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Berakhot 32 for kids: Moses Pleads for Israel

ברכות ל״ב

🙏 This daf tells how Moses prayed hard for Israel after the sin of the Golden Calf. It also teaches big lessons about prayer: it can be greater than good deeds and sacrifices, and even when the gates of prayer are locked, the gates of tears stay open.

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Stories from Berakhot 32

Words to know

Rashi and Tosafot on Berakhot 32 in simple English

Rashi on Berakhot 32a, in English Tab translation (20)
  1. ואשר הרעותי — as it is written: the beginning of the verse says 'I will gather the lame and I will gather the scattered' and [then] 'those whom I have dealt with in wickedness' means I caused them [to sin], since I created the evil inclination.
  2. אלמלא שלש מקראות הללו — Were it not for these three verses, which testify that the Holy One has it in His power to fix our inclination and remove the evil inclination from us.
  3. נתמוטטו — our legs would have collapsed under judgment; but now we have a claim to make, since it was He who caused us [to sin] by creating the evil inclination.
  4. הטיח — a term of throwing/casting, as in 'like the shots of a bow [כמטחוי קשת]' (Genesis 21).
  5. אין ארי נוהם — a lion does not roar [over straw]; it roars when it is happy, excited, and prone to cause harm.
  6. מלי כריסיה זני בישי — filling the stomach is one of the types of grave sins. 'Zanei' we render, as in the Targum, like 'leminehu' ('according to its kind') (Genesis 1).
  7. הרף ממני — 'Leave Me be' — this showed him that it was in his power to obtain forgiveness through prayer.
  8. הניחה לי — 'Leave Me be' — this implies that He [God] was holding on to him [Moses].
  9. שלש רגלים — the three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
  10. שהחלהו — he entreated/pleaded with him; 'anuier' in Old French.
  11. נדרו — his vow — his statement in which He said 'I will consume them.'
  12. שמסר עצמו למיתה — that he gave himself over to death; the word 'vayechal' is related to 'chalal' (to be forfeited/pierced).
  13. שהחלה עליהם מדת רחמים — that he caused the attribute of mercy to settle/rest upon them, as in 'may it rest upon the head of Joab' (II Samuel 3:29), a term meaning 'to rest.'
  14. שאחזתו — [the Gemara's wording] that seized him; the reading is 'achilu' [a type of fever].
  15. אשתא דגרמי — fever of the bones; 'mulier' in Old French.
  16. אשר נשבעת להם בך — that You swore to them by Yourself, as it says regarding the binding of Isaac, 'By Myself I have sworn' (Genesis 22).
  17. עד כאן — up to here, i.e., up to the words 'like the stars of the heavens.'
  18. מכאן ואילך דברי הרב — from here on are the words of the Master [God], who said to him: I will do as you have said.
  19. דברים שאמרת לי — the words that You spoke to me at the burning bush: 'I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to a good and spacious land' (Exodus 3:17).
  20. החייתני — You have given me life, in the eyes of the nations.
Rashi on Berakhot 32b, in English Tab translation (21)
  1. Go up to the top of the summit — Through this matter of prayer I was reconciled to show it to you.
  2. And when you spread forth your hands — If not for the fact that prayer is greater, since it already said 'why do I need your many sacrifices,' why would it need to add 'and when you spread forth your hands'? But [the answer is] even their sacrifices were not pleasing to Him [and now their prayers are also rejected, showing prayer's greater standing even though here too rejected].
  3. Keep not silence [at my tears] — Since it is not written 'You will see my tears,' this teaches that they are already seen before Him, and one need not pray except that the tears already seen should be accepted before Him.
  4. And set it as an iron wall — A sign for the wall of iron that separates between Him and them.
  5. And expects it [to be answered] — He expects that his request will be granted through his prolonging [prayer], but ultimately it is not granted, so his hope is deferred for nothing, and this is heartache when a person expects and his desire does not come.
  6. Hope — A term of pleading and supplication.
  7. But desire fulfilled is a tree of life — This is the end of the verse.
  8. Hope — And strengthen yourself, and do not withdraw your hand, but hope again.
  9. Require strengthening — That a person should strengthen himself in them always, with all his strength.
  10. An occupation — If he is a craftsman, [he should attend] to his craft; if a merchant, to his commerce; if a man of war, to his warfare.
  11. Thirty army [divisions] — Heads of legions and divided troops/companies.
  12. Legion, carton, and gastra — Names of positions of authority, such as governor, prince, duke, and prefect.
  13. Burnt offering — Like burnt-offerings and sacrifices.
  14. Even these — The act of the [golden] calf, as they said, 'These are your gods, Israel' (Exodus 32:4).
  15. And 'I' — this refers to the act of Sinai — As it is stated there, 'I am the Lord your God' (Exodus 20:2).
  16. Those who dwell in Your house — And afterward 'they shall praise You.'
  17. They shall thank Your name — And afterward 'the upright shall dwell in Your presence.'
  18. Nine hours — Corresponding to the three prayers.
  19. Their Torah is preserved — Within their heart, so that their learning is not forgotten.
  20. But for kings of the nations he stops [his prayer] — So that the king will not kill him.
  21. This is where it is possible to shorten — Such as when he is close to finishing his prayer.
Tosafot on Berakhot 32b, in English Tab translation (4)
  1. Gedola tefilah yoter mi'ma'asim tovim — greater than good deeds without prayer, for Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, although he possessed good deeds, nevertheless required prayer.
  2. Al dim'ati al teḥerash — Rashi explains that this is derived precisely from the wording: since it does not say 'and my tears will be seen,' this teaches that tears are always seen [by God], and one need only pray that the prayer itself be accepted.
  3. Kol ha'ma'arich bi'tfilato u'me'ayen bah — meaning one who expects that his request will come about because he directed his heart properly in his prayer. This is difficult, for here it implies that 'iyun tefilah' (scrutinizing/expecting from one's prayer) is not a virtue, and so it seems also in the chapter HaRo'eh (later, Berachot 55a), which lists three things that recall a person's sins, including 'iyun tefilah.' Yet this is not how it seems in the chapter Mefanin (Shabbat 127a), which states that a person enjoys the fruits of these things in this world, and lists 'iyun tefilah' among them — implying it is a virtue. Similarly, in Get Pashut (Bava Batra 164b), it says that a person is not saved every day from three things, including 'iyun tefilah,' meaning that a person does not [always] direct his heart properly in prayer — implying that doing so is good. One can answer that there are two [different] meanings of 'iyun tefilah': the 'iyun tefilah' mentioned here refers to one who expects that his request will come about, whereas the 'iyun tefilah' mentioned there refers to one who directs his heart in prayer.
  4. Kodem tefilato minayin she'ne'emar Ashrei yoshvei veitecha — and therefore the Sages instituted that this verse be recited before Tehillah LeDavid (Ashrei), to exclude the view of those who say many other verses beginning with 'Ashrei' [in its place].

Sources

Kid summary and story cards written by Tab from the William Davidson Edition English (Sefaria, CC BY-NC 4.0).

Tab translation (machine-assisted) of Rashi and Tosafot, from the Vilna Edition Hebrew (public domain) on Sefaria. May contain mistakes.

In the app, the Gemara text comes from Sefaria (William Davidson Edition, CC BY-NC 4.0; Hebrew/Aramaic Vilna Edition). Rashi and Tosafot Hebrew: Vilna Edition (public domain) via Sefaria.

Also spelled: Berachot, Brachos, Berachos, Brachot 32.