מפסיקין בברכות ואין מפסיקין בקללות א"ר חייא בר גמדא מה טעם דכתיב (משלי ג׳:י״א) ואל תקוץ בתוכחתו אל תעשם קוצים קוצים: It is permitted to make a break1i.e. the passage may be divided and two persons called up to the reading. in the blessings2e.g. Lev. 26, 3-13. but not in the curses.3ibid. 14-46. R. Ḥiyya b. Gamda said: What is the reason?4Why may not more than one person be called to the section of the curses? Because it is written [My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord,]5This is the first part of the verse which is not quoted in the text of the Tractate. neither cut thou up His correction6Prov. 3, 11, E.V. neither spurn.—do not cut them7lit. ‘make it’, a section in the Torah which deals with God’s chastening of Israel. up into pieces.8The Heb. root may bear both meanings: ‘spurn’ and ‘cut up’.
א"ר לוי אמר הקב"ה אינו דין שיהיו בני מתקללין ואני מתברך אמר ר׳ יוסי בר אבין לא מטעם הזה אלא זה שהוא עומד לקרות בתורה פותח בדבר טוב וחותם בדבר טוב: R. Levi said:9Explaining the reason that no more than one person may be called to the reading of the curses in Lev. 26, 14ff. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: It is not proper that My children shall be cursed while I am being blessed.10By the recital of the benedictions in the middle of reading the curses. R. Jose b. Abin said: It is not for this reason, but because one who stands up to read in the Torah must begin and conclude with something auspicious.11If two persons were to be called to the reading, the first would finish and the second begin with a verse which threatens a curse.
לוי בר פאטי שאל לר׳ חנינא אילין ארוריה מאי יקרינון חד ויברך לפניהן ולאחריהן אמר ליה אין לך טעון ברכה לפניו ולאחריו אלא קללות שבתורת כהנים ושבמשנה תורה: Levi b. Paṭi enquired of R. Hanina, ‘What is the law in regard to the curses each of which begins with ’arur?12Deut. 27, 15-26, each verse commencing Cursed be. Must they be read by one person only,13As with the curses of Lev. 26, 14ff which must not be read by more than one person. and must a benediction be recited before and after them?’ He replied, ‘There is no [passage] that requires a benediction before and after its reading but the curses of Leviticus14Torath Kohanim, lit. ‘the law of the priests’, the name of the Book of Leviticus. The passage is XXVI, 14-46. and Deuteronomy’.15Mishneh Torah, lit. ‘the repetition of the law’, the name of the Book of Deuteronomy. The passage is XXVIII, 15-68. Only with these passages, which are not restricted to a particular time, are the benedictions recited before and after they have been read; but with the ’arur curses, which were spoken by the Levites only (cf. Deut. 27, 14) and at the time when the Jordan was crossed (ibid. 2), no benedictions are to be recited.
ר׳ יונתן ספרא דגופתרא נחית להכא חמא לרבי אבונא ספרא קרא שירת הבאר ובירך לפניה ולאחריה א"ל ועבדין כן א"ל עד כדון את לזו צריך כל השירות טעונין ברכה לפניהם ולאחריהם: When Jonathan, a children’s teacher from Gufta,16In Galilee. V incorrectly ‘Gufthera’. came down here,17Tiberias where R. Abuna re-sided. The city is a on lower level, hence the verb ‘came down’. he saw a children’s teacher, R. Abuna, reading the Song of the Well18Num. 21, 17-20. and reciting the benedictions before and after it. ‘Is it proper,’ he asked him, ‘to act in this manner?’19The rule is that the benedictions are recited only at the beginning and end of the entire section to be read. The Song of the Well, appearing in the middle of a section, should consequently require no benedictions before and after its reading. ‘Do you,’ the other retorted, ‘still require [a ruling] on this subject? All poems20Such as the Song of the Sea (Ex. 15, 1-19), the Song of the Well and probably also Deut. 32, 1-43. must be preceded and followed by benedictions.’
