Tanach
Nechemyah 2:1-9 נחמיה ב׳:א׳-ט׳
Part of: Chapter 2
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיְהִי ׀ בְּחֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן שְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא הַמֶּלֶךְ יַיִן לְפָנָיו וָאֶשָּׂא אֶת־הַיַּיִן וָאֶתְּנָה לַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא־הָיִיתִי רַע לְפָנָֽיו׃
And it was, in the month of Nissan, the twentieth year of Artachshast [(Darius)] the king, [they brought] wine before him [(in the courtyard)] and I took [(the cup of wine)] and gave it to the king, and I had [never before] been downcast before him [(but always cheerful)].
And it was, in the month of Nissan, the twentieth year of Artachshast [(Darius)] the king, [they brought] wine before him [(in the courtyard)] and I took [(the cup of wine)] and gave it to the king, and I had [never before] been downcast before him [(but always cheerful)].
Rashi
יין לפניו. הביאו יין לפני המלך בחצר:
wine before him They brought wine before the king in the court.
ואשא את היין. ואנכי נשאתי את כוס היין ונתתיה למלך וכך הוא המנהג שהמביא יין בחצר המלך אינו נושא ונותנו למלך אבל שר המשקים מקבל כוס היין מיד המביא והוא נושא ונותנו למלך:
and I carried the wine And I carried the cup of wine and gave it to the king, and so is the custom, that the one who brings wine into the king’s court does not carry it and give it to the king, but the chief butler receives it from the hand of the one who brings it, and carries it and gives it to the king.
לא הייתי רע לפניו. ואני לא הייתי רגיל להיות רע לפניו ברוע פנים כי אם שמח וטוב לב ועתה הייתי זועף ברוע פנים:
And I had never been sad in his presence And I was not accustomed to being sad in his presence, to have a sad face, but to be happy and cheerful, but now I was sad with a sad face.
וַיֹּאמֶר לִי הַמֶּלֶךְ מַדּוּעַ ׀ פָּנֶיךָ רָעִים וְאַתָּה אֵֽינְךָ חוֹלֶה אֵין זֶה כִּי־אִם רֹעַֽ לֵב וָאִירָא הַרְבֵּה מְאֹֽד׃
And the king said to me: Why are you downcast? This must be badness of heart [i.e., you must be plotting to poison me with the wine]; and I feared greatly [(for my life)].
And the king said to me: Why are you downcast? This must be badness of heart [i.e., you must be plotting to poison me with the wine]; and I feared greatly [(for my life)].
Rashi
ואתה אינך חולה. והרי אין אתה חולה:
You are not ill Is it not so that you are not ill?
אין זה. אין המעשה הזה כי אם רוע לב שיש בלבבך עלי להמיתני בסם המות בשתיית כוס זה:
This is nothing This incident is only wickedness of heart, that you have in your heart to put me to death by poisoning this cup.
ואירא הרבה מאד. ונתיראתי מאד על כך שלא יעליל עלי המלך עלילה:
And I became very frightened And I became very frightened about this, lest the king accuse me falsely.
וָאֹמַר לַמֶּלֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ לְעוֹלָם יִחְיֶה מַדּוּעַ לֹא־יֵרְעוּ פָנַי אֲשֶׁר הָעִיר בֵּית־קִבְרוֹת אֲבֹתַי חֲרֵבָה וּשְׁעָרֶיהָ אֻכְּלוּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃
And I said to the king: May the king live forever. Why should I not be downcast when the city of the graves of my fathers [(Jerusalem)] is in ruins, and her gates consumed with fire?
And I said to the king: May the king live forever. Why should I not be downcast when the city of the graves of my fathers [(Jerusalem)] is in ruins, and her gates consumed with fire?
Rashi
מדוע לא ירעו פני. מדוע לא יהיו פני רעים:
Why should my countenance not be sad [as translated,] why should my countenance not be sad.
שר העיר. ירושלים שהיא בית קברות אבותי חרבה:
when the city Jerusalem, which is the place of the graves of my forefathers, is laid waste.
וַיֹּאמֶר לִי הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל־מַה־זֶּה אַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
And the king said: What is your request [(and I shall grant it)], and I [(Nechemiah)] prayed before the G-d of heaven [(saying: So be it before the G-d of heaven that you [the king] grant my request)].
And the king said: What is your request [(and I shall grant it)], and I [(Nechemiah)] prayed before the G-d of heaven [(saying: So be it before the G-d of heaven that you [the king] grant my request)].
Rashi
על מה זה אתה מבקש. אי זה דבר תבקש ממני ואעשה לך:
For what do you make request What do you request of me and I shall do it for you.
ואתפלל. ואמרתי לפני המלך בתפילתי כן יהיה רצון מלפני אלהי השמים שתמלא שאלתי ובקשתי:
And I prayed And I said before the king in my prayer, “May it be Your will, O God of the heavens, that You fulfill my petition and my request.”
וָאֹמַר לַמֶּלֶךְ אִם־עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב וְאִם־יִיטַב עַבְדְּךָ לְפָנֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁלָחֵנִי אֶל־יְהוּדָה אֶל־עִיר קִבְרוֹת אֲבֹתַי וְאֶבְנֶֽנָּה׃
And I said to the king: If it pleases the king, and if your servant is worthy in your eyes, [my request is] that you send me to Judah, to the city of the graves of my fathers and that I rebuild it.
And I said to the king: If it pleases the king, and if your servant is worthy in your eyes, [my request is] that you send me to Judah, to the city of the graves of my fathers and that I rebuild it.
Rashi
אשר תשלחני. שתתן לי רשות לעלות לירושלים ולבנותה:
that you send me that you grant me permission to ascend to Jerusalem and build it.
וַיֹּאמֶר לִי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשֵּׁגַל ׀ יוֹשֶׁבֶת אֶצְלוֹ עַד־מָתַי יִהְיֶה מַֽהֲלָכְךָ וּמָתַי תָּשׁוּב וַיִּיטַב לִפְנֵֽי־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלָחֵנִי וָֽאֶתְּנָה לוֹ זְמָֽן׃
And the king said to me (the queen sitting at his side): When do you wish to go and when will you return? And it [(my request)] was good before the king, and he sent me [i.e., he permitted me to go], and I gave him a time [(for my return)].
And the king said to me (the queen sitting at his side): When do you wish to go and when will you return? And it [(my request)] was good before the king, and he sent me [i.e., he permitted me to go], and I gave him a time [(for my return)].
Rashi
ויאמר לי המלך. בשעה שדבר אלי המלך היתה אשתו המלכה יושבת אצלו:
And the king said to me At the time the king spoke to me, his wife, the queen, was sitting beside him.
והשגל. אשתו המלכה כענין שנאמר (דניאל ה') שגלתיה ולחנתיה, שכן נוהג המקרא לכתוב המלכה אצל הפלגש נשיו ופלגשיו כמו מלכות ופלגשים (שיר /השירים/ ו'):
and the queen Heb. וְהַשֵּׁגָל, his wife the queen, as it is stated (Dan. 5:2): “...his queen (שֵּׁגְלָתֵהּ) and his concubine,” for it is customary for Scripture to write “the queen,” next to “the concubine”; his wives and his concubines, like (Song 6:9): “מְלָכוֹת וּפִּילַגְשִּׁים, queens and concubines. “
עד מתי יהיה מהלכך. מתי תרצה שיהא מהלכך ומסעך:
How long will your trip take When is it your intention to return?
ומתי תשוב. ומתי דעתך לחזור:
and when will you return? When is it your intention to return?
ישלחני. נתן לי רשות ללכת:
and he sent me He gave me permission to go.
ואתנה לו זמן. נתתי לו זמן לחזור:
and I gave him a time I gave him a time of return.
וָאוֹמַר לַמֶּלֶךְ אִם־עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב אִגְּרוֹת יִתְּנוּ־לִי עַֽל־פַּחֲווֹת עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבִירוּנִי עַד אֲשֶׁר־אָבוֹא אֶל־יְהוּדָֽה׃
And I said to the king: If it pleases the king, let them [(your scribes)] give me letters [of authorization from you] to the governors across the river that they escort me [(in safety)] until I come to [Jerusalem in] Judah.
