Torah Reading
Vayeira: Genesis 18:1 Adonai appeared to Avraham by the oaks of Mamre as he sat at the entrance to the tent during the heat of the day. 2 He raised his eyes and looked, and there in front of him stood three men. On seeing them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, prostrated himself on the ground, 3 and said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, please don’t leave your servant. 4 Please let me send for some water, so that you can wash your feet; then rest under the tree, 5 and I will bring a piece of bread. Now that you have come to your servant, refresh yourselves before going on.” “Very well,” they replied, “do what you have said.”
6 Avraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, three measures of the best flour! Knead it and make cakes.” 7 Avraham ran to the herd, took a good, tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds, milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it all before the men; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. 9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He said, “There, in the tent.” 10 He said, “I will certainly return to you around this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard him from the entrance of the tent, behind him. 11 Avraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years; Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “I am old, and so is my lord; am I to have pleasure again?” 13 Adonai said to Avraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and ask, ‘Am I really going to bear a child when I am so old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for Adonai? At the time set for it, at this season next year, I will return to you; and Sarah will have a son.” (ii) 15 Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t either laugh,” because she was afraid. He said, “Not so — you did laugh.”
16 The men set out from there and looked over toward S’dom, and Avraham went with them to see them on their way. 17 Adonai said, “Should I hide from Avraham what I am about to do, 18 inasmuch as Avraham is sure to become a great and strong nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by him? 19 For I have made myself known to him, so that he will give orders to his children and to his household after him to keep the way of Adonai and to do what is right and just, so that Adonai may bring about for Avraham what he has promised him.”
20 Adonai said, “The outcry against S’dom and ‘Amora is so great and their sin so serious 21 that I will now go down and see whether their deeds warrant the outcry that has reached me; if not, I will know.” 22 The men turned away from there and went toward S’dom, but Avraham remained standing before Adonai. 23 Avraham approached and said, “Will you actually sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Maybe there are fifty righteous people in the city; will you actually sweep the place away, and not forgive it for the sake of the fifty righteous who are there? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing — to kill the righteous along with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike! Far be it from you! Shouldn’t the judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 Adonai said, “If I find in S’dom fifty who are righteous, then I will forgive the whole place for their sake.”
27 Avraham answered, “Here now, I, who am but dust and ashes, have taken it upon myself to speak to Adonai. 28 What if there are five less than fifty righteous?” He said, “I won’t destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
29 He spoke to him yet again: “What if forty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of the forty I won’t do it.”
30 He said, “I hope Adonai won’t be angry if I speak. What if thirty are found there?” He said, “I won’t do it if I find thirty there.”
31 He said, “Here now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to Adonai. What if twenty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of the twenty I won’t destroy it.”
32 He said, “I hope Adonai won’t be angry if I speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “For the sake of the ten I won’t destroy it.” 33 Adonai went on his way as soon as he had finished speaking to Avraham, and Avraham returned to his place.
19:1 (iii) The two angels came to S’dom that evening, when Lot was sitting at the gate of S’dom. Lot saw them, got up to greet them and prostrated himself on the ground. 2 He said, “Here now, my lords, please come over to your servant’s house. Spend the night, wash your feet, get up early, and go on your way.” “No,” they answered, “we’ll stay in the square.” 3 But he kept pressing them; so they went home with him; and he made them a meal, baking matzah for their supper, which they ate.
4 But before they could go to bed, the men of the city surrounded the house — young and old, everyone from every neighborhood of S’dom. 5 They called Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to stay with you tonight? Bring them out to us! We want to have sex with them!” 6 Lot went out to them and stood in the doorway, closing the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brothers, don’t do such a wicked thing. 8 Look here, I have two daughters who are virgins. Please, let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them what seems good to you; but don’t do anything to these men, since they are guests in my house.” 9 “Stand back!” they replied. “This guy came to live here, and now he’s decided to play judge. For that we’ll deal worse with you than with them!” Then they crowded in on Lot, in order to get close enough to break down the door. 10 But the men inside reached out their hands, brought Lot into the house to them and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they couldn’t find the doorway.
12 The men said to Lot, “Do you have any people here besides yourself? Whomever you have in the city — son-in-law, your sons, your daughters — bring them out of this place; 13 because we are going to destroy it. Adonai has become aware of the great outcry against them, and Adonai has sent us to destroy it.” 14 Lot went out and spoke with his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up and leave this place, because Adonai is going to destroy the city.” But his sons-in-law didn’t take him seriously.
15 When morning came, the angels told Lot to hurry. “Get up,” they said, “and take your wife and your two daughters who are here; otherwise you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he dallied, so the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand and the hands of his two daughters — Adonai was being merciful to him — and led them, leaving them outside the city. 17 When they had brought them out, he said, “Flee for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain, but escape to the hills! Otherwise you will be swept away.” 18 Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lord! 19 Here, your servant has already found favor in your sight, and you have shown me even greater mercy by saving my life. But I can’t escape to the hills, because I’m afraid the disaster will overtake me, and I will die. 20 Look, there’s a town nearby to flee to, and it’s a small one. Please let me escape there — isn’t it just a small one? — and that way I will stay alive.”
(iv) 21 He replied, “All right, I agree to what you have asked. I won’t overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, and escape to that place, because I can’t do anything until you arrive there.” For this reason the city was named Tzo‘ar [small].
23 By the time Lot had come to Tzo‘ar, the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then Adonai caused sulfur and fire to rain down upon S’dom and ‘Amora from Adonai out of the sky. 25 He overthrew those cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities and everything growing in the ground. 26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a column of salt.
27 Avraham got up early in the morning, went to the place where he had stood before Adonai, 28 and looked out toward S’dom and ‘Amora, scanning the entire plain. There before him the smoke was rising from the land like smoke from a furnace! 29 But when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Avraham and sent Lot out, away from the destruction, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.
30 Lot went up from Tzo‘ar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, because he was afraid to stay in Tzo‘ar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 The firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there isn’t a man on earth to come in to us in the manner customary in the world. 32 Come, let’s have our father drink wine; then we’ll sleep with him, and that way we’ll enable our father to have descendants.”
33 So they plied their father with wine that night, and the older one went in and slept with her father; he didn’t know when she lay down or when she got up. 34 The following day, the older said to the younger, “Here, I slept last night with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him, and that way we’ll enable our father to have descendants.” 35 They plied their father with wine that night also, and the younger one got up and slept with him, and he didn’t know when she lay down or when she got up. 36 Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father.
37 The older one gave birth to a son and called him Mo’av; he is the ancestor of Mo’av to this day. 38 The younger also gave birth to a son, and she called him Ben-‘Ammi; he is the ancestor of the people of ‘Amon to this day.
20:1 Avraham traveled from there toward the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. While living as an alien in G’rar, 2 Avraham was saying of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister”; so Avimelekh king of G’rar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Avimelekh in a dream one night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, since she is someone’s wife.” 4 Now Avimelekh had not come near her; so he said, “Lord, will you kill even an upright nation? 5 Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In doing this, my heart has been pure and my hands innocent.” 6 God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in doing this, your heart has been pure; and I too have kept you from sinning against me. This is why I didn’t let you touch her. 7 Therefore, return the man’s wife to him now. He is a prophet, and he will pray for you, so that you will live. But if you don’t return her, know that you will certainly die — you and all who belong to you.”
8 Avimelekh got up early in the morning, called all his servants and told them these things; and the men became very afraid. 9 Then Avimelekh called Avraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you to cause you to bring on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done things to me that are just not done.” 10 Avimelekh went on, asking Avraham, “Whatever could have caused you to do such a thing?” 11 Avraham replied, “It was because I thought, ‘There could not possibly be any fear of God in this place, so they will kill me in order to get my wife.’ 12 But she actually is also my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother, and so she became my wife. 13 When God had me leave my father’s house, I told her, ‘Do me this favor: wherever we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
14 Avimelekh took sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Avraham; and he returned to him Sarah his wife. 15 Then Avimelekh said, “Look, my country lies before you; live where you like.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Here, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. That will allay the suspicions of everyone who is with you. Before everyone you are cleared.” 17 Avraham prayed to God, and God healed Avimelekh and his wife and slave-girls, so that they could have children. 18 For Adonai had made every woman in Avimelekh’s household infertile on account of Sarah Avraham’s wife.
21:1 Adonai remembered Sarah as he had said, and Adonai did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah conceived and bore Avraham a son in his old age, at the very time God had said to him. 3 Avraham called his son, born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Yitz’chak. 4 Avraham circumcised his son Yitz’chak when he was eight days old, as God had ordered him to do.
(v) 5 Avraham was one hundred years old when his son Yitz’chak [laughter] was born to him. 6 Sarah said, “God has given me good reason to laugh; now everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to Avraham that Sarah would nurse children? Nevertheless, I have borne him a son in his old age!”
8 The child grew and was weaned, and Avraham gave a great banquet on the day that Yitz’chak was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom Hagar had borne to Avraham, making fun of Yitz’chak; 10 so Sarah said to Avraham, “Throw this slave-girl out! And her son! I will not have this slave-girl’s son as your heir along with my son Yitz’chak!”
11 Avraham became very distressed over this matter of his son. 12 But God said to Avraham, “Don’t be distressed because of the boy and your slave-girl. Listen to everything Sarah says to you, because it is your descendants through Yitz’chak who will be counted. 13 But I will also make a nation from the son of the slave-girl, since he is descended from you.”
14 Avraham got up early in the morning, took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child; then he sent her away. After leaving, she wandered in the desert around Be’er-Sheva. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she left the child under a bush, 16 and went and sat down, looking the other way, about a bow-shot’s distance from him; because she said, “I can’t bear to watch my child die.” So she sat there, looking the other way, crying out and weeping. 17 God heard the boy’s voice, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What’s wrong with you, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, because God has heard the voice of the boy in his present situation. 18 Get up, lift the boy up, and hold him tightly in your hand, because I am going to make him a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went, filled the skin with water and gave the boy water to drink.
20 God was with the boy, and he grew. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 He lived in the Pa’ran Desert, and his mother chose a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
(vi) 22 At that time Avimelekh and Pikhol the commander of his army spoke to Avraham. They said, “God is with you in everything you do. 23 Therefore, swear to me here by God that you will never deal falsely with me or with my son or grandson; but according to the kindness with which I have treated you, you will treat me and the land in which you have lived as a foreigner. 24 Avraham said, “I swear it.”
25 Now Avraham had complained to Avimelekh about a well which Avimelekh’s servants had seized. 26 Avimelekh answered, “I don’t know who has done this. You didn’t tell me, and I heard about it only today.” 27 Avraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Avimelekh, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 Avraham put seven female lambs from the flock by themselves. 29 Avimelekh asked Avraham, “What is the meaning of these seven female lambs you have put by themselves?” 30 He answered, “You are to accept these seven female lambs from me as witness that I dug this well.” 31 This is why that place was called Be’er-Sheva [well of seven, well of an oath] — because they both swore an oath there. 32 When they made the covenant at Be’er-Sheva, Avimelekh departed with Pikhol the commander of his army and returned to the land of the P’lishtim. 33 Avraham planted a tamarisk tree in Be’er-Sheva, and there he called on the name of Adonai, the everlasting God. 34 Avraham lived for a long time as a foreigner in the land of the P’lishtim.
22:1 (vii) After these things, God tested Avraham. He said to him, “Avraham!” and he answered, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Yitz’chak; and go to the land of Moriyah. There you are to offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will point out to you.”
3 Avraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, together with Yitz’chak his son. He cut the wood for the burnt offering, departed and went toward the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day, Avraham raised his eyes and saw the place in the distance. 5 Avraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go there, worship and return to you.” 6 Avraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Yitz’chak his son. Then he took in his hand the fire and the knife, and they both went on together.
7 Yitz’chak spoke to Avraham his father: “My father?” He answered, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “I see the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Avraham replied, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son”; and they both went on together.
9 They came to the place God had told him about; and Avraham built the altar there, set the wood in order, bound Yitz’chak his son and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 10 Then Avraham put out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.
11 But the angel of Adonai called to him out of heaven: “Avraham? Avraham!” He answered, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy! Don’t do anything to him! For now I know that you are a man who fears God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 Avraham raised his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. Avraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Avraham called the place Adonai Yir’eh [Adonai will see (to it), Adonai provides] — as it is said to this day, “On the mountain Adonai is seen.”
15 The angel of Adonai called to Avraham a second time out of heaven. 16 He said, “I have sworn by myself — says Adonai — that because you have done this, because you haven’t withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will most certainly bless you; and I will most certainly increase your descendants to as many as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the cities of their enemies, 18 and by your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed — because you obeyed my order.”
19 So Avraham returned to his young men. They got up and went together to Be’er-Sheva, and Avraham settled in Be’er-Sheva.
(Maftir) 20 Afterwards, Avraham was told, “Milkah too has borne children, to your brother Nachor — 21 ‘Utz his firstborn, Buz his brother, K’mu’el the father of Aram, 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Yidlaf and B’tu’el. 23 B’tu’el fathered Rivkah. These eight Milkah bore to Nachor Avraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Re’umah, bore children also: Tevach, Gacham, Tachash and Ma‘akhah.
II Kings 4:1 The wife of one of the guild prophets complained to Elisha. “Your servant my husband died,” she said, “and you know that he feared Adonai. Now a creditor has come to take my two children as his slaves.” 2 Elisha asked her, “What should I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a flask of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go, and borrow containers from all your neighbors, empty containers; and don’t borrow just a few! 4 Then go in; shut the door, with you and your sons inside; and pour oil into all those containers; and as they are filled, put them aside.” 5 So she left him and shut the door on herself and her sons. They brought her the containers while she poured. 6 When the containers were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container”; but he answered, “There isn’t another container.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God; and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt; then you and your sons can live on what’s left.”
8 One day Elisha visited Shunem, and a well-to-do woman living there pressed him to stay and eat a meal. After this, whenever he came through, he stopped there for a meal. 9 She said to her husband, “I can see that this is a holy man of God who keeps stopping at our place. 10 Please, let’s build him a little room on the roof. We’ll put a bed and a table in it for him, and a stool and a candlestick. Then, whenever he comes to visit us, he can stay there.”
11 One day Elisha came to visit there, and he went into the upper room to lie down. 12 He said to Geichazi his servant, “Call this Shunamit.” He called her; and when she arrived, 13 he said to him, “Tell her this: ‘You have shown us so much hospitality! What can I do to show my appreciation? Do you want me to say anything to the king for you? or to the commander of the army?” She answered, “I’m happy living as I do, among my own people.” 14 He said, “What, then, is to be done for her?” Geichazi answered, “There’s one thing — she doesn’t have a son; and her husband is old. 15 Elisha said, “Call her.” After he called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 He said, “Next year, when the season comes around, you will be holding a son.” “No, my lord,” she answered. “Man of God, don’t lie to your servant!” 17 But the woman conceived and gave birth to a son the following year when the season came around, just as Elisha had said to her.
18 When the child was old enough, he went out one day to be with his father, who was with the reapers. 19 Suddenly he cried out to his father, “My head! My head hurts!” He said to his servant, “Carry him back to his mother.” 20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he lay on her lap until noon; and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door on him and went out. 22 She called to her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants with a donkey. I must get to the man of God as fast as I can; I’ll come straight back.” 23 He asked, “Why are you going to him today? It isn’t Rosh-Hodesh and it isn’t Shabbat.” She said, “It’s all right.” 24 Then she saddled the donkey and ordered her servant, “Drive as fast as you can; don’t slow down for me unless I say so.”
25 She set out and came to the man of God on Mount Karmel. When the man of God saw her in the distance, he said to Geichazi his servant, “Look, here comes that Shunamit. 26 Run now to meet her, and ask her, “Is everything all right with you? with your husband? with the child?” She answered, “Everything is all right.” 27 But when she reached the man of God on the hill, she grabbed his feet. Geichazi came up to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone. She is in great distress, but Adonai has hidden from me what it is, he hasn’t told me.” 28 Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Didn’t I say not to deceive me?” 29 Then Elisha said to Geichazi, “Get dressed for action, take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, don’t greet him; if anyone greets you, don’t answer; and lay my staff on the child’s face.” 30 The mother of the child said, “As Adonai lives, and as you live, I will not leave you. He got up and followed her. 31 Geichazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the child’s face, but there was no sound or sign of life. So he went back to Elisha and told him, “The child didn’t wake up.”
32 When Elisha reached the house, there the child was, dead and laid on the bed. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to Adonai. 34 Then he got up on the bed and lay on top of the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands. As he stretched himself out on the child, its flesh began to grow warm. 35 Then he went down, walked around in the house awhile, went back up and stretched himself out on the child again. The child sneezed seven times, then opened his eyes. 36 Elisha called Geichazi and said, “Call this Shunamit.” So he called her; and when she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 37 She entered, fell at his feet and prostrated herself on the floor. Then she picked up her son and went out.
Today in Jewish History:
• Assassination of Meir Kahane
Born in 1932, Meir Kahane was a controversial American-Israeli rabbi and activist. In 1968, he founded the Jewish Defense League in New York. With the motto of "Never Again," the stated goal of the organization was to protect Jews from anti-Semitism in all its forms. In 1971, he moved his family to Israel, founding the Kach political party, and he was elected to the Knesset in 1984 (the Kach party was later outlawed in Israel). In 1990, after concluding a speech in a Manhattan hotel, Kahane was fatally shot by an Egyptian-born terrorist. While strangely acquitted of the murder, El Sayyid Nosair was later convicted in relation to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Today's Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Parshat Vayeira, 7th Portion (Genesis 22:1-22:24) with Rashi
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Parshat Vayeira, 7th Portion (Genesis 22:1-22:24) with Rashi
• Genesis Chapter 22
1And it came to pass after these things, that God tested Abraham, and He said to him, "Abraham," and he said, "Here I am." אוַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים נִסָּ֖ה אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי:
after these things: Some of our Sages say (Sanh. 89b) [that this happened]: after the words [translating “devarim” as “words”] of Satan, who was accusing and saying, “Of every feast that Abraham made, he did not sacrifice before You one bull or one ram!” He [God] said to him, “Does he do anything but for his son? Yet, if I were to say to him, ‘Sacrifice him before Me,’ he would not withhold [him].” And some say,“ after the words of Ishmael,” who was boasting to Isaac that he was circumcised at the age of thirteen, and he did not protest. Isaac said to him,“ With one organ you intimidate me? If the Holy One, blessed be He, said to me, ‘Sacrifice yourself before Me,’ I would not hold back.” - Cf. Gen. Rabbah 55:4. אחר הדברים האלה: יש מרבותינו אומרים אחר דבריו של שטן, שהיה מקטרג ואומר מכל סעודה שעשה אברהם לא הקריב לפניך פר אחד או איל אחד, אמר לו כלום עשה אלא בשביל בנו, אילו הייתי אומר לו זבח אותו לפני לא היה מעכב. ויש אומרים אחר דבריו של ישמעאל שהיה מתפאר על יצחק שמל בן שלש עשרה שנה ולא מיחה, אמר לו יצחק באבר אחד אתה מיראני, אילו אמר לי הקב"ה זבח עצמך לפני לא הייתי מעכב:
Here I am: This is the reply of the pious. It is an expression of humility and an expression of readiness. — [from Tan. Vayera 22] הנני: כך היא ענייתם של חסידים, לשון ענוה הוא ולשון זימון:
2And He said, "Please take your son, your only one, whom you love, yea, Isaac, and go away to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains, of which I will tell you." בוַיֹּ֡אמֶר קַח־נָ֠א אֶת־בִּנְךָ֨ אֶת־יְחִֽידְךָ֤ אֲשֶׁר־אָהַ֨בְתָּ֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֔ק וְלֶ֨ךְ־לְךָ֔ אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ הַמֹּֽרִיָּ֑ה וְהַֽעֲלֵ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה עַ֚ל אַחַ֣ד הֶֽהָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ:
Please take: Heb. קַח נָא is only an expression of a request. He [God] said to him, “I beg of you, pass this test for Me, so that people will not say that the first ones [tests] had no substance.” - [from Sanh. ad loc.] קח נא: אין נא אלא לשון בקשה, אמר לו בבקשה ממך עמוד לי בזה הנסיון, שלא יאמרו הראשונות לא היה בהן ממש:
your son: He [Abraham] said to Him,“ I have two sons.” He [God] said to him,“ Your only one.” He said to Him,“ This one is the only son of his mother, and that one is the only son of his mother.” He said to him,“ Whom you love.” He said to Him,“ I love them both.” He said to him,“ Isaac.” Now why did He not disclose this to him at the beginning? In order not to confuse him suddenly, lest his mind become distracted and bewildered, and also to endear the commandment to him and to reward him for each and every expression. — [from Sanh. 89b, Gen. Rabbah 39:9, 55:7] את בנך: אמר לו שני בנים יש לי, אמר לו את יחידך, אמר לו זה יחיד לאמו וזה יחיד לאמו, אמר לו אשר אהבת, אמר לו שניהם אני אוהב, אמר לו את יצחק. ולמה לא גילה לו מתחלה, שלא לערבבו פתאום, ותזוח דעתו עליו ותטרף, וכדי לחבב עליו את המצוה וליתן לו שכר על כל דבור ודבור:
the land of Moriah: Jerusalem, and so in (II) Chronicles (3:1):“to build the House of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah.” And our Sages explained that [it is called Moriah] because from there [religious] instruction (הוֹרָאָה) goes forth to Israel. Onkelos rendered it [“the land of service”] as alluding to the service of the incense, which contained myrrh [“mor” is phonetically similar to Moriah], spikenard, and other spices. ארץ המוריה: ירושלים, וכן בדברי הימים (ב' ג א) לבנות את בית ה' בירושלים בהר המוריה. ורבותינו פירשו על שם שמשם הוראה יוצאה לישראל. ואונקלוס תרגמו על שם עבודת הקטורת שיש בו מור נרד ושאר בשמים:
bring him up: He did not say to him, “Slaughter him,” because the Holy One, blessed be He, did not wish him to slaughter him but to bring him up to the mountain, to prepare him for a burnt offering, and as soon as he brought him up [to the mountain], He said to him, “Take him down.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 56:8] והעלהו: לא אמר לו שחטהו, לפי שלא היה חפץ הקב"ה לשחטו אלא שיעלהו להר לעשותו עולה, ומשהעלהו אמר לו הורידהו:
one of the mountains: The Holy One, blessed be He, makes the righteous wonder (other editions: makes the righteous wait), and only afterwards discloses to them [His intentions], and all this is in order to increase their reward. Likewise, (above 12:1): “to the land that I will show you,” and likewise, concerning Jonah (3:2): “and proclaim upon it the proclamation.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 55:7] אחד ההרים: הקב"ה מתהא הצדיקים ואחר כך מגלה להם, וכל זה כדי להרבות שכרן, וכן (לעיל יב א) אל הארץ אשר אראך, וכן ביונה (ג ב) וקרא אליה את הקריאה:
3And Abraham arose early in the morning, and he saddled his donkey, and he took his two young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for a burnt offering, and he arose and went to the place of which God had told him. גוַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם אַבְרָהָ֜ם בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַיַּֽחֲבשׁ֙ אֶת־חֲמֹר֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֤י נְעָרָיו֙ אִתּ֔וֹ וְאֵ֖ת יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֑וֹ וַיְבַקַּע֙ עֲצֵ֣י עֹלָ֔ה וַיָּ֣קָם וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אָֽמַר־ל֥וֹ הָֽאֱלֹהִֽים:
And…arose early: He hastened to [perform] the commandment (Pes. 4a). וישכם: נזדרז למצוה:
and he saddled: He himself, and he did not command one of his servants, because love causes a disregard for the standard [of dignified conduct]. — [from Gen. Rabbah 55:8] ויחבש: הוא בעצמו ולא צוה לאחד מעבדיו, שהאהבה מקלקלת השורה:
his two young men: Ishmael and Eliezer, for a person of esteem is not permitted to go out on the road without two men, so that if one must ease himself and move to a distance, the second one will remain with him. — [from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 31; Gen. Rabbah ad loc., Tan. Balak 8] את שני נעריו: ישמעאל ואליעזר, שאין אדם חשוב רשאי לצאת לדרך בלא שני אנשים, שאם יצטרך האחד לנקביו ויתרחק יהיה השני עמו:
and he split: Heb. וַיְבַקַע. The Targum renders וְצַלַח, as in (II Sam. 19:18):“and they split (וְצָלְחוּ) the Jordan,” an expression of splitting, fendre in Old French. ויבקע: תרגומו וצלח, כמו (ש"ב יט יח) וצלחו הירדן, לשון ביקוע פינדר"א בלעז [לחטוב]:
4On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. דבַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֧ם אֶת־עֵינָ֛יו וַיַּ֥רְא אֶת־הַמָּק֖וֹם מֵֽרָחֹֽק:
On the third day: Why did He delay from showing it to him immediately? So that people should not say that He confused him and confounded him suddenly and deranged his mind, and if he had had time to think it over, he would not have done it. — [from Gen. Rabbah 55:6] ביום השלישי: למה איחר מלהראותו מיד, כדי שלא יאמרו הממו וערבבו פתאום וטרד דעתו, ואילו היה לו שהות להמלך אל לבו לא היה עושה:
and saw the place: He saw a cloud attached to the mountain. — [from Gen. Rabbah 56: 1, Tan. Vayera 23] וירא את המקום: ראה ענן קשור על ההר:
5And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder, and we will prostrate ourselves and return to you." הוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶל־נְעָרָ֗יו שְׁבֽוּ־לָכֶ֥ם פֹּה֙ עִם־הַֽחֲמ֔וֹר וַֽאֲנִ֣י וְהַנַּ֔עַר נֵֽלְכָ֖ה עַד־כֹּ֑ה וְנִשְׁתַּֽחֲוֶ֖ה וְנָשׁ֥וּבָה אֲלֵיכֶֽם:
yonder: Heb. עַד כֹּה, lit. until there, i.e., a short way to the place that is before us. And the Midrashic interpretation (Tan. ad loc.): I will see where is [the promise] that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to me (above 15:5):“So (כֹּה) will be your seed.” עד כה: כלומר דרך מועט למקום אשר לפנינו. ומדרש אגדה אראה היכן הוא מה שאמר לי המקום (לעיל טו ה) כה יהיה זרעך:
and return: He prophesied that they would both return. — [from Avoth d’Rabbi Nathan, second version, ch. 43; Rabbah and Tan. ad loc.] i.e., Abraham prophesied without realizing it. ונשובה: נתנבא שישובו שניהם:
6And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, and he placed [it] upon his son Isaac, and he took into his hand the fire and the knife, and they both went together. ווַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֲצֵ֣י הָֽעֹלָ֗ה וַיָּ֨שֶׂם֙ עַל־יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֣ח בְּיָד֔וֹ אֶת־הָאֵ֖שׁ וְאֶת־הַמַּֽאֲכֶ֑לֶת וַיֵּֽלְכ֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם יַחְדָּֽו:
the knife: Heb. הַמַאֲכֶלֶת, so called because it consumes (אוֹכֶלֶת) the flesh, as it is stated (Deut. 32:42):“and My sword will consume (תֹּאכַלוּ) flesh,” and because it renders meat fit for consumption (אַכִילָה). Another explanation: This [knife] was מַאִכֶלֶת because the people of Israel still eat (אוֹכְלִים) the reward given for it. — [from Gen. Rabbah 56:3] המאכלת: סכין, על שם שאוכלת את הבשר, כמה דתימא (דברים לב מב) וחרבי תאכל בשר, ושמכשרת בשר לאכילה. דבר אחר זאת נקראת מאכלת, על שם שישראל אוכלים מתן שכרה:
and they both went together: Abraham, who knew that he was going to slaughter his son, was going as willingly and joyfully as Isaac, who was unaware of the matter. — וילכו שניהם יחדיו: אברהם שהיה יודע שהולך לשחוט את בנו היה הולך ברצון ושמחה כיצחק שלא היה מרגיש בדבר:
7And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and he said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" זוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִצְחָ֜ק אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֤ם אָבִיו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָבִ֔י וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֶּ֣נִּי בְנִ֑י וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֤ה הָאֵשׁ֙ וְהָ֣עֵצִ֔ים וְאַיֵּ֥ה הַשֶּׂ֖ה לְעֹלָֽה:
8And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And they both went together. חוַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם אֱלֹהִ֞ים יִרְאֶה־לּ֥וֹ הַשֶּׂ֛ה לְעֹלָ֖ה בְּנִ֑י וַיֵּֽלְכ֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם יַחְדָּֽו:
will provide for Himself the lamb: i.e., He will see and choose for Himself the lamb (Targum Jonathan), and if there will be no lamb, my son will be for a burnt offering. And although Isaac understood that he was going to be slaughtered,“ they both went together,” with one accord (lit. with the same heart). - [from Gen. Rabbah 56:4] יראה לו השה: כלומר יראה ויבחר לו השה, ואם אין שה, לעולה בני. ואף על פי שהבין יצחק שהוא הולך לישחט, וילכו שניהם יחדו בלב שוה:
9And they came to the place of which God had spoken to him, and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar upon the wood. טוַיָּבֹ֗אוּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם֘ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמַר־ל֣וֹ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֒ וַיִּ֨בֶן שָׁ֤ם אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַיַּֽעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֶת־הָֽעֵצִ֑ים וַיַּֽעֲקֹד֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֔וֹ וַיָּ֤שֶׂם אֹתוֹ֙ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ מִמַּ֖עַל לָֽעֵצִֽים:
and he bound: his hands and his feet behind him. The hands and the feet tied together is known as עִקֵידָה (Shab. 54a). And that is the meaning of עִקֻדִים (below 30:39), that their ankles were white; the place where they are bound was discernible (Bereishith Rabbathi). ויעקד: ידיו ורגליו מאחוריו, הידים והרגלים ביחד היא עקידה, והוא לשון (להלן ל לט) עקודים, שהיו קרסוליהם לבנים, מקום שעוקדין אותן בו היה ניכר:
10And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife, to slaughter his son. יוַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־הַמַּֽאֲכֶ֑לֶת לִשְׁחֹ֖ט אֶת־בְּנֽוֹ:
11And an angel of God called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham! Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." יאוַיִּקְרָ֨א אֵלָ֜יו מַלְאַ֤ךְ יְהֹוָה֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֣ם | אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי:
“Abraham! Abraham!”: This is an expression of affection, that He repeated his name. — [from Tos. Ber. ch. 1, Sifra Vayikra ch. 1] אברהם אברהם: לשון חבה הוא שכופל את שמו:
12And he said, "Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad, nor do the slightest thing to him, for now I know that you are a God fearing man, and you did not withhold your son, your only one, from Me." יבוַיֹּ֗אמֶר אַל־תִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָֽדְךָ֙ אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וְאַל־תַּ֥עַשׂ ל֖וֹ מְא֑וּמָה כִּ֣י | עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־יְרֵ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ אַ֔תָּה וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֛כְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֥ אֶת־יְחִֽידְךָ֖ מִמֶּֽנִּי:
Do not stretch forth: to slaughter [him]. He [Abraham] said to Him,“ If so, I have come here in vain. I will inflict a wound on him and extract a little blood.” He said to him,“ Do not do the slightest thing (מְאוּמָה) to him.” Do not cause him any blemish (מוּם) !- [from Gen. Rabbah 56:7] אל תשלח: לשחוט, אמר לו אם כן לחנם באתי לכאן, אעשה בו חבלה ואוציא ממנו מעט דם, אמר לו אל תעש לו מאומה, אל תעש בו מום:
for now I know: Said Rabbi Abba: Abraham said to Him,“ I will explain my complaint before You. Yesterday, You said to me (above 21:12): ‘for in Isaac will be called your seed,’ and You retracted and said (above verse 2): ‘ Take now your son.’ Now You say to me, ‘ Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (Ps. 89:35): “I shall not profane My covenant, neither shall I alter the utterance of My lips.” When I said to you,“ Take,” I was not altering the utterance of My lips. I did not say to you,“ Slaughter him,” but,“ Bring him up.” You have brought him up; [now] take him down. — [from Gen. Rabbah 56:8] כי עתה ידעתי: אמר רבי אבא אמר לו אברהם אפרש לפניך את שיחתי, אתמול אמרת לי (לעיל כא יב) כי ביצחק יקרא לך זרע, וחזרת ואמרת (שם כב ב) קח נא את בנך, עכשיו אתה אומר לי אל תשלח ידך אל הנער. אמר לו הקב"ה (תהלים פט לה) לא אחלל בריתי ומוצא שפתי לא אשנה, כשאמרתי לך קח מוצא שפתי לא אשנה, לא אמרתי לך שחטהו אלא העלהו, אסקתיה אחתיה:
for now I know: From now on, I have a response to Satan and the nations who wonder what is My love towards you. Now I have a reason (lit. an opening of the mouth), for they see “ that you fear God.” - כי עתה ידעתי: מעתה יש לי מה להשיב לשטן ולאומות התמהים מה היא חבתי אצלך, יש לי פתחון פה עכשיו שרואים כי ירא א-להים אתה:
13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw, and lo! there was a ram, [and] after [that] it was caught in a tree by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. יגוַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּה־אַ֔יִל אַחַ֕ר נֶֽאֱחַ֥ז בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ בְּקַרְנָ֑יו וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אַבְרָהָם֙ וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָאַ֔יִל וַיַּֽעֲלֵ֥הוּ לְעֹלָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת בְּנֽוֹ:
and lo! there was a ram: It was prepared for this since the six days of Creation. — [from Tan. Shelach 14] והנה איל: מוכן היה לכך מששת ימי בראשית:
after: After the angel said to him, “ Do not stretch forth your hand,” he saw it as it [the ram] was caught. And that is why the Targum translates it: “ And Abraham lifted his eyes after these [words], i.e., after the angel said, ” Do not stretch forth your hand.“ (Other editions: and according to the Aggadah,” after all the words of the angel and the Shechinah and after Abraham’s arguments"). אחר: אחרי שאמר לו המלאך (לעיל פסוק יב) אל תשלח ידך, ראהו כשהוא נאחז, והוא שמתרגמינן וזקף אברהם עינוהי בתר אלין:
in a tree: Heb. בַּסְבַ, a tree. — [from Targum Onkelos] בסבך: אילן:
by its horns: For it was running toward Abraham, and Satan caused it to be caught and entangled among the trees. — [from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer ch. 31] בקרניו: שהיה רץ אצל אברהם והשטן סובכו ומערבבו באילנות כדי לעכבו:
instead of his son: Since it is written: “and offered it up for a burnt offering,” nothing is missing in the text. Why then [does it say]: “instead of his son” ? Over every sacrificial act that he performed, he prayed, “May it be [Your] will that this should be deemed as if it were being done to my son: as if my son were slaughtered, as if his blood were sprinkled, as if my son were flayed, as if he were burnt and reduced to ashes.” - [from Tan. Shelach 14] תחת בנו: מאחר שכתוב ויעלהו לעולה, לא חסר המקרא כלום, מהו תחת בנו, על כל עבודה שעשה ממנו היה מתפלל ואומר יהי רצון שתהא זו כאלו היא עשויה בבני, כאלו בני שחוט, כאלו דמו זרוק, כאלו הוא מופשט, כאלו הוא נקטר ונעשה דשן:
14And Abraham named that place, The Lord will see, as it is said to this day: On the mountain, the Lord will be seen. ידוַיִּקְרָ֧א אַבְרָהָ֛ם שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא יְהֹוָ֣ה | יִרְאֶ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יֵֽאָמֵ֣ר הַיּ֔וֹם בְּהַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה יֵֽרָאֶֽה:
The Lord will see: Its simple meaning is as the Targum renders: The Lord will choose and see for Himself this place, to cause His Divine Presence to rest therein and for offering sacrifices here. ה' יראה: פשוטו כתרגומו, ה' יבחר ויראה לו את המקום הזה להשרות בו שכינתו ולהקריב כאן קרבנות:
as it is said to this day: that [future] generations will say about it, “On this mountain, the Holy One, blessed be He, appears to His people.” אשר יאמר היום: שיאמרו לימי הדורות עליו בהר זה יראה הקב"ה לעמו:
to this day: the future days, like [the words] “until this day,” that appear throughout Scripture, for all the future generations who read this verse, will refer “until this day,” to the day in which they are living. The Midrash Aggadah (see Gen. Rabbah 56:9) [explains]: The Lord will see this binding to forgive Israel every year and to save them from retribution, in order that it will be said “on this day” in all future generations:“On the mountain of the Lord, Isaac’s ashes shall be seen, heaped up and standing for atonement.” היום: הימים העתידין, כמו עד היום הזה שבכל המקרא, שכל הדורות הבאים הקוראים את המקרא הזה אומרים עד היום הזה על היום שעומדים בו. ומדרש אגדה ה' יראה עקידה זו לסלוח לישראל בכל שנה ולהצילם מן הפורענות, כדי שיאמר היום הזה בכל הדורות הבאים בהר ה' יראה, אפרו של יצחק צבור ועומד לכפרה:
15And an angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven. טווַיִּקְרָ֛א מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם שֵׁנִ֖ית מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם:
16And he said, "By Myself have I sworn, says the Lord, that because you have done this thing and you did not withhold your son, your only one, טזוַיֹּ֕אמֶר בִּ֥י נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה כִּ֗י יַ֚עַן אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשִׂ֨יתָ֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֖כְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֥ אֶת־יְחִידֶֽךָ:
17That I will surely bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand that is on the seashore, and your descendants will inherit the cities of their enemies. יזכִּֽי־בָרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָֽרֶכְךָ֗ וְהַרְבָּ֨ה אַרְבֶּ֤ה אֶת־זַרְעֲךָ֙ כְּכֽוֹכְבֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְכַח֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֣ת הַיָּ֑ם וְיִרַ֣שׁ זַרְעֲךָ֔ אֵ֖ת שַׁ֥עַר אֹֽיְבָֽיו:
I will surely bless you: Heb. בָּר ֵאִבָרֶכְ, one [blessing] for the father and one for the son. — ברך אברכך: אחת לאב ואחת לבן:
and I will greatly multiply: Heb. וְהַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה, one for the father and one for the son. — [from Gen. Rabbah 56:11] והרבה ארבה: אחת לאב ואחת לבן:
18And through your children shall be blessed all the nations of the world, because you hearkened to My voice." יחוְהִתְבָּֽרֲכ֣וּ בְזַרְעֲךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ עֵ֕קֶב אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ בְּקֹלִֽי:
19And Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer sheba; and Abraham remained in Beer sheba. יטוַיָּ֤שָׁב אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶל־נְעָרָ֔יו וַיָּקֻ֛מוּ וַיֵּֽלְכ֥וּ יַחְדָּ֖ו אֶל־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב אַבְרָהָ֖ם בִּבְאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע:
and Abraham remained in Beer-sheba: This does not mean permanently dwelling, for he was living in Hebron. Twelve years prior to the binding of Isaac, he left Beer-sheba and went to Hebron, as it is said (above 21:34): “And Abraham dwelt in the land of the Philistines for many days,” [meaning] more numerous than the first [years] in Hebron, which were twenty-six years, as we explained above. — [from Seder Olam ch. 1] וישב אברהם בבאר שבע: לא ישיבה ממש, שהרי בחברון היה יושב שתים עשרה שנים לפני עקידתו של יצחק, יצא מבאר שבע והלך לו לחברון, כמו שנאמר (לעיל כא לד) ויגר אברהם בארץ פלשתים ימים רבים, מרובים משל חברון הראשונים, והם עשרים ושש שנה כמו שפירשנו למעלה (כא לד):
20And it came to pass after these matters, that it was told to Abraham saying: "Behold Milcah, she also bore sons to Nahor your brother. כוַיְהִ֗י אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר הִ֠נֵּ֠ה יָֽלְדָ֨ה מִלְכָּ֥ה גַם־הִ֛וא בָּנִ֖ים לְנָח֥וֹר אָחִֽיךָ:
after these matters, that it was told, etc.: When he returned from Mount Moriah, Abraham was thinking and saying, “Had my son been slaughtered, he would have died without children. I should have married him to a woman of the daughters of Aner, Eshkol, or Mamre. The Holy One, blessed be He, announced to him that Rebeccah, his mate, had been born, and that is the meaning of aafter these matters,” i.e., after the thoughts of the mattethat came about as a result of the“akedah.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 57:3] אחרי הדברים האלה ויגד וגו': בשובו מהר המוריה היה אברהם מהרהר ואומר אילו היה בני שחוט כבר היה הולך בלא בנים, היה לי להשיאו אשה מבנות ענר אשכול וממרא, בשרו הקב"ה שנולדה רבקה בת זוגו, וזהו אחרי הדברים האלה הרהורי דברים שהיו על ידי עקידה:
she also: She had [a number of] families equal to the [number of] the families of Abraham. Just as Abraham [engendered] the twelve tribes who emerged from Jacob-eight were the sons of the wives and four were the sons of maidservants-so were these also, eight sons of the wives and four sons of a concubine. — [from Gen. Rabbah 57:3] גם היא: אף היא השוותה משפחותיה למשפחות אברהם שתים עשרה, מה אברהם שנים עשר שבטים שיצאו מיעקב, שמונה בני הגבירות וארבעה בני שפחות, אף אלו שמונה בני גבירות וארבעה בני פלגש:
21Uz, his first born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel, the father of Aram. כאאֶת־ע֥וּץ בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת־בּ֣וּז אָחִ֑יו וְאֶת־קְמוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִ֥י אֲרָֽם:
22And Kesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. כבוְאֶת־כֶּ֣שֶׂד וְאֶת־חֲז֔וֹ וְאֶת־פִּלְדָּ֖שׁ וְאֶת־יִדְלָ֑ף וְאֵ֖ת בְּתוּאֵֽל:
23And Bethuel begot Rebecca." These eight did Milcah bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother. כגוּבְתוּאֵ֖ל יָלַ֣ד אֶת־רִבְקָ֑ה שְׁמֹנָ֥ה אֵ֨לֶּה֙ יָֽלְדָ֣ה מִלְכָּ֔ה לְנָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם:
And Bethuel begot Rebecca: All these genealogies were written only for the sake of this verse. — [based on Gen. Rabbah 57:1,3] ובתואל ילד את רבקה: כל היחוסין הללו לא נכתבו אלא בשביל פסוק זה:
24And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, had also given birth to Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah. כדוּפִֽילַגְשׁ֖וֹ וּשְׁמָ֣הּ רְאוּמָ֑ה וַתֵּ֤לֶד גַּם־הִוא֙ אֶת־טֶ֣בַח וְאֶת־גַּ֔חַם וְאֶת־תַּ֖חַשׁ וְאֶת־מַֽעֲכָֽה:
Daily Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 88-89
• Chapter 88
The psalmist weeps and laments bitterly over the maladies and suffering Israel endures in exile, which he describes in detail.
1. A song, a psalm by the sons of Korach, for the Conductor, upon the machalat le'anot; 1 a maskil2 for Heiman the Ezrachite.
2. O Lord, God of my deliverance, by day I cried out [to You], by night I [offer my prayer] before You.
3. Let my prayer come before You; turn Your ear to my supplication.
4. For my soul is sated with affliction, and my life has reached the grave.
5. I was reckoned with those who go down to the pit, I was like a man without strength.
6. [I am regarded] among the dead who are free, like corpses lying in the grave, of whom You are not yet mindful, who are yet cut off by Your hand.
7. You have put me into the lowest pit, into the darkest places, into the depths.
8. Your wrath has weighed heavily upon me, and all the waves [of Your fury] have constantly afflicted me.
9. You have estranged my friends from me, You have made me abhorrent to them; I am imprisoned and unable to leave.
10. My eye is afflicted because of distress; I call to You, O Lord, every day; I have stretched out my hands [in prayer] to You.
11. Do You perform wonders for the deceased? Do the dead stand to offer You praise? Selah.
12. Is Your kindness recounted in the grave, your faithfulness in the place of perdition?
13. Are Your wondrous deeds known in the darkness [of the grave], or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
14. But, I, to You, O Lord, I cry; each morning my prayer comes before You.
15. Why, O Lord, do You forsake my soul? Why do You conceal Your countenance from Me?
16. From my youth I have been afflicted and approaching death, yet I have borne the fear of You which is firmly established within me.
17. Your furies have passed over me; Your terrors have cut me down.
18. They have engulfed me like water all day long, they all together surrounded me.
19. You have estranged from me beloved and friend; I have been rejected by my intimates.
FOOTNOTES
1.A musical instrument(Metzudot).
2.A psalm intended to enlighten and impart knowledge(Metzudot).
Chapter 89
This psalm speaks of the kingship of the House of David, the psalmist lamenting its fall from power for many years, and God's abandonment and spurning of us.
1. A maskil1 by Eitan the Ezrachite.
2. I will sing of the Lord's kindness forever; to all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.
3. For I have said, "The world is built with kindness; there in the heavens You establish Your faithfulness.”
4. I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to David, My servant:
5. "I will establish Your descendants forever; I will build your throne for all generations," Selah.
6. Then the heavens will extol Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness, too, in the congregation of the holy ones.
7. Indeed, who in heaven can be compared to the Lord, who among the supernal beings can be likened to the Lord!
8. The Almighty is revered in the great assembly of the holy ones, awe-inspiring to all who surround Him.
9. O Lord, God of Hosts, who is mighty like You, O God! Your faithfulness surrounds You.
10. You rule the vastness of the sea; when its waves surge, You still them.
11. You crushed Rahav (Egypt) like a corpse; with Your powerful arm You scattered Your enemies.
12. Yours are the heavens, the earth is also Yours; the world and all therein-You established them.
13. The north and the south-You created them; Tabor and Hermon sing of [the greatness] of Your Name.
14. Yours is the arm which has the might; strengthen Your hand, raise high Your right hand.
15. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; kindness and truth go before Your countenance.
16. Fortunate is the people who know the sound of the shofar; Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.
17. They rejoice in Your Name all day, and they are exalted through Your righteousness.
18. Indeed, You are the splendor of their might, and in Your goodwill our glory is exalted.
19. For our protectors turn to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.
20. Then You spoke in a vision to Your pious ones and said: "I have granted aid to [David] the mighty one; I have exalted the one chosen from among the people.
21. I have found David, My servant; I have anointed him with My holy oil.
22. It is he whom My hand shall be prepared [to assist]; My arm, too, shall strengthen him.
23. The enemy shall not prevail over him, nor shall the iniquitous person afflict him.
24. And I will crush his adversaries before him, and will strike down those who hate him.
25. Indeed, My faithfulness and My kindness shall be with him, and through My Name his glory shall be exalted.
26. I will set his hand upon the sea, his right hand upon the rivers.
27. He will call out to Me, 'You are my Father, my God, the strength of my deliverance.’
28. I will also make him [My] firstborn, supreme over the kings of the earth.
29. I will maintain My kindness for him forever; My covenant shall remain true to him.
30. And I will bestow [kingship] upon his seed forever, and his throne will endure as long as the heavens last.
31. If his children forsake My Torah and do not walk in My ordinances;
32. if they profane My statutes and do not observe My commandments,
33. then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their misdeeds with plagues.
34. Yet I shall not take away My kindness from him, nor betray My faithfulness.
35. I will not abrogate My covenant, nor change that which has issued from My lips.
36. One thing I have sworn by My holiness-I will not cause disappointment to David.
37. His seed will endure forever and his throne will be [resplendent] as the sun before Me.
38. Like the moon, it shall be established forever; [the moon] is a faithful witness in the sky for all time.”
39. Yet You have forsaken and abhorred; You became enraged at Your anointed.
40. You annulled the covenant with Your servant; You have profaned his crown [by casting it] to the ground.
41. You shattered all his fences; You turned all his strongholds into ruin.
42. All wayfarers despoiled him; he has become a disgrace to his neighbors.
43. You have uplifted the right hand of his adversaries; You have made all his enemies rejoice.
44. You also turned back the blade of his sword, and did not sustain him in battle.
45. You put an end to his splendor, and toppled his throne to the ground.
46. You have cut short the days of his youth; You have enclothed him with long-lasting shame.
47. How long, O Lord, will You conceal Yourself-forever? [How long] will Your fury blaze like fire?
48. O remember how short is my life span! Why have You created all children of man for naught?
49. What man can live and not see death, can save his soul forever from the grave?
50. Where are Your former deeds of kindness, my Lord, which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
51. Remember, my Lord, the disgrace of Your servants, that I bear in my bosom from all the many nations;
52. that Your enemies have disgraced, O Lord, that they have disgraced the footsteps of Your anointed.
53. Blessed is the Lord forever, Amen and Amen.
FOOTNOTES
1.A psalm intended to enlighten and impart knowledge(Metzudot).
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, beginning of Epistle 29
• Lessons in Tanya
1And it came to pass after these things, that God tested Abraham, and He said to him, "Abraham," and he said, "Here I am." אוַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים נִסָּ֖ה אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי:
after these things: Some of our Sages say (Sanh. 89b) [that this happened]: after the words [translating “devarim” as “words”] of Satan, who was accusing and saying, “Of every feast that Abraham made, he did not sacrifice before You one bull or one ram!” He [God] said to him, “Does he do anything but for his son? Yet, if I were to say to him, ‘Sacrifice him before Me,’ he would not withhold [him].” And some say,“ after the words of Ishmael,” who was boasting to Isaac that he was circumcised at the age of thirteen, and he did not protest. Isaac said to him,“ With one organ you intimidate me? If the Holy One, blessed be He, said to me, ‘Sacrifice yourself before Me,’ I would not hold back.” - Cf. Gen. Rabbah 55:4. אחר הדברים האלה: יש מרבותינו אומרים אחר דבריו של שטן, שהיה מקטרג ואומר מכל סעודה שעשה אברהם לא הקריב לפניך פר אחד או איל אחד, אמר לו כלום עשה אלא בשביל בנו, אילו הייתי אומר לו זבח אותו לפני לא היה מעכב. ויש אומרים אחר דבריו של ישמעאל שהיה מתפאר על יצחק שמל בן שלש עשרה שנה ולא מיחה, אמר לו יצחק באבר אחד אתה מיראני, אילו אמר לי הקב"ה זבח עצמך לפני לא הייתי מעכב:
Here I am: This is the reply of the pious. It is an expression of humility and an expression of readiness. — [from Tan. Vayera 22] הנני: כך היא ענייתם של חסידים, לשון ענוה הוא ולשון זימון:
2And He said, "Please take your son, your only one, whom you love, yea, Isaac, and go away to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains, of which I will tell you." בוַיֹּ֡אמֶר קַח־נָ֠א אֶת־בִּנְךָ֨ אֶת־יְחִֽידְךָ֤ אֲשֶׁר־אָהַ֨בְתָּ֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֔ק וְלֶ֨ךְ־לְךָ֔ אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ הַמֹּֽרִיָּ֑ה וְהַֽעֲלֵ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה עַ֚ל אַחַ֣ד הֶֽהָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ:
Please take: Heb. קַח נָא is only an expression of a request. He [God] said to him, “I beg of you, pass this test for Me, so that people will not say that the first ones [tests] had no substance.” - [from Sanh. ad loc.] קח נא: אין נא אלא לשון בקשה, אמר לו בבקשה ממך עמוד לי בזה הנסיון, שלא יאמרו הראשונות לא היה בהן ממש:
your son: He [Abraham] said to Him,“ I have two sons.” He [God] said to him,“ Your only one.” He said to Him,“ This one is the only son of his mother, and that one is the only son of his mother.” He said to him,“ Whom you love.” He said to Him,“ I love them both.” He said to him,“ Isaac.” Now why did He not disclose this to him at the beginning? In order not to confuse him suddenly, lest his mind become distracted and bewildered, and also to endear the commandment to him and to reward him for each and every expression. — [from Sanh. 89b, Gen. Rabbah 39:9, 55:7] את בנך: אמר לו שני בנים יש לי, אמר לו את יחידך, אמר לו זה יחיד לאמו וזה יחיד לאמו, אמר לו אשר אהבת, אמר לו שניהם אני אוהב, אמר לו את יצחק. ולמה לא גילה לו מתחלה, שלא לערבבו פתאום, ותזוח דעתו עליו ותטרף, וכדי לחבב עליו את המצוה וליתן לו שכר על כל דבור ודבור:
the land of Moriah: Jerusalem, and so in (II) Chronicles (3:1):“to build the House of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah.” And our Sages explained that [it is called Moriah] because from there [religious] instruction (הוֹרָאָה) goes forth to Israel. Onkelos rendered it [“the land of service”] as alluding to the service of the incense, which contained myrrh [“mor” is phonetically similar to Moriah], spikenard, and other spices. ארץ המוריה: ירושלים, וכן בדברי הימים (ב' ג א) לבנות את בית ה' בירושלים בהר המוריה. ורבותינו פירשו על שם שמשם הוראה יוצאה לישראל. ואונקלוס תרגמו על שם עבודת הקטורת שיש בו מור נרד ושאר בשמים:
bring him up: He did not say to him, “Slaughter him,” because the Holy One, blessed be He, did not wish him to slaughter him but to bring him up to the mountain, to prepare him for a burnt offering, and as soon as he brought him up [to the mountain], He said to him, “Take him down.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 56:8] והעלהו: לא אמר לו שחטהו, לפי שלא היה חפץ הקב"ה לשחטו אלא שיעלהו להר לעשותו עולה, ומשהעלהו אמר לו הורידהו:
one of the mountains: The Holy One, blessed be He, makes the righteous wonder (other editions: makes the righteous wait), and only afterwards discloses to them [His intentions], and all this is in order to increase their reward. Likewise, (above 12:1): “to the land that I will show you,” and likewise, concerning Jonah (3:2): “and proclaim upon it the proclamation.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 55:7] אחד ההרים: הקב"ה מתהא הצדיקים ואחר כך מגלה להם, וכל זה כדי להרבות שכרן, וכן (לעיל יב א) אל הארץ אשר אראך, וכן ביונה (ג ב) וקרא אליה את הקריאה:
3And Abraham arose early in the morning, and he saddled his donkey, and he took his two young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for a burnt offering, and he arose and went to the place of which God had told him. גוַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם אַבְרָהָ֜ם בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַיַּֽחֲבשׁ֙ אֶת־חֲמֹר֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֤י נְעָרָיו֙ אִתּ֔וֹ וְאֵ֖ת יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֑וֹ וַיְבַקַּע֙ עֲצֵ֣י עֹלָ֔ה וַיָּ֣קָם וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אָֽמַר־ל֥וֹ הָֽאֱלֹהִֽים:
And…arose early: He hastened to [perform] the commandment (Pes. 4a). וישכם: נזדרז למצוה:
and he saddled: He himself, and he did not command one of his servants, because love causes a disregard for the standard [of dignified conduct]. — [from Gen. Rabbah 55:8] ויחבש: הוא בעצמו ולא צוה לאחד מעבדיו, שהאהבה מקלקלת השורה:
his two young men: Ishmael and Eliezer, for a person of esteem is not permitted to go out on the road without two men, so that if one must ease himself and move to a distance, the second one will remain with him. — [from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 31; Gen. Rabbah ad loc., Tan. Balak 8] את שני נעריו: ישמעאל ואליעזר, שאין אדם חשוב רשאי לצאת לדרך בלא שני אנשים, שאם יצטרך האחד לנקביו ויתרחק יהיה השני עמו:
and he split: Heb. וַיְבַקַע. The Targum renders וְצַלַח, as in (II Sam. 19:18):“and they split (וְצָלְחוּ) the Jordan,” an expression of splitting, fendre in Old French. ויבקע: תרגומו וצלח, כמו (ש"ב יט יח) וצלחו הירדן, לשון ביקוע פינדר"א בלעז [לחטוב]:
4On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. דבַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֧ם אֶת־עֵינָ֛יו וַיַּ֥רְא אֶת־הַמָּק֖וֹם מֵֽרָחֹֽק:
On the third day: Why did He delay from showing it to him immediately? So that people should not say that He confused him and confounded him suddenly and deranged his mind, and if he had had time to think it over, he would not have done it. — [from Gen. Rabbah 55:6] ביום השלישי: למה איחר מלהראותו מיד, כדי שלא יאמרו הממו וערבבו פתאום וטרד דעתו, ואילו היה לו שהות להמלך אל לבו לא היה עושה:
and saw the place: He saw a cloud attached to the mountain. — [from Gen. Rabbah 56: 1, Tan. Vayera 23] וירא את המקום: ראה ענן קשור על ההר:
5And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder, and we will prostrate ourselves and return to you." הוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶל־נְעָרָ֗יו שְׁבֽוּ־לָכֶ֥ם פֹּה֙ עִם־הַֽחֲמ֔וֹר וַֽאֲנִ֣י וְהַנַּ֔עַר נֵֽלְכָ֖ה עַד־כֹּ֑ה וְנִשְׁתַּֽחֲוֶ֖ה וְנָשׁ֥וּבָה אֲלֵיכֶֽם:
yonder: Heb. עַד כֹּה, lit. until there, i.e., a short way to the place that is before us. And the Midrashic interpretation (Tan. ad loc.): I will see where is [the promise] that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to me (above 15:5):“So (כֹּה) will be your seed.” עד כה: כלומר דרך מועט למקום אשר לפנינו. ומדרש אגדה אראה היכן הוא מה שאמר לי המקום (לעיל טו ה) כה יהיה זרעך:
and return: He prophesied that they would both return. — [from Avoth d’Rabbi Nathan, second version, ch. 43; Rabbah and Tan. ad loc.] i.e., Abraham prophesied without realizing it. ונשובה: נתנבא שישובו שניהם:
6And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, and he placed [it] upon his son Isaac, and he took into his hand the fire and the knife, and they both went together. ווַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֲצֵ֣י הָֽעֹלָ֗ה וַיָּ֨שֶׂם֙ עַל־יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֣ח בְּיָד֔וֹ אֶת־הָאֵ֖שׁ וְאֶת־הַמַּֽאֲכֶ֑לֶת וַיֵּֽלְכ֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם יַחְדָּֽו:
the knife: Heb. הַמַאֲכֶלֶת, so called because it consumes (אוֹכֶלֶת) the flesh, as it is stated (Deut. 32:42):“and My sword will consume (תֹּאכַלוּ) flesh,” and because it renders meat fit for consumption (אַכִילָה). Another explanation: This [knife] was מַאִכֶלֶת because the people of Israel still eat (אוֹכְלִים) the reward given for it. — [from Gen. Rabbah 56:3] המאכלת: סכין, על שם שאוכלת את הבשר, כמה דתימא (דברים לב מב) וחרבי תאכל בשר, ושמכשרת בשר לאכילה. דבר אחר זאת נקראת מאכלת, על שם שישראל אוכלים מתן שכרה:
and they both went together: Abraham, who knew that he was going to slaughter his son, was going as willingly and joyfully as Isaac, who was unaware of the matter. — וילכו שניהם יחדיו: אברהם שהיה יודע שהולך לשחוט את בנו היה הולך ברצון ושמחה כיצחק שלא היה מרגיש בדבר:
7And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and he said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" זוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִצְחָ֜ק אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֤ם אָבִיו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָבִ֔י וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֶּ֣נִּי בְנִ֑י וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֤ה הָאֵשׁ֙ וְהָ֣עֵצִ֔ים וְאַיֵּ֥ה הַשֶּׂ֖ה לְעֹלָֽה:
8And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And they both went together. חוַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם אֱלֹהִ֞ים יִרְאֶה־לּ֥וֹ הַשֶּׂ֛ה לְעֹלָ֖ה בְּנִ֑י וַיֵּֽלְכ֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם יַחְדָּֽו:
will provide for Himself the lamb: i.e., He will see and choose for Himself the lamb (Targum Jonathan), and if there will be no lamb, my son will be for a burnt offering. And although Isaac understood that he was going to be slaughtered,“ they both went together,” with one accord (lit. with the same heart). - [from Gen. Rabbah 56:4] יראה לו השה: כלומר יראה ויבחר לו השה, ואם אין שה, לעולה בני. ואף על פי שהבין יצחק שהוא הולך לישחט, וילכו שניהם יחדו בלב שוה:
9And they came to the place of which God had spoken to him, and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar upon the wood. טוַיָּבֹ֗אוּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם֘ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמַר־ל֣וֹ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֒ וַיִּ֨בֶן שָׁ֤ם אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַיַּֽעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֶת־הָֽעֵצִ֑ים וַיַּֽעֲקֹד֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֔וֹ וַיָּ֤שֶׂם אֹתוֹ֙ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ מִמַּ֖עַל לָֽעֵצִֽים:
and he bound: his hands and his feet behind him. The hands and the feet tied together is known as עִקֵידָה (Shab. 54a). And that is the meaning of עִקֻדִים (below 30:39), that their ankles were white; the place where they are bound was discernible (Bereishith Rabbathi). ויעקד: ידיו ורגליו מאחוריו, הידים והרגלים ביחד היא עקידה, והוא לשון (להלן ל לט) עקודים, שהיו קרסוליהם לבנים, מקום שעוקדין אותן בו היה ניכר:
10And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife, to slaughter his son. יוַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־הַמַּֽאֲכֶ֑לֶת לִשְׁחֹ֖ט אֶת־בְּנֽוֹ:
11And an angel of God called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham! Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." יאוַיִּקְרָ֨א אֵלָ֜יו מַלְאַ֤ךְ יְהֹוָה֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֣ם | אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי:
“Abraham! Abraham!”: This is an expression of affection, that He repeated his name. — [from Tos. Ber. ch. 1, Sifra Vayikra ch. 1] אברהם אברהם: לשון חבה הוא שכופל את שמו:
12And he said, "Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad, nor do the slightest thing to him, for now I know that you are a God fearing man, and you did not withhold your son, your only one, from Me." יבוַיֹּ֗אמֶר אַל־תִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָֽדְךָ֙ אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וְאַל־תַּ֥עַשׂ ל֖וֹ מְא֑וּמָה כִּ֣י | עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־יְרֵ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ אַ֔תָּה וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֛כְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֥ אֶת־יְחִֽידְךָ֖ מִמֶּֽנִּי:
Do not stretch forth: to slaughter [him]. He [Abraham] said to Him,“ If so, I have come here in vain. I will inflict a wound on him and extract a little blood.” He said to him,“ Do not do the slightest thing (מְאוּמָה) to him.” Do not cause him any blemish (מוּם) !- [from Gen. Rabbah 56:7] אל תשלח: לשחוט, אמר לו אם כן לחנם באתי לכאן, אעשה בו חבלה ואוציא ממנו מעט דם, אמר לו אל תעש לו מאומה, אל תעש בו מום:
for now I know: Said Rabbi Abba: Abraham said to Him,“ I will explain my complaint before You. Yesterday, You said to me (above 21:12): ‘for in Isaac will be called your seed,’ and You retracted and said (above verse 2): ‘ Take now your son.’ Now You say to me, ‘ Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (Ps. 89:35): “I shall not profane My covenant, neither shall I alter the utterance of My lips.” When I said to you,“ Take,” I was not altering the utterance of My lips. I did not say to you,“ Slaughter him,” but,“ Bring him up.” You have brought him up; [now] take him down. — [from Gen. Rabbah 56:8] כי עתה ידעתי: אמר רבי אבא אמר לו אברהם אפרש לפניך את שיחתי, אתמול אמרת לי (לעיל כא יב) כי ביצחק יקרא לך זרע, וחזרת ואמרת (שם כב ב) קח נא את בנך, עכשיו אתה אומר לי אל תשלח ידך אל הנער. אמר לו הקב"ה (תהלים פט לה) לא אחלל בריתי ומוצא שפתי לא אשנה, כשאמרתי לך קח מוצא שפתי לא אשנה, לא אמרתי לך שחטהו אלא העלהו, אסקתיה אחתיה:
for now I know: From now on, I have a response to Satan and the nations who wonder what is My love towards you. Now I have a reason (lit. an opening of the mouth), for they see “ that you fear God.” - כי עתה ידעתי: מעתה יש לי מה להשיב לשטן ולאומות התמהים מה היא חבתי אצלך, יש לי פתחון פה עכשיו שרואים כי ירא א-להים אתה:
13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw, and lo! there was a ram, [and] after [that] it was caught in a tree by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. יגוַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּה־אַ֔יִל אַחַ֕ר נֶֽאֱחַ֥ז בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ בְּקַרְנָ֑יו וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אַבְרָהָם֙ וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָאַ֔יִל וַיַּֽעֲלֵ֥הוּ לְעֹלָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת בְּנֽוֹ:
and lo! there was a ram: It was prepared for this since the six days of Creation. — [from Tan. Shelach 14] והנה איל: מוכן היה לכך מששת ימי בראשית:
after: After the angel said to him, “ Do not stretch forth your hand,” he saw it as it [the ram] was caught. And that is why the Targum translates it: “ And Abraham lifted his eyes after these [words], i.e., after the angel said, ” Do not stretch forth your hand.“ (Other editions: and according to the Aggadah,” after all the words of the angel and the Shechinah and after Abraham’s arguments"). אחר: אחרי שאמר לו המלאך (לעיל פסוק יב) אל תשלח ידך, ראהו כשהוא נאחז, והוא שמתרגמינן וזקף אברהם עינוהי בתר אלין:
in a tree: Heb. בַּסְבַ, a tree. — [from Targum Onkelos] בסבך: אילן:
by its horns: For it was running toward Abraham, and Satan caused it to be caught and entangled among the trees. — [from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer ch. 31] בקרניו: שהיה רץ אצל אברהם והשטן סובכו ומערבבו באילנות כדי לעכבו:
instead of his son: Since it is written: “and offered it up for a burnt offering,” nothing is missing in the text. Why then [does it say]: “instead of his son” ? Over every sacrificial act that he performed, he prayed, “May it be [Your] will that this should be deemed as if it were being done to my son: as if my son were slaughtered, as if his blood were sprinkled, as if my son were flayed, as if he were burnt and reduced to ashes.” - [from Tan. Shelach 14] תחת בנו: מאחר שכתוב ויעלהו לעולה, לא חסר המקרא כלום, מהו תחת בנו, על כל עבודה שעשה ממנו היה מתפלל ואומר יהי רצון שתהא זו כאלו היא עשויה בבני, כאלו בני שחוט, כאלו דמו זרוק, כאלו הוא מופשט, כאלו הוא נקטר ונעשה דשן:
14And Abraham named that place, The Lord will see, as it is said to this day: On the mountain, the Lord will be seen. ידוַיִּקְרָ֧א אַבְרָהָ֛ם שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא יְהֹוָ֣ה | יִרְאֶ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יֵֽאָמֵ֣ר הַיּ֔וֹם בְּהַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה יֵֽרָאֶֽה:
The Lord will see: Its simple meaning is as the Targum renders: The Lord will choose and see for Himself this place, to cause His Divine Presence to rest therein and for offering sacrifices here. ה' יראה: פשוטו כתרגומו, ה' יבחר ויראה לו את המקום הזה להשרות בו שכינתו ולהקריב כאן קרבנות:
as it is said to this day: that [future] generations will say about it, “On this mountain, the Holy One, blessed be He, appears to His people.” אשר יאמר היום: שיאמרו לימי הדורות עליו בהר זה יראה הקב"ה לעמו:
to this day: the future days, like [the words] “until this day,” that appear throughout Scripture, for all the future generations who read this verse, will refer “until this day,” to the day in which they are living. The Midrash Aggadah (see Gen. Rabbah 56:9) [explains]: The Lord will see this binding to forgive Israel every year and to save them from retribution, in order that it will be said “on this day” in all future generations:“On the mountain of the Lord, Isaac’s ashes shall be seen, heaped up and standing for atonement.” היום: הימים העתידין, כמו עד היום הזה שבכל המקרא, שכל הדורות הבאים הקוראים את המקרא הזה אומרים עד היום הזה על היום שעומדים בו. ומדרש אגדה ה' יראה עקידה זו לסלוח לישראל בכל שנה ולהצילם מן הפורענות, כדי שיאמר היום הזה בכל הדורות הבאים בהר ה' יראה, אפרו של יצחק צבור ועומד לכפרה:
15And an angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven. טווַיִּקְרָ֛א מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם שֵׁנִ֖ית מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם:
16And he said, "By Myself have I sworn, says the Lord, that because you have done this thing and you did not withhold your son, your only one, טזוַיֹּ֕אמֶר בִּ֥י נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה כִּ֗י יַ֚עַן אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשִׂ֨יתָ֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֖כְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֥ אֶת־יְחִידֶֽךָ:
17That I will surely bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand that is on the seashore, and your descendants will inherit the cities of their enemies. יזכִּֽי־בָרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָֽרֶכְךָ֗ וְהַרְבָּ֨ה אַרְבֶּ֤ה אֶת־זַרְעֲךָ֙ כְּכֽוֹכְבֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְכַח֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֣ת הַיָּ֑ם וְיִרַ֣שׁ זַרְעֲךָ֔ אֵ֖ת שַׁ֥עַר אֹֽיְבָֽיו:
I will surely bless you: Heb. בָּר ֵאִבָרֶכְ, one [blessing] for the father and one for the son. — ברך אברכך: אחת לאב ואחת לבן:
and I will greatly multiply: Heb. וְהַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה, one for the father and one for the son. — [from Gen. Rabbah 56:11] והרבה ארבה: אחת לאב ואחת לבן:
18And through your children shall be blessed all the nations of the world, because you hearkened to My voice." יחוְהִתְבָּֽרֲכ֣וּ בְזַרְעֲךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ עֵ֕קֶב אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ בְּקֹלִֽי:
19And Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer sheba; and Abraham remained in Beer sheba. יטוַיָּ֤שָׁב אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶל־נְעָרָ֔יו וַיָּקֻ֛מוּ וַיֵּֽלְכ֥וּ יַחְדָּ֖ו אֶל־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב אַבְרָהָ֖ם בִּבְאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע:
and Abraham remained in Beer-sheba: This does not mean permanently dwelling, for he was living in Hebron. Twelve years prior to the binding of Isaac, he left Beer-sheba and went to Hebron, as it is said (above 21:34): “And Abraham dwelt in the land of the Philistines for many days,” [meaning] more numerous than the first [years] in Hebron, which were twenty-six years, as we explained above. — [from Seder Olam ch. 1] וישב אברהם בבאר שבע: לא ישיבה ממש, שהרי בחברון היה יושב שתים עשרה שנים לפני עקידתו של יצחק, יצא מבאר שבע והלך לו לחברון, כמו שנאמר (לעיל כא לד) ויגר אברהם בארץ פלשתים ימים רבים, מרובים משל חברון הראשונים, והם עשרים ושש שנה כמו שפירשנו למעלה (כא לד):
20And it came to pass after these matters, that it was told to Abraham saying: "Behold Milcah, she also bore sons to Nahor your brother. כוַיְהִ֗י אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר הִ֠נֵּ֠ה יָֽלְדָ֨ה מִלְכָּ֥ה גַם־הִ֛וא בָּנִ֖ים לְנָח֥וֹר אָחִֽיךָ:
after these matters, that it was told, etc.: When he returned from Mount Moriah, Abraham was thinking and saying, “Had my son been slaughtered, he would have died without children. I should have married him to a woman of the daughters of Aner, Eshkol, or Mamre. The Holy One, blessed be He, announced to him that Rebeccah, his mate, had been born, and that is the meaning of aafter these matters,” i.e., after the thoughts of the mattethat came about as a result of the“akedah.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 57:3] אחרי הדברים האלה ויגד וגו': בשובו מהר המוריה היה אברהם מהרהר ואומר אילו היה בני שחוט כבר היה הולך בלא בנים, היה לי להשיאו אשה מבנות ענר אשכול וממרא, בשרו הקב"ה שנולדה רבקה בת זוגו, וזהו אחרי הדברים האלה הרהורי דברים שהיו על ידי עקידה:
she also: She had [a number of] families equal to the [number of] the families of Abraham. Just as Abraham [engendered] the twelve tribes who emerged from Jacob-eight were the sons of the wives and four were the sons of maidservants-so were these also, eight sons of the wives and four sons of a concubine. — [from Gen. Rabbah 57:3] גם היא: אף היא השוותה משפחותיה למשפחות אברהם שתים עשרה, מה אברהם שנים עשר שבטים שיצאו מיעקב, שמונה בני הגבירות וארבעה בני שפחות, אף אלו שמונה בני גבירות וארבעה בני פלגש:
21Uz, his first born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel, the father of Aram. כאאֶת־ע֥וּץ בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת־בּ֣וּז אָחִ֑יו וְאֶת־קְמוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִ֥י אֲרָֽם:
22And Kesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. כבוְאֶת־כֶּ֣שֶׂד וְאֶת־חֲז֔וֹ וְאֶת־פִּלְדָּ֖שׁ וְאֶת־יִדְלָ֑ף וְאֵ֖ת בְּתוּאֵֽל:
23And Bethuel begot Rebecca." These eight did Milcah bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother. כגוּבְתוּאֵ֖ל יָלַ֣ד אֶת־רִבְקָ֑ה שְׁמֹנָ֥ה אֵ֨לֶּה֙ יָֽלְדָ֣ה מִלְכָּ֔ה לְנָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם:
And Bethuel begot Rebecca: All these genealogies were written only for the sake of this verse. — [based on Gen. Rabbah 57:1,3] ובתואל ילד את רבקה: כל היחוסין הללו לא נכתבו אלא בשביל פסוק זה:
24And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, had also given birth to Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah. כדוּפִֽילַגְשׁ֖וֹ וּשְׁמָ֣הּ רְאוּמָ֑ה וַתֵּ֤לֶד גַּם־הִוא֙ אֶת־טֶ֣בַח וְאֶת־גַּ֔חַם וְאֶת־תַּ֖חַשׁ וְאֶת־מַֽעֲכָֽה:
Daily Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 88-89
• Chapter 88
The psalmist weeps and laments bitterly over the maladies and suffering Israel endures in exile, which he describes in detail.
1. A song, a psalm by the sons of Korach, for the Conductor, upon the machalat le'anot; 1 a maskil2 for Heiman the Ezrachite.
2. O Lord, God of my deliverance, by day I cried out [to You], by night I [offer my prayer] before You.
3. Let my prayer come before You; turn Your ear to my supplication.
4. For my soul is sated with affliction, and my life has reached the grave.
5. I was reckoned with those who go down to the pit, I was like a man without strength.
6. [I am regarded] among the dead who are free, like corpses lying in the grave, of whom You are not yet mindful, who are yet cut off by Your hand.
7. You have put me into the lowest pit, into the darkest places, into the depths.
8. Your wrath has weighed heavily upon me, and all the waves [of Your fury] have constantly afflicted me.
9. You have estranged my friends from me, You have made me abhorrent to them; I am imprisoned and unable to leave.
10. My eye is afflicted because of distress; I call to You, O Lord, every day; I have stretched out my hands [in prayer] to You.
11. Do You perform wonders for the deceased? Do the dead stand to offer You praise? Selah.
12. Is Your kindness recounted in the grave, your faithfulness in the place of perdition?
13. Are Your wondrous deeds known in the darkness [of the grave], or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
14. But, I, to You, O Lord, I cry; each morning my prayer comes before You.
15. Why, O Lord, do You forsake my soul? Why do You conceal Your countenance from Me?
16. From my youth I have been afflicted and approaching death, yet I have borne the fear of You which is firmly established within me.
17. Your furies have passed over me; Your terrors have cut me down.
18. They have engulfed me like water all day long, they all together surrounded me.
19. You have estranged from me beloved and friend; I have been rejected by my intimates.
FOOTNOTES
1.A musical instrument(Metzudot).
2.A psalm intended to enlighten and impart knowledge(Metzudot).
Chapter 89
This psalm speaks of the kingship of the House of David, the psalmist lamenting its fall from power for many years, and God's abandonment and spurning of us.
1. A maskil1 by Eitan the Ezrachite.
2. I will sing of the Lord's kindness forever; to all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.
3. For I have said, "The world is built with kindness; there in the heavens You establish Your faithfulness.”
4. I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to David, My servant:
5. "I will establish Your descendants forever; I will build your throne for all generations," Selah.
6. Then the heavens will extol Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness, too, in the congregation of the holy ones.
7. Indeed, who in heaven can be compared to the Lord, who among the supernal beings can be likened to the Lord!
8. The Almighty is revered in the great assembly of the holy ones, awe-inspiring to all who surround Him.
9. O Lord, God of Hosts, who is mighty like You, O God! Your faithfulness surrounds You.
10. You rule the vastness of the sea; when its waves surge, You still them.
11. You crushed Rahav (Egypt) like a corpse; with Your powerful arm You scattered Your enemies.
12. Yours are the heavens, the earth is also Yours; the world and all therein-You established them.
13. The north and the south-You created them; Tabor and Hermon sing of [the greatness] of Your Name.
14. Yours is the arm which has the might; strengthen Your hand, raise high Your right hand.
15. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; kindness and truth go before Your countenance.
16. Fortunate is the people who know the sound of the shofar; Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.
17. They rejoice in Your Name all day, and they are exalted through Your righteousness.
18. Indeed, You are the splendor of their might, and in Your goodwill our glory is exalted.
19. For our protectors turn to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.
20. Then You spoke in a vision to Your pious ones and said: "I have granted aid to [David] the mighty one; I have exalted the one chosen from among the people.
21. I have found David, My servant; I have anointed him with My holy oil.
22. It is he whom My hand shall be prepared [to assist]; My arm, too, shall strengthen him.
23. The enemy shall not prevail over him, nor shall the iniquitous person afflict him.
24. And I will crush his adversaries before him, and will strike down those who hate him.
25. Indeed, My faithfulness and My kindness shall be with him, and through My Name his glory shall be exalted.
26. I will set his hand upon the sea, his right hand upon the rivers.
27. He will call out to Me, 'You are my Father, my God, the strength of my deliverance.’
28. I will also make him [My] firstborn, supreme over the kings of the earth.
29. I will maintain My kindness for him forever; My covenant shall remain true to him.
30. And I will bestow [kingship] upon his seed forever, and his throne will endure as long as the heavens last.
31. If his children forsake My Torah and do not walk in My ordinances;
32. if they profane My statutes and do not observe My commandments,
33. then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their misdeeds with plagues.
34. Yet I shall not take away My kindness from him, nor betray My faithfulness.
35. I will not abrogate My covenant, nor change that which has issued from My lips.
36. One thing I have sworn by My holiness-I will not cause disappointment to David.
37. His seed will endure forever and his throne will be [resplendent] as the sun before Me.
38. Like the moon, it shall be established forever; [the moon] is a faithful witness in the sky for all time.”
39. Yet You have forsaken and abhorred; You became enraged at Your anointed.
40. You annulled the covenant with Your servant; You have profaned his crown [by casting it] to the ground.
41. You shattered all his fences; You turned all his strongholds into ruin.
42. All wayfarers despoiled him; he has become a disgrace to his neighbors.
43. You have uplifted the right hand of his adversaries; You have made all his enemies rejoice.
44. You also turned back the blade of his sword, and did not sustain him in battle.
45. You put an end to his splendor, and toppled his throne to the ground.
46. You have cut short the days of his youth; You have enclothed him with long-lasting shame.
47. How long, O Lord, will You conceal Yourself-forever? [How long] will Your fury blaze like fire?
48. O remember how short is my life span! Why have You created all children of man for naught?
49. What man can live and not see death, can save his soul forever from the grave?
50. Where are Your former deeds of kindness, my Lord, which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
51. Remember, my Lord, the disgrace of Your servants, that I bear in my bosom from all the many nations;
52. that Your enemies have disgraced, O Lord, that they have disgraced the footsteps of Your anointed.
53. Blessed is the Lord forever, Amen and Amen.
FOOTNOTES
1.A psalm intended to enlighten and impart knowledge(Metzudot).
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, beginning of Epistle 29
• Lessons in Tanya
• Today's Tanya Lesson
• Shabbat, 18 Cheshvan, 5777 · 19 November 2016
• Iggeret HaKodesh, beginning of Epistle 29
• Shabbat, 18 Cheshvan, 5777 · 19 November 2016
• Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
• Positive Commandment 15
The Mezuzah
"And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates"—Deuteronomy 6:9.
We are commanded to place mezuzahs on our doorposts.
Full text of this Mitzvah »• The Mezuzah
Positive Commandment 15
Translated by Berel Bell
The 15th mitzvah is that we are commanded in the actions1 involving the mezuzah.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),2 "And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates."
This identical command is repeated in the Torah.3
All the details of this mitzvah have been explained in the third chapter of tractate Menachos.4
FOOTNOTES
1.The mitzvah includes preparing the parchment, writing the mezuzah, and affixing it to the doorpost. See Kapach, 5731, note 72.
2.Deut. 6:9.
3.Deut. 11:20.
4.31ff.
• Positive Commandment 18
A Personal Torah Scroll
"Write this song for yourselves"—Deuteronomy 31:19.
Every male is required to acquire a complete Torah Scroll for himself. Better yet if he can write one himself—then it is considered "as if he received it from Sinai"!
One cannot suffice with a scroll that he inherits from his father or ancestors, rather one must write or acquire one oneself.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
• Shabbat, 18 Cheshvan, 5777 · 19 November 2016
• Iggeret HaKodesh, beginning of Epistle 29
• The focus of the present letter is the distinctive value of studying the halachot, the laws of the Torah. The Sages deem these laws to be the "crown of Torah," because the Supernal Will is most fully revealed within the laws of the Oral Torah, inasmuch as they clearly spell out G-d's will with regard to the performance of the mitzvot.
• Rambam: Sefer Hamitzvos:
In fact, as the Alter Rebbe explains, the Supernal Will as expressed in the mitzvot derives from an even higher level of Divinity than does the Chochmah ("wisdom") of the Torah. Indeed, it is this Divine Will that furnishes the "garments" which enable the soul to absorb the Divine radiance that is manifest in the Garden of Eden.
אשת חיל עטרת בעלה כו'
"A woman of valor is the crown of her husband..."
This verse in the Book of Mishlei1 is a metaphor for the Torah. The Torah is also likened to a wife in another verse:2 "See to live your life with the woman whom you love," which our Sages, of blessed memory, explain3 to mean the Torah.
Here, too, "a woman of valor" refers to the Torah. More specifically, within the Torah itself the Oral Torah is the "wife" and the Written Torah is the "husband". The "woman of valor," which the Alter Rebbe will later explain refers to the halachot of Torah, serves as the "crown" to her husband, the Written Torah.
איתא בגמ' פ"ד דמגילה ודאשתמש בתגא חלף כו' זה המשתמש במי ששונה הלכות כתרה של תורה כו'
The Gemara, in ch. 4 of Megillah,4 [commenting on the teaching of our Sages in Avot5 that] "He who makes use of the crown, passes away [from this world]," states: "This applies to him who makes use of one who studies halachot, which are the crown of the Torah..."
Unlike the text of the Bach, which omits "the crown of the Torah," the Alter Rebbe here accepts the standard printed version as quoted above.
תנא דבי אליהו כל השונה הלכות מובטח לו כו'
The Gemara in Megillah goes on to say: "It was taught in the Academy of Elijah that 'Whoever studies halachot is assured [of a share in Olam Haba - the World to Come]."'
At the conclusion of Tractate Niddah6 the text reads, "Whoever studies halachot daily ...." Rashi explains there that the term halachot refers to Mishnah, Beraita, and Halachah L'Moshe MiSinai. In Epistle XXIII (above), the Alter Rebbe (based on Rashi elsewhere7) defines halachot as "clearly adjudicated laws of practical application."
וצריך להבין למה נקראו ההלכות בשם תגא וכתרה של תורה
Now it needs to be understood why the halachot are referred to as a "crown" or "the crown of the Torah."
וגם למה השונה הלכות דוקא מובטח לו כו' ולא שאר ד"ת
Furthermore, why is it that he who studies specifically halachot is assured [of a share in the World to Come], and not other Torah subjects, such as Scriptures, Midrash and the like?
וכן להבין מארז"ל בפי"א דמנחות אפי' לא שנה אדם אלא פרק אחד שחרית כו' יצא י"ח
One also needs to understand the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory, in ch. 11 of Menachot,8 that "even if one studied only a single chapter in the morning [and a single chapter in the evening], he has fulfilled his obligation to study Torah."
The Gemara states there that the individual has fulfilled the commandment that9 "this book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth." According to a second opinion cited later in the Gemara, that this verse does not constitute an obligation, it is to be understood that according to this opinion it is still obligatory to study Torah at all times; however, if one is unable to do so, he can fulfill his obligation by studying a chapter in the morning and a chapter in the evening.
ולמה אינו יוצא י"ח בשאר ד"ת
Why is one's duty not fulfilled by other Torah subjects?
The expression "one chapter" indicates that the study is of Mishnah, the Oral Torah. Why can one not fulfill his obligation with the study of Scripture, Midrash and the like?
* * *
אך מודעת זאת מ"ש האריז"ל שכל אדם מישראל צריך לבא בגלגולים רבים עד שיקיים כל תרי"ג מצות התורה במחשבה דיבור ומעשה
However, it is well known that R. Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, stated10 that [the soul of] every11Jew needs to be reincarnated many times, until he will fulfill all 613 commandments of the Torah in thought, speech and action, i.e., using all three soul-garments with which one performs the commandments.
להשלים לבושי נפשו ולתקנם שלא יהא לבושא דחסרא כו'
This is in order to complete the garments of his soul and to correct them, so that no garment will be incomplete.
As explained in Tanya, ch. 4, the divine soul has three garments - the thought, speech and action of the 613 commandments of the Torah. If the performance of one of these commandments is lacking, the soul's garments are incomplete. It is thus necessary for each soul to perform all of the commandments.
לבד מצות התלויות במלך שהוא מוציא כל ישראל כי הוא כללות כולם כו'
Excepted12 are the commandments incumbent upon a king,13 because he discharges the obligation of all of Israel, as he is a corporate collective of them all.14
All Jews are incorporated within the king. When he performs those commandments that depend upon him, it is therefore considered as if all the Jewish people had performed them. As to the other commandments, however, if in one incarnation an individual did not perform them all, he must be reincarnated so that he will be able to do so.
Why must one have the garments of all 613 commandments?
והטעם הוא כדי להלביש כל תרי"ג בחי' וכחות שבנפשו
The reason is, in order to garb all the 613 aspects and powers of one's soul,
These 613 "organs" of the soul (see Tanya, ch. 4) must all be clothed in the garments of the mitzvot.
אחת מהנה לא נעדרה כו'
so that not one of them - of these 613 aspects and powers of the soul - will be lacking.
וביאור ענין הכרח וצורך לבושים אלו מבואר בזהר ומובן לכל משכיל
An explanation for the indispensability of these garments is given in the Zohar,15 and is understandable by every thinking person.
כי להיות שנפש רוח ונשמה שבאדם הן בחי' נבראים וא"א לשום נברא להשיג שום השגה בבורא ויוצר הכל א"ס ב"ה
For the Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah in man, are created entities, and hence inherently limited, and it is impossible for any created being to attain any apprehension of the blessed Creator and Former of all, Who is infinite.
This, of course, is true with respect to Divinity as it totally transcends all worlds.
וגם אחרי אשר האיר ה' מאורו ית' והאציל בבחי' השתלשלות מדרגות רבות מדרגה אחר מדרגה
Moreover, even after G-d has radiated [a glimmer] of His blessed light, and has caused an emanation in the form of an evolution of numerous [descending] degrees, level beyond level,
בבחי' צמצומים עצומים ולבושים רבים ועצומים
by way of intense contractions and numerous, immense garments that obscure G-dliness -
הידועים לי"ח
these are familiar to those adept in the Esoteric Wisdom,16
ונקראים באד"ר בשם שערות
and in the Idra Rabba17 these [contracted degrees of divine illumination] are referred to as "hairs".
Because the life-force present in hair is so tenuous that it does not even convey sensation, the subtle glimmers of Divine energy that filter through the above-described contractions are referred to metaphorically as "hairs".
וכדכתיב בדניאל ושער רישיה כעמר נקא כו'
And as is written in Daniel,18 "And the hair of His head is like white wool..." from which we see that certain degrees of spiritual down flow are referred to by the term "hair" –
אעפ"כ לא יכלה הנפש או הרוח ונשמה למסבל האור
nevertheless, even after the screening effected by these mighty contractions, neither the Nefesh nor the Ruach and Neshamah can endure the light.
כי טוב ומתוק האור וכו'
For the light is good and sweet... – so intensely so, in fact, that no created being can receive it without expiring, as will soon be explained.
כמ"ש לחזות בנועם ה' לשון נעימות ועריבות ומתיקות ותענוג עצום לאין קץ
As it is written,19 "to behold the pleasantness (no'am) of G-d." [The term no'am] denotes pleasantness, agreeableness, and sweetness, and an infinitely intense delight,
כמ"ש אז תתענג על ה'
as it is written,20 "Then you will delight yourself in G-d,"
והשביע בצחצחות כו'
לשון צחה צמא
[The word tzachtzachot] is related to23 tzichei tzama "parched with thirst"; it denotes a thirst that cannot be slaked, for the pleasure involved is endless,
כמ"ש בזהר
as stated in the Zohar.24
ואין בכחה לקבל הנעימות ועריבות הצחצחות שלא תצא מנרתקה ותתבטל ממציאותה כנר באבוקה
It is not in [the soul's] power to absorb the pleasantness and agreeableness of the [above] pleasurable thirst without leaving its husk, i.e., its limitation, and becoming wholly nullified, just like a candle-flame [becomes entirely nullified] in a torch.
Just as the light of a candle loses its identity as an independent luminary once it is confronted by the intense diffusion of a fiery torch, so, too, the soul would cease to exist as an independent entity if it were to absorb the radiation emanating from the intense light and sweetness of G-dliness,
אם לא שמבחי' אור זה עצמו תשתלשל ותמשך ממנו איזו הארה מועטת בדרך השתלשלות מדריגה אחר מדרגה בצמצומים רבים
were it not that from this very light there will evolve and issue forth some minute radiation, by way of an evolution of level after level, with multitudinous contractions,
עד שיברא ממנה לבוש אחד נברא מעין מהות אור זה להלביש הנפש רוח ונשמה
until a single garment is created of [this contracted light],a creation akin to the nature of this light, with which to garb the Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah.
ודרך לבוש זה שהוא מעין אור זה תוכל ליהנות מזיו אור זה ולהשיגו ולא תתבטל ממציאותה
By way of this garment, which is akin to this light, [the soul]can derive enjoyment from the ray of this light, and apprehend it, without becoming wholly nullified out of existence.
Since this garment derives from this light, it not only withstands its intensity itself, but also enables the soul to receive the light. Being a created entity, this garment can be "worn" by the soul. And what is this garment? - It is the garment of mitzvot.
וכמשל הרואה בשמש דרך עששית זכה ומאירה וכו'
This is analogous to someone looking at the sun through a fine and lucid speculum.
וכמ"ש ויבא משה בתוך הענן ויעל כו'
Thus it is written,25 "And Moses entered the midst of the cloud, and he ascended [the mountain]";
שנתלבש בענן ועלה וראה דרך הענן וכו'
that is, he vested himself in the cloud and ascended, and saw by way of the cloud.... i.e., the cloud served as a garment by means of which Moses was able to receive the revelations on Sinai.
כמ"ש בזח"ב דר"י ורכ"ט
Thus it is explained in the Zohar, Volume II, pp. 210 and 229.
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | 12:4. |
| 2. | Kohelet 9:9. |
| 3. | Cf. Kiddushin 30b. |
| 4. | 28b. |
| 5. | 1:13. |
| 6. | 73a. |
| 7. | See Taz, Yoreh Deah 246:2. |
| 8. | 99b. |
| 9. | Yehoshua 1:8. |
| 10. | Note of the Rebbe: "Sefer HaGilgulim, ch. 4; Shaar HaGilgulim, Hakdamah 11:16. The brevity of the Hakdamah to Shaar HaMitzvot precludes any possible contradiction. See also Shelah, beginning of Torah SheBichtav, p. 264b ff." |
| 11. | Note of the Rebbe: "Note that in the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:4, this subject is cited with a number of differences: "(a) Here, in Iggeret HaKodesh: 'until he will fulfill'; in the Shulchan Aruch: 'until he fulfills'; preferring actual present performance to future certainty. The difference may be significant when nonperformance is due to circumstances beyond one's control. See also Shelah, ibid. "(b) Here, in Iggeret HaKodesh, after 'mitzvot' the Alter Rebbe adds 'of the Torah,' perhaps by way of reinforcing the necessity for reincarnation; in the Shulchan Aruch this is a less relevant consideration. Moreover, and more importantly, the added phrase distinguishes these mitzvot from the 'seven commandments of the Sages' about to be discussed. "(c) Here, in Iggeret HaKodesh, the order is 'thought, speech and action'; in the Shulchan Aruch the order is 'action, speech and thought.' The same principle is perhaps common to both: 'Not only this but also the next' (see Tosafot at the beginning of Yevamot). In the Shulchan Aruch, therefore, where action is all- important, the Alter Rebbe tells us that even if a particular mitzvahwas fulfilled in action, yet for the sake of its fulfillment in speech, and so on, the individual still needs to be reincarnated. Iggeret HaKodesh, however, [embodies the Torah's innermost dimension, viz., Chassidut, and thus] is the soul of Torah. Here, therefore, following the same principle of precedence, the Alter Rebbe tells us that even if a particular mitzvah was performed in thought, nevertheless, for the sake of its performance in speech, and so on, the individual still needs to be reincarnated. "(d) In the Shulchan Aruch, which is unequivocal law, the Alter Rebbe adds the explanation: 'And speech and thought means the study of their laws; as our Sages taught (Menachot 110) on the verse, 'This is the law of the sin-offering ...,' that 'whoever studies the laws of the sin-offering [is considered to have actually offered the sin-offering].' This may also explain why instead of 'man' (as stated here) the Alter Rebbe there uses the term 'soul.'" |
| 12. | Note of the Rebbe: "An explanation is required as to why in the Shulchan Aruch - which, as mentioned above, should surely have the clearest statement of the law - the Alter Rebbe does not mention this exception concerning the commandments incumbent upon a king." |
| 13. | Note of the Rebbe: "Torah Or, p. 53c, by contrast, expresses this as follows: 'For every Jew must perform all 613 commandments, except for the commandments of the king, for the king discharges all Jews. All the mitzvot must be performed by every individual, and he must be reincarnated or in a state of ibur [lit., "pregnancy", a state wherein the soul of one person attaches itself to the soul of another].' Similarly in Likkutei Torah, Yom HaKippurim, p. 69a: '...and even the mitzvot of the priests or the High Priest, through ibur or reincarnation."' |
| 14. | Note of the Rebbe: "(So, too, in Torah Or, loc cit.:) The Alter Rebbe does not mention the High Priest (Nor does Mishnat Chassidim, Masechet Chiyuv HaNeshamot, beginning of ch. 2.) Likkutei Torah states explicitly that 'every individual is obliged to fulfill ... and even the commandments of priests and the High Priest.' Sefer HaGilgulim, ch. 4, by contrast, groups together 'the commandments ... for the priests ... levites ... kings .. judges and the like.' "It could perhaps be suggested that the Alter Rebbe's above characterization of a Jewish king as 'a corporate collective of them all' alludes to the state of ibur spoken of in Sefer HaGilgulim, loc. cit. Such an allusion would serve well to explain why the Alter Rebbe chose to explain the function of the king by this phrase ('as he is a corporate collective of them all') rather than by the phrase used by Mishnat Chassidim ('because of his stature')." |
| 15. | II, 210b; ibid. 229. |
| 16. | In the original, Chochma Nisteres "the Kabbalah", commonly abbreviated in Hebrew to the acronym "chein". |
| 17. | Zohar III, 128b ff. |
| 18. | 7:9. |
| 19. | Tehillim 27:4. |
| 20. | Yeshayahu 58:14. |
| 21. | Loc. cit., verse 11. |
| 22. | Note of the Rebbe: "See Torah Or, Megillat Esther, p 98b; Or HaTorah, Parshat Tetzaveh, p. 1606; Pardes, Shaar HaTzachtzachot.". |
| 23. | Yeshayahu 5:13. |
| 24. | II, 210b. |
| 25. | Shmot 24:18. |
• Shabbat, 18 Cheshvan, 5777 · 19 November 2016
• Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
• Positive Commandment 15
The Mezuzah
"And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates"—Deuteronomy 6:9.
