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

 

 

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

 

Roll of Honor:

 

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

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

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

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

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

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

Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family

His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved family

His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife

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

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

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

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

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

His Excellency Adon Shlomoh ben Abraham

His Excellency Adon Yaaqov ben David

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

Her Excellency Giberet Krysta Wallrauch & beloved family

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

Shabbat: “Az Yavdil” – Sabbath “Then set apart”

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·        Moses Assigns 3 Cities of Refuge East of Jordan – Deut. 4:41-43

·        Title, Time, and Place of Moses’ Second Discourse – Deut. 4:44-49

·        On the Revelation of Horeb – Deut. 5:1-5

·        The First Word – Deut. 5:6

·        The Second Word – Deut. 5:7-10

·        The Third Word – Deut. 5:11

·        The Fourth Word – Deut. 5:12-15

·        The Fifth Word – Deut. 5:16

·        The Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Word – Deut. 5:17

·        The Tenth Word – Deut. 5:18

·        The Manner in which the Decalogue was Delivered – Deut. 5:19-30

·        Conclusion of the Second Discourse – Deut. 6:1-3

·        The Shema – Deuteronomy 6:4-9

·        Peril of Forgetting – Deuteronomy 6:10-19

·        The Exodus – An Object Lesson – Deuteronomy 6:20-25

·        The Ten Words and the Shema Demands Avoidance of Intermarriage, and the Destruction of all Idolatrous Worship in the Promised Land – Deuteronomy 7:1-5

·        Reason for Previous Commands – Deuteronomy 7:6-11

 

 

Reading Assignment:

 

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:41 – 7:11

 

JPS	Targum Pseudo Jonathan
41. Then Moses decided to separate three cities on the side of the Jordan towards the sunrise,	41. And now, behold, Mosheh set apart three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise,
42. so that a murderer might flee there, he who murders his fellow man unintentionally, but did not hate him in time past, that he may flee to one of these cities, so that he might live:	42. that the manslayer who had killed his neighbor without intention, not having hated him yesterday or before, may flee, and escape into one of those cities, and be spared alive.
43. Bezer in the desert, in the plain country of the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead of the Gadites, and Golan in the Bashan of the Menassites.	43. Kevatirin the wilderness, in the plain country, for the tribe of Reuben, and Ramatha in Gilead for the tribe of Gad, and Dabera in Mathnan for the tribe of Menasheh.
44. And this is the teaching which Moses set before the children of Israel:	44. This is the declaration of the Law which Mosheh set in order before the sons of Israel
45. These are the testimonies, statutes and ordinances, which Moses spoke to the children of Israel when they went out of Egypt,	45. and the statutes and judgments which Mosheh spoke with the sons of Israel at the time when they had come out of Mizraim.
46. on the side of the Jordan in the valley, opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, after they went out of Egypt.	46. And Mosheh delivered them beyond Jordan over against Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amoraee, who dwelt in Heshbon, whom Mosheh and the sons of Israel smote when they had come out of Mizraim.
47. And they possessed his land and the land of Og, king of the Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were on the side of the Jordan, towards the sunrise,	47. And they took possession of his land and the land of Og, king of Mathnan, the two kings of the Amoraee, who were beyond the Jordan, eastward,
48. from Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, to Mount Sion, which is Hermon,	48. from Aroer on the bank of the river Arnon to the mountain of Saion, which is the Snowy Mount;
49. and all the plain across the Jordan eastward as far as the sea of the plain, under the waterfalls of the hill.	49. and all the plain beyond Jordan, eastward, unto the sea that is in the plain under the spring of the heights.
Ch 5
1. And Moses called all Israel and said to them, "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, and learn them, and observe [them] to do them.	1. And Mosheh called all Israel, and said to them: Hear, Israel, the statutes and judgments that I speak before you this day, to learn them, and observe to perform them.
2. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.	2. The LORD our God confirmed a covenant with us in Horeb:
3. Not with our forefathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, we, all of whom are here alive today.	3. not with our fathers did the LORD confirm this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here this day alive and abiding.
4. Face to face, the Lord spoke with you at the mountain out of the midst of the fire:	4. Word to word did the LORD speak with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire.
5. (and I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to tell you the word of the Lord, for you were afraid of the fire, and you did not go up on the mountain) saying,	5. I stood between the Word of the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid before the voice of the Word of the LORD, which you heard from the midst of the fire; neither did you go up to the mountain while He said:
6. "I am the Lord your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.	6. Sons of Israel, My people, I am the LORD your God, who made and led you out free from the land of Mizraim, from the house of the bondage of slaves.
7. You shall not have the gods of others in My presence.	7. Sons of Israel, My people, no other god will you have beside Me.
8. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness which is in the heavens above, which is on the earth below, or which is in the water beneath the earth.	8. You will not make to you an image or the likeness of anything which is in the heavens above, or in the earth below, or in the waters under the earth:
9. You shall not prostrate yourself before them, nor worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a zealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me.	9. you will not worship them or do service before them; for I am the LORD your God, a jealous and avenging God, taking vengeance in jealousy; remembering the sins of wicked/lawless fathers upon rebellious children to the third generation and to the fourth of them that hate Me, when the children complete to sin after their fathers;
10. And [I] perform loving kindness to thousands [of generations] of those who love Me and to those who keep My commandments.	10. but keeping mercy and bounty for a thousand generations of the righteous/generous who love Me and keep My mandates and My laws.
11. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain, for the Lord will not hold blameless anyone who takes His name in vain.	11. Sons of Israel, My people, no one of you will swear by the Name of the Word of the LORD your God in vain: for the LORD, in the day of the great judgment, will not acquit anyone who will swear by His Name in vain.
12. Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord your God commanded you.	12. Sons of Israel, My people, observe the day of Sabbath, to sanctify it according to all that the LORD your God has commanded.
13. Six days may you work, and perform all your labor,	13. Six days you will labor and do all your work,
14. but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall perform no labor, neither you, your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your ox, your donkey, any of your livestock, nor the stranger who is within your cities, in order that your manservant and your maidservant may rest like you.	14. but the seventh day (will be for) rest and quiet before the LORD your God; you will do no work, neither you, nor your sons, nor your daughters, nor your servants, nor your handmaids, nor your oxen, your asses, nor any of your cattle, nor your sojourners who are among you; that your servants and handmaids may have repose as well as you.
15. And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God took you out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm; therefore, the Lord, your God, commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.	15. And remember that you were servants in the land of Mizraim, and that the LORD your God delivered and led you out with a strong hand and uplifted arm; therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
16. Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God commanded you, in order that your days be lengthened, and that it may go well with you on the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you.	16. Sons of Israel, My people, be every one mindful of the honor of his father and his mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged, and it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
17. You shall not murder. And you shall not commit adultery. And you shall not steal. And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.	17. Sons of Israel, My people, you will not murder, nor be companions or participators with those who do murder, nor will there be seen in the congregations of Israel (those who have part) with murderers; that your children may not arise after you, and teach their own to have part with murderers; for because of the guilt of murder the sword comes forth upon the world. Sons of Israel, My people, you will not be adulterers, nor companions of, or have part with, adulterers; neither will there be seen in the congregations of Israel (those who have part) with adulterers, and that your children may not arise after you, and teach theirs also to be with adulterers; for through the guilt of adulteries the plague comes forth upon the world. Sons of Israel, My people, you will not be thieves, nor be companions nor have fellowship with thieves, nor will there be seen in the congregations of Israel (those who have part) with thieves; for because of the guilt of robberies famine comes forth on the world. Sons of Isreal, My people, you will not bear false witness, nor be companions or have fellowship with the bearers of false testimony; neither will there be seen in the congregations of Israel those who (have part) with false witnesses; for because of the guilt of false witnesses the clouds arise, but the rain does not come down, and dearth comes on the world.
18. And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor shall you desire your neighbor's house, his field, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.	18. Sons of Israel, My people, you will not be covetous, nor be companions or have fellowship with the covetous; neither will there be seen in the congregations of Israel any who (have part) with the covetous; that your children may not arise after you, and teach their own to be with the covetous. Nor let any one of you desire his neighbour's wife, nor his field, nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that belongs to his neighbour; for because of the guilt of covetousness the government (malkutha) seizes upon men's property to take it away, and bondage comes on the world.
19. The Lord spoke these words to your entire assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the opaque darkness, with a great voice, which did not cease. And He inscribed them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.	19. These words spoke the LORD with all your congregation at the mount, from the midst of the fiery cloud and tempest, with a great voice which was not limited; and the voice of the Word {Dibbera} was written upon two tables of marble, and He gave them unto me.
20. And it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, and the mountain was burning with fire, that you approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders.	20. But when you had heard the voice of the Word {Dibbera} from the midst of the darkness, the mountain burning with fire, the chiefs of your tribes and your Sages drew near to me,
21. And you said, "Behold, the Lord, our God, has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we saw this day that God speaks with man, yet [man] remains alive.	21. and said, Behold, the Word of the LORD our God has showed us His glorious Shekinah, and the greatness of His excellence, (His magnificence) and the voice of His Word have we heard out of the midst of the fire. This day have we seen that the LORD speaks with a man in whom is the Holy Spirit, and he remains alive.
22. So now, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we continue to hear the voice of the Lord, our God, anymore, we will die.	22. But now why should we die? For this great fire will devour us; if we again hear the voice of the Word of the LORD our God, we will die.
23. For who is there of all flesh, who heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?	23. For who, of all the offspring of flesh, has heard the voice of the Word of the Living God speaking from amid the fire as we, and has lived?
24. You approach, and hear all that the Lord, our God, will say, and you speak to us all that the Lord, our God, will speak to you, and we will hear and do.	24. Go you near, and hear all that the LORD our God will say, and speak you with us all that the LORD our God will say to you, and we will hearken and will do.
25. And the Lord heard the sound of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, "I have heard the sound of the words of this people that they have spoken to you; they have done well in all that they have spoken.	25. And the voice of your words was heard before the LORD when you spoke with me, and the LORD said to me, All the words of this people which they have spoken with you are heard before Me; all that they have said is good.
26. Would that their hearts be like this, to fear Me and to keep all My commandments all the days, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!	26. O that the disposition of their heart were perfect as this willingness is to fear Me and to keep all My commandments all days, that it may be well with them and with their children for ever!
27. Go say to them, 'Return to your tents.'	27. {Go, say to them: he has permitted you to join with your wives since you have been separated three days.}
28. But as for you, stand here with Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances which you will teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess.	28. Now therefore be separate from your wife, that with the orders above you may stand before Me, and I will speak with you the commandments, statutes, and judgments, which you will teach them to perform in the land that I give you to inherit.
29. Keep them to perform [them] as the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside either to the right or to the left.	29. And now observe to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; decline not to the right hand or to the left.
30. In all the way which the Lord, your God, has commanded you, you shall go, in order that you may live and that it may be well with you, and so that you may prolong your days in the land you will possess.	30. Walk in all the way which the LORD your God commands you, that you may live and do well, and lengthen out days in the land you will inherit.
Ch 6
1. This is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances that the Lord, your God, commanded to teach you, to perform in the land into which you are about to pass, to possess it.	1. And this is the declaration of the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded (me) to teach you to perform in the land to which you pass over to inherit;
2. In order that you fear the Lord, your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments that I command you, you, your son, and your son's son, all the days of your life, and in order that your days may be lengthened.	2. that you may fear the LORD your God, and keep all His statutes and precepts which I command you; you, your son, and the son of your son, all the days of your life; and that you may prolong your days.
3. And you shall, [therefore,] hearken, O Israel, and be sure to perform, so that it will be good for you, and so that you may increase exceedingly, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, spoke to you, a land flowing with milk and honey.	3. Hearken then, Israel, to keep and to do, that it may be well with you, and you may increase greatly, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you, (that) He will give you a land whose fruits are rich as milk, and sweet as honey.
4. Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God; the Lord is one.	4. It was, when the time came that our father Ya’aqob should be gathered out of the world, he was anxious lest there might be an idolater among his sons. He called them, and questioned them, Is there such perversity in your hearts? They answered, all of them together, and said to him: HEAR, ISRAEL OUR FATHER: THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD! Ya’aqob made response, and said, Blessed be His Glorious Name forever and ever. JERUSALEM: When the end had come to our father Ya’aqob, that he should be taken up from the world, he called the twelve tribes, his sons, and gathered them round his couch. Then Ya’aqob our father rose up, and said to them, Do you worship any idol that Terah the father of Abraham worshipped? Do you worship any idol that Laban (the brother of his mother) worshipped? Or worship you the God of Ya’aqob? The twelve tribes answered together, with fullness of heart, and said, hear now, Israel our father: The LORD our God is one LORD. Ya’aqob responded and said, May His Great Name be blessed for ever!
5. And you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your means.	5. Mosheh the prophet said to the people of the house of Israel, Follow after the true worship of your fathers, that you may love the LORD your God with each disposition of your hearts, and also that He may accept your souls, and the (dedicated) service of all your wealth;
6. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart.	6. and let these words which I command you this day be written upon the tables of your hearts.
7. And you shall teach them to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.	7. And you will unfold them to your children, and meditate upon them when you are sitting in your houses, at the time when you are occupied in secret chambers, or in journeying by the way; at evening when you lie down, and at morning when you arise.
8. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for ornaments between your eyes.	8. And you will bind them as written signs upon your left hand, and they will be for tephillin upon your forehead over your eyes.
9. And you shall inscribe them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.	9. And you will write them upon the pillars, and affix them in three places, against the cupboard, upon the posts of your house, and on the right hand of your gate, in your going out.
10. And it will be, when the Lord, your God, brings you to the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and good cities that you did not build,	10. And when the LORD your God has brought you into the land which he promised to Abraham, Yitshak, and Jakob, your fathers, to give you cities great and goodly which you did not toil in building,
11. and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and you will eat and be satisfied.	11. houses also, filled with all good, which you did not occupy in filling, and hewn cisterns in hewing which you did not labour, vineyards and olives with planting which you did not weary; and when you have eaten. and are satisfied,
12. Beware, lest you forget the Lord, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.	12. beware lest you forget the fear of the LORD your God, who delivered and led you out free from the land of Mizraim, from the house of the affliction of slaves;
13. You shall fear the Lord, your God, worship Him, and swear by His name.	13. but fear the LORD your God, and worship before Him, and swear by the Name of the Word of the LORD in truth.
14. Do not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you.	14. You will not go after the idols of the Gentiles, the idols of the peoples who are round about you:
15. For the Lord, your God, is a zealous God among you, lest the wrath of the Lord, your God, be kindled against you, and destroy you off the face of the earth.	15. for the LORD our God is a jealous God, and an Avenger, whose Shekinah dwells in the midst of you; lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and He quickly destroy you from the face of the earth.
16. You shall not try the Lord, your God, as you tried Him in Massah.	16. Sons of Israel, my people, be warned not to tempt the LORD your God as you tempted Him in the ten temptations;
17. Diligently keep the commandments of the Lord, your God, and His testimonies. and His statutes, which He has commanded you.	17. keeping keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and His testimonies and statutes which He has commanded you;
18. And you shall do what is proper and good in the eyes of the Lord, in order that it may be well with you, and that you may come and possess the good land which the Lord swore to your forefathers,	18. and do what is good and right before the LORD that it may be well with you, and you may go in, and possess by inheritance the good land which the LORD covenanted to your fathers;
19. to drive out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken.	19. that He may drive out all your enemies before you, as the LORD has said.
20. If your son asks you in time to come, saying, "What are the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the Lord our God has commanded you?"	20. When your son, in time to come, will ask you, saying, What are the testimonies, statutes, and judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?
21. You shall say to your son, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord took us out of Egypt with a strong hand.	21. then will you say to your sons, We were servants to Pharoh in Mizraim,
22. And the Lord gave signs and wonders, great and terrible, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes.	22. and the Word of the LORD brought us out of Mizraim with a mighty hand; and the Word of the LORD wrought signs, great wonders, and sore plagues on Mizraim and on Pharoh and all the men of his house, which our eyes beheld;
23. And he brought us out of there, in order that He might bring us and give us the land which He swore to our fathers.	23. but us He led forth free to bring us in and give us the land which He swore to our fathers.
24. And the Lord commanded us to perform all these statutes, to fear the Lord, our God, for our good all the days, to keep us alive, as of this day.	24. And the LORD commanded us to perform all these statutes, that we may fear the LORD our God for good to us in all days, that He may preserve us alive as at the time of this day;
25. And it will be for our merit that we keep to observe all these commandments before the Lord, our God, as He has commanded us."	25. and (the reward of) righteousness/generosity will be reserved for us in the world to come, if we keep all these commandments to perform them before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us.
CH 7
1. When the Lord, your God, brings you into the land to to which you are coming to possess it, He will cast away many nations from before you: the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivvites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and powerful that you.	1. When the LORD your God will bring you into the land to which you will come to possess it, and He will make many peoples to go out from before you, the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Kenaanites, Perizites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and strong than you.
2. And the Lord, your God, will deliver them to you, and you shall smite them. You shall utterly destroy them; neither shall you make a covenant with them, nor be gracious to them.	2. and the LORD your God will deliver them up before you, then will you blot them out and utterly consume them by the curse of the LORD. You will strike no covenant with them, nor have pity upon them.
3. You shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughter to his son, and you shall not take his daughter for your son.	3. You will not intermarry with them; your daughters you will not give to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons; for whosoever marries with them is as if he made marriage with their idols.
4. For he will turn away your son from following Me, and they will worship the gods of others, and the wrath of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will quickly destroy you.	4. For their daughters will lead your sons away from My worship to serve the idols of the Gentiles; so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and He will destroy you suddenly.
5. But so shall you do to them: You shall demolish their altars and smash their monuments, and cut down their asherim trees, and burn their graven images with fire.	5. But this will you do to them: you will destroy their altars, break their statues in pieces, cut down their groves for worship, and burn the images of their idols with fire.
6. For you are a holy people to the Lord, your God: the Lord your God has chosen you to be His treasured people, out of all the peoples upon the face of the earth.	6. For you will be a holy people before the LORD your God, as the LORD your God has taken pleasure in you, that you may be a people more beloved before Him than all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
7. Not because you are more numerous than any people did the Lord delight in you and choose you, for you are the least of all the peoples.	7. Not because you were more excellent than all other peoples has the LORD had pleasure in you and chosen you, but because you were poor in spirit, and more humble than all the nations.
8. But because of the Lord's love for you, and because He keeps the oath He swore to your forefathers, the Lord took you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.	8. Therefore, because the LORD had mercy on you, and would keep the covenant He had sworn with your fathers, He led you out free with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of the affliction of slaves, from the hand of Pharoh king of Mizraim.
9. Know, therefore, that the Lord, your God He is God, the faithful God, Who keeps the covenant and loving kindness with those who love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.	9. Know therefore that the LORD your God is a Judge, (Heb. Ki ADONAI Elohekha Hu HaElohim) strong and faithful, keeping covenant and mercy with them who love Him and keep His commandments unto a thousand generations,
10. And He repays those who hate Him, to their face, to cause them to perish; He will not delay the one who hates Him, but he will repay him to his face.	10. and who repays to them who hate Him the reward of their good works in this world, to destroy them (for their evil works) in the world to come; neither delays He (to reward) His enemies, but while they are alive in this world He pays them their recompense. JERUSALEM: And he repays them who hate Him for their little deeds of good which are in their hands in this world, to destroy them in the world to come; nor does He delay to render to them that hate Him the reward of the slight works that are in their hands in this world.
11. You shall therefore, observe the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command you this day to do.	11. Observe therefore the mandates, the statutes, and judgments which I command you, to perform them.

 

Rashi Commentary for: ‎ ‎ Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:41 – 7:11

 

41 Then [Moses] decided to separate Heb. אָז יַבְדִּיל   [The future form יַבְדִּיל  instead of the past form הִבְדִּיל   is to be explained]: Moses set his heart to hasten to [implement] the matter to separate them. And even though they were not to serve as cities of refuge until those of the land of Canaan would be separated, Moses said, “Any commandment that is possible to fulfill, I will fulfill” (Makkoth 10a).

 

on the side of the Jordan towards the sunrise On that side which is on the east of the Jordan.

 

towards the sunrise Heb. מִזְרְחָה שָׁמֶשׁ  Because the word מִזְרְחָה  is in the construct state, the “reish” is punctuated with a “chataf” (vocal “sh’va”), the meaning being, “the rising of the sun,” i.e., the place of the sunrise.

 

44 And this is the teaching This one which he is about to set down after this chapter.

 

45 These are the testimonies... which [Moses] spoke They are the very same ones that he spoke when they went out of Egypt, and he taught it to them again in the plains of Moab.

 

47 who were on the side of the Jordan which is in the east, because the other side was in the west. [That means on the side opposite the western side.]

 

Chapter 5

 

3 Not with our forefathers Alone did the Lord make [this covenant], but with us.

 

4 Face to face Rabbi Berechiah said, "So said Moses: 'Do not say that I am misleading you about something that does not exist, as an agent does, acting between the seller and the buyer, [because] behold, the seller Himself is speaking with you.’" (Pesikta Rabbathi).

 

5 saying This refers back to (verse 4), "the Lord spoke with you at the mountain out of the midst of the fire... saying, ‘I am the Lord...,’ and I stood between the Lord and you".

 

7 in My presence Heb. עַל־פָּנָי , lit. before Me, i.e., wherever I am, and that is the entire world. Another explanation: As long as I exist [i.e., forever] (Mechilta). I have already explained the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:1-14).

 

12 Keep [the Sabbath day] But in the first set [of Ten Commandments] (in Exod. 20) it says: “Remember [the Sabbath day]!” The explanation is: Both of them ("Remember" and “Keep”) were spoken simultaneously as one word and were heard simultaneously. (Mechilta 20:8)

 

just as [the Lord your God] commanded you Before the giving of the Torah, at Marah (Shab. 87b).

 

15 And you shall remember that you were a slave... God redeemed you on the condition that you will be His slave and keep His commandments.

 

16 as the Lord your God commanded you Also regarding the honoring of father and mother they were commanded at Marah, as it is said: (Exod. 15:25), “There He gave them a statute and an ordinance.” (San. 56b)

 

17 And you shall not commit adultery Adultery applies only [to relations] with a married woman.

 

18 nor shall you desire Heb. וְלֹא תִתְאַוֶּה . [As the Targum [Onkelos] renders:] וְלֹא תֵרוֹג , “you shall not desire.” This too is an expression of coveting (חֶמְדָּה) , just as “pleasant (נֶחְמָד) to see” (Gen. 2:9), which the Targum [Onkelos] interprets as “desirable (דִּמִרַגֵּג) to see.”

 

19 which did not cease Heb. וְלֹֽא יָסָף , interpreted by the Targum [Onkelos]: וְלָא פְּסָק  “and it did not cease.” [Because it is human nature that one is unable to utter all his words in one breath, but he must pause, whereas the characteristic of the Holy One, blessed is He, is not so. God did not pause, and since He did not pause, He did not have to resume,] for His voice is strong and exists continuously (San. 17a). Another explanation of וְלֹא יָסָף : He never again revealed Himself so publicly [as He did on Mount Sinai. Accordingly, we render: and He did not continue].

 

24 And you speak to us Heb. וְאַתּ , a feminine form]-You weakened my strength as that of a female, for I was distressed regarding you, and you weakened me, since I saw that you were not anxious to approach God out of love. Would it not have been preferable for you to learn [directly] from the mouth of the Almighty God, rather than to learn from me?

 

CH 6

 

4 The Lord is our God; the Lord is one The Lord, who is now our God and not the God of the other nations - He will be [declared] in the future “the one God,” as it is said: “For then I will convert the peoples to a pure language that all of them call in the name of the Lord” (Zeph. 3:9), and it is [also] said: “On that day will the Lord be one and His name one” (Zech. 14:9). (see Sifrei)

 

5 And you shall love [the Lord] Perform His commandments out of love. The one who acts out of love cannot be compared to the one who acts out of fear. If one serves his master out of fear, when the master sets a great burden upon him, this servant will leave him and go away [whereas if out of love he will serve him even under great burden] (Sifrei 6:5).

 

with all your heart Heb. בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ  [The double “veth” in לְבָבְךָ , instead of the usual form לִבְּךָ  suggests:] Love Him with your two inclinations [the good and the evil]. (Sifrei ; Ber. 54a) Another explanation; “with all your heart,” is that your heart should not be divided [i.e., at variance] with the Omnipresent (Sifrei).

 

and with all your soul Even if He takes your soul (Sifrei ; Ber. 54a, 61a).

 

and with all your means Heb. וּבְכָל־ מְאֽדֶךָ , with all your possessions. There are people whose possessions are more precious to them than their own bodies. Therefore, it says, “and with all your means.” (Sifrei) Another explanation of וּבְכָל־ מְאֽדֶךָ is: You shall love God with whatever measure (מִדָּה) He metes out to you, whether it be the measure of good or the measure of retribution. Thus also did David say: “I will lift up the cup of salvations [and I will call upon the name of the Lord]” (Ps. 116:12-13); “I found trouble and grief [and I called out in the name of the Lord]” (Ps. 116:3-4).

 

6 And these words... shall be What is this “love” [referred to in the previous verse]? It is that these words [the mitzvoth] shall be upon your heart, and through this, you will come to recognize the Holy One, blessed be He, and will [consequently] cling to His ways. (Sifrei 6:6)

 

which I command you this day they should not appear to you as an antiquated edict (דְּיוּטַגְמָא) which no one cares about, but as a new one, which everyone hastens to read. The word דְּיוּטַגְמָא  means: a royal edict which comes in writing. (Sifrei)

 

7 And you will teach them Heb. וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם . This is an expression of sharpness, meaning that these words should be sharply impressed in your mouth, so that if a person asks you something, you will not have to hesitate about it, but you will tell him immediately. (Sifrei ; Kidd. 30a)

 

to your sons These are your disciples. We find everywhere that disciples are termed “sons,” as it is said: “You are children to the Lord your God” (Deut. 14:1), and it says: “The disciples [lit. sons] of the prophets who were in Bethel” (II Kings 2:3). So too, we find that Hezekiah taught Torah to all Israel and called them children, as it is said: “My sons, now do not forget” (II Chron. 29:11). And just as disciples are called “children,” as it is said “You are children to the Lord your God” so too, the teacher is called “father,” as it is said [that Elisha referred to his teacher Elijah by the words] “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel...” (II Kings 2:12) (Sifrei 6:7).

 

and speak of them That your principal topic of conversation should be only about them; make them the main topic, not the secondary one. (Sifrei)

 

and when you lie down Now this [latter verse] might lead one to think [that the obligation to recite the “shema” is] even if one lies down in the middle of the day. Therefore it states; “and when you rise up”; now this [latter verse] might lead one to think [that the obligation to recite the “shema” is] even if you arise in the middle of the night! It says therefore, “When you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way.” The Torah is thus speaking of the usual manner of conduct: The [usual] time of lying down and the [usual] time of rising up. (Sifrei)

 

8 And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand These are the tefillin of the arm.

 

and they shall be for ornaments between your eyes לְטֽטָפֽת . These are the tefillin of the head, and because of the number of the Scriptural sections contained in them [namely four], they are טֽטָפֽת - totafoth, for טַט - tat in Coptic means “two,” פַּת - path in Afriki (Phrygian) [also] means “two.” (San. 4b)

 

9 the doorposts of your house The word is מְזֻזוֹת  [and not, מְזוּזוֹת , i.e., without the letter “vav”] to indicate that there is need for only one מְזוּזָה - mezuzah per door.

 

and upon your gates This ["gates"] is to include the gates of courtyards, the gates of provinces, and the gates of cities [in that they also require a mezuzah]. (Yoma 11a)

 

11 hewn Since it [the Land of Israel] was a stony and rocky place, the term “hewn” is appropriate [regarding the cisterns there].

 

12 out of the house of bondage Heb. מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים , lit. out of the house of slaves. As the Targum [Onkelos] renders: out of the house of slavery, i.e., out of the place where you were slaves [and “not the house that belonged to slaves.”]

 

13 and swear by His name If you possess all the attributes mentioned here, that you fear His name and serve Him, then you may swear by His Name, for if you fear His name, you will be cautious with your oath, but if [you do] not, you must not swear [by His name].

 

14 of the gods of the peoples who are around you The same applies to the gods of those peoples who are distant [from you], but, because you see those who are around you erring after them, it was necessary to warn you especially about them [i.e., the gods of the people close to you].

 

16 In Massah When they went out of Egypt, when they tested Him concerning water, as it is said [that they asked], “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7) [Hence “Massah” means test.]

 

18 what is proper and good This refers to compromising, acting beyond the strict demands of the law.

 

19 [To drive out all your enemies...] as [the Lord] has spoken And where did He speak? When He said, “and I will confuse all the people....” (Exod. 23:27)

 

20 If your son asks you in time to come Heb. מָחָר . [The word] מָחָר  [which usually means “tomorrow”] may [also] mean "at a later time."

 

Ch 7

 

1 He will cast away Heb. וְנָשַׁל . This is an expression meaning casting away, and causing to fly. Similarly is (Deut. 19:5), “and the iron [axe blade] will cause to fly [from the tree].”

 

2 nor be gracious to them Heb. וְלֹא תְחָנֵּם  This means, you must not show them any grace (חֵן) . It is forbidden for a person to say, “How handsome is this heathen!” Another explanation: Do not grant them a settlement (חֲניִָּה) in the land. (Avodah Zarah 20a)

 

4 For he will turn away your son from following Me i.e., the heathen’s son, if he marries your daughter, will turn away your [grand]son whom your daughter will bear to him, from following Me. This teaches us that your daughter’s son, born of a heathen man, is called “your son,” but your son’s son, born of a heathen woman, is not called “your son,” but “her son.” For Scripture [first says, “Do not give your daughter to his son, and do not take his daughter for your son.” Then it follows with “For he will turn away your son....” However], referring to “do not take his daughter,” it does not say “For she will turn away your son...” [because he is considered her son, not yours (Kid. 68b).

 

5 their altars Heb. מִזְבְּחֽתֵיהֶם  [A מִזְבֵּח  is a structure] built up [of several stones].

 

and... their monuments Heb. וּמַצֵּבֽתָם  A מַצֵּבָה  is a structure made] of one stone.

 

their asherim trees Trees that are worshipped (Avodah Zarah 48a).

 

and... their graven images [These are] images (i.e., idols).

 

7 Not because you were [more] numerous [This is to be understood] according to its simple meaning. But its midrashic explanation [understanding וְלֹא מֵרֻבְּכֶם  as “not because you are great”] is: Because you do not boast about yourselves when I shower good upon you. This is why I delighted in you [says God].

 

For you are the least [of all the peoples] You humble yourselves as, e.g., Abraham, who said, “For I am dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27), and Moses and Aaron, who said, “but of what [significance] are we?” (Exod. 16:7) Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, who said, “I will liken myself to the Most High,” (Isa. 14:14), and Sennacherib, who said, (Isa. 36:20), “Who are they among all the gods of the lands [who saved their land from my hand]?” and Hiram, who said, “I am a god, I have sat in a seat of God” (Ezek. 28:2). (Chul. 89a)

 

for you are the least Heb. כִּי־אַתֶּם הַמְעַט  Here כִּי   is an expression of “because.”

 

8 But because of the Lord’s love Heb. כִּי מֵאַהֲבַת ה' Here, [however,] כִּי  is an expression of “but.” [Thus, the verses read] Not because you were more numerous... did the Lord delight in you, but because of the Lord’s love for you.

 

and because He keeps the oath Heb. וּמִשָּׁמְרוֹ means, “and because of His keeping the oath” [not “and from His keeping the oath”].

 

9 to a thousand generations But earlier, (verse 5:10) it says: “To thousands [of generations].” [Why the difference?] Here, where it is adjacent to “those who keep His commandments,” it says: “to a thousand generations” [because it is referring to those who obey God out of fear] but previously, where it is adjacent to those who love Him, it says: “for thousands [of generations].” (Sotah 31a)

 

with those who love Him Those who perform [the commandments] out of love.

 

and keep His commandments Those who perform [the commandments] out of fear.

 

10 And He repays those who hate Him to their face During his life-time, He pays him his good reward, in order to cause him to be lost from the World to Come.

 

11 this day to do them But in the future, in the World to Come, you will receive their reward (Eruvin 22a).

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 112:1-10 & 113:1-9

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Tehillim (Psalms) 112:1-10 & 113:1-9

 

 

Meditation from the Psalms

Tehillim (Psalms) 112:1 – 113:9

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

The preceding psalm, psalms chapter 111, concluded with the words, “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of HaShem” (verse 10). Psalms chapter 112 takes up that theme with the declaration, “Praiseworthy is the man who fears HaShem, and proceeds to describe that good fortune”.^[1]

 

The Midrash^[2] observes that fear of G-d is so important that King Solomon, the wisest of all men, concluded two of his books with this very theme: Grace is false and beauty is vain, a G-d-fearing woman — she should be praised,^[3] and the sum of matter, when all has been considered: fear G-d and keep His commandments, for that is man's whole duty.^[4]

 

The initial letters of the stiches of this psalm follow the sequence of the Aleph-Beit, the Hebrew alphabet. This indicates that the hero of this psalm, the G-d-fearing man, painstakingly fulfills every dictate of the Torah from א, the first letter, to ת, the last letter of the Law.^[5]

 

Psalms chapter 112 contains an amazing perspective that is not often seen in our days.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 112:7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in HaShem.

 

I would like to share how HaShem runs his world so that we can all share the perspective of the psalmist.

 

Turnaround

 

In today’s world, the hand of HaShem is rarely ‘seen’. HaShem is wearing the mask of ‘nature’ and ‘science’ so that His face is completely hidden by His mask. If we want to see the hand of HaShem, we must be prepared to study His Torah diligently. It is only in His written and oral Torah that we learn how to unmask him. Purim^[6] is the festival where those who study Torah are sensitized into the unique art of seeing behind HaShem’s mask. This study will help us to begin understanding How HaShem hides behind His mask, yet His wonders, His nes nistarim (hidden miracles) can still be discerned. In this process, we can ‘unmask’ HaShem and begin to understand why we have so much evil in the world. Megillat Esther details how, and why, HaShem hides. It also shows us the amazing secret of how to unmask HaShem and see how all the evil will be rectified and be revealed as beneficial.

 

Megillat Esther is a book which details the redemption of the Jewish people in a miraculous and yet hidden way.^[7] The most amazing part of this redemption is the way HaShem manipulated events such that every disaster was turned around (V’nahapoch hu) and became a marvelous redemption. V’nahapoch hu^[8] - הוּא וְנַהֲפוֹךְ is not a victory over evil. It means that the enemy’s’ efforts ultimately lead them towards becoming the source of the salvation for the Jews. The “evil”, the “bad” is revealed to be “good” and beneficial, in fact, absolutely essential. Every event will be revealed as an “elegant solution”. This is how HaShem conducts His world. There are no exceptions.

 

Zephaniah 3:9 In the end I will turn things around for the people. I'll give them a language undistorted, unpolluted, Words to address HaShem in worship and, united, to serve me with their shoulders to the wheel.

 

An elegant solution is one in which the maximum desired effect is achieved with the smallest, or simplest effort. In Torah terms, this means that HaShem will reveal that everything that has ever happened, or will happen, will be turned around and revealed to be for our good and absolutely essential to HaShem’s plan. Everything will contribute to the Oneness^[9] of HaShem.

 

To illustrate this idea, consider the following idea. In a battle, one can overcome one’s opponent with superior strength, but this is brute force, it is not elegant. A more sophisticated approach to battle, is to use your opponent’s own strength against him. Many martial arts, and especially judo,^[10] teach you how to use your opponent’s strength, or weight, against him. In this illustration of V’nahapoch hu, we see an elegant solution that reveals that the defeat of my opponent was due entirely to my opponent’s strength as used against me. My opponent’s strength was my solution to his defeat. His strength against me was revealed to be my solution to defeating my opponent. This is the solution that HaShem uses in His world. He uses V’nahapoch hu, to reveal that all things work together for our benefit.^[11] All things advance His plan and contribute to His oneness.

 

Our Sages are masters in the art of seeing through what appear to be disastrous events, to see how they contribute to His plan and reveal His goodness in the world. They are able to see behind the mask, so to speak. The following example from the Gemara illustrates this:

 

Pesachim 50a …While R. Joshua b. Levi said: This refers to the people who are honoured in this world, but will be lightly esteemed in the next world. As was the case of R. Joseph the son of R. Joshua b. Levi, [who] became ill and fell into a trance. When he recovered, his father asked him, ‘What did you see?’ ‘I saw a topsy-turvy world’, he replied, ‘the upper [class] underneath and the lower on top’ he replied: ‘My son’, he observed, ‘you saw a clear world.^[12] And how are we [situated] there?’ ‘Just as we are here, so are we there. And I heard them saying, "Happy is he who comes hither with his learning in his hand".

 

The message of V’nahapoch hu, is, then, a bit different than the one we usually think of. The clear world is the one in which we speak out, even when we’re the lowly ones. It is this world, the one we live in, which is the true upside-down world.

 

The events recorded in the book of Esther, and celebrated at Purim, are revealed, through the Megilla, to be examples of V’nahapoch hu. Compared to the holocaust, Haman’s plan was much more complete and thorough than the holocaust. Haman wanted to destroy every last Jew, in all parts of the world, ON ONE DAY!!!^[13] The reversal of this, the V’nahapoch hu, is that Haman’s sons were hanged on one day, on the same tree, at the same time. We demonstrate the timelessness of this event by rapidly saying their names in ONE breath.^[14]

 

The concept of V’nahapoch hu is derived from the following pasuk:^[15]

 

Esther 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have rule over them; whereas it was turned to the contrary (וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא), that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;

 

The commentaries point out that the unexpected reversal of fates is the apparent underlying theme in the Purim story. Close analysis of the Megillah reveals how quickly and smoothly the plans of Haman were not merely foiled but more notably transformed into bringing about the salvation of the Jewish People. The very night that Haman planned to convince Achashverosh^[16] to have Mordechai hanged ended up being the night on which he advised Achashverosh to extravagantly honor Mordechai. The very gallows that Haman prepared for Mordechai ended up being used for his own hanging. The very day that Haman had decided to be the time to destroy the Jews was the day on which the Jews destroyed their enemies. Ultimately, Haman’s own proposal to kill Vashti ended up paving the way for the ultimate salvation of the Jewish People. The turn of events in the story of Purim truly embody the verse that says, “Many are the thoughts that are in the heart of man but the counsel of HaShem will prevail”.^[17]

 

V'nahapoch^[18] hu וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא, the theme of Purim, connotes not only the fact that the danger was miraculously resolved, but also the way the resolution occurred. Danger's resolution can not always be clearly attributed to heavenly intervention. The Purim story's significance lies in the fact that the salvation recycled and utilized all the elements of the danger in its service.

 

The picture that expresses this idea in the most powerful way is Mordecai's picture above riding the horse, and Haman down, leading him, while Haman's ambition was to see the same picture, but exactly the opposite way.

 

The message of Purim, the Feast of Lots, is that current world events are HaShem’s jigsaw puzzle; part of His Master Plan. It is He who charts the course of human events, even as we speak. As He plots His course, He sets up every event to be revealed, in the end, as beneficial to His Plan.

 

The redemption of Purim is not a redemption where we are restored to our land and HaShem’s service. The redemption of Purim is a redemption whereby we return to our normal lives after nearly being wiped out. There was no real gain. This is analogous to a man with a terminal illness who receives a cure in the final hours of his life. He has not received anything more than a restoration to his normal life, yet he is exuberant and flies high in his exhilaration at the life that has been restored.

 

The people were still in exile. They were still subjects of king Achashverosh. Esther was still married to Achashverosh. The redemption was real, but it was not our concept of redemption. Hidden from our view is that Esther’s son with Achashverosh will permit the rebuilding of the Temple.

 

Unlike any other redemption in our history, this one was obviously accomplished by a complete reversal of fortunes. Everything we needed for victory was already there, but it had all been deployed against us. We only had to turn our hearts to HaShem to merit that He set this same power loose upon our enemies.

 

This is the message of Purim; V’nahapoch Hu, “it is the opposite”. To us mortals many things seem bad, look around, everyone has their own package of trials and difficulties to contend with. On Purim we acknowledge that we really don’t understand. And even something that may seem like a disaster is really a blessing in disguise.

 

This, explains Rav Hutner,^[19] is the underlying true miracle of Purim. If it were simply the case that a horrible decree had befallen our people and in the nick of time a salvation occurred, then the possibility would remain, that HaShem’s people could be exterminated, could be vanquished chas v’shalom.^[20] To even conceive of the potential for Haman’s plan ‘to destroy, murder and obliterate all the Jews’ to succeed goes directly against the will of HaShem. We are His eternal people and the covenant between us is unbreakable, certainly by any means of man. Therefore, the miracle of Purim had to be specifically that ‘it was turned around’ and in the end the whole nation could see that every single step that seemed to plant seeds of despair was in fact a key stage that would lead to great joy and deliverance. This then, is the proper understanding of the pasuk:^[21] because we as a people are always protected by HaShem, there is no inherent possibility of vanquishing us and any attempt to do so is just, in essence, ‘turned around’ and, as a result, the foregone conclusion will always be ‘the Jews prevailed over their enemies’. It is for this reason that when all other Yamim tovim^[22] will be annulled in the days of Mashiach,^[23] Purim will still be celebrated. Purim represents our limitless existence and relationship with HaShem and that has no boundaries of celebration. This is our eternal joke which we laugh about and enjoy each year on Purim. No matter what the outside world may plot against us, we know that it is all futile. For in the end, the Hand of HaShem will be there to protect and help us as He has done in those days and will continue to do in our times.

 

Cure created before the disease

 

The eighth blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei prayer in which we ask HaShem, "Heal us, HaShem, and we will be healed”, contains unnecessary language. Isn't it a given that if HaShem heals us, we will be healed? Why the double language?

In his elucidation on the siddur, the 18th-century master, Rabbi Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman, commonly known as the Vilna Gaon, explains that this blessing means that the cure, or healing, is always created before the illness or pain. "heal us HaShem" means we know that the healing already exists; "and we will be healed" means that we are asking HaShem to allow us to access the healing for ourselves and for all Israel.

 

Dinim, the harsh elements of history, have to be sweetened. The source of ecstasy in the next world is the Yetzer HaRa.

 

We turn the problem into the solution.

 

The Maharal explains that turnaround had to be that way. Haman was attempting the destroy Klal Israel, the eternal nation, the nation whose existence is guaranteed and ensured by the Creator of the Universe Himself. Throw a projectile at an impenetrable and invincible barrier, that projectile will reverse direction and come directly back at you with the same force with which it was launched. (That's known as Newton's Third Law to nerds of the west.) HaShem wanted Klal Israel to have absolute clarity on their mission and destiny, so he created a very powerful enemy and let him loose... specifically so the whole world could see his plans, all of his plans, reverse back on himself.

 

Not only did Haman's plans come back against him -- he was the one who turned them around! Haman (who was also known as M'muchan) suggested the plan to depose Vashti and which led to Esther becoming queen. Haman himself told the king how to honor one whom the king wishes to honor. Haman himself prepared the gallows on which he would be hung. When Haman sent his servants to find a plank 50 amot long, they opined that there was only one such plank in the whole land... it was the main support beam of Haman's palace!^[24] Haman ordered that his palace be dismantled and, just to be 100% sure, he measured it length with his own body to confirm it was the correct length to hang its intended victim. At that point the archangel Gavriel exclaimed, "Golly gee willikers! So that's why we needed a 50-amah plank to be ready since the six days of creation!"

 

What caused Haman’s terrible ire to be roused to the point that he wanted to do away with all of the Jews?  Of course, it was the fact that Mordechai refused to bow to him.  Take note, though, of the following words of the pasuk: “And all the servants of the king that were stationed at the gate of the king would kneel and bow to Haman…and Mordechai would not kneel and he would not bow (3:2).”  It is clear from the pasuk that this requirement for everyone to bow to Haman was only for those stationed at the King's gate, and not in all 127 countries under the dominion of Achashverosh.  As such, had Mordechai not been at the King's gate, the events of Purim would never have taken place!  And what brought Mordechai to find himself daily at the gate of the king’s palace?  Esther!  Because Esther was in the palace, Mordechai frequented there to keep as much of an eye on her as possible.  It emerges, then, that V’nahapoch hu: the health of Esther being in the palace was itself what caused Mordechai to stand up to Haman!

 

The salvation of the Jewish people only came about through Esther’s position, so it was a blessing in disguise that she became queen. (Also, the Midrash tells us that she bore a son to Achashverosh called Daryovesh (AKA Darius) who eventually became king and allowed the rebuilding of the second Beit HaMikdash).

 

In his sefer Pachad Yitzchak, Rav Hutner develops a teaching of the Maharal into the true celebration of Purim. The Maharal notes that the Pasuk in Mishlei, He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone-it will return to him (Mishlei 26:27) is an illustration of the scientific principle of cause and effect. Or as Sir Isaac Newton stated in his third law of physics: for every action in the natural world there is an equal and opposite reaction. Explains the Maharal; if one digs a pit to cause harm to another, then in some way the perpetrator himself will fall into a pit. Furthermore, one who throws a stone at the innocent will find the stone in some other circumstance ricocheting and hitting him in turn. Expounding further, the Maharal writes that with this principle we can understand the laws of conspiring witnesses, which is brought down in sefer Devarim:

 

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 19:19 and you shall do to him as he conspired to do to his fellow.

 

The law that false testifiers are subjected to the exact punishment which they had plotted against their friend, is simply a case of cause and effect. The negative energy which one expends towards a friend will be directed in turn back upon the wrongdoer. This principle of reciprocity highlights an important idea. In life one can fall into the false belief that control of destiny is in the hands of the individual. This is a mistake. Rather, the moment that one performs an action, the consequences are no longer in his or her own hands but have hit the ‘wall’ of HaShem’s intervention in the world. And that whether we want it or not, our actions both positively and negatively will always produce a reaction back upon ourselves.

 

Everything has a purpose, even evil. We may not want it, but it’s only against resistance and challenge that we grow. Haman’s Ring, say Chazal, did more than all the Neviim, we may not like to admit it, but we reached, through Haman’s decrees, the level of Torah acceptance! So, in retrospect, from HaShem’s perspective, the Haman of this world was paradoxically the cause for an even greater good.

 

Hiddenness

 

Hiddenness and revelation are at the very foundation of the Book of Esther and the celebration of Purim. Indeed, Esther’s name itself is from the Hebrew root s-t-r meaning hidden. Furthermore, Esther is not called a “Book” but is more precisely referred to as “The Scroll of Esther” or Megillat Esther. Hidden in the word megillah is the root g-l-h that means “to reveal” and also “to exile.” Megillat Esther could then be translated as “The Revealing of the Hidden” or, alternatively, “The Exiling of the Hidden.” Thus, the title of the story presages one of its central themes.^[25]

 

Remarkably and surprisingly hidden throughout the entire Megillah, is HaShem. Not once is HaShem’s name mentioned in the unrolling of this scroll.

 

While HaShem’s name is absent from the unrolling of this scroll, I do not believe that HaShem is absent but rather that HaShem remains in hiding. The Talmud^[26] asks, “Where is Esther indicated in the Torah?

 

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 31:17 Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come upon them; so that they will say in that day: Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us? 18 And I will surely hide My face in that day for all the evil which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.

 

The Gemara thus makes the connection between Esther and the hiding of HaShem’s face, an important motif that appears in the Torah and continues throughout biblical and post-biblical Jewish theology. The hiding of HaShem’s face is the withholding of HaShem’s presence and blessing, it is a metaphor for the terrifying silence of HaShem:

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 30:8 Thou hadst established, HaShem, in Thy favour my mountain as a stronghold-- Thou didst hide Thy face; I was affrighted.

 

In Megillat Esther, HaShem wears a mask to hide Himself. According to Chazal, the term “HaMelech”, “the King”, in the Megillah is also a reference to HaShem, the King of the world.^[27] Thus, we find HaShem wearing a mask disguising Himself as The King.

 

The message of Megillat Esther is that even when HaShem is not visible to all and does not change nature, it does not mean his supervision over reality is not present. HaShem is present in daily life and in the history of the world. Sometimes it is difficult to notice Divine Providence, but when we look back and see the coincidences that occurred as though by chance, we understand that someone has been directing the processes from above.

 

This is true of the history of the Jewish nation, and it is true also regarding the individual who sometimes thinks his life is going along on its own, without Divine intervention. Success, failure, experience, opportunity, none of these are coincidences. Our lives are conducted and supervised by HaShem, and we can recognize this mainly when we look back, and believe that also looking forward, it will be so.

 

Drinking

 

The body, after the sin, is to be elevated to the spiritual. The body ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil and crashed. Now we need to elevate the body, using wine, to the spiritual. We need to use the source of the problem to become the solution. The concept of V’nahapoch hu allows us to turn the problem into the solution!

 

In Judaism wine^[28] is a central feature in all movement from physical to spiritual. We use wine at occasions of connecting the two: at a wedding, where two physical bodies will elevate their relationship to the spiritual; at a circumcision, where we begin the process of sanctifying the body; at kiddush, the blessing sanctifying the first moments of Shabbat where the mundane domain of the week meets the transcendence of Shabbat; four cups of wine at the Passover seder, where we celebrate exile's transition to redemption, slavery to freedom.

 

Wine powerfully represents the danger of the physical; if taken in excess it converts consciousness to unconsciousness, dehumanizes to the extent that the drinker becomes entirely part of the physical, nothing more than a mindless body. And yet, used correctly, it has the capacity to open consciousness, to facilitate a state of elevation. The deeper sources note that although wine is a physical substance it obeys the rules of the spiritual: all physical things degrade and disintegrate with time; this is the rule for all things in the material and biological world no matter how carefully those things are handled and nursed.

 

Conversely, things of the spirit improve with time; wisdom deepens with age, even as the body of the sage sags, his wisdom gains. But unlike other physical things, wine improves with age. Uniquely in the world of the material, wine reflects the quality of the deeper, the secret hidden within the material (the Hebrew word for wine has the same numerical value as the word for secret - sod).

 

Our Sages say that it is an obligation to become so drunk on Purim that one does not know the difference between “Cursed be Haman” and “Blessed be Mordechai.” Since the miracle permeated through to the most material levels, its commemoration also involves the body as well as the soul.

 

This is the rationale behind our drinking. In our sober state we are not able to fully comprehend the irony of events. So, we drink! When a person is intoxicated, he is able to be merry about his sorrows. For one day a year we bring ourselves to a place where it is possible to see the reality of our sorrows; that they are our salvation! For this same reason we dress up, we are showing that things are not the way they seem on the outside

 

The expression, V’nahapoch hu, it was turned about, reminds us that HaShem can bring about a stunning reversal of a nation's destiny in the blink of an eye.

 

On Purim, we are commanded to drink wine, so much wine that we can no longer differentiate between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordechai".^[29] Some say that it means that you should drink enough that you should get tired and fall asleep, and when you’re asleep you don’t know the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordechai", because when you are asleep HaShem continues to carry out His plan.

 

The requirement is not to drink to the point where one can no longer distinguish between Haman and Mordechai, between evil and good; rather, it is that one must drink until one cannot distinguish between “Cursed be Haman,” the destruction of evil, and “Blessed be Mordechai,” the reward of the righteous. Both the destruction of evil and the enhancement of the good shift the moral balance of the world towards the side of the good. Thus, it is not at all a trivial distinction that the Talmud is pointing to. Literally, we are being commanded to KNOW that there is no difference between ‘Cursed be Haman’ and ‘Blessed be Mordechai’. Because HaShem uses the concept of V’nahapoch hu, we KNOW that both Haman and Mordechai are advancing HaShem’s plan and contributing to the Oneness of HaShem. They are both working for our benefit. Wine allows us to literally see the V’nahapoch hu. Purim is the only day when we can see that both ‘Cursed be Haman’ and ‘Blessed be Mordechai’^[30] are truly the same and are both beneficial. On Purim, we rise above the limited reach of our understanding, and for a brief moment we perceive that "blessed be Mordechai" and its hippuch/its reversal, "cursed be Haman," are really one and the same. Two paths to one destination!

 

On Purim, physical and spiritual reality unite, free will and Divine Providence merge and human history is revealed as identical to HaShem's plan for humanity. The fact that this reality is at times hard to comprehend only means we have to work harder to find the ultimate unity that exists in the world. The drinking on Purim helps us pull back the normative curtain of illusionary reality and reveals HaShem's Providence in all places and at all times, even those occurrences we initially perceive as "evil." But this takes getting to a consciousness where all becomes known within the unknowable, “Until one Cannot Distinguish” - ad d'lo yada.^[31]

 

Costumes and Masks^[32]

 

Why do we wear costumes and masks on Purim?

 

On Purim we celebrate by wearing masks, because we remind ourselves that things are seldom the way they seem on the outside. The concept of V’nahapoch hu means that no matter what we see on the outside, on the inside we find only HaShem’s plan and His Oneness.

 

When we meet someone on the street, we do not get to see who they really are. Rather we get to see an image that they project. The image is a projection of what they want us to know about them. In most cases, what we can discern has very little to do with who, and what, they really are. This is the reality of our world. Most people are not transparent; they are not beautiful in the Torah sense.^[33] Most people are intensely private and do not want people to know about their true desires. They do not want us to know who they really are. They want us to know what they think we want to know. To put it another way, we wear a costume and a mask most of the time. Only on very rare occasions does the mask come off. Only rarely do we reveal who we really are.

 

Esther hides her identity as a Jew from the King when she is crowned Queen of his world-wide kingdom. Esther, so to speak, is wearing a mask. When her people are in peril, she finds the courage to go before the king and invite him and Haman to her banquet. Here is the part of the story where Esther sets up the V’nahapoch hu for Haman, revealing that she is a Jew and Haman’s evil intentions to annihilate her people.

 

When Adam HaRishon was created, he wore a ‘garment’ of light. His spiritual nature was incandescent and was seen as light emanating from a wisp of a body.

 

Moshe’s face had to be covered after spending time with HaShem on the mountain because it glowed.

 

Shemot (Exodus) 34:29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of the testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face sent forth beams while He talked with him. 30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face sent forth beams; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

 

The miracle of Purim was a series of hidden miracles and hidden identities. Esther concealed her Jewish identity. Mordechai’s identity as the one who saved the king’s life remained hidden from the king until the right time. HaShem, too, is hidden, as His name is not mentioned in the megillah. Therefore, we hide our identity by getting dressed up on Purim.

 

When Haman’s decree of genocide was issued, many Jews dressed up as gentiles to conceal their identity. When the decree was reversed and the Jews were permitted to attack their enemies, the non-Jews dressed as Jews to save themselves. In remembrance of this miracle, we change our clothes on Purim. Mordechai wore different kinds of clothing (bigdei malchut) when he paraded through the streets of Shushan. We change our clothing to commemorate this miracle.

 

The Talmud asks “Where do we see a hint to Esther in the Torah?” it answers with a verse from Devarim (Deuteronomy) 31:18 “v’Anochi haster Astir Panai” (“and I will surely hide My Face”). The word “Esther” means “hidden”.

 

Jews know that HaShem may often seem to hide. But even in the worst of times, if we look carefully, we discover that He can be found. Another reason we wear masks on Purim is to indicate that we, too, often hide our real selves. Even when we are cringing, ashamed of our misdeeds, ashamed of our cowardice, hiding behind our masks, we yearn to find HaShem and be close to Him. We want to reveal our true selves to Him. The mask creates the illu­sion that it is possible to hide. Even the first man, Adam, told HaShem, “I heard Your Voice while I was in the garden, but I convinced myself that it is possible to hide”.

 

Even when HaShem appears to wear a mask, does that mean that He is distant? No. If you see someone wearing a mask, he is obviously near. If you hear his voice, if you discover his pres­ence, you know he is near. HaShem wants us to seek Him, to know His name, to know Him through His love, His deeds, His Torah, His Creation. The Purim mask is an illusion. In truth, HaShem is very near.

 

Within the Megillah there are a number of “dressings up”. Vashti remains attached to her attire despite the demands of Achashverosh. Esther doesn’t reveal her people, no one knew where she was from nor realized she was Jewish. People who saw her thought she was from their nation. Mordechai wore sackcloth in mourning for his people and was later dressed in the clothes of the king.

 

The Talmud writes that just as the Jews at the time pretended to be serving other G-ds, HaShem pretended that He was going to destroy the Jewish nation, and in the end He did not.^[34] Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro, known as the Bnai Yissachar, writes that this is the reason we pretend to be someone else on Purim, since both the Jews’ and HaShem’s actions were masked by other intentions.^[35]

 

Purim is the time of masks; HaShem has gone into hiding in Jewish history, He has donned a mask. But He is not distant; if one is distant, he does not need a mask to avoid being identified, the distance achieves that. No, a mask is necessary when one is very close and yet wishes to remain hidden.

            

The world is His mask; nature hides His Presence. But this same world, this same nature, needs only to be peeled back to reveal its Source. The ordeal is doubt; all may appear coincidental, and the Amalek ideology may be found in the culture of today – nothing has absolute meaning or value, all is accident. The mask is heavy and convincing. But that should not deter us from our function, the function of revealing the Reality behind the mask.

 

One of the most renowned aspects of the Purim celebration is masquerading. Children, and even adults, don masks and wear costumes. What is the source of this custom? On a very basic level, it is an expression of happiness and Purim is a day when our joy is given full expression. Its significance, however, is historically related to the Purim miracle. Why was Esther successful? Because she concealed her identity and Achashverosh, the Persian king, did not know that she was Jewish until it became crucially important for him to know this.

 

On a deeper level, the concept of concealment is intrinsically related to the mystical core of Purim. Our Sages tell us: Where is there an allusion to the story of Esther in the Torah?^[36] The phrase hastier astir, “I will conceal”. And indeed, Godliness is concealed throughout the story of Purim.

 

Achashverosh wore the High Priest’s garments at his party, although he did not deserve to wear such garments. In addition, when Achashverosh asked Haman how to honor someone, he replied that the person should be dressed in royal clothing. Haman thought he would be that man, and that he would wear garments which he did not deserve. We wear costumes on Purim to poke fun at both Achashverosh and Haman who aspired to clothing which was above their station. We wear costumes that do not befit us, but throughout the year we only wear clothing that befits us.

 

The whole point of wearing costumes on Purim is to reveal our Yetzer HaRa, to mock how the rest of the year we pretend to be what we are not. Purim is the great exposure of the hidden Yetzer HaRa, and more importantly, of the hidden hand of HaShem that shapes destiny and directs the affairs of man, from behind the scenes.

 

Those who disguise themselves eventually want to be discovered. So is our Father in heaven, with all the concealment and darkness, he turns things around, conducts the orchestra, watches over all of us under close and loving supervision, and he just waits for us to discover him and notice that he is there ...

 

Teshuva – Repentance

 

In keeping with this theme of V’nahapoch hu, we would be remiss if we failed to mention the most important application of this term. 

 

The power of teshuva at the time of Purim was activated when Esther realized she must be ready to sacrifice her life, if necessary, in order to plead the case of the Jews before the king. That act of supreme self-sacrifice and teshuva, coupled with her call for all Jews in the capital city of Shushan to fast with her for three days and nights, aroused Divine compassion from Above, turning the plans of Haman upside down, till he was hung on the very same tree he hoped to hang Mordecai.

 

The incredible power of teshuva, to not only change the present and affect the future, but even "change" the past, is one of the many secrets of Purim. This is one of the reasons why the Talmud says that Yom HaKippurim, the culmination of the ten days of teshuva, should be read Yom (a day) ki (like) Purim. This astounding statement comparing Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, to a seemingly ‘fun’ day like Purim, captures the essence of what Purim really is, the ability to completely turn around our lives even when all seems lost.

 

We are told in the Talmud that teshuva, the life changing act of sincere repentance, when motivated by fear of punishment, has the retroactive power of turning purposeful sins into inadvertent mistakes. Even more than this is teshuva motivated by love, which can even turn past purposeful sins into merits.

 

Yoma 86b Resh Lakish said: Great is repentance, for because of it premeditated sins are accounted as errors, as it is said: Return, O Israel, unto the Lord, thy God,’ for thou hast stumbled in thy iniquity.^[37] ‘Iniquity’ is premeditated, and yet he calls it ‘stumbling’ But that is not so! For Resh Lakish said that repentance is so great that premeditated sins are accounted as though they were merits, as it is said: And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby!^[38]

 

This is the depth of the miracle of Purim where everything was flipped upside down. Everything that seemed to be negative turned out to be the positive that existed from the outset. Purim is a day when we learn to see through the superficiality of things; we learn not to be fooled by the mirage of impurity that we sometimes see in each other and in ourselves. On Purim, we learn to flip everything around, and where we think we see lowliness and impurity, we look deeper to find the highest levels of purity.

 

Our task on Purim is to do teshuva in such a manner that we make our will His will, so he can make His will our will, thereby revealing His presence in every point of time and space.

 

The consummate expression of the conflation of opposites is the dictum (trans­mitted in the name of Reish Lakish^[39]) that repentance has the power to transpose blameworthy acts into meritorious acts, a transposition that is associated with Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, when transgressions of the contrite are wiped away, as repentance (when it is done from the standpoint of the love of HaShem) has the capacity to “transform evil entirely to the good in actuality”. This point is enhanced, additionally, by the idea suggested in a passage from Tikunei Zohar^[40] that the expression yom Kippurim should be decoded as yom ki-purim, “a day like Purim.” That Yom Kippur will be rendered analogous to Purim implies that the latter is superior to the former. Both days demand self-sacrifice, a form of worship that is above reason and knowledge, but, in the case of Yom Kippur, this is carried out through ascetic renunciation, whereas, in the case of Purim, it is realized through sensual indulgence.

 

Conclusion

 

Because HaShem is one,^[41] we know that there are no temporary events or processes. Every event, every process, everything must be part of His oneness. It must be eternal and be a vital part of HaShem.

 

HaShem does not create any unnecessary event or process. This means that every event and every process must pertain to His end product. It is not good enough that evil be overcome and replaced with the good, rather every negative and every positive event must produce a part of His final plan. Every negative event must be reversed in order to justify its existence. Every negative event must be shown to be a positive event that produces HaShem’s benefit in the world. The end result of every event and every process must be revealed as part of the good. This recognition that everything that happens in the world is for our benefit and for the good, is testified in the book of Romans:

 

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love HaShem, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 

The whole purpose of V’nahapoch hu is to reveal that no matter how disastrous an event or process, seems to be, never the less in the end it will be revealed as positive and absolutely vital to HaShem’s plan. There will be no exceptions.

 

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 55:8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares HaShem.

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) ‎114:1 – 115:18

 

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Tehillim (Psalms) ‎114:1 – 115:18

Chapter 114

 

1 a people of a strange tongue With another language, which is not the Holy Tongue. A similar expression is (Isa. 33: 19): “A people of a strange tongue you shall not see, a people of speech too obscure, etc.” The “nun” and the “lammed” are interchangeable, like נִשְׁכָּה , chamber, which is [equivalent to] לִשְׁכָּה, in the Book of Ezra (Neh. 13:7).

 

2 Judah became His holy nation He took Judah as the lot of His portion and His sanctity, and even they sanctified His name when they descended into the sea, as the matter that is stated (above 68:28): “the princes of Judah pelt them with stones.” Similarly, this verse is explained in the Aggadah (Mid. Ps. 114:8): Judah became His holy people, for Nahshon sprang into the sea and said, “I shall descend first,” and that is what [the Psalmist] says: Judah became His holy people.

 

3 the Jordan turned backward because all the water of Creation split.

 

7 Who created the earth Heb. חולי , Who created the earth. The “yud” is superfluous as מגביהי , משפילי and ההוֹפכי

 

8 into a fountain of water Heb. למעינו . The “vav” is superfluous, as the “vav” in (above 104: 11, 20) “the beasts (חיתו) of the forest.”

 

Chapter 115

 

1 Not for us Not for us or for the fitness of our deeds shall You do [this] for us.

 

but for Your name give honor So that they should not say, “Where is their God now?”

 

7 but they do not feel Heb. ימישון , an expression of (Gen. 27:12): “Perhaps my father will feel me (ימשני) .”

 

11 Those who fear the Lord These are the proselytes.

 

Meditation from the Psalms

Tehillim (Psalms) ‎‎114:1 – 115:18

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

Psalms 113-118 are collectively known as הלל, Hallel [praise].

 

The Aleppo Codex, the oldest complete manuscript of Tanach that we know of, joins together Psalms 114 and 115. 

 

Although they are so designated throughout rabbinic literature, these psalms are sometimes called הלל המצרי, the Egyptian Hallel, to distinguish them from psalm 136 which is referred to as הלל הגדול, the great Hallel.

 

The Talmud^[42] explains that the הלל המצרי surpasses the הלל הגדול because its themes are essential articles of the Jewish faith. They include the exodus from Egypt, the splitting of the sea, the revelation at Mount Sinai, the resurrection of the dead, and the cataclysmic advent of the Messiah.^[43]

 

The second chapter of Hallel continues the theme of the first chapter, which praises God: He raises the needy from the dust, from the trash heaps He lifts the destitute, to seat them with nobles, with the nobles of His people.^[44]

 

Israel achieved this level of nobility when the Jews left Egypt and displayed tremendous self-sacrifice at the sea. For they willingly risked their lives by entering the sea at God’s command.^[45] Then, as the second and third verses of this psalm state: Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominion. The sea saw and fled, the Jordan turned backward.^[46]

 

The ultimate self-discipline was achieved when Israel accepted the burden of the Torah at Sinai and agreed to conform completely to the will of God. At that moment, the entire creation was born anew.

 

Throbbing with new energy, bounding with fresh hope, the post-Sinaitic world is eloquently described by the Psalmist in the fourth verse: The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like young lambs.

 

The brief revelation and transformation at Sinai provided the world with a glimpse of the metamorphosis which will occur in the redemption of the future. Indeed, it is not nature which is destined to change; rather it is man whose eyes and ears will suddenly be opened, for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of HaShem, as water covers the sea.^[47] Thus, says the Psalmist, God will turn the rock into a pond of water [i.e., a reservoir of knowledge], the flint into a flowing fountain.^[48]

 

Psalms chapter 114 vividly depicts the profound and immediate awe which HaShem’s miracles inspired in all of mankind. This psalm, however, describes the long-term effect of these wonders. God’s appearance left an indelible mark of faith upon the Jewish heart from all generations, but the gentiles were quick to forget the miraculous display of Divine might. The moment God concealed His presence, the gentiles taunted the Jews saying, ״Where now is their God?”^[49]

 

Therefore, we beseech God to intervene again, in order to teach the scoffers a lesson, not for our sake, HaShem, not for our sake, but for Your Name’s sake give glory, for the sake of Your kindness and Your truth!^[50] Give us an opportunity to silence the heretics who mock You, and thus, we will praise HaShem, henceforth and forever! Praise God!^[51]

 

The Talmud^[52] cites numerous opinions concerning the authorship of Hallel.

• Rabbi Yosi said that Moses and all of Israel said Hallel when they emerged safely from the sea.
• Rabbi Eliezer said that Moses and all of Israel said Hallel when they stood before the sea.
• Rabbi Yehoshua said that Joshua and all of Israel said Hallel when all the kings of Canaan gathered against them.
• Rabbi Eliezer HaModei said that Devorah and Barak said Hallel when Sisera threatened them.
• Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said that King Chizkiyahu and his court said Hallel when the wicked Sennacherib threatened them.
• Rabbi Yosi HaGalli said that Mordechai and Esther said Hallel when Haman threatened them.
• The Sages said that the prophets of Israel composed Hallel so that the people could recite it upon every great event and in every period of danger; they will also recite Hallel upon the final redemption.
• The Talmud also mentions the view that David composed Hallel.

 

There is truth to all these opinions. The basic framework for Hallel was established by the early prophets, but this was elaborated upon in successive generations as a result of historic occasions which stimulated an outpouring of praise for Hashem. Later the master Psalmist, David, put these chapters of Hallel into their final form in the Book of Psalms.^[53]

 

It is therefore worthwhile that we should understand the Egyptian Hallel.

 

Hallel consists of six Psalms (113-118), which are said as a unit, on joyous occasions, when the praise of HaShem is particularly appropriate, immediately following the Shacharit^[54] “Shemone Esrei”.^[55] These occasions include the following:

 

1. The three pilgrimage festivals, Pesach, Shavuot, and Succoth.
2. Chanukah.
3. Rosh Chodesh (Beginnings of New Months).^[56]

 

These chapters are expressions of joy and faith in HaShem, and of gratitude for salvation from our enemies. They were incorporated into the Book of Psalms by King David, and they were singled out for inclusion in Hallel because they contain the following fundamental themes of the faith of Judaism:

 

• the Exodus,
• the giving of the Torah by HaShem at Sinai,
• the future resurrection of the dead,
• and the coming of the Mashiach.

 

The Hallel and Eighteen

 

Ta’anith 28b R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon ben Jehozadok: “Eighteen times during the year an individual may recite the whole Hallel, and they are:

 

• On the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles,
• on the eight days of the Feast of Dedication (Chanukah),
• on the first day of the Passover, and
• on the day of Pentecost.

 

While in exile, however, one may recite it twenty-one times during the year, namely:

 

• On the nine days of the festival of Tabernacles,
• on the eight days of Chanukah,
• on the first two days of Passover,
• and on the two days of Pentecost.”

 

On Pesach^[57]

 

Hallel is a very special collection of praises and thanks to Hashem. Our Neviim^[58] declared that we say it on festivals, and in commemoration of miraculous salvations. Moshe Rabbeinu and the Congregation of Israel were the first to say it, and King David later incorporated it into sefer Tehillim. The Hallel speaks of Yetziat Mitzrayim,^[59] Kiryat Yam Suf,^[60] matan Torah,^[61] Techiyat HaMetim,^[62] and Chevlai Mashiach.^[63]

 

Hakham Joel David Bakst^[64] offers us some interesting insights: “There are, in fact, two liturgical anomalies. One occurs at the beginning of Pesach during the first evening prayer and the other occurs at the end of Pesach during the morning service on the seventh (and eighth) day. The Hallel prayer is recited on every festival as part of the morning service. It is never recited at night because its function applies to the mystical rectifications that are only inherent at the time of the morning service of the respective festival. It is, however, sung in the Synagogue by much of the observant world on Pesach night!”

 

“It is stated in the Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law, by the great Sephardic codifier Rabbi Yosef Caro, “On the first night of Pesach [and second night in the Diaspora] we sing the complete Hallel in the public service with a blessing at the beginning and end.” This is the tradition of Sephardic Jewry. This practice, however, is so illogical that the great Ashkenazi codifier Rabbi Moshe Isserles^[65] ruled against it in his glosses to the Shulchan Aruch. “None of this is our custom since we do not on any occasion recite the Hallel in the synagogue at night”. In spite of the objection the accepted custom of all kabbalists, Hasidim as well as the Ashkenazi descendants in Jerusalem^[66] is to recite the full Hallel in the evening service the first (and second) night of Pesach along with the Sephardic Jews. Yet, truthfully according to standard liturgical spiritual etiquette this nighttime ritual of an “additional” Hallel makes no sense.”

 

“Secondly, an even stranger liturgical anomaly occurs on Shevii Shel Pesach, the seventh day of Passover. The Hallel prayer consists of a section from the Book of Psalms. When Hallel is recited there are two versions, a “complete” Hallel and a “half” or partial Hallel. The half Hallel is actually only the omission of two of the Psalms. During the morning service on every Yom Tob the full Hallel is always recited. Only on the intermediate days of Yom Tob^[67] and on Rosh Chodesh is the half Hallel recited.^[68] The one exception to this rule occurs on the seventh and last day of Pesach. Although it is a complete Yom Tob, just as the first day is, only a half Hallel is permitted.^[69] Additionally, Shevii shel Pesach is the only Yom Tob when a Shehecheyanu blessing is not recited!”

 

“Although there is no halachic disagreement regarding the unprecedented manner of the recital of Hallel on the seventh day Yom Tob of Pesach it still remains an anomaly! Why is this? Although there is a well-known Midrash the sages used to explain away this phenomenon upon analysis the answer is far from sufficient. This is because the real story is too profound to be made public. Although on a subtle level the Midrash alludes to the deeper truth it is overtly covering up the sod of Kriat Yam Suf which is the real reason why the diminished Hallel is recited. The key is the “additional” Hallel on the first night of Pesach and a “diminished” Hallel on the last day of Pesach. We will truly see that the “The end is enwedged in the beginning”.^[70]

 

There are two traditional reasons given why we only say a partial Hallel on the last day of Pesach. The most prosaic of which is the fact that the sacrifices were the same during the intermediate and last days of Pesach, so no complete Hallel is required since they are all subsumed under the same rubric.^[71]

 

The more evocative reason is that when Israel made it across the Red Sea, the angels wished to sing praises, when God chastises them by saying, “The work of my hands is drowning in the sea, and you wish to sing?” This is the reason that people know, primarily because it is the only reason quoted in the later codes. Never mind that we sang and danced when we crossed the sea.

 

The first time this reason appears is in the 13th century work Shiblei HaLeket of Rabbi Tzidkiyahu Ben Avraham HaRofeh^[72] when he quotes from the lost Midrash Harneinu:

 

Shmuel Bar Abba said: “At the fall of your enemies, do not be joyful.” Because the Egyptians were drowned [we do not say a complete Hallel]. In later Halachic works, the Talmud, in Sanhedrin, is quoted to illustrate this point, “The work of my hands is drowning in the sea, and you wish to sing?” Even more interesting is that the more prosaic reason is not mentioned at all having been eclipsed and embellished by God’s empathy for the Egyptian enemy. In the collective Jewish memory, this is the reason most people seem to know, the source of which is a lost Midrash, which is buried in a section of the Shiblei Haleket, the subject of which is Rosh Chodesh (The New Moon). Dredged from the innards of a 13th Century halachic anthology, comes a truism in Jewish consciousness.

 

In the Seder

 

Why is there no blessing said before reciting Hallel at the Seder?

 

Rav Hai explains, we don’t recite a berakha before Hallel at the Seder because it isn’t “reciting Hallel”^[73] but “singing Hallel”, straight from the heart.^[74]

 

Why is the Hallel of Seder night excluded from the Rambam’s list of times to sing Hallel?

 

Based on the answer to our previous question, we now understand why Pesach night is not listed among those occasions where Hallel is “recited”, because we don’t “recite” it; we actually sing it, living the words as we say them.

 

The Egyptian redemption and the final redemption in the days of Mashiach are given expression in the Seder through several devices. We see it in the division of the four cups of wine,^[75] we see it in the division of the Hallel,^[76] and we see it in the division of the Seder itself.^[77]

 

The Seder itself is divided by the meal. The Haggada speaks of our redemption from Egypt before the meal, and it speaks of the final messianic redemption from the meal onward. The four cups of wine and the Hallel follow this division.

 

The first two Hallel Psalms, 113 and 114, are sung before the meal^[78] to remind us of our redemption from Egypt in the days of Moses.

 

The Hallel, Psalms 115, 116, 117, 118, after the meal, tells of our final redemption in the days of Messiah! In fact, the whole of the seder follows this pattern: The part before the meal reminds us of our redemption from Egypt in the days of Moshe, and from the meal onward, tells of the final redemption in the days of Messiah.

 

Hallel at night

 

The Hallel we say on Purim and the Hallel we say on Pesach are the most unusual of all the times we say Hallel. They are the only times when Hallel is said at night.^[79] At all other times Hallel is said only during the day.

 

On Pesach we say the Hallel, first, during the seder. What makes this Hallel so unusual is that this is the only time when we say:

 

• Hallel at night,
• when we divide Hallel,
• say many words during the division of the two halves.

 

We say Tehillim 113 and 114 before dinner and we say Tehillim 115, 116, 117, and 118 after dinner. At all other times it is forbidden to interrupt Hallel, but, not on Pesach.

 

Pesachim 95b THE FIRST REQUIRES [THE RECITING OF] HALLEL WHEN IT IS EATEN etc. Whence do we know it?-Said R. Johanan on the authority of R. Simeon b. Jehozadak: Scripture saith, Ye shall have a song as in the night when a feast is hallowed: the night that is hallowed for a feast [Festival] requires [the reciting of] Hallel [‘Song’], while the night which is not hallowed for a feast does not require [the reciting of] Hallel.

 

In addition, we say Hallel a second time on Pesach, during the day. Only on Purim and Pesach do we say Hallel twice:  Once at night and once during the day.

 

Thus, we see that the Hallel of Pesach is a completely revealed Hallel that we say to acknowledge the hand of HaShem during the redemption when the whole world can see and hear. We say it at night to remind ourselves that HaShem is in control during the exile. We say it a second time during the day to look forward to the redemption at the end of the exile. But it is a revealed Hallel that the whole world can see.

 

The Special Hallel of Shemini Atzeret

There is an important component in the story of King Solomon, at the dedication of the first Temple, and Shemini Atzeret. When the people saw that the gates were open, and the fire came down from heaven to consume, for the first time, everything which was placed on the altar, they were filled with extreme joy, and they bowed, and prostrated on the floor of the Holy Temple, and sang, for the first time ever in the Tanach, the Hallel of David “Ki Leolam Chasdo”. Then they stood up, and the music instruments which David had made were playing, and they sang again the Hallel of David “Ki Leolam Chasdo”. This time not prostrating but standing. And here we encounter a new type of the Hallel. It is not said after a miracle of saving from the hands of the enemies, not as a Hallel which accompanies a mitzva, not as a song for the holiday, but as a thanksgiving song. For the general goodness of all the good which HaShem has done to Israel and to David.^[80] Moreover, that type of the Hallel was said while prostrated, and then while standing. Hence, the only Hallel which is equal to the Song of the day, where they prostrated themselves on the floor of the holy Temple, was on Shemini Atzeret.

 

The Hallel of David, recited in a standing position and the Hallel of David which is recited in awe, happiness, and gratitude, in a prostrated position on the Temple floor. The Hallel of Shemini Atzeret is the ONLY Hallel which is recited in both a standing and in a prostrated position.

 

Hallel at Succoth

 

The standard procedure on Succoth is to recite the blessing over the lulav and etrog,^[81] shake it,^[82] and then say Hallel with a minyan, shaking the lulav while saying, “Hodu LaShem ki tov” and “Ana HaShem hoshia na”.

 

Sephardim shake the lulav before Hallel when they first say the beracha and take the arba minim, then in Hallel at the first hodu once, at anna HaShem twice, and the second hodu once.

 

Sephardim shake towards the south, north, east, up, down, west. (If the Esnoga faces east then to your right, left, forward, up, down, backward.)^[83] One should turn his body and face the direction to which he is shaking. ^[84]

 

The Gemara^[85] says that a person fulfills the mitzva of the four species merely through lifting them.

 

The Gemara, in Berachot 30a, indicates that shaking the lulav during Hallel is not essential. It says that if one rises early for a journey, “they should give him a lulav and he should shake it”. In context, it is pretty clear that he does not say Hallel. The Meiri, in Succah, indeed sees the shaking at the time of the blessing as the essential one, and shaking during Hallel as only an addition which enriches the joy of Succoth.

 

Hallel at Purim

 

The Gemara^[86] in the name of Rav Nachman explains that the reading of the Megillah is equivalent to Hallel. On Purim we read the Megillah^[87] of Esther and this is our Hallel! ^[88]

 

Megillah 14a R. Nahman said: The reading of the Megillah is equivalent to Hallel.

 

Can you imagine a Hallel without mentioning the name of HaShem even once? The Megillah of Esther never once mentions the name of HaShem! This Megillah / Hallel could only be a Purim phenomenon. Only on Purim could HaShem be so hidden that He cannot even be heard in Hallel. On Purim, during the exile, it is our job to see HaShem in every verse of the Megillah / Hallel. He is there; we just need to see Him.

 

On Purim we read the Megillah of Esther twice: Once at night and once during the day. We therefore are saying Hallel to reveal HaShem during the exile, at the beginning of our redemption, and during the redemption of the day.

 

On Purim, if one does not hear the Megillah he is obligated to say Hallel. Thus, we can clearly see that the Megillah is Purim’s Hallel.

 

Thus, we see that the Megillah / Hallel of Purim is a hidden Hallel that we say to reveal HaShem during the exile. We say it at night to remind ourselves that HaShem is in control during the exile. We say it a second time during the day to look forward to the redemption at the end of the exile. But it is a hidden Hallel that the world does not see.

 

Rosh Chodesh

 

On Rosh Chodesh we say only a partial Hallel. Why not the full Hallel since Rosh Chodesh is called a “moed”?^[89] Our Sages answer that since one may do work, then there can be only a partial Hallel as Shira, song, is required only on days when work is forbidden even during the night.^[90] Sephardim and Ashkenazim have different customs concerning a blessing before the partial Hallel of Rosh Chodesh.^[91]

 

Partial Hallel

 

On Rosh Chodesh^[92] and the last six days of Pesach we sing an abridged Hallel that omits the pesukim in Tehillim (Psalms) 115:1-11 and 116:1-11. This called Chatzi^[93] Hallel (חצי הלל - Half Hallel or Partial Hallel).

 

I believe that those selections omitted on these days are deliberate and specific, which means that we have to find some rhyme or reason behind the choice of passages to skip. Is there anything that binds the two skipped passages together and/or makes their exclusion particularly appropriate?

 

Tehillim (psalms) 115 has a clear division along the lines of the excluded text (vv. 1-11) and the verses that are always recited (#12-18). The theme of the first half is Against the Nations, whereas the second half is Blessing and Praise.

 

Based on the answers we gave to our questions regarding the Hallel at the seder, we can understand why we omit those twenty-two^[94] verses on Rosh Chodesh and the rest of Pesach. The national disgrace (where is your G-d) and the personal tribulations (pain and suffering have found me) are part and parcel of the Exodus, without them, the Hallel as a template for the exodus from Egypt is empty. It is like eating Pesach without maror and Matza.

 

There is a distinction between Succoth, which has Hallel on each day, and Pesach, when Hallel is recited only on the first day; the Gemara explains that since the additional offerings of the day on Succoth varied from day to day, each day has its own significance. Rabbi Soloveitchik would say that each day of Succoth has its own daily holiness, as manifested by the unique korban offered. Pesach, by contrast, has an identical musaf each day.

 

The Great Hallel

 

Psalms 135 and 136 stands as a single unit that is called “The Great Hallel”.

 

Why is this Psalm called “The Great Hallel”?  R. Johanan explained: Because this Psalm says that the Holy One, blessed be He, sits in the highest heaven of the universe and apportions food to every creature.

 

Where does the Great Hallel begin? R. Judah said: It begins with O give thanks unto the Lord (Ps. 136:1) and goes up to By the rivers of Babylon.^[95] But R. Johanan maintained: It begins with A song of ascents and goes up to By the rivers of Babylon.^[96] And R. Aha said: It begins with For the Lord has chosen Jacob unto Himself^[97] and goes up to By the rivers of Babylon.^[98]

 

The following table details the normal Hallels:

 

	Pesach	Shavuot	Rosh HaShana	Yom Kippurim	Succoth	Chanukah	Purim	Rosh Chodesh
Full or Partial	Full on the first (and second days in the diaspora)   Partial on the other six days.	Full	No Hallel	No Hallel	Full	Full	No Hallel   Megillah As Hallel	Partial
Blessing	Yes at Shacharit   No at the seder.   No on the other six days.	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (Ashkenazim)   No (some Sephardim)[99]
Parts Skipped	Psalms 115:1-11   Psalms 116:1-11							Psalms 115:1-11   Psalms 116:1-11
When?	First day (and second in the diaspora)				Every day	Every day
Night	At night during the seder.						Megillah At Arbit
Day	Shacharit	Shacharit			Shacharit	Shacharit	Megillah at Shacharit	Shacharit

 

 

Ashlamatah: Yehoshua (Joshua) 20:7- 21:8

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary on Yehoshua (Joshua) 20:7 – 21:8‎

 

8 And of the other side of the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they had assigned during Moses’ time as it is stated: Bezer in the wilderness, etc.

 

9 set apart lit., the cities of setting apart, those set apart for this.

 

Chapter 21

 

5 And the rest of the children of Kohath They are the children of Moses, and the children of Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.

 

from the families of the tribe of Ephraim These cities fell to them from the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, for they received cities in the inheritance of each tribe, as it is stated: "From the many you shall take many, and from the few you shall take few; each tribe according to its inheritance which they inherit, shall give of its cities to the Levites."

 

Commentary on the Ashlamatah of Yehoshua (Joshua) 20:7 – 21:8

By: H.Ex. Adon Shlomoh Ben Abraham

 

Ancient Jewish tradition attributes the Book of Joshua, as well as the last eight verses of Deuteronomy, to Joshua himself (Babylonian Talmud, Baba Bathra 14b)^[100] The backdrop for our reading is with Hashem speaking to Joshua, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying designate for yourselves the cities of refuge of which I told you about through Moses.”(v.1) The dedication of the cities of refuge was an urgent matter; it was not to be put off. Moses had already instructed the people in the details of this commandment, and he had set aside three cities on the Eastern side of Jordan, but when they entered the land, they were to set up three on the Western side, therefore six in total.  This episode is the last of the five in which individuals or groups came to Joshua to claim their lands.[101] God himself had promised cities to the Levites throughout the territories (Num 35:1–8), and now that all the other tribes had received their allotments, the Levites asked for theirs.^[102]  The place of the meeting was at Shiloh, and the last time they met here was to send out the three spies from the seven tribes to search out the land and divide it among the seven remaining tribes. (Josh 18-19)

 

Although Moses had set up the three cities on the Eastern side of the Jordan, they did not function until those on the Western side were set up and dedicated.  It suggests that the land had to be distributed, and then they were obligated to dedicate the cities of refuge. (Deut. 19:1-3) The six designated towns are also Levitical towns (21:11, 21, 27, 32, 36, 38). In a fashion that may be typified as rabbinic, the narrative combines aspects of the laws found in Num. 35:9–29 and Deut. 19:1-10.^[103]  The Rabbis discuss whether this message was to Joshua specifically or the entire Jewish people. Although the conquest was not entirely completed, the distribution of the land had been made, and therefore, the people seemed to be in doubt as to whether it was time yet, and this is the opening for our reading. Hashem told them, It is time to set up the cities of refuge. ^[104]

 

These six cities were set aside for the accidental slaying of a man. These are not for one who intentionally murders. We see that a murderer^[105] (manslayer) who kills someone by accident and unintentionally may flee into one of the cities of refuge, and they should flee from the relative of the murdered one who would try to perform the role of an avenger of blood. (2 Sam. 14:2-9) The murderer was to flee to the city, and standing at the gate of the city, he would plead his case to the Elders of the city.  They would then take him into the city and give him a place of refuge. ^[106] 

 

Me’am Lo’ez tells us that when the murderer(manslayer) stands at the gate of the city to tell the elders and plead his case, he must publicly disgrace himself by confessing everything that had transpired. This humbling or disgrace was considered to be very demeaning, and he had to relate in detail what he had done to the elders and the scholars. Because it would be shameful, this embarrassment would be part of the atonement process. After the murderer (manslayer) humbled himself in this way, he was afforded the protection of the city, and therefore, the murderer, being forced to remain in the place of refuge, was seen as both a punishment and protection. If the avenger of blood pursued the murderer, the city elders were not to give the murderer over to him because he killed his friend unintentionally, and he did not hate him before that, so he would stay in the city under their protection until he could stand trial before the court or until the death of the High Priest. In the city of refuge, he would receive protection until he had been judged and his case decided. If he is found guilty of an intentional murder, then he would be sentenced to death by the city's elders, and if proven innocent of willful and intentional murder, he’d be allowed to return to his home.

 

It’s interesting to note that six cities were set up as cities of refuge. These were given to the Levites to live in, although the cities did not belong to them; the cities of refuge were spaced out equally so a murderer would be able to go to the nearest city if he needed one.  When the question arises and why were there the same number of cities on the Eastern side of the Jordan as on the Western side when the population was not equal?  One answer is that the people on the Eastern side of the Jordan were much more prone to violence than those on the Western side, as Hosea 6:8 tells us, “Gilead, a city of criminals corrupted by blood.”  Me’am Lo’ez tells us that, in addition to the six cities of refuge, the murderer might also find refuge in the 42 cities that were given to the Levites. It was the Levites' and priests' duty to influence the manslayer(murderer) and teach right from wrong and the value of a human life. What is the difference between the six cities of refuge and the other 42? The murderer had to pay rent to the Levites to live in the 42 cities because those cities were the inheritance of the tribe of Levi, but in the six special cities of refuge, which did not belong to anyone, the murderer did not have to pay rent; he was able to live there free of charge.  Another difference was that in the six special cities of refuge, the murderer would be protected whether he had gone there to seek protection or if he had just wandered in.  But, in the other 42, he was protected only if he fled there intentionally seeking protection.  But not if he just happened to wander in by accident.  This is such a good picture of the choices man must make today in relation to having a relationship with the children of Israel and standing with them in support, and the conscious choice a person must make to have a relationship with their creator (Hashem) and to willingly submit to his will and teaching, while serving him in faithfulness.

 

In chapter (20:6-7), we come to what was spoken of at an earlier time when Moses had set forth provisions for a person accused of homicide (unintentional murder) to find sanctuary pending a formal trial. Such a sanctuary was to be available in many towns scattered throughout the land, and now, with the Conquest almost over, these places were designated by name—Kedesh of Naphtali, Shechem, and Hebron in Canaan proper; and Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan in Transjordan. The three cities of refuge on the western side of the Jordan are named first, although established second, and the first places established by Moses are named second. (Num. 35:6–34; Deut. 4:41–43; 19:1–3) In the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan, they sanctified the following cities. In the north, Kedesh (see at Josh. 12:22), in Galil, on the mountains of Naphtali. Galil (a circle) was a district in the northern part of the subsequent province of Galilee; it was the first to be mentioned in our text, and it is called גְּלִיל הַגֹּויִם, circle of the heathen, in (Isa. 8:23, 9:1) because an unusually large number of heathen or Gentiles were living there.^[107]  According to the Nazarene Codicil (Mat. 4:12-17), Yeshua started his ministry there and spent the majority of his time there. It is said, he spent 3 years in and around the Galilee area and only focused on Judea and Jerusalem in the last six months of his earthly sojourn, although it’s understood he traveled to Jerusalem for the annual feast.

 

In chapter (21:1-3) in our reading we see the heads of the households of the Levites came to Shiloh and approached the priest and Joshua and speak to them, “saying God commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to live in for our pastures and our animals” and so the children of Israel gave the Levites from their inheritance according to the word of God.   Me’am Lo’ez tells us that the tribes responded willingly and generously in all that they gave the Levites. Of the 48 cities given, there were six cities of refuge and 42 additional cities that came to four cities for each of the twelve tribes.  However, some of the tribes gave more, and some gave less. The Torah prescribes that from the many you will give more and from the few you will give less, each according to the number of cities that he has inherited, he will give to “the Levites in proportion to the shares it receives.” (Numb. 35:8) We learn that the tribe of Judah gave eight (8) cities, the tribe of Naphtali gave three (3), and Simeon only gave one (1).^[108]  The cities were chosen for their accessibility from every part of the country and to protect the people and the land from blood-guiltiness.  ^“These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.” (Josh 20:9)

 

Looking closer at our text, we are told who gave what and how much. The tribe of Levi was divided into four families. There were three sons of Levi, Kohath, Gershon, and Merari. The fourth was the family of Aaron the priest. Although part of the family of Kohath, they were designated as a family unto themselves because of their special priestly status. In those days, they were few in number, but in the future, they were destined to multiply and be as large as all the rest of the Levites.[109] And the lot came [first] out for the families of the Kohathites; and the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen (13) cities.  And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten (10) cities.^[110]   The Levites were divided into three families named after Levi’s sons. These were Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites in their birth order. (Gen 46:11, Numb 26:57)   Aaron and Moses were descendants of the Kohathite clans, the most important priestly group (Num. 4:4), and are associated with Aaron and received the most towns, twenty-three (23).^[111]  Kohath was the second son of Levi (Gen 46:11) Their place in the wilderness was on the southern side of the tabernacle (Nu 3:29),  Their special charge was “the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the screen, and all the service thereof” (Numb 3:31, Numb. 7:9) In David’s time the Kohathites were prominent in the service with the music of the sanctuary (1Chr 6, 16, 25) and the Kohathites were connected with the cleansing of the temple under Hezekiah. (2 Chr 29:12,14). ^[112]

 

And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen (13) cities. (Josh 21:6) The Gershonites receive thirteen (13) towns, indicating they are less prominent than the Kohathites. ^[113]  Gershon was the Firstborn of the three sons of Levi (Ex 6:16). The Gershonites were charged with carrying the curtains, coverings, screens, hangings, cords, and instruments of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting on the journeys in the wilderness, under the supervision of Ithamar, the son of Aaron. They had the honor of those who immediately surrounded the tabernacle, guarding it from the west side. Their function was thus more exalted than that of the Merarites, who carried the boards, and less so than that of the Kohathites, who carried the most holy utensils and symbols. The Gershonites were given two wagons with four oxen—half as many as the Merarite’s, according to their service (Nu 7:7) Among the Gershonites was the family of Asaph, singers from the time of David to the days of the Second Temple (1 Ch 6:31–47; 25:1–7; 15:7, 17, 19; 16:5, 7; 2 Ch 35:15; Ezra 2:41; 3:10; Neh 11:17, 22; 12:35; 1 Ch 9:15). Other prominent Gershonites are the heads of the fathers’ houses in the days of David in connection with the dividing of the Levites into courses (1 Ch 23:7–11); the superintendents of the treasuries of the house of the Lord of the same time (1 Ch 26:21, 22; 29:8); and the  Gershonites are mentioned among those who cleansed the house of the Lord in the days of Hezekiah (2 Ch 29:12, 13).^[114]

 

Now the last of the clans of Aaron, the children of Merari, according to their families, had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve (12) cities.  And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with the open land about them, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses. (Josh 20:7-8) The Merarites, with twelve towns, are considered the weakest of the three Levitical groups.^[115]  The third (3d) son of Levi, his brothers, Gershon and Kohath, were always mentioned together with him (Gen 46:11). He was among those 70 who went down to Egypt with Jacob (Gen 46).

 

The question is asked, why is the one who takes refuge to remain in the city till the death of the High Priest?  It is suggested that the High Priest and the murderer are incompatible and set in juxtaposition to each other because they affect the people in opposite ways. The Priest is to bring down God's presence to dwell among the people, and the murderer drives it away, and it is reasonable that they are not to be permitted to coexist in the same reality. The death of the High Priest was also considered an atonement for the sin of the murderer, just as the death of the righteous is considered an atonement for the people. The death of the High Priest would be a special atonement, because the sin of murder (homicide) is so severe that even if it is committed by accident, it still requires atonement.^[116] 

 

Once the murderer had been sentenced to exile in the city of refuge, he must remain there until the death of the High Priest. Another reason why he had to remain there until the death of the High Priest.  It is suggested that one of the duties of the High Priest is to pray for the protection of the people, and it is assumed that none of us would be considered pure and innocent, and we'd all be liable for death, were it not for God's mercy.

 

Here we have the idea of an intentional murderer (manslayer), which we call homicide, and an accidental murder, which we do not refer to as homicide, as in premeditated.  But as an unforeseen accident that could happen, where a person is not to be blamed. If a person was being negligent and a person accidentally died then through that person's negligence because he did not use reasonable care then that person is denied protection in the city of refuge the text says by ‘accident and unknowingly” and from the word unknowingly we learned that the Cities of refuge only protected those who truly did not know that their actions were dangerous. Therefore, one who knew that he might cause harm would not be protected, so the cities of refuge were established for those cases between these two extremes.^[117] 

 

“The provision of cities of refuge was consequently a humanizing measure of great ethical and social importance. A life may not be taken where life was not legally forfeited, and thereby the blood feud or vendetta of the avenger of blood was outlawed from Israel.” ^[118]  In just the last few weeks, we have all witnessed what happens in a society that refuses to follow the Torah teachings on the laws of the manslayer(murderer). Hashem cannot allow this to continue. The elders of every city had better fulfill their duties to uphold the laws of the manslayer, or Hashem will hold them accountable, and if they are so godless and reprobate, then for the sake of their own souls, they should resign from their offices and positions post haste. The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. (Psa. 14:1, 53:1)[119]  Just because a man proclaims he does not recognize or believe in God (Hashem) does not mean God does not exist, and his laws have no bearing on him. The same is true if a man does not believe in or recognize the laws of gravity; it does not change anything.

 

Verbal Tallies and Connections

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:41- 7:11,

Yehoshua (Joshua) 20:7- 21:8,

Tehillim (Psalms) 112:1-113:19 & 114:1- 115:18

 

Looking at the Hebrew of Devarim  4:43 and Joshua 20:7, what is the verbal tally (all words) that connects these two passages?

 

The verbal tally that connects Deuteronomy 4:43 and Joshua 20:7 consists of the three Cities of Refuge east of the Jordan River and their corresponding tribal territories.

 

While Deuteronomy 4:43 (which lists the three eastern cities) and Joshua 20:7 (which lists the three western cities) don't share identical full phrases, they are linked by the names of the cities and their geographical context (e.g., wilderness, plain/plateau, Gilead, Bashan).

 

The three cities and their JPS-translated names, Hebrew spelling, and Strong's numbers (from KJV concordance, are:

 

JPS Verses with Hebrew Tally

 

Deuteronomy 4:43 (JPS):

"[Namely,] Bezer  in the wilderness, in the plain country, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth  in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan  in Bashan, for the Manassites."

 

Joshua 20:7 (JPS):

"So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba—the same is Hebron—in the hill-country of Judah."

 

Explanation

The passages describe the cities of refuge: Deuteronomy 4:43 names the three eastern cities set aside by Moses, while Joshua 20:7 names the three western cities set apart by Joshua and the Israelites. The common thread is the names of the three cities designated by Moses in the Transjordan region, which are then explicitly referenced in the context of the overall cities of refuge system established in Joshua 20:8 (which is the verse immediately following the requested Joshua 20:7). The cities themselves are the key verbal tally.

 

Bezer (בֶּ֧צֶר, ): The city in the wilderness/plain of the Reubenites.

Ramoth (רָאמֹ֤ת, ): The city in Gilead of the Gadites.

Golan (גֹּולָ֥ן, ): The city in Bashan of the Manassites.

 

* * *

 

What is/are the thematic connection(s) between Devarim (Deuteronomy.) 4:41 – 7:11, and Tehillim (Psalms) 112:1- 115:17?

 

The core thematic connection is the call to fear and obey the one true God (YHVH) in order to receive blessing and deliverance, juxtaposed with the worthlessness of idols.

 

Key Thematic Connections

 

·         Fear and Obedience to God (Torah Piety):

Deuteronomy 4:41–7:11 is part of Moses' call for Israel to fear and keep God's commandments (Deut 5:29, 6:2, 6:13, 7:11) as the path to life and blessing in the land.

 

Psalm 112 explicitly states the blessing upon the one who "fears the LORD, who delights greatly in his commandments" (Ps 112:1). The description of the righteous man in Psalm 112 embodies the ideal of the obedient Israelite sought by Deuteronomy.

 

·         Divine Blessing and Prosperity:

Deuteronomy promises that obedience will result in blessing (Deut 4:40, 7:12-16)—prosperity, health, and dominion over enemies.

 

Psalm 112 details the blessings upon the righteous man: wealth, enduring righteousness, light in darkness, and triumph over adversaries (Ps 112:3-10). Psalm 113 focuses on the LORD's role in raising the poor and needy (Ps 113:7-9).

 

·         Monotheism and Rejection of Idolatry:

Deuteronomy intensely warns against the sin of idolatry (Deut 6:14, 7:4-5, 7:16, 7:25-26) and stresses the uniqueness of God.

 

Psalm 115 is a powerful polemic contrasting the sovereignty and incomparable nature of the LORD (Ps 115:3) with the impotence of lifeless idols—gods that have eyes but do not see, and ears but do not hear (Ps 115:4-8).

 

·         Divine Deliverance and Trust:

Deuteronomy anchors the requirement for obedience in God's past deliverance from Egypt (Deut 5:15, 6:12).

 

Psalm 114 recounts the great deliverance from Egypt and the crossing of the sea/Jordan, a classic example of God's power. Psalms 113 and 115 repeatedly call on Israel to trust in the LORD (Ps 113:1; 115:9-11) as the ultimate deliverer and help.

* * *

 

The connection between the Torah seder and the Ashlamata, though seemingly strictly verbal, is in addition eschatological.  The messianic kingdom, rather than the related contents of the Torah lesson, is the dominant theme of the Ashlamata.

 

What is the eschatological message of What is the eschatological message of Yehoshua (Joshua) 20:7 - 21:8?

 

The eschatological message of Joshua 20:7–21:8, based solely on Jewish sources, centers on the perfection of justice, the establishment of universal spiritual instruction, and the future realization of God's universal governance in the Messianic Era.

 

1. Cities of Refuge as Perfected Justice (Joshua 20)

 

The Cities of Refuge (Arei Miklat) established in this passage are linked to the future era of the Messiah, which is characterized by complete safety and justice:

 

Completion of the Law: The Torah commands the future designation of three additional Cities of Refuge when Israel's territory expands (Deut 19:8-9). Rabbinic tradition teaches that this command awaits fulfillment in the Messianic Age, signifying a time when God’s governance of the world will be complete, providing sanctuary and security not only for Israel but possibly for all nations.

 

The High Priest's Role: The unintentional killer's freedom is contingent on the death of the High Priest (Josh 20:6). Maimonides suggests that the High Priest's death was so great a calamity for the entire community that it functioned as an atonement, dissipating the blood-avenger's anger. This temporary atonement foreshadows the final, perfect atonement and the end of all vengeance and injustice in the Messianic Age.

 

2. Levitical Cities as Universal Spiritual Order (Joshua 21:1–8)

 

The distribution of the Levitical Cities across all tribal territories symbolizes the pervasive presence of spiritual guidance and the perfected social order of the future.

 

Universal Torah Instruction: The Levites were the appointed teachers of the Torah (Deut 33:10). By scattering them throughout the land, the system ensured that centers of learning, justice, and purity were accessible to every tribe. In the Messianic Era, this function is magnified, as God promises that Torah knowledge will be universally accessible and accepted by all of Israel, spreading light to the nations (e.g., Isa 2:3).

 

Inheritance of God: Since the Levites received no territorial inheritance, with "the LORD... is their inheritance" (Josh 13:33), their scattered cities represent a model for the perfected Jewish state. It is a reminder that in the fully redeemed land, the nation's true security and blessing come from spiritual devotion and covenantal fidelity—God's presence—rather than from material or political might.

 

 

Nazarean Talmud

“Az Yavdil”– “Then set apart”

Sidra of Devarim (Deuteronomy) “4:41-7:11”

By: Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

School of Hakham Shaul’s Tosefta Luqas (LK)	School of Hakham Tsefet’s Peshat Mordechai (Mk)
Now the feast of Unleavened Bread (which is called Passover) was drawing near. And the Chief Priests and the Scribes (Heb. Soferim, of the Sadducees Heb. Tz’dukim) were seeking how they could destroy him, because they were afraid of the people.	¶And now Pesach (Passover) the feast of Matzot (unleavened bread) was near. And the Chief Priests and their scribes (Heb. soferim, of the Sadducees Heb. Tz’dukim) sought, by cunning how they might take hold and kill him (Yeshua); For they said, “not during the Festival” for fear that there may be a disturbance (of mob violence) by the people.
¶ Now one of the P’rushim asked him to eat with him,[120] and he entered the house of the P’rush and reclined at the table. And behold, a woman in the town who had the reputation of being a sinner, when she learned that he was dining in the P’rush’s house, brought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, and had been standing behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and was wiping them with the hair of her head and was kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfumed oil. Now when the P’rush who invited him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known[121] who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.”	¶ And he (Yeshua) was at Bet Chanan reclining in the house of Shimon the jar maker, and a woman came with a jar of alabaster (which had a) very costly perfume, pure spikenard, and she broke the jar and poured it on his (Yeshua’s) head. But, there were those who said to each other, in anger, “why was this ointment wasted in this manner? “For this ointment could (have been) sold for more than three-hundred denarii, (priceless) and given to the poor.” And they admonished her. But, Yeshua said, to them “Leave her alone; why do you cause her trouble? She has performed a good service for me. For you will have the poor with you always, and you can do well (for) them any time you desire; but you will not always have me. She has done what she is able from what she possessed; anointing my body before its burial. Amen ve amen I tell you, wherever this Mesorah is proclaimed (taught) in the whole world, what she has done will be told to honor her.”

And Yeshua answered and said to him, “ Shimon the jar maker, I have something to say to you.” And he said, “Teacher, say it.” “There were two debtors who owed a certain creditor. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. When they were not able to repay him, he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Shimon answered and said, “I suppose that it is the one to whom he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged correctly.” And turning toward the woman, he said to Shimon the jar maker, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house. You did not give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but from the time I entered, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with olive oil, but she anointed my feet with perfumed oil. For this reason I tell you, her sins—which were many—have been forgiven, for she loved much. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” And those who were reclining at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even (announces) forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faithful obedience has made you whole. Go in with shalom (peace).”

 

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

 

 

Commentary to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat

 

The portion opens with the designation of arei miklat east of the Yarden (Devarim 4:41–43). The placement of this legal institution immediately after the admonitions against idolatry in chapter 4 forms a deliberate hinge: Torah binds judgment to mercy. The manslayer’s flight does not annul responsibility; it places culpability within a sacred interval where blood-feud cannot masquerade as justice. Covenant law, therefore, reveals its inner architecture: protection of life even when transgression has occurred, measured restraint even when vengeance beckons. The arei miklat becomes a living midrash on the Divine patience that suspends wrath to preserve a future for teshuvah. This legal mercy passes from command into history when Yehoshua 20:7 21:8 assigns the cities in the land itself, showing that what is envisioned in the plains of Moav is realized in Eretz Yisrael under the priestly-Levitical matrix.

Devarim 4:44–49 re-frames the entire discourse: “This is the Torah which Moshe set before the children of Israel.” The editorial restatement marks renewed giving. Torah never remains a relic; it becomes present tense through re-presentation. The toponyms—beyond the Yarden, opposite Beit-Peor—anchor the eternal within geography, asserting that revelation inhabits and coordinates community, not only abstraction. The very act of framing, “this is the Torah,” signals that pedagogy stands at the heart of covenant life: speech must be ordered, memory must be curated, and transmission must be intentional.

 

Chapter 5 returns Israel to Horev: “Not with our fathers did HaShem cut this covenant alone, but with us—even us—here alive today.” The rhetoric collapses time so that each generation stands under the same thunder. The Aseret ha-Dibrot function not as an archive but as present sovereignty. Idolatry is again outlawed; the Name is sanctified; Shabbat becomes testimony; parents are honored; life, covenantal fidelity, property, speech, and desire are guarded. The people’s plea for mediation—lest they die from the sound—reveals a human paradox: desire for nearness to G-d and dread of that nearness. Prophetic mediation arises not as diminishment but as mercy. The prophet receives lightning and renders it articulate, translating terror into instruction. In that act, the covenant’s tone is set: holiness will not be domesticated, yet it will be made livable through ordered teaching.

 

Chapter 6 concentrates the entire theology into the Shema: “HaShem is One.” Oneness here signifies more than arithmetic singularity. It proclaims indivisible sovereignty and the seamlessness of being under G-d. The love command—“with all heart, with all soul, and with all might”—requires total orientation: emotion, life, and resource brought into alignment. The verbs of pedagogy—teach, speak, bind, write—transform devotion into daily rhythm. Binding upon hand and between eyes inscribes action and perception; mezuzah engraves threshold and dwelling. Prosperity becomes the danger that follows fidelity; abundance breeds amnesia. Therefore, the antidote is liturgical memory: “When G-d brings… beware lest you forget.” Gratitude guards against self-deification. The pedagogy extends intergenerationally: when the child asks, the answer narrates bondage and deliverance. Torah instruction proceeds not by abstraction alone but by historical testimony, so that love of G-d is authenticated by gratitude and obedience.

 

Chapter 7 articulates covenant separation. Nations and cults that deform moral reality must be removed lest Israel’s heart be seduced. The rhetoric of cherem sounds harsh until one recognizes its diagnostic claim: idolatry is not an error of private opinion; it is a contagion that distorts justice, sexuality, economy, and worship. The Torah refuses syncretism that would dilute kedushah. Yet the ground of Israel’s difference does not rest in tribal pride. “Not because you were many… but because HaShem loved you and keeps the oath to the fathers.” Election is an assignment under love, responsibility under oath. The passage binds love and law: “Know that HaShem thy G-d, He is Elohim, the faithful G-d, keeping covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments.” The dialectic stands clear: grace establishes, obedience answers, and fidelity sustains.

 

The psalms segment, Tehillim 112–115, amplifies these motifs. The blessed man of Psalm 112 fears G-d and delights in His commandments; generosity to the poor becomes the visible signature of righteousness. Stability amid darkness flows from trust. Psalm 113 raises the lowly from the dust and seats them with nobles. Divine majesty manifests precisely in compassionate reversal. Psalm 114 remembers the exodus, reading nature itself as responsive to the Presence. Psalm 115 executes a polemic against idols—the work of human hands who cannot speak, see, or hear—echoing Devarim’s scorn for images. The refrain “Not to us, O L-rd, not to us, but to Thy Name give glory” reorders honor, guarding the heart against self-congratulation when victory or abundance arrives. These psalms supply the emotional grammar for Devarim’s covenant laws: fear of G-d fused with generosity, memory wedded to humility, worship purified of image and pride.

 

Against this backdrop, the narrative preserved in Mark 14:1–9 and the Lukan account in 7:36–50 becomes a striking reappearance of Devarim’s inner grammar within a house lit by devotion. A woman breaks an alabaster vessel of costly nard and pours it upon the head of Yeshua; the act is judged by onlookers as waste, for in strict economic calculus, the ointment could have been given to the poor. The Teacher’s defense reframes the evaluation: “You will always have the poor… but you will not always have me.” The statement does not trivialize the poor—indeed, Tehillim 112 celebrates generosity as righteousness—but it insists on a hierarchy ordered by holiness. The act performed becomes preparation for burial and a memorial that travels with the mesorah wherever it is proclaimed. The Lukan scene intensifies the matter of hospitality and gratitude: a woman known as a sinner washes His feet with tears and anoints them with oil; the host neglects the basic courtesies of water, kiss, and oil. The parable of the two debtors translates Devarim’s pedagogy of memory into personal economy: one who is forgiven many loves much. In both scenes, a Deuteronomic twofold emerges—love of G-d that does not shrink from costly devotion, and love of neighbor that expresses itself in tangible mercy. The cities of refuge placed law and mercy in tension toward life; the anointing places valuation and devotion in tension toward love. In each case, Torah asks what love demands in the presence of the Holy.

 

Read beside Devarim 6, the woman’s act becomes a lived Shema. Love of G-d with all the heart appears as uncalculated expenditure; love with all the soul shows as willingness to be misunderstood; love with all the might manifests as the surrender of wealth’s fragrance to sanctify a moment. The objection that the poor might have been helped evokes Psalm 112’s generosity, yet the narrative replies with Psalm 115’s lo lanu—honor belongs to the Name. Devotion that magnifies the Name becomes, paradoxically, a gift to the world’s poor, because it restores the axis by which generosity becomes more than philanthropy: it becomes worship. Moreover, Luke’s emphasis on neglected courtesies parallels Devarim’s pedagogy of the home. If the doorposts are inscribed, the table must be too; hospitality becomes halakhic. The failure of the host is not merely social; it is covenantal amnesia in miniature. The woman remembers; therefore, she loves.

 

Returning to the opening arei miklat, which causes us to see in Mark the woman who enters a house charged with whispers of scandal and becomes, in effect, an asylum of fragrance. Accusation disperses before the Teacher’s defense; zeal without knowledge would prosecute her, but measured judgment shields and interprets. Devarim taught that mercy is not leniency; it is truth protected from rage. In the anointing, costly love receives hermeneutical refuge until “the whole world” bears witness. The memorial promises travel outward like the psalms’ Hallel that follows deliverance.

 

The practical thrust of the portion, therefore, resolves into three covenantal disciplines. First, sustain a legal imagination that refuses cruelty even while it refuses idolatry; justice and mercy belong together. Second, bind the Shema upon the interior so that devotion orders pedagogy, household, and economy; memory defeats the intoxication of prosperity. Third, practice elections as vocation: live kedushah not as superiority but as service that magnifies the Name. The psalms insist that the righteous distribute to the poor with open hand while confessing “Not to us”; the narratives of anointing show that wholehearted devotion never competes with generosity when the axis is rightly set upon G-d.

 

Thus Devarim 4:41–7:11 discloses the unbreakable spine of covenant life: law tempered by compassion, unity confessed as love’s demand, and separation practiced as fidelity to purpose. Yehoshua anchors the vision in cities and fields; Tehillim supplies its song. The house in Mark receives its fragrance, and the world receives its witness. The heart hears again: Shema Yisrael.

 

Blessing After Torah Study

 

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

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

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

 

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

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

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

 

“Now unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless, and to establish you without a blemish,

before His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one GOD, our Deliverer, by means of Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion, and honor, and majesty, both now and in all ages. Amen!”

 

Next Sabbath: “V’Hayah Eqev” – Sabbath “It will come about, because”

 

 

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·        The Blessings of Obedience – Deut. 7:12-16

·        Israel’s Struggle with the Canaanite Nations – Deut. 7:17-26

·        Fatherly Discipline of G-d – The Lessons of the Wilderness – Deut. 8:1-6

·        This Fatherly Discipline of G-d it is necessary to keep vividly in mind; lest, in the plenty of the Land, G-d be forgotten – Deut. 8:7-20

                          ·        Israel’s Victory Due to G-d – Deuteronomy 9:1-7

                          ·        Proof From History of Israel’s Rebellion – Deuteronomy 9:8-29

 

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