Introduction to Rashi's Biblical Commentary

(1) וישמעו AND THEY HEARD — There are many Midrashic explanations and our Teachers have already collected them in their appropriate places in Genesis Rabbah and in other Midrashim. I, however, am only concerned with the plain sense of Scripture and with such Agadoth that explain the words of Scripture in a manner that fits in with them.

(Excerpt) Rabbi Shlomoh, my mother’s father of blessed memory (Rashi) the brilliant exegete, who wrote commentaries on the entire Bible, was careful not to ignore the plain meaning of the text. I, Shmuel, son of Rabbi Meir, Rashi’s son-in-law, have argued with him, and he admitted to me that if he had the opportunity, he would compose an additional commentary in which he would concentrate on the plain meaning as it became clearer to him with each passing day.

You shall each revere/fear your mother and your father, and keep My sabbaths: I יהוה am your God.

אמו ואביו תיראו EVERYBODY OF YOU SHALL FEAR HIS MOTHER AND HIS FATHER — Here Scripture mentions the mother before the father because it is manifest to Him that the child fears the father more than the mother and therefore by mentioning the mother first Scripture stresses the duty of fearing her. In the case of honoring one's parents, however, Scripture mentions the father before the mother because it is manifest to Him that the child honors the mother more than the father because she endeavors to win him over by kindly words. Therefore by mentioning the father first Scripture emphasizes the duty of honoring him.

(5) God called the light Day and called the darkness Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day (literally "day one").

(4) Hear, O Israel! יהוה is our God, יהוה is one.

To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. You have Aaron and Hur with you; let anyone who בעל things approach them.”

He [Moshe] said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you, and Aharon and Hur will be with you. Whoever has a claim can approach [before] them.”

מי בעל דברים HE WHO HAS ANY MATTER TO DO — i. e. he who has any law-suit.

המבלי אין קברים signifies, was it on account of lack of graves — because there were no graves in Egypt in which to be buried — that thou didst bring us out from there? old French si pour faillance de non fossés.

But beasts shall lie down there,
And the houses be filled with owls;
There shall ostriches make their home,
And there shall satyrs dance.

ferrets Heb. אֹחִים. I do not know what kind of animal they are. [אֹחִים is an expression of thorns, thistles, and briars.]

And so were their faces, and their wings were extended upward Had I not seen the cantillation sign of a “zakef gadol” [indicating a pause] punctuating “And so were their faces,” I would not know how to explain it, but the punctuation taught me to separate them [the words of the verse] one from the other and to place the word וּפְנֵיהֶם by itself...

וחמשים — The word חמשים means provided with weapons (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 13:19:2). — [Because He led them by a circuitous route through the wilderness He brought it about that they went up from Egypt well-provided; for had He led them circuitously by the route of an inhabited district they would not have provided for themselves every thing that they needed, but only a part, like a person who is travelling from place to place and intends to purchase there whatever he will require. But if he were setting out for the wilderness he must provide all that he will require. — This verse (statement in the verse) is written only with the view of making the ear understand (preparing you for a later statement) viz., that you should not wonder with regard to the war with Amalek and the war with Sihon and Og and Midian where they obtained weapons, since they smote them with the sword].

ומלאת את ידם AND CONSECRATE THEM (more lit., fill their hand) — wherever the term “filling the hand” is used it denotes the installation ceremony performed when one enters for the first time into an office, as a sign that he is entitled to it from that day and henceforth. And in the old French language — when a person is appointed to the charge of a matter, the Prince puts into his hand a leathern glove which they call “gant” in old French and by that means he gives him a right to the matter, and they term that transmission of the glove and the office, revestir in old French This is the connection between the literal and the metaphorical meaning of “filling the hand”.

MISHNA: From when, one recite Shema in the evening? From the time when the priests enter to partake of their teruma. Until the end of the first watch. That is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer.

UNTIL THE END OF THE FIRST WATCH- A third of the night, as will be explained in the Gemara (p. 3a), and from then on the time has passed for it is not the time of lying down, and is not referred to in the words "Bishachbicha". Also, before this period is not considered the time for lying down. Therefore, if one read the Shema before, he does not fulfill his obligation...