Tanach
Shoftim 15 שופטים ט״ו
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וַיְהִי מִיָּמִים בִּימֵי קְצִיר־חִטִּים וַיִּפְקֹד שִׁמְשׁוֹן אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ בִּגְדִי עִזִּים וַיֹּאמֶר אָבֹאָה אֶל־אִשְׁתִּי הֶחָדְרָה וְלֹֽא־נְתָנוֹ אָבִיהָ לָבֽוֹא׃
It happened that, after several days, during the wheat harvesting season, Shimshon visited his wife with a young kid, and said, "Let me approach my wife in the chamber." But her father would not permit him to enter.
It happened that, after several days, during the wheat harvesting season, Shimshon visited his wife with a young kid, and said, "Let me approach my wife in the chamber." But her father would not permit him to enter.
וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִיהָ אָמֹר אָמַרְתִּי כִּי־שָׂנֹא שְׂנֵאתָהּ וָאֶתְּנֶנָּה לְמֵרֵעֶךָ הֲלֹא אֲחוֹתָהּ הַקְּטַנָּה טוֹבָה מִמֶּנָּה תְּהִי־נָא לְךָ תַּחְתֶּֽיהָ׃
Her father said, "I averred that you hated her, so I gave her to your friend. Is not her younger sister superior to her? Please, let her be yours in place of her."
Her father said, "I averred that you hated her, so I gave her to your friend. Is not her younger sister superior to her? Please, let her be yours in place of her."
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְשׁוֹן נִקֵּיתִי הַפַּעַם מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי־עֹשֶׂה אֲנִי עִמָּם רָעָֽה׃
Shimshon told them, "At this time I am innocent with regard to the Pelishtim, as I inflict injury upon them."
Shimshon told them, "At this time I am innocent with regard to the Pelishtim, as I inflict injury upon them."
Rashi
וַיֵּלֶךְ שִׁמְשׁוֹן וַיִּלְכֹּד שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵאוֹת שׁוּעָלִים וַיִּקַּח לַפִּדִים וַיֶּפֶן זָנָב אֶל־זָנָב וַיָּשֶׂם לַפִּיד אֶחָד בֵּין־שְׁנֵי הַזְּנָבוֹת בַּתָּֽוֶךְ׃
Shimshon proceeded to capture three hundred foxes. He took torches, twisted each tail into the next, and placed a torch in the center, between the two tails.
Shimshon proceeded to capture three hundred foxes. He took torches, twisted each tail into the next, and placed a torch in the center, between the two tails.
Rashi
ויפן. את הזנבות זנב אל זנב ויפן, משמע הוא עצמו פנה (שמות לב טו); ויפן, משמע הפנה את אחרים, וכן שימוש כל תיבה שפעל שלה בה"א; (שמות א כ): וירב העם; (איכה ב ה): וירב בבת יהודה תאניה; (מלכים ב כה כא): ויגל יהודה מעל אדמתו, הגלה; (שם ב: יח יא): ויגל מלך אשור את ישראל אשורה, ויגלה:
Twisted. The tails, each into the next. וַיִפֶן implies that he himself turned, וַיֶפֶן that he turned, or twisted, others. This usage applies with every word whose verbal root ends with ה.1Such as גָלָה ,רָבָה ,פָנָה. "The people increased;"2Shemos, 1:20. "He increased, in the people of Yehudah, lamentation…."3Eichah, 2:5. Cf. Rashi there. "Yehudah went into exile from his homeland"4Melachim 2, 25:21.—went into exile. "The king [of Ashur] exiled Yisroel to Ashur" 5Melachim 2, 17:6.—exiled others.
וַיַּבְעֶר־אֵשׁ בַּלַּפִּידִים וַיְשַׁלַּח בְּקָמוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיַּבְעֵר מִגָּדִישׁ וְעַד־קָמָה וְעַד־כֶּרֶם זָֽיִת׃
He set fire to the torches, and dispatched them into the Pelishtite grainfields, where they consumed haystack to standing grain to olive orchard.
He set fire to the torches, and dispatched them into the Pelishtite grainfields, where they consumed haystack to standing grain to olive orchard.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים מִי עָשָׂה זֹאת וַיֹּאמְרוּ שִׁמְשׁוֹן חֲתַן הַתִּמְנִי כִּי לָקַח אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ וַֽיִּתְּנָהּ לְמֵרֵעֵהוּ וַיַּעֲלוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּשְׂרְפוּ אוֹתָהּ וְאֶת־אָבִיהָ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃
The Pelishtim exclaimed, "Who did this?" They replied, "Shimshon, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife and gave her to a friend." The Pelishtim went up and burned her and her father.
The Pelishtim exclaimed, "Who did this?" They replied, "Shimshon, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife and gave her to a friend." The Pelishtim went up and burned her and her father.
Rashi
חתן התמני. חתן הפלשתי אשר בתמנה (לעיל יד א):
The son-in-law of the Timnite. The son-in-law of the Pelishtite from Timnah.
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְשׁוֹן אִֽם־תַּעֲשׂוּן כָּזֹאת כִּי אִם־נִקַּמְתִּי בָכֶם וְאַחַר אֶחְדָּֽל׃
Shimshon said to them, "Is this the way you behave? Nothing but vengeance against you, and only afterward will I stop!"
Shimshon said to them, "Is this the way you behave? Nothing but vengeance against you, and only afterward will I stop!"
Rashi
אם תעשון כזאת. ושמא רגילין אתם בכך, לתת אשתו של זה לזה:
Is this the way you behave. Perhaps you are accustomed to this—shifting wives from one to another.
וַיַּךְ אוֹתָם שׁוֹק עַל־יָרֵךְ מַכָּה גְדוֹלָה וַיֵּרֶד וַיֵּשֶׁב בִּסְעִיף סֶלַע עֵיטָֽם׃ {פ}
He struck them down, cavalry and infantry, with a tremendous blow; then he descended and settled on the promontory of the Eitam cliff.
He struck them down, cavalry and infantry, with a tremendous blow; then he descended and settled on the promontory of the Eitam cliff.
Rashi
שוק על ירך. (תרגום:) פרשין עם רגלאין, רוכב סוס אינו נשען על ירכו כי אם על שוקו, רגל אחד נתון בברזל התלוי במרכבת:
Cavalry and infantry [lit. calf and thigh]. "Horsemen and foot soldiers."6This is Targum Yonasan’s translation. “Calf” refers to the horseman, supported by the calf, as Rashi explains, and “thigh” refers to the footsoldier, whose weight is supported by the thigh. The horseman is not supported by the thigh, but by the calf of the foot inserted into the metal stirrup hanging from the saddle.
בסעיף. בנקרת סלע עיטם, וחברו (ישעיהו נז ה): סעיפי הסלעים, (שם י לג): מסעף פארה:
On the promontory of a crevice of the Eitam cliff. Similarly, "The promontories of the cliffs,"7Yeshaya, 2:21 "[He] shall remove its branches."8Ibid, 10:33.
וַיַּעֲלוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים וַֽיַּחֲנוּ בִּֽיהוּדָה וַיִּנָּטְשׁוּ בַּלֶּֽחִי׃
The Pelishtim ascended, and encamped in Yehudah. They fanned out across Lechi.
The Pelishtim ascended, and encamped in Yehudah. They fanned out across Lechi.
Rashi
וינטשו. ויתפזרו:
They fanned out. They dispersed.
בלחי. שם מקום:
At Lechi. The name of a place9Not literally “cheek”.
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ אִישׁ יְהוּדָה לָמָה עֲלִיתֶם עָלֵינוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֶאֱסוֹר אֶת־שִׁמְשׁוֹן עָלִינוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לָֽנוּ׃
The men of Yehudah asked, "Why have you ascended against us?" They replied, "We have ascended to tie down Shimshon, so that we may treat him as he has treated us."
The men of Yehudah asked, "Why have you ascended against us?" They replied, "We have ascended to tie down Shimshon, so that we may treat him as he has treated us."
Rashi
למה עליתם עלינו. הלא עבדים אנחנו לכם:
Why have you ascended against us. Are we not enslaved by you?
לאסור את שמשון. שתאסרוהו ותסגירוהו לנו:
To tie down Shimshon. In order that you tie him down and deliver him to us.
וַיֵּרְדוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ מִֽיהוּדָה אֶל־סְעִיף סֶלַע עֵיטָם וַיֹּאמְרוּ לְשִׁמְשׁוֹן הֲלֹא יָדַעְתָּ כִּֽי־מֹשְׁלִים בָּנוּ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וּמַה־זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ לָּנוּ וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם כַּֽאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לִי כֵּן עָשִׂיתִי לָהֶֽם׃
Three thousand men descended from Yehudah to the promontory of the Eitam cliff. They said to Shimshon, "Were you not aware that the Pelishtim rule over us? What have you done to us?" He replied to them, "Just as they treated me, I treated them."
Three thousand men descended from Yehudah to the promontory of the Eitam cliff. They said to Shimshon, "Were you not aware that the Pelishtim rule over us? What have you done to us?" He replied to them, "Just as they treated me, I treated them."
וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ לֶאֱסׇרְךָ יָרַדְנוּ לְתִתְּךָ בְּיַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְשׁוֹן הִשָּׁבְעוּ לִי פֶּֽן־תִּפְגְּעוּן בִּי אַתֶּֽם׃
They said to him, "We have descended to tie you down, and deliver you into the hands of the Pelishtim." Shimshon said to them, "Swear to me, that you will not execute me yourselves."
They said to him, "We have descended to tie you down, and deliver you into the hands of the Pelishtim." Shimshon said to them, "Swear to me, that you will not execute me yourselves."
וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ לֵאמֹר לֹא כִּֽי־אָסֹר נֶאֱסׇרְךָ וּנְתַנּוּךָ בְיָדָם וְהָמֵת לֹא נְמִיתֶךָ וַיַּאַסְרֻהוּ בִּשְׁנַיִם עֲבֹתִים חֲדָשִׁים וַֽיַּעֲלוּהוּ מִן־הַסָּֽלַע׃
They replied to him, saying, "No! We shall merely tie you down and deliver you into their hands, but we shall surely not execute you. They tied him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the cliff.
They replied to him, saying, "No! We shall merely tie you down and deliver you into their hands, but we shall surely not execute you. They tied him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the cliff.
Rashi
לא כי אסור נאסרך. לא נהרוג אותך, כי אם אסור נאסרך:
No! We shall merely tie you down. We shall not execute you, but merely tie you down.
הוּא־בָא עַד־לֶחִי וּפְלִשְׁתִּים הֵרִיעוּ לִקְרָאתוֹ וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ יְהֹוָה וַתִּהְיֶינָה הָעֲבֹתִים אֲשֶׁר עַל־זְרוֹעוֹתָיו כַּפִּשְׁתִּים אֲשֶׁר בָּעֲרוּ בָאֵשׁ וַיִּמַּסּוּ אֱסוּרָיו מֵעַל יָדָֽיו׃
He arrived at Lechi, and the Pelishtim hooted at him. The spirit of Adonoy visited him, and the ropes on his arms became like flax charred by flame, so that his bonds dissolved from his hands.
He arrived at Lechi, and the Pelishtim hooted at him. The spirit of Adonoy visited him, and the ropes on his arms became like flax charred by flame, so that his bonds dissolved from his hands.
Rashi
רוח ה'. (תרגום:) רוח גבורה מן קדם ה':
The spirit of Adonoy. A spirit of power, emanating from Adonoy.10This is Targum Yonasan’s translation.
אסוריו. קשוריו:
His bonds which tied him down.
