Tanach
Shoftim 15:1-8 שופטים ט״ו:א׳-ח׳
Part of: Chapter 15
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
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.
נקיתי הפעם. בדין אעשה להם הרעה:
At this time I am innocent. I shall be justified in inflicting injury upon them.