Daily Quote:
The Israelites were delivered from Egypt in the merit of the righteous women of that generation[Talmud, Sotah 11b]
Today's Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: 1st Portion Genesis 6:9-6:22 with Rashi
• Genesis Chapter 6
9These are the generations of Noah, Noah was a righteous man he was perfect in his generations; Noah walked with God. טאֵ֚לֶּה תּֽוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ:
These are the generations of Noah—Noah was a righteous man:Since Scripture mentions him, it tells his praise, as it is said (Prov. 10:7): “The mention of a righteous man is for a blessing.” - [Pesikta Rabbathi 12]. Another explanation [for why the names of the children are not mentioned immediately following “These are the generations of Noah”]: To teach you that the main generations [progeny] of the righteous are good deeds. — [Mid. Tan. Noah 2] אלה תולדות נח נח איש צדיק: הואיל והזכירו ספר בשבחו, שנאמר (משלי י ז) זכר צדיק לברכה. דבר אחר ללמדך, שעיקר תולדותיהם של צדיקים מעשים טובים:
in his generations: Some of our Sages interpret it [the word בְּדֹרֹתָיו] favorably: How much more so if he had lived in a generation of righteous people, he would have been even more righteous. Others interpret it derogatorily: In comparison with his generation he was righteous, but if he had been in Abraham’s generation, he would not have been considered of any importance. — [Sanh. 108a, Gen. Rabbah 30:9, Tan. Noach 5] בדורותיו: יש מרבותינו דורשים אותו לשבח, כל שכן שאלו היה בדור צדיקים היה צדיק יותר, ויש שדורשים אותו לגנאי, לפי דורו היה צדיק, ואלו היה בדורו של אברהם לא היה נחשב לכלום:
Noah walked with God: But concerning Abraham, Scripture says (below 24:40): “[the Lord] before Whom I walked.” Noah required [God’s] support to uphold him [in righteousness], but Abraham strengthened himself and walked in his righteousness by himself. — [Tan. Noach 5] את האלה ים התהלך נח: ובאברהם הוא אומר (יז א) התהלך לפני, (כד מ) אשר התהלכתי לפניו, נח היה צריך סעד לתומכו, אבל אברהם היה מתחזק ומהלך בצדקו מאליו:
walked: (הִתְהַלֶּךְ) is here in the past tense. The following is the usage of the “lammed” : in the “heavy” (כָּבֵד) form [this refers to conjugations with a dagesh in one of the root letters, in this case, in the lammed], one form can be used [both] for the future [really the imperative] and the past tense. For example, (Gen. ibid. 13): “Rise, walk (הִתְהַלֵּךְ)” is the future (i.e., imperative). “Noah walked (הִתְהַלֶּךְ)” is the past. (I Sam. 12:19): “Pray (הִתְפַּלֵּל) for your servants” is future (i.e., imperative), and (I Kings 8:42)“and he will come and pray (וְהִתְפַּלֵּל) toward this house” is past, only that the “vav” at the beginning converts it to the future. — [as explained by Mizrachi] התהלך: לשון עבר, וזהו שמושו של למד בלשון כבד, משמשת להבא ולשעבר בלשון אחד, (שם יג יז) קום התהלך להבא, התהלך נח, לשעבר, (ש"א יב יט) התפלל בעד עבדיך להבא, (מלכים א ח מב) ובא והתפלל אל הבית הזה, לשון עבר, אלא שהוי"ו שבראשו הופכו להבא:
10And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. יוַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ שְׁלשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים אֶת־שֵׁ֖ם אֶת־חָ֥ם וְאֶת־יָֽפֶת:
11Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth became full of robbery. יאוַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס:
was corrupt: Heb. וַתִּשָּׁחֵת is an expression of immorality and idolatry. (other editions add: immorality, “for all flesh had corrupted (הִשְׁחִית) its way,” and idolatry), as in (Deut. 4:16): “Lest you deal corruptly (תַּשְׁחִיתוּן).” - [Sanh. 56b, 57a] ותשחת: לשון ערוה ועבודה זרה, כמו (דברים ד טז) פן תשחיתון, כי השחית כל בשר וגו':
and the earth became full of robbery: Heb. חָמָס, robbery. (other editions add: as it is said (Jonah 3:8): “and of the dishonest gain (הֶחָמָס) which is in their hands.”) - [Sanh. 108a] ותמלא הארץ חמס: גזל:
12And God saw the earth, and behold it had become corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth. יבוַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִ֧ית כָּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר אֶת־דַּרְכּ֖וֹ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
for all flesh had corrupted: Even cattle, beasts, and fowl would mate with those who were not of their own species. — [from Tan. Noach 12] כי השחית כל בשר: אפילו בהמה חיה ועוף נזקקין לשאינן מינן:
13And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth has become full of robbery because of them, and behold I am destroying them from the earth. יגוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים לְנֹ֗חַ קֵ֤ץ כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֣א לְפָנַ֔י כִּי־מָֽלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֛רֶץ חָמָ֖ס מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהִנְנִ֥י מַשְׁחִיתָ֖ם אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ:
The end of all flesh: Wherever you find promiscuity (and idolatry), a pestilence comes upon the world and kills both good and bad alike. — [from Gen. Rabbah 26:5] Note that parenthetic words do not appear in Gen. Rabbah , Lev. Rabbah, or in early mss. and printed editions of Rashi. We have translated אַנְדְרוֹלוּמוּסְיָה as pestilence, following Aruch. See below. קץ כל בשר: כל מקום שאתה מוצא זנות ועבודה זרה, אנדרלמוסיא באה לעולם והורגת טובים ורעים:
for the earth has become full of robbery: Their verdict was sealed only because of robbery. — [from Sanh. 108a] כי מלאה הארץ חמס: לא נחתם גזר דינם אלא על הגזל:
from the earth: [אֶת הָאָרֶץ] is similar מִן הָאָרֶץ : “from the earth.” Similar to this is (Exod. 9:29): “When I go the city” [meaning] “from” the city; (I Kings 15:23): “He was stricken his feet” [meaning]“from” his feet (i.e, he suffered from a foot ailment). Another explanation: אֶת הָאָרֶץ means “together with the earth,” for even the three handbreadths of the depth of the plowshare were blotted out and obliterated. את הארץ: כמו מן הארץ, ודומה לו (שמות ט כט) כצאתי את העיר, מן העיר, (מ"א טו כג) חלה את רגליו, מן רגליו. דבר אחר את הארץ עם הארץ, שאף שלשה טפחים של עומק המחרישה נמוחו ונטשטשו:
14Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and you shall caulk it both inside and outside with pitch. ידעֲשֵׂ֤ה לְךָ֙ תֵּבַ֣ת עֲצֵי־גֹ֔פֶר קִנִּ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֶת־הַתֵּבָ֑ה וְכָֽפַרְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֛הּ מִבַּ֥יִת וּמִח֖וּץ בַּכֹּֽפֶר:
Make for yourself an ark: Many ways to bring relief and rescue are available to Him; why, then, did He burden him with this construction? In order that the people of the Generation of the Flood should see him occupying himself with it for one hundred twenty years and ask him, “For what do you need this?” And he would say to them, “The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to bring a flood upon the world.” Perhaps they would repent. - [Aggadath Bereishith 1:2, Tan. Noach 5, Tan. Buber Bereishith 37, Gen. Rabbah 30:7] עשה לך תבת: הרבה ריוח והצלה לפניו, ולמה הטריחו בבנין זה, כדי שיראוהו אנשי דור המבול עוסק בה מאה ועשרים שנה ושואלין אותו מה זאת לך, והוא אומר להם עתיד הקב"ה להביא מבול לעולם, אולי ישובו:
gopher wood: That is its name. Now why from this species (גֹפֶר)? Because of sulphur (גָפְרִית) with which it was decreed upon them to be blotted out. — [from Bereishith Rabbathi p. 66] עצי גפר: כך שמו. ולמה ממין זה על שם גפרית, שנגזר עליהם להמחות בו:
compartments: individual dwellings for each domestic animal and wild beast. — [from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer ch. 23] I קנים: מדורים מדורים לכל בהמה וחיה:
with pitch: Heb. כֹּפֶר This is זֶפֶת in Aramaic, and we find in the Talmud (Shab. 67a, b, Ned. 51a, Git. 69b, B.M. 23b, 40a, 70a, Ar. 19a) the word כּוּפְרָא [meaning pitch]. In Moses’ ark [i.e., the ark in which Moses was placed in the Nile], since the water was calm, it was enough to have mud on the inside and pitch on the outside. Another reason: so that this righteous man [Moses] should not smell the bad odor of pitch. But here, because of the force of the water, he caulked it with pitch both inside and outside. — [from Gen. Rabbah 31:10, Sotah 12a] בכפר: זפת בלשון ארמי. ומצינו בתלמוד כופרא. בתיבתו של משה, על ידי שהיו המים תשים, דיה בחומר מבפנים וזפת מבחוץ, ועוד כדי שלא יריח אותו צדיק ריח רע של זפת, אבל כאן מפני חוזק המים זפתה מבית ומבחוץ:
15And this [is the size] you shall make it: three hundred cubits the length of the ark, fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its height. טווְזֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֹתָ֑הּ שְׁל֧שׁ מֵא֣וֹת אַמָּ֗ה אֹ֚רֶךְ הַתֵּבָ֔ה חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים אַמָּה֙ רָחְבָּ֔הּ וּשְׁלשִׁ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה קֽוֹמָתָֽהּ:
16You shall make a skylight for the ark, and to a cubit you shall finish it to the top, and the entrance of the ark you shall place in its side; you shall make it with bottom [compartments], second story [compartments], and third story [compartments]. טזצֹ֣הַר | תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה לַתֵּבָ֗ה וְאֶל־אַמָּה֙ תְּכַלֶּ֣נָּה מִלְמַ֔עְלָה וּפֶ֥תַח הַתֵּבָ֖ה בְּצִדָּ֣הּ תָּשִׂ֑ים תַּחְתִּיִּ֛ם שְׁנִיִּ֥ם וּשְׁלִשִׁ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶֽׂהָ:
a skylight: Heb. צֹהַר, lit. light. Some say [that it was] a window, and some say [that it was] a precious stone, which gave them light. — [Gen. Rabbah 31:11] צהר: יש אומרים חלון, ויש אומרים אבן טובה המאירה להם:
and to a cubit you shall finish it to the top: Its covering slanted upwards until it narrowed at the top to one cubit (Gen. Rabbah 31:11), so that the rain should run down (the following does not appear in certain editions) (from both sides) (Sanh. 108b, Maharsha). ואל אמה תכלנה מלמעלה: כסויה משופע ועולה עד שהוא קצר מלמעלה ועומד על אמה, כדי שיזובו המים למטה:
you shall place in its side: so that the rains should not fall into it. בצדה תשים: שלא יפלו הגשמים בה:
bottom [compartments], second-story [compartments], and third-story [compartments]: three stories, one above the other; the upper compartments were for people, the middle ones for [animal] dwellings, and the bottom ones for waste matter. — [from Sanh. 108b] תחתים שנים ושלשים: שלש עליות זו על גב זו, עליונים לאדם, אמצעים למדור בהמה תחתיים לזבל:
17And I, behold I am bringing the flood, water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life, from beneath the heavens; all that is upon the earth will perish. יזוַֽאֲנִ֗י הִֽנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶת־הַמַּבּ֥וּל מַ֨יִם֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לְשַׁחֵ֣ת כָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ֙ ר֣וּחַ חַיִּ֔ים מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֖רֶץ יִגְוָֽע:
And I, behold I am bringing: Behold, I am ready to agree with those [angels] who urged Me long ago (Ps. 8:5): “What is man that You should remember him?” - [Gen. Rabbah 31:12] ואני הנני מביא: הנני מוכן להסכים עם אותם שזרזוני ואמרו לפני כבר (תהלים ח ה) מה אנוש כי תזכרנו:
the flood: Heb. הַמַּבּוּל: that wore out (בִּלָּה) everything; that mixed up (בִּלְבֵּל) everything; that transported (הוֹבִיל) everything from the high [ground] to the low [ground]. This [the last interpretation] is [the basis for] the rendering of Onkelos: טוֹפָנָא, a flood [from טוּף, to float], because it caused everything to float and brought them down to Babylon, which is deep, and this is why it was called Shinar, because all those who died in the Flood were shaken out (נִנְעֲרוּ) there. — [Yer. Ber. 4:1, Gen. Rabbah 37:4] מבול: שבלה את הכל, שבלבל את הכל, שהוביל את הכל מן הגבוה לנמוך, וזהו לשון אונקלוס שתרגם טופנא, שהציף את הכל והביאם לבבל שהיא עמוקה, לכך נקראת שנער שננערו שם כל מתי מבול:
18And I will set up My covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you and your sons, and your wife and your sons' wives with you. יחוַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִ֥י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל־הַתֵּ֔בָה אַתָּ֕ה וּבָנֶי֛ךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֥ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנֶי֖ךָ אִתָּֽךְ:
And I will set up My covenant with you: A covenant was necessary for the fruits, so that they should not rot and become putrid, and so that the wicked of the generation should not kill him. — [from Gen. Rabbah 31:12] והקמותי את בריתי: ברית היה צריך על הפירות שלא ירקבו ויעפשו, ושלא יהרגוהו רשעים שבדור:
you and your sons, and your wife: the men separately and the women separately. From here, we deduce that they were prohibited to engage in marital relations [in the ark]. — [Sanh. 108b] אתה ובניך ואשתך: האנשים לבד והנשים לבד, מכאן שנאסרו בתשמיש המטה:
19And of all living things of all flesh, two of each you shall bring into the ark to preserve alive with you; they shall be male and female. יטוּמִכָּל־הָ֠חַ֠י מִכָּל־בָּשָׂ֞ר שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל תָּבִ֥יא אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֖ה לְהַֽחֲיֹ֣ת אִתָּ֑ךְ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה יִֽהְיֽוּ:
And of all living things: Even demons. — [Gen. Rabbah 31:13] ומכל החי: אפילו שדים:
two of each: Of the least [numerous] of them, there were no less than two, one male and one female. שנים מכל: מן הפחות שבהם לא פחתו משנים, אחד זכר ואחד נקבה:
20Of the fowl after its kind and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing upon the ground after its kind; two of each shall come to you to preserve alive. כמֵֽהָע֣וֹף לְמִינֵ֗הוּ וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ מִכֹּ֛ל רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל יָבֹ֥אוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ לְהַֽחֲיֽוֹת:
Of the fowl after its kind: (Gen. Rabbah) [Note that this derash is not found in Gen. Rabbah, but in Tan. Noach 12] Those that mated with their kind, and did not corrupt their way, and came by themselves, and all that the ark accepted, [i.e., the ark repulsed the unfit animals and did not let them enter], he brought into it. — [Sanh. 108b, Tan. ad loc., Zev. 116a, Gen. Rabbah 32:8 from 7:16; Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer ch. 23 from ibid. 15; only Mid. Hagadol from this verse] מהעוף למינהו: אותן שדבקו במיניהם ולא השחיתו דרכם, ומאליהם באו, וכל שהתיבה קולטתו הכניס בה:
21And you, take for yourself of every food that is eaten and gather it in to you, and it shall be for you and for them to eat." כאוְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־לְךָ֗ מִכָּל־מַֽאֲכָל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל וְאָֽסַפְתָּ֖ אֵלֶ֑יךָ וְהָיָ֥ה לְךָ֛ וְלָהֶ֖ם לְאָכְלָֽה:
22And Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did. כבוַיַּ֖עַשׂ נֹ֑חַ כְּ֠כֹ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים כֵּ֥ן עָשָֽׂה:
And Noah did: This refers to the building of the ark. — [Gen. Rabbah 31:14] ויעש נח: זה בנין התיבה:
Daily Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 135 - 139
• Chapter 135
1. Praise the Lord! Praise the Name of the Lord; offer praise, you servants of the Lord-
2. who stand in the House of the Lord, in the courtyards of the House of our God.
3. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to His Name, for He is pleasant.
4. For God has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel as His beloved treasure.
5. For I know that the Lord is great, our Master is greater than all supernal beings.
6. All that the Lord desired He has done, in the heavens and on earth, in the seas and the depths.
7. He causes mists to rise from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings forth the wind from His vaults.
8. It was He who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, of man and beast.
9. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of Egypt, on Pharaoh and on all his servants.
10. It was He who struck down many nations, and slew mighty kings:
11. Sichon, king of the Amorites; Og, king of Bashan; and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
12. And He gave their lands as a heritage, a heritage to His people Israel.
13. Lord, Your Name is forever; Lord, Your remembrance is throughout all generations.
14. Indeed, the Lord will judge on behalf of His people, and have compassion on His servants.
15. The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the product of human hands.
16. They have a mouth, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;
17. they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouth.
18. Like them will their makers become-all who trust in them.
19. House of Israel, bless the Lord; House of Aaron, bless the Lord;
20. House of Levi, bless the Lord; you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
21. Blessed is the Lord from Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
Chapter 136
This psalm contains twenty-six verses, corresponding to the twenty-six generations between the creation of the world and the giving of the Torah.
1. Praise the Lord for He is good, for His kindness is forever.
2. Praise the God of the supernal beings, for His kindness is forever.
3. Praise the Master of the heavenly hosts, for His kindness is forever.
4. Who alone performs great wonders, for His kindness is forever.
5. Who makes the heavens with understanding, for His kindness is forever.
6. Who spreads forth the earth above the waters, for His kindness is forever.
7. Who makes the great lights, for His kindness is forever.
8. The sun to rule by day, for His kindness is forever.
9. The moon and stars to rule by night, for His kindness is forever.
10. Who struck Egypt through its firstborn, for His kindness is forever.
11. And brought Israel out of their midst, for His kindness is forever.
12. With a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, for His kindness is forever.
13. Who split the Sea of Reeds into sections, for His kindness is forever.
14. And brought Israel across it, for His kindness is forever.
15. And cast Pharaoh and his army into the Sea of Reeds, for His kindness is forever.
16. Who led His people through the desert, for His kindness is forever;
17. Who struck down great kings, for His kindness is forever.
18. And slew mighty kings, for His kindness is forever.
19. Sichon, king of the Amorites, for His kindness is forever.
20. And Og, king of Bashan, for His kindness is forever.
21. And gave their land as a heritage, for His kindness is forever.
22. A heritage to Israel His servant, for His kindness is forever.
23. Who remembered us in our humiliation, for His kindness is forever.
24. And redeemed us from our oppressors, for His kindness is forever.
25. Who gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is forever.
26. Praise the God of heaven, for His kindness is forever.
Chapter 137
Referring to the time of the destruction of the Temple, this psalm tells of when Nebuchadnezzar would ask the Levites to sing in captivity as they had in the Temple, to which they would reply, "How can we sing the song of God upon alien soil?" They were then comforted by Divine inspiration.
1. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept as we remembered Zion.
2. There, upon the willows, we hung our harps.
3. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and those who scorned us-rejoicing, [saying,] "Sing to us of the songs of Zion.”
4. How can we sing the song of the Lord on alien soil?
5. If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget [its dexterity].
6. Let my tongue cleave to my palate if I will not remember you, if I will not bring to mind Jerusalem during my greatest joy!
7. Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of [the destruction of] Jerusalem, when they said, "Raze it, raze it to its very foundation!”
8. O Babylon, who is destined to be laid waste, happy is he who will repay you in retribution for what you have inflicted on us.
9. Happy is he who will seize and crush your infants against the rock!
Chapter 138
David offers awesome praises to God for His kindness to him, and for fulfilling His promise to grant him kingship.
1. By David. I will thank You with all my heart, in the presence of princes I shall praise You.
2. I will bow toward Your Holy Sanctuary, and praise Your Name for Your kindness and for Your truth; for You have exalted Your word above all Your Names.
3. On the day that I called out You answered me, You emboldened me, [You put] strength in my soul.
4. Lord, all the kings of the land will give thanks to You when they hear the words of Your mouth.
5. And they will sing of the Lord's ways, for the glory of the Lord is great.
6. For though the Lord is exalted, He sees the lowly; the High One castigates from afar.
7. If I walk in the midst of distress, keep me alive; against the wrath of my enemies stretch out Your hand, and let Your right hand deliver me.
8. Lord, complete [Your kindness] on my behalf. Lord, Your kindness is forever, do not forsake the work of Your hands.
Chapter 139
A most prominent psalm that guides man in the ways of God as no other in all of the five books of Tehillim. Fortunate is he who recites it daily.
1. For the Conductor, by David, a psalm. O Lord, You have probed me, and You know.
2. You know my sitting down and my standing up; You perceive my thought from afar.
3. You encircle my going about and my lying down; You are familiar with all my paths.
4. For there was not yet a word on my tongue-and behold, Lord, You knew it all.
5. You have besieged me front and back, You have laid Your hand upon me.
6. Knowledge [to escape You] is beyond me; it is exalted, I cannot know it.
7. Where can I go [to escape] Your spirit? And where can I flee from Your presence?
8. If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there.
9. Were I to take up wings as the dawn and dwell in the furthest part of the sea,
10. there, too, Your hand would guide me; Your right hand would hold me.
11. Were I to say, "Surely the darkness will shadow me," then the night would be as light around me.
12. Even the darkness obscures nothing from You; and the night shines like the day-the darkness is as light.
13. For You created my mind; You covered me in my mother's womb.
14. I will thank You, for I was formed in an awesome and wondrous way; unfathomable are Your works, though my soul perceives much.
15. My essence was not hidden from You even while I was born in concealment, formed in the depths of the earth.
16. Your eyes beheld my raw form; all [happenings] are inscribed in Your book, even those to be formed in future days-to Him they are the same.
17. How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How overwhelming, [even] their beginnings!
18. Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand, even if I were to remain awake and always with You.
19. O that You would slay the wicked, O God, and men of blood [to whom I say], "Depart from me!”
20. They exalt You for wicked schemes, Your enemies raise [You] for falsehood.
21. Indeed, I hate those who hate You, Lord; I contend with those who rise up against You.
22. I hate them with the utmost hatred; I regard them as my own enemies.
23. Search me, Lord, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24. See if there is a vexing way in me, then lead me in the way of the world.
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, middle of Epistle 25
• Lessons in Tanya
• Today's Tanya Lesson
• Sunday, 28 Tishrei, 5777 · 30 October 2016
• Iggeret HaKodesh, middle of Epistle 25
• Genesis Chapter 6
9These are the generations of Noah, Noah was a righteous man he was perfect in his generations; Noah walked with God. טאֵ֚לֶּה תּֽוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ:
These are the generations of Noah—Noah was a righteous man:Since Scripture mentions him, it tells his praise, as it is said (Prov. 10:7): “The mention of a righteous man is for a blessing.” - [Pesikta Rabbathi 12]. Another explanation [for why the names of the children are not mentioned immediately following “These are the generations of Noah”]: To teach you that the main generations [progeny] of the righteous are good deeds. — [Mid. Tan. Noah 2] אלה תולדות נח נח איש צדיק: הואיל והזכירו ספר בשבחו, שנאמר (משלי י ז) זכר צדיק לברכה. דבר אחר ללמדך, שעיקר תולדותיהם של צדיקים מעשים טובים:
in his generations: Some of our Sages interpret it [the word בְּדֹרֹתָיו] favorably: How much more so if he had lived in a generation of righteous people, he would have been even more righteous. Others interpret it derogatorily: In comparison with his generation he was righteous, but if he had been in Abraham’s generation, he would not have been considered of any importance. — [Sanh. 108a, Gen. Rabbah 30:9, Tan. Noach 5] בדורותיו: יש מרבותינו דורשים אותו לשבח, כל שכן שאלו היה בדור צדיקים היה צדיק יותר, ויש שדורשים אותו לגנאי, לפי דורו היה צדיק, ואלו היה בדורו של אברהם לא היה נחשב לכלום:
Noah walked with God: But concerning Abraham, Scripture says (below 24:40): “[the Lord] before Whom I walked.” Noah required [God’s] support to uphold him [in righteousness], but Abraham strengthened himself and walked in his righteousness by himself. — [Tan. Noach 5] את האלה ים התהלך נח: ובאברהם הוא אומר (יז א) התהלך לפני, (כד מ) אשר התהלכתי לפניו, נח היה צריך סעד לתומכו, אבל אברהם היה מתחזק ומהלך בצדקו מאליו:
walked: (הִתְהַלֶּךְ) is here in the past tense. The following is the usage of the “lammed” : in the “heavy” (כָּבֵד) form [this refers to conjugations with a dagesh in one of the root letters, in this case, in the lammed], one form can be used [both] for the future [really the imperative] and the past tense. For example, (Gen. ibid. 13): “Rise, walk (הִתְהַלֵּךְ)” is the future (i.e., imperative). “Noah walked (הִתְהַלֶּךְ)” is the past. (I Sam. 12:19): “Pray (הִתְפַּלֵּל) for your servants” is future (i.e., imperative), and (I Kings 8:42)“and he will come and pray (וְהִתְפַּלֵּל) toward this house” is past, only that the “vav” at the beginning converts it to the future. — [as explained by Mizrachi] התהלך: לשון עבר, וזהו שמושו של למד בלשון כבד, משמשת להבא ולשעבר בלשון אחד, (שם יג יז) קום התהלך להבא, התהלך נח, לשעבר, (ש"א יב יט) התפלל בעד עבדיך להבא, (מלכים א ח מב) ובא והתפלל אל הבית הזה, לשון עבר, אלא שהוי"ו שבראשו הופכו להבא:
10And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. יוַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ שְׁלשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים אֶת־שֵׁ֖ם אֶת־חָ֥ם וְאֶת־יָֽפֶת:
11Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth became full of robbery. יאוַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס:
was corrupt: Heb. וַתִּשָּׁחֵת is an expression of immorality and idolatry. (other editions add: immorality, “for all flesh had corrupted (הִשְׁחִית) its way,” and idolatry), as in (Deut. 4:16): “Lest you deal corruptly (תַּשְׁחִיתוּן).” - [Sanh. 56b, 57a] ותשחת: לשון ערוה ועבודה זרה, כמו (דברים ד טז) פן תשחיתון, כי השחית כל בשר וגו':
and the earth became full of robbery: Heb. חָמָס, robbery. (other editions add: as it is said (Jonah 3:8): “and of the dishonest gain (הֶחָמָס) which is in their hands.”) - [Sanh. 108a] ותמלא הארץ חמס: גזל:
12And God saw the earth, and behold it had become corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth. יבוַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִ֧ית כָּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר אֶת־דַּרְכּ֖וֹ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
for all flesh had corrupted: Even cattle, beasts, and fowl would mate with those who were not of their own species. — [from Tan. Noach 12] כי השחית כל בשר: אפילו בהמה חיה ועוף נזקקין לשאינן מינן:
13And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth has become full of robbery because of them, and behold I am destroying them from the earth. יגוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים לְנֹ֗חַ קֵ֤ץ כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֣א לְפָנַ֔י כִּי־מָֽלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֛רֶץ חָמָ֖ס מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהִנְנִ֥י מַשְׁחִיתָ֖ם אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ:
The end of all flesh: Wherever you find promiscuity (and idolatry), a pestilence comes upon the world and kills both good and bad alike. — [from Gen. Rabbah 26:5] Note that parenthetic words do not appear in Gen. Rabbah , Lev. Rabbah, or in early mss. and printed editions of Rashi. We have translated אַנְדְרוֹלוּמוּסְיָה as pestilence, following Aruch. See below. קץ כל בשר: כל מקום שאתה מוצא זנות ועבודה זרה, אנדרלמוסיא באה לעולם והורגת טובים ורעים:
for the earth has become full of robbery: Their verdict was sealed only because of robbery. — [from Sanh. 108a] כי מלאה הארץ חמס: לא נחתם גזר דינם אלא על הגזל:
