Talmud su Genesi 37:37

Rebbi Eleazar in the name of Siracides: What is beyond you do not have to know, what is deeper than the abyss do not investigate. Ponder what is permitted to you; you have no concern with hidden things⁷³Siracides3:21–22. Babli 13a.. ⁷⁴For the following, including the next paragraph, cf.Gen. rabba1(7). Rav said, may lying lips be אלם⁷⁵Ps. 31:19.: may they become dumb, be rubbed out, silenced. May they become dumb, as you are saying, the Eternal said to him, Who formed a mouth⁷⁶Ex. 4:11, mentioning deafness and dumbness. etc. May they be rubbed out, as you are saying, here we were tying sheaves⁷⁷Gen. 37:7. Reading the word for “sheaf” as “assembly of single stalks”.. May they be silenced, as it is understood. Which talk boasting about a just one⁷⁴For the following, including the next paragraph, cf.Gen. rabba1(7)., who talk about the Universal Just One in matters which He hid from His creatures. With haughtiness and contempt⁷⁵Ps. 31:19., that is he who is haughty to say, I am investigating the Creation. He feels like haughty but only is insulting.

⁷⁸In the Tosephta (1:3) an anonymous statement. Rebbi Meir says, why does the verse say⁷²Ps. 10:3., he who blesses unlawful gain slanders the Eternal? These are Joseph’s brothers, as it is is said⁷⁹Gen. 37:26.: What is the gain if we slay our brother, etc.”

What was the fence that Job made around his words? It says (Job 1:5), “A pure and righteous man, who fears God and turns away from evil.” This teaches us that Job distanced himself from anything that would bring him to sin, from any ugliness, and from anything even resembling ugliness. If that is so, then why do we have to also learn that he was “a pure and righteous man”? But instead, this is here to teach us that Job emerged [from the womb] already circumcised. Adam also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 1:24), “And God created the person in His image.” Seth also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 5:2), “He had a child in his likeness and image.” Noah also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 6:9), “A just and pure man in his generation.” Shem also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 14:18), “Malkitzedek, king of Shalem.”²Malkitzedek is understood in rabbinic tradition to be Shem. The Hebrew word shalem means “complete.” Jacob also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 25:27), “Jacob was a pure man, who sat in tents.” Joseph also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 37:2), “This is the progeny of Jacob: Joseph.” But shouldn’t it say [instead]: This is the progeny of Jacob: Reuben? What do we learn from [the fact that it says] Joseph? [We learn] that just as Jacob emerged already circumcised, (so, too,) Joseph emerged already circumcised. Moses also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Exodus 2:2), “She saw that he was good.” And what did his mother see in him that was lovelier and more praiseworthy than any other person? That he emerged circumcised. Bil’am the wicked also came out circumcised, as it says (Numbers 24:4), “The word of him who hears God’s speech.” (Samuel also emerged circumcised, as it says [I Samuel 2:26], “Young Samuel continued to grow and was good.”) David also emerged circumcised – as it says (Psalms 16:1), “A mikhtam³A ketem (which has the same Hebrew letters as mikhtam) can mean a type of spot or marking. of David. (Protect me, for I seek refuge in You).” Jeremiah also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Jeremiah 1:5), “Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you; and before you came out of the womb I consecrated you.” Zerubbabel also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Haggai 2:23), “On that day (I will take,) [declares the Eternal of Hosts, I will take] Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, declares the Eternal.” And it says (Job 31:1), “I have made a covenant with my eyes, so how can I gaze at a maiden [i.e., an unmarried woman]?” This teaches that Job was strict with himself and would not even look at a maiden. And if with a maiden – whom he could marry if he wished (to his son, to his daughter, or to [another] family member) – he was strict with himself and would not look at her, then all the more so [would he never look at] a married woman! And why was he so strict with himself not to look even at a maiden? Because Job said to himself: Perhaps I will look today, and tomorrow another man will come along and marry her, and then I will have looked at a married woman.

