כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אשקוטה [אֶשְׁקֳטָ֖ה] וְאַבִּ֣יטָה בִמְכוֹנִ֑י כְּחֹ֥ם צַח֙ עֲלֵי־א֔וֹר כְּעָ֥ב טַ֖ל בְּחֹ֥ם קָצִֽיר׃
Ибо так сказал мне Господь: Я буду держать Меня неподвижно, и Я буду смотреть в моем жилище, Как ясный жар в солнечном свете, Как облако росы в жаре урожая.
Haamek Sheilah
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BY THE NETZIV1See Translator’s Preface, which discusses why acknowledgments are included in Part 1.
IN TRUTH, it is not by my [intellectual] power or merit that I prospered at the beginning of my manhood. When I examined my situation,2Literally “looked at my dwelling,” see Isa.18:4. I realized that I lacked knowledge and was brought low by poverty.3He could be referring to a poverty of ideas, although in fact he was poor. My eyes are raised to Heaven,4Isa. 38:14. for only because of the merit of my righteous forefathers was I brought to the great Talmudic academy [of Volozhin], the house of my lodging, the source of my happiness that is at the forefront of my thoughts – that is, the four cubits of Halachah that established a foundation for the Torah and [God’s covenant].5Isa. 8:20. This was accomplished by the great genius, the chief of the shepherds,6I Sam. 21:8; Rashi on this verse interprets “chief of shepherds” as “head of the tribunal.” the nation’s well, our master and teacher, my father-in-law’s father, our master, Hayyim of Volozhin,7Known as R. Hayyim Volozhiner, 1749–1821. of blessed memory. To strengthen [the academy even more, after his demise] his son arose, my father-in-law, our master and teacher, the genius, the glory of Israel, our teacher and master, R. Yitzhak,8Known as Reb Itzeleh; 1780–1849. Like his father, R. Yitzhak left few traces of his vast talmudic or halachic scholarship, but he did write a Torah commentary, Peh Kadosh, and a commentary on Pirkei Avos, Mileli de-Avos. of blessed memory [who became the head of the Volozhin Yeshivah]. He was then followed by the one who upheld its [the yeshiva’s] splendor, the master and genius, my brother-in-law, learned and sharp-witted, our master, Eliezer Yitzhak, of blessed memory.9R. Eliezer Yitzchak Fried, who was in poor health, passed away only four years after Reb Itzeleh’s death in 1849.
IN TRUTH, it is not by my [intellectual] power or merit that I prospered at the beginning of my manhood. When I examined my situation,2Literally “looked at my dwelling,” see Isa.18:4. I realized that I lacked knowledge and was brought low by poverty.3He could be referring to a poverty of ideas, although in fact he was poor. My eyes are raised to Heaven,4Isa. 38:14. for only because of the merit of my righteous forefathers was I brought to the great Talmudic academy [of Volozhin], the house of my lodging, the source of my happiness that is at the forefront of my thoughts – that is, the four cubits of Halachah that established a foundation for the Torah and [God’s covenant].5Isa. 8:20. This was accomplished by the great genius, the chief of the shepherds,6I Sam. 21:8; Rashi on this verse interprets “chief of shepherds” as “head of the tribunal.” the nation’s well, our master and teacher, my father-in-law’s father, our master, Hayyim of Volozhin,7Known as R. Hayyim Volozhiner, 1749–1821. of blessed memory. To strengthen [the academy even more, after his demise] his son arose, my father-in-law, our master and teacher, the genius, the glory of Israel, our teacher and master, R. Yitzhak,8Known as Reb Itzeleh; 1780–1849. Like his father, R. Yitzhak left few traces of his vast talmudic or halachic scholarship, but he did write a Torah commentary, Peh Kadosh, and a commentary on Pirkei Avos, Mileli de-Avos. of blessed memory [who became the head of the Volozhin Yeshivah]. He was then followed by the one who upheld its [the yeshiva’s] splendor, the master and genius, my brother-in-law, learned and sharp-witted, our master, Eliezer Yitzhak, of blessed memory.9R. Eliezer Yitzchak Fried, who was in poor health, passed away only four years after Reb Itzeleh’s death in 1849.
Rashi
To gather greens [herbs]. [‘אֹרֹת’ is] field-rocket which is called oruge, and it enlightens [=מֵאִיר] the eyes.29See Maseches Yoma 18b. Others interpret ‘אֹרֹת’ as herbs, as in, “like a clear heat on herbs [=אוֹר].”30Yeshayahu 18:4.