Commentaire de citation sur Jérémie 4:30

HIS EYES ARE ‘CHACHLILI’ (FROM WINE). The Commentators¹⁷⁰Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and R’dak. say that the word chachlili denotes redness, and it means that his eyes will become red from drinking much wine. Of similar meaning is the verse, Who hath ‘chachliluth’ (redness) of the eyes?¹⁷¹Proverbs 23:29-30.
Now it appears to me that this is a case of a word whose letters are transposed,¹⁷²Thus, instead of the order of the letters being cheth, kaf, lamed, it should be understood as if it were written: kaf, cheth, lamed, suggesting the act of painting, as will be explained further. it being derived from the expression, Thou didst paint (‘kachalt’) thine eyes.¹⁷³Ezekiel 23:40. The lamed is doubled — [chachlili] — as is customary in many places, and it denotes the process of painting eyes which is known and frequently mentioned in the words of our Rabbis. In Arabic also its name is “al kachul.” The verse is thus stating that Judah’s eyes are colored with wine for just as others paint them with puch (eye-paint),¹⁷⁴Jeremiah 4:30. which is the Arabic “al kachul,” so does he paint them with wine, and just as others whiten their teeth with ointments, so does he whiten them with milk, the comparison indicating the abundance of wine and milk in Judah’s land, just as Onkelos mentioned.¹⁷⁵“His mountains will be red with his vineyards, and his wine-presses will drip with wine” (Onkelos). Similar in meaning is the verse, Who hath ‘chachliluth’ of eyes,¹⁷¹Proverbs 23:29-30. [the letters in the word chachliluth are to be transposed to read] kachliluth (paint), with the verse stating that the drunkard has his eyes painted by wine and he cannot hide his drunken state. It is possible that the verse is stating, “Who has coloring of eyes?” meaning “who needs to paint his eyes always? They that tarry long at the wine,¹⁷¹Proverbs 23:29-30. since the wine dims their eyes, causing them to tear, and be consumed away in their sockets,¹⁷⁶Zechariah 14:12. thus making it necessary for him to have his eyes constantly painted.” Scripture, in the book of Proverbs, is thus speaking of the disgrace of wine and the external evils of contentions and wounds which befall he who drinks it in abundance, while in his house there will always be the cry of “Woe” and “Alas.”¹⁷¹Proverbs 23:29-30. It then also mentions this specific harm which affects his body, namely, the dimming of his vision, and many other sicknesses. This is a correct interpretation and elucidation of the subject.

And He saw our affliction (Deuteronomy 26:7): This refers to the forced separation of the husbands and wives by the Egyptians, as it is written, “And the God saw the children of Israel and God knew. (Exodus 2:25)” How does the verse from Exodus illustrate the idea that the Egyptians forced the Israelite husband and wives to separate? The word “affliction” already implies the “forced separation of the sexes” without an additional verse from Exodus. We see this in other places in the Bible including Genesis 31:50. In this verse, Laban warns Jacob not to take other wives when he returns to the land of Canaan, “If you afflict my daughters by taking other wives beside my daughters...” The implication of the word “afflict” is that by taking other wives, Jacob would be ignoring his obligations to his first wives, Rachel and Leah and thus afflicting them. So the word “affliction” would appear to have a sexual connotation. The word “afflict” “Vayanunu” in the Deuteronomy verse can have two different meanings. It can mean hard pressed and physically suffering, and it can also mean denying one spouse the normal needs for intimacy and physical contact. When we read Deuteronomy, “He saw our affliction,” we do not know which way the Torah wants us to understand this expression. The verse from Exodus implies a sexual connotation! How do we know this? Whenever the Torah says “God saw” and does not tell us what he saw, we can assume that the text is being discreet by not discussing a delicate subject such as intimate relations between husband and wives. Rabbi Epstein offers two other reasons why we should understand the word “Vayanunu,” “and they oppressed us” as a reference to intimate relations between the sexes and not just physical oppression. First, Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra, the Spanish commentator, suggested that the expression “ya’anu oto” “they oppressed us,” has this connotation in Exodus 1:12: “But the more they afflicted (“ya’anu oto”) Israel, the more they increased.” This verse associates affliction and population increase. It implies that the Israelites were afflicted to keep them from having children but the plan failed since the Israelites continued to increase in number. And second, in Exodus 2:24, the Torah says, “God heard their moaning and remembered His covenant...” This verse implies affliction in the sense of physical oppression. So the next verse which says, “And God saw....” must imply some thing other than physical affliction.

and he cuts out...for himself And he widens for himself (Some emend: And he opens for himself) Comp. (supra 4:30) “that you enlarge (וַתִּקְרְעִי)...with paint.” Also (Isaiah 63:19), “Had You rent (קָרַעְתְּ) the heavens, had You descended.” They are all an expression of opening.

Keren-happuch Because of the horn in which they put stibium and lixivium, as it is stated (Jer. 4: 30): “that you enlarge your eye with paint (בפוך).”