חבקוק ג׳:א׳-י״ג

עַל שִׁגְיֹנוֹת. יֵשׁ פּוֹתְרוֹ כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, וּלְפִי מַשְׁמָעוֹ בִּקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עַל עַצְמוֹ שֶׁהִטִּיחַ דְּבָרִים, כְּמוֹ (חבקוק א:ד) ״עַל כֵּן תָּפוּג תּוֹרָה״, ״וַתַּעֲשֶׂה אָדָם כִּדְגֵי הַיָּם״. קִנְתֵּר אַחַר מִדַּת הַדִּין.

concerning the errors This may be interpreted according to the Targum. However, according to the apparent meaning, Habakkuk is begging for mercy for himself because he spoke rebelliously: (1: 4) “Therefore Torah is slackened,” and (verse 14) “You have made man like the fish of the sea.” He criticized the Divine standard of justice.

שָׁמַעְתִּי שִׁמְעֲךָ. אֲשֶׁר מֵעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּפְרַעְתָּ תָּמִיד מִמַּכְעִיסֶיךָ, וְאֶת הָרָשָׁע הַזֶּה אַתָּה סוֹבֵל.

I heard a report of You that from days of yore You always inflicted retribution upon those who provoked You, yet You tolerate this wicked man.

יָרֵאתִי. אָמַרְתִּי: אֵיךְ נִשְׁתַּנֵּית מִדַּת הַדִּין בַּעֲוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל?

I feared I said, “How has the Divine standard of justice changed because of Israel’s iniquity?”

פָּעָלְךָ בְּקֶרֶב שָׁנִים חַיֵּיהוּ. פָּעָלְךָ הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁהָיִיתָ נִפְרָע לָנוּ מֵאוֹיְבֵינוּ בְּקֶרֶב שְׁנֵי הַצָּרָה שֶׁאָנוּ שְׁרוּיִים בָּהּ, חַיֵּיהוּ, כְּלוֹמַר עוֹרְרֵהוּ וַהֲשִׁיבֵהוּ, וּבְקֶרֶב שָׁנִים הַלָּלוּ תּוֹדִיעֵהוּ.

Your deed. In the midst of the years Your original deed, that You would wreak vengeance for us upon our enemies in the midst of the years of trouble in which we are found. revive it Awaken it and restore it. in the midst of the years And in the midst of these years let it be known.

בְּרֹגֶז. שֶׁתִּקְצֹף עַל הָרְשָׁעִים.

In anger In the anger that You will vent upon the wicked, You will remember to have mercy.

רַחֵם תִּזְכּוֹר. רַחֵם כְּמוֹ ׳לְרַחֵם׳.

to have mercy like לְרַחֵם, to have mercy.

תִּזְכּוֹר לְרַחֵם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל.

You shall remember You shall remember to have mercy on Israel.

אֱלוֹהַּ מִתֵּימָן יָבוֹא. עַכְשָׁיו הוּא מַזְכִּיר לְפָנָיו פָּעֳלוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁהוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ לְפָנָיו לְעוֹרְרֵהוּ, וּפֹעַל (סְפָרִים אֲחֵרִים: פּוֹעֵל) חִבָּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפֻרְעָנוּת דּוֹרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים. כְּשֶׁבָּאתָ לִתֵּן אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, חָזַרְתָּ עַל עֵשָׂו וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל וְלֹא קִבְּלוּהָ.

God The prophet now mentions before God His original deed, which he begs Him to revive - the deed of the love of Israel and the retribution of the first generations: When You came to give the Torah, You went around to Esau and Ishmael, and they did not accept it.

תֵּימָן. עֵשָׂו.

Teman Esau.

פָּארָן. יִשְׁמָעֵאל, כִּדְאַמְּרִינַן: ״וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן״ (בראשית כא:כא).

Paran Ishmael, as Scripture states (Gen. 21:21): “And he dwelt in the desert of Paran.”

כִּסָּה שָׁמַיִם הוֹדוֹ. בְּסִינַי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל.

His glory covered the heavens at Sinai for Israel.

וְנֹגַהּ. אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם.

And there was a brightness on that day.

כָּאוֹר תִּהְיֶה. כְּאוֹר הַמְיֻחָד שֶׁל שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית הָיָה, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן.

like the light Like the special light of the seven days of Creation. So did Jonathan render it.

קַרְנַיִם. לְשׁוֹן ׳מָאוֹר׳, כְּשֶׁהוּא נוֹקֵב וְזוֹרֵחַ דֶּרֶךְ הַנֶּקֶב נִרְאֶה כְּמִין קַרְנַיִם בּוֹלְטִין, וְכֵן (שמות לד:כט) ״כִּי קָרַן עוֹר פָּנָיו״.

rays The expression of a light, which, when piercing and shining through a hole, appears like protruding horns. Similarly, (Ex. 34:29) “For the skin of his face shone.”

מִיָּדוֹ. מִיָּדוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּאוּ לָהֶם.

from His hand From the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, they came to them.

וְשָׁם חֶבְיוֹן עֻזּוֹ. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ: שָׁם נִגְלָה עֻזּוֹ שֶׁהָיָה חָבוּי לְמַפְרֵעַ בְּסֵתֶר עֶלְיוֹן.

and there was His strength hidden As the Targum renders: There His strength, which had previously been hidden, was revealed in the secret place of the Most High.

לְפָנָיו יֵלֶךְ דָּבֶר. מָצָאתִי בְּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנָּתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא תּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, טְרָדוֹ לְמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת לְהַפְלִיגוֹ לִדְבָרִים אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲמֹד לְקַנְתֵּר וְלוֹמַר: אֻמָּה שֶׁעֲתִידָה לִכְפֹּר בְּךָ לְסוֹף אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, וְאַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָהֶם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה?

A pestilence went before Him I found in a Midrash Aggadah: At the time the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah to Israel, He drove away the Angel of Death to divert him to other things, lest he stand to accuse and say, “You are giving the Torah to a nation that is destined to deny you at the end of forty days?”

וְיֵצֵא רֶשֶׁף לְרַגְלָיו. מַלְאֲכֵי רֶשֶׁף בָּאוּ עִמּוֹ לְסִינַי.

and sparks went out at His feet Fiery angels came with Him to Sinai.

עָמַד וַיְמֹדֶד אֶרֶץ. הִמְתִּין לְדַקְדֵּק בְּדִין דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל, לִמְדֹּד לָהֶם מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה. וּמָדַד ״עוֹמֵד״, כִּדְאַמְרִינַן: ״נִצָּב ה׳ וְעוֹמֵד לָדִין עַמִּים״ (ישעיהו ג:יג), מַמְתִּין וּמְדַקְדֵּק בְּדִינָם.

He stood and meted out to the earth He waited to examine minutely the case of the generation of the Flood, to mete out to them a measure for a measure, and He meted it out. “He stood” is to be understood in the sense of (Isa. 3: 13) “The Lord stands to plead, and He stands to judge the peoples.” He waits and examines their case minutely.

וַיְמֹדֶד אֶרֶץ. בְּרוֹתְחִים קִלְקְלוּ וּבְרוֹתְחִים נִדּוֹנוּ.

and meted out to the earth They sinned with heat, and they were judged with boiling water.

רָאָה. בְּדוֹר הַפַּלָּגָה, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ שָׂפָה אַחַת בָּאוּ כֻּלָּם בְּעֵצָה, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי כָל הָאָרֶץ שָׂפָה אֶחָת״ (בראשית יא:א).

He saw the generation of separation, who, since they were of one language, all came upon the plan, as it is written (Gen. 11:1): “And all the earth was of one language.”

וַיַּתֵּר גּוֹיִם. הִקְפִּיצָם לְשִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן, כִּדְאַמְרִינַן: ״וְיַתֵּר מִמְּקוֹמוֹ״ (איוב לז:א), ״לְנַתֵּר בָּהֶם״ (ויקרא יא:כא).

and caused nations to wander He caused them to jump into seventy languages as it is said (Lev. 11:21): “To jump with them on the earth,” and (Job 37:1) “My heart trembles and jumps from its place.”

הַרְרֵי עַד. שָׂרֵי הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת.

the everlasting mountains The heavenly princes of the nations.

הֲלִיכוֹת עוֹלָם לוֹ. הֶרְאָה לָהֶם שֶׁכָּל מַהֲלָכוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם שֶׁלּוֹ הוּא.

the procedures of the world are His He demonstrated to them that all the procedures of the world are His.

תַּחַת אָוֶן. שֶׁנִּמְצָא בְיִשְׂרָאֵל.

Because of iniquity that was found in Israel.

רָאִיתִי אָהֳלֵי כוּשָׁן. שֶׁעוֹמְדִים בְּגָלוּי וּמְחַבְּלִים אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּבְהִתְכַּנְּעָם לְפָנֶיךָ, יִרְגְּזוּן יְרִיעוֹת וְגוֹ׳, הַכֹּל כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ.

I saw the tents of Cushan standing in the open and inflicting injury upon Israel, and when they humbled themselves before you... the curtains... quaked All is to be understood according to the Targum.

הֲבִנְהָרִים. יֵשׁ תְּמִיהוֹת שֶׁהֵן קַיָּמוֹת. הֲרָאִינוּ שֶׁכָּל אֵלֶּה עָשָׂה? וּפֵרוּשׁ הַמִּקְרָא כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ.

Was... with the rivers? Some questions are in the affirmative. Have we seen that He performed all these? The explanation of the verse is according to the Targum.

מַרְכְּבֹתֶיךָ. לָנוּ יְשׁוּעָה.

Your chariots were salvation for us.

עֶרְיָה תֵעוֹר קַשְׁתֶּךָ. נִגְלֹה נִגְלֵית גְּבוּרָתְךָ.

Your bow revealed itself Your might was revealed.

שְׁבֻעוֹת מַטּוֹת. שְׁבוּעוֹת שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַשְּׁבָטִים.

the oaths to the tribes The oaths that You swore to the tribes.

אֹמֶר סֶלָה. מַאֲמָר הַמְקֻיָּם לְעוֹלָם. אֹמֶר נָקוּד פַּתַּח (רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר סֶגּוֹל) וְטַעְמוֹ לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁהוּא שֵׁם דָּבָר.

perpetual statement A statement that is to last forever. אֹמֶר is vowelized with a “pattah,” [meaning a “seggol”] and the accent is on the first syllable, making it a noun.

נְהָרוֹת תְּבַקַּע אָרֶץ. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ.

You split the earth into rivers According to the Targum.

רָאוּךָ יָחִילוּ הָרִים. הָרֵי נַחֲלֵי אַרְנוֹן שֶׁנִּדְבְּקוּ זֶה עִם זֶה.

Mountains saw You and quaked The mountains of the streams of Arnon that cleft to one another.

זֶרֶם מַיִם עָבָר. בְּעָבְרָם בַּיַּרְדֵּן, תַּמּוּ נִכְרְתוּ הַמַּיִם, וְעָבַר קִלּוּחַ שֶׁטֶף הַמַּיִם לְשִׁפּוּלוֹ שֶׁל נָהָר, וְהַבָּאִים מִלְמַעְלָה קָמוּ עָמְדוּ.

A stream of water passed When they crossed the Jordan, the water was “completely cut off,” and the flow of the stream of water passed downstream; the water “which came down from above stood and rose up.”

נָתַן תְּהוֹם קוֹלוֹ. שִׁבְּחוּהוּ יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ.

The deep gave forth its voice The inhabitants of the land praised Him.

רוֹם יָדֵיהוּ נָשָׂא. צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם הוֹדוּ לוֹ.

The heaven raised up its thanks The host of the heaven thanked Him.

עָמַד זְבֻלָה. בִּמְדוֹרֵיהוֹן. כָּל תֵּבָה שֶׁצְּרִיכָה לָמֶ״ד בִּתְחִלָּתָהּ, הִטִּיל לָהּ הֵ״א בְּסוֹפָהּ. וּפֵרְשׁוּהָ עַל מִלְחֶמֶת גִּבְעוֹן, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ.

stood in their dwellings in their dwellings. In every word that requires a “lammed” at the beginning - Scripture placed a “he” at the end [meaning “to”]. They explained the phrase as referring to the war of Gibeon, as the Targum paraphrases it.

לְאוֹר חִצֶּיךָ יְהַלֵּכוּ. יִשְׂרָאֵל.

to the light of Your arrows they go Israel.

בְּזַעַם תִּצְעַד אָרֶץ. לְגָרֵשׁ שִׁבְעָה עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת.

With fury You tread the earth to drive out the seven nation [the heathens of Canaan].

לְיֵשַׁע אֶת מְשִׁיחֶךָ. שָׁאוּל וְדָוִד.

to rescue Your anointed Saul and David.

עָרוֹת יְסוֹד. חוֹמוֹת עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת.

uncovering it from the foundation The walls of their enemies.

עַד צַוָּאר. הוּא גֹּבַהּ הַחוֹמוֹת וְהַמִּגְדָּלִים.

to the neck The height of the walls and the towers.