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

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

B’resheet Gen. 41:38 – 42:17

And Pharoh said to Joseph, Since the Lord has made known all this to you, there is no one so prudent and wise as you are. You shall be superintendent over my house, and by the decree of your mouth shall all my people be armed only in the throne of the kingdom will I be greater than you. And Pharoh said to Joseph, See, I have appointed you prince over the land of Mizraim.

And Pharoh took off his ring from his hand, and set it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in vestments of fine linen, and set a collar of gold upon his neck, and made him ride in the second chariot of Pharoh; and they chanted before him, This is the Father of the king; Great in wisdom, few in years. And he appointed him prince over all the land of Mizraim. [Jerusalem And they chanted before him, and said, Live the Father of the king, Great in wisdom and few in years.] And Pharoh said to Joseph, I am Pharoh the king, and you are vice-regent, and without your word a man shall not lift up his hand to gird on arms, or his foot to mount a horse in all the land of Mizraim. And Pharoh called the name of Joseph: “The man who reveals mysteries.” And he gave him Asenath, whom Dinah had borne to Shekhem, and the wife of Potiphera prince (Rabba) of Tanis had brought up, to be his wife. And Joseph went forth ruler over the land of Mizraim. And Joseph was a son of thirty years when he stood before Pharoh, king of Mizraim. And Joseph went out from Pharoh, and passed, a prince and a ruler, through all the land of Mizraim.

And the earth (so) brought forth, that every blade made two hands-full in the seven years of plenty, until all the granaries were full. And they gathered all the produce of the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Mizraim, and he laid up the produce in the cities; the produce of the fields which were round about a city he laid up therein.

And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine arose, which Asenath who had been brought up in the house of Potiphera prince of Tanis bare to him. And Joseph called the name of his first-born Menasheh; because, the Lord has made me forget all my weariness and all the house of my father. And the name of the second he called Ephraim; for he said, The Lord has made me mighty in the land of my affliction, as he will make the house of my father mighty here in their afflictions.

And the seven years of plenty were completed which were to come in the land of Mizraim; and the seven years of famine began to be, as Joseph had said. And there was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Mizraim there was bread. And all the land of Mizraim had dearth; because the seed wheat bare no fruit, and the people cried before Pharoh for bread. And Pharoh said to all the Mizraee, Go to Joseph, and what he shall tell you do. And the famine was upon all the face of the land; and Joseph opened all the treasures and sold to the Mizraee. And the famine waxed mighty in the land of Mizraim; and all the inhabitants of the earth came into Mizraim to buy provision of Joseph; for the famine was mighty in all the earth.

XLII. And Jakob saw that provisions might be bought and that they brought corn from Mizraim; and Jakob said to his sons, Why are you afraid to go down to Mizraim? And he said, Behold, I have heard that corn is sold in Mizraim: go down thither and buy for us from thence, that we may live and not die. And the ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy corn from Mizraim. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jakob sent not down with his brethren; for he said, Behold, he is a youth, and I fear lest death should befall him.

And the sons of Israel went every one by one door, lest the evil eye should have sway over them, as they went together to buy among the Kenaanites who went also to buy; because the famine was in the land of Kenaan.

And Joseph was ruler over the land; and he knew that his brethren had come to buy; for he had appointed notaries at the gates of the city to register daily, of every one who came, his name and the name of his father; and he it was who sold corn to all the people of the land.

And the brethren of Joseph came. And they looked through all the streets, and public places, and hospices, but could not find Him. And they came unto his house, and worshipped him with their faces to the ground.

And Joseph saw his brethren, and recognized them; but he made himself as a stranger in their eyes, and spoke hard words to them, and said to them, From where do you come? And they said, From the land of Kenaan, to buy corn. Now Joseph recognized his brethren, because, when separated from them, they had the token of the beard; but they did not recognize him, because (at that time) he had not the token of the beard, and at this hour he had it. And Joseph remembered the dreams be had dreamed of them. And he said to them, You are spies: to see the nakedness of the shame of the land are you come. And they answered him, No, my lord, your servants are come to buy corn: we are all the sons of one man; we are truthful; your servants are not spies. But he said to them, No, but to see the nakedness of the shame of the land are you come. They answered, Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man, in the land of Kenaan; and, behold, the youngest is today with our father, and one went from us, and we know not what has been in his end! And Joseph said to them, This is what I have spoken to you, saying, You are spies. By that word you shall be proved. (By) the life of Pharoh you shall not go hence unless your youngest brother be brought hither. Send one of you, and bring your brother; but you shall be bound, and your words be proved if the truth is with you: and if not, (by) the life of Pharoh you are spies. And he kept them together in the house of confinement three days.

