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:

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

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For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that GOD’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.

 

Shabbat: Adar 18, 5786

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

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·        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:

 

 

 

JPS & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Bamidbar (Numbers) ‎19:1 – 20:13

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Bamidbar (Numbers) 19:1 – 20:13

 

2 This is the statute of the Torah Because Satan and the nations of the world taunt Israel, saying, “What is this commandment, and what purpose does it have?” Therefore, the Torah uses the term “statute.” I have decreed it; You have no right to challenge it. - [Yoma 67b]

 

and have them take for you It will always be called on your name; 'the cow which Moses prepared in the desert.’-[Mid. Tanchuma Chukath 8, see Etz Yosef]

 

perfectly red Heb. אֲדֻמָּה תְּמִימָה , lit., red, perfect. It shall be perfect in redness, so that two black hairs disqualify it. - [Sifrei Chukath 5]

 

3 Eleazar The mitzvah was performed by the deputy [to the kohen gadol]. - [Sifrei Chukath 8]

 

outside the camp Outside all three camps. - [Yoma 68a]

 

and slaughter it in his presence A non-kohen slaughters it while Eleazar watches. - [Yoma 42a]

 

4 toward the front of the Tent of Meeting [In later generations, when this rite will be performed outside the Temple in Jerusalem,] he is to stand to the east of Jerusalem and to direct his gaze toward the entrance to the Temple while sprinkling the blood. - [Sifrei Chukath 14]

 

7 enter the camp The camp of the Divine Presence, because no ritually unclean person is banished from two camps, except one who experienced a flow, one who experienced a seminal emission, or one afflicted with tzara’ath. [Hence, he is admitted to the one camp from which he was banished.] - [Pes. 67a]

 

and the kohen shall be unclean until evening Transpose it [the verse] and explain it [thus]: He shall be unclean until evening, and then he may enter the camp.

 

9 and place them outside the camp He divided it into three parts; one was put on the Mount of Olives, one was divided among all the watches, and one who put on the rampart surrounding the Temple area. The one given to the watches was outside the courtyard, allowing access to it for the inhabitants of outlying cities, whoever needed to purify himself. The one on the Mount of Olives was for the kohanim gedolim to sanctify themselves from it for use with other [red] cows. The one put on the rampart was kept as a keepsake by Scriptural ruling, as it says, "It shall be as a keepsake for the congregation of Israel. - [Sifrei Chukath 30, Parah 3:11 Tosefta Parah 3:8]

 

for sprinkling water Heb. לְמֵי נִדָּה , water used for sprinkling, as in, “they cast (וַיַּדּוּ) a stone at me” (Lam. 3:53); “to cast down (לְיַדּוֹת) the horns of the nations” (Zech. 2:4); an expression denoting throwing.

 

for purification - חַטָּאת , an expression of cleansing (חִטּוּי) , according to its simple meaning, but according to its halachoth, Scripture calls it חַטָּאת , “sin-offering,” to tell us that it is like holy objects, and using it for personal benefit is forbidden. - [Sifrei Chukath 34]

 

12 He shall cleanse himself with it With these ashes. - [Sifrei Chukath 39]

 

13 corpse of a human soul Which type of corpse? That of a human soul, to exclude an animal, that its uncleanness does not require sprinkling. Another explanation: “Of a human soul” refers to a quarter [of a log] of blood [necessary for maintaining life] - [Chul. 72a]

 

he has defiled the Mishkan of the Lord If he enters the courtyard even after [ritual] immersion, without having been sprinkled on both the third and seventh days. - [Sifrei Chukath 45]

 

his uncleanness remains Although he [ritually] immersed himself. - [Sifrei Chukath 45]

 

14 anyone entering the tent while the corpse is inside.

 

15 any open vessel Scripture refers to an earthenware vessel, whose exterior does not accept contamination, only its interior. Thus, if the seal around its top is not securely fastened, it becomes contaminated. But if there is a securely fastened seal, it remains clean. - [Sifrei Chukath 50, Chul. 25a]

 

fastened Heb. פָּתִיל , an expression meaning “fastened” in Hebrew. Similarly, “[With] divine bonds נִפְתַּלְתּי , I have been joined, with my sister” (Gen. 30:8).

 

16 in an open field The Sages expounded [on this phrase] to include the top and side of a coffin (Sifrei Chukath 56, Chul. 72a). But the simple meaning is that in an open field, where there is no tent, a corpse contaminates through contact.

 

19 and he shall cleanse him This consummates his cleansing.

 

20 If a person becomes unclean... If “Sanctuary” is stated [here], why need it say “Mishkan ...” [in verse 13]? The answer is that if it would say “Mishkan,” I would say that the person is punished with excision only if he enters the Mishkan in a state of uncleanness because the Mishkan was anointed with the anointing oil, but if he enters the Temple in a state of uncleanness, he would not be punished since the Temple was not anointed with the anointing oil. If it would say, “Sanctuary,” denoting the Temple, I would say that only for entering the Temple in a state of uncleanness, would he be punished by excision because its sanctity is permanent, but for entering the Mishkan in a state of uncleanness, he would not be punished because its sanctity was temporary. Therefore, it was necessary to mention both,] ... as it is stated in [Tractate] Shevuoth [16b].

 

21 and the one who sprinkles the sprinkling waters Our Rabbis said that the one who sprinkles is actually ritually clean, but this teaches us that the one who carries the purifying waters becomes defiled with a stringent uncleanness, for even the clothes he is wearing are contaminated, unlike the one who merely touches [the sprinkling waters]. Scripture uses the expression מַזֵּה, “the one who sprinkles” to teach that the waters do not contaminate until there is an amount of water adequate for sprinkling. - [Yoma 14a]

 

and the one who touches... shall be unclean but he is not required to wash his clothes.

 

22 Whatever the unclean one touches I.e., this unclean one who was defiled by a corpse [touches], “becomes unclean.”

 

and anyone touching him, that is, the one defiled by a corpse-

 

shall be unclean until evening From here we derive that a corpse is the supreme source of contamination, whereas one touching it is a primary source of contamination, who can in turn defile another person [through contact]. This is the explanation [of this passage] according to its literal meaning and the laws associated with it.

 

I have transcribed a homiletic interpretation from the commentary of R. Moshe HaDarshan [the preacher], which is as follows:

 

 and have them take for you From their own [possessions]; just as they removed their own golden earrings for the [golden] calf, so shall they bring this [cow] from their own [possessions] in atonement. - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

a red cow This can be compared to the son of a maidservant who soiled the king’s palace. They said, “Let his mother come and clean up the mess.” Similarly, let the cow come and atone for the calf. - [Midrash Aggadah and Tanchuma Chukath 8]

 

red Alluding to [the verse], “if they [your sins] prove to be as red as crimson dye” (Isa. 1:18), for sin is described as [being] ‘red.’ - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

perfectly An allusion to the Israelites, who were perfect, but became blemished. Let this come and atone for them so that they regain their perfection. - [See Midrash Aggadah.]

 

and upon which no yoke was laid Just as they cast off from themselves the yoke of Heaven. - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

to Eleazar the kohen -just as they assembled against Aaron, who was a kohen, to make the calf, but because Aaron made the calf, this service was not performed through him, for the prosecution cannot serve as the defense. - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

The cow shall then be burned just as the calf was burned. - [Midrash Aggadah

 

a piece of cedar wood, hyssop, and of crimson wool These three types [of objects] correspond to the three thousand men who fell because of the [sin of the golden] calf. The cedar is the highest of all trees, and the hyssop is the lowest of them all. This symbolizes that the one of high standing who acts haughtily and sins should lower himself like a hyssop and a worm [for the תּוֹלַעַת means ‘worm’ as well as ‘crimson.’ See Rashi on Isa. 1:18], and he will then gain atonement. - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

a keepsake Just as the transgression of the calf is preserved throughout the generations for retribution, for there is no reckoning [punishment] which does include a reckoning for the calf, as it says, “But on the day I make an accounting [of sins upon them], I will bring their sin to account...” (Exod. 32:34). Just as the calf defiled all those who were involved in it, so does the cow render unclean all those involved with it. And just as they were cleansed through its ashes, as it says, “[he] scattered [the ashes of the burned calf] upon the surface of the water” (ibid. 20), so [with the cow], “They shall take for that unclean person from the ashes of the burnt purification offering...” (verse 17). - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

Chapter 20

 

1 The entire congregation The complete congregation, for the ones destined to die in the desert had already died and these were assigned for life. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 14]

 

Miriam died there Why is the passage relating Miriam’s death juxtaposed with the passage of the Red Cow? To teach you that just as sacrifices bring atonement, so the death of the righteous secure atonement. - [M.K. 28a].

 

Miriam died there She too died through a kiss [from God’s mouth rather than by the angel of death]. Why does it not say “by God’s mouth” [as it does with Moses]? Because it is not respectful to speak of the Most High in this way (M.K. 28a). Concerning Aaron, it does say “by God’s mouth” in [the portion beginning] “These are the Journeys” (33:38).

 

2 had no water From here [we learn that] all forty years they had the well in Miriam’s merit. - [Ta’anith 9a]

 

3 If only we had died We wish that we had died. - [Onkelos]

 

with the death of our brothers With the death of our brothers from plague. This teaches us that death from thirst is more dreadful than it [death by plague].

 

with the death Heb. בִּגְוַע אַחֵינוּ . This is a noun, like בְּמִיתַת אַחֵינוּ , with our brothers’ death [that is, in the way they died]. But it is incorrect to explain it as meaning, ‘ when our brothers died’ for in that case, Scripture would have punctuated it בִּגְוֽעַ .

 

8 and their livestock From here we learn that the Holy One, blessed is He, has regard for the property of Israel. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 9, Lev. Rabbah 10:9, Num. Rabbah 19:9]

 

10 assembled This is one of the places where we find that a small area held a large number [of people].-[Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 9, Lev. Rabbah 10:9, Num. Rabbah 19:9]

 

Shall we draw water... from this rock? Since they did not recognize it, for the rock had gone and settled among the other rocks when the well departed. The Israelites said to them, “What difference is it to you from which rock you draw water for us?” Therefore, he said to them, הַמּוֹרִים , obstinate ones; in Greek, ‘fools,’ those who teach (מוֹרִים) their teachers. [He said,] “Can we draw water from this rock regarding which we were not commanded?”- [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 9, Num. Rabbah 19:9]

 

11 twice Because the first time he drew out only a few drops, since God had not commanded him to strike it, but, “you shall speak to the rock.” However, they spoke to a different rock, and nothing came out. They said, “Perhaps we ought to strike it first,” as it says, “and strike the rock” (Exod. 17:6). They came upon that very rock and struck it. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 9, Num. Rabbah 19:9]

 

12 Since you did not have faith [faithful obedience] in Me Scripture reveals that if it were not for this sin alone, they would have entered the Land, so that it should not be said of them, “The sin of Moses and Aaron was like the sin of the generation of the desert against whom it was decreed that they should not enter [the Land].” But was not [the question asked by Moses] “If sheep and cattle were slaughtered for them...” (11:22) [a] more grievous [sin] than this? However, there he [Moses] said it in private, so Scripture spares him [and refrains from punishing him]. Here, on the other hand, it was said in the presence of all Israel, so Scripture does not spare him because of the sanctification of the Name. - [Tanchuma Chukath 10, Num. Rabbah 19:10]

 

to sanctify Me For had you spoken to the rock and it had given forth [water], I would have been sanctified in the eyes of the congregation. They would have said, "If this rock, which neither speaks nor hears, and does not require sustenance, fulfills the word of the Omnipresent, how much more should we! - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

therefore, you shall not bring Heb. לָכֵן , by an oath, as in, “Therefore (וְלָכֵן) , I have sworn to the house of Eli” (I Sam. 3:14) [Tanchuma Va’era 2]. He hurried to take an oath so that they should not engage in lengthy prayer concerning it [i.e., to repeal the decree].

