Chumashחומש

פטר כל רחם. שֶׁפָּתַח הָרֶחֶם תְּחִלָּה, כְּמוֹ: "פּוֹטֵר מַיִם רֵאשִׁית מָדוֹן" (משלי י"ז), וְכֵן "יַפְטִירוּ בְשָׂפָה" (תהלים כ"ב) – יִפְתְּחוּ שְׂפָתַיִם:

פטר כל רחם THE FIRST OFFSPRING OF EVERY WOMB — The words mean: that which first openeth the womb, the root פטר meaning to open, as in (Proverbs 17:14) “As one makes an opening (פוטר) for water so is the beginning of strife”; and so, too, is (Psalms 22:8) יפטירו בשפה i. e. “they open the lips”.

לי הוא. לְעַצְמִי קָנִיתִי, עַ"יְ שֶׁהִכֵּיתִי בְכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם:

לי הוא IT IS MINE — I have acquired him for Myself through My having smitten the first born of the Egyptians.

זכור את היום הזה. לִמֵּד, שֶׁמַּזְכִּירִין יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בְּכָל יוֹם:

זכור את היום הזה REMEMBER THIS DAY — This teaches that one must make mention of the Exodus from Egypt every day (Mekhilta; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 27:9).

בחדש האביב. וְכִי לֹא הָיִינוּ יוֹדְעִין בְּאֵיזֶה חֹדֶשׁ? אֶלָּא כָּךְ אָמַר לָהֶם, רְאוּ חֶסֶד שֶׁגְּמַלְכֶם, שֶׁהוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם בְּחֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהוּא כָשֵׁר לָצֵאת, לֹא חַמָּה וְלֹא צִנָּה וְלֹא גְּשָׁמִים, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, "מוֹצִיא אֲסִירִים בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת" (תהלים ס"ח) – חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהוּא כָשֵׁר לָצֵאת (מכילתא):

בחדש האביב IN THE MONTH ABIB — But would we not know in which month they went out (even though it were not stated here)? But Moses spake to them as follows: See the kindness which God has bestowed on you — that He brought you forth in a month that is fitted for going out, not hot, nor cold nor rainy. In the same sense it says (Psalms 68:7) “He bringeth forth the prisoners בכשרות” i. e. in a month that is fitted (כשר) for going out (Mekhilta).

אל ארץ הכנעני וגו'. וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁלֹּא מָנָה אֶלָּא חֲמִשָּׁה עֲמָמִין, כָּל ז' גּוֹיִם בְּמַשְׁמָע, שֶׁכֻּלָּן בִּכְלַל כְּנַעֲנִי הֵם וְאַחַת מִמִּשְׁפְּחוֹת כְּנַעַן הָיְתָה שֶׁלֹּא נִקְרָא לָהּ שֵׁם אֶלָּא כְּנַעֲנִי:

אל ארץ הכנעני וגו׳ TO THE LAND OF THE CANAANITE — And although it enumerates here only the five peoples, all the seven nations are implied (Mekhilta) for all are included in the generic term Canaanite, although there was one of the races of Canaan which had no other name than that of Canaanite (whilst the other races had, beside the generic name Canaanite, some special designation as Hittite etc.: hence under the term Canaanite one may understand either the one race bearing this name or any of the other races. Here, therefore, the introductory word הכנעני alludes to the particular tribe so called and to the two others included in this generic term, or it may allude to three tribes included in the generic term. In either case we get the “seven peoples of Canaan”).

נשבע לאבתיך. בְּאַבְרָהָם הוּא אוֹמֵר "בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כָּרַת ה' אֶת אַבְרָם וְגוֹ'" (בראשית ט"ו), וּבְיִצְחָק הוּא אוֹמֵר "גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת" (שם כ"ו), וּבְיַעֲקֹב הוּא אוֹמֵר "הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שׁוֹכֵב עָלֶיהָ" (שם כ"ח):

נשבע לאבתיך WHICH HE SWORE UNTO THY FATHERS — In the case of Abraham it says, (Genesis 15:18) “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram [saying, To thy seed I will give this land]”; in the case of Isaac it says, (Genesis 26:3) “Sojourn in this land … [for to thee and to thy seed I will give all these countries]”; and in the case of Jacob it says, (Genesis 28:13) “the land wheron thou liest [to thee will I give it and to thy seed]” (Mekhilta).

זבת חלב ודבש. חָלָב זָב מִן הָעִזִּים, וְהַדְּבַשׁ זָב מִן הַתְּמָרִים וּמִן הַתְּאֵנִים:

זבת חלב ודבש FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY — milk flows from the goats and honey flows from the dates and from the figs.

את העבדה הזאת. שֶׁל פֶּסַח; וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר לְמַעְלָה "וְהָיָה כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ'", וְלָמָּה חָזַר וּשְׁנָאָהּ? בִּשְׁבִיל דָּבָר שֶׁנִּתְחַדֵּשׁ בָּהּ, בְּפָרָשָׁה רִאשׁוֹנָה נֶאֱמַר "וְהָיָה כִּי יֹאמְרוּ אֲלֵיכֶם בְּנֵיכֶם מָה הָעֲבֹדָה הַזֹּאת לָכֶם" — בְּבֵן רָשָׁע הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר שֶׁהוֹצִיא אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִן הַכְּלָל, וְכָאן "וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ" — בְּבֵן שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאֹל, וְהַכָּתוּב מְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁתִּפְתַּח לוֹ אַתָּה בְּדִבְרֵי אַגָּדָה הַמּוֹשְׁכִין אֶת הַלֵּב (מכילתא):

את העבודה הזאת THIS SERVICE — that of the Paschal offering. But has it not already been said above, (Exodus 12:25) “And it shall come to pass when ye be come into the land … [that ye shall keep this service]”? Why then does it repeat it again? On account of a new matter that is introduced here; viz., in the former chapter it says, (v. 26) “And it shall come to pass when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?” and there Scripture is speaking about a wicked son who excludes himself from the Israelite community (by saying ye, as though he does not wish to participate in the service), whilst here it states, (v. 8) “And thou shalt tell thy son”, referring to a son who does not know how to enquire, and Scripture teaches you that you yourself must open up the conversation with Agadic explanations which attract the heart (cf. Mekhilta; Shabbat 87a).

בעבור זה. בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאֲקַיֵּם מִצְווֹתָיו, כְּגוֹן פֶּסַח מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר הַלָּלוּ:

בעבור זה FOR THE SAKE OF THIS — for the sake that I should carry out His commands, such as this Passover offering, this unleavened bread and this bitter herb (cf. Mekhilta).

עשה ה' לי. רָמַז תְּשׁוּבָה לְבֵן רָשָׁע, לוֹמַר עָשָׂה ה' לִי, וְלֹא לְךָ, שֶׁאִלּוּ הָיִיתָ שָׁם לֹא הָיִיתָ כְדַאי לִגָּאֵל (מכילתא):

עשה ה' לי GOD DID FOR ME — Here is an indication of the reply to be given to the wicked son: that one should say to him, “God did for me” — and one should not say “what God did לנו, for us” — thus implying “not for thee”, for if thou hadst been there (in Egypt) thou wouldst not have been regarded as worthy of being redeemed (Mekhilta).

והיה לך לאות. יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם תִּהְיֶה לְךָ לאות:

והיה לך לאות AND IT SHALL BE FOR A SIGN UNTO THEE — i. e. the Exodus from Egypt shall be to thee as a sign

על ידך ולזכרון בית עיניך. שֶׁתִּכְתֹּב הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הַלָּלוּ וְתִקְשְׁרֵם בָּרֹאשׁ וּבַזְּרוֹעַ:

על ידך ולזכרון בין עיניך UPON THINE HAND AND AS A MEMORIAL BETWEEN THINE EYES — meaning, that you shall write these paragraphs (verses 1—10 and 11—16) and bind them upon the head and upon the arm.

