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

 

 

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

 

Roll of Honor:

This Commentary comes out weekly and on the festivals thanks to the great generosity of:

 

His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

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For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that GOD’s richest blessings be upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael and her Torah Scholars, amen ve amen!

 

Also, a great thank you and great blessings be upon all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Torah Seder and allied topics.

 

 

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!

 

A Prayer for Israel

 

Our Father in Heaven, Rock, and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the first manifestation of the approach of our redemption. Shield it with Your lovingkindness, envelop it in Your peace, and bestow Your light and truth upon its leaders, ministers, and advisors, and grace them with Your good counsel. Strengthen the hands of those who defend our holy land, grant them deliverance, and adorn them in a mantle of victory. Ordain peace in the land and grant its inhabitants eternal happiness.

 

Lead them, swiftly and upright, to Your city Zion and to Jerusalem, the abode of Your Name, as is written in the Torah of Your servant Moses: “Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you. And the Lord your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it, and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers.” Draw our hearts together to revere and venerate Your name and to observe all the precepts of Your Torah, and send us quickly the Messiah son of David, agent of Your vindication, to redeem those who await Your deliverance.

 

Shabbat: “Shof’tim V’Shot’rim” - “Judges and Officers”

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·        Judges – Deuteronomy 16:18-19

·        Justice, justice will you follow – Deuteronomy 16:20

·        Against Idolatrous worship – Deuteronomy 16:21 – 17:7

·        The Supreme Court – Deuteronomy 17:8-13

·        The King – Deuteronomy 17:14-17

·        The King – Deuteronomy 17:14-20

·        Priests and Levites – Deuteronomy 18:1-8

·        Prophets – Deuteronomy 18:9-19

 

Reading Assignment:

 

 

 

JPS & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18-18:19‎

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18-18:19 ‎

 

18 Judges and law-enforcement officials Heb. שֽׁפְטִים וְשֽׁטְרִים . שֽׁפְטִים are judges who decide the verdict, and שֽׁטְרִים are those who chastise the people in compliance with their order, (who strike and bind [not found in early editions]) with rods and straps, until he [the guilty party] accepts the judge’s verdict.

 

in all your cities Heb. בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶיךָ , in every city. for your tribes [This phrase] refers back to “You shall set up... for yourself.” Thus, the understanding of the verse is “You shall set up judges and law-enforcement officials for yourself, for your tribes, in all your cities that the Lord, your God, is giving you.”

 

for your tribes This teaches us that judges must be appointed for every tribe, and for every city. - [Sifrei, San. 16b]

 

and they shall judge the people [with] righteous judgment Appoint judges who are expert and righteous so that they will judge justly. - [from Sifrei]

 

19 You shall not pervert justice [This is to be understood] according to its apparent meaning.

 

you shall not show favoritism Even during the statement of pleas [by the litigants]. This is an admonition addressed to the judge, that he should not be lenient with one litigant and harsh with the other, [e.g., ordering] one to stand [while allowing] the other to sit, because as soon as one notices that the judge is showing more respect toward his opponent, he cannot plead his case any longer [because he thinks that it will be of no use].

 

and you shall not take a bribe Even [if you intend] to judge justly - [from Sifrei].

 

for bribery blinds As soon as he [the judge] accepts a bribe from him [a litigant], it is impossible for him not to be favorably disposed towards him, to decide the judgment in his favor.

 

just words Heb. דִּבְרי צַדִּיקִים, just words, true judgments.

 

20 Justice, justice shall you pursue Seek out a good court. (Sifrei; San. 32b)

 

that you may live, and you possess [the land] The appointment of fitting judges is sufficient merit to keep Israel alive and settled in their land. - [from Sifrei]

 

21 You shall not plant for yourself an asherah [This admonition is] to make one liable [to punishment] from the time of planting it, and even though he did not worship it, he transgresses a prohibition for its planting. - [from Sifrei]

 

You shall not plant...any tree, near the altar of the Lord your God This is a prohibition addressed to one who plants a tree or builds a house on the Temple Mount. - [Sifrei]

 

22 And you shall not set up for yourself any monument A monument of one stone, to sacrifice on it even to Heaven.

 

which [the Lord your God] hates God has commanded you to make an altar of stones and an altar of earth. This, however, He hates, because this was a [religious] statute of the Canaanites, and although it was dear to Him in the days of the Patriarchs, now He hates it, since these [people] made it a statute for idolatry. (See Sifrei)

 

Chapter 17

 

1 You shall not sacrifice... or any bad thing Heb. דָּבָר רַע . This is an admonition to one who would make sacrifices disqualified (פִּגּוּל) through an evil [improper] utterance דִּבּוּר רַע . And from this [expression] our Rabbis derived other explanations as well, as they appear in [the tractate] Shechitath Kodashim [early name for Zevachim]. - [Zev. 36]

 

2 to transgress His covenant which He made with you, namely, not to worship idols.

 

3 which I have not commanded to worship them. - [Meg. 9b]

 

4 [the matter] coincides Heb. נָכוֹן דָּבָר , the testimony coincides. [I.e. the testimony of one witness coincides with that of the other.

 

5 Then you shall bring out that man... to your cities Heb. אֶל־שְׁעָרֶיךָ . One who translates אֶל־שְׁעָרֶיךָ as לִתְרַע בֵּית דִינָךְ, “to the gate of your court,” is mistaken, for we have learned the following: when the verse [here] says "אֶל־שְׁעָרֶיךָ", this refers to the city where [the accused] worshipped idols, or does it refer to the gates [of the court] where he was judged [since the courts were located at the gates]? [In answer to this,] the verse here says שְׁעָרֶיךָ , and above (verse 2), it says שְׁעָרֶיךָ Just as שְׁעָרֶיךָ mentioned [clearly] refers to the city where he worshipped [idols] [and not to the gates of a court], so too, the word שְׁעָרֶיךָ mentioned here refers to the city where he worshipped [idols]. Thus the correct version of the Targum is לְקִרְוָיךְ , to your cities.

 

6 two witnesses, or three But if testimony can be executed through two witnesses, why then does Scripture specify "or three"? [It does so] to draw a comparison between [testimony of] three to that of two; just as two witnesses are considered one unit, so too, are three witnesses considered one unit, and they are not subject to the laws of “plotting witnesses” עֵדִים זוֹמְמִין , unless all of them are proven to be “plotting witnesses.”- [Mak. 5b] (See Deut. 19:16-21.)

 

8 If a matter eludes you [in judgment] Heb. כִּי יִפָּלֵא . [The term] הַפְלְאָה always denotes detachment and separation; [here it means] that the matter is detached and hidden from you.

 

between blood and blood Between ritually unclean blood [of menstruation], and ritually clean blood. - [Niddah 19a] (See Rashi on Lev. 12:1-5.)

 

between judgment and judgment Between a judgment of innocent and a judgment of guilty.

 

between lesion and lesion Between a ritually unclean lesion, and a ritually clean lesion.

 

words of dispute whereby the Sages of the city [the judges] differ in their opinion on the matter, one declaring it impure, the other pure, one ruling guilty, the other innocent.

 

then you shall rise and go up [This] teaches [us] that the Temple [the seat of the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court] was on a higher elevation than all other places. - [Sifrei ; San. 87a]

 

9 [And you shall come to] the Levitic kohanim i.e., the kohanim, who are descended from the tribe of Levi.

 

and to the judge who will be in those days Although this judge may not be [of the same stature] as other judges who preceded him, you must listen to him, for you have only the judge [who lives] in your time. - [R.H. 25b]

 

11 either right or left, Even if this judge tells you that right is left, and that left is right. How much more so, if he tells you that right is right, and left is left! - [ Sifrei]

 

13 And all the people shall listen From here we derive [the ruling] that they postpone his execution [i.e., of the זְקַן מַמְרֵא , the rebellious sage] until the Festival [when all Israel appears in Jerusalem], and they execute him on the Festival. - [San. 89a]

 

16 he may not acquire many horses for himself But, only what he needs for his chariots, “so that he will not cause the people to return to Egypt” [to purchase the horses], because horses come from there, as it is said of Solomon (I Kings 10:29), “And a chariot that went up and left Egypt sold for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty.”-[San. 21b]

 

17 And he shall not take many wives for himself Only eighteen, for we find that David had six wives, and it was told to him [by Nathan the prophet] (II Sam. 12:8): “and if this is too little, I would add for you like them and like them” [totaling eighteen]. - [San. 21a and Sifrei]

 

and he shall not acquire much silver and gold for himself However, he may have what is required to provide for his troops. - [San. 21b]

 

18 And it will be, when he sits [upon his royal throne] If he does this, he merits that his kingdom will remain established. - [Sifrei]

 

two copies of this Torah- Heb. מִשְׁנֵה הַתּוֹרָה  i.e., two Torah scrolls, one that is placed in his treasury, and the other that comes and goes with him (San. 21b). [I.e., a small scroll, which the king carries with him. Thus the Talmud derives מִשְׁנֵה from שְׁנַיִם , two.] Onkelos, however, renders פַּתְשֶׁגֶן , copy. He interprets [the word] מִשְׁנֵה in the sense of repeating and uttering. [I.e., one copy of the Torah, which the scribe would write while uttering the words before he writes them, deriving מִשְׁנֵה from שִׁנּוּן , studying.]

 

19 the words of [this] Torah [This is to be understood] according to its apparent meaning [namely a commandment written in the Torah].

 

20 and so that he will not turn away from the commandment Not even from a minor commandment of a prophet.

 

in order that he may prolong [his] days [in his kingdom] From this positive statement, one may understand the negative inference [i.e., if he does not fulfill the commandments, his kingdom will not endure]. And so we find in the case of Saul, that Samuel said to him, “Seven days shall you wait until I come to you to offer up burnt-offerings” (I Sam. 10:8), and it is stated, “And he waited seven days” (I Sam. 13:8), but Saul did not keep his promise and neglected to wait the entire [last] day. He had not quite finished sacrificing the burnt-offering, when Samuel arrived and said to him (I Sam 13:13-14), “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept [the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you...] so now your kingdom will not continue” (I Sam 13:13-14). Thus we learn, that for [transgressing] a minor commandment of a prophet, he was punished.

 

he and his sons [This] tells [us] that if his son is worthy of becoming king, he is given preference over any [other] person. - [Hor. 11b]

 

Chapter 18

 

1 the entire tribe of Levi whether whole-bodied or blemished. - [Sifrei]

 

no portion i.e., in the spoils.

 

or inheritance in the land. - [Sifrei]

 

the Lord’s fire-offerings The holy sacrifices of the Temple. (Other editions: The holiest sacrifices.)

 

and His portion These are the holy things of the boundaries, [i.e. those eaten throughout the entire land, namely,] the terumoth and the tithes, but

 

2 [he shall have] no inheritance He shall have no absolute inheritance among his brothers. In Sifrei 18:41, our Rabbis expound [as follows]:

 

But he shall have no inheritance This refers to the “inheritance of the remainder.”

 

among his brothers this refers to the “inheritance of the five.” I do not know what this means. It appears to me, however, that across the Jordan and onwards is called “the land of the five nations,” and that of Sihon and Og is called “the land of the two nations,” namely, the Amorites and the Canaanites. Now the expression, “inheritance of the remainder,” is meant to include the [remaining three nations of the ten whose land God promised to Abraham, namely] the Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites (Gen. 15:19). The Sifrei in the section dealing with the [priestly] gifts specified for Aaron expounds this in a similar fashion, on the verse (Deut. 10:9), “Therefore, Levi has no portion or inheritance,” to admonish [the Levite to take no portion in] the inheritance of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites. It has since been found in the words of Rabbi Kalonimus, that the proper version of this passage in Sifrei reads as follows:

 

And he will have no inheritance This refers to the "inheritance of the five."

 

among his brothers This refers to the inheritance of the seven, [Rashi now explains this version of the Sifrei:] [The first reference is to] the inheritance of five [of the twelve] tribes [of Israel]. [The second, is to] the inheritance of [the remaining] seven tribes [of Israel]. Now Moses and Joshua apportioned inheritance only to five tribes: Moses, to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Mannasseh; Joshua, to Judah, Ephraim, and [the other] half of the tribe of Mannasseh. The remaining seven tribes took their inheritance by themselves after Joshua’s demise. Thus, because of this [distinction between these five former tribes and the seven latter ones], the Sifrei mentions five and seven separately.

 

as He spoke to him i.e., to Aaron [saying],"You shall not inherit in their land... I am your portion [and your inheritance, among the children of Israel]."- [Num. 18:20]

 

3 from the people But not from the kohanim [i.e., a kohen is exempt from these dues]. - [Sifrei, Chul. 132b]

 

be it an ox or a sheep But not [from the category of] beast (חַיָּה) .

 

the foreleg from the carpus to the shoulder blade, called espaldun, espalde, or espaleron in Old French. - [Chul. 134b]

 

the jaws together with the tongue. Those who interpret the symbolism of Biblical verses say, the זְרוֹעַ [which is, in effect, the “hand” of the animal, became the due of the kohanim, as a reward] for the “hand” [which Phinehas, the kohen, raised against the sinners], as it is said, “and he took a spear in his hand” (Num. 25:7); the jaws [as a reward] for the prayer [he offered], as it is said, “Then Phinehas stood and prayed” (Ps. 106:30); and the maw (הַקֵּבָה) , as a reward [for his action against the sinning woman], as it said, “[And he stabbed both of them, the man of Israel] and the woman in her stomach (קֵבָתָהּ) ” (Num. 25:8). - [Chul. 134b].

 

4 The first of your grain This refers to terumah; and although the verse does not state a required amount, our Rabbis set an amount for it [ranging from a sixtieth to a fortieth of the total produce as follows]: A generous [person] gives one fortieth of the crop, a miserly [person] one sixtieth, and [a person of] average generosity one fiftieth. They base [this ruling] that one should not give less than one sixtieth on what is said, "[This is the offering that you shall set apart: a sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat,] and you shall separate a sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley" (Ezek. 45:13). [Since an ephah is equivalent to three se’ah,] a sixth of an ephah is equivalent to half a se’ah. [Now the “homer” mentioned in the verse is the same as a kor.] When you give [one sixth of an ephah from a homer, which we now know to be] one half of a se’ah for a kor, this amounts to one sixtieth because a kor is thirty se’ah. - [Yerushalmi, Terumoth 4:3]

 

and the first of the fleece of your sheep When you shear your sheep each year, give the first of it [the wool] to the kohen. And [although the verse] does not mention a required amount, our Rabbis set an amount, namely, one sixtieth. And how many sheep [are the minimum to] be liable to the law of “the first of the fleece?” At least five sheep, as it is said (I, “[Then Abigail... took] and five prepared (עֲשׂוּיוֹת) sheep” (Sam. 25:18). [The עֲשׂוּיוֹת here, is interpreted as meaning that five sheep compel their owner and say to you, as it were, “Get up and fulfill the commandment of 'the first of the fleece.’”] Rabbi Akiva says: [that the minimum number of sheep liable to this commandment is derived from our verse here]: The phrase רֵאשִׁית גֵז denotes two sheep; צֽאנְךָ [an additional two, making] four, and תִּתֶּן־לוֹ denotes one more, which is a total of five sheep. - [Chul. 135a, 137a; Sifrei] to stand and serve From here we learn that [the Temple] service is performed only when standing. - [Sifrei, Sotah 38a]

 

6 And if the Levite comes One might think that Scripture is referring to an actual Levite [i.e., not a kohen]. Therefore it says, “And he may serve” (verse 7). And since Levites are not fit to serve in the whole service, we see that this verse is not referring to them [but rather to kohanim].-[Sifrei]

 

he may come whenever his soul desires... 7 and he may serve [This] teaches [us] that a kohen may come and offer his own freewill and obligatory sacrifices even when it is not his shift.- B. K. 109b] Another explanation: It further teaches concerning kohanim who come to the Temple [as pilgrims] on the Festivals, that they may offer [together with those of the shift] and perform the services connected with the sacrifices that are brought because of the Festival—for instance, the “additional offerings” of the Festival even though it is not their shift. - [Sifrei, Sukk. 55b]

 

8 They shall eat equal portions This teaches that they [the kohanim present as pilgrims on the Festivals] receive a portion of the hides [of the Festival burnt-offerings] and the flesh of the he-goats of sin-offerings [of the Festival]. Now one might think that [these kohanim may participate] also in sacrifices which are brought unrelated to the Festival, such as the תָּמִיד , the daily burnt-offerings, מוּסְפֵי שַׁבָָּת , additional offerings of the Sabbath [on which a Festival may coincide] and sacrificial vows and donations. Therefore, it says:

 

except what was sold by the forefathers Except what his ancestors sold [to one another] in the days of David and Samuel when the system of shifts was established, trading with each other thus, “You take your week, and I will take my week.”- [Sifrei; Sukk. 56a]

 

9 you shall not learn to do [like the abominations of those nations] But you may learn [their practices] to understand [them] and to teach [them], i.e. to understand how degenerate their actions are, and to teach your children, “Do not do such and such, because this is a heathen custom!”- [Sifrei; San. 68a]

 

10 who passes his son or daughter through fire This was the Molech worship. They made two bonfires on either side and passed the child between them both. - [San. 64b]

 

a soothsayer What is a soothsayer? One who takes his rod in his hand and says [as though to consult it], “Shall I go, or shall I not go?” Similarly, it says (Hos. 4:12), “My people takes counsel of his piece of wood, and his rod declares to him.”- [Sifrei]

 

a diviner of [auspicious] times Heb. מְעוֹנֵן . Rabbi Akiva says: These are people who determine the times (עוֹנוֹת) , saying, “Such-and-such a time is good to begin [a venture].” The Sages say, however, that this refers to those who “catch the eyes (עֵינַיִם) ” [i.e., they deceive by creating optical illusions].

 

one who interprets omens [e.g.,] bread falling from his mouth, a deer crossing his path, or his stick falling from his hand. - [Sifrei, San. 65b]

 

11 or a charmer One who collects snakes, scorpions or other creatures into one place.

 

a pithom sorcerer This is a type of sorcery called pithom. The sorcerer raises the [spirit of the] dead, and it speaks from his [the sorcerer’s] armpit.

 

a yido’a sorcerer Here the sorcerer inserts a bone of the animal called yido’a into his mouth, and the bone speaks by means of sorcery. - [Sifrei, San. 65a]

 

or a necromancer As, for example, one who raises [the dead spirit] upon his membrum, or one who consults a skull. - [Sifrei, see San. 65b]

 

12 [For] whoever does these [things] [is an abomination to the Lord] It does not say, “one who does all these things,” but, “whoever does these things,” even one of them. - [Sifrei, Mak. 24a]

 

13 Be wholehearted with the Lord, your God Conduct yourself with Him with simplicity and depend on Him, and do not inquire of the future; rather, accept whatever happens to you with [unadulterated] simplicity and then, you will be with Him and to His portion. - [Sifrei]

 

14 [But...] the Lord your God has not given you to hearken to diviners of auspicious times and soothsayers, for He caused His Divine Presence to rest upon the prophets and upon the Urim and Tummim. - [Targum Jonathan]

 

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 119: 153-176

 ‎

JPS	Targum
153. RESH ¶ See my affliction and release me, for I have not forgotten Your Torah.	153. RESH. See my affliction and deliver me; for I have not forgotten Your Torah.
154. Plead my cause and redeem me; for Your word sustains me.	154. Argue my case and redeem me; heal me for Your word.
155. Salvation is far from the wicked, for they did not seek Your statutes.	155. Redemption is far from the wicked; for they have not sought Your decrees.
156. Your mercies, O Lord, are abundant; according to Your custom, sustain me.	156. Your mercies are many, O LORD; heal me according to Your judgments.
157. Many are my pursuers and my adversaries; from Your testimonies I did not turn away.	157. Those who pursue me and oppress me are many; I have not turned away from Your testimonies.
158. I saw traitors and I quarreled [with them] because they did not keep your word.	158. I saw despoilers and I contended with them, who have not kept Your word.
159. See that I love Your precepts, O Lord; according to Your kindness, sustain me.	159. See this, for I have loved Your commandments; O LORD, according to Your kindness heal me.
160. The beginning of Your word is true, and each of Your righteous/generous judgments is eternal. {P}	160. The beginning of Your word is truth; and all the judgments of Your righteousness/generosity are forever.
161. SHIN ¶ Princes pursued me for nothing, but my heart feared Your word.	161. SHIN. Rulers have pursued me without cause; and my heart is in fear of Your word.
162. I rejoice over Your word as one who finds great spoil.	162. I am glad concerning Your word, like a man who finds much spoil.
163. I hate falsehood, and I abominate [it], I love Your Torah.	163. I have hated deceit and loathed it; I have loved Your Torah.
164. Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous judgments.	164. Seven times a day I have praised You, because of the judgments of your righteousness/ generosity.
165. There is abundant peace to those who love Your Torah, and they have no obstacle.	165. There is great peace for those who love Your Torah in this age, and they have no stumbling-block in the age to come.
166. I hoped for Your salvation, O Lord, and I performed Your commandments.	166. I have hoped for Your redemption, O LORD, and I have done Your commandments.
167. My soul kept Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly.	167. My soul has kept Your testimonies, and I have loved them greatly.
168. I kept Your precepts and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You. {P}	168. I have kept Your commandments and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You.
169. TAV ¶ May my song of prayer draw near before You, O Lord; according to Your word, enable me to understand.	169. TAV. My prayer will come near in Your presence, O LORD; give me insight according to Your word.
170. May my supplication come before You; according to Your word, save me.	170. Let my prayer come before You; deliver me according to Your word.
171. My lips will utter praise when You teach me Your statutes.	171. My lips will seek praise, for You will teach me Your decrees.
172. My tongue will proclaim Your word, for all Your commandments are righteous/generous.	172. My tongue will reply to Your word, for all Your judgments are righteousness/generosity.
173. May Your hand be [ready] to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.	173. May Your hand be ready to help me, for I have taken pleasure in Your commandments.
174. I yearned for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your Torah is my occupation.	174. I have yearned for Your redemption, O LORD, and Your Torah is my delight.
175. May my soul live and praise You, and may Your judgments help me.	175. May my soul live and praise You, and may Your judgments give me aid.
176. I went astray like a lost lamb; seek Your servant, for I did not forget Your commandments. {P}	176. I have gone astray like a lost flock; seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.

 

Rashi’s Commentary on Tehillim (Psalms) ‎‎119:153-176

 

160 The beginning of Your word is true And the end of Your word is not true? Rather, the end of Your word proves that the beginning of Your word is true. For, when the nations heard, “I am the Lord your God,” and “You shall not have [another god],” and “You shall not take, etc.,” they said, “Everything is for His benefit and for His glory.” As soon as they heard, “Honor, etc.; You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery,” they admitted [that they had erred] about the beginning of Your word, that it is true.

 

162 I rejoice over Your word Over Your promise that You promised me. Another explanation: Over one of Your enigmatic statements, when I understand it. Our Rabbis, however, interpreted it as referring to circumcision, for [when] David was in the bathhouse and saw himself without zizith, without tefillin, and without Torah, he said, “Woe is to me, for I am naked of all commandments.” As soon as he thought of the circumcision, he rejoiced and said when he emerged (from the bathhouse), “I rejoice over Your word.” [This refers to] circumcision, which was first given with a saying (אמירה) , and not with speaking (דיבור) , as it is said (Gen. 17:9): “And God said (ויאמר) to Abraham, ‘And you shall keep My covenant.’”

 

164 Seven times a day In the morning, twice before the reading of “Shema” and once after it, and in the evening, twice before it and twice after it.

 

for Your righteous judgments For the reading of the Shema, which consists of words of Torah.

 

168 for all my ways are before You You know all my ways.

 

169 according to Your word, enable me to understand the words of Your Torah; according to their law and in the order in which they stand.

 

171 will utter will speak.

 

172 My tongue will proclaim Heb. תען . Every [expression of] עַנִיָה  is an expression of a loud voice, and the “father” of them all is (Deut. 27:14): “And the Levites shall proclaim (וענו) and say [to all Israel with a loud voice].”

 

Meditation on Tehillim (Psalms) 119:153-176

By Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

I am repeating my introduction from the first part of this psalm for continuity.

 

The life of King David was devoted to the attainment of self-perfection in the service of HaShem. Every action and every step in David’s life was calculated to bring him closer to this lofty goal. In this psalm of one hundred seventy-six verses, the lengthiest in the Book of Tehillim, David painstakingly charts the progressive stage of his determined ascent toward spiritual perfection. The psalm follows the sequence of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet; eight verses begin with א, aleph, the next eight with ב, beit, and so on, because this psalm embodies an orderly program for achieving personal perfection. The Talmud^[1] refers to this psalm a תמניא אפין, the repetition of eight. Whereas the number seven symbolizes the power of This World, which was created in seven days, eight symbolizes release from the desires of the mundane work which distract a person from his spiritual aspirations.^[2]

 

In these verses David describes the many obstacles and danger that confronted him in his lifetime. Yet his spirit refused to be overwhelmed by sorrow, for he embraced the fount of joy, the Torah. As David followed the guiding light of G-d’s Torah, his lips burst forth in these ecstatic verses of praise for G-d’s salvation. This psalm opens with the statement: Praiseworthy are those whose way is wholesome, who walk with the Torah of HaShem. It goes on to cite scores of examples of how David strived to walk with G-d. In conclusion David declares: ‘I have attempted to follow You all my life HaShem. If I have failed, I beseech You not to abandon me! I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek out Your servant, I have not forgotten Your commandments’.^[3]

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 119:162 I rejoice at Your word, as one that findeth great spoil.

 

In Psalm 119:162, the Talmud^[4] homiletically interprets אמרתך, Your word, in the singular, as if it meant to single out one mitzva par excellence. This mitzva is brit mila, because it is the very first one that was given to Abraham as a specifically Jewish mitzva. Rashi agrees and elaborates a bit further:

 

162 I rejoice over Your word Over Your promise that You promised me. Another explanation: Over one of Your enigmatic statements, when I understand it. Our Rabbis, however, interpreted it as referring to brit mila, for [when] David was in the bathhouse and saw himself without zizith, without tefillin, and without Torah, he said, “Woe is to me, for I am naked of all commandments.” As soon as he thought of the brit mila, he rejoiced and said when he emerged (from the bathhouse), “I rejoice over Your word.” [This refers to] brit mila, which was first given with a saying (אמירה), and not with speaking (דיבור), as it is said (Gen. 17:9): “And God said (ויאמר) to Abraham, ‘And you shall keep My covenant.’”

 

The seventh of Avraham’s ten tests was to be circumcised in his old age. When Abraham was 99 years old he was commanded to undergo brit mila. He was very apprehensive about this, since he hoped to have a son in his old age, and everything possible would have to be done to enhance his virility. Now he was told to reduce his virility by undergoing brit mila, or so he thought.

 

Bereshit Rabbah 46:2 Why should [Abraham] not have circumcised himself at the age of forty-eight, when he recognized his Creator? So as not to shut the door in the face of converts. Then why not be circumcised at the age of eighty-five, when He spoke with him between the parts?^[5] In order that Isaac might issue from a holy source. Then let him be circumcised at the age of eighty-six, when Ishmael was born? Rabbi Shim’on son of Laqish said: ‘I will set up a cinnamon tree in the world: just as the cinnamon tree yields fruit as long as you manure and tend around it, so [shall Abraham be] even when his blood runs sluggishly and his passions and desires have ceased’ [i.e., the blessed Holy One promised to renew Abraham’s virility, precisely, by means of brit mila].

 

With this worry behind him, Avraham moved swiftly to enter a covenant with HaShem. To understand this covenant, we need to see the structure with which the covenant was enacted. When we do this, we see that the covenant of circumcision, brit mila, is intimately tied up with the Promised land.

 

When you examine Bereshit (Genesis) chapter 17, which details the covenant that involves brit mila, you can see a sort of ATBASH structure, aka chiasm, that forces our attention to the center and shows us that the chapter wants us ‘to keep the covenant’ – v.10. Everything leads to the center.

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 17	Structure
3 And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying:	And Abram fell on his face
4 ‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations.	Avraham will be a father
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.	Abram is changed to Avraham
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful (וְהִפְרֵתִי ), and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.	To multiply greatly - וְהִפְרֵתִי
7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.	Everlasting covenant
8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’	God / Land / God
9 And God said unto Abraham: ‘And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.	And you shall keep the covenant
10 This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt Me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that is not of thy seed.	Brit mila / Covenant / Brit mila
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.	Physical everlasting covenant
14 And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off (הֵפַר) from his people; he hath broken My covenant.’	To utterly nullify - הֵפַר
15 And God said unto Abraham: ‘As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.	Sarai is changed to Sarah
16 And I will bless her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her; yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her.’	Sarah will be a mother
17 And Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart: ‘Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?’	And Abraham fell upon his face

 

The final message:  I will give you land - You will keep the covenant and be circumcised. This is clearly, and forcefully conveyed by Yehoshua. Just before the Bne Israel entered the promised land, Yehoshua was commanded to circumcise the Bne Israel. Thus, he established, again, a connection between the promised land and brit mila.

 

Yehoshua (Joshua) 5:2-3 At that time HaShem said unto Joshua: ‘Make thee knives of flint, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.’ 3 And Joshua made him knives of flint, and circumcised the children of Israel at Gibeath-ha-araloth.

 

The brit mila initiated by Yehoshua is another time where Pesach and brit mila are closely linked. When the Bne Israel were in Egypt they circumcised themselves four days before Pesach. In the above pasuk, Yehoshua is again circumcising the males just before Pesach.^[6]

 

Pesach is about getting rid of Avoda Zara (idolatry) and commitment to HaShem. When the good kings of Israel wanted to purge the idolatry from the nation and to reaffirm commitment to HaShem, they chose the festival of Pesach to enact their policy of teshuva and eradication of Avoda Zara.^[7]

 

There are two eternal laws which are intimately connected. The first case of an eternal law is in Genesis 17, where God forges the covenant of brit mila with Avraham. Here we see the term l’dorotam l’brit olam:

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 17:7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant (לְדֹרֹתָם--לִבְרִית עוֹלָם), to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.

 

And then again l’brit olam:

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

 

The next case, of an eternal law, is in Exodus 12, where HaShem tells us to celebrate the Pesach holiday l’dorotechem chukat olam, repeated in 12:14 and 12:17.

 

Shemot (Exodus) 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to HaShem; throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever (לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם, חֻקַּת עוֹלָם).

 

Shemot (Exodus) 12:17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore shall ye observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever (לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם--חֻקַּת עוֹלָם).

 

These two positive commands, with the penalty of keret,^[8] follow each other in the Torah. Their positive nature and penalty connect them. Brit mila is a positive commandment. For neglecting to perform a positive commandment, repentance suffices; no further atonement is required. The exceptions to this are the two positive commandments (the Korban Pesach^[9] and brit mila) whose neglect incurs the punishment of excision.^[10]

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 17:14  And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

 

Bamidbar (Numbers) 9:13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the Passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of HaShem in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

 

Brit Milah and the Korban Pesach are vital to the Torah system. What makes brit mila and korban Pesach different? In order to begin a marriage a person must undertake a commitment to join in unity with his wife. Without such a commitment there is no genuine relationship. One can do all kinds of nice deeds but, in the Torah’s eyes, they are not married until they perform the wedding ceremony prescribed by the Torah. In a similar way, a person needs to make a commitment to HaShem to undertake his relationship with Him. Without such a commitment he cannot begin to have a true relationship. Brit Milah and korban Pesach are both types of covenants with HaShem, whereby a Jew commits to keeping the Torah. These two commandments define our Peoplehood, and non-performance is a bill of divorce from the Jewish nation. This explains why these two positive commands were given to the Jews before the Exodus.

