Introduction for studying the NT: Messiah Ben Yosef - The viceroy of King Messiah Ben David - the ultimate Redeemer.
Introduction for studying the NT: Messiah Ben Yosef - The viceroy of King Messiah Ben David - the ultimate Redeemer.
HarHaBayit:
'We failed! We didn't throw of the Mountain: Amalek's descendants and their Israeli friends! The Erev Rav! We must be at war until all terrorists are dead! In and around Eretz Yisrael. The day after, we need to vote for an Elohim fearing Government. Then let us start to Pray and to talk about a new government. Every Jew and non-Jew must accept and respect Jewish Law. Voting's yes, but a new high Court system Jewish Law in all Eretz Yisrael: Including Aza, Yudea and Samaria. So that we may become a real blessing for the whole world as it was in the time of the Kingdom of HaMeleg David. Yes, real Teshuva and Study our Source: The Torah. The Sifri (a treatise on the derivation of Torah law from the exegesis of the verses of Numbers and Deuteronomy, written during the time of the Mishnah by Rav) says, "The Jewish people were commanded three mitzvos upon entering Israel: appointing for them-selves a king, building themselves a Sanctuary and wiping out the descendants of Amalek."
Look Click: https://fb.watch/r0HhSftzj1/
Shemot (Exodus) - Chapter 25
8And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst חוְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָֽׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם: And they shall make Me a sanctuary: And they shall make in My name a house of sanctity. וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ: וְעָשׂוּ לִשְׁמִי בֵּית קְדֻשָּׁה: 9according to all that I show you, the pattern of the Mishkan and the pattern of all its vessels; and so shall you do. טכְּכֹ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ מַרְאֶ֣ה אֽוֹתְךָ֔ אֵ֚ת תַּבְנִ֣ית הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת תַּבְנִ֣ית כָּל־כֵּלָ֑יו וְכֵ֖ן תַּֽעֲשֽׂוּ: according to all that I show you: here, the pattern of the Mishkan. This verse is connected to the verse above it: “And they shall make Me a sanctuary…” according to all that I show you. כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אֽוֹתְךָ: כָּאן את תבנית המשכן, הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה מְחֻבָּר לַמִּקְרָא שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה הֵימֶנּוּ וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אוֹתְךָ:
Eretz Yisrael in Jewish Scriptures Click: 
Source (Hebrew) Translation (English)
The Tefilah l’Shalom Medinat Yisra’el (“Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel”) was composed by Rabbi Yitsḥak haLevi Hertzog (1888-1959), edited by Shmuel Yosef (S.Y.) Agnon (1888-1970), and first published in the newspaper Ha-Tsofeh on 20 September 1948.
This prayer was instituted at the time by the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbi Hertzog and Rabbi Ben Tsiyon Meir Ḥai Uziel. According to the custom of the Ashkenazic communities, the time for reciting the prayer was set between the end of the Torah reading and the haftara for the return of the Torah scroll to its place in the Holy Ark. In Sephardic communities, it is customary to recite the prayer at the time of the removal of the Torah scroll from the Holy Ark. (At this point in prayer, it was customary the prayer “Hanoten Tshuah”, blessing the ruler of the state and their immediate family.)
Because the State of Israel is referred to as “the beginning of the sprouting/growth of our redemption,” the prayer was not universally accepted. This expression, and the reservations about the state in general, are some of the reasons why non-Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews do not recite it in their synagogues. In fact, the recitation of this prayer and, to a lesser extent, the prayer for the safety of IDF soldiers, became one of the main differences between prayer in Ḥaredi synagogues and prayers in National Religious Zionist synagogues in Israel and in the Diaspora.
מי שברך לחיילי צה״ל | Mi sheBerakh for the Welfare of Israel Defense Forces Soldiers, by Rabbi Shlomo Goren (1956); amended by Dr. Alex Sinclair (2012)
| 8And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst | חוְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָֽׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם: | |
| And they shall make Me a sanctuary: And they shall make in My name a house of sanctity. | וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ: וְעָשׂוּ לִשְׁמִי בֵּית קְדֻשָּׁה: | |
| 9according to all that I show you, the pattern of the Mishkan and the pattern of all its vessels; and so shall you do. | טכְּכֹ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ מַרְאֶ֣ה אֽוֹתְךָ֔ אֵ֚ת תַּבְנִ֣ית הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת תַּבְנִ֣ית כָּל־כֵּלָ֑יו וְכֵ֖ן תַּֽעֲשֽׂוּ: | |
| according to all that I show you: here, the pattern of the Mishkan. This verse is connected to the verse above it: “And they shall make Me a sanctuary…” according to all that I show you. | כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אֽוֹתְךָ: כָּאן את תבנית המשכן, הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה מְחֻבָּר לַמִּקְרָא שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה הֵימֶנּוּ וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אוֹתְךָ: |
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|
The Tefilah l’Shalom Medinat Yisra’el (“Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel”) was composed by Rabbi Yitsḥak haLevi Hertzog (1888-1959), edited by Shmuel Yosef (S.Y.) Agnon (1888-1970), and first published in the newspaper Ha-Tsofeh on 20 September 1948.
This prayer was instituted at the time by the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbi Hertzog and Rabbi Ben Tsiyon Meir Ḥai Uziel. According to the custom of the Ashkenazic communities, the time for reciting the prayer was set between the end of the Torah reading and the haftara for the return of the Torah scroll to its place in the Holy Ark. In Sephardic communities, it is customary to recite the prayer at the time of the removal of the Torah scroll from the Holy Ark. (At this point in prayer, it was customary the prayer “Hanoten Tshuah”, blessing the ruler of the state and their immediate family.)
Because the State of Israel is referred to as “the beginning of the sprouting/growth of our redemption,” the prayer was not universally accepted. This expression, and the reservations about the state in general, are some of the reasons why non-Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews do not recite it in their synagogues. In fact, the recitation of this prayer and, to a lesser extent, the prayer for the safety of IDF soldiers, became one of the main differences between prayer in Ḥaredi synagogues and prayers in National Religious Zionist synagogues in Israel and in the Diaspora.
Source (Hebrew) Translation (English)
In recent months, thanks to the combination of cell phone cameras and YouTube, we’ve witnessed Israel Defense Force soldiers acting in deeply troubling ways. We’ve seen soldiers standing by while a civilian shoots live ammunition at Palestinian protesters, we saw Lt. Col. Shaul Eisner assault an unarmed Danish civilian with the butt of a rifle, and, before that, the killing at close range of Mustafa Tamimi, a protester in the Palestinian village Nebi Saleh. Many of these occurrences are regularly reported in Haaretz, but they don’t find their way as often, or as prominently, into other media outlets.
The most generous explanation for this phenomenon is that individuals, in a series of isolated incidents, fail to uphold the IDF code of conduct. More sobering explanations point to a widespread culture in the IDF whereby such conduct is tolerated and routine. Indeed, when the Eisner case was reported, the most shocking aspect of the YouTube video was the utter indifference to Eisner’s act by the six or seven other soldiers milling around. What we saw as a horrific, unforgiveable, outrage, they saw as boring and un-noteworthy.
I was on the receiving end of such an incident last year, while I was observing a non-violent demonstration against the occupation in the West Bank, and got caught up in tear gas that was fired indiscriminately at women, children, and observers. Since then, I’ve found it hard to say the prayer for the IDF that appears in all Israeli prayer books, and which my community, like most synagogues in Israel, reads aloud every Shabbat.
The prayer, written by Rabbi Shlomo Goren in the early years of the state, does not, to my mind, adequately respond to the ethical challenges that IDF soldiers face in exercising power over civilian communities, where things are much more complicated than state-against-state war.
But our response to troubling issues cannot simply to be cease from engagement with the issue. That’s true if the troubling issue is, say, Eishet Ḥayil (the poem traditionally sung by a husband to a wife on Friday night; while parts of it are beautiful, parts of it are also rather sexist); and it is also true if the troubling issue is inappropriate use of force by the IDF.
As engaged Jews who love the Jewish tradition but are troubled by particular aspects of it, my wife and I sing an amended version of Eishet Ḥayil on Friday nights. In doing this, we join countless other Jews who try to develop an active relationship with liturgy that more closely reflects their values.
As engaged Jewish Zionists, the time has come to do the same with the prayer for the IDF. Above is my suggested amendation. The text is the regular version of the prayer as found in the popular Rinat Israel siddur. The middle section is my suggested addition.
The Biblical verse quoted is from the story of Sodom and Gemorrah, where Abraham berates God for seeking to harm innocent people along with the wicked. To my mind, it’s an extremely appropriate analogy to much of what goes on today: there are wicked people out there who seek to harm us, and it’s good that the army protects us from them. But all too often, some soldiers (and some Israelis in general) don’t do enough to distinguish between those who are genuinely evil, and innocent people (including Palestinians, left-wing Israelis, and internationals) who are legitimately protesting the occupation. Amending the prayer for the IDF is one way to raise awareness about that uncomfortable fact, and begin a public, Jewish, Zionist conversation about it.
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
In recent months, thanks to the combination of cell phone cameras and YouTube, we’ve witnessed Israel Defense Force soldiers acting in deeply troubling ways. We’ve seen soldiers standing by while a civilian shoots live ammunition at Palestinian protesters, we saw Lt. Col. Shaul Eisner assault an unarmed Danish civilian with the butt of a rifle, and, before that, the killing at close range of Mustafa Tamimi, a protester in the Palestinian village Nebi Saleh. Many of these occurrences are regularly reported in Haaretz, but they don’t find their way as often, or as prominently, into other media outlets.
The most generous explanation for this phenomenon is that individuals, in a series of isolated incidents, fail to uphold the IDF code of conduct. More sobering explanations point to a widespread culture in the IDF whereby such conduct is tolerated and routine. Indeed, when the Eisner case was reported, the most shocking aspect of the YouTube video was the utter indifference to Eisner’s act by the six or seven other soldiers milling around. What we saw as a horrific, unforgiveable, outrage, they saw as boring and un-noteworthy.
I was on the receiving end of such an incident last year, while I was observing a non-violent demonstration against the occupation in the West Bank, and got caught up in tear gas that was fired indiscriminately at women, children, and observers. Since then, I’ve found it hard to say the prayer for the IDF that appears in all Israeli prayer books, and which my community, like most synagogues in Israel, reads aloud every Shabbat.
The prayer, written by Rabbi Shlomo Goren in the early years of the state, does not, to my mind, adequately respond to the ethical challenges that IDF soldiers face in exercising power over civilian communities, where things are much more complicated than state-against-state war.
But our response to troubling issues cannot simply to be cease from engagement with the issue. That’s true if the troubling issue is, say, Eishet Ḥayil (the poem traditionally sung by a husband to a wife on Friday night; while parts of it are beautiful, parts of it are also rather sexist); and it is also true if the troubling issue is inappropriate use of force by the IDF.
As engaged Jews who love the Jewish tradition but are troubled by particular aspects of it, my wife and I sing an amended version of Eishet Ḥayil on Friday nights. In doing this, we join countless other Jews who try to develop an active relationship with liturgy that more closely reflects their values.
As engaged Jewish Zionists, the time has come to do the same with the prayer for the IDF. Above is my suggested amendation. The text is the regular version of the prayer as found in the popular Rinat Israel siddur. The middle section is my suggested addition.
The Biblical verse quoted is from the story of Sodom and Gemorrah, where Abraham berates God for seeking to harm innocent people along with the wicked. To my mind, it’s an extremely appropriate analogy to much of what goes on today: there are wicked people out there who seek to harm us, and it’s good that the army protects us from them. But all too often, some soldiers (and some Israelis in general) don’t do enough to distinguish between those who are genuinely evil, and innocent people (including Palestinians, left-wing Israelis, and internationals) who are legitimately protesting the occupation. Amending the prayer for the IDF is one way to raise awareness about that uncomfortable fact, and begin a public, Jewish, Zionist conversation about it.
תְּפִלָּה לְפִדְיוֹן שְׁבוּיִם | Prayer for the Redemption of Israelis Taken Captive [during the war begun on Shemini Atseret 5784], by Rabbi Ofer Sabath Beit Halachmi (2023)
Source (Hebrew) Translation (English)
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
This prayer for the liberation of abducted Israeli citizens and military personnel was offered by Rabbi Ofer Sabath Beit Halachmi in response to the war initiated by Hamas from Gaza on Shemini Atseret 5784. The English translation was prepared by Rabbi Dr. Rachel Sabath Beit Halachmi.
On request of Gaddi here I give you
an ‘approach’, advice, as an introduction for the study of the NT.
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1God spoke all these words, to
respond: |
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אוַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֵ֛ת
כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹֽר: |
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God
spoke: Heb. אֱלֹהִים.
[The word] אֱֱלֹהִים always means “a judge.” [This Divine Name is used here]
because there are some sections in the Torah [that contain commandments]
that if a person performs them, he receives a reward, but if not, he does
not receive any punishment for them. I might think that so it is with the
Ten Commandments. Therefore, Scripture says: “God (אֱלֹהִים) spoke,” [signifying God’s role as] a
Judge, [Whose function is] to mete out punishment [when the Ten
Commandments are not obeyed]. [from Mechilta] |
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וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים: אֵין אֱלֹהִים אֶלָּא דַּיָּן;
לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁאִם עֲשָׂאָן אָדָם מְקַבֵּל
שָׂכָר, וְאִם לָאו אֵינוֹ מְקַבֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם פֻּרְעָנוּת, יָכוֹל אַף
עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת כֵּן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים – דַּיָּן
לִפָּרַע (מכילתא): |
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all these
words: [This] teaches [us] that the Holy One, blessed be He, said the
Ten Commandments in one utterance, something that is impossible for a human
being to say [in a similar way]. If so, why does the Torah say again, “I am
[the Lord, your God (verse 2)]” and “You shall have no…” (verse 3)? Because
He later explained each statement [of the Ten Commandments] individually. —
[from Mechilta] |
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אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה: מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ
בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד, מַה שֶּׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר
לְאָדָם לוֹמַר כֵּן, אִם כֵּן מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר עוֹד אָנֹכִי וְלֹא
יִהְיֶה לְךָ? שֶׁחָזַר וּפֵרֵשׁ עַל כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר בִּפְנֵי
עַצְמוֹ (שם): |
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to
respond: Heb. לֵאמֹר,
lit., to say. [This] teaches [us] that they responded to the positive
[commandments], “Yes,” and to the negative [commandments], “No.” -[from
Mechilta] |
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לֵאמֹֽר: מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹנִין עַל הֵן הֵן וְעַל לָאו לָאו (שם): |
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2"I am the Lord, your God,
Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. |
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באָֽנֹכִ֨י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ
אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֽוֹצֵאתִ֩יךָ֩ מֵאֶ֨רֶץ מִצְרַ֜יִם מִבֵּ֣ית עֲבָדִ֗ים: |
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Who took you
out of the land of Egypt: The taking [you] out [of Egypt] is sufficient reason for you
to be subservient to Me. Alternatively, [God mentions the Exodus] since He
revealed Himself on the sea as a valiant warrior, and here He revealed
Himself as an old man full of mercy, as it is said: “and beneath His feet
was like the form of a brick of sapphire” (Exod. 24:10). That [brick] was before Him at the time
of the enslavement [to remember the Israelites’ suffering when they made
bricks as slaves], “and like the appearance of the heavens” (Exod. 24:10), [i.e., there was joy before Him] when
they were redeemed. Since I change in [My] appearances, do not say that
they are two [Divine] domains, [but] I am He Who took you out of Egypt and
[I am He Who performed the miracles] by the sea (Mechilta). Alternatively,
[God mentions the Exodus] since they [the Israelites] heard many voices
[during the revelation], as it is said: “And all the people saw the voices”
(verse 15), [meaning that] voices came from four directions and from the
heavens and from the earth, [so] do not say that there are many domains
(Exod. Rabbah 5:9). And why did He say [this] in the singular
[possessive], אֱלֹהֶי?
In order to give Moses an opening to offer a defense in the incident of the
calf. This is [the meaning of] “Why, O Lord, should Your anger be kindled
against Your people?” (Exod. 32:11). You did not command them, “You shall not
have the gods of others before Me,” but [You commanded] me alone (Exod.
Rabbah 43:5). |
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אֲשֶׁר הֽוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם: כְּדַאי הִיא הַהוֹצָאָה
שֶׁתִּהְיוּ מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים לִי; דָּבָר אַחֵר, לְפִי שֶׁנִּגְלָה בַיָּם
כְּגִבּוֹר מִלְחָמָה וְנִגְלָה כָּאן כְּזָקֵן מָלֵא רַחֲמִים, – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר
וְתַחַת רַגְלָיו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר (שמות כ"ד), זוֹ
הָיְתָה לְפָנָיו בִּשְׁעַת הַשִּׁעְבּוּד, וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם,
מִשֶּׁנִּגְאֲלוּ – הוֹאִיל וַאֲנִי מִשְׁתַּנֶּה בְמַרְאוֹת, אַל תֹּאמְרוּ
שְׁתֵּי רָשׁוּיוֹת הֵן, אָנֹכִי הוּא אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְעַל
הַיָּם. דָּבָר אַחֵר לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ שוֹמְעִין קוֹלוֹת הַרְבֵּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר
אֶת הַקּוֹלֹת – קוֹלוֹת בָּאִין מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת וּמִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וּמִן
הָאָרֶץ – אַל תֹּאמְרוּ רָשׁוּיוֹת הַרְבֵּה הֵן; וְלָמָה אָמַר לְשׁוֹן
יָחִיד אֱלֹהֶיךָ? לִתֵּן פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה לְמֹשֶׁה לְלַמֵּד סָנֵגוֹרְיָא
בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר לָמָה ה' יֶחֱרֶה אַפְּךָ בְּעַמֶּךָ –
לֹא לָהֶם צִוִּיתָ לֹא יִהְיֶה לָכֶם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים אֶלָּא לִי לְבַדִּי
(שמות רבה): |
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out of the
house of bondage: Literally, out of the house of slaves. [I.e.,] from Pharaoh’s
house, where you were slaves to him. Or perhaps [Scripture] means only:
from the house of slaves, that they were slaves to [other] slaves?
Therefore, Scripture says: “and He redeemed you from the house of bondage,
from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt” (Deut. 7:8). Consequently, you must say that they were
slaves to Pharaoh, but not slaves to [other] slaves. — [from Exod. Rabbah
43:5] |
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מִבֵּית העבדים: מִבֵּית פַּרְעֹה שֶׁהֱיִיתֶם
עֲבָדִים לוֹ, אוֹ אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר אֶלָּא מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים שֶׁהָיוּ עֲבָדִים
לַעֲבָדִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר וַיִּפְדְּךָ מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים מִיַּד פַּרְעֹה
מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם (דברים ז'), אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה עֲבָדִים לַמֶּלֶךְ הָיוּ וְלֹא
עֲבָדִים לַעֲבָדִים (מכילתא): |
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3You shall not have the gods of
others in My presence. |
|
גלֹ֣א יִֽהְיֶ֣ה־לְךָ֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים
אֲחֵרִ֜ים עַל־פָּנַ֗י: |
|
You shall not
have: Why was this said? Since it says, “You shall not make for
yourself, etc.” I know only that one may not make [graven idols, etc.] How do
I know that one may not keep what was already made? Therefore, Scripture
states: “You shall not have.” -[Mechilta] |
|
לֹא יִֽהְיֶה־לְךָ: לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּ'
לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂה, הֶעָשׂוּי כְּבָר
מִנַּיִן שֶׁלֹּא יְקַיֵּם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ (שם): |
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the gods of
others: Heb. אֱלֹהִים אִחֵרִים, which are not gods, but that others have made them for
gods over themselves. It is impossible to interpret this passage to mean:
gods other than I, since it is a disgrace for Heaven to call them gods
along with Him. Alternatively: strange gods, for they are strange to their
worshippers. They cry out to them, but they do not answer them, and it
appears as if it [the god] were a stranger, who never knew him [the
worshipper]. — [from Mechilta] |
|
אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים: שֶׁאֵינָן אֱלוֹהוּת אֶלָּא
אֲחֵרִים עֲשָׂאוּם אֱלֹהִים עֲלֵיהֶם, וְלֹא יִתָּכֵן לְפָרֵשׁ אֱלֹהִים
אֲחֵרִים זוּלָתִי, שֶׁגְּנַאי כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה לִקְרֹאותָם אֱלוֹהוּת
אֶצְלוֹ. דָּבָר אַחֵר אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁהֵם אֲחֵרִים לְעוֹבְדֵיהֶם –
צוֹעֲקִים אֲלֵיהֶם וְאֵינָן עוֹנִין אוֹתָם, וְדוֹמֶה כְּאִלּוּ הוּא אַחֵר
שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַכִּירוֹ מֵעוֹלָם: |
|
in My
presence: Heb. עַל-פָּנָּי [This
means] as long as I exist [signifying forever. God states this so] that you
should not say that only that generation was commanded [prohibited]
concerning idolatry. — [from Mechilta] |
|
עַל־פָּנַי: כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאֲנִי קַיָּם, שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר לֹא נִצְטַוּוּ עַל
עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה אֶלָּא אוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר (מכילתא): |
|
4You shall not make for yourself
a graven image or any likeness which is in the heavens above, which is on
the earth below, or which is in the water beneath the earth. |
|
דלֹ֣א תַֽעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ֣ פֶ֣סֶל |
וְכָל־תְּמוּנָ֡ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם | מִמַּ֡עַל וַֽאֲשֶׁר֩ בָּאָ֨רֶץ
מִתַּ֜חַת וַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם | מִתַּ֣חַת לָאָ֗רֶץ: |
|
a graven
image: Heb. פֶּסֶל [It
is called by this name] because it is sculpted (נִפְסָל). |
|
פֶסֶל: עַל שֵׁם שֶׁנִּפְסָל: |
|
or any
likeness: The likeness of anything that is in the heavens. |
|
וְכָל־תְּמוּנָה: תְּמוּנַת דָּבָר אשר בשמים: |
|
5You shall neither prostrate
yourself before them nor worship them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a
zealous God, Who visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the
third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, |
|
הלֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּֽחֲוֶ֣ה לָהֶם֘
וְלֹ֣א תָֽעָבְדֵם֒ כִּ֣י אָֽנֹכִ֞י יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א
פֹּ֠קֵ֠ד עֲוֹ֨ן אָבֹ֧ת עַל־בָּנִ֛ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים
לְשֽׂנְאָ֑י: |
|
a zealous
God: Heb. קַנָּא, zealous to mete
out punishment. He does not forgo retaliating by forgiving the sin of
idolatry. Every [expression of] קַנָּא means enprenemant in Old French, zealous anger. He directs His
attention to mete out punishment. |
|
אֵל קַנָּא: מְקַנֵּא לִפָּרַע וְאֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר עַל מִדָּתוֹ לִמְחֹל עַל
עֲבוֹדַת אֱלִילִים; כָּל לְשׁוֹן קַנָּא אנפרי"מנט בְּלַעַז – נוֹתֵן
לֵב לִפָּרַע: |
|
of those who hate
Me: As the
Targum [Onkelos paraphrases: when the sons continue to sin following their
fathers, i.e.], when they cling to their fathers’ deeds. |
|
לְשֽׂנְאָי: כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, כְּשֶׁאוֹחֲזִין מַעֲשֵׂה אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם
בִּידֵיהֶם |
|
6and [I] perform loving kindness
to thousands [of generations], to those who love Me and to those who keep
My commandments. |
|
ווְעֹ֤שֶׂה חֶ֨סֶד֙ לַֽאֲלָפִ֔ים
לְאֹֽהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹֽׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֹתָֽי: |
|
perform
loving-kindness: And He keeps (stores up) the mercy which a person does to give
a reward for it to the thousand generations of that person’s descendants.
It follows, therefore, that the measure of good (reward) is greater than
the measure of punishment in the proportion of one to five hundred, for the
former is threatened only to four generations whilst the latter is bestowed
upon thousands (two thousands at least). (Tosefta Sotah 4:1; see Rashi
on Exodus
34:7) |
|
ועושה חסד: וְנוֹצֵר חֶסֶד שֶׁאָדָם עוֹשֶׂה, לְשַׁלֵּם שָׂכָר עַד
לְאַלְפַּיִם דוֹר; נִמְצֵאת מִדָּה טוֹבָה יְתֵרָה עַל מִדַּת פֻּרְעָנוּת
אַחַת עַל חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת, שֶׁזּוֹ לְאַרְבָּעָה דּוֹרוֹת וְזוֹ לַאֲלָפִים
(תוספתא סוטה ד'): |
|
7You shall not take the name of
the Lord, your God, in vain, for the Lord will not hold blameless anyone
who takes His name in vain. |
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זלֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֛א
אֶת־שֵֽׁם־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לַשָּׁ֑וְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יְנַקֶּה֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה אֵ֛ת
אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ לַשָּֽׁוְא: |
|
You shall not
take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain: You shall not swear in vain by the name of
the Lord, your God. — [Onkelos] לַֹשָוְא -[This
word appears twice in this verse.] (The second [mention of לַֹשָוְא is an expression of falsehood, as the
Targum [Onkelos] renders: לְֹשִיקְרָא,
as it says [in Shavuos 21a]: "What constitutes a vain oath? If one
swears contrary to what is known, [for example, saying] about a stone
pillar that it is [made of] gold. (The first [mention of לַֹשָוְא is an expression of vanity, as the Targum
[Onkelos] renders: [לְמַגָּנָא].)
This [refers to] one who swears for no reason and in vain, [for example
making an oath] concerning [a pillar] of wood, [saying] that it is wood,
and concerning [a pillar] of stone, [saying] that it is stone. — [from
Shevuoth 29a, Mechilta] |
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לַשָּׁוְא: חִנָּם, לַהֶבֶל, וְאֵיזֶהוּ שְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא? נִשְׁבַּע
לְשַׁנּוֹת אֶת הַיָּדוּעַ – עַל עַמּוּד שֶׁל אֶבֶן שֶׁהוּא שֶׁל זָהָב
(שבועות כ"ט): |
The reason why Israel, Ephraim is expelled:
Melachim II (II Kings) - Chapter 18
|
11And the king of Assyria exiled
Israel to Assyria, and he settled them in Halah and in Habor, the Gozan
River, and the cities of Media. |
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יאוַיֶּ֧גֶל מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֛וּר
אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אַשּׁ֑וּרָה וַיַּנְחֵ֞ם בַּחְלַ֧ח וּבְחָב֛וֹר נְהַ֥ר
גּוֹזָ֖ן וְעָרֵ֥י מָדָֽי: |
|
12Because they did not obey the
Lord their God and transgressed His covenant, all that He had commanded
Moses the servant of the Lord, and they did not obey nor did they do [His
will]. |
|
יבעַ֣ל | אֲשֶׁ֣ר
לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֗וּ בְּקוֹל֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּעַבְרוּ֙ אֶת־בְּרִית֔וֹ
אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֔ה משֶׁ֖ה עֶ֣בֶד יְהֹוָ֑ה וְלֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ וְלֹ֥א
עָשֹֽוּ: |
What came out
of Israel, Ephraim:
Hoshea (Hosea) - Chapter 1
|
1The word of the Lord which came
to Hosea the son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and]
Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king
of Israel. |
|
אדְּבַֽר־יְהֹוָ֣ה | אֲשֶׁ֣ר
הָיָ֗ה אֶל־הוֹשֵׁ֙עַ֙ בֶּן־בְּאֵרִ֔י בִּימֵ֨י עֻזִּיָּ֥ה יוֹתָ֛ם אָחָ֥ז
יְחִזְקִיָּ֖ה מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וּבִימֵ֛י יָֽרָבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־יוֹאָ֖שׁ
מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: |
|
The word of
the Lord which came to Hosea the son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah,
Jotham, etc.: He buried these four kings during his lifetime, for he
outlived them all. From here they derived the maxim: Woe is to authority,
for it buries its holders [from Pesachim 87b]. |
|
דבר ה' אשר היה אל הושע בן בארי בימי עוזיה יותם וגו': ארבעה מלכים הללו קפח בימיו
שהאריך שנים בחיי כולם מכאן אמרו אוי לה לרבנות שמקברת את בעלי': |
|
and in the
days of Jeroboam the son of Joash: He was of the sons of Jehu [i.e., a great
grandson of Jehu], and he too reigned with Uzziah and Jotham, but a
meritorious deed caused him to be counted with these righteous men, since
he did not heed slander concerning Amos, as is explained in Pesachim, in
the chapter entitled הָאִשָּׁה,
“The woman” (87b), as it is stated: “(Amos 7:10) And Amaziah sent etc. ‘Amos has
conspired against you etc.’” |
|
ובימי ירבעם בן יואש: מבני יהוא ואף הוא מלך עם עוזיה
ויותם אלא שגרמה לו זכות להמנות עם הצדיקים הללו לפי שלא קבל לשון הרע על עמוס
כמו שמפורש בפסחים בפ' האשה (דף טז) שנאמר (עמוס ז׳:י׳) וישלח אמציה וגומר קשר
עליך עמוס וגו': |
|
2At the beginning of the Lord's
speaking to Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: Go, take yourself a wife of
harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land goes astray from following
the Lord. |
|
בתְּחִלַּ֥ת דִּבֶּר־יְהֹוָ֖ה
בְּהוֹשֵׁ֑עַ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־הוֹשֵׁ֗עַ לֵ֣ךְ קַח־לְךָ֞ אֵ֚שֶׁת
זְנוּנִים֙ וְיַלְדֵ֣י זְנוּנִ֔ים כִּֽי־זָנֹ֚ה תִזְנֶה֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ מֵאַֽחֲרֵ֖י
יְהֹוָֽה: |
|
At the
beginning of the Lord’s speaking to Hosea: Lit. in the beginning the Lord spoke to
Hosea. Therefore, our Rabbis stated: The first of the four prophets who
prophesied (in these days): Hosea, Isaiah, Amos, and Micah. [Parshandatha
reads: in the days of Uzziah. Michah, in fact, is not mentioned as having
prophesized in the days of Uzziah, but only in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and
Hezekiah; this will be explained further. In Pesachim 87a, we read: at that
time] Isaiah prophesized [at the time of the earthquake (Parshandatha)], as
it is stated: (Isaiah
6:4) “And the
doorposts quaked etc.” And that was the day that Uzziah was stricken when
he entered the Temple, for the ethereal beings clamored to burn him, and
the earthly beings to swallow him as the punishment of Korah’s company,
among which there were [some] swallowed up and [some] burned. Concerning
Amos, it is stated: (Amos
1:1) “Two
years before the earthquake.” [Amos, accordingly, preceded Isaiah.] And
Micah was the last of all of them, for it is said concerning him: (Micah 1:1) “In the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and
Hezekiah,” and Uzziah is not mentioned in his regard (Cf. Pesachim 87a;
Seder Olam, ch. 20; Tanhuma Tzav 13; Rashi, Isaiah 6:4). But the simple meaning of the verse is:
At the beginning of the speech which the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke to
Hosea, he said this to him. |
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תחלת דבר ה' בהושע: רבותינו אמרו תחילה לארבעה
נביאים שנתנבאו (בימים הללו) הושע ישעיה עמוס ומיכה ישעיה נתנבא שנאמר (ישעיה
ו) וינועו אמות הסיפים וגומר והוא היה יום שנתנגע עוזיה שנכנס להיכל שרעשו
העליונים לשורפו ותחתונים לבולעו כעונשן של עדת קרח שהיו בהם בלועין ושרופים
בעמוס נאמר שנתים לפני הרעש והושע קדם לכולם ומיכה היה אחרון לכולם שנאמר בו
(מיכה א) בימי יותם אחז יחזקיה ולא נאמר בו עוזיה, ופשוטו של מקרא תחילת דיבור
שנדבר הקב"ה עם הושע אמר לו כן: |
|
take yourself
a wife of harlotry: Our Rabbis said: This is to be explained according to its
apparent meaning: Since he said about Israel, “Exchange them for another
nation,” as is explained in Pesachim at the beginning of the chapter
entitled האשה,
“The woman” (87a). |
|
קח לך אשת זנונים: רבותינו אמרו כמשמעו לפי שאמר על
ישראל החליפם באומה אחרת כמו שמפורש בפסחים ר"פ האשה: |
|
and children
of harlotry: For she will bear you children who will be of possible
illegitimacy. And Jonathan paraphrased: Prophesy a prophecy about the
inhabitants of the cities of idolatry. The word קַח, stated here is an
expression of teaching, [derived from לֶקַח, doctrine]. Teach
them to repent. |
|
וילדי זנונים: שתלד לך ילדים שיהיו ספיקי ממזרות, ויונתן תירגם איתנבי נבואה על
יתבי קרתא טעוותא וקח האמור כאן ל' לימוד הוא למד אותן לשוב בתשובה: |
|
goes
astray: Heb. תִּזְנֶה.
This is the present tense. |
|
כי זנה תזנה: לשון הווה הוא: |
|
3And he went and took Gomer the
daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. |
|
גוַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ וַיִּקַּ֔ח
אֶת־גֹּ֖מֶר בַּת־דִּבְלָ֑יִם וַתַּ֥הַר וַתֵּֽלֶד־ל֖וֹ בֵּֽן: |
|
Gomer: Our Rabbis (Pesachim 87a) said. That was
her name by dint of her harlotry, for all would gratify their lust on her (גּוֹמְרִין) and they would
tread upon her like a pressed fig (דְּבֵלָה).
[That is a euphemism for sexual contact.] Jonathan, however,
paraphrases: גֹּמֶר,
that if they would return from their way, their retribution would be
finished, and if not, they will be like unripe figs falling from the fig
tree. |
|
את גומר: רבותינו אמרו כך שמה על שם זנותה שהכל גומרין בה ודשין בה כדבלה,
וי"ת גומר שאם ישובו מדרכם גמרה פורענותם ואם לאו יהיו כנובלת מתאנה: |
|
and she
conceived and bore: Jonathan paraphrases: And they continued to do evil deeds. |
|
ותהר ותלד: ואוסיפו למעבד עובדין בישין: |
|
4And the Lord said to him: Name
him Jezreel, for, in a short time, I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon
the house of Jehu, and I will terminate the kingdom of the house of Israel. |
|
דוַיֹּ֚אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו
קְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ יִזְרְעֶ֑אל כִּֽי־ע֣וֹד מְעַ֗ט וּפָ֨קַדְתִּ֜י אֶת־דְּמֵ֚י
יִזְרְעֶאל֙ עַל־בֵּ֣ית יֵה֔וּא וְהִ֨שְׁבַּתִּ֔י מַמְלְכ֖וּת בֵּ֥ית
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: |
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Name him
Jezreel: Jonathan renders: Call their name the scattered ones. I.e.
prophesy over them that they will be exiled, and they will be sown among the
peoples. |
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קרא שמו יזרעאל: קרי שומהון מבדריא, התנבא עליהן
שיגלו ויהיו זרועין בארצות: |
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the blood of
Jezreel: To be understood according to its Aramaic translation: the
blood of the house of Ahab, whom Jehu slew in Jezreel because they worshipped
Baal, and he and his sons went afterwards and worshipped pagan deities;
therefore, I account for them the blood of the house of Ahab as innocent
blood. |
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את דמי יזרעאל: כתרגומו את דמי בית אחאב שהרג יהוא ביזרעאל על שעבדו את הבעל
והלכו הוא ובניו אחרי כן ועבדו עבודת עכו"ם לכך אני חושב עליהם דמי בית
אחאב כדם נקי: |
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upon the house
of Jehu: Jeroboam the son of Joash was of the sons of Jehu, and his son
Zechariah was assassinated. |
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על בית יהוא: ירבעם בן יואש מבני יהוא היה (מלכים ב טו) וזכריה בנו נהרג: |
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5And it shall come to pass on
that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel. |
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הוְהָיָ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא
וְשָֽׁבַרְתִּי֙ אֶת־קֶ֣שֶׁת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּעֵ֖מֶק יִזְרְעֶֽאל: |
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6And she conceived again and
bore a daughter, and He said to him: Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will not
continue to grant clemency to the house of Israel, but I will mete out
their portion to them. |
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ווַתַּ֚הַר עוֹד֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בַּ֔ת
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ קְרָ֥א שְׁמָ֖הּ לֹ֣א רֻחָ֑מָה כִּי֩ לֹ֨א אוֹסִ֜יף ע֗וֹד
אֲרַחֵם֙ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּֽי־נָשֹ֥א אֶשָּׂ֖א לָהֶֽם: |
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I will not
continue to grant clemency Heb.: אֲרַחֵם, like לְרַחֵם, to grant clemency. |
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לא אוסיף עוד ארחם: לרחם: |
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but I will
mete out their portion to them: I will mete out to them the portion of
their cup and their deed. This expression is like (Gen. 43:34), “And he gave out portions (וַיִּשָּׂא מַשְׂאֹת).” |
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כי נשא אשא להם: אחלק להם מנת כוסם ופעולתם כמו
וישא משאת (בראשית מג): |
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7But to the house of Judah will
I grant clemency, and I will save them by the Lord their God, but I will
not save them with the bow, with the sword, with war, with steeds, or with
riders. |
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זוְאֶת־בֵּ֚ית יְהוּדָה֙ אֲרַחֵ֔ם
וְהֽוֹשַׁעְתִּ֖ים בַּֽיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם וְלֹ֣א אֽוֹשִׁיעֵ֗ם בְּקֶ֚שֶׁת
וּבְחֶ֙רֶב֙ וּבְמִלְחָמָ֔ה בְּסוּסִ֖ים וּבְפָֽרָשִֽׁים: |
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But to the
house of Judah will I grant clemency: after I terminate the kingdom of Israel,
for after the ten tribes were exiled, the house of Judah was the object of
clemency from Hezekiah until Zedakiah. |
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ואת בית יהודה ארחם: לאחר שאשבית את ממלכות ישראל
שמשגלו עשרת השבטים היו בית יהודה בכלל הרחמים מחזקיהו עד צדקיהו: |
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8And she weaned Lo-ruhamah, and
she conceived and bore a son. |
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חוַתִּגְמֹ֖ל אֶת־לֹ֣א רֻחָ֑מָה
וַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֥לֶד בֵּֽן: |
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And she weaned
Lo ruhamah: According to the Targum, we explain: And that generation shall
perish among the nations where they were exiled. |
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ותגמול את לא רוחמה: לפי תרגומו ויכלה אותו הדור בין
העכו"ם שגלו שם: |
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and she conceived
and bore a son: According to the Targum: And they continued and committed evil
deeds. But according to its simple meaning, we explain it as it apparently
means. |
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ותהר ותלד בן: ואוסיפו ועבדו עובדין בישין, ולפי פשוטו כמשמעו: |
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9And He said: Name him Lo-ammi,
for you are not My people, and I will not be yours. |
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טוַיֹּ֕אמֶר קְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ לֹ֣א
עַמִּ֑י כִּ֚י אַתֶּם֙ לֹ֣א עַמִּ֔י וְאָֽנֹכִ֖י לֹֽא־אֶהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶֽם: |
But HaShem
said by the giving of Torah long before,
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1And it
will be, when all these things come upon you the blessing and the curse
which I have set before you that you will consider in your heart, among all
the nations where the Lord your God has banished you, |
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אוְהָיָה֩
כִֽי־יָבֹ֨אוּ עָלֶ֜יךָ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה הַבְּרָכָה֙
וְהַקְּלָלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וַֽהֲשֵֽׁבֹתָ֙ אֶל־לְבָבֶ֔ךָ
בְּכָ֨ל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִדִּיחֲךָ֛ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁמָּה: |
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2and you
will return to the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your
soul, and you will listen to His voice according to all that I am
commanding you this day you and your children, |
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בוְשַׁבְתָּ֞
עַד־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֣ בְקֹל֔וֹ כְּכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אָֽנֹכִ֥י
מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם אַתָּ֣ה וּבָנֶ֔יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ: |
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3then, the
Lord, your God, will bring back your exiles, and He will have mercy upon
you. He will once again gather you from all the nations, where the Lord,
your God, had dispersed you. |
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גוְשָׁ֨ב
יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ אֶת־שְׁבֽוּתְךָ֖ וְרִֽחֲמֶ֑ךָ וְשָׁ֗ב וְקִבֶּצְךָ֙
מִכָּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֱפִֽיצְךָ֛ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁמָּה: |
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The Lord, your God, will
bring back your exiles: Heb. וְשָׁב, lit., The Lord, your God, will (Himself) return (with)
your exiles. [That is, the verb שָׁב is in the simple conjugation. Now, since we understand
the verse to mean: “The Lord your God will bring back your exiles,”]
Scripture should have written, וְהֵשִׁיב
ה׳ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ [with the verb וְהֵשִׁיב being in the causative conjugation, meaning “to bring
back”]. But [although the meaning of the verse is indeed, “The Lord, your
God, will bring back your exiles,”] our Rabbis learned from [the simple
conjugation of the verb] here [which alludes to God Himself returning],
that the Shechinah resides among Israel, as it were, in all the
misery of their exile, and when the Jews are redeemed [from their exile],
God writes [in Scripture an expression of] redemption for Himself [to
allude to the fact that He has also been redeemed, as it were,] so that He
Himself returns along with Israel’s exiles (Meg. 29a). A further [lesson] may be learned [from the
unusual form of the verb which expresses “to bring back the exiles”]: The
day on which Israel’s exiles will be gathered is so monumental and [this
ingathering] will be such a difficult [procedure, as it were], that it is
as though God Himself must literally take each individual Jew with His very
hands, [taking him] out of his place [in exile. We see] the same concept
[brought up in Scripture,] when the verse says, “And you will be gathered
up, one by one, O children of Israel” (Isa. 27:12). [That verse refers to the ingathering of Israel’s
exiles from Babylon. However,] we find this [idea] also regarding the
[ingathering of] exiles from the other nations, as the verse says, “And I
shall bring back the exiles of Moab (וְשַׁבְתִּי
שְׁבוּת מוֹאָב)” (Jer. 48:47). |
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וְשָׁב
ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת־שְׁבֽוּתְךָ: הָיָה לוֹ לִכְתֹּב "וְהֵשִׁיב"
אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ, רַבּוֹתֵינוּ לָמְדוּ מִכָּאן כִּבְיָכוֹל שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה
שְׁרוּיָה עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּצָרַת גָּלוּתָם, וּכְשֶׁנִּגְאָלִין הִכְתִּיב
גְּאֻלָּה לְעַצְמוֹ — שֶׁהוּא יָשׁוּב עִמָּהֶם. וְעוֹד יֵשׁ לוֹמַר
שֶׁגָּדוֹל יוֹם קִבּוּץ גָּלֻיּוֹת וּבְקֹשִׁי, כְּאִלּוּ הוּא עַצְמוֹ
צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת אוֹחֵז בְּיָדָיו מַמָּשׁ אִישׁ אִישׁ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ,
כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיהו כ"ז) "וְאַתֶּם תְּלֻקְּטוּ לְאַחַד
אֶחָד בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל", וְאַף בְּגָלֻיּוֹת שְׁאָר הָאֻמּוֹת מָצִינוּ
כֵן (ירמיהו מ"ח) "וְשַׁבְתִּי שְׁבוּת מוֹאָב": |
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4Even if
your exiles are at the end of the heavens, the Lord, your God, will gather
you from there, and He will take you from there. |
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דאִם־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה
נִדַּֽחֲךָ֖ בִּקְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם מִשָּׁ֗ם יְקַבֶּצְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וּמִשָּׁ֖ם יִקָּחֶֽךָ: |
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5And the
Lord, your God, will bring you to the land which your forefathers
possessed, and you [too] will take possession of it, and He will do good to
you, and He will make you more numerous than your forefathers. |
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הוֶֽהֱבִֽיאֲךָ֞
יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יָֽרְשׁ֥וּ אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ
וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֑הּ וְהֵיטִֽבְךָ֥ וְהִרְבְּךָ֖ מֵֽאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ: |
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6And the
Lord, your God, will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring,
[so that you may] love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul, for the sake of your life. |
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ווּמָ֨ל
יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ אֶת־לְבָֽבְךָ֖ וְאֶת־לְבַ֣ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ לְאַֽהֲבָ֞ה
אֶת־יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָֽבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ לְמַ֥עַן
חַיֶּֽיךָ: |
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7And the
Lord, your God, will place all these curses upon your enemies and upon your
adversaries, who pursued you. |
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ז וְנָתַן֙
יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הָֽאָל֖וֹת הָאֵלֶּ֑ה עַל־אֹֽיְבֶ֥יךָ
וְעַל־שֽׂנְאֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר רְדָפֽוּךָ: |
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8And you
will return and listen to the voice of the Lord, and fulfill all His
commandments, which I command you this day. |
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חוְאַתָּ֣ה
תָשׁ֔וּב וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֖ בְּק֣וֹל יְהֹוָ֑ה וְעָשִׂ֨יתָ֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹתָ֔יו
אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָֽנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם: |
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9And the
Lord, your God, will make you abundant for good in all the work of your
hands, in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, and in
the fruit of your soil. For the Lord will once again rejoice over you for
good, as He rejoiced over your forefathers, |
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טוְהוֹתִֽירְךָ֩
יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ בְּכֹ֣ל | מַֽעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֶ֗ךָ בִּפְרִ֨י בִטְנְךָ֜
וּבִפְרִ֧י בְהֶמְתְּךָ֛ וּבִפְרִ֥י אַדְמָֽתְךָ֖ לְטֹבָ֑ה כִּ֣י |
יָשׁ֣וּב יְהֹוָ֗ה לָשׂ֤וּשׂ עָלֶ֨יךָ֙ לְט֔וֹב כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֖שׂ
עַל־אֲבֹתֶֽיךָ: |
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10when you
obey the Lord, your God, to observe His commandments and His statutes
written in this Torah scroll, [and] when you return to the Lord, your God,
with all your heart and with all your soul. |
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יכִּ֣י
תִשְׁמַ֗ע בְּקוֹל֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֹתָיו֙ וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו
הַכְּתוּבָ֕ה בְּסֵ֥פֶר הַתּוֹרָ֖ה הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֤י תָשׁוּב֙ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֣ה
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָֽבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ: |
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11For this
commandment which I command you this day, is not concealed from you, nor is
it far away. |
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יאכִּ֚י
הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָֽנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לֹֽא־נִפְלֵ֥את
הִוא֙ מִמְּךָ֔ וְלֹֽא־רְחֹקָ֖ה הִֽוא: |
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is not concealed from
you: לֹא-נִפְלֵאת. It is not concealed from you, just as
it is said: כִּי
יִפָּלֵא (Deut. 17:8), [which the Targum renders as:] אֲרִי יִתְכְּסֵי [lit.,“(If the matter) is concealed”]; similarly, the
verse, וַתֵּרֶד
פְּלָאִים (Lam. 1:9), [which means,] “she went down into concealment,”
[i.e.,] she was covered and considered [as if] hidden. |
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לֹֽא־נִפְלֵאת
הִוא מִמְּךָ: לֹא
מְכֻסָּה הִיא מִמְּךָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים י"ז) "כִּי
יִפָּלֵא" — אֲרֵי יִתְכַּסֵּי, (איכה א') "וַתֵּרֶד
פְּלָאִים" — וַתֵּרֶד בְּמַטְמוֹנִיּוֹת, מְכֻסָּה, חֲבוּשָׁה
בְּטָמוּן: |
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12It is not
in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us and
fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?" |
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יבלֹ֥א
בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַֽעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֨יְמָה֙
וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַֽעֲשֶֽׂנָּה: |
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It is not in heaven: for if it were in heaven, you would have to climb up
after it [in order] to learn it. - [Eruvin 55a] |
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לֹא
בַשָּׁמַיִם הִוא: שֶׁאִלּוּ
הָיְתָה בַשָּׁמַיִם, הָיִיתָ צָרִיךְ לַעֲלוֹת אַחֲרֶיהָ לְלָמְדָהּ: |
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13Nor is it
beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side
of the sea for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can
fulfill it?" |
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יגוְלֹֽא־מֵעֵ֥בֶר
לַיָּ֖ם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַֽעֲבָר־לָ֜נוּ אֶל־עֵ֤בֶר הַיָּם֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ
לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַֽעֲשֶֽׂנָּה: |
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14Rather,
[this] thing is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,
so that you can fulfill it. |
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ידכִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב
אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִלְבָֽבְךָ֖ לַֽעֲשׂתֽוֹ: |
|
Rather, [this] thing is
very close to you: The
Torah was given to you in writing and [accompanied by an] oral
[explanation]. |
|
כִּֽי־קָרוֹב
אֵלֶיךָ: הַתּוֹרָה
נִתְּנָה לָכֶם בִּכְתָב וּבְעַל פֶּה: |
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15Behold, I
have set before you today life and good, and death and evil, |
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טורְאֵ֨ה
נָתַ֤תִּי לְפָנֶ֨יךָ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם אֶת־הַֽחַיִּ֖ים וְאֶת־הַטּ֑וֹב
וְאֶת־הַמָּ֖וֶת וְאֶת־הָרָֽע: |
|
life and good: Each one [life or death,] is dependent upon the other:
If you do good, you will be granted life, while if you do evil, you will
receive death. The verse now proceeds to explain how this is so [as
follows]: |
|
אֶת־הַֽחַיִּים
וְאֶת־הַטּוֹב: זֶה
תָּלוּי בָּזֶה — אִם תַּעֲשֶׂה טוֹב הֲרֵי לְךָ חַיִּים, וְאִם תַּעֲשֶׂה רַע
הֲרֵי לְךָ הַמָּוֶת, וְהַכָּתוּב מְפָרֵשׁ וְהוֹלֵךְ הֵיאַךְ: |
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16inasmuch
as I command you this day to love the Lord, your God, to walk in His ways,
and to observe His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances, so that
you will live and increase, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in the
land to which you are coming to take possession of it. |
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טזאֲשֶׁ֨ר
אָֽנֹכִ֣י מְצַוְּךָ֘ הַיּוֹם֒ לְאַֽהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ לָלֶ֣כֶת
בִּדְרָכָ֔יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֛ר מִצְוֹתָ֥יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֖יו וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֑יו
וְחָיִ֣יתָ וְרָבִ֔יתָ וּבֵֽרַכְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בָּאָ֕רֶץ
אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ: |
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Inasmuch as I am
commanding you this day to love [the Lord your God]: This is “good” [referred to in the verse 15]; and upon
this, is dependent: |
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אֲשֶׁר
אָֽנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְאַֽהֲבָה: הֲרֵי הַטּוֹב, וּבוֹ תָלוּי: |
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so that you will live and
increase: This
is “life” [referred to in the verse 15. After this, the verse continues]: |
|
וחיית
ורבית: הֲרֵי
הַחַיִּים: |
|
17But if
your heart deviates and you do not listen, and you will be drawn astray,
and you will prostrate yourself to other deities and serve them, |
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יזוְאִם־יִפְנֶ֥ה
לְבָֽבְךָ֖ וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁמָ֑ע וְנִדַּחְתָּ֗ וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲוִ֛יתָ לֵֽאלֹהִ֥ים
אֲחֵרִ֖ים וַֽעֲבַדְתָּֽם: |
|
But if your heart
deviates: This
is “evil” [referred to in verse 15. The verse continues]: |
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וְאִם־יִפְנֶה
לְבָֽבְךָ: הֲרֵי
הָרָע: |
|
18I declare
to you this day, that you will surely perish, and that you will not live
long days on the land, to which you are crossing the Jordan, to come and
take possession thereof. |
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יחהִגַּ֤דְתִּי
לָכֶם֙ הַיּ֔וֹם כִּ֥י אָבֹ֖ד תֹּאבֵד֑וּן לֹא־תַֽאֲרִיכֻ֤ן יָמִים֙
עַל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתָּ֤ה עֹבֵר֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לָב֥וֹא שָׁ֖מָּה
לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ: |
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that you will
perish: This
is “death” [referred to in verse 15]. |
|
כִּי
אָבֹד תֹּאבֵדוּן: הֲרֵי
הַמָּוֶת: |
|
19This day,
I call upon the heaven and the earth as witnesses [that I have warned] you:
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. You shall
choose life, so that you and your offspring will live; |
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יטהַֽעִדֹ֨תִי
בָכֶ֣ם הַיּוֹם֘ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֒רֶץ֒ הַֽחַיִּ֤ים וְהַמָּ֨וֶת֙
נָתַ֣תִּי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הַבְּרָכָ֖ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים
לְמַ֥עַן תִּֽחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽךָ: |
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This day, I call upon the
heaven and the earth as witnesses: For the heaven and earth exist for ever, and when the
evil befalls you, they will be witnesses that I had warned you regarding
all of this. Another explanation of “I call upon the heaven and the earth
as witnesses, etc.” : The Holy One, Blessed is He, said to Israel, “Look at
the heavens which I created to serve you. Have they ever changed their
ways? Has the sphere of the sun ever failed to rise from the east to
illuminate the entire world, as it is stated, ‘The sun rises, and the sun
sets’ (Ecc. 1:5)? Look at the earth which I created to serve you. Has it
ever changed its ways? Have you ever sown [in] it that it did not grow? Or
have you ever sown wheat and it yielded barley? Now, they [heaven and
earth] were created with neither reward nor loss in mind-for if they are
meritorious [by fulfilling their purpose for which I created them], they
nevertheless do not receive reward [for this]; and if they sin, they are
not punished. And yet [even with this lack of incentive], they have never
changed their ways! So you, who will receive reward if you are meritorious
and who will be punished if you sin-how much more so [should you fulfill My
will]!”- [Sifrei 32:1] |
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הַֽעִדֹתִי
בָכֶם הַיּוֹם אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ: שֶׁהֵם קַיָּמִים לְעוֹלָם, וְכַאֲשֶׁר
תִּקְרֶה אֶתְכֶם הָרָעָה יִהְיוּ עֵדִים שֶׁאֲנִי הִתְרֵיתִי בָכֶם בְּכָל
זֹאת; דָּבָר אַחֵר — העדתי בכם היום את השמים וגו', אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ
בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הִסְתַּכְּלוּ בַשָּׁמַיִם שֶׁבָּרָאתִי לְשַׁמֵּשׁ
אֶתְכֶם, שֶׁמָּא שִׁנּוּ אֶת מִדָּתָם? שֶׁמָּא לֹא עָלָה גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה
מִן הַמִּזְרָח וְהֵאִיר לְכָל הָעוֹלָם כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (קהלת א')
"וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ"? הִסְתַּכְּלוּ בָאָרֶץ
שֶׁבָּרָאתִי לְשַׁמֵּשׁ אֶתְכֶם, שֶׁמָּא שִׁנְּתָה מִדָּתָהּ? שֶׁמָּא
זְרַעְתֶּם אוֹתָהּ וְלֹא צָמְחָה אוֹ שֶׁמָּא זְרַעְתֶּם חִטִּים וְהֶעֶלְתָה
שְׂעוֹרִים? וּמָה אֵלּוּ שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לֹא לְשָׂכָר וְלֹא לְהֶפְסֵד, אִם
זוֹכִין אֵין מְקַבְּלִין שָׂכָר וְאִם חוֹטְאִין אֵין מְקַבְּלִין
פֻּרְעָנוּת, לֹא שִׁנּוּ אֶת מִדָּתָם, אַתֶּם שֶׁאִם זְכִיתֶם תְּקַבְּלוּ
שָׂכָר וְאִם חֲטָאתֶם תְּקַבְּלוּ פֻּרְעָנוּת, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה
(ספרי דברים ל"ב): |
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you shall choose
life: [God
says: “Even though you have free choice, nevertheless,] I instruct you to
choose the portion of life.” It is like a man who says to his son, “Choose
for yourself a fine portion of my estate,” and then directs him to the best
portion, saying to him, “This [is the portion which] you should choose for
yourself!” And regarding this, the verse says, “The Lord is my allotted
portion and my cup; You guide my destiny” (Ps. 16:5). [The last clause, אַתָּה תּוֹמִיךְ גּוֹרָלִי, literally means “You laid upon my
lot.” That is to say:] “You laid my hand upon the good lot, saying, ‘Take
this for yourself!’” |
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וּבָֽחַרְתָּ
בַּֽחַיִּים: אֲנִי
מוֹרֶה לָכֶם שֶׁתִּבְחֲרוּ בְּחֵלֶק הַחַיִּים, כְּאָדָם הָאוֹמֵר לִבְנוֹ,
בְּחַר לְךָ חֵלֶק יָפֶה בְנַחֲלָתִי, וּמַעֲמִידוֹ עַל חֵלֶק הַיָּפֶה
וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ אֶת זֶה בְּרֹר לְךָ, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (תהילים ט"ז)
"ה' מְנָת חֶלְקִי וְכוֹסִי אַתָּה תּוֹמִיךְ גּוֹרָלִי" —
הִנַּחְתָּ יָדִי עַל גּוֹרָל הַטּוֹב לוֹמַר אֶת זֶה קַח לְךָ: |
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20To love
the Lord your God, to listen to His voice, and to cleave to Him. For that
is your life and the length of your days, to dwell on the land which the
Lord swore to your forefathers to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob to give
to them. |
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כלְאַֽהֲבָה֙
אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ בְּקֹל֖וֹ וּלְדָבְקָה־ב֑וֹ כִּ֣י ה֤וּא
חַיֶּ֨יךָ֙ וְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמֶ֔יךָ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת עַל־הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע
יְהֹוָ֧ה לַֽאֲבֹתֶ֛יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֛ם לְיִצְחָ֥ק וּלְיַֽעֲקֹ֖ב לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶֽם: |
The Navi
Hosea is confirming it,
Hoshea (Hosea) - Chapter 2
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1And the number of the children
of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which shall neither be measured
nor counted; and it shall come to pass that, instead of saying to them,
"You are not My people," it shall be said to them, "The
children of the living God." |
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אוְֽ֠הָיָה מִסְפַּ֚ר
בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ כְּח֣וֹל הַיָּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יִמַּ֖ד וְלֹ֣א יִסָּפֵ֑ר
וְֽ֠הָיָה בִּמְק֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יֵֽאָמֵ֚ר לָהֶם֙ לֹֽא־עַמִּ֣י אַתֶּ֔ם יֵֽאָמֵ֥ר
לָהֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֥י אֵֽל־חָֽי: |
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And the
number… shall be: What is the connection of retribution and consolation
juxtaposed in one speech? Our Rabbis explained in Pesachim (87b): Hosea
felt that he had sinned by saying, “Exchange them for another nation.” He
stood and begged mercy for them (See above 1:2). And in Sifrei Devei Rav,
in the section commencing: “And Israel abode in Shittim” (Num. 25) we
learned: Rabbi says: Some sections are close to each other yet as far apart
as east is far from west. “For you are not My people… And the number of the
children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea.” What is the connection
of one to the other? This can be compared to a king who became angry with
his wife. He summoned a scribe to come and write a bill of divorcement.
Before the scribe arrived, the king became reconciled with his wife. Said
the king, “Is it possible that this scribe should leave here divided?” I.e.
his heart should be divided and bewildered, saying, “Why did the king send
for me?” He said to him, “Come and write that I am doubling her kethubah.”
