Devarim Answers

Devarim 5725

Alef.

ישעיהו פרק א

(א) חֲזוֹן יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ אֲשֶׁר חָזָה עַל־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם בִּימֵי עֻזִּיָּהוּ יוֹתָם אָחָז יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה:

(ב) שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמַיִם וְהַאֲזִינִי אֶרֶץ כִּי יְקֹוָק דִּבֵּר בָּנִים גִּדַּלְתִּי וְרוֹמַמְתִּי וְהֵם פָּשְׁעוּ בִי:

(ג) יָדַע שׁוֹר קֹנֵהוּ וַחֲמוֹר אֵבוּס בְּעָלָיו יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יָדַע עַמִּי לֹא הִתְבּוֹנָן:

(ד) הוֹי גּוֹי חֹטֵא עַם כֶּבֶד עָוֹן זֶרַע מְרֵעִים בָּנִים מַשְׁחִיתִים עָזְבוּ אֶת־יְקֹוָק נִאֲצוּ אֶת־קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל נָזֹרוּ אָחוֹר:

(ה) עַל מֶה תֻכּוּ עוֹד תּוֹסִיפוּ סָרָה כָּל־רֹאשׁ לָחֳלִי וְכָל־לֵבָב דַּוָּי:

(ו) מִכַּף־רֶגֶל וְעַד־רֹאשׁ אֵין־בּוֹ מְתֹם פֶּצַע וְחַבּוּרָה וּמַכָּה טְרִיָּה לֹא־זֹרוּ וְלֹא חֻבָּשׁוּ וְלֹא רֻכְּכָה בַּשָּׁמֶן:

(ז) אַרְצְכֶם שְׁמָמָה עָרֵיכֶם שְׂרֻפוֹת אֵשׁ אַדְמַתְכֶם לְנֶגְדְּכֶם זָרִים אֹכְלִים אֹתָהּ וּשְׁמָמָה כְּמַהְפֵּכַת זָרִים:

(ח) וְנוֹתְרָה בַת־צִיּוֹן כְּסֻכָּה בְכָרֶם כִּמְלוּנָה בְמִקְשָׁה כְּעִיר נְצוּרָה:

(ט) לוּלֵי יְקֹוָק צְבָקוֹת הוֹתִיר לָנוּ שָׂרִיד כִּמְעָט כִּסְדֹם הָיִינוּ לַעֲמֹרָה דָּמִינוּ: ס

(י) שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־יְקֹוָק קְצִינֵי סְדֹם הַאֲזִינוּ תּוֹרַת אֱלֹקינוּ עַם עֲמֹרָה:

(יא) לָמָּה־לִּי רֹב־זִבְחֵיכֶם יֹאמַר יְקֹוָק שָׂבַעְתִּי עֹלוֹת אֵילִים וְחֵלֶב מְרִיאִים וְדַם פָּרִים וּכְבָשִׂים וְעַתּוּדִים לֹא חָפָצְתִּי:

(יב) כִּי תָבֹאוּ לֵרָאוֹת פָּנָי מִי־בִקֵּשׁ זֹאת מִיֶּדְכֶם רְמֹס חֲצֵרָי:

(יג) לֹא תוֹסִיפוּ הָבִיא מִנְחַת־שָׁוְא קְטֹרֶת תּוֹעֵבָה הִיא לִי חֹדֶשׁ וְשַׁבָּת קְרֹא מִקְרָא לֹא־אוּכַל אָוֶן וַעֲצָרָה:

(יד) חָדְשֵׁיכֶם וּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם שָׂנְאָה נַפְשִׁי הָיוּ עָלַי לָטֹרַח נִלְאֵיתִי נְשֹׂא:

(טו) וּבְפָרִשְׂכֶם כַּפֵּיכֶם אַעְלִים עֵינַי מִכֶּם גַּם כִּי־תַרְבּוּ תְפִלָּה אֵינֶנִּי שֹׁמֵעַ יְדֵיכֶם דָּמִים מָלֵאוּ:

(טז) רַחֲצוּ הִזַּכּוּ הָסִירוּ רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם מִנֶּגֶד עֵינָי חִדְלוּ הָרֵעַ:

(יז) לִמְדוּ הֵיטֵב דִּרְשׁוּ מִשְׁפָּט אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָה: ס

(יח) לְכוּ־נָא וְנִוָּכְחָה יֹאמַר יְקֹוָק אִם־יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ אִם־יַאְדִּימוּ כַתּוֹלָע כַּצֶּמֶר יִהְיוּ:

(יט) אִם־תֹּאבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם טוּב הָאָרֶץ תֹּאכֵלוּ:

(כ) וְאִם־תְּמָאֲנוּ וּמְרִיתֶם חֶרֶב תְּאֻכְּלוּ כִּי פִּי יְקֹוָק דִּבֵּר: ס

(כא) אֵיכָה הָיְתָה לְזוֹנָה קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט צֶדֶק יָלִין בָּהּ וְעַתָּה מְרַצְּחִים:

(כב) כַּסְפֵּךְ הָיָה לְסִיגִים סָבְאֵךְ מָהוּל בַּמָּיִם:

(כג) שָׂרַיִךְ סוֹרְרִים וְחַבְרֵי גַּנָּבִים כֻּלּוֹ אֹהֵב שֹׁחַד וְרֹדֵף שַׁלְמֹנִים יָתוֹם לֹא יִשְׁפֹּטוּ וְרִיב אַלְמָנָה לֹא־ יָבוֹא אֲלֵיהֶם: פ

(כד) לָכֵן נְאֻם הָאָדוֹן יְקֹוָק צְבָקוֹת אֲבִיר יִשְׂרָאֵל הוֹי אֶנָּחֵם מִצָּרַי וְאִנָּקְמָה מֵאוֹיְבָי:

(כה) וְאָשִׁיבָה יָדִי עָלַיִךְ וְאֶצְרֹף כַּבֹּר סִיגָיִךְ וְאָסִירָה כָּל־בְּדִילָיִךְ:

(כו) וְאָשִׁיבָה שֹׁפְטַיִךְ כְּבָרִאשֹׁנָה וְיֹעֲצַיִךְ כְּבַתְּחִלָּה אַחֲרֵי־כֵן יִקָּרֵא לָךְ עִיר הַצֶּדֶק קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה:

(כז) צִיּוֹן בְּמִשְׁפָּט תִּפָּדֶה וְשָׁבֶיהָ בִּצְדָקָה:

(כח) וְשֶׁבֶר פֹּשְׁעִים וְחַטָּאִים יַחְדָּו וְעֹזְבֵי יְקֹוָק יִכְלוּ:

(כט) כִּי יֵבֹשׁוּ מֵאֵילִים אֲשֶׁר חֲמַדְתֶּם וְתַחְפְּרוּ מֵהַגַּנּוֹת אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתֶּם:

(ל) כִּי תִהְיוּ כְּאֵלָה נֹבֶלֶת עָלֶהָ וּכְגַנָּה אֲשֶׁר־מַיִם אֵין לָהּ:

(לא) וְהָיָה הֶחָסֹן לִנְעֹרֶת וּפֹעֲלוֹ לְנִיצוֹץ וּבָעֲרוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו וְאֵין מְכַבֶּה: ס

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD hath spoken: Children I have reared, and brought up, and they have rebelled against Me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, My people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly; they have forsaken the LORD, they have contemned the Holy One of Israel, they are turned away backward. On what part will ye yet be stricken, seeing ye stray away more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint; From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and festering sores: they have not been pressed, neither bound up, neither mollified with oil. Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by floods. And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? saith the LORD; I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more vain oblations; it is an offering of abomination unto Me; new moon and sabbath, the holding of convocations--I cannot endure iniquity along with the solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed seasons My soul hateth; they are a burden unto Me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes, cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land; But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken. How is the faithful city become a harlot! She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards; they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I will ease Me of Mine adversaries, and avenge Me of Mine enemies; And I will turn My hand upon thee, and purge away thy dross as with lye, and will take away all thine alloy; And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning; afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and they that return of her with righteousness. But the destruction of the transgressors and the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed. For they shall be ashamed of the terebinths which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. For ye shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water. And the strong shall be as tow, and his work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them. 

1א.

ט לוּלֵי֙ ה' צְבָקוֹת הוֹתִ֥יר לָ֛נוּ שָׂרִ֖יד כִּמְעָ֑ט כִּסְדֹ֣ם הָיִ֔ינוּ לַעֲמֹרָ֖ה דָּמִֽינוּ ׃ ס

In Ibn Ezra’s first comment, he is perplexed that the collective would include the prophet, who should not be guilty of the iniquities that are being attributed to the jewish people. Consequently, the commentator states that the Navi is speaking on behalf of the Jewish people, but not with the intention to necessarily include himself in the description of their transgressions.

ב. The difference between the commentaries of RaShI and Ibn Ezra is, that whereas RaShI suggests that even the Navi would have been swept up in the destruction of the Jewish people despite his innocence (this harks back to the negotiation between Avraham and HaShem prior to the destruction of Sodom and Amora, as to whether innocents should suffer the same fate as those who were sinners), by stating that the Navi is merely speaking on behalf of the Jewish people, that leaves open the possibility that he will not necessarily suffer the same consequence as those who deserve punishment.

ג.

תהלים פרק צד

(יז) לוּלֵי יְקֹוָק עֶזְרָתָה לִּי כִּמְעַט שָׁכְנָה דוּמָה נַפְשִׁי:

יז לוּלֵ֣י ה' עֶזְרָ֣תָה לִּ֑י כִּמְעַ֓ט׀ שָֽׁכְנָ֖ה דוּמָ֣ה נַפְשִֽׁי ׃

Unless the LORD had Been my help, my soul had soon dwelt in silence.

תהלים פרק קה

(יב) בִּהְיוֹתָם מְתֵי מִסְפָּר כִּמְעַט וְגָרִים בָּהּ:

יב בִּֽהְיוֹתָם מְתֵ֣י מִסְפָּ֑ר כִּמְעַ֗ט וְגָרִ֥ים בָּֽהּ ׃

When they were but a few men in number. Yea, very few, and sojourners in it,

According to Tehillim 94:17, “Kimat” modifies the next word, “Shachna”, which parallels the approach of RaShI who in Yeshayahu 1:9, has “Kimat” modifying the word immediately following, “KiSodom”.

According to Tehillim 105:12, “Kimat” stands alone, without modifying what follows, paralleling the approach of Ibn Ezra who understands “Kimat” modifying that which precedes it, “Sarid”.

2. Targum Yonatan does not understand “HaYinu” and “Daminu” as describing the moral inadequacies of the inhabitants of Sodom and Amora, but rather their end states, i.e., that they would be consumed, after destruction comes to where they were residing.

Beit.

1.  Ibn Kaspi seems to side with Ibn Ezra who understands “Kimat” as modifying “Sarid”that comes before, saying that those who survived were very few in number.

2.  When verses 9 and 10 are compared, in verse 9 the Navi says that we were almost like the inhabitants of Sodom and Amora, whereas in verse 10, the Navi says that we were completely like the inhabitants of Sodom and Amora.

Ibn Kaspi states that in v. 9, since we are speaking about who survived, since no one survived from Sodom and Amora (except for Lot and his daughters, and that seemed more to do with Avraham than the merits that these individuals had in terms of themselves), then when we compare the Jewish people, from whom there most certainly is a “She’eirit HaPleita” (a remnant) then a total equation cannot be made between the two groups. On the other hand, in v. 10, where the moral state of the inhabitants of Sodom and Amora is being compared to that of the Jews in Yeshayahu’s time, a complete comparison is possible. It was only through God’s Compassion that the exact same fate did not occur to the Jews.

3.  Apparently there were some who would not read the two verses in this precise way, and therefore felt that they were inconsistent and irreconcileable.

4.  זה מענין שם הדמיון- when a comparison is made in v. 9, it is referring to the nature, morality and behavior of the people, rather than how they ended up.

מה שאחר הטבע- that which was their nature (as opposed to whether or not they survived).

ומה שאומר עוד במוחלט- in v. 10 there appears to be a direct equation rather than an approximate comparison.

Gimel.

1.  The issues in v. 27 include: a) What does Mishpat connote—who has to carry it out? b) How is Pidyon to be understood? Who is being redeemed and from what? c) To whom does Shaveha refer? d) What is the meaning of Tzedaka within this context?

2.  Shaveha: a) RaShI, Ibn Ezra, Delitch: people who repent (Teshuva); b) RaDaK: a return from exile; c) ShaDaL: inhabitants.

3+4.  From the perspective of parallelism in the verse, “VeShaveha” parallels “Tzion”. Consequently, it is referring to the current residents of Tzion (as opposed to those returning from exile) and those who are the recipients of Tzedaka (rather than those who perform Tzedaka and other acts of righteousness within the context of general Teshuva.

5.  The non-Jewish commentators seem to posit that the redemption will come about exclusively by means of God’s Actions, following the theological principle of Grace, as opposed to the Jewish commentators who see redemption being a function of human improvement and repentance.

6.  Ibn Kaspi sees the possibility of the verse either describing human or Divine action, but in the end he says that in light of 1:28, the verse that immediately follows, which deals with the punishments that deliberate evildoers will receive, by implication 1:27 must be describing those that do the right thing, i.e., who repent.

7. 

ישעיהו פרק ד

(ד) אִם רָחַץ ה' אֵת צֹאַת בְּנוֹת־צִיּוֹן וְאֶת־דְּמֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם יָדִיחַ מִקִּרְבָּהּ בְּרוּחַ מִשְׁפָּט וּבְרוּחַ בָּעֵר:

when the Lord shall have Washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of destruction.

ישעיהו פרק ה

(טז) וַיִּגְבַּהּ יְקֹוָק צְבָקוֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּט וְהָקל הַקָּדוֹשׁ נִקְדָּשׁ בִּצְדָקָה:

But the LORD of Hosts is exalted through justice, and God the Holy One is Sanctified through righteousness.

Although Delitch may rely on these two verses, a Jewish theologian who posits human responsibility as the key ingredient of redemption as opposed to Divine Intervention despite human failings, would interpret these two verses by placing emphasis upon a) 4:4 “BeRuach Mishpat”, i.e., the spirit of judgment—a judgment that will be rendered based upon human credits and debits, and b) 5:16 “Mishpat” and “Tzedaka”, concepts that will be rigorously applied based upon whether or not the humans being judged are deserving or not.

8.  V. 26, that immediately precedes 27, describes the reinstitution of Jewish courts of law in order to create an atmosphere of Mishpat. This reflects the assumption of judging people based upon their actions, rather than simply intervening and redeeming them regardless of whether or not they are deserving.

Daled.

1. 

ישעיהו פרק א

(כג) שָׂרַיִךְ סוֹרְרִים וְחַבְרֵי גַּנָּבִים כֻּלּוֹ אֹהֵב שֹׁחַד וְרֹדֵף שַׁלְמֹנִים יָתוֹם לֹא יִשְׁפֹּטוּ וְרִיב אַלְמָנָה לֹא־ יָבוֹא אֲלֵיהֶם: פ

Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards; they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

The first two cases in the Pesikta whereby the thing that is stolen turns up among the possessions of the judge is based upon the phrase: “VeChavrei Ganavim”, i.e., not only do they not judge properly, but they associated and benefit from thieves.

2.  By accepting a second bribe, and thereby cancelling the effect of the first, the judge in effect has stolen from the first litigant by giving him the impression that his bribe will be effective when in the end it will be rendered irrelevant.