 

13 These are the waters of dispute These are the ones mentioned elsewhere. Pharaoh’s astrologers saw these [when they foresaw that] the savior of Israel would be smitten through water, and that is why they decreed: "Every son who is born you shall cast into the Nile. - [Sanh. 101b]

 

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 51:1-21

 

JPS	Targum
1. For the conductor, a song of David.	1. For praise; a hymn of David.
2. When Nathan the prophet came to him when he went to Bath-sheba.	2. When Nathan the prophet came to him when he had lain with Bathsheba.
3. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your kindness; according to Your great mercies, erase my transgressions.	3. Have mercy on me, O Lord, according to Your kindness; according to the abundance of Your mercies, forgive my rebellion.
4. Wash me thoroughly of my iniquity, and purify me of my sin.	4. Cleanse me thoroughly from my iniquity, and make me clean from my sin.
5. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.	5. For my rebellions are manifest before me, and my sin is in front of me always.
6. Against You alone have I sinned, and I have done what is evil in Your sight, in order that You be justified in Your conduct, and right in Your judgment.	6. Before You, You alone, I have sinned, and that which is evil in Your presence I have done; so that You may make me righteous/generous when You speak, You will clear me when You give judgment.
7. Behold, with iniquity I was formed, and with sin my mother conceived me.	7. Behold, in iniquity was I born, and in sin my mother was pregnant with me. Another Targum: Behold, in iniquities my father thought to create me; and in the sin of the evil impulse my mother conceived me.
8. Behold, You desired that truth be in the hidden places, and in the concealed part You teach me wisdom.	8. Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; and in the hidden place of the heart You will make wisdom known.
9. Purify me with a hyssop, and I will become pure; wash me, and I will become whiter than snow.	9. You will sprinkle me like a priest who sprinkles with hyssop waters of purification made from the ashes of the heifer on the unclean, and I will be clean; You will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
10. Make me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You crushed exult.	10. You will proclaim to me joy and jubilation; the limbs that You have purified will rejoice with a hymn.
11. Hide Your countenance from my sins, and erase all my iniquities.	11. Remove Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
12. Create for me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.	12. A pure heart create for me, O God; and renew within me a spirit inclined to revere You.
13. Do not cast me away from before You, and do not take Your holy spirit from me.	13. Do not cast me from Your presence; and do not remove from me your holy spirit of prophecy.
14. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and let a noble spirit support me.	14. Return Your Torah to me, to exult in Your redemption; and may the spirit of prophecy support me.
15. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You.	15. I will teach the rebellious Your ways, and sinners will return to Your presence.
16. Save me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation; let my tongue sing praises of Your charity.	16. Deliver me from the sentence of death, O Lord, God of my salvation; my tongue will rejoice in Your generosity.
17. O Lord, You shall open my lips, and my mouth will recite Your praise.	17. O Lord, open my lips with Torah, and my mouth will recount Your praise.
18. For You do not wish a sacrifice, or I should give it; You do not desire a burnt offering.	18. For You will not desire the holy sacrifice; when I give a burnt offering, You are not pleased.
19. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; O God, You will not despise a broken and crushed heart.	19. The holy sacrifice of God is a broken spirit; a heart broken and purged, O God, You will not spurn.
20. With Your will, do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem.	20. Show favour in your good will to Zion; You will complete the walls of Jerusalem.
21. Then You will desire sacrifices of righteousness/justice/generosity, a burnt offering and a whole offering; then they will offer up bulls on Your altar.	21. Then you will desire the sacrifices of righteousness/generosity, burnt offering and holocaust; then the priests will sacrifice bulls on Your altar.

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Tehillim (Psalms) 51:1-21

 

5 and my sin is always before me Since I regret [my sin] and worry about it, it is as though it is constantly before me, always.

 

6 Against You alone have I sinned; Therefore, it is in Your power to forgive [me]. Even in my sin against Uriah, I sinned against You, for You warned against the matter.

 

in order that You be justified in Your conduct like במנהגך, in Your conduct. I had the strength to overpower my evil inclination, but, so that they should not say, “The servant overpowered his master, “for I said to You (Ps. 26:2), “Test me, O Lord, and try me,” and You tested me and I was not found perfect, in order that You should be justified and not I (Sanha. 107a). Another explanation:

 

in order that You be justified in Your conduct If You forgive me, You will be justified in Your judgment against all the wicked who do not repent, so that they will not be able to say, “If we had repented, it would not have availed us.”

 

7 Behold, with iniquity I was formed Now how could I not sin when the main part of my creation was through coitus, the source of many iniquities? Another explanation: The main part of my creation is from a male and a female, both of whom are full of iniquity. There are many midrashim to this verse, but they do not fit the context of the psalm.

 

conceived me Heb. יחמתני, an expression of heat, as (Gen. 30:38): “And they came into heat (ויחמנה)  when they came to drink.”

 

8 Behold, You desired that truth be in the hidden places and behold, I confess to the truth, that I sinned.

 

in the hidden places Heb. בטחות. These are the reins, which are smooth. Menachem (p. 97), however, associated it with (Gen. 21:16): “as it were a bowshot (כמטחוי קשת) ”; and so (Job 38:36): “Who placed wisdom in the inward parts (בטחות).” And their interpretation is an expression of drawing, for just as a bow is drawn, so is their yearning for knowledge.

 

 

Commentary on Tehillim (Psalms) ‎‎‎‎51:1-21

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

 

In his monumental work, Shaarei Teshuva, Rabbeinu Yonah devotes the entire first section to a comprehensive discussion of the twenty principles of repentance. He quotes frequently from Psalms chapter 51, which he calls 'the Chapter of Repentance', because it is 'the basic foundation of all the principles of repentance'.^[1]

 

Indeed, every fiber of David's being was immersed in the spirit of repentance. Our Rabbis teach, 'Whoever wishes to repent should scrutinize the deeds of David'.^[2]

 

David is described as 'the man who made the yoke of repentance sublime'.^[3]

 

By virtue of David's devotion to constant self-improvement, his efforts merited special Divine assistance. G-d sent the prophet Nathan to inform him of his sin and to guide him on the path of return. David composed this psalm at that time.

 

Since the theme of this chapter is penitence and purity, it is customary to recite it on the Sabbath when the portion of the Red Heifer is read, in order to remind the congregation to purify itself in anticipation of the Passover festival.

 

In Psalms chapter 52, David once again addresses himself to the most critical moral problem of his generation: the jealous enmity between men which undermines their principles to the point that they are willing to spread slander and fabricate evil tales in order to destroy their rivals. David cites a painful incident from his personal life which illustrates this theme.

 

David is forced to flee like a beggar from the blind, jealous wrath of his father-in-law, Saul Starving and unarmed, David comes to Nob, the city of Priests, in which the Tabernacle was situated, and asks Achimelech the priest to give him bread and a sword. Assuming that David is on a mission in the loyal service of King Saul, the unsuspecting Achimelech supplies the fugitive with his needs.

 

But, at that time, Doeg the Edomite, the head of Sanhedrin and Saul's closest adviser, was in spiritual retreat at the Tabernacle of G-d. He reported the transaction to Saul in such a manner as to implicate Achimelech as a conspirator against the insecure king. This treacherous slander incited the despairing King to condemn the entire city of Nob to death, as rebels against the monarchy, a horrible sentence which was eagerly carried out by Doeg himself.^[4]

 

These tragic events moved David to compose this Maskil, (an instructive psalm), to inform the people of the treachery of Doeg and slanderers like him.^[5]

 

The superscription for Psalms chapter 51 attributes authorship to David. Verse two goes on to tell us that David wrote this psalm, “When Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-Sheba”. Who was Bath-Sheba that David should desire her when she ‘belonged’ to another man?

 

The Midrash relates that at the time David slew Goliath, Uriah the Hittite had not yet con­verted to Judaism. David was unsuccessful in his attempt to strip the chain-mail armor from the dead giant so that he could decapitate him, because David couldn’t find the knotted end of the metal thread which linked all the chain-mail hooks together. Then Uriah approached David and asked, ‘If I show you the knot, will you give me an Israelite woman for a wife?’ When David consented, Uriah showed him the knot, which had been tied on Goliath’s sole.

 

God was angry with David for promising a daughter of Israel to a gentile. He decreed that Bath Sheba, the woman who had been preordained to be David’s wife, should be Uriah’s wife first. The Sages say,^[6] ‘Bath Sheba was designated as David’s mate from the six days of Creation, but David took her before the proper time.^[7]

 

Now we can understand why David was irresistibly drawn to Bath Sheba. It is also interesting to notice how often David’s life was affected by Gentile converts, starting with Ruth. In this next incident we will see that Ruth also played a decisive result as it relates to David’s feelings as expressed in our psalm.

 

This psalm then describes the emotions that David felt after the incident with Bath Sheba. To begin to understand David’s feelings we need to know more of his story. Let’s start by looking at:

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 51:7 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

 

Now let’s look at why David said this.^[8]

 

David’s father, Yishai, was the grandson of Boaz and Ruth. After several years of marriage to his wife, Nitzevet, and after having raised several virtuous children, Yishai began to entertain personal doubts about his ancestry. True, Boaz was the leading Torah authority in his day, but his grandmother, Ruth, was a convert from the nation of Moab, as related in the Book of Ruth.

 

During Ruth’s lifetime, many individuals were doubtful about the legitimacy of her marriage to Boaz. The Torah specifically forbids an Israelite to marry a Moabite convert, since this is the nation that cruelly refused the Jewish people passage through their land, or food and drink to purchase when they wandered in the desert after being freed from Egypt.

 

Boaz and the sages understood this law, as per the classic interpretation transmitted in the “Oral Torah”, as forbidding the conversion of male Moabites (who were the ones responsible for the cruel conduct) while exempting female Moabite converts. With his marriage to Ruth, Boaz hoped to clarify and publicize this Torah law, which was still unknown to the masses.

 

Boaz died the night after his marriage with Ruth. Ruth had conceived and subsequently gave birth to their son, Oved, the father of Yishai. Some rabble-rousers at the time claimed that Boaz’s death verified that his marriage to Ruth the Moabite had indeed been forbidden.

 

Time would prove differently. Once Oved (called so because he was a true oved, servant of G-d), and later Yishai and his offspring were born, their righteous conduct and prestigious positions proved the legitimacy of their ancestry. It was unquestionable that men of such caliber could have descended from a forbidden union.

 

However, later in his life, doubt gripped at Yishai’s heart, gnawing away at the very foundation of his existence. Being the sincere individual that he was, his integrity compelled him to action.

 

If Yishai’s status was questionable, he was not permitted to remain married to his wife, a veritable Israelite. Disregarding the personal sacrifice, Yishai decided the only solution would be to separate from her, by no longer engaging in marital relations. Yishai’s children were aware of this separation.

 

After a number of years had passed, Yishai longed for an offspring whose ancestry would be unquestionable. His plan was to engage in relations with his Canaanite maidservant.

 

He said to her: “I will be freeing you, conditionally. If my status as a Jew is legitimate, then you are freed as a proper Jewish convert to marry me. If my status, however, is blemished and I have the legal status of a Moabite convert forbidden to marry an Israelite, I am not giving you your freedom, but as a Shifchah Canaanite, a Canaanite maidservant, you may marry a Moabite convert.”

 

The maidservant was aware of the anguish of her mistress, Nitzevet. She understood her pain in being separated from her husband for so many years. She knew, as well, of Nitzevet’s longing for more children.

