Tanach
Nechemyah 2:10-18 נחמיה ב׳:י׳-י״ח
Part of: Chapter 2
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיִּשְׁמַע סַנְבַלַּט הַחֹרֹנִי וְטֽוֹבִיָּה הָעֶבֶד הָֽעַמֹּנִי וַיֵּרַע לָהֶם רָעָה גְדֹלָה אֲשֶׁר־בָּא אָדָם לְבַקֵּשׁ טוֹבָה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And [when] Sanvalat the Choronite and Toviah, the Ammonite slave, heard [why I had come], it grieved them greatly that a man had come to seek the good of the children of Israel.
And [when] Sanvalat the Choronite and Toviah, the Ammonite slave, heard [why I had come], it grieved them greatly that a man had come to seek the good of the children of Israel.
Rashi
וָאָבוֹא אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם וָאֱהִי־שָׁם יָמִים שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃
And I came to Jerusalem and I stayed there for three days.
And I came to Jerusalem and I stayed there for three days.
Rashi
ואהי שם ימים שלשה. הייתי בירושלים ימים שלשה ולסוף שלשת ימים קמתי בלילה אני ואנשים מועטים עמי ולא הגדתי לשום אדם את אשר נתן הקב"ה בלבי:
and I was there for three days I was in Jerusalem for three days, and at the end of three days, I and a few men with me arose at night, and I did not tell any person what the Holy One, blessed be He, had put into my heart.
וָאָקוּם ׀ לַיְלָה אֲנִי וַאֲנָשִׁים ׀ מְעַט עִמִּי וְלֹא־הִגַּדְתִּי לְאָדָם מָה אֱלֹהַי נֹתֵן אֶל־לִבִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת לִירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם וּבְהֵמָה אֵין עִמִּי כִּי אִם־הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי רֹכֵב בָּֽהּ׃
And I arose at night, I and a few men with me, and I told no one what my G-d had placed it in my heart to do with Jerusalem; and there were no beasts with me, but only the beast on which I rode [(so that they could leave without being detected and he could execute what he had in mind)].
And I arose at night, I and a few men with me, and I told no one what my G-d had placed it in my heart to do with Jerusalem; and there were no beasts with me, but only the beast on which I rode [(so that they could leave without being detected and he could execute what he had in mind)].
Rashi
ובהמה אין עמי. כי כל האנשים מועטים אשר עמי הלכו ברגליהם אבל אני לבדי הייתי רוכב על בהמה שלא היו רוצים לרכוב על סוסיהם למען יהיו יוצאים מן העיר בצינעא בלא ידיעת אדם והם הלכו לשבור ולהפיל חומות העיר בלילה ולהרבות פרצותיה למען יהיו בני העיר למחר להוטי' ומסכימים בעצה אחת עם נחמיה לבנות חומות העיר, וכן מוכיח המעשה בתוך הפרשה:
and there were no animals with me The few men who were with me went by foot and I alone rode on an animal. They did not ride their horses because they wanted to leave the city in secret, without anyone knowing. They went to break and cast down the walls of the city at night and to increase their breaches in order that on the morrow, the people of the city would be eager and agree unanimously with Nehemiah to build the walls of the city. So it appears from the text.
וָאֵצְאָה בְשַֽׁעַר־הַגַּיְא לַיְלָה וְאֶל־פְּנֵי עֵין הַתַּנִּין וְאֶל־שַׁעַר הָאַשְׁפֹּת וָאֱהִי שֹׂבֵר בְּחוֹמֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם אֲשֶׁר־[הֵם ׀ פְּרוּצִים] (המפרוצים) וּשְׁעָרֶיהָ אֻכְּלוּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃
And I went out at night [(with the few men who were with me)] through the Gate of the Valley towards Ein Tanin and to the Dung Gate [in the walls of the city], and I breached [(even more)] the walls of Jerusalem, which were [(already)] breached and whose gates had been consumed by fire.
And I went out at night [(with the few men who were with me)] through the Gate of the Valley towards Ein Tanin and to the Dung Gate [in the walls of the city], and I breached [(even more)] the walls of Jerusalem, which were [(already)] breached and whose gates had been consumed by fire.
Rashi
ואצאה בשער הגיא. יצאתי באותו שער בלילה עם האנשים אשר עמי לצד אותו מקום של עין התנין ולאותו שער האשפות שבחומות העיר והייתי פורץ בחומה והחומה היתה נוחה להפילה ולפרוץ בה לפי שהיתה שרופה באש:
And I went out through the Gate of the Valley I went out through that gate at night with the men who were with me toward En Hattannin and the Dung Gate in the wall of the city; and I broke the wall, and the wall was easily cast down and broken because it had been burned with fire.
אשר הם פרוצים. שהם אותם מקומו' שהיו פרוצים והם פרצו בהם יותר:
which were breached which are those places that were breached, and they breached them more.
וָאֶֽעֱבֹר אֶל־שַׁעַר הָעַיִן וְאֶל־בְּרֵכַת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֵין־מָקוֹם לַבְּהֵמָה לַעֲבֹר תַּחְתָּֽי׃
And I [wished to] pass on to the Spring Gate and to the King's pool, but there was no room [(in those breaches)] for the beast under me to pass on.
And I [wished to] pass on to the Spring Gate and to the King's pool, but there was no room [(in those breaches)] for the beast under me to pass on.
Rashi
ואעבור אל שער העין. ורציתי לעבור אל אותן מקומות שבחומת העיר ובאותן פרצות ואין מקום באותן פרצות לעבור ביניהם רוכב על הבהמות שהיו פרצות קטנות:
And I passed to the Fountain Gate And I wished to pass to those places in the wall of the city and in those breaches, and there was no place in those breaches for riders on animals to pass through because they were so small.
וָאֱהִי עֹלֶה בַנַּחַל לַיְלָה וָאֱהִי שֹׂבֵר בַּחוֹמָה וָאָשׁוּב וָאָבוֹא בְּשַׁעַר הַגַּיְא וָאָשֽׁוּב׃
So I went up the valley at night, breaking the wall [(with the men who were with me)], and I returned and came to the Gate of the Valley, and I returned [(whence I had come)].
So I went up the valley at night, breaking the wall [(with the men who were with me)], and I returned and came to the Gate of the Valley, and I returned [(whence I had come)].
Rashi
ואהי עולה. והייתי עולה מצד אחד בלילה והייתי שובר בחומה עם האנשים אשר עמי:
And I ascended And I was ascending from one side at night, and I was breaking the wall with the men who were with me.
ואשוב ואבוא. וכאשר חזרתי באתי דרך שער הגיא:
and I returned and came And when I returned, I came by way of the Gate of the Valley.
וְהַסְּגָנִים לֹא יָדְעוּ אָנָה הָלַכְתִּי וּמָה אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה וְלַיְּהוּדִים וְלַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַחֹרִים וְלַסְּגָנִים וּלְיֶתֶר עֹשֵׂה הַמְּלָאכָה עַד־כֵּן לֹא הִגַּֽדְתִּי׃
And the [city] officers did not know where I had gone and what I had done, and I had not told (of it) until then to the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officers, and the rest of the functionaries.
And the [city] officers did not know where I had gone and what I had done, and I had not told (of it) until then to the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officers, and the rest of the functionaries.
Rashi
והסגנים. אשר בעיר לא היו יודעין להיכן הלכתי ואת המעשה אשר עשיתי:
And the prefects who were in the city did not know where I had gone to and what I had done.
עד כן. עד עתה:
yet Heb. עַד כֵּן, until now.
וָאוֹמַר אֲלֵהֶם אַתֶּם רֹאִים הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנַחְנוּ בָהּ אֲשֶׁר יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם חֲרֵבָה וּשְׁעָרֶיהָ נִצְּתוּ בָאֵשׁ לְכוּ וְנִבְנֶה אֶת־חוֹמַת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם וְלֹא־נִהְיֶה עוֹד חֶרְפָּֽה׃
And [(the next day)] I said to them: You see the evil in which we find ourselves, that Jerusalem is in ruins and its gates consumed in fire. Let us go and build the wall of Jerusalem and not be [reduced to] shame anymore.
And [(the next day)] I said to them: You see the evil in which we find ourselves, that Jerusalem is in ruins and its gates consumed in fire. Let us go and build the wall of Jerusalem and not be [reduced to] shame anymore.
Rashi
ואומר אליהם. למחר אמרתי להם:
And I said to them On the morrow I said to them.
ולא נהיה עוד חרפה. שלא יהיו צרינו בוזזים ושוללים אותנו:
and we shall no longer be a reproach that our adversaries should not plunder and pillage us.
וָאַגִּיד לָהֶם אֶת־יַד אֱלֹהַי אֲשֶׁר־הִיא טוֹבָה עָלַי וְאַף־דִּבְרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר אָֽמַר־לִי וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ נָקוּם וּבָנִינוּ וַיְחַזְּקוּ יְדֵיהֶם לַטּוֹבָֽה׃ {פ}
And I told them of the hand of my G-d upon me for the good [(i.e., His having granted me favor in the eyes of the king)], and also the words of the king that he had spoken to me. And they said: Let us arise and build! And they strengthened their hands for the good [i.e., for the building of the wall and the towers of the city.]
And I told them of the hand of my G-d upon me for the good [(i.e., His having granted me favor in the eyes of the king)], and also the words of the king that he had spoken to me. And they said: Let us arise and build! And they strengthened their hands for the good [i.e., for the building of the wall and the towers of the city.]
Rashi
את יד אלהי. אשר נתן לי חן והצלחה לפני המלך:
the hand of my God who gave me favor and success before the king.
לטובה. הכל נתכונו לטובה לבנות חומת העיר ומגדליה:
for good They intended everything for good—to build the wall of the city and its towers.
וישמע סנבלט וגו'. כאשר שמעו שבאתי לבקש טובה על ישראל ולבנות חומות ירושלים וירע בעיניהם כי היו צרי יהודה ובנימין:
Now Sanballat etc., heard When they heard that I had come to request good for Israel and to build the walls of Jerusalem it displeased them greatly, for they were the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin.