Tanach
Melachim II 4:1-7 מלכים ב ד׳:א׳-ז׳
Part of: Chapter 4
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וְאִשָּׁה אַחַת מִנְּשֵׁי בְנֵֽי־הַנְּבִיאִים צָעֲקָה אֶל־אֱלִישָׁע לֵאמֹר עַבְדְּךָ אִישִׁי מֵת וְאַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ כִּי עַבְדְּךָ הָיָה יָרֵא אֶת־יְהֹוָה וְהַנֹּשֶׁה בָּא לָקַחַת אֶת־שְׁנֵי יְלָדַי לוֹ לַעֲבָדִֽים׃
Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowst that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take to him my two sons to be slaves.
Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowst that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take to him my two sons to be slaves.
Rashi
והנושה. הוא יהורם בן אחאב, שהיה מלווהו ברבית מה שזן את הנביאים בימי אביו, במדרש רבי תנחומא לכך נאמר (לקמן ט כד): ויך את יהורם בין זרועיו, שפשטו ליטול רבית:
Now the creditor. He was Yehorom, son of Achov, who would lend him with interest, enabling him to sustain the prophets in his father’s time [according to] Midrash Rabbi Tanchuma. Therefore it is stated, “And struck Yehorom between his arms,”2Below 9:24. which he stretched out to take interest.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ אֱלִישָׁע מָה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּךְ הַגִּידִי לִי מַה־יֶּשׁ־[לָךְ] (לכי) בַּבָּיִת וַתֹּאמֶר אֵין לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ כֹל בַּבַּיִת כִּי אִם־אָסוּךְ שָֽׁמֶן׃
And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has nothing in the house, except a pot of oil.
And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has nothing in the house, except a pot of oil.
Rashi
אסוך שמן. כדי סיכת שמן, והאל"ף בתיבה מן היסוד, כמו אל"ף של (איוב יג טז): ואחותי באזניכם, והאל"ף של (יחזקאל כא כ): אבחת חרב:
A jar of oil. Enough oil for anointment [=אָסוּךְ], and the ‘א’ is part of the root,3Alternatively, the root is סוך, and the ‘א’ is an added prefix.—Radak like the ‘א’ of, “and my speech [=וְאַחְוָתִי] in your ears,”4Iyov 13:17. and the ‘א’ of, “the dread [=אִבְחַת] of those struck down by the sword.”5Yechezkeil 21:20.
וַיֹּאמֶר לְכִי שַׁאֲלִי־לָךְ כֵּלִים מִן־הַחוּץ מֵאֵת כׇּל־[שְׁכֵנָיִךְ] (שכנכי) כֵּלִים רֵקִים אַל־תַּמְעִֽיטִי׃
Then he said, Go, borrow vessels abroad from all thy neighbours, empty vessels; and not a few.
Then he said, Go, borrow vessels abroad from all thy neighbours, empty vessels; and not a few.
וּבָאת וְסָגַרְתְּ הַדֶּלֶת בַּעֲדֵךְ וּבְעַד־בָּנַיִךְ וְיָצַקְתְּ עַל כׇּל־הַכֵּלִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהַמָּלֵא תַּסִּֽיעִי׃
And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
Rashi
וסגרת הדלת. כבוד הנס הוא לבא בהצנע:
And close the door. [It affords] respect to the miracle [if] it comes about in secret.
והמלא תסיעי. מלפניך, ותתני כלי אחר במקומו למלאותו, וצלוחית השמן לא תזיזי ממקומו, לפי שהקב"ה עושהו כמעין, ואין דרך מעין לזוזו ממקומו, מדרש אגדה שמעתי:
And the full one[s] you shall remove. From before you, and you shall place another vessel in its place to fill it, but you must not move the jug of oil from its place, for the Holy One, Blessed Is He, is making it as a spring, and it is not customary to move a spring from its place.6Alternatively, she must not move the jug of oil because a miracle continues only in the place where it started.—Radak I heard this Midrash Aggadah.
וַתֵּלֶךְ מֵֽאִתּוֹ וַתִּסְגֹּר הַדֶּלֶת בַּעֲדָהּ וּבְעַד בָּנֶיהָ הֵם מַגִּישִׁים אֵלֶיהָ וְהִיא (מיצקת) [מוֹצָֽקֶת]׃
So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
Rashi
הם מגישים אליה. הכלים:
They would bring [the containers] to her. The vessels.7They even brought her broken vessels and miraculously they became whole. These too were filled with oil.—Radak
וַיְהִי ׀ כִּמְלֹאת הַכֵּלִים וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־בְּנָהּ הַגִּישָׁה אֵלַי עוֹד כֶּלִי וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ אֵין עוֹד כֶּלִי וַֽיַּעֲמֹד הַשָּֽׁמֶן׃
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, Bring me another vessel. And he said to her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stopped flowing.
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, Bring me another vessel. And he said to her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stopped flowing.
Rashi
ויעמוד השמן. מלבא עוד, ומדרש אגדה (בבראשית רבה לה ג): הוקיר שער השמן:
Then the oil stopped. From coming anymore. [According to] Midrash Aggadah, the price of oil went up.8Bereishis Rabbah 35:3.
וַתָּבֹא וַתַּגֵּד לְאִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לְכִי מִכְרִי אֶת־הַשֶּׁמֶן וְשַׁלְּמִי אֶת־[נִשְׁיֵךְ] (נשיכי) וְאַתְּ (בניכי) [וּבָנַיִךְ] תִּֽחְיִי בַּנּוֹתָֽר׃ {פ}
Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children from the remainder.
Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children from the remainder.
Rashi
ותבא ותגד וגו'. באת ליטול עצה, אם למכור אם להמתין עד שיוקר עוד, אמר לה לכי מכרי, כי יש די לכל נשייך, ולחיות את ובניך בנותר, עד שיחיו המתים:
She came and told, etc. She came for advice, whether to sell [the oil] or to wait until it would become even more expensive. He said to her, “Go sell, for there is enough [to pay] all your debt, and for you and your sons to live with the remainder, until the dead are resurrected.”9He blessed them with eternal life, i.e., life until the Resurrection of the Dead.—Malbim
מנשי בני הנביאים. אשת עובדיה היתה כל בני הנביאים שבמקרא, תרגומו: תלמידי נבייא:
A wife of one of the disciples of the prophets. She was the wife of Ovadyoh. Every expression of ‘בְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים’ [lit., “the sons of the prophets”], in Scripture, is translated [by Targum Yonoson] as, “the disciples of the prophets.”1See Targum above 2:3, 2:7 and 2:15.