 

Midrash Rabbah - Ruth VI:1 Another interpretation: ‘Because of Thy righteous ordinances’, because of the judgments which Thou didst bring upon the Egyptians and the righteousness which Thou wroughtest with our forefathers in Egypt, for they possessed no virtues or good deeds to justify their redemption, but Thou didst give them two commandments with which they should occupy themselves and be redeemed, and these are the blood of the Paschal lamb and the blood of brit mila . R. Levi said: In that night the two bloods mingled, as it is said, And when I passed by thee, and saw thee wallowing in thy blood, I said unto thee: In thy blood, live; yea, I said unto thee: In thy blood, live.^[11]

 

Toledot Yitzchak tells us something about one of the meanings behind the reason for brit mila: “Man has been created for the sole purpose of serving his Creator. Thus having created man, “the Lord G-d took the man, and put him in the Garden of Eden...And the Lord commanded the man …”.^[12] Likewise in the command to circumcise our sons, after stating, “… and born a man child,” the Torah states: “on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised,” for he was born to fulfill G-d’s commandments – the Brit Milah is the first and foremost mitzva, without which he is not a Jew. Through brit mila he accepts the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven, having been marked to serve the Lord and fulfill all His commandments. Hence, the mitzva of Milah appears in conjunction with the birth of a male child. Brit Milah is a sign of our covenant with HaShem, on an individual basis.

 

So, what’s the link with Pesach?

 

Vayikra (Leviticus) 25:42 For they are My servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as bondmen.

 

Vayikra (Leviticus) 25:55 For unto Me the children of Israel are servants; they are My servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am HaShem your God.

 

Shemot (Exodus) 20:2 I am HaShem thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

 

Clearly, the link between Pesach and brit mila is that they both identify us as servants of HaShem, as the ones who perform His mitzvot.

 

Let us analyze why these two bloods, Milah and Pesach, were given by HaShem as commandments with which to redeem Israel. At first the Jewish people were Paro’s slaves, but brit mila made them HaShem’s slaves instead.^[13] The purpose of mila is to be a sign, like a branding on a person to show he is a servant of HaShem. The Gemara discusses the seal of a slave, which, not being an article of clothing, may not be borne in the public domain on Shabbat.^[14] Mila is HaShem’s seal upon us, as we say in the Grace after Meals, “Your covenant that You have sealed in our flesh”.^[15]

 

But mila alone would not suffice, for a servant must work or else there is no servitude, and the Pesach sacrifice is called avoda (work, service), as it is written, “what is this avodah to you”,^[16] and “you will do this service in this month”.^[17] This avoda completes his identification as an eved (slave), but would not suffice without the brand of mila. Both mila and Pesach, brand and service, are required.

 

We say in the mila blessing, “And His offspring He sealed with the sign of the holy covenant”. But until he has done the first unit of service he is only a temporary slave, fit only for a partial redemption. And even if he would want to, an uncircumcised, non-Israelite may not partake of the Pesach.^[18] If he is branded and serves, this is complete slavery, about which HaShem says, “For the children of Israel are My slaves”,^[19] and not slaves of other slaves.^[20] As such, HaShem redeemed them from servitude to Paro. 

 

Further, the Jewish people entered the covenant with three things: brit mila, immersion, and a sacrificial offering.^[21] Brit mila was performed in Egypt as it states “Anyone who is uncircumcised may not eat” [the paschal lamb.] Immersion was performed in the desert before the giving of the Torah as it states “and you shall purify yourselves today and tomorrow and wash your clothing”. A sacrificial offering as it states “And he sent the youth of the people of Israel and they brought offerings”, these offerings were brought on behalf of the entire Jewish people. The same applies in all generations, when a non-Jew wants to enter the covenant and to settle under the wings of the Shechinah and accept upon himself the yoke of the Torah, he requires brit mila, immersion, and offering a sacrifice and if she is a female, immersion and sacrifice, as it states “like you, so too a convert”. Just look like you [converted] with brit mila, immersion and offering a sacrifice, so too, all generations of converts do so with brit mila, immersion and offering a sacrifice.^[22]

 

Another connection between these two mitzvot is that there are two occasions when the Prophet Elijah visits the Jewish people; at a brit mila and on Seder night, the night when we remember the korban Pesach. This is because Elijah, exasperated at the Jewish people’s continued sinning, declared that there was no hope for them.^[23] In response, HaShem ordered him to visit every brit mila which would show that, no matter how much the people may sin they still keep the covenant between them and HaShem. Similarly, Elijah comes at Seder night, to see the Jewish people celebrate their birth as a nation.^[24]

 

Another connection between brit mila and Pesach, is based on the idea of “And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning”

 

Shemot (Exodus) 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side-posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.

 

Or:

 

Shemot (Exodus) 12:46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

 

Whoever removes the meat of the korban Pesach from the house, designated with the sign of the blood on the doorposts, renders it invalid. And anyone who leaves the house, in Egypt, designated with the sign of the blood during the time when the sacrifice may be eaten, takes his life in his hands. The Angel of Death is roaming the streets of Egypt.

 

Likewise, the brit is also a sign. It is a sign which stamps the seed of Israel with the HaShem’s holiness, as we bless at a Brit Mila: “And he stamped his descendants with the sign of the holy covenant (brit).” Like the blood of the Pesach which stamps the doorway of the Jewish home so that the Bne Israel will not go outside to the Angel of Death, the blood of the brit mila stamps the opening of the Jewish body so that holy Jewish seed will not emerge in vain. Jewish seed will emerge only in holiness, just as the Israelites emerged from their homes in Egypt at the time of the exodus: in holiness, and not to destruction. The blood of brit mila is a stamp on the body, and the blood of the Pesach is a stamp on the house.

 

The Torah refers to two different things as a person’s “house”.

 

1) His family: “And he shall atone for himself and for his house”.^[25] Similarly, in the context of the Pesach sacrifice we read, “A sheep for each household, a sheep per house”.^[26]

 

2) The place where he lives: “And a person who sanctifies his house as holy to God”.^[27] Similarly, concerning the Pesach we read, “And if the household number too few, then he and his neighbor who is close to his house shall take ...”.^[28]

 

In each “house” a free person is distinguishable from a slave:

 

Shemot (Exodus) 21:4 If [the slave’s] master shall give him a wife and she bears him sons and daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to his master, and he shall go free by himself.

 

A slave does not establish his own family. His master finds him a wife, who is not necessarily someone the slave would have chosen for himself; and his children are not his own, they belong to his master. In the words of Chazal, “A slave has no family lineage.” And since his marriage to his partner, the maidservant, does not result in the establishment of a real home, it is not surprising that Chazal state, “The more maidservants, the more immorality”.^[29]

 

At the same time, a slave has no home of his own:

 

Vayikra (Leviticus) 25:10 And you shall declare freedom in the land for all its inhabitants

 

Rosh Hashana 9 Rabbi Yehuda said: [Freedom means] that he may live anywhere that he wishes, and he is under the auspices of someone else.

 

Freedom, on the other hand, means possession of both “houses”:

 

Vayikra (Leviticus) 25:10 And you shall return each man to his possession, and each man shall return to his family.

 

The Israelite eats his Pesach sacrifice with his household and his neighbors, in his home. The blood of the Pesach is a sign on the houses. It is a sign that Israel will be brought out to freedom; that they have merited “houses” in both senses of the word.

 

For later generations, the mitzva of mila guards the purity of his seed and his family lest his seed emerge to be destroyed.

 

On the day of Pesach three visitors informed Avraham of the impending birth of Yitzchak.^[30] The essence of the nation’s forefather was clearly demonstrated in this instance: the doorway of his home, sealed against the Angel of Death, was open wide for visitors from the desert. The opening of his body, sealed with the sign of HaShem’s covenant against emergence of impure seed, will now be open to allow for the birth of pure seed, his son, Yitzchak. And since that time the doors of his children, sealed with the blood of the Pesach against the entry of the Angel of Death, are open to visitors, the needy, the hungry: “Anyone who is hungry, let him enter and eat; anyone who is needy, let him enter and partake of the Pesach”.^[31]

 

The lower opening of the body, the place of the brit, is sealed with the blood of brit mila against the emergence of impure seed, but the upper opening, the mouth, opens to recount before the pure seed, the wise son who poses his questions, the story of the exodus.

 

In both aspects of our “houses”, in our homes and amongst our families, we embark on the Haggada of Pesach.

 

If the taking of the Pesach lamb is the symbol of the rejection of Egyptian religious culture, and a commitment to HaShem, brit mila adds another dimension, an additional vital message. Mila is an indelible mark upon the flesh of the Jewish man. It is not a random operation. It is “the covenant of Avraham Avinu”. It takes us back to the very roots of who we are and where we come from. Mila joins us not only to the God of Israel, but to the nation of Israel throughout its generations. It ties a Jew to the fate of the Jewish nation.^[32]

 

The Pesach lamb proclaims a message; “I will not be an Egyptian. My destiny lies with the God of Israel”. Mila proclaims, “I belong to the Jewish people. I share their fate”.

 

Yet, we have a question: Why is it necessary for there to be two mitzvot, brit mila and Pesach, that involve the basic commitment to doing HaShem’s will, why wouldn’t it be sufficient for one mitzva to fulfill this role?

 

The answer is that the two mitzvot represent different aspects of a commitment. brit mila was first commanded to a single individual, Abraham, to form his covenant with HaShem. Thus, brit mila represents a person’s commitment to his individual relationship with HaShem and all that entails. The korban Pesach represents our commitment to HaShem as part of the Jewish people. The laws of the korban Pesach emphasize the importance of fulfilling the mitzva in groups, stressing the national aspect of the mitzva. Accordingly, it is necessary to have two forms of covenants; one between the individual and HaShem and one between a person as a member of the Jewish people, and HaShem.

 

This understanding can help us explain an unusual law pertaining to the korban Pesach. It is forbidden for an uncircumcised Jew to participate in the korban Pesach.^[33] Why is this the case, the fact that a person does not keep one mitzva, in no way exempts him from keeping the other mitzvot! The answer is that a person cannot genuinely commit to HaShem as part of a nation when has had made no such commitment on an individual basis.

 

This teaches us an essential lesson. Many people identify strongly as Jews, and as part of the Jewish people. They commit to the state of Israel, and would willingly give up time and effort, and perhaps even risk their lives, for the Jewish people. They stand up to defend Israel when it comes under verbal attack from the numerous anti-Semitic forces in the world. However, on an individual basis, there is far less commitment.^[34] One may identify as being part of the Jewish nation, but he must also strive to commit to his individual relationship with HaShem. The exact way in which to apply this lesson varies according to each person, however, in a general sense it seems that everyone should see in what way he can increase his personal commitment to his relationship with HaShem. It could involve speaking to HaShem, learning more of His Torah, striving to keep more aspects of Shabbat or kosher food, and so on. The main point is to try something. It is vital to remember that HaShem wants a relationship with each and every individual, in his own right.

 

We previously noted that the korban Pesach represents our commitment to HaShem as part of the Jewish people. With this understanding, we can begin to understand Pesach sheni, the second Passover.

 

Yosef was cast out of the House of Israel; years later, after their father’s death, he had an opportunity to cast his brothers into the pit of slavery, to cast them out of the family of Israel. Instead, he chose the moral high road. He chose love. He chose peace; he chose camaraderie. He chose family.

 

Yosef’s heroic gesture resulted in a second chance, another attempt to create unity, to build a nation. Liberating Yosef’s remains and including his presence in their historic journey back to Israel was more than a symbolic gesture meant to remind and inspire the nation. Yosef himself was rewarded; he would no longer be an outcast. Yosef’s remains would travel with them on their journey. He would finally return home, to the land of his fathers, to his place among his brethren.

 

Nonetheless, his remains, like those of any other Jew, generated impurity. Any and all who came in contact with his remains became ritually impure. And yet, on a philosophical level, it was nearly inconceivable that those who tended to Yosef should be made to feel separated from the community; this would be an almost absurd contradiction of Yosef’s very essence. And so, in a beautiful gesture of poetic justice, HaShem gave them a second chance; the normal rules of sacrifices would be suspended.

 

Yosef’s benevolence is mirrored by HaShem’s benevolence. A new holiday representing second chances would be established,^[35] a holiday well-suited to Yosef.^[36]

 

The enslavement in Egypt was the direct result of the sale of Yosef. The callous meal eaten as Yosef languished in the pit required a tikkun. The brothers broke bread as Yosef screamed. They were impervious to his screams, for they had deemed him no longer part of the Jewish People. It was a meal which brought the brothers together, with one exception: they were united in their dastardly deed. And so, when the Jews leave Egypt they are commanded to have a meal, a meal which heals and liberates by bringing the family together.

 

Shemot (Exodus) 12:3-4 Speak to all the Congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house; and if the household is too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the souls; according to every man’s eating shall you make your count for the lamb.

 

Bring the family together; invite the neighbors if you can. The offering must be eaten with matza, which symbolized haughtiness, and that horrific meal eaten within earshot of the pit, was deemed unacceptable. In fact, all bread and bread products must be exorcized from the home on Pesach. However, Pesach Sheni has no such requirement: bread and matza can reside together in one home.^[37] This is truly an extraordinary holiday: a celebration of unity,^[38] and a living testimonial of HaShem’s love for His People, a holiday of second chances.^[39]

 

Perhaps now, we can now understand our pasuk in our chapter of Psalms, which the Talmud^[40] homiletically interprets, Your word, in the singular, as if it meant to single out one mitzva par excellence. This mitzva is brit mila, because it is the very first one that was given to Abraham as a specifically Jewish mitzva.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 119:162 I rejoice at Your word, as one that findeth great spoil

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 120:1-7; 121:1-8; & 122:1-9‎‎

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary on Tehillim (Psalms) 120:1-7; 121:1-8; & 122:1-9

 

Chapter 120

 

1 A song of ascents which the Levites will recite on the fifteen steps that go down from the Israelites’ court to the Women’s court, and there are fifteen psalms entitled “A song of ascents” (Suc. 5:4, Mid 2:5). And our Rabbis said that David composed them to raise the deep, as is explained in Tractate Succah (53a). And according to the Aggadah (Yerushalmi Sanh. 10:2, 52b), it is to be interpreted: A song for a hundred steps (שיר למאה עולות) .

 

2 from false lips The arm of those who hunt people with their mouth with wicked accusations.

 

3 What can He give you [What can] the Holy One, blessed be He [give you]?

 

and what can He add to you [What] safeguard and walls? Behold you are placed within two walls.

 

4 Sharpened arrows of a mighty man Behold you kill in a distant place like an arrow.

 

with coals of brooms All coals, when extinguished on the outside, are extinguished on the inside, but these extinguish themselves on the outside but not on the inside (ibid.). Another explanation: What will He give you? What is the Holy One, blessed be He, destined to decree upon you? Arrows of a mighty man with coals of brooms. His arrows from above and Gehinnom from below.

 

5 Woe is to me says the congregation of Israel, for I have already suffered in many exiles. Behold I sojourned in Meshech with the sons of Japheth in the kingdom of Persia, Greece, and Meshech.

 

7 I am at peace With them.

 

but when I speak peacefully with them, they come to wage war with me.

