Commentary for Ezekiel 13:18
וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הוֹי֩ לִֽמְתַפְּר֨וֹת כְּסָת֜וֹת עַ֣ל ׀ כָּל־אַצִּילֵ֣י יָדַ֗י וְעֹשׂ֧וֹת הַמִּסְפָּח֛וֹת עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ כָּל־קוֹמָ֖ה לְצוֹדֵ֣ד נְפָשׁ֑וֹת הַנְּפָשׁוֹת֙ תְּצוֹדֵ֣דְנָה לְעַמִּ֔י וּנְפָשׁ֖וֹת לָכֶ֥נָה תְחַיֶּֽינָה׃
and say: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the women that sew cushions upon all elbows, and make pads for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of My people, and save souls alive for yourselves?
Rashi on Ezekiel
Woe to those who sew cushions Heb. לִמְתַפְּרוֹת, coseres(es) in Old French, needle-women; coudre, to sew. They would sew something like small cushions and hang them on the armpits of those consulting them, and they would divine with those cushions with a false divination; and to those whom they wished, they would tell a favorable divination, and to whom they wished, they would tell an unfavorable divination.
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Rashi on Ezekiel
armpits Heb. אַצִילֵי, aisselles in French.
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Rashi on Ezekiel
armpits Heb. אַצִילֵי יָדַי, like אַצִילֵי יָדַיִם, as in (Hosea 12:12): “the furrows of the fields (שָׂדָי).”
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