Esnoga Bet Emunah

7104 Inlay St. SE, Lacey, WA 98513

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

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings	Second Year of the Reading Cycle
Iyar 10, 5770 – April 23/24 , 2010	Second Year of the Shmita Cycle

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times:

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:55 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 8:54 PM

Baton Rouge & Alexandria, LA., U.S.

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:10 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 8:15 PM

Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S.

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:09 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 8:09 PM

Brisbane, Australia

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 5:06 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 6:59 PM

Bucharest, Romania

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:51 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 8:57 PM

Chattanooga, & Cleveland, TN, U.S.

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 8:02 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 9:00 PM

Jakarta, Indonesia

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 5:32 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 6:21 PM

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:00 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 7:49 PM

Manila & Cebu, Philippines

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 5:53 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 6:44 PM

Miami, FL, U.S.

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:30 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 8:24 PM

New London, CT, U.S.

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:10 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 8:13 PM

Olympia, WA, U.S.

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:52 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 9:01 PM

Murray, KY, & Paris, TN. U.S.

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:18 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 8:18 PM

Philadelphia, PA, U.S.

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:28 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 8:30 PM

San Antonio, TX, U.S.

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:47 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 8:43 PM

Sheboygan & Manitowoc, WI, US

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 7:25 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 8:31 PM

Singapore, Singapore

Fri. Apr. 23, 2010 – Candles at 6:50 PM

Sat. Apr. 24, 2010 – Havdalah 7:39 PM

For other places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp

Roll of Honor:

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of:

His Honor Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and beloved wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah

His Honor Paqid Adon Mikha ben Hillel

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

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 Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,

Her Excellency Giberet Alitah bat Sarah

His Excellency Dr. Adon Yeshayahu ben Yosef and beloved wife HE Giberet Tricia Foster

His Excellency Adon Yisrael ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Elisheba bat Sarah

Her Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor

His Excellency Dr. Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

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

If you want to subscribe to our list and ensure that you never lose any of our commentaries, or would like your friends also to receive this commentary, please do send me an E-Mail to benhaggai@GMail.com with your E-Mail or the E-Mail addresses of your friends. Toda Rabba!

Shabbat Vay’hi BaShanah – And it came to pass in the year

(Iyar 10, 5770 – April 23/24, 2010)

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
רְאֵה, קָרָאתִי
“R’eh Qarati”	Reader 1 – Shemot 31:1-5	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 32:15-18
“See, I have called”	Reader 2 – Shemot 31:6-11	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 32:19-21
“Mira, Yo he llamado”	Reader 3 – Shemot 31:12-14	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 32:22-24
Shemot (Exodus) Ex 31:1 – 32:14	Reader 4 – Shemot 31:15-17
Ashlamatah: Isaiah 43:7-15, 21	Reader 5 – Shemot 31:18 – 32:6
Special Ashlamatah: Ezekiel 20:1-20	Reader 6 – Shemot 32:7-10	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 32:15-18
Psalm 65:1-14	Reader 7 – Shemot 32:11-14	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 32:19-21
Pirqe Abot III:13	Maftir – Shemot 32:11-14	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 32:22-24
N.C.: Mark 9:30-32	Ezekiel 20:1-20

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan

for: Shemot (Exodus) 31:1 – 32:14

RASHI	TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN
1. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:	1. And the Lord spoke with Mosheh, saying,
2. "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,	2. Look, Mosheh, I have called by name the good Bezalel bar Uri bar Hur, of the tribe of Jehudah, [JERUSALEM. See, Mosheh, behold, I have anointed and called by a good name Bezalel.]
3. and I have imbued him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with insight, with knowledge, and with [talent for] all manner of craftsmanship	3. and have filled him with the Spirit of holiness from before the Lord, in wisdom and in intelligence, in knowledge, and in all workmanship;
4. to do master weaving, to work with gold, with silver, and with copper,	4. to think in their thoughts so as to work (perfectly) in gold, and in silver, and in brass;
5. with the craft of stones for setting and with the craft of wood, to do every [manner of] work.	5. and in the cutting of jewels for their insetting, and in the carving of woods, to make all manner of work.
6. And, behold, with him I have placed Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and all the wise hearted into whose hearts I have instilled wisdom, and they shall make everything I have commanded you:	6. And, behold, I have appointed with him Ahaliab bar Achisamah, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of every one wise hearted I have added the Spirit of wisdom, that they may perform all whatever I have commanded you.
7. The Tent of Meeting and the ark for the testimony, as well as the cover that [shall be] upon it, all the implements of the tent,	7. The tabernacle of ordinance, and the ark of the testimony and the mercy seat which is over it; and all the vessels of the tabernacle;
8. the table and its implements, the pure menorah and all its implements, the altar of incense,	8. and the table, and all its vessels; and the altar of sweet incense,
9. the altar for the burnt offering and all its implements, the washstand and its base,	9. and the altar of burnt offering, and all its vessels; and the laver, and its foot;
10. the meshwork garments, the holy garments for Aaron the kohen, the garments of his sons [in which] to serve [as kohanim],	10. and the vestments for ministration, the holy vestments of Aharon the priest, and the vestments of his sons for ministry;
11. the anointing oil and the incense for the Holy; in complete accordance with everything I have commanded you they shall do."	11. and the oil of anointing; and the sweet incense for the sanctuary; even all whatever I have commanded you, they will make.
12. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:	12. And the Lord spoke with Mosheh, saying,
13. "And you, speak to the children of Israel and say: 'Only keep My Sabbaths! For it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that I, the Lord, make you holy.	13. Also, speak you with the sons of Israel, saying, You will keep the day of My Sabbaths indeed; for it is a sign between My Word and you, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctify you.
14. Therefore, keep the Sabbath, for it is a sacred thing for you. Those who desecrate it shall be put to death, for whoever performs work on it, that soul will be cut off from the midst of its people.	14. You will keep the Sabbath, because it is holy to you; whosoever profanes it, dying he will die; whosoever does work therein, that man will be destroyed from his people.
15. Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever performs work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.'	15. Six days you will do work; but the seventh day is Sabbath, the holy Sabbath before the Lord. Whosoever does work upon the Sabbath, dying he will die, by the casting of stones.
16. Thus shall the children of Israel observe the Sabbath, to make the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant.	16. The sons of Israel will therefore keep the Sabbath, to perform the delightful exercises of the Sabbath; (it is) for your generations an everlasting statute;
17. Between Me and the children of Israel, it is forever a sign that [in] six days The Lord created the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day He ceased and rested."	17. between My Word and the sons of Israel it is a sign forever. For in six days the Lord created and perfected the heavens and the earth; and in the seventh day He rested and refreshed.
18. When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets, written with the finger of God.	18. And He gave to Mosheh, when He had finished to speak with him in Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of sapphire‑stone from the throne of glory, weighing forty sein, inscribed by the finger of the Lord.

1. When the people saw that Moses was late in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron, and they said to him: "Come on! Make us gods that will go before us, because this man Moses, who brought us up from the land of Egypt we don't know what has become of him."	1. But the people saw that Mosheh delayed to come down from the mount, and the people gathered together unto Aharon, when they saw that the time he had appointed to them had passed; and Satan had come, and caused them to err, and perverted their hearts with pride. And they said to him, Arise, make us gods that will go before us; for as for this Mosheh the man who brought us up from the land of Mizraim, he may have been consumed in the mountain by the fire which flames from before the Lord, (and) we know not what has befallen him in his end.
2. Aaron said to them, "Remove the golden earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them [those earrings] to me."	2. And Aharon said to them, Deliver the golden rings that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.
3. And all the people stripped themselves of the golden earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron.	3. And their wives denied themselves to give their ornaments to their husbands; and all the people at once delivered up the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aharon.
4. He took [them] from their hand[s], fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into a molten calf, upon which they said: "These are your gods, O Israel, who have brought you up from the land of Egypt!"	4. And he took them from their hands, and bound them in a wrapper, and wrought it with a tool, having made a molten calf; and he said, These, Israel, are your gods, which brought you forth from the land of Mizraim. For Aharon had seen Hur slain before him, and was afraid; [JERUSALEM. And Aharon saw Hur slain before him, and was afraid;]
5. When Aaron saw [this], he built an altar in front of it, and Aaron proclaimed and said: "Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord."	5. and he built an altar before him, and Aharon cried with doleful voice, and said, Let there be a feast before the Lord tomorrow, of the sacrifice of the slain of these adversaries who have denied their Lord, and have changed the glory of the Shekinah of the Lord for this calf. [JERUSALEM. and he built an altar before him, and Aharon cried and said, A feast.]
6. On the next day they arose early, offered up burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and they got up to make merry.	6. And on the day following, they arose, and sacrificed burnt-offerings; and the people sat around to eat and to drink, and rose up to disport themselves with strange service. [JERUSALEM. And they rose up to disport themselves with strange service.]
7. And the Lord said to Moses: "Go, descend, for your people that you have brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly.	7. And the Lord said to Mosheh, Descend from the greatness of your honour; for I have not given you greatness except on account of Israel. But now your people, whom you did bring up from the land of Mizraim, have corrupted their works;
8. They have quickly turned away from the path that I have commanded them; they have made themselves a molten calf! And they have prostrated themselves before it, slaughtered sacrifices to it, and said: 'These are your gods, O Israel, who have brought you up from the land of Egypt.' "	8. quickly have they declined from the way which I taught them in Sinai, (that) you will not make yourselves image, or figure, or any similitude; for now have they made to them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and sacrificed to it, and proclaimed before it, These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up from the land of Mizraim.
9. And the Lord said to Moses: "I have seen this people and behold! they are a stiff necked people.	9. And the Lord said to Mosheh, The pride of this people is manifest before Me, and, behold, it is a people of hard neck.
10. Now leave Me alone, and My anger will be kindled against them so that I will annihilate them, and I will make you into a great nation."	10. And now, cease from your prayer, and cry not for them before Me; for I will let My anger burn like strong fire against them, and consume them, and I will make of you a great people.
11. Moses pleaded before the Lord, his God, and said: "Why, O Lord, should Your anger be kindled against Your people whom You have brought up from the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand?	11. And Mosheh was shaken with fear, and began to pray before the Lord his God; and he said, wherefore should Your wrath, O Lord, prevail against Your people whom You did bring up from the land of Mizraim, with great power and with a mighty hand?
12. Why should the Egyptians say: 'He brought them out with evil [intent] to kill them in the mountains and to annihilate them from upon the face of the earth'? Retreat from the heat of Your anger and reconsider the evil [intended] for Your people.	12. Why should the Mizraee who are remaining say, It was for evil that He led them out, to kill them among the mountains of Tabor and Hermon, and Sirion and Sinai, and to destroy them from the face of the earth? Turn from Your strong anger, and let there be relenting before You over the evil that You have threatened to do unto Your people.
13. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your very Self, and to whom You said: 'I will multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens, and all this land which I said that I would give to your seed, they shall keep it as their possession forever.' "	13. Remember Abraham, and Izhak, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You did swear in Your Word and did say to them, I will multiply your children as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have told you will I give to your sons, and they will inherit forever.
14. The Lord [then] reconsidered the evil He had said He would do to His people.	14. And there was relenting before the Lord over the evil which He had thought to do unto His people.

Welcome to the World of P’shat Exegesis

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

The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as follows

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading Assignment:

The Torah Anthology, Volume 9, The Tabernacle, pp. 332-355

By: Hakham Yaakov Culi & Hakham Yitschak Magrisso

Translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

Moznaim Publishing Corporation, 1990

The Torah Anthology, Volume 10, Sin and Reconciliation, pp. 3-49

By: Hakham Yitschak Magrisso

Translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

Moznaim Publishing Corporation, 1991

Rashi Commentary for: Shemot (Exodus) 31:1 – 32:14

2 I have called by name to perform My work Bezalel.

3 with wisdom [I.e.,] what a person hears from others and learns. -[from Sifrei Deut. 1:13]

with insight With his intellect he understands other things based on what he learned. -[from Sifrei Deut. 1:13]

with knowledge The holy spirit.

4 to do master weaving Heb. לַחְשֽׁב מַחֲשָׁבֽת , the weaving work of a master weaver.

5 with the craft Heb. וּבַחֲרשֶׁת , a term denoting a craft, like “a skilled craftsman (חָרָשׁ) ” (Isa. 40:20). Onkelos, however, explained [this term] but varied [the wording] in their explanation [i.e., in the explanation of the two mentions of חֲרשֶׁ . וּבַחֲרשֶׁת אֶבֶן he rendered וּבְאוּמָנוּת אֲבַן טָבָא , and בַחֲרשֶׁת עֵץ he rendered וּבְנַגָּרוּת אָעָא , because a craftsman of stones is called אוּמָן , craftsman, whereas a craftsman of wood is called נַגַָּר , carpenter.

for setting Heb. לְמַלֽאת , lit., to fill. To set it [each stone] into its setting in its fullness, [i.e.,] to make the setting equal to the measurement of the bottom of the stone and its thickness. [See commentary on Exod. 25:7.]

6 and all the wise-hearted into whose hearts I have instilled wisdom And additionally, other wise-hearted people among you [shall assist], as well as everyone into whom I have instilled wisdom, and [all of them] shall make everything I have commanded you.

7 and the ark for the testimony For the purpose of the tablets of the testimony.

8 the pure Heb. הַטְּהֽרָה . [The menorah is described by this adjective] because [it was made] of pure gold. [based on Exod. 25:31]

10 the meshwork garments Heb. בִּגְדֵי הַשְְׂרָד In my opinion, according to the simple meaning of the verse, it is impossible to say that the garments of the kehunah are referred to [here], because it says next to them [at the end of the verse], “the holy garments for Aaron the kohen, the garments of his sons [in which] to serve [as kohanim].” But these בִּגְדֵי הַשְׂרָד [referred to here] are the garments of blue, purple, and crimson wool mentioned in the section dealing with the travels (Num. 4:6-13): “and they shall place upon it a garment of blue wool,” “and they shall place upon it a garment of purple wool,” “and they shall place upon them a garment of crimson wool.” My assertion [that בִּגְדֵי הַשְׂרָד refers to the coverings of the vessels] appears correct, since it says: “And from the blue wool, the purple wool, and the crimson they made בִּגְדֵי הַשְׂרָד ” (Exod. 39: 1), but linen was not mentioned with them. Now, if it [the text] is speaking of the garments of the kehunah, we do not find in any of them [reference to] purple or crimson wool without [the addition of] linen. בִּגְדֵי הַשְׂרָד Some [commentators] explain בִּגְדֵי הַשְׂרָד as an expression of work and service, like its [Aramaic] translation, לְבוּשֵׁי שִׁמוּשָׁא , and it has no similarity in the Scriptures. But I believe that it is Aramaic, like the [Aramaic] translation of קְלָעִים [hangings, translated סְרָדִין ] (Exod. 27:9) and the [Aramaic] translation of מִכְבָּר [grating, translated סְרָדָא ] (Exod. 27:4), for they were woven with a needle [and] made of many holes, lazediz in Old French, mesh-work, crochet-work, [or] lace.

11 and the incense for the Holy For the purpose of bringing [incense] up in smoke in the Heichal, which is holy.

13 And you, speak to the children of Israel But [as for] you, although I have mandated you to command them [the Israelites] concerning the work of the Mishkan, do not let it seem to you that you may easily set aside the Sabbath because of that work.

Only keep My Sabbaths! Although you will be rushed to perform the work [of the Mishkan] quickly, the Sabbath shall not be set aside because of it. All instances of אַךְ and רַק [imply limitations, i.e.,] are exclusive, to exclude the Sabbath from the work of the Mishkan.

For it is a sign between Me and you It is a sign of distinction between us that I have chosen you, by granting you as an inheritance My day of rest for [your] rest.

to know [So that] the nations [should know] that I, the Lord, sanctify you.

14 shall be put to death If there are witnesses and a warning.

will be cut off without warning. -[from Mechilta]

Those who desecrate it Heb. מְחַלְלֶיהָ , [those] who treat its sanctity as profane.

15 a Sabbath of complete rest Heb. שַׁבָּת שַׁבָּתוֹן , a reposeful rest, not a casual rest.

(a Sabbath of complete rest For this reason, Scripture repeated it [the word, שַׁבָּת ], to inform [us] that on it all work is prohibited, even what is needed for food. Similarly regarding Yom Kippur, in whose context it says: “It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you” (Lev. 23:32), all work is prohibited. However, concerning festivals it says only: “on the first day is a rest, and on the eighth day is a rest” (Lev. 23:39), [meaning that] on them [i.e., on holidays] only servile work is prohibited, but work needed for food [preparation] is permitted.)

holy to the Lord The observance of its sanctity shall be for My name and by My commandment.

17 and rested Heb. וַיִּנָפַשׁ . As the Targum [Onkelos] renders: וְנָח , and rested. Now every expression of נוֹפֶשׁ , rest, is an expression of נֶפֶשׁ , soul, for one regains one’s soul and one’s breath when one rests from the toil of work. He about Whom it is written: “He neither tires nor wearies” (Isa. 40:28), and Whose every act is performed by speech [alone, without physical effort], dictated rest in reference to Himself [only] in order to make it understood to the [human] ear with words that it can understand.

18 He gave Moses In the Torah, chronological order is not adhered to. The episode of the calf took place long before the command of the work of the Mishkan. For on the seventeenth of Tammuz the tablets were broken, and on Yom Kippur the Holy One, blessed is He, was reconciled to Israel. On the morrow [i.e., on the eleventh of Tishri], they commenced with the donation for the Mishkan, and it [the Mishkan] was erected on the first of Nissan. -[from Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Thissa 31]

When He had finished Heb. כְּכַלֽתוֹ . [This word should be spelled כְּכַלּוֹתוֹ . Here, however,] it is spelled defectively [without the first “vav”], as if to be read: כְּכַלָּתוֹ , [meaning] like his bride, for the Torah was delivered to him [Moses] as a gift, as a bride [is given] to a bridegroom, because [otherwise] he could not have learnt it all in such a short time (Tanchuma, Ki Thissa 18). Another explanation: Just as a bride is adorned with twenty-four ornaments [i.e.,] the ones listed in the book of Isaiah (3: 18-22), so too must a Torah scholar be adorned with the twenty-four books [of the Scriptures, i.e., possess the knowledge of the entire Scriptures] (Tanchuma, Ki Thissa 16).

speaking with him the statutes and the ordinances in the section entitled: “And these are the ordinances” (Exod. 21-23) [i. e., in parshath Mishpatim].

speaking with him [The word “with”] teaches [us] that Moses would hear [the laws] from God and then they would both repeat the halachah together. -[from Exod. Rabbah 41:5]

tablets Heb. לֻחֽת . It is spelled לֻחֽת [without the “vav” of the plural, as if to be read לֻחַת , the singular form,] because they were both the same [size]. -[from Exod. Rabbah 41:6]

Chapter 32

1 that Moses was late Heb. בשֵׁשׁ , as the Targum [Onkelos] renders אוֹחַר , an expression for lateness. Likewise, [in the verse] “is his chariot late (בּֽשֵׁשׁ) ” (Jud. 5:28); “and they waited until it was late (בּוֹשׁ) ” (Jud. 3:25). When Moses went up the mountain, he said to them [the Israelites], “At the end of forty days I will come, within six hours” [from sunrise of the fortieth day]. They thought that the day he went up was included in the number [of the forty days], but [in fact] he had said to them, “forty days,” [meaning] complete [days], including the night. But the day of his ascent did not have its night included with it [because Moses ascended in the morning], for on the seventh of Sivan he ascended. Thus, the fortieth day [of Moses’ absence] was the seventeenth of Tammuz. On the sixteenth [of Tammuz], Satan came and brought confusion into the world and showed a semblance of darkness, [even] pitch darkness, and confusion, [as if] indicating [that] Moses had surely died and therefore, confusion had come upon the world. He [Satan] said to them, “Moses has died, for six [additional] hours have already passed, and he has not come, etc.,” as is found in tractate Shabbath (89a). We cannot say that their [the Israelites’] only error was that on a cloudy day [they were confused] between before noon and after noon, because Moses did not descend until the next day, as it is said: “On the next day, they arose early, offered up burnt offerings…” (verse 6).

that will go before us - אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ [The word יֵלְכוּ is in the plural form.] They desired many deities for themselves. -[from Sanh. 63a]

because this man Moses Satan showed them something resembling Moses, being carried in the air, high above in the sky. -[from Shab. 89a, Midrash Tanchuma 19]

who brought us up from the land of Egypt And directed us the way we should go up [from Egypt]. Now we need gods who will go before us [instead of Moses].

2 that are on the ears of your wives… Aaron said to himself, “The women and children are fond of their jewelry. Perhaps the matter will be delayed, and in the meantime, Moses will arrive.” But they did not wait [for their wives and children to give them their earrings], and they took off their own [earrings]. -[from Midrash Tanchuma 21]

Remove Heb. פָּרְקוּ , an imperative expression, from the same root as פָּרֵק in the singular. [This is] like בָּרְכוּ , bless, [which is] from the same root as בָּרֵךְ .

3 stripped themselves Heb. וַיִתְפָּרְקוּ , an expression [used for] unloading a burden. When they removed them [the earrings] from their ears, they were found to be unloaded of their earrings, descharyer in Old French [decharger in modern French], to unload.

of the golden earrings Heb. אֶת-נִזְמֵי , like מִנַּזְמֵי , similar to “When I leave the city (אֶת-הָעִיר) ” (Exod. 9:29), [like] מִן-הָעִיר , [lit., when I go out of the city].

4 fashioned it with an engraving tool Heb. וַיָּצַר אֽתוֹ בַּחֶרֶט . This [clause] can be rendered in two ways: One is [that] וַיָּצַר is an expression of tying, and בַּחֶרֶט is an expression meaning a kerchief, similar to “and the tablecloths and the purses (וְהַחֲרִיטִים) ” (Isa. 3:22); “and he tied two talents of silver in two purses (חֲרִטִים) ” (II Kings 5:23). The second [way of rendering it] is [that] וַיָּצַר is an expression meaning a form, and בַּחֶרֶט is the tool of the smiths, with which they cut out and engrave (חוֹרְטִין) forms in gold. [The tool is] like a scribe’s stylus, which engraves letters on tablets and wax-covered tablets, as “and inscribe on it with a common pen (בְּחֶרֶט אֱנוֹשׁ) ” (Isa. 8:1). This [second interpretation] is what Onkelos rendered: וְצַר יָתֵיהּ בְּזִיפָא , an expression of זִיוּף , a tool with which people engrave letters and designs, known in French as nielle, niello work. With it, signets are engraved.

a molten calf - As soon as they had cast it into the fire of the crucible, the sorcerers of the mixed multitude who had gone up with them from Egypt came and made it with sorcery. [See commentary on Exod. 12:38.] Others say that Micah was there, who had emerged from the layer of the building where he had been crushed in Egypt. (Sanh. 101b). In his hand was a plate upon which Moses had inscribed “Ascend, O ox; ascend, O ox,” to [miraculously] bring up Joseph’s coffin from the Nile. They cast it [the plate] into the crucible, and the calf emerged. -[from Midrash Tanchuma 19]

molten Heb. מַסֵּכָה , an expression related to מַתֶּכֶת , metal, [both derived from roots meaning to pour]. Another interpretation: One hundred and twenty-five centenaria of gold were in it, like the gematria of מַסֵּכָה . 40= מ , 60= ס , 20= כ , 5= ה , totaling 125] -[from Midrash Tanchuma 19]

These are your gods But it does not say, “These are our gods.”-[from here [we learn] that the mixed multitude who had come up from Egypt were the ones who gathered against Aaron, and they were the ones who made it [the calf]. Afterwards, they caused the Israelites to stray after it. -[from Midrash Tanchuma 19]

5 When Aaron saw that it was alive, as it is said: “for the likeness of an ox eating grass” (Ps. 106:20), and he saw that Satan’s work had succeeded, and he had no words to stall them completely [i.e., to keep the Israelites from worshipping the calf, so then]

he built an altar to stall them.

and said: “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” But [it will] not [be] today. Perhaps Moses would come before they would worship it. This is its simple meaning. Its midrashic meaning in Leviticus Rabbah (10:3) is [as follows]: Aaron saw many things. He saw his sister’s son Hur, who had reproved them [the Israelites], and they assassinated him. That is [the meaning of] וַיִּבֶן , [an expression of בִּינָה , understanding]. לְפָנָיו מִזְבֵּח [should be understood as if it were written] וַיִבֶן מִזָָּבוּחַ לְפָנָיו , [meaning] he understood from the slaughtered one in front of him. Moreover, he saw [the situation] and said, “Better I should be blamed and not they.” He also “saw” another thing and said, “If they build the altar [themselves], one will bring pebbles and [another] one will bring a stone. Thus, their work will be done all at once. Since I will build it, and I will neglect my work, in the meantime Moses will arrive.”

a festival to the Lord In his heart, he meant Heaven. He was confident that Moses would come, and they would worship the Omnipresent. -[from Lev. Rabbah 10:3]

6 they arose early Satan roused them so that they would sin. to make merry Heb. לְצַחֵק . In this word, there is [also] a connotation of sexual immorality, as it is said: “to mock (לְצַחֶק) me” (Gen. 39:17), and bloodshed, as it is said: “Let the boys get up now and play (וִישַׂחֲקוּ) before us” (II Sam. 2:14). Here too, Hur was slain. -[from Midrash Tanchuma 20]

7 And…said Heb. וַיְדַבֵּר . [This is] an expression of harshness, like “and he spoke (וַיְדַבֵּר) to them harshly” (Gen. 42:7).

Go, descend Descend from your high position. I gave you this high position only for their sake (Ber. 32a). At that time, Moses was banished by a decree of the heavenly tribunal (Midrash Tanchuma 22, Exod. Rabbah 42:3).

your people…have acted corruptly Heb. שִׁחֵת עַמְךָ . It does not say, “The people have acted corruptly,” but “your people.” Those are the mixed multitude whom you accepted on your own initiative, and whom you converted without consulting Me. You said, “It is good that converts cleave to the Shechinah.” They have acted corruptly and have corrupted [others]. -[from Exod. Rabbah 42:6]

9 stiff-necked Heb. קְשֵׁה-עֽרֶף . [This is a description of stubbornness, meaning] they turned the hardness of the backs of their necks toward those who reproved them, and they refused to listen.

10 leave Me alone [It is unclear why God is saying this—which implies that Moses has made a demand—since] we have not yet heard that Moses prayed for them, and yet He [God] said, “Leave Me alone”? But here, He opened a door for him and informed him that the matter [indeed] depended upon him [Moses], that if he [Moses] would pray for them, He [God] would not destroy them. [Therefore, God implores Moses to leave Him alone so that He can destroy Israel.] -[from Exod. Rabbah 42:9]

11 Why, O Lord Is anyone jealous of another, except a wise man of a wise man, or a strong man of a strong man? -[from Exod. Rabbah 43:6]

12 and reconsider Heb. וְהִנָּחֵם , [i.e.,] formulate another thought to do good to them. the evil that You thought for them.

13 Remember Abraham If [You argue that] they have transgressed the Ten Commandments, [let me remind You that] their [fore]father Abraham was tested with ten tests and has not yet received his reward. Give this [reward] to him [Abraham] so that the ten will cancel out the ten. -[from Midrash Tanchuma 24, Exod. Rabbah 44:4]

Abraham, Isaac, and Israel If they are condemned to be burnt [in a fire], remember Abraham, who gave himself over to be burned for Your sake in Ur of the Chaldees; if they are condemned to be killed by the sword, remember Isaac, who stretched out his neck when he was bound; if they are condemned to exile, remember Jacob, who was exiled to Haran (Midrash Tanchuma 24, Exod. Rabbah 44:5). If they [the children of Israel] will not be saved in their [the Patriarchs’] merit, why do You say to me, “and I will make you into a great nation”? If a chair with three legs cannot stand up before You when You are angry, how much less will a chair with one leg (Ber. 32a) ?

to whom You swore by Your very Self You did not swear to them by something finite—not by the heavens and not by the earth, not by the mountains and not by the hills, but by Your very Self [You swore], for You exist, and Your oath exists forever, as it was said [to Abraham]: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord” (Gen. 22:16). To Isaac was said: “and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham, your father” (Gen. 26:3). To Jacob was said: “I am the Almighty God; be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 35:11). Here He swore to him [Jacob] by the [Name] Almighty God. -[from Ber. 32a, Midrash Tanchuma 24, Exod. Rabbah 44:10]

Ketubim: Psalm 65:1-14

Rashi	Targum
1. For the conductor, a psalm of David, a song.	1. For praise, a psalm of David, a song.
2. Silence is praise to You, O God in Zion, and to You a vow is paid.	2. Before You praise is considered as silence, O God, Whose presence is in Zion, and vows will be paid to You.
3. You, Who hearken to prayer, to You all flesh shall come.	3. O receiver of prayer, unto You all the sons of flesh will come.
4. Words of iniquities have overcome me; as for our transgressions, You shall atone for them.	4. Words of iniquity/Lawlessness have overcome me; You will atone for our sins.
5. Praiseworthy is he whom You choose and draw near to dwell in Your courts; let us be sated with the goodness of Your house, the sanctity of Your Temple.	5. How happy the one You will choose and bring near; he will abide in Your courts. The righteous/generous will say, “We will be satisfied in the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple.”
6. With awesome deeds, through [Your] charity You shall answer us, God of our salvation, the trust of all the distant ends of the earth and the sea.	6. Accept our prayer [with] fearful deeds in righteousness/generosity, O God our redemption, the hope of all the ends of the earth, and the islands of the sea far from dry land.
7. Who sets mountains with His strength, Who is girded with might.	7. Who established food for the ibexes of the mountains in the strength of His might, Who is girded with a belt in might.
8. Who humbles the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the multitude of kingdoms.	8. Who quiets the commotion of the seas and the commotion of their waves, and the hubbub of the nations.
9. And the dwellers of the ends fear Your signs; with the emergence of morning and evening, You cause [them] to sing praises.	9. And those who dwell at the borders were afraid at Your signs; [at the] extremities of morning and evening You will set praise in their mouth.
10. You remember the earth and water it; You enrich it greatly with the stream of God which is full of water; You prepare their corn for so do You prepare it.	10. You have remembered the land and watered it; You will enrich it with much produce from the vault of God which is in heaven, full of rain; You will form their grain, for thus You will consummate it.
11. To sate its furrows, to afford pleasure to its troops; with raindrops You dissolve it, You bless its plants.	11. He has drenched those raised on its plants; He has given rest to its troops; You will bless its blossoms.
12. You crowned a year of Your goodness, and Your paths drip with fatness.	12. You have crowned the year with the goodness of Your blessings; and the paths of Your way will give an odour of richness.
13. They drip upon the dwellings of the desert, and hills gird themselves with joy.	13. They will make sweet the psalms of the wilderness, and the hills will gird themselves with joy.
14. Meadows are clothed with flocks, and valleys are enwrapped with corn; they shout for joy, yea, they sing.	14. The rams will copulate with the flock, and the plains will be covered with grain; they will shout, indeed, they will rejoice.

Rashi on Psalm 65:1-14

2 Silence is praise to You Silence is praise to You; because there is no end to Your praise, the more one praises, the more one detracts.

O God in Zion God, Who dwells in Zion. [I found the following:

make glorious His praise Not effusion, but silence is praise. It appears that דמיה means “praise God with awe,” with the expression “praise Ya-h.” The name consisting of two letters is translated (Exod. 15:2) as, the fear of God, for “My strength and my praise is God (י־ה) .” Also (Exod. 17:16), “For a hand is on the throne of God (י־ה) .” And the expression (above 2:11): “and rejoice with quaking” resembles this. Shem Ephraim comments: It appears to me that Rashi should read as follows:

Make glorious, etc. But silence to God is praise, and its interpretation is: Praise Him with awe, etc.” The intention is that the word דמיה is divided into two words. For it was difficult for him to understand why it should appear that one is to recite any praise of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore he says, “Make glorious His praise,” but not excessively, for that is equivalent to detracting. Therefore he says, “To You is silence (דום) ,” meaning that silence is fitting, but י־ה is praise, i.e., with the name consisting of two letters. His statement that the expression, “rejoice with quaking” resembles this, should read: “Worship the Lord with awe and rejoice with quaking.” His intention is that both verses mean that one may worship the Lord with awe; that is, one may worship the Holy One, blessed be He, with the name י־ה . Otherwise, worship with love is superior. It is also possible that the reading, “and it appears that, etc.” is a copyist’s error. It should read instead: “But be silent and praise Him with the name י־ה , in the expression Hallelujah. But this needs study. Later I found (below 68:5) that Rashi writes something similar. There, for him to write that the expression “and rejoice with quaking” resembles this is more appropriate, because there it says: “and rejoice before Him.” Compare. Therefore, it appears to me that this entire statement was erroneously copied here.) The gloss belongs below 66:2.] Another explanation:

To You is silence praise, O God, in Zion That You were silent and still concerning Your enemies’ deeds in Zion is praise to You, for You are able to take revenge, yet You are slow to anger.

4 Words of iniquities have overcome me and we cannot manage to arrange them all before You because they are many. However, we offer a general prayer before You that You atone for our transgressions.

5 Praiseworthy is he whom You choose and draw near, who will dwell in Your courts.

let us be sated with the goodness that is in Your house and of the sanctity of Your Temple, in which Your Shechinah dwells.

6 With awesome deeds, through [Your] charity You shall answer us Through Your charity, You shall answer us by performing awesome deeds upon the heathens.

the trust You are [the trust] and the refuge of all the dwellers of the ends of the earth, from one end of the earth to the other.

distant...and the sea Even to the distant ones in the sea You are the trust, for Your rule is everywhere.

7 Who sets mountains with His strength With His strength, He makes the mountainswhich are hardsprout, and He prepares and readies food through them and prepares rain, as it is written (below 147:8): “Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes the mountains grow grass.”

Who is girded with might Because he wishes to mention the mighty deeds of the rains, he says, “Who is girded with might.”

8 Who humbles Heb. משביח , He humbles. Similarly (Prov. 29:11): “but afterwards, a wise man will quiet it (ישבחנה) ; (below 89: 10), “When it raises its waves, You humble them (תשבחם) .”

9 with the emergence of the morning and evening, You cause [them] to sing praises [You cause] the creatures who dwell at the extremes to sing praises. In the morning, they say, “Blessed is He Who formed the luminaries,” and in the evening “Blessed is He Who brings about evening.”

10 You remember the earth When You wish to do good, You remember the earth and water it.

You enrich it greatly You enrich it greatly from Your stream, which is full of water, and You prepare therewith the corn of the dwellers of “the ends,” for therewith You prepare it.

11 its furrows Heb. תלמיה . They are the rows of the plowshare.

To sate Heb. רוה , like לרוה .

to afford pleasure to its troops Heb. נחתגדודה , like לְנַחֵתגְדוּדֶהָ , to give rest to its troops. To afford pleasure to its creatures,

You dissolve it with drops of rain.

You dissolve it Heb. תמגגנה , an expression of melting.

12 You crowned a year of Your goodness Through the rains, You crown with total goodness the year that You wish to benefit.

and Your paths They are the heavens, which are the dust of Your feet.

13 They drip The heavens [drip] upon the dwellings of the desert.

14 Meadows are clothed with flocks The Sharon and the Arabah are clothed with the flocks that come to graze on the grass that the rain causes to grow.

and valleys are enwrapped with corn Through the rain, the valleys will be enwrapped with grain. Then the creatures will shout with shouts of joy and sing because of the abundant blessing.

Ordinary Ashlamatah: ‎ Isaiah 43:7-15, 21‎

Rashi	Targum
1. ¶ And now, so said the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and the One Who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, and I called by your name, you are Mine.	1. But now thus says the lord, he who created you, O Jacob, He who established you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have exalted you by your name, you are Mine.
2. When you pass through water, I am with you, and in rivers, they shall not overflow you; when you go amidst fire, you shall not be burnt, neither shall a flame burn amongst you.	2. At the first when you passed through the reed see, My Memra was your help; Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who were as numerous as the waters of the river, did not prevail against you; the second time also, when you will walk among the peoples who are as strong as fire, they will not prevail against you, and kingdoms which are as powerful as flame will not destroy you.
3. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.	3. For I am the LORD Your God, the Holy One of Israel, your saviour, I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
4. Since you are dear in My eyes, you were honored and I loved you, and I give men in your stead and nations instead of your life.	4. Because you are cherished before Me, you are glorified, and I have compassion on you, and I hand over the peoples in exchange for you, the kingdoms instead of your life.
5. Fear not for I am with you; from the east I will bring your seed, and from the west I will gather you.	5. Fear not, for My Memra is your help; I will bring your sons from the east, and from the west I will bring near your exiles.
6. I will say to the north, "Give," and to the south, "Do not refrain"; bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth."	6. I will say to the north, “Bring,” and to the south, “Do not withhold;” bring my sons from afar, and the exiles of My people from the ends of the earth.
7. Everyone that is called by My name, and whom I created for My glory, I formed him, yea I made him.	7. All this because of your fathers, upon whom My name is called, whom I created for My glory. I established their exiles and made wonders for them.
8. To bring out a blind people, who have eyes, and deaf ones who have ears.	8. He brought the people from Egypt who are as blind, yet have eyes, who are as deaf, yet have ears!
9. Were all the nations gathered together, and kingdoms assembled, who of them would tell this or let us know of the first events? Let them present their witnesses, and they shall be deemed just, and let them hear and say, "True."	9. Let all the peoples gather together, and kingdoms draws near. Who among them can declare this? Let them announce the former things to us, bring their witnesses to justify them, and let them hear and say, “It is true.”
10. "You are My witnesses," says the Lord, "and My servant whom I chose," in order that you know and believe Me, and understand that I am He; before Me no god was formed and after Me none shall be. {S}	10. “You are witnesses before Me,” says the LORD, “and My servant the Messiah with whom I am pleased, that you might know and believe before Me and understand that I am He. I am He that was from the beginning, even the ages of the ages are Mine, and there is no God besides Me.
11. ¶ I, I am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.	11. I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no Saviour.
12. I told and I saved, and I made heard and there was no stranger among you, and you are My witnesses," says the Lord, "and I am God.	12. I declared to Abraham your father what was about to come, I saved you from Egypt, just as I swore to him between the pieces, I proclaimed to you the teaching of My Law from Sinai, when you were present and there was no stranger among you, and you are witnesses before Me,” says the LORD, “and I am God.
13. Even before the day I am He, and there is no saving from My hand; I do, and who retracts it?" {S}	13. and also from eternity I am He; there is none that can deliver from My hand, I will do it and I will not reverse it.”
14. ¶ So said the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "Because of you, I sent [you] to Babylon, and I lowered, them all with oars, and Chaldees in the ships of their rejoicing.	14. Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sin’s sake you were exiled to Babylon and I have brought down all of them with rudders, even the Chaldeans in the ships of their praise.
15. I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. {S}	15. I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.”
16. ¶ So said the Lord, who made a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters.	16. Thus says the LORD, who prepared a way in the sea, a path in strong waters.
17. Who drew out chariots and horses, army and power; they lay together, they did not rise; they were extinguished, like a flaxen wick they were quenched.	17. Who brought forth chariots and horses, armies and a numerous people; they wre swallowed up together and did not rise; they were extinguished,, quenched like a dimly burning wick;
18. Remember not the first events, and do not meditate over early ones.	18. “Remember not the former things, nor consider not that which was from the beginning.
19. Behold I am making a new thing, now it will sprout, now you shall know it; yea I will make a road in the desert, rivers in the wasteland.	19. Behold, I am doing a new thing, and now it is revealed, will you not perceive it/ I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the devastation.
20. The beasts of the field shall honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I gave water in the desert, rivers in the wasteland, to give My chosen people drink.	20. They will give honour before Me, when i cause devastated provinces to be inhabited, even the place where jackals and ostriches dwell; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the devastation, to give drink to the exiles of My people with whom I am pleased.
21. This people I formed for Myself; they shall recite My praise. {S}	21. This people I prepared for My service; they will be declaring by My praises.

Special Ashlamatah: Ezekiel 20:1-20‎

Rashi	Septuagint
1. And now it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], on the tenth of the month, that certain men of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord and sat before me.	1. And it came to pass in the seventh year, on the fifteenth day of the month, there came men of the elders of the house of Israel to enquire of the Lord, and they sat before me.
2. Then came the word of the Lord to me, saying:	2. And the Word of the Lord came to me, saying,
3. "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: So says the Lord God, Have you come to inquire of Me? As true as I live, I will not be inquired of by you! says the Lord God.	3. Son of man, speak to the elders of the house of Israel, and you will say to them, Thus says the Lord; Are you come to enquire of Me? As I live, I will not be enquired of by you, says the Lord.
4. Will you contend with them? Will you contend, O son of man? Let them know the abominations of their fathers.	4. Will I utterly take vengeance on them, son of man? testify to them of the iniquities/lawlessness of their fathers:
5. And you shall say to them: So says the Lord God, On the day I chose Israel, then I lifted up My hand to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up My hand to them, saying: I am the Lord your God.	5. and you will say to them, Thus says the Lord; From the day that I chose the house of Israel, and became known to the seed of the house of Jacob, and was known to them in the land of Egypt, and helped them with My hand, saying, I am the Lord your God;
6. On that day I lifted up My hand to them to bring them out of the land of Egypt, to a land that I had sought out for them, flowing with milk and honey; it is the glory of all the lands.	6. in that day I helped them with My hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into the land which I prepared for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, it is abundant beyond every land.
7. And I said to them: Every man cast away the despicable idols from before his eyes, and pollute not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.	7. And I said to them, Let every one cast away the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the devices of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
8. But they rebelled against Me and would not consent to hearken to Me; they did not cast away, every man, the despicable idols from before their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt; and I said to pour out My wrath over them, to give My anger full rein over them, in the midst of the land of Egypt.	8. But they rebelled from Me, and would not hearken to Me: they cast not away the abominations of their eyes, and forsook not the devices of Egypt: then I said that I would pour out my wrath upon them, to accomplish My wrath upon them in the midst of Egypt.
9. But I wrought for the sake of My Name so that it should not be desecrated before the eyes of the nations in whose midst they were, before whose eyes I made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.	9. But I wrought so that My name should not be at all profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in the midst of whom they are, among whom I was made known to them in their sight, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
10. And I brought them out of the land of Egypt, and I brought them into the wilderness.	10. And I brought them into the wilderness.
11. And I gave them My statutes, and My ordinances I made known to them, which, if a man perform, he shall live through them.	11. And I gave them My commandments, and made known to them Mine ordinances, all which if a man will do, he will even live in them.
12. Moreover, I gave them My Sabbaths to be for a sign between Me and them, to know that I, the Lord, make them holy.	12. And I gave them My Sabbaths, that they should be for a sign between Me and them, that they should know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.
13. But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they walked not in My statutes, and they despised My ordinances, which, if a man keep, he will live through them, and My Sabbaths they desecrated exceedingly. Then I said to pour out My wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make an end to them.	13. And I said to the house of Israel in the wilderness, Walk in My commandments: but they walked not in them, and they rejected Mine ordinances, which if a man will do, he will even live in them; and they grievously profaned My Sabbaths: and I said that I would pour out My wrath upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
14. And I wrought for the sake of My Name, so it should not be desecrated before the eyes of the nations before whose eyes I had brought them out.	14. But I wrought so that My name should not be at all profaned before the Gentiles, before whose eyes I brought them out.
15. But I also lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey; it is the glory of all lands.	15. But I lifted up My hand against them in the wilderness once for all, that I would not bring them into the land which I gave them, a land flowing with milk and honey, it is sweeter than all lands:
16. Because they despised My ordinances, and in My statutes they did not walk, and My Sabbaths they desecrated- for their heart went constantly after their idols.	16. because they rejected Mine ordinances, and walked not in My commandments, but profaned my Sabbaths, and went after the imaginations of their hearts.
17. Nevertheless, My eye looked pityingly upon them, not to destroy them, and I did not make an end to them in the wilderness.	17. Yet Mine eyes spared them, so as not to destroy them utterly, and I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
18. But I said to their children in the wilderness: 'In the statutes of your fathers do not walk and do not observe their ordinances, and do not defile yourselves with their idols.	18. And I said to their children in the wilderness, Walk not in the customs of your fathers, and keep not their ordinances, and have no fellowship with their practices, nor defile yourselves with them.
19. I am the Lord your God: walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances and fulfill them.	19. I am the Lord your God; walk in My commandments, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them;
20. And keep My Sabbaths holy so that they be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.'	20. And hallow my Sabbaths, and let them be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.

CORRELATIONS

Introduction

This Shabbat is known as “Shabbat Vay’hi BaShanah” from the first words of our Special Reading from the Prophet Ezekiel: “And it came to pass in the year” (Ezekiel 20:1). The why this special Ashlamatah is read on this Shabbat is due because on the coming week (Iyar 14) we have the Second Passover, for those who could not celebrate it on the eve of Nisan 14. In a way, this Ashlamatah for this Shabbat then functions similarly to the special Ashlamatah for Shabbat HaGadol read just the Sabbath before Pesach – (i.e. Malachi 3:4-24). Both Ashlamatot then function as warnings as to the sanctity of the coming festival much in the tone of 1 Corinthians 5:6-8. We thus expect not only verbal tallies but also thematic correlations.

Torah & Psalm

Exo 32:12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying: For evil did He bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains <H02022>,, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Your people.

Psa 65:6 (65:7) Who by Your strength sets fast the mountains <H02022>, who are girded about with might;

Exo 31:13 'Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying: Verily you will keep My Sabbaths, for it is a sign <H0226> between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctify you.

Psa 65:8 (65:9) So that they that dwell in the uttermost parts stand in awe of Your signs <H0226>; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.

Torah & Ashlamatot

Exo 31:2 “See, I have called <H07121> by name <H8034> Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

Isa 43:7 Every one that is called <H07121> by My name <H8034>, and whom I have created for My glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him.'

‎Ezek 20:14 And I wrought for the sake of My Name <H8034>, so it ‎should not be desecrated before the eyes of the ‎nations before whose eyes I had brought them out.‎

‎Ezek. 20:20 And keep My Sabbaths holy so that they be a ‎sign <H0226> between Me and you, that you may know that I ‎am the Lord your God.'‎

Mordechai (Mark) ‎9:30-32‎

CLV[1]	A,B,R.’s Version[2]	Greek[3]	Delitzsch[4]
30. And coming out thence, they went along through Galilee, and He did not want that anyone may know."	30. And when he departed from there, they were passing through Galeela, and he was desiring that no one would know about him.	30. Καὶ ἐκεῖθεν ἐξελθόντες παρεπορεύοντο διὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν ἵνα τις γνῷ·	30וַיֵּצְאוּ מִשָּׁם וַיַּעַבְרוּ בַּגָּלִיל וְלֹא אָבָה לְהִוָּדַע לְאִישׁ׃
31. For He taught His disciples and said to them that "The Son of Mankind is being given up into the hands of men, and they will be killing Him. And, being killed, after three days He will be rising."	31. For he would teach his disciples and said to them, “The son of man will be delivered into the hands of men. And they will kill him, and after he has been killed, on the third day he will rise.”	31. ἐδίδασκε γὰρ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ὅτι ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀποκτανθεὶς τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστήσεται.	31כִּי הָיָה מְלַמֵּד אֶת־תַּלְמִידָיו לֵאמֹר אֲלֵיהֶם כִּי עָתִיד בֶּן־הָאָדָם לְהִמָּסֵר בִּידֵי בְנֵי־אָדָם וְיַהַרְגֻהוּ וְאַחֲרֵי מוֹתוֹ יָקוּם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי׃
32. Yet they were ignorant of the declaration, and they feared to inquire of Him.	32. But they were not realizing the meaning of it and were afraid to ask him.	32. οἱ δὲ ἠγνόουν τὸ ῥῆμα, καὶ ἐφοβοῦντο αὐτὸν ἐπερωτῆσαι.	32וְהֵם לֹא הֵבִינוּ אֵת הַדָּבָר וַיִּירְאוּ לִשְׁאֹל אוֹתוֹ׃

Hakham’s Rendition & Commentary

Mar 9:30 And going out from there, they began travelling along through the Galilee [district], but [during this time] he was wanting no Ish (Torah Scholar) to come to know about it [because He was continuing to teach his Talmidim].

Mar 9:31 Then He began saying to them, "The son of man is [in the process of] being given over into the hands of humanity and they will be killing him. Then, being put to death, after three days he will stand back up again."

Mar 9:32 However, they continued not understanding the saying, for they still had no intimate knowledge of the declaration and continued being afraid to question him.

Noonan Sabin[5] summarizes the contents of this pericope as follows:

“This prediction is in the middle of a triad of predictions. The first occurs in 8:31; the third will occur in 10:33-34. The language is almost identical in each case, but not quite. In the first prediction, Mark shows jesus speaking of being rejected “by [some of] the elders, the chief priests, and [some of] the scribes’ and then being killed. The passive voice used here does not indicate the agent of the killing. In the third prediction, Mark shows Jesus telling his disciples that he will be “handed over to the chief priests and [some of] the scribes,” who will in turn, “hand him over to the Gentiles,” who will put him to death. In this middle and key version, Mark quotes Jesus as saying that he will be “handed over to human beings and they will kill him.” In this key version, Mark suggests that all humanity rather than a particular agent is responsible for Jesus’ death. Mark makes a point of saying that the disciples did not understand (9:32).”

Whilst agreeing in principle with this statement of Noonan Sabin, I would rather ask how does this Pericope of Mark fit with the readings from the Torah, Psalm, and Ashlamatot for this Sabbath? Since this Sabbath is one before the second Passover is celebrated (14^th of Iyar) it is of no surprise that we therefore have a Pericope in mark associated with a Passover motif. The point that disciples were “afraid to question” in order to understand is very well related to one of the four children mentioned in the Passover Haggadah. Taken altogether, we can see that Mordechai knew very well the time in which this Pericope should be read. And this is one of the joys of the septennial Lectionary, where a particular Word comes and is read at the appropriate time. It seems as the Word of G-d was crafted to co-incide with the Sabbaths – sanctuaries in time, each with their particulate message that will permeate the week ahead.

Reading and studying the Word is important, but more important is to relate the Word to the world in a specific time period (i.e. a week), and even of greater importance is to relate the events of our week to the readings for that particular Sabbath of that week. For man is not only located in abstract concepts, but is located in the coincidence of those abstract concepts in time and to his environment. With the Torah, man speaks to his world one week as a time, and it is this consciousness that elevates man to become a servant of the Most High.

Mishnah Pirke Abot: III:13

Rabbi Akiva said: Jesting and levity make a man accustomed to licentiousness. Tradition is a fence for Torah; tithes are a fence for wealth; vows are a fence for abstinence; the fence for wisdom is silence.

He used to say: Man is beloved in that he was created in the image [of God], but it was by an even greater love that it was made known to him that he was created in the image [of God], as it is written, "For in His image did God make man" (Genesis 9:6). Israel are beloved in that they are called the children of the Omnipresent, but it was by an even greater love that it was made known to them that they are called the children of the Omnipresent, as it is written, "You are the children of the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 14: 1). Israel are beloved in that a precious gift was given to them, but it was by an even greater love that it was made known to them that the precious gift, with which the world was created, had been given to them, as it is written, "For I give you good instruction; do not forsake My law" (Proverbs 4:2). Everything is foreseen, yet freedom of choice is given; and the world is judged by goodness and everything is according to the abundance of deeds.

He used to say: Everything is given on pledge and a net is spread over all the living. The shop is open and the shopkeeper sells on credit and the ledger is open and the hand writes; and anyone who wants to borrow may come and borrow; but the collectors come around every day and take payment from a man willingly or unwillingly and they have what to rely upon and the judgment is a judgment of truth and everything is prepared for the banquet.

Abarbanel on Pirke Abot

By: Abraham Chill

Sepher Hermon Press, Inc. 1991

ISBN 0-87203-135-7

(pp. 193-214)

Before addressing himself to the contents of this Mishnah, Abarbanel gives a brief introduction about its author, Rabbi Akiva. He points out that he was one of the leading sages of Israel and that his statements were divinely inspired. Rabbi Akiva was one of the foremost disciples of Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua who received the tradition from Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai who himself received it from Hillel and Shammai, as has been explained earlier in Pirke Abot. Rabbi Akiva had 24,000 disciples and the Talmud says that every anonymous tosefta, baraita and Mishnah was written by disciples of Rabbi Akiva - and it is upon those sources that the whole Talmud and the correct interpretation of mitzvoth and beliefs are based. This is because Rabbi Akiva had received the true and authentic tradition and we have received from him statements of the highest quality and wisdom as befits such a great man. Therefore, says Abarbanel, he has seen fit to raise many doubts about this Mishnah, in order to clarify and explain Rabbi Akiva's real meaning.

Abarbanel finds no less than thirteen problems in understanding this Mishnah. Among the more serious difficulties are the following:

1. Rabbi Akiva advocates putting fences around some of the elements in the Jewish religion and limits himself to four. Abarbanel contends that there are a vast number of other fences that the Torah finds essential. Why did Rabbi Akiva restricts himself to these four?

2. Rabbi Akiva talks about the love that God has for the Children of Israel and the special love He harbours for them. What is the significance of this special love. Would a simple statement of love not be sufficient?

3. Rabbi Akiva speaks about the filial relationship between God and the Jew and proves his point by quoting the Torah, "You are the children of the Lord your God." There is a verse in the Torah (Exodus 4:22) before the aforementioned verse in which, Moshe speaking to Pharaoh, said, "My son, my first born, Israel." Why did Rabbi Akiva ignore the earlier verse and choose the later verse as his proof text?

4. Rabbi Akiva seems to specify three types of loves and special loves that God entertains for the Jew. The truth of the matter is, according to Abarbanel, that there are only two types. The first is an identification of the genre of man - man was created in the image of God. The second type describes the national image of the Jew in that he is separated from all other nations by virtue of his acceptance of the Torah which makes us His children. But then Rabbi Akiva continues with a third love: God presented Israel with a precious gift, the Torah. Surely, that is identical with the second type.

5. What is even of more concern to Abarbanel is the question why Rabbi Akiva used the term "precious gift" in reference to the Torah. That term is not mentioned in the proof-verse at all. Why did he not state that the Children of Israel were beloved of God because He gave them the Torah, or, in the words of the verse, "good instruction."

6. Rabbi Akiva theologizes that the world is judged by goodness. If we accept, argues Abarbanel, the general interpretation that God judges the world with benevolence, then Rabbi Akiva should have said, "The world is judged by charity and mercy." Furthermore, if Rabbi Akiva was intent in using the words "the world is judged," goodness can play no part because judgment is opposed to mercy.

7. Rambam interprets Rabbi Akiva's assertion that "everything is according to the abundance of deeds" as meaning that an action that can be executed in a great number of partial steps is preferable to that same action executed in one step, since it has a greater influence on a person's character and personality. For example, if a man has $1,000 to give to charity, Rambam's notion is that it is better to give one dollar to a thousand people than to give $1,000 to one person. This, according to Rambam, is the meaning of "the abundance of deeds," and most commentators agree with him.

Abarbanel contends that this line of reasoning is unacceptable. In the first place, Rabbi Akiva is not speaking about a lesson in acquiring good points in character building. He is speaking about the world being judged and Rambam's premise is irrelevant. Secondly, the word "abundance," in the context of the above example, refers to the actual size of the donation, if we stay within the example we gave above.

Before giving his own interpretation of the Mishnah which will solve all the problems mentioned above, Abarbanel reviews the interpretations suggested by the major commentators. There are four ways, they say, that a person can follow to achieve perfection in a Torah oriented life. First, he must recognize that neither he nor any other human being has attained the highest level of wisdom. The vast, bottomless ocean of Torah knowledge cannot be plumbed with the finiteness of the human mind. It is important that the Torah Jew be content with tradition - the knowledge which is handed down and transmitted from one generation to the other. However, it is anticipated that each generation will add of its progress and experience to that tradition. It is in that light that the Talmud teaches, "When one cites a law he must give its source" (Berakhot 47a). Also the rabbis relate (Sotah 47b) that there was a time in the history of the academies of Hillel and Shammai when untrained students who never sat at the feet of the masters become the majority and by all appearances two different Torahs emerged from these two academies. This concept of the necessity of relayed knowledge from one generation to another is augmented by a verse in the Torah, "And you shall sacrifice the Passover offering to the Lord, your God, of sheep and oxen" (Deuteronomy 16:2). There were several sacrifices the Jews brought during the Passover holiday. The Torah does not specify what animals were to be brought for what sacrifices. It took the knowledge that one generation handed down to another to determine that the sheep were to be used for the Passover sacrifice and the oxen for the other sacrifices. Had it not been for the tradition, the entire Passover sacrifice would have disappeared. It is for this reason that Rabbi Akiva advocated that tradition is a fence to the Torah.

The second approach to perfection is a proper Torah perspective of affluence. The Jew is expected and required to share his good fortune with the less privileged and less fortunate. In this light, do we understand the counsel of the sages playing on the words : "Give tithes so that your become rich" (Shabbat l19a). Therefore, "Tithes are a fence for wealth."

The third path which, according to the collective view of the authorities whom Abarbanel consulted, that will lead a man to perfection is the notion that vows serve as a fence for abstinence. In other words, what Rabbi Akiva is intent on teaching us is that if one is determined to avoid committing not only that which is prohibited but also a touch of what is permitted, let him make a vow which will fence him in a state where doing wrong in unthinkable. Three references are arrayed to support this premise. The Talmud states that Elijah cautioned Rabbi Yehudah the brother of Rabbi Shiloh Hassida, "If you want to avoid sin, do not get angry; if you do not want to sin, do not become intoxicated" (Berakhot 29b). The message was that a man must put up a barrier to his rage if he wishes to avoid haughtiness and conceit; one must put a fence around his drunkenness because it will lead to lewdness and indiscretion.

The same lesson of using fences as a deterrent is culled from the book of Ruth. Boaz awakens in the night and discovers a strange woman lying at his feet. He is shocked and flabbergasted. According to the midrash (Ruth Rabba, Chap. 6), the evil inclination tried to tempt Boaz by telling him that it would not be a sin if he had sexual relations with Ruth because she was not married and neither was he. However, Boaz adopted the idea that vows are a fence against licentiousness, and said to Ruth, "As the Lord lives! Lie down until morning!" (Ruth 3:13) and nothing will happen. This is the power of the discipline of self enclosure against overwhelming temptation.

The last reference is the famous Talmudic expression, "One who observes the degradation of the wayward wife (the sotah) should immediately vow to be a nazarite and abstain from wine" (Sotah 2a).

The fourth avenue to moral perfection according to Abarbanel's collection of authorities, is the dictum, "A fence to wisdom is silence." According to this group of commentators, Rabbi Akiva was referring to keeping silent in the presence of rulers. In other words, according to them, the word CHOKHMAH used by Rabbi Akiva in our Mishnah refers to the secular authorities. It is in this context that we are to understand the verse, "The wisest of women builds her house." (Proverbs 14: 1). It means that the wife is the chief administrator of her home and should perform her duties wisely. Thus, the main thrust of Rabbi Akiva's last pronouncement on the importance of putting up fences is intended to give us an exercise in survival: silence in the presence of authorities.

As was noted earlier, Abarbanel proceeds to reject the premises of this conglomerate of commentators. His main rebuttal lies in his refusal to accept the narrow confines into which they squeeze the concept of fences. For example, it is untenable to relate the fence of silence to ruling powers. It would be appropriate to describe such a fence as a political fence. The same applies to science: there is the science of engineering, medical science, astrological science, etc. The term chokhmah, when not qualified, can only be applied to divine wisdom.

Abarbanel launches into his own interpretation of Rabbi Akiva's aphorisms. There is no question in his mind that Rabbi Akiva was not thoroughly satisfied with the ideas promulgated by the sages quoted in the earlier Mishnayot of this chapter. He just could not accept Akavya ben Mahalalel's thesis that in order to avoid sin one should consider the realities of life and death - that this is the only path to follow. Neither could he accept the thinking of Rabbi Hanina who advocated fear of the ruling class. Also, he could not make peace with the idea that Torah study is the only salvation for the Jew, as all the other sages promulgated. For Rabbi Akiva there is another option: fences. But why did Rabbi Akiva not begin his Mishnah with the concept of fences? Rather, he started by giving us a lesson in what leads to lewdness.

Abarbanel answers: the term ERVAH should not be limited to meaning physical nakedness and sexual lewdness. It can also indicate self-exposure and nudity in any facet of transgression and sinfulness. Keeping this in mind, Rabbi Akiva declared that light-headedness and frivolity - signs of irresponsibility and flippant living - can lead one to mischief and lasciviousness. This is not the life of Torah which demands sincerity and a serious outlook.

But, how does one avoid moments of levity and flightiness which are sometimes basic to human behaviour? To this, Rabbi Akiva replies:

Erect fences! Just as a fence is intended to protect what is within it and prevent the undesirable from entering therein, so it is with the fences that Rabbi Akiva proposes. By establishing a fence, a man puts up an immovable barrier which frees him from the chore of weighing the pros and cons of each of his actions. In other words, the fence is figuratively saying, "This is it! There is no legitimate reason that you may enter." It follows, therefore, that tradition is a barrier for those who observe the Torah.

Hence, the message of Rabbi Akiva to us is: If you want to lead a Torah oriented life, you must acknowledge the significance of tradition (i.e., the Oral Law). One does not tamper with a tradition; it is your fence.

If you have acquired a great deal of money and possessions, the fence should be tithes. That is to say that one should be imbued with a sense of charity, to all the needy people and causes that require assistance. A person will not seek, acquire and hoard wealth passionately and indiscriminately, illegitimately and through chicanery, if he knows from the outset that he will have to share it with others.

Similarly, if a man's evil inclination temps him in matters of the flesh, he should vow to abstain even from actions which are permitted. Thus he will certainly not be tempted into doing things which are forbidden. Vows, therefore, are a fence to abstinence.

The last fence that Rabbi Akiva speaks about is silence. According to Abarbanel, Rabbi Akiva is directing his words to religious intellectuals. To repeat, chokhmah implies divine wisdom, the Torah. Not all people are spiritually imbued and intellectually endowed to grasp the intricacies and esoteric implications of the Torah. Untrained and uncommitted, these people may misread and misinterpret the profound and sublime teachings of the Torah. Rabbi Akiva, therefore, assets that silence is the better part of prudence when a scholar is in doubt as to the intellectual capacities of the one he is teaching. Indeed, silence is the fence for wisdom. Abarbanel augments his assertion by reminding us that there was a line of demarcation between Moshe and Aaron; between Aaron and his sons; between them and the 70 elders; and finally a fence between them and all of Israel. There was a difference in their ecclesiastic and social standing.

Furthermore, in his pronouncements, Rabbi Akiva speaks about the love that God has for the Children of Israel. In the view of Abarbanel, Rabbi Akiva momentarily ignores the sages preceding this Mishnah and sets his sights on the sage of the first Mishnah in this chapter, Akavya ben Mahalalel. Parenthetically, Abarbanel muses that the reason for this may be that the names Akavya and Akiva are comprised of the same Hebrew letters.

In order to avoid doing wrong, Akavya preaches that the Jew must consider three things: Know whence you came; where you are going, and before whom you have to give a reckoning. Rabbi Akiva argues that this is simply untenable. There are better and more effective ways of avoiding sin: the fences.