⁷⁷A parallel (except for the corrector’s additions) is found in the Babli, Zevaḥim88b, Arakhin 16a, in the name of R. Anani bar Sason. Rebbi Simon said, just as sacrifices atone, so the garments⁷⁸The High Priest’s. atone, shirt, trousers, turban, and vest. The shirt was atoning for [wearers of kilaim⁷⁹While most of the High Priest’s garments contained kilaim, only the shirt was worn directly on the body. It seems that the trident here interprets the argument at the start of kilaim 9:1 to mean that biblically on kilaim which gives immediate protection to the body is forbidden. There are those who want to say,]⁸⁰Corrector’s addition (from a different source, not in the parallel in the Babli.) for spillers of blood, as you are saying,⁸¹Gen. 37:31. they dipped the shirt in blood. The trousers were atoning for uncovering nakedness⁸²The technical term for incest and adultery., as you are saying⁸³Ex. 28:42., make for them linen trousers to cover the flesh⁸⁴“Flesh” as a limb always denotes the penis, the only boneless limb.of nakedness. The turban was atoning for haughtiness, as you are saying,⁸⁵Lev. 8:9. This is a pun on the expression “thick of head” for “haughty”. he put the turban on his head. The belt was atoning for [thieves; but some are saying, for]⁸⁰Corrector’s addition (from a different source, not in the parallel in the Babli.) the crooked ones. Rebbi Levi said, it was 32 cubits and he wound it around on both sides. The breast plate was atoning for those who bend the law, as you are saying⁸⁶Ex. 28.15., you shall make a breast-plate of judgment. The vest was atoning for idol worshippers, as you are saying⁸⁷Hos.3:5., without vest and household-gods. The coat. Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Jonathan of Bet-Guvrin: For two things there was no atonement⁸⁸They do qualify for any obligatory sacrifice. but the Torah established atonement for them. These are those: one who spreads slander, and the involuntary homicide. For him who spreads slander there was no atonement, but the Torah fixed atonement for them, the bells of the coat: it shall be on Aaron in service, and its sound be heard⁸⁹Ex. 28:35.. The sound may come to atone for the sound. For the involuntary manslaughter there was no atonement but the Torah established atonement for them, the death of the High Priest⁹⁰Num. 35:25.. He shall dwell there until the High Priest’s death

‘This is the way [conducive to] the study of the Torah: a morsel of bread with salt thou shalt eat.’¹⁶³Cf. Sanh. 111a (Sonc. ed., p. 762). [Rab] saw [R. Kahana] indulging himself¹⁶⁴He was dressing his hair instead of attending to his studies. and asked him, ‘Do you not know of the verse,¹⁶⁵Or, do you not accept the teaching? Neither is it found in the land of the living¹⁶⁶Job 28, 13. [which means that] the Torah will not be found in one who attends to his needs [instead of studying it constantly]?’ He replied, ‘It refers to [abstention from pleasant things] which enter the body, but does it refer also to such matters?’¹⁶⁷As dressing one’s hair. [Rab] said to him, ‘Has it not been taught:¹⁶⁸Ber. 57b (Sonc. ed., p. 356). Three things enter the body without its deriving any benefit therefrom, viz. melilot,¹⁶⁹A kind of clover. date-berries and unripe dates; three things do not enter the body but it derives benefit therefrom, viz. washing, anointing and regular motions?’ He asked him, ‘Does, then, the study of the Torah entail affliction?’ He replied, ‘Yes, for it is written, It is good for me that I have been afficted, in order that I might learn Thy statutes.¹⁷⁰Ps. 119, 71. Furthermore, is [Torah] found [in all others] except those [who attend to their wants]? But has it not been taught:¹⁷¹‘Erub. 55a (Sonc. ed., p. 384). It is not in heaven¹⁷²Deut. 30, 12. [which means that] Torah will not be found with those who exalt their knowledge, Neither is it beyond the sea [which means that] it will not be found among merchants, traders and sailors. With these Torah is not found but craftiness is found. And whence do you know that beyond [‘eber] the sea refers to merchants? For it is written, And there passed by [wayya‘abru], Midianites, merchantmen’.¹⁷³Gen. 37, 28. The root of the verb passed is the same as of ‘eber, ‘beyond’, and the inference is drawn that the Midianites were merchants who came from beyond the sea.
‘Do not seek greatness for yourself’: so that you should not say, ‘Behold, I study the Torah and what a great man I am!’ Should you do so, the consequence will be that you will occupy yourself with the Torah not for its own sake.

⁶¹From this point to the end of the tractate is an aggadic addendum. The greatest man among the Anakim⁶²Josh. 14, 15.—among the Anakim refers to our father Abraham whose height was equal to that of seventy-four men; his eating and drinking were of a similar proportion, equal to those of seventy-four men; so too his strength. What did he do?⁶³This is probably a reference to Gen. 25, 6, But unto the sons of the concubines … Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away … eastward, unto the east country. He removed the sixteen⁶⁴So GRA in accordance with Gen. 25, 2-4. V, M and H incorrectly ‘seventeen’. sons of Keturah, built for them a walled city of iron and settled them in it. The sun never penetrated into it because it was exceedingly high, so Abraham handed to them disks of precious stones and pearls of which use will be made⁶⁵So GRA. V, M and H read, ‘and they will be used’. in the hereafter when the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause the sun and moon to be confounded, as it is written, When the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed,⁶⁶Is. 24, 23. because use will be made of these [disks as luminaries].
Og⁶⁷King of Bashan; Deut. 3, 11. is identical with Eliezer,⁶⁸Abraham’s servant; cf. Gen. 15, 2, XXIV, 2ff. and [he was so huge that] he could hide Abraham’s feet in the palm of his hand. Once he was rebuked [by Abraham] and from fright his tooth fell out. Abraham picked it up and made ivory beds of it in which he slept. Others say that he made of it a chair which he used⁶⁹lit. ‘and sat in it’. all his life. Who gave him to Abraham? Nimrod.⁷⁰Mentioned in Gen. 10, 8ff. Og went and built sixty cities, the smallest of which was sixty miles high, as it is stated, Threescore cities, all the region of Argob.⁷¹Deut. 3, 4. And what did he eat? A thousand oxen and the same [number of] other animals, and his drink consisted of a thousand measures. A⁷²So GRA. V, M and H read ‘and what was the’. drop of his semen weighed thirty-six pounds.⁷³V and H add ‘and so for all generations’, which makes no sense.
It was taught: What did our father Jacob do when his sons brought him the coat [stained] with blood?⁷⁴Cf. Gen. 37, 31ff. He did not believe them at all. Whence do we infer this? For it is written, But he refused to be comforted,⁷⁵ibid. 35. because no consolations are acceptable for a living person. One, however, who is dead passes naturally from the mind,⁷⁶lit. ‘he is forgotten from the heart of his own accord’. as it is stated, I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind.⁷⁷Ps. 31, 13. What then did he do? He proceeded to make a test with sheaves,⁷⁸GRA transposes the order of V, M and H by putting the test of the sheaves before that of the stones, and omits ‘according to the first opinion’. writing upon them the respective names of the tribes, their constellations and the months, and said to them, ‘I order you to prostrate yourselves before Levi because he wears the Urim and Thummim’,⁷⁹Cf. Ex. 28, 30. but they did not stand up. ‘Before Judah who is king’, but they did not stand up; but when he mentioned Joseph to them, they all stood up and bowed before Joseph. But it was not yet quite clear that he was alive. So Jacob went to the mountains, hewed twelve stones, arranged them in a row, and wrote on each the name of its tribe, the name of its constellation and the name of its month. On one stone he wrote ‘Reuben, lamb, Nisan’⁸⁰The name of the tribe, constellation and month. and similarly on every stone. He began from Simeon and said to them, ‘I order you to stand up for Reuben’, but they did not stand up. ‘For Simeon’, but they did not stand up. ‘For every tribe’, but the stones did not stand up. As soon, however, as he mentioned the name of Joseph to them, they stood up at once and bowed before Joseph’s stone.⁸¹The translation follows the text of GRA. For this reason, all the tribes were written on Joseph’s stone. Similarly, all Israel are called by Joseph’s name, as it is stated, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock.⁸²Ps. 80, 2 where Joseph is a synonym of all Israel. So also all the heads of the families of the priests and Levites, [e.g.] Eliashib,⁸³Neh. 3, 1. because of the phrase lahashibo ’el ’abiw;⁸⁴In the story of Joseph (Gen. 37, 22), E.V. to restore him to his father. The name Eliashib is broken up in three parts corresponding in sound and meaning to these three Heb. words. From ‘For this reason’ to ’abiw is the reading of GRA. V and H have instead: ‘but from the mishmaroth, Eliashib the priest’. Elḳanah,⁸⁵Connected with ḳanah, ‘he bought’. because Potiphar had bought him [as it is stated,] And Joseph ms brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar … bought him.⁸⁶Gen. 39, 1. V inserts in parentheses, And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Ẓaphenath, paneah, etc. (ibid. XLI, 45), which has no relevance to the subject.
