Variantly: It is not written "asuf ('join') upon them evils," but "asfah ('end') upon them evils" — all of the punishments will end, but they (Israel) will not end. And thus is it written (Ibid.) "My arrows achaleh ('I will end') in them." It is not written "My arrows 'yichlu' ('will end') them, but "My arrows I will end in them" — My arrows will end, but they (Israel) will not end.
Variantly: "My arrows achaleh in them" — these are arrows of famine, as it is written (Ezekiel 5:16) "when I send the evil arrows of famine against them."
(Devarim, Ibid. 24) "mezei with hunger and embattled by reshef": They will be hairy with hunger and strewn about the streets, as it is written (Jeremiah 14:16) "And the people to whom they prophesy will be strewn about in the streets of Jerusalem."
"And the tooth of beasts I will send against them": His beast will bite and raise (in the victim) a fatal ulcer. Indeed, we have been witnesses to sheep biting and killing. Variantly: Read it not "And the tooth of beasts (behemoth) I will send against them," but "and 'a tooth' — 'death' — will I send in them" (bam).
"with chamath": One of them will become heated (mithchamem), bite himself, raise an ulcer, and die. Variantly: They heated themselves and committed all the sins of illicit relations.
(Ibid. 25) "On the outside (of the city) the sword (of legions) shall devour (them) "— whence they derived: "In time of war, 'gather in' your legs" (i.e., stay at home); "in time of famine, 'spread out' your legs (and leave)." And thus is it written (Jeremiah 19:18) "If I go out to the field, there are the slain of the sword! And if I enter the city, there are the sick with famine!" And (Ezekiel 7:15) "Whoever is in the field will die by the sword, and whoever is in the city, famine and plague will consume him."
"and in the chambers, fright": If he saw the sword entering the marketplace, if he could flee from it, then the chambers of his heart would pound with fright, which would kill him.
Variantly: "On the outside the sword shall devour": because of what they did in the thoroughfares (i.e., idolatry), viz. (Jeremiah 11:13) "For (as) the number of your cities was (the number of) your gods, O Judah, and (as) the number of streets in Jerusalem have you made altars to the shame — altars to sacrifice to the ba'al." "and in the chambers, fright": what they do in their secret chambers, viz. (Ezekiel 8:12) "what the elders of the house of Israel do in the darkness … For they say: 'The L-rd does not see us; the L-rd has left the land."
"both young man and virgin": and not these alone, but even "suckling and the man of grey hairs." And thus is it written (Jeremiah 6:11) "Also man and woman are ensnared; the elder with the full of years (and near death)."
Variantly: "both young man (bachur)": You have caused Me to send My hand against My chosen ones ("bechirai"), as in (Bamidbar 11:28) "And Joshua the son of Nun answered, the servant of Moses, of his chosen ones ('mibachurav')."
"both virgin": They were clean of sin, as a virgin, who had never tasted the taste of sin. "suckling": They sucked words of Torah as a babe sucks milk from its mother's breasts. "with the man of grey hairs": Read it not "ish seva" ("the man of grey hairs"), but "ish yeshivah," being fit to sit in "yeshivah" (a consortium of Torah scholars). And thus is it written (of the exiles, II Kings 24:16) "and the charash and the masger, one thousand, all heroes, waging war." Now what feats of strength are performed by men going into exile? What war is waged by men bound in chains? Rather, (the meaning is that they were) "heroic" in the war of Torah. As it is written (Psalms 103:20) "Bless the L-rd, O His angels, heroic in power, doing His word to hear the voice of His word." (II Kings, Ibid.) "waging war": "giving and taking" in the "war" of Torah, viz. (Bamidbar 21:14) "Therefore, it is said in the Book of the wars of the L-rd, etc." (II Kings, Ibid.) "the charash" (lit., "mute"): One (of these scholars) speaks and the rest remain silent. "and 'the masger'" (lit., the "closer": All sit before him and learn from him. After he "closes," no one "opens," and after he "opens," no one "closes," in fulfilment of (Isaiah 22:22) "And he (David) will open, and none will close; and he will close, and none will open."
