| 17You must remember what the nation of Amalek did to you when you were traveling after you left Egypt— |
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יזזָכ֕וֹר אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה לְךָ֖ עֲמָלֵ֑ק בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵֽאתְכֶ֥ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם: |
| זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה לְךָ - You must remember what [Amalek] did to you. If you cheat with weights and measures, be concerned that the enemy will be incited to attack you, as it says: “Deceitful scales are an abomination to God,” and following that it is written: “With the arrival of spite, disgrace comes.” |
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זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה לְךָ.
אִם שִׁקַּרְתָּ בְמִדּוֹת וּבְמִשְׁקָלוֹת הֱוֵי דוֹאֵג מִגֵּרוּי הָאוֹיֵב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי י"א) "מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה תּוֹעֲבַת ה'", וּכְתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ "בָּא זָדוֹן וַיָּבֹא קָלוֹן" (תנחומא):
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| 18how, on the way, it attacked you by surprise, and mutilated all the weak ones at your rear. You were faint from thirst and weary, and they did not fear God. |
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יחאֲשֶׁ֨ר קָֽרְךָ֜ בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּ֤ב בְּךָ֙ כָּל־הַנֶּֽחֱשָׁלִ֣ים אַֽחֲרֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה עָיֵ֣ף וְיָגֵ֑עַ וְלֹ֥א יָרֵ֖א אֱלֹהִֽים: |
| אֲשֶׁר קָֽרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ - (lit.) How it encountered you on the way. The word קָרְךָ denotes a chance happening (מִקְרֶה), i.e., an unexpected attack. Another explanation: It denotes seminal emission (קֶרִי) and defilement, i.e., he defiled them with sodomy. Another explanation: It is derived from the concept of cold (קֹר) and heat, i.e., he cooled you down and reduced your boiling heat, for the nations had been afraid to attack you, but Amalek came and was the first to do so, providing the possibility for others to do the same. This can be compared to a bath so boiling hot that nobody could enter. One reckless person came and leaped down into it. Although he was scalded, he cooled it down for others. |
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אֲשֶׁר קָֽרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ.
לְשׁוֹן מִקְרֶה; דָּבָר אַחֵר — לְשׁוֹן קֶרִי וְטֻמְאָה שֶׁהָיָה מְטַמְּאָן בְּמִשְׁכַּב זְכוּר; דָּבָר אַחֵר — לְשׁוֹן קֹר וְחֹם, צִנֶּנְךָ וְהִפְשִׁירְךָ מֵרְתִיחָתְךָ, שֶׁהָיוּ כָל הָאֻמּוֹת יְרֵאִים לְהִלָּחֵם בָּכֶם וּבָא זֶה וְהִתְחִיל וְהֶרְאָה מָקוֹם לַאֲחֵרִים; מָשָׁל לְאַמְבָּטִי רוֹתַחַת שֶׁאֵין כָּל בְּרִיָּה יְכוֹלָה לֵירֵד בְּתוֹכָהּ, בָּא בֶן בְּלִיַּעַל אֶחָד קָפַץ וְיָרַד לְתוֹכָהּ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּכְוָה הֵקֵרָהּ אוֹתָהּ בִּפְנֵי אֲחֵרִים (תנחומא):
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| וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ - means: he gave you a blow to the tail (זָנָב); i.e., he cut off their circumcised organs and flung them upward as an act of defiance to God. |
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וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ.
מַכַּת זָנָב, חוֹתֵךְ מִילוֹת וְזוֹרֵק כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה (תנחומא):
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| כָּל־הַנֶּֽחֱשָׁלִים אַֽחֲרֶיךָ - All the weak ones - i.e., those who lacked strength on account of their sins, who had been expelled by the protective cloud. |
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כָּל־הַנֶּֽחֱשָׁלִים אַֽחֲרֶיךָ.
חַסְרֵי כֹחַ מֵחֲמַת חֶטְאָם, שֶׁהָיָה הֶעָנָן פּוֹלְטָן (תנחומא):
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| וְאַתָּה עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ - You were faint and weary. Faint from thirst, as it is written: “the people thirsted there for water,” which is followed by: “Amalek came.” |
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וְאַתָּה עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ.
עָיֵף בַּצָּמָא, דִּכְתִיב "וַיִּצְמָא שָׁם הָעָם לַמַּיִם" (שמות י"ז) וּכְתִיב אַחֲרָיו "וַיָּבֹא עֲמָלֵק":
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| וְיָגֵעַ - And weary - from the journey. |
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וְיָגֵעַ.
בַּדֶּרֶךְ:
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| וְלֹא יָרֵא - And they did not fear - referring to Amalek – אֱלֹהִים – God to thus refrain from harming you. |
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וְלֹא יָרֵא.
עֲמָלֵק אלהים מִלְּהָרַע לְךָ:
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| 19When God, your God, grants you respite from all your enemies surrounding you in the land that God, your God, is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you must obliterate the remembrance of Amalek from beneath heaven. You must not forget.” |
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יטוְהָיָ֡ה בְּהָנִ֣יחַ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ | לְ֠ךָ֠ מִכָּל־אֹ֨יְבֶ֜יךָ מִסָּבִ֗יב בָּאָ֨רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְהֹוָה־אֱלֹהֶ֠יךָ נֹתֵ֨ן לְךָ֤ נַֽחֲלָה֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ תִּמְחֶה֙ אֶת־זֵ֣כֶר * (זֶ֣כֶר) עֲמָלֵ֔ק מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם לֹ֖א תִּשְׁכָּֽח: |
| תִּמְחֶה אֶת־זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק - You must obliterate the remembrance of Amalek - including men and women, infants and sucklings, cattle and flocks, so that the name of Amalek not be mentioned even in association with an animal, saying: “This animal once belonged to Amalek.” |
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תִּמְחֶה אֶת־זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק.
מֵאִישׁ עַד אִשָּׁה מֵעוֹלֵל וְעַד יוֹנֵק מִשּׁוֹר וְעַד שֶׂה (שמואל א ט"ו), שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא שֵׁם עֲמָלֵק נִזְכָּר אֲפִלּוּ עַל הַבְּהֵמָה, לוֹמַר בְּהֵמָה זוֹ מִשֶּׁל עֲמָלֵק הָיְתָה (פסיק' זוטר'):
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