Malachi 2 מלאכי ב׳

אֲלֵיכֶם. הַכֹּהֲנִים, אֲנִי מְצַוֶּה הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת, שֶׁלֹּא תַּקְרִיבוּ אֵלֶּה עַל מִזְבְּחִי.

to you, etc., O priests I charge you with this commandment, that you shall not sacrifice these on My altar.

וְאָרוֹתִי. וְקִלַּלְתִּי אֶת בִּרְכוֹתֵיכֶם – מַה שֶּׁצָּרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ לָכֶם: הַדָּגָן, וְהַתִּירוֹשׁ, וְהַיִּצְהָר.

and I will curse And I will curse your blessings; how I should bless the grain, the wine, and the oil for you.

וְגַם אָרוֹתִיהָ. וּבֶאֱמֶת אֵין לִתְלוֹת הַדָּבָר עַל תְּנַאי שֶׁתָּלִיתִי בְּ״אִם לֹא יִשְׁמַע״, כִּי יָדַעְתִּי שֶׁלֹּא תִשְׁמְעוּ. לְפִיכָךְ אֲנִי מֵעַתָּה אָרוֹתִיהָ.

Indeed I have [already] cursed it Indeed, it is unnecessary to have the matter depend on the condition upon which I made it depend: if they do not obey. For I know that you will not obey. Therefore, I have already cursed it - from now.

וְזֵרִיתִי פֶרֶשׁ. שֶׁל בְּהֵמוֹת חַגֵּיכֶם עַל פְּנֵיכֶם. כְּלוֹמַר, לֹא תְקַבְּלוּ שָׂכָר מֵאִתִּי כִּי אִם לְרָעָה, לְבֹשֶׁת, וְאֶגְעַר לָכֶם אֶת זֶרַע הַשָּׂדֶה.

and I will scatter dung of the animals of your festive sacrifices; that is to say, you will not receive reward from Me, but [you will receive a curse] for harm and shame. And I will rebuke the seed of the field because of you.

וְנָשָׂא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָיו. פֶּרֶשׁ בְּהֵמוֹת קָרְבְּנוֹתֵיכֶם יִשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָיו, לִהְיוֹת זוֹלְלִים וְנִבְזִים כָּמוֹהוּ.

and it shall take you to itself The dung of your sacrificial animals will take you to itself to [make you] cheap and despised, as it is.

לִהְיוֹת בְּרִיתִי אֶת לֵוִי. שֶׁאֲנִי חָפֵץ שֶׁתִּתְקַיְּמוּ (אִתִּי) בַּבְּרִית שֶׁכָּרַתִּי לְשֵׁבֶט לֵוִי.

that My covenant be with Levi for I wish that you will exist with Me with the covenant that I formed for the tribe of Levi.

הַחַיִּים וְהַשָּׁלוֹם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְפִינְחָס ״אֶת בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם״ (במדבר כה:יב), וְהֻבְטַח לוֹ וּלְזַרְעוֹ אַחֲרָיו. הֲרֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא זַרְעוֹ בַּחַיִּים.

life and peace As it was said to Phinehas (Num. 25:12): “My covenant of peace”; and it was promised to him and to his seed after him, thus indicating that his seed will be alive.

וָאֶתְּנֵם לוֹ. שֶׁיְּקַבְּלֵם בְּמוֹרָא, וְכֵן עָשָׂה וַיִּירָאֵנִי.

and I gave them to him that he accept them with fear, and so he did, and he feared Me.

נִחַת. לְשׁוֹן ׳חִתַּת׳ – נִתְיָרֵא.

he was over-awed an expression of חִתַּת, fear; he was afraid.

בְּשָׁלוֹם וּבְמִישׁוֹר הָלַךְ אִתִּי. אַהֲרֹן וְאֶלְעָזָר וּפִינְחָס. וְכֵן בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, הֵשִׁיבוּ כָּל שִׁבְטֵיהֶם מֵעָוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיֵּאָסְפוּ אֵלָיו כָּל בְּנֵי לֵוִי״ (שמות לב:כו).

In peace and equity he went with Me Aaron, Eleazar, and Phinehas and so in the episode of the calf, they brought back all their tribe from iniquity, as it is said (Ex. 32:26), “all the children of Levi gathered to him.”

כִּי שִׂפְתֵי כֹהֵן. עֲלֵיהֶם מוּטָל לִשְׁמֹר דַּעַת. לָמָּה? שֶׁהֲרֵי תוֹרָה יְבַקְשׁוּ מִפִּיהוּ, שֶׁכְּבָר דָּבָר זֶה מָסוּר לָהֶם: ״יוֹרוּ מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לְיַעֲקֹב״ (דברים לג:י).

