## Tractate Soferim Chapter 18

###### Tractate Soferim 18:1
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למה אמרו שיהא אומרין בכל חודש וחודש כרשב"ל בעא קמיה רבי יוחנן מהו לומר שיר בלא נסכים אמר ליה נשמעיניה מן הדא בזה ובזה הלוים עומדין על הדוכן ואומרים (תהלים צד) וישב עליהם את אונם א"ל רשב"ל מזמור ומוסף מי קודם מחורתא מילתא שהמזמור קודם לפיכך נהגו העם לומר מזמורים בעונתן (כלומר בעתן) דתנינן תמן שיר שהלוים אומרים בבית המקדש ביום הראשון היו אומרים (שם כד) לה׳ הארץ ומלואה תבל ויושבי בה כו׳: בשני היו אומרים (שם מח) גדול ה׳ ומהולל מאד כו': בשלישי היו אומרים (שם פב) אלהים נצב בעדת אל כו׳: ברביעי היו אומרים (שם צד) אל נקמות ה׳ כו': בחמישי היו אומרים (שם פא) הרנינו לאלהים עוזנו כו׳: בששי היו אומרים (שם צג) ה׳ מלך גאות לבש כו׳: בשבת היו אומרים (שם צב) מזמור שיר ליום השבת לעתיד לבא ליום שכולו שבת ומנוחה לחיי העולמים שכל המזכיר פסוק בעונתו מעלה עליו כאילו בונה מזבח חדש ומקריב עליו קרבן:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
Why has it been ordained that the psalms¹ [prescribed for the Temple service] are to be said² on every New Moon?³ [This is done in accordance with the view of] R. Simeon b. Laḳish. He enquired of R. Joḥanan whether it was permissible to recite the psalms⁴ in the absence of libations, and he replied, ‘We may deduce the answer from the following statement: On this and that [occasion]⁵ the Levites stood on the platform⁶ and recited, *And He hath brought upon them their own iniquity*’.⁷ R. Simeon b. Laḳish asked him, ‘Which is first, the psalm⁸ or the additional sacrifice?’⁹ He replied,¹⁰ ‘It is obvious that the psalm is read first’.¹¹ For this reason¹² the people have adopted the custom of saying psalms¹³ at their proper times;¹⁴ as we have learned in the Mishnah:¹⁵ ‘These were the psalms which the Levites used to recite in the Temple: On Sunday¹⁶ they used to recite, *The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein*.¹⁷ On Monday, *Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised*,¹⁸ etc. On Tuesday, *God standeth in the congregation of God*,¹⁹ etc. On Wednesday, *O Lord, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth*,²⁰ etc. On Thursday, *Sing aloud unto God our strength*,²¹ etc. On Friday, *The Lord reigneth; He is clothed in majesty*.²² On the Sabbath, *A psalm, a Song. For the sabbath day*,²³ [which is the psalm and song also]²⁴, but omitted in V. for the hereafter, for the day which will be wholly a Sabbath and [will bring] rest in life everlasting’. For whoever makes mention of a Biblical verse at its proper time is regarded [by God] as though he had built a new altar and offered a sacrifice upon it.

footnotes:
¹ So H while M has the singular; it is lacking in V.
² At the present time when no sacrifices are offered.
³ As in Temple times when they were recited while the continual sacrifice was being offered.
⁴ lit. ‘song’.
⁵ The destruction of the first and second Temples.
⁶ On the Sunday immediately following the respective destructions (‘Arak. 11b, Sonc. ed., p. 65).
⁷ Ps. 94, 23. As this Psalm was prescribed normally for Wednesdays (in connection with the sacrifices and libations of the day) but was said on these two occasions on the Sunday (for which a different Psalm had been arranged), it follows that the recital of a particular Psalm is independent of the sacrifices or libations of the day. It was ordained, therefore, that the Psalm for the New Moon, originally prescribed for the Temple service, should also be said at the present time (cf. N.Y.).
⁸ Which was said in connection with the morning continual offering.
⁹ Of the New Moon, if the Psalm had been delayed until the time of the additional sacrifice had arrived.
¹⁰ Inserted by GRA.
¹¹ Since it belongs to the earlier part of the service.
¹² Because of the ruling above that the Temple Psalm of the New Moon should continue to be said even at the present time.
¹³ As in the Temple, although no sacrifices are now offered.
¹⁴ As prescribed for the Temple service.
¹⁵ Tamid VII, 4 (Sonc. ed., pp. 37f).
¹⁶ lit. ‘the first day’. Monday is called ‘the second day’ and so on.
¹⁷ The quotation represents Ps. 24, and the following quotations denote the respective Psalms in which they occur.
¹⁸ Ps. 48.
¹⁹ Ps. 82.
²⁰ Ps. 94.
²¹ Ps. 81.
²² Ps. 93.
²³ Ps. 92.
²⁴ So in Tamid loc. cit.


###### Tractate Soferim 18:2
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בחנוכה (שם ל) ארוממך ה' בפורים (שם ז) שגיון לדוד ביום הראשון של פסח (שם קלה) הללו את שם ה' (וי"א (שם פג) אלהים אל דמי לך) וכן חולו של מועד אלא בימים הראשונים של פסח הוא צריך לומר יהי כבוד ה' וכל העם בעמידה עד וברוך שם כבודו לעולם ויושבין ואומרים כל ענין של מזמורות ובי"ט האחרון של פסח הלל הגדול ואיזהו הלל הגדול (שם קלו) הודו לה' כי טוב הודו לאלהי האלהים ונהגו העם לומר הלל הגדול אף ע"פ שאינו מן המובחר:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
On *Ḥanukkah* [the psalm is] *I will extol Thee, O Lord*.²⁵ On *Purim* it is *Shiggaion of David*,²⁶ but others say it is *O God, keep not Thou silence*.²⁷ On the first day of Passover it is, *Praise ye the name of the Lord*,²⁸ and the same [is said during] the intermediate days of the Festival; but on the first [two] days of Passover one must [also] say *May the glory of the Lord*,²⁹ while all the people stand. Then³⁰ they sit and say all the prescribed psalms³¹ up to *And blessed be His glorious name for ever;*³² but on the last day of Passover the Great *Hallel* is said. And what is the Great *Hallel?* [42*b*] *O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good … O give thanks unto the God of gods*.³³ The people have adopted the custom of saying the Great *Hallel*, although this is not the proper thing to do.³⁴

footnotes:
²⁵ Ps. 30.
²⁶ Ps. 7.
²⁷ Ps. 83. This is inserted by GRA but lacking in V, M and H.
²⁸ Ps. 135. V, M and H quote as an alternative Ps. 83.
²⁹ Ps. 104, 31. The reference is to the collection of verses beginning with these words (cf. P.B., p. 28).
³⁰ From ‘Then’ to ‘for ever’ is the reading of GRA. The order of the words in V, M and H is confused.
³¹ P.B., pp. 20-33.
³² Ps. 72, 19; but the reference is to the doxology (P.B., p. 33) which concludes the morning Psalms.
³³ Ps. 136.
³⁴ The proper time to say it is ‘when the appetite is satisfied and the stomach is full’ (Ta‘an. 26a, Sonc. ed., p. 135) and not in the morning service before food has been tasted.


###### Tractate Soferim 18:3
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ובחג השבועות (תהלים כט) הבו לה׳ בני אלים בט׳ באב בארבע פסוקים משל ירמיה (יד) המאוס מאסת את (דבר ה׳) [יהודה] עד כי אתה עשית [את] כל אלה. ושני מזמורים הללו אלהים באו גוים בנחלתך (תהלים עט) ועל נהרות בבל (שם קלז) אע"פ שבכל מקום מקדימין דברי קדושה לדברי קבלה בזה דברי קבלה מקדימין לדברי קדושה:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
On the Feast of Weeks³⁵ [the psalm is] *Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye sons of might*.³⁶ On the ninth day of *Ab* [the reading consists] of four verses of Jeremiah, *Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah?* to *For Thou hast made all these things*,³⁷ and the following two psalms, *O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance*³⁸ and *By the rivers of Babylon*.³⁹ Although it is usual⁴⁰ to give precedence to the Holy Words⁴¹ over the words of [prophetical] traditions,⁴² in this case the latter⁴³ takes precedence over the former.⁴⁴

footnotes:
³⁵ Pentecost.
³⁶ Ps. 29.
³⁷ Jer. 14, 19-22.
³⁸ Ps. 79.
³⁹ Ps. 137.
⁴⁰ lit. ‘in every place’.
⁴¹ lit. ‘words of holiness’, the Hagiographa.
⁴² The Prophets forming the second division of the Scriptures.
⁴³ Jeremiah, although it is included in the Prophets.
⁴⁴ The Psalms, which are included in the Hagiographa.


###### Tractate Soferim 18:4
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יש שקורין ספר קינות בערב יש מאחרין עד הבקר לאחר קריאת תורה שלאחר קריאת תורה עומד וראשו מתפלש באפר ובגדיו מפולשין וקורא בבכיה וביללה אם יודע הוא לתרגמו מוטב ואם לאו נותנו למי שיודע לתרגם בטוב ומתרגם לפי שיבינו בו שאר העם והנשים ותינוקות שהנשים חייבות לשמוע קריאת ספר כאנשים וכ"ש זכרים וכן המה חייבות (בקריאת שמע) בתפלה ובברכת מזון ובמזוזה ואם אינן יודעות בלשון הקדש מלמדין אותן בכל לשון שהן יכולות לשמוע וללמד מכאן אמרו המברך צריך שיגביה קולו משום בניו הקטנים ואשתו ובנותיו ומן הדין הוא לתרגם לעם לנשים ותינוקות כל סדר ונביא של שבת לאחר קריאת התורה וזו היא שאמרו בשבת מקדימין לבוא ומאחרין לצאת מקדימין לבא כדי לקרות ק"ש כוותיקין עם הנץ החמה ומאחרין לצאת כדי שישמעו פירוש של הסדר אבל בי"ט מאחרין לבא שהן צריכין לתקן מאכל של יום וממהרין לצאת שאינו מן הדין לפרש להן דאמרי׳ רב לא מוקי אמורא מיומא טבא לחבריה:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
Some [congregations] read the Book of Lamentations in the evening⁴⁵ while others postpone it to the [following] morning after the reading of the Torah, when the reader⁴⁶ stands up, his head covered with ashes, his clothes torn,⁴⁷ and reads it with weeping and lamentation. If he is able to translate it, well and good; but if he is unable he entrusts it to one who knows how to translate properly and [that person] does the translation, so that the rest of the people, the women and children may understand it; in that women are obliged to listen to the reading of the Book, how much more so does it apply to men.
Women have similarly the duty to read the *Shema‘*, the [*‘Amidah*] prayer and the Grace after meals, and to have a *mezuzah* [on their doors]. But if they are not acquainted with the holy tongue they are to be taught [to say them] in any language which they can understand and master. From this it was deduced that the man who recites the benedictions⁴⁸ must raise his voice for the benefit of his young sons, his wife and daughters. It is, therefore, a logical deduction that every section of the Torah and the Prophet [prescribed for the readings] of the Sabbath should be translated for the people, the women and the children after the reading of the Torah. This is why it was ruled: On the Sabbath the people come [to the Synagogue] early and depart late. They come early to read the *Shema‘*, like the pious men of old, with the first glimpse of the sun; and they depart late to listen to the interpretation of the weekly section. On a Festival, however, they come late, because they have to prepare the food for the day;⁴⁹ and they hasten to depart because it is unreasonable to interpret [the Torah or the Prophet] for them, it having been stated: Rab did not appoint an interpreter from [the beginning of the first day of] the Festival to the conclusion of the second day.⁵⁰

footnotes:
⁴⁵ Of the Ninth of Ab.
⁴⁶ GRA.
⁴⁷ Like a mourner, the mourning being for the destruction of the Temples.
⁴⁸ In his home.
⁴⁹ Which is permitted on a Festival when not the Sabbath.
⁵⁰ lit. ‘its companion’. Rab’s reason was that, owing to the legitimate indulgence on the Festival days, his mind might not be clear to impart the proper instruction or to give the necessary guidance to the public through the interpreter. Similarly it is implied that, in order to enable the people to enjoy the festivities of the day, they are given the opportunity of departing at an earlier hour.


###### Tractate Soferim 18:5
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וכן היה מנהג טוב בירושלים להתענות בניהם ובנותיהם הקטנים ביום צום בן [י"א] שנה עד עצם היום בן שתים עשר׳ להשלים ואח"כ סבלו ומקרבו לפני כל זקן וזקן כדי לברכו לחזקו ולהתפלל עליו שיזכה בתורה ובמעשים טובים וכל מי שהיה לו גדול ממנו בעיר היה עומד ממקומו והולך לפניו והיה משתחוה לו להתפלל בעדו ללמד שהן נאין ומעשיהם נאים ולבן לשמים ולא היו מניחין בניה׳ קטנים אחריהם אלא היו מוליכן אותן לבתי כנסיות כדי לזרזם במצות:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
There was likewise a beautiful custom in Jerusalem to train⁵¹ their young sons and daughters to afflict themselves on a fast day:⁵² at the age of eleven to the middle of the day, at the age of twelve the full day, and at the age of thirteen [the boy] was taken round⁵³ and presented to every elder to bless him and pray for him that he may be worthy to study the Torah and engage in good deeds. In like manner,⁵⁴ everyone who had a man superior to him in the town would rise from his place and go and bow down to him [requesting] that he pray on his behalf. This is meant to teach us that they⁵⁵ were splendid men and their deeds were splendid, and that their hearts [were directed] towards Heaven. Furthermore, they did not leave their young children behind but took them to the Synagogue to encourage them in the performance of the precepts.

footnotes:
⁵¹ Inserted by GRA, M and H.
⁵² Although the duty of fasting the whole day did not apply to them.
⁵³ So GRA. V, M and H read ‘and after that he carried him’.
⁵⁴ This is an insertion of GRA, omitted in V, M and H.
⁵⁵ The men of Jerusalem.


###### Tractate Soferim 18:6
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ביום שהושיבו ר׳ אלעזר בן עזריה בישיבה פתח ואמר (דברים כט) אתם נצבים היום כלכם טפכם נשיכם אנשים באין לשמוע נשים כדי לקבל שכר פסיעות טף למה בא כדי ליתן שכר למביאיהן מכאן נהגו בנות ישראל קטנות לבא לבתי כנסיות כדי ליתן שכר למביאיהן והן לקבל שכר:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
On the day when R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah was appointed head of the academy, he began his discourse by saying: *Ye are standing this day all of you … your little ones, your wives*,⁵⁶ the men came to listen, the women came to receive a reward for their journey,⁵⁷ but why did the little ones come? That a reward may be given to those who bring them. From this the young daughters of Israel learnt the practice of coming to the Synagogue so that a reward may be granted to those who bring them while they would [in due course]⁵⁸ also receive their reward.⁵⁹

footnotes:
⁵⁶ Deut. 29, 9f.
⁵⁷ lit. ‘steps’. Even if the women did not understand the discourse, they were entitled to reward for their attendance and bringing their children with them. The corresponding passage in Ḥag. 3a (Sonc. ed., p. 9) reads ‘men came to learn, women came to listen’.
⁵⁸ When they reach womanhood.
⁵⁹ As the result of their early training and practice. In childhood one is subject neither to reward nor punishment.


###### Tractate Soferim 18:7
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והקורא אומר ברוך דיין האמת ויש שמניחין את התורה על הקרקע (באבילות) [בעטיפה] שחורה ואומר נפלה עטרת ראשנו וקורין ומספידין כאדם שמתו מוטל לפניו ויש שמשנין את מקומן ויש שיורדין מספסליהם למטה וכולן מתפלשין באפר ואין אומרים שלום זה לזה כל הלילה וכל היום עד שישלימו העם קינותיהם בשעת הקינות אסור לספר דבר ולצאת לחוץ כדי שלא יפסיק לבו מן האבלות (וכן כל) [וכל] שכן לשוח עם הנכרי:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
⁶⁰ The reader on the Ninth of *Ab*⁶¹ says,⁶² ‘Blessed … the true Judge’.⁶³ Some place the Torah scroll⁶⁴ on the ground in a black wrapping and say, *The crown is fallen from our head*.⁶⁵ The reading and the lamentations are carried out as with a man whose dead lies before him. Some change their [customary] places [in the Synagogue]; others descend from their benches, and all of them roll in ashes and do not greet one another throughout the night and also throughout the day until the people have finished their lamentations. During the recital of the lamentations it is forbidden to speak [any irrelevant] word, or to go outside [the Synagogue], lest one’s mind be diverted from the mourning; and it is obvious that no conversation with a Gentile is permitted.⁶⁶

footnotes:
⁶⁰ This is the continuation of Rule 4 above.
⁶¹ Inserted by M and H, omitted in V.
⁶² Before the reading of the Book of Lamentations, or before the reading of the section of the Torah.
⁶³ Cf. P.B., p. 292. This blessing is said on a calamity or hearing bad news.
⁶⁴ M reads ‘the case of the Torah’.
⁶⁵ Lam. 5, 16.
⁶⁶ Since the conversation would have no relevance to the destruction of the Temples.


###### Tractate Soferim 18:8
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בתפלת ערבית אין אדם שומע לחבירו מפני שהן מתפללין בלחישה ואין אומרים לא ברכו ולא יהי שם:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
In the evening service⁶⁷ no one can hear the other, because all pray in a whisper;⁶⁸ therefore we say neither ‘Bless ye’⁶⁹ nor ‘[Blessed] be the name’.⁷⁰

footnotes:
⁶⁷ On the ninth of Ab.
⁶⁸ As a mark of mourning for the destruction.
⁶⁹ ‘Bless ye the Lord Who is to be blessed’ which is addressed to the congregation at the beginning of the evening service (cf. P.B., p. 96).
⁷⁰ Which was exclaimed before ‘Bless ye’ but is not now said.