על ידך. עַל יַד שְׂמֹאל, לְפִיכָךְ יָדְכָה מָלֵא בְּפָרָשָׁה שְׁנִיָּה, לִדְרֹשׁ בָּהּ יָד שֶׁהִיא כֵהָה (מנחות ל"ו):

על ידך UPON THY HAND — on the left hand; that is why the word is written יָדְכָה in its full form (not יָדְךָ) in the second section (v. 16), so that we should explain it (by dividing this word into two: יד כה) as meaning the hand that is weak (כהה) (Menachot 36b).

מימים ימימה. מִשָּׁנָה לְשָׁנָה (שם):

מימים ימימה means FROM YEAR TO YEAR (ימים frequently signifies a year) (Menachot 36b).

(והיה כי יבאך. יֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁלָּמְדוּ מִכָּאן שֶׁלֹּא קָדְשׁוּ בְּכוֹרוֹת הַנּוֹלָדִים בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְהָאוֹמֵר קָדְשׁוּ, מְפָרֵשׁ בִּיאָה זוֹ אִם תְּקַיְּמוּהוּ בַמִּדְבָּר תִּזְכּוּ לִכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ וּתְקַיְּמוּהוּ שָׁם):

והיה כי יביאך AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS WHEN [THE LORD] SHALL BRING THEE … [THOU SHALT SET APART etc.] — There are some of our Rabbis who learned from this statement that the firstborn who were born in the wilderness were not thus hallowed. He who says that these were thus hallowed explains this “coming” (i. e. this verse, which appears to make the hallowing of the firstborn dependent upon their arrival in the land) as follows: if you observe it (this command) in the wilderness, you will be privileged to enter the land and to observe it there (cf. Bekhorot 4b).

נשבע לך. וְהֵיכָן נִשְׁבַּע לְךָ? "וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתִי וְגוֹ'" (שמות ו'):

נשבע לך HE SWORE UNTO THEE — And where did He swear this unto thee? (Exodus 6:8) “And I will bring you unto the land concerning which I did lift up my hand etc.” (cf. Rashi on this verse where he explains that “lifting up the hand” denotes taking an oath) (Mekhilta).

ונתנה לך. תְּהֵא בְעֵינֶיךָ כְּאִלּוּ נִתְּנָה לְךָ בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם, וְאַל תְּהִי בְעֵינֶיךָ כִּירֻשַּׁת אָבוֹת:

ונתנה לך AND SHALL GIVE IT TO THEE Let it be in thine eyes (regard it) as though He had given it to thee on that same day (when on each occasion you carry out this command) and do not regard it as an inheritance from your ancestors (Mekhilta).

והעברת. אֵין וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן הַפְרָשָׁה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר "וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ אֶת נַחֲלָתוֹ לְבִתּוֹ" (במדבר כ"ז) (מכילתא):

והעברת This word והעברת is an expression for “setting apart”. Similarly it says, (Numbers 27:8) “And ye shall set his inheritance apart (והעברתם) for his daughter” (Mekhilta).

שגר בהמה. נֵפֶל שֶׁשִּׁגְּרַתּוּ אִמּוֹ וְשִׁלְּחַתּוּ בְּלֹא עִתּוֹ; וְלִמֶּדְךָ הַכָּתוּב שֶׁהוּא קָדוֹשׁ בִּבְכוֹרָה לִפְטֹר אֶת הַבָּא אַחֲרָיו וְאַף שֶׁאֵין נֵפֶל קָרוּי שֶׁגֶר, כְּמוֹ "שְׁגַר אֲלָפֶיךָ" (דברים ז'), אֲבָל זֶה לֹא בָא אֶלָּא לְלַמֵּד עַל הַנֵּפֶל שֶׁהֲרֵי כְבָר כָּתַב כָּל פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם. וְאִ"תֹּ אַף בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה טְמֵאָה בְּמַשְׁמָע, בָּא וּפֵרֵשׁ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר "בִּבְקָרְךָ וּבְצֹאנְךָ" (דברים ט"ו). לָשׁוֹן אַחֵר יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ, "וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ כָל פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם" — בִּבְכוֹר אָדָם הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר:

