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- ב"ה - Today in Judaism - Today is Friday, Tammuz 13, 5777 · July 7, 2017 - Candle Lighting -Light Candles before sunset ––:––Today in Jewish History:
• R. Yosef Yitzchak Freed (1927)
On the 13th of Tammuz of 1927, the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, received the documents authorizing his release from a sentence of exile to Kastroma in the interior of Russia. The Rebbe was actually notified of his release on Tammuz 12, but since that day was a legal holiday, the Certificate of Release freeing him to travel home was issued only the next day. Thus both the 12th and 13th of Tammuz are celebrated as a "festival of liberation" by the Chabad-Lubavitch community. (For more on the Rebbe's arrest and liberation, "Today in Jewish History" for yesterday, Tammuz 12).
Daily Quote:
As one person, with one heart [Midrash Mechilta (describing the Jews' encampment at Sinai to receive the Torah)]
Daily Torah Study:
Chumash: with Rashi
• English / Hebrew Linear Translation
• Video Class
• Daily Wisdom (short insight)
Numbers Chapter 23
27Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to a different place. Perhaps it will please God, and you will curse them for me from there. כז וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בָּלָק֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם לְכָה־נָּא֙ אֶקָּ֣חֲךָ֔ אֶל־מָק֖וֹם אַחֵ֑ר אוּלַ֤י יִישַׁר֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְקַבֹּ֥תוֹ לִ֖י מִשָּֽׁם:
so that you will curse them for me: Heb. וְקַבֹּתוֹ. This is not in the imperative like“curse them” (וְקָבְנוֹ, in verse 13), but the future tense: it will please God and you will curse them for me from there, maldiras in old French, you will curse.
וקבותו לי: אין זה לשון צווי, כמו וקבנו, אלא לשון עתיד, אולי יישר בעיניו ותקבנו לי משם, מלדי"רש מי"י בלע"ז (תקלל אותו):
28So Balak took Balaam to the peak of Peor, overlooking the wastelands. כחוַיִּקַּ֥ח בָּלָ֖ק אֶת־בִּלְעָ֑ם רֹ֣אשׁ הַפְּע֔וֹר הַנִּשְׁקָ֖ף עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַיְשִׁימֹֽן:
to the peak of Peor: Balak was a great soothsayer, and he foresaw that they were destined to be smitten through Peor, but he did not know in what way. He said,“Perhaps the curse will take effect on them from there.” It is much the same with all the stargazers; they see things, but they do not know what they are seeing. — [Mid. Aggadah]
ראש הפעור: קוסם היה בלק וראה שהן עתידין ללקות על ידי פעור ולא היה יודע במה, אמר שמא הקללה תחול עליהם משם, וכן כל החוזים בכוכבים רואים ואינם יודעים מה רואים:
29Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams. כטוַיֹּ֤אמֶר בִּלְעָם֙ אֶל־בָּלָ֔ק בְּנֵה־לִ֥י בָזֶ֖ה שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֑ת וְהָכֵ֥ן לִי֙ בָּזֶ֔ה שִׁבְעָ֥ה פָרִ֖ים וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה אֵילִֽם:
30Balak did as Balaam told him, and offered up a bull and a ram on [each] altar. לוַיַּ֣עַשׂ בָּלָ֔ק כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר אָמַ֣ר בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיַּ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ:
Numbers Chapter 24
1Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel; so he did not go in search of omens as he had done time and time again, but turned his face toward the desert. אוַיַּ֣רְא בִּלְעָ֗ם כִּ֣י ט֞וֹב בְּעֵינֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ לְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלֹֽא־הָלַ֥ךְ כְּפַֽעַם־בְּפַ֖עַם לִקְרַ֣את נְחָשִׁ֑ים וַיָּ֥שֶׁת אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר פָּנָֽיו:
Balaam saw that it pleased: He said, “I no longer have to test the Holy One, blessed is He, for He will not want to curse them.”
וירא בלעם כי טוב וגו': אמר איני צריך לבדוק בהקב"ה כי לא יחפוץ לקללם:
so he did not go… as he had done time and time again: As he had done twice - [Mid. Aggadah]
ולא הלך כפעם בפעם: כאשר עשה שתי פעמים:
in search of omens: To divine that perhaps God would chance to meet him as he wished. He said, “Whether He wishes to curse them or not, I will mention their sins so that on the mention of their sins the curse can take effect.” - [Mid. Aggadah]
לקראת נחשים: לנחש אולי יקרה ה' לקראתו כרצונו, אמר רוצה ואינו רוצה לקללם, אזכיר עונותיהם והקללה על הזכרת העבירה תחול:
but turned his face toward the desert: As the Targum paraphrases [“He directed his face toward the desert, where the Israelites had made the golden calf,” or “He directed his face toward the golden calf, which the Israelites had made in the desert.” See Ramban , Midrash Aggadah , Mechokekei Yehudah (Minchath Yehudah , fn. 1)].
וישת אל המדבר פניו: כתרגומו:
2Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes, and the spirit of God rested upon him. בוַיִּשָּׂ֨א בִלְעָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל שֹׁכֵ֖ן לִשְׁבָטָ֑יו וַתְּהִ֥י עָלָ֖יו ר֥וּחַ אֱלֹהִֽים:
Balaam raised his eyes: He sought to cast an evil eye upon them, so here you have his three attributes: an evil eye, a haughty spirit, and greed mentioned above (22:13, 18). - [Avoth 5:19, Mid. Tanchuma Balak 6, Num. Rabbah 20:10]
וישא בלעם את עיניו: בקש להכניס בהם עין רעה, והרי יש לך שלש מדותיו עין רעה ורוח גבוהה ונפש רחבה האמורים למעלה:
dwelling according to its tribes: He saw each tribe dwelling by itself, not intermingling [with other tribes], and he saw that the openings of their tents did not face each other, so that they should not peer into each other’s tents. — [B.B. 60a, Mid. Aggadah]
שוכן לשבטיו: ראה כל שבט ושבט שוכן לעצמו ואינן מעורבין, ראה שאין פתחיהם מכוונין זה כנגד זה, שלא יציץ לתוך אהל חבירו:
and the spirit of God rested upon him: It entered his mind not to curse them.
ותהי עליו רוח א-להים: עלה בלבו שלא יקללם:
3He took up his parable and said, "The word of Balaam the son of Beor and the word of the man with an open eye. גוַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר נְאֻ֤ם בִּלְעָם֙ בְּנ֣וֹ בְעֹ֔ר וּנְאֻ֥ם הַגֶּ֖בֶר שְׁתֻ֥ם הָעָֽיִן:
the son of Beor: Heb. בְּנו ֹבְעֹר, lit., his son was Beor. [However, the word בְּנוֹ is used here] as in“to a spring לְמַעְיְנוֹ of water” (Ps. 114:8) [see Rashi 23:18]. The Midrash Aggadah expounds: Both were greater than their fathers; Balak, his son was Zippor, for his [Balak’s] father was his son, as it were, with regard to royalty. And Balaam was greater than his father in prophecy; he was a maneh [a coin equaling one hundred zuz] the son of a peras [a coin equaling fifty zuz, half the value of a maneh]. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 13, Sanh. 105a]
בנו בעור: כמו למעינו מים (תהלים קיד ח). ומדרש אגדה שניהם היו גדולים מאבותיהם, בלק בנו צפור, אביו בנו הוא במלכות, ובלעם גדול מאביו בנביאות, מנה בן פרס היה:
with an open eye: Heb. שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן. His eye had been gouged out and its socket appeared open. This term שְׁתֻם is mishnaic;“enough time to bore a hole (יִשְׁתֹּם) [in a cask], seal it, and dry it” (A.Z. 69a). Our Rabbis said, Because he said, “the number of the seed of Israel” (23:10), implying that the Holy One, blessed is He, sits and counts the seed that issues from the Israelite sexual unions, waiting for the drop from which a righteous man will be born, he thought, “The One Who is holy, and Whose ministers are holy should direct His attention to matters such as these?” On account of this, Balaam’s eye was blinded (Mid. Aggadah). Some say that the phrase means “of the open eye,” [meaning of clear sight], as Onkelos renders. As for its saying, “with an open eye” rather than “with open eyes,” this teaches us that he was blind in one eye. — [Sanh. 105a]
שתם העין: עינו נקורה ומוצאת לחוץ וחור שלה נראה פתוח, ולשון משנה הוא כדי שישתום ויסתום ויגוב (ע"ז סט א). ורבותינו אמרו לפי שאמר ומספר את רובע ישראל, שהקב"ה יושב ומונה רביעיותיהן של ישראל מתי תבא טפה שנולד הצדיק ממנה, אמר בלבו מי שהוא קדוש ומשרתיו קדושים יסתכל בדברים הללו, ועל דבר זה נסמת עינו של בלעם. ויש מפרשים שתום העין פתוח העין, כמו שתרגם אונקלוס, ועל שאמר שתום העין, ולא אמר שתום העינים, למדנו שסומא באחת מעיניו היה:
4The word of the one who hears God's sayings, who sees the vision of the Almighty, fallen yet with open eyes. דנְאֻ֕ם שֹׁמֵ֖עַ אִמְרֵי־אֵ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר מַֽחֲזֵ֤ה שַׁדַּי֙ יֶֽחֱזֶ֔ה נֹפֵ֖ל וּגְל֥וּי עֵינָֽיִם:
fallen yet with open eyes: The plain meaning is as understood by the Targum [Onkelos], that He appeared to him only at night, while he was lying down. The Midrashic explanation is that when He appeared to him, he had no strength to stand on his feet, so he fell on his face, for since he was uncircumcised, it was a disgrace to appear before Him while he was standing upright in His presence. — [Mid. Aggadah]
נופל וגלוי עינים: פשוטו כתרגומו, שאין נראה עליו אלא בלילה כשהוא שוכב. ומדרשו כשהיה נגלה עליו לא היה בו כח לעמוד על רגליו ונופל על פניו, לפי שהיה ערל ומאוס להיות נגלה עליו בקומה זקופה לפניו:
5How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! המַה־טֹּ֥בוּ אֹֽהָלֶ֖יךָ יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶ֖יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
How goodly are your tents: For he saw that the entrances were not facing each other. — [B.B. 60a]
מה טובו אהליך: על שראה פתחיהם שאינן מכוונין זה מול זה:
your dwelling places: Your encampments, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders. Another explanation:“How goodly are your tents”-How goodly are the tent of Shiloh and the eternal Temple when they are inhabited, for offerings are brought up in them to atone for you."
משכנותיך: חניותיך, כתרגומו. דבר אחר מה טובו אהליך. מה טובו אהל שילה ובית עולמים בישובן שמקריבין בהן קרבנות לכפר עליהם:
your dwelling places: Heb. מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶי, even when they are desolate, for they are held as a pledge (מַשְׁכּוֹן) for you, and their desolate state atones for your souls, as it says, “The Lord has spent His fury” (Lam. 4:11). How did He spend it?“He has kindled a fire in Zion” (ibid.) - [See Mid. Tanchuma Pekudei 4]
משכנותיך: אף כשהן חרבין, לפי שהן משכון עליכם, וחורבנן כפרה על הנפשות, שנאמר כלה ה' את חמתו (איכה ד יא), ובמה כלה, ויצת אש בציון:
6They extend like streams, like gardens by the river, like aloes which the Lord planted, like cedars by the water. וכִּנְחָלִ֣ים נִטָּ֔יוּ כְּגַנֹּ֖ת עֲלֵ֣י נָהָ֑ר כַּֽאֲהָלִים֙ נָטַ֣ע יְהֹוָ֔ה כַּֽאֲרָזִ֖ים עֲלֵי־מָֽיִם:
They extend like streams: They extend and are drawn out for a distance. Our Rabbis said: From this wicked man’s blessings we can determine how he intended to curse them when he decided to turn his face toward the desert. For when the Omnipresent reversed [the words of] his mouth, he blessed them in a way corresponding to the curses he intended to say…, as is stated in [the chapter of] Cheilek (Sanh. 105b).
