[9a - 53 lines; 9b - 51 lines]
1)[line 1]מוריקותMORIKOS- (a) her face would pale; (b) her face would turn yellowish-green (based on TOSFOS to Yevamos 60b DH Siman and to Bechoros 44b DH li'Yedei)
2)[line 1]כחלה לו עיניהKACHALAH LO EINEHA- painted her eyelids with a blue or tinted powder
3)[line 2]קלעה לו את שערהKAL'AH LO ES SA'ARAH- braided her hair
4)[line 4]נושרותNOSHROS- fall out
5)[line 7]יריכה נופלתYEREICHAH NOFELES- her thigh collapses
6)[line 8]בטנה צבהBITNAH TZAVAH- her belly swells
7)[line 11]במקידה של חרשMEKEIDAH SHEL CHERES- a type of earthenware vessel
8)[line 12]יושב בסתר עליון שם בה פניםYOSHEV B'SESER ELYON SAM BAH PANIM- HaSh-m (who is "Yoshev b'Seser Elyon" - the Most High, Who sits hidden - Tehilim 91:1) interrupts his activities and takes out the time to see to her punishment
9)[line 13]"ועין נאף שמרה נשף לאמר לא תשורני עין [וסתר פנים ישים]""V'EIN NO'EF SHAMRAH NESHEF LEIMOR LO SESHURENI AYIN; [V'SESER PANIM YASIM]"- "The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, 'No eye shall see me;' [and he disguises his face]" (Iyov 24:15).
10)[line 16]"תכסה שנאה במשאון תגלה רעתו בקהל""TIKASEH SIN'AH B'MASHA'ON, TIGALEH RA'ASO V'KAHAL"- "Though his hatred (i.e. evil deeds, hateful to HaSh-m) is covered by darkness, his wickedness will be exposed before the whole congregation" (Mishlei 26:26).
11)[line 22]נפרעNIFRA- exact payment, punish
12)[line 22]שעת שילוחהSHE'AS SHILUCHAH- the time that it is sent away (destroyed) from the world
13)[line 24]שלשה כוסות האמורות במצריםSHELOSHAH KOSOS HA'AMUROS B'MITZRAYIM- the three times that the word "cup" is mentioned in the dream of the Sar ha'Mashkim (Pharaoh's steward who brought him his drinks) (Bereishis 40:11)
14)[line 26]פרעה נכהPAR'OH NECHOH- (lit. Pharaoh the Lame) King of Egypt at the time of Yoshiyahu ha'Melech (who reigned ~ 3285 - 3316), who wanted to pass through Eretz Yisrael on his way to war against Ashur (Melachim II 23:29-35; Divrei ha'Yamim II 35:20-36:4). His archers killed Yoshiyahu, who did not want to let his army pass through the land. He is called "the Lame" because he tried to sit on the miraculous throne of Shlomo ha'Melech and was hit by one of the mechanical golden lions, which crippled him (Vayikra Rabah 20:1, Targum Sheni, beginning of Megilas Esther).
15)[line 27]הנך אזדוHANACH AZDU- these (the original Egyptian people who lived at the time of the Exodus) have all left or died out
16)[line 28]מנימין גר המצריMINYAMIN GER HA'MITZRI - Minyamin, the Egyptian convert (MITZRI V'EDOMI)
(a)Only the grandchild of an Egyptian or Edomite convert may marry into the Jewish people (Devarim 23:8-9) (Yevamos 76b). One who marries a first- or second-generation Egyptian or Edomite convert transgresses a Lav ha'Ba mi'Klal Aseh. This prohibition applies to both male and female converts. If an Egyptian woman married to an Egyptian man converts while she is pregnant, the child who is born is a Mitzri Sheni (second-generation Egyptian).
(b)According to most opinions this prohibition does not apply today because the Egyptians and Edomites about whom the Torah speaks have become lost among the nations (SEFER HA'CHINUCH # 563, 564).
17)[line 37]"כי אני ה' לא שניתי; ואתם בני יעקב לא כליתם""KI ANI HASH-M, LO SHANISI; V'ATEM BENEI YAKOV LO CHELISEM"- "For I am HaSh-m, I do not change; therefore you sons of Yakov are not consumed" (Mal'achi 3:6).
18)[line 39]ושניתי להV'SHINEISI LAH- and I did smite them a second time; i.e. they were totally destroyed the first time (the word "Shanisi" also has the connotation of "I did it a second time")
19)[line 40]"[אספה עלימו רעות;] חצי אכלה בם""[ASPEH ALEIMO RA'OS;] CHITZAI ACHALEH BAM"- "[I will heap evils upon them;] I will use up My arrows against them" (Devarim 32:23).
20)[line 42]עד שתתמלא סאתוAD SH'TISMALEI SE'ASO- until his measure (of sins) has been filled
21)[line 40]"במלאות שפקו יצר לו [כל יד עמל תבאנו]""BI'MLOS SIFKO YETZER LO; [KOL YAD AMEL TEVOENU]"- "In the fullness of his satiety misfortune will strike him; all the force of misery shall come upon him" (Iyov 20:22) - The Gemara renders the beginning of this verse as, "When the amount that suffices will be filled, misfortune will strike him."
22)[line 45]"לישרים נאוה תהלה""LA'YSHARIM NAVAH SEHILAH"- "for praise [of HaSh-m] befits the upright" (Tehilim 33:1).
23)[line 46]נאוה תהלהNAVEH TEHILAH- they will utter praise to HaSh-m for matters of "Naveh," the buildings that they erected
24a)[line 49]קרשיוKERASHAV- its boards (which enclosed it on three sides)
b)[line 49]קרסיוKERASAV- its clasps (which held together the two halves of the two lower coverings)
c)[line 49]ובריחיוBERICHAV- its supporting rods
d)[line 50]ועמודיוAMUDAV- its [four] pillars which stood in the entrance and supported the Masach ha'Pesach - the entrance curtain]
e)[line 50]ואדניוADANAV- its sockets (into which the boards were placed) (All of the abovementioned parts of the Mishkan are listed in Shemos 39:33)
25)[line 51]מחילות של היכלMECHILOS SHEL HEICHAL- the tunnels under the Heichal (where the Menorah, Shulchan, and Golden Altar were hidden)
9b----------------------------------------9b
26)[line 1]בנחש הקדמוניNACHASH HA'KADMONI- the original snake [in the Garden of Eden]
27)[line 4]יהלך בקומה זקופהYEHALECH B'KOMAH ZEKUFAH- it should walk upright
28)[line 4]על גחונו ילךAL GECHONO YELECH- it will crawl on its stomach
29)[line 11]והדר בטן לייטV'HADAR BETEN LAYIT- and afterwards he curses the belly (Bamidbar 5:21)
30)[line 11]כי אורחייהו בדקיKI ORCHAYHU BADKI- [the Mei Sotah] only poison [the unfaithful wife] in the normal path [of their entrance into her body]
31)[line 12]דמודע לה כהןD'MODA LAH KOHEN- [In that verse,] the Kohen lets her know [the order of the impending punishment]
32)[line 13]להוציא לעזL'HOTZI LA'AZ- to cause bad rumors to be spoken [about the Mei Sotah]
33)[line 14]נקרוNIKRU- gouged out
34)[line 16]לונביותLUNVIYOS- spears
35)[line 16]"ויאמר יואב לא כן אחילה לפניך ויקח שלשה שבטים בכפו ויתקעם בלב אבשלום עודנו חי בלב האלה. ויסבו עשרה נערים נשאי כלי יואב ויכו את אבשלום וימתהו""VA'YOMER YO'AV 'LO CHEN OCHILAH LEFANAECHA.' VA'YIKACH SHELOSHAH SHEVATIM B'CHAPO VA'YISKA'EM B'LEV AVSHALOM, ODENU CHAI B'LEV HA'ELAH. VAYASOBU ASARAH NE'ARIM NOS'EI K'LEI YO'AV, VA'YAKU ES AVSHALOM VA'YEMISEHU" - "And Yo'av said, 'I am not going to keep on begging you.' So he took three staves in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Avshalom, who remained alive in the midst of the oak-tree. And ten young men, the armor-bearers of Yo'av, surrounded Avshalom, and they struck and killed him" (Shmuel II 18:14) (THE DEATH OF AVSHALOM)
(a)When, during the battle between David and his son Avshalom, one of Yo'av's men reported having spotted Avshalom hanging by his hair from the branch of an oak-tree. This was no coincidence, for, as the Gemara explains, "Avshalom sinned with his hair, and therefore he was suspended by his hair." (See Background to Sotah 10:34.)
