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Rashi on II Kings Chapter 5

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וְנַעֲמָן שַׂר צְבָא. נִסִּים שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ עַל יְדֵי אֱלִישָׁע, מְסַדֵּר וְהוֹלֵךְ.

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Na’amon the general. He goes on and lists the miracles that were performed through Elisha.

תְּשׁוּעָה לַאֲרָם. הוּא מָשַׁךְ בַּקֶּשֶׁת לְתֻמּוֹ, וְהָרַג אֶת אַחְאָב.

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Victory to Arom. He drew back his bow innocently and killed Achov.¹

footnotes: ¹ See I Melochim 22:34 and Rashi there.

יָצְאוּ גְדוּדִים. כְּשֶׁהוֹלְכִין מֵאָה אוֹ מָאתַיִם מֵעַצְמָן לִשְׁלֹל כַּאֲשֶׁר יִמְצְאוּן, הוּא קָרוּי גְּדוּד.

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Bands of marauders [from Arom] went out. When they go [in groups of] one hundred or two hundred by themselves, to plunder whatever they find, that is called a גְּדוּד [=band].

נַעֲרָה קְטַנָּה. רִיבָה קְטַנָּה, מֵעִיר נַעֲרוֹן.

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A little girl. A young girl from the city of נַעֲרוֹן.²

footnotes: ² Two apparently contradictory words, נַעֲרָה [=a twelve year old girl] and קְטַנָה [=a young child] describe the girl. Rashi therefore explains that נַעֲרָה does not mean girl, but one who comes from the city of נַעֲרוֹן, which is mentioned in I Divrei Hayomim 7:28. Alternatively, נַעֲרָה can mean a girl of any age, and when modified by קְטַנָה, it means “a small girl.”—Ralbag

וַתְּהִי לִפְנֵי. וַהֲוַת מְשַׁמְּשָׁא קֳדָם אִתַּת נַעֲמָן.

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She became [a servant] to [Na’amon’s wife]. [Targum Yonoson renders,] “and she served Na’amon’s wife.

אַחֲלֵי אֲדֹנִי לִפְנֵי הַנָּבִיא. לְשׁוֹן וַיְחַל משֶׁה, בַּקָּשׁוֹת כָּל הַמִּתְפַּלְּלִים עָלָיו יִהְיוּ, שֶׁיָּבוֹא הַנֵּס לִפְנֵי הַנָּבִיא.

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“My master should plead [for curing his illness] before the prophet.” An expression [similar to], “and Moshe prayed [וַיְחַל].”³ The supplications of all those who pray for him, will be that the miracle shall come before the prophet.

footnotes: ³ Shemos 32:11. See also Tehillim 119:5.

אַחֲלֵי. שוהיידמנ"ס בְּלַעַ"ז, כְּלוֹמַר זוֹ הִיא בַּקָּשָׁה שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לָהּ.

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Plead. Soheidement, in O.F., i.e., this is the supplication that he needs.

וַיָּבֹא. נַעֲמָן.

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He came. Na’amon.

וַיַּגֵּד לַאדֹנָיו. מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם.

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And told his master. The king of Arom.

וַיִּקַּח בְּיָדוֹ. מִנְחָה לַנָּבִיא.

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And took in his hand. A present for the prophet.

וְשֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים זָהָב. זְהוּבִים.

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Six thousand gold [pieces]. Gold pieces.

לֵאמֹר וְעַתָּה כְּבוֹא הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה וְגוֹ'. הַסֵּפֶר אָמַר לוֹ, וְעַתָּה כְּבוֹא הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה וְגוֹ'.

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Saying, “Now when this letter reaches, etc.” The letter said to him, “And now, when this letter reaches, etc.”

וַאֲסַפְתּוֹ מִצָּרַעְתּוֹ. 'אֲסֵפָה' בִּמְצֹרָע הִיא לְשׁוֹן רְפוּאָתוֹ, כִּי בְּהִתְרַפּאוֹתוֹ הוּא נֶאֱסָף אֶל תּוֹךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם, וּבְחָלְיוֹ הַכֹּל בְּדֵלִין הֵימֶנּוּ.

