Yet, despite all this Despite all the evil that has come upon us, we are making a trust with the Holy One, blessed be He, to believe and to trust in Him.

and writing And we are writing on a scroll to accept His kingdom upon us in order that it be to us as a testimony.

and signed thereon for most of the great and prominent men among us have signed the scroll of the acceptance of the commandments, to be for us as a testimony.

And signed thereon He now proceeds to enumerate the signatories on the testimonial document of the acceptance of the commandments.

Nehemiah Hattirshatha It is one name, and this is what I explained (Ezra 2:63) that [the name] Hattirshatha refers to Nehemiah. And why was he called Hattirshatha? Because the Sages permitted him to drink wine of gentiles, because he was the butler of the king.

and all who separated themselves These are the proselytes who separated themselves from the practice of the nations to cling and attach themselves to the Law of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to keep His commandments.

with their brethen Heb. עַל אֲחֵיהֶם with their brothers.

their noblemen the great ones among them.

and all grains Heb. שֶּׁבֶר, grain, like (Gen. 47:14): “... for the grain (בַּשֶּׁבֶר) that they were purchasing.”

or on holy days This refers to festivals.

and we shall abandon during the seventh year As is stated (Exod. 23:11): “But throughout the seventh year you shall let it go and abandon it (וּנְטַשְּׁתָּה).”

and the loan given by every hand This refers to the release of loans during the seventh year.

and all the work of the Temple of our God to do with money.

we cast how much each one should bring.

the wood offering an offering of wood for the arrangement on the altar.

to the House of our forefathers which is the House of the sanctity of our forefathers.

the first fruits of our soil The first of every fruit of a tree. They are required by rabbinical injunction.

we shall bring to the priests to the chambers for they were usually there.

who receive tithes in all the cities of our work who take their tithes in all the cities of Israel.

at the [Levites’] tithing Heb. בַּעְשֵּׂר ;an expression meaning at the tithing.

the tithe of the tithe for the Levites would take a tithe from the tithe and bring it up to the priests, who did not leave the Temple.