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

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

Sh’mot (Exodus) 6:2 – 7:7

AND the Lord spoke with Mosheh, and said to him, I am the LORD who revealed Myself to you in the midst of the bush, and said to you, I am the LORD. And I was revealed unto Abraham, and to Izhak, and to Jakob, as EL‑SHADDAI; but My Name LORD, as it discovers My Glory, was not known to them. [JERUSALEM. And the LORD was revealed in His Word unto Abraham, to Izhak, and to Jakob, as the God of Heaven; but the Name of the Word of the LORD was not known to them.] And I confirmed also My covenant with them, to give them the land of Kenaan, the land of their sojourning in which they were sojourners. And now comes before Me the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Mizraee do enslave them; and I remember My covenant. Therefore say to the sons of Israel, I am the LORD; and I will bring you forth from the oppressive bondage of the Mizraee, and will deliver you from your servitude, and save you with an uplifted arm, and by great judgments. And I will bring you near before Me to be a people, and I will be a God unto you, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God who has led you forth from the hard service of the Mizraee. And I will bring you into the land which I covenanted by My Word to give unto Abraham, to Izhak, and to Jakob; and I will give it to you for an inheritance. I Am the LORD. And Mosheh spoke according to this to the sons of Israel; but they received not from Mosheh, through anxiety of spirit, and from the strange and hard service which was upon their hands. [JERUSALEM. From anxiety.]

And the LORD spoke to Mosheh saying, Go in, speak with Pharaoh, the king of Mizraim, that he release the children of Israel from his land. And Mosheh said before the LORD, Behold, the sons of Israel do not hearken to me; how then will Pharaoh hearken to me, and I a man difficult of speech? And the LORD spoke with Mosheh and with Aharon, and gave them admonition for the sons of Israel, and sent them to Pharaoh, king of Mizraim, to send forth the children of Israel from the land of Mizraim.

These are the heads of the house of their fathers. The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, Hanok and Phallu, Hezron and Karmi; these are the race of Reuben. And the sons of Shimeon, Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jakin, and Sochar, and Shaul (he is Zimri, who yielded himself unto fornication, as among the Kenaanaee); these are the race of Shimeon. And these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their race: Gershon, and Kehath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi a hundred and thirty and seven years: he lived to see Mosheh and Aharon the deliverers of Israel. And the sons of Gershon, Libni and Shemei, according to their generations. And the sons of Kehath, Amram, and Jitshar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kehath the saint, a hundred and thirty and three years. He lived to see Phinehas, who is Elijah, the Great Priest, who is to be sent to the captivity of Israel at the end of the days. And the sons of Merari, Mahali and Mushi; these are the race of Levi according to the generations. And Amram took Jokeved his cousin to wife, and she bare him Aharon and Mosheh; and the years of Amram the saint were a hundred and thirty and seven years. He lived to see the children of Rechabia bar Gershom bar Mosheh. And the sons of Jitshar (were) Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. And the sons of Uzziel, Mishael, and Elsaphan, and Sithri. And Aharon took Elisheba, daughter of Aminadab, sister of Nachshon, unto him as wife, and she bare him Nadab and Abihu, Elasar and Ithamar. And the sons of Korah, Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the race of Korah. And Elasar bar Aharon took unto him a wife from the daughters of Jethro who is Putiel, and she bare him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers of the Levites, according to their generations. These are Aharon and Mosheh, to whom the Lord said, Bring forth the sons of Israel free from the land of Mizraim, according to their hosts;‑these are they who spoke with Pharaoh, king of Mizraim, that he should send out the sons of Israel from Mizraim; it is Mosheh the prophet, and Aharon the priest.

And it was in the day when the LORD spoke with Mosheh in the land of Mizraim, that Aharon gave a listening ear, and heard what He spoke with him. And the LORD spoke with Mosheh, and said to him, I am the LORD. Say to Pharaoh, king of Mizraim all that I tell you. And Mosheh said before the LORD, Behold, I am difficult in speaking; how then will Pharaoh hearken to me?

VII. But the LORD said to Mosheh, Wherefore are you fearful? Behold, I have set you a terror to Pharaoh, as if you were his God, and Aharon your brother shall be your prophet. You shall speak to Aharon that which I command you, and Aharon your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he release the sons of Israel from his land. But I will harden the disposition of Pharaoh's heart to multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Mizraim. Nor will Pharaoh hearken to you. But I will shoot among them the arrows of death, and inflict the plagues of My mighty band upon Mizraim, and will bring out the sons of Israel free from among them. And Mosheh and Aharon did as the LORD commanded them, even so did they. And Mosheh was the son of eighty years, and Aharon the son of eighty and three years, at their speaking with Pharaoh.

Midrash Tanhuma Yelammedenu

Sh’mot (Exodus): 6:2 – 7:7

1. And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: "I am the LORD; and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob" (Exodus 6:2). May our masters teach us the punishment that is inflicted upon the man who speaks the Divine Name (i.e., the Tetragrammaton) as it is written? Thus do our masters teach us: The following have no share in the world-to-come: those who maintain that the concept of the resurrection of the dead is not derived from the Torah, that the law did not descend from heaven, the epicurean (heretic), and the one who utters (words of magic) over a wound while reciting the verse “I will put none of the diseases upon you, which I have put upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD that heals you” (Exodus 15:26). And Abba Saul added: One who pronounces the Divine Name as it is written will likewise have no share in the world-to-come.

Proof of the seriousness of the profanation of the Divine Name is contained in the following. Ben Azzai declared: The Holy One, blessed be He, did not mention His own name, as though that were possible, until He first spoke the words “In the beginning He created” (Genesis 1:1). Only then did He add the word God. And R. Simeon the son of Eleazar stated: Moses did not mention the Divine Name until he had spoken the twenty-one words “Give ear, you heavens, and I will speak, etc.” (Deuteronomy 32:1). Only then did he say: “For I will proclaim the name of the LORD.” Since, as you know, He did not reveal His name to the patriarchs, why did he disclose it to Moses? He did so because he had been chosen to redeem Israel, as it is written above in reference to this matter: “And Moses returned unto the Lord and said: ‘Lord, wherefore have You dealt ill with this people?’” (Exodus 5:22).

If a man should dare say to a person more important than himself, "Why did you treat me so badly?" he would be held guilty of a serious offense, yet Moses said: “For Since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has dealt ill with this people” (ibid., v. 23) [Moses expresses doubt as to God's ability to save the people from further anguish and is rebuked]. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Alas for those who have perished but are not to be found! I revealed myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the Lord Almighty, but I never disclosed to them that My name is YHWH [The name employed when speaking of God's merciful aspect], as I did to you, yet they never criticized My ways. To Abraham I said: “Arise, walk through the land in the length thereof” (Genesis 13:17), yet though he searched for a burial place for Sarah, and was unable to obtain one until he paid four hundred shekels of silver for it, he did not disparage My ways. I told Isaac: “Sojourn in this land ... for unto you, and unto your seed, I will give all these lands” (ibid. 26:3), but even when he sought water to drink and was unable to find any, “And the herdsman of Gerar strove with Isaac's herdsmen, saying: ‘The water is ours’” (ibid., v. 20), he did not criticize My ways. I told Jacob: “The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed” (ibid. 28:13), yet when he sought a place to pitch his tent, and could not obtain any land until he purchased it with a hundred lambs, he found no fault with My words.

However, on the very first mission I assigned to you, you asked Me, "What is your name?" and now you say: “For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has dealt ill, etc.” Therefore, Now shall you see what I will do to Pharaoh (Exodus 6:1). That is, you will participate in the struggle with Pharaoh, but you will not witness the war against the thirty-one kings, that Joshua, your disciple, will wage in vengeance against them [Since the wars would be fought in the land of Israel, Moses would not participate in them]. From this verse you may learn that Moses was punished by being forbidden to enter the land. Hence it is written: And God said unto Moses that He would requite him with Divine Justice. “But He said unto him: ‘I am the Lord’” (ibid., v. 2), thereby indicating that Divine Mercy demands that I redeem the Israelites and bring them into the land. Hence it is written: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob as God Almighty (ibid., v. 3).

2. Therefore, say unto the children of Israel: “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out” (Exodus 6:6). The word therefore implies that an oath was involved, as it is said: Therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli (I Samuel 3:14). Moses went to them and told them what the Holy One, blessed be He, had said: And Moses spoke so unto the children of Israel; but they harkened not unto Moses for impatience of spirit and for cruel bondage (Exodus 6:9). Whereupon Moses turned to the Holy One, blessed be He, saying: Behold, the children of Israel have not harkened unto me (ibid., v. 12). And the Lord said to Moses: “Go in, say unto Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go” (ibid., v. 11). A proverb states: “There is no benefit to be derived from acacia wood except when it is cut down” [An old proverb indicating that one must wait until an episode is concluded to learn the result. I.e. “Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.”].

And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh, king of Egypt (ibid., v. 13). By virtue of this verse He made them equals. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Be respectful, and pay homage to the king through whom I desire to execute judgment upon him. Whereupon Moses said to him: Let us go, we pray, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword (ibid. 5:3). He said: Lest He fall upon us to demonstrate that he was acting respectfully toward the king.

Special Ashlamatah: Malachi 3:4-24

4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.

5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers; and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not Me, says the LORD of hosts.

6 For I the LORD change not; and you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from Mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say: 'Wherein shall we return?'

8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you say: 'Wherein have we robbed You?' In tithes and heave-offerings!

9 You are cursed with the curse, yet you rob Me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall be more than sufficiency.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your good, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your land; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, says the LORD of hosts.

12 And all the Gentiles shall call you happy; for you shall be a delightsome land, says the LORD of hosts. {P}

13 Your words have been all too strong against Me, says the LORD. Yet you say: 'Wherein have we spoken against You?'

14 You have said: 'It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked mournfully because of the LORD of hosts?

15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they try God, and are delivered.'

16 Then they that feared the LORD spoke one with another; and the LORD hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name.

17 And they shall be Mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day that I do make, even Mine own treasure; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him.

18 Then shall you again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that serves Him not. {P}

19 For, behold, the day comes, it burns as a furnace; and all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that comes shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

20 But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and you shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall.

21 And you shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I do make, says the LORD of hosts. {P}

22 Remember the law of Moses My servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances.

23 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.

24 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the land with utter destruction. {P}

Ashlamatah: Isaiah 52:6-13 + 53:4-5

6 Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore they shall know in that day that I, even He that spoke, behold, here I am. {S}

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good tidings, that announces peace, the harbinger of good tidings, that announces salvation; that says unto Zion: 'Your God reigns!'

8 Hark, your watchmen! they lift up the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see, eye to eye, the LORD returning to Zion.

9 Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The LORD has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the Gentiles; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. {S}

11 Depart, depart, go out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go out of the midst of her; be clean, you that bear the vessels of the LORD.

12 For you shall not go out in haste, neither shall you go by flight; for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rearward. {S}

13 Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.

14 According as many were appalled at you--so marred was his visage unlike that of a man, and his form unlike that of the sons of men—

15 So shall he startle many Gentiles, Gentile kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they perceive. {S}

1 'Who would have believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For he shot up right forth as a sapling, and as a root out of a dry ground; he had no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, nor beauty that we should delight in him.

3 He was despised, and forsaken of men, a man of pains, and acquainted with disease, and as one from whom men hide their face: he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely our diseases he did bear, and our pains he carried; whereas we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded because of our transgressions, he was crushed because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our welfare was upon him, and with his stripes we were healed.

Ketubim Targum Psalm 45

1. For praise; concerning those who sit in the Sanhedrin of Moses, which was spoken in prophecy by the sons of Korah; a good lesson, and a psalm, and a thanksgiving.

2. My heart desires fine speech; I will speak my work to the king; the utterance of my tongue is quick, like the pen of a fluent scribe.

3. Your beauty, O King Messiah, is greater than the sons of men; the spirit of prophecy has been placed on your lips; because of this the LORD has blessed you forever.

4. Gird your sword on your thigh, O champion; your glory and your brilliance is to kill kings as well as rulers.

5. And your brilliance is great; therefore you will succeed in mounting the horse of the kingdom, by reason of faithfulness and truth and humility and righteousness; and the LORD will teach you to do fearful things with your right hand.

6. Your arrows are drawn to kill Gentile hordes; beneath you they will fall; and the sons of your bow will be released into the heart of the enemies of the king.

7. The throne of your glory, O LORD, lasts forever and ever; the scepter of your kingdom is an upright scepter.

8. Because you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness – because of this the LORD your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your fellows.

9. Pure myrrh and aloe-wood and cassia – your garments are perfected, from the palaces paved with ivory below; from me they will make you glad.

10. The provinces of the kingdom come to welcome you and to honor you, while the book of Torah is stationed at your right side, and written in gold from Ophir.

11. Hear, O congregation of Israel, the Torah of his mouth, and see the wonders of his deeds, and incline your ear to the words of Torah, and you will forget the evil deeds of the wicked of your people, and the place of idols that you worshipped in the house of your father.

12. And then the king will desire your beauty; for he is your master and you will bow down to him.

13. And those who dwell in the fortress of Tyre will come with an offering, and the rich Gentiles will seek your face at your sanctuary.

14. All the best and choicest sacrifices from the provinces, the treasuries of the kings that are hidden within, will they bring for the priests whose clothing is chased with pure gold.

15. In their decorated garments they will offer their sacrifices before the king of the world, and the rest of their fellows who are scattered among the Gentiles will be brought in joy to you to Jerusalem.

16. They will be brought in joy and praise and they will enter the temple of the king of ages.

17. In the place of your fathers will be the righteous/charitable, your sons; you will appoint them as leaders in all the land.

18. At that time you will say, “We will invoke Your Name in every generation”; because of this the Gentiles who are converted will praise Your Name forever and ever and ever.

Ketubim Midrash Psalm 45

I. For the leader; upon Shoshannim, the sons of Korah. Maschil. A song of loves (Ps. 45:1). The word Shoshannim is to be considered in the light of the verse My Beloved is gone down to His garden ... to gather lilies (shoshannim) (Song 6:2). When lilies in the garden are not recognized, whoever sees them says that they are thorns. Why? Because they grow among thorns. And what becomes of thorns? They go into the fire, as is said As thorns cut down, shall they be burned in the fire (Isaiah 33:12); and also If fire go forth, and catch in thorns (Ex. 22:5); and again And fire came forth from the Lord, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense (Num.16:35). But the sons of Korah, who were lilies, were gathered from among the thorns, that they might not be consumed with the thorns: the Holy One, blessed be He, came down swiftly and saved them.

A parable of a king who entered a city: when the men of the city came forth to crown the king with a crown of gold studded with precious stones and pearls, they were met and told: “The king requires nothing from you except a crown of lilies.” Forthwith, the men of the city rejoiced. So it was with Korah and his assembly. They said: “The Holy One, blessed be He, requires of you censers of gold,” but the Holy One, blessed be He, replied: “What good are censers of gold to Me? Mine is the silver, and mine the gold! (Haggai 2:8). And so, too, the incense Incense is an abomination unto Me (Isa. 1:13). But what do I require? Lilies!” Thereupon the sons of Korah said: “We are lilies.” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: “You will be victorious,” as is said For Him who gives victory to the sons of Korah because they are Shoshannim (Ps. 45:1).

2. For the leader; a Psalm o f the sons o f Korah. Maschil, A song of loves (Ps. 45:1). This Psalm is introduced by three words, “Leadership,” “Maschil,” and “Song,” to stand for the three sons of Korah. Because they were three, they sang three songs. By Of loves (yedidot) is meant that the Holy One, blessed be He, said of the three sons of Korah: “The songs of each, of every one of them, is beloved of Me.”

Whence do we know that Moses and Aaron and all the great ones assembled to hear the song of the sons of Korah? Because in the words For the leader; upon Shoshannim, the sons of Korah. Maschil, a song for yedidot (“the beloved”), the word yedidot, being plural, implies that those beloved of the Holy One, blessed be He, were there assembled. Hence A song for the beloved. The word Maschil ("he who is instructed") means that His beloved were instructed on how to chant before the Holy One, blessed be He, for it is said When all your children are instructed by the Lord, then the peace of thy children shall be great (Isa. 54:13).

3. Another comment on For the leader; upon Shoshannim ("lilies"). These words are to be considered in the light of the verse I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall blossom as the lily (Hos. 14:6). This verse speaks of the time-to-come. For as the dew harms no creature, so the glory of the Presence shall fill the righteous in the time-to-come and they will not be harmed, as is said In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16: 11).

The children of Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He: “Master of the universe, when will You redeem us?” and He answered: “When you have gone down to the very bottom of the pit, in that hour, I shall redeem you, as is said The children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together .. . and shall rise up from the earth" (Hos. 2:2). So, too, the sons of Korah said: We are at the very bottom of the pit, as it is said For our soul is sunk deep in the dust (Ps. 24:26); and what did they go on to say? Arise for our help (ibid. 24:27). The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: Your help shall be all your own. As the lily blossoms when its heart is turned upward, so will you when you repent before Me. Let your heart be directed upward like the lily, and in that hour I shall bring the deliverer: I shall be as the dew unto Israel, when he blossoms as the lily-that is, when Israel blossoms as the lily. Hence it is said For Him who gives victory because of lilies.

4. The verse My heart overflows with a goodly matter (Ps. 45:2) is meant to teach you that even when men are unable to confess with their mouths, but their hearts are overflowing with repentance, the Holy One, blessed be He, receives them.

Note that when Scripture says, And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart, and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts (1 Chron. 28:9), it does not say, “all the thoughts,” but all the imaginations of the thoughts. What is meant by all the imaginations of the thoughts? That even before a man shapes a thought in his heart, the Holy One, blessed be He, understands it.

Indeed, the sons of Korah could not utter a song with their mouths before the Holy One, blessed be He. But when their hearts overflowed with repentance, forthwith God received them. And why could not the sons of Korah utter a song? Because the pit was open beneath them, and a fire burned about them. As Scripture says, And the earth opened up her mouth ... So they and all that appertained to them went down alive into the pit (Num. 16:32-33); and again says, A fire came forth from the Lord, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men (ibid, 16:35); and also, The earth ... swallowed them up (ibid. 16:32); and again, A fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked (Ps. 106:18). Thus, when the sons of Korah saw the pit open beneath them on one side, and the fire burning on the other side, in that instant, though they could not confess with their mouths, yet their hearts overflowed with repentance.

But were they not three? Why, then, does Scripture say, My heart overflows, as if there were only one? By this Scripture means to teach you that whatever one intended in his heart, the others also intended in their hearts, for the three of them were of like heart.

My heart overflows with a goodly matter; I utter my songs to the King (Ps. 45:2). But if the heart overflows, what need for speech? And if speech be enough, why should the overflowing heart be mentioned? This is what the sons of Korah said, however: If our hearts overflow, it is the same as uttering our songs to the King, the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. Hence they said: I utter my songs to the king.

Another explanation: My heart overflows with prophecy. For the sons of Korah prophesied the future. Thus, when Hannah said, The Lord kills, and makes alive; He brings down to the grave, and brings up (1 Sam. 2:6), she was referring to the sons of Korah who went down until their feet touched the bottom of the pit, and after their feet had touched the bottom of the pit, they came up forthwith. Hence Hannah said: He brings down to the grave, and brings up.

5. Another comment on For the leader; upon Shoshannim (“lilies”) (Ps. 45:1) by way of a parable: A Roman lady who saw three men being taken out to be crucified, redeemed them forthwith. After some days she saw that they had been made ensigns and were carrying the royal standards. So it was with the sons of Korah who followed their father's ways; the earth swallowed Korah, but his sons, who repented, were made prophets, Shoshannim.

My heart overflows with a goodly matter. A parable of a man who, desiring to come up to the judge's bench, took a piece of blank paper and handed it to the judge. When the judge said to him, “But you have written nothing on this paper!” the man replied: “I had no time!” Just so, the sons of Korah had no time to speak with their lips; so they spoke with their hearts.

I utter my songs to the King (Ps. 45:2). A parable of a man who was going up to the judge's bench. His creditor spied him and said: “Give me what you owe me”; and the man answered: “After I come down from. the bench, I will give it to you.” Just so, the sons of Korah said: We had no time to utter a song to You. But now that we have time: I utter my songs to the King.

6. You are fairer than the children of earth (Ps. 45:3) alludes to the sons of Korah whose deeds were fairer than those of Korah and his assembly; therefore it is said Grace is poured upon your lips, for the sons of Korah were thought worthy of uttering a song and also thought worthy of uttering prophecy.

