Commentary for I Samuel 7:6
וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ הַ֠מִּצְפָּתָה וַיִּֽשְׁאֲבוּ־מַ֜יִם וַֽיִּשְׁפְּכ֣וּ ׀ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה וַיָּצ֙וּמוּ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ שָׁ֔ם חָטָ֖אנוּ לַיהוָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֧ט שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃
And they gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there: ‘We have sinned against the LORD.’ And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.
Rashi on I Samuel
They drew water and poured it out.4Perhaps as Dovid did in II Shmuel 23:16. Targum Yonoson renders, "and they poured out their hearts like water, in repentance, before '."5See Eichah 2:19.ה And according to its simple meaning, it is merely symbolic of humility, [i. e.,] we are before You like these poured out waters.6Water may also be referring to the Torah which is often compared to water. By filling their hearts with Torah, the Bnei Yisroel were able to recognize their sins, feel the need to change their ways and return to ‘ה.
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Rashi on I Samuel
Shmuel judged. Between two litigants regarding monetary matters between them,7People sought to cleanse themselves of sins that had been committed between their fellow man. They first had to rectify their misdeeds. They therefore went to Shmuel, for him to judge them and to determine who owed what to whom and what wrongs had to be corrected. or concerning sins which they had committed.
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