json/Midrash/Halakhah/Mekhilta DeRabbi Shimon Ben Yochai/English/merged.json

{
    "title": "Mekhilta DeRabbi Shimon Ben Yochai",
    "language": "en",
    "versionTitle": "merged",
    "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org/Mekhilta_DeRabbi_Shimon_Ben_Yochai",
    "text": {
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                "<b>And Moses was tending...</b> in the midst of a flame of fire from within the thorn bush. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai asks: Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, reveal Himself from the heavens and speak to Moses from within the thorn bush? What is so special about this thorn bush, which is more formidable than all the trees in the world, such that any bird that enters it does not emerge from it in peace, but rather is cut to pieces? Similarly, the servitude in Egypt was harsher before God than any other servitude in the world. No slave or maidservant ever went free from Egypt, except for Hagar, as it is said (Genesis 12:20): \"And Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they sent him away, him and his wife and all that he had.\" <br><b>Another interpretation of \"from within the thorn bush\":</b> Rabbi Joshua says: Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, reveal Himself from the heavens and speak to Moses from within the thorn bush? Whenever Israel is in distress, it is as if He Himself is in distress, as it is said (Isaiah 63:9): \"In all their affliction, He was afflicted.\" And it says (Psalms 91:15): \"I am with him in distress.\" And it says (Zechariah 2:12): \"For whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye.\" The scripture likens this to anyone who harms Israel is, so to speak, harming the One who spoke and brought the world into being. Thus, Rabbi Joshua says: Come and see the extent of God's compassion and merits for Israel. When they descended to Egypt, the Divine Presence went with them, as it is said (Genesis 46:4): \"I will go down with you to Egypt.\" When they ascended, the Divine Presence ascended with them, as it is said (ibid): \"And I will also surely bring you up again.\" When they went down to the sea, the Divine Presence was with them, as it is said (Exodus 14:19): \"And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved.\" When they came to the desert, the Divine Presence was with them, as it is said (Deuteronomy 1:31): \"In the wilderness, where you saw how the Lord your God carried you.\" When they were in distress, as it were, He was with them in distress, as it is said \"from within the thorn bush.\" When they were at ease, He was with them in comfort, as it is said (Psalms 106:5): \"That I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance.\" <br><b>Another interpretation of \"from within the thorn bush\":</b> Rabbi Yosi says: Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, reveal Himself from the heavens and speak to Moses from within the thorn bush? Because it is pure, and the nations of the world do not make it into an idol. <br><b>Another interpretation of \"from within the thorn bush\":</b> A certain non-Jew asked Rabban Gamaliel: \"Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, reveal Himself to Moses from within the thorn bush?\" He replied: \"Had He revealed Himself upon a single carob or fig tree, you would have said that there is a place on earth devoid of the Divine Presence. Now that He revealed Himself upon a thorn bush, it teaches you that there is no place on earth devoid of the Divine Presence.\" <br><b>Another interpretation of \"from within the thorn bush\":</b> Rabbi Yosi says: Why \"from within the thorn bush\"? Just as with a thorn bush, if a person inserts his hand into it, he is not harmed because its thorns point downward. But if he wishes to withdraw his hand, the thorns grasp it. Similarly, when the Israelites descended to Egypt, the Egyptians welcomed them, as it is said (Genesis 47:6): \"The land of Egypt is before you; in the best of the land make your father and brothers to dwell.\" But when they wished to leave, the Egyptians held them back, as it is said (Exodus 5:2): \"I will not let Israel go.\" <br><b>Rabbi Eliezer says:</b> Moses saw a great miracle from within the thorn bush: he saw the bush burning yet not consumed by the fire. If you are astonished by this, consider Aaron's staff, which was dry wood, yet it produced almonds and blossoms. <br><b>Another interpretation of why \"from within the thorn bush\":</b> Rabbi Elazar ben Arach says: Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, reveal Himself from the heavens and speak to Moses from within the thorn bush? Although God could have spoken from the tops of mountains or the heights of the world or the cedars of Lebanon, He humbled Himself and spoke from a lowly thorn bush. Regarding this, Solomon said (Proverbs 29:23): \"A man's pride shall bring him low, but he who is of a humble spirit shall obtain honor.\" You will not find any tree more humble than the thorn bush. And it also says (Psalms 138:6): \"For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly.\""
            ],
            [
                "<b>And Moses said, etc.</b> Rabbi Eliezer ben Arach said: The Holy One, blessed be He, implored Moses for seven days to go on His mission, as it is written: \"even yesterday, even the day before, three days ago, even three days before, ever since you have spoken,\" and this is the seventh day.",
                "<b>And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses.</b> Rabbi Eliezer ben Arach said: The Holy One, blessed be He, spoke to Moses in a worldly manner so that the denigrators of the world would not say that because He is a deity and the master of the world, He did not act justly. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, implored Moses for six days, as it is written: \"even yesterday, even three days ago, ever since you spoke to your servant,\" and on the seventh day, He said to him, \"Please send by the hand you will send.\" <br>He gave a parable: To what is this matter comparable? To a king who had a servant, and he loved him with a complete love. The king wanted to appoint him as a steward to sustain the royal children. What did the king do? He took his servant by his hand and brought him into his treasure house, showing him silver, gold, precious stones, and pearls, and everything he had in his treasure house. He then took him to the field and showed him gardens and orchards and everything he had in the field. The servant extended his hand and said, \"I cannot become a steward to sustain the royal children.\" The king became angry and said to him, \"If you cannot become a steward, why did you bother me with all this effort?\" He swore that the servant would not enter the threshold of his palace. <br>So too, the Almighty implored Moses for six days on His mission to Egypt, and on the seventh day, He said to him, \"Please send by the hand you will send.\" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, \"You say to me, 'Please send by the hand you will send.' Joshua, your student, and your disciple, will bring Israel into the land. You will not enter the land with them,\" as it is said, \"Therefore you shall not bring this assembly.\" <br>Moses replied and said before the Holy One, blessed be He, \"Master of the Universe, you tell me to go down to Egypt and bring out the Children of Israel from Egypt. Surely I am a messenger. Two missions to one person at one time? My Lord, this mission is better with two people, as one,\" as it is said, \"Two are better than one,\" and it is inferred, \"By the mouth of two witnesses shall a matter be established.\" <br>The Holy One, blessed be He, replied and said to Moses, \"I will inform you of whom you stand before and ask for mercy that you and he go on my mission to Egypt. The Holy Spirit has already rested upon him, and he goes out and awaits you on my behalf to Egypt. Now when he sees you, he will be like the sun,\" as it is said, \"And behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.\" <br>The Holy One, blessed be He, replied and said to Moses, \"Initially, when I revealed myself to you at the bush, you hid your face from me,\" as it is said, \"And Moses hid his face.\" \"Now, when have you been given the opportunity to speak to me like a servant to a human master who has permission to speak to his master?\" <br>Moses spoke and said, \"I have no messengers, I have no troops, I have no seraphim, I have no wheels, I have no ministering angels, and I have no heavenly chariots to send and bring out my children from Egypt. You tell me, 'Please send by the hand you will send.' I am the one who called the world from the east of the sun to its setting. From that law, you are fit for washing immediately. But what can I do, for I am merciful.\" Thus, it is said, \"And God spoke to Moses and said to him, 'I am the Lord.'\" <br>And the sages say: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, \"Moses, the merit of Amram, your father, stood by you. He did a great deed in Israel. When Egypt imposed hard labor on Israel and cast them into the Nile, they said, 'We marry women, beget sons, and the Egyptians cast them into the Nile. Why do we toil in vain?' Amram arose and did a great deed in Israel, and his mind agreed with the mind of the place (God). He divorced his wife when she was pregnant for three months. At the end of three months, he remarried her, as it is said, 'And a man from the house of Levi went and took the daughter of Levi.' And the ministering angels clapped before her like grooms and brides,\" as it is said, \"If sons, then joy.\" And the Egyptians calculated nine months for her, and she gave birth within six months. <br>Why was this necessary? Either Amram took a wife, or he did not. Rather, to inform all who come to the world of the merit of Amram the righteous. Moses replied and said before the Holy One, blessed be He, \"Master of the Universe, you tell me to go down to Egypt and bring out sixty myriads from under the burdens of Egypt. I fear for the people, for I fled from them.\" He said to him, \"Do not fear, Moses. They have already died,\" as it is said, \"For all the men who sought your life are dead.\" <br>The Holy One, blessed be He, replied and said to Moses, \"Moses, you say to me, 'I fear for the people, for I fled from them.' The people who sent Pharaoh to capture you, who made them mute, who made them deaf, who made them blind, is it not I, the Lord?\" Rabbi Eliezer ben Yehuda of Bartota says: Moses replied and said before the Holy One, blessed be He, \"Master of the Universe, you tell me to go down to Egypt and bring out sixty myriads from under the burdens of Egypt. If you had loosened them for a year or two before speaking, things would already be done. But they were enslaved for 210 years. Pharaoh will say to me, 'A slave who served for ten years and no creature protested against him, another will come and take him from his hand? Or one who worked the vineyard for ten years and no creature protested against him, another will come and take it from his hand?' Master of the Universe, these things you tell me are heavy and burdensome,\" as it is said, \"For I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.\""
            ],
            [],
            [
                "<b>And God spoke to Moses and said to him, \"I am the LORD (YHWH)\"</b>: <br><b>Rabbi Eliezer says</b>: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, \"I am the One who said, 'Let there be a world',\" as it is said (Psalms 50:1), \"The mighty God, the LORD, has spoken and called the earth.\" I am the One who told Abraham, your forefather, in the Covenant Between the Parts (Genesis 15:13), \"Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own.\" Now, there is a pressing oath, and you come before Me in an unconventional manner, asking that I bring My children out of Egypt, yet you say, \"Please send by the hand of whom You will send.\" <br><b>Rabbi Joshua says</b>: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, \"I am trustworthy to reward Isaac, son of Abraham, who offered a quarter of his blood upon the altar. I said to him (Psalms 89:19), 'With My sacred oil I have anointed him.' Now I seek to bring them out of Egypt, and you say to Me, 'Please send by the hand of whom You will send.'\" <br><b>Rabbi Shimon says</b>: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, \"I am trustworthy to fulfill what I promised to Jacob (Genesis 28:14), 'Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth.' Now, there is a pressing oath, and you come before Me in an unconventional manner, asking that I bring My children out of Egypt, and you say to Me, 'Please send by the hand of whom You will send.'\" <br><b>Rabbi Judah says</b>: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, \"I am the Master of the world. I am full of mercy. I am trustworthy to reward. My children are enslaved to flesh and blood, and you say to Me, 'Please send by the hand of whom You will send.'\" <br><b>Rabbi Nehemiah says</b>: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, \"It is revealed and known before Me the suffering of My children in Egypt,\" as it is said (Exodus 2:25), \"God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice.\" My children are in distress, you are at ease, and I seek to bring them out of Egypt, and you say to Me, 'Please send by the hand of whom You will send.'\" <br><b>Rabbi Yosi the Galilean says</b>: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, \"My children were obligated to Me in Egypt,\" as it is said (Ezekiel 20:7), \"I said to them: Cast away, every one of you, the detestable things that are before your eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt.\" They rebelled against Me and did not want to listen to Me. I act for the sake of My great name so that it is not profaned, as it is said (ibid. 20:9), \"But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived.\" I seek to bring them out of Egypt, and you say to Me, 'Please send by the hand of whom You will send.'\" <br><b>Rabbi Tarfon says</b>: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, \"Israel is deserving to be given in the hands of Ammon, Moab, and Amalek. But there is a decree from before Me that I will not deliver them into their hands,\" as it is said (Exodus 17:16), \"For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD.\" And it is said (Ezekiel 20:9), \"But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations.\" I seek to bring them out of Egypt, and you say to Me, 'Please send by the hand of whom You will send.'\" <br><b>Rabbi Joshua ben Korcha says</b>: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, \"Israel is not deserving to be given manna in the desert, but only hunger, thirst, nakedness, and exposure. But what can I do? I pay them the reward of Abraham, My beloved, who made a meal for My ministering angels,\" as it is said (Genesis 18:8), \"He stood over them under the tree while they ate.\" I seek to bring them out of Egypt, and you say to Me, 'Please send by the hand of whom You will send.'\" <br><b>Rabbi Akiva says</b>: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, \"By saying, decreeing, and swearing, you are prevented from entering the land.\" And so it says (Numbers 20:12), \"Because you did not believe in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.\" And the word \"therefore\" indicates an oath, as it is said (1 Samuel 3:14), \"Therefore I swear to the house of Eli.\" <br>[\"And all this anger, why? Because [Moses] said, 'Since I came to Pharaoh...'\". <br><b>Rabbi Eliezer the Modaite says</b>: God forbid that this righteous man [Moses] should speak in such a manner! Rather, this is what he said before Him: \"Master of the Universe, is it not [true that] the one who redeems is also the savior? Master of the Universe, I know that You are destined to bring Your children out of Egypt. Perhaps You intend to do so through another [messenger], and I have not merited to bring them out by my hand.\" <br>The Holy One, blessed be He, responded to him and said: \"Moses, you have merited, and it is through your hand that I will bring them out. Know this, for from the response He gave him, you can learn [this interpretation], as it is said, 'And the LORD said to Moses, now you will see...'\"]"
            ],
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                "",
                "... This is the [first] month to you ~ The first ancestors did not count it. Is it possible that the first ancestors did not count it? Behold, the Torah was not given in their days, but from the moment Torah was given and onward, the first comers (ie, the other nations) would count. No, this is not possible: the text says - \"for you\". You count it [as the first month], and the other nations do not.[First of] Months - Is it possible [that this is the first month] for [beginning of] years and shemittah [cycles] and Jubilee [cycles]? [No,] the text says \"first of months\" - for months it is the first, but it is not the first for the [beginning of] years, nor shemittah [cycles], nor Jubilee [cycles]. \"It is first for you [all]\" - and not for the tenth part of animals, and not for the fruits. Why is it the first for kings and festivals and donations of shekels and documents of houses? \"It is first\" - because of the general principle that is said: \"guard the month of Aviv\". How do you guard it? Add days to it. Is it possible that, if it was a year that lacks ten or twenty days one would complete it like that [with just ten or twenty days]? [No,] the text says \"month\" - there is no [adding] less than a month. Is it possible that, if it was a year that lacks forty or fifty days one would complete it like that [with forty or fifty days]? [No,] the text says \"month\" there is no adding more than a month. Is it possible to complete the year with Nisan? [No,] the text says \"it is the first month to you\" - one Nissan you make, and you do not make two Nissan. Is it possible to complete the year with Tishrei? [No,] the text says \"guard the month of Aviv\" - guard the month that is close to Aviv [spring], and which one is it? Adar. Is it possible that if it is an early year [ie, autumn comes early] you would add days to it? And similarly if it was a late year you would take away days from it? [No,] the text says \"and you will guard this rule in its appointed time from year to year\" - a year is never less than twelve months. \"It is the first month for you of the months of the year\" - a second Nisan should not be done.",
                "...\"Speak to all the congregation of the Children of Israel, [saying]\" - it teaches that this portion was said in Hakhel. Rabbi Yehudah says: this intends to give a negative commandment to every positive commandment said in this portion. \"In the tenth of this month you shall take for yourselves\" - it teaches that in the Egyptian [Passover] the sacrifice needed to be acquired on the tenth - is it possible on the [Passover] of [all other] generations the sacrifice needs to be acquired on the tenth? [No,] the text says \"this\" - on the Egyptian [Passover] the sacrifice needed to be acquired by the tenth, but the [Passover] of [all other] generations the sacrifice does not need to be acquired by the tenth. Does this specify the first Passover but does not specify the second Passover? [No,] the text says \"and it will be for you for guarding until the fourteenth of this month\" - on the Egyptian [Passover] the sacrifice needed to be acquired by the tenth, but the [Passover] of [all other] generations the sacrifice does not need to be acquired by the tenth. \"And you shall take\" - this teaches that every single one takes for oneself. \"And you shall take for yourselves\" - this teaches that the individual can take for the entire company, from here they say 'the proxy of a person is like that person.' \"And you shall take for yourselves, an adult\" - from here they say 'there is no acquiring by a minor.' \"A lamb per ancestral house\" - is it possible that the Egyptian [Passover] sacrifice was only slaughtered for an ancestral house? From where do we know that even for a family [it is slaughtered]? The text says \"Pull yourselves together! Pick out lambs for your families\". From where do we know this applies even for a house? The text says \"a lamb per house.\" From here they said \"an adult slaughters through his minor male and female children, and through his Canaanite male slave and his Canaanite female slave, whether with their knowledge or without\"",
                "...If the house is too small [to be for a lamb] - it teaches that they may decrease themselves in number continuously, provided that one from the fellowship remains, those are the words of R. Yehudah. Rabbi Yosi says: whether from the first or second fellowships, and provided that they do not leave behind any quantity of the Passover [sacrifice], the text says: '[being] for a lamb' - that is, [for maintaining it alive] for eating, and not for acquiring. Rabbi [Yehudah HaNasi] says: even for acquiring since if he does not have, he appoints others for his place, and [selects] coins for non-holy [purposes] that were taken at the outset only for this. \"And he will take\" - this teaches that each and every fellowship takes for itself, from here they said 'we do not slaughter the Passover [sacrifice] for an individual from the outset, as it is written \"You are not to slaughter the Passover [sacrifice] in/for one (Deuteronomy 16:5), these are the words of Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Yosi says: there are moments when he is only one, and we do slaughter for him, there are times when they are ten and we do not slaughter for them. How is it possible? If he is one, and is able to eat it all, we slaughter it for him; ten, and they cannot eat it all, we do not slaughter for them so that they won't invalidate the Passover [sacrifice]. \"And his neighbor\" - Ben Bag Bag says: [from this] I only understand [lit. hear] his neighbor in the fields, from where [do I derive] his neighbor under the same roofs? The text says \"close to his house\": door [next] to door. Rabbi [Yehudah HaNasi] says - three are spoken of: 'his neighbor' - this is his neighbor in the fields; 'and his neighbor' - this is his neighbor under the roof; 'close' this is the neighbor close to his house, next to the door. [In] The Egyptian Passover his neighbor [was] close to his house, and in the Passover for the other generations, his neighbor is not close to his house. Rabbi Shimeon says: Even in the Passover for the generations his neighbor is [defined as] close to his house, and the Torah only said this due to the ways of peace, so that a person would not settle one's friends, and one's close neighbors, and one's acquaintances, and one's more distant acquaintances, and one of the dwellers of his town, and then goes and does his Passover with other people so as to fulfill what is written: 'a close neighbor is better than a distant brother' (Ecclesiastes 27:10). \"In proportion\" [quota] - the only 'proportion' is a minian, and so He says \"and the quota [levy] for Ad-nai thirty two people [lit. souls]' (Numbers 31:30). Is it possible that it is a mitzvah to slaughter to his minian and if he did not slaughter it to his minian he transgressed but it is still kosher? (No,) the text says \"proportion\" \"you shall apportion\" - the text teaches regarding him that (if he does this) it is pasul (contrary of kosher). From the fact that the text states \"man\" I only a male, from where do we include women and minors? The text says \"persons [lit. souls]\". If that is the case, why does the text say \"man\"? Just as a man is able to eat an olive size (of the sacrifice) so too a minor [is only considered a minor] if he is able to eat an olive size (of the sacrifice). Rabbi Yehudah says: 'just as a man knows to differentiate food, so too a minor (is only considered a minor) if he is able to differentiate food. And what is to differentiate food? Anyone to whom we give an egg and s/he keeps it; a stone, and s/he throws it. \"Proportion\" \"you shall apportion\" - this teaches that we are counted and we count for the minian. From here they said 'the participants in a fellowship that counted others for their portion, have the permission to do so. If they want to continue and count others in their portion, they have the permission to do so. One of the participants in a fellowship that counted another person for his portion, he has the permission to do so. If he wants to continue and count others in his portion, he has the permission to do so. \"According to what each will eat\" - this excludes a person who is sick, an uncircumcised and one whose ritual status is 'impure'. \"On the lamb\" - Ben Bag Bag says: I understand [lit. I hear] a live lamb or a slaughtered one, you make the decision. Here (v.4) it says \"a lamb\" and there it says \"a lamb\" (v.3), just as the lamb said there is alive and not slaughtered, here, too, it is alive. From here they said 'we always apportion according to the Passover sacrifice, and we prevent [lit. hold their hands back] them (from apportioning) until it is slaughtered.",
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                "<b>Your flocks:</b> \"Your flocks come also from mine!\" <b>Your herds:</b> \"Your herds come also from my ministers!\" <b>Take [them], as you said, and begone!:</b> Your prediction has been fulfilled! \"Moses said, “You yourself must provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to offer up to the LORD our God\" (Exodus 10:25) <b>And may you bring a blessing upon me also!:</b> Even women and children.  Another interpretation: \"And may you bring a blessing upon me also.\" (Exodus 12:32)  From here you say that Pharaoh knew that he was lacking in prayer, and God does not forgive someone until he has persuaded his neighbor [to forgive him as well].  What reward did he take for this? -- \"In that day, there shall be an altar to the LORD inside the land of Egypt\" (Isaiah 19:19) The mouth that said, \"Who is the LORD that I should heed Him [and let Israel go]?\" (Exodus 5:2) is [also] the mouth that said, \"The LORD is in the right [and I and my people are in the wrong.]\" (Exodus 9:27)  What reward did he take for this? -- \"You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his land.\" (Deuteronomy 23:8) The mouth that said, \"I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil,\" (Exodus 15:9) is [also] the mouth that said, \"Let us flee from the Israelites, [for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.]\" (Exodus 14:25)  What reward did he take for this? -- \"You put out Your right hand, The earth swallowed them.\" (Exodus 15:12) They merited to be buried, that beast and birds would not eat them."
            ],
            [
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                "\"That the Torah of the Lord be in thy mouth\" -- to exclude women [from tefillin]. What is exemplary about tefillin? They are a positive time-triggered commandment from which women are exempt. So too, are women exempt from all positive time-triggered commandments."
            ],
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                "(4) I will strengthen Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after them; for his heart was divided whether to pursue or not to pursue. I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army. Pharaoh began to sin first, and from him, the punishment began. Similarly, you say (Genesis 7:23), \"And He blotted out all existence from man to beast; whoever began to sin first, from him the punishment began.\" Similarly (Genesis 19:11), \"And the men at the entrance of the house were struck with blindness; whoever began to sin first, from him the punishment began.\" Similarly (Genesis 19:13), \"For we are about to destroy this place; whoever began to sin first, from him the punishment began.\" Similarly (Numbers 5:27), \"And her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall fall; and the rest of the body did not escape, but he who began to sin first, from him the punishment began.\" So here it says, \"And I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army; Pharaoh began to sin first, and from him, the punishment began.\" Aren't these things [logical]? Which measure is greater, the measure of goodness or the measure of punishment? You should say the measure of goodness is greater. And if the measure of punishment, which is lesser, he who began to sin first, from him the punishment began; how much more so for the measure of goodness, which is greater, that whoever begins to perform a commandment first takes his reward at the beginning.",
                "Another explanation of \"And I will be honored through Pharaoh\": When the Holy One, blessed be He, takes vengeance on the wicked, His name is magnified in the world. And so it says (Isaiah 66:19), \"And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape from them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the distant islands that have not heard My fame or seen My glory.\" What does it say? \"And they shall declare My glory among the nations.\" Similarly, you say (Ezekiel 38:22), \"And I will judge him with pestilence and with blood, and I will rain down torrential rain.\" What does it say? \"And I will magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations.\" Similarly, you say (Jeremiah 16:19), \"O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction.\" What does it say? \"To You, the nations shall come from the ends of the earth and say, 'Our ancestors have inherited nothing but lies, vanity, and things of no profit.'\"",
                "And Egypt shall know that I am the Lord. Previously, they did not know the Lord; now, \"And Egypt shall know that I am the Lord.\" And they did so, to make known the praise of Israel, for they did not say to Moses, \"How can we go back and not break the hearts of the children who are with us?\" but they believed and went after Moses. Another explanation of \"And they did so\": They said, willing or unwilling, we have nothing but the words of the son of Amram.",
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                "",
                "",
                "... R’ Eliezer haModa’i says: “Why do you cry out to Me?” (Exodus 14:15) Do I need to be told what to do regarding my children?! “…concerning My children and the work of My hands do you command Me?” (Isaiah 45:11) Were they not already prepared before Me from the six days of creation? As it says “If these laws depart from before Me, says the Lord, so will the seed of Israel cease being a nation before Me for all time.” (Jeremiah 31:35) Others say: Israel did a great thing. For the sake of the faith with which they believed in Me it is worth it to split the sea. For they did not say to Moshe ‘how can we go out into this barren wilderness without supplies for the journey?!’ Rather, they had faith and followed after Moshe, as it says in the prophets “Go and call out in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: so said the Lord: I remember to you the lovingkindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, your following Me in the desert, in a land not sown.” (Jeremiah 2:2) What reward did they receive for this? “Israel is holy to the Lord, the first of His grain; all who eat him shall be guilty, evil shall befall them, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 2:3) R’ Yosi haGalili says: when Israel entered the sea Mount Moriah was already uprooted from its place, together with the altar of Yitzchak which was built on it with the wood all laid out. It was as if Yitzchak was bound and placed on the altar and Avraham had stretched out his hand to take the knife and slaughter his son, as it says “And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife, to slaughter his son.” (Genesis 22:10) God (HaMakom) said to Moshe: Moshe, my children are in distress, the sea is closing, the enemy is pursuing and you stand there drawing out your prayer?! He said before Him: and what should I do? He replied: “And you raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea…” (Exodus 14:16) You should elevate, exalt, give song, exultation, thanksgiving, greatness, splendor, glory and praise to He to whom all battles belong."