Gird your sword upon your thigh, O most mighty (Ps. 45^:4) alludes to Moses who was thought worthy of Torah, which is likened to a sword. And In your majesty ride prosperously (ibid. 45:5) also alludes to Moses, who went up to heaven riding on a cloud. By virtue of what? By virtue of the truth and meekness and righteousness which he had, as is said “Now the man Moses was very meek” (Num. 12:3). Your arrows are sharp (Ps. 45:6) alludes to Moses who fought against Amalek, Sihon, and Og. And your throne given of God is for ever and ever (ibid.) also alludes to Moses who is described as “The hand upon the throne of the Lord” (Ex. 17:16). And You have loved righteousness (Ps. 45:8) alludes to Moses, of whom it is said “He executed the righteousness of the Lord” (Deut. 33:21).

The verse Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness (Ps. 45:8) alludes to Aaron. For in the next verse, myrrh and aloes (Ps.45:9) alludes to the incense of spices; and Cassia are all your garments alludes to the garments of priesthood.

Out o f ivory palaces (ibid.) speaks of Solomon, of whom it is said “Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory" (I Kings 10:18). The words Minnihave made you glad also allude to Solomon, whom distant kingdoms such as "Minni and Ashkenaz" (Jer. 51:27) made glad. The words Kings' daughters are among your visitors (Ps. 45:10) allude to Solomon of whom it is said “All the earth sought the presence of Solomon” (I Kings 10:24).

At your right hand [Torah] stands as the paramour (Ps. 45:10). Because Torah is beloved by the children of Israel, while a paramour is beloved by the children of the earth, therefore the children of Israel were thought worthy of the gold of Ophir.

The verses beginning Hearken, O daughter, and consider (ibid. 45:11), to the end of the Psalm are spoken to the congregation of Israel.

7. As [numerous as] your fathers shall be your children (Ps. 45:17). R. Eleazar ben R. Jose the Galilean taught: There will come a time when every man in Israel will beget as many children as the number of Israel who went out of Egypt, for it is said As [numerous as] your fathers shall be your children, And how many were your fathers when they went forth out of Egypt? Sixty myriads!

Of this, R. Abbahu said: Do not be astonished, for on a long day, the woodcock lays two eggs, and on a short day, it lays one egg. Of this it is written For as the days o f a tree shall be the days of My people (Isa. 65:22).

Midrash of Matityahu

(Matthew) 8:1-13

1. ¶ When Yeshuah descended from the hill, a vast number followed him.

2. ¶ Then behold, a leper came, bowed to him, and said to him: “Please Master, if you are able, cleanse me by curing my leprosy.”

3. Yeshuah extended his hand and touched him and said: “I will that you be cleansed” and in that hour the leper was cleansed and healed from his leprosy.

4. Then Yeshuah said to him: “See this, do not tell just any man about these things, but rather, go the Kohen (Priest) and offer the korban (sacrifice) as Ha-Shem instructed Mosheh.

5. ¶ And it came to pass that when Yeshuah entered K’far Nakhum HaGalil (Capernaum of Galilee) a captain of the Roman army came near to him and implored him,

6. And saying: “Master, my son is lying at the house paralyzed and he is weak with the illness.”

7. And Yeshuah said: “Having come, I will restore him.”

8. Replying, the captain responded: “Master, I am not fit to have you come in under my roof. Rather, only speak, and by a pronouncement my boy will be healed.

9. For I am also a man, subject to authority, with soldiers and horses subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10. Having hear this, Yeshuah was surprised, and said to those who were following: “Amen, I say to you, I have not found such great faithful obedience in Israel.”

11. ¶ “I tell you may will come from the East and from the West, and sit down with Abraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’aqob in the kingdom (government) of the Heavens.

12. Yet, some sons of the kingdom [of Israel] will go forth into the dark places of Gehinom where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”

13.¶ Yeshuah said to the captain: “Go, as you believed so let it become to you.” And the boy was restored to health at that very moment.

Pirqe Abot

“All Israel have a share in the World to Come, as it is stated: And Your people are all righteous/charitable; they shall inherit the land forever; they are the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, in which to glorify Me” (Isaiah 60:21).

Pirqe Abot IV:7-9

Mishnah 7

Rabbi Yishmael his son says: "[A judge] who refrains from handing down legal judgments [but instead seeks compromise between the litigants] removes from himself enmity, theft, and [the responsibility for] an unnecessary oath; but one who aggrandizes himself by [eagerly] issuing legal decisions is a fool, wicked and arrogant."

“[A judge] who refrains from handing down legal judgments removes from himself enmity, theft, and [the responsibility for] an unnecessary oath.” (4:7) QUESTION: Literally, the Mishnah is praising the one who refrains from being a judge. If so, who should preside over a dispute?

ANSWER: Indeed, one who is qualified is obligated to render decisions in a dispute, and regarding the one who is eligible to offer halakhic decisions and refrains from doing so, the Talmud (Sotah 22a) cites the verse “The number of her slain is huge” (Proverbs 7:27).