שגר בהמה DROPPED BY BEAST— a premature birth; and this is termed שגר because its mother casts it out (שגר) and expels it (שלחתו) from the womb before its due time (שגר is a synonym of שלח “to let go”). Scripture teaches you that although it is a premature birth it is nevertheless holy by reason of its being first born, in so far that it exempts from the law regarding the firstborn the young that comes (is born) after it (Mekhilta). It is true that an animal that is not a premature birth) is also called שגר, as (Deuteronomy 7:13) “the שגר of thy kine” (where it speaks of blessing this, and it is therefore evident that it cannot there denote a premature birth), but this שגר (i. e. its use here) is intended only to tell us something about a premature birth, because, you see, it has already written in this verse: “Every first offspring of the womb”! And if you say that also the firstborn of an unclean animal (and not a premature birth) is implied by שגר (and that this also must be hallowed) then I reply that Scripture comes and expressly states in another passage, (Deuteronomy 15:19) “[All the firstling males that are born] of thy herd and of thy flocks (thus only clean animals) [shalt thou sanctify etc.]”. Another meaning may be given in explanation of והעברת כל פטר רחם “thou shalt set apart every first born of the womb” — viz., that Scripture by the term פטר רחם is speaking of the firstborn of man (consequently the following words, שגר בהמה, need not denote an animal of premature birth, but an animal born in the natural course as it certainly means in Deuteronomy 7:13, and we thus avoid the necessity of here assigning to שגר a meaning different from that which it bears in the latter passage).

פטר חמור. וְלֹא פֶּטֶר שְׁאָר בְּהֵמָה טְמֵאָה; וּגְזֵרַת הַכָּתוּב הִיא לְפִי שֶׁנִּמְשְׁלוּ בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם לַחֲמוֹרִים; וְעוֹד, שֶׁסִּיְּעוּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּיצִיאָתָן, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא נָטַל הַרְבֵּה חֲמוֹרִים מִמִּצְרַיִם טְעוּנִים מִכַּסְפָּם וּמִזְּהָבָם שֶׁל מִצְרִים:

פטר חמור AND EVERY FIRST OFFSPRING OF AN ASS — but not the first offspring of other unclean animals. This exception is the enactment of Scripture, because the firstborn of the Egyptians are compared to asses (Ezekiel 23:20; Bereishit Rabbah 96); and a further reason for this exception is because they (the asses) were of assistance to the Israelites when they left Egypt, for there was not a single Israelite who did not take with him from Egypt several asses laden with the silver and gold of Egypt. (Bekhorot 5b).

תפדה בשה. נוֹתֵן שֶׂה לַכֹּהֵן וּפֶטֶר חֲמוֹר מֻתָּר בַּהֲנָאָה וְהַשֶּׂה חֻלִּין בְּיַד כֹּהֵן (בכורות ט'):

תפדה בשה THOU SHALT REDEEM WITH A LAMB — one gives a lamb to the priest, and the first offspring of the ass is then permitted to be made use of, whilst the lamb remains in the priest’s possession with the character of a non-holy object (חולין — an ordinary animal) (cf. Bekhorot 9b).

וערפתו. עוֹרְפוֹ בְּקוֹפִיץ מֵאֲחוֹרָיו וְהוֹרְגוֹ; הוּא הִפְסִיד מָמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל כֹּהֵן, לְפִיכָךְ יַפְסִיד מָמוֹנוֹ (שם י'):

וערפתו THEN THOU SHALT BREAK ITS NECK — one breaks its neck with a hatchet from behind and so slays it (Bekhorot 13a). The reason is: he (the owner of the ass) has caused a loss to the possessions of the priest (by not giving him the lamb), therefore must he suffer loss in his own possessions (Mekhilta d['Rabbi Yishmael 13:13:2).

וכל בכור אדם בבניך תפדה. חָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים פִּדְיוֹנוֹ קָצוּב בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (במדבר י"ח):

וכל בכור בניך תפדה AND ALL THE FIRSTBORN OF MAN AMONGST THY SONS SHALT THOU REDEEM — His redemption money is fixed in another passage (Numbers 18:16) at five Sela’im.

