Soferim

It is not permitted to write [the sacred] books,1The scrolls of the Pentateuch used for the lections in public worship. tefillin and mezuzoth2These two nouns are added by GRA and M. For Hebrew and other terms, see the Glossary. on skins of ritually unclean cattle or on skins of ritually unclean wild animals. Nor may they3The parchment sheets of which the scrolls are made up. be sewn with their sinews, or [the parchment rolls of tefillin] be wound with their hair. It is an oral prescription delivered to Moses at Sinai that [all these] shall be written on the skins of ritually clean cattle or ritually clean wild animals, be sewn together with their sinews and [the tefillin rolls] wound with their hair. It is also an oral prescription delivered to Moses at Sinai that [the parchments] shall be ruled with a reed4To guide the hand of the scribe, the letters being written under the ruled lines. and the writing on the skin be done with ink. [This latter requirement] has support in Scripture, And I wrote them with ink in the book.5Jer. 36, 18. R. Joshua the grits-dealer was asked: ‘Why is it permitted to write [sacred scrolls] on the skins of nebeloth and ṭerefoth?’ ‘I will give you an analogy,’ R. Joshua replied. ‘This is similar to the case of two men who were condemned to death by the State, one being executed by the king and the other by the executioner. Which of them is superior? He who was executed by the king.’6Nebeloth and ṭerefoth are the effect of an act of God. ‘If so,’ he retorted, ‘they should be permitted to be eaten!’ ‘It is stated,’ replied R. Joshua, ‘Ye shall not eat any nebelah.7Deut. 14, 21. E.V. of anything that dieth of itself. Scripture has forbidden it, so what can I do for you?’ (From here it is inferred that it is permitted to write on skins of nebelah and on skins of ṭerefah and there is no need to consider the possibility of their having been pierced at the animal’s heart.)8This sentence is enclosed in brackets in some eds. It was a heathen practice to remove the heart from a live animal to be offered as a sacrifice; this, in Rabbinic law, rendered the entire animal, including its skin, forbidden as an idolatrous offering (‘A.Z. 29b, Sonc. ed., p. 145). Skins9Before they were dressed; but dressed skins may be bought only from trust-worthy persons who can testify that the dressing had been done in accordance with the law. for the [sacred] books, tefillin and mezuzoth may be bought anywhere, and one need not consider the possibility that they might be skins which were pierced at the animal’s heart. The writing on ḳelaf must be on the side of the flesh, and on gewil it must be on the side of the hair, no deviation from this being permitted. It is an oral prescription delivered to Moses at Sinai that if one changed one for the other, [the scroll] may not be used for the lection [in the statutory services]. [The sacred texts]10Mentioned in Rule 1. may not be written on difthera or erased paper;11Others, ‘palimpsest’. GRA omits ‘erased’. nor with coal,12Or, ‘black pigment’. shoe-black, ink containing gum, vitriol or fruit-juice.13Others, ‘rain-water’, ‘wine-lees’. Vitriol may not be added to the ink. [The sacred texts] may not be written in [obsolete] Hebrew characters,14The script must be ‘Assyrian’ (the modern Hebrew square characters) and the language ‘the holy tongue’. or in the Aramaic, Median or Greek languages.15According to Meg. 9a (Sonc. ed., p. 48) it is permitted to write the Torah in Greek although this is not allowed in the case of tefillin and mezuzoth. If they were written in any other language or in any other characters they may not be used for the lection [in the statutory services], since they must be written in the Assyrian [script]. It once happened that five elders wrote the Torah for King Ptolemy16Presumed to be Ptolemy Philadelphus who reigned over Egypt 285-247 B.C.E. He arranged for the Greek Version, the Septuagint, to be made, as narrated in the next paragraph. [The Tractate gives two accounts of the translation, the present one being the later which reflects the harmful effects which the Septuagint had in arresting the development of exegesis among the Hellenistic Jews (cf. Weiss, Dor, I, p. 90).] in Greek, and that day was as ominous for Israel as the day on which the golden calf was made, since the Torah could not be accurately translated. It also happened that King Ptolemy assembled seventy-two elders and placed them in seventy-two [separate] rooms without telling them the reason for which he had assembled them. He then went to each one of them and said to him,17lit. ‘to them’. ‘Write for me [a translation of] the Torah of Moses your master’. The Omnipresent inspired them18lit. ‘put counsel in the heart of each one of them’. and the mind of all of them was identical, so that each on his own19So GRA. wrote the [same translation of the] Torah, introducing [the same] thirteen alterations20Deviations from the traditional text. In the extant Versions of the Septuagint only some of these are found. as follows: ‘God created in the beginning’.21Instead of In the beginning God created (Gen. 1, 1) the Heb. of which might be misinterpreted to mean that a power named ‘Bereshith’ (in the beginning) created God. ‘And God said I shall make a man in image and likeness.’22The Heb. text reads: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness (Gen. 1, 26). The plural us and our might erroneously suggest a plurality of deities. ‘And He finished on the sixth [day] and rested on the seventh [day].’23For the Heb.: And He finished on the seventh day (Gen. 2, 2) which could be understood to imply that God did some work on the seventh day. ‘Male and female He created him.’24Instead of created them (ibid. V, 2) from which it might be inferred that man and woman were, from the first, two separate beings, contrary to ibid. II, 21. ‘Come let Me go down and there confound their language.’25Instead of let us go down (ibid. XI, 7). ‘And Sarah laughed among her relatives,26i.e. she laughed in the presence of people and therefore incurred censure (ibid. XVIII, 12). The Heb. means ‘within herself’ as Abraham had done when he laughed … in his heart (ibid. XVII, 17) and had not been rebuked. saying.’ ‘For in their anger they slew oxen27So GRA, H and M. V incorrectly ‘a man’. and in their self-will they digged up a stall.’28Changing men (ibid. XLIX, 6) to ‘oxen’ and oxen to ‘stall’ in order to remove the stigma of murder from Jacob’s sons. ‘And Moses took his wife and his children and set them upon a carrier29So M. V and H read ‘carriers of men’. of men.’30i.e. an animal conformable with the dignity of Moses, instead of ass (Ex. 4, 20). ‘Now the time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt and in the land of Canaan and in other lands31So M. V omits ‘and in other lands’. [The reading of the Septuagint is ‘in the land of Canaan and in the land of Egypt’.] was four hundred and thirty years.’32Instead of the Heb. which omits ‘in the land of Canaan and in other lands’ (Ex. 12, 40), and implies that all the 430 years were spent in Egypt when, in fact, they could not have dwelt there more than 210 years (cf. Rashi to Meg. 9a). ‘And he sent the elect of the children of Israel.’33So GRA and Meg. 9a but omitted in V. ‘Elect’ is substituted for young men (ibid. XXIV, 5), the former being regarded as more suitable persons for the service. ‘And upon the elect of the children of Israel He laid not His hand.’34Here also ‘elect’ was substituted for the Heb. for nobles (ibid. 11). The alteration was not essential, but ‘elect’ which was mentioned earlier was preferred. It should be noted that in the total of thirteen alterations, this and the preceding are counted as one. ‘I have not taken one desirable thing35A ‘desirable thing’ [which occurs in the Septuagint] for the Heb. ass (Num. 16, 15) to avoid the suggestion that Moses did not take an ass but more precious objects. from them.’ ‘The [beast] with small legs.’36Instead of the Heb. for the hare (Lev. 11, 6) which is arnebeth, so as not to give offence to Ptolemy the name of whose queen was Arnebeth. ‘Which the Lord thy God hath allotted to give light unto all the peoples under the whole heaven.’37The insertion ‘to give light’ (Deut. 4, 19) removes the possible misunderstanding that the heavenly bodies enumerated in the verse were intended by God to be objects of worship. ‘Which I commanded should not be served.’38Deut. 17, 3 reads which I have commanded not. This might be taken to mean that God did not desire their existence and their creation was consequently due to a power beyond His control. It should be noted that the last two alterations are regarded as one in the enumeration because both deal with heavenly bodies as objects of worship. [The sacred scrolls] may not be written in gold. It is related that in an Alexandrian39So M. V and H read ‘a scroll of the Torah of Alexander’ [i.e. Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 B.C.E.) according to Krauss, Lehnwörter, II, p. 55]. scroll of the Torah all the divine names were written in gold,⁠a and when the matter came before the Sages they decided that it should be stored away.40lit. ‘it shall be hidden’; not to be used for the lection. All the Torah is in Hebrew but it contains some Aramaic words.41lit. ‘translation’ (Targum). What is in Hebrew may not be written in Aramaic and the Aramaic words may not be altered; for example, Jegar-sahadutha and Galeed.42Gen. 31, 47, ‘the heap of witness’ in Aramaic and Hebrew. Others hold that the rule applies only to Jegar-sahadutha and Galeed because they are two specifically Aramaic and Hebrew expressions respectively.43In the case of the other parts, however, although one language should not be changed for another, the scroll is not disqualified if a change was made (cf. N.Y. ad loc.). If Hebrew words were written in Aramaic or Aramaic words in Hebrew, the scroll may not be used for the lection. The Aramaic [and Hebrew] words referred to are Jegar-sahadutha, Galeed and the like.If ha’azinu hashshamayim44Give ear ye heavens, the opening words of Deut. 32, 1-43, which is arranged in the scroll as follows:___________________________________________________ was arranged like the Song of Moses45Ex. 15, 1-18 written as:_____________________________________________________________________________________or, according to others:_____________________________________________________________________________________ or if the Song of Moses was arranged like ha’azinu; if continuous lines were written in broken ones or vice versa; [35b] or if the breaking up was not done according to the rule, the scroll may not be used for the lection. If one finished [writing nearly] all the Torah and less than a column46So GRA and H. V reads: ‘If one finished all the column and left over less, one extends the wording so as to make’, etc. A reading in M is ‘if one finished all the book and left less than a column, one extends the writing so as to make’, etc. remained of the text, one need not hesitate to make of this a small column on its own.47The extension of a short passage over a full column is done either by enlarging the characters or, according to others, by making each successive line shorter than the one preceding it. A [parchment] sheet [of the Torah scroll] containing six columns may be divided into two sheets;48Each containing three columns. but one of five columns may not be divided, in order that it should not49So GRA and N. Y. H and M read: ‘perhaps one might’. be separated into one of two50Not less than three columns may be contained in each sheet. and one of three columns. No one is allowed to write [a scroll of the Torah] unless one is able to read.51M inserts: ‘one is not allowed to write unless [the parchment] was ruled; and if an unruled sheet was written on, it is disqualified’. A scroll of the Torah that was written by a Sadducee,52An adherent of a sect which was opposed to the teachings and traditions of the Pharisees. M adds min, a Jewish heretic or Jewish-Christian. an informer,53Against his fellow-Jews to the ruling Roman authorities. M adds משומד, an apostate. a proselyte,54This refers to a ‘proselyte settler’ (ger toshab), one who does not observe the commandments but, on account of domicile in the land of Israel, has renounced idolatry. a slave, a woman,55So GRA and M; not in V and H. a madman or a minor may not be used for the lection.56For the unsuitability of the persons enumerated, cf. Giṭ. 45b (Sonc. ed., p. 199). This is the rule: Whosoever cannot act in religious matters on behalf of the public is not permitted to write a scroll of the Torah.57So GRA. V reads: ‘everyone who writes it [must be a person who] may act on behalf of the public [in discharging a religious obligation]’. If an open section was written as closed or vice versa, the scroll must be stored away. What is an open section? One which does not begin at the beginning of a line. And what is a closed section? [One which is separated from what precedes by a vacant] space in the middle of the line. And how much space must be left at the beginning of a line so that a section may be called ‘open’? A space in which a name of three letters may be written.58The view of Maimonides which has been adopted is that space must be left for three words, each of three letters (cf. Y.D. 275, §2). And how much space must be left in the middle of a line so that a section may be called ‘closed’? A space in which a name of three letters may be written. If an entire section was completed at the end of a column, one vacant line must be left at the top [of the next column]; but if a vacant space in which a name of three letters may be written was left at the foot [of the column], one begins [the next column] from the top.

Sufficient space must be left between words1lit. ‘between name and name’. so that they can be distinguished, and between letters so that they be not mixed. If the letters were mixed or a break was made in the middle of a word, the scroll must not be used for the lection in the statutory services.2In V Rule 1 is enclosed within brackets, probably because it is included in the fuller version in the next Rule. Between lines there must be left the space of a line, between words the space of a letter, between letters that of a hairbreadth, and between columns the space of the width of a thumb. If [a word at]3So according to GRA. the end of a column was copied4lit. ‘made’. at the beginning [of the next column, the scroll] is disqualified. If the letters were mixed or if a break was made in the middle of a word, the lection may not be read from it. It is permitted to insert5lit. ‘place’. between columns [part of] a word of five6So N.Y. V, H and M read ‘four’. letters. One may not write two letters within7So N.Y. V and H have ‘at the end’. the column and three without;8Because the greater part of the word must appear within the column. So N.Y. V, H and M read ‘and two between the columns’. GRA emends to ‘one at the end of the column and three between the lines’. but it is not so with a short word.9Of two letters (N.Y.). One letter may be written between columns (H). If the [part of a longer word, however, forms] a short word of two10So GRA. V, H and M, ‘three letters’. letters on its own,11In a noun like שלחן (table), for instance, which consists of four letters, the last two can form the word חן (grace). it is forbidden [to insert it between the columns].12The reading of GRA and N.Y. In a Torah scroll the space13So M, H and N.Y. V repeats ‘space’ unnecessarily. of two finger-breadths must be left between columns, but in scrolls of the Prophets and ordinary Pentateuchs14Intended for study only and not for public lections. a space of one thumb-breadth only. In the lower margin of a Torah scroll the space of a handbreadth is left, and in the upper margin three fingerbreadths;15So H in agreement with Men. 30a (Sonc. ed., p. 195). V and M read ‘two parts of a handbreadth’. but in scrolls of the Prophets and ordinary Pentateuchs three finger-breadths in the lower margin and two finger-breadths in the upper. In all these cases,16lit. ‘here and there’. if it is desired to extend [the margins] this may be done, provided they do not exceed [the space of] the written matter. Between the books17lit. ‘between a book and a book’. The Torah scroll consists of five books. in a Torah scroll a vacant space of four lines must be left, and in a scroll of the Prophets three lines.18Both in the case of the major and minor Prophets (N.Y.). If one finished [writing nearly] all the book19So N.Y. V, H and M read ‘books’. The reference is either to one book of the Prophets or to several written in one scroll. and one column of text remained, one need not hesitate to make a small sheet of it.20Cf. I, Rule 11. At the conclusion of the [last] column [sufficient parchment] must be left to wind [round the scroll]. It is proper21lit. ‘in the beginning’, ‘at the outset’. to attach a roller to the end of a scroll for winding, but there is no need to attach one at the beginning of a scroll. In a Torah scroll, however, rollers should be attached at both ends. A scroll22Of the Prophets, having its cylinder at the end of the scroll. is therefore rolled up towards the beginning but a Torah scroll23Which has cylinders at both ends. towards its24So H, M and GRA. V omits the pronoun. centre. A Torah scroll may not be opened by [holding on to] a sheet;25Owing to its sanctity. It must be opened by manipulating the cylinders. Another reading for פותחין is פוחתין (H, cf. N.Y.) which gives the clause the meaning that when a Torah scroll is used for reading the lection not less than a full sheet, which contains not fewer than three columns, must be kept unrolled throughout the reading. and the height26lit. ‘length from top to bottom’. of such a scroll must be six handbreadths. A sheet of a Torah scroll must contain not less than three columns and not more than eight. As regards the lines [in a scroll] a reason was given [for four different numbers]: corresponding to the journeys,27The reading of H and GRA. V and M have ‘in the journeys’. forty-two; corresponding to the myriads of Israel, sixty; corresponding to the elders of Israel, seventy-two; and corresponding to the reproofs in Deuteronomy, [36a] ninety-eight; all depending on [the size of] the script.28The larger the characters the fewer the number of lines in a column.‘Corresponding to the journeys,’ as it is said, And Moses wrote their goings forth.29Num. 33, 2. As the expression of writing (wrote) occurs in the same context as the journeys (goings forth), the number of lines in a written column may be the same as the number of the journeys. ‘Corresponding to the myriads of Israel,’ as it is said, Write thou these words … and with Israel;30Ex. 34, 27. Write and Israel (numbering sixty myriads) occur in the same context. as Israel numbered sixty myriads so may the lines of the Torah be sixty [in a column]. ‘Corresponding to the elders, seventy-two,’ as it is said, Gather unto Me seventy men31Num. 11, 16. … there remained … in the camp … of them that were recorded.32ibid. 26. The number of the elders is found in the same passage as the expression of writing (recorded, lit. ‘written’). ‘Corresponding to the reproofs, ninety-eight,’ as it is said, If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written.33Deut. 28, 58, the words of this law refers to the reproofs numbering 98 and occurs with written in the same passage.In the case of ḳelaf parchments no limit was prescribed, and one may add [as many lines]34N.Y. explains, ‘sheets’. as desired, provided only there are not less than three columns [to the sheet].35i.e. the lines in a column, or according to N.Y. the sheets, should not be so many as to leave less than three columns for the last sheet of the scroll. If a sheet [of a Torah scroll] is worn out, one may not remove two [columns only]36So M. N.Y. (cf. Ṭur Y.D. 280) explains, ‘sheets’ instead of ‘columns’. and replace them by two new columns; but three columns should be removed and replaced by three new ones, and the new columns must be written in the same size as the original script. The width of a column [in a Torah scroll] must be such as to be recognizable at one glance,37i.e. not more than three Heb. words, each of ten letters, could be written in a line. If the column is wider, the reader experiences difficulty in passing from line to line. and in a small scroll not less than a handbreadth. R. Jose b. Judah says: It must not be less than the width of three fingers. Half the length [of a column]38Of text. This is exclusive of the upper and lower margins. Others explain, ‘sheet’, instead of ‘column’. must not be greater than its width, nor its width greater than half its length, but they must be exactly alike,39So GRA. The reading of V is: ‘he takes the middle course and so does it in’, etc. and this is the most correct procedure.40Some versions omit ‘half’ twice in this paragraph which agrees with B.B. 14a (Sonc. ed., p. 67): ‘A scroll of the Torah should be such that its length does not exceed its circumference nor its circumference its length [when rolled up]’. On this reading, the paragraph deals with the size of the scroll in its entirety. A Torah scroll may not consist of half gewil and half ḳelaf, but it may consist of half gewil and half ḳelaf41So Asheri (cf. N.Y.). V and H have the plural of ḳelaf. of deers, although42GRA and others. V reads ‘because’. this is not the best procedure. [A tear in a parchment sheet of a Torah scroll] may not be joined with glue, nor is it permitted to write on a patch, nor may [the sheets] be sewn together on the written side. R. Simeon b. Eleazar said in the name of R. Meir: [A torn sheet] may be joined with glue and it is permitted to write on a patch. It is forbidden, however, to do the sewing43GRA, H and M. According to V ‘the writing’. on the written side within but [it must be done] on the outside.A space should be left [unstitched] at the top and at the foot [of the sheets] in order that the scroll be not torn [in use].44By leaving a part unstitched, the liability to tear when the scroll is rolled up would be reduced. GRA reads this paragraph as follows: ‘It is an oral prescription delivered to Moses at Sinai that a space should be left [unstitched] at the top and at the foot [of the sheets]. This, however, was at once qualified [by the Sages who questioned whether this was such an oral prescription or merely a rule] so that the scroll should not be torn [cf. Meg. 19b, Sonc. ed., pp. 118f]. If a Torah scroll was torn a patch may be placed on its outside’. This, however, was at once qualified by adding: from the foot towards the top and from the top towards the foot. It is an oral prescription delivered to Moses at Sinai that, if a Torah scroll was torn, a patch may be placed on its outside.In the case of the double letters of the alphabet,45The five letters כ׳, מ׳, נ׳, פ׳, צ׳ which have a different form as finals. the first ones46i.e. the letters in the non-final form. are written at the beginning and in the middle of a word, and the second47The final letters. at the end. If this is reversed,48A final letter in the middle or at the beginning or vice versa. the scroll is disqualified. If a scroll49Other than a Torah scroll. is torn, a patch may be placed on the inside and50So M. V reads ‘but’. it is not [obligatory to attach it] on the outside.51The sentence is omitted in H, his reading being ‘if a scroll was torn’ instead of ‘if a Torah scroll was torn’.

It is permissible to join the Torah and the Prophets in one scroll, so R. Judah; but the Sages say: The Torah and the Prophets must be written in separate scrolls.1So V, H, M. GRA adopts the reading of B.B. 13b (Sonc. ed., p. 66): ‘It is permissible to fasten the Torah, the Prophets and the Hagiographa [in one scroll]’. Between a book of the Prophets and another, one should not leave the same empty space as between two books of the Torah, but in each case the space must be that which has been prescribed for it.2viz. four lines between books of the Torah, and three lines between books of the Prophets. Furthermore, [a book of the Prophets]3If the preceding book ended at the foot of a column. must begin at the top.4Of the next column, the reason being that, if the books of the Prophets were separated one from the other, the beginning of each book would commence at the top of a column. This does not apply to Torah scrolls which may never be cut up into separate books. A Torah scroll5Which contains the five books of Moses. may not be made into the separate books of the Pentateuch, neither into single books nor into two or three joined together, because it is forbidden to reduce a major sanctity6The Torah scroll in its entirety. to a minor sanctity.7A section of the Pentateuch. From scrolls containing sections of the Pentateuch, however, it is permitted to make up a Torah scroll. When may this be done? When the measurements8Of all the scrolls that are to be joined together. and the numbers of the lines9In each column. are alike. It is not permissible to join together two sections of the Pentateuch or one and a half of them to form a single scroll.10Because it might be mistaken for a proper Torah scroll. But if it was intended11When these were written. that additional scrolls be attached to them,12To complete a Torah scroll. it is permissible. It is related that Boethus b. Zonin13[A pious Jew at the end of the first cent. C.E., not to be identified with the Boethus named in ARN V.] had eight books of the Prophets14Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the Twelve Prophets reckoned as one book. joined together in one scroll in accordance with a ruling of R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah. Others maintain that he had them all in separate scrolls. It is also related that a certain person brought before the Sages a single scroll containing the Torah, the Prophets and the Hagiographa.15And, as recorded in B.B. 13b (Sonc. ed., p. 66), the Sages ruled that it was a proper scroll. This16That the Torah, Prophets and Hagiographa may be included in one scroll. applies only to a codex,17Since, as a book for study, no one could attribute to it the sanctity of a Torah scroll. but in the case of a scroll18In that form only the contents could show whether it was a Torah scroll only. the Torah and the Prophets must each consist of a separate parchment. If a Torah scroll has spaces or stops [to mark] the beginning of verses, it may not be used for the lections.19Because the Torah scroll must conform to the original form without any alterations. So also if a letter has been engraved or joined to another, the scroll may not be used for the lections. A scroll [some of whose letters] are faded may not be used for the lections.20So H and GRA. V reads ‘one should not rewrite them’. R. Simeon b. Eleazar says: If the outline [of the effaced letters] is distinguishable, it is permitted [to rewrite them]. A scroll of the Torah in which a whole line is faded may not be used for the lections. If the greater part of a line is faded and the smaller part intact, the use of the scroll is permitted. If a Torah scroll contains an error, it may not be used for the lections. How many [errors disqualify it]? One in a column, is the view of R. Judah. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says: Even if there be one error in three columns21The reading of GRA. In V and M, ‘even three errors in a column’. The reading of H is: ‘Three in a column is the view of R. Judah. Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says: Even if there be one error in one column’. the scroll may not be used for the lections. Not less than three columns of the Torah scroll [may be unrolled at one time during the reading], but there is no objection to the reading of ten [columns] in one [lection]. It is a religious precept that the most important member22Of the congregation, or of those who have taken part in the reading. shall roll up the scroll.23Thus showing honour to the Torah. When one rolls up a Torah scroll he should roll it [so that it closes] at the seam24So that if the scroll is pulled, only the seam will be affected. and not at [the middle of] a sheet.25Which might be torn by the pull. A Torah scroll should [36b] be rolled up26So GRA. V and M: ‘it shall not be fastened from within, but it must be fastened from without’. from without,27i.e. the back of the written side, while the scroll is being held up by another person who is faced by the written side. but the [band]28Which is wound around the scroll to prevent it from unrolling. should be tied from within.29The knot facing the written side. In this way, when the next lection is to be read, the knot can be easily undone without having to turn the scroll over.When one hands a Torah scroll to another person it must be done with the right hand only, and he who receives it must also do so with the right hand only, because the Torah was delivered at Mount Sinai in this manner, as it is stated, At His right hand was a fiery law unto them.30Deut. 33, 2.R. Shefaṭai31In Meg. 32a (Sonc. ed., p. 194) the name is Shefaṭiah. said in the name of R. Joḥanan: If one reads the Scripture without a melody32Indicated in the printed Pentateuch by the traditional cantillation. or learns the Mishnah without a tune,33Which aids the memory. of him Scripture says, Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good.34Ezek. 20, 25. An accompanying melody enlivens one’s studies, and endears the statutes which one learns. If such are described as not good it is because the melody is lacking. A scribe may not put upon the written part [of a Torah scroll] a reed-pen with ink on it; nor may he take hold of the sheets of parchment35So H. V, ‘folds’. and thereby unroll [the scroll]; nor may he grasp them to extract the written sheets;36Which are rolled up; lit. ‘and bring forth the writing without’. nor may he remove a scroll from its [case] by shaking it out. All these [restrictions] are relaxed with the official revisers of Scripture scrolls. A Torah scroll may not be released from its case while it is lying on one’s lap37lit. ‘one shall not slip a Torah scroll from one’s lap and release it’. because this is disrespectful treatment. It is not permissible to place a Torah scroll on one’s knees or lean on it with one’s elbows while reading; so according to the ruling of R. Nehemiah. A Torah scroll may not be placed over a chair [with its sheets] hanging down while it is being read, in the manner of ordinary documents, because [sacred] books must not be treated with disrespect. The proper procedure is38lit. ‘but’. to hold it in the hands39By means of a cloth since, according to Rule 16 below, it is forbidden to touch a Torah scroll with the bare hands. with reverence and so read it. [Sacred] books40Not only Torah scrolls (Maimonides). may not be thrown about41lit. ‘from place to place’. nor may they be treated in [any other] disrespectful manner. A scroll of the Torah may not be placed on a bed and [certainly]42Cf. N.Y. The addition of ‘certainly’ avoids an anticlimax. not at its foot or under it; nor may one sit on a bed on which a [Torah] scroll [happens to] rest. It is related that R. Eleazar once sat [unwittingly] on a bed on which lay a [Torah] scroll and [when he realized it] he jumped up as if a snake had bitten him. [Respect is shown for the Torah] because Scripture states, Ye shall keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary43Lev. 19, 30.—it is not the sabbaths that one reverences but Him who commanded [to keep them], nor is one to reverence the sanctuary but Him who commanded [to make] it.It is obligatory to make beautiful ẓiẓith, beautiful mezuzoth, to write a beautiful scroll of the Torah with choice ink, with a fine reed-pen [written] by an expert penman44[Reading with Bacher, Ag. d. Tannaiten, I, p. 254n לבלר אומן for לבלרין נאים (fine pen-men).] on well-finished parchments, on deer skins,45So GRA. V and H, ‘dyed skins’. and to wrap it in precious silks; for Scripture states, This is my God, and I will glorify Him,46Ex. 15, 2, I will glorify Him (ואנוהו) is connected homiletically with נאה, ‘beautiful’, and understood as ‘I will serve Him in a beautiful manner’. which means, perform the commandments in a beautiful manner to His glory.47lit. ‘before Him’. Such is the interpretation of R. Ishmael. R. ‘Aḳiba expounds the text as meaning that one should expatiate on His excellencies. Abba Saul explains: Be like Him;48He explains ואנוהו as the equivalent of אני והוא, ‘I and He’. as He is merciful and gracious so be thou merciful and gracious. Foodstuffs may not be treated with disrespect, nor may they be thrown about. One may not sit on a basket containing dates or dried figs;49Because they might be crushed and spoilt. but he may sit on a basket which contains pulse or on a cake of pressed figs, because it is customary to do so.50Pulse or dried figs are not spoilt by sitting on them. Foodstuffs may not be used as a support51For any object. or as a covering, nor may foodstuffs be eaten with the aid of foodstuffs,52Using them, e.g., in place of a spoon. unless [the latter] are fit to be eaten.53Immediately after use and would not be thrown away. R. Eliezer b. Jacob says: Any fruit which has a stem or stalk54Whereby it can be lifted if it should happen to fall into the contents of the vessel which it covered. may be used as a covering.55Since it would not be necessary to throw it away after use. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says: Any foodstuff which requires processing may be used as a covering.56In its raw state, since its use causes no deterioration. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel also says: Any foodstuff which has a protection57e.g. a shell. may be used as a covering. One who writes [Torah] scrolls may not turn over a sheet on its face58lit. ‘scroll’, with the writing downwards to protect it from falling dust while it is drying. because this is disrespectful treatment. If one finished [writing nearly] all the [Torah] scroll and left over one column, there is no objection to his arranging it on a small sheet [on its own].59Cf. I Rule 11 and II Rule 5.Foodstuffs may not be used as a covering.60This and the following are repeated from Rule 14. R. Meir says: Any fruit which has a husk may be used as a covering. R. Judah says: Any fruit which has a stem or a stalk may be used as a covering. Foodstuffs may not be eaten with the aid of foodstuffs unless they are consumed simultaneously. If a scroll cannot be covered with a cloth,61lit. ‘on which there is no’. To protect the wet ink from dust while it is drying. it may be turned over on its writing.62This qualifies what was stated in Rule 14 in accordance with ‘Erub. 98a. R. Joḥanan said: Whoever holds a Torah scroll without a covering63lit. ‘naked’; this is regarded as disrespectful. will be buried without a covering.64i.e. a shroud. Buried without a covering! Is this thinkable? It means, Without the covering protection of that religious performance.65(65). The reverential treatment of the Torah scroll is accounted an act of piety.

The following divine names may not be erased,1lit. ‘he who writes’. viz. Alef-lamed,2Pronounced ’El (God). Alef-daleth,3The first two letters of the divine name Alef-daleth-nun-yod (Lord). Yod-he,4The first half of the Tetragrammaton and also constituting a name of God, Yah. Shaddai,5Almighty. Ẓeba’oth,6[Lord of] hosts. ’Eheyeh ’asher ’Eheyeh.7‘I am that I am’ (cf. Ex. 3, 14). R. Jose says: Ẓeba’oth is a secular noun.8And may be erased. R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: The Aguddah9[H reads חגירה in agreement with j. Meg. 71d.] family, who were scribes in Jerusalem, used to erase Ẓeba’oth, because they treated it as a secular noun, as it is stated, Captains of hosts shall be appointed at the head of the people.10Deut. 20, 9. Here צבאית refers to the army of Israel. If one writes Alef-lamed of the four letters [of Alef-lamed-waw-he]11Meaning ‘God of’. or Yod-he of the four letters [of Yod-he-waw-he]12The Tetragrammaton. they may not be erased, because there are divine names corresponding to them.13אל and יה. Shin-daleth of Shin-daleth-yod (Shaddai) or Ẓadi-beth-alef of Ẓadi-beth-alef-waw-taw (Ẓeba’oth) or Alef-he of Alef-he-yod-he (’Eheyeh) may be erased, because there are no divine names corresponding to them. All prefixes and suffixes connected with a divine name may be erased. [Prefixes such as] in the Lord, like the Lord, to the Lord, and the Lord [represented respectively by the letters] beth, kaf, lamed, waw and suffixes such as our God, your God, their God [represented respectively by the letters] nun-waw, kaf-mem, he-mem and others of the same kind, may be erased. Some Sages say: The kaf-mem of ‘your [God]’14And so also all other suffixes (cf. Y.D. 276, §9), because the divine name which precedes the suffix imparts sanctity to it (N.Y.). must not be erased. All ordinary nouns the letters of which are the same as those of a divine name may be erased.15Since they possess no sanctity [For instance in] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God,16Gen. 3, 5. the first [divine name] is sacred and the second17as God; according to the Targum it means ‘as angels.’ is secular; in For the Lord your God, He is God of gods,18Deut. 10, 17. the first19i.e. the first two, your God, He is God. is sacred and the second20of gods, signifying judges or princes. is secular. In Lord of lords,21Deut. 10, 17. the first is sacred and the second is secular; in the God of Abraham22Gen. 31, 53. it is sacred; in the God of Nahor23ibid.; Nahor did not worship the true God. it is secular; in the God of their father24ibid.; Terah (their father) was an idolater. it is secular. In Thou shalt not revile God25Ex. 22, 27. [the noun may bear] a sacred or secular meaning.26It may denote God or judges. R. Simeon maintains that the noun is sacred.27V inserts ‘as it says’ within brackets, the words being redundant. [H omits and reads ‘Ishmael’ instead of ‘Simeon’.] In Forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of God28Gen. 33, 10. the noun is secular;29Because it refers to an angel or prince. in God’s camp30ibid. XXXII, 3. the noun is sacred. All the names [signifying God] mentioned in connection with Abraham are sacred, except one which is secular, viz. where it is stated, And he said: My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight.30a(30a) ibid. XVIII, 3. My lord was addressed to the leader of the three angels. Others say that it is sacred.31My Lord was addressed to God. In And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander32ibid. XX, 13. the name is secular.33So GRA. By ‘God’ is meant princes or rulers who were the cause of Abraham’s wanderings. R. Ḥanina the brother34[He reads ‘nephew’ in agreement with Shebu. 33b (Sonc. ed., p. 205). The correct form of the name is Ḥananiah, Bacher, Ag. d. Tannaiten, I, p. 385.] of R. Joshua maintains that it is sacred [since the verse means] that, had it not been for God,35Who protected him. they36The wicked rulers. would long ago have caused me to wander.37The verse will accordingly bear the following interpretation: And it came to pass, when they (the wicked men) caused me to wander, God of my father’s house was with me (to help me). [For various interpretations of the verse, cf. Midrash Rabbah, Genesis, LII, §11 (Sonc. ed., I, p. 457).] All [divine] names mentioned in connection with Lot are secular38There is only one secular name in the Lot passages. The Tetragrammaton, which is of course sacred, occurs twice. The word ‘all’ is not intended to be taken literally (cf. N.Y.). except the last, viz. And Lot said unto them: Oh, not so my Lord.39Gen. 19, 18. Lot’s address to the angels is taken to end at not so, and then his petition to God begins, My Lord, behold, etc. [So the Targum and Shebu. 35b (Sonc. ed., pp. 205f).] All [divine] names mentioned in the story of Micah40Judg. 17f. are secular. R. Jose says: When they begin with Yod-he41The Tetragrammaton. they are sacred, but when with Alef-lamed42The word for ‘God’. they are secular except in the phrase the house of God was in Shiloh.43ibid. XVIII, 31. All the [divine] names which occur in the story of Naboth are sacred except in the sentence Naboth did curse god44Referring to one of the strange gods introduced by Jezebel. E.V. God. and king.451 Kings 21, 13. All the [divine] names which occur in the narrative of Gibeah of Benjamin46Judg. 20f. are secular according to R. Eliezer, but R. Joshua says: They are sacred. R. Eliezer said to him, ‘Is it possible that the Omnipresent would promise [victory]47According to Judg. 20, 18, 23 God told Israel to wage war against Benjamin, which implied that they would be victorious. and not fulfil?’48Israel was defeated on both occasions (ibid. 21, 25). R. Joshua replied, ‘The Omnipresent promises and fulfils’.49The Israelites did not appreciate that on the first two occasions God only told them that they may go to war but promised no victory. Only on the third occasion were they assured that Benjamin would be delivered into their hands (ibid. XX, 28). [37a] In I will tell [’El] of the decree50Ps. 2, 7. the word ’El51Heb. אל with a difference of vowels may mean ‘God’ or ‘to’. is sacred;52The sense of the text being ‘I will tell God of the decree’. but the Sages maintain that it is secular.53The text means, as in E.V., I will tell of the decree. In ’el God in Ẓion54Ps. 84, 8. the first is secular55’El meaning before (E.V.). and the second is sacred. In When he should go ’el God in judgment56Job 34, 23. the first is secular and the second [’Elohim] is sacred. In the case of Immanuel57Isa. 7, 14. and Immanu’el58ibid. VIII, 8. the first is secular59Being the name of a child. and the second60Meaning ‘God is with us’. is sacred. The first must not be divided61Into two words, since it forms a single name. but the second is divided.62Because it consists of two separate words, עמנו (with us) אל (God). The reading adopted here is that of H and N.Y. [In the verses] And it came to pass when they63Foreign princes or rulers. E.V. God. caused me to wander, God, etc.,64Gen. 20, 13. Cf. Rule 6 above. and Which god65E.V. who is a God. is like unto Thee66Micah 7, 18. the first67The pronoun ‘they’ in Gen. 20, 13 and god in Micah 7, 18. are sacred and the second68God in Gen. and Thee in Micah. are secular. [The divine name in] Samaria shall bear her guilt, for she hath rebelled against her God69Hos. 14, 1. is sacred. R. Nathan says: [In the phrase] in the house of his God70ibid. IX, 8. it is sacred. In therefore turn thou to thy God71ibid. XII, 7. it is sacred. In God standeth in the congregation of God; in the midst of the judges72The Heb. has the divine name. He judgeth73Ps. 82, 1. it is used as sacred74In God standeth. and secular.75In the sense of ‘judges’. In God delivereth me to76Heb. אל (to) which has the same consonants as the word for ‘God’. the ungodly77Job 16, 11. the first is sacred and the second78’el in the sense of ‘to’. is secular. In For hath any said unto God: I have borne79ibid. XXXIV, 31. the first [’el] is secular and the second sacred.R. Eleazar the son of R. Jose the Galilean said:80So M. V and H read ‘and R. Eleazar … said’. [In the verses] And let my cry have no81Heb. ’al, the same consonants as for the name of God. resting-place;82Job 16, 18. It is in the power83Gen. 31, 29. The Heb. for power (’el) equals the divine name. of my hand; And there shall be nought in the power of thy hand;84Deut. 28, 32. When it is in the power of thy hand;85Prov. 3, 27. Unto death,86ibid. II, 18; unto is ’el in Heb. all [the words whose consonants are the same as those for God] are secular. In God hath given command to speed me872 Chron. 35, 21. it is sacred. In Forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me88ibid. it is sacred according to R. Jose b. Judah. In O God, the proud are risen up against me89Ps. 86, 14. it is sacred but the reader must pause in reading [after God]:90In the absence of the pause, the adjective proud might erroneously be taken as qualifying God. God, the proud are risen up against me.[The terms] merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abounding in lovingkindness, king, kings, exalted, great, Most High, righteous and upright, pious, perfect, mighty, may be erased.91Although attributed to God, they do not possess the sanctity of the divine name. He who curses himself or his neighbour by [any of] these92Using any of these attributes instead of the divine name. incurs guilt. [If he curses] heathens or the dead no guilt93So M and N.Y. V and H read ‘guilty of one [offence]’. is incurred. [If he curses] a judge or a prince he incurs twofold guilt;94Since a judge or prince must not be cursed as any other person, and as men holding offices of responsibility. according to others he incurs threefold guilt for cursing a prince.95The two mentioned in the preceding note, and a third because the Heb. word for ‘judge’ in the text is identical with the divine name. If a person curses his father or mother with the Tetragrammaton96lit. ‘the distinguished name’. he is liable to the penalty of stoning,97Cf. Lev. 24, 14. Stoning is one of the major penalties imposed by a court. but if only with the attributes he is liable to a warning.98i.e. he is guilty of transgressing a negative commandment, the penalty of which is scourging with thirty-nine stripes.

If one wrote a sacred name twice,1lit. ‘he who writes a name of two sacred names’. H omits ‘a name of’. he retains the first and erases the latter.2The first is retained because it was properly written; the second is erased because it was written in error. R. Judah says: If the first occurs at the end of a column, he erases the first and retains the second.3It spoils the appearance to leave a blank at the beginning of the top line of a column. [If he wrote] a secular noun twice,4lit. ‘two secular nouns’. he retains the first and wipes away the latter.5While the ink is still wet. R. Judah says: If the first was at the end6So GRA. V and H, ‘at the top’. of a column, he wipes away the first and retains the latter. If one writes Yehudah and omits the daleth, he inserts7lit. ‘suspends’ between the waw and the he. it above the line. If he intended to write the Tetragrammaton8The four letters Yod-he-waw-he, lit. ‘the name’. and wrote Yehudah9יהודה. instead,10This is the reading of GRA and H. V omits ‘if he intended to write’, he alters the daleth into a he11This is done by adding a short vertical line to the daleth. and wipes away the final letter he. If it was required to write Yehudah and he intended to write the Tetragrammaton, although he [inadvertently] inserted the daleth,12So H. V reads: ‘he did not write in it’. he erases it13Following GRA. V and H ‘detains it’. and writes another Yehudah. If it was required to write the Tetragrammaton but he intended to write Yehudah, although he did not insert the daleth14So that the Tetragrammaton was written correctly but unintentionally so. he must wipe away [the entire word] and re-write the Tetragrammaton. R. Judah says: He should go over it with the reed-pen and so sanctify it. [The Sages] said to him: This is not the best procedure. He who writes the divine name and made an error [by omitting] one letter should suspend it above [the line].15Neither erasure nor wiping away of the written words is necessary. R. Simeon of Shezur says: All the name may be suspended [if omitted] but a single letter of it may not be suspended. If one erred [by omitting] all the name, he should suspend it between the lines, according to the view of R. Judah. R. Meir says: He wipes away the writing that precedes and writes the name on the part which he wiped away. R. Simeon b. Eleazar said in the name of R. Meir: The name only may be suspended but the Tetragrammaton must not be written on an erasure. R. Ḥanina b. ‘Aḳabia says: The whole sheet16In which the omission of the Tetragrammaton had occurred. must be stored away.17As with all sacred objects that are worn out or decaying, or are for any other reason unfit for further use. GRA revised the wording of this Rule to conform in the main with the text in Men. 30b (Sonc. ed., p. 196): ‘If the Tetragrammaton was omitted in error [and a number of the words following it already written], what had been written is erased, the erased words are suspended [above the line] and the Tetragrammaton is inserted in the space of the erasure; so R. Judah. R. Meir said: He wipes the writing away and writes [the Tetragrammaton] in the space. R. Jose said: Even the Tetragrammaton may be suspended [above the line]. R. Simeon of Shezur said: It is permissible to suspend all the Tetragrammaton [above the line] but not a part of it. R. Simeon b. Eleazar said in the name of R. Meir: The Tetragrammaton may not be written in a space which has been erased or wiped away, nor may it be suspended [above the line]; but the entire sheet is removed and stored away’. If one wrote three18So GRA. V ‘twice’. times Alef-lamed by mistake in the phrase God delivereth me to the ungodly,19Job 16, 11. The text has the word twice, the first being the divine name and the second the preposition; inadvertently he wrote it three times, intending the first two to stand for ‘God’ (thus sanctifying both) and the third for ‘to’. he retains the first and erases the second.20So GRA and H. The first occurrences of ’el were meant to be the divine name and Rule 1 above applies. By quoting an illustration from Job, the inference to be drawn is that the regulation with respect to a Torah scroll holds good also of the Prophets and Hagiographa. When one is writing the Tetragrammaton he may not respond even if the king greets him.21All his attention must be concentrated on the sanctity of the divine name. If he was about to write two or three divine names successively,22E.g. The Lord, the Lord, God in Ex. 34, 6. he may pause between them and respond. After dipping the reed-pen in ink, he may not start with the letters of a divine name23Because a pen full of ink may cause a blot. but with the preceding letter.24Which, if blotted, can be erased or wiped away. One who erases a single letter of a divine name transgresses a negative commandment. R. Simeon said:25Citing the Scriptural basis of the regulation. On account of this it is stated, Ye shall destroy their name out of that place. Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.26Deut. 12, 3f, i.e. the name of God must not be erased. It is permissible, however, to wipe away ink that dropped upon the writing,27Even of a divine name. since one’s intention is only to rectify it. If one omits a line in error, he may not suspend it between the lines, but inserts it in close proximity28lit. ‘opposite’. to the place29So GRA. V and H omit ‘inserts in … place of’. of the error by erasing one [adjacent line] and inserting two30The one omitted and the one erased. in its place, or [by erasing] two lines and writing three;31The two erased and the one omitted. provided only that he does not erase three lines.32In order to insert more than one missing line. The erasure of one or two lines is sufficient for the insertion of the omitted line without undue pressure on the space between the lines; but the treatment of more than one line in this manner would disfigure the entire column (N.Y.). It is not permissible to make a scroll of the Shema‘ or of the Hallel for children,33Extracts from Scripture may not be made for study by children. but if the scribe intends to add to it, it is permissible.34From ‘but if’ to ‘permissible’ is an addition by GRA. R. Judah permits the writing of a scroll from In the beginning35Gen. 1, 1. to the story of the flood,36i.e. to Gen. 6, 8. In each instance the extract is a connected theme. and from the beginning of Leviticus to And it came to pass on the eighth day;37Lev. 9, 1. but in the case of all the other books [of Scripture the writing of extracts is] forbidden.38Only in the case of the Pentateuch were the two extracts mentioned allowed to be written for the instruction of children. V adds here, ‘if he intends to add to it, it is permitted’. The following names are to be divided:39Although each represents one name, it is to be written as two words. Beth-el,40e.g. Gen. 12, 8. Beth-’awen,41Hos. 4, 15, X, 15. Beer-sheba,42E.g. Gen. 21, 31. Ẓofenath-pa’neaḥ, [37b] Poṭi-fera,43ibid. XLI, 45. E.V. Zaphenathpaneah and Poti-phera. Ben-’oni,44ibid. XXXV, 18. Yedid-yah,452 Sam. 12, 25. E.V. Jedidiah. Halelu-yah.46E.g. Ps. 111, 1, ‘praise ye the Lord’. E.V. prints it as one word. V and H add: וחרה אף וחרה אפי, and the anger [of the Lord] was kindled, My wrath shall wax hot (Ex. 22, 23; Num. 11, 10). R. Jose says: These must not be divided.47But written as one word. All, however, agree that there must be no breaking up of ‘Ammi’el,48A name meaning ‘God is with me’ (e.g. Num. 13, 12). Another reading is עזיאל, ‘God is my strength’ (e.g. Ex. 6, 18). ‘Amminadab,49A name meaning ‘my kinsman is noble’ (e.g. ibid. 23). Ẓuri’el,50A name meaning ‘my Rock is God’ (Num. 3, 35). Ẓurishaddai.51A name meaning ‘my Rock is Shaddai’ (cf. Num. 1, 6). The following names may not be broken up: Yisra’el, Ga’tham,52A name occurring in Gen. 36, 11, 16, 1 Chron. 1, 36. E.V. Gatam. Poṭifar, Nebukadneẓẓar.53V and H unnecessarily repeat צמיאל, עוריאל, צורישדי. If a person writes a divine name on his body, he must neither bathe nor anoint himself54So that the name be not washed away. (nor stand in an unclean place.55Out of respect. If he must perform an obligatory immersion,56As, e.g., after a period of ritual impurity. he should wind a reed about it,57To prevent the name from coming into contact with the water which might wash it away. descend and perform an immersion. R. Jose said: He may at all times descend and perform an immersion in the ordinary way)58The words in brackets are inserted by GRA who follows Shab. 120b (Sonc. ed., p. 597). V and H read: R. Jose permits, provided, etc. provided he does not rub it off. [If one wrote a divine name] on the horn of a cow or on the legs of a bed,59For magical purposes. he scrapes it off60[The correct reading is perhaps גודדד for גוררד, ‘he chops off (the horn or leg)’.] and stores it away. [If he wrote it] on a stone, he detaches it and stores it away.61From respect for the divine name. If the seam of a sacred scroll was broken for the first time,62lit. ‘one’. it may be sewn up again;63On the undamaged part of the sheet, near the writing, although the margins between the columns are thereby reduced. if a second time, it may be sewn up again; if a third time, it must not be sewn up again.64Because the margins would become too small. If one cuts off a strip of a new scroll,65lit. ‘scrolls’. it may [be used for ordinary purposes],66Being new, the scroll had not yet been consecrated. but if it is cut off an old scroll,67Which has been consecrated by the script. [its use is] forbidden. Worn-out scrolls, phylacteries and wraps of scrolls must be stored away.68Having once been consecrated, they may no longer be used for ordinary purposes. It is related of R. Ḥalafta that, when he visited Rabban Gamaliel, he found him sitting at his table with the Targum of Job69This must have been an earlier work than the extant Targum. [The anecdote is related in Shab. 115a (Sonc. ed., p. 565) with some variants.] in his hand and reading it. He said to him, ‘Master, will you permit me to tell you what my eyes saw?’ ‘Tell me,’ he replied. ‘I was watching Rabban Gamaliel the Elder, your father’s70V rightly corrects ‘mother’s’ to ‘father’s’. father, while he was sitting at the side of a building [in course of construction] on the Temple Mount, when a Targum of Job was brought to him. “Remove a course of stones,” he ordered the builder,71V incorrectly ‘his children’. “and bury this under it.” ’ R. Jose b. R. Judah said: They overturned a tub of mortar upon it.72This sentence is added by GRA from Shab. 115a. Rabbi said: There are two objections to the statement—firstly, how could mortar73Which is composed of earth and water. be available on the Temple Mount?74Where only a mixture of sand and lime was used. Further, it is not permissible to destroy such writings75Books like the Targum of Job whose use was forbidden on account of their exclusion from the Canon. with one’s own hands! [They should not be deposited in an unclean place] but in a deserted spot where they decay of their own accord.76The objection to a written, as against an oral, Targum at the time was the fear that the same sanctity might be attached to it as to the Hebrew text. If one lends a Torah scroll to his friend, the latter may not lend it to another person. If one deposits a Torah scroll with his friend, the latter must unroll it once in twelve months.77This sentence is inserted by GRA following B.M. 29b (Sonc. ed., p. 182). If he is capable of reading it, he may do so,78While the scroll is being unrolled in accordance with this Rule. but if he unrolled it for his own benefit,79So corrected by GRA. reading it is forbidden. Symmachos said: He unrolls a new scroll once in thirty days and an old one once in twelve months. R. Eliezer b. Jacob says:80From ‘and an old’ to ‘says’ is added by GRA from B.M. 29b. Both a new and an old scroll [should be unrolled] once in twelve months.81In the course of the discussion in B.M. 29b this is amended to ‘thirty days’ to differentiate the opinion of R. Eliezer from that of the first authority who is quoted above. All occurrences of the name Solomon in the Song of Songs are sacred82Referring to God in the Rabbinical interpretation of the Book. except one which is secular. Which one is it? Behold, it is the litter of Solomon.83Cant. 3, 7. Others say: Thou, O Solomon, shalt have the thousand.84ibid. VIII, 12. All references to ‘kings’ in Daniel are secular except one which is sacred. Which one is it? O king unto whom the King85Understood as referring to God. of kings, the God of heaven, hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory.86Dan. 2, 37. E.V. O king, king of kings, unto whom, etc. Others say: My Lord,87Interpreted as an invocation to God in Shebu. 35b (Sonc. ed., p. 207). the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine adversaries.88ibid. IV, 16.

A scribe must provide a distinguishing mark1The traditional mark is an inverted nun. for the section2So GRA. V reads ‘a prescribed space at the opening’. beginning And it came to pass when the ark set forward,3Num. 10, 35. The section consists of the two verses, ibid. 35f. both at its beginning and at its end, because it is a book on its own. Others maintain that its proper place is in the section of the setting forward of the standards.4Num. 2. 5This Rule is partly a repetition of the preceding, since the end of the section, ibid. X, 35f, is followed by the beginning of And the people were as murmurers (ibid. XI, 1); and partly incorrect since no mark is inserted at the end of the latter section. The entire Rule is to be deleted according to GRA. The scribe must leave a prescribed space at the opening of the section which begins And the people were as murmurers;6ibid. XI, 1. [and not only] at its beginning [but also] at its end, because it is a book on its own. Others hold that its proper place is in the section of the setting forward of the standards. Ten [letters or groups of letters] in the Torah are marked by dots:7The dots are placed above the letters. Cf. above, ARN XXXIV, p. 165 where the Rabbinical explanations are given. In the Lord judge between me and thee8Gen. 16, 5. there is a dot on the beth9So GRA. V and H ‘the yod’. of ubeneka (and between thee). In and they said unto him,10ibid. XVIII, 9. there are dots on alef-yod-waw of ’elaw (unto him). In and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose,11ibid. XIX, 33. the [second] waw in ubekumah (nor when she arose) is marked with a dot. In and kissed him,12ibid. XXXIII, 4. the entire word wayyishshaḳehu is marked by dots. In and his brethren went to feed their father’s flock,13ibid. XXXVII, 12. the letters of ’eth (the mark of the defined accusative) are dotted. In whom Moses and Aaron numbered14Num. 3, 39. the word Aaron is marked with dots. In or be in a journey afar off,15ibid. IX, 10. the he in reḥoḳah (afar off) has a dot. In and we have laid waste even unto Nopha, which16ibid. XXI, 30. the resh in ’asher (which) has a dot. In and a several tenth part,17ibid. XXIX, 15. in the section dealing with the first day of the festival of Tabernacles, the second waw in we’issaron (and a tenth part) has a dot. In the secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever,18Deut. 29, 28. [H more correctly, ‘unto us and to our children and the ‘ayin in עד’. Cf. Sanh. 43b (Sonc. ed., p. 285, n. 4) and ARN above, p. 166.] the ‘ayin in ‘ad (for) has a dot. R. Simeon b. Laḳish said: Three scrolls of the Torah were found in the Temple court:19Presumably when the text of Scripture was about to be fixed. the Ma‘on20So GRA. V has מענה. This and the following two names were derived from the peculiar word which distinguished each scroll. scroll, the Za’aṭuṭë scroll, and the Hu’ scroll. In one of these they found the expression of ma‘on,21Meaning ‘dwelling place’, the noun being in the masculine form. and in the other two it was written, The eternal God is me‘onah22Deut. 33, 27, the same noun in the feminine. (a dwelling place), so they adopted the reading of the two scrolls and discarded that of the one scroll. In another of the scrolls they found it written, And he sent the za‘aṭuṭë (nobles) of the children of Israel,23Ex. 24, 5. and in the other two they found written And he sent na‘arë (the young men of) the children of Israel, so they retained the reading of the two and abandoned that of the one. In one of the scrolls hu’24The third person sing. masc. which is used in the Pentateuch for hi’, third person fem. sing. pronoun. was written eleven times, but in the other two hi’25The correct feminine form, being exceptions to the usual written form. A list of these is given in ARN XXXIV, above p. 167. was written eleven times, so they adopted the reading of the two and discarded that of the one. Three expressions of lo’ are written lamed-alef26Meaning ‘not’. but read as lamed-waw.27Which means ‘to him, has’. They are: ’asher lo’28לא, lit. ‘which not’ but read לו ‘which has’. jointed legs above their feet;29Lev. 11, 21. ’asher lo’ ḥomah;30ibid. XXV, 30, lamed-alef, meaning ‘which has no wall’ but read as lamed-waw ‘which has a wall’. E.V. in a walled city. and ’asher lo’ ye‘adah.31Ex. 21, 8. The written form with lamed-alef means ‘who hath not espoused her’, but the reading with lamed-waw means, as E.V., who hath espoused her to himself. The following [occurrences of lamed-alef (not)] which have to be read as lamed-waw (to, by, has) are found in the Prophets and Hagiographa: multiply;32The introductory word of 1 Sam. 2, 3 in which occurs the phrase and by Him are actions weighed according to the ḳerë, but the kethib reads ‘and actions are not weighed’. Hushai;33i.e. 2 Sam. 16, 18, where the ḳerë is his will I be and the kethib ‘I will not be’. said;34i.e. 2 Kings 8, 10. Here the ḳerë is say unto him, thou shalt surely recover, and the kethib ‘say, thou shalt not surely recover’. thou hast multiplied;35i.e. Isa. 9, 2.The ḳerë is Thou hast increased their joy, and the kethib ‘Thou hast not increased joy’. their affliction;36i.e. Isa. 63, 9. The ḳerë is In all their affliction He was afflicted (lit. there was affliction to Him) and the kethib ‘in all their affliction He was not an adversary’. He slay me;37i.e. Job 13, 15. The ḳerë is yet will I trust Him, the kethib ‘I have nothing to hope for’. I keep silence;38i.e. Job 41, 4. The ḳerë is would I keep silence (to him), the kethib ‘I would not keep silence’. as the (wandering) sparrow;39i.e. Prov. 26, 2. The ḳerë is shall come home (to him), the kethib ‘shall not come home’. his friends;40i.e. Prov. 19, 7. The ḳerë is they turn against him, the kethib ‘they do not turn’. Zerubbabel;41i.e. Ezra 4, 2, The ḳerë is we do sacrifice unto Him, the kethib ‘we do not sacrifice’. were fashioned;42i.e. Ps. 139, 16. The ḳerë is ‘and for it there was one among them’, the kethib when as yet there was none of them. In this instance E.V. follows the kethib. know ye;43i.e. Ps. 100, 3. The ḳerë is we are His, the kethib ‘and not we (have made) ourselves’. be gathered;44i.e. Isa. 49, 5. The ḳerë is be gathered unto Him, the kethib ‘be not gathered’. name,45i.e. 1 Chron. 11, 20. The ḳerë is and had a name among the three, the kethib ‘and not a name among the three’. [this last also] in the corresponding passage.46viz. in 2 Sam. 23, 18. This reading is suggested by N.Y. to replace that of V ‘and his word’ which is meaningless. In this verse, however, lamed-waw is both written and read. [More probably ודבר in V is a misreading of daleth signifying ‘four’ which should be attached to the beginning of the next Rule.] [38a] 47[V is unintelligible and the reading of H has been adopted.] Four [occurrences of the name] Jeuel are to be read Jeiel; viz. and in Gibeon,48i.e. in 1 Chron. 9, 35. the Ashterathite,49ibid. XI, 44. the scribe,502 Chron. 26, 11. [and of the sons of] Elizaphon.51ibid. XXIX, 13. The following words are to be read but are not written [in the text]: the children of;52In Judg. 20, 13. Euphrates;53In 2 Sam. 8, 3. man;54In 2 Sam. 16, 23. as;55ibid. XVIII, 20. V incorrectly בן for כן. his sons;562 Kings 19, 37. of hosts;57ibid. 31. come;58In Jer. 31, 38 (some edd. 37). thereof;59In Jer. 50, 29. V incorrectly lo’ for lah. unto me;60In Ruth 3, 5. to me.61ibid. 17. [With the following] it is the reverse;62Of those mentioned in the preceding Rule. The former are to be read but are not written; the latter are written but are not to be read. they are written [in the text] but are not to be read: Amnon;63In 2 Sam. 13, 33 the word ’im is written but not to be read. as he shall say;64In Jer. 39, 12 where similarly, ’im is written but not read. V incorrectly indicates the verse with ba’asher for ka’asher. in (what) place;65In 2 Sam. 15, 21 the word אם is written but not read. kinsman;66In Ruth 3, 12, the word ’im is written but not read. let … bend;67In Jer. 51, 3 the verb is repeated in the text. five.68In Ezek. 48, 16 the south side … five hundred the number five is written twice but read only once. [H adds two further instances: נא in 2 Kings 5, 18 and ’eth in Jer. 38, 16.]