When Rebekah left her father’s house⁸⁷Cf. ibid. XXIV, 59ff. she was three years old,⁸⁸V, M and H add ‘and three days’. because it is customary among kings, when a daughter is born to them, to hear of it after three days;⁸⁹H reads ‘after three years and three days’. but as her father did not hear [of her birth] he did not defile her up to that time; and now a miracle happened to her in that her father died so that he should not defile her, as it is written, Neither had any man known her,⁹⁰Gen. 24, 16. and by man only her father could be meant,⁹¹From ‘he did not’ to ‘meant’ is GRA’s reading. V, M and H read: ‘therefore a miracle happened to her that she should not be defiled’. for such was the practice of the Arameans to lie with their virgin daughters after they were three years of age,⁹²‘After … age’ is inserted by GRA; omitted in V, M and H. and then to give them away in marriage.⁹³V, M and H add: ‘on account of that which is written, Neither had any man known her, and by man only her father could be meant’.
Dinah was six years old when she bore Asenath from [her association with] Shechem,⁹⁴Cf. Gen. 34. corresponding to⁹⁵lit. ‘the number of’. the six years which Jacob served Laban in payment for the flock,⁹⁶ibid. XXXI, 41. thus completing⁹⁷lit. ‘until’. the twenty years of his service. [The Archangel] Michael then descended and took her away to the house of Potiphar.
From here onward let the man of understanding increase knowledge.⁹⁸From ‘completing the twenty years’ to ‘knowledge’ is GRA’s text. V and M have instead: ‘and he added twenty years, because he died. From this point onwards let the man of understanding increase knowledge. And Michael descended and led her to Potiphar’s house’.

⁶¹From this point to the end of the tractate is an aggadic addendum. The greatest man among the Anakim⁶²Josh. 14, 15.—among the Anakim refers to our father Abraham whose height was equal to that of seventy-four men; his eating and drinking were of a similar proportion, equal to those of seventy-four men; so too his strength. What did he do?⁶³This is probably a reference to Gen. 25, 6, But unto the sons of the concubines … Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away … eastward, unto the east country. He removed the sixteen⁶⁴So GRA in accordance with Gen. 25, 2-4. V, M and H incorrectly ‘seventeen’. sons of Keturah, built for them a walled city of iron and settled them in it. The sun never penetrated into it because it was exceedingly high, so Abraham handed to them disks of precious stones and pearls of which use will be made⁶⁵So GRA. V, M and H read, ‘and they will be used’. in the hereafter when the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause the sun and moon to be confounded, as it is written, When the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed,⁶⁶Is. 24, 23. because use will be made of these [disks as luminaries].
Og⁶⁷King of Bashan; Deut. 3, 11. is identical with Eliezer,⁶⁸Abraham’s servant; cf. Gen. 15, 2, XXIV, 2ff. and [he was so huge that] he could hide Abraham’s feet in the palm of his hand. Once he was rebuked [by Abraham] and from fright his tooth fell out. Abraham picked it up and made ivory beds of it in which he slept. Others say that he made of it a chair which he used⁶⁹lit. ‘and sat in it’. all his life. Who gave him to Abraham? Nimrod.⁷⁰Mentioned in Gen. 10, 8ff. Og went and built sixty cities, the smallest of which was sixty miles high, as it is stated, Threescore cities, all the region of Argob.⁷¹Deut. 3, 4. And what did he eat? A thousand oxen and the same [number of] other animals, and his drink consisted of a thousand measures. A⁷²So GRA. V, M and H read ‘and what was the’. drop of his semen weighed thirty-six pounds.⁷³V and H add ‘and so for all generations’, which makes no sense.
