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pp. 262-263
Minchah for Friday


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Hebrew
כִּי שִׁבַּר דַּלְתוֹת נְחֹשֶׁת, וּבְרִיחֵי
בַרְזֶל גִּדֵּעַ:
Sephardi
Ki shibbar daltot nechoshet, u-verichei
varzel giddea:
English
the fact that He broke the strong copper doors and smashed the iron bars of the prison they were in.
Hebrew
אֱוִלִים מִדֶּרֶךְ
פִּשְׁעָם, וּמֵעֲוֹנֹתֵיהֶם יִתְעַנּוּ<sup>1</sup>:
כָּל אֹכֶל תְּתַעֵב נַפְשָׁם, וַיַּגִּיעוּ
עַד שַׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת: וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אֶל יְיָ
בַּצַּר לָהֶם, מִמְּצֻקוֹתֵיהֶם
יוֹשִׁיעֵם: יִשְׁלַח דְּבָרוֹ וְיִרְפָּאֵם,
וִימַלֵּט מִשְּׁחִיתוֹתָם: יוֹדוּ לַייָ
חַסְדּוֹ, וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו לִבְנֵי אָדָם<sup>2</sup>:
וְיִזְבְּחוּ זִבְחֵי תוֹדָה, וִיסַפְּרוּ
מַעֲשָׂיו בְּרִנָּה:
Sephardi
Evilim mi-derech
pish'am, u-me-avonoteihem yit'anu<sup>1</sup>:
Kol ochel teta'ev nafsham, va-yaggi'u
ad sha'arei mavet: va-yiz'aku el Adonai
batzar lahem, mi-metzukoteihem
yoshi'em: yishlach devaro ve-yirpa'em,
vi-mallet mi-shchitotam: yodu la-adonai
chasdo, venifla'otav livnei adam<sup>2</sup>:
ve-yizbechu zivchei todah, vi-sapperu
ma'asav be-rinnah:
English
The third kind are foolish sinners, those who have followed the path of sin. Because of their sins they suffer<sup>1</sup> and are ill. They cannot bear to eat any food. Their sickness is so severe that they reach the gates of death and almost die of starvation. They cried out to the Lord because of their distress, and He saved them from their troubles. Unlike a doctor, who uses medical treatment to heal, God simply sent out His command that they should be healed, and He healed them. He saved them from death, from being buried in their graves. These people should give praise to the Lord for His kindness and tell people<sup>2</sup> about the wonders He performed. They should offer up thanksgiving sacrifices, which are brought when a person is saved from certain situations, and they should tell people about His actions with joy.
Hebrew
יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם
בָּאֳנִיּוֹת, עֹשֵׂי מְלָאכָה בְּמַיִם
רַבִּים<sup>3</sup>: הֵמָּה רָאוּ מַעֲשֵׂי יְיָ,
וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו בִּמְצוּלָה: וַיֹּאמֶר
וַיַּעֲמֵד רוּחַ סְעָרָה, וַתְּרוֹמֵם
גַּלָּיו: יַעֲלוּ שָׁמַיִם יֵרְדוּ תְהוֹמוֹת,
נַפְשָׁם בְּרָעָה תִתְמוֹגָג: יָחוֹגּוּ
וְיָנוּעוּ כַּשִּׁכּוֹר, וְכָל חָכְמָתָם
תִּתְבַּלָּע: וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל יְיָ בַּצַּר
לָהֶם, וּמִמְּצוּקֹתֵיהֶם יוֹצִיאֵם:
Sephardi
Yordei hayam
ba-oniyyot, osei melachah b'mayim
rabim<sup>3</sup>: hemah ra'u ma'asei Adonai,
venifla'otav bi-metzulah: vayomer
va-ya'amed ruach se'arah, va-teromem
gallav: ya'alu shamayim yerdu tehomot,
nafsham be-ra'ah titmogag: yachoggu
ve-yanu'u ka-shikkor, vechol chochmatam
titballa: va-yitz'aku el Adonai batzar
lahem, u-mi-metzukoteihem yotzi'em:
English
The fourth kind are those who go down to the sea in ships and do their work of steering the ship in the mighty waters.<sup>3</sup> They saw the work of the Lord and His wonders in the depths of the ocean. God spoke and caused the stormy wind to rise, and it lifted up the ocean’s waves. The waves lift people toward the sky and then drop them down to the depths. Their soul melts in distress because they are so scared. The ship rocks back and forth so much that they wobble and move about like a drunkard, and all of their steering skills are swallowed up and useless; they are unable to direct the ship. They cried out
Hebrew
יָקֵם סְעָרָה לִדְמָמָה, וַיֶּחֱשׁוּ
גַּלֵּיהֶם: וַיִּשְׂמְחוּ כִי יִשְׁתֹּקוּ,
וַיַּנְחֵם אֶל מְחוֹז חֶפְצָם: יוֹדוּ
לַייָ<sup>4</sup> חַסְדּוֹ, וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו לִבְנֵי
אָדָם: וִירוֹמְמוּהוּ בִּקְהַל עָם,
וּבְמוֹשַׁב זְקֵנִים יְהַלְלוּהוּ:
Sephardi
Yakem se'arah li-demamah, va-yecheshu
galleihem: va-yismechu chi yishtoku,
va-yanchem el mechoz cheftzam: yodu
la-adonai<sup>4</sup> chasdo, venifla'otav livnei
adam: vi-romemuhu bi-kehal am,
u-ve-moshav zekenim yehaleluhu:
English
to the Lord because of their distress, and He took them out of their troubles. He returned the storm to stillness, and the waves were quieted. The people on the ship rejoiced when the waves were quieted, and God led them to where they wanted to go. These people should give praise to the Lord<sup>4</sup> for His kindness and tell people about the wonders He performed. The four kinds of people mentioned above should exalt God among a minyan of people and praise Him in the presence of a gathering of elders and Torah scholars.

God performs miracles for the poor and punishes the wicked

Hebrew
יָשֵׂם נְהָרוֹת לְמִדְבָּר, וּמֹצָאֵי
מַיִם לְצִמָּאוֹן: אֶרֶץ פְּרִי
לִמְלֵחָה, מֵרָעַת יוֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ:
יָשֵׂם מִדְבָּר לַאֲגַם מַיִם, וְאֶרֶץ
צִיָּה לְמֹצָאֵי מָיִם: וַיּוֹשֶׁב שָׁם
רְעֵבִים, וַיְכוֹנְנוּ עִיר מוֹשָׁב:
וַיִּזְרְעוּ שָׂדוֹת וַיִּטְּעוּ כְרָמִים,
וַיַּעֲשׂוּ פְּרִי תְבוּאָה: וַיְבָרְכֵם
וַיִּרְבּוּ מְאֹד, וּבְהֶמְתָּם לֹא
יַמְעִיט: וַיִּמְעֲטוּ וַיָּשֹׁחוּ,
מֵעֹצֶר רָעָה וְיָגוֹן: שֹׁפֵךְ בּוּז
עַל נְדִיבִים, וַיַּתְעֵם בְּתֹהוּ לֹא
דָרֶךְ: וַיְשַׂגֵּב אֶבְיוֹן מֵעוֹנִי,
וַיָּשֶׂם כַּצֹּאן מִשְׁפָּחוֹת: יִרְאוּ
יְשָׁרִים וְיִשְׂמָחוּ, וְכָל עַוְלָה
קָפְצָה פִּיהָ: מִי חָכָם וְיִשְׁמָר
אֵלֶּה, וְיִתְבּוֹנְנוּ חַסְדֵי יְיָ:
Sephardi
Yasem neharot le-midbar, u-motza'ei
mayim le-tzimma'on: eretz peri
li-melechah, me-ra'at yoshvei bah:
Yasem midbar la-agam mayim, ve-eretz
tziyyah le-motza'ei mayim: va-yoshev sham
re'evim, va-yechonenu ir moshav:
va-yizre'u sadot va-yitte'u cheramim,
vaya'asu peri tevu'ah: va-yevarechem
va-yirbu me'od, u-vehemtam lo
yam'it: va-yim'atu va-yashochu,
me-otzer ra'ah veyagon: shofech buz
al nedivim, va-yat'em be-tohu lo
darech: va-yesaggev evyon me-oni,
vayasem ka-tzon mishpachot: yir'u
yesharim ve-yismechu, vechol avlah
kaftzah pihah: mi chacham ve-yishmor
eleh, ve-yitbonenu chasdei Adonai:
English
God turns rivers into dry deserts and springs of water into dry land. He turns a land that produces many fruits into a salty place that produces no fruits as a punishment for the wickedness of the people who live on those lands. On the other hand, God turns deserts into lakes and dry lands into springs of water. He settles hungry people there and gives them food. They establish a city there for people to live in. They plant seeds in the fields and they plant vineyards; the fields produce grain, and the vineyards produce fruits. God blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He doesn’t cause their animals to be decreased in number. However, if the people of this city sin, they decrease in number and are thrown down through oppression and sadness. God can pour shame on important people and cause them to become lost in a wilderness without a path. But He also raises poor people from their suffering and makes their families large, like flocks of sheep. Fair and righteous people will see that God helps the poor, and they will rejoice; all wicked people will be too embarrassed to speak, and they will close their mouths. A person who is wise should keep these things in mind, and he will understand the kind ways of the Lord.