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Arrange to cure him of this tzora’as. ‘אֲסֵפָה’ [=gathering], pertaining to a metzora, is an expression of his cure, because when he is cured, he is [once again] gathered in among people, but during his illness, everyone stays away from him.⁴ to dwell within the camp of Yisroel. See Vayikra 13:46. However, even among the other nations a metzora is excluded from the general community until he is cured.

footnotes: ⁴ The Torah forbids a metzora

הַאֱלֹהִים אָנִי. הֵ"א נָקוּד פַּתָּ"ח, לְלַמֵּד שֶׁהוּא בִּלְשׁוֹן תְּמִיהָה.

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“Am I God?” The [first] ‘ה’ is voweled with a ‘פתח’ to indicate that it is a question.

מִתְאַנֶּה. מְבַקֵּשׁ תּוֹאֲנָה לְהִתְגָּרוֹת בִּי.

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He is looking for an excuse. He is looking for a pretext to attack me.⁵ He is looking for an excuse.

footnotes: ⁵ Because he was so involved in his evil ways, it did not occur to Yehorom to seek help from Elisha the prophet.—Metzudas Dovid

מִתְאַנֶּה. לְשׁוֹן עֲלִילוֹת דְּבָרִים.

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[מִתְאַנֶּה is] an expression of “false accusation [=עֲלִילוֹת דְּבָרִים].”⁶

footnotes: ⁶ Devarim 22:14.

הִנֵּה אָמַרְתִּי. סָבוּר הָיִיתִי, אֵלַי יֵצֵא הַנָּבִיא וִידַבֵּר עִמִּי וְיִרְאֶה אֶת הַחֹלִי.

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“Behold, I thought.” I thought the prophet would come out and speak with me, and see the ailment.

וְהֵנִיף יָדוֹ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם. הַצָּרַעַת.

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And wave his hand toward the spot. Of the tzora’as.⁷

footnotes: ⁷ Alternatively, אֶל הַמָּקוֹם refers “to the place where he worships God, i.e., towards the Beis Hamikdosh.—Ralbag

אָבִי. כְּמוֹ אֲדוֹנִי.

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“My father [master].” אָבִי [lit., my father, means] the same as אֲדוֹנִי [=my master].⁸

footnotes: ⁸ We find instances where אָב is a title that is used for prominent people. See Bereishis 45:8.

הֲלוֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. וְכִי לֹא תַעֲשֵׂהוּ, אֲפִלּוּ אָמַר לְךָ דְּבַר טֹרַח.

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Would you not do it? Wouldn’t you do it, even if he told you to do something requiring exertion?

וְאַף כִּי. קַל וָחֹמֶר שֶׁאָמַר לְךָ דָּבָר קַל, רְחַץ וּטְהָר.

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Certainly since. By a fortiori conclusion, for he said to you [to do] an easy thing, “immerse yourself and become clean.”

בְרָכָה. מִנְחַת שָׁלוֹם שֶׁל הַקְבָּלַת פָּנִים, שֶׁשּׁוֹאֵל תַּלְמִיד אוֹ עֶבֶד בִּשְׁלוֹם הָרַב, שולד"ו בְּלַעַ"ז.

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A blessing [a gift]. A gift of peace, upon greeting, [e.g.,] when a student or a servant greets [his] master,⁹ salud, in O.F.¹⁰

footnotes: ⁹ See Bereishis 33:11. ¹⁰ Na’amon lived as a righteous gentile, keeping the seven commandments that God gave to Noach and his descendants. However, he did not convert to Judaism. See Maseches Gittin 57b.

אִם אֶקָּח. שֶׁדְּמֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה מְעֹרָבִין בּוֹ.

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I will not accept. Because monies pertaining to idols are included in it.

וָלֹא. לְשׁוֹן בַּקָּשָׁה, לְשׁוֹן הַלְוַאי.

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“Please.” An expression of a request, an expression of הַלְוַאי [=were it only so].¹¹.

footnotes: ¹¹ Na’amon would not even take a small amount of earth with asking permission. Radak

יֻתַּן נָא. מֵאֲדָמָה זוֹ מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהִיא קְדוֹשָׁה, מַשָּׂא שְׁנֵי פְּרָדִים, וְאֶשָּׂאֶנָּה לְעִירִי וְאֶעֱשֶׂה אוֹתָהּ מִזְבֵּחַ.

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“May there be given.” From this soil of Eretz Yisroel, which is holy, a load [of earth] carried by a team of mules, and I will carry it off to my city, and I will make it [into] an altar.

בֵית רִמּוֹן. שֵׁם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה.

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The house of Rimon. The name of a pagan deity.

וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֵיתִי. עַל כָּרְחִי, כְּשֶׁשּׁוֹחֶה אֲדוֹנִי וְהוּא נִשְׁעָן עַל יָדִי.

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To bow down there. Against my will, when my master bows, because he leans on my hand.

כִּבְרַת אָרֶץ. שֵׁם מִדָּה שֶל קַרְקַע, כְּמוֹ: צִמְדֵי כֶרֶם, ארפינ"ט בְּלַעַ"ז.

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A distance. כִּבְרַת אֶרֶץ is the name of a land measure,¹² as in, “portions [צִמְדֵי] of vineyard,”¹³ arpent, in O.F.

footnotes: ¹² The distance of a mile.—Radak ¹³ Yeshayahu 5:10.

מְאוּמָה. חָסֵר אָלֶ"ף, לְפִי שֶׁהָיְתָה לְקִיחָה זוֹ לְמוּם.

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Something. The ‘א’ is missing,¹⁴. because this taking was [responsible for his being stricken with] a flaw [=[מום.

footnotes: ¹⁴ The word “מְאוּמָה” is written “מוּמָה,” without the ‘א.’ מוּם means a flaw. As a result of this taking, he was stricken with Na’amon’s flaw, that of tzora’as

וַיִּפֹּל. וְאִתְרְכִין.

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And he jumped off. [Targum Yonoson renders,] “and he leaned over.”¹⁵

footnotes: ¹⁵ This expression is similar to the one in Bereishis 24:64 pertaining to Rivkah.

הוֹאֵל. הִשָּׁבַע שֶׁשְּׁלַחֲךָ.

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“Please.” Swear that he sent you.¹⁶

footnotes: ¹⁶ Na’amon asked him to swear because he did not believe that Elisha changed his mind. Alternatively, הוֹאֵל means “agree.”—Metzudas Tzion

בִּשְׁנֵי חֲרִטִים. מִינֵי בְּגָדִים וְסוּדָרִין, כְּמוֹ: הַמִּטְפָּחוֹת וְהָחֲרִיטִים, כָּךְ חִבְּרוֹ מְנַחֵם. אֲבָל יוֹנָתָן תִּרְגֵּם זֶה 'פַּלְדָּסִין', וְאֶת שֶׁבְּסֵפֶר יְשַׁעְיָהוּ תִּרְגֵּם 'מְחַכַּיָּא'. וְהַפּוֹתְרִין אוֹמְרִין: בִּשְׁנֵי חֲרִיטֵי, בִּשְׁנֵי כִּיסִין אֲרֻכִּים, פירדיי"ש בְּלַעַ"ז.

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In two bags. Types of garments and kerchiefs, as in, “and the kerchiefs and the pouches [=חֲרִיטִים].”¹⁷ Menachem classified it thus. But [Targum] Yonoson rendered this as “פַּלְדָּסִין [=sheets],” and the one [חֲרִיטִים] in the Book of Yeshayahu, [he rendered] as “מְחַכַּיָּא [=a plate covering the genitals].” The exegetes say that “בִּשְׁנֵי חֲרִיטֵי,” means “in two long pockets,” brides, in O.F.

footnotes: ¹⁷ Yeshayahu 3:22.

אֶל שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו. שֶׁל נַעֲמָן.

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His two servants. Na’amon’s.

וַיִּשְׂאוּ לְפָנָיו. לִפְנֵי גֵּחֲזִי.

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And they carried them before him. Before Geichazi.

וַיָּבֹא אֶל הָעֹפֶל. תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: לַאֲתַר כָּסֵי.

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And he came to a concealed place. [Targum] Yonoson rendered, “to a hidden place.”¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸ Alternatively, עֹפֶל means “a stronghold,” a secure place.—Radak

וַיִּקַּח מִיָּדָם. מִיַּד שְׁנֵי נַעֲרֵי נַעֲמָן.

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And took from their hands. From the hands of Na’amon’s two servants.

וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֲנָשִׁים. שֶׁלֹּא יִרְאֶה אוֹתָם אֱלִישָׁע.

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And he dismissed the men so that Elisha would not see them.

הַעֵת לָקַחַת אֶת הַכֶּסֶף. לְהִתְעַשֵּׁר, וְלָקַחַת מִמֶּנּוּ בְּגָדִים וְזֵיתִים וְגוֹ'.

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Was that the time to take silver. To become wealthy, and to buy with it clothing and olive [trees], etc.

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