Save "929/Judges 15-19: Pilegesh BaGivah/Liminality
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929/Judges 15-19: Pilegesh BaGivah/Liminality

מַתְנִי׳ מַעֲשֵׂה רְאוּבֵן — נִקְרָא וְלֹא מִתַּרְגֵּם. מַעֲשֵׂה תָמָר — נִקְרָא וּמִתַּרְגֵּם. מַעֲשֵׂה עֵגֶל הָרִאשׁוֹן — נִקְרָא וּמִתַּרְגֵּם, וְהַשֵּׁנִי — נִקְרָא וְלֹא מִתַּרְגֵּם. בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים, מַעֲשֵׂה דָוִד וְאַמְנוֹן — נִקְרָאִין וְלֹא מִתַּרְגְּמִין. אֵין מַפְטִירִין בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה, וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַתִּיר. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: אֵין מַפְטִירִין בְּ״הוֹדַע אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַםִ״. גְּמָ׳ תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: יֵשׁ נִקְרִין וּמִתַּרְגְּמִין, וְיֵשׁ נִקְרִין וְלֹא מִתַּרְגְּמִין, וְיֵשׁ לֹא נִקְרִין וְלֹא מִתַּרְגְּמִין. אֵלּוּ נִקְרִין וּמִתַּרְגְּמִין. בָּלַ״‎ת עָקָ״‎ן נִשְׁפֶּ״‎ה סִימָן....

מַעֲשֵׂה פִּילֶגֶשׁ בַּגִּבְעָה נִקְרָא וּמִתַּרְגֵּם. פְּשִׁיטָא! מַהוּ דְּתֵימָא: לֵיחוּשׁ לִכְבוֹדוֹ דְבִנְיָמִין, קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.

MISHNA: The incident of Reuben is read from the Torah in public but not translated. The incident of Tamar (Gen. ch. 38) is read in public and also translated. The first report of the Golden Calf, (Ex. 32:1–20), is read and translated, but the second narrative (Ex. 32:21–24) is read but not translated. The Priestly Benediction (Num. 6:24–26) and the incident of David and Amnon (II Samuel, chapter 13) are read, but not translated. One may not read Haftorah of the Divine Chariot (Ezek. chapter 1), so as not to publicize that which was meant to remain hidden. And Rabbi Yehuda permits it. Rabbi Eliezer says: One may not read as Haftorah “Make known to Jerusalem her abominations” (Ezekiel 16:2), because it speaks derogatively of the Jewish people. GEMARA: The Sages taught in the Tosefta (3:31): There are portions of the Bible that are read and translated; there are portions that are read but not translated; and there are portions that are neither read nor translated.....The incident of the concubine [pilegesh] in Gibeah is read and translated. The Gemara comments: This is obvious. The Gemara explains: Lest you say that one should be concerned for the honor of the tribe of Benjamin, therefore the Tosefta teaches us that this section is read and translated.

אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן: כׇּל הָאוֹמֵר רְאוּבֵן חָטָא אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא טוֹעֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר״ — מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכּוּלָּן שְׁקוּלִים כְּאֶחָד. אֶלָּא מָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּים ״וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֶת בִּלְהָה פִּילֶגֶשׁ אָבִיו״ — מְלַמֵּד שֶׁבִּלְבֵּל מַצָּעוֹ שֶׁל אָבִיו, וּמַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ שָׁכַב עִמָּהּ.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said: Anyone who says that Reuben sinned is nothing other than mistaken, as it is stated: “Now the sons of Jacob were twelve” (Genesis 35:22), teaching that, all were equal even after the incident. How then do I establish “And he lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine”? This teaches that Reuben rearranged his father’s bed.And the verse ascribes to him as if he had actually lain with Bilhah.

וְעוֹד הָא רַבִּי אֶבְיָתָר הוּא דְּאַסְכֵּים מָרֵיהּ עַל יְדֵיהּ דִּכְתִיב וַתִּזְנֶה עָלָיו פִּילַגְשׁוֹ רַבִּי אֶבְיָתָר אָמַר זְבוּב מָצָא לָהּ רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן אָמַר נִימָא מָצָא לָהּ וְאַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶבְיָתָר לְאֵלִיָּהוּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַאי קָא עָבֵיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֲמַר לֵיהּ עָסֵיק בְּפִילֶגֶשׁ בַּגִּבְעָה וּמַאי קָאָמַר אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֶבְיָתָר בְּנִי כָּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר יוֹנָתָן בְּנִי כָּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר

And furthermore, Rabbi Evyatar's Master, the Holy One, agreed with his interpretation of: “And his concubine went away from him” (Judges 19:2). Rabbi Evyatar says: He found a fly in the food. Rabbi Yonatan says: He found a hair [nima]. And Rabbi Evyatar asked Elijah: What is the Holy One, Blessed be He, doing? Elijah said: He is engaged in studying the concubine in Gibeah. And what is He saying? Evyatar, My son, says this and Yonatan, My son, says that.

(כה) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו גַּם־תֶּ֥בֶן גַּם־מִסְפּ֖וֹא רַ֣ב עִמָּ֑נוּ גַּם־מָק֖וֹם לָלֽוּן׃

(25) And she went on, “There is plenty of straw and feed at home, and also room to spend the night.”

(ב) וַיֹּ֜אמֶר הִנֶּ֣ה נָּא־אדושם ס֣וּרוּ נָ֠א אֶל־בֵּ֨ית עַבְדְּכֶ֤ם וְלִ֙ינוּ֙ וְרַחֲצ֣וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֔ם וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּ֖ם וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֣ם לְדַרְכְּכֶ֑ם וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֹּ֔א כִּ֥י בָרְח֖וֹב נָלִֽין׃

(2) he said, “Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant’s house to spend the night, and bathe your feet; then you may be on your way early.” But they said, “No, we will spend the night in the square.”

(ח) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם לִ֤ינוּ פֹה֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ דָּבָ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יְדַבֵּ֥ר יקוק אֵלָ֑י וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ שָׂרֵֽי־מוֹאָ֖ב עִם־בִּלְעָֽם׃

(8) He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I shall reply to you as יקוק may instruct me.” So the Moabite dignitaries stayed with Balaam.

(יג) לִ֣ינִי ׀ הַלַּ֗יְלָה וְהָיָ֤ה בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ אִם־יִגְאָלֵ֥ךְ טוֹב֙ יִגְאָ֔ל וְאִם־לֹ֨א יַחְפֹּ֧ץ לְגׇאֳלֵ֛ךְ וּגְאַלְתִּ֥יךְ אָנֹ֖כִי חַי־יקוק שִׁכְבִ֖י עַד־הַבֹּֽקֶר׃

(13) Stay for the night. Then in the morning, if he will act as a redeemer, good! let him redeem. But if he does not want to act as redeemer for you, I will do so myself, as the LORD lives! Lie down until morning.”

(ו) כִּ֤י רֶ֨גַע ׀ בְּאַפּוֹ֮ חַיִּ֢ים בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ בָּ֭עֶרֶב יָלִ֥ין בֶּ֗כִי וְלַבֹּ֥קֶר רִנָּֽה׃

(6) For He is angry but a moment,
and when He is pleased there is life.
One may lie down weeping at nightfall;-b
but at dawn there are shouts of joy.

(ד) לֹֽא־יָבֹ֧א עַמּוֹנִ֛י וּמוֹאָבִ֖י בִּקְהַ֣ל יקוק גַּ֚ם דּ֣וֹר עֲשִׂירִ֔י לֹא־יָבֹ֥א לָהֶ֛ם בִּקְהַ֥ל יקוק עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ (ה) עַל־דְּבַ֞ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹא־קִדְּמ֤וּ אֶתְכֶם֙ בַּלֶּ֣חֶם וּבַמַּ֔יִם בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶ֣ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וַאֲשֶׁר֩ שָׂכַ֨ר עָלֶ֜יךָ אֶת־בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֗וֹר מִפְּת֛וֹר אֲרַ֥ם נַהֲרַ֖יִם לְקַֽלְלֶֽךָּ׃

(4) No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted into the congregation of יקוק; no descendants of such, even in the tenth generation, shall ever be admitted into the congregation of יקוק, (5) because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey after you left Egypt, and because they hired Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor of Aram-naharaim, to curse you.—

(כז) וַיָּ֨קׇם אֲדֹנֶ֜יהָ בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַיִּפְתַּח֙ דַּלְת֣וֹת הַבַּ֔יִת וַיֵּצֵ֖א לָלֶ֣כֶת לְדַרְכּ֑וֹ וְהִנֵּ֧ה הָאִשָּׁ֣ה פִֽילַגְשׁ֗וֹ נֹפֶ֙לֶת֙ פֶּ֣תַח הַבַּ֔יִת וְיָדֶ֖יהָ עַל־הַסַּֽף׃

(27) When her husband arose in the morning, he opened the doors of the house and went out to continue his journey; and there was the woman, his concubine, lying at the entrance of the house, with her hands on the threshold.

(כב) וּלְקַחְתֶּ֞ם אֲגֻדַּ֣ת אֵז֗וֹב וּטְבַלְתֶּם֮ בַּדָּ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־בַּסַּף֒ וְהִגַּעְתֶּ֤ם אֶל־הַמַּשְׁקוֹף֙ וְאֶל־שְׁתֵּ֣י הַמְּזוּזֹ֔ת מִן־הַדָּ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּסָּ֑ף וְאַתֶּ֗ם לֹ֥א תֵצְא֛וּ אִ֥ישׁ מִפֶּֽתַח־בֵּית֖וֹ עַד־בֹּֽקֶר׃

(22) Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and to the two doorposts. None of you shall go outside the door of your house until morning.