(b)Yo'av asked him why he had not killed Avshalom on the spot, for which he would have been amply rewarded. The man replied that no reward would have induced him to lay a hand on the son of the king who had specifically warned them not to kill his rebel son under any circumstances. Ignoring his reply, Yo'av thrust three staves into Avshalom's heart. Somehow, they did not kill him, and it was his ten armor-bearers who finished the job.
(c)They placed the body of Avshalom into a large pit in the forest which they then covered with a huge pile of stones. Meanwhile, his army fled from the battlefront.
(d)Avshalom, before his death, had prepared a monument to perpetuate his is name, as his whose four children (three sons and one daughter) had all died during his lifetime. He constructed a stone monument that was to cover his grave following his death. He called it "Yad Avshalom," a name by which it was still called many years later. (See Background to Sotah 10:39.)
36)[line 17]"ויעש אבשלום כדבר הזה לכל ישראל אשר יבאו למשפט אל המלך; ויגנב אבשלום את לב אנשי ישראל""VA'YA'AS AVSHALOM KA'DAVAR HA'ZEH L'CHOL YISRAEL ASHER YAVO'U LA'MISHPAT EL HA'MELECH; VA'YIGNOV AVSHALOM ES LEV ANSHEI YISRAEL" - "And that is what Avshalom did to all Yisrael who came to the king for judgment. And Avshalom stole the hearts of the men of Yisrael" (Shmuel II 15:6) (AVSHALOM STEALS THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE)
(a)Having finally recalled Avshalom from his self-imposed exile (where he fled after killing his half-brother, Amnon), David ha'Melech (due to the behind-the-scenes cunning manipulation of Yo'av) was reconciled with his son.
(b)Avshalom, however, an ambitious man, still had his eye on the throne, and it was to that end that he put the following plan into motion: He first made himself a horse-drawn carriage, in front of which he had fifty men run, whose spleens and soles of their feet had been removed (so that they were able to run long distances without feeling pain). Each morning he would stand at the palace gate, where, he would intercept all those on their way to the king seeking justice and, employing smooth talk, he would ensure them that they were in the right and convince them that his father would not provide them with the treatment that they deserved. Then he would express his wish that he be able to judge the people in place of the king, and, as they approached him to bow down to him, he would hold them and kiss them.
(c)In this way, he stole the hearts of the people, and he gathered for himself a large following in preparation for the rebellion that he would soon stage.
(d)The Navi then describes how, under the pretext of fulfilling the vow that he had made upon going into exile - that should HaSh-m return him to Yerushalayim he would serve him, he obtained permission from his father to go to Chevron to bring his Korban on the Bamah there. Once there, by means of spies whom he had sent throughout Yisrael, he arranged that the people, upon hearing the Shofar blast, would announce that Avshalom had become king in Chevron. The rebellion had begun.
37)[line 20]"ותתצב אחתו מרחק [לדעה מה יעשה לו]""VA'TESATZAV ACHOSO ME'RACHOK [L'DE'AH MAH YE'ASEH LO]"- "And his sister stood at a distance [to see what would happen to him]" (Shemos 2:4).