And according to its simple meaning, this is the reason for its
juxtaposition. “For you are not My people, and I will not be yours.” I will
show Myself as though I am not yours, and you shall be exiled among the
nations, and even there you shall multiply and grow, and there you shall
lay it to your heart to return to Me, as it is said through Moses (Deut. 30:1,3): “And you shall lay it to your heart
among all the nations where… has exiled you etc. And the Lord your God
shall return your captivity.” Here too, “And the children of Judah and the children
of Israel shall be gathered together.” |
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והיה מספר: מה ענין פורענות ונחמה סמוכין בדבור אחד, ורבותינו פירשו בפסחים
הרגיש הושע בעצמו שחטא על שאמר החליפם עמד ובקש עליהם רחמים, ובספרי דבי רב
פרשת וישב ישראל בשטים שנינו רבי אומר יש פרשיות סמוכות זו לזו ורחוקות זו מזו
כרחוק מזרח ממערב כי אתם לא עמי והיה מספר בני ישראל כחול הים מה ענין זה אצל
זה משל למלך שכעס על אשתו שלח אחר הסופר לבוא ולכתוב לה גט עד שלא בא הסופר
נתרצה המלך לאשתו אמר המלך אפשר יצא סופר זה מכאן חלוק כלומר לבו חלוק ותוהה
לומר למה שלח אחרי אמר לו בא וכתוב לה שאני כופל לה כתובתה ולפי פשוטו כך היא
סמיכתו כי אתם לא עמי ואנכי לא אהיה לכם אראה עצמי כאילו איני לכם ותגלו לבין
האומות ואף שם תרבו ותצמחו ושם תשובו אל לבבכם לשוב אלי כמו שנאמר על ידי משה
(דברים ל) והשבות אל לבבך בכל הגוים אשר הדיחך וגו' ושב ה' אלהיך את שבותך
וגו' אף כאן ונקבצו בני יהודה ובני ישראל יחדיו וגו': |
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2And the children of Judah and
the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint
for themselves one head, and they shall go up from the land, for great is
the day of Jezreel. |
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בוְ֠נִקְבְּצוּ בְּנֵֽי־יְהוּדָ֚ה
וּבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו וְשָׂמ֥וּ לָהֶ֛ם רֹ֥אשׁ אֶחָ֖ד וְעָל֣וּ
מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֥י גָד֖וֹל י֥וֹם יִזְרְעֶֽאל: |
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one
head: David their king. |
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ראש אחד: דוד מלכם: |
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for great is
the day of Jezreel: The gathering of their sowing. |
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כי גדול יום: קבוץ זריעתם: |
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3Say to your brethren,
"Ammi," and to your sisters, "Ruhamah." |
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גאִמְר֥וּ לַֽאֲחֵיכֶ֖ם עַמִּ֑י
וְלַֽאֲחֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם רֻחָֽמָה: |
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Say to your
brethren, “Ammi”: To be explained according to the Targum: Return to My Torah,
and I will grant clemency to your nation. |
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אמרו לאחיכם עמי: כתרגומו תובו לאורייתי ועל
כנישתכון ארחם: |
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4Strive with your mother,
strive, for she is not My wife, and I am not her Husband, and let her
remove her harlotries from her face and her adulteries from between her
breasts. |
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דרִ֚יבוּ בְאִמְּכֶם֙ רִ֔יבוּ
כִּֽי־הִיא֙ לֹ֣א אִשְׁתִּ֔י וְאָֽנֹכִ֖י לֹ֣א אִישָׁ֑הּ וְתָסֵ֚ר
זְנוּנֶ֙יהָ֙ מִפָּנֶ֔יה וְנַֽאֲפוּפֶ֖יהָ מִבֵּ֥ין שָׁדֶֽיהָ: |
|
Strive with
your mother, strive: With your nation of today, which is the mother of future
generations. |
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ריבו באמכם: בכנסייה שלכם של עכשיו שהיא אם לדורות הבאים: |
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and her adulteries
from between her breasts: It is customary among the adulteresses that they [i.e., their
lovers] squeeze them between their breasts. Jonathan renders: And the
worship of idols from among her cities. |
|
מבין שדיה: דרך הנואפות שממעכין להם בין דדיהם ויונתן תירגם ופולחן טעותהא
מבין קירוהא: |
|
5Lest I strip her naked and
leave her as [on] the day she was born; and I make her like a desert, and I
set her like an arid land, and cause her to die of thirst. |
|
הפֶּן־אַפְשִׁיטֶ֣נָּה עֲרֻמָּ֔ה
וְהִ֨צַּגְתִּ֔יהָ כְּי֖וֹם הִוָּֽלְדָ֑הּ וְשַׂמְתִּ֣יהָ כַמִּדְבָּ֗ר
וְשַׁתִּ֙הָ֙ כְּאֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֔ה וַֽהֲמִתִּ֖יהָ בַּצָּמָֽא: |
|
as [on] the
day she was born: Like the day that I found her in Egypt, as is delineated
in Ezekiel
(16:4, 5): “And as
for your birth, on the day you were born your navel was not cut etc. No eye
took pity on you etc. with a loathing of your body.” |
|
כיום הולדה: כיום שמצאתיה במצרים כמו שמפורש (ביחזקאל ט״ז:ד׳) ומולדתך ביום הולדת
אותך לא כרת שרך ותושלכי על פני השדה בגועל נפשך לא חסה עליך עין (שם): |
|
like a
desert: This alludes to the decrees that I decreed upon you
(Parshandatha: them) in the desert, viz. that there they should perish and
there they would die (Num. 14:35). |
|
כמדבר: גזירות שגזרתי עליהם במדבר שם יתמו ושם ימותו (במדבר י״ד:ל״ה): |
|
and [I will]
cause her to die: Jonathan renders: And I will kill her. |
|
והמתיה: ואקטלינה: |
|
6And I will not pity her
children for they are children of harlotries. |
|
ווְאֶת־בָּנֶ֖יהָ לֹ֣א אֲרַחֵ֑ם
כִּֽי־בְנֵ֥י זְנוּנִ֖ים הֵֽמָּה: |
|
7For their mother played the
harlot; she who conceived them behaved shamefully, for she said, "I
will go after my lovers, those who give my bread and my water, my wool and
my flax, my oil and my drinks. " |
|
זכִּ֚י זָֽנְתָה֙ אִמָּ֔ם
הוֹבִ֖ישָׁה הֽוֹרָתָ֑ם כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה אֵֽלְכָ֞ה אַֽחֲרֵ֚י מְאַֽהֲבַי֙
נֹֽתְנֵ֚י לַחְמִי֙ וּמֵימַ֔י צַמְרִ֣י וּפִשְׁתִּ֔י שַׁמְנִ֖י וְשִׁקּוּיָֽי: |
|
their
mother: Their nation. |
|
אמם: כנסיה שלהם: |
|
she who
conceived them behaved shamefully: Jonathan, who renders: Their teachers are ashamed.
The wise men who teach them with instructions are ashamed before the
ignorant populace. They tell them, “You shall not steal,” but they steal.
“You shall not lend for interest,” but they lend. |
|
הובישה הורתם: בהיתו מלפיהון החכמים המורים להם הוראות בושים מפני עמי הארץ
אומרים להם לא תגנובו והם גונבים לא תלוו ברבית והם מלווים: |
|
after my
lovers: In the ways of the nations. |
|
אחרי מאהבי: בדרכי העכו"ם: |
|
8Therefore, behold I will close
off your way with thorns, and I make a fence against her, and she shall not
find her paths. |
|
חלָכֵ֛ן הִֽנְנִי־שָׂ֥ךְ
אֶת־דַּרְכֵּ֖ךְ בַּסִּירִ֑ים וְגָֽדַרְתִּי֙ אֶת־גְּדֵרָ֔הּ
וּנְתִֽיבוֹתֶ֖יהָ לֹ֥א תִמְצָֽא: |
|
behold I will close
off: Heb. שָׂךְ an expression of closing. Comp. (Isaiah 5:5) “remove its hedge (מְשׂוּכָּתוֹ);” (Proverbs 15:19) “as though hedged (כִּמְשֻּׂכַת) by thorns.” |
|
הנני שך: ל' סגירה כמו הסר משוכתו (ישעיהו ה׳:ה׳) כמשוכת חדק (משלי טו): |
|
your
way: The ways
and paths in which you go. |
|
את דרכך: דרכים ושבילים שאת הולכת בהם: |
|
9And she shall pursue her lovers
and not overtake them, and she shall seek them and not find them; and she
shall say, "I will go and return to my first Husband, for it was
better for me then than now. |
|
טוְרִדְּפָ֚ה אֶת־מְאַֽהֲבֶ֙יהָ֙
וְלֹֽא־תַשִּׂ֣יג אֹתָ֔ם וּבִקְשָׁ֖תַם וְלֹ֣א תִמְצָ֑א וְאָֽמְרָ֗ה אֵֽלְכָ֚ה
וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ אֶל־אִישִׁ֣י הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן כִּ֣י ט֥וֹב לִ֛י אָ֖ז מֵעָֽתָּה: |
|
her
lovers: Egypt and Assyria, and you will not be able to seek aid from
them. |
|
ורדפה: ממשקלות לשון כבד הוא זה כמו (שם יב) ומרדף רקים פורקציי"ר
בלע"ז כלומר תחזור אחריהם ולא תשיגם: |
|
And she shall
pursue: Heb. וְרִדְּפָה This is one of the intensive conjugations. Comp. (Proverbs 12:11) “and he who pursues empty ones”
(porcacier in O.F:, poursuivra in modern French), to pursue. I.e. she will
follow them and not overtake them. |
|
את מאהביה: מצרים ואשור ולא תוכלי לבקש מהם עזרה: |
|
and she shall
seek them: Heb. וּבִקְשָׁתַם,
a combination of אוֹתָם וּבִקְשָׁה. |
|
ובקשתם: ובקשה אותם: |
|
10But she did not know that I
gave her the corn, the wine, and the oil, and I gave her much silver and
gold, but they made it for Baal. |
|
יוְהִיא֙ לֹ֣א יָֽדְעָ֔ה כִּ֚י
אָֽנֹכִי֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔הּ הַדָּגָ֖ן וְהַתִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְהַיִּצְהָ֑ר וְכֶ֨סֶף
הִרְבֵּ֥יתִי לָ֛הּ וְזָהָ֖ב עָשׂ֥וּ לַבָּֽעַל: |
|
But she did
not know: She did not lay it to her heart, but showed herself as
unknowing. |
|
לא ידעה: לא שמה אל לבה והראית עצמה כלא יודעת: |
|
and I gave her
much silver and gold: but they made it for Baal. |
|
וכסף הרביתי לה וזהב: והם עשאוהו לבעל: |
|
11Therefore, I will return and
take My corn in its time and My wine in its appointed season, and I will
separate My wool and My flax, to cover her nakedness. |
|
יאלָכֵ֣ן אָשׁ֔וּב וְלָֽקַחְתִּ֚י
דְגָנִי֙ בְּעִתּ֔וֹ וְתִֽירוֹשִׁ֖י בְּמֽוֹעֲד֑וֹ וְהִצַּלְתִּי֙ צַמְרִ֣י
וּפִשְׁתִּ֔י לְכַסּ֖וֹת אֶת־עֶרְוָתָֽהּ: |
|
in its
time: At the time the produce completes its ripening. |
|
בעתו: בעת גמר בישול הפירות: |
|
and I will
separate: [Heb. וְהִצַּלְתִּי]
from her. |
|
והצלתי: ממנה: |
|
My wool and My
flax: which was to cover her nakedness, Every expression of הָצָלָה in Scripture is an expression of separation
and setting apart. Proof of this we find in (Gen. 31: 9) “And God separated
(וַיַצֵּל)
your father’s cattle,” (ibid.:16) “For all the wealth that… separated (הִצִיל).” |
|
צמרי ופשתי: אשר היה לכסות את ערותה, כל הצלה שבמקרא לשון תרומה והפרשה הוא
ומוכיח עליו ויצל אלהים את מקנה אביכם (בראשית ל״א:ט׳) כי כל העושר אשר הציל
(שם): |
|
12And now, I will bare her
disgrace before the eyes of her lovers, and no man shall save her from My
hand. |
|
יבוְעַתָּ֛ה אֲגַלֶּ֥ה
אֶת־נַבְלֻתָ֖הּ לְעֵינֵ֣י מְאַֽהֲבֶ֑יהָ וְאִ֥ישׁ לֹֽא־יַצִּילֶ֖נָּה
מִיָּדִֽי: |
|
and no man
shall save her from My hand: Even the merits of the Patriarchs have been
depleted. [from Shabbath 55a] |
|
ואיש לא יצילנה מידי: אף זכות אבותם תמה: |
|
13And I will terminate all her
rejoicing, her festival[s], her new moon[s], and her Sabbath[s], and all
her appointed seasons. |
|
יגוְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙
כָּל־מְשׂוֹשָׂ֔הּ חַגָּ֖הּ חָדְשָׁ֣הּ וְשַׁבַּתָּ֑הּ וְכֹ֖ל מֽוֹעֲדָֽהּ: |
|
14And I will lay waste her
vine[s] and her fig tree[s], [concerning] which she said, "They are my
hire, which my lovers have given me," and I will make them a forest,
and the beasts of the field shall devour them. |
|
ידוַֽהֲשִׁמֹּתִ֚י גַּפְנָהּ֙
וּתְאֵ֣נָתָ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמְרָ֗ה אֶתְנָ֥ה הֵ֙מָּה֙ לִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר
נָֽתְנוּ־לִ֖י מְאַֽהֲבָ֑י וְשַׂמְתִּ֣ים לְיַ֔עַר וַֽאֲכָלָ֖תַם חַיַּ֥ת
הַשָּׂדֶֽה: |
|
And I will lay
waste: Heb. וַהֲשִׁמֹּתִי,
an expression of desolation (שְּׁמָמָה). |
|
והשמותי: לשון שממה: |
|
hire: אֶתְנָה, like אֶתְנָן. |
|
אתנה: כמו אתנן: |
|
and I will
make them a forest: where the beasts walk and eat the fruit. |
|
ושמתים ליער: שהחיות מהלכות שם ואוכלות הפירות: |
|
15And I will visit upon her the
days of the baalim, to whom she burnt incense, and she adorned herself with
her earrings and her jewelry, and went after her lovers, and she forgot Me,
says the Lord. |
|
טווּפָֽקַדְתִּ֣י עָלֶ֗יהָ
אֶת־יְמֵ֚י הַבְּעָלִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּקְטִ֣יר לָהֶ֔ם וַתַּ֚עַד נִזְמָהּ֙
וְחֶלְיָתָ֔הּ וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ אַֽחֲרֵ֣י מְאַֽהֲבֶ֑יהָ וְאוֹתִ֥י שָֽׁכְחָ֖ה
נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה: |
|
And I will
visit upon her: the retribution of… |
|
ופקדתי עליה: שכר פורענות: |
|
the days of
the baalim to whom she burnt incense: constantly to them, and this is a present
tense. |
|
ימי הבעלים אשר תקטיר: תמיד להם ול' הווה הוא: |
|
and she
adorned herself with her earrings and her jewelry: Heb. וַתַּעַד, an expression of
jewelry (עֲדִי).
Like a harlot who adorns herself to greet her paramours. |
|
ותעד נזמה וחליתה: ל' עדי כזונה המתקשטת לקראת
נואפים: |
|
and her
jewelry: And חֶלְיָתָה is an Arabic term meaning jewelry. |
|
וחליתה: בל' ערבי הוא קישוט: |
|
16Therefore, behold I will allure
her and lead her into the desert, and I will speak comfortingly to her
heart. |
|
טזלָכֵ֗ן הִנֵּ֚ה אָֽנֹכִי֙
מְפַתֶּ֔יהָ וְהֹֽלַכְתִּ֖יהָ הַמִּדְבָּ֑ר וְדִבַּרְתִּ֖י עַל־לִבָּֽהּ: |
|
Therefore,
behold I will allure her: I will persuade her to be drawn after Me (losanjier in O.F.,
to flatter or cajole). Other editions read: atrayray in O.F. (attirerai). I
will lure, attract. And what is the allurement? |
|
לכן הנה אנכי מפתיה: משדלה להמשך אחרי לוזאניי"ר
בלע"ז ומהו הפיתוי: |
|
and lead her
into the desert: In exile, which is to her like a desert and a wasteland. And
there she will lay up to her heart that it was better for her when she
performed My will than when she rebelled against Me. |
|
והולכתיה המדבר: בגולה שהוא לה כמדבר וציה ושם
תשיב אל לבה כי טוב לה כשעשתה רצוני מכשמרדה בי: |
|
17And I will give her her
vineyards from there and the depth of trouble for a door of hope, and she
shall dwell there as in the days of her youth, and as the day of her ascent
from the land of Egypt. |
|
יזוְנָתַ֨תִּי לָ֚הּ
אֶת־כְּרָמֶ֙יהָ֙ מִשָּׁ֔ם וְאֶת־עֵ֥מֶק עָכ֖וֹר לְפֶ֣תַח תִּקְוָ֑ה
וְעָ֚נְתָה שָּׁ֙מָּה֙ כִּימֵ֣י נְעוּרֶ֔יהָ וּכְי֖וֹם עֲלוֹתָ֥הּ
מֵאֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרָֽיִם: |
|
her
vineyards: Jonathan rendered this as an expression of managers and
leaders. Comp. (Job
24:18) “he will
not face the way of the vineyards,” meaning that the people of the
generation of the flood had made up their mind not to follow the righteous
leaders, such as Noah and Methusalah. And so, (Song 1:6) “my vineyard I did not guard.” The
allusion is to the worship of idols instead of worshipping God, the Leader.
Another explanation: |
|
את כרמיה: ת"י לשון פרנסים ומנהיגים וכן לא יפנה דרך כרמים (איוב
כ״ד:י״ח) וכן כרמי שלי לא נטרתי (שיר השירים א׳:ו׳) ד"א: |
|
and lead her
into the desert: To the desert of Sihon and Og, and with the same expression
Ezekiel prophesied (20:35, 38), “And I will bring you there to the desert
of the peoples, and I will contend with you there, etc. As I continued with
your forefathers etc., and I will bring them into the tradition of the
covenant. And I will purge you of those who rebel…” but the righteous I
will keep alive. That is the intention of “her vineyards.” [from Ruth
Rabbah 5:6, Pesikta d’Rav Kahana 49b]. |
|
והולכתיה המדבר: למדבר סיחון ועוג ובסגנון זה נתנבא
(יחזקאל כ׳:ל״ה) שנאמר והבאתי אתכם אל מדבר העמים ונשפטתי אתכם שם כאשר נשפטתי
את אבותיכם והבאתי אתכם במסורת הברית וברותי מכם המורדים וגו' והכשרים אקיים
וזהו את כרמיה: |
|
and the depth
of trouble: Heb. עֶמֶק עָכוּר.
