Rashi on Nehemiah Chapter 8
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בְּיוֹם אֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי. הוּא יוֹם שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה (ראש השנה א,א):
on the first day of the seventh month That is the day of Rosh Hashanah.
מִן הָאוֹר. שֶׁל תְּחִלַּת הַיּוֹם:
from the light of the beginning of the day.
אֶל סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה. הָיוּ כָל הָעָם מַטִּים אָזְנֵיהֶם:
to the Scroll of the Law All the people inclined their ears.
אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לַדָּבָר. אוֹתוֹ מִגְדַּל עֵץ עָשׂוּ לְשֵׁם כָּךְ, לִקְרוֹת שָׁם עָלָיו סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה:
on a wooden tower That wooden tower was made for the purpose of reading the Scroll of the Law upon it.
כִּי מֵעַל כָּל הָעָם הָיָה. וְעַל כֵּן רָאוּהוּ כֻּלָּם:
for he was above all the people Therefore, they all saw him.
וּכְפִתְחוֹ עָמְדוּ כָל הָעָם. וְכַאֲשֶׁר פְּתָחוֹ לִקְרוֹת שָׁתְקוּ כָּל הָעָם׃
and when he opened it, all the people stood And when he opened it to read, all the people stood silent.
עָמְדוּ. לְשׁוֹן שְׁתִיקָה (שָׁתְקוּ), כְּמוֹ ״עָמְדוּ וְלֹא עָנוּ עוֹד״ (אִיּוֹב לב:טז):
stood Heb. עָמְדוּ, an expression of silence (they stood silent), like (Job 32:16): “...for they remained silent (עָמְדוּ) ; they no longer answered.”
בְּמֹעַל יְדֵיהֶם. בִּנְשִׂיאוּת יְדֵיהֶם, שֶׁנָּשְׂאוּ כַפֵּיהֶם לְמַעְלָה לְהוֹדוֹת לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּפְרֹשׂ כַּפָּיו הַשָּׁמָיִם״ (מְלָכִים א ח:כב):
with the uplifting of their hands with the raising of their hands, meaning that they lifted their hands on high to thank the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated: (I Kings 8:22): “...and spread forth his hands towards heaven.”
מְבִינִים אֶת הָעָם. שֶׁהָיוּ מְתַרְגְּמִין לָעָם דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה:
explained...to the people meaning that they would translate the words of the Torah to the people.
עַל עָמְדָם. שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹמְדִים עַל רַגְלֵיהֶם:
in their place meaning that they were standing on their feet.
וְשׂוּם שֵׂכֶל. וְשִׂימַת חָכְמָה, וְשׂוּם לְשׁוֹן פָּעוּל:
and gave sense Heb. וְשּׂם שֶׂכֶל, and giving wisdom; וְשּׂם is an expression of doing.
הַיּוֹם קָדוֹשׁ. כִּי יוֹם רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הוּא:
The day is holy because it is the day of Rosh Hashanah.
כִּי בוֹכִים כָּל הָעָם. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא קִיְּמוּ הַתּוֹרָה כָּרָאוּי:
for all the people were weeping because they did not uphold the Torah appropriately.
לְאֵין נָכוֹן לוֹ. לֶעָנִי שֶׁאֵין מְזֻמָּן לוֹ מַאֲכָלוֹ:
to whoever has nothing prepared to a poor man who has no food prepared for himself.
מְחַשִּׁים. הָיוּ מַזְהִירִין לְכָל הָעָם לַחֲשׁוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא יִבְכּוּ עוֹד:
quieted They admonished all the people to be quiet, that they should weep no longer.
הַסּוּ. לְשׁוֹן שְׁתִיקָה, כְּמוֹ ״וַיַּהַס כָּלֵב״ (במדבר יג:ל):
Hush Heb. הַסוּ, an expression of silence, like (Num. 13:30): “And Caleb hushed (וַיַהַס).”
וּבַיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי. שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה:
And on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.
וַאֲשֶׁר יַשְׁמִיעוּ. וְצִוּוּ אֲשֶׁר יַשְׁמִיעוּ קוֹל לָחוֹג אֶת חַג הַסֻּכּוֹת, וְכֵן נוֹהֵג הַמִּקְרָא לְדַבֵּר כָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה, כְּמוֹ ״אֱמֹר לַנַּעַר וְיַעֲבֹר לְפָנֵינוּ״ (שמואל א ט:כז):
And that they should announce And they commanded that they announce that they celebrate the Festival of Sukkoth, and so it is customary for Scripture to speak in this manner, like (I Sam. 9: 27): “Tell the servant and he will go ahead of us.”
וַעֲלֵי הֲדַס. מְפֹרָשׁ בְּמַסֶּכֶת סֻכָּה (סוכה יב,א): זֶה הֲדַס שׁוֹטֶה, שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לְלוּלָב כִּי אִם לַעֲשׂוֹת סֻכָּה:
myrtle leaves It is explained in Tractate Succah (12a) that this is a wild myrtle which is unfit for the lulav and only fit to make a sukkah.
וַעֲלֵי תְמָרִים. לְלוּלָב:
date palm leaves for a lulav.
וַעֲלֵי עֵץ עָבֹת. זֶה הֲדַס הָרָאוּי לְלוּלָב, כַּמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּמַסֶּכֶת סֻכָּה (סוכה לב,ב):
and leaves of plaited trees This is the myrtle that is fit for the lulav as is explained in Tractate Succah (ad loc.).
יוֹם בְּיוֹם. בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם:
day by day every day.