Tanach
Bamidbar 25:1-9 במדבר כ״ה:א׳-ט׳
Part of: BalakBalak, Aliyah 7Chapter 25
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁטִּים וַיָּחֶל הָעָם לִזְנוֹת אֶל־בְּנוֹת מוֹאָֽב׃
Yisroel settled in Shittim and the people [of Yisroel] began acting promiscuously with the daughters of Moav.
Yisroel settled in Shittim and the people [of Yisroel] began acting promiscuously with the daughters of Moav.
Rashi
לזנות אל בנות מואב. עַל יְדֵי עֲצַת בִּלְעָם, כִּדְאִיתָא בְחֵלֶק (סנהדרין ק"ו):
Acting promiscuously with the daughters of Moav. As a result of Bil’am’s advice, as stated in “Chelek.”
וַתִּקְרֶאןָ לָעָם לְזִבְחֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶן וַיֹּאכַל הָעָם וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ לֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶֽן׃
They [girls of Moav] invited the people [of Yisroel] to their idolatrous sacrifices; and the people ate and prostrated themselves before their gods.
They [girls of Moav] invited the people [of Yisroel] to their idolatrous sacrifices; and the people ate and prostrated themselves before their gods.
Rashi
וישתחוו לאלהיהן. כְּשֶׁתָּקַף יִצְרוֹ וְאוֹמֵר לָהּ הִשָּׁמְעִי לִי, וְהִיא מוֹצִיאָה לוֹ דְּמוּת פְּעוֹר מֵחֵיקָהּ וְאוֹמֶרֶת לוֹ הִשְׁתַּחֲוֵה לָזֶה:
And prostrated themselves before their gods. When he was overcome by lust, and asked her to submit to him, she drew a statue of Pe’or from her bosom toward him and said, ‘Prostrate yourself before this’!
וַיִּצָּמֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר וַיִּֽחַר־אַף יְהֹוָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Yisroel became united with Ba’al Pe’or; and the rage of Adony flared against Yisroel.
Yisroel became united with Ba’al Pe’or; and the rage of Adony flared against Yisroel.
Rashi
פעור. עַל שֵׁם שֶׁפּוֹעֲרִין לְפָנָיו פִּי הַטַּבַּעַת וּמוֹצִיאִין רְעִי, וְזוֹ הִיא עֲבוֹדָתוֹ (סנהדרין ס'):
Pe’or. Because they bared, their buttocks before it and relieved themselves — this is the way it was worshipped.
ויחר אף ה' בישראל. שָׁלַח בָּהֶם מַגֵּפָה:
The rage of Adonoy flared against Yisroel. He sent a plague on them.
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה קַח אֶת־כׇּל־רָאשֵׁי הָעָם וְהוֹקַע אוֹתָם לַיהֹוָה נֶגֶד הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְיָשֹׁב חֲרוֹן אַף־יְהֹוָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Adonoy said to Moshe: “Take all the leaders of the people and hang them, before Adonoy, facing the sun; thereby removing the rage of Adony against Yisroel.”
Adonoy said to Moshe: “Take all the leaders of the people and hang them, before Adonoy, facing the sun; thereby removing the rage of Adony against Yisroel.”
Rashi
קח את כל ראשי העם. לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת הָעוֹבְדִים לִפְעוֹר:
Take all the leaders of the people. To pass judgement on those who worshipped Pe’or.
והוקע אותם. אֶת הָעוֹבְדִים:
And hang them. The worshippers.
והוקע. הִיא תְלִיָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בִּבְנֵי שָׁאוּל "וְהוֹקַעֲנוּם לַה'" (שמואל ב כ״א:ו׳) וְשָׁם תְּלִיָּה מְפֹרֶשֶׁת (סנהדרין ל"ד); עֲ"זָ בִּסְקִילָה וְכָל הַנִּסְקָלִין נִתְלִין (סנהדרין מ"ה):
וְהוֹקַע . This refers to hanging, as we find concerning the sons of Shaul, “and let us hang them for [the sake of] God.” and there, hanging is specified, idolatry is [punished] with stoning, and all those stoned are hung.
נגד השמש. לְעֵין כֹּל. וּמִ"אַ: הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מוֹדִיעַ אֶת הַחוֹטְאִים, הֶעָנָן נִקְפָּל מִכְּנֶגְדּוֹ וְהַחַמָּה זוֹרַחַת עָלָיו:
Facing the sun. In full public view. Midrash Aggadah: The sun identifies the sinners. The cloud rolls back from the area above him, and the sun shines on him.
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־שֹׁפְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִרְגוּ אִישׁ אֲנָשָׁיו הַנִּצְמָדִים לְבַעַל פְּעֽוֹר׃
Moshe said to the judges of Yisroel: “Each of you must execute his men who were united with Ba’al Pe’or.”
Moshe said to the judges of Yisroel: “Each of you must execute his men who were united with Ba’al Pe’or.”
Rashi
הרגו איש אנשיו. כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִדַּיָּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה הוֹרֵג שְׁנַיִם, וְדַּיָּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל שְׁמוֹנַת רִבּוֹא וּשְׁמוֹנַת אֲלָפִים כִּדְאִיתָא בְסַנְהֶ' (דף י"ח:):
Each of you must execute his men. Each of the Israelite judges executed two men, and there were eighty eight thousand Israelite judges, as stated in Sanhedrin.
וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא וַיַּקְרֵב אֶל־אֶחָיו אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִית לְעֵינֵי מֹשֶׁה וּלְעֵינֵי כׇּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהֵמָּה בֹכִים פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
And behold, a man came from among Bnei Yisroel, and brought the Midianite woman to his brethren, before the eyes of Moshe and before the eyes of the entire congregation of Yisroel, who were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
And behold, a man came from among Bnei Yisroel, and brought the Midianite woman to his brethren, before the eyes of Moshe and before the eyes of the entire congregation of Yisroel, who were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
Rashi
והנה איש מבני ישראל בא. נִתְקַבְּצוּ שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל שִׁמְעוֹן אֵצֶל זִמְרִי שֶׁהָיָה נָשִׂיא שֶׁלָּהֶם, אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אָנוּ נִדּוֹנִין בְּמִיתָה וְאַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב וְכוּ' כִּדְאִיתָא בְּאֵלּוּ הֵן הַנִּשְׂרָפִין (סנהדרין פ"ב):
Behold, a man came from among Bnei Yisroel. The tribe of Shimon gathered around Zimri, who was their leader, and said to him, “We are being sentenced to death, and you sit by, etc.,” as stated in “Eilu Hein Hanisrafin.”
את המדינית. כָּזְבִּי בַת צוּר:
The Midianite woman. Kozbi, daughter of Tzur.
לעיני משה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, מֹשֶׁה, זוֹ אֲסוּרָה אוֹ מֻתֶּרֶת? אִם תֹּאמַר אֲסוּרָה, בַּת יִתְרוֹ מִי הִתִּירָהּ לְךָ, וְכוּ', כִּדְאִיתָא הָתָם:
Before the eyes of Moshe. They said to him, “Moshe, is she forbidden or permitted? If you say ‘forbidden,’ who permitted the daughter of Yisro to you? etc.” as stated there.
והמה בכים. נִתְעַלְּמָה מִמֶּנּוּ הֲלָכָה, גָּעוּ כֻלָּם בִּבְכִיָּה; בָּעֵגֶל עָמַד מֹשֶׁה כְּנֶגֶד שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיִּטְחַן עַד אֲשֶׁר דָּק" וְגוֹ' (שמות ל"ב), וְכָאן רָפוּ יָדָיו? אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּבֹא פִינְחָס וְיִטֹּל אֶת הָרָאוּי לוֹ (תנחומא):
Who were weeping. The halachah was concealed from him [that anyone having relations with a gentile woman is to be executed by the zealous], so they all burst into tears. At the golden calf, Moshe stood against six hundred thousand, as it is said, “he ground it into powder, etc.,” yet here he was enfeebled? But this was in order that Pinchas might come and take what was appropriately his.
וַיַּרְא פִּֽינְחָס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן וַיָּקׇם מִתּוֹךְ הָֽעֵדָה וַיִּקַּח רֹמַח בְּיָדֽוֹ׃
When he saw this—Pinchas the son of Elazar [and grand]son of Aharon the Kohein—he rose up from the midst of the community and took a spear in his hand.
When he saw this—Pinchas the son of Elazar [and grand]son of Aharon the Kohein—he rose up from the midst of the community and took a spear in his hand.
Rashi
וירא פינחס. רָאָה מַעֲשֶׂה וְנִזְכַּר הֲלָכָה — אָמַר לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה מְקֻבַּלְנִי מִמְּךָ הַבּוֹעֵל אֲרַמִּית קַנָּאִין פּוֹגְעִין בּוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ "קַרְיָנָא דְּאִגַּרְתָּא אִיהוּ לֶיהֱוֵי פַּרְוַנְקָא", מִיָּד ויקח רמח בידו וגו' (סנהדרין פ"ב):
Pinchas. . .saw. He saw the incident and remembered the halachah. He said to Moshe, “I received from you [the teaching] that anyone having relations with a gentile woman is to be executed by the zealous.” He replied to him, “Let the one who reads the correspondence serve as its executor.” Instantly, “he took a spear in his hand, etc.”
וַיָּבֹא אַחַר אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־הַקֻּבָּה וַיִּדְקֹר אֶת־שְׁנֵיהֶם אֵת אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת־הָאִשָּׁה אֶל־קֳבָתָהּ וַתֵּֽעָצַר הַמַּגֵּפָה מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
He followed the Israelite man into the inner chamber of the tent and pierced both of them through—the Israelite man and the woman through her belly—and the plague stopped from [afflicting] the Bnei Yisroel.
He followed the Israelite man into the inner chamber of the tent and pierced both of them through—the Israelite man and the woman through her belly—and the plague stopped from [afflicting] the Bnei Yisroel.
Rashi
אל הקבה. אֶל הָאֹהֶל:
אֶל הַקֻבָּה . Into the tent.
אל קבתה. כְּמוֹ "וְהַלְּחָיַיִם וְהַקֵּבָה" (דברים י"ח), כִּוֵּן בְּתוֹךְ זַכְרוּת שֶׁל זִמְרִי וְנַקְבוּת שֶׁלָּהּ וְרָאוּ כֻלָּם שֶׁלֹא לְחִנָּם הֲרָגָם, וְהַרְבֵּה נִסִּים נַעֲשׂוּ לוֹ כו', כִּדְאִיתָא הָתָם:
Through her belly. As in “the jaws and the uterus.” He struck precisely at Zimri’s male organ and her female organ, so everyone saw that he did not kill them needlessly. Many miracles were performed for him, etc., as stated there.
וַיִּהְיוּ הַמֵּתִים בַּמַּגֵּפָה אַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים אָֽלֶף׃ {פ}
Those that died in the plague, [numbered] twenty-four thousand.
Those that died in the plague, [numbered] twenty-four thousand.
בשטים. כָּךְ שְׁמָהּ:
In Shittim. This was its name.