For a priest’s lips It is incumbent upon them to guard knowledge. Why? Because... teaching should be sought from his mouth This matter has already (Deut. 33:10) been delivered to them. “They shall teach Your judgments to Jacob.”

כִּי מַלְאַךְ. שְׁלוּחוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כְּמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת, לְשָׁרֵת לְפָנָיו וְלִכָּנֵס לִפְנִים בִּמְחִיצָתוֹ.

for he is a messenger the agent of the Holy One, blessed be He; like the ministering angels, to serve Him and to enter into His compartment. [I.e., into the place where God’s presence is manifest.]

לְחַלֵּל בְּרִית אֲבֹתֵינוּ. בְּרִית שֶׁכָּרַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עִם אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּסִינַי.

to profane the covenant of our forefathers The covenant that the Holy One, blessed be He, formed with our forefathers at Sinai.

כִּי חִלֵּל יְהוּדָה. אֶת עַצְמוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה קֹדֶשׁ לַה׳, ״רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתוֹ״ (ירמיהו ב:ג).

for Judah has profaned himself, who was the holy one of the Lord, the first of His grain.

וּבָעַל בַּת אֵל נֵכָר. שֶׁנָּשְׂאוּ נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת בְּבָבֶל, וַאֲפִלּוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּסֵפֶר (עזרא ט). וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ: מַלְאָכִי זֶה עֶזְרָא.

and married the daughter of a foreign god that they married gentile women in Babylon, and even the priests, as is delineated in the Book of Ezra (chap. 9 and 10). Our Sages said that Malachi is Ezra.

עֵר וְעֹנֶה. עֵר בַּתַּלְמִידִים, וְעֹנֶה בַּחֲכָמִים. ״עֵר״ – לְשׁוֹן ׳אָדָם חָרִיף׳.

one of acuity or erudition An ingenious one among the students, and one who can answer among the sages. עֵר An expression of an ingenious person.

וּמַגִּישׁ מִנְחָה. וְאִם כֹּהֵן הוּא, לֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹ בֵּן מַגִּישׁ מִנְחָה.

and one who offers up an offering And if he is a priest, he will not have a son who offers up an offering.

שֵׁנִית תַּעֲשׂוּ. הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁהוֹכַחְתִּי הַרְבֵּה, הִיא קָשָׁה – שֶׁנָּשָׂא נָכְרִיּוֹת וַאֲפִלּוּ הוּא פָּנוּי. וְזֹאת שֵׁנִית, קָשָׁה מִמֶּנָּה, שֶׁהַנָּשׂוּי יִשְׂרְאֵלִית נָשְׂאוּ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הַנָּכְרִיּוֹת, לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְפַּחֲמוּ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִיּוֹת בָּרָעָב וּבַגּוֹלָה, וְנִתְגַּנּוּ עֲלֵיהֶם. וְהָיָה מוֹשִׁיבָהּ בְּבֵיתוֹ צְרוּרָה כְּאַלְמְנוֹת חַיּוֹת, וְהַנָּכְרִית הָיְתָה גְּבֶרֶת.

And this second thing you do The first matter concerning which I reproved you is, indeed, very grave, for one to have married a gentile woman even if he was unmarried; but this second matter is graver, for those [who were] married to Israelite women and married gentile women in addition to them. [The men did this] because the Israelite women became black from hunger and from exile, and became repugnant to them. [Such a man] would, therefore, sit her [his Israelite wife] in his house, bound in living widowhood, and the gentile wife would be the chief wife.

כַּסּוֹת דִּמְעָה אֶת מִזְבַּח. שֶׁהָיוּ בָּאוֹת לִפְנֵי מִזְבַּח ה׳ וּבוֹכוֹת לְפָנָיו, וְאוֹמְרוֹת: ״מָה חָטָאנוּ, וּמַה מָּצְאוּ אֲנָשֵׁינוּ בָּנוּ עָוֶל? הִנְּנוּ לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְהִבָּדֵק כְּסוֹטוֹת״.

to cover the altar of the Lord with tears For the [Israelite wives] would come before the altar of the Lord and weep before it, saying, “What have we sinned? And what wrong have our husbands found in us? Behold! We are before the altar to be tested as suspected adulteresses.”

מֵאֵין עוֹד פְּנוֹת וְגוֹ׳. עַד שֶׁאֵינְכֶם כְּדַי שֶׁאֶפְנֶה אֶל מִנְחַתְכֶם וְלָקַחַת רִצּוּי מִיֶּדְכֶם.

such that he will no longer turn, etc. So that you are not fit for Me to turn to your offering or take any thing willingly from your hand.