38)[line 23]פרשיםPARASHIM- horsemen
39)[line 25]בגיאBA'GAI- in the valley
40)[line 28]"ויאחזוהו פלשתים וינקרו את עיניו ויורידו אותו עזתה ויאסרוהו בנחשתים ויהי טוחן בבית האסורים""VA'YOCHAZUHU PELISHTIM VA'YENAKRU ES EINAV VA'YORIDU OSO AZASAH, VA'YA'ASRUHU BA'NECHUSHTAYIM, VA'YEHI TOCHEN B'VEIS HA'ASURIM" - "And the Pelishtim seized him and they poked out his eyes and brought him down to Azah, where they bound him in fetters and made him grind in prison" (Shoftim 16:21) (SHIMSHON IN CAPTIVITY)
The Pelishtim's revenge against Shimshon was sweet. They made him grind their corn, a difficult and degrading task, and relate the stories of his mighty deeds. According to the Gemara later, the word "grind" has other connotations. They all brought their wives for him to be intimate with in the hope that they would bear children from him who would be as strong as he had been.
41)[line 29]כי אזל מיהא בתר (ישרותיה) [ישרות עיניו] אזלKI AZAL MIHA BASAR (YASHRUSEI) [YASHRUS EINAV] AZAL- however, he followed his inclination
42)[line 30]בעזהAZAH- a city of Eretz Yisrael located on the Mediterranean coast, one of the chief cities of the Pelishtim
43)[line 32]"וירד שמשון תמנתה וירא אשה בתמנתה מבנות פלשתים... ויאמר לו אביו ואמו האין בבנות אחיך ובכל עמי אשה כי אתה הולך לקחת אשה מפלשתים הערלים... ואמר שמשון אל אביו אותה קח לי כי היא ישרה בעיני. ואביו ואמו לא ידעו כי מה' היא כי תאנה הוא מבקש מפלשתים... וילך שמשון עזתה וירא שם אשה זונה ויבא אליה""VA'YERED SHIMSHON TIMNASAH VA'YAR ISHAH B'SIMNASAH MI'BENOS PELISHTIM... VA'YOMER LO AVIV V'IMO, 'HA'EIN BI'VENOS ACHECHA UV'CHOL AMI ISHAH, KI ATAH HOLECH LAKACHAS ISHAH MI'PELISHTIM HA'ARELIM?' VA'YOMER SHIMSHON EL AVIV, 'OSAH KACH LI, KI HI YASHRAH B'EINAV.' V'AVIV V'IMO LO YAD'U KI M'HASH-M HI, KI SO'ENAH HU MEVAKESH MI'PELISHTIM... VA'YELECH SHIMSHON AZASAH, VA'YAR SHAM ISHAH ZONAH VA'YAVO ELEHAH." - "And Shimshon went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Pelishtim... And his father and mother said to him, 'Are there not amongst our own people any women, that you go to take a woman from the uncircumcised Pelishtim?'… And Shimshon answered his father, 'Her you shall take for me, since she is the one I want!' His father did not know however, that this was from HaSh-m, who was looking for an excuse to overthrow the Pelishtim... And Shimshon went down to Azah, and he saw there a prostitute and he was intimate with her" (Shoftim 14:1, 3-4; 16:1) (SHIMSHON IS PUNISHED MIDAH K'NEGED MIDAH)
(a)Shimshon first sinned in Azah, Chazal tell us, and thus he was punished in Azah. Shimshon sinned with his eyes, and so the Pelishtim poked out his eyes, Midah k'Neged Midah (measure for measure).
(b)See Background to Moed Katan 18:43.
