Halakha: Is it permitted for a person of Israel to read the rebukes in several readings?1Is it permitted to divide the verses of rebuke in Leviticus chapter 26 and Deuteronomy chapter 28 between different individuals who are called to the Torah on Shabbat? This is what the Sages taught: One may not interrupt the curses; rather, one individual reads all of them. Our Rabbis taught us: Why may one not interrupt the curses? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Gamda said: Because it is written: “The admonition of the Lord do not despise, my son, and do not loathe [takotz] His rebuke” (Proverbs 3:11) – do not cause the rebukes to be cut into pieces [kotzin kotzin]. Instead, one individual should read them all. “See, I place before you today a blessing and a curse” (Deuteronomy 11:26). Another matter, why may one not interrupt the curses? Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I wrote regarding My glory: “I am with him in distress” (Psalms 91:15); it is inappropriate for My children to be cursed while I am blessed.’ How so? If they read the rebukes in several readings, there is not one of those called [to the Torah] who will not recite two blessings, [one] before [his reading] and [one] after. Instead, one individual should read all of them. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘It is not to their detriment that I gave them blessings and curses, but rather, to inform them which is the proper path that they should choose, so they will receive reward.’ From where is this derived? From what we read in this matter: “See, I place before you…”
That which the verse said: “Hear and listen, do not be haughty [tigbahu]…” (Jeremiah 13:15) – what is “hear and listen”? Rabbi Tanḥuma said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Hear the words of the Torah and do not speak haughtily.’ “For the Lord has spoken” (Jeremiah 13:15) – where did He speak? “Anyone haughty of heart is an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 16:5). Another matter, “hear” the words of the Torah and do not lift [tagbia] your ears to avoid hearing the Torah. “For the Lord has spoken” – where did He speak? “One who removes his ear from hearing Torah, even his prayer is an abomination” (Proverbs 28:9). Another matter, “hear” the words of the Torah, “listen” to the words of the Torah. What is “do not be haughty [tigbahu]”? Do not cause goodness to be ascend [tigbehu] so that it does not come into the world.2Do not sin and thereby prevent goodness from coming to the world. “For the Lord has spoken” – where did He speak? “If you are willing and heed, the goodness of the land you will eat. But if you refuse and are defiant, you will be devoured by the sword, as the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 1:19–20). What is, “if you are willing and heed…”? Rabbi Elazar said: The sword and the [Torah] scroll descended intertwined from Heaven. [God] said to them: ‘If you perform what is written in this scroll, you will be delivered from this sword. If you do not perform it, you will be killed with this sword.’ Another matter, “if you are willing and heed…” – Rabbi Levi said: To what is the matter comparable? To a slave whose master said to him: ‘Here is a gold chain, and if [you do] not [act in accordance with my will], here are iron shackles.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘If you perform My will, here is goodness and blessing. If not, here is the curse. There are two paths before you: “See, I place before you today a blessing and a curse.”’
Another matter, “see I” – Rabbi Elazar said: When the Holy One blessed be He said this matter at Sinai, from that time: “From the mouth of the Most High, evil and good do not emerge” (Lamentations 3:38). Rather, on its own, evil befalls those who perform evil, and good occurs to those who perform good. Alternatively, Rabbi Ḥagai said: [God said:] ‘Not only did I give you two paths; I went beyond the letter of the law, and said to you: “You shall choose life”’ (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Another matter, what is written prior to this passage?“For if you will observe [this entire commandment]” (Deuteronomy 11:22). What is “this entire commandment”? Rabbi Levi said: This is the recitation of Shema. The Rabbis say: This is Shabbat, which is equivalent to all the mitzvot in the Torah. Another matter, “for if you will observe [this entire commandment]” – bar Kappara said: The soul and the Torah were likened to a lamp. The soul, as it is written: “The soul of man is the lamp of the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27). And the Torah, as it is written: “For a mitzva is a lamp, the Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23). The Holy One blessed be He said to man: ‘My lamp is in your hand and your lamp is in My hand. My lamp is in your hand – this is the Torah. Your lamp is in My hand – this is the soul. If you observe My lamp, I protect your lamp. If you extinguish My lamp, I extinguish your lamp.’ From where is this derived? As it is written: “Only beware, and protect yourself greatly, [lest you forget the matters that your eyes saw]” (Deuteronomy 4:9). That is, “for if you will observe.”3The verse states “if you will observe [shamor tishmerun],” with a double usage of the Hebrew term for “observe.” The midrash reads the verse as though it says “if you will observe [tishmor], you will be guarded [tishamerun]” (Matnot Kehuna). Another matter, Rabbi Shimon said: To what is the matter comparable? To two people; one of them had a vineyard in the Galilee, and one….4A fuller version of this analogy appears in other midrashic texts. One man lived in Judah and had a vineyard in Galilee, and one lived in Galilee and had a vineyard in Judah. One day they met, and one said to the other: ‘Guard mine and I will guard yours. If you ruin mine, I will ruin yours’ (Yalkut Shimoni, Tehillim 671). So the Holy One blessed be He said to man: ‘My Torah is in your hand and your soul is in My hand – if you observe mine, I protect yours. If you ruin mine, I will ruin yours.’ That is, “for if you will observe.” Another matter, Rabbi Yehuda bar Sima said: If you observed two hundred and forty-eight…until “will be broken.”5The reference here is possibly to a statement in a different midrash (Tanḥuma, Buber ed., Kedoshim 6): “Be careful about reciting Shema, for it has two hundred and forty-eight words, corresponding to the limbs of a man…the Holy One Blessed be He said: ‘If you observe mine, reciting it properly, I will guard yours.’” Another matter, what is “for if you will observe”? The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you observe the words of the Torah, I will protect you from the demons.’ Rabbi Abba bar Ze’ira said: There is no beit rova6This is a small space, defined as the area required for sowing one-quarter of a kav of seed. According to Rav Avraham Ḥayyim Naeh, it amounts to 24 square meters. of space in the world in which there are not thousands of demons. Each one has a mask on its face so it will not look at a person and harm him. But when a person’s iniquities warrant it, it removes the mask from its face, and it looks at him and harms him. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “He redeemed me unharmed from the battle against me” (Psalms 55:19). When? [When He protects me, as in the verse:] “For there were many with me” (Psalms 55:19). Who are they? They are the angels that protect a person. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: An image goes before a person,7Human beings are created in the image of God (see Genesis 1:27). The meaning here is that man’s divine image is noticeable to the demons as the man approaches. and the heralds proclaim before him. What do they say? ‘Make room for the image of the Holy One blessed be He.’ See how many guards are protecting you. When [is this so]? When you observe the words of the Torah. I have placed two paths before you – blessing and curse; blessing, if you heed My words, curse, if you do not heed My words.
The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Heed Me, as there is no person who heeds Me and loses.’ The Rabbis say: You find there is one who heeds [his wife and loses, and one who heeds] his wife and gains. How so? Adam the first man heeded his wife and lost. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “And to Adam He said: Because you heeded the voice of your wife…[cursed is the ground on your account]” (Genesis 3:17). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who said to his servant: ‘Do not taste anything until I return from the bathhouse.’ His wife said to him: ‘Taste the cooked dish, so he will not need to seek to add salt or fish gravy.’ The king came and saw him licking his lips. The king said to him: ‘Did I not tell you do not eat, and yet you ate?’ He said to him: ‘My master, your maidservant gave it to me.’ The king said to him: ‘And you heeded my maidservant more than me?’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Adam: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it” (Genesis 2:17). What did Eve do? She fed him. Rabbi Avin said: She did not ask, but she wept and wailed to him with her voice, and he ate of it, as so it is written: “[Because you heeded] the voice of your wife.” “The words of your wife” is not written here, but rather, “the voice of your wife.” The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat of it?” (Genesis 3:11). He said to Him: ‘My Master, Your maidservant gave it to me.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “The man said: The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). He said to him: ‘And you heeded Eve more than Me?’ [Adam] was immediately expelled [from the Garden of Eden], as it is stated: “He banished the man; He stationed the cherubs east of the Garden of Eden, and the blade of the ever-turning sword, to guard the path of the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). That is, he heeded his wife and lost. There is one who heeded his wife and gained. This is Abraham. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Sarai said to Abram: Please, behold, the Lord has kept me from bearing; please, consort with my maidservant; perhaps I shall be built through her. Abram heeded the voice of Sarai” (Genesis 16:2). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: To what is the matter comparable? To one to whom a son was born. A certain astrologer saw him and said: ‘This lad is destined to be an arch-robber, his father must cast him away.’ His father heard and said: ‘Would I cast away my son?’ The father of that astrologer heard and said: ‘Everything that my son said to you, heed him.’ So, Sarah foresaw that Ishmael was taking to evil ways, and she would say to Abraham: “Banish this maidservant and her son” (Genesis 21:10) and it distressed him. The Holy One blessed be He appeared to [Abraham] and said to him: “Do not be distressed about the lad and about your maidservant; everything that Sarah says to you, heed her voice…” (Genesis 21:12). He heeded her voice and gained, as his descendants were considered [only those] descending from Isaac, as it is stated: “For it is through Isaac that descendants will be accounted to you” (Genesis 21:12). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If one who heeded his wife is so rewarded, one who heeds Me, all the more so.’ King Solomon came and articulated it: “But one who heeds me will reside securely and tranquilly, without fear of evil” (Proverbs 1:33).
