Esnoga Bet Emunah - 227 Millset Chase# - San Antonio, Texas 78253

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

B’ resheet (Genesis) 6:9 – 7:24

VI. (9) These are the genealogies of the race of Noah. Noah was a just man, complete in good works in his generation, (and) in the fear of the Lord walked Noah. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Cham, and Japheth.

And the earth was corrupted through the inhabitants thereof, who had declined from the ways of righteousness before the Lord; and the earth was filled with rapine. [JERUSALEM. And the earth was filled with violences and frauds.] And the Lord beheld the earth; and, lo, it was corrupt; for all flesh had every one corrupted his way upon the earth.

And the Lord said to Noah, The end of all flesh cometh before Me, because the earth is filled with rapine by their evil works; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of the wood of cedars; a hundred and fifty cells shalt thou make to the ark in its left side, and thirty and six in its breadth; and ten cabins in the midst, to lay up in them provision; and five repositories on the right, and five on the left; and thou shalt protect it within and without a pitch. Go thou unto Phison, and take from thence a precious stone, and fix it in the ark to illuminate you: with the measure of a cubit (or span) shalt thou complete it above. And a door shalt thou set in the side of the ark; and with dwelling-places, inferior, second, and third, shalt thou make it. And I, behold, I bring a flood of waters upon the earth to swallow up all flesh which hath in it the spirit of life from under the heavens: whatever is upon the earth shall be swept away. But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt go into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and the wives of thy sons with thee. And of all that liveth of all flesh, two of every (kind) shall go into the ark, to be preserved alive with thee: male and female shall they be. Of the fowl after its kind, and of all cattle after its kind, and of every reptile of the earth after its kind, two of every (sort) shall enter to thee by the hand of the angel, who will take and cause them to enter to thee, to be preserved. And thou, take to thee of all food that is eaten, and let it be to thee and to them for food. And Noah did according to all that the Lord had instructed him.

VII. And the Lord said to Noah, Enter, thou, and every one of thy house, into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Of all clean cattle take thou seven by seven, male and female, and of all cattle not clean, two (and two), male and female. But of birds of the heaven, seven by seven, male and female, to preserve from them seed upon the earth. For, behold, I give you space of seven days; if they will be converted, it shall be forgiven them; but if they will not be converted, after a time of days yet seven, I will cause rain to come down upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and will destroy all bodies of man and of beast upon the earth. And Noah did acccording to all that the Lord had commanded him. And Noah was the son of six hundred years when the deluge of waters was upon the earth. And Noah entered, with his sons and his wife and the wives of his sons with him, into the ark, from before the waters of the deluge. Of all cattle clean, and of cattle unclean, of birds, and of whatever creepeth upon the earth, two and two they entered unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as the Lord had instructed Noah.

And it was at the time of seven days after the conclusion of the mourning for Methushelach, that the Lord beheld, and, lo, the sons of men had not turned. And the waters of the deluge came down hotly from the heavens upon the earth. In the six-hundredth year of the life of Noah, in the second month, which was the month of Marchesvan, for hitherto the months had been numbered from Tishri which was the beginning of the year at the completion of the world, in the seventeenth day of the month, in that day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up. And the giants were gathered there together with their sons and perturbed them, and afterwards the windows of heaven were opened. [JERUSALEM. And the windows of heaven were opened.] And the rain came down upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In that same day entered Noah, and Shem, and Cham, and Yapheth, the sons of Noah, and the wife of Noah, and the three wives of his sons with him, into the ark: they, and every animal after his kind, and all cattle after their kind, and every reptile that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after its kind, every bird which flieth. And they entered to Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh in which was the breath of life. And they coming entered, male and female, of all flesh unto him, as the Lord had instructed him; and the Word of the Lord covered over the door of the ark upon the face thereof. [JERUSALEM. And the Word of the Lord was merciful upon him.] And there was a flood forty days upon the earth, and the waters were multiplied and bare up the ark, and it was lifted from the earth. And the waters waxed mighty and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark went floating upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed greatly upon the earth, and all the high hills which were under the heavens were covered: fifteen cubits higher did the waters prevail, and the mountains were covered. And all flesh expired which moveth upon the earth; of fowl, and of cattle, and of wild beasts, and every moving thing that moveth upon the earth, and all the sons of men,--every thing in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all on the dry land, died. And all the bodies of men and of beasts upon the face of the earth, from man to cattle, to creeping thing, and to the fowl which wingeth in the air of heaven, perished from the earth; and Noah only was left, and they who were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days.

