gathering

אֲגֻדַּת אֵזוֹב (Shemos 12:22), a bundle of hyssop, and הַתֵּר אֲגֻדּוֹת מוֹטָה (Yeshayahu 58:6), to loose the bands of the yoke: the sense of these and their like is the gathering of things and the tying of them together.

Chazal say (Parah 11:9) that the mitzvah of hyssop is שלשה קלחין, three stalks, ובהם שלשה גבעולין, with three stems in them.

So too וַיִּֽהְיוּ לַֽאֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת (Shmuel II 2:25), and they became one band, that is, one gathering and one agreement; and so וַֽאֲגֻדָּתוֹ עַל־אֶרֶץ יְסָדָהּ (Amos 9:6), and His band He founded upon the earth, that is, His counsel and His agreement.

In Radak's own view it is the three elements that are upon the earth that it calls an agudah, since they are one bundle, one upon the other, upon the earth; that is why it says וַֽאֲגֻדָּתוֹ עַל־אֶרֶץ יְסָדָהּ, and He founded His bundle upon the earth.

אָגְרָה בַקָּצִיר מַאֲכָלָהּ (Mishlei 6:8), she gathers her food in the harvest, and וְיַיִן לֹא תִשְׁתֶּה וְלֹא תֶאֱגֹר (Devarim 28:39), and wine you shall not drink nor gather: its sense is gathering, and so is everything from this root in Tanach.

וְאִגֶּרֶת פְּתוּחָה (Nechemiah 6:5), and an open letter: its sense is known, the document that is sent, and it too is from the sense of gathering: because many matters are gathered into it, the scroll is called אגרת. The plural is וְגַם אִגְּרוֹת כָּתַב עַל אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה (Divrei HaYamim II 30:1), and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Menasheh.

But in לַאֲגוֹרַת כֶּסֶף (Shmuel I 2:36), for a coin of silver, the alef is added, and the word is like גרה, gerah, and its sense is a silver coin; so the Targum renders it, לְמָעָה דִכְסַף, for a maah of silver.

וְאָסַף אִישׁ טָהוֹר (Bamidbar 19:9), a clean man shall gather up, וַיַּֽאַסְפוּ אֶת־הַשְּׂלָו (Bamidbar 11:32), they gathered the quail, and אָסֹף אֶאֱסֹף יַֽעֲקֹב כֻּלָּךְ (Michah 2:12), I will surely gather all of you, Yaakov. Their sense is that of קבוץ, gathering, though there is a difference between the two words, which he says he will set out under the root קבץ.

וְחַג הָֽאָסִיף (Shemos 34:22), the festival of ingathering, is so called, he says, because then they gather the grain harvest and the vintage and all the fruit into the houses on account of the rains.

בַּֽעֲלֵי אֲסֻפּוֹת (Koheles 12:11), masters of collections, means the words of the masters of collections: the pasuk calls the wise who compose books masters of collections because they gather the words of wisdom into their books.

וּלְבָנָיו בֵּית הָֽאֲסֻפִּֽים, and to his sons the house of the asupim, and בַּֽאֲסֻפֵּי הַשְּׁעָרִֽים (Nechemiah 12:25), at the asupim of the gates: a house in the Beis HaMikdash, at the gate facing south, called so for a matter known to them. The asupim may have been two places, since it says afterwards וְלָֽאֲסֻפִּים שְׁנַיִם שְׁנָֽיִם (Divrei HaYamim I 26:17), and for the asupim two and two, that is, two Levi'im for each of the houses of the asupim.

וְהָֽאסַפְסֻף אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבּוֹ (Bamidbar 11:4), the gathered throng in its midst, doubles the second and third root letters, the alef resting, and the doubling strengthens the sense. It means the great crowd of people that had gathered to them, as it is written וְגַם־עֵרֶב רַב עָלָה אִתָּם (Shemos 12:38), and a great mixed multitude went up with them.

כַּֽאֲשֶׁר נֶֽאֱסַף אַֽהֲרֹן אָחִֽיךָ (Bamidbar 27:13), as Aharon your brother was gathered in, and אֲנִי נֶֽאֱסָף אֶל־עַמִּי (Bereishis 49:29), I am being gathered to my people. Of this sense too are וַיֶּֽאֱסֹף רַגְלָיו אֶל־הַמִּטָּה (Bereishis 49:33), he drew his feet into the bed; תֹּסֵף רוּחָם יִגְוָעוּן (Tehillim 104:29), You draw in their breath, they expire; אֱסֹף יָדֶֽךָ (Shmuel I 14:19), draw in your hand; וְלֹֽא־יִהְיוּ עוֹד אֲסֻפֵי רָעָב (Yechezkel 34:29), and they shall no more be those gathered in by famine, which means מתי רעב, those dead of famine; and וְאֵין אִישׁ מְאַסֵּף אוֹתִי הַבָּֽיְתָה (Shoftim 19:18), and no man takes me into the house. All of them and those like them are the sense of התכנס, drawing in. Radak says the word is used of dying because the dead man has gone the way his fathers went, as though he were gathered to them.

From the same sense, וְאָסַף הַמְּצֹרָֽע (Melachim II 5:11), and he will gather in the metzora, and עַד־הֵֽאָסֵף מִרְיָֽם (Bamidbar 12:15), until Miriam was gathered in. Radak explains that the metzora's way is to sit outside the camp or the city, parted from people, and when he is healed he is gathered back to them and comes in among them.

עָשִׁיר יִשְׁכַּב וְלֹא יֵאָסֵף (Iyov 27:19), the rich man lies down and is not gathered in, means that if a rich man lies down in sickness he will not die rich, for before he dies they plunder all that he has, since once he has fallen to his bed they no longer fear him. That is why the pasuk says עֵינָיו פָּקַח וְאֵינֶֽנּוּ, he opened his eyes and he is not, meaning that he is no longer in his wealth.

אָסֹף אָסֵף כֹּל מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָֽאֲדָמָה (Tzefaniah 1:2), I will utterly make an end of everything from off the face of the earth, and אָסֹף אֲסִיפֵם (Yirmiyahu 8:13), I will make a full end of them, where he writes that אָסֹף and אֲסִיפֵם have the root סוף. So too וְאָסַפְתָּה נַפְשְׁךָ וְנֶפֶשׁ בֵּיתֶֽךָ (Shoftim 18:25), and you would make an end of your life and the life of your household. And וְנֶאֱסַף שִׂמְחָה וָגִיל (Yeshayahu 16:10), and joy and gladness are made an end of, and וְגַם־דְּגֵי הַיָּם יֵֽאָסֵֽפוּ (Hoshea 4:3), and the fish of the sea too are made an end of, may be from this sense. And of this sense is פֶּן־אֹסִֽפְךָ עִמּוֹ (Shmuel I 15:6), lest I make an end of you with him. All of them, he says, mean removal and destruction.

חֶבְלֵי רְשָׁעִים עִוְּדֻנִי (Tehillim 119:61), the bands of the wicked plundered me: he explains עודוני as שללוני ובזוני, they plundered me and despoiled me. The noun is יֹאכַל עַד (Bereishis 49:27), he devours spoil, and אָז חֻלַּק עַד ־שָׁלָל מַרְבֶּה (Yeshayahu 33:23), then plunder and much spoil were divided, which he reads as עד ושלל, plunder and spoil, two nouns side by side as in שֶׁמֶשׁ יָרֵחַ (Chavakuk 3:11), sun, moon.

Of לְיוֹם קוּמִי לְעַד (Tzefaniah 3:8), for the day I rise up to the spoil, and the like, he says that although they were brought under the root עד, the right filing is this root, since we find the verb, עודונו, of plundering.

הַֽעִידֹתִי בָכֶם הַיּוֹם (Devarim 4:26), I have called witness against you this day, and הָעֵד הֵעִד בָּנוּ הָאִישׁ לֵאמֹר (Bereishis 43:3), the man solemnly warned us, saying. Some of them, this last among them, are close to warning, and are put in the language of testimony because one who warns a man warns before witnesses, so that he cannot deny it afterwards. In וִֽיעִדֻהוּ לֵאמֹר (Melachim I 21:10), and let them testify against him, saying, the sense is יעידו בו, they shall testify against him. Likewise עֵד לְאוּמִּים נְתַתִּיו (Yeshayahu 55:4), I have made him a witness to the peoples, where the witness is one who warns.

תְּחַדֵּשׁ עֵדֶיךָ נֶגְדִּי (Iyov 10:17), You renew Your witnesses against me, he explains as Your plagues, which testify that they come to me from You. Some explain the word from the Targum of מִסְפַּחַת (Vayikra 13:6), a mark on the skin, which is עַדְיָא. In עֵד הַגַּל הַזֶּה וְעֵדָה הַמַּצֵּבָה (Bereishis 31:52), this heap is witness and the pillar is witness, the words are adjectives; but sometimes עֵד is a noun, as in לֹא־תַֽעֲנֶה בְרֵֽעֲךָ עֵד שָֽׁקֶר (Shemos 20:13), you shall not answer false testimony against your fellow, which is like עדות שקר, false testimony. So too וְיַעֲקֹב קָרָא לוֹ גַּלְעֵֽד (Bereishis 31:47), and Yaakov called it Gal'ed, means גל עדות, a heap of testimony, answering to what Lavan called it, יגר שהדותא, a heap of testimony; had the word been an adjective, Lavan would have said יגר שהדא, a heap that witnesses.

From this the Torah and the mitzvos are called תעודה and עדות, testimony, to Israel, who took His mitzvos upon themselves: לְתוֹרָה וְלִתְעוּדָה (Yeshayahu 8:20), to the Torah and to the testimony. Likewise אֲרוֹן הָֽעֵדֻת (Shemos 25:22), the ark of the testimony, the testimony being the luchos within it, which are testimony to Israel.

בְּעוֹד שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים (Bereishis 40:19) he explains as at the end: at the end of three days from this time. וְלֹא אִם־ עוֹדֶנִּי חָי (Shmuel I 20:14), and not if I am still alive, he explains: I did not ask of you that, if I am still alive when you reign, you do the kindness of Hashem with me so that I not die, for of that I am sure you will; I asked that, if I am not alive when you reign, you not cut off your kindness from my house. כִּֽי־כָל־ עוֹד נִשְׁמָתִי בִי (Iyov 27:3) is for as long as the soul is in me; and עוֹלָם וָעֶד (Tehillim 104:5) is all the days the world endures. From this sense is the adjective in וְעֵד בַּשַּׁחַק נֶאֱמָן סֶֽלָה (Tehillim 89:38), and enduring in the sky, faithful, selah: עֵד there is lasting always and eternal.

It can reach to for ever: לֹא אֹסִף לְקַלֵּל עוֹד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָה (Bereishis 8:21), I will curse the ground no more, and לֹא־יֵֽאָמֵר לָךְ עוֹד עֲזוּבָה (Yeshayahu 62:4), you shall no more be called forsaken, all mean that this will never be; and עוֹד יְֽהַלְלוּךָ סֶּֽלָה (Tehillim 84:5), they will praise You for ever, selah. Sometimes it is for a short time: וַֽעֲמָלוֹ לֹא יִזְכָּר־ עֽוֹד (Mishlei 31:6 in his edition), and he will remember his toil no more, does not mean for ever but for as long as the wine is in him; וְלֹא־יָסְפוּ עוֹד גְּדוּדֵי אֲרָם לָבוֹא בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל (Melachim II 6:23), and the bands of Aram came no more into the land of Israel, is at that time; and כִּֽי־כָל־ עוֹד נַפְשִׁי בִּֽי (Shmuel II 1:9), for all the while my soul is in me, is all this short while that my soul is in me. Sometimes it means more, as in וַיֵּבְךְּ עַל־צַוָּארָיו עֽוֹד (Bereishis 46:29), and he wept on his neck more; and sometimes still, as in עוֹד הַיּוֹם גָּדוֹל (Bereishis 29:7), the day is still long, and וְיָֽשְׁבָה יְרֽוּשָׁלַם עוֹד תַּחְתֶּיהָ (Zecharyah 12:6), and Yerushalayim shall still dwell in her place.

אֲשֶׁר לֹא זְכַרְתָּם עוֹד (Tehillim 88:6) can be read so, whom You have not yet remembered, and on that reading it is a sign that a time will come when the dead are remembered; and so וְלֹֽא־עָנָנִי עוֹד (Shmuel I 28:15), and He has not yet answered me. עֹֽדְךָ מַֽחֲזִיק בְּתֻמָּתֶךָ (Iyov 2:9) may be read like these, as a question of wonder: do you still hold fast to your integrity? And so וְעֽוֹדְךָ מַֽחֲזִיק בָּֽם (Shemos 9:2), and you still hold them.

It also stands for a time: מֵעֽוֹדְךָ עַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה (Bamidbar 22:30), from your time until this day, is from the time you have been riding and I fit to be ridden; and likewise הֲזֹאת יָדַעְתָּ מִנִּי־ עַד (Iyov 20:4), do you know this from all time.

Rabbi Yehudah separates מָֽה־ אֲעִידֵךְ מָה אֲדַמֶּה־לָּךְ (Eichah 2:13), what shall I אֲעִידֵךְ, what shall I liken to you, from the sense of testifying. Radak says it may be read within it: what nation can I bring to testify to you, to show you that they were stricken as you were and that evil came on them like yours.

וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת־כָּל־אֹכֶל (Bereishis 41:48), he gathered all the food, וְקֹבֵץ עַל־יָד יַרְבֶּֽה (Mishlei 13:11), one who gathers little by little increases it, and שְׁלַח קְבֹץ אֵלַי אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל (Melachim I 18:19), send and gather all Yisrael to me. The noun is קְבֻצַת כֶּסֶף וּנְחשֶׁת (Yechezkel 22:20), a gathering of silver and copper.

Being gathered: כָּל־צֹאן קֵדָר יִקָּבְצוּ לָךְ (Yeshayahu 60:7), all the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you. In the heavy form: וְקִבַּצְתִּים מִיַּרְכְּתֵי־אָרֶץ (Yirmiyahu 31:7 in his edition), I will gather them from the ends of the earth. The noun is בְּזַֽעֲקֵךְ יַצִּילֻךְ קִבּוּצַיִךְ (Yeshayahu 57:13), when you cry out let your gatherings save you, which he glosses as קהליך, your assemblies.

On כִּי מֵֽאֶתְנַן זוֹנָה קִבָּצָה (Michah 1:7), for from a harlot's hire קִבָּצָה, Rabbi Yonah wrote that the word is passive, it was gathered, the chirik standing in place of a shuruk, as in וּפִתְּחוּ שְׁעָרַיִךְ תָּמִיד (Yeshayahu 60:11), and your gates shall be opened continually. Radak holds it right that קבצה is of the heavy form, and reads the pasuk as: what Shomron had, she gathered from a harlot's hire, וְעַד־אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה יָשֽׁוּבוּ, and to a harlot's hire they shall return. וּפִתְּחוּ too, he says, is of the heavy form and takes no object, as if it said ונפתחו שעריך, your gates shall be opened.

The sense of gathering is like that of taking in, but there is a difference between them, as his father writes in the Chibbur HaLeket: gathering is said only of what is scattered, while taking in is said even of what is not scattered. In his father's examples, one says אסוף ידיך, draw in your hand, and does not say קבוץ ידיך, gather your hand; one says ויאסוף רגליו, he drew in his feet, and ואין איש מאסף אותי, and no man takes me in, but one does not say מקבץ אותי, gathers me.

וַיִּקָּהֵל הָעָם עַל אַהֲרֹן (Shemos 32:1), the people gathered against Aharon, and הַנִּקְהָלִים עָלֶיךָ (Yechezkel 38:7), those gathered to you; where the verb takes an object, הַקְהֵל אֶת הָעָם (Devarim 31:12), assemble the people. The noun, for a congregation, is וְקָהָל וְעַם רָב (Yechezkel 26:7), and a congregation and a great people; another form is קְהִלָּה, as וָאֶתֵּן עֲלֵיהֶם קְהִלָּה גְדוֹלָה (Nechemiah 5:7), and I set a great assembly against them, and קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב (Devarim 33:4), the congregation of Yaakov; and בְּמַקְהֵלִים (Tehillim 26:12), in assemblies, with בְּמַקְהֵלוֹת (Tehillim 68:27) for the feminine plural.

In הַקָּהָל חֻקָּה אַחַת לָכֶם (Bamidbar 15:15) the heh is the heh of address, O assembly, one statute for you; the same heh as in הֶאָמוּר בֵּית יַעֲקֹב (Michah 2:7), O you who are called the house of Yaakov, and הַדּוֹר אַתֶּם רְאוּ (Yirmiyahu 2:31), O generation, you, see.