            ],
            [
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "...“…directed toward Your habitation, which You made, O Lord…” (Exodus 15:17) This is one of the places which indicate that the throne above is aligned with the throne below, as it says “So says the Lord, The heavens are My throne, and the earth is My footstool…” (Isaiah 66:1) And it says “And He said to me, Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet…” (Ezekiel 43:7) and “The Lord is in His Holy Temple. The Lord-His throne is in Heaven…” (Tehillim 11:4) and “I have surely built You a house to dwell in…” (Kings 8:13) The Holy Temple is beloved before He Who Spoke and Brought the World Into Being. All of the world was created only with the speech of the Holy One, as it says “By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made…” (Tehillim 33:6) but when He built the Holy Temple it was, so to speak, through His action ‘which You made, O Lord.’ Oy to the nations of the world, whose ears heard that the Holy Temple is called an action in relation to the One Who Spoke and Brought the World Into Being and destroyed it. The one who said “…Raze it, raze it, down to its foundation!” (Tehillim 137:7) What does He say? “And you prophesy to them all these words, and you shall say to them: The Lord shall roar from above, and from His Holy Habitation He shall give forth His voice; He shall roar over His habitation… A stirring has come until the end of the earth, for God has a controversy with the nations…” (Jeremiah 25:30-31) ",
                "The Eternal shall reign forever: R. Yossi said: If only the Israelites had said, \"The Eternal reigns forever\" no nation or kingdom would have ruled over them, but rather [they said] the Eternal shall reign forever, [meaning] in a future time to come. Why [incomplete]"
            ],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "...\"Visiting (poked)\" - visiting is always to remember. And so it states (Genesis 21:1), \"And the Lord visited Sarah\"; and it states (Exodus 3:16), \"I will surely visit you.\" R. Yehudah says, \"I gather together the iniquities with me, and suspend them until the fourth generation; as with Jehu, the son of Nimshi. Accordingly, it states [about him] (II Kings 15:12), \"Four generations of your descendants shall occupy the throne of Israel.\" And so it was for him...",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "<b>For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth (Exodus 20:11):</b> And were they created in six days? And has it not already been stated (Psalms 33:6), \"By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made.\" If so why does it state, \"For in six days, the Lord made the heaven?\" Rather it is to punish the wicked who destroy the world that was created in six days and to give a goodly reward to the righteous who preserve the world that was created in six days. Another explanation: \"For in six days, the Lord made, etc. - based on three things was the Shabbat given to Israel. Based on the exodus from Egypt, as it is written (Deuteronomy 5:15), \"Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt.\" And based on, \"For in six days, the Lord made, etc.\" And based on, \"and He rested on the seventh day\" (Exodus 20:11). \"And the sea and everything that is in them\" (Exodus 20:11): The sea was included in the act of creation [of the earth]. Rather [it was specified] to say that there is praise about the sea corresponding to all of the acts of creation. Similar to this, you say, \"and Leviathan that You formed to sport with\" (Psalms 104:26). And was the Leviathan not included in the creations of the sea. Rather [it was specified] to say that there is praise about the Leviathan corresponding to all of the creation of the sea. \"And He rested on the seventh day\" - to teach that rest was not commanded until the seventh day. Another explanation: \"And He rested on the seventh day\" - and is there toil and exhaustion before Him? And is it not already stated (Isaiah 40:28), \"He does not get tired and He does not get exhausted?\" If so, why is it stated, \"and He rested?\" Rather it is to punish the wicked who destroy the world that was created with toil and exhaustion. Another explanation: \"And He rested\" - and are the things not an a fortiori argument (<i>kal vechomer</i>): And if the One who spoke and the world came into being, blessed be He - who does not have toil and exhaustion before him - wrote about Himself, \"and He rested\"; is it not all the more so that man about whom it is written (Job 5:7), \"For man is born to toil,\" should be obligated to rest on the seventh day? \"Therefore the Lord blessed the Shabbat and made it holy\": With what did He bless it and with what did He make it holy? He blessed it and made it holy with manna. He blessed it with manna: About every day it says (Exodus 16:16), \"an omer per person\"; but about Shabbat it says (Exodus 16:22), \"two omer.\" About every day it says (Exodus 16:20), \"It became wormy and putrid\"; but about Shabbat it says (Exodus 16:24), \"It did not turn putrid and there were no worms in it.\" Rabbi Shimon ben Yehudah of Kefar Ikos says, \"He blessed it with lights, and made it holy with lights. He blessed it with the light of man's face and He made it holy with the light of man's face. And even thought the lights became corrupted on the eve of Shabbat, they were not darkened until the conclusion of Shabbat. So does it say - 'And the light of the moon shall become like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall become sevenfold, like the light of the seven days\" (Isaiah 30:26).'\" Rabbi Yose said to him, \"What do I need [this for]? Has it not already been stated (Psalms 49:13), 'But man does not rest in his glory' - his glory did not rest (sleep overnight) with him, but rather his glory was negated [beforehand], and 'he is silenced like the beasts?'\" He said to him, \"Yes, the decree was on the eve of Shabbat, and he did not rest before the decree was decreed; but it was not darkened until the conclusion of Shabbat.\"",
                "    ",
                "?"