Akavya maintained that the sine qua non for a just and honourable life is the total abolishment of wrongdoing. If one permits even a seed of transgression to remain there can never be any hope for overcoming it. Rabbi Akiva, on the other hand, argues that man born of woman can never avoid sin. This will always exist. Ways must be found to combat and vanquish it, and the ways are - fences. Instead of examining the disheartening question of whence he came, a person should think in terms of being created in the image of God. In that way, life has hope, edification and vibrancy. Instead of dejectedly seeing himself as the product of a putrid drop, a man, in Rabbi Akiva's system, will proudly proclaim, "I am created in the image of God." Continuing, Rabbi Akiva totally rejects Akavya's advice to ponder on death. An obsession with death can lead to a psychological alienation and undue despair. It was in this frame of mind that Job cried out, "Man born of a woman is short of days, and sated with harrowing trouble" (14: 1). It is certainly more advisable for a man to see himself as a member of the community of God's children, which makes for a more impressive image and a more uplifting state of mind.

Rabbi Akiva cannot subscribe to Akavya's third point: Think on the fact that you will have to give an account of yourself before God. Akavya fails to take into account that before a man can be forced to give a reckoning of his actions, he must first have known what was wrong and what was right. This can be achieved only through the study of Torah. But, Akavya makes no mention of this provision. With this in mind, Rabbi Akiva states unequivocally that the Children of Israel are beloved of God because He gave them a precious instrument - the Torah which will teach them the path of Godliness and then their life reckonings will be satisfying ones.

The word tzelem - image - is really derived from the root tzl, shadow. In Abarbanel's thinking, Rabbi Akiva deliberately chose the many Biblical sources referring to man as the image of God because he is also the shadow of God. A shadow does not move an iota without reflecting the position of the man who casts it; so is it regarding concept of man being the shadow of God. It is his good fortune that he can, through his deeds, reflect God's stature accurately.

We must now understand what is the significance of the term "special love" that Rabbi Akiva uses in these Mishnayot. What makes for the special love that God has for the Children of Israel? Is simple love not sufficient? Abarbanel is in favour of Rambam's explanation. Often a person will act benevolently to his fellowman only out of sympathy and compassion. This he does stealthily because the recipient of the benevolence is despised and resented by the donor for personal reasons. The relationship between God and Israel is quite different. Not only did God favour man by creating him in His own image, because of His affection He announced it to the recipient. This demonstrates a special and singular love for His children.

Abarbanel embellishes Rambam's theme by reminding us that the Torah speaks of God's admonition to Noah when He says, "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in His image did God make man" (Genesis 9:6). That is to say, notwithstanding the fact that Noah was created in the image of God, He showed him additional affection when He taught him and his family the value of human life after the flood.

Turning to the statement by Rabbi Akiva, "Beloved is Israel for they are called children of God", Abarbanel asks two pertinent questions:

All mankind, not only the Children of Israel. are created in the image of God and, therefore, all mankind, not only the Children of Israel are the children of God.

He answers by pointing out that according to the astrologers every nation has a guiding star, sometimes called a guardian angel. These symbolic, ethereal bodies guide and guard the destiny of each nation on earth. What happened was that the earth-bound peoples converted them into deities. While they acknowledged the existential. omnipotent God, they gave almost equal billing to their guardian angels. In that context, they felt that the only way to reach the authentic God was via their quasi-gods.

The Jew is in a different category. For him there is only one God who is close at hand and the Jew can direct himself to Him at all times. There is a beautiful legend that in the early part of man's history when God intended to disperse the people residing on earth, He summoned ten angels and said, "Let us descend and scatter them and break up their language into ten languages." They cast lots and God's lot fell on the descendants of Abraham. This is the significance of the Biblical verse, "For you are a people consecrated to the Lord your God: the Lord your God chose you from among all other peoples on earth to be His treasured people" (Deuteronomy 14:2). This is the basis for the concept of the Chosen People.

Abarbanel goes yet further. Just as God chose the Children of Israel as His people, so He needed a proper and adequate homeland for them. Abarbanel compares this premise to a large wheel which is stronger than any of its parts. Yet there are countless, imaginary circles within the perimeter of the larger wheel. If one should turn that large wheel the smaller, imaginary circles automatically turn as well. One of the most essential imaginary wheels in the national image of the Jewish people is Eretz Israel and the holy mount therein where God established His Divine Presence. Ahrabanel, compares the Jewish people and its relationship to Eretz Israel to certain fruits and vegetables that require specific soil, temperature and climate in which to grow. In unsuitable atmospheric and botanical conditions, these plants will wither and die. So it is with Eretz Israel. It is the only soil upon which the Jews can blossom, flourish and be fruitful as a people. This is the only land that is suited for the Jewish people to live the life of Godliness that was intended for them.

In the light of the foregone, we can understand the motive behind Rabbi Akiva's pronouncements. Choosing the Children of Israel as His people, presenting them with His choice of a homeland for them and the close relationship between God and Jews to the extent that supplication to Him can be addressed directly and not through an emissary - these are illustrations of the truism that the Children of Israel are the children of God.

Abarbanel then minutely examines Rabbi Akiva's dictum, "Beloved is Israel for a precious gift was given to them which was used to create the world". He addresses himself to the question that while it is true that the Jew has the Torah, the other nations of the world have philosophy and science to enable them to recognize God. What constitutes, therefore, the special love that God entertained for the Jewish people by giving them the Torah to enable them to fathom the world and its secrets?

The answer that is proposed: In order to come close and understand God one must abide by "the rules of the game." To understand God can only be achieved on a divine level - the Torah. In other words, philosophy and science will not open the doors to the full understanding of God; Torah and Mitzvoth will. Only Torah and Mitzvoth can teach the Jew how the world was created and for what purpose. The erudition found in other peoples will mislead him. This is the reason why the power of prophecy is never given even to the wisest of Gentiles, but it can be found in the lowliest strata of Jewish society, to wit Gideon who was a tiller of the soil and Moshe, the greatest prophet, who was addressed by God while he was still a lowly shepherd.

This was the message of Rabbi Akiva: Not only did God lower His image to embrace lowly man, not only did He choose the Jews, the extra love he had for His children is demonstrated by the fact that He gave them the wherewithal, the Torah, to assist them in acknowledging and recognizing His Divine Presence. This is also the reason that Rabbi Akiva employed the word KELI - an instrument, a vessel - the Torah - to support his thesis that like a vessel which is useless of itself, and only becomes valuable when it is used for a specific purpose, so it is with the Torah. It is meant to function as a means for the Jew to come closer to God.

When Rabbi Akiva, in our Mishnah, says, "Everything is foreseen," it is unclear to whom and to what he was referring. Did he mean by God? Or perhaps, things are just seen without any reference to any particular body? Abarbanel cites an anonymous Kabbalist who maintains that God does not foresee the future, but is merely aware of the ongoing present. This esoteric thesis is based on the verse where God speaks to Abraham and says, "For now I know that you fear God" (Genesis 22: 12). Abarbanel says that he is simply shattered by this statement even though its author was reputed to be a very saintly and God-fearing person. "HOW", cries out Abarbanel, "will this Kabbalist explain the prophecies with which God inspired the prophets?" All those prophecies that speak about the future of Israel and the world are a basic element in Jewish theology and cannot be dismissed out of hand or ignored.

Abarbanel suggests that the word צפוי in the Mishnah means an observation made from a great height. This can refer only to God whose presence reaches limitless heights. That is why in Biblical literature a prophet is often called a zofeh, From his sublimely spiritual heights the prophet can foresee what the future will be.

Rabbi Akiva's pronouncement in the Mishnah on the subject of free choice galvanizes Abarbanel into a profound exposition on that subject. The gist of his thesis is: The commonplace concept of free choice is the opportunity that man has to elevate himself or degenerate. It is all up to him. He has the option of doing right or doing wrong. Others believe that free choice is not a choice of options for everyone. There is a marked difference between option and free choice. The latter can apply to angels who continually do good and have no interest in the bad. Free choice, in this trend of thought, is an exercise of one persistent modus vivendi without any intent to choose a different one. The angels selected a way of existence and that was it.

In the case of the animal kingdom there is no choice, only instinct.

Freedom of choice on the other hand, is a decisive, definitive and precise selection of a way of life without taking into account any other option. Man, too, through his God-given intellect is guided not by simple desire and option, but by the powerful force of freedom of will and of choice. To put it succinctly: man is so intellectually advanced that he need not be influenced by habit or instinct as to what is good and what is bad, but can choose.

Abarbanel augments his theme by quoting a midrash (Genesis Rabbah, Chapter 8): "When God wanted to create man He took counsel with the angels. He said to them, 'If I create him from the angels, he will live and never die. If I create him from the mundane strata he will shortly die and not live. Therefore I will create him from both so that if he lives, he will die and if he dies he will live'." This means that God accorded to the Jew a freedom of choice: He can decide in favour of an angelic existence and live forever, or he can prefer a mundane life and experience death. If he takes this latter way, his potential for life may be sound, but his soul will be lost. On the other hand, if he will subdue and underplay the importance of his physical capacities, his soul will live.

After laying down these thoughts, Abarbanel takes on the age old enigma concerning Pharaoh and the Egyptians during the Exodus. Let us set the background: The Egyptians enslaved an insignificant minority, the Jews. God instructs Moshe to command Pharaoh, in His name, to free them. Pharaoh rejects Moshe's demand and doubts the existence of the God of these people. Moshe, thereupon, proceeds to bring down plague after plague upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The question is obvious: Why did Pharaoh wait until after the tenth plague was visited upon him before he consented to free the Jews? Why did he not learn his lesson when he experienced a prior plague? He should have repented and urged the people to leave. Rambam (Yad, Hilkhot Teshuvah 6:3) explains that due to the extreme wickedness of Pharaoh towards the Jews, the gates of repentance were closed before him. Even had he wanted to repent, he would have been denied the opportunity by God.

Whereupon, scholars assailed this view of Rambam by crying out, "Where is justice? Where is freedom of choice? Where is the human prerogative of repentance?" In other words, why did God "harden Pharaoh's heart" and deliberately cause him to become adamant and obstinate? Had God allowed him free choice, he surely would have repented earlier than he did and much grief could have been avoided.

Abarbanel valiantly defends Rambam on two grounds. Firstly, Pharaoh erred when he defied the edict of God. With the first or second miracle that Moshe performed, Pharaoh should have recognized the omnipotence of God. Secondly, this was a classic case of an injustice being perpetrated against an entire people. The Jews arrived in Egypt as simple, hard working and honest shepherds and 'farmers. Without any provocation, the great Egyptian sovereign power forced this small tribe into slavery. Jewish children were drowned, the belongings of the Jewish people were confiscated and the entire people enslaved. Abarbanel asks: How can a simple act of repentance correct for the dreadful wrongs and compensate for the unspeakable grief that the Jews experienced during that period? Should a mere "I am sorry" relieve the criminal of his guilty, demented conscience? If we are to say that a simple expression of regret suffices then there is never any need for capital punishment, since the moment the guilty one senses that he is about to lose his life, he will simply apologize for his crime and go scot free. This, of course, is untenable.

Pharaoh had to be accorded the measure of punishment commensurate with the crimes he committed: The gates of repentance were shut tight so that he could not seek forgiveness and would have to suffer all the horrors of the ten plagues.

As an aside, Abarbanel veers off on a tangent slightly and admonishes us to beware of an act of defiance of God in tandem with the desecration of the Divine Name. He marshals as his support the incident with Moshe when he struck the rock (Numbers 20: 12). God had instructed Moshe to speak to the rock, but Moshe ignored this divine command and struck the rock. Obviously, this constitute an act of desecration of the Divine Name, whereupon God admonished Moshe and Aaron, "Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Children of Israel, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them." The indictment was final. Moshe and Aaron were not allowed to accompany the Children of Israel into the promised land.

Rabbi Akiva continues: The world is judged with goodness. Abarbanel gives us four interpretations of this declaration. The first is that of Rambam who opines that the word "goodness" refers to God's benevolent relationship to man. It is not one that is guided by the letter and spirit of the law. The truth is that if God were to abide by the strict law, He would be compelled to destroy all of mankind because of its crimes and transgressions against His word. It is God's benevolence that He judges man with charity, mercy and goodness. This is what the Psalmist sang out, "The Lord is good to all and His mercies are over all His works" (Psalms 145:9).

The second interpretation is that of Rabbi Hisdai (13th century). According to him, there is strict law and order and God does mete out the appropriate penalties to those that transgress. But Hisdai sees this as an act of goodness on the part of God in his conduct of the world. As long as man can be intimidated with fear of punishment for his sins, he will make every effort to walk in the path of righteousness. Thus, "The world is judged with goodness" is meant to convey that God's strict adherence to justice and the possible penalties for its violation was an act of goodness on the part of God toward man.

Abarbanel then offers his own interpretation as a third alternative. In theological thinking, the basic function of the Jew is to live by the Torah and the Nitzvoth. This is the quintessence of his being. It is in this context that we can understand the rabbinic statement, "God made an agreement with the early creations of the world that if the Children of Israel would later accept the Torah all would be well; if not, I will return the world to its original state of chaos" (Shabbat 88a).

The main thrust of Abarbanel's interpretation is that the goodness in our Mishnah refers not to the benevolence of God, but rather the goodness of man himself. God is not specially interested in the justness of man's acts towards God; He is mostly interested in the goodness of man's acts vis-a-vis his fellowman. The righteous Jew contributes to the welfare of society; the wicked contributes to its downfall.

The fourth interpretation, and the one that Abarbanel prefers to the others, deals with reward and punishment in this world and the World to Come. From time immemorial, the prophets, sages, rabbis, and philosophers have wrestled with the challenging enigma: How is that the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? The Talmud (Berakhot 7a) deals with this problem and comes up with its own answers.

Abarbanel, too, is puzzled by this issue, but he takes a different tack towards solving it. He postulates that theologically speaking we cannot divorce the World to Come from this world. If one will set up these two worlds, one against one, he will immediately come to the conclusion that God judges with goodness and mercy those that deserve these attitudes, not to those that are undeserving.

The gist of Abarbanel's contention is that man cannot enjoy the mundane luxuries gained by chicanery, fraud and deceit and still expect reward in the World to Come. The reality is that no one is so perfect that he has no faults and no one is so imperfect that he has no merits. What is of primary importance is that man should accumulate a considerable preponderance of good deeds to outweigh his misdeeds. The primary aspiration of a person should be to find his proper niche in the World to Come. A righteous man, i.e., one whose good deeds outnumber his misdeeds, will be penalized in this world for the mis deeds. God is judging him in goodness, because, after being cleansed and exonerated in this world, he will find his eternal peace and joy in the World to Come. However, a wicked man, i.e., one whose misdeeds outweigh his good deeds, will be rewarded for those few good deeds in this world and suffer endless punishment in the World to Come for his many misdeeds. Therefore, there can be no question of a discriminatory attitude towards the righteous in that he is penalized in this world while the wicked is rewarded. The righteous is being punished so that he can be cleansed of his sins and approach his Maker with a clean soul.

Concerning Rabbi Akiva's postulate that the judgment is according to the scope and magnitude of man's actions, Abarbanel maintains that the piece about the "abundance of deeds" is a continuation of Rabbi Akiva's previous dictum that, "The world is judged with goodness." The implication is that the abundance of man's actions will assure him a better place in the World to Come and that this is what man should strive for throughout his lifetime.

Since Rabbi Akiva was the greatest personality and intellectually the guiding light of his generation he felt he had the legitimate right to offer his preachments both to his rabbinic colleagues and to the ordinary layman. It is true that to the former he could speak of the esoterics of punishment and reward for the wicked and righteous; he could pronounce his opinions about the mysteries of the simple love and the special love that God has for the Jews. As for the layman, Rabbi Akiva sensed that he must talk to them in simple and clear language. Thus, he closes his series of aphorisms with 10 decrees in the form of analogies and inferences. These are intended to deliver the same messages that he had for the sophisticated scholar. They are reformulated only for the purpose of clarity and lucidity.

1. Everything is given on pledge: Abarbanel cites other commentaries that interpret this sentence to mean that even when God is long-suffering with the wicked and does not easily anger at them, it is only in the sense of a pledge to see if they will repent or not. They base their interpretation on the Talmudic comment, "He who says that God is overly indulgent and unreasonably liberal with the wicked will find himself unreasonably treated by Him" (Bava Kamma 50a).

Abarbanel does not reject this interpretation, but he offers his own. The awards that a man receives in this world are comparable to merchandise acquired which must be paid for immediately. If the purchaser asks for credit it will hang over him, causing him untold anguish and worry until the debt is paid. All the goodness on the part of the merchant is, indeed, in terms of security for his own investment. In the World to Come, the awards that God affords to the righteous are permanent, immovable and irreversible. In this world everything is transitory and changeable: the poor become rich, the strong become weak, the influential become insignificant. Everything should be considered as an ERAVON - a temporary condition. In the World to Come everything is fixed and static forever.

2. A net is spread out: Keeping in mind that there is this heavy debt which he owes God, man finds himself living in a net intended to entrap a bird. The bird may have a little mobility in the snare, but cannot extract itself. So it is with man who falls in the trap of wickedness who, if he is not alert, will never succeed in freeing himself from

perversion.

3. The shop is open: What is even more tragic is the fact that deviation from the path of righteousness is like an open store where one can enter and take anything he wants without limitations. Sinfulness is like that. There is so much of it available that one need only to choose where, when and how to sin.

4. Whoever wishes to borrow, let him come and borrow: (It is interesting to note that Abarbanel switched the order of appearance of this edict.) In this pronouncement of Rabbi Akiva, Abarbanel senses an innuendo relating to freedom of choice. The inference is that if man so desires he can go into the store of travesty and waywardness and take anything he wants. It is his choice. If he chooses to add tragedy to tragedy he has no one to blame but himself. The rabbis taught, "When a man seeks to do the right thing, God supports him in his efforts. He who seeks to do evil will find the doors wide open" (Shabbat 104a).

5. The merchant extends credit: הקפה usually means "credit" in the sense of selling on credit. However, Abarbanel maintains that it can also mean "to circle." In that sense the meaning of the sentence is that the sinner continues to circulate in society unabashed and carefree, believing that everything is permitted and that no account will be demanded. This is his tragic mistake.

6. The ledger is open and the hand records: This, says Abarbanel, is a continuation of the preceding aphorism. The door is open, the merchandise is available, and there is no apparent impediment, but in truth, there is divine surveillance which records every action.

7. But the collectors make their regular daily rounds: God's agents are His heavenly messengers who, unbeknown to man, carry out God's decrees to both the benefit and the detriment of man. It can be very frustrating for a person to witness changes in his life and yet have no prescience why it is happening. It is simply God's way of doing things.

8. And exact payment of man with or without his knowledge: Abarbanel draws a contrast between man's method of administering justice and that of God. As an analogy he refers us to the law of collateral for a debt. When a man lends money to another and demands something of value to secure his debt, he may not enter the home of the debtor, but must wait outside until the debtor brings it out. The borrower knows exactly why that man is waiting outside impatiently. This is not the case with God's collectors. They take their payment from man with his knowledge or without his knowledge. In fact, man is often aghast and bewildered at some tragic experience that has befallen him without realizing that a debt was being collected. But this is God's way of dealing with man.

9. And they have what to rely upon and the judgment is a judgment of truth: When God exacts punishment through his agents there is no guesswork involved. Human judges may find themselves in doubt at times whether their decisions are correct, because their knowledge and capacities are limited. In that context, they can never be completely certain that their decisions were just. However, in divine justice no doubt exists and the verdict is exact because it is the result of the ultimate truth.

10. And everything is prepared for the feast: If ever one queries divine justice and is amazed at the disparity between the success of the wicked and the anguish of the righteous, he should understand that the duration of a man's life in this world is limited. What is of cardinal importance is what he prepares himself in the way of good deeds for his confrontation with his Maker in the World to Come. It is there that a sumptuous repast of spirituality will be enjoyed by all those worthy of it.

In concluding his analysis of Rabbi Akiva's postulates, Abarbanel once again asks us to take note that these last ten edicts of Rabbi Akiva in our Mishnah are addressed to ordinary people in a clear, unencumbered manner and they are merely an echo of the profound assertions that Rabbi Akiva pronounced to the scholars of his generation.

Miscellaneous Interpretations

Rabbenu Yonah:

The first of Rabbi Akiva's aphorisms deals with various fences which must be erected around one's tendencies, inclinations and personality. For example, glibness and light headedness will lead a man to licentiousness. A fence of respect, serenity and sobriety will be preventive against sin.

Tradition is a fence for Torah. To fully grasp the significant intricacies of the Written Law one must depend upon traditions that are handed down from generation to generation. This determines the character of the Torah. In the Oral Law, however, various versions have come down to us and in the Talmud there are a host of sages propounding their own theses. By its nature, it is impossible to place a fence around it.

Tithes are a fence for wealth. Rabbenu Yonah demonstrates the validity of this maxim by citing an incident in the Talmud (Ta'anit 9a) where Rabbi Yehanan overheard a youngster reciting from the Scriptures, "You shall give a tenth" (Deuteronomy 14:22). The sage spoke to the boy, "Give a tithe so that you will become rich" - a play on the words aser and osher. Rabbi Yehanan was challenged: Isn't this against the Scriptures, "You shall not test the Lord, your God" (ibid 6:16). He replied, "This is true of everything else except in the case of tithes."

Vows are a fence for abstinence. Abstinence applies to one who limits himself even in things that are permissible. For example, when he eats he does so only so that he can survive to learn Torah and do mitzvoth, and does not live in order to eat. When he cohabits, it is not for the purpose of satisfying his physical needs, but rather to fulfil the mitzvah of procreation. In that state of commitment he will say to himself, "If, because of the vow, I restrict myself even in things that are allowed, how much more must I be careful about matters that are prohibited." Thus, if one finds it difficult to overcome the evil inclination, it is good counsel to resolve by a vow to refrain from even approved acts for a specified period of time. Perhaps this will lead him to a moderate habitual abstinence.

This play of engaging in vows is something that Judaism looks at askance and should not be practiced indiscriminately. The rabbis (Yerushalmi, Nedarim 9:1) are blunt when they cry out, "Is what the Torah prohibits not enough, that you must proscribe even those things that are permissible?" Hence, Judaism tolerates vows only as a fence to the effort of living a spiritual life on a higher level.

The fence for wisdom is silence. Silence can serve a double purpose. One who remains silent and does not interrupt while another is speaking demonstrates proper etiquette and good upbringing. This will also indicate a certain measure of wisdom. Moreover, in order to acquire wisdom one must learn to be silent and patient while listening to the master delivering his lecture. The student who prematurely favours one segment of the master's presentation, to the exclusion of the remainder of the discourse, and expounds upon it, will find himself at a disadvantage for lack of the views of other authorities propounded by the master. He will gain much if he erects a fence around the limited knowledge he culled and silently awaits the conclusion of the lecture.

Rabbenu Yonah's comment on Rabbi Akiva's postulate about God's love for man is as follows: The expressions "love" and "greater love" reflect the thought that even if man would never have realized the fact that he was created in the image of God and was ignorant of how close he is to God, He would have loved him, man, all the same. It was a demonstration of God's special love for man when he informed man that he was created in His image.

Israel are beloved in that they are called the children of God. Rabbenu Yonah's only comment on this part of the Mishnah is that we should apply to this Mishnah the same line of thinking that we applied to the previous Mishnah.

Another dimension of God's love for the Children of Israel as proposed by Rabbi Akiva, is the concept of the Torah being the blueprint for the creation of the world. The entire universe was the instrument, or receptacle, in which man was established so that he should confine himself to doing the bidding of God. Everything else was created to serve man to enable him to serve God. This was a gesture of benevolence on the part of the Almighty.

Yet, despite the abundance of love that God bestowed upon the Children of Israel, there cannot be a close approach to, or distancing from, God by man, because man is finite and God is infinite and the finite cannot contain the infinite. The end result must be that man's deeds themselves will draw him closer to God.

On the age-old, thoroughly debated subject of free will, Rabbenu Yonah has nothing original to say, but only refers us to the thinking of Rambam on this subject. Rambam is amazed that the faithful believe that God has foreknowledge of what will occur in the human destiny and yet man is given free-will to chose the right from the wrong, and the good from the bad. But this is the uniqueness of Jewish theology - man does have a choice and God will be guided by that choice.

Rabbenu Yonah adds: The maxim of Rabbi Akiva that the world is judged by goodness implies that man could never achieve salvation if he were to depend solely upon his good deeds. It was a gift from God to man that He, God, judges the world not only by man's achievements but mainly by His acts of kindness and mercy.

Although we acknowledge the fact that it is God's charity that is the salvation of man, not everyone receives equal shares of that charity. "Everything is according to the abundance of deeds," in our Mishnah, means that not all the righteous will receive the same share in the World to Come; not every wicked person will be sent to purgatory. It will depend on how righteous one was, or on how wicked he was.

Everything is given on pledge. Nothing is given to us forever; nothing we possess is actually ours. Whatever we have is ours in the form of a pledge. If we abuse or misuse it, we will be called upon to make compensation. Even one's children are part of the pledge. It is analogous to one who enters a village and noting no activity assumes that there is no one there. He enters a home and helps himself to all the food and drink he can consume. He is unaware that from a corner of the room the owner of the house is observing his every move and will demand payment for everything.

A net is spread. To Rabbenu Yonah this can mean only one thing: The net represents death and no one lives forever without giving an account of himself.

The ledger is open. Rabbenu Yonah deals with the heavenly ledger in human terms in order to impress upon man the significance of responsibility. A human being who jots down the sums that people owe him is prone to record the major arrears and forget about the insignificant ones. This not so in God's books. Moreover, when the Almighty records a sin He does not wait until the transgression is completed. His records will show when the deviation began. It is also shown whether the sinner repented. This is crucial, as the rabbis taught, "Greater is the person who does not sin than the one who sins and repents" (Bava Kamma 16b). The statement, "A Tsaddik cannot reach the plateau of a sinner who has repented" (Berakhot 34b), means that the efforts of the penitent to return to the fold are more taxing than the experience of the righteous.

Anyone who wants to borrow. Rabbi Akiva's message here is intended to underscore the idea that no one is compelled to choose to stray from the straight and narrow path and defy the norms of religious behaviour.

Collectors come around everyday and take payment. When hard times befall a man and he knows that this is the consequence of his malpractice, it may lead him to repentance. The shortcoming of man, however, is that when he is afflicted he cries out, "Why me?" He does not take into account that perhaps this is God's way of calling in His debts. This is what Solomon had in mind when he said, "For no man is so righteous upon earth that he should do always good and never sin" (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Everyone is indebted and everyone must repay.

And they have what to rely upon. The authority referred to in the Mishnah is nothing more than simple justice.

Everything is prepared for the banquet. The bottom line of all the pronouncements and maxims of Rabbi Akiva in our Mishnah is the premise that when one is punished it is indeed a preparatory step for his reward - a share in the World to Come.

Rashbatz

takes pains to introduce us to Rabbi Akiva and to remind us that he had a pagan background and upbringing. Rabbi Akiva himself stated, "When I was illiterate I used to say, 'If someone would hand me a scholar, I would bite him as a donkey would'." (Pesahim 49b). Yet we are told (Hagigah 14b) that four sages immersed themselves in the intricacies of the Torah which was never attempted before, and Rabbi Akiva was the only one who emerged unscathed. He was one of the martyrs during the Roman conquest, although he was one of the five persons who lived to the age of 120.

People tend to believe that if they give a lot of charity, their wealth will automatically be diminished. But it is not so. This can be compared to one who has a substantial amount of salt which he uses to preserve his meat against decay. He used up the salt, but he takes into account the benefit he gained. It is in that light that Rabbi Akiva concludes that "Tithes are a fence for wealth."

Abstinence implies a limit on things that are ordinarily permitted and prevents the violation of prohibitions. If one is careful in doing things that are permitted, he most assuredly will be careful not to do things that are enjoined.

How does one reach this spiritual level? Through vows! When one has vowed, what will determine his motivation will not be his contempt for the forbidden, but his hesitation to break a vow. The story is told in the Talmud (Nedarim 9b) of a sage who met a shepherd boy, of handsome features and wavy hair who was intent on becoming a Nazirite and compelled to shave his head. The rabbi inquired, "My son, why do you wish to demean yourself when you are so handsome?" The reply was, "I took my sheep to a well, and I saw my reflection in the water. My beauty brought on a spirit of lust. I said to the evil inclination that I would not permit it to mislead me and so I vowed to become a Nazirite to avoid temptation. If it were not for the vow I could not overcome the evil inclination." This what Rabbi Akiva meant, "Vows are a fence for abstinence."

Rabbi Akiva refers to both Torah and wisdom (chokhmah) in his preachment.

What is the difference? According to Rashbatz, chokhmah implies what a person learns by his own efforts. Torah is the knowledge that the Almighty transmitted to Moshe. This thesis is based on the Talmud, "The Heavenly Court asks: Did you set aside a period for the study of Torah? Did you engage in the intricate disputes of scholarship?" (Shabbat 31b). On this subject Rabbi Akiva advocates, "The fence for wisdom is silence." Listening will get you more.

Relative to the subject of man and God's image, Rashbatz cites Rambam and confirms that to do someone a favour is commendable. To let him know that you did him a favour is especially commendable on two counts: Firstly, the receiver is appreciative of the gift, and secondly, it is a singular honour for him that the donor saw fit to inform him about it. This is what the rabbis taught, "He who presents his friend with a gift is expected to let him know about it" (Shabbat 10b).

The kinship between God and mankind rests on the fact that everyone was created in the image of God. The greater love materialized when the Children of Israel committed themselves to the Torah. This is the reason why, at a wedding, when there is a large gathering to honour God who will help the couple to be fruitful, we recite the benediction, "Everything He created was for His honour." This is what Rabbi Akiva had in mind when he stated, "Israel are beloved in that they are called the children of God"

Rashbatz also takes up the question of "If God knows everything in advance, man has no free choice." He cites Rambam who states that God is omniscient, but man is not compelled to do what he should not. Greek philosophy argued that God knows nothing of man's future and this insignificant species known as man can do anything he wishes to. Islam, on the other hand, contends that everything a man does is directed by a divine force.

Rashbatz dismisses all these views summarily and proposes that God does know the future, but the righteous person can change what is predestined, for good or for bad. He bolsters this theme with the story of David and Bat Sheva (II Samuel 11:2) where David is enraptured with Bat Sheva, cohabits with her, even while she is married to Uri. The sages (Sanhedrin 107a) were mercilessly critical of David. According to them, God decreed that someday Bat Sheva would belong to David. David can be compared to one who eats an unripe fig. Had he waited a few more days, he would have enjoyed a sweet, ripened fruit. David could not wait to have legitimate relations with Bat Sheva and was therefore severely punished.

So it is with man. God knows the future, but man can live righteously or sinfully. Rabbi Akiva was referring to this theme when he admonishes, "Everything is foreseen, yet freedom of choice is given."

The all-knowing God recognizes the fact that He created man with an evil inclination. Therefore, He rules the world with mercy and compassion. He told Adam, "The day you eat of it [the fruit] you will die" (Genesis 2:17). Yet, He allowed him to live one thousand years.

And everything is prepared for the banquet: Here "banquet" implies the World to Come. Even the wicked, after repentance, will enjoy a share in the World to Come, but the shares will not be equal.

Midrash Shemuel

commenting on tradition as a fence to Torah, emphasizes that "tradition" here means the Oral Law. This implies that the law as handed down orally from generation to generation, serves as protection for the Written Law. However, one might ask, would it not be wiser to record all these laws so that they would never be forgotten and, in fact, were they not subsequently recorded? To this Midrash Shemuel replies that it was just for this reason that Rabbi Akiva went out of his way to state his objection and argue that if the laws remain oral, people will make every possible effort to remember them. They will be rehearsed, reviewed and recited night and day, so that they not be forgotten.

Midrash Shemuel draws a beautiful analogy between a shadow and a man's duty to give charity to the poor. Basing his theme on the verse, "God is your shadow, He is on your right hand" (Psalms 121:5), he explains that a shadow does exactly what the one who casts it does. If he opens his palm, the shadow does likewise; if he clenches his fist, the shadow imitates him. So is it with charity. God serves as the shadow of man and when a person opens his hand to bring relief to others, God opens His beneficent hand and bestows His gift upon that person.

Israel are beloved in that they are called the children of God. They were endowed with two bequests. Firstly, God loves them. Secondly, contrary to the thinking of all other commentators, Midrash Shemuel postulates that the extra love of God was the fact that He made it known to the world that He loved the Children of Israel.

The precious gift that Rabbi Akiva speaks of is the Torah, but why did he not use the word Torah? The answer proposed: The more one studies Torah, the more he desires it; the more one desires it, he lusts after it.

Another interpretation: The Talmud (Shabbat 89a) records that when God was about to present the Children of Israel the Torah, the angels desired it. This is why Rabbi Akiva employs the words, "precious gift."

Dealing with the subject of "Everything is foreseen," Midrash Shemuel says that it refers to those who will approach the Heavenly Throne to give an account of themselves and plead that there were so many ways to lead a mundane life that they were confused and did not know what avenue to follow. To this Rabbi Akiva replied: "Everything is foreseen." The perplexed had a Torah in front of them which would have spelled out for them in detailed terms what norms a Jew must follow to do the will of God. Ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse.

In addition, directing his remarks to the righteous, Rabbi Akiva confronts the argument put forward by those who are fearful that if the world should find itself with a majority of sinners, according to "the law of the majority" it will be destroyed. To such people Rabbi Akiva gives his assurance, "And the world is judged by goodness."

What say the Nazarean Hakhamim?

2Co 1:21 Now He who establishes us together with you in Messiah and who has anointed us is God,

2Co 1:22 Who also has sealed us, and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made by hand, eternal in the heavens.

2Co 5:2 For also in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,

2Co 5:3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.

2Co 5:4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, inasmuch as we do not desire to be stripped, but to put on clothing, that that which is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

2Co 5:5 Now He who has prepared us for this same thing is God, who also gave to us the pledge of the Spirit.

2Co 5:6 Therefore always being confident, and knowing that while we are in the body, we are away from home from the Lord

2Co 5:7 (for we walk by faith, not by sight),

2Co 5:8 but we are confident and prefer rather to be away from home from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.

2Co 5:9 Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether being at home, or being away from home, to be well pleasing to Him.

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, in accordance with the things which he did, whether good or bad.

Questions for Reflection:

1. ‎After diligently reading and studying the different readings for this Shabbat what reading especially touched your heart and fired your ‎imagination?‎

2. What does it mean that G-d, most blessed be He, has called each one of us by name both individually and collectively?

3. According to Sehemot 31;3-6 what does it mean “to be filled with the spirit of G-d”? And why do Christians differ from this understanding concerning “being filled with the spirit’?

Why is this “being filled with the spirit” called by R. Akiva in our Mishnah of Pirke Abot, and Hakham Shaul (in 2 Cor. 1:22 and 2 Cor. 5;5) a pledge (Greek: ARABON)?‎
Why are the Sabbaths signs (Heb. OTIYOT) for a Jews who keeps them, but not for a Gentile who keeps them? Please explain your answer.
How are the terms "sign" and "pledge" interelated?
Why, when we want to understand the sabbath we need to go to the Jewish people and not say for example, a Seventh Day Adventist Church who say that they observe the Sabbath?
Is it possible to choose to serve G-d? Please explain your answer.
How is our Ashlamatah of Isaiah 43:7-15, 21‎‎‎‎ related to our Torah Seder?
Why do we recite this Sabbath the special Ashlamatah of Ezekiel 1:1-20?
‎How is ‎ Mordechai (Mark) 9:30-32 related to our Torah Seder, Psalm and Ashlamatot?‎
‎‎In your opinion what are the basic teachings of Mordechai (Mark) 9:30-32‎?‎
‎In your opinion, and taking altogether our Torah Seder, Psalm, Ashlamatah, ‎Pericope of Mark for this Shabbat and Pirke Abot 3:13, what do you think is the ‎prophetic statement for this ‎week?‎

Pesach Sheni – Passover Second Chance

Iyar 14 – Tuesday Evening April 27, 2010

For further study see: http://www.betemunah.org/sheni.html

Lag BaOmer – 33^rd Day of the Counting of the Omer (Ascension Day)

Iyar 18 – Saturday Evening May 1 – Sunday Evening May 2

For further study see: http://www.betemunah.org/lgbomer.html

Next Shabbat

(Iyar 17, 5770 – April 30/May 01, 2010)

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
וַיִּפֶן וַיֵּרֶד
“VaYipen VaYered”	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 32:15-18	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 34:1-3
“And turned and descended”	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 32:19-24	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 34:4-8
“Y se volvió y descendió”	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 32:25-29	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 34:1-8
Sh’mot (Exodus) Ex 32:15 – 33:23	Reader 4 – Sh’mot 32:30-35
Ashlamatah: 2 Samuel 22:10-18, 51	Reader 5 – Sh’mot 33:1-4
	Reader 6 – Sh’mot 33:5-7	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 34:1-3
Psalm 66:1-20	Reader 7 – Sh’mot 33:8-11	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 34:4-8
Pirqe Abot III:14	Maftir – Sh’mot 33:8-11	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 34:1-8
N.C.: Mark 9:33-37	2 Samuel 22:10-18, 51

Counting of the Omer

Evening Friday April 23 – Today is the 25th day of the counting of the Omer

Evening Saturday April 24 – Today is the 26th day of the counting of the Omer

Evening Sunday April 25 – Today is the 27th day of the counting of the Omer

Evening Monday April 26 – Today is the 28th day of the counting of the Omer

Evening Tuesday April 27 – Today is the 29th day of the counting of the Omer

Evening Wednesday April 28 – Today is the 30th day of the counting of the Omer

Evening Thursday April 29 – Today is the 31st day of the counting of the Omer

Evening Friday April 30 – Today is the 32nd day of the counting of the Omer

Evening Saturday May 01 – Today is the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer – LAG BA’OMER!!!

Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David

Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

[1] CLV (Concordant Literal Version) as found in Rick Meyers (2009) E-Sword v. 9.5.1 - http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html

[2] Roth, A.G. (2009), Aramaic English New Testament, Netzari Press.

[3] Greek New Testament (Majority Text) as found in Rick Meyers (2009) E-Sword v. 9.5.1 - http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html

[4] Delitzsch, F., Hebrew New Testament, As found in: http://www.kirjasilta.net/ha-berit/Mar.html

[5] Noonan Sabin, M. (2006), New Collegeville Bible Commentary: The Gospel According to Mark, Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, pp. 82-83.