Midrash Tanhuma Yelammedenu

B’resheet 41:38 – 42:17

4. Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt (Gen. 42:1). May it please our master to teach us the number of days during which a mourner is forbidden to work. Thus did our master teach us: A mourner is forbidden to work during the seven days following the burial. However, if he is an extremely poor man, he may return to his labors after the third day to obtain sustenance for himself and the members of his household.

Why is one permitted to return to work after three days? R. Kahana said: After three days, the flesh becomes putrid, the countenance changes, and the soul pleads for itself, as is said: But his flesh grieves for him, and his soul mourns over him (Job 14:22).

Observe that though the law permits a mourner to return to his work and be comforted after three days, our patriarch Jacob refused to be comforted over the loss of Joseph, as is written: And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted (Gen. 37:35). Why was that? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, concealed the fact of Joseph's survival in order to fulfill the decree Know of a surety that your seed shall be a stranger (Gen. 15:13). If that had not been so, would not Isaac his father, a prophet, who was still alive and aware that Joseph still lived have disclosed it to him? He had said to himself: If the Holy One, blessed be He, concealed it from him, shall I tell him? When the prophetic spirit bubbled up in Jacob, the tribes were wandering about the marketplace, neither understanding nor hearing what was transpiring there, while Jacob our patriarch, sitting at home, knew what was happening in Egypt, as it is said: And now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt.

5. Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt (Gen.42:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Happy is He whose help is the God of Jacob (Ps. 146:5). Why does this verse say the God of Jacob and not "the God of Abraham" or "the God of Isaac"? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, stood at the side of Jacob but not at the side of either Abraham or Isaac, as is said: And, behold, the Lord stood beside him (Gen.28:13).

R. Simeon explained: A king never stands in his field while it is being sowed or plowed or hoed, he does so only while the grain is being stacked. Abraham hoed, as it is said: Arise, walk through the land (ibid. 13: 17), and Isaac sowed, as it is said: And Isaac sowed in the land (ibid. 26:12). The King did not stand beside anyone until Jacob came, for he stacked the first fruits, as it is said: Israel is the Lord's hallowed portion, and the first fruits of the increase (Jer. 2:3). Then the Holy One, blessed be He, stood beside him (Gen. 28: 13). Therefore, Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God (Ps. 146:5). Resh Lakish declared: Whose hope is in the Lord his God refers to Joseph, who was the hope of the world while dwelling in Egypt. The Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to Jacob that his hope was in Egypt, as it is said: Now Jacob saw that there was hope in Egypt (reading seve1; "hope," for shever, "grain").

6. Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt (Gen.42:1). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: I have been young, and now am old," yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread (Ps. 37:25). R. Samuel the son of Nahman said: This verse was spoken by the Prince of the Universe (Enoch). I have been young: from the time of Adam; Now am old: until the days of the Messiah; yet have I not seen indicates that there is no time in which the Holy One, blessed be He, permits the world to be without righteous ones. In fact righteous men appear in every generation, as R. Tanhuma explained in the name of R. Aha: The world never lacks thirty men as righteous as Abraham, as it is said: And Abraham shall surely become a great nation (Gen. 18:18). The numerical value of the Hebrew letters of the word shall become (yihyeh) adds up to thirty.

Another comment on I have been young, and now am old. This verse suggests that the Holy One, blessed be He, will never abandon the righteous during a time of famine, neither they nor their descendants. In fact, when a disaster envelops the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees how they will survive. You find this to be so in the case of Elijah, whom He told how to survive, as it is said: Arise, get yourself to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there, behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you (I Kings 17:9). Similarly you find: Get yourself hence, and turn eastward, and hide by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan. And it shall be, that you shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there (ibid. vv. 3-4). And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine (Gen. 26: 1); and there was a famine in the land, and Abraham descended (ibid. 12:10). Similarly, when the famine came upon Jacob, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to him that Joseph would feed him in Egypt, as it is said: And Joseph fed his father and his brothers (Gen. 47:12). Hence, Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt.

What is written before this verse in Scripture? And all the countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn (ibid. 41:57). They did so because he had devoted himself to accumulating corn, as is said: And Joseph laid up corn ... during the seven years of plenty. And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said (Gen. 41:49-53).

What does according as Joseph had said mean? R. Judah the son of Shalum explained: Apparently, fourteen years of famine were first destined to come to the world, for Joseph had said seven poor cows and ill-favored, signifying seven years, and seven withered, thin ears of corn, signifying an additional seven years. This totaled fourteen years in all. However, Joseph decreed that it was to last only seven years, as it is said: There shall be seven years of famine (ibid. v. 27). Hence it is written: According as Joseph had said.

As soon as Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he said to his sons: Get you down thither; and buy for us from them, etc. And Joseph's ten brethren went down (ibid. 42:2-3). Why did all ten go? Because in that number resides the power to set aside retribution. For example, when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to destroy Sodom, our patriarch Abraham pleaded for heavenly mercy in their behalf. He spoke first of fifty men, but finally reduced the number to ten, as it is said: Peradventure ten shall be found there (ibid. 18:31). Ten men also comprise a congregation, as is said: How long shall I bear with this evil congregation (Num. 14:27), and God stands in the congregation of God (Ps. 82:1). Hence Scripture states: Joseph's ten brethren went down (Gen. 42:3). Just as in the case of Sodom, Scripture speaks here of ten. And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came (Gen. 42:5), in order that no one would recognize them. The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Because you have said: We shall see what will become of his dreams (ibid. 37:20), his dream was fulfilled. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but they did not recognize him, for they had felt no compassion for him, while Joseph recognized them because he pitied them.

7. Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt (Gen.42:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: He that withholds corn, the people shall curse him, but blessing shall be upon the head of him that sells it (Prov. 2:26). He that withholds corn, the people shall curse him refers to Pharaoh, whom the people cursed for hiding the corn during the years of famine. Blessings shall be upon the head of him that sells it alludes to Joseph, who fed the people during the years of famine. David said concerning him: Give ear O Shepherd of Israel, You lead Joseph like a flock, You that are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth (Ps. 80:1). When a famine occurred during the lifetime of David, he pleaded to the Holy One, blessed be He, for mercy, saying: "Master of the Universe, tend your flock as did Joseph, who fed the world through years of famine."

When the famine grew more serious in Egypt, the Egyptians assembled, and went to Joseph crying: "Give us bread!" He replied: "My God does not feed the uncircumcised; go circumcise yourselves and I will give you bread." Whereupon they went to Pharaoh, crying and wailing, as it is said: When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians: "Go unto Joseph" (Gen. 41:55). They replied: "We have gone to Joseph, and he told us to do a ridiculous thing. He said: 'Go circumcise yourselves."' "You fools," he retorted, "did I not advise you at the very outset to serve him and to accumulate grain for yourselves at the same time? Did he not warn you repeatedly, through the years of plenty, that the famine was coming? Since you have neglected your own welfare, why do you complain to me? Why did you not store up grain in your homes during the past two or three or four years?" "All the grain we had in our homes," they replied, "has rotted away." "Have you no flour left even from yesterday?" he asked. "Even the bread in our baskets has become moldy," they answered. Thereupon he told them: Go unto Joseph: what he says to you, do (ibid.). "If he is able to decree that our grain should rot and it does rot, we may well fear that if he should decree that we die, we will all die." Hence, what he says to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth (ibid. v. 56). Surely it would have been sufficient for Scripture to say "upon the earth"; why does it say over all the face of the earth? R. Samuel declared: This teaches us that the famine began among the wealthy, since the phrase the face of the earth alludes to the wealthy. Thus it says: He that withholds corn.

Jacob said unto his sons: "Why do you look one upon another?" (Gen. 42:1).

Jacob told his sons: Since you are strong and handsome, do not enter through one gate, nor stand together in one place, lest the evil eye prevail over you. Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get you down thither (ibid., v. 2). What is the meaning of the words get you down? He foresaw that they would go down and be enslaved there for two hundred and ten years, the numerical value of the letters of the word redu ("get you down"). The expression Get you down thither was employed because everyone who purchases grain in the marketplace degrades himself by doing so. And Joseph's ten brethren went down (ibid., v. 3). Surely, the verse should read "Israel's sons," but it is written in this way because they did not treat him like a brother when they sold him. Later they began to regret their actions and promised each other: "When we descend to Egypt, we shall return our brother to our father." When their father told them to go to Egypt, they all agreed to return with him.