The depth of the exile where they were troubled I will give her for a door
of hope (an expectation of hope), for, out of those troubles, she will take
heart to return to Me. |
|
ואת עמק עכור: עומק הצרות שהן עכורים שם אתן לה לפתח תקוה שמתוך אותן צרות תתן
לב לשוב אלי: |
|
and she shall
dwell there: Heb. וְעָנְתָה,
an expression of dwelling. Comp. (Nahum 2:12) “a den (מְעוֹן) of lions.” [from
Machbereth Menachem p. 135] |
|
וענתה שמה: ל' דירה כמו מעון אריות (נחום ב): |
|
as in the days
of her youth: when she dwelt in Egypt a long time. |
|
כימי נעוריה: שישבה במצרים ימים רבים: |
|
and as the day
of her ascent, etc.: as Israel cried out to me in Egypt because of the subjugation
and I redeemed her, so also now. |
|
וכיום עלותה וגו': שצעקה אלי ממצרים מתוך שיעבוד
וגאלתיה כן גם עתה: |
|
18And it shall come to pass on
that day, says the Lord, you shall call [Me] Ishi, and you shall no longer
call Me Baali. |
|
יחוְהָיָ֚ה בַיּֽוֹם־הַהוּא֙
נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה תִּקְרְאִ֖י אִישִׁ֑י וְלֹֽא־תִקְרְאִי־לִ֥י ע֖וֹד בַּעֲלִֽי: |
|
you shall call
[Me] Ishi, etc: You shall worship Me out of love and not out of fear. Ishi is
an expression of marriage and the love of one’s youth. |
|
תקראי אישי וגו': תעבדוני מאהבה ולא מיראה אישי
לשון אישות וחיבת נעורים: |
|
Baali: An expression of mastership and fear. And
our Rabbis (Pesachim 87a, Kethuboth 71b) explained: Like a bride in her
father-in-law’s house, and not like a bride in her father’s house. |
|
בעלי: לשון אדנות ומורא ורבותינו פירשו ככלה בבית חמיה ולא ככלה בבית
אביה: |
|
19And I will remove the names of
the baalim from her mouth, and they shall no longer be mentioned by their
name. |
|
יטוַֽהֲסִֽרֹתִ֛י אֶת־שְׁמ֥וֹת
הַבְּעָלִ֖ים מִפִּ֑יהָ וְלֹֽא־יִזָּכְר֥וּ ע֖וֹד בִּשְׁמָֽם: |
|
and they shall
no longer be mentioned: I.e. Israel shall no longer be mentioned by the name of the
baalim. Or, the baalim shall no longer be mentioned by the name of Israel,
saying that they are their gods. Or, the name of the baalim shall no longer
be mentioned, as it is stated. (Isa. 2:18) “And the idols shall completely pass
away.” |
|
ולא יזכרו עוד: ישראל בשמם של בעלים או לא יזכרו הבעלים בשמם של ישראל לומר שהם
אלהות להם או לא יזכר שם הבעלים עוד כד"א (ישעיהו ב׳:י״ח) והאלילים כליל
יחלוף: |
|
20And I will make a covenant for
them on that day with the beasts of the field and with the fowl of the sky
and the creeping things of the earth; and the bow, the sword, and war I
will break off the earth, and I will let them lie down safely. |
|
כוְכָֽרַתִּ֨י לָהֶ֚ם בְּרִית֙
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא עִם־חַיַּ֚ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְעִם־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְרֶ֖מֶשׂ
הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וְקֶ֨שֶׁת וְחֶ֚רֶב וּמִלְחָמָה֙ אֶשְׁבּ֣וֹר מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ
וְהִשְׁכַּבְתִּ֖ים לָבֶֽטַח: |
|
with the
beasts of the field: for I will destroy harmful creatures from the world. And so
Scripture states (Isa.
11:9): “They shall
neither harm nor destroy etc.” |
|
עם חית השדה: שאשבית מזיקין מן העולם וכה"א (שם יא) לא ירעו ולא ישחיתו
וגו': |
|
21And I will betroth you to Me
forever, and I will betroth you to Me with righteousness and with justice
and with loving-kindness and with mercy. |
|
כאוְאֵֽרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֑ם וְאֵֽרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִי֙ בְּצֶ֣דֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּבְחֶ֖סֶד
וּבְרַֽחֲמִֽים: |
|
with
righteousness and with justice: which you practice. |
|
בצדק ובמשפט: שתתנהגו בהן: |
|
and with loving-kindness
and with mercy: which will come to you from Me because of them. Concerning our
father Abraham, it is written (Gen 18:19): “For I love him since he commands etc. to
perform righteousness and justice.” And, corresponding to them, He bestowed
upon his children loving-kindness and mercy, as it is said (Deut. 13:18): “And He shall grant you mercy;” (ibid.
7:12) “And the Lord your God shall keep for you the covenant and the
loving-kindness.” When they ceased to perform righteousness and justice, as
it is said (Amos
5:7): “Those who
turn justice into wormwood, and righteousness they leave on the ground,”
also the Holy One, blessed be He, took away from them the loving-kindness
and the mercy, as it is said (Jer. 16:5): “for I have gathered in My peace from
this people, says the Lord, the loving-kindness and the mercies.” And when
they will return to perform righteousness and justice, they shall be
redeemed immediately, as it is said (Isa. 1:27): “Zion shall be redeemed through justice,
and her penitent through righteousness.” And the Holy One, blessed be He,
will add mercy and loving-kindness to them and make a crown of all four of
them and place it on their head. |
|
ובחסד וברחמים: שיבא לך מאתי על ידיהם באברהם אבינו כתיב (בראשית י״ח:י״ט) כי
ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה וגו' לעשות צדקה ומשפט וכנגדן נתן לבניו חסד ורחמים מאת
הקב"ה שנאמר (דברים י״ג:י״ח) ונתן לך רחמים ושמר ה' אלהיך לך את הברית
ואת החסד (שם יז) פסקו מן הצדקה והמשפט כמו שנאמר (עמוס ה׳:ז׳) ההופכים ללענה
משפט וצדקה לארץ הניחו אף הקב"ה אסף מהם החסד והרחמים שנ' (ירמיהו
ט״ו:א׳) כי אספתי את שלומי מאת העם הזה את החסד ואת הרחמים וכשיחזרו לעשות
צדקה ומשפט שנאמר (ישעיהו א׳:כ״ז) ציון במשפט תפדה וגו' הקב"ה מוסיף
עליהם רחמים וחסד ועושה אותן עטרה לארבעתן ומושיבן בראשן: |
|
22And I will betroth you to Me
with faith, and you shall know the Lord. |
|
כבוְאֵֽרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י
בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה וְיָדַ֖עַתְּ אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה: |
|
And I will
betroth you to Me with faith: For the reward of the faith, for, while in
exile, you believed in the promises through My prophets. [from Mechilta
14:31 with variations] |
|
וארשתיך לי באמונה: בשכר האמונה שהאמנת בגולה
להבטחות שעל ידי נביאי: |
|
23And it shall come to pass on
that day, [that] I will answer, says the Lord; I will answer the heavens,
and they shall answer the earth. |
|
כגוְהָיָ֣ה | בַּיּ֣וֹם
הַה֗וּא אֶֽעֱנֶה֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶֽעֱנֶ֖ה אֶת־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְהֵ֖ם
יַֽעֲנ֥וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ: |
|
I will answer
the heavens: to pour upon the clouds from the rivulet of good that depends
on My word. They will, in turn, answer to pour water upon the earth. |
|
אענה את השמים: לצוק אל השחקים מפלג הטוב התלוים במאמר והם יענו לצוק מים על
הארץ: |
|
24And the earth shall answer the
corn and the wine and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel. |
|
כדוְהָאָ֣רֶץ תַּֽעֲנֶ֔ה
אֶת־הַדָּגָ֖ן וְאֶת־הַתִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְאֶת־הַיִּצְהָ֑ר וְהֵ֖ם יַֽעֲנ֥וּ
אֶת־יִזְרְעֶֽאל: |
|
Jezreel: The people of the exile who were scattered
and then in gathered. |
|
את יזרעאל: את בני הגולה שנזרעו ונקבצו: |
|
25And I will sow her for Me in
the land, and I will have compassion upon the unpitied one, and I will say
to them that are not My people, "You are My people," and they
shall say, "[You are] my God." |
|
כהוּזְרַעְתִּ֚יהָ לִּי֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ
וְרִֽחַמְתִּ֖י אֶת־לֹ֣א רֻחָ֑מָה וְאָֽמַרְתִּ֚י לְלֹֽא־עַמִּי֙
עַמִּי־אַ֔תָּה וְה֖וּא יֹאמַ֥ר אֱלֹהָֽי: |
|
And I will sow
her for Me in the land: As one who sows a se’ah in order to gather many korim, so will
many proselytes be added to them. [from Pesachim 87b] |
|
וזרעתיה לי: כזורע סאה להכניס כמה כורין כן יתוספו עליהן בארץ ישראל כמה
גרים: |
Hoshea (Hosea) - Chapter 3
|
1And the Lord said to me: Go
again, love a woman beloved by her companion, yet an adulteress, like the
love of the Lord of the children of Israel, who turn to other gods, and
love goblets of grapes. |
|
אוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י עוֹד
לֵ֣ךְ אֱהַב־אִשָּׁ֔ה אֲהֻ֥בַת רֵ֖עַ וּמְנָאָ֑פֶת כְּאַֽהֲבַ֚ת יְהֹוָה֙
אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהֵ֗ם פֹּנִים֙ אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וְאֹֽהֲבֵ֖י
אֲשִׁישֵׁ֥י עֲנָבִֽים: |
|
beloved by her
companion: Cherished by her husband and beloved to him, who [nonetheless]
commits adultery under his domain, [paralleling thereby] the love of the
Holy One, Blessed Is He, for the nation of Israel who [nonetheless] stray
from under His domain towards other gods. |
|
אהובת רע: חביבה על בעלה ואהובה לו והיא מנאפת תחתיו כאהבת הקב"ה את
ישראל והם זונים תחתיו אל אלהים אחרים: |
|
goblets of
grapes: Heb. אֲשִׁישֵׁי עֲנָבִים. Menahem (Machbereth p. 34) explains. ‘goblets of wine.’
They are fond of becoming drunk with their wine and do not engage in Torah.
And so we find that elsewhere he castigates for this: “that drink wine in
bowls, etc” (Amos
6:6). |
|
אשישי ענבים: פי' מנחם גביעי יין אוהבי' להשתכר ביינם ואינם עוסקים בתורה וכן
מצינו שמוכיחם במקום אחר על כך השותים במזרקי יין (עמוס ו׳:ו׳): |
|
2And I bought her for me for
fifteen pieces of silver, and a 'chomer' of barley and a 'lethech' of
barley. |
|
בוָֽאֶכְּרֶ֣הָ לִּ֔י
בַּֽחֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר כָּ֑סֶף וְחֹ֥מֶר שְׂעֹרִ֖ים וְלֶ֥תֶךְ שְׂעֹרִֽים: |
|
And I bought her: It is an expression of a business
transaction, ‘bargaine’ in Old French, similar to “which I have purchased (כָּרִיתִי) for me” (Gen. 50:5). Now in the sea-towns they refer to a sale
(Heb. מְכִירָה)
as כִּירָה [from
Hullin 92a]. |
|
ואכרה לי: ל' סחורה ברגניי"א בלע"ז כמו (בראשית נ׳:ה׳) אשר כריתי
לי ובכרכי הים קורין למכירה כירה: |
|
for fifteen
pieces of silver, and a chomer of barley and a lethech of barley: Jonathan paraphrases: “And I redeemed them
at My command on the fifteenth day of the month of Nisan, and I made
shekalim of silver an atonement for their souls, and I declared that they
offer before me an ‘omer’ as heave- offering from the barley harvest; that
is to say, I did not weary you with difficult duties.” |
|
בחמשה עשר כסף וחומר שעורים ולתך שעורים: ת"י ופרקתינון במימרי ביום
חמשה עשר לירח ניסן ויהב ית כסף תקליא כיפור לנפשיהון ואמרית דיהון מקרבין
קדמי עומר ארמותא מעללת שעורין כלומר לא הוגעתים בדברים קשים: |
|
for fifteen
pieces of silver: It is the numerical equivalent of Nissan. Now in the Pesikta
it is expounded: “fifteen pieces of silver,” on the fifteenth day of
Nissan. Now a chomer and a lethech total forty-five, for the chomer equals
thirty seah, and the lethech is a half-chomer. |
|
בחמשה עשר כסף: בגמטריא ניסן ובפסיקתא הוא נדרש בט"ו כסף בט"ו בניסן
וחומר ולתך הרי ארבעים וחמשה שהחומר ל' סאה והלתך חצי חומר: |
|
3And I said to her: 'You shall
remain as mine for many days; you shall not play the harlot, and you shall
not belong to another man; so will I be towards you. |
|
גוָֽאֹמַ֣ר אֵלֶ֗יהָ יָמִ֚ים
רַבִּים֙ תֵּ֣שְׁבִי לִ֔י לֹ֣א תִזְנִ֔י וְלֹ֥א תִֽהְיִ֖י לְאִ֑ישׁ
וְגַם־אֲנִ֖י אֵלָֽיִךְ: |
|
and I said to
her: You shall remain as mine for many days: The plural “days” refers to (a minimum) of
two, “many” to (a minimum of) three, making a total of five. This (the
forty-five of the previous verse added to the five of this verse) alludes
to the fifty days between Passover and Pentecost. On that day I offered her
the Torah, admonishing her: |
|
ואומר אליה ימים רבים תשבי לי: ימים שנים רבים שלשה הרי חמשה
אלו נ' יום שבין פסח לעצרת בו ביום נתתי להם התורה ובה הזהרתיה: |
|
you shall not
play the harlot and you shall not belong to another man: [that is], “You shall have no other gods
before Me” (Exodus
20:3); so… |
|
לא תזני ולא תהיי לאיש: לא יהיה לך אלהים אחרים (שמות
כ׳:ג׳): |
|
will I be
towards you: “I am the Lord your God” (Ex. 20:2). Now the reason he split the fifty days
into separate calculations, one at the conclusion of “chomer” (i.e., 50
days), the other at the conclusion of “lethech” (i.e., the ensuing 15
days), is to represent the “manna” that descended upon them at the culmination
of thirty days [from their exodus] on the fifteenth day (sic) of Iyar. From
that point, for an [additional] fifteen daysthe numerical equivalent of the
number of seah in a lethechon that day they arrived in the Sinai desert on
the first day of the month of Sivan. Now in the name of Rav Hai I found a
most fitting thing: “So I bought her to me etc.,” (verse 2) I have
established her atonement indemnity money as a light sum, for whosoever
states: “My valuation is incumbent upon me to contribute to the sanctuary,
should he be from the age of sixty and above” his valuation shall be
fifteen shekels (Lev.
27:7). This sum of
fifteen shekels is, according to this interpretation, symbolized by the
fifteen pieces of silver of v. 2): Now the “chomer” of barley [represents]
the valuation of a male aged twenty and above until sixty, viz. fifty
shekels (see Lev.
27:3), the amount
of redemption money of a chomer of barley which is similarly fifty silver
shekels (See Lev.
