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

YOM HA-KIPPURIM

(Day of Atonements) 5786 Anno Mundi

 

 

 

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

 

Fasting observed (18 minutes before sundown Wednesday to 43 minutes after sundown Thursday)

 

יוֹם הַכִּפֻּרִים – Yom HaKippurim

Day of Atonements - 5786

 

For further study see:‎

http://www.betemunah.org/kohen.html; http://www.betemunah.org/atonemen.html; http://www.betemunah.org/kippur.html; http://www.betemunah.org/awesome.html;

 

 

 

Morning (Shacharit) Service

(Thursday Morning October 2, 2025)

 

 

Blessings Before Torah Study

 

Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our GOD, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us through Your commandments, and commanded us to actively study Torah. Amen!

 

Please Ha-Shem, our GOD, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and our offspring's offspring, and all the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your delight. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amen!

 

Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our GOD, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations, and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!

 

Ha-Shem spoke to Moses, explaining a Commandment. "Speak to Aaron and his sons and teach them the following Commandment: This is how you should bless the Children of Israel. Say to the Children of Israel:

 

May Ha-Shem bless you and keep watch over you; - Amen!

May Ha-Shem make His Presence enlighten you, and may He be kind to you; - Amen!

May Ha-Shem bestow favor on you and grant you peace. – Amen!

 

This way, the priests will link My Name with the Israelites, and I will bless them."

 

These are the Laws for which the Torah did not mandate specific amounts: How much growing produce must be left in the corner of the field for the poor; how much of the first fruits must be offered at the Holy Temple; how much one must bring as an offering when one visits the Holy Temple three times a year; how much one must do when performing acts of kindness; and there is no maximum amount of Torah that a person must study.

 

These are the Laws whose benefits a person can often enjoy even in this world, even though the primary reward is in the Next World: They are: Honoring one's father and mother; doing acts of kindness; early attendance at the place of Torah study -- morning and night; showing hospitality to guests; visiting the sick; providing for the financial needs of a bride; escorting the dead; being very engrossed in prayer; bringing peace between two people, and between husband and wife; but the study of Torah is as great as all of them together. Amen!

 

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Vayikra (Leviticus) ‎16:1-34

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary to Vayikra (Leviticus) ‎16:1-34

 

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons What does this teach us [when it specifies “after the death of Aaron’s two sons”]? Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah illustrated [the answer] with a parable of a patient, whom a physician came to visit. [The physician] said to him, “Do not eat cold foods, and do not lie down in a cold, damp place.” Then, another [physician] visited him, and advised him, “Do not eat cold foods or lie down in a cold, damp place, so that you will not die the way so-and-so died.” This one warned that patient more effectively than the former. Therefore, Scripture says, “after the death of Aaron’s two sons” [i.e., God effectively said to Aaron, “Do not enter the Holy in a prohibited manner, so that you will not die as your sons died”]— [Torath Kohanim 16:3]

 

2 And the Lord said to Moses: Speak to your brother Aaron, that he should not come [at all times into the Holy] so that he should not die the way his sons died. -[Torath Kohanim 16:3]

 

so that he should not die for if he does enter, he will die. -[Torath Kohanim 16:3]

 

for I appear...in a cloud -"For I continuously appear there with My pillar of cloud, and therefore, since My Divine Presence is revealed there, he must be careful not to accustom himself to enter." This is its simple meaning. Our Rabbis, however, interpreted [it as follows]: He shall not come except with the cloud of incense on Yom Kippur. -[Yoma 53a]

 

3 with this - בְּזֽאת. Its gematria [numerical value] is 410, an allusion to [the number of years that] the first Temple [would stand when the kohanim were righteous like Aaron, and it was as if Aaron lived all these years and entered the Holy of Holies]. -[Vayikra Rabbah 21:9]

 

With this shall Aaron enter [the Holy] And even [with] this, not at all times, but [only] on Yom Kippur, as is specified at the end of this section (verse 29 below),"in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month..." [i.e., the tenth of Tishri, namely, Yom Kippur].

 

4 [He shall wear a...] linen shirt... [By enumerating only, the four garments of an ordinary kohen, Scripture] informs [us] that [the Kohen Gadol] does not perform the service inside [i.e., in the Holy of Holies] wearing the eight garments with which he performs the service outside [the Holy of Holies (see Exod. Chap. 28)], for those [garments] contain gold, and a prosecutor cannot become a defender. [I.e., since the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur to effect atonement for all Israel, he may not enter wearing gold, reminiscent of the golden calf]. Instead, [he wears] four garments, like an ordinary kohen, all of which are [made] of linen. -[R. H. 26a]

 

He shall wear a holy [linen shirt...] i.e., these garments shall be [purchased] from the Temple treasury. -[Torath Kohanim 16:13]

 

and wear Heb. יִצְנֽף, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders it: יָחֵית בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ, he shall place on his head. This is similar to “So she placed (וַתַּנַּח) his garment” (Gen. 39:16), [which Onkelos renders:] וְאַחְתְתֵהּ.

 

he shall immerse in water On that day he was required to immerse himself every time he changed [his garments]. And [in total, the Kohen Gadol] changed his garments five times [when transferring] from the service inside [the Holy of Holies] to the service outside, and from outside to inside, changing from golden garments to white garments, and from white garments to golden garments. And at every change [of garments], he was required to immerse in a mikvah [once] and to sanctify his hands and feet twice [by washing his hands in the water] from the washstand [i.e., once when removing the garments he wore and a second time when he donned the next set of garments].-[Yoma 32a]

 

6 his sin-offering bull That is the one mentioned above (verse 3). And [Scripture’s reference to “his”] teaches you here that [this bull] had to be [purchased] from Aaron’s own money, rather than from public funds. -[Torath Kohanim 16:19; Yoma 3b]

 

and initiate atonement...for himself and for his household [i.e., over this bull,] he confesses his own sins and those of his household. -[Torath Kohanim 16: 20; Yoma 36b]

 

8 And Aaron shall place lots upon the two he-goats He would place one [he-goat] on his right and one on his left. Then, he would insert both his hands into an urn [which contained two lots, one bearing the inscription “to the Lord” and the other “to Azazel.” These lots were mixed up, and Aaron, with both hands inside the urn] took one lot in his right hand and the other in his left hand, and he would place them upon them [the he-goats]: [The one] upon which [he placed the lot] with the inscription “to the Lord,” would be for God, while the one upon which [he placed the lot] with the inscription “to Azazel,” would be sent off to Azazel.-[Yoma 39a] Azazel This is a strong and hard mountain, [with] a high cliff, as the Scripture says [in describing Azazel] (verse 22 below),"a precipitous land (אֶרֶץ גְּזֵרָה)," meaning a cut-off land [i.e., a sheer drop].- [Torath Kohanim 16:28; Yoma 67b]

 

9 and designate it as a sin-offering When he places the lot upon it, he designates it by calling it [a sin- offering], saying, "To the Lord—a sin-offering".-[Yoma 39a]

 

10 while still alive [is to be understood] like יָעֳמַד חַי [i.e., the word יָעֳמַד is in the hof’al conjugation, which is a passive form, meaning that the goat] was “stood up by others.” [Thus,] the Targum translates it as, יִתָּקַם כַּד חַי, “shall be stood up while alive.” And what does the verse teach us when it says “alive?” Since it says: “to send it away to Azazel,” and we do not know whether it was to be sent away to be killed or to remain alive. Therefore, Scripture says, “shall be placed while still alive,” [meaning that] it is to be placed while still alive [and shall remain alive only] until it is sent away. From here, we learn that it was sent away to its death. -[Torath Kohanim 16:26] to [initiate] atonement [lit., “to effect atonement upon it,” here meaning] that he is to confess upon it, as Scripture says, “and confess upon it....” (verse 21 below). -[Torath Kohanim 16:27; Yoma 40b]

 

11 ...and shall [initiate] atonement for himself This is a second confession [i.e., besides that stated in verse 6 above for himself and his household] and is for himself [again] and for his brothers, the kohanim, all of whom are called “his household,” as the verse says, “O house of Aaron, bless the Lord,” (Ps. 135:19). From here, we see that [all] the kohanim receive atonement through this [sin-offering bull of the Kohen Gadol] (Torath Kohanim 16:29, Shev. 13b) And all its atonement is exclusively for defiling the Sanctuary and its holy things, [e.g., if a kohen forgot that he was unclean and entered the Sanctuary or ate sacrifices], as the verse says, “And he shall effect atonement upon the Holy, from the defilements [of the children of Israel]” (verse 16 below). -[Shev. 14a]

 

12 from upon the altar [referring to] the outside altar. -[Yoma 45b]

 

from before the Lord From the side [of the altar] that is before the entrance [to the Holy], namely, the western side [of the altar].-[Yoma 45b]

 

fine Heb. דַּקָּה. But what does Scripture teach us here, when it says [that the incense had to be] fine? Was not all incense fine, as Scripture says [regarding the spices], “And you shall crush some of it finely” (Exod. 30:36)? Rather, [Scripture is telling us here that this incense] was to be the finest of the fine, for on the eve of Yom Kippur, they would return [already crushed incense] to the mortar [in order to crush it even finer, for use on Yom Kippur].-[Torath Kohanim 16:34; Keritot 6b]

 

13 [And he shall place the incense] upon the fire that is inside the pan.

 

so that he shall not die Hence, if [the Kohen Gadol] did not make it according to its formula, he would be liable to death. -[Torath Kohanim 16:35; Yoma 53a]

 

and sprinkle [it] with his index finger One sprinkling is meant.

 

and before the [ark] cover, he shall sprinkle seven [times] Thus, once above and seven times below. -[Torath Kohanim 16:41; Yoma 55a]

 

15 the people’s [sin-offering he-goat] For what the bull atones for the kohanim [namely, defilements of the Sanctuary and its holy things], the he-goat atones for the Israelites, and this goat was the one upon which the lot “For the Lord” had fallen. -[Yoma 61a]

 

as he had done with the bull’s blood [namely, sprinkling it] once above and seven times below. -[Torath Kohanim 16:41; Yoma 55a]

 

16 from the defilements of the children of Israel- [i.e., atoning] for those who, while in [a state of] uncleanness, had entered the Sanctuary, and it never became known to them [that they had been unclean], for it says: לְכָל־חַטּֽאתָם, חַטָּאַת denotes an unintentional sin.-[Torath Kohanim 16:42; Shev. 17b]

 

and from their rebellions [i.e., atoning] also [for] those who, in a state of uncleanness, willfully entered [the Sanctuary, thereby defiling it].-[Torath Kohanim 16:42; Shev. 17b]

 

He shall do likewise to the Tent of Meeting i.e., just as he had sprinkled from [the blood of] both [the bull and the he-goat] inside [the Holy of Holies, with] one sprinkling above and seven below, so shall he sprinkle from [the blood of] both [the bull and the he-goat] on the dividing curtain from the outside once above and seven times below. -[Torath Kohanim 16:43; Yoma 56b]

 

which dwells with them, [even] amidst their defilements Although they are unclean, the Divine Presence is among them. -[Torath Kohanim 16:43; Yoma 56b]

 

18 to the altar that is before the Lord This is the golden altar, which is “before the Lord” in the Heichal [i.e., in the Temple, it was in the Heichal, was the equivalent of the Holy in the Mishkan]. And [since the Kohen Gadol was to remain inside the Holy for the next procedure,] what does Scripture mean when it says, “And he shall then go out?” Since he had just performed the blood sprinklings on the dividing curtain, standing on the inner side of the altar to sprinkle [i.e., between the altar and the dividing curtain], for the applications on the altar, [Scripture] required him to “go out” to the outer side of the altar and to begin with the north-eastern corner. -[Torath Kohanim 16:45; Yoma 58b. See Mizrachi, Gur Aryeh. Also, Chavel, who asserts that, according to the Reggio edition of Rashi, the Kohen Gadol did not stand beyond the altar, but alongside it, from where he commenced to apply the blood from the north-eastern corner.]