 

The empathetic maidservant secretly approached Nitzevet and informed her of Yishai’s plan, suggesting a bold counter plan.

 

“Let us learn from your ancestress and replicate their actions. Switch places with me tonight, just as Leah did with Rachel,” she advised.

 

With a prayer on her lips that her plan succeeds, Nitzevet took the place of her maidservant. That night Nitzevet conceived. Yishai remained unaware of the switch.

 

After three months, Nitzevet’s pregnancy became obvious.^[9] Incensed, her sons wished to kill their apparently adulterous mother and the illegitimate fetus that she carried. Nitzevet, for her part, would not embarrass her husband by revealing the truth of what had occurred. Like her ancestress Tamar, who was prepared to be burned alive rather than embarrass Judah^[10], Nitzevet chose a vow of silence. And like Tamar, Nitzevet would be rewarded for her silence with a child of greatness who would be the forebear of Mashiach.

 

Unaware of the truth behind his wife’s pregnancy, but having compassion on her, Yishai ordered his sons not to touch her. “Do not kill her! Instead, let the child that will be born be treated as a lowly and despised servant. In this way, everyone will realize that his status is questionable and, as an illegitimate child, he will not marry an Israelite.”

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 51:7 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

 

The pathos is palpable! No wonder David wrote the words of this psalm! Because of the anguish behind David’s word, Chazal designated that they should be used extensively in our prayers so that they would express our feelings as we stand before HaShem.

 

This psalm, in which King David passionately gives voice to the heaviest burdens of his soul, refers to a period of twenty-eight years, from his earliest childhood until he was coronated as king of the people of Israel by the prophet Samuel.

 

From the time of his birth onwards, then, Nitzevet’s son was treated by his brothers as an abominable outcast. Noting the conduct of his brothers, the rest of the community assumed that this youth was a treacherous sinner full of unspeakable guilt.

 

We are first introduced to David when the prophet Samuel is commanded to go to Beit-Lechem to anoint a new king, to replace the rejected King Saul.

 

Samuel arrives in Beit-Lechem, and the elders of the city come out to greet him, nervous at this unusual and unexpected visit, since the elderly prophet had stopped circulating throughout the land. The elders feared that Samuel had heard about a grievous sin that was taking place in their city.⁷ Perhaps he had come to rebuke them over the behavior of Yishai’s despised shepherd boy, living in their midst.

 

Samuel declared, however, that he had come in peace, and asked the elders, and Yishai and his sons, to join him for a sacrificial feast. As an elder, it was natural for Yishai to be invited; but when his sons were inexplicably also invited, they worried that perhaps the prophet had come to publicly reveal the embarrassing and illegitimate origins of their brother. Unbeknownst to them, Samuel would anoint the new king of Israel at this feast. All that had been revealed to the prophet at this point was that the new king would be a son of Yishai.

 

When they came, Samuel saw Eliav (Yishai’s oldest son), and he thought, “Surely G‑d’s anointed stands before Him!”

 

But G‑d said to Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or his great height, for I have rejected him. G‑d does not see with mere eyes, like a man does. G‑d sees the heart!”

 

Then Yishai called Avinadav (his second son), and made him pass before Samuel. He said: “G‑d did not choose this one either.”

 

Yishai made Shammah pass, and Samuel said, “G‑d has not chosen this one either.”

 

Yishai had his seven sons pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Yishai, “G‑d has not chosen any of them.”

 

At last Samuel said to Yishai, “Are there no lads remaining?”

 

He answered, “A small one is left; he is taking care of the sheep.”

 

So, Samuel said to him, “Send for him and have him brought; we will not stir until he comes here.”

 

So, he sent for him and had him brought. He was of ruddy complexion with red hair, beautiful eyes, and handsome to look at.

 

G‑d said: “Rise up, anoint him, for this is the one!”^[11]

 

WOW! From the lowest of the despised to the greatest of honor, all in a matter of moments. What a turnaround! What a reward for a mother and son of uncommon valor!

 

The words of several verses of our psalm are easily recognized from our prayers. For example, v.51:17 is in the opening of the Amida for all prayer services. This psalm is also recited along with Parshat Parah, the Torah portion describing the ritual of the “red heifer” that is read in preparation for Passover. Thus we understand that this is a psalm of cleansing that goes hand-in-hand with the cleansing of uncleanness after coming in contact with a dead man or a grave. In our Torah portion Moshe fetches the bones of Yosef for the exodus, so this psalm is particularly fitting for this Torah portion. It is therefore a fitting psalm to prepare us for the crossing of the Reed Sea an immersion in a mikveh,^[12] which is the final portion of our Torah portion.

 

Now, perhaps we can begin to understand why we immediately recognize many of the phrases of this psalm.

 

Finally, there is a Midrash which explains why David was put into a no-win situation with Bath-sheba.

 

Sanhedrin 107a Rab Judah said in Rab's name: One should never [intentionally] bring himself to the test, since David king of Israel did so, and fell. He said unto Him, ‘Sovereign of the Universe! Why do we say [in prayer] "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," but not the God of David?’ He replied, ‘They were tried by me, but thou wast not.’ Then, replied he, ‘Sovereign of the Universe, examine and try me’ — as it is written, Examine me, O Lord, and try me.^[13] He answered ‘I will test thee, and yet grant thee a special privilege;^[14] for I did not inform them [of the nature of their trial beforehand], yet, I inform thee that I will try thee in a matter of adultery.’ Straightway, And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed etc.^[15] R. Johanan said: He changed his night couch to a day couch,^[16] but he forgot the halachah: there is a small organ in man which satisfies him in his hunger but makes him hunger when satisfied.^[17] And he walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.^[18] Now Bath Sheba was cleansing her hair behind a screen,^[19] when Satan came to him, appearing in the shape of a bird. He shot an arrow at him, which broke the screen, thus she stood revealed, and he saw her. Immediately, And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath Sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her, and she came unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanliness: and she returned unto her house. Thus it is written, Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou host tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.^[20] He said thus: ‘Would that a bridle had fallen into the mouth of mine enemy [i.e., himself], that I had not spoken thus.’^[21]

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 51:8 Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts; make me, therefore, to know wisdom in mine inmost heart.

 

Let us prepare our hearts to seek this wisdom too.

 

Ashlamatah: Yehezchel (Ezekiel) 36:16-36

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Yehezchel (Ezekiel) 36:16-36

 

17 Son of man! The house of Israel, as long as they lived, etc., like the uncleanness of a woman in the period of her separation Scripture likened them to a woman in the period of her separation, whose husband looks forward to when she will become clean, and longs to return to her.

 

20 And they entered [Heb. וַיָבוֹא, lit. and he entered.] Since he says, “the house of Israel” at the beginning of the segment, He refers to them in the singular throughout the segment. According to Midrash Aggadah: the Holy One, blessed be He, came with them in exile and bent His ear [to hear] what the captors were saying. “Behold these are God’s people, and He had no power to save them.” In Midrash Lamentations Rabbah (Proem 15).

 

and they profaned My Holy Name They lowered My honor. And what is the profanation? In that their enemies said of them, “These are the people of the Lord, and they have come out of His land, and He had no power to save His people and His land.”

 

22 Not for your sake, etc. is the salvation that I shall save you [by].

 

23 And I will sanctify My...Name Now what is the sanctification? “I will take you from among the nations.”

 

25 clean water I will grant you atonement and remove your uncleanliness by sprinkling purification water, which removes [even the highest degree of defilement,] the defilement caused by a corpse.

 

26 a new heart An inclination that has been renewed for the better.

 

31 and you will loathe yourselves in your own eyes [Heb. וּנְקטֽתֶם,] demonir in Old French, to melt. You will melt in yourselves, from your shame over the evil recompense that you repaid Me whereas I recompense you with good.

 

34 And the desolate land The land that was desolate until now will be tilled and sown.

 

35 has become like the Garden of Eden [Heb. הָיְתָה,] has now been transformed into being like the Garden of Eden.

 

and the cities that were destroyed these many days, have now become settled as fortified cities.

 

Commentary on the Ashlamatah

Yehezchel (Ezekiel) 36:16-36‎

By: H.Ex. Adon Shlomoh Ben Abraham

 

This is the third of the four special Sabbaths that precede Passover. In our Torah reading this week, we learn of the laws of the red heifer (Parah Adumah). The ashes of the Parah Adumah are used for the purification of those contaminated by corpses, death, and impurity.  The Torah teaches us that God created the world, chose Abraham and his children, and placed them as leaders and teachers of the world. To teach humanity until they ultimately recognized the one true God, the God of Israel. These themes are scattered throughout the book of Ezekiel. We learned in our study that man should dedicate himself to the service of HaShem and, in so doing, we learn to choose good over evil, and the blessing over the curse, to raise ourselves to a higher spiritual level and, by extension, raise the world to a higher spiritual level. We live in a world where we are hard-pressed to see or experience the presence of the Almighty. The Scriptures tell us that during Israel's 40 years in the wilderness, there were miracles, and they could see, feel, and uniquely experience God.  Somehow, they were able to experience his presence, his operation, and workings in a way we are not able to today.  It is said that when the Temple stood, there was a certain holiness in Jerusalem that a person could spiritually and physically experience. We currently live in a world that is so sinful that God has concealed his presence. It seems evil is flourishing everywhere and triumphing. Everywhere we look, we see the success of evil, unscrupulous people at all levels of government and leadership that lack integrity, morals, and ethical boundaries in every area of society.

 

We can be assured that the pendulum will swing back, and God’s system of justice will correct itself.  When it swings back to the middle, everything that's out of balance will be adjusted and brought back into balance. Although we may not see it right now, God's justice and mercy are always in operation, and soon we will be able to see his justice and mercy at work and growing in the Earth. Many times, we are like Jacob, who went some 20 years without God speaking to him, nor did he appear to him.  Jacob thought that his son Joseph was dead. But when the news was brought back to him that Joseph was alive, Genesis 43:6, Jacob says, how can you treat me so ill?  What we don't understand and fail to remember and comprehend, God was working for those 20 years to put Joseph in a place where he could set up redemption for his people to bring them out of Egypt and start moving them toward the Promised Land, the land of Israel, the land he had promised to Abraham some 420 years or so before. We must, like Jacob, rest in the fact that God is in control of every aspect of our lives, even when we cannot understand why we are living the experiences HaShem has given us.

 

The theme in the three chapters of Ezekiel 35 through 37, where our Parsha is centered, is one of the most concentrated prophetic arcs of judgment, purification, national rebirth, and messianic restoration in the entire Tanakh. The Jewish commentators—Rashi, Radak, Ibn Ezra, Ramban, Malbim, and Midrashim—treat these chapters as a single literary and theological unit, which speaks to Israel's future; their restoration is going to be twofold, we are told. It will be both material and spiritual. An inner and outer renewal after exile.  Israel will be delivered from the foreign domination of the nations. Israel's land, once desolate, will be transformed. It’ll be transformed into a fertile land yielding much fruit, and plenty of sheep and cattle, and you've got to have grass for sheep and cattle, and therefore much more rain. The Prophet goes on to tell the people that, along with the material prosperity, once you have gone through your purification process in the furnace of exile, then you will become attentive to the law of God, and a new spirit will be revived and prevail in your midst. God's holy name, which you have profaned among the nations, among the heathens, will be reasserted. Ezekiel proclaims this reversal to the doom and gloom he had just prophesied in chapter six. In the first 15 verses of the chapter (36) God tells Israel, I am for you!  I will turn to you. You shall be tilled and sown. And I will multiply men upon you. All the House of Israel, even all of it, and the cities will be inhabited. The waste places shall be built. I will multiply you. There will be an increase in fruitfulness. I will call you to be inhabited after your former estate. And the latter end is going to be better than the beginning. And you shall know that I am HaShem. The nations in proximity to Israel and the nations of the world, where all of Israel had been scattered, are going to come to understand and realize who HaShem is.  Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I have spoken in my jealous wrath, because you have suffered the reproach of the nations. Therefore, says the Lord God: I swear that the nations that are all around you shall themselves suffer reproach^[22]

 

The prophet Ezekiel reminded the people that HaShem brought them from Egypt to Sinai and from there to the Promised Land. Although the world had changed, God has not changed. The Torah had not changed. And Israel's mission had not changed. The Jewish people and the people of Israel, these two sisters, these two nations that through their disobedience lost their unity, and what was one complete unit was now referred to as two nations.^[23]   Israel, in its totality, had squandered away its legacy through their sin, which brought judgment and destruction upon itself. A major theme in the prophets, the people are reminded over and over that it wasn't Nebuchadnezzar who was doing it. But it was the sinful lifestyle of Israel that caused its destruction, and Nebuchadnezzar was just a tool in God's hand.  When the house of Israel dwelt in their land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings; their way before Me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.^[24]

 

We could reason that the people of that day were contemplating the prophecies and thinking, how is God going to accomplish this?  First, he’s going to exile us, and then he’s going to bring us back home.  Is it going to be an earthquake that destroys our nation? A flood or a tsunami?  Will it be volcanoes, hurricanes, or natural plagues like locusts?  I'm sure then, as it is today, many analysts and pundits were making their rounds trying to figure out what's going on, some preaching doom and gloom and others tickling ears and speaking of the prosperity that is coming, and things are about to get better and better and gooder and gooder.   Then, as now, the people did not have eyes to see nor ears to hear. What God was saying and what he's doing. Therefore, anything they say (the pundits), we can only take it with, not a grain of salt, but a tablespoonful of salt, because they are ignorant of HaShem's plans. If we were back in the day of Ezekiel, I'm sure we would have had the same questions as to how the destruction was coming and how the redemption and restoration were to happen.  Nowadays, we have the books of the prophets and the Oral Law and Jewish history and some 3500 years of history and teaching to look back on, and still with all that information, we don't have a clear understanding of what’s fixing to happen and how it's going to come about and how it's going to play out. Yes, some say they understand, and some will admit they don't know.  One way to help sort out the false and true prophets is by the price they charge for their wares.  My estimation of the conundrum is that God doesn't want to give us a play-by-play. He only wants to give us hints and signposts or markers, just little glimpses here and there, into his plan.  I believe HaShem wants us to stay close, to stay actively engaged, in continuous prayer and study and meditating and supplication. HaShem wants us to stay close to our beloved. As we see the events unfolding, we will have our moment of revelation, as we begin to understand more fully all the diverse opinions and how they're coming together. But until that last play is implemented, using a sports metaphor, no matter how many times you practice a play, you discuss it, you dissect it to understand, it doesn't really come together until it is put into practice on the ground.  Then, either as a participant or as an observer, you see the wonder and beauty of the play and the satisfaction of all the hard work that has gone into it. When you see and experience everything as it plays out and fits together, then we shall understand more fully HaShem's workings.

 

We live in a world with two major religions built around the Hebrew scriptures, Judaism and Christianity. One is trying to keep her head above water, and the other is doing its best to try to push them under and drown them because if they don't exist, then the fact of non-existence validates the other's religion. In other words, if you're not here, then I must be right, and I must be more important than you because you're not here. These two sisters have been going at it for years, but unity has begun to appear as cracks in the armor.  People of faith, God-fearing people, are being drawn toward Jerusalem and Judah. At the end of the day, after a lifetime of learning, you realize just how little you know, and maybe, when you boil it all down and get to the final analysis, it boils down to just having faith and belief in HaShem. Having trusted him that what he said he will do, he will do. We may not understand how it’s all going to play out yet, but with every fiber of our soul and being, we believe.  What has been given to us and what we know as the Hebrew Scriptures is what we stake our faith and fortunes on.  Twice a day, the greatest commandment is our anchor and our righteousness. (Deut.6:4-9, 25) Even with the inclusion of the Nazarene Council^[25] When it is understood in its context, removed from its Greek philosophies and streams of antisemitism and anti-torah bias, we see the hand of HaShem at work to restore all things.

 

As we said earlier, Nebuchadnezzar was simply a tool in HaShem's hand, and we know that a tool does not operate independently of the master who wields it.  It has been said that the Prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah are connected and should be read together to be properly understood.  Abarbanel once noted that these two prophets were the prophets of destruction.  Yirmeyahu, Jeremiah's name is a contraction of the words “fear of HaShem,” Because he labored to teach the fear of HaShem in the society of his day. Yeḥezqēl, Ezekiel’s name is a contraction of “he will strengthen (Faith) in God.^[26]  Ezekiel begins his book, and he ends it with assurance that HaShem will again dwell among us. HaShem always speaks of Israel as my people in Ezekiel. Even so, he's telling them their land and their temple are going to be lost and destroyed, and you’re going to be driven out of it.^[27] A passage known as the passage of repentance tells us that when Israel has reflected upon the blessings and the curses and the nation has reflected on its experience, the people will return to HaShem and heed his voice.^[28]

 

In Verses 16-22, we see the prophet employing the imagery of a woman in a state of impurity due to blood (Lev. 15:19-30).  Metaphorically, Israel, the ten northern tribes, and Judah are compared to a wife and God to a husband.^[29] Therefore, in the times of unfaithfulness to him, Israel is spoken of as having the state of a woman in her impurity. As Rashi said, “Scripture likened them to a woman in the period of her separation.” The wife is temporarily avoided by her husband, only reuniting with him after purification. Similarly, Israel's banishment from the soil was due to moral impurity, but restoration to Israel's homeland will follow upon purification.^[30]  In Leviticus, we are instructed that the time of our separation shall be for seven days. The purification of the land will be necessary when they return, as (v.17) tells us that the House of Israel, while on their land, has contaminated it.  We understand that due to the exalted purity of the land, it cannot tolerate sinners who defile it. Even while Israel was in the wilderness, we are warned against such conduct and behavior as a metaphor to portray the impurity of the land. (Lev. 18:24ff) This impurity resulted from the blood that had been shed upon the land. The text indicates that this is another simile or metaphor,^[31] and it's speaking of the idolatrous practices practiced by the former inhabitants and the new residents, called Israel. We're told (v.18) that for their blood and their idols, for their sin of homicide and idolatry. This would be the chief cause of Israel's banishment. (16:36; 23:37).  The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah^[32] and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols, they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up (Or have even made pass through the fire) to them for food the children whom they had borne to me.^[33] 

 

In verse 20, we are told that when they came to the nations, they profaned my holy name. Literally, it says when he came. The subject is the House of Israel collectively, as in (v.17). Rabbis interpret this singular verb as referring to God. So, to speak, he went into exile with his people and all their afflictions. (Isa. 63:9) Historically, the children of Israel, the Northern tribes, went into captivity first. Then Judah, the southern tribes, did not correct their behavior; they went into exile second. But they were only gone for a little while. And then they (Judah) return home. Does that mean there are not a few from Judah, Benjamin, and Levi scattered among the ten tribes? Possibly, most surely. But I think here we could suggest that this speaks to the ten northern tribes, but not exclusively. We should always keep in mind that it's speaking to the whole family of Israel unless it is stated otherwise^[34]. But earlier, we saw where God separated these two sisters. These are the people of the Lord who go out of his land. In verse 21. It says, But I had pity for my holy name. Which the House of Israel had profaned among the nations.^[35] God’s coming restoration of Israel is therefore “not for your sake” (36:22) but to restore His (God's) honor.

 

In (v.18), we're told that the pouring out of the wrath is due to the bloodshed in the land.  HaShem always pays his debts, measure for measure. First, he tells how Israel, when sent among the nations wherever they came, profaned and destroyed my holy name. The singular refers to the House of Israel mentioned in (v.17) above. Although the whole House of Israel is being spoken of, Judah and the ten tribes, the singular here seems to point more to the Northern tribes. Many times, the House of Israel is used to refer to both sections; other times, it's not. I think in this passage, it's referring more so to the ten tribes. The subject of (v.20) is the profaning of the name brought about by the moral failings of individual members of the House of Israel. Which accounts for the singular form of the verb, but this singular verb was combined with the plural nations. Which made the profaning much greater. Therefore, the entire exile nation is held liable for the defect of every one of its members. So, wherever the Jewish people may be scattered into all the different nations, the nations regard us as one inseparable unit. And they take the crimes or weaknesses of even the most estranged Jew as a reflection of all Jews and of Judaism itself.^[36]  This brings us back to the idea that God must suffer along with His people.^[37]

 

One of the interesting things we see in the world today and in history. The nations seemed to always know who the Jews are and where to direct their anti-Semitism and hate when they are ready to offer it. The nations of the world may debate who a Jew is till it’s time to persecute the Jew, and then the nations have clarity on the subject. Organized religion follows the lead of the nations, and they have done the same thing through history.  With that thought in mind, it seems the Jews pretty much know who they are, and everybody else knows who they are, the Jews. The people we know as Jews today are only a small part of the nation of Israel. Where the nation of Israel is, only God knows. But they're there, and God is dealing with them and drawing them back toward their brothers, the Jews, his people, until the two sticks become one in my hand. (Ezk.37:17f)

 

Ezekiel warns the people that when they sin and contaminate the land. Then, to correct that situation, HaShem in his wrath scatters Israel among the nations. God says you're becoming like the contamination of a menstruous woman. Although she is forbidden to her husband in her present state of impurity, it is only temporary.  Rashi explains they (HaShem and his bride, Israel) wait for the impurity to end so they can be reunited.  A lot of the religious world believes and has developed a theology that this is a divorce, and when God sent Israel out of the land, he divorced them. This is not a divorce; it's just a different time of the month, because of the state of impurity. Radak, Malbim, and Abarbanel agree that Israel was never comparable to a divorced woman because the bond with HaShem was never severed.^[38]

 

Therefore, say unto the House of Israel. I do not do this for your sake. Whole House of Israel, but for my holy name's sake. Which was profaned among the nations. (v.22) Talk about grace! What HaShem is doing for the nation of Israel and for all the nations that are watching, for his namesake. It's not anything that the Jews or Israel have done. The text goes on to say the nations shall know that I am the Lord, said the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. By HaShem, restoring Israel, it will demonstrate that, contrary to the nation’s claims, ‘he could not keep them’, it will demonstrate his power and his holiness through the act of Israel's redemption. This same idea seems to be supported in Ezekiel 38:16, where it says, on that day, when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know it? You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many people with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. You will come up against my people, Israel, like a cloud covering the land in the latter days. I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.^[39]   Pay attention, GOG.  It looks like what's going on in history and has been building for the last 2700 years or more, there is a showdown coming in the land of Israel. Who's going to be there? Judah will be there, and they have been gathered for the last 100 years.   We are also witnessing that the greater Israel is being gathered, some to the land and others, their spirit is being awakened, and they are turning or returning back to God, Torah, and His People, the nation of the Jews.  Although the majority, or all of them, do not know who they are, they have a heart for God and the biblical people.  The third group that is being gathered is Gog (the nations), and somehow, at this great reunion day, Hashem is going to manifest His Holiness. When all parties involved are gathered on the playing field and all those nations that aren't involved, but watching from the grandstands, they're going to see it also, just like the world experienced on the day of Mt. Sinai. Some believed, and others, like Amalek, packed their war wagons and marched to their death and destruction. Then Ezekiel 38:15-16 & 36:23 says, I will manifest my greatness and my holiness… I will make my self-known in the sight of many nations….  They shall know that I am the Lord (HaShem).

 

Rashi poses the question, what is this sanctification of HaShem's name, and how will it happen? This then begs the question of how and when God gathers his people and how and when he will renew his spirit in them.  Rashi said he would take them out of the nations; this is the sanctification. Could we not say this would answer the other questions also?  This sanctification of his name is an ongoing process, little by little, individual by individual.  It happens slowly and then all at once. In (v.25), it teaches us that Israel will be purified with plain water, which is the standard procedure for purification as in Leviticus        14:5,26,50,52, 15:7-12.  This woman, who's going to be cleansed from her impurity, is this cleansing going to happen before Ezekiel 38, or is it going to happen afterward, or simultaneously? He goes on to say a new heart also will I give you, which is a repetition of (11:19), and Rashi says, “an inclination that has been renewed for the better.”  Once they are in the land and the people are cleansed, then God will provide a new heart and a new spirit. (v.26-27), (11:19-18-31). In Ezekiel 39:21ff, there seems to be a scope of work outline for the complete restoration after this great battle in the Middle East against GOG.

 

Jeremiah 31:31, with this new heart and new spirit,^[40] the people will live in accordance with God's commandments. God’s issuance of a decree was effective and permanent: by His decree, He established the order of creation forever, the functions of the sun and the moon (Job 28:26; Jer. 31:35). The prophets without fail condemned Israel and its leaders for not keeping the decrees of the Lord (Ezek. 11:12; 20:13; Amos 2:4) but each saw a future time when a redeemed people would follow them (Ezek. 36:27; 37:24).  Rabbi Abraham Greenbaum shares, in his commentary on Ezekiel 36,  "And I shall give you a new heart, and I shall put a new spirit within you, and I shall remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and I shall give you a heart of flesh"(v. 26). The "heart of stone" refers to man's evil inclination. The Talmud teaches: "The evil inclination is called by seven names. God calls it 'evil' (Gen. 8:21). Moses called it 'uncircumcised' (Deut. 10:16). David called it 'impure', asking for a pure heart (Psalms 51:12). Solomon called it an 'enemy' (Proverbs 25:21). Isaiah called it a 'stumbling block' (Isaiah 57:14). Ezekiel called it 'stone' (Ezk. 36:26), while Joel called it the 'northern' (or 'hidden') one (Joel 2:20)" (Succah 52a).

 

The restoration of Israel's relationship with God will bring fertility to the land. God’s spirit will be placed within them, and it will cause you to walk in my statutes. And they will observe the laws of God.  Because of that spiritual regeneration, you shall dwell on the land and remain in possession of the land. (v.25-28; 37:25).  In (v.33-36), the land is going to be replenished and resemble the Garden of Eden; this will reveal God to the nations.  The House of Israel will awaken and return home.  Seeing God's blessings, their prayer will be for an increase of blessings and populations to restore that which they've lost by war and exile. The nations that remain are going to know what occurs; they will recognize it as the work of God and not of man. HaShem has confirmed with his approval, and it will be so! Hashem says, I have spoken it, and I will do it. (v.38).  A connection with the sacrificial sheep that filled Jerusalem during the time of festivals suggests that those festivals will once again be celebrated in Jerusalem. The imagery of pastoral planning suggests there’s going to be plenty of sheep and cattle, riches and abundance. We are told by Metzudat David that Israel will again keep the mitzvot (commandments) faithfully. Rashi on (36:28) says, “You will dwell in the Land… and I will be your God,” echoing Sinai and the covenant formula, and at this time, there will be a complete restoration of the covenant relationship that was lost through our disobedience.

 

Nazarean Talmud

Sidrot Bamidbar (Numbers) 19:1 – 20:13‎

“Shabbat Parah Adumah”

Bereans (Hebrews) 8:1-9:14

Translation and Commentary by: Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

ERB

 1 ¶ But the principal point being said: we have a Chief Priest [after the order of Melchizedek. cf. Ps 110:4] ‎who is seated (cf. Ps 110:1) in (on) the right of the Throne of the Majesty [El-Gadol] in the heavens;‎

2 a minister of the holy (place - Maqom) and of the true tabernacle, which the LORD builds, (fastens - builds ‎together) not man.‎

 

3 ¶ For every Chief Priest is ordained to (offer) offerings and gifts. Therefore, (it is) requisite for this one (our Chief Priest) to have something which he may offer.

4 On the other hand, if he was on (in) the land, [Eretz Yisrael] he would not even be a priest, (there) being priests [making] offerings gifts according to the Torah.

5 Who exhibit and shadow (pattern – Heb. tavnit) the performance of the sacred services of heavenly things, even as Moshe was Divinely instructed, (when) preparing to build the Mishkan, “And see that you make them after their pattern, which you were shown in the mount.” (Exo 25:40)

6 But now he (our Chief Priest) brought forth a liturgy (service) of excellence, in as much as he is the reconciliation (mediator) of a strengthening [of the] covenant‎, upon which stronger promises are enacted.

 

7 ¶ For if the first [Adam] had been sinless there would not have been opportunity requiring the second [last Adam cf. 1 Cor. 15: 45].

8 Finding fault in them, [the generation of the first Temple] He is saying (Jer. 31:31-34) “Behold, the days come, says The LORD, that I will cut a refreshed covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

9 (32) not according to the covenant that I cut with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt (which covenant of Mine they broke, although I was a husband to them, says the LORD).

10 (33) But this shall be the covenant that I will cut with the house of Israel: After those days, declares The LORD, I will put My Law in their inward parts, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.

11For they shall all know Me, from the least of them even to the greatest of them, declares the LORD.

12 For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.”

13 In the saying renew He made the first [mode of giving the Law and service] old (temporally older). And the old [mode] (temporally older) (is) being completed and near disappearance.

 

9:1 ¶ Therefore, the first Mishkan had ordinances of Divine service, yet the holy place was of this world.

2 The first (court of the) Mishkan was carefully prepared in which both the Menorah and the table with the bread of His presence, being called holy;

3 And beyond the second veil (the Paroket) was a Mishkan called the Holy of Holies.

4 Having a golden censer (on Yom HaKipurim) and the Ark of the Covenant covered entirely with gold, in which was a golden urn of manna and the rod of Aaron which budded and the lukot (tablets) of the covenant.

5 And above it the Keruvim of kevod (Cherubim of glory) overshadowing the mercy-seat of which we are not able to speak of in-depth.

 

6 ¶ Now all of these things were carefully constructed, (and) the priests continually go into the first Mishkan (outer court) performing Divine services.

7 But into the second (part –the Holy of Holies) the Chief Priest alone entered once a year only with blood, which he offers for himself and for the people’s unintentional sins.

8 Thus declaring by the Ruach HaKodesh that the way to the holy courts was not visible while the first Mishkan was standing.

9 Which was an allegory (Remez) of the present time, when sacrifices and gifts (korbanot) could not bring the conscience to mature service,

10 being only food and drink with various immersions, and natural ordinances until the acts of restitution (and reformation) were imposed.

 

11 ¶ But Messiah came, as a High Priest of beneficence, the magistrate of a tabernacle (Mishkan) not made by hands but of [a renewed] creation;

12 and not through the blood of goats and calves but by his own life [of righteousness/generosity] (he) entered once into the holy courts acquiring eternal ransom.

13 For if the blood of bulls and goats, and ashes of a heifer sprinkling those having been defiled, sanctifies to the purity of the flesh,

14 How much more the life of Messiah (who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God), will purify your conscience from dead works, to serve (the) living God!

 

Commentary

 

 B’resheet (Genesis) 15: 1 After these incidents, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Fear not, Abram; I am your Shield; your reward is exceedingly great." ² And Abram said, "O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am going childless, and the steward of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?" ³ And Abram said, "Behold, You have given me no seed, and behold, one of my household will inherit me."^[41]

 

 B’resheet (Genesis) 15:9 And He said to him, "Take for Me three heifers and three goats and three rams, and a turtle dove and a young bird." ¹⁰ And he took for Him all these, and he divided them in the middle, and he placed each part opposite its mate, but he did not divide the birds.

 

 Shemot (Exodus) 13:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying ² "Sanctify to Me every firstborn, every one that opens the womb among the children of Israel, among man and among animals; it is Mine."

 

 All first things, whether in point of time or of power, are the property of God, and most especially all the firstborn; since the whole of that race which is imperishable will justly be apportioned to the immortal God; and if there is anything, in short, which opens the womb, whether of man which here means speech and reason, or of beast which signifies the outward sense and the body; for that which opens the womb of all these things, whether of the mind, so as to enable it to comprehend the things appreciable only by the intellect, or of the speech so as to enable it to exercise the energies of voice, or of the external senses, so as to qualify them to receive the impressions which are made upon them by their appropriate subjects, or of the body to fit it for its appropriate stationary conditions or motions, is the invisible, spermatic, technical, and divine Word, which shall most properly be dedicated to the Father. ^[42]

 

Who (what) is the firstborn?

 

 We begin with this interrogatory remark for the sake of delving into the depths of an allegorical explanation of Hebrews (Bereans) 8:1-9:14 in relation to Shabbat Parah Adumah, the infrastructure of ritual, spiritual purity.

 

  Bereans (Hebrews) 8:1 ¶ But the principal point being said: we have a Chief Priest [after the order of Melchizedek. cf. Ps 110:4] ‎who is seated (cf. Ps 110:1) in (on) the right of the Throne of the Majesty [El-Gadol] in the heavens.‎

 

 Hakham Shaul directed his opening words towards understanding the allegorical implications of Messiah in relation to the Priesthood. We should also understand that the basic relationship of this pericope fits the fast of Yom Kippur. We will plumb the depths of these allegorical words.

 

 The Greek text, as well as the Hebrew text, reveals a most interesting connection, which is superficially obscured from view.

 

 (αρχιερέα) is a compound word in the Greek language used to describe the “Chief Priest.” The fundamental word ἀρχῇ (arche) implies beginning and point of origin and rank. The Greek word ιερέα (ierea) means Priest, which is equal to the Hebrew word כָּהַן (kohen). Consequently, we can allegorically read ἀρχιερέα as “First Priest.”

 

 Furthermore, the opening phrase is an allegorical play on words relating to the “first” and the “firstborn.” Perhaps we should reword the opening phrase of our pericope to read more accurately all the allegorical nuances.

 

Bereans (Hebrews) 8:1 ¶ But the first or most important point being said: we have a First Priest (Priest of the firstborn) [after the (Priestly) order of Melchizedek [cf. Ps 110:4] (the Priesthood of the firstborn) ‎whose Yeshivah (cf. Ps 110:1) is in (on) the right (side of preeminence or the first or the side of Hokhmah) of the Throne of the Majesty [El-Gadol - the Highest or preeminent] in the heavens;‎ (the highest or first work of G-d.)

 

 Hakham Shaul opens with this allegorical play on words, which directly relates to our subject material. Now we should read, “We have the First Priest [after the order of Melchizedek].” Or, perhaps we should understand the text to mean the Priest of the First (born), which is the Priesthood of Melchizedek.

 

Take for Me 3 heifers! The Hebrew attributes three words or phrases to the Levitical Kohen Gadol. We will also see that the word three is important to our lesson.

1. Kohen Gadol – B’Midbar (Numbers) 35:25

2. Kohen Rosh – 2 Melakhim (Kings) 25:18

3. Kohen Nasi – B’Midbar (Numbers) 3:32

 These three phrases have varied significance and importance, which we do not wish to discuss here. However, the Priesthood of the “firstborn” (Melchizedek) is not related to any of the three phrases above. The Priesthood of Melchizedek is the “Kohen El Elyon” [cf. B’resheet (Genesis) 14:18] or the Priest of the “G-d Most High.” This Priest exercises the Priesthood of the “energies of the voice” or the invisible, spermatic, technical, and divine Word, which, passing through the outer senses, seeks to penetrate the inner recesses of the heart.

 

Anything firstborn is vested with reference to G-d. Here, I state anything in the literal sense of the word. Anything first, firstborn, or preeminent in order is vested with the doctrine of G-d. Hakham Shaul has quoted Shemot (Exodus) 25:40 in our present pericope. This quotation screams loudly that the pericope is an allegory and that an allegorical hermeneutic system is used in interpreting it.

 

Bereans (Hebrews) 8:5 Who exhibit and shadow (pattern – Heb. tavnit) the performance of the sacred services of heavenly things, even as Moshe was Divinely instructed, (when) preparing to build the Mishkan, “And see that you make them after their pattern, (pattern – Heb. tavnit) which you were shown in the mount.” (Exo 25:40)

 

The Hebrew word תַּבְנִית tabniyth {tab-neeth'} means a prototypical pattern from which all subsequent items in its genus must be understood. Consequently, the Mishkan is built after the prototypical pattern of the Heavenly plan. The Heavenly plan is the firstborn mirrored in the earthly type.

 

 “The beginning is in the end, and the end is in the beginning,” Sefer Yetzirah 1:7

 

Perhaps I should reword my title here to say, “The first is in the end, and the end is in the first.” The seed of a thing is in the fruit it produces. The “invisible, spermatic, technical, and divine Word” must be cultivated to produce fruit. Teaching does not antedate learning. However, learning is in teaching. Adam’s task was tilling the ground.^[43] The allegorical implications here become very profound. The ground is the seedbed of nature. Nature is the firstborn of G-d. Nature was created and established before Adam; therefore, even in the sciences, when its practitioners are true and honest, they find in nature that G-d is revealed. The imprint of G-d permeates nature. Therefore, Adam (man) is to till the firstborn, for in the firstborn is the beginning, middle, and end of a thing. Only in the tilling of the firstborn will we find Hokhmah (wisdom).

 

 B’resheet (Genesis) 1:1. In the beginning of God’s creation of the heavens and the earth.

 

 Yochanan (John) 1:1 In the beginning was the Torah, and the Torah was with God, and the Torah was God.^[44]  

 

Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 1:9. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

 

Judaism or the Jewish Man must be understood differently from all other men and religions. The Jewish soul’s relationship to G-d is a relationship of man, Torah, and G-d. The Jewish soul never faces G-d alone. When we stand before G-d, we always do so with the Torah. Therefore, the Torah serves as a Mediator and Judge for the conduct of the Jewish soul.^[45] The Jewish soul can NEVER be divorced from the Torah of G-d! The Torah of G-d is the fabric of Adam’s (man’s) being. Consequently, the Torah is a part of Jewish DNA. As a result, Yisrael is invested with two firsts. They themselves are the firstborn of G-d. In addition, G-d invested them with the “invisible, spermatic, technical, and divine Word,” which is the Torah, and which is also the firstborn of G-d. The investiture of the “invisible, spermatic, technical, and divine Word,” which is the Torah within every Jewish soul, makes the Jewish man G-d’s firstborn.

 

 Hakham Shaul’s juxtaposition of words is a play on the idea of the “first.” His juxtaposition of words demonstrates that the “First Priest” was the “Firstborn.” As the “First Priest,” the “Firstborn” is the beginning and the end of the Priesthood. Consequently, the Jewish soul is the Priest of the world (to the nations). Just as nature is a firstborn, so is the Torah. Therefore, man’s duty is to till the Torah a firstborn of G-d.

 

“Sanctify to Me every firstborn and the Number Three.”

 

 B’Midbar (Numbers) 3:12. As for Me I have taken the Levites from among (the middle of) the children of Israel in place of all firstborns among the children of Israel who have opened the womb, and the Levites will be Mine.

 

The substitution of the Levite for the firstborn means that the Levite is in some allegorical way vested with the character of the firstborn. Therefore, when we till the Levitical Priesthood, we will find a Doctrine of G-d.

 

 The Levitical Priesthood is a Priesthood of 3’s as it is written…

 

 D’varim (Deuteronomy) 16:16 Three times in the year, every one of your males will appear before the Lord, your God, in the place (Makom) He will choose: on the Festival of Matzoth and on the Festival of Weeks, and on the Festival of Sukkoth, and he will not appear before the Lord empty-handed.^[46]

 

Targum B’Midbar (Numbers) 19:2 This is the decree, the publication of the Law which the LORD has commanded, saying; Speak to the sons of Israel, that they bring to you from the separation of the fold a red heifer, two years old, in which there is neither spot nor white hair, on which no male has come, nor the burden of any work been imposed, neither hurt by the thong, nor grieved by the goad or prick, nor collar (band) or any like yoke.

 

 The “perfectly red” cow was two complete years old. She is now in her “third” year of life. Her allegory is that of a soul which is adapted to easily receiving the government of G-d, the instruction and administration thereof.

 

 Mishle (Proverbs) 22:20 Have I not written to you thirds with counsels and knowledge, ²¹ to make known to you the certainty of the true words, to respond with words of truth to those who send you?

 

The courts in which the Priests ministered were three. There are three classes of Priests: Levites, Kohanim, and the Kohen Gadol.

 

Three is a perfect number. It is a number of completions. It has a Beginning, middle, and end. The Priesthood is a Priesthood of the number 3. It has a beginning, middle, and end. Hakham Shaul will play on this number in his pericope when he plays with the number of courts. The outer, the inner (middle), and the innermost (end) or Holy of Holies. The Mishkan is a tent of 3’s. When we look at the Mishkan, it is hard to tell which is the beginning and which is the end. When G-d tells Moshe to construct the Mishkan, he begins with the Holy of Holies and proceeds outward. However, when the Priest begins his service, he begins on the outside and proceeds to the inside or the Holy of Holies.

 

 The Proverb, allegory here is written in thirds. This passage is fascinating. Most translations render the passage to say…

 

Mishle (Proverbs) 22:20 Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge,

 

 Note that many translations of Hebrews 8:6 read…

 

Bereans (Hebrews) 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

 

The “more excellent ministry” is a ministry of excellence and diversity. Diversity implies variations of a minimum of three. The Greek διάφορος diaphoros means, “to carry through to the end.” This is a play on the allegorical dimensions of time, which are the beginning, middle, and end of the past, present, and future.^[47] Consequently, my translation of Hakham Shaul’s thoughts reflects this idea.

 

 Bereans (Hebrews) 8:6 But now he (our Chief Priest) brought forth a liturgy (service) of excellence, in as much as he is the reconciliation (mediator) of a strengthening [of the] covenant‎, upon which stronger promises are enacted.

 

Therefore, G-d has taken for Himself the Levitical Priesthood, which is the middle of the Priestly processes, not the result or the goal.

 

D’varim (Deuteronomy) 16:16 Three times in the year, every one of your males will appear before the LORD, your God, in the place He will choose: on the Festival of Matzoth and on the Festival of Weeks, and on the Festival of Sukkoth, and he will not appear before the LORD empty-handed.

 

 The third Pilgrimage Festival is the final festival. It is the seventh of seven festivals. Both three and seven are numbers of completion. The conclusion of the seventh festival is the eighth day or Shemini Atzeret.

 

 B’Midbar (Numbers) 19:12 He will cleanse himself with it on the third day and on the seventh day, so that he may become clean; if he does not have himself cleansed on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean.

 

The Levitical Priesthood was never intended to be the final or eternal Priesthood. I would surmise from the present materials and Pericope of Hakham Shaul’s allegory that G-d is demonstrating that the Priesthood returned to the firstborn. I would further reiterate that this is a stronger and better Priesthood. The reason for this strength and superior Priesthood is that it is a close-knit relational structure. The family unit would better serve the needs of the individual. It would be far more personal and specific.

Take for Me / Take for You

 

 B’resheet (Genesis) 15:9 And He said to him, "Take for Me three heifers and three goats and three rams, and a turtle dove and a young bird."

 

Translations differ with regard to the number three and the “three years old.” The argument is whether a three-year-old (cow) should be called a heifer or a cow. Both the passage cited here and our Torah Seder contain the same idea.

 

G-d tells Abraham; Take for me three goats or a goat of three whole, complete years, and take for me three rams or a ram of three whole, complete years. The ram represents the contemptuous nature. When the contemptuous nature (yester hara) is sacrificed, controlled, and brought to maturity, it serves to discern between right, wrong, and good order.

 

G-d continues by telling Abraham; Take for me a turtledove (young bird) and a pigeon or a dove.

 

 Shemot (Exodus) 1:15 Now the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one who was named Shifrah (Young bird) and the second, who was named Puah (red).

 

The turtledove is Divine wisdom or hokhmah, and the dove or pigeon is human wisdom.

 

 Shiphrah, being interpreted, means " a little bird," and Puah means "red." Now it is the especial property of divine wisdom, like a bird, to be always soaring on high; but it is the characteristic of human wisdom to study modesty and temperance, so as to blush at all objects which are worthy to cause a blush;^[48]  

 

B’resheet (Genesis) 15:10 And he took for Himself all these, and he divided them in the middle, and he placed each part opposite its mate, but he did not divide the birds.

 

Abraham took for himself all the things that G-d had commended.

 

B’Midbar (Numbers) 19:2 This is the statute of the Torah, which the LORD commanded, saying, Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke was laid.

 

One for me and one for you and one for me. This statute (B’Midbar (Numbers) 19:2) reads differently than the “Brit B,ne HaBetarim” (Covenant between the pieces) in that it says, take for YOU. Here G-d commands that the B’ne Yisrael are to take for you meaning Moshe, a perfectly red cow.

 

 Why does it say, “Take for you” (Moshe)? Moshe was the mediator of the covenant. However, Moshe and Messiah are allegories of men of virtue. Their imitation of G-d causes them to be recipients of pure Hokhmah. Therefore, when G-d says, “take for you,” the man who follows that command imitates the virtue of G-d and receives Divine Hokhmah.

 

The Mediator, Man in the Middle

 

B’resheet (Genesis) 15:10 And he took for Him all these, and he divided them in the middle, and he placed each part opposite its mate, but he did not divide the birds.

 

The division of the animals is allegorical of discernment or the ability to discern between two thoughts.

 

Bereans (Hebrews) 8:6 But now he (our Chief Priest) brought forth a liturgy (service) of excellence, in as much as he is the reconciliation (mediator) of a strengthening [of the] covenant‎, upon which stronger promises are enacted.

 

As a mediator mediates between two parties, the Mediator is the third party reconciling or rejoining those two parties. Messiah as Mediator reconciles the lost ability of the Firstborn to function as a Priest. This Priesthood of the Firstborn is the “stronger Priesthood” ministering a “stronger service.” The stronger service no longer focuses on the sacrifice of an animal in the literal sense. It rather focuses on the sacrifice of the human animal, which is the Yetser hara. The “sacrifices” in general are referred to as “Korbanot.” The Hebrew word “Korban” means to “bring near.” Can we bring the Yetser hara near to G-d? Yes! Again, we have the idea of three in the concept of balancing between the two inclinations in man. This harmonizing of the nature of man is bringing man to maturity by the mediator of the invisible, spermatic, technical, and divine Word,” which is the Torah.

 

As a Tree grows

 

B’resheet (Genesis) 2:9 And the Lord God caused to sprout from the ground every tree pleasant to see and good to eat, and the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil.

 

⁹ וַיַּצְמַ֞ח יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה כָּל־עֵ֛ץ נֶחְמָ֥ד לְמַרְאֶ֖ה וְט֣וֹב לְמַאֲכָ֑ל וְעֵ֤ץ הַֽחַיִּים֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַגָּ֔ן וְעֵ֕ץ הַדַּ֖עַת ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע׃

 

Our text here speaks of a tree of knowledge of good and evil. However, when we read this text from a more allegorical level, we see something that relates to the development of the nature of man and a revelation of the true Priesthood of the firstborn.

 

B’resheet (Genesis) 2:9 And the Lord God caused to sprout from the ground every tree pleasant to see and good to eat, and the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of marriage between good and evil.

 

The Hebrew phrase הַדַּ֖עַת means the marriage. As it is written…

 

 B’resheet (Genesis) 4:1 Now the man knew (yada) ^[49]his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, and she said, "I have acquired a man with the Lord."

 

The result of Adam eating of the tree of evil married to good is confusion or the inability to discern between two lines of thought. While the natural state of man is that of confusion, G-d will not allow man to remain in that state. He has given man the firstborn the means by which to solve this problem. The firstborn is that which is most properly dedicated to the Father (G‑d). The Torah of all things is one of the preeminent firstborn of G-d. Therefore, man achieves discernment between good and evil by means of the mechanism of the invisible, spermatic, technical, and divine Word,” which is the Torah. However, man is always in need of an explanation of the Torah. Therefore, we need a “mediator” or a Teacher. As a Teacher of the Torah, the teacher is a firstborn because the firstborn is that which is most properly dedicated to the Father (G-d) and His Torah. The preeminent teacher of the Torah is the Messiah. On the other hand, perhaps we could say allegorically that the firstborn is the preeminent teacher of the Torah.

 

Bereans (Hebrews) 9:11 ¶ But Messiah came, as a High Priest of beneficence, the magistrate of a tabernacle (Mishkan) not made by hands but of [a renewed] creation;

12 and not through the blood of goats and calves but by his own life [of righteousness] (he) entered once into the holy courts acquiring eternal ransom.

13 For if the blood of bulls and goats, and ashes of a heifer sprinkling those having been defiled, sanctifies to the purity of the flesh,

14 How much more the life of Messiah (who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God), will purify your conscience from dead works, to serve (the) living God!

 

 Again, we need to reword our translation slightly to more readily explain the allegorical nuances of the text. “But, Messiah came, as a First Priest (Priest of the firstborn) of beneficence... returning things to their natural state.” If Messiah did not restore the natural order by means of the blood of bulls, goats, and heifers, then how did he accomplish this task?

 

Bereans (Hebrews) 8:3 ¶ For every Chief Priest is ordained to (offer) offerings and gifts. Therefore, (it is) requisite for this one (our Chief Priest) to have something which he may offer.

 

“Therefore, (it is) requisite for this one (our Priest of the Firstborn) to have something which he may offer.” What did Messiah offer that was of more value than the blood of bulls and goats? The answer…

 

Bereans (Hebrews) 9:12 and not through the blood of goats and calves but by his own life [of righteousness/ generosity] (he) entered once into the holy courts, acquiring eternal ransom.

 

His own life [of righteousness/generosity], he acquired an eternal restoration of the priesthood of the firstborn. Here we see that G-d intended to perfect the Priesthood by returning the Priesthood to the order of the beginning, or back to the firstborn. Perhaps we should explain that a life of righteousness/generosity is a life of Torah observance. And that a life of Torah observance is a life of teaching Torah. Teaching Torah is “tilling” Torah as Adam was supposed to do.

 

The Esnoga and the Firstborn

 

Bereans (Hebrews) 8:6 But now he (our Chief Priest) brought forth a liturgy (service) of excellence, in as much as he is the reconciliation (mediator) of a strengthening [of the] covenant‎, upon which stronger promises are enacted.

 

Throughout this commentary, I have played on the number three. The number three is important to the thoughts of the ministry of restoration that Messiah brings again to life. He brought forth a liturgy (service) of excellence in that he restored to the local community that which they needed and rightfully deserved. Every community needs a Torah Scholar or one who tills the Torah. Every community needs an Adam or a firstborn.

 

The Local Esnoga

 

Scholars like to debate the origins of the Synagogue. However, they tend to fail to think about the everyday life of the Jew in Eretz Yisrael. Most Scholars relegate the institution of the Synagogue to the Exile of the Jewish nation in Babylon. The problem here is that they fail to realize that the Torah was infused into the soul of the Jew from the foundation of the earth (Har Sinai). While Yehoshua conducted the taking of Eretz Yisrael, we must realize that the local communities must have gathered in some way to review, study, and teach the Torah to succeeding generations. The Torah was not held in some sort of vacuum. It is true that the Mishkan resided in Shiloh. (also, an allegorical play on words) It is also true that it took a more permanent form while it resided in Shiloh. However, we must again reiterate that the communities were not without Torah, Torah scholars, and a Bet Din (court of justice).

 

It is more than common knowledge that the minimum number for a Bet Din is three. It is also true that there are seven Festivals. Each of these items has an allegorical parallel. The number three has been discussed above. The number seven is equally a complete number or number of completion as is the number ten. Larger communities required a larger Bet Din and a larger governing body. The model described in Hakham Shaul’s letter to the Ephesians demonstrates this point.^[50]

 

I would here surmise that Hakham Shaul gives an allegorical teaching, telling us that the Messiah saw that the center for worship should be the home, and one of its prime altars, the dining room table, rather than focusing on a specific location. This is not to say that Yerushalayim is of no import. The Scripture says, “in the place (Makom) which I will choose.”^[51]

 

Abot 3:3 R. Simeon says, “Three who ate at a single table and did not talk about teachings of Torah while at that table are as though they ate from dead sacrifices (Ps. 106:28), “as it is said, For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness [if they are] without God (Ps. 106:28). “But three who ate at a single table and did talk about teachings of Torah while at that table are as if they ate at the table of the Omnipresent, blessed is He, “as it is said, And He said to me, This is the table that is before the LORD (Ez. 41:22).”

3:6 R. Halafta of Kefar Hananiah says, “Among ten who sit and work hard on Torah the Presence comes to rest, “as it is said, God stands in the congregation of God (Ps. 82:1). “And how do we know that the same is so even of five? For it is said, And he has founded his group upon the earth (Am. 9:6). “And how do we know that this is so even of three? Since it is said, And he judges among the judges (Ps. 82:1). “And how do we know that this is so even of two? Because it is said, Then they that feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD hearkened and heard (Mal. 3:16). “And how do we know that this is so even of one? Since it is said, In every place where I record my name I will come to you, and I will bless you (Ex. 20:24).”

 

 So, where is the place (Makom) that the LORD chooses? The place (Makom) that the LORD chooses is the place where His Torah is being “tilled.”

 

 It should also be concluded that Messiah predicted the destruction of the Temple. Furthermore, Hakham Shaul saw these events taking place as he penned the words through his Scribe Hillel (Dr. Lukas).

 

How did Yeshua and Hakham Shaul know that Nazarean Judaism would survive? The answer, which we have alluded to throughout, is the reinstitution of the Priesthood of the Firstborn. This ministry is stronger and more reliable than any other ministry type. In fact, this type of ministry seems to be more in line with the Torah than many other models. How can this be? This is because the Torah, when taught on a communal level, strengthens the community. The Shema mandates that we teach our children. Herein lies the responsibility of the father and the firstborn.

 

I have played on the connecting point of “Take for me” throughout this commentary. So, what does this phrase really teach us? I have found that the phrase “Take for me” is interconnected and has its priorities on what G-d wants for Himself. Therefore, we ask what G-d wants for Himself. In short, I believe G-d wants what He wanted when Adam failed.

 

 Bereans (Hebrews) 8:7 ¶ For if the first [Adam] had been sinless there would not have been opportunity requiring the second [last Adam cf. 1 Cor. 15: 45].

 

G-d wanted to transmit His Divine virtue from the Heavens^[52] to the earth. Each time the phrase “Take for Me” or “Sanctify to Me” occurs, we find that G-d is trying to transmit His Divine virtue to the earth through a special agent. Our pericope in the Epistle to the Bereans demonstrates this point clearly. However, I think that we have most often missed the point. We wait for some special agent vested with the Divine virtue or power to bring about a special set of events that will “PURIFY” us from our world of contamination. Again, I think we have missed the point. Why was Messiah sent? Messiah’s impact on history was to reinstitute and reinvest each one of us with the spirit of Messiah. The reinstitution of the Priesthood of the Firstborn brings us to a renewed level of expectation and service. The Levitical Priesthood made it nice to have a Priestly class of people who were responsible for our spiritual well-being. The reinstitution of the Priesthood of the Firstborn now makes the Priesthood a more personal thing. Now, rather than look to a special class, we are responsible on a much more personal level.

 

 When Yisrael entered the Promised Land, they fought two battles that tell us what we need to know about corporate continuity. The first battle at Yericho taught corporate unity. The second battle at Ai taught corporate responsibility.

 

Qayin’s question

 

B’resheet (Genesis) 4:9 And the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

 

How can G-d ask Qayin this question? The answer lies in the fact that Qayin is the firstborn and consequently the Priest of the family. It is readily evident that Qayin did not want this responsibility. I realize that the Rabbinic sources teach a message far more in-depth as to what occurred behind the scenes. My point here is that the Priesthood of the Firstborn IS responsible for his brother! Likewise, I would say that we are responsible for one another.

 

The Mishkan

 

I have said that the idea of “Take for Me” means that G-d wants to transmit His Divine virtue to the earth through a special agent. The Tabernacle and subsequent Temples were allegorical in nature. Furthermore, they were agents of the LORD in a matter of speaking. If we do not realize this and plumb their depth from this perspective, we might have to endure the process all over again. (G-d forbid!) What is the allegorical message of the Mishkan? The Mishkan and ALL the sacred objects and rituals, including the ritual of the Red Cow, teach us that we are to imitate wisdom. Or, in other words, SEEK WISDOM! The construction of the Mishkan is very interesting.

 

Bereans (Hebrews) 9:1 ¶ Therefore, the first Mishkan had ordinances of Divine service, yet the holy place was of this world.

 

The Divine service was conducted in an earthly place. This allegory is picturesque of the Nazarean Jew following the Divine Services while living in a house of flesh. On the other hand, we might say that the occupation of the Nazarean Jew is to make himself a Mishkan of “living stones.”

 

Bereans (Hebrews) 9:9 Which was an allegory (Remez) of the present time, when sacrifices and gifts (korbanot) could not bring the conscience to mature service,

13 For if the blood of bulls and goats, and ashes of a heifer sprinkling those having been defiled, sanctifies to the purity of the flesh,

Bereans 9:14 How much more the life of Messiah (who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God), will purify your conscience from dead works, to serve (the) living God!

 

Here, the scholars tumble over themselves trying to explain this allegory. The conscience is the Divine voice speaking to man’s soul, Baruch HaShem! “I do not want to kill it; I want to cultivate it.” This is genuine maturity, or this is the maturity of the conscience. Hakham Shaul discusses this thought in the following verse:

 

 Bereans (Hebrews) 5:14 But solid food is for mature men, for those whose senses (and) mental faculties are trained by practice to distinguish (and) discern between what is honorably good (and) righteous/generous and what is evil (and) contrary either to Divine Law.^[53]

 

The Mishkan was permeated with “korbanot.” How are we to understand the korbanot? When G-d tells Moshe to have the B’ne Yisrael bring their “T’rumah”,^[54] They were to bring their “first-fruits.” Understanding the allegorical implications of bringing these types of offerings to G-d is vital to the understanding of a mature man. What man would bring a blemished offering to G-d? Therefore, we are taught through the offerings and services how to conduct ourselves before G-d and what kind of service to provide for Him. The Mishkan and the subsequent Temples were schoolmasters training us in the service of the heart.

 

 Bereans (Hebrews) 8:1 ¶ But the first or most important point being said: we have a First Priest (Priest of the firstborn) [after the (Priestly) order of Melchitzedek [cf. Ps 110:4] (the Priesthood of the firstborn) ‎who’s Yeshivah (cf. Ps 110:1) is in (on) the right (side of preeminence or the first or the side of Hokhmah) of the Throne of the Majesty [El-Gadol - the Highest or preeminent] in the heavens;‎ (the highest or first work of G-d.)

 

 As can be seen and logically deduced, the Mishkan and the subsequent Temples are an allegorical Yeshivah of Messiah to teach and train us in the appropriate manners of conduct as Nazarean Jews.

 

On A Different Tack

 

Dr. Richard H. Schwartz^[55] The Jewish Virtual Library answers some “Frequently Asked Questions About Animal Sacrifices and the Messianic Period.” Here, for brevity’s sake, I reproduce his answers to two questions posed on this topic:  

 

1. If God wanted us to have vegetarian diets and not harm animals, why were the Biblical sacrificial services established?

 

During the time of Moses, it was the general practice among all nations to worship by means of sacrifice. There were many associated idolatrous practices. The great Jewish philosopher Maimonides stated that God did not command the Israelites to give up and discontinue all these manners of service because "to obey such a commandment would have been contrary to the nature of man, who generally cleaves to that to which he is used," For this reason, God allowed Jews to make sacrifices, but "He transferred to His service that which had served as a worship of created beings and of things imaginary and unreal." All elements of idolatry were removed. Maimonides concluded:

 

By this divine plan it was effected that the traces of idolatry were blotted out, and the truly great principle of our Faith, the Existence and Unity of God, was firmly established; this result was thus obtained without deterring or confusing the minds of the people by the abolition of the service to which they were accustomed, and which alone was familiar to them.

 

The Jewish philosopher Abarbanel reinforced Maimonides' argument. He cited a Midrash that indicated that the Jews had become accustomed to sacrifices in Egypt. To wean them from these idolatrous practices, God tolerated the sacrifices but commanded that they be offered in one central sanctuary:

 

Thereupon, the Holy One, blessed be He, said "Let them at all times offer their sacrifices before Me in the Tabernacle, and they will be weaned from idolatry, and thus be saved." (Rabbi J. H. Hertz, The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, p. 562)

 

 Rabbi J. H. Hertz, the late chief rabbi of England, stated that if Moses had not instituted sacrifices, which were admitted by all to have been the universal expression of religious homage, his mission would have failed, and Judaism would have disappeared. With the destruction of the Temple, the rabbis state that prayer and good deeds took the place of sacrifice.

 

Rashi indicated that God did not want the Israelites to bring sacrifices; it was their choice. He bases this on the haphtorah (portion from the Prophets) read on the Sabbath when the book of Leviticus which discusses sacrifices is read:

 

 I have not burdened thee with a meal-offering, Nor wearied thee with frankincense. (Isaiah 43:23)

 

 Biblical commentator David Kimchi (1160-1235) also stated that the sacrifices were voluntary. He ascertained this from the words of Jeremiah:

 

For I spoke not unto your fathers, nor commanded them on the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices; but this thing I commanded them, saying, "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. (Jeremiah 7:22-23)

 

 David Kimchi, notes that nowhere in the Ten Commandments is there any reference to sacrifice, and even when sacrifices are first mentioned (Lev. 1:2) the expression used is "when any man of you brings an offering," the first Hebrew word “ki” being literally "if", implying that it was a voluntary act.

 

 Many Jewish scholars such as Rabbi Kook believe that animal sacrifices will not be reinstated in messianic times, even with the reestablishment of the Temple. They believe that at that time human conduct will have advanced to such high standards that there will no longer be need for animal sacrifices to atone for sins. Only non-animal sacrifices (grains, for example) to express gratitude to God would remain. There is a Midrash (rabbinic teaching based on Jewish values and tradition) that states: "In the Messianic era, all offerings will cease except the thanksgiving offering, which will continue forever. This seems consistent with the belief of Rabbi Kook and others, based on the prophecy of Isaiah (11:6-9), that people and animals will be vegetarian in that time, and "none will hurt nor destroy in all My Holy mountain."

 

Sacrifices, especially animal sacrifices, were not the primary concern of God. As a matter of fact, they could be an abomination to Him if not carried out together with deeds of loving kindness and justice. Consider these words of the prophets, the spokesmen of God:

 

 What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. (Hos. 6:6)

 

 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me?" sayeth the Lord. "I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs or of he-goats...bring no more vain oblations.... Your new moon and your appointed feasts my soul hateth;...and when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood. (Isa. 1:11-16)

 

 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Yea, though you offer me burnt-offerings and your meal offerings, I will not accept them neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy song; and let Me not hear the melody of thy psalteries. But let justice well up as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. (Amos 5:21-4)

 

Deeds of compassion and kindness toward all creation are of greater significance to God than sacrifices: "To do charity and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice" (Prov. 21: 3).

 Perhaps a different type of sacrifice is required of us today. When Rabbi Shesheth kept a fast for Yom Kippur, he used to conclude with these words:

 

 Sovereign of the Universe, You know full well that in the time of the Temple when a man sinned, he used to bring a sacrifice, and though all that was offered of it was fat and blood, atonement was made for him. Now I have kept a fast and my fat and blood have diminished. May it be Your will to account my fat and blood which have been diminished as if I have offered them before You on the altar, and do You favour me. (Berachot 17a)

 

2.       When the Temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt, won't the sacrificial services be restored, and won't people have to eat meat?

 

As indicated previously, Rav Kook and others believe that in the Messianic epoch, human conduct will have improved to such a degree that animal sacrifices will not be necessary to atone for sins. There will only be non-animal sacrifices to express thanks to G-d.

 

As also indicated, based on the prophecy of Isaiah (11:6-9), Rav Kook and others believe that the Messianic period will be vegetarian.

 

While not all Jewish Rabbis agree with the above position of Maimonides, Abarbanel, David Kimchi, Rabbi Kook, and Rabbi J. H. Hertz, nevertheless, this position is held firm by quite a number of present-day prestigious Rabbinic authorities, which are unfortunately not in the majority. Having noted this, we may ask, what position does Hakham Shaul take in the portion for this Shabbat of Parah Adumah?

 

 To answer this question, Hakham Shaul (Paul) refers us to the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-34‎ -

 

31 Behold, the days come, says The LORD, that I will cut a refreshed covenant with the house of Israel ‎and with the house of Judah,‎

‎32. not according to the covenant that I cut with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to ‎bring them out of the land of Egypt (which covenant of Mine they broke, although I was a husband to ‎them, says the LORD). ‎

‎33. But this shall be the covenant that I will cut with the house of Israel: After those days, declares ‎The LORD, I will put My Law in their inward parts, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their ‎God, and they shall be My people. For they shall all know Me, from the least of them even to the greatest of them, declares the LORD. ‎For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.”‎

 

 Which is similar to our Ashlamatot in Ezekiel 36:24-28

 

 ‎24. For I will draw you near from among the ‎Gentiles, and I will gather you in from all the ‎countries, and I will bring you into your own land.‎

‎25. And I will forgive your sins, as though you had ‎been purified by the waters of sprinkling and by the ‎ashes of the heifer sin-offering, and you will be ‎cleansed of all your defilements, and from all your ‎idols I will cleanse you.‎

‎26. And I will give you a faithful heart, and I will put ‎a faithful spirit deep inside you; and I will demolish ‎the wicked heart, which is as hard as stone, from ‎your flesh; and I will give you a heart that is faithful ‎before Me, to do My will.‎

‎27. And My holy spirit will I put deep inside you and ‎I will act so that you will walk in My statutes and ‎keep My Laws and observe them.‎

‎28. You will dwell in the land which I gave to your ‎fathers, and you will be a people before Me, and I ‎will be your God.‎

 

 Now, Hakham Shaul in Bereans (Hebrews) 8:13 reasons:

 

 13 In the saying renew He made the first [mode of giving the Law and service] old (temporally older). And the old [mode] (temporally older) (is) being completed and near disappearance.

 

Notice that the first mode of giving of the Law was in tablets of stone and orally, but in the second mode of giving of the Law it consists of a combination of a miraculous Divine intervention whereby G-d places the Written and Oral Laws in the hearts (read: minds) of all Israel, as well as placing an earnest and intense mental and spiritual desire to learn the Written and Oral Toral and put the Commandments into practice. There is no change in the Law per se, the change is in the mode of giving it, and in the intense desire to learn and practice placed on the hearts and minds of the people of Israel.

 

There is also a change in the service of G-d, whereby in the previous administration we had animal sacrifices and in the new administration we have the service of the heart, mind, lips, and great deeds of loving-kindness. It is to this aspect of the administration of God’s Law that Hakham Shaul refers to in his words: “the old [mode] (temporally older) (is) being completed and near disappearance.”^[56]

 

Here, it is interesting to note as well that Hakham Shaul says that the Torah service by means of animal sacrifices “(is) being completed and near disappearance.” This means that at the time when Hakham Shaul wrote this Epistle by the hands of his scribe Dr. Hillel (i.e., Dr. Luke), the Temple was still functioning, but by prophetic revelation, “near completion and disappearance.” This event of completion and disappearance happened in 70 C.E. when the Temple was destroyed completely by the Roman Legions.

 

It is in Yavneh, under the leadership of R. Yochanan bar Yochai, that the crisis in Judaism is confronted and Judaism is reformed to cope with a new administration of the Torah via the service of the heart, mind, lips, and great deeds of loving-kindness. This reformation of Judaism at Yavneh is hinted by Hakham Shaul in Bereans 9:8, where he states: “until the acts of restitution (and reformation) were imposed.” In these words, Hakham Shaul also hints and alludes to a “full restitution” of the Priesthood of the Firstborn (aka Priesthood of Melchizedek), which was suspended because of the sin of the golden calf. Once that sin was fully forgiven, a reformation of Judaism took place at Yavneh under the direction of Yochanan bar Yochai, and “full restitution” of the priesthood of the firstborn was affected.

And in relation to the cleansing of the waters of ashes of the red heifer, the topic for this Shabbat, this too means that in this new administration of the Law, cleansing is affected by a renewed vigour in the service of the heart, mind, lips, great deeds of loving-kindness, and in the observance of the Commandments with full intent and nobility.

 

What is important here to underline is that neither the Law has changed nor has the covenant been abrogated, for as Hakham Shaul clearly states in Bereans 8:6: “But now he (our Chief Priest) brought forth a liturgy (service) of excellence, in as much as he is the reconciliation (mediator) of a strengthening [of the] covenant‎, upon which stronger promises are enacted. Neither the Law nor the Covenant has been abolished as the ignorant teach, but rather a strengthening of the Law and the Covenant has taken place, via the new administration of service – i.e., the service of the heart, mind, lips, great deeds of loving-kindness, and in the observance of the Commandments.

 

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,

 

Next Shabbat: Adar 25, 5786

Shabbat: Shabbat HaChodesh

The Holy New Moon for the Month of Nisan

(The Month when Jewish Kings are Enthroned)

&

Shabbat Mevarchim

(Proclamation of the New Moon of Nisan)

(Thursday Evening 19^th of March – Friday Evening 20^th of March 2026)

 

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

· The Warning of the Last Plague – Exodus 11:1-10

· The Institution of the Passover – Exodus 12:1-13

· Regulations for the Passover Festival – Exodus 12:14-20

· Moses Communicates the Laws of Passover to the Elders – Exodus 12:21-28

 

Next Week’s Reading Assignment:

 

 

 

Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

Edited by HH 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.