“When the Lord your God will expand your border, as He spoke to you, and you will say: I will eat meat, because your heart will desire to eat meat; with all your heart’s desire, you may eat meat” (Deuteronomy 12:20). “When the Lord your God will expand…” Halakha: is it permitted for a person of Israel to cover the blood of slaughter on a festival?8Upon slaughtering birds or undomesticated animals, one is required to cover the blood with dirt (Leviticus 17:13). This is what the Sages taught: One who slaughters an undomesticated animal or a bird on a festival, Beit Shammai say: He digs with a shovel and covers the blood. Beit Hillel say: He may slaughter only if he had earth prepared.9Mishna Beitza 1:2. Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: One who does not have earth prepared should not slaughter. Why? Because the difference between Festivals and Shabbat is only preparing food alone.10Mishna Megilla 1:5. The only difference between the prohibition of labor on Shabbat and Festivals is the dispensation to perform certain actions on Festivals in the course of food preparation. Covering the blood is not directly connected to food preparation, and therefore digging dirt in order to cover the blood would be prohibited on a Festival. Therefore, if one slaughtered on a festival, one must have earth prepared to cover it with. Rav Bisena said in the name of Rav Aḥa: Come and see, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘What I prohibited for you in a domesticated animal, I permitted for you in an undomesticated animal…until [I permitted all of them] in fish.’11The reference is to a statement cited in full elsewhere: “I prohibited the fat of a domesticated animal for you, but I permitted it for you in an undomesticated animal. I prohibited the sciatic nerve for you in an undomesticated animal, but I permitted it for you in birds. I prohibited for you birds without slaughter, but I permitted fish for you” (see Vayikra Rabba 22:10; Ḥullin 109b). The Rabbis said: There are many matters that the Holy One blessed be He prohibited and then permitted them elsewhere. Know that the Holy One blessed be He prohibited slaughtering and eating [an animal] until one brings it to the Tent of Meeting [as an offering]. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “[If anyone…offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice], and to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting does not bring it, to present it to the Lord, that man shall be excised from his people” (Leviticus 17:8–9). What [else] is written there? “And he did not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, to present an offering to the Lord before the Tabernacle of the Lord, it will be accounted as blood for that man; he has shed blood, and that man shall be excised from among his people” (Leviticus 17:4). But He then permitted it to them here, as it is stated: “Only, with all of your heart’s desire, you may slaughter and eat meat in accordance with the blessing of the Lord your God that he gave you within all your gates, the impure…” (Deuteronomy 12:15). From where is it derived? From what we read here: “When the Lord your God will expand your border.”
Another matter, “When [the Lord your God] will expand [your border]” – that is what the verse said: “I rejoice and am happy in Your kindness, for You have seen my affliction. You have known my soul’s distress, and You did not deliver me into the hand of the enemy; You set my feet in open space” (Psalms 31:8–9). The Rabbis say: This verse is speaking of Joseph. Joseph said: ‘Master of the universe, “I rejoice and am happy in Your kindness” that You performed with me. Had You exacted revenge on my behalf from Potifera’s wife, and had not given me the kingship, I would have rejoiced and been happy. Now that I have the kingship, “I rejoice and am happy in Your kindness….”’ “For You have seen my affliction” – this is Joseph, in whose regard it is written: “[He had sent a man before them, Joseph, who had been sold as a slave.] They tortured his legs with chains; his body was placed in irons” (Psalms 105:17–18). “You did not deliver me into the hand of the enemy” – this is Potifera. “You set my feet in open space” –You made me ruler over the entire land of Egypt. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the provider of grain to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came, and prostrated themselves to him, faces to the ground. Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them, and spoke harshly to them; he said to them: From where did you come? They said: From the land of Canaan, to acquire food” (Genesis 42:6–7). Another matter, [the verse] “I rejoice and am happy in Your kindness” is speaking of Israel. Israel said: ‘Master of the universe, “I rejoice and am happy in Your kindness” that You performed with us. Had You exacted revenge against the Egyptians and not given us their wealth, we would have rejoiced. We have joy and happiness because You gave us their wealth.’ “For You have seen my affliction” – this is Israel, in whose regard it is written: “The Egyptians mistreated us, and afflicted us, and imposed upon us hard labor. We cried out to the Lord, God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and He saw our affliction…” (Deuteronomy 26:6–7). “You have known my soul’s distress” – this is Israel, in whose regard it is written: “They embittered their lives” (Exodus 1:14). “You did not deliver me into the hand of the enemy” – this is the wicked Pharaoh, as it is written: “The enemy said: I will pursue” (Exodus 15:9). “You set my feet in open space” – as you expanded my border, as it is stated: “When [the Lord your God] will expand [your border].”
“When the Lord your God will expand your border” – this is what the verse said: “A man’s giving expands for him, and will guide him before the great” (Proverbs 18:16). What is [the meaning of] “a man’s giving expands for him”? There was an incident involving Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua who went out to collect for the matter of a mitzva for our rabbis.12They sought to collect donations to support the rabbis. They went to the environs of Antioch and there was a certain man there who was called Abba Yudan, who was accustomed to giving generously to our rabbis. That Abba Yudan had become poor. He saw that Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua had come there to collect, and he concealed himself from them and entered his house. He spent a day there, and a second, and did not go down to the marketplace. His wife said to him: ‘Why did you not go down to the marketplace these two days?’ He said to her: ‘Our rabbis came to collect for the matter of a mitzva for those who toil in Torah. I do not have enough to give them and I am embarrassed to go down to the marketplace.’ His wife, who was very fond of mitzvot, said to him: ‘Do we not have one field remaining? Sell half of it and give [the money] to them.’ He went and he did so. He sold half of the field for five gold pieces and gave them to our rabbis. He said to them: ‘Pray on my behalf.’ They prayed on his behalf and said to him: ‘May the Omnipresent restore what you have lost.’ Our rabbis went on their way to collect elsewhere. That Abba Yudan plowed half the field and found a large hidden treasure. He became wealthier than he had been previously. When our rabbis were returning, they passed through that same place. They said to someone: ‘As you live, arrange a meeting for us with Abba Yudan.’ That man said to them: ‘Who can arrange a meeting – with the king and not with him.’13It is easier to meet the king than to meet with Abba Yudan. They said to him: ‘We seek only to ensure that he will not find out that we passed here and did not inquire after his wellbeing.’ Abba Yudan found out and came to them and gave them one thousand gold pieces. He said to them: ‘Your prayer bore fruit.’ They said to him: ‘We were aware of your good deeds and placed you at the head of the list.’ The Sages read in his regard: “A man’s giving expands for him, and will guide him before the great.” Another matter, there was an incident involving Rabbi Ḥiyya, who held a fundraising campaign in the great study hall in Tiberias and a certain person pledged a litra of gold.14This was a very significant sum of money. Rabbi Ḥiyya took him, seated him next to him, and read in his regard: “A man’s giving expands for him [and will guide him before the great].”15Rabbi Ḥiyya was indicating that, just as the end of the verse had been fulfilled, as he had been seated among prominent people, he should fulfill the beginning of the verse, by making good on his pledge and giving generously (Etz Yosef). Another matter, there was an incident involving Reish Lakish who went to Basra. There was a certain person there who was called Avin Ramaa. It is not that he was, God forbid, a swindler [ramai], but rather, he would employ cunning [merameh] regarding mitzvot. The entire congregation would pledge, and then he would pledge a sum corresponding to that of the entire congregation.16At first he would abstain from making any pledge, leading others to think he would not participate. Therefore they would pledge more money, so that the charity collection would meet its goals. Only afterward would he pledge as much as everyone else donated together. Alternatively, the people would know that he would match their donations and therefore they would pledge more, knowing that their donation would lead to even greater gain for the charity. Reish Lakish held a fundraising campaign there and he gave corresponding to the entire congregation. Reish Lakish took him, seated him next to him, and read in his regard: “A man’s giving expands for him, and will guide him before the great.” Rabbi Abahu said: Why do I need another place, derive it from its own place.17Why do I need to derive from a verse in Psalms that if someone gives charity generously he will be rewarded materially, when this can be derived from the Torah itself? What is written prior to it? “Beware lest you forsake the Levite” (Deuteronomy 12:19) and then, “when the Lord your God will expand your border, as He spoke to you.”18The juxtaposition of the verses indicates that if the Israelites take care of the Levites, who did not have ancestral property, God will expand their borders.
“And you will say: I will eat meat, because your heart will desire to eat meat; with all your heart’s desire, you may eat meat” – this is what the verse said: “Who performs justice for the oppressed, gives bread to the hungry; the Lord releases the imprisoned” (Psalms 146:7) – it is speaking of Israel. Rabbi Pinḥas bar Ḥama said: It teaches that there were more than seventy nations in Egypt, and of all of them, they enslaved only Israel. Who executed justice on their behalf? He “who performs justice for the oppressed.” “Gives bread to the hungry” – this is Israel. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “He afflicted you, and starved you, and fed you the manna that you did not know and your fathers did not know, in order to impart to you that man does not live by bread alone; rather, it is by everything that emanates from the mouth of the Lord that man lives. Your garment did not grow worn from upon you and your foot did not swell these forty years. And you shall know in your heart, that, as a man chastises his son, so the Lord your God chastises you” (Deuteronomy 8:3–5). “The Lord releases the imprisoned [matir asurim]” – these are Israel. How so? The Rabbis said: The Holy One blessed be He prohibited eight matters for them and permitted eight of them. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I prohibited fats for you…until cloaks with ritual fringes.’19The full version of this passage is found in Vayikra Rabba (22:10): “I prohibited for you menstrual blood; I permitted for you hymenal blood. I prohibited for you a married woman; I permitted for you a captive woman. The brother’s wife [is forbidden], I permitted for you a levirate wife. A woman and her sister, [which is forbidden] during their lifetimes, I permitted for you after death. Wearing diverse kinds [is forbidden], I permitted for you a linen garment with ritual fringes. The flesh of a pig, I permitted for you a fish called shibuta. Animal fat [ḥelev], I permitted for you animal fat [shuman].” That is, “the Lord releases the imprisoned [matir asurim].”20This is expounded in the sense of “permits [matir] prohibitions [isurim].” So, too, elsewhere He prohibited meat of desire [taava]21He prohibited slaughtering and eating an animal without bringing it as an offering. and here, he permitted it for them. From where is it derived? “Only, with all of your heart’s desire [avat], you may slaughter and eat meat” (Deuteronomy 12:15).
Another matter, what is written prior to this passage? “Beware lest you forsake the Levite” (Deuteronomy 12:19), and then, “when the Lord your God will expand your border.” Rabbi Levi said: To what is the matter comparable? To one who says to another: ‘Lend me one gold piece.’ He said to him: ‘I am not familiar with your credit [history].’ He said to him: ‘Test me.’ He gave it to him, and he repaid him immediately [when the loan was due]. He said to him: ‘Even if you need twenty to thirty gold pieces, take them.’ He said: ‘What caused you to [be able to] take everything that you wish? It is because you proved to me that your credit is good.’ So too, when a person is tested and separates his tithes appropriately, his border is expanded. That is, according to your gift, your own [property] is expanded.
Another matter, “when the Lord your God will expand [your border]” – is it possible that the Holy One blessed be He will expand the Land of Israel? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This scroll, no one knows how long it is or how wide it is. When it is unfurled, it becomes clear what its [true size] is. So, the Land of Israel, the great majority of it is mountains and hills. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Rather, the land into which you are crossing to take possession of it is a land of mountains and valleys, from the rain of the heavens it drinks water. A land that the Lord your God seeks; always the eyes of the Lord your God are upon it, from the beginning of the year until year’s end” (Deuteronomy 11:11–12). When the Holy One blessed be He will flatten it – from where is it derived [that He will do so]? As it is stated: “Every valley will be raised and every mountain and hill will be lowered; the crooked will become straight and the ridges a valley” (Isaiah 40:4) – at that time it will become clear what its [true size] is. Another matter, “when [the Lord your God] will expand [your border]” – the Rabbis say: It is speaking of Jerusalem. If only I could see the tranquility of Jerusalem when the Holy One blessed be He will expand it! Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: To what is the matter comparable? It is to a province….22The midrash appears to be referencing a known midrashic exposition, but there is no extant midrash that would seem to fit into the midrash here. “The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old and as in former years” (Malachi 3:4).23The midrash cites a number of verses that describe a future period of blessing, in order to conclude this section on a positive note. “Behold, I am sending Elijah the prophet to you before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. He will return the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with utter destruction” (Malachi 3:23–24). “Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear a way before Me, and suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to His Sanctuary; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he is coming, said the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1).“Therefore, so said the Lord: I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion. My House will be built in it, the utterance of the Lord of hosts, and a line will be extended over Jerusalem. Again proclaim, saying: So said the Lord of hosts: My cities will again expand with prosperity, and the Lord will comfort Zion again, and will choose Jerusalem again” (Zechariah 1:16–17). “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; cheer, daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your king will come to you; he is righteous and saved; he is humble, and riding upon a donkey, on the foal of a female donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).
הֲלָכָה אָדָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל מַהוּ שֶׁיְהֵא מֻתָּר לוֹ לִקְרוֹת הַתּוֹכָחוֹת בִּקְרִיּוֹת הַרְבֵּה, כָּךְ שָׁנוּ חֲכָמִים אֵין מַפְסִיקִין בַּקְּלָלוֹת אֶלָּא אֶחָד קוֹרֵא אֶת כֻּלָּם. לִמְדוּנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ לָמָּה אֵין מַפְסִיקִין בַּקְּלָלוֹת, אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר גַּמְדָא לְפִי שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי ג, יא): מוּסַר ה' בְּנִי אַל תִּמְאָס וְאַל תָּקֹץ בְּתוֹכַחְתּוֹ. אַל תַּעַשׂ אֶת הַתּוֹכָחוֹת קוֹצִין קוֹצִין, אֶלָּא אֶחָד קוֹרֵא אֶת כֻּלָּן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לָמָּה אֵין מַפְסִיקִין בַּקְּלָלוֹת אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֲנִי כָּתַבְתִּי עַל כְּבוֹדִי (תהלים צא, טו): עִמּוֹ אָנֹכִי בְצָרָה, אֵין שׁוּרַת הַדִּין שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בָּנַי מִתְקַלְּלִין וַאֲנִי מִתְבָּרֵךְ, כֵּיצַד, אִם יִקְרְאוּ אֶת הַתּוֹכָחוֹת קְרִיּוֹת הַרְבֵּה, אֵין קָרוּי וְקָרוּי שֶׁאֵין מְבָרֵךְ ב' פְּעָמִים לְפָנֶיהָ וּלְאַחֲרֶיהָ, אֶלָּא אֶחָד קוֹרֵא אֶת כֻּלָּן. רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא לְרָעָתָם נָתַתִּי לָהֶם בְּרָכוֹת וּקְלָלוֹת, אֶלָּא לְהוֹדִיעָן אֵיזוֹ דֶּרֶךְ טוֹבָה שֶׁיִּבְחֲרוּ אוֹתָהּ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּטְלוּ שָׂכָר, מִנַּיִן, מִמַּה שֶּׁקָּרִינוּ בָּעִנְיָן (דברים יא, כו): רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם וגו'.
Halakha: Is it permitted for a person of Israel to read the rebukes in several readings?1Is it permitted to divide the verses of rebuke in Leviticus chapter 26 and Deuteronomy chapter 28 between different individuals who are called to the Torah on Shabbat? This is what the Sages taught: One may not interrupt the curses; rather, one individual reads all of them. Our Rabbis taught us: Why may one not interrupt the curses? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Gamda said: Because it is written: “The admonition of the Lord do not despise, my son, and do not loathe [takotz] His rebuke” (Proverbs 3:11) – do not cause the rebukes to be cut into pieces [kotzin kotzin]. Instead, one individual should read them all.
“See, I place before you today a blessing and a curse” (Deuteronomy 11:26).
Another matter, why may one not interrupt the curses? Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I wrote regarding My glory: “I am with him in distress” (Psalms 91:15); it is inappropriate for My children to be cursed while I am blessed.’ How so? If they read the rebukes in several readings, there is not one of those called [to the Torah] who will not recite two blessings, [one] before [his reading] and [one] after. Instead, one individual should read all of them. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘It is not to their detriment that I gave them blessings and curses, but rather, to inform them which is the proper path that they should choose, so they will receive reward.’ From where is this derived? From what we read in this matter: “See, I place before you…”
זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (ירמיה יג, טו): שִׁמְעוּ וְהַאֲזִינוּ אַל תִּגְבָּהוּ וגו', מַהוּ שִׁמְעוּ וְהַאֲזִינוּ וגו', אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שִׁמְעוּ לְדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה וְאַל תְּדַבְּרוּ גְבוֹהוֹת, (ירמיה יג, טו): כִּי ה' דִּבֵּר, וְהֵיכָן דִּבֵּר (משלי טז, ה): תּוֹעֲבַת ה' כָּל גְּבַהּ לֵב. דָּבָר אַחֵר, שִׁמְעוּ לְדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה וְאַל תַּגְבִּיהַּ אֶת אָזְנֶיךָ מִשְׁמֹעַ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, כִּי ה' דִּבֵּר, וְהֵיכָן דִּבֵּר (משלי כח, ט): מֵסִיר אָזְנוֹ מִשְׁמֹעַ תּוֹרָה גַּם תְּפִלָּתוֹ תּוֹעֵבָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, שִׁמְעוּ לְדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה וְהַאֲזִינוּ לְדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה. מַהוּ וְאַל תִּגְבָּהוּ, אַל תִּגְבְּהוּ אֶת הַטּוֹבָה מִלָּבוֹא בָּעוֹלָם, כִּי ה' דִּבֵּר, וְהֵיכָן דִּבֵּר (ישעיה א, יט כ): אִם תֹּאבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם טוּב הָאָרֶץ תֹּאכֵלוּ, וְאִם תְּמָאֲנוּ וּמְרִיתֶם חֶרֶב תְּאֻכְּלוּ כִּי פִּי ה' דִּבֵּר. מַהוּ אִם תֹּאבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם וגו', אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, הַסַּיִּף וְהַסֵּפֶר, יָרְדוּ כְּרוּכִים מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, אָמַר לָהֶן אִם תַּעֲשׂוּ מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה אַתֶּם נִצּוֹלִים מִן הַסַּיִּף הַזֶּה, וְאִם לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ, אַתֶּם נֶהֱרָגִים בַּסַּיִּף הַזֶּה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אִם תֹּאבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם וגו', אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְעֶבֶד שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ רַבּוֹ הֲרֵי מוּנְיָיק שֶׁל זָהָב, וְאִם לָאו הֲרֵי כְּבָלִים שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל. כָּךְ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִם עֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת רְצוֹנִי הֲרֵי הַטּוֹב וְהַבְּרָכָה, וְאִם לָאו, הֲרֵי הַקְּלָלָה, הֲרֵי שְׁתֵּי דְרָכִים לִפְנֵיכֶם, רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה.
That which the verse said: “Hear and listen, do not be haughty [tigbahu]…” (Jeremiah 13:15) – what is “hear and listen”? Rabbi Tanḥuma said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Hear the words of the Torah and do not speak haughtily.’ “For the Lord has spoken” (Jeremiah 13:15) – where did He speak? “Anyone haughty of heart is an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 16:5). Another matter, “hear” the words of the Torah and do not lift [tagbia] your ears to avoid hearing the Torah. “For the Lord has spoken” – where did He speak? “One who removes his ear from hearing Torah, even his prayer is an abomination” (Proverbs 28:9).