 

and effect atonement upon it And what is the [procedure that effects the] atonement? [As the verse continues:] “He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the he-goat’s blood,” one mingled with the other. -[Torath Kohanim 16:46; Yoma 57b]

 

19 He shall then sprinkle some of the blood upon it After he has applied the blood with his index finger on its horns, he shall then sprinkle seven sprinklings on its top.

 

and he shall cleanse it from any [defilements] that had occurred in the past,

 

and sanctify it for the future.-[Torath Kohanim 16:48] [According to Mizrachi, this means that now that the altar had been purified from past defilements, care would be taken not to defile this now pure altar. Maskil LeDavid explains that, after the altar was cleansed of its previous defilements, it had to be resanctified for future use. This the Kohen Gadol would effect. Raavad explains that, by cleansing it of its defilements, he would sanctify it for future use.]

 

21 with a timely man Heb. אִישׁ עִתִּי, one who had been prepared for this from the day before.-[Torath Kohanim 16:60; Yoma 32a]

 

23 And Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting Our Rabbis stated (Torath Kohanim 16: 60; Yoma 32a) that this is not the [correct chronological] place for this verse, and they gave a reason for this in Tractate Yoma (32a). And they said: "This whole passage is in correct chronological order, except for this entry, for this followed the performance of his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering, and the burning of the sacrificial parts of the bull and the he-goat, which were performed outside [the Holy of Holies, with the Kohen Gadol attired] in golden garments. Then he would immerse himself, sanctify [his hands and feet with water from the washstand], remove them [his golden garments], don his white garments"-

 

and...shall come into the Tent of Meeting to take out the spoon and the pan, with which he had caused the incense to go up in smoke in the inner Holy. [Then,]

 

[Aaron shall...] remove the linen garments After he took them [the spoon and the pan] out, and then he would don his golden garments the afternoon תָּמִיד [i.e., the daily burnt offering sacrificed twice every day]. The following, [therefore,] is the order of the services: 1) The morning תָּמִיד in golden garments; 2) the service involving the bull and he-goat whose blood was sprinkled inside [the Holy] and the incense procedure [with the burning coals] in the pan, in white garments. 3) Then, his ram, the people’s ram and some of the additional sacrifices [of the day (see Num. 29:7-11)] in golden garments; 4) then, the removal of the spoon and the pan in white garments; 5) the remainder of the additional sacrifices, the afternoon תָּמִיד, and the incense procedure in the Heichal upon the inner altar in golden garments. Hence, the [chronological] sequence of the verses, corresponding to [the chronological order of] the services is as follows: (Verse 22), “and he shall send off the he-goat into the desert”; then (verse 24),"And he shall immerse his flesh...He shall then go out and sacrifice his burnt offering..."; then (verse 25),"the fat of the sin-offering..."; then the remainder of this passage, up till (verse 26),"And after this, he may come into the camp"; only then [comes our verse 23 into the chronological sequence,] “And Aaron shall enter [the Tent of Meeting, and remove the linen garments],”

 

and there, he shall store them away This teaches [us] that they require being stored away [forever], and he shall not use those four garments for any other Yom Kippur.-[Torath Kohanim 16:61; Yoma 12b]

 

24 And he shall immerse his flesh... Above (see Rashi verse 4), we learned from “he shall immerse in water and then don them,” that when he changes from golden garments to white garments, he is required to immerse himself, for with that immersion, he removed the golden garments, with which he had performed the service of the morning תָּמִיד, and subsequently changed into white garments, to perform the service of the day (see verse 4). Here, we learn that when he changes from white garments to golden garments, he [also] is required to immerse [in a mikvah].-[Torath Kohanim 16:60; Yoma 32a]

 

in a holy place sanctified with the [degree of] holiness of the Courtyard [of the Holy Temple], and it was on the roof of [a chamber in the Holy Temple, called] Beth HaParvah. And so were [all] four immersions which were obligatory for the day, except for the very first immersion, which was performed in an unsanctified [place because this immersion, in preparation to sacrifice the morning תָּמִיד, took place every day and was not, therefore, specific to the Yom Kippur service].- [Torath Kohanim 16:62; Yoma 30a]

 

and don his garments [meaning “his” regular] eight garments, in which he officiates all the days of the year.

 

He shall then go out of the Heichal, to the Courtyard in which the altar for burnt offerings was located.

 

and sacrifice his burnt offering namely, the ram for a burnt offering, stated above (verse 3), [when Scripture says there,] “Aaron shall come with this...,”

 

and the people’s burnt offering namely, “and one ram for a burnt offering,” stated above (verse 5), [when Scripture says,] “And from the community of the children of Israel....”

 

25 the fat of the sin-offering [This refers to] the sacrificial fats of the bull and the he-goat.

 

And he shall cause [the fat of the sin- offering] to go up in smoke upon the altar On the outer altar, for, concerning the inner altar, it is written: “You shall offer up on it no alien incense, burnt offering, or meal offering” (Exod. 30:9), [and likewise, no sin-offering shall be brought on the internal altar since “burnt offering” includes any sacrifice of which any part is burned].

 

27 whose blood was brought into the Heichal and into the very interior.

 

32 And the Kohen [Gadol] who is anointed This atonement on Yom Kippur, is valid only through a Kohen Gadol [since anointment in this context exclusively refers to that of a Kohen Gadol (see Lev. 21:10)].-[Yoma 32b] Since this entire passage is stated concerning Aaron, Scripture found it necessary to state that the Kohen Gadol who succeeds him is like him. -[Torath Kohanim 16:79]

 

or who is invested [Without this phrase,] we would know only that [the Kohen Gadol] anointed with the anointing oil (see Exod. 30:22-33) may perform the Yom Kippur service]. How would we know that [a Kohen Gadol who was invested only by] wearing the many garments [i.e., eight, as opposed to the four of an ordinary kohen, may also perform Yom Kippur service]? Scripture, therefore, says here, "or who is invested to serve [for their authorized wearing of the eight golden garments of a Kohen Gadol is their very investiture (see Rashi Exod. 29:9)].-[Torath Kohanim 16:79] These [Kohanim Gedolim referred to here,] are all the Kohanim Gedolim who were appointed from the time of Josiah and onwards, for in the days [of Josiah], the jug of anointing oil was hidden away.- [see Yoma 52b]

 

to serve in his father’s stead This teaches us that if his son can take his place [meaning that he is his equal], he takes precedence over everyone else.-[Torath Kohanim 16:80]

 

34 And he did as the Lord had commanded [Moses] [i.e.,] when Yom Kippur arrived, [Aaron] performed [the service] according to the order, and [this verse is written] to tell Aaron’s praise, namely, that he did not don those [special garments of the Kohen Gadol] for his self-aggrandizement, but rather, as one who is fulfilling the King’s decree [thus, “he did as the Lord had commanded”].-[Torath Kohanim 16:85]

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:7-11‎

 

 

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 65:1-14

 

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Tehillim (Psalms) 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 mountains which are hard sprout, 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.

 

Meditation from the Psalms

Tehillim (Psalms) ‎‎65:1--14

By Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

This psalm is a prayer which David composed at a time of terrible national disaster. In II Samuel 21, we read: And there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year, and David sought out the presence of HaShem. In this psalm, David entreats HaShem to send abundant rains and rich harvests.^[1]

 

Ibn Ezra^[2] adds that at the moment the drought^[3] struck, the nation was also invaded by a foreign army. Since this psalm was composed at a time when the nation was threatened both from within and from without, the psalmist voices his longing for the advent of the Messiah Although the Messiah’s arrival is eagerly awaited at all times, anticipation of his coming is heightened at times of national emergency, for the Messiah will solve all of Israel’s problems, both internal and external, economic and political.^[4]

 

Hirsch notes that the masculine form: שיר, as used in this psalm, refers to the final redemption of the future, while שירה, the feminine form, alludes to those acts by which the Almighty lays the groundwork for the ultimate salvation. Thus, this psalm, which refers to the famine of David’s times, also contains a deeper theme: the ultimate Messianic redemption.^[5]

 

Finally, the psalmist expresses his wish for an agricultural renaissance in which the Holy Land would flourish once more, freeing the children of Israel to concentrate on their true mission, the service of HaShem.^[6]

 

This Psalm is the shir shel yom, the song for the day for Yom HaKippurim.

 

Since we have been studying PaRDeS for some time, I thought it would be interesting to note Sforno’s comment on our psalm. Sforno, on the metaphor of v.5, teaches that the roar of the seas refers to the Gentile masses; the roar of the waves refers to their haughty rulers, who arrogantly place themselves above the common people.

 

Our psalm speaks of prayer in v.3:

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 65:3 O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee doth all flesh come.

 

I thought that this might be an auspicious time to look at prayer in a bit more depth.

 

For this topic, I am going to draw heavily from Hakham Haggai’s lessons on prayer, which he taught in late 1999 and early 2000.

 

Let’s begin with a question: What is prayer?

 

The Hebrew word “Tefilah” is generally translated into English by the word “prayer.” But this is not an accurate translation, for to pray means to beg, beseech, implore, and the like, for which we have a number of Hebrew words which more accurately convey this meaning. Our daily prayers are not simply requests addressed to HaShem to give us our daily needs, and nothing more. Of course, such requests are also included in our prayers, but by and large our prayers are much more than that, as we shall. see presently.

 

Every word in Hebrew has a root word, which is generally three letters. Understanding the meaning of the root word is the key to understanding the essential meaning of the word itself. prayer in Hebrew is spelled – תפילה and its root word is פלל.  Let us examine the two opposing meanings of that very same root word.

 

The first meaning for the root word of פלל. is above and beyond nature, miraculous. The source for this meaning is when Yaakov sees his son Yosef for the first time in 22, Yaacov says, Now I can die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.^[7] For 22 years Yaakov lived under the false impression that Yosef was eaten by wild animals, and he never fully recovered from mourning for his lost son, let alone see Yosef as the 2nd most powerful man in the known world. For Yaacov, the experience of seeing Yosef again was nothing short of miraculous. Therefore, lending our first understanding of prayer as something that goes above and beyond the laws of nature.

 

The second meaning for פלל is criminal or by the law. The word in Hebrew pelili means a criminal activity. A source for this explanation is the Torah’s description of Pinchas’ zealousness. When Pinchas commits an act of zeal against Zimri Ben Salu, which was justified by HaShem and stopped the plague of the tribe of Shimon, the Torah describes it as “ויפלל”, that Pinchas did justice by stopping the criminal.^[8] This lends the second explanation of Tefilla as an act that is in line with nature and the law itself.

 

Strong’s Concordance gives the definition of ‘praying’ as:

 

6419 palal (פלל), paw-lal’; a prim. root; to judge (officially or mentally); by extens. to intercede, pray:-intreat, judge (-ment), (make) pray (-er, - ing), make supplication.

 

The Hebrew word “tefilah” comes from the verb “pallel,” that is, “to judge”.^[9] We use the reflexive verb “lehitpallel” (“to pray”), which also means “to judge oneself.” Thus, the time of prayer is the time of self-judgment and self-evaluation. When a person addresses himself to HaShem and prays for His blessings, he must inevitably search his heart and examine himself whether he measures up to the standards of daily conduct which HaShem had prescribed for man to follow. If he is not one who fools himself, be will be filled with humility, realizing that he hardly merits the blessings and favors for which he is asking. This is why we stress in our prayers HaShem’s infinite goodness and mercies and pray to HaShem to grant us our heart’s desires not because we merit them, but even though we do not deserve them. This is also why our prayers, on weekdays, contain a confession of sins which we may have committed knowingly or unknowingly. We pray for HaShem’s forgiveness and resolve to better ourselves. prayers help us to lead a better life in every respect, by living more fully the way of the Torah and Mitzvoth which HaShem commanded us.

 

In tefilla, the speaker acts upon himself. From this we understand that ‘praying’ is judging oneself!

 

It is understood that a person can have only one Ratzon, only one desire at a time. If we examine our current desire and ask, “Why do I desire this thing?” If the answer leads us to an underlying desire, then we need to repeat this question until we arrive at the answer: “I desire this thing for no other reason than I desire it”. At this point we understand what is our Ratzon, what is our innermost desire. Getting to our Ratzon can be a very difficult and embarrassing ordeal, but the exercise will help us to pray. For example: I want to earn more money. Why do I desire more money? I desire more money because I desire a new car. Why do I desire a new car? I desire a new car in order to attract a young lady. Why do I desire to attract this young lady? I desire the young lady because I desire her. This is the true Ratzon, the true desire. This Ratzon is what motivates us to act in the world. When we pray, we are ‘judging ourselves’ and acting on that judgment.

 

How should we pray?

 

The Sages derive many of the rules for praying from Hannah’s prayer. We will therefore look at Hannah’s prayer in a careful manner to attempt to understand how to pray.

 

Let’s start by examining Hannah’s Ratzon:

 

1 Shmuel (Samuel) 1:10 And she [was] in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto HaShem, and wept sore.

 

Our story opens with a bit of background information that helps us to understand why Hannah had such bitterness of soul. Peninnah had children and Hannah did not. Peninnah provoked Hannah because Hannah had no children. The only way that Peninnah could provoke Hannah, is if Hannah had a Ratzon, a strong desire, for children. This Ratzon is what caused Hannah to pray.

 

When we pray, we pray for the Ratzon, for the desire of our heart. That is why a thief will often pray that he not be caught. The incongruity of asking HaShem to help a thief commit a crime that HaShem has forbidden, never enters the mind of such a person because his Ratzon is so strong. Such a prayer, oddly enough, is often answered. Why is it answered?

 

Psalm 145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

 

Tehillim (Psalm) 106:15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

 

So, be exceedingly careful about what you pray for!

 

Why do we pray?

 

Prayer is a commandment of HaShem;^[10] HaShem has commanded us to pray to Him, and to Him alone. In times of distress, we must turn to HaShem for help; in times of comfort, we must express our gratitude to HaShem; and when all goes well with us, we must still pray to HaShem daily that He continue to show us His mercies and grant us our daily needs.

 

How do we pray?

 

Hannah’s Ratzon caused her to pray:

 

1 Shmuel (Samuel) 1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, HaShem of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto HaShem all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

 

The first rule about praying can be derived from the above verse: Hannah SPOKE. In order to properly pray, we should speak. The mental desire should become manifest in the world by our words. As Hannah desired, so she spoke.

 

One of the major differences between men and animals is our ability to thoughtfully speak. We can pray because we can speak.

 

Notice that when Hannah spoke, her lips moved but no sound was heard:

 

1 Shmuel (Samuel) 1:13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore, Eli thought she had been drunken.

 

From this, the Sages have learned that the words of our prayers must be spoken, but they should be inaudible to others.

 

It is no accident that prayer emanates from the mouth, which is in the center of the body. From the center comes Daat, that is knowledge, or connection. It is our neshama’s^[11] connection with HaShem!

 

It is interesting to note that the mouth is also used for kissing and eating. The mouth is used to bless HaShem. Blessings are a very important form of prayer.

 

In our prayers to HaShem we often address Him as our Merciful Father, or as our Father in Heaven, for HaShem regards us, and we regard ourselves, as His children.^[12] The question may be asked, why do we have to pray to our Father in Heaven for our daily needs? Does not HaShem know our needs even better than we ourselves? Is not HaShem, by His very nature, good and kind, and always willing to do us good? After all, children do not “pray” to their loving parents to feed them, and clothe them, and protect them; why should we pray to our Heavenly Father for these things?

 

The answer to these questions is not hard to find after a little reflection. In fact, it has been amply explained to us by our great Sages, including our great Teacher and Guide Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon:^[13]

 

“We are told to offer up prayers to HaShem, in order to establish firmly the true principle that HaShem takes notice of our ways, that He can make them successful if we serve Him, or disastrous if we disobey Him; that success and failure are not the result of chance or accident”.^[14]

 

Like all other commandments which HaShem has commanded us to do, not for His sake but for ours, He has commanded us to pray to Him for our sake. HaShem does not need our prayer; He can do without our prayers, but we cannot do without our prayers. It is good for us to acknowledge our dependence on HaShem for our very life, our health, our daily bread, and our general welfare. And we should do so every day, and many times a day We must often remind ourselves that our life and happiness are a gift from our Merciful Creator, for we should then try to be worthy of HaShem’s kindnesses and favors to us. HaShem does not owe us anything; yet He gives us everything. We should try to be the same way towards our fellow-men and grant favors freely. We should express our gratitude to HaShem not merely in words, but in deeds: by obeying His commands and living our daily life the way wants us to do, especially as it is all for our own good.

 

Knowing that HaShem is good and that nothing is impossible for Him to do, we can go about our life with a deep sense of con­fidence and security. Even in times of distress we will not despair, knowing that in some way (best known to HaShem) whatever happens to us is for our good, a blessing in disguise. We do not like to suffer, so we pray to HaShem to help us out of our distress, and grant us the good that is not hidden or disguised, but the good that is obviously good, obvious even to our fleshy eyes and limited understanding. We gain strength, courage and hope in our trust in HaShem. Our daily prayers strengthen our trust in HaShem.  “In HaShem We Trust” has been our Jewish motto since we first became a people.^[15] Its adoption by the American people when it became a “nation under HaShem,” commendable though it is, is, of course, not original.

 

The most fundamental question regarding prayer, and maybe the most mysterious aspect of what prayer is all about, is how does prayer actually work? When we engage in the act of prayer, requesting various wants and wishes from HaShem – how does our prayer help determine the end result? For example, take Hillel, a father of 5, who needs extra income. Hillel asks for more parnassah, livelihood, from HaShem in his Tefillot for an entire week. Will that help Hillel’s financial situation? For arguments’ sake, let us assume it does. Did Hillel change HaShem’s mind? That would go against the belief the HaShem is all knowing and all powerful. If HaShem determined Hillel to go through financial hardships, how can 1, 2 or even multiple 5-7-minute session of excursion in prayer help Hillel’s cause? HaShem has determined this man’s fate, and even if fates can change, which Judaism certainly believes they can, how would prayer make any difference? Simply because of Hillel’s request for financial stability?

 

The answer is that prayer does not change HaShem, it changes the person himself. This is the key to understanding all of the questions we have posed. The false conception is that a man engages in prayer in order to change HaShem’s mind. But HaShem’s mind cannot be changed or shifted. HaShem is All Knowing and omnipotent, not transient and ever-changing. prayer reminds us how to change ourselves and provides a platform to the greatest self-help mantra exercise a person can practice. Repeating the mantras and messages of the prayer creates new pathways in a person’s mind and allows man to elevate himself spiritually. If one man’s fate, Hillel for example, is to have financial hardship, that is the case for the Hillel at that moment in time. However, when Hillel works on himself and elevates himself spiritually, he is no longer the same Hillel, he is a new person. And that “new person’s” fate is now changed and may no longer need financial hardship.

 

An analogy to this is a father’s gift to a child. The father wants to give; however, the father will not give anything to the child at any point, he will be selective. If a father gives a child money, it is only when the child is ready to receive the money and use it responsibly. If a six-year-old child requests power tools, for example, it will wise for the father not to give those tools, since the child is clearly not ready for it and it would be irresponsible to give that gift to his child. Once the child grows up and shows responsibility, and asks for the power tools again, the father would be more than happy to give the gift, since the father wants to give. But will only give when the child is ready. So too, HaShem only gives us when we are ready and for that we must change ourselves through prayer and our own spiritual work.

 

Prayer, then, is the balance between receiving exactly what we deserve, and on the other hand, providing us the opportunity to grow and elevate ourselves to another level, beyond our current state. That is the balance between both understandings of prayer, it is getting what we deserve, exactly to the level we are currently at, with also serving as a platform to raise our level and change ourselves.^[16]

 

How should we pray?

 

How do we know how to pray? Has HaShem given us a clear understanding as to how He wants to be worshipped? Let’s take a look at what the Tanach^[17] says about the Temple service:

 

1 Divrei HaYamim (Chronicles) 28:11-19 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlors thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat, And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of HaShem, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of HaShem, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things: Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of HaShem, and for all the[He gave] of gold by weight for [things] of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; [silver also] for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service: Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver by weight, [both] for the candlestick, and [also] for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick. And by weight [he gave] gold for the tables of Showbread, for every table; and [likewise] silver for the tables of silver: Also pure gold for the flesh hooks, and the bowls, and the cups: and for the golden basins [he gave gold] by weight for every basin; and [likewise silver] by weight for every basin of silver: And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the Cherubims, that spread out [their wings], and covered the ark of the covenant of HaShem. All [this, said David], HaShem made me understand in writing by [his] hand upon me, [even] all the works of this pattern.

 

So, HaShem gave King David the proper pattern for the service. This pattern is preserved in the synagogue service and prayers. HaShem has not left us without a clear understanding of how He wants to be worshipped.

 

Nusach means “text” or “form,” and is sometimes referred to also as Minhag, which means “custom” or “rite”. When we pick up a prayer book, there will be an indication on the front page what Nusach or Minhag the prayer book belongs to, such as Nusach Sfard (Spanish), Nusach Ashkenaz (German), Nusach Polin (Polish), Nusach Ari,^[18] etc. It should be understood that in all these various prayer books the main body of the prayers is the same, but there are certain differences in the order of some prayers, minor changes also in the text of some, and the addition of piyyutim.^[19] According to the explanation of the Maggid of Mezeritch,^[20] there are as many as 13 Nuschaoth, forms, of prayer or Minhagim, customs of prayer. Each Nusach represents a tribe or “gate”, and the Ari composed a “General Nusach-Gate” through which any Jew can enter into the presence of HaShem. Whatever Nusach is yours, you will find the structure of the prayers basically the same. The Morning prayers begin with the Morning Blessings, continue with Pesukei d’Zimrah,^[21] followed by the Shema,^[22] and then comes the main prayer, the Shemoneh Esrei,^[23] known also as the Amida.^[24] Then follow a series of other prayers, concluding with Aleinu.