The following words are written without a waw,1At the end of the word. but are to be read with the waw: and offered it;21 Sam. 7, 9. said;3ibid. 19. Here and in the other verses which are cited the kethib is the singular and the ḳerë the plural. and [they] said;4ibid. XII, 10. and they spoke;51 Kings 12, 7. shall they take away;62 Kings 20, 18. and let them deliver;7ibid. XXII, 5. and eat;8Isa. 37, 30. together;9Jer. 48, 7, yaḥdaw to be read for yaḥad. and they shall profane it;10Ezek. 7, 21. and they offered;11Ezra 3, 3. was made;12Dan. 5, 21. and took upon them;13Esth. 9, 27. Hananiah;14Added by GRA and H. The name Hananiah indicates Neh. 3, 30 where the text omits the waw at the end of ’aḥaraw (after him). Malchijah.15Indicating ibid. 31 where the waw at the end of ’aḥaraw is also omitted. The reverse of this [occurs in the following words]:16A superfluous waw is written but not read. my feet;172 Sam. 22, 34; the kethib is ‘his feet’. [Although not included here, in the preceding verse my way is ‘his way’ in the kethib.] throw her down;182 Kings 9, 33. [The added waw is due to dittography and superfluous.] and … commanded;19ibid. XVI, 15. The kethib means ‘commanded him’. straight before him;20In Ezek. 46, 9 where the verb shall go forth is written as plural but to be read as singular. the fountain gate;21In Neh. 3, 15 where the kethib is ‘they set up’ and the ḳerë (he) set up. and called him;22In 1 Kings 12, 3. The reference is to the word which follows which is plural in the kethib and singular in the ḳerë. and he assembled;23ibid. 21. Here the reference is to the first verb was come which is written as plural but to be read as singular. took.24In 2 Kings 14, 13. The reference is again to the verb came with the singular to be read for the plural in the text. The following are written with a he which is not pronounced: when I saw;25Josh. 7, 21, written wa’er’eh and read wa’erë’. and I brought;26ibid. XXIV, 8, written wa’abih and read wa’abi. the lion272 Sam. 23, 20, written ha’aryeh and read ha’ari. in the Book of Samuel;28This excludes the parallel passage in 1 Chron. 11, 22 where ha’ari is both written and read. was he found;29Jer. 48, 27, written nimẓa’ah but the reading is nimẓa’. and … saw;30ibid. III, 7, written wattir’eh and read watter’ë’. this [city];31ibid. XXVI, 6, written hazzothah and read hazzoth. evil;32Micah 3, 2, written ra‘ah and read ra‘. [the] evil;33Jer. 18, 10, written hara‘ah and read hara‘. gone down;34ibid. XV, 9, written ba’ah and read ba’. and he shall come;35ibid. XLIII, 11, written uba’ah and read uba’. and a line;361 Kings 7, 23, written weḳaweh and read weḳaw. and a line;37Zech. 1, 16, as in the preceding note. thoroughly;38V incorrectly gives the keyword as wera‘. Ps. 51, 4, written harbeh and read hereb. them that love me;39Prov. 8, 17, written ’ohabehah and read ’ohabai. and … friend;40ibid. XXVII, 10, written were‘eh and read were‘a. deal;41Ruth 1, 8, written ya‘aseh and read ya‘as. open;42Dan. 9, 18, written piḳḥah and read peḳaḥ. a lion;43Lam. 3, 10, written ’aryeh and read ’ari. V incorrectly connects this with the next word joining them together as one. these;44Ezra 5, 15, written ’elleh and read ’el. venison.45V incorrectly reads ẓur. Gen. 27, 3, written ẓedah and read ẓayid.The reverse is the case with the following:46In the preceding a written he is not pronounced, but the following are spelt without a he which is to be pronounced. and multiplied;47Josh. 24, 3, written wa’ereb and read wa’arbeh. on the housetop;481 Sam. 9, 26, written haggag and read haggagah. and they;492 Sam. 21, 9, written wehem and read wehemmah. be he;501 Kings 1, 37, written yehi and read yihyeh. and … shal be;512 Kings 9, 37, written wehayath and read wehayethah. and behold;52Isa. 41, 23, written wenerë and read wenireh. behold;53ibid. LIV, 16, written hen and read hinneh. planted;54In Jer. 17, 8, referring to yireh (shall … see) which is spelt without the final hei. Gedaliah;55ibid. XL, 16, referring to ta‘aseh (do) which is without the final hei. and … she doted;56Ezek. 23, 16, written watta‘gob and read watta‘gebah. the measure;57ibid. XLV, 3, where ḥamesh (five) is written and ḥamishshah read. and I shall be glorified;58Hag. 1, 8, written we’ekkabed and read we’ekkabedah. three;59In Prov. 30, 18, we’arba‘ (yea, four) is written and we’arba‘ah read. she considereth;60ibid. XXXI, 16, naṭa‘ (planteth) is written and naṭ‘ah read. she perceiveth;61ibid. 18, ballayil (by night) is written and ballayelah read. arise;62In Lam. 2, 19, the same variant occurs as in the preceding. remember;63ibid. V, 1, habbeṭ (behold) is written and habbiṭah read. turn Thou us;64ibid. 21, wenashub (and we shall be turned) is written and wenashubah read. thou hast declared;651 Sam XXIV, 19, we’at is written and we’attah read. thou … hast cursed;66Eccles. 7, 22, where the same variant occurs as in the preceding. Thou hast set;67Ps. 90, 8, written shatta and read shattah. Thou hast made;68Neh. 9, 6, written ’at and read ’attah. is sore affrighted;69In Ps. 6, 4 the same variant occurs as in the preceding. the carved work thereof;70ibid. LXXIV, 6, written we‘at and read we‘attah. with her harlotries;71In Ezek. 23, 43, written ‘at and read ‘attah. turn back;72In Ruth 1, 12, lekna (go your way) omits the final hei. disclose;73ibid. IV, 4, where we’eda‘ (that I may know) is written and read we’ede‘ah. Thou [hast] made an hedge;74In Job 1, 10, ’at (Thou) is written and ’attah read. and [he] saw.75ibid. XLII, 16, written wayyar and read wayyireh. The following are written as one word and read as two words: fortune is come;76Gen. 30, 11, written baggad and read ba’gad. a fiery law;77Deut. 33, 2, written ’eshdath and read ’esh dath. consumed of the fire;78Jer. 6, 29, written me’eshtam and read me’esh tam. what mean ye;79Isa. 3, 15, written mallakem and read mah lakem. and, behold, he;80Jer. 18, 3, written wehinnehu and read wehinneh hu’. what they;81Ezek. 8, 6, written mahem and read mah hem. Bani, of;821 Chron. 9, 4, written Binyamin and read Bani min. of the Benjamites;83ibid. XXVII, 12, written lebenyemini and read labben yemini. the helpless;84Ps. 10, 10, written ḥelka’im and read ḥel ka’im. may He incite death;85ibid. LV, 16, written yashshimaweth and read yashshi maweth. of the proud oppressors;86ibid. CXXIII, 4, written lig’eyonim and read lig’ë yonim. out of the whirlwind;87Job 38, 1, written minhasse‘arah and read min hasse‘arah. out of a whirlwind;88ibid. XL, 6, written minse‘arah and read min se‘arah. were broken down.89Neh. 2, 13, written hammeperuẓim and read hem peruẓim.The reverse of the above are the following:90Which are written as two words and read as one. when … were merry;91Judg. 16, 25, written ki ṭob and read ḳetob. of Benjamin;921 Sam. 9, 1, written mibben yamin and read mibbinyamin. that … may be increased;93Isa. 9, 6, written lamed-mem resh-beth-he and read lemarbeh. out of the cave;941 Sam. 24. 8, written min hamme‘arah and read mehamme‘arah. by Myself;95Isa. 44, 24, written mi’itti and read me’itti. with their axes;962 Chron. 34, 6, written beḥar bothehem and read beḥarbothehem. from the daughter;97Lam. 1, 6, written min bath and read mibbath. like the ostriches.98ibid. IV, 3, written kaye ‘enim and read kayye‘enim. The following are spelt with a waw but read with a yod: prisoners;99Gen. 39, 20, written ’asurë and read ’asirë. Abigail;1001 Sam. 25, 18, written Abugail and read Abigail. I make thee … go up and down;1012 Sam. 15, 20, written anu‘aka and read ani‘aka. chief men;1022 Kings 24, 15, written ’ulë and read ’elë. I will … make … straight;103Isa. 45, 2, written ’aushir and read ’ayashsher. I will … make them run away;104Jer. 50, 44, written ’aruẓem and read ’ariẓem. on mine eye;1052 Sam. 16, 12, written ba‘awoni and read be‘eni. cistern;106Jer. 6, 7, written bor and read bayir. in their march;107Nahum 2, 6, written bahalokotham and read bahalikotham. set apart;1082 Chron. 26, 21, written haḥofshuth and read haḥofshith. V inserts here another example, viz. ‘my way’, but N.Y. declares it to be incorrect and H omits it. wilt thou set;109Prov. 23, 5, written hata‘uf and read hata‘if. ye might provoke Me;110Jer. 25, 7, written hik‘oseni and read hak‘iseni. make straight;111Ps. 5, 9, written haushar and read hayeshar. who were set;112Ezra 8, 17, written hannethunim and read hannethinim. that taught;1132 Chron. 35, 3, written hammebonim and read hammebinim. Birzaith;1141 Chron. 7, 31, written Birzoth and read Birzaith. will greatly rejoice;115Prov. 23, 24, written gol yagul and read gil yagil. Dehites;116Ezra 4, 9, written Dehawë and read Dehayë. bring forth;117Gen. 8, 17, written hawẓë’ and read hayẓë’. Harsith;118Jer. 19, 2, written haḥarsoth and read haḥarsith. Luhith;119ibid. XLVIII, 5, written halluḥoth and read halluḥith. the entry;120Ezek. 42, 9, written hammebo’ and read hammebi’. the strong;121Zech. 11, 2, written habbaẓur and read habbaẓir. made to murmur;122Numb. 14, 36, written wayyillonu and read wayyalinu. and Shahazim;123Josh. 19, 22, written weshaḥaẓumah and read weshaḥaẓimah. and a royal diadem;124Isa. 62, 3, written uẓenuf and read uẓenif. and a thing of nought and the deceit;125Jer. 14, 14, written we’elul wetarmuth and read we’elil wetarmith. and the swallow;126ibid. VIII, 7, written wesus and read wesis. and the galleries thereof;127Ezek. 41, 15, written we’attoḳeha and read we’attiḳeha. and Tilon;1281 Chron. 4, 20, written wetolon and read wetilon. Jehiel;1292 Chron. 29, 14, written Jeḥu’el and read Jeḥi’el. and prepare ye;130ibid. XXXV, 4, written wehikkonu and read wehakkinu. thy bosom;131Ps. 74, 11, written ḥoḳeka and read ḥeḳeka. a side-structure;1321 Kings 6, 5, written yaẓu‘a and read yaẓi‘a. Jair;1331 Chron. 20, 5, written Ya‘or and read Ya‘ir. alienate;134Ezek. 48, 14, written ya‘abor and read ya‘abir. Jeiel;1351 Chron. 9, 35, written Je‘u’el and read Je‘i’el. they wander up and down;136Ps. 59, 16, written yenu‘un and read yeni‘un. let … cover them;137ibid. CXL, 10, written yekassumo and read yekassemo. they cause … to fall;138Prov. 4, 16, written yiksholu and read yakshilu. to strive;139Judg. 21, 22, written larub and read larib. singing;1401 Sam. 18, 6, written lashur and read lashir. Laish;1412 Sam. 3, 15, written Lush and read Layish. for fishers;142Jer. 16, 16, written ledogim and read ledayyagim. dross;143Ezek. 22, 18, written lesog and read lesig. for a spoil;144Isa. 42, 24, written limshoseh and read limshissah. their furrows;145Ps. 129, 3, written lema‘anotham and read lema‘anitham. Mephaath;146Jer. 48, 21, written mopha‘ath and read mepa‘ath. from Naioth;1471 Sam. 20, 1, written minnawoth and read minnayoth. stretched-forth;148Isa. 3, 17, written neṭuwothn and read neṭioth. fruit;149ibid. LVII, 19, written nob and read nib. Nebai;150Neh. 10, 20, written Nubai and read Nebai. Nephishesim;151ibid. VII, 52, written Nefushesim and read Nefishesim. leave;1522 Sam. 14, 7, written sum and read sim. ready dressed;1531 Sam. 25, 18, written ‘asuwoth and read ‘asiyoth. Ephai;154Jer. 40, 8, written ‘ufai and read ‘ephai. Ephrain;1552 Chron. 13, 19, written ‘Efron and read ‘Efrain. V incorrectly reads ‘Abarim. the second156This excludes the first ready in Esth. 3, 14. ready;157Esth. 8, 13, written ‘athudim and read ‘athidim. their lads;158Jer. 14, 3, written ẓe‘orehem and read ẓe‘irehem. her little ones;159ibid. XLVIII, 4, written ẓe‘oreha and read ẓe‘ireha. dung.160Ezek. 4, 15, written ẓefu‘ë and read ẓefi‘ë. [38b]

Variants1In words, letters or vowels. between the poem2So H. V has the plural. of Psalm [XVIII] and Samuel32 Sam. 22. are the following: and … spoke;4Sam. 1; in Ps. 1 this is replaced by For the Leader, etc. and my deliverer;5Sam. 2 represents my by a suffix and pronoun; Ps. 3 omits the pronoun. my God, my rock;6Ps. 3; Sam. 3, the God who is my rock. my high tower, and my refuge;7Sam. 3; Ps. 3 omits and my refuge. from mine enemies;8In Sam. 4 the Heb. for from is the prefix mem, in Ps. 4 the preposition min. for … compassed me;9Sam. 5; in Ps. 5 for is wanting. the waves of;10Sam. 5; Ps. 5 the cords of. the floods of;11Sam. 5; Ps. 5 and the floods of. compassed me;12In Sam. 6 the Heb. is sabbuni, in Ps. 6 sebabuni. The meaning is the same. I called;13Sam. 7; Ps. 7 I cried. and … He heard;14Sam. 7; Ps. 7 omits and. then … did shake;15The Heb. in Sam. 8 is wayyithga‘ash, in Ps. 8 wattig‘ash. The meaning is practically the same. the foundations of heaven;16Sam. 8; Ps. 8 the foundations of the mountains. yea, He was seen;17Sam. 11; Ps. 11 yea, He did swoop. and He made;18Sam. 12; Ps. 12 omits and. pavilions;19Sam. 12; Ps. 12 His pavilion. gathering of:20Sam. 12; Ps. 12 darkness of. coals of fire flamed forth;21Sam. 13; Ps. 13 hailstones and coals of fire. thundered from heaven;22Sam. 14; Ps. 14 thundered in the heavens. arrows;23Sam. 15; Ps. 15 His arrows. and discomfited them;24In Sam. 15 the Heb. is wayyahom (ḳerë), but the kethib is the same as in Ps. 15 wayyehummem. the channels of waters;25Ps. 16; Sam. 16 the channels of the sea. and … were laid bare;26Ps. 16; in Sam. 16 and is wanting. by the rebuke of the Lord;27Sam. 16; Ps. 16 at Thy rebuke, O Lord. His nostrils;28Sam. 16; Ps. 16 Thy nostrils. from them that hated me;29Sam. 18; Ps. 18 adds and. a stay;30In Sam. 19 mish‘an; in Ps. 19 lemish‘an. The sense is the same. He brought me forth also;31The Heb. in Sam. 20 has a verb and pronoun; in Ps. 20 a verb with a pronominal suffix. There is no difference in meaning. according32V prints ‘in’ for ‘according’ in error. to my righteousness;33In Sam. 21 the Heb. is keẓidḳathi, in Ps. 21 keẓidḳi. The nouns are practically synonymous. I did not depart from them;34Sam. 23; Ps. 23 I put not away … from me. and I was;35In Sam. 24 the Heb. is wa’ehyeh; Ps. 24 wa’ehi is a shortened form of the same verb. toward Him;36Sam. 24; Ps. 24 with Him. and I kept myself;37Both Sam. 24 and Ps. 24 have the same verb, but the former adds a he at the end. according to my righteousness;38Sam. 25 keẓidḳathi; Ps. 25 keẓidḳi. according to my cleanness;39Sam. 25; Ps. 25 according to the cleanness of my hands. man;40In Sam. 26 the noun is gibbor (lit. mighty man), in Ps. 26 gebar (man). Thou dost show Thyself pure;41There is a difference in the form of the verb; in Sam. 27 tittabar, in Ps. 27 tithbarar. Thou dost show Thyself subtle;42Another difference in the form of the verb; in Sam. 27 tittappal, in Ps. 27 tithpattal. and … Thou dost save;43Sam. 28; Ps. 28 for Thou dost save. but Thine eyes are upon the haughty, that Thou mayest humble them;44Sam. 28; Ps. 28 but the haughty eyes Thou dost humble. and the Lord;45Sam. 29; Ps. 29 the Lord my God. by my God;46Sam. 30; Ps. 30 and by my God. who is God;47Sam. 32 reads ’el, Ps. 32 ’elo’ah. save;48Sam. 32; Ps. 32 except. A different preposition is used. V ba‘adi is an error for mibbal‘adë. my … fortress;49Sam. 33; Ps. 33 that girdeth me. who letteth … go forth;50Sam. 33; Ps. 33 and maketh. The former reads wayyater, the latter wayyitten. do bend;51Sam. 35 weniḥath, Ps. 35 weniḥathah, with the same sense. and Thy condescension;52Sam. 36 wa‘anotheka, Ps. 36 we‘anwatheka. under me;53Sam. 37 taḥteni, Ps. 37 taḥtai. I have pursued;54Sam. 38 ’erdefah, Ps. 38 ’erdof. and destroyed them;55Sam. 38; Ps. 38 and overtaken them. and I have consumed them;56Sam. 39; wanting in Ps. 39. and smitten them;57Sam. 39; Ps. 39 omits and. that they cannot arise;58Sam. 39, lit. ‘that they will not arise’; Ps. 39 that they are not able to rise. yea, they are fallen;59Sam. 39; Ps. 39 they are fallen. for Thou hast girded me;60Sam. 40 omits the alef from the verb. under me;61Sam. 40 taḥteni, Ps. 40 taḥtai. yea, them that hate me, that I might cut them off;62Sam. 41; Ps. 41 and I did cut off them that hate me. they looked;63Sam. 42; Ps. 42 they cried. even unto the Lord;64In Sam. 42 the Heb. for unto is ’el, in Ps. 42 ‘al. as the dust of the earth;65Sam. 43; Ps. 43 as the dust before the wind. I did stamp them … I did tread them down;66Sam. 43; Ps. 43 I did cast them out. Thou also hast delivered me … my people. Thou hast kept me;67Sam. 44; Ps. 44 Thou hast delivered me … the people; Thou hast made me. dwindle away … as soon as they hear of me;68Sam. 45; Ps. 45 as soon as they hear of me … dwindle away. In Sam. the Heb. for hear and dwindle away is lishmoa‘ and yithkaḥashu, in Ps. leshema‘ and yekaḥashu. and come halting out of their close places;69Sam. 46; Ps. 46 and come trembling out of their close places. The Heb. for out of their close places is mimmisgerotham in Sam. and mimmisgerothehem in Ps. There is no difference in the Heb. verb despite the different translation. my Rock of salvation;70Sam. 47 Ps. 47 lacks my rock in the second part of the verse. and bringeth down … under me;71Sam. 48; Ps. 48 and subdueth … under me. There is also a difference in the Heb. for under me as in verses 37, 40. and that bringeth me forth … yea … above them that rise up against me … violent;72Sam. 49; Ps. 49 he delivereth me … yea … above them that rise up against me … violent. The Heb. for above me and violent in Sam. is umiḳḳamai and ḥamasim; in Ps. min ḳammai and ḥamas. the Tetragrammaton is placed first;73In Sam. 50 it precedes among the nations, in Ps. 50 it follows it. I will sing praises;74The Heb. in Sam. 50 is ’azammer, in Ps. 50 ’azammerah. ‘Omer’ in V is a printer’s error. a tower of salvation.75Sam. 51; Ps. 51 great salvation giveth He. The Heb. in the former is migdol, in the latter magdil. The following are variants between Isaiah76Chapters XXXVI-XXXIX. and the text of Kings:772 Kings 18-XX. Now in the four[teenth];78Kings XVIII, 13; Isa. 36, 1 now it came to pass in the four[teenth]. Hezekiah;79In Kings ibid. 14-16 the name is spelt Ḥizḳiyyah instead of Ḥizḳiyyahu. Rab-saris … to king Hezehiah … unto Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by.80Kings 17. In Isa. 36, 2 Rab-saris is lacking, the order of the words is to Jerusalem unto the king. The clause and they went up … they came is lacking, and stood is in the singular but the plural in Kings. And when they had called to the king … unto them.81Kings 18; and when they … king is lacking in Isa. 3 which has unto them for unto him. Sayest thou82Kings 20; Isa. 5 I said. now … thou trustest;83In Isa. 6 now is lacking, as is also leka (lit. thou trusteth for thyself), compared with Kings 21. ye say … in Jerusalem;84For ye say in Kings 22, Isa. 7 has thou say and omits in Jerusalem. with … king;85Kings 23, the Heb. for with … king is ’eth melek; in Isa. 8 it is ’eth hammelek. now … against this place … against this land and destroy it;86For now in Kings 25, Isa. 10 reads and … now. In against this land the preposition is ‘al for ’el. the son of Hilkiah … with us;87Kings 26; in Isa. 11 the son of Hilkiah is lacking, and to us occurs instead of with us. unto them … hath … to;88Kings 27; in Isa. 12 unto them is omitted, and hath … to is ha‘al for ha’el. and spoke … the word of;89Kings 28; in Isa. 13 and spoke is omitted and word is in the plural. and hearken not … when he persuadeth;90Kings 32; in Isa. 18 and hearken not is lacking, and when is replaced by beware lest. hath … ever delivered;91Kings 33; Isa. 18 hath … delivered. Hena, and Ivvah have they delivered;92Kings 34; in Isa. 19 Hena and Ivva is lacking, and before have the conjunction and is inserted. the countries;93Kings 35; Isa. 20 these countries. but the people held their peace;94Kings 36; in Isa. 21 the people is lacking and wayyaḥarishu is read for weheḥerishu. the words of Rab-shakeh.95Kings 27 and Isa. 22 are identical in the Heb. The reference is probably to 2 Kings 19, 4 and Isa. 37, 4 where the former reads all the words of Rab-shakeh while the latter omits all.And Shebna;962 Kings 19, 2;in Isa. 37, 2 we’eth precedes the name. the prophet precedes the son of Amoz;97ibid.; in Isa. ibid. the prophet follows. The order in E.V. is the same in both. all the words of;98Kings 4; in Isa. 4 all is omitted. unto them;99Kings 6 lahem; Isa. 6 ’alehem. to his own land;100Kings 7 has the preposition l, Isa. 7 ’el. of Tirhakah;101Kings 9 has the preposition ’el, Isa. 9 ‘al. behold he is come out … again;102ibid.; Isa. 9 omits behold and for again (wayyashab) reads and when he heard (wayyishma‘). what;103Kings 11 has ’eth ’asher, Isa. 11 ’asher. O Lord, the God of;104Kings 15. Isa. 16 inserts of hosts after Lord. I have heard thee;105Kings 20, wanting in Isa. 21. against the Holy One;106Kings 22 reads ‘al, Isa. 23 ’el. thy messengers;107Kings 23; Isa. 24 thy servants. the choice;108Kings 23 reads mibḥor; Isa. 24 mibḥar. and I have entered into his farthest lodge;109ibid.; in Isa 24 and I come up to the height of the mountains. strange;110Kings 24; lacking in Isa. 25. in … times111Kings 25 reads lemimë, Isa. 26 mimë. … should be laid waste;112In Kings 25 the reading is lahshoth, in Isa. 26 lehash’oth. and confounded;113Kings 26 has wayyeboshu, Isa. 27 waboshu. and as corn blasted;114ibid.; Isa. 27 and as a field of corn. that which springeth of the same;115Kings 29 reads saḥish, Isa. 30 shaḥis. he came;116Kings 33 reads yabo’, Isa. 34 ba’. will defend this city;117Kings 34 has the preposition ’el, Isa. 35 ‘al. and it came to pass that night;118Kings 35; lacking in Isa. 36. and smote;119ibid. the reading is wayyak, in Isa. 36 wayyakeh. fourscore.120Kings 35; Isa. 36 and fourscore.His face;1212 Kings 20, 2 reads ’eth panaw; Isa. 38, 2 omits ’eth. saying;122ibid.; lacking in Isa. 2. I beseech Thee;123Kings 3; in Isa. 3 and said is inserted before I. heart;124ibid. ubelebab; Isa. ubeleb. return … the princes of My people … I will heal thee;125Kings 5; lacking in Isa. 5. and I will add;126Kings 6 wehosafti; Isa. 5 behold, I will add (hinneni yosif). for Mine own sake and for My servant David’s sake;127ibid.; lacking in Isa. 6. take … and he recovered;128Kings 7. The whole sentence is lacking in Isa. and Hezekiah said unto Isaiah … the third day;129Kings 8. The whole sentence is lacking in Isa. this;130Kings 9; Isa. 7 and this. that the Lord;131ibid. the Heb. particle is ki, in Isa. 7 ’asher. will do the thing;132ibid.; Isa. 7 this thing. go forward.133ibid.; Isa. 8 behold, I will cause … to return. Berodach134Kings 12; Isa. 39, 1 Merodach. … for he had heard;135ibid. the reading is ki shama‘; Isa. ibid. wayyishma‘. Hezekiah had been sick;136ibid.; Isa. ibid. that he had been sick, and was recovered. hearkened unto them;137Kings 13; Isa. 2 was glad of them. all his treasure house;138ibid.; Isa. ibid. omits all. oil139ibid.; Isa. ibid. the … oil. … the house of his armour140ibid.; Isa. ibid. inserts all before the house. … they are come;141Kings 14; Isa. 3 adds unto me the word of the Lord;142Kings 16; in Isa. 5 of hosts follows Lord. to Babylon;143Kings 17 the reading is Babelah, in Isa. 6 Babel. is it not so, if.144Kings 19 reads halo ’im, Isa. 8 if but (ki). The variants here listed are not complete and there are others which are not included (cf. GRA).

On the beth of bereshith1Gen. 1, 1 the first word of the Pentateuch. there must be four crownlets,2Short upward strokes on the top of the letter. and the letters3Some eds. read ‘letter’ in the singular, and the general practice is to enlarge only the beth. of the word must be extended above all the other letters, because by its means4This idea is also expressed in ’Othioth deRabbi ‘Aḳiba, quoted by M (p. 131): The world was created by means of the letter beth. the world came into existence.5So M. V reads, ‘for it (the world) will exist for ever’, the beth representing berakah (blessing). [Cf. Midrash Rabbah, Genesis, I, §9 (Sonc. ed., p. 9).] The waw of gaḥon6Lev. 11, 42, belly. must be enlarged,7lit. ‘upright, erect’. because it is the middle of the letters of the Torah;8The number of letters from the beginning of the Pentateuch to the waw of gaḥon equals the number from the waw to the end. darosh darash9ibid. X, 16, diligently inquired. is the middle of the words of the Torah. Darosh is written at the end of the line10Indicating the end of the first half of the number of words. and darash at the beginning of the next line.11Marking the beginning of the second half of the number of words. Wayyishḥṭ12And when it was slain; 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,13According to M and H only the ḥeth 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.14In Ḳid. 30a (Sonc. ed., p. 144) wehithgallaḥ (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. Shema‘ Yisra’el15Deut. 6, 4, Hear, O Israel. must be written at the beginning of a line, and all its letters are to be enlarged,16According to the Masorah only the ‘ayin of Shema‘ is enlarged. while ’eḥad17ibid., one. must come at the end of [the same] line.18The final letter of the word is also enlarged according to the Masorah. The lamed of wayyashlikem19Deut. 29, 27, and cast them. must be long.20i.e. longer than the other letters. By its elongation, the lamed 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’. The he of haladonai21ibid. XXXII, 6, do … the Lord. must be longer than any other he, because it is22So 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.] a word on its own. The yod of teshi23Deut. 32, 18, thou wast unmindful. must be smaller than any yod in the Scriptures. The yod of yigdal24Num. 14, 17, let … be great. must be bigger than any yod in the Torah.25So GRA and N.Y. V erroneously ‘big, because they are letters which are in Scripture’. H lacks the sentence. Yisra’el at the end of the Torah26Deut. 34, 12, Israel. must be enlarged, while the lamed in it must be higher than any other lamed. The following words27Which have an indelicate nuance. are written but not read [in their written form]:28A more polite word is substituted. It is written ba‘folim29Meaning ‘posteriors’. but we read baṭṭeḥorim;301 Sam. 5, 5, emerods. it is written yishgalennah31Meaning ‘rape’. This is the reading of N.Y. and M. V has thishgalennah. but we read yishkabennah;32Deut. 28, 30, shall lie with her. it is written weroba‘ haḳḳab ḥiryonim332 Kings 6, 25, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung. but we read weroba‘ haḳḳab dibyonim;34Meaning ‘and the fourth … of decayed leaves’. it is written memë shinehem35ibid. XVIII, 27, their own water. but we read memë raglehem;36lit. ‘the water of their feet’. it is written ḥorehem37ibid. their own dung. but we read ẓo’atham;38lit. ‘their evacuation’. it is written wayyesimehu lemaḥara’oth39ibid. X, 27, and made it a draught-house. but we read lemoẓa’oth.40lit. ‘retreats’.If a person uses euphemisms in the section of forbidden marriages41Lev. 18, 6-20. he is silenced.42[The text in V is corrupt and emended in agreement with the Mishnah in Meg. 25a (Sonc. ed., p. 149).] R. Jonah explained:43What is meant here by ‘euphemisms’. [39a] [When one says]44By trying to be more considerate than Scripture. ‘the nakedness of his father’ or ‘the nakedness of his45Instead of thy father 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[Or, according to J. Rabbinowitz, Mishnah Megillah, 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’,47So altering the true meaning of the text which deals with the worship of Molech (cf. Sonc. ed., Meg. p. 149, n. 3). he is silenced with a rebuke. The incident of Reuben48Gen. 35, 22. is read49In the public lection of the Scriptures. but not translated.50Out 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. The story of Tamar51Gen. 38. is both read and translated.52So 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. The first [account of] the golden calf53Ex. 33, 1-20. is read and translated,54Since the sin was forgiven (Meg. 25b, Sonc. ed., p. 152). the second55ibid. 21-25 according to Meg. loc. cit. (Sonc. ed., p. 153). is read but not translated.56Because of the statement and there came out this calf (ibid. 24) which seems to indicate that the calf had abnormal powers. Where [does the translator] begin? At Oh this people have sinned.57ibid. 31-35. This disagrees with Meg. quoted above. The blessing of the priests58Num. 6, 24-27 which includes the phrase lift up … countenance which in the Heb. could be misunderstood in its lit. meaning of ‘favouritism’. and the stories of David592 Sam. 11, 2-17 which is discreditable to David. and Amnon60ibid. XIII, 1-14 which records Amnon’s disgrace. are neither read nor translated.61So V and H in agreement with Meg. loc. cit.; but GRA and others omit the negative before ‘read’ The section dealing with the heavenly chariot62Ezek. 1 and X which are too abstruse for the ordinary layman. must not be read as a hafṭarah. R. Judah permits it.63The custom is for Ezek. 1 to be read as the hafṭarah on the first day of Pentecost. This is in accordance with R. Judah’s view. R. Eleazar says: The section beginning Cause Jerusalem to know64Ezek. 15I must not be read as a hafṭarah.65Because of the denunciation of Jerusalem. 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’.66In. 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’. Enquiries were made about him and he was found to be illegitimate.

Moses1In V and H a passage has been interpolated after ‘Moses’ which has no relation to the subject-matter. It seems to have been originally a marginal note explanatory of the meaning of hiḳni’, an unusual verb to be employed in the sense of ‘warn’. It reads as follows: Hiḳni’, i.e. ‘he warned’, as we have learned in a Mishnah (Soṭ. I, 1), hammeḳannë’ (of the same root as hiḳni’ which means), If [a husband] ‘warns’ his wife [not to associate with a certain man], R. Eliezer said: His warning is valid if it was given in the presence of two witnesses, though he makes her drink [the water of bitterness] on the evidence of one witness [who saw that she had secluded herself with the man after she had been given due warning], because a warning is not valid if given in the presence of less than two witnesses; for [only where there are two witnesses] would she be able to plead, ‘I was not warned’, but when [there was only] one witness she might dare to plead, ‘I was not warned’. warned2For hiḳni’ some eds. read the normal verb hithḳin, ‘he established a custom, ordained’. Israel that they should read out of the Torah3In the service of the Synagogue. on Sabbaths, Festivals, New Moons and the intermediate days of the Festivals;4lit. ‘the secular [part] of the Festival’, the days intervening between the holy days which begin and end the Festivals of Passover and Tabernacles. as it is stated, And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the appointed seasons of the Lord.5Lev. 23, 44. Ezra ordained for Israel that they should read in the Torah on Mondays and Thursdays and in the afternoon service on the Sabbath.6[For this and other ordinances of Ezra, cf. B.Ḳ. 82a (Sonc. ed., p. 466) where the reason is given for these additional lections.] There is no difference between a Festival and the Sabbath7In regard to forbidden work. save only in the matter of preparing food.8lit. ‘food of a person’. On a Festival, but not when it falls on the Sabbath, the preparation of food for the day by cooking is permitted. There is no difference between the Sabbath and the Day of Atonement save only that a wilful violation of the former [is punishable] by men9i.e. a court of law. while a wilful violation of the latter [is punished] by kareth. R. Judah said: At the place [in the Torah] where we leave off on the Sabbath morning we begin to read at the afternoon service, and on the following Monday, Thursday and Sabbath. On Mondays and Thursdays10During the morning service. and at the Sabbath afternoon service three men read [from the Torah].11The first of the seven portions into which the weekly sidra’ or section is divided for the Sabbath lection. On the specified occasions it is subdivided between three worshippers. Their number must be neither reduced nor increased; nor is a hafṭarah read from [a book of] a Prophet. He who begins as well as he who concludes [the reading of the prescribed section of] the Torah recites the appropriate benedictions before and after his reading.12For the benedictions, cf. P.B., p. 68.On the New Moon and during the intermediate days of a Festival, four [persons read from the Torah]. Their number must be neither reduced nor increased. This is the general rule: On any day which has a musaf and is not a Festival, four persons read [from the Torah]. On a Festival five [persons read from the prescribed portion of the Torah]; on the Day of Atonement, six; and on the Sabbath, seven. The number must not be reduced but may be increased. On a Festival, for the violation of which only a negative precept is infringed, five persons [read in the Torah]; on the Day of Atonement, for the violation of which kareth is incurred, six; on the Sabbath, the violation of which is punishable by stoning, seven; and one concludes with [a reading from a book of] a Prophet.The one who begins as well as the one who concludes [the lection] recites the benediction before and after his reading. The accompanying benedictions of the Shema‘13These are the ḳaddish, bareku and yoẓer ’or (P.B., pp. 37ff) which precede the Shema‘, and the three benedictions of the ‘Amidah which follow it (P.B., pp. 44ff) including the ḳedushshah. may not be repeated14lit. ‘they must not break off in connection with the Shema‘ ’. The ruling applies to persons who had read the morning prayers in private and now wish to join in congregational worship. They do not repeat all the statutory morning prayers, but may repeat ‘broken off’ parts, viz. those specified in the preceding note (cf. N.Y. and Rashi to Meg. 23b). For other interpretations, cf. Meg. (Sonc. ed., p. 141, n. 1) [and J. Rabbinowitz, Mishnah Megillah, pp. 114ff]. in congregational prayer, irrespective of whether they are said standing15i.e. the benedictions which follow the Shema‘ said while the worshippers are standing. or sitting;16The benedictions which precede the Shema‘ said while the worshippers are sitting. nor may one act as reader in public worship;17In connection with any part of the prayers. Lit. ‘they do not pass before the [reading] chest’, to lead the congregation in the conduct of the service. nor may [the kohanim] lift their hands;18To bless the people during the service; cf. P.B., p. 238a. nor may the hafṭarah be read from the Prophet;19As is the law in regard to the Torah itself; cf. Meg. 23b (Sonc. ed., p. 141). nor may halts20lit. ‘a standing and a sitting’. be made [at funerals]21It was customary, when returning from a burial, to halt and sit seven times to praise and lament the dead. for men, how much less for women since no halts are made for women; nor may ḳaddish22P.B., p. 37. and bareku be said23Even without the other statutory prayers.—if less than ten adult males24Who have attained their thirteenth birthday. are present.Our teachers in the West25The land of Israel which was west of Babylon. rule that seven [adult males26Who have not heard one of the benedictions indicated above. are sufficient]27For the purpose of repeating the benedictions. and, as a reason for their ruling, they quote, When men let grow their hair in Israel, when the people offer themselves willingly, bless ye the Lord,28Judg. 5, 2. [which implies that the number present must be the same] as that of the [Hebrew] words.29Because the verse contains the word bareku (bless ye). Others hold that even six [adult males are sufficient for the purpose, since up to] bareku [the number of words] is six.Furthermore, where there are nine or ten persons who have heard either bareku or ḳaddish and, after the service, one of them [who missed one of the benedictions] said bareku or ḳaddish, he has thereby performed [the duty of public worship].30Contrary to the ruling of the Rabbis of the West and the others who hold that seven or even six are enough.The Sages long ago issued an ordinance to Synagogue precentors to say after the prayer for redemption,31‘O Rock of Israel,’ etc. (P.B., p. 44). Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for ever,32Ps. 113, 2. and after that, ‘Bless ye the Lord Who is to be blessed’,33Bareku, etc. (P.B., p. 37). so as to enable those who had not heard the benedictions34Owing to their late arrival. to perform the duty of public worship; for R. Joḥanan said: Would that a man read his prayers all the day long.35Therefore it is permissible for the precentor to repeat the benedictions under discussion more than once for the benefit of those who did not hear him when he first read them.The congregations of the West and the congregations of the East36The land of Israel and Babylon respectively. have a custom to say it37The verse from Psalms followed by the benedictions mentioned. after ‘He Who maketh peace’38P.B., p. 54, forming the conclusion of the ‘Amidah. in the three statutory prayers39For the evening, morning and afternoon. This custom is contrary to the previous opinion which permits an interruption between the prayer for redemption and the ‘Amidah which immediately follows it. The originators of the custom forbid such an interruption. of the Eighteen Benedictions,40The actual number is nineteen, but it was eighteen when originally instituted. as a provision for the benefit of those who arrived late and for those who leave early.41It is for their benefit that the repetition is not made at the end of the entire service. [The verse from Psalms with the benedictions is also said] even after the public reading from the Torah.42If persons came in as late as that.As regards the redemption of land,43Which had been dedicated to the Temple. however, [the presence is required of] nine male adults and a kohen; and the same law applies to the redemption of a human being.44Cf. Lev. 27, 2ff, 16ff.

One who reads the Torah [in public worship] should read not less than three verses,1The number corresponds to the three main divisions of the Bible: the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographa; Meg. 24a (Sonc. ed., p. 143). and he should not read for the interpreter2Who translated and expounded the Heb. text into Aramaic for the congregation. more than one verse [at a time].3So that the interpreter, who had no book before him, should not become confused. In the case of [the lection from] a Prophet, however, three [verses at a time may be read];4If desired. Since no instruction in law is involved in the lection from the Prophets as in the Torah, a mistake would not be serious. but if the three verses constituted three different paragraphs, he may read one verse at a time5For the interpreter.—for instance, For thus saith the Lord; Ye were sold for nought6Isa. 52, 3. … [39b] For thus saith the Lord God: My people went down aforetime into Egypt7ibid. 4. … Now, therefore, what do I here, saith the Lord.8ibid. 5.In a city where only one person is able to read [from the Torah scroll] he reads all9‘All’ is added by GRA, M and H. the prescribed sections, provided he sits down between the reading of one section and the next.10lit. ‘between reading and reading’. The number of times he sits down corresponds to the number of persons who are to be called up for the reading. This ruling applies to the time when only the first and last who were called up recited the benedictions before and after the reading. At the present time, when each person called up recites the benedictions before and after his portion, there is no need for the sitting down. It is permitted to skip from place to place in [a scroll of] a Prophet,11Omitting the intermediate portions. but not in a Torah scroll, because [the scroll of] a Prophet may be unrolled in public but not of the Torah.12The unrolling of which might disturb the congregation. Similarly ruled R. Jeremiah in the name of R. Simeon b. Laḳish: A Torah scroll may not be unrolled in public.R. Jose enquired: Suppose13GRA in agreement with j.Meg. IV, 5, 75b. V and H read ‘interpreted it, as for instance’. there was only a small section [which one wished to skip]!14And consequently no unrolling is required. Why, then, should skipping in such a case be forbidden? The real reason15lit. ‘but’ added by GRA. V and H omit. is that Israel shall hear the Torah in its proper order. But have we not learned: [The High Priest] reads [in public] aḥarë moth16lit. after the death, designating the section Lev. 16. and ’ak be‘asor?17lit. howbeit on the tenth, designating the section beginning Lev. 23, 27. These sections are far removed from one another and the Torah scroll must consequently be unrolled in public. Why is this permitted? [With these two sections] it is different,18Therefore unrolling in public is permitted. because they deal with the statutory order [of the reading] of the day.19i.e. the Day of Atonement. As they form one subject, skipping from place to place is allowed. You can see the reason20lit. ‘and you may know’. for yourself, because R. Simeon b. Laḳish ruled, ‘No part of the Torah may be21lit. ‘in every place one may not’. read by heart’, and yet here22The section beginning And on the tenth day (Num. 29, 7). [the High Priest] reads by heart.23For the reason stated above. R. Jose gave the following instruction to Bar24So j.Meg. IV, 5, 75b, the text of which is followed here. V has ‘Mar’. ‘Ula, the precentor of the Babylonian Synagogue [in Sepphoris]:25In Upper Galilee. When only one Torah scroll is available the unrolling26When skipping is necessary from one passage to another. should be done in front of the ark curtain,27There is no need to return the scroll to the ark after the first reading had concluded and then take it out again for the second section. but when two scrolls are available you should carry the first [back to the ark] and then take out the other.28The present custom is to take both scrolls from the ark at the same time and to keep the second rolled and wrapped until the completion of the reading from the first. To what extent [is skipping in the Torah permitted]? R. Jose said: As, for instance, the sections29Which are not so far from one another as to cause the interpreter to stop and keep the congregation waiting while the scroll is being unrolled to the second section, and deal with the same subject, thus causing no confusion to the hearers. [read on the Day of Atonement] by the High Priest.30So GRA and H in agreement with j.Meg. loc. cit. The reading of V is ‘Jehoiada the priest’. If the precentor read in the Torah on a Sabbath for less than seven persons,31lit. ‘readings or callings’, i.e. the lection was allocated to less than the minimum number. having forgotten and thought that he had already read for32Or, ‘had called up’. seven persons, he should read again completing the number of seven, and call up an eighth as mafṭir; provided always that the lection33lit. ‘the order’, the prescribed section for the reading of the day. consists of [a minimum of] twenty-one verses and allows three verses for each of the seven persons who are called up. And if a section consists of less [than three verses for each of the seven persons]34This apparently refers to ancient Synagogues where only short portions of the Torah were read or where it was completed once in three years, not annually as is the present custom. Then the section for a Sabbath may sometimes have been very short. an addition should be made to the section from the one following it.35lit. ‘from another portion’. If a section consisted of four or five verses, he reads the whole of it, but with a section of six verses he may read and make a break36At the end of the third verse. because it has the [minimum] length for two readings. If on a Monday or Thursday, or the Sabbath afternoon service or the afternoon service of Festivals37On which occasion three persons are called to the reading of the Torah. less than ten verses38According to some authorities, if nine verses were read no repetition of the reading is necessary (cf. ’Oraḥ Ḥayyim CXXXVII, §1 and commentaries ad loc.). Others maintain that in general ten is the minimum number. were read, he should repeat the reading to complete ten verses. From where [in the Torah] does one read in the afternoon service of a Festival [when it occurs on a Sabbath]?39On a Festival which occurs on a week-day there is no reading from the Torah in the afternoon service. In the regular order where [the Torah reading] was interrupted before the Festival.40i.e. from the beginning of the lection of the next Sabbath. If in the course of public reading he skipped a verse and omitted to read it, should he have read ten verses exclusive41So GRA and H. V has ‘from’. of the verse skipped, he need not go back; but if less than42lit. ‘within’. ten, he must go back and read ten verses in correct order so that none is left out. This is the case with [the reading of] a week-day,43i.e. Monday and Thursday. Sabbath afternoon and Festival afternoon;44Since the omitted verses will be read on the following Sabbath morning in the course of the lection. but on a Sabbath [morning] if he forgot and passed over a verse and then realized [his mistake], he must stop45Added by GRA. and re-read [the passage in full]. Even after one had read the hafṭarah in [a Book of] a Prophet and recited the musaf, he must stop at once and read [the Scriptural passage]. The musaf, however,46So GRA. V inserts ‘because’ which cannot be justified. need not be repeated.

