|
Esnoga
Bet Emunah 4544 Highline Dr. SE Olympia, WA 98501 United States of America ©
2015 E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com |
|
Esnoga
Bet El 102 Broken Arrow Dr. Paris TN 38242 United States of America ©
2015 E-Mail: waltoakley@charter.net |
Triennial Cycle (Triennial Torah Cycle) / Septennial Cycle (Septennial
Torah Cycle)
|
Three
and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings |
Third Year of the
Triennial Reading Cycle |
|
Nisan
14-22, 5775 – April 03/11, 2015 |
Seventh
Year of the Shmita Cycle |
Happy & Kosher
Pesach 5775
Part II
Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times:
|
Amarillo,
TX, U.S. Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 7:57 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 7:58 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 8:55 PM |
Austin
& Conroe, TX, U.S. Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 7:37 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 7:37 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 8:32 PM |
Brisbane,
Australia Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 5:20 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 5:19 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 6:10 PM |
|
Chattanooga,
& Cleveland, TN, U.S. Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 7:51 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 7:52 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 8:49 PM |
Manila & Cebu, Philippines Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 5:51 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 5:51 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 6:42 PM |
Miami, FL, U.S. Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 7:23 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 7:24 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 8:17 PM |
|
Murray,
KY, & Paris, TN. U.S. Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 7:06 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 7:07 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 8:05 PM |
Olympia,
WA, U.S. Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 7:34 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 7:35 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 8:42 PM |
Port Orange, FL, U.S. Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 7:29 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 7:29 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 8:24 PM |
|
San Antonio, TX, U.S. Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 7:39 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 7:40 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 8:34 PM |
Sheboygan & Manitowoc, WI, US Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 7:09 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 7:10 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 8:14 PM |
Singapore,
Singapore Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 6:52 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 6:52 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 7:41 PM |
|
St.
Louis, MO, U.S. Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 7:56 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 7:57 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 9:01 PM |
Tacoma,
WA, U.S. Eve of 7th
Day of Passover Thur.
April 9 2015 – Candles at 7:32 PM Eve of 8th
Day of Passover & Shabbat Fri. Apr
10 2015 – Candles at 7:34 PM Sat. Apr
11 2015 – Habdalah 8:41 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
For other places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp
Roll of Honor:
His
Eminence Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David and beloved wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat
Sarah
His
Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba
bat Sarah
His Honor
Paqid Adon David ben Abraham
His Honor
Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,
His Honor
Paqid Adon Yoel ben Abraham and beloved
wife HH Giberet Rivka bat Dorit
His Honor
Paqid Adon Tsuriel ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Gibora bat Sarah
Her
Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family
His
Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved family
His
Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife
Her
Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor
Her
Excellency Prof. Dr. Conny Williams & beloved family
Her
Excellency Giberet Gloria Sutton & beloved family
His
Excellency Adon Gabriel ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Elisheba bat
Sarah
His
Excellency Adon Yehoshua ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Rut bat Sarah
For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the
best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’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.
If you
want to subscribe to our list and ensure that you never lose any of our
commentaries, or would like your friends also to receive this commentary,
please do send me an E-Mail to benhaggai@GMail.com with your
E-Mail or the E-Mail addresses of your friends. Toda Rabba!
“Seventh Day of Pesach”
(No Work allowed)
(Thursday Evening April 09, 2015)
Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 6
Then read the following:
|
Day of the Omer |
Ministry |
Date |
Ephesians |
Attributes |
|
6 |
Masoret/Parnas 3 |
Nisan 21 |
1:15-17 |
Chesed coupled with Emet/Truth |
Ephesians
1:15-17 Therefore, when I heard of your faithful obedience in
union with the Master Yeshua (HaMashiach) and your love (care/charity) for the Tsadiqim (saints) I have not stopped[1] giving thanks and
mentioning you in my prayers, (asking) that the God of our master Yeshua
HaMashiach, the Father of dignity[2] grant you the
power to comprehend through the Oral Torah,[3]
and His agents Chochmah, Binah and Da’at.
“Seventh Day of Pesach”
(No Work allowed)
(Friday Morning April 10, 2015)
Morning Service
Torah Reading: Shemot
(Exodus) 13:17 – 15:26
Reader 1: Shemot 13:17-22
Reader 2: Shemot 14:1-8
Reader 3: Shemot 14:9-14
Reader 4: Shemot 14:15-26
Reader 5: Shemot 14:26 –
15:26
Maftir: B’Midbar (Numbers)
28:18-25
Ahlamatah: II Samuel 22:1-51
Nazarean Codicil: I
Corinthians 14:1 – 15:34 & Revelation 2:1-7
Blessings
Before Torah Study
Blessed are
You, Ha-Shem our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us through Your
commandments, and commanded us to actively study Torah. Amen!
Please Ha-Shem,
our G-d, 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
desire. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amen!
Blessed are
You, Ha-Shem our G-d, 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 doing 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: Honouring 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!
Contents of the Torah Seder
·
The Passage of the Red Sea –
Exodus 13:17 – 14:31
·
The Song at the Red Sea –
Exodus 15:1-21
·
The Journey to Sinai –
Exodus 15:22-26
Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for: Shemot (Exod.) 13:17 – 15:26
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
17. It
came to pass when Pharaoh let the people go, that God did not lead them [by]
way of the land of the Philistines for it was near, because God said, Lest the people reconsider
when they see war and return to Egypt |
17. AND
it was when Pharoh had released the people, that the LORD did not conduct
them by the way of the land of the P’lishtim though that was the near one;
for the LORD said, Lest
the people be affrighted in seeing their brethren who were killed in war, two
hundred thousand men of strength of the tribe of Ephraim, who took shields,
and lances, and weapons of war, and went down to Gath to carry off the flocks
of the P’lishtim; and because they transgressed against the statute of the
Word of the LORD, and went forth from Mizraim three years before the
(appointed) end of their servitude, they were delivered into the hand of the
P’lishtim, who slew them. These are the dry bones which the Word of the LORD
restored to life by the ministry (hand) of Yechezekel the prophet, in the
valley of Dura; but which, if they (now) saw them, they would be afraid, and
return into Mizraim. |
|
18. So God led the people around [by] way of
the desert [to] the Red Sea, and the children of Israel were armed when they
went up out of Egypt. |
18. But the LORD led the people round by the
way of the desert of the sea of Suph; and every one of the sons of Israel,
with five children, went up from the land of Mizraim. |
|
19. Moses took Joseph’s bones with him, for he
[Joseph] had adjured the sons of Israel, saying, God will surely remember
you, and you shall bring up my bones from here with you |
19. And Mosheh carried up the ark in which
were the bones of Joseph, from out of the Nilos, and took them with him;
because, adjuring, he adjured the sons of Israel, saving, The LORD will
surely remember you, and you will carry up my bones with you. |
|
20. They traveled from Succoth, and they
encamped in Etham, at the edge of the desert. |
20. And they journeyed from Succoth, the place
where they had been covered with the clouds of glory, and sojourned in Ethan,
which is on the side of the desert. |
|
21. And the Lord went before them by day in a
pillar of cloud to cause it to lead them on the way and at night in a pillar
of fire to give them light, [they thus could] travel day and night. |
21. And the glory of the Shekinah of the LORD
went before them by day in the column of the Cloud to lead them in the way,
and at night the column of the Cloud removed behind them to darken on their
pursuers behind them; but to be a column of fire to enlighten them before,
that they might go forward by day and by night. |
|
22. He did not move away the pillar of cloud
by day or the pillar of fire at night [from] before the people. |
22. The column of the Cloud departed not by
day, nor the column of fire by night, in leading on before the people. |
|
|
|
|
1. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, |
1. And the Lord spoke to Mosheh, saying, |
|
2. Speak to the children of Israel, and let
them turn back and encamp in front of Pi hahiroth, between Migdol and the
sea; in front of Baal Zephon, you shall encamp opposite it, by the sea. |
2. Speak to the sons of Israel, that they
return back, and encamp before the Mouths of Hiratha, as they lie, created
after the manner (likeness) of the children of men, male and female, and
their eyes open to them: it is the place of Tanes, which is between Migdol
and the sea, before the idol Zephon (Typhon), that is left of all the idols
of Mizraim. For the Mizraee will say, More excellent is Baal Zephon than all
idols, because it is left, and not smitten; and therefore will they come to
worship it, and will find that you are encamped nigh unto it, on the border
of the sea. |
|
3. And Pharaoh will say about the children of
Israel, They are trapped in the land. The desert has closed in upon them. |
3. And Pharoh said to Dathan and Abiram, sons
of Israel, who had remained in Mizraim, The people of the house of Israel are
bewildered in the land: the idol Zephon has shut them in close upon the
desert. |
|
4, And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he
will pursue them, and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and through his
entire force, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord And they did so. |
4, And I will strengthen the design of
Pharoh's heart to pursue after them, and I will be glorified upon Pharoh and
upon his hosts, and the Mizraee will know that I am the LORD. And they did
so. |
|
5. It was reported to Pharaoh that the people
had fled; and Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people,
and they said, What is this that we have done, that we have released Israel
from serving us? |
5. And the officers who went with Israel
announced that the people had fled. And the heart of Pharoh and his servants
was turned unto evil against the people; and they said, What is this that we
have done? for we have released Israel from serving us. |
|
6. So he [Pharaoh] harnessed his chariot, and
took his people with him. |
6. And he himself prepared his chariot, and
his people led he with him by soft words. |
|
7. He took six hundred select chariots and all
the chariots of Egypt, with officers over them all. |
7. And he took six hundred choice chariots,
and all the chariots of the Mizraee his servants, who were afraid of the Word
of the LORD, lest they should be killed with pestilence, if not with hail:
and a third mule, for drawing and following swiftly, he added to each
chariot. |
|
8. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh,
the king of Egypt, and he chased after the children of Israel, and the
children of Israel were marching out triumphantly. |
8. And the LORD hardened the design of the
heart of Pharoh king of Mizraim, and he pursued after the sons of Israel. But
the sons of Israel, going out with a high hand, were stronger than the
Mizraee. |
|
9. The Egyptians
chased after them and overtook them encamped by the sea every horse of
Pharaoh’s chariots, his horsemen, and his force beside Pi hahiroth, in front
of Ba’al Zephon. |
9. And the Mizraee
followed after them, and came upon them as they were encamped by the sea,
gathering of pearls and goodly stones, which the river Pishon had carried
from the garden of Eden into the Gihon, and the Gihon had carried into the
sea of Suph, and the sea of Suph had cast upon its bank. But all the chariot
horses of Pharoh, and his horsemen, and his hosts (were coming) towards the
Mouths of Hiratha, which are before the idol Zephon. |
|
10.
Pharaoh drew near, and the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and
behold! the Egyptians were advancing after them. They were very frightened,
and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. |
10. And
Pharoh saw the idol Zephon (still) preserved, and offered oblations before
it. And the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, beheld, the Mizraee
were pursuing them; and they were sorely afraid, and the children of Israel
prayed before the LORD. |
|
11. They said to Moses, Is it because there
are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us to die in the desert? What is
this that you have done to us to take us out of Egypt? |
11. But the wicked generation said to Mosheh,
Because there were no places of burial for us in Mizraim, have you led us
forth to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, in bringing us out
of Mizraim? |
|
12.
Isn’t this the thing [about] which we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, Leave us
alone, and we will serve the Egyptians, because we would rather serve the
Egyptians than die in the desert |
12. Was
as not this the word that we spoke to you in Mizraim, Let the LORD manifest
Himself over us and judge, saying, Desist from us, and we will serve the
Mizraee? for it is better for us to serve the Mizraee than to perish in the
desert. |
|
13. Moses said to the people, Don t be afraid!
Stand firm and see the Lord s salvation that He will wreak for you today, for
the way you have seen the Egyptians is [only] today, [but] you shall no
longer continue to see them for eternity. |
13. Four parties were made (among) the sons of
Israel on the shore of the Weedy Sea: one said, Let us go down into the sea;
another said, Let us return unto Mizraim; another said Let us set against
them the line of battle; and another said Let us raise a cry against them,
and confound them. Unto the company which said, Let us go down to the sea,
spoke Mosheh, Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which
will be wrought for you today. To the company which said, Let us return into
Mizraim Mosheh said, You will not return; for, though you see the Mizraee
today, you will see them no more forever. |
|
14. The Lord will fight for you, but you shall
remain silent |
14. To the company who said, Let us set
against them the line of battle, said Mosheh, Contend not; for the victory
will be wrought among you from the presence of the LORD. And to the company
who said. Let us raise a cry against them, Mosheh said, Be silent; and give
the glory, and praise, and exaltation to your God. |
|
15. The
Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the children of Israel
and let them travel. |
15. And
the LORD said to Mosheh, Why do you stand praying before Me? Behold, the
prayers of My people have come before your own: speak to the sons of Israel,
that they go forward; |
|
16. And you raise your staff and stretch out
your hand over the sea and split it, and the children of Israel shall come in
the midst of the sea on dry land. |
16. and you, lift up your rod, and stretch
forth your hand with it over the sea, and divide it: and the sons of Israel
will go through the midst of ,the sea upon the ground. |
|
17. And
I, behold! I shall harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will come
after you, and I will be glorified through Pharaoh, and through all his
force, through his chariots, and through his horsemen. |
17.
For, behold, I will harden the design of the heart of the Mizraee, and they
will go in after them; and I will be glorified upon Pharoh and upon all his
hosts, upon his chariots and his horsemen; |
|
18. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the
Lord, when I will be glorified through Pharaoh, through his chariots, and
through his horsemen |
18. that the Mizraee may know that I am the
LORD, when I am glorified upon Pharoh, upon his chariots and horsemen. |
|
19. Then the angel of God, who had been going
in front of the Israelite camp, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of
cloud moved away from in front of them and stood behind them. |
19. And the Angel of the LORD who led the way
before the hosts of Israel went and came behind them; and the column of the
Cloud went from before and stood behind them: because the Mizraee threw darts
and stones at the Israelites, but the Cloud intercepted them |
|
20. And he came between the camp of Egypt and the camp
of Israel, and there were the cloud and the darkness, and it illuminated the
night, and one did not draw near the other all night long. |
20. and it came between the host of Israel and
the host of the Mizraee; a cloud, one half of which was light and one half
darkness. On the one side it darkened upon the Mizraee, and on the other side
it shined upon Israel all night; and one host did not attack the other all
the night. |
|
21. And Moses stretched out his hand over the
sea, and the Lord led the sea with the strong east wind all night, and He
made the sea into dry land and the waters split. |
21. And Mosheh stretched out his hand over the
sea, with the great and glorious rod which was created at the beginning, and
on which were engraved and set forth the Great and Glorious Name, and the ten
signs which had smitten the Mizraee, and the three fathers of the world, and
the six mothers, and the twelve tribes of Ya’aqob: and straightway the LORD
brought a vehement east wind upon the sea all night, and made the sea dry;
and divided the waters into twelve divisions according to the twelve tribes
of Jacob. |
|
22. Then the children of Israel came into the
midst of the sea on dry land, and the waters were to them as a wall from
their right and from their left. |
22. And the children of Israel went through
the midst of the sea upon the ground, and the waters were congealed like a
wall, three hundred miles on their right hand and on their left. |
|
23. The Egyptians pursued and came after them
all Pharaoh s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen, into the midst of the
sea. |
23. And the Mizraee followed and went in after
them, all the horses of Pharoh, and his chariots and horsemen, into the midst
of the sea. |
|
24. It came about in the morning watch that
the Lord looked down over the Egyptian camp through a pillar of fire and
cloud, and He threw the Egyptian camp into confusion. |
24. And it was that in the morning watch, at
the time that the powers on high come to offer praise, the LORD looked forth
with anger upon the hosts of the Mizraee from the column of fire, to hurl
upon them flakes of fire and hail, and from the column of cloud, and
confounded the host of the Mizraee |
|
25. And He removed the wheels of their
chariots, and He led them with heaviness, and the Egyptians said, Let me run
away from the Israelites because the Lord is fighting for them against the
Egyptians |
25. and He broke (or, made rough) the wheels
of Pharoh's carriages, so that they drove them with hardship, and that they
went on and left them behind. And the Mizraee said one to another, Let us
flee from the people of the house of Israel; for this is the Word of the LORD
who fought for them in Mizraim. |
|
26. Thereupon, the Lord said to Moses, Stretch
out your hand over the sea, and let the water return upon the Egyptians, upon
their chariots, and upon their horsemen |
26. And the Lord said to Mosheh, Stretch forth
your hand over the sea, that the waters may return upon the Mizraee, upon
their chariots and upon their horsemen. |
|
27. So Moses stretched out his hand over the
sea, and toward morning the sea returned to its strength, as the Egyptians
were fleeing toward it, and the Lord stirred the Egyptians into the sea. |
27. And Mosheh stretched out his hand over the
sea, and the sea returned at the time of the morning unto its strength; and
the Mizraee fled from before its waves. And the LORD strengthened the Mizraee
in the midst of the sea, that they should not (soon) die in the midst of it,
that they might receive the punishment which had been sent to them. |
|
28. And
the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, the entire
force of Pharaoh coming after them into the sea; not even one of them
survived. |
28. And
the waves of the sea returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen and
all the host of Pharoh who had gone in after them, into the sea, not one among
them was left. |
|
29. But the children of Israel went on dry
land in the midst of the sea, and the water was to them like a wall from
their right and from their left. |
29. But the sons of Israel walked on the
ground in the midst of the sea, and the waters to them were as walls on their
right hand and on their left. |
|
30. On that day the Lord saved Israel from the
hand[s] of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dying on the seashore. |
30. That day the LORD redeemed and saved
Israel from the hand of the Mizraee; and Israel saw the Mizraee, dead and not
dead, cast upon the shore of the sea. |
|
31. And Israel saw the great hand, which the
Lord had used upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord, and they
believed in the Lord and in Moses, His servant. |
31. And Israel saw the power of the mighty
hand by which the LORD had wrought the miracles in Mizraim; and the people
feared before the LORD, and believed in the Name of the Word of the LORD, and
in the prophecies of Mosheh His servant. |
|
|
|
|
1. Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song
to the Lord, and they spoke, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for very
exalted is He; a horse and its rider He cast into the sea. |
1. Behold: then sang, Mosheh and the sons of
Israel this song of praise before the LORD and saying they said: Thanksgiving
and praise we bring before the LORD Most High, who is glorified above the
glorious, and exalted above the exalted; who punishes by His Word whomsoever
glorifies himself before Him. Therefore when Pharoh the wicked bare himself
proudly before the LORD, and, being uplifted in his heart, followed after the
people of the sons of Israel, their horses and their chariots He threw and
buried in the sea of Suph. |
|
2. The
Eternal’s strength and His vengeance were my salvation; this is my God, and I
will make Him a habitation, the God of my father, and I will ascribe to Him
exaltation. |
2. The
LORD is Mighty, and greatly to be feared over all the world. He spoke in His
Word, and became to me a God of salvation. From their mothers' breasts even
the children have given signs with their fingers to their fathers, and said
This is our God, who nourished us with honey from the rock, and with oil from
the stone of clay, at the time when our mothers went forth upon the face of the
field to give us birth, and leave us there; and He sent an angel who washed
us and enwrapped us; and now will we praise Him: He is the God of our
fathers, and we will exalt Him. |
|
3. The Lord is a Master of war; the Lord is
His Name. |
3. The sons of Israel said, The LORD is a man
making war for us: from generation to generation He makes known His power
unto the people of the house of Israel. The LORD is His Name; according to
His Name, so is His power; His Name will be blessed for ever and ever. |
|
4. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He cast
into the sea, and the elite of his officers sank in the Red Sea. |
4. The chariots of Pharoh and his hosts He has
cast into the sea; the goodliest of his young men has He thrown and drowned
in the sea of Suph. |
|
5. The depths covered them; they descended
into the depths like a stone. |
5. The deep covered them over, they went down
and are buried in the depths of the sea, and are as silent as a stone. |
|
6. Your right hand, O Lord, is most powerful;
Your right hand, O Lord, crushes the foe. |
6. Your right hand, O LORD, how glorious is it
in power? Your right hand, O LORD, has cut off the adversaries of Your people
who rose against them to do them hurt. |
|
7. And with Your great pride You tear down
those who rise up against You; You send forth Your burning wrath; it devours
them like straw. |
7. And in the plenitude and greatness of Your
majesty You have destroyed the walls of the enemies of Your people. You will
pour upon them Your fierce anger, You will consume them as the burning fire
prevails over the stubble. |
|
8. And with the breath of Your nostrils the
waters were heaped up; the running water stood erect like a wall; the depths
congealed in the heart of the sea. |
8. For by the Word from before You the waters
became heaps; they stood, as if bound like skins that confine flowing water,
and the depths were congealed in the flood of the great sea. |
|
9. [Because] the enemy said, I will pursue, I
will overtake, I will share the booty; my desire will be filled from them; I
will draw my sword, my hand will impoverish them. |
9. Pharoh the wicked, the hater and adversary,
did say, I will follow after the people of the sons of Israel, and will lay
waste their camp on the bank of the sea: I will set war in array against
them, and kill them, small and great, despoil them of much spoil, bring them
back into great captivity, and divide their substance among my people who
make war: and when my soul is satisfied with the blood of their slain, I will
sheathe my sword, having, destroyed them with my right hand. |
|
10. You blew with Your wind, the sea covered
them; they sank like lead in the powerful waters. |
10. You did blow with the wind from before
You, O LORD, and the waves of the sea covered them; they went down, and sank
as lead in the proud waters. |
|
11. Who is like You among the powerful, O
Lord? Who is like You, powerful in the holy place? Too awesome for praises,
performing wonders! |
11. Who is like You among the exalted gods, O
LORD, who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing
wonders and manifestations for Your people, the house of Israel? |
|
12. You inclined Your right hand; the earth
swallowed them up. |
12. The sea spoke to the earth, Receive your
children: but the earth spoke to the sea, Receive your murderers. And the sea
was not willing to overwhelm them, and the earth was not willing to swallow
them up. The earth was afraid to receive them, lest they should be required
from her in the day of the great judgment in the world to come, even as the
blood of Habel will be required of her: whereupon You, O LORD, did stretch
forth Your right hand in swearing to the earth that in the world to come they
should not be required of her. And the earth opened her mouth and consumed
them. |
|
13. With Your loving kindness You led the
people You redeemed; You led [them] with Your might to Your holy abode. |
13. You have led in Your mercy the people whom
You have redeemed, and given them the heritage of the mountain of Your
sanctuary, the place of the dwelling of Your holy Shekinah. |
|
14. People heard, they trembled; a shudder
seized the inhabitants of Philistia. |
14. The Gentiles will hear and be afraid;
terror will lay hold upon them, even upon all the pillars of the inhabitants
of the Palestinian land. |
|
15. Then the chieftains of Edom were startled;
[as for] the powerful men of Moab, trembling seized them; all the inhabitants
of Canaan melted. |
15. Behold, then will the princes of the
Edomites be confounded, the strong ones of Moab will be seized with fear,
their heart within them will melt away, even all the pillars of the
inhabitants of the land of Kanaan. |
|
16. May dread and fright fall upon them; with
the arm of Your greatness may they become as still as a stone, until Your
people cross over, O Lord, until this nation that You have acquired crosses
over. |
16. Through the power of Your mighty arm, let
the terrors of death fall upon them, let them be silent as a stone, till the
time when Your people, O LORD, will have passed the streams of Arnona, till
the time when Your people whom You did ransom will have crossed the dividing
current of Jabeka. |
|
17. You shall bring them and plant them on the
mount of Your heritage, directed toward Your habitation, which You made, O
Lord; the sanctuary, O Lord, [which] Your hands founded. |
17. You will bring them in, and plant them on
the mountain of Your sanctuary, the place which You have provided before the
throne of Your glory, the house of Your holy Shekinah, which You, O LORD, has
prepared, Your sanctuary that with both hands You have established. |
|
18. The Lord will reign to all eternity |
18. When the people of the house of Israel
beheld the signs and manifestations which the Holy One, whose Name be
praised, had done at the sea of Suph, and the power of His hand, the children
of the captives answering said one to the other, Come, and let us set the
crown of majesty on the head of our Redeemer, who makes to pass over, and
passes not; who changes, and is not changed; whose is the crown of the
kingdom; the King of kings in this world; whose, too, is the kingdom in the
world to come, forever and ever. |
|
19. When Pharaoh’s horses came with his
chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought the waters of
the sea back upon them, and the children of Israel walked on dry land in the
midst of the sea, |
19. For Pharoh's horses with his chariots and
horsemen went into the sea, and the Lord made the waters of the sea to return
upon them; but the sons of Israel walked upon the land in the midst of the
sea, and there did spring up sweet fountains and trees yielding food and
verdure and ripe fruits, (even) on the ground of the sea. |
|
20. Miriam, the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a
timbrel in her hand, and all the women came out after her with timbrels and
with dances. |
20. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of
Aharon, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women came out after her,
dancing with tambourines and playing on instruments. |
|
21. And Miriam called out to them, Sing to the
Lord, for very exalted is He; a horse and its rider He cast into the sea |
21. And Miriam sang to them, Let us give
thanks and praise before the LORD, for might and supremacy are His; above the
proud He is glorified, and above the lofty He is exalted. When the wicked,
Pharoh in his pride followed after the people of the sons of Israel, his
horses and his chariots did He cast and drown in the sea of Suph. |
|
22. Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea,
and they went out into the desert of Shur; they walked for three days in the
desert but did not find water. |
22. And Mosheh made Israel go forward from the
sea of Suph, and they went forth into the wilderness of Chalutsa. And they
journeyed three days in the desert, empty of instruction, and found no water. |
|
23. They came to Marah, but they could not
drink water from Marah because it was bitter; therefore, it was named Marah. |
23. And they came to Marah, but could not
drink the waters of Marah because they were bitter; therefore he called the
name of it Marah. |
|
24. The people complained against Moses,
saying, What shall we drink? |
24. And the people murmured against Mosheh,
saying, What will we drink? |
|
25. So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord
instructed him concerning a piece of wood, which he cast into the water, and
the water became sweet. There He gave them a statute and an ordinance, and
there He tested them. |
25. And he prayed before the LORD, and the
LORD showed him the bitter tree of Ardiphne; and he wrote upon it the great
and glorious Name, and cast it into the midst of the waters, and the waters
were rendered sweet. And there did the Word of the LORD appoint to him the
ordinance of the Sabbath, and the statute of honouring father and mother, the
judgments concerning wounds and bruises., and the punishments wherewith
offenders are punished; and there he tried (them) with the tenth trial, |
|
26. And He said, If you hearken to the voice of the Lord,
your God, and you do what is proper in His eyes, and you listen closely to
His commandments and observe all His statutes, all the sicknesses that I have
visited upon Egypt I will not visit upon you, for I, the Lord, heal you. |
26. and said, If you will truly hearken to the Word of the
LORD your God, and do that which is right before Him, and will listen to His
precepts and keep all His statutes, all those evil things that I laid upon
the Mizraee I will not lay upon you: but if you will transgress against the Word
of the Law, upon you will they be sent. If you repent, I will remove them
from you; for I am the LORD your Healer. |
|
|
|
Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for: B’Midbar (Num.) 28:16-25
|
Rashi |
Targum Pseudo Jonathan |
|
16. In the first month, on
the fourteenth day of the month, [you shall offer up] a Passover offering to
the Lord. |
16. And
in the month of Nisan, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the sacrifice
of the Pascha before the LORD. |
|
17. On
the fifteenth day of this month, a festival [begins]; you shall eat
unleavened bread for seven days. |
17. On
the fifteenth day of this month is a festival; seven days will unleavened be
eaten. |
|
18. On
the first day is a holy convocation; you shall not perform any mundane work. |
18. On
the first day of the festival a holy convocation; no servile work will you
do; |
|
19. You
shall offer up a fire offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two young
bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year they shall be unblemished
for you. |
19. but
offer an oblation of a burnt sacrifice before the LORD, two young bullocks,
one ram, and seven lambs of the year, unblemished, will you have. |
|
20.
