מיכה ז׳:א׳-ח׳

אַלְלַי לִי. הַנָּבִיא מְקוֹנֵן עַל עַצְמוֹ אוֹי לִי שֶׁהָעֳמַדְתִּי לְנָבִיא בָּעֵת הַזֹּאת שֶׁאֵין בְּנֵי אָדָם צַדִּיקִים בַּדּוֹר.

Woe is to me—The prophet laments over himself, “Woe is to me that I was appointed a prophet at this time, when there are no righteous people in the generation.”

כְּאָסְפֵּי קַיִץ. נָקוּד חֲטַף קָמַץ שֶׁאֵינוֹ לְשׁוֹן פּוֹעֵל כְּמוֹ ׳יוֹשֵׁב׳ אוֹמֵר אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן מִפְעָל כְּמוֹ (ישעיהו ל״ג:ד) ״אֹסֶף הֶחָסִיל״ כַּאֲסִיפַת קַיִץ וְהֵם סוֹפֵי תְאֵנִים שֶׁהֵן רָעוֹת, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן ״כְּסִיּוּפֵי קַיְטָא״.

as the last of the figs Heb. כְּאָסְפֵּי. This is vowelized with a “chataf kamatz” because it is not a verb in the present tense, like:, יוֹשֵב, sits, and אוֹמֵר, says; rather, it is a gerund, as in (Isa. 33:4): “The gathering of (אֹסֶף) the locusts”; like the gathering of קַיִץ. These are the last figs, which are inferior. And so did Jonathan render: as the late figs of the summer.

כְּעוֹלְלוֹת בָּצִיר. תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״כְּעוֹלְלָן בָּתַר קְטוּף״.

as the gleanings of the vintage—As the gleanings after the vintage. [from Jonathan]

אֵין אֶשְׁכּוֹל לֶאֱכוֹל. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ ״לֵית גְּבַר דְּבֵיהּ עוֹבָדִין טָבִין״.

there is no cluster to eat—As the Targum renders: There is no man who has good deeds.

בִּכּוּרָה. תְּאֵנָה טוֹבָה הַמִּתְבַּשֶּׁלֶת בְּעִתָּהּ, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ ״לְטָבְיָא חֲמֵדַת נַפְשִׁי״.

a first ripe fig my soul desires—A good fig, which ripens in its time, as the Targum renders: My soul desired the good ones.

וְיָשָׁר בָּאָדָם אָיִן. אָדָם יָשָׁר בִּבְנֵי אָדָם אָיִן.

and there is no upright among men—There is no upright man among men.

יָצוּדוּ חֵרֶם. יָצוּדוּ בְּחֶרְמָם וּבִמְצוּדָתָם.

each one hunts his brother with a net—They hunt with their net and with their trap.

עַל הָרַע כַּפַּיִם לְהֵיטִיב. עַל שְׂכַר הָרָעַת כַּפֵּיכֶם אַתֶּם מְקַוִּים שֶׁיֵּיטִיב לָכֶם.

[in return] for the evil of their hands, do they expect that He will benefit them?—Do you expect that He will benefit you as the reward for the evil of your hands?

הַשַּׂר שׁוֹאֵל. שֹׁחַד.

the prince asks—for a bribe.

וְהַשּׁוֹפֵט. הַדָּן אֶת הַדִּין גַּם הוּא בְּשִׁלּוּם אוֹמֵר לְשׁוֹפֵט חֲבֵרוֹ כְּשֶׁהוּא גַּזְלָן וּמְחֻיָּב בַּדִּין, שַׁלֵּם לִי גְּמוּלִי בָּזֶה וַאֲנִי אֲזַכֶּה אוֹתְךָ בְּדִין אַחֵר.

and the judge—who judges the case is also in the payment. When he is a robber and is liable according to law, he says to his fellow judge, “Do me a favor in this case, and I will vindicate you in another case.”

וְהַגָּדוֹל דֹּבֵר הַוַּת נַפְשׁוֹ. הַמֶּלֶךְ אוֹ הַנָּשִׂיא אוֹמֵר בַּדִּין רְצוֹן נַפְשׁוֹ, הַוַּת נַפְשׁוֹ דְּבַר הַהֹוֶה לִרְצוֹנוֹ. וּלְנַפְשׁוֹ כְּמוֹ (ירמיהו ט״ו:א) ״אֵין נַפְשִׁי אֶל הָעָם הַזֶּה״ וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״תַּחְמוּדֵי נַפְשֵׁיהּ״.

and the great man speaks what is in his heart—The king or the prince states in the case what his heart desires. what is in his heart Heb. הַוַּת נַפְשׁוֹ. He speaks what is (הוֶֹה) to his will and to his desire. Cf.(Jer. 15:1) “I have no desire for this people.” And so did Jonathan render: The desires of his heart.

וַיְעַבְּתוּהָ. עֲשָׂאוּהָ קְלִיעָה שֶׁל חֵטְא בֵּין שְׁלָשְׁתָּן כַּעֲבוֹתוֹת הָעֲגָלָה חֲטָאָה, שֶׁהָעֲבוֹת מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת הִיא, כָּךְ מָצָאתִי בְּתַרְגּוּם יְרוּשַׁלְמִי ״עֲבַדְנוּהָ כִּקְלִיעָה דְחוֹבִין״.

and they weave the web—They made it into a rope of sin amongst the three of them. As the cart ropes, so is the sin, for a rope is braided of three strands. So have I found in the Jerusalem Talmud (Taanith 2:1): We made it like a web of sins.

טוֹבָם כְּחֵדֶק. ״טָבָא דְאִית בְּהוֹן קָשֶׁה לְמֵיפַּק מִן יְדֵיהּ כַּד מִן חֲדָקָא״ קָשֶׁה לָצֵאת מִיָּדוֹ כְּמוֹ הַקּוֹצִים הַנִּסְבָּכִין בַּצֶּמֶר.

The best of them is like a brier—The best among them - it is as hard to extricate oneself from his hand as from a brier (Targum Jonathan). It is as hard to extricate oneself from their hand as [it is to extricate] the briers that are entangled in wool.

יָשָׁר מִמְּסוּכָה. יָשָׁר שֶׁבָּהֶם רַע מִמְּסוּכַת קוֹצִים וּמְסוּכָה כְּמוֹ (ישעיהו ה:ה) ״הָסֵר מְשׂוּכָּתוֹ״.

the most upright, [worse] than a thorn hedge—The most upright among them is worse than a thorn hedge. than a thorn hedge Heb. מִמְּסוּכָה. Cf. (Isa. 5: 5) “Remove its hedge (מְשׂוּכָּתוֹ).”

יוֹם מְצַפֶּיךָ. יוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מְצַפֶּה בּוֹ לְטוֹבָה תָּבֹא פְּקֻדָּתְךָ.

the day to which you look forward—On the day to which you look forward for good, your visitation shall come.

מְבוּכָתָם. עִרְבּוּלֵיהוֹן כְּמוֹ (שמות י״ד:ג) ״נְבֻכִים הֵם״ מְהוּמָתָם.

their perplexity Heb. מְבוּכָתָם. [Jonathan renders:] עֲרָבוּלָהוֹן. Cf. (Ex. 14:3) “They are entangled (נְבֻכִים).” Their confusion.

אַל תַּאֲמִינוּ בְרֵעַ. כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּרְשׁוּ כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה אַל תֶּחֱטָאוּ וְתֹאמְרוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹהֲבֵנוּ וְהוּא יִמְחוֹל לָנוּ.

Believe not a friend [This is to be understood] according to its apparent meaning. But our Sages explained it as referring to the Most High. Do not sin and say that the Holy One, blessed be He, is our Friend, and He will forgive us. [from Hagiga 16a]

מִשּׁוֹכֶבֶת חֵיקֶךָ. נִשְׁמָתְךָ הִיא תָּעִיד בְּךָ.

from her who lies in your bosom—Your soul will testify against you.

פִּתְחֵי פִיךָ. דִּבְרֵי פִיךָ פְּתִיחוֹת פִּיךָ.

the openings of your mouth Heb. פִּתְחֵי. The words of your mouth, the openings of your mouth.

וַאֲנִי בַּה׳ אֲצַפֶּה. הַנָּבִיא אוֹמֵר כֵּן.

But I will hope in the Lord—The prophet is saying so.

אַל תִּשְׂמְחִי אוֹיַבְתִּי. בָּבֶל וְעִיר הַחַיֶּבֶת רוֹמִי (ספרים אחרים: בָּבֶל וּפָרַס הַחַיֶּבֶת).

Rejoice not... my enemy—Babylon and the wicked city of Rome.