Targum
Pseudo Jonathan for:
Sh’mot
(Exodus) 12:29-51
And it was in the dividing, of
the night of the fifteenth, that the Word of the Lord slew all the firstborn in
the land of Mizraim, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who would have sat upon
the throne of his kingdom, unto the firstborn sons of the kings who were
captives in the dungeon as hostages under Pharaoh's hand; and who, for having
rejoiced at the servitude of Israel, were punished as (the Mizraee): and all
the firstborn of the cattle that did the work of the Mizraee died also.
And Pharaoh rose up in that
night, and all the rest of his servants, and all the rest of the Mizraee; and
there was a great cry, because there was no house of the Mizraee where the
firstborn was not dead. And the border of the land
of Mizraim extended four hundred
pharsee; but the land of Goshen, where Mosheh and the sons of Israel were, was in the midst of the land of Mizraim;
and the royal palace of Pharaoh was at the entrance of the land of Mizraim.
But when he cried to Mosheh and to Aharon in the night of the Pascha, his voice
was heard unto the land of Goshen; Pharaoh crying with a voice of woe, and
saying thus: Arise, Go forth from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel
; and go, worship before the Lord, as you have said; your sheep also take, and
whatever of mine you have spoken about, and go; and nothing ask I of you except
that you pray for me that I may not die. When Mosheh and Aharon, and the sons
of Israel, heard the voice of Pharaoh's weeping, they were not mindful, until
he came himself, and all his servants, and all the Mizraee, and urged all the
people of the house of Israel, that they might hasten to send them forth from
the land; For, said they, if they prolong here one hour more, behold, we are
all dead. [JERUSALEM.
For, said the Mizraee, if Israel
delay one hour (longer), behold, all Mizraim dies.]
And the people carried their
dough upon their heads, being unleavened, and what remained to them of the paschal
cakes and bitter things they carried, bound up with their raiment, upon their
shoulders. And the sons of Israel
did according to the word of Mosheh, and asked of the Mizraee vessels of silver
and vessels of gold. And the Lord gave the people favour and compassion before
the Mizraee, and they brought forth to them, and they emptied the Mizraee of
their riches.
And the sons of Israel moved
forth from Pilusin towards Succoth, a hundred and thirty thousand, protected
there by seven clouds of glory on their four sides: one above them, that
neither hail nor rain might fall upon them, nor that they should be burned by
the heat of the sun; one beneath them, that they might not be hurt by thorns,
serpents, or scorpions; and one went before them, to make the valleys even, and
the mountains low, and to prepare them a place of habitation. And they were
about six hundred thousand men, journeying on foot, none riding on horses
except the children five to every man; and a multitude of strangers, [JERUSALEM. A mixed multitude,]
two hundred and forty myriads, went up with them, and sheep, and oxen, and
cattle, very many. And they divided the dough which they brought out of
Mizraim, which they had carried on their heads, and it was baked for them by
the heat of the sun, (into) unleavened cakes, because it had not fermented; for
the Mizraee had thrust them out, neither could they delay; and it was
sufficient for them to eat until the fifteenth of the month Iyar; because they
had not prepared provision for the way.
And the days of the dwelling of
the sons of Israel
in Mizraim were thirty weeks of years, (thirty times seven years,) which is the
sum of two hundred and ten years. But the number of four hundred and thirty
years (had passed away since) the Lord spoke to Abraham, in the hour that He
spoke with him on the fifteenth of Nisan, between the divided parts, until the
day that they went out of Mizraim. And it was at the end of thirty years from
the making of this covenant, that Izhak was born; and thence until they went
out of Mizraim four hundred (years), on the selfsame day it was that all the
hosts of the Lord went forth made free from the land of Mizraim.
