽה:
in ships: In ships of captivity. באניות: בספינות בשביה:
And there, you will seek to be sold to your enemies: You will wish to be sold to them as slaves and handmaids. והתמכרתם שם לאיביך: אתם מבקשים להיות נמכרים להם לעבדים ולשפחות:
but there will be no buyer: Because they will decree death and destruction upon you. ואין קנה: כי יגזרו עליך הרג וכליון:
and you will seek to be sold: Heb. וְהִתְמַכַּרְתֶּם, in Old French epor vandrez vos. [That is, the verb is in the reflexive conjugation. Accordingly,] it is incorrect to explain וְהִתְמַכַּרְתֶּם [as if in the passive conjugation, i.e.,] as וְנִמְכַּרְתֶּם, “and you will be sold”-sold by others-because the verse continues: “but there will be no buyer.” [Thus how could they be “sold by others” if there is“no buyer”?] והתמכרתם: בלע"ז איפורוונדרי"ץ וו"ש [ותמכרו עצמכם] ולא יתכן לפרש והתמכרתם לשון ונמכרתם על ידי מוכרים אחרים, מפני שנאמר אחריו ואין קונה:
69These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. סטאֵ֩לֶּה֩ דִבְרֵ֨י הַבְּרִ֜ית אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֧ה יְהֹוָ֣ה אֶת־משֶׁ֗ה לִכְרֹ֛ת אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מוֹאָ֑ב מִלְּבַ֣ד הַבְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁר־כָּרַ֥ת אִתָּ֖ם בְּחֹרֵֽב:
to make with the Children of Israel: that they should accept the Torah upon themselves with a curse and an oath. לכרת את בני ישראל: שיקבלו עליהם את התורה באלה ובשבועה:
besides the covenant: [Namely,] the curses [which appear] in Lev. (26: 14-39), which were proclaimed at [Mount] Sinai. מלבד הברית: קללות שבתורת כהנים שנאמרו בסיני:
Daily Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 97-103
• Special Custom for the Month of Elul and High Holidays
The Baal Shem Tov instituted a custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms).
See below for today's additional chapters.
Chapter 97
1. When the Lord will reveal His kingship, the earth will exult; the multitudes of islands will rejoice.
2. Clouds and dense darkness will surround Him; justice and mercy will be the foundation of His throne.
3. Fire will go before Him and consume His foes all around.
4. His lightnings will illuminate the world; the earth will see and tremble.
5. The mountains will melt like wax before the Lord, before the Master of all the earth.
6. The heavens will declare His justice, and all the nations will behold His glory.
7. All who worship graven images, who take pride in idols, will be ashamed; all idol worshippers will prostrate themselves before Him.
8. Zion will hear and rejoice, the towns of Judah will exult, because of Your judgments, O Lord.
9. For You, Lord, transcend all the earth; You are exceedingly exalted above all the supernal beings.
10. You who love the Lord, hate evil; He watches over the souls of His pious ones, He saves them from the hand of the wicked.
11. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
12. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and extol His holy Name.
Chapter 98
This psalm describes how Israel will praise God for the Redemption.
1. A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and holy arm have wrought deliverance for Him.
2. The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His justice before the eyes of the nations.
3. He has remembered His kindness and faithfulness to the House of Israel; all, from the farthest corners of the earth, witnessed the deliverance by our God.
4. Raise your voices in jubilation to the Lord, all the earth; burst into joyous song and chanting.
5. Sing to the Lord with a harp, with a harp and the sound of song.
6. With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, jubilate before the King, the Lord.
7. The sea and its fullness will roar in joy, the earth and its inhabitants.
8. The rivers will clap their hands, the mountains will sing together.
9. [They will rejoice] before the Lord, for He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with righteousness.
Chapter 99
This psalm refers to the wars of Gog and Magog, which will precede the Redemption.
1. When the Lord will reveal His kingship, the nations will tremble; the earth will quake before Him Who is enthroned upon the cherubim,
2. [before] the Lord Who is in Zion, Who is great and exalted above all the peoples.
3. They will extol Your Name which is great, awesome and holy.
4. And [they will praise] the might of the King Who loves justice. You have established uprightness; You have made [the laws of] justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5. Exalt the Lord our God, and bow down at His footstool; He is holy.
6. Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who invoke His Name, would call upon the Lord and He would answer them.
7. He would speak to them from a pillar of cloud; they observed His testimonies and the decrees which He gave them.
8. Lord our God, You have answered them; You were a forgiving God for their sake, yet bringing retribution for their own misdeeds.
9. Exalt the Lord our God, and bow down at His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.
Chapter 100
This psalm inspires the hearts of those who suffer in this world. Let them, nevertheless, serve God with joy, for all is for their good, as in the verse: "He whom God loves does He chastise." The psalm also refers to the thanksgiving sacrifice-the only sacrifice to be offered in the Messianic era.
1. A psalm of thanksgiving. Let all the earth sing in jubilation to the Lord.
2. Serve the Lord with joy; come before Him with exultation.
3. Know that the Lord is God; He has made us and we are His, His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4. Enter His gates with gratitude, His courtyards with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name.
5. For the Lord is good; His kindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness is for all generations.
Chapter 101
This psalm speaks of David's secluding himself from others, and of his virtuous conduct even in his own home.
1. By David, a psalm. I will sing of [Your] kindness and justice; to You, O Lord, will I chant praise!
2. I will pay heed to the path of integrity-O when will it come to me? I shall walk with the innocence of my heart [even] within my house.
3. I shall not place an evil thing before my eyes; I despise the doing of wayward deeds, it does not cling to me.
4. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I shall not know evil.
5. He who slanders his fellow in secret, him will I cut down; one with haughty eyes and a lustful heart, him I cannot suffer.
6. My eyes are upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the path of integrity, he shall minister to me.
7. He that practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; the speaker of lies shall have no place before my eyes.
8. Every morning I will cut down all the wicked of the land, to excise all evildoers from the city of the Lord.
Chapter 102
An awe-inspiring prayer for the exiled, and an appropriate prayer for anyone in distress.
1. A prayer of the poor man when he is faint [with affliction], and pours out his tale of woe before the Lord.
2. O Lord, hear my prayer, let my cry reach You!
3. Hide not Your face from me on the day of my distress; turn Your ear to me; on the day that I call, answer me quickly.
4. For my days have vanished with the smoke; my bones are dried up as a hearth.
5. Smitten like grass and withered is my heart, for I have forgotten to eat my bread.
6. From the voice of my sigh, my bone cleaves to my flesh.
7. I am like the bird of the wilderness; like the owl of the wasteland have I become.
8. In haste I fled; I was like a bird, alone on a roof.
9. All day my enemies disgrace me; those who ridicule me curse using my name.1
10. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mixed my drink with tears,
11. because of Your anger and Your wrath-for You have raised me up, then cast me down.
12. My days are like the fleeting shadow; I wither away like the grass.
13. But You, Lord, will be enthroned forever, and Your remembrance is for all generations.
14. You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to be gracious to her; the appointed time has come.
15. For Your servants cherish her stones, and love her dust.
16. Then the nations will fear the Name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory,
17. when [they see that] the Lord has built Zion, He has appeared in His glory.
18. He turned to the entreaty of the prayerful, and did not despise their prayer.
19. Let this be written for the last generation, so that the newborn nation will praise the Lord.
20. For He looked down from His holy heights; from heaven, the Lord gazed upon the earth,
21. to hear the cry of the bound, to untie those who are doomed to die,
22. so that the Name of the Lord be declared in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem,
23. when nations and kingdoms will gather together to serve the Lord.
24. He weakened my strength on the way; He shortened my days.
25. I would say: "My God, do not remove me in the midst of my days! You Whose years endure through all generations.”
26. In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
27. They will perish, but You will endure; all of them will wear out like a garment; You will exchange them like a robe, and they will vanish.
28. But You remain the same; Your years will not end.
29. The children of Your servants will abide; their seed shall be established before You.
FOOTNOTES
1.When swearing, they would say, “If I am lying, may I become like the miserable Jews” (Metzudot).
Chapter 103
David's prayer when he was ill, this psalm is an appropriate prayer on behalf of the sick, especially when offered by the sick person himself while his soul is yet in his body. He can then bless God from his depths, body and soul. Read, and find repose for your soul.
1. By David. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being, His holy Name.
2. My soul, bless the Lord; forget not all His favors:
3. Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your illnesses;
4. Who redeems your life from the grave, Who crowns you with kindness and mercy;
5. Who satisfies your mouth with goodness; like the eagle, your youth is renewed.
6. The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7. He made His ways known to Moses, His deeds to the Children of Israel.
8. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and of great kindness.
9. He will not contend for eternity, nor harbor ill will forever.
10. He has not dealt with us according to our transgressions, nor requited us according to our sins.
11. For as high as heaven is above the earth, so has His kindness been mighty over those who fear Him.
12. As far as the east is from the west, so has He distanced our transgressions from us.
13. As a father has compassion on his children, so has the Lord had compassion on those who fear Him.
14. For He knows our nature; He is mindful that we are but dust.
15. As for man, his days are like grass; like a flower of the field, so he sprouts.
16. When a wind passes over him, he is gone; his place recognizes him no more.
17. But the kindness of the Lord is forever and ever upon those who fear Him, and His righteousness is [secured] for children's children,
18. to those who keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commands to do them.
19. The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingship has dominion over all.
20. Bless the Lord, you His angels who are mighty in strength, who do His bidding to obey the voice of His speech.
21. Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His servants who do His will.
22. Bless the Lord, all His works, in all the places of His dominion. My soul, bless the Lord!
Additional Three Chapters
The Baal Shem Tov instituted a custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms).
Today's Chapters are 58, 59 and 60.
Chapter 58
David expresses the anguish caused him by Avner and his other enemies, who justified Saul's pursuit of him.
1. For the Conductor, a plea to be spared destruction; by David, a michtam.
2. Is it true that you are mute [instead of] speaking justice? [Instead of] judging men with fairness?
3. Even with your heart you wreak injustice upon the land; you justify the violence of your hands.
4. The wicked are estranged from the womb; from birth do the speakers of falsehood stray.
5. Their venom is like the venom of a snake; like the deaf viper that closes its ear
6. so as not to hear the voice of charmers, [even] the most skillful caster of spells.
7. O God, smash their teeth in their mouth; shatter the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.
8. Let them melt like water and disappear; when He aims His arrows, may they crumble.
9. Like the snail that melts as it goes along, like the stillbirth of a woman-they never see the sun.
10. Before your tender shoots know [to become] hardened thorns, He will blast them away, as one [uprooting] with vigor and wrath.
11. The righteous one will rejoice when he sees revenge; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
12. And man will say, "There is indeed reward for the righteous; indeed there is a God Who judges in the land."
Chapter 59
This psalm speaks of the great miracle David experienced when he eluded danger by escaping through a window, unnoticed by the guards at the door. The prayers, supplications, and entreaties he offered then are recorded here.
1. For the Conductor, a plea to be spared destruction, By David, a michtam, when Saul dispatched [men], and they guarded the house in order to kill him.
2. Rescue me from my enemies, my God; raise me above those who rise against me.
3. Rescue me from evildoers, save me from men of bloodshed.
4. For behold they lie in ambush for my soul, mighty ones gather against me-not because of my sin nor my transgression, O Lord.
5. Without iniquity [on my part,] they run and prepare-awaken towards me and see!
6. And You, Lord, God of Hosts, God of Israel, wake up to remember all the nations; do not grant favor to any of the iniquitous traitors, Selah.
7. They return toward evening, they howl like the dog and circle the city.
8. Behold, they spew with their mouths, swords are in their lips, for [they say], "Who hears?”
9. But You, Lord, You laugh at them; You mock all nations.
10. [Because of] his might, I wait for You, for God is my stronghold.
11. The God of my kindness will anticipate my [need]; God will show me [the downfall] of my watchful foes.
12. Do not kill them, lest my nation forget; drive them about with Your might and impoverish them, O our Shield, my Master,
13. [for] the sin of their mouth, the word of their lips; let them be trapped by their arrogance. At the sight of their accursed state and deterioration, [people] will recount.
14. Consume them in wrath, consume them and they will be no more; and they will know that God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth, Selah.
15. And they will return toward evening, they will howl like the dog and circle the city.
16. They will wander about to eat; when they will not be sated they will groan.
17. As for me, I shall sing of Your might, and sing joyously of Your kindness toward morning, for You have been a stronghold to me, a refuge on the day of my distress.
18. [You are] my strength, to You I will sing, for God is my stronghold, the God of my kindness.
Chapter 60
This psalm tells of when Joab, David's general, came to Aram Naharayim for war and was asked by the people: "Are you not from the children of Jacob? What of the pact he made with Laban?" Not knowing what to answer, Joab asked the Sanhedrin. The psalm includes David's prayer for success in this war.
1. For the Conductor, on the shushan eidut. A michtam by David, to instruct,
2. when he battled with Aram Naharayim and Aram Tzovah, and Joab returned and smote Edom in the Valley of Salt, twelve thousand [men].
3. O God, You forsook us, You have breached us! You grew furious-restore us!
4. You made the earth quake, You split it apart-heal its fragments, for it totters!
5. You showed Your nation harshness, You gave us benumbing wine to drink.
6. [Now] give those who fear You a banner to raise themselves, for the sake of truth, Selah.
7. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, help with Your right hand and answer me.
8. God said with His Holy [Spirit] that I would exult; I would divide Shechem, and measure out the Valley of Succot.
9. Mine is Gilead, mine is Menasseh, and Ephraim is the stronghold of my head; Judah is my prince.
10. Moab is my washbasin, and upon Edom I will cast my shoe; for me, Philistia will sound a blast [of coronation].
11. Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me unto Edom?
12. Is it not You, God, Who has [until now] forsaken us, and did not go forth with our legions?
13. Grant us relief from the oppressor; futile is the salvation of man.
14. With God we will do valiantly, and He will trample our oppressors.
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, end of Epistle 16
• Lessons in Tanya
• Today's Tanya Lesson
• Friday, 20 Elul, 5776 · 23 September 2016
• Iggeret HaKodesh, end of Epistle 16
• והנה זהו על פי שורת הדין גמור
Chumash: Parshat Ki Tavo, 5th Portion (Deuteronomy 27:11-28:6) with Rashi
• Deuteronomy Chapter 28
7The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you, to be beaten before you; they will come out against you in one direction, but they will flee from you in seven directions. זיִתֵּ֨ן יְהֹוָ֤ה אֶת־אֹֽיְבֶ֨יךָ֙ הַקָּמִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ נִגָּפִ֖ים לְפָנֶ֑יךָ בְּדֶ֤רֶךְ אֶחָד֙ יֵֽצְא֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וּבְשִׁבְעָ֥ה דְרָכִ֖ים יָנ֥וּסוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ:
but they will flee from you in seven directions: Such is the way of those who flee out of fear: they scatter in all directions. ובשבעה דרכים ינוסו לפניך: כן דרך הנבהלים לברוח מתפזרין לכל צד:
8The Lord will order the blessing to be with you in your granaries, and in every one of your endeavors, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you. חיְצַ֨ו יְהֹוָ֤ה אִתְּךָ֙ אֶת־הַבְּרָכָ֔ה בַּֽאֲסָמֶ֕יךָ וּבְכֹ֖ל מִשְׁלַ֣ח יָדֶ֑ךָ וּבֵ֣רַכְךָ֔ בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ:
9The Lord will establish you as His holy people as He swore to you, if you observe the commandments of the Lord, your God, and walk in His ways. טיְקִֽימְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֥ה לוֹ֙ לְעַ֣ם קָד֔וֹשׁ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר נִשְׁבַּע־לָ֑ךְ כִּ֣י תִשְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־מִצְוֹת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וְהָֽלַכְתָּ֖ בִּדְרָכָֽיו:
10Then all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of the Lord is called upon you, and they will fear you. יוְרָאוּ֙ כָּל־עַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֛י שֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָ֖ה נִקְרָ֣א עָלֶ֑יךָ וְיָֽרְא֖וּ מִמֶּֽךָּ:
11And the Lord will grant you good surplus in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil, on the land which the Lord swore to your forefathers, to give you. יאוְהוֹתִֽרְךָ֤ יְהֹוָה֙ לְטוֹבָ֔ה בִּפְרִ֧י בִטְנְךָ֛ וּבִפְרִ֥י בְהֶמְתְּךָ֖ וּבִפְרִ֣י אַדְמָתֶ֑ךָ עַ֚ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֧ע יְהֹוָ֛ה לַֽאֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ לָ֥תֶת לָֽךְ:
12The Lord will open up for you His good treasury, the heaven, to give your land its rain in its [right] time, and to bless everything you do. And you will lend many nations, but you will not [need to] borrow. יביִפְתַּ֣ח יְהֹוָ֣ה | לְ֠ךָ֠ אֶת־אֽוֹצָר֨וֹ הַטּ֜וֹב אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם לָתֵ֤ת מְטַר־אַרְצְךָ֙ בְּעִתּ֔וֹ וּלְבָרֵ֕ךְ אֵ֖ת כָּל־מַֽעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהִלְוִ֨יתָ֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹ֥א תִלְוֶֽה:
13And the Lord will set you at the head, and not at the tail, and you will be only at the top, and you will not be at the bottom, if you obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I am commanding you this day, to observe to fulfill [them]. יגוּנְתָֽנְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֤ה לְרֹאשׁ֙ וְלֹ֣א לְזָנָ֔ב וְהָיִ֨יתָ֙ רַ֣ק לְמַ֔עְלָה וְלֹ֥א תִֽהְיֶ֖ה לְמָ֑טָּה כִּֽי־תִשְׁמַ֞ע אֶל־מִצְוֹ֣ת | יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָֽנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם לִשְׁמֹ֥ר וְלַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת:
14And you shall not turn right or left from all of the words I am commanding you this day, to follow other deities to worship them. ידוְלֹ֣א תָס֗וּר מִכָּל־הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָֽנֹכִ֜י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֛ם הַיּ֖וֹם יָמִ֣ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול לָלֶ֗כֶת אַֽחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים לְעָבְדָֽם:
15And it will be, if you do not obey the Lord, your God, to observe to fulfill all His commandments and statutes which I am commanding you this day, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. טווְהָיָ֗ה אִם־לֹ֤א תִשְׁמַע֙ בְּקוֹל֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר לַֽעֲשׂוֹת֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹתָ֣יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָֽנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם וּבָ֧אוּ עָלֶ֛יךָ כָּל־הַקְּלָל֥וֹת הָאֵ֖לֶּה וְהִשִּׂיגֽוּךָ:
16You shall be cursed in the city, and you shall be cursed in the field. טזאָר֥וּר אַתָּ֖ה בָּעִ֑יר וְאָר֥וּר אַתָּ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶֽה:
17Cursed will be your [food] basket and your kneading bowl. יזאָר֥וּר טַנְאֲךָ֖ וּמִשְׁאַרְתֶּֽךָ:
18Cursed will be the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your soil, the fruit of your livestock, those born from your cattle and the flock of your sheep. יחאָר֥וּר פְּרִֽי־בִטְנְךָ֖ וּפְרִ֣י אַדְמָתֶ֑ךָ שְׁגַ֥ר אֲלָפֶ֖יךָ וְעַשְׁתְּרֹ֥ת צֹאנֶֽךָ:
19You shall be cursed when you come, and you shall be cursed when you depart. יטאָר֥וּר אַתָּ֖ה בְּבֹאֶ֑ךָ וְאָר֥וּר אַתָּ֖ה בְּצֵאתֶֽךָ:
20The Lord will send the curse of shortages, confusion, and turmoil upon you, in every one of your endeavors which you undertake, until it destroys you and until you quickly vanish, because of your evil deeds in forsaking Me. כיְשַׁלַּ֣ח יְהֹוָ֣ה | בְּ֠ךָ֠ אֶת־הַמְּאֵרָ֤ה אֶת־הַמְּהוּמָה֙ וְאֶת־הַמִּגְעֶ֔רֶת בְּכָל־מִשְׁלַ֥ח יָֽדְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֑ה עַ֣ד הִשָּֽׁמֶדְךָ֤ וְעַד־אֲבָדְךָ֙ מַהֵ֔ר מִפְּנֵ֛י רֹ֥עַ מַֽעֲלָלֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲזַבְתָּֽנִי:
the curse of shortages: Heb. הַמְּאֵרָה, “shortage,” similar to“ צָרַעַת מַמְאֶרֶת,”“a lesion which causes loss [to the person stricken with it]” (Lev.13:51). המארה: חסרון כמו צרעת ממארת (ויקרא יג, נב):
confusion: Heb. הַמְּהוּמָה [Rendered by Onkelos as שִׁגוּשַׁיָא, meaning] confusion, the sound of panic. המהומה: שגוש קול בהלות:
21The Lord will make pestilence cleave to you, until it has exterminated you from upon the land, to which you are coming, to possess it. כאיַדְבֵּ֧ק יְהֹוָ֛ה בְּךָ֖ אֶת־הַדָּ֑בֶר עַ֚ד כַּלֹּת֣וֹ אֹֽתְךָ֔ מֵעַל֙ הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ:
22The Lord will strike you with consumption, fever, illnesses with burning fevers, a disease which causes unquenchable thirst, with the sword, with blast, and with yellowing, and they will pursue you until you perish. כביַכְּכָ֣ה יְ֠הֹוָ֠ה בַּשַּׁחֶ֨פֶת וּבַקַּדַּ֜חַת וּבַדַּלֶּ֗קֶת וּבַֽחַרְחֻר֙ וּבַחֶ֔רֶב וּבַשִּׁדָּפ֖וֹן וּבַיֵּֽרָק֑וֹן וּרְדָפ֖וּךָ עַ֥ד אָבְדֶֽךָ:
consumption: Heb. בַּשַּׁחֶפֶת, [a disease] whereby one’s flesh wastes away and swells. בשחפת: שבשרו נשחף ונפוח:
fever: Heb. וּבַקַּדַּחַת, as in the expression “For a fire burns (קָדְחָה) in My nose” (Deut. 32:22). [In this context, the term refers to] the feverish “fire” of the sick, malevei in Old French, which means intense heat. ובקדחת: לשון כי אש קדחה באפי (דברים לב, כב) והיא אש של חולים מלויי"ד בלע"ז (פיעבערהימצע) שהיא חמה מאד:
illnesses with burning fevers: Heb. וּבַדַּלֶּקֶת. A feverish heat, more intense than קַדַּחַת. [All] these [terms listed in these verses, refer to] various types of diseases. ובדלקת: חמה יותר מקדחת ומיני חלאים הם:
a disease which causes unquenchable thirst: Heb. וּבַחַרְחֻר. This is a disease which heats up inside the body, causing him [the patient] to suffer continuous thirst for water, esardement in Old French, parching fever, as in the expressions: “and my bones dried out (חָרָה) from the heat” (Job. 30:30), and “The bellows is heated (נִחַר) from the fire” (Jer. 6:29). ובחרחר: חולי המחממו תוך הגוף וצמא תמיד למים ובלע"ז אישרדימינ"ט (התיבשות) לשון ועצמי חרה מני חרב (איוב ל, ל) נחר מפוח מאש (ירמי' ו, כט):
and with the sword: He will bring [hostile] armies upon you. ובחרב: יביא עליך גייסות:
with blast, and with yellowing: Diseases of the grain in the field. שדפון וירקון: מכות תבואה שבשדות:
blast: Heb. שִׁדָּפוֹן, an easterly wind, hasled in Old French, [meaning that the east wind causes the grain to be blasted]. שדפון: רוח קדים אשלי"דה בלע"ז (זאננפערבראננט):
yellowing: Heb. יֵרָקוֹן, drought, whereby the surface of the grain pales and turns yellow, chaume (?) in Old French. ירקון: יובש ופני התבואה מכסיפין ונהפכין לירקון קמ"א בלע"ז (געלב):
until you perish: Heb. עַד אָבְדֶךָ. [This phrase could be misconstrued to mean: “until you become lost” by God and found by others. Therefore, Rashi cites] the Targum [which] renders the phrase as: עַד דְתֵיבָד, “until you perish,” meaning, “you will perish, of your own accord.” עד אבדך: תרגום עד דתיביד כלומר עד אבוד אותך שתכלה מאליך:
23And your skies above you will be [like] copper, and the earth below you [like] iron. כגוְהָי֥וּ שָׁמֶ֛יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־רֹֽאשְׁךָ֖ נְח֑שֶׁת וְהָאָ֥רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־תַּחְתֶּ֖יךָ בַּרְזֶֽל:
And your skies above you will be [like] copper: These curses [proclaimed here at Mount Ebal] were pronounced by Moses himself [albeit through divine inspiration], whereas those [curses] made at Mount Sinai (Lev. 26:14-39) Moses pronounced from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed is He (Meg. 31b). This is demonstrated by the verses themselves: The verse there says, “But if you will not listen to Me ” (Lev. 26:14), and, “And if you regard Me as coincidence” (26:21), [all referring to God in the first person]. Here, however, the verse says, “obey the Lord, your God ” (verse 15),“ The Lord will make… ” (verse 21), and “ The Lord will strike you” (verse 22) [all referring to God in the third person, demonstrating that Moses is speaking]. Moses made his curses milder [than those at Mount Sinai], for he expressed them in the singular form [as if spoken to an individual]. Furthermore, in this curse [in our verse here], Moses made his milder [than the corresponding curse at Mount Sinai by God], for in the first curses [in Lev.], God said, “[And I shall make] your skies like iron, and your earth like copper” (Lev. 26:19), [meaning that] that the skies will not sweat [i.e., be moist], just as iron does not sweat; consequently, there will be drought in the world. But the earth will sweat, just as copper sweats, thereby causing its fruits to rot. Here, however, Scripture says, “Your skies…copper, and your earth…iron.” [This means] that the skies will sweat [i.e., be moist], and thus, even though they will not pour down rain, there will not be a consuming drought in the world. Also, [this means that] the earth will not sweat, just as iron does not sweat; thus, the fruits will not rot (Torath Kohanim 26:28). [Although the curse here contains these milder elements as explained,] it is, nevertheless, a curse, for whether it [the earth] is like copper or whether it is like iron, it will not produce fruit. And similarly, the skies [whether they become like copper or iron] will not pour down rain. והיו שמיך אשר על ראשך נחשת: קללות הללו משה מפי עצמו אמרן ושבהר סיני מפי הקב"ה אמרן כמשמען ושם נאמר (ויקרא כו, יד) ואם לא תשמעו לי, ואם תלכו עמי קרי (ויקרא כו, כא) וכן הוא אומר (פסוק טו) בקול ה' אלהיך (פסוק כא) ידבק ה' בך, יככה ה' (פסוק כב) הקיל משה בקללותיו לאמרן בלשון יחיד וגם כן בקללה זו הקל שבראשונות הוא אומר את שמיכם כברזל את ארצכם כנחושה, (ויקרא כו, יט) שלא יהיו השמים מזיעין כדרך שאין הברזל מזיע, ומתוך כך יהא חורב בעולם והארץ תהא מזיעה כדרך שהנחשת מזיע, והיא מרקבת פירותיה, וכאן הוא אומר שמיך נחשת וארצך ברזל, שיהיו שמים מזיעין אף על פי שלא יריקו מטר מכל מקום לא יהיה חורב של אבדון בעולם, והארץ לא תהא מזיעה כדרך שאין הברזל מזיע, ואין הפירות מרקיבין. ומכל מקום קללה היא, בין שהיא כנחשת בין שהיא כברזל, לא תוציא פירות, וכן השמים לא יריקו מטר:
24The Lord will turn the rain of your land into powder and dust, raining down upon you from the heavens until you are destroyed. כדיִתֵּ֧ן יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־מְטַ֥ר אַרְצְךָ֖ אָבָ֣ק וְעָפָ֑ר מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ יֵרֵ֣ד עָלֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד הִשָּֽׁמְדָֽךְ:
[The Lord will turn] the rain of your land into powder and dust: [How do these two opposites coincide, rain and dust? The Talmud answers] (Ta’anith 3b): “[The text is referring to] a wind which follows the rain.” Rain will fall, but insufficiently; moreover, there will not even be enough rain to cause the dust to settle. Then, a wind will come and raise the dust and cover the vegetation [sprouting] from the seeds, which are still moist from the water. [The dust] will adhere to them, forming [a layer of] mud, [which] will dry up [on the vegetation], causing it to rot. [This, then, is the meaning of the curse:“The Lord will turn the rain of your land into powder and dust.”] מטר ארצך אבק ועפר: זיקא דבתר מטרא, מטר יורד ולא כל צרכו ואין בו כדי להרביץ את העפר, והרוח באה ומעלה את האבק ומכסה את עשב הזרעים שהן לחים מן המים ונדבק בהם ונעשה טיט ומתיבש ומרקיבין:
25The Lord will cause you to be broken before your enemy: you will come out against them in one direction, but you will flee from them in seven directions. And you will become a terrifying [example] to all the kingdoms on earth. כהיִתֶּנְךָ֨ יְהֹוָ֣ה | נִגָּף֘ לִפְנֵ֣י אֹֽיְבֶ֒יךָ֒ בְּדֶ֤רֶךְ אֶחָד֙ תֵּצֵ֣א אֵלָ֔יו וּבְשִׁבְעָ֥ה דְרָכִ֖ים תָּנ֣וּס לְפָנָ֑יו וְהָיִ֣יתָ לְזַֽעֲוָ֔ה לְכֹ֖ל מַמְלְכ֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ:
a terrifying [example]: [an example of] fear (אֵימָה) and trembling (זִיעַ) . [This means that] anyone who hears about your plagues, will“tremble in fear (יָזוּעוּ) ,” saying:“Woe to us! Let this not befall us, in the way in which it has befallen these [people]!” לזעוה: לאימה ולזיע, שיזועו כל שומעי מכותיך ממך ויאמרו אוי לנו שלא יבוא עלינו כדרך שבא על אלו:
26Your corpse will be food for all birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth, and no one will frighten them [away]. כווְהָֽיְתָ֤ה נִבְלָֽתְךָ֙ לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל לְכָל־ע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶֽהֱמַ֣ת הָאָ֑רֶץ וְאֵ֖ין מַֽחֲרִֽיד:
27The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with hemorrhoids, with oozing sores, and with dry lesions, from which you will be unable to be cured. כזיַכְּכָ֨ה יְהֹוָ֜ה בִּשְׁחִ֤ין מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ וּבַטְחֹרִ֔ים (כתיב ובעפלים) וּבַגָּרָ֖ב וּבֶחָ֑רֶס אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־תוּכַ֖ל לְהֵֽרָפֵֽא:
The boils of Egypt: This was a very severe [lesion]: it was moist on the inside and dry on the outside, as taught in tractate Bech. (41a). בשחין מצרים: רע היה מאד, לח מבחוץ ויבש מבפנים, כדאיתא בבכורות (מא א):
oozing sores: [This means] wet boils. גרב: שחין לח:
dry lesions: [This means] boils dry as shards. חרס: שחין יבש כחרס:
28The Lord will strike you with insanity, with blindness, and with bewilderment. כחיַכְּכָ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה בְּשִׁגָּע֖וֹן וּבְעִוָּר֑וֹן וּבְתִמְה֖וֹן לֵבָֽב:
and with bewilderment: Heb. וּבְתִמְהוֹן לֵבָב, lit.“clogging of the heart,” estordison in Old French. ובתמהון לבב: אוטם הלב אשטורדישו"ן בלע"ז [תדהמה]:
29You will grope at midday, as the blind man gropes in the dark, and you will be unsuccessful in your ways. You will be only oppressed and robbed all the days, and no one will save [you]. כטוְהָיִ֜יתָ מְמַשֵּׁ֣שׁ בַּצָּֽהֳרַ֗יִם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר יְמַשֵּׁ֤שׁ הָֽעִוֵּר֙ בָּֽאֲפֵלָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א תַצְלִ֖יחַ אֶת־דְּרָכֶ֑יךָ וְהָיִ֜יתָ אַ֣ךְ עָשׁ֧וּק וְגָז֛וּל כָּל־הַיָּמִ֖ים וְאֵ֥ין מוֹשִֽׁיעַ:
oppressed: Heb. עָשׁוּק, you will experience controversy regarding everything you do. עשוק: בכל מעשיך יהיה ערעור:
30You will betroth a woman, but another man will lie with her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not redeem it[s fruits]. לאִשָּׁ֣ה תְאָרֵ֗שׂ וְאִ֤ישׁ אַחֵר֙ יִשְׁכָּבֶ֔נָּה (כתיב ישגלנה) בַּ֥יִת תִּבְנֶ֖ה וְלֹֽא־תֵשֵׁ֣ב בּ֑וֹ כֶּ֥רֶם תִּטַּ֖ע וְלֹ֥א תְחַלְּלֶֽנּוּ:
will lie with her: Heb. יִשְׁגָּלֶנָּה. [This word stems] from the root שֵׁגָל, meaning a פִּלֶגֶשׁ [which refers to a wife without a Jewish marriage contract, i.e., a concubine. Nevertheless,] Scripture euphemizes the term [by having it read as יִשְׁכָּבֶנָּה instead], thus [giving it] a more delicate implication. This is [like] a modification made by scribes. — [see Meg.. 25b; and compare Rashi on Gen. 18:22] ישגלנה: לשון שגל, פלגש, והכתוב כנהו לשבח ישכבנה ותקון סופרים הוא זה:
redeem it[s fruits]: Heb. תְחַלְלֶנּוּ [This is referring to the fruits of a tree, which must not be used for the first three years of the tree’s life. Then, the fruits of the fourth year take on holy status and are taken to Jerusalem to be eaten. If it is too difficult to take them to Jerusalem, they are redeemed with money, which is, in turn, taken to Jerusalem, where food is purchased for it. Here, then, the curse means that the person will plant his vineyard, but will not live to redeem it] in the fourth year to eat its fruits. תחללנו: בשנה הרביעית לאכול פריו:
31Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat from it. Your donkey will be snatched right in front of you, and it will not return to you. Your flock will be given over to your enemies, and you will have no savior. לאשֽׁוֹרְךָ֞ טָב֣וּחַ לְעֵינֶ֗יךָ וְלֹ֣א תֹאכַל֘ מִמֶּ֒נּוּ֒ חֲמֹֽרְךָ֙ גָּז֣וּל מִלְּפָנֶ֔יךָ וְלֹ֥א יָשׁ֖וּב לָ֑ךְ צֹֽאנְךָ֙ נְתֻנ֣וֹת לְאֹֽיְבֶ֔יךָ וְאֵ֥ין לְךָ֖ מוֹשִֽׁיעַ:
32Your sons and daughters will be given over to another people, and your eyes will see [this] and long for them all day long, but you will be powerless. לבבָּנֶ֨יךָ וּבְנֹתֶ֜יךָ נְתֻנִ֨ים לְעַ֤ם אַחֵר֙ וְעֵינֶ֣יךָ רֹא֔וֹת וְכָל֥וֹת אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם כָּל־הַיּ֑וֹם וְאֵ֥ין לְאֵ֖ל יָדֶֽךָ:
and long for them: Heb. וְכָלוֹת אֲלֵיהֶם. [Meaning: Your eyes] will longingly look out for the return [of your children], but they will not return. The expression כִּלְיוֹן עֵינַיִם refers to a hope which never materializes. וכלות אליהם: מצפות אליהם שישובו ואינם שבים. כל תוחלת שאינה באה קרויה כליון עינים:
33A people unknown to you will eat up the fruit of your soil and [the result of] all your toil. You will be only wronged and crushed all the days. לגפְּרִ֤י אַדְמָֽתְךָ֙ וְכָל־יְגִ֣יעֲךָ֔ יֹאכַ֥ל עַ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יָדָ֑עְתָּ וְהָיִ֗יתָ רַ֛ק עָשׁ֥וּק וְרָצ֖וּץ כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים:
34You will go insane from the vision before your eyes that you will behold. לדוְהָיִ֖יתָ מְשֻׁגָּ֑ע מִמַּרְאֵ֥ה עֵינֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּרְאֶֽה:
35The Lord will strike you on the knees and on the legs with a terrible skin eruption from which you will be unable to be cured; [it will eventually cover you] from the sole of your foot to the top of your head. להיַכְּכָ֨ה יְהֹוָ֜ה בִּשְׁחִ֣ין רָ֗ע עַל־הַבִּרְכַּ֨יִם֙ וְעַל־הַשֹּׁקַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־תוּכַ֖ל לְהֵֽרָפֵ֑א מִכַּ֥ף רַגְלְךָ֖ וְעַ֥ד קָדְקֳדֶֽךָ:
36The Lord will lead you and your king whom you will have established over you, to a nation unknown to you or your fathers; and there, you will serve other deities [made] of wood and stone. לויוֹלֵ֨ךְ יְהֹוָ֜ה אֹֽתְךָ֗ וְאֶת־מַלְכְּךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּקִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ אֶל־גּ֕וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖עְתָּ אַתָּ֣ה וַֽאֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ וְעָבַ֥דְתָּ שָּׁ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים עֵ֥ץ וָאָֽבֶן:
37And you will become an [object of] astonishment, an example, and a topic of discussion, among all the peoples to whom the Lord will lead you. לזוְהָיִ֣יתָ לְשַׁמָּ֔ה לְמָשָׁ֖ל וְלִשְׁנִינָ֑ה בְּכֹל֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־יְנַֽהֶגְךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֖ה שָֽׁמָּה:
an object of astonishment: Heb. לְשַׁמָּה. [This word is] similar to תִּמָּהוֹן [meaning, astonishment], estordison in Old French. [Thus, the meaning here is:] whoever sees you will be astonished about you. לשמה: אשטורדישו"ן [תדהמה] כל הרואה אותך ישום עליך:
an example: When some terrible trouble befalls a person, [people] will say:“This is like the trouble that happened to so-and-so.” למשל: כשתבא מכה רעה על אדם, יאמרו זו דומה למכת פלוני:
and a topic of discussion: Heb. וְלִשְׁנִינָה. An expression similar to“And you will teach them (וְשִׁנַּנְתֶּם)” (Deut. 6:7) [… and speak of them. That is, people] will speak about you. The Targum [Onkelos] renders this [word] in the same way, [namely:] וּלְשׁוֹעִי, [which is similar to] וְאֶשְׁתָּעִי, [meaning to talk]. ולשנינה: לשון ושננתם (לעיל ו, ז) ידברו בך, וכן תרגומו ולשועי, לשון ספור, ואשתעי:
38You will take much seed out to the field, yet you will gather in little, for the locusts will finish it. לחזֶ֥רַע רַ֖ב תּוֹצִ֣יא הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וּמְעַ֣ט תֶּֽאֱסֹ֔ף כִּ֥י יַחְסְלֶ֖נּוּ הָֽאַרְבֶּֽה:
will finish it: Heb. יַחְסְלֶנּוּ-means, the locusts will consume it. And because [the word חסל means to consume], the locust is also called חָסִיל (see e.g.,Joel 1:4), for it consumes everything in its path. [Yerushalmi Taanit 3:6.] יחסלנו: יכלנו, ועל שם כך נקרא חסיל, שמכלה את הכל:
39You will plant vineyards and work [them], but you will neither drink of [their] wine, or gather [the grapes], because the worms will devour them. לטכְּרָמִ֥ים תִּטַּ֖ע וְעָבָ֑דְתָּ וְיַ֤יִן לֹֽא־תִשְׁתֶּה֙ וְלֹ֣א תֶֽאֱגֹ֔ר כִּ֥י תֹֽאכְלֶ֖נּוּ הַתֹּלָֽעַת:
40You will have olive trees throughout all your boundaries, but you will not anoint with [their] oil, because your olive trees will drop off. מזֵיתִ֛ים יִֽהְי֥וּ לְךָ֖ בְּכָל־גְּבוּלֶ֑ךָ וְשֶׁ֨מֶן֙ לֹ֣א תָס֔וּךְ כִּ֥י יִשַּׁ֖ל זֵיתֶֽךָ:
will drop off: [Meaning, the olive tree] will shed its fruit. This is similar to the verb,“and the iron flew off [or slipped off] (וְנָשַׁל)” (Deut. 19:5). כי ישל: ישיר פירותיו, לשון (לעיל יט, ה) ונשל הברזל:
41You will bear sons and daughters, but you will not have them, because they will go into captivity. מאבָּנִ֥ים וּבָנ֖וֹת תּוֹלִ֑יד וְלֹא־יִֽהְי֣וּ לָ֔ךְ כִּ֥י יֵֽלְכ֖וּ בַּשֶּֽׁבִי:
42All your trees and all the fruit of your soil the cicada will make destitute. מבכָּל־עֵֽצְךָ֖ וּפְרִ֣י אַדְמָתֶ֑ךָ יְיָרֵ֖שׁ הַצְּלָצַֽל:
the cicada will make destitute: [The word יְיָרֵשׁ stems from the word רָשׁ, which means destitute or devoid. Thus, the verse here means that] the locusts will cause the tree to be devoid of fruit. [Therefore,] יירש הצלצל: יעשנו הארבה רש מן הפרי:
will make destitute: Heb. יְיָרֵשׁ [has the meaning of] יַעֲנִי, “making it destitute.” יירש: יעני:
the cicada: Heb. הַצְּלָצַל, a [particular] species of locust [which makes a loud sound (צְלִיל)]. Now, [the word יְיָרֵשׁ] must not be understood as denoting יְרוּשָׁה, “inheritance,” for in that case, the Scripture would have written: יִירַשׁ [i.e., with a different vocalization. Similarly,] it should not be understood to mean הוֹרָשָׁה,“driving out” for in that case, Scripture would have written: יוֹרִישׁ. [Rather, the word means “to make destitute, devoid,” as explained above.] צלצל: מין ארבה. ואי אפשר לפרש יירש לשון ירושה, שאם כן היה לו לכתוב ירש, ולא לשון הורשה וגירושין, שאם כן היה לכתוב יוריש:
43The stranger who is among you will arise above you, higher and higher, while you will descend lower and lower. מגהַגֵּר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּקִרְבְּךָ֔ יַֽעֲלֶ֥ה עָלֶ֖יךָ מַ֣עְלָה מָּ֑עְלָה וְאַתָּ֥ה תֵרֵ֖ד מַ֥טָּה מָּֽטָּה:
44He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be at the head, while you will be at the tail. מדה֣וּא יַלְוְךָ֔ וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹ֣א תַלְוֶ֑נּוּ ה֚וּא יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לְרֹ֔אשׁ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה לְזָנָֽב:
45All these curses will befall you, pursuing you and overtaking you to destroy you because you did not obey the Lord, your God, to observe His commandments and statutes which He commanded you. מהוּבָ֨אוּ עָלֶ֜יךָ כָּל־הַקְּלָל֣וֹת הָאֵ֗לֶּה וּרְדָפ֨וּךָ֙ וְהִשִּׂיג֔וּךָ עַ֖ד הִשָּֽׁמְדָ֑ךְ כִּי־לֹ֣א שָׁמַ֗עְתָּ בְּקוֹל֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֛ר מִצְוֹתָ֥יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֖יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּֽךְ:
46And they will be as a sign and a wonder, upon you and your offspring, forever, מווְהָי֣וּ בְךָ֔ לְא֖וֹת וּלְמוֹפֵ֑ת וּבְזַרְעֲךָ֖ עַד־עוֹלָֽם:
47because you did not serve the Lord, your God, with happiness and with gladness of heart, when [you had an] abundance of everything. מזתַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־עָבַ֨דְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּשִׂמְחָ֖ה וּבְט֣וּב לֵבָ֑ב מֵרֹ֖ב כֹּֽל:
when [you had an] abundance of everything: when you still had all good things. מרב כל: בעוד שהיה לך כל טוב:
48Therefore, you will serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, [when you are] in famine, thirst, destitution, and lacking everything, and he will place an iron yoke upon your neck, until he has destroyed you. מחוְעָֽבַדְתָּ֣ אֶת־אֹֽיְבֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְשַׁלְּחֶ֤נּוּ יְהֹוָה֙ בָּ֔ךְ בְּרָעָ֧ב וּבְצָמָ֛א וּבְעֵירֹ֖ם וּבְחֹ֣סֶר כֹּ֑ל וְנָתַ֞ן עֹ֤ל בַּרְזֶל֙ עַל־צַוָּארֶ֔ךָ עַ֥ד הִשְׁמִיד֖וֹ אֹתָֽךְ:
49The Lord will bring upon you a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you will not understand, מטיִשָּׂ֣א יְהֹוָה֩ עָלֶ֨יךָ גּ֤וֹי מֵֽרָחֹק֙ מִקְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר יִדְאֶ֖ה הַנָּ֑שֶׁר גּ֕וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־תִשְׁמַ֖ע לְשֹׁנֽוֹ:
as the eagle swoops down: i.e., suddenly and successfully. The horses [of this enemy nation] will run swiftly. כאשר ידאה הנשר: פתאום ודרך מצלחת ויקלו סוסיו:
whose language you will not understand: Heb. תִּשְׁמַע. [Literally, “You will not hear his language,” i.e.,] you will not recognize its language. [We find a similar expression in Scripture:]“you understand (תִּשְׁמַע) a dream, to interpret it” (Gen. 41:15). Also,“[but they did not know] that Joseph understood (שֹׁמֵע)” (Gen. 42:23), entendre in Old French, to understand. לא תשמע לשונו: לא תכיר לשונו, וכן (בראשית מא, טו) תשמע חלום לפתור אותו. וכן (שם מב, כג) כי שומע יוסף אינטינדר"י בלע"ז [להבין]:
50a brazen nation, which will not respect the elderly, nor show favor to the young. נגּ֖וֹי עַ֣ז פָּנִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־יִשָּׂ֤א פָנִים֙ לְזָקֵ֔ן וְנַ֖עַר לֹ֥א יָחֹֽן:
51They will devour the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your soil, to destroy you. They will not leave over anything for you of the grain, wine, oil, offspring of your cattle or flocks of your sheep, until they annihilate you. נאוְאָכַ֠ל פְּרִ֨י בְהֶמְתְּךָ֥ וּפְרִֽי־אַדְמָֽתְךָ֘ עַ֣ד הִשָּֽׁמְדָךְ֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־יַשְׁאִ֜יר לְךָ֗ דָּגָן֙ תִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְיִצְהָ֔ר שְׁגַ֥ר אֲלָפֶ֖יךָ וְעַשְׁתְּרֹ֣ת צֹאנֶ֑ךָ עַ֥ד הַֽאֲבִיד֖וֹ אֹתָֽךְ:
52And they will besiege you in all your cities, until your high and fortified walls in which you trust come down, throughout all your land. And they will besiege you in all your cities throughout all your land, which the Lord, your God, has given you. נבוְהֵצַ֨ר לְךָ֜ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶ֗יךָ עַ֣ד רֶ֤דֶת חֹֽמֹתֶ֨יךָ֙ הַגְּבֹהֹ֣ת וְהַבְּצֻר֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֛ה בֹּטֵ֥חַ בָּהֵ֖ן בְּכָל־אַרְצֶ֑ךָ וְהֵצַ֤ר לְךָ֙ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ בְּכָ֨ל־אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֛ן יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לָֽךְ:
until your… walls come down: [The רֶדֶת here is [an expression of רִדּוּי וְכִבּוּשׁ] subjugation and conquest. עד רדת חמתיך: לשון רדוי וכבוש:
53And during the siege and the desperation which your enemies will bring upon you, you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the Lord, your God, gave you. נגוְאָֽכַלְתָּ֣ פְרִֽי־בִטְנְךָ֗ בְּשַׂ֤ר בָּנֶ֨יךָ֙ וּבְנֹתֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֖ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁר־יָצִ֥יק לְךָ֖ אֹֽיְבֶֽךָ:
And during the siege and desperation… you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons: Because [the enemies] will besiege the city, and there will be caused desperation, the distress of famine. ואכלת פרי בטנך בשר בניך וגו' במצור: מחמת שיהיו צרין על העיר ויהיה שם מצוק עקת רעבון:
54The most tender and delicate man among you, will begrudge his own brother and the wife of his embrace and the rest of his children, whom he will leave over, נדהָאִישׁ֙ הָרַ֣ךְ בְּךָ֔ וְהֶֽעָנֹ֖ג מְאֹ֑ד תֵּרַ֨ע עֵינ֤וֹ בְאָחִיו֙ וּבְאֵ֣שֶׁת חֵיק֔וֹ וּבְיֶ֥תֶר בָּנָ֖יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹתִֽיר:
The most tender and delicate man among you: This is referring to the same person, who is both tender and delicate. These terms denote a pampered existence. [The fact] that these two expressions refer to the same person is proved [by their use together], when it says, “מֵהִתְעַנֵּג וּמֵרֹךְ, because of delicateness and tenderness” (verse 56) [referring to the same person. And here, the verse tells us that] although he is so pampered and he [normally] cannot tolerate anything repugnant, the flesh of his sons and daughters will seem sweet to him as a result of his [intense] hunger. And it will reach a stage where he will begrudge his remaining children, by denying any of them the flesh of his sons, their brothers, which he is eating. Another explanation of הָרַךְ בְּךָ: The merciful and tenderhearted will become cruel because of the intense hunger, and they will not give the flesh of their slaughtered children to their remaining children. הרך בך והענג: הוא הרך הוא הענוג, לשון פינוק. ומהתענג ומרך מוכיח עליהם ששניהם אחד, אף על פי שהוא מפונק ודעתו קצה בדבר מאוס, ימתק לו לרעבונו בשר בניו ובנותיו עד כי תרע עינו בבניו הנותרים מתת לאחד מהם מבשר בניו אחיהם אשר יאכל. דבר אחר הרך בך הרחמני ורך הלבב, מרוב רעבנותם, יתאכזרו ולא יתנו מבשר בניהם השחוטים לבניהם הנותרים:
55of giving any one of them of the flesh of his children that he is eating, because not a thing will remain for him in the siege and in the desperation which your enemies will bring upon you, in all your cities. נהמִתֵּ֣ת | לְאַחַ֣ד מֵהֶ֗ם מִבְּשַׂ֤ר בָּנָיו֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֹאכֵ֔ל מִבְּלִ֥י הִשְׁאִֽיר־ל֖וֹ כֹּ֑ל בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֥יק לְךָ֛ אֹֽיִבְךָ֖ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶֽיךָ:
56The most tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set her foot upon the ground, because of delicateness and tenderness, will begrudge the husband of her embrace and her own son and daughter, נוהָֽרַכָּ֨ה בְךָ֜ וְהָֽעֲנֻגָּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־נִסְּתָ֤ה כַף־רַגְלָהּ֙ הַצֵּ֣ג עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ מֵֽהִתְעַנֵּ֖ג וּמֵרֹ֑ךְ תֵּרַ֤ע עֵינָהּ֙ בְּאִ֣ישׁ חֵיקָ֔הּ וּבִבְנָ֖הּ וּבְבִתָּֽהּ:
will begrudge the husband of her embrace and her own son and daughter: [referring to her] grown-up [children]. תרע עינה באיש חיקה ובבנה ובבתה: הגדולים:
57and the infants who emerge from between her legs, and her own children whom she will bear, for she will eat them in secret, in destitution, in the siege and the desperation which your enemies will inflict upon you, in your cities. נזוּבְשִׁלְיָתָ֞הּ הַיּוֹצֵ֣ת | מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלֶ֗יהָ וּבְבָנֶ֨יהָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּלֵ֔ד כִּי־תֹֽאכְלֵ֥ם בְּחֹֽסֶר־כֹּ֖ל בַּסָּ֑תֶר בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֥יק לְךָ֛ אֹֽיִבְךָ֖ בִּשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ:
and the infants who emerge from between her legs: i.e. the small children, she will begrudge all of them [the elder and the younger children] when she eats one by denying those beside her any of the flesh. ובשליתה: בניה הקטנים בכולן תהא עינה צרה כשתאכל את האחד מליתן לאשר אצלה מן הבשר:
58If you do not observe to fulfill all the words of this Torah, which are written in this scroll, to fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord, your God, נחאִם־לֹ֨א תִשְׁמֹ֜ר לַֽעֲשׂ֗וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי֙ הַתּוֹרָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את הַכְּתֻבִ֖ים בַּסֵּ֣פֶר הַזֶּ֑ה לְ֠יִרְאָ֠ה אֶת־הַשֵּׁ֞ם הַנִּכְבַּ֤ד וְהַנּוֹרָא֙ הַזֶּ֔ה אֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ:
59Then the Lord [will bring upon] you and your offspring uniquely [horrible] plagues, terrible and unyielding plagues, and evil and unyielding sicknesses. נטוְהִפְלָ֤א יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־מַכֹּ֣תְךָ֔ וְאֵ֖ת מַכּ֣וֹת זַרְעֶ֑ךָ מַכּ֤וֹת גְּדֹלֹת֙ וְנֶ֣אֱמָנ֔וֹת וָֽחֳלָיִ֥ם רָעִ֖ים וְנֶֽאֱמָנִֽים:
Then the Lord will bring upon you… plagues: [The Lord will bring upon you plagues which are more] remarkable and different from any other plagues. והפלא ה' את מכתך: מופלאות ומובדלות משאר מכות:
unyielding: [Literally, “faithful.” I.e., these plagues will “faithfully”] chastise you in order to fulfill their mission. ונאמנות: ליסרך לקיים שליחותן:
60And He will bring back upon you all the diseases of Egypt which you dreaded, and they will cling to you. סוְהֵשִׁ֣יב בְּךָ֗ אֵ֚ת כָּל־מַדְוֵ֣ה מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָגֹ֖רְתָּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְדָֽבְק֖וּ בָּֽךְ:
which you dreaded: [You dreaded] those diseases [not that you dreaded Egypt]. When Israel saw the extraordinary plagues that befell Egypt, they were afraid of them, i.e., they were afraid that these plagues would befall them too. You should know, [that the Israelites dreaded the plagues of Egypt,] because it is written,“If you hearken…, all the sickness that I have visited upon Egypt, I will not visit upon you” (Exod. 15:26) [implying that if you do not hearken, I will place them upon you! Since Israel feared those plagues, God used them as a threat, because] one can instill fear into a person only through something he fears. אשר יגרת מפניהם: מפני המכות כשהיו ישראל רואים מכות משונות הבאות על מצרים היו יראים מהם שלא יבואו גם עליהם, תדע שכן כתיב (שמות טו כו) אם שמוע וגו' כל המחלה אשר שמתי במצרים לא אשים עליך, אין מיראין את האדם אלא בדבר שהוא יגור ממנו:
61Also, the Lord will bring upon you every disease and plague which is not written in this Torah scroll, to destroy you. סאגַּ֤ם כָּל־חֳלִי֙ וְכָל־מַכָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א כָת֔וּב בְּסֵ֖פֶר הַתּוֹרָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את יַעְלֵ֤ם יְהֹוָה֙ עָלֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד הִשָּֽׁמְדָֽךְ:
will bring upon you: Heb. יַעְלֵם. [This term is] an expression of עִלִיּה, going up. יעלם: לשון עלייה:
62And you will remain few in number, whereas you were once as numerous as the stars of the heavens because you did not obey the Lord, your God. סבוְנִשְׁאַרְתֶּם֙ בִּמְתֵ֣י מְעָ֔ט תַּ֚חַת אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֱיִיתֶ֔ם כְּכֽוֹכְבֵ֥י הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם לָרֹ֑ב כִּי־לֹ֣א שָׁמַ֔עְתָּ בְּק֖וֹל יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ:
And you will remain few in number: Instead of being numerous [“as the stars of the stars of the heaven”], you will be few [in number]. ונשארתם במתי מעט תחת וגו': מועטין חלף מרובין:
63And it will be, just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do good for you and to increase you, so will the Lord cause to rejoice over you to annihilate you and to destroy you. And you will be uprooted from the land which you enter therein, to possess it. סגוְהָיָ֠ה כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֨שׂ יְהֹוָ֜ה עֲלֵיכֶ֗ם לְהֵיטִ֣יב אֶתְכֶם֘ וּלְהַרְבּ֣וֹת אֶתְכֶם֒ כֵּ֣ן יָשִׂ֤ישׂ יְהֹוָה֙ עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם לְהַֽאֲבִ֥יד אֶתְכֶ֖ם וּלְהַשְׁמִ֣יד אֶתְכֶ֑ם וְנִסַּחְתֶּם֙ מֵעַ֣ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ:
So will the Lord cause to rejoice: [I.e., “so will He make] your enemies [rejoice] over you, to annihilate you.” [But the Holy One, Blessed is He, Himself, does not rejoice. From here, we learn that the Holy One, Blessed is He, does not rejoice over the downfall of the wicked, for in our verse it does not say יָשׂוּשׂ [in the simple conjugation], “rejoice,” but rather יָשִׂישׂ in the causative conjugation, “cause to rejoice.” I.e., God will make others rejoice over your downfall, because you acted wickedly, while He Himself will not personally rejoice over your downfall. Nevertheless, when it comes to bestowing good upon the righteous, God Himself rejoices, as it is said: “just as the Lord rejoiced (שָׂשׂ) over you [to do good for you,” where the verb שָׂשׂ is in the simple conjugation, for God Himself rejoices here]]. — [Meg. 10b] כן ישיש ה': את אויביכם עליכם להאביד וגו':
and you will be uprooted: Heb. וְנִסַּחְתֶּם, an expression of uprooting. Similar to this is the verse,“The Lord will uproot (יִסַּח) the house of the arrogant” (Prov. 15:25). ונסחתם: לשון עקירה וכן (משלי טו, כה) בית גאים יסח ה':
64And the Lord will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve other deities unknown to you or your forefathers, [deities of] wood and stone. סדוֶֽהֱפִֽיצְךָ֤ יְהֹוָה֙ בְּכָל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים מִקְצֵ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ וְעַד־קְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ וְעָבַ֨דְתָּ שָּׁ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֛עְתָּ אַתָּ֥ה וַֽאֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ עֵ֥ץ וָאָֽבֶן:
and there you will serve other deities: As the Targum [Onkelos] renders: [and there you will serve nations that worship idols. Thus, the verse is] not referring to actual idolatry, but rather paying customs and head taxes to idolatrous priests. ועבדת שם אלהים אחרים: כתרגומו, לא עבודת אלהות ממש, אלא מעלים מס וגולגליות לכומרי עבודה זרה:
65And among those nations, you will not be calm, nor will your foot find rest. There, the Lord will give you a trembling heart, dashed hopes, and a depressed soul. סהוּבַגּוֹיִ֤ם הָהֵם֙ לֹ֣א תַרְגִּ֔יעַ וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה מָנ֖וֹחַ לְכַף־רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְנָתַן֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה לְךָ֥ שָׁם֙ לֵ֣ב רַגָּ֔ז וְכִלְי֥וֹן עֵינַ֖יִם וְדַֽאֲב֥וֹן נָֽפֶשׁ:
you will not be calm: Heb. לֹא תַרְגִּיעַ, [meaning, as Onkelos renders:] “You will not rest.” Similar to this is the verse,“and this is the rest (הַמַּרְגֵּעָה)” (Isa. 28:12). לא תרגיע: לא תנוח, כמו (ישעיה כח, יב) וזאת המרגעה:
a trembling heart: Heb. לֵב רַגָּז, a trembling heart, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders: דָחֵיל, “fearful, trembling,” similar to“Gehinnom from beneath quaked (רָגְזָה) for you” (Isa. 14:9),“Peoples heard; they trembled (יִרְגָּזוּן) ” (Exod. 15:14), and“The foundations of heaven trembled (יִרְגָּזוּ)” (II Sam. 22:8). לב רגז: לב חרד, כתרגומו דחל, כמו (שם יד ט) שאול מתחת רגזה לך, (שמות טו, יד) שמעו עמים ירגזון, (שמואל ב' כב, ח) מוסדות השמים ירגזו:
dashed hopes: [I.e.,] hoping for a salvation, but it never comes. וכליון עינים: מצפה לישועה ולא תבא:
66And your life will hang in suspense before you. You will be in fear night and day, and you will not believe in your life. סווְהָי֣וּ חַיֶּ֔יךָ תְּלֻאִ֥ים לְךָ֖ מִנֶּ֑גֶד וּפָֽחַדְתָּ֙ לַ֣יְלָה וְיוֹמָ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תַֽאֲמִ֖ין בְּחַיֶּֽיךָ:
Your life will hang in suspense: Heb. תְּלֻאִים, [meaning that they hang in suspense] because of uncertainty. Any doubt is denoted by the term תָּלוּי, “suspended.” [Here, the doubt is that you will constantly think:] “Perhaps I will die today by the sword that is befalling us.” Our Rabbis explain this verse as referring to one who purchases produce from the marketplace. [I.e., he relies directly on the marketplace for his sustenance, with the risk that if one time there is no produce in the market, he will not have provisions. Thus, his life “hangs in suspense.”] חייך תלואים לך: על הספק, כל ספק קרוי תלוי, שמא אמות היום בחרב הבאה עלינו. ורבותינו דרשו זה הלוקח תבואה מן השוק:
and you will not believe in your life: This refers to one who relies on the shopkeeper [for his sustenance. This curse, therefore, represents a level of trust far worse than the one who relies upon the marketplace. A person can take provisions from the marketplace to last a long time, but one who relies upon the middleman is at further risk of not receiving sustenance]. — [see Men. 103b] ולא תאמין בחייך: זה הסומך על הפלטר:
67In the morning, you will say, "If only it were evening! " and in the evening, you will say, "If only it were morning!" because of the fear in your heart which you will experience and because of the sights that you will behold. סזבַּבֹּ֤קֶר תֹּאמַר֙ מִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן עֶ֔רֶב וּבָעֶ֥רֶב תֹּאמַ֖ר מִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן בֹּ֑קֶר מִפַּ֤חַד לְבָֽבְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּפְחָ֔ד וּמִמַּרְאֵ֥ה עֵינֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּרְאֶֽה:
In the morning, you will say, “If only it were evening!”: [I.e.,] if it were only yesterday evening! [The trouble will be worse in the morning, so that you will yearn for the previous evening]. — [Sotah 49a] בבקר תאמר מי יתן ערב: ויהיה הערב של אמש:
and in the evening, you will say,“If only it were morning!”: [I.e.,] if it were only morning of that day! Thus, the troubles will always progressively intensify; each hour, the curse will be more severe than the preceding one. — [ibid.] ובערב תאמר מי יתן בקר: של שחרית, שהצרות מתחזקות תמיד וכל שעה מרובה קללתה משלפניה:
68And the Lord will bring you back to Egypt in ships, through the way about which I had said to you, You will never see it again. And there, you will seek to be sold to your enemies for slaves and handmaids, but there will be no buyer. סחוֶֽהֱשִֽׁיבְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֥ה | מִצְרַ֘יִם֘ בָּֽאֳנִיּוֹת֒ בַּדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֣רְתִּי לְךָ֔ לֹֽא־תֹסִ֥יף ע֖וֹד לִרְאֹתָ֑הּ וְהִתְמַכַּרְתֶּ֨ם שָׁ֧ם לְאֹֽיְבֶ֛יךָ לַֽעֲבָדִ֥ים וְלִשְׁפָח֖וֹת וְאֵ֥ין קֹנֶֽה:
in ships: In ships of captivity. באניות: בספינות בשביה:
And there, you will seek to be sold to your enemies: You will wish to be sold to them as slaves and handmaids. והתמכרתם שם לאיביך: אתם מבקשים להיות נמכרים להם לעבדים ולשפחות:
but there will be no buyer: Because they will decree death and destruction upon you. ואין קנה: כי יגזרו עליך הרג וכליון:
and you will seek to be sold: Heb. וְהִתְמַכַּרְתֶּם, in Old French epor vandrez vos. [That is, the verb is in the reflexive conjugation. Accordingly,] it is incorrect to explain וְהִתְמַכַּרְתֶּם [as if in the passive conjugation, i.e.,] as וְנִמְכַּרְתֶּם, “and you will be sold”-sold by others-because the verse continues: “but there will be no buyer.” [Thus how could they be “sold by others” if there is“no buyer”?] והתמכרתם: בלע"ז איפורוונדרי"ץ וו"ש [ותמכרו עצמכם] ולא יתכן לפרש והתמכרתם לשון ונמכרתם על ידי מוכרים אחרים, מפני שנאמר אחריו ואין קונה:
69These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. סטאֵ֩לֶּה֩ דִבְרֵ֨י הַבְּרִ֜ית אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֧ה יְהֹוָ֣ה אֶת־משֶׁ֗ה לִכְרֹ֛ת אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מוֹאָ֑ב מִלְּבַ֣ד הַבְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁר־כָּרַ֥ת אִתָּ֖ם בְּחֹרֵֽב:
to make with the Children of Israel: that they should accept the Torah upon themselves with a curse and an oath. לכרת את בני ישראל: שיקבלו עליהם את התורה באלה ובשבועה:
besides the covenant: [Namely,] the curses [which appear] in Lev. (26: 14-39), which were proclaimed at [Mount] Sinai. מלבד הברית: קללות שבתורת כהנים שנאמרו בסיני:
Daily Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 97-103
• Special Custom for the Month of Elul and High Holidays
The Baal Shem Tov instituted a custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms).
See below for today's additional chapters.
Chapter 97
1. When the Lord will reveal His kingship, the earth will exult; the multitudes of islands will rejoice.
2. Clouds and dense darkness will surround Him; justice and mercy will be the foundation of His throne.
3. Fire will go before Him and consume His foes all around.
4. His lightnings will illuminate the world; the earth will see and tremble.
5. The mountains will melt like wax before the Lord, before the Master of all the earth.
6. The heavens will declare His justice, and all the nations will behold His glory.
7. All who worship graven images, who take pride in idols, will be ashamed; all idol worshippers will prostrate themselves before Him.
8. Zion will hear and rejoice, the towns of Judah will exult, because of Your judgments, O Lord.
9. For You, Lord, transcend all the earth; You are exceedingly exalted above all the supernal beings.
10. You who love the Lord, hate evil; He watches over the souls of His pious ones, He saves them from the hand of the wicked.
11. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
12. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and extol His holy Name.
Chapter 98
This psalm describes how Israel will praise God for the Redemption.
1. A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and holy arm have wrought deliverance for Him.
2. The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His justice before the eyes of the nations.
3. He has remembered His kindness and faithfulness to the House of Israel; all, from the farthest corners of the earth, witnessed the deliverance by our God.
4. Raise your voices in jubilation to the Lord, all the earth; burst into joyous song and chanting.
5. Sing to the Lord with a harp, with a harp and the sound of song.
6. With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, jubilate before the King, the Lord.
7. The sea and its fullness will roar in joy, the earth and its inhabitants.
8. The rivers will clap their hands, the mountains will sing together.
9. [They will rejoice] before the Lord, for He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with righteousness.
Chapter 99
This psalm refers to the wars of Gog and Magog, which will precede the Redemption.
1. When the Lord will reveal His kingship, the nations will tremble; the earth will quake before Him Who is enthroned upon the cherubim,
2. [before] the Lord Who is in Zion, Who is great and exalted above all the peoples.
3. They will extol Your Name which is great, awesome and holy.
4. And [they will praise] the might of the King Who loves justice. You have established uprightness; You have made [the laws of] justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5. Exalt the Lord our God, and bow down at His footstool; He is holy.
6. Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who invoke His Name, would call upon the Lord and He would answer them.
7. He would speak to them from a pillar of cloud; they observed His testimonies and the decrees which He gave them.
8. Lord our God, You have answered them; You were a forgiving God for their sake, yet bringing retribution for their own misdeeds.
9. Exalt the Lord our God, and bow down at His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.
Chapter 100
This psalm inspires the hearts of those who suffer in this world. Let them, nevertheless, serve God with joy, for all is for their good, as in the verse: "He whom God loves does He chastise." The psalm also refers to the thanksgiving sacrifice-the only sacrifice to be offered in the Messianic era.
1. A psalm of thanksgiving. Let all the earth sing in jubilation to the Lord.
2. Serve the Lord with joy; come before Him with exultation.
3. Know that the Lord is God; He has made us and we are His, His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4. Enter His gates with gratitude, His courtyards with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name.
5. For the Lord is good; His kindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness is for all generations.
Chapter 101
This psalm speaks of David's secluding himself from others, and of his virtuous conduct even in his own home.
1. By David, a psalm. I will sing of [Your] kindness and justice; to You, O Lord, will I chant praise!
2. I will pay heed to the path of integrity-O when will it come to me? I shall walk with the innocence of my heart [even] within my house.
3. I shall not place an evil thing before my eyes; I despise the doing of wayward deeds, it does not cling to me.
4. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I shall not know evil.
5. He who slanders his fellow in secret, him will I cut down; one with haughty eyes and a lustful heart, him I cannot suffer.
6. My eyes are upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the path of integrity, he shall minister to me.
7. He that practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; the speaker of lies shall have no place before my eyes.
8. Every morning I will cut down all the wicked of the land, to excise all evildoers from the city of the Lord.
Chapter 102
An awe-inspiring prayer for the exiled, and an appropriate prayer for anyone in distress.
1. A prayer of the poor man when he is faint [with affliction], and pours out his tale of woe before the Lord.
2. O Lord, hear my prayer, let my cry reach You!
3. Hide not Your face from me on the day of my distress; turn Your ear to me; on the day that I call, answer me quickly.
4. For my days have vanished with the smoke; my bones are dried up as a hearth.
5. Smitten like grass and withered is my heart, for I have forgotten to eat my bread.
6. From the voice of my sigh, my bone cleaves to my flesh.
7. I am like the bird of the wilderness; like the owl of the wasteland have I become.
8. In haste I fled; I was like a bird, alone on a roof.
9. All day my enemies disgrace me; those who ridicule me curse using my name.1
10. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mixed my drink with tears,
11. because of Your anger and Your wrath-for You have raised me up, then cast me down.
12. My days are like the fleeting shadow; I wither away like the grass.
13. But You, Lord, will be enthroned forever, and Your remembrance is for all generations.
14. You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to be gracious to her; the appointed time has come.
15. For Your servants cherish her stones, and love her dust.
16. Then the nations will fear the Name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory,
17. when [they see that] the Lord has built Zion, He has appeared in His glory.
18. He turned to the entreaty of the prayerful, and did not despise their prayer.
19. Let this be written for the last generation, so that the newborn nation will praise the Lord.
20. For He looked down from His holy heights; from heaven, the Lord gazed upon the earth,
21. to hear the cry of the bound, to untie those who are doomed to die,
22. so that the Name of the Lord be declared in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem,
23. when nations and kingdoms will gather together to serve the Lord.
24. He weakened my strength on the way; He shortened my days.
25. I would say: "My God, do not remove me in the midst of my days! You Whose years endure through all generations.”
26. In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
27. They will perish, but You will endure; all of them will wear out like a garment; You will exchange them like a robe, and they will vanish.
28. But You remain the same; Your years will not end.
29. The children of Your servants will abide; their seed shall be established before You.
FOOTNOTES
1.When swearing, they would say, “If I am lying, may I become like the miserable Jews” (Metzudot).
Chapter 103
David's prayer when he was ill, this psalm is an appropriate prayer on behalf of the sick, especially when offered by the sick person himself while his soul is yet in his body. He can then bless God from his depths, body and soul. Read, and find repose for your soul.
1. By David. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being, His holy Name.
2. My soul, bless the Lord; forget not all His favors:
3. Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your illnesses;
4. Who redeems your life from the grave, Who crowns you with kindness and mercy;
5. Who satisfies your mouth with goodness; like the eagle, your youth is renewed.
6. The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7. He made His ways known to Moses, His deeds to the Children of Israel.
8. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and of great kindness.
9. He will not contend for eternity, nor harbor ill will forever.
10. He has not dealt with us according to our transgressions, nor requited us according to our sins.
11. For as high as heaven is above the earth, so has His kindness been mighty over those who fear Him.
12. As far as the east is from the west, so has He distanced our transgressions from us.
13. As a father has compassion on his children, so has the Lord had compassion on those who fear Him.
14. For He knows our nature; He is mindful that we are but dust.
15. As for man, his days are like grass; like a flower of the field, so he sprouts.
16. When a wind passes over him, he is gone; his place recognizes him no more.
17. But the kindness of the Lord is forever and ever upon those who fear Him, and His righteousness is [secured] for children's children,
18. to those who keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commands to do them.
19. The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingship has dominion over all.
20. Bless the Lord, you His angels who are mighty in strength, who do His bidding to obey the voice of His speech.
21. Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His servants who do His will.
22. Bless the Lord, all His works, in all the places of His dominion. My soul, bless the Lord!
Additional Three Chapters
The Baal Shem Tov instituted a custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms).
Today's Chapters are 58, 59 and 60.
Chapter 58
David expresses the anguish caused him by Avner and his other enemies, who justified Saul's pursuit of him.
1. For the Conductor, a plea to be spared destruction; by David, a michtam.
2. Is it true that you are mute [instead of] speaking justice? [Instead of] judging men with fairness?
3. Even with your heart you wreak injustice upon the land; you justify the violence of your hands.
4. The wicked are estranged from the womb; from birth do the speakers of falsehood stray.
5. Their venom is like the venom of a snake; like the deaf viper that closes its ear
6. so as not to hear the voice of charmers, [even] the most skillful caster of spells.
7. O God, smash their teeth in their mouth; shatter the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.
8. Let them melt like water and disappear; when He aims His arrows, may they crumble.
9. Like the snail that melts as it goes along, like the stillbirth of a woman-they never see the sun.
10. Before your tender shoots know [to become] hardened thorns, He will blast them away, as one [uprooting] with vigor and wrath.
11. The righteous one will rejoice when he sees revenge; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
12. And man will say, "There is indeed reward for the righteous; indeed there is a God Who judges in the land."
Chapter 59
This psalm speaks of the great miracle David experienced when he eluded danger by escaping through a window, unnoticed by the guards at the door. The prayers, supplications, and entreaties he offered then are recorded here.
1. For the Conductor, a plea to be spared destruction, By David, a michtam, when Saul dispatched [men], and they guarded the house in order to kill him.
2. Rescue me from my enemies, my God; raise me above those who rise against me.
3. Rescue me from evildoers, save me from men of bloodshed.
4. For behold they lie in ambush for my soul, mighty ones gather against me-not because of my sin nor my transgression, O Lord.
5. Without iniquity [on my part,] they run and prepare-awaken towards me and see!
6. And You, Lord, God of Hosts, God of Israel, wake up to remember all the nations; do not grant favor to any of the iniquitous traitors, Selah.
7. They return toward evening, they howl like the dog and circle the city.
8. Behold, they spew with their mouths, swords are in their lips, for [they say], "Who hears?”
9. But You, Lord, You laugh at them; You mock all nations.
10. [Because of] his might, I wait for You, for God is my stronghold.
11. The God of my kindness will anticipate my [need]; God will show me [the downfall] of my watchful foes.
12. Do not kill them, lest my nation forget; drive them about with Your might and impoverish them, O our Shield, my Master,
13. [for] the sin of their mouth, the word of their lips; let them be trapped by their arrogance. At the sight of their accursed state and deterioration, [people] will recount.
14. Consume them in wrath, consume them and they will be no more; and they will know that God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth, Selah.
15. And they will return toward evening, they will howl like the dog and circle the city.
16. They will wander about to eat; when they will not be sated they will groan.
17. As for me, I shall sing of Your might, and sing joyously of Your kindness toward morning, for You have been a stronghold to me, a refuge on the day of my distress.
18. [You are] my strength, to You I will sing, for God is my stronghold, the God of my kindness.
Chapter 60
This psalm tells of when Joab, David's general, came to Aram Naharayim for war and was asked by the people: "Are you not from the children of Jacob? What of the pact he made with Laban?" Not knowing what to answer, Joab asked the Sanhedrin. The psalm includes David's prayer for success in this war.
1. For the Conductor, on the shushan eidut. A michtam by David, to instruct,
2. when he battled with Aram Naharayim and Aram Tzovah, and Joab returned and smote Edom in the Valley of Salt, twelve thousand [men].
3. O God, You forsook us, You have breached us! You grew furious-restore us!
4. You made the earth quake, You split it apart-heal its fragments, for it totters!
5. You showed Your nation harshness, You gave us benumbing wine to drink.
6. [Now] give those who fear You a banner to raise themselves, for the sake of truth, Selah.
7. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, help with Your right hand and answer me.
8. God said with His Holy [Spirit] that I would exult; I would divide Shechem, and measure out the Valley of Succot.
9. Mine is Gilead, mine is Menasseh, and Ephraim is the stronghold of my head; Judah is my prince.
10. Moab is my washbasin, and upon Edom I will cast my shoe; for me, Philistia will sound a blast [of coronation].
11. Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me unto Edom?
12. Is it not You, God, Who has [until now] forsaken us, and did not go forth with our legions?
13. Grant us relief from the oppressor; futile is the salvation of man.
14. With God we will do valiantly, and He will trample our oppressors.
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, end of Epistle 16
• Lessons in Tanya
• Today's Tanya Lesson
• Friday, 20 Elul, 5776 · 23 September 2016
• Iggeret HaKodesh, end of Epistle 16
• והנה זהו על פי שורת הדין גמור
Now, the above follows the exact requirements of the law.
אבל באמת, גם אם הוא ענין דלא שייך כל כך האי טעמא
In fact, however, even in a case where such reasoning does not so fully apply,
I.e., even when (a) one is called upon to share not luxuries but one’s own slice of bread, or even when (b) the poor are not crying out for food and clothing, but for other essentials,
ראוי לכל אדם שלא לדקדק להעמיד על הדין
it is not proper that any man insist on the letter of the law;
רק לדחוק חייו, וליכנס לפני ולפנים משורת הדין
rather, he should impose austerity on his own life and go far beyond the [demands of the] letter of the law.
ולדאוג לעצמו ממאמר רז״ל, שכל המדקדק בכך, סוף בא לידי כך, חס ושלום
Moreover, one should be concerned,1 for his own sake, with the teaching of our Sages,2 of blessed memory, that — even in a situation where “that which is yours takes precedence over that which belongs to others” — he who is exacting in this matter, and does not go beyond the letter of the law, “will eventually be brought to this matter”: he himself will ultimately need charity, heaven forfend.
וגם כי כולנו צריכים לרחמי שמים בכל עת
And after all, all of us need the mercies of heaven at all times,3
באתערותא דלתתא דוקא, בכל עת ובכל שעה
[which are elicited] only through an arousal from below, at all times and at every moment,
לעורר רחמינו על הצריכים לרחמים
by arousing our compassion for those who are in need of compassion.
וכל המאמץ לבבו וכובש רחמיו, יהיה מאיזה טעם שיהיה, גורם כך למעלה לכבוש וכו׳, חס ושלום
But whoever hardens his heart and suppresses his compassion, for whatever reason, causes the same above — the suppression of [Divine compassion], heaven forfend.
All this however, affects only the future. [The Rebbe, however, notes:] “And the present as well, causing one to give until the recipient is equal ‘with you.’” [Cf. footnote 7, above.] There is, however, an aspect of tzedakah that also affects the past, [and the Rebbe adds:] “causing one to give to an even greater degree than what he keeps for himself, since this is” to secure the rectification and atonement of his past sins.
ומה גם כי אדם אין צדיק בארץ, אשר יעשה טוב תמיד ולא יחטא
After all, furthermore,4 “There is not a righteous person upon earth who does good” — always — “and does not sin,”
וצדקה מכפרת, ומגינה מן הפורענות וכו׳
ולזאת היא רפואת הגוף ונפש ממש
[Charity] is thus an actual cure for body and soul,7
אשר עור בעד עור, וכל אשר לאיש יתן בעד נפשו
with respect to which [it is written],8”Skin for skin — a limb for a limb, and all that a man has he will give for his soul,” i.e., to save his life.
Setting a limit to the amount one distributes for charity is thus just as unthinkable as limiting the sum one would spend in order to be cured and to stay alive.
בשגם אנו מאמינים בני מאמינים כי הצדקה אינה רק הלואה להקב״ה
How much more does this apply, when we are9 “believers, the descendants of believers,” in the fact that charity is nothing other than a loan to the Holy One, blessed be He,10
כדכתיב: מלוה ה׳ חונן דל, וגמולו ישלם לו בכפליים בעולם הזה
as it is written,11 “He who is gracious unto the poor, lends unto G‑d, and He will repay him his good deed” — twofold, in this world.
דשכר כל המצוות ליכא בעולם הזה, לבד מצדקה, לפי שהיא טוב לבריות, כדאיתא בקדושין, סוף פרק קמא
For the performance of none of the commandments is rewarded in this world — except for charity,12because it is beneficial to creatures,13 as is written at the end of the first chapter of Kiddushin.14
וגם יש לחוש לעונש, חס ושלום, כשחבריו נמנים לדבר מצוה, והוא לא נמנה עמהם
Also, one should be concerned about punishment,15 heaven forfend, when one’s companions associate for the sake of a mitzvah and he does not join them,16
This would be the case if one were to absent oneself when the other members of one’s community were joining forces for the sake of the charitable cause under discussion, viz., the Kollel Chabad Fund.
כנודע ממאמר רז״ל
as is known from the words of our Sages,17 of blessed memory, who teach that standing aside in such circumstances is an instance of18 “an absence for which one cannot [again] be counted.”
ולשומעים יונעם, ותבא עליהם ברכת טוב בכל מילי דמיטב
May life be pleasant for those who give heed, and may blessings of all kinds of goodness rest upon them.19
הטיבה ה׳ לטובים וישרים
“Act benevolently, O G‑d, toward the good and the upright,”20
כנפשם ונפש הדורש שלומם מכל לב ונפש
as is their wish and as is the wish of [the writer], who seeks their welfare with all his heart and soul.
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | Note of the Rebbe: “Concerned: (a) for the future, (b) for his own livelihood.” [See footnote 12, below.] |
| 2. | The wording in the Gemara (Bava Metzia 33a) is that “He who acts (and Rashi paraphrases, ‘is exacting’) for himself in this matter will eventually be brought to this matter,” heaven forfend. See also Dikdukei Sofrim. |
| 3. | The Rebbe adds, “...with regard to: (a) the present, (b) for his children and health as well.” [I.e., for the remaining two items in the trilogy of חיי, בני ומזוני; cf. Moed Katan 28a.] |
| 4. | Kohelet 7:20. |
| 5. | See Devarim Rabbah 5:3. |
| 6. | See Vayikra Rabbah, beginning of sec. 27. |
| 7. | See Tanchuma, Mishpatim, sec. 15. |
| 8. | Iyov 11:14. See also Iggeret HaTeshuvah, end of ch. 3. |
| 9. | Shabbat 97a. |
| 10. | See Bava Batra 10a, and commentaries there of Rashi and of the Chiddushei Aggadot of the Maharal. |
| 11. | Mishlei 19:17. |
| 12. | Note of the Rebbe: “The absence of reward in this world for other mitzvot would not seem to be relevant here, unlike the positive statement that follows it, regarding the reward for tzedakah. Its mention could be understood as alluding to yet another reason for giving tzedakah: nothing exists in this world by virtue of which one may be assured of sustenance, other than the giving of tzedakah (where, as the Alter Rebbe writes, one’s contribution is rewarded ‘twofold’).” |
| 13. | Note of the Rebbe: “Though there seems to be no evident reason for citing the reason here, perhaps the Alter Rebbe is thereby hinting that even if the needy individual is unworthy of being included in the category of ‘your brother,’ he is still worthy of your contribution inasmuch as he is nevertheless in the category of [G‑d’s] ‘creatures’. (See Tanya, ch. 32.)“ This observation happily completes a series of lessons, in which the Alter Rebbe has been teaching us to overcome three possible restrictive interpretations of the above-quoted verse, וחי אחיך עמך — ‘...so that your brother may live with you’ (Vayikra 25:36): (a) though the verse obliges us to give ‘so that your brother may live,’ one should not provide him only with the bare essentials; (b) ‘your brother’ should not be interpreted so narrowly as to exclude mere ‘creatures’; (a) ‘with you’ should bring the recipient to a state of more than mere equality with the donor.” |
| 14. | 40a. |
| 15. | The Rebbe adds, “...and not only about not receiving the reward.” |
| 16. | Note of the Rebbe: “Thus, even if one has already given as much tzedakah as he ought to, so that all the above considerations have been attended to, he must nevertheless give again when his companions join to perform a charitablemitzvah together. This is an original teaching first appearing in the above letter.” |
| 17. | Chagigah 9b; Berachot 26a. |
| 18. | Kohelet 1:15. |
| 19. | Cf. Mishlei 24:25. |
| 20. | Cf. Tehillim 125:4. Rambam: Sefer Hamitzvos: |
• Friday, 20 Elul, 5776 · 23 September 2016
• Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Important Message Regarding This Lesson
The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
"If a man dies and he has no son..."—Numbers 27:8.
We are commanded regarding the laws of inheritance [to follow the inheritance laws detailed in the Torah]. Included in this mitzvah is that the firstborn receives a double portion from his father's estate.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
• Laws of Inheritance
Positive Commandment 248
Translated by Berel Bell
The 248th mitzvah is that we are commanded regarding the laws of inheritance.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "If a man dies and has no son..."
This mitzvah undoubtedly includes the law that the firstborn son inherits a double portion,2 since this is part of the laws of inheritance.
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the 8th and 9th chapters of tractate Bava Basra.
FOOTNOTES
1.Num. 27:8.
2.Deut. 21:17.
• Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Important Message Regarding This Lesson
The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
Positive Commandment 248
Laws of Inheritance"If a man dies and he has no son..."—Numbers 27:8.
We are commanded regarding the laws of inheritance [to follow the inheritance laws detailed in the Torah]. Included in this mitzvah is that the firstborn receives a double portion from his father's estate.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
• Laws of Inheritance
Positive Commandment 248
Translated by Berel Bell
The 248th mitzvah is that we are commanded regarding the laws of inheritance.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "If a man dies and has no son..."
This mitzvah undoubtedly includes the law that the firstborn son inherits a double portion,2 since this is part of the laws of inheritance.
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the 8th and 9th chapters of tractate Bava Basra.
FOOTNOTES
1.Num. 27:8.
2.Deut. 21:17.
• Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day Metamme'ey Mishkav uMoshav - Chapter 13
• Metamme'ey Mishkav uMoshav - Chapter 13
• Rambam - 3 Chapters a Day Nachalot - Chapter 3, Nachalot - Chapter 4, Nachalot - Chapter 5
• Metamme'ey Mishkav uMoshav - Chapter 13
1
When a priest purifies his keilim for the grape-pressing season and then sets them aside for the following grape-pressing season, it is assumed that their status remains unchanged, for unlearned people will not touch the keilim of a priest when they are in his winepress, because he partakes of pure food. If an Israelite puts away his keilim in a similar manner, by contrast, they are considered impure, unless he says: "Within my heart, there was a resolve to guard against an unlearned person entering the winepress and touching the keilim."
א
כהן שטיהר כליו לגת זו והניחן לגת הבאה הרי אלו בחזקתן שאין עמי הארץ נוגעין בכלים של כהן זה שהן בתוך גתו מפני שהוא אוכל טהרות אבל של ישראל טמאות עד שיאמר בלבי היה לשמור ע"ה שיכנס לגת שלא יגע בכלים:
2
When a person desires to make wine that is ritually pure while using workers who are unlearned, he must make sure that those who harvest the grapes immerse themselves in a mikveh. Similarly, if they were involved in producing oil, he should have those who work in the olive-press immerse themselves. He must stand over the workers and have them immerse themselves in his presence, for they are not familiar with the laws of immersion and intervening substances.
If the workers left the entrance to the olive-press and went outside to defecate behind a fence and returned, they are still considered as ritually pure. How far may they go and still be considered as ritually pure? Until they are hidden from the chavair's sight. If, however, they go out of his sight, they return to a state of impurity until he has them immerse again and they wait until nightfall.
ב
הרוצה לעשות יינו בטהרה באומנין עמי הארץ ה"ז מטביל את הבוצרים וכן אם היה עושה שמן מטביל את הבדדין וצריך לעמוד על האומנים עד שיטבלו בפניו שהרי אינן יודעים הלכות טבילה וחציצה יצאו חוץ לפתח בית הבד ונפנו אחורי הגדר וחזרו הרי אלו בטהרתן עד כמה ירחיקו והם טהורין עד כדי שלא יסתרו מעיניו אבל אם נסתרו מעיניו חזרו לטומאתם עד שיטבילם פעם אחרת ויעריב שמשן:
3
When a source of impurity was found in the presence of olive-press workers and grape harvesters, if they say, "We did not touch it," their word is accepted. This also applies if their children say: "We did not touch the wine or the oil."
ג
הבדדין והבוצרים שנמצאת טומאה לפניהן נאמנין לומר לא נגענו וכן בתינוקות שלהם:
4
The following laws apply when a person purifies olive-press workers, brings them into the vat, and locks it. If there werekeilim there that had contracted midras impurity, the entire olive-press is impure, for perhaps they touched those keilim. Even if thechavair saw them previously showing care not to touch thosekeilim, the olive-press is impure, for perhaps they moved them and thus contracted impurity and they think that a person who moveskeilim with midras impurity is not impure. For unlearned people are not familiar with the impurity contracted by moving keilim.
ד
המטהר את הבדדין והכניסן לבית הבד ונעל עליהן אם היו שם כלים שנטמאו במדרס הרי בית הבד כולו טמא שמא נגעו באותן הכלים ואפילו ראה אותם מקודם נזהרין מאותם הכלים מפני טומאתן הרי בית הבד טמא שמא הסיטו והן מדמין שאין המסיט טמא שאין עמי הארץ בקיאין בטומאת היסט:
5
When a chavair's donkey-drivers and porters were loaded with pure foods and they were proceeding in front of him, even if they were more than a mil ahead of him, they are pure. The rationale is that they assume that he is watching them. Hence, they are afraid to allow others to touch impurity, for they will say: "He will come now, for he is following after us." If, however, he tells them: "Go and I will follow you," as soon as they proceed beyond his sight, the foods are impure.
ה
היו חמריו ופועליו טוענין טהרות ועוברין לפניו אף על פי שהפליגו יותר ממיל הרי אלו טהורות מפני שהן בחזקת שהוא שומרן והן מפחדין ליגע ואומרים עכשיו יבוא שהרי הוא יבוא אחרינו אבל אם אמר להם צאו ואני אבוא אחריכם כיון שנתכסו מעיניו הרי הן טמאות:
6
The following laws apply when a chavair was wearing a tunic and wrapped in a cloak while proceeding on his way. If he said: "In my heart, I intended to guard the tunic from contracting impurity and I was careful about it, but I diverted my attention from the cloak," the tunic remains pure, while the cloak is considered impure, because it is possible that an unlearned person touched it.
If there was a basket on his shoulder with a pitchfork in the basket and he said: "In my heart, I intended to guard the basket and to guard the pitchfork from something that would make it a source of impurity, but not from something which disqualifies it," the basket is pure, the pitchfork is impure, and all the terumah in the basket is impure. The rationale is that the impure pitchfork disqualifies the food in the basket.
If chavairim were using a barrel while in a state of purity under the assumption that its contents were ordinary food and it was discovered that they were terumah, even though it is pure, it is forbidden to be eaten, for perhaps it was touched by a person who had immersed in the mikveh that day. Such a person disqualifiesterumah, even though ordinary food he touches is pure, as will be explained. Guarding terumah is not the same as guarding ordinary food. If, however, he states: "In my heart, I intended to guard it from even an entity that will disqualify it," it is permitted to be eaten.
If a person's Sabbath garments become exchanged with his weekday garments and he wore his Sabbath garments on an ordinary weekday, they become impure, for one does not guard his weekday garments to the same degree as he guards his Sabbath garments.
An incident occurred concerning the wives of two chavarim whose clothes became exchanged in the bathhouse. The matter was brought to the attention of the Sages and they ruled that the garments were impure. Even if one's scarf fell and he asked achavair to give it to him and he gave it to him, it becomes impure. This is a decree, enacted lest an unlearned person give it to him or lest the chavair not guard it, for a person will not guard articles that do not belong to him like he guards his own articles unless the other person notifies him and relies on him.
ו
חבר שהיה לבוש בחלוק ועטוף בטלית ומהלך ואמר בלבי היה לשמור את החלוק והייתי נזהר בו והסחתי דעתי מן הטלית הרי החלוק בטהרתו והטלית טמאה שמא נגע בה ע"ה היה סל על כתיפו ומגריפה בתוך הסל ואמר בלבי היה לשמור את הסל ולשמור את המגריפה מדבר המטמאה אבל לא מדבר הפוסלה הסל טהור והמגריפה טמאה וכל תרומה שבסל פסולה מפני המגריפה טמאה שפוסלת האוכלין שבסל היה משתמש מן החבית בטהרה בחזקת שהיא חולין ואחר כך נמצאת תרומה אע"פ שהיא טהורה הרי היא אסורה באכילה שמא נגע בה טבול יום שהוא פוסל בתרומה וטהור בחולין כמו שיתבאר ואינו דומה משמר תרומה למשמר חולין ואם אמר בלבי היה לשומרו אפילו מדבר הפוסלה הרי זו מותרת באכילה נתחלפו לו כלים של שבת בכלים של חול ולבשן נטמאו שאינו משמר כלים של חול ככלים של שבת מעשה בשתי נשים חבירות שנתחלפו להן כליהן בבית המרחץ ובא מעשה לפני חכמים וטמאו הכל אפילו נפלה מעפרתה ממנה ואמרה לחבר תנה לי ונתנה לה נטמאת גזירה שמא יתננה לה ע"ה או שלא יהיה החבר משמרה שאין אדם משמר כלים שאינן שלו ככליו אא"כ הודיע שסמך עליו:
7
When a chavair dies and leaves pure foods, they are considered as pure. When he leaves keilim, they are impure. The rationale is that we suspect that perhaps they became impure and he had the ashes of the red heifer sprinkled on them on the third day of their impurity, and not on the seventh day. Or perhaps he had the ashes sprinkled on them on the seventh day, but did not immerse them. Or perhaps he did not have the ashes sprinkled on them at all.
ז
חבר שמת והניח טהרות הרי אלו טהורות הניח כלים הרי הן טמאים שאני אומר שמא נטמאו והזה עליהם בשלישי ולא הזה עליהן בשביעי או שמא הזה עליהם בשביעי ועדיין לא הטביל או שמא לא הזה עליהן בשביעי כל עיקר:
8
When one witness tells a person, "Your pure foods have contracted impurity," and the owner remains silent, his word is accepted and the foods are considered as impure. If he contradicts him and maintains that they did not contract impurity, it is assumed that their status has not changed unless two witnesses testify that they contracted impurity.
If a person was working together with a colleague with pure foods or sacrificial offerings and after a while, the colleague found him and told him when he met him: "The pure foods with which I was working you became impure or the sacrificial offerings that I was offering with you became piggul, his word is accepted. If, however, he met him and did not say anything and afterwards met him a second time and he told him the above, his word is not accepted. Instead, his sacrifices are assumed to be acceptable and his pure foods are assumed to be pure.
Blessed be the Merciful One Who offers assistance.
ח
מי שאמר לו עד אחד נטמאו טהרותיך והלה שותק ה"ז נאמן והרי הן טמאות ואם הכחישו ואמר לא נטמאו הרי הן בחזקתן עד שיעידו שנים היה עושה עמו בטהרות או בזבחים ולאחר זמן מצאו ואמר לו בשעה שפגע בו טהרות שעשיתי עמך נטמאו וזבחים שעשיתי עמך נתפגלו הרי זה נאמן אבל אם פגע בו ולא אמר לו כלום ואח"כ פגע בו פעם שניה ואמר לו אינו נאמן אלא הרי זבחיו בחזקת כשירות וטהרותיו בחזקת טהרה:
• Nachalot - Chapter 3
• Hayom Yom: Today's Hayom Yom
1
A firstborn does not receive a double portion of property that will later accrue to his father's estate, only of that property that was in his father's possession and had already entered his domain at the time of his death. This is derived from Deuteronomy 21:17which states: "of everything that he possesses."
What is implied? If one of the people whose estate the father would inherit dies after he did, the firstborn and an ordinary son receive equal shares. Similarly, if the father was owed a debt or he owned a ship at sea, all sons share the inheritance equally.
א
אין הבכור נוטל פי שנים בנכסים הראויין לבא לאחר מיתת אביו אלא בנכסים המוחזקין לאביו שבאו לרשותו שנאמר בכל אשר ימצא לו, כיצד אחד ממורישי אביו שמת לאחר מיתת אביו הבכור והפשוט יורשין כאחד, וכן אם היתה לאביו מלוה או היתה לו ספינה בים יורשין כאחד. 1
2
If the father left his sons a cow that was rented out, hired out, or that was pasturing in open territory and it gave birth, the firstborn receives a double share of it and its offspring.
ב
הניח להם פרה מושכרת או מוחכרת או שהיתה רועה באפר וילדה הבכור נוטל בה ובולדה פי שנים. 2
3
If one of the colleagues of a person's father slaughtered an animal and then the father died, the son is entitled to a double portion of the presents from that animal.
ג
שחט אחד ממכירי אביו בהמה ואחר כך מת אביו נוטל פי שנים במתנות של אותה בהמה.
4
A firstborn does not receive a double portion of an increase to the value of the estate that accrued after his father's death. Instead, he should have the value of that increase assessed, and he should give the financial equivalent of the difference to the ordinary sons.
The above applies provided the property undergoes a change, e.g., budding grain became ears, or budding dates became dates. If, however, the value of the land improved as a matter of course, without undergoing a change - e.g., a small tree grew taller and thicker ,or sediment was washed up onto land, the firstborn receives a double portion of the increase in value. If the property increased in value because of investment, he does not receive a double portion.
ד
אין הבכור נוטל פי שנים בשבח ששבחו נכסים לאחר מיתת אביו אלא מעלה אותו השבח בדמים ונותן היתר לפשוט, והוא שישתנו הנכסים כגון כרמל שנעשו שבלים וכפניות שנעשו תמרים, אבל שבחו מחמת עצמן ולא נשתנו כגון אילן קטן שגדל ועבה וארץ שהעלתה שרטון הרי זה נוטל בשבח פי שנים, ואם מחמת הוצאה השביח אינו נוטל.
5
A firstborn does not receive a double share of a debt owed to his father. This applies even though the debt was supported by a promissory note and land was expropriated to pay the debt.
If the father was owed a debt by the firstborn, there is an unresolved doubt concerning the matter. It might be said that he should receive a double portion, because the money was in his possession. It could, however, be argued that he should not receive the extra amount, since he is inheriting it because of his father, and it did not enter his father's possession before his death. Therefore, he should take half of the firstborn's portion from it.
ה
אין הבכור נוטל פי שנים במלוה אע"פ שהוא בשטר אע"ג שגבו קרקע בחוב אביהם, היה לאב מלוה ביד הבכור הרי זה ספק אם נוטל בה פי שנים הואיל וישנה תחת ידו, או לא יטול הואיל ומחמת אביו יירשנה ועדיין לא באה לידו של אביו, לפיכך יטול ממנה חצי חלק בכורה.
6
When a firstborn sells his extra share of the inheritance before the estate is divided, the sale is binding. For the firstborn's extra share is distinct, even before the estate is divided. Therefore, if initially, the firstborn divides a portion of the estate, either landed property or movable property, and accepts the same portion as an ordinary son, he is considered to have waived his right to an extra portion with regard to the entire estate. He receives only an ordinary son's share of the remainder.
When does the above apply? When he did not protest. If, however, he protested against his brothers and said in the presence of two witnesses: "Although I am dividing these grapes equally with my brothers, I have not waived my right to the firstborn's share," his protest is significant and he is not considered to have waived his right to the other property.
Even if he protested with regard to the division of grapes while they were still attached to the earth, and yet agreed to divide them equally after the harvest, he is not considered to have waived his right to the other property. If, however, the grapes were pressed, and he divided the wine equally with them and did not issue a protest when the wine was made, he is considered to have waived his right to the other property. To what can the matter be compared? To a person who issued a protest when grapes were divided but then divided olives equally, in which instance he is considered to have waived his rights to an extra portion of the entire estate.
ו
בכור שמכר חלק בכורה קודם חלוקה ממכרו קיים מפני שיש לבכור חלק בכורה קודם חלוקה, לפיכך אם חלק עם אחיו קודם במקצת נכסים בין בקרקע בין במטלטלין ונטל חלק כפשוט ויתר בכל הנכסים אינו נוטל בשארן אלא כפשוט, במה דברים אמורים בשלא מיחה, אבל אם מיחה באחיו ואמר בפני שנים ענבים אלו שאני חולק עם אחי בשוה לא מפני שמחלתי בחלק בכורה הרי זה מחאה ולא ויתר בשאר נכסים, ואפילו מיחה בענבים כשהן מחוברים ובצרום וחלקום בשוה לא ויתר בשאר נכסים, אבל אם דרכום וחלק עמהן בשוה ביין ולא מיחה בהן משנעשה יין ויתר בשאר הנכסים, הא למה זה דומה למי שמיחה בענבים וחלק עמהם בשוה כזיתים שהרי ויתר בכל וכן כל כיוצא בזה. 3
7
The brother who performs the rite of yibbum, marrying his brother's childless widow, inherits all of the property in his estate at the time of his brother's death. With regard to any property that is fit to enter the deceased's estate afterwards, he receives the same share as the others. This concept is derived from the fact that the verse refers to him as a "firstborn," asDeuteronomy 25:6 states: "And the firstborn that she will bear will take the place of the brother who died, and thus his name will not be wiped out among Israel."
Just as the brother who performs the rite of yibbum does not acquire property that is fit to be acquired by the estate, in contrast to property that is within the estate; so, too, he does not acquire the increase in the estate's value. 5
To what does the latter phrase refer? To the increase in his deceased brother's share in his father's estate, which increased in value in the time between his father's death and the division of that estate among his brothers. Even if the property increased in value after he married his brother's widow, but before it was divided, he receives the same share of the increase as the other brothers. This applies despite the fact that he receives two shares of this property, his own share and the share of his brother whose widow he married. For the father died while they were all alive.
ז
מי שיבם אשת אחיו הוא יורש כל נכסי אחיו המוחזקים, וכל הראויין לבא לאחר מכאן הרי הוא בהן ככל האחים שהרי בכור קרא אותו הכתוב שנאמר והיה הבכור אשר תלד יקום על שם אחיו המת ולא ימחה שמו מישראל, וכשם שאינו נוטל ממנו בראוי כבמוחזק כך אינו נוטל בשבח ששבחו נכסים אחרי מות אביו משעת מיתה עד שעת חלוקתו עם אחיו בנכסי אביו, ואפילו השביחו נכסים אחר שיבם וקודם שיחלקו הרי הוא בשבח כאחד מן האחין, אע"פ שנוטל מן הנכסים אלו שני חלקים חלקו וחלק אחיו שיבם אשתו הואיל ומת האב בחיי כולן.
8
We already explained in Hilchot Shechenim that the firstborn is given his two portions of a field together. This does not apply with regard to a person who marries his brother's childless widow. He receives his portion and his brother's portion by lot. If it happens that he is allotted portions in two different places, these are the portions he receives.
ח
כבר ביארנו בהלכות שכנים שהבכור נוטל שני חלקים שלו כאחד במצר אחד, אבל היבם שחלק עם אחיו בנכסי אביו נוטל חלקו וחלק אחיו בגורל, ואם עלה גורלו בשני מקומות נוטל בשני מקומות.
9
The following laws apply when a childless widow who was waiting to be married by her deceased husband's brother dies. They apply even when one of the brothers designated her for marriage. Her family from her father's household inherit her nichsei m'log and half of her nichsei tzon barzel, and her husband's heirs inherit the money due her by virtue of her ketubah and the other half of her nichsei tzon barzel.
Since they inherit the money due her by virtue of her ketubah, her husband's heirs are obligated to bury her, as we have explained in the appropriate place.
ט
שומרת יבם שמתה אפילו עשה בה אחד מן האחים מאמר משפחת בית אביה יורשין בנכסי מלוג וחצי נכסי צאן ברזל, ויורשי הבעל יורשין כתובתה עם חצי נכסי צאן ברזל ויורשי הבעל חייבין בקבורתה הואיל והן יירשו כתובתה כמו שביארנו במקומו.
Nachalot - Chapter 4
1
When a person says: "This is my son," "This is my brother," "This is my uncle," or identifies a person as any of his other heirs, his word is accepted and that person inherits his estate. This applies even when he makes this acknowledgment concerning people who are not recognized to be his relatives. And it applies whether he made such a statement when he was healthy or when he is on his deathbed. Even if he lost his power of speech and identified a person as his heir in writing, his word is accepted, provided we test his powers of understanding as we test a man with regard to divorce.
א
האומר זה בני או זה אחי או זה אחי אבי או שאר היורשין אותו, אע"פ שהודה באנשים שאינן מוחזקין שהן קרוביו הרי זה נאמן ויירשנו בין שאמר כשהוא בריא בין שאמר כשהוא שכיב מרע, אפילו נשתתק וכתב בכתב ידו שזה יורשו בודקין אותו כדרך שבודקין לגיטין.
2
When one person is recognized to be another person's brother or cousin, and the latter says: "He is not my brother," or "He is not my cousin," his word is not accepted. His word is accepted, however, with regard to a person who is recognized to be his son. If he says he is not his son, he does not inherit his estate.
It appears to me that even if the son already fathered children - although at that point, the father's word is no longer acceptable with regard to the determination of his lineage, and we do not consider him a mamzer because of his father's statement - his father's word is, nevertheless, accepted with regard to the concept of inheritance. He should not inherit his father's estate.
ב
היינו מוחזקין בזה שהוא אחיו או בן דודו ואמר אינו אחי ואין בן דודי אינו נאמן, אבל נאמן הוא על מי שהוחזק שהוא בנו לומר אינו בני ולא יירשנו, ויראה לי שאפילו היו לבן בנים אע"פ שאינו נאמן עליו לומר אינו בני לענין יחוס ואין מחזיקין אותו ממזר על פיו, נאמן הוא לענין ירושה ולא יירשנו.
3
When a person states: "This is my son," and afterwards, says: "He is my servant," his latter statement is not accepted.
If he states: "He is my servant," and afterwards, says: "He is my son," his latter statement is accepted. This applies even though the "son" serves himlike a servant. We interpret his statement that he is his servant to mean that he relies on him like a servant. Nevertheless, if people would call this individual "A slave worth 100 zwz" or the like - i.e., expressions that are appropriate only for servants - the deceased's retraction is not accepted.
ג
האומר זה בני וחזר ואמר עבדי הוא אינו נאמן, אמר עבדי וחזר ואמר בני אע"פ שהוא משמשו כעבד נאמן שזה שאמר עבדי כלומר שהוא לי כעבד, ואם היו קורין לו עבד בן מאה זוז וכיוצא בדברים אלו שאין אומרין אותן ביחוד אלא לעבדים הרי זה אינו נאמן.
4
If a person had to pass through customs and identified an individual as his son, but afterwards identified him as a servant, his later statement is accepted. We assume that he identified him as his son only to avoid paying customs duty. If, however, in customs, he identified a person as his servant, and afterwards identified him as his son, his word is not accepted.
ד
היה עובר על בית המכס ואמר בני הוא זה וחזר אחר כך ואמר עבדי נאמן, שלא אמר בני אלא להבריח מן המכס, אמר בבית המוכס עבדי הוא וחזר ואמר בני הוא אינו נאמן.
5
A person should not call a servant Papa Joe or a maidservant Mama Sarah lest this lead to an undesirable outcome and a blemish be placed on his lineage. Therefore, if there were servants or maidservants who were very distinguished personages, their reputations are well known, and everyone in the community recognizes them and the children and servants of their master - e.g., the servants of the nasi - it is permitted for the children of that household to refer to the servants in the above manner.
ה
העבדים והשפחות אין קורין להן אבא פלוני ואימא פלונית שלא יבא מן הדבר תקלה ונמצא זה הבן נפגם, לפיכך אם היו העבדים והשפחות חשובין ביותר ויש להן קול וכל הקהל מכירין אותן ואת בני ועבדי אדוניהם כגון עבדי הנשיא הרי אלו מותר לקרות להן אבא ואימא.
6
The following rules apply when a person had a maidservant and fathered a son with her, and he would treat the son as one treats a son or said: "He is my son and his mother was freed." If the person involved is a Torah scholar or an honorable person whose conduct has been scrutinized and he is found to be precise in the observance of the details of the mitzvot, the "son" may share in the inheritance of his estate. Nevertheless, this "son" may not marry a Jewish woman until he brings proof that his mother was freed before she gave birth. The rationale for this stringency is that it has been established for us that the woman is a maidservant. If the person is one of the ordinary people - and needless to say, if he is one of those who act loosely in this manner - the "son" is presumed to be a servant with regard to all matters. His paternal brothers may sell him. If his father does not have any children other than him, the father's wife must undergo the rite of yibbum.
This is the law as it appears to me, for it follows the fundamental principles of the received tradition. There are, however, authorities who do not make a distinction between honorable people and people at large, except with regard to the ruling that his brothers may not sell him. ' And there are others who rule that this "son" may even inherit his father's estate, so that a distinction is not made with regard to Jews. It is not appropriate to rely on this ruling.
ו
מי שהיתה לו שפחה והוליד ממנה בן והיה נוהג בו מנהג בנים, או שאמר בני הוא ומשוחררת היא אמו, אם תלמיד חכם הוא או אדם כשר שהוא בדוק בדקדוקי מצות הרי זה יירשנו, ואעפ"כ אינו נושא בת ישראל עד שיביא ראיה שנשתחררה אמו ואחר כך ילדה שהרי הוחזקה שפחה בפנינו, ואם משאר הדיוטות הוא ואין צריך לומר אם היה מן המפקירין עצמן לכך הרי זה בחזקת עבד לכל דבר ואחיו מאביו מוכרין אותו, ואם אין לאביו בן חוץ ממנו אשת אביו מתייבמת, וזה הוא הדין שיראה לי שהוא הולך על עיקרי הקבלה, ויש מי שלא חלק בין כשרים לשאר העם אלא לענין שלא ימכרוהו אחיו בלבד, ויש מי שהורה שאפילו ליורשו לא נחלוק בישראל ואין ראוי לסמוך על דבר זה. 1
7
All the heirs may inherit on the basis of the prevailing presumption that they are the deceased relatives. What is implied? When witnesses testify that the prevailing presumption is that a person is an individual's son or his brother, the former may inherit the latter's estate on the basis of this testimony, even though the witnesses do not testify concerning the person's lineage, nor do they possess indubitable knowledge concerning his lineage.
ז
כל היורשין יורשין בחזקה, כיצד עדים שהעידו שזה מוחזק לנו שהוא בנו של פלוני או אחיו, אע"פ שאינן עדי יחוס ולא ידעו אמתת היוחסין הרי אלו יורשין בעדות זו.
8
A person's statements regarding his relatives affect his share of an inheritance, but not that of his brothers. To illustrate by example: Jacob died and left two sons: Reuven and Shimon. The prevailing presumption was that he did not have any sons other than these two.
Reuven took Levi from among people at large and said: "He is also our brother." Shimon replied: "I don't know." Shimon is granted half the estate. Reuven is given a third, for he acknowledged that they are three brothers, and Levi is given a sixth.
If Levi dies, that sixth is returned to Reuven. If other property had been acquired by Levi, it should be divided between Reuven and Shimon, for Reuven acknowledges Shimon's claim to a portion of the estate, because Levi is their brother.
Different rules apply if the sixth that Levi was given increased in value on its own accord and then Levi died. If the increase were crops that were almost ready to be reaped - e.g., grapes that are ready to be harvested - they are considered to be property acquired from others and should be divided among the two brothers. If they are not ready to be reaped, they belong to Reuven alone.
If Shimon said explicitly: "Levi is not my brother," and Levi received part of Reuven's share, as explained above, and then died, Shimon should not inherit any part of his estate. Instead, Reuven should inherit both the sixth from his share and any other property that Levi left. These principles apply with regard to any other heirs when a portion of them acknowledge the existence of other heirs that the remaining portion do not acknowledge.
ח
יעקב שמת והניח ראובן ושמעון ולא הוחזק לו בן אלא שניהם, תפס ראובן לוי מן השוק ואמר גם זה אחינו הוא ושמעון אומר איני יודע, הרי שמעון נוטל חצי הממון וראובן שליש שהרי הודה שהם שלשה אחין ולוי נוטל שתות, מת לוי יחזור השתות לראובן, נפלו ללוי נכסים אחרים יחלקו אותן ראובן ושמעון שהרי ראובן מודה לשמעון שלוי זה אחיהן, השביח השתות מאליו ואחר כך מת לוי אם שבח מגיע לכתפים הוא כגון ענבים שהגיעו להבצר, הרי השבח הזה כנכסים שנפלו לו מאחרים ויחלקו בהן, ואם עדיין לא הגיעו להבצר הרי הן של ראובן לבדו, אמר שמעון אין לוי זה אחי ונטל לוי בחלק ראובן כמו שביארנו ואחר כך מת לוי לא יירש שמעון ממנו כלום אלא ראובן לבדו יירש השתות עם שאר נכסים אחרים שהניח לוי, והוא הדין בכל היורשין שיודו מקצתן ביורשין אחרים שלא יודו מקצתן.
FOOTNOTES
1.
מי שהיתה לו שפחה וכו' עד על דבר זה. א"א בגמרא לא מצאנו בה עיקר דבר זה אבל קצת הגאונים מפולפלים חלקו בין שפחת אחרים לשפחה שלו וגאון אחר חולק עמו מכל מקום לא מצאנו חלוקתם אלא שבעל סתם אבל אם העיד עליו שאמרו משוחררת לא דברו ולענין ירושה יירשנו עכ"ל.
Nachalot - Chapter 5
1
The following principles apply with regard to questions concerning the right of inheritance: Whenever there are two prospective heirs, one who is definitely an heir and one whose right to inherit is a matter of question, the person whose right is in doubt does not receive anything. If there are two claimants whose rights are a matter of question, perhaps this one is an heir or perhaps the other is an heir, they divide the estate equally.
Accordingly, if a person died and left a son and a tumtuni or anandrogynous? the son inherits the entire estate. For the status of the tumtum or the androgynous is a matter of question. If he left daughters and a tumtum or an androgynous, they share equally in the inheritance. The tumtum or androgynous is considered as one of the daughters.
א
זה הכלל ביורשין, כל שני יורשין שאחד מהן יורש ודאי והשני ספק אין לספק כלום, ואם היו שניהם ספק שמא זהו היורש או שמא זה היורש חולקין בשוה, לפיכך מי שמת והניח בן וטומטום או אנדרוגינוס הרי הבן יורש את הכל שהטומטום והאנדרוגינוס ספק, הניח בנות וטומטום ואנדרוגינוס יורשות בשוה והרי הוא כאחת מן הבנות.
2
In Hilchot Ishut, we explained the laws pertaining to the portions of an estate given to daughters from the sons' share to provide for the daughters' sustenance? and for their livelihood. There' we explained that the sustenance of the daughters is one of the provisions of the ketubah.
When the estate is ample," the daughters receive only their sustenance. The sons inherit everything, and they should give dowries to the daughters of a tenth of the estate each so that men will desire to marry them as husbands. When the estate is limited, the sons do not receive anything. Instead, everything is set aside for the daughters' sustenance.
Accordingly, the following rules apply when a person died and left sons, daughters and a tumtum or an androgynous. If the estate is ample, the sons inherit the estate and compel the tumtum to be treated as one of the daughters. He is given only his sustenance as they are. If the estate is limited, the daughters compel the tumtumto be treated as one of the sons. They tell him: "You are a male and hence you are not entitled to receive your sustenance as we are."
ב
כבר ביארנו בהלכות אישות דין הבנות עם הבנים במזונותיהן ובפרנסתן ושם בארנו שהמזונות מתנאי כתובה, בזמן שהנכסים מרובין אין לבנות אלא מזונותיהן והבנים יירשו הכל ויתפרנסו הבנות בעשור נכסים כדי שינשאו בו לבעליהן, ובזמן שהנכסים מועטין אין לבנים כלום אלא הכל למזון הבנות, לפיכך מי שמת והניח בנים ובנות וטומטום או אנדרוגינוס, בזמן שהנכסים מרובין הבנים יורשין ודוחין הטומטום אצל הבנות ונזון כמותן, ובזמן שהנכסין מועטין הבנות דוחות את הטומטום אצל הבנים ואומרות לו זכר אתה ואין לך עמנו מזונות.
3
The following rules apply when a woman did not wait three months after parting from her husband, but instead, married within that time and gave birth to a son. We do not know if the son was born after nine months and is her first husband's child or was born after seven months and was her second husband's son.
This son does not inherit the estate of either father, because his claim is doubtful. If this son dies, both of them inherit his estate, sharing it equally, because both of their claims are doubtful. Maybe this one is his father? Or maybe the other one?
ג
מי שלא שהתה אחר בעלה שלשה חדשים ונשאת וילדה בן ואין ידוע אם בן תשעה לראשון או בן שבעה לאחרון אין זה הבן יורש את אחד משניהם מפני שהוא ספק, ואם מת הבן שניהן יורשין אותו וחולקין בשוה מפני ששניהם ספק שמא זה אביו או זה אביו.
4
The following laws apply when a childless widow did not wait three months after her first husband's death, married her husband's brother and bore a son. We do not know if the son was born after nine months and is her first husband's child, or was born after seven months and was her second husband's son.
With regard to the inheritance of the estate of the woman's first husband, the son whose parentage is doubtful says: "Perhaps I am the son of the deceased, in which instance I would inherit my father's entire estate. You would not be fit to marry my mother, for she would not be required to perform the rite of yibbumP
The brother who married her says: "Perhaps you are my son and thus your mother was required to perform the rite of yibbwn. You have no right to my brother's estate."
Since not only the status of the "son," but also that of the brother who married the widow is doubtful, they share the estate equally. The same laws apply when this "son" whose status is doubtful and the other sons of the brother who married the widow come to divide the estate of the brother whose widow was married. They divide the estate equally. The "son" whose status is doubtful receives half, and the other sons of the brother who married the widow receive half.
If the brother who married the widow died after dividing the estate of his deceased brother with the son whose status is doubtful, the sons of that brother who are fit to inherit his estate are granted it. The son whose status is doubtful may feel entitled to claim: "If I am your brother, give me a share in this estate. And if I am not your brother, return to me the half of my father's estate that your father took." This claim is not accepted. Instead, the son whose status is doubtful is not given any share in the estate of the brother who married the widow; he does not expropriate property from them.
ד
יבמה שלא שהתה שלשה חדשים ונתיבמה בתוך שלשה חדשים וילדה בן ואין ידוע אם בן תשעה לראשון או בן שבעה לאחרון, זה הספק אומר שמא בן המת אני ואירש את נכסי אבי כולן ואין אתה ראוי ליבם אותה שאין אמי בת יבום והיבם אומר שמא בני אתה ואמך ראויה ליבם ואין לך בנכסי אחי כלום, הואיל וגם זה היבם ספק שמא יבם הוא או אינו יבם חולקין בשוה, וכן דין זה הספק עם בני היבם בנכסי המת שנתיבמה אשתו חולקין בשוה הספק נוטל מחצה ובני היבם מחצה, מת היבם אחר שחלק עם זה הספק ובאו בני היבם הראויים לירש אביהם אע"פ שיש לזה הספק לומר אם אחיכם אני תנו לי חלק בירושה זו ואם איני אחיכם החזירו לי החצי שלקח אביכם אין לזה הספק בנכסי אביהן עמהן כלום ואין מוציא מידן.
5
The following rules apply when the son whose status is doubtful and the brother who married the widow come to divide the estate of the father of the family. The brother who married the widow is definitely an heir. In this instance as well, there is a question concerning the rights of the son whose status is doubtful. If he is the son of the deceased brother, he receives half; if he is the son of the brother who married the widow, he does not receive anything. Therefore, the estate should be given to the brother and the son whose status is doubtful should be overlooked.
The following principles apply with regard to the inheritance of the grandfather's estate if the brother who married the widow left two sons whose lineage is definite and died. The son whose status is doubtful claims: "I am the son of the deceased brother. Hence, I should receive half and you two should receive half."
The two sons say: "You are our brother and the son of the brother who married the widow. Hence, you deserve only one third of the estate of our grandfather." ?
The two sons receive the half that the son whose status is doubtful acknowledges as belonging to them. The third that they acknowledge as belonging to him is given to him, and the remaining sixth is divided equally: he receives half of it and they receive half of it. ?
If the son whose status is doubtful dies, the brother who married the widow may claim: "Perhaps he is my son and I have the right to inherit his estate." His father may say: "Perhaps he is the son of my deceased son and I have the right to inherit his estate." In such a situation, they should divide the estate equally.
(If the son who married the widow died, the son whose status is doubtful may claim: "He is my father and I have the right to inherit his estate." His father may say: "Perhaps you are the son of my other son and this is your father's brother. Thus, I have the right to inherit his estate." In such a situation, they should divide the estate equally.)
ה
ספק והיבם שבאו לחלוק בנכסי האב הרי היבם יורש ודאי וזה הספק אם הוא בן המת יש לו חצי הממון ולזה היבם חצי, ואם הוא בן היבם אין לו כלום, לפיכך היבם יורש וידחה הספק, הניח היבם שני בנים ודאין ואחר כך מת היבם הרי הספק אומר אני בן המת ויש לי מחצה ולשניכם מחצה והשנים אומרים אתה אחינו ובן היבם אתה ואין לך אלא שליש בנכסי הזקן החצי שמודה להם בו נוטלין והשליש שמודין הן לו נוטל והשתות הנשאר חולקים אותו בשוה הוא נוטל חציו ושניהם חציו, מת הספק הרי היבם אומר שמא בני הוא ואני אירשנו ואבי היבם אומר שמא בן בני המת הוא ואני אירשנו חולקין בשוה (מת היבם הספק אומר בנו אני ואירשנו ואבי היבם אומר שמא בן בני האחר אתה וזה אחי אביך הוא ואני אירשנו חולקין בשוה).
6
The following rules apply when a house fell on a person and his wife and they both died. It is not known if the woman died first, in which instance the heirs of her husband inherit her entire estate, or the husband died first, and the woman's heirs inherit her estate.
How is the issue resolved? We consider the nichsei m'log to be in the possession of the woman's heirs. The money due her by virtue of her ketubah - both the essential obligation and the additional amount - are considered to be in the possession of her husband's heirs. Her nichsei tzon barzel are divided, half are given to the woman's heirs and half to the husband's heirs.
If a house fell on a person and his mother, the estate of the mother may be retained by her heirs from her father's household, for they are definitely heirs. The status of the heirs of the son, by contrast, is doubtful. For if the son died first, his paternal brothers do not have a share in the inheritance of his mother, as we have explained.
ו
מי שנפל הבית עליו ועל אשתו ואין ידוע אם האשה מתה תחלה ונמצאו יורשי הבעל יורשין כל נכסיה או הבעל מת תחלה ונמצאו יורשי האשה יורשין כל נכסיה כיצד דינם מעמידין נכסי מלוג בחזקת יורשי האשה והכתובה עיקר והתוספת בחזקת יורשי הבעל וחולקין בנכסי צאן ברזל יורשי האשה נוטלין חציין ויורשי הבעל חציין, אבל אם נפל הבית עליו ועל אמו מעמידין נכסי האם בחזקת יורשי האם שהם יורשין ודאין אבל יורשי הבן ספק הם שאם מת הבן תחלה אין לאחיו מאביו בנכסי אמן כלום כמו שביארנו.
7
The following rules apply if a house fell on a person and his daughter's son. If the father died first, his daughter's son would inherit his estate, and thus the estate would be given to the son's heirs. If his daughter's son died first, the son does not inherit his mother's estate after his death as we have explained. Thus, the estate would be given to the father's heirs. Since we do not know who died first, the father's heirs should divide his estate with the heirs of his daughter's son.
Similar rules apply if the father was taken captive and died while in captivity, and his daughter's son died in his city, or conversely, the son was taken captive and died while in captivity and his mother's father died in his city. Since we do not know who died first, the father's heirs should divide his estate with the heirs of his daughter's son.
ז
נפל הבית עליו ועל בן בתו אם האב מת תחלה בן בתו יירשנו ונמצאו הנכסים של יורשי הבן, ואם בן בתו מת תחלה אין הבן יורש את אמו בקבר כמו שביארנו ונמצאו הנכסים של יורשי האב, לפיכך יחלקו יורשי האב עם יורשי בן הבת, וכן אם [נשבה] האב ומת בן בתו במדינה או שנשבה הבן ומת אבי אמו במדינה יחלקו יורשי האב עם יורשי בן הבת.
8
The following rules apply if a house fell on a person and his father or on other person whose estates he would acquire, and the son was responsible for the money due his wife by virtue of herketubah and other debts. The father's heirs claim that the son died first without leaving an estate. Hence, the debts will remain unpaid. The creditors maintain that the father died first, and thus the son acquired the inheritance. Hence, they have a source from which they can collect the debts owed them. The estate is considered to be in the possession of the heirs. The son's wife or the creditors must prove that the father died first, or they must depart without receiving anything.
ח
נפל עליו הבית ועל אביו או שאר מורישין ועליו כתובת אשה ובעלי חוב, יורשי האב אומרין מת הבן תחלה ולא הניח כלום ואבד החוב ובעלי חובות אומרים האב מת תחלה וזכה הבן בירושתו ויש לנו לגבות מחלקו, הרי הנכסים בחזקת היורשין ועל האשה ובעלי חובות להביא ראיה או ילכו להם בלא כלום.
9
The same laws apply to people who die in a landslide, were drowned at sea, fell into a fire, or died on the same day in different countries. For in all these and other analogous situations, we do not know who died first.
ט
דין אלו שמתו תחת המפולת, או שטבעו בים, או שנפלו לאש, או שמתו ביום אחד וזה במדינה זו והאחר במדינה אחרת דין אחד הוא שבכל אלו וכיוצא בהן אין יודעין מי הוא שמת תחלה.
• Friday, 20 Elul, 5776 · 23 September 2016
• "Today's Day"
• Monday, Elul 20, 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: Nitzavim-Vayeilech, Sheini with Rashi.
Tehillim: 97-103. Also 58-60.
Tanya: Now, (all) this (p. 479) ...heart and soul. (p. 481).
One who is lowly and crass does not sense his own crassness and lowliness.
• Daily Thought:• "Today's Day"
• Monday, Elul 20, 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: Nitzavim-Vayeilech, Sheini with Rashi.
Tehillim: 97-103. Also 58-60.
Tanya: Now, (all) this (p. 479) ...heart and soul. (p. 481).
One who is lowly and crass does not sense his own crassness and lowliness.
The Signature
When He had finished His world, complete and whole, each thing in its place, the earth below and the heavens beyond,
. . . it was then that the Artist signed His holy name, a stillness within the busy painting, a vacuum in time, a pocket of silence within the polyphony, so that the Infinite Light could kiss the finite world, enter within and grant it life.
And He called that silence Shabbat.
Within each thing there is a Shabbat, a sense of wonder, of knowing that there is something greater, something it will never truly know, and a yearning to receive from there.
With that yearning, it receives life. Without it, nothing can survive.
For it is that emptiness that allows the Infinite to enter.
-------When He had finished His world, complete and whole, each thing in its place, the earth below and the heavens beyond,
. . . it was then that the Artist signed His holy name, a stillness within the busy painting, a vacuum in time, a pocket of silence within the polyphony, so that the Infinite Light could kiss the finite world, enter within and grant it life.
And He called that silence Shabbat.
Within each thing there is a Shabbat, a sense of wonder, of knowing that there is something greater, something it will never truly know, and a yearning to receive from there.
With that yearning, it receives life. Without it, nothing can survive.
For it is that emptiness that allows the Infinite to enter.
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