Another matter, “hear” the words of the Torah, “listen” to the words of the Torah. What is “do not be haughty [tigbahu]”? Do not cause goodness to be ascend [tigbehu] so that it does not come into the world.2Do not sin and thereby prevent goodness from coming to the world. “For the Lord has spoken” – where did He speak? “If you are willing and heed, the goodness of the land you will eat. But if you refuse and are defiant, you will be devoured by the sword, as the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 1:19–20). What is, “if you are willing and heed…”? Rabbi Elazar said: The sword and the [Torah] scroll descended intertwined from Heaven. [God] said to them: ‘If you perform what is written in this scroll, you will be delivered from this sword. If you do not perform it, you will be killed with this sword.’ Another matter, “if you are willing and heed…” – Rabbi Levi said: To what is the matter comparable? To a slave whose master said to him: ‘Here is a gold chain, and if [you do] not [act in accordance with my will], here are iron shackles.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘If you perform My will, here is goodness and blessing. If not, here is the curse. There are two paths before you: “See, I place before you today a blessing and a curse.”’
דָּבָר אַחֵר, רְאֵה אָנֹכִי אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מִשֶּׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה בְּסִינַי, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה (איכה ג, לח): מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן לֹא תֵצֵא הָרָעוֹת וְהַטּוֹב, אֶלָּא מֵאֵלֶיהָ הָרָעָה בָּאָה עַל עוֹשֵׂי הָרָעָה, וְהַטּוֹבָה בָּאָה עַל עוֹשֵׂי הַטּוֹבָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָמַר רַבִּי חַגַּי וְלֹא עוֹד שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לָכֶם שְׁתֵּי דְרָכִים, אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּכְנַסְתִּי לִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת הַדִּין וְאָמַרְתִּי לָכֶם (דברים ל, יט): וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים.
Another matter, “see I” – Rabbi Elazar said: When the Holy One blessed be He said this matter at Sinai, from that time: “From the mouth of the Most High, evil and good do not emerge” (Lamentations 3:38). Rather, on its own, evil befalls those who perform evil, and good occurs to those who perform good. Alternatively, Rabbi Ḥagai said: [God said:] ‘Not only did I give you two paths; I went beyond the letter of the law, and said to you: “You shall choose life”’ (Deuteronomy 30:19).
דָּבָר אַחֵר, מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה מִן הָעִנְיָן (דברים יא, כב): כִּי אִם שָׁמֹר תִּשְׁמְרוּן וגו', מַהוּ אֶת כָּל הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת, אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי זוֹ קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע, רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי זוֹ הַשַּׁבָּת שֶׁהִיא שְׁקוּלָה כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי אִם שָׁמֹר תִּשְׁמְרוּן, אָמַר בַּר קַפָּרָא, הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהַתּוֹרָה נִמְשְׁלוּ בְּנֵר, הַנֶּפֶשׁ, דִּכְתִיב (משלי כ, כז): נֵר ה' נִשְׁמַת אָדָם, וְהַתּוֹרָה, דִּכְתִיב (משלי ו, כג): כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לָאָדָם הַזֶּה, נֵרִי בְיָדְךָ וְנֵרְךָ בְיָדִי, נֵרִי בְיָדְךָ זוֹ הַתּוֹרָה, וְנֵרְךָ בְיָדִי זוֹ הַנֶּפֶשׁ, אִם שָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת נֵרִי אֲנִי מְשַׁמֵּר אֶת נֵרְךָ, וְאִם כִּבִּיתָ אֶת נֵרִי, אֲנִי מְכַבֶּה אֶת נֵרְךָ, מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (דברים ד, ט): רַק הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ וּשְׁמֹר נַפְשְׁךָ מְאֹד, הֱוֵי כִּי אִם שָׁמֹר תִּשְׁמְרוּן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה לִשְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם אֶחָד הָיָה לוֹ כֶּרֶם בַּגָּלִיל וְאֶחָד וכו', כָּךְ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאָדָם תּוֹרָתִי בְּיָדְךָ וְנַפְשְׁךָ בְּיָדִי, אִם שָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת שֶׁלִּי אֲנִי מְשַׁמֵּר אֶת שֶׁלְּךָ, אִם אִבַּדְתָּ אֶת שֶׁלִּי, אֲנִי מְאַבֵּד אֶת שֶׁלְּךָ, הֱוֵי כִּי אִם שָׁמֹר תִּשְׁמְרוּן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר סִימָא, אִם שָׁמַרְתָּ מָאתַיִם וְאַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה וכו' עַד נִשְׁבָּרָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מַהוּ כִּי אִם שָׁמֹר תִּשְׁמְרוּן, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אִם שְׁמַרְתֶּם דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, אֲנִי מְשַׁמֵּר אֶתְכֶם מִן הַמַּזִּיקִין. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר זְעִירָא, אֵין בֵּית רֹבַע בַּחֲלָלוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ כַּמָּה אֲלָפִים מַזִּיקִין, וְכָל אֶחָד פּוֹרְמָא נְתוּנָה בְּפָנָיו שֶׁלֹא יַבִּיט בְּאָדָם וְיַזִּיק, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁעֲווֹנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם גּוֹרְמִין, מַעֲבִיר פּוֹרְמָא מִפָּנָיו וְהוּא מִסְתַּכֵּל בּוֹ וּמַזִּיקוֹ, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים נה, יט): פָּדָה בְשָׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי מִקְּרָב לִי וגו', אֵימָתַי, כִּי בְרַבִּים הָיוּ עִמָּדִי, וּמִי הֵם, אֵלּוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים שֶׁהֵם מְשַׁמְּרִין אֶת הָאָדָם. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, אִיקוֹנְיָא מְהַלֶּכֶת לִפְנֵי הָאָדָם וְהַכָּרוֹזוֹת כּוֹרְזִין לְפָנָיו, וּמָה הֵן אוֹמְרִים, תְּנוּ מָקוֹם לָאִיקוּנִין שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רְאֵה כַּמָּה שׁוֹמְרִין מְשַׁמְּרִין אוֹתְךָ, אֵימָתַי בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאַתְּ מְשַׁמֵּר דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה. הֲרֵי נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ שְׁתֵּי דְרָכִים, בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה, בְּרָכָה אִם תִּשְׁמְעוּ לִדְבָרַי, קְלָלָה אִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ לִדְבָרַי.
Another matter, what is written prior to this passage? “For if you will observe [this entire commandment]” (Deuteronomy 11:22). What is “this entire commandment”? Rabbi Levi said: This is the recitation of Shema. The Rabbis say: This is Shabbat, which is equivalent to all the mitzvot in the Torah.
Another matter, “for if you will observe [this entire commandment]” – bar Kappara said: The soul and the Torah were likened to a lamp. The soul, as it is written: “The soul of man is the lamp of the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27). And the Torah, as it is written: “For a mitzva is a lamp, the Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23). The Holy One blessed be He said to man: ‘My lamp is in your hand and your lamp is in My hand. My lamp is in your hand – this is the Torah. Your lamp is in My hand – this is the soul. If you observe My lamp, I protect your lamp. If you extinguish My lamp, I extinguish your lamp.’ From where is this derived? As it is written: “Only beware, and protect yourself greatly, [lest you forget the matters that your eyes saw]” (Deuteronomy 4:9). That is, “for if you will observe.”3The verse states “if you will observe [shamor tishmerun],” with a double usage of the Hebrew term for “observe.” The midrash reads the verse as though it says “if you will observe [tishmor], you will be guarded [tishamerun]” (Matnot Kehuna).
Another matter, Rabbi Shimon said: To what is the matter comparable? To two people; one of them had a vineyard in the Galilee, and one….4A fuller version of this analogy appears in other midrashic texts. One man lived in Judah and had a vineyard in Galilee, and one lived in Galilee and had a vineyard in Judah. One day they met, and one said to the other: ‘Guard mine and I will guard yours. If you ruin mine, I will ruin yours’ (Yalkut Shimoni, Tehillim 671). So the Holy One blessed be He said to man: ‘My Torah is in your hand and your soul is in My hand – if you observe mine, I protect yours. If you ruin mine, I will ruin yours.’ That is, “for if you will observe.”
Another matter, Rabbi Yehuda bar Sima said: If you observed two hundred and forty-eight…until “will be broken.”5The reference here is possibly to a statement in a different midrash (Tanḥuma, Buber ed., Kedoshim 6): “Be careful about reciting Shema, for it has two hundred and forty-eight words, corresponding to the limbs of a man…the Holy One Blessed be He said: ‘If you observe mine, reciting it properly, I will guard yours.’”
Another matter, what is “for if you will observe”? The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you observe the words of the Torah, I will protect you from the demons.’ Rabbi Abba bar Ze’ira said: There is no beit rova6This is a small space, defined as the area required for sowing one-quarter of a kav of seed. According to Rav Avraham Ḥayyim Naeh, it amounts to 24 square meters. of space in the world in which there are not thousands of demons. Each one has a mask on its face so it will not look at a person and harm him. But when a person’s iniquities warrant it, it removes the mask from its face, and it looks at him and harms him. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “He redeemed me unharmed from the battle against me” (Psalms 55:19). When? [When He protects me, as in the verse:] “For there were many with me” (Psalms 55:19). Who are they? They are the angels that protect a person. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: An image goes before a person,7Human beings are created in the image of God (see Genesis 1:27). The meaning here is that man’s divine image is noticeable to the demons as the man approaches. and the heralds proclaim before him. What do they say? ‘Make room for the image of the Holy One blessed be He.’ See how many guards are protecting you. When [is this so]? When you observe the words of the Torah. I have placed two paths before you – blessing and curse; blessing, if you heed My words, curse, if you do not heed My words.
אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שִׁמְעוּ לִי, שֶׁאֵין אָדָם שׁוֹמֵעַ לִי וּמַפְסִיד. רַבָּנִין אָמְרִין אַתְּ מוֹצֵא יֵשׁ שׁוֹמֵעַ [לאשתו ומפסיד, ויש שומע] לְאִשְׁתּוֹ וּמִשְׂתַּכֵּר, כֵּיצַד אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן שָׁמַע לְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְהִפְסִיד, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ג, יז): וּלְאָדָם אָמַר כִּי שָׁמַעְתָּ לְקוֹל אִשְׁתֶּךָ, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁאָמַר לְעַבְדּוֹ אַל תִּטְעַם דָּבָר עַד שֶׁאָבוֹא מִן הַמֶּרְחָץ, אָמְרָה לוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ טְעַם אֶת הַתַּבְשִׁיל הַזֶּה שֶׁלֹא יְהֵא מְבַקֵּשׁ לִתֵּן לְתוֹכוֹ אוֹ מֶלַח אוֹ מוּרְיָס, בָּא הַמֶּלֶךְ וּמְצָאוֹ מְטַעֵם בְּשִׂפְתוֹתָיו, אָמַר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא אָמַרְתִּי לְךָ אַל תֹּאכַל וְאָכָלְתָּ. אָמַר לוֹ, מָרִי, שִׁפְחָתְךָ נָתְנָה לִי. אָמַר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ וּלְשִׁפְחָתִי שָׁמַעְתָּ יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנִּי. כָּךְ אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאָדָם (בראשית ב, יז): וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ, מֶה עָשְׂתָה חַוָּה, הֶאֱכִילָה אוֹתוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין לֹא בִקְשָׁה אֶלָּא לִבְכּוֹת וּלְיַלֵּל עָלָיו בְּקוֹלָהּ, וְאָכַל מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁכָּךְ כְּתִיב לְקוֹל אִשְׁתֶּךָ, לְדִבְרֵי אִשְׁתְּךָ אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא לְקוֹל אִשְׁתֶּךָ, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא (בראשית ג, יא): הֲמִן הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ לְבִלְתִּי אֲכָל מִמֶּנּוּ אָכָלְתָּ. אָמַר לוֹ מָרִי, הֲרֵי שִׁפְחָתְךָ נָתְנָה לִי, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ג, יב): וַיֹּאמֶר הָאָדָם הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה עִמָּדִי הִוא נָתְנָה לִי מִן הָעֵץ וָאֹכֵל. אָמַר לוֹ וּלְחַוָּה שָׁמַעְתָּ יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנִּי, מִיָּד נִטְרַד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ג, כד): וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֶת הָאָדָם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן מִקֶּדֶם לְגַן עֵדֶן אֶת הַכְּרֻבִים וְאֵת לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת לִשְׁמֹר אֶת דֶּרֶךְ עֵץ הַחַיִּים, הֲרֵי שֶׁשָּׁמַע לְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְהִפְסִיד. וְיֵשׁ שֶׁשָּׁמַע לְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְנִשְׂתַּכֵּר, זֶה אַבְרָהָם, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית טז, ב): וַתֹּאמֶר שָׂרַי אֶל אַבְרָם הִנֵּה נָא עֲצָרַנִי ה' מִלֶּדֶת בֹּא נָא אֶל שִׁפְחָתִי אוּלַי אִבָּנֶה מִמֶּנָּהּ וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָם לְקוֹל שָׂרָי. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְמִי שֶׁנּוֹלַד לוֹ בֵּן, רָאָה אוֹתוֹ אַסְטְרוֹלוֹגוֹס אֶחָד, אָמַר, זֶה הַנַּעַר עָתִיד לִהְיוֹת אַרְכִי לִסְטִים, צָרִיךְ הוּא לְאָבִיו לְהַשְּׁלִיכוֹ, שָׁמַע אָבִיו אָמַר לִבְנִי אֲנִי מַשְּׁלִיךְ, שָׁמַע אָבִיו שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ אַסְטְרוֹלוֹגוֹס אָמַר כָּל מַה שֶּׁאָמַר לָכֶם בְּנִי שִׁמְעוּ לוֹ. כָּךְ רָאֲתָה שָׂרָה לְיִשְׁמָעֵאל יוֹצֵא לְתַרְבּוּת רָעָה וְהָיְתָה אוֹמֶרֶת לוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם (בראשית כא, י): גָּרֵשׁ הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת וְאֶת בְּנָהּ, וְהֵרַע לוֹ, נִגְלָה עָלָיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָמַר לוֹ (בראשית כא, יב): אַל יֵרַע בְּעֵינֶיךָ עַל הַנַּעַר וְעַל אֲמָתֶךָ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה שְׁמַע בְּקֹלָהּ וגו', שָׁמַע בְּקוֹלָהּ וְנִשְׂתַּכֵּר, שֶׁנִּקְרָא זַרְעוֹ לִשְׁמוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית כא, יב): כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּמַה אִם מִי שֶׁשָּׁמַע לְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּךְ עָשָׂה שָׂכָר, מִי שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵעַ לִי עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. וּשְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ בָּא וּמְפָרֵשׁ (משלי א, לג): וְשֹׁמֵעַ לִי יִשְׁכָּן בֶּטַח וְשַׁאֲנַן מִפַּחַד רָעָה.
The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Heed Me, as there is no person who heeds Me and loses.’ The Rabbis say: You find there is one who heeds [his wife and loses, and one who heeds] his wife and gains. How so? Adam the first man heeded his wife and lost. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “And to Adam He said: Because you heeded the voice of your wife…[cursed is the ground on your account]” (Genesis 3:17). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who said to his servant: ‘Do not taste anything until I return from the bathhouse.’ His wife said to him: ‘Taste the cooked dish, so he will not need to seek to add salt or fish gravy.’ The king came and saw him licking his lips. The king said to him: ‘Did I not tell you do not eat, and yet you ate?’ He said to him: ‘My master, your maidservant gave it to me.’ The king said to him: ‘And you heeded my maidservant more than me?’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Adam: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it” (Genesis 2:17). What did Eve do? She fed him. Rabbi Avin said: She did not ask, but she wept and wailed to him with her voice, and he ate of it, as so it is written: “[Because you heeded] the voice of your wife.” “The words of your wife” is not written here, but rather, “the voice of your wife.” The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat of it?” (Genesis 3:11). He said to Him: ‘My Master, Your maidservant gave it to me.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “The man said: The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). He said to him: ‘And you heeded Eve more than Me?’ [Adam] was immediately expelled [from the Garden of Eden], as it is stated: “He banished the man; He stationed the cherubs east of the Garden of Eden, and the blade of the ever-turning sword, to guard the path of the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). That is, he heeded his wife and lost.
There is one who heeded his wife and gained. This is Abraham. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Sarai said to Abram: Please, behold, the Lord has kept me from bearing; please, consort with my maidservant; perhaps I shall be built through her. Abram heeded the voice of Sarai” (Genesis 16:2). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: To what is the matter comparable? To one to whom a son was born. A certain astrologer saw him and said: ‘This lad is destined to be an arch-robber, his father must cast him away.’ His father heard and said: ‘Would I cast away my son?’ The father of that astrologer heard and said: ‘Everything that my son said to you, heed him.’ So, Sarah foresaw that Ishmael was taking to evil ways, and she would say to Abraham: “Banish this maidservant and her son” (Genesis 21:10) and it distressed him. The Holy One blessed be He appeared to [Abraham] and said to him: “Do not be distressed about the lad and about your maidservant; everything that Sarah says to you, heed her voice…” (Genesis 21:12). He heeded her voice and gained, as his descendants were considered [only those] descending from Isaac, as it is stated: “For it is through Isaac that descendants will be accounted to you” (Genesis 21:12). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If one who heeded his wife is so rewarded, one who heeds Me, all the more so.’ King Solomon came and articulated it: “But one who heeds me will reside securely and tranquilly, without fear of evil” (Proverbs 1:33).
כִּי יַרְחִיב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וגו' (דברים יב, כ), הֲלָכָה אָדָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל מַהוּ שֶׁיְהֵא מֻתָּר לוֹ לְכַסּוֹת דַּם שְׁחִיטָה בְּיוֹם טוֹב, כָּךְ שָׁנוּ חֲכָמִים הַשּׁוֹחֵט חַיָּה וְעוֹף בְּיוֹם טוֹב, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים יַחְפֹּר בַּדֶּקֶר וִיכַסֶּה. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים לֹא יִשְׁחֹט אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיָה לוֹ עָפָר מוּכָן. אָמַר רַבִּי חַגַּי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַחָא מִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ עָפָר מוּכָן אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לִשְׁחֹט, לָמָּה, שֶׁאֵין בֵּין יוֹם טוֹב לְשַׁבָּת אֶלָּא אוֹכֶל נֶפֶשׁ בִּלְבָד, לְפִיכָךְ אִם שָׁחַט בְּיוֹם טוֹב צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְהֵא לוֹ עָפָר מוּכָן לְכַסּוֹת בּוֹ. אָמַר רַב בִּיסְנָא בְּשֵׁם רַב אַחָא בּוֹא וּרְאֵה אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַה שֶּׁאָסַרְתִּי לְךָ בִּבְהֵמָה הִתַּרְתִּי לְךָ בְּחַיָּה וכו', עַד כֻּלָּם בְּדָגִים. רַבָּנִין אָמְרִין הַרְבֵּה דְבָרִים אָסַר אוֹתָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְחָזַר וְהִתִּירָן בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, תֵּדַע לָךְ אָסַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לִשְׁחֹט וְלֶאֱכֹל עַד שֶׁיְבִיאֶנוּ פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יז, ט): וְאֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֹא יְבִיאֶנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתוֹ לַה' וְנִכְרַת הָאִישׁ הַהוּא מֵעַמָּיו, מַה כְּתִיב שָׁם (ויקרא יז, ד): וְאֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֹא הֱבִיאוֹ לְהַקְרִיב קָרְבָּן לה' לִפְנֵי מִשְׁכַּן ה' דָּם יֵחָשֵׁב לָאִישׁ הַהוּא דָּם שָׁפָךְ וְנִכְרַת הָאִישׁ הַהוּא מִקֶּרֶב עַמּוֹ. וְכָאן חָזַר וְהִתִּירוֹ לָהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יב, טו): רַק בְּכָל אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ תִּזְבַּח וְאָכַלְתָּ בָשָׂר כְּבִרְכַּת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לְךָ בְּכָל שְׁעָרֶיךָ הַטָּמֵא וגו', מִנַּיִן, מִמַּה שֶּׁקָּרִינוּ בָּעִנְיָן: כִּי יַרְחִיב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת גְּבֻלְךָ.
“When the Lord your God will expand your border, as He spoke to you, and you will say: I will eat meat, because your heart will desire to eat meat; with all your heart’s desire, you may eat meat” (Deuteronomy 12:20).
“When the Lord your God will expand…” Halakha: is it permitted for a person of Israel to cover the blood of slaughter on a festival?8Upon slaughtering birds or undomesticated animals, one is required to cover the blood with dirt (Leviticus 17:13). This is what the Sages taught: One who slaughters an undomesticated animal or a bird on a festival, Beit Shammai say: He digs with a shovel and covers the blood. Beit Hillel say: He may slaughter only if he had earth prepared.9Mishna Beitza 1:2. Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: One who does not have earth prepared should not slaughter. Why? Because the difference between Festivals and Shabbat is only preparing food alone.10Mishna Megilla 1:5. The only difference between the prohibition of labor on Shabbat and Festivals is the dispensation to perform certain actions on Festivals in the course of food preparation. Covering the blood is not directly connected to food preparation, and therefore digging dirt in order to cover the blood would be prohibited on a Festival. Therefore, if one slaughtered on a festival, one must have earth prepared to cover it with.
Rav Bisena said in the name of Rav Aḥa: Come and see, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘What I prohibited for you in a domesticated animal, I permitted for you in an undomesticated animal…until [I permitted all of them] in fish.’11The reference is to a statement cited in full elsewhere: “I prohibited the fat of a domesticated animal for you, but I permitted it for you in an undomesticated animal. I prohibited the sciatic nerve for you in an undomesticated animal, but I permitted it for you in birds. I prohibited for you birds without slaughter, but I permitted fish for you” (see Vayikra Rabba 22:10; Ḥullin 109b). The Rabbis said: There are many matters that the Holy One blessed be He prohibited and then permitted them elsewhere. Know that the Holy One blessed be He prohibited slaughtering and eating [an animal] until one brings it to the Tent of Meeting [as an offering]. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “[If anyone…offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice], and to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting does not bring it, to present it to the Lord, that man shall be excised from his people” (Leviticus 17:8–9). What [else] is written there? “And he did not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, to present an offering to the Lord before the Tabernacle of the Lord, it will be accounted as blood for that man; he has shed blood, and that man shall be excised from among his people” (Leviticus 17:4). But He then permitted it to them here, as it is stated: “Only, with all of your heart’s desire, you may slaughter and eat meat in accordance with the blessing of the Lord your God that he gave you within all your gates, the impure…” (Deuteronomy 12:15). From where is it derived? From what we read here: “When the Lord your God will expand your border.”
דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי יַרְחִיב, זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהלים לא, ח ט): אָגִילָה וְאֶשְׂמְחָה בְּחַסְדֶּךָ אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָ אֶת עָנְיִי יָדַעְתָּ בְּצָרוֹת נַפְשִׁי. וְלֹא הִסְגַּרְתַּנִּי בְּיַד אוֹיֵב הֶעֱמַדְתָּ בַמֶּרְחָב רַגְלָי. רַבָּנִין אָמְרִין הַפָּסוּק הַזֶּה מְדַבֵּר בְּיוֹסֵף, אָמַר יוֹסֵף רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם אָגִילָה וְאֶשְׂמְחָה בְּחַסְדֶּךָ שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ עִמִּי, אִלּוּ נִפְרַעְתָּ לִי מֵאִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל פּוֹטִיפֶרַע וְלֹא נָתַתָּ לִי אֶת הַמַּלְכוּת, הָיִיתִי בְּגִילָה וּבְשִׂמְחָה, וְעַתָּה יֵשׁ לִי הַמַּלְכוּת, הֱוֵי אָגִילָה וְאֶשְׂמְחָה בְּחַסְדֶּךָ וגו'. אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָ אֶת עָנְיִי, זֶה יוֹסֵף שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (תהלים קה, יח): עִנּוּ בַכֶּבֶל רַגְלוֹ בַּרְזֶל בָּאָה נַפְשׁוֹ. וְלֹא הִסְגַּרְתַּנִי בְּיַד אוֹיֵב זֶה פּוֹטִיפֶרַע. הֶעֱמַדְתָּ בַמֶּרְחָב רַגְלָי, שֶׁהִשְׁלִיט אוֹתִי עַל כָּל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מב, ו ז): וְיוֹסֵף הוּא הַשַּׁלִּיט עַל הָאָרֶץ הוּא הַמַּשְׁבִּיר לְכָל עַם הָאָרֶץ וַיָּבֹאוּ אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ אַפַּיִם אָרְצָה. וַיַּרְא יוֹסֵף אֶת אֶחָיו וַיַּכִּרֵם וַיִּתְנַכֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם וַיְדַבֵּר אִתָּם קָשׁוֹת וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם מֵאַיִן בָּאתֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ מֵאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן לִשְׁבָּר אֹכֶל. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָגִילָה וְאֶשְׂמְחָה בְּחַסְדֶּךָ, מְדַבֵּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם אָגִילָה וְאֶשְׂמְחָה בְּחַסְדֶּךָ שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ עִמָּנוּ, שֶׁאִלּוּ נִפְרַעְתָּ מִן הַמִּצְרִיִּים וְלֹא נָתַתָּ לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם, הָיִינוּ שְׂמֵחִים שִׂמְחָה וְגִילָה יֵשׁ לָנוּ שֶׁנָּתַתָּ לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם. אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָ אֶת עָנְיִי, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶם (דברים כו, ו ז): וַיָּרֵעוּ אֹתָנוּ הַמִּצְרִים וַיְעַנּוּנוּ וַיִּתְּנוּ עָלֵינוּ עֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה וַנִּצְעַק אֶל ה' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַע ה' אֶת קֹלֵנוּ וַיַּרְא אֶת עָנְיֵנוּ וְאֶת וגו'. יָדַעְתָּ בְּצָרוֹת נַפְשִׁי, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶם (שמות א, יד): וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם. וְלֹא הִסְגַּרְתַּנִּי בְּיַד אוֹיֵב זֶה פַּרְעֹה הָרָשָׁע, שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות טו, ט): אָמַר אוֹיֵב אֶרְדֹּף, הֶעֱמַדְתָּ בַמֶּרְחָב רַגְלָי, שֶׁהִרְחַבְתָּ אֶת גְּבוּלִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי יַרְחִיב וגו'.
Another matter, “When [the Lord your God] will expand [your border]” – that is what the verse said: “I rejoice and am happy in Your kindness, for You have seen my affliction. You have known my soul’s distress, and You did not deliver me into the hand of the enemy; You set my feet in open space” (Psalms 31:8–9). The Rabbis say: This verse is speaking of Joseph. Joseph said: ‘Master of the universe, “I rejoice and am happy in Your kindness” that You performed with me. Had You exacted revenge on my behalf from Potifera’s wife, and had not given me the kingship, I would have rejoiced and been happy. Now that I have the kingship, “I rejoice and am happy in Your kindness….”’ “For You have seen my affliction” – this is Joseph, in whose regard it is written: “[He had sent a man before them, Joseph, who had been sold as a slave.] They tortured his legs with chains; his body was placed in irons” (Psalms 105:17–18). “You did not deliver me into the hand of the enemy” – this is Potifera. “You set my feet in open space” –You made me ruler over the entire land of Egypt. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the provider of grain to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came, and prostrated themselves to him, faces to the ground. Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them, and spoke harshly to them; he said to them: From where did you come? They said: From the land of Canaan, to acquire food” (Genesis 42:6–7).
Another matter, [the verse] “I rejoice and am happy in Your kindness” is speaking of Israel. Israel said: ‘Master of the universe, “I rejoice and am happy in Your kindness” that You performed with us. Had You exacted revenge against the Egyptians and not given us their wealth, we would have rejoiced. We have joy and happiness because You gave us their wealth.’ “For You have seen my affliction” – this is Israel, in whose regard it is written: “The Egyptians mistreated us, and afflicted us, and imposed upon us hard labor. We cried out to the Lord, God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and He saw our affliction…” (Deuteronomy 26:6–7). “You have known my soul’s distress” – this is Israel, in whose regard it is written: “They embittered their lives” (Exodus 1:14). “You did not deliver me into the hand of the enemy” – this is the wicked Pharaoh, as it is written: “The enemy said: I will pursue” (Exodus 15:9). “You set my feet in open space” – as you expanded my border, as it is stated: “When [the Lord your God] will expand [your border].”
