Rashi on Isaiah Chapter 51
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אֶל צוּר חֻצַּבְתֶּם. מִמֶּנּוּ:
look at the rock whence you were hewn from it.
וְאֶל מַקֶּבֶת בּוֹר. שֶׁנּוֹקְבִין וְחוֹצְבִין בָּהּ אֶת הַבּוֹרוֹת, אֲשֶׁר נֻקַּרְתֶּם בָּהּ:
and at the hole of the pit Heb. מַקֶּבֶת. With which they penetrate (נוֹקְבִין) and hew the pits. you were dug with which you were dug.
נֻקַּרְתֶּם. לְשׁוֹן ״נִקְרַת הַצּוּר״ (שמות לג:כב), ״יִקְּרוּהָ עֹרְבֵי נַחַל״ (משלי ל:יז). וּמִי הוּא הַצּוּר? הוּא אַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם, וּמִי הִיא הַמַּקֶּבֶת? הִיא שָׂרָה אֲשֶׁר חוֹלֶלְתְכֶם, אֲשֶׁר יְלַדְתְכֶם, לְשׁוֹן ״כִּי חָלָה גַּם יָלְדָה״ (ישעיהו סו:ח):
you were dug Heb. נֻקַּרְתֶּם, an expression similar to (Ex. 33.22) “The cleft (נִקְרַת) of the rock”; (Prov. 30:17) “The ravens of the brook shall pick it (יִקְּרוּהָ).” And who is the rock? He is Abraham your forefather. And who is the hole? She is Sarah who bore you. [תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶם means] ‘who bore you,’ an expression similar to (infra 66: 8) “For Zion experienced pangs (חָלָה) and also bore.”
תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶם. אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵד אֶתְכֶם:
who bore you Heb. תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶם [lit. shall bear you.]
כִּי אֶחָד קְרָאתִיו. כִּי אֶחָד הָיָה, יְחִידִי בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר הִגְלֵיתִיו שָׁם מֵאַרְצוֹ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתּוֹ, קְרָאתִיו – רִבִּיתִיו וְגִדַּלְתִּיו, לְשׁוֹן ״קְרִיאֵי הָעֵדָה״ (במדבר א:טז), וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהוּא הָיָה יָחִיד וְגִדַּלְתִּיו, כֵּן אֲגַדֵּל אֶתְכֶם שֶׁאַתֶּם יְחִידִים לִי:
for when he was but one I called him For he was one single person in the land of Canaan where I exiled him from his land and from his birthplace. I called him, meaning that I raised him and exalted him. An expression [similar to] (Num. 1:16) “Those called of (קְרִיאֵי) the congregation.” And just as he was a single person and I exalted him, so will I exalt you, who are singled out to Me.
וְעַרְבָתָהּ. אַף הוּא לְשׁוֹן ׳מִדְבָּר׳, כְּמוֹ ״בְּאֶרֶץ עֲרָבָה וְשׁוּחָה״ (ירמיהו ב:ו), אֶלָּא שֶׁהָעֲרָבָה כְּבָר הָיָה בָּהּ יִשּׁוּב וְהֻחְרְבָה:
and its wasteland Heb. וְעַרְבָתָהּ. This too is an expression of a desert. Comp. (Jer. 2:6) “In a wasteland (עֲרָבָה) and a land of pits,” but the wasteland once had a settlement and it was destroyed.
תּוֹדָה. קוֹל הוֹדָיָה:
thanksgiving A voice of thanks.
כִּי תוֹרָה מֵאִתִּי תֵצֵא. דִּבְרֵי נְבִיאִים תּוֹרָה הוּא, וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים סוֹפָן לִהְיוֹת מַרְגּוֹעַ וּמְנוּחָה לָעַמִּים, אֲשֶׁר אֶהְפּוֹךְ לָהֶם שָׂפָה בְרוּרָה לְעָבְדֵנִי (צפניה ג:ט):
When Torah shall emanate from Me The words of the prophets are Torah, and the judgments shall eventually mean tranquility and rest for the peoples for whom I will turn a pure language to serve Me.
אַרְגִּיעַ. אָנִיחַ:
I will give [them] rest Heb. אַרְגִּיעַ, I will give them rest.
יִשְׁפֹּטוּ. יְיַסְּרוּ, יושטיצ״א בלע״ז:
shall chasten Heb. יִשְׁפֹּטוּ, chasten, jostize in O.F.
שָׁמַיִם כֶּעָשָׁן נִמְלָחוּ. שָׂרֵי צְבָאוֹת הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם:
the heavens shall vanish like smoke The princes of the hosts of the heathens who are in heaven.
נִמְלָחוּ. נִתְבַּלּוּ, כְּמוֹ (ירמיהו לח:יב) ״בְּלוֹיֵי הַסְּחָבוֹת וְהַמְּלָחִים״, בֶּגֶד הַנִּשְׁחָת. לָשׁוֹן אַחֵר: נִמְלָחוּ – נִתְבַּלְבְּלוּ, לְשׁוֹן מַלָּחֵי הַיָּם שֶׁמְּבַלְבְּלִין הַמַּיִם בַּמְּשׁוֹטוֹת מַנְהִיגֵי הַסְּפִינָה, וְכֵן ״מְמֻלָּח טָהוֹר קֹדֶשׁ״ (שמות ל:לה):
shall vanish Heb. נִמְלָחוּ, shall rot away. Comp. (Jer. 38:12) “Rags and decayed clothing (בְּלוֹאֵי הַסְּחָבוֹת),” a decayed garment. Another explanation of נִמְלָחוּ is: shall be stirred. This is an expression similar to “the sailors of (מַלָּחֵי) the sea,” who stir the water with the oars that guide the ship. Comp. also (Ex. 30:35) “Stirred (מְמֻלָּח), pure, and holy.”
וְהָאָרֶץ. שִׁלְטוֹנֵי הָאָרֶץ:
and the earth the rulers of the earth.
וְיֹשְׁבֶיהָ. שְׁאָר הָעָם:
and its inhabitants the rest of the people.
וִישׁוּעָתִי. לְעַמִּי לְעוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה. דָּבָר אַחֵר: שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ מַמָּשׁ, וְכֵן פִּתְרוֹנוֹ: שְׂאוּ עֵינֵיכֶם וְהַבִּיטוּ אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶל הָאָרֶץ וּרְאוּ כַּמָּה הֵם חֲזָקִים וּבְרִיאִים, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן יִבְלוּ, וְצִדְקָתִי וִישׁוּעָתִי יִהְיוּ לְעוֹלָם. הֲרֵי שֶׁצִּדְקָתִי בְּרִיאָה וַחֲזָקָה יוֹתֵר מֵהֶם:
and My salvation for My people shall be forever. Another explanation is: [It refers] actually [to] the heavens and the earth, and this is its explanation: Raise your eyes and look at the heaven and at the earth, and see how strong and sturdy they are, yet they shall rot away, but My righteousness and My salvation shall be forever. Hence, My righteousness is sturdier and stronger than they.
עָשׁ וְסָס. מִינֵי תוֹלָעִים הֵם:
the moth...the worm They are species of worms.
עוּרִי עוּרִי. תְּפִלַּת הַנָּבִיא הִיא:
Awaken, awaken This is the prophet’s prayer.
רַהַב. מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהּ ״רַהַב הֵם שָׁבֶת״ (ישעיהו ל:ז):
Rahab [lit. pride.] Egypt, about whom it is written (supra 30:7): “They are haughty (רַהַב), idlers.”
מְחוֹלֶלֶת. לְשׁוֹן הֶרֶג חָלָל:
slew Heb. מְחוֹלֶלֶת, an expression of slaying, related to חָלָל.
תַּנִּין. פַּרְעֹה:
the sea monster Pharaoh.
וּפְדוּיֵי ה׳ יְשׁוּבוּן. לְשׁוֹן תְּפִלָּה, וּמוּסָב עַל עוּרִי עוּרִי:
And the redeemed of the Lord shall return This is an expression of prayer, and it is connected to “Awaken, awaken.”
מִי אַתְּ. בַּת צַדִּיקִים כְּמוֹתֵךְ, מְלֵאָה זְכֻיּוֹת, לָמָּה תִּירְאִי מֵאֱנוֹשׁ אֲשֶׁר סוֹפוֹ לָמוּת?
who are you the daughter of the righteous like you and full of merits, why should you fear man, whose end is to die?
וַתִּשְׁכַּח ה׳ עֹשֶׂךָ. וְלֹא נִשְׁעַנְתָּ עָלָיו:
And you forgot the Lord your Maker and you did not rely on Him.
הַמֵּצִיק. מוֹשְׁלֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם הַמְשַׁעְבְּדִים בָּכֶם:
the oppressor The rulers of the heathens (the nations of the world [Parshandatha, K’li Paz]) who subjugate you.
כַּאֲשֶׁר כּוֹנֵן. נִזְדַּמֵּן:
when he prepared Prepared himself.
וְאַיֵּה חֲמַת הַמֵּצִיק. מָחָר בָּא וְאֵינֶנּוּ:
Now where is the wrath of the oppressor Tomorrow comes and he is not here.
