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Rashi on Psalms Chapter 114

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מֵעַם לוֹעֵז. עַם שְׂפַת לָשׁוֹן אַחֵר שֶׁאֵינוֹ לְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ, וְחֲבֵרוֹ: ״אֶת עַם נוֹעָז לֹא תִרְאֶה עַם עִמְקֵי שָׂפָה וְגוֹ׳״ (ישעיה לג:יט), וְנוּ״ן וְלָמֶ״ד נֶחְלָפוֹת זוֹ בָּזוֹ, כְּמוֹ ״נִשְׁכָּה״ שֶׁהוּא לִשְׁכָּה בְּסֵפֶר עֶזְרָא (נחמיה יג:ז-ח):

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

a people of a strange tongue With another language, which is not the Holy Tongue. A similar expression is (Isa. 33:19): “A people of a strange tongue you shall not see, a people of speech too obscure, etc.” The “nun” and the “lammed” are interchangeable, like נִשְׁכָּה, chamber, which is [equivalent to] לִשְׁכָּה, in the Book of Ezra (Neh. 13:7).

הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ. לָקַח יְהוּדָה לְגוֹרַל חֶבְלוֹ וּקְדֻשָּׁתוֹ, וְאַף הֵם קִדְּשׁוּ שְׁמוֹ בִּירִידַת הַיָּם, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים סח:כח) ״שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה רִגְמָתָם״. וּכְמוֹ כֵן נִדְרַשׁ בָּאַגָּדָה מִקְרָא זֶה הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ, שֶׁקָּפַץ נַחְשׁוֹן לְתוֹךְ הַיָּם וְאָמַר: אֲנִי אֵרֵד תְּחִלָּה. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

Judah became His holy nation He took Judah as the lot of His portion and His sanctity, and even they sanctified His name when they descended into the sea, as the matter that is stated (above 68: 28): “the princes of Judah pelt them with stones.” Similarly, this verse is explained in the Aggadah (Mid. Ps. 114:8): Judah became His holy people, for Nahshon sprang into the sea and said, “I shall descend first,” and that is what [the Psalmist] says: Judah became His holy people.

הַיַּרְדֵּן יִסֹּב לְאָחוֹר. שֶׁכָּל מֵימֵי בְרֵאשִׁית נִבְקְעוּ:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

the Jordan turned backward because all the water of Creation split.

חוּלִי אָרֶץ. הַמְּחוֹלֵל אֶרֶץ, יוֹ״ד יְתֵרָה בּוֹ, כְּמוֹ ״מַגְבִּיהִי״ (תהלים קיג:ה) ״מַשְׁפִּילִי״ (תהלים קיג:ו) וְ״הַהֹפְכִי״ (תהלים קיד:ח):

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

Who created the earth Heb. חולי, Who created the earth. The “yud” is superfluous as מגביהי, משפילי and ההוֹפכי.

לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם. וָי״ו יְתֵירָה, כְּמוֹ וָי״ו שֶׁל ״וְחַיְתוֹ יַעַר״ (תהלים נ:י):

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

into a fountain of water Heb. למעינו. The “vav” is superfluous, as the “vav” in (above 104:11, 20) “the beasts (חיתו) of the forest.”

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