כנחלים נטיו: שנארכו ונמשכו לנטות למרחוק, אמרו רבותינו מברכותיו של אותו רשע אנו למדים מה היה בלבו לקללם כשאמר (פסוק א) וישת אל המדבר פניו, וכשהפך המקום את פיו ברכם מעין אותן קללות שבקש לומר כו', כדאיתא בחלק (סנהדרין קה א):
like aloes: Heb. כַּאִהָלִים, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders, [aromatic plants], as in the expression as,“myrrh and aloes (וַאֲהָלוּת)” (Song 4:14).
כאהלים: כתרגומו, לשון מור ואהלות (תהלים מה ט):
which the Lord planted: in the Garden of Eden. Another interpretation: Like the firmament which is stretched out like a tent (אֹהֶל) as it says,“and he spread them out like a tent (כָּאֹהֶל) to dwell in” (Is. 40:22) (Targum Jonathan and Yerushalmi). (This interpretation is incorrect because, if so, it would have been vowelized כְּאֹהָלִים, with a cholam. - This is obviously a copyist’s comment, because Rashi proceeds to defend this interpretation. Editor’s note)
נטע ה': בגן עדן. לשון אחר כאהלים נטע ה', כשמים המתוחין כאהל:
which the Lord planted: We find the expression ‘planting’ in relation to tents, as it says,“And he will pitch (וַיִטַּע) his palatial tents” (Dan. 11:45).
נטע ה': לשון נטיעה מצינו באהלים, שנאמר ויטע אהלי אפדנו (דניאל יא מה):
7Water will flow from his wells, and his seed shall have abundant water; his king shall be raised over Agag, and his kingship exalted. זיִזַּל־מַ֨יִם֙ מִדָּ֣לְיָ֔ו וְזַרְע֖וֹ בְּמַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים וְיָרֹ֤ם מֵֽאֲגַג֙ מַלְכּ֔וֹ וְתִנַּשֵּׂ֖א מַלְכֻתֽוֹ:
from his wells: Heb. מִדָּלְיָו, from his wells; the meaning is as the Targum [Onkelos interprets it, namely,“the king anointed from his sons shall be great.”]
מדליו: מבארותיו. ופירושו כתרגומו:
and his seed shall have abundant water: This expression denotes prosperity, like seed [which flourishes when] planted close to water.
וזרעו במים רבים: לשון הצלחה הוא זה, כזרע הזרוע על פני המים:
His king shall be raised over Agag: Their first king [Saul] will capture Agag, king of Amalek. — [Mid. Aggadah]
וירם מאגג מלכו: מלך ראשון שלהם יכבוש את אגג מלך עמלק:
and his kingship exalted: [The kingship of Jacob] will become greater and greater, for following him [Saul] will come David and Solomon. — [Mid. Aggadah]
ותנשא מלכותו: של יעקב יותר ויותר, שיבא אחריו דוד ושלמה:
8God, Who has brought them out of Egypt with the strength of His loftiness He shall consume the nations which are his adversaries, bare their bones and dip His arrows [into their blood]. חאֵ֚ל מֽוֹצִיא֣וֹ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם כְּתֽוֹעֲפֹ֥ת רְאֵ֖ם ל֑וֹ יֹאכַ֞ל גּוֹיִ֣ם צָרָ֗יו וְעַצְמֹֽתֵיהֶ֛ם יְגָרֵ֖ם וְחִצָּ֥יו יִמְחָֽץ:
God, Who has brought them out of Egypt: Who caused them all this greatness? God, Who brought them out of Egypt with His power and loftiness. He will consume the nations who are his adversaries.
אל מוציאו ממצרים: מי גורם להם הגדולה הזאת, אל המוציאם ממצרים, בתוקף ורום שלו יאכל את הגוים שהם צריו:
their bones: of these adversaries.
ועצמותיהם: של צרים:
bare: Heb. יְגָרֵם. Menachem (Machbereth p. 59) interprets this word as ‘breaking up.’ Similarly,“They [the wolves] did not gnaw the (גָרְמוּ) [bones] in the morning” (Zeph. 3:3), and similarly,“its shards you shall break (תְּגָרֵמִי)” (Ezek. 23:34). I, however, maintain that it means ‘bone,’ [and the meaning is:] He strips the surrounding flesh with his teeth and the marrow from within, leaving the bone in its bare state.
יגרם: מנחם פתר בו לשון שבירה, וכן לא גרמו לבקר (צפניה ג ג), וכן את חרשיה תגרמי (יחזקאל כג לד), ואני אומר לשון עצם הוא שמגרר הבשר בשניו מסביב והמוח שבפנים, ומעמיד העצם על ערמימותה:
and dip His arrows: חִצָּיו יִמְחָץ. Onkelos interprets it as referring to the half of the adversaries- [that is,] their part, as in, בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים (Gen. 49:23) [which the Targum renders as]“those who should take half.” So [according to the Targum] the יִמְחָץ is [used here] as in the expression,“she split (וּמָחֲצָה) and struck through his temple” (Jud. 5:26), [hence, here it means,] they divided [among themselves] their [the adversaries’] land. It is also possible to interpret it in the literal sense, which is“arrows.” The arrows of the Holy One, blessed is He, will be dipped (יִמְחָץ) into the blood of the adversaries-He will dip and stain [the arrows] with blood, as in,“in order that your foot may wade (תִּמְחַץ) through blood” (Ps. 68: 24). This is not a departure from the general meaning of ‘wounding,’ as in,“I have wounded (מָחַצְתִּי)” (Deut. 32:39), for anything stained with blood appears as if it is wounded and stricken.
וחציו ימחץ: אונקלוס תרגם חציו של צרים, חלוקה שלהם כמו (בראשית מט כג) בעלי חצים, מרי פלוגתא, וכן ימחץ, לשון ומחצה וחלפה רקתו (שופטים ה כו), שיחצו את ארצם. ויש לפתור לשון חצים ממש, חציו של הקב"ה ימחץ בדמם של צרים, יטבול ויצטבע בדמם, כמו למען תמחץ רגלך בדם (תהלים סח כד) ואינו זז מלשון מכה, כמו מחצתי, שהצבוע בדם נראה כאילו מחוץ ונגוע:
9He crouches and lies like a lion and like a lioness; who will dare rouse him? Those who bless you shall be blessed, and those who curse you shall be cursed. טכָּרַ֨ע שָׁכַ֧ב כַּֽאֲרִ֛י וּכְלָבִ֖יא מִ֣י יְקִימֶ֑נּוּ מְבָֽרֲכֶ֣יךָ בָר֔וּךְ וְאֹֽרֲרֶ֖יךָ אָרֽוּר:
He crouches and lies like a lion: As the Targum [Onkelos] renders, they will settle in their land with might and power.
כרע שכב כארי: כתרגומו, יתישבו בארצם בכח וגבורה:
10Balak's anger flared against Balaam, and he clapped his hands. Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. יוַיִּֽחַר־אַ֤ף בָּלָק֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיִּסְפֹּ֖ק אֶת־כַּפָּ֑יו וַיֹּ֨אמֶר בָּלָ֜ק אֶל־בִּלְעָ֗ם לָקֹ֤ב אֹֽיְבַי֙ קְרָאתִ֔יךָ וְהִנֵּה֙ בֵּרַ֣כְתָּ בָרֵ֔ךְ זֶ֖ה שָׁל֥שׁ פְּעָמִֽים:
he clapped: He struck one [hand] against the other. — [Onkelos , Menachem, Mid. Aggadah]
ויספוק: הכה זו על זו:
11Now, hurry back to your place. I said I would honor you greatly, but the Lord has deprived you of honor." יאוְעַתָּ֖ה בְּרַח־לְךָ֣ אֶל־מְקוֹמֶ֑ךָ אָמַ֨רְתִּי֙ כַּבֵּ֣ד אֲכַבֶּדְךָ֔ וְהִנֵּ֛ה מְנָֽעֲךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֖ה מִכָּבֽוֹד:
12Balaam said to Balak, "But I even told the messengers you sent to me, saying, יבוַיֹּ֥אמֶר בִּלְעָ֖ם אֶל־בָּלָ֑ק הֲלֹ֗א גַּ֧ם אֶל־מַלְאָכֶ֛יךָ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֥חְתָּ אֵלַ֖י דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי לֵאמֹֽר:
13'If Balak gives me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot transgress the word of the Lord to do either good or evil on my own; only what the Lord speaks can I speak.' יגאִם־יִתֶּן־לִ֨י בָלָ֜ק מְלֹ֣א בֵיתוֹ֘ כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָב֒ לֹ֣א אוּכַ֗ל לַֽעֲבֹר֙ אֶת־פִּ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה לַֽעֲשׂ֥וֹת טוֹבָ֛ה א֥וֹ רָעָ֖ה מִלִּבִּ֑י אֲשֶׁר־יְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֹת֥וֹ אֲדַבֵּֽר:
transgress the word of the Lord: Here it does not say, “my God,” as its says the first time [22:18], because he realized that he was loathsome to the Holy One, blessed is He, and had been banished [by Him]. — [Mid. Aggadah]
לעבור את פי ה': כאן לא נאמר אלהי, כמו שנאמר בראשונה, לפי שידע שנבאש בהקב"ה ונטרד:
Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 69 - 71
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Chapter 69
1. For the Conductor, on the shoshanim,1 by David.
2. Deliver me, O God, for the waters have reached until my soul!
3. I have sunk in muddy depths without foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the current sweeps me away.
4. I am wearied by my crying, my throat is parched; my eyes pined while waiting for my God.
5. More numerous than the hairs on my head are those who hate me without reason. Mighty are those who would cut me off, those who are my enemies without cause. What I have not stolen, I will then have to return.
6. O God, You know my folly, and my wrongs are not hidden from You.
7. Let not those who hope in You be shamed through me, O my Lord, God of Hosts; let not those who seek You be disgraced through me, O God of Israel,
8. because for Your sake I have borne humiliation, disgrace covers my face.
9. I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons,
10. for the envy of Your House has consumed me, and the humiliations of those who scorn You have fallen upon me.
11. And I wept while my soul fasted, and it was a humiliation to me.
12. I made sackcloth my garment, and became a byword for them.
13. Those who sit by the gate speak of me, and [of me] are the songs of drunkards.
14. May my prayer to You, Lord, be at a gracious time; God, in Your abounding kindness, answer me with Your true deliverance.
15. Rescue me from the mire, so that I not sink; let me be saved from my enemies and from deep waters.
16. Let not the current of water sweep me away, nor the deep swallow me; and let not the pit close its mouth over me.
17. Answer me, Lord, for Your kindness is good; according to Your abundant mercies, turn to me.
18. Do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress-hurry to answer me.
19. Draw near to my soul and liberate it; redeem me, so that my enemies [not feel triumphant].
20. You know my humiliation, my shame, and my disgrace; all my tormentors are before You.
21. Humiliation has broken my heart, and I have become ill. I longed for comfort, but there was none; for consolers, but I did not find.
22. They put gall into my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
23. Let their table become a trap before them, and [their] serenity, a snare.
24. Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and let their loins continually falter.
25. Pour Your wrath upon them, and let the fierceness of Your anger overtake them.
26. Let their palace be desolate, let there be no dweller in their tents,
27. for they persecute the one whom You struck, and tell of the pain of Your wounded ones.