Four nights are there written in
the Book of Memorials before the Lord of the world. Night the first,--when He
was revealed in creating the world; the second,--when He was revealed to
Abraham; the third,--when He was revealed in Mizraim, His hand killing all the
firstborn of Mizraim, and His right hand saving the firstborn of Israel; the
fourth,--when He will yet be revealed to liberate the people of the house of
Israel from among the nations. And all these are called Nights to be observed;
for so explained Mosheh, and said thereof, It is to be observed on account of
the liberation which is from the Lord, to lead forth the people of the sons of Israel from the land of Mizraim.
This is that Night of preservation from the destroying angel for all the sons
of Israel
who were in Mizraim, and of redemption of their generations from their
captivity. [JERUSALEM.
TARGUM. It is a night to be observed and celebrated for the liberation from
before the Lord in bringing forth the sons of Israel,
made free from the land
of Mizraim. Four nights
are there written in the Book of Memorial. Night first; when the Word of the
Lord was revealed upon the world as it was created; when the world was without
form and void, and darkness was spread upon the face of the deep, and the Word
of the Lord illuminated and made it light; and he called it the first night.
Night second; when the Word of the Lord was revealed unto Abraham between the
divided parts; when Abraham was a son of a hundred years, and Sarah was a
daughter of ninety years, and that which the Scripture says was
confirmed,--Abraham a hundred years, can he beget? and Sarah, ninety year old, can
she bear? Was not our father Izhak a son of thirty and seven years, at the time
he was offered upon the altar? The heavens were (then) bowed down and brought
low, and Izhak saw their realities, and his eyes were blinded at the sight, and
he called it the second night. The third night; when the Word of the Lord was
revealed upon the Mizraee, at the dividing of the night; His right hand slew
the firstborn of the Mizraee, His right hand spared the firstborn of Israel; to
fulfill what the Scripture hath said, Israel is My firstborn son. And he called
it the third night. Night the fourth; when the end of the age will be
accomplished, that it might be dissolved, the bands of wickedness destroyed and
the iron yoke broken. Mosheh came forth from the midst of the desert; but
the King Meshiha (comes) from the midst of Roma. The Cloud preceded that,
and the Cloud will go before this one; and the Word of the Lord will lead
between both, and they shall proceed together. This is the night of the Pascha
before the Lord, to be observed and celebrated by the sons of Israel in all
their generations.]
A sojourner or a hired stranger
shall not eat thereof. In his own company he shall eat. You shall not carry any
of the flesh out of the house from (your) company, nor send a gift to his
neighbor; and a bone of him shall not be broken for the sake of eating that
which is within it. [JERUSALEM. A sojourning man and a hireling born of the
Gentiles shall not eat of it.] All the congregation of Israel shall mix
together, this one with that, one family with another, that they may perform
it. And if a proselyte sojourn with you, and would perform the pascha before
the Lord, let every male belonging to him be circumcised, and so be made fit to
perform it; and he shall be as the native of the land: but no uncircumcised one
of the sons of Israel shall eat thereof. One law shall there be as to
appointments for the native and for the proselyte who sojourns among you. And
all the sons of Israel did as the Lord had commanded Mosheh and Aharon, so did
they. And it was on that same day that the Lord brought forth the sons of
Israel from the land of Mizraim, with their hosts.
Ordinary Ashlamatah: 2 Kings
19:35 – 20:7
35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went
forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five
thousand; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead
corpses.
36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and
dwelt at Nineveh.
37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch
his god, that Adrammelech and Sarezer his sons smote him with the sword; and
they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his
stead. {P}
1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And
Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him: 'Thus says
the LORD: Set thy house in order; for you shall die, and not live.'
2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying:
3 'Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You how I have walked before You in
truth and with a whole heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight.'
And Hezekiah wept sore. {S}
4 And it came to pass, before Isaiah was gone out of the inner court of
the city, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying:
5 'Return, and say to Hezekiah the prince of My people: Thus says the
LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your
tears; behold, I will heal you on the third day you shall go up unto the house
of the LORD.
6 And I will add unto your days fifteen years; and I will deliver you
and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this
city for Mine own sake, and for My servant David's sake.'
7 And Isaiah said: 'Take a cake of figs.' And they took and laid it on
the boil, and he recovered.
Special Ashlamatah: 1 Samuel 20:18-42
18 And Jonathan said unto him: 'To-morrow is the new moon; and you will
be missed, your seat will be empty.
19 And in the third day you shall hide thyself well, and come to the
place where you did hide yourself in the day of work, and shall remain by the
stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows to the side-ward, as though I shot at a
mark.
21 And, behold, I will send the lad: Go, find the arrows. If I say unto
the lad: Behold, the arrows are on this side of you; take them, and come; for
there is peace to you and no hurt, as the LORD lives
22 But if I say thus unto the boy: Behold, the arrows are beyond you; go
your way; for the LORD has sent you away.
23 And as touching the matter which I and you have spoken of, behold,
the LORD is between me and you for ever.' {S}
24 So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon was come,
the king sat him down to the meal to eat.
25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat
by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side; but David's
place was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day; for he thought:
'Something has befallen him, he is unclean; surely he is not clean.' {S}
27 And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, which was the
second day, that David's place was empty; and Saul said unto Jonathan his son:
'Wherefore comes not the son of Jesse to the meal, neither yesterday, nor
to-day?'
28 And Jonathan answered Saul: 'David earnestly asked leave of me to go
to Bethlehem;
29 and he said: Let me go, I pray for our family has a sacrifice in the
city; and my brother, he has commanded me; and now, if I have found favor in your
eyes, let me get away, I pray, and see my brethren. Therefore he is not come
unto the king's table.' {S}
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him:
'You son of perverse rebellion, do not I know that you have chosen the son of
Jesse to your own shame, and unto the shame of your mother's nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, you shall not
be established, nor your kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for
he deserves to die.' {S}
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him: 'Wherefore
should he be put to death? what has he done?' 33 And Saul cast his spear at him
to smite him; whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to put
David to death. {S}
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no food
the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, and because his
father had put him to shame. {S}
35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the
field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
36 And he said unto his lad: 'Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.'
And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had
shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said: 'Is not the arrow beyond you?'
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad: 'Make speed, hasten, stay not.' And
Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39 But the lad knew not any thing; only Jonathan and David knew the
matter. {S}
40 And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him: 'Go,
carry them to the city.'
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward
the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times; and
they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
42 And Jonathan said to David: 'Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn
both of us in the name of the LORD, saying: The LORD shall be between me and
you, and between my seed and your seed, for ever.' {P}
Ketubim Targum Psalm 50
1. A hymn composed by Asaph.
Mighty is God; the Lord spoke at the Creation a song; and he carved out the
earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2. The perfection and the
beginning of the eternal creation is from Zion; and from there its beauty is
complete, God will be revealed.
3. The righteous will say on the
great day of judgment, “Our God will come, and he will not neglect to vindicate
his people”; fire will blaze before him, and around him a storm will rage
mightily.
4. He will call to the angels of
the height above, and to the righteous of the earth below, to extend judgment
to his people.
5. Gather to me, my pious ones,
who have made my covenant, and fulfilled my Torah, and have engaged in prayer,
which is likened to a sacrifice.
6. And the angels of the height
will recount his righteousness, for God is the judge forever.
7. Hear, O my people, and I will
speak, O Israel; and I will testify to you; I am God, your God.
8. I am not rebuking you on
account of your sacrifices that you did not offer before me in exile, for your
holocausts that your fathers offered are in front of me always.
9. From the day that my sanctuary
was laid waste, I have not accepted a bull from your hands, or rams from your
flock.
10. For mine are all the animals
of the forest, and I have prepared for the righteous in the Garden of Eden
clean beasts and a wild bull who grazes every day on a thousand mountains.
11. Manifest before me are all
the kinds of birds who fly in the air of heaven; and the rooster whose legs
rest on the earth, while his head reaches to heaven, rejoicing before me.
