אור החיים הקדוש · האזינו · שִׁשִּׁי
The Hebrew is the original Ohr HaChaim. Each passage is paired with its AI-assisted explanatory English, beside it on wide pages and beneath it on smaller screens. Brief clarifications are marked within the English. In plain words and Lemaaseh are separate AI-assisted study aids.
כִּֽי־אֶשָּׂ֥א אֶל־שָׁמַ֖יִם יָדִ֑י וְאָמַ֕רְתִּי חַ֥י אָנֹכִ֖י לְעֹלָֽם׃
For I lift up My hand to heaven, And say: As I live for ever,
אִם־שַׁנּוֹתִי֙ בְּרַ֣ק חַרְבִּ֔י וְתֹאחֵ֥ז בְּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט יָדִ֑י אָשִׁ֤יב נָקָם֙ לְצָרָ֔י וְלִמְשַׂנְאַ֖י אֲשַׁלֵּֽם׃
If I whet My glittering sword, And My hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to Mine adversaries, And will recompense them that hate Me.
No Ohr HaChaim comment on this pasuk in this edition.
אַשְׁכִּ֤יר חִצַּי֙ מִדָּ֔ם וְחַרְבִּ֖י תֹּאכַ֣ל בָּשָׂ֑ר מִדַּ֤ם חָלָל֙ וְשִׁבְיָ֔ה מֵרֹ֖אשׁ פַּרְע֥וֹת אוֹיֵֽב׃
I will make Mine arrows drunk with blood, And My sword shall devour flesh; With the blood of the slain and the captives, From the long-haired heads of the enemy.’
No Ohr HaChaim comment on this pasuk in this edition.
הַרְנִ֤ינוּ גוֹיִם֙ עַמּ֔וֹ כִּ֥י דַם־עֲבָדָ֖יו יִקּ֑וֹם וְנָקָם֙ יָשִׁ֣יב לְצָרָ֔יו וְכִפֶּ֥ר אַדְמָת֖וֹ עַמּֽוֹ׃ (פ)
Sing aloud, O ye nations, of His people; For He doth avenge the blood of His servants, And doth render vengeance to His adversaries, And doth make expiation for the land of His people.
אור החיים הקדוש
הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם וְגוֹ׳. פֵּרוּשׁ, כִּי בַּעֲשׂוֹת ה׳ נְקָמָה בְּאוֹיְבֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וִירוֹמֵם מַדְרֵגַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְרַנְּנוּ הַגּוֹיִם עַל עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְשַׁבְּחָם וּלְרוֹמְמָם, כְּאָמְרוֹ (תהלים קמד:טו) ״אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם״ וְגוֹ׳.
Sing aloud, O nations, of His people. The meaning is that when Hashem executes vengeance upon the enemies of Israel and elevates the spiritual and physical stature of Israel, the nations of the world will sing praises concerning His people, Israel, to laud them and exalt them. This is in line with the verse in Psalms 144:15, Praiseworthy is the people for whom it is so.
כִּי דַם עֲבָדָיו יִקּוֹם. וְאָמְרוֹ ״כִּי דַם וְגוֹ׳ וְנָקָם״ וְגוֹ׳ – פֵּרוּשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא דָּם לְבַד, אֶלָּא גַּם צָרָיו אֲשֶׁר חָרְשׁוּ אָוֶן לוֹ יָשִׁיב ה׳ לָהֶם נָקָם שֶׁחָשְׁבוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת, עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרוֹ (תהלים ז:יז) ״יָשׁוּב עֲמָלוֹ בְרֹאשׁוֹ״.
For He avenges the blood of His servants. When the verse says, For He avenges the blood... and He will render vengeance to His adversaries, it means that Hashem will not only avenge the actual spilled blood, but He will also return upon His adversaries the very vengeance and harm they plotted to do to Israel. This is in line with the verse in Psalms 7:17, His mischief shall return upon his own head.
וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ. וְאָמְרוֹ ״וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ״ הוּא גְּמַר הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהִתְחִיל לוֹמַר ״כִּי יָדִין ה׳ עַמּוֹ״ וְגוֹ׳, וְגָמַר אוֹמֶר כִּי הַנִּמְצָא עֲדַיִן מֵהַחֲטָאִים עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּכַפֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה לְשַׁמָּה וּלְחֶרְפָּה שָׁנִים רַבּוֹת, זֶה יִהְיֶה לְכַפָּרַת עֲוֹן עַם ה׳.
And He makes expiation for the land of His people. This statement, And He makes expiation for the land of His people, is the ultimate conclusion of the theme that began earlier in verse 36, For Hashem will judge His people. The Torah concludes here by declaring that whatever sins might still remain upon Israel will be fully atoned for by the very land of Israel itself, which suffered by being desolate and a disgrace for so many years. The suffering of the land will serve as the expiation for the iniquity of Hashem's people.
אור החיים הקדוש
כִּי אֶשָּׂא אֶל שָׁמַיִם וְגוֹ׳. פֵּרוּשׁ לְשׁוֹן שְׁבוּעָה, שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע בִּנְשִׂיאוּת יָדָיו לְשַׁנֵּן חַרְבּוֹ לִנְקֹם מִצָּרָיו, וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ ״אִם שַׁנּוֹתִי בְּרַק״ וְגוֹ׳, וְאָמְרוֹ ״וְתֹאחֵז בְּמִשְׁפָּט״ פֵּרוּשׁ יִתְקֹף בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין.
For I lift up My hand to heaven, and so on. This is an expression of an oath, meaning that Hashem swore by the lifting of His hands to sharpen His sword to take vengeance on His adversaries. This is what is meant by the next verse, If I whet My glittering sword, and so on. And the words, and My hand take hold on judgment, mean that He will strengthen and assert the attribute of strict justice.
אוֹ יִרְצֶה, שֶׁתַּסְכִּים גַּם מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים וְתִתְחַזֵּק בַּמִּשְׁפָּט לְהָשִׁיב נָקָם לְצָרֵי ה׳ שֶׁהֵם אוֹיְבֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁאֵינָם שׂוֹנְאִים אוֹתָנוּ אֶלָּא עַל דְּבֵקוּתֵנוּ בַּה׳, וְאוֹמֵר ״וְלִמְשַׂנְאַי״ – הֵם כַּת הַמַּעֲבֶרֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל דָּת.
Alternatively, it means that even the attribute of mercy will agree and join in strengthening the judgment, to return vengeance to Hashem's adversaries, who are the enemies of Israel. For they do not hate us except because of our cleaving to Hashem. And when the verse says, and I will requite them that hate Me, it refers to the group of nations that actively try to force Israel to transgress their religion.