Info Center > Scripture Lesson >
Chewing The Cud: Leviticus 26

Torah Reading for Bechukotai

 

In Israel: Bamidbar

Parshat Bechukotai

Shabbat, 27 Iyar, 5779

1 June, 2019

SELECT A PORTION:

1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7thHaftarahComplete

Haftarah: (Jeremiah 16:19 - 17:14)

Please note: These Haftarah texts follow Chabad custom. Other communities could possibly read more, less, or a different section of the Prophets altogether. Please consult with your rabbi.

BothEnglishHebrew

Jeremiah Chapter 16

19O Lord, Who are my power and my strength and my refuge in the day of trouble, to You nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, "Only lies have our fathers handed down to us, emptiness in which there is nothing of any avail!   יטיְהֹוָ֞ה עֻזִּ֧י וּמָֽעֻזִּ֛י וּמְנוּסִ֖י בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה אֵלֶ֗יךָ גּוֹיִ֚ם יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ מֵֽאַפְסֵי־אָ֔רֶץ וְיֹאמְר֗וּ אַךְ־שֶׁ֙קֶר֙ נָֽחֲל֣וּ אֲבוֹתֵ֔ינוּ הֶ֖בֶל וְאֵֽין־בָּ֥ם מוֹעִֽיל:
and my refuge: (mon vantement in French), my boast. And Menahem (Machbereth p. 123) classified it as an expression of a wonder. Cf. (Psalms 60:6)“You have given those who fear You a wonder to be wondrous (נֵס לְהִתְנוֹסֵס).”    
to You nations will come: Eventually, the heathens will come to you and worship You of one accord, and they will say, “How did they make gods for themselves, and they are no gods?”    
from the ends of: Like מִקְצֵה, from the end of.    
handed down: an expression of an inheritance.    
avail: an expression of use (תּוֹעֶלֶת).    
20Can a man make gods for himself, and they are no gods?"   כהֲיַֽעֲשֶׂה־לּ֥וֹ אָדָ֖ם אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְהֵ֖מָּה לֹ֥א אֱלֹהִֽים:
21Therefore, behold I let them know; at this time I will let them know My power and My might, and they shall know that My Name is the Lord.   כאלָכֵן֙ ×”Ö´× Ö°× Ö´Ö£×™ מֽוֹדִיעָ֔ם בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֔את אֽוֹדִיעֵ֥ם אֶת־יָדִ֖י וְאֶת־גְּבֽוּרָתִ֑י וְיָֽדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־שְׁמִ֥י יְהֹוָֽה:
that My name is the Lord: As its apparent meaning, a ruler and a sovereign to fulfill My decree.    

Jeremiah Chapter 17

1The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, with a diamond point, engraved on the tablet of their heart and on the horns of your altars.   אחַטַּ֣את יְהוּדָ֗ה כְּתוּבָ֛ה בְּעֵ֥ט בַּרְזֶ֖ל בְּצִפֹּ֣רֶן שָׁמִ֑יר חֲרוּשָׁה֙ עַל־ל֣וּחַ לִבָּ֔ם וּלְקַרְנ֖וֹת מִזְבְּחֽוֹתֵיכֶֽם:
with a pen of iron: This is an allegory. That is to say that it is deeply engraved, and cannot be erased. And the Midrash Aggadah explains: with a pen of iron, with a diamond point, preserved by Jeremiah, called ‘an iron wall,’ and by Ezekiel, to whom it was said (3:9): “As a diamond, harder than flint have I made your forehead.”    
engraved: Engraved like one who plows deeply.    
on the tablet of their heart: that they do not forget their idolatry.    
2As they remember their children, [so do they remember] their altars, and their asherim by the green trees upon the high hillocks.   בכִּזְכֹּ֚ר בְּנֵיהֶם֙ מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֔ם וַֽאֲשֵֽׁרֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־עֵ֣ץ רַֽעֲנָ֑ן עַ֖ל גְּבָע֥וֹת הַגְּבֹהֽוֹת:
As they remember their children, [so do they remember] their altars: Like the remembrance of their children, so was the remembrance of their altars to them, like a man who longs for his son.    
and their asherim: which are by the green trees.    
by… trees: like אֵצֶּל, by. And Jonathan renders in this manner. under every green tree.    
3You, who sit upon the mountain in the field, I will give your substance, all your treasures for a spoil! Your high places are made for sin within all your borders.   גהֲרָרִי֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה חֵֽילְךָ֥ כָל־אֽוֹצְרוֹתֶ֖יךָ לָבַ֣ז אֶתֵּ֑ן בָּֽמֹתֶ֕יךָ בְּחַטָּ֖את בְּכָל־גְּבוּלֶֽיךָ:
You, who sit upon the mountain in the field: Jerusalem that is situated on the mountain of the plain. All around the city is a fielded plain. The structure of הֲרָרִי is like עֲרָבִי, called so because he dwells in the plain (עֲרָבָה) (montanyers in O.F), mountain dwellers (other versions: a mountain dweller).    
your substance: like מָמוֹנְ, your money.    
Your high places are made for sin: Your high places are made in sin for the purpose of idolatry within all your borders.    
4And you shall release, and [I will avenge Myself] of you because of your heritage that I gave you, and I will make you serve your enemies in the land that you did not know, for you have kindled fire in My nostrils that shall burn forever.   דוְשָׁמַטְתָּ֗ה וּבְךָ֙ מִנַּֽחֲלָֽתְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ וְהַֽעֲבַדְתִּ֙יךָ֙ אֶת־אֹ֣יְבֶ֔יךָ בָּאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יָדָ֑עְתָּ כִּי־אֵ֛שׁ קְדַחְתֶּ֥ם בְּאַפִּ֖י עַד־עוֹלָ֥ם תּוּקָֽד:
And you shall release: Perforce you will release your land for the time that it did not rest on your Sabbaths, which I said to you (Lev. 25:2), “And the land shall rest a Sabbath for the Lord.”    
of you: I will avenge Myself of you because of your heritage that I gave you, that you did not perform My will to release it. Another explanation: even of you, from your heritage; I will avenge Myself of you from your heritage, that I will exile you from it.    
for you have kindled fire in My nostrils: Heb. קְדַכְתֶּם.    
5So says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart turns away from the Lord.   ×”×›Ö¹Ö¼Ö£×” | אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֗ה אָר֚וּר הַגֶּ֙בֶר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְטַ֣ח בָּֽאָדָ֔ם וְשָׂ֥ם בָּשָׂ֖ר זְרֹע֑וֹ וּמִן־יְהֹוָ֖ה יָס֥וּר לִבּֽוֹ:
who trusts in man: In his plowing and his harvest, saying, “I will sow during the seventh year and I will eat.”    
his arm: Like ‘his help,’ and so did Jonathan render: his trust.    
and whose heart turns away from the Lord: Who promised him (Lev. 25:21), “And I will command My blessing to you.” This is what I heard.    
6He shall be like a lone tree in the plain, and will not see when good comes, and will dwell on parched land in the desert, on salt-sodden soil that is not habitable.   ווְהָיָה֙ כְּעַרְעָ֣ר בָּֽעֲרָבָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א יִרְאֶ֖ה כִּי־יָב֣וֹא ט֑וֹב וְשָׁכַ֚ן חֲרֵרִים֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר אֶ֥רֶץ מְלֵחָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א תֵשֵֽׁב:
like a lonely tree: like a lonely tree, an expression of (Gen. 15:2) “Childless (עֲרִירִי) ,” and some say (degat in O.F) laid waste, and Menahem (Machbereth Menahem p. 137) explained: The name of a tree of the forest trees, and its name is ar’ar, and this is the explanation of (infra 48. 6) “Like an ‘aroer’ in the desert,” one of the trees of the forest.    
in the plain: an expression of a plain.    
parched land: aridness. Comp. (Job 30:30) “Became dry (חָרָה) from heat.”    
salt-sodden soil: Land that is salty and will not be settled.    
7Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord; the Lord shall be his trust.   זבָּר֣וּךְ הַגֶּ֔בֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְטַ֖ח בַּֽיהֹוָ֑ה וְהָיָ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה מִבְטַחֽוֹ:
8For he shall be like a tree planted by the water, and by a rivulet spreads its roots, and will not see when heat comes, and its leaves shall be green, and in the year of drought will not be anxious, neither shall it cease from bearing fruit.   חוְהָיָ֞ה ×›Ö°Ö¼×¢ÖµÖ£×¥ | שָׁת֣וּל עַל־מַ֗יִם וְעַל־יוּבַל֙ יְשַׁלַּ֣ח שָֽׁרָשָׁ֔יו וְלֹ֚א יִרְאֶה֙ (כתיב יִרְאֶ֙) ×›Ö´Ö¼Ö½×™Ö¾×™Ö¸×‘ֹ֣א חֹ֔ם וְהָיָ֥ה עָלֵ֖הוּ רַֽעֲנָ֑ן וּבִשְׁנַ֚ת בַּצֹּ֙רֶת֙ לֹ֣א יִדְאָ֔ג וְלֹ֥א יָמִ֖ישׁ מֵֽעֲשׂ֥וֹת פֶּֽרִי:
and will not see: The tree will not see when heat comes.    
drought: an expression of hunger, (famine in French). Another interpretation: בַּצֹרֶת is an expression of fortification (מִבְצָר) , and in this manner, Menahem (Machbereth Menahem p. 47) classified it.    
will not be anxious: will not be afraid.    
9The heart is deceitful above all things, and when it is sick, who will recognize it?   טעָקֹ֥ב הַלֵּ֛ב מִכֹּ֖ל וְאָנֻ֣שׁ ה֑וּא מִ֖י יֵדָעֶֽנּוּ:
The heart is deceitful: Full of pretext and deceit of all evil.    
and when it is sick: an expression of sickness, and this is its sickness.    
who recognizes it?: He thinks, “Who recognizes it?” I, the Lord, search it.    
10I, the Lord, search the heart, test the kidneys, to give everyone according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.   יאֲנִ֧י יְהֹוָ֛ה חֹקֵ֥ר לֵ֖ב בֹּחֵ֣ן כְּלָי֑וֹת וְלָתֵ֚ת לְאִישׁ֙ כִּדְרָכָ֔יו (כתיב כִּדְרָכָ֔ו) ×›Ö´Ö¼×¤Ö°×¨Ö´Ö–×™ מַֽעֲלָלָֽיו:
11The cuckoo calls but has not laid, so it is he who gathers riches but not by right; he shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end he stands dishonored.   יאקֹרֵ֚א דָגָר֙ וְלֹ֣א יָלָ֔ד עֹ֥שֶׂה עֹ֖שֶׁר וְלֹ֣א בְמִשְׁפָּ֑ט בַּֽחֲצִ֚י יָמָיו֙(כתיב יָמָו֙) ×™Ö·×¢Ö·×–ְבֶ֔נּוּ וּבְאַֽחֲרִית֖וֹ ×™Ö´Ö½×”Ö°×™Ö¶Ö¥×” נָבָֽל:
The cuckoo calls: (Coucou glousse in French).    
but has not laid: This cuckoo draws after it chicks that it did not lay. דָגָר - This is the chirping which the bird chirps with its voice to draw the chicks after it, but those whom the cuckoo called will not follow it when they grow up for they are not of its kind. So is one who gathers riches but not by right.    
he stands dishonored: He is called wicked.    
12As a Throne of Glory, exalted from the beginning, so is the place of our Sanctuary.   יבכִּסֵּ֣א כָב֔וֹד מָר֖וֹם מֵֽרִאשׁ֑וֹן מְק֖וֹם מִקְדָּשֵֽׁנוּ:
As a Throne of Glory: Since he wishes to state: All that forsake You shall be shamed, he commences with the praise of the Omnipresent, and says before Him, “You, Whose Throne of Glory is exalted from the beginning of the Creation of the world and is directed opposite our Sanctuary.”    
13The Lord who is the source of the hopes of Israel, all that forsake You shall be shamed, and they who turn away from me shall be marked out on the earth that they have forsaken the source of living waters, the Lord.   יגמִקְוֵ֚ה יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה כָּל־עֹֽזְבֶ֖יךָ יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ וְסוּרַי֙ (כתיב יְסוּרַי֙) ×‘ָּאָ֣רֶץ יִכָּתֵ֔בוּ ×›Ö´Ö¼Ö¥×™ עָֽזְב֛וּ מְק֥וֹר מַֽיִם־חַיִּ֖ים אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה:
The Lord Who is the source of the hopes of Israel: sits upon it. Therefore, all that forsake You shall be shamed.    
and they that turn away from me shall be marked on the earth: Those who turn away from my words, who do not hearken to my message, will be marked out in the nether graves of the earth.    
14Heal me, O Lord, then shall I be healed; help me, then I shall be helped, for You are my praise!   ידרְפָאֵ֚נִי יְהֹוָה֙ וְאֵ֣רָפֵ֔א הוֹשִׁיעֵ֖נִי וְאִוָּשֵׁ֑עָה ×›Ö´Ö¼Ö¥×™ תְהִלָּתִ֖י אָֽתָּה:
for You are my praise: I praise myself and boast with You, saying that You are my Savior (vantance in O.F.), boast.