Saadia's Tafsir on Shemot 23 (Parashat Mishpatim)

Shemot 23:1

לֹא תִשָּׂא שֵׁמַע שָׁוְא אַל-תָּשֶׁת יָדְךָ עִם-רָשָׁע לִהְיֹת עֵד חָמָס

.

And do not accept a false report, and do not associate with a wrongdoer to be for him a witness of injustice.

Shemot 23:2

לֹא-תִהְיֶה אַחֲרֵי-רַבִּים לְרָעֹת וְלֹא-תַעֲנֶה עַל-רִב לִנְטֹת אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים--לְהַטֹּת

. .

Do not be a follower of the many toward evil, and do not respond in a dispute so as to tilt it — rather, behind the majority, then incline.

Shemot 23:3

וְדָל לֹא תֶהְדַּר בְּרִיבוֹ

And do not show favor to the poor in his dispute.

Shemot 23:4

כִּי תִפְגַּע שׁוֹר אֹיִבְךָ אוֹ חֲמֹרוֹ--תֹּעֶה הָשֵׁב תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ

. .

And if you come upon the ox of your enemy, or his donkey, going astray — return it to him, a returning.

Shemot 23:5

כִּי-תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ רֹבֵץ תַּחַת מַשָּׂאוֹ וְחָדַלְתָּ מֵעֲזֹב לוֹ--עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב עִמּוֹ

. . .

And if you see the donkey of one who hates you crouching under its load, then refrain from leaving it thus — rather, unload it, unload it along with him.

Shemot 23:6

לֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפַּט אֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּרִיבוֹ

Do not tilt the judgment of your poor in his dispute.

Shemot 23:7

מִדְּבַר-שֶׁקֶר תִּרְחָק וְנָקִי וְצַדִּיק אַל-תַּהֲרֹג כִּי לֹא-אַצְדִּיק רָשָׁע

. .

From false speech, keep far. And the righteous and the innocent — do not kill them; for I will not acquit a wrongdoer.

Shemot 23:8

וְשֹׁחַד לֹא תִקָּח כִּי הַשֹּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר פִּקְחִים וִיסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיקִים

. .

And do not take a bribe; for a bribe blinds the eyes of those who see away from the truth, and falsifies words that are just.

Shemot 23:9

וְגֵר לֹא תִלְחָץ וְאַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם אֶת-נֶפֶשׁ הַגֵּר--כִּי-גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

. .

And do not oppress a stranger; for you know the soul of the stranger, seeing how long you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Shemot 23:10

וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְרַע אֶת-אַרְצֶךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת-תְּבוּאָתָהּ

.

Six years you shall sow your land, and gather its produce.

Shemot 23:11

וְהַשְּׁבִיעִת תִּשְׁמְטֶנָּה וּנְטַשְׁתָּהּ וְאָכְלוּ אֶבְיֹנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְיִתְרָם תֹּאכַל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה כֵּן-תַּעֲשֶׂה לְכַרְמְךָ לְזֵיתֶךָ

. . .

But in the seventh you shall leave it and not scatter seed in it; and the poor of your people shall eat from it, and what remains of it the wild creatures of the desert shall eat. So shall you do with your vineyard and your olive grove.

Shemot 23:12

שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי תִּשְׁבֹּת--לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ שׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרֶךָ וְיִנָּפֵשׁ בֶּן-אֲמָתְךָ וְהַגֵּר

. . .

Six days you shall perform your labors, and on the seventh day you shall keep the Sabbath — that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your maidservant and the stranger with you may find ease.

Shemot 23:13

וּבְכֹל אֲשֶׁר-אָמַרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לֹא תַזְכִּירוּ לֹא יִשָּׁמַע עַל-פִּיךָ

. .

And all that I have told you, keep; and the name of other objects of worship do not mention, and let it not be heard from your mouth.

Shemot 23:14

שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים תָּחֹג לִי בַּשָּׁנָה

.

Three times you shall make pilgrimage to Me in the year.

Shemot 23:15

אֶת-חַג הַמַּצּוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר--שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל מַצּוֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִךָ לְמוֹעֵד חֹדֶשׁ הָאָבִיב כִּי-בוֹ יָצָאתָ מִמִּצְרָיִם וְלֹא-יֵרָאוּ פָנַי רֵיקָם

. .

And the festival of unleavened bread — keep it: seven days you shall eat unleavened bread as I commanded you, at the time of the month of the roasting of the barley; for in it you went out from Egypt. And do not appear before Me empty-handed.

Shemot 23:16

וְחַג הַקָּצִיר בִּכּוּרֵי מַעֲשֶׂיךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּזְרַע בַּשָּׂדֶה וְחַג הָאָסִף בְּצֵאת הַשָּׁנָה בְּאָסְפְּךָ אֶת-מַעֲשֶׂיךָ מִן-הַשָּׂדֶה

. . .

And the festival of the harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor which you sow in the open country; and the festival of the ingathering, at the going out of the year, when you gather in your labors from the open country.

Shemot 23:17

שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה--יֵרָאֶה כָּל-זְכוּרְךָ אֶל-פְּנֵי הָאָדֹן יְהוָה

. .

Three times in the year shall all your men appear before the Lord God.

Shemot 23:18

לֹא-תִזְבַּח עַל-חָמֵץ דַּם-זִבְחִי וְלֹא-יָלִין חֵלֶב-חַגִּי עַד-בֹּקֶר

.

And do not slaughter My Passover offering upon leavened bread; and do not let the fat of My festival offering remain until morning.

Shemot 23:19

רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ תָּבִיא בֵּית יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא-תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ

. .

And the first of the firstfruits of your land — bring them to the house of God your Lord. And do not cook meat with milk.

Shemot 23:20

הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ לִשְׁמָרְךָ בַּדָּרֶךְ וְלַהֲבִיאֲךָ אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הֲכִנֹתִי

. . .

Behold, I am sending an angel before you to guard you on the way, and to bring you to the place which I have prepared for you.

Shemot 23:21

הִשָּׁמֶר מִפָּנָיו וּשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ אַל-תַּמֵּר בּוֹ כִּי לֹא יִשָּׂא לְפִשְׁעֲכֶם כִּי שְׁמִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ

. . .

Be wary of him, and accept his command and do not oppose him; for he will not pardon your transgression — for My name is with him.

Shemot 23:22

כִּי אִם-שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ וְעָשִׂיתָ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר--וְאָיַבְתִּי אֶת-אֹיְבֶיךָ וְצַרְתִּי אֶת-צֹרְרֶיךָ

. . .

For if you accept his command and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to those who are enemies to you, and I will harm those who harm you.

Shemot 23:23

כִּי-יֵלֵךְ מַלְאָכִי לְפָנֶיךָ וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ אֶל-הָאֱמֹרִי וְהַחִתִּי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְהִכְחַדְתִּיו

. . . . .

And when My angel goes before you and brings you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites — and I annihilate them,

Shemot 23:24

לֹא-תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם כִּי הָרֵס תְּהָרְסֵם וְשַׁבֵּר תְּשַׁבֵּר מַצֵּבֹתֵיהֶם

. . .

do not bow down to their objects of worship and do not serve them, and do not act as their deeds — rather, demolish them with a demolishing, and break their altars with a breaking.

Shemot 23:25

וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וּבֵרַךְ אֶת-לַחְמְךָ וְאֶת-מֵימֶיךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִי מַחֲלָה מִקִּרְבֶּךָ

. .

And serve God your Lord; and He will bless your food and your drink, and will remove diseases from you.

Shemot 23:26

לֹא תִהְיֶה מְשַׁכֵּלָה וַעֲקָרָה בְּאַרְצֶךָ אֶת-מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא

.

There shall be none who loses young and none barren in your land; and the count of your days — I will complete them.

Shemot 23:27

אֶת-אֵימָתִי אֲשַׁלַּח לְפָנֶיךָ וְהַמֹּתִי אֶת-כָּל-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר תָּבֹא בָּהֶם וְנָתַתִּי אֶת-כָּל-אֹיְבֶיךָ אֵלֶיךָ עֹרֶף

. . . .

And I will send My dread before you, and I will throw into confusion all the people unto whom you come; and I will make your enemies turn their backs before you.

Shemot 23:28

וְשָׁלַחְתִּי אֶת-הַצִּרְעָה לְפָנֶיךָ וְגֵרְשָׁה אֶת-הַחִוִּי אֶת-הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְאֶת-הַחִתִּי--מִלְּפָנֶיךָ

. .

And I will send the plague before you, and it shall drive out the Hivites and the Canaanites and the Hittites from before you.

Shemot 23:29

לֹא אֲגָרְשֶׁנּוּ מִפָּנֶיךָ בְּשָׁנָה אֶחָת פֶּן-תִּהְיֶה הָאָרֶץ שְׁמָמָה וְרַבָּה עָלֶיךָ חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה

. .

I will not drive them out from before you in a single year, lest the land become desolate and the wild creatures of the desert multiply against you.

Shemot 23:30

מְעַט מְעַט אֲגָרְשֶׁנּוּ מִפָּנֶיךָ עַד אֲשֶׁר תִּפְרֶה וְנָחַלְתָּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ

. . .

But little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you grow and take possession of the land.

Shemot 23:31

וְשַׁתִּי אֶת-גְּבֻלְךָ מִיַּם-סוּף וְעַד-יָם פְּלִשְׁתִּים וּמִמִּדְבָּר עַד-הַנָּהָר כִּי אֶתֵּן בְּיֶדְכֶם אֵת יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ וְגֵרַשְׁתָּמוֹ מִפָּנֶיךָ

. . . .

And I will set your border from the Sea of Qulzum (Red Sea) to the Sea of Philistia, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates; for I will deliver into your hands the inhabitants of the land, and you shall drive them out from before you.

Shemot 23:32

לֹא-תִכְרֹת לָהֶם וְלֵאלֹהֵיהֶם בְּרִית

.

Do not make a covenant with them, nor with their objects of worship, a covenant.

Shemot 23:33

לֹא יֵשְׁבוּ בְּאַרְצְךָ פֶּן-יַחֲטִיאוּ אֹתְךָ לִי כִּי תַעֲבֹד אֶת-אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כִּי-יִהְיֶה לְךָ לְמוֹקֵשׁ

. . .

And they shall not dwell in your land, lest they lead you astray from Me by your serving their objects of worship — for they would be to you a noose.