The trampled doorstep; make someone a doormat/ to treat as a doormat/ easy to trample/ "like a threshold trodden upon" (כָּאַסְקֻופָּה הַנִּדְרֶסֶת, עָשָׂה אוֹתוֹ כְּאַסְקֻופָּה)

The trampled doorstep; make someone a doormat/ to treat as a doormat/ easy to trample/ "like a threshold trodden upon"

Like the doorstep of a house that people step on. Figuratively: something despised, something trampled underfoot (askuppah means doorstep).

("Here we are dealing with a trampled doorstep, and because of the disgrace to holy writings, the rabbis permitted it" — Eruvin 98a; and likewise: "For humility is the foundation of the building, upon which the whole House of Israel is established... for anyone who makes himself like a trampled doorstep from below is made a lord from above, for whoever humbles himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, lifts him up and makes him the foundation and support of the whole building, like those foundations that were the base and support of the whole building" — Kli Yakar, Exodus, chapter 25; and likewise: "And his way was to be all his days a sort of trampled doorstep for all,... and any brazen youth would pull his ears and play with him to his heart's content" — Berdyczewski / HaNistar; and likewise: "Heaven forbid that they should make the Torah a trampled doorstep before every pair of walkers" — Agnon / Two Torah Scholars, 53; and likewise: "And from then on he lies in the dust of their feet and as a trampled doorstep" — H. Hazaz / The First Generations, 98).

Translation

Expression (Hebrew)

כָּאַסְקֻופָּה הַנִּדְרֶסֶת, עָשָׂה אוֹתוֹ כְּאַסְקֻופָּה

Definition (Hebrew)

כְּמוֹ מִפְתַּן הַבַּיִת שֶׁדּוֹרְכִים עָלָיו. בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: כְּדָבָר שֶׁבָּזִים אוֹתוֹ. כְּדָבָר שֶׁרוֹמְסִים בָּרַגְלַיִם (אַסְקֻפָּה מַשְׁמָע סַף הַבַּיִת).

("הָכָא בְּאִסְקֻפָּה הַנִּדְרֶסֶת עָסְקִינַן,וּמִשּׁוּם בִּזָּיוֹן כִּתְבֵי קֹדֶשׁ שָׁרוּ (הִתִּירוּ) רַבָּנָן"- עֵרוּבִין צַח ע"א, וְכֵן:"כִּי הָעֲנָוָה הִיא יְסוֹד הַבִּנְיָן אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל נָכוֹן...יַעַן כִּי כָּל מִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה אֶת עַצְמוֹ כָּאַסְקֻפָּה הַנִּדְרֶסֶת מִלְּמַטָּה נַעֲשֶׂה אָדוֹן מִלְּמַעְלָה, כִּי כָּל הַמַּשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ הקב"ה מַגְבִּיהוֹ וְעוֹשֶׂה אוֹתוֹ יְסוֹד וְנוֹשֵׂא לְכָל הַבִּנְיָן כַּאֲדָנִים אֵלּוּ שֶׁהָיוּ יְסוֹד וְנוֹשֵׂא לְכָל הַבִּנְיָן"- כְּלִי יָקָר שְׁמוֹת פֶּרֶק כֹּה, וְכֵן:"וְדַרְכּוֹ הָיָה לִהְיוֹת כָּל יָמָיו מִין אַסְקֻפָּה נִדְרֶסֶת לַכֹּל,...וְכָל נַעַר פּוֹחֵז הָיָה מוֹשֵׁךְ בְּאָזְנָיו וְהָיָה מְשַׂחֵק בּוֹ לְתֵאָבוֹן"- בֶּרְדִּיצֶ'בְסְקִי/ הַנִּסְתָּר, וְכֵן:"חָס וְשָׁלוֹם שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אַסְקֻפָּה נִדְרֶסֶת לִפְנֵי כָּל מְהַלְּכֵי שְׁתַּיִם"- עַגְנוֹן/ שְׁנֵי תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, 53, וְכֵן:"וּמִכָּאן וְאֵלֵךְ מִתְאַבֶּקֶת בַּעֲפַר רַגְלָיו וְכָאַסְקֻפָּה הַנִּדְרֶסֶת"- ח.הָזָז/ דּוֹרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, 98).

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