Triennial Cycle (Triennial Torah Cycle) / Septennial Cycle (Septennial Torah Cycle)

 

 

Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times: https://www.chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.htm

 

Roll of Honor:

This Commentary comes out weekly and on the festivals thanks to the great generosity of:

His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David and beloved wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah

His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,

His Honor Paqid Adon Tzuriel ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Gibora bat Sarah

Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family

His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved family

His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife

His Excellency Adon Yehoshua ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Rut bat Sarah

His Excellency Adon Michael ben Yosef and beloved wife HE Giberet Sheba bat Sarah

Her Excellency Giberet Prof. Dr. Emunah bat Sarah & beloved family

His Excellency Adon Robert Dick & beloved wife HE Giberet Cobena Dick

His Excellency Adon Ovadya ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Mirit bat Sarah

His Excellency Adon Shlomoh ben Abraham

His Excellency Adon Ya’aqob ben David

His Excellency Adon Bill Haynes and beloved wife HE Giberet Diane Haynes

Her Excellency Giberet Krysta Wallrauch & beloved family

 

For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that HaShem’s richest blessings be upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael and her Torah Scholars, amen ve amen!

Also a great thank you and great blessings be upon all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Torah Seder and allied topics.

 

 

 

Blessings Before Torah Study

 

Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our GOD, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us through Your commandments, and commanded us to actively study Torah. Amen!

 

Please Ha-Shem, our GOD, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and our offspring's offspring, and all the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your delight. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amen!

 

Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our GOD, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations, and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!

 

Ha-Shem spoke to Moses, explaining a Commandment. "Speak to Aaron and his sons, and teach them the following Commandment: This is how you should bless the Children of Israel. Say to the Children of Israel:

 

May Ha-Shem bless you and keep watch over you; - Amen!

May Ha-Shem make His Presence enlighten you, and may He be kind to you; - Amen!

May Ha-Shem bestow favor on you and grant you peace. – Amen!

 

This way, the priests will link My Name with the Israelites, and I will bless them."

 

These are the Laws for which the Torah did not mandate specific amounts: How much growing produce must be left in the corner of the field for the poor; how much of the first fruits must be offered at the Holy Temple; how much one must bring as an offering when one visits the Holy Temple three times a year; how much one must do when performing acts of kindness; and there is no maximum amount of Torah that a person must study.

 

These are the Laws whose benefits a person can often enjoy even in this world, even though the primary reward is in the Next World: They are: Honoring one's father and mother; doing acts of kindness; early attendance at the place of Torah study -- morning and night; showing hospitality to guests; visiting the sick; providing for the financial needs of a bride; escorting the dead; being very engrossed in prayer; bringing peace between two people, and between husband and wife; but the study of Torah is as great as all of them together. Amen!

 

A Prayer for Israel

 

Our Father in Heaven, Rock, and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the first manifestation of the approach of our redemption. Shield it with Your lovingkindness, envelop it in Your peace, and bestow Your light and truth upon its leaders, ministers, and advisors, and grace them with Your good counsel. Strengthen the hands of those who defend our holy land, grant them deliverance, and adorn them in a mantle of victory. Ordain peace in the land and grant its inhabitants eternal happiness.

 

Lead them, swiftly and upright, to Your city Zion and to Jerusalem, the abode of Your Name, as is written in the Torah of Your servant Moses: “Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you. And the Lord your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it, and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers.” Draw our hearts together to revere and venerate Your name and to observe all the precepts of Your Torah, and send us quickly the Messiah son of David, agent of Your vindication, to redeem those who await Your deliverance.

 

We pray for H. Em. Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham. Mi Sheberach…He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, may He bless and heal H. Em. Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham, May the Holy One, Blessed is He, be filled with compassion for him to restore his health, to heal him, to strengthen him, and to revivify him. And may He send him speedily a complete recovery from heaven, among the other sick people of Yisrael, a recovery of the body and a recovery of the spirit, swiftly and soon, and we will say amen ve amen!

 

We pray for his Honor Adon Tzuriel ben Avraham. Mi Sheberach…He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, may He bless and heal His Honor Paqid Tzuriel ben Avraham, May the Holy One, Blessed is He, be filled with compassion for him to restore his health, to heal him, to strengthen him, and to revivify him. And may He send him speedily a complete recovery from heaven, among the other sick people of Yisrael, a recovery of the body and a recovery of the spirit, swiftly and soon, and we will say amen ve amen!

 

“Ki ish ishah satah” – “If a man’s wife deviates”

(Shushan Purim “only in Israel”)

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·        The Ordeal of Jealousy – Numbers 5:11-18

·        The Oath of Purgation – Numbers 5:19-22

·        Continuation of the Ordeal of Jealousy – Numbers 5:23-31

·        The Law of the Nazirite – Numbers 6:1-8

·        Involuntary Defilement or the Nazirite – Numbers 6:9-12

·        Rites to be Performed at the Completion of the Vow – Numbers 6:13-21

 

 

Welcome to the World of Pshat Exegesis

 

In order to understand the finished work of the Pshat mode of interpretation of the Torah, one needs to take into account that the Pshat is intended to produce a catechetical output, whereby a question/s is/are raised and an answer/a is/are given using the seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel and as well as the laws of Hebrew Grammar and Hebrew expression.

 

The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as follows

[cf. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=472&letter=R]:

 

1. Ḳal va-ḥomer: "Argumentum a minori ad majus" or "a majori ad minus"; corresponding to the scholastic proof a fortiori.

2. Gezerah shavah: Argument from analogy. Biblical passages containing synonyms or homonyms are subject, however much they differ in other respects, to identical definitions and applications.

3. Binyan ab mi-katub eḥad: Application of a provision found in one passage only to passages which are related to the first in content but do not contain the provision in question.

4. Binyan ab mi-shene ketubim: The same as the preceding, except that the provision is generalized from two Biblical passages.

5. Kelal u-Peraṭ and Peraṭ u-kelal: Definition of the general by the particular, and of the particular by the general.

6. Ka-yoẓe bo mi-maḳom aḥer: Similarity in content to another Scriptural passage.

7. Dabar ha-lamed me-'inyano: Interpretation deduced from the context.

 

Welcome to the World of Remes Exegesis

 

Thirteen rules compiled by Rabbi Ishmael b. Elisha for the elucidation of the Torah and for making halakic deductions from it. They are, strictly speaking, mere amplifications of the seven Rules of Hillel, and are collected in the Baraita of R. Ishmael, forming the introduction to the Sifra and reading as follows:

 

1. Ḳal wa-ḥomer: Identical with the first rule of Hillel.

2. Gezerah shawah: Identical with the second rule of Hillel.

3. Binyan ab: Rules deduced from a single passage of Scripture and rules deduced from two passages. This rule is a combination of the third and fourth rules of Hillel.

4. Kelal u-Peraṭ: The general and the particular.

5. u-Peraṭ u-kelal: The particular and the general.

6. Kelal u-Peraṭ u-kelal: The general, the particular, and the general.

7. The general which requires elucidation by the particular, and the particular which requires elucidation by the general.

8. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it for pedagogic purposes elucidates the general as well as the particular.

9. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of the special regulation which corresponds in concept to the general, is thus isolated to decrease rather than to increase the rigidity of its application.

10. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of some other special regulation which does not correspond in concept to the general, is thus isolated either to decrease or to increase the rigidity of its application.

11. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of a new and reversed decision can be referred to the general only in case the passage under consideration makes an explicit reference to it.

12. Deduction from the context.

13. When two Biblical passages contradict each other the contradiction in question must be solved by reference to a third passage.

 

Rules seven to eleven are formed by a subdivision of the fifth rule of Hillel; rule twelve corresponds to the seventh rule of Hillel, but is amplified in certain particulars; rule thirteen does not occur in Hillel, while, on the other hand, the sixth rule of Hillel is omitted by Ishmael. With regard to the rules and their application in general. These rules are found also on the morning prayers of any Jewish Orthodox Siddur.

 

Reading Assignment:

 

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Bamidbar (Numbers) 5:11-31

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Bamidbar (Numbers) 5:11-31

 

12 Should any man’s wife go astray What is written above [i.e., before] this subject? “Everyone’s holy things belong to him.” If you withhold the gifts of the kohanim, then—by your life! —you will have to come to him to bring him an unfaithful wife. - [Ber. 63a]

 

any man Heb. אִישׁ אִישׁ, lit. a man, a man. [The double expression] teaches that she has been doubly unfaithful—against [the Lord, who is known as] the Man (אִישׁ) of War on high (Exod. 15: 3), and against her husband (אִישָׁהּ), lit., “her man”] below [in this world].

 

Should any man’s wife go astray Heb. תִשְׂטֶה. Our Sages teach (Tanchuma Naso 5): Adulterers do not commit adultery unless a spirit of folly (שְׁטוּת) enters them, as it is written [here], “should go astray” [תִשְׂטֶה, can also mean to become a שׁוֹטֶה, i.e., to become “foolish”], and it is written, “One who commits adultery with a woman is devoid of sense” (Prov. 6:32) (Tanchuma Naso 5). The simple meaning of the verse is: “Should [any man’s wife] goes astray.” She deviates from modest ways, thus arousing his suspicion, as in [the verse], “turn away [שְׂטֵה] from it and pass” (Prov. 4:15), [and] “Let your heart not veer off [יֵשְׂטְ] into her ways” (Prov. 7:25).

 

and deal treacherously with him What is her treachery?

 

13 A man lie with her This excludes a minor and a non-human [such as an animal]. - [Sotah 26b]

 

with her carnally Her intercourse disqualifies her, but her sister’s intercourse [with the husband] does not disqualify her [to her husband] (Yevamoth 95a), as in the account of two sisters who resembled each other. -[Tanchuma Naso 6] [See Levush, Nachalath Ya’akov]

 

but it was hidden from her husband’s eyes This excludes a blind man (Sotah 27a, Sifrei Naso 1:40, Tanchuma 7). It follows that, if he saw [the adulterous act] and ignored it, the water [prescribed further in the section] will not test her. - [Sifrei Naso 1:40]

 

but she was secluded the amount [of time] it takes for one who is secluded [with a man] to be defiled by intercourse. - [Sifrei Naso 1:41, Sotah 2b, 4a]

 

and there is no witness against her But if there is even one witness against her who claims that she has been defiled, she does not drink [the water]. - [Sifrei Naso 1:41, Sotah 2b]

 

and there is no witness against her to the defilement, but there were witnesses to the seclusion. - [Sotah 2b]

 

seized Heb. נִתְפָּשָׂה, raped, as in “seized her (וּתְפָשָׂהּ) and lay with her” (Deut. 22:28). - [Sifrei Naso 1:42]

 

14 had come upon him before the seclusion. - [Sotah 3a]

 

a spirit of jealousy... and he became jealous Our Sages explain (Sotah 3a) as an expression of warning: he warned her, “Do not seclude yourself with such-and-such a man.” - [Sotah 5b]

 

and she was defiled, or, a spirit... had come on him That is to say, he warned her, but she disregarded his warning, and it is not known whether she was defiled or not.

