Tanach
Nechemyah 5:1-8 נחמיה ה׳:א׳-ח׳
Part of: Chapter 5
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַתְּהִי צַעֲקַת הָעָם וּנְשֵׁיהֶם גְּדוֹלָה אֶל־אֲחֵיהֶם הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃
And the outcry of [the poor of] the people and their wives was great against their brother Jews [(the rich, who refused to feed them)].
And the outcry of [the poor of] the people and their wives was great against their brother Jews [(the rich, who refused to feed them)].
Rashi
אל אחיהם היהודים. בשביל אחיהם היהודים העשירים:
about their brothers, the Jews about their brothers, the rich Jews.
וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר אֹמְרִים בָּנֵינוּ וּבְנֹתֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ רַבִּים וְנִקְחָה דָגָן וְנֹאכְלָה וְנִחְיֶֽה׃
Some of them said [(i.e., they cried out to the rich Jews)]: [With] our sons and daughters we are [too] many [to survive. We will have to sell them] to buy grain in order to eat and live!
Some of them said [(i.e., they cried out to the rich Jews)]: [With] our sons and daughters we are [too] many [to survive. We will have to sell them] to buy grain in order to eat and live!
Rashi
ויש אשר אומרים. נותן טעם לדבריו למה היו צועקים יש מהם מדלת העם שהיו אומרים אנחנו רבים עם בנינו ובנותינו ונקחה דגן ועתה יש לנו למכור בנינו ובנותינו ליקח מהם דגן למען נחיה כך היו צועקים על היהודים העשירים שלא היו רוצים לפרנסם:
There were some who were saying He gives a reason for his words: Why were they crying? Some of the poor people were saying, “We are many with our sons and daughters and have to buy corn. Now we will have to sell our sons and daughters in order to buy corn in order to live.” So were they crying about the rich Jews who did not wish to support them.
וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר אֹמְרִים שְׂדֹתֵינוּ וּכְרָמֵינוּ וּבָתֵּינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ עֹרְבִים וְנִקְחָה דָגָן בָּרָעָֽב׃
And some said: We will [have to] pawn our fields and our vineyards and our houses to buy grain in (our) hunger!
And some said: We will [have to] pawn our fields and our vineyards and our houses to buy grain in (our) hunger!
Rashi
ויש אשר אומרים שדותינו וגו'. ויש מהם בעניים שהיו מתאוננים ואומרים שדות וכרמים ובתים נתן לאחרים בערבון ומשכון ליקח דגן למזונותינו:
And there were some who were saying “Our fields, etc.” And there were some among the poor who were complaining and saying “Our fields, vineyards and houses we shall give to others as a pledge and as security to buy corn for our food.”
ברעב. אחרי שאין מוותרים לנו העשירים מנכסיהם לפרנסתינו:
for the hunger since the rich do not give any of their property up to us for our support.
וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר אֹמְרִים לָוִינוּ כֶסֶף לְמִדַּת הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׂדֹתֵינוּ וּכְרָמֵֽינוּ׃
And some said: We have [already] borrowed money (on) our fields and vineyards to [pay] the king's taxes [(and we have nothing left to feed ourselves with)]!
And some said: We have [already] borrowed money (on) our fields and vineyards to [pay] the king's taxes [(and we have nothing left to feed ourselves with)]!
Rashi
ויש אשר אומרים לוינו כסף. ויש מהם אשר אומרים כבר לוינו כסף מאחרים על שדותינו וכרמינו לפרוע מס המלך ומעכשיו אין לנו כלום לצורך פרנסתינו:
And there were some who were saying, “We have borrowed money” And there were some who were saying, “We have already borrowed money from others on our fields and our vineyards to pay the king’s tax, and now we have nothing for our support.”
למדת המלך. למס המלך כמו (עזרא ד') מנדה בלו והלך:
for the king’s tax Heb. לְמִדַּת, for the king’s tax, like (Ezra 4:13): “...the king’s due (מִנְדָּה), the head tax, and the meal tax.”
וְעַתָּה כִּבְשַׂר אַחֵינוּ בְּשָׂרֵנוּ כִּבְנֵיהֶם בָּנֵינוּ וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ כֹבְשִׁים אֶת־בָּנֵינוּ וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֵינוּ לַעֲבָדִים וְיֵשׁ מִבְּנֹתֵינוּ נִכְבָּשׁוֹת וְאֵין לְאֵל יָדֵנוּ וּשְׂדֹתֵינוּ וּכְרָמֵינוּ לַאֲחֵרִֽים׃
And now, [just as good] as our [rich] brothers' flesh is our flesh! [Just as good as] their sons are our sons! And, behold, we will have to impress our sons and daughters as slaves; and some of our daughters are [already] impressed, and we have not the wherewithal [to redeem them]. And our fields and vineyards [have already been given] to others [for food, and what shall we eat now!]
And now, [just as good] as our [rich] brothers' flesh is our flesh! [Just as good as] their sons are our sons! And, behold, we will have to impress our sons and daughters as slaves; and some of our daughters are [already] impressed, and we have not the wherewithal [to redeem them]. And our fields and vineyards [have already been given] to others [for food, and what shall we eat now!]
Rashi
ועתה כבשר אחינו בשרינו. ועכשיו אנו חשובים ומיוחסים כאחינו שהם עשירים:
And now, like the flesh of our brethren is our flesh And now, we are as esteemed and distinguished as our brethren who are rich.
כבניהם בנינו. כבניהם שהם חשובים ומיוחסים כמו כן מיוחסים בנינו:
like their children are our children Like their children, who are esteemed and distinguished, so are our children distinguished.
והנה אנחנו כובשים. ועתה יש לנו להיות כובשים ונותנים בנינו ובנותינו לאחרים על עסק מזונותינו:
and behold, we are subjecting And now we have to subject and deliver our sons and daughters to others for the sake of our sustenance.
ויש מבנותינו נכבשות. וכבר יש קצת מבנותינו שהן נכבשות לאחרים לעבדות:
and some of our daughters are subjected And already there are some of our daughters who are subjected to others in slavery.
ואין לאל ידינו. ואין כח בידינו לפדותם:
and we have no power We do not have the ability to redeem them.
ושדותינו וכרמינו לאחרים. אף שדות וכרמים מסרנו ביד אחרים לפרנסתינו ומה נאכל מעתה כי אין לנו במה להתפרנס:
and others have our fields and vineyards We have even delivered our fields and vineyards to others for our sustenance. From now on, what shall we eat? We have nothing with which to sustain ourselves.
וַיִּחַר לִי מְאֹד כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת־זַֽעֲקָתָם וְאֵת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
And I was greatly troubled when I heard their cries and these things.
And I was greatly troubled when I heard their cries and these things.
וַיִּמָּלֵךְ לִבִּי עָלַי וָאָרִיבָה אֶת־הַחֹרִים וְאֶת־הַסְּגָנִים וָאֹמְרָה לָהֶם מַשָּׁא אִישׁ־בְּאָחִיו אַתֶּם (נשאים) [נֹשִׁים] וָאֶתֵּן עֲלֵיהֶם קְהִלָּה גְדוֹלָֽה׃
And my heart counseled me, and I quarreled with the nobles and the officers and said to them: You are exacting payment, each of his brother, [(by lending the poor in order to impress their sons and daughters and take their fields, their vineyards, and their houses.)] And I congregated against them a great crowd [(of the poor to cry out against them and shame them.)]
And my heart counseled me, and I quarreled with the nobles and the officers and said to them: You are exacting payment, each of his brother, [(by lending the poor in order to impress their sons and daughters and take their fields, their vineyards, and their houses.)] And I congregated against them a great crowd [(of the poor to cry out against them and shame them.)]
Rashi
וימלך. ויועץ לבי בעצמי:
And I thought this over to myself Heb. וַיִמָלֵךְ לִבִּי עָלַי, and my heart took counsel within myself.
ואריבה. נתוכחתי עם החורים והסגנים שהם העשירים:
and I contended I contended with the nobles and the prefects, who were the rich people.
משא איש באחיו אתם. נושים מדוע אתם כך עושים היה לכם לפרנס העניים הללו ואתם מלוים להם ממון לכבוש בניהם ובנותיהם ושדותיהם וכרמיהם ובתיהם:
“Are you demanding each other’s loans?” Why are you doing this? You should have supported these poor people, but you are lending them money in order to appropriate their sons and daughters, their fields, vineyards and houses.
ואתן עליהם קהלה גדולה. הקהלתי ואספתי עליהם קהילה גדולה לצעוק עליהם כדי לביישם:
and I gathered a large assembly around them I congregated and gathered a large assembly around them to shout at them in order to embarrass them.
וָאֹמְרָה לָהֶם אֲנַחְנוּ קָנִינוּ אֶת־אַחֵינוּ הַיְּהוּדִים הַנִּמְכָּרִים לַגּוֹיִם כְּדֵי בָנוּ וְגַם־אַתֶּם תִּמְכְּרוּ אֶת־אֲחֵיכֶם וְנִמְכְּרוּ־לָנוּ וַֽיַּחֲרִישׁוּ וְלֹא מָצְאוּ דָּבָֽר׃ {פ}
And I said to them: We have [already] bought back our brother Jews [in captivity] who had been sold to the gentiles, with whatever [money] we had; yet you, too, would sell your brothers [impressed under you, to the gentiles], and [in the end] they would be sold to us [i.e., we would have to buy them back!] And they were [struck] silent [in shame] and they found nothing [to say].
And I said to them: We have [already] bought back our brother Jews [in captivity] who had been sold to the gentiles, with whatever [money] we had; yet you, too, would sell your brothers [impressed under you, to the gentiles], and [in the end] they would be sold to us [i.e., we would have to buy them back!] And they were [struck] silent [in shame] and they found nothing [to say].
Rashi
ואמרה להם. וכן אמרתי להם אנחנו קנינו כבר את אחינו היהודים אשר בשביה מיד העכו"ם שהיו נמכרים להם:
And I said to them And so I said to them: We already bought our Jewish brethren who were in captivity from the heathens to whom they were sold.
כדי בנו. באותו די ממון שבידינו:
with as much as we could afford with as much money as was in our hands.
וגם אתם. ואף אתם תמכרו לעכו"ם את אחיכם הנכבשים תחת ידיכם לעבדים:
and you too And you too will sell to the heathens your brethren who are subjected to you as slaves?
ונמכרו לנו. והמעשה יבא לידי כך שיהיו מכורים לנו מיד העכו"ם (אם כן למה תמכרו אותם כיון שמוכרחים אנחנו לפדותם כן הוא בס"א):
and they will be sold to us And the result will be that they will be sold to us by the heathens (and if so, why should you sell them, since we will be compelled to redeem them? This is found in certain editions).
ויחרישו. שתקו ונתביישו ולא ידעו מה להשיב:
and they remained silent They were silent and ashamed, and they did not know what to answer.
ותהי צעקת העם ונשיהם גדולה. דלת העם העניים היו צועקים מאד:
Now the cry of the people and their wives was great The poor people were crying exceedingly.