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25:16

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

Adonoy spoke to Moshe saying:

Adonoy spoke to Moshe saying:

25:17

צָרוֹר אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִים וְהִכִּיתֶם אוֹתָֽם׃

“Antagonize the Midianites and kill them,

“Antagonize the Midianites and kill them,

Rashi

צרור. כְּמוֹ זָכוֹר, שָׁמוֹר, לְשׁוֹן הוֹוֶה — עֲלֵיכֶם לְאַיֵּב אוֹתָם:

Antagonize. Like זָכוֹר, “remember,” שָׁמוֹר,”keep,” meaning ongoing action. It is incumbent upon you to act with hostility toward them.

25:18

כִּי צֹרְרִים הֵם לָכֶם בְּנִכְלֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר־נִכְּלוּ לָכֶם עַל־דְּבַר־פְּעוֹר וְעַל־דְּבַר כׇּזְבִּי בַת־נְשִׂיא מִדְיָן אֲחֹתָם הַמֻּכָּה בְיוֹם־הַמַּגֵּפָה עַל־דְּבַר־פְּעֽוֹר׃

for they antagonized you with their guiles in the matter of Pe’or, and in the matter of Kozbi the daughter of a Midianite prince, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that resulted from Pe’or.”

for they antagonized you with their guiles in the matter of Pe’or, and in the matter of Kozbi the daughter of a Midianite prince, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that resulted from Pe’or.”

Rashi

כי צוררים הם לכם וגו' על דבר פעור. שֶׁהִפְקִירוּ בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם לִזְנוּת, כְּדֵי לְהַטְעוֹתְכֶם אַחַר פְּעוֹר. וְאֶת מוֹאָב לֹא צִוָּה לְהַשְׁמִיד, מִפְּנֵי רוּת שֶׁהָיְתָה עֲתִידָה לָצֵאת מֵהֶם, כִּדְאָמְרִינַן בְּבָבָא קַמָּא (לח ב):

For they antagonized you, etc., in the matter of Pe’or. Since they abandoned their daughters to promiscuity in order to cause you to stray after Pe’or. However, He did not order the destruction of Moav, Because of Rus [Ruth], who was destined to emanate from them, as we state in Bava Kama.

26:1

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי הַמַּגֵּפָה {פ}
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן לֵאמֹֽר׃

It was after the plague. Adonoy spoke to Moshe and Elozor, son of Aharon the kohein, saying:

It was after the plague. Adonoy spoke to Moshe and Elozor, son of Aharon the kohein, saying:

Rashi

ויהי אחרי המגפה וגו'. מָשָׁל לְרוֹעֶה שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ זְאֵבִים לְתוֹךְ עֶדְרוֹ וְהָרְגוּ בָהֶן וְהוּא מוֹנֶה אוֹתָן לֵידַע מִנְיַן הַנּוֹתָרוֹת; דָּבָר אַחֵר — כְּשֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְנִמְסְרוּ לְמֹשֶׁה נִמְסְרוּ לוֹ בְּמִנְיָן, עַכְשָׁו שֶׁקָּרַב לָמוּת וּלְהַחֲזִיר צֹאנוֹ מַחֲזִירָן בְּמִנְיָן (תנחומא):

It was after the plague, etc. This is compared to a shepherd whose flock was infiltrated by wolves, who killed some of them. He counted them, to ascertain the number of those remaining. Another interpretation: When they left Egypt and were entrusted to Moshe, they were given to him with a reckoning; now that he neared death, and the return of his sheep, he returned them with a reckoning.

Texts

  • Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah · License: CC-BY-SA
  • English: Metsudah Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009 · License: CC-BY
  • Hebrew: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann -- corrected vocalization · License: PD
  • English: Rashi Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009 · License: CC-BY

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