It was taught: What did our father Jacob do when his sons brought him the coat [stained] with blood?⁷⁴Cf. Gen. 37, 31ff. He did not believe them at all. Whence do we infer this? For it is written, But he refused to be comforted,⁷⁵ibid. 35. because no consolations are acceptable for a living person. One, however, who is dead passes naturally from the mind,⁷⁶lit. ‘he is forgotten from the heart of his own accord’. as it is stated, I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind.⁷⁷Ps. 31, 13. What then did he do? He proceeded to make a test with sheaves,⁷⁸GRA transposes the order of V, M and H by putting the test of the sheaves before that of the stones, and omits ‘according to the first opinion’. writing upon them the respective names of the tribes, their constellations and the months, and said to them, ‘I order you to prostrate yourselves before Levi because he wears the Urim and Thummim’,⁷⁹Cf. Ex. 28, 30. but they did not stand up. ‘Before Judah who is king’, but they did not stand up; but when he mentioned Joseph to them, they all stood up and bowed before Joseph. But it was not yet quite clear that he was alive. So Jacob went to the mountains, hewed twelve stones, arranged them in a row, and wrote on each the name of its tribe, the name of its constellation and the name of its month. On one stone he wrote ‘Reuben, lamb, Nisan’⁸⁰The name of the tribe, constellation and month. and similarly on every stone. He began from Simeon and said to them, ‘I order you to stand up for Reuben’, but they did not stand up. ‘For Simeon’, but they did not stand up. ‘For every tribe’, but the stones did not stand up. As soon, however, as he mentioned the name of Joseph to them, they stood up at once and bowed before Joseph’s stone.⁸¹The translation follows the text of GRA. For this reason, all the tribes were written on Joseph’s stone. Similarly, all Israel are called by Joseph’s name, as it is stated, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock.⁸²Ps. 80, 2 where Joseph is a synonym of all Israel. So also all the heads of the families of the priests and Levites, [e.g.] Eliashib,⁸³Neh. 3, 1. because of the phrase lahashibo ’el ’abiw;⁸⁴In the story of Joseph (Gen. 37, 22), E.V. to restore him to his father. The name Eliashib is broken up in three parts corresponding in sound and meaning to these three Heb. words. From ‘For this reason’ to ’abiw is the reading of GRA. V and H have instead: ‘but from the mishmaroth, Eliashib the priest’. Elḳanah,⁸⁵Connected with ḳanah, ‘he bought’. because Potiphar had bought him [as it is stated,] And Joseph ms brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar … bought him.⁸⁶Gen. 39, 1. V inserts in parentheses, And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Ẓaphenath, paneah, etc. (ibid. XLI, 45), which has no relevance to the subject.
When Rebekah left her father’s house⁸⁷Cf. ibid. XXIV, 59ff. she was three years old,⁸⁸V, M and H add ‘and three days’. because it is customary among kings, when a daughter is born to them, to hear of it after three days;⁸⁹H reads ‘after three years and three days’. but as her father did not hear [of her birth] he did not defile her up to that time; and now a miracle happened to her in that her father died so that he should not defile her, as it is written, Neither had any man known her,⁹⁰Gen. 24, 16. and by man only her father could be meant,⁹¹From ‘he did not’ to ‘meant’ is GRA’s reading. V, M and H read: ‘therefore a miracle happened to her that she should not be defiled’. for such was the practice of the Arameans to lie with their virgin daughters after they were three years of age,⁹²‘After … age’ is inserted by GRA; omitted in V, M and H. and then to give them away in marriage.⁹³V, M and H add: ‘on account of that which is written, Neither had any man known her, and by man only her father could be meant’.
Dinah was six years old when she bore Asenath from [her association with] Shechem,⁹⁴Cf. Gen. 34. corresponding to⁹⁵lit. ‘the number of’. the six years which Jacob served Laban in payment for the flock,⁹⁶ibid. XXXI, 41. thus completing⁹⁷lit. ‘until’. the twenty years of his service. [The Archangel] Michael then descended and took her away to the house of Potiphar.
From here onward let the man of understanding increase knowledge.⁹⁸From ‘completing the twenty years’ to ‘knowledge’ is GRA’s text. V and M have instead: ‘and he added twenty years, because he died. From this point onwards let the man of understanding increase knowledge. And Michael descended and led her to Potiphar’s house’.

Rabbi Shimon would say: Such is the punishment for a liar, that even when he speaks the truth, no one listens to him. So we find with the children of Jacob, who deceived their father. In the beginning he believed them, as it says (Genesis 37:31), “They took Joseph’s coat, slaughtered a goat,” and then it says (Genesis 37:33), “He recognized it, and said: This is my son’s coat! But afterward, even when they spoke the truth to him, he did not believe them, as it says (Genesis 45:26), ([“His heart became numb, for he did not believe them.”]) “They told him, and said: Joseph is still alive…[but] he did not believe them.”
Some say that the holy spirit that had departed from Jacob now returned to him, as it says (Genesis 45:27), “And the spirit of their father Jacob was revived.”

