Deuteronomy 11:6

JPS-1917

וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֜ה לְדָתָ֣ן וְלַאֲבִירָ֗ם בְּנֵ֣י אֱלִיאָב֮ בֶּן־רְאוּבֵן֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר פָּצְתָ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ וַתִּבְלָעֵ֥ם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־אׇהֳלֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֵ֤ת כׇּל־הַיְקוּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּרַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם בְּקֶ֖רֶב כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

and what He did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben; how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and every living substance that followed them, in the midst of all Israel;

— Deuteronomy 11:6, JPS 1917

Cite This Verse

Deuteronomy 11:6 (JPS 1917).

"Deuteronomy 11:6." JPS 1917. Web.

Deuteronomy 11:6, JPS 1917.

Rashi Commentary

Rashi — Deuteronomy 11:6
בקרב כל ישראל. כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁהָיָה אֶחָד מֵהֶם בּוֹרֵחַ הָאָרֶץ נִבְקַעַת מִתַּחְתָּיו וּבוֹלַעְתּוֹ, אֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה וַהֲלֹא כְבָר נֶאֱמַר (במדבר ט"ז) וַתִּפְתַּח הָאָרֶץ אֶת פִּיהָ – וְלֹא פִּיּוֹתֶיהָ. אָמַר לוֹ וּמָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם בקרב כל ישראל? אָמַר לוֹ שֶׁנַּעֲשֵׂית הָאָרֶץ מִדְרוֹן כְּמַשְׁפֵּךְ, וְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהָיָה אֶחָד מֵהֶם הָיָה מִתְגַּלְגֵּל וּבָא עַד מְקוֹם הַבְּקִיעָה (עי' ילקוט שמעוני תשנ"ב): ואת כל היקום אשר ברגליהם. זֶה מָמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם שֶׁמַּעֲמִידוֹ עַל רַגְלָיו (סנהדרין ק"י):

בקרב כל ישראל [AND THE EARTH SWALLOWED THEM UP] IN THE MIDST OF ALL ISRAEL — Wherever one of them fled the earth was riven beneath him and swallowed him up. This is the view of R. Judah. Rabbi Nehemiah said to him: But is it not already stated, (Numbers 16:32) “And the earth opened its mouth”, and it does not state “its mouths”? Whereupon he (R. Judah) asked him: “But how, then, can I explain the words: “in the midst of all Israel” (if there was but one spot at which they were swallowed up, as you suggest Scripture states by the word פיה, “its mouth”)? He replied to him: you can reconcile the two texts by assuming that the earth became a declivity, — something like a funnel, — and wherever it was that one of them happened to be, he rolled down until he reached the place where the fissure was (cf. Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 752). ואת כל היקום אשר ברגליהם AND ALL THE SUBSTANCE THAT WAS AT THEIR FEET — This means a man’s money, that places him on his feet (Sanhedrin 110a).

Other Translations

MASORETIC

וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֜ה לְדָתָ֣ן וְלַאֲבִירָ֗ם בְּנֵ֣י אֱלִיאָב֮ בֶּן־רְאוּבֵן֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר פָּצְתָ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ וַתִּבְלָעֵ֥ם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־אׇהֳלֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֵ֤ת כׇּל־הַיְקוּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּרַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם בְּקֶ֖רֶב כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

KOREN

and what he did to Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eli᾽av, the son of Re᾽uven: how the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the living substance that followed them, in the midst of all Yisra᾽el: