= Nehemiah 8
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== Nehemiah 8
1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.
14 And they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:
15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.
17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.
== Notes
== Cross Reference
== Concordance
== Commentary
== Rashi
==== Verse 2
on the first day of the seventh month That is the day of Rosh Hashanah.
==== Verse 3
from the light of the beginning of the day.
to the Scroll of the Law All the people inclined their ears.
==== Verse 4
on a wooden tower That wooden tower was made for the purpose of reading the Scroll of the Law upon it.
==== Verse 5
for he was above all the people Therefore, they all saw him.
and when he opened it, all the people stood And when he opened it to read, all the people stood silent.
stood Heb. עָמְדוּ, an expression of silence (they stood silent), like (Job 32:16): “...for they remained silent (עָמְדוּ) ; they no longer answered.”
==== Verse 6
with the uplifting of their hands with the raising of their hands, meaning that they lifted their hands on high to thank the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated: (I Kings 8:22): “...and spread forth his hands towards heaven.”
==== Verse 7
explained...to the people meaning that they would translate the words of the Torah to the people.
in their place meaning that they were standing on their feet.
==== Verse 8
and gave sense Heb. וְשּׂם שֶׂכֶל, and giving wisdom; וְשּׂם is an expression of doing.
==== Verse 9
The day is holy because it is the day of Rosh Hashanah.
for all the people were weeping because they did not uphold the Torah appropriately.
==== Verse 10
to whoever has nothing prepared to a poor man who has no food prepared for himself.
==== Verse 11
quieted They admonished all the people to be quiet, that they should weep no longer.
Hush Heb. הַסוּ, an expression of silence, like (Num. 13:30): “And Caleb hushed (וַיַהַס).”
==== Verse 13
And on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.
==== Verse 15
And that they should announce And they commanded that they announce that they celebrate the Festival of Sukkoth, and so it is customary for Scripture to speak in this manner, like (I Sam. 9: 27): “Tell the servant and he will go ahead of us.”
myrtle leaves It is explained in Tractate Succah (12a) that this is a wild myrtle which is unfit for the lulav and only fit to make a sukkah.
date palm leaves for a lulav.
and leaves of plaited trees This is the myrtle that is fit for the lulav as is explained in Tractate Succah (ad loc.).
==== Verse 18
day by day every day.