|
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 |
|
Shebat
11, 5775 – Jan 30/31, 2015 |
Seventh
Year of the Shmita Cycle |
Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times:
|
Amarillo,
TX, U.S. Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 5:56 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 6:54 PM |
Austin
& Conroe, TX, U.S. Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 5:48 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 6:44 PM |
Brisbane,
Australia Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 6:25 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 7:20 PM |
|
Chattanooga,
& Cleveland, TN, U.S. Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 5:50 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 6:48 PM |
Everett,
WA. U.S. Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 4:48 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 5:57 PM |
Manila & Cebu, Philippines Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 5:36 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 6:27 PM |
|
Miami, FL, U.S. Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 5:45 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 6:39 PM |
Murray,
KY, & Paris, TN. U.S. Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 4:59 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 5:59 PM |
Olympia,
WA, U.S. Fri. Jan 30 2015 – Candles at 4:53 PM Sat. Jan 31 2015 – Habdalah 6:01 PM |
|
San Antonio, TX, U.S. Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 5:52 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 6:48 PM |
Sheboygan & Manitowoc, WI, US Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 4:41 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 5:45 PM |
Singapore,
Singapore Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 7:02 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 7:52 PM |
|
St.
Louis, MO, U.S. Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 5:03 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 6:03 PM |
Tacoma,
WA, U.S. Fri. Jan
30 2015 – Candles at 4:51 PM Sat. Jan
31 2015 – Habdalah 5:59 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,
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 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
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!
Shabbat “A’arei
Miq’lat” – “Cities of Refuge”
|
Shabbat |
Torah Reading: |
Weekday Torah Reading: |
|
עָרֵי
מִקְלָט |
|
|
|
“A’arei Miq’lat” |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 35:9-12 |
Reader 1 – Debarim 1:1-4 |
|
“Cities
of Refuge” |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 35:13-16 |
Reader 2 – Debarim 1:5-7 |
|
“Ciudades
de refugio” |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 35:17-19 |
Reader 3 – D’barim 1:8-10 |
|
B’Midbar (Num.) 35:9 – 36:13 |
Reader 4 – B’Midbar 35:20-28 |
|
|
|
Reader 5 – B’Midbar 35:29-34 |
|
|
Psalm: 106:34-48 |
Reader 6 – B’Midbar 36:1-4 |
Reader 1 – Debarim 1:1-4 |
|
Ashlamatah: Joshua
20:1-9 + 21:3 |
Reader 7 – B’Midbar 36:5-13 |
Reader 2 – Debarim 1:5-7 |
|
Maftir: B’Midbar 36:11-13 |
Reader 3 – D’barim 1:8-10 |
|
|
N.C.: Mordechai 14:1-2; Lk 22:1-2; Rom. 8:18-25 |
- Joshua 20:1-9 + 21:3 |
|
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 delight. 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 performing acts of kindness; and there is no maximum
amount of Torah that a person must study.
These are the Laws whose benefits a person can often enjoy even in this
world, even though the primary reward is in the Next World: They are: Honoring
one's father and mother; doing acts of kindness; early attendance at the place
of Torah study -- morning and night; showing hospitality to guests; visiting
the sick; providing for the financial needs of a bride; escorting the dead;
being very engrossed in prayer; bringing peace between two people, and between
husband and wife; but the study of Torah is as great as all of them together.
Amen!
Contents of the
Torah Seder
·
Levitical Cities of Refuge – Numbers 35:9-15
·
Distinction Between Murder and Manslaughter –
Numbers 35:16-23
·
Legal Procedure in the Case of Accidental Homicide –
Numbers 35:24-29
·
Concerning Murder – Numbers 35:30-34
·
Law of Heiresses – Numbers 36:1-13
Reading Assignment:
The
Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol 14: Numbers – II – Final Wonderings
By:
Rabbi Yitzchaq Magriso
Published
by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New York, 1983)
Vol.
14 – “Numbers – II – Final Wonderings,” pp. pp. 408-416.
Rashi
& Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for:
B’midbar (Numbers) 35:9 – 36:13
|
Rashi |
Targum Pseudo Jonathan |
|
9. The Lord spoke to Moses saying: |
9. And the LORD spoke with Mosheh, saying: |
|
10. Speak to the children of Israel and say to them,
When you cross the Jordan to the land of Canaan, |
10.