וַאֲנָקָה. לְשׁוֹן ׳אֲנָחָה׳, שֶׁאָדָם מִצְטַעֵר בְּלִבּוֹ. דמוניש״א בְּלַעַ״ז. וְאָב לְכֻלָּם: ״הֵאָנֵק דֹּם״ (יחזקאל כד:יז). וְאִם ״אֲנָקָה״ לְשׁוֹן ׳צְעָקָה׳, הֵיכָן הַדְּמָמָה? וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ: ״דְּמִדַּנְקִין״. וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם (שם כ״ד) ״וּנְקֹטֹתֶם בִּפְנֵיכֶם״ – ״וּתְדַנְקוּן״. לְשׁוֹן אָדָם הַנּוֹהֵם וּמִצְטַעֵר בְּעַצְמוֹ.

and sighing an expression of sighing, that a person feels pain in his heart; demonisement in Old French, groaning. The source of all of them is (Ezek. 24:17), “Be silent in groaning” But if אֳנָקָה is an expression of a cry, where is the silence? The Targum of this word is דִמְדַנְקִין, and so did Jonathan translate (ibid. 30: 43) “And you shall sigh before yourselves ותְדַנְקוּן.” [This is] an expression of a person who roars and feels pain within himself.

וְלֹא אֶחָד עָשָׂה. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאָדָם וְחַוָּה תְּחִלָּה.

Now did He not make one The Holy One, blessed be He, made Adam and Eve first.

וּשְׁאָר. הָרוּחוֹת וְהַנְּפָשׁוֹת לִי הָיוּ. מֵאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן יָצְאוּ כֻּלָּם.

the rest of the spirits The spirits and the souls. had Lit., to him were. They all came our from the first man.

וּמָה הָאֶחָד מְבַקֵּשׁ. הָאֶחָד שֶׁבַּזּוּג מְבַקֵּשׁ לִמְצֹא עֲלִילוֹת לְאִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁהִיא בַּת זוּגוֹ, שֶׁהוּא זֶרַע אֱלֹהִים. מָה הוּא תּוֹעֵבָה שֶׁמְּבַזֶּה אוֹתָהּ? וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן תַּרְגּוּם שֶׁל יוֹנָתָן, אֶלָּא שֶׁיּוֹנָתָן תִּרְגֵּם: ״וּמָה הָאֶחָד מְבַקֵּשׁ כִּי אִם זֶרַע אֱלֹהִים״. וְהַפֵּרוּשׁ נָכוֹן, אִם לֹא שֶׁ״הָאֶחָד״ נָקוּד בְּטַעַם זָקֵף. נוֹתֵק טַעַם הַזָּקֵף אֶת תֵּבַת ״מְבַקֵּשׁ״ מִלְּהִתְחַבֵּר עִם ״וּמָה הָאֶחָד״, וְסָמְכוֹ אֵצֶל ״זֶרַע אֱלֹהִים״. וְיֵשׁ פִּתְרוֹן עַל פִּי הָאַגָּדָה, שֶׁנִּתְקַבְּצוּ נוֹשְׂאֵי הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת אֶל הַנָּבִיא, אָמְרוּ לוֹ: ״וְלֹא אַבְרָהָם עָשָׂה כֵן, שֶׁנָּשָׂא הָגָר עַל אִשְׁתּוֹ״? וְאָמַר לָהֶם: ״וּשְׁאָר רוּחַ לוֹ״ – לֹא דַעְתּוֹ כְּדַעְתְּכֶם, לֹא נָתַן בָּהּ עֵינָיו, דַּעַת אַחֶרֶת הָיְתָה לוֹ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: ״וּמָה הָאֶחָד מְבַקֵּשׁ״ – מָה הָיְתָה דַּעְתּוֹ? אָמַר לָהֶם: ״לִהְיוֹת לוֹ זֶרַע אֱלֹהִים״. וְתַרְגּוּם שֶׁל יוֹנָתָן הֻכְשַׁר בְּעֵינַי, שֶׁלֹּא מָצִינוּ לֹא בַּמִּקְרָא וְלֹא בַּמִּשְׁנָה ׳שְׁאָר׳ מְשַׁמֵּשׁ לְשׁוֹן ׳אַחֵר׳, אֶלָּא בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאָדָם יָכוֹל לְפָרְשׁוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן שִׁירַיִם, כְּמוֹ (דניאל ז:ז) ״אָכְלָה וּמַדְּקָה, וּשְׁאָרָא בְּרַגְלַהּ רָפְסָה״, וּבִלְשׁוֹן מִשְׁנָה: ״וּשְׁאָר חַיָּבֵי מִיתוֹת״ – חוּץ מֵאוֹתָן שֶׁפֵּרַשׁ. אֲבָל לְשׁוֹן שֶׁ׳אַחֵר׳ מְשַׁמֵּשׁ, אֵין ׳שְׁאָר׳ מְשַׁמֵּשׁ.