 

The Sephardi rite is considered to be very overtly kabbalistic, depending on how far they reflect the ritual of Isaac Luria. This is partly because the Tetragrammaton frequently appears with varying vowel points beneath the letters^[25] and different Names of HaShem appear in small print within the final hei (ה) of the Tetragrammaton. In some editions, there is a Psalm^[26] in the preparations for the Amida that is printed in the outline of a menorah, and the worshipper meditates on this shape as he recites the psalm.

 

Yaaqob’s ladder is often understood to relate to the progressive climb, towards HaShem, that we make as we pray. The Torah text explains that Jacob fell quickly asleep and immediately has a dream of angels going up and down a ladder.^[27] Upon awakening, Yaakov realized that he had stumbled across a holy place that was filled with HaShem’s presence. Our Sages understood that the ladder Yaakov saw in his dream with the angels going “up and down” was a symbol itself of tefilla (prayer). This was a ladder that “stood on the earth and reached the heavens.” Our Hakhamim used this ladder as a metaphor to show how our prayers are like ladders that connect earth and heaven, human beings and Yaakov. Our Sages declared that the ladder which our Patriarch Jacob saw in his dream, and which “stood on the earth but reached into the heaven,” was symbolic of prayer. Indeed, our prayers are so arranged that they lead us step by step higher and closer to HaShem.

 

The climax of intimacy, with HaShem, takes place when we recite the four “do it” in the following prayer at the conclusion of the Amida:

 

My HaShem, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceitfully. Let my soul be silent to those who curse me; let my soul be as dust to all. Open my heart to Your Torah, and let my soul eagerly pursue Your commandments. As for all those who plot evil against me, hasten to annul their counsel and frustrate their design. Let them be as chaff before the wind; let the angel of the L-rd thrust them away. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, help with Your right hand and answer me.

 

Do it for the sake of Your Name;

do it for the sake of Your right hand;

do it for the sake of Your Torah;

do it for the sake of Your holiness.

 

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, L-rd, my Strength and my Redeemer.

 

How to make prayer more meaningful.

 

If you think about the times when you were most engaged in praying, most people would realize that they are most engaged when singing the prayers, out loud. The music, the words, the power of the congregation all work together to encourage our kavanah, our attention connection to HaShem. This suggests that even when we are praying alone, we should be singing out loud. It has been well said that music moves the soul. How much more does it move the soul when the soul wants to connect with HaShem!

 

Ashlamata:  Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 57:14 - 58:14‎‎‎

 

 

I Hillel (Lukas/Luke) 4:16-28

 

16. And he came to the city of branches (Tzefat), where he had been brought up, and he went in, according to his custom, on the Sabbath-day, to the synagogue, and stood up to read;

17. And there was given over to him a roll of Isaiah the prophet, and having unfolded the roll, he found the place where it has been written:

18. “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, Because He did anoint me; To proclaim good news to the poor, Sent me to heal the broken of heart, To proclaim to captives deliverance, And to the blind the receiving of sight, To send away the bruised with deliverance,

19. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Isa. 61:1, 2)

20. And having folded the roll, having given it back to the officer, he sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue were gazing on him.

21. And he began to say unto them— “Today has this writing been fulfilled in your ears (i.e., “the acceptable year of the LORD – the Yobel (Jubilee) has commenced);”

22. And all were bearing testimony to him, and were wondering at the gracious words that are coming forth out of his mouth, and they said, “Is not this the son of Joseph?”

23. And he said unto them, “Certainly you will say to me this simile, Physician, heal yourself; as great things as we heard done in Capernaum, do also here in your country;”

24. And he said, “Amen ve Amen I say to you--No prophet is accepted in his own country;

25.  And of a truth I say to you, many widows were in the days of Elijah, in Israel, when the heaven was shut for three years and six months, when great famine came on all the land,

26. And unto none of them was Elijah sent, but--to Sarepta of Sidon, unto a woman, a widow;

27. And many lepers were in the time of Elisha the prophet, in Israel, and none of them was cleansed, but--Naaman the Syrian.”

28. And all in the synagogue were filled with wrath, hearing these things.

 

Blessing After Torah Study

 

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

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

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

 

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

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

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

 

“Now unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless,

and to establish you without a blemish,

before His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer,

by means of Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion,

and honor, and majesty, both now and in all ages. Amen!”

 

Afternoon (Mincha) Service

(Thursday Afternoon October 2, 2025)

 

 

* Those congregations who choose to read Jonah 1:1 – 4:11 on the Evening Service beginning Yom Kippur do not need to reread this Prophetic lesson in the afternoon service, except for Micah 7:18-20.

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Vayikra (Leviticus) ‎18:1-30

 

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 32:1-11

 

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Sefer Yonah (Jonah) 1:1 - 4:11

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary to Sefer Yonah (Jonah) 1:1 - 4:11

 

2 and proclaim against: My proclamation.

 

3 to flee to Tarshish: I.e., to a sea named Tarshish, which is outside the Holy Land. He said, “I will flee to the sea, for the Shechinah does not rest outside the Holy Land.” Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him, “By your life, I have messengers like you to send after you and fetch you from there.” This is illustrated by an allegory of a priest’s slave who fled from his master and entered a cemetery [making it impossible for his master to retrieve him]. His master said to him, “I have slaves like you to send after you and fetch you from there.” Now what did Jonah see that he did not wish to go to Nineveh? He said, “The gentiles are quick to repent. Should I prophesy to them and they repent, I will be found condemning Israel, who do not heed the words of the prophets.” [from Mechilta, Exodus 12:1]

 

and he paid its hire: Heb. He paid its hire in advance; although it is not customary for those embarking upon the sea to pay the hire of the ship until they leave, he paid in advance. [Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer, Ch. 10; Tanchuma, Vayikra 8].

 

4 threatened to be broken: It appears as though it would be broken.

 

5 And the sailors: The men who conducted the ship.

 

each one... to his god: Of the seventy nations of the heathens were there.

 

6 The captain: Heb. רב החובל the captain of the sailors, for they, too, are called חובלי הים, the sailors of the sea; in O.F., gobernedors.

 

“What is the matter with you, sleeper?”: What is the matter with you to be sound asleep? Now is no time to sleep.

 

“will think: Heb. יתעשת an expression of thought. Cf. עשתנותיו (Ps. 146:4) “his thoughts” (Dan. 6:4) עשית “And the king thought” [from Machberet Menachem p.139].

 

7 “Come, let’s cast lots”: They saw that the other ships were sailing in the sea calmly, and theirs was breaking. They said, “Because of one of us, this is taking place.” So we find in Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer (Ch. 10).

 

because of whom: Heb. בשלמי because of the deeds of which one of us.

 

8 Tell us now, because of whom: Against whom have you sinned, that this evil should befall us because of it

 

What is your work: Perhaps you were negligent in your work.

 

and whence do you come?: Perhaps a decree has been issued upon the people of that place even if you are not there.

 

a and from what people are you?: Perhaps your people have sinned.

 

10 What is this that you have done?: Why have you done this, to flee from before such a Ruler?

 

13 And the men rowed vigorously : Heb. ויחתרו האנשים they toiled and busied themselves like one who digs a tunnel.

 

16 and they made vows: that they would proselytize.

 

2:1 And the Lord appointed: Those sixteen days that Israel was missing the manna, since they did not eat it for a complete forty years - God took this manna and sustained the fish so that Jonah would not be digested in its intestines, and Jonah, too, ate within it from this manna. Therefore, it is stated, the letters sixteen [days of] manna. Similarly, and He appointed a Kikayon, for he ate four omers; therefore, it says four times (4:6 ff.). And in Greek, manna is called “kika.” For that reason, it is stated: i.e., manna in Greek. -[Sod Mesharim]

 

a huge fish: It was a male, and he stood there with room, so that he did not think to pray. The Holy One, blessed be He, hinted to the fish, and it spewed him out into the mouth of a female, which was full of embryos, and it was crowded there, and he prayed there, as it is said: (verse 2) “from the belly of the fish ” [from Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer Ch. 10, according to Yalkut Shimoni; Midrash Yonah, second version, Otzar Medrashim p.219]

 

2 the Lord his God: He combined the Divine standard of justice with the Divine standard of mercy, the merit of Abraham and Isaac.

 

from the belly of the fish: This is Jacob. [Sod Mesharim]

 

3 from the belly of the grave: From the belly of the fish, which is to me as the grave.

 

4 all Your breakers and Your waves: All the breakers of the sea, since it breaks and parts the sea. [from Jonathan]

 

5 and I said: when they cast me into the sea, “Behold I am dead, and I have been driven away from before Your eyes.”

 

Instead: I saw that You have kept me alive all these days. I know that I will continue to gaze upon Your Holy Temple.

 

6 the Red Sea hangs over my head: Lit., reeds are bound to my head. [Jonathan renders:] The Red Sea hangs over my head. For the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the Red [lit., Reed] Sea and how Israel crossed in its midst, for the fish’s two eyes were like two windows, and he would look and see everything in the sea. [from Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer Ch. 10]

 

7 To the bottoms of the mountains I descended: To the end of the measure of the mountains fixed to the deep, I descended. And I said...

 

the earth-its bars are closed on me: Heb. כנגדי against me, over me it is closed, and I will never go out.

 

closed on me: Heb. וסגרת הדלת בעדך cf. (II Kings 4:4) “And you shall close the door about yourself.” And so is every instance of in Scriptures, e.g. (Job 2:4) “Skin against skin,” עור בעד עור a limb against a limb.

 

forever: This refers to what he said above, “And I said, ‘I have been driven away,’” and I said, “The earth - its bars are closed on me forever.”

 

but You brought up my life from Gehinnom: But I saw Gehinnom here, and from there You brought me up, and, behold, I stand under the Temple in Jerusalem, similar to what is stated: “Indeed, I will continue to gaze upon Your Holy Temple,” “And my prayer came to You, to Your Holy Temple.” [from Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer Ch. 10]

 

8 When my soul grew faint: Heb. בהתעטף [Jonathan renders:] When it grew faint. Cf. (Lam. 2:11) “For the infants swoon,” (verse 12) “When they swoon like wounded men.”

 

9 Those who keep worthless futilities: The nations of the world, who worship idols

 

abandon their kindness: The fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, from Whom all their kindness and benefit emanate, they abandon; but I am not so, but “with a voice of thanks will I sacrifice to You.” In this manner did Jonathan render it. But in Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer (Ch. 10), they expounded this as an allusion to the sailors who abandoned their kindness that they were bestowing upon the idols and proselytized.

 

10 for the salvation of the Lord: Vows of peace-offerings and thanksgiving offerings I will pay, for the salvation of the Lord

 

for the salvation: Heb. ישועתה like לישועתה for the salvation. Cf. (Ps. 44:27) “Rise for our aid” equivalent to קומה עזרתה לנו

 

3:4 overturned: Destroyed. [He did not say, “Destroyed,” because “overturned” has two meanings, bad and good. If they do not repent, it will be destroyed; if they repent, then “overturned” refers to the people of Nineveh, that they will be changed from bad to good, and they will repent. Gloss of Rabbi Ovadia.]

 

6 his royal robe: Heb. אדרתו the cloak of his honor.

 

7 And he caused it to be proclaimed : Heb. ויזעק, he commanded to proclaim

 

By the counsel of the king and his nobles: By the counsel of the king and his nobles, they commanded to announce.

 

8 and they shall call mightily to God: They bound the dams alone and the young alone. They said to Him, “Lord of the world! If You have no pity on us, we will not have pity on these.” [See Taanit 16a]

 

9 Whoever knows: the sins he has committed, shall repent.

 

10 and God will relent: He will think about the evil to repent of it.

 

4:1 Now it displeased Jonah: He said, “Now the nations will say that I am a false prophet.” [from Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer Ch. 10]

 

2 was this not my contention : know that, if they repent, You will not destroy them, and I will appear to them as a liar.

 

6 appointed: an expression of preparation. [from Jonathan]

 

to save him from his discomfort: From the heat of the sun.

 

kikayon: A plant that grows high with many branches and it affords shade and that is its name.

 

7 attacked: The worm attacked the kikayon. Where one would say for masculine ויך, he struck, he says for feminine, ותך she struck.

 

8 stilling: Our Sages say: When it blows, it silences all the winds because of it, and it is very hot. So does Jonathan render: silencing. [from Gittin 31b]

 

and he fainted: פשמיי"ר, pasmer (pamer), in O.F.

 

10 for which you did not toil: with plowing, sowing, or watering.

 

one night: Heb. שבן לילה , lit., one night old, like בן לילה. It grew only one night.

 

11 who do not know etc.: I.e., children.

 

and many beasts as well: Adults, who have the intelligence of beasts, who do not recognize who created them.

 

Ashlamata:  Micah 7:18-20‎

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary to Micah 7:18-20

 

Meditation on the Ashlamata of Micah 7: 18-20‎

 

General Requirements for All of the Ten Men of the Esnoga

 As Found in “Tomer Devorah” - “The Palm Tree of Devorah”

By: Rabbi Moshe Cordovero

With comments by Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

 

Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (Mosheh ben Ya’aqob Cordovero), (1522–1570) was a central figure in the historical development of Kabbalah, and leader of a mystical school in 16th-century Safed, Israel. He is known by the acronym the Ramak. He was born in Safed to a distinguished family of Spanish descent, from the city of Cordova (Spain). He is author to many landmark works on Torah and the Kabbalah. He starts this work by concentrating on the 13 Supernal Attributes of Mercy and the need for man to emulate G-d (Imitatio Dei). He, therefore, starts stating:

 

It is proper for man to emulate his Creator, for then he will attain the secret of the Supernal Form in both image (tzelem) and likeness ‎(demut). For if a person's physical form reflects the Supernal Form, yet his actions do not, he falsifies his stature. People will say of him, ‎"A handsome form whose deeds are ugly." For the essential aspect of the Supernal 'Form' and 'Likeness' is that they are the deeds of the Holy One, Blessed Be He. Therefore, what good is it for a person to reflect the Supernal Form in physical form only if his deeds do not imitate those of his Creator? Thus, it is proper that man's actions imitate the Thirteen Supernal Attributes of Mercy - the functions of the sefirah of Keter - hinted at in these verses:

 

Who is G-d like You, who pardons iniquity and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not maintain His anger forever, for He delights in kindness. He will again show us compassion, He will vanquish our iniquities, and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Show faithfulness to Ya'aqob, kindness to Avraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old. ‎(Michah 7:18-20)

 

Consequently, it is proper that these Thirteen Attributes, which we will now explain, should also be found in man.

 

Note: For Ramak as well as for Hakham Shaul, the sphere of Keter, (i.e., the Crown of Messiah) permeates the whole of the Sephirotic tree (i.e., the rest of the Ten Sephirot). Therefore, since in Ephesians Hakham Shaul concludes that “Messiah is the head of the body” all candidates to occupy any of the ten offices of the Esnoga should be required to embody these 13 Attributes in their behaviors as a general norm, and constantly remember them so as to ensure that these are being followed by each of these ministers and their assistants.

 

The Ramak continues:

 

Attribute # 1. "Who is G-d like You - מִי אֵל כָּמוֹךָ‎ - Mi El Khamokha"

 

This attribute refers to the Holy One, Blessed Be He, as a tolerant King Who bears insult in a manner beyond human understanding. Without doubt, nothing is hidden from His view. In addition, there is not a moment that man is not nourished and sustained by virtue of the Divine power bestowed upon him.

 

Thus, no man ever sins against G-d without G-d, at that very moment, bestowing abundant vitality upon him, giving him the power to move his limbs. Yet even though a person uses this very vitality to transgress, G-d does not withhold it from him. Rather, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, suffers this insult and continues to enable his limbs to move. Even at the very moment that a person uses that power for transgression, sin, and infuriating deeds, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, bears them patiently.

 

One cannot say, G-d forbid, that G-d cannot withhold His benevolence from a person, for it is within His power to shrivel up a person's arms or legs instantly, just as He did with Yaravam (Jeroboam). Yet even though it is within G-d's power to withdraw vitality, and He could argue, ‎"Since you sin against Me, sin with that which belongs to you, not with that which belongs to Me," He does not withhold His goodness‎ from man. He bears the insult and continues to bestow His power and benevolence on man. Such an insult and the forbearance thereof defy description.

 

For this reason, the ministering angels refer to the Holy One, Blessed Be He, as the long-suffering King. This is the meaning of "Who is G-d like You" - "You, G-d, are kind and benevolent, possessing the power to exact revenge and claim what is rightfully Yours, and yet You are patient and tolerant until man repents."

 

This, then, is a virtue man should emulate - namely, tolerance. Even when he is insulted to the degree mentioned above, he should not withdraw his benevolence from those upon whom he bestows it.

 

Note: Ramak finds that the virtue of this attribute is “Tolerance.” And he further defines “Tolerance” as “Even when insulted to the degree mentioned above, he should not ‎withdraw his benevolence from those upon whom he bestows it.” Equally, the Master taught: “You are blessed when people are hateful towards you and when they exclude you, berate you, and call you wicked names on the account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy because your reward is in the heavens (the Yemot HaMashiach and the ever-coming world); for this is what our forefathers did to the‎ prophets.” (Luke 6:22-23)  

 

The Ramak continues:

 

‎Attribute # 2. “Who pardons iniquity - נֹשֵׂא עָו‍ֹן - Nose A'avon"

 

This attribute is greater than the previous one, for when a person transgresses, a destructive creature is created. As stated in the Mishnah, "He who commits a single transgression acquires against himself a single accuser" who stands before the Holy One, Blessed Be He, and states, "So-and-so made me."

 

Considering that no being in the world exists except by virtue of the fact that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, grants it life, how does this force of destruction stand before Him? The strict letter of the Law would justify that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, should claim, "I do not nourish destructive creatures! Go to him who made you and derive your sustenance from him." Then the destructive creature would immediately descend and take the life of the sinner, or cut him off from his spiritual source, or punish him according to his just desserts, until the destructive being would cease to be.

‎

Nevertheless, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, does not make this claim. Rather, He bears the sin and endures it, and just as He sustains the entire world, He sustains this destructive creature until one of three things happens:

                                                     

‎1) The sinner repents, destroying or nullifying the destructive creature by his acts of penance.

 

‎2) The righteous/generous Judge nullifies it through the suffering or death of the sinner.

 

‎3) The sinner descends to Gehinnom to pay his debt. This is also the explanation of Kayin's plea, "Is my sin too great to bear?" (Bereshit ‎4:13), which our sages interpreted as: "You bear and desire and nourish and sustain the entire world! Is my sin so severe that You cannot sustain it [i.e., the destructive creature] until I repent and rectify the sin?"

 

It is thus with tremendous tolerance that G-d nourishes and sustains the evil creature created by the sinner until he repents. From this, man should learn to what extent he, too, should be tolerant and bear the yoke of his fellow and his evil, even though his transgressions are of such magnitude that the evil remains. He should tolerate one who sinned against him until the sinner mends his ways or the sin‎disappears of its own accord.

 

Note: The Ramak finds this second attribute of Mercy, “Who pardons iniquity” to go far beyond the first attribute – i.e. "Who is G-d like You.‎" He further describes this attribute as "being able to bear the yoke of his fellow and his evil, even though his transgressions are of such magnitude that the evil remains, he should tolerate one who sinned against him until the sinner mends his ways or the sin disappears of its own accord.  

 

The Ramak continues:

 

‎Attribute # 3. “And forgives ... transgression - וְעֹבֵר עַל פֶּשַׁע - V'Over Al Pesha'a"

 

This attribute is even greater than the preceding one, for when G-d forgives a sinner, He does not convey His pardon through an emissary. Rather, the Holy One Himself, Blessed Be He, grants the pardon, as it is written: "For with You is forgiveness ... " (Tehillim ‎130:4). What is the nature of this forgiveness? He washes away the sin, as it is written: "When G-d has washed away the filth of the daughters of Tziyon ... "(Yeshayahu 4:4). Similarly, it is written: "And I will sprinkle purifying waters upon you ... " (Yehezchel 36:25). This, then, is the quality of forgiveness of transgression - G-d sends purifying waters and washes away the sin.

 

A person should behave in exactly the same way. He should certainly not say, "Why should I be the one to rectify so-and-so's sins or perversions?" For when man sins, the Holy One Himself, Blessed Be He, rectifies the perversion, not by way of an emissary, and He washes away the filth of a person's sins. From this, one can also understand that a person should be too ashamed to return to his sinful ways, for the King Himself cleanses the filth of his garments.

 

Note: The Ramak finds this third attribute of Mercy, “And forgives ... transgression” greater and more difficult to implement that the previous two. This personal characteristic requires one to be actively and personally involved in rectifying the sins or perversions of others.

 

The Ramak continues:

 

Attribute # 4. “And forgives the transgression of the remnant of His heritage - וְעֹבֵר עַל פֶּשַׁע, לִשְׁאֵרִית, נַחֲלָתוֹ V'Over Al Pesha'a LiSh'erit Nachalato"

 

The Holy One, Blessed Be He, conducts Himself towards Israel in this way: He says, "What will I do for [the people of] Israel, who are My relatives? I have the obligations of My own flesh [she'er bassar] towards them!" For the people of Israel are the spouse of the Holy One, Blessed Be He, and He calls them, "My daughter," "My sister," and "My mother." As our sages explain the phrase "the children of Israel, a people close to Him" (Tehillim 148:14), "He has an actual blood relationship with them, and they are His children."

 

This, too, is the meaning of the words "the she'erit [remnant] of His heritage," implying she'er bassar, a blood relationship. In the final analysis, the children of Israel are G-d's inheritance. Says the Holy One, Blessed Be He: "If I punish them, the pain is Mine!" as it is written, "In all their trouble, He is afflicted ... " (Yeshayahu 63:9). The verse is written (לא צָר) (with an aleph), implying that the pain of Israel extends to the level of keter called peleh, and how much more so to the level of the 'dual visage,' tiferet and malchut, through which the world is mainly run. [But] the verse is read (לוֹ צָר) (with a vav), signifying that the pain is His. This is also the intention of the verse ‎" ... His soul became impatient with the misery of Israel" (Shoftim 10:16), for He cannot bear [the Israelites'] suffering and disgrace, since they are the she'erit of His heritage.

 

A person should conduct himself the same way towards his friend, since all [the people of] Israel are blood relatives, being that all souls are united, and each person has a part of all others. This is why an individual who carries out the commandments can't compare to a multitude of people who do so, since they all complement one another. And thus, our sages explain regarding one who numbers among the first ten to arrive at the synagogue that even if one hundred come after him, he receives a reward equivalent to [the combined reward of] them all. One hundred is to be understood literally, since the souls of each of the first ten are included in each other, so there are ten times ten, equalling a hundred.^[28] Thus, the ten include a hundred souls. Therefore, even if a hundred people come after one of the first ten, his reward equals all of theirs. This is why "all [the people of] Israel are guarantors for one another," since each individual Jew has a portion of all the others. When one individual sins, he blemishes not only his own soul but the portion of him that every other Jew possesses. It follows that his fellow Jew is a guarantor for that portion.

 

Hence, all Israelites are family, and one should therefore desire the best for his fellow, view his neighbor’s good fortune benevolently, and cherish his friend's honor as his own - for they are one and the same! For this reason, too, we are commanded to "love your fellow Israelite as yourself" (Vayikra 19:18) - and it is proper that a person desire the well-being of his fellow, and he should never speak ill of him or desire that evil befall him. Just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, desires neither our disgrace nor our suffering, because we are His relatives, a person should not desire to see his fellow's disgrace, suffering, or downfall. Rather, a person should be pained by it as if he himself were the victim. The reverse applies to his fellow's good fortune.

 

Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that “it is proper that a person desire the well-being of his fellow, and he should never speak ill of him or desire that evil befall him. Just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, desires neither our disgrace nor our suffering, because we are His relatives, a person should not desire to see his fellow's disgrace, suffering, or downfall. Rather, a person should be pained by it as if he himself were the victim. The reverse applies to his fellow's good fortune.‎

 

The Ramak continues:

 

‎Attribute # 5. “He does not maintain His anger forever - לֹא הֶחֱזִיק לָעַד אַפּוֹ – Lo Hecheziq La'ad Apo"

 

This attribute is different from those mentioned above, for even though a person persists in sinning, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, does not persist in His anger. And even when He does become angry, it is not forever. Rather, He assuages His anger even if a person does not repent, as we find in the days of Yaravam ben Yoash, when the Holy One, Blessed Be He, restored the borders of the Land of Israel ‎(II Melachim 14): Even though the people were unrepentant worshippers of calf idols, He had compassion for them. Why? Because of this attribute of not maintaining His anger forever. On the contrary, He deliberately mitigates His anger, even though the sin still exists. And He does not exact punishment; rather, He waits hopefully and compassionately for sinners to repent. This is the intention of the verse "Not forever will He do battle, nor will He bear a grudge for eternity" (Tehillim 103:9). Rather, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, conducts Himself with both tenderness and severity, as Israel's benefit requires.

 

This is a fitting attribute for a person to acquire in his conduct towards his fellow. Even if one is permitted to chastise his friend or his children severely, and they would accept the rebuke, this is no reason to harshen his chastisement and persist in his wrath, even if he is naturally angry. Instead, he should assuage his anger and not linger over it, even where it would be permissible to do so.

 

This idea is comparable to our Sages' explanation of the verse "When you see the donkey of your hated enemy struggling under his load ‎...עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב, עִמּוֹ - you will surely help him" (Shemot 23:5). They explain the cause of the hatred mentioned in the verse as being that he saw his enemy transgressing, and, being a lone witness, he cannot testify in the rabbinical court. Thus, he is permitted to hate the fellow as regards his sin. Even so, the Torah demands, עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב, עִמּוֹ- "you will surely help him," meaning, "abandon (עָזֹב) the anger in your heart." Indeed, it is a religious obligation to draw the person closer with love, for perhaps this method will succeed. This is exactly the attribute of "He does not maintain His anger forever."

‎

Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that if a person is naturally angry, he should assuage his anger and not linger over it, even where it would be permissible to do so.  Indeed, it is a religious obligation to draw the person closer with love, for perhaps this method will succeed. Therefore, King Shlomo teaches: Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools” (Kohelet 7:9). And Hakham Shaul, likewise teaches: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26).

 

The Ramak continues:

  

Attribute # 6. “For He delights in kindness:  כִּי חָפֵץ חֶסֶד הוּא- Ki Chafets Chesed Hu”

 

We have already explained elsewhere that angels in a certain celestial chamber are appointed to receive the kind deeds man performs in this world. When the attribute of severity accuses Israel, these angels immediately exhibit those acts of kindness before the Heavenly Court, and the Holy One, Blessed Be He, shows compassion to Israel, since He delights in kindness. And even though [the people of Israel] may be guilty, He shows them mercy if they are kind to one another.

 

This can be compared to when the Holy Temple was destroyed, when G-d said to the angel Gavriel: "Go in  between the galgal, beneath the keruv, and fill your hands with burning coals from among the keruvim and throw them on the city ... ‎" (Yechezkel 10:2). For Gavriel is the angel of judgment and severity, and G-d gave him permission to receive the powers of severity from the fire on the Altar, which is between the galgal, below the keruvim. This is judgment according to the severities of malchut, which became so severe that it sought to destroy everything and annihilate the seed of Israel, which had incurred the penalty of destruction. However, the passage continues, "The form of a man's hand appeared under the wings of the keruvim" (ibid. 10:8). The meaning of this is that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, said to Gavriel, "Since they do kindness towards one another, even though they are guilty, they will be saved, and a remnant of them will be left." The reason for this is the attribute of "He delights in kindness," that is, the kindness that one Israelite shows another, for He remembers it in [the Israelites'] favor, even though, from another point of view, they are unworthy.

 

Hence, a person should emulate this attribute in his own conduct. Even if one is aware that another person is doing him evil, and this angers him, if that person has some redeeming quality, e.g., he is kind to others, or he possesses some other virtue, this should be sufficient cause for one to dissipate his anger and find the other person pleasing, i.e., to delight in the kindness he does. One should say, ‎"It is enough for me that he has this good quality." How much more so does all this apply to one's spouse; as our sages have said: "It is enough that they raise our children and save us from sin." So, too, should a person say to himself with regard to every man, "It is enough that he has been good to me or to someone else in such-and-such a way, or that he has such-and-such a positive quality." In this way, one should delight in‎kindness.

 

Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to delight in doing kindness seeing all as having good qualities and the potential for perfection, and this particularly to one’s spouse. Thus, Hakham Shaul instructs: “Let the husband heap due kindness to his wife, and likewise the wife also to the husband” (1 Cor. 7:3).

 

The Ramak continues:

 

‎Attribute # 7. “He will again show us compassion - יָשׁוּב יְרַחֲמֵנוּ – Yashuv Y’rachamenu”

 

The Holy One, Blessed Be He, does not behave as man behaves. For when a person is provoked, he cannot bring himself to love the one who offended him to the same degree as before, even after he is appeased. But if a person sins and afterwards repents, his stature before the Holy One, Blessed Be He, is even greater than before.

 

This is the intention of a statement our sages made, "The perfectly righteous cannot stand where repentant sinners stand." They explain as follows:

‎

"Why is the letter hei (ה) shaped like a porch? So that anyone who wants to go astray can do so!" The explanation of this is as follows: The physical world was created with the letter hei (ה), for the Holy One, Blessed Be He, created the world in such a way that it is wide-open to evil and sin. There is no area where the opportunity to sin, the evil urge, and blemishes of the soul are absent! It is just like a wide-open, unfenced porch, which has no barriers against danger, as symbolized by the gap at the bottom of the hei. Anyone who desires to forgo the World to Come has many exits, since wherever he turns, he can find evil and sin through which he can enter the domain of the Outside Forces.   

 

And yet, the hei also has a gap in the top left comer, symbolizing repentance, which will be accepted by G-d. But why shouldn't a person re-enter by the same path through which he left? Answer our sages: "Because this will have no effect!" For it is not enough for a repentant sinner to guard himself against sin the same way a perfectly righteous/generous person does. A saint who has not sinned requires only a minor barrier, whereas for a repentant sinner, a small barrier is insufficient - he needs a number of tough restraints, since this frail defence was already smashed through once, and if he approaches the fence again, his evil urge might seduce him.

 

Therefore, he should not re-enter via the same path by which he left; through the part of the porch, he broke through. Rather, he should ascend to the narrow gap at the top of the hei, representing the restraints and penances he accepts upon himself in mending the broken fence, and he should enter through there.

 

For this reason, "The perfectly righteous/generous cannot stand where repentant sinners stand" - for the latter did not enter through the same door as the righteous/generous such that they should stand together. Instead, they mortified themselves in order to ascend through the upper door, and they inflicted penances on themselves and distanced themselves from sin much more than the righteous/generous. They have therefore ascended and attained the level of the hei that is called "the Fifth Palace of Gan Eden," that is to say, the roof of the hei, whereas the righteous/generous have entered only through the lower opening of the hei - the entrance to the porch.

 

Therefore, when a person does teshuvah (תשובה), that is to say, tashuv hei (ה תשוב), when he returns the hei to its proper place, then the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will return His Shechinah to him. And the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will restore His love for the repentant person not only as it was originally but in an even greater measure. This is the explanation of the attribute "He will again show us compassion": He will increase His compassion for Israel, perfecting us and drawing us closer to Himself.

 

This is also how a person should behave towards his fellow. He should not nurse the hatred born of anger he once felt. Rather, when he sees that his fellow desires his friendship, he should show him even greater compassion and love than before, saying, "He is like the penitents in whose place even the perfectly righteous/generous cannot stand." In this way, a person will draw his fellow very close to himself - much closer than he would draw those who have behaved perfectly righteously/generously towards him, never wronging him.

‎

Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to love the genuine penitent even more than the righteous/generous, as King Shlomo instructs that our chief aim is: “The fruit of the righteous/generous is a tree of life; and he that is wise (Heb. “a Hakham”) wins souls” (Prov. 11:30).

 

The Ramak continues:

 

Attribute # 8. “He will vanquish our iniquities - יִכְבֹּשׁ עֲו‍ֹנֹתֵינוּ – Yik’bosh A’avonoteinu”

 

The relationship of the Holy One, Blessed Be He, to Israel is according to this attribute, namely, the secret of vanquishing iniquity. For the precepts are compared to a grapevine that's "budding, its blossoms bursting forth" (Bereshit 40:10) - it shoots upwards without limit, entering His blessed Presence. However, sins have no entrance there, G-d forbid! Rather, He suppresses them, denying them entry, as it is written: " ... no harm will befall you  יְגֻרְךָ  (Tehillim 5:5), which our sages interpret as implying that "no harm will befall man in Your dwelling place מגורך." Thus, sin has no entry into the Inner Sanctum.