12. If the time of the continual
morning sacrifice should arrive, I would not tell you; for mine is the earth
and its fullness.
13. From the day my sanctuary was
laid waste, I have not accepted the flesh of the sacrifice of fatlings, and the
priests have not sprinkled the blood of rams before me.
14. Subdue the evil impulse and
it will be reckoned before the Lord as a sacrifice of thanksgiving; and pay to
the Most High your vows.
15. And pray in my presence in
the day of trouble; I will save you, for you will glorify me.
16. But to the wicked who has not
repented, and prays in impiety, the Lord says, “Why do you recite my covenant,
and swear by my name, and invoke my covenant with your mouth?”
17. But you hate the rebuke of
the wise, and you have cast my words behind you.
18. If you saw a thief, you ran
after him; and you have placed your portion with adulterers.
19. You have loosened your mouth
to utter evil speech; and your tongue adheres to speaking deceit.
20. You will sit with your
brother, you will speak lies against your mother’s son, you will cast
aspersions.
21. These bad deeds you did and I
waited for you to repent; you thought you would be at peace forever; you said
in your heart, “I will be strong like you”; I will rebuke you in this world, and
I will prepare the judgment of Gehenna before you in the world to come.
22. Now understand this, you wicked
who have forgotten God, lest I break your might, with no one to save.
23. He who sacrifices the evil
impulse, it will be reckoned to him like a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and he
honors me; and whoever will remove the evil way, I will show him the redemption
of the Lord.
Ketubim Midrash Psalm 50
1. A
Psalm of Asaph, God, God, the Lord, He has spoken and He called the earth [into
being] (Ps. 50:1). The heretics asked R.
Simlai: What is meant by the words God, God, the Lord, He has spoken? R.
Simlai answered: Scripture does not say here "They have spoken," or
"they called," but He has spoken, and He called. Later, his disciples
said to him: "Master, you have put them off with a broken reed of an
answer. But what answer will you give us?" He said to them: His three
names are one, as a man may say: "Artisan, builder, and architect"
And why did Scripture here mention three times the name of the Holy One,
blessed be He? To teach that the Holy One, blessed be He, created His universe
by three names that stand for the three goodly attributes of wisdom,
understanding, and knowledge: by these the world was created, as is said The
Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens.
By His knowledge the depths were broken up (Prov.
3:19-20).
The
Tent of Meeting and the Tabernacle were also built to stand for these three
attributes: as God said, I have
filled him [Bezalel] with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding,
and in knowledge (Ex. 31:3).
So,
too, the name of God is repeated three times in the verse For the Lord
your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God (Deut.
4:24). And again in the verse The children of Gad said: God, God, the
Lord, God, God, the Lord, He knows (Josh.
22:22). Why does the phrase God, God, the Lord occur twice here? Once to stand for the three attributes by which the
world was created; and once again to stand for the three attributes whereby the
Torah was given, as is said For I am the Lord, your God, a jealous God (Deut. 5:9).
Hence,
it is said God, God, the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth [into
being]. You might think that the earth was
called into being separately and the heaven separately. But no - the two were
called into being together, as is said Yea, My hand has laid the foundation
of the earth, and My right hand has spread out the heavens;when 1 call them
[into being], they stand up together (Isa.
48:13).
God, God, the Lord . . . called
the earth [into being] from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof
(Ps. 50:1). When a mortal forms a figure, he
either begins with its head and finishes with its foot, or begins with its foot
and finishes with its head. Not so the Holy One, blessed be He. When God formed
man, he formed him all at once: As Scripture says He is One who forms
all [at once] (Jer. 10:I6). Hence it is said From
the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
And
whence did God call the world into being? Out of Zion, for the verse Out
of Zion, the perfecting of beauty (Ps. 50:2)
refers to the perfecting of the beauty of the world. What is meant at the end
of the verse by shined forth? It means
that God gave light, for God shined forth clearly means His gift of light, as is said "God . . . caused the
light of His cloud to shine forth" (Job 37:15). Whence the proof that this
Psalm speaks of God's calling the world into being? Because the word perfecting
is used in the Psalm, and it is said in
the chapter on creation The heaven and the earth were perfected and all
the host of them (Gen. 2:1).
And
when God destroys the world, He will begin with Zion, as is said I will make
Jerusalem heaps (Jer. 9:10), and thereafter, The
whole earth shall be desolate (ibid. 4:27),
and The earth shall be desolate for them that dwell therein (Micah 7:13). And when the Holy One, blessed be He,
renews His world, He will renew it out of Zion, as is said And it shall
come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be
established as the first of the mountains (Isa.
2:2).
2. I do not reprove you for your
sacrifices (Ps. 50:8). R. Nahman taught in the name of R. Berechiah: If a man
intends to do a righteous act, the Holy One, blessed be He, writes it down
before Him [as if already done], for the verse goes on to say your upsoaring
thoughts' are continuously before Me (ibid.).
And Solomon's provision for one
day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal ... and
a hundred sheep ... For he had dominion over all the region (1 Kings5:2-4a). R. Judah said: Solomon had a thousand wives, and all of
them prepared banquets - every wife, every day - for each hoped that Solomon would
dine with her. Solomon had Besides, harts and gazelles and roebucks (ibid.) :
Now will you fetch up a burnt offering for Me [who have dominion over so much
more than Solomon?] Hence I do not reprove you for your sacrifices (Ps. 50:8),
[since they are all already Mine]. But for what do I reprove you? For that you
give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit (Ps. 50:19)!
3. When . . . you give your
mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit (Ps. 50:19). When R. Jose
ben Halafta was a boy and used to play with other boys, a man saw him and said
to him: "Your father should be told that [instead of studying your
lessons] you play with the boys." R. Jose answered: "As you live,
what is it to you? If you tell my father, he will strike me. Thus you will
accustom your tongue to the speaking of slander." Hence When . . . you give your mouth to evil, and your
tongue frames deceit ... you will slander your own mother's son.
He who offers thanks glorifies Me (Ps. 50:23). A thank¬offering is dearer to God
than all other offerings, for these are brought only because of transgressions.
Thus in Job you find it said Job ... offered
burnt-offerings . . . for Job said: "It may be that my sons have
sinned" (Job 1:5). But the thank-offering is brought freely. Thus
Scripture says, Behold, to obey is
better than sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22), and also Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
mine ears have You opened (Ps. 40:7). Glorifies
Me (Ps. 50:23) – glorifies Me in
this world as well as in the world-to-come .
To him that prepares a way (Ps. 50:23) - to such as those who light
lanterns in dark entrances - I will show
the deliverance of God (ibid.). After deliverance by a mortal
enslavement can still follow, but after deliverance by the Holy One, blessed be
He, there is no further enslavement. As Scripture says, Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting deliverance; you shall
not be ashamed nor confounded world without end (Isa. 45:17).
Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 9:14-17
14. ¶ Then the Talmidim (disiciples) of Yochanan the
Immerser came near to him saying: “Why do we
and the Pharisees fast often but your Talmidim do not fast?”
15. And
Yeshuah said to them: “Do the friends of the groom mourn whilst the
groom is with them? The time will come
when the bridegroom will be taken from them , and they will fast.”
16. No one sews a patch of un-shrunk cloth upon
an old Taliit (prayer-mantle) , for the patch
will pull away from the Tallit (prayer-mantle), making the tear worse.
17. Neither do men put
new wine into old wineskins, or else
when the young wine expands the old inflexible wineskins will burst, the wine is spilled, and the skins are ruined
too. Instead young wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are kept
together.
Pirqe Abot
“All Israel have a share in the World to
Come, as it is stated: And Your people are all righteous/charitable; they shall
inherit the land forever; they are the branch of My planting, the work of My
hands, in which to glorify Me” (Isaiah 60:21).
Pirqe Abot V:1-2
Mishnah 1
The world was created by means of ten [Divine] utterances. What does
this come to teach us, for indeed, it could have been created by one utterance?
But it was so to bring retribution upon the wicked who destroy the world which
was created by ten utterances, and to bestow ample reward upon the righteous
who sustain the world which was created by ten utterances.
"The world was created by means of ten [Divine] utterances."
(5:1) QUESTION: The Talmud
(Rosh Hashanah 32b) asks that in the Torah discussion of the creation it says
"vayomer" — "and He said" — only nine times? The Talmud
answers, "Beresheet nami ma'amar hu" — "[The creation of heavens
and earth in the verse] 'in the beginning' was also done through an utterance,
as it says, 'By the word of G-d the heavens were made' " (Psalms 33:6). Why
doesn't it say clearly "vayomer" — "G-d said [there should be
heavens and earth]"?
ANSWER: Heavens and earth were created yesh me'ayin — ex nihilo — and
all the things generated from heavens and earth were also created at the same
time. Each thing, however, was placed in its permanent position and given its
function on the day upon which it was decreed for it to serve the world. This
is indicated by the superfluous word "et" in the phrase "et
HaShamayim Ve'Et Ha'Aretz" — "the heavens and the earth"
(Beresheet 1:14, Rashi).
The word "vayomer" — "and He said" — fits only when
one is speaking to something or someone. Thus, all the instances of
"vayomer" were to something already in existence and it was a command
that it begin to function or go into position. However, since the initial
heavens and earth were created ex nihilo, and there was no one or nothing to
speak to, the word "vayomer" was not used, although their coming into
existence was indeed through a specific utterance from Ha-Shem.
"The world was created by means of ten [Divine] utterances."
(5:1) QUESTION: The Talmud
(Rosh Hashanah 32a) states that there are ten utterances that appear in the
passages regarding creation. However, there are only nine instances of
"vayomer" — "and G-d said," the Talmud asks, and it
answers, "Beresheet nami ma'amar hu" — "the word 'beresheet' —
'in the beginning' — is also an utterance, as it is stated, 'By the word of G-d
the heavens were made.' " "Beresheet" literally means "at
the beginning." What in this word indicates Ha-Shem's command that there
be heavens and earth?
ANSWER: On the first day, when Ha-Shem created the heavens and earth, He
actually included in their creation all that was done on the succeeding five
days. On each of the days He merely gave a command to a specific item to start
functioning or occupy its position (Beresheet 1:14, Rashi).
Prior to the actual creation of the world, Ha-Shem first thought it over
in His mind, so to speak (ibid. 1:1, Rashi). Just as when a king wants to issue
a command, all he needs to do is say one word and his message is clearly
understood and obeyed, likewise, when Ha-Shem was ready to actually create the world,
He uttered one word: "Reshit" — "beginning." This was His
Divine order that there be a beginning, i.e. a start of the world He had
planned to create, and instantaneously there were heavens and earth and everything
which they included.
Thus, according to the Talmud the first word of the first verse of
Torah, "Beresheet," means "be" — "with" —
"resheet" — [uttering the word] "beginning" — Ha-Shem
created the heavens and the earth.
Mishnah 2
There were ten generations from Adam to Noach to indicate how great is
His patience; for all those generations repeatedly angered Him, until He
brought upon them the waters of the Flood. There were ten generations from
Noach to Avraham to indicate how great is His patience, for all those
generations repeatedly angered Him, until Avraham our father came and received
the reward of them all.
"There were ten generations from Adam to Noach... For all those
generations repeatedly angered Him... There were ten generations from Noach to
Avraham... For all those generations repeatedly angered him, until Avraham our
father came and received the reward of them all." (5:2) QUESTION: If "All those generations
repeatedly angered Him," which reward was due to them that Avraham
received? Why did only Avraham receive the reward of the ten generations that
preceded him and not Noach?
ANSWER: Dor Hamabul — the Generation of the Deluge and Dor Haflagah —
the Generation of Dispersion (which built the Tower of Babel) — both sinned and
angered Ha-Shem. Nevertheless, their punishments differed. The Generation of
the Deluge was blotted out of existence (Beresheet 7:23), and the Generation of
Dispersion was only dispersed over the face of the whole earth (ibid. 11:8). In
addition, the Generation of the Deluge according to all opinions, definitely
has no share in the world to come (Sanhedrin 107b); however, regarding the
Generation of Dispersion there is an opinion in the Zohar (I:69a) that they do
have a share in the world to come. Why the distinction?
Ha-Shem's way of punishment is commensurate with the crime. Regarding
the Generation of the Dispersion the Torah says, "The whole world was one
language and of common purpose" (ibid. 11:1). Thus, in regard to
inter-human relationships their behavior was exemplary, but their sin was that
they wanted to go up to heaven and declare war against Ha-Shem. On the other
hand, the people of the Generation of the Deluge did not make any endeavor to
revolt against Ha-Shem. They were corrupt and lacking in their inter-human
relationships to the extent that "The earth became full with robbery"
(ibid. 6:13), and it was because of this that their destruction was decreed
(ibid., Rashi). Through corruption in inter-human relationships, they distorted
the laws which Ha-Shem conveyed to humanity in this world, and thus, their
punishment was greater in this world. And since the sin of the Generation of
Dispersion was more of a spiritual nature, namely, concerning their
relationship with Ha-Shem, their punishment was more stringent in the spiritual
realm — Olam Haba — and lenient in the physical world — Olam Hazeh.
For living in harmony and dealing uprightly with their neighbors, the
people of the generation of dispersion were entitled to reward. Due to their
wickedness, however, even their good deeds did not have favorable spiritual
consequences, but instead gave increased vigor to klipot — spiritual forces of
evil, and thus, they did not receive reward. When Avraham came along and sought
Ha-Shem's mercy even for the wicked Sodomites, he elevated all the previous
generations, too, and received all their reward.
The Generation of the Deluge on the other hand, did not do any good for
which reward was due to them, and even if they did, Noach did not pray on their
behalf or make any endeavor to elevate them. Thus, even if they were due any
reward, he would not have been entitled to it.
Commentary
We read in the Torah Seder for this week about the last plague that
killed all the first-born of Egypt, and concluding with the thought that no
Gentile is allowed to eat of the Korban shel Pesach (Paschal sacrifice) until
he be circumcised. What would these two thoughts have in common?
Simply put, the Egyptians because of their lack of mercy
towards the Israelites forfeited the right to be priests of the Most High, and
Passover is a meal to celebrate the redemption of the first-born which before
Israel participated in the sin of the golden calf were obligated to be priests
of their family unit.
Passover is an interesting festival, it celebrates the priesthood of all
the first-borns. Also it is a festival that serves to awaken within each
Israelite the need to learn and perform their priestly functions. That is why
no Gentile is allowed to eat of the Passover sacrifice unless he joins the
priestly family by circumcision in accordance to the rites and laws of Moses
and of Israel.
This important ingredient of mercy is perfectly outlined
in Scripture in Hosea 6:6, where it is stated: “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice;
and the knowledge of G-d more than burnt offerings.” Mercy is thus one of the
key ingredients of being a priest. Firstborns, because they are often entrusted
more responsibilities than the rest of his siblings, tend in general to have
more mercy than his siblings. Further, most first-borns have had to take care
at some point of his siblings, and by nature is used to taking care of others,
thus trained from an early age to have mercy on others. This quality of mercy
results also in greater patience and elasticity with other persons. Thus, we do
not make priests of persons who do not have mercy, patience, and tolerance to
other’s people point of views.
May we all be privileged to exercise our priesthood
to all human beings with fairness and mercy, amen ve amen!
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