TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 30
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1When all these things befall you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you take them to heart amidst the various nations to which Hashem your God has banished you,
אוְהָיָה כִי־יָבֹאוּ עָלֶיךָ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ בְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִדִּיחֲךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ שָׁמָּה׃
2and you return to Hashem your God, and you and your children heed His command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day,
בוְשַׁבְתָּ עַד־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְקֹלוֹ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶׁךָ׃
3then Hashem your God will restore your fortunes and take you back in love. He will bring you together again from all the peoples where Hashem your God has scattered you.
v'-SHAV a-do-NAI e-lo-HE-kha et sh'-vu-t'-KHA v'-ri-kha-ME-kha v'-SHAV v'-ki-betz-KHA mi-kol HA-a-MEEM a-SHER he-fitz-KHA a-do-NAI e-lo-HE-kha SHA-mah
גוְשָׁב יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת־שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר הֱפִיצְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ שָׁמָּה׃
30:3 Then Hashem your God will restore your fortunes
Natan Sharansky (b. 1948)
In his book Meshech Chochma, Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843-1926) clarifies that this verse, foretelling the ingathering of the exiles, refers to two distinct groups of people. “God will restore your fortunes” alludes to the Jews who yearn to return to the Land of Israel. This group will be brought to Eretz Yisrael first. Subsequently, “He will bring you together again,” and even those Jews who have become comfortable on foreign soil and lost their connection with Israel will be brought back. We are privileged to witness the first part of the verse being fulfilled, as thousands of Jews choose to make aliya each year. In 2015, more than 31,000 Jewish immigrants left their homes worldwide and moved to the Land of Israel. Why do so many Jews choose to make Eretz Yisrael their home? According to Natan Sharansky, former Soviet “refusenik” and chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, “The high number of immigrants, particularly from western countries, attests to the drawing power of the Zionist idea. The fact that immigrants choose to come to Israel is a sign that Israel invests their lives with meaning that they cannot find elsewhere.”
4Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there Hashem your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you.
דאִם־יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם מִשָּׁם יְקַבֶּצְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּמִשָּׁם יִקָּחֶךָ׃
5And Hashem your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers.
ve-he-vee-a-KHA a-do-NAI e-lo-HE-kha el ha-A-retz a-sher ya-r'-SHU a-vo-TE-kha vee-rish-TA v'-hay-tiv-KHA v'-hir-b'-KHA ear-be-KHA may-a-vo-TE-kha
הוֶהֱבִיאֲךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יָרְשׁוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְהֵיטִבְךָ וְהִרְבְּךָ מֵאֲבֹתֶיךָ׃
30:5 The land that your fathers possessed
Customarily, this passage is read in synagogue every year prior to Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year and the first of the High Holidays. It describes the redemption of the Jewish people and their physical return to the Land of Israel. What is the connection between the return to the land and the High Holidays? One of the central themes of Rosh Hashana is the recognition of Hashem’s dominion over the whole world. Only at the time of the complete return of the People of Israel to Eretz Yisrael will all the world recognize Hashem as the King of the world. As it says “And Hashem shall be king over all the earth; in that day there shall be one Hashem with one name” (Zechariah 14:9).
6Then Hashem your God will open up your heart and the hearts of your offspring to love Hashem your God with all your heart and soul, in order that you may live.
ווּמָל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ וְאֶת־לְבַב זַרְעֶךָ לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ לְמַעַן חַיֶּיךָ׃
7Hashem your God will inflict all those curses upon the enemies and foes who persecuted you.
זוְנָתַן יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵת כָּל־הָאָלוֹת הָאֵלֶּה עַל־אֹיְבֶיךָ וְעַל־שֹׂנְאֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר רְדָפוּךָ׃
8You, however, will again heed Hashem and obey all His commandments that I enjoin upon you this day.
חוְאַתָּה תָשׁוּב וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקוֹל יְהֹוָה וְעָשִׂיתָ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוׂתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם׃
9And Hashem your God will grant you abounding prosperity in all your undertakings, in the issue of your womb, the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil. For Hashem will again delight in your well-being, as He did in that of your fathers,
טוְהוֹתִירְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ בִּפְרִי בִטְנְךָ וּבִפְרִי בְהֶמְתְּךָ וּבִפְרִי אַדְמָתְךָ לְטוֹבָה כִּי יָשׁוּב יְהֹוָה לָשׂוּשׂ עָלֶיךָ לְטוֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׂשׂ עַל־אֲבֹתֶיךָ׃
10since you will be heeding Hashem your God and keeping His commandments and laws that are recorded in this book of the Teaching—once you return to Hashem your God with all your heart and soul.
יכִּי תִשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹר מִצְוׂתָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו הַכְּתוּבָה בְּסֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה כִּי תָשׁוּב אֶל־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶׁךָ׃
11Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach.
יאכִּי הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לֹא־נִפְלֵאת הִוא מִמְּךָ וְלֹא רְחֹקָה הִוא׃
12It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?”
יבלֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם הִוא לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲלֶה־לָּנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה׃
13Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?”
יגוְלֹא־מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם הִוא לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲבָר־לָנוּ אֶל־עֵבֶר הַיָּם וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה׃
14No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.
ידכִּי־קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ׃
15See, I set before you this day life and prosperity, death and adversity.
טורְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם אֶת־הַחַיִּים וְאֶת־הַטּוֹב וְאֶת־הַמָּוֶת וְאֶת־הָרָע׃
16For I command you this day, to love Hashem your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His laws, and His rules, that you may thrive and increase, and that Hashem your God may bless you in the land that you are about to enter and possess.
a-SHER a-no-KHEE m'-tza-v'-KHA ha-YOM l'-a-ha-VAH et a-do-NAI e-lo-HE-kha la-LE-khet bid-ra-KHAV v'-lish-MOR mitz-vo-TAV v'khu-ko-TAV u-mish-pa-TAV v'-kha-YEE-ta v'-ra-VEE-ta u-vay-ra-kh'-KHA a-do-NAI e-lo-HE-kha ba-A-retz a-sher a-TAH va SHA-mah l'-rish-TAH
טזאֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו וְלִשְׁמֹר מִצְוׂתָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וְחָיִיתָ וְרָבִיתָ וּבֵרַכְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה בָא־שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ׃
17But if your heart turns away and you give no heed, and are lured into the worship and service of other gods,
יזוְאִם־יִפְנֶה לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִשְׁמָע וְנִדַּחְתָּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וַעֲבַדְתָּם׃
18I declare to you this day that you shall certainly perish; you shall not long endure on the soil that you are crossing the Yarden to enter and possess.
יחהִגַּדְתִּי לָכֶם הַיּוֹם כִּי אָבֹד תֹּאבֵדוּן לֹא־תַאֲרִיכֻן יָמִים עַל־הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹבֵר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן לָבֹא שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ׃
19I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—if you and your offspring would live
יטהַעִידֹתִי בָכֶם הַיּוֹם אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַחַיִּים וְהַמָּוֶת נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה אַתָּה וְזַרְעֶךָ׃
20by loving Hashem your God, heeding His commands, and holding fast to Him. For thereby you shall have life and shall long endure upon the soil that Hashem swore to your ancestors, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, to give to them.
l'-a-ha-VAH et a-do-NAI e-lo-HE-kha lish-MO-a b'-ko-LO ul-dav-kah VO KEE HU kha-YE-kha v'-O-rekh ya-ME-kha la-SHE-vet al ha-a-da-MAH a-SHER nish-BA a-do-NAI la-a-vo-TE-kha l'-av-ra-HAM l'-yitz-KHAK ul-ya-a-KOV la-TAYT la-HEM
כלְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹלוֹ וּלְדָבְקָה־בוֹ כִּי הוּא חַיֶּיךָ וְאֹרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ לָשֶׁבֶת עַל־הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהֹוָה לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב לָתֵת לָהֶם׃