R. Judah the son of Simeon held that Joseph was aware that his brothers were descending to Egypt to obtain corn. What did he do? He stationed guards at each gate and ordered them to examine every person who entered to purchase food. They were to record his name, and the name of his father, and then to bring the list to him. They did as directed. When Jacob's sons entered through different gates, their names and the name of their father were written down. At night, they (the guards) brought their lists to Joseph. One of the guards read the name of Reuben the son of Jacob, another read Simeon the son of Jacob, and still another read Levi; and so each gatekeeper read the name that was on his list. Thereupon Joseph ordered them to close all but one of the storehouses. He gave their names to the official in charge of the open storehouse, and commanded: "When these men come to you, seize them and bring them to me." Three days passed by but still they did not appear. Then Joseph selected seventy powerful men from the king's guard and sent them to the marketplace to seek them out. They searched for them until they found them in the district in which the harlots resided. Why did the brothers go to the district in which the harlots lived? They had said to each other: "Our brother Joseph is extremely well built and handsome, perhaps he is in a brothel." Then the guards seized the brothers and brought them to Joseph.

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange (Gen. 42:7). This verse tells us that he acted as a stranger toward them. He took his goblet, struck it, and said: "I see by this cup that you are spies." They replied: "We are upright men (ibid, v. 11), but our father advised us not to enter through one gate." He retorted: "Then what business did you have in the street of harlots? Were you not afraid of being seen, did your father, then, command it?" "We have lost something," they replied,' "and we sought it there." "What is this thing you have lost?" he demanded. "I see by this goblet that two of you destroyed the great city of Shechem." "Which of us did so?" they asked. He smote the goblet once again and replied: "Their names were Simeon and Levi." They began to tremble and to cry out: We, your servants, are twelve brothers (ibid., v. 13). "Where are the other two?" he inquired. "The youngest is with our father, but we do not know the whereabouts of the other." He said to them: "Bring the youngest to me so that your words may be confirmed." He seized Simeon and bound him before their eyes, and then said to them: "This one will remain bound up until you bring your brother to me to prove your statements." After they departed, he released him, fed him, and gave him drink.

Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with corn (Gen. 42:25). Upon their return to their father they related everything that had transpired. When their father asked: "Where is your brother Simeon?" They answered: "The man who rules that land is holding him captive until we bring our youngest brother to him." Whereupon Jacob, their father, exclaimed: "Me have you bereaved ... Joseph is not, and Simeon is not." ... And Reuben spoke unto his father; saying: "You shall slay my two sons" (ibid., vv. 36-37). "Fool," he retorted, "are not your children, my children?" Then Judah told his brothers: "Let us not disturb the old man until all the bread is gone," as it is said: And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn (ibid. 43:2). Thereupon Judah said: "Father, if Benjamin accompanies us, it is not certain whether he will be held or not, but if he does not join us, we shall all surely perish. Is it better to avoid the doubtful than to succumb to the inevitable? I will be surety for him; of my hand you shall require him (ibid., v. 9)." He sent Benjamin with them and told them: Take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry' down the man a present (ibid., v. II). Hence it is written: Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt.

Ashlamatah: Isaiah 11:2-10; 16

1 ¶ And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots.

2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears;

4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the land; and he shall smite the land with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

6 And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the basilisk’s den.

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

10 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.

11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, that shall remain from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

12 And He will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the dispersed of Israel, and gather together the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and they that harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

14 And they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines on the west; together shall they spoil the children of the east; they shall put forth their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

15 And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with His scorching wind will He shake His hand over the River, and will smite it into seven streams, and cause men to march over dry-shod.