כי ישאלך בנך מחר. יֵשׁ מָחָר שֶׁהוּא עַכְשָׁיו וְיֵשׁ מָחָר שֶׁהוּא לְאַחַר זְמַן, כְּגוֹן זֶה, וּכְגוֹן "וְלֹא יֹאמְרוּ בְנֵיכֶם מָחָר לְבָנֵינוּ" (יהושע כ"ב), דִּבְנֵי גָד וְדִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן:

כי ישאלך בנך מחר WHEN THY SON ASKETH THEE מחר — There is a usage of the word מחר that refers to “now” (i. e. to the period of time that is nearest to “now” viz., to-morrow), and there is another usage of מחר that refers to a day following after the lapse of some time, as, for example, this מחר here and as, for example, (Joshua 22:27) “That your children may not say to our children in time to come (מחר)” which occurs in the chapter about the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben (Mekhilta).

מה זאת. זֶה תִּינוֹק טִפֵּשׁ שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לְהַעֲמִיק שְׁאֵלָתוֹ וְסוֹתֵם וְשׁוֹאֵל "מַה זֹּאת?", וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר הוּא אוֹמֵר "מָה הָעֵדֹת וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְגוֹ'" (דברים ו'), הֲרֵי זֹאת שְׁאֵלַת בֵּן חָכָם; דִּבְּרָה תוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד אַרְבָּעָה בָנִים — רָשָׁע, וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאֹל, וְהַשּׁוֹאֵל דֶּרֶךְ סְתוּמָה, וְהַשּׁוֹאֵל דֶּרֶךְ חָכְמָה (מכילתא):

מה זאת WHAT IS THIS? — This is the question of a dull child who has not sufficient understanding to question very profoundly and who therefore asks in an indefinite fashion, “What is this?” In another passage (Deuteronomy 6:20) it states, “[When thy son asketh thee…], What mean the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments … [which the Lord our God hath commanded you?]” This, however, is the question of a wise son. The Torah in mentioning four different explanations of the Passover sacrifice-rite to be given by a father to his children, is speaking in reference to four different types of son: the wicked son (12:25 and in the second half of 13:8), and one who has not sufficient understanding how to ask (in the first half of 13:8), and one who asks in an indefinite manner (13:14), and one who asks in a wise fashion (Deuteronomy 6:20) (cf. Mekhilta; Jerusalem Talmud Pesachim 10:4).

ולטוטפת. תְּפִלִּין; וְעַל שֵׁם שֶׁהֵם אַרְבָעָה בָתִּים קְרוּיִין טטפת – "טט" בְּכַתְפִּי שְׁתַּיִם, "פת" בְּאַפְרִיקִי שְׁתַּיִם (סנהדרין ד'). וּמְנַחֵם חִבְּרוֹ עִם "וְהַטֵּף אֶל דָּרוֹם" (יחזקאל כ"א), "אַל תַּטִּיפוּ" (מיכה ב'), לְשׁוֹן דִּבּוּר, כְּמוֹ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן, שֶׁהָרוֹאֶה אוֹתָם קָשׁוּר בֵּין הָעֵינַיִם, יִזְכֹּר הַנֵּס וִידַבֵּר בּוֹ:

ולטטפת this denotes the Tephillin; and because they consist of four houses (compartments) they are called טטפת, for טט denotes “two” in Katpi and פת in Afriki denotes “two״ (Sanhedrin 4b). Menachem ben Seruk, however, placed it in the same section (gave it the same meaning) as, (Ezekiel 21:2) “And speak (הטף) to the south״; and as, (Micah 2:6) “speak ye (תטיפו) not”; so that טטפת would be an expression denoting “speaking”, and corresponds to ולזכרון (in v. 9 where it really replaces טוטפת), because whoever sees them (the Tephillin) bound between the eyes will remember the miracle (so that they become a זכרון, a reminder) and will speak about it (so that they become a טטפת. something that causes one to speak about the miracle).