Ashlamatah:

Isaiah 54:9-17; 55:5

9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

10 For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall My covenant of peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath compassion on thee.

11 ¶ O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will set thy stones in fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy pinnacles of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy border of precious stones.

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established; be thou far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear, and from ruin, for it shall not come near thee.

15 Behold, they may gather together, but not by Me; whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall because of thee.

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the fire of coals, and bringeth forth a weapon for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their due reward from Me, saith the LORD.

1 ¶ Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye for water, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your gain for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto Me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a prince and commander to the peoples.

5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee; because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for He hath glorified thee.

Targum

Psalm 4

1. ¶ For praise, with melodies. A hymn of David.

2. At the time of my prayer, accept [it] from me, O God of my righteousness; at the time of distress, you relieved me; pity me and accept my prayer.

3. O sons of men, why is my glory for humiliation? You will love vanity; you will seek falsehood forever.

4. And they will know, for the Lord has separated the righteous man for himself; the Lord will accept the prayer of David when he calls to him.

5. Tremble for him, and do not sin; utter your petition with your mouth and your request in your heart; and pray upon your beds and remember the days of death forever.

6. Subdue your impulses and it will be reckoned to you as a righteous sacrifice; and hope in the Lord.

7. ¶ Many say, “Who will show us good?” Lift on us the light of your countenance, O Lord.

8. You have placed joy in my heart when their grain and their wine has increased.

9. In peace I both lay down and sleep, because you alone are the Lord; in security you will make me dwell.

Pirqe Abot

“All Israel have a share in the World to Come, as it is stated: And your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever; they are the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, in which to take pride.”

Pirqe Abot I:5

“Jose b. Johanan of Jerusalem was in the habit of saying: "Let thy house be so wide open that the poor may enter it as were they inmates there; and do not hold too much discourse with woman." The sages have cautioned against talking too much with one's own wife. An inference can then be made with regard to talking with the wife of a neighbor. Hence the wise man said The man who does talk overmuch with woman causes evil unto himself, makes himself insusceptive of the words of the Thora, and in the end will be an heir to Gehenna.”

Tosephtha--Aboth of R. Nathan.

"Thy house should be wide open." This means that one's house should be wide open south, east, west, and north, as was the house of Job, which had four entrances made, so that the poor should not have the trouble of walking around the house looking for the entrance, but should find it whichever way they came without any difficulty.

"As were they inmates there" [literally: "The poor shall be of thy household"]. It is not meant that the people of thy house shall be poor, but that the poor shall speak of what they ate and what they drank in thy house as they used to tell what they ate and drank in the house of Job. And when they met one another on the road, and asked, "Whence do you come?" the answer was: "From the house of Job." "Whereto are you going?" "To the house of Job." Job's house was in a measure the house of the poor.

When the great afflictions came upon job, he prayed before the Holy One, blessed be He: "Lord of the Universe, have I not fed the hungry and have I not given drink to the thirsty?" as it is written [Job, xxxi. 17 ]: "Or if ever I ate my bread alone and the fatherless did not eat thereof." "And have I not clothed the naked?" as it is written [ibid., ibid. 20]: "And if be have not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep." (Nevertheless I am so punished.) The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: job, as yet thou hast not reached one-half of the performances of Abraham. Thou sittest and waitest in thy house, and wayfarers enter. The one who is used to wheat-bread gets wheat-bread, one who is used to meat gets meat, one who is used to drink wine gets wine. Not so Abraham. He was in the habit of going out of his house to hunt up wayfarers, whom he brought under his roof, and entertained them in a better manner than they had been accustomed to. He offered wheat-bread, meat, and wine to those who at home lived on coarser food. Moreover, he built booths on the road and supplied them with refreshments, and those who entered ate and drank, and blessed God for it. He was favored by heaven, and all that the heart desired and the mouth asked for was to be found in Abraham's house, as it is written [Gen. xxi. 33]: "And Abraham planted an אשל (orchard) in Beer-Sheba."(The letters of the word אשל are the initial letters of the words אכילה,שתיה, לויה, eating, drinking, and accompanying. Hence the above statement.)

"Teach thy household humility." For if he is humble, the members of his household are also humble, and the consequence then is that if a poor man comes to the door and asks: "Is your father at home?" they answer: "Yes, sir. Please walk in." As soon as he enters he finds a set table, and eats and drinks, and blesses heaven for the enjoyment afforded him." When, however, one is not humble, and the members of his household are irascible, the outcome then is that if a poor man asks: "Is your father at home?" they answer harshly: "No," and assail the poor man with angry and menacing words.

Others take the words: "Teach the members of thy household humility," to mean this: When a man is humble and the members of his household are also so, the result is that when he has to go away to countries on the other side of the sea, he says: "I thank thee, Lord my God, that my wife is at peace with her neighbors"; and so his mind is tranquil when he is away from home. But when one is not humble and the members of his household are irascible, it follows that when he has to go away to countries on the other side of the sea he has to pray: "May it be Thy will, Lord my God, that my wife shall not quarrel with her neighbors, and my children shall not quarrel among themselves"; his heart is always trembling and his mind is restless until he returns. It has been said: "And prolong not converse with a woman." It means not even with his own wife, much less with the wife of his neighbor; for he who holds much discourse with a woman causes evil to himself, neglects the teaching of the Law, and finally he is doomed to Gehenna.

Another explanation of the above saying is, that when one enters the house of learning and is not treated with the honor due to him, or has a quarrel with his neighbor, he should not inform his wife of what took place, for in informing her he disgraces himself, and so also his neighbor; and his wife, who has heretofore respected him, will now laugh at him. When his neighbor hears of this, he says: Woe to me, words which were strictly between him and me, he revealed to his wife. The consequence of this is that he degrades himself, his wife, and his neighbor.

Meditation

This week I came across an interesting teaching on Shir HaShirim in the Zohar. I was profoundly nourished by it and I reproduce it here as it has an important bearing on the Seder for this week.

“1:7 Tell me, Beloved of my soul, how You pasture your fold; and in the heat of the day how she lies, Why should a veil cover my eyes

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai began his discourse: "Know this day and take to heart that God is the Lord; in the heavens above and on the earth below, there is nothing else" (Deuteronomy 4:39). Fortunate are those who toil in Torah to understand the wisdom of their Master! They know and gaze at the supernal mysteries The wisdom that a person requires can be divided into the following categories:

1) To know and investigate the secret of his Master.

2) To know himself. A person must know who he is; how he was created; from where he comes; to where he is going; how to rectify his body, and that in the future he will have to give an accounting before the King.

3) To know and scrutinize the mysteries of the soul what is the nature of the soul within him, where it came from, and what it came to this body for, a body that came from a putrid drop,[1] here today and gone tomorrow.

4) To examine and know this world in which he finds himself and how to rectify it, and then examine the supernal mysteries of the higher world, in order to know his Master.

All of this a person must investigate deeply from within the secrets of the Torah. Now go and see: Anyone who goes to that world without knowledge of the secrets of Torah, even though he has many good deeds he will be rejected from all the gates of that world.

Have a look at what is written here: "Tell me," the soul says to the Holy One, blessed be He, "tell me the secrets of the supernal wisdom how You sustain and conduct the supernal world. Teach me the secrets of wisdom that I did not know and that I have not learned until now, so that I will not be humiliated when I come to those lofty levels! For until now I have not gazed upon them."

Have a look what is written next: The Holy One, blessed be He replies to the soul: "If you don't know, O fairest of women" If you have not looked deeply into wisdom the Torah's secrets before you came here, and you do not know the secrets of the supernal worlds, then go, for you are not worthy to enter here without knowledge. "Go and search for the sheep where they went" return to the world to be reincarnated again[2] so that you will come to know those sheep whom people crush with their heels alluding to those humble men who some regard as worthless,[3] who know the supernal secrets of their Master. From them you will learn to look deeply and to know. From them you must learn.

(Zohar Chadash p. 70d)

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[1]. Cf. Avot 3:1.

[2]. Sulam.

[3]. See Zohar III, 17b; Sulam.

The Midrash Tanhuma Yelammedenu, starts the commentary for our Torah Seder on this Sabbath by asking a most interesting question:

May it please our master to instruct us concerning the number of transgressions for which women die during child-birth. Thus have our masters taught us: Women die during childbirth for failure to observe three duties decreed in the Torah.

These are: The duty with respect to menstruation (a woman must remain apart from her husband during her menstrual period), for it is written: And if a woman have an issue of her blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days (Leviticus 15:25); the duty of the levy of dough (a portion of the dough, removed before baking bread, that is dedicated to G-d; during the Temple period it was given to the priest, but after the destruction of the Temple it is burned), for it is written: Of the first of your dough you shall set apart a cake for a gift (Numbers 15:20); and the duty of lighting the Sabbath lights, for it is written: And call the Sabbath a delight (Isaiah 58:13). If one chooses to sit in darkness, the Sabbath would not then be a delight, since darkness is imposed upon those condemned to Gehenna (Hell), as it says: A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself (Job 10:22).

Why were women enjoined to perform these three duties? The Holy Ones, blessed be He, said: Adam, the first of My creatures, was commanded not to eat of the fruit tree of knowledge, yet concerning Eve, it is written: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food … she gave also unto her husband with her and did eat (Gen. 3:6). In that way she brought about his death and, as it were, shed his blood, and the law prescribes: Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed (Gen. 9:6). That is why woman’s blood is made to flow. She is required to abstain from sexual relations during menstruation to atone for the blood of Adam that she was responsible for shedding.

Why were women assigned the commandment to remove the levy of dough? It was because she (Eve) defiled the sanctified dough of His world, namely, Adam. R. Yose the son of R. Kazrata declared: Just as a housewife slaps her dough with water and then takes off its levy, so the Holy One, blessed be He, did with Adam, as it is written: And there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the earth (Gen. 2:6), and Then the Lord God formed man of the dust (ibid. v.7).

Why is a woman charged with the duty of lightning the Sabbath lights? It was she (Eve) who extinguished the light of Adam by causing his death, as it is written: the spirit of man is the light of the Lord (Prov. 20:27). Therefore she is obliged to observe the commandments to light the Sabbath lights.

The Midrash Yelammedenu is not here speaking about Jewish people only! But the Midrash speaks about Adam and Chavah in generic terms and after the fall. Therefore, it seems logical then that these three commands given to women irrespective as to whether they are Jewish or not, are part and parcel of the so called code of the Seven Laws of Noah.

The Midrash Tanhuma Yelammedenu continues with another very interesting homily based upon our Seder for this Shabbat. It states:

R. Tanhuma the son of Abba began the discussion of this subject with the verse: The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that is wise wins souls (Prov. 11:30). R. Judah the Levite said: Whenever a man dies childless, he grieves and weeps. Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, consoles him with the words: “Wherefore do you weep over having left no fruit in this world? You have left fruit that is more desirable than children.” “Sovereign of the universe,” the man asks, “what fruit did I produce?” The Holy One, blessed be He, replies: “The Torah (you observed), concerning which it is written: the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” The verse does not say that children are a tree of life but that the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life (the Torah is called a tree of life, hence the fruit of the righteous is the Torah that man preserves and perpetuates). Accordingly, man’s most desirable offspring are his good works. Hence, it is written: These are the offspring of Noach. Noach was in his generations a man righteous and whole-hearted (Gen. 6:9).

R. Abahu taught: We find that the Holy One, blessed be He, rewards descendants because of the merit acquired by their ancestors. Where do we find that He also rewards ancestors because of the merits of their descendants? Scripture states: Noach found grace in the yes of the Lord (Gen. 6:8). Because of whose merit did Noach found grace? He found grace because of the merit of his descendants, as it is said: Therese are the generations of Noach, Noach.

And he that is wise wins souls (Prov. 11:30). This refers to those who feed and entertain the poor. R. Tanhuma continued his exposition, saying: Our masters taught that Noach did not die until he saw the word reinhabited and beheld seventy generations of his descendants. However none of them are mentioned by name. Only his righteousness is referred to.

And he that wins souls is wise (ibid). This applies to Noach, who fed and sustained the animals. What food did he feed them? R. Akiba maintained: All of them are dried figs, as it is written: And it shall be for food for you and for them (Genesis 6:21). Our sages, however, said: This was not so. He provided each of them with the kind of food it was accustomed to eat – straw for the camel, barley for the ass, and so forth. Each animal was fed what it was accustomed to eat. Hence, And he that is wise wins souls.

Certain animals were fed in the first hour of the day, others at the second, and still others at the third; while some animals were fed at the third of night, others at midnight, and still others at the time of the crowing of the cock. Our sages declared that during the twelve months in the ark, Noach slept neither during the day nor at night because he was occupied constantly with feeding the creatures in his care. Hence, he that is wise wins souls.

Now here the Midrash is speaking in a metaphor. Contrast this explanation with the following counsel of Hakham Shaul to his beloved Talmid Hakham Timothy:

“Herald and teach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you as preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their lives are wrong.] And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching.” (II Timothy 4:2 – Amplified Bible)

This of course ties up with the meditation on the Zohar that I quoted at the beginning of this homily and also with the Mishnah of Pirqe Abot for this week where we read: “Let thy house be so wide open that the poor may enter it as were they inmates there” (and see following commentary). But who are these poor? As we discovered in the Zohar and its commentary these are:

“Return to the world … so that you will come to know those sheep whom people crush with their heels alluding to those humble men who some regard as worthless, who know the supernal secrets of their Master. From them you will learn to look deeply and to know. From them you must learn.”

The Amplified Bible renders Provers 11:30 as follows:

“The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men--he gathers and receives them for eternity]. [Matt. 4:19; I Cor. 9:19; James 5:20.]

The phrase “he that is wise wins souls” in the Hebrew is וְלֹקֵחַ נְפָשׁוֹת חָכָם which could also be translated: “he who wins souls is a Hakham.”

Now compare this scripture with the story found in Matityahu on the calling of the Master’s “Disciples of the Wise”:

18 ¶ And as he walked on the shore of the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Shimon called Tsephet, and Aharon his brother, who were casting nets into the sea; for they were fishermen.

19 And Yeshuah said to them: “Follow me! And I will cause you to become fishers of men.”

20 And immediately, they left their nets, and went after him.

21 And as he passed on from there, he saw two other brothers, Ya’aqov the son of Zebedee, and Yochanan his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, who were mending their nets. And Yeshuah called them.

22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and went after him. (Matityahu 4:18-22)

Now then, “soul-winning” is the prerogative of Hakhamim, although everyone is in the obligation to assist a Hakham in this endeavor. But here in Matityahu 4:18-22 we have a “hint” of what is entailed to become a Hakham.

In the third homily of the Midrash Tanhuma Yelammedenu (which because of its length we will not reproduce here) it continues giving us a picture of what is the life of a Hakham. In its second paragraph it staes:

“It says elsewhere in Scripture in reference to the Oral Law: Neither it is found in the land of the living (ibid 28:13). What is the meaning of the verse Neither it is found in the land of the living? Does it mean that the Oral Law is found only among the deceased? Indeed not! It means that the Oral Law is not found amongst those who pursue the pleasures of this world – its passions, its glory, or its greatness, but only amongst those who deprive themselves for its sake, as it is said: This is the law: when a man dies in a tent (Numbers 19:40). The following is the path that leads to an understanding of the law: “A morsel of bread with salt shall you eat; a measure of water shall you drink; upon the earth shall you sleep; a life of hardship shall you lead; and in the law shall you labor” (Pirqe Abot VI:4). The Holy One, blessed be He, established His covenant with Israel through the Oral Law, as it is said: According to the tenor of these words have I made a covenant with you and with Israel (Exodus 34:27). Our Sages, of blessed memory, stated that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not write in the Torah: “For the sake of these words,” or “because of these,” or “on account of these words,” but simply: according to the tenor of (al pi) these words. This statement clearly alludes to the Oral Law (Torah She Be’alpeh), which is disfficult to learn and in the learning of which there is considerable anguish, comparable to darkness itself, as it is said: The people that walk in darkness have seen a great light (Isaiah 9:1). The people referred to in this verse are the masters of the Talmud, who beheld a great light when the Holy One, blessed be He, enlightened them as to what is prohibited and permitted, pure and impure. They that love Him shall be as the sun when it goes forth in its might (Judges 5:31).”

According to this Midrash and the preceding texts, it becomes clear that there are four kinds of people:

Those who devote their lives to having a great house, nice new car, a good business or job, respectability, and all the pleasures of this world. These are only buying a bigger share during their whole life of Gehinom (Hell) in the next world.

Those that devote themselves to produce as much as they can in order to: “Let their houses be so wide open that the poor may enter it as were they inmates there.” That is to support the work of the Hakhamim and their “Disciples of the Wise.” These have a share in the goods of this world and in the rewards of the Hakhamim in the next world.

The “Disciples of the Wise” who have upon being called immediately abandoned all fore the sake of following (being trained/discipled by) their Hakham. These have a double portion in the life to come.

The Hakhamim who accepted upon themselves and family a life of hardship in order to master the Torah and lead many to everlasting life. These will inherit the light of G-d in the life to come.

Now Torah elucidation without having an impact on our lives is absolutely worthless! So then we need to ask: Where have you fully anchored your life, so as to be totally satisfied with your lot, and happy to fulfill your calling in life? In other words, to which of the four groups of people described above do you happily belong? If G-d would call you tonight (G-d forbid) into His presence what are you rightfully entitled to claim? Can you state before G-d like David said in Psalm 4 – “You have placed joy in my heart when their grain and their wine has increased (i.e. that the Hakhamim and the Disciples of the Wise have the minimum to live and pursue the work studies which G-d has set before them)”? If JOY is lacking in your life, the Psalmist this weeks explains perfectly why this is the case.

Whether you belong to the second, third, or fourth category of people we have described above the Prophet in the name of Ha-Shem says to you:

“But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord.” (Isaiah 54:17 – Amplified Bible).

May this so be in your life and in the lives of your children, and in the lives of the entire house of Yisrael, amen ve amen!

Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

Shabbat:	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
אלה תולדות נח
“Eleh Tol’dot Noach”	Reader 1 – B’resheet 6:9-12	Reader 1 – B’resheet 8:1-4
“These are the generations of Noach”	Reader 2 – B’resheet 6:13-16	Reader 2 – B’resheet 8:5-9
“Estas son las generaciones de Noé”	Reader 3 – B’resheet 6:17-22	Reader 3 – B’resheet 8:10-14
B’ resheet (Genesis) 6:9 – 7:24	Reader 4 – B’resheet 7:1-5
Isaiah 54:9-17; 55:5	Reader 5 – B’resheet 7:6-9
	Reader 6 – B’resheet 7:10-16	Reader 1 – B’resheet 8:15-18
Psalm 4	Reader 7 – B’resheet 7:17-24	Reader 2 – B’resheet 8:19-22
	Maftir – B’resheet 7:21-24	Reader 3 – B’resheet 9:1-7
N.C.: Matityahu 1:17	Isaiah 54:9-17; 55:5