Thus, the Mishnah is not talking about the judge, but in regard to the litigant who is willing to settle monetary disputes outside the Bet Din. Such an individual in effect considers himself at least partially guilty and consequently sees no need to prolong the process of justice by going to a Bet Din. Instead, his acceptance of guilt prevents him from committing serious transgressions since it is common for litigants to feel hatred for each other. A person who accepts part of the guilt upon himself will not harbor feelings of hatred against the other party in his heart, nor willt there be any hatred against the judges, which is, unfortunately, common in many Torah judgments.

Furthermore, out of concern for winning one's case in court, sometimes false arguments are presented by a litigant to the Bet Din, and the award received is then actually theft. If an individual recognizes that he is at least partially guilty and is therefore willing to settle outside the Bet Din, he will have no need to lie. In addition, he will avoid making oaths in the Bet Din to back up his false claims. An individual who reaches perfection in this trait, undoubtedly, causes Ha-Shem's Name to become sanctified in the eyes of man.

Mishnah 8

He used to say: “Do not judge alone, for none may judge alone except One; and do not say [to your fellow judges], 'Accept my view,' for they [the majority] have that prerogative, not you.”

“Do not judge alone, for none may judge alone except One.” (4:8) QUESTION: Instead of "yechidi," it should have said "levad," which is a more common term for "alone"?

ANSWER: In every Torah judgment there are at least two litigants, the plaintiff and the defendant. An honest judge, should never listen to one of the litigants if the other is not present. This is hinted to in the verse which is the basis for a Bet Din — Jewish court — “And these are the ordinances that tasim — you shall place — before them” (Exodus 21:1). The word “tasim” is an acronym for "Tishma shenehem yachad medabrim" — “you should hear the two of them talking together” — i.e. in the presence of each other (Ba'al Haturim, ibid.).

The Mishnah is cautioning the judge to beware not to judge "yechidi" — one of the litigants only — i.e. when one leaves the room he should not continue the judgment with one litigant absent. The only One who listens to one litigant not in the other's presence is the One and Only — Ha-Shem — as it says in regard to a poor person who is mistreated, “So it will be that if he cries out to Me, I shall listen, for I am compassionate” (Exodus 22:26).

“Do not judge alone.” (4:8) QUESTION: Since it says in the Torah "Betzedek tishpot amitecha" — "with righteousness shall you judge your fellow" (Leviticus 19:15) — according to halakhah one judge is sufficient (Rambam, Sanhedrin 2:10). Why does the Mishnah say otherwise?

ANSWER: The Mishnah is guiding the judge not to judge an individual as an individual, but to take into consideration the consequences his judgment may have on the family and future generations. Since no one but Ha-Shem knows what the future holds, one must be extremely cautious in rendering decisions.

Alternatively, the Mishnah is teaching that no Jew should ever judge Yechidi — the One and Only — Ha-Shem. Regardless, if we are happy with the way things are going or not, we should never second-guess Ha-Shem. Ha-Shem has the ability to judge Himself, so to speak, but we must always know that He is infallible and accept with love everything that occurs to us, for ultimately He means our benefit, as Hakham Shaul teaches: “We are assured and know that all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Mishnah 9

Rabbi Yonatan says: “Whoever fulfills the Torah in poverty will ultimately fulfill it in wealth; but whoever neglects the Torah in wealth will ultimately neglect it in poverty.”

“Rabbi Yonatan says, ‘Whoever fulfills the Torah in poverty will ultimately fulfill it in wealth...’” (4:9) QUESTION: Aren't there many poor Torah-observant Jews who remain impoverished all their life? Likewise, aren't there many non-observant Jews who enjoy a lifetime of affluence?

ANSWER: This Mishnah is not referring to a reward for the poor who observe Torah or a punishment to the wealthy for not observing. It is refuting a misconception some people have about Torah-observance.

Many non-observant affluent Jews claim that the poor Torah scholar is observant only because of his impoverished state. Since he is not occupied with business or some profitable vocation, he has much time to study Torah and follow its precepts. Moreover, not having money, he is unable to enjoy many of the amenities which would cause him to be distracted from Torah. If he were tempted with gold and glitter, he would immediately abandon Torah and pursue a modern lifestyle. In defense of their own lifestyle which is void of Torah observance, they say that their affluence and the temptation it brings has hindered their Torah observance.

Rabbi Yonatan is telling us that this is an erroneous philosophy. Neither poverty nor affluence is a rationale or excuse for one's observance or non-observance. The person who fulfills Torah in poverty does so because of his strong Torah convictions, and even if he becomes rich, he will continue to be Torah observant. The rich man who forsakes Torah is not doing so due to his affluence, and even if he should, G-d forbid, be stricken with poverty, he will most likely not observe Torah even then. Torah observance depends on the individual — neither poverty nor affluence is a reason or excuse.

Alternatively, our Sages say, "Ein ani ela beda'at" — "The greatest poverty is lack of knowledge" (Nedarim 41a). Thus, the opposite is also true that real affluence means one who has an abundance of knowledge. Hence, the Mishnah is telling us that if one studies Torah diligently, even though he has difficulty comprehending it, ultimately he will see the beauty of Torah. On the other hand, the one who reaches heights in the study of Torah and discontinues studying will end up being poor in his Torah knowledge since he will forget the Torah he has studied and understood.

Commentary

This Shabbat is called “Shabbat HaGadol” because we read on this Shabbat before Passover from the Prophet Malachi, which in 3:23 we read: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great (Hebrew: HaGadol) and terrible day of the LORD.”

It is interesting to note that verse 22 lays down once and for all the basis for all prophets and prophesies. The only true prophet is the one who “remembers (and causes others to remember) the Torah of Moshe, Ha-Shem's servant, which G-d commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances.” Any prophet that contradicts Moshe's Torah is by definition a “false prophet.”

This Ashlamatah however starts with a denunciation and request:

8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you say: 'Wherein have we robbed You?' In tithes and heave-offerings!

It starts with a denunciation about forsaking G-d’s Laws, and invites the hearers to return to G-d. The hearers ask G-d: “How shall we return?” And the answer comes: “Tithe and financially support Torah teaching.” In other words true repentance is shown not only when forsakes sin and lawlessness but also when one starts doing that which G-d commands and becomes faithful in the matter of tithes and financial support for Torah teaching. In other words, if one truly stands for Torah, then one must be prepared to be faithfully generous in the support of Torah teaching/teachers. This is the proof that a person has truly returned to G-d. If a person is not faithfully tithing and generously supporting his Torah teacher then such a person has either no income, or his returning to G-d is just fake.

An interesting concept taught here is that though we offer our tithe to G-d, yet human beings use it for their support. That is, people tithed to G-d, but the Priests lived on those tithes. And so depriving these ministers of Torah from their livelihood is classified by G-d Himself, as if a person had stolen from Him. Tithing and financially supporting one’s Torah teacher, therefore is one of the most tangible evidence that a person has a healthy relationship with and proper reverence for G-d. There is no need to have any kind of sermon in the Synagogue about giving and tithing, and if there is such need, then the congregants are either lawless or fakes.

On this Sabbath, Shabbat HaGadol (the great Shabbat), traditionally the Hakham (Rabbi) of the Esnoga (Ladino for Synagogue) delivers an afternoon Shiur (lesson) that is intended to review the laws of Passover as well as inspire the community to ready themselves for the festival. With this in mind I offer for your enjoyment the following great lesson:

Bar-Ilan University's Parashat Hashavua Study Center

Shabbat Hagadol 5766/ April 8, 2006

http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/pesah/far.html

Lectures on the weekly Torah reading by the faculty of Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel. A project of the Faculty of Jewish Studies, Paul and Helene Shulman Basic Jewish Studies Center, and the Office of the Campus Rabbi. Published on the Internet under the sponsorship of Bar-Ilan University's International Center for Jewish Identity. Prepared for Internet Publication by the Computer Center Staff at Bar-Ilan University. Inquiries and comments to: Dr. Isaac Gottlieb, Department of Bible, gottlii@mail.biu.ac.il

Four Sons, Four Redemptions *

By: Rabbi Dr. Haniel Farber

The College of Judea and Samaria

The upcoming holiday has four names: the Spring Festival, Passover, the Festival of Freedom and the Festival of Matzot (unleavened bread). These are indeed fitting names for Passover, a holiday unequalled in all the Jewish festivals and first in the biblical calendar. Passover is the most elaborate of all the festivals, replete with commandments to be performed. This is the holiday celebrating our liberation from bondage, the transition from enslavement to redemption, from darkness to light.

The Bible uses four expressions to describe our redemption from Egypt:

Say, therefore, to the Israelite people: I am the LORD. I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements. And I will take you to be My people (Exodus 6:6-7).

Actually, the text goes on to use a fifth verb, “I will bring you into the land” (Exodus 6:8), but the rabbis were doubtful whether this word should be considered one of the expressions of redemption: perhaps redemption is complete when the people are taken out of Egypt, and not only when they reach the land of Israel.

On account of these four expressions the rabbis, in establishing the Haggadah ritual, stipulated that we drink four cups of wine, one for each of the certain expressions of redemption; to handle the doubtful case they added a fifth cup which is not actually drunk at the Seder. This arrangement will continue until the prophet Elijah comes and settles the question. Therefore the fifth cup is called the Cup of Elijah.

Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, proclaim these four expressions of redemption? Would not one such expression have sufficed? The rabbis asked a similar question in Tractate Abot (5.1): “With ten Sayings the world was created. Could it not have been created with a single Saying?” In other words, like the creation of the world, so too, the Exodus from Egypt could have been accomplished with a single word. But, just as the rabbis found a reason for a multiplicity of divine utterances in creating the world, “to requite the wicked and bestow a goodly reward on the righteous,” so too, there is a hidden purpose here: to strengthen the faith of the Israelites in the Holy One, blessed be He, Who overturned the natural order of things to hasten their redemption.

From the above we learn that the Sages, who formulated the Haggadah, placed the number four in the center. There are four expressions of redemption, [1] four sons, four questions in the Mah Nishtanah, four cups of wine, four times that one eats a token quantity of matzah, a four-fold repetition of the word Barukh, blessed, in the phrase, “Blessed is the Omnipresent, Blessed is He, Blessed is He who gave the Torah to His people Israel, Blessed is He,” and four foods that had symbolic import during the time that the Temple existed – the Pascal sacrifice, matzah, bitter herbs, and haroset.

To answer the question why there is more than one expression of redemption and to explain the difference between each of the four expressions, we must pose an additional question: The Torah obliges us to recount the story of the exodus from Egypt to our children, insofar as the word ve-higgadeta, “you shall tell,” appears four times in the Torah in this connection (Ex. 12:24, 13:8, 13:14, and Deut. 10:20), from which comes the idea of the Torah speaking of four sons, “one wise, one wicked, one simple, and one who knows not to ask.” We are commanded to tell them about the history of their people, whether they ask or not, whether their question attests to their being wise or, heaven forbid, wicked. That being the case, why did the Haggadah not command us to tell all our children about the exodus from Egypt, without going into the details of different sorts of children?

Passover (Pesah) is the holiday of peh-sah, “the mouth speaks,” i.e., of educating. The obligation of telling on Passover is unique to the Seder eve; there is no similar obligation on the eve of the Feast of Weeks, nor on the eve of Tabernacles, even though these festivals also commemorate the exodus from Egypt. The Seder eve is unique in that the Torah set this night aside for educating our children, and especial importance applies to treating all children equally; one must not despair of the wicked ones, nor of those who know not to ask. The simpleton should be treated with patience, and the wise child should not be especially favored.

Similarly the four expressions of redemption express four stages or conditions along the way to redemption. Rabbi Ephraim of Luntschitz, author of Kli Yakar, wrote the following on the four expressions:

The Holy One, blessed be He, saw fit to deliver them gradually, step by step. First he delivered them from the most dangerous thing, which is oppression; in this regard it is said, “I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians.” Then He delivered them from bondage; in this regard it is said, “and deliver you from their bondage.” Afterwards he delivered them from the easiest of all, which is being a Ger, the state of apostasy, in which regard it is said, “I will redeem you,” for in doing away with their apostasy they would merit the Divine Presence staying with them, in which regard it is said, “and I will take you to be My people and I will be your G-d.”

This progression particularly illustrates the way one should relate to the “four sons.” They should be stimulated according to their intellectual ability and character, and should be brought from the state of the evil one or simpleton and the one who knows not to ask to the state of the wise one. Such a drastic change is possible only if one acts with patience, proceeding step by step, with perseverance and understanding between parents and children. Just as Redemption occurs gradually, proceeding from the easy to the hard, so too parents should help their children gradually along the steep ascent, relating properly and wisely to each child’s abilities and inclinations, in a manner consonant with the saying, “Train a lad according to his inclinations” (Proverbs 22:6).

It follows that the four stages correspond to the four sons, from the easy son to the difficult one. The most dangerous stage is that of oppression, which corresponds to the son who knows not to ask. The condition of such a son is extremely grave, since he does not know how to worship the LORD and lack all skills of learning Torah. He must be drawn out of his state of depression, extricated from his lack of all interest in anything sacred.

The educational advice for such a son is: “You open the subject to him” – approach him with patience and rouse him from his stupor. This is a sacred obligation on this important night.

A higher intellectual level is evinced by the wicked son. He displays hostility and reservations, but one can see that he is clever and understanding. However, he uses his intelligence for negative ends. He must be delivered from bondage – from being enslaved to his evil inclination. With proper direction, one can succeed and be saved from “their bondage.”

The condition of the simpleton corresponds to being a Ger. Such a person has a good character, innocence and naivete, but his intelligence is not sufficiently developed. This is the condition of the Ger who has a thirst for knowledge, yet knows nothing. This son, too, must be “redeemed” and patiently given wisdom commensurate with his ability to comprehend.

The ideal condition is that of the wise son. He seeks closeness to G-d. He should be “taken” in hand, and his great wisdom and honest desire to worship the Creator should be put to good use, explaining him the minutest details of the law. Such a procedure will bring him closer to the sublime in worshipping the LORD, and thus he will adhere to the ways of the LORD, and “I will be your G-d.”

Thus we see that the Torah took the trouble to use four expressions of redemption in order to have them correspond to the four sons. The Haggadah seeks to arrange the Passover Seder on the theme of the number four as part of a didactic method of inspiring unity and good fellowship among brothers. Only by showing loving understanding between parents and children is there a chance of educating the next generation successfully.

* Dedicated to the memory of my father-in-law, Rabbi Meir Meir, z”l.

[1] Rabbi Jacob ben Asher, Ba’al ha-Turim, finds a connection hinted at between the four terms of redemption and the four cups. The gematria of these four verbs equals the numerical value of the Mishnaic statement that the poorest Jew should not have fewer than four cups [of wine].

Shabbat:	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
הַגָּדוֹל & וָאֵרָא
“Vaera” & HaGadol	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 6:2-5	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 7:8-10
“And I appeared” & “The Great Day”	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 6:6-9	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 7:11-13
“Y aparecí” & “El Día Grande”	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 6:10-13	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 7:14-18
Sh’mot (Exodus) 6:2 – 7:7	Reader 4 – Sh’mot 6:14-19
Special: Malachi 3:4-24 [3:4 – 4:6]	Reader 5 – Sh’mot 6:20-22
Normal: Isaiah 52:6-13 + 53:4-5	Reader 6 – Sh’mot 6:23-28	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 7:19-21
Tehillim (Psalms) 45	Reader 7 – Sh’mot 6:29 – 7:7	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 7:22-25
Pirke Abot Introd + IV:7-	Maftir – Sh’mot 7:5-7	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 7:26-29
Matityahu 8:1-13	Malachi 3:4-24 [3:4 – 4:6]