On the beth of bereshith¹ there must be four crownlets,² and the letters³. of the word must be extended above all the other letters, because by its means⁴, quoted by M (p. 131): The world was created by means of the letter beth. the world came into existence.⁵ representing berakah (blessing). [Cf. Midrash Rabbah, Genesis, I, §9 (Sonc. ed., p. 9).]

footnotes: ¹ Gen. 1, 1 the first word of the Pentateuch. ² Short upward strokes on the top of the letter. ³ Some eds. read ‘letter’ in the singular, and the general practice is to enlarge only the beth ⁴ This idea is also expressed in ’Othioth deRabbi ‘Aḳiba ⁵ So M. V reads, ‘for it (the world) will exist for ever’, the beth

The waw of gaḥon⁶. must be enlarged,⁷ because it is the middle of the letters of the Torah;⁸ of gaḥon equals the number from the waw to the end. darosh darash⁹ X, 16, diligently inquired. is the middle of the words of the Torah. Darosh is written at the end of the line¹⁰ and darash at the beginning of the next line.¹¹

footnotes: ⁶ Lev. 11, 42, belly ⁷ lit. ‘upright, erect’. ⁸ The number of letters from the beginning of the Pentateuch to the waw ⁹ ibid. ¹⁰ Indicating the end of the first half of the number of words. ¹¹ Marking the beginning of the second half of the number of words.

Wayyishḥṭ¹² it is uncertain whether this refers to Lev. 8, 15 (N.Y.) or ibid. 23 (M) both of which begin with the same word. must be enlarged,¹³ of the word, it being also the initial of ḥaẓi (half), is to be enlarged. because it is half of the verses of the Torah.¹⁴ (Lev. 13, 33, then he shall be shaven) is given as the middle of the verses and, according to the Masorah, its gimel is to be enlarged. On the number of verses opinions differ. It is variously computed as 5,844, 5,845, 5,885 and 5,888.

footnotes: ¹² And when it was slain; ¹³ According to M and H only the ḥeth ¹⁴ In Ḳid. 30a (Sonc. ed., p. 144) wehithgallaḥ

Shema‘ Yisra’el¹⁵. must be written at the beginning of a line, and all its letters are to be enlarged,¹⁶ of Shema‘ is enlarged. while ’eḥad¹⁷ must come at the end of [the same] line.¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁵ Deut. 6, 4, Hear, O Israel ¹⁶ According to the Masorah only the ‘ayin ¹⁷ ibid., one. ¹⁸ The final letter of the word is also enlarged according to the Masorah.

The lamed of wayyashlikem¹⁹. must be long.²⁰ is treated as the beginning of a word consisting of it and the following two letters, LaKem which means ‘to you’, implying homiletically God’s promise, ‘I will be a God to you even after you have been cast into another land’.

footnotes: ¹⁹ Deut. 29, 27, and cast them ²⁰ i.e. longer than the other letters. By its elongation, the lamed

The he of haladonai²¹ XXXII, 6, do … the Lord. must be longer than any other he, because it is²² a word on its own.

footnotes: ²¹ ibid. ²² So GRA. V reads, ‘so that it shall form’. [N.Y. gives the meaning, ‘as though it were’, viz. the initial of הוי, ‘alas’; cf. Midrash Rabbah, Exodus, Sonc. ed., p. 294, n. 1.]

The yod of teshi²³. must be smaller than any yod in the Scriptures. The yod of yigdal²⁴. must be bigger than any yod in the Torah.²⁵ Yisra’el at the end of the Torah²⁶. must be enlarged, while the lamed in it must be higher than any other lamed.

footnotes: ²³ Deut. 32, 18, thou wast unmindful ²⁴ Num. 14, 17, let … be great ²⁵ So GRA and N.Y. V erroneously ‘big, because they are letters which are in Scripture’. H lacks the sentence. ²⁶ Deut. 34, 12, Israel

The following words²⁷ are written but not read [in their written form]:²⁸ It is written ba‘folim²⁹ but we read *baṭṭeḥorim;*³⁰. it is written yishgalennah³¹. but we read *yishkabennah;*³². it is written weroba‘ haḳḳab ḥiryonim³³. but we read *weroba‘ haḳḳab dibyonim;*³⁴ it is written memë shinehem³⁵ XVIII, 27, their own water. but we read *memë raglehem;*³⁶ it is written ḥorehem³⁷ but we read ẓo’atham;³⁸ it is written wayyesimehu lemaḥara’oth³⁹ X, 27, and made it a draught-house. but we read lemoẓa’oth.⁴⁰ If a person uses euphemisms in the section of forbidden marriages⁴¹ he is silenced.⁴² R. Jonah explained:⁴³ [39a] [When one says]⁴⁴ ‘the nakedness of his father’ or ‘the nakedness of his⁴⁵ and thy mother (Lev. 18, 7). R. Joseph (Meg. loc. cit.) gives a different interpretation, viz. the alteration of nakedness to ‘shame’ (cf. Sonc. ed., p. 151, n. 2). mother’. If a person says⁴⁶, p. 133. ‘And thou shalt not give any of thy seed (to a heathen woman) to become with child in idolatry,] instead of and thou shalt not give of thy seed to set them apart to Molech (Lev. 18, 21). ‘and thou shalt not cause any of thy seed to be conceived by a Gentile woman’,⁴⁷ he is silenced with a rebuke.

footnotes: ²⁷ Which have an indelicate nuance. ²⁸ A more polite word is substituted. ²⁹ Meaning ‘posteriors’. ³⁰ 1 Sam. 5, 6, emerods ³¹ Meaning ‘rape’. This is the reading of N.Y. and M. V has thishgalennah ³² Deut. 28, 30, shall lie with her ³³ 2 Kings 6, 25, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung ³⁴ Meaning ‘and the fourth … of decayed leaves’. ³⁵ ibid. ³⁶ lit. ‘the water of their feet’. ³⁷ ibid. their own dung. ³⁸ lit. ‘their evacuation’. ³⁹ ibid. ⁴⁰ lit. ‘retreats’. ⁴¹ Lev. 18, 6-20. ⁴² [The text in V is corrupt and emended in agreement with the Mishnah in Meg. 25a (Sonc. ed., p. 149).] ⁴³ What is meant here by ‘euphemisms’. ⁴⁴ By trying to be more considerate than Scripture. ⁴⁵ Instead of thy father ⁴⁶ [Or, according to J. Rabbinowitz, Mishnah Megillah ⁴⁷ So altering the true meaning of the text which deals with the worship of Molech (cf. Sonc. ed., Meg. p. 149, n. 3).

The incident of Reuben⁴⁸ is read⁴⁹ but not translated.⁵⁰ The story of Tamar⁵¹ is both read and translated.⁵² The first [account of] the golden calf⁵³ is read and translated,⁵⁴ the second⁵⁵ 21-25 according to Meg. loc. cit. (Sonc. ed., p. 153). is read but not translated.⁵⁶ (ibid. 24) which seems to indicate that the calf had abnormal powers.

footnotes: ⁴⁸ Gen. 35, 22. ⁴⁹ In the public lection of the Scriptures. ⁵⁰ Out of respect for the memory of Reuben. In the ancient Synagogues, the readings from the Scriptures were rendered into Aramaic by an official for the benefit of those who were unable to follow the Hebrew. ⁵¹ Gen. 38. ⁵² So GRA and H in agreement with Meg. 25a (Sonc. ed., p. 151). V inserts the negative before both verbs. The reflection on Judah’s behaviour is mitigated by his frank confession. ⁵³ Ex. 33, 1-20. ⁵⁴ Since the sin was forgiven (Meg. 25b, Sonc. ed., p. 152). ⁵⁵ ibid. ⁵⁶ Because of the statement and there came out this calf

Where [does the translator] begin? At Oh this people have sinned.⁵⁷ 31-35. This disagrees with Meg. quoted above. The blessing of the priests⁵⁸ which in the Heb. could be misunderstood in its lit. meaning of ‘favouritism’. and the stories of David⁵⁹ and Amnon⁶⁰ XIII, 1-14 which records Amnon’s disgrace. are neither read nor translated.⁶¹ but GRA and others omit the negative before ‘read’

footnotes: ⁵⁷ ibid. ⁵⁸ Num. 6, 24-27 which includes the phrase lift up … countenance ⁵⁹ 2 Sam. 11, 2-17 which is discreditable to David. ⁶⁰ ibid. ⁶¹ So V and H in agreement with Meg. loc. cit.;

The section dealing with the heavenly chariot⁶² must not be read as a hafṭarah. R. Judah permits it.⁶³ on the first day of Pentecost. This is in accordance with R. Judah’s view. R. Eleazar says: The section beginning Cause Jerusalem to know⁶⁴ must not be read as a hafṭarah.⁶⁵ It once happened that a person read the section beginning Cause Jerusalem to know [hear bominations] as a hafṭarah and R. Eleazar exclaimed, ‘Let that man go and investigate the abominations of his mother’.⁶⁶ Enquiries were made about him and he was found to be illegitimate.

footnotes: ⁶² Ezek. 1 and X which are too abstruse for the ordinary layman. ⁶³ The custom is for Ezek. 1 to be read as the hafṭarah ⁶⁴ Ezek. 15I ⁶⁵ Because of the denunciation of Jerusalem. ⁶⁶ In. Meg. 25b (Sonc. ed., p. 153) the reading is: R. Eleazar said to him, ‘While you are investigating the abominations of Jerusalem, go and investigate the abominations of your mother’.