כִּי יַרְחִיב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת גְּבֻלְךָ, זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (משלי יח, טז): מַתָּן אָדָם יַרְחִיב לוֹ וְלִפְנֵי גְדֹלִים יַנְחֶנּוּ. מַהוּ מַתָּן אָדָם יַרְחִיב לוֹ, מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שֶׁיָּצְאוּ לִגְבוֹת לְעֵסֶק מִצְווֹת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, הָלְכוּ לְחֵילָתָהּ שֶׁל אַנְטוֹכִיָּא, וְהָיָה שָׁם אָדָם אֶחָד וְהָיָה נִקְרָא אַבָּא יוּדָן, וְהָיָה לָמוּד לִתֵּן לְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְּיַד רְחָבָה, נַעֲשָׂה אוֹתוֹ אַבָּא יוּדָן עָנִי, רָאָה רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שֶׁהָלְכוּ לִגְבוֹת שָׁם, וְהִטְמִין עַצְמוֹ מִפְּנֵיהֶם וְעָלָה לְבֵיתוֹ, וְעָשָׂה יוֹם וּשְׁנַיִם וְלֹא יָרַד לַשּׁוּק, אָמְרָה לוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ מִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא יָרַדְתָּ לַשּׁוּק, הֲרֵי שְׁנֵי יָמִים, אָמַר לָהּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בָּאוּ לִגְבוֹת לְעֵסֶק מִצְווֹת עֲמֵלֵי תּוֹרָה, וְאֵין סִפֵּק בְּיָדִי לִתֵּן לָהֶם, וַאֲנִי מִתְבַּיֵּשׁ לֵירֵד לַשּׁוּק. אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה אוֹהֶבֶת אֶת הַמִּצְווֹת אָמְרָה לוֹ, לֹא נִשְׁתַּיֵּר לָנוּ שָׂדֶה אֶחָת, מְכֹר חֶצְיָהּ וְתֵן אוֹתָהּ לָהֶן. הָלַךְ וְעָשָׂה כֵן, מָכַר אוֹתָהּ חֲצִי שָׂדֶה בַּחֲמִשָּׁה זְהוּבִים וְנָתַן אוֹתָן לְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ, וְאָמַר לָהֶן הִתְפַּלְּלוּ עָלָי, הִתְפַּלְּלוּ עָלָיו וְאָמְרוּ לוֹ הַמָּקוֹם יְמַלֵּא חֶסְרוֹנֶךָ. הָלְכוּ לָהֶן רַבּוֹתֵינוּ לִגְבוֹת בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, אוֹתוֹ אַבָּא יוּדָן חָרַשׁ בַּחֲצִי שָׂדֶה, וּמָצָא שָׁם סִימָא גְדוֹלָה וְנַעֲשָׂה עָשִׁיר יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁהָיָה קֹדֶם, עַד שֶׁרַבּוֹתֵינוּ חוֹזְרִין עָבְרוּ בְּאוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם, אָמְרוּ לְאֶחָד חַיֶּיךָ הַעֲמִידֵנוּ עִם אַבָּא יוּדָן, אָמַר לָהֶם אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ, וּמִי יָכוֹל לַעֲמֹד, עִם הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא עִמּוֹ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ אֵין אָנוּ מְבַקְּשִׁין אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹא יֵדַע שֶׁעָבַרְנוּ כָּאן וְלֹא שָׁאַלְנוּ אֶת שְׁלוֹמוֹ. יָדַע אַבָּא יוּדָן וּבָא אֶצְלָם וְנָתַן לָהֶם אֶלֶף זְהוּבִים, אָמַר לָהֶם עָשְׂתָה תְּפִלַּתְכֶם פֵּרוֹת, אָמְרוּ לוֹ אַף אָנוּ הָיִינוּ יוֹדְעִים בְּמַעֲשֶׂיךָ הַטּוֹבִים וְעָשִׂינוּ אוֹתְךָ רֹאשׁ פֶּרֶק, קָרְאוּ עָלָיו רַבּוֹתֵינוּ: מַתָּן אָדָם יַרְחִיב לוֹ וְלִפְנֵי גְדוֹלִים יַנְחֶנּוּ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי חִיָּא שֶׁעָשָׂה נְדָבָה בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבִּטְבֶרְיָא, וּפָסַק אָדָם אֶחָד לִטְרָא שֶׁל זָהָב, נְטָלוֹ רַבִּי חִיָּא וְהוֹשִׁיבוֹ אֶצְלוֹ וְקָרָא עָלָיו: מַתָּן אָדָם יַרְחִיב לוֹ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ שֶׁהָלַךְ לְבָצְרָה, וְהָיָה שָׁם אָדָם אֶחָד נִקְרָא אָבִין רַמָּאָה, וְלֹא שֶׁהָיָה רַמַּאי חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיָה מְרַמֶּה בְּמִצְווֹת, שֶׁהָיָה הַקָּהָל פּוֹסֵק וְאַחַר כָּךְ פּוֹסֵק כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הַקָּהָל, עָשָׂה שָׁם רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ פִּסְקָה וְנָתַן כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הַקָּהָל, נְטָלוֹ רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ וְהוֹשִׁיבוֹ אֶצְלוֹ וְקָרָא עָלָיו: מַתָּן אָדָם יַרְחִיב לוֹ וְלִפְנֵי גְדוֹלִים יַנְחֶנּוּ. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ מַה לִּי לְמָקוֹם אַחֵר לְמֹד מִמְקוֹמוֹ, מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה (דברים יב, יט): הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תַּעֲזֹב אֶת הַלֵּוִי, וְאַחַר כָּךְ: כִּי יַרְחִיב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת גְּבֻלְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ.
“When the Lord your God will expand your border” – this is what the verse said: “A man’s giving expands for him, and will guide him before the great” (Proverbs 18:16). What is [the meaning of] “a man’s giving expands for him”? There was an incident involving Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua who went out to collect for the matter of a mitzva for our rabbis.12They sought to collect donations to support the rabbis. They went to the environs of Antioch and there was a certain man there who was called Abba Yudan, who was accustomed to giving generously to our rabbis. That Abba Yudan had become poor. He saw that Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua had come there to collect, and he concealed himself from them and entered his house. He spent a day there, and a second, and did not go down to the marketplace. His wife said to him: ‘Why did you not go down to the marketplace these two days?’ He said to her: ‘Our rabbis came to collect for the matter of a mitzva for those who toil in Torah. I do not have enough to give them and I am embarrassed to go down to the marketplace.’ His wife, who was very fond of mitzvot, said to him: ‘Do we not have one field remaining? Sell half of it and give [the money] to them.’ He went and he did so. He sold half of the field for five gold pieces and gave them to our rabbis. He said to them: ‘Pray on my behalf.’ They prayed on his behalf and said to him: ‘May the Omnipresent restore what you have lost.’ Our rabbis went on their way to collect elsewhere. That Abba Yudan plowed half the field and found a large hidden treasure. He became wealthier than he had been previously. When our rabbis were returning, they passed through that same place. They said to someone: ‘As you live, arrange a meeting for us with Abba Yudan.’ That man said to them: ‘Who can arrange a meeting – with the king and not with him.’13It is easier to meet the king than to meet with Abba Yudan. They said to him: ‘We seek only to ensure that he will not find out that we passed here and did not inquire after his wellbeing.’ Abba Yudan found out and came to them and gave them one thousand gold pieces. He said to them: ‘Your prayer bore fruit.’ They said to him: ‘We were aware of your good deeds and placed you at the head of the list.’ The Sages read in his regard: “A man’s giving expands for him, and will guide him before the great.”
Another matter, there was an incident involving Rabbi Ḥiyya, who held a fundraising campaign in the great study hall in Tiberias and a certain person pledged a litra of gold.14This was a very significant sum of money. Rabbi Ḥiyya took him, seated him next to him, and read in his regard: “A man’s giving expands for him [and will guide him before the great].”15Rabbi Ḥiyya was indicating that, just as the end of the verse had been fulfilled, as he had been seated among prominent people, he should fulfill the beginning of the verse, by making good on his pledge and giving generously (Etz Yosef).
Another matter, there was an incident involving Reish Lakish who went to Basra. There was a certain person there who was called Avin Ramaa. It is not that he was, God forbid, a swindler [ramai], but rather, he would employ cunning [merameh] regarding mitzvot. The entire congregation would pledge, and then he would pledge a sum corresponding to that of the entire congregation.16At first he would abstain from making any pledge, leading others to think he would not participate. Therefore they would pledge more money, so that the charity collection would meet its goals. Only afterward would he pledge as much as everyone else donated together. Alternatively, the people would know that he would match their donations and therefore they would pledge more, knowing that their donation would lead to even greater gain for the charity. Reish Lakish held a fundraising campaign there and he gave corresponding to the entire congregation. Reish Lakish took him, seated him next to him, and read in his regard: “A man’s giving expands for him, and will guide him before the great.” Rabbi Abahu said: Why do I need another place, derive it from its own place.17Why do I need to derive from a verse in Psalms that if someone gives charity generously he will be rewarded materially, when this can be derived from the Torah itself? What is written prior to it? “Beware lest you forsake the Levite” (Deuteronomy 12:19) and then, “when the Lord your God will expand your border, as He spoke to you.”18The juxtaposition of the verses indicates that if the Israelites take care of the Levites, who did not have ancestral property, God will expand their borders.
וְאָמַרְתָּ אֹכְלָה בָשָׂר כִּי תְאַוֶּה נַפְשְׁךָ לֶאֱכֹל בָּשָׂר בְּכָל אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר (דברים יב, כ), זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהלים קמו, ז): עוֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט לַעֲשׁוּקִים נֹתֵן לֶחֶם לָרְעֵבִים ה' מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים, מְדַבֵּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בַּר חָמָא, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם יוֹתֵר מִשִּׁבְעִים אֻמּוֹת, וּמִכֻּלָּן לֹא הָיוּ מְשַׁעְבְּדִין אֶלָּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמִי עָשָׂה לָהֶם דִּין, עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט לַעֲשׁוּקִים. נֹתֵן לֶחֶם לָרְעֵבִים אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ח, ג ה): וַיְעַנְּךָ וַיַּרְעִבֶךָ וַיַּאֲכִלְךָ אֶת הַמָּן אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַעְתָּ וְלֹא יָדְעוּן אֲבֹתֶיךָ לְמַעַן הוֹדִיעֲךָ כִּי לֹא עַל הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם כִּי עַל כָּל מוֹצָא פִי ה' יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם שִׂמְלָתְךָ לֹא בָלְתָה מֵעָלֶיךָ וְרַגְלְךָ לֹא בָצֵקָה זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וְיָדַעְתָּ עִם לְבָבֶךָ כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יְיַסֵּר אִישׁ אֶת בְּנוֹ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְיַסְרֶךָּ. ה' מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כֵּיצַד, רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי שְׁמוֹנָה דְבָרִים אָסַר לָהֶן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְהִתִּיר לָהֶן שְׁמוֹנָה בָּהֶן אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָסַרְתִּי לְךָ אֶת הַחֵלֶב וכו' עַד סָדִין בְּצִיצִית, הֱוֵי ה' מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים. אַף לְהַלָּן אָסַר בְּשַׂר תַּאֲוָה וְכָאן הִתִּירוֹ לָהֶן, מִנַּיִן (דברים יב, טו): רַק בְּכָל אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ תִּזְבַּח וְאָכַלְתָּ בָשָׂר.