מִהַר צֹעֶה לְהִפָּתֵחַ. אֲפִלּוּ נְקָבִין קָשִׁין עָלָיו, וְצָרִיךְ הוּא לְהִפָּתֵחַ בְּהִלּוּךְ הַמֵּעַיִם כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָמוּת לַשַּׁחַת, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁמִּהַר לְהִפָּתֵחַ צָרִיךְ הוּא לִמְזוֹנוֹת רַבִּים, שֶׁאִם יֶחְסַר לַחְמוֹ אַף הוּא יָמוּת:
What must be poured out hastened to be opened Heb. מִהַר צֹעֶה לְהִפָּתֵחַ. Even if his stools are hard, and he must be opened by walking in order to move the bowels in order that he not die by destruction, and once he hastens to open up, he requires much food, for, if his bread is lacking, even he will die.
צֹעֶה. לְשׁוֹן דָּבָר הָעוֹמֵד לִהְיוֹת נִירוֹק, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמֵר בְּמוֹאָב שֶׁדִּמָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא לְיַיִן (ירמיהו מח:יא) ״הַשֹּׁקֵט אֶל שְׁמָרָיו וְלֹא הוּרַק מִכְּלִי אֶל כֶּלִי״, וְנֶאֱמַר שָׁם ״וְשָׁלַחְתִּי לוֹ צֹעִים וְצֵעֻהוּ וְכֵלָיו יָרִיקוּ״. דָּבָר אַחֵר: מִהַר צֹעֶה – אוֹתוֹ הָאוֹיֵב הַמֵּצִיק, שֶׁהוּא עַכְשָׁיו חֲגוּר מָתְנַיִם, חֲלוּץ כֹּחַ, יְמַהֵר לְהִפָּתֵחַ וְלִהְיוֹת חַלָּשׁ:
צֹעֶה An expression of a thing prepared to be poured, as he says concerning Moab, whom the prophet compared to wine (Jer. 48:11): “Who rests on his dregs and was not poured from vessel to vessel.” And he says there (v. 12), “And I will send pourers (צֹעִים) upon him and they shall pour him out (וְצֵעֻהוּ), and they shall empty his vessels.” [This is an illustration of the weakness of man. Consequently, there is no need to fear him.] Another explanation is: מִהַר צֹעֶה That enemy who oppresses you, who is now with girded loins, girded with strength, shall hasten to be opened up and to become weak.
צֹעֶה. חוֹגֵר, כְּמוֹ (ישעיהו סג:א) ״צֹעֶה בְּרֹב כֹּחוֹ״:
צֹעֶה Girded. Comp. (infra 63:1) “Girded (צֹעֶה) with the greatness of His strength.”
וְלֹא יָמוּת. הַמָּסוּר בְּיָדוֹ לַשַּׁחַת, אֲבָל הַלָּשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן מִדְּרַשׁ אַגָּדָה הוּא בִּפְסִיקְתָּא רַבָּתִי (פסיקתא רבתי לג:):
and he shall not die i.e., the one delivered into his hand [shall not die] of destruction. But the first interpretation is a Midrash Aggadah in Pesikta Rabbathi (34:5).
רֹגַע הַיָּם. לְשׁוֹן ״עוֹרִי רָגַע״ (איוב ז:ה), פרונצ״א בלע״ז:
Who wrinkles the sea Heb. רֹגַע, an expression similar to (Job 7:5) “My skin was wrinkled (רָגַע) .” Froncir in O.F. [froncer in Modern French, to wrinkle, gather, pucker].
לִנְטֹעַ שָׁמַיִם. ״לְקַיָּמָא עַמָּא דַּאֲמִיר עֲלֵיהוֹן דְּיִסְגּוֹן כְּכוֹכְבֵי שְׁמַיָּא״ (תרגום יונתן):
to plant the heavens to preserve the people about whom it was said that they shall be as many as the stars of the heavens [from Jonathan].
וְלִיסֹד אָרֶץ. ״וּלְשַׁכְלָלָא כְּנִישְׁתָּא דַּאֲמִיר עֲלֵיהוֹן דְּיִסְגּוֹן כְּעַפְרָא דְּאַרְעָא״:
and to found the earth And to found the congregation about whom it is said that they shall be as many as the dust of the earth [from Jonathan].
קֻבַּעַת. תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״פַּיְלֵי״, וְהוּא שֵׁם כּוֹס. וְלִי נִרְאֶה: קֻבַּעַת – אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁמָרִים הַקְּבוּעִים בְּתַחְתִּית הַכְּלִי, וּמָצִית יוֹרֶה עָלָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״שְׁמָרֶיהָ יִמְצוּ״ (תהלים עה:ט):
dregs Heb. קֻבַּעַת. Jonathan renders: פַּיְלֵי, which is the name of a cup [phiala in Latin]. But it appears to me that קֻבַּעַת, these are the dregs fixed (קְבוּעִים) to the bottom of the vessel, and the word מָצִית, “you have drained,” indicates it, as it is said (Ps. 75:9): “...shall drain (יִמְצוּ) its dregs.”
הַתַּרְעֵלָה. הוּא מַשְׁקֶה הַמְטַמְטֵם וּמַתִּישׁ כֹּחַ הָאָדָם כְּאָסוּר וְקָשׁוּר וּמְעֻטָּף, כְּמוֹ ״וְהַבְּרוֹשִׁים הָרְעָלוּ״ (נחום ב:ד), ״וְהַשֵּׁרוֹת וְהָרְעָלוֹת״ (ישעיהו ג:יט), שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן ׳עִטּוּף׳, וּבְמַסֶּכֶת שַׁבָּת (שבת סה א) מָדִיּוֹת רְעוּלוֹת – מִין סַרְבָּל נָאֶה לְהִתְעַטֵּף בּוֹ:
weakness Heb. תַּרְעֵלָה. That is a drink that clogs and weakens the strength of a person, like one bound, tied, and enwrapped. Comp. (Nahum 2:4) “And the cypress trees were enwrapped (הָרְעָלוּ).” Also (supra 3: 19), “And the bracelets and the veils (רְעָלוֹת),” which is an expression of enwrapping, and in Tractate Shabbath (6:6): “Median women (sic) may go out veiled (רְעוּלוֹת),” a kind of beautiful veil in which to enwrap oneself.
תַּרְעֵלָה. אינטומישמנ״ט בלע״ז:
תַּרְעֵלָה is entoumissant in O.F., (stiffening, weakening, paralyzing).
מָצִית. אגושטי״ר בלע״ז:
you have drained Heb. מָצִית, egoutter in French, [to drain, exhaust].
שְׁתַּיִם הֵנָּה קֹרְאֹתַיִךְ. צָרוֹת כְּפוּלוֹת, שְׁתַּיִם שְׁתַּיִם:
These two things have befallen you Twofold calamities, two by two.
מִי אֲנַחֲמֵךְ. מִי אָבִיא לָךְ לְנַחֲמֵךְ וְלוֹמַר: אַף אֻמָּה פְּלוֹנִית הִיא לָקְתָה דֻּגְמָתֵךְ?
[With] whom will I console you? Whom will I bring to you to console you and to say that also that certain nation suffered in the same manner as you?
עֻלְּפוּ. לְשׁוֹן ׳עֲיֵפוּת׳, כְּמוֹ (עמוס ח:יג) ״תִּתְעַלַּפְנָה הַבְּתוּלוֹת בַּצָּמָא״, פשמי״ר בלע״ז:
fainted Heb. עֻלְּפוּ. An expression of faintness. Comp. (Amos 8:13) “The...virgins shall faint (תִּתְעַלַּפְנָה) from thirst.” Pasmer in O.F., (pamer in Modern French).
כְּתוֹא מִכְמָר. הֶפְקֵר כְּתוֹא זֶה שֶׁנָּפַל לְמִכְמָר. תּוֹא כְּמוֹ ״וּתְאוֹ וָזָמֶר״ (דברים יד:ה):
like a wild ox in a net Abandoned like this wild ox that falls into a net. Comp. (Deut. 14:5) “And the wild ox (וּתְאוֹ) and the giraffe.”
וּשְׁכֻרַת וְלֹא מִיָּיִן. שִׁכֻרֶת מִדָּבָר אַחֵר שֶׁלֹּא מִיָּיִן:
and who is drunk but not from wine Drunk from something else other than wine.
יָרִיב עַמּוֹ. אֲשֶׁר יָדִין דִּין עַמּוֹ:
Who shall judge His people Who shall judge the case of His people.
מוֹגַיִךְ. מְנִיעֵיךְ וּמְטַלְטְלֵיךְ, כְּמוֹ ״וְהִנֵּה הֶהָמוֹן נָמוֹג״ (שמואל א יד:טז). קרושלי״ר בלע״ז:
those who cause you to wander Heb. מוֹגַיִךְ. Those who cause you to wander and those who cause you to move. Comp. (I Sam. 14:16) “And the multitude was wandering (נָמוֹג),” krosler in O.F.
שְׁחִי וְנַעֲבֹרָה. עַל גַּבֵּךְ:
Bend down and let us cross on your back.