 

Since the precepts reside in His blessed Presence, they have no reward in this world. For how could G-d grant spiritual reward in the material world? Behold, the entire world is unworthy of a single precept and the spiritual bliss of His Presence.

 

For the same reason, G-d does not take the precepts as bribes. For instance, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, does not say, G-d forbid, "He has fulfilled forty commandments and committed ten transgressions; thus, thirty commandments remain, for ten are deducted in repayment for the ten transgressions!" Rather, if even a perfectly righteous/generous individual commits a single sin, it is as if he has burnt the Torah. But when he pays his debt, he receives reward for all the precepts he has fulfilled. This is a great kindness that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, does for the righteous/generous - He does not deduct from the precepts they fulfil, for these are very precious to Him and ascend directly to His blessed Presence. Indeed, how could transgressions, whose punishment is a portion of that which is most despicable - Gehinom - detract from precepts, whose reward is the radiance of the Shechinah, which is so highly valued? How could one be exchanged for the other? Instead, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, collects the debt due for transgressions, and then He bestows the reward for all the precepts a person has fulfilled.

 

This is the attribute of "vanquishing iniquity" -that is, transgressions do not prevail before G-d as the commandments do. Rather, He suppresses transgressions, preventing them from ascending and entering His Presence. And although He watches all the ways of man, both bad and good, He does not suppress the good. Rather, it rises up, ascending to the very heights where all the precepts merge to build an edifice and form a precious garment. Transgressions, however, lack this special quality - instead, He vanquishes them, so they'll have no success and no entry into the Inner Sanctum.

 

A person should also conduct himself according to this attribute - he should not suppress his fellow's virtues but remember the evil he has done. On the contrary, he should vanquish the evil, erasing it from memory and abandoning it, so that he will find no evil in his fellow, and his good qualities will be spread out before him. Thus, a person should always remember the good, intensifying it over all the evil actions his fellow has done to him. He should not detract from this good in his heart, saying, “Although he did me a good turn, he also did bad to me," thereby forgetting his fellow's qualities. This one should not do. Rather, he should allow himself to be appeased in every possible way regarding his fellow's misdeeds, never overlooking his good qualities. And he should turn a blind eye to his faults as much as possible, just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, does in vanquishing our iniquities.

 

Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to “vanquish the evil, erasing it from memory and abandoning it, so that he will find no evil in his fellow, and his good qualities will be spread out before him. Thus, a person should always remember the good, intensifying it over all the evil actions his fellow has done to him.”

 

The Ramak continues:

 

‎Attribute # 9. “And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea - וְתַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצֻלוֹת יָם, כָּל חַטֹּאותָם‎ - V'TashLikh BiM'tsulot Yam, Kol Chato'tam"

 

This attribute is the goodness of the Holy One, Blessed Be He. For when [the children of] Israel sinned, he delivered them into the hands of Pharaoh. But when they repented, why should He have punished Pharaoh, or Sancheriv, or Haman and others like them? Yet the Holy One, Blessed Be He, is not content with saying to [the children of] Israel, "Repent!" and then no further evil will befall them, for Haman, Pharaoh, or Sancheriv will be removed from them. This is not enough; instead, the iniquity of Haman reverts onto his own head, and so, too, with Pharaoh and Sancheriv.

 

The reason the Holy One, Blessed Be He, conducts Himself in this manner is to be found in the secret contained in the verse "The goat will bear all the sins of Israel upon it to the land of Gezerah ...” (Vayikra 16:22). The explanation is that the goat itself bears the punishment for their sins! Now this is very hard to understand, for if Israel sinned, why should the goat be responsible?

 

This is understood as follows: When a person confesses with the intention of accepting upon himself the cleansing of his sin - as King David states: "Cleanse me thoroughly of my wrongdoing ... " (Tehillim 51:4), and as we pray, "Erase my sin in Your great compassion" ‎- he hopes his punishment will be light in order that it not interfere with his Torah study. As we say in our prayers: " ... but not by way of severe suffering." This was also King David's intentions when he stated, "You are just with  regard to all that befalls me," expressing a willingness to accept suffering upon himself for those sins that can be purged only by means of severe affliction or death. And so, it is - when a person confesses his wrongdoing in vidduy, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, immediately decrees severe suffering upon him for his sins. Then Samael appears to claim his due, for this is the portion allotted him, as the Zohar on "Pekudei" explains. But all the person's sins ultimately devolve upon his head. This way, Israel is purified. This is just like the goat that bore the sins of Israel to its death in Gezerah.

 

The reason for this is that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, decreed upon His world that all who punish Israel will be annihilated. That's why any animal that is party to a transgression must be killed. Similarly, the stones used to carry out the sentence of those condemned to death by stoning, and the sword used to carry out the sentence of those condemned to decapitation, must be buried in order to nullify their existence and power after they have carried out the judgment.

 

This is also the secret of the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream (Daniel 2:32-34): When the people of Israel were given into the hand of the Babylonian king, symbolized by "a head of gold," this same king was eventually subjugated by the king of Persia, symbolized by "a silver chest and arms," who was in tum expelled by another nation, and so on, until Israel descended to the "legs ... of iron and clay.” And what will be the final happy ending? Eventually, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will execute favorable judgment upon Israel, as it is written:  " ... I will spend My arrows upon them" (Devarim 32:23), meaning that the arrows will be spent but not on Israel. "And then the parts of iron, clay, brass, silver, and gold together will be crushed ... " (Daniel 2:35). First, it is written, "And he smote the idol to its legs" ‎(ibid. 2:34), implying that there was nothing left of the idol but its legs, the head, arms, and torso having lost all their power. Nevertheless, later it is written, "together [they] will be crushed" (ibid. 2:35), for in the future, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will indict Samael and all his evil agents, who carry out his deeds, and He will execute justice upon them.

 

This is the attribute of "and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea," implying that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will send forth the attribute of judgment to cast down those who are called "the depths of the sea," as the verse states: "The wicked are like the troubled sea, for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mud and mire" (Yeshayahu 57:20). This refers to those who execute judgment on Israel: He will return their recompense upon their own heads, for after the people of Israel receive their judgment, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, regrets His original demand that they be shamed. And this is not all, for " ... I was only a little angry, and [the nations of the world] helped make it worse" (Zechariah 1:15).

 

A person also ought to behave this way with his fellow. Even if the latter is wicked and crushed through suffering, he should not despise him, for "having been whipped, he is like your brother." On the contrary, he should draw close the downcast and those who are punished, have compassion for them, and save them from their enemies. He should not say, "His sin caused his suffering," but he should have compassion upon him in accordance with this attribute.

 

Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought “not to despise anyone suffering, for "having been whipped, he is like your brother." On the contrary, he should draw close the downcast and those who are punished, have compassion for them, and save them from their enemies. He should not say, "His sin caused his suffering," but he should have compassion upon him in accordance with this attribute.

 

The Ramak continues:

 

‎Attribute # 10. “Show faithfulness to Ya'aqob - תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב - Titen Emet L'Ya'aqob"

 

The name Israel refers to a higher level than the name Yaakov. This attribute, "show faithfulness to Yaakov," applies to those individuals of average spiritual stature, who do not know how to go beyond what the Law requires. They are called 'Yaakov.' for they adhere faithfully only to the strict requirements of the Law. The Holy One, Blessed Be He, also has this aspect of faithfulness regarding correctness in judgment. Towards those whose conduct in this world is correct, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, also conducts Himself with this quality of faithfulness, having compassion for them in executing justice and fairness.

 

So, too, a person should act towards his fellow with fairness and faithfulness, and he should not pervert the justice due his friend. He should have compassion for his fellow and be faithful, just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, shows compassion for His creatures of average stature, according to this quality of faithfulness, in order to perfect them.

 

Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to “act towards his fellow with fairness and faithfulness, and he should not pervert the justice due his friend. He should have compassion for his fellow and be faithful, in order to perfect him/her,” as it is said: “And indeed he (Messiah) gave some to be Hakhamim ... with a view to the perfecting of the Tsadiqim.” (Eph. 4:11-12)

 

The Ramak continues:

 

‎Attribute # 11. Kindness to Avraham חֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם - Chesed L'Avraham"

 

This attribute applies to those whose conduct goes beyond the requirements of the Law, like Avraham our Patriarch. Thus, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, also conducts Himself towards them in a way that goes beyond the requirements of the Law. That is, He does not demand the strict execution of justice, not even regarding correctness. Rather, He goes beyond the letter of the Law, just as they do. This is the aspect of "kindness to Avraham" - the Holy One, Blessed Be He, displays the attribute of kindness towards those whose conduct is like Avraham's.

‎

So, too, with man: Although he conducts himself properly and correctly, with justness towards all men, towards those who are particularly righteous/generous and pious, his conduct should go beyond the strict requirements of the Law. Wherever he displays patience towards all men, with the righteous/generous and pious he should have much more patience, showing them compassion beyond what the Law requires in his dealings with others. They should be exceedingly important to him and especially beloved, and they should be among his friends.

 

Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to “conduct oneself beyond the strict requirements of the Law particularly with those who are righteous/generous, pious, and fellow laborers in G-d’s vineyard,” as it is said: “Let the elders who take the lead well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those laboring in Word and teaching.” (1 Timothy 5:17)

 

The Ramak continues:

 

Attribute # 12. “Which You have sworn to our fathers - אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ – Asher Nishba’ta La’Avoteinu”

 

Some people are unworthy, yet the Holy One, Blessed Be He, has compassion for all. On the verse " ... I will have mercy and show kindness to whomever I desire" (Shemot 33:19), the Talmud comments:

 

The Holy One, Blessed Be He, says, "This storehouse is for those who are unworthy." But there is another storehouse - of grace - from which the Holy One, Blessed Be He, bestows grace on the righteous/generous as an unearned gift. For the Holy One, Blessed Be He, said, ‎"Behold, they have the merit of their fathers. I made an oath to the Patriarchs, so even if they are unworthy, they will merit, because‎they are of the seed of the Patriarchs, to whom I swore. Therefore, I will lead them and guide them until they are perfected." (Berachot 7a; Shemot Rabbah 45)

 

This is also how a person should conduct himself. Even if he meets wicked people, he should not behave cruelly towards them or abuse them and so on. Rather, he should show them compassion, saying, "Ultimately, they are the children of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov. Although they may not behave properly, their fathers were upright and worthy. Hence, one who despises the sons despises the fathers, too. I do not wish their fathers to be despised because of me!" Thus, he should conceal their disgrace and improve them as much as he can.

 

Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to be characterized by the absence of any form of cruelty or abuse towards any human being even if wicked, but rather showing compassion to all, as it is said: “And finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, showing mutual affection, compassionate, humble, not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but on the other hand blessing others, because for this reason you were called, so that you could inherit a blessing.” (1 Tzefet 3:8-9).