27:16: “And if a
man shall dedicate to the Lord some part of his field… the seed of a ”
chomer “ of barley shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver.”) Now
regarding the lethech of barley, the amount for redeeming a field
containing a lethech of barley for the sanctuary is twenty-five shekels,
which is [equal to the sum of] the valuation of someone from one month up
to five years, which equals five shekels (Lev. 27:6), and that of one from five years up to
twenty years, in which cases, “the valuation shall be twenty shekels (Lev. 27:5),” totalling twenty-five shekels. After all
this display of affection [by allowing for such relatively easy
absolution,] I said to her: |
|
וגם אני אליך: אנכי ה' אלהיך (שם) ואשר עשה שני חשבונות מחמשים יום אחד לסוף
חומר ואחד לסוף לתך כנגד המן שירד להם לסוף ל' יום בט"ו באייר ומשם לחמשה
עשר יום מנין סאין של לתך ביום הזה באו מדבר סיני בר"ח סיון, ובשם רב האי
מצאתי דבר הגון, ואכרה לי וגו', קצבתי דמי כופר פדיונה לנגדי בדמים קלי' האומר
ערך נפשי עלי אם מבן ששים ומעלה והיה ערכך חמשה עשר שקל וחומר שעורין. ערך
זכר מבן עשרים שנה ומעלה ועד בן ס' חמשים שקל והם דמי פדיון חומר שעורין שגם
הוא חמשים שקל כסף, ולתך שעורין דמי פדיון קרקע לתך שעורין למקדש, עשרים וחמשה
שקלים הוא ערך הקצוב מבן חדש עד ה' שנים חמש שקלים ומבן חמש שנים עד בן עשרים
שנה והיה ערכך עשרי' שקלים הרי עשרים וחמשה אחר כל החיבה הזאת אמרתי לה: |
|
[3] You shall
remain as mine for many days; you shall not play the harlot: by turning to other gods, for, if you do
play the harlot, your children shall remain for many days… |
|
ימים רבים תשבי לי לא תזני: לאלהים אחרים כי אם תזני ימי'
רבים ישבו בניך: |
|
4For the children of Israel
shall remain for many days, having neither king, nor prince, nor sacrifice,
nor pillar, nor ephod nor teraphim. |
|
דכִּ֣י | יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים
יֵֽשְׁבוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֥ין מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ וְאֵ֣ין שָׂ֔ר וְאֵ֥ין זֶ֖בַח
וְאֵ֣ין מַצֵּבָ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין אֵפ֖וֹד וּתְרָפִֽים: |
|
having neither
king nor prince nor sacrifice: in the Temple in Judah. |
|
אין מלך ואין שר ואין זבח: במקדש ביהודה: |
|
nor
pillar: The pillar of Baal in Samaria of the kings of Israel. |
|
ואין: מצבת הבעל בשומרון למלכי ישראל : |
|
nor
ephod: of the Urim and Tummim, which discloses to them hidden things. |
|
ואין אפוד: של אורים ותומים המגיד להם נעלמות: |
|
teraphim: They are images constructed, having in mind
a particular hour established, at which time they speak of their own accord
and tell of hidden things. So does Jonathan translate: and there shall be
no ephod or oracle. |
|
ואין תרפים: הם דמות הנעשים בכוון שעה אחת העשויה לכך ומדברים מאיליהן
ומגידים נעלמות וכן ת"י ולית אפודא ומחוי : |
|
5Afterwards shall the children
of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God and David their king, and
they shall come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness at the end of
days. |
|
האַחַ֗ר יָשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּבִקְשׁוּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת דָּוִ֣יד מַלְכָּ֑ם
וּפָֽחֲד֧וּ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֛ה וְאֶל־טוּב֖וֹ בְּאַֽחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים: |
|
Afterwards: Following the days of exile. |
|
אחר: ימי הגולה: |
|
shall the
children of Israel return: It was taught in the name of R. Shimon the son of Yochai: The
children of Israel rejected three things during the reign of Rehoboam; the
Kingdom of Heaven, the kingdom of the House of David, and the Holy Temple,
as it is written: “What portion have we in David” (I Kings 12:16) which may be understood literally;
“to your tents O’ Israel” (ibid.), do not read, “to your tents” (Heb. לְאֹהָלֶ) but “to your gods” (Heb. לֵאלֹהֶ) “now see your own house, David” (ibid.),
refers to the Holy Temple (see Rashi I Kings 12:16). R. Shimon the son of Menassiah said:
Israel shall not be shown any omen of good until they repent by seeking out
all three; “Afterwards shall the children of Israel return, and seek their
Lord their God,” which refers to the Kingdom of Heaven; “and David their
king” is self explanatory; “and shall come trembling to the Lord and to His
goodness,” which refers to the Holy Temple, as it is written “that good
mount” (Deut.
3:25) (a
reference to the Temple Mount. [from Midrash Samuel 13:4] |
|
ישובו בני ישראל ובקשו את ה' וגו': תנא משום ר"ש בן יוחאי בג'
דברים מאסו בני ישראל בימי רחבעם במלכות שמים ובמלכות בית דוד ובבית המקד'
הה"ד (מלכים א י״ב:ט״ז) אין לנו חלק בדוד כמשמעו לאהליך ישראל (שם) אל
תקרי לאהליך אלא לאלהיך ראה ביתך דוד (שם) זה ב"ה אמר רבי שמעון בן מנסיא
אין מראין סימן טוב לישראל עד שיחזרו ויבקשו שלשתן אחר ישובו בני ישראל ובקשו
את ה' זו מלכות שמים ואת דוד מלכם כמשמעו ופחדו אל ה' ואל טובו זה בית המקדש
כד"א ההר הטוב הזה: |
What is ONLY possible by accepting the Jewish Rabbinical teachings (exactly
following the Shulchan Aruch) confirmed in the teachings of Chasidut (Most
important (minimal to study) the TanYah from ChaBaD).
Because: One of the
pillars of the entire Torah is to run away from any form of ‘service to any
other God.’ ‘Avoda Zara’ It is a capital sin and extremely crucial to the
observance of Torah. An Israelite who violates this sin willingly is like he
violated all of the Torah, and he loses many of his halachic privileges as an
Israelite.
Without the Shulchan Aruch and Chasidut the world reached:
click: The Legend of
Armilus By Rabbi Ariel Bar Tzadok Copyright © 2004 by Ariel Bar Tzadok. All
rights reserved. A must read! It is in a beautiful PDF file.
From Where Is the Signal Coming — Yetzer Hora or Yetzer Tov?
Building
Block No. 7
From
the Sichos in English Collection
Clearly,
there must be a guide for a Jew to be able to determine whether a signal is
coming from his yetzer tov or whether the signal is coming
from his yetzer hora. At one end of the spectrum recognition is
easy. Obviously, if a man desires to steal, it is not difficult to identify
that signal as coming from his yetzer hora. More subtly, if a man
makes the decision to learn Torah every morning at a fixed time,
the suggestion to stay in a warm bed on a cold gray morning and miss learning
can also be identified as coming from the yetzer hora.
But
sometimes, on the other end of the spectrum, the message can be very unclear
and the signal can come in a most seductive form;1 for example, is the
desire to cheat an insurance company really stealing?
Given that
theft is forbidden, it requires a person of acumen to identify his yetzer
hora here. After all, purrs that yetzer hora, adding to
the list of stolen items is natural: Every insurance company expects it: They
never pay the whole claim anyway: Obviously, the answer is to over claim. On
the other hand, the signal not to cheat clearly comes from the yetzer tov. The yetzer tov will
tell a man, if he will only listen, that it cannot be possible to profit when
doing something contrary to Hashem’s will. If He says not to
steal, any extra money received from the insurance claim will be dissipated
on negative matters such as doctors’ bills.
There are
even more subtle positions. We learn the yetzer hora attacks
at the level it is best able to achieve success. A simple man will be
attacked at a primitive level. A sophisticated scholar will be attacked on an
ingeniously learned level.
There are a
few tests; the first relates to time. Chassidim tell the story2 of a pauper who
explains to a Rebbe in private of his desperate need for three
hundred rubles to marry off his daughter. Later the same day, amazingly
another Chosid donated three hundred rubles to the Rebbe.
The Rebbe’s assistant was excited to see the donation as he realized that he
could now pay the Rebbe’s debts. When, however, he asked for the money, the
Rebbe refused. A few moments later, the Rebbe suspended visitors and after
some time elapsed called back the assistant. He instructed him to find the
man in need of the three hundred rubles and to pay the money to him. The
assistant was disappointed but the Rebbe’s behavior was not altogether
unexpected. But why the suspension of visitors and the delay?
Ultimately
the Rebbe explained;
“ There was
never a question of keeping any of the money for myself or my debts. The
question, was should the man who needed to marry off his daughter be given
the whole three hundred rubles when, after all, this is a poor community and
many people are desperately in need. There were at least three hundred
families who could do very well with a ruble each at the moment. Should I
give the whole three hundred rubles to one man to marry off his daughter or
should I distribute the amount to bring relief to a considerable number of
poor families?
To make this
decision, I needed to decide from where the idea of distributing one ruble to
three hundred deserving families was coming from. Was it coming from
the yetzer hora or the yetzer tov ? ”.
The Rebbe
explained that, upon deep reflection, it was coming from his yetzer
hora. Why? Because it was his second thought even though good in itself.
So here we
have a test. The Rebbe’s first inclination was to give the whole three
hundred rubles to the man who needed to marry off his daughter. Only later
did he give himself the alternative.
We know that
when, in the attempt to do some good, a decision is made, the yetzer
hora will attack that decision at that man’s level. At what level
can the yetzer hora attack a great man? Somewhere at least
sophisticated enough for there to be a choice for him. One
test of where the signal comes from therefore is that it comes second in
time after and to undermine the first, good decision.
A second test
relates to motive. There is a famous story about a snuff box.
People used to use snuff, and snuff boxes to Chassidim in olden times, were
like expensive pens to lawyers. The richer you were, the better your snuff
box. The story goes that Shimon, a very rich man, was in shul one night
when Reuven, a very poor man, asked Shimon for some snuff.
Producing a
wonderful jewel-encrusted snuff box, Shimon took some snuff for himself and
dismissed Reuven empty-handed in a rude and uncaring manner. It later
happened that Shimon became poor and Reuven rich. Shimon went to a Rebbe to
ask why he had become impoverished. The Rebbe reminded him of the incident of
the snuff box. Once reminded, Shimon asked what he could do to once again be
rich. The Tzaddik told him there were two ways. The first
was to engineer Reuven to do to him what he had done to Reuven before. There
was another way but he would not explain. Shimon sought out Reuven who was in
the process of marrying off his daughter and who no longer recognized the
disheveled Shimon. In the middle of the greatest moments of rejoicing when
father was dancing with his son-in-law on a table, Shimon pulled at Reuven’s
trousers.
“ What do you
want? ”
“ Excuse me,
can I have some snuff?”
“Now?”
“Now!”
Reuven
descended from the table and, incredibly, he produced the very same bejeweled
snuff box!
“Take as much
as you want,” said Reuven. Shimon burst out crying when his much disturbed
host inquired after his strange behavior. Shimon told him all. His host
listened carefully and then asked, “Why do you want me to be poor again?
Before, when I was poor, you were content. When I am rich, you want me to be
poor.” Shimon now understood that the second way for him, not explained by
the Rebbe, included not wishing poverty on Reuven. He no longer wanted his
money back. He wanted other money. The end of the story was that Reuven made
a deal with Shimon that he would support Shimon on a salary for the rest of
his life and marry off all his children on one condition; that Shimon no
longer would want his money back from Reuven. The deal was done and everybody
lived happily. Because he repented sufficiently teshuvah, Shimon
was once again entitled to have a certain amount of money. Again however
there are the two signals. The signal to Shimon that he wanted his money
back was a signal from his yetzer hora because it was at the
expense of Reuven.
When he
reached the level where the signal was coming from his yetzer tov,
where any money would do him while meanwhile welcoming his
friend’s good fortune, Shimon then received enough.
There is a
third and ultimate test of action;
Does the
signal bring a man to doing positive good in actual fact or is the result no
activity? If, for example, there is the potential to do mitzvah “A”
or mitzvah “B”, if neither is
performed, long learned argument about which mitzvah is
preferred must be coming from the yetzer hora3. If in fact one or, even
better, both mitzvos are performed, the signal has come from
the yetzer tov. We know this because the net result is the doing
of the mitzvos in actuality. As a result
more good has been brought into the world. This, after all, is the purpose of
the yetzer tov, and the only ultimate clue to its signal.
FOOTNOTES
See for
example Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 16, p. 553.
Quoted in A
Treasury of Chassidic Tales On the Torah Vol. II by R.S.Y. Zevinp. 532.
See for
example Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 23, p. 473.
When we study good the letters from Rabbi Shaul (From NT) we learn to
understand that he was enormous touched by his Rebbe Yeshuah HaNotsry. And we
may learn understand that his letters, from Chassidic perspective, are very
deep and beautiful teachings about the Yetser Hara and Yetser Tov.
Rebbe Yeshuah HaNotsry – Messiah Ben Yosef – The viceroy of Messiah Ben
David……. The Tzaddik HaDor of his generation.
The Tzaddik HaDor
By Har HaBait Jewish Sovereign for all Israel
The
Messiah of Israel
We learn from
the Jewish Scriptures (Talmud, oral law) and the Hebrew Tanach that we have
two Messiah's.
Messiah Ben
Joseph and Messiah Ben David...... They are in fact one Messiah. In Israel we
have two groups-kingdoms, Yehuda and Ephraim. Throughout the Tanach we have
two Israelite 'Kingdoms'. Kingdom of Ephraim (Northern Kingdom) who departed
from the Kingdom of Shlomo (Southern Kingdom, Yehuda) after his dead. And
later in the diaspora Ephraim went completely lost, became 'the lost sheep of
the house of Yisra’ěl.' The Kingdom of Yehuda didn't went lost and became the
Jews of today. Messiah Ben Joseph represents the national soul of Ephraim.
Messiah Ben David represents the national soul of Yehuda. The Messiah is a
human being, like you and me, and not HaShem but: is the most righteous soul
of Israel.
by Reb
Nati
There is confusion regarding the idea of the Tzaddik Hador, the righteous
leader of the generation. There are many tzaddikim, many righteous men,
rabbis, teachers, and hidden ones. But there is only one tzaddik hador, and
if we merit, he becomes the Tzaddik Emet.
Tzaddik Emet is the soul of "Moshe - Moshiach", the redeemer.
Throughout history there has been and only will be seven times, 7 gigulim of
the neshomah (7 re-entries into this world of the essence of the soul) of
Moshe Rebbaynu (Moses our Teacher), the soul of the Moshe Moshiach (Zohar
Parshat Mishpatim and Ari Zal - Sha'arei Gigulim). These times have been
Moshe Rebbaynu (Moses our Teacher), some count Dovid HaMelech (King David),
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi), the Ari HaKodesh, the Baal Shem Tov, some
count Rebbe Nachman of Breslev, some count the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rebbe
Menachem Mendel Schneerson of Chabbad.* We are presently waiting for the last
manifestation - in Moshiach.
(According to Breslev, Rebbe Nachman was 5th in this line. His Torah is the
Torah of this, the last generation. He said his fire would burn until the
Moshiach, and that Moshiach would be a descendant of his. See Chai Morahran,
in English the books Tzaddik and Until Moshiach by Breslev Research
Institute.)
But we were discussing the Tzaddik Hador. The last know widely accepted (by
the majority of Jews) Tzaddik Hador was the Rebbe of Chabad.
Mordechai was the Tzaddik Hador in the time of the Purim story. Reb Nosson of
Breslev teaches us some awesome details about this in Likutey Chalchot,
hilchos Purim... The Tzaddik Hador is the most spiritually awake person
alive. He not only has the ability to find and wake up the souls of Am
Israel, but he can also if we help him. Can wake up the Divine
presence. The Purim story is not just a story of Mordechai and
Ester, but the story of the tzaddik HaDor and the Shechina, the Divine
Presence. (More on this in a future post, Hashem willing.)
As the Zohar teaches us – everyone is against or afraid of the idea of there
having to be a tzaddik. HaTzaddik, "THE" Tzaddik, HaDor - namely
the Tzaddik of "THIS" generation. The Holy Zohar teaches (Zohar I,
28a): "Woe to the world for they do not provide help for the Shechina
(Divine Presence) during the exile, or for Moshe (i.e., the Tzaddik), who is
always with Her and never moves from Her… Moshe did not die. He is called
Adam. Of Adam it is written (Bereishit 2:20), 'And Adam had no helpmate'.
This applies to the last exile: Adam – the Tzaddik – has no helpmate.
Everyone is against the Tzaddik".
May we all sincerely and wholeheartedly turn to Hashem in prayer and seek
out, support and reveal the Shechina hidden within the exile along with Her
helpmate 'HaTZaDDiK HaDoR' Amen.’ (Source: Journal
Mitzvah: The Tzaddik HaDor)
When we follow the development in Israel today good we can be very shocked
and afraid. We are driven to unity….. and in the same time many Jews are changing.
They do Teshuva…… Because of our pain we cry out to Elohim, HaShem is
answering us by bringing, discovering, a deep love in our hearts for each
other. Also we are intense looking out how HaShem He Himself start to fight
for His people….. Because Chog-Magog war is starting or very close by……
Rebbe Yeshua HaNotsry the viceroy of Messiah Ben David is learning us: Driving
us to unity….. and at the same time many Jews are changing. They do Teshuva……
Because of our pain we cry out to Elohim, HaShem is answering us by bringing,
discovering, a deep love in our hearts for each other. Infect ‘killing’ the
Yetser Hara in ourselves. Try to understand the war in this time is to come
to total victory over Amalek. Also we are intense looking out how HaShem He
Himself start to fight for His people….. The coming of the Ultimate Redeemer
King Messiah ben David – The most Righteous One of our generation: the
Tzaddik Emet.
Jewish tradition speaks of two redeemers, each one called Mashiach. Both are involved in ushering in the
Messianic era. They are Mashiach ben David and Mashiach ben Yossef.1
See Sukah 52b; Zohar I:25b; ibid.
II:120a, III:153b, 246b and 252a. (See Sha'arei Zohar on Sukah 52a for
further relevant sources in the Zohar-writings.)
The term Mashiach unqualified always
refers to Mashiach ben David (Mashiach the descendant of
David) of the tribe of Judah. He
is the actual (final) redeemer who shall rule in the Messianic age. All that
was said in our text relates to him.
Mashiach
ben Yossef (Mashiach the descendant of Joseph), of the tribe of Ephraim (son of Joseph), is also referred to
as Mashiach ben Ephrayim,
Mashiach the descendant of Ephraim.2
Sukah 52a-b; Zohar I:25b; ibid.
III:246b and 252b etc.; and Midrash Agadat Mashiach; use the term Mashiach
ben Yossef. Targum Yehonathan on Exodus 40:11; Zohar II:120a; ibid. 153b, 194b, and 243b etc.;
Midrash Tehilim 60:3; and
other Midrashim refer to Mashiach ben Ephrayim. Pesikta Rabaty, ch. 36-37
(ed. Friedmann, ch. 35-36) refers to Ephrayim Meshiach Tzidki (Ephraim, My
righteous Mashiach); the term Ephraim, though, may relate here to collective
Israel, thus referring to Mashiach ben David.
Pirkei Heichalot Rabaty, ch. 39
(Batei Midrashot, ed. Wertheimer, vol. I) and Sefer Zerubavel (ibid., vol.
II), offer his personal name as Nechemiah ben Chushiel (likewise in
Midrash Tehilim 60:3),
adding "who is of Ephraim the son of Joseph." (Interestingly
enough, Pirkei deR. Eliezer, ch. 19, calls him Menachem ben Ammi'el, the very
name the other sources - and Zohar III:173b - attribute to Mashiach ben
David.
Targum Yehonathan on Exodus 40:11 traces his descent to Joshua (cf. below, note 7).
Other sources state that he is a descendant of Yeravam ben Nevat, with
practical implications in the Providential scheme for this genealogy; see
Zohar Chadash, Balak:56b; commentary of R. Abraham Galante on Zohar II:120a
(cited in Or Hachamah there); and Emek Hamelech, Sha'ar Olam Hatohu:ch. 46.
Cf Devash Lefi, s.v. mem:par. 18. (Note also the sources cited in Sha'arei
Zohar on Sukah 52a with regards to other views about his lineage.)
He will come first, before the final redeemer, and later will serve as his
viceroy.3
The harmony and cooperation between
Mashiach ben David and Mashiach ben Yossef signifies the total unity of
Israel, removing the historical rivalries between the tribes of Judah and
Joseph; see Isaiah 11:13 and Rashi there. (Cf. Bereishit Rabba 70:15; and
Torah Shelemah on Genesis 29:16, note 49.)
The
essential task of Mashiach ben Yossef is to act as precursor to Mashiach ben
David: he will prepare the world for the coming of the final redeemer.
Different sources attribute to him different functions, some even charging
him with tasks traditionally associated with Mashiach ben David (such as the
ingathering of the exiles, the rebuilding of the Bet Hamikdash,
and so forth).4
See Pirkei Heichalot Rabaty, ch. 39;
Sefer Zerubavel; Midrash Agadat Mashiach (most of which is quoted in Lekach
Tov, Balak, on Numbers 24:17ff.); and cf. Rashi on Sukah 52b, s.v. charashim. See
also Ramban, Commentary on Song 8:13.
The
principal and final function ascribed to Mashiach ben Yossef is of political
and military nature. He shall wage war against the forces of evil that
oppress Israel. More specifically, he
will do battle against Edom, the
descendants of Esau.5
Note that the final battle of
Mashiach ben Yossef is said to be against Armilus, ruler of Edom. See the
Messianic Midrashim Zerubavel; Agadat Mashiach; Vayosha etc. (Specific
references are offered in R. Margolius, Malachei Elyon, part II, s.v.
Armilas; and see also the sources cited below, notes 18-19.)
For a further study, what is necessary for an better understanding for many
of us, please read the following:
click: The Legend of
Armilus By Rabbi Ariel Bar Tzadok Copyright © 2004 by Ariel Bar Tzadok. All
rights reserved. It is in a beautiful PDF file.
Edom is the comprehensive designation of the enemies of
Israel,6
Edom is the perpetual enemy of
Israel (see Sifre, Beha'alotecha, par. 69, cited by Rashi on Genesis 33:4; and see also Megilah 6a) and its final foe: the present
galut is referred to as the galut of Edom (see Bereishit Rabba 44:17; Vayikra
Rabba 13:5; and parallel passages) and Edom will be defeated ultimately by
Mashiach (Obadiah; Yoma 10a; Midrash Tehilim 6:2; and cf. Tanchuma,
Bo:4).
Interestingly enough, according to Pirkei deR. Eliezer
ch. 28 (in non-censored versions), the Ishmaelites (Arabs) will be the final
kingdom to be defeated by Mashiach. Other sources state "Edom and
Ishmael" (see Torah Shelemah on Genesis 15:12, note 130). Note, however, Pirkei deR. Eliezer, ch. 44
(and cf. Midrash Tehilim 2:6 and
83:3) that Edom and Ishmael have become intermingled. See also Mayanei
Hayeshu'ah, Mayan 11:8
and it will be crushed through the progeny of Joseph. Thus it was prophesied
of old, "The House of Jacob will
be a fire and the House of Joseph a flame, and the House of Esau for
stubble.." (Obadiah 1:18): "the progeny of Esau shall be delivered only into
the hands of the progeny of Joseph."7
Baba Batra 123b. Targum Yehonathan
on Genesis 30:23. Tanchuma, ed. Buber, Vayetze:15; and Bereishit Rabba
73:7; and the parallel passages cited there. See Bereishit Rabba 99:2, that
Edom shall fall by the meshu'ach milchamah (the one anointed for battle; see
below, note 10 for this term) who will be descended from Joseph.
Mashiach ben Yossef's battle against
Edom is analogous to, and the culmination of, Israel's first battle against
Edom (Amalek) after the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 17:5ff.). In that first battle, the Jewish army was led by
Joshua - who is also of the tribe of Ephraim, and (according to some) this
Mashiach's ancestor (see above note 2); see Ramban on Exodus 17:9, and R. Bachaya on Exodus 18:1. Cf. also R. Bachaya on Exodus 1:5, drawing an analogy between the role of Joseph in Egypt
and the role of the Mashiach descended from him in the ultimate redemption.
This
ultimate confrontation between Joseph and Esau is alluded already in the very
birth of Joseph when his mother Rachel exclaimed,
"G‑d has taken away my
disgrace" (Genesis 30:23): with prophetic vision she foresaw that an "anointed
savior" will descend from Joseph and that he will remove the disgrace of
Israel.8
The Messianic aspect is derived by
analogy with Isaiah 4:1.
In this context she called his name "Yossef, saying 'yossef Hashem - may G‑d add
to me ben acher (lit., another son), i.e., ben
acharono shel olam - one who
will be at the end of the world's time,'9
The Messianic aspect is derived by analogy with Genesis 4:25 which in Agadat Mashiach (cited in Lekach Tov on Numbers 24:17) is put into Messianic context.
from which it follows that 'meshu'ach milchamah - one
anointed for battle' will descend from Joseph."10
Midrash Yelamdenu, cited in Kuntres Acharon of Yalkut Shimoni.
(This Kuntres Acharon appears only in very few editions of Yalkut Shimoni,
but was republished in Jellinek's Bet Hamidrash, vol. VI. Our passage appears
there on p. 81, par. 20; and is also cited in Torah Shelemah on Genesis 30:23-24, par. 84 and 89.)
In context of his military function, Mashiach ben Yossef is
referred to as meshu'ach milchamah (cf. Sotah 42a, and Rashi on Deuteronomy 20:2, for this term); see Bereishit Rabba 75:6 and 99:2; Shir Rabba
2:13 (a parallel passage of Sukah 52b); and Agadat Bereishit, ch. (63) 64.
The immediate results of this war11
Targum Yehonathan on Exodus 40:11, and on Zechariah 12:10 (manuscript-version in ed. A. Sperber);
Agadat Mashiach; Pirkei Heichalot Rabaty (in version cited by Ramban, Sefer
Hage'ulah, sha'ar IV; ed. Chavel, p. 291); and Rashi on Sukah 52a; identify
the battle of Mashiach ben Yossef with the war of Gog and Magog.
will be disastrous: Mashiach ben Yossef will be killed. This is described in
the prophecy of Zechariah,
who says of this tragedy that "they shall mourn him as one mourns for an
only child." (Zechariah 12:10).12
Sukah 52a, and parallel passages
His death will be followed by a period of great calamities. These new
tribulations shall be the final test for Israel, and shortly thereafter
Mashiach ben David shall come, avenge his death, resurrect him, and
inaugurate the Messianic era of everlasting peace and bliss.13
Pirkei Heichalot Rabaty, ch. 39 (cited in
Sefer Hage'ulah, sha'ar IV); Sefer Zerubavel; Agadat Mashiach (cited in
Lekach Tov, ibid.). See R. Saadiah Gaon, Emunot Vede'ot VIII:ch. 5, adding
Scriptural "prooftexts" or allusions for all details; and the
lengthy responsum of R. Hai Gaon on the redemption, published in Otzar
Hageonim on Sukah 52a, and in Midreshei Ge'ulah, ed. Y. Ibn Shemuel, p.
135ff. Cf. Rashi and Ibn Ezra on Zechariah 12:10; Ibn Ezra and Redak on Zechariah 13:7.
This, in brief, is the general perception of the
"second Mashiach," the descendant of Joseph through the tribe of
Ephraim.
Quite significantly, R. Saadiah Gaon (one
of the few to elaborate on the role of Mashiach ben Yossef) notes that this
sequence is not definite but contingent! Mashiach ben Yossef
will not have to appear before Mashiach ben David, nor will
the activities attributed to him or his death have to occur. All depends on
the spiritual condition of the Jewish people at the time the redemption is to
take place:
The essential function of Mashiach ben Yossef is to
prepare Israel for the final redemption, to put them into the proper
condition in order to clear the way for Mashiach ben David to come. Of that
ultimate redemption it is said, that if Israel repent (return to G‑d) they
shall be redeemed immediately (even before the predetermined date for
Mashiach's coming). If they will not repent and thus become dependent on the
final date, "the Holy One, blessed be He, will set up a ruler over them,
whose decrees shall be as cruel as Haman's,
thus causing Israel to repent, and thereby bringing them back to the right
path."14
Sanhedrin 97b
In other words, if Israel shall return to G‑d on their own and make
themselves worthy of the redemption, there is no need for
the trials and tribulations associated with the above account of events
related to Mashiach ben Yossef. Mashiach ben David will come directly and
redeem us.15
Emunot Vede'ot VIII:6; see there at
length. Cf. Or Hachayim on Numbers 24:17.
Moreover, even if there be a need for the earlier appearance
of Mashiach ben Yossef, the consequences need not be as severe as described.
Our present prayers and meritorious actions can mitigate these. R. Isaac Luria (Ari-zal) notes
that the descendant of Joseph, by being the precursor of the ultimate
Mashiach, is in effect kissey David, the "seat" or
"throne" of David, i.e., of Mashiach. Thus when praying in the
daily Amidah, "speedily
establish the throne of Your servant David," one should consider that
this refers to Mashiach ben Yossef and beseech G‑d that he should not die in
the Messianic struggle.16
Peri Eitz Chayim, Sha'ar Ha'amidah:ch.
19; and Siddur Ha-Ari; on this blessing. The Ari's teaching is cited in Or
Hachayim on Leviticus 14:9, see there (and also on Numbers 24:17, where he relates this prayer to the next
blessing of the Amidah); and see also Even Shelemah, ch. 11, note 6. Cf.
Zohar II:120a (and Or Hachamah there), and ibid. III:153b. See next note.
As all prayers, this one, too, will have its effect.
It follows, then, that all the above is not an essential or
unavoidable part of the Messianic redemption that we await. Indeed, it - (and
the same may be said of the climactic war of Gog and Magog) - may occur (or
may have occured already!) in modified fashion.17
The battle of Gog and Magog (see above,
Appendix I, note 2) is another of the complex issues of the Messianic
redemption. In fact, an authoritative tradition from the disciples of the
Baal Shem Tov states that the extraordinary length of the present severe
galut has already made up for the troubles of that battle and the trauma of
the death of Mashiach ben Yossef, so that these will no longer occur; see R.
Shemuel of Sochachev, Shem MiShemuel, Vayigash, s.v. Vayigash 5677 (s.v.
venireh od, p. 298bf.).
This may explain why Rambam does
not mention anything about Mashiach ben Yossef. R. Saadiah Gaon18
Emunot Vede'ot VIII:ch. 5-6. See also the
commentary on Shir Hashirim attributed to R. Saadiah Gaon, published in
Chamesh Megilot im Perushim Atikim (Miginzei Teyman), ed. Y. Kapach, on Song 7:12-14 (p. 115; and also in Midreshei Ge'ulah, p.
131f.; as noted already by the editors, this passage is most probably based
on Sefer Zerubavel).
and R. Hai Gaon,19
See his extensive responsum, cited above
note 13.
as well as a good number of commentators, do refer to him briefly or at
length. In view of the divergent Midrashim and interpretations on this
subject it is practically impossible to present a more definitive synopsis
that would go far beyond the above. Thus it is wisest to cite and follow R.
Chasdai Crescas who states that "no certain knowledge can be derived
from the interpretations of the prophecies about Mashiach ben Yossef, nor
from the statements about him by some of the Geonim;" there is no point,
therefore, in elaborating on the subject.20
Or Hashem, Ma'amar III, klal 8: end of
ch. 1.
By J.
Immanuel Schochet
Rabbi Immanuel Schochet (1935–2013) wrote and lectured
extensively on the history and philosophy of Chassidism and topical themes of
Jewish thought and ethics. He was a renowned authority on Jewish philosophy
and mysticism. He was rabbi of Cong. Beth Joseph, and professor of Philosophy
at Humber College, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Source:
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/101747/jewish/Mashiach-ben-Yossef.htm
It is Rebbe Yeshuah HaNotsry –
Messiah Ben Yosef – The viceroy of Messiah Ben David stating:
Mat_10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel.
Mat_15:24 But he answered and said, I am
not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. KIV
Ariel your Representee, Representee of Ephraim and adviser (not a rabbi but friendly adviser) of Bet Yisrael international on the Har HaBayit.
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