Commentary for Amos 6:15

those called the first of the nations—You were called the most praiseworthy of the nations.

and the house of Israel has come to them—They chose the ordinances of the nations and came to be included among them.

Proceed to Calneh and see—Why have you rejected My Torah to cleave to the ordinances of the nations? Go over and see the prominent nations, whether they are better than these kingdoms which are in Samaria and in Jerusalem.

or is their border greater than your border—So what wrong have you found in Me?

Calneh—Babylon.

Hamath—Antioch.

Gath of the Philistines—The most prominent of their five lords, called Metheg-ammah, ox-goad, since it ruled over all of them, and that was the “mother” of the kingdom.

You, who bring yourselves near to the day of evil—You who cause yourselves to move to the day of evil.

and you bring near—You bring yourselves near to dwell in the exile of Esau your brother who robs you, as it is said: (Obadiah 1:10) “From the violence of your brother Jacob.” This is the midrash of Rabbi Simon of blessed memory. [Note that this is also found in Lev. Rabbah 5:3.] Another explanation. You who despise the day of evil—You who despise the prophecy of the days of evil, which the prophets prophesy to them. and you bring near a dwelling of violence—This is as Isaiah states: (5:8) “Woe to those who join a house to a house.” You bring near dwelling in their midst one beside the other through violence.

and stretch out on their beds Heb. וּסְרֻחִים. They spread themselves out and stretch themselves out on their beds. Our Sages, however, explained that they would exchange wives with one another and befoul their beds with semen that is not theirs. [from Shabbath 62b]

lambs Heb. כָּרִים Lambs.

out of the stall—The place where the calves are gathered, and in O.F. kopled, a pen.

Who sing according to the tone of the lute—Menahem (Machbereth Menahem p. 145) classifies it with (Lev. 19:10) “And the single grapes (וּפֶרֶט) of your vineyard,” and I approve of his view, for the one who sings with a musical instrument separates the speech individually, everything according to the tone of the instrument, whether to raise [the note] or to lower [it].

they thought their musical instruments were like [those of] David—They thought their musical instruments were like the musical instruments of your servant David, which were meant for the sake of Heaven, but these were for enjoyment.

Who drink from basins of wine Heb. בְּמִזְרְקֵי. Some of our Sages state in Tractate Shabbath (62b) that they would throw their cups to each other, and some explain that this was the name of a vessel that had two mouths, and it was long, and one would drink from here and one from here, it would be cast from this one’s mouth to this one’s mouth.

and with the first oils—The best of the oils, which is balsamum.

and they feel no pain Heb. וְלֹא נֶחְלוּ, an expression of illness.

concerning the destruction of Joseph—For they heard from the prophet that it was destined to befall them.

and the banquet of the haughty shall pass away Heb. וְסָר מִרְזָח סְרוּחִים. And the banquets of the aggrandized and the haughty shall be abolished. מִרְזָח is an expression of banquets. In Sifre, in the section commencing: (Num. 25:1) “And Israel sojourned in Shittim,” I found: And they returned to make מִרְזָחִים for them, and they would invite them, and they would eat.

by Himself—With knowledge and intention.

abhor Heb. מְתָאֵב. Like מְתָעֵב And so did Jonathan render it: I abhor the Temple, the greatness of Jacob. For the Temple is called the pride of their strength, as is stated: (Ezekiel 24:21) “Behold I profane My Sanctuary, the pride of your strength.”

the city and the fullness thereof—Jerusalem and its inhabitants.

if... are left—from the pestilence and the sword, in one house, they shall die—for the enemies shall burn the house upon them when they take the city.

And his kinsman and the one who saved him from burning shall carry him—His kinsman and his friend who saved his bones from the fire. In this manner, Jonathan rendered it: And his kinsman shall carry him out of the fire.

and he shall say I.e, the one who takes [the bodies] out of the fire. to [the one] who is in the end of the house—I.e, to his friend who went to search within the house.

“Are there any more with you?”—Is there any living person besides you who escaped among the hidden ones?

and he shall say, “There is none.”—There is no living one, only dead. And this one says to him, “Take out the corpses.” הָס, Cast out and eliminate everything. For this comes to them because they did not want to mention the Name of the Lord. In this manner, Jonathan rendered it.

into splinters—That it shall be splintered into fine chips.

chips—Larger than splinters. According to its prominence, shall be its destruction. In this manner did Jonathan render: And he shall smite the large kingdom with a mighty blow, and the small kingdom with a weak blow.

Will horses run on the rock—I.e, will they maintain their running when they change the order of the world?

or will one plow—[I.e.] will a man [plow] with oxen on the rock, that you think to pervert the good way and survive and prosper?

over a thing of naught—Over their greatness and their wealth, which is nought, since it will not endure.

horns—Strength and might to gore the poor and needy with the horns.

from the approach to Hamath—which is in the northwestern corner of Eretz Israel.

until the brook of the Arabah—The brook of Egypt, which is in the southwestern corner.