א.
(י) יִמְצָאֵ֙הוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִדְבָּ֔ר {ס} וּבְתֹ֖הוּ יְלֵ֣ל יְשִׁמֹ֑ן יְסֹבְבֶ֙נְהוּ֙ יְב֣וֹנְנֵ֔הוּ {ס} יִצְּרֶ֖נְהוּ כְּאִישׁ֥וֹן עֵינֽוֹ׃
(10) He found him in a desert region,
In an empty howling waste.
He engirded him, watched over him,
Guarded him as the pupil of His eye.
In an empty howling waste.
He engirded him, watched over him,
Guarded him as the pupil of His eye.
המציאות של עם ישראל נתגלתה במדבר, שם הקב''ה ''מצא'' את עמו ובנה אתו ממסד ועד טפחות, במחיצות מסביב - ''יסובבנהו'' ובתוכן מבפנים - ''יבוננהו'' ונבוא לבאר שתי בחינות אלו.
(ג) יסבבנהו. שָׁם סִבְּבָם וְהִקִּיפָם בַּעֲנָנִים וְסִבְּבָם בִּדְגָלִים לְאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת וְסִבְּבָן בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר שֶׁכָּפָהוּ עֲלֵיהֶם כְּגִיגִית (עי' ספרי):
(3) יסבבנהו HE SURROUNDED HIM — there He surrounded them and encompassed them with the “clouds of Glory”; He surrounded them with the banners on their four sides; he surrounded them by the underside of the mountain (Sinai), which He arched over them like a cask (cf. Sifrei Devarim 313:11).
(ד) יבוננהו. שָׁם בְּתוֹרָה וּבִינָה:
(4) יבוננהו HE INSTRUCTED HIM there in Torah and wisdom.
רש''י מבאר שהמחיצות היו ענני הכבוד, הדגלים, וההר שכפה עליהם כגיגית במעמד הר סיני, ענני הכבוד היו שמירה ממזיקים, וגם מצב של רוממות אשר על כן נקראו ענני ''הכבוד''.
הדגלים היו גדולה וגדר ולישראל, כמו שנאמר במדרש.
הדגלים היו גדולה וגדר ולישראל, כמו שנאמר במדרש.
(ד) אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְאֹתֹת (במדבר כ, ב), הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שיר השירים ו, י): מִי זֹאת הַנִּשְׁקָפָה וגו', קְדוֹשִׁים וּגְדוֹלִים הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּדִגְלֵיהֶם וְכָל הָאֻמּוֹת מִסְתַּכְּלִין בָּהֶם וּתְמֵהִין וְאוֹמְרִים: מִי זֹאת הַנִּשְׁקָפָה וגו', אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם הָאֻמּוֹת (שיר השירים ז, א): שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי הַשּׁוּלַמִּית, הִדָּבְקוּ לָנוּ, בּוֹאוּ אֶצְלֵנוּ וְאָנוּ עוֹשִׂין אֶתְכֶם שִׁלְטוֹנִים, הֶגְמוֹנִים, דֻּכָּסִין, אִפָּרְכִין, אִסְטְרַטְלִיטִין. (שיר השירים ז, א): שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי וְנֶחֱזֶה בָּךְ, וְאֵין נֶחֱזֶה אֶלָּא שְׂרָרָה, שֶׁכֵּן אָמַר יִתְרוֹ לְמשֶׁה (שמות יח, כא): וְאַתָּה תֶחֱזֶה וגו'. שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי וְנֶחֱזֶה בָּךְ, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים (שיר השירים ז, א): מַה תֶּחֱזוּ בַּשׁוּלַמִּית, מַה גְּדֻלָּה אַתֶּם נוֹתְנִים לָנוּ, שֶׁמָּא (שיר השירים ז, א): כִּמְחֹלַת הַמַּחֲנָיִם, שֶׁמָּא יְכוֹלִים אַתֶּם לַעֲשׂוֹת לָנוּ כַּגְּדֻלָּה. שֶׁעָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים בַּמִּדְבָּר, דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה, דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה רְאוּבֵן, דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה דָן, דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה אֶפְרַיִם, יְכוֹלִים אַתֶּם לַעֲשׂוֹת לָנוּ כָּךְ וכו' וַיִּשָֹּׂא בִלְעָם אֶת עֵינָיו, אֵלּוּ הֵם הַדְּגָלִים, הִתְחִיל אוֹמֵר מִי יָכוֹל לִגַּע בִּבְנֵי אָדָם אֵלּוּ, מַכִּירִין אֶת אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְאֶת מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיהֶם, וכו' מִיכָּן לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהָיוּ הַדְּגָלִים גְּדֻלָּה וְגֶדֶר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ.
וענין הגדולה של הדגלים שמראים ישראל לאמות יתבאר ע''פ המדרש
דָּבָר אַחֵר, הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיָּיִן, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּגְלָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הַר סִינַי יָרְדוּ עִמּוֹ כ"ב רְבָבוֹת שֶׁל מַלְאָכִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים סח, יח): רֶכֶב אֱלֹהִים רִבֹּתַיִם אַלְפֵי שִׁנְאָן, וְהָיוּ כֻלָּם עֲשׂוּיִם דְּגָלִים דְּגָלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שיר השירים ה, י): דָּגוּל מֵרְבָבָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאוּ אוֹתָן יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהֵם עֲשׂוּיִם דְּגָלִים דְּגָלִים, הִתְחִילוּ מִתְאַוִּים לִדְגָלִים, אָמְרוּ אַלְוַאי כָּךְ אָנוּ נַעֲשִׂים דְּגָלִים כְּמוֹתָן, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיָּיִן, זֶה סִינַי שֶׁנִּתְּנָה בּוֹ הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּמְשְׁלָה בַּיַּין וכו' וְדִגְלוֹ עָלַי אַהֲבָה - אָמְרוּ אִלּוּלֵי הוּא מַגְדִּיל עָלַי אַהֲבָה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים כ, ו): נְרַנְּנָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ וגו', אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַה נִּתְאַוִּיתֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת דְּגָלִים, חַיֵּיכֶם שֶׁאֲנִי מְמַלֵּא מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֵיכֶם, (תהלים כ, ו): יְמַלֵּא ה' כָּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶיךָ, מִיָּד הוֹדִיעַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹתָם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַר לְמשֶׁה לֵךְ עֲשֵׂה אוֹתָם דְּגָלִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְאַוּוּ.