16 And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people, that shall remain from Assyria, like as there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

Ketubim Targum Psalm 34

1. Of David, when he disguised his intelligence before Abimelech, who dismissed him, and he left.

2. I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise is always in my mouth.

3. My soul makes her boast in the word of the Lord; the humble will hear and rejoice.

4. Ascribe greatness in the presence of the Lord with me, and we will exalt His name together.

5. I sought instruction from the presence of the Lord and He answered me; and from all my fears He delivered me.

6. They looked toward him and received light; and their faces were not dismayed.

7. This poor one prayed; in the presence of the Lord it was heard, and He redeemed him from all his troubles.

8. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He saved them.

9. Recognize and see that the Lord is good; happy the man who has placed his trust in His word.

10. Have fear in the presence of the Lord, O you His holy ones; for there is nothing lacking to those who fear Him.

11. The sons of the lion became poor and were hungry; but those who seek the instruction of the Lord lack no good thing.

12. Come, children, receive [teaching] from me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

13. Who is the man who seeks life, and loves days in order to see good?

14. Guard your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.

15. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue after it.

16. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous; and His ears, to receive their prayer.

17. The face of the Lord is wrathful against evildoers, to expunge their memory from the earth.

18. The righteous pray, and it is heard in the presence of the Lord; and from all their troubles He has delivered them.

19. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted; and the lowly in spirit he will redeem.

20. Many evils encounter the righteous man; and from all of them the Lord delivers him.

21. He protects all his limbs; not one of them is broken.

22. The death of the wicked is bad, and those who hate the righteous man will be condemned.

23. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants; and none who hope in his word are condemned.

Ketubim Midrash Psalm 34

I. [A Psalm] of David; when he changed his demeanor before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the Lord at all times (Ps. 34:1-2a). The words I will bless the Lord at all times are to be considered in the light of what Scripture says elsewhere: Everything He has made beautiful in its time (Eccles. 3:11)! R. Tanhuma said: The Holy One, blessed be He, created the world in its proper time, for the verse teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, already had created worlds and destroyed them because they had proved themselves unworthy of His creation. And He said. "Those did not please Me, but this one pleases Me."

Another comment on Everything He has made beautiful in its time. R. Simon said: Our father Abraham was worthy of being made in the beginning before Adam. But the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Should I, in the beginning, make Abraham, and should he become corrupt, there will be no one to come after him and restore order. Therefore, in the beginning I shall make Adam, and should Adam become corrupt, then Abraham will come to restore order.

Another comment. Everything He has made beautiful in its time refers to the three righteous men who are the foundation of the world: Adam, Noah, and Abraham.

Another comment on Everything He has made beautiful in its time. All that the Holy One, blessed be He, has made for food should be eaten in its proper time. Warm fruits should be eaten in the winter, and cold fruits should be eaten in the summer.

Another comment on Everything He has made beautiful in its time. All things which the Holy One, blessed be He, has made in His world He has made beautiful. David said to the Holy One, blessed be He: All that You have made, You have made beautiful, yet the most beautiful of all Your works is wisdom. Thus, also, in saying, How manifold are Your works, O Lord! All those which You have made in wisdom (Ps. 104:24), David meant: You have made all in wisdom, and hast made well, except for madness. And David said to the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the universe, what profit is there for the world in madness? When a man goes about the market place and rends his garment, and children run after him and mock him, is this beautiful in Your eyes?" The Holy One, blessed be He, an- swered: "Are you raising a cry against madness? By your life, you shall have need of it." (As Solomon said: Whosoever despises a thing shall be taken [yehabel] by it [Prov. 13:13]. What does yehabel signify? That in his hour of need, a man will beg to be taken by the very thing he despises. Therefore yehabel here comes from the same stem as yahabol in the verse "No man shall take [yahabol] the nether or the upper millstone to pledge" [Deut. 24:6]). "Moreover," said the Holy One, blessed be He, "you will grieve after and pray for madness before I give you a touch of it." And David did not tarry, but went to Achish, as Scripture says, And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath (I Sam. 21:II).

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "David, are you going unto Achish? Yesterday you did kill Goliath, and today you go unto Achish with Goliath's sword in your hand. Goliath's blood is not yet dry, Goliath's brother (some say, Goliath's brother-in- law) is the king's body-guard, and yet you go unto Achish!"