“And you will say: I will eat meat, because your heart will desire to eat meat; with all your heart’s desire, you may eat meat” – this is what the verse said: “Who performs justice for the oppressed, gives bread to the hungry; the Lord releases the imprisoned” (Psalms 146:7) – it is speaking of Israel. Rabbi Pinḥas bar Ḥama said: It teaches that there were more than seventy nations in Egypt, and of all of them, they enslaved only Israel. Who executed justice on their behalf? He “who performs justice for the oppressed.” “Gives bread to the hungry” – this is Israel. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “He afflicted you, and starved you, and fed you the manna that you did not know and your fathers did not know, in order to impart to you that man does not live by bread alone; rather, it is by everything that emanates from the mouth of the Lord that man lives. Your garment did not grow worn from upon you and your foot did not swell these forty years. And you shall know in your heart, that, as a man chastises his son, so the Lord your God chastises you” (Deuteronomy 8:3–5). “The Lord releases the imprisoned [matir asurim]” – these are Israel. How so? The Rabbis said: The Holy One blessed be He prohibited eight matters for them and permitted eight of them. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I prohibited fats for you…until cloaks with ritual fringes.’19The full version of this passage is found in Vayikra Rabba (22:10): “I prohibited for you menstrual blood; I permitted for you hymenal blood. I prohibited for you a married woman; I permitted for you a captive woman. The brother’s wife [is forbidden], I permitted for you a levirate wife. A woman and her sister, [which is forbidden] during their lifetimes, I permitted for you after death. Wearing diverse kinds [is forbidden], I permitted for you a linen garment with ritual fringes. The flesh of a pig, I permitted for you a fish called shibuta. Animal fat [ḥelev], I permitted for you animal fat [shuman].” That is, “the Lord releases the imprisoned [matir asurim].”20This is expounded in the sense of “permits [matir] prohibitions [isurim].” So, too, elsewhere He prohibited meat of desire [taava]21He prohibited slaughtering and eating an animal without bringing it as an offering. and here, he permitted it for them. From where is it derived? “Only, with all of your heart’s desire [avat], you may slaughter and eat meat” (Deuteronomy 12:15).
דָּבָר אַחֵר, מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה מִן הָעִנְיָן (דברים יב, יט): הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תַּעֲזֹב אֶת הַלֵּוִי, וְאַחַר כָּךְ: כִּי יַרְחִיב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת גְּבֻלְךָ, אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְמִי שֶׁאָמַר לַחֲבֵרוֹ הַשְׁאִילֵנִי זָהוּב אֶחָד, אָמַר לוֹ אֵינִי מַכִּיר חֶשְׁבּוֹנֶךָ, אָמַר לוֹ בְּדֹק אוֹתִי, נָתַן לוֹ וּפָרַע לוֹ מִיָּד, אָמַר לוֹ אֲפִלּוּ צָרִיךְ אַתָּה עַד עֶשְׂרִים עַד שְׁלשִׁים זְהוּבִים טֹל לְךָ, אָמַר, מִי גָּרַם לְךָ לִטֹּל כָּל מַה שֶּׁאַתְּ מְבַקֵּשׁ, שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ לִי חֶשְׁבּוֹן טוֹב, כָּךְ הָאָדָם הַזֶּה כְּשֶׁנִּבְדַּק וּמַפְרִישׁ מַעְשְׂרוֹתָיו כָּרָאוּי מַרְחִיבִין לוֹ אֶת גְּבוּלוֹ, הֱוֵי לְפִי מַתְּנָתְךָ מַרְחִיבִין לְךָ.
Another matter, what is written prior to this passage? “Beware lest you forsake the Levite” (Deuteronomy 12:19), and then, “when the Lord your God will expand your border.” Rabbi Levi said: To what is the matter comparable? To one who says to another: ‘Lend me one gold piece.’ He said to him: ‘I am not familiar with your credit [history].’ He said to him: ‘Test me.’ He gave it to him, and he repaid him immediately [when the loan was due]. He said to him: ‘Even if you need twenty to thirty gold pieces, take them.’ He said: ‘What caused you to [be able to] take everything that you wish? It is because you proved to me that your credit is good.’ So too, when a person is tested and separates his tithes appropriately, his border is expanded. That is, according to your gift, your own [property] is expanded.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי יַרְחִיב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַרְחִיב אֶת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק הַמְגִלָּה הַזֹּאת אֵין אָדָם יוֹדֵעַ כַּמָּה אָרְכָּהּ וְכַמָּה רָחְבָּהּ, כְּשֶׁהִיא נִפְתַּחַת הוּא מוּדַעַת כַּמָּה הִיא, כָּךְ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל רֻבָּה הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יא, יא יב): וְהָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ אֶרֶץ הָרִים וּבְקָעוֹת לִמְטַר הַשָּׁמַיִם תִּשְׁתֶּה מָיִם אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ דֹּרֵשׁ אֹתָהּ תָּמִיד עֵינֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה, כְּשֶׁיַשְׁרֶה אוֹתָהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה מ, ד): כָּל גֶּיא יִנָשֵׂא וְכָל הַר וְגִבְעָה יִשְׁפָּלוּ וְהָיָה הֶעָקֹב לְמִישׁוֹר וְהָרְכָסִים לְבִקְעָה. אוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הִיא מוּדַעַת מָה הִיא. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי יַרְחִיב, רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי מְדַבֵּר בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם, מִי יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹת שַׁלְוָתָהּ שֶׁל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם כְּשֶׁיַּרְחִיבֶנָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לִמְדִינָה וכו' (מלאכי ג, ד): וְעָרְבָה לַה' מִנְחַת יְהוּדָה וִיְרוּשָׁלָיִם כִּימֵי עוֹלָם וּכְשָׁנִים קַדְמֹנִיּוֹת. (מלאכי ג, כג כד): הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֶת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא לִפְנֵי בּוֹא יוֹם ה' הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא. וְהֵשִׁיב לֵב אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְלֵב בָּנִים עַל אֲבוֹתָם פֶּן אָבוֹא וְהִכֵּיתִי אֶת הָאָרֶץ חֵרֶם (מלאכי ג, א): הִנְנִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָכִי וּפִנָּה דֶּרֶךְ לְפָנָי וּפִתְאֹם יָבוֹא אֶל הֵיכָלוֹ הָאָדוֹן אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם מְבַקְּשִׁים וּמַלְאַךְ הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם חֲפֵצִים הִנֵּה בָּא אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת. (זכריה א, טז יז): לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' שַׁבְתִּי לִיְרוּשָׁלָיִם בְּרַחֲמִים בֵּיתִי יִבָּנֶה בָּהּ נְאֻם ה' צְבָאוֹת וְקָו יִנָטֶה עַל יְרוּשָׁלָיִם עוֹד קְרָא לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת עוֹד תְּפוּצֶנָה עָרַי מִטּוֹב וְנִחַם ה' עוֹד אֶת צִיּוֹן וּבָחַר עוֹד בִּיְרוּשָׁלָיִם. (זכריה ט, ט): גִּילִי מְאֹד בַּת צִיּוֹן הָרִיעִי בַּת יְרוּשָׁלַם הִנֵּה מַלְכֵּךְ יָבוֹא לָךְ צַדִּיק וְנוֹשַׁע הוּא עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר וְעַל עַיִר בֶּן אֲתֹנוֹת.
Another matter, “when the Lord your God will expand [your border]” – is it possible that the Holy One blessed be He will expand the Land of Israel? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This scroll, no one knows how long it is or how wide it is. When it is unfurled, it becomes clear what its [true size] is. So, the Land of Israel, the great majority of it is mountains and hills. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Rather, the land into which you are crossing to take possession of it is a land of mountains and valleys, from the rain of the heavens it drinks water. A land that the Lord your God seeks; always the eyes of the Lord your God are upon it, from the beginning of the year until year’s end” (Deuteronomy 11:11–12). When the Holy One blessed be He will flatten it – from where is it derived [that He will do so]? As it is stated: “Every valley will be raised and every mountain and hill will be lowered; the crooked will become straight and the ridges a valley” (Isaiah 40:4) – at that time it will become clear what its [true size] is.
Another matter, “when [the Lord your God] will expand [your border]” – the Rabbis say: It is speaking of Jerusalem. If only I could see the tranquility of Jerusalem when the Holy One blessed be He will expand it! Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: To what is the matter comparable? It is to a province….22The midrash appears to be referencing a known midrashic exposition, but there is no extant midrash that would seem to fit into the midrash here. “The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old and as in former years” (Malachi 3:4).23The midrash cites a number of verses that describe a future period of blessing, in order to conclude this section on a positive note. “Behold, I am sending Elijah the prophet to you before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. He will return the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with utter destruction” (Malachi 3:23–24). “Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear a way before Me, and suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to His Sanctuary; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he is coming, said the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1). “Therefore, so said the Lord: I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion. My House will be built in it, the utterance of the Lord of hosts, and a line will be extended over Jerusalem. Again proclaim, saying: So said the Lord of hosts: My cities will again expand with prosperity, and the Lord will comfort Zion again, and will choose Jerusalem again” (Zechariah 1:16–17). “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; cheer, daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your king will come to you; he is righteous and saved; he is humble, and riding upon a donkey, on the foal of a female donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).