Tanach
Hoshea 12 הושע י״ב
Part of: Setumah, Hosea 12:1
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
סְבָבֻנִֽי בְכַחַשׁ אֶפְרַיִם וּבְמִרְמָה בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה עֹד רָד עִם־אֵל וְעִם־קְדוֹשִׁים נֶאֱמָֽן׃
Efrayim compasses me about with lies, and the house of Yisra᾽el with deceit: but Yehuda still rules with God, and is faithful with holy ones.
Efrayim compasses me about with lies, and the house of Yisra᾽el with deceit: but Yehuda still rules with God, and is faithful with holy ones.
Rashi
אֶפְרַיִם רֹעֶה רוּחַ וְרֹדֵף קָדִים כׇּל־הַיּוֹם כָּזָב וָשֹׁד יַרְבֶּה וּבְרִית עִם־אַשּׁוּר יִכְרֹתוּ וְשֶׁמֶן לְמִצְרַיִם יוּבָֽל׃
Efrayim guards the wind, and follows after the east wind: he daily increases lies and desolation; and they make an alliance with Ashshur, and oil is carried into Miżrayim.
Efrayim guards the wind, and follows after the east wind: he daily increases lies and desolation; and they make an alliance with Ashshur, and oil is carried into Miżrayim.
Rashi
רועה רוח. לשון ריע מתחבר לדברי רוח להעכו"ם ושמן שלהם למצרים מובילים לתת שוחד למצרים לעזור אות':
joins the wind Heb. רֹעֵה. An expression of רֵעַ, a friend. He joins words of the wind, viz. idolatry. and oil Their oil they carry to Egypt to give a bribe to Egypt to aid them.
וְרִיב לַֽיהֹוָה עִם־יְהוּדָה וְלִפְקֹד עַֽל־יַעֲקֹב כִּדְרָכָיו כְּמַעֲלָלָיו יָשִׁיב לֽוֹ׃
The Lord has also a controversy with Yehuda, and will punish Ya῾aqov according to his ways: according to his doings will he recompense him.
The Lord has also a controversy with Yehuda, and will punish Ya῾aqov according to his ways: according to his doings will he recompense him.
Rashi
וריב לה' עם יהודה. אליהם הוא מגיד את דברי ריבו אשר עשו לו אחיהם בית ישראל ולא יתמהו בפקדו על יעקב כדרכיו:
Now the Lord has a contention with Judah He relates to them the matters of His contention which their brethren, the house of Israel, have done to Him, so that they should not wonder when He visits retribution on Jacob according to his ways.
בַּבֶּטֶן עָקַב אֶת־אָחִיו וּבְאוֹנוֹ שָׂרָה אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים׃
He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he strove with God:
He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he strove with God:
Rashi
בבטן עקב את אחיו. כל זה עשיתי לו אחזו בעקבו סי' שהוא יהיה לו גביר:
In the womb, he seized his brother’s heel All this I did for him, he held him by the heel, as a sign that he would be a master over him.
וַיָּשַׂר אֶל־מַלְאָךְ וַיֻּכָל בָּכָה וַיִּתְחַנֶּן־לוֹ בֵּֽית־אֵל יִמְצָאֶנּוּ וְשָׁם יְדַבֵּר עִמָּֽנוּ׃
and he strove with an angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication to him: he would find him in Bet-el, and there he would speak with us.
and he strove with an angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication to him: he would find him in Bet-el, and there he would speak with us.
Rashi
בכה. המלאך:
he wept i.e., the angel wept. [from Chullin 92a]
ויתחנן לו. כשאמר לו לא אשלחך כי אם ברכתני (בראשית ל״ב:כ״ז) המלאך היה מבקש ממנו הנח לי עכשיו סופו של הקב"ה ליגלות עליך בבית אל ושם ימצאנו ושם ידב' עמנו והוא ואני נסכים לך על הברכות שבירכך יצחק ואותו מלאך שרו של עשו היה והיה מערער על הברכות:
and beseeched him When he said to him, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Gen. 32:26), and the angel was begging him, “Let me go now. Eventually, the Holy One, blessed be He, will reveal Himself to you in Bethel, and there you will find Him, and there He will speak with us, and He and I will agree with you concerning the blessings that Isaac blessed you.” Now that angel was Esau’s genius, and he was contesting the blessings.
וַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי הַצְּבָאוֹת יְהֹוָה זִכְרֽוֹ׃
But the Lord is the God of hosts; The Lord is his name.
But the Lord is the God of hosts; The Lord is his name.