We are commanded to place mezuzahs on our doorposts.
Full text of this Mitzvah »• The Mezuzah
Positive Commandment 15
Translated by Berel Bell
The 15th mitzvah is that we are commanded in the actions1 involving the mezuzah.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),2 "And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates."
This identical command is repeated in the Torah.3
All the details of this mitzvah have been explained in the third chapter of tractate Menachos.4
FOOTNOTES
1.The mitzvah includes preparing the parchment, writing the mezuzah, and affixing it to the doorpost. See Kapach, 5731, note 72.
2.Deut. 6:9.
3.Deut. 11:20.
4.31ff.
• Positive Commandment 18
A Personal Torah Scroll
"Write this song for yourselves"—Deuteronomy 31:19.
Every male is required to acquire a complete Torah Scroll for himself. Better yet if he can write one himself—then it is considered "as if he received it from Sinai"!
One cannot suffice with a scroll that he inherits from his father or ancestors, rather one must write or acquire one oneself.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
• A Personal Torah Scroll
Positive Commandment 18
Translated by Berel Bell
The 18th mitzvah is that every Jewish male should have his own Sefer Torah. It is highly commendable and preferable that he write it himself, as our Sages said,1 "If he himself writes it, it is as if he personally received it at Mount Sinai." If it is impossible for him to write it himself, he is at least required to buy one or to appoint someone to write it for him.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,2 "Write for yourselves this song." One may not write individual sections of the Torah3 [and therefore not write merely the song of Ha'azinu, which follows this verse]. Therefore, the commandment to write the "song" means the entire Torah, including this song.
In the tractate Sanhedrin,4 it is related: "Rava said, Even though a person's forefathers left him a Sefer Torah, it is still a mitzvah for him to write one for himself, as the verse says, 'And now write for yourselves this song.'
"Abaye questioned him: [The Tosefta says regarding a king, that] 'he must write a Torah scroll for himself, and not be satisfied5 with the one left for him by his forefathers' — [this implies that the mitzvah to write a Torah scroll applies] only for a king, not for a common person.' "
The Gemara's answer to this question: [The Tosefta's statement does not come to tell you that only the king, rather than a common person, has this commandment; rather,] "it teaches you [that the king is obligated to have] two Torah scrolls. The proof for this is from the following Baraisa: The verse6 says, 'He [the king] shall write for himself a copy of this Torah' — this means a total of two Torah scrolls."
The meaning of this statement: the difference between a king and a common person is that the common person must write7 for himself one Torah scroll, and the king, two Torah scrolls,8 as explained in the second chapter of tractate Sanhedrin.7
The laws and conditions governing the writing of a Torah scroll are explained in the third chapter of tractate Menachos,9 the first chapter of tractate [Bava] Basra,10 and in tractate Shabbos.11
FOOTNOTES
1.Menachos 30a.
2.Deut. 31:19.
3.Gitin 60a.
4.21b.
5.See Kesef Mishnah, Hilchos Melachim, Chapter 3, Halacha 1.
6.Deut. 17:18.
7.The Arabic word which is used also indicates appointing a scribe to write it for you. See Kapach, 5731, note 91.
8.This passage also proves that P17 counts as a separate mitzvah. In the order of Sefer HaMitzvos, P17 (regarding the king's Sefer Torah) was already explained previously, and it is obvious that the proof given in P18 applies to both mitzvos.
9.30ff.
10.13-14.
11.133b.
• Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day: Kelim Kelim - Chapter 21
• Kelim - Chapter 21
• Rambam - 3 Chapters a Day: Tefillin, Mezuzah and Sefer Torah Tefillin, Mezuzah and Sefer Torah - Chapter Five, Tefillin, Mezuzah and Sefer Torah Tefillin, Mezuzah and Sefer Torah - Chapter Six, Tefillin, Mezuzah and Sefer Torah Tefillin, Mezuzah and Sefer Torah - Chapter Seven
• Tefillin, Mezuzah and Sefer Torah - Chapter Five
• Hayom Yom: Today's Hayom Yom
• Shabbat, 18 Cheshvan, 5777 · 19 November 2016
• "Today's Day"
• Tuesday, Cheshvan 18, 5704
Torah lessons: Chumash: Chayei Sara, Shlishi with Rashi.
Tehillim: 88-89.
Tanya: XXIX. "A woman of (p. 575) ...210 and 229. (p. 577).
(At this point there appears in the Hebrew text emendations of Torah Or on this week's sedra, meaningful only in Hebrew. Translator).
• Daily Thought:
Food Beyond the Angels(Vayeirah)
Abraham stood over them under the tree and they ate.[Genesis 18:8]
When Abraham stood over them, only then were the angels capable of eating and elevating their food.[Rabbi Dov Ber of Lubavitch]
What more spiritual activity could there be than eating, when it is done not only with the mouth, but with the mind?
When a human being eats and his mind and soul are engaged, he separates the good from the bad, the divine from the mundane. The food rises to a higher realm. And then the divine sparks he has discovered within the food carry him yet higher.
The angels are incapable of such a feat—unless a human soul provides them the power. For, in mindful eating, the human soul reaches beyond the entire order of being.
As the Creator formed from the spiritual the physical, so the human being transforms the physical into spiritual.[Maamar, Vayeira, 5738 (1977)]
-------
• Kelim - Chapter 21
1
The strands that emerge from the weave and those at the beginning of the sheet of fabric and at its end are called nimin. Until what measure are they considered as part of the fabric? For a sheet, for a headcovering, a scarf, or a veil, six fingerbreadths. For a cloak that is open across its entire length and which is then closed with loops, the measure of its strands is ten fingerbreadths; a thick blanket, a mantle, a cloak, three fingerbreadths. Even if the garment is impure due the impurity of a zav or because of another form of impurity, if one touches a strand beyond these measures, he remains pure. Needless to say that if impurity touched the additional portion, the garment does not contract impurity.
א
החוטין היוצאין מן האריג ושבתחילת היריעה ושבסופה והן הנקראין נימין כמה שיעורן של סדין ושל סודרין ושל צעיף ושל פליון של ראש שש אצבעות ושל חלוק שהוא קרוע מתחילתו ועד סופו ואחר שלובשין אותו מקבצין אותו בלולאות שיעור חוטיו עשר אצבעות הסגיס והרדיד והטלית שלש אצבעות וכל היתר על השיעורין האלו הנוגע בו טהור אע"פ שהבגד טמא במדרס או בשאר טומאות ואין צריך לומר שאם נגעה טומאה ביתר שהבגד טהור:
2
There is no minimum measure for the strands that emerge from a headcovering, a mask worn by the Arabs over their faces, a belt made of goats' hair, undergarments worn by a person close to his flesh, a handkerchief, and a curtain placed over entrances like a drape.
ב
נימי הכיפה של ראש והמסוה שמניחין הערביים על פניהם והקלקלין השזורין מן השיער והפונדא שלובש האדם על בשרו והשמלה והפרגוד שמניחין על הפתחים כמו פרוכת נימיהן כל שהן:
3
When a plumb line contracts impurity, the twelve handbreadths of its strand are considered as joined to it. Anyone who touches a portion beyond twelve handbreadths is pure. A plumb line of carpenters is eighteen handbreadths; one used by the builders of large structures is 50 cubits. When one touches any portion beyond these measures, even if the owner desires that it be preserved, he is pure.
ג
משקולת שנטמאת הרי י"ב טפח מן החוט שלה חיבור לה וכל הנוגע בחוץ לשנים עשר טפח טהור ומשקולת של חרשים שמנה עשר טפח ושל בנאין חמשים אמה והיתר על מדות אלו אף על פי שהוא רוצה בקיומו טהור:
4
Plumb lines used by roofers and artists are impure regardless of their length.
ד
משקולות של סיידין ושל ציירין אפילו ארוכין כל שהן טמאין:
5
The length of the chain of a scale of goldsmiths, an ordinary balance scale, or a scale used by those who weigh precious purple cloth which is held by the seller, suspending the scale from his hand, is three fingerbreadths. Its horizontal beam and its strings have no specific length.
The length of the chain of the scale of sellers of scrap metal and the like is three handbreadths. Its beam and its strings are twelve handbreadths. The length of the chain of a scale used by merchants and homeowners is a handbreadth. Its beam and its strings are six handbreadths. The length of the chain of a scale used by wool merchants and those who weigh glass is two handbreadths. Its beam and its strings are nine handbreadths. Anything more than these measures is not considered as joined to the scale.
ה
חוט מאזנים של זהבים של פלס ושל שוקלי ארגמן טוב שאוחז השוקל בו ותולה המאזנים מידו שלש אצבעות קנה שלה וחוטיה כל שהן חוטי מאזנים של מוכרי עששיות של מתכות וכיוצא בהן שלשה טפחים קנה שלה וחוטיה שנים עשר טפחים חוט מאזנים של חנוונים ושל בעלי בתים טפח קנה המאזנים וחוטיה ששה טפחים חוט מאזנים של צמרים ושל שוקלי זכוכית טפחיים קנה מאזנים וחוטיה תשעה טפחים והיתר על השיעורין אלו אינן חיבור:
6
When is the cord used to tie the supports for a bed considered as joined to the bed? When one ties three squares. One who touches the cord from the point where it is tied and further inward is impure. For three fingerbreadths, the length of the cord on the outside of the knot is impure, because that measure is necessary for the knot and is considered as part of the bed. Anything outside of three fingerbreadths is pure, because it is not necessary for the k'li. Even if it is cut off, the knot will not become undone.
ו
החבל שמסרגין המטות מאימתי הוא חיבור לטומאה משיסרג בו שלשה בתים והנוגע בחבל מן הקשר ולפנים טמא מן הקשר ולחוץ עד שלש אצבעות טמא מפני שהן צרכיו של קשר הרי הן מכלל המטה וחוץ לשלש אצבעות טהור שאינו לצורך הכלי שאפילו פסקו אין הקשר ניתר:
7
When a person touches a cord extending out from a bed that is impure, until the end of four handbreadths, he is pure. The rationale is that this measure is not considered as necessary for the bed, since it is not fit for any purpose. From the beginning of the fifth handbreadth until the end of the tenth handbreadth, he is impure, because the cord is used to tie the beds when they are hung from the walls. From ten handbreadths and more, he is pure, because it is more than what is necessary for the bed.
ז
חבל היוצא מן המטה שהיא טמאה עד סוף ארבעה טפחים הנוגע בו טהור שאינו מצורכי המטה לפי שאינו ראוי לכלום מתחלת חמשה ועד סוף עשרה טמא מפני שתולין בו את המטות מעשרה ולחוץ טהור מפני שהוא יתר על צורך המטה:
8
The woven band tied around a bed to reinforce the connection between its components is called a mizran. The following rules apply with regard to the portion that extends outside the bed. For ten handbreadths, it is considered as necessary for the bed. Anything more than that is not necessary for the bed.
When a mizran has worn out, if seven handbreadths of it - enough to make a girdle for a donkey - remain, it is susceptible to impurity.
ח
אבנט של אריג שמקיפין אותו על המטה כדי לקבץ איבריה והוא הנקרא מזרן שמקצתו יוצאה מן המטה עד עשרה טפחים הרי הוא מצורכי המטה יתר על כן אינו מצרכי המטה ומזרן שבלה אם נשאר ממנו שבעה טפחים כדי לעשות ממנו חבק לחמור ה"ז מקבל טומאה:
9
When a bed was impure because it served as a support for a zav and a portion of its mizran protrudes from it, for ten handbreadths, it is a primary source of impurity like the bed itself. Everything is considered as a support to which a zav imparted impurity. Beyond ten handbreadths, the extra portion of the mizranis impure like an object that was touched by a support to which a zav imparted impurity.
When a zav steps on the extension of a mizran, if he steps on the first ten handbreadths, the entire bed is considered as a support to which a zav imparted impurity. If he steps on the portion, outside of ten handbreadths, the bed is pure.
With regard to what does the above apply? With regard to impurity stemming from serving as support for a zav. With regard to other types of impurity, even 100 cubits is considered as attached to the bed.
What is implied? When a mizran is wound around a bed and one brought its end into a structure in which a human corpse was found, the carcass of a crawling animal touched its end, or impure liquids fell on its end, the bed contracts impurity even if the end of the mizran that contracted impurity is 100 cubits away from the bed itself.
ט
מטה שהיתה טמאה מדרס ומזרן יוצא ממנה עד עשרה טפחים הרי הוא אב טומאה כמטה עצמה והכל מדרס מעשרה ולחוץ הרי הוא כמגע מדרס דרס הזב על המזרן היוצא מעשרה ולפנים הרי המטה כולה מדרס מעשרה ולחוץ טהורה במה דברים אמורים למדרס אבל לשאר טומאות אפילו מאה אמה כולו חיבור כיצד מזרן שהוא כרוך על המטה והכניס קצתו לאהל המת או שנגע שרץ בקצתו או שנפלו משקין טמאין על מקצתו נטמאת המטה ואפילו היה הקצה שנטמא יוצא מן המטה מאה אמה:
10
When a bed was impure because it was used as a support for a zav and one wound a mizran around it, everything contracts that impurity. If one separated them afterwards, the bed retains its original status, but the mizran is considered merely as an object that touched a support for a zav.
If the bed had contracted impurity that lasts seven days and one wound a mizran around it, everything contracts that impurity. If one separated them afterwards, the bed retains its original status, but the mizran is impure merely until nightfall. If the bed was impure until nightfall and one wound a mizran around it, everything contracts that impurity. If one separated them afterwards, the bed retains its original status, but the mizran is pure.
י
מטה הטמאה מדרס וכרך לה מזרן הכל טמא מדרס הפרישו המטה מדרס כשהיתה והמזרן מגע מדרס היתה טמאה טומאת שבעה וכרך לה מזרן כולה טמאה טומאת שבעה הפרישו היא טמאה כשהיתה והמזרן טמא טומאת ערב היתה טמאה טומאת ערב וכרך לה מזרן הכל טמא טומאת ערב הפרישו היא טמאה טומאת ערב והמזרן טהור:
11
If there was a mizran wound around a bed and a human corpse touched them, everything contracts impurity that lasts seven days. If they are separated, they both remain impure for that time. If the carcass of a crawling animal or the like touches them, they contract impurity that lasts until nightfall. If they are separated, they both remain impure for that time.
יא
מטה שכרך עליה מזרן ונגע בהן המת הכל טמא טומאת שבעה פירשו טמא טומאת שבעה נגע בה שרץ וכיוצא בהן טמאין טומאת ערב פירשו טמאין טומאת ערב:
12
When a bedpost that was deemed impure as a support for a zav was connected to a bed that had been pure, the entire bed is considered as such a support. If they were separated afterwards, the bedpost retains its original status and the bed is impure because of contact with such a support. Similarly, if a bedpost that had contracted impurity that lasts seven days was connected to a bed, the entire bed is impure for seven days as if a corpse had touched its bedpost. If one sprinkled the ashes of the red heifer on the bed, it is purified and the bedpost is purified together with it. If the bedpost was separated from the bed before the ashes of the red heifer were sprinkled, the bedpost retains its original status and the bed is impure until the evening.
If a bedpost that was impure until the evening was connected to a bed, everything is impure until the evening. If the bedpost was separated from the bed, the bedpost retains its original status and the bed is pure, for an article that it is impure until the evening as a derivative of impurity stemming from a corpse does not impart impurity, neither to a person or ana k'li, because it is merely a derivative, as we explained. Similar laws apply with regard to a tooth of a plow that contracted impurity from a corpse and was then joined to the plow.
יב
כרע שהיתה טמאה מדרס וחיברה למטה המטה כולה מדרס פירשה הכרע טמאה מדרס כשהיתה והמטה מגע מדרס וכן אם היתה הכרע טמאה טומאת שבעה וחיברה למטה המטה כולה טמאה שבעה כאילו נגע המת בכרע שלה ואם הזה על המטה טהרה והכרע בכללה ואם פירשה קודם הזייה הכרע טמאה טומאת שבעה כשהיתה והמטה טמאה טומאת ערב היה הכרע טמאה טומאת ערב וחיברה למטה הכל טמא טומאת ערב פירשה היא טמאה טומאת ערב והמטה טהורה שאין הטמא טומאת ערב מן המת מטמא לא אדם ולא כלים מפני שהוא ולד כמו שביארנו וכן הדין בשן של מעדר שנטמא במת ואחר כך חיברו למעדר:
• Tefillin, Mezuzah and Sefer Torah - Chapter Five
1
How is a mezuzah written? The two portions, Shema and V'hayah im shamo'a, are written on one piece of parchment in a single column. Approximately half a fingernail of space should be left above and below [the writing].
Should one write [a mezuzah] in two or three columns, it is acceptable, as long as it not written tail-shaped, in a circle, or tent-shaped. If it was written using any of these forms, it is not acceptable.
If it was not written in order - e.g., one wrote the passage [V'hayah im shamo'a] before the passage [Shema] - it is not acceptable. If one writes a mezuzah on two different parchments, it is not acceptable even if they were sewn together [later].
A mezuzah should not be made from a Torah scroll or tefillin that have become worn, nor should a mezuzah be written on the empty parchment from a Torah scroll, because one should not lower an article from a higher level of holiness to a lesser one.
א
כיצד כותבין את המזוזה כותבין שתי פרשיות שמע והיה אם שמוע על דף אחד ביריעה אחת ועושה לה ריוח מלמטה וריוח מלמעלה כמו חצי צפורן ואם כתבה בשנים או בשלשה דפין כשירה ובלבד שלא יעשנה כזנב או כמו עגול או כקובה ואם עשה כאחת מאלה פסולה כתבה שלא על הסדר כגון שהקדים פרשה לפרשה פסולה כתבה בשני עורות אף על פי שתפרן פסולה ספר תורה שבלה ותפילין שבלו אין עושין מהן מזוזה ולא מן הגליונים של ספר תורה אין כותבין עליו מזוזה לפי שאין מורידין מקדושה חמורה לקדושה קלה:
2
It is a mitzvah to leave a space between the passage Shemaand the passage V'hayah im shamo'a, as if it were s'tumah. If space were left as if it were p'tuchah, it is acceptable, since these passages do not follow each other in the Torah.
One must take care regarding the crowns [on the letters] in a mezuzah. The following letters should have crowns.
ב
ומצוה לעשות ריוח שבין פרשת שמע לוהיה אם שמוע פרשה סתומה ואם עשה אותה פתוחה כשירה לפי שאינה סמוכה לה מן התורה וצריך להזהר בתגין שבה ואלו הן התגין שעושין במזוזה:
3
In the first passage, there are seven letters which should each have three zeiynin upon it. They are: The shin and the ayin of [the word] Shema, the nun of [the word] nafsh'cha, the two zeiyninof [the word] mezuzot, and the two tettin of the word totafot.
In the second passage, there are six letters each of which should have three zeiynin upon it. They are: The gimmel of [the word] d'ganecha, the two zeiynin of [the word] mezuzot, the two tettin of the word totafot, and the tzadi of [the word] ha'aretz.
If no crowns were made, or one increased or decreased their number, [the mezuzah] is not invalidated. If the mezuzah was not written on ruled [parchment], if [the scribe] was not exact with regard to the use of the full or short form [of the words, or if [the scribe] added even a single letter inside [the mezuzah], it is invalidated.
ג
פרשה ראשונה יש בה שבע אותיות על כל אות מהן שלשה זייני"ן ואלו הן:
שי"ן עיי"ן של שמע ונו"ן דנפשך ותרי זייני"ן של מזוזות ותרי טיתי"ן של טטפת ופרשה שנייה יש בה שש אותיות על כל אות מהן שלשה זייני"ן ואלו הן:
גימ"ל של דגנך ותרי זייני"ן של מזוזות ותרי טיתי"ן של טוטפת וצדי"ק של הארץ ואם לא עשה תגין או שהוסיף בהן או גרע מהן לא פסל ואם כתבה שלא בשירטוט או שלא דקדק במלא וחסר או שהוסיף מבפנים אפילו אות אחת הרי זו פסולה:
4
It is a common custom to write [God's name,] Shaddai, on the outside of a mezuzah opposite the empty space left between the two passages. There is no difficulty in this, since [the addition is made] outside.
Those, however, who write the names of angels, other sacred names, verses, or forms, on the inside [of a mezuzah] are among those who do not have a portion in the world to come. Not only do these fools nullify the mitzvah, but furthermore, they make from a great mitzvah [which reflects] the unity of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, the love of Him, and the service of Him, a talisman for their own benefit. They, in their foolish conception, think that this will help them regarding the vanities of the world.
ד
מנהג פשוט שכותבים על המזוזה מבחוץ כנגד הריוח שבין פרשה לפרשה שדי ואין בזה הפסד לפי שהוא מבחוץ אבל אלו שכותבין מבפנים שמות המלאכים או שמות קדושים או פסוק או חותמות הרי הן בכלל מי שאין להם חלק לעולם הבא שאלו הטפשים לא די להם שבטלו המצוה אלא שעשו מצוה גדולה שהיא יחוד השם של הקדוש ברוך הוא ואהבתו ועבודתו כאילו הוא קמיע של הניית עצמן כמו שעלה על לבם הסכל שזהו דבר המהנה בהבלי העולם:
5
It is a mitzvah to write al ha'aretz on the final line [of a mezuzah], either at the beginning or in the middle of the line. It has become universally accepted custom for scribes to write [mezuzot] with 22 lines, with al ha'aretz at the beginning of the final line.
These are the letters that appear at the beginning of each line in order: shema, י-ה-ו-ה, hadevarim, l'vanecha, uv'shochbicha, beyn, v'hayah, m'tzaveh, b'chol, yoreh, esev, pen, v'hishtachavitem, hashamayim, va'avad'tem, v'samtem, otam, otam, baderech, uvish'arecha, asher, al ha'aretz13.
ה
ומצוה לכתוב על הארץ בשיטה אחרונה בין בראש בין (באמצע) השיטה ונהגו כל הסופרים לכתוב אותה בשתים ועשרים שיטות ועל הארץ בראש שיטה אחרונה ואלו הן האותיות שבראש כל שיטה ושיטה על הסדר:
שמע ה' הדברים לבניך ובשכבך בין והיה מצוה בכל יורה עשב פן והשתחויתם השמים ואבדתם ושמתם אתם אתם בדרך ובשעריך אשר על הארץ:
6
When [a mezuzah] is folded, it should be rolled from the end of the line to its beginning so that when a reader rolls it open, he will be able to read from the beginning of the line to the end.
After rolling it, one should place it in a tube made of reed, wood, or any other substance and affix it to the doorpost of one's entrance with a nail. Alternatively, one should hollow out the doorpost and place the mezuzah within.
ו
כשכופלין אותה גוללין אותה מסוף השיטה לתחלתה עד שתמצא כשיפתח הקורא לקרות יקרא מראש השיטה לסופה ואחר שגוללה מניחה בשפופרת של קנה או של עץ או של כל דבר ומחבר אותה אל מזוזת הפתח במסמר או חופר במזוזת הפתח ומכניס בה המזוזה:
7
Before affixing it on the doorpost of the entrance, one should recite the blessing: "Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah."
One should not recite a blessing when writing [the mezuzah], because affixing it fulfills the mitzvah.
ז
וקודם שיקבענה במזוזת הפתח מברך תחלה ברוך אתה יי' אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו לקבוע מזוזה ואינו מברך בשעת כתיבתה שקביעתה זו היא המצוה:
8
If one suspends [a mezuzah] within a pole, it is unacceptable, because it has not been affixed. If one positions it behind the door, it is as if one has done nothing.
Should one hollow out the doorpost and place a mezuzah within it horizontally, as the rods were put through the rings [in the Sanctuary], it is unacceptable. Should one place it deeper than a handbreadth [within the doorpost], it is unacceptable.
Should one cut a reed in half and insert a mezuzah within, and afterwards connect this reed with other reeds, making a doorpost for the house from them, it is unacceptable, because the affixing of the mezuzah preceded the making of the doorpost of the entrance.
ח
תלאה במקל פסולה שאין זו קבועה הניחה אחרי הדלת לא עשה כלום חפר במזוזת הפתח והכניס המזוזה כמו נגר והיא כבריח הקרשים בטבעות פסולה העמיק לה טפח פסולה חתך קנה והכניס בו מזוזה ואח"כ חיבר הקנה אל קנים אחרים והעמיד מן הכל מזוזת הפתח פסולה מפני שקדמה קביעת המזוזה לעשיית מזוזת הפתח:
9
A mezuzah [placed] on private [property] should be checked twice in seven years, and a mezuzah [placed] on public [property] should be checked twice in fifty years, lest a letter have become torn or faded. Since it is affixed within a wall, there is the possibility that it will decay.
ט
מזוזת היחיד נבדקת פעמים בשבוע ומזוזת רבים פעמים ביובל שמא נקרעה ממנה אות אחת או נמחקה מפני שהיא קבועה בכתלים מרקבת:
10
Everyone is obligated [to fulfill the mitzvah of] mezuzah, even women and slaves. Minors should be educated to affix a mezuzah to [the doors of] their homes.
A person who rents a dwelling in the diaspora, and a person who rents a room in a hotel in Eretz Yisrael, are exempt from the obligation [to affix a] mezuzah for thirty days. One who rents a house in Eretz Yisrael, however, is obligated [to affix a] mezuzahimmediately.
י
הכל חייבין במזוזה אפילו נשים ועבדים ומחנכים את הקטנים לעשות מזוזה לבתיהם השוכר בית בחוצה לארץ והדר בפונדק בארץ ישראל פטור מן המזוזה ל' יום אבל השוכר בית בארץ ישראל חייב במזוזה מיד:
11
When a person rents a dwelling to a colleague, the tenant is obligated to obtain a mezuzah and affix it. [This applies] even if he would pay to have it affixed. [The rationale is] that a mezuzah is an obligation incumbent on the person dwelling [in the house], and is not incumbent on the house.
When [the tenant] leaves [the dwelling, however], he should not take it with him unless the dwelling belongs to a gentile. In that instance, he should remove it when he leaves.
יא
המשכיר בית לחבירו על השוכר להביא מזוזה ולקבוע אותה אפילו היה נותן שכר על קביעתה מפני שהמזוזה חובת הדר היא ואינה חובת הבית וכשהוא יוצא לא יטלנה בידו ויצא ואם היה הבית של כותי הרי זה נוטלה כשיצא:
Tefillin, Mezuzah and Sefer Torah - Chapter Six
1
There are ten requirements that must be met by a house for the person who dwells within to be obligated to affix a mezuzah. If one of the requirements is lacking, there is no obligation for a mezuzah. They are:
a) for the area [of the dwelling] to be four cubits by four cubits or more;
b) for it to have two doorposts;
c) for it to have a lintel;
d) for it to have a roof;
e) for it to have doors;
f) for the entrance to be at least ten handbreadths high;
g) for the dwelling not to be consecrated;
h) for it to be intended for human habitation;
i) for it to be intended to be used for a dignified dwelling;
j) for it to be a permanent dwelling.
אa) for the area [of the dwelling] to be four cubits by four cubits or more;
b) for it to have two doorposts;
c) for it to have a lintel;
d) for it to have a roof;
e) for it to have doors;
f) for the entrance to be at least ten handbreadths high;
g) for the dwelling not to be consecrated;
h) for it to be intended for human habitation;
i) for it to be intended to be used for a dignified dwelling;
j) for it to be a permanent dwelling.
עשרה תנאין יש בבית ואחר כך יתחייב הדר בו לעשות לו מזוזה ואם חסר תנאי אחד מהן פטור מן המזוזה ואלו הן:
שיהיה בן ארבע אמות על ארבע אמות או יתר ושתהיינה לו שתי מזוזות ויהיה לו משקוף ותהיה לו תקרה ויהיו לו דלתות ויהיה השער גבוה עשרה טפחים או יותר ויהיה הבית חול ויהיה עשוי לדירת אדם ועשוי לדירת כבוד ועשוי לדירת קבע:
2
A dwelling which is less than four cubits by four cubits does not require a mezuzah. If its area is equal to sixteen square cubits, although it is circular, pentagonal, and needless to say, if it is rectangular, since its area is equal to the above-mentioned figure, it requires a mezuzah.
ב
בית שאין לו ארבע אמות על ארבע אמות פטור מן המזוזה ואם יש בו כדי לרבע ארבע אמות על ארבע אמות בשוה אע"פ שהוא עגול או בעל חמש זויות ואין צריך לומר שאם היה ארכו יתר על רחבו הואיל ויש בו לרבע ארבע אמות על ארבע אמות חייב במזוזה:
3
An excedra, a structure with three walls and a roof, does not require a mezuzah even though it has two pillars on the fourth side. The pillars are intended as supports for the roof, and not as doorposts.
Similarly, a roof without walls which stands on pillars, even though shaped like a house, does not require a mezuzah, because it has no doorposts. The pillars are intended to support the roof.
ג
אכסדרה והוא המקום שיש לו שלשה כתלים ותקרה אע"פ שיש לה שני פצימין ברוח רביעית פטורה מן המזוזה מפני שהפצימין להעמיד התקרה הם עשויים ולא משום מזוזות נעשו וכן התקרה שאין לה כתלים אלא עומדת על עמודים מכאן ומכאן אף על פי שהיא כתבנית בית פטורה לפי שאין לה מזוזות שאלו העמודים להעמיד התקרה הן עשויין:
4
[The following rules apply to] a house which has a doorpost on either side and an arch above the two doorposts instead of a lintel. If the doorposts are ten handbreadths high or more, it requires a mezuzah. If they are not ten handbreadths high, [the entrance] does not require [a mezuzah], because it does not have a lintel.
ד
בית שיש לו מזוזה מכאן ומכאן וכיפה כמין קשת על שתי המזוזות במקום המשקוף אם יש בגובה המזוזות עשרה טפחים או יתר חייב במזוזה ואם אין בהן עשרה טפחים פטורין מפני שאין לו משקוף:
5
A house that does not have a roof does not require a mezuzah. If a portion of [a building] was covered by a roof and a portion was not, the [following ruling] appears to me [as appropriate]: If the covered portion is near the entrance, it requires a mezuzah.
The doors should be attached, and afterwards, a mezuzah affixed.
ה
בית שאין לו תקרה פטור מן המזוזה היה מקצתו מקורה ומקצתו אינו מקורה יראה לי שאם היה הקירוי כנגד הפתח שהוא חייב במזוזה ומעמידין הדלתות ואח"כ קובעין את המזוזה:
6
[The gates to] the Temple Mount, its chambers, courtyards, and, similarly, entrances to synagogues and houses of study which do not have apartments in which people live do not require mezuzot, because they are consecrated.
A synagogue in a village in which guests reside requires a mezuzah. Similarly, a synagogue in a metropolis, if it has an apartment, requires a mezuzah.
All the gates in the Temple complex did not have mezuzot, with the exception of the Gate of Nicanor and those further within, and the entrance to the Chamber of Parhedrin, because this chamber served as a dwelling for the High Priest during the seven days when he was separated [from his home in preparation for the Yom Kippur service].
ו
הר הבית הלשכות והעזרות ובתי כנסיות ובתי מדרשות שאין בהן בית דירה פטורין לפי שהן קדש בית הכנסת של כפרים שהאורחין דרין בו חייב במזוזה וכן בית הכנסת של כרכין אם היה בו בית דירה חייב כל השערים שהיו במקדש לא היה להם מזוזות חוץ משער נקנור ושלפנים ממנו ושל לשכת פרהדרין מפני שהלשכה הזאת היתה בית דירה לכהן גדול בשבעת ימי ההפרשה:
7
A storage house for straw, a barn for cattle, a woodshed, or [other] storage rooms do not require a mezuzah [as can be inferred from Deuteronomy 6:9, which requires that a mezuzah be placed on] "your homes" - i.e., a house which is set aside for your use - thus excluding the above and their like.
Therefore, [if] a barn [is also used] by women as a dressing room, it requires a mezuzah, since it is used as a dwelling by a human being. A guardhouse, an excedra, a porch, a garden, and a corral do not require a mezuzah since they are not dwellings. If dwellings which require a mezuzah open up to these structures, they require a mezuzah.
ז
בית התבן בית הבקר בית העצים בית אוצרות פטורין מן המזוזה שנאמר ביתך ביתך המיוחד לך פרט לאלו וכיוצא בהן לפיכך רפת הבקר שהנשים יושבות בה ומתקשטות בה חייבות במזוזה שהרי יש בה יחוד לדירת אדם בית שער אכסדרה ומרפסת והגינה והדיר פטורין מן המזוזה מפני שאינם עשויין לדירה אם היו בתים החייבין במזוזה פתוחין למקומות אלו חייבין במזוזה:
8
Accordingly, gates to courtyards, gates to alleys, and gates to cities and towns, all require a mezuzah, since houses which require a mezuzah open up to them. Even when there are ten structures leading one to each other, should the innermost one require a mezuzah, they all require [mezuzot]. Therefore, [our Sages] stated: A gate which opens up from a garden to a courtyard requires a mezuzah.
ח
לפיכך אחד שערי חצרות ואחד שערי מבואות ואחד שערי מדינות ועיירות הכל חייבים במזוזה שהרי הבתים החייבין במזוזה פתוחין לתוכן אפילו עשרה בתים זה פתוח לזה וזה פתוח לזה הואיל והפנימי חייב במזוזה כולן חייבין ומפני זה אמרו שער הפתוח מן הגינה לחצר חייב במזוזה:
9
A toilet, a bathhouse, a mikveh, a tannery, and the like, do not require a mezuzah, since they do not constitute a dignified dwelling.
A sukkah on the holiday of Sukkot, and a house on a ship do not require a mezuzah, for they do not constitute a permanent dwelling.
[With regard to] the two booths of a potter, one inside the other: The outer booth does not require a mezuzah, because it is not a permanent structure. Stores in a market place do not require a mezuzah because they are not permanently used as a dwelling.
ט
בית הכסא ובית המרחץ ובית הטבילה ובית הבורסקי וכיוצא בהם פטורין מן המזוזה לפי שאינן עשויין לדירת כבוד סוכת חג בחג ובית שבספינה פטורין מן המזוזה לפי שאינן עשויין לדירת קבע שתי סוכות של יוצרים זו לפנים מזו החיצונה פטורה מן המזוזה לפי שאינה קבועה החנויות שבשוקים פטורין מפני שאינן קבועים לדירה:
10
A dwelling which has many doorways requires a mezuzahfor each and every doorway, even though one generally enters and leaves through only one of them.
A small entrance between a dwelling and a loft requires a mezuzah. When there is a separate room in a house, or even one room which leads to another room, it is necessary to affix a mezuzah on the doorway to the innermost room, the doorway to the outer room, and the doorway to the house, since all of them are used for the purpose of dwelling and are permanent structures.
י
בית שיש לו פתחים הרבה אף על פי שאינו רגיל לצאת ולבא אלא באחת מהן חייב לעשות מזוזה בכל פתח ופתח פתח קטן שבין בית לעליה חייב במזוזה חדר שבבית אפילו חדר בחדר חייב לעשות מזוזה על שער החדר הפנימי ועל שער החדר החיצון ועל שער הבית שכולן עשויין לדירה וקבועין:
11
When a person frequently enters and leaves through an entrance between a synagogue and a house of study and his own house, that entrance requires a mezuzah.
When there is an entrance between two houses, [the position of the mezuzah] is determined by the door-hinge. The mezuzah is placed on the side on which the hinge can be seen.
יא
פתח שבין בית המדרש או בין בית הכנסת וביתו אם רגיל לצאת ולבוא באותו הפתח חייב במזוזה פתח שבין שני בתים הולכין אחר הציר של דלת מקום שהציר נראה עמו שם קובעים את המזוזה:
12
Where is the mezuzah affixed? At the inside of the entrance, within a handbreadth of the outer edge of the doorpost, at the beginning of the top third of the entrance. If it was affixed higher up, it is acceptable as long as it is at least a handbreadth below the lintel.
It must be placed at the right-hand side as one enters the house. If it is placed on the left-hand side, it is invalid.
A house belonging to partners requires a mezuzah.
יב
והיכן קובעים את המזוזה בתוך חלל של פתח בטפח הסמוך לחוץ בתחלת שליש העליון של גובה השער ואם קבעה למעלה מזה כשרה והוא שירחיקנה מן המשקוף טפח וצריך לקובעה על ימין הנכנס לבית ואם קבעה משמאל פסולה ובית של שותפין חייב במזוזה:
13
A person must show great care in [the observance of the mitzvah of] mezuzah, because it is an obligation which is constantly incumbent upon everyone.
[Through its observance,] whenever a person enters or leaves [the house], he will encounter the unity of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and remember his love for Him. Thus, he will awake from his sleep and his obsession with the vanities of time, and recognize that there is nothing which lasts for eternity except the knowledge of the Creator of the world. This will motivate him to regain full awareness and follow the paths of the upright.
Whoever wears tefillin on his head and arm, wears tzitzit on his garment, and has a mezuzah on his entrance, can be assured that he will not sin, because he has many who will remind him. These are the angels, who will prevent him from sinning, as [Psalms 34:8] states: "The angel of God camps around those who fear Him and protects them."
Blessed be God who offers assistance.
יגBlessed be God who offers assistance.
חייב אדם להזהר במזוזה מפני שהיא חובת הכל תמיד וכל זמן שיכנס ויצא יפגע ביחוד השם שמו של הקדוש ב"ה ויזכור אהבתו ויעור משנתו ושגיותיו בהבלי הזמן וידע שאין דבר העומד לעולם ולעולמי עולמים אלא ידיעת צור העולם ומיד הוא חוזר לדעתו והולך בדרכי מישרים אמרו חכמים הראשונים כל מי שיש לו תפילין בראשו ובזרועו וציצית בבגדו ומזוזה בפתחו מוחזק הוא שלא יחטא שהרי יש לו מזכירין רבים והן הם המלאכים שמצילין אותו מלחטוא שנאמר חונה מלאך יי' סביב ליראיו ויחלצם בריך רחמנא דסייען:
Tefillin, Mezuzah and Sefer Torah - Chapter Seven
1
It is a positive commandment for each and every Jewish man to write a Torah scroll for himself, as [implied by the commandment (Deuteronomy 31:19)]: "And now, write down this song for yourselves," i.e., write down the [entire] Torah which contains this song. [The basis for this interpretation is] that the Torah should not be written passage by passage.
Even if a person's ancestors left him a Torah scroll, it is a mitzvah to write one himself. If a person writes the scroll by hand, it is considered as if he received it on Mount Sinai. If he does not know how to write himself, [he should have] others write it for him.
Anyone who checks even a single letter of a Torah scroll is considered as if he wrote the entire scroll.
א
מצות עשה על כל איש ואיש מישראל לכתוב ספר תורה לעצמו שנאמר ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה כלומר כתבו לכם תורה שיש בה שירה זו לפי שאין כותבין את התורה פרשיות פרשיות ואע"פ שהניחו לו אבותיו ספר תורה מצוה לכתוב משלו ואם כתבו בידו הרי הוא כאילו קבלה מהר סיני ואם אינו יודע לכתוב אחרים כותבין לו וכל המגיה ספר תורה ואפילו אות אחת הרי הוא כאילו כתבו כולו:
2
A king is commanded to write another Torah scroll for himself, for the sake of his sovereignty, in addition to the scroll which he possessed while a commoner, as [Deuteronomy 17:18] states: "And when he sits on his royal throne, he shall write...." This scroll should be checked against the scroll in the Temple Courtyard by the Supreme Sanhedrin.
The one which he possessed while he was a commoner should be placed in his storage chambers, and the one that he wrote - or had written for him - while he was a king, should be with him at all times. When he goes out to war, his Torah scroll should be with him. When he returns, it should be with him. When he sits in judgment, it should be with him. When he dines, it should be opposite him, as [Deuteronomy 17:19] states: "And it shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life."
ב
והמלך מצוה עליו לכתוב ספר תורה אחד לעצמו לשם המלך יתר על ספר שיהיה לו כשהוא הדיוט שנאמר והיה כשבתו על כסא ממלכתו וכתב לו וגו' ומגיהין אותו מספר העזרה ע"פ בית דין הגדול זה שהיה לו כשהוא הדיוט מניחו בבית גנזיו וזה שכתב או שנכתב לו אחר שמלך יהיה עמו תמיד ואם יצא למלחמה ספר תורה עמו נכנס והוא עמו יושב בדין והוא עמו מיסב והוא כנגדו שנאמר והיתה עמו וקרא בו כל ימי חייו:
3
If a king did not possess a Torah scroll before he became king, he must write two Torah scrolls after he ascends the throne: one to place in his storage chambers, and the other to accompany him at all times, never leaving his presence except at night, when he enters the bathhouse, the toilet, or when he sleeps.
ג
לא היה לו ספר תורה קודם שימלוך צריך לכתוב לו אחר שמלך שני ספרי תורה אחד מניחו בבית גנזיו והשני יהיה עמו תמיד לא יסור מעמו אלא בלילה בלבד וכשיכנס לבית המרחץ או לבית הכסא או לישן על מטתו:
4
A Torah scroll which was written on unruled [parchment] or which was written with portions on g'vil and portions on k'laf is invalid. It must be written either entirely on g'vil or entirely on k'laf.
How should a Torah scroll be written? One should write with very careful and attractive calligraphy, leaving the space the size of a small letter between each word and a hairbreadth's space between each letter. The space of a line should be left between each line.
The length of each line should be thirty letters so that one can write the word למשפחותיכם three times. This should be the width of every column. A line should not be shorter than this, lest the column appear like a note; nor wider than this, so that one's eyes will not wander through the text.
ד
ספר תורה שכתבו בלא שרטוט או שכתבו מקצתו על הגויל ומקצתו על הקלף פסול אלא או כולו על הגויל או כולו על הקלף וכיצד כותבין ספר תורה כותב כתיבה מתוקנת נאה ביותר יניח בין כל תיבה ותיבה כמלא אות קטנה ובין אות לאות כמלוא חוט השערה ובין כל שיטה ושיטה כמלוא שיטה ואורך כל שיטה ושיטה שלשים אותיות כדי לכתוב למשפחותיכם למשפחותיכם למשפחותיכם תלתא זימני וזה הוא רוחב כל דף ודף ולא תהא שיטה קצרה מזה כדי שלא יהא הדף כאיגרת ולא אורכה יותר על זה כדי שלא יהו עיניו משוטטות בכתב:
5
One should not reduce the size of a letter in order to leave the proper amount of space between one passage and another.
Should [a scribe] have to write a word with five letters [at the end of a line, and there not be sufficient space for them all], he should not write two within the column and three beyond its margins. Rather, he should write three within the column, and two beyond its margins. If there is no room on the line to write [at least] three letters, he should leave an empty space and continue at the beginning of the [next] line.
ה
לא ימעט הכתב מפני הריוח שבין פרשה לפרשה נזדמנה לו תיבה בת חמש אותיות לא יכתוב שתים בתוך הדף ושלש חוץ לדף אלא כותב שלש בתוך הדף ושתים חוץ לדף לא נשאר מן השיטה כדי לכתוב שלש אותיות מניח המקום פנוי ומתחיל מתחילת השיטה:
6
Should [a scribe] have to write a two-letter word [after completing a line], he should not write it between the columns. Instead, he should write it at the beginning of the [following] line.
[The following rules apply] if one had to write a word of ten - or more or fewer - letters in the middle of a line, and less space than necessary remained within the column: If it is possible to write half of the word within the column, with [only] half extending beyond the margin, he should. If that is not possible, he should leave an empty space and continue at the beginning of the next line.
ו
נזדמנה לו תיבה בת שתי אותיות לא יזרקנה בין הדפין אלא יחזיר לתחלת השיטה נזדמנה לו בתוך השיטה תיבה בת עשר אותיות או פחות או יתר ולא נשאר מן השיטה כדי לכתוב את כולה בתוך הדף אם יכול לכתוב חציה בתוך הדף וחציה חוץ לדף כותב ואם לאו מניח המקום פנוי ומתחיל מתחלת השיטה:
7
One should leave four empty lines between each of the books of the Torah, neither more, nor less, starting the next book at the beginning of the following line.
One should complete the entire Torah in the middle of the line at the bottom of the column. If many lines remain in the column, he should write shorter lines, beginning at the beginning of the line, but not completing it, so that the words לעיני כל ישראל are in the middle of the line at the bottom of the column.
ז
ומניח בין כל חומש וחומש ארבע שיטין פנויות בלא כתיבה לא פחות ולא יתר ויתחיל החומש מתחלת שיטה חמישית וכשיגמור את התורה צריך שיגמור באמצע שיטה שבסוף הדף ואם נשאר מן הדף שיטין הרבה מקצר ועולה ומתחיל מתחלת השיטה שבסוף הדף ולא יגמור את השיטה ומתכוין עד שיהיה לעיני כל ישראל באמצע שיטה שבסוף הדף:
8
One should be careful regarding the oversized letters, the miniature letters, the letters that are dotted, the letters that have abnormal shapes - e.g., the pe'in that are bent over - and the crooked letters that the scribes have copied from each other in a chain of tradition.
[Similarly,] care should be taken regarding the crowns and the number [of crowns placed on a letter]. There are some letters that have [only] one crown, and others that have seven crowns. All these crowns are shaped like zeiynin. They should be as thin as a hair.
ח
ויזהר באותיות הגדולות ובאותיות הקטנות ובאותיות הנקודות ואותיות המשונות כגון הפאי"ן הלפופות והאותיות העקומות כמו שהעתיקו הסופרים איש מפי איש ויזהר בתגין ובמניינן יש אות שיש עליה תג אחד ויש אות שיש עליה שבעה וכל התגין כצורת זייני"ן הן דקין כחוט השערה:
9
All the above matters were mentioned only because this is the most perfect way of performing the mitzvah. Should one, however, alter the structure [of a scroll from that] mentioned above or not be precise regarding the placement of the crowns, [the scroll is acceptable] if all the letters were written as they should be.
[Similarly,] if one wrote the lines closer together, separated them further, lengthened them, or shortened them, the scroll is acceptable, provided one letter does not touch another, no letters are omitted, extra letters are not added, the shape of even a single letter is not altered, and the [form of the passages, whether] p'tuchah or s'tumah, is not changed.
ט
כל הדברים האלו לא נאמרו אלא למצוה מן המובחר ואם שינה בתיקון זה או שלא דקדק בתגין וכתב כל האותיות כתיקונן או שקרב את השיטין או הרחיקן או האריכן או קצרן הואיל ולא הדביקן אות באות ולא חיסר ולא הותיר ולא הפסיד צורת אות אחת ולא שינה בפתוחות וסתומות הרי זה ספר כשר:
10
There are other practices which, although they are not mentioned in the Talmud, have been followed by scribes as tradition, transferred from generation to generation. They include that:
a) the number of lines in each column not be less than 48 nor greater than 60;
b) there is a space of approximately nine letters left empty between each passage, so that one could write the word אשר three times;
c) that the five lines above the song recited at the Red Sea begin with the words: haba'im, bayabashah, י-ה-ו-ה andb'Mitzrayim, and that the five lines below that song begin with the words: vatikach, achareha, sus, vayetz'u, and vayavo'u.
d) that the six lines above the song, Ha'azinu begin with the words: v'a'idah, acharei, haderech, b'acharit, l'hach'iso, and k'hal, and that the five lines below that song begin with the words: vayavo, l'daber, asher, hazot, asher.
יa) the number of lines in each column not be less than 48 nor greater than 60;
b) there is a space of approximately nine letters left empty between each passage, so that one could write the word אשר three times;
c) that the five lines above the song recited at the Red Sea begin with the words: haba'im, bayabashah, י-ה-ו-ה andb'Mitzrayim, and that the five lines below that song begin with the words: vatikach, achareha, sus, vayetz'u, and vayavo'u.
d) that the six lines above the song, Ha'azinu begin with the words: v'a'idah, acharei, haderech, b'acharit, l'hach'iso, and k'hal, and that the five lines below that song begin with the words: vayavo, l'daber, asher, hazot, asher.
יש דברים אחרים שלא נאמרו בגמרא ונהגו בהם הסופרים וקבלה הוא בידם איש מפי איש והן שיהיו מנין השיטין שבכל דף ודף לא פחות משמנה וארבעים ולא יתר על ששים ושיהיה הריוח שבין פרשה לפרשה כמו תשע אותיות אשר אשר אשר ושיהיה בראש השיטין למעלה משירת הים הבאים ביבשה השם מת במצרים חמש שיטין ולמטה מן השירה חמש שיטין תחלת כל שיטה מהן כך ותקח אחריה סוס ויצאו ויבאו ויהיה בראשי השיטין למעלה משירת האזינו ואעידה אחרי הדרך באחרית להכעיסו קהל שש שיטין ולמטה ממנה חמש שיטין ויבא לדבר אשר הזאת אשר:
11
All the above matters [were mentioned] only because this is the most perfect way of performing the mitzvah. If one deviated from them, [the scroll] is not disqualified.
In contrast, if one wrote the short form of a word that should be spelled using a long form, or the long form of one that should be spelled using a short form, [the scroll] is disqualified.
[The same ruling applies if, in circumstances where one word is written in the Torah scroll and a different word is read] - e.g.,yishkavenah is read instead of yishgalenah (Deuteronomy 28:30), and uvat'chorim is read instead of uva'folim (Deuteronomy 28:27) - one writes the word that is read [instead of the word that is written].
Similarly, if one wrote a passage that should be p'tuchah as s'tumah, or one that should be s'tumah as p'tuchah, or if one wrote another passage from the Torah in the form of one of the songs, or wrote one of the songs in the form of another passage, [the scroll is disqualified]. It does not have the holiness of a Torah scroll and, instead, is considered as one of the chumashim from which children are taught.
יא
וכל הדברים האלו למצוה מן המובחר ואם שינה לא פסל אבל אם כתב המלא חסר או החסר מלא או שכתב מלה שהיא קרי וכתב כקריאתה כגון שכתב ישכבנה במקום ישגלנה ובטחורים במקום ובעפולים וכיוצא בהן או שכתב פרשה פתוחה סתומה או סתומה פתוחה או שכתב השירה כשאר הכתב או שכתב פרשה אחת כשירה הרי זה פסול ואין בו קדושת ספר תורה כלל אלא כחומש מן החומשין שמלמדין בה התינוקות:
12
A Torah scroll that is uncorrected should not be left [unattended to] for more than thirty days. Rather, it should either be corrected or entombed.
A Torah scroll that has three errors in each column should be corrected. If it has four, it should be entombed. Should the majority of a scroll have been checked to be accurate and there are four errors in each column of the remainder of the scroll, the scroll should be corrected, provided there is at least one column of the defective portion that has fewer than four errors.
יב
ספר תורה שאינו מוגה אסור לשהותו יותר על שלשים יום אלא יתקן או יגנז ספר תורה שיש בו שלש טעיות בכל דף ודף יתקן ואם היו ארבע יגנז ואם היה רוב הספר מוגה והשאר יש בו ארבע טעיות בכל דף ונשאר אפילו דף אחד מאותו השאר המשובש בלא ארבע טעיות הרי זה יתקן:
13
When does the above apply? When one wrote the short form of a word instead of the long form, and one will thus be forced to insert the [extra] letters between the lines. If, however, one wrote the long form of a word instead of the short form, one may correct the scroll even if there are many errors on each page. In such an instance, one removes a letter instead of inserting it.
יג
במה דברים אמורים שכתב המלא חסר שנמצא תולה האותיות ששכח ביני השיטות אבל אם כתב החסר מלא אפילו יש בכל דף ודף כמה טעיות הרי זה מתקן מפני שהוא גורד ואינו תולה:
14
It is permitted to write a scroll containing each of the five books of the Torah individually. These scrolls do not have the sanctity of a Torah scroll.
One should not write a scroll that contains several passages, nor should one write a scroll for a child to learn from. This is, nevertheless, permitted if one [ultimately] intends to complete an entire book of the Torah. It is permitted to write a scroll with [verses from the Torah] when one writes three words in a line spaced out disjointedly.
יד
מותר לכתוב התורה כל חומש וחומש בפני עצמו ואין בהן קדושת ספר תורה אבל לא יכתוב מגילה בפני עצמה שיהיה בה פרשיות ואין כותבין מגילה לתינוק להתלמד בה ואם דעתו להשלים עליה חומש מותר כתב מגילה שלש שלש תיבות בשיטה אחת מותר:
15
It is permitted to include [all the books of] the Torah, the Prophets, and the Holy Scriptures in a single scroll.
Four empty lines should be left between each book of the Torah, and three empty lines between each book of the Prophets. One should also leave three lines between each book of the twelve [minor] prophets, so that should one desire to cut, he may do so.
This is the order of the Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, the Twelve [Minor Prophets].
This is the order of the Holy Scriptures: Ruth, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Ezra, Chronicles.
טו
מותר לדבק תורה נביאים וכתובים בכרך אחד ומניח בכל חומש וחומש ארבע שיטין ובין כל נביא ונביא שלש שיטין ובין כל נביא ונביא משנים עשר שלש שיטין שאם בא לחתוך חותך וסידורן של נביאים כך הוא:
יהושע שופטים שמואל מלכים ירמיה יחזקאל ישעיה תרי עשר וסדר הכתובים:
רות ותהלים ואיוב ומשלי וקהלת ושיר השירים וקינות ודניאל ומגילה ודברי הימים:
16
All sacred texts may be written only on a ruled [surface]. [This applies] even if they are written on paper. One may write three words without ruling [the surface on which they are written]. Writing any more than that is forbidden.
A scroll that includes the Torah, the Prophets, and the Holy Scriptures does not possess the same degree of holiness as a Torah scroll. Rather, it is like a scroll containing one of the books of the Torah, because the addition [of a book in the scroll] is equivalent to having omitted one.
טז
כל כתבי הקדש אין כותבין אותן אלא בשירטוט אפילו כתבן על הנייר ומותר לכתוב שלש תיבות בלא שירטוט יותר על זה אסור כרך זה שיש בו תורה נביאים וכתובים אין קדושתו כקדושת ספר תורה אלא כחומש מן החומשים דין היתר כדין החסר:
• Shabbat, 18 Cheshvan, 5777 · 19 November 2016
• "Today's Day"
• Tuesday, Cheshvan 18, 5704
Torah lessons: Chumash: Chayei Sara, Shlishi with Rashi.
Tehillim: 88-89.
Tanya: XXIX. "A woman of (p. 575) ...210 and 229. (p. 577).
(At this point there appears in the Hebrew text emendations of Torah Or on this week's sedra, meaningful only in Hebrew. Translator).
• Daily Thought:
Food Beyond the Angels(Vayeirah)
Abraham stood over them under the tree and they ate.[Genesis 18:8]
When Abraham stood over them, only then were the angels capable of eating and elevating their food.[Rabbi Dov Ber of Lubavitch]
What more spiritual activity could there be than eating, when it is done not only with the mouth, but with the mind?
When a human being eats and his mind and soul are engaged, he separates the good from the bad, the divine from the mundane. The food rises to a higher realm. And then the divine sparks he has discovered within the food carry him yet higher.
The angels are incapable of such a feat—unless a human soul provides them the power. For, in mindful eating, the human soul reaches beyond the entire order of being.
As the Creator formed from the spiritual the physical, so the human being transforms the physical into spiritual.[Maamar, Vayeira, 5738 (1977)]
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