Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 9

4Do not say to yourself—when God, your God, has repelled them from before you—‘Because of my righteousness, God has brought me to take possession of this land,’ and that because of the wickedness of these nations, God is driving them out from before you.   דאַל־תֹּאמַ֣ר בִּלְבָֽבְךָ֗ בַּֽהֲדֹ֣ף יְהֹוָה֩ אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ אֹתָ֥ם | מִלְּפָנֶ֘יךָ֘ לֵאמֹר֒ בְּצִדְקָתִי֙ הֱבִיאַ֣נִי יְהֹוָ֔ה לָרֶ֖שֶׁת אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את וּבְרִשְׁעַת֙ הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָאֵ֔לֶּה יְהֹוָ֖ה מֽוֹרִישָׁ֥ם מִפָּנֶֽיךָ:
אַל־תֹּאמַר בִּלְבָֽבְךָ - Do not say to yourself - my righteousness and the wickedness of the nations both caused my victory.   אַל־תֹּאמַר בִּלְבָֽבְךָ.  צִדְקָתִי וְרִשְׁעַת הַגּוֹיִם גָּרְמוּ:
5You are coming to take possession of their land neither because of your righteousness nor because of the integrity of your heart. Rather, it is because of the wickedness of these nations that God, your God, is driving them out from before you, as well as in order to fulfill the promise that God swore to your forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.   הלֹ֣א בְצִדְקָֽתְךָ֗ וּבְי֨שֶׁר֙ לְבָ֣בְךָ֔ אַתָּ֥ה בָ֖א לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֶת־אַרְצָ֑ם כִּ֞י בְּרִשְׁעַ֣ת | הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָאֵ֗לֶּה יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ מֽוֹרִישָׁ֣ם מִפָּנֶ֔יךָ וּלְמַ֜עַן הָקִ֣ים אֶת־הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ לַֽאֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּלְיַֽעֲקֹֽב:
לֹא בְצִדְקָֽתְךָ אַתָּה בָא לָרֶשֶׁת כִּי בְּרִשְׁעַת הַגּוֹיִם - You are coming to take possession…not because of your righteousness…rather, because of the wickedness of these nations. כִּי is thus used here in the sense of אֶלָּא “but.”   לֹא בְצִדְקָֽתְךָ אַתָּה בָא לָרֶשֶׁת כִּי בְּרִשְׁעַת הַגּוֹיִם.  הֲרֵי כִּי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֶלָּא:
6You must know that God, your God, is not giving you this land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.   ווְיָֽדַעְתָּ֗ כִּ֠י לֹ֤א בְצִדְקָֽתְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱ֠לֹהֶ֠יךָ נֹתֵ֨ן לְךָ֜ אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֛ה הַזֹּ֖את לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ כִּ֥י עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֖רֶף אָֽתָּה:
7Remember—do not forget—how you angered God, your God, in the desert. You have been rebelling against God from the day you went out of Egypt until you came to this place.   זזְכֹר֙ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֔ח אֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־הִקְצַ֛פְתָּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר לְמִן־הַיּ֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יָצָ֣אתָ | מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם עַד־בֹּֽאֲכֶם֙ עַד־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה מַמְרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם עִם־יְהֹוָֽה:
8You angered God at Mount Horeb, and God was incensed with you and wanted to destroy you.   חוּבְחֹרֵ֥ב הִקְצַפְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיִּתְאַנַּ֧ף יְהֹוָ֛ה בָּכֶ֖ם לְהַשְׁמִ֥יד אֶתְכֶֽם:
9When I ascended the mountain to receive the stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant that God made with you, I remained on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water,   טבַּֽעֲלֹתִ֣י הָהָ֗רָה לָקַ֜חַת לוּחֹ֤ת הָֽאֲבָנִים֙ לוּחֹ֣ת הַבְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁר־כָּרַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה עִמָּכֶ֑ם וָֽאֵשֵׁ֣ב בָּהָ֗ר אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔לְתִּי וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֥א שָׁתִֽיתִי:
וָֽאֵשֵׁב בָּהָר - I remained on the mountain. יְשִׁיבָה in this sense denotes nothing other than remaining in one place.   וָֽאֵשֵׁב בָּהָר.  אֵין יְשִׁיבָה אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן עַכָּבָה (מגילה כ"א):