28. Add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not enter into Your righteousness.
29. May they be erased from the Book of Life, and let them not be inscribed with the righteous.
30. But I am poor and in pain; let Your deliverance, O God, streng-then me.
31. I will praise the Name of God with song, I will extol Him with thanksgiving!
32. And it will please the Lord more than [the sacrifice of] a mature bull with horns and hooves.
33. The humble will see it and rejoice; you seekers of God, [see] and your hearts will come alive.
34. For the Lord listens to the needy, and He does not despise His prisoners.
35. Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and all that moves within them,
36. for God will deliver Zion and build the cities of Judah, and they will settle there and possess it;
37. and the seed of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His Name will dwell in it.
FOOTNOTES
1.A musical instrument shaped like a shoshana, a rose (Metzudot).
Chapter 70
David prays that his enemies be shamed and humiliated for their shaming him and reveling in his troubles. Then the righteous will rejoice, and chant songs and praises always.
1. For the Conductor, by David, to remind.
2. O God, [come] to rescue me; O Lord, hurry to my aid.
3. Let those who seek my life be shamed and disgraced; let those who wish me harm retreat and be humiliated.
4. Let those who say, "Aha! Aha!" be turned back in return for their shaming [me].
5. Let all who seek You rejoice and delight in You, and let those who love Your deliverance say always, "May God be exalted!”
6. But I am poor and needy; hurry to me, O God! You are my help and deliverer; O God, do not delay!
Chapter 71
In this awe-inspiring prayer, David speaks of his enemies' desire to kill him, declaring him deserving of death.
1. I have taken refuge in You, O Lord; I will never be shamed.
2. Rescue me and deliver me in Your righteousness; incline Your ear to me and save me.
3. Be for me a sheltering rock, to enter always. You have ordered my salvation, for You are my rock and my fortress.
4. O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked, from the palm of the scheming and violent.
5. For You are my hope, O my Lord, God, my security since my youth.
6. I have relied on You from the womb; You drew me from my mother's innards; my praise is of You always.
7. I became an example to the masses, yet You were my mighty refuge.
8. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise, all day long with Your glory.
9. Do not cast me aside in old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails;
10. for my enemies say of me, and those who watch my soul conspire together,
11. saying, "God has forsaken him. Give chase and catch him, for there is no rescuer.”
12. O God, do not distance Yourself from me; my God, hurry to my aid.
13. Let the adversaries of my soul be shamed and consumed; let those who seek my harm be enwrapped in disgrace and humiliation.
14. But as for me, I will always hope; I will add to all Your praises.
15. My mouth will tell of Your righteousness, all day long of Your deliverance, for I do not know their number.
16. I come with the strength of my Lord, God; I mention Your righteousness, Yours alone.
17. O God, You have taught me since my youth, and to this day I tell of Your wonders.
18. Even into old age and hoariness, O God, do not abandon me, until I tell of Your might to the generations, and of Your strength to all who are to come.
19. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens, for You do great things; O God, who is like You!
20. You, Who has shown me many and grievous troubles, You will revive me again; You will lift me again from the depths of the earth.
21. You will increase my greatness; You will turn and console me.
22. I too1 will thank You on the lyre for Your faithfulness, My God; I will sing to You on the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
23. My lips will rejoice when I sing to you, as well as my soul which You have redeemed.
24. My tongue will also utter Your righteousness all day, for those who seek my harm are shamed and disgraced.
FOOTNOTES
1.As you increase my greatness, so will I increase your praise (Metzudot).
Tanya: Igeret HaTeshuva , beginning of Chapter 4
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Friday, Tammuz 13, 5777 · July 7, 2017
Today's Tanya Lesson
Igeret HaTeshuva , beginning of Chapter 4
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Certain penitential fasts, then, are to be actually undertaken, while others are to be redeemed through charity.
ואולם כל הנ״ל הוא לגמר הכפרה ומירוק הנפש לה׳ אחר התשובה
However, all we have said refers to the culmination of the atonement — to polishing the soul clean before G‑d, so that no vestige of former sin remains, after repentance,
כמו שכתוב לעיל מהגמרא, פרק קמא דזבחים, דעולה דורון היא לאחר שריצה הפרקליט וכו׳
as cited above1 from the Talmud, ch. 1 of Zevachim, where the olah sacrifice brought for transgressing a positive command is described as the gift offered to the offended party after an intercessor’s successful plea.
The above-mentioned fasts (or their counterpart in charity) serve a similar function.
אמנם התחלת מצות התשובה ועיקרה
But the beginning of the mitzvah of teshuvah and its core
לשוב עד ה׳ באמת ובלב שלם
is a true and wholehearted return to G‑d.
As will soon become apparent, this “return (lit.:) until G‑d” means returning until the point that one has restored completeness to Havayah, the Four-Letter Name of G‑d, that is to be found within every Jewish soul.
The letters that comprise the Tetragrammaton are (in descending order) yud and hei, and vav and hei.
ההכרח לבאר היטב בהרחבת הביאור
This must now be explained thoroughly and comprehensively.
בהקדים מה שכתוב בזהר הקדוש בביאור מלת תשובה על דרך הסוד
Let us begin with the Zohar’s interpretation2 of teshuvah according to Sod, the mystical approach to the Torah:
תשוב ה׳
“[Teshuvah is] tashuv hei (‘the hei is to be returned’);
The function of teshuvah is to return the letter hei of the Divine Name Havayah — to reattach it to the level represented by the letter that precedes it, just as it was attached to it before the individual sinned.
ה׳ תתאה תשובה תתאה
[the reconnection of] the latter hei [to the preceding letter vav] is teshuvah tata‘ah (’lower-level teshuvah‘);
ה׳ עילאה תשובה עילאה
[the reconnection of] the former hei [to the preceding letter yud] is teshuvah ila‘ah (’higher-level teshuvah‘).“
וגם מה שכתוב בזהר הקדוש בקצת מקומות שאין תשובה מועלת לפוגם בריתו ומוציא זרע לבטלה
We must also note that the Zohar states several times3 that teshuvah is ineffective for violation of the covenant and for the wasteful emission of semen.
והוא דבר תמוה מאד, שאין לך דבר עומד בפני התשובה, ואפילו עבודה זרה וגילוי עריות וכו׳
This is most astonishing, for4 “nothing can stand in the way of teshuvah, even idolatry, incest, and so on.”
Jews are commanded to give up their lives rather than transgress these prohibitions, yet repentance atones even for them. How, then, can it be that there are other sins for which repentance is ineffective?
ופירש בראשית חכמה שכוונת הזוהר שאין מועלת תשובה תתאה, כי אם תשובה עילאה וכו׳
The Reishit Chochmah explains5 that the intention of the Zohar is that though teshuvah tata‘ah(the conventional level of repentance) is not effective, teshuvah ila’ah is.
הנה להבין זאת מעט מזעיר
To grasp even a minute glimmer6 of this,
צריך להקדים מה שמבואר מהכתוב ומדברי רז״ל, ענין הכרת ומיתה בידי שמים
we must preface what Scripture and our Sages say about [what is entailed by] excision and death by divine agency.
כשעבר עבירה שחייבים עליה כרת, הי׳ מת ממש קודם חמשים שנה
ובמיתה בידי שמים, מת ממש קודם ששים שנה
In the case of death by divine agency he would actually9 die before sixty,
כחנניה בן עזור הנביא, בירמיהו
like the prophet Chananiah ben Azur in Jeremiah.10
As a result of his false prophecy, G‑d told him, “I shall banish you from the face of the earth….” This resulted in his actual death.
ולפעמים גם במיתה בידי שמים נפרעין לאלתר, כמו שמצינו בער ואונן
(11Indeed, there have been instances in which the punishment of death by divine agency was also meted out instantly, as with Er and Onan.)
This involved a sin incurring death by divine agency.12
In any event, both Scripture and the Sages attest that those guilty of sins punishable by excision or death by divine agency would actually die before they reached the age of fifty or sixty. This leads to the following question:
והרי נמצאו בכל דור כמה וכמה חייבי כריתות ומיתות, והאריכו ימיהם ושנותיהם בנעימים
But in every generation there are so many individuals liable to excision and death who nevertheless enjoy extended and pleasant13 days and years!
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | Beg. of ch. 2. See also Likutei Sichot, Vol. XIX, p. 401, note 12, and the marginal comment on this note. |
| 2. | III, 122a. |
| 3. | Zohar I, 60a, 219b; Zohar II, 214b. |
| 4. | Note of the Rebbe: “Rambam, conclusion of ch. 3 of Hilchot Teshuvah, following Yerushalmi, Peah 1:1; Zohar Chadash, conclusion of Parshat Bereishit.” |
| 5. | Shaar HaKedushah, ch. 17. |
| 6. | Note of the Rebbe: “Perhaps this expression is used (as opposed to, say, מעט מן המעט) because the former term (מעט) suggests that the extent of understanding is minute, while the latter term (מזעיר) suggests that qualitatively too this understanding is a mere glimmer.” |
| 7. | Note of the Rebbe: “Possibly the Alter Rebbe’s intention here is to negate the opinion of the Ramban at the end of Parshat Acharei.” The Ramban says there that it is sometimes possible that violators liable to excision “are not punished by physical excision; sometimes they may live to a ripe old age.” In specifying here that they would “actually” die, the Alter Rebbe evidently seeks to negate this opinion. |
| 8. | Note of the Rebbe: “As in Yerushalmi, Bikkurim, beg. of ch. 2, as explained in Tosafot, s.v. כרת, Shabbat 25a.” |
| 9. | Note of the Rebbe: “As above” — i.e., as in fn. 7. |
| 10. | Ch. 28. |
| 11. | Parentheses are in the original text. |
| 12. | Note of the Rebbe: “See above, end of ch. 1.” |
| 13. | Asked why the Alter Rebbe added the word “pleasant”, the Rebbe replied that this was done “in order to rule out the (labored) interpretation that this punishment was undergone by virtue of their having suffered poverty or the like, which is also called ‘death’ in Scripture (Shmot 4:19) and in Rabbinic terminology (quoted in Rashi, ad loc.).” |
• Sefer Hamitzvot:
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Audio: Listen | Download | Video ClassToday's Mitzvah
Friday, Tammuz 13, 5777 · July 7, 2017
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
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Important Message Regarding This Lesson
The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
Positive Commandment 236
Personal Injury
"If men quarrel, and one strikes the other..."—Exodus 21:18.
The courts are commanded to adjudicate cases that involve personal injury cause by one person to another. [Monetary penalties are assessed to compensate for devaluation of the injured individual, pain sustained, medical bills, unemployment due to the injury, and shame incurred.]
Only an ordained court in the Land of Israel can adjudicate such cases [with the exception of medical bills and unemployment, that can be adjudicated by all rabbinical courts no matter the location].
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Personal Injury
Positive Commandment 236
Translated by Berel Bell
The 236th mitzvah is that we are commanded regarding someone who wounds another person.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "[This is the law] when two men fight, and one hits the other..." These laws are called dinei k'nasos ["the laws of fines"].
There is one general verse which includes all these laws, namely G‑d's statement2 (exalted be He), "[If one maims his neighbor,] whatever he did must be done to him in return." The Oral Tradition explains that [it does not mean that he is literally to be harmed in return, but that] he must pay the monetary equivalent of the damage he has caused to the other person. Even if he merely shamed him, he must pay appropriate damages.
You should be aware that all these laws involve damage that one person causes to another. They may be judged and determined only by a High Court which was ordained in Israel. The same applies for cases when an animal damages a person or another animal.
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the 8th chapter of tractate Bava Kama.
FOOTNOTES
1.Ex. 21:18.
2.Lev. 24:19.
Negative Commandment 289
Murder
"You shall not murder"—Exodus 20:13.
It is forbidden to murder a fellow human.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Murder
Negative Commandment 289
Translated by Berel Bell
The 289th prohibition is that we are forbidden from killing each other.
The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "Do not commit murder."
The punishment for violating this prohibition is execution by decapitation. [The death penalty is derived] from G‑d's statement2 (exalted be He), "You must even take him from My altar to put him to death."
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the 9th chapter of tractate Sanhedrin3 and the 2nd chapter of Makkos.
FOOTNOTES
1.Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17.
2.Ex. 21:14.
3.Mishneh 2.
Negative Commandment 296
Accepting a Ransom from an Inadvertent Murderer
"You shall take no ransom from one who must flee to his city of refuge"—Numbers 35:32.
It is forbidden to take a monetary payment from a person guilty of manslaughter to exempt him from exile in a city of refuge.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Accepting a Ransom from an Inadvertent Murderer
Negative Commandment 296
Translated by Berel Bell
The 296th prohibition is that we are forbidden from taking ransom money to spare from exile one who has committed murder unintentionally. Rather, he must be exiled.
The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "If one has fled to a refuge city, do not take ransom [to allow him to return and live in the land...]"
The details of this mitzvah are explained in tractate Makkos.
FOOTNOTES
1.Num. 35:32.
Rambam:
• 1 Chapter A Day: Nachalot Nachalot - Chapter 11
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Audio: Listen | Download | Video ClassNachalot - Chapter 11
1
Money belonging to orphans that was left to them by their father does not require a guardian. What, instead, is done with it?
We search for a person who owns property that can be expropriated by a creditor and that is of high quality. This person should be trustworthy, one who heeds the laws of the Torah, and who was never placed under a ban of ostracism. He is given the money in the presence of the court to invest in a manner that will most likely lead to a profit and will not likely lead to loss. Thus, the orphans will derive benefit from the investment of the money.
Similarly, if such a person does not have landed property, he should give bars of gold that do not have any identifying marks as security. The court takes the security and gives him the money to invest in a manner that will most likely lead to a profit and will not likely lead to loss.
Why does he not give golden utensils or golden jewelry as security? For perhaps these articles belong to another person. We fear that in the event of the investor's death, that other person will claim these articles by identifying them with signs. They will then be given to him if the judge knows that the investor was unlikely to possess such articles.
How much should be given to the orphans as profit? As the judges determine, a third of the profits, half of them, or even a fourth of them; if the judges ascertain that this is in the best interests of the orphans, such an arrangement is followed.
If the court cannot find a person to give the money to invest in a manner that will not likely lead to loss and will most likely lead to a profit, they should use a small amount of the money to provide the orphans with their livelihood until they use the money to purchase land that they entrust to a guardian whom they appoint.
א
מעות של יתומים שהניח להן אביהן אינן צריכין אפוטרופוס, אלא כיצד עושין בהן, בודקין על מי שיש לו נכסים שיש להם אחריות ויהיו עדית ויהיה איש נאמן ושומע דיני תורה ומעולם לא קבל עליו נדוי, ונותנין לו המעות בבית דין קרוב לשכר ורחוק להפסד ונמצאו היתומים נהנין משכר המעות, וכן אם אין לו קרקע ינתן להן משכון זהב שבור שאין בו סימן ונוטלין בית דין המשכון ונותנין לו המעות קרוב לשכר ורחוק להפסד, ולמה לא יקחו משכון כלים של זהב או חלי של זהב, שמא של אחרים הוא ויתנו סימן ויטלוהו אחר מותו אם ידע הדיין שאין זה אמוד, וכמה יפסקו בשכר כפי מה שיראו הדיינין, או שליש השכר או חציו אפילו רביע השכר ליתומים אם ראו שזו תקנה להם עושין, לא מצאו אדם שיתנו לו המעות רחוק להפסד וקרוב לשכר הרי אלו מוציאין מהן מזונות מעט, עד שיקנו להן במעות קרקע וימסרו אותו ביד אפוטרופוס שיעמידו להן.
2
Movable property inherited by orphans should be evaluated and sold in the presence of a court. If the marketplace is close to their city of residence, we have the articles brought to the marketplace. They are sold and the proceeds added to the financial resources of the orphans."
ב
כל המטלטלין של יתומים שמין אותן ומוכרין אותן בבית דין, ואם היה השוק קרוב למדינה, מוליכין אותן לשוק ומוכרין אותן ויצטרפו דמיהן עם המעות של יתומים.
3
The following principle applies when a person possesses beer belonging to orphans and he is beset by a quandary: If he leaves it in its place until it is sold it might sour, and if he brings it to the marketplace it might become lost because of factors beyond his control. Our Sages ruled that he should do as he would do with his own beer. Similar laws apply in all analogous situations.
ג
מי שהיה בידו שכר של יתומים אם יניחו כאן עד שימכר שמא יחמיץ, ואם יוליכו לשוק שמא יארעו אונס בדרך, הרי זה עושה בו כדרך שהוא עושה בשלו וכן כל כיוצא בזה.
4
When the court appoints a guardian, he is given all the property of the minor: the landed property and the movable property that was not sold. He sells and purchases whatever he determines is necessary; he builds and he destroys; he rents, plants, sows and does whatever he thinks is in the best interests of the orphans. He should provide them with food and drink and provide them with their expenses according to their financial capacity and their social standing. He should not be overly generous with them, nor should he be overly parsimonious.
ד
כשמעמידין בית דין להן אפוטרופוס מוסרין לו כל נכסי הקטן הקרקע והמטלטלין שלא נמכרו, והוא מוציא ומכניס ובונה וסותר ושובר ונוטע וזורע ועושה כפי מה שיראה שזה טוב ליתומים ומאכילן ומשקן ונותן להן כל ההוצאה כפי הממון וכפי הראוי להן ולא ירויחו להן יותר מדאי ולא יצמצם עליהם יתר מדאי.
5
When the orphans come of age, the guardian should give them the property of the person whose estate they inherited. He does not have to give them an account of what he purchased and what he sold. Instead, he tells them: "This is what remains," and takes an oath holding a sacred article that he did not steal anything from them.
When does this apply? When the guardian was appointed by the court. When, however, the guardian was appointed by the orphans' father or other relatives, he is not required to take an oath because of an indefinite claim.
A guardian may dress and garb himself in a distinguished manner using the fund belonging to the orphans, so that he will be esteemed and his words will be heeded, provided that the orphans will benefit from the fact that he is esteemed and his words are heeded.
ה
כשיגדילו היתומים נותן להם ממון מורישן ואינו צריך לעשות להן חשבונות מה שהכניס והוציא אלא אומר להן זה הנשאר, ונשבע בנקיטת חפץ שלא גזלן כלום, במה דברים אמורים כשמנוהו בית דין אבל אפוטרופוס שמנהו אבי יתומים וכן שאר המורישן אינו נשבע על טענת ספק, יש לאפוטרופוס ללבוש ולהתכסות מנכסי יתומים כדי שיהיה מכובד ויהיו דבריו נשמעין והוא שיהיה ליתומים הנאה בנכסיהן בהיות דבריו נשמעין.
6
A guardian may sell animals, servants, maidservants, fields and vineyards belonging to the estate to provide sustenance for the orphans. He may not sell these assets and hoard the money. Nor may he sell fields to purchase servants, nor sell servants to purchase fields, for perhaps he will not be successful. He may, however, sell fields to purchase oxen to work other fields, for oxen are the fundamental element of the fields one possesses.
ו
יש לאפוטרופוס למכור בהמה ועבדים שפחות שדות וכרמים להאכיל ליתומים, אבל אין מוכרין ומניחין המעות ואין מוכרין שדות ליקח עבדים ולא עבדים ליקח שדות שמא לא יצליח, אבל מוכרין שדה ליקח שוורים לעבודת שדות אחרות שהשוורים הן עקר כל נכסי שדות.
7
The guardian is not permitted to sell a field located far from the city and purchase a field close to the city, nor may he sell a poor field and purchase a good field, for perhaps his purchases will not be successful.
Similarly, a guardian may not enter into a lawsuit to argue on behalf of the orphans with regard to a claim registered against them, with the intent of benefiting them. The rationale is that he may not be successful, and the claim against them will be substantiated.
ז
אין האפוטרופין רשאין למכור ברחוק ולגאול בקרוב למכור ברעה ולגאול ביפה, שמא לא יצליח זה שקנו, ואין רשאין לדון ולחוב על מנת לזכות ליתומים שמא לא יזכו ונמצא החוב קיים. 1
8
The guardians are not permitted to grant Canaanite servants their freedom. They may not even take money from the servant so that he will be released. Instead, they sell the servants to others and take the money from them with the intent that they grant them their freedom. It is those purchasers who release the servants.
ח
אין האפוטרופין רשאין להוציא עבדים לחירות אפילו ליקח מן העבד דמים שיצא לחירות, אבל מוכרין אותן לאחרים ולוקחין מהן הדמים על מנת שיוציאוהו לחירות ואותן האחרים הן שמשחררין אותם. 2
9
The guardians should separate terumah and the tithes from the crops of the orphans so that they can provide them with food. . For we may not feed the orphans forbidden substances. They may not, however, tithe or separate terumah so that the produce will be ready for use. Instead, they should sell it as tevel. Those who desire to make it ready for use will do so.
ט
האפוטרופין תורמין ומעשרין נכסי יתומים כדי להאכילן, שאין מאכילין את היתומים דבר האסור, אבל לא יעשרו ולא יתרומו כדי להניח פירות מתוקנין אלא ימכרו אותן טבל והרוצה לתקן יתקן. 3
10
The guardians must make a lulav, a sukkah, tzitzit, a shofar, a Torah scroll, tefillin, mezuzot and a megillah on behalf of the orphans. The general principle is: All mitzvot that have a fixed measure - whether of Scriptural or Rabbinic origin - should be made available for them, although they are obligated in these mitzvot only as part of their education. We do not, however, levy charitable assessments against their property, even for the sake of the redemption of captives. The rationale is that such mitzvot have no limit to them.
י
האפוטרופין עושין לקטנים לולב וסוכה וציצית ושופר ספר תורה ותפילין ומזוזות ומגילה, כללו של דבר כל מצות עשה שיש להם קצבה בין שהוא מדברי תורה בין שהוא מדברי סופרים, עושין להם אף על פי שאינן חייבין במצוה מכל אלו המצות אלא כדי לחנכן, אבל אין פוסקין עליהן צדקה ואפילו לפדיון שבוים, מפני שמצות אלו אין להן קצבה.
11
When a person loses his intellectual faculties or becomes a deaf-mute, the court levies charitable assessments against his property if he has the means.
יא
ומי שנשתטה או שנתחרש בית דין פוסקין עליו צדקה אם היה ראוי.
12
Although a guardian does not have to make an accounting, as mentioned above, he must keep a personal account, being extremely precise, so as not to incur the wrath of the Father of these orphans, He who rides upon the heavens, as Psalms 68:5-6 states: "Make a path for He who rides upon the heavens... the Father of orphans."
יב
אע"פ שאין האפוטרופוס צריך לעשות חשבון כמו שביארנו, צריך לחשב בינו לבין עצמו לדקדק ולהזהר הרבה מאביהן של אלו היתומים שהוא רוכב ערבות שנאמר סלו לרוכב בערבות וגו' אבי יתומים וגו'.
FOOTNOTES
1.ואין רשאין וכו' עד ונמצא חוב קיים. א"א לא זו הדרך אלא שהוא דן לזכות ואם זכה זכו בו היתומים ואם חב לא חב ליתומים שאין להם רשות לאפוטרופסים לחוב ליתומים לא לכתחלה ולא דיעבד עכ"ל.
2.אין האפוטרופין רשאין להוציא וכו' עד שמשחררין. א"א יש מי שאומר הלכה כרבי דאמר אף הוא נותן דמי עצמו ויוציא דבהא פליגי דת"ק סבר אין כסף גומר בה ור' סבר גומר וקי"ל גומר הלכך הלכתא כר' עכ"ל.