שענין הדגלים הוא מעלה לישראל, כמו מלאכי השרת ששם כל אחד ואחד ניכר בפני עצמו, ואין לדבר בהם כאודות חבורה של מלאכים, כמו''כ זכו ישראל לדגלים, דהיינו חיבור יותר גדול בין הבורא לישראל, שנתחבר אם כל פרט ופרט בישראל, וזהו שנאמר ''וירם קרן לעמו'' שנאמר בענין ''מנין'' עם ישראל, ש''מרוב חיבתם מונה אותם כל שעה'' (עיין רמב''ן על התורה במדבר א' מ''ה) שהחיבה הוא מלשון חיבוק וחיבור, ולכן התרוממה קרנם ע''י המנין, שלכל פרט היה חיבור אם הבורא בפני עצמו, (ועיין בדעת חכמה ומוסר לר' ירוחם הלוי ח''א מאמר נ''ט שמבאר ענין זה בארוכה)
ענין הכפה עליו הר כגיגית, גם הוא שמירה לישראל כמו שנאמר בגמ'
ת"ר חביבין ישראל שסיבבן הקב"ה במצות תפילין בראשיהן ותפילין בזרועותיהן וציצית בבגדיהן ומזוזה לפתחיהן ועליהן אמר דוד (תהלים קיט, קסד) שבע ביום הללתיך על משפטי צדקך
The Sages taught in a baraita: The Jewish people are beloved, as the Holy One, Blessed be He, surrounded them with mitzvot: They have phylacteries on their heads, and phylacteries on their arms, and ritual fringes on their garments, and a mezuza for their doorways. Concerning them David said: “Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous ordinances” (Psalms 119:164). This alludes to the two phylacteries, the four ritual fringes, and the mezuza, which total seven.
שכל עוד ישראל מקיימים אותם מצוות,
רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר כל שיש לו תפילין בראשו ותפילין בזרועו וציצית בבגדו ומזוזה בפתחו הכל בחיזוק שלא יחטא שנאמר (קהלת ד, יב) והחוט המשולש לא במהרה ינתק ואומר (תהלים לד, ח) חונה מלאך ה' סביב ליראיו ויחלצם
Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: Anyone who has phylacteries on his head, phylacteries on his arm, ritual fringes on his garment, and a mezuza on his doorway is strengthened from all sides so that he will not sin, as it is stated in the verse: “And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). This is interpreted as an allusion to the three mitzvot of phylacteries, ritual fringes, and mezuza. And the verse states: “The angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear Him, and delivers them” (Psalms 34:8). This is interpreted to mean that the angel of the Lord surrounds those who fulfill the mitzvot and saves them from sin.
וכלשון הרמב''ם
וְהֵן הֵם הַמַּלְאָכִים שֶׁמַּצִּילִין אוֹתוֹ מִלַּחֲטֹא
(13) A person should pay heed to the precept of the Mezuzah; for it is an obligation perpetually binding upon all. Whenever one enters or leaves a home with the Mezuzah on the doorpost, he will be confronted with the Declaration of God's Unity, blessed be His holy name; and will remember the love due to God, and will be aroused from his slumbers and his foolish absorption in temporal vanities. He will realize that nothing endures to all eternity save knowledge of the Ruler of the Universe. This thought will immediately restore him to his right senses and he will walk in the paths of righteousness. Our ancient teachers said: He who has phylacteries on his head and arm, fringes on his garment and a Mezuzah on his door may be presumed not to sin, for he has many monitors—angels that save him from sinning, as it is said, (Psalms 34:8) "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them".
וגם רוממות יש כאן
תפילין:
תפילין:
(דברים כח, י) וראו כל עמי הארץ כי שם ה' נקרא עליך ותניא ר"א הגדול אומר אלו תפלין שבראש
The Gemara asks: Granted, the strap of the phylacteries impart benefit, as it is written: “And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon you; and they shall be afraid of you” (Deuteronomy 28:10). And it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: This is a reference to the phylacteries of the head, upon which the name of God is written. Phylacteries therefore impart the splendor and grandeur of God and are a fit reward.
וציצית:
אלא חוט של תכלת מאי היא דתניא היה ר"מ אומר מה נשתנה תכלת מכל מיני צבעונין
But what is the benefit imparted by the thread of sky-blue wool? The Gemara answers: As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: What is different about sky-blue from all other colors such that it was specified for the mitzva of ritual fringes?
מפני שהתכלת דומה לים וים דומה לרקיע ורקיע דומה לכסא הכבוד שנאמר (שמות כד, י) ויראו את אלהי ישראל ותחת רגליו כמעשה לבנת הספיר וכעצם השמים לטהר וכתיב (יחזקאל א, כו) כמראה אבן ספיר דמות כסא
It is because sky-blue dye is similar in its color to the sea, and the sea is similar to the sky, and the sky is similar to the Throne of Glory, as it is stated: “And they saw the God of Israel; and there was under His feet the like of a paved work of sapphire stone, and the like of the very heaven for clearness” (Exodus 24:10). This verse shows that the heavens are similar to sapphire, and it is written: “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone” (Ezekiel 1:26). Therefore, the throne is similar to the heavens. The color of sky blue dye acts as an indication of the bond between the Jewish people and the Divine Presence.
וא''כ ''וראיתם אותו'' זה וראיתם אותו ממש!
על מזוזה מסופר בגמ'
אונקלוס בר קלונימוס איגייר שדר קיסר גונדא (פלוגה) דרומאי אבתריה משכינהו בקראי איגיור וכו' הדר שדר גונדא אחרינא אבתריה אמר להו לא תשתעו מידי בהדיה כי נקטי ליה ואזלי חזא מזוזתא דמנחא אפתחא, אותיב ידיה עלה ואמר להו מאי האי? אמרו ליה אימא לן את. אמר להו מנהגו של עולם - מלך בשר ודם יושב מבפנים ועבדיו משמרים אותו מבחוץ. ואילו הקב"ה - עבדיו מבפנים והוא משמרן מבחוץ שנאמר (תהלים קכא, ח) ה' ישמר צאתך ובואך מעתה ועד עולם איגיור
The bundle is separated. § The Gemara mentions other Romans who converted to Judaism. It relates: Onkelos bar Kelonimos converted to Judaism. The Roman emperor sent a troop [gunda] of Roman soldiers after him to seize Onkelos and bring him to the emperor. Onkelos drew them toward him with verses that he cited and learned with them, and they converted. The emperor then sent another troop of Roman soldiers after him, and said to them: Do not say anything to him, so that he cannot convince you with his arguments. The troops followed this instruction, and took Onkelos with them. When they were walking, Onkelos said to the troop of soldiers: I will say a mere statement to you: A minor official [nifyora] holds a torch before a high official [apifyora], the high official holds a torch for a duke [dukasa], a duke for the governor, and the governor for the ruler [koma]. Does the ruler hold a torch before the common people? The soldiers said to Onkelos: No. Onkelos said to them: Yet the Holy One, Blessed be He, holds a torch before the Jewish people, as it is written: “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light” (Exodus 13:21). They all converted. The emperor then sent another troop of soldiers after him, to bring Onkelos, and said to them: Do not converse with him at all. The troops followed this instruction, and took Onkelos with them. While they grabbed him and were walking, Onkelos saw a mezuza that was placed on the doorway. He placed his hand upon it and said to the soldiers: What is this? They said to him: You tell us. Onkelos said to them: The standard practice throughout the world is that a king of flesh and blood sits inside his palace, and his servants stand guard, protecting him outside; but with regard to the Holy One, Blessed be He, His servants, the Jewish people, sit inside their homes and He guards over them outside. As it is stated: “The Lord shall guard your going out and your coming in, from now and forever” (Psalms 121:8). Upon hearing this, those soldiers also converted to Judaism. After that, the emperor sent no more soldiers after him. § The Gemara returns to its discussion of Antoninus: When the matriarch Rebecca was pregnant with Jacob and Esau, “the Lord said to her: Two nations [goyim] are in your womb” (Genesis 25:23). Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Do not read it as goyim, meaning nations; rather read it as geyim, meaning proud ones. This verse was fulfilled in two prominent individuals who descended from Rebecca, Antoninus and Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, whose tables, due to their wealth, never lacked for lettuce, nor cucumbers, nor radish, neither in the summer nor in the rainy season, despite the fact that these foods do not grow year round. The reason they ensured that these items were always present at their tables is that the Master said: A radish breaks up food, lettuce stirs up food, and cucumbers expand the intestines. The Gemara asks: But isn’t it taught in the school of Rabbi Yishmael: Why are they called cucumbers [kishuin]? It is because they are as harmful [kashim] to a person’s body as swords. The Gemara answers: This is not difficult. This statement, that they are harmful to the body, is referring to large cucumbers, whereas that statement, explaining why they were always present on the tables of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and Antoninus, is referring to small ones. § The mishna teaches that according to Rabbi Meir the birthday of the king and the day of the death of the king are considered gentile festivals, whereas the Rabbis hold that only a death that includes public burning is considered a festival that includes idol worship. The Gemara comments: By inference, this means that Rabbi Meir holds that there is no difference whether it is a death that includes public burning, and there is no difference whether it is a death that does not include public burning; in either case, they engage in idol worship on that occasion. Evidently, Rabbi Meir holds that the burning performed at the death of the king is not an idolatrous custom, as it is not the cause of the prohibition. The Gemara continues: From here, one can conclude by inference that the Rabbis hold that the burning upon the death of the king is an idolatrous custom. The Gemara raises a difficulty: But isn’t it taught in a baraita: We burn items upon the death of kings as an expression of grief, and this is not of the ways of the Amorites, but rather a Jewish custom? And if this is an idolatrous custom, how could we perform this public burning? But isn’t it written: “And you shall not walk in their statutes” (Leviticus 18:3)? Rather, everyone agrees that the public burning itself is not an idolatrous custom. Rather, it is performed due to the great importance of the king who passed away. And here, in the mishna, they disagree about this: Rabbi Meir holds that there is no difference whether it is a death that includes public burning and there is no difference whether it is a death that does not include public burning; in either case, in practice they engage in idol worship on that occasion. And the Rabbis hold that a death that includes public burning is important to the gentiles, and therefore they engage in idol worship on that occasion, but a death that does not include public burning is not important to them, and they do not engage in idol worship on that occasion. Having mentioned this baraita, the Gemara returns to discuss the matter itself. The baraita teaches: One burns items due to the death of kings as an expression of grief, and this is not subject to the prohibition of imitating the ways of the Amorites, since it is a Jewish custom. As it is stated that Jeremiah prophesied to Zedekiah king of Judah: “You shall die in peace; and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings that were before you, so shall they make a burning for you” (Jeremiah 34:5). And just as one burns items upon the death of the kings, so too one burns items upon the death of the heads of the Sanhedrin. And what items do they burn upon the death of kings? They burn the kings’ beds and their utensils, so that no one else can make use of them. And there was an incident in which Rabban Gamliel the Elder died, and upon his death Onkelos the convert burned seven thousand dinars in valuable Tyrian coinage. The Gemara asks: But didn’t you state in response to the question: What do they burn upon the death of kings, that they burn their beds and their utensils? Why, then, did Onkelos burn money? The Gemara answers: Say that Onkelos burned items that were valued at seven thousand dinars in Tyrian coinage. The Gemara asks: And are other items not destroyed in order to accord honor to the deceased king, apart from his utensils? But isn’t it taught in a baraita that we detach the hooves of livestock upon the death of kings, and this is not subject to the prohibition of the ways of the Amorites? Rav Pappa says: That baraita is referring to the horse upon which the king rode. Since that animal was designated as the king’s personal item, it is therefore rendered unusable for anyone else, like his personal utensils. The Gemara asks: And did they not detach the hooves of the king’s kosher animals, which are not used by the king for riding? But isn’t it taught in a baraita: If removing the hooves of an animal would entail that it becomes an animal with a wound that will cause it to die within twelve months [tereifa], it is prohibited to do so. And when doing so would not entail rendering it a tereifa, it is permitted. And what is a way of removing hooves that does not entail rendering the animal a tereifa?
חידש להם אונקלוס, שהקב''ה הושיב את עמו ''בפנים'' והוא משמרן מבחוץ!
כאן נתגלה סוד ''סיבבן במצוות'' יש עולם חיצוני שהוא ''יש'' בפני עצמו, ואין לו קשר אם הבורא, ויש עולם פנימי, שבו העולם אינו מנותק מהבורא, וכיון שהבורא הוא נעלם, גם העולם הקרוב אליו הוא עולם פנימי, והקב''ה בחסדיו עשה שמירה ''מבחוץ'' לאותם אלא שנמצאים בעולם הפנימי, שהרי הם צריכים שמירה כי גם להם גוף ויצר.
הרי שה''יסובבנהו'' היא שמירה מבחוץ וגם הערה גדולה לרוממות (והיא עצמה רוממות), ויחד אם זה ''יבננהו - בתורה ובינה'' בנין פנימי של ישראל, בקדושה והבנה פנימית.
הרי בנין עם ה' מבית ומחוץ.
כאן נתגלה סוד ''סיבבן במצוות'' יש עולם חיצוני שהוא ''יש'' בפני עצמו, ואין לו קשר אם הבורא, ויש עולם פנימי, שבו העולם אינו מנותק מהבורא, וכיון שהבורא הוא נעלם, גם העולם הקרוב אליו הוא עולם פנימי, והקב''ה בחסדיו עשה שמירה ''מבחוץ'' לאותם אלא שנמצאים בעולם הפנימי, שהרי הם צריכים שמירה כי גם להם גוף ויצר.
הרי שה''יסובבנהו'' היא שמירה מבחוץ וגם הערה גדולה לרוממות (והיא עצמה רוממות), ויחד אם זה ''יבננהו - בתורה ובינה'' בנין פנימי של ישראל, בקדושה והבנה פנימית.
הרי בנין עם ה' מבית ומחוץ.
ב.
באותם ענני כבוד שישבנו בהם במדבר אנו יושבים היום כשאנו יושבים בסוכה כמו שנאמר בגמ'
״כִּי בַסּוּכּוֹת הוֹשַׁבְתִּי אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״, עַנְנֵי כָבוֹד הָיוּ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר.
The Gemara asks: This works out well according to the one who said that the sukkot mentioned in the verse: “I made the children of Israel to reside in sukkot” (Leviticus 23:43), were clouds of glory, as it is reasonable that the roofing of the sukka is modeled after clouds. However, according to the one who said that the children of Israel established for themselves actual sukkot in the desert, and the sukkot of today commemorate those, what can be said? According to that opinion, there is no connection between a sukka and a cloud. As it is taught in a baraita that the verse states: “I made the children of Israel to reside in sukkot”; these booths were clouds of glory, this is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Akiva says: They established for themselves actual sukkot. This works out well according to Rabbi Eliezer; however, according to Rabbi Akiva what can be said?
בחכמת הקבלה מובא בכמה מקומות שלכל הימים הנוראים והימים טובים בירח האתנים יש ענין פנימי עמוק אחד והוא בנין כלל ישראל ברוחניות והשלב האחרון זה סוכות שבו הקב''ה מקיף אותנו בשמירה עילאית של ענני כבוד זוהי הסוכה שהוא יתברך פורס סוכת שלום עלינו כמו שאנו אומרים
וּפְרוש עָלֵינוּ סֻכַּת שלומֶךָ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' הַפּורֵש סֻכַּת שלום עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל עַמּו יִשרָאֵל וְעַל יְרוּשלָיִם:
(1) Help us, Lord, to lie down in peace, and awaken us again, our Sovereign, to life. Spread over us Your shelter of peace; guide us with Your good counsel. Save us because of Your mercy. Shield us from enemies and plague, from starvation, sword, and sorrow. Remove the evil forces that surround us. Shelter us in the shadow of Your wings, O G-d, who watches over us and delivers us, our gracious and merciful Ruler. Guard our coming and our going; grant us life and peace, now and always. Spread over us the shelter of Your peace. Praised are you, Lord, who spreads the shelter of peace over us, over all G-d's people Israel, and over Jerusalem.
אך לבנין רוחני זה יש תנאי אחד
״בַּסּוּכּוֹת תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים״. אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה: כׇּל שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים צֵא מִדִּירַת קֶבַע וְשֵׁב בְּדִירַת ערי.
Rava said that the halakha is derived from here: “In sukkot shall you reside seven days” (Leviticus 23:42). The Torah said: For the entire seven days, emerge from the permanent residence in which you reside year round and reside in a temporary residence, the sukka. In constructing a sukka up to twenty cubits high, a person can render his residence a temporary residence, as up to that height one can construct a structure that is not sturdy; however, in constructing a sukka above twenty cubits high, one cannot render his residence a temporary residence; rather, he must construct a sturdy permanent residence, which is unfit for use as a sukka.