44)[line 33]בנחל שורקNACHAL SOREK- a valley near Beis Shemesh in the central foothills of Eretz Yisrael
45)[line 33]"ויהי אחרי כן ויאהב אשה בנחל שורק ושמה דלילה""VA'YEHI ACHAREI CHEN VA'YE'EHAV ISHAH B'NACHAL SOREK, U'SHEMAH DELILAH" - "And it was after this that he fell in love with a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah" (Shoftim 16:4) (SHIMSHON AND DELILAH)
(a)This was the beginning of Shimshon's downfall, as Chazal say, "Shimshon went after his eyes; therefore, they poked out his eyes."
(b)The verse goes on to inform us how the Pelishtim lost no time in sending officers to talk Delilah into spying on Shimshon and discovering the secret of his strength. They offered her a handsome reward for her services, and she, for her part, lost no time in playing her new role.
46)[line 35]דילדלהDILDELAH- uprooted, confounded
47)[line 35]"ויהי כי הציקה לא בדבריה כל הימים ותאלצהו ותקצר נפשו למות. ויגד לה את כל לבו ויאמר לה מורה לא עלה על ראשי כי נזיר אלקים אני מבטן אמי אם גלחתי וסר ממני כחי וחליתי והייתי ככל אדם. ותרא דלילה כי הגיד לה את כל לבו ותשלח ותקרא לסרני פלשתים ויעלו הכסף בידם""VA'YEHI KI HETZIKAH LO BI'DEVAREHAH KOL HA'YAMIM VA'TE'ALTZEHU VA'TIKTZAR NAFSHO LAMUS. VA'YAGED LAH ES KOL LIBO VA'YOMER LAH, 'MOREH LO YA'ALEH AL ROSHI, KI NEZIR ELOKIM ANI MI'BETEN IMI; IM GULACHTI V'SAR MIMENI KOCHI, V'CHALISI V'HAYISI K'CHOL ADAM. VA'TEREI DELILAH KI HIGID LAH ES KOL LIBO, VA'TISHLACH VA'TIKRA L'SARNEI PELISHTIM LEIMOR, 'ALU HA'PA'AM KI HIGID LI ES KOL LIBO'; V'ALU EILEHAH SARNEI PELISHTIM VA'YA'ALU HA'KESEF B'YADAM" - "And it was when she tormented him with her words day after day, she pressed him, and he felt that he wanted to die. Then he told her the truth and he said to her, 'No razor has ever passed over my head, for I am a Nazarite of G-d from birth; if I were to be shaven my strength would depart and I would become weak like any other man.' And Delilah saw that he had told her the truth, so she sent and called for the Philistine princes, saying, 'Come this time, since he has told me the truth.' And the Philistine princes came to her, bringing the money with them" (Shoftim 16:16-18) (SHIMSHON'S DOWNFALL)
(a)Three times Delilah attempted to discover the required information, each time by means of a direct question put to her unsuspecting lover. Each time she carried out his instructions to the letter, first by tying him up with seven thin fresh cords, then with thick new ropes, and finally by weaving the seven locks of his head on to the weft of the weaving-loom, while the enemy lay waiting in the adjoining room, ready to pounce on him and take him captive. Three times she announced, "The Pelishtim are upon you, Shimshon," to see whether he had told her the truth. Each time, he snapped the rope and pulled out the weaving-loom with ease.
(b)After scolding Shimshon for professing to love her and then lying to her, she changed her tactics and began torturing him by withholding herself from him during their intimacy, while taunting him with her words, until finally he broke down and told her the truth. She knew it was the truth because the Tzadik Shimshon would not utter the Name of HaSh-m in connection with something that was not true, and this was the first time during their conversations on this topic that he mentioned it.
48)[line 36]"ותישנהו על ברכיה ותקרא לאיש ותגלח את שבע מחלפות ראשו ותחל לענותו ויסר כחו מעליו. ותאמר פלשתים עליך שמשון ויקץ משנתו ויאמר אצא כפעם בפעם ואנער והוא לא ידע כי ה' סר מעליו""VA'TEYASHENIHU AL BIRKEHAH VA'TIKRA LA'ISH, VA'TEGALACH ES SHEVA MACHLEFOS ROSHO, VA'TACHEL L'ANOSO, VA'YASAR KOCHO ME'ALAV. VA'TOMER, 'PELISHTIM ALECHA SHIMSHON!' VA'YIKATZ MI'SHENASO, VA'YOMER, 'ETZEI K'FA'AM B'FA'AM V'INA'ER. V'HU LO YADA KI HASH-M SAR ME'ALAV" - "And she put him to sleep on her knees (as she had done on each of the previous occasions - RADAK) and she called the man (the barber) and ordered him to shave off the seven locks of his head, and she began to torment him, but his strength had left him. And she called out, 'The Pelishtim are upon you, Shimshon!' And he awoke from his sleep and said, 'I will go out like the other times and gather strength.' But he did not know that HaSh-m had left him" (Shoftim 16:19-20) (SHIMSHON'S STRENGTH LEAVES HIM)
See Background to Yevamos 118:1
49)[line 40]קושטאKUSHTA- the truth
50)[line 42]"ועתה השמרי נא ואל תשתי יין ושכר ואל תאכלי כל טמא. כי הנך הרה וילדת בן ומורה לא יעלה על ראשו כי נזיר א-לקים יהיה הנער מן הבטן והוא יחל להושיע את ישראל מיד פלשתים""V'ATAH HISHAMRI NA V'AL TISHTI YAYIN V'SHECHAR V'AL TOCHLI KOL TAMEI. KI HINACH HARAH V'YOLAD'T BEN, U'MORAH LO YA'ALEH AL ROSHO, KI NEZIR E-LOKIM YIHEYEH HA'NA'AR MIN HA'BATEN, V'HU YACHEL L'HOSHI'A ES YISRAEL MI'YAD PELISHTIM" - "And now, take care not to drink fresh or strong wine and do not eat something that is Tamei (i.e. whatever is forbidden to a Nazir). Because you are about to become pregnant and give birth to a son; a razor shall not pass over his head, for the boy will be a Nazir of G-d from birth; and he will begin to deliver Yisrael from the hands of the Pelishtim" (Shoftim 13:4-5) (SHIMSHON IS A NAZIR FROM BIRTH)
(a)Shimshon's Nezirus was different from that of a regular Nazir in that he was a Nazir from birth. This is because his mother was instructed to refrain from food that is forbidden to a Nazir for the duration of her pregnancy.
(b)See Background to Nazir 4:21.
51)[line 43]ותו עד השתא דברים טמאים קאכלה?V'SU, AD HASHTA DEVARIM TEME'IM KA'ACHLAH?- And furthermore, had she eaten non-Kosher items up until then?
52)[line 44]דברים האסורים בנזירDEVARIM HA'ASURIM B'NAZIR (NAZIR)
If a person makes a vow to become a Nazir without stipulating a time period, his or her Nezirus lasts for a period of thirty days. If the person stipulates a time period, his or her Nezirus lasts for whatever amount of time he stipulated. During this period, the Nazir is not allowed to:
1.cut his hair;
2.become Tamei by touching or being in the same room as a corpse;
3.consume any products of the grapevine (Bamidbar 6:1-21, SEFER HA'CHINUCH #377).
53)[line 45]"ויבקע א-לקים את המכתש אשר בלחי""VA'YIVKA E-LOKIM ES HA'MACHTESH ASHER BA'LECHI..."- "But HaSh-m split a hollow place that was in the jawbone, [and water came out; and when he drank, his spirit was restored and he revived; therefore he called its name Ein ha'Korei Asher ba'Lechi ('the Spring of the Supplicant (who was answered) through the Jawbone') to this day]" (Shoftim 15:19).
54)[line 45]איוהIVAH- desired
55)[line 48]מקשקשת לפניו כזוגMEKASHKESHES LEFANAV K'ZOG- [the Divine Presence] rang before him like a bell