## Otzar Midrashim, Midrashim of Rabbi Akiba, The Small Letters and their Purposes

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**אותיות קטנות וטעמיהן**

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
**The Small Letters and their Purposes**


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[לקט מדרשים דף כ׳ ע״ב]


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א׳) **אל״ף** דויקרא (א׳ א׳) קטנה, לדרוש שאין הקב״ה נגלה על או״ה אלא בחצי דבור, ויקר אלהים אל בלעם (במדבר כ״ג ד׳) בלא א', אבל נביאי ישראל דבור שלם, ולפיכך אמר ויקרא.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The ALEPH in ויקרא *And He called* (Leviticus 1:1) is small, to teach that the Holy Blessed One is only revealed to the nations of the earth through half speech — the verb of *And God happened upon Bil'am* (Numbers 23:4) is written ויקר without an aleph — but with the prophets of Israel through full speech, and thus it says ויקרא.


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ב׳) **בי״ת** במשלי (ל׳ ט״ו) שתי בנות הב הב, ב׳ של הב הראשון קטנה, לפי שבית ה׳ החריב והקטין כבוד בית המקדש ב׳ פעמים.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The BETH in the first הב in שתי בנות הב הב *Two daughters: give, give* (Proverbs 30:15) is small, because the house of the LORD was destroyed and the splendor of the Holy Temple was decreased two (ב׳) times.


###### Otzar Midrashim, Midrashim of Rabbi Akiba, The Small Letters and their Purposes 5
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ג׳) **גימ״ל** וגוש עפר באיוב (ד ה׳) ג׳ קטנה, הקרי וגוש בוי״ו אבל הכתיב וגיש ביו״ד. ג׳ גוש עפר כאיוב כנגד ג׳ ילוד אשה במשלי, מַה בְּרִי וּמַה בַּר בִּטְנִי וּמֶה בַּר נְדָרָי. ג׳ ימים לאחר מיתה וג׳ ימים בחבוט הקבר, לכך קטנה.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The GIMEL in וגוש עפר *and clods of earth* (Job 7:5) is small, and it is read as גוש with a VAV but written as גיש with a YOD. The GIMEL of גוש עפר in Job is parallel to the threefold (ג׳) invocation of the son of the woman in Proverbs 31:2 — "What, my son, and what, son of my womb, and what, son of my vows." Three days after death, three days lying in the tomb, thus it is small.


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ד׳) **דל״ת**, במשלי (כ״ה י״ז) אָדָם עָשֻׁק בְּדַם נָפֶשׁ, ד׳ קטנה (בדם) כי השופך דם הורג ד׳ – הנרצח, וכאלו הורג את אשתו, ואת בניו, ואת בנותיו.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The DALET in אדם עשק בדם נפש *a man oppressed by the blood of a soul* (Proverbs 28:17) is small because the spiller of blood kills four: the victim, and it is as if he killed his wife, and his sons, and his daughters.


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ה׳) **ה״א**, בהבראם (בראשית ב׳ ד׳) ה׳ קטנה, לפי שהוקטן ונתמעט על ידו כמו ותשת עלי כפיך (תהלים קל״ט ה׳).

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The HE in בהבראם *in His creation of them* (Genesis 2:4) is small, because he was decreased and reduced by His hand,1 as written *and You set Your hand upon me* (Psalm 139:5)


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ו׳) **וי״ו**, הנני נותן לו את בריתי שלום (במדבר כ״ה י״ב), ו׳ קטנה בשבילו הנני נותן לו ולא לאחר את בריתי שלום מתנה שלימה.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The VAV in הנני נותן לו את בריתי שלום *Behold I give him My covenant of peace* (Numbers 25:12) is small2 because I give him, never to delay, My covenant of peace, a complete covenant.