 

Chapter 121

 

1 A song for ascents The simple meaning is that when the Levites began to ascend the steps, they recited this song. Although this song is not written first, there is no chronological sequence. (In other books I found:)

 

A song for ascents [The Psalmist] alludes, in the second psalm, to the steps that ascend for the righteous/generous in the future from beneath the tree of life to the Throne of Glory, as we learned in Sifrei (Ekev 47): “It does not say here, ‘A song of ascents’ but, ‘A song for ascents’; a song for the One Who is destined to make ascents for the righteous/generous in the future.” This is what the Kalir established (in the concluding poem of the morning service for the second day of Succoth, which was composed by Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Simon the son of Yochai in Chagigah, chapter “We may not expound,” see there): “And from beneath them thirty steps, one above the other until the Throne of Glory, flying and ascending with the pleasant speech of the song of ascents.”

 

Chapter 122

 

1 I rejoiced when they said to me I heard people saying, “When will that old man die, and his son Solomon reign and build the Temple, and we shall go up on the festival pilgrimages?” And I am happy.

 

2 Our feet were standing in battle everywhere because of the gates of Jerusalem, where they were engaged in Torah.

 

3 The built-up Jerusalem When my son Solomon builds the Temple within it [Jerusalem], it will be built with the Shechinah, the Temple, the Ark, and the altar.

 

is like a city that was joined together within itself Like Shiloh, for Scripture compared them to one another, as it is said (Deut. 12:9): “to the rest and to the inheritance.” The rest is Shiloh. The inheritance is Jerusalem (see Sifrei Re’eh 66). And our Rabbis said (Ta’an. 5a): There is a Jerusalem in heaven, and the Jerusalem on earth is destined to be like it.

 

4 There ascended the tribes For there in Shiloh the tribes ascended when they went up from Egypt, and the Tabernacle was established in its midst.

 

the tribes of God Heb. יָ־הּ , which is testimony to Israel, for the heathens were talking about them when they left Egypt, and they would say about them that they were the offspring of adulterous unions. If the Egyptians ruled over their own bodies, surely [they ruled] over their wives. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, “I attest that they are the sons of their fathers.” He bestowed His name upon them: the Reubenites (הראובני) , the Simeonites (השמעוני) (Num. 26). He added the letters of the name, one on this side and one on that side. The result is that this name יָ־הּ is testimony to Israel.

 

5 For there were set thrones, etc. For also in Jerusalem the Shechinah will rest, and thrones will sit there upon which to judge the nations, and the royal thrones of the house of David.

 

6 Request the welfare of Jerusalem and say to her, “May those who love you enjoy tranquility, and let there be peace in your wall.”

 

8 For the sake of Israel, my brethren and my companions

 

 

Meditation on Tehillim (Psalms) ‎120:1-7; 121:1-8; & 122:1-9

By Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

In the preceding composition, Psalms chapter 119, David describes in vivid detail how Torah wisdom and mitzvah observance constitute the very basis of the world order, the alphabet of the universal design. The individual who follows this comprehensive program will surely be elevated and will experience blessing and success, as Solomon said: The path of life for the wise leads upward.^[41]

 

Now the Psalmist begins a series of fifteen psalms which describe the rising fortunes of the wise. Psalms 120 through 134 are collectively known as the Psalms of ascent. Midrash Shocher Tov comments that the title of each psalm is not, A Song of Ascent (singular), but A Song of Ascents (plural), because when the Children of Israel are worthy to ascend, they do not climb one step at a time; rather, they mount many rungs at once. As Scripture states: And you shall be in constant ascent.^[42] Conversely, if they fail to follow God’s instructions, the Children of Israel descend many levels at once, as Scripture warns, And you shall fall very low.^[43]

 

R' Saadiah Gaon comments that the music which accompanied these fifteen psalms reflected the theme of Ascents, for with each successive psalm the Levites played the music louder and in a higher key.^[44]

 

These fifteen psalms were sung in the Temple, for it was in that sacred location that the Jew was catapulted toward successively higher summits. In the Temple, Israel declared that man must not be spiritually stagnant; the world is composed of infinite degrees of goodness, and man’s mission is to scale the spiritual heights, which rise from earth heavenward.^[45]

 

The Talmud tells us that these fifteen Psalms were composed by King David:

Sukkah 53a FIFTEEN STEPS. R. Hisda said to a certain Rabbi who was arranging his Aggadas before him, ‘Have you heard in correspondence to what David composed his fifteen Songs of Ascent?’ — ‘Thus’, the other replied, ‘said R. Johanan: When David dug the Pits the Deep rose up and threatened to submerge the world, and David thereupon uttered the fifteen Songs of Ascent and caused its waves to subside’.

 

Curiously, the format of Psalm 120 is the structure of a menorah.

 

Our chapters of Psalms seems focused on the tongue:

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 120:2-3 HaShem, deliver my soul from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. 3 What shall be given unto thee, and what shall be done more unto thee, thou deceitful tongue?

 

I would like to take a deeper look at the tongue and what it represents in order to gain an understanding of the power of a ‘deceitful tongue’. The tongue, and the words that the tongue forms, is no longer the organ with its intended power that God created in the beginning because of the sin of Babel.

 

The Torah tells us that from the time of creation until the incident at Bavel, that the whole earth had one language and one speech.

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

 

Why are we told one language AND one speech? Aren’t these the same thing? Clearly HaShem is trying to tell us that two facets of communication were not the same. Chazal,^[46] based on these two words, teach us that not only did everyone speak Hebrew, but when they spoke they actually communicated! The ideas in the speaker’s mind were exactly the same ideas that were understood by the listener. There was no mis-communication. There was no misunderstanding.

 

However, because of the sin at Bavel, HaShem confused the language and the speech.

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 11:6-9 And HaShem said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. 8 So HaShem scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because HaShem did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did HaShem scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

 

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis XXXVIII:8 AND THEY SAID: COME, LET US BUILD US A CITY, AND A TOWER (XI, 4). R. Judan said: The tower they built, but they did not build the city. An objection is raised: But it is written, And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower (ib. 5)? Read what follows, he replied: And they left off to build the city (ib. 8), the tower, however, not being mentioned. R. Hiyya b. Abba said: A third of this tower which they built sank [into the earth], a third was burnt, while a third is still standing. And should you think that it [the remaining third] is small--R. Huna said in R. Idi’s name: When one ascends to the top, he sees the palm trees below him like grasshoppers. AND LET US MAKE A NAME (SHEM). The School of R. Ishmael taught: SHEM (A NAME) means nought else but an idol. LEST WE BE SCATTERED ABROAD UPON THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH. R. Simeon b. Halputha [Halafta] quoted: A fool’s mouth is his ruin (Prov. XVIII, 7).^[47]

 

When HaShem confused the language, we no longer spoke Hebrew only. In addition, even when we speak the same language, there is a disconnect between what I want to communicate and what the listener actually understands. The Targum gives us some insight in this matter:

 

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Bereshit (Genesis) 11:1-32 XI. And all the earth was (of) one language, and one speech, and one counsel. In the holy language they spoke, that by which the world had been created at the beginning. And it was while they were journeying from the east that they found a plain in the land of Bavel, and dwelt there.

 

[JERUSALEM. And all the inhabitants of the earth were (of) one language, and of one speech, and one counsel: for they spoke the holy language by which the world was created at the beginning: while their hearts erred afterwards from the Word of Him who spoke, and the world was, at the beginning; and they found a plain in the land of Pontos and dwelt there.]

 

Rashi tells us that the one language was Hebrew: One language - [That language was] the holy language [Hebrew].

 

In addition to Hebrew, we now had Spanish, Greek, Russian, Swahili, English, and a whole host of other languages.

 

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Bereshit (Genesis) 11:1-32 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and the language of all of them one: and this they have thought to do: and now they will not be restrained from doing whatever they imagine. And the Lord said to the seventy angels which stand before Him, Come, we will descend and will there commingle their language, that a man shall not understand the speech of his neighbor. And the Word of the Lord was revealed against the city, and with Him seventy angels, having reference to seventy nations, each having its own language, and thence the writing of its own hand: and He dispersed them from thence upon the face of all the earth into seventy languages. And one knew not what his neighbor would say: but one slew the other; and they ceased from building the city. Therefore He called the name of it Babel, because there did the Lord commingle the speech of all the inhabitants of the earth, and from thence did the Lord disperse them upon the faces of all the earth.

 

Targum Onkelos on Bereshit (Genesis) 11:1-4 And all the earth was of one language and one speech. And it was in their migrations at the beginning, that they found a plain in the land of Babel, and dwelt there. And they said, a man to his companion, Come, let us cast bricks and bake them in the fire. And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. And they said, Come, let us build a city, and a tower, the bead of it coming to the pinnacle of the heavens. And we will make to us a name, lest we be dispersed upon the face of all the earth. And the Lord was revealed to punish the work of the city and the tower which the sons of men had builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one and the language one with all of them: and this is what they begin to do. And now nothing will be restrained from them of what they imagine to do. Come, We will be manifest, and will confuse their language there, that a man shall not bear the language of his companion. And the Lord dispersed them from thence upon the face of all the earth, and they were restrained from building the city. Therefore the name of it is called Confusion, because the Lord there confused the tongue of all the earth, and from thence the Lord dispersed them upon the face of all the earth.

 

We still had Hebrew, however. Avraham and those of his family (Shem, Eber, Noach, etc.) continued to speak Hebrew, though the understanding of the words was now confused.^[48]

 

Avodah Zarah 19a R. Simeon b. Pazi expounded [that verse as follows]: ‘Happy is the man that hath not walked’ — i.e., to theatres and circuses of idolaters ‘nor stood in the way of sinners’ — that is he who does not attend contests of wild beasts; ‘nor sat in the seat of the scornful’ — that is he who does not participate in [evil] plannings. And lest one say, ‘Since I do not go to theatres or circuses nor attend contests of wild animals, I will go and indulge in sleep.’ Scripture therefore continues, ‘And in His Law doth He meditate day and night.’ Said R. Samuel b. Nahmani in the name of R. Jonathan: Happy is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked — that is our father Abraham who did not follow the counsel of the men of the Generation of the Division^[49] who were wicked, as it is said, Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, with its top in heaven,’ nor stood in the way of sinners — for he did not take up the stand of the Sodomites, who were sinful, as it is said, Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinful against the Lord exceedingly; nor sat in the seat of the scornful — for he did not sit in the company of the Philistines, because they were scoffers; as it is said, And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said: Call for Samson that he may make us sport.^[50]                                             

 

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, in his commentary on the Torah, points out that the word ba-lahl - בלל, normally translated as “confused”, really means “to mix two elements together as one through the introduction of a third element”, such as in the mixing of dry particles of flour together through the introduction of water or oil, thereby making the flour particles into one dough. In other words, what is being implied in the word ba-lahl - בלל, in the verse, is that all HaShem did was to introduce something new into the formation of their speech, and this new element must by itself have brought about the condition whereby people no longer understood each other. What then was this new element that was the ultimate cause of the breakdown of the world’s universal language with the resultant formation of all the other languages? Clearly, as Hakham Hirsch tells us, it was the subjective element whereby words no longer properly relate to each other, but are subject to the whims of the speaker.

 

It seems to be indicated in the words of our Prophets that the evolution of many different languages, after the dispersion, was detrimental to the ultimate perfection and unity that mankind strives for; and that only when the Messiah comes, and all peoples of the earth will once again speak in the Holy Tongue, will we achieve that perfection and unity. The prophet Zephania speaks of the future Messianic Era when he writes,

 

Zephania 3:9 For then I will change the nations [to speak] a pure language, so that they all will proclaim the Name of HaShem, to worship Him with a united resolve.

 

What is so special about language, and the Hebrew language in particular, that the dispersion and downfall of mankind, as well as his ultimate perfection, all depends on it? There is a major, qualitative difference between (Biblical) Hebrew and all the other languages. According to tradition, all the other languages are the product of human beings, while Hebrew was created by HaShem Himself. In fact, we are taught that Hebrew pre-existed the world itself! And the Sages tell us that when HaShem created the world, He created it by means of the holy tongue. Evidence is cited from the Hebrew words ish (man) and isha (woman). The Torah informs us that woman was so named:

 

 Bereshit (Genesis 2:3) because she was taken from man.

 

A reasoning which would only make sense if man and woman were created by means of the holy language in which ish and isha are simply the masculine and feminine versions of the same word.

 

But the difference between Hebrew and all other languages is much, much deeper. As Rabbi Akiva Tatz explains in his book World Mask, in the Hebrew language with which the Torah was written, words express essence, and close study of the words is rewarded by an understanding of the nature of the ideas that those words describe. In other languages of the secular world, words are also revealing: the language of the culture reveals its heart. How a particular culture expresses an idea through language gives insight into the values of that culture. In Torah, words express essence because words are in fact the basis for the existence of those things which they describe. HaShem created objects in this world by saying the words for those objects. When He said, “Let there be ohr (light)” - light automatically came into being. The words are the medium of Creation, and a correct grasp of the words is a correct grasp of the essence of the objects those words represent.

 

Rabbi Hirsch explains that the sin of the builders of the Tower of Babel was that they wanted to unify themselves and achieve a so-called “perfect society” without HaShem’s being in the picture. They wanted to “make a name for themselves”, as the Torah says, and not to submit to HaShem’s will and plan. Whereas HaShem had given human beings the ability to unite in their understanding of the world and its purpose - as reflected in their common, HaShem-given Hebrew language - which would in turn enable them to express HaShem’s will in this world and to bring it to perfection, the inhabitants of the world instead united against HaShem. They felt that as a united entity, nothing could stop them from their desired goals, and that this could be accomplished without HaShem’s help. And when human beings band together to “perfect” humanity without HaShem in the picture - nothing can be more dangerous than that.

 

So HaShem set out to destroy the unity of the world’s inhabitants. And He did so by injecting (ba’lahl - בלל) subjectivity into their minds and ideas, which, of course, was reflected in their language. This automatically caused them not to understand each other. No longer would they all speak Hebrew, thus understanding the objective essence of all things in creation. Now, each person would name things and speak a language that suited his or her human, subjective, and distorted understanding of all that exists.

 

Of course, as soon as all the nations stopped speaking Hebrew, they lost the chance to be HaShem’s “chosen people” who would bring perfection to mankind by expressing HaShem’s will in this world. And it was left to one man and his descendants - Avraham and the Jewish people - to inherit the sole ownership of the Holy Tongue, thereby understanding the true essence of all that HaShem created, and expressing that Divine Will in this world, leading all of mankind to its ultimate perfection.

 

Those who spoke Hebrew were not excluded from this confusion. Part of this confusion was the diversity of words that were not always known by everyone. Thus, even those who spoke the same language did not all have the same vocabulary. This problem persists into our day.

 

In addition to having the languages become confused, HaShem also confused their speech. This confusion resulted in the great communication difficulties that we all experience today. One has to work very hard to communicate one’s thoughts. Somehow when we package our thoughts into words, the words no longer re-create our thoughts when they are heard by the listener. This confusion affected even Hebrew.

 

Now, let’s look at the tongue that helps to form speech.

 

There are two covenantal parts of the body:

 

   1. “Brit HaLashon”, the covenant of the tongue.

2. “Brit Milah”, the covenant of circumcision.

 

Sepher Yetzirah confirms this:

 

The Sepher Yetzirah 1:3. Ten Sefirot of Nothingness: The number of the ten fingers, five opposite five, with a single covenant precisely in the middle, like the circumcision of the tongue and the circumcision of the membrum.

 

The Brit Milah, the male organ, is used to bring a soul down from the upper world and clothe it in a physical body. The father’s sperm, a mother’s egg, and HaShem, all work together to draw a soul down from the upper world. This soul is then given a physical body with which to elevate itself by performing the will of HaShem.

 

The Brit HaLashon, the tongue, is used to bring the soul, in a physical body, into the Olam HaBa, the world to come. A teacher’s words, a talmid’s ears to hear, and HaShem work together to lead a soul from this world into the next world, the Olam HaBa.

 

This is the complete understanding of what Abraham and Sarah did in Haran. At the Pshat level it means they brought children into the world. At the sod level they brought their talmidim into the Olam HaBa. This is what the Torah is saying:

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had made in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

 

Bearing children and bearing talmidim are both the same thing. One is in this world and the other is in the next world. The lower form of connection brings a body into the world, the higher form of connection brings a mind into the next world.

 

Daat is the central line that connects the right- and left-hand sides of the body. It runs through the central organs in the body. It runs through the Brit HaLashon (the tongue), and the Brit Mila (the organ of circumcision), the two male organs. These are the two organs that make fruit in the world. The Brit HaLashon we use to make talmidim (diciples), spiritual children, who will enter the Olam HaBa and the Brit Mila we use to make physical children.

 

In the lower world, physical sperm is used to draw a soul from the upper world and give that soul physical life.

 

In the lower world, non-physical words are used to draw a soul from the lower world and give that soul spiritual life.

 

Horiot 13a GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: If a man and his father and his teacher were in captivity he takes precedence over his teacher and his teacher takes precedence over his father, while his mother takes precedence over all of them.

 

The Talmud, in Horiot 13a, suggests that if one’s father and one’s teacher were both drowning, G-d forbid, a man is required to save his teacher first, unless his father also paid for the Torah teaching for his son. The logic for this is as follows:  A man’s father brought him into this world, but a teacher brings a man into the next world, the Olam HaBa.

 

The mouth is a place of connection, both physically between people, and spiritually. The mouth is used for three things: Speaking, eating, and kissing. If one organ is used for three things, then the three things must be the same. These three are used for connecting.

 

Speech is the vehicle that an infinite neshama^[51] shares its heart with a finite world. The most explicit intimate connection that can exist between two people is speech. Speech, which comes from the mouth, is capable of allowing another person, at some level, to understand what is in our soul. So, it is also with the infinite G-d and His finite world. HaShem spoke to man through the Keruvim^[52] in the Bet HaMikdash, which was where HaShem’s connection to the world is most manifest.

 

The place of circumcision is the medium through which man pours his physical life force into the universe, while the tongue is the medium through which man pours his thoughts and ideas into the world.

 

The life force in man is focused in three places, his intelligence, his organs of reproduction, and his heart. Two of these he has the obligation to circumcise. On the eighth day his parents circumcise his organ of reproduction. It is up to the parents to turn their child into a channel for HaShem's goodness to enter the world through proper training and education. If they do their job well, parents can correct this defect. It is up to the individual himself to circumcise his tongue, to employ his adult intelligence to open his eyes and ears to the positive in other people and in the world.

 

Now that we have some understanding of speech and the organ that forms speech, let’s take another view of the ‘deceitful tongue’.

 

Zephaniah 3:13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make [them] afraid.

 

Midrash Tanchuma Vayikra (Lev.) 14:1-32 5.5 Leviticus 14: 1ff., Part V Who can stand against them? And who will stand against them? Gehinnom? But Gehinnom also cries out: I am unable to stand against them. <Then> the Holy One said: I <will come at them> from above and you (Gehinnom), from below. I will hurl darts from above; and you will turn on them with burning coals from below. Thus, it is stated (in Ps. 120:3-4): <WHAT SHALL BE GIVEN TO YOU, AND WHAT SHALL BE YOUR GAIN, YOU DECEITFUL TONGUE?

 

Midrash Tehillim Psalms 120:2-4 In my distress I called unto the Lord ... Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue (Ps. 120:1-2). The children of Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Even as You have delivered us from all kinds of distress, deliver us from this one, and we will have no other distress, for lying lips—ín them is our distress. Hence it is said Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, etc.

 

Of all the organs of a man’s body, some are fixed in place and some have freedom of movement; his feet make him free to come and go, his hands make it possible for him to give and take. Only the tongue is neither fixed nor free. Being set inside it is isolated and hemmed in. And yet the tongue can smite the great and the small, the near and the far. It could smite all the more fatally, if it were outside a man’s body, or if like some other parts it could give and take, or if like the feet it were free to come and go.

 

III. What will it profit you, or what will be added unto you, you false tongue? (Ps. 120:3): What will your falseness profit you, or what good can it do you? The tongue sins, but not for its own advantage. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to the tongue: When a thief steals, he steals to eat. Though it is written You will not steal (Εx. 20:13), a thief will steal for the need of the moment, as it is said Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry (Prov. 6:30). And though it is written You will not commit adultery (Ex. 20:13), a man will commit adultery and for the moment satisfy his appetite, as is said He that commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he that does it destroys his own soul (Prov. 6.32). Though the adulterer destroys his own soul, yet for the moment he satisfies his lust. But you, O tongue, what good have you done yourself by your slaying? I will tell you, O evil/lawless tongue, how I am going to act towards you! Even as you did act towards the world from the beginning—as a serpent you spoke evil to Adam—so will I act towards you. You were also the serpent tongue of the wilderness, when, as it is written, The people spoke against God and against Moses (Num. 21:5). And how did the Lord act towards them? The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people (ibid. 21:6). Why serpents? Because it was a serpent that spoke evil/lawlessness, as is said They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; vipers’ venom is under their lips (Ps. 140:4). And so I made those evil-tongued children of Israel into the dust that I had decreed for the serpent: Dust will you eat (Gen. 3:14).

 

IV. What will it profit you, or what will be added unto you, you false tongue? (Ps. 120:3). The evil/lawless tongue is called “triple-slaying.” Why? Because it slays three: the one who owns it, the one who listens to it, and the one of whom it speaks. And so you find in the story of Doeg that it slew three. It slew Doeg himself, for he has no portion in the world-to-come; it slew Ahimelech the priest, for it is said And Nob the city of the priests [Doeg] smote with the edge of the sword (1 Sam. 22:19); it also slew Saul, who listened to it and accepted its words, for it is said So Saul died, and his three sons (ibid.) And the wicked/lawless kingdom (Rome) slays with its tongue as does a serpent, for it is said The voice thereof will go like a serpent (Jer. 46:22).

 

The tongue is like an arrow. Why? Because if a man takes his sword in hand to slay his fellow, who thereupon pleads with him and begs for mercy, the would-be slayer can repent and return the sword to its sheath. But an arrow—once the would-be slayer aims and lets it go; he cannot bring it back even if he wants to bring it back. Hence it is said Sharp are the arrows of the mighty, like coals of broom (Ps. 320:4), for a broom-shrub once set on fire makes coals that cannot be extinguished.

 

Once it happened that two men going through the wilderness sat down under a broom-shrub, gathered some fallen twigs of the broom, broiled for themselves what they wanted to eat, and ate their victuals. A year later when they came back into the wilderness to the place of the broom-shrub and found the ashes of the fire which they had kindled, they said: “It is now twelve months since we came through here and ate in this place.” Thereupon they raked up the ashes, and as they walked over them, their feet were burnt by the coals under the ashes, for they were still unextinguished. Hence the evil tongue is said to be like coals of broom, as in the verse Sharp are the arrows of the mighty, like coals of broom (Ps. 120:4).

 

A wicked/lawless man can slay other men with his tongue. Like an arrow which a man is unaware of until it reaches him, so is the evil tongue. A man is unaware of it until its arrows from the kingdom of Esau come suddenly upon him. A man remains unaware of it until suddenly a sentence of death or imprisonment is released against him. For while the man is given over to his own affairs, the scribes libel him wherever he may be and so slay him. Hence it is said Sharp are the arrows of the mighty. Thus Moses said to Israel: You will not be afraid of the terror by night (Ps. 91:5)—that is, of the terror of the kingdom of Esau; and he went on to say, Nor of the arrow that flies by day (ibid.)—that is, the arrow of the scribes of Esau. Hence it is said Sharp are the arrows of the mighty.

 

Think about the tongue and how it is supposed to be used. Now imagine the penalty for its misuse. That should be a very sobering thought.

 

Ashlamatah: Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 56:1-9 + 57:19

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary on Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 56:1-9 + 57:19

 

Chapter 56

 

2 who will do this who observes the Sabbath, etc.

 

3 “The Lord will surely separate me from His people,” Why should I become converted? Will not the Holy One, blessed be He, separate me from His people when He pays their reward.

 

Let not the eunuch say Why should I better my ways and my deeds? I am like a withered tree, for lack of remembrance.

 

4 and hold fast Heb. וּמַחֲזִיקִים , and hold fast.

 

7 for all peoples Not only for Israel, but also for the proselytes.

 

8 I will yet gather of the heathens ([Mss. and K’li Paz:] of the nations) who will convert and join them.

 

(together with his gathered ones In addition to the gathered ones of Israel.)

 

9 All the beasts of the field All the proselytes of the heathens ([Mss. and K’li Paz:] All the nations) come and draw near to Me, and you shall devour all the beasts in the forest, the mighty of the heathens ([Mss. and K’li Paz:] the mighty of the nations) who hardened their heart and refrained from converting.

 

the beasts of the field [The beast of the field is not as strong as the beast of the forest.] The beast of the field is weaker and of weaker strength than the beast of the forest. Since he stated, “I will yet gather others to him,” he stated this verse.

 

10 His lookouts are all blind Since he said, “Seek the Lord,” and the entire section, and they do not heed, he returns and says, Behold the prophets cry out to them ([Mss.:] to you) and announce concerning repentance, so that it will be good for them. Yet their leaders are all like blind men, and they do not see the results, like a lookout appointed to see the approaching army, to warn the people, but he is blind, unable to see whether the army is coming, and dumb, unable to warn the people, like a dog that was appointed to guard the house, but he is dumb, unable to bark. Similarly, the leaders of Israel do not warn them to repent to do good.

 

they lie slumbering Heb. הֽזִים . Dunash (Teshuvoth Dunash p. 24) explained: lying sound asleep, and Jonathan rendered: lying slumbering, and there is no comparable word in Scripture.

 

11 And the dogs are of greedy disposition wanting to fill their stomachs [engrote talent in O.F.], sick with hunger.

 

and they are shepherds Just as the dogs know no satiety, neither do the shepherds know to understand what will occur at the end of days. they all turned to the way of their benefit, each one to his gain, to rob the rest of the people over whom they are appointed.

 

every last one Heb. מִקָּצֵהוּ , [lit. from its end.] Comp. (Gen. 19:4) “all the people from the end (מִקָּצֶה) ,” from one end of their number until its other end, they all behave in this manner.

 

12 Come, I will take wine So would they say to one another.

 

and tomorrow shall be like this with feasting and drinking.

 

Chapter 57

 

1 The righteous/generous man such as Josiah.

 

but no one takes it to heart why he departed.

 

with no one understanding what the Holy One, blessed be He, saw to take him away.

 

that because of the evil destined to befall the generation, the righteous man perished.

 

2 He shall come in peace for so says the Holy One, blessed be He, Let this righteous man come to his forefathers in peace, and let him not see the evil.

 

they shall rest in their resting place when the evil occurs, he who was walking נְכֽחוֹ , in his uprightness. Comp. (Amos 3:10) “To act rightly (נְכֽחָה) .”

 

3 And you, draw near hither The survivors after the righteous have departed, and receive your sentences.

 

children of sorcery Heb. עֽנְנָה בְּנֵי , children of sorcery.

 

children who commit adultery That the male commits adultery.

 

and played the whore the female.

 

4 On whom will you [rely to] enjoy yourselves Since you have turned away from following Me, on whom will you rely to enjoy yourselves with good. Had you merited, you would then enjoy yourselves with the Lord, but now, on whom will you rely to enjoy yourselves?

 

against whom do you open your mouth wide when you scorned and mocked His prophets.

 

5 You who inflame yourselves among the terebinths Who stimulate themselves with semen under the אֵלִים , they are the terebinth and the oak.

 

who slaughter the children for a sacrifice to the idols.

 

clefts Heb. סְעִפֵי , the clefts of the rocks. Comp. (Jud. 15:11) “to the cleft (סְעִיף) of the rock.”

 

6 Of the smooth [stones] of the valley [Lit. of the smooth ones of the valley, i.e.,] among the smooth stones that are in the valley.

 

your portion With them they will stone you.

 

they, they are your lot to be saddened with them. Why? For to them too you have poured out libations.

 

in the face of these shall I relent from doing harm to you?

 

7 you placed your couch The couch of your adultery to idolatry on the high mountains.

 

8 And behind the door and the doorpost you have directed your thoughts Since he compares her to an adulterous woman, for whom her paramours look and wait before the door of her house, while she, lying beside her husband, directs her heart and her thoughts to the door and the doorpost, how she will open the door and come out to them.

 

for while with Me, you uncovered [us] and went up You were lying beside Me, and you removed the cover with which we were covered together, and you went up from beside Me.

 

you widened your couch to accommodate many adulterers.

 

and made for yourself a covenant with them.

 

you loved their couch when you chose for yourself יָד , a place, to demonstrate to them your love.

 

a place Heb. יָד , aise or ajjse in O.F., a side. Comp. (II Sam. 14:30) “See Joab’s field is near mine (עַל יָדִי) .”

 

9 And you brought a gift to the king with oil Heb. וַתָּשֻׁרִי . Originally, I aggrandized you, and you would greet your king with all sorts of delights. וַתָּשֻׁרִי is an expression of an audience. Comp. (Num. 24:17) “I see him (אֲשׁוּרֶנוּ) but he is not near.” [Also] (I Sam. 9:7), “And there is no present (תְּשׁוּרָה) to bring,” [i.e.,] a gift for an audience.

 

and you sent your ambassadors Your messenger afar to collect tribute from the heathen kings. ([Manuscripts and K’li Paz read:] the kings of the nations.)

 

and you humbled the laws of the heathens (of the nations [Mss. and K’li Paz]) to the grave. Jonathan rendered it in this manner.

 

10 With the length of your way you became wearied You engaged in your necessities, in the filling of your lust, to increase your wealth.

 

you did not say, “Despair.” I will despair of these and I will no longer care to engage in them, but I will pay my attention to Torah and precepts.

 

The power of your hand you found Heb. חַיַּת , the necessity of your hand you have found; you have succeeded in your deeds.

 

therefore, you were not stricken ill Your heart was not stricken ill to worry about My service, to engage in the Torah. חַיַּת is an Arabic word, meaning necessity.

 

11 And whom did you dread Of whom were you afraid?

 

that you failed Heb. תְּכַזֵּבִי , that you ceased to worship Me and you betrayed Me. Comp. (infra 58:11) “Whose water shall not fail (יְכַזְּבוּ) .” Comp. also (Psalms 116:11) “Every man is a traitor (כּֽזֵב) .” Falajjnc in O.F., to fail. Likewise, every expression of כָּזָב means one upon whom people rely, and he fails and betrays them. Indeed, I am silent I kept silent in the face of many transgressions that you transgressed against Me.

 

12 I tell your righteousness Constantly, I tell you things to do, so that you will be righteous/generous.

 

and your deeds that you do against My will shall not avail you at the time of your distress.

 

13 When you cry out, let your collections save you Let the collection of your idols and your graven images [and those who deny the Torah] that you collected, rise and save you when you cry out from your distress. Indeed, wind will carry all of them off, and they will not rise, neither will they be able to save.

 

14 And he shall say, “Pave, pave” So will the prophet say in My name to My people, “Pave, pave a paved highway, clear away the evil inclination from your ways.”

 

remove the obstacle Remove the stones upon which your feet stumble; they are wicked thoughts.

 

15 “With the lofty and the holy ones” I dwell, and thence I am with the crushed and the humble in spirit, upon whom I lower My Presence.

 

humble...crushed Suffering from poverty and illnesses.

 

16 For I will not contend forever If I bring afflictions upon a person, My contention with him is not for a long time, neither is My anger forever.

 

when a spirit from before Me humbles itself Heb. יַעֲטוֹף . When the spirit of man, which is from before Me, humbles itself, confesses and humbles itself because of its betrayal. Comp. (Lam. 2:19) “humbled (הָעֲטוּפִים) with hunger,” “when the small child and the suckling are humbled (בֵּעָטֵף) .” And the souls which I made.

 

when a spirit from before Me Heb. כִּי . This instance of the word כִּי is used as an expression of “when.” Comp. (infra 58:7) “When you see (כִּי תִרְאֶה) ”; (Deut. 26:1) “When you come (כִּי תָבוֹא) .” That is to say, when his spirit is humbled, and he is humbled, I terminate My quarrel and My anger from upon him.

 

17 For the iniquity of his thievery Heb. בִּצְעוֹ , his thievery.

 

I became wroth at the beginning and I smote him, always hiding My face from his distress and I was wroth for he went rebelliously in the way of his heart. Transpose the verse and explain it thus: For the iniquity of his thievery and the fact that he went rebelliously in the way of his heart, I became wroth and smote him.

 

18 I saw his ways when he humbled himself before Me, when troubles befell him.

 

and I will heal him, and I will lead him Heb. וְאַנְחֵהוּ . I will lead him in the way of healing. Alternatively, וְאַנְחֵהוּ is an expression of rest and tranquility.

 

him and his mourners to those who are troubled over him.

 

19 [I] create the speech of the lips I create for him a new manner of speech. In contrast to the trouble that befell him, and everyone was degrading him, they will call, “Peace, peace.”

 

to the far and to the near Both are equal; he who aged and was accustomed to My Torah and My worship from his youth, and he who drew near now, just recently to repent of his evil way. Said the Lord, “I will heal him of his malady and of his sins.”

 

20 But the wicked who do not give a thought to repent.

 

like the turbulent sea This sea its waves raise themselves high and strive to go out of the boundary of sand that I made as a boundary for the sea, and when it reaches there, against its will it breaks. The next wave sees all this, yet does not turn back. Similarly, the wicked man sees his friend being punished for his wickedness; yet he does not turn back. Also, just as the sea has its mud and its offensive matter on its mouth, [i.e., on its surface,] so do the wicked have their offensive matter in their mouth; e.g., Pharaoh said, (Exodus 5:2) “Who is the Lord?” Sennacherib said (supra 36:20), “Who are they among all the Gods of the lands...?” Nebuchadnezzar said, (supra 14:14) “I will liken myself to the Most High.”

 

like the turbulent sea Like the sea, which is turbulent, that casts up all day mud and dirt.

 

21 There is no peace In contrast to what he said to the righteous and the repentant, “Peace, peace to the far, etc.,” he returned and said, “There is no peace for the wicked.”

 

Commentary on the Ashlamatah of (Yeshayah) Isaiah 56:1-9 & 57:19.

By: H.Ex. Adon Shlomoh Ben Abraham

 

Isaiah proclaimed his message in approximately 742- 687 B.C.E. These are the critical years when the Northern kingdom was exiled to Babylon, the Assyrian Empire. It is generally accepted that chapters 40 – 66 deal with the time of Cyrus of Persia, about 539 B.C.E.[53] The background to chapters 56 and 57 is generally believed to have addressed the people post-exile. Historically, it has been said that the people of Israel were operating under the false belief that they were accepted by God simply because of their birthright and that righteous behavior does not really matter. This conclusion might be drawn from their deliverance from Babylon; they didn't have to become righteous for God to deliver them; it was simply a sentence (exile) of time. Therefore, they erroneously concluded that it didn't matter how you lived. However, others were troubled that the return to the land had not produced any real change in the people's overall behavior. In modern day, post Holocaust and World War II, many Jewish people, after experiencing the atrocities there, were still troubled by this question. Some changed their behavior, and others concluded that if God was going to treat him that way, they wouldn't have anything to do with him, and currently in our day, we see a large number of Jewish people in the world who are not observant or even religious. Many people, when coming to a crossroad and their life spirals out of their control, blame God, and instead of doubling down on their effort to follow his instructions, they simply walk away. The question now is, why do some people continue to follow him and others, as it were, curse him and walk away? I suggest it’s part of the refining process, and until a person has purified their heart to a certain extent and has developed a certain relationship with their father, the easy path is to take the way of the prodigal son. Or using a martial metaphor, the relationship has begun to blossom, but something happens, rebellion and opposition to a deeper relationship, and without much conversation, one party decides to end it and walk away without any good acceptable reason. In their spiritual immaturity, they self-abort before they can be birthed to a higher reality. Or maybe a vessel of darkness not prepared to receive the light can do nothing else but flee the presence of that light.

 

The further one reads in chapters 40–66, the more one finds a tendency away from concrete language that reflects the situation of the Babylonian exiles and toward a phrasing that could apply to any historical era. Also noteworthy is the plea that people abandon sinful behavior, which is absent in the first division of Isaiah’s work (40–48) but increasingly common in the second and third divisions (49–57, 58–66).^[54] Isaiah 56:1-8, believed to have been written at a later time, seems to radically expand the boundaries for being included among God’s people. In the development of the book of Isaiah, we begin to see the text synthesize and juxtapose ideals about human action and God's divine action. From the beginning of our text, people are urged to do what is right (from the beginning of Isaiah 1:17) because God’s salvation (spiritual deliverance and physical protection) will come soon^.

 

In the previous chapter, HaShem tells the people that he is trustworthy and faithful, and My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, except it water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, and give seed to the Sower and bread to the eater; So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, except it accomplish that which I please, and make the thing whereto I sent it prosper.^[55] (55:8-11) Then, the exhortation to leave Babylon and return to your secure home. Today, this text is still just as relevant to each of us. We have left Babylon and are on our journey home; we have not arrived as of yet, but we suspect Messiah will be waiting when our train pulls into the station.

 

Thus, saith the Lord: Keep ye justice and do righteousness; for My salvation is near to come. The Hebrew word tsedeq/tsedaqah, which is normally translated “righteousness,” appears twice in (56:1). The first time, it refers to proper human behavior: “do what is right.” The second time, it refers to divine liberation “my deliverance/salvation (to) be revealed.” The Hebrew word can mean both; its range of meaning includes the state of being right and the result of right action.[56] These two connotations of tsedeq/tsedaqah[57] roughly correspond to how the term is used respectively in the different sections of the book, Isaiah 1-39 and Isaiah 40-55. In its First usage, it often refers to the proper treatment of others, which is God’s fundamental expectation for humans. With this meaning, it’s often paired with the word “justice” (Hebrew mishpat), just like it is in the first half of Isaiah 56:1. Unfortunately, Israel and Judah fail to meet God’s demands: This failure ultimately leads to the demise of the two kingdoms. In the second usage, tsedeq/tsedaqah typically refers to God’s promised deliverance of the Judean exiles in Babylon. As in the second half of Isaiah 56:1, it’s frequently paired with “salvation” (Hebrew yeshu’ah or teshu’ah; see 45:8; 46:13; 51:5-6, 8). We are told that soon my salvation will come, or it is near. (v.1) Malbim says the 613 commandments were condensed into these two commandments: observe justice and perform righteousness.[58] This aligns with Yeshua’s statement in Matthew 24:37.

 

The prophet Isaiah addresses the role and the importance of observance of the law, and in particular, the Sabbath commandments, which play an important part in forming the Jewish identity. It brings happiness to the man doing so and to the ‘son of the man’ following this way. Blessed (is) the man—Hebrew, enosh, ‘a man in humble life,’ in contrast to Hebrew, ish, ‘one of high rank. Even the humblest, as “the stranger” and “the eunuch” (v. 4, 6), are admissible to these privileges. the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it—what follows: ‘keeping the Sabbath,’ (58:13, 14; Ezek. 20:12). A proof that the Sabbath, in the spirit of its obligation, was to be binding [for all generations]. (66:23).^[59] The prophet here addresses the one thing that has formed Jewish Identity (v.2) and then shifts his attention to the foreigners and their becoming part of the community.

 

Here we see the idea of the “sons of man” – the Ben Adam, who joins with the Jews in finding happiness in keeping justice and doing righteousness. Abarbanel says the term man אֱנוֹשׁ ʾenôš, applies to both Jews and gentiles.[60] This understanding is also put forth in that man and son of man, although two different words, are just generally representative of all humankind, although some think the former (enos) represents an Israeli, a Jew, and the latter (adam) a Gentile. “Ben Adam” is synonymous with Adam (unqualified in the sense of humanity). This reasoning goes on to say this is to prepare the listener/reader for the introduction of the proselytes of the latter verses. It would seem to me there is no reason to input different classifications of man in this second verse. What does seem clear is that in some way and at some point, in time, all of the human family will be gathered to the same place in the worship of HaShem.

 

Neither let the aliens, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying: ‘The Lord will surely separate me from His people’; neither let the eunuch say: ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ The dry tree is a euphemism for someone who cannot or does not have children. “The alien is a foreigner, ben nēkhār. [The word is far wider than others used of aliens.] It covers everything of alien or foreign character regardless of the place of residence. By circumcision, a foreign slave could enter into the covenant with Abraham. Foreigners were, of course, excluded from the Passover (Ex 12:43), but could offer sacrifices to Israel’s God at the religious capital (Lev 22:25). The Israelite could exact interest from them (Deut 23:20) and the payment of debts in cases where an Israelite debtor was protected by the release of (Deut. 15) (v. 3). Moses forbade the appointment of a foreigner as a ruler (Deut 17:15, in a law which according to MT [61] relates to a “king,” but in the text of LXX [62] to a (ruler generally). Later, the worship of God by foreigners from a distance was contemplated and encouraged (1 K 8:41–43; Isa 2:2f; 56:3, 6f), while the case of Naaman shows that a foreigner might worship Him abroad (2 K 5:17). A resident foreigner was, of course, a gēr. The distinction between these three words is perhaps best seen in Ex 12:43, 45, 48f. In the first of these verses we have ben nēkhār, used to cover “alien” generally;(not able to eat of the Passover) in the last the gēr is contemplated as likely to undergo a complete naturalization;( a convert, but if he sojourn(ya-gur) with you and would like to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised) while in (v.45) the tōshābh (the toshabh is in the neighborhood, but) is regarded as certain to be outside the religious society.^[63]

 

Our text focuses in particular on the Sabbath. The prophet addresses feelings of exclusion among these groups, eunuchs, foreigners, or proselytes, emphasizing that Torah observance renders them members of the community if they honor the Sabbath and pursue justice and righteousness. Deuteronomy further excludes the Ammonites and Moabites, excluding them from the assembly of HaShem even to the tenth generation, while the children of the third generation of Edomites and Egyptians could enter it (Deut. 23:3–8). From 1 Kings 9:20, 21, 24; 1 Chronicles 22:2, we learn of the existence of foreign quarters in Israel.^[64] Leviticus 25:39-40 also shows different categories of people in the land of Israel.

 

While the children of Israel were in exile, much of the law would not have been possible to observe. The sacrifices had ceased, and the temple was destroyed. The ceremonial laws that were associated with the temple had been suspended. In our parsha, the sabbath is addressed, but one would think that, as slaves in a foreign land, the Jews would not have been able to cease from all labor one day out of seven. However, one would think that the spirit of the law could be kept by devoting as much of the day and their thoughts to religious observance, prayer, Torah study, and meditation on the things of Hashem, to whatever extent possible. We all experience this, working with our hands while contemplating torah.

 

During the exile in Babylon and the return to Zion, some foreigners became attracted to the monotheism of the Judeans and the worship of the God of Israel. While in exile in Babylon, they were able to befriend some of their new neighbors, and just as in the first exile from Egypt, some Gentiles followed them home. These Gentiles who were learning of the God of Israel would have to find their place in the Israelite and Jewish society in Jerusalem. The worship system of Israel, which was centered in the temple, had been destroyed and would need to be reestablished. Ezra and Nehemiah, along with Isaiah, emphasized the particularism of the Jewish faith. Inevitably, it was just a matter of time till some who lived in the land would feel excluded; and, of course, passages like Deuteronomy 23:1-8 banned eunuchs and some foreigners from participation in the worship system.^[65] As these non-Jews mixed with the Judean population in the land of Israel, they were reassured they would have a part in God’s promises in the future restoration.

 

The exile had created a situation where some Israelites became or felt excluded from the congregation. Why were the eunuchs singled out here, in our passage? Did they think, due to circumstances beyond their control, while in exile, Hashem would separate them out from among his people, greater Israel? In 2 Kings 20:18, Isaiah had told Hezekiah that a certain number of his sons would serve as eunuchs^[66] in the royal palace. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were mentioned as such people. (Danl 1:3-6) This raises the question of the status of the aforementioned Israelites. Not all people in government service were considered unique, but some were, and this excluded them from congregational worship. (Deut. 23:1)

 

This topic, along with a few others, created a new situation that receives a great deal of attention in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, questioning what we do with these Gentiles turning to God? A question that must be dealt with in a practical way. Isaiah reassures the people that reward is for all who keep justice, righteousness, and observance of the Sabbath, irrespective of whether they are Israelites, eunuchs, foreigners, or proselytes.^[67] Thus, foreigners are to become members of the community as well and partake of Israel's blessings, as we see in (vv. 6–7). Isaiah lays side by side in our opening few verses the need to have ethical actions and building their observance around the guarding of and giving honor to, and not ‘trampling’ with your foot, pursuing your business and your desires on God's seventh-day Sabbath. If thou turn away thy foot because of the sabbath, from pursuing thy business on My holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, and the holy of the Lord honorable; and shalt honor it, not doing thy wonted ways, nor pursuing thy business, nor speaking thereof; Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will make thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.^[68] (58:13–14).

 

The eunuch must have been questioning God's justice, saying: ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ I will never have children; therefore, how can I receive the blessing given to other members of the Israelite community? Does my reward end with my life? For thus saith the Lord concerning the eunuchs that keep My sabbaths, and choose the things that please Me, and hold fast by My covenant: Even unto them will I give in My house and within My walls a monument and a memorial better than sons and daughters. God, through the Prophet, reassures the eunuchs and those in the group mentioned that if they honor him, in the future, He will honor them. This makes one think that, in the context of time this was addressed, the question was raised in association with the kingdom of Israel being set up. What are we to do with these people, the text of Torah excluded from our community worship? Is this a subtle indication that the children of Israel, upon return from the Babylonian exile, thought the kingdom was about to be restored? We see a picture of the same in the Nazarene writings, and now two thousand years later, with the coming end of this third exile, I would think we should be seeing the same.

 

In the next pericope (56:3–7), God assures all who hold fast to the covenant that they will be accepted and included with all the other people who come to worship God at the temple. These two groups mentioned, the son of a foreigner and the eunuch (60:3–10; 61:5). At that future time, they will join themselves with the Israelites, just like the Egyptians who came up out of Egypt with the Israelites. (Exo. 12:38, 48–49); Rahab, who lived in the Canaanite city of Jericho (Josh 2:8–13; 6:17, 25); Ruth, the Moabite woman who married Boaz (Ruth 2:10); Uriah the Hittite (2 Sam 11:11), and a host of others in the past (1 Kgs 8:41) and the future (Isa 14:1; 60:3–11). In Numbers 15:13-15, it shows that an alien who places his trust in God could offer sacrifices and that “you and the alien shall be the same before the Lord.” Our context here is one rule for everyone when it pertains to sacrifices. It must be pointed out that in this parsha, all of every nation can come to HaShem and observe his ways and commandments, but not all were able to marry an Israelite woman.

 

On the other hand, it seems other aliens were separated from the Israelites and treated differently, but lived in the community, when it came to the rules for eating animals. (Deut 14:21; 15:3). This is most likely to include the heathen living among the Israelites who did not convert and may have been in the class of Ben Noah. We can see in our parsha that there were questions as to what we must do to be rewarded or not be excluded. Some commentators think that some Gentiles feared they might be excluded from temple worship, but the tone of the rest of Isaiah is very positive toward foreigners who turn to God. While one might be able to think of a possible reason why some foreigners might think the Israelites would exclude them from worship, it is hard to conceive of a reason for them to fear that the Lord himself “will surely exclude, separate” them from being an integral part of his people. Yet they expressed this real fear of exclusion. Were they misunderstanding a piece of Torah teaching?

 

In (v.7), we hear the refrain again of King Solomon when he dedicated the temple. (1 Kings 7) Requesting that the temple would become a house of prayer for all peoples. Surely Solomon had this (v.8) idea in view, along with Isaiah, when they spoke prophetically of both exiled Israel that would be brought to the temple and ‘yet others’ also in the end-time restoration of all the tribes back to the land. The Prophet gives us God's message that those who join themselves to Hashem, and put their trust in Him, will have a portion in the earth and will inherit My Holy Mountain. (57:13-21) In context, chapter 57 speaks to Israel, but Israel's mission is to bring this message to the greater gentile world. It's interesting to note that in (56:7-8) we have a temple for all nations called the House of prayer. First Samuel 7, at Solomon's dedication of the temple, he sacrificed hundreds, if not thousands, of sheep, goats, and other animals, but his prayer says nothing about the temple as a place of sacrifice; it’s only mentioned as a place of prayer. Does that mean it’s exclusive to the one at the exclusion of the other?

 

When the righteous are taken from the world prematurely, it serves two purposes. 1) It benefits the Tzaddik so that he should not see the suffering of his generation; and 2) It benefits the survivors as a catalyst for their repentance. Radak told us that the Tzaddik themselves are not deprived because their soul ascends to the higher spiritual world, where they enjoy the presence of the Shechinah.^[69] Hashem’s desire is not to destroy mankind, but through his love and discipline, transform them into the image of his Son (Adam) as before the fall. Hashem has anchored his promise of salvation and restoration in his own might and mercy. Although God is high and lifted up, he remembers and is with those who dwell on the earth and walk in a humble and contrite spirit. Rashi said the soul is a gift from God, and when it becomes subservient to Hashem's will and confesses its sin, His anger ceases.^[70] Rashi goes on to teach that regardless of the time when the rebellious sinner repents, Hashem sees it and forgives and heals him.

 

In Isaiah 57:18-19, God gives mankind a glimpse into his future if they will but keep justice, follow righteousness, and put their trust in Hashem. I have seen his ways and will heal him; I will lead him also and requite with comforts him and his mourners. Peace, peace, to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord that creates the fruit of the lips; and I will heal him. It is interesting to note the use of the pronoun ‘him’, which is used five times here to refer to Israel and to each individual in that group, reaffirming that Hashem is watching, “I have seen his ways… I will heal him…. I will lead him… restore comfort to him, to the far and the near… Peace, Peace…. I will heal him.” The children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are considered one collective unit, and Hashem has promised that one day, that man-child shall be born. In context, this speaks of restoring Israel, but in the greater context of all of humanity, these five statements speak of the father's attention to all of his prodigal and wayward children.

 

In Isaiah’s day, a righteous person lived according to God’s Law, an expression of His righteous standards. Keeping, observing, and honoring the Sabbath was important under the Law (Ex. 20:8–11), for a person not to engage in agricultural or business pursuits on that day, thereby acknowledging that he believed God would take care of him and bless him. Since the Sabbath was a sign of Israel’s covenant with God, keeping the Sabbath signified that a person believed in the covenant and the LORD GOD of that covenant. The Sabbath also pointed people back to the beginning, and that Hashem was the creator of all, and not only pointing back to the beginning, but it also points to the coming day of complete salvation and redemption. The time between now and then, we are to “keep justice and do righteousness”, “keep (שָׁמַר šāmar)[71] the Sabbath”, to “keep our hand from doing evil”, “choose the things that please HaShem,” and “to hold fast my covenant.” Keeping the Sabbaths and obeying God’s covenant stipulations would demonstrate the people's loyalty to HaShem. In fact, by their obedience, they will be memorialized forever (v.5). The prophet Isaiah had been commissioned by HaShem to deliver a message and to communicate or impart the message of the promise to the whole house of Israel, both those from afar and those who are nearby. Salvation and restoration are on the way, and HaShem’s righteousness will be revealed. As we await our King, our part is to keep “Justice and do righteousness”. (Isa. 56:1-8) May it come speedily and in our days.

 

Verbal Tallies

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18 – 18:19

Tehillim (Psalms) 119:153-176 + 120:1-122:9

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 56:1-9 + 57:19

 

Looking at the Hebrew of Deuteronomy 16:18 and Isaiah 56:1, what is the verbal tally (all root words) that connects these two passages?

 

The common verbal connection between Deuteronomy 16:18 and Isaiah 56:1 lies in the dual demand for justice and righteousness. The Hebrew words are built upon the same two root words.

 

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18 You shall set up judges and law enforcement officials for yourself in all your cities that the Lord, your God, is giving you, for your tribes, and they shall judge the people [with] righteous (Tzedek, H6664) judgment (Mishpat, H4941)  .

 

“You shall appoint magistrates and officials  (Shoftim, H8199) and  for your tribes, in all the settlements that the LORD your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due  .”

 

Root Words in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18

1. Justice/Judgment:  (Mishpat, H4941).

Root:  (Shafat, H8199) - to judge, govern.

2. Righteousness/Just:  (Tzedek, H6664).

Root:  (Tzadeq, H6662) - to be just, be righteous.

 

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 56:1  So says the Lord, "Keep justice (Mishpat, H4941) and practice righteousness (Tzedakah, H6666), for My salvation is near to come, and My benevolence to be revealed."

 

Root Words in Is 56:1

1. Justice/Judgment:  (Mishpat, H4941).

Root:  (Shafat, H8199) - to judge, govern.

2. Righteousness/Just:  (Tzedakah, H6666).

Root:  (Tzadeq, H6662) - to be just, be righteous.

 

Verbal Tally (Connecting Root Words)

 

The two passages are connected by the shared mandate to embody the principles of justice/judgment and righteousness.

 

(Note:  (H8199) appears directly in Dt 16:18 as the verb  ("and they shall judge") and as the root of the noun  (H4941) in both passages.  (H6662) is the root for the noun  (H6664) in Dt 16:18 and  (H6666) in Is 56:1.)

 

* * *

 

What is the thematic connection(s) between Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18 – 18:19, and Tehillim (Psalms) 119:153-176 + 120:1-122:9?

 

The thematic connections between Deuteronomy 16:18–18:19 and Psalms 119:153–176 + 120:1–122:9 are rooted in the concepts of Righteous Authority, Fidelity to Divine Law, and the attainment of Peace through Obedience.

 

1.      Righteous Governance and Justice ( - Mishpat)

 

Deuteronomy (The Mandate): This section is foundational for Israel's judicial and political structure. It mandates the appointment of honest judges and officials who must administer "justice, justice" (/Tzedek) without partiality (Deut 16:20) and warns against accepting bribes. It lays the groundwork for a righteous society governed by divine law.

 

Psalms 119 (The Plea): The Psalmist constantly appeals to HaShem, asking to be judged and redeemed according to His righteous ordinances and judgments (), trusting that HaShem will ultimately judge his oppressors (Ps 119:156). He holds HaShem's standard of justice as the model for his own redemption.

 

2. Divine Authority and The Prophetic Word

 

Deuteronomy (The Source of Truth): This passage explicitly forbids seeking guidance through pagan practices like divination, sorcery, and necromancy (Deut 18:9-14). Instead, the people are commanded to listen only to the Prophet whom HaShem will raise up in the future (Deut 18:15–19), establishing the exclusive authority of HaShem's direct word.

 

Psalms 119 (The Embrace of Truth): The Psalmist declares his deep love for the Torah (HaShem's instruction/word) as the only true path (Ps 119:163). He trusts HaShem's testimonies (Ps 119:157) and uses them to acquire understanding, ensuring he walks a path far from falsehood and deceit—the very practices forbidden in Deuteronomy.

 

2.      Security, Deliverance, and Peace ( - Shalom)

 

Deuteronomy (The Foundation for Peace): The entire governance structure—from the judges to the king to the priests—is established to maintain internal covenantal peace and stability within the land, ensuring the people thrive under HaShem's rule.

 

Psalms 120-122 (The Realization of Peace): These Psalms directly express the longing for peace (). The Psalmist asks for deliverance from those who speak "false tongues" (Ps 120:2) and finds security only in HaShem ("My help comes from the LORD," Ps 121:2). The culmination is the prayer for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps 122:6)—the city where the righteous judgment mandated in Deuteronomy is meant to be perfectly administered.

 

* * *

 

The connection between the Torah seder and the Ashlamata, though seemingly strictly verbal, is in addition eschatological.  The messianic kingdom, rather than the related contents of the Torah lesson, is the dominant theme of the Ashlamata.

 

What is the eschatological message of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 56:1-9 + 57:19?

 

The eschatological message of Isaiah 56:1–9 and 57:19 is a promise of universal inclusion and total peace in the era of redemption, conditioned on moral righteousness and observance of the Torah.

 

1. Universal Inclusion and Equal Status (Isaiah 56:3–8)

 

The main eschatological theme is the radical expansion of HaShem's people in the Messianic era.

 

Breaking Barriers: The prophecy explicitly rejects the traditional exclusion of the foreigner and the eunuch, groups historically restricted from full participation in the Temple assembly (Deut 23:2–4).

 

Conditions for Inclusion: The key is not birthright but active adherence to the covenant: keeping the Sabbath, choosing what pleases HaShem, and holding fast to His covenant (Is 56:4–6).

 

The House of Prayer: The ultimate vision is that the Temple on the "holy mountain" will become a "house of prayer for all nations", meaning the sacrificial and prayer services of all righteous gentiles will be accepted by HaShem (Is 56:7).

 

Final Ingathering: The prophecy concludes with HaShem promising to gather the outcasts of Israel, and then to "gather others besides those already gathered" (Is 56:8), referring to the ultimate ingathering of all peoples to HaShem.

 

2. Universal Peace and Healing (Isaiah 56:1, 57:19)

 

The imminent arrival of HaShem's salvation is linked to a promise of comprehensive peace.

 

The Mandate: The precondition for this salvation is human action: "Keep justice, and do righteousness" (Is 56:1).

 

Peace to All: HaShem proclaims "Peace, peace, to him that is far off, and to him that is near" (Is 57:19). Jewish commentators interpret "far off" as referring to the penitent sinner who was distant from HaShem, or potentially the nations (Gentiles), and "near" as the righteous who were already close to HaShem (Kimchi).

 

Healing: The peace is coupled with a promise of healing, signifying complete spiritual and physical restoration for all who seek HaShem and turn to Him.

 

Nazarean Talmud

Sidra of D’varim (Deuteronomy) 16:18 – 18:19

 “Sabbath “Shof’tim V’Shot’rim” - “Judges and Officers”

By: Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

School of Hakham Shaul’s Tosefta Luqas (LK)

School of Hakham Tsefet’s Peshat Mordechai (Mk) והם הובילו את ישוע

And the men who were holding[72] him began to ridicule[73] him while they beat[74] him, and after blindfolding him, they repeatedly asked him, saying, “Prophesy![75] Who is the one who struck you?” And they were saying many other things against him, reviling him. And when day came, the council of Zekanim of the Tz’dukim (Sadducees) of the people gathered, both Kohen HaGadol and their soferim, and they led him away to their council,[76] saying, “If you are the Messiah, tell us!” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will never faithfully obey, and if I ask you, you will never answer! But from now on the Son of Man (the Prophet)[77] will occupy the office[78] of a plenipotentiary agent (Shiliach - Apostle, right hand) of  God’s authority.” So they all said, “Are you then the Ben HaElohim?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” And they said, “Why do we have need of further testimony? For we ourselves have heard it from his mouth!”

And the Kohen Gadol and all the assembly (of the Tz’dukim) sought for testimony against Yeshua, to put him to death: but they could not find one. For many testified falsely against him, but their testimonies did not agree. And some false witnesses stood up against him, and said: We have heard him say, “I will destroy this temple, which is made with hands; and in three days I will build another not made with hands.” But even on this, they disagreed. And the Kohen Gadol stood up before them, and interrogated Yeshua and said, “Do you not have an answer? Why do these testify against you?” And Yeshua kept silent and made no reply. Again, the Kohen Gadol interrogated him and said, “Are you the Messiah, the son of the Most High, Blessed be He?” And Yeshua said to him, I am, and you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the all Powerful, and He (G-d) will come with the clouds of heaven. And the Kohen HaGadol tore his tunic, and said, “Why do we need witnesses anymore? Behold, from his own mouth you have heard blasphemy. How does it appear to you?” And they all, the Kohanim, the Soferim, and the Zekanim (of the Tz’dukim) decided that he deserved to die. And some began to spit in his face, and to strike him, saying, “Prophesy!” And the servants struck him on the cheeks.

 

Now when Tsefet was below in the courtyard, one of the Kohen Gadol’s servant^[79] girls came (to the courtyard below the house). And when she saw Tsefet warming himself, she stared at him and said, "You also were with Yeshua the Nazarean." But he denied it, saying, "I do not know, nor do I understand what you are talking about." And he went out on the forecourt, and the Temple^[80] crier^[81] called out. And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood around, "This is (one) of them" (the talmidim of Yeshua). But he refused to acknowledge (Yeshua) again. And a little later, those who stood by said to Tsefet again, "Surely you are (one) of them; for you are a Galilean,^[82] and your speech resembles (a Galilean)." Then he took an oath and swore,"^[83] (that he was not one of Yeshua’s associates, by saying) I do not know this man you are talking about!" A second time the Temple crier called out. Then Tsefet remembered the prophetic words that Yeshua had said to him, "Before the Temple crier calls out twice, you will disassociate yourself from me three times." And when he thought about it, he wept (in repentance).

 

Nazarean Codicil to be read in conjunction with the following Torah Seder

 

 

The following commentary is an attempt to show that the Nazarean Codicil has followed the rules of Rabbinic Hermeneutics in both the Peshat (with its Tosefta). We pay Special attention to the rules below.

 

The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel as follows …

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

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14215-talmud-hermeneutics

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

For the Remes portion of this commentary, we select the 13^th Rule of R. Yishmael.

R. Yishmael’s 13^th Rule Shene hetuvim ha makhhishim zeh'et zeh "ad shyavo' hakatuv hashelishi wayakhria' benehem. (The resolution of two verses that [seem] to contradict one another is that a third verse will come and reconcile them)

 

Hakham Tsefet’s Peshat Commentary School To Shoftim

 

D’barim 16.18 You will appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that the LORD your God is giving you, and they will govern the people with due justice. ¹⁹ You will not judge unfairly: you will show no partiality; you will not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. ²⁰ Justice, justice will you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

 

The Guilt of the Kohen Gadol and his entourage

 

We base the guilt of the Kohen Gadol and his entourage on the following legal and derivation process.

 

Qal VaḤomer

 

From a greater to a lesser …

 

If it is incumbent on the Jewish people being addressed in D’barim 16.18 to “appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes,” it is a mandate for the Jewish people in the first century to have and appoint Judges under the same Torah Laws and Statutes.

 

• The Kohen Gadol, as a Priest and as an appointed member of the great Sanhedrin, must abide by all the laws for Judges and Tribal leaders.
• Therefore, this is understood from D’barim 17.9 and appears before the Levitical priests, or the magistrate in charge at the time, and present your problem. When they have announced to you the verdict in the case …

The case appeals to the “Levitical priests.” Interestingly, Yosef bar Qypha nor any of his entourage (to the best of our knowledge) are not of “Levitical lineage,” which is a further condemnation to them, disqualifying them for judgment.