שאז אנו זוכרים ש''ימצאהו בארץ מדבר ובתוהו יליל ישימון''ודווקא שם''יסובבנהו יבוננהו'' שאם היו במצב גשמי טוב לא היו זוכים למה שזכו וגם אנו אם נרצה לזכות לדרגה זו אנו צרכים לעזוב את העולם החיצוני שבו אנו נמצאים כל ימות השנה ולהכנס לדירת עראי כי בעולם פנימי אין מקום לשקידה על עולם חיצוני
וכך נאמר בגמ'
וכך נאמר בגמ'
דרש ר' חנינא בר פפא ואיתימא ר' שמלאי לעתיד לבא מביא הקדוש ברוך הוא ס"ת [ומניחו] בחיקו ואומר למי שעסק בה יבא ויטול שכרו מיד מתקבצין ובאין עובדי כוכבים בערבוביא וכו'
MISHNA: On the three days before the festivals of gentiles the following actions are prohibited, as they would bring joy to the gentile, who would subsequently give thanks to his object of idol worship on his festival: It is prohibited to engage in business with them; to lend items to them or to borrow items from them; to lend money to them or to borrow money from them; and to repay debts owed to them or to collect repayment of debts from them. Rabbi Yehuda says: One may collect repayment of debts from them because this causes the gentile distress. The Rabbis said to Rabbi Yehuda: Even though he is distressed now, when he repays the money, he is happy afterward that he is relieved of the debt, and therefore there is concern that he will give thanks to his object of idol worship on his festival. GEMARA: Rav and Shmuel disagree with regard to the correct version of the text of the mishna. One teaches the term meaning: Their festivals, as eideihen, spelled with an alef as the first letter, and one teaches eideihen with an ayin as the first letter. The Gemara comments: The one who teaches eideihen with an alef is not mistaken, and the one who teaches eideihen with an ayin is not mistaken, as there is support for each version of the term. The Gemara elaborates: The one who teaches eideihen with an alef is not mistaken, as it is written: “For the day of their calamity [eidam] is at hand” (Deuteronomy 32:35), and the future downfall mentioned in the verse is partly due to the festivals of idol worshippers. The term there is spelled with an alef. And likewise, the one who teaches eideihen with an ayin is not mistaken, as it is written: “Let them bring their witnesses [eideihem], that they may be justified” (Isaiah 43:9), i.e., the festivals will serve as witnesses against gentile sinners, proving that they engaged in idol worship. The term there is spelled with an ayin. The Gemara asks: And according to the one who teaches eideihen with an alef, what is the reason that he did not teach eideihen with an ayin? The Gemara answers: He could have said to you that a term that refers to a calamity is preferable. The Gemara asks: And the one who teaches eideihen with an ayin, what is the reason that he did not teach eideihen with an alef? The Gemara answers: He could have said to you: What causes this calamity to happen to them? It is the testimony that they testified against themselves. Therefore, a term that references testimony is preferable. The Gemara asks: But is this verse: “Let them bring their witnesses that they may be justified,” written with regard to the nations of the world? Isn’t it written with regard to the Jewish people? As Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: All the mitzvot that the Jews perform in this world will come and bear witness for them in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “Let them bring their witnesses that they may be justified.” These are the Jews, as their good deeds bear witness for them and demonstrate their righteousness. When the verse states: “And let them hear, and say: It is truth” (Isaiah 43:9), these are the nations of the world, who will admit to the righteousness of the Jews. Rather, Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said: The one who says that the correct word is eideihen with an ayin derived this use of the term from here: “They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity, and their delectable things shall not profit; and their own witnesses [eideihem] see not, nor know” (Isaiah 44:9). This demonstrates that the objects of idol worship will serve as witnesses against their worshippers. § The Gemara cites homiletic interpretations of the verse that was discussed earlier: “All the nations are gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled; who among them can declare this, and announce to us former matters? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; and let them hear, and say: It is truth” (Isaiah 43:9). Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa taught, and some say that it was Rabbi Simlai who taught: In the future, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will bring a Torah scroll and place it in His lap and say: Anyone who engaged in its study should come and take his reward. Immediately, the nations of the world will gather together and come intermingled with each other, as it is stated: “All the nations are gathered together and let the peoples be assembled.” The Holy One, Blessed be He, will say to them: Do not enter before Me intermingled; rather, let each and every nation enter
מיד הם יוצאים בפחי נפש כי לא קיימו את התורה ואז הם טוענים
רבש"ע כלום כפית עלינו הר כגיגית ולא קבלנוה כמו שעשית לישראל דכתיב (שמות יט, יז) ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר ואמר רב דימי בר חמא מלמד שכפה הקב"ה הר כגיגית על ישראל ואמר להם אם אתם מקבלין את התורה מוטב ואם לאו שם תהא קבורתכם מיד אומר להם הקב"ה הראשונות ישמיעונו שנא' (ישעיהו מג, ט) וראשונות ישמיענו שבע מצות שקיבלתם היכן קיימתם
with their scholars, as it is stated: “And let the peoples [le’umim] be assembled” (Isaiah 43:9); and the term le’om means nothing other than kingdom, as it is stated: “And the one kingdom [ule’om] shall be stronger than the other kingdom [mile’om]” (Genesis 25:23). The Gemara asks: But is it possible for there to be intermingling before the Holy One, Blessed be He, that it should be necessary for each nation to stand and be addressed separately? Rather, the nations are instructed to stand separately so that they will not become intermingled with each other in order that they will each hear what He says to them. Immediately, the Roman Empire enters first before Him. The Gemara asks: What is the reason that the Roman Empire enters first? It is because the Roman Empire is the most important of all of the nations. And from where do we derive that it is the most important? As it is written in the book of Daniel with regard to the fourth empire that will rule over the world: “And it shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces” (Daniel 7:23), and Rabbi Yoḥanan says: This empire that will devour the earth is the wicked Roman Empire, whose name spread throughout the world. The Gemara asks: And from where do we derive that whoever is more important enters first? This is in accordance with a statement of Rav Ḥisda, as Rav Ḥisda says: When a king and a community are brought before God for judgment, the king enters for judgment first, as it is stated: “That He make the judgment of His servant and the judgment of His people Israel, as every day shall require” (I Kings 8:59). And what is the reason that it is important for the king to enter first? If you wish, say that it is not proper conduct for the king to stand outside and wait for the trial of his subjects to end. And if you wish, say instead that the king is brought in first so that he may be judged before God’s anger intensifies due to the sins of the community. The Gemara returns to its narration of the future judgment. First, the members of the Roman Empire enter. The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them: With what did you occupy yourselves? They say before Him in response: Master of the Universe, we have established many marketplaces, we have built many bathhouses, and we have increased much silver and gold. And we did all of this only for the sake of the Jewish people, so that they would be free to engage in Torah study. The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them: Fools of the world! Are you attempting to deceive Me? Everything that you did, you did for your own needs. You established marketplaces to place prostitutes in them; you built bathhouses for your own enjoyment; and as for the silver and gold that you claim to have increased, it is Mine, as it is stated: “Mine is the silver, and Mine the gold, said the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8). Is there no one among you who can declare that they have studied this Torah? This is the meaning of the continuation of the verse from Isaiah, as it is stated: “Who among them can declare this?” (Isaiah 43:9). And “this” is referring to nothing other than the Torah, as it is stated: “And this is the Torah that Moses set before the children of Israel” (Deuteronomy 4:44), and whoever did not engage in its study does not receive reward. Immediately, the members of the Roman Empire leave disappointed. The Roman Empire leaves, and the Persian Empire enters after it. What is the reason that the Persian Empire enters second? The reason is that after the Roman Empire it is the next most important. And from where do we derive this? As it is written in Daniel’s vision: “And behold another beast, a second, like a bear” (Daniel 7:5). And Rav Yosef teaches: These are the Persians, who are compared to a bear, as they eat and drink copious amounts as does a bear, and they are fleshy like a bear, and they grow their hair long as does a bear, and they never rest, like a bear, which is constantly on the move from one place to another. The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them: With what did you occupy yourselves? They say before Him in response: Master of the Universe, we have built many bridges, we have conquered many cities, and we have fought many wars. And we did all of this only for the sake of the Jewish people, so that they would engage in Torah study. The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them: Everything that you did, you did for your own needs. You established bridges to collect taxes from all who pass over them. You conquered cities to use their residents for forced labor [angareya]; and with regard to fighting the wars, I wage wars, and your success is from Me, as it is stated: “The Lord is a man of war” (Exodus 15:3). Is there no one among you who can declare that they have studied this Torah? As it is stated: “Who among them can declare this” (Isaiah 43:9), and “this” is referring to nothing other than the Torah, as it is stated: “And this is the Torah that Moses set” (Deuteronomy 4:44). Immediately, the members of the Persian Empire leave from before Him disappointed. The Gemara asks: But once the Persian Empire sees that everything said by the Roman Empire is completely ineffective, what is the reason that they come forward? The Gemara answers: They believe that their claims will be more effective, as they say: The Romans destroyed the Second Temple, and we had built it, as the Second Temple was constructed under the auspices and with the encouragement of Cyrus, the king of Persia. The Gemara adds: And likewise, a similar exchange occurred with each and every nation. The Gemara asks: But once the other nations see that every-thing said by the first ones, Rome and Persia, is completely ineffective, what is the reason that they come forward? The Gemara answers that they think: Those Empires subjugated the Jewish people, but we did not subjugate the Jewish people. The Gemara further asks: What is different about these, Rome and Persia, which were singled out explicitly, and what is different about those other empires that come afterward, which were not singled out and mentioned by name? It is because with regard to these, Rome and Persia, their kingship extends until the coming of the Messiah. The nations will say before God: Master of the Universe, did You give us the Torah and we did not accept it? Since we never received the Torah, why are we being judged for not fulfilling its mitzvot? The Gemara asks: And can one say that they were never offered the Torah? But isn’t it written in the description of the giving of the Torah: “And he said: The Lord came from Sinai, and rose from Seir unto them” (Deuteronomy 33:2), and it is written: “God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran” (Habakkuk 3:3). And the Sages asked: What did God require in Seir and what did He require in Paran? The Torah was not given in those locations. And Rabbi Yoḥanan says: This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, took the Torah around to every nation and those who speak every language, such as the Edomites in Seir and the Ishmaelites in Paran, but they did not accept it, until He came to the Jewish people and they accepted it. If the other nations all rejected the Torah, how can they excuse themselves by claiming that it was never offered to them? Rather, this is what they say: Did we accept the Torah and then not fulfill its mitzvot? The Gemara asks: But this itself serves as the refutation of their own claim, as one can respond: Why didn’t you accept it? Rather, this is what the nations of the world say before Him: Master of the Universe, did You overturn the mountain above us like a basin, and we still did not accept the Torah, as You did for the Jewish people? The Gemara provides the background for this claim: As it is written: “And they stood at the nether part of the mount” (Exodus 19:17), and Rav Dimi bar Ḥama says: The verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, overturned the mountain, i.e., Mount Sinai, above the Jews like a basin, and He said to them: If you accept the Torah, excellent, and if not, there, under the mountain, will be your burial. The nations of the world will claim that they too could have been coerced to accept the Torah. Immediately, the Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them: The first mitzvot will let us hear the truth, as it is stated in the continuation of the same verse under discussion: “And announce to us the first things” (Isaiah 43:9). With regard to the seven Noahide mitzvot that preceded the giving of the Torah that even you accepted, where is the proof that you fulfilled them? The Gemara asks: And from where do we derive that they did not fulfill them? As Rav Yosef teaches in explanation of the verse: “He stands, and shakes the earth, He sees, and makes the nations tremble [vayater]” (Habakkuk 3:6): What did God see? He saw the seven mitzvot that the descendants of Noah accepted upon themselves, and He saw that they did not fulfill them. Since they did not fulfill them, He arose and nullified for them [vehitiran] the command to heed these mitzvot. The Gemara asks: Do they gain from not obeying, as they are now released from the obligation to fulfill these mitzvot? If so, we find that a sinner profits from his transgression. Mar, son of Ravina, said:
טענו שהקב''ה לא נתן להם שמירה של כפה עליהם הר כגיגית שלא ''סיבבן'' אך לא היו ראויים לכך כיון שגם מה שקבלו לא קיימו ועם ישראל זכה לאותה מעלה בגלל מה שאמרו ''נעשה ושמע''
והלאה:
והלאה:
אמרו לפניו רבש"ע תנה לנו מראש ונעשנה אמר להן הקב"ה שוטים שבעולם מי שטרח בערב שבת יאכל בשבת מי שלא טרח בערב שבת מהיכן יאכל בשבת אלא אף על פי כן מצוה קלה יש לי וסוכה שמה לכו ועשו אותה ומי מצית אמרת הכי והא אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי מאי דכתיב (דברים ז, יא) אשר אנכי מצוך היום היום לעשותם ולא למחר לעשותם היום לעשותם ולא היום ליטול שכר אלא שאין הקב"ה בא בטרוניא עם בריותיו ואמאי קרי ליה מצוה קלה משום דלית ביה חסרון כיס מיד כל אחד [ואחד] נוטל והולך ועושה סוכה בראש גגו והקדוש ברוך הוא מקדיר עליהם חמה בתקופת תמוז וכל אחד ואחד מבעט בסוכתו ויוצא שנאמר (תהלים ב, ג) ננתקה את מוסרותימו ונשליכה ממנו עבותימו
This serves to say that even if they fulfill the seven Noahide mitzvot they do not receive a reward for their fulfilment. The Gemara asks: And are they not rewarded for fulfilling those mitzvot? But isn’t it taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: From where is it derived that even a gentile who engages in Torah study is considered like a High Priest? The verse states: “You shall therefore keep My statutes and My ordinances, which if a person do, and shall live by them” (Leviticus 18:5). It is not stated: Priests, Levites, and Israelites, but rather the general term “person.” From here you learn that even a gentile who engages in the study of Torah is like a High Priest. This demonstrates that gentiles are rewarded for fulfilling mitzvot, despite the fact that they are not commanded to do so. Rather, the verse serves to tell you that they do not receive as great a reward for their fulfillment as one who is commanded and performs a mitzva. Rather, they receive a lesser reward, like that of one who is not commanded and still performs a mitzva. As Rabbi Ḥanina says: Greater is one who is commanded to do a mitzva and performs it than one who is not commanded and performs it. The Gemara returns to the discussion between God and the nations of the world, whose claims are rejected with the rebuttal that they did not receive the Torah because they did not fulfill the seven Noahide mitzvot that were incumbent upon them. Rather, this is what the gentiles say before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, as for the Jewish people who accepted the Torah, where is the evidence that they fulfilled its mitzvot? The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them in response: I will testify about the Jewish people that they fulfilled the Torah in its entirety. The nations say before Him: Master of the Universe, is there a father who can testify about his son? As it is written: “Israel is My son, My firstborn” (Exodus 4:22). Since God is considered the Father of the Jewish people, He is disqualified from testifying on their behalf. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them: Heaven and earth will testify about them that they fulfilled the Torah in its entirety. The nations say before Him: Master of the Universe, in this matter the testimony of heaven and earth is tainted by a conflict of interest, as it is stated: “If My covenant be not with day and night, I would not have appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth” (Jeremiah 33:25). And concerning this verse, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31)? This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, established a condition with the acts of Creation, and said: If the Jewish people accept My Torah at the revelation at Sinai, all is well, but if they do not accept it, I will return you to the primordial state of chaos and disorder. And this is similar to that which Ḥizkiyya says with regard to a different matter: What is the meaning of that which is written: “You caused sentence to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was silent” (Psalms 76:9)? If the earth feared, why was it silent, and if it was silent, why did it fear? One who is afraid does not stay silent, and one who remains silent thereby demonstrates that he is not afraid. Rather, this is the meaning of the verse: At first, when God came to give the Torah to the Jewish people, the earth feared that they might not accept it, and it would be destroyed. This is alluded to by the phrase “You caused sentence to be heard.” But ultimately, when the Jews accepted the Torah, the earth was silent. Consequently, heaven and earth are interested parties and cannot testify about the Jewish people’s commitment to the Torah. Instead, the Holy One, Blessed be He, says to the nations: Let the witnesses come from among you and testify that the Jewish people fulfilled the Torah in its entirety. Let Nimrod come and testify about Abraham that he did not engage in idol worship. Let Laban come and testify about Jacob that he is not suspect with regard to robbery (see Genesis 31:36–42). Let the wife of Potiphar come and testify about Joseph that he is not suspect with regard to the sin of adultery (see Genesis 39:7–12). Let Nebuchadnezzar come and testify about Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah that they did not prostrate themselves before a graven image. Let Darius come and testify about Daniel that he did not neglect his prayer (see Daniel 6). Let Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and Eliphaz the Temanite, and Elihu, son of Barachel, the Buzite, friends of Job (see Job 2:11 and 32:2) come and testify about the Jewish people that they fulfilled the Torah in its entirety. As it is stated: “All the nations are gathered together…let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified” (Isaiah 43:9), i.e., the gathered gentiles will submit testimony on behalf of the Jewish people and demonstrate the Jews’ righteousness. The gentiles say before Him: Master of the Universe, give us the Torah afresh and we will perform its mitzvot. The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them in response: Fools of the world! Do you think you can request this? One who takes pains on Shabbat eve will eat on Shabbat, but one who did not take pains on Shabbat eve, from where will he eat on Shabbat? The opportunity for performing mitzvot has already passed, and it is now too late to ask to perform them. But even so, I have an easy mitzva to fulfill, and its name is sukka; go and perform it. The Gemara asks: And how can you say so, that it is possible to perform a mitzva after the end of this world? But doesn’t Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi say: What is the meaning of that which is written: “You shall therefore keep the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command you this day, to do them” (Deuteronomy 7:11)? This verse teaches that today, in this world, is the time to do them, but tomorrow, in the World-to-Come, is not the time to do them. Furthermore, today is the time to do them, but today is not the time to receive one’s reward, which is granted in the World-to-Come. The Gemara explains: But even so, God gave the nations an opportunity to perform a mitzva, as The Holy One, Blessed be He, does not deal tyrannically [beteruneya] with His creations, but wants them to feel that they have been judged fairly. The Gemara asks: And why does God call the mitzva of sukka an easy mitzva to fulfill? Because performing the mitzva involves no monetary loss. Immediately, each and every gentile will take materials and go and construct a sukka on top of his roof. And the Holy One, Blessed be He, will set upon them the heat [makdir] of the sun in the season of Tammuz, i.e., the summer, and each and every one who is sitting in his sukka will be unable to stand the heat, and he will kick his sukka and leave, as it is stated: “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Psalms 2:3). The Gemara asks: Why does God heat the sun over them? But didn’t you say that the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not deal tyrannically with His creations? The Gemara answers: This is not considered dealing tyrannically with the gentiles, because for the Jewish people as well, there are times
טענו אומות העולם שלא נתן להם כפיית הר כגיגית דרגה של ''יסובבנהו'' שלא זכו לה ונתן להם מצוות סוכה שהיא גם מסוד ''יסובבנהו'' מבחינת ענני כבוד וגם מצווה קלה שאין בה חסרון כיס רק יציאה לדירת עראי אבל בדירת עראי אין את הנוחיות של העוה''ז ויש חשיפה לגשם ושרב יהודי שנהיה פטור מרוב גשמים יוצא מהסוכה כעבד ששפך עליו רבו קיתון מים כמו שנאמר במשנה
(ט) כָּל שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים אָדָם עוֹשֶׂה סֻכָּתוֹ קֶבַע וּבֵיתוֹ עֲרַאי. יָרְדוּ גְשָׁמִים, מֵאֵימָתַי מֻתָּר לְפַנּוֹת, מִשֶּׁתִּסְרַח הַמִּקְפָּה. מָשְׁלוּ מָשָׁל, לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְעֶבֶד שֶׁבָּא לִמְזוֹג כּוֹס לְרַבּוֹ, וְשָׁפַךְ לוֹ קִיתוֹן עַל פָּנָיו:
(9) All seven days of Sukkot, a person renders his sukka his permanent residence and his house his temporary residence. If rain fell, from when is it permitted to vacate the sukka? It is permitted from the point that it is raining so hard that the congealed dish will spoil. The Sages told a parable: To what is this matter comparable? It is comparable to a servant who comes to pour wine for his master, and he pours a jug [kiton] of water in his face to show him that his presence is not desired. So too, in the sukka, rain is an indication that the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not want the person to fulfill the mitzva of sukka.
הרי גם כשפטור מדירת עראי הוא לומד מזה הכנעה אך אומות העולם יוצאים מהסוכה בטריקת דלת מרוב כעס אם נתנה להם מצווה - שינתן להם לעשותה מתוך נוחיות ומה להם מצווה הפוגעת בנוחיות העוה''ז ובגישה כזאת א''א לזכות למעלת ''סיבבן במצוות'' כי שמירה זו היא רק לאדם הנמצא בעולם פנימי בו אין כל חשיבות לעוה''ז בפני עצמו אבל ישראל שהם ''בארץ מדבר ובתוהו יליל ישימון'' אותם ''מצא'' הקב''ה ולכן זכו ל''יסובבנהו יבוננהו''.
ג.
(א) לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אוֹרִ֣י וְ֭יִשְׁעִי מִמִּ֣י אִירָ֑א יְהֹוָ֥ה מָעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י מִמִּ֥י אֶפְחָֽד׃ (ב) בִּקְרֹ֤ב עָלַ֨י ׀ מְרֵעִים֮ לֶאֱכֹ֢ל אֶת־בְּשָׂ֫רִ֥י צָרַ֣י וְאֹיְבַ֣י לִ֑י - הֵ֖מָּה כָשְׁל֣וּ וְנָפָֽלוּ׃ (ג) אִם־תַחֲנֶ֬ה עָלַ֨י מַחֲנֶ֮ה - לֹא־יִירָ֢א לִ֫בִּ֥י אִם־תָּק֣וּם עָ֭לַי מִלְחָמָ֑ה - בְּ֝זֹ֗את אֲנִ֣י בוֹטֵֽחַ׃ (ד) אַחַ֤ת ׀שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵֽאֵת־יְהֹוָה֮ אוֹתה אבקש: שבְתִּ֣י בְּבֵית־יְ֭הֹוָה כׇּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיַּ֑י לַחֲז֥וֹת בְּנֹעַם־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה וּלְבַקֵּ֥ר בְּהֵֽיכָלֽוֹ׃ (ה) כִּ֤י יִצְפְּנֵ֨נִי ׀ בְּסֻכֹּה֮ בְּי֢וֹם רָ֫עָ֥ה יַ֭סְתִּרֵנִי בְּסֵ֣תֶר אׇהֳל֑וֹ בְּ֝צ֗וּר יְרוֹמְמֵֽנִי׃- (ו) וְעַתָּ֨ה ''יָר֪וּם'' רֹאשִׁ֡י עַ֤ל אֹיְבַ֬י סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י וְאֶזְבְּחָ֣ה בְ֭אׇהֳלוֹ זִבְחֵ֣י תְרוּעָ֑ה - אָשִׁ֥ירָה וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃
(1) Of David.
The LORD is my light and my help;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life,
whom should I dread? (2) When evil men assail me
to devour my flesh-a—
it is they, my foes and my enemies,
who stumble and fall. (3) Should an army besiege me,
my heart would have no fear;
should war beset me,
still would I be confident.
(4) One thing I ask of the LORD,
only that do I seek:
to live in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD,
to frequent-b His temple. (5) He will shelter me in His pavilion
on an evil day,
grant me the protection of His tent,
raise me high upon a rock. (6) Now is my head high
over my enemies round about;
I sacrifice in His tent with shouts of joy,
singing and chanting a hymn to the LORD.
(7) Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
have mercy on me, answer me. (8) In Your behalf-b my heart says:
“Seek My face!”
O LORD, I seek Your face. (9) Do not hide Your face from me;
do not thrust aside Your servant in anger;
You have ever been my help.
Do not forsake me, do not abandon me,
O God, my deliverer. (10) Though my father and mother abandon me,
the LORD will take me in. (11) Show me Your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my watchful foes. (12) Do not subject me to the will of my foes,
for false witnesses and unjust accusers
have appeared against me. (13) Had I not the assurance
that I would enjoy the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living…
(14) Look to the LORD;
be strong and of good courage!
O look to the LORD!
The LORD is my light and my help;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life,
whom should I dread? (2) When evil men assail me
to devour my flesh-a—
it is they, my foes and my enemies,
who stumble and fall. (3) Should an army besiege me,
my heart would have no fear;
should war beset me,
still would I be confident.
(4) One thing I ask of the LORD,
only that do I seek:
to live in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD,
to frequent-b His temple. (5) He will shelter me in His pavilion
on an evil day,
grant me the protection of His tent,
raise me high upon a rock. (6) Now is my head high
over my enemies round about;
I sacrifice in His tent with shouts of joy,
singing and chanting a hymn to the LORD.
(7) Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
have mercy on me, answer me. (8) In Your behalf-b my heart says:
“Seek My face!”
O LORD, I seek Your face. (9) Do not hide Your face from me;
do not thrust aside Your servant in anger;
You have ever been my help.
Do not forsake me, do not abandon me,
O God, my deliverer. (10) Though my father and mother abandon me,
the LORD will take me in. (11) Show me Your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my watchful foes. (12) Do not subject me to the will of my foes,
for false witnesses and unjust accusers
have appeared against me. (13) Had I not the assurance
that I would enjoy the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living…
(14) Look to the LORD;
be strong and of good courage!
O look to the LORD!