Rashi
וה' אלהי הצבאות ה' זכרו. כאשר הייתי מאז כן אני עתה ואם הייתם הולכים עמי בתמימות כיעקב אביכם הייתי נוהג עמכם כאשר נהגתי עמו:
And the Lord is the God of the hosts Just as I was then, so am I now, and had you walked with Me wholeheartedly, like Jacob your father, I would have acted toward you as I acted toward him.
וְאַתָּה בֵּאלֹהֶיךָ תָשׁוּב חֶסֶד וּמִשְׁפָּט שְׁמֹר וְקַוֵּה אֶל־אֱלֹהֶיךָ תָּמִֽיד׃
Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep troth and justice, and wait on thy God continually.
Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep troth and justice, and wait on thy God continually.
Rashi
ואתה באלהיך תשוב. בהבטחתו ובמשענתו שהוא מבטיחך אתה יכול לסמוך ותשוב אליו רק חסד ומשפט שמור ומובטח אתה לקוות לישעו תמיד:
And you shall return by your God On His promise and His support, which He promises you, you can rely, and return to Him. Only... keep loving-kindness and justice and you may be assured to hope for His salvation always.
כְּנַעַן בְּיָדוֹ מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה לַעֲשֹׁק אָהֵֽב׃
As for the merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loves to oppress.
As for the merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loves to oppress.
Rashi
כנען בידו מאזני מרמה. אתם סמוכים על בצעכם שאתם סוחרים ורמאים ועל עשריכם אתם אומרים אך עשרתי ולא אעבוד את הקב"ה:
A trafficker who has deceitful scales in his hand You rely on your gain, for you are traffickers and deceivers, and concerning your wealth you say...
וַיֹּאמֶר אֶפְרַיִם אַךְ עָשַׁרְתִּי מָצָאתִי אוֹן לִי כׇּל־יְגִיעַי לֹא יִמְצְאוּ־לִי עָוֺן אֲשֶׁר־חֵֽטְא׃
And Efrayim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found wealth for myself: in all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me that were sin.
And Efrayim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found wealth for myself: in all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me that were sin.
Rashi
מצאתי און לי. און כח ומדרש אגדה היה דורש רבי שמעון זצ"ל מצאתי און לי מצאתי לי שטר חוב שיש לי מלכות על ישראל וילכו גם אחיו ויפלו וגו' הננו לך לעבדים (שם נ) און לי דיני שטר כמו כותבין עליו אונו וכמו באוני אחד ובטימי אחת בב"ר וזה פירושו ויאמר אפרים אך עשרתי מצאתי און לי ירבעם בן נבט שהיה משבט אפרים מתפאר בעצמו ואומר אך עשרתי מצאתי און לי שטר אחד שכל ישראל עבדים לי שאבי קנה אותם דכתיב וילכו גם אחיו ויפלו לפניו ויאמרו הננו לך לעבדים ומה שקנה עבד קנה רבו וכל ממונם שלי לפיכך אין בי חטא אם אטול כל אשר להם כי הם עבדי מה כתיב אחריו ואנכי ה' אלהיך מארץ מצרים (שמות כ׳:ב׳) גדולה הבאה לאביך במצרים מאתי היתה אמר הקב"ה הננו לך לעבדים לא שכחת אבל אנכי ה' אלהיך שנא' בעשרת הדברות שכחת שהעמדת שני עגלים א' בבית אל וא' בדן ולענין פשוטו של מקר' אתה אומ' מצאתי און לי ע"י עושק ומאזני מרמה ואנכי ה' אלהיך מארץ מצרי' שם הבחנתי בין טיפה של בכור לטיפה שאינ' של בכור אף אני היודע ונפרע ממאזני מרמה העשויין מבלי הבין ומהטומן משקלותיו במלח כדי לרמות:
Surely I have become rich Now why should I worship the Holy One, blessed be He? I have found power for myself Heb. אוֹן, meaning strength. Rabbi Simon, however, explained it homiletically as follows: I found אוֹן for myself: I found a deed of indebtedness for myself, that I possess kingship over Israel. (Gen. 50:18) “And his brothers too wept and fell etc. ‘Behold we are slaves to you etc.’” אוֹן means the laws of a deed. Comp. (Gittin 43b) “They may write his deed (אוֹנוֹ) for it.” Comp. (Gittin 43b) “They may write his deed אוֹנוֹ for it.” Comp. also (Gen. Rabbah 2:2) With one deed (אוֹנוֹ) and with one price. And this is its explanation: “And Ephraim said: Surely I have become rich; I have found a deed for myself.” Jeroboam son of Nebat, who was of the tribe of Ephraim, boasts and declares: Surely I have become rich, I have found a deed for myself, one deed, that all Israel are my slaves, for my father acquired them, as it is written: And his brothers too went and fell before him, and said: Behold we are your slaves. And whatever a slave acquires belongs to his master. Hence, all their property is mine. Therefore, I have no sin if I take all that is theirs, for they are my slaves. What is written after this? And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt. The greatness that came to your father in Egypt was from Me. Said the Holy One, blessed be He. ‘Behold we are your slaves,’ you have not forgotten, but ‘I am the Lord your God,’ which was stated in the Decalogue, you have forgotten, for you have erected two calves, one in Bethel and one in Dan. And according to the simple meaning of the verse, you say, “I have found power for myself through oppression and deceitful scales.” And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt. There I distinguished between a droplet [of seed] of a firstborn and a droplet which was not of a firstborn. I also know and exact retribution from deceitful scales made without understanding and from one who hides his weights in salt in order to deceive.
כל יגיעי לא ימצאו לי. טוב לך אם אמרת בלבך כל ממוני לא יהא בו ספוק לכפר על עוני אשר חטאתי כן תרגם יונתן נביא אמר להון כל עותריכון לא יתקיים לכון ביום תושלמת חוביכון:
all my toils shall not suffice for my etc. It would have been better for you had you said to yourself: All my money shall not suffice to atone for my iniquity which I have sinned. In this manner Jonathan renders it: The prophet said to them: All your wealth will not remain with you on the day of the retribution of your sins.
לא ימצאו. לא יספיקו כמו (במדבר י״א:כ״ב) ומצא להם ולא יתכן לפרש כל יגיעי כל היגיעים לבקש עוני ולא ימצא לי עון שאם כן היה ראוי לכתוב כל יגיע בלא יו"ד ולנקוד בציר"י אבל עתה אינו ל' יגע אלא לשון יגיע:
shall not suffice Heb. לֹא יִמְצְאוּ, usually translated ‘shall not find.’ They shall not suffice. Comp. (Num. 11:22) “and suffice (וּמָצָא) for them.” But it cannot be explained: כָֹּל-יְגִיעַי, all those who toil to seek my iniquity shall not find any iniquity with me, for, were that the case, it should be spelled יְגֵעַי without a “yud,” and it should be vowelized with a “tseireh,” but now it is not an expression of one who toils but an expression of toil.
וְאָנֹכִי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם עֹד אוֹשִֽׁיבְךָ בׇאֳהָלִים כִּימֵי מוֹעֵֽד׃
But I am the Lord thy God from the land of Miżrayim. I will yet make thee dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast.
But I am the Lord thy God from the land of Miżrayim. I will yet make thee dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast.
Rashi
עוד אושיבך באהלים. אכרית מתוכך סוחרי מרמה ואושיבך באהלים אעמיד מתוכך תלמידים עוסקי' בתורה:
I will yet make you dwell in tents I will cut off from your midst deceitful traffickers, and I will cause you to dwell in tents. I will set up from among you students engaging in the Torah.
כימי מועד. כימי מועד הראשון שהיה יעקב איש תם יושב אוהלים:
as in the days of the [early] times As in the days of the early times, when Jacob, the unpretentious man, was sitting in tents.
וְדִבַּרְתִּי עַל־הַנְּבִיאִים וְאָנֹכִי חָזוֹן הִרְבֵּיתִי וּבְיַד הַנְּבִיאִים אֲדַמֶּֽה׃
I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similes by means of the prophets.
I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similes by means of the prophets.
Rashi
ודברתי על הנביאים. להוכיח אתכם ולהחזיר אתכם למוטב:
And I spoke to the prophets to admonish you and to bring you back to do good.
וביד הנביאים אדמה. נראיתי להם בכמה דומיות, ד"א אדמה להם דברי ע"י משלים כדי לישבם על שומעיהם:
and to the prophets I assumed likenesses I appeared to them in many likenesses. Another explanation. I gave My words likenesses to them through allegories in order to make them comprehensible to their listeners.
אִם־גִּלְעָד אָוֶן אַךְ־שָׁוְא הָיוּ בַּגִּלְגָּל שְׁוָרִים זִבֵּחוּ גַּם מִזְבְּחוֹתָם כְּגַלִּים עַל תַּלְמֵי שָׂדָֽי׃
Indeed, Gil῾ad is iniquitous; they are become mere vanity; in Gilgal they have sacrificed bullocks: their altars are like droppings on the furrows of the field.
Indeed, Gil῾ad is iniquitous; they are become mere vanity; in Gilgal they have sacrificed bullocks: their altars are like droppings on the furrows of the field.
Rashi
אם גלעד און. אם בא להם שבר ואונס הם גרמו לעצמם כי אך שוא היו ובגלגל שורים זבחו לעכו"ם:
If there is violence in Gilead If they suffered from destruction and violence, they caused it to themselves, for they were but vanity in Gilgal, and they sacrificed oxen to pagan deities.