Speak with the sons of Israel, and say to them, When you have passed over
Jordan unto the land of Kenaan, |
|
11. you shall designate cities for yourselves; they
shall be cities of refuge for you, and a murderer who killed a person
unintentionally shall flee there. |
11. you will provide you cities with streets and houses
of living (boarding houses), cities of refuge will they be to you, that
thither the manslayer may flee who has killed a man inadvertently. |
|
12. These cities shall serve you as a refuge from an
avenger, so that the murderer shall not die until he stands in judgment
before the congregation. |
12. And they will be to you for cities of refuge for the
manslayer from the avenger of blood, that the man may not be put to death
till he will have stood before the congregation for judgment. |
|
13. The cities that you provide shall serve as six
cities of refuge for you. |
13. And these cities which you give will be six cities
of refuge for the manslayer; |
|
14. You shall provide the three cities in trans Jordan and
the three cities in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge. |
14. three you will appoint beyond Jordan, and three in
the land of Kenaan; cities of refuge will they be. |
|
15. These six cities shall be a refuge for the children
of Israel and for the proselyte and resident among them, so that anyone who
unintentionally kills a person can flee there. |
15. For the sons of Israel and the sojourners among you
will be these six cities of refuge, that thither whoever has killed a man
through ignorance may flee. |
|
16. If he struck him with an iron instrument and he
dies, he is a murderer, and the murderer shall be put to death. |
16. But if he smote him with an instrument of iron and
killed him, he is a murderer; and the murderer will be surely put to death. |
|
17. If he struck him with a fist sized stone which is
deadly, and he dies, he is a murderer, and the murderer shall be put to
death. |
17. Or if, filling his hand with a stone large enough to
kill any one, he struck him, and killed him, he is a murderer, and the
murderer dying will die. |
|
18. Or with a fist sized wooden instrument which is
deadly,and he dies, he is a murderer, and the murderer shall be put to death. |
18. Or if, filling his hand with an instrument of wood
sufficient to kill any one, he struck him, and killed him, he is a murderer;
the murderer shall be put to death. |
|
19. The blood avenger shall kill the murderer; he may
kill him when he meets him. |
19. The avenger of blood may himself kill the manslayer,
if he meet him outside of these cities; he may kill him in judgment. |
|
20. If, out of hatred, he pushed him, or threw something
at him with premeditation, and he died, |
20. But if (the manslayer) had assaulted in enmity and
intentionally with a club or staff, or thrown stones upon him with purpose of
heart, and killed him; |
|
21. or if he maliciously struck him with his hand and he
died, the assailant shall be put to death; he is a murderer; the blood
avenger may kill the murderer when he meets him. |
21. or cherishing enmity had struck him with his hand
and killed him; he is a murderer; dying he will die. The avenger of blood may
slay the homicide when he has been condemned. |
|
22. But if he pushed him accidentally, without malice,
or threw an object at him without premeditation, |
22. But if in ignorance, without keeping of malice, he
let any thing fall upon him, having no intention to kill; |
|
23. or, with any stone which is deadly, and without
seeing [his victim] he threw it down at him and it killed him, but he was not
his enemy and bore him no malice |
23. or
if without intention he let a stone sufficient to kill any one, or any other
thing, fall upon him, and kill him, without having hated, or purposed to do
him harm, |
|
24. Then the congregation shall judge between the
assailant and the blood avenger, on the basis of these judgments. |
24. then the congregation shall judge between him who
had smitten him, and the avenger of blood, according to these judgments; |
|
25. The congregation shall protect the murderer from the
hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall return him to the city
of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall remain there until the Kohen
Gadol, who anointed him with the sacred oil, dies. |
25. and the congregation will release the manslayer from
the hand of the avenger of blood, and make him return to his city of refuge
whither he had fled; and he will dwell there until the time that the
high priest die, whom the multitude had anointed with the oil of
anointing;-because he did not pray on the Day of Atonement in the Holy of
Holies concerning the three great transgressions, that the people of the
house of Israel might not be smitten for strange worship, or impure
connections, or the shedding of innocent blood, when it
was in his power to obviate them by his prayer, and he prayed not,
therefore has he been condemned to die in that year. |
|
26. But if the murderer goes beyond the border of the
city of refuge to which he had fled, |
26. But if, while the high priest is yet alive, the
manslayer goes out indeed from the bounds, of his city of refuge whither he
had fled, |
|
27. and the blood avenger finds him outside the limits
of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger slays the murderer, he has no
blood. |
27. and the avenger of blood find him without the bounds
of his city of refuge, he may kill the manslayer, without being guilty of
death, |
|
28. For he shall remain in his city of refuge until the
Kohen Gadol dies, and only after the Kohen Gadol has died, may the murderer
return to the land which is his possession. |
28. for he should have abode in his city of refuge until
the death of the high priest; but after the high priest is dead he may return
to the land of his inheritance. |
|
29. These shall be for you a statute of justice for all
your generations, in all your dwelling places. |
29. And these indications will be to you a decree of
judgment for your generations in all your dwellings: |
|
30. Whoever [namely the blood avenger] kills a person,
based on the testimony of witnesses, he shall slay the murderer. A single
witness may not testify against a person so that he should die. |
30. Whosoever kills a man, according to the word of
witnesses fit to give testimony against him, the avenger of blood, or the
house of judgment, will put him to death. But one witness only will not
testify against a man to put him to death. |
|
31. You shall not accept ransom for the life of a
murderer, who is guilty of death, for he shall be put be put to death. |
31. You may not take a ransom for the release of a
murderer who is guilty of death, for dying he will die. |
|
32. You shall not accept ransom for one who has fled to
his city of refuge, to allow him to return to live in the Land, before the
kohen has died. |
32. Neither may you take ransom for him who has fled to
his city of refuge, so as that he may return to dwell in the land before the
time of the high priest's decease. |
|
33. And you
shall not corrupt the land in which you live, for the blood
corrupts the land, and the blood which is shed in the land
cannot be atoned for except through the blood of the one who shed it. |
33. Nor do
not contaminate the land in which you are, because innocent
blood which has not been avenged will overflow the land, and there
is no atonement made for the land upon which innocent blood has been shed,
but by the shedding of the blood of him who shed it. |
|
34. And you
shall not defile the land where you reside, in which I dwell, for I am
the Lord Who dwells among the children of Israel. |
34. Therefore defile
not the land in which you are; for My Shekinah dwells in the midst of it;
for I am the LORD whose Shekinah dwells among the children of Israel. |
|
|
|
|
1. The paternal heads of the family of the sons of
Gilead the son of Machir the son of Manasseh of the families of the sons of
Joseph approached and spoke before Moses and before the chieftains, the
paternal heads of the children of Israel. |
1. And the heads of the fathers of the family of the
Bene Gilead bar Makir bar Menasheh, even the family of the Bene Gilead bar
Joseph, came to the house of judgment, and spoke before Mosheh and the
princes, the chief fathers of the Bene Yisrael, |
|
2. They said, "The Lord commanded my master to
give the Land as an inheritance through lot to the children of Israel, and
our master was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad
our brother to his daughters. |
2. and said: The LORD commanded Rabboni {our master} to
give the land an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel, and Rabboni
was commanded before the LORD to give the inheritance of our brother
Zelophehad to his daughters. |
|
3. Now, if they marry a member of another tribe of the
children of Israel, their inheritance will be diminished from the inheritance
of our father, and it will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into
which they marry, and thus, it will be diminished from the lot of our
inheritance. |
3. But if these marry into any of the tribes of the
children of Israel, their inheritance will be withdrawn from that of our
fathers, and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe which will have
become theirs, and our lot will be diminished. |
|
4. Even if the children of Israel will have a Jubilee,
their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which
they marry, and their inheritance will be diminished from the inheritance of
our father's tribe." |
4. And at the Jubilee of the Bene Yisrael their
inheritance will be added to that of their tribe in which they will be; and
their possession will have been withdrawn from the inheritance of our
father's tribe. |
|
5. Moses commanded the children of Israel according to
the word of the Lord, saying, "The tribe of Joseph's descendants speak
justly. |
5. Then Mosheh commanded the children of Israel by the
Word of the LORD, saying: The tribe of the Bene Joseph have said well. |
|
6. This is the word that the Lord has commanded
regarding Zelophehad's daughters. Let them marry whomever they please, but
they shall marry only to the family of their father's tribe. |
6. This is the thing which the LORD has commanded,-not
for the generations that will arise after the division of the land, but for
the daughters of Zelophehad, saying: They may be the wives of them who are
proper in their eyes, only such must be of the families of their father's
tribe. |
|
7. Thus, the inheritance of the children of Israel will
not be transferred from tribe to tribe, for each person from the children of
Israel will remain attached to the inheritance of his father's tribe. |
7. That the inheritance of the children of Israel may
not pass about from one tribe to another: for the children of Israel will
every one keep to the inheritance of their father's tribe. |
|
8. Every daughter from the tribes of the children of
Israel who inherits property, shall marry a member of her father's tribe, so
each one of the children of Israel shall inherit the property of his
forefathers. |
8. ___ |
|
9. And no inheritance will be transferred from one
tribe to another tribe, for each person of the tribes of the children of
Israel shall remain attached to his own inheritance." |
9. ___ |
|
10. As the Lord had commanded Moses, so did Zelophehad's
daughters do. |
10. As the LORD commanded Mosheh, so did the daughters
of Zelophehad; |
|
11. Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah married
their cousins. |
11. and Mahalah, Thirzah, Hogelab, Milchah and Nohah,
the daughters of Zelophehad, became wives of sons of their kindred; |
|
12. They married into the families of the sons of
Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained with the tribe of
their father's family. |
12. of the family of the children of Menasheh bar Joseph
were they wives, and their inheritance was with the tribe of their father's
family. |
|
13. These are the commandments and the ordinances that
the Lord commanded the children of Israel through Moses in the plains of
Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho. |
13. These are the commandments and orders of judgments
which the LORD commanded the children of Israel, by Mosheh, in the plains of
Moab by the Jordan near Jericho. |
|
Chazaq! Chazaq! V’Nitchazeq! Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened! |
|
|
|
|
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: B’Midbar (Num.) 35:9 – 36:13
11 you
shall designate [The expression] הַקְרָיָה can mean only preparation, as it says, “Because the Lord, your God,
prepared it (הִקְרָה) before me” (Gen. 27:20) -[Sifrei Massei 3, Targum
Onkelos].
12 from
an avenger From the avenger of the blood, a kinsman of the
murder victim.-[Mak. 12a]
13 six
cities of refuge [This] informs [us] that even though Moses designated
three cities across the Jordan during his lifetime, they did not provide refuge
until the three provided by Joshua in the land of Canaan were
designated.-[Sifrei Massei 8, Mak. 9a]
14 the
three cities Although there were nine tribes in the land of
Canaan, and here [across the Jordan] there were only two-and-a-half, He
equalized the number of their refuge cities, because Gilead had many murderers,
as it says, “Gilead, a city of workers of violence, who lurk to shed blood”
(Hos. 6:8). -[Mak. 10a, Sifrei Massei 6]
16 If he
struck him with an iron instrument This does not refer to accidental manslaughter
discussed nearby, but to premeditated murder, and it teaches us that the
implement of murder has to be big enough to cause death, for regarding all the
[other] cases it says, אֲשֶׁר
יָמוּת בָּה , “which is deadly,” and the
Targum [Onkelos] renders, “of a size capable of causing death,” except in the
case of iron, since it is evident and known to the Holy One, blessed is He,
that a small piece of iron can kill, even a needle (Sifrei Massei 6, Sanh.
76b). That is why [in the case of iron] the Torah did not specify a size and
write “which is deadly.” If you say that Scripture refers to one who murders
unintentionally, [this cannot be because], below it says, “or, with any stone
which is deadly, and without seeing [his victim]...” (verse 23). This shows
that in the cases mentioned before it, Scripture speaks of one who murders with
intent.
17 with a
fist-sized stone [A stone] large enough to fill a hand.-[Onkelos]
which is
deadly Which is large enough to cause death, as the Targum
[Onkelos] renders. Since it [Scripture] says, “If one of them strikes the other
with a stone” (Exod. 21:18), but it does not specify a size, I might think any
size? Therefore it says, “which is deadly”-[Sifrei Massei 10]
18 or
with a fist-sized wooden instrument Since it says, “If a man strikes his manservant or his
maidservant with a rod” (Exod. 21:20), I might think any size? That is why it
with regard to wood it says, "which is deadly"—it must a size capable
of causing death.-[Sifrei Massei 11]
19 when
he meets him Even in the cities of refuge.
20 with
premeditation As the Targum [Onkelos] renders, בְּכַמְנָא , with ambush.
22
accidentally Heb. בְּפֶתַע , by accident, but the Targum
renders בִּתְכֵף , “suddenly,” [meaning] that he
was next to him and he had no time to take precautions against [killing] him.
23 or,
with any stone which is deadly he struck him.
without
seeing He did not see him [while striking him].
he threw
it down at him From here they said that the one who kills by way of
a falling action is exiled, but if [he kills] by means of an upward action is
not exiled.-[Mak. 7b]
25 until
the kohen gadol... dies For he causes the Divine Presence to rest upon Israel
and thus prolong their lives, whereas the murderer causes the Divine Presence
to withdraw from Israel and thus shorten their lives. He is not worthy of
standing before the Kohen Gadol [Sifrei Massei 20]. Another interpretation: Because
the Kohen Gadol should have prayed that such a misfortune should not befall
Israel during his lifetime [Mak. 11a].
who
anointed him with the sacred oil According to the literal meaning, this is one of the
elliptical verses [in Scripture], as it does not reveal who anointed him; thus,
it is like saying, “who was anointed by the one who anointed him with the
sacred oil.” Our Rabbis expounded it in Tractate Makkoth (11b) as a
verification of the law, to teach that if before sentence was passed, the Kohen
Gadol died and they appointed another one in his stead, and afterwards sentence
was passed, he [the murderer] can return home only after the second one has
died, as it says, “who anointed him.” Did he anoint the kohen, or did the kohen
anoint him? However, this includes the [case of a high kohen who was] anointed
in his days [and thus, it is as if he had anointed the Kohen Gadol, so to
speak], that he frees him through his death.