When the Philistines saw David coming on foot, they said to Goliath's brother: "Behold, David who killed your brother Goliath is come unto Achish!" And they said to Achish: "Let us kill him who killed our brother!" Thereupon Achish replied: Was it not in fair battle that David killed your brother? And had your brother Goliath killed David, would he not also have killed him in fair battle? And now is it not true that your brother stipulated to him, to this very man who slew your brother: If he be able to fight with me, then will we be your servants (I Sam. 17:9)? Then they said to Achish: "If so, get up off thy throne, for the kingship belongs to David!" They also said: "Is not this David the servant of Saul, the king of Israel? (I Sam. 29:3). And so are we not to be the servants of Saul?" Thus they confounded Achish.

In that instant, David grew afraid, but he said: What time I am afraid, I will trust in You (Ps. 56:4). And he began to beseech God and make supplication to Him, saying: "Master of the universe, in this hour of need answer me" The Holy One, blessed be He, asked: "What do you require?" David said: "Give me a touch of that madness which You have created." The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: "Did I not say to you: Whosoever despises a thing shall be taken by it? And now you ask for madness?" Hence it is said [A Psalm] of David; when he changed his demeanor before Abimelech. (But was Abimelech the name of the king? Was not Achish his name? In this verse, however, Achish is called Abimelech because he was as righteous as Abimelech.)

When David heard what the Philistines said, he was sore afraid and troubled and said: Am I then doomed to destruction? Of this it is said And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath (I Sam. 21 :13).

He made himself out to be a madman by changing his demeanor, as is said And he changed his demeanor before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate (I Sam. 21:4). He wrote on the doors, saying: "Achish, king of Gath, owes me one hundred myriads, and his wife owes me fifty myriads." Now the daughter of Achish and her mother were both mad, and the two were screaming and carrying on in madness within, while David was screaming and playing at madness without. So Achish said to his servants: Do I lack madmen that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? (I Sam. 21:16).

In that instant David rejoiced that madness had come to his aid, and in his rejoicing composed this acrostic Psalm, saying to the Holy One, blessed be He: How very good is madness: I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth (Ps. 34:1) both in time of reason and in time of madness.

Therefore, with good cause at the beginning of Genesis you find: And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (Gen. 1:31).

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants (Ps. 34:23). R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: The Lord redeems the soul from the Inclination-to-evil, for in saying If your enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink (Prov. 25:21), Scripture means that the Inclination-to-evil is your enemy. A man walking with a companion for a space becomes his friend; but the Inclination-to-evil is born with man and grows up with him, as it is said "The evil imagination in man's heart is [with him] from his youth" (Gen. 8:21) – and yet if it find occasion to overwhelm a man, whether the man be forty, or fifty, or sixty, it will overwhelm him. Have you a greater enemy than this?

Hence R. Samuel bar Nahmani concluded: If the Inclination-to-evil rises up within you, make it eat the bread of Torah, for it is said As for him that wants understanding, [wisdom] says to him: ('Come, eat of my bread’) (Prov. 9:4b-5a). If the Inclination-to-evil is thirsty, make it drink the water of Torah, for it is said Ho, everyone that thirsts, come for water (Isa. 55:1). Why? Because You will thus heap coals of fire upon his head (Prov. 25:22). And what is meant by The Lord yeshalem you (ibid.)? It means that the Lord will make the Inclination- to-evil be at peace with you. Then All my bones shall say: Lord: who is like unto You, who delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him (Ps. 35:10) -that is, according to R. Aha, the Lord delivers the Inclination-to-good from the Inclination- to-evil. He delivers the poor and the needy from him that spoils him (ibid.). Is there a mightier despoiling than that in which the Inclination-to-evil causes a righteous man to commit iniquity, of which it is said When a righteous man does turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity ... he shall die (Ezek. 3:20)?

R. Isaac bar Menahem taught: Every good man has a world to himself, and will have a Garden of Eden for himself, as is said They are abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Your house; and You make them drink from the river of Your Edens (Ps. 36 :9).

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 5:38-42

38. Again you have heard the Oral Law ‘Eye for an eye’ and ‘tooth for a tooth’ (Exod. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21);

39. And I say to you: do not compete with evil-doers (Psalms 37:1), if a man shall strike you on your cheek, extend the other to him.

40. Whoever will take pleasure in quarreling with you to litigate Oral Law and to sue the dress shirt off you, strip off your Tallit and give it to him.

41. Whosoever shall request you to do impressments of a mile for him, go two miles.

42. Give to him who asks it, and do not turn aside anyone who wishes to borrow money from you.

Commentary

A good commentary for this Seder and for the life of Joseph in general and its implications please see the following study: http://www.betemunah.org/joseph.html .

Our Ashlamatah this week contrasts Yosef’s government in Egypt with the government of another Yosef – Mashiach ben Yosef. Yosef in Egypt requires the powerful army of Pharaoh to protect the granaries and treasury, and of Mashiach ben Yosef it is said: “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the land; and he shall smite the land with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”

The Midrash of Matityahu also contrasts the way of the earthly kingdoms against the way of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom – “And I say to you: do not compete with evil-doers (Psalms 37:1), if a man shall strike you on your cheek, extend the other to him. Whoever will take pleasure in quarreling with you to litigate Oral Law and to sue the dress shirt off you, strip off your Tallit and give it to him. Whosoever shall request you to do impressments of a mile for him, go two miles. Give to him who asks it, and do not turn aside anyone who wishes to borrow money from you.”

Whilst the way of the earthly kingdoms is to not only govern but protect whatever they have, the way of the Heavenly kingdom is of giving and giving in abundance and quality. This is encapsulated for us in the Zohar of Yochanan:

“For G-d so loved the Gentiles, that He gave his one and only Son (Yeshuah/Israel) to them, that whosoever faithfully obeys him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (Yochanan 3:16).

The dispersion of the Jewish people throughout all the nations of the Gentile world has a divine purpose. The Jews must teach the Gentiles Torah (Written and Oral) and the Gentiles must obey the Laws and the Sages of the Jewish people. And this and nothing else describes the “authentic” love of G-d for all humanity!

Whilst the way of the world is to store and protect great treasures, including bread, the way of G-d is freely give of His treasure to all, of His Manah, of His kindness, of His mercy, and of His abiding love. All he expects back is a life lived in full obedience to Him and in harmony with His noble people of Yisrael.

We Jews have a great treasure, we have this Written and Oral Torah, and we are commanded not only to treasure it but also to share it, to teach it, to give it away freely, for we are but servants of the Most High G-d and of His Messiah! This we learn from our father Abraham who wherever he went he raised up an altar and started calling upon the name of G-d, and inviting others to come and join with Him in this service.

If we are true and genuine disciples of the Master of Nazareth, then we are not only good students of Torah but also have been given the power, authority and means to teach it to our families and all men of good will. May G-d, most blessed be He, help us to fulfill this great call of our Master, amen ve amen!

“What shall we then do?” – Towards a Nazarean Halakhic Code

Marqos 1:16-18

16 And passing along by the Yam Kineret (sea of Galilee), he saw Shim’on bar Yonah and Adam the brother of Shim’on casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.

17 And Yeshuah said unto them, Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

18 And straightway they left the nets, and followed him.

The above three verses contain the following two injunctions:

The calling and sacred command to train to become a Rabbi is not given to the slothful or to those who do not have a trade or stable employment, but rather to those working hard on their profession. Thus a father not only ought to teach his son Torah but also an easy and reputable trade by which to earn an honest income (cf. Pirke Abot 1:10).

One of the most important traits of a genuine Jewish Nazarean disciple is that of total and immediate obedience to his Hakham, and when a mitzvah is laid in front of him he will not delay in its immediate performance (cf. Shulchan Arukh 1:1).

Shabbat:	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
מקץ
“Miqetz’”	Reader 1 – B’resheet 41:38-43	Reader 1 – B’resheet 42:18-20
“At the end of”	Reader 2 – B’resheet 41:44-46	Reader 2 – B’resheet 42:21-24
“Después de”	Reader 3 – B’resheet 41:47-49	Reader 3 – B’resheet 42:25-28
B’resheet (Genesis) Gen. 41:38-42:17	Reader 4 – B’resheet 41:50-53
Isaiah 11:2-10; 16	Reader 5 – B’resheet 42:1-6
	Reader 6 – B’resheet 42:7-11	Reader 1 – B’resheet 42:29-31
Psalm 34	Reader 7 – B’resheet 42:12-17	Reader 2 – B’resheet 42:32-34
	Maftir – B’resheet 42:15-17	Reader 3 – B’resheet 42:35-38
N.C.: Matityahu 5:38-42	Isaiah 11:2-10; 16