Tanach
Malachi 2:13-16 מלאכי ב׳:י״ג-ט״ז
Part of: Chapter 2
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וְזֹאת שֵׁנִית תַּעֲשׂוּ כַּסּוֹת דִּמְעָה אֶת־מִזְבַּח יְהֹוָה בְּכִי וַאֲנָקָה מֵאֵין עוֹד פְּנוֹת אֶל־הַמִּנְחָה וְלָקַחַת רָצוֹן מִיֶּדְכֶֽם׃
And this is the second thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, because he will not regard the offering any more, or receive it with good will at your hand.
And this is the second thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, because he will not regard the offering any more, or receive it with good will at your hand.
Rashi
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.
וַאֲמַרְתֶּם עַל־מָה עַל כִּֽי־יְהֹוָה הֵעִיד בֵּינְךָ וּבֵין ׀ אֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָּגַדְתָּה בָּהּ וְהִיא חֲבֶרְתְּךָ וְאֵשֶׁת בְּרִיתֶֽךָ׃
And you say, Why is this? It is because the Lord has been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
And you say, Why is this? It is because the Lord has been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
וְלֹא־אֶחָד עָשָׂה וּשְׁאָר רוּחַ לוֹ וּמָה הָאֶחָד מְבַקֵּשׁ זֶרַע אֱלֹהִים וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם בְּרוּחֲכֶם וּבְאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶיךָ אַל־יִבְגֹּֽד׃
And has he not ordained one flesh, so that one should have a spiritual kin? And what does that one flesh seek? A godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
And has he not ordained one flesh, so that one should have a spiritual kin? And what does that one flesh seek? A godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
Rashi
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.
כִּֽי־שָׂנֵא שַׁלַּח אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכִסָּה חָמָס עַל־לְבוּשׁוֹ אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם בְּרוּחֲכֶם וְלֹא תִבְגֹּֽדוּ׃ {פ}
For to put away is hateful, says the Lord, the God of Yisra᾽el, and violence will cover his garment, says the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.
For to put away is hateful, says the Lord, the God of Yisra᾽el, and violence will cover his garment, says the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.
Rashi
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?
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.