Commentary for Amos 4:15

cows of Bashan—This refers to the wives of the princes and the officers. Jonathan renders: wealthy in property.

The second prophecy begins with the pasuk "listen you cows of Bashan" and goes until "Gd showed me the locusts He was creating... (Amos 7:1). And it has 8 sections to it. The first is "listen cows of Bashan" (Amos 4:1). The second is "therefore I will do thus to you" (Amos 4:12). The third is "listen to this matter that I am bringing upon you as a dirge" (Amos 5:1). The fourth is "because thus said Gd to the house of Israel" (Amos 5:4). The fifth is "thus said Gd the Host of Legions" (Amos 5:16). The sixth is "Woe to those who wish for the day of the Lord" (Amos 5:18). The seventh is "Those who are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1). The eight is "For the Lord will command" (Amos 6:11). And about these I have six questions. ...

The first questions is that when listing the troubles that will come upon the nation, the famine is listed two times. First it says "I will give you cleanness of teeth in all your cities and lack of bread in all your places yet you did not return to Me" (Amos 4:6). And after this, the propeht says "and I will also withhold from you the rain..." (Amos 4:7) And these are both telling us about the terrible famine and if so why is it told two times using the words "and I will also" like it is new thing.

The second question is that in the rebuke, the prophet says 5 times that you did not return to Hashem. Why does he need to repeat this so many times. Wouldn't one or two times be enough. He doesn't use this phrase anywhere else in his prophecy.

The third question is not printed here because it's missing from this copy. But we will be able to understand the question from the Abarbenel's answer.

The fourth question is the phrase "She has fallen and will rise no more, virgin of Israel" (Amos 5:2). This makes it seem that the tribes won't return from their exile. Which is in direct contradiction to many other prophecies including Isiah who described the ingathering of the exiles of Israel and the scattered ones of Judah as it says (Isaiah 11:13) "and Efraim will not be jealous of Judah..." and this concept of the ingathering of Israel is repeated in detail and explained in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:19) "I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in the hand of Ephraim—and of the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will place the stick of Judah upon it and make them into one stick; they shall be joined in My Hand" and then says "And I will make them into one nation in the land in the hills of Israel and they will have one king and will not longer be two nations or divided into two kingdoms again. And in the end of the book the prophet discusses the division of the land of Israel to each and every tribe. So how could these prophecies be accurate if the tribes of Israel were not be returned.

The fifth question is one the pasuk "don't seek Beitel and the Gilgal don't come to and Beersheva don't pass through, because the Gilgal will go into exile and Beitel will be for sin" (Amos 5:3). And this is difficult to understand why the prophet designated Beersehva not to pass through. If this was for idolatry, then why doesn't it say don't seek or enter it like with Beitel and Gilgas. And why are the punishments of Gilgal and Beitel mentioned but nothing about Beersheva if they were also involved in the same sin of idolatry.

The sixth question in this parsha is about hte phrase "those who desire the day of Gd". How is possible that the sinners desired the day of Gd when He would destroy their idols? And this prophet and other prophets have generally used the phrase "day of Gd" to refer to a future time that will come among them and will be a day of trouble and rebuke so why are they looking forward to it at all. And Gd says "I hate and am disgusted..." about the sacrifices. Can this indeed refer to the kingdom of Israel who weren't oleh regel to Jerusalem and did not bring sacrifices there? And how can the prophet say "Did you bring sacrifices to Me in the desert"? I will now explain the pesukim according to these questions.

The overarching intention of the prophecy is to rebuke and make known the sin of the children of Efraim individually and the sin of the Judeans individually. The prophecy begins with the wicked deeds of the kingdom of Efraim, specifying the women of Shomrom who were the reason for the perversion of their husbands. And the prophecy makes known their punishment for these deeds, which is exile. And he also rebukes the men who rebelled against Gd by turned to idolatry and giving the sacrifices normally reserved for the house of Gd to idolatry. And Gd warns them of five specific punishments that He will bring to them. Three involve famine: famine caused by the enemy taking their wealth and produce, famine caused by the lack of rain and famine caused by the locusts. All three are types of famine. And the fourth warning is the plague. And the fifth warning is the enemy who will destroy the land with the first exile. And because htey would not listen the prophet declared a lament for the total destruction of Shomron and the rest of the tribes. Therefore the prophet advised them to sek Gd and not the baal idols because if Gd could arragne the stars and create day and night, He is also capable of destroying them if they don't do teshuva with a devastating destruction that the moans will be heard in all neighborhoods of Shomron. Afterwards, he prophecized about the Judeans who were desiring the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel. He rebuked them saying, "Gd doesn't desire your offerings, rather for you to do justice and walk humbly with Gd." And because they were also idolaters among them, he reveleaed to them that they would be placed in the hands of Damascus and Phillistines because they didn't take the prophet's warning seriously about the troubles that would come to them and they turned to satisfy their desires. And therefore their punishment would be great with blood and swords. And afterwards, he prophecized about the two kingdoms together like I will explain when explaining the pesukim.

