Tanach
Nechemyah 5:9-19 נחמיה ה׳:ט׳-י״ט
Part of: Chapter 5
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
(ויאמר) [וָאוֹמַר] לֹא־טוֹב הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם עֹשִׂים הֲלוֹא בְּיִרְאַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ תֵּלֵכוּ מֵחֶרְפַּת הַגּוֹיִם אוֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃
And I said: This thing that you do is not good [(before the L-rd)]. Would you not pursue the fear of G d in the face of the shame of [i.e., your being shamed by] the gentiles, our foes!
And I said: This thing that you do is not good [(before the L-rd)]. Would you not pursue the fear of G d in the face of the shame of [i.e., your being shamed by] the gentiles, our foes!
Rashi
מחרפת. מפני חרפות העכו"ם שהם אויבינו:
because of the reproach because of the reproach of the heathens who are our enemies.
וְגַם־אֲנִי אַחַי וּנְעָרַי נֹשִׁים בָּהֶם כֶּסֶף וְדָגָן נַֽעַזְבָה־נָּא אֶת־הַמַּשָּׁא הַזֶּֽה׃
And I, too, (and) my brethren and my youths are their creditors in money and in grain, and we shall now waive this debt [(and you follow our example!)]
And I, too, (and) my brethren and my youths are their creditors in money and in grain, and we shall now waive this debt [(and you follow our example!)]
Rashi
וגם אני אחי ונערי. אף אני וחבירי נושים בהם ממון ואנחנו נעזוב ונמחול להם כל ההלואות הללו:
I, too, and my brothers and my servants I, too, and my colleagues lent them money, and we shall abandon and relinquish to them all these loans.
נושים. כמו (מלכים ב ד׳:א׳) והנושה בא לקחת:
have lent Heb. נֹשִׁים, like (II Kings 4:1): “...and the creditor (וְהַנֹשֶּׁה) has come to take.”
הָשִׁיבוּ נָא לָהֶם כְּהַיּוֹם שְׂדֹתֵיהֶם כַּרְמֵיהֶם זֵיתֵיהֶם וּבָתֵּיהֶם וּמְאַת הַכֶּסֶף וְהַדָּגָן הַתִּירוֹשׁ וְהַיִּצְהָר אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם נֹשִׁים בָּהֶֽם׃
Return to them, now, as of this day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and most of the money and the grain and the wine and the oil wherein you are their creditors.
Return to them, now, as of this day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and most of the money and the grain and the wine and the oil wherein you are their creditors.
Rashi
השיבו נא. ואף אתם תעשו כמוני למחול להם כל חובותיהם:
give back And you shall also do as I do, to relinquish all their debts to them.
ומאת הכסף. ורוב הכסף שהם חייבים לכם עם הדגן ותירוש וגו':
and the hundred silver pieces and the large amount of money that they owe you with the corn and the wine, etc.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ נָשִׁיב וּמֵהֶם לֹא נְבַקֵּשׁ כֵּן נַעֲשֶׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר אַתָּה אוֹמֵר וָאֶקְרָא אֶת־הַכֹּהֲנִים וָֽאַשְׁבִּיעֵם לַעֲשׂוֹת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּֽה׃
And they said: We shall return (it) and we shall ask nothing of them. We shall do exactly as you have said. And I called the priests and I beswore them to do as this thing [i.e., to waive their loans].
And they said: We shall return (it) and we shall ask nothing of them. We shall do exactly as you have said. And I called the priests and I beswore them to do as this thing [i.e., to waive their loans].
Rashi
ויאמרו נשיב. והם אמרו להשיב ולמחול הכל:
And they said, “We shall return” And they said [that they were willing] to return and to relinquish all.
לעשות כדבר הזה. שיהו מוחלים גם הם:
to do according to this promise that they too should relinquish.
גַּם־חׇצְנִי נָעַרְתִּי וָֽאֹמְרָה כָּכָה יְנַעֵר הָֽאֱלֹהִים אֶת־כׇּל־הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יָקִים אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה מִבֵּיתוֹ וּמִיגִיעוֹ וְכָכָה יִהְיֶה נָעוּר וָרֵק וַיֹּאמְרוּ כׇֽל־הַקָּהָל אָמֵן וַֽיְהַלְלוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה וַיַּעַשׂ הָעָם כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּֽה׃
I also shook out my hem and said: So shall G d shake out every man who does not fulfill this thing, of his house and of his toil [i.e., his possessions], and thus shall he remain shaken out and empty. And all the congregation said "Amen!" and they praised the L-rd, and the people did according to this thing [i.e., as they had averred.]
I also shook out my hem and said: So shall G d shake out every man who does not fulfill this thing, of his house and of his toil [i.e., his possessions], and thus shall he remain shaken out and empty. And all the congregation said "Amen!" and they praised the L-rd, and the people did according to this thing [i.e., as they had averred.]
Rashi
גם חצני נערתי. אף אני בגדי נערתי חצני כמו (ישעיהו מ״ט:כ״ב) והביאו בניך בחוצן:
I also shook out my garment Heb. חָצְנִי, I also shook out my garment. חָצְנִי is like (Isa. 49: 22): “...and they shall bring your sons on the skirt of their garments (בְּחֹצֶן).”
נערתי. אישקוליי"ר בלע"ז כמו התנערי מעפר (שם):
my garment is escrol(l)e in Old French, I shook out, like (ibid. 52:2): “Shake yourself (הִתְנַעֲרִי) from the dust.”
ככה ינער. ככה ינער הקב"ה מן העולם ומנכסיהם כל אותם שלא יהיו מוחלין חובותיהם:
So shall...shake out So shall the Holy One, blessed be He, shake out from the world and from their property those who do not relinquish their debts.
נעור ורק. בלא נכסים:
shake out and empty without property.
גַּם מִיּוֹם ׀ אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה אוֹתִי לִהְיוֹת פֶּחָם בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה מִשְּׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וְעַד שְׁנַת שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא הַמֶּלֶךְ שָׁנִים שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אֲנִי וְאַחַי לֶחֶם הַפֶּחָה לֹא אָכַֽלְתִּי׃
Also, from the day that he [(the king)] charged me to be governor of the land of Judah, from the twentieth year [(of the reign of King Darius, at which time Nechemiah went up from Bavel [viz. chapter 2])] until the thirty-second year of Artachshast [Darius] the king — twelve years — I and my brethren have not eaten the governor's bread [(a perquisite of the collection of taxes for the king)].
Also, from the day that he [(the king)] charged me to be governor of the land of Judah, from the twentieth year [(of the reign of King Darius, at which time Nechemiah went up from Bavel [viz. chapter 2])] until the thirty-second year of Artachshast [Darius] the king — twelve years — I and my brethren have not eaten the governor's bread [(a perquisite of the collection of taxes for the king)].
Rashi
אשר צוה אותי. המלך:
that he commanded me i.e., the king.
פחם. כמו פחה שלטן דוגמת רוקם שהוא כמו רקה:
governor Heb. פֶּחָם, like פֶּחָה, ruler, after the pattern of רֵיקָם, empty, like רֵֵֵיקָה.
משנת עשרים. למלך דריוש כי אז עלה מבבל שנאמר (לעיל ב) ויהי בחדש ניסן שנת עשרים וגו':
from the twentieth year of King Darius, for then he ascended from Babylon, as it is stated (2:1): “Now it came to pass in the month of Nissan in the twentieth year, etc.”
שנים שתים עשרה. שהם שתים עשרה שנה:
twelve years which equal twelve years.
אני ואחי. אני וחברי אשר באו עמי:
my brethren and I I and my colleagues who came with me.
לחם הפחה לא אכלתי. לחם שהוא ראוי למאכל הפחה שהעם נותנין אותו אל הפחה מן המס:
have not eaten the food allotted to the governor the food that was fit for the governor, which the people give the governor from the tax.
וְהַפַּחוֹת הָרִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר־לְפָנַי הִכְבִּידוּ עַל־הָעָם וַיִּקְחוּ מֵהֶם בְּלֶחֶם וָיַיִן אַחַר כֶּֽסֶף־שְׁקָלִים אַרְבָּעִים גַּם נַעֲרֵיהֶם שָׁלְטוּ עַל־הָעָם וַאֲנִי לֹא־עָשִׂיתִי כֵן מִפְּנֵי יִרְאַת אֱלֹהִֽים׃
And the governors before me had imposed heavy [taxes] upon the people and had taken from them [for this service to the king] bread and wine, on top of forty silver shekels. And their youths, too, had lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, out of fear of G-d.
And the governors before me had imposed heavy [taxes] upon the people and had taken from them [for this service to the king] bread and wine, on top of forty silver shekels. And their youths, too, had lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, out of fear of G-d.
Rashi
הכבידו על העם. הכבידו מס על העם:
burdened the people Heb. הִכְבִּידוּ, lit. made heavy. They made the tax heavy upon the people.
ויקחו. והיו לוקחים מהם בשביל המס לחם ויין אחר נתינת ארבעים שקלים של כסף וכך היו רגילים בכל שנה:
and took They would take bread and wine from them for the tax after they had already given forty silver shekels, and they were accustomed to doing this every year.
גם נעריהם. של פחות:
also their servants [i.e., the servants] of the governors.
וְגַם בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַחוֹמָה הַזֹּאת הֶחֱזַקְתִּי וְשָׂדֶה לֹא קָנִינוּ וְכׇל־נְעָרַי קְבוּצִים שָׁם עַל־הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃
And I also was [constantly] preoccupied with the work of this wall, and we [(I and my co-workers)] did not buy a field [(of the Jews building the wall wherewith to compensate them for their labors, but I paid them from my own funds)], and all of my youths were gathered there over the work.
And I also was [constantly] preoccupied with the work of this wall, and we [(I and my co-workers)] did not buy a field [(of the Jews building the wall wherewith to compensate them for their labors, but I paid them from my own funds)], and all of my youths were gathered there over the work.
Rashi
החומה. חומת העיר:
wall the wall of the city.
החזקתי. התעסקתי לעסוק בה תדיר:
I adhered I busied myself to engage in it constantly.
ושדה לא קנינו. ובשדות של היהודים שהיו בונים החומה לא קנינו אני ובני סייעתי על עסק דוחקם שהיו עוסקין בבנין החומה אבל הייתי נותן להם ממון כדי לבנות הבנין:
and we did not buy a field But neither I nor my associates bought the fields of the Jews who were building the wall because of their poverty; they were engaged in building the wall, but I gave them money in order to build the wall.
על המלאכה. לבנות תדיר:
over the work to build constantly.
וְהַיְּהוּדִים וְהַסְּגָנִים מֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אִישׁ וְהַבָּאִים אֵלֵינוּ מִן־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר־סְבִיבֹתֵינוּ עַל־שֻׁלְחָנִֽי׃
And, at my table were the Jews [(of the people)] and the officers, a hundred and fifty men, (aside from those [i.e., the proselytes] who came to us from the nations around us.)
And, at my table were the Jews [(of the people)] and the officers, a hundred and fifty men, (aside from those [i.e., the proselytes] who came to us from the nations around us.)
Rashi
מאה וחמשים איש. היו אוכלים על שולחני לבד הגרים הבאים אלינו מן העכו"ם שאף הם היו אוכלים על שלחני:
one hundred and fifty men were eating at my table, in addition to the proselytes who came to us from the gentiles, for they too were eating at my table.
וַאֲשֶׁר הָיָה נַעֲשֶׂה לְיוֹם אֶחָד שׁוֹר אֶחָד צֹאן שֵׁשׁ־בְּרֻרוֹת וְצִפֳּרִים נַֽעֲשׂוּ־לִי וּבֵין עֲשֶׂרֶת יָמִים בְּכׇל־יַיִן לְהַרְבֵּה וְעִם־זֶה לֶחֶם הַפֶּחָה לֹא בִקַּשְׁתִּי כִּֽי־כָֽבְדָה הָעֲבֹדָה עַל־הָעָם הַזֶּֽה׃
And, one day's fare was one ox (and) five stuffed sheep; and [an abundance of] fowl was prepared for me. And [every day we drank] enough wine for ten days. And, notwithstanding all this [i.e., all these expenses], I did not request [(from the people)] the governor's bread, for the work [of the wall] was heavy on this people.
And, one day's fare was one ox (and) five stuffed sheep; and [an abundance of] fowl was prepared for me. And [every day we drank] enough wine for ten days. And, notwithstanding all this [i.e., all these expenses], I did not request [(from the people)] the governor's bread, for the work [of the wall] was heavy on this people.
Rashi
ואשר היה נעשה. ובכל יום ויום היו אוכלים על שולחני שור אחד ושש צאן וצפרים הרבה:
And what was prepared And every day they ate at my table one ox, six sheep and many birds.
ברורות. פתרונו לפי עניינו שש צאן עשויות כענין שנאמר חמש צאן עשויות (שמואל א כ״ה:י״ח):
prepared Heb. בְּרֻרוֹת. Its interpretation is according to the context: six prepared sheep, like the matter that is stated (I Sam. 25:18): “...five prepared (עֲשׂוּיוֹת) sheep.”
נעשו לי. לשון תקון כמו ובן הבקר אשר עשה (בראשית י״ח:ח׳):
were prepared for me Heb. נַעֲשּׂוּ, an expression of preparation, like (Gen. 18:8): “...and the calf that he had prepared (עָשָּׂה).”
ובין עשרת ימים. ובכל יום ויום היו שותים יין הרבה כדי שיעור ספוק של עשרת ימים:
and as much as ten days’ supply Heb. וּבֵין עֲשֶּׂרֶת יָמִים, lit. and between ten days. And every day they drank much wine, the amount that suffices for ten days.
ועם זה. ובשביל כל מעשה זה שהייתי מוציא הוצאות כל כך:
and for this Heb. וְעִם זֶה ; and this procedure, for which I used to make such big expenditures.
לחם. של מס הראוי לפחה לא בקשתי ולא שאלתי מן העם שהרי כבדה וחזקה עבודת בנין החומה עליהם:
food of the tax, which is fit for the governor, I did not seek, and I did not request it of the people, for the work of the building of the wall was heavy and strong upon them.
זׇכְרָה־לִּי אֱלֹהַי לְטוֹבָה כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂיתִי עַל־הָעָם הַזֶּֽה׃ {פ}
Remember unto me, my G-d, for good, all that I have done with this people.
Remember unto me, my G-d, for good, all that I have done with this people.
לא טוב הדבר. רע הדבר בפני הקב"ה:
The thing...is not good The thing is evil in the eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He.