Rabbi Shimon would say: Such is the punishment for a liar, that even when he speaks the truth, no one listens to him. So we find with the children of Jacob, who deceived their father. In the beginning he believed them, as it says (Genesis 37:31), “They took Joseph’s coat, slaughtered a goat,” and then it says (Genesis 37:33), “He recognized it, and said: This is my son’s coat! But afterward, even when they spoke the truth to him, he did not believe them, as it says (Genesis 45:26), ([“His heart became numb, for he did not believe them.”]) “They told him, and said: Joseph is still alive…[but] he did not believe them.”
Some say that the holy spirit that had departed from Jacob now returned to him, as it says (Genesis 45:27), “And the spirit of their father Jacob was revived.”

Ten words in the Torah are marked with dots. They are as follows: 1. “The Eternal will judge between me and you” (Genesis 16:5). There is a dot above the letter yod in the term, “and you.” This teaches that Sarah did not say this to Abraham, but to Hagar. Some say that it means she was speaking about those who caused the fighting “between me and you.” 2. “They said to him, Where is Sarah?” (Genesis 18:9). There are dots above the letters aleph, yod, and vav in the term, “to him,” to indicate that they already knew where she was, but they nevertheless inquired about her. 3. (There is a dot on the verse,) “When she lay down and when she arose” (Genesis 19:33). There is a dot above the letter vav in the term, “When she arose” the first time it is used [with regard to Lot’s older daughter]. This teaches that he was not aware of what happened until the (younger daughter) arose. 4. “And Esau ran to greet him, and he hugged him, fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Genesis 33:4). The term for, “and kissed him,” has dots above every letter, to teach that he did not kiss him sincerely. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar would say: It means that this kiss was sincere, but every other one he gave Jacob was not. 5. “His brothers went to shepherd their father’s flocks in Shechem” (Genesis 37:12). There are dots on the word just before “flocks.” This teaches that they did not actually go to shepherd the flocks, but to eat and drink (and indulge their temptations). 6. “All the Levites who were recorded, whom Moses and Aaron recorded” (Numbers 3:39). There are dots above Aaron’s name. Why? To teach that Aaron himself was not counted in this record. 7. “On a long journey” (Numbers 9:10). There is a dot above the letter hei in the word “long.” This teaches that this does not really mean a long journey, but any exiting the boundaries of the outer court of the Temple. 8. “We caused destruction all the way up to Nophach, which reaches into Medeba” (Numbers 21:30). There is a dot above the letter reish in the word “which.” Why? To teach that they destroyed the idolaters but not the countries themselves (whereas the practice of idolaters was to destroy entire countries). 9. “A tenth, a tenth for each” (Numbers 29:15). [This verse delineates the meal offering that accompanies the burnt offering] on the first day of the Sukkot festival. There is a dot above the letter vav in the [first occurrence of the] word “tenth.” Why? To teach that there is only one-tenth [measure] for each. 10. “The hidden things are for the Eternal our God, and the revealed things are for us and our children forever” (Deuteronomy 29:30). There are dots above the words “for us and our children,” and above the letter ayin in the word “forever.” Why? For this is what Ezra said: If Elijah comes and says to me: Why did you write it this way? I will say to him: I have already put dots above these words [to indicate I was not certain it was correct]. But if he says to me: You wrote it correctly, then I will remove the dots.
There are eleven instances in the Torah where the Hebrew word for “she,” היא, is written as הוא (which means “he” or “it”) but vocalized to mean “she.” The first is: “The King of Bela, he is [i.e., “she is”] Tzur” (Genesis 14:1). The second: “He himself said to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and SHE also said, ‘He is my brother’” (Genesis 20:5). The third: “As she was being brought out, SHE sent a message to her father-in-law, saying” (Genesis 38:25). The fourth: “If one of your animals of which it is [i.e., “she is”] used for food dies” (Leviticus 11:39). The fifth: “And it [i.e., “and she”] has turned the hair white” (Leviticus 13:10). The sixth: “If the priest sees it…and it [i.e., “and she”] has faded” (Leviticus 13:21). [The seventh: “It (i.e., “she”) shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for you” (Leviticus 16:31). The eighth: “And SHE sees his nakedness” (Leviticus 20:17). The ninth: “SHE has disgraced her father” (Leviticus 21:9). The tenth: “And SHE has kept secret, and defiled herself (and she was not caught)” (Numbers 5:13). The eleventh: “A spirit of jealousy has passed over him, and he is jealous of his wife…but SHE has not defiled herself” (Numbers 5:14).