 

15 flour [Ordinary flour,] that it should not be of fine flour. - [Sifrei Naso 1:48]

 

barley But not wheat; [since] she acted like an animal, her offering is [composed of] animal feed. - [Sotah 15b, Sifrei Naso 1:48]

 

He shall not pour oil over it so that her offering should not be beautiful (Sotah 15a), for oil is called "light"—but she acted in darkness. - [Tanchuma Naso 3]

 

nor put frankincense on it For the matriarchs are [symbolically] known as frankincense, as it says, “to the hill of frankincense” (Songs, 4:6), yet she [the accused woman] deviated from their ways. - [Tanchuma Naso 3]

 

for it is a meal offering of jealousies Heb. כִּי־מִנְחַת קְנָאֹת הוּא [The word הוּא, it is, means] this flour; [the word for flour,] קֶמַח, is masculine in gender.

 

a meal offering of jealousies It arouses against her two jealousies [i.e., expressions of wrath]: the wrath of the Omnipresent and the wrath of her husband. - [Sifrei Naso 1:50]

 

17 holy water which had been sanctified in the washstand. Because the washstand was made from the copper of the “mirrors of the women who had gathered” (Exod. 38:8) [at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting; see Rashi on that verse], whereas this one had abandoned their ways. They had intercourse with their husbands in Egypt “beneath the apple tree” (Song 8:5), whereas this one, who had corrupted herself with another [man]—let her be examined through it [the washstand]. - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

in an earthen vessel She gave the adulterer to drink choice wine in valuable goblets; therefore, let her drink bitter water in a worthless clay vessel. - [Sotah 9a]

 

18 Then the kohen shall set, etc. Has it not already been said, “and present her before the Lord” (verse 16)? However, they would move her around from place to place to tire her out so that she should become agitated and confess. - [Sotah 8a]

 

and expose He unravels the plaits of her hair to humiliate her. From here [we derive] that a bared head is considered a disgrace for the daughters of Israel. - [Keth. 72a]

 

before the Lord At the Nicanor Gate, the eastern gate of the [Temple] courtyard (Sotah 7a) the route by which everyone enters.

 

he shall place into her hands In order to weary her, [in the hope] that she will become agitated and confess, and the Explicit Name will not be erased in the water. - [Sotah 14a]

 

the bitter [They were called bitter] because of their effects, for they will prove bitter for her. - [Sifrei Naso 1:47]

 

curse-bearing [I.e.,] which eliminates her from the world; it is an expression like [the phrase] “a pricking  (מַמְאִיר)briar” (Ezek. 28:24). But it is impossible to render it as “accursed water,” because it was holy, and Scripture does not write אֲרוּרִים, but מְאָרְרִים, [meaning] “which cause others to be cursed.” Onkelos too does not translate it as לִיטַיָא, “cursed,” but מְלַטְטַיָּא, “that cause a curse,” [i. e.,] which reveal a curse on the body of this [woman].

 

19 Place her under oath What is the oath? "If no man has lain with you... [you will] be absolved (הִנָּקִי), but if he has lain [with you], may you suffocate (חֲנָקִי) !  From the negative, you imply the affirmative, but we are duty-bound to commence capital cases by presuming innocence. [Therefore, we do not commence with the affirmative, but only imply it from the negative.] - [Kid. 62a]

 

20 But if you have gone astray - כִּי שָׂטִית. [The word] כִּי is used in the sense of “if”.

 

21 with the oath of the curse The oath which contains a curse.

 

May the Lord make you for a curse, etc. so that everyone shall use your name in cursing [such as], “May it befall you as it befell so-and-so.”

 

and an oath so that everyone will swear by you [such as], “If [I am] not [speaking the truth], may it happen to me as it happened to so-and-so.” Similarly, it says, “And you shall leave your name for an oath for My elect” (Isa. 65:15). [It is customary for] the righteous [to] swear by the calamities that befall the wicked. The same applies to blessings [as it says]: “shall be blessed with you” (Gen. 12:3); “With you, Israel will bless, saying” (Gen. 48: 20). - [Sifrei Naso 1:73]

 

your thigh In the curse, the thigh precedes the belly, because she began the sin with it [the thigh]. - [Sotah 8b]

 

swell Heb. צָבָה. As Targum [Onkelos] renders: נְפִיחָא, swollen.

 

22 causing the belly to swell Heb. לַצְבּוֹת בֶּטֶן, like לְהַצְבּוֹת בֶּטֶן, “to cause the belly to swell.” This is the function of the pathach with which the “lamed” is vocalized; similarly, “to lead them םָ) (לַנְחֹת on the way” (Exod. 13:21) and “to show you (לַרְאֹתְכֶם) the way in which to go” (Deut. 1:33). Similarly, [Scripture says in this verse] לַנְפִּל יָרֵךְ [which is equivalent to]: לְהַנְפִּל יָרֵךְ, “to cause the thigh to rupture,” for the water distends the belly and ruptures the thigh.

 

causing the belly to swell and the thigh to rupture [This refers to] the belly and thigh of the adulterer, or perhaps only those of the adulteress? [However,] when Scripture says “causes your thigh to rupture and your belly to swell” (verse 21), those of the adulteress are stated [thus here it must refer to the adulterer]. - [Sotah 28a and Sifrei Naso 1:65]

 

Amen, amen An acceptance of the oath: “amen” for the curse, “amen” for the oath, “amen” whether from this man [whom her husband suspects], “amen” whether from another man, “amen” that I did not go astray while betrothed or married, while awaiting levirate marriage from my brother-in-law or after having married him. - [Sifrei Naso 1:66, Sotah 18a, b].

 

24 He shall then give... the woman to drink This is not the sequence in which it was done, for first he [the kohen] would offer up her meal-offering. But Scripture informs you that when he makes her drink, it [the water] becomes bitter within her. Since it mentions [only] “belly” and “thigh,” how do I know that the rest of the body [is also affected]? [Because] Scripture states, "shall enter her"— [that is,] into all of her [body]. If so, why does Scripture [explicitly] mention “belly” and "thigh"? Since the transgression began through them, therefore the punishment begins with them. - [Sotah 19a, b, according to Rabbi Simeon]

 

to become bitter They will be harmful and bitter for her.

 

25 wave He moves it to and fro, up and down (Sifrei Naso 1:71). She, too, waves with him, for her hand is above the kohen’s hand. - [Sotah 19a]

 

and bring it This refers to placing it at the south-west corner of the altar, before קְמִיצָה, “scooping up a handful,” as is the case with other meal- offerings. - [Sotah 14b]

 

26 its reminder This is the handful, for through bringing it up in smoke, the meal-offering comes to the Most High as a memorial. - [Sifrei 1:72]

 

27 He shall make her drink the water [The repetition of this statement is meant] to include that if she says, “I refuse to drink” after the scroll [in which God’s name is written] has been erased [by the water], they pour it into her, making her drink it against her will, unless [she admits and] says, “I have been defiled.”- [Sotah 19b]

 

her belly will swell Although in reference to the curse, the thigh is mentioned first, the water tests [the body] only in the order it enters it [which is first the belly and then the thigh]. - [Sotah 9b]

 

The woman will be a curse As I explained (verse 21), everyone will curse by her [name]. - [Sifrei Naso 1:73]

 

among her people There is a difference between a person who is disgraced in a place where he is known and a person who is disgraced in a place where he is unknown. - [Sifrei Naso 1:64]

 

28 But if the woman had not become defiled During this seclusion,

 

and she is clean regarding any other place,

 

she shall be exempted from [the dire effects of] the curse-bearing water, and moreover, she “shall bear seed.” If she used to have painful births, she will now have easy births; if she used to give birth to dark-skinned babies, she will now give birth to fair ones. - [Sotah 26a]

 

30 Or if a man [The meaning here is] as in [the phrase]: “Or if it be known” (Exod. 21:36), that is to say, if he was a jealous man, then on account of this “he will present the woman [before the Lord].”

 

31 The man shall be absolved of iniquity If the water tested her, he should not become distressed and say, “I am responsible for her death.” [Rather,] he is exempt of any punishment (Midrash Aggadah, Num. Rabbah 9:43). Another interpretation: Once he has made her drink, she becomes permitted to him, and he is free of any sin, for a woman under suspicion is forbidden to her husband. - [Num. Rabbah 9:43]

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Bamidbar (Numbers) 6:1-21

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Bamidbar (Numbers) 6:1-21

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 94:1-15

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Tehillim (Psalms) 94:1-15

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 94:16-23

 

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Psalms 94:16-23

 

Meditation from the Psalms

Tehillim (Psalms) ‎‎94:1-23

By: H.Em. Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David

 

This is the fifth of the eleven psalms composed by Moses. He dedicated it to the tribe of Gad from which Elijah the prophet is descended.^[1] The tribe of Gad was renowned for its military prowess and its ability to punish the attacking enemy as we read in Yaaqob's blessing: Gad will recruit a regiment and it will retreat in its tracks.^[2] And, of Gad, [Moses] said: He dwells like a lion, and tears off the arm [of the enemy] with the crown of the head.^[3] Similarly, Elijah will herald the advent of the Messianic era, when God will appear as the God of vengeance, who will punish the proud and cruel nations.^[4]

 

The Talmud^[5] designates this psalm as the Song of the Day for the fourth day of the week, on which G-d created the sun and the moon. In the future, the G-d vengeance will punish the idolators who worshiped these celestial bodies. Moses composed this psalm as a prayer to bring that day of Messianic redemption and retribution closer.^[6]

 

Since Tammuz 17 is coming soon, and the events that cause Jews to fast on Tammuz are certainly worthy of HaShem’s vengeance. Let’s spend a bit of time examining this first fast of the year, the fast of the fourth month.

 

שבעה עשר בתמוז - Shiva Asar B'Tammuz (Fast of the 17th of Tammuz) is a Rabbinic fast day that occurs on Tammuz 17. The 17th of Tammuz is a day-fast commemorating the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people on this day. This day is celebrated by the fast, special prayers, and the beginning of the Three Weeks.^[7]

 

Shiva Asar B'Tammuz begins a three-week national period of semi-mourning which culminates with the ninth of Av (Tisha B’Ab). It is a period where many tragedies have historically occurred.

 

This period of tragedies is an ongoing process designed to bring us to repentance for our sins. The destruction of the two Temples was a gradual process and could have been stopped at any point if we would simply return to the ways of HaShem. The way of HaShem is to bring punishment in stages in order for us to perceive our wicked ways and return to Him.

 

As we return, in the spiral of time, to the energies of this time, we must observe the unfolding drama and use it as a wakeup call in order that this year, at this time, we may see the fulfillment of this prophecy:

 

Zechariah 8:18-19 Again the word of the HaShem Almighty came to me. This is what the HaShem Almighty says: "The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace."

 

Thus, the Prophet teaches us that when we repent and turn from our wayward ways, then this time of mourning will be turned into a time of joy.

 

When we reach the critical month of "Tammuz", we must remember just what was it that precipitated our downfall. Teshuva, repentance, can be effected even at the last minute of adversity. We can turn the tide, now is a propitious time for teshuva.

 

Why do we fast on Tammuz 17?

 

The Talmud explains that we fast because of the five tragedies that befell the nation of Israel on this day:

 

Taanit 26b … ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ THE TABLES [OF THE LAW] WERE SHATTERED, THE DAILY OFFERING WAS DISCONTINUED, A BREACH WAS MADE IN THE CITY AND APOSTOMOS BURNED THE SCROLL OF THE LAW AND PLACED AN IDOL IN THE TEMPLE.

 

The five tragedies mentioned in the Gemara are:

 

1. The "Luchot", the tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were engraved, were broken by Moshe;

 

2. The Korban Tamid, the continual daily sacrifice, was discontinued;

 

3. The wall around the city of Jerusalem was breached;

 

4. Apostomos burnt the Torah scroll;

 

5. An idolatrous image was placed in the Beit HaMikdash, the Holy Temple.

 

The Talmud tells us the source of our knowledge that these things happened on this day:

 

Taanit 28b FIVE MISFORTUNES BEFELL OUR FATHERS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ etc. Whence is it known that the Tables [of the Law] were shattered [on the seventeenth of Tammuz]? For it has been taught: On the sixth of the month [of Sivan] the Ten Commandments were given to Israel; R. Jose says: On the seventh of the month. He who says that they were given on the sixth takes the view that on the sixth they were given and on the seventh Moshe ascended the mount. And he who says that they were given on the seventh holds that they were given on the seventh and on the seventh Moshe ascended the mount. For it is written, And the seventh day he called unto Moshe, and it is further written, And Moshe entered into the midst of the cloud, and went up into the mount; and Moshe was in the mount forty days and forty nights. The [remaining] twenty-four days of Sivan and the sixteen days of Tammuz make altogether forty. On the seventeenth of Tammuz he came down [from the mountain] and shattered the Tables, as it is written, And it came to pass as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf . . . and he cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount.

 

 [THE DAILY OFFERING] WAS DISCONTINUED. This is a tradition.

 

A BREACH WAS MADE IN THE CITY. Did this then happen on the seventeenth? Is it not written, In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city etc., and in the following verse it is written, Then a breach was made in the city etc.! — Raba said: This is no contradiction. The one refers to the First Temple and the other to the Second Temple. For it has been taught: In the First Temple the breach was made in the city on the ninth of Tammuz, but in the Second Temple on the seventeenth of Tammuz.

 

APOSTOMOS BURNED THE SCROLL OF THE LAW. This is a tradition.

 

AND PLACED AN IDOL IN THE TEMPLE. Whence do we know this? — For it is written, And from the time that the continual burnt-offering shall be taken away and the detestable thing that causeth appalment set up. Was there then only one detestable thing? Is it not written, And upon the wing of detestable things shall be that which causeth appalment? — Raba replied: There were two [idols] and one fell upon the other and broke its hand and upon it was found inscribed You desired to destroy the Temple, but I have handed over your hand to Him.

 

Now that we have introduced the five significant events of Tammuz 17, let’s examine them in greater detail and see if we can understand why these five are so significant.

 

The breaking of the "Luchot"

 

We know that the tablets of stone, the luchot, were broken on this day by simple mathematics. Moshe went up Mount Sinai, on the seventh of Sivan, the day after HaShem spoke the "ten commandments":

 

Exodus 24:16 And the glory of HaShem settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day HaShem called to Moshe from within the cloud.

 

We also know that Moshe was up on the mountain for forty days and forty nights:

 

Exodus 24:18 Then Moshe entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

 

Sivan had thirty days that year, so we have 24 days of Sivan plus the first 16 days of Tammuz. Moshe, therefore, came down from the mountain on Tammuz 17. When Moshe came down, he broke the two stone tablets:

 

Exodus 32:19 When Moshe approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.

 

The Talmud confirms this understanding:

 

Yoma 4b In what do R. Jose the Galilean and R. Akiba differ? — In the controversy of these Tannaim. For we have been taught: On the sixth day of the month was the Torah given to Israel. R. Jose says on the seventh. He who says that the Torah was given on the sixth day holds that on the sixth it was given and on the seventh Moshe ascended the mountain; he who holds that the Torah was given on the seventh assumes that on the seventh both the Torah was given and Moshe ascended, as it is written, And He called unto Moshe on the seventh day. Now R. Jose the Galilean is of the same opinion as the first Tanna, who held that the Torah was given on the sixth of the month, therefore this happened after the giving of the Ten Commandments: ‘The glory of the Lord abode on mount Sinai and the cloud covered him six days’ ‘him’ meaning Moshe- ‘And He called unto Moshe on the seventh day’ to receive the remainder of the Torah. For if the thought should come to you that ‘And the glory of the Lord abode’ from the New Moon [of Sivan], so that ‘And the cloud covered him’ referred to the mountain, and ‘The Lord called unto Moshe on the seventh day’ to receive the Ten Commandments, surely they had received the Torah on the sixth day already and also the cloud had departed on the sixth day! — R. Akiba, however, held with R. Jose that the Torah was given to Israel on the seventh. Quite in accord with R. Akiba's teaching is the statement that the Tablets were broken on the seventeenth of Tammuz, for the twenty-four days of Sivan and the sixteen of Tammuz make up the forty days he was on the mountain, and on the seventeenth of Tammuz he went down and came to break the Tablets. But according to R. Jose the Galilean who holds that there were six days of the separation in addition to forty days [spent] on the mountain, the Tablets could not have been broken before the twenty-third of Tammuz? — R. Jose the Galilean will answer you: The six days of the separation are included in the forty days on the mountain.

 

The discontinuance of the Korban Tamid

 

The next tragedy the Talmud discusses is the discontinuation of the Tamid offering. The Talmud tells us that we know this happened on this day because we have a tradition from our forefathers that this is so. Rashi explains that the reason why the sacrifice was no longer brought was because the government at the time forbade it.

 

The Talmud provides some insight into why the korban Tamid (the morning and evening offering) was stopped:

 

Baba Kama 82b IT IS NOT RIGHT TO BREED PIGS IN ANY PLACE WHATEVER. Our Rabbis taught: When the members of the Hasmonean house were contending with one another, Hyrcanus was within and Aristobulus without [the city wall]. [Those who were within] used to let down to the other party every day a basket of denarii, and [in return] cattle were sent up for the regular sacrifices. There was, however, an old man [among the besiegers] who had some knowledge in Grecian Wisdom and who said to them: ‘So long as the other party [are allowed to] continue to perform the service of the sacrifices they will not be delivered into your hands.’ On the next day when the basket of denarii was let down, a swine was sent up. When the swine reached the center of the wall it stuck its claws into the wall, and Eretz Yisrael quaked over a distance of four hundred parasangs by four hundred parasangs. It was proclaimed on that occasion: Cursed be the man who would breed swine and cursed be the man who would teach his son Grecian Wisdom.

 

From this day until the end of the siege, the daily offering was not brought.

 

Breaching of the wall around Jerusalem

 

The Talmud then discusses the tragedy of the wall of Jerusalem being breached, the event which led to the over-running of Jerusalem by our oppressors and the eventual destruction of the Temples. The Talmud notes that there is an inconsistency between Taanit 26b and the verse in Yirmiyahu 52:6, which implies that the wall was breached on the ninth of Tammuz, not the seventeenth as the Talmud says.

 

Jeremiah 52:6-7 By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,

 

The Talmud resolves this inconsistency by explaining that the verse in Yirmiyahu is referring to the time of the first Temple, while our Mishna is referring to the time of the second Temple. If that is the case, why do we fast only on the 17th of Tammuz, and not on the ninth as well?

 

The Talmud Yerushalmi, the Jerusalem Talmud, explains that in reality, the breach of the walls occurred on the 17th during both eras. However, in the time of the first Temple, because of the stress and upheaval of the time, the people became confused and miscalculated the days in the calendar. Therefore, they thought the breach occurred on the ninth. Yirmiyahu, when recording the event, wrote it down according to the erroneous calculation of the people, which was the prevalent belief as to the date of occurrence. The Tur[8] writes that the breaches did occur on different dates. However, because having two fasts in such close proximity would be a burden on the community, only one fast day was established. The fast day was established on the day the wall was breached at the time of the second Temple because the tragedy was greater regarding its impact on us: the exile that began at that time is the exile we currently live in.

 

Apostomos-the-Wicked burned a Sefer Torah

 

The burning of the Torah by Apostomos is recorded in the Talmud as an event that happened on the seventeenth of Tammuz. We learn that this was a tradition from our forefathers. The Talmud does not tell us who Apostomos was, or what the significance of the Torah scroll was.

 

Some sources claim that Apostomos was a Roman general and that this event occurred just prior to the Bar Kochba revolt. Other sources claim that Apostomos was a general of Antiochus and that this event occurred ca. 168 BCE.

 

This story is recorded in the Talmud Yerushalmi[9], that Apostomos burned the Torah at the crossroads of Lod, while our Hakhamim[10] say it was at the crossroads of Tarlusa.

 

Josephus gives us some insight into this period:

 

Now before this their first mourning was over, another mischief befell them also; for some of those that raised the foregoing tumult, when they were traveling along the public road, about a hundred furlongs from the city, robbed Stephanus, a servant of Caesar, as he was journeying, and plundered him of all that he had with him; which things when Cureanus heard of, he sent soldiers immediately, and ordered them to plunder the neighboring villages, and to bring the most eminent persons among them in bonds to him. Now as this devastation was making, one of the soldiers seized the laws of Moses (Torah scroll) that lay in one of those villages, and brought them out before the eyes of all present, and tore them to pieces; and this was done with reproachful language, and much scurrility; which things when the Jews heard of, they ran together, and that in great numbers, and came down to Cesarea, where Cumanus then was, and besought him that he would avenge, not themselves, but God himself, whose laws had been affronted; for that they could not bear to live any longer, if the laws of their forefathers must be affronted after this manner. Accordingly Cumanus, out of fear lest the multitude should go into a sedition, and by the advice of his friends also, took care that the soldier who had offered the affront to the laws should be beheaded, and thereby put a stop to the sedition which was ready to be kindled a second time.

 

The Tiferet Israel offers two possible explanations as to the significance of the scroll. One is that this scroll was the one written by Ezra HaSofer, Ezra the Scribe. The text was the most authoritative, and all other Torah scrolls that were written were checked against this one for accuracy and errors. Another understanding is that he burnt every Torah scroll he could find. No matter the explanation, the intent behind Apostomos' actions remain the same: To eradicate Torah from the nation of Israel.

 

The Placing of an Idol in the Sanctuary

 

The Talmud tells that the event found in Daniel 12:11 occurred on the 17th of Tammuz:

 

Daniel 12:11 "From the time that the daily (Tamid) sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation (an idolatrous image) is set up, there will be 1,290 days.

 

Arachin 11b Come and hear: R. Jose said, Good things are brought about on a good [auspicious] day, and evil ones on a bad one. It is said, The day on which the first Temple was destroyed was the ninth of Ab, and it was at the going out of the Sabbath, and at the end of the seventh [Sabbatical] year. The [priestly] guard was that of Jehojarib, the priests and Levites were standing on their platform singing the song. What song was it? And He hath brought upon them their iniquity, and will cut them off in their evil. They had no time to complete [the psalm with] ‘The Lord our God will cut them off’, before the enemies came and overwhelmed them. The same happened the second time [the second Sanctuary's destruction]. Now what need was there for song? Would you say that it was on account of the [daily] burnt-offering? But that could not be, for on the seventeenth of Tammuz the continual sacrifice had been abolished. Hence it was on account of a freewill burnt-offering! But how could you think so? Why should an obligatory-offering have been impossible and a freewill-offering available? — That is no difficulty: A young ox may accidentally have come to them!

 

As the verse says that "on the day the Tamid offering ceased to be brought, an idolatrous image was placed in the Temple." Although the Talmud here does not mention who placed the idol in the Temple, the Talmud Yerushalmi mentions that there is debate as to who did it. Some say that Apostomos placed the idol in the Temple as well as burning the Torah scroll. Others say it was placed by Menashe, an evil Jewish king, in the time of the first Temple.

 

The fast

 

Shiva Asar B'Tammuz is a fast day. The fast begins approximately an hour before sunrise and continuing until about an hour after sunset (some say at dusk). The primary purpose of the fast is to awaken our hearts to teshuva, to repentance. We must spend the day recalling our transgressions and the transgressions of our forefathers. We must spend the day concentrating on these manners and not seeking our own pleasure. The Torah tells us what to do if we are to avoid the tragedies of our forefathers:

 

Leviticus 26:40-42 "'But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers--their treachery against me and their hostility toward me, Which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies--then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.

 

The essential purpose of a fast day is to motivate us to repent. Fasting is the means to the end, not the end itself!

 

Measure for measure

 

Is it possible to show that the events of Tammuz 17 were a punishment that was "measure for measure"? Do these events also show a measure-for-measure relationship to the Second Temple?

 

1. The "Luchot," the tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were engraved, were broken by Moshe;

 

2. The Korban Tamid, the continual daily sacrifice, was discontinued;

 

3. The walls of Jerusalem were breached during the Roman siege of the city (in 70 CE);

 

4. The Greek ruler Apostomos publicly burned the Torah scroll;

 

5. Menashe, a king of Judea in the First Temple period, erected an idolatrous image on the Temple grounds.[11]

 

Let us examine the original sin of Tammuz the 17th. The Children of Israel were confused by what they considered Moshe's tardiness in coming down from Mount Sinai at the end of the prescribed forty-day period. They assumed that Moshe had died. They decided to create a golden calf to take his place:

 

Shemot (Exodus) 32:1 "Get up and make a god for us, for we do not know what happened to this man Moshe who took us out of Egypt".

 

Later, they declared this golden calf to be their new god. They worshipped the golden calf and sacrificed to it:

 

Shemot (Exodus) 32:4-6 And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow [is] a feast to HaShem. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

 

While still encamped before Mount Sinai, they rejected HaShem Who had taken them out of the land of Egypt, led them through the desert, and given them the Torah! As it says:

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 106:20 "They exchanged their Glory (=HaShem) for an image of a grass-eating ox."

 

When Moshe observed the worship of the golden calf, he threw the Tablets from his hands and shattered them:

 

Shemot (Exodus) 32:19 And the tables [were] the work of G-d, and the writing [was] the writing of G-d, graven upon the tables.

 

With this in mind, we can understand how the punishments of Tammuz 17, midda kneged midda, measure for measure, through the ages correspond to the original sin of that day. The most obvious one of the four punishments listed, is that of Menashe's placement of an idol in the Temple. Menashe's placement of the idol in the Temple symbolized making the worship of his image a replacement for that of HaShem in His Holy Temple. This was a just punishment for the Children of Israel, who had done the same with the worship of the Golden Calf before Mount Sinai, centuries earlier.

 

The daily Tamid sacrifice personified the service of HaShem in the Temple. When this was discontinued, the situation paralleled the discontinuation of the worship of HaShem by the Jews who worshipped the Golden Calf at Mount Sinai.

 

The burning of the Torah by Apostomos paralleled the sin of the Golden Calf in a different way. When Moshe saw that his people had committed such a terrible sin he shattered the Tablets, as has been mentioned. As a punishment for bringing about the destruction of HaShem's Tablets of the law, the Jews of a future era had HaShem's Torah burned before them by a blasphemous ruler.

 

The breach in the walls of Jerusalem may also be shown to parallel the original sin of Tammuz 17. The Gemara[12] tells us that the righteous people and Torah scholars of the generation provide protection to all members of the community, just as a city wall does. For this reason, the Talmud says that scholars do not have to contribute to the expense of building defensive ramparts around their home towns, their Torah study is their share in the city's defense. As the Gemara expounds on a verse from Shir HaShirim:

 

Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) 8:10 "I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers”.

 

Bava Batra 7b R. Judah the Prince levied the impost for the wall on the Rabbis. Said Resh Lakish: The Rabbis do not require the protection [of a wall], as it is written, If I should count them, they are more In number than the sand. Who are these that are counted? Shall I say the righteous, and that they are more in number than the sand? Seeing that of the whole of Israel it is written that they shall be like the sand on the sea shore, how can the righteous alone be more than the sand? — What the verse means, however, is I shall count the deeds of the righteous and they will be more in number than the sand. If then the sand which is the lesser quantity protects [the land] against the sea, how much more must the deeds of the righteous, which are a larger quantity, protect them? When Resh Lakish came before R. Johanan, the latter said to him: Why did you not derive the lesson from this verse, I am a wall and my breasts are like towers, where ‘I am a wall’ refers to the Torah ‘and ‘my breasts are like towers’ to the students of the Torah? — Resh Lakish, however, adopts the exposition [of this verse] given [also] by Raba, viz. that ‘I am a wall’ refers to the community of Israel, and ‘my breasts are like towers’, to synagogues and houses of study.

 

"I am a wall" - this refers to the Torah, which affords protection to its people. "My breasts are like towers" - this refers to Torah scholars.

 

The Children of Israel, when they rejected the leadership of Moshe and chose a Golden Calf to lead them instead, were showing disdain for the ultimate scholar of the Torah. Also, their sin caused the shattering of the Tablets of the Torah themselves. Since Torah scholars are compared to city walls, a fitting punishment for their sin was that the Jews of Jerusalem in a future generation had their protective wall breached on the anniversary of the original sinful deed.

 

Our Torah portion speaks of adultery which, as we explained a few weeks ago, alludes to idolatry. One who has intimacy with another man’s wife (adultery) is the same as a man who has intimacy with an idol. Both deny their obligations incurred when they entered the marriage (Sinai) covenant. This concords with Tammuz 17^th’s connection with Idolatry and the major theme of our psalm;

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 94:20 Shall the seat of wickedness have fellowship with Thee, which frameth mischief by statute?

 

Our Ashlamata, from Hoshea, speaks well of the sins that led to the tragedies of Tammuz 17. The final 2 pesukim, Hoshea 6:1-2, speak of the results of our ultimate teshuva from those horrible sins:

 

Hoshea (Hosea) 6:1 'Come, and let us return unto HaShem; for He hath torn, and He will heal us, He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. 2 After two days will He revive us, on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.

 

 

Ashlamatah: Hoshea (Hosea) 4:14-5:2+6:1-2

 

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary on Hosea 4:14 – 5:2 + 6:1-2

 

14 I will not punish your daughters anymore, to test them with the ‘bitter waters’ should they commit adultery. Why? Because their husbands join with harlots; for once the man is not free of sin, the waters do not test his wife. [based on Sifrei Num. 5:82 and Sotah 47a]

 

join Heb. יִפָרֵדוּ. Jonathan translates מִסְתַייעָן from סִיעָה, ‘a company,’ that is, they join with them (the harlots) in drinking wine. Now Menahem [Machbereth Menahem p. 145] connects it with עָבְשוּ פְרוּדוֹת “the wine barrels decay” (of Joel 1:17) where they (פְרוּדוֹת) are wine barrels.

