Commentaire sur Avot 6:10
חֲמִשָּׁה קִנְיָנִים קָנָה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְעוֹלָמוֹ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, תּוֹרָה קִנְיָן אֶחָד, שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ קִנְיָן אֶחָד, אַבְרָהָם קִנְיָן אֶחָד, יִשְׂרָאֵל קִנְיָן אֶחָד, בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קִנְיָן אֶחָד. תּוֹרָה מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (משלי ח), ה' קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָז. שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ קִנְיָן אֶחָד מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (ישעיה סו), כֹּה אָמַר ה' הַשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאִי וְהָאָרֶץ הֲדֹם רַגְלָי אֵי זֶה בַיִת אֲשֶׁר תִּבְנוּ לִי וְאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם מְנוּחָתִי, וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים קד) מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה' כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ קִנְיָנֶךָ. אַבְרָהָם קִנְיָן אֶחָד מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית יד), וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמַר בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ. יִשְׂרָאֵל קִנְיָן אֶחָד מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (שמות טו), עַד יַעֲבֹר עַמְּךָ ה' עַד יַעֲבֹר עַם זוּ קָנִיתָ, וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים טז) לִקְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ הֵמָּה וְאַדִּירֵי כָּל חֶפְצִי בָם. בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קִנְיָן אֶחָד מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (שמות טו), מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ ה' מִקְּדָשׁ ה' כּוֹנְנוּ יָדֶיךָ. וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים עח) וַיְבִיאֵם אֶל גְּבוּל קָדְשׁוֹ הַר זֶה קָנְתָה יְמִינוֹ:
Cinq acquisitions ont été acquises par le Saint Béni soit-Il dans son monde. Ce sont: la Torah—une acquisition; le ciel et la terre—une acquisition; Abraham—une acquisition; Israël—une acquisition; le temple— une acquisition: la Torah —une acquisition. D'où est-ce dérivé? Extrait de (Proverbes 8:22): "Le Seigneur m'a acquis (Torah), le premier de sa voie, avant ses œuvres d'autrefois." Le ciel et la terre—une acquisition. D'où est-ce dérivé? De (Esaïe 66: 1): "Ainsi dit le Seigneur: 'Le ciel est mon trône et la terre est mon marchepied. Quelle est la maison que vous pouvez me construire et où est le lieu de mon repos?'" Et (Psaumes 104: 24): "Combien sont tes œuvres, OL. Tu les as toutes faites avec sagesse. La terre est pleine de tes acquisitions." Abraham—une acquisition. D'où est-ce dérivé? De (Genèse 14:19): "Et il le bénit et il dit: 'Béni soit Avram à D.ieu d'en haut, acquéreur du ciel et de la terre." "Israël—une acquisition. D'où est-ce dérivé? De (Exode 15:16): "Jusqu'à ce qu'il passe sur ton peuple, OL rd; jusqu'à ce que trois passent sur ce peuple que tu as acquis." Et (Psaumes 16: 3): "Pour les saints (d'Israël) sur la terre, et les puissants— tout mon désir est en eux. "Le Temple —une acquisition. D'où est-ce dérivé? De (Exode 15:17): "Un lieu pour ta demeure tu as fait, OL rd; le Temple, OL rd, a tes mains établies." Et (Psaumes 78:54): "Et Il les amena aux limites de Sa sainteté, cette montagne, que Sa main droite acquit."
Rashi on Avot
English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
The Torah, one possession;
Heaven and earth, another possession;
Abraham, another possession;
Israel, another possession;
The Temple, another possession. 1 The Torah is one possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written, “The Lord possessed (usually translated as ‘created’ me at the beginning of his course, at the first of His works of old” (Proverbs 8:22). , 2 Heaven and earth, another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is said: “Thus said the Lord: The heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool; Where could you build a house for Me, What place could serve as My abode? (Isaiah 66:1) And it says: “How many are the things You have made, O Lord; You have made them all with wisdom; the earth is full of Your possessions” (Psalms 104:24). 3 Abraham is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written: “He blessed him, saying, “Blessed by Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 15:19). 4 Israel is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written: “Till Your people cross over, O Lord, Till Your people whom You have possessed” (Exodus 15:16). And it says: “As to the holy and mighty ones that are in the land, my whole desire ( is in them” (Psalms 16:3). 5 The Temple is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is said: “The sanctuary, O lord, which your hands have established” (Exodus 15:17”, And it says: “And He brought them to His holy realm, to the mountain, which His right hand had possessed” (Psalms 78:54).
This mishnah lists five things that are mentioned in the Torah as having been “possessed” or acquired by God. The Hebrew root for this word is knh, which can also mean, in Biblical Hebrew, “create”. Hence you will note that some of the verses quoted are usually translated as “create”. However to make the connections between the verses and their use in the mishnah more clear, I have translated the word as “possess”.
Since this mishnah is simple and self-explanatory, I have refrained from commenting. However, it may be worthwhile to think about what these five things have in common, beside the fact that the verb knh is used in connection with them in various places in the Bible.