"Listen to this matter cows of Bashan..." Because the women of Shomron were used to luxury and were fat from the luxury and ruled their husbands and they caused their husbands to pervert justice and steal from the poor in order to sustain their desires for luxury and good foods and fancy dress, therefore, the prophet spoke about them. They are called cows of Bashan becase Bashan is a place where the fruits are ripe and good and fat, and therefore the wives of the kings and officers in Shomron who were fat and beautiful are called cows of Bashan. And the explanation of this is about those who were in the mountain of Shomron who perverted the justice towards the destitute and afflicted the poor. The explanation is not that they would beat and afflict the poor themsleves rather they would tell their husbands to bring them to drink wine. And in order to fulfill their desires for wine they would abuse the poor who didn't have the ability to fight back in order to bring their wives the money so it's like the wives themselves abused them. (pasuk beis)- And because of this Hashem promised by His Holiness- this means that He made a decree according to His Heavenly Wisdom to bring bad days upon the luxurious cows and to bring an exile of the enemy and a siege that is mentioned in the above text that they would end up in the fishing boats. The word Tzinah according to commentaries means shield, like in the psasuk in Tehillim (Psalms 91:4) meaning the warriors bring their war equipment to protect them and it's in the form of a shield. And thus did Targum Yonasan translate. But the Abarbenel questions why they would carry away the woman on their shields? And then they end up in the fishing boats and fishing nets. So it seems to be referring to a small boat. And the word "achariso" means the children as it is used in (Daniel 11:4) "but not for any of his posterity, nor with dominion like that which he had; for his kingdom will be uprooted and belong to others beside these.". And no that their children will be brought in fishing boats like Rashi said. Rather what Yonasan explains that the Tzinus were names of the ships because they shielded the smaller ships. And we have ships today that are in the form of shields. When he prophecies that the bad days will come and the exile and the enemy will take them at will in large shield like ships and their virgin daughters who are thier "acharisan" will be taken in smaller fishing boats called "sirot" and it will be a disgrace for honorable, officials women to be taken in fishing boats like prostitues. This is the eplanation of the Even Kaspi.

But in my opinion, the pasuk can be translated in a more simple way. The word "tzinah" means "cold" in the pasuk in Mishlei (Proverbs 25:13) (tangentially, the Abarbenel suggests the that the word "tzinah" meaning cold maybe whyit means shields and armor since these shade a person from the sun keeping him cold). The word "acharischen" means the end of a person as it is used in Job (Job 8:7). The word "sirot" is from the word "sir" meaning a pot of meat. So altogether the pasuk means that the women will go into exile and will be exiled through cold and snow, despite having lived in warmed palaces (as the pasuk states they had winter and summer palaces) and now will be forced into the cold winter night. And in Shomron they ate delicacies of meat, bread and many other foods and royal wine, but in their exile they will have a bad end since they will only be able to eat pots of fish. We know from the Israelites complaint in the desert that "we remember the fish we ate in Egypt" that slaves are generally given the free cheap fish to eat.

and you shall be borne on shields Heb. בְּצִנּוֹת. And the nations shall bear you on their shields.

and your posterity in fishing boats Heb. בְּסִירוֹת דּוּגָה. [Jonathan renders:] And your daughters in fishermen’s boats. That is a small boat used by fishermen, and, since it is small, he calls it סִיר, a pot, and in Mishnaic Hebrew, it is called דּוּגִית in Baba Bathra 73a. your posterity Heb. וְאַחֲרִיתְכֶן, lit., your end. Dunash ben Livrat (Teshuvoth p. 50): We find a person’s descendants called ‘his end.’ Cf. (Daniel 11:4) “And when he stands up, his kingdom shall be broken, and it shall be divided to the four winds of the heaven, and not to his posterity (לְאַחֲרִיתוֹ).” I.e, he will not leave over his kingdom to his son.

And [through the] breaches they shall emerge, each woman straight before her—And in the breaches of the wall they shall emerge there to flee.

each woman straight before her—In the breach that she will find straight before her. Cf. (Josh. 6:5) “And the people shall go up, every man opposite him (נֶגְדוֹ),” for there will be many breaches, and they will not find it necessary to search for entrances.

and you shall cast off the haughtiness Heb. הַהַרְמוֹנָה. And you shall cast off yourselves the haughtiness and the authority that you took. This is an Aramaism in the Talmud: (Baba Mezia 84) “הַרְמָנָה דְמַלְכָּא, It is the king’s command.” And Jonathan renders: “And they shall exile you beyond the טורֵי חַרְמִינֵי”. They are the mountains of darkness, an expression of destruction (חֵרֶם) and waste.

Come to Bethel etc.—Like a man who says to a scoundrel, “Do [as you please] until your measure [of sin] is full.”

and bring your sacrifices in the morning—The priests of Baal say to them, “Idolatry is liberal and does not impose stringent regulations upon you. The Torah states: (Exodus 34:25) ‘Shall not stay overnight,’ but for idolatry, ‘And bring in the morning. ’ The Torah states concerning sacrifices of lesser sanctity: (Lev. 19:6) ‘On the day of your sacrifice, it may be eaten, and on the morrow, ’ but idolatry, ‘after three days your tithes of cattle.’ The Torah states: (Lev. 2: 11) ‘Leaven... you shall not offer up,’ but idolatry, (verse 5) ‘And offer up a thanksgiving offering of leaven. ’ The Torah states: (Deut. 23:22) ‘You shall not delay its payment,’ but idolatry, ‘and proclaim and publish the free will offerings.’ Proclaim: ‘Whoever vowed and forgot, shall give it thought and remember.’” (Yerushalemi, Avodah Zarah 1:1) And Jonathan renders: And offer up from robbery. Cf. (Isa. 1: 17) “Strengthen the robbed (חָמוֹץ);” (Psalms 71:4) “From the hand of the unrighteous and the robbers (וּמְחַמֵּץ).”

and proclaim and publish the freewill offerings—with a song, and say that this sacrifice is desirable and acceptable as a freewill offering. So did Jonathan render.

Cleanness of teeth Heb. נִקְיוֹן שִׁ נַּיִם. Setting your teeth on edge. [I.e, they would have nothing to eat, and their teeth would be set on edge.] Another explanation: cleanness of teeth. This denotes the lack of meat, which goes between the teeth, as it is stated: (Num. 11:33) “The meat was still between their teeth.”

when there were yet three months before the harvest—Until the harvest. I.e, three months before the harvest.

The second warning is that "I will cause the rain to cease". And this especially during the three month harvest season when rain is most needed. Because if the rains ceased at the beginning of the year there would be no planting (due to the drought) and at least the seeds wouldn't be lost and they would still have food. But now, it will not be the case. The year will start with rain, in order to encourage planting and then Gd will stop the rain for three months during the harvest in order for the seed that you planted to be lost and not produce a harvest. And so that you don't assume it is a natural occurance, the ceasure of rain will take place in a wonderous wonder that it will affect city by city with one experiencing rain and another not. And not just that it will rain in one city and not another, even more so, it will rain on parts of a city and My curse will dry out your portion. (8)-until two-three cities will gather in one place, because Gd will provide water but not enough to satisfy. And I have no doubt that the places that will experience the rain are through the merit of the people living there or through their teshuva. Gd says about them, even though you were incuded in the warning and judged for famine and thirst and didn't return to Me. About this Isaiah says (Isaiah 9:18) "the nation will be a like a fiery knife" meaning that when the rain stops the sun will strike the land with eat and because of the trouble caused by the famine and drought, man will not help his fellow and in the end you will not return to Me, although My Hand is outstretched. This makes it clear that a second warning doesn't have the power of a first warning. And it answers the first question

field Heb. חֶלְקָה, a fielded plain, campagne in French.

shall receive rain Heb. תִמָּטֵר, shall be a place of rain. The master stated: Both of them are for a curse; this one will rot, and this one will wither. [from Taanith 6b]

and the field upon which no rain shall fall—That will not show itself rained upon.

the increase of your gardens—That you are engaged in increasing your gardens.

the shearing locust has devoured Heb. יֹאכַל, lit., shall devour. Has devoured.

after the manner of Egypt—Just as I sent upon you in the desert when you left Egypt.

with the captivity of your horses—For they slay the horses as well.

and I caused the stench of your camps to rise—The smell of your corpses would raise a stench, and I caused it to rise into your nostrils.

like a brand Heb. כְּאוּד, tison in French, an ember; i.e, black and dark and burnt black.

Therefore—Since you did not return to Me.

because I will do this to you—as all these evils.

because—Since you hear from the mouth of My prophets that I will do this to you.

prepare to meet Me—to repent of your wickedness.

what his speech is—All his deeds are related in detail before him at the time of his death.

He makes dawn—for the righteous like a bright light.

darkness—He turns the brightness of the wicked into darkness. Cf. (Isa. 8:22) “And behold, distress and darkness, darkness (מְעוּף) of oppression.” Similarly, (Job 10:22) “Land of darkness (עֵפָתָה)”; (ibid. 11:17) “Darkness (תָּעֻפָה) shall be like morning.” Your darkness shall shine like the morning.

and treads upon the high places of the earth—He humbles the high and haughty.