 

the people that does not understand shall be knocked about Because you do not set your heart to comprehend, therefore you shall be knocked about, struck with (divine) visitation: יִלָּבֵט is an expression of road weariness and toilsome burden, ‘délaser’ in old French. 

 

15 Though you, O Israel, play the harlot the sons of Judah ought not learn their (sic) way. An alternate explanation is: Though you, O Israel, play the harlot, let not Judah become guilty. Though Israel is as a harlot, the sons of Judah are not guilty thereof, and I shall [therefore] not hold them accountable, as it is written above (1:17): “But I will have compassion upon the house of Judah.”

 

and do not come you sons of Judah to Gilgal. (Judah shall be blameless) provided the sons of Judah do not come to Gilgal where the ten tribes worship [idols], as it is stated: “All their wickedness is in Gilgal” (Hosea 9:15); “[Come] to Gilgal and multiply transgression” (Amos 4: 4).

 

nor go up to Beth-aven This is Bethel (which is called by the pejorative, Beth-aven, house of iniquity), for Jeroboam set up the calves there.

 

nor swear with them (the Israelite kingdom) “as the Lord lives,” “for if they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ they, nevertheless, swear falsely” (Jer. 5:2). When they swore falsely, they would mention the name of Heaven, but when they swore truthfully, they would swear in the name of the Baalim. 

 

16 like a rebellious cow Like a fattened ox which kicks, so has Israel strayed due to an abundance of food and drink.

 

now shall the Lord feed them a limited feeding, as a lamb who feeds in a wide [sparsely vegetated] area, rather than as a fattened ox which is stuffed with barley and vetch. 

 

17 Ephraim is joined to idols [he] is joined to idols and cannot divest himself of them. Hence you, the prophet, ‘let him alone,’ and do not prophesy for the purpose of rebuking him since it will not avail. 

 

18 Their drinking bouts have become strange Their drinking bouts have become estranged from Me. סָר is an expression of ‘foreign.’ Comp. (Jer. 2:21) “a degenerate wild vine נָכְרִיָּה) (סוּרֵי הַגֶּפֶן,” i.e., removed from its place and changed to another. סָבְאָם Their wine feast that was with the harlots.

 

love to invite disgrace Heb. הֵבוּ. They invited disgrace for themselves. הֵבוּ is an expression of preparation. Comp. (Gen. 11:4) “Get ready (הָבָה) and let us build,” “Get ready  (הָבָה)and let us descend,” (Ex. 10:1) “Get ready (הָבָה) and let us deal wisely.”

 

her rulers Heb. מָגִנֶּיהָ, her shields, her princes and her kings. 

 

19 The wind has bound her up in its wings The wind has attached itself to its wings, like a bird, which the wind does not permit to alight until it bears it off into the distance. So will the enemies come upon them and drive them into exile.

 

and they shall be ashamed of their altars Heb. מִזְבְּחוֹתָם, of the altars of their deities (lit. their abominations), to which they do not turn. Now, just as חֵטְא, sin, can be stated in the feminine as חֲטָאָה, so can one say, instead of זֶבח, זִבְחָה, which denotes the places where they would sacrifice. And so did Jonathan render: of the altars of their abominations. Addendum according to Abarbanel: I found a Midrash Tanhuma, where it is an expression of tying, like a man who threatens a person who provokes him, “[I swear] by your life that I will tie it to you at your end.” So does this verse threaten Israel: “My zeal and My fury are tied up to avenge Myself at the end, and they will be ashamed of their deeds.” 

 

Chapter 5

 

1 for yours is the judgment The judgment of torments is upon you, O house of the king, for you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net on Tabor. On these two mountains they stationed sentries so that Israel would not make the pilgrimage to the Temple. 

 

2 The extent of their straying they have deepened The extent of their straying they have deepened. I said that anyone who does not go up to Jerusalem on the Pilgrimage festivals transgresses a positive commandment, and they decreed that anyone who does go up to Jerusalem shall be put to death. Hence, they went deeper than I. I.e., they were more stringent than I (Sanhedrin 102a). The word שַחֲטָה, translated as ‘extent’ is an expression similar to  זָהָב שָׁחוּט, “malleable gold” (I Kings 10:16) stretched and spun. Jonathan, however, renders it as an expression of slaughtering sacrifices to idols.

 

and I [will bring] chastisement to all of them Lit. And I too will chastise them with torments, I will prepare chastisement for all of them. 

 

Chapter 6

 

1 Come and let us return They will say, “Come and let us return etc.”

 

He smites, and He will bind us up Heb. יַךְ. It is a present tense. He smites us, and He will bind us up. 

 

2 He will revive us from the two days He will strengthen us from the two retributions which have passed over us from the two sanctuaries that were destroyed.

 

on the third day With the construction of the third Temple, He will set us up.

 

from the two days From the two times that have passed over us.

 

 

Commentary on the Ashlamatah of (Hoshea) Hosea 4:14-5:2 & 6:1-2

By: H.Ex. Adon Shlomoh Ben Abraham

 

Since God communicated His will to Adam, humanity has been guided by divine Providence, addressed to such outstanding personalities as Noah, the patriarchs, and Moses. Indeed, as Jewish philosopher (Ikkarim 3:12) pointed out it would have been inconceivable for God to have created the universe without providing the guidelines for man's mission on earth. In both our Torah reading this week and in the Ashlamatah we encounter the laws of the Sotah; not only is there a local historical connection to Israel, but there seems to be a connection to all of humanity. The apex of prophetic communication was the revelation at Mount Sinai when God communicated His message to humankind. This is the only time in history that Hashem spoke not only to great individuals but also to the entire nation that he had chosen as his people and his messenger. From that time forward, Israel would be held to a higher standard of divine service if Israel had been equal to the great challenge of direct communication from God. He would have continued to speak to the nation, but the Jews declared themselves unable to continue listening to the direct voice of God as they did. The people appealed to Moses, and since then, Hashem has spoken to mankind through his anointed prophets. As mentioned above Israel as Hashem's messenger was now held to a higher standard, However, that is not to be understood as the nations(gentiles) are without a standard, as understood all of mankind follow the seven commandments of Noah.

 

An important metaphor in Hosea’s oracles is that of ‘harlotry’ (the root znh occurs fourteen times). This signifies that Israel, by turning to other gods, has broken its historical bond with the Lord who led them out of Egypt and made them his people. In Hosea 4:11–19 the people gather at high places for worship. The detailed description of sexual activities indicates that the sexual language had a double function: it served as a metaphor for the people's defection from Hashem, but it also referred to sexual behavior that was part of the Canaanite cult.^[13]  In ancient fertility rites, devotees would engage in sexual intercourse with the shrine prostitute and by this means, through imitative or ‘sympathetic’ magic, would seek to ensure that the land and its creatures would bring forth in abundance. This practice of cultic prostitution is attested from Babylon to Cyprus, and from Greece to Canaan, where it was a particularly prominent feature of Baal worship.

 

The book of Exodus records Hashem's repeated warnings by Moses of the danger that would be posed to the Israelites by the people already living in the land to which he was leading them (Exod. 23:23–24, 33; 34:12–16; Lev. 18:3; 20:23; Deut. 7:1–5; 12:29–31; 29:16–18). Hashem predicted that the people would prostitute themselves to other gods and so incur his wrath (Deut. 31:16–21). Hosea describes (4:14) how the Israelite men ‘consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes. Israel is portrayed as going after other gods like an adulterous wife goes after her lovers; the people attribute the fertility of the land to these other gods (2:5), and do not acknowledge that all its blessings have come from Hashem (2:8). But, Hashem says, although the people engage in fertility rites, with the cultic prostitutes, their prosperity will not increase (4:10–12). Rather, God’s judgment will cause Israel’s abundance to wither away (2:9–13); Hashem will withhold the increase of the land to show that he, not Baal, is its source.^[14]

 

Using language man can relate to and understand, the national pollution of Israel and its cause, are given to us along with the ruling of the Judge and the pronouncement of sentence, 4:1–19^[15] The details of Hosea’s marriage open the book but are quickly dropped as the focus shifts away from the personal life of Hosea, to the relationship between God and Israel. Immortalized in this event that transcends culture are the message and emotions of God. The love, care, and feelings of God for his people as he calls for their return in the face of imminent judgment are a major part of Hosea’s theology.^[16]

 

The symbolism of Hosea’s marriage is the covenant, which provided a legal form for the expression and governance of the relationship God desired with his people. For Israel, it provided a blueprint for the historical foundation of their faith and gave tangible evidence for God’s requirements. At the same time, it provides God with an acceptable witness to their loyalty and love. The Book of Hosea is a commentary on that relationship. It moves from the heights of intimate knowledge, symbolized by marriage and paternal love, to the depths of anguish and despair over Israel’s apostasy and idolatry as pictured by the adultery of Gomer. This love story of God and his people is more graphically portrayed by Hosea than by any other prophet. Refusing to give up on Israel, God continued to seek their return even in their apostate condition. Judgment and exile would come but restoration and future hope were always in sight. Israel would not be annihilated like the cities around Sodom but preserved (11:8–9).^[17] Hosea focuses on Israel’s accountability with specific reference to the covenant requirements. The covenant blessings and curses (Deut. 28) as well as the required reading of the law (Deut. 31:10–13, every seven years) were constant reminders of the people’s obligation to the Lord. Despite God’s warnings to the contrary Israel forgot God (2:13; 4:6). Turning away from God they took the fruits of the land and offered them to pagan idols, eventually attributing the source of these blessings to the gods of Canaan (2:8; 11:1). In contrast to Israel’s unfaithfulness Hosea presents God as one who remembers and faithfully provides for Israel.

A major theological theme developed by the prophet is the concept of the knowledge of God. The verb “to know” reflects both the intimacy of a relationship and mutual recognition on the part of the people. God’s legal case against Israel was that there was “no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land” (4:1). But this was not a passive situation. Israel had willfully rejected the knowledge of God and would be judged accordingly (4:6). The key to the knowledge of God was obedience that came from the heart. God’s reminder to the people: “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” (6:6) confirmed that their religious practices were without proper motivation and therefore worthless.^[18]

 

While God knew Israel (5:3) in the closeness of a relationship that could be imaged by marriage, Israel no longer knew God (2:8; 11:3). Their actions led them farther away from God (4:6; 5:4) and although they thought they still knew him (8:2) their actions proved otherwise. God announced his judgment so that Israel would realize the consequences (9:7–9). In the end, God’s love would triumph by bringing Israel back to himself as Hosea did Gomer. Israel would once again know the Lord (2:20ff). Israel’s neighbors linked the productivity of the land, animals, and people with their gods. Caught up in the rituals of this fertility cult Israel attributed the gifts of God to pagan gods (2:8ff). Years of participation led them so far from the Lord that they could not return. They had developed a spirit of prostitution in their hearts (5:4; 4:12). Altars and idols were proliferated (8:4, 11), with special emphasis on the bull (8:5–6; 10:5; 13:2).

 

Hosea understands idolatry’s grip upon the people. Their pride and arrogance caused them to pursue it more vehemently. They multiplied altars and alliances, which drove them farther from God (5:4–5). In an inescapable spiral this path led them even farther away from God (11:2) until they completely corrupted themselves (9:10). God, however, would not force them to return, but sadly watched as they withdrew from him (4:17; 11:8).^[19]  The children of Israel were urged to look to your father Avraham, and to Sarah who bore you (Isa.51:2) and seek to regain what they had taught you. Hate evil, do good, and establish justice in court, so that perhaps Hashem, the God of the multitudes, will grant favor to the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:15)^[20]

 

In verse 14 we see: I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for they (the father's, leaders, the husband) consort with lewd women, and they sacrifice with harlots, and the people that is without understanding is distraught.^[21]  How can we understand God not holding these daughters and daughters-in-law free from punishment for their sins of Harlotry and Adultery?   Does God ignore and wink at sin? The Rabbis understand this as, “I will not exact retribution from the women folk among you for their licentious ways for they are not to blame since they have learned their behavior from the men who are themselves steeped in depravity.”^[22]

 

Rashi takes a different approach here, referring to the waters of the Sotah. (Num.5:11-31.)^[23]  understanding the prophet to say, I am not holding them responsible since you are guilty of the same. The waters of the Sotah work only if the husband of the accused woman is innocent of any similar wrongdoing. A people (Nation) without understanding shall come to ruin to be distraught or shall stumble. When we look at these passages in the Talmud, we see God asking the rhetorical question, how can I punish your daughters and daughters-in-law for the very thing my sons are guilty of? If I am understanding correctly, the ideal being brought forth is that when sin becomes so pervasive there is a lessening or canceling of the law, maybe even a doing away with the law until the situation can be corrected. God in his divine mercy is restraining his judgment (wrath). Two questions can be asked, Does Hashem see the law in parts, and can he offer one side without the other one associated with the blessing and the other associated with the curse? The second question, who is being referred to here as the daughters and the daughters-in-law?

 

In Deut. 28 The first thirteen verses inform us; if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them. This is the law of blessing. The fourteenth verse then tells us; I will make you the head and not the tail, you shall go up and not down if you obey, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.^[24]   To me, the part of the law that deals with the blessing is annulled, canceled, or done away with due to the people's disobedience.^[25]  Meaning, the father said to his son, if you fail to do your chores, you will fail to receive the blessing of your weekly allowance. Does life continue for the disobedient son, YES! Just without the untold blessing the father would have bestowed on the son. The blessings are wide-ranging, and they involve all areas of life. If people can come to understand that their spiritual accomplishments would bring them untold and incalculable benefits in every area of their lives, I am sure they would choose differently, and they would choose life. Hashem tells us, if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules so that you will not do all my commandments, but break(annul) my covenant, then you have chosen death.^[26] The people are instructed and told what happens when you walk contrary to me^[27] Rashi tells us, that since you refuse to focus your mind and heart to understand [what is required of you by the Almighty] you will stumble and fall in retribution for your sins.  Sounds like those passages in the bible where the person being addressed is told, “You shall die in your sin.”

 

The prophet is admonishing all of Israel about Northern Israel the ten tribes and telling them just because they have turned away from Hashem does not mean that Judah must follow them in their iniquity. The speaker shifts from addressing Israel and tells Judah that they have resorted to harlotry and therefore leave Ephraim alone, letting them go their own way. Rashi said, do not emulate their way and become guilty as well. The people of Judah were warned not to come to worship the idols in Gilgal and Beth-el. In v.15, - AVEN (PLACE) [Heb ʾāwen (אָוֶן)]. A Hebrew word meaning “idolatry,” “iniquity,” or “nothingness” was used by the prophets as a derogatory substitute or wordplay in certain place names. Since the Hebrew words ʾôn (“power” or “riches”) and ʾāwen have identical consonants, Aven may be a derisive pun. A place mentioned in the phrase “the high places of Aven” (Hos 10:8). “Aven” has traditionally been understood as an abbreviation of Beth-aven (“House of Idolatry”), Hosea’s pejorative name for Bethel (“House of God”).^[28]  Remember Beth-el is the site of one of the golden calves erected by King Jeroboam, preventing the people from returning to Jerusalem to worship there.  When one thinks about this, it should make Christians pause before trying to convert Jews away from the Torah and into the Idolatry of Christian misunderstanding. The community of Judah / Israel should pause and use caution that they do not take inappropriate Christian ideals that would turn them away from the commandments of Hashem as has already been shown. As we know cultures and religions have positive and negative influences on each other.

 

An alternative understanding is that If Israel (ten tribes) is guilty of infidelity to the Almighty, this does not render the people of Judah guilty also. Thus, each group will be culpable for their sins as long as Judah does not emulate the ways of their Israelite brothers.^[29]  One of the things we learn from our Deut. 28 passage is that this is the second time Hashem has admonished the people about forsaking God and his Torah with the first time being in Lev. 26. Ramban notes the first admonition referred to the years leading up to the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylon Exile and the one in Deut.28 refers to the waning years of the Second Temple and the current exile.^[30]  The Or Hachaim, comments that the first admonition, which is phrased in the plural, is addressed to cases of broad, national spiritual downfall, whereas this one,(Deut.28)  which is almost entirely in the singular is addressed to individual sinners, to make the point that God will not tolerate pockets of sin, even if the nation as a whole is not involved in the sin and if the nation as a whole is not together living in the land. The prophets declare that this is not the case regarding the two kingdoms, they are each viewed as two distinct nations, and one is not affected by the Almighty’s dealing with the other. Thus, we see that Hashem deals with Israel as both a unique nation and as two separate parts of the whole and that wherever sin is found in the nation or in the individual, he deals with it there also.^[31]

 

In our opening verse (v.14) we are told God is not going to deal (punish, seek out, either to do good or harm)^[32] with your daughters and daughters-in-law, they shall go their way and those without understanding shall come to ruin. Part of the backstory is found in the Targum where Rashi said, because of your involvement with the gentile idolaters you intermarry with them, your children follow in their way of adultery. Radak, Ibn Ezra, and Mahari Kara add, while you are off worshiping your idols your children are turning to adultery also. Hashem is not ignoring the sin; he is showing mercy to the children due to the sin of their fathers. Iben Ezra goes on to say the nation that does not understand [i.e., refuses to pursue true understanding and knowledge] will become totally confused and bereft of comprehension.^[33]  It seems our world has reached this point. In such a state of confusion, adults seem unable to accept basic concepts that are easily understood by children. When the Israelites were in Egypt, the Egyptians claimed that they had defiled the Israelite women, and as a result, many Israelites suspected that what the Egyptians were saying about their wives was true. So, God told Moses, it is my wish that you test them. Write the explicit name, place it in the water, and have them drink it. Subsequently, they were all examined and found to be chaste. Indeed, it was because the Israelites were free of immorality that they were redeemed. The test was administered, and the Israelites arrived at Mara, as it is written, and there he tested them. (Exo.15:23ff) His purpose was to remove all suspicion from the husband's mind. In other words, when they came to Mara, whose waters were bitter, God tested them with that water as one test of suspected adultery. At the same time, the men too were tested to establish that they had not been promiscuous with the Egyptian women.^[34] 

 

We learned in our Torah portion this week that the Name of God is written on the paper and erased or dissolved in the water the woman was to drink. We learn that normally, we are forbidden to erase Hashem's name, but Hashem allows it to bring peace between a Husband and a Wife. In our Numbers passage, we have water, earth, and Hashem's name and in our (Exo.15) passage we have water and a tree which Hashem pointed out to Moses, the tree grows out of the earth. The sages say the water represented the Torah (Isa.55:1) that the Israelites had been without for three (3) days. The people were bitter and found fault with the water. Hashem gave Israel a decree and an ordinance. These were the laws of the Red heifer, (Num.19) the laws of the Sabbath, and the civil law. The Ramban inferred these commandments were not meant to be binding as of yet but were given for Israel to study them and have a taste of the ‘Torah they were about to receive. Israel in the wilderness, took the test, tasted the bitter water (Torah) that soon became sweet in their mouths. Hashem tested them to see if they would be worthy to receive the entire Torah.^[35]   Is Hashem still evaluating the Nation of Israel with His bitter water to see if they are worthy to accept it? This test brings both life and death, all based on the person's choice.

 

We learn in (5:1-2) that Hashem deals with each group according to each group based on their sin, their responsibility toward the Torah, and their obligation to each other, the people.^[36]  What are we to do and how are we to correct 2500 years or more of going astray?  The answer is given; ‘Come and let us return unto the Lord; for He hath torn, and He will heal us, He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us, on the third day (3) He will raise us up, so that we may live in His presence. And let us know, eagerly strive to know the Lord, His going forth is sure as the morning; and He shall come to us as the rain, as the latter rain that watered the earth.^[37]

 

Verbal Tallies

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Bamidbar (Numbers) 5:11 – 6:21; Hosea 4:14 – 5:2 + 6:1-2; Tehillim (Psalms) 94:1-23

 

The verbal tally between the Torah and the Ashlamata centers on the word ‘Israel’.

 

Bamidbar (Numbers) 5:11 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12 Speak to the children of Israel <03478> and say to them: Should any man's wife go astray and deal treacherously with him,

 

Hoshea (Hosea) 4:14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for they themselves join with harlots, and they sacrifice with the prostitutes; therefore the people that do not understand shall be knocked about. 15 Though you, O Israel <03478>, play the harlot, let not Judah also become guilty; and do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear, 'As the Lord lives.'

 

If we examine the incident of the suspected adulterer, the sotah, we will see that Israel is the sotah. This is hinted to in the verbal tally. It is hinted again, in the same type of analogy, to the one who takes a Nazirite vow, where Israel is the Nazirite.

 

 

The thematic connection between the double Torah portions and our chapter of Tehillim (Psalms) 94:1-23 is that HaShem sees the hidden sins and is quite capable of revealing them.

 

     

 

Nazarean Talmud

Sidrot of Bamidbar (Numbers) 5:11-6:21

“Ish Ish Ki Tishte” “[When] any man’s wife goes astray””

By: H. Em Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

School of Hakham Shaul Tosefta Luqas (Lk)

School of Hakham Tsefet Peshat 2 Tsefet (2 Pet)

If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven[1] times he returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” And the Sh’liachim said to the Master, teach us how to “Grow in our faithful obedience!” So the Master said, “If you have faithful obedience like a tiny mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.[38] “And which of you who has a slave plowing or shepherding sheep who comes in from the field will say to him, ‘Come here at once and recline at the table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something that I may eat, and dress yourself to serve me while I eat and drink, and after these things you will eat and drink.’ He will not be grateful to the slave because he did what was ordered, will he? Thus you also, when you have done all the things you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done what we were obligated to do.’ ”

These false teachers and prophets are waterless springs and clouds driven by gusts of wind, for ‎whom, the deepest darkness ‎ is eternally reserved. For when they utter extravagant perversities, devoid of truth, they lure (beguile) through an ‎unbridled yester hara, those (they) have oppressed who indeed had barely escaped from those who live in defiance. Promising them liberty freedom from the Torah (when they) themselves are bound for ‎destruction; (eternal misery), for by what anyone is overcome it makes him a slave to it. For if (they), having escaped the shameful defilement of the world (pagan system) in the intimate knowledge of the kingship and our emancipation by Yeshua the Messiah, and by these false teachers and prophets again being entangled, and ‎subdued, their last condition has become to them worse than the first. For it were better for them not to have had intimate knowledge of the way of justice/generosity, than ‎having had intimate knowledge of it, to turn back from the holy commandments handed down to them by authorized ‎Hakhamim. But the word of the true proverb has happened to them; “As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool ‎that repeats his folly” (Prov. 26:11), and a sow returns to wallow in her mire after being washed.‎[1]   Beloved, now I write this second igeret (epistle) to you (in both of which I awaken your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and our commandments, the Sh’liachim (apostles) of the Master and strengthener.[39] Knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own sinful appetites. And saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have from the beginning of creation." For they deliberately make no mention of the fact, that the heavens existed from antiquity, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the Torah (logos) of God[40] by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But by His Torah (logos) the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the final day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

 

Nazarean Codicil to be read in conjunction with the following Torah Seder

 

 

Commentary to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat

 

An Analysis of 2 Tsefet 2:17-22 and the Scriptural Readings

T

he synthesis of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings, complemented by the Nazarean Codicil, directs us toward one of the greatest messengers in history. We enter life searching for the concealed light (Ohr HaGanuz), a pursuit that drives us toward Hokhmah and the brilliance (Ziv) of the Torah. This search is fundamental to the structure of Divine Wisdom (Hokhmat HaTorah), yet it must be grounded in the tangible framework of the Seven Officers of the Congregation, ensuring that the spiritual community is built with stability.

 

Hakham Tsefet identifies a grave danger in those who pose as spiritual guides yet lack true wisdom. These individuals are not merely mistaken but are active agents of spiritual subversion, distorting the truth while maintaining an outward appearance of authority. They are likened to waterless springs, an evocative image that underscores their deceptive nature. A spring should be a source of life-giving water, a wellspring of wisdom and renewal. However, these false teachers offer nothing of true sustenance; their words are barren, leaving those who follow them spiritually parched. They entice the unwary with promises of enlightenment, yet they themselves are void of Divine Emet (truth).

 

The parallel image of clouds driven by wind further amplifies the severity of their deception. A cloud suggests the potential for rain, which in biblical symbolism often represents divine blessing, sustenance, and Torah Wisdom. However, these clouds are not life-giving; they are driven about by forces beyond their control, indicating instability, inconsistency, and the absence of true illumination. It’s interesting that they are the opposite of the seven clouds that escorted Yisrael through the desert (שִׁבְעַת עֲנַנֵי הַכָּבוֹד - Shiv'at Ananei HaKavod) which we will soon see in B’midbar 9:15.^[41] This lack of stability reflects their nature as individuals disconnected from the proper transmission of Torah (Mesorah), lacking the firm foundation upon which true spiritual teaching is built. Such individuals may have charisma, eloquence, and even a certain following, yet their teachings are fundamentally directionless, dictated by external forces—be they personal desires, societal trends, or ideological distortions—rather than by the unchanging wisdom of G-d.

 

Their fate is tied to the deepest darkness (hoshekh afelah), an expression found in the Torah to describe the profound, almost tangible darkness that enveloped Mtzrayim (Egypt) during the ninth plague (Shemot - Exodus 10:21-23). This was not a mere absence of light but a darkness so dense that it could be felt, a spiritual blindness that left those afflicted, immobilized and powerless. Hakham Tsefet invokes this imagery to indicate the utter spiritual ruin that awaits these false teachers. They are not merely misguided individuals who may later find the truth, they have willfully rejected the Divine Order and actively lead others into confusion and spiritual destruction.

Moreover, their deception does not result in their downfall alone; it ensnares others, causing them to stumble and lose their way. This is particularly dangerous because the victims of their teachings often believe they are walking the path of righteousness when, in reality, they are being led further away from the light of Torah. The damage done by such pseudo-guides is compounded by their ability to masquerade as enlightened leaders, often mixing partial truths with misleading doctrines, making it difficult for the undiscerning to recognize their errors.

 

Hakham Tsefet’s warning, therefore, is not merely a critique but a call to vigilance. True spiritual leaders are not self-appointed; they uphold the Mesorah and transmit Torah's wisdom with fidelity, aligning themselves with the divine order. The wise will understand that only a well-founded teacher, deeply rooted in the tradition and wisdom of the Hakhamim, can provide the life-giving water that nourishes the soul.

 

The Spiritual House and the Order of Construction

 

Hakham Tsefet's writings echo the wisdom of Melekh Shlomo (King Solomon), who began the construction of the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) as a vessel for Divine Presence. The seven-year construction period is not incidental—it aligns with the Sefirot and the Divine Blueprint for Spiritual development. The process follows a Divine Pattern:

 

• Nisan (Beginnings): The foundation of redemption and sanctification.
• Iyar (Preparation/Ziv): The month of building spiritual structure.
• Sivan (Reception): The giving of Torah and the full realization of divine wisdom.

 

This structure reflects the essential principle that spiritual vessels must be built properly to contain Divine Brilliance. Those who pervert the Festivals and the Torah attempt to disrupt this Divine Order, leading to chaos instead of Divine Harmony.

 

A Call to Authentic Leadership

 

Hakham Tsefet’s rebuke of false teachers is not merely an ethical warning but a halachic directive. The Priesthood of the Firstborn and the Kohanim stand as models for the Nazarean Priesthood—a people set apart for Divine Service. The term “holy commandments handed down by authorized Hakhamim” underscores the necessity of a chain of transmission (Mesorah). To reject this transmission is to sever oneself from the wellspring of truth, leading to spiritual ruin.

 

False teachers promise freedom, but in rejecting the Torah, they enslave their followers to destruction. The principle Hakham Tsefet articulates is clear:

"By what one is overcome, one is enslaved." This recalls Pirkei Avot 6:2: 

“There is no free person except one who engages in studying Torah.”

 

Authentic leadership leads to freedom through Torah; false leadership leads to enslavement to the Yetzer HaRa.

 

The Mazalot and the Structure of Spiritual Wisdom

 

Hakham Tsefet subtly alludes to the Mazalot (Heavenly Signs) not merely as celestial markers but as reflections of the Divine Order, serving as warnings against pseudo-prophets who lead disciples away from their Ruachani Avot (spiritual fathers). However, the correct approach to the Mazalot is not to look up at them as passive observers, but rather—as Abraham Avinu did—to look down upon them. This is the Divine perspective, the view of G-d and all Great Neshamot. It is the vantage point from which prophecy is truly understood—not as a fate dictated by the stars, but as a framework upon which divine wisdom is imprinted.

 

From this elevated perspective, the Mazalot are not controlling forces but spiritual indicators, encoding the rhythm of Divine Governance. The Zohar, teaches that Abraham was shown the celestial order not as something that ruled over him, but as something he was destined to transcend. When Abraham was told to “go outside” (habet na hashamaymah – B’resheet - Genesis 15:5), he was being instructed to rise above the stars, to see them from above, from G-d’s perspective. This was the moment he internalized that Yisrael’s destiny was not determined by astrology but by Divine Covenant.

 

What Would the Mazalot Look Like from Above?

 

From this elevated perspective, the Mazalot appear not as a fixed fate but as a Divinely Orchestrated Blueprint. They are the celestial infrastructure of time, providing signals of hashgachah pratit (Divine Providence) rather than deterministic control. When viewed from above, their structure does not confine the righteous but reveals the path of Divine Wisdom, teaching how prophetic insight aligns with the higher Divine Plan. Instead of being seen as governors, they are messengers—signs of alignment or misalignment with Divine Will (Ratson).

 

From below, humanity sees the stars as distant, grand, and mysterious. From above, however, the Mazalot take on a cohesive order, much like a great celestial Torah scroll upon which Divine Wisdom is inscribed. This perspective transforms our understanding of history and prophecy:

 

1. False prophets appear as distortions of Divine Light, disrupting the flow of Spiritual Wisdom.
2. True prophecy aligns with the Divine Architecture of time, providing guidance within the framework of Divine Will.
3. The wise perceive time not as linear fate but as a spiral of opportunities, where rectification (Tikkun) and Divine Revelation unfold cyclically.

 

The Divine View of Prophecy

 

From this elevated standpoint, prophecy is not a prediction based on astrological forces, but a navigation of Divine Currents. The stars do not dictate history—they illuminate Divine Timing for those who have wisdom. Herein they serve as a cosmic clock that chimes on the hour. Hakham Tsefet warns against those who misuse Spiritual Signs, reading them with earthly eyes rather than from the vantage point of Divine Wisdom.