27 he has
no blood He is like one who kills a dead person, who has no
blood.
29 in all
your dwelling places This teaches that the minor Sanhedrin functions
outside the Land as long as there is one functioning in the Land of Israel
[namely, while the Temple stood].- [Mak. 7a, Sifrei Massei 25]
30
Whoever kills a person... The one who comes to kill him because he murdered
someone.
based on
the testimony of witnesses who testify that he murdered him intentionally, after
he had been forewarned. [I.e., the blood avenger may not slay the murderer
unless there are witnesses that he committed the murder.]-[Sifrei Massei 26]
31 You
shall not accept ransom He cannot be acquitted in exchange for
payment.-[Keth. 37b]
32 You
shall not accept ransom for the one who has fled to his city of refuge One who
has fled to a city of refuge after he killed someone unintentionally cannot
absolve himself from exile through payment by giving a ransom so that he can
return to dwell in the Land before the kohen dies.-[Keth. 37b]
has fled Heb. לָנוּס , is equivalent to לְנָס , “for the one who has fled.”
Similarly, “those who returned (שׁוּבֵי) from the war” (Mich. 2:8). Similarly, “Those who
are removed (נוּגֵי) from the appointed season” (Zeph. 3:18); “for
[all the people...] were circumcised (מֻלִים) ” (Josh. 5:5). Just as you say שׁוּב in
reference to one who has already returned, and מוּל regarding one who is already circumcised, so will you say לָנוּס for one
who has already fled. He is called נוּס , that is to say, ‘an escapee.’
If you say that לָנוּס means ‘to flee,’ and explain it thus: You shall not accept ransom for
who must flee, in order to absolve him from exile, then I do not know how it
can say, “to return to live in the Land” for if he has not yet fled, from where
should he return?
33 And
you shall not corrupt Heb. ולֹא-תַחֲנִיפוּ , you shall not cause it to be
wicked, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders, לֹא
תְחַיְבוּן , you shall not make
sinful."
34 in
which I dwell You should not cause me to dwell amidst its
uncleanness.
for I am
the Lord who dwells among the children of Israel Even
when they are unclean, the Divine Presence resides with them.-[Sifrei Massei
32]
Chapter
36
3 and it
will be added to the inheritance of the tribe For her son inherits her,
and the son’s pedigree follows his father’s tribe.
4 Even if
the children of Israel will have a Jubilee From here R. Judah said:
The Jubilee is destined to cease.- [Torath Kohanim 13:1]
will have
a Jubilee That is to say, this is not a form of sale, which
returns [to the original owner] in the Jubilee [year], for inheritance does not
return at the Jubilee. Even if the Jubilee occurs, the inheritance will not
return to its tribe; hence, it is “added to the inheritance of the tribe into
which they marry.”
8 Every
daughter...who inherits property Because her father had no son.
11
Mahlah, Tirzah... Here it enumerates them according to seniority over
each other in age, and they were married in the order they were born. But
throughout Scripture (26:33, 17:1, Josh. 17:3), it lists them in order of their
intelligence and informs us that they were all equal.-[B.B. 120a]
Ketubim: Psalm 106: 34-48
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. Hallelujah. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,
for His kindness is forever. |
1.