And I said to the king: If it pleases the king, let them [(your scribes)] give me letters [of authorization from you] to the governors across the river that they escort me [(in safety)] until I come to [Jerusalem in] Judah.
Rashi
אגרות יתנו לי. סופריך על רשותך ודעתך חתומות בחותמך על פחות עבר הנהר של צד ארץ ישראל:
may letters be given to me [Let] your scribes [give me letters] by your sanction and your knowledge, sealed with your signet to the governors of the land beyond the river, on the side of the land of Israel.
אשר יעבירוני. ויתיירוני לשלום:
that they escort me through and escort me in peace.
עד אשר אבוא. לירושלים אשר במדינת יהודה:
until I come to Jerusalem, which is in the province of Judea.
וְאִגֶּרֶת אֶל־אָסָף שֹׁמֵר הַפַּרְדֵּס אֲשֶׁר לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן־לִי עֵצִים לְקָרוֹת אֶת־שַׁעֲרֵי הַבִּירָה אֲשֶׁר־לַבַּיִת וּלְחוֹמַת הָעִיר וְלַבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר־אָבוֹא אֵלָיו וַיִּתֶּן־לִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כְּיַד־אֱלֹהַי הַטּוֹבָה עָלָֽי׃
And [I request that] you send a letter to Asaf, keeper of the king's forests, that he give me timber for roofing the gates of the Temple walls and for the city walls and for the house in which I will live.
And [I request that] you send a letter to Asaf, keeper of the king's forests, that he give me timber for roofing the gates of the Temple walls and for the city walls and for the house in which I will live.
Rashi
ואגרת אל אסף. ותשלח כתב אגרת אל אסף:
And a letter to Asaph and that you send a letter to Asaph.
שומר הפרדס. ממונה היה על היערים אשר למלך:
the guardian of the king’s orchard He was appointed over the king’s forests.
לקרות. משקל חזק לעשות תקרות וקורות לשערי בירות הר הבית שהרי ב"ה בנו בבנינו אבל שערי חומות הר הבית וחומת החצר אשר סביב ב"ה לא בנו עדיין:
to make beams This is the intensive conjugation: to make ceilings and beams for the gates of the castles of the Temple Mount, for they had built the Temple as it should be built, but the gates of the walls of the Temple Mount and the wall for the court surrounding the Temple had not yet been built.
ולחומת העיר. ולעשות קורות לחומת העיר:
and for the wall of the city and to make beams for the wall of the city.
ולבית אשר אבא אליו. ולעשות בית אשר אשב בו לצורכי:
and for the house to which I shall go and to make a house in which I shall dwell for my needs.
ויתן לי המלך. את כל אשר שאלתי ממנו:
and the king gave me all I asked him for.
כיד. כפי ידו של הקב"ה שהיתה טובה עלי להצליחני:
according to the good hand according to the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, which was good upon me, to cause me to succeed.
וָֽאָבוֹא אֶֽל־פַּֽחֲווֹת עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר וָאֶתְּנָה לָהֶם אֵת אִגְּרוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלַח עִמִּי הַמֶּלֶךְ שָׂרֵי חַיִל וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃ {פ}
And I came to the governors across the river, and I gave them the king's letters, (and the king had sent with me officers and horsemen [to escort me]).
And I came to the governors across the river, and I gave them the king's letters, (and the king had sent with me officers and horsemen [to escort me]).
Rashi
ואתנה להם את אגרות המלך. למען יתיירוני לשלום:
and I gave them the king’s letters in order that they escort me in peace.
שרי חיל ופרשים. שלח המלך עמי לכבודי למען אלך לשלום:
officers of the army and horsemen the king sent with me [officers] in my honor, in order that I go in peace.
לארתחשסתא. הוא דריוש ועל שם המלכות נקרא כך:
of...Artaxerxes That was Darius, and because of his kingship he was called this.