3.האפוטרופין תורמין וכו' עד והרוצה לתקן יתקן. א"א אין הדעת נוחה הימנו שיהא האפוטרופוס חבר מוכר טבל להכשיל בני אדם בנכסי היתומים, אבל יניח המותר על מזונותיהם לשנה עד שיראה מקום ריוח במכירתם, ואחר ימכור והטעם שאינו שליח אלא לצורך שעה עכ"ל.
Rambam:
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1
When a person causes damage to a colleague's property that is not evident to the eye, he is not liable to make financial restitution according to Scriptural Law. For the object has not changed, nor has its form become altered. Nevertheless, our Sages ruled that he is liable according to Rabbinic Law, for he reduced the value of the article. They required him to pay the amount by which its value was reduced.
א
המזיק ב ממון חבירו היזק שאינו ניכר. הואיל ולא נשתנה הדבר ולא נפסדה צורתו הרי זה [א] פטור מן התשלומין דין תורה. אבל מדברי סופרים אמרו הואיל והפחית דמיהן הרי זה חייב ומשלם מה שהפחית מדמיהן:
2
What is implied? If a person causes food belonging to a colleague to be rendered ritually impure, he mixes produce together with produce that is terumah causing it to be considered dimu'a, he mixes a drop of wine that had been used for the sake of idolatry in a colleague's wine, causing the entire quantity to be forbidden, or the like - the amount of the loss is evaluated, and the person who caused the loss is required to pay the entire damages from the finest property in his possession, as is the law regarding anyone who causes damages.
ב
כיצד הרי שטימא אוכלין טהורים של חבירו או שדמע לו פירות או עירב לו טיפת יין נסך בתוך יינו שהרי אסר עליו הכל וכן כל כיוצא בזה. שמין מה שהפסיד ומשלם נזק שלם מן היפה שבנכסיו כדרך כל המזיקין:
3
This ruling was a penalty prescribed by our Sages so that none of the ravagers will go and render a colleague's produce impure and then excuse himself, saying: "I am not liable."
For this reason, if the person who caused damage that is not noticeable dies, the penalty is not expropriated from his estate. For our Sages enforced this penalty only upon the person who transgressed and caused the damage, but not on his heirs, who did not cause any damage.
Similarly, a person who inadvertently causes damage that is not noticeable, or as a result of forces beyond his control, is not liable, for our Sages imposed this penalty only upon a person who intentionally causes damage.
ג
ודבר [ב] זה קנס הוא שקנסוהו חכמים כדי שלא יהיה כל אחד מן המשחיתים הולך ומטמא טהרותיו של חבירו ואומר פטור אני. לפיכך אם מת זה שהזיק היזק שאינו ניכר אין גובין הנזק מנכסיו שלא קנסו חכמים אלא זה שעבר והזיק אבל היורש שלא עשה כלום לא קנסוהו. וכן המזיק היזק שאינו ניכר בשגגה או באונס פטור שלא קנסו אלא המתכוין להזיק מדעתו:
4
When priests intentionally cause a sacrifice to be rendered piggul, they are obligated to make financial recompense to the person who brought the sacrifice. If they cause such an effect unintentionally, they are not liable.
Similarly, a person who intentionally performs work with a red heifer or with water designated for its ashes is obligated to make financial recompense to its owner. If he does so unintentionally, he is not liable.
ד
הכהנים שפגלו את הזבח במזיד חייבין לשלם. בשוגג פטורין. וכן העושה מלאכה בפרת חטאת ובמי חטאת במזיד חייב לשלם בשוגג פטור:
5
A person who brings a red heifer to the place where a team of cows are threshing, so that it will nurse and thresh, and a person who is carrying water designated for the ashes of the red heifer who diverts his attention from the water is not held liable by an earthly court. He does, however, have a moral and spiritual obligation to make financial recompense.
ה
הכניס פרה למרבק כדי שתינק ותדוש והסיח דעתו ממי חטאת. פטור מדיני אדם וחייב בדיני שמים:
6
When a person pours wine belonging to a colleague as a libation to idol worship, he does not cause the wine to become forbidden. For a Jewish person does not cause property that does not belong to him to become forbidden.
In any of the following situations, the person does cause the wine to be forbidden, and he is therefore liable to make financial recompense:
a) he is a partner with the owner;
b) he is an apostate, who is considered like a gentile;
c) he is given a warning, acknowledges it, and yet disobeys, in which case he is considered an apostate.
How is it possible for such a person to be liable for financial recompense when this act causes him to be liable for capital punishment? Because he becomes obligated to pay for the wine at the time that he lifts it up, while he does not become liable for capital punishment until he actually pours it as a libation.
ו
המנסך יין חבירו לע"ז לא נאסר היין. שאין אדם מישראל אוסר דבר שאינו שלו. ואם היה לו בו שותפות. או שהיה מומר שהרי הוא כעכו"ם. או שהתרו בו וקבל ההתראה שהרי הוא מומר. הרי זה אוסר היין וחייב לשלם. והיאך יתחייב זה לשלם והרי הוא מתחייב בנפשו. מפני שמעת שהגביהו נתחייב לשלם ואינו מתחייב בנפשו עד שינסך:
7
Whenever a person causes property belonging to a colleague to be damaged - even though he himself is not the one who ultimately causes the damage - since he is the primary cause, he is liable to make financial recompense from the finest property in his possession, like others who cause damage.
What is implied? A person throws a utensil that he owns from a roof onto pillows and blankets, and another person comes and removes the pillows from the ground, causing the utensil to hit the ground and break. The person who removes the pillows is liable to pay the entire sum of the damages, as if he broke the utensil with his own hands. For it was the removal of the pillows and the coverings that caused the utensil to break. The same applies in all analogous situations.
ז
כל הגורם להזיק ממון חבירו [ג] חייב לשלם נזק שלם מן היפה שבנכסיו כשאר המזיקין. אע"פ שאינו הוא המזיק זה הנזק עצמו באחרונה הואיל והוא הגורם הראשון חייב. כיצד ב הזורק כלי שלו מראש הגג על גבי כרים וכסתות ובא אחר וקדם וסלק את הכרים מעל הארץ ונחבט הכלי בארץ ונשבר. [ד] חייב נזק שלם כאילו שברו בידו שסלוק הכרים והכסתות גרם לו שישבר וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
8
When by contrast a person throws a utensil belonging to a colleague from a roof onto pillows and blankets that belong to the owner of the utensil, and the owner comes and removes the pillows from the ground, the person who threw the utensil is liable to pay for the damages to it. His throwing the utensil is the primary cause for its breaking.
In the above instance, if a person other than the owner of the utensil removes the pillows, both the person who threw the utensil and the one who removed the pillows are liable. For together they both caused the owner's property to be damaged.
ח
הזורק כלי של חבירו מראש הגג על גבי כרים וכסתות של בעל הכלי וקדם בעל הכלי והסיר הכרים הזורק חייב שזריקתו הוא הגורם הראשון לשבירת הכלי. ואם קדם אחר וסלקן שניהן חייבין הזורק והמסלק ששניהם גרמו לאבד ממונו של זה:
9
Similarly, a person who burns promissory notes belonging to a colleague is liable to pay the entire debt that was mentioned in the promissory notes. Although the promissory notes themselves are not of financial worth, by burning them one causes his colleague a direct financial loss.
When does this apply? Only when the person who burned the note admits that it had been validated in court, that it was for such and such an amount of money and that because it was burned the owner cannot collect the debt. If the person who burned the note does not believe the owner with regard to any of these points,he is required to pay only the value of the paper.
ט
וכן השורף שטרותיו של חבירו [ה] חייב לשלם כל החוב שהיה בשטר. שאע"פ שאין גוף השטר ממון הרי גרם לאבד הממון. ובלבד שיודה לו המזיק ששטר מקויים היה וכך וכך היה כתוב בו ומחמת ששרפו הוא אינו יכול לגבות החוב. אבל אם לא האמינו אינו משלם לו אלא דמי הנייר בלבד:
10
Similarly a person is liable for causing a colleague financial loss in the following situation. Reuven was owed money by Shimon and sold the promissory note recording the debt to Levi. After he sold the note, he waived Shimon's obligation, freeing Shimon of responsibility, as will be explained in its place.
Reuven becomes liable to pay Levi the entire amount mentioned in the promissory note, for he caused him to lose the money that he could have collected with the note. It is as if he destroyed it by fire. Similarly, if one of Reuven's heirs waived the debt, the person who waived the debt must make financial recompense for Levi's loss from the finest property in his possession.
י
וכן ראובן שהיה נושה בשמעון ומכר השטר ללוי וחזר אחר שמכרו ומחלו לשמעון. הרי נפטר שמעון כמו שיתבאר במקומו ונתחייב ראובן לשלם ללוי כל מה [ו] שבשטר. שהרי גרם לו לאבד השטר והרי הוא כמו ששרפו. [ז] וכן אם מחלו יורש ראובן משלם המוחל מן היפה שבנכסיו:
11
Similarly, if a person designates a servant as an apotiki for a loan and then frees the servant, he is liable to pay the creditor, for he nullified his lien and caused him to lose his money. We also compel the creditor to free the servant, so that when he encounters him, he will not tell him: "You are my servant."
Similarly, if a person pushes a colleague and causes a coin belonging to him to fall from his hand and roll until it descends into the sea, he is liable to pay for it. Similarly, if a person blemishes the ear of a cow, he is obligated to make financial recompense, for he has reduced its value.
Similarly, a person who scrapes the surface of dinarim belonging to a colleague and removes their imprint is liable to pay, for he has caused him a loss. The same applies in all analogous situations.
יא
וכן העושה עבדו אפותיקי וחזר ושחררו חייב המשחרר לשלם לבעל החוב שהרי הפקיע [ח] שעבודו. וגרם לאבד ממונו וכופין את בעל חוב גם הוא לשחרר העבד כדי שלא יפגע בו ויאמר לו עבדי אתה. ג וכן הדוחף מטבע חבירו ונתגלגל וירד לים חייב לשלם. וכן הצורם אזן הפרה חייב לשלם שהרי גרם לפחות דמיה. וכן המרקע דינרי חבירו והעביר צורתן חייב לשלם משום גורם וכן כל כיוצא באלו הדברים:
12
When a person throws a utensil from a roof toward the earth without there being any pillows beneath it to soften its fall, and another person comes and breaks the utensil with a staff while it is in the air before it hits the earth, the person who breaks it is not liable. The rationale is that he broke only a utensil that would certainly have been broken immediately. And so, it is as if he is breaking a broken utensil. He is not considered to be one who caused damages. Similarly, anyone who performs analogous actions is not liable.
יב
הזורק כלי מראש הגג לארץ ולא היה תחתיו כלים. וקדם אחר ושברו במקל כשהוא באויר קודם שיגיע לארץ. הרי זה הראשון [ט] פטור שלא שבר אלא כלי שסופו להשבר מיד בודאי ונמצא כשובר כלי שבור ואין זה כגורם. וכן כל כיוצא בזה פטור:
13
The following rule applies when a person, without the consent of the owner, slaughters an ox that was condemned to be slaughtered because it injures others,or cuts down a tree that was condemned to be cut down because it causes damage to others. He is liable to pay the owner as dictated by the judges, because he prevented him from performing a mitzvah.
If the person who caused the damage claims that the owner told him to slaughter the animal or cut down the tree, he is not liable since it was intended for that fate.
יג
שור שהיה עומד להריגה מפני שהוא מזיק את הבריות. ואילן העומד לקציצה מפני שהוא מזיק את הרבים. וקדם אחד ושחט שור זה וקצץ אילן [י] זה שלא מדעת הבעלים חייב לשלם לבעלים כמו שיראו הדיינים שהרי הפקיען מלעשות מצוה. ואם טען ואמר אתה אמרת לי להרגו ולקצצו. הואיל והוא עומד לכך הרי זה פטור:
14
Similarly, if a person slaughters a beast or a fowl, and another person covers the blood without the consent of the slaughterer, he is liable to pay a fine as dictated by the judges.
There are authorities who rule that in such instances a fine of a fixed amount, ten gold pieces, should be paid. For they ruled that anyone who prevents a colleague from performing a positive commandment - that he is fit to perform - by performing it first, should pay the owner ten gold pieces.
יד
וכן מי ששחט חיה ועוף ובא אחר וכסה הדם שלא מדעת השוחט. חייב ליתן כמו שיראו הדיינים. ויש מי שהורה שהוא נותן קנס קצוב והוא עשרה [כ] זהובים. וכן הורו שכל המונע הבעלים מעשות מצות עשה שהן ראויין לעשותה וקדם אחר ועשאה משלם לבעלים [ל] עשרה זהובים:
15
When a person causes damage with his own hands, the damage is evaluated in the same way as it would have been evaluated if the damage had been caused by his property.
What is implied? If a person kills an animal belonging to a colleague or breaks one of his utensils, we evaluate the animal's previous worth and the worth of the carcass, or the utensil's previous worth and its present worth. The person who caused the damage must pay the difference to the owner together with the carcass or the broken utensil, as we have explained above with regard to damage caused by an ox. For the same principles prevail.
If a person treads grapes belonging to a colleague, we must evaluate the loss. The same principles apply in other analogous situations.
טו
שמין למזיק בידו כדרך ששמין לו אם הזיק ממונו. כיצד הרי שהרג בהמת חבירו או שבר עליו שמין כמה היתה הבהמה שוה וכמה הנבילה שוה. וכמה היה הכלי שוה והוא שלם וכמה שוה עתה ומשלם הפחת לניזק עם הנבילה או הכלי השבור. כדרך שביארנו בשורו שהזיק שדין אחד הוא. דרך ענבים של חבירו שמין לו היזקו וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
16
When the loss he caused is expropriated from the person who caused the damage, it should be expropriated from his movableproperty. If he has no movable property, it should be expropriated from the finest landed property that he owns.
Similarly, the fines to be paid by a rapist, a seducer or a person who spreads malicious gossip about his wife must be paid from the finest landed property that he owns.
טז
כשגובין הפחת מן המזיק א גובין מן המטלטלין שלו. אם אין לו מטלטלין גובין מן היפה שבנכסיו. וכן האונס והמפתה והמוציא שם רע כולן גובין מהן מן היפה שבנכסיו:
17
When someone damages property belonging to a colleague and does not know the extent of the damage, the person whose property was damaged is given the prerogative of taking an oath according to the institutions of our Sages - as is a person whose property was stolen - and he may then collect the money that he claims. This applies provided he claims property that one might suppose that he did possess, as has been explained with regard to a person whose property was stolen.
יז
כל המזיק ממון חבירו ואינו יודע מה הזיק. הרי הניזק נשבע בתקנת חכמים ונוטל כמו שיטעון הנגזל. והוא שיטעון דברים שהוא אמוד בהן כמו שביארנו בנגזל:
18
What is implied? A person takes a wallet belonging to a colleague and throws it into the sea, or into a fire, or gives it to a person of force and thus causes it to be lost. The owner of the wallet claims that it was filled with gold coins, while the person who caused the damage says: "I do not know what it contained. Perhaps all it contained was earth or straw."
The person whose property was damaged is entitled to take an oath while holding a sacred article and collect the money he claims, provided he claims articles that we may assume that he owns or that were entrusted to him and would ordinarily be put in a wallet or the like.
If, however, it is not customary to place such articles in such containers, the owner is considered negligent and the person who caused the damage is not held liable.
What is implied? A person grabbed a filled covered leather sack or basket and threw it into the water or burned it. The person whose property was destroyed claimed that it was filled with pearls. His claim is not accepted, and the person who caused the damage is not required to take an oath. For it is not customary to place pearls in baskets or leather sacks.
If, however, the person whose property was damaged seizes property belonging to the person who caused the damage equivalent to the value of his claim, it should not be expropriated from him. Instead, he is required to take an oath that it contained pearls, and then he is able to keep their worth from the goods that he seized. The same laws apply in all analogous situations.
יח
כיצד לקח כיס חבירו והשליכו לים או לאש. או שמסרו ביד אנס ואבד. בעל הכיס אומר זהובים היה מלא והמזיק אומר איני יודע מה היה בו שמא עפר או תבן היה מלא. הרי הניזק נשבע בנקיטת חפץ ונוטל. והוא שיטעון דברים שהוא אמוד בהן או אמוד להפקידן אצלו ודרכן להניחן בכיס וכיוצא בו. אבל אם אין דרכן להניחן בכלי זה הוא פשע בעצמו. כיצד הרי שחטף [מ] חמת או סל מלאים ומחופים והשליכם לים או שרפן. וטען הניזק שמרגליות היו בתוכן אינו נאמן ואין משביעין אותו על כך. שאין דרך בני אדם להניח מרגליות בסלים [נ] ובחמתות. ואם תפש אין מוציאין מידו. אלא נשבע שמרגליות היו בה ונוטל ממה שיש אצלו וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
19
If the person who caused the damage knew that the wallet contained gold coins, but does not know their amount, and the person whose property was damaged claimed that it contained 1000 coins, the plaintiff's claim is accepted. He may collect 1000 gold coins without taking an oath provided he could be presumed [to possess such an amount of money. For the defendant is required to take an oath, but cannot, as will be explained with regard to an entrusted object.
יט
ידע ג המזיק שהכיס היה בו זהובים. אבל אינו יודע כמה היו ואומר הניזק אלף היו נוטל אלף [ס] בלא שבועה. ואינו יכול להשבע כמו שיתבאר בענין הפקדון:
Chovel uMazzik - Chapter Eight
1
When a person informs about property belonging to a colleague and causes it to be taken by a strong, lawless person, he is required to reimburse the owner from the finest property in his possession. If the person who informs about the property dies, the owner may collect his due from his heirs, as is the law concerning others who cause damage.
Whether the strong, lawless person is a gentile or a Jew, the person who informs about the property to be taken by him is considered a moseir and is required to reimburse the owner for everything taken by the lawless person. This applies even if the moseir did not actually hand the other person's property over to the lawless person, but merely informed him about it.
א
המוסר ממון [א] חבירו בידי אנס חייב לשלם מן היפה שבנכסיו. ואם מת גובין [ב] מיורשיו כשאר כל המזיקין. בין שהיה האנס עכו"ם בין שהיה ישראל הרי זה המוסר חייב לשלם כל מה שלקח האנס. אע"פ שלא נשא המוסר ולא נתן בידו אלא הרגיל בלבד:
2
When does the above apply? When the moseir showed the lawless person his colleague's property on his own volition. If, however, gentiles or Jews compelled a person to show them property belonging to a colleague, he is not liable to reimburse his colleague.
Nevertheless, should he physically give over his colleague's property to a lawless person, he is liable to reimburse his colleague even though he was forced to do so. The rationale is that a person who saves himself with money belonging to a colleague is obligated to reimburse him.
ב
במה דברים אמורים כשהראה המוסר מעצמו. אבל אם אנסוהו [ג] עובדי כוכבים או ישראל אנס להראות והראה הרי זה פטור מן התשלומין. ואם נשא ונתן ביד אע"פ שהוא אנוס חייב לשלם. המציל עצמו בממון חבירו חייב לשלם:
3
What is implied? A king decreed that wine, straw or the like should be brought to him. A moseir arose and said: "So and so has a storehouse of wine or straw in this and this place." If the king's servants went and took possession of the other person's property, the moseir is required to compensate him.
If the king compelled this moseir to go and show him the storehouses of wine or straw, or to show him property belonging to a colleague who is fleeing from the king, and the moseir showed him because of the compulsion, he is not liable. If he had not shown these resources to the king, he would have been beaten or killed.
ג
כיצד הרי שגזר המלך להביא לו יין או תבן וכיוצא בדברים אלו. ועמד מוסר ואמר הרי יש לפלוני אוצר יין או תבן במקום פלוני והלכו ולקחוה חייב לשלם. אנסו המלך למוסר זה עד שיראה לו אוצרות יין או תבן. או עד שיראה לו ממון חבירו שהוא בורח מלפניו והראה לו מפני האונס הרי זה [ד] פטור. שאם לא יראה לו יכהו או ימיתהו:
4
If the moseir took his colleague's property and handed it to the lawless individual, he is liable to pay, although the king compelled him to do so.
When is he liable to pay if, under duress, he took his colleague's property and handed it to the lawless individual? When the property did not come into the lawless person's possession previously. Different laws apply if, however, the lawless person compelled a Jew to show him a colleague's property, and the lawless person stood over the colleague's property and it came into his possession.
If he then compelled a Jew to transport the colleague's property to another place, even if the person who transported the property is the moseir who showed it to the lawless person, the Jew is not liable. The rationale is that since the lawless person stood at the side of the storehouse, it is considered as if all its contents had been already destroyed; it is as if they had been consumed by fire.
ד
נשא ממון חבירו בידו ונתנו לאנס חייב לשלם מכל מקום. אע"פ שהמלך [ה] אנסו להביא. במה דברים אמורים שאם אנסו להביא והביא חייב בשלא הגיע הממון לרשות האנס. אבל אנס שאנס ישראל עד שהראהו ועמד האנס על הממון ונעשה ברשותו ואנס את ישראל עד שהוליכו לו למקום אחר. ואפילו הוליכו זה המוסר שהראהו הרי זה פטור מלשלם. שכיון שעמד האנס בצד האוצר כבר אבד כל מה שיש בו וכאילו נשרף:
5
The following rule applies when two litigants are involved in a dispute concerning landed or movable property, each one claiming that it belongs to him. If one of them turns the property in question over to a gentile, he should be placed under a ban of ostracism until he removes the lawless person from the situation, returns the circumstances to their former state and brings the matter for judgment in a Jewish court.
ה
בעלי דין שהיתה ביניהם מריבה על הקרקע או על מטלטלין. זה אומר שלי וזה אומר שלי. ועמד אחד מהן ומסרה ביד עובד כוכבים. מנדין אותו שיחזיר הדבר לכמו שהיה ויסלק יד אנס מביניהם ויעשו דין בישראל:
6
When a person was apprehended by gentiles because of a colleague, and his money was taken by them because of that colleague, the colleague is not liable to reimburse him.
The only instance that reimbursement is required from a colleague when a person is apprehended on that colleague's behalf is when a person is apprehended because of someone's failure to pay the head tax that is applied to all the inhabitants of a country each year, or because of the gift that every individual is required to give the king when he or his soldiers require hospitality. In these instances, the person who failed to pay is obligated to reimburse the person who made the payment, provided the money was taken from him explicitly on account of his colleague, and this took place in the presence of witnesses.
ו
מי שנתפש על חבירו ולקחו עובדי כוכבים ממון ממנו בגלל חבירו. אין חבירו חייב לשלם. אין לך מי שנתפש [ו] על חבירו ויהיה חבירו חייב לשלם חוץ מן הנתפש מפני המס הקצוב על כל איש ואיש בכל שנה. או הנתפס על התשורה שנותן כל איש ואיש למלך בעברו עליהם הוא או חיילותיו הרי זה חייב לשלם לו. והוא שיקחו ממנו בפירוש בגלל פלוני בפני [ז] עדים:
7
The following laws apply when there are witnesses that a person informed about property belonging to a colleague to a lawless person in a manner that obligates him for reimbursement - i.e., he pointed out his colleague's property on his own initiative or was compelled actually to bring the property to the lawless person, but the witnesses do not know the value of the loss he caused. If the person whose property was taken claims that he lost a specific amount, while the moseir denies that such a loss took place, and the person whose property was taken seizes property belonging to the moseir, it is not expropriated from him. Instead, the plaintiff is required to take an oath while holding a sacred article, and then he is entitled to maintain possession of the property he seized.
