meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Rashbam/Torah/Rashbam on Leviticus/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Rashbam on Leviticus
  רשב"ם על ויקרא
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Rashbam on Leviticus
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  HE CALLED TO MOSHE.  As it wrote above at the end of the book [Exodus], Moshe could not enter the Tent of Meeting, etc.  Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, called him from within the Tent of Meeting.  So this is Scripture means:  "He called to Moshe from the Tent of Meeting, and He spoke to him, saying."  "From the Tent" refers back to "He called," as in (Ex. 19:3), "And Adonai called to him from the mountain, saying."  And he heard the voice speaking from the Tent of Meeting (see Num. 7:89) -- from the Tent of Meeting he heard the voice.  "God called to him from out of the bush, saying" (Ex. 3:4).  The duplicative expression "He spoke" (Lev. 1:1), as I explained in Parashat Noah, is, just as it says (Num. 8:2), "Speak to Aharon and say," so it says "He spoke to Moshe, saying" (Lev. 1:1) -- [saying] to Moshe.
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  (1) IF [AN OFFERING IS] A BURNT OFFERING.  That is, that when he undertook to bring it, he used this term, and below (3:1), it explains, "If [his offering is] a sacrifice of well-being."
  (2) TO BE ACCEPTABLE ON HIS BEHALF.  If he offered it male, without blemish, and at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, then it will be acceptable on his behalf.  However, with respect to a sick one or one with a blemish, it is written (Mal. 1:8), "Will he accept you? Will he show you favor?"  And similarly (Mal. 1:10), "I will accept no offering from you."
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  (1) THEY SHALL OFFER [V'HIKRIVU; literally, bring close].  Receiving the blood [in a vessel] and bringing it [to the altar] in order to dash it against the altar.  And our Sages also explained it this way.  
  (2) AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE TENT OF MEETING.  I.e., not the [gold] altar that is inside the Tent of Meeting.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  (2) TOKEN PORTION [AZKARATAH]. This is an ordinary expression of remembrance, i.e., with respect to the frankincense, because of the aroma that rises. It is likewise written (Isa. 66:3), "mazkir l'vonah" [JPS: offer incense], and similarly (Lev. 24:7), "which is to be a token offering for the bread." The kinds of m'nahot that are mentioned here are explained in [Tractate] M'nahot: how many loaves, how much frankincense, and how much oil in each, and what is a "mah'bat" and what is a "marheshet." "Marheshet" is a deep pan whose contents vibrate, but a mahbat is not deep, and both of them yield matza, as is said in Parashat Tzav (Lev. 6:7-10).
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  (1) OFFERING OF CHOICE PRODUCTS [REISHIT].  The two breads on Shavu'ot, which are called (Lev. 23:16) "an offering of new grain," and the first fruits, which are specified in Parashat Ki Tavo (Deut. 26:2).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  IF HE OFFERS IT FOR THANKSGIVING.  That he makes his vow in terms of "thanksgiving" [todah] and does not mention the term "well-being" [sh'lamim].  The standard thanksgiving is that one brings a sacrifice because one has been saved from one's troubles, as the Sages said, "There are four who are required to give thanks."  And our Rabbis specified that the total number of loaves is 40, and how much oil, and how many tenths [of an efah] of flour.
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  (1) IF [the sacrifice] IS A VOTIVE OR A FREEWILL OFFERING. That he says, "I hereby take on myself a sh'lamim," which is an expression of an oath and repayment, as I have explained above, in other words, that it is not a todah, but a votive. 
  (2) ON THE DAY THAT HE OFFERS IT. On the day when he has already offered his sacrifice; he may eat after the offering.
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  IF ANY OF IT IS EATEN.  The Sages uprooted this from its straightforward meaning, and explained it as referring to someone who plans, while doing any of the four sacrificial activities -- while slaughtering, while bringing the blood, while collecting [the blood], or while sprinkling [the blood] -- to eat from his sacrifice on the third day.
  
  Verse 19
  
  ANY PURE PERSON MAY EAT MEAT that is pure.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  (1) NOW AHARON’S SONS NADAV AND AVIHU EACH TOOK.  Already, before the fire went forth from before Adonai, they had each taken their firepans to offer incense inside on the gold altar, because the morning incense offering precedes the disposal of the remains of the previous night's [animal] sacrifice.  And each put extraneous fire, which Moshe had not commanded them for this day, for even though regarding other days it is written (Lev. 1:7), "The sons of Aharon the priest shall put fire on the altar," on this day, Moshe did not command and did not want themto bring mundane fire, because they were expecting the descent of supernal fire, and it wouold not be good on this day to bring this, in order to sanctify the name of Heaven, that everyone would know that fire had come from the heavens, as Eliyahu said (I Kings 18:25), "but apply no fire," because he wanted to sanctify the name of Heaven through the descent of the fire from above. 
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  (1) AND FIRE CAME FORTH FROM ADONAI AND CONSUMED THEM. This is the same "fire came forth" as the first verse [9:24].  As I explained in connection with (Exod. 19:8, 9), "And Moshe brought back the people’s words," and similarly (Jud. 17:3, 4), "He returned the silver to his mother," which is written twice in connection with Michah's idol, both of them being a single event.  Likewise here, both verses are one event.  When the fire went out and consumed the peace offerings on the outer altar, when Aharon's sons took and offered extraneous fire on the inner altar.
  (2) FIRE CAME FORTH FROM ADONAI.  To burn the incense inside initially, and it struck Aharon's sons there and they died.  And afterwards, it went out from there and reached the outer altar and consumed the burnt offering.  
  (3) THEY DIED AT THE INSTANCE OF ADONAI.  And immediately, when Aharon heard, he wanted to leave aside the service and to mourn for his sons.  
  
  Verse 3
  
  (1) THEN MOSHE SAID TO AHARON. Neither mourn nor cry, nor forsake the service, for this that I am telling you is WHAT ADONAI SAID ...: THROUGH THOSE NEAR TO ME I SHOW MYSELF HOLY -- through the High Priests, who are close to Me, to serve Me, I want to be sancrified and not that My name and My service should be profaned.  For this is what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to me (Lev. 21:10, 12), "The priest who is exalted above his fellows, ... shall not bare his head or rend his vestments, etc.  He shall not go outside the sanctuary and profane the sanctuary of his God."  Thus, if he does not go out, he sanctifies.  And there is no earlier and later in the Torah.  Therefore, do not forsake the service, since you are the High Priest, and do not leave and do not profane; rather, let the Holy One, blessed be He, and His service be sanctified through you. 
  (2) AND I GAIN GLORY BEFORE ALL THE PEOPLE.  In this consists the glory for the Divine Presence, that he see his sons die, yet forsake his mourning in favor of the service of his Creator.  ...
  (3) AND AHARON WAS SILENT.  From his mourning, and he did not cry or mourn.  And we find thus with Yehezk'el (24:16-17), "Oh mortal, I am about to take away the delight of your eyes from you through pestilence; ... Moan softly; observe no mourning for the dead."  
  (4) Likewise here, he WAS SILENT rather than what he wanted to do, which was to mourn and cry.  And this is moral and the true plain meaning.  But the Aggada that says that Moshe was consoling Aharon regarding what the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to him (Exod. 29:43) -- "'It shall be sanctified by My Presence,' I was under the understanding that it would be either you or I; now you see that they are greater than you or I."  This is not according to the plain sense -- would the Holy One, blessed be He, tell Moshe, "Make for me a Mishkan and on the same day the greatest of you shall die"?
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  DO NOT BARE YOUR HEADS [let your hair grow disheveled].  This is what he said to Elazar and Itamar:  "Even though you are ordinary priests, and are not commanded regarding baring heads and rending garments, for that is for the High Priest and not for ordinary priests, you are today like the High Priest for the future.  Why?
  
  Verse 7
  
  FOR ADONAI'S ANOINTING [OIL] IS UPON YOU.  You are anointed anew along with your father, and this rationale is written with respect to the High Priest (Lev. 21:10-12):  "He shall not bare his head, etc. He shall not go outside the sanctuary and profane the sanctuary of his God, for upon him"  will be "the distinction of the anointing oil of his God; I am Adonai."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  A WOMAN WHEN SHE [TAZRIA].  When she becomes pregnant, whether with a male or a female.   If she bears a boy, the rule with respect to him is this, and if she bears a girl, the rule with respect to her is that. It makes a general statement and afterward provides details.
  SEVEN DAYS.  Even if there is no blood.
  KIY'MEI NIDAT D'VOTAH.  Like the days of separation for her illness, which is set out below.  By seeing impure blood, by seeing blood of {birth}....
  NIDAH.  An expression of wandering [nidud] and distancing from her husband.
  D'VOTAH.  An expression of sickness, as in "my heart is sick" (Jer. 8:18).
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  IN THE BLOOD OF PURITY. Which is not menstrual blood.  The straightforward meaning is according to the one who says (Nid. 35b), "There are two sources [of vaginal blood flow]" -- the one of the 33 days is a pure source.
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  SHE SHALL BE PURE.  So as to eat holy foods.  Thus explained the Sages, for one lacking only the bringing of the sacrifice [to become pure] may eat t'rumah as soon as the sun sets [on his last day of impurity], but with holy foods [of a higher level of holiness], one may not eat until after the bringing of the sacrifice
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  (1) WHEN A PERSON HAS ON THE SKIN OF HIS BODY. All the sections about plagues on the person, plagues on garments, and plagues on houses, their appearances, the calculations of quarantine periods, white hairs and black and yellow hairs, we have nothing following the straightforward meaning of scripture and nothing from expertise in the natural ways of humans; rather, the midrash of the Sages adn their laws and their traditions from the early Sages -- that is the essential truth. 
  (2) WHEN A PERSON HAS ON THE SKIN OF HIS BODY. Because it says below (v. 39), "when there is a plague on the head or the beard," it was necessary here to say "on the skin of his body." ...
  (3) [S'EIT]. An expression of height, because it is not as white as is baheret; rather, baheret is [truly] white, as it is written (Job 37:17), "it is light [baheret] in the sky," and it [baheret] appears deeper, as the light appears deeper than the shade.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  
  
  Verse 24
  
  
  
  Verse 25
  
  
  
  Verse 26
  
  
  
  Verse 27
  
  
  
  Verse 28
  
  
  
  Verse 29
  
  
  
  Verse 30
  
  
  
  Verse 31
  
  
  
  Verse 32
  
  
  
  Verse 33
  
  
  
  Verse 34
  
  
  
  Verse 35
  
  
  
  Verse 36
  
  
  
  Verse 37
  
  
  
  Verse 38
  
  
  
  Verse 39
  
  
  
  Verse 40
  
  
  
  Verse 41
  
  (1) HE SHALL SCRAPE.  He shall peel, as in (Isa. 44:13), "He forms it with scraping tools," and in the Talmud (M. Keilim 27:4), "cuts off [a piece of] one square handbreadth from each."  
  (2) [The verb that is in] THAT IS SCRAPED OFF (v. 41) [and] "the house has been scraped " (v. 43) is among the verbs where the heh is dropped -- hik'tzu is derived from katzah.  But one should say that its meaning is an expression of kitzua, from what is written (v. 43), "after hik'tzot et habayit [the house has been scraped]," it appears that the kitzua [scraping -- v. 41] is called hik'tzot, for the language written above [v. 41] is "the house shall be scraped [yak'tzia]."
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  OOZING FROM HIS FLESH.  Our Rabbis have explained the appearance of [this] discharge and the appearance of semen.
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  ON WHICH THE ONE [WITH THE DISCHARGE] LIES.  Even if it [the bedding] is under the stone [and the person lies on the stone], so that he does not touch it [the bedding] at all.  The principle is this:  A man or woman with a discharge, or a niddah, any of them renders impure that which is under him with a severe impurity, such that [that object in turn] renders impure [another] person and a garment, if the objects under the person are designated for sitting, even if he has not touched them at all.
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  WITHOUT HAVING RINSED HIS HANDS IN WATER.  The person with the discharge did not immerse [in a mikveh] -- thus explained the Sages.  But to me it seems, according to the plain meaning, that, because it says above (v.3), "his member runs with its discharge, or is stopped up so that there is no discharge," that it [the discharge] is congealed and sticks to his flesh.   Thus, it speaks in euphemistic language, "without having rinsed 'his hands' in water."  For if he did not scrub his flesh well, and the opening of the penis that was stopped up, as is explained in Tractate Niddah, even though he immersed, he remains impure because he did not scrub well before the immersion, and anyone who touches him will be impure.  And because it is natural that the discharge emerges from the opening of the penis and needs to be scrubbed, it speaks with the expression of rinsing the hands as an analogy, like what is written about the prostitute (Prov. 30:20), "She eats, wipes her mouth, And says, 'I have done no wrong.'"  And likewise (Jud. 3:24), "He was 'anointing his legs'" because it refers to going outside.  Likewise here, "rinsing the hands" in place of the emergence of discharge from _that_ place.  And also, the expression of "rinsing" shows that is for removing filth of some object from its place.  Likewise (Lev. 6:21), "it shall be scoured and rinsed with water" to remove the fat of the sin offering from the vessel, and likewise (Isa. 28:2), "massive torrential rains," and likewise (Job 14:19), "Torrents wash away earth."  Likewise here, to remove the discharge that is on his flesh.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  FOR I APPEAR IN THE CLOUD OVER THE [ARK] COVER.  According to the plain meaning, since I appear all the time in the midst of a pillar of cloud over the cover, as it is written (Exod. 25:22), "I will speak with you from over the cover, from between the two kruvim," and if the priest sees, he will die, it follows that the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that, when he enters on Yom Kippur, he should offer incense inside initially, to darken the interior with a cloud of incense, and afterwards bring the bullock's blood and the goat's blood.
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  AHARON SHALL BRING FORWARD -- in the courtyard -- HIS BULL AS A SIN OFFERING TO EFFECT ATONEMENT FOR HIMSELF.  He shall immediately make confession over it.  And, according to the plain sense, he shall bring it into the courtyard in order to sacrifice it for atonement, as stated below (v. 11), "He shall slaughter his bull of sin offering."
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  (1) TO SEND IT OFF TO THE WILDERNESS FOR AZAZEL. According to its plain sense, to send it off alive to the mountains in the wilderness, as we find with the birds of [the purification ritual for the] m'tzora (Lev. 14:7): "he shall set the live bird free in the open country," to purify him from his ritual impurity. Likewise here: to purify Israel from their sins, he sets it free toward the wilderness, it being a place of pasture for beasts, as it is written (Exod. 3:1), "he drove the flock into the wilderness," and in the Talmud, "midbariot" [desert animals] and "beitiot" [domestic animals], in Tractate Beitza (40a). 
  (2) TO AZ'AZEL.  The lamed is an extra letter, like the lamed in Beit Arbel (Hos. 10:14), which is from the expression of (Deut. 19:11) "va'arev lo" [he lies in wait for him]. Likewise, the mem of reikam [empty] and hinam [free] are extra letters, to embellish a word for the action, like the mem of shiga'on [craziness], itzavon [sadness], and isaron [tenth]. [And below (v.22), it calls the place where the goat is released a land of] g'zeirah, an arid land where there are no crops, which is cut off and separated from all good things. 
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  
  
  Verse 24
  
  
  
  Verse 25
  
  
  
  Verse 26
  
  
  
  Verse 27
  
  
  
  Verse 28
  
  
  
  Verse 29
  
  
  
  Verse 30
  
  
  
  Verse 31
  
  
  
  Verse 32
  
  
  
  Verse 33
  
  
  
  Verse 34
  
  HE -- Aharon -- DID, when Yom Kippur arrived, AS ADONAI HAD COMMANDED MOSHE.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  YOU WILL BE HOLY.  Because they were enjoined with many commandments to be sanctified and to observe.
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  LO T'OLLEL.  This implies pe'ah [the corners of the field] as it is written (Jer. 6:9), "Let them glean over and over [olel y'ol'lu], as a vine."
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  DO NOT CURSE THE DEAF.  Scripture speaks in terms of the commonplace.  The accent is on the resh, because this is the dagesh formation.  It is like iver (this verse), giben .
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  (1) DO NOT GO ABOUT TALEBEARING [JPS: Do not deal basely].  One who goes around in the towns goes telling defamation from this person to that one.  The Targum is "Lo teichul kurtzin" -- do not broadcast gossip.  Likewise in Daniel (3:8), "they slandered the Jews."  [V'achalu is] "they brodcast."  Similarly (II Sam. 22:14), "thundered from heavens," translated [Targum Yonatan] as "achlei min shamaya," an expression of causing the voice to be heard.  
  (2) DO NOT STAND IDLY BY THE BLOOD OF OUR FELLOW.  Do not stand across from it; rather, it is permissible to save him at the cost of the life of the pursuer.
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  (1) DO NOT TAKE VENGEANCE.  Repaying evil for evil.  
  (2) AND DO NOT BEAR A GRUDGE.  Even internally; rather, waive your rights.  
  (3) LOVE YOUR FELLOW AS YOURSELF.  He is "your fellow" if he is good, but not if he is bad, as is is written (Prov. 8:13), "To fear Adonai is to hate evil."
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  (1) DESIGNATED.  Given over and exclusive to a Hebrew servant.  "If his master gave him a wife" (Ex. 21:14).  Similarly (Jud. 5:18), "a people that mocked at death" -- they were dedicated.  And likewise in the Targum. 
   
  (3) THERE SHALL BE AN INQUIRY [JPS: INDEMNITY]. As in (Lev. 13:36), "the priest need not look for [yellow hair]."  Dunash [ibn Labrat] and Menahem [ben Seruk] interpreted it this way.  The court shall investigate; if she was not released, they shall not sentence him to death as in [a case of actual] adultery.
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  REGARD ... AS FORBIDDEN [VA'ARALTEM].  An expression of being closed, stopped up, distanced.  "Their ears are blocked" (Jer. 6:10), "uncircumcised in spirit" (Ezek. 44:9),  "drink in your turn and stagger" (Hab. 2:16).
  
  Verse 24
  
  SET ASIDE [KODESH] FOR JUBILATION.  "Kodesh" like ma'aser sheni [the second tithe], to be eaten in Jerusalem and to praise the Creator, for we find with respect to ma'aser sheni that they should eat it "in the place that He shall choose ... so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God forever"  (Deut. 14:23).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  FOR A PERSON HE SHALL NOT LET HIMSELF BECOME IMPURE B'AMAV.  A man among the "people" [b'am] of priests shall not let himself become impure for a person.  As in (21:14), "a virgin of his own kin [me'amav] may he take to wife."  But if it had written l'amav, the meaning would be "he shall not let himself become impure for his kin," as it is written, "for a person [l'nefesh] he shall not let himself become impure" (21;1), "for his brother or his sister [l'ahiv ul'ahoto] he shall not let himself become impure for them [lahem]" (Num. 6:7), and it does not say "bahem."  It is also possible to explain it "for a soul [b'nefesh] that happens to be among his people [b'amav] he shall not let himself become impure."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  WHICH YOU SHALL PROCLAIM AS SACRED OCCASIONS.  Which you shall appoint as sacred times.  Every expression of "calling" [kri'ah] in connection with set times [mo'adim] is an expression of setting a time, as in (Lam. 1:15), "He has proclaimed a set time against me," and likewise the Targum [on our verse], "m'ar'ei kadish"  and like (Eccl. 2:15), "the fate of the fool."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  (1) EACH OF YOU SHALL RETURN TO HIS HOLDING.  to his inherited portion, as is explained below (v. 28), that the seller of a field returns for free in the Jubilee.   
  (2) AND EACH OF YOU SHALL RETURN TO HIS FAMILY.  A Hebrew slave goes frree in the Jubilee (see vv. 40-41).
  
  Verse 11
  
  N'ZIREIHA.  You must not harvest growth from  grapes that have fallen.  Similarly, s'fihim in the case of produce.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  THE BARS OF YOUR YOKE.  As it is written (Jer. 27:2), "Make for yourself thongs" -- that is the strap with which they connect the yoke of wood that is called MOTOT [bars] because it inclines [mateh] and bends the ox's neck.
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  SEVENFOLD FOR YOUR SINS.  In other words, many blows for your sins.  As in, "The righteous will fall seven times and arise" (Prov. 24:16); "the light of the sun will be sevenfold" (Isa. 30:26); "seven women will take hold" (Isa. 4:1).
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  
  
  Verse 24
  
  
  
  Verse 25
  
  VENGEANCE OF THE COVENANT [N'KAM B'RIT]. Which you broke, as it is written above (v.15), "your violation of My covenant."
  
  Verse 26
  
  
  
  THEY SHALL DOLE OUT BREAD BY WEIGHT.  Because they brought it to the oven by weight and it is returned by weight to the owners to feed them the weighed-out precise amounts -- "meager bread and scant water" (Isa. 30:20), as it is written (Ezek. 4:16), "O mortal, I am going to break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they shall eat bread by weight, in anxiety, and drink water by measure."  Likewise here is it written, "When I break your staff of bread" -- it will be baked and it will be eaten by weight.
  
  
  Verse 27
  
  
  
  Verse 28
  
  
  
  Verse 29
  
  
  
  Verse 30
  
  
  
  Verse 31
  
  
  
  Verse 32
  
  YOUR ENEMIES WILL BE APPALLED BY IT.  When they come to settle in it, as it is written (Jer. 19:8), "everyone who passes by it will be appalled and will hiss over all its wounds."
  
  Verse 33
  
  
  
  Verse 34
  
  
  
  Verse 35
  
  (1) THROUGHOUT THE TIME THAT IT IS DESOLATE, IT SHALL OBSERVE THE REST.  All 70 years of the Babylonian exile.  Our Rabbis explained, corresponding to the years that it should have rested but did not rest.  
  (2)  IT SHALL OBSERVE THE REST [TISHBOT].  [It is vocalized with] a m'lapom on an etnahta, but other than on an etnahta (v.34), "then shall the land rest" [tishbat] with a patah.  Likewise "vayamawt" and "vayanaws" (Gen. 11:28, Gen. 39:12), on an etnahta they are all [vocalized with] m'lapom, "vayamot" (Gen. 5:5) and (Ps. 114:3), "hayam ra'ah vayanos."
  
  Verse 36
  
  
  
  Verse 37
  
  
  
  Verse 38
  
  
  
  Verse 39
  
  SHALL BE HEARTSICK [YIMAKU].  From (Ps. 38:6) "namaku haburotai"  (my wounds ... fester), as from "nasa" [is derived] "yisa'u" (they shall travel).