It is permitted to make a break1i.e. the passage may be divided and two persons called up to the reading. in the blessings2e.g. Lev. 26, 3-13. but not in the curses.3ibid. 14-46. R. Ḥiyya b. Gamda said: What is the reason?4Why may not more than one person be called to the section of the curses? Because it is written [My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord,]5This is the first part of the verse which is not quoted in the text of the Tractate. neither cut thou up His correction6Prov. 3, 11, E.V. neither spurn.—do not cut them7lit. ‘make it’, a section in the Torah which deals with God’s chastening of Israel. up into pieces.8The Heb. root may bear both meanings: ‘spurn’ and ‘cut up’. R. Levi said:9Explaining the reason that no more than one person may be called to the reading of the curses in Lev. 26, 14ff. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: It is not proper that My children shall be cursed while I am being blessed.10By the recital of the benedictions in the middle of reading the curses. R. Jose b. Abin said: It is not for this reason, but because one who stands up to read in the Torah must begin and conclude with something auspicious.11If two persons were to be called to the reading, the first would finish and the second begin with a verse which threatens a curse. Levi b. Paṭi enquired of R. Hanina, ‘What is the law in regard to the curses each of which begins with ’arur?12Deut. 27, 15-26, each verse commencing Cursed be. Must they be read by one person only,13As with the curses of Lev. 26, 14ff which must not be read by more than one person. and must a benediction be recited before and after them?’ He replied, ‘There is no [passage] that requires a benediction before and after its reading but the curses of Leviticus14Torath Kohanim, lit. ‘the law of the priests’, the name of the Book of Leviticus. The passage is XXVI, 14-46. and Deuteronomy’.15Mishneh Torah, lit. ‘the repetition of the law’, the name of the Book of Deuteronomy. The passage is XXVIII, 15-68. Only with these passages, which are not restricted to a particular time, are the benedictions recited before and after they have been read; but with the ’arur curses, which were spoken by the Levites only (cf. Deut. 27, 14) and at the time when the Jordan was crossed (ibid. 2), no benedictions are to be recited. When Jonathan, a children’s teacher from Gufta,16In Galilee. V incorrectly ‘Gufthera’. came down here,17Tiberias where R. Abuna re-sided. The city is a on lower level, hence the verb ‘came down’. he saw a children’s teacher, R. Abuna, reading the Song of the Well18Num. 21, 17-20. and reciting the benedictions before and after it. ‘Is it proper,’ he asked him, ‘to act in this manner?’19The rule is that the benedictions are recited only at the beginning and end of the entire section to be read. The Song of the Well, appearing in the middle of a section, should consequently require no benedictions before and after its reading. ‘Do you,’ the other retorted, ‘still require [a ruling] on this subject? All poems20Such as the Song of the Sea (Ex. 15, 1-19), the Song of the Well and probably also Deut. 32, 1-43. must be preceded and followed by benedictions.’ A question21In connection with the preceding Rule. was asked of22Another reading is ‘he came and asked’. R. Simon. ‘There is no section’,23lit. ‘you have not’. he told them in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi, ‘which requires a benediction before and after its reading other than the Song at the Sea, the Ten Words,24The Decalogue (Ex. 20, 2-17). and the curses in Deuteronomy’.25Deut. 28, 15-68. Others add ‘the curses in Leviticus’. R. Abahu26So GRA and H. V reads ‘Abi’. said: I have not heard [such a ruling],27That in the case of the passages specified benedictions are to be recited before and after the reading. but it is feasible to apply it to the Ten Words. R. Jose b. Abin said in the name of Rabbi:28[The reading should be ‘R. Berekiah’ or ‘R. Simon’; cf. Bacher, Ag. d. pal. Amoräer, III, p. 727, n. 7.] The last ten verses in Deuteronomy29So GRA and N.Y. The text in V is difficult. require a benediction before and after they have been read.30These verses, which describe the death of Moses, form a section of their own, because they were written by Joshua (according to R. Judah or R. Nehemiah) or, if written by Moses, they were dictated to him by God while he ‘wrote them down with tears’ (B.B. 15a, Sonc. ed., p. 72). R. Isaac Seḥorah asked R. Isaac Nappaḥa, ‘What do we read [first]31In the second and third scrolls. when the New Moon of Ṭebeth32Which always occurs in the week of Ḥanukkah. falls on a Sabbath?’33Three scrolls are then taken from the ark. The usual weekly portion is read in the first, and the passages for New Moon and Ḥanukkah in the second and third. [He replied,] ‘In the section of kalloth,34E.V. made an end (Num. 7, 1). This designates the entire section, descriptive of the dedication offerings brought by the princes of Israel, which is prescribed for the reading of the day. while the mafṭir reads35In the third scroll. the passages relating to the Sabbath and the New Moon.36Num. 28, 9-15. The present custom is always to read the section for the Sabbath and New Moon first, and then the passage for Ḥanukkah. If it falls on a week-day we call up on the first day37Of the two days of the New Moon. three persons for the reading of the New Moon, the fourth reading that of Ḥanukkah, because that which is more frequent takes precedence.38The New Moon occurs monthly, Ḥanukkah once a year. But since the reading of the New Moon was read first,39On the first day of the New Moon. [40a] three persons are to be called up on the second day for the reading of the Ḥanukkah passage,40In the first scroll. Only two scrolls are taken out on a week-day during Ḥanukkah. while the fourth reads41In the second scroll. the section of the New Moon, viz. uberashë ḥodshekem42E.V. and in your new moons (Num. 28, 11). to the end of the passage.43ibid. 15. Why is this so?44i.e. why is the fourth person called to the reading of the New Moon passage and not, as on the first day, to the Ḥanukkah passage? Because it was only on account of the New Moon musaf that a fourth person is added’.45On the other week-days of Ḥanukkah there is no musaf. This argument cannot be applied to the first day of the New Moon because it is the second day which begins the month. The first of the two days of the New Moon is the last day of the preceding month. V and H insert here a ruling which has no connection with this chapter and is practically identical with XIV, 2 below. R. Jose b. Abin said: For the Song of Ha’azinu46E.V. give ear, designating the section Deut. 32, 1-43. For Ha’azinu (the reading of GRA) V and H read ‘the Levites’, because the poem was sung by the Levites in the Temple during the Sabbath musaf in six parts on successive Sabbaths. not less than six persons47Because the Levites concluded it in cycles of six Sabbath divisions. are to be called up, and your mnemonic sign48For the words beginning each of the six parts. The divisions, according to Maimonides, emphasize the exhortations and arouse the people to repentance. is h z y w l k,49pronounced .הזי״ו ל״ך which stands for ha’azinu,50E.V. give ear (Deut. 32, 1). zekor,51E.V. remember (ibid. 7). yarkibehu,52E.V. He made him ride (ibid. 13). wayyishman,53E.V. but … waxed fat (ibid. 15). lu,54E.V. if (ibid. 29). ki yadin … ‘ammo.55E.V. for the Lord will judge His people (ibid. 36). It must also be provided with56lit. ‘and it has’. the space of a full line above it and of a full line below it. Corresponding to it the custom has been adopted to write in the Torah its number of lines.57The number is 72 according to GRA who apparently includes the two blank lines. Maimonides and others give the number as 70. A mnemonic sign for the beginnings of the lines58Of the song Ha’azinu. The following renderings are from E.V. While the Heb. words stand at the beginning of the respective lines, the translations, owing to English idiom, do not always occupy the same position in the sentence. is the following: ha’azinu,59Give ear (Deut. 32, 1). ya‘arof,60Shall drop (ibid. 2). kise‘irim,61As the small rain (ibid.). ki,62For (3). haẓẓur,63The Rock (4). ’el,64A God (ibid.). shiḥeth,65Is corruption (5). halaH,66The Lord (6). halo’,67Is not (ibid.). zekor,68Remember (7). she’al,69Ask (ibid.). behanḥel,70When … gave … inheritance (8). yaẓẓeb,71He set (ibid.). ki,72For (9). yimẓa’ehu,73He found him (10). yesobebenhu,74He compassed him (ibid.). kannesher,75As an eagle (11). yifros,76Spreadeth abroad (ibid.). the Tetragrammaton,77The Lord (12). yarkibehu,78He made him ride (13). wayyeniḳehu,79And He made him to suck (ibid.). ḥem’ath,80Curd of (14). we’elim,81And rams (ibid.). wedam,82And of the blood of (ibid.). shamanta,83Thou didst wax fat (15). wayyenabbel,84And contemned (ibid.). betho‘eboth,85With abominations (16). ’Elohim,86Gods (17). lo’,87Not (ibid.). wattishkaḥ,88And didst forget (18). mikka‘as,89Because of the provoking (19). ’er’eh,90I will see (20). banim,91Children (ibid.). ki‘asuni,92They have provoked Me (21). begoi,93With a … nation (ibid.). wattiḳad,94And burneth (22). wattelaheṭ,95And setteth ablaze (ibid.). ḥiẓẓai,96Mine arrows (23). weḳeṭeb,97And bitter destruction (24). ‘im,98With (ibid.). umeḥadarim,99And in the chambers (25). yoneḳ,100The suckling (ibid.). ’ashbithah,101I would make … cease (26). pen,102Lest (27). welo’,103And not (ibid.). we’ain,104And there is no (28). yabinu,105They would understand (29). ushenayim,106And two (30). waH,107And the Lord (ibid.). w’oyebenu,108Even our enemies (31). umishshadmoth,109And of the fields (32). ’ashkeloth,110Clusters (ibid.). werosh,111And … poison (33). ḥathum,112Sealed up (34). le‘eth,113Against the time (35). weḥash,114And … shall make haste (ibid.). we‘al,115And … for (36). we’efes,116And there is none (ibid.). ẓur,117The rock (37). yishtu,118And drank (38). yehi,119Let him be (ibid.). we’ain,120And there is no (39). maḥaẓti,121I have wounded (ibid.)., ki,122For (40). ’im,123If (41). ’ashib,124I will render (ibid.). ’ashkir,125I will make drunk (42). middam,126With the blood of (ibid.). harninu,127Sing aloud (43). wenaḳam.128And … vengeance (ibid.). R. Ze‘ira, quoting R. Jeremiah, in the name of Rab, said; The Song at the Sea129Ex. 15, 1-18. and the Song of Deborah130Judg. 5, 1-31. are written in the form of a half-brick over a whole brick,131Or ‘blank space’; the Heb. לבינה may bear both meanings. and a whole brick over a half-brick.132Cf. above. p. 215, n. 45. The Song at the Sea consists of thirty lines [beginning with the words:] ’az,133Then (Ex. 15, 1). le’mor,134Saying (ibid.). werokebo,135And his rider (ibid.). lishu‘ah,136Salvation (2). ’abi,137My father’s (ibid.). shemo,138His name (3). shalishaw,139His … captains (4). ’aben,140A stone (5). the Tetragrammaton,141O Lord (6, the second occurrence). kameka,142Them that rise up against Thee (7). ’appeka,143Thy nostrils (8). nozelim,144The floods (ibid.). ’oyeb,145The enemy (9). nafshi,146My lust (ibid.). beruṭaka,147With Thy wind (10). ’addirim,148Mighty (ibid.). kamokah,149Like unto Thee (11). pele’,150Wonders (ibid.). beḥasdeka,151In Thy love (13). kodsheka,152Thy holy (ibid.). ’aḥaz,153Have taken hold (14). ’Edom,154Edom (15). kol,155All (ibid.). wafaḥad,156And dread (16). ya‘abor,157Pass over (ibid., the first occurrence). ḳanitha,158Thou hast gotten (ibid.). leshibteka,159For Thee to dwell in (17). yadeka,160Thy hands (ibid.). ba’,161Went in (19). më.162The waters of (ibid.). Others read הים (the sea) which follows מי; while GRA, quoting Maimonides, reads את (the sign of the defined accusative) which precedes מי. The mark for the Song of Deborah is ‘sixty-four lines’163So GRA. V and H ‘sixty-five’. [beginning with the words:] wattashar,164Then sang (Judg. 5, 1). le’mor,165Saying (ibid.). ‘am,166People (2). This is the reading of GRA. V has Bless ye (ibid.). rozenim,167O ye princes (3). laH,168To the Lord (ibid.). misse‘ir,169Out of Seir (4). ra‘ashah,170Trembled (ibid.). mayyim,171Water (ibid.). Sinai,172Sinai (5). ‘Anath,173Anath (6). nethiboth,174Paths (ibid.). E.V. renders this word together with the preceding as travellers. ḥadelu,175They ceased (7). ’em,176A mother (ibid.). ḥadashim,177New (8). ’im,178Was there (ibid.). beYisra’el,179In Israel (ibid.). ba‘am,180Among the people (9). ẓeḥoroth,181White (10). ‘al,182By (ibid.). mash’abim,183Watering-troughs (11). pirzono,184Of His rulers (ibid.). the Tetragrammaton,185The Lord (ibid.). ‘uri,186Awake [utter a song] (12). ’Abino‘am,187Abinoam (ibid.). yerad,188Made me have dominion (13). ba‘Amaleḳ,189In Amalek (14). Makir,190Machir (ibid.). sofer,191Marshal’s (ibid.). ken,192So (15). beraglaw,193At his feet (ibid.). ḥiḳeḳe leb,194Resolves of heart (ibid.). hammishpethayim,195Among the sheepfolds (16). Re’uben,196Reuben (ibid.). shaken,197Abode (17). yashab,198Dwelt (ibid.). yishkon,199Abideth (ibid.). ‘al,200Upon (18). nilḥamu,201They fought (19). ‘al,202By (ibid.). laḳaḥu,203They took (ibid.). mimmesilotham,204In their courses (20). gerafam,205Swept them away (21). nafshi,206O my soul (ibid.). sus,207Horse [hoofs] (22). Meroz,208Meroz (23). yoshebeha,209The inhabitants thereof (ibid.). the Tetragrammaton,210The Lord [against the mighty] (ibid.). Ya‘el,211Jael (24). ba’ohel,212In the tent (ibid.). nathanah,213She gave (25). layyathed,214To the tent-pin (26). ‘amelim,215Workmen (ibid.). weḥalefah,216And struck through (ibid.). shakab,217He lay (27). kara‘,218He sunk (ibid.). watteyabbeb,219And peered (28). boshesh,220So long (ibid.). marke-bothaw,221His chariots (ibid.). hi,’222She (29). shalal,223Spoil (30). ẓeba‘im,224Dyed garments (ibid.). riḳmah,225Embroidery (ibid.). yobedu,226So perish (31). bigburatho.227In his might (ibid.). The last twelve words are according to the reading of GRA. V has instead only ten, which do not present a likely division of the lines and are not followed in current editions of the Hebrew Bible.

In regard, however,1In contrast to the poems dealt with in the previous Rule. to the Song of David in Samuel22 Sam. 22. and in the Psalms,3Ps. 18. the Sages have not prescribed a limit;4For the number of lines in a column. but a skilled scribe spaces them out symmetrically5In the form of stichoi. according to the beginnings, the middle pauses, and the endings of the verses.6This rendering follows the text in M and H. A similar arrangement is also followed throughout the Psalms and in Job and Proverbs. The scroll of Esther7Which is read on Purim. requires ruled lines8To guide the scribe in writing the letters which are suspended from them. as does the real9lit. ‘its truth of’. Torah,10Here denotes the Pentateuch. because it is called ‘a scroll’.11The text corrected by GRA. V has ‘scroll called’. ‘Scroll’ is lit. ‘book’, the word used in Esth. 9, 32. For another reason, cf. Meg. 16b (Sonc. ed., p. 100). The ten sons of Haman12Esth. 9, 7-9. and the kings of Canaan13Josh. 12, 9-24. are written in the form of a half-brick over a half-brick and a brick over a brick.14Like the song of Ha’azinu (cf. above XII, 8). Such a structure15In which bricks and half-bricks rest one above the other and do not overlap. does not endure.16And so is symbolic of the fate of Haman’s sons. What is implied by ‘such’?17The statement ‘such a structure does not last’. Does it indicate a recommendation18As the arrangement is only a symbol, a deviation from it would not disqualify the scroll. or an indispensable condition?19A deviation would then lead to disqualification. The answer follows in the next Rule. R. Jose20The translation follows GRA and H in agreement with j.Meg. III, 7, 74b. V reads: ‘R. Jose b. Ḥanina, the brother of R. Hoshaiah, R. Abba b. Zabda surrounded thee, and we asked him this, and he said in the name of Rab that the condition was indispensable’. said to R. Ḥanina, the nephew of R. Hoshaiah, ‘Surely you remember that when we were standing in front of the shop of your uncle, R. Hoshaiah, R. Ba’ b. Zabda passed by and we put the question to him, and he replied that the condition was indispensable’. R. Ḥiyya b. R. Adda of Jaffa, quoting R. Jeremiah in the name of R. Ze‘ira, said: The names of the ten sons of Haman and the word ten21Esth. 9, 10. must be recited in one breath. R. Jose b. Abin said: When they22The names of Haman’s sons. are written down, the word ’ish23Man, the last word of Esth. 9, 6. must be at the top of the column24And at the beginning of the first line. and each we’eth25Sign of the defined accusative which occurs ten times, each preceding the names of the ten sons. at the end [of the lines, a total] of eleven lines,26The first line consisting of ’ish on the right and we’eth on the left, the next nine lines having the name on the right and we’eth on the left, while the eleventh line has the name Wayezatha on the right and ‘asereth (ten) on the left. and ‘asereth at the end of the column. Thus, in reading transversely, the columns27On the right (consisting of ’ish and the ten names), and the left (ten times we’eth and ‘asereth). appear laced and closely corded like transverse lacing [of a web].28The reading of V is corrupt and the translation follows GRA, N.Y. and Jastrow. It symbolizes that when [the ten sons] fall there will be no rising for them.The phrase ’aḥar haddebarim … Hammedatha29Esth. 3, 1, E.V. After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha. was translated by R. Joseph as follows:30R. Joseph is the reputed author of a later Aramaic translation of the Prophets and Hagiographa. ‘After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Aggagite, son of Seraḥ,31A name derived from a root ‘to stink’. The object of the genealogy is to trace Haman, the symbol of the enemies of Jews throughout their history, through a chain of despicable men to Esau, the brother but enemy of the patriarch Jacob. son of Buza, son of Aflutos,32Buza means ‘contempt’, and Aflutos is probably Plutos, a heathen god. son of Deosis,33Dionysus (?). son of Padom,34Or, Pados (putrid?). son of Ma‘adi,35Meaning ‘sickness’. son of Be‘alkon,36The meaning is ‘cunning’. son of Antamarus,37Signifying ‘crushed stones’. son of Ḥarum,38Or, Ḥuram, possibly the heathen god Ares. son of Hadoram,39Or, Heridos, i.e. Herod who is known in history as a tyrant. son of Shazar,40Meaning ‘hip disease’ son of Nagar,41Or, possibly, Negad (a whip). son of Parshandatha,42This and the following were also names of two of Haman’s sons. son of Wayezatha, son of ‘Amaleḳ,43The ancestor of the people who were the first to attack Israel after their exodus from Egypt. son of the concubine of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau; he advanced him and set his seat above all his princes and his servants, because pride goeth before destruction’.44The last four words come from Prov. 16, 18. The translation of the paragraph embodies most of GRA’s emendations. R. Ze‘ira said: The waw of Wayezatha45Esth. 9, 9. must project like a boat-pole on the river Libruth.46i.e. the waw must be longer than the other letters. The ruling is quoted from Meg. 16b (Sonc. ed., p. 99). The river has not been identified. If a person holds a scroll of the Torah [in order to read it], there is a difference of opinion between two Tanna’im.47On the question whether the prescribed benedictions should be said while the scroll is open or rolled. One declared that he should open it, look [for the passage which is to be read], roll it up and then say the benediction;48Were one to say it while the scroll is open, people might erroneously assume that the benediction is written in the Torah (Meg. 32a, Sonc. ed., pp. 192f). but the other declared that he should open it, look [for the required passage] and say the benediction.49Because nobody could be so ignorant as to be unaware that the benedictions do not form a part of the text of the Torah (Meg. loc. cit.). What is the reason?50That the scroll must be open when the benediction is said. Because it is written, And when he opened it, all the people stood up;51Neh. 8, 5 referring to the scroll of the Torah. and what follows? And Ezra blessed52i.e. he said the prescribed benedictions. the Lord, the great God.53ibid. 6. As Ezra opened the scroll and blessed the Lord, so everyone who reads the Torah must have the scroll open when the benedictions are said. Whereby did he proclaim His greatness?54As implied in the words the great God. Rab said: He proclaimed His greatness by pronouncing the Ineffable Name.55The Tetragrammaton. Raba said: He proclaimed His greatness by the recital of the prescribed benediction.What is the form of the benedictions?56Before and after the reading in the Torah. In an assembly of ten57A minimum of ten males over the age of thirteen is required for congregational worship. one says, ‘Bless ye the Lord Who is to be blessed’.58And then follow the benedictions given later for an individual in private reading. In the case of an individual, when he rises early to read in the Torah, he says, ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast given us a Torah from heaven, everlasting life from the heights. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who givest the Torah’. Then59At the conclusion of the reading. he rolls up the scroll60This is a unanimous ruling. It is upheld even by the Rabbi who maintained that the scroll must be open when the first benediction is said. and says, ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast given us a Torah of truth and hast planted everlasting life in our midst. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who givest the Torah’.61The benedictions now in use are shorter (P.B., p. 147). Similarly when one reads from the Prophets,62The hafṭarah which is read after the conclusion of the prescribed section of the Torah. a benediction is said as follows: ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast chosen good prophets, and hast found pleasure in their words which were spoken in truth. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who hast chosen the Torah and Moses Thy servant, and Israel Thy people, and the prophets of truth and righteousness’.63Wehaẓẓedeḳ, the noun being preceded by he, the definite article. This is the version adopted by the Sefaradim, while the Ashkenazim omit the article (cf. P.B., p. 149). And at the end [of the reading of the portion from the Prophets], one says the following benedictions: ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Rock of all worlds, righteous through all generations, O faithful God, Who sayest and doest, Who speakest64V reads medabber, without the article, as in the current version (P.B., loc. cit.). and fulfillest, all Whose words are truth and righteousness’. The people at once stand and say:65This is not the present usage when the reader proceeds to say the benedictions mentioned in Rule 11. ‘Faithful art Thou, O Lord our God, faithful are Thy words, ever faithful, living and enduring are Thy name and remembrance; and do Thou reign66So GRA. V reads ‘He will reign’, H ‘Thou wilt reign’. continually over us for ever and ever’. This point67Whether the benediction is to be said while sitting or standing. is one of the disagreements between the scholars of the East and West; the former give the response68To the reader, with the benediction. while sitting and the latter while standing. But wherever two Tanna’im or two ’Amora’im differ, and we are not certain with whom the halakah agrees, we follow him who maintains the stricter view. How much more then must we, in regard to the praise69The benedictions. of the Life of all the worlds,70[On this designation of God, cf. Marmorstein, The Old Rabbinic Doctrine of God, I, p. 85.] which is a matter of the heart,71V reads galuï (revealed), M and H taluï (dependent). teach our disciples as the rule to be practised that the halakah is in agreement with him who upholds the stricter view;72Following the emended text of GRA. as Scripture states, The Lord hath made every thing for His own purpose.73Prov. 16, 4. There is consequently all the more reason why the stricter view should be followed, viz. that the blessings and praises of God be said while standing. After that74After the people have concluded their benedictions (see the preceding Rule). the mafṭir resumes his recital75lit. ‘subject’. and says, ‘Faithful art Thou, O Lord our God, and faithful are Thy words, and not one of Thy words shall return void, for Thou art a faithful76The current version adds ‘and merciful’ (P.B., p. 149). God and King. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God Who art faithful in all Thy words’. ‘Comfort,77This is the continuation of the benedictions after the hafṭarah. The version now in use (P.B., loc. cit.) reads ‘have mercy’ instead of ‘comfort’ (GRA emends accordingly), and ‘O Lord our God’ and ‘Thy city’ are omitted. O Lord our God, Zion Thy city, for it is the home of our life, and save her that is grieved in spirit speedily, even in our days. [40b] Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who makest Zion joyful through her children.’ ‘Gladden us, O Lord our God,78From ‘with Elijah’ to ‘swear unto him’ is represented in V by ‘etc.’ M and H cite the benediction in full. with Elijah the prophet, Thy servant, and with the kingdom of the house of David, Thine anointed. Soon may he come and rejoice our hearts. Suffer not a stranger to sit upon his throne, nor let others any longer inherit his glory; for by Thy holy name Thou didst swear unto him, that his light should not be quenched for ever. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called: the Lord is our righteousness.79‘In his days … righteousness’ is a quotation from Jer. 23, 6 and is now omitted from the benediction. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who causest the horn of salvation to flourish for Thy people Israel.’80The present custom (in accordance with Pes. 117b, Sonc. ed., p. 603) is to conclude, ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the Shield of David’. ‘For the Torah, [for the divine service],81M and H insert this phrase which is included in P.B. for the prophets and for this holy82The ‘Sabbath’ or the name of the Festival is inserted here; and when a Festival coincides with the Sabbath both are mentioned. … which Thou, O Lord our God, hast given us for holiness and for rest, for honour and for glory. For all these things, O Lord our God, we thank Thee, and continually bless83The P.B. version reads, ‘Thee, blessed be Thy name by the mouth of every living being continually and for ever’. Thy name, O God of our salvation. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who sanctifiest Israel and such and such a day.’84For ‘such and such a day’ the name of the Festival is inserted.An exception is made on the Sabbath when ‘Israel’ is not mentioned in the conclusion but only ‘Who sanctifiest the Sabbath’; because the Sabbath preceded Israel, as it is written, For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested,85Ex. 31, 17. and it is further said, See that the Lord hath given you the sabbath,86ibid. XVI, 29. The Sabbath was instituted at the creation of the world, and the use of the definite article in the second quotation indicates that it was a well-known institution at the time. The Festivals, on the other hand, were ordained after the people of Israel came into existence. which implies that the Sabbath had already been in existence.

And why did [the Rabbis] enact all these [benedictions]?1For the hafṭarah as specified in the previous chapter. In order to establish a correspondence between the seven benedictions [of the hafṭarah] and the seven readers.2The minimum number who must be called to the reading of the Torah every Sabbath. You may also similarly explain the reason for the twenty-two verses read in the [Book of a] Prophet: twenty-two corresponding to the seven readers, each of whom must read [a minimum of] three verses, and one corresponding to the superintendent of the Synagogue services. All that had been said3In the preceding Rule concerning the minimum number of verses to be read in the Prophet. applies only where the text was neither translated nor expounded; but where it was translated or expounded4So that much of the time of the worshippers was taken up by the translation or exposition. the mafṭir reads three, five or six verses in the Prophet, and this suffices.5The reading is curtailed for the convenience of the congregation. In the case of Ruth, the Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes,6Inserted by GRA and H. Lamentations and Esther,7These books are read respectively on Pentecost, Passover, Tabernacles, the Fast of Ab and Purim. it is necessary to say the benediction, ‘Concerning the reading of the Megillah’,8The full benediction is: ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments, and hast given us command concerning the reading of the Megillah’ (P.B., p. 276). The present custom is to say the benediction for the scroll of Esther only. The others are read usually from a printed book without a benediction. although it is included in the Hagiographa. One who reads in the Hagiographa must say, ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments and hast given us command to read in the Holy Writings’. [The Rabbis] enacted that, as regards [the reading of] the scroll of Esther, the benediction on the ‘season’ must be said;9Like the benediction in the preceding note it begins with ‘Blessed art Thou … universe’ and concludes with ‘Who hast kept us in life, and hast preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season’. and after the conclusion of the reading the reader must say, ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, O God Who dost plead our cause, judge our suit and avenge our wrong, Who redeemest and savest us from the hand of all tyrants. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, Helper and Saviour’.10Cf. the version in P.B., p. 276. The benediction is said11The reason for the benediction is given to explain why it must begin with ‘Blessed art Thou’, although it would appear to be a continuation of the benediction for the Megillah which includes this beginning. on account of the humiliation of the Torah, while others maintain that it is said on account of the humiliation of Israel.12Whose vindication is celebrated. As it is independent of the Megillah, it must consequently begin again with the usual formula. For ‘Torah’, M and H read ‘the Divine Presence’ affronted by Haman’s plot against God’s people. [The Rabbis] further laid down that it is also necessary to offer praise and thanksgiving [in the benediction] for the redemption and release.13From threatened destruction. Then one concludes: ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord, God of vengeance, Who dost requite enemies according to their deeds, art a Shield to the righteous, and savest Thy people from the hands of their adversaries’. After that the righteous are lauded: ‘Blessed be Mordecai, blessed be Esther, blessed be all Israel’. Rab, however, declared that it is necessary to say, ‘Accursed be Haman and accursed be his sons’. R. Phinehas said: It is necessary to say, ‘Harbonah be remembered for good’.14He contributed to Haman’s downfall (cf. Esth. 7, 9). For the version now in use, cf. P.B., p. 277. R. Berekiah, quoting R. Jeremiah who had it from R. Ḥiyya, who reported it in the name of R. Joḥanan, said: When R. Jonathan came to the verse, Whom Nebuchadnezzar … had carried away,15Esth 2, 6. he used to exclaim, ‘O the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, may his bones be crushed! the good is rewarded16lit. ‘to mix’ (drinks), hence ‘to serve drinks’ and, metaphorically, ‘retribution, recompense’. according to his goodness and the wicked according to his wickedness, as it is stated, The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing; but the name of the wicked shall rot’.17Prov. 10, 7. This verse justifies the execration of Nebuchadnezzar and (in Rule 6) of Haman. The mafṭir recites also the parts of the Shema‘.18This is explained below. The recitation of the Shema‘ is deemed to be a great honour which compensates for the lesser dignity conferred by the reading of the hafṭarah. Of what Shema‘ has this been said?19The Shema‘ is recited several times during the service. Of the one [recited when] the scroll of the Torah [is taken from the ark].20Cf. the next Rule. How does one begin?21The collection of Biblical verses recited when the Torah scroll is taken from the ark. Happy are they that dwell in Thy house.22Ps. 84, 5. Then the mafṭir stands and recites, There is none like unto Thee among the gods, O Lord; and there are no works like Thine.23ibid. LXXXVI, 8. Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the mighty? Who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?24Ex. 15, 11. Thy kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.25Ps. 145, 13. The Lord is King, the Lord hath reigned, the Lord shall reign for ever and ever.26Compounded from Ps. 10, 16, XCIII, 1 (E.V. reigneth) and Ex. 15, 18. The Lord was pleased, for His righteousness’ sake, to make the teaching great and glorious.27Isa. 42, 21. The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.28Ps. 29, 11. Thou art the Lord, even Thou alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are therein, the seas and all that is in them and Thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth Thee.29Neh. 9, 6. Thereupon30lit. ‘immediately’. the mafṭir steps forward,31lit. ‘enters’. takes the scroll of the Torah and says, Hear, O Israel, chanting the first verse,32i.e. the whole of Deut. 6, 4. and the people say it after him in response. [The mafṭir] then elevates the Torah scroll and says: ‘One is our God, great is our Lord, holy and revered is His name for ever and ever’.33This is the reading of GRA. V, M and H omit the sentence. Then he repeats: ‘One is our God, great is our Lord, holy is He. One is our God, great is our Lord, holy and revered is His name’. [This is said three times] corresponding in number34The three repetitions of ‘one is our God’, etc. to the three patriarchs; others hold that it corresponds to the three kedushshoth.35lit. ‘sanctifications’, i.e. ‘Holy, holy, holy’ with suitable introductions said three times in the morning service (cf. P.B., pp. 39, 45 and 73). 36This is a continuation of the verses begun in Rule 8. ‘Thy righteousness also, O God, reacheth unto high heaven; Thou Who hast done great things, O God, who is like unto Thee?37Ps. 71, 19. O Lord, Thy name endureth for ever; Thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.38ibid. CXXXV, 13. Let all ascribe strength to God and give honour to the Torah. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.’39ibid XXXIV, 4. The Torah scroll must be elevated at Hear, O Israel, at the threefold declaration of the unity of God, and at O magnify the Lord with me.40For the modern ritual, cf. P.B., p. 145. One must also say:41In concluding the verses and prayers cited in the preceding Rules. ‘Magnified and hallowed,42This word is included by GRA and H. praised and glorified, exalted and extolled, uplifted, honoured and adored43V adds in parenthesis ‘honoured and revered’ (so also M). above all be the name of the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, in the worlds which He hath created, this world and the world to come, in accordance with His desire and the desire of all His people, the house of Israel. May His kingdom be revealed and made visible unto us speedily and at a near time; and may He build His house in our days, and be gracious unto our remnant and unto the remnant of His people Israel in His mercy and in the abundance of His lovingkindness, in peace and grace, kindness and compassion. May the Omnipresent do all this for us for the sake of His great name; and say ye, Amen’.44Cf. the version in P.B., pp. 145f. After that he elevates the Torah scroll and says: ‘One is our God, great is our Lord, holy and revered is His name for ever and ever’. Then he begins to chant, ‘The Lord is God, the Lord is His name’. The congregation says it after him in response; then he repeats it twice and the congregation responds twice.45This Rule is enclosed in round brackets in V. It appears to be a duplicate of Rule 10, but both M and H include it. The scroll of the Torah is immediately unrolled a space of three columns and is elevated so as to show the face of the script to the people standing on the right and on the left. Then it is turned round towards the front and towards the rear; for it is a precept for all men and women to see the script,46Before it is read. The ritual here described is followed by the Sefaradim. The Ashkenazim elevate the scroll after the conclusion of the reading (cf. P.B., p. 148). to bend their knees and exclaim, ‘And this is the Torah which Moses set before the children of Israel.47Deut. 4, 44. For other verses which are now added, cf. P.B., loc. cit. The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul’.48Ps. 19, 8. This verse is not included now. The mafṭir then hands it over to the superintendent of the Synagogue services who returns it to the first49lit. ‘the head’ (so GRA). V has ‘to cover the heads’, which is obscure. of those who are to be called to the reading, because it is not an honour for the Torah to be left alone.50lit. ‘single’. It is therefore necessary for the mafṭir, the superintendent and one of the congregation who is to read a portion to accompany the scroll. Similarly it is not proper for the precentor to stand alone before the reading-desk; so [two persons] should stand with him, one on his right and the other on his left, [the number] corresponding to that of the patriarchs.51V inserts in parenthesis a ruling which seems displaced although it is included by GRA, M and H. It reads: ‘Some say that [the mafṭir] recites the Shema‘ with the benediction “Who formest light” (P.B., p. 128) and “Holy” (p. 131) because of the benediction which he says “For the Torah, for the divine service”, etc. (pp. 149f)’. The pure-minded men of Jerusalem acted in this manner: When the Torah scroll was taken out of the ark and when it was returned they followed it as a mark of respect. A minor52The age is defined in Rule 17. may read in the Torah and translate it, but he may not read the parts of the Shema‘53Cf. X, 7, p. 258 nn. 24ff. by reciting ‘Who formest light’;54The first of the benedictions before the Shema‘ (cf. P.B., pp. 37f). nor may he stand before the reading-desk,55lit. ‘pass before’, etc., to act as reader of the prayers for the congregation. nor lift up his hands.56To pronounce the priestly benediction if he is a Kohen (cf. P.B., p. 238a). A poḥeaḥ, that is one whose knees are exposed or whose clothes are torn, or one whose head is uncovered, may read the parts of the Shema‘. Others say that if a person’s knees [are exposed] or his clothes torn he may read the parts of the Shema‘, but one may not do so when his head is uncovered, since it is not permitted to utter the divine names [with uncovered head]. In either case he may translate, but not read in the Torah, nor stand before the reading-desk, nor lift up his hands. A blind man may recite the parts of the Shema‘ and translate. R. Judah said: One who has never seen the light may not read the parts of the Shema‘.57Since it contains thanksgivings for the creation and enjoyment of light. The minor of whom the Rabbis spoke58In Rule 15. is one who is under twelve years of age. A person who is above that age may read the parts of the Shema‘, but may not stand before the reading-desk nor lift up his hands59So GRA. V, M and H read: ‘and he who stands before the reading-desk and he who lifts up his hands’. until he is twenty years of age and bearded. If he has no beard, although he is twenty years of age, he is forbidden to do so because60So GRA. V, M and H read ‘although’ for ‘he is … because’. he looks like an eunuch. Others say that even an actual eunuch is permitted [to perform these acts]. If, however, a person has grown a beard even from the age of eighteen, he may stand before the reading-desk and lift up his hands. As regards the scroll of Esther, all are qualified to read it except a deaf person, an imbecile and a minor. R. Judah declared a minor to be qualified. R. Levi said: The scroll of Esther must be read [on Purim] at night and repeated in the daytime, as it is stated, So that my glory may sing praise to Thee—i.e. by night, and not be silent61Ps. 30, 13.—i.e. by day. (Therefore it is customary to read it at the termination of the Sabbath of two [successive weeks].)62It is later explained that there was an ancient practice for the congregation to read the Book of Esther on the two Saturday evenings before Purim. [41a] When R. Meir once passed by a Synagogue he heard the reading of63lit. ‘the voices’. a section [of the scroll of Esther].64On a Saturday night. ‘How long,’ he said to them, ‘will you be cutting up the Torah65Which, in its wider sense, includes the Book of Esther. into sections?’66lit. ‘making the Torah callings up, callings up’. [‘We do it’], they replied, ‘on account of my glory may sing praise unto Thee’, and he allowed them [to continue the practice]. People have adopted the practice of reading it on two67Inserted by GRA. Saturday nights of Adar until fifteen days of the month have elapsed. In what manner is it read? At [the termination of] the first Sabbath of Adar the people read together up to In that night,68Esth. 6, 1; half the book. and on the next Saturday night they read from In that night up to and speaking peace to all his seed.69To the end of the book.In the case of the Song of Songs, it is read on the last [two] nights of the [Passover] Festival,70So one MS. quoted by M. V and others add ‘of the exile’, which cannot be justified since only the last day of Passover is a ‘Festival of the exile’. half of it on the first night and the other half on the second night.Ruth [is read] on the termination of the first day of Pentecost to [the end of] its [first] half, and concluded on the termination of the last day of the Festival. Others hold that with all the Festivals, we begin to read [the respective scrolls] on the Saturday night preceding them. People have also adopted the following procedure, viz. that no ruling is authoritatively laid down unless a custom71On which it is based. had been definitely established.72So GRA. V, M and H read: ‘unless it is a custom’. As regards the saying of the Rabbis that ‘a custom cancels a ruling’,73[Cf. j.B.M. VII, 1, 11b.] it applies to a custom of the pious men of old; but a custom which has no support from the Torah is only like an error of judgment.74lit. ‘weighing of an opinion’. As we read [the weekly portion] from the Torah and the hafṭarah from the Prophet in daytime, so it is obligatory to read the scroll of Esther in daytime;75This is a repetition of R. Levi’s teaching quoted in the preceding paragraph, except that it is more specific. The word welishnothah (translated ‘repeated’) might be mistranslated as ‘the study of the Mishnah’ on the Megillah. The wording here precludes such a rendering. as it is stated, In the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped,76Esth. 9, 1. on which it was taught in the Mishnah:77Meg. II, 5 (Sonc. ed., p. 124). The whole of the day is a proper time for the reading of the scroll of Esther. There is no difference between scrolls [of Scripture] and tefillin and mezuzoth save that the scrolls,78The subject is continued in XV, 1. etc. If a tefillah had worn out, no mezuzah may be made of it;79A mezuzah is deemed to be of a lesser degree of sanctity. but if a mezuzah had worn out it may be made into tefillin,80If the margins are still in a good condition and fit for the purpose. because in sacred matters ascent to a higher degree of sanctity is allowed but not descent to a lesser degree.

There is no difference between scrolls [of Scripture] and tefillin and mezuzoth save that the scrolls may be written in any language,1For use in the Synagogue. Two such official translations are known: one in Aramaic, the Targum Onḳelos, and another in Greek made by Aquila under Rabbinic supervision. whereas tefillin and mezuzoth may only be written in the Assyrian script.2The Hebrew square characters are described as ‘Assyrian’ because they came into common use for religious writings after the return from the Babylonian exile (cf. Sanh. 21b, 22a, Sonc. ed., pp. 119ff and notes). Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel said: Even scrolls [of Scripture] were permitted by the Rabbis to be written only in Greek.3[For the reason, cf. Meg. 9b (Sonc. ed., p. 50).] Although Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel4An eminent authority. said, ‘Even scrolls [of Scripture] were permitted by the Rabbis to be written only in Greek’, the Sages did not agree with him. For Rabbi related:5Quoted in V, 15 (p. 236). The following statements in the name of Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel and the Sages respectively prove that both maintained their views. It once happened that Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel was standing at the side of a building [in course of construction] on the Temple Mount, when a Targum of the book of Job was brought before him. He ordered the builder, ‘Bury it under the course of stones’. But the Sages also maintained their ruling, because we have learned in the Mishnah:6Shab. XVI, 1 (Sonc. ed., p. 563). All holy writings7The Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographa. may be saved from a fire8On the Sabbath by being removed from one domain to another, although this is not permitted with ordinary objects. irrespective of whether they are used in public reading9Such as the Prophets from which the hafṭarah is selected. or not;10viz. the Hagiographa. and although they are written in any language, they must be stored away.11When they are worn out and no longer fit for use. Sacred writings must never be destroyed. And why do we not read [some of these scrolls]? On account of [possible] neglect of the House of Study.12On the Sabbath when lectures are delivered in the Houses of Study. By engaging in the reading of the books mentioned the public would neglect the lectures.The sheath of a scroll may be saved13From a fire on the Sabbath. together with the scroll, and the tefillin bag together with the tefillin, although they contain money.14Which otherwise would not be permitted to be moved. To what place may one rescue them? To a closed alley.15Where movement on the Sabbath is less restricted than in the public domain. Ben Bathyra said: Even into an open alley. Although the Sages have said that [some of] the Holy Writings may only be read from [the Sabbath] afternoon service onwards,16When there are no public lectures in the Houses of Study (cf. Shab. 116b, Sonc. ed., p. 572). yet they may be studied and expounded. If it is necesssary [to refer to] a word,17In Shab. loc. cit. the reading is ‘a verse’. one may take a scroll and examine it. As regards secular documents, however, although they have ruled lines,18Like sacred scrolls, and one is less likely to forget the Sabbath and insert notes or corrections. it is forbidden to read them [on the Sabbath]. Benedictions,19Such as those of the ‘Amidah (P.B., pp. 44-53) and the like. in which many passages of the Torah were quoted,20lit. ‘written’. must not be saved from a fire [on the Sabbath].21They do not possess the same degree of sanctity as the scrolls of Scripture. Hence it was declared: They who write down benedictions are like those who burn the Torah.22Since these could not be saved if a fire broke out on the Sabbath.It was related of a man who wrote benedictions that R. Ishmael went to examine him. As soon as he heard the sound of R. Ishmael’s steps, he seized a bundle of written sheets23Containing benedictions and selections from the Torah. and threw it into a bowl of water. In the following words [did R. Ishmael] address him, ‘The punishment for the latter act24Destruction of the sheets containing sacred texts by water. is greater than for the former’.25Writing benedictions which included passages from Scripture. Why did he26viz. R. Ishmael. So N.Y.; V reads ‘they’. so address him? On account of the passages from the Torah which were quoted in them.27i.e. the benedictions; and could not, therefore, be saved from a fire on the Sabbath.For28The following reason has no connection with the beginning of Rule 5. It refers back to Rule 2 above which lays down that one must not read certain books of the Scripture during the hours when lectures are delivered in the Houses of Study (N.Y.). R. Simeon b. Yoḥai taught: He who occupies himself with [only the study of] Scripture indulges in an indifferent practice;29lit. ‘a measure and no measure’. with Mishnah it is a practice for which a reward is conferred; as for one who occupies himself with Shas,30The Heb. letters shin samek, pronounced Shas, stand for ששה סדרים ‘the six orders’ of the Mishnah or of the combined Mishnah and Gemara. Here it evidently refers to the Gemara only. The corresponding passage in B.M. 33a (Sonc. ed., p. 206) reads ‘Gemara’. It has been suggested that the proper reading is ‘Talmud’ (cf. B.M. loc. cit., n. 6). there is no worthier practice, provided he had first studied Scripture and Mishnah.31It is accordingly proved that the study of Mishnah and Gemara, which necessarily includes the Scriptures, is of far higher importance than of Scripture only. Always run to the Mishnah more than to the Shas. R. Jose b. Abin said: [The preceding Rule only applies to the time] before Rabbi had edited32lit. ‘sunk’, an unusual verb in such a connection. [Instead of שקע, H mentions a MS. variant קבע (fixed).] the Mishnayoth, but now that Rabbi has edited the Mishnayoth run to the Mishnah more than to the Shas.33So N.Y. as required by the context. V, M and H read: ‘run to the Shas more than to the Mishnah.’ [The Sages], however, said: Scripture has been compared to water, the Mishnah to wine, and the Shas to spiced-wine. The world cannot exist without water, it cannot exist without wine, and it cannot exist without spiced-wine; but a rich man enjoys all three of them. So, too, it is impossible for the world to exist without Scripture and without Mishnah, but it can never exist without the Shas.34Which includes all. The Torah35The term here embraces the whole of the Scriptures. has also been compared to salt, the Mishnah to pepper, and the Shas to spices. The world cannot exist without salt, without pepper and without spices; but the rich man enjoys all three. So, too, it is impossible for the world to exist without Scripture, without Mishnah and without the Shas. Happy is the man whose labour is in [the study of] the Shas. Not that he should skip Scripture and the Mishnah and come [direct] to the Shas; but he should learn Scripture and Mishnah with the object of coming to the Shas. Of such a person it is stated, The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as a high wall in his own conceit.36Prov. 18, 11. Abba Gurion of Ẓadian37i.e. Bethsaida in Galilee. said in the name of Abba Guria:38So GRA in agreement with Ḳid. 82a (Sonc. ed., p. 423). V reads ‘said’ after the first ‘Gurion’ and a second ‘Gurion’ for ‘Guria’. A man should not teach his son to be an ass-driver,39These, when sent on a long journey, hire themselves to others and so make a profit by using the time which belongs to the original employer. sailor, waggoner, shepherd40He feeds his flock in other persons’ fields. or shopkeeper,41He gives false measure or sells adulterated goods. because their occupations are robbery.42The descriptions are no doubt a reflection of the standards of the time. R. Judah,43Differing from Abba Gurion. however, quoting him,44Abba Guria. said: Ass-drivers are mostly wicked, but sailors are mostly pious.45The perils of the sea turn their thoughts to God. The best of physicians are [destined] for Gehinnom46Because they may be guilty of causing loss of life through neglect or over-confidence; or, by trusting too much in their own skill, they deny the power of God [with this passage, cf. ARN XXXVI, 5, and notes]. and the most worthy of butchers is Amalek’s partner.47In his desire to avoid financial loss, he sells unwholesome meat and thereby spreads disease. ‘Amalek’ is the type of Israel’s enemies. Bastards are mostly keen-witted,48They are like their cunning fathers who enticed their mothers. slaves are mostly arrogant,49Reading גאים with GRA. V, M and H have נאים, ‘beautiful’, an improbable reading. the children of reputed parents are mostly bashful, and children usually resemble the mother’s brother.R. Simeon b. Yoḥai taught: Kill the best of the heathens in time of war;50[For the various forms of this saying, cf. Bacher, Ag. d. Tannaiten II, p. 86, n. 3. The qualifying phrase ‘in the time of war’ he regards as a later addition to soften the harshness of the utterance. It was called forth in a time of bitter oppression and is not to be taken as typical of Jewish ethics. On the subject, cf. J. S. Bloch, Israel and the Nations, pp. 204ff.] crush the brain of the best of serpents. The most worthy of women indulges in witchcraft. Happy is he who does the will of the Omnipresent.51Because he is delivered from all worldly temptations. [41b]

R. Nehorai said: I abandon all professions in the world and teach my son only Torah,1Inserted by GRA in agreement with Ḳid. 82a (Sonc. ed., p. 423). because a man enjoys part of its reward in this world while the principal remains intact for the world to come. The other professions, however, are not so. For should a person come to sickness, old age or suffering and is unable to carry on his work, he would die of starvation; whereas with the Torah it is not so, but it protects him from all evil in his youth and gives him a future and hope in his old age. What does it say in Scripture of his youth? But they that wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.2Isa 40, 31. And what does it say of his old age? They shall still bring forth fruit in old age.3Ps. 92, 15. In Ḳid. loc. cit. the Mishnah adds: ‘And thus it is said of our father Abraham, And Abraham was old … and the Lord blessed Abraham in all things (Gen. 24, 1)’. R. Joshua b. Levi said: With regard to the ’aggadta,4So M and H. V has ‘’aggadta written in it’. he who writes it down has no share in the world to come,5’Aggadta must only be taught and learned orally. he who expounds it6From a written text; similarly with ‘he who listens to it’. is cursed,7lit. ‘blessed’, a euphemism. while he who listens to it receives no reward.R. Ḥinnena b. Papa taught:8So GRA and M. V reads, ‘but did not … teach?’, but there is no answer in the text. The Lord spoke with you face to face9Deut. 5, 4.—face implies two,10The Heb. panim (face) is a singular noun with a plural form and is homiletically treated as denoting not less than two. to face also implies two, thus providing four expressions of ‘face’ [alluding to] Scripture,11This and the following three words are inserted by GRA and omitted by V. Mishnah, halakoth and ’aggadoth;12This refers to ’aggadoth which have not been committed to writing. an awestruck face for Scripture, a neutral face for Mishnah, a friendly13So GRA, lit. ‘a making clear’; V reads ‘smiling’. face for Shas14Here it stands for halakah which is its main contents. and a smiling15So GRA; V ‘friendly’. face for ’aggadta. R. Nehemiah, in the name of R. Jacob b. Jannai, remarked on the text, As in water face answereth to face:16Prov. 27, 19. It is customary to have a master who desires to teach and a student who does not want to learn, or a student who desires to learn and a master who does not want to teach him; but in this case17viz. of God and Moses. the Master desires to teach and the student to learn.18V adds in parenthesis ‘Scripture and Mishnah, Gemara and ’aggadah’. The words are included in M and H. R. Isaac Nappaḥa began his discourse as follows: Stay me with dainties19Cant. 2, 5, Heb. באשישות. refers to the well-founded20מאוששות, meaning ‘strong, firm’. halakoth; refresh me with apples refers to the ’aggadoth21Inserted by GRA; not in V. H reads: ‘these are the words of Torah’. whose fragrance is pleasant like that of apples. For I am love-sick—R. Isaac said: In the past when money was plentiful22And people enjoyed leisure and an easy existence. one longed to hear a word of the halakah,23Which requires time for concentration of thought and serious application of the mind. but now that money is scarce24And there is a hard struggle to earn a livelihood. one longs to hear25So GRA. V omits ‘but now … hear’. [The reading of H is: ‘but now that money is scarce, and especially when we are oppressed by (lit. sick from) the government, one longs to hear a word from Scripture and a word of ’aggadah’.] a word of ’aggadah.26Which is easy, consoling and entertaining. R. Tanḥum b. Ḥanilai said: If the Torah had been given as a clear-cut code,27lit. ‘cut’. no judge would have a locus standi28lit. ‘standing of feet’, reading with M and H עמידת for עומדות. in laying down a ruling;29Since he could not use his discretion and reasoning power. but now a judge has a locus standi,30The clause ‘but … standi’ is inserted by GRA. It is lacking in V, M and H. for if he declares a thing to be clean there are [authorities] who declare a thing in a similar condition to be unclean, and if he decides that it is unclean there are [authorities] who declare a thing in a similar condition to be clean.31He can always find authority in support of his view. R. Jannai said: The Torah which the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to Moses was delivered to him in forty-nine aspects of uncleanness and forty-nine aspects of cleanness,32i.e. of prohibition and permissibility respectively. as it is stated, And his banner33Cant. 2, 4, the continuation of the verse being over me is love. The verse is interpreted of the Torah, which is God’s banner, entrusted to Israel as a mark of His love. Each Heb. letter denotes a number. (wediglo), the numerical value of its letters being forty-nine. R. Abahu said in the name of R. Joḥanan: R. ‘Aḳiba had a distinguished34Or, ‘religiously scrupulous and meek’ (Rashi). disciple who knew how to interpret the Torah in forty-nine aspects of uncleanness and forty-nine aspects of cleanness, not one reason being the same as another.35Cf. the note of GRA. Consequently36Since, according to R. ‘Aḳiba’s disciple and R. Tanḥum (in Rule 8), the interpretations are as many on one side as on the other. if those who rule a thing to be unclean are in the majority it is unclean, and if those who rule a thing to be clean are in the majority it is clean.37Because, in addition to their majority, they also have as many ancient authorities on whom to rely as their opponents. Whence [did he learn] all these? [From his extensive studies], because he was learned in the Scriptures, expert in the Mishnah, distinguished in Talmud and brilliant38lit. ‘bright, intelligent, a reasoner’. in ’aggadah. It was related of R. Joḥanan b. Zakkai that he did not neglect the study of a single passage of the Torah.39i.e. the Pentateuch. He also studied [all] Scripture,40Including the Prophets and the Hagiographa. Targum, Mishnah, halakoth and ’aggadoth.41M has ‘proverbs about foxes’; V and H insert ‘and proverbs’. He learned everything. It was also related of him that he declared, ‘If all the heavens were sheets, all the trees quills and all the seas ink, they would not suffice for recording my wisdom which I acquired from my masters; and yet I have gained42lit. ‘set apart’. no more of the wisdom of the Sages than a fly [acquires] which dips in the great sea and deprives it of the tiniest drop’.43[Cf. ARN XXV, 3, p. 126.] From whom did he44Rabban Joḥanan b. Zakkai. Cf. for the eulogy, Suk. 28a (Sonc. ed., p. 123). receive the Torah? From Hillel and Shammai. It was said of Hillel that he had not omitted to study any of the words of the Sages, even all languages, even the speech of mountains, hills and valleys, the speech of trees and herbs, the speech of wild beasts and cattle, the speech of demons45[For shedim (demons), H quotes a MS. variant שירים (songs).] and parables. Why [did he study] all these? Because it is stated, The Lord was pleased, for His righteousness’ sake, to make the teaching great and glorious.46Isa. 42, 21. R. Joshua b. Levi said: I have never looked into a book of ’aggadta except once when I looked and found written therein that the one hundred and seventy-five sections of the Torah,47i.e. the Pentateuch. in which occurs any expression of speaking, saying or commanding, correspond to the number of years of our father Abraham;48Abraham lived 175 years (Gen. 25, 7). for it is written, Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts49Explained as the Torah given to Moses as a gift from God. for the sake of the man,50viz. Abraham. Ps. 68, 19, E.V. among men. and it is also written, The greatest man51Also explained of Abraham. among the Anakim.52Josh. 14, 15. On this account the Rabbis instituted one hundred and seventy-five orders in the Torah [to be read in public worship] every Sabbath53Completing the entire Pentateuch in 175 weeks, or three and a half years: fifty orders or sections in one year. This was the Jerusalem practice. In Babylon and at the present time the Pentateuch is completed every year. [as regularly as the] continual burnt-offering.54Cf. Num. 28, 10. The hundred and forty-seven psalms55The number of Psalms in the Heb. Bible is 150; but, according to Rabbinic opinion, I and II, IX and X, CXXXIV and CXXXV are each reckoned as one Psalm. included in the Book of Psalms correspond to the number of years of Jacob.56Cf. Gen. 47, 28. This is intended to teach you that all the praises which Israel offer to the Holy One, blessed be He, correspond to the number of years of our father Jacob. What is the reason?57GRA inserts the question. [Scripture states,] Yet Thou art holy, O Thou that art enthroned upon the praises of Israel.58Ps. 22, 4. Israel is synonymous with Jacob. The hundred and twenty-three times that Israel respond with Halleluyah59Not all these are to be found in M.T. or Psalms, but many such and other responses and refrains were frequently made orally. Cf. my articles on ‘Antiphony in Ancient Heb. Poetry’ (Jewish Quarterly Review, New Series, XXVI, pp. 199-219), ‘The Text and Ancient form of Recital’, etc. (Journal of Biblical Literature, LI, pp. 214-226), ‘Long and Shorter Versions of Ancient Heb. Poems’ (American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, XLIX, pp. 15-31). correspond to the number of years of Aaron.60Cf. Num. 33, 39. What is the reason?61The question is inserted by GRA. [Scripture states,] Halleluyah, praise God beḳodsho,62Ps. 150, 1, E.V. in His sanctuary. which [is interpreted as] ‘with His holy man’, i.e. Aaron, the holy man of God.Nevertheless63Although R. Joshua b. Levi only once looked into a written book of ’aggadta. This remark refers back to Rule 10. I was afraid at night.64The lapse continued to worry him.65In V and M this is preceded by a parenthesis which virtually is a repetition of part of Rule 7, ‘R. ‘Aḳiba had a distinguished disciple’, etc.A minor who is not allowed to read portions of the Shema‘66Cf. XIV, 15, p. 280. must not say ‘Holy’67Cf. P.B., p. 39. in the benediction Yoẓer privately;68Yoẓer (Who formed) designates the first benediction before the Shema‘, beginning ‘Blessed’ (P.B., p. 37) and ending with ‘Creator of the luminaries’ (p. 39). The first ḳedushshah of the morning service is included in it. but with a congregation he may respond together with the others. An adult, however, who reads portions of the Shema‘ may say ‘Holy’ because it is in the order [of the Biblical text];69He may therefore read it, not as a part of the divine service but as a passage of Scripture. but as for the ‘Holy’ of the ‘Amidah,70P.B., p. 45. since he would have to say ‘We will reverence and sanctify Thee’,71Which is a part of the congregational service (P.B., p. 160). This form, now used in the ḳedushshah for the Sabbath musaf, was used formerly, and in certain congregations to-day, on week-days. it is not proper for him to say it if less than ten adults are present. A minor, furthermore, may not be counted in the quorum of ten72Being the minimum number of adult males required for a congregational service. for Bareku,73‘Bless ye’, etc. (P.B., p. 37). the reading of the Torah and ḳaddish until he is thirteen years of age; but no examination74As to whether the boy has also grown two pubic hairs. is carried out in such cases.75The age of 13 is sufficient to establish puberty. ‘No examination … cases’ (GRA) corrects nidbaḳin (cleaved) in V to nibdaḳin..

The words of the wise are as goads … they are given from one shepherd;1Eccles. 12, 11. and one Shepherd2[i.e. God; cf. ARN XVIII, 3, p. 105.] has uttered them. Therefore they must be saved from a fire.3Even on the Sabbath. A book of the ’aggadta, although not allowed to be written, must nevertheless be saved from a fire. What is the reason? It is a time to work for the Lord; they have made void Thy law.4Ps. 119, 126, E.V. for the Lord to work. This implies that when the welfare of the people or the preservation of the Faith requires it, a law may be temporarily suspended. [The sequence of the Sabbath readings] is interrupted5To make room for the special reading for the particular occasion which replaces it, or is added to it, as explained below. for New Moons, Ḥanukkah, Purim, fasts, ma‘amadoth and the Day of Atonement.6In the afternoon service, even when it falls on a Sabbath. In what manner are the interruptions made if the New Moon or the days of Ḥanukkah fall on a Sabbath? [In the former case] seven persons read the regular Sabbath section while the eighth reads that of the New Moon, viz. the two portions7So GRA. V and M read ‘breaks’. And on the sabbath day8i.e. the passage Num. 28, 9f which begins with these words. and And in your new moons;9The passage ibid. 11-15. and if the first day of Ḥanukkah10Or any of the other days. Unlike our present custom, they read the same portion on the Sabbath irrespective of which day of Ḥanukkah it was. falls on a Sabbath, seven read [the section] of the Sabbath while the eighth reads, And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end11Num. 7, 1. up to so he made the candlestick.12ibid. VIII, 5. [42a] What13From here to Then came Amalek is the reading of GRA. is the procedure on Purim? If Purim falls on a Sabbath, seven read [the section] of the Sabbath while the eighth reads Then came Amalek.14Ex. 17, 8-16. The three fast days15In commemoration of the three days of fasting ordained by Mordecai and Esther (Esth. 4, 16). are not observed on consecutive days but are separated [and observed] on Monday, Thursday and Monday. Our Rabbis in the land of Israel had the custom of fasting after Purim16Not, as others, before it. on account of [the victory over] Nicanor and his associates,17This occurred on the thirteenth of Adar, the day before Purim [cf. 1 Macc. VII, 49; 2 Macc. XV, 36; Josephus, Antiq. XII, x, 5], on account of which fasting was prohibited. Nicanor was a Syrian commander who fell in the Maccabean war in the battle of Adasa in 161 b.c.e. and also because the commemoration of sad events is postponed rather than antedated. [What was the procedure in the case of] ma‘amadoth? As it was taught:18[Cf. Ta‘an. 27b (Sonc. ed., p. 145).] The men of the ma‘amadoth used to fast [as follows]: On every Monday for the sake of those who sail on the sea, as it is written, And God said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters;19Gen. 1, 6. The mention of water is a call to prayer on behalf of those who sail over the sea. on Tuesdays for the sake of wayfarers, as it is written, And God said: Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together;20ibid. 9, which is followed by And let the dry land appear. on Wednesdays for the sake of children that they should not be attacked by croup, as it is written, And God said: Let there be lights,21ibid. 14, children being to the home what the heavenly luminaries are to the world. the written form being defective;22A waw is missing in the noun מארת (lights). on Thursdays they fasted for the sake of pregnant women and nursing mothers that they should not lose their children, as it is said, And God said: Let the waters swarm with swarms.23ibid. 20, followed by living creatures (ibid.). On the Sabbath eve and at the conclusion of the Sabbath24i.e. Sunday, as explicitly mentioned in Ta‘an. 26a (Sonc. ed., pp. 136f). they did not fast from respect for the Sabbath. Some declare25As a reason why they did not fast on Sundays. that at the twilight of the Sabbath eve an additional soul is given to every Israelite, and after the Sabbath it is taken from him.26The body is then weakened, and fasting is held to be too great a hardship. Another reason27Why there was no fasting on Sunday. is that Christians28So M and H. V has ‘worshippers of stars’, an alteration made because of the censor. should not say, ‘Because we rejoice on the Sunday they fast on it’. The Sages, however, said: In the period of the ma‘amadoth they were not concerned with the hatred of the Christians, but the reason is that it is written He ceased from work wayyinnafash,29Ex. 31, 17, E.V., and rested. [which is homiletically interpreted] wai ‘al nefesh, ‘Woe for [the loss of the additional] soul’. On Passover we read from the section of the Festivals in Leviticus;30Lev. 22, 26—XXIII, 44. on Pentecost Seven weeks;31Deut. 16, 9ff. The present practice is to read ibid. XV, 19—XVI, 17 on the second day of Pentecost; and if it falls on a Sabbath to begin from XIV, 22. on New Year In the seventh month on the first day of the month;32Lev. 23, 23ff. on the Day of Atonement After the death.33ibid. XVI. On the first day of Tabernacles we read from the section of the Festivals in Leviticus,34ibid. XXII, 26—XXIII, 44. and on the other days of Tabernacles the section of the offerings of the Festival.35Num. 29, 12ff, on each day the corresponding offering. On Ḥanukkah we read the section of [the dedication of the altar by] the princes;36Num. 7. On the first day verses 1-17 are read; on the next six days the corresponding offerings; and on the eighth day VII, 54—VIII, 4. on Purim, Then came Amalek;37Ex. 17, 8-16. on the New Moon, And in your new moons;38Num. 28, 11-15. at the ma‘amadoth the account of the creation.39Gen. 1, 1—II, 3, because it is on account of the Temple service that the heaven and earth were created. On the fast days of the Ninth of Ab and the last seven days in connection with droughts,40lit. ‘the shutting up of the rains’. we read the section of the blessings and curses;41Lev. 26, 3-46. but on other fast days And Moses besought,42Ex. 32, 11-14, XXXIV, 1-10. and we read as the hafṭarah Seek ye the Lord.43Isa. 55, 6—LVI, 8. Some say that no hafṭarah is to be read, but the people have adopted the custom of reading the hafṭarah.44So GRA. V, M and H omit ‘but’ and ‘of reading the hafṭarah’. There must be no break in the section of curses because it is not proper to end with curses and to begin with curses.45Cf. above XII, 1. On Mondays and Thursdays and at the Sabbath afternoon service the regular portion of the week is read, and this is not reckoned as a part of the reading [for the succeeding Sabbath].46When it must be repeated. [The reason47For the various readings prescribed above. is] because it is stated, And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the appointed seasons of the Lord,48Lev. 23, 44. which implies that it is an ordinance that each [appointed section] shall be read in its season. Hence [the Rabbis] said: [The sequence of the readings] is interrupted for them all—for New Moons, Ḥanukkah, Purim, fasts, ma‘amadoth and the Day of Atonement,49Cf. Rule 2. irrespective of whether these occur on a Sabbath, a Monday or Thursday, on which days there exists a regular sequence of readings.50lit. ‘which they read according to order’. H (so N.Y.) has ‘on which they do not read’, etc., changing shehem to she’ain. This sequence is interrupted51lit. ‘that they interrupt’. and the [special sections] are read. You cannot, however, say of fasts or ma‘amadoth52Which can never occur on the Sabbath. that they would fall on a Sabbath in order [to lay down the rule that] the normal sequence of the Sabbath [readings] is interrupted on their account. [For these can interrupt the sequence] of a Monday or Thursday only. When a New Moon falls on the Sabbath, the eighth person who has to read And on the sabbath day and And in the beginnings of your months53Cf. Rule 3. also reads, as the hafṭarah, Thus said the Lord God: The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east.54Ezek. 46, 1. The present custom is to read Isa. 66. The hafṭarah prescribed here is included in that of parashath haḥodesh, which is read only once a year, on the Sabbath of the New Moon of Nisan or, if that falls on a week-day, on the Sabbath preceding it. If [the New Moon] falls on a Sunday, he55The eighth person called to the reading. reads on the Sabbath preceding the New Moon And Jonathan said unto him: To-morrow is the new moon.561 Sam. 20, 18-42. On the New Moon itself, three persons read the section of the continual offering. The first person reads, And … spoke,57Num. 28, 1. Command,58ibid. 2. And thou shalt say.59ibid. 3. The second person reads, The one lamb,60ibid. 4. And the tenth part,61ibid. 5. It is a continual burnt-offering,62ibid. 6. And the drink-offering thereof,63ibid. 7. And the other lamb.64ibid. 8. This verse is included by GRA and M. The third person repeats and reads, It is a continual burnt-offering, And the drink-offering, And the other lamb, And on the sabbath day,65ibid. 9. This and the following verses are added by GRA. This is the burnt-offering of every sabbath.66ibid. 10. [The reason for this arrangement is] because [the Rabbis] ruled that it is not permitted to read less than three verses in a section nor67So GRA. V, M and H read ‘and some say’. is it permissible to leave unfinished less than three verses at the end of a section.68The sections under discussion are the following: Num. 28, 1-8, 9f, 11-15. 69The text according to GRA is followed. If two verses were read,70As with the section, And on the sabbath day (Num. 28, 9f), which consists of only two verses. and another section was begun,71e.g., And in the beginnings of your months (ibid. 11-15). there must be no stop before three verses of the latter were read. And since [the third person] reads, … burnt-offering, And the drink-offering thereof, And the other lamb, And on the sabbath day, This is the burnt-offering of … sabbath,72ibid. 6-10. it follows that the third person reads five verses,73So GRA. V, M and H have ‘four’. while [the next] one reads the whole section of the New Moon, And in the beginnings of your months.74ibid. 11-15. On the New Moon it is necessary to say after May the glory75Ps. 104, 31. The reference is to the collection of verses beginning with these words (cf. P.B., pp. 28f) or to the whole of Ps. 104 which is added now to the daily Psalm at the end of the morning service of the New Moon. the following: The Lord reigneth,76Ps. 93. O sing unto the Lord a new song;77Ps. 98. From ‘on the New Moon’ to ‘ a new song’ is the reading of GRA. V, M and H begin with ‘but’, omit ‘on the New Moon’, and conclude with ‘according to the words of the Scribes’. and after that, O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name781 Chron. 16, 8-36. and the six daily psalms;79Pss. CXLV to CL. for80So according to M. V and H read ‘and’. R. Jose said, ‘May my lot be among those who include in their daily prayers81lit. ‘those who pray’. those six psalms’. It has also been stated: Why did David mention Abraham, Isaac and Jacob82So GRA. V, M and H read ‘priests, Levites and Israelites’. in the psalm beginning, O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name? Because it has to be said daily.

Why has it been ordained that the psalms1So H while M has the singular; it is lacking in V. [prescribed for the Temple service] are to be said2At the present time when no sacrifices are offered. on every New Moon?3As in Temple times when they were recited while the continual sacrifice was being offered. [This is done in accordance with the view of] R. Simeon b. Laḳish. He enquired of R. Joḥanan whether it was permissible to recite the psalms4lit. ‘song’. in the absence of libations, and he replied, ‘We may deduce the answer from the following statement: On this and that [occasion]5The destruction of the first and second Temples. the Levites stood on the platform6On the Sunday immediately following the respective destructions (‘Arak. 11b, Sonc. ed., p. 65). and recited, And He hath brought upon them their own iniquity’.7Ps. 94, 23. As this Psalm was prescribed normally for Wednesdays (in connection with the sacrifices and libations of the day) but was said on these two occasions on the Sunday (for which a different Psalm had been arranged), it follows that the recital of a particular Psalm is independent of the sacrifices or libations of the day. It was ordained, therefore, that the Psalm for the New Moon, originally prescribed for the Temple service, should also be said at the present time (cf. N.Y.). R. Simeon b. Laḳish asked him, ‘Which is first, the psalm8Which was said in connection with the morning continual offering. or the additional sacrifice?’9Of the New Moon, if the Psalm had been delayed until the time of the additional sacrifice had arrived. He replied,10Inserted by GRA. ‘It is obvious that the psalm is read first’.11Since it belongs to the earlier part of the service. For this reason12Because of the ruling above that the Temple Psalm of the New Moon should continue to be said even at the present time. the people have adopted the custom of saying psalms13As in the Temple, although no sacrifices are now offered. at their proper times;14As prescribed for the Temple service. as we have learned in the Mishnah:15Tamid VII, 4 (Sonc. ed., pp. 37f). ‘These were the psalms which the Levites used to recite in the Temple: On Sunday16lit. ‘the first day’. Monday is called ‘the second day’ and so on. they used to recite, The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.17The quotation represents Ps. 24, and the following quotations denote the respective Psalms in which they occur. On Monday, Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised,18Ps. 48. etc. On Tuesday, God standeth in the congregation of God,19Ps. 82. etc. On Wednesday, O Lord, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth,20Ps. 94. etc. On Thursday, Sing aloud unto God our strength,21Ps. 81. etc. On Friday, The Lord reigneth; He is clothed in majesty.22Ps. 93. On the Sabbath, A psalm, a Song. For the sabbath day,23Ps. 92. [which is the psalm and song also]24So in Tamid loc. cit., but omitted in V. for the hereafter, for the day which will be wholly a Sabbath and [will bring] rest in life everlasting’. For whoever makes mention of a Biblical verse at its proper time is regarded [by God] as though he had built a new altar and offered a sacrifice upon it. On Ḥanukkah [the psalm is] I will extol Thee, O Lord.25Ps. 30. On Purim it is Shiggaion of David,26Ps. 7. but others say it is O God, keep not Thou silence.27Ps. 83. This is inserted by GRA but lacking in V, M and H. On the first day of Passover it is, Praise ye the name of the Lord,28Ps. 135. V, M and H quote as an alternative Ps. 83. and the same [is said during] the intermediate days of the Festival; but on the first [two] days of Passover one must [also] say May the glory of the Lord,29Ps. 104, 31. The reference is to the collection of verses beginning with these words (cf. P.B., p. 28). while all the people stand. Then30From ‘Then’ to ‘for ever’ is the reading of GRA. The order of the words in V, M and H is confused. they sit and say all the prescribed psalms31P.B., pp. 20-33. up to And blessed be His glorious name for ever;32Ps. 72, 19; but the reference is to the doxology (P.B., p. 33) which concludes the morning Psalms. but on the last day of Passover the Great Hallel is said. And what is the Great Hallel? [42b] O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good … O give thanks unto the God of gods.33Ps. 136. The people have adopted the custom of saying the Great Hallel, although this is not the proper thing to do.34The proper time to say it is ‘when the appetite is satisfied and the stomach is full’ (Ta‘an. 26a, Sonc. ed., p. 135) and not in the morning service before food has been tasted. On the Feast of Weeks35Pentecost. [the psalm is] Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye sons of might.36Ps. 29. On the ninth day of Ab [the reading consists] of four verses of Jeremiah, Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah? to For Thou hast made all these things,37Jer. 14, 19-22. and the following two psalms, O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance38Ps. 79. and By the rivers of Babylon.39Ps. 137. Although it is usual40lit. ‘in every place’. to give precedence to the Holy Words41lit. ‘words of holiness’, the Hagiographa. over the words of [prophetical] traditions,42The Prophets forming the second division of the Scriptures. in this case the latter43Jeremiah, although it is included in the Prophets. takes precedence over the former.44The Psalms, which are included in the Hagiographa. Some [congregations] read the Book of Lamentations in the evening45Of the Ninth of Ab. while others postpone it to the [following] morning after the reading of the Torah, when the reader46GRA. stands up, his head covered with ashes, his clothes torn,47Like a mourner, the mourning being for the destruction of the Temples. and reads it with weeping and lamentation. If he is able to translate it, well and good; but if he is unable he entrusts it to one who knows how to translate properly and [that person] does the translation, so that the rest of the people, the women and children may understand it; in that women are obliged to listen to the reading of the Book, how much more so does it apply to men.Women have similarly the duty to read the Shema‘, the [‘Amidah] prayer and the Grace after meals, and to have a mezuzah [on their doors]. But if they are not acquainted with the holy tongue they are to be taught [to say them] in any language which they can understand and master. From this it was deduced that the man who recites the benedictions48In his home. must raise his voice for the benefit of his young sons, his wife and daughters. It is, therefore, a logical deduction that every section of the Torah and the Prophet [prescribed for the readings] of the Sabbath should be translated for the people, the women and the children after the reading of the Torah. This is why it was ruled: On the Sabbath the people come [to the Synagogue] early and depart late. They come early to read the Shema‘, like the pious men of old, with the first glimpse of the sun; and they depart late to listen to the interpretation of the weekly section. On a Festival, however, they come late, because they have to prepare the food for the day;49Which is permitted on a Festival when not the Sabbath. and they hasten to depart because it is unreasonable to interpret [the Torah or the Prophet] for them, it having been stated: Rab did not appoint an interpreter from [the beginning of the first day of] the Festival to the conclusion of the second day.50lit. ‘its companion’. Rab’s reason was that, owing to the legitimate indulgence on the Festival days, his mind might not be clear to impart the proper instruction or to give the necessary guidance to the public through the interpreter. Similarly it is implied that, in order to enable the people to enjoy the festivities of the day, they are given the opportunity of departing at an earlier hour. There was likewise a beautiful custom in Jerusalem to train51Inserted by GRA, M and H. their young sons and daughters to afflict themselves on a fast day:52Although the duty of fasting the whole day did not apply to them. at the age of eleven to the middle of the day, at the age of twelve the full day, and at the age of thirteen [the boy] was taken round53So GRA. V, M and H read ‘and after that he carried him’. and presented to every elder to bless him and pray for him that he may be worthy to study the Torah and engage in good deeds. In like manner,54This is an insertion of GRA, omitted in V, M and H. everyone who had a man superior to him in the town would rise from his place and go and bow down to him [requesting] that he pray on his behalf. This is meant to teach us that they55The men of Jerusalem. were splendid men and their deeds were splendid, and that their hearts [were directed] towards Heaven. Furthermore, they did not leave their young children behind but took them to the Synagogue to encourage them in the performance of the precepts. On the day when R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah was appointed head of the academy, he began his discourse by saying: Ye are standing this day all of you … your little ones, your wives, the men came to listen, the women came to receive a reward for their journey, but why did the little ones come? That a reward may be given to those who bring them. From this the young daughters of Israel learnt the practice of coming to the Synagogue so that a reward may be granted to those who bring them while they would [in due course] also receive their reward.⁠a In childhood one is subject neither to reward nor punishment. The reader on the Ninth of Ab says, ‘Blessed … the true Judge’.63Cf. P.B., p. 292. This blessing is said on a calamity or hearing bad news. Some place the Torah scroll64M reads ‘the case of the Torah’. on the ground in a black wrapping and say, The crown is fallen from our head.65Lam. 5, 16. The reading and the lamentations are carried out as with a man whose dead lies before him. Some change their [customary] places [in the Synagogue]; others descend from their benches, and all of them roll in ashes and do not greet one another throughout the night and also throughout the day until the people have finished their lamentations. During the recital of the lamentations it is forbidden to speak [any irrelevant] word, or to go outside [the Synagogue], lest one’s mind be diverted from the mourning; and it is obvious that no conversation with a Gentile is permitted.66Since the conversation would have no relevance to the destruction of the Temples. In the evening service67On the ninth of Ab. no one can hear the other, because all pray in a whisper;68As a mark of mourning for the destruction. therefore we say neither ‘Bless ye’69‘Bless ye the Lord Who is to be blessed’ which is addressed to the congregation at the beginning of the evening service (cf. P.B., p. 96). nor ‘[Blessed] be the name’.70Which was exclaimed before ‘Bless ye’ but is not now said.

In the morning service,1Of the ninth of Ab, the services of which were treated in the previous chapter. however,2The contrast is with the ruling in XVIII, 8 where it was stated that in the evening service ‘Bless ye’ is not said. after the psalms and the Scriptural verses, [the reader] in the Yoẓer benediction3Cf. P.B., p. 37. says ‘Bless ye’ in a low voice; but neither ‘Holy’4The ḳedushshah, ‘Holy, holy’, etc. (P.B., p. 39). nor ḳaddish is to be recited. In the afternoon prayer, however, both ‘Holy’5P.B., p. 94C. and ḳaddish are said. 6This and the following Rule continue the interrupted regulations on the selection of psalms for various occasions begun in XVIII, 2f. And on the New Year we say, O clap your hands, all ye peoples;7Ps. 47. on the Day of Atonement Bless the Lord, O my soul8Ps. 104. and Out of the depths have I called Thee, O Lord;9Ps. 130. on the Festival of Tabernacles In Judah is God known;10Ps. 76. on the Eighth Day [of Solemn Assembly] For the Leader … on the Sheminith.11Ps. 6. If one is not conversant with these psalms, he says I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart,12Ps. 9. and that suffices. On Passover, both in the [‘Amidah] prayer13P.B., p. 228. and over the cup of wine14The Ḳiddush, P.B., pp. 230f. one must mention ‘On this Festival of holy convocation, this day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread’; and during the intermediate days of the Festival ‘This Festival of Unleavened Bread’.15So GRA and H. V and M read ‘this so and so Festival’. On the seventh day one says16In the ‘Amidah and Ḳiddush. ‘On the Seventh Day of Solemn Assembly’, but no mention is made of ‘Festival’ since it is not an independent Festival.17The seventh day is part of the Passover. On the Feast of Weeks18Pentecost. one says ‘On this Festival of holy convocation and this day of the Feast of Weeks’. The evening, morning and afternoon services consist of the same prayers.19As on Passover except for the change in the name of the Festival. On the New Moon of Nisan20And similarly on the other New Moons. Nisan is named because it is the first of the months of the year. one must mention21In the ‘Amidah (P.B., p. 50). ‘On this day of the New Moon’; and on the New Year ‘On this Festival of holy convocation,22V, M and H add ‘and on this day of New Moon’. GRA omits because this addition is no longer customary. this day of the New Year, this Day of Memorial, a day of blowing the Shofar’, concluding with23The benediction (P.B., p. 242). ‘King over all the earth, Who sanctifiest Israel and the Day of Memorial and the Seasons’.24So GRA. The reading in V is confused. On the Day of Atonement no mention is made25In the ‘Amidah. of ‘on the Festival Day’, because there is no Festival on a fast day; but one says, ‘On this day of holy convocation, on this day of the Fast of the Tenth,26The Day of Atonement is observed on the tenth of Tishri. on this day of pardoning of iniquity’, concluding with27Cf. P.B., p. 258. ‘pardonest and forgivest our iniquities and the iniquities of Thy people Israel in mercy, and grantest remission for their transgressions, King over all the earth, Who sanctifiest Israel and the day of the Fast of Atonement, and the Seasons and the holy convocation’; but no mention is made of Festival and joy since there is no joy without par-taking of food. As we laud [God] on the first day, the intermediate days and the last day28Added by GRA; omitted in V and M. The reading of H is: ‘As we laud Him on the New Year and Day of Atonement, so we laud Him on the Festivals’. of the Festival, so we laud Him [on the other] Festivals in the morning,29In the Yoẓer prayer which begins the morning benedictions before the Shema‘. afternoon and evening prayers.30In the ‘Amidah. And how is He lauded! ‘Our God and the God of our fathers, do Thou make the glory of Thy kingdom manifest upon us’.31Cf. P.B., p. 234. This is followed by, ‘We pray Thee, O Lord our God,32So H. V reads ‘our God name’. may … rise and come,33Cf. P.B., p. 228. etc. Bestow upon us’;34ibid., p. 229. and the conclusion of the prayer is, ‘Blessed art Thou Who sanctifiest Thy people Israel, the Festival of joy, the Seasons and the holy convocation’. As the concluding words [of the benedictions] of the New Year and the Day of Atonement are different from those of other Festivals, so are the prayers of these days; and we do not include ‘remembrance’35‘Remember us unto life’, etc. (P.B., p. 239). either in the first three36‘Blessed art Thou … the holy God’ (ibid. pp. 44f). or last three37‘Accept O Lord … with peace’ (ibid. pp. 50-54). [benedictions of the ‘Amidah] except only on the two Festival days of the New Year and Day of Atonement38Cf. ibid. pp. 239, 256. and, even with these, permission was given with difficulty.39Because, as a rule, no break is allowed in these benedictions. If the New Year falls on a Sabbath, one does not say ‘A day of blowing the Shofar’ but ‘a day of remembrance of blowing the Shofar’, because the blowing of the Shofar does not take precedence of the Sabbath in country towns,40Outside Jerusalem. This was permitted in the Temple only (Rashi). According to Maimonides the permissibility extended to all Jerusalem. this being a preventive measure.41One might carry the Shofar on the Sabbath through a public domain to an instructor to take lessons in the art of blowing it. On the New Moon,42Which occurred on the 31st day of the preceding month. The New Moon was celebrated either on the 30th day of the preceding month (if witnesses testified in time that they saw the new moon in the evening sky) or on the 31st if no reliable witnesses were forthcoming. the associations of elders, leaders and students were assembled in session43V inserts in brackets ‘on the first day’. They assembled in the academy where a ritual feast was held in honour of the declaration and sanctification of the New Moon. from the time of the afternoon service onwards until the sun had set and the moon appeared in the night [sky].44So GRA. V, M and H omit ‘and the moon … sky’. It is necessary to say [after the ceremonial meal] in the benediction over the wine,45A cup of wine was used for the Grace after meals. ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who createst the fruit of the vine. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast revealed the secret of the renewal of the moon, Who didst instruct and teach us46lit. ‘them’. the [courses of] the seasons, New Moons and Festivals47The translation follows the version of GRA. The text in V is confused and varies with that of M and H which also disagree with each other. and Who didst appoint men of understanding who determine the times [of the New Moons and Festivals]. Thou, our Rock, hast weighed and calculated the minutest divisions of time whereby those New Moons and Festivals are determined, as it is written, Who appointedst the moon for seasons; the sun knoweth his going down,48Ps. 104, 19. and it also states, For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make’;49Is. 66, 22. and one concludes with ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who sanctifiest Israel and the New Moons’. [Then one says,] ‘O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good; on this day we all in Jerusalem rejoice and are happy in the All-present. May Elijah the prophet soon come to us; may the king Messiah cause to spring forth in our days the [happy] time like the years50So M; V wrongly ‘in the years’. H reads: ‘that he may appoint the days like the years’. when the Temple will be rebuilt, and may joyous occasions multiply in Israel’; and the people answer and say ‘Amen’. [The prayer is then continued,] ‘May good tidings multiply in Israel, may happy days multiply in Israel, may disciples of the Torah multiply in Israel. Consecrated is the New Moon, consecrated at the beginning of the month, consecrated in its proper time, consecrated in its intercalation,51i.e. the addition of the 30th day to the preceding month by declaring the 31st day to be the New Moon and the first day of the new month. consecrated according to52So M and H. V wrongly ‘in’. the Torah, consecrated according to the halakah, consecrated in the celestial regions, consecrated in the terrestrial regions, consecrated in the land of Israel, consecrated in Zion, consecrated in Jerusalem, consecrated in all the habitations of Israel, consecrated by the order of our Rabbis, consecrated in the House of Assembly. O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good’. Then [the reader] says, ‘You are all blessed’. After every benediction, moreover, [the reader] says, ‘O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good’, except after the benedictions of the Levites.53Who omitted ‘for He is good’ (cf. its omission in 2 Chron. 20, 21). GRA reads ‘the mourners’ instead of ‘the Levites’ (cf. Rule 12 below). N.Y. also had this reading but considers the phrase ‘except after’, etc., superfluous. When he54i.e. the one who presides over the assembly which is consecrating the new moon. sings the praises of God he does so in the presence of the twelve notable men55lit. ‘good’. of the town and twelve ḥaberim56Members of an association scrupulously observant of the laws concerning ritual purity. The translation accords with the text of GRA and H. corresponding to the twelve tribes, the twelve months and the twelve constellations. Although [in the Grace after meals the prayer] ‘May … rise and come’57P.B., p. 282. has been said in [the benediction concluding with] ‘rebuildest Jerusalem’ and all58lit. ‘and he finishes’. the benediction of zimmun has been said over the cup59So M and H. V reads ‘all the cup’. [of wine], that cup being passed on to one’s wife60To partake of its contents. to fulfil that which is stated, To cause a blessing to rest on thy house,61Ez. 44, 30. Cf. ‘his house is his wife’ (Yoma I, 1, Sonc. ed., p. 1). The wife is the mainstay of the home. nevertheless another cup of wine is brought over which is said the benediction ‘Who createst the fruit of the vine’ and afterwards ‘Who didst reveal’, etc.62As in Rule 9 above (GRA). V has the meaningless text: ‘which is a circle all of it’. The same rule also applies63lit. ‘and so you say’. to the benediction of bridegrooms and the benediction of mourners,64These benedictions, too, must be said over a cup of wine other than the one used for the Grace after meals. because two sanctifications65The benedictions whereby the sanctifications are declared: that for the Grace after meals, on the one hand, and the benedictions mentioned on the other. must not be pronounced over the same cup. Our Masters have adopted the practice of saying the benediction of bridegrooms66V adds ‘and the benediction of mourners’, which is omitted by M and H. The benediction of mourners is dealt with in Rule 12 below. in the morning over a cup of wine in the presence of ten men; and [in the presence of] new guests all the seven days;67Of the wedding festivities. If no new guests arrive, the benedictions are said only on the first day. and similarly in the evening after68So GRA. V, M and H read ‘before’. the meal. With regard to the benediction of mourners on the Sabbath, when mourning is suspended, it is said after the statutory service in the presence of the worshippers over a cup of wine; for R. Eliezer b. Hyrḳanos said:69This follows GRA. V, M and H read: ‘in the evening after the prayer in the presence of the worshippers over a cup on the Sabbath when mourning in public is suspended according to R. Eliezer b. Hyrḳanos who said’. The text is clearly out of order. Solomon saw the greatness70lit. ‘power’. of those who bestow lovingkindness, and built two gates for Israel, one for bridegrooms and the other for mourners and excommunicated persons. On the Sabbath the inhabitants of Jerusalem used to congregate, ascend the Temple Mount and take their seats between these two gates to show kindness to these persons. Since the Temple was destroyed it was enacted that bridegrooms and mourners should go to the Synagogue so that kindness could be shown to them: to bridegrooms by recounting their praises and escorting them to their homes. To mourners [by comforting them as follows:] After the reader finishes the musaf, everyone goes behind the doors of the Synagogue, which are in front of71So GRA. V omits ‘everyone’ and inserts ‘or’ before ‘in front’. [H has the reading pinnath, ‘the corner of’.] the Synagogue, and there meets the mourners and all their relatives. The benediction72For the mourners. is said followed by ḳaddish. The version ‘In the world that will be renewed in the time to come’73This is an enlarged ḳaddish which is now recited by sons after the interment of a parent (P.B., pp. 321f). is only said after the study of74lit. ‘over’. the Talmud and a Rabbinic discourse.75lit. ‘exposition’.

The benediction over the moon must not be said except at the conclusion of the Sabbath when one is in an exhilarated mood1After the happiness of the Sabbath day. and well dressed. [43a] He directs his eyes towards the moon, places his feet together and pronounces the benediction ‘Who2Preceded, as all benedictions, by ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe’. didst create the heavens by Thy word and all their hosts by the breath of Thy mouth. Thou didst set for them a fixed law and time that they should not change their ordained task. They are glad and rejoice to perform the will of their Possessor.3Inserted by GRA and M; omitted by V. H adds it in the textual notes. They act loyally, for their4So GRA, M and H. V has ‘for his’. action is truth. To the moon Thou didst say that it should renew itself with a precious light and a diadem of beauty for those who have been sustained from the womb5A reference to Israel (cf. Is. 46, 3). who, like it, will be renewed in the future and glorify their Creator for the majesty of His kingdom. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who hallowest the New Moons’.6H reads ‘hallowest Israel and the New Moons’; the reading of GRA is ‘Who renewest the months’. Then one says three times, ‘An auspicious omen, an auspicious omen, shall it be for all Israel. Blessed be He Who formed thee, blessed be Thy Maker, blessed be thy Possessor, blessed be thy Creator’. Turning in the direction of the moon,7lit. ‘towards it’. he jumps three times and exclaims three times, ‘As I jump towards thee but do not8M reads ‘and cannot’ which is the reading in the ritual. touch thee, so if others should jump against me to hurt me may they not touch me. Let terror and dread fall upon them and may this be retrospective, Amen, Amen, Selah. Praise ye the Lord’. He then says ‘Peace’ three times to his fellow and goes home with a cheerful heart. That is [the conclusion of the regulations] concerning the interruptions for New Moons.9Cf. XVII, 2f where the regulations for the New Moon began and, with many interruptions, insertions and amplifications, continued to the end of this Rule. What are the regulations respecting Ḥanukkah?10lit. ‘how do we interrupt for Ḥanukkah’, a reference to XVII, 2 where Ḥanukkah was first introduced in this set of regulations with the statement, ‘The sequence … is interrupted for … Ḥanukkah’. The Rabbis said: On the twenty-fifth day of Kislew11The ninth Heb. month on the twenty-fifth of which the Festival begins. the Ḥanukkah lamp is kindled,12This takes place on the preceding evening, the night belonging to the following day. and it is forbidden to use an old lamp;13If it is an earthen lamp, because the burnt oil renders it unsightly. but if a person has only an old lamp, he must thoroughly heat it in fire;14To burn away the old oil, after which the lamp may be used. nor may [the Ḥanukkah lamp] be moved15lit. ‘lifted’. from its place before it is extinguished.16Carrying the lamp about while it is burning might cause suspicion that one is making a profane use of it; but the Ḥanukkah light, commemorating the miracles which led up to the celebration (cf. Rule 5), is sacred, is only to be looked at and must not be used for any other purpose. The commandment to kindle it extends from sunset until the last person has left17lit. ‘the foot ceases from’. the street.18The light is intended to serve as a public demonstration, but at such a late hour there are no passers-by to see it. And, although there is no actual proof,19That the lighting must take place after sunset. there is an allusion to it: The pillar of cloud by day [and the pillar of fire by night,] departed not.20Ex. 13, 22, which indicates that the pillar of fire which, like the Ḥanukkah lamp, was intended to shed light, appeared in the night only If it was lit in daytime, one must derive no benefit from it, nor may the benediction be said over it; for so [the Rabbis] said: No benediction is to be pronounced over the lamp before one enjoys its light. There is no need, however, to be concerned about changing the wick before it has been used up. It is a religious precept to place the Ḥanukkah lamp by the door which is near to the public domain,21So that the light is seen from the street. in such a manner that the mezuzah should be on the right hand and the Ḥanukkah lamp on the left, to fulfil what is stated, How fair and how pleasant art thou22Cant. 7, 7.—how fair with the mezuzah and how pleasant with the Ḥanukkah lamp. The number23Inserted by GRA, wanting in V, M and H. of lights [for each night] is in accordance with the ruling of the School of Hillel,24One light on the first night, two on the second, and so on, until eight lights burn on the eighth and last night of the Festival. because in sacred matters one should proceed to a higher grade25Adding lights on the succeeding nights. but not descend to a lower one,26As would happen if the number were to be reduced from eight on the first night to one on the last in accordance with the view of Beth Shammai. [and also because the number of lights should] correspond to the days [of the Festival] as they pass. In what manner are the benedictions27Over the Ḥanukkah lights. said? On the first day, the person who kindles [the lamp] says three benedictions while the onlooker says two. The person who kindles says, ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord,28Inserting after ‘Lord’, as in all benedictions, ‘our God, King of the universe’ (P.B., p. 274). Who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments and hast given us command to kindle the light of Ḥanukkah’. Then29After the three benedictions: the one just given and the two mentioned below. he says, ‘We kindle these lights on account of the deliverances and the miracles and the wonders which Thou didst work for our fathers, by means of Thy holy priests.30The Maccabees who were a priestly family. During all the eight days of Ḥanukkah these lights are sacred, and it is not permitted to make any profane use of them but we are only to look at them, in order that we may give thanks unto Thy name for thy wonders, Thy miracles and Thy deliverances’. [The third benediction is] ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who hast kept us in life’.31Concluding ‘and hast preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season’ (P.B., p. 274). [Before this] he says, ‘Who wroughtest miracles for our fathers’.32Beginning, as usual, ‘Blessed art … universe’ and concluding ‘in the days of old at this season’ (P.B., p. 274). These benedictions are for the person who kindles the lights, but the onlooker says on the first day only two benedictions: ‘Who hast kept us in life’ and ‘Who wroughtest miracles’. From that day onwards the person who kindles the lights says, ‘To kindle’ and ‘Who wroughtest’, while the onlooker only says ‘Who wroughtest miracles’. The precentor must say, ‘Thou art holy’33i.e. the ḳedushshah. It appears that, instead of beginning with ‘We will sanctify’ (P.B., p. 45) or ‘We will reverence’ (P.B., p. 160), there was a custom to begin with ‘Thou art holy’ on Sabbath and Festivals. Rule 7 extends this practice to some of the less important days as specified below. It has also been suggested to read, instead of ’attah ḳadosh (‘Thou art holy’) ’eth haḳḳedushshah (‘the ḳedushshah’). on the eight days34So GRA. V, M and H read ‘in the eighteen [benedictions]’. of Ḥanukkah, and similarly on New Moons and on the intermediate days of a Festival,35viz. Passover and Tabernacles. because beside36Inserted by GRA, omitted by V, M and H. the continual burnt-offering37Num. 28, 15 (on the New Moon); ibid. 24 (on the intermediate days of Passover); and ibid. XXIX, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34 (on those of Tabernacles). is written in connection with them. And R. Hiyya learnt: On any day on which there is a musaf ḳedushshah is said except on Ḥanukkah on which ḳedushshah is said although there is no musaf on it, because Hallel is included [in the service]. Some maintain [that it is said] on Purim also, because the scroll of Esther is read on it. In the benediction for Thanksgiving38Beginning ‘We give thanks’ (P.B., p. 51). we include [on Ḥanukkah] ‘and thanks for the wonders and salvation of Thy priests which Thou hast wrought in the days of Mattathias, son of Joḥanan, High Priest, and the Hasmoneans his sons. So also, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, perform for us miracles and wonders, and we will give thanks unto Thy name for ever. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who art all-good’.39The present version of this form of thanksgiving is longer and differs in wording (P.B., p. 52). The miracles [of the days] of Mordecai and Esther are also mentioned [on Purim] in the benediction for Thanksgiving. Both40Those for Ḥanukkah and Purim. are likewise mentioned in the Grace after meals.41In the second benediction (P.B., p. 281). The whole Hallel42Including Pss. CXV, 1-11 and CXVI, 1-11 (P.B., pp. 220f). is recited during all the eight days of Ḥanukkah. During [the recital of] the first two43So GRA. V, M and H read ‘three’. chapters one may not return greetings, and there is no need to say that one must not give greetings. During [the recital of] the last two chapters one may give greetings out of fear;44To a person who can cause harm in his resentment at not having been greeted. during the two middle chapters45The reading of GRA. V and M have ‘and return greetings for the sake of peace and out of respect’. H omits the text of V and GRA. [greetings may be given] for the sake of peace or out of respect. The following are the first two chapters: Praise, O ye servants of the Lord46Ps. 113. and When Israel went forth.47ibid. CXIV. V, M and H adds Ps. 115 as the third. The two middle ones are: Not unto us48ibid. CXV; ‘the two middle … us’ is the reading of GRA. and I love.49ibid. CXVI. The last two are: O praise the Lord50ibid. CXVII. and O give thanks unto the Lord.51ibid. CXVIII. It is also necessary to say a benediction52‘Blessed art Thou … to read the Hallel’ (P.B., p. 219). before them and read them melodiously. For R. Simeon b. Jehoẓadaḳ said:53So GRA. V, H and M read ‘learnt’ using a term which refers to a Mishnah, whereas the quotation is from the Gemara in Ta‘an. 28b (Sonc. ed., pp. 150f). On eighteen days and one night the individual reads the whole Hallel and they are: the eight days of Ḥanukkah, the eight days of Tabernacles,54Omitted by V and M, but added by GRA and H in agreement with Ta‘an. loc. cit. the Festival of Solemn Assembly, the first Festival day of Passover and the night preceding it.55[Cf. Pes. V, 7 (Sonc. ed., p. 327) where it is described how the Hallel was recited during the sacrifice of the Paschal lamb on the eve of Passover.] In the Diaspora56i.e. all countries outside the land of Israel where two days are observed as holy instead of the first day of Tabernacles, two days for the Festival of Solemn Assembly, and two days each for the first and seventh day of Passover. [the whole Hallel is read on] twenty-one days and two nights. The most proper way of performing the commandment is to read the Hallel psalms on the two nights [of Passover] in the Diaspora in the Synagogue,57In addition to reading them at home in the course of the Seder ritual. ‘In the Synagogue’ is inserted by GRA but omitted by V, M and H. to say the benediction over them, and to recite them melodiously to fulfil what is stated, And let us exalt His name together.58Ps. 34, 4. When, however, one reads [the Hallel] at home,59During the Seder. there is no need to say the benediction because it has already been said in the congregational service.60lit. ‘among many’. The Service in Synagogue precedes the Seder in the home. A scroll61M and H read ‘a scroll of the Torah’. is then taken out62In the Synagogue Service during Ḥanukkah. and we read in the section of the princes,63Num. 7. And he that presented his offering the first day was;64ibid. 12-17. and likewise for each day [the corresponding section of the offering] of that day,65lit. ‘and so for each day its day’, the number of the Ḥanukkah day corresponding to the respective number of the days of the offerings of the princes. until the eighth day. On the Sabbath [during Ḥanukkah] one reads, And it came to pass on the day that Moses made an end66Num. 7, 1. up to so he made the candlestick.67ibid. VIII, 4. On the eighth day he reads from On the eighth day68ibid. 54. through all the sections69Of the offerings of all the princes. until so he made the candlestick. On the Sabbath70So GRA. V and M read: ‘and so on the eighth day until And this was the work of the candlestick (Num. 8, 4) all the verse’. H has a different text. one also reads as the hafṭarah, Thus all the work … was finished.71i.e. in the passage 1 Kings 7, 51—VIII, 21. During the eight days of Ḥanukkah we read the following one day earlier:72lit. ‘we advance to say’. To the prescribed reading of the day that of the following day is added. On the second day,73Num. 7, 18-23. This is added to the reading of the first day and then repeated on the second, and similarly with the rest. On the third day,74ibid. 24-29. On the fourth day,75ibid. 30-35. On the fifth day,76ibid. 36-41. On the sixth day,77ibid. 42-47. On the seventh day,78ibid. 48-53. On the eighth day,79ibid. 54-59. so as to complete ten verses.80Which is the minimum required for the reading of the three persons who are called to the Torah each day of Ḥanukkah. When the New Moon of Ṭebeth81Which always occurs during Ḥanukkah. falls on a Sunday, three persons read on the first day82Of the New Moon, which is observed sometimes on one day and sometimes on two. in the passage of the New Moon first, while the fourth reads the passage of Ḥanukkah, because that which is more frequent takes precedence,83The New Moon occurs every month, Ḥanukkah once a year. and so [the reading for the New Moon] precedes the other. On the second day, however, the order is not the same, but three persons read the passage of Ḥanukkah while the fourth reads that of the New Moon, because on the previous day the section of the New Moon had been read first.84So GRA. V, M and H read: ‘because the reckoning of the month is from the second day only when the years are regular’. [This is the procedure] because R. Isaac Seḥorah asked R. Isaac Nappaḥa, ‘Which do we read [first]85In the second and third scrolls of the Torah. In the first the regular portion of the week is read. when the New Moon of Ṭebeth falls on a Sabbath?’ [He replied,] ‘In the section of kalloth Mosheh,86E.V. Moses had made an end (Num. 7, 1). The extent of the reading is given in Rule 10 above. while the mafṭir reads87In the third scroll. the passages relating to the Sabbath and the New Moon.88Num. 28, 9-15. If it falls on a week-day, on the first day [of the New Moon] three persons read [the passage] for the New Moon, the fourth reading that of Ḥanukkah; because that which is more frequent takes precedence. As, however, the section of the New Moon was read first,89On the first day of New Moon. three persons are to be called up on the second day for the reading of the Ḥanukkah section,90In the first scroll. Only two scrolls are taken out on the week-days of Ḥanukkah. while the fourth reads91In the second scroll. the section of the New Moon, viz. And in your new moons to the end of the section.92Num. 28, 11-15. Why is this so?93Why is the order of the reading reversed on the second day as compared with the first? Because it is only on account of the musaf of New Moon94On the other week-days of Ḥanukkah there is no musaf. This argument cannot be applied to the first day of New Moon because it is the second day which begins the month, the first being the last day of the old month. that a fourth person is added.95Rule 12 incorporates nearly the whole of XII, 7. Behold [we have concluded the regulations respecting] the interruption which is made for the sake of Ḥanukkah.96Cf. XVII, 2f.

[Reverting to the sequence of the readings which] is interrupted for Purim.1Cf. XVII, 2 where the subject was begun. Having been suspended in favour of other Festivals, it is here resumed. It is2So GRA and H. V and M read ‘according to’. the custom of our Rabbis in the West to afflict themselves by fasting the three days of the fast of Mordecai and Esther3Cf. Esth. 4, 16. intermittently, viz. after Purim on the Monday, Thursday and Monday. And why do we not fast in the month of Nisan? Because on the first of Nisan the Tabernacle was erected4Cf. Ex. 40, 2. and twelve princes offered their sacrifices during [the first] twelve days, a day for each tribe,5Cf. Num. 7, 1ff. and everyone held a festival on his day.6Between the twelfth of Nisan and the fifteenth, on which Passover begins, only two days intervene; therefore they, too, are regarded as festival days. The Passover ending on the twenty-first (in the land of Israel) or on the twenty-second (in the Diaspora), only eight or nine days of the month remain. As by far the greater part of the month was made up of festival days, the entire month is treated as a festival season in which fasting is prohibited. Furthermore, in the time to come the Sanctuary will be rebuilt in Nisan, to confirm what is stated, There is nothing new under the sun.7Eccl. 1, 9. For this reason8That most of the month contained festival days. no supplications9This refers in particular to the prayer, ‘And He, being merciful’, etc. (P.B., pp. 57-65). are offered on any of the days of Nisan and there is no fasting until Nisan has passed. The only exception is [the fast of] the firstborn who fast on the eve of Passover.10In thanksgiving for the deliverance of the Israelite firstborn on Passover eve when Egypt’s firstborn perished (Ex. 12, 29). The very pious also fast on that day on account of the unleavened bread, in order that they shall begin to eat it11On the evening preceding the fifteenth of Nisan. Lit. ‘that they shall enter it’. with relish.12In honour and appreciation of the commandment. Scholars fast on Mondays and Thursdays [throughout the year] on account of the desecration of the name of God13By the heathens who destroyed Jerusalem. and for the honour of the Temple which was burnt. To what does the foregoing apply? To fasting in private, but it is forbidden to proclaim a public fast until Nisan has passed.On the first day of Adar a public proclamation is made regarding the shekels.14Every adult had the obligation to give one half-shekel as a contribution to the Temple. Why on the first of Adar? Because it was foreseen, revealed and known before Him Who spoke and the world came into being that Haman would in time to come weigh [shekels] against Israel.15Cf. Esth. 3, 9. He, therefore, forestalled him and instructed Moses that the shekels of Israel should precede Haman’s. It is required that Israel shall give their shekels before [43b] the Sabbath of Remember;16The Sabbath before Purim when the mafṭir reads the passage beginning Remember (Deut. 25, 17-19). and it is forbidden to say of them17The half-shekels. that they are ‘for a ransom’ [but must be given] for a freewill-offering. From the proceeds water and food should be supplied for their poor brethren on account of a sacrifice18Reading ḳorban with GRA. V has ‘on account of complaints’ (ḳoblin). [M has ḳislin which Krauss, Lehnwörter, p. 531, renders ‘feast’.] and gifts to the poor.19Cf. Esth. 9, 22. Some supply bread and wine, others supply bread and fish; in any event not less than two gifts20Since Esth. loc. cit. speaks of gifts, in the plural, which indicates not less than two. should be given, although they consist only of wheat and beans. 21The translation of this Rule follows the reading of GRA. V, M and H read: ‘On the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar, tables of Ḥaberim (“associates”, i.e. men who observed levitical purity) were set up (for changing foreign currency into half-shekels); in the villages on the fourteenth and in the walled cities on the fifteenth’. In villages and towns [the Megillah] is read on the fourteenth [of Adar], and in walled cities22Those that, like Jerusalem, had been walled in the days of Joshua the son of Nun (cf. Meg. I, 1). on the fifteenth of the month. We read23On Purim in the morning service. from Then came Amalek;24Ex. 17, 8-16. and although it consists of only nine verses,25While the general rule is that a reading must consist of not less than ten verses (cf. Rule 7). we do not begin26For the third person called to the Torah. Now Jethro … heard,27Ex. 18, 1, etc., which follows the section beginning Then came Amalek. but the first [to be called up] reads three verses, viz. Then came Amalek … And Moses said … So Joshua did;28ibid. XVII, 8-10. the second reads And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand … But Moses’ hands … And Joshua discomfited;29ibid. 11-13. the third reads And the Lord said … And Moses built … And he said: The hand upon the throne of the Lord: the Lord will have war.30ibid. 14-16. The scroll of the Torah is then put back in its place, and Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for ever31Ps. 113, 2. and ḳaddish are said;32V inserts here in parentheses, as also M and H, ‘For there is no reading [of the Torah] which requires ḳaddish until after he restores [the scroll in the ark] except that of the Sabbath alone on account of the mafṭir and over the Prophet. After the scroll of the Torah is put in its place one says ṭaddish; and why ṭaddish? Only to teach’. GRA transposes this to the end of the Rule in an emended version. because neither on New Moons, nor fast days, nor Mondays and Thursdays, nor on the intermediate days of a Festival, nor the eight days of Ḥanukkah, nor Purim is ḳaddish said until after the Torah scroll had been restored to its place, while the people stand and respond ‘Amen, let His great name’, etc.,33Cf. P.B., p. 75. with devotion and [still] standing. Furthermore, you have no reading that requires a ḳaddish before [the scroll] is put back except that of Sabbath and Festivals alone, [when it is said] before the hafṭarah is read in the Prophet. R. Huna said: For three readings in the Torah34i.e. when only three persons are called up to the reading of a section, viz. on a Monday or Thursday or at a Sabbath afternoon service. not less than ten verses must be allotted.35Three verses for each of the first two and four for the third. Hezekiah36A Rabbi of that name. explained [the reason:37Why ten verses are required. The number] corresponds to the Ten Commandments. But have we not learned in a Mishnah:38Ta‘an. IV, 3 (Sonc. ed., p. 137). ‘On Sunday [the men of the ma‘amad read] In the beginning39Gen. 1, 1-4. and Let there be a firmament’40ibid. 5-8. although they contain not more than eight verses?41How then could R. Huna rule that a minimum of ten verses was required? R. Iddi said: Kahana and Ashë differ [on the method of procedure],42As how to make ten verses out of eight. one holding that [the reader] goes back, and the other maintaining that he cuts.43This is explained in the continuation. According to him who holds that ‘[the reader] goes back’, he repeats two verses;44The second person repeats the last two of the three verses which the first had read. The two, together with the eight, make up the minimum of ten verses. and according to him who maintains that ‘he cuts’, And there was evening and there was morning45The second part of each of verses 4 and 8 of Gen. 1. is a verse on its own.46So that verses 4 and 8 represent two verses each, bringing the number to ten. But have we not learned in [the same] Mishnah: ‘On Monday [the reading of the ma‘amad was] Let there be a firmament47Gen. 1, 6-8, three verses. and Let the waters … be gathered together’?48ibid. 9-13, five verses. Now, according to him who holds that ‘[the reader] goes back’, he goes back over two verses, but according to him who maintains that ‘he cuts’, even if he does so, there are not ten49Added by GRA, omitted by V, M and H. verses!50There would only be nine, since And there was evening, etc., forms the whole of verse 13 and cannot be reckoned as two verses as in the case of verses 5 and 8. R. Polippa b. R. Pariṭ raised an objection before R. Jonah,51To R. Huna’s ruling. ‘Behold the section of Amalek!’52Ex. 17, 8-16, read on Purim, which consists only of nine verses. ‘This is different’, he replied, ‘since53So GRA, M and H. V reads: ‘he said, No, it is taught, it’. it is the prescribed portion for the day’.54This reply could also have been given to the preceding objection, since in Gen. 1, 6-13, if only verse 8 is divided into two, there would be nine verses, as in the section of Amalek. R. Eliezer b. R. Maḳom raised an objection:55To R. Huna’s ruling. [It has been taught,] ‘He who reads the hafṭarah from the Prophet shall read not less than twenty-one verses’,56Meg. 23a (Sonc. ed., p. 140). From ‘but [if R. Huna’s ruling … to the last one]’ is added by GRA. V omits it but inserts in brackets: ‘It is permitted to skip in a Prophet but not in the Torah, because if [a reader] skipped even one verse by not reading it, and restored the scroll [to the ark] and recited ḳaddish, he must unroll it again, say the benedictions, and read that verse and the two verses which follow it’. This is a repetition of XI, 2, 6. but [if R. Huna’s ruling] is valid, twenty-three verses should be required, ten for the first three,57In accordance with R. Huna’s ruling above that ‘for three readings … no less than ten verses must be allotted’. ten for the second three, and three for the last one!58Since a minimum of three verses must be read for each person who is called up. No reply is given to the objection, but it is possible to provide the following explanation: Only when no more than three persons are called up is it necessary to allot ten verses, but when the number of persons is more than three, as, e.g., on the Sabbath when not less than seven persons must be called to the Torah, three verses for each person or twenty-one in all are sufficient. Where the custom is to read the Megillah on two days59The fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar. it should be so read, [and where it is customary to read it] in the night and in the day, it should be so read; all depends on the practice of the country. Furthermore, all Israel must read it in the holy tongue.60In Hebrew. 61From this point to the end of the tractate is an aggadic addendum. The greatest man among the Anakim62Josh. 14, 15.—among the Anakim refers to our father Abraham whose height was equal to that of seventy-four men; his eating and drinking were of a similar proportion, equal to those of seventy-four men; so too his strength. What did he do?63This is probably a reference to Gen. 25, 6, But unto the sons of the concubines … Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away … eastward, unto the east country. He removed the sixteen64So GRA in accordance with Gen. 25, 2-4. V, M and H incorrectly ‘seventeen’. sons of Keturah, built for them a walled city of iron and settled them in it. The sun never penetrated into it because it was exceedingly high, so Abraham handed to them disks of precious stones and pearls of which use will be made65So GRA. V, M and H read, ‘and they will be used’. in the hereafter when the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause the sun and moon to be confounded, as it is written, When the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed,66Is. 24, 23. because use will be made of these [disks as luminaries].Og67King of Bashan; Deut. 3, 11. is identical with Eliezer,68Abraham’s servant; cf. Gen. 15, 2, XXIV, 2ff. and [he was so huge that] he could hide Abraham’s feet in the palm of his hand. Once he was rebuked [by Abraham] and from fright his tooth fell out. Abraham picked it up and made ivory beds of it in which he slept. Others say that he made of it a chair which he used69lit. ‘and sat in it’. all his life. Who gave him to Abraham? Nimrod.70Mentioned in Gen. 10, 8ff. Og went and built sixty cities, the smallest of which was sixty miles high, as it is stated, Threescore cities, all the region of Argob.71Deut. 3, 4. And what did he eat? A thousand oxen and the same [number of] other animals, and his drink consisted of a thousand measures. A72So GRA. V, M and H read ‘and what was the’. drop of his semen weighed thirty-six pounds.73V and H add ‘and so for all generations’, which makes no sense.It was taught: What did our father Jacob do when his sons brought him the coat [stained] with blood?74Cf. Gen. 37, 31ff. He did not believe them at all. Whence do we infer this? For it is written, But he refused to be comforted,75ibid. 35. because no consolations are acceptable for a living person. One, however, who is dead passes naturally from the mind,76lit. ‘he is forgotten from the heart of his own accord’. as it is stated, I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind.77Ps. 31, 13. What then did he do? He proceeded to make a test with sheaves,78GRA transposes the order of V, M and H by putting the test of the sheaves before that of the stones, and omits ‘according to the first opinion’. writing upon them the respective names of the tribes, their constellations and the months, and said to them, ‘I order you to prostrate yourselves before Levi because he wears the Urim and Thummim’,79Cf. Ex. 28, 30. but they did not stand up. ‘Before Judah who is king’, but they did not stand up; but when he mentioned Joseph to them, they all stood up and bowed before Joseph. But it was not yet quite clear that he was alive. So Jacob went to the mountains, hewed twelve stones, arranged them in a row, and wrote on each the name of its tribe, the name of its constellation and the name of its month. On one stone he wrote ‘Reuben, lamb, Nisan’80The name of the tribe, constellation and month. and similarly on every stone. He began from Simeon and said to them, ‘I order you to stand up for Reuben’, but they did not stand up. ‘For Simeon’, but they did not stand up. ‘For every tribe’, but the stones did not stand up. As soon, however, as he mentioned the name of Joseph to them, they stood up at once and bowed before Joseph’s stone.81The translation follows the text of GRA. For this reason, all the tribes were written on Joseph’s stone. Similarly, all Israel are called by Joseph’s name, as it is stated, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock.82Ps. 80, 2 where Joseph is a synonym of all Israel. So also all the heads of the families of the priests and Levites, [e.g.] Eliashib,83Neh. 3, 1. because of the phrase lahashibo ’el ’abiw;84In the story of Joseph (Gen. 37, 22), E.V. to restore him to his father. The name Eliashib is broken up in three parts corresponding in sound and meaning to these three Heb. words. From ‘For this reason’ to ’abiw is the reading of GRA. V and H have instead: ‘but from the mishmaroth, Eliashib the priest’. Elḳanah,85Connected with ḳanah, ‘he bought’. because Potiphar had bought him [as it is stated,] And Joseph ms brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar … bought him.86Gen. 39, 1. V inserts in parentheses, And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Ẓaphenath, paneah, etc. (ibid. XLI, 45), which has no relevance to the subject.When Rebekah left her father’s house87Cf. ibid. XXIV, 59ff. she was three years old,88V, M and H add ‘and three days’. because it is customary among kings, when a daughter is born to them, to hear of it after three days;89H reads ‘after three years and three days’. but as her father did not hear [of her birth] he did not defile her up to that time; and now a miracle happened to her in that her father died so that he should not defile her, as it is written, Neither had any man known her,90Gen. 24, 16. and by man only her father could be meant,91From ‘he did not’ to ‘meant’ is GRA’s reading. V, M and H read: ‘therefore a miracle happened to her that she should not be defiled’. for such was the practice of the Arameans to lie with their virgin daughters after they were three years of age,92‘After … age’ is inserted by GRA; omitted in V, M and H. and then to give them away in marriage.93V, M and H add: ‘on account of that which is written, Neither had any man known her, and by man only her father could be meant’.Dinah was six years old when she bore Asenath from [her association with] Shechem,94Cf. Gen. 34. corresponding to95lit. ‘the number of’. the six years which Jacob served Laban in payment for the flock,96ibid. XXXI, 41. thus completing97lit. ‘until’. the twenty years of his service. [The Archangel] Michael then descended and took her away to the house of Potiphar.From here onward let the man of understanding increase knowledge.98From ‘completing the twenty years’ to ‘knowledge’ is GRA’s text. V and M have instead: ‘and he added twenty years, because he died. From this point onwards let the man of understanding increase knowledge. And Michael descended and led her to Potiphar’s house’.