 

Sefer HaChinukh Law 491 Judges and officers that coerce [others] to do the commandments of the Torah, bring those that are veering from the path of the truth back to it against their will, order that which is fitting to do, prevent disgusting things and enforce the fences against the transgressor - so that the commandments and the preventions of the Torah not require the belief (acceptance) of every person.^[84]

 

This Qal VaḤomer rests on …

1. Scriptural mandate
2. Laws concerning Judges and Officers
3. The same Laws of the Torah (historical setting at the time of Moshe Rabbenu) apply to the first century.
4. If the Torah mandates a Law that is kept when Yisrael was autonomous, it is even more stringent and requisite for the B’ne Yisrael to adopt these laws under foreign rule.^[85]

 

Conclusion – Kal VaḤomer

Yosef bar Qypha violated all the Laws concerning Judges and magistrates. As a member of the Great Sanhedrin, he must abide by the thirty laws that comprise thirty precepts and principles applied.^[86]

 

Gezearah Shavah

We base Gezerah Shavah on the Law of the first three verses of our Torah Portion.

 

1. D’barim 16.18 You will appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that the LORD your God is giving you, and they will govern the people with due justice.

 

2. ¹⁹ You will not judge unfairly: you will show no partiality; you will not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just.

 

3. ²⁰ Justice, justice will you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

 

Yosef bar Qypha violated all the Laws concerning Judges and magistrates …

1. By not governing with due justice
2. Acting as a judge without partiality
3. He did not pursue justice

 

Binyan Av Echad

D’barim 16.19 - You will not judge unfairly: you will show no partiality;

 

Binyan Av Mishene Ketuvim

 

An inference from two verses …

1. D’barim 16.18 recites “due justice.”
2. D’barim 16.20 recites “pursue justice.”

 

Kelal ufnat uferat ukhektl – General to particular

 

1. In verses D’barim 16.18 & 20, we have a general statement to “pursue justice.”
2. In D’barim 16.19, we have a “particular” statement defining injustice – You will not judge unfairly: you will show no partiality; you will not take bribes

 

The general statement of “pursue justice” is explained in verse 19 in terms of

1. Unfair judgment
2. Partiality
3. Bribes
4. Justice is upset

 

From these five rules of Hillel’s Peshat, we have determined the guilt of Yosef bar Qypha and his entourage.

 

We have not appealed to the rest of the Torah or the rest of this Torah portion to validate our claim. But reading the further stated rules of capital punishment and the laws concerning the death penalty, we can more fully strengthen our argument.

 

• The Nazarean Hakhamim and Sages must follow the same Judicial practices of the Torah mandated in the time of Moshe Rabbenu in their Esnogas and institutions.
• The Nazarean Hakhamim and Sages must follow the same Judicial practices for the Sanhedrin in all their Bate Din and legal institutions.

 

Review

 

We posted most of our thoughts on the Peshat portion of this week’s Torah Seder last week. Here we will comment briefly on the joint pericopes of Peshat and Tosefta (Mark and Luke).

 

“If they cease to continue in their disobedience”:

 

The Kohen Gadol and his “council” all know they are wrong! Nevertheless, they do not want any Messiah to ruin their plans and scheme of subversion. Yosef bar Qypha^[87] (Caiaphas) was the strongest “High Priest” who lived during the period of Yeshua’s life. Yosef bar Qypha was not intimidated by Pilate or any of his petty officers. It was quite the contrary; he intimidated Pilate to the point of having Yeshua crucified.^[88]

 

If we only look at the trial of Yeshua as an illegitimate and ad hoc “Sanhedrin,” we will miss some of the key points in our materials. Firstly, let us say that the council of Yosef bar Qypha was in no way associated with the proper Sanhedrin. The Greek term συνέδριον – sunedrion means an “assembly.” We must be cautious not to think that the authentic “Sanhedrin” had anything to do with the death of Yeshua. Yosef bar Qypha contorted the entire plot. We will give an answer to this claim in the coming Torah Seder. Our point here is that the party of Yosef bar Qypha was perfectly aware of what they were doing. The questioning posited during this so-called “trial” shows their awareness of the qualifications that Messiah must possess in his office.

 

They beat^[89] him, and after blindfolding him, they repeatedly asked him, saying, “Prophesy! This statement shows that they clearly knew that the Messiah must be a “Prophet” like Moshe.^[90] Now, the depth of this statement needs a little elucidation if we are to understand it in the context of what we are trying to say. The Tz’dukim know that Moshe did not give the Torah alone without a verbal/Oral elucidation to explain the things “written: in the Torah. Of course, our readers will know without a doubt that the Tz’dukim did not accept the Oral Torah. Therefore, they cannot accept a Messiah that comes with and as an embodiment of the Mesorah.

 

Hakham Shaul has shown in the Tosefta of Luqas (Luke – Hillel) that the government of the Tz’dukim was passing away per se. 

 

Luk 22:53 But this is your hour and the domain of darkness!”

 

Philo points out that those who do not accept the whole Torah is filled with darkness.

 

Leg 3:4 And let us, in the next place, consider how anyone is said to be concealed from God. ⁽⁷⁾ And we must understand this in the following manner. In the wicked man, the true opinion concerning God is overshadowed and kept out of sight, for he is full of darkness, having no divine irradiation, by means of which he may be able to contemplate things as they are. And such a man is a fugitive from the Divine company.^[91]

 

Hakham Shaul, citing the above passage from 1 Luqas (Luke) 22:53, responded in his Remes commentary that matched the Tosefta above and asks, “Has God rejected His people?” Why would he join these two passages? Simply stated, we can see that he saw that G-d did, in fact, reject some of His people, specifically the Tz’dukim.

 

“Concealed from God,” this is a direct refusal to keep the Mitzvoth of G-d. "For at three seasons of the year every male must appear before the Lord the God of Yisrael."^[92]

 

In light of our comments last week, we would opine that those who have rejected the Oral Torah, which we have commented on ad nauseam, remain in darkness. Our point here is that those aspects of Judaism that failed to accept the Oral Torah have, at least in part, been rejected. Will they be accepted again by G-d in the future? How can those who are full of darkness and concealed from G-d earn his favor?

 

Philo captures our heart's cry.

 

“Be You therefore O my soul in all your entirety always visible to God…^[93]”

 

Commentary to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat To

“Asimah Alai Melekh”

 

May our Master teach us concerning the “Cleaving to one’s Master – Hakham”?

 

Job 42:6 Therefore I abhor myself And repent in dust and ashes."

 

b. Ned 39b Seven things were created before the world, viz., The Torah, repentance, the Garden of Eden, Gehenna, the Throne of Glory, the Temple, and the name of the Messiah. The Torah, for it is written, The Lord possessed me [sc. the Torah] in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.^[94] Repentance, for it is written, Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you have formed the earth and the world... You turn man to destruction, and say, “Repent, you sons of men.”^[95] The Garden of Eden, as it is written, And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden from aforetime.^[96] Gehenna, as it is written, For Tophet^[97] is ordained of old.^[98] The Throne of Glory, as it is written, Thy Throne is established from of old.^[99] The Temple, as it is written, A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.^[100] The name of the Messiah, as it is written, His name [sc. of Messiah] shall endure forever, and [has existed] before the sun!^[101] But Moses said thus: If a mouth has already been created for it [sc. Gehenna], tis well; if not, let the Lord create one. But is it not written, “there is no new thing under the sun?”^[102] He said thus: If the mouth is not near to this spot, let it draw near.

 

Repentance and Gehenna, created before the world, cause us to understand that G-d had made the provision of free will from the very beginning.

 

The wrath of G-d is averted when we repent and return to the LORD, as it is written:

 

Isa 54:8 In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting love," says the LORD your Redeemer.

 

And Hakham Tsefet remembered what Yeshua (His Master) said as it is written …

 

Hakham Tsefet gained “hope” in remembering the Name of Messiah as it is said …

 

Mar. 14:72 Then Tsefet remembered the words that Yeshua had said to him, "Before the Temple crier calls out twice, you will disassociate from me three times." And when he thought about it, he wept (in repentance).

 

From this, we learn that Hakham Tsefet knew that he was to repent, as it is written …

 

D’barim 13:17 Nothing set apart for destruction is to remain in your hand, so that the LORD will turn from His burning anger and grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as He swore to your fathers.

 

How is it that we know that Hakham Tsefet’s denial of Yeshua as the Messiah was a failure to “Cleave to G-d?” (Positive Mitzvah #6)

 

We know that denial is the failure to cleave to G-d. Hakham Tsefet was unfaithful (qafir) to King Yeshua the Messiah! The Syriac versions of Mark use the word kephar to indicate that Hakham Tsefet “denied” association with Yeshua.^[103] Maimonides uses the word “qafir” or “kafir” (kephar) to describe the unfaithful in the “Guide to the Perplexed.”^[104] The term “qafir” refers to a person who rejects G-d or who hides, denies, or "covers" the truth. When we look at the etymology of the word kaffir (kephar), we find that it means to be an "unbeliever, infidel, and impious wretch." The literal sense of kaffir is "one who does not admit the blessings of G-d," also meaning kafara "to cover up, conceal, deny. We understand the word “infidelity” to mean "want of faithful obedience, unbelief in religion; false belief, paganism." It also means "unfaithfulness or disloyalty to a person" (originally to the Sovereign, and to a lover or spouse). From this word, we get the idea of an infidel, meaning, "unfaithful, not to be trusted,” "unbelieving," "one who does not believe in religion" of unfaithful to his religion. Also used to translate Arabic qafir, which is from a root meaning, "to disbelieve, to deny."

 

Hakham Tsefet’s infidelity is a breach of the 6^th Positive Mitzvah located in the previous Torah Seder D’barim 11:22, and as noted by the Rambam in his Sefer Ha-Mitzvot. We have recently read D’barim 11:22, where we see what Hakham Tsefet and the Rambam are trying to say.

 

D’barim 11:22 For if you keep all these commandments which I command you to do them, to love the Lord, your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave to Him,

 

NOTE: The wise man, or as titled in Hebrew, talmid Hakham, `the disciple of wisdom', interpreting and exemplifying as he does the word of G-d, is regarded in Jewish thought as being nearest to Him. To cleave to the wise man (Hakham) is thus to cleave to the LORD (Ber. 10b; Pes. 22b).

 

Scripture provides a perfect example of a disciple cleaving to his master in the constant and reverential attachment of Joshua to Moses: “But his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent” (Ex. XXXIII, ii). The Mishnah records the following saying of Jose ben Joezer of Zeredah, one of the early Fathers of the Tradition: `Let your house be a meeting-house for the wise; and sit amid the dust of their feet; and drink in their words with thirst' (Ab. 1, 4). The Talmud abounds with illustrations of disciples going to extreme lengths in their earnest desire to learn the ways and customs, conduct and conversation of the wise men (Ber. 62a). To miss the society of an assembly of the wise men was considered an irretrievable loss: `It is impossible that a gathering of the wise men should take place without their bringing to light some profound and fresh interpretation of the Law' (Hag. 3a).^[105]

 

How then does Hakham Tsefet nullify his denial of Yeshua?

 

If a person transgresses any of the mitzvot of the Torah, whether a positive command or a negative command - whether willingly or inadvertently - when he repents, and returns from his sin, he must confess before God, blessed be, He as [Numbers 5:6-7] states: "If a man or a woman commit any of the sins of man... they must confess the sin that they committed."^[106]

 

And what is the fruit of Hakham Tsefet’s repentance?

 

(Isa) 54:2 "Enlarge the site of your tent and let your tent curtains be stretched out;¹ do not hold back; lengthen your ropes and drive your pegs deep.

 

Hakham Tsefet’s demonstration of his infidelity to Yeshua, as a talmid, is his way of demonstrating the seriousness of the breach of the 6^th positive mitzvah as noted above. In our pericope, Hakham Tsefet is found by the fire, warming himself.^[107] By inference, we see that Hakham Tsefet is more concerned with his physical comfort and safety than his master’s well-being.^[108] Hakham Tsefet’s repudiation of his master begins with a simple evasion and concludes with the swearing of an oath that he does not know, nor is he associated with the Master.^[109] When we are unfaithful to G-d in a self-serving manner, we become idolatrous. Scholars have reduced idolatry to the self-serving of selfish desires instead of G-d and His messengers.

 

The Pillars

 

m. Sanhedrin 4.3 And two judges’ clerks (Paqidim) stand before them (the Bench of three Hakhamim), one at the right and one at the left. And, they write down the arguments of those who vote to acquit and of those who vote to convict.^[110]  R. Judah says, “Three: one writes the opinion of those who vote to acquit, one writes the opinion of those who vote to convict, and the third writes the opinions both of those who vote to acquit and of those who vote to convict.”

 

This Mishnah tells us precisely what a deacon is. The “table waiter” is a judge’s clerk (paqid) who records the arguments (halakhic) of the judge (Hakham).

 

We already know that Yeshua took the three “greatest” (Roshim) with him to Har Tz’fat. Therefore, we should make our selection from these three. Hakham Ya’aqob, as we learned in II Luqas (Acts) was made the Head (Rosh) of the Nazarean Bet Din. Thus, this leaves us to make our selection from Hakham Tsefet and Hakham Yochanan. Hakham Yochanan penned the Sod materials of the Nazarean Codicil. Therefore, the idea of being the greatest may, in some opinions, be attributed to Hakham Yochanan. However, there can never be a “Sod” without a Peshat. Making the least (last), i.e., Peshat – Mishnah, the greatest (the first). Why is the Mishnaic Import of Hakham Tsefet so important? Because without the Mishnaic writings of Hakham Tsefet, we could never understand the fundamentals of Messiah. Nor could we know any of the other levels of Messiah, due to their non-literal meanings. The Mishnaic writings of Hakham Tsefet form the beginning of the Master’s Mesorah, the beginning and first (least). Yet Hakham Tsefet himself is the chapiter of the Nazarean talmidim.  

 

2Ch 3:15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter (v’ha’tzephet) that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.^[111]

 

We have included the Hebrew text of the cited passage for clarification.

 

¹⁵ וַיַּ֜עַשׂ לִפְנֵ֤י הַבַּ֙יִת֙ עַמּוּדִ֣ים שְׁנַ֔יִם אַמּ֕וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וְחָמֵ֖שׁ אֹ֑רֶךְ וְהַצֶּ֥פֶת אֲשֶׁר־עַל־רֹאשׁ֖וֹ אַמּ֥וֹת חָמֵֽשׁ׃ ס

 

The highlighted Hebrew text reads v’ha’tzephet. The phrase v’ha’tsefet would read “and the chapiter.” The word chapiter is translated “tsefet,” which is not the pillar itself. The “tsefet” is the cap or head of the pillar. Therefore, Hakham Tsefet is not only seen as a “pillar,” but also as the cap or head of the pillar. The “tsefet” is the upper portion of the pillar, which supports the edifice. Consequently, Hakham Tsefet is not only the “pillar” of the Nazarean Community; he is the primary support for the whole community, both the least and greatest.

 

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,

 

Next Shabbat: Kislev 23, 5786

Shabbat “Khi HaGoyim HaEleh” – “For those nations”

 

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·        Prophets – Deuteronomy 18:14-22

·        Cities of Refuge – Deuteronomy 19:1-13

·        Removing a Landmark – Deuteronomy 19:14

·        Plotting Witnesses – Deuteronomy 19:15-21

·        Exemption from Service for Warfare – Deuteronomy 20:1-9

 

Reading Assignment:

 

 

 

 

Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

Edited by HH Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham

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