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ז׳) **זיי״ן**, ויזתא ז׳ קטנה, לפי שהמן הלשין בשבעה דברים: ישנו עם אחד, מפוזר ומפורד, בכל מדינות מלכותך, ודתיהם שונות מכל עם, ואת דתי המלך, ולמלך אין שוה להניחם.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The ZAYIN in ויזתא *Vaizatha* (Esther 9:9) is small because Haman slandered seven (ז׳) times (Esther 3:8) — *There is a certain people, scattered, and dispersed... in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different from any other people, and the king's laws... and it is not in Your Majesty’s interest to tolerate them.*


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ח) **חי״ת**, חף אנכי (איוב ל״ג ט׳) ח׳ קטנה. ז׳ מצות נתנו קודם מתן תורה וכולן נכללות בפסוק ויצו ה׳ אלהים את האדם לאמר מכל עץ הגן אכל תאכל (בראשית ב׳ ט״ז):

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The ḤETH in חף אנכי *clean am I* (Job 33:9) is small. Seven commandments were given before the giving of the Torah, and they are all included in the verse *And the LORD Elohim commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat* (Genesis 2:17)


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א׳] ויצו – אין צו אלא לשון ע״ז שנאמר כי הואיל הלך אחרי צו (הושע ה׳ י״א),

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
1) *and He commanded* — the term צו is only used for idolatry, as said: *For he has done gone and followed צו* (Hosea 5:11)


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ב׳] השם – זו ברכת ה׳ שנאמר ונוקב שם ה׳ (מקרא כ״ד ט״ז),

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
2) *the LORD* — this is blessing the LORD, as said: *or blaspheming the name of the LORD* (Leviticus 24:16)


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ג׳] אלהים – אלו הדיינים שנאמר אלהים לא תקלל (שמות כ״ב כ״ז),

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
3) *Elohim* — these are the judges, as said: *Do not curse Elohim* (Exodus 22:27)


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ד׳] על האדם – זה שפיכות דמים שנאמר שופך דם האדם באדם (בראשית ט׳ ו'),

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
4) *to the man* — this is the spilling of blood, as written,:*He who spills the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed* (Genesis 9:6)


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ה׳] לאמר – גלוי עריות שנאמר לאמר הֵן יְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ (ירמיה ג׳ א׳),

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
5) *to say* — forbidden intercourse, as said: *to say, if a man sends away his wife* (Jeremiah 3:1)


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ו׳] מכל עץ הגן – על הגזל שלא יגזול,

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
6) *from all trees of the garden* — regarding stealing and what is not stolen,


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ז׳] אכל תאכל – ולא אבר מן החי.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
7) *eat it, you may eat it* — and not a limb from a living animal.


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ט') **טי״ת**, יסר מעלי שבטו (איוב ט' ל״ד) ט' קטנה, כי לא יסורין כיסורין של איוב.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The TETH in יסר מעלי שבטו *Would He lift His rod away from me!* (Job 9:34) is small2, because none suffered like Job's suffering.


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י') **יו״ד**, תשי (דברים ל״ב י״ח) יו״ד קטנה, התשתם כחו של יוצר.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The YOD in תשי *You neglected* (Deuteronomy 32:18) is small — you weakened the power of the Maker.


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כ') **כ״ף**, ולבכותה (בראשית כ״ג ב') כ' קטנה, כל מי שאינו בוכה על אדם כשר כף וכף וכף פורעין לו.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The KAPH in ולבכתה *and to weep for her* (Genesis 23:2) is small — anyone who doesn't weep over a righteous person, a palm (כף) and a palm and a palm will strike him.


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ל) **למ״ד**, לא עליכם (איכה א' י״ב) ל' קטנה כי בתחלה היו ישראל לראש ועתה לזנב.

**Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915:**
The LAMED in לא עליכם *Not upon you* (Lamentations 1:12) is small because at first Israel was as a head, and now it is as a tail.


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נ') **נו״ן**, ב' נוני״ן (פשוטה וכפופה) קטנות ואלו הן: נטע אורן (ישעיה מ״ד י״ד) ונבושזבן (ירמיה ל״ט י״ג) דברי נרגן כמתלהמים (משלי י״ח ח'), שהיה החסון לנעורת באיזה מזל באיזה היום ובאיזה שעה לסירחו (אפשר שמוסב על נְבוּשַׁזְבָּן סריס נבוזראדן או שחסר פה פסוק אחר מנו"ן קטנה). נפתלי אילה שלוחה (בראשית מ״ט כ״א), נפלה ולא תוסיף קום בתולת ישראל (עמוס ה' ב').


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ס') **סמ״ך**, כי יצפנני בסכה, ס׳ קטנה, ששים גבורים סביב לה, גלתה סוד ה׳ ליראיו, בסכה כתיב (בה״א), השביעה בה' חומשין. ובי"א פסוקים שמתחילין בי׳ ומסיימין בב׳ נעלם מהם ס׳, שאמרתם בכונה כי דודי היה לי שמרתני מאותם אשר סביב שתו עלי כמנין ס' מרובעת. בסופה ובשערה (נחום א׳ ג׳), ס׳ קטנה.


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ע׳) **עיי"ן** לְעַוֵּת אָדָם בְּרִיבוֹ (איכה ג׳ ל״ו) אל מי אשר בו ונתתי ת״ז (?) בראשו. ס׳ ע׳ זו סמיכת עי״ן (סמיכת ע' סנהדרין).


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פ׳) **פ״א** זעירא בהאזינו וכפר אדמתו עמו. פ׳ דשפרפרא (דניאל ו' כ׳) פ' קדמאה קטנה, תנינא גדולה, פיה פתוחה, ולאחר פ' אותיות כתיב ויאמר אלהים יהי אור ויהי אור כי לא מצינו אמירה קודם לזאת.


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צ׳) **צד״י**, וְצִוְחַת יְרוּשָׁלַים עָלָתָה (ירמיה י״ד ב׳) – צ׳ קטנה, כי הקטינו הצדיקים וצוחת זו צוחה על היין בחוצות, וכן צדיק לעולם בל ימוט (משלי י׳ ל׳). וצדקה תציל ממות (משלי י׳ ב') ב׳ פעמים צ׳ קטנה כי הרואה שיקטין יעשה צדקה.


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ץ׳) **צד״י זקופה**, יִפְרְצֵנִי פֶרֶץ עַל פְּנֵי פָרֶץ (איוב ט״ז י״ד) -ץ׳ קטנה.


###### Otzar Midrashim, Midrashim of Rabbi Akiba, The Small Letters and their Purposes 28
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ק׳) **קו״ף**, קצתי בחיי (בראשית כ"ז ו') – ק׳ קטנה, מלמד שראתה ברוח הקדש שטיטוס יחריב הבית שגבהו ק׳ אמות וימעט כבודן של ישראל. ק׳ של קברום (יחזקאל ל״ט י״ב) קטנה, ק׳ של יצחק בפסוק ואברהם בן מאת שנה בהולד לו יצחק, וימצא יצחק מאה שערים (כשנולדו השבטים).


###### Otzar Midrashim, Midrashim of Rabbi Akiba, The Small Letters and their Purposes 29
[Otzar Midrashim, Midrashim of Rabbi Akiba, The Small Letters and their Purposes 29](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Otzar%20Midrashim/s/Midrashim%20of%20Rabbi%20Akiba,_The%20Small%20Letters%20and%20their%20Purposes/r/29)

ר׳) **רי״ש** של פרשנדתא (אסתר ט׳ ד) קטנה, שנתמעט ונתלה.


###### Otzar Midrashim, Midrashim of Rabbi Akiba, The Small Letters and their Purposes 30
[Otzar Midrashim, Midrashim of Rabbi Akiba, The Small Letters and their Purposes 30](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Otzar%20Midrashim/s/Midrashim%20of%20Rabbi%20Akiba,_The%20Small%20Letters%20and%20their%20Purposes/r/30)

ש׳ – ת׳) **שי״ן תי"ו** של פרשנדתא (שם) קטנות, הסר פ׳ ור׳ וישאר שמתא. ותכתוב אסתר (שם ט׳ ב׳) ת׳ תנינא קטנה יש אומרים ו' של ונפשו לא חיה (תהלים כ״ב ל׳) קטנה, ור׳ כמנוד אורגים (ש״א י״ז ז׳), ו' של געו עורים (איכה ד׳ י״ד) קטנות.


###### Otzar Midrashim, Midrashim of Rabbi Akiba, The Small Letters and their Purposes 31
[Otzar Midrashim, Midrashim of Rabbi Akiba, The Small Letters and their Purposes 31](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Otzar%20Midrashim/s/Midrashim%20of%20Rabbi%20Akiba,_The%20Small%20Letters%20and%20their%20Purposes/r/31)

תמו אותיות קטנות