Now what does the one seek Now what does the one member of the couple seek to find accusations against his wife, who is his mate, who is the seed of God? What does he claim of her that he disgraces her? This is the wording of Jonathan’s translation, except that Jonathan renders: Now what does the one seek except seed of God? The explanation is correct except for the fact that the word הָאֶחָד is pointed with “zakef” mark, and the mark of the “zakef” separates the word מְבַקֵּש from joining וּמָה הָאֶחָד. It connects it to זֶרַע אֱ-לֹֹהִים. He had a different spirit His intention was not like your intention. He did not cast his eye upon her. He had a different intention. They said to him, “Now what did the one seek?” What was his intention? He said to them: To have seed of the Lord. Jonathan’s translation appeals to me, because neither in Scripture nor in the Mishnah do we find שְׁאָר being used as an expression of “other” - except where a person can explain it as an expression of residue, as in (Dan. 7: 19), “which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet.” In the language of the Mishnah (Sanh. 8b), “And others liable to death” - outside of those delineated. But in the expression for which אַחֵר is used, שְׁאָר is not used.

וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם בְּרוּחֲכֶם. וּבְאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶיךָ אַל יִבְגֹּד רוּחֶךָ.

and you shall beware of your spirit, that it shall not deal treacherously with the wife of your youth Your spirit shall not deal treacherously.

כִּי שָׂנֵא שַׁלַּח. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ חֲלוּקִין בָּהּ בְּמַסֶּכֶת גִּטִּין. יֵשׁ מֵהֶם אוֹמְרִים: אִם שָׂנֵאתָ, שַׁלַּח אוֹתָהּ בְּגֵט וְתִנָּשֵׂא לְאַחֵר.

If you hate [her], send [her] away Our Sages differ concerning it in tractate Gittin (90b). Some of them say: If you hate her, send her away with a bill of divorcement, so that she can marry someone else.

וְכִסָּה חָמָס עַל לְבוּשׁוֹ. אֲבָל זֹאת – כְּלוּם הוֹגֶנֶת לַעֲשׂוֹת, שֶׁתִּפְרֹס עָלֶיהָ טַלִּיתְךָ לְהַחֲזִיקָהּ לְךָ כְּאִשְׁתְּךָ, וְהֶחָמָס פָּרוּשׂ עַל אוֹתָהּ טַלִּית, שֶׁבְּלִבְּךָ עָלֶיהָ שִׂנְאָה, וְאַתָּה מַקְנִיטָהּ וּמְצַעֲרָהּ תָּמִיד?

For injustice shall cover his garment But this - is it proper to do, that you spread your cloak over her to keep her for you as your wife, and you provoke her and torment her constantly?

בֶּאֱמׇרְכֶם כָּל עֹשֵׂה רָע וְגוֹ׳. אוֹ אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵי הַמִּשְׁפָּט. לְפִי שֶׁאַתֶּם רוֹאִים דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים צָלֵחָה, וְצַדִּיקִים מְעֻנִּים וְנִכְשָׁלִים, אוֹמְרִים אַתֶּם בִּלְבַבְכֶם אַחַת מִשְּׁתֵּי דְרָכִים הַלָּלוּ: ״כָּל עֹשֵׂה רָע טוֹב בְּעֵינָיו״, אוֹ אֵין דִּין וְאֵין דַּיָּן לִפָּרַע. וְכֵן פִּתְרוֹן לְשׁוֹן הַמִּקְרָא: ״כָּל עֹשֵׂה רָע טוֹב בְּעֵינָיו״ – לְכָךְ הוּא מַצְלִיחַ אוֹתָם. ״אוֹ״ אִם אֵין זֹאת, ״אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵי הַמִּשְׁפָּט״ שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִפְרָע מֵהֶם.

By your saying, “Every evildoer, etc., or Where is the God of judgment?” Since you see that the way of the wicked prospers, and the righteous are afflicted and stumble, you say to yourselves, “One of these two ways is true: Either every evildoer is good in His sight, or [else] there is no judgment or judge to requite him. And so is the interpretation of the language of the verse: Every evildoer is good in His sight; therefore, He causes them to prosper. Or, if this is not so, where is the God of judgment, for He does not requite them.