 

The message is clear: True prophecy comes not from those enslaved to the stars' cycles but from those who transcend them, aligning with divine wisdom beyond the Mazalot. The wise will understand!

 

Hakham Tsefet’s words are a profound warning against spiritual disorder. The false teachers he condemns:

 

1. Reject the Divine Order of Torah and its Festivals.
2. Devalue the Messianic Mission of sanctifying the world through righteousness.
3. Draw away disciples by promising “freedom” while leading them to destruction.
4. Seclude themselves from the authentic transmission of Divine Wisdom.

 

The path to true brilliance (Ziv HaTorah) lies in constructing a stable spiritual house, guided by Torah's wisdom, of the Hakhamim's leadership, and the alignment with the divine order revealed through the Mazalot.

The Festival of Purim exemplifies the principle that the Mazalot (Heavenly Signs) are not deterministic forces but Divine Indicators within the architecture of time, and that the righteous—through wisdom, fidelity, and Divine alignment—can transcend even what seems to be fated. The entire narrative of Purim revolves around the concept of hester panim (the concealment of G-d's face), in which Divine Intervention is hidden within the natural order, yet unmistakably present for those with Spiritual Perception and never by “chance.” When viewed from below, the events of Megillat Esther seem like a series of coincidences, governed by the whims of an unpredictable world. However, from the Divine Perspective, the Mazalot align to facilitate the redemption of the Jewish people, illustrating that true spiritual mastery is not submission to astrological determinism, but the ability to rise above it.

Haman, ”the world class fool,” by contrast, embodies the erroneous belief that the Mazalot control destiny. The Midrash (Esther Rabbah 7:11) records that he cast purim (lots) to determine the most auspicious time to destroy the Jewish people, relying on the astrological signs to dictate his plans. Yet his downfall was sealed precisely because he failed to see beyond the stars—to recognize that the Jewish people, when aligned with Torah and Divine Wisdom, exist beyond the constraints of fate. Not to mention the “choseness” of the Blessed Nation. This is why Purim is the festival that most embodies netzach (eternal victory), teaching that even when Divine Intervention appears hidden, the righteous can perceive the concealed light (Ohr HaGanuz) that governs all things. In this way, Purim serves as a living demonstration of Abraham’s lesson—to look down on the stars rather than up at them, understanding that true power is found in Divine Alignment, not in the illusions of worldly fate.

 

Only the wise will understand.

 

Awakening the Pure Mind

 

Asked to define the meaning of the term Shekinah, Rabbi Sherira Gaon, the famous head of the celebrated Academy of Pumbedita, Babylonia, wrote: “Know, that the Shekinah is to be found among the scholars of the Academy, it is the light of God abiding among them.” Divested of its metaphorical expression, this remark of the great leader of Judaism in the second half of the tenth century contains a profound truth, that the spiritual and intellectual life of the Jews always had its center of gravity in the Talmud Academies, or Yeshibot.^[42]

 

The difficulty with the present pericope of Hakham Tsefet is that he turns to the deepest aspect of our spiritual character and the human complex. Having a true awareness of the human composite brings the student of Torah into the realm of deep So’odic awareness. However, as usual, we always try to see what Hakham Tsefet is teaching through Peshat and “Normal” Mysticism. Normally, Hakham Tsefet looks at the human complex as an organismic whole. This week, however, Hakham Tsefet seems to be pointing to the higher functions of the soul. Furthermore, in this pericope Hakham Tsefet employs the elucidation of “apostolic” halakhic norms as a value system for Nazarean Jews. Hakham Tsefet points out that the lexis of the Nazarean Codicil builds on the halakhic norms of previous generations - i.e. “the words spoken by the Holy Prophets.” One cannot discern the Nazarean Codicil apart from the halakhic norms of the Jewish Sages. Herein Hakham Tsefet establishes a hermeneutic rule for Nazarean Talmidim.

 

To “awaken the pure mind” is to “stir” the talmidim into dynamic Torah study. This was the function and purpose of the Yeshivot and the Talmudic Hakhamim. The high caliber of the Nazarean writings shows the stature of their education. Finding the Nazarean Codicil as the prototypical format for the Oral Torah is awe-inspiring. As the vanguard for the Jewish mind of the first century, we understand that the Nazarean Hakhamim established archetypal Yeshivot. The ruling classes during the First Century were those who attended the advanced Yeshivot called Kallah. In antiquity, Yisrael was viewed as the “Bride of G-d.” However, the Hebrew term “Kallah” carried other relative connotations. The term “Kallah” is often used to refer to either academic instruction or an academic institution.^[43] These institutions were held in apparent sessions.^[44] Degrees of “Kallah” students existed. The “Kallah” were those who had excelled in their studies and obtained a high level of Torah and Halakhic education. These talmidim were in line to become Hakhamim or a part of a Bet Din. They often served, as Paqidim to the “Bench” of three Hakhamim. The “B’ne Kallah” were less educated and most likely on a subordinate level. Yeshua’s talmidim certainly qualified as “Kallah,” the “Bride of Messiah.” Their minds were wide-awake, engaged in the highest forms of Jewish Halakhic study! Therefore, the phrase “Bride of Messiah” refers to the elite of the Nazarean Talmidim.

 

The entire Nazarean Codicil^[45] is a defense of the Torah, read and taught weekly, in the first century. Conversely, we cannot diminish the Nazarean Codicil to a simple elucidation of the Torah. As we will see, the Nazarean Codicil is as much a part of the Torah as is the Oral Torah itself.^[46] We cannot overstate the Torah's importance to the First Century Jewish people.^[47] We must also include Yeshua’s Talmidim, or early followers of Yeshua, within this group. We will find in this proposition that the Talmidim were geniuses in their ability to elaborate on the Torah, which they expressed in writing the Nazarean Codicil. We have failed to realize just how deep their training was in the Yeshiva of Yeshua HaMashiach. We have correctly looked at Yeshua and his teaching abilities. The one thing we have failed to see is how he influenced his talmidim in their rabbinic training.

 

It seems evident when we look closely at the teachings of Yeshua and his mentor Hillel that they both redefined the way to read, understand, and practice the Torah in their day. Of course, the practical application of their teachings would take some time to be fully implemented. The writing of the Nazarean Codicil was most likely finished before the year 70 C.E. The works of the Mishnah^[48] and the Talmud, which recorded the teachings of the Rabbis, were not finished until somewhere around 200-600 C.E. Both Hillel and Yeshua shared a common goal. That goal was to bring the Torah and a Torah way of life into everyday animation. This application of the Torah was dynamic rather than static. They both sought the governance of G-d or the “Kingdom of G-d” in accordance with their teachings. This is probable because Hillel and Yeshua also shared a common Davidic ancestry. This accounts for the high caliber of teaching and exposition in the Nazarean Codicil.

 

Ned 62a It was taught: That you may love the LORD your God and that you must obey His voice and cleave unto Him:^[49] [This means] that one should not say, I will read the Torah that I may be called a Sage. I will study, that I may be called Rabbi, I will study,^[50] to be an Elder, and sit in the assembly (yeshivah) [of elders];^[51] but learn out of love, and honor will come in the end, as it is written, Bind them upon your fingers, write them upon the table of your heart.^[52] And, it is also said, Her ways are ways of pleasantness;^[53] also, She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is everyone that retains her.^[54]

 

The word “Yeshiva” is frequently translated “session.” In some cases, the intention is a court or session of the Sanhedrin. On other occasions, the word “session” implies an educational setting where the Hakhamim taught their Talmidim.

 

Here we meet with Peshat, “what was learned at the school realized its true purpose only when it was put to practical use in daily life. Consequently, the Beit HaMidrash contributed more than any other institution of antiquity to cause differences of class and caste to disappear from among the Jews.”^[55] They were aristocrats of the intellect; they belonged to an aristocracy that carried with it no privileges but many duties.^[56]

 

Derekh Hakhamim, men of mental purity:

 

“The way of the wise is to be modest, humble, alert and intelligent; to endure injustice, to make himself beloved of men; to be gracious even in intercourse with subordinates; to avoid wrongdoing; to judge each man according to his deeds; to act according to the motto, ‘I take no pleasure in the good things of this world, seeing that life here below is not my portion.’ Wrapped in his mantle he sits at the feet of the wise; no one can detect anything unseemly in him; he puts pertinent questions and gives suitable answers.”^[57]

 

The “way of the wise” does not reference ascetic life. The Sages do take advantage of some simple pleasures in life. However, the true Hakham looks to be rewarded in the Y’mot HaMashiach and Olam HaBa rather than the Olam HaZeh. Hakham Tsefet shows that the Nazarean Hakhamim are the architects of the Mesorah’s construct. However, it seems evident that the Nazarean Hakhamim founded their works on the “Holy Prophets” who had taught in their Yeshivot and Bate Midrash. Herein lies the purity of the Nazarean Hakhamim. If we divorce the Nazarean Hakhamim from their love of Torah, we have a confabulated and contorted heresy.

 

Hakham Tsefet also shows that the pseudo-teachers and prophets will eventually be judged by fire. Why does he say that they are “reserved for fire”? And what is he referring to?

 

Questions for Understanding and Reflection

 

1. From all the readings for this Shabbat which verse, or verses impressed your heart and fired your imagination?

 

2. From all the Tanakh: which particular verse or passage taught you about the role of Messiah as described in the Nazarean Codicil readings for this week?

 

Blessing After Torah Study

 

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

Ashér Natán Lánu Torát Emét, V'Chayéi Olám Natá B'Tochénu.

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

 

Blessed is Ha-Shem our God, King of the universe,

Who has given us a teaching of truth, implanting within us eternal life.

Blessed is Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!

 

“Now unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless,

and to establish you without a blemish,

before His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer,

by means of Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion,

and honor, and majesty, both now and in all ages. Amen!”

Next Shabbat: “Parah Adumah” – “A red heifer”

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder for next week

 

·        The Red Heifer – Numbers 19:1-10

·        The Specific Purpose of the Water for Purification – Numbers 19:11-13

·        Mode of Purification – Numbers 19:14-22

·        Death of Miriam – Numbers 20:1

·        Striking the Rock – Numbers 20:2-13

 

 

Reading Assignment for next week:

 

 

 

 

Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

Edited by His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham

A special thank you to HH Giberet Giborah bat Sarah and Giberet Sarai bat Sarah for their diligence in proof-reading.