from the earth: [אֶת הָאָרֶץ] is similar מִן הָאָרֶץ : “from the earth.” Similar to this is (Exod. 9:29): “When I go the city” [meaning] “from” the city; (I Kings 15:23): “He was stricken his feet” [meaning]“from” his feet (i.e, he suffered from a foot ailment). Another explanation: אֶת הָאָרֶץ means “together with the earth,” for even the three handbreadths of the depth of the plowshare were blotted out and obliterated. את הארץ: כמו מן הארץ, ודומה לו (שמות ט כט) כצאתי את העיר, מן העיר, (מ"א טו כג) חלה את רגליו, מן רגליו. דבר אחר את הארץ עם הארץ, שאף שלשה טפחים של עומק המחרישה נמוחו ונטשטשו:
14Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and you shall caulk it both inside and outside with pitch. ידעֲשֵׂ֤ה לְךָ֙ תֵּבַ֣ת עֲצֵי־גֹ֔פֶר קִנִּ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֶת־הַתֵּבָ֑ה וְכָֽפַרְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֛הּ מִבַּ֥יִת וּמִח֖וּץ בַּכֹּֽפֶר:
Make for yourself an ark: Many ways to bring relief and rescue are available to Him; why, then, did He burden him with this construction? In order that the people of the Generation of the Flood should see him occupying himself with it for one hundred twenty years and ask him, “For what do you need this?” And he would say to them, “The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to bring a flood upon the world.” Perhaps they would repent. - [Aggadath Bereishith 1:2, Tan. Noach 5, Tan. Buber Bereishith 37, Gen. Rabbah 30:7] עשה לך תבת: הרבה ריוח והצלה לפניו, ולמה הטריחו בבנין זה, כדי שיראוהו אנשי דור המבול עוסק בה מאה ועשרים שנה ושואלין אותו מה זאת לך, והוא אומר להם עתיד הקב"ה להביא מבול לעולם, אולי ישובו:
gopher wood: That is its name. Now why from this species (גֹפֶר)? Because of sulphur (גָפְרִית) with which it was decreed upon them to be blotted out. — [from Bereishith Rabbathi p. 66] עצי גפר: כך שמו. ולמה ממין זה על שם גפרית, שנגזר עליהם להמחות בו:
compartments: individual dwellings for each domestic animal and wild beast. — [from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer ch. 23] I קנים: מדורים מדורים לכל בהמה וחיה:
with pitch: Heb. כֹּפֶר This is זֶפֶת in Aramaic, and we find in the Talmud (Shab. 67a, b, Ned. 51a, Git. 69b, B.M. 23b, 40a, 70a, Ar. 19a) the word כּוּפְרָא [meaning pitch]. In Moses’ ark [i.e., the ark in which Moses was placed in the Nile], since the water was calm, it was enough to have mud on the inside and pitch on the outside. Another reason: so that this righteous man [Moses] should not smell the bad odor of pitch. But here, because of the force of the water, he caulked it with pitch both inside and outside. — [from Gen. Rabbah 31:10, Sotah 12a] בכפר: זפת בלשון ארמי. ומצינו בתלמוד כופרא. בתיבתו של משה, על ידי שהיו המים תשים, דיה בחומר מבפנים וזפת מבחוץ, ועוד כדי שלא יריח אותו צדיק ריח רע של זפת, אבל כאן מפני חוזק המים זפתה מבית ומבחוץ:
15And this [is the size] you shall make it: three hundred cubits the length of the ark, fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its height. טווְזֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֹתָ֑הּ שְׁל֧שׁ מֵא֣וֹת אַמָּ֗ה אֹ֚רֶךְ הַתֵּבָ֔ה חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים אַמָּה֙ רָחְבָּ֔הּ וּשְׁלשִׁ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה קֽוֹמָתָֽהּ:
16You shall make a skylight for the ark, and to a cubit you shall finish it to the top, and the entrance of the ark you shall place in its side; you shall make it with bottom [compartments], second story [compartments], and third story [compartments]. טזצֹ֣הַר | תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה לַתֵּבָ֗ה וְאֶל־אַמָּה֙ תְּכַלֶּ֣נָּה מִלְמַ֔עְלָה וּפֶ֥תַח הַתֵּבָ֖ה בְּצִדָּ֣הּ תָּשִׂ֑ים תַּחְתִּיִּ֛ם שְׁנִיִּ֥ם וּשְׁלִשִׁ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶֽׂהָ:
a skylight: Heb. צֹהַר, lit. light. Some say [that it was] a window, and some say [that it was] a precious stone, which gave them light. — [Gen. Rabbah 31:11] צהר: יש אומרים חלון, ויש אומרים אבן טובה המאירה להם:
and to a cubit you shall finish it to the top: Its covering slanted upwards until it narrowed at the top to one cubit (Gen. Rabbah 31:11), so that the rain should run down (the following does not appear in certain editions) (from both sides) (Sanh. 108b, Maharsha). ואל אמה תכלנה מלמעלה: כסויה משופע ועולה עד שהוא קצר מלמעלה ועומד על אמה, כדי שיזובו המים למטה:
you shall place in its side: so that the rains should not fall into it. בצדה תשים: שלא יפלו הגשמים בה:
bottom [compartments], second-story [compartments], and third-story [compartments]: three stories, one above the other; the upper compartments were for people, the middle ones for [animal] dwellings, and the bottom ones for waste matter. — [from Sanh. 108b] תחתים שנים ושלשים: שלש עליות זו על גב זו, עליונים לאדם, אמצעים למדור בהמה תחתיים לזבל:
17And I, behold I am bringing the flood, water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life, from beneath the heavens; all that is upon the earth will perish. יזוַֽאֲנִ֗י הִֽנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶת־הַמַּבּ֥וּל מַ֨יִם֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לְשַׁחֵ֣ת כָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ֙ ר֣וּחַ חַיִּ֔ים מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֖רֶץ יִגְוָֽע:
And I, behold I am bringing: Behold, I am ready to agree with those [angels] who urged Me long ago (Ps. 8:5): “What is man that You should remember him?” - [Gen. Rabbah 31:12] ואני הנני מביא: הנני מוכן להסכים עם אותם שזרזוני ואמרו לפני כבר (תהלים ח ה) מה אנוש כי תזכרנו:
the flood: Heb. הַמַּבּוּל: that wore out (בִּלָּה) everything; that mixed up (בִּלְבֵּל) everything; that transported (הוֹבִיל) everything from the high [ground] to the low [ground]. This [the last interpretation] is [the basis for] the rendering of Onkelos: טוֹפָנָא, a flood [from טוּף, to float], because it caused everything to float and brought them down to Babylon, which is deep, and this is why it was called Shinar, because all those who died in the Flood were shaken out (נִנְעֲרוּ) there. — [Yer. Ber. 4:1, Gen. Rabbah 37:4] מבול: שבלה את הכל, שבלבל את הכל, שהוביל את הכל מן הגבוה לנמוך, וזהו לשון אונקלוס שתרגם טופנא, שהציף את הכל והביאם לבבל שהיא עמוקה, לכך נקראת שנער שננערו שם כל מתי מבול:
18And I will set up My covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you and your sons, and your wife and your sons' wives with you. יחוַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִ֥י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל־הַתֵּ֔בָה אַתָּ֕ה וּבָנֶי֛ךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֥ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנֶי֖ךָ אִתָּֽךְ:
And I will set up My covenant with you: A covenant was necessary for the fruits, so that they should not rot and become putrid, and so that the wicked of the generation should not kill him. — [from Gen. Rabbah 31:12] והקמותי את בריתי: ברית היה צריך על הפירות שלא ירקבו ויעפשו, ושלא יהרגוהו רשעים שבדור:
you and your sons, and your wife: the men separately and the women separately. From here, we deduce that they were prohibited to engage in marital relations [in the ark]. — [Sanh. 108b] אתה ובניך ואשתך: האנשים לבד והנשים לבד, מכאן שנאסרו בתשמיש המטה:
19And of all living things of all flesh, two of each you shall bring into the ark to preserve alive with you; they shall be male and female. יטוּמִכָּל־הָ֠חַ֠י מִכָּל־בָּשָׂ֞ר שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל תָּבִ֥יא אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֖ה לְהַֽחֲיֹ֣ת אִתָּ֑ךְ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה יִֽהְיֽוּ:
And of all living things: Even demons. — [Gen. Rabbah 31:13] ומכל החי: אפילו שדים:
two of each: Of the least [numerous] of them, there were no less than two, one male and one female. שנים מכל: מן הפחות שבהם לא פחתו משנים, אחד זכר ואחד נקבה:
20Of the fowl after its kind and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing upon the ground after its kind; two of each shall come to you to preserve alive. כמֵֽהָע֣וֹף לְמִינֵ֗הוּ וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ מִכֹּ֛ל רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל יָבֹ֥אוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ לְהַֽחֲיֽוֹת:
Of the fowl after its kind: (Gen. Rabbah) [Note that this derash is not found in Gen. Rabbah, but in Tan. Noach 12] Those that mated with their kind, and did not corrupt their way, and came by themselves, and all that the ark accepted, [i.e., the ark repulsed the unfit animals and did not let them enter], he brought into it. — [Sanh. 108b, Tan. ad loc., Zev. 116a, Gen. Rabbah 32:8 from 7:16; Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer ch. 23 from ibid. 15; only Mid. Hagadol from this verse] מהעוף למינהו: אותן שדבקו במיניהם ולא השחיתו דרכם, ומאליהם באו, וכל שהתיבה קולטתו הכניס בה:
21And you, take for yourself of every food that is eaten and gather it in to you, and it shall be for you and for them to eat." כאוְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־לְךָ֗ מִכָּל־מַֽאֲכָל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל וְאָֽסַפְתָּ֖ אֵלֶ֑יךָ וְהָיָ֥ה לְךָ֛ וְלָהֶ֖ם לְאָכְלָֽה:
22And Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did. כבוַיַּ֖עַשׂ נֹ֑חַ כְּ֠כֹ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים כֵּ֥ן עָשָֽׂה:
And Noah did: This refers to the building of the ark. — [Gen. Rabbah 31:14] ויעש נח: זה בנין התיבה:
Daily Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 135 - 139
• Chapter 135
1. Praise the Lord! Praise the Name of the Lord; offer praise, you servants of the Lord-
2. who stand in the House of the Lord, in the courtyards of the House of our God.
3. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to His Name, for He is pleasant.
4. For God has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel as His beloved treasure.
5. For I know that the Lord is great, our Master is greater than all supernal beings.
6. All that the Lord desired He has done, in the heavens and on earth, in the seas and the depths.
7. He causes mists to rise from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings forth the wind from His vaults.
8. It was He who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, of man and beast.
9. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of Egypt, on Pharaoh and on all his servants.
10. It was He who struck down many nations, and slew mighty kings:
11. Sichon, king of the Amorites; Og, king of Bashan; and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
12. And He gave their lands as a heritage, a heritage to His people Israel.
13. Lord, Your Name is forever; Lord, Your remembrance is throughout all generations.
14. Indeed, the Lord will judge on behalf of His people, and have compassion on His servants.
15. The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the product of human hands.
16. They have a mouth, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;
17. they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouth.
18. Like them will their makers become-all who trust in them.
19. House of Israel, bless the Lord; House of Aaron, bless the Lord;
20. House of Levi, bless the Lord; you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
21. Blessed is the Lord from Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
Chapter 136
This psalm contains twenty-six verses, corresponding to the twenty-six generations between the creation of the world and the giving of the Torah.
1. Praise the Lord for He is good, for His kindness is forever.
2. Praise the God of the supernal beings, for His kindness is forever.
3. Praise the Master of the heavenly hosts, for His kindness is forever.
4. Who alone performs great wonders, for His kindness is forever.
5. Who makes the heavens with understanding, for His kindness is forever.
6. Who spreads forth the earth above the waters, for His kindness is forever.
7. Who makes the great lights, for His kindness is forever.
8. The sun to rule by day, for His kindness is forever.
9. The moon and stars to rule by night, for His kindness is forever.
10. Who struck Egypt through its firstborn, for His kindness is forever.
11. And brought Israel out of their midst, for His kindness is forever.
12. With a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, for His kindness is forever.
13. Who split the Sea of Reeds into sections, for His kindness is forever.
14. And brought Israel across it, for His kindness is forever.
15. And cast Pharaoh and his army into the Sea of Reeds, for His kindness is forever.
16. Who led His people through the desert, for His kindness is forever;
17. Who struck down great kings, for His kindness is forever.
18. And slew mighty kings, for His kindness is forever.
19. Sichon, king of the Amorites, for His kindness is forever.
20. And Og, king of Bashan, for His kindness is forever.
21. And gave their land as a heritage, for His kindness is forever.
22. A heritage to Israel His servant, for His kindness is forever.
23. Who remembered us in our humiliation, for His kindness is forever.
24. And redeemed us from our oppressors, for His kindness is forever.
25. Who gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is forever.
26. Praise the God of heaven, for His kindness is forever.
Chapter 137
Referring to the time of the destruction of the Temple, this psalm tells of when Nebuchadnezzar would ask the Levites to sing in captivity as they had in the Temple, to which they would reply, "How can we sing the song of God upon alien soil?" They were then comforted by Divine inspiration.
1. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept as we remembered Zion.
2. There, upon the willows, we hung our harps.
3. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and those who scorned us-rejoicing, [saying,] "Sing to us of the songs of Zion.”
4. How can we sing the song of the Lord on alien soil?
5. If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget [its dexterity].
6. Let my tongue cleave to my palate if I will not remember you, if I will not bring to mind Jerusalem during my greatest joy!
7. Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of [the destruction of] Jerusalem, when they said, "Raze it, raze it to its very foundation!”
8. O Babylon, who is destined to be laid waste, happy is he who will repay you in retribution for what you have inflicted on us.
9. Happy is he who will seize and crush your infants against the rock!
Chapter 138
David offers awesome praises to God for His kindness to him, and for fulfilling His promise to grant him kingship.
1. By David. I will thank You with all my heart, in the presence of princes I shall praise You.
2. I will bow toward Your Holy Sanctuary, and praise Your Name for Your kindness and for Your truth; for You have exalted Your word above all Your Names.
3. On the day that I called out You answered me, You emboldened me, [You put] strength in my soul.
4. Lord, all the kings of the land will give thanks to You when they hear the words of Your mouth.
5. And they will sing of the Lord's ways, for the glory of the Lord is great.
6. For though the Lord is exalted, He sees the lowly; the High One castigates from afar.
7. If I walk in the midst of distress, keep me alive; against the wrath of my enemies stretch out Your hand, and let Your right hand deliver me.
8. Lord, complete [Your kindness] on my behalf. Lord, Your kindness is forever, do not forsake the work of Your hands.
Chapter 139
A most prominent psalm that guides man in the ways of God as no other in all of the five books of Tehillim. Fortunate is he who recites it daily.
1. For the Conductor, by David, a psalm. O Lord, You have probed me, and You know.
2. You know my sitting down and my standing up; You perceive my thought from afar.
3. You encircle my going about and my lying down; You are familiar with all my paths.
4. For there was not yet a word on my tongue-and behold, Lord, You knew it all.
5. You have besieged me front and back, You have laid Your hand upon me.
6. Knowledge [to escape You] is beyond me; it is exalted, I cannot know it.
7. Where can I go [to escape] Your spirit? And where can I flee from Your presence?
8. If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there.
9. Were I to take up wings as the dawn and dwell in the furthest part of the sea,
10. there, too, Your hand would guide me; Your right hand would hold me.
11. Were I to say, "Surely the darkness will shadow me," then the night would be as light around me.
12. Even the darkness obscures nothing from You; and the night shines like the day-the darkness is as light.
13. For You created my mind; You covered me in my mother's womb.
14. I will thank You, for I was formed in an awesome and wondrous way; unfathomable are Your works, though my soul perceives much.
15. My essence was not hidden from You even while I was born in concealment, formed in the depths of the earth.
16. Your eyes beheld my raw form; all [happenings] are inscribed in Your book, even those to be formed in future days-to Him they are the same.
17. How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How overwhelming, [even] their beginnings!
18. Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand, even if I were to remain awake and always with You.
19. O that You would slay the wicked, O God, and men of blood [to whom I say], "Depart from me!”
20. They exalt You for wicked schemes, Your enemies raise [You] for falsehood.
21. Indeed, I hate those who hate You, Lord; I contend with those who rise up against You.
22. I hate them with the utmost hatred; I regard them as my own enemies.
23. Search me, Lord, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24. See if there is a vexing way in me, then lead me in the way of the world.
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, middle of Epistle 25
• Lessons in Tanya
• Today's Tanya Lesson
• Sunday, 28 Tishrei, 5777 · 30 October 2016
• Iggeret HaKodesh, middle of Epistle 25
• (אלא שבחוץ לארץ, החיות הוא על ידי התלבשות שרים החיצונים, הממונים על שבעים אומות)
• Rambam: Sefer Hamitzvos:
(1However, outside the Land of Israel,2 the life-force is [bestowed] by [means of “the word of G‑d”] being invested within the extraneous patron-angels that are appointed over the seventy nations.
דהיינו, שיורד ניצוץ מדבר ה׳, הנקרא בשם מלכות דעשיה, ומאיר על השרים של מעלה, בבחינת מקיף מלמעלה
I.e., a [mere] spark from the “word of G‑d,” which is called Malchut of Asiyah, descends and radiates over the supernal patron-angels by encompassing them from above.
אך אינו מתלבש בהם ממש, אלא נמשך להם חיות מהארה זו, שמאיר עליהם מלמעלה בבחינת מקיף
I.e., it does not truly vest itself within them; rather, the life-force issues to them from this radiation which shines over them from above, in an encompassing manner.
ומהשרים נשפע חיות לאומות, ולבהמות חיות ועופות שבארצותיהם
And from the patron-angels, life-force issues to the nations, and to the cattle, beasts and fowl that are in their lands,
ולארץ הגשמית, ולשמים הגשמיים, שהם הגלגלים
and to the physical world, and the physical heavens, i.e., the spheres in which the stars orbit.3
(אלא ששמים וארץ ובהמות וחיות ועופות טהורים, נשפעים מקליפת נוגה
(4However, there are distinctions between the various categories of created beings: the heavens and the earth, and the cattle, beasts and fowl that are pure (i.e., kosher), are nurtured by kelipat nogah,
והטמאים ונפשות האומות, משאר קליפות)
whereas the impure [creatures] and the souls of the nations are [nurtured] by the other kelipot.)
Kelipat nogah represents a finely-balanced tension between potential good (which can also be misused) and potential evil (which can also be sublimated). The other three completely impure kelipot are entirely evil, as explained at length in Tanya, ch. 6.
והנה שמים וארץ וכל אשר בהם, בחוץ לארץ, כולם כלא ממש חשיבי, לגבי השרים שהם חיותם וקיומם
Now, outside the Land of Israel,5 the heavens and the earth and all they contain are all esteemed as truly nothing, in relation to the patron-angels which are [the conduits for] their life-force and continued existence.
והשרים כלא ממש חשיבי, לגבי החיות הנמשך להם מהניצוץ מדבר ה׳, המאיר עליהם מלמעלה
The patron-angels themselves are esteemed as truly nothing in relation to the life-force issuing to them from the spark of the “word of G‑d” which radiates over them from above, transcending them.
ואף על פי כן, החיות הנמשך לתוכם מהארה זו, הוא בבחינת גלות בתוכם
And even so, the life-force issuing to them from this radiation, is in a state of exile within them.
ולכן נקראים בשם אלקים אחרים, וקרו ליה: אלהא דאלהיא, שגם הם הן בבחינת אלקות
That is why they are called elohim acherim (“other gods”), while they call Him,6 “G‑d of the gods,” since they consider themselves as deities.
ולכן הגוים הנשפעים מהם, הם עובדי עבודה זרה ממש
Therefore, in view of their source, the nations which receive their life-force through [their patron-angels] are truly idolaters —
עד עת קץ, שיבולע המות והסטרא אחרא
[but only] until the time of the “end”, until the time of the imminent Redemption, when death and the sitra achra(i.e., the “other side,” the unholy aspect of the universe) will be swallowed up.
ואז אהפוך אל עמים כו׳, לקרוא כולם בשם ה׳
Of that time G‑d promises,7 “Then shall I make the nations [pure of speech] so that they will all call upon the Name of G‑d.”
The Alter Rebbe now returns to the theme of the Divine spark in exile:
ונקרא גם כן בשם גלות השכינה
This [sustenance of idolaters through the Divine spark] is also called “the exile of the Shechinah.”
מאחר שחיות זה, אשר בבחינת גלות בתוכם
For this life-force, which is in a state of exile within them, as previously explained,
הוא מהארה הנמשכת להם מהניצוץ מדבר ה׳, הנקרא בשם שכינה
stems from the radiation issuing to them from the spark of the “word of G‑d,” which is called Shechinahin the terminology of the Sages, as mentioned above.
According to the above, however, it would seem that this state of exile has existed since the creation of the world, with all its impure animals, etc. What do we mean, then, when we say that “the Shechinah was exiled”? This question is answered in the following parenthetical passage.
(וגלות זה נמשך מחטא עץ הדעת ואילך
(8And this exile, brought about by the fact that the kelipot derive their life-force from a spark of G‑d’s creative speech,stems from the sin of the Tree of Knowledge and onwards, for from that time kelipot were able to receive a degree of vitality that they did not have until that point.
והוא בחינת אחוריים לבד דקדושה
However, [they receive their vitality] only from the hindmost (i.e., from the lowest and most external) dimension of holiness.
אך כשגלו ישראל לבין האומות, ואחיזת ישראל ושרשם הוא בבחינת פנים העליונים
But when the Jewish people were exiled among the nations — and the Jewish people are attached and rooted in the Supernal Countenance (the panim, or pnimiyus, i.e., the innermost aspect of Divinity) —
הנה זו היא גלות שלימה
this became a total exile. For then the innermost aspect of Divinity was also drawn down to the patron-angels and the nations, as explained at length in Iggeret HaTeshuvah, ch. 6; see there.
ועל זה אמרו רז״ל: גלו לאדום, שכינה עמהם))
Of this our Sages, of blessed memory, said,9 “When [the Jewish people] were exiled to Edom, the Shechinah accompanied them.”))
* * *
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | Parentheses are in the original text. |
| 2. | Following Luach HaTikkun, the standard (i.e., censored) printed text of Tanya has been emended in this edition from the phrase שבארצות העובדי גילולים (“in the lands of the heathens”) to the original phrase, שבחוץ לארץ (“outside the Land of Israel”). Likewise, in many places in the present letter, עובדי גילולים (“heathens”) has been corrected to אומות (“nations”). |
| 3. | See Rambam, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, ch. 3. |
| 4. | Parentheses are in the original text. |
| 5. | Following Luach HaTikkun, the standard (i.e., censored) printed text of Tanya has been emended in this edition from the phrase שבארצות העובדי גילולים (“in the lands of the heathens”) to the original phrase, שבחוץ לארץ (“outside the Land of Israel”). Likewise, in many places in the present letter, עובדי גילולים (“heathens”) has been corrected to אומות (“nations”). |
| 6. | Menachot 110a, and see Chiddushei Aggadot of the Maharsha there. |
| 7. | Zephaniah 3:9. |
| 8. | Parentheses are in the original text. |
| 9. | Megillah 29b (in the version of Ein Yaakov); Mechilta, Parshat Bo 12:41, et al. |
• Sunday, 28 Tishrei, 5777 · 30 October 2016
• Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
• Negative Commandment 64
Testing G‑d
"Do not test the L-rd, your G‑d"—Deuteronomy 6:16.
Once a prophet has been established as a true prophet – either through accurately forecasting the future on several occasions, or through the testimony of another established prophet – it is forbidden to further test or doubt his words.
Full text of this Mitzvah »• Testing G‑d
Negative Commandment 64
Translated by Berel Bell
The 64th prohibition is that we are forbidden from testing His promises and warnings (exalted be He), that He has promised or warned us through His prophets. This would be done by doubting his words once we know that the one who has spoken to us is truly a prophet.1
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,2 "Do not test G‑d your Lord as you tested Him in Massah."
FOOTNOTES
1.See Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah Ch. 7-10 regarding how to recognize a true prophet.
2.Deut. 6:16.
• Positive Commandment 8
Emulating G‑d
"And walk in His ways"—Deuteronomy 28:9.
We are commanded to emulate G‑d's ways. As the Midrash explains, "Just as G‑d is merciful, you should be merciful; just as G‑d is gracious, you should be gracious; G‑d is righteous, you too should be righteous; G‑d is pious, you too should be pious."
Full text of this Mitzvah »• Emulating G‑d
Positive Commandment 8
Translated by Berel Bell
The 8th mitzvah is that we are commanded to emulate G‑d, blessed be He, to the best of our ability.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),1 "And you shall walk in His paths."
This commandment is repeated in the verse,2 "To walk in all his ways." This is explained in the words of the Sifri3: "Just as G‑d is called merciful, so too, you must be merciful. Just as G‑d is called kind, so too, you must be kind. Just as G‑d is called righteous, so too, you must be righteous. Just as G‑d is called pious, so too, you must be pious."
This commandment is also repeated in the verse,4 "Walk after G‑d your Lord." This too is explained5 as emulating the good deeds and fine attributes which are used to allegorically describe G‑d (exalted be He), Who is immeasurably exalted over everything.
FOOTNOTES
1.Deut. 28:9.
2.Deut. 11:22.
3.Parshat Eikev.
4.Deut. 13:5.
5.Sotah 14a: "Just as G‑d clothes the naked, ... so too, you must clothe the naked. Just as G‑d visits the sick, ... so too, you must visit the sick. Just as G‑d comforts mourners, ... so too, you must comfort mourners."
• Positive Commandment 6
Clinging to the Sages
"And cleave to Him"—Deuteronomy 11:22.
We are instructed to mingle with the sages and interact with then whenever possible: join in their meals, do business with them, etc. This way we will learn from their ways and come to adopt their true beliefs.
The verse tells us to "cleave" to G‑d—but is it possible to cleave to G‑d who is likened to a consuming fire? Rather this means that we must cleave to Torah scholars.
Full text of this Mitzvah »• Clinging to the Sages
Positive Commandment 6
Translated by Berel Bell
The 6th mitzvah is that we are commanded to be close to the wise and to associate with them. We should constantly be close to them and to be with them in all possible ways of friendship, such as eating, drinking and doing business, in order to thereby succeed in emulating their actions and knowing from their words the true way of looking at things.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),1 "And cling to Him." This commandment is repeated,2 "To Him you shall cling," and is explained in the words of the Sifri: "Cleave to the Sages and their students."
Our Sages also derived from the verse, "To Him you shall cling," that one must marry the daughter of a talmid chacham, marry one's daughter to a talmid chacham, give benefits to talmidei chachamim and to do business with them. Our Sages say3 "Is it possible for a person to cling to the Divine Presence, when the verse says,4 'G‑d your Lord is [like] a consuming fire'?! Rather, whoever marries the daughter of a talmid chacham [is considered to have cleaved to the Divine Presence]."
FOOTNOTES
1.Deut. 11:22.
2.Deut. 10:20.
3.Ketubot 111b.
4.Deut. 4:22.
• Positive Commandment 206
Loving Our Fellow
"Love your fellow as yourself"—Leviticus 19:18.
We are commanded to love and care for our fellow Jew as we love and care for ourselves. We should treasure our fellow and his possessions as we treasure our own. Whatever I wish for myself, I wish also for my fellow; and whatever I dislike for myself, I should also not want to befall him.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
• Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
• Negative Commandment 64
Testing G‑d
"Do not test the L-rd, your G‑d"—Deuteronomy 6:16.
Once a prophet has been established as a true prophet – either through accurately forecasting the future on several occasions, or through the testimony of another established prophet – it is forbidden to further test or doubt his words.
Full text of this Mitzvah »• Testing G‑d
Negative Commandment 64
Translated by Berel Bell
The 64th prohibition is that we are forbidden from testing His promises and warnings (exalted be He), that He has promised or warned us through His prophets. This would be done by doubting his words once we know that the one who has spoken to us is truly a prophet.1
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,2 "Do not test G‑d your Lord as you tested Him in Massah."
FOOTNOTES
1.See Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah Ch. 7-10 regarding how to recognize a true prophet.
2.Deut. 6:16.
• Positive Commandment 8
Emulating G‑d
"And walk in His ways"—Deuteronomy 28:9.
We are commanded to emulate G‑d's ways. As the Midrash explains, "Just as G‑d is merciful, you should be merciful; just as G‑d is gracious, you should be gracious; G‑d is righteous, you too should be righteous; G‑d is pious, you too should be pious."
Full text of this Mitzvah »• Emulating G‑d
Positive Commandment 8
Translated by Berel Bell
The 8th mitzvah is that we are commanded to emulate G‑d, blessed be He, to the best of our ability.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),1 "And you shall walk in His paths."
This commandment is repeated in the verse,2 "To walk in all his ways." This is explained in the words of the Sifri3: "Just as G‑d is called merciful, so too, you must be merciful. Just as G‑d is called kind, so too, you must be kind. Just as G‑d is called righteous, so too, you must be righteous. Just as G‑d is called pious, so too, you must be pious."
This commandment is also repeated in the verse,4 "Walk after G‑d your Lord." This too is explained5 as emulating the good deeds and fine attributes which are used to allegorically describe G‑d (exalted be He), Who is immeasurably exalted over everything.
FOOTNOTES
1.Deut. 28:9.
2.Deut. 11:22.
3.Parshat Eikev.
4.Deut. 13:5.
5.Sotah 14a: "Just as G‑d clothes the naked, ... so too, you must clothe the naked. Just as G‑d visits the sick, ... so too, you must visit the sick. Just as G‑d comforts mourners, ... so too, you must comfort mourners."
• Positive Commandment 6
Clinging to the Sages
"And cleave to Him"—Deuteronomy 11:22.
We are instructed to mingle with the sages and interact with then whenever possible: join in their meals, do business with them, etc. This way we will learn from their ways and come to adopt their true beliefs.
The verse tells us to "cleave" to G‑d—but is it possible to cleave to G‑d who is likened to a consuming fire? Rather this means that we must cleave to Torah scholars.
Full text of this Mitzvah »• Clinging to the Sages
Positive Commandment 6
Translated by Berel Bell
The 6th mitzvah is that we are commanded to be close to the wise and to associate with them. We should constantly be close to them and to be with them in all possible ways of friendship, such as eating, drinking and doing business, in order to thereby succeed in emulating their actions and knowing from their words the true way of looking at things.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),1 "And cling to Him." This commandment is repeated,2 "To Him you shall cling," and is explained in the words of the Sifri: "Cleave to the Sages and their students."
Our Sages also derived from the verse, "To Him you shall cling," that one must marry the daughter of a talmid chacham, marry one's daughter to a talmid chacham, give benefits to talmidei chachamim and to do business with them. Our Sages say3 "Is it possible for a person to cling to the Divine Presence, when the verse says,4 'G‑d your Lord is [like] a consuming fire'?! Rather, whoever marries the daughter of a talmid chacham [is considered to have cleaved to the Divine Presence]."
FOOTNOTES
1.Deut. 11:22.
2.Deut. 10:20.
3.Ketubot 111b.
4.Deut. 4:22.
• Positive Commandment 206
Loving Our Fellow
"Love your fellow as yourself"—Leviticus 19:18.
We are commanded to love and care for our fellow Jew as we love and care for ourselves. We should treasure our fellow and his possessions as we treasure our own. Whatever I wish for myself, I wish also for my fellow; and whatever I dislike for myself, I should also not want to befall him.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
• Loving Our Fellow
Positive Commandment 206
Translated by Berel Bell
The 206th mitzvah is that we are commanded to love each other as we love ourselves. I should have mercy for and love my brother as faithfully as I love and have mercy for myself. This applies to his financial and physical state, and whatever he has or desires. What I want for myself I should want for him, and whatever I don't want for myself or my friends, I shouldn't want for him.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,1 "You must love your neighbor as [you love] yourself."
FOOTNOTES
1.Lev.19:18.
• Rambam - 1 Chapter: Kelim Kelim - Chapter 1
Positive Commandment 206
Translated by Berel Bell
The 206th mitzvah is that we are commanded to love each other as we love ourselves. I should have mercy for and love my brother as faithfully as I love and have mercy for myself. This applies to his financial and physical state, and whatever he has or desires. What I want for myself I should want for him, and whatever I don't want for myself or my friends, I shouldn't want for him.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,1 "You must love your neighbor as [you love] yourself."
FOOTNOTES
1.Lev.19:18.
• Rambam - 1 Chapter: Kelim Kelim - Chapter 1
• Kelim - Chapter 1
The purpose of this collection of laws is to know which keilim are susceptible to any of these types of impurity, those keilim which are not susceptible to impurity, and how keilim contract and impart impurity.
This concept is explained in the ensuing chapters.
1
There are seven types of keilim that are susceptible to impurity according to Scriptural Law. They are: clothes, keilim from sackcloth, leather keilim, keilim made from bone, metal keilim, wooden keilim, and earthenware keilim. For Leviticus 11:32 states: "From all wooden implements, garments, leather articles, or sackcloth." And with regard to metal utensils, Numbers 31:22states: "But the gold and the silver...." And with regard to earthenware utensils, Leviticus 11:33 states: "And every earthenware container into whose inner space one of them will fall, everything inside of it will contract impurity and the container should be broken."
א
שבעה מיני כלים הן שמקבלין טומאה מן התורה ואלו הן: הבגדים והשקין וכלי עור וכלי עצם וכלי מתכות וכלי עץ וכלי חרש הרי הוא אומר מכל כלי עץ או בגד או עור או שק ובכלי מתכות נאמר אך את הזהב ואת הכסף ובכלי חרש נשאר וכלי חרש אשר יפול מהם אל תוכו כל אשר בתוכו יטמא ואותו תשבורו:
2
According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught that the Torah's statement Numbers 31:20: "And anything made from goats" includes keilim made from the horns, hooves, and bones of goats. The same applies to keilim made from the body parts of other domesticated and undomesticated animals. keilim made from the bones of fowl, by contrast, are not susceptible to impurity with the sole exception of keilim made from the wings of an osprey and an ostrich egg that was coated. Since they resemble bones, they are susceptible to ritual impurity as a bone implement is. It nigh appears to me that their impurity is of Rabbinic origin.
ב
מפי השמועה למדו שזה שנאמר בתורה וכל מעשה עזים לרבות כלים העשויין מן הקרניים ומן הטלפיים ומן העצמות של עזים והוא הדין לשאר מיני בהמה וחיה אבל כלים העשויין מעצמות העוף אינן מקבלין טומאה חוץ מכלים העשוין מכנף העזניה בלבד וביצת הנעמית המצופה הואיל והן דומין לעצם מקבלין טומאה ככלי עצם וקרוב בעיני שטומאתן מדברי סופרים:
3
keilim that are fashioned from the bones or the hide of sea-animals are pure. Everything from the sea is pure and is not susceptible to any form of impurity, including the impurity stemming from articles that contracted impurity from a zav. Even if one weaves a garment with "wool" growing in the sea, it is not susceptible to impurity.
This is implied by the phrase: "garments or leather articles." According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught "Just as it is only a garment that comes from plants that grow on the earth that is susceptible to ritual impurity, so too, only leather keilim that come from plants that grow on the earth are susceptible to ritual impurity.
The following law applies if one connected fabric from plants that grow in the sea with fabric from plants that grow on the earth, even if only by a thread or a fringe. If they were connected in a way that they are considered a single entity with regard to ritual impurity, i.e., if one became impure, the other became impure, the entire entity becomes susceptible to impurity.
ג
כלים העשויין מעצמות חיה שבים ומעורה טהורים כל שבים טהור ואינו מקבל טומאה מן הטומאות ולא טומאת מדרס אף האורג בגד מצמר הגדל בים אינו מקבל טומאה שנאמר או בגד או עור מפי השמועה למדו מה בגד מן הגדל בארץ אף עור מן הגדל בארץ חיבר מן הגדל בים עם הגדל בארץ אפילו חוט או משיחה אם חיברו חיבור עד שמשים את שניהן כאילו הן אחד לטומאה שאם נטמא זה יטמא זה הכל מקבל טומאה:
4
It appears to me that utensils made from the skin of a fowl are not susceptible to impurity like its bones. One might object, saying: Such skin is acceptable to have tefillin written upon it like the hide of a domesticated or undomesticated animal. That objection can be refuted as follows:[ The skin of a fish is not susceptible to ritual impurity. [Nevertheless, were it not for its filth which never ceases, it would be acceptable to be used for tefillin. Thus it is derived that even an entity that is not susceptible to ritual impurity is acceptable to be used for tefillin if it is not characterized by filth.
ד
יראה לי שהכלים העשויים מעור העוף אין מקבלין טומאה כמו עצמותיו וא"ת והרי הוא כשר לכתוב עליו תפילין כעור בהמה וחיה הנה עור הדג אינו מקבל טומאה ולולא זוהמתו שאינה פוסקת היה כשר לתפילין הנה למדת שאף דבר שאינו מקבל טומאה כשר לתפילין אם אין לו זוהמא:
5
Glass keilim are not susceptible to ritual impurity according to Scriptural Law. Our Sages decreed that they would be susceptible to impurity. The rationale is that since, at the outset, they are made from sand like earthenware utensils, they are considered as earthenware utensils. Since their inside can be seen like their outside, the Sages did not decree that they would contract impurity from their inner space. Instead, the impurity must touch them, whether on the inside or the outside, as is true with regard to metal utensils. They did not establish this decree with regard to flat glass keilim, only those that serve as containers. Once such containers contract impurity, they cannot be purified in a mikveh. Terumah and sacrificial food is not burnt after contact with them, for it was decreed only that their state would be held in abeyance.
ה
כלי זכוכית אינן מקבלין טומאה מדברי תורה וחכמים גזרו עליהן שיקבלו טומאה הואיל ותחלת ברייתן מן החול ככלי חרס הרי הן ככלי חרס ומפני שתוכן נראה כברן לא גזרו עליהן שיטמאו מאוירן אלא עד שתגע הטומאה בהן בין מתוכן בין מגבן ככלי מתכות ולא גזרו טומאה על פשוטיהן אלא על מקבליהן ואין להם טהרה במקוה ואין שורפין עליהן תרומה וקדשים שלא גזרו עליהן אלא לתלות:
6
Utensils made from animal turds, stone, or earth are always pure. They are not susceptible to any form of impurity, nor to the impurity that stems from articles that contracted impurity from a zav, neither according to Scriptural Law, nor according to Rabbinic Law, neither flat keilim, nor containers.
ו
כלי גללים וכלי אבנים וכלי אדמה לעולם טהורין ואין מקבלין טומאה מן הטומאות ולא טומאת מדרס לא מן התורה ולא מדברי סופרים בין פשוטיהן בין מקבליהן:
7
When an elephant swallows thin branches and then excretes them as feces, if one fashions utensils from them, their status is unresolved. It was not determined whether they are considered as utensils made from feces or utensils made from wood as they would have been had they not been swallowed. When, however, a basket that had contracted impurity was swallowed by an elephant and was excreted as feces, it remains impure.
ז
פיל שבלע הוצין והקיאן דרך הרעי העושה מהן כלים הרי הן ספק אם הם ככלי גללים או כלי עץ כשהיו אבל כפיפה שנטמאת ובלעה פיל והקיאה דרך בית הרעי הרי היא בטומאתה:
8
Flat earthenware utensils, e.g., a lamp, a chair, a table, or the like made of earthenware are not susceptible to any of the types of impurity, nor to the impurity that stems from articles that contracted impurity from a zav, neither according to Scriptural Law, nor according to Rabbinic Law, as implied by the phrase, Leviticus 11:33: "Into whose inner space one of them will fall." One can infer that any earthenware utensil that has a receptacle is susceptible to impurity. If it does not have a receptacle, it is pure.
ח
פשוטי כלי חרס כגון מנורה וכסא ושולחן של חרס וכיוצא בהן אין מקבלין טומאה מן הטומאות ולא טומאת מדרס לא מן התורה ולא מדברי סופרים שנאמר אשר יפול מהם אל תוכו יטמא כל שיש לו תוך בכלי חרס מקבל טומאה ושאין לו תוך טהור:
9
Metal keilim, whether flat, like knives or scissors, or containers like pots or kettles, are all susceptible to ritual impurity, as implied by Numbers 31:23: "Any entity that will pass through fire," i.e., whether a container or a flat implement. Even a chest or a drawer, or the like that are made from metal and which contain 40 se'ah of liquid measure or more are susceptible to ritual impurity, as implied by the phrase: "Any entity that will pass through fire."
ט
כלי מתכות אחד פשוטיהן כגון הסכינים והמספריים או מקבליהן כגון היורות והקומקומוסין הכל מקבלין טומאה שנאמר כל דבר אשר יבוא באש בין מקבל בין פשוט אפילו תיבה או מגדל וכיוצא בהן של מתכת שהן מקבלין ארבעים סאה בלח או יתר מקבלין טומאה שנאמר כל דבר אשר יבא באש:
10
Containers made from wood, leather, or bone, e.g., a kneading trough, a drinking pouch, or the like, are susceptible to ritual impurity according to Scriptural Law. Keilimmade from wood, leather, or bone that are flat, e.g., tablets, a chair, a leather mat on which one eats, and the like, by contrast, are susceptible to ritual impurity only according to Rabbinic Law, as implied by the phrase: "From all wooden keilim... or sackcloth." According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught: "Just as the sackcloth which is susceptible to ritual impurity has a receptacle, so too, keilim made from all the other substances mentioned must have a receptacle. keilim made from bone are governed by the same laws as those made from wood in all matters.
When does the statement that flat utensils made from these substances are susceptible to impurity only according to Rabbinic Law apply? With regard to all impurities other than the impurity contracted from a support that contracted impurity from a zav. With regard to the impurity resulting from a support that contracted impurity from a zav or others like him, they contract impurity according to Scriptural Law, as implied by Leviticus 15:4: "Any surface on which one lies upon which a zav will lie." This includes everything made to lie upon or ride upon, as we explained. Similarly, glass keilim made to lie upon contract impurity according to Rabbinic Law.
י
כלי עץ וכלי עור וכלי עצם מקבליהן כגון העריבה והחמת וכיוצא בהן מקבלין טומאה מדברי תורה אבל פשוטיהן כגון הלוחות והכסא והעור שאוכלין עליו וכיוצא בהן אינן מקבלין טומאה אלא מדברי סופרים שנאמר מכל כלי עץ מפי השמועה למדו מה שק שיש לו בית קבול אף כל שיש לו בית קבול וכלי עצם ככלי עץ לכל דבר בד"א שטומאת פשוטיהן מדברי סופרים בשאר טומאות חוץ מטומאת מדרס אבל במדרס הזב וחביריו מתטמאין מן התורה שנאמר כל המשכב אשר ישכב כל העשוי למשכב או למרכב כמו שביארנו וכן כלי זכוכית העשוי למשכב מתטמא במדרס מדבריהן:
11
Any article that is woven, whether from wool, from linen, hemp, silk, or other fabrics that grow on land, is called a garment with regard to impurity. Felt is like a garment with regard to all matters.
יא
כל שהוא ארוג בין מצמר ופשתים בין מקנבוס או ממשי או משאר דברים הגדלים ביבשה הוא הנקרא בגד לעניין טומאה והלבדים כבגדים לכל דבר:
12
Sackcloth refers to threads of hair that are braided like a chain or woven like garments, whether they are made from goats' hair, camels' wool, the hairs of a tail of a horse or cow or the like. This applies whether they are woven like sacks or braided like a band for donkeys or the like. Ropes or strands, whether they are spun from goats' hair or from wool or linen are not susceptible to ritual impurity on their own accord.
יב
השק הוא חוטי שיער הגדילין כשלשלת או הארוגין כבגדים אחד העשוי מן העזים או מצמר גמלים או מזנב הסוס והפרה וכיוצא בהן ואחד האריג מהן כמו המרצופין או הגדל כמו חבק של חמור וכיוצא בו אבל הטבלים והמשיחות השזורין בין מן השיער בין מצמר ופשתים אינן מקבלין טומאה בפני עצמן:
13
All utensils that are fashioned from reeds, from willow-branches, from bulrushes, from date branches, from leaves and branches, the bark of the tree, and grasses, e.g., small baskets, large baskets, rugs, or mats are all considered as wooden utensils, for anything that grows from the earth is considered as wood.
The same laws that govern earthenware utensils govern sandstone utensils. Any utensil that is made from earth or sand and is then burnt in a kiln is considered as an earthenware utensil. An oven, a range, a stove or the like, i.e., structures in which food is baked or cooked, all are susceptible to ritual impurity according to Scriptural Law. The laws governing their impurity are the same as those governing that of an earthenware utensil.
יג
כל הכלים העשויין מן הגומא ומן הערבה ומן הקנים ומכפות תמרים ומן העלים והשריגין וקליפי אילנות ומן החלף כגון הכפיפות והטרסקלין והמחלצות והמפצות הכל בכלל בכלל כלי העץ שהכל גדל מן הארץ כעץ אחד כלי חרס ואחד כלי נתר לכל דבר כל כלי העשוי מהעפר מן העפרות ואחר כך שורפין אותן בכבשן הרי זה כלי חרס והתנור והכיריים והכופח וכיוצא בהן משאר הבניינות שאופין בהן או מבשלין בהן הכל מקבלין טומאה דין תורה וטומאתן וטומאת כלי חרס שוה:
• Rambam - 3 Chapters: Yesodei haTorah Yesodei haTorah - Chapter Ten, De'ot De'ot - Chapter One, De'ot De'ot - Chapter Two
• Yesodei haTorah - Chapter Ten
1
Any prophet who arises and tells us that God has sent him does not have to [prove himself by] performing wonders like those performed by Moses, our teacher, or like the wonders of Elijah or Elisha, which altered the natural order.
Rather, the sign of [the truth of his prophecy] will be the fulfillment of his prediction of future events, as [implied by Deuteronomy 18:21]: "How shall we recognize that a prophecy was not spoken by God?..."
Therefore, if a person whose [progress] in the service of God makes him worthy of prophecy arises [and claims to be a prophet] - if he does not intend to add [to] or diminish [the Torah], but rather to serve God through the mitzvot of the Torah - we do not tell him: "Split the sea for us, revive the dead, or the like, and then we will believe in you." Instead, we tell him, "If you are a prophet, tell us what will happen in the future." He makes his statements, and we wait to see whether [his "prophecy"] comes to fruition or not.
Should even a minute particular of his "prophecy" not materialize, he is surely a false prophet. If his entire prophecy materializes, we should consider him a true [prophet].
א
כל נביא שיעמוד לנו ויאמר שה' שלחו אינו צריך לעשות אות כאחד מאותות משה רבינו או כאותות אליהו ואלישע שיש בהם שינוי מנהגו של עולם אלא האות שלו שיאמר דברים העתידים להיות בעולם ויאמנו דבריו שנאמר וכי תאמר בלבבך איכה נדע הדבר וגו' לפיכך כשיבוא אדם הראוי לנבואה במלאכות השם ולא יבוא להוסיף ולא לגרוע אלא לעבוד את ה' במצות התורה אין אומרין לו קרע לנו הים או החיה מת וכיוצא באלו ואח"כ נאמין בך אלא אומרים לו אם נביא אתה אמור דברים העתידים להיות והוא אומר ואנו מחכים לראות היבואו דבריו אם לא יבואו ואפילו נפל דבר קטן בידוע שהוא נביא שקר ואם באו דבריו כולן יהיה בעינינו נאמן:
2
We should test him many times. If all of his statements prove true, he should be considered to be a true prophet, as [I Samuel 3:20] states concerning Samuel, "And all of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel had been proven to be a prophet unto God."
ב
ובודקין אותו פעמים הרבה אם נמצאו דבריו נאמנים כולן הרי זה נביא אמת כמו שנאמר בשמואל וידע כל ישראל מדן ועד באר שבע כי נאמן שמואל לנביא לה':
3
Behold, the diviners and sorcerers also predict the future. What differentiates between them and a prophet?
[Though] some of the prophecies made by diviners, sorcerers, and the like materialize, some do not [as implied by Isaiah 47:13]: "Let the stargazers, the astrologers, and the diviners of what will happen in the months, come and save you from what will come upon you." [Our Sages note that the verse states] "from what" rather than "from all that."
Also, it is possible that none of their predictions will come true and they will err completely, as [Isaiah 44:25] states: "He frustrates the omens of imposters and drives diviners mad."
In contrast, all the words of a prophet come true, as [II Kings 10:10] states: "God's word will not fall to the ground." Similarly, [Jeremiah 23:28] states: "'The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but he who [receives] My word shall speak words of truth. What is the chaff to the grain?' declares God." This implies that the words of sorcerers and dreamers are like chaff that has been mixed with some grain, while the word of God is like grain without any chaff at all.
Concerning this, the Torah promises that a prophet will relate the truth about those matters for which the soothsayers and diviners give false- predictions to the gentiles, so that [the Jews] will not need a sorcerer, a diviner, or the like, as [Deuteronomy 18:10, 14-15] states: "Among you, there shall not be found anyone who passes his son through fire, [a sorcerer, a diviner...] For these nations... [listen to diviners and sorcerers, God has not given you this lot. God will] set up a prophet from your midst."
We see from this that a prophet will arise for the sole purpose of telling us the future events which will transpire in the world, whether there will be plenty or famine, war or peace, and the like. He even will inform a particular individual regarding his needs. Hence, when Saul lost an object, he went to the prophet to discover where it was. These are the types of things that a prophet will say. He will not come to found a new faith or add or withdraw a mitzvah.
ג
והלא המעוננים והקוסמים אומרים מה שעתיד להיות ומה הפרש יש בין הנביא ובינם אלא שהמעוננים והקוסמים וכיוצא בהן מקצת דבריהם מתקיימין ומקצתן אין מתקיימין כענין שנאמר יעמדו נא ויושיעוך הוברי שמים החוזים בכוכבים מודיעים לחדשים מאשר יבאו עליך מאשר ולא כל אשר ואפשר שלא יתקיים מדבריהם כלום אלא יטעו בכל כענין שנאמר מפר אותות בדים וקוסמים יהולל אבל הנביא כל דבריו קיימין שנאמר כי לא יפול מדבר ה' ארצה וכן הוא אומר הנביא אשר אתו חלום יספר חלום ואשר דברי אתו ידבר דברי אמת מה לתבן את הבר נאם ה' כלומר שדברי הקוסמים והחלומות כתבן שנתערב בו מעט בר ודבר ה' כבר שאין בו תבן כלל ובדבר הזה הכתוב הבטיח ואמר שאותן הדברים שמודיעין המעוננים והקוסמים לאומות ומכזבין הנביא יודיע לכם דברי אמת ואין אתם צריכין למעונן וקוסם וכיוצא בו שנאמר לא ימצא בך מעביר בנו ובתו באש וגו' כי הגוים האלה וגו' ואמר נביא מקרבך מאחיך וגו' הא למדת שאין הנביא עומד לנו אלא להודיענו דברים העתידים להיות בעולם משובע ורעב מלחמה ושלום וכיוצא בהן ואפילו צרכי יחיד מודיע לו כשאול שאבדה לו אבדה והלך לנביא להודיעו מקומה וכיוצא באלו הדברים הוא שיאמר הנביא לא שיעשה דת אחרת או יוסיף מצוה או יגרע:
4
[The above principles do not apply to] prophecies of retribution which a prophet will utter - e.g., "So and so will die," "This or that year will be a year of famine or a year of war," and the like. If his words do not come true, this does not nullify the validity of his prophecy, nor do we say [in condemnation of him]: "Behold, he spoke and his words were not fulfilled."
[This is because] the Holy One, Blessed be He, is slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and forgiving of evil. Thus, it is possible that they will repent and [their sin] will be forgiven, as in the case of the people of Nineveh, or that [retribution] will be held in abeyance, as in the case of Hezekiah.
[This does not apply regarding prophecies for the good.] If [a prophet] promised that good would come and such and such will occur, and the good about which he prophesied did not materialize, he is surely a false prophet. Any good which God decrees - even if [the decree] is provisional - will never be nullified. {We find [God] nullifying a positive prophecy only during the destruction of the first Temple. He had promised the righteous that they would not die together with the wicked; however, He nullified this prophecy, as explained in the tractate of Shabbat.}
We can conclude from this that a prophet should be tested on the basis of his positive prophecies. This was what Jeremiah meant by his reply to Chananiah ben Azur, when he was prophesying doom and Chananiah was promising a [glorious future]. He told Chananiah: "If my words are not fulfilled, this will not lead to the conclusion that I am a false prophet. If your promises are not fulfilled, however, it will be proven that you are a false prophet," as implied by [Jeremiah 28:7,9]: "Hear, now, this word... As for the prophet who prophesies for peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, it will be known that God has truly sent this prophet."
ד
דברי הפורענות שהנביא אומר כגון שיאמר פלוני ימות או שנה פלונית רעב או מלחמה וכיוצא בדברים אלו אם לא עמדו דבריו אין בזה הכחשה לנבואתו ואין אומרים הנה דבר ולא בא שהקדוש ברוך הוא ארך אפים ורב חסד ונחם על הרעה ואפשר שעשו תשובה ונסלח להם כאנשי נינוה או שתלה להם כחזקיה אבל אם הבטיח על טובה ואמר שיהיה כך וכך ולא באה הטובה שאמר בידוע שהוא נביא שקר שכל דבר טובה שיגזור האל אפילו על תנאי אינו חוזר ולא מצינו שחזר בדבר טובה אלא בחרבן ראשון כשהבטיח לצדיקים שלא ימותו עם הרשעים וחזר בדבריו וזה מפורש במסכת שבת הא למדת שבדברי הטובה בלבד יבחן הנביא הוא שירמיהו אמר בתשובתו לחנניה בן עזור כשהיה ירמיה מתנבא לרעה וחנניה לטובה אמר לו לחנניה אם לא יעמדו דברי אין בזה ראיה שאני נביא שקר אבל אם לא יעמדו דבריך יודע שאתה נביא שקר שנאמר אך שמע נא את הדבר הזה וגו' הנביא אשר ידבר שלום בבוא דבר הנביא יודע הנביא אשר שלחו ה' באמת:
5
When a prophet proclaims that another individual is [also] a prophet, we accept the latter as a prophet without requiring [any further] investigation. Thus, after Moses, our teacher, proclaimed that Joshua [was a prophet], all the Jews believed in him before he performed any wonders. The same holds true for subsequent generations.
Once a prophet has made known his prophecy, and his words have proven true time after time, or another prophet has proclaimed him a prophet, if he continues in the path of prophecy, it is forbidden to doubt him or to question the truth of his prophecy.
[When establishing the authenticity of a prophet,] it is forbidden to test him more than necessary. We may not continue to test him forever, as [Deuteronomy 6:15] states: "Do not test God, your Lord, as you tested him in Marah," when [the Jews] said [Exodus 17:7]: "Is God in our midst or not?" Rather, once an individual is established as a prophet, we should believe in him and know that God is in our midst. We should not doubt or question him, as implied by [Ezekiel 2:5]: "They shall know that a prophet was in their midst."
ה
נביא שהעיד לו נביא אחר שהוא נביא הרי הוא בחזקת נביא ואין זה השני צריך חקירה שהרי משה רבינו העיד ליהושע והאמינו בו כל ישראל קודם שיעשה אות וכן לדורות נביא שנודעה נבואתו והאמינו בדבריו פעם אחר פעם או שהעיד לו נביא והיה הולך בדרכי הנבואה אסור לחשב אחריו ולהרהר בנבואתו שמא אינה אמת ואסור לנסותו יותר מדאי ולא נהיה הולכים ומנסים לעולם שנאמר לא תנסו את ה' אלהיכם כאשר נסיתם במסה שאמרו היש ה' בקרבנו אם אין אלא מאחר שנודע שזה נביא יאמינו וידעו כי ה' בקרבם ולא יהרהרו ולא יחשבו אחריו כענין שנאמר וידעו כי נביא היה בתוכם:
De'ot - Chapter One
They contain eleven mitzvot:
Five positive commandments and six negative commandments.
They are:
1. To emulate His ways
2. To cling to those who know Him
3. To love one's fellow Jews
4. To love the converts
5. Not to hate one's [Jewish] brethren
6. To rebuke
7. Not to embarrass
8. Not to oppress the unfortunate
9. Not to gossip
10. Not to take vengeance
11. Not to bear a grudge.
1
Each and every man possesses many character traits. Each trait is very different and distant from the others.
One type of man is wrathful; he is constantly angry. [In contrast,] there is the calm individual who is never moved to anger, or, if at all, he will be slightly angry, [perhaps once] during a period of several years.
There is the prideful man and the one who is exceptionally humble. There is the man ruled by his appetites - he will never be satisfied from pursuing his desires, and [conversely,] the very pure of heart, who does not desire even the little that the body needs.
There is the greedy man, who cannot be satisfied with all the money in the world, as [Ecclesiastes 5:9] states: "A lover of money never has his fill of money." [In contrast,] there is the man who puts a check on himself; he is satisfied with even a little, which is not enough for his needs, and he does not bother to pursue and attain what he lacks.
There is [the miser,] who torments himself with hunger, gathering [his possessions] close to himself. Whenever he spends a penny of his own, he does so with great pain. [Conversely,] there is [the spendthrift,] who consciously wastes his entire fortune.
All other traits follow the same pattern [of contrast]. For example: the overly elated and the depressed; the stingy and the freehanded; the cruel and the softhearted; the coward and the rash. and the like.
א
דעות הרבה יש לכל אחד ואחד מבני אדם וזו משונה מזו ורחוקה ממנו ביותר יש אדם שהוא בעל חמה כועס תמיד ויש אדם שדעתו מיושבת עליו ואינו כועס כלל ואם יכעס יכעס כעס מעט בכמה שנים ויש אדם שהוא גבה לב ביותר ויש שהוא שפל רוח ביותר ויש שהוא בעל תאוה לא תשבע נפשו מהלוך בתאוה ויש שהוא בעל לב טהור מאד ולא יתאוה אפילו לדברים מעטים שהגוף צריך להן ויש בעל נפש רחבה שלא תשבע נפשו מכל ממון העולם כענין שנאמר אוהב כסף לא ישבע כסף ויש מקצר נפשו שדיו אפילו דבר מעט שלא יספיק לו ולא ירדוף להשיג כל צרכו ויש שהוא מסגף עצמו ברעב וקובץ על ידו ואינו אוכל פרוטה משלו אלא בצער גדול ויש שהוא מאבד כל ממונו בידו לדעתו ועל דרכים אלו שאר כל הדעות כגון מהולל ואונן וכילי ושוע ואכזרי ורחמן ורך לבב ואמיץ לב וכיוצא בהן:
2
Between each trait and the [contrasting] trait at the other extreme, there are intermediate points, each distant from the other.
With regard to all the traits: a man has some from the beginning of his conception, in accordance with his bodily nature. Some are appropriate to a person's nature and will [therefore] be acquired more easily than other traits. Some traits he does not have from birth. He may have learned them from others, or turned to them on his own. This may have come as a result of his own thoughts, or because he heard that this was a proper trait for him, which he ought to attain. [Therefore,] he accustomed himself to it until it became a part of himself.
ב
ויש בין כל דעה ודעה הרחוקה ממנה בקצה האחר דעות בינוניות זו רחוקה מזו וכל הדעות יש מהן דעות שהן לאדם מתחלת ברייתו לפי טבע גופו ויש מהן דעות שטבעו של אדם זה מכוון ועתיד לקבל אותם במהרה יותר משאר הדעות ויש מהן שאינן לאדם מתחלת ברייתו אלא למד אותם מאחרים או שנפנה להן מעצמו לפי מחשבה שעלתה בלבו או ששמע שזו הדעה טובה לו ובה ראוי לילך והנהיג עצמו בה עד שנקבעה בלבו:
3
The two extremes of each trait, which are at a distance from one another, do not reflect a proper path. It is not fitting that a man should behave in accordance with these extremes or teach them to himself.
If he finds that his nature leans towards one of the extremes or adapts itself easily to it, or, if he has learned one of the extremes and acts accordingly, he should bring himself back to what is proper and walk in the path of the good [men]. This is the straight path.
ג
שתי קצוות הרחוקות זו מזו שבכל דעה ודעה אינן דרך טובה ואין ראוי לו לאדם ללכת בהן ולא ללמדן לעצמו ואם מצא טבעו נוטה לאחת מהן או מוכן לאחת מהן או שכבר למד אחת מהן ונהג בה יחזיר עצמו למוטב וילך בדרך הטובים והיא הדרך הישרה:
4
The straight path: This [involves discovering] the midpoint temperament of each and every trait that man possesses [within his personality.] This refers to the trait which is equidistant from either of the extremes, without being close to either of them.
Therefore, the early Sages instructed a man to evaluate his traits, to calculate them and to direct them along the middle path, so that he will be sound {of body}.
For example: he should not be wrathful, easily angered; nor be like the dead, without feeling, rather he should [adopt] an intermediate course; i.e., he should display anger only when the matter is serious enough to warrant it, in order to prevent the matter from recurring. Similarly, he should not desire anything other than that which the body needs and cannot exist without, as [Proverbs 13:25] states: "The righteous man eats to satisfy his soul."
Also, he shall not labor in his business except to gain what he needs for immediate use, as [Psalms 37:16] states: "A little is good for the righteous man."
He should not be overly stingy nor spread his money about, but he should give charity according to his capacity and lend to the needy as is fitting. He should not be overly elated and laugh [excessively], nor be sad and depressed in spirit. Rather, he should be quietly happy at all times, with a friendly countenance. The same applies with regard to his other traits.
This path is the path of the wise. Every man whose traits are intermediate and equally balanced can be called a "wise man."
ד
הדרך הישרה היא מדה בינונית שבכל דעה ודעה מכל הדעות שיש לו לאדם והיא הדעה שהיא רחוקה משתי הקצוות ריחוק שוה ואינה קרובה לא לזו ולא לזו לפיכך צוו חכמים הראשונים שיהא אדם שם דעותיו תמיד ומשער אותם ומכוין אותם בדרך האמצעית כדי שיהא שלם בגופו כיצד לא יהא בעל חמה נוח לכעוס ולא כמת שאינו מרגיש אלא בינוני לא יכעוס אלא על דבר גדול שראוי לכעוס עליו כדי שלא יעשה כיוצא בו פעם אחרת וכן לא יתאוה אלא לדברים שהגוף צריך להן ואי אפשר להיות בזולתן כענין שנאמר צדיק אוכל לשובע נפשו וכן לא יהיה עמל בעסקו אלא להשיג דבר שצריך לו לחיי שעה כענין שנאמר טוב מעט לצדיק ולא יקפוץ ידו ביותר ולא יפזר ממונו אלא נותן צדקה כפי מסת ידו ומלוה כראוי למי שצריך ולא יהא מהולל ושוחק ולא עצב ואונן אלא שמח כל ימיו בנחת בסבר פנים יפות וכן שאר דעותיו ודרך זו היא דרך החכמים כל אדם שדעותיו דעות בינונית ממוצעות נקרא חכם:
5
A person who carefully [examines] his [behavior], and therefore deviates slightly from the mean to either side is called pious.
What is implied? One who shuns pride and turns to the other extreme and carries himself lowly is called pious. This is the quality of piety. However, if he separates himself [from pride] only to the extent that he reaches the mean and displays humility, he is called wise. This is the quality of wisdom. The same applies with regard to other character traits.
The pious of the early generations would bend their temperaments from the intermediate path towards [either of] the two extremes. For some traits they would veer towards the final extreme, for others, towards the first extreme. This is referred to as [behavior] beyond the measure of the law.
We are commanded to walk in these intermediate paths - and they are good and straight paths - as [Deuteronomy 28:9] states: "And you shall walk in His ways."
ה
ומי שהוא מדקדק על עצמו ביותר ויתרחק מדעה בינונית מעט לצד זה או לצד זה נקרא חסיד כיצד מי שיתרחק מגובה הלב עד הקצה האחרון ויהיה שפל רוח ביותר נקרא חסיד וזו היא מדת חסידות ואם נתרחק עד האמצע בלבד ויהיה עניו נקרא חכם וזו היא מדת חכמה ועל דרך זו שאר כל הדעות וחסידים הראשונים היו מטין דעות שלהן מדרך האמצעית כנגד שתי הקצוות יש דעה שמטין אותה כנגד הקצה האחרון ויש דעה שמטין אותה כנגד הקצה הראשון וזהו לפנים משורת הדין ומצווין אנו ללכת בדרכים האלו הבינונים והם הדרכים הטובים והישרים שנאמר והלכת בדרכיו:
6
[Our Sages] taught [the following] explanation of this mitzvah:
Just as He is called "Gracious," you shall be gracious;
Just as He is called "Merciful," you shall be merciful;
Just as He is called "Holy," you shall be holy;
Just as He is called "Gracious," you shall be gracious;
Just as He is called "Merciful," you shall be merciful;
Just as He is called "Holy," you shall be holy;
In a similar manner, the prophets called God by other titles: "Slow to anger," "Abundant in kindness," "Righteous," "Just," "Perfect," "Almighty," "Powerful," and the like. [They did so] to inform us that these are good and just paths. A person is obligated to accustom himself to these paths and [to try to] resemble Him to the extent of his ability.
ו
כך למדו בפירוש מצוה זו מה הוא נקרא חנון אף אתה היה חנון מה הוא נקרא רחום אף אתה היה רחום מה הוא נקרא קדוש אף אתה היה קדוש ועל דרך זו קראו הנביאים לאל בכל אותן הכנויין ארך אפים ורב חסד צדיק וישר תמים גבור וחזק וכיוצא בהן להודיע שהן דרכים טובים וישרים וחייב אדם להנהיג עצמו בהן ולהדמות אליו כפי כחו:
7
How can one train himself to follow these temperaments to the extent that they become a permanent fixture of his [personality]?
He should perform - repeat - and perform a third time - the acts which conform to the standards of the middle road temperaments. He should do this constantly, until these acts are easy for him and do not present any difficulty. Then, these temperaments will become a fixed part of his personality.
Since the Creator is called by these terms and they make up the middle path which we are obligated to follow, this path is called "the path of God." This is [the heritage] which our Patriarch Abraham taught his descendants, as [Genesis 18:19] states: "for I have known Him so that he will command his descendants...to keep the path of God."
One who follows this path brings benefit and blessing to himself, as [the above verse continues]: "so that God will bring about for Abraham all that He promised."
ז
וכיצד ירגיל אדם עצמו בדעות אלו עד שיקבעו בו יעשה וישנה וישלש במעשים שעושה על פי הדעות האמצעיות ויחזור בהם תמיד עד שיהיו מעשיהם קלים עליו ולא יהיה בהם טורח עליו ויקבעו הדעות בנפשו ולפי שהשמות האלו נקרא בהן היוצר והם הדרך הבינונית שאנו חייבין ללכת בה נקראת דרך זו דרך ה' והיא שלמד אברהם אבינו לבניו שנאמר כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה וגו' וההולך בדרך זו מביא טובה וברכה לעצמו שנאמר למען הביא ה' על אברהם את אשר דבר עליו:
De'ot - Chapter Two
1
To those who are physically sick, the bitter tastes sweet and the sweet bitter. Some of the sick even desire and crave that which is not fit to eat, such as earth and charcoal, and hate healthful foods, such as bread and meat - all depending on how serious the sickness is.
Similarly, those who are morally ill desire and love bad traits, hate the good path, and are lazy to follow it. Depending on how sick they are, they find it exceedingly burdensome.
Isaiah 5:20 speaks of such people in a like manner: "Woe to those who call the bad good, and the good bad, who take darkness to be light and light to be darkness, who take bitter to be sweet and sweet to be bitter." Concerning them, Proverbs 2:13 states: "Those who leave the upright paths to walk in the ways of darkness."
What is the remedy for the morally ill? They should go to the wise, for they are the healers of souls. They will heal them by teaching them how to acquire proper traits, until they return them to the good path.
Concerning those who recognize their bad traits and do not go to the wise to heal them, Solomon Proverbs 1:7 said: "Fools scorned wisdom and correction."
א
חולי הגוף טועמים המר מתוק ומתוק מר ויש מן החולים מי שמתאוה ותאב למאכלות שאינן ראויין לאכילה כגון העפר והפחם ושונא המאכלות הטובים כגון הפת והבשר הכל לפי רוב החולי כך בני אדם שנפשותיהם חולות מתאוים ואוהבים הדעות הרעות ושונאים הדרך הטובה ומתעצלים ללכת בה והיא כבידה עליהם למאד לפי חליים וכן ישעיהו אומר באנשים הללו הוי האומרים לרע טוב ולטוב רע שמים חושך לאור ואור לחושך שמים מר למתוק ומתוק למר ועליהם נאמר העוזבים ארחות יושר ללכת בדרכי חושך ומה היא תקנת חולי הנפשות ילכו אצל החכמים שהן רופאי הנפשות וירפאו חליים בדעות שמלמדין אותם עד שיחזירום לדרך הטובה והמכירים בדעות הרעות שלהם ואינם הולכים אצל החכמים לרפא אותם עליהם אמר שלמה חכמה ומוסר אוילים בזו:
2
How are they to be healed? We tell the wrathful man to train himself to feel no reaction even if he is beaten or cursed. He should follow this course of behavior for a long time, until the anger is uprooted from his heart.
The man who is full of pride should cause himself to experience much disgrace. He should sit in the lowliest of places, dress in tattered rags which shame the wearer, and the like, until the arrogance is uprooted from his heart and he returns to the middle path, which is the proper path. When he returns to this middle path, he should walk in it the rest of his life.
One should take a similar course with each of the other traits. A person who swayed in the direction of one of the extremes should move in the direction of the opposite extreme, and accustom himself to that for a long time, until he has returned to the proper path, which is the midpoint for each and every temperament.
ב
וכיצד היא רפואתם מי שהוא בעל חמה אומרים לו להנהיג עצמו שאם הוכה וקולל לא ירגיש כלל וילך בדרך זו זמן מרובה עד שיתעקר החמה מלבו ואם היה גבה לב ינהיג עצמו בבזיון הרבה וישב למטה מן הכל וילבש בלויי סחבות המבזות את לובשיהם וכיוצא בדברים אלו עד שיעקור גובה הלב ממנו ויחזור לדרך האמצעית שהוא דרך הטובה ולכשיחזור לדרך האמצעית ילך בה כל ימיו ועל קו זה יעשה בשאר כל הדעות אם היה רחוק לקצה האחד ירחיק עצמו לקצה השני וינהוג בו זמן רב עד שיחזור בו לדרך הטובה והיא מדה בינונית שבכל דעה ודעה:
3
There are temperaments with regard to which a man is forbidden to follow the middle path. He should move away from one extreme and adopt the other.
Among these is arrogance. If a man is only humble, he is not following a good path. Rather, he must hold himself lowly and his spirit very unassuming. That is why Numbers 12:3 describes our teacher Moses as "very humble" and not simply "humble". Therefore, our Sages directed: "Hold oneself very, very lowly." Also, they declared: "Whoever is arrogant is as if he denied God's presence, as implied by Deuteronomy 8:14: 'And your heart will be haughty and you will forget God, your Lord.' Furthermore, they said: "Whoever is arrogant should be placed under a ban of ostracism. This applies even if he is only somewhat arrogant."
Anger is also an exceptionally bad quality. It is fitting and proper that one move away from it and adopt the opposite extreme. He should school himself not to become angry even when it is fitting to be angry. If he should wish to arouse fear in his children and household - or within the community, if he is a communal leader - and wishes to be angry at them to motivate them to return to the proper path, he should present an angry front to them to punish them, but he should be inwardly calm. He should be like one who acts out the part of an angry man in his wrath, but is not himself angry.
The early Sages said: Anyone who becomes angry is like one who worships idols. They also said: Whenever one becomes angry, if he is a wise man, his wisdom leaves him; if he is a prophet, his prophecy leaves him. The life of the irate is not true life.
Therefore, they have directed that one distance himself from anger and accustom himself not to feel any reaction, even to things which provoke anger. This is the good path.
This is the way of the righteous: They accept humiliation, but do not humiliate others; they listen when they are shamed, but they do not answer; they do this with love and are joyous in their sufferings. Of them, Judges 5:31 states: "And those who love Him are like the sun when it comes out in its strength."
ג
ויש דעות שאסור לו לאדם לנהוג בהן בבינונית אלא יתרחק מן הקצה האחד עד הקצה האחר והוא גובה לב שאין דרך הטובה שיהיה אדם עניו בלבד אלא שיהיה שפל רוח ותהיה רוחו נמוכה למאד ולפיכך נאמר במשה רבינו ענו מאד ולא נאמר ענו בלבד ולפיכך צוו חכמים מאד מאד הוי שפל רוח ועוד אמרו שכל המגביה לבו כפר בעיקר שנאמר ורם לבבך ושכחת את ה' אלקיך ועוד אמרו בשמתא מאן דאית ביה גסות הרוח ואפילו מקצתה וכן הכעס מדה רעה היא עד למאד וראוי לאדם שיתרחק ממנה עד הקצה האחר וילמד עצמו שלא יכעוס ואפילו על דבר שראוי לכעוס עליו ואם רצה להטיל אימה על בניו ובני ביתו או על הציבור אם היה פרנס ורצה לכעוס עליהן כדי שיחזרו למוטב יראה עצמו בפניהם שהוא כועס כדי לייסרם ותהיה דעתו מיושבת בינו לבין עצמו כאדם שהוא מדמה כועס בשעת כעסו והוא אינו כועס אמרו חכמים הראשונים כל הכועס כאילו עובד עבודת כוכבים ואמרו שכל הכועס אם חכם הוא חכמתו מסתלקת ממנו ואם נביא הוא נבואתו מסתלקת ממנו ובעלי כעס אין חייהם חיים לפיכך צוו להתרחק מן הכעס עד שינהיג עצמו שלא ירגיש אפילו לדברים המכעיסים וזו היא הדרך הטובה ודרך הצדיקים הן עלובין ואינן עולבין שומעים חרפתם ואינם משיבין עושין מאהבה ושמחים ביסורים ועליהם הכתוב אומר ואוהביו כצאת השמש בגבורתו:
4
One should always cultivate silence and refrain from speaking, except with regard to matters of knowledge or things that are necessary for his physical welfare. It was said that Rav, the disciple of our saintly teacher, Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, never uttered an idle word in all his days - which is what the conversation of most people consists of.
One should not speak at length even about matters involving one's physical needs. On this point, our Sages commanded us and said: "Whoever speaks at length brings on sin." They also said: "I have found nothing better for one's person than silence."
Similarly, when speaking about matters of Torah or knowledge, one's words should be brief, but rich in content. This is what the Sages commanded with their statement: "One should always teach his students with brevity." In contrast, if one's words are many and the content scant, that is foolishness, of which Ecclesiastes 5:2states: "The dream comes with a multitude of subjects, and the voice of the fool with a multitude of words."
ד
לעולם ירבה אדם בשתיקה ולא ידבר אלא או בדבר חכמה או בדברים שצריך להם לחיי גופו אמרו על רב תלמיד רבינו הקדוש שלא שח שיחה בטלה כל ימיו וזו היא שיחת רוב כל אדם ואפילו בצרכי הגוף לא ירבה אדם דברים ועל זה צוו חכמים ואמרו כל המרבה דברים מביא חטא ואמרו לא מצאתי לגוף טוב אלא שתיקה וכן בדברי תורה ובדברי חכמה יהיו דברי האדם מעטים ועניניהם מרובים והוא שצוו חכמים ואמרו לעולם ישנה אדם לתלמידיו דרך קצרה אבל אם היו הדברים מרובין והענין מועט הרי זו סכלות ועל זה נאמר כי בא החלום ברוב ענין וקול כסיל ברוב דברים:
5
Silence is a safeguard for wisdom.
Therefore, one should not hasten to answer, nor speak at length. He should teach his students in calm and tranquility without shouting or wordiness. This is what Solomon stated: "The words of the wise are heard in tranquility" (Ecclesiastes 9:17).
ה
סייג לחכמה שתיקה לפיכך לא ימהר להשיב ולא ירבה לדבר וילמד לתלמידים בשובה ונחת בלא צעקה ובלא אריכות לשון הוא שאמר שלמה דברי חכמים בנחת נשמעים:
6
A person is forbidden to act in a smooth-tongued and luring manner. He should not speak one thing outwardly and think otherwise in his heart. Rather, his inner self should be like the self which he shows to the world. What he feels in his heart should be the same as the words on his lips.
It is forbidden to deceive people, even a non-Jew. For example, one should not sell a gentile the meat of an animal which has not been ritually slaughtered as if it were ritually slaughtered meat, nor a shoe made from the hide of an animal which has died of natural causes as if it were made of the hide of a slaughtered animal. One should not press his colleague to share a meal with him when he knows that his colleague will not accept the invitation, nor should he press presents upon him when he knows that his colleague will not accept them. He should not open casks supposedly for his colleague which he must open for sale, in order to deceive him into thinking that they have been opened in his honor. The same applies with all matters of this sort.
It is forbidden to utter a single word of deception or fraud. Rather. one should have only truthful speech, a proper spirit and a heart pure from all deceit and trickery.
ו
אסור לאדם להנהיג עצמו בדברי חלקות ופיתוי ולא יהיה אחד בפה ואחד בלב אלא תוכו כברו והענין שבלב הוא הדבר שבפה ואסור לגנוב דעת הבריות ואפילו דעת הנכרי כיצד לא ימכור לנכרי בשר נבילה במקום בשר שחוטה ולא מנעל של מתה במקום מנעל של שחוטה ולא יסרהב בחבירו שיאכל אצלו והוא יודע שאינו אוכל ולא ירבה לו בתקרובת והוא יודע שאינו מקבל ולא יפתח לו חביות שהוא צריך לפותחן למוכרן כדי לפתותו שבשביל כבודו פתח וכן כל כיוצא בו ואפילו מלה אחת של פיתוי ושל גניבת דעת אסור אלא שפת אמת ורוח נכון ולב טהור מכל עמל והוות:
7
One should neither be constantly laughing and a jester, nor sad and depressed, but happy. Our Sages declared: "Jesting and lightheadedness accustom one to lewdness." They also directed that a man should not laugh without control, nor be sad and mournful, but receive everyone in a friendly manner.
Similarly, he should not be greedy, rushing for wealth and possessions, nor lazy and an idler from work. Rather, he should be of a goodly eye and limit his business endeavors so that he may occupy himself with Torah study. He should be happy with the little which is his lot.
He should not be quarrelsome, of envious temperament, full of desires, nor pursue honor. Our Sages have said: "Envy, desire and honor remove a man from life in this world."
The general principle is that one should follow the midpoint quality of each temperament until all his traits are aligned at the midpoint. This is what is implied by Solomon's statement: "Make even the turning of your foot and make all your ways firm" (Proverbs 4:26).
ז
לא יהא אדם בעל שחוק ומהתלות ולא עצב ואונן אלא שמח כך אמרו חכמים שחוק וקלות ראש מרגילין את האדם לערוה וצוו שלא יהא אדם פרוץ בצחוק ולא עצב ומתאבל אלא מקבל את כל האדם בסבר פנים יפות וכן לא יהיה בעל נפש רחבה נבהל להון ולא עצב ובטל ממלאכה אלא בעל עין טובה ממעט בעסק ועוסק בתורה ואותו המעט שהוא חלקו ישמח בו ולא בעל קטטה ולא בעל קנאה ולא בעל תאוה ולא רודף אחר הכבוד כך אמרו חכמים הקנאה והתאוה והכבוד מוציאין את האדם מן העולם כללו של דבר ילך במדה הבינונית שבכל דעה ודעה עד שיהיו כל דעותיו מכוונות באמצעות והוא ששלמה אמר פלס מעגל רגליך וכל דרכיך יכונו:
• Sunday, 28 Tishrei, 5777 · 30 October 2016
• "Today's Day"
• Wednesday, Tishrei 28, 5704
Torah lessons: Chumash: Noach, Revi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 135-139.
Tanya: (However, in the (p. 539) ...with them.") (p. 541).
"If you go in my statutes... I will give your rains in their season..."1 Torah-study and mitzvot-observance are the wedding-ring with which G-d betrothed Israel and obligated Himself to provide them with sustenance and livelihood.
FOOTNOTES
1.Vayikra 26:3,4.
• Daily Thought:• "Today's Day"
• Wednesday, Tishrei 28, 5704
Torah lessons: Chumash: Noach, Revi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 135-139.
Tanya: (However, in the (p. 539) ...with them.") (p. 541).
"If you go in my statutes... I will give your rains in their season..."1 Torah-study and mitzvot-observance are the wedding-ring with which G-d betrothed Israel and obligated Himself to provide them with sustenance and livelihood.
FOOTNOTES
1.Vayikra 26:3,4.
Stories of Life
Life does not tell stories. People do.
Life provides raw materials. Raw enough for us to look back and construct at least two versions of our autobiographies—one a dungeon, the other a palace.
This is the greatest kindness the Master of Life has given us: He has placed His own pen in our hands, so that we may enjoy the dignity of a palace constructed by our own design.[Likutei Sichot, vol. 14, pg. 162; Maamar Ki Tisa 5716.]
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