Sifrei on Deuteronomy Sifrei Devarim 42

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim 11:14) "And I shall give the rain of your land in its (proper) time, the yoreh and the malkosh": "I," and not an angel, and not a messenger. "the rain of your land": and not the rain of other lands. And thus is it written (Job 5:10) "who gives rain upon the land, and sends water upon the outer (regions)."

2

English · Shraga Silverstein

"in its time": from one Sabbath night to the next, as, indeed, occurred in the days of Queen Hilni. And why all this? So as not to leave an opening for future generations to say: "What is the reward for all of the mitzvoth?" But (Vayikra 26:3-4) "If you walk in My statues and keep My commandments and do them; then I will give your rains in their (proper) times." (Devarim 11:12-19) "And it shall be if you hearken, hearken to My mitzvoth … then I shall give the rain of your land in its (proper) time, yoreh and malkosh."

3

English · Shraga Silverstein

And where is it seen that one blessing was given to Israel, which encompasses all blessing? In (Koheleth 5:10) "The lover of silver will not be sated with silver, and he who loves (it) in profusion will have no produce," and (Ibid. 8) "the profit of the earth (i.e., the field) is over all. The king is subservient to the field." A king who rules over treasures of silver and gold is subservient to the produce of the field — whence we see that the blessing given to Israel encompasses all others.

4

English · Shraga Silverstein

"yoreh" (so-called) because it "teaches" (moreh) the people to bring in their fruits (so that they not be rotted by the rain), and to plaster their roofs, and to look to all of their needs. Variantly: It is "directed" to the ground and does not descend torrentially. Variantly: "yoreh": It saturates ("marveh") the ground and reaches until the depths, viz. (Psalms 65:11) "You saturate its ridges; You set its furrows."

5

English · Shraga Silverstein

The yoreh falls in Marcheshvan; the malkosh in Nissan. You say: The yoreh in Marcheshvan and the malkosh in Nissan. — But perhaps, the yoreh in Tishrei and the malkosh in Iyyar? It is, therefore, written "in its (proper) time" — the yoreh in Marcheshvan and the malkosh in Nissan. And thus is it written (Ezekiel) 34:26) "And I shall bring down the shower in its time; (showers of blessing shall they be.") But perhaps (it is called) "yoreh" (to shoot) in that it makes the fruits fall and floods the seeds and the silos! It is, therefore, written "and malkosh." Just as malkosh is for blessing, so, yoreh. — But perhaps, just as malkosh topples houses and uproots trees, and brings the cricket! It is, therefore, written "yoreh and malkosh." Just as yoreh is for blessing, so, malkosh, viz. (Yoel 2:23) "And, sons of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the L-rd your G-d. For He has given you the moreh in righteousness, and He has brought down for you rain — moreh and malkosh in the first (month)."

6

English · Shraga Silverstein

"and you shall gather in your corn, and your wine, and your oil": "your corn" — in abundance; "your wine" — in abundance; "and your oil" — in abundance. — But perhaps (the intent is that you shall gather all of them into one spot) because of their scarcity! It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 26:5) "And your threshing shall reach until the (grape) harvest." Just as with the (grape) harvest, once you begin, you cannot stop, (the very abundance of grapes making them susceptible to rot), so, with threshing, once you start, you will not be able to stop, (the abundance of the grapes making it susceptible to rot).

7

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: You will be plowing in the time of harvesting, and harvesting in the time of plowing, as Iyyov said (Iyyov 29:19) "and the dew rested on my harvest."

8

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "and you shall gather in your corn": Why is this written" (i.e., Is it not obvious?) Because it is written (Joshua 1:8) "Let not this book of the Torah depart from your mouth," I might think this was to be taken literally (i.e., that one must never leave off learning); it is, therefore, written "and you shall gather in your corn" — follow the way of the land (i.e., Engage in an occupation and learn when not thus engaged.) These are the words of R. Yishmael. R. Shimon b. Yochai says: If a man harvests in harvest time and plows in plowing time and threshes in threshing time and winnows when there is wind, when will he learn Torah? But, when Israel does the L-rd's will its work is done by others, as it is written (Isaiah 61:5) "And strangers shall arise and graze your flocks"; and when they do not do the L-rd's will, they must do their own work. And, what is more, the work of others is done by them, as it is written (Devarim 28:48) "And you shall serve your foes."

9

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "and you shall gather in your corn, and your wine, and your oil": Eretz Yisrael shall be full of corn, wine, and oil, and (the people of) all the lands will stream (there) to fill it with silver and gold, as it is written (Bereshith 47:14) "And Joseph gathered all the silver, etc." And it is written (Devarim 33:25) "And as your days (of doing the L-rd's will) will be your flow." We are hereby taught that all the lands will stream silver and gold into Eretz Yisrael.

10

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim 11:19): "dagan": as it is commonly understood (i.e., corn). "tirosh": wine, as in (Yoel 2:24) "and the vats will overflow with tirosh (wine) and yitzhar (oil)." "and you will gather": Not as in (Judges 6:3-4) "And it was, whenever Israel would sow, Midian would ascend, and Amalek and the people of the east, and they would overrun it. And they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the land" — but as in (Isaiah 62:9) "For its gatherers will eat it and they will praise the L-rd, and those who bring it together will drink it in My holy courts."

Sifrei Devarim 42

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