Info Center > Scripture Lesson >
Chewing The Cud: Pinchas

Torah Reading for Pinchas

 

In Israel: Matot

Parshat Pinchas

Shabbat, 24 Tammuz, 5779

27 July, 2019

SELECT A PORTION:

1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7thHaftarahComplete

Haftarah: (Jeremiah 1:1 - 2:3)

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 1

1The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.   א ×“ִּבְרֵ֥י יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּ֑הוּ מִן־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּֽעֲנָת֔וֹת בְּאֶ֖רֶץ בִּנְיָמִֽן:
The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah: Let the son of the corrupt woman, whose deeds are properJeremiah was descended from Rahab the harlotand let him reprove the son of the righteous woman whose deeds are corrupt these are Israel who corrupted their deeds who are descended from legitimate seed.    
2To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.   באֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֚ה דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו בִּימֵ֛י יֹֽאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ בֶן־אָמ֖וֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה בִּשְׁלֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה שָׁנָ֖ה לְמָלְכֽוֹ:
To whom the word of the Lord came: Upon whom the Shechinah commenced to rest at that time.    
3And he was in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of eleven years of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.   גוַיְהִ֗י בִּימֵ֨י יְהֽוֹיָקִ֚ים בֶּן־יֹֽאשִׁיָּ֙הוּ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה עַד־תֹּם֙ עַשְׁתֵּֽי־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה לְצִדְקִיָּ֥הוּ בֶן־יֹֽאשִׁיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה עַד־גְּל֥וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֖ם בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַֽחֲמִישִֽׁי:
And he was in the days of Jehoiakim: And he was a prophet all the remaining days of Josiah, the days of his son Jehoiakim, and the days of his son Zedekiah, until the end of the eleventh yearthat is the yearuntil the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.    
4And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:   דוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר:
5When I had not yet formed you in the womb, I knew you, and when you had not yet emerged from the womb, I had appointed you; a prophet to the nations I made you.   הבְּטֶ֨רֶם אֶצָּרְךָ֚(כתיב אֶצָּורְךָ֚) ×‘ַבֶּ֙טֶן֙ יְדַעְתִּ֔יךָ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם תֵּצֵ֥א מֵרֶ֖חֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּ֑יךָ נָבִ֥יא לַגּוֹיִ֖ם נְתַתִּֽיךָ:
When I had not yet formed you in the womb, etc.: Since the days of the first man. The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Adam each generation and its prophets.    
I… formed you: Heb. אצרך, an expression of צורה, a form.    
I knew you: connois toi in O.F. Comp. (Exodus 6:3), “I was not known (נודעתּי) to them.”    
I appointed you: I appointed you for this.    
a prophet to the nations: To Israel, who behave like the nations. In this manner it is expounded in Sifrei on the verse: “A prophet from your midst, etc.” (Deut. 18:15), will set up for you and not for those who deny the Torah. How then do I fulfill “A prophet to the nations I made you” ? To the children of Israel who deport themselves with the customs of the nations. It can further be interpreted: “A prophet for the nations,” like “About the nations,” to give them to drink the cup of poison, to prophesy retribution upon them, as it is said: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand, you shall give all the nations to drink of it” (infra 25:15). Another explanation of “When you had not yet emerged from the womb I appointed you” is: Concerning you I said to Moses: “I will set up a prophet… like you” (Deut. 18:18). This one reproved them, and this one reproved them. This one prophesied for forty years and this one prophesied for forty years.    
6And I said, "Alas, O Lord God! Behold, I know not to speak for I am a youth.   ווָֽאֹמַ֗ר אֲהָהּ֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה ×”Ö´× ÖµÖ¼Ö¥×” לֹֽא־יָדַ֖עְתִּי דַבֵּ֑ר כִּי־נַ֖עַר אָנֹֽכִי:
Alas: This is an expression of wailing (konpljjnt in 0.F.).    
for I am a youth: I am not worthy to reprove them. Moses reproved them shortly before his death, when he was already esteemed in their eyes through the many miracles that he had performed for them. He had taken them out of Egypt, split the Reed Sea for them, brought down the manna, caused the quails to fly, given them the Torah, brought up the well. I come to reprove them at the beginning of my mission.    
7And the Lord said to me; Say not, "I am a youth," for wherever I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.   זוַיֹּ֚אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אַל־תֹּאמַ֖ר נַ֣עַר אָנֹ֑כִי ×›Ö´Ö¼Ö ×™ עַל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֚ר אֶֽשְׁלָֽחֲךָ֙ תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוְּךָ֖ תְּדַבֵּֽר:
wherever I send you: to the heathens.    
and whatever I command you: to Israel, you shall speak.    
8Fear them not, for I am with you to save you, says the Lord.   חאַל־תִּירָ֖א מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י לְהַצִּלֶ֖ךָ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה:
9And the Lord stretched out His hand and reached my mouth, and the Lord said to me; Behold, I have placed My words in your mouth.   טוַיִּשְׁלַ֚ח יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ וַיַּגַּ֖ע עַל־פִּ֑י וַיֹּ֚אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י ×”Ö´× ÖµÖ¼Ö›×” נָתַ֥תִּי דְבָרַ֖י בְּפִֽיךָ:
And the Lord stretched forth His hand: Every sending mentioned concerning a hand is an expression of stretching forth. Another explanation is like the Targum: And the Lord sent the words of His prophecy.    
10Behold, I have appointed you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to crush, and to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.   ירְאֵ֞ה הִפְקַדְתִּ֣יךָ | הַיּ֣וֹם ×”Ö·×–Ö¶Ö¼Ö—×” עַל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ וְעַל־הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת לִנְת֥וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֖וֹץ וּלְהַֽאֲבִ֣יד וְלַֽהֲר֑וֹס לִבְנ֖וֹת וְלִנְטֽוֹעַ:
I have appointed you: I have appointed you over the heathens.    
to uproot and to crush: (depayser in French, to uproot) and over Israel to build and to plant if they heed. So did Jonathan paraphrase it.    
11And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, "I see a rod of an almond tree."   יאוַיְהִ֚י דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֔ר מָֽה־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ וָֽאֹמַ֕ר מַקֵּ֥ל שָׁקֵ֖ד אֲנִ֥י רֹאֶֽה:
a rod of an almond tree: (amendleer in O.F.) Jonathan, however, renders: A King who hastens to do evil.    
12And the Lord said to me; You have seen well, for I hasten My word to accomplish it.   יבוַיֹּ֧אמֶר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י הֵיטַ֣בְתָּ לִרְא֑וֹת כִּֽי־שֹׁקֵ֥ד אֲנִ֛י עַל־דְּבָרִ֖י לַֽעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ:
You have seen well: This almond tree hastens to blossom before all other trees. I, too, hasten to perform My word. And the Midrash Aggadah (Ecc. Rabbah 12:8) explains: An almond tree takes twenty-one days from its blossoming until it is completely ripe, as the number of days between the seventeenth of Tammuz, when the city was broken into, until the ninth of Ab, when the Temple was burnt.    
13And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying: What do you see? And I said, "I see a bubbling pot, whose foam is toward the north."   יגוַיְהִ֨י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֚ה | אֵלַי֙ שֵׁנִ֣ית לֵאמֹ֔ר מָ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה רֹאֶ֑ה וָֽאֹמַ֗ר סִ֚יר נָפ֙וּחַ֙ אֲנִ֣י רֹאֶ֔ה וּפָנָ֖יו מִפְּנֵ֥י צָפֽוֹנָה:
a bubbling pot: [lit. blown up,] seething (boillant in French).    
whose foam: [lit. and its face,] its seething (et ses ondes in O.F.) [and its waves].    
14And the Lord said to me; From the north the misfortune will break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.   ידוַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י מִצָּפוֹן֙ תִּפָּתַ֣ח הָֽרָעָ֔ה עַ֥ל כָּל־יֹֽשְׁבֵ֖י הָאָֽרֶץ:
From the north the misfortune will break forth: Babylon is on the north of Eretz Israel.    
15For, behold I am summoning all the families of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord, and they will come and place, each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem and against all its walls around and against all the cities of Judah.   טוכִּ֣י | ×”Ö´× Ö°× Ö´Ö£×™ קֹרֵ֗א לְכָֽל־מִשְׁפְּח֛וֹת מַמְלְכ֥וֹת צָפ֖וֹנָה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה וּבָ֡אוּ וְֽנָֽתְנוּ֩ אִ֨ישׁ כִּסְא֜וֹ פֶּ֣תַח | שַֽׁעֲרֵ֣י יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֗ם וְעַ֚ל כָּל־חֽוֹמֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ סָבִ֔יב וְעַ֖ל כָּל־עָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה:
16And I will utter My judgments against them concerning all their evil, that they left Me and offered up burnt-offerings to other gods and they prostrated themselves to the work of their hands.   טזוְדִבַּרְתִּ֚י מִשְׁפָּטַי֙ אוֹתָ֔ם עַ֖ל כָּל־רָֽעָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲזָב֗וּנִי וַֽיְקַטְּרוּ֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיִּֽשְׁתַּֽחֲו֖וּ לְמַֽעֲשֵׂ֥י יְדֵיהֶֽם:
And I will utter My judgments against them: I will debate with them, with Judah and Jerusalem.    
17And you shall gird your loins and arise and speak to them all that I command you; be not dismayed by them, lest I break you before them.   יזוְאַתָּה֙ תֶּאְזֹ֣ר מָתְנֶ֔יךָ וְקַמְתָּ֙ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָֽנֹכִ֖י אֲצַוֶּ֑ךָּ אַל־תֵּחַת֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם פֶּן־אֲחִתְּךָ֖ לִפְנֵיהֶֽם:
And you shall gird your loins: This is an expression of quickening like a man of valor.    
18And I, behold I have made you today into a fortified city and into an iron pillar, and into copper walls against the entire land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.   יחוַֽאֲנִ֞י ×”Ö´× ÖµÖ¼Ö›×” נְתַתִּ֣יךָ הַיּ֗וֹם לְעִ֨יר מִבְצָ֜ר וּלְעַמּ֥וּד בַּרְזֶ֛ל וּלְחֹמ֥וֹת נְחֹ֖שֶׁת עַל־כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לְמַלְכֵ֚י יְהוּדָה֙ לְשָׂרֶ֔יהָ לְכֹֽהֲנֶ֖יהָ וּלְעַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ:
against the Kings of Judah: lit. to the Kings of Judah.    
19And they shall fight against you but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you says the Lord, to save you.   יטוְנִלְחֲמ֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְלֹֽא־י֣וּכְלוּ לָ֑ךְ כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֖ה לְהַצִּילֶֽךָ:
And they shall fight against you: They shall quarrel and fight against you to refute the words of your prophecy.    

Jeremiah Chapter 2

1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:   אוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר:
2Go and call out in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: so said the Lord: I remember to you the lovingkindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, your following Me in the desert, in a land not sown.   בהָלֹ֡ךְ וְֽקָרָאתָ֩ בְּאָזְנֵי֙ יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר ×›Ö¹Ö¼×” אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה זָכַ֚רְתִּי לָךְ֙ חֶ֣סֶד נְעוּרַ֔יִךְ אַֽהֲבַ֖ת כְּלוּלֹתָ֑יִךְ לֶכְתֵּ֚ךְ אַֽחֲרַי֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹ֥א זְרוּעָֽה:
I remember to you: Were you to return to Me, I would desire to have mercy on you for I remember the loving kindness of your youth and the love of the nuptials of your wedding canopy, when I brought you into the wedding canopy, and this (כלולתיך) is an expression of bringing in. Your nuptials (Noces in O.F.). Now what was the loving kindness of your youth? Your following My messengers, Moses and Aaron, from an inhabited land to the desert without provisions for the way since you believed in Me.    
3Israel is holy to the Lord, the first of His grain; all who eat him shall be guilty, evil shall befall them, says the Lord.   גקֹ֚דֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה רֵאשִׁ֖ית תְּבֽוּאָתֹ֑ה כָּל־אֹֽכְלָ֣יו יֶאְשָּׁ֔מוּ רָעָ֛ה תָּבֹ֥א אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה:
Israel is holy: like terumah.    
the first of His grain: Like the first of the harvest before the Omer, which it is forbidden to eat, and whoever eats it is liable, so will all those who eat him be guilty. So did Jonathan render it.