If the plaintiff did not seize the moseir's property, property may not be expropriated from the moseir unless there is definite proof of the extent of the loss he caused.
ז
מי שיש עליו עדים שמסר ממון חבירו. כגון שהראה מעצמו או שנאנס ונשא ונתן. ולא ידעו העדים כמה הפסידו במסירתו והנמסר אומר כך וכך הפסידני. והמוסר כופר במה שטענו. אם תפש הנמסר [ח] אין מוציאין מידו אלא נשבע בנקיטת חפץ וזוכה במה שתפש. ואם לא תפש אין מוציאין מן המוסר אלא בראיה ברורה:
8
A moseir who showed a colleague's property to a lawless man on his own initiative is not given the prerogative of taking an oath. This applies both to a severe oath, or a sh'vuat hesset. For such a person is deemed wicked; there is no disqualifying factor greater than this.
When, however, a person was compelled to show a lawless man a colleague's property or compelled actually to bring this property to the lawless person, in which instance he is liable to pay, he is not deemed a wicked person. He may be liable to pay, but he is entitled to take an oath, like other worthy men.
ח
אין משביעין את המוסר שהראה מעצמו לא שבועה חמורה ולא שבועת היסת. מפני שהוא רשע ואין לך פסול יתר [ט] מזה. אבל המוסר שאנסוהו להראות או להביא ונשא ונתן ביד. אע"פ שהוא חייב לשלם אינו רשע אלא בן תשלומין הוא בלבד ומשביעין אותו כשאר הכשרין:
9
It is forbidden to inform about a colleague to the gentiles and endanger his physical person or his property. This applies even when the person concerned is a wicked person who commits sins, and even if he causes one irritation and discomfort. Anyone who actually informs about a Jew and endangers his person or his property to the gentiles will not receive a portion in the world to come.
ט
*אסור [י] למסור האדם ביד עובד כוכבים בין בגופו בין בממונו. ואפילו היה רשע ובעל עבירות ואפילו היה מיצר לו ומצערו. וכל המוסרו ביד עובד כוכבים בין בגופו בין בממונו אין לו חלק לעולם הבא:
10
It is permissible to kill a moseir in any country,even in the present age, when the court no longer metes out capital punishment.
It is permitted to kill him before he informs. When he says: "I will inform on so and so and endanger his person and/or his property" - even property of minimal value - he has made it permissible for others to kill him.
He should be warned and told: "Do not inform." If he says brazenly, "No. I will inform about him," it is a mitzvah to kill him, and whoever kills him receives merit.
י
מותר להרוג המוסר [כ] בכל מקום ואפילו בזמן הזה שאין דנין דיני נפשות. ומותר להרגו קודם שימסור אלא כשאמר הריני מוסר פלוני בגופו או בממונו. ואפילו ממון קל התיר עצמו למיתה. ומתרין לו ואומרין לו אל תמסור. אם העיז פניו ואמר לא כי אלא אמסרנו מצוה להרגו וכל הקודם להרגו זכה:
11
If the moseir carried out his threat and informed on a fellow Jew, it appears to me that it is forbidden to kill him, unless he has made it an established pattern to inform. In such an instance, he should be killed, lest he inform on others.
In the cities of the west, the common practice is to kill the mosrim who have made an established pattern of informing with regard to people's property, and to hand the mosrim over to gentiles to punish them, beat them and imprison them, according to their wicked ways.
Similarly, one who causes difficulty and irritation to the community may be handed over to the gentiles to be beaten, imprisoned and fined. It is, however, forbidden to hand over to gentilesa person for causing irritation to one individual.
It is forbidden to destroy property belonging to a moseir, although it is permitted to destroy his life. The reason is that his money is given to his heirs.
יא
עשה המוסר אשר זמם ומסר. יראה לי שאסור להרגו אלא אם כן הוחזק למסור הרי זה יענש שמא ימסור [ל] אחרים. ומעשים בכל זמן בערי המערב לענוש המוסרים שהוחזקו למסור ממון בני אדם ולמסור המוסרים ביד העובדי כוכבים לענשם ולהכותם ולאסרם כפי רשעם. וכן כל המיצר לציבור ומצערן מותר למסרו ביד העובדי כוכבים להכותו ולאסרו ולקנסו. ג אבל מפני צער יחיד אסור *לאוסרו. ואסור לאבד ממונו של מוסר ואע"פ שמותר לענשו שהרי ממונו [מ] ליורשיו:
12
When a rodef pursues another Jew to kill or to rape him or her and breaks utensils - either those belonging to the person he is pursuing, or those belonging to another person - he is not liable to make financial restitution. The rationale is that he is liable to be killed, for pursuing another Jew warrants his own death.
יב
רודף שהיה ד רודף אחר חבירו להרגו או לדבר עבירה ושבר את הכלים בין של נרדף בין של כל אדם. פטור מן התשלומין. מפני שהוא מתחייב בנפשו שכיון שרדף התיר עצמו למיתה:
13
When a person who is being pursued destroys utensils belonging to the rodef, he is not liable. The rationale is that the rodef's property should not be considered dearer than his life. If he breaks utensils belonging to others, he is liable. For a person who saves his own life with property belonging to someone else must make restitution.
יג
נרדף ששבר כלים של רודף פטור. לא יהיה ממונו חביב מגופו. ואם שבר כלים אחרים חייב. שהמציל עצמו בממון חבירו חייב:
14
When a person pursues a rodef to save the person he is pursuing, and in so doing breaks utensils - whether those belonging to the rodef or those belonging to another person - he is not liable. This does not follow the letter of the law, but is a Rabbinic ordinance, enacted so that a person will not refrain from trying to save his colleague, or will hesitate and proceed carefully while he chases after the rodef.
יד
מי שרדף אחר הרודף להושיע הנרדף ושבר את הכלים בין של רודף בין של כל אדם פטור. ולא מן הדין אלא תקנה היא שלא ימנע מלהציל או יתמהמה ויעיין בעת שירדוף:
15
When a ship is about to sink because it is heavily loaded, and one person stands up and makes it lighter by jettisoning some of its cargo, he is not liable. For the cargo is considered like a rodef who is pursuing them to kill the passengers. On the contrary, by jettisoning the cargo and saving them, he performed a great mitzvah.
This concludes "The Laws of Injury and Damages" with God's help.
טו
ספינה [נ] שחשבה להשבר מכובד המשוי. ועמד אחד מהן והקל ממשאה והשליך בים פטור. שהמשא שבה כמו רודף אחריהם להרגם ומצוה רבה עשה שהשליך והושיעם:
Rotzeach uShmirat Nefesh - Chapter One
Introduction to Hilchos Rotzeach uShmirat Nefesh
They contain seventeen mitzvot: seven positive mitzvot and ten negative mitzvot. They are:
1) Not to murder;
2) Not to accept ransom from a murderer to save him from execution;
3) To exile a person who killed inadvertently;
4) Not to accept ransom from a person who killed inadvertently to save him from exile;
5) Not to kill a murderer directly after the murder, before he stands trial;
6) To save a person who is being pursued, by killing the pursuer;
7) Not to have mercy on the pursuer;
8) Not to stand idly by when a colleague's life is in danger;
9) To set aside cities of refuge, and to prepare the roads leading to them;
10) To break the neck of a calf in a wadi [when required];
11) Never to till or seed the land [where the calf was decapitated];
12) Not to create a dangerous situation;
13) To build a guardrail;
14) Not to cause a well-meaning person to blunder;
15) To help [a person whose animal collapses on a road] to unload it;
16) [Together with the owner] to reload [the animal];
17) Not to abandon him helpless, with his burden.
These mitzvot are explained in the chapters [that follow].
הלכות רוצח ושמירת נפש - הקדמה
יש בכללן שבע עשרה מצות. שבע מצות עשה. ועשר מצות לא תעשה: וזה הוא פרטן:
א) שלא לרצוח
ב) שלא ליקח כופר לנפש רוצח אלא יומת
ג) להגלות הרוצח בשגגה
ד) שלא ליקח כופר למחוייב גלות
ה) שלא יומת הרוצח כשירצח קודם עמידה בדין
ו) להציל הנרדף בנפשו של רודף
ז) שלא לחוס על הרודף
ח) שלא לעמוד על דם
ט) להפריש ערי מקלט ולכוין להם הדרך
י) לערוף את העגלה בנחל
יא) שלא יעבד באותה קרקע ולא תזרע
יב) שלא לשום דמים
יג) לעשות מעקה
יד) שלא יכשיל תמים בדבר
טו) לפרוק עם מי שנכשל בדרך
טז) לטעון עמו
יז) שלא יניחנו נבהל במשאו וילך לו:
וביאור מצות אלו בפרקים אלו:
1
Whenever a person kills a human being, he transgresses a negative commandment, as Exodus 20:13 states: "Do not murder." If a person kills a Jew intentionally in the presence of witnesses, he should be executed by decapitation.
This is implied by Exodus 21:20, which states that when a person kills a servant, "vengeance will certainly be executed." The Oral Tradition explains that this refers to decapitation.
Whether he kills the victim with an iron weapon or burns him with fire, the murderer should be executed by decapitation.
א
כל הורג נפש בן אדם עובר בלא תעשה שנאמר לא תרצח. ואם רצח בזדון בפני עדים מיתתו בסייף שנאמר נקם ינקם. מפי השמועה למדו שזו מיתת סייף בין שהרג את חבירו בברזל בין ששרפו באש מיתתו בסייף:
2
It is a mitzvah for the blood redeemer to kill the murderer, as Numbers 35:19 states: "The blood redeemer shall put the murderer to death." Whoever is fit to inherit the victim's estate becomes the redeemer of his blood.
If the blood redeemer did not desire - or was unable - to kill the murderer, or if the victim did not have a relative to redeem his blood, the court executes the murderer by decapitation.
ב
מצוה ביד גואל הדם [להרוג את הרוצח] שנאמר גואל הדם הוא ימית את הרוצח. וכל הראוי לירושה הוא גואל הדם. לא רצה גואל הדם או שלא היה יכול להמיתו או שאין לו גואל דם בית דין ממיתין את הרוצח בסייף:
3
The following rules apply if a father kills his son. If the victim has a son, this son should kill his grandfather, because he is the blood redeemer. If he does not have a son, none of the victim's brothers becomes the blood redeemer who must kill his father. Instead, he should be executed by the court.
Both a male and a female may become blood redeemers.
ג
האב שהרג את בנו. אם היה בן לנהרג הרי זה הורג אבי אביו מפני שהוא גואל. ואם אין לו בן אין אחד מן האחין נעשה גואל הדם להמית את אביו אלא בית דין ממיתין אותו. ואחד הזכר ואחד הנקבה בגאולת הדם:
4
The court is enjoined not to accept ransom from the murderer to save him from execution. Even if he gave all the money in the world, and even if the blood redeemer was willing to forgive him he should be executed.
The rationale is that the soul of the victim is not the property of the blood redeemer, but the property of the Holy One, blessed be He. And He commanded, Numbers 35:31: "Do not accept ransom for the soul of a murderer."
There is nothing that the Torah warned so strongly against as murder, as Ibid.:33 states: "Do not pollute the land in which you live, for blood will pollute the land."
ד
ומוזהרין בית דין שלא ליקח כופר מן הרוצח. ואפילו נתן כל ממון שבעולם ואפילו רצה גואל הדם לפוטרו. שאין נפשו של זה הנהרג קנין גואל הדם אלא קנין הקב"ה שנאמר ולא תקחו כופר לנפש רוצח. ואין לך דבר שהקפידה תורה עליו כשפיכות דמים שנאמר ולא תחניפו את הארץ וגו'. כי הדם הוא יחניף את הארץ וגו':
5
When a murderer kills willfully, he should not be killed by witnesses or observers until he is brought to court and sentenced to death, as implied by Numbers 35:12 "A murderer should not be put to death until he stands before the congregation in judgment."
This law applies to all those liable for execution by the court, who transgressed and performed the forbidden act. They should not be executed until their trial is completed by the court.
ה
רוצח שהרג בזדון אין ממיתין אותו העדים ולא הרואים אותו עד שיבא לבית דין וידינוהו למיתה. שנאמר ולא ימות הרוצח עד עמדו לפני העדה למשפט. והוא הדין לכל מחוייבי מיתות בית דין שעברו ועשו שאין ממיתין אותן עד שיגמר דינם בבית דין:
6
When does the above apply? When the person has already transgressed and performed the transgression for which he is liable to be executed by the court. When, however, a person is pursuing a colleague with the intention of killing him - even if the pursuer is a minor - every Jewish person is commanded to attempt to save the person being pursued, even if it is necessary to kill the pursuer.
ו
במה דברים אמורים בשעבר ועשה העון שחייב עליו מיתת בית דין. אבל הרודף אחר חבירו להרגו אפילו היה הרודף קטן הרי כל ישראל מצווין [א] להציל הנרדף מיד הרודף ואפילו בנפשו של רודף:
7
What is implied? If the rodef was warned and continues to pursue his intended victim, even though he did not acknowledge the warning, since he continues his pursuit he should be killed.
If it is possible to save the pursued by damaging one of the limbs of the rodef, one should. Thus, if one can strike him with an arrow, a stone or a sword, and cut off his hand, break his leg, blind him or in another way prevent him from achieving his objective, one should do so.
If there is no way to be precise in one's aim and save the person being pursued without killing the rodef, one should kill him, even though he has not yet killed his victim. This is implied by Deuteronomy 25:11-12, which states: "If a man is fighting with his brother, and the wife of one... grabs the attacker by his private parts, you must cut off her hand; you may not show pity."
ז
כיצד אם הזהירוהו והרי הוא רודף אחריו אע"פ שלא קיבל עליו התראה כיון שעדיין הוא רודף הרי זה נהרג. ואם יכולים להצילו באבר מאיברי הרודף כגון שיכו אותו בחץ או באבן או בסייף ויקטעו את ידו או ישברו את רגלו או יסמו את עינו עושין. ואם [אינן] יכולין לכוין ולהצילו אלא אם כן הרגוהו לרודף הרי אלו הורגין אותו אע"פ שעדיין לא הרג שנאמר וקצותה את כפה לא תחוס עינך:
8
There is no difference whether she grabs "his private parts" or any other organ that imperils his life. Similarly, the rodef may be a man or a woman. The intent of the verse is that whenever a person intends to strike a colleague with a blow that could kill him, the pursued should be saved by "cutting off the hand" of the rodef. If this cannot be done, the victim should be saved by taking the rodef's life, as the verse continues: "you may not show pity."
ח
אחד במבושיו ואחד כל דבר שיש בו סכנת נפשות. אחד האיש או האשה. א ענין הכתוב שכל החושב להכות חבירו הכאה הממיתה אותו מצילין את הנרדף בכפו של רודף. ואם אינן יכולין מצילין אותו אף בנפשו שנאמר לא [ב] תחוס עינך:
9
This, indeed, is one of the negative mitzvot - not to take pity on the life of a rodef.
On this basis, our Sages ruled that when complications arise and a pregnant woman cannot give birth, it is permitted to abort the fetus in her womb, whether with a knife or with drugs. For the fetus is considered a rodef of its mother.
If the head of the fetus emerges, it should not be touched, because one life should not be sacrificed for another. Although the mother may die, this is the nature of the world.
ט
אף זו מצות לא תעשה שלא לחוס על נפש הרודף. לפיכך הורו חכמים שהעוברה שהיא מקשה לילד מותר לחתוך העובר במיעיה. בין בסם בין ביד מפני שהוא כרודף אחריה להורגה. ואם משהוציא ראשו אין נוגעין בו שאין דוחין נפש מפני נפש וזהו טבעו של עולם:
10
The laws of a rodef apply whether a person is pursuing a colleague with the intent of killing him, or a maiden that had been consecrated with the intent of raping her, as reflected by Deuteronomy 22:26, which establishes an equation between murder and rape, stating: "Just as when a man arises against his colleague and kills him, so too, is this matter i.e., the rape of a consecrated maiden."
The same principle is reflected by another verse within the passage, which states (Ibid.:27): "The consecrated maiden cried out, but there was no one to save her." Implied is that if there is someone who can save her, he must do so, using all means including taking the life of the pursuer.
י
אחד הרודף אחר חבירו להרגו או רודף אחר נערה מאורסה לאונסה. שנאמר כי כאשר יקום איש על רעהו ורצחו נפש כן הדבר הזה. והרי הוא אומר צעקה הנערה המאורשה ואין מושיע לה. הא יש לה מושיע מושיעה בכל דבר שיכול להושיע ואפילו בהריגת הרודף:
11
The same laws apply with regard to any woman forbidden as an ervah, but not to relations with an animal. With regard to homosexual rape, by contrast, one may save a man from being raped by killing the intended rapist.
If one pursues an animal with the intent of sodomizing it, or one seeks to perform a forbidden labor on the Sabbath or to worship idols - although the Sabbath and the prohibition against idol worship are fundamental elements of our faith - the person should not be killed until he commits the transgression and is brought to court, convicted and executed.
יא
והוא הדין ב לשאר כל העריות חוץ מן הבהמה. אבל הזכור מצילין אותו בנפש הרודף כשאר כל העריות. אבל הרודף אחר הבהמה לרבעה. או שרדף לעשות מלאכה בשבת או לעבוד ע"ז. אע"פ שהשבת וע"ז עיקרי הדת אין ממיתין אותו עד שיעשה ויביאוהו לבית דין וידינוהו וימות:
12
If a person pursued a woman forbidden as an ervah, took hold of her and inserted the head of his organ within her,he may not be slain, even though he has not concluded sexual relations. He must be brought to court.
If a man was pursuing a woman forbidden as an ervah, and other men were pursuing him to save her, and she tells them, "Let him be, so that he does not kill me," they should not listen to her.Instead, he should be intimidated and prevented from raping her, by maiming his limbs. If he cannot be prevented by maiming his limbs, his life may be taken, as explained above.
יב
רדף אחר ערוה ותפשה ושכב עמה והערה. אע"פ שלא גמר ביאתו אין ממיתין אותו עד עמדו בדין. רדף אחר ערוה ואחרים היו רודפין אחריו להצילה. ואמרה להם הניחוהו כדי שלא יהרגני אין שומעין לה אלא מבהילין אותו ומונעין אותו מלבעול באיבריו. ואם אינן יכולים באיבריו אפילו בנפשו כמו שביארנו:
13
When a person could prevent a murder or a rape by maiming the rodef's limbs, but did not take the trouble and instead saved the victim by killing the rodef, he is regarded as one who shed blood and is liable for death. Nevertheless, he should not be executed by the court.
יג
כל היכול להציל באבר מאיבריו ולא טרח בכך אלא הציל בנפשו של רודף והרגו הרי זה שופך דמים וחייב מיתה אבל אין בית דין ממיתין אותו:
14
Whenever a person can save another person's life, but he fails to do so, he transgresses a negative commandment, as Leviticus 19:16 states: "Do not stand idly by while your brother's blood is at stake."
Similarly, this commandment applies when a person sees a colleague drowning at sea or being attacked by robbers or a wild animal, and he can save him himself or can hire others to save him. Similarly, it applies when he hears gentiles or mosrim conspiring to harm a colleague or planning a snare for him, and he does not inform him and notify him of the danger.46
And it applies when a person knows of a gentile or a man of force who has a complaint against a colleague, and he can appease the aggressor on behalf of his colleague, but he fails to do so. And similarly, in all analogous instances, a person who fails to act transgresses the commandment: "Do not stand idly by while your brother's blood is at stake."
יד
כל היכול להציל ולא הציל עובר על לא תעמוד על דם רעך. וכן הרואה את חבירו טובע בים. או ליסטים באים עליו. או חיה רעה באה עליו. ויכול להצילו הוא בעצמו. או ששכר אחרים להצילו ולא הציל. או ששמע עובדי כוכבים או מוסרים מחשבים עליו רעה או טומנין לו פח ולא גלה אוזן חבירו והודיעו. או שידע בעובד כוכבים או באונס שהוא בא על חבירו ויכול לפייסו בגלל חבירו להסיר מה שבלבו ולא פייסו וכל כיוצא בדברים אלו. העושה אותם עובר על לא תעמוד על דם רעך:
15
When a person sees a rodef pursuing a colleague to kill him, or a woman forbidden as an ervah to rape her, and he has the potential to save the victim and yet fails to do so, he has negated the observance of the positive commandment: "You must cut off her hand," and has transgressed two negative commandments: "You may not show pity," and "Do not stand idly by while your brother's blood is at stake."
טו
הרואה רודף אחר חבירו להרגו או אחר ערוה לבועלה ויכול להציל ולא הציל. הרי זה ביטל מצות עשה שהיא וקצותה את כפה. ועבר על [ג] שני לאוין על לא תחוס עינך ועל לא תעמוד על דם רעך:
16
Even though lashes are not given as punishment for the transgression of these prohibitions - because they do not involve committing a forbidden deed - they are nevertheless very severe. For whoever causes the loss of a Jewish soul is considered as if he destroyed the entire world, and whoever saves a Jewish soul is considered as if he saved the entire world.
טז
אע"פ שאין לוקין על לאוין אלו מפני שאין מעשה בהן חמורים הם *שכל המאבד נפש אחת מישראל כאילו אבד כל העולם כולו. וכל המקיים נפש אחת מישראל כאילו קיים כל העולם כולו:
Hayom Yom:
• English Text | Video Class
Friday, Tammuz 13, 5777 · 7 July 2017
"Today's Day"
Friday Tamuz 13, Festival of Liberation 5703
Tachanun in not said.
Torah lessons: Chumash: Balak, Shishi with Rashi.
Tehillim: 69-71.
Tanya: Ch. 2. However, (p. 347) ..."desirable day." (p. 349).
On this day the Rebbe (R. Yosef Yitzchak) was actually freed.
The imprisonment began at 2:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Sivan 15, 5687 (June 15, 1927). He remained in exile - in the town of Kostrama - until one half-hour past mid-day, Wednesday, Tamuz 13, 5687 (July 13, 1927).
From a letter of the Rebbe to mark the Festival of his Liberation: "I send you a maamar ...which is my participation - for their success - with my beloved friends the chassidim wherever they reside, (which is my way of) being united with you in your farbrengen for the purpose of strengthening the practices of Chassidus, in fixing and observing periods for studying Chassidus and to be stimulated to pragmatically implement those studies...
May our G-d and G-d of our Fathers bless the whole community of chassidim - them, their households, their children and grandchildren among all our brothers the people of Israel (G-d grant them eternal life)1 with all good things of soul and of flesh."
FOOTNOTES
1.C.f. Yeshayahu 38:16; the verse there refers to t'chiyat hameitim, resurrection.
Daily Thought:
Getting Real
To know that this world is not some wild jungle where whoever is stronger or richer or smarter can abuse and destroy without regard for those beneath them—this is not a matter of religion or faith, particular to one people or group of believers. This is the underlying reality—that this world has a Master, and it is not any of us.
A peaceful society can endure only when it is built upon that which is real. [Simchat Torah, 5746]
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Getting Real
To know that this world is not some wild jungle where whoever is stronger or richer or smarter can abuse and destroy without regard for those beneath them—this is not a matter of religion or faith, particular to one people or group of believers. This is the underlying reality—that this world has a Master, and it is not any of us.
A peaceful society can endure only when it is built upon that which is real. [Simchat Torah, 5746]
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