Their meal offerings [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths for
each bull and two tenths for the ram you shall offer up. |
20. And
their minchas of wheat flour, mingled with olive oil, three tenths for each
bullock, two tenths for the ram, |
|
21. And
you shall offer up one tenth for each lamb, for all seven lambs. |
21. and
for a single lamb a tenth, so for the seven; |
|
22. And
one young male goat for a sin offering to atone for you. |
22. and
one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you: |
|
23. You
shall offer these up besides the morning burnt offering which is offered as a
continual burnt offering. |
23.
beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning, the perpetual burnt sacrifice, you
will make these offerings. |
|
24.
Like these, you shall offer up daily for seven days, food of the fire
offering, a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord; you shall offer up this in
addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation. |
24.
According to these oblations of the first day you will do daily through the
seven days of the festival. It is the bread of the oblation which is received
with favor before the LORD; it will be made beside the perpetual burnt
offering, with its libation. |
|
25. The
seventh day shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any
mundane work. |
25. And
on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; no servile work shall
you do. |
|
|
|
Welcome to the World of P’shat Exegesis
In order to understand the finished work of the P’shat
mode of interpretation of the Torah, one needs to take into account that the
P’shat is intended to produce a catechetical output, whereby a question/s
is/are raised and an answer/a is/are given using the seven Hermeneutic Laws of
R. Hillel and as well as the laws of Hebrew Grammar and Hebrew expression.
The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as follows
[cf. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=472&letter=R]:
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.
Rashi’s Commentary for: Shemot (Exodus) 13:17 – 15:26
17 It came to pass when Pharaoh let...that God did
not lead them Heb. וְלֽא-נָחָם, and did not lead them,
similar to “Go, lead (נְחֵה) the people” (Exod. 32:34) [and] “When you walk, it
shall lead (תִּנְחֶה) you” (Prov. 6:22).
for it
was near-and it was easy to return
by that road to Egypt. There are also many aggadic midrashim [regarding this].
when they
see war For instance, the war of
“And the Amalekites and the Canaanites descended, etc.” (Num. 14:45). If they
had gone on a direct route, they would have returned. Now, if when He led them
around in a circuitous route, they said, “Let us appoint a leader and return to
Egypt” (Num. 14:4), how much more [would they have planned to do this] if He
had led them on a direct route? [According to the sequence of the verse, the
headings appear to be transposed. See Mizrachi, Gur Aryeh, and Minchath Yehudah
for a correct solution of this problem.]
Lest...reconsider They will have [second] thoughts about [the fact]
that they left Egypt and they will think about returning.
18 led...around He led them around from a
direct route to a circuitous route.
the Red
Sea Heb. סוּף יַם-, like לְיַם-סוּף, to the Red Sea. סוּף means a marsh where reeds grow, similar to “and put
[it] into the marsh (בַּסוּף)” (Exod. 2:3); “reeds and
rushes (וַסוּף) shall be cut off” (Isa. 19:6). armed Heb. חֲמֻשִׁים
.וַחֲמֻשִׁים [in this context] can only mean
“armed.” (Since He led them around in the desert [circuitously], He caused them
to go up armed, for if He had led them around through civilization, they would
not have [had to] provide for themselves with everything that they needed, but
only [part,] like a person who travels from place to place and intends to
purchase there whatever he will need. But if he travels a long distance into a
desert, he must prepare all his necessities for himself. This verse was written
only to clarify the matter, so you should not wonder where they got weapons in
the war with Amalek and in the wars with Sihon and Og and Midian, for the
Israelites smote them with the point of the sword.) [In an old Rashi]) And
similarly [Scripture] says: “and you shall cross over armed (חֲמֻשִׁים)” (Josh. 1:14). And so
too Onkelos rendered מְזָרְזִין just as he rendered: “and he armed (וְזָרֵיז) his trained men” (Gen. 14:14). Another
interpretation: חֲמֻשִׁיםmeans “divided by five,” [meaning] that one out of
five (חֲמִֽשִִִֵָה) [Israelites] went out, and four
fifths [lit., parts of the people] died during the three days of darkness [see
Rashi on Exod. 10:22].-[from Mechilta, Tanchuma, Beshallach 1]
19 for he had adjured-Heb. הַֽשְבֵּעַ
הִֽשְבִּיעַ. [The double expression
indicates that] he [Joseph] had made them [his brothers] swear that they would
make their children swear (Mechilta). Now why did he not make his sons swear to
carry him to the land of Canaan immediately [when he died], as Jacob had made
[him] swear? Joseph said, “I was a ruler in Egypt, and I had the ability to do
[this]. As for my sons-the Egyptians will not let them do [it].” Therefore, he
made them swear that when they would be redeemed and would leave there [Egypt],
they would carry him [out].-[from Mechilta]
and you
shall bring up my bones from here with you-He
made his brothers swear in this manner. We learn [from this] that the bones of
all [the progenitors of] the tribes they brought up [out of Egypt] with them as
it is said “with you”-[from Mechilta]
20 They traveled from Succoth on the second
day, for on the first day they came from Rameses to Succoth.
21 to cause it to lead them on the way Heb. לַנְחֽתָם. [The “lammed” is]
vowelized with a “pattach,” which is equivalent to לְהַנְחֽתָם, like “to show you (לַראֽתְכֶם) on the way on which you shall go” (Deut. 1:33),
which is like לְהַרְאֽתְכֶם. Here also, [it means]
to cause to lead you (לְהַנְחֽתָם) through a messenger. Now who was that messenger? [It
was] the pillar of cloud, and the Holy One, blessed be He, in His glory, led it
before them. In any case, it was the pillar of cloud that He prepared so that
they could be led by it, for they would travel by the pillar of cloud, and the
pillar of cloud was not [meant] to provide light but to direct them [on] the
way.
22 He did not move away [I.e.,] the Holy One,
blessed be He, [did not move away] the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of
fire at night. [This verse] tells that the pillar of cloud transmitted [its
light to] the pillar of fire, and the pillar of fire transmitted [its light to]
the pillar of cloud, for while one had not yet set, the other one would
rise.-[from Shab. 23b]
Chapter
14
2 and let them turn back to their rear. They
approached nearer to Egypt during the entire third day in order to mislead Pharaoh,
so that he would say, “They are astray on the road,” as it is said: “And
Pharaoh will say about the children of Israel...” (Exod. 14:3).
and
encamp in front of Pi- hahiroth That is Pithom [one of the
cities built by the Israelites, Exod 1:11], but now it was called Pi-hahiroth,
since there they [the Israelites] became free men (בְּנֵי
חוֹרִין). They [the Hiroth] are two
high upright rocks, and [because there is] the valley between them [this] is
called the mouth (פִּי) of the rocks.-[from Mechilta]
in front
of Ba’al Zephon [Only] this was left from
all the Egyptian deities in order to mislead them [the Egyptians], so they
would say that their deity is powerful. Concerning this [tactic] Job explained:
“He misleads nations and destroys them” (Job 12: 23).-[from Mechilta]
3 And Pharaoh will say when he hears that they
[the Israelites] are turning back.
about the
children of Israel Heb. יִשְׂרָאֵל
לִבְנֵי, concerning the children of
Israel. And so [the “lammed” is understood similarly in the phrase] "The
Lord will fight for you (לָכֶם) (verse 14), on your behalf;
[and similarly,] “say about me (לִי)” (Gen. 20:13), [which
signifies] concerning me.
They are
trapped Heb. נְבֻכִים, locked in and sunk, and
in French serrer, [meaning] press, tighten, or squeeze, like “in the deep (הַבָּכָא) valley” (Ps. 84:7); [and like] “the depths of (מִבְּכִי) the rivers” (Job 28:11); [and likewise] “the locks
of (נִבְכֵי) the sea” (Job 38:16). [In his commentary on this
verse, Rashi follows Menachem (Machbereth Menachem, p. 45). Rashi on Psalms and
Job 28:11, however, interprets those verses as expressions of weeping, from the
root בכה. See Judaica Press
commentary digest on Job 28:11.]
They are trapped They are locked in the desert, for they do not know
how to get out of it and where to go.
4 and I will be glorified through Pharaoh-When
the Holy One blessed be He wreaks vengeance upon the wicked, His name becomes
magnified and glorified. So it [Scripture] says: “And I will judge against him,
etc.” and afterwards [the prophet says], “And I will magnify and sanctify
Myself and I will be known, etc.” (Ezek 38:22, 23) And [Scripture similarly]
says: “There he broke the arrows of the bow,” [which refers to Sennacherib’s
defeat,] and afterwards [i.e., the result of that], “God is known in Judah”
(Ps. 76:2,4) And [Scripture similarly] says: “The Lord is known for the
judgement that He performed” (Ps. 9:17).-[from Mechilta]
through
Pharaoh and through his entire force He [Pharaoh] initiated the
sinful behavior, and [thus] the retribution started with him.-[from Mechilta]
And they
did so [This is stated] to tell their praise, that
they obeyed Moses and did not say, “How will we draw near to our enemies [by
returning in the direction of Egypt]? We have to escape.” Instead they said,
“All we have are the words of [Moses] the son of Amram.” [I.e., we have no
other plan to follow, only the words of the son of Amram.]-[from Mechilta]
5 It was reported to Pharaoh He [Pharaoh] sent
officers with them, and as soon as the three days they [the Israelites] had set
to go [into the desert] and return had elapsed, and they [the officers] saw
that they were not returning to Egypt, they came and informed Pharaoh on the
fourth day. On the fifth and the sixth [days after the Israelites’ departure],
they pursued them. On the night preceding the seventh, they went down into the
sea. In the morning [of the seventh day], they [the Israelites] recited the
Song [of the Sea (Exod. 15:1-18)]. Therefore, we read [in the Torah] the Song
on the seventh day, that is the seventh day of Passover.
had a
change He [Pharaoh] had a change of heart from how
he had felt [previously], for he had said to them [the Israelites], “Get up and
get out from among my people” (Exod. 12:31). His servants [also] had a change
of heart, for previously they had said to him, “How long will this one be a
stumbling block to us?” (Exod. 10:7). Now they had a change of heart to pursue
them [the Israelites] on account of the money that they had lent them.-[based
on Mechilta]
from
serving us Heb. מֵעָבְדֵנוּ, from serving us.
6 So he [Pharaoh] harnessed his chariot He
[did so] personally.-[from Mechilta]
and took
his people with him He attracted them with [his]
words, "We suffered, they took our money, and [then] we let them go! Come
with me, and I will not behave with you as do other kings. With other kings, it
is customary that their servants precede them in battle, but I will precede
you," as [indeed] it is said: “Pharaoh drew near” (Exod. 14:10). [This
means that Pharaoh] himself drew near and hastened before his armies. "It
is customary for other kings to take plunder at the beginning, as much as he
[the king] chooses. [But] I will share equally with you," as it is said:
“I will share the booty” (Exod. 15:9).
7 select Heb. בָּחוּר, chosen. [This is] a
singular expression, [meaning that] every single chariot in this number was [a]
chosen [chariot].
and all
the chariots of Egypt And with them, all the rest
of the chariots. Now where did all these animals come from? If you say [that
they belonged] to the Egyptians, it says already: “and all the livestock of the
Egyptians died” (Exod. 9:6). And if [you say that they belonged] to the
Israelites, does it not say: “also our cattle will go with us” (Exod. 10:26).
Whose were they [from if that was the case]? They [belonged] to those who
feared the word of the Lord [i.e., to those who drove their servants and their
livestock into the houses as in Exod. 9:20]. From here Rabbi Simeon would say,
"[Even] the best of the Egyptians --[you must] kill; [even] the best of
the serpents-[you must] crush its head."-[from Mechilta]
with
officers over them all Heb. וְשָׁלִשִׁם, officers over the
legions, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders.
8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh
Because he vacillated about whether to pursue [the Israelites] or not. [So] He
hardened his heart to pursue [them].-[from Mechilta]
and the
children of Israel were marching out triumphantly Heb. בְּיָד רָמָה, lit., with a high hand.
With lofty and openly displayed might.
10 Pharaoh drew near Heb. וּפַרְעֽה
הִקְרִיב, lit., and Pharaoh
brought near. It [the verse] should have said: קָרַב. What is the meaning of הִקְרִיב? He [Pharaoh] drew
himself near and strove to go before them [his army], as he had stipulated with
them.-
the
Egyptians were advancing after them Heb. נֽסֵעַ [in the singular]. With one
accord, like one man. Alternatively, [in the singular it means that] and
behold, Egypt was advancing after them, [denoting that] they [the Israelites]
saw the heavenly prince of Egypt advancing from heaven to aid the Egyptians.
[From] Tanchuma.
cried out They seized the art of their ancestors [i.e., they
prayed]. Concerning Abraham, it [Scripture] says: “to the place where he had
stood before the Lord” (Gen. 19:27). 2 Concerning Isaac, [it is stated] “to
pray in the field” (Gen. 24:63). Concerning Jacob, “And he entreated the
Omnipresent” (Gen. 28:11). (See Judaica Press comm. digest on that
verse.)-[from Mechilta; Tanchuma Beshallach 9]
11 Is it because there are no graves Heb. הֲמִבְּלִי
אֵין
קְבָרִים. Is it because of the
want? Namely that there are no graves in Egypt in which to be buried, that you
have taken us out of there? Si por falyanze de non fosses in Old French [i.e.,
Is it for lack, that there are no graves?].
12 Isn’t this the thing [about] which we spoke to
you in Egypt When had they said [this]? "And they said to them, “May
the Lord look upon you and judge’ ” (Exod. 5:21). [from Mechilta]
than die Heb. מִמֻּתֵנוּ, than we should die. If
it [מִמֻּתֵנוּ] were vowelized with a
“melupum” (i.e., a “cholam,” [מִמּוֹתֵנוּ] as it is known that the
grammarians called a “cholam” a “melupum.” See Rashi below on Exod. 19:24), it
would be explained as: “than our death.” Now that it is vowelized with a
“shuruk” [מִמֻּתֵנוּ], it is explained as
“than we should die.” Likewise [in the verse], “If only we had died (מּוּתֵנוּ)” (Exod. 16:3), [means]
that we would die. [Similarly,] “If only I had died (מּוּתֵי) instead of you” (II Sam. 19:1), referring to Absalom
[means, I should have died]; [And מּוּתִי is similar to (קוּמִי) in the verse:] “for the day that I will rise up (קוּמִי)” (Zeph. 3:8); [and also
similar to (ֽשוּבִי) in the verse] “until I return (ֽשוּבִי) in peace” (II Chron. 18:26), [which mean
respectively] that I rise up, that I return.
13 for the way you have seen the Egyptians, etc.
The way you have seen them—that is only today. It is [only] today that you have
seen them, but you shall no longer continue [to see them].
14 The Lord will fight for you Heb. לָכֶם, for you, and similarly
[the “lammed” in the verse], “because the Lord is fighting for them (לָהֶם)” (verse 25), and similarly [in
the verse] “Will you contend for God (לָאֵל) ?” (Job 13:8). And similarly,
"and Who spoke about me (לִי) (Gen. 24:7), and similarly,
“Will you contend for the Baal (לַבַּעַל)?” (Jud. 6:31).
15 Why do you cry out to Me [This verse]
teaches us that Moses was standing and praying. The Holy One, blessed be He,
said to him, “This is no time to pray at length, when Israel is in distress.”
Another explanation [of God’s question (Why do you cry out to me?) implies]:
“The matter depends on Me and not on you,” as it is said further [in
Scripture]: “Concerning My children and the work of My hands do you command
Me?” (Isa. 45:11).-[from Mechilta, Exod. Rabbah 21: 8]
Speak to
the children of Israel and let them travel
They have nothing to do but to travel, for the sea will not stand in their way.
The merit of their forefathers and their own [merit], and the faith they had in
Me when they came out [of Egypt] are sufficient to split the sea for
them.-[from Mechilta, Exod. Rabbah 21:8]
19 and went behind them to separate between the
Egyptians’ camp and the Israelites’ camp and to catch the arrows and the
catapult stones of the Egyptians. Everywhere it says: “the angel of the Lord (ה'),” but here [it says]: “the
angel of God (אֱלֽהִים).” Everywhere [in
Scripture] אֱלֽהִים denotes [God’s attribute of] judgment. This teaches
that at that moment, the Israelites were being judged whether to be saved or to
perish with the Egyptians.
and the
pillar of cloud moved away When it became dark, and
the pillar of cloud delivered the camp to the pillar of fire, the cloud did not
go away as it would customarily go away completely in the evening, but it moved
away and went behind them [the Israelites] to make it dark for the Egyptians.
20 And he came between the camp of Egypt This
can be compared to a person walking along the road with his son walking in
front of him. [When] bandits came to capture him [the son], he [the father]
took him from in front of him and placed him behind him. A wolf came behind
him; so he put him [his son] in front of him. [When] bandits came in front of
him and wolves behind him, he put him [his son] on his arms and fought them
off. Similarly [the prophet depicts the angel protecting Israel when they drew
near to the Red Sea], “But I sent to train Ephraim, he took them on his arms”
(Hos. 11:3).-[from Mechilta]
and there
were the cloud and the darkness for the Egyptians.
and it
illuminated [I.e.,] the pillar of fire
[illuminated] the night for the Israelites, and it went before them as it
usually went all night long, and the thick darkness [from the cloud] was toward
the Egyptians.
and one
did not draw near the other [I.e., one] camp to [the
other] camp.- [from Mechilta, Jonathan]
21 with the strong east wind [I.e.,] with the
east wind, which is the strongest of the winds. That is the wind with which the
Holy One, blessed be He, visits retribution upon the wicked, as it is said [in
the following verses]: “With an east wind I will scatter them” (Jer. 18:17); “an
east wind shall come, a wind of the Lord” (Hos. 13:15); “the east wind broke
you in the heart of the seas” (Ezek. 27:26); “He spoke with His harsh wind on
the day of the east wind” (Isa. 27:8).-[from Mechilta]
and the
waters split All the water in the world.-[from
Mechilta Exod. Rabbah 21:6]
23 all Pharaoh’s horses Heb. כּֽל
סוּס פַּרְעֽה, lit., in the singular.
Now was there only one horse? This informs us that they [the horses] are all
considered by the Omnipresent as one horse.-[from Mechilta Shirah 2]
24 It came about in the morning watch Heb. בְּאַֽשְמֽרֶת. The three parts of the
night are called, אַשְׁמוּרוּת, watches (Ber. 3b), and
the one [watch] before morning is called אַשְׁמֽרֶת
הַבּֽקֶר, the morning watch. I say that
because the night is divided into the watches of the songs of the ministering
angels, one group after another into three parts, it is called אַשְׁמֽרֶת, watch. This is what
Onkelos [means when he] renders מַטְּרַת.
looked
down Heb. וַיַּשְׁקֵף, looked, that is to say
that He turned toward them to destroy them, and the Targum [Onkelos] renders: וְאִסְתְּכֵי. This too is an
expression of looking, like “to the field of seers” (Num. 23:14), [which
Onkelos renders:] לַחֲקַל
סָכוּתָא
through a
of fire and cloud The pillar of cloud
descends and makes it [the earth] like mud, and the pillar of fire boils it
[the earth], and the hoofs of their horses slip.-[from Mechilta]
and He
threw the Egyptian camp into confusion Heb. וַיָּהָם, an expression of confusion,
estordison in Old French. He confused them; He took away their intelligence. We
learned in the chapters of Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yose the Galilean
[not found in our edition] [that] wherever it says מְהוּמָה [confusion], it means a
tumultuous noise. And the “father” of them all, [the best example of the use of
מְהוּמָה, is [in the verse:] “and
the Lord thundered with a loud noise, etc., on the Philistines and threw them
into confusion (וַיְהוּמֵּם)” (I Sam. 7:10).
25 And He removed the wheels of their chariots
With the fire the wheels were burned, and the chariots dragged, and those
sitting in them were moved to and fro, and their limbs were wrenched
apart.-[from an unknown source, similar to Mechilta]
and He
led them with heaviness In a manner that was heavy
and difficult for them. [This punishment was] in the measure that they [the
Egyptians had] measured [to the Israelites], namely “and he made his heart
heavy, he and his servants” (Exod. 9:34). Here too, “He led them with
heaviness.”-[from an unknown source, similar to Mechilta]
is
fighting for them against the Egyptians
Heb. בְּמִצְרָיִם, [is like] against the
Egyptians. Alternatively: בְּמִצְרָיִם[means] in the land of
Egypt, for just as these [Egyptians] were being smitten in the sea, so were
those remaining in Egypt being smitten.-[from Mechilta]
26 and let the water return [I.e., the water]
that is standing upright like a wall [will] return to its place and cover up
the Egyptians.
27 toward morning Heb. לִפְנוֹת
בּֽקֶר, at the time the morning
approaches [lit., turns (פּוֹנֶה) to come].
to its
strength Heb. לְאֵיתָנוֹ. To its original
strength.-[from Mechilta]
were
fleeing toward it Because they were confused
and crazed and running toward the water.
and the
Lord stirred Heb. וַיְנַעֵר. As a person stirs (מְנַעֵר) a pot [of food] and turns what is on the top to the
bottom and what is on the bottom to the top, so were they [the Egyptians]
bobbing up and down and being smashed in the sea, and the Holy One, blessed be
He, kept them alive to bear their tortures.-[from Mechilta] stirred Heb.
וַיְנַעֵר. [Onkelos renders it] וְֽשַנִּיק, which means stirring in
the Aramaic language, and there are many [examples of this word] in aggadic
midrashim.
28 and covered the chariots...the entire force of
Pharaoh Heb. לְכֽל
חֵיל פַּרְעֽה So is the custom of Scriptural verses to write a
superfluous “lammed,” such as in “all (לְכָל) its utensils you shall make copper” (Exod. 27:3);
and similarly, “all (לְכֽל) the utensils of the Tabernacle for all its services”
(Exod. 27:19); [and in the phrase] “their stakes and their ropes, along with
all (לְכָל) their utensils” (Num. 4:32), and it [the “lammed”]
is [used] merely to enhance the language.
30 and Israel saw the Egyptians dying on the
seashore For the sea spewed them out on its shore, so that the Israelites
would not say, "Just as we are coming up on this side [of the sea], so are
they coming up on another side, far from us, and they will pursue
us."-[from Mechilta and Pes. 118b]
31 the great hand The great mighty deed that
the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, had performed. Many meanings fit the
term יָד, and they are all
expressions derived from an actual hand, and he who interprets it must adjust
the wording according to the context.
Chapter
15
1 Then...sang Heb. אָז
יָשִׁיר. [The future tense presents a
problem. Therefore, Rashi explains:] Then, when he [Moses] saw the miracle, it
occurred to him to recite a song, and similarly, “Then Joshua spoke (אָז
יְדַבֵּר
יְהשֻׁעַ)” (Josh. 10:12); and similarly,
“and the house [which] he would make (יַעֲשֶׂה) for Pharaoh’s daughter” (I Kings 7:8), [which means]
he decided to make it for her. Here too, יָשִׁיר [in the future tense means
that] his heart dictated to him that he should sing, and so he did, “and they
spoke, saying, I will sing to the Lord.’ ” Likewise, with [the above reference
to] Joshua, when he saw the miracle [of the defeat of the Amorite kings (Josh.
10:11)], his heart dictated to him that he speak [praises to God], and so he
did, “and he said in the sight of Israel” (Josh. 10:12). Likewise, the song of
the well, with which [Scripture] commences: “Then Israel sang (אָז
יָשִׁיר)” (Num. 21:17), it explains
after it, “Ascend, O well!, sing to it.” [I.e., in these three instances, the
“yud” of the future tense denotes the thought, and after each one, Scripture
continues that the thought was brought to fruition.] “Then did Solomon build (אָז
יִבְנֶה) a high place” (I Kings 11:7); the Sages of Israel
explain that he sought to build [it] but did not build [it] (Sanh. 91b). We
[thus] learn that the “yud” may serve to indicate a thought. This is to explain
its simple meaning, but the midrashic interpretation is [as follows]: Our
Rabbis of blessed memory stated: From here is an allusion from the Torah to the
resurrection of the dead (Sanh. 91b, Mechilta), and so it is [i.e., the future
tense is used] with them all, except that of Solomon, which they explained as
[implying] “he sought to build but did not build.” One cannot say and explain
this form like other words written in the future, but which mean [that they
occurred] immediately, such as “So would Job do (וָעֲשֶׂה)” (Job 1:5); “by the command
of the Lord would they encamp (יַחֲנוּ)” (Num. 9:23); “And
sometimes the cloud would be (יִהְיֶה)” (Num. 9:21), because
that is [an example of] something that occurs continually, and either the
future or the past is appropriate for it, but that which occurred only once
[i.e., the song that was sung], cannot be explained in this manner.-
for very
exalted is He Heb. גָאֽה
גָאָה, [to be interpreted] according
to the Targum [He was exalted over the exalted, and the exaltation is His].
Another explanation: [The] doubling [of the verb] comes to say that He did
something impossible for a flesh and blood [person] to do. When he fights with
his fellow and overwhelms him, he throws him off the horse, but here, “a horse
and its rider He cast into the sea,” [i.e., with the rider still on the horse].
Anything that cannot be done by anyone else is described as exaltation (גֵּאוּת), like “for He has performed an
exalted act (גֵּאוּת)” (Isa. 12:5). Similarly,
[throughout] the entire song you will find the repetitive pattern, such as: “My
strength and my praise are the Eternal, and He was my salvation” (verse 2);
“The Lord is a Master of war; the Lord is His Name,” (verse 3); and so on, all
of them (in an old Rashi). Another explanation: גָאֽה
גָאָה means for He is exalted
beyond all songs, [i.e.,] for however I will praise Him, He still has more
[praise]. [This is] unlike the manner of a human king, who is praised for
something he does not possess.-[from Mechilta]
a horse
and its rider Both bound to one another,
and the water lifted them up high and brought them down into the depths, and
[still] they did not separate.-[from Mechilta]
He cast Heb. רָמָה, [meaning] He cast, and
similarly, “and they were cast (וּרְמִיו) into the burning, fiery furnace” (Dan. 3:21). The
aggadic midrash, however, [states as follows]: One verse (verse 1) says: רָמָה
בַיָם, [derived from רוּם, meaning “to cast up,”]
and one verse (verse 4) says: יָרָה בַיָם [meaning “to cast down”].
[This] teaches us that they [the horse and rider] went up and [then] descended
into the deep, [i.e., they were thrown up and down]. [The meaning of יָרָה is here] similar to: “who laid (יָרָה) its cornerstone” (Job 38:6), [which signifies laying
the stone] from above, downward.-[from Mechilta, Tanchuma, Beshallach 13]
2 The Eternal’s strength and His vengeance were my
salvation Heb. עָזִי
וְזִמְרָת
יָ-ה. Onkelos renders: My strength and my praise, [thus
interpreting] עָזִי like עֻזִי [my strength] with a “shuruk,”
and וְזִמְרָת like וְזִמְרָתִי [my song]. But I wonder about
the language of the text, for there is nothing like it [the word עָזִי] in Scripture with its
vowelization except in three places [i.e., here and in Isa. 12:2 and Ps.
118:14], where it is next to וְזִמְרָת, but [in] all other
places,it is vowelized with a “shuruk" [now called a "kubutz"],
[e.g., in the phrase] "O Lord, Who are my power (עֻזִי) and my strength” (Jer. 16:19); “[Because of] his
strength (עֻזוֹ), I hope for You” (Ps.
59:10). Likewise, any word [noun] consisting of two letters, vowelized with a
“melupum,” [i.e., a "cholam,"] when it is lengthened by [the addition
of] a third letter, and the second letter is not punctuated with a “sheva” the
first [letter] is vowelized with a “shuruk,” e.g., עֽז strength, becomes עֻזִי, my strength, spittle
(Job 30:10), רֽק becomes רֽקִי, my spittle (Job 7:19).
allotment (Gen. 47:22), חֽק becomes חֽקִי, my allotment (Prov.
30:8). עֽל, yoke (Deut. 28:48),
becomes עֻלוֹ, his yoke, “shall be
removed...his yoke עֻלוֹ” (Isa. 10:27). כּֽל, all (Gen. 21:12),
becomes כֻּלוֹ, all of it, “with
officers over them all כֻּלוֹ” (Exod. 14:7). But these three
[examples of the phrase], עָזִי
וְזִמְרָת, [namely] the one
[written] here, the one [written in] Isaiah (12:2), and the one [written in]
Psalms (118:14) [all examples of the word ]עָזִי are vowelized with a short “kamatz.” Moreover, not
one of them [i.e., of these examples] is written וְזִמְרָתִי but וְזִמְרָת, and next to each of
them it says וַיְהִי-לִי
לִיֽשוּעָה, were my salvation. Therefore,
in order to reconcile the language of the text, I say that עָזִי is not like עֻזִי, nor is וְזִמְרָת like וְזִמְרָתִי, but עָזִי is a noun [and the final “yud” is only stylistic],
like [the final “yud” in these examples:] “You Who dwell (הַישְׁבִי) in heaven” (Ps. 123:1); “who dwell (שֽׁכְנִי) in the clefts of the rock” (Obad. 1:3); “Who dwells (שֽׁכְנִי) in the thorn bush” (Deut. 33:16). And this is the
praise [that Moses and the Israelites sing to God]: The strength and the
vengeance of the Eternal--that was my salvation. [In brief, the “yud” at the
end of the word is a stylistic suffix, which has no bearing on the meaning.]
And the word וְזִמְרָת is connected to the word denoting the Divine Name,
like “to the aid of (לְעֶזְרַת) the Lord” (Jud. 5:23); [and like the word בְּעֶבְרַת in] “By the wrath of (בְּעֶבְרַת) the Lord” (Isa. 9:18); [and the word דִבְרַת in:] “concerning the matter of (דִבְרַת)” (Eccl. 3:18). [In
brief, the ַת or, ָת denotes the construct state
of a feminine noun.] The expression וְזִמְרָת is an expression related to “and your vineyard you
shall not prune (א
תִזְמֽר)” (Lev. 25:4); “the downfall of
(זְמִיר) the tyrants” (Isa. 25:5), an expression denoting
mowing down and cutting off. [Thus the phrase means:] The strength and the vengeance
of our God was our salvation. Now [since this is the meaning of the phrase,] do
not be puzzled about the expression וַיְהִי, [i.e.,] that it does
not say הָיָה [without a “vav” since this is
the verb following עָזִי
וְזִמְרָת and does not begin a clause as the conversive “vav”
usually does], for there are verses worded this way, and this is an example:
“[against] the walls of the house around [both] the temple and the sanctuary,
he made (וַיַּעַשׂ) chambers around [it]” (I Kings 6:5). It should have
said עָשָׂה, “chambers around [it]”
[instead of וַיַּעַשׂ]. Similarly, in (II)
Chron. (10:17): “But the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of
Judah-Rehoboam reigned (וַיִמְלֽךְ) over them.” It should have said: “Rehoboam (מָלַךְ) over them.” [Similarly,] “Because the Lord was
unable...He slaughtered them (וַיִשְׁחָטֵם) in the desert” (Num. 14:16). It should have said: שְׁחָטָם. [Similarly,] “But the
men whom Moses sent...died (וַיָמוּתוּ)” (Num 14:36, 37). It
should have said: מֵתוּ. [Similarly,] “But he
who did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left (וַיַעֲזֽב)” (Exod. 9:21). It should
have said: עָזַב.
this is
my God He revealed Himself in His glory to them [the
Israelites], and they pointed at Him with their finger [as denoted by זֶה, this]. By the sea,
[even] a maidservant perceived what prophets did not perceive.-[from Mechilta]
and I
will make Him a habitation Heb. וְאַנְוֵה. Onkelos rendered it as
an expression of habitation (נָוֶה) [as in the following phrases]:
“a tranquil dwelling (נָוֶה)” (Isa. 33: 20); “a
sheepfold (נְוֵה)” (Isa. 65:10). Another
explanation: וְאַנְוֵהוּ is an expression of beauty (נוּ). [Thus the phrase means]
I will tell of His beauty and His praise to those who enter the world, such as:
[When Israel is asked:] "How is your beloved more than another beloved...?
[Israel will say] My beloved is white and ruddy..." and the entire section
[of Song of Songs] (Song of Songs 5:9, 10).-[from Mechilta]
the God
of my father is this One, and I will
exalt Him.
the God
of my father I am not the beginning of
the sanctity [i.e., I am not the first to recognize His sanctity], but the
sanctity has been established and has remained with me, and His Divinity has
been upon me since the days of my forefathers.-[from Mechilta]
3 The Lord is a Master of war Heb. אִישׁ
מִלְחָמָה, lit., a man of war,
[which is inappropriate in reference to the Deity. Therefore,] Rashi renders:
Master of war, like “Naomi’s husband (אִישׁ
נָעֳמִי)” (Ruth 1:3) and so, every
[instance in the Torah of] אִישׁ, husband, and אִישֵׁךְ, your husband, is
rendered: בַּעַל, master. Similarly, “You
shall be strong and become a man (לְאִישׁ)” (I Kings 2:2),
[meaning] a strong man.-
the Lord
is His Name His wars are not [waged]
with weapons, but He wages battle with His Name, as David said [to Goliath
before fighting him], “[You come to me with spear and javelin] and I come to
you with the Name of the Lord of Hosts” (I Sam. 17:45). Another explanation:
The Lord י-ה-ו-ה, denoting the Divine
Standard of Clemency,] is His Name--Even when He wages war and takes vengeance
upon His enemies, He sticks to His behavior of having mercy on His creatures
and nourishing all those who enter the world, unlike the behavior of earthly
kings. When he [an earthly king] is engaged in war, he turns away from all his
[other] affairs and does not have the ability to do both this [i.e., wage war]
and that [other things].-[from Mechilta]
4 He cast into the sea Heb. יָרָה
בַיָם. [Onkelos renders:] שְׁדִי
.שְׁדִי
בְיַמָּא is an expression of casting down (יָרָה), as [Scripture] says: “or
shall surely be cast down (יָרֽה
יִיָָּרֶה)” (Exod. 19:13), which
Onkelos renders: אִשְׁתְּדָאָה
יִשְׁתְּדִי. The “tav” serves in
these [forms] in the hithpa’el form.
and the
elite of Heb. וּמִבְחַר, a noun, like מֶרְכָּב, riding gear (Lev.
15:9); מִשְׁכָּב, bed (Lev. 15:23); מִקְרָא
קֽדֶשׁ, holy convocation (Exod.
12:16, Lev. 23:3).
sank Heb. טֻבְּעוּ. The term טְבִיעָה [for sinking] is used [in the
Tanach] only [when referring] to a place where there is mud, like “I have sunk (טָבַעְתִּי) in muddy depths” (Ps. 69:3); “and Jeremiah sank (וַיִּטְבַּע) into the mud” (Jer. 38:6). This informs [us] that
the sea became mud, to recompense them [the Egyptians] according to their
behavior, [namely] that they enslaved the Israelites with [work that entailed]
clay and bricks.-[from Mechilta]
5 covered them Heb. יְכַסְיֻמוּ, like יְכַסוּם. The “yud” in the middle
of it is superfluous. This is, however, a common biblical style [to add an
additional “yud”], like “and your cattle and your flocks will increase (יִרְבְּיֻן)” (Deut. 8:13); “They
will be sated (יִרְוְיֻן) from the fat of Your house” (Ps. 36:9). The first
“yud,” which denotes the future tense, is to be explained as follows: They sank
in the Red Sea, so that the water would return and cover them up. There is no
word in Scripture similar to יְכַסְיֻמוּ in its vowelization. It would usually be vowelized יְכַסְיֻמוּ with a “melupum.” [Here too it is obvious that Rashi
means a “cholam,” as I explained above (Exod. 14:12).]
like a
stone Elsewhere (verse 10), it says, “they sank
like lead.” Still elsewhere (verse 7), it says, “it devoured them like straw.”
[The solution is that] the [most] wicked were [treated] like straw, constantly
tossed, rising and falling; the average ones like stone; and the best like
lead-[i.e.,] they sank immediately [and thus were spared suffering].-[from
Mechilta]
6 Your right hand...Your right hand twice.
When the Israelites perform the will of the Omnipresent, [even] the left hand
becomes a right hand.-[Rashi from Mechilta]
Your
right hand, O Lord, is most powerful to save Israel, and Your
second right hand crushes the foe. It seems to me, however, that that very
right hand [also] crushes the foe, unlike a human being, who cannot perform two
kinds of work with the same hand. The simple meaning of the verse is: Your
right hand, which is strengthened with might--what is its work? Your right
hand, O Lord, crushes the foe. There are many verses resembling it [i.e., where
parts of the verse are repeated]: “For behold Your enemies, O Lord, for behold
Your enemies will perish” (Ps. 92:10); “How long will the wicked, O Lord, how
long will the wicked rejoice?” (Ps. 94:3); “The rivers have raised, O Lord, the
rivers have raised their voice” (Ps. 93:3); “Not for us, O Lord, not for us”
(Ps. 115:1); “I will answer, says the Lord; I will answer the heavens” (Hos.
2:23); “I to the Lord, I shall sing” (Jud. 5:3); “Had it not been for the Lord,
etc. Had it not been for the Lord Who was with us when men rose up against us”
(Ps. 124:1, 2); “Praise! Praise! Deborah. Praise! Praise! Utter a song” (Jud.
5:12); “A foot shall trample it, the feet of a poor man” (Isa. 26:6); “And He
gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to Israel His people” (Ps.
135:12).
is most
powerful Heb. נֶאְדָּרִיThe “yud” is superfluous, like “populous (רַבָּתִי
עָם)...princess (שָׂרָתִי) among the provinces” (Lam. 1:1); “what was stolen by
day” (גְּנֻבְתִי) (Gen. 31: 39).
crushes
the foe Heb. תִּרְעַץ, [which means] it
constantly crushes and breaks the foe. Similar to this, “And they crushed (וַיִרְעֲצוּ) and broke the children of Israel,” in Jud. (10:8).
(Another explanation: Your right hand, which is strengthened with might-it
breaks and strikes the foe.)
7 And with Your great pride -(If the hand
alone crushes the foe, then when it is raised with its great pride, it will
[definitely] tear down those who rise up against Him. And if with His great
pride alone His foes are torn down, how much more so, when He sends upon them
His burning wrath, will it consume them.)
You tear
down You always tear down those who rise up
against You. And who are those who rise up against Him? These are the ones who
rise up against Israel, and so does he [the Psalmist] say, “For behold, Your
enemies stir.” And what is that stirring? “Against Your people they plot
cunningly” (Ps. 83:3, 4). For this reason, he calls them the enemies of the
Omnipresent.-[from Mechilta]
8 And with the breath of Your nostrils Breath
which comes out of the two nostrils of the nose. Scripture speaks
anthropomorphically about the Shechinah, on the model of a mortal king, in
order to enable the ears of the people to hear it [to understand God’s anger]
as it usually occurs [in humans], so that they should be able to understand the
matter. [Namely that] when a person becomes angry, wind comes out of his
nostrils. Likewise, “Smoke went up from His nostrils” (Ps. 18:9), and
similarly, “and from the wind of His nostrils they will be destroyed” (Job
4:9). And this is what it [Scripture] says: “For the sake of My Name, I defer
My anger” (Isa. 48:9) [lit., I lengthen the breath of My nose]. [This means
that] when his [a person’s] anger subsides, his breath becomes longer, and when
he becomes angry, his breath becomes shorter; [the verse continues:] “and for
My praise I restrain My wrath (אֶחֱטָם) for you” (Isa. 48:9). [I.e.,] I put a ring (חֲטָם) into My nostrils in front of the anger and the wind,
[so] that they should not come out. “For you” means “for your sake.” [The word]
אֶחֱטָם is like [the expression in the Mishnah:] “a
dromedary with a nose ring” (בַּחֲטָם) in tractate Shabbath (51b). This is how it appears
to me. And concerning every [expression of] אַף and חָרוֹן in the Bible [which are expressions of anger] I say
this: [The expression] חָרָה אַף, anger was kindled, is
like [the word חָרָה in:] “and my bones dried out (חָרָה) from the heat” (Job 30:30); חָרָה is an expression of fire and burning, for the
nostrils heat up and burn at the time of anger. חָרוֹן (burning) is from the root חרה (to burn) just as רָצוֹן (will) is from the root רצה (to desire). And likewise, חֵמָה is an expression of heat (חֲמִימוּת). Therefore, it
[Scripture] says: “and his anger (וַחֲמָתוֹ) burnt within him” (Esther 1:12), and when the anger
subsides, we say, “His mind has cooled off (נִתְקָרְרָה
דַעְתּוֹ).”
the
waters were heaped up --Heb. נֶעֶרְמוּ. Onkelos rendered [this
word] as an expression of cunning (עַרְמִימוּת). According to the
clarity of Scripture, however, it is an expression related to “a stack (עֲרֵמַת) of wheat” (Song of Songs 7:3), and [the phrase that
follows:] “the running water stood erect like a wall” proves this.
the
waters were heaped up From the heat of the wind
that came out of Your nose, the water dried up, and it became like piles and
heaps of grain stacks, which are tall.
like a
wall Heb. כְמוֹ-נֵד, as the Targum [Onkelos]
renders: כְּשׁוּר, like a wall.-
wall Heb. נֵד, an expression of heaping and
gathering, like “a heap (נֵד) of harvest on a day of sickness” (Isa. 17:11); “He
gathers (כּֽנֵס) as a mound כַּנֵד” (Ps. 33:7). It does not
say, “He brings in as a flask כַּנּֽאד,” but כַּנַּד. Now if כַּנַּד were the same as כַּנּֽאד, and כּֽנֵס were an expression of bringing in, it should have
said, “He brings in as into a flask (מַכְנִיס
כִּבְנֽאד)the waters of the sea.” Rather, כּֽנֵס is an expression of gathering and heaping, and so,
“shall stand in one heap (נֵד)”; “stood in one heap (נֵד).” (Josh. 3:13, 16); and the
expression of rising and standing does not apply to flasks, but to walls and
heaps. Moreover, we do not find נּֽאד, meaning a flask, vowelized
[with any vowel] but with a “melupum,” (meaning a “cholam,”) like [in the
phrases:] “place my tears into Your flask (בְּנּֽאדֶךָ)” (Ps. 56: 9); “the flask
of נּֽאד milk” (Jud. 4:19).
congealed Heb. קָפְאוּ, like “and curdle me (תַּקְפִּיאֵנִי) like cheese” (Job 10:10). [I.e.,] that they [the
depths] hardened and became like stones, and the water hurled the Egyptians
against the stone with [all its] might and fought with them [the Egyptians]
with all kinds of harshness.
in the
heart of the sea Heb. בְּלֶב
יָם, in the strongest part of the sea. It is customary for the
Scriptures to speak in this manner, [for instance:] “until the heart of (לֵב) the heavens” (Deut. 4:11);
in the heart of (בְּלֵב) the terebinth" (II Sam. 18:14). [The heart in
these examples is] an expression denoting the root and the strength of
anything.-
9 [Because] the enemy said --to his people,
when he enticed them with [his] words, "I will pursue, and I will overtake
them, and I will share the plunder with my officers and my servants."
will be
filled from them Heb. תִּמְלָאֵמוֹ, equivalent to תִּמְלָא
מֵהֶם, will be filled from them.
my desire --Heb. נַפְשִׁי, lit., my soul, my
spirit, and my will. Do not be surprised at [one] word speaking for two
[words]; i.e., תִּמְלָאֵמוֹ, instead of תִּמְלָא
מֵהֶם, because there are many such
words [in Tanach like this], e.g., “you have given me (נְתַתָּנִי) dry land” (Jud. 1:15), [which is] like נָתַתָּ
לִי “and
they could not speak with him (דַּבְּרוּ) peacefully” (Gen. 37:4), [which is] like דַּבֵּר
עִמוֹ “my
children have left me (יְצָאוּנִי) ” (Jer. 10:20), [which is] like
יָצְאוּ
מִמֶנִי “I will tell him (אַגִּידֶנּוּ) ” (Job 31:37), [which is] like אַגִיד
לוֹ. Here
too, תִּמְלָאֵמוֹ is equivalent to תִִִּמְלָאֵמוֹ
נַפְשִׁי
מֵהֶם.
I will
draw my sword Heb. אָרִיק
חַרְבִּי, lit., I will empty my sword.
I will draw, and because one empties the sheath by drawing it [the sword], and
it remains empty, an expression of emptying is appropriate, like “And it came
to pass that they were emptying (מְרִיקִים) their sacks” (Gen. 42:35); “and they shall empty (יָרִיקוּ) his vessels” (Jer. 48:12). Do not say that the
expression of emptiness [in these examples] does not apply to what comes out
[of its container] but [instead applies] to the sheath, the sack, or the vessel
from which it came out, but not to the sword or the wine, and [thus] to force
an interpretation of אָרִיק
חַרְבִּי like the language of “and he armed (וַיָרֶק) his trained men” (Gen. 14:14), [claiming that its]
meaning [is] "I will arm myself with my sword.” [To this I answer that] we
find the expression [of emptying] also applied to that which comes out, e.g.,
“oil poured forth (תּוּרַק) ” (Song of Songs 1:3); “and he
has not been poured (הוּרַק) from one vessel to another vessel” (Jer. 48:11). It
is not written: “the vessel was not emptied (הוּרַק)” but “the wine was not
poured (הוּרַק) from one vessel to another vessel.” Similarly, “and
they will draw (וְהֵרִיקוּ) their swords on the beauty of your wisdom” (Ezek.
28:7), referring to Hiram [the king of Tyre]- [following Onkelos, Jonathan].
my hand
will impoverish them Heb. תּוֹרִישֵׁמוֹ, an expression of
poverty (רֵישׁוּת) and destitution, like “The Lord impoverishes (מוֹרִישׁ) and makes rich” (I Sam. 2:7).
10 You blew Heb. נָשַׁפְתָּ, an expression of
blowing, and likewise: “and also He blew (נָשַׁף) on them” (Isa. 40:24).
they sank Heb. צָלֲלוּ, [which means] they sank; they
went down to the depths, an expression of מְצוּלָה, deep.
like lead-Heb. כַּעוֹפֶרֶת, plomb in French, lead.
11 among the powerful Heb. בָּאֵלִם, among the strong, like
“and the powerful (אֵילֵי) of the land he took away” (Ezek. 17:13); “my
strength אֱיָלוּתִי, hasten to my
assistance” (Ps. 22:20).
Too
awesome for praises [You are] too awesome for
[one] to recite Your praises, lest they fall short, as it is written: “Silence
is praise to You” (Ps. 65:2).
12 You inclined Your right hand When the Holy
One, blessed be He, inclines His hand, the wicked perish and fall, because all
are placed in His hand, and they fall when He inclines it. Similarly, it
[Scripture] says: “and the Lord shall turn His hand, and the helper shall
stumble, and the helped one shall fall” (Isa. 31:3). This can be compared to
glass vessels placed in a person’s hand. If he inclines his hand a little, they
fall and break.-[based on Mechilta]
the earth
swallowed them up From here [we deduce] that
they merited to be buried as a reward for saying, “The Lord is the righteous
One” (Exod. 9:27).-[from Mechilta]
13 You led Heb. נֵהַלְתָּ, an expression of
leading. Onkelos, however, rendered [it as] an expression of carrying and
bearing, but he was not exact in explaining it in accordance with the Hebrew.
[I.e., he explained the sense of the verse, but he did not translate the word
literally.]
14 they trembled Heb. יִרְגָזוּן, [which means] they
tremble.
the
inhabitants of Philistia [They trembled] since they
slew the children of Ephraim, who hastened the end [of their exile] and went
out [of Egypt] forcibly, as is delineated in (I) Chronicles (7:21). And the
people of [the town of] Gath slew them [the children of Ephraim].-[from
Mechilta]
15 the chieftains of Edom...the powerful men of
Moab Now they had nothing to fear at all, because they [the Israelites]
were not advancing upon them. Rather, [they trembled] because of grief, that
they were grieving and suffering because of the glory of Israel.
melted Heb. נָמֽגוּ, [as in the phrase] “with
raindrops You dissolve it (תְּמֽגְגֶנָּה)” (Ps. 65:11). They [the
inhabitants of Canaan] said, “They are coming upon us to annihilate us and
possess our land.”-[from Mechilta]
16 May dread...fall upon them Heb. אֵימָתָה, upon the distant
ones.-[from Mechilta]
and
fright Heb. וָפַחַד. Upon the nearby ones,
as the matter that is stated: “For we have heard how the Lord dried up [the
water of the Red Sea for you, etc.]” (Josh. 2:10).[from Mechilta]
until...cross
over, until...crosses over As the Targum [Onkelos]
renders.
You have
acquired Heb. קָנִיתָ. [I.e., whom] You loved
more than other nations, similar to an article purchased for a high price,
which is dear to the person [who purchased it].
17 You shall bring them Moses prophesied that
he would not enter the land [of Israel]. Therefore, it does not say: “You shall
bring us.” (It appears that it should read “that they would not enter the land,
etc.” Indeed, this is the way it is stated in Baba Bathra 119b and in Mechilta:
The sons will enter but not the fathers. Although the decree of the spies had
not yet been pronounced, he [Moses] prophesied, not knowing what he was
prophesying.-[Maharshal])
directed
toward Your habitation The Temple below is
directly opposite the Temple above, which You made.-[from Mechilta]
the
sanctuary Heb. מִקְּדָשׁ. The cantillation sign
over it is a “zakef gadol,” to separate it from the word ה' following it. [The verse thus means:] the sanctuary
which Your hands founded, O Lord. The Temple is beloved, since, whereas the
world was created with “one hand,” as it is said: “Even My hand laid the
foundation of the earth” (Isa. 48:13), the sanctuary [will be built] with “two
hands.” When will it be built with "two hands"? At the time when “the
Lord will reign to all eternity” [verse 18]. In the future, when the entire
ruling power is His.-[from Mechilta and Keth. 5a]
18 to all eternity Heb. לְעֽלָם
וָעֶד. [This is] an expression of
eternity, and the “vav” in it is part of the root. Therefore, it is punctuated
with a “pattach.” But in “and I am He Who knows, and [I am] a witness וָעֵד” (Jer. 29:23), in which
the “vav” is a prefix, it is punctuated with a “kamatz.”
19 When Pharaoh’s horses came Heb. כִּי
בָא When they came.
20 Miriam, the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took
When did she prophesy? When she was [known only as] “Aaron’s sister,” before
Moses was born, she said, “My mother is destined to bear a son” [who will save
Israel], as is found in Sotah 12b, 13a). Another explanation: [It is written]
Aaron’s sister since he [Aaron] risked his life for her when she was afflicted
with zara’ath; [thus] she is called by his name (Mechilta).
a timbrel Heb. הַתּֽף, a type of musical intrument.
with
timbrels and with dances The righteous women of that
generation were [so] certain that the Holy One, blessed be He, would perform
miracles for them, they took timbrels out of Egypt.-[from Mechilta]
21 And Miriam called out to them Moses said the
Song to the men, and they answered after him, and Miriam said the song to the
women [and they too repeated it].-[from Mechilta]
22 Moses led Israel away lit., made Israel
journey. He led them away against their will, for the Egyptians had adorned
their steeds with ornaments of gold, silver, and precious stones, and the
Israelites were finding them in the sea. The plunder at the sea was greater
than the plunder in Egypt, as it is said: “We will make you rows of gold with
studs of silver” (Song of Songs 1:11). Therefore, he had to lead them against
their will.-[from Tanchuma Buber, Beshallach 16, Mechilta, Exod. 12:35, Song
Rabbah 1:11]
23 They came to Marah Heb. מָרָתָה, like לְמָרָָה. The “hey” at the end מָרָתָה is instead of a “lammed” [prefix] at the beginning
[of the word], and the “thav” is instead of the “hey” [that is part] of the
root in the word מָרָָה. But when a suffix is
added, when it is attached to a “hey” that replaces a “lammed,” the “hey” of
the root is transformed into a “thav.” Similarly, every “hey” that is part of
the root of the word is transformed into a “thav” when a suffix is added, like
“I have no wrath (חֵמָה) ” (Isa. 27:4), [becomes] “and
his wrath (וַחֲמָתוֹ) burnt within him” (Esther 1:12). Note that the “hey”
of the root is transformed into a “thav” when it is placed next to the added
“vav.” Likewise,"bond servants and handmaids (וְאָמָה)“ (Lev. 25:44), [becomes]
and "Here is my handmaid (אֲמָתִי) Bilhah” (Gen. 30:3); “a living (חַיָה) soul” (Gen. 2:7), [becomes] “and his living spirit (חַיָתוֹ) causes him to abhor food” (Job 33:20); “between
Ramah (הָרָמָה)” (Jud. 4:5), [becomes]
“And his return was to Ramah (הָרָמָתָה)” (I Sam. 7: 17).
24 complained Heb. וַיִנוּ. This is in the niph’al
conjugation. [In this case, the niph’al denotes the reflexive, as we see
further in Rashi.] Likewise, in the Targum [Onkelos], it is also a niph’al
expression: וְאִתְרַעֲמוּ. The nature of the term
denoting complaint תְּלוּנָה [is that it] reverts to the person
[complaining], מִתְלוֹנֵן [complains] or מִתְרוֹעֵם [storms], but one does not say לוֹנֵן or רוֹעֵם [Hebrew]. The Frenchman also
says, “Decomplenst sey.” He reverts the statement to himself when he says,
“Sey.”
25 There He gave them In Marah, He gave them
some sections of the Torah so that they would busy themselves with them, namely
[they were given the laws governing] the Sabbath, the red cow, and laws of
jurisprudence.-[from Mechilta and Sanh. 56b]
and there
He tested them [He tested] the people and saw
how stiff-necked they were, that they did not consult Moses with respectful
language, “Entreat [God to have] mercy upon us that we should have water to
drink,” but they complained.-[from Mechilta]
26 If you hearken This is the acceptance [of
the law] that they should accept upon themselves.
and you
do --This means the performance [of the
commandments].
and you
listen closely [This means that] you
[should] incline your ears to be meticulous in [fulfilling] them.
all His
statutes Things that are only the
decree of the King, without any [apparent] rationale, and with which the evil
inclination finds fault, [saying,] “What is [the sense of] the prohibition of
these [things]? Why were they prohibited?” For example, [the prohibitions of]
wearing shatnes [a mixture of wool and linen] and eating pork, and [the ritual
of] the red cow and their like.-[based on Yoma 67b]
I will
not visit upon you And if I do bring [sickness
upon you], it is as if it has not been brought, “for I, the Lord, heal you.”
This is its midrashic interpretation (see Sanh. 101a, Mechilta). According to
its simple meaning, [we explain:] “for I, the Lord, am your Physician” and [I]
teach you the Torah and the mitzvoth in order that you be saved from them
[illnesses], like this physician who says to a person, “Do not eat things that
will cause you to relapse into the grip of illness.” This [warning] refers to
listening closely to the commandments, and so [Scripture] says: “It shall be
healing for your navel” (Prov. 3:8).-[from Mechilta]
Midrash PESIQTA deRAB KAHANA
Pisqa Seven
And it came to pass at midnight [that the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of
Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of
the handmaiden behind the millstones, and all the firstborn of the cattle. And
Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians,
and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where one was not
dead. And he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, "Rise up, go
forth from among my people, both you and the people of Israel, and go, serve
the LORD as you have said. Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said,
and be gone; and bless me also!] (Ex. 12:29-32).
VII:I
R. Tanhum of Jaffa in the name of R. Nunayya of
Caesarea opened discourse by citing the following verse: "But when I thought how to
understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task (Ps, 73:16). Said David, 'No one can reckon
the exact moment of midnight except for the Holy One, blessed be He, but,
as for me, But when
I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task. For no creature can reckon the
exact moment except for Him, for it is said: And it came to pass at midnight {that the LORD
smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who
sat on his throne to the firstborn of the handmaiden behind the millstones, and
all the firstborn of the cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all
his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for
there was not a house where one was not dead. And he summoned Moses and Aaron
by night and said, "Rise up, go forth from among my people, both you and
the people of Israel, and go, serve the Lord as you have said. Take your flocks
and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also!]” (Ex. 12:29-32).
VII:II
R. Aha opened discourse by citing this verse: I
am the LORD, the LORD is My name; I will not give My glory to another god, nor My praise to any idol (Is. 42:8). I am the LORD, the LORD is my name: said R. Aha,
"Said the Holy One, blessed be He, 'I am the LORD, the LORD is My name. That is the name that was given
to Me by the first Man. That is My name, concerning
which I made a stipulation with Myself. That is the name concerning which I
stipulated between the angels and Myself.
... I will not give My glory to another god, nor My
praise to any idol (Is.
42:8): R. Menahema said in the name of R. Abin,
"This refers to the shades."
R. Nehemiah in the name of R. Mina said, "No
creature except for the Holy One, blessed be He, can distinguish between
the drop of sperm that produces a firstborn and one that does not But as for me, But when I thought how to
understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task. For
no creature can reckon the exact moment except for Him, for it is said: And
it came to pass at midnight [that the LORD
smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt."
VII:III
I make My servants' prophecies come true and give
effect to My messengers' designs. I say of Jerusalem, "She will be inhabited once more," and of the cities of Judah,
"They will be rebuilt, all their ruins I will restore" (Is. 44:26): R. Berekhiah in the
name of R. Levi: "If someone can make My servants' prophecies come true
and give effect to my messengers' designs, do
we not know that He will say of Jerusalem, She will be inhabited once more, and of the cities of Judah, They will be rebuilt, all
their ruins I will restore? But the point is
this: an angel appeared to Jacob, our father, and said to him, What is your
name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Your name
will not longer be Jacob, but Israel (Gen. 32:28-29). Then
the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to our father, Jacob, so as to confirm
the decree of that angel: And God said to him,
Your name is Jacob (Gen. 35:9, 10).As to Jerusalem, since all of the
prophets prophesied that Jerusalem would be rebuilt, how much the more so [will God confirm what his prophets have
said]!"
Another interpretation of the verse: “I make My
servants' prophecies come true and give effect to My messengers' designs.
I say of Jerusalem, "She will be inhabited once more," and of the
cities of Judah, "They will be rebuilt, all their ruins
I will restore.”” (Is. 44:26): I make My servants' prophecies come true refers to Moses: Not
so is My servant Moses (Num. 12:7). And give effect to My messengers'
designs refers to Moses: He sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt
(Num. 20:16). Said
the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moses, Go, say to Israel, I will pass
through the land of Egypt on that night (Ex.
12:12). Moses went and told Israel: Thus said the LORD, At midnight I will
go forth through Egypt (Ex. 11:4). [Noting
that Moses had specified the exact time,] said the Holy One, blessed be He, “I
have already made a promise to Moses, saying to
him, Not so is My servant, Moses. In My entire household he is faithful
(Num. 12:7). Will My servant, Moses, tum out to be
a bluffer?” But what has Moses said? At midnight I will go forth through
Egypt. So I will do it at midnight: and it
came to pass at midnight [that the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his
throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon,
and all the firstborn of the cattle.}"
VII:IV
At
midnight I rise to give You thanks for the justice of Your decrees. I keep
company with all who fear You, with all who
follow Your precepts. The earth is full of Your never-failing love; O LORD,
teach me Your statutes (Ps. 119:62-64): R.
Phineas in the name of R. Eleazar bar Menahem: "What would David do? He
would take a psaltery and a harp and put them at his pillow and get up at
midnight and play on them. And the Sages of Israel would hear the sound and say, 'Now if King
David is occupied with Torah-study, how much the
more so should we!' It came about that all of Israel would occupy themselves in
the study of Torah."
Said R.
Levi, "There was a window by the bed of David, open to the north, and the
harp was suspended at it, and as the north went
blew at midnight, it would rush through the harp, and the harp would give forth
sound on its own, in line with this verse: When
the instrument played (2 Kgs. 3:5). What it
says is not, 'when David played ... ,' but, When the instrument played. This indicates that the harp would give forth sound on
its own. And the Sages
of Israel would hear the sound and say, 'Now if King David is occupied with
Torah-study, how much the more so should we!' It came about that all of Israel would occupy
themselves in the study of Torah."
[… and it
came to pass at midnight that the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of
Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on
his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the
firstborn of the cattle:] That is in line with
what David said: [My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I
will sing and raise a psalm;] awake, my glory,
awake, lute and harp, I will awake at dawn of day (Ps. 57:7-8). I will
awake my glory before the glory of my creator, my glory is nothing before the
glory of my creator. I will awake at dawn of day: I will awake the dawn,
and the dawn will not wake me up. But
his impulse to do evil roused him and said to him, "David, ordinarily dawn
wakes up kings, but you say, I will awake at
dawn of day! Kings usually sleep to the third hour, but you say, At
midnight I rise to give you thanks for the
justice of Your decrees.”
What is
the meaning of the justice of Your decrees? [Thanks
are due for] the decree of judgment that You carried out against the wicked
Pharaoh, and the justice that You did with our
elder, Sarah. That is in line with this verse: And the LORD afflicted
Pharaoh with great plagues (Gen. 12: 17).
Another
interpretation of the justice of Your decrees: [David
said,] "[Thanks are due for] the decree of judgment that You carried out
against the nations of the world [Ammon
and Moab], and the justice that You did with our ancestor and our ancestress
[reference here is to Boaz and Ruth]. For if he
[Boaz] had [Braude and Kapstein, p. 143:] slipped into her as she lay at his
feet, whence would I have had my origin? Instead
You set a blessing into his heart, so he said, Blessed are You of the LORD, my
daughter (Ruth 3:10).
Another
interpretation of the justice of Your decrees: [Thanks
are due for] the decree of judgment that You carried out against the Egyptians
in Egypt. And for the righteousness/generosity that You carried out with our
forefathers in Egypt. For they had to their credit only two
religious duties on account of which they should be redeemed, the blood of the Passover-offering and the blood of
circumcision. That is in line with this verse: And I passed over you and I
saw you wallowing in your bloods, and I said to you, In
your bloods, live (Ezek 16:6). In your bloods: the blood of the
Passover-offering and the blood of circumcision.
VII:V
Said R.
Simeon b. Yohai, "Moses did not know how to calculate split seconds, let
alone minutes or hours, of the night. But the
Holy One, blessed be He, knows how to calculate split seconds, let alone
minutes and hours, can stay within the rule even
by a hair's breadth." [Mandelbaum, p. 125, n. to 1. 13:] Therefore it is
written, ... and it came to pass at midnight [that the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the
firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of
the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the cattle.}
Who
divided the night? R. Benjamin bar Japheth in the name of R. Yohanan: "The
night divided itself up on its own." Rabbis
say, "Its creator divided it."
Here you
read: And it came to pass at midnight (Ex. 12:29) and elsewhere: And
He divided the night for them (Gen. 14:15). Said R. Tanhuma, "[God
said,] 'Your father went forth with me at midnight, so I will go forth with his
children at midnight.'” Rabbis say, "Said
the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Your father went forth with me last night to
midnight, so I will go forth with his children
from midnight to the morning.'"
Said R.
Yohanan, "The angelic prince who protects the Egyptians will fall only by
day. What verse of Scripture so indicates? Daylight will fail in Tahpanhes,
when I break the yoke of Egypt there; [then
her boasted might will be subdued; a cloud will cover her, and her daughters
will go into captivity. Thus I will execute
judgment on Egypt, and they will know that I am the LORD] (Ezek.
30:18-19)." And Scripture further states, On
that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language [of Canaan and swearing allegiance to the LORD
of Hosts, and one of them will be called the City of the Sun] (Is. 19:18)." What
are these five cities? R. Hilkiah in the name of R. Simon says, "No,
which is Alexandria, Noph, which is Memphis, Tehaphnehes,
which is Hophnias, the city of the sherds, which is [Braude and Kapstein, p. 145:] Ostracena, and the city of the sun, which is Heliopolis.
Said
Rabban Yohanan b. Zakkai, "We have found that both night and day are
called day, for it is written, And there was evening, and there was morning,
one day (Gen. 1:5)." R. Joshua bar Nehemiah derived the same proposition
from this verse: "Also the night
will not be too dark for you, and the night will glow like the day, darkness
like light (Ps. 139:12). "[God
says,] 'That is darkness which is light for Me, and night so far as mortals are
concerned. '" That yields the conclusion
that on that very day the firstborn of the Egyptians died. How
did it work out? They were smitten with a death-dealing blow in the evening,
then writhed all night, and in the morning died. What verse of Scripture
indicates it? "We have all died" is not what it says, but rather, We
are all dying, that is to say, breathing our last. That
is in line with this verse: On the day on which I smote every firstborn
(Num. 3:13), and, further, On the day on which I sanctified to me every
firstborn (Num. 8:17). On this basis you must conclude that on the day on
which the firstborn of the Egyptians died, I sanctified to Me every firstborn
[of Israel].
VII:VI
... the
Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt (Ex.
12:29): When the verse refers to a firstborn, it
adds, all the firstborn, encompassing the firstborn of a man and the
firstborn of a woman, the firstborn of a male and the firstborn
of a female. How so? If a man had sexual
relations with ten women and then they produced ten sons, it would tum out that
all of them were firstborn of women. If ten men had sexual relations with one
woman and she produced ten sons, all of them would turn out to be the firstborn
of males. But take note of a case in which there was a household in which was
no firstborn either for a male or for a female? How then can I apply to that
house the verse: for there was not a
house where one was not dead? Said R. Abba bar Aha, ''Then the
one in charge of the household would die. That is in line with this verse: Shimri
the one in charge, for though he was not firstborn, nonetheless
his father put him in charge (1 Chr. 26:10)."
It was
taught on Tannaite authority in the name of R. Nathan, "On the day on
which a firstborn of one of them died, he would make an icon of him in the
house. On that day [on which the firstborn was
killed,] it too was smashed up, shattered, and scattered. It
was as hard for the parent as if on that very day he had buried the firstborn
himself. Said R. Yudan, "Since the Egyptians would bury their dead in
their houses, the dogs would come in through the burial niches [better: sewer
pipes] and pull out the bones of the firstborn
among the dead and play with them. It
was as hard for the parent as if on that very day he had buried the firstborn
himself."
VII:VII
.. from
the firstborn of Pharaoh [who sat on his throne even to the firstborn of the
maidservant who is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle] (Ex.
12:29): On the basis of that statement [read as from
the firstborn, Pharaoh] it follows that Pharaoh himself was a firstborn.
All of
the firstborn came to their fathers, saying to them, “Since Moses has said, And
every firstborn will die (Ex. 11:5), all the things that he has said
against this people have come upon them. But now
go and let these Hebrews go from among you, and if you do not do so, lo, this
people is going to die." They said,
"Each one of us has ten sons. Let one of them die, and let what these
Hebrews say not come to pass." They said, "The sole remedy for the
matter is [or us to go to Pharaoh, for he is a firstborn. He may have mercy on
his own life and let these Hebrews go away from
among us." They went to Pharaoh, saying to
him, "Since Moses has said, And every firstborn will die (Ex.
11:5), all the things that he has said against this people have come upon them. But now go and let these Hebrews go
from among you, and if you do not do so, lo, this people is going to die."
He
said, "Go and beat the humps of these people. I have said, 'It is my life
or the lives of these Hebrews!' And you say this!" The firstborn went and
killed sixty myriads of their fathers. That is in line with this verse: To
the one who smote Egypt through their firstborn (Ps. 136: 1 0). What is written is not, "To the one who smote the
Egyptians in Egypt," but, To the one who smote the Egyptians through
their firstborn. [for] the firstborn killed
their fathers, in the number of sixty myriads.
R. Abun
in the name of R. Judah b. Pazzi said, "Batyah, the daughter of Pharaoh,
was a firstborn. On account of what merit was she saved? It was through the prayer of Moses. For
it is written: She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp
does not go out at night (Prov. 31: 18). The
reference to night calls to mind the verse: It is a watch night for the LORD
(Ex. 12:42)."
VII:VIII
[..from
the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne] even to the firstborn of the
maidservant who is behind the mill, [and all the firstborn of the cattle] (Ex. 11:5): R. Huna
and R. Aha in the name of R. Eleazar son of R. Yose the Galileans, "Even
the handmaiden who were latched to the millstones would say, 'We take pleasure in our subjugation, so long as the Israelites
also are subjugated." Said R. Judah b. Pazzi, "There is a traditional
narrative that this was with reference to Seah, daughter of Asher, for when she
came down to Egypt, they had latched her to the
millstones."
VII:IX
... and
all the firstborn of the cattle: If man had sinned,
what sin had beasts done? It was because the Egyptians bow down to the ram. It was so that the Egyptian would not have occasion to
say, "Our god [the ram] has brought this punishment on us. Our god is
strong, for it has stood up for itself. Our god
is strong, because the punishment did not touch it."
VII:X
R. Huna
and R. Joshua bar Abin, son-in-law of R. Levi, in the name of R. Levi:
"The Merciful God does not touch lives first of all [but exacts vengeance
on property]. From whom do you learn that fact?
From Job: A messenger came to Job and said, The oxen were plowing and the
asses feeding beside them (Job 1:14). What is the meaning of, and the
asses feeding beside them? Said R. Hama,
"A model of the order of the world to come was made for him, in line with
this verse: Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when the one who ploughs will overtake the one who reaps
(Amos 9:13). [Mendelbaum: That is, corn will ripen within moments after the
seed is planted, so that browing animals will
follow in the tracks of the plowing animals.]"
Said R.
Abba bar Kahana, "[With reference to the verse, The Sabeans made a raid
and took the oxen and the asses away, yes, they smote the servants with the edge of the sword (Job 1: 15),] they went out
of Kefar Kerinos and went through the whole of Ublin, and when they came to
Migdal Sebayya, they died." Said R. Hama, “[In the verse, And I alone have
escaped (Job 1: 15),] the word alone bears the sense of solely,
that is, he alone escaped [only with his life], but
was himself broken and beaten." Said R. Yudan, "And I alone have
escaped to tell you (Job 1:15) means that 'the sole purpose for which I
escaped was to tell you,' at which point he died. That
is in line with this verse: While he was still speaking, there came another
and said, The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them; and I alone have
escaped to tell you. While he was speaking there came another and said,
The Chaldaeans formed three companies and made a
raid upon the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the
sword and I alone have escaped to tell you. (Job 1:14-17).When
Job heard this news, he forthwith began to collect a troop to make war against
them [but then he changed his mind, as will now be explained]. That is in line with this verse: Because I stood in
great fear of the multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that
I kept silence and did not go out of doors
(Job 31:34)."
Said Job
[in gathering his troops], "This nation is the most contemptible of all
nations: Behold the land of the Chaldaeans - the people that was a
no-people (Is. 23:13). Would that it
had never come into existence. Does that people think that it can frighten me?”
But when people told him, "The fire of God fell from heaven, he
said, "If it is from Heaven, what can I do." Forthwith:
... so that I kept silence and did not go out of doors. And then: And he took a potsherd with which to
scrape himself and sat among the ashes (Job 2:8).
[The same
proposition derives from the case] also of Mahlon and Chilion. First their
horses, camels, and asses died, and then he died, as
it is said: And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died (Ruth 1:3), then the
two sons: Mahlon and Chilion died, both of them (Ruth 1:5). [Delete: And
then she died.]
So too is
the rule applying to skin-ailments which affect man. First
of all, it begins on his house, and, if the man repents, the affected stone has
only to be removed: They will dismantle the stones (Lev. 14:40). If the man does not repent, then the whole house has to be
dismantled: And he will dismantle the house (Lev.
14:45). And then it affects his clothing. If he
repents, the clothing has to be ripped: And he will tear the affected patch
out of the garment or the hide or from the warp or from the woof (Lev. 13:56). If he does not repent, then the
clothing has to be burned: And he will burn the clothing (Lev. 13:52).
Then it affects his body. If he repents, it goes away,
and he departs, and if not, it comes back on him: And he will sit solitary,
his dwelling will be outside of the camp (Lev. 13:46) [Tosefta. Neg. 6:4]
.
So too is
the rule as to the events in Egypt: First the measure of justice affected their
property: He smote their vines and their fig trees (Ps. 105:33). Then: He gave over their cattle
to the hail and their flocks to fiery bolts of lightning (Ps, 78:48). Then at the end: He smote all the firstborn of
Egypt (Ps, 78:51).
VII:XI
R. Levi
bar Zechariah in the name of R. Berekhiah: "It was with the arts of royal
siege-warfare that God came against them. First of all, [a besieging army]
shuts up their water supply, then he brings against them thunders of war, then
he shoots arrows, then he brings troops, then he
storms them, then he pours burning oil, then he throws great stones against
them, then he brings against them scaling troops, then he captures them, then he takes out their greatest figure and
kills him. [So too is the order of God's siege
of Egypt:] first he shut up their water supply: He turned their rivers into
blood (Ps, 78:44). Then he brought against
them thunders of war: This refers to the frogs.” (Said R. Yose bar Hanina,
"The croaking was worse for them than the frogs themselves."
"Then he shot arrows: This refers to the lice. Then he brought troops:
This refers to the swarms of wild beasts. Then he starved them out: A very
heavy murrain (Ex. 9:3). Then he poured
burning oil: This refers to the boils. Then he threw great stones against them:
This refers to the hail. Then he brought against them scaling troops: This
refers to the locusts. Then he captured them: this refers to the darkness. Then
he took out their greatest figure and killed him: This refers to the killing of
the firstborn."
R. Levi,
son-in-law of R. Zechariah, in the name of R. Berekhiah said, "As at the
news concerning Egypt, so they shall be startled at the fall of the adversary
(Is. 23:5)." Said R. Eliezer, "Whenever the name of Tyre is
written in Scripture, if it is written out [with all of the letters], then it
refers to the province of Tyre. Where it is
written without all of its letters (and so appears identical to the word for
enemy). the reference of Scripture is to Rome. [So the sense of the verse is that Rome will receive its appropriate reward.]"
[Resuming
the discussion begun at VII:XI with the information just now given:] R. Levi in
the name of R. Hama bar Hanina: "He who exacted vengeance from the former [oppressor] will exact vengeance from the
latter. Just as, in Egypt, it was with blood, so with Edom it will be the same:
I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and
pillars of smoke (Job 3:3). Just as, in Egypt, it was with frogs, so with Edom it
will be the same: The sound of an uproar from
the city, an uproar because of the palace, an uproar of the Lord who renders
recompense to his enemies (Is. 66:6). Just
as, in Egypt, it was with lice, so with Edom it will be the same: The streams of Bosrah will be turned into pitch, and
the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning
pitch (Is. 34:9). Smite the dust of the earth
that it may become lice (Ex. 8:12). Just as, in Egypt, it was with
swarms of wild beasts, so with Edom it will be the same: The pelican and the
bittern will possess it (Is. 34:11). Just as, in Egypt, it was with
pestilence, so with Edom it will be the same: I will plead against Gog with
pestilence and with blood (Ez. 38:22). Just
as, in Egypt, it was with boils, so with Edom it will be the same: This will be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite
all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh will consume
away while they stand upon their feet (Zech.
14:12). Just as, in Egypt, it was with great
stones, so with Edom it will be the same: I will cause to rain upon Gog ...
an overflowing shower and great hailstones (Ez.
38:22). Just as, in Egypt, it was with locusts,
so with Edorn it will be the same: And you,
son of man, thus says the LORD God: Speak to birds of every sort ... the flesh
of the mighty will you eat ... blood will you drink ... you will eat fat until
you are full and drink blood until you are drunk
(Ez. 39:17-19). Just as, in Egypt, it was with
darkness, so with Edom it will be the same: He will stretch over Edom the
line of chaos and the plummet of emptiness (Is. 34:11).
Just as, in Egypt, he took out their greatest
figure and killed him, so with Edom it will be the same: A great slaughter in
the land of Edom, among them to come down will
be the wild oxen (Is. 34:6-7). Said R. Meir,
"[The letters of the word for wild (reemim) may be read as Rome,
thus,] 'Among them to come down shall be Rome."
VII:XII
For
behold darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the
LORD will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you. [And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness
of your rising] (Is. 60:2-3):
R. Levi
bar Zechariah in the name of R. Berekhiah: "Darkness and thick darkness
affected Egypt for three days. What verse of Scripture indicates it? And there was darkness, thick darkness (Ex. 10:22). But emptiness and void have never yet affected this
world. But where [and when] will they come to
pass? They will envelope the great city of Rome: He will stretch over it the
line of chaos and the plummet of emptiness (Is. 34:11)." Rabbis say, "As to the nations of the world, who
never accepted the Torah which was given in darkness, concerning them Scripture
says, For behold darkness will cover the
earth, and thick darkness the peoples .... But as to Israel, which accepted
it in darkness, concerning them Scripture says, ... but the LORD will arise
upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you."
Ashlamatah: II Samuel 22:1-51
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. And
David spoke to the Lord the words of this song, on the day that the Lord
delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul; |
1. And
David gave praise in prophecy before the LORD the words of this praise on
account of all the days that the LORD saved Israel from the hand of all their
enemies and also for David from the sword of Saul. |
|
2. And
he said, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and a rescuer to me. |
2. And
he said: "The LORD is my strength and my security and the one saving me, |
|
3. God
is my rock, under whom I take cover; My shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my support, and my refuge; [He is] my savior Who saves me from violence. |
3. my
God, who takes delight in me; He has drawn me near to fear of Him; my
strength from before whom strength is given to me and redemption to grow
strong against my enemies; my security on account of whose Memra I trust in
time of distress, shielding me from my enemies. And he said: "For the
land ~ my horn in His redemption; my support that His Memra supported me when
I was fleeing from before those pursuing me; my redemption from my enemies;
and also from the hand of all robbers He saved me. |
|
4. With
praise, I call to the Lord, for from my enemies I shall be saved. |
4.
David said in praise: "I am praying before the LORD who in all times
saves me from my enemies. |
|
5. For
the pains of death have encompassed me; streams of scoundrels would affright
me. |
5. For distress
surrounded me like a woman who sits upon the birth-stool, and she does not
have strength to give birth, and she is in danger of dying. A company of
sinners terrified me. |
|
6.
Bands of [those that shall inherit] the nether world have surrounded me; the
snares of death confronted me. |
6. An
army of evil men surrounded me; those who were girt with weapons of killing
came before
me. |
|
7. When
I am in distress, I call upon the Lord, yes I call upon my God: and out of
His abode He hears my voice, and my cry enters His ears. |
7.
David said: "When I was in distress, I was praying before the LORD and
before my God I was entreating and from His temple He was receiving my
prayers, and my petitions were made before Him. |
|
8. Then
the earth shook and quaked, the [very] foundations of heaven did tremble; and
they were shaken when he was angered. |
8. The
earth was stirred up and shaken; the foundations of the heavens trembled and
bent down, for His anger was strong |
|
9.
Smoke went up in His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth did devour; coals
flamed forth from Him. |
9. The
haughtiness of Pharaoh went up like smoke before Him. Then He sent His anger
like a burning fire which was from before Him; His wrath was destroying like
coals of burning fire from His Memra |
|
10. And
He bent the heavens and He came down; and thick darkness was under His feet. |
10. He
bent the heavens, and his glory was revealed= and a cloud covered the way
hefore him.. |
|
11. And
He rode upon a cherub and did fly; He was seen upon the wings of the wind. |
11. He
was revealed in His might upon the swift cherubim and He drove with strength
upon the wings of the wind. |
|
12. And
He fixed darkness about Him as booths; gathering of waters, thick clouds of
the skies. |
12. He
made His Shekinah reside in thick darkness; a glorious cloud (was) all round
about Him, bringing down mighty waters from the mass of light clouds in the
height of the world. |
|
13.
From the brightness before Him flamed forth coals of fire. |
13. From the visage of His splendor the heavens of
heavens were shining forth, His wrath like coals of burning fire from His
Memra. |
|
14. The
Lord thundered from heaven; and the Most High gave forth His voice. |
14. The
LORD thundered from the heavens, and the Most High lifted up His Memra. |
|
15. And
He sent out arrows and He scattered them, lightning and He discomfited them. |
15. And
He sent forth His smiting like arrows and scattered them, lightnings and
confused them. |
|
16. And
the depths of the sea appeared; the foundations of the world were laid bare,
by the rebuke of the Lord and the blast of the breath of His nostrils. |
16. And
the depths of the sea were seen, the foundations of the world were revealed
in the wrath from before the LORD, from the Memra of the strength of His
anger. |
|
17. He
sent from on high [and] He took me; He drew me out of many waters. |
17. He
sent His prophets, a strong king who was sitting in the strength of the
height; He took me, He rescued me from many nations. |
|
18. He
delivered me from my mighty enemy; from them that hated me; for they were too
powerful for me. |
18. He
rescued me from those hating me, for some of my enemies overpowered me, for
they were prevailing against me. |
|
19.
They confronted me on the day of my calamity; but the Lord was a support to
me. |
19.
They were coming before me on the day of my exile» and the Memra of the Lord=
was a support for me. |
|
20. And
He brought me forth into a wide place; He delivered me because He took
delight in me. |
20. He
brought me forth to the open place; He rescued me, for He took delight in me. |
|
21. The
Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of
my hands He recompensed me. |
21.
David said: "The LORD rewarded me according to my
righteousness/generosity; according to the purity of my hands He returned to
me. |
|
22. For
I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from [the
commandments of] my God. |
22. For
I have kept ways that are good before the LORD and I have not walked in evil
before my God. |
|
23. For
all His ordinances were before me; and [as for] His statutes, I did not
depart from it. |
23. For
alI His judgments are revealed for me to do them, and His statutes l have not
turned aside from them. |
|
24. And
I was single-hearted toward Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. |
24. And
I was blameless in fear of Him, and I was keeping my soul from sins. |
|
25. And
the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my
cleanness before His eyes. |
25. And
the LORD returned to me according to my righteousness/generosity, according
to my purity before His Memra. |
|
26.
With a kind one, You show Yourself kind. With an upright mighty man, You show
Yourself upright. |
26.
Abraham who was found pious before You; therefore You did much kindness with
his seed. Isaac who was blameless in fear of You; therefore You made perfect
the word of Your good pleasure with him. |
|
27.
With a pure one, You show Yourself pure; But with a perverse one, You deal
crookedly. |
27.
Jacob who was walking in purity before You - You chose his sons from all the
nations, You set apart his seed from every blemish. Pharaoh and the Egyptians
who plotted plots against Your people - You mixed them up like their plans. |
|
28. And the humble people You do deliver; But Your eyes are
upon the haughty [in order] to humble them. |
28. And the people, the house of Israel, who are called in
this world a poor people, You will save; and by Your Memra You will humble
the strong who are showing their might against them. |
|
29. For You are my lamp, O' Lord; And the Lord does light
my darkness. |
29. For you are its LORD; the light of Israel (is) the
LORD. And the LORD brings me forth from the darkness to light and shows me
the world that is to come for the just ones. |
|
30. For
by You I run upon a troop; By my God I scale a wall. |
30. For
by Your Memra I will have large armies; by the Memra of my God I will conquer
all strong cities |
|
31. [He is] the God Whose way is perfect; The word of the
Lord is tried; He is a shield unto all them that trust in him. |
31. God whose way is straight - the Law of the LORD is
proved; He is strong for all who entrust themselves to His Memra |
|
32. For
who is God, save the Lord? And who is a rock, save our God? |
32.
Therefore on account of the sign and the redemption that You work for Your
anointed one and for the remnant of Your people who are left, all the
nations, peoples, and language groups will give thanks and say: ‘There is no
God except the LORD, for there is none apart from You.’ And Your people will
say: ‘There is no one who is strong except our God.’ |
|
33. God
is He who has fortified me with strength; and He looseth perfectly my path. |
33. The
God who helps me with might and makes my way blameless. |
|
34. He
makes my feet like hinds; And sets me upon my high places. |
34. He
makes my feet light like the hind, and upon my stronghold He establishes me. |
|
35. He
trains my hand for war, so that mine arms do bend a brass bow. |
35. He
instructs my hand to do battle and strengthens my arms like the bow of
bronze. |
|
36. And
You have given me the shield of Your salvation; And You have increased Your
modesty for me. |
36. And
You have given to me strength; You have rescued me; and You have made me
great by Your Memraw |
|
37. You
have enlarged my step[s] beneath me; And my ankles have not slipped. |
37. You
have made a great space for my step before me and my knees did not shake. |
|
38. I
have pursued my enemies and have destroyed them; Never turning back until
they were consumed. |
38. I
pursued those hating me, and I destroyed them; and I did not turn back until
I destroyed them completely. |
|
39. And
I have consumed them, and I have crushed them that they cannot rise; Yes,
they are fallen under my feet. |
39. And
I destroyed them and destroyed them completely, and they were not able to
arise= and they fell killed beneath the soles of my feet |
|
40. For
You have girded me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me
those that rose up against me. |
40. And
you helped me with might to do battle; you shattered the nations who were
arising to do harm to me beneath me. |
|
41. And
of my enemies You have given me the back of their necks; them that hate me,
that I may cut them off. |
41. And
You shattered those hating me before me; my enemies were turning their backs
and I destroyed them. |
|
42.
They looked about, but there was no one to save them; [Even] to the Lord, but
He answered them not. |
42.
They were seeking a helper, and there was no deliverer for them; and they
were praying before the LORD, and their prayer was not being accepted. |
|
43.
Then I ground them as the dust of the earth, as the mud of the streets I did
tread upon them, I did stamp them down. |
43. And
I trampled them like the dust of the earth, like the dirt of the streets I
stepped on them; I trampled them down. |
|
44. And You have allowed me to escape from the contenders
amongst my people; You shall keep me as head of nations; a people whom I have
not known serve me. |
44. And You rescued me from the strife of the people. You
appointed me head for the nations; a people that I did not know were serving
me. |
|
45.
Strangers lie to me; as soon as their ears hear, they obey me. |
45.
Sons of the nations submitted themselves to me; as soon as the ear heard,
they were listening to me. |
|
46. The
strangers will wilt, and become lame from their bondage. |
46.
Sons of the nations perished, and came trembling from their fortresses. |
|
47. The
Lord lives, and blessed be my Rock; And exalted be the God, [who is] my rock
of salvation. |
47.
Therefore on account of the sign and the salvation that You have done for
Your people, they confessed and said: “May the LORD live and blessed is the
Strong One before whom strength is given to us and salvation and exalted be
God, the strength of our salvation,” |
|
48. The
God who takes vengeance for me; And brings down peoples under me. |
48. the
God who was making vengeance for me and shattering the nations who arose to
do harm to me beneath me, |
|
49. And
that brings me forth from my enemies; And above those that rise against me,
You have lifted me; from the violent man You deliver me. |
49. and
saved me from those hating me, and against those who arose to do harm to me
You made me more powerful; from Gog and the army of the captured nations -
who were with him You rescued me. |
|
50.
Therefore I will give thanks to You, O' Lord, among the nations, and to your
name I will sing praises. |
50. Therefore
I will give thanks before You, LORD, among the Gentiles; and to your name I
will speak praises. |
|
51. He gives great salvation to His king, and He performs
kindness to His anointed; to David and to his seed, forevermore. |
51. He works much salvation with His king and does goodness
to His anointed one (Messiah), to David and to his seed, forever. |
|
|
|
Nazarean Codicil:
I Corinthians 14:1 – 15:34
& Revelation 2:1-7
Revelation 2:1-7
Hakham’s Rendition
1And to
the angel of the congregation in Ephesus, write, 'So says he who holds the
seven stars in his hand, he who walks among the Menorot (seven branched
candlesticks) of gold.
2 I know your
works and your labor and your endurance and that you are not able to bear evil
[ones]. And you have tested those who say about themselves that they are to
be Sh’liachim (apostles) and are not and you have found them [to be] liars.
3 And you
have endurance and you bear a burden because of my name (or, authority) and you
have not become weary.
4 But I have [something] against
you, because you have left your first love.[4]
5
Remember from where you came and do the former works, but if not, I will come
to you and I will remove your Menora (candelabra – i.e. the seven ministers of
the congregation), unless you repent.
6 But
this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans (i.e. Oppressors of
the Laity), that I also hate.'
7 He who
has ears should hear what the Spirit says to the congregations. And to him who
overcomes, I will allow [him] to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst
of PaRDeS (paradise) of Ha-Shem."
Blessing After Torah Study
Barúch Atáh
Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,
Ashér Natán
Lánu Torát Emét, V'Chayéi Olám Natá B'Tochénu.
Barúch Atáh
Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!
Blessed is
Ha-Shem our God, King of the universe,
Who has
given us a teaching of truth, implanting within us eternal life.
Blessed is
Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!
“Now unto
Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless, and to establish you
without a blemish,
before His
majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer, by means of
Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion, and honor, and majesty,
both now and in all ages. Amen!”
“Shabbat & Eighth Day of Pesach”
(No Work allowed)
(Friday Evening April 10, 2015)
Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 7
Then read the following:
|
Day of the Omer |
Ministry |
Date |
Ephesians |
Attributes |
|
7 |
Masoret/Moreh |
Nisan
22 |
1:18-23 |
Chesed
coupled with humility |
Ephesians 1:18-23 The eyes of your
understanding[5] (Binah)[6] being enlightened[7], that you may see (have direct knowledge) what is the confidence[8] of his (Messiah) mission,
and what is the wealth of splendor of his inheritance[9] in union[10] with the Tsadiqim (saints). And
what is the excellent magnitude of His (God’s) power working in us, the faithfully obedient who operate according to His majestic strength
and cosmic power. This power He (God) worked in Messiah by raising him from the
dead, and He seated him at His right hand in the heavenlies, far above all
principalities (Hokhmah) and authorities (Binah) and power (Da’at) and dominion
(G’dolah),[11] and every authority[12] being named, not only in
this present age, but also in the World ever Coming. And He (God) has subjected all things under his (Messiah’s) authority[13] and gave him to be head
over all things to the Esnoga (Synagogue), which is his body, the fullness of him who
fills everything (with the
presence, power, agency and riches of God).
“Shabbat & Eighth Day of Pesach”
(No Work allowed)
(Saturday Morning April 11, 2015)
Morning Service & Yizkor
|
Shabbat |
Torah
Reading: |
Weekday
Torah Reading: |
|
עַשֵּׂר
תְּעַשֵּׂר |
|
Saturday Afternoon |
|
“A’asher T’Asher” |
Reader 1 – D’barim 14:22-29 |
Reader 1 – D’barim 4:41-43 |
|
“Surely you will tithe” |
Reader 2 – D’barim 15:1-6 |
Reader 2 – D’barim 4:44-46 |
|
“Indispensablemente
diezmarás” |
Reader 3 – D’barim15:7-11 |
Reader 3 – D’barim 4:47-49 |
|
Reader 4 – D’barim 15:12-18 |
|
|
|
D’barim (Deut.) 14:22 – 16:17 B’Midbar (Num) 28:18-25 |
Reader 5 – D’barim 15:19-23 |
Monday & Thursday Mornings |
|
Reader 6 – D’barim 16:1-8 |
Reader 1 – D’barim 4:41-43 |
|
|
Ashlamatah: Is. 10:32 – 12:6 |
Reader 7 – D’barim 16:9-17 |
Reader 2 – D’barim 4:44-46 |
|
|
Maftir
– B’Midbar 28:18-25 |
Reader 3 – D’barim 4:47-49 |
|
N.C.: 1 Corinthians 15:35 –
16:24 & Revelation 2:1-7 |
Is.
10:32 – 12:6 |
|
Blessings
Before Torah Study
Blessed are
You, Ha-Shem our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us through Your
commandments, and commanded us to actively study Torah. Amen!
Please
Ha-Shem, our G-d, 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 desire. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel.
Amen!
Blessed are
You, Ha-Shem our G-d, 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 doing 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: Honouring one's
father and mother; doing acts of kindness; early attendance at the place of
Torah study -- morning and night; showing hospitality to guests; visiting the
sick; providing for the financial needs of a bride; escorting the dead; being
very engrossed in prayer; bringing peace between two people, and between husband
and wife; but the study of Torah is as great as all of them together. Amen!
Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for: D’barim (Deut.) 14:22 – 16:17
|
Rashi |
Targum Pseudo Jonathan |
|
22. You shall tithe all
the seed crop that the field gives forth, year by year. |
22. Be mindful
to tithe your fruitage of whatsoever comes forth, and which you
gather in from the field year by year; not giving the fruit of one year for
the fruit of another. |
|
23. And you shall eat before
the Lord, your God, in the place He chooses to establish His Name therein,
the tithes of your grain, your wine, and your oil, and the firstborn of your
cattle and of your sheep, so that you may learn to fear the Lord, your God, all the days. |
23. And the
second tithe you will eat before the LORD your God in the place which He will
choose to make His Shekinah to dwell there; the tenths of your corn, your
vines, and your oil, and likewise the firstlings of your oxen and sheep, that you may learn to fear the
LORD your God all the days. |
|
24. And if the way be too long
for you, that you are unable to carry it, for the place which the Lord, your
God, will choose to establish His Name therein, is too far from you, for the
Lord, your God, will bless you |
24. And if
the way be too great for you to be able to carry the tenth, because the place
which the LORD your God will choose for His Shekinah to dwell there is too
distant from you, when the LORD your God will have blessed you, |
|
25. Then you shall turn it
into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and you shall go to the place
the Lord, your God, will choose. |
25. then
you may make exchange for it into silver, and bind the sum in your hand, and
proceed to the place which the LORD your God will choose, |
|
26. And you shall turn that
money into whatever your soul desires; cattle, sheep, new wine or old wine,
or whatever your soul desires, and you shall eat there before the Lord, your
God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. |
26. and
give the silver for any thing that your soul pleases, of oxen, sheep, wine
new or old, or whatever your soul desires; and you will eat there before the
LORD your God and rejoice, you and the men of your house. |
|
27. And [as for] the Levite
who is in your cities you shall not forsake him, for he has neither portion
nor inheritance with you. |
27. And the
Levite who is in your cities forsake not, for he has not a portion or a
heritage with you. |
|
28. At the end of three years,
you shall take out all the tithe of your crop in that year and place it in
your cities. |
28. At the
end of three years you will bring forth all the tenths of your produce for
that year, and lay them up in your cities. |
|
29. And the Levite because he
has no portion or inheritance with you and the stranger, and the orphan, and
the widow, who are in your cities, will come and eat and be satisfied; so that the Lord, your God,
will bless you in all the work of your hand that you will do. |
29. And the
Levite, because he has no part or heritage with you, and the stranger, the
orphan, and the widow who are in your cities, will come and eat and be
satisfied; that the
LORD your God may bless you in all the works of your hands that you do. |
|
|
|
|
1. At the end of seven years you will make a release. 2 |
1. At the end of seven years you will make a
Release. |
|
2. And this is the manner of
the release; to release the hand of every creditor from what he lent his
friend; he shall not exact from his friend or his brother, because time of
the release for the Lord has arrived. |
2. And this is the indication of the custom of
the Release: Every man who is master of a loan, who lends to his neighbor,
will give remission. He will not have power to coerce his neighbor in
demanding his loan, nor of his brother, a son of Israel; because the Bet Din
has published the Release before the LORD. |
|
3. From the foreigner you may
exact; but what is yours with your brother, your hand shall release. |
3. From a son of the Gentiles you may exact,
but the lawful right (dina) which is yours with your brother you will release
with your hand. |
|
4. However, there will be no needy among you, for the Lord will surely bless you in the land the Lord, your God,
is giving you for an inheritance to possess. |
4. If you will only be diligent in the precepts of the
law, there will be no poor among you; for, blessing, the LORD will
bless you in the land which the LORD your God will give you for a possession
to inherit; |
|
5. However,
if you hearken to the voice of the Lord, your God, to be careful to do all
this commandment, which I am commanding you today. |
5. if, obeying, you will only obey the Word of the LORD
your God, to observe and do all these commandments which I command you this
day. |
|
6. For the Lord, your God,
has blessed you, as He spoke to you, and you will lend to many nations, but
you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not
rule over you. |
6. For the LORD your God blesses you, as He said
to you (that) you will take from many nations, but they will not take from
you; and you will have power over many nations, but they will not have power
over you. |
|
7. If there will be among you
a needy person, from one of your brothers in one of your cities, in your land
the Lord, your God, is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, and you shall not close your
hand from your needy brother. |
7. But if you be not diligent in the precepts of the Law,
and there be among you a poor man in one of your cities of the land which the
LORD your God gives you, you will not harden your heart, nor hold back your hand from your
poor brother; |
|
8. Rather, you shall open your hand to him, and
you shall lend him sufficient for his needs, which he is lacking. |
8. but you will open your hand to him, and lend to him
according to the measure of his lack through which he is in need. |
|
9. Beware, lest there be in your heart an
unfaithful thought, saying, "The seventh year, the year of release has
approached," and you will begrudge your needy brother and not give him,
and he will cry out to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin to you. |
9. Beware lest there be a word in your proud heart,
saying: The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand, and your eye
become evil toward your poor brother, so as to be not willing to give to him,
and he cry against you to the LORD, and there be guilt upon you. |
|
10. You shall surely give him, and your heart
shall not be grieved when you give to him; for because of this thing the
Lord, your God, will bless you in all your work and in all your endeavors. |
10. Giving you will give to him, nor will your heart be
evil when you give to him; for on account of this matter the LORD your God
will bless you in all your works that you put your hands unto. |
|
11. For there will never cease to be needy within
the land. Therefore, I command you, saying, you will surely open your hand
to your brother, to your poor one, and to your needy one in your land. |
11. But forasmuch as the house of Israel will not rest in
the commandments of the Law, the poor will not cease in the land:
therefore I command you, saying: You will verily open your hands toward your neighbors,
to the afflicted around you, and to the poor of your country. |
|
12. If your brother, a Hebrew
man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you for six years, and
in the seventh year you shall send him forth free from you. |
12. If your brother, a son of Israel, or if a
daughter of Israel, be sold to you, he will serve you six years; and when the
seventh comes, you will send him from you free. |
|
13. And when you send him
forth free from you, you shall not send him forth empty- handed. |
13. And when you let him go away from you at
liberty, you will not send him away empty. |
|
14. You shall surely provide
him from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your vat, you shall
give him from what the Lord, your God, has blessed you |
14. Comforting you will comfort him out of
your flocks, your floors, and your wine presses; as the LORD has blessed you,
you will give to him. |
|
15. And you shall remember
that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord, your God, redeemed
you; therefore, I am commanding you this thing today. |
15. And be mindful that you were servants in
the land of Mizraim, and that the LORD your God set you free; therefore I
command you today that you do this thing. |
|
16. And it will be, if he says
to you, "I will not leave you," because he loves you and your
household, for it is good for him with you, |
16. But if he say to you, I will not go out
from you, because I love you and the men of your house, and because it has
been good for him to be with you, |
|
17. Then you shall take an awl
and put it through his ear and into the door, and he shall be a servant to
you forever; and also to your maidservant you shall do likewise. |
17. then you will take an awl, and bore (or
apply) it through his ear, and that to the door of the house of judgment (Bet
Din), and he will be your serving servant until the Jubilee. And for your
handmaid also you will write a certificate of release, and give it to her. |
|
18. You shall not be troubled
when you send him free from you, for twice as much as a hired servant, he has
served you six years, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in all that you
shall do. |
18. It must not be a hardship in your eyes
when you send him away from you; for double the hire of an hireling has he
been of service to you six years; and on his account the LORD your God has
blessed you in all that you have done. |
|
19. Every firstborn male that
is born of your cattle or of your flock you shall sanctify to the Lord, your
God. You shall neither work with the firstborn of your ox, nor shear the
firstborn of your flock. |
19. Every firstling male that comes of your
herd and flock you will consecrate before the LORD your God. You will not
work with the firstlings of your herd, nor shear the firstlings of your
flocks; |
|
20. You shall eat it before
the Lord, your God, year by year, in the place the Lord chooses-you and your
household. |
20. you will eat thereof before the LORD your
God from year to year, in the place which the LORD will choose, you and the
men of your houses. |
|
21. And if there be any
blemish in it, whether it be lame, or blind, or any ill blemish, you shall
not sacrifice it to the Lord, your God. |
21. But if there be any spot in it, if it be
lame or blind, or have any blemish, you shall not sacrifice it before the
Lord your God: |
|
22. You shall eat it within
your cities, the unclean and the clean together, as the deer, and as the
gazelle. |
22. you may eat it in your cities; he who is
unclean, (so) that he may not approach to holy things, and he who being clean
may approach the holy, may alike (eat), as the flesh of the antelope or hart. |
|
23. However, you shall not eat
its blood; you shall pour it on the ground, as water. |
23. Only you will not eat the blood; you will
pour it out upon the ground like water. |
|
|
|
|
1. Keep the month of spring, and make the Passover offering to the Lord,
your God, for in the month of spring, the Lord, your God, brought you out of
Egypt at night. |
1. Be mindful to keep the times of the festivals, with the
intercalations of the year, and to observe the rotation thereof: in the month
of Abib to perform the Pascha before the LORD your God, because in the month
of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Mizraim; you will eat it
therefore by night. |
|
2. You shall slaughter the
Passover sacrifice to the Lord, your God, [of the] flock, and [the Festival
sacrifices of the] cattle, in the place which the Lord will choose to
establish His Name therein. |
2. But you will sacrifice the Pascha before
the LORD your God between the suns; and the sheep and the bullocks on the
morrow, on that same day to rejoice in the feast at the place which the LORD
will choose to make His Shekinah to dwell there. |
|
3. You shall not eat leaven
with it; for seven days you shall eat with it matzoth, the bread of affliction,
for in haste you went out of the land of Egypt, so that you shall remember the
day when you went out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. |
3. You will not eat leavened bread with the
Pascha; seven days you will eat unleavened bread unto His Name, the unleavened bread of
humiliation; for with haste you went forth from the land of
Mizraim; that you may remember the day of your outgoing from the land of
Mizraim all the days of your life. |
|
4. And no leaven shall be seen with you within
all your border for seven days; neither shall any of the
flesh you slaughter on the preceding day in the afternoon, remain all night
until the morning. |
4. Take heed that in the beginning of the Pascha there be
no leaven seen among you within all your borders for seven days;
and that none of the flesh which you sacrifice in the evening of the first
day remain till the morning. |
|
5. You shall not sacrifice
the Passover offering within any of your cities, which the Lord, your God, is
giving you. |
5. It will not be allowed you to eat the
Pascha in (any) one of your cities which the LORD your God gives to you; |
|
6. Except at the place which
the Lord, your God, will choose to establish His Name-there you shall
slaughter the Passover offering in the afternoon, as the sun sets, at the appointed
time that you went out of Egypt. |
6. but in the place which the LORD your God
will choose to make His Shekinah to dwell, there will you sacrifice the
Pascha; and in the evening at the going down of the sun you may eat it until
the middle of the night, the time when you began to go out of Mizraim. |
|
7. And you shall roast [it]
and eat [it] in the place which the Lord, your God, will choose, and you
shall turn away in the morning and go to your dwellings. |
7. And you will dress and eat it in the place
which the LORD your God will choose, and in the early morn (if need be) you
may return from the feast, and go to your cities. |
|
8. For six days you shall eat
matzoth, and on the seventh day there shall be a halt to the Lord, your God.
You shall not do any work [on it]. |
8. On the first day you will offer the omer,
and eat unleavened cakes of the old corn; but in the six remaining days you
may begin to eat unleavened cakes of the new corn, and on the seventh day you
will assemble with thanksgiving before the LORD your God; no work will you
perform. |
|
9. You shall count seven
weeks for yourself; from[the time] the sickle is first put to the standing
crop, you shall begin to count seven weeks. |
9. Seven weeks number to you; from the time
when you begin to put the sickle to the harvest of the field after the
reaping of the omer you will begin to number the seven weeks. |
|
10. And you shall perform the
Festival of Weeks to the Lord, your God, the donation you can afford to give, according to how
the Lord, your God, shall bless you. |
10. And you will keep with joy the Festival of
Weeks before the LORD your God, after the measure of the freewill offerings of your hands, according
as the LORD your God will have blessed you. |
|
11. And you shall rejoice
before the Lord, your God, -you, and your son, and your daughter, and your
manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite who is within your cities,
and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are among you, in the
place which the Lord, your God, will choose to establish His Name therein. |
11. And you will rejoice with the joy of the
feast before the LORD your God, you and your sons, your daughters, your
servants and handmaids, the Levites who are in your cities, and the stranger,
the orphan, and the widow who are among you, at the place which the LORD your
God will choose where to make His Shekinah to dwell. |
|
12. And you shall remember
that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall keep and perform these
statutes. |
12. Remember that you were servants in
Mizraim; so will you observe and perform these statutes. |
|
13. You shall make yourself
the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from
your threshing floor and your vat. |
13. The Feast of Tabernacles you will make to
you seven days, when you will have completed to gather in the corn from your
threshing floors, and the wine from your presses. |
|
14. And you shall rejoice in
your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and
your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the
widow, who are within your cities. |
14. And you will rejoice in the joy of your
feasts with the clarinet and flute, you and your sons and daughters, your
handmaids, the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, who are in
your cities. |
|
15. Seven days you shall
celebrate the Festival to the Lord, your God, in the place which the Lord
shall choose, because the Lord, your God, will bless you in all your produce,
and in all the work of your hands, and you will only be happy. |
15. Seven days you will keep the feast before
the LORD your God in the place which the LORD will choose, because the LORD
your God will have blessed you in all your provision, and in all the work of
your hands, and so willll you be joyful in prosperity. |
|
16. Three times in the year, every one of your
males shall appear before the Lord, your God, in the place He will choose: on
the Festival of Matzoth and on the Festival of Weeks, and on the Festival of
Sukkoth, and he shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. |
16. Three times in the year will all your males appear
before the LORD your God in the place that He will choose; at the Feast of
the Unleavened, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; nor
must you appear before the LORD your God empty of any of the requirements; |
|
17. [Every] man [shall bring] as much as he can
afford, according to the blessing of the Lord, your God, which He has given
you. |
17. every one after the measure of the gifts of his hands,
according to the blessing which the LORD your God hath bestowed upon you. |
|
|
|
Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for: B’Midbar (Num.) 28:18-25
|
Rashi |
Targum Pseudo Jonathan |
|
18. On the first day is a holy
convocation; you shall not perform any mundane work. |
18. On the first day of the festival a holy
convocation; no servile work will you do; |
|
19. You shall offer up a fire
offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven
lambs in the first year they shall be unblemished for you. |
19. but offer an oblation of a burnt sacrifice
before the LORD, two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of the year,
unblemished, will you have. |
|
20. Their meal offerings
[shall be] fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths for each bull and two
tenths for the ram you shall offer up. |
20. And their minchas of wheat flour, mingled
with olive oil, three tenths for each bullock, two tenths for the ram, |
|
21. And you shall offer up one
tenth for each lamb, for all seven lambs. |
21. and for a single lamb a tenth, so for the
seven; |
|
22. And one young male goat
for a sin offering to atone for you. |
22. and one kid of the goats, to make an
atonement for you: |
|
23. You shall offer these up
besides the morning burnt offering which is offered as a continual burnt
offering. |
23. beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning,
the perpetual burnt sacrifice, you will make these offerings. |
|
24. Like these, you shall
offer up daily for seven days, food of the fire offering, a spirit of
satisfaction to the Lord; you shall offer up this in addition to the
continual burnt offering and its libation. |
24. According to these oblations of the first
day you will do daily through the seven days of the festival. It is the bread
of the oblation which is received with favor before the LORD; it will be made
beside the perpetual burnt offering, with its libation. |
|
25. The seventh day shall be a
holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any mundane work. |
25. And on the seventh day you shall have a
holy convocation; no servile work shall you do. |
|
|
|
Welcome to the World of P’shat Exegesis
In order to understand the finished work of the P’shat
mode of interpretation of the Torah, one needs to take into account that the
P’shat is intended to produce a catechetical output, whereby a question/s
is/are raised and an answer/a is/are given using the seven Hermeneutic Laws of
R. Hillel and as well as the laws of Hebrew Grammar and Hebrew expression.
The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as follows
[cf. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=472&letter=R]:
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.
Rashi’s Commentary for: D’barim (Deut.) 14:22 – 16:17
22 You shall tithe [all the seed crop] What has one matter to do with the other [i.e., the
prohibition of cooking a kid, and tithing]? The Holy One, blessed is He, said
to Israel: Do not cause Me to destroy the [developing] kernels (גְּדָיִים) of grain, while they are yet in their
“mother’s womb” [i.e., in the husks], for if you do not tithe your produce
properly, when it is near ripening I will bring forth an easterly wind, which
will blast them, as it is said, “and blast before becoming standing grain” (II
Kings 19:26) (Tanchuma). [And just as cooking the kid in its mother’s milk and
the tithes are juxtaposed,] so is the topic of the first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים) [juxtaposed to cooking the kid in its
mother’s milk (see Exod. 23:19, 34:26), to teach us that, if you do not bring your first fruits
to the Temple as commanded, your fruit produce will whither].
[You shall tithe...] year by year From here, we derive [the ruling] that one may not
give tithes from the new [crop] for the old [i.e., from this year’s crop for
last year’s].-[Sifrei]
23 And you shall eat [before the Lord your God, in
the place He chooses... the tithes of your grain...]- This refers to ma’aser sheini, “the second
tithe,” for we have already learned to give ma’aser rishon, “the first tithe,”
to the Levites, as it is said, “[Speak to the Levites...] when you take from
the children of Israel [the tithe]... ” (Num. 18:26), and it gives them
permission to eat it anywhere [not only in Jerusalem], as it is said, “and you
may eat it in any place” (Num. 18:31). Thus you must conclude that this one
[which may be eaten by its owners and must be eaten in Jerusalem,] is another
tithe [namely, the second tithe].
24 For [the Lord your God] will bless you so that your produce will be too much to carry.
26 [And you will turn that money] into whatever
your soul desires This is a כְּלָל
, a general statement [not
limited to anything in particular. Whereas the next expression,]
cattle, or sheep, new wine or old wine [represents
a] פְּרָט , a “specification” [that is, it details
particular things, limiting the matter to those things. After this, the verse
continues,]
or whatever your soul desires [The verse] again reverts to a כְּלָל , a “general statement.” [Now we have learned that when a verse
expresses a כְּלָל , a פְּרָט
, and then a כְּלָל again, as in this
case, we apply the characteristics of the פְּרָט
to the whole matter. That is,] just as the items listed in the פְּרָט 1) are products of things themselves
produced by the earth [e.g., wine comes from grapes], and 2) are fitting to be
food for man, [so must
the money replacing them be used to purchase such products].-[Eruvin
27a]
27 And [as for] the Levite... - you shall not forsake him By not giving him the
first tithe.
for he has neither portion nor inheritance with you This excludes gleanings (Lev. 19:9), forgotten
sheaves (Deut. 24:19), the end of the field (Lev. 19:9), [all of which are left
for the poor,] and ownerless things, for the Levite does have a portion in
these things, just as you do, and [consequently,] they are not subject to
tithing.
28 At the end of three years [you shall take out
all the tithe of your crop in that year] This comes to teach us that if one kept his tithes from the first and
the second year of the shemitah [cycle], he has to remove them from his house
in the third [year].
29 And the Levite... will come And take the first tithe.
and the stranger, and the orphan... [will come] And
take the second tithe, which
this year [the third in the seven year cycle], belongs to the poor, and you
[yourself] may not eat it in Jerusalem, in the manner you were required to eat
the second tithe in the [first] two years [of this cycle].
will come and eat and be satisfied Give them enough to satisfy them. From here [our
Rabbis] said: One must not give the poor from the threshing floor less [than
half a kav of wheat, or a kav of barley] (Sifrei). And you go up to Jerusalem
with the [second] tithe of the first and the second years which you have
delayed [to bring], and you shall confess: “I have removed the sanctified
things from the house” (see Deut. 26:13), as is stated in [the section
beginning with] “When you have finished tithing...” (Deut. 26:12).
Chapter 15
1 At the end of seven years [you shall make a
release] One might
think that this means seven years [starting from the transaction] of each loan.
Scripture, therefore, states, “The seventh year [i.e., the year of release] has
approached...” (verse 9). But if you say [that] “seven years” [means] for each
loan, after each individual loan, how has it approached? [No loan was yet
transacted.] Consequently, you learn [that Scripture means] seven years
according to the counting of the Shemitha [cycle].-[Sifrei]
2 to release the hand of every creditor Heb. כָּל־בַּעַל
מַשֵּׁה
יָדוֹ
שָׁמוֹט , [lit. to release every master the loan of his hand, which
makes no sense. Therefore, Rashi interprets the verse to mean] to release the
hand of every creditor [from reclaiming the loan].
3 From the foreigner you may exact This is a positive command (See Ramban.). -[Sifrei]
4 However, there will be no needy among you But further on it says, “For there will never
cease to be needy [within the land]” (verse 11). [These two verses seem to
contradict each other. However, the explanation is:] When you perform the will of the Omnipresent,
there will be needy among others but not among you. If, however, you do not
perform the will of the Omnipresent, there will be needy among you.
-[Sifrei] needy Heb. אֶבְיוֹן
, [denoting someone who is]
poorer than an עָ נִי . The term אֶבְיוֹן
means “to yearn for” (תָּאֵב) , i.e., one who yearns for everything
[because he has nothing].-[Vayikra Rabbah 34:6, see B.M. 111b]
5 However, if you hearken [to the voice of the
Lord, your God] then “there will be no needy
among you” (verse 4).
you hearken Heb. שָׁמֽעַ
תִּשְׁמַע . [The repetition of the verb form
suggests:] If one listens a little, he will be granted the opportunity to
listen much [i.e., he will be taught much Torah as a reward].-[Sifrei]
6 [For the Lord, your God, has blessed you,] as He
has spoken to you And
where did He speak about this? “Blessed are you in the city...” (Deut. 28:3).
-[Sifrei]
and you will lend Heb. וְהַעֲבַטְתָּ
. Whenever an expression
denoting lending refers to a lender [of money], it adopts the hiph’il
[causative] form. For example, וְהִלְוִיתָ
, or וְהַעֲבַטְתָּ
, you will lend. However, if
it would have said וְעָבַטְתָּ
,[in the kal, simple
conjugation,] it would be referring to the borrower, like וְלָוִיתָ , you will borrow.
and you will lend to [many] nations One might think that you will borrow from this one
and lend that one. Therefore, Scripture states, “but you will not borrow.”
and you will rule over many nations One might think that [at the same time] other
nations will rule over you. Therefore, Scripture states, “but they will not
rule over you.”-[Sifrei]
7 If there will be among you a needy person The most needy person has priority. -[Sifrei]
from one of your brothers Your brother on your father’s side has priority
over your brother on your mother’s side.-[Sifrei]
[in one of] your cities The poor of your city have priority over the poor
of another city. -[Sifrei]
you shall not harden [your heart] Some people suffer [as they deliberate] whether
they should give [to the needy] or they should not give; therefore it says:
“you shall not harden [your heart].” Some people stretch out their hand [to
give], but then close it; therefore it says: “nor close your hand.”-[Sifrei]
[nor close your hand] from your needy brother If you do not give him, you will ultimately become
a “brother of the needy” [i.e., becoming needy yourself].-[Sifrei]
8 [Rather] you shall open [your hand] Even many times.
[Rather] you shall open [your hand] Heb. כִּי־פָתֽחַ
תִּפְתַּח . Here, the word כִּי
has the meaning of “rather” [whereas in verse 7 it means “if,” and in
verse 10, “because”].
and you shall lend If he does not want [your money] as a [charitable] gift, give it to him as a loan.-
[Sifrei ; Keth. 67b]
[lend him] sufficient for his needs However, you are not commanded to make him
wealthy.-[Sifrei]
[sufficient for his needs,] what he is lacking Even a horse to ride on and a servant to run
before him [if he is accustomed to this type of lifestyle]. -[Sifrei ; Keth.
67b]
he [is lacking] Heb. יֶחְסַר
לוֹ , lit.
what is lacking for him. This refers to a wife [i.e., you should help him marry
a wife]. Similarly, it is stated: “I shall make for him (לוֹ) a helpmate opposite him” (Gen. 2:18).
-[Keth. 66b]
9 and he will cry out [to the Lord] against you One might think this is a requirement [namely,
that this poor man is obliged to "cry out... against you"].
Therefore, Scripture says, “[On his day you shall give him his payment...] so
that he will not cry against you [to the Lord]” (Deut. 24:15). -[Sifrei 15:138]
and it will be a sin to you in any case, even if he does not cry [against you]. If so, why
does it say, “and he will cry out... against you?” [It means that God says:] I
hasten to punish in response to the one who cries out more than to the one who
does not cry out.-[Sifrei]
10 You shall surely give him Even a hundred times.-[Sifrei]
him
[meaning] between him and you [i.e., privately]. -[Sifrei]
for because of this thing Heb. דּבָר
, lit. word. Even if you said
[i.e., gave him your “word”] that you would give, you will receive a reward for
the saying along with the reward for the deed.- [Sifrei]
11 Therefore Heb. עַל־כֵּן
, here meaning מִפְּנֵי
כֵן ,
[i.e.,] “because of this,” or “therefore.”
saying I offer
you advice for your own good.-[Sifrei]
[You shall surely open your hand] to your brother, to your poor one To which brother? To your poor
one.
to your poor one Heb. לַעֲנִיֶּךָ
, [spelled] with one “yud,”
[singular form,] means one poor person, but עֲנִיֶּיךָ
with two "yud"s [the second “yud” denoting the plural form,]
means two poor people. [Here, since it is written with one “yud,” meaning one
poor person, thus modifying אָחִיךָ
, your brother, which is in
the singular]. See Yosef Hallel, Leket Bahir, Chavel.
12 If [your brother...] is sold to you By others [but not one who sells himself because
of poverty]. Scripture is speaking here of one whom the court sold [for a theft
that he had committed]. But has it not already been stated, “If you buy a
Hebrew servant” (Exod. 21:2) and there, too, Scripture is referring to one whom
the court sold (Mechilta)? Nevertheless, [it is repeated here] because of two
points which are new here: The first is that it is written [here] “or a Hebrew
woman,” that she, too, [like a manservant,] goes free at the end of six
[years]. This does not mean a woman whom the court has sold, for a woman is not
sold [by the court] on account of a theft, since it is stated [that the thief
will be sold] “for his theft” (Exod. 22:2), not for her theft. Thus, [we are
referring here to] a minor whom her father sold [as a handmaid], and it teaches
you here that if six years terminate before she shows signs [of puberty], she
goes free (Exod. 21:7-11). The second new point here is: “You shall surely
provide him.”
14 You shall surely provide him Heb. הַעֲנֵיק
תַּעֲנִיק . [The root ענק
] denotes an ornament worn
high [on the upper portion of the body] within view of the eye. [Thus, this
verse means that you should give him] something through which it will be
recognized that you have benefited him. Others explain [the word הַעֲנֵיק ] as an expression of loading on his neck
[meaning that you should load him with gifts].
[You shall surely provide him] from your flock,
from your threshing floor, and from your vat One might think that I must [give him] only these things [listed in the
verse here]. Therefore, Scripture states, “from what the Lord, your God, has
blessed you,” meaning, from everything with which your Creator has blessed you.
Then why are these mentioned? Just as these particular things are within the
realm of blessing, so too, you should provide him only with what falls within
the realm of blessing. This [therefore] excludes mules, [which are sterile, and
are thus not considered within the realm of blessing] (Kid. 17a). In tractate
Kiddushin (17a)our Rabbis derived by means of a gezerah shavah how much one
must give the servant of each kind.
15 And you shall remember that you were a slave [in
the land of Egypt] And I
loaded you up [with booty], and then did so a second time, from the spoil of
Egypt and from the spoil at the Sea [of Reeds]; so too should you load him up,
and then do so a second time.-[Sifrei]
17 [And he shall be] a servant [to you] forever Heb. לְעוֹלָם
. One might think that [ לְעוֹלָם , “forever”] is to be interpreted
literally. Therefore, Scripture states: “[And you shall sanctify the fiftieth
year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It will
be a Jubilee for you;] and you shall return, every man to his property, and you
shall return, every man to his family” (Lev. 25:10). Consequently, you learn
that the term לְעוֹלָם
here can mean only the period until the Jubilee. [This period is also
called לְעוֹלָם
.]-[Mechilta 21:6] and also to
your maidservant you will do likewise to provide her. One might think that
Scripture includes her concerning the piercing [of the ear] as well. Therefore,
it states, “And if the manservant (הַָעֶבֶד) will clearly say, [I love my
master...then... his master shall bore his ear with an awl]” (Exod. 21:5-6);
[i.e.,] a manservant (עֶבֶד) must have his ear pierced, but not a
maidservant.-[Sifrei]
18 for twice as much as much as a hired servant From here our Rabbis said: A Hebrew slave serves
both by day and by night, and that is double the amount of labor of a man hired
only for day work. And what is his service during the night? That his master
gives him a Canaanite maidservant [as a wife], and the [resultant] children
[belong] to the master.-[Sifrei, Kid. 15a]
19 Every firstborn male... you shall sanctify [to
the Lord] But
elsewhere (Lev. 27:26) it says, “[But the firstborn which will be a firstborn
for the Lord of the livestock,] no man shall sanctify it.” How is this
[reconciled]? [The verse in Leviticus means that] one may not sanctify [the
firstborn] to be another sacrifice [but only as a firstborn sacrifice]. And our
verse here teaches us that it is a duty to proclaim [over the firstborn animal],
“You are hereby sanctified as a firstborn.” Another explanation: It is
impossible to say “sanctify [this firstborn animal],” because [Scripture]
already says, “no man must shall sanctify it” (Lev. 27:26). And yet it is
impossible to say that we shall not sanctify it, for [here] it already says,
“you shall sanctify.” So how [can these two verses be reconciled]? [The answer
is that we are dealing with an indirect sanctification, namely:] One may
sanctify the value of the privilege [i.e., the owner of the firstborn animal
has the privilege of choosing to which kohen he will give it. This privilege
has a market value, namely how much an Israelite will pay so that the owner of
the firstborn will give it to his grandson who is a kohen. The verse, therefore,
means:] one may dedicate the value of this privilege according to its benefit
and give it to the Temple [treasury].-[Ar. 29a]
You shall neither work with the firstborn of your
ox, nor shear [the firstborn of your flock] The Rabbis derived that also the the converse [i.e., shearing your ox
and working the flock] is prohibited. Scripture is merely speaking [here] of
the usual manner [in which these animals are used].-[Bech. 25a]
20 You shall eat it before the Lord, your God [Scripture] is addressing the kohen, for we have
already found [a statement to the effect] that it [the firstborn] is part of
the dues given to kohanim, whether the animal is unblemished or whether it is
blemished. For it is stated, “and their flesh [i.e., of the firstborn animals] shall
be yours [i.e., the kohen 's]” (Num. 18:18). - [Bech. 28a] [In both cases, the
kohen is entitled to eat the entire animal. The difference between the
blemished and the unblemished animals is that the blemished animal is
slaughtered outside the Temple, and its flesh may be eaten anywhere by anyone
invited by the kohen. The unblemished animal, however, must be slaughtered in
the Temple courtyard, its blood dashed on the altar, and its fat burned on the
altar. The flesh must be eaten by the kohen and his household within the time
allotted for eating it.]
[You shall eat it before the Lord...] year by year From here we derive the law that one should not
delay it [i.e., from sacrificing it] beyond its first year (Bech. 28a). [If so,
however,] one might think that it becomes unfit [as a sacrifice] when the first
year has elapsed. [Therefore, the Torah tells us that] it [the firstborn
animal] has already been compared to ma’aser [sheini], as it is said, “And you
shall eat before the Lord, your God... the tithes of your grain, your wine, and
your oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and of your sheep” (Deut. 14:23).
Just as ma’aser sheini does not become unfit [when it is left over] from one
year to the next, neither does the firstborn animal become unfit. However,
[this verse means] that the proper way to fulfill this commandment [of the
firstborn animal] is during its first year.
year by year If one slaughtered it at the end of its first year [on the last day],
he may eat it on that day and one day of the next year. This teaches [us] that
it [a firstborn animal] may be eaten for two days and one [intervening]
night.-[Bech. 27b]
21 [And if there be any] blemish [in it] [This is] a כְּלָל
, a general statement [not
limiting itself to anything in particular].
lame, or blind [This is] a פְּרָט
, particular things, [limiting
the matter to these things].
any ill blemish [Once again the verse] reverts to כְּלָל
, a general statement. [Now we
have learned that when a verse expresses a כְּלָל
, then a פְּרָט , and then a כְּלָל
again, just as in this case, we apply the characteristics of the פְּרָט to the whole
matter.] Just as the blemishes detailed [lame or blind] are externally visible
blemishes that do not heal, so too, any externally visible blemish that does
not heal [renders a firstborn animal unfit for sacrifice and may be eaten as
ordinary flesh].-[Bech. 37a]
23 However, you shall not eat its blood [Although eating the blood of any animal is
prohibited, this prohibition is mentioned here] so that you should not say:
"Since this [blemished firstborn animal] is entirely permitted [to be
eaten now after its blemish, even though] it started out from a forbidden
status, since it was sanctified, [and now it is permitted] for it is
slaughtered outside [the Temple] without having to be redeemed, and [it may be]
eaten. I might [therefore] think that its blood is permitted as well!"
Therefore, Scripture states, "However, you shall not eat its blood."
Chapter 16
1 Keep the month of spring Heb. אָבִיב
. Before it [Nissan] arrives,
watch that it should be fit for the אָבִיב
, ripening [capable of
producing ripe ears of barley by the sixteenth of the month], to offer up in it
the omer meal offering. And if not, proclaim it a leap year [thereby enabling
you to wait another month, until the barley ripens].-[San. 11b]
[for in the month of spring the Lord, your God,
brought you] out of Egypt at night But did
they not go out by day, as it is said, “on the morrow of the Passover the
children of Israel went out...” (Num. 33:3)? However, since during the night
Pharaoh gave them permission to leave, as it is said, “So he called for Moses
and Aaron at night [and said, ‘Rise up, go out from among my people...]’ ”
(Exod. 12:31), [therefore, here it says “at night”].-[Ber. 9a]
2 You shall slaughter the Passover sacrifice to the
Lord, your God, [of
the] flock As it is said, “You may take [it] either from the sheep or from
the goats” (Exod. 12:5).
and...cattle These are slaughtered as the chagigah [Festival offering]. If a large
group was formed for the Passover offering, they bring a Festival offering
along with it, so that the Passover sacrifice will be eaten [after a sufficient
meal, and therefore] after the required satiation. [Everyone had to designate
himself to a particular company of people, which was then relevant to one
particular Passover offering (Pes. 69a- 70b).] Our Rabbis also derived many
other things from this verse.-[Sifrei ; Pes. 70a]
3 the bread of affliction [I.e.,] bread that brings to mind the affliction
they suffered in Egypt.-[Sifrei]
for in haste you went out of the land of Egypt And the dough [that you had prepared for eating]
did not have time to become leavened, so this [matzah] will be for you as a
reminder. And the haste [here] is not on your part, but on the part of the
Egyptians, for so it says, “So the Egyptians took hold of the people [to hasten
to send them out of the land]” (Exod. 12:33). -[Sifrei ; Ber. 9a]
so that you shall remember By eating the Passover sacrifice and the matzah,
the day you went out [of the land of Egypt].
4 neither shall any of the flesh you slaughter on
the preceding day in the afternoon, remain all night until the morning This is an admonition regarding leaving over the
flesh of the Passover sacrifice, offered up by future generations, because [so
far this prohibition] had been mentioned only with regard to the Passover
sacrifice offered in Egypt (see Exod. 12:10). And יוֹם
רִאשׁוֹן stated here is
the fourteenth of Nissan [the preceding day, and not the fifteenth, which is
the first day of Passover], just as it says: “but on the preceding day (בַּיוֹם
הָרִאשׁוֹן) you shall clear away leaven from your
houses” (Exod. 12:15). Now since Scripture digressed from the subject of the
Passover sacrifice and began to speak of the rules pertaining to the seven days
[of the Festival]-such as, “seven days you shall eat with it matzoth ” (verse
3); “And no leaven shall be seen with you within all your border for seven
days” (verse 4)—it was necessary to specify to which slaughtering [Scripture]
is admonishing. For had it written only “neither shall any of the flesh you
slaughter in the afternoon, remain all night until the morning” [without saying
“the preceding day”], I might have thought that the peace offerings slaughtered
during all the seven days are also subject to [the prohibition of] “And you
shall not leave any of it until the morning,” (Exod. 12:10), and may be eaten
only for [one] day and a night. Therefore, it is written: “on the preceding day
in the evening,” [thereby clarifying that the verse is referring to the
Passover sacrifice]. Another explanation: Scripture is referring to the
Festival offering brought on the fourteenth of Nissan [and not to the specific
Passover sacrifice], and it teaches with reference to it that it may be eaten
for two days [and the intervening night]. Now the רִאשׁוֹן
mentioned here [according to this explanation], is the first day of the
Festival [i.e., the fifteenth of Nissan, rather than the preceding day]. And
this is the meaning of the verse: The flesh of the Festival offering, which you
slaughtered in the afternoon, shall not remain overnight after the first day of
the Festival until the morning of the second day [the sixteenth of Nissan], but
rather, it is to be eaten on the fourteenth and the fifteenth [and the
intervening night]. And thus it is taught in tractate Pes. (71b).
6 there you shall slaughter the Passover offering]
in the afternoon, 2) as
the sun sets, at the appointed time that you went out of Egypt [In this verse,]
three separate times are specified: 1)"in the afternoon," [i.e.,]
from the sixth [seasonal] hour [not clock-hours, but rather the twelve equal
divisions of the time between dawn and dusk, each one known as a שָׁעָה
זְמַנִּית , a “seasonal hour”]. From this time onward
[afternoon], you shall slaughter it (זְבָחֵהוּ) “as the sun sets,” you shall eat it (תּֽאכְלֵהוּ) ; and 3)"at the appointed time that
you went out [of Egypt]," you must burn it (שוֹרְפֵהוּ) . I.e., [at the beginning of the morning
of the first day of Passover, whatever is left over from the Passover
sacrifice] becomes נוֹתָר
, left over, and must be
burned [on the next day].-[Sifrei ; see Ber. 9a]
7 And you shall roast [it] Heb. וּבִשַּׁלְתָּ
. [Here] this term means
“roasted in fire” (צְלִי
אֵשׁ)
(see Exod. 12:9), for roasting is also included in the general term of בִּשּׁוּל
, “cooking.”
and you shall turn away in the morning [and go to
your dwellings] [i.e.,]
the morning of the second day [of Passover]. This teaches that [the pilgrim] is
required to remain [in Jerusalem] the night when the Festival
terminates.-[Sifrei ; Pes. 95b; Chag. 17a-b]
8 For six days you shall eat matzoth But elsewhere it says, “For seven days [you shall
eat matzoth]!” (Exod. 12:15). [The solution is:] For seven days you shall eat
matzoth from the old [produce] and six days [i.e., the last six days, after the
omer has been offered] you may eat matzoth prepared from the new [crop].
Another explanation: It teaches that the eating of matzoh on the seventh day of
Passover is not obligatory, and from here you learn [that the same law applies]
to the other six days [of the Festival], For the seventh day was included in a
general statement [in the verse “For seven days you shall eat matzoth,” but in
the verse: “Six days you shall eat matzoth ”] it has been taken out of this
general [statement], to teach us that eating matzoh [on the seventh day] is not
obligatory, but optional. [Now we have aready learned that if something is
singled out of a general statement, we apply the relevant principle not only to
itself but to every thing included in the general category. Thus the seventh
day] is excluded here not to teach regarding itself, rather to teach regarding
the entire generalization [i.e., the entire seven days of the Festival]. Just
as on the seventh day the eating of matzah is optional, so too, on all the
other days, the eating of matzah is optional. The only exception is the first
night [of Passover], which Scripture has explicitly established as obligatory,
as it is said, “in the evening, you shall eat matzoth ” (Exod. 12:18).
-[Mechilta on Exod 12:18; Pes. 120a]
[and on the seventh day there shall be] a halt to
the Lord your God - עֲצֶרֶת . Keep yourself back from work. Another
explanation: [ עֲצֶרֶת
means] a gathering for eating and drinking, as the expression, “Let us
detain (נַעַצְרָה) you” (Judg. 13:15).
9 from [the time] the sickle is first put to the
standing crop, [you shall begin to count seven weeks] [I.e.,] from the time the omer is harvested [on
the sixteenth of Nissan], which is the beginning of the harvest.-[see Lev.
23:10, Sifrei ; Men. 71a]
10 the donation you can afford to give [I.e.,] sufficient generous donation from you;
according to the blessing [that God bestows upon you], bring peace offerings of
happiness [these are extra peace offerings in addition to the Festival
offerings] and invite guests to eat [with you].
11 the Levite... the stranger, the orphan, and the
widow [God says:] These are My four, corresponding
to your four, [namely,] “Your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and
your maidservant.” If you shall gladden Mine, I will gladden yours.-[Midrash
Aggadah, Midrash Hagadol. Compare Tanchuma 18, Pesikta d’Rav Kahana p.100a.
Note that in incunabula editions, this comment of Rashi is connected to the
preceding one: and invite guests to eat [with you]: the Levite... the stranger,
the orphan, and the widow. [God says:] These are My four...]
12 And you shall remember that you were a slave [in
Egypt] On this condition did I redeem
you [from Egypt], that you keep and perform these statutes.
13 You shall make yourself the Festival of
Sukkoth...] when you gather in [the produce]- [i.e.,] at the time of the ingathering, when you bring the summer
fruits into the house. Another explanation: “when you gather in [the produce]
from your threshing floor and your vat” וּמִיִּקְבֶךָ)
(בְּאָסְפּ;ְךָ
מִגָּרְנְךָ teaches
that we should cover the sukkah [only] with the waste products that come from
the threshing floor and the vat [i.e., with things that have grown from the
ground, have become detached, and are not susceptible to ritual uncleanness.
Since they are not foods and are not vessels, they are not susceptible to
spiritual uncleanness. - R.H. 13a; Suk. 12a]
15 and you will only be happy According to its simple meaning, this is not an
expression denoting a command, but rather an expression of an assurance [i.e.,
I promise you that you will be happy]. But according to its oral
interpretation, [our Rabbis] learned from this to include the night before the
last day of the Festival for the obligation of rejoicing.-[see Suk. 48a;
Sifrei]
16 and he shall not appear before the Lord
empty-handed But bring
burnt-offerings of appearance (עוֹלוֹת
רְאִיָּה) [which are obligatory when appearing before the Lord in
Jerusalem on the Festivals] and Festival peace-offerings. -[Chag. 8b]
17 [Every] man [shall bring] as much as he can
afford One who has many eaters [i.e., a
large family] and many possessions should bring many burnt-offerings and many
peace- offerings.-[Sifrei ; Chag. 8b]
Ashlamatah: Isaiah 10:32 – 12:6
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RASHI |
TARGUM |
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24. ¶ Therefore, so said the Lord God of Hosts, "Fear not, my people
who dwell in Zion, Assyria; with a rod may he smite you, and his staff may he
bear over you in the way of Egypt." |
24. ¶
Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts: “O My people who dwell in Zion, do
not be afraid of the Assyrian when he strikes you with his ruler's staff and
throws his mastery against you as in the manner of Egypt. |
|
25. For [in] yet a very little [while] the fury shall be over, and My
wrath, because of their blasphemy. |
25. For
in a very little while the curses will come to an end for you that are of the
house of Jacob, and My anger will be upon the peoples who commit
the abomination of their destruction." |
|
26. And the Lord of Hosts shall stir up a scourge against him, like the smiting
of Midian at the Rock of Oreb, and His staff on the sea, and He shall carry
him off after the manner of Egypt. |
26. And
the LORD of hosts will bring upon him a stroke, as when he struck Midian at
the cleft of Oreb; and his stroke will pass from you as the mastery of
Pharaoh passed from you at the sea, for prodigies are done for you as in the
manner of Egypt. |
|
27. And it shall come to pass on that day, that his burden shall be
removed from upon your shoulder, and his yoke from upon your neck, and the
yoke shall be destroyed because of oil. |
27. And
it will come to pass in that time that his stroke will pass from you, and his
yoke from your neck, and
the Gentiles will be shattered before the
Messiah. |
|
28. He came upon Aiath; he passed through Migron; at Michmas he deposits
his luggage. |
28. He
has come to Aiath; he has passed through Migron, at Michmash he will appoint
the masters of his armies; |
|
29. They crossed the ford; at Geba they lodged; Ramah quaked; Gib'ath Saul
fled. |
29.
they cut through, cross over the Jordan, at Geba they lodge themselves; the
inhabitants of Ramah are shattered, the men of Gibeah of Saul have fled. |
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30. Raise your voice, Bath-gallim; hearken, Laishah, Aniah Anathoth. |
30.
Lift up your voice, O men of the daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O you who dwell
in Laish, who reside in poor Anathoth! |
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31. Madmenah wandered; the inhabitants of Gebim gathered. |
31. The
men ofMadmenah are shattered, the inhabitants of Gebim go into exile. |
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32. Still today, [he intends] to stand in Nob; he waves his hand toward
the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. {P} |
32.
While the day was still young and he had much time to enter, behold Sennacherib
the king o.l Assyria came and stood at Nob, the city of the priests, opposite
the wall ofJerusalem, He answered and said to his forces, "Is not this
Jerusalem, against which I stirred up all my armies? Behold
it is fainter than all the fortresses of the peoples which I have suppressed
with the strength of my hands." He stood over it shaking
his head, waving back and forth with his hand against the mount of the
sanctuary which is in Zion, and against the courts which are in
Jerusalem. {P} |
|
33. ¶ Behold the Master, the Lord of Hosts lops off the branches with a saw,
and those of lofty height are hewn down, and the tall one shall be humbled. |
33. ¶
Behold, the master ofthe world, the LORD of hosts casts slaughter among his
armies as grapes trodden in the press; and the great in stature will be hewn down and the strong will
be humbled. |
|
34. And the thickets of the forests shall be cut off with iron, and the
Lebanon shall fall through a mighty one. {S} |
34. And
he will slay the mighty men of his armies who make
themselves mighty with iron, and his warriors will be cast on the land of
Israel. {S} |
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|
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1. And a shoot shall spring forth
from the stem of Jesse, and a twig shall sprout from his roots. |
1. And a king will come forth
from the sons of Jesse, and the Messiah will be exalted from the sons of his
sons. |
|
2. And the spirit of the Lord
shall rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of
counsel and heroism, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. |
2. And a spirit before the LORD will rest upon him (Messiah), a spirit of wisdom and
understanding, a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the LORD. |
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3. And he shall be animated by the
fear of the Lord, and neither with the sight of his eyes shall he judge, nor
with the hearing of his ears shall he chastise. |
3. And the LORD will bring him
(Messiah) near to his fear. And he (Messiah) will not judge by the sight of
his eyes, and he will not reprove by the hearing of his ears; |
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4. And he shall judge the poor
justly, and he shall chastise with equity the humble of the earth, and he
shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his
lips he shall put the wicked to death. |
4. but in truth he (Messiah) will
judge the poor, and reprove with faithfulness for the needy of the people;
and he (Messiah) will strike the sinners of the land with
the command of his mouth, and with the speaking of his lips the wicked will
die. |
|
5. And righteousness shall be the
girdle of his loins, and faith the girdle of his loins. |
5. And the righteous/generous
will be all around him (Messiah), and
the faithful will be brought near him (Messiah). |
|
6. And a wolf shall live with a
lamb, and a leopard shall lie with a kid; and a calf and a lion cub and a
fatling [shall lie] together, and a small child shall lead them. |
6. In the days of the Messiah of
Israel will peace increase in the land, and the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid,
and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little suckling child will lead them. |
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7. And a cow and a bear shall graze together, their children shall lie;
and a lion, like cattle, shall eat straw. |
7. The
cow and the bear will feed; their young will lie down together; and the lion
will eat straw like the ox. |
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8. And an infant shall play over the hole of an old snake and over the
eyeball of an adder, a weaned child shall stretch forth his hand. |
8. And the
suckling child will play over the hole of an asp, and the weaned child will
put his hands on the adder's eyeballs. |
|
9. They shall neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mount, for the land
shall be full of knowledge of the Lord as water covers the sea bed. {S} |
9. They
will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth will be full of
the knowledge of the fear of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. {S} |
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10. And it shall come to pass on
that day, that the root of Jesse, which stands as a banner for peoples, to
him shall the nations inquire, and his peace shall be [with] honor. {P} |
10. And it will come to pass in
that time that to the son of the son of Jesse who is about to stand as an
ensign to the peoples, to him will kingdoms be obedient, and his resting place will be glorious. {P} |
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11. ¶ And it shall come to pass that on that day, the Lord shall continue to
apply His hand a second time to acquire the rest of His people, that will
remain from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from
Elam and from Sumeria and from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. |
11. ¶
And it will come to pass in that time that the LORD will extend his might yet
a second time to deliver the remnant of his people which is left, from Assyria,
and from Egypt and from Pathros, and from India, and from Elam, and from
Babylon, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. |
|
12. And He shall raise a banner to
the nations, and He shall gather the lost of Israel, and the scattered ones
of Judah He shall gather from the four corners of the earth. |
12. And he will raise an ensign
for the peoples, and will assemble the outcasts of
Israel, and bring near the exile of Judah from the four winds of the earth. |
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13. And the envy of Ephraim shall cease, and the adversaries of Judah
shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, nor shall Judah vex Ephraim. |
13. And
jealousy will pass from those of the house of
Ephraim, and those who distress from the
of the house of Judah will be destroyed. Those of the house of Ephraim will
not be jealous of those of the house of Judah, and those of the house of
Judah will not distress those of the house of Ephraim. |
|
14. And they shall fly of one accord against the Philistines in the west,
together they shall plunder the children of the East; upon Edom and Moab
shall they stretch forth their hand, and the children of Ammon shall obey
them. |
14. And they will ally themselves, shoulder to
shoulder, to strike the Philistines who are in the west, together they will
plunder the sons of the east. They will put forth their hand against Edom and
Moab, and the sons of Ammon will be obedient to them. |
|
15. And the Lord shall dry up the tongue of the Egyptian Sea, and He shall
lift His hand over the river with the strength of His wind, and He shall beat
it into seven streams, and He shall lead [the exiles] with shoes. |
15. And the LORD will dry up the tongue of the sea
of Egypt, and will/lift up the stroke of His might against the Euphrates by
his prophets' command, and strike it into seven streams, and they will walk
in it with sandals. |
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16. And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain
from Assyria, as there was for Israel on the day they went up from the land
of Egypt. |
16. And there will be a highway for the remnant of
His people which is left from the Assyrian, as there was for Israel in the
day they came up from the land of Egypt. |
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1. And you shall say on that day, "I will thank You, O Lord, for You
were wroth with me; may Your wrath turn away and may You comfort me. |
1. And
you will say at that time: "I will give thanks before you, O LORD, since
I sinned before You Your anger was upon me; now Your anger will
turnfrom me, and you will have compassion on me. |
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2. Here is the God of my salvation, I shall trust and not fear; for the
strength and praise of the Eternal the Lord was my salvation." |
2.
Behold, in the Memra o/the God of my salvation I trust, and will not be shaken;
for the awesome one, the LORD, is my strength and my song; He has spoken by
His Memra, and He has become for me a saviour." |
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3. And you shall draw water with joy from the fountains of the salvation. |
3. And
you will accept a renewed teaching with joy from the chosen ones of
righteousness/generosity. |
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4. And you shall say on that day, "Thank the Lord, call in His Name,
publicize His deeds among the peoples; keep it in remembrance, for His Name
is exalted. |
4. And
you will say at that time: "Give thanks before
the LORD, pray in His name, make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim
that His name is strong. |
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5. Sing to the Lord for He has performed mighty deeds; this is known
throughout the land. |
5. Sing
praises before the LORD, for He does prodigies; this is disclosed in all the earth. |
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6. Shout and praise, O dwellers of Zion, for great in your midst is the
Holy One of Israel. {S} |
6.
Shout, and sing, O congregation of Zion, for the Great One has promised to rest
His Shekhinah in your midst, the Holy One of Israel." {S} |
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|
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Note:
As you read the following
Midrash, please remember that they are composed in the Drash style, and
therefore their content is metaphorical – i.e., a parable that is teaching
something about the government/governance of Heaven. It is up to you to read
each paragraph and discern what the parable is and what it teaches about the
kingdom of G-d here on earth. After that, look at the whole Pisqa and see how
the parts join to form a whole new parable which you need to identify and
interpret. Remember we are at the Parable/metaphorical level, and we should not
interpret these statements literally – it says what it means, otherwise we miss
the whole point that the author/s had in mind as well as their objectives.
Midrash PESIQTA deRAB KAHANA
Pisqa Ten
[Year
by year] you will set aside a tithe [of all the produce of your seed, of
everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in the presence of the LORD your God in the place which he will choose
as a dwelling for his name - the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and
the firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that for all
time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Deut. 14:22).
X:I
The miser is in a hurry to grow rich, never dreaming
that want will overtake him (Prov. 28:22): R. Haninah interpreted the verse to speak of Ephron.
[The reference is to the following verse: "No, my lord, hear me, I give
you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it; in the presence of the sons of
my people I give it to you; bury your dead. Then Abraham bowed down before the
people of the land. And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of
the land, 'But if you will, hear me; I will give the price of the field; accept
it from me, that I may bury my dead there.' Ephron answered Abraham, 'My lord,
listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is
that between you and me? Bury your dead.' Abraham agreed with Ephron; and
Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of
the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights
current among the merchants"
(Gen. 23:11-16)]: Said R. Haninah, "All references to shekels in
the Torah speak of selas, in the Prophetic books speak of litras, and in the
Writings, speak of a centenarium ." Said R. Judah b. R. Pazzi, "Except for the
shekels paid out to Ephron, which were centenarii, as it is written, I will
give the price of the field; accept it from me (Gen. 23:9) Because he was jealous of the wealth of Abraham,
Scripture removed a vav, in line with the following verse: 'My lord, listen
to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between
you and me? If you want to pay me four
hundred centenarii of silver out of the mere horse manure of your household,
you can pay me [since that means nothing to a rich man like you].' Because he was
jealous of the wealth of Abraham, Scripture removed a yay, in line with the
following verse: Abraham agreed with Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron... The second reference to Ephron is written without the
O [i.e., the vav]."
R. Ammi interpreted the verse [The miser is in a
hurry to grow rich, never dreaming that want will overtake him (Prov.
28:22)] to speak of a borrower who was too much of a miser to rent two oxen
[at one and the same time], but would borrow one and rent one. But he did not
realize that want will overtake him. For it is written, If the master is not
with him, he will surely pay [damages for any loss done to the borrowed oxen.
So in saving money by borrowing, he placed himself at risk.]"
R. Isaac interpreted the verse [The miser is in a
hurry to grow rich, never dreaming that want will overtake him (Prov.
28:22)] to speak of one who lent money to Israelites at usurious
terms, who was too much of a miser to lend money not on usury. In lending money
at usurious terms, he did not realize that want will overtake him. For it is
written, He who augments his wealth by interest and increase gathers it for
him who is kind to the poor (Prov. 28:8). Now who is the one who is kind to the poor? It is the
wicked Esau. But is it not the case that the wicked Esau oppresses the poor, as
in the case of the bureaucrats who go out into the villages and plunder
sharecroppers and then go into the city and announce, 'Bring
together the poor for we want to carry out a religious duty with them.' The
saying refers to such as these:'She screws for apples and hands them out to the
poor.'''
R. Levi intepreted the cited verse [The miser is in
a hurry to grow rich, never dreaming that want will overtake him (Prov.
28:22)] to speak of those who do not set aside the required tithes as is proper. For R.
Levi said, "There is the case of one who would set aside his required
tithes as was proper. Now the man had one field, which produced a thousand
measures of grain. He would separate from it a hundred measures for tithe. From
the field he would derive his livelihood all his days, and from it
he would nourish himself all his life. When he was dying, he called his son and
said to him, 'My son, pay attention to this field. Such and so has it
produced, such and so I would separate from the crop for tithe, and from that
field I derived my livelihood all my days, and from it I nourished myself all my
days.' In the first year [following the
father's death], the son sowed the field and it produced a thousand measures of
grain, from which the son set aside a hundred measures for tithe. In the second year the son
became niggardly and deducted ten measures, and the field produced a hundred
measures less, and so he deducted ten and it produced a hundred less,
until the field yielded only the amount that had originally been set aside as
tithe. When the man's relatives realized it, [as a sign of rejoicing] they put
on white garments and cloaked themselves in white and assembled at his house.
He said to them, 'Why have you corne to rejoice over that
man who has been afflicted?' They said to him, 'God forbid! We have corne only
to rejoice with you. In the past you were the householder, and the Holy One,
blessed be He, was the priest [collecting the tithes as his share of the crop].
Now you have been turned into the priest, and the Holy One, blessed be He, has
become the householder [keeping back the larger share of the crop, nine tenths
of the former yield, for himself]. [So we are rejoicing at your rise in caste
status!], Said R.
Levi, "After he had deducted [the priests' share] year by year, yearly the
field reduced its yield.” Therefore
Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, [Year by year] you will set aside a
tithe [of all the produce of your seed, of everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in the presence of the
LORD your God in the place which He will choose as a dwelling for His name -
the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and
sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Deut. 14:22).
X:II
Trust in the LORD and do good, so you will dwell in
the land and enjoy faithfulness
(Ps. 37:3): R. Haggai in the name of R. Isaac transposed the
clements of this verse, as follows: Do good and trust in the LOD. The matter
may be compared to the case of a market inspector, who went forth to inspect
the weights and measures. Someone saw him and began to avoid him. He
said to him, 'Why are you avoiding me? Inspect your measures and do not fear.'
That is in line with the verse, Do good and trust in the LORD."
... so you will dwell in the
land: [Mandelbaum:] Make [the land] suitable as a dwelling, by sowing and
planting it. ... and enjoy faithfulness: enjoy the faithfulness of the patriarchs: My
eyes are on the faithful of the land (Ps. 101:6).
R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: "It
is on account of the merit of two matters that the Israelites are purified
before the Omnipresent. It is on account of the merit attained by keeping the
Sabbath. and it is on account of the merit attained by setting aside the
required tithes. How on the basis of Scripture do we know that it is on
account of the merit of keeping the Sabbath? If you turn back your foot
from the sabbath, from doing your business on My holy day, and call the Sabbath
a delight, an the holy day of the LORD honorable (Is. 58: 13). What is written immediately following? Then
you will take delight in the LORD and I will make you ride upon the heights of
the earth (Is. 58:14).' How
on the basis of Scripture do we know that it is on account of the merit
attained by setting aside the required tithes? "And
you will rejoice in all the good which the LORD your God has given to you and
to your house, you and the Levite and the sojourner who is among you (Deut.
26:11). What is written immediately following? When
you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which
is the year of tithing ... (Deut. 26: 14)." Therefore
Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, [Year by year] you will set aside a
tithe [of all the produce of your seed, of everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in the presence of the LORD your
God in the place which He will choose as a dwelling for his name - the tithe of
your corn and new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so
that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Deut. 14:22).
X:III
Honor the Lord with your substance [and with the first
fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and
your vats will be bursting with wine] (Prov. 3:9-10): For if you are good-looking, do not
chase skirts, so that people should not say, "Mr. So-and-so is
good-looking and does not restrain himself." This is in line with the
verse: Honor the LORD with your substance, [Mandelbaum: reading the letters
of the word for substance as though the indicated the word for charm].
Another matter: Honor the Lord with your substance
[and with the first fruits of all your produce then your barns will be filled
with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine]
(Prov. 3:9-10): For if you have a lovely voice, recite the Shema and
go before the ark [to sing the prayers for the conregation]. This is in line
with the verse: Honor the LORD with your substance, [reading the letters of
the word for substance as though the indicated the word for charm].
R. Hiyya bar Addah, son of the sister of Bar Qappara,
had a nice voice. Bar Qappara would say to him, "Now, my son, recite the
Shema and go before the ark.” This is in line with the verse: Honor the LORD
with your substance, meaning, honor the LORD with that with which he has
favored you."
Another matter: Honor the Lord with your substance, [and with the first fruits
of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats
will be bursting with wine (Prov. 3:9-10): Do [what you should] by your own will and
intention, before you have to do things not in accord with your own will and
intention [when you have become senile] [Mandelbaum, p. 165].
[Illustrating the foregoing:] there is the case of one
who would collect his wine and oil, without appropriately setting aside the
tithes that he owed. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He put into
the man a wandering spirit, and he took his staff and began to break the jugs.
His household member rebuked him. What did he do to him? He took the
staff and broke his skull. He said to the dependent, "Instead of helping me,
you rebuke me." He said to him, "Then give me a staff, and I'll break
jugs too." He
gave him a staff, and he went around breaking jugs, one by one, while the other
broke them two by two. What
made this happen? It was because [he collected his wine and oil,] without
appropriately setting aside the tithes that he owed.
For R. Levi said, "There was the case of one who
would appropriately set aside the tithes that he owed. He
had a field, and the Holy One gave him the thought of turning half of it into a
sown field, leaving the other half as an area for reservoirs of water. In a
year of want, people set the price, announcing, "A seah of wheat is going
for a sela, a seah of water is going for three selas." He went and
announced, "Who wants a seah of water?" And it yielded for him the
same return as three seahs of wheat. Now what caused this [good fortune] for him? It was
because he who would appropriately set aside the tithes that he owed. Therefore
Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, [Year by year] you will set aside a
tithe [of all the produce of your seed, of everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in the presence of
the LORD your God in the place which he will choose as a dwelling for His name
- the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and
sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Deut. 14:22).
X:IV
She is not afraid of snow for her houshold, for all
her household are clothed in scarlet (Prov, 31:21): Hezekiah
said, "The judgment meted out to the wicked is to spend twelve months in
Gehenna. For six months it is in the heat, and for six months in the cold.
In the beginning the Holy One, blessed be He, puts an itch on them, and brings
them into the hot part of Gehenna. [Getting relief from the itch through the
heat,] they say, That is the Gehcnna of the Holy One, blessed be He.' So then
he brings them into the cold, and they say, ‘This is the cold of the Holy One,
blessed be He.' To begin with they say 'Ah,' but in the end, 'Oh.' And
that is what David says: He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the
miry bog, [and set my feet upon a rock making my steps secure] (Ps. 40:2). What
is the meaning of the words, miry bog? It is from a place in which [using
the letters that occur in the cited words] people say, 'Ah, Oh.' And where do
they finish out [the torment to] their souls? Judah b. Rabbi says, "In
snow." That is in line with this verse of Scripture: When the Almighty
scattered kings there, snow fell on Zalmon (Ps. 68:14). The snow is their
place of darkness [a play on the word, see Mandelbaum, ad loc.]. But can one
suppose that that is how it is for Israel? Scripture says, She is not afraid
of snow for her houshold, [for all her household are clothed in scarlet]
(Prov, 31:21). .. for all her household are clothed in scarlet (Prov. 31:21): that is in the rite of circumcision,
including the rite of the cutting off of the foreskin,
the rite of wearing show-fringes on the garments, and the rite of wearing
phylacteries."
[If
your brother, a llebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he will serve
you six years, and in the seventh year you will let him go free from you. And when you let him go free from you, you will not let
him go empty-handed;] you will furnish him liberally [out of your flock, out of
your threshing floor, and out of your wine press, as the LORD your God has blessed you,
you will give to him] (Deut. 14:12-14). You will
give to him freely [and your heart will not be grudging when you give to him]
(Deut. 14:10). You will open wide
your hand.[to your brother, to the needy and to the poor in the land]
(Deut. 14:11). Tithing, you will tithe (Deut. 14:22). Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to
them, [Year by year] you will set aside a tithe [of all the produce of your
seed, of everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in the presence of the
LORD your God in the place which He will choose as a dwelling for His name -
the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and
sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Deut. 14:22).
X:V
The
earth lies polluted under its inhabitants, [for they have transgressed the
Torahs, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant] (Is. 24:5): Said R. Isaac, "If you imagine polluting it, it
will pollute you. It will give you the spectacle of standing grain, but it will
not then show you grain in sheaves. It will show you grain in sheaves, but it will not
show you a threshing floor. It will show you the threshing floor, but it will
not show you a pile of winnowed grain. Why so? Because for they have
transgressed the Torahs. That is, two Torahs, the Torah in writing, and the
Torah in memory. ... violated the
statutes: they have violated the statute governing the requirement to set
aside tithes. ... broken the everlasting covenant: they have violated the covenant made by the
patriarchs." Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, [Year
by year] you will set aside a tithe [of all the produce of your seed, of
everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in the presence of the
LORD your God in the place which He will choose as a dwelling for His name -
the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and
sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Deut. 14:22).
X:VI
My son, keep your father's commandment, and do not
forsake your mother's teaching (Prov, 6:20): Said
R. Hunah, "The original patriarchs set aside both the priestly ration
["heave-offering"] and tithes. Abraham set aside the principal
priestly ration ["great heave-offering"]: I have raised my hands
to God, the LORD (Gen. 14:22). The word raising up refers only to the
priestly ration ["heave-offering"] as it is said, And you will
raise up from it the priestly ration that belongs to the LORD (Num. 18:26). Isaac set aside second tithe: And
Isaac sowed in that land and found in that same year a hundredfold (Gen.
26:12)." [Explaining how the cited verse proves the matter,]
said R. Abbah bar Kahana, "Is it not the case that a blessing falls not on
a crop that is measured or weighed or countered? Why then did he measure the
yield at all? It was so as to tithe the crop. That is in line with the
statement of Scripture: And the LORD blessed him (Gen. 26:12)."
Jacob set aside first tithe, in line with this verse of Scripture: And of
everything that You will give me, tithing, I will tithe it to You (Gen.
28:22). A Samaritan asked R. Meir, saying to him, "Do you not maintain
that Jacob was a truthteller?" He said to him, "Indeed so, for it is
written, You give truthfulness to Jacob (Micah 7:20)." He
said to him, "And did he not say this: And of all that You give me I
will give the tenth to You?" He said to him, "[Yes.] He separated the tribe of
Levi as one of the ten." He said to him, "Then should he not have
separated a tenth of the other two tribes?" He
said to him, "You maintain that they were twelve tribes, but I say that
they were fourteen, as it is said, Ephraim and Manasseh even as Reuben and
Simeon shall be Mine
(Gen. 48:5)." He said to him, "All the more so. You support my
case. You add more flour, so I'll add more water." He
said to him, "Do you not concede that there were four matriarchs?" He
said to him, "Yes." He said to him, "Deduct the four firstborn of
each of the patriarchs from the fourteen, for the firstborn is not tithed. Why?
Because he is already holy, and what is already consecrated cannot serve to
exempt what is consecrated [and that leaves ten, hence Levi was enough]."
He said to him, "Happy is your nation on account of what is within
it." [My son, keep your father's commandment.] and do not forsake your
mother's teaching (Prov. 6:20): [Reading the consonants for mother with vowels that
yield the word nation, we interpret.] [do not forsake] your nation's teaching.
That is in line with what David says: My desire is
to do Your will, O God, and Your Torah is in my intestines [in the great
assembly I have proclaimed what is right] (Ps. 40:8-9). Said
R. Aha bar Ulla, "Is there such a thing as a Torah in the intestines? Is
it not written, I will write it on their heart (Jer. 31 :32)? But
this is the sense of what David said, 'May a curse come upon me if anything
will descend into my intestines before I have tithed it!' That is in line with
this verse of Scripture [indicating the authorities responsible for tithing]: Asmoth
son of Diel was in charge of the king's stores; Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the
stores in the country, in the cities, in the villages,nd in the fore tresses (I Chr. 27:25)." Therefore
Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, [Year by year] you will set aside a
tithe [of all the produce of your seed, of everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in the presence of the LORD your
God in the place which He will choose as a dwelling for His name - the tithe of
your corn and new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so
that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Deut. 14:22).
X:VII
If my land has cried out against me, and its furrows
have wept together; [if I have eaten its yield without payment, and caused the
death of its owners, let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of
barley] (Job 31:38-40). They said to Job, "Do you have
any right to the land more than three cubits [of burial ground] when you die,
that you say, If my land has cried out against me? Is it then yours?" R.
Hiyyah the Elder said, "The matter may be compared to the case of someone
who was selling a cloak in the market. Someone came by and saw it and said,
'It's mine.' He said to him, 'Put it on. If it fits, it's yours,
and if not, it's not yours.' So said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Job, 'Am I not
He concerning whom it is written, "Do I not fill the heavens and the
earth?" (Jer. 23:24) And yet you say, "If my land has cried out against me,
and its furrows have wept together; if I have eaten its yield without payment,
and caused the death of its owners, let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul
weeds instead of barley:" Is it then yours? [Is
it your property"]" And R. Simeon b. Halputa said, "The matter may be
compared to the case of someone who was selling a slave-girl in the market.
Someone came by and saw her and said, 'She's mine.' He
said, to him, 'Rebuke her. If she pays attention to you, she's yours, and if
not, she's not yours.' So
said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Job, 'Am I not He concerning whom it is
written, ",.. who looks at the land and it trembles, touches the
mountains and they smoke" (Ps. 104:33). And yet you say, "If my
land has cried out against me, and its furrows have wept together; if I have
eaten its yield without payment, and caused the death of its owners, let
thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley" Is it then yours? [Is it your
property"]" At that moment said Job before the Holy One, blessed
be He, "LORD of the ages, I have not made that statement before you. But
this is the language in which I made that statement: 'If my land has cried out
against me, [and its furrows have wept together; if I have eaten its yield
without payment, and caused the death of its owners, let thorns grow instead of wheat,
and foul weeds instead of barley].' [May I be cursed] if I have not appropriately removed
the tithes owing from it. .. and its furrows have wept together: [May I
be cursed] if I have planted it with mixed seeds. .. if I have eaten its yield without payment: this refers to second tithe, as it is written, And
you will hand over money and bind up the coins [and take the coins, instead of the produce set aside
as second tithe, for use in Jerusalem] (Deut. 14:25). ...
and caused the death of its owners:
this refers to the tithe set aside for the poor. And
if I have not done so, then let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds
instead of barley. Here end the words of Job."
[Reverting to the verse let thorns grow instead of
wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley,] R. Hoshaiah taught, "The
Torah has here taught you appropriate procedure. A
field which produces thorns is good for sowing wheat, one that produces foul
weeds is good for growing barley. What verse of Scripture indicates it? let thorns
grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley." [ .. .Here end the words of Job:] From
this point forward [in the book of Job] he goes on and prophesies a number of
times, and yet you say, Here end the words of Job? But
this is what Job said, "If I have not done [what I have said I did,] then
let it be the case that Here end the words [of Job]. And let me not have an opening
to say before you, I have removed what is holy from the household (Deut,
26:13). Therefore Mosies admonishes Israel, saying to them, [Year by year]
you will set aside a tithe [of all the produce of your seed, of everything that
grows on the land. You will eat it in the presence of the LORD your God
in the place which He will choose as a dwelling for His name - the tithe of
your corn and new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that for
all time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Deut. 14:22).
X:VIII
To You, O Lord, belongs righteousness/generosity, but
to us confusion of face, as at this day [to the men of Judah to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem and to all Israel, those that are near and those that are far away, in all the
lands to which You have driven them, because of the treachery which they have
committed against You] (Daniel 9:7): Said R. Judah bar Ilai, "An idol passed
through the sea with the Israelites. What verse of Scripture indicates it? They
will pass through the sea of distress [and the waves of the sea will be
smitten, and all the depths of the Nile dried up]
(Zech. 10:11). The
word for distress refers only to an idol, for it is written, The
molten thing was a distress in the gathering [of waters as in a heap] (Is.
28:20).”
Said R. Yudan, "It is written, And the house
of Joseph, they too, went up to Beth EI, and the LORD was with them (Judges
1:22). They were going to serve an idol, and yet you say, And the LORD was
with them! [Now with reference to the verse, To You, O LORD, belongs
righteousness/generosity, but to us confusion of face], can there be a
greater act of 'righteousness/generosity' than that? One
has therefore to say that To You, O LORD, belongs righteousness/generosity,
but to us confusion of face."
Said R. Judah bar Simon, "It is written, Thus
they carried off the things Micah had made and the priest he had acquired and
attacked Laish, whose people were quiet and carefree (Judges 18:27). ..
.the things Micah had made refers to an idol. the priest he had acquired refers to a priest who served idolatry. and
attacked Laish that is Paneas [Mendelbaum]. Whose people were quiet and
carefree: they were contented worshipping
an idol, which brought them success. And yet you say, ... were quiet and carefree?
Can there be a greater act of 'righteousness/generosity' than that? One
has therefore to say that To You, O LORD, belongs righteousness/generosity,
but to us confusion of face."
Said R. Samuel bar Nahman , "You find that on the
day on which Haman attacked Israel, on that day the Israelites worshipped
idols. And not only so, but they took [an offering] from him and offered it up
to their idol. That is in line with this verse: You took the food I had
given you, the flour, the oil, and the honey, with which I had fed you, and set
it before them as an offering of soothing odor and so it was (Ez. 16:19)." What is the meaning of the word, and
so it was? Said R. Judah, "It is in line with the
expression, 'And so it was for the morrow.' [Reverting to Samuel's statement,]
"And nonetheless you did not hold back your mana from them! Can there be a
greater act of 'righteousness/generosity than that? One has therefore to say
that To You, O LORD, belongs righteousness/generosity, but to us confusion
of face."
Said R. Eleazar, "When Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah came up out of the fiery furnace, they proclaimed this verse [To
You, O LORD, belongs righteousness/generosity, but to us confusion of face, as
at this day to the men of Judah to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to all
Israel, those that are near and those that are far away, in all the lands to which You have driven
them, because of the treachery which they have committed against You (Daniel 9:7)]. You
find that when Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah came up out of the fiery furnace,
all the kinds of the nations of the world gathered against them. This is in
line with this verse: The satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the
king's ministers gathered together, seeing that these men, that the fire had no
power over their bodies (Dan. 3:27). And
all the nations of the world said to them, 'You knew that your God had power to
do all these miracles for you, and yet you caused Him to destroy His house and
to send His children into exile. And all the nations of the world spit in their
faces until they had made them a block of spit. And Hananiah, Mishal, and
Azariah raised their faces upward and said, To You, O LORD, belongs
righteousness/generosity, but to us confusion of face, as at this day to the men of Judah to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem and to all Israel. those that are near and those that are far away.
in all the lands to which You have driven them. because of the treachery which they have
committed against You (Daniel 9:7)."
Said R. Joshua bar Nehemiah, "To You. O LORD.
belongs righteousness/generosity refers to the acceptance of God's judgment
[stated by the three]: For we have angered you so much, but you have been
patient with us .”
It was taught on Tannaite authority in the name of R.
Nehemiah, "Under ordinary conditions if someone has a field. he gives it
out for sharecropping on terms of half. or a third. or a fourth of the crop.
But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not that way. The Holy One, who brings the
winds and produces clouds and brings down rain and makes dew fructify the
field and nurtures the seeds and fattens the produce has asked us to separate
only one out of ten portions of the crop. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel,
saying to them, [Year by year] you will set aside a tithe [of all the
produce of your seed. of everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in the presence of the
LORD your God in the place which He will choose as a dwelling for His name -
the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and
sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Deut. 14:22).
X:IX
What is written just prior to this matter [that is,
before the base-verse, [Year by year] you will set aside a tithe [of all the
produce of your seed. of everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in the
presence of the LORD your God in the place which He will choose as a dwelling
for His name - the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil. and the firstborn of your cattle and
sheep. so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Dcut. 14:22)]? You
will not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the alien who is
within your towns, that he may eat it. or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. You will
not boil a kid in its mother's milk (Deut. 14:21): R.
Azariah and R. Jonathan b. Haggai and R. Isaac bar Merion in the name of R.
Yose bar Haninah said, "[The juxtaposition of the two topics indicates that]
one who eats his produce prior to their being properly tithed is like one who
eats meat that has died of itself or that has been torn. What scriptural
evidence supports that statement? You
will not eat anything that dies of itself.” R. Abba bar Huna in the name of Rab: "He who eats his
produce prior to their being properly tithed as to the removal of the tithe
that is owing to the poor is liable to the death penalty."
Said R. Isaac, "In three passages in scripture it
is written, You will not boil a kid in its mother's milk. One
statement serves to state the rule on its own, the second states the rule for
purposes of Torah-study, and the third states it for the purposes of joining it
to the issue of tithing. As to the original statement, what is written in that
context? You will bring the choicest first fruits of your soil to the house
of the LORD your God. You will not boil a kid in its mother's milk (Ex. 23: 19). And thereafter: And now I send an
angel before you to guard you on your way and to bring you to the place I have prepared (Ex. 23:20). As to the matter of
Torah-study: You will bring the choicest first fruits of your soil to the
house of the LORD your God. You will not boil a kid in its mother's milk
(Ex. 34:26). Thereafter: The LORD said to Moses, Write these words down,
because the covenant I make with you and with Israel is in these words (Ex.
34:27). Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him, 'Moses, when
the sandal is on your foot, crush the thorn’ [so Mandelbaum]. [A further
version has it that the angels wanted to receive the Torah for themselves. God
told them that they were not fit to receive the Torah, because they ate milk
and meat when they visited Abraham. Therefore the verse about not
seething the kid in its mother's milk is juxtaposed to the verse about writing
down the words of the Torah (Mandelbaum, ad loc.)]. After writing down the verse, You
will not boil a kid in its mother's milk (Ex. 34:26), write the verse, The
Lord said to Moses, Write these words down, because the covenant I make with you and with Israel
is in these words (Ex. 34:27). As
to the matter of tithing, [Year by year] you will set aside a tithe of all
the produce of your seed, of everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in the presence of the LORD your God in the place
which He will choose as a dwelling for His name - the tithe of your corn and
new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that for all
time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Deut. 14:22)], and then it is written, You will
not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the
alien who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a
foreigner; for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. You will not boil a kid in
its mother's milk (Deut. 14:21): Said the Holy One, blessed be
He, 'Do not cause Me to make the kernels ripen while they are still in their
pods [Hebrew: their mother's wombs]. For if you
do not properly produce your tithes, I will send a certain east wind, which
will blight them.’ That is in line with this verse: The grain will thus be
blasted before it is ripe (2 Kgs. 19:26)."
X:X
[Year by year] you will set aside a tithe [of all the
produce of your seed, of everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in
the presence of the LORD your God in the place which He will choose as a
dwelling for His name - the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the
firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your
God] (Deut. 14:22): [the
duplication of the verb, yielding tithing, you will tithe] allows for the play
on words utilizing the same letters, for one instance, tithing,
you will tithe - so that you will not lose out. .. tithing, you will tithe - so that
you will get rich. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, "Give a tithe
of what is mine, and I will enrich what is yours."
[Year
by year you will set aside a tithe] of all [the produce of your seed, of
everything that grows on the land. You will eat it in the presence of the LORD your God in the place which He will choose as a
dwelling for His name - the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the
firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your
God] (Deut, 14:22): Said R. Abba bar Kahana, "Scripture thereby gives an
indication that people in trade and in commerce overseas should set aside a
tenth of their gain for those who labor in
the Torah." .
[Year by year you will set aside a tithe of all] the
produce of your seed, of everything that grows on the land. [You will eat it in
the presence of the LORD your God in the place which He will choose as a
dwelling for His name - the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the
firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your
God] (Deut. 14:22): If
[by tithing] you attain merit, in the end you will go forth to sow seed in your
field, and if not, the one who goes forth into the field will make war on
you. And who is that? It is the wicked Esau, concerning whom it is written, A
hunter, a man of the field (Gen. 25:27).
Another interpretation of the clause, [Year by year
you will set aside a tithe of all] the produce of your seed, of everything that
grows on the land. [You will eat it in the presence of the LORD your God in
the place which He will choose as a dwelling for His name - the tithe of your
corn and new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that for
all time you may learn to fear the LORD your God] (Deut, 14:22): If
[by tithing] you attain merit, in the end you will go forth to your field and
see that the world needs rain and pray and be answered. But if not, in the end
the (enemies of) Israel will go forth to bury their children in the field.
[Year by year [you will set aside a tithe of all] the
produce of your seed, of everything that grows on the land. [You will eat it in
the presence of the LORD your God in the place which He will choose as a
dwelling for His name - the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the
firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your
God] (Deut. 14:22): People
may not set aside tithe from the produce of one year to cover that of another
year," the words of R. Aqiba. [Year by year [you will set aside a tithe
of all] the produce of your seed, of everything that grows on the land. [You
will eat it in the presence of the LORD your God in the place which He will choose as a
dwelling for His name - the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the
firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your
God] (Deut. 14:22).If [by tithing]
you attain merit, it is your grain, and if not, [the grain not having been
tithed,] it is My grain. That is in line
with this verse: And I will take My grain in its due season (Hos. 2:11).
[Year by year [you will set aside a tithe of all] the
produce of your seed, of everything that grows on the land. [You will eat it in
the presence of the LORD your God in the place which He will choose as a
dwelling for His name - the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the
firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your
God] (Deut. 14:22). If [by
tithing] you attain merit, it is your new wine, and if not, it is Mine. That is in line with this verse: And My
new wine in its due time (Hos. 2:11).
Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, "Said the Holy One,
blessed be He, 'I have instructed you to separate your tithes from the choicest
of the harvest. How so? If a son of a Levite comes to you, if you have given him
from the choicest of the crop, so I have what to give you out of the choicest: May
the LORD open to you his good treasury (Deut. 28:12). But if you have given
to him out of the dessicated portions of the crop or from the inferior part, so
1 have what to give you out of the dessicated or inferior
parts of the crop: The LORD will send the rain of your land as power and
dust (Deut. 28:24). \
[At
the end of every third year you will bring out all the tithe of your produce
for that year and leave it in your settlements] so that the Levites, who have
no holding or patrimony among you, and the aliens,
[orphans, and widows in your settlements] may come [and eat their fill. If you
do this, the LORD your God will bless you in everything to which you set your
hand] (Deut. 14:28-29): Said
R. Luliani of Rome in the name of R. Judah bar Simon, "Said the Holy One,
blessed be He, 'As for you, you are responsible for four categories of dependents
of your household, and as for Me, 1 am responsible for four such categories.
You are responsible for four categories of household dependents,
your son, your daughter, your slave-boy, and your slave-girl, and I am
responsible for four categories, the Levites, the stranger, the orphan, and
the widow, and all of them are included in a single verse of Scripture. That
verse is as follows: You will rejoice in your festival [of Tabernacles],
you, your son, your daughter, your slave-boy and your slave-girl, the Levite,
the stranger, the orphan, and the widow who are in your
midst (Deut. 16:14).' Said
the Holy One, blessed be He, 'I have instructed you to give joy to Mine and to
yours on the festival days that 1 have assigned to you. If you do so, I for
my part will give joy to both yours as well as Mine. To both these and those I
will give joy in the chosen house: These I will bring to My holy mountain
and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted
on My altar,
for My house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples (Isaiah 56:7).
Nazarean Codicil:
I Corinthians 15:35 – 16:24
& Revelation 2:1-7
Revelation 2:1-7
Hakham’s Rendition
1And to
the angel of the congregation in Ephesus, write, 'So says he who holds the
seven stars in his hand, he who walks among the Menorot (seven branched
candlesticks) of gold.
2 I know your
works and your labor and your endurance and that you are not able to bear evil
[ones]. And you have tested those who say about themselves that they are to
be Sh’liachim (apostles) and are not and you have found them [to be] liars.
3 And you
have endurance and you bear a burden because of my name (or, authority) and you
have not become weary.
4 But I have [something] against
you, because you have left your first love.[14]
5
Remember from where you came and do the former works, but if not, I will come
to you and I will remove your Menora (candelabra – i.e. the seven ministers of
the congregation), unless you repent.
6 But
this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans (i.e. Oppressors of
the Laity), that I also hate.'
7 He who
has ears should hear what the Spirit says to the congregations. And to him who
overcomes, I will allow [him] to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst
of PaRDeS (paradise) of Ha-Shem."
Questions for Discussion
- From all the readings for this Shabbat, which one
touched your heart and your imagination?
- Taking all together the readings for the Eight
Days of Unleavend Bread what is the general Prophecy that we prophecy by
celebrating this most wonderful festival?
Blessing After Torah Study
Barúch Atáh
Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,
Ashér Natán
Lánu Torát Emét, V'Chayéi Olám Natá B'Tochénu.
Barúch Atáh
Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!
Blessed is
Ha-Shem our God, King of the universe,
Who has
given us a teaching of truth, implanting within us eternal life.
Blessed is
Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!
“Now unto
Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless, and to establish you
without a blemish,
before His
majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer, by means of
Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion, and honor, and majesty,
both now and in all ages. Amen!”
Saturday Evening April 11, 2014
Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 8
(After Habdala)
Then read the following:
|
Day of the Omer |
Ministry |
Date |
Ephesians |
Attributes |
|
8 |
Chazan/Masoret |
Nisan
23 |
2:1-3 |
Justice
coupled with loving-kindness |
Ephesians
2.1-3
And you (Gentiles) were dead in trespasses and sins, in which
you once walked[15]
according to the course of this worldly system, according to the ruler[16]
of the power[17]
of the air,[18]
the spirit that now works in the sons[19]
of disobedience; and we all behaved according to the passions of our Yetser
HaRa, following the desires of the body and of the thoughts,[20]
and were by nature the children of wrath, like everyone else.[21]
Sunday Evening April 12, 2015
Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 9
Then read the following:
|
Day of the Omer |
Ministry |
Date |
Ephesians |
Attributes |
|
9 |
Chazan |
Nisan 24 |
2:4-7 |
Gevurah
(Strength/Might) – Scarlet Red Virtue:
Yir’ah (Fear of G-d) Ministry:
Sheliach [Chazan/Bishop] |
But God, who is abounding in
mercy[22], because His great
love, with which He loved us (the
Jewish people) even when we were dead in
sins has made us alive[23] together with Messiah, now it is by God’s loving-kindness that you have been made whole (saved), by
becoming Jewish. And has joined us
together and made us capable of siting together in the heavenlies[24]
in union with Yeshua HaMashiach. He
did this so that in the ages to come[25]
He might demonstrate the wealth of
splendor of His loving-kindness, which He graciously expressed
to us through Yeshua HaMashiach.
Monday Evening April 13, 2015
Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 10
Then read the following:
|
Day of the Omer |
Ministry |
Date |
Ephesians |
Attributes |
|
10 |
Chazan/Darshan |
Nisan
25 |
2:8-10 |
Justice
expressed in compassion |
Ephesians 2:8-10 It is by God’s
loving-kindness that you (Gentiles) are brought to wholeness by becoming
faithfully obedient Jews, this is not by your own merit but a gift of God.[26] You are not made whole
by human attempts to please God,[27] so that anyone can
boast. For we (Jews) are His (God’s)
workmanship, created in union with Yeshua HaMashiach for a life of good
works, according to the halakhot (Laws) of the Torah, which God has prepared beforehand that we[28] (Jews and Gentiles) should walk (halakh)[29]
in them.
Tuesday Evening April 14, 2015
Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 11
Then read the following:
|
Day of the Omer |
Ministry |
Date |
Ephesians |
Attribute |
|
11 |
Chazan/Parnas
#1 |
Nisan
26 |
2:11-12 |
Justice
expressed with confidence |
Ephesians 2:11-12 Therefore remember, at
that time you, were Gentiles by birth, who are called uncircumcision by those
who are called circumcision, which refers to what Royal men do to their bodies;[30] and
that at one time you were without Messiah, being aliens[31]
from the legal administration of Jewish life,[32]
and strangers[33] from
the covenants of the promise,[34]
having no hope, and without God and in union with the worldly system.
Wednesday Morning April 14,
2015
Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Day
Light one Memorial (24 hr.) Candle at home
Light six candles at the Esnoga
And the normal weekday service is recited, saying Kadish for the dead
at the end of the service in honor of those who perished in the Holocaust.
Wednesday Evening April 15, 2015
Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 12
Then read the following:
|
Day of the Omer |
Ministry |
Date |
Ephesians |
Attributes |
|
12 |
Chazan/Parnas
#2 |
Nisan
27 |
2:13-16 |
Justice
balanced by sincerity |
Ephesians 2:13-16 But you (Gentiles) who were far away are
now brought close by your union with Yeshua HaMashiach, his life of peace
bringing us into unity by breaking down the middle wall of partition[35] which
stood between us. This was accomplished by abolishing the enactments contained
in (Shammaite) ordinances (dogma)[36], that he might establish one new body[37] in
himself, by the cross, having broken down conflict between the Jewish
people and the Gentiles.
Thursday Evening April 16, 2015
Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 13
Then read the following:
|
Day of the Omer |
Ministry |
Date |
Ephesians |
Attributes |
|
13 |
Chazan/Parnas
#3 |
Nisan
28 |
2:17-18 |
Justice
expressed/balanced with honesty/truth |
Ephesians 2:17-18 And he (Messiah) came and handed down (the
Mesorah) wholeness (path to
spiritual maturity) to you (Gentiles) who were far away, and to those (Jews) who were near. For through him (by his
handing down the Mesorah) we both, by
one spirit (the Nefesh Yehudi) have
access to the presence of the Father.
The Ten (3 + 7) Men of a Jewish Nazarean Congregation
|
Bench of Three Hakhamim (Local Bet Din) |
| | | | | | HEAVENLIES Or HEAVENLY PLACES | | | | | | | |
||
|
|
Keter (Crown) – Colourless Ministry: Invisible Divine Will in the Messiah |
|
|
|
Binah (Understanding) - Gray Virtue: Simchah (Joy) Ministry: 2nd of
the bench of three APOSTLE |
|
Chochmah (Wisdom) - Black Virtue: Emunah (Faithful
Obedience) Ministry: Chief Hakham 1st
of the bench of three APOSTLE |
|
|
|
Da'at (Knowledge) - White Virtue: Yichud (Unity) Ministry: 3rd of
the bench of three APOSTLE |
|
|
|
The Seven Paqidim (Servants
at the Bench) |
|||
|
Gevurah (Strength/Might)
– Scarlet Red Virtue: Yir’ah
(Fear of G-d) Ministry:
Sheliach [Chazan/Bishop] |
|
G’dolah /
Chessed (Greatness/Mercy)
– Royal Blue Virtue: Ahavah
(love) Ministry:
Masoret [Catechist/Evangelist] |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | EARTHLY Or EARTHLY PLACES | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
|
Tiferet (Beauty) - Yellow Virtue: Rachamim
(Compassion) Ministry: Darshan or Magid
[Prophet] |
|
|
|
Hod (Glory) - Orange Virtue: Temimut (Sincerity) Ministry: Parnas [Pastor] |
|
Netzach (Victory) – Emerald Green Virtue: Bitahon (Confidence) Ministry: Parnas [Pastor] |
|
|
|
Yesod (Foundation) -
Violet Virtue: Emet
(Truth/Honesty) Ministry: Parnas
[Pastor] (Female –
hidden) |
|
|
|
|
Shekhinah /
Malkhut (Presence) –
Purple Virtue: Humility Ministry:
Meturgeman/Moreh/ Zaqen
[Teacher/Elder] |
|
|
Next Shabbat:
Shabbat “Az Yabdil Moshe” - “Then
Separated Moses” &
Shabbat Mevar’chim HaChodesh
Iyar
(Sabbath of the Proclamation
of the New Moon of the Month of Iyar)
(Saturday Evening 18th of April –
Mondaay Evening 20th of April, 2015)
|
Shabbat |
Torah
Reading: |
Weekday
Torah Reading: |
|
אָז
יַבְדִּיל
מֹשֶׁה |
|
Saturday Afternoon |
|
“Az
Yabdil Moshe” |
Reader 1 – D’barim 4:41-43 |
Reader 1 – D’barim 6:4 - 9 |
|
“Then Separated Moses” |
Reader 2 – D’barim 4:44-46 |
Reader 2 – D’barim 6:10-12 |
|
“Entonces
apartó Moisés” |
Reader 3 – D’barim 4:47-49 |
Reader 3 – D’barim 6:13-15 |
|
Reader 4 – D’barim 5:1-18 |
|
|
|
D’barim (Deut.) 4:41 – 6:3 B’Midbar (Num) 28:9-15 |
Reader 5 – D’barim 5:19-21 |
Monday & Thursday Mornings |
|
Psalm 113:1 – 115: |
Reader 6 – D’barim 5:22-24 |
Reader 1 – D’barim 6:4 - 9 |
|
Ashlamatah: Josh. 20:8 – 21:8 |
Reader 7 – D’barim 5:25 – 6:3 |
Reader 2 – D’barim 6:10-12 |
|
Special: 1 Sam.
20:18-42 |
Maftir
– B’Midbar 28:16-25 |
Reader 3 – D’barim 6:13-15 |
|
N.C.: Mark 14:22-25; Lk 22:15-20; Rm 9:14-18 |
1 Sam. 20:18-42 |
|
Shalom Shabbat ve Chag Pesach Sameach!
Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai
Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David
Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham
P.S.
We will resume our normal weekly Torah discussions on
Sunday morning April the 12, 2015.