אשאלת לרבי סימון אמר לון בשם ר׳ יהושע בן לוי אין לך טעון ברכה לפניו ולאחריו אלא שירת הים ועשרת הדברות וקללות שבמשנה תורה: A question21In connection with the preceding Rule. was asked of22Another reading is ‘he came and asked’. R. Simon. ‘There is no section’,23lit. ‘you have not’. he told them in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi, ‘which requires a benediction before and after its reading other than the Song at the Sea, the Ten Words,24The Decalogue (Ex. 20, 2-17). and the curses in Deuteronomy’.25Deut. 28, 15-68. Others add ‘the curses in Leviticus’.
א"ר אבי אני לא שמעתי אלא נראין הדברים בעשרת הדברות רבי יוסי בר אבין בשם רבי בתומנתא פסוקייא אחריה ובמשנה תורה טעונין ברכה לפניהם ולאחריהם: R. Abahu26So GRA and H. V reads ‘Abi’. said: I have not heard [such a ruling],27That in the case of the passages specified benedictions are to be recited before and after the reading. but it is feasible to apply it to the Ten Words. R. Jose b. Abin said in the name of Rabbi:28[The reading should be ‘R. Berekiah’ or ‘R. Simon’; cf. Bacher, Ag. d. pal. Amoräer, III, p. 727, n. 7.] The last ten verses in Deuteronomy29So GRA and N.Y. The text in V is difficult. require a benediction before and after they have been read.30These verses, which describe the death of Moses, form a section of their own, because they were written by Joshua (according to R. Judah or R. Nehemiah) or, if written by Moses, they were dictated to him by God while he ‘wrote them down with tears’ (B.B. 15a, Sonc. ed., p. 72).
ר׳ יצחק סחורה שאל את ר׳ יצחק נפחא ר"ח טבת שחל להיות בשבת במה קורין לענין כלות והמפטיר בשל שבח ור"ח. (שחל) [חל] להיות בחול קורין ביום ראשון שלשה בשל ר"ח והרביעי בשל חנוכה שכל התדיר מחבירו קודם לחבירו והואיל וקרא תחילה (בכל) [בשל] ר"ח ביום שני יקרא ג׳ לחנוכה והרביעי של ר"ח ובראשי חדשיכם עד שישלים (כל השיטה) ולמה כן שלא בא הרביעי אלא מחמת מוסף ראש חדש (ואם היה בשבת תורגמן או דרוש מפטירין בנביא או שלשה פסוקים או חמשה או שבעה ואינו חושש לעשרים ואחד פסוקים): R. Isaac Seḥorah asked R. Isaac Nappaḥa, ‘What do we read [first]31In the second and third scrolls. when the New Moon of Ṭebeth32Which always occurs in the week of Ḥanukkah. falls on a Sabbath?’33Three scrolls are then taken from the ark. The usual weekly portion is read in the first, and the passages for New Moon and Ḥanukkah in the second and third. [He replied,] ‘In the section of kalloth,34E.V. made an end (Num. 7, 1). This designates the entire section, descriptive of the dedication offerings brought by the princes of Israel, which is prescribed for the reading of the day. while the mafṭir reads35In the third scroll. the passages relating to the Sabbath and the New Moon.36Num. 28, 9-15. The present custom is always to read the section for the Sabbath and New Moon first, and then the passage for Ḥanukkah. If it falls on a week-day we call up on the first day37Of the two days of the New Moon. three persons for the reading of the New Moon, the fourth reading that of Ḥanukkah, because that which is more frequent takes precedence.38The New Moon occurs monthly, Ḥanukkah once a year. But since the reading of the New Moon was read first,39On the first day of the New Moon. [40a] three persons are to be called up on the second day for the reading of the Ḥanukkah passage,40In the first scroll. Only two scrolls are taken out on a week-day during Ḥanukkah. while the fourth reads41In the second scroll. the section of the New Moon, viz. uberashë ḥodshekem42E.V. and in your new moons (Num. 28, 11). to the end of the passage.43ibid. 15. Why is this so?44i.e. why is the fourth person called to the reading of the New Moon passage and not, as on the first day, to the Ḥanukkah passage? Because it was only on account of the New Moon musaf that a fourth person is added’.45On the other week-days of Ḥanukkah there is no musaf. This argument cannot be applied to the first day of the New Moon because it is the second day which begins the month. The first of the two days of the New Moon is the last day of the preceding month. V and H insert here a ruling which has no connection with this chapter and is practically identical with XIV, 2 below.
אמר ר׳ יוסי בר אבין שירת הלוים לא יפחתו לו מששה קרויות וסימניך הזי"ו ל"ך ואלו הן האזינו. זכור. ירכיבהו. וישמן. לו. כי ידין ה' עמו. ויש לה פסוק שיטה מלאה מלמעלה ושיטה מלאה מלמטה כנגד כך נהגו לעשות שיטותיה של תורה : R. Jose b. Abin said: For the Song of Ha’azinu46E.V. give ear, designating the section Deut. 32, 1-43. For Ha’azinu (the reading of GRA) V and H read ‘the Levites’, because the poem was sung by the Levites in the Temple during the Sabbath musaf in six parts on successive Sabbaths. not less than six persons47Because the Levites concluded it in cycles of six Sabbath divisions. are to be called up, and your mnemonic sign48For the words beginning each of the six parts. The divisions, according to Maimonides, emphasize the exhortations and arouse the people to repentance. is h z y w l k,49pronounced .הזי״ו ל״ך which stands for ha’azinu,50E.V. give ear (Deut. 32, 1). zekor,51E.V. remember (ibid. 7). yarkibehu,52E.V. He made him ride (ibid. 13). wayyishman,53E.V. but … waxed fat (ibid. 15). lu,54E.V. if (ibid. 29). ki yadin … ‘ammo.55E.V. for the Lord will judge His people (ibid. 36). It must also be provided with56lit. ‘and it has’. the space of a full line above it and of a full line below it. Corresponding to it the custom has been adopted to write in the Torah its number of lines.57The number is 72 according to GRA who apparently includes the two blank lines. Maimonides and others give the number as 70.
וסימן תחלת השיטים האזינו. יערוף. כשעירים. כי (שם ה׳ אקרא). [הצור.] אל. שחת (לו בניו). הלה׳. הלא (הוא). זכור. שאל. בהנחל. יצב. כי (חלק). ימצאהו. יסובבנהו. כנשר. יפרוש. ה׳ (בדד). ירכיבהו. ויניקהו. חמאת. ואילים. ודם (ענב). שמנת. וינבל. בתועבת. אלהים. לא(שערום). ותשכח. מכעס. אראה. בנים. כעסוני. בגוי (נבל). ותיקד. ותלהט (מוסדי). חצי. וקטב. עם (חמת). ומחדרים. יונק. אשביתה. פן (ינכרו). ולא (ה׳). ואין (בהם). יבינו. ושנים. וה׳ (הסגירם). ואויבינו ומשדמות. אשכלות. וראש. חתום (באוצרותי). לעת. וחש. ועל (עבדיו). ואפס. צור. ישתו. יהי (עליכם). ואין (אלהים עמדי). מחצתי. כי(אשא). אם (שנותי). אשיב. אשכיר. מדם (חלל). הרנינו. ונקם: A mnemonic sign for the beginnings of the lines58Of the song Ha’azinu. The following renderings are from E.V. While the Heb. words stand at the beginning of the respective lines, the translations, owing to English idiom, do not always occupy the same position in the sentence. is the following: ha’azinu,59Give ear (Deut. 32, 1). ya‘arof,60Shall drop (ibid. 2). kise‘irim,61As the small rain (ibid.). ki,62For (3). haẓẓur,63The Rock (4). ’el,64A God (ibid.). shiḥeth,65Is corruption (5). halaH,66The Lord (6). halo’,67Is not (ibid.). zekor,68Remember (7). she’al,69Ask (ibid.). behanḥel,70When … gave … inheritance (8). yaẓẓeb,71He set (ibid.). ki,72For (9). yimẓa’ehu,73He found him (10). yesobebenhu,74He compassed him (ibid.). kannesher,75As an eagle (11). yifros,76Spreadeth abroad (ibid.). the Tetragrammaton,77The Lord (12). yarkibehu,78He made him ride (13). wayyeniḳehu,79And He made him to suck (ibid.). ḥem’ath,80Curd of (14). we’elim,81And rams (ibid.). wedam,82And of the blood of (ibid.). shamanta,83Thou didst wax fat (15). wayyenabbel,84And contemned (ibid.). betho‘eboth,85With abominations (16). ’Elohim,86Gods (17). lo’,87Not (ibid.). wattishkaḥ,88And didst forget (18). mikka‘as,89Because of the provoking (19). ’er’eh,90I will see (20). banim,91Children (ibid.). ki‘asuni,92They have provoked Me (21). begoi,93With a … nation (ibid.). wattiḳad,94And burneth (22). wattelaheṭ,95And setteth ablaze (ibid.). ḥiẓẓai,96Mine arrows (23). weḳeṭeb,97And bitter destruction (24). ‘im,98With (ibid.). umeḥadarim,99And in the chambers (25). yoneḳ,100The suckling (ibid.). ’ashbithah,101I would make … cease (26). pen,102Lest (27). welo’,103And not (ibid.). we’ain,104And there is no (28). yabinu,105They would understand (29). ushenayim,106And two (30). waH,107And the Lord (ibid.). w’oyebenu,108Even our enemies (31). umishshadmoth,109And of the fields (32). ’ashkeloth,110Clusters (ibid.). werosh,111And … poison (33). ḥathum,112Sealed up (34). le‘eth,113Against the time (35). weḥash,114And … shall make haste (ibid.). we‘al,115And … for (36). we’efes,116And there is none (ibid.). ẓur,117The rock (37). yishtu,118And drank (38). yehi,119Let him be (ibid.). we’ain,120And there is no (39). maḥaẓti,121I have wounded (ibid.)., ki,122For (40). ’im,123If (41). ’ashib,124I will render (ibid.). ’ashkir,125I will make drunk (42). middam,126With the blood of (ibid.). harninu,127Sing aloud (43). wenaḳam.128And … vengeance (ibid.).
ר׳ זעירא ר' ירמיה בשם רב אמר שירת הים ושירת דבורה נכתבות אריח על גבי לבינה ולבינה על גבי אריח: R. Ze‘ira, quoting R. Jeremiah, in the name of Rab, said; The Song at the Sea129Ex. 15, 1-18. and the Song of Deborah130Judg. 5, 1-31. are written in the form of a half-brick over a whole brick,131Or ‘blank space’; the Heb. לבינה may bear both meanings. and a whole brick over a half-brick.132Cf. above. p. 215, n. 45.
שירת הים שלשים שיטין. אז. לאמר. ורכבו. לישועה. אבי. שמו. שלשיו. אבן. ה׳. קמיך. אפיך. נוזלים. אויב נפשי. ברוחך. אדירים. כמוכה. פלא. בחסדך. קדשיך. אחז. אדום. כל. ופחד. יעבור. קנית. לשבתך. ידיך. בא. מי : The Song at the Sea consists of thirty lines [beginning with the words:] ’az,133Then (Ex. 15, 1). le’mor,134Saying (ibid.). werokebo,135And his rider (ibid.). lishu‘ah,136Salvation (2). ’abi,137My father’s (ibid.). shemo,138His name (3). shalishaw,139His … captains (4). ’aben,140A stone (5). the Tetragrammaton,141O Lord (6, the second occurrence). kameka,142Them that rise up against Thee (7). ’appeka,143Thy nostrils (8). nozelim,144The floods (ibid.). ’oyeb,145The enemy (9). nafshi,146My lust (ibid.). beruṭaka,147With Thy wind (10). ’addirim,148Mighty (ibid.). kamokah,149Like unto Thee (11). pele’,150Wonders (ibid.). beḥasdeka,151In Thy love (13). kodsheka,152Thy holy (ibid.). ’aḥaz,153Have taken hold (14). ’Edom,154Edom (15). kol,155All (ibid.). wafaḥad,156And dread (16). ya‘abor,157Pass over (ibid., the first occurrence). ḳanitha,158Thou hast gotten (ibid.). leshibteka,159For Thee to dwell in (17). yadeka,160Thy hands (ibid.). ba’,161Went in (19). më.162The waters of (ibid.). Others read הים (the sea) which follows מי; while GRA, quoting Maimonides, reads את (the sign of the defined accusative) which precedes מי.
סימן שירת דבורה ששים וחמשה שיטין ותשר (דבורה). לאמר. ברכו. רוזנים. לה׳. משעיר. רעשה. מים. סיני. ענת. נתיבות. חדלו. אם. חדשים. אם. בישראל. בעם. צחורות. על. משאבים. פרזונו. [ה׳.] עורי. אבינועם. ירד. בעמלק. מכיר. [ספר]. כן. ברגליו. חקקי לב. המשפתים. ראובן. שכן. ישב. ישכון. על. נלחמו. על. לקחו. ממסילותם. גרפם. נפשי. סוס. מרוז. ישביה. ה׳. יעל. באהל. נתנה. ליתד. עמלים ראשו. שדוד. סיסרא. לבוא. שרותיה. רחמתים. לסיסרא. רקמתים. אויביך. הארץ: The mark for the Song of Deborah is ‘sixty-four lines’163So GRA. V and H ‘sixty-five’. [beginning with the words:] wattashar,164Then sang (Judg. 5, 1). le’mor,165Saying (ibid.). ‘am,166People (2). This is the reading of GRA. V has Bless ye (ibid.). rozenim,167O ye princes (3). laH,168To the Lord (ibid.). misse‘ir,169Out of Seir (4). ra‘ashah,170Trembled (ibid.). mayyim,171Water (ibid.). Sinai,172Sinai (5). ‘Anath,173Anath (6). nethiboth,174Paths (ibid.). E.V. renders this word together with the preceding as travellers. ḥadelu,175They ceased (7). ’em,176A mother (ibid.). ḥadashim,177New (8). ’im,178Was there (ibid.). beYisra’el,179In Israel (ibid.). ba‘am,180Among the people (9). ẓeḥoroth,181White (10). ‘al,182By (ibid.). mash’abim,183Watering-troughs (11). pirzono,184Of His rulers (ibid.). the Tetragrammaton,185The Lord (ibid.). ‘uri,186Awake [utter a song] (12). ’Abino‘am,187Abinoam (ibid.). yerad,188Made me have dominion (13). ba‘Amaleḳ,189In Amalek (14). Makir,190Machir (ibid.). sofer,191Marshal’s (ibid.). ken,192So (15). beraglaw,193At his feet (ibid.). ḥiḳeḳe leb,194Resolves of heart (ibid.). hammishpethayim,195Among the sheepfolds (16). Re’uben,196Reuben (ibid.). shaken,197Abode (17). yashab,198Dwelt (ibid.). yishkon,199Abideth (ibid.). ‘al,200Upon (18). nilḥamu,201They fought (19). ‘al,202By (ibid.). laḳaḥu,203They took (ibid.). mimmesilotham,204In their courses (20). gerafam,205Swept them away (21). nafshi,206O my soul (ibid.). sus,207Horse [hoofs] (22). Meroz,208Meroz (23). yoshebeha,209The inhabitants thereof (ibid.). the Tetragrammaton,210The Lord [against the mighty] (ibid.). Ya‘el,211Jael (24). ba’ohel,212In the tent (ibid.). nathanah,213She gave (25). layyathed,214To the tent-pin (26). ‘amelim,215Workmen (ibid.). weḥalefah,216And struck through (ibid.). shakab,217He lay (27). kara‘,218He sunk (ibid.). watteyabbeb,219And peered (28). boshesh,220So long (ibid.). marke-bothaw,221His chariots (ibid.). hi,’222She (29). shalal,223Spoil (30). ẓeba‘im,224Dyed garments (ibid.). riḳmah,225Embroidery (ibid.). yobedu,226So perish (31). bigburatho.227In his might (ibid.). The last twelve words are according to the reading of GRA. V has instead only ten, which do not present a likely division of the lines and are not followed in current editions of the Hebrew Bible.