Hallelujah! Give thanks in the presence of the LORD, for He is good, for His
goodness is forever. |
|
2. Who can narrate the mighty deeds of the Lord? [Who]
can make heard all His praise? |
2. Who is able to utter the might of the LORD? Who is
allowed to proclaim all His praises? |
|
3. Fortunate are those who keep justice, who perform
righteousness at all times. |
3. Happy are they who observe judgment, those who do
righteousness/generosity at every time. |
|
4. Remember me, O Lord, when You favor Your people; be
mindful of me with Your salvation. |
4. Remember me, O LORD, with good will toward Your
people; call me to mind with Your redemption (Hebrew: פָּקְדֵנִי, בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ – Paq’deni BiShuatekha –
lit. “appoint me to Your Yeshua (salvation)”. |
|
5. To see the goodness of Your chosen ones, to rejoice
with the joy of Your nation, to boast with Your inheritance. |
5. To look on the plenty of Your chosen ones; to
rejoice in the joy of Your people; to join in praise with Your inheritance. |
|
6. We sinned with our forefathers; we committed
iniquity and wickedness. |
6. We have sinned, along with our fathers; we have
committed iniquity, acted wickedly. |
|
7. Our forefathers in Egypt did not understand Your
wonders; they did not remember Your manifold deeds of kindness, and they were
rebellious by the sea, by the Sea of Reeds. |
7. Our fathers in Egypt paid no heed to Your wonders;
they did not call to mind Your great goodness; and they rebelled against Your
word by the sea, at the sea of Reeds. |
|
8. And He saved them for His name's sake, to make known
His might. |
8. And He redeemed them for His name's sake, to make
known His might. |
|
9. And He rebuked the Sea of Reeds, and it dried up,
and He led them in the depths as [in] a desert. |
9. And He rebuked the sea of Reeds, and it dried up;
and He conducted them through the deeps, as in the wilderness. |
|
10. He saved them from the hand of the enemy, and He
redeemed them from the hand of the foe. |
10. And He redeemed them from the power of the foe; and
He redeemed them from the power of the enemies. |
|
11. And the water covered their adversaries; not one of
them survived. |
11. And the waters covered their oppressors; not one of
them was left. |
|
12. And they believed His words; they sang His praise. |
12. And they believed in the name of His word; they sang
His praise. |
|
13. Quickly, they forgot His deeds; they did not await
His counsel. |
13. They quickly forgot His deeds; they did not wait for
His counsel. |
|
14. They craved a lust in the desert, and they tried God
in the wasteland. |
14. And they made a request and tested God in the place
of desolation. |
|
15. He gave them their request, but He sent emaciation
into their soul. |
15. And He gave them their request, and sent leanness
into their souls. |
|
16. They angered Moses in the camp, Aaron, the holy man
of the Lord. |
16. And they were jealous of Moses in the camp, of
Aaron, the holy one of the LORD. |
|
17. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan and covered
the congregation of Abiram. |
17. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, and
covered the company of Abiram. |
|
18. And fire burned in their congregation; a flame
burned the wicked. |
18. And fire burned in their company; flame will kindle
the wicked. |
|
19. They made a calf in Horeb and prostrated themselves
to a molten image. |
19. They made a calf in Horeb, and bowed down to
something of metal. |
|
20. They exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox
eating grass. |
20. And they exchanged the glory of their master for the
likeness of a bull that eats grass and befouls itself. |
|
21. They forgot God, their Savior, Who wrought great
deeds in Egypt. |
21. They forgot God their redeemer who had done mighty
works in Egypt. |
|
22. Wonders in the land of Ham, awesome deeds by the Sea
of Reeds. |
22. Wonders in the land of Ham, awesome things by the
sea of Reeds. |
|
23. He intended to destroy them [and would have] were it
not that Moses, His chosen one, stood before Him in the breech to return His
wrath from destroying. |
23. And He commanded by His word to destroy them, had it
not been for Moses His chosen one, who stood and grew mighty in prayer in His
presence to turn aside His wrath from obliteration. |
|
24. They rejected the desirable land; they did not
believe His word. |
24. And their soul was repelled by the desirable land;
they did not believe His word. |
|
25. They complained in their tents; they did not hearken
to the voice of the Lord. |
25. And they complained in their tents; they did not
accept the word of the LORD. |
|
26. He raised His hand to them to cast them down in the
desert, |
26. And He lifted His hand in an oath because of them,
to throw them down slain in the wilderness. |
|
27. And to cast their seed among the nations and to
scatter them in the lands. |
27. And to exile their seed among the peoples, and to
scatter them among the lands. |
|
28. They became attached to Baal Pe'or and ate
sacrifices of the dead. |
28. And they attached themselves to the idol of Peor,
and they ate the sacrifices of the dead. |
|
29. They provoked [God] with their deeds, and a plague
broke out among them. |
29. And they caused anger in His presence by their
deeds, and a plague attacked them. |
|
30. Phinehas stood up and executed justice, and the
plague was stopped. |
30. And Phinehas rose and prayed, and the plague was
restrained. |
|
31. It was accounted for him as a merit, for generation
to generation to eternity. |
31. And it was accounted to him for merit for all
generations forever. |
|
32. They provoked [God] by the waters of Meribah, and
Moses suffered because of them. |
32. And they caused anger by the waters of Dispute, and it
grieved Moses because of them. |
|
33. For they rebelled against His spirit, and He uttered
with His lips. |
33. For they rebelled against His holy spirit, and He
had explained it clearly with His lips. |
|
34. They did not destroy the peoples whom the Lord had
told them [to destroy]. |
34. They did not destroy the peoples, which the LORD had
commanded them to do. |
|
35. And they mingled with the nations and learned their
deeds. |
35. And they mingled with the Gentiles and they learned
their deeds. |
|
36. They worshipped their idols, which became a snare
for them. |
36. And they worshipped their idol, and they became a
stumbling-block for them. |
|
37. They slaughtered their sons and daughters to the
demons. |
37. And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters
to the demons. |
|
38. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons
and daughters whom they slaughtered to the idols of Canaan, and the land became polluted
with the blood. |
38. And they shed innocent blood, the blood of their
sons and daughters that they sacrificed to the idols of the Canaanites and the land was defiled by
capital crimes |
|
39. And they became unclean through their deeds, and
they went astray with their acts. |
39. And brought uncleanness by their deeds and went
astray by their acts. |
|
40. And the Lord's wrath was kindled against His people
and He detested His inheritance. |
40. And the anger of the LORD was harsh against His
people and He despised His inheritance. |
|
41. And He delivered them into the hands of nations, and
their enemies ruled over them. |
41. And He handed them over into the power of the
Gentiles, and their foes ruled over them. |
|
42. And their foes oppressed them, and they were humbled
under their hand. |
42. And their enemies oppressed them, and they were
subdued under their hand. |
|
43. Many times He saved them, but they were rebellious
with their counsel, and they were humbled because of their iniquity. |
43. Many times He would deliver them, but they would
rebel against Him in their counsel, and they were brought low in their sins. |
|
44. But He looked upon their distress when He heard
their cries. |
44. And He saw when it went ill with them, when He heard
their prayer. |
|
45. And He remembered His covenant for them, and He
relented in accordance with His abundant kindness. |
45. And He remembered His covenant in their favor, and
He turned aside from His anger according to His abundant mercies. |
|
46. And He caused them to be pitied by all their
captors. |
46. And He made them find mercy in the sight of all who
had taken them captive. |
|
47. Save us, O Lord, our God, and gather us from the
nations, to give thanks to Your holy name, to boast with Your praise. |
47. Redeem us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among
the Gentiles, to give thanks in Your holy name, to boast in Your praise. |
|
48. Blessed be
the Lord God of Israel from world to world, and all the people shall say,
"Amen." Hallelujah! |
48. Blessed be
the name of the LORD God of Israel, from this age to the age to come, and let
all the people say, Amen, Hallelujah! |
|
By the mercy of G-d we have merited to finish our studies on the
Fourth Book of Psalms. |
|
Rashi Commentary for: Psalm 106:34-48
34 They did not
destroy in the days of Joshua.
the peoples whom the Lord had told them (Deut.
20:16): “You shall not allow a soul to remain alive”; (Exod. 23:33), “They
shall not remain as residents in your land,” but they allowed them to dwell in
their midst, paying tribute.
41 And He
delivered them into the hands of nations in the days of the Judges between
one judge and another, e.g. Eglon, Cushan-rishathaim, Sisera, the Philistines,
and Midian. (I found.)
43 Many times He
saved them Many times they provoked Him; yet He was slow to anger and saved
them.
and they were humbled because of their iniquity and they
were humbled because of their iniquity.
44 But He looked
upon their distress On account of prayer.
when He heard their cries On
account of the merit of the Patriarchs.
45 And He remembered
His covenant On account of repentance.
and He relented in accordance with His abundant
kindness On account of the end, when He heard, “Save us, etc.”
Moses, too, included them in one verse (Deut. 4:30): “In this distress that
will befall you etc.”
47 save us
now also, O Lord, our God.
48 from world to
world From this world to the world to come.
Meditation from the Psalms
Psalms 106: 34-48
By: H.Em. Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David
For continuity I am
repeating my intro from the first part of our psalm.
The preceding
composition, Psalms 105, described the extensive wonders with which G-d
mercifully redeemed our forefathers from Egypt. This psalm resumes the
narrative and relates how G-d miraculously sustained the Jews as they wandered
in the wilderness for forty years. Then HaShem led the Israelites into the land
of Canaan and empowered them to conquer their adversaries despite overwhelming
odds. Throughout these great historic periods, HaShem repeatedly performed so
many wonders that the Psalmist exclaims (verse 2), who can express the mighty acts of HaShem? Who can declare all of
His praise?[1]
However, even while G-d
was displaying unprecedented kindness to Israel, the Israelites were negligent
in their duties toward G-d, and they failed to appreciate His wonders. Indeed,
they defied G-d’s representative, Moshe, and rebelled against his commands.
This defiance initiated the spiritual and moral decline which eventually led to
the Jew’s exile from the Holy Land.[2]
The Psalmist completes
his description of Israel’s infidelity and exile with a prayer for redemption
(verse 47), Save us HaShem, our G-d, and gather us from
among the peoples, to thank Your Holy Name and to glory in Your praise!
This
psalm concludes the fourth Book of Tehillim with the
declaration, “Blessed is HaShem,
the G-d of Israel, from This World to the World to
Come, and let the entire nation say, “Amen!” Praise G-d!”[3] This week we reach the end of the fourth book of Psalms and we also
reach the end of the fourth book of the Torah, Bamidbar.
This is the third portion of Psalms chapter 106 that has had a verbal
tally of ‘land’.[4]
Clearly this is a major focus of David as he studied the Torah portions. I
would like to explore an interesting word that contributed to the pollution of
the land, namely the sacrifice of sons and daughters to demons, to shedim[5] - שֵּׁדִים. Chazal speak of shedim in the
Gemara[6] in
many places.[7] However,
the Tanach uses this peculiar word in only two places, in Debarim 32:17 and in
our psalms portion (above).[8] The
opening pesukim of our psalms portion speaks of these shedim:
Tehillim (Psalms) 106:34-38 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom HaShem commanded them:
35 But were mingled among the heathen,
and learned their works. 36 And they
served their idols: which were a snare unto them. 37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their
daughters unto devils (שֵּׁדִים), 38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of
their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of
Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
What is a demon, a shed – שד? If we look at related root words, we then find שוד
and שדד. The latter means plundering
through typical, physical means and force; the former connotes causing
damage through something invisible. From these verb forms we can narrow in
on what shedim[9]
are all about. They are injurious to progress and prosperity. Invisibly and
inexplicably, they sow damage and destruction. Demons are not divine, even in
the minds of those who serve them.
Now, I have a question: Are shedim real? I have never seen or interacted
with a shed, nor have I had first-hand contact with someone who has. Chazal
give several opinions as to the existence of these creatures:
- They don’t exist as a separate species.[10]
They are a made-up creature of fertile imaginations.
- They exist, but as the Talmud states, “one who worries about them,
they bother him, while he who doesn’t worry about them, they don’t bother
him”.[11]
- They exist, but they have vanished.[12]
- They are men who do not act according to the ‘image of G-d[13]‘,
i.e. they are wicked men.
- They are real creatures that are no longer manifest except in
locations populated by righteous/generous, pious men.[14]
The Rambam[15]
takes the first position, i.e. that shedim do not exist as a separate species.
He also has the opinion that they are wicked men (opinion #3). Rambam’s most
explicit denial of the existence of demons would seem to be found in his
commentary to the Mishna:
Commentary
to the Mishna, Avodah Zarah 4:7 Amongst that which you should know is that
the perfected philosophers do not believe in tzelamim, by which I mean talismanery,
but scoff at them and at those who think that they possess efficacy... and I
say this because I know that most people are seduced by this with great folly,
and with similar things, and think that they are real—which is not so... and
these are things that have received great publicity amongst the pagans,
especially amongst the nation which is called the Sabians... and they wrote
works dealings with the stars, and witchcraft... and demons, and soothsaying...
While some believe that this makes it quite clear that the Rambam did
not believe in shedim, nowhere does the Rambam negate their existence
explicitly. The overwhelming majority of Torah sages throughout the ages
accepted the view that shedim exist. Further, the Nazarean Codicil, like the
Talmud, shows us numerous examples of shedim.
The Nazarean Codicils speaks explicitly of demons. It is worth looking
at what the Nazarean Codicil has to say about demons. Lets begin with Matityahu
where we see that they are something which needs to be driven out:
Matityahu (Matthew) 10:5-8 These twelve Yeshua sent out with the
following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the
Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this
message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.[16]
Freely you have received, freely give.
They can posses people and pigs. They seem to have a need to be “in” a
physical body:
Matityahu (Matthew) 8:28-34 When he arrived at the other side in the
region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him.
They were so violent that no one could pass that way.[17]
“What do you want with us, Son of G-d?” they shouted. “Have you come here to
torture us before the appointed time?” Some distance from them a large herd of
pigs was feeding. The demons begged Yeshua, “If you drive us out, send us into
the herd of pigs.” He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the
pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in
the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all
this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole
town went out to meet Yeshua. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to
leave their region.
From the above, we can see that a demon possessed man is actually
controlled by the demon to such an extent that the man is actually crazy. We
can also see that there are many demons, and that many demons can simultaneously
inhabit a single man. We see that when they are cast out, the man returns to
his senses.
While possessing folks, they can cause one to be mute:
Matityahu (Matthew) 9:32-35 While they were going out, a man who was
demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Yeshua. And when the demon
was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said,
“Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “It
is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.” Yeshua went through all
the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news
of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
There is a prince over them:
Matityahu (Matthew) 12:22-28 Then they brought him a demon-possessed
man who was blind and mute, and Yeshua healed him, so that he could both talk
and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of
David?” But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub,
the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” Yeshua knew their
thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be
ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If
Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom
stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive
them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the
Spirit of G-d, then the kingdom of G-d has