גם מזבחותם. רבים כגלים שעל תלמי שדי, תלמי שדי היא מענית המחרישה קרויה תלם:
also their altars were as numerous as heaps which are on the furrows of the field. the furrows of the field The furrow made by the plowshare is called תֶלֶם.
וַיִּבְרַח יַעֲקֹב שְׂדֵה אֲרָם וַיַּעֲבֹד יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאִשָּׁה וּבְאִשָּׁה שָׁמָֽר׃
And Ya῾aqov fled into the country of Aram, and Yisra᾽el served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.
And Ya῾aqov fled into the country of Aram, and Yisra᾽el served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.
Rashi
ויברח יעקב שדה ארם וגו'. כאדם שאומר נחזור על הראשונות שדברנו למעלה וישר אל המלאך ועוד זאת עשיתי לו הוצרך לברוח שדה ארם ידעתם איך שמרתיו:
And Jacob fled to the field of Aram etc. Like a person who says, “Let us return to the previous topic,” for we spoke above (verse 5): And he strove with an angel, and moreover, I did this for him; when he was forced to flee to the field of Aram, you know how I guarded him.
ובאשה שמר. את הצאן:
and for a wife he guarded the flocks.
וּבְנָבִיא הֶעֱלָה יְהֹוָה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם וּבְנָבִיא נִשְׁמָֽר׃
And by a prophet the Lord brought Yisra᾽el out of Miżrayim, and by a prophet was he preserved.
And by a prophet the Lord brought Yisra᾽el out of Miżrayim, and by a prophet was he preserved.
Rashi
ובנביא העלה ה' וגו'. ועל שאתם מבזין את הנביאים ומלעיגין בדבריהם הלא בנביא העלה וגו':
And, through a prophet, the Lord brought up etc. And, insofar as you disgrace the prophets and mock their words, is it not so that through a prophet God brought us etc.?
הִכְעִיס אֶפְרַיִם תַּמְרוּרִים וְדָמָיו עָלָיו יִטּוֹשׁ וְחֶרְפָּתוֹ יָשִׁיב לוֹ אֲדֹנָֽיו׃
Efrayim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood guilt upon him, and his Lord shall requite his reproach on him.
Efrayim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood guilt upon him, and his Lord shall requite his reproach on him.
Rashi
הכעיס אפרים. לבוראו לבזות את נביאיו ולבגוד בו:
Ephraim provoked his Creator by despising His prophets and betraying Him.
תמרורים. הם לו כי דמיו אשר שפך בהחטיאו את ישראל להצמיד לעכו"ם והמחטיאו לאד' קשה לו מן ההורגו כאשר אנו למידין מעמון ומואב שהטעו את ישראל להצמד לבעל פעור וענשן הכתוב יותר ממצרי ואדומי שטבעום בנהר ויצאו בחרב לקראתם:
yea, bitterness (Heb. תַּמְרוּרִים,) they are to him for his blood which he shed by causing Israel to sin by clinging to idolatry and one who causes a person to sin is worse to him than one who kills him, as we learn from Ammon and Moab, who misled Israel to cling to Baal-Peor, and Scripture punished them more severely than an Egyptian and an Edomite, who drowned them in the river and went forth toward them with the sword...
עליו יטוש. עליו יטילם הקב"ה:
shall be cast upon him The Holy One, blessed be He, shall cast it upon him.
וחרפתו. שחירף את שלמה כענין שנאמר (מלכים א יא) וירם יד במלך שהוכיחו ברבים על אשר בנה שלמה את המלוא כדמפורש בחלק:
and his disgrace which he disgraced Solomon, as the matter is stated: (I Kings 11:26) “He raised his hand against the king,” that he rebuked him in public because Solomon had built up the Millo, as is explained in [the chapter entitled] Chelek (San. 101b).
ישיב לו אדוניו. הקב"ה שהרי הוא הרע לעשות יותר ממנו:
his Lord shall requite upon him I.e., the Holy One, blessed be He, since he surpassed him in his evil deeds.
סבבוני. כבר בכחש ובמרמה אפרים ובית ישראל מלכי עשרת השבטים וכל העם אבל יהודה עודנו רד עם אל מושל עוד ביראת אלהים. רד כמו (במדבר כ״ד:י״ט) וירד מיעקב עוד מלכיהם עם הקב"ה:
has surrounded Me Ephraim and the house of Israel have already surrounded Me with lies and deceit, i.e., the kings of the Ten Tribes and all the people, but Judah still... rules with God Still rules with fear of God. rules Heb. רָד. Comp. (Num. 24:19) “And there shall rule (וְיֵרְדְּ) out of Jacob.” Their kings are still with the Holy One, blessed be He.