(דברים לב כג) אַסְפֶּה עָלֵימוֹ רָעוֹת, הֲרֵינִי מַכְנִיס וּמֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם כָּל הַפֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת כֻּלָּם כְּאַחַת. דָּבָר אַחֵר, הֲרֵינִי כּוֹנְסָם כֻּלָּם לְתוֹךְ מְצוּדָה וּמֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם כָּל פֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת כֻּלָּם כְּאַחַת.
(Devarim 32:23) "I will join evils upon them": I will gather together and bring upon them all of the evils at once.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״אָסוֹף עָלֵימוֹ רָעוֹת״, אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא אַסְפֶּה, שֶׁיְּהוּ כָּל פֻּרְעָנִיּוֹת כָּלוֹת וְהֵם אֵינָם כָּלִים. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר: חִצַּי אֲכַלֶּה בָּם, ״חִצַּי יְכַלּוּ אוֹתָם״ אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא חִצַּי אֲכַלֶּה בָּם, חִצַּי כָּלִים וְהֵם אֵינָם כָּלִים.
Variantly: It is not written "asuf ('join') upon them evils," but "asfah ('end') upon them evils" — all of the punishments will end, but they (Israel) will not end. And thus is it written (Ibid.) "My arrows achaleh ('I will end') in them." It is not written "My arrows 'yichlu' ('will end') them, but "My arrows I will end in them" — My arrows will end, but they (Israel) will not end.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: חִצַּי אֲכַלֶּה בָּם – אֵלּוּ חִצֵּי רָעָב, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (יחזקאל ה טז): ״בְּשַׁלְּחִי אֶת חִצֵּי הָרָעָב הָרָעִים בָּהֶם״.
Variantly: "My arrows achaleh in them" — these are arrows of famine, as it is written (Ezekiel 5:16) "when I send the evil arrows of famine against them."
(דברים לב כז) מְזֵי רָעָב וּלְחֻמֵי רֶשֶׁף, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מֻזָּאִים בָּרָעָב וּמֻשְׁלָכִים בַּחוּצוֹת, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיה יד טז): ״וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה נִבְּאִים לָהֶם יִהְיוּ מֻשְׁלָכִים בְּחֻצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם״.
(Devarim, Ibid. 24) "mezei with hunger and embattled by reshef": They will be hairy with hunger and strewn about the streets, as it is written (Jeremiah 14:16) "And the people to whom they prophesy will be strewn about in the streets of Jerusalem."
וְקֶטֶב מְרִירִי, לְפִי דַרְכְּךָ אַתָּה לָמֵד שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁהַשֵּׁד בּוֹ הוּא מֵרִיר.
"and cut down by Meriri" (a demon) — whence it is derived that whoever is invested by a demon becomes rebellious ("mored").
וְשֶׁן בְּהֵמוֹת, אַל תְּהִי קוֹרֵא וְשֶׁן בְּהֵמוֹת אֲשַׁלַּח בָּם, אֶלָּא ״וְשֶׁן בַּהֲמוּת אֲשַׁלַּח בָּם״, שֶׁיְּהוּ מִתְחַמְּמִים וּמְחַזְּרִים עַל כָּל עֲבֵרוֹת.
"And the tooth of beasts I will send against them": His beast will bite and raise (in the victim) a fatal ulcer. Indeed, we have been witnesses to sheep biting and killing. Variantly: Read it not "And the tooth of beasts (behemoth) I will send against them," but "and 'a tooth' — 'death' — will I send in them" (bam).
דָּבָר אַחֵר, שֶׁיְּהֵא אֶחָד מֵהֶם מִתְחַמֵּם וּמוֹשֵׁךְ עַצְמוֹ וּמַעֲלֶה נֶמִי וּמֵת וְהוֹלֵךְ בָּהּ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְשֶׁן בְּהֵמוֹת אֲשַׁלַּח בָּם, שֶׁתְּהֵא בְּהֶמְתּוֹ נוֹשֶׁכֶתּוֹ וּמַעֲלָה נֶמִי וּמֵת וְהוֹלֵךְ בָּהּ. אָמְרוּ, מַעֲשֶׂה הָיָה שֶׁרְּחֵלִים נוֹשְׁכִים וּמְמִיתִים.
"with chamath": One of them will become heated (mithchamem), bite himself, raise an ulcer, and die. Variantly: They heated themselves and committed all the sins of illicit relations.
עִם חֲמַת זֹחֲלֵי עָפָר, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מוּזְחָלִין בֶּעָפָר. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: אֵלּוּ עַכְנָאִים שֶׁאֵין שִׁלְטוֹנָם אֶלָּא בֶּעָפָר.
"the crawlers in the dust": They crawled in the dust. Variantly: The crawlers in the dust are the serpents, whose "realm" is the dust.
(דברים לב כה) מִחוּץ תְּשַׁכֶּל חֶרֶב, מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: בִּשְׁעַת מִלְחָמָה כְּנֹס אֶת הָרֶגֶל, וּבִשְׁעַת רָעָב פַּזֵּר אֶת הָרֶגֶל, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיה יד יח): ״אִם יָצָאתִי הַשָּׂדֶה וְהִנֵּה חַלְלֵי חֶרֶב וְאִם בָּאתִי הָעִיר וְהִנֵּה תַּחֲלוּאֵי רָעָב״, וְאוֹמֵר (יחזקאל ז טו): ״אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה בַּחֶרֶב יָמוּת, וַאֲשֶׁר בָּעִיר רָעָב וָדֶבֶר יֹאכְלֶנּוּ״.
(Ibid. 25) "On the outside (of the city) the sword (of legions) shall devour (them) "— whence they derived: "In time of war, 'gather in' your legs" (i.e., stay at home); "in time of famine, 'spread out' your legs (and leave)." And thus is it written (Jeremiah 19:18) "If I go out to the field, there are the slain of the sword! And if I enter the city, there are the sick with famine!" And (Ezekiel 7:15) "Whoever is in the field will die by the sword, and whoever is in the city, famine and plague will consume him."
וּמֵחֲדָרִים אֵימָה, הָיָה רוֹאֶה אֶת הַחֶרֶב שֶׁהִיא בָּאָה לַשּׁוּק, אִם יָכוֹל לִבְרוֹחַ וּלְהִמָּלֵט מִמֶּנָּה אָז חַדְרֵי לִבּוֹ נוֹקְפִים עָלָיו נֶמִי וּמֵת וְהוֹלֵךְ בָּהּ.
"and in the chambers, fright": If he saw the sword entering the marketplace, if he could flee from it, then the chambers of his heart would pound with fright, which would kill him.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: מִחוּץ תְּשַׁכֶּל חֶרֶב עַל מַה שֶּׁעָשׂוּ בְּחוּצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיה יא יג): ״כִּי מִסְפַּר עָרֶיךָ הָיוּ אֱלֹהֶיךָ יְהוּדָה וּמִסְפַּר חֻצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם שַׂמְתֶּם מִזְבְּחוֹת לַבֹּשֶׁת״. וּמֵחֲדָרִים אֵימָה, עַל מַה שֶּׁעָשׂוּ בְּחַדְרֵי חֲדָרִים, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (יחזקאל ח יב): ״הֲרָאִיתָ בֶן אָדָם אֲשֶׁר זִקְנֵי בֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל עֹשִׂים בַּחֹשֶׁךְ אִישׁ בְּחַדְרֵי מַשְׂכִּיתוֹ וְאֹמְרִים אֵין ה׳ רֹאֶה אֹתָנוּ עָזַב ה׳ אֶת הָאָרֶץ״.
Variantly: "On the outside the sword shall devour": because of what they did in the thoroughfares (i.e., idolatry), viz. (Jeremiah 11:13) "For (as) the number of your cities was (the number of) your gods, O Judah, and (as) the number of streets in Jerusalem have you made altars to the shame — altars to sacrifice to the ba'al." "and in the chambers, fright": what they do in their secret chambers, viz. (Ezekiel 8:12) "what the elders of the house of Israel do in the darkness … For they say: 'The L-rd does not see us; the L-rd has left the land."
גַּם בָּחוּר גַּם בְּתוּלָה, הָא וִתְּרָה לְאֵלּוּ, אֶלָּא יוֹנֵק עִם אִישׁ שֵׂיבָה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיה ו יא): ״גַּם אִישׁ עִם אִשָּׁה יִלָּכֵדוּ זָקֵן עִם מְלֵא יָמִים״.
"both young man and virgin": and not these alone, but even "suckling and the man of grey hairs." And thus is it written (Jeremiah 6:11) "Also man and woman are ensnared; the elder with the full of years (and near death)."
דָּבָר אַחֵר: גַּם בָּחוּר – אַתֶּם גְּרַמְתֶּם לִי לִשְׁלוֹחַ יָד בִּבְחִירַי. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (במדבר יא כח): ״וַיַּעַן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן מְשָׁרֵת מֹשֶׁה מִבְּחֻרָיו״.
Variantly: "both young man (bachur)": You have caused Me to send My hand against My chosen ones ("bechirai"), as in (Bamidbar 11:28) "And Joshua the son of Nun answered, the servant of Moses, of his chosen ones ('mibachurav')."
גַּם בְּתוּלָה, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ מְנֻקִּים מִן הַחֵטְא כִּבְתוּלָה זוֹ שֶׁלֹּא טָעֲמָה טַעַם חֵטְא מִיָּמֶיהָ. יוֹנֵק, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹנְקִים דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה כְּיוֹנֵק זֶה שֶׁיּוֹנֵק חָלָב מִדַּדֵּי אִמּוֹ. עִם אִישׁ שֵׂיבָה, אַל תְּהִי קוֹרֵא אִישׁ שֵׂיבָה אֶלָּא ״אִישׁ יְשִׁיבָה״, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכֻּלָּם רְאוּיִם לֵישֵׁב בִּישִׁיבָה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (מ״ב כד טז): ״הַכֹּל גִּבּוֹרִים עֹשֵׂי מִלְחָמָה״, וְכִי מַה גְּבוּרָה עוֹשִׂים בְּנֵי אָדָם הַהוֹלְכִים בַּגּוֹלָה, וּמַה מִּלְחָמָה עוֹשִׂים בְּנֵי אָדָם זְקוּקִים בְּזִקִּים וְהַנְּתוּנִים בְּשַׁלְשְׁלָאוֹת? אֶלָּא ״גִּבּוֹרִים״ – אֵלּוּ גִּבּוֹרֵי תוֹרָה, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קג כ): ״בָּרְכוּ ה׳ מַלְאָכָיו גִּבֹּרֵי כֹחַ עֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ״. ״עֹשֵׂי מִלְחָמָה״, שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹשְׂאִים וְנוֹתְנִים בְּמִלְחַמְתָּהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כא יד): ״עַל כֵּן יֵאָמַר בְּסֵפֶר מִלְחֲמֹת ה׳״, וְאוֹמֵר (מ״ב כד טז): ״וְהֶחָרָשׁ וְהַמַּסְגֵּר אֶלֶף״ – חָרָשׁ אֶחָד מְדַבֵּר וְהַכֹּל שׁוֹתְקִים; ״וְהַמַּסְגֵּר״, הַכֹּל יוֹשְׁבִים לְפָנָיו וּלְמֵדִים הֵימֶנּוּ, אֶחָד פּוֹתֵחַ וְאֶחָד סוֹגֵר, לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה כב כב): ״וּפָתַח וְאֵין סֹגֵר וְסָגַר וְאֵין פֹּתֵחַ״.
"both virgin": They were clean of sin, as a virgin, who had never tasted the taste of sin. "suckling": They sucked words of Torah as a babe sucks milk from its mother's breasts. "with the man of grey hairs": Read it not "ish seva" ("the man of grey hairs"), but "ish yeshivah," being fit to sit in "yeshivah" (a consortium of Torah scholars). And thus is it written (of the exiles, II Kings 24:16) "and the charash and the masger, one thousand, all heroes, waging war." Now what feats of strength are performed by men going into exile? What war is waged by men bound in chains? Rather, (the meaning is that they were) "heroic" in the war of Torah. As it is written (Psalms 103:20) "Bless the L-rd, O His angels, heroic in power, doing His word to hear the voice of His word." (II Kings, Ibid.) "waging war": "giving and taking" in the "war" of Torah, viz. (Bamidbar 21:14) "Therefore, it is said in the Book of the wars of the L-rd, etc." (II Kings, Ibid.) "the charash" (lit., "mute"): One (of these scholars) speaks and the rest remain silent. "and 'the masger'" (lit., the "closer": All sit before him and learn from him. After he "closes," no one "opens," and after he "opens," no one "closes," in fulfilment of (Isaiah 22:22) "And he (David) will open, and none will close; and he will close, and none will open."