Chapter 22

1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:   אוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר:
2"And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the city of bloodshed and let her know all her abominations?   בוְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֔ם הֲתִשְׁפֹּ֥ט הֲתִשְׁפֹּ֖ט אֶת־עִ֣יר הַדָּמִ֑ים וְה֣וֹדַעְתָּ֔הּ אֵ֖ת כָּל־תּֽוֹעֲבֹתֶֽיהָ:
will you judge the city of bloodshed. Jerusalem.   ויהי דבר ה' אלי לאמר. התשפוט את עיר הדמים.  ירושלים:
and let her know. The “ heh” in והודעתה is pointed, so that the meaning is, “and let her know.”   והודעתה.  מפיק ה"א והודעתה אותה:
3Then you shall say; So said the Lord God: O city that sheds blood in her midst, even now, when her time is approaching, and makes idols over her to defile herself.   גוְאָמַרְתָּ֗ כֹּ֚ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה עִ֣יר שֹׁפֶ֥כֶת דָּ֛ם בְּתוֹכָ֖הּ לָב֣וֹא עִתָּ֑הּ וְעָשְׂתָ֧ה גִלּוּלִ֛ים עָלֶ֖יהָ לְטָמְאָֽה:
O city that sheds blood in her midst, her time is approaching. This is a transposed verse, and this is its meaning: A city that sheds blood in her midst the Lord God said that its time is coming.   עיר שופכת דם בתוכה לבוא עתה.  הרי זה מקרא מסורס וזהו פיר' עיר שופכת דם בתוכה אמר ה' אלהים לבוא עתה:
and makes idols. Like “and which makes idols, etc.”   ועשתה גילולים.  כמו ואשר עשתה גלולים וגו':
4By the blood that you have shed you have become laden with guilt, and by your idols that you have made you have become defiled; and you have made your days draw near, and you have come up to your years; therefore have I made you an object of shame to the nations and [a subject of] gossip to all the lands.   דבְּדָמֵ֨ךְ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁפַ֜כְתְּ אָשַׁ֗מְתְּ וּבְגִלּוּלַ֚יִךְ אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂית֙ טָמֵ֔את וַתַּקְרִ֣יבִי יָמַ֔יִךְ וַתָּב֖וֹא עַד־שְׁנוֹתָ֑יִךְ עַל־כֵּ֗ן נְתַתִּ֚יךְ חֶרְפָּה֙ לַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְקַלָּסָ֖ה לְכָל־הָֽאֲרָצֽוֹת:
up to your years. The decree of (Deut. 4:25): “and you will have grown old,” with its numerical value, which Moses said.   עד שנותיך.  גזירת ונושנתם (דברים ד) בגי' שאמר משה:
and [a subject of] gossip. Heb. וְקַלָסָה, gossip, that everyone will speak about you, parlediz in Old French, [subject of] gossip.   וקלסה.  דבה שהכל נדברים ביך פרלרי"ץ בלע"ז:
5Those that are near and those that are far from you will gossip about you-you-whose name is so befouled, in whom the turmoil is so great.   ההַקְּרֹב֛וֹת וְהָֽרְחֹק֥וֹת מִמֵּ֖ךְ יִתְקַלְּסוּ־בָ֑ךְ טְמֵאַ֣ת הַשֵּׁ֔ם רַבַּ֖ת הַמְּהוּמָֽה:
will gossip about you. And what is the gossip?…   יתקלסו בך.  ומה היא הקלסות
whose name is so befouled. This is she who befouled her name, for they were called a holy people, sons of their Creator, and they caused themselves to be called (Isa. 6:5) “a people of unclean lips.”   טמאת השם.  זו היא שטמאת את שמה שהיו נקראים עם קדוש בנים ליוצרם וגרמו עצמם להקראו' עם טמא שפתים (ישעיהו ו׳:ה׳):
6Behold, the princes of Israel were in you, each one by his own arm in order to shed blood.   והִנֵּה֙ נְשִׂיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִ֥ישׁ לִזְרֹע֖וֹ הָ֣יוּ בָ֑ךְ לְמַ֖עַן שְׁפָךְ־דָּֽם:
each one by his own arm. Whoever was stronger overpowered [the other].   איש לזרועו.  כל דאלים גבר:
7Father and mother are held light in you; they have dealt against the stranger with oppression in your midst; orphan and widow have they wronged in you.   זאָ֚ב וָאֵם֙ הֵקַ֣לּוּ בָ֔ךְ לַגֵּ֛ר עָשׂ֥וּ בַעֹ֖שֶׁק בְּתוֹכֵ֑ךְ יָת֥וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֖ה ה֥וֹנוּ בָֽךְ:
Father and mother are held light in you. All the abominations in the section of (Lev. 19, 20) “You shall be holy,” about which they were warned, are enumerated here.   אב ואם הקלו בך.  כל התועבות שבפ' קדושים תהיו שהוזהרו עליהם נמנו כאן:
8My holy things have you despised, and My Sabbaths have you profaned.   חקָֽדָשַׁ֖י בָּזִ֑ית וְאֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י חִלָּֽלְתְּ:
My holy things have you despised. And not as I said (Lev. 22:29): “you shall slaughter it as an expression of your good will.”   קדשי בזית.  ולא כמו שאמרתי לרצונכם תזבחו (ויקרא י"ט):
9Talebearers have been in you in order to shed blood, and in you they have eaten upon the mountains; in your midst they have held wicked plans.   טאַנְשֵׁ֥י רָכִ֛יל הָ֥יוּ בָ֖ךְ לְמַ֣עַן שְׁפָךְ־דָּ֑ם וְאֶל־הֶֽהָרִים֙ אָ֣כְלוּ בָ֔ךְ זִמָּ֖ה עָשׂ֥וּ בְתוֹכֵֽךְ:
and in you they have eaten upon the mountains. and on the mountains they have worshipped in you to pagan deities.   ואל ההרים אכלו בך.  ובטוריא פלחו ביך לטעותא:
they have held wicked plans. Heb. זִמָה, plans of wickedness.   זמה עשו.  עצות של רשעה:
10Their fathers' nakedness they uncovered in you; they have afflicted the woman in her unclean period.   יעֶרְוַת־אָ֖ב גִּלָּה־בָ֑ךְ טְמֵאַ֥ת הַנִּדָּ֖ה עִנּוּ־בָֽךְ:
11In you one man committed an abomination with his neighbor's wife; another incestuously defiled his daughter-in-law, and another afflicted his sister, the daughter of his father.   יאוְאִ֣ישׁ | אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֗הוּ עָשָׂה֙ תּֽוֹעֵבָ֔ה וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶת־כַּלָּת֖וֹ טִמֵּ֣א בְזִמָּ֑ה וְאִ֛ישׁ אֶת־אֲחֹת֥וֹ בַת־אָבִ֖יו עִנָּה־בָֽךְ:
12In you they have taken bribes to shed blood; usury and increased pay have you taken, and enriched your neighbors with dishonest gain-and Me you have forgotten, says the Lord God.   יבשֹׁ֥חַד לָֽקְחוּ־בָ֖ךְ לְמַ֣עַן שְׁפָךְ־דָּ֑ם נֶ֧שֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּ֣ית לָקַ֗חַתְּ וַתְּבַצְּעִ֚י רֵעַ֙יִךְ֙ בַּעֹ֔שֶׁק וְאֹתִ֣י שָׁכַ֔חַתְּ נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱהֹוִֽה:
and enriched your neighbors with dishonest gain. You made your friends rich with the dishonest gain that you gained dishonestly from the poor. Another explanation: וַתְּבַצְעִי is a form of a word for robbery, like (Ps. 10:3): “and the robber (וּבֹצֵעַ) blesses himself for having blasphemed the Lord.” Accordingly, its interpretation is: and you robbed your friends with affliction.   ותבצעי רעיך בעושק.  העשרת את אוהביך בעושק שעשקת מן העניים לשון אחר ותבצעי לשון גזל כמו ובוצע ברך נאץ ה' (תהלים ו') וכה פתרונו ותגזלי לרעיך בעושק:
13And behold, I clapped My hands together over your dishonest gain which you have made and over your blood-guilt that is in you.   יגוְהִנֵּה֙ הִכֵּ֣יתִי כַפִּ֔י אֶל־בִּצְעֵ֖ךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֑ית וְעַ֨ל־דָּמֵ֔ךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ בְּתוֹכֵֽךְ:
I clapped My hands together. I cried out, “Woe!” and lamentation.   הכיתי כפי.  צעקתי ווי וקינה:
over your dishonest gain. Here we learn that robbery is more severe than all of them, for their verdict was sealed because of it.   אל בצעיך.  כאן למדנו שהגזל קשה מן הכל שעליו נתחתם גזר דין:
14Will your heart endure, or will your hands remain strong in the days that I will deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I shall perform.   ידהֲיַֽעֲמֹ֚ד לִבֵּךְ֙ אִם־תֶּחֱזַ֣קְנָה יָדַ֔יִךְ לַיָּמִ֕ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י עֹשֶׂ֣ה אוֹתָ֑ךְ אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי וְעָשִֽׂיתִי:
that I will deal with you. That I will deal with you according to your deeds.   אשר אני עושה אותך.  פועל לך כפעלך:
15I will scatter you among the nations and fling you out into the lands and I will make your impurity completely disappear out of you.   טווַֽהֲפִֽיצוֹתִ֚י אוֹתָךְ֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם וְזֵֽרִיתִ֖יךְ בָּֽאֲרָצ֑וֹת וַֽהֲתִמֹּתִ֥י טֻמְאָתֵ֖ךְ מִמֵּֽךְ:
and I will make… completely disappear. And I will end.   והתימותי.  וכליתי:
16And you shall be profaned within yourself before the eyes of the nations, and you shall know that I am the Lord."   טזוְנִחַ֥לְתְּ בָּ֖ךְ לְעֵינֵ֣י גוֹיִ֑ם וְיָדַ֖עַתְּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָֽה:
And you shall be profaned within yourself. Heb. וְנִחַלְתְּ בָּךְ, you shall be profaned within yourself for what you have done.   ונחלת בך.  תתחלחלי בעצמך על מה שעשית:
17And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:   יזוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר:
18"Son of man! The house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are copper and tin and iron and lead in the midst of a furnace; dross of silver have they become.   יחבֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הָֽיוּ־לִ֥י בֵֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְסִ֑יג (כתיב לְסִ֑וג) כֻּלָּ֡ם נְ֠חֹשֶׁת וּבְדִ֨יל וּבַרְזֶ֚ל וְעוֹפֶ֙רֶת֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ כּ֔וּר סִיגִ֥ים כֶּ֖סֶף הָיֽוּ:
dross. A mixture of dross mixed in silver and gold, and it is necessary to smelt it in fire to refine it.   לסיג.  תערובת פסולת המעורב בכסף וזהב וצריך להתיכו באש לצורפו:
a furnace. in which gold is refined.   כור.  שצורפין בו זהב:
19Therefore, so said the Lord God: Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I gather you together into the midst of Jerusalem.   יטלָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה יַ֛עַן הֱי֥וֹת כֻּלְּכֶ֖ם לְסִגִּ֑ים לָכֵן֙ הִֽנְנִ֣י קֹבֵ֣ץ אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֶל־תּ֖וֹךְ יְרֽוּשָׁלִָֽם:
20As they gather silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace to blow fire upon it, to melt it, so shall I gather with My wrath and with My fury, and I shall cast you in and melt you.   כקְבֻ֣צַת כֶּ֡סֶף וּ֠נְחֹשֶׁת וּבַרְזֶ֨ל וְעוֹפֶ֚רֶת וּבְדִיל֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ כּ֔וּר לָפַֽחַת־עָלָ֥יו אֵ֖שׁ לְהַנְתִּ֑יךְ כֵּ֚ן אֶקְבֹּץ֙ בְּאַפִּ֣י וּבַֽחֲמָתִ֔י וְהִנַּחְתִּ֥י וְהִתַּכְתִּ֖י אֶתְכֶֽם:
As they gather silver. As the silversmith gathers all the dross into the furnace.   קבוצת כסף.  כאשר יקבוץ הצורף את כל הסיגים אל תוך כור:
to blow. Heb. לָפַחַת, to blow (לְנַפֵּחַ).   לפחת.  לנפח:
to melt. Heb. לְהַנְתִּיךְ. (Exod. 25:12) “and cast (וְיָצַקְתָּ)” is translated into Aramaic as וְתַתִּיךְ.   להנתיך.  ויצקת מתרגם ותתיך:
21And I shall gather you, and I shall blow upon you with the fire of My anger, and you will be melted in its midst.   כאוְכִנַּסְתִּ֣י אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְנָפַחְתִּ֥י עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּאֵ֣שׁ עֶבְרָתִ֑י וְנִתַּכְתֶּ֖ם בְּתוֹכָֽהּ:
22As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so will you be melted in its midst, and you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My fury upon you."   כבכְּהִתּ֥וּךְ כֶּ֙סֶף֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ כּ֔וּר כֵּ֖ן תֻּתְּכ֣וּ בְתוֹכָ֑הּ וִֽידַעְתֶּם֙ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה שָׁפַ֥כְתִּי חֲמָתִ֖י עֲלֵיכֶֽם:
23Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:   כגוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר:
24"Son of man, say to her: You are a land that is not cleansed; it was not rained upon on the day of fury.   כדבֶּן־אָדָ֕ם אֱמָר־לָ֕הּ אַ֣תְּ אֶ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א מְטֹֽהָרָ֖ה הִ֑יא לֹ֥א גֻשְׁמָ֖הּ בְּי֥וֹם זָֽעַם:
it was not rained upon on the day of fury. The rain fit to cleanse it on the day of fury was not given it, and the explanation of the matter is as the Targum paraphrases: Good deeds were not performed in her which would protect her on the day of curse.   לא גושמה ביום זעם.  לא נתן גשם הראוי לה לטהר ביום זעם ופירוש הדבר כתרגומו לא איתעבידו בה עובדין טבין דיגנון עלה ביום לווט:
25There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst; like a roaring lion, tearing prey; they devoured souls, riches and honor they take, they increase her widows in her midst.   כהקֶ֚שֶׁר נְבִיאֶ֙יהָ֙ בְּתוֹכָ֔הּ כַּֽאֲרִ֥י שׁוֹאֵ֖ג טֹ֣רֵף טָ֑רֶף נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָכָ֗לוּ חֹ֚סֶן וִיקָר֙ יִקָּ֔חוּ אַלְמְנוֹתֶ֖יהָ הִרְבּ֥וּ בְתוֹכָֽהּ:
There is a conspiracy of her prophets. Heb. קֶשֶׁר [lit. a knot]. They are joined together in an evil counsel.   קשר נביאיה.  נקשרים יחד בעצה רעה:
they devoured souls. For they would take bribes and strengthen the hands of evildoers to kill and plunder and rob, and then they would prophesy peace for them.   נפש אכלו.  שהיו נוטלין שוחד ומחזיקין ידי מרעים להרוג ולשלול ולבוז ונבאין להם שלום:
riches. Heb. חֹסֶן, money.   חוסן.  ממון:
26Her priests robbed My Torah and profaned My holy things; they did not distinguish between holy and profane, neither did they let them know [the difference] between unclean and clean, and they hid their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I was profaned in their midst.   כוכֹּֽהֲנֶ֜יהָ חָֽמְס֣וּ תֽוֹרָתִי֘ וַיְחַלְּל֣וּ קָֽדָשַׁי֒ בֵּֽין־קֹ֚דֶשׁ לְחֹל֙ לֹ֣א הִבְדִּ֔ילוּ וּבֵֽין־הַטָּמֵ֥א לְטָה֖וֹר לֹ֣א הוֹדִ֑יעוּ וּמִשַׁבְּתוֹתַי֙ הֶעְלִ֣ימוּ עֵֽינֵיהֶ֔ם וָֽאֵחַ֖ל בְּתוֹכָֽם:
robbed My Torah. It was incumbent upon them to reprove, to instruct, and to make known statutes and ordinances, but they did not do so. This is robbery, for they robbed it from those who needed to learn.   חמסו תורתי.  עליהם היה להוכיח ולהורות ולהודיע חק ומשפט ולא עשו הרי זה חמס שחמסוה מן הצריכין ללמוד:
and I was profaned in their midst. Heb. וָאֵחַל, and I was profaned.   ואחל.  ונתחללתי:
27Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing prey, to shed blood, to destroy souls, for the sake of dishonest gain.   כזשָׂרֶ֣יהָ בְקִרְבָּ֔הּ כִּזְאֵבִ֖ים טֹ֣רְפֵי טָ֑רֶף לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּם֙ לְאַבֵּ֣ד נְפָשׁ֔וֹת לְמַ֖עַן בְּצֹ֥עַ בָּֽצַע:
for the sake of dishonest gain. To seize money.   למען בצוע בצע.  לחטוף ממון:
28And her prophets plastered for them with daub, prophesy futility, and divine for them falsehoods. They say, 'So said the Lord God,' but the Lord did not speak.   כחוּנְבִיאֶ֗יהָ טָח֚וּ לָהֶם֙ תָּפֵ֔ל חֹזִ֣ים שָׁ֔וְא וְקֹֽסְמִ֥ים לָהֶ֖ם כָּזָ֑ב אֹֽמְרִ֗ים כֹּ֚ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה וַֽיהֹוָ֖ה לֹ֥א דִּבֵּֽר:
plastered for them with daub. They are like those who plaster a building with plaster that is not completely processed, which has no straw; it dissolves by itself when rain falls on it. The expression תָּפֵל means anything that is lacking preparation.   טחו להם תפל.  דומין לטחי בנין בטיט שאינו מעובד כל צרכו שאין בו תבן והוא נפשר מאליו בבא עליו גשמים ולשון תפל כל דבר המחוסר תקון:
29The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery; they wronged the poor and the needy, and oppressed the stranger for lack of judgment.   כטעַ֚ם הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ עָ֣שְׁקוּ עֹ֔שֶׁק וְגָזְל֖וּ גָּזֵ֑ל וְעָנִ֚י וְאֶבְיוֹן֙ הוֹנ֔וּ וְאֶת־הַגֵּ֥ר עָשְׁק֖וּ בְּלֹ֥א מִשְׁפָּֽט:
30And I sought of them a man who puts up a wall and stands in the breach before Me, for the sake of the land that it not be destroyed, but I did not find.   לוָֽאֲבַקֵּ֣שׁ מֵהֶ֡ם אִ֣ישׁ גֹּדֵֽר־גָּדֵר֩ וְעֹמֵ֨ד בַּפֶּ֧רֶץ לְפָנַ֛י בְּעַ֥ד הָאָ֖רֶץ לְבִלְתִּ֣י שַֽׁחֲתָ֑הּ וְלֹ֖א מָצָֽאתִי:
31And I poured out My fury upon them; with the fire of My wrath I destroyed them. I put their way on their head," said the Lord God.   לאוָֽאֶשְׁפֹּ֚ךְ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ זַעְמִ֔י בְּאֵ֥שׁ עֶבְרָתִ֖י כִּלִּיתִ֑ים דַּרְכָּם֙ בְּרֹאשָׁ֣ם נָתַ֔תִּי נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱהֹוִֽה: