Pisqa’ 42

1

“And I will bring” (Dt.11:14)—

by Myself,

not by means of an angelic messenger,

and not by means of a human emissary.¹

“The rain to your Land (‘artzekhem; Dt.11:14) —

but not the rain of all lands.

And so He says:

“Who brings rains upon the face of the Land (‘aretz)

and sends water over the country-side” (Job5:10).

2

R. Nathan says:

“In its time” (Dt.11:14)—

from one Sabbath night to the next Sabbath night,

as it fell in the days of Shlomtziyyon the Queen.²

Now, why [control the rains] to this extent?

Rabbi says:

So as not to give the world’s creatures

an opportunity to complain:

Look at the reward for observing the commandments!

Rather—

“If you follow my statutes, then I will give your rains in their time . . . ” (Lv.26:3-4).

“And if you obediently comply with my commandments,

then I will bring the rain to your Land in its time—

the early rains and the late rains” (Dt.11:13-14).

Now, on what basis do I know that

a single blessing, containing all other blessings,

was given to Israel?

The Teaching states:

“The lover of silver will not be satisfied with more silver,

and one who loves excess will never achieve it” (Ecc.5:9).

And He continues:

“But the profit of a land is, in all respects, a king who works the land.” (Ecc.5:8).

This king may possess treasuries of silver and gold,

but he depends ultimately upon

what grows from the field.

Thus you learn that

a single blessing, containing all other blessings,

was given to Israel.³

3

“The early rains” (yoreh; Dt.11:14)—

their arrival instructs (moreh]) people to gather in their produce,

to plaster their roofs, and to take care of other needs.⁴

Another word:

“The early rains” (Dt.11:14)—

they fall directly on the Land, but do not fall violently.

Another word:

“The early rains” (Dt.11:14)—

they fall, soaking (marveh)⁵ the Land,

and watering it down to the depths.

4

And so He says:

“Watering her furrows, filling her ridges” (Ps.65:11).

The early rains arrive in the month of Marheshvan,

and the late rains arrive in Nisan.

You claim that

the early rains arrive in Marheshvan

and the late rains arrive in Nisan!

Or, perhaps, the point is:

the early rains arrive in Tishrei,

and the late rains arrive in Iyyar?

The Teaching states:

“In its time” (Dt.11:14)—

the early rains arrive in Marheshvan,

and the late rains arrive in Nisan.

And similarly He says:

“And I shall make the rains fall in their time” (Ezek.34:26).

Or, perhaps:

just as the early rains cause the fruit to fall,

wash away sown seeds, and flood threshing floors,

[the late rains are also destructive]?

The Teaching states:

“The late rains” (Dt.11:14)—

just as the late rains are for a blessing,

so, too, the early rains are for a blessing.

Or, perhaps:

just as the late rains bring down houses,

uproot trees, and spawn crickets

[the early rains are similarly destructive]?

The Teaching states:

“The early rains” (Dt.11:14)—

just as the early rains are for a blessing,

so too the late rains are for a blessing.

And so He says:

“For He has righteously given you the early rains . . .

He causes the early and late rains to fall as of yore” (Joel 2:23).

5

“And you shall gather in your grain, your must, and your oil” (Dt.11:14):

“Your grain”—implies a full yield;

“Your must”—implies a full yield;

“Your oil”—implies a full yield.

You claim that

“Your grain”—implies a full yield;

“Your must”—implies a full yield;

“Your oil”—implies a full yield.

Or, perhaps:

“You shall gather in your grain, your must, and your oil” (Dt.11:14)

implies that a full yield is due only to dwindling crops?

The Teaching states:

“And your threshing shall last till vintage time” (Lv.26:5).

The verse juxtaposes “threshing” and “vintage:”

just as with vintage—once you begin you can’t leave it,

so too with threshing—once you begin you can’t leave it.

Another word:

So that you may plow till harvest-season,

and harvest till plowing-season.

And so does Job say:

“My seed still benefits from ground-water,

while dew lies at night upon my harvest” (Job 29:19).

6

Another word:

“And you shall gather in your grain” (Dt.11:14)—

why is this mentioned?

Because elsewhere it is said:

“Let this scroll of the Torah never cease from your mouth” (Josh.1:8).

Shall I infer that it means just that?⁶

The Teaching states:

“You shall gather in your grain” (Dt.11:14)—

The Torah spoke of the normal course of things:⁷

words of R. Ishmael.

R. Shimon b. Yohai says:

There’s no end to it!

If you harvest at the harvest-season,

and plow at the plowing-season,

and thresh in the hot season,

and winnow in the windy season—

when will you study Torah?

But in fact,

when Israel performs the will of the All-Present,

their labor is performed by others!

As it is said:

“And strangers will arise to herd your flocks” (Is.61:5).

But when they do not perform the will of the All-Present,

they provide their own labor.⁸

And, not only this,

but even the labor of others is performed by them!

For it is said:

“And you shall serve your enemy” (Dt.28:48).

7

Another word:

“And you shall gather in your grain, your must, and your oil” (Dt.11:14)—

so that the Land of Israel shall be filled

with grain, must, and oil,

while all the other lands offer it

their surplus silver and gold.

This is in line with what is stated:

“And Joseph gathered up all the silver” (Gn.47:14).

And He says:

“And as your days, so shall be your surplus” (Dt.33:25)—

that all the other lands offer

their surplus silver and gold to the Land of Israel!

Another word:

“Your grain” (Dt.11:14)—it means just that;

“your must” (Dt.11:14)]—this refers to new wine,

as it is stated:

“As when must is found in the cluster” (Is.65:8);

“your oil” (Dt.11:14) —this refers to oil from the vat,

as it is stated:

“And the vats will overflow with must and oil” (Joel 2:24).

Another word:

“Your grain”–it is all yours;

“Your must”—it is all yours;

“Your oil”—it is all yours.

This does not jibe

with what is stated elsewhere:

“When Israel had sown, Midian came up, and Amalek,

and the people of the East, and they . . . destroyed the produce of the earth” (Jud.6:3-4);

Rather, it jibes

with this verse that is stated:

“I will no longer give the grain to be food for your enemies,

and strangers will no longer drink your must,

for which you have labored” (Is.62:8).

1. Cf. the Passover Haggadah, s.v.’ani lo’ `al yede shaliakh; Mechilta Ishmael bo’ 13, s.v., lo’ al yedei mal’ach .
2. Queen Salome Alexandra (d. 67 BCE), who was elevated to the throne after the death of her husband, the Hasmonean, Alexander Jannaeus.
3. // Sifra, bekhuqotai, per. 1:1.
4. The common root is y-r-h, “to cast” or to “instruct..” This root is also at the foundation of the noun, torah.
5. The root of marveh is y-r-w, “to overflow.”
6. Namely, that Torah-study supersedes earning a living.
7. And so expects Israel to labor prior to learning.
8. Sifra, bekhuqotai, par.1:2 .