וַיִּמְצָא לְחִי־חֲמוֹר טְרִיָּה וַיִּשְׁלַח יָדוֹ וַיִּקָּחֶהָ וַיַּךְ־בָּהּ אֶלֶף אִֽישׁ׃
He found a moist cheekbone of a donkey, extended his hand, grasped it, and struck down, with it, a thousand men.
He found a moist cheekbone of a donkey, extended his hand, grasped it, and struck down, with it, a thousand men.
Rashi
טריה. לחה, וראיתי בספר רפואות שקורא ללחה שיוצא מן המכה: 'טריה':
Moist. Wet. I saw a medical lexicon which refers to pus oozing from a wound as טְרִיָה.
וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְשׁוֹן בִּלְחִי הַחֲמוֹר חֲמוֹר חֲמֹרָתָיִם בִּלְחִי הַחֲמוֹר הִכֵּיתִי אֶלֶף אִֽישׁ׃
Shimshon exclaimed, "With the jawbone of a donkey I amassed mounds; with the jawbone of a donkey I struck down a thousand men."
Shimshon exclaimed, "With the jawbone of a donkey I amassed mounds; with the jawbone of a donkey I struck down a thousand men."
Rashi
חמור חמרתים. בלחי החמור לצבור צברים רבים, (תרגום:) בלועא דחמרא רמיתינון דגורין:
I amassed mounds with the jawbone of a donkey, amassing numerous mounds. "With the jawbone of a donkey I hurled them into mounds."11This is Targum Yonasan’s translation.
וַֽיְהִי כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ הַלְּחִי מִיָּדוֹ וַיִּקְרָא לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא רָמַת לֶֽחִי׃
And when he finished speaking, he flung the jawbone from his hand. He entitled that place Romas Lechi.
And when he finished speaking, he flung the jawbone from his hand. He entitled that place Romas Lechi.
וַיִּצְמָא מְאֹד וַיִּקְרָא אֶל־יְהֹוָה וַיֹּאמַר אַתָּה נָתַתָּ בְיַֽד־עַבְדְּךָ אֶת־הַתְּשׁוּעָה הַגְּדֹלָה הַזֹּאת וְעַתָּה אָמוּת בַּצָּמָא וְנָפַלְתִּי בְּיַד הָעֲרֵלִֽים׃
He was exceedingly thirsty, and called out to Adonoy, saying, "You have delivered, into your servant's hand, this great salvation. Am I now to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?"
He was exceedingly thirsty, and called out to Adonoy, saying, "You have delivered, into your servant's hand, this great salvation. Am I now to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?"
וַיִּבְקַע אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הַמַּכְתֵּשׁ אֲשֶׁר־בַּלֶּחִי וַיֵּצְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ מַיִם וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַתָּשׇׁב רוּחוֹ וַיֶּחִי עַל־כֵּן ׀ קָרָא שְׁמָהּ עֵין הַקּוֹרֵא אֲשֶׁר בַּלֶּחִי עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
God broke open the jawbone socket, and water flowed from it. He drank, and his spirits were restored; he was revitalized. For this reason he entitled it 'Ein Hokorei Asher Balechi,' until this day.
God broke open the jawbone socket, and water flowed from it. He drank, and his spirits were restored; he was revitalized. For this reason he entitled it 'Ein Hokorei Asher Balechi,' until this day.
Rashi
את המכתש. גומא שהשן יושבת בה, עשויה כעין מכתשת:
The socket [lit. "the mortar"]. The socket where the tooth is set is shaped like a mortar.
עין הקורא. מעין שבא על ידי זעקת הקורא אל ה':
Ein Hakorei. "The wellspring which materialized through the cry of the one who called out to Adonoy."
וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּימֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָֽה׃ {פ}
He judged Yisroel during the days of the Pelishtim for twenty years.
He judged Yisroel during the days of the Pelishtim for twenty years.
נקיתי הפעם. בדין אעשה להם הרעה:
At this time I am innocent. I shall be justified in inflicting injury upon them.