            ],
            [
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
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                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "...An eye for an eye - one pays damage(s), the value of his eye. ...... Ben Azai says: behold here it says \"a wound for a wound\" and further on (verse 18) it says \"if a man hits his neighbor with a stone or with the fist\" - behold, this is the wound spoken. Just as the wound spoken of above \"he will pay for his idleness and for his cure\", here too \"he will pay for his idleness and his cure\". The wound is included in the general idea, and is expressed [lit. comes out] to teach (in general) and not about itself (specifically) - but it does come to teach regarding the general principle: just as the wound of which it is said \"due to\" is about payment, so too (here) [everything] of which it is said \"due to\" is about payment. Or - is it possible that this applies even for \"life for life\"? [No,] the text says (Numbers 35:31) \"and you will not take ransom for the life of a murderer\". [For the life of a murderer] you do not take payment, but you do take payment for limbs.",
                "Burn for burn - if with wound it was already said, but if even though there is no wound [inflicted], such as he hit him with a [towel?] or a nail on his nail, on a place that does not make a wound, from here you say that one who diminishes the limb of his fellow, he pays five things: damages, and pain, and idleness, and healing, and shame. Damages and pain are spoken of here. Idleness and healing [are spoken of] above. And shame in another place, as it is written (Deut. 25:11) \"and she stretches her hand and seizes him by his genitals [lit. shames].\" Damages - we assess him: how much is he worth complete, and how much he is worth after he made him lose a limb. Pain - we appraise how much a person would want that would be given to him to have his hand cut with a narcotic or not cut at all, [cut]with a slaughtering knife. Idleness - we see him as if he is a guard. Healing - we appraise in how many days he will heal, and how many are needed. And shame - All goes according to who shames and who is shamed. And if he did not make him lose a limb, he is exempt from damages; and if there is no pain, he is exempt of [paying for] pain; and if there is no idleness, he is exempt of [paying for] idleness; and if there is no healing he is exempt of [paying for] healing; and if there is no shame, he is exempt of [paying for] shame."
            ],
            [],
            [
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "",
                "<b>You shall not oppress a stranger:</b> Rabbi Eliezer said, \"For what reason did the Torah issue warnings with regard to mistreatment of a stranger in thirty-six places? Because [a stranger's] inclination is toward evil,  that they will not return to their inclination.  <b>Having yourselves been strangers:</b> From here Rabbi Eliezer said, \"The blemish that is in you, do not point it out in your fellow.\""
            ],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [
                "<b>Moses assembled</b> - Why is this stated? Since it says (Ex. 25:8), \"Let them make me a sanctuary,\" one might infer [that they should do so] whether on a weekday or on the Sabbath. And yet, how do I fulfill \"whoever does work on it shall be put to death\" (Ex. 31:14)? [Is it to be understood as applying] to all other forms of work except the construction of the Tabernacle, or even to the construction of the Tabernacle? And how do I reconcile \"Let them make me a sanctuary\" [with the prohibition of work]? Is it on all other days, excluding the Sabbath, or even on the Sabbath? <br>But logic dictates: Since \"work\" is called \"work\", and the preparations for work are also called \"work\", if I derive [the law] from the \"work\" that pushes off the Sabbath, all the more so should the preparations for work push off the Sabbath. Moreover, another logical argument: from the work that only comes about through preparations, [the work] pushes off the Sabbath. As for the preparations for this work, how do I know that if the horn of the altar was damaged, or the knife was damaged, that one may repair them on the Sabbath? The Scripture says, \"Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them...” [to indicate that the work of the Tabernacle should be] on a weekday and not on the Sabbath. <br><b>And he said to them</b> - Rabbi says this introduces the 39 categories of work that were orally communicated to Moses. ",
                "<b>Six days shall work be done</b> - This is consistent with Rabbi Ishmael's statement. One verse says, \"Six days shall work be done\", and another says (Ex. 20:9), \"Six days you shall labor and do all your work\". How can both these verses be upheld? When Israel does God's will, their work is done by others, as it says (Isa. 61:5), \"Strangers shall stand and pasture your flocks\". But when Israel doesn't do God's will, not only do they do their own work, but they also do the work of others, as it says (Deut. 28:48), \"You shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you\". <br><b>But the seventh day shall be holy to you</b> - Why is this said? So that the priests won't say, \"Since we are permitted [to do work] in the Temple, we are also permitted outside [in the rest of the country].” The Scripture says, \"But the seventh day shall be holy to you\" - it is holy for you, but secular for the Temple. <br><b>A sabbath of complete rest for the LORD</b> - It is entrusted to God, not to the court. <br><b>Anyone who does any work on it shall be put to death</b> - Not on this [Sabbath] and another [such as Yom Kippur]. Suppose someone wrote two letters, one on the Sabbath and one on Yom Kippur, or wove two threads, one on the Sabbath and one on Yom Kippur. Would he be liable for each individually? The Scripture says, \"Anyone who does any work on it shall be put to death\", meaning not on this [Sabbath] and another. <br>Just as [the laws of] Sabbath and Yom Kippur are before him and he did work during twilight, could he be liable? The Scripture says, \"Anyone who does any work on it\" [meaning] until the day is established. <br>I only know about the primary forms of prohibited work and their derivatives. How do I know to also prohibit rabbinic decrees? The Scripture says (Ex. 20:10), \"any work\". Could one be liable for a sin offering for violating a rabbinic decree? The Scripture says \"work\", referring to the specific work for which one is liable, and not for violating a rabbinic decree. <br>How do I know [that the prohibition includes] buying and selling, lending, and deposits, which are called \"work\"? The Scripture says (Ex. 22:7), \"If he did not lay hands on his neighbor's property\". <br>How about legal cases, claims, appeals, and all matters of the court, which are termed \"work\"? The Scripture says (1 Chronicles 26:29), \"Beniniah and his sons were in charge of the external affairs over Israel, for officers and judges\". <br>How about betrothals and divorces, which are called \"work\"? The Scripture says (Ezra 10:13), \"But there are many people, and it is the rainy season; we cannot stand outside, and the work cannot be done in a day or two\". <br>What about calculations, which are termed \"work\"? It is written (Genesis 39:11), \"He entered the house to do his work\".",
                "<b>You shall not kindle a fire</b> - Why is this said? Since it says (Ex. 34:21), \"You shall cease from plowing and harvesting\", meaning cease from plowing during the harvest and cease from harvesting during plowing. I only know [about the prohibition to work] from the eve of the seventh year to the seventh year, how about from the eve of the Sabbath to the Sabbath? By logic: since the seventh year [sabbatical year] is for the sake of God's name and the Sabbath is for the sake of God's name, if one ceases from the eve of the seventh year to the seventh year, then one should also cease from the eve of the Sabbath to the Sabbath. Another argument: Just as the seventh year, for which one is not liable to court-imposed death, requires one to rest from the eve of the seventh year to the seventh year, the Sabbath, for which one is liable to court-imposed death, should also require rest from the eve of the Sabbath to the Sabbath. Or perhaps one cannot light his lamp, or make a bonfire, or warm his hot water on the eve? The Scripture says, \"You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day\". On the Sabbath day, you shall not kindle [a fire], but you can kindle [one] on the eve of the Sabbath for the Sabbath. <br>Another interpretation: <b>You shall not kindle a fire</b> - Why is this said? Since it says (Leviticus 6:6), \"A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar, not to go out\", one might think this applies both on weekdays and on the Sabbath. How then do I fulfill \"whoever does any work on it shall be put to death\" (Ex. 31:14)? [Is it referring] to all other forms of work except arranging [the wood on the altar], or even arranging [the wood]? How do I fulfill \"not to go out\" [with the prohibition of work]? Is it on all other days, excluding the Sabbath, or even on the Sabbath? The Scripture says, \"You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings\". In your dwellings you shall not kindle [a fire], but you can kindle [one] in the Temple. <br>A student of Rabbi Ishmael said: <b>You shall not kindle a fire</b> - Why is this said? Since it says (Deut. 21:22), \"If a man is guilty of a capital offense and is put to death\", I might think [the law applies] both on weekdays and on the Sabbath. How then do I fulfill \"whoever does any work on it shall be put to death\" (Ex. 31:14)? [Is it referring] to all other forms of work except the death penalty imposed by the court, or even the death penalty imposed by the court? How do I reconcile \"and he is put to death and you hang him\" [with the prohibition of work]? Is it on all other days, excluding the Sabbath, or even on the Sabbath? The Scripture says, \"You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings\". This refers to the dwelling of the court. Burning was included [in the general prohibition]. Why was it singled out? To draw an analogy from it: Just as burning is one of the four death penalties imposed by the court and it does not override the Sabbath, so too the other death penalties do not override the Sabbath. Hence, penalties are not imposed on the Sabbath. <br>Rabbi Jonathan says: <b>You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings</b> - Why is this said? Since it says (Ex. 35:1), \"Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, 'These are the things'\", I might think that one is not liable unless he violates all 39 primary categories of work. The Scripture says (Ex. 34:21), \"You shall cease from plowing and harvesting\", or perhaps one is not liable unless he violates two [categories], otherwise he is not liable. The Scripture says, \"You shall not kindle a fire\". Kindling was included [in the general prohibition]. Why was it singled out? To draw an analogy from it: Just as kindling is one of the 39 primary categories of work and one is liable for it individually, so too for the other 39 primary categories of work, one is liable for each one individually. <br>Rabbi Nathan says: <b>You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings</b> - Why is this said? Since it says (Ex. 12:16), \"But whatever everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you\", I might think that one is not allowed to light his lamp or make a bonfire or warm his hot water [on the eve of the Sabbath]. The Scripture says, \"You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day\". On the Sabbath day, you shall not kindle [a fire], but you can kindle [one] on a festival. \n"
            ]
        ],
        "Additions": []
    },
    "versions": [
        [
            "Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology",
            "https://www.sefaria.org"
        ],
        [
            "Sefaria Community Translation",
            "https://www.sefaria.org"
        ]
    ],
    "heTitle": "מכילתא דרבי שמעון בן יוחאי",
    "categories": [
        "Midrash",
        "Halakhah"
    ],
    "schema": {
        "heTitle": "מכילתא דרבי שמעון בן יוחאי",
        "enTitle": "Mekhilta DeRabbi Shimon Ben Yochai",
        "key": "Mekhilta DeRabbi Shimon Ben Yochai",
        "nodes": [
            {
                "heTitle": "",
                "enTitle": ""
            },
            {
                "heTitle": "הוספה",
                "enTitle": "Additions"
            }
        ]
    }
}