 

The Ramak continues:

 

Attribute # 13. “From days of old – מִימֵי קֶדֶם - Mimei Qedem”

 

This is the attribute with which the Holy One, Blessed Be He, conducts Himself towards the people of Israel when their merit and all else fail, and they are unworthy. What, then, does the Holy One, Blessed Be He, do? The verse states: "I recall My kindness towards you in your youth, My love for you on the day of your marriage ... " (Yirmiyahu ‎2:2). The Holy One, Blessed Be He, recalls the days of old and the love He felt towards the people of Israel, and His compassion is aroused. This way, He remembers all the commandments they have fulfilled since their birth and all the good qualities with which the Holy One, Blessed Be He, conducts His world. From all these, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, fashions a special treasure with which to show them compassion. This attribute includes all the others, as explained in the "ldra."

 

So, too, should a person improve his conduct towards others. For even if he cannot find a reason for showing love and compassion to his fellows from amongst those mentioned previously, he should say, "There was surely a time when they had not yet sinned, and in that time or in former days they were worthy." For their sake, he should recall the love of " ...those just weaned from milk and torn away from the breast"(Yeshayahu 28:9). This way, he will not find a single person unworthy of kindness, prayers, or compassion.

 

The Ramak continues:

 

Conclusion:

 

Until now, we have explained the Thirteen Attributes in which a person should emulate his Creator. These are the Supernal Attributes of Mercy, and their special property is that just as a person conducts himself here below, so will he be worthy of opening up the channel of the same Supernal Attribute Above for himself. Exactly according to his behavior will the outflow of mercy be bestowed from Above, and he will cause this attribute to shine in the world. For this reason, he should not ignore these Thirteen Attributes or allow these verses to depart from his mouth. Rather, they should be a constant reminder to him when the occasion for making use of one of these attributes arises. He should remember and say to himself, ‎"This situation requires this particular attribute. I will not budge from it, lest this attribute become concealed or disappear from the world."

 

In summary, a person must continually remember and imitate in his conduct the 13 Attributes of G-d’s Mercy, as it is written: “Therefore become imitators of G-d, as beloved sons” (Ephes. 5:1). And these are as follows:

 

Attribute # 1. "Who is G-d like You” -

 

“Even when insulted to any degree he should not ‎withdraw his benevolence from those upon whom he bestows it.” Equally, the Master taught: ‎“You are blessed when people are hateful towards you and when they exclude you, berate you, and call you wicked names on the account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy because your reward is in the heavens (the Y’mot HaMashiach and the ever-coming world); for this is what our forefathers did to the prophets.” (Luke 6:22-23)

 

Attribute # 2. “Who pardons iniquity” –

 

One ought to be able to bear the yoke of his fellow and his evil, even though his transgressions ‎are of such magnitude that the evil remains, he should tolerate one who sinned against him until the sinner mends his ways or the sin disappears of its own accord.  

 

Attribute # 3. “And forgives ... transgression‎" -

 

This requires one to be actively and personally involved in rectifying the sins or perversions of others.‎

 

Attribute # 4. “And forgives the transgression of the remnant of His heritage” -

 

It is proper that a person desire the well-being of his fellow, and he should never speak ill of him or desire that evil befall him. Just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, desires neither our disgrace nor our suffering, because we are His relatives, a person should not desire to see his fellow's disgrace, suffering, or downfall. Rather, a person should be pained by it as if he himself were the victim. The reverse applies to his fellow's good fortune.‎

 

Attribute # 5. “He does not maintain His anger forever " -

 

If a person is naturally angry, he should assuage his anger and not linger over it, even where it would be permissible to do so.  Indeed, it is a religious obligation to draw the person closer with love, for perhaps this method will succeed. Therefore, King Shlomo teaches: “Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry; for anger rests in the bosom of fools” (Kohelet 7:9). And Hakham Shaul, likewise teaches: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger” ‎(Ephesians 4:26).‎

 

Attribute # 6. “For He delights in kindness” -

 

One ought to delight in doing kindness seeing all as having good qualities and great potential for perfection, and this particularly to one’s spouse. Thus, Hakham Shaul instructs: “Let the husband heap due kindness to his wife, and likewise the wife also to the husband” (1 Cor. 7:3).

 

Attribute # 7. “He will again show us compassion” -‎

 

One ought to love the genuine penitent even more than the righteous/ generous, as King Shlomo instructs that our chief aim is: “The fruit of the righteous/generous is a tree of life; and he that is wise (Heb. “a Hakham”) wins souls” (Prov. 11:30).‎

 

Attribute # 8. “He will vanquish our iniquities” -

 

One ought to vanquish the evil, erasing it from memory and abandoning it, so that he will find no evil in his fellow, and his good qualities will be spread out before him. Thus, a person should always remember the good, intensifying it over all the evil actions his fellow has done to him.”‎

 

Attribute # 9. “And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” -‎

 

One ought to not despise anyone suffering, for “having been whipped, he is like your brother." On the contrary, he should draw close the downcast and those who are punished, have compassion for them, and save them from their enemies. He should not say, "His sin caused his suffering," but he should have compassion upon him in accordance with this attribute.‎

 

Attribute # 10. “Show faithfulness to Ya'aqob” -‎

 

One ought to “act towards his fellow with fairness and faithfulness, and he should not pervert the justice due his friend. He should have compassion for his fellow and be faithful, in order to perfect him/her,” as it is said: ‎“And indeed he (Messiah) gave some to be Hakhamim ... with a view to the perfecting of the Tsadiqim.” (Eph. 4:11-12)‎

 

Attribute # 11. “Kindness to Avraham” -

 

One ought to conduct oneself beyond the strict requirements of the Law particularly with those who are righteous/generous, pious, and fellow laborers in G-d’s vineyard, as it is said: “Let the elders who take the lead well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those laboring in Word and teaching.” (1 Timothy 5:17)

 

Attribute # 12. “Which You have sworn to our fathers” -

 

One ought to be characterized by the absence of any form of cruelty or abuse towards any human being even if wicked, but rather showing compassion to all, as it is said: “And finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, showing mutual affection, compassionate, humble, not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but on the other hand blessing others, because for this reason you were called, so that you could inherit a blessing.” (1 Tzefet 3:8-9).‎

 

Attribute # 13. “From days of old” -

 

Even if we cannot find a reason for showing love and compassion to our fellows from amongst those mentioned previously, we should say, "There was surely a time when they had not yet sinned, and in that time or in former days they were worthy." For their sake, we should recall the love of " ...those just weaned from milk and torn away from the breast" (Yeshayahu 28:9). This way, we will not find a single person unworthy of kindness, prayers, of compassion.

 

May our Maker, most blessed be He, show mercy upon us and to all Yisrael and help us to succeed in this path of perfection and triumph over our Yetzer Hara, amen ve amen!

 

II Hillel (II Lukas/Acts) 27:1-44

By: Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

Hakham Shaul’s School of Remes

(2 Luqas Acts 27:1-26)

 

And when it was decided that we would sail away to Italy, they handed over Hakham Shaul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius^[29] of the Augustan Cohort. And we went aboard a ship from Adramyttium^[30] that was about to sail to the places along the coast of Asia and put out to sea. Aristarchus,^[31] a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. And on the next day, we put in at Sidon.^[32] And Julius, treating Hakham Shaul kindly, allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for. From there, we put out to sea and sailed under the lee of Cyprus^[33] because the winds were against us. And after we had sailed across the open sea along Cilicia^[34] and Pamphylia,^[35] we put in at Myra^[36] in Lycia.

The centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board it there. Sailing slowly, in many days, and with difficulty, we came to Cnidus.^[37] Because the wind did not permit us to go further, we sailed under the lee of Crete^[38] off Salmone.^[39] And sailing along its coast with difficulty, we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.^[40] And because considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast^[41] (Yom Kippur) had already passed, Hakham Shaul strongly recommended, saying to them, “Men, I perceive that the voyage is going to end with disaster and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives!” But the centurion was convinced even more by the shipmaster and the ship-owner than by what was said by Hakham Shaul. And because the harbor was unsuitable for spending the winter in, the majority decided on a plan to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could arrive at Phoenix,^[42] a harbor of Crete facing toward the southwest and toward the northwest, to spend the winter there. And when a southwest wind began to blow gently because they thought they could accomplish their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed close along Crete. But not long afterward, a wind, like a hurricane called the northeaster, rushed down from it. And when the ship was caught and could not head into the wind, we gave way and were driven along. And running under the lee of a particular small island called Cauda,^[43] we were able, with difficulty, to get the ship’s boat under control. After hoisting it up, they made use of supports to undergird the ship. And because they were afraid lest they run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and thus were driven along. And because the storm violently battered us, on the following day, they began jettisoning the cargo, and on the third day, they threw overboard the ship’s gear with their own hands. But when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days,^[44] and with a great deal of bad weather confronting us, finally all hope was abandoned that we would be saved. And because many were experiencing a lack of appetite then, Hakham Shaul stood up in their midst and said, “Men, you ought to have followed my advice not to put out to sea from Crete and thus avoided this damage and loss! And now I urge you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life from among you, but only of the ship. For this night, a messenger of the God whose I am and whom I serve came to me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Hakham Shaul! You must stand before Caesar, and behold, God has graciously granted you all who are sailing with you.’ Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I trust God that it will be exactly as it was communicated to me. But we must run aground on some island.”

Hakham Shaul’s School of Remes

(2 Luqas Acts 27:27-44)

 

And when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven in the Adriatic Sea about the middle of the night, the sailors suspected they were approaching some land. And taking soundings, they found twenty fathoms. So, going on a little further and retaking soundings, they found fifteen fathoms. And because they were afraid lest somewhere we run aground against rough places, they threw down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come.^[45] And when the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship and were lowering the ship’s boat into the sea, pretending as if they were going to lay out anchors from the bow, Hakham Shaul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved!” Then, the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it fall away. And until the day was about to come, Hakham Shaul urged them all to take some food,^[46] saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited anxiously, and you have continued without eating, having taken nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food which is necessary for your preservation. For not a hair from your head will be lost.” After he said these things and took bread, he gave thanks^[47] to God in front of them all, and after breaking^[48] it he began to eat. So they all were encouraged and partook of food themselves. (Now we were on the ship in all two hundred seventy-six persons.) And when they had eaten their fill of food, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.^[49] When the day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay having a beach, onto which they decided to run the ship ashore if they could. And slipping the anchors, they left them in the sea while loosening the ropes of the steering oars. And hoisting the foresail to the wind that was blowing, they held course for the beach. But falling into a place of crosscurrents, they ran the ship aground. The bow stuck fast and stayed immovable, but the violence was breaking up the stern. Now, the soldiers planned that they would kill the prisoners lest any escape by swimming away, but the centurion, because he wanted to save Hakham Shaul, prevented them from doing what they intended and gave orders that those who were able to swim should jump in first to get to the land, and then the rest, some of whom floated on planks and some of whom on anything that was from the ship. In this way, all were brought safely to the land.

 

Blessing After Torah Study

 

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

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

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

 

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

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

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

 

“Now unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless,

and to establish you without a blemish,

before His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer,

by means of Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion,

and honor, and majesty, both now and in all ages. Amen!”

 

Gamar Chatima Tova!

גמר כתמ תוב

 

May you end with a good signature (sealing)!

 

May it go well with you and your loved ones over the fast!

 

 

Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

 

 

Edited by Paqid Ezra ben Abraham.

A special thank you to HH Giberet Giborah bat Sarah and Giberet Sarai bat Sarah for their diligence in proof-reading