10and God gave me the two stone tablets, inscribed by the finger of God, on which were engraved all the words that God spoke with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.   יוַיִּתֵּ֨ן יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י אֶת־שְׁנֵי֙ לוּחֹ֣ת הָֽאֲבָנִ֔ים כְּתֻבִ֖ים בְּאֶצְבַּ֣ע אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַֽעֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כְּכָל־הַדְּבָרִ֡ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה עִמָּכֶ֥ם בָּהָ֛ר מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵ֖שׁ בְּי֥וֹם הַקָּהָֽל:
לוּחֹת - Tablets. It is written without a ו after the ח as though it said לוּחַת “one tablet of,” to indicate that both tablets were alike in every respect.   לוּחֹת.  לוחת כְּתִיב שֶׁשְּׁתֵיהֶן שָׁווֹת (תנחומא):
11At the end of 40 days and 40 nights, God gave me the two stone tablets, the Tablets of the Covenant.   יאוַיְהִ֗י מִקֵּץ֙ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָ֑יְלָה נָתַ֨ן יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י אֶת־שְׁנֵ֛י לֻחֹ֥ת הָֽאֲבָנִ֖ים לֻח֥וֹת הַבְּרִֽית:
12God said to me, ‘Arise, descend quickly from here, for your people, whom you have brought out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from the path that I commanded them to follow; they have made for themselves a molten calf.’   יבוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י ק֣וּם רֵ֤ד מַהֵר֙ מִזֶּ֔ה כִּ֚י שִׁחֵ֣ת עַמְּךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹצֵ֖אתָ מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם סָ֣רוּ מַהֵ֗ר מִן־הַדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֔ם עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם מַסֵּכָֽה:
13God spoke to me, saying, ‘I have observed this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.   יגוַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֑ר רָאִ֨יתִי֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֖רֶף הֽוּא:
14Leave Me alone, and I will destroy them and obliterate their name from everywhere beneath heaven, and I will make you into a nation mightier and more numerous than they.’   ידהֶ֤רֶף מִמֶּ֨נִּי֙ וְאַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם וְאֶמְחֶ֣ה אֶת־שְׁמָ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙ אוֹתְךָ֔ לְגֽוֹי־עָצ֥וּם וָרָ֖ב מִמֶּֽנּוּ:
15I turned and came down from the mountain. The mountain was ablaze with fire, and the two Tablets of the Covenant were in my two hands.   טווָאֵ֗פֶן וָֽאֵרֵד֙ מִן־הָהָ֔ר וְהָהָ֖ר בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֑שׁ וּשְׁנֵי֙ לוּחֹ֣ת הַבְּרִ֔ית עַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֥י יָדָֽי:
16I saw that you had sinned against God, your God: you had made yourselves a molten calf. You were quick to turn away from the path that God had commanded you to follow.   טזוָאֵ֗רֶא וְהִנֵּ֤ה חֲטָאתֶם֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם לָכֶ֔ם עֵ֖גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה סַרְתֶּ֣ם מַהֵ֔ר מִן־הַדֶּ֕רֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶתְכֶֽם:
17So I grasped the two tablets and hurled them from my two hands, shattering them before your eyes.   יזוָֽאֶתְפֹּשׂ֙ בִּשְׁנֵ֣י הַלֻּחֹ֔ת וָֽאַשְׁלִכֵ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֣י יָדָ֑י וָֽאֲשַׁבְּרֵ֖ם לְעֵֽינֵיכֶֽם:
18I threw myself down before God, staying on the mountain as before, for 40 days and 40 nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because I was preoccupied with seeking forgiveness for all the sins that you committed by doing evil in the eyes of God to anger Him,   יחוָֽאֶתְנַפַּל֩ לִפְנֵ֨י יְהֹוָ֜ה כָּרִֽאשֹׁנָ֗ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔לְתִּי וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א שָׁתִ֑יתִי עַ֤ל כָּל־חַטַּאתְכֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חֲטָאתֶ֔ם לַֽעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ:
וָֽאֶתְנַפַּל לִפְנֵי ה' כָּרִֽאשֹׁנָה אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם - I threw myself down before God as before, for 40 days - as it says: “I will now ascend to God: perhaps I will be able to secure atonement for your sin.” 1 On that ascent, I stayed for 40 days. This means that they ended on 29 Av, for Moses went up on 18 Tammuz. On that very day, the Holy One, blessed be He, became reconciled with Israel and said to Moses: “Hew yourself two tablets.” 2 He then spent another 40 days there, which means that they ended on Yom Kippur. On that very day, the Holy One, blessed be He, became joyfully reconciled with Israel, and He said to Moses: “I have forgiven them in accordance with your word.” Therefore, this day was designated for pardon and forgiveness. And how do we know that He was fully appeased? For it says regarding the 40 days of the second tablets: “I remained on the mountain like the first days.” 3 Just as the first 40 days were spent in God’s good favor, so too, the last 40 days were spent in His good favor. From this, you can now also infer that during the middle 40 days He was angry.   וָֽאֶתְנַפַּל לִפְנֵי ה' כָּרִֽאשֹׁנָה אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם.  שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ל"ב) וְעַתָּה אֶעֱלֶה אֶל ה' אוּלַי אֲכַפְּרָה, בְּאוֹתָהּ עֲלִיָּה נִתְעַכַּבְתִּי אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, נִמְצְאוּ כָלִים בְּכ"ט בְּאָב, שֶׁהוּא עָלָה בִּשְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז, בּוֹ בַיּוֹם נִתְרַצָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַר לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה פְּסָל לְךָ שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת (שם ל"ד) עָשָׂה עוֹד אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, נִמְצְאוּ כָלִים בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, בּוֹ בַיּוֹם נִתְרַצָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשִׂמְחָה וְאָמַר לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה סָלַחְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶךָ (במדבר י"ד), לְכָךְ הֻקְבַּע לִמְחִילָה וְלִסְלִיחָה, וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁנִּתְרַצָּה בְרָצוֹן שָׁלֵם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּאַרְבָּעִים שֶׁל לוּחוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת (דברים י') וְאָנֹכִי עָמַדְתִּי בָהָר כַּיָּמִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים, מַה הָרִאשׁוֹנִים בְּרָצוֹן אַף הָאַחֲרוֹנִים בְּרָצוֹן, אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה אֶמְצָעִיִּים הָיוּ בְּכַעַס:
19for I was frightened by the wrath and the fury that God displayed when He was angry at you, threatening to destroy you. God hearkened to me also at that time.   יטכִּ֣י יָגֹ֗רְתִּי מִפְּנֵ֤י הָאַף֙ וְהַ֣חֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָצַ֧ף יְהֹוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם לְהַשְׁמִ֣יד אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י גַּ֖ם בַּפַּ֥עַם הַהִֽוא:
20God was extremely furious with Aaron, threatening to destroy him, so I prayed also for Aaron at that time.   כוּבְאַֽהֲרֹ֗ן הִתְאַנַּ֧ף יְהֹוָ֛ה מְאֹ֖ד לְהַשְׁמִיד֑וֹ וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֛ל גַּם־בְּעַ֥ד אַֽהֲרֹ֖ן בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽוא:
וּבְאַֽהֲרֹן הִתְאַנַּף ה' - God was [extremely] furious with Aaron - for acquiescing to your insistence on making the calf.   וּבְאַֽהֲרֹן הִתְאַנַּף ה'.  לְפִי שֶׁשָּׁמַע לָכֶם:
לְהַשְׁמִידוֹ - To destroy him. This refers to eradicating his offspring, and similarly it says: “I destroyed (וָאַשְׁמִיד) his fruit from above.” 4   לְהַשְׁמִידוֹ.  זֶה כִלּוּי בָּנִים, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (עמוס ב') וָאַשְׁמִיד פִּרְיוֹ מִמַּעַל:
וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּל גַּם־בְּעַד אַֽהֲרֹן - So I prayed also for Aaron. And my prayer was effective to atone and reduce the sentence by half: two sons died and two remained alive.   וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּל גַּם־בְּעַד אַֽהֲרֹן.  וְהוֹעִילָה תְפִלָּתִי לְכַפֵּר מֶחֱצָה, וּמֵתוּ שְׁנַיִם וְנִשְׁאֲרוּ הַשְּׁנַיִם:
21I took the object of your sin—the calf that you had made—and I burned it with fire. I crushed it, grinding it well, until it was as fine as dust, and I cast its dust into the stream that descended from the mountain.   כאוְאֶת־חַטַּאתְכֶ֞ם אֲשֶׁר־עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם אֶת־הָעֵ֗גֶל לָקַ֘חְתִּי֘ וָֽאֶשְׂרֹ֣ף אֹת֣וֹ | בָּאֵשׁ֒ וָֽאֶכֹּ֨ת אֹת֤וֹ טָחוֹן֙ הֵיטֵ֔ב עַ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־דַּ֖ק לְעָפָ֑ר וָֽאַשְׁלִךְ֙ אֶת־עֲפָר֔וֹ אֶל־הַנַּ֖חַל הַיֹּרֵ֥ד מִן־הָהָֽר:
טָחוֹן - Grinding. This is a present tense form, as if to say: “continuously destroying it”; molant in Old French.   טָחוֹן.  לְשׁוֹן הוֹוֶה, כְּמוֹ הָלוֹךְ וְכַלּוֹת, מולא"נט בְּלַעַז:
22You provoked God to anger at Tav’erah, at Masah and Merivah, at Kivrot HaTa’avah,   כבוּבְתַבְעֵרָה֙ וּבְמַסָּ֔ה וּבְקִבְרֹ֖ת הַתַּֽאֲוָ֑ה מַקְצִפִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה:
23and when God sent you from Kadesh Barnei’a, saying, ‘Go up and take possession of the land I have given you,’ you defied the word of God, your God. You did not believe Him, nor did you obey Him.   כגוּבִשְׁלֹ֨חַ יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִקָּדֵ֤שׁ בַּרְנֵ֨עַ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר עֲלוּ֙ וּרְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לָכֶ֑ם וַתַּמְר֗וּ אֶת־פִּ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֤א הֶֽאֱמַנְתֶּם֙ ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם בְּקֹלֽוֹ:
24You have been rebelling against God since the day I became acquainted with you.   כדמַמְרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם עִם־יְהֹוָ֑ה מִיּ֖וֹם דַּעְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶֽם:
25I threw myself down before God, remaining prostrate for the 40 days and the 40 nights after I threw myself down, because God had said that He intended to destroy you.   כהוָֽאֶתְנַפַּ֞ל לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה אֵ֣ת אַרְבָּעִ֥ים הַיּ֛וֹם וְאֶת־אַרְבָּעִ֥ים הַלַּ֖יְלָה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִתְנַפָּ֑לְתִּי כִּֽי־אָמַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה לְהַשְׁמִ֥יד אֶתְכֶֽם:
וָֽאֶתְנַפַּל וגו' - I threw myself down… These are the very same days mentioned above, and they are mentioned again at this point because Moses’ order of prayer is written here, as it says: “God, do not destroy Your people….” 5   וָֽאֶתְנַפַּל וגו'.  אֵלּוּ הֵן עַצְמָם הָאֲמוּרִים לְמַעְלָה, וּכְפָלָן כָּאן, לְפִי שֶׁכָּתוּב כָּאן סֵדֶר תְּפִלָּתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ה' אלהים אל תשחת עמך וגו':
26I prayed to God and said, ‘God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance, whom You have redeemed in Your greatness and whom You have taken out of Egypt with a mighty hand.   כווָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֣ל אֶל־יְהֹוָה֘ וָֽאֹמַר֒ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֗ה אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֤ת עַמְּךָ֙ וְנַֽחֲלָ֣תְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּדִ֖יתָ בְּגָדְלֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתָ מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם בְּיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה:
27Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Pay no heed to the stubbornness of this people, or to their wickedness, or to their sin,   כזזְכֹר֙ לַֽעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּלְיַֽעֲקֹ֑ב אַל־תֵּ֗פֶן אֶל־קְשִׁי֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְאֶל־רִשְׁע֖וֹ וְאֶל־חַטָּאתֽוֹ:
28lest the people of the land from which you took us out say, “Because of God’s inability to bring them into the land about which He spoke to them, and because of His hatred toward them, He has brought them out to slay them in the desert.”   כחפֶּן־יֹֽאמְר֗וּ הָאָ֘רֶץ֘ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֽוֹצֵאתָ֣נוּ מִשָּׁם֒ מִבְּלִי֙ יְכֹ֣לֶת יְהֹוָ֔ה לַֽהֲבִיאָ֕ם אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם וּמִשִּׂנְאָת֣וֹ אוֹתָ֔ם הֽוֹצִיאָ֖ם לַֽהֲמִתָ֥ם בַּמִּדְבָּֽר:
29But they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You took out with Your great strength and with Your outstretched arm.’   כטוְהֵ֥ם עַמְּךָ֖ וְנַֽחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הוֹצֵ֨אתָ֙ בְּכֹֽחֲךָ֣ הַגָּדֹ֔ל וּבִזְרֹֽעֲךָ֖ הַנְּטוּיָֽה: