בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
בְּרוּךֶ אַתֶה חֲוָיָה שְׁכִינּוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדַשְׁתַנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיהֶ וְצִוְתָנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
בְּרוּכָה אַתְּ יָהּ אֱלֹהָתֵינוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קֵרְבָתְנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתָהּ וְצִוְתָנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu la’asok b’divrei Torah
Nonbinary Hebrew Project:
B’rucheh ateh Khavayah Shekhinu ruach ha’olam asher kidash’tanu b’mitzvotei’he v’tziv’tanu la’asok b’divrei Torah
Feminine God Language:
Brukhah at Ya Elohateinu ruach ha’olam asher keir’vat’nu la’avodatah v’tziv’tavnu la’asok b’divrei Torah
וְזָכַרְתָּ֣ אֶת־כׇּל־הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹלִֽיכְךָ֜ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ זֶ֛ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר לְמַ֨עַן עַנֹּֽתְךָ֜ לְנַסֹּֽתְךָ֗ לָדַ֜עַת אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֧ר בִּֽלְבָבְךָ֛ הֲתִשְׁמֹ֥ר מִצְוֺתָ֖ו אִם־לֹֽא׃ וַֽיְעַנְּךָ֮ וַיַּרְעִבֶ֒ךָ֒ וַיַּאֲכִֽלְךָ֤ אֶת־הַמָּן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־יָדַ֔עְתָּ וְלֹ֥א יָדְע֖וּן אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֣עַן הוֹדִֽיעֲךָ֗ כִּ֠י לֹ֣א עַל־הַלֶּ֤חֶם לְבַדּוֹ֙ יִחְיֶ֣ה הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֛י עַל־כׇּל־מוֹצָ֥א פִֽי־יהוה יִחְיֶ֥ה הָאָדָֽם׃
(2) Remember the long way that your God יהוה has made you travel in the wilderness these past forty years, in order to test you by hardships to learn what was in your hearts: whether you would keep the divine commandments or not.(3) [God] subjected you to the hardship of hunger and then gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your ancestors had ever known, in order to teach you that a human being does not live on bread alone, but that one may live on anything that יהוה decrees....
״הַמַּאֲכִילְךָ מָן בַּמִּדְבָּר ... לְמַעַן עַנּוֹתְךָ״? רַבִּי אַמֵּי וְרַבִּי אַסִּי, חַד אָמַר: אֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ פַּת בְּסַלּוֹ לְמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ פַּת בְּסַלּוֹ, וְחַד אָמַר: אֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה מִי שֶׁרוֹאֶה וְאוֹכֵל לְמִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה וְאוֹכֵל.
§ Apropos the verse: “And he afflicted you and caused you to hunger, and fed you with manna” (Deuteronomy 8:3), the Gemara expounds related verses. The Torah states: “Who feeds you manna in the desert which your fathers did not know, in order to afflict you” (Deuteronomy 8:16). What affliction was there in eating the manna? Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi disagreed on the matter. One said: There is no comparison between one who has bread in his basket and one who does not have bread in his basket. The affliction in eating the manna lay in there being no leftover food for the next day. Each day the people worried that they might not have any food to eat the next day. And one said: There is no comparison between one who sees the food and eats it and one who does not see the food and eats it. Though the manna could taste like anything, it always looked the same and did not look as it tasted. Being unable to see the food that they tasted was an affliction.
From Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, "This Week's Portion: Not By Bread" at https://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog/2009/08/this-weeks-portion-not-by-bread.html
Not by bread alone
but by God's words
but by God's words
not by righteous indignation
but by compassion
but by compassion
not by chastisement
but by longing
but by longing
not by insistence
but by meeting face-to-face
but by meeting face-to-face
if you want to live
if you want to inherit
if you want to inherit
if you want streams
to irrigate your arid heart
to irrigate your arid heart
if you want to bear fruit
to taste what's rich and sweet
to taste what's rich and sweet
remember the paths
where God has walked you
where God has walked you
וִֽידַעְתֶּם֮ הַיּוֹם֒ כִּ֣י ׀ לֹ֣א אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יָדְעוּ֙ וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־רָא֔וּ אֶת־מוּסַ֖ר יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם אֶת־גׇּדְל֕וֹ אֶת־יָדוֹ֙ הַחֲזָקָ֔ה וּזְרֹע֖וֹ הַנְּטוּיָֽה׃ וְאֶת־אֹֽתֹתָיו֙ וְאֶֽת־מַעֲשָׂ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה בְּת֣וֹךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם לְפַרְעֹ֥ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֖יִם וּלְכׇל־אַרְצֽוֹ׃ וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂה֩ לְחֵ֨יל מִצְרַ֜יִם לְסוּסָ֣יו וּלְרִכְבּ֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֵצִ֜יף אֶת־מֵ֤י יַם־סוּף֙ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶ֔ם בְּרׇדְפָ֖ם אַחֲרֵיכֶ֑ם וַיְאַבְּדֵ֣ם יהוה עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר עַד־בֹּאֲכֶ֖ם עַד־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֜ה לְדָתָ֣ן וְלַאֲבִירָ֗ם בְּנֵ֣י אֱלִיאָב֮ בֶּן־רְאוּבֵן֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר פָּצְתָ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ וַתִּבְלָעֵ֥ם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־אׇהֳלֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֵ֤ת כׇּל־הַיְקוּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּרַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם בְּקֶ֖רֶב כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ כִּ֤י עֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ הָֽרֹאֹ֔ת אֶת־כׇּל־מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יהוה הַגָּדֹ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֖ר עָשָֽׂה׃ וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַמִּצְוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לְמַ֣עַן תֶּחֶזְק֗וּ וּבָאתֶם֙ וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֛ם עֹבְרִ֥ים שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ וּלְמַ֨עַן תַּאֲרִ֤יכוּ יָמִים֙ עַל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע יהוה לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶ֛ם לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם וּלְזַרְעָ֑ם אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ {ס} כִּ֣י הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתָּ֤ה בָא־שָׁ֙מָּה֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ לֹ֣א כְאֶ֤רֶץ מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ הִ֔וא אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְצָאתֶ֖ם מִשָּׁ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּזְרַע֙ אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֔ וְהִשְׁקִ֥יתָ בְרַגְלְךָ֖ כְּגַ֥ן הַיָּרָֽק׃ וְהָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם עֹבְרִ֥ים שָׁ֙מָּה֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ אֶ֥רֶץ הָרִ֖ים וּבְקָעֹ֑ת לִמְטַ֥ר הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם תִּשְׁתֶּה־מָּֽיִם׃ אֶ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ דֹּרֵ֣שׁ אֹתָ֑הּ תָּמִ֗יד עֵינֵ֨י יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ בָּ֔הּ מֵֽרֵשִׁית֙ הַשָּׁנָ֔ה וְעַ֖ד אַחֲרִ֥ית שָׁנָֽה׃ {ס} וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־שָׁמֹ֤עַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺתַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יהוה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ וּלְעׇבְד֔וֹ בְּכׇל־לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃ וְנָתַתִּ֧י מְטַֽר־אַרְצְכֶ֛ם בְּעִתּ֖וֹ יוֹרֶ֣ה וּמַלְק֑וֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ֣ דְגָנֶ֔ךָ וְתִירֹֽשְׁךָ֖ וְיִצְהָרֶֽךָ׃ וְנָתַתִּ֛י עֵ֥שֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ֖ לִבְהֶמְתֶּ֑ךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָֽעְתָּ׃
(2) ...Take thought this day that it was not your children, who neither experienced nor witnessed the lesson of your God יהוה —God’s majesty, mighty hand, and outstretched arm;(3) the signs and the deeds that [God] performed in Egypt against Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his land;(4) what [God] did to Egypt’s army, its horses and chariots; how יהוה rolled back upon them the waters of the Sea of Reeds when they were pursuing you, thus destroying them once and for all;(5) what [God] did for you in the wilderness before you arrived in this place;(6) and what [God] did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab son of Reuben, when the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them, along with their households, their tents, and every living thing in their train, from amidst all Israel—(7) but that it was you who saw with your own eyes all the marvelous deeds that יהוה performed.(8) Keep, therefore, all the Instruction that I enjoin upon you today, so that you may have the strength to enter and take possession of the land that you are about to cross into and possess,(9) and that you may long endure upon the soil that יהוה swore to your fathers to assign to them and to their heirs, a land flowing with milk and honey.(10) For the land that you are about to enter and possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come. There the grain you sowed had to be watered by your own labors, like a vegetable garden;(11) but the land you are about to cross into and possess, a land of hills and valleys, soaks up its water from the rains of heaven.(12) It is a land which your God יהוה looks after, on which your God יהוה always keeps an eye, from year’s beginning to year’s end.(13) If, then, you obey the commandments that I enjoin upon you this day, loving your God יהוה and serving [God] with all your heart and soul,(14) I will grant the rain for your land in season, the early rain and the late. You shall gather in your new grain and wine and oil—(15) ...
כי לא את בניכם. אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר עַכְשָׁו, שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לוֹמַר אָנוּ לֹא יָדַעְנוּ וְלֹא רָאִינוּ בְּכָל זֶה:
כי לא את בניכם FOR NOT WITH YOUR CHILDREN am I now speaking who might say, “We do not know nor have we seen all this” (all that God did for you, and what He did to Egypt, and for you in the wilderness, and to Dathan and Abiram, as related in vv. 2—6).
כי לא את בניכם. לפיכך אתם שראיתם עשו אותות המעידים לדורות בכניסתכם:
כי לא את בניכם, therefore, you who have become witnesses to G’d’s miracles for the generations by reason of the fact that you enter this land and conquer it.
וידעתם היום וגו'. פירוש מבחן הידיעה הצריכה חלה עליכם היום, פירוש אחר שעברו כל האותות וכו' שהזכיר בסמוך שמהם יצדיקו הידיעה ברורה, ואומרו כי לא את בניכם וגו' פירוש טעם שאני אומר וידעתם לכם בכינוי הוא לומר ולא את בניכם שהם אין להם ידיעה במבחן זה כמותכם, ולא הוצרך להזכיר הידיעה מה היא כי כשמשיג האדם דיעה במבחן צודק יראה בעיניו האמת מעצמו כי יהוה אלהינו הוא אחד שברא הכל ושליט בכל ומואס בעוברי תורה ובוחר בבוחריה:
וידעתם היום, "and you shall know as of this day, etc." Moses means as of this day after you have reviewed all the proofs it is your duty to know that G'd has performed all these miracles as He did not perform them for your children. If your children who have only heard about all this would deny knowledge of these events this is one thing. You, however, who have witnessed all these events are in no position to deny knowledge of them. There was no need for Moses to define what precisely he meant by the word ידיעה, knowledge. They had seen with their own eyes miracles which proved that G'd is unique, has created the universe and is the supreme Ruler who despises those who disobey His laws and has chosen as His people those who adopt the laws of the Torah.
אשר יהוה אלהיך דרש אתה. וַהֲלֹא כָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת דוֹרֵשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "לְהַמְטִיר עַל אֶרֶץ לֹא אִישׁ" (איוב ל"ח)? אֶלָּא כִּבְיָכוֹל אֵינוֹ דוֹרֵשׁ אֶלָּא אוֹתָהּ, וְעַל יְדֵי אוֹתָהּ דְּרִישָׁה שֶׁדּוֹרְשָׁהּ, דּוֹרֵשׁ אֶת כָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת עִמָּהּ: תמיד עיני יהוה אלהיך בה. לִרְאוֹת מַה הִיא צְרִיכָה, וּלְחַדֵּשׁ בָּהּ גְּזֵרוֹת, עִתִּים לְטוֹבָה עִתִּים לְרָעָה כוּ', כִּדְאִיתָא בְּרֹ"הַ (דף י"ז): מרשית השנה. מֵרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה נִדּוֹן מַה יְּהֵא בְּסוֹפָהּ (שם ח'):
אשר יהוה אלהיך דרש אתה [A LAND] WHICH THE LORD THY GOD CARETH FOR — But does He not care for all lands, as it said, (Job 38:26) “[Who hath cleft a way for the lightning of the thunder …] to cause rain even on a land where no man is"? But, if one can say so of God, He cares for that land alone, but through the care which He bestows on it, He cares also for all other lands with it (Sifrei Devarim 40:1). תמיד עיני יהוה אלהיך בה THE EYES OF THE LORD THY GOD ARE ALWAYS UPON IT, to see what it requires, and to make new dispensations for it, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad, as is stated in Treatise Rosh Hashanah 17b. מרשית השנה FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR [TO THE END OF THE YEAR] — At the beginning of the year it is decided by God what will be right up to the end of it (Rosh Hashanah 8a).
דורש אותה. להשגיח על מעשי יושביה אם הם ראוים למטר ואם לא. לפיכך דעו זה כי אמנם: אם שמוע תשמעו ונתתי מטר ארצכם בעתו. באופן שתתפרנסו שלא בצער ותוכלו לעבדו ואם לאו לא יתן מטר כלל ולא יהי' לכם מזון לחיות בה:
דורש אותה, to carefully scrutinize the deeds of its inhabitants to determine if they are deserving the rain or not. Therefore, you should remain aware of the fact that אם שמוע תשמעו...ונתתי מטר ארצכם בעתו, so that you will find your livelihood painlessly, and the land will cooperate with you. If not, G’d will not provide any rain and you will not have food to eat (16-17)
דרש אותה לפקוד את יושביה ולדקדק את מעשיהם.
מרשית השנה חסר אל״ף.
ועד אחרית שנה ברשותו לברך את הפירות אף כשהם בבתיכם וכן אמר יצו ה׳ אתך את הברכה באסמיך.
מרשית השנה חסר אל״ף.
ועד אחרית שנה ברשותו לברך את הפירות אף כשהם בבתיכם וכן אמר יצו ה׳ אתך את הברכה באסמיך.
דורש אותה, “He cares for it constantly;” He examines the people’s morals in that land especially carefully. מרשית השנה, “from the beginning of the year;” the word ראשית appears here without the customary letter .א ועד אחרית שנה, right until the end of the year. He is entitled to bless the fruit of the land even after it has reached their storage places in their homes. We know that from the promise in Deut. 28,8, יצו יהוה את הברכה באסמיך, “the Lord will command the blessing in your barns.”
אשר יהוה אלהיך דורש. דקדק לומר תיבת אלהיך להעיר כי שבח הארץ היא כשה' מיחד אלקותו על ישראל אבל בזמן שישראל גולים ואין השכינה בתוכם אין שבח כל כך לארץ:
אשר יהוה אלוהיך דרש, "which the Lord your G'd enquires after (all the time)." Moses emphasises the word אלוהיך, "your G'd" to remind us that the excellence of this land is conditional on the mutually exclusive relationship between Israel and its G'd. If Israel were to find itself in exile due to its sins, the land would not prove excellent for whoever would dwell in it after Israel would be expelled.
וְאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב, שְׁלֹשָׁה צְרִיכִים רַחֲמִים: מֶלֶךְ טוֹב, שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וַחֲלוֹם טוֹב. מֶלֶךְ טוֹב — דִּכְתִיב: ״פַּלְגֵי מַיִם לֶב מֶלֶךְ בְּיַד ה׳״. שָׁנָה טוֹבָה — דִּכְתִיב: ״תָּמִיד עֵינֵי יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה״. חֲלוֹם טוֹב — דִּכְתִיב: ״וְתַחֲלִימֵנִי וְתַחֲיֵינִי״.
Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: Three matters require a plea for mercy to bring them about: A good king, a good year, and a good dream. These three, kings, years, and dreams, are all bestowed by God and one must pray that they should be positive and constructive. The Gemara enumerates the sources for these cases: A good king, as it is written: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord as the watercourses: He turns it whithersoever He will” (Proverbs 21:1). A good year, as it is written: “The eyes of the Lord, thy God, are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12). And a good dream, as it is written: “O Lord, by these things men live, and altogether therein is the life of my spirit; wherefore You will recover me [vataḥlimeni], and make me to live” (Isaiah 38:16). Due to their apparent etymological similarity, the word taḥlimeni is interpreted as deriving from the word ḥalom, dream.
רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר: לַדִּין, דִּכְתִיב: ״מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה״, מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה נִידּוֹן מָה יְהֵא בְּסוֹפָהּ.
§ Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: When the mishna says that the first of Tishrei is the New Year for years, it is with regard to judgment, as on that day God judges the world for the whole year, as it is written: “A land that the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12); from the beginning of the year judgment is passed as to what will happen at the end of the year.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: כׇּל שָׁנָה שֶׁרָשָׁה בִּתְחִלָּתָהּ — מִתְעַשֶּׁרֶת בְּסוֹפָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה״ — ״מֵרֵשִׁית״ כְּתִיב. ״וְעַד אַחֲרִית״ — סוֹפָהּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ אַחֲרִית.
§ The Gemara brings a series of statements in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak, all of which relate to judgment: And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Any year that is poor [rasha] and troubled at its beginning will be made rich at its end, for it is stated: “From the beginning [mereishit] of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12). The word meireishit is written defectively, without an alef, so that it may also be understood in the sense of rashut, poverty. The verse continues: “And until the end [aḥarit] of the year,” which means that the end of the year will have expectations of good things in the end [aḥarit].
מֵיתִיבִי: ״עֵינֵי יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ״ — עִתִּים לְטוֹבָה עִתִּים לְרָעָה. עִתִּים לְטוֹבָה כֵּיצַד? הֲרֵי שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל רְשָׁעִים גְּמוּרִין בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וּפָסְקוּ לָהֶם גְּשָׁמִים מוּעָטִים, לְסוֹף חָזְרוּ בָּהֶן. לְהוֹסִיף עֲלֵיהֶן אִי אֶפְשָׁר — שֶׁכְּבָר נִגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה, אֶלָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מוֹרִידָן בִּזְמַנָּן, עַל הָאָרֶץ הַצְּרִיכָה לָהֶן — הַכֹּל לְפִי הָאָרֶץ.
The Gemara raises an objection from another baraita: The verse states: “A land which the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it” (Deuteronomy 11:12). God’s constant providence over Eretz Yisrael is sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. Sometimes for the good; how so? If the Jews were wholly wicked on Rosh HaShana, so that only a meager amount of rain was decreed for them for the year, but in the end they repented, what can be done? To add rain is impossible, as the decree was already issued. Rather, the Holy One, Blessed be He, causes those sparse rains to fall at the appropriate times on land that needs it, e.g., fields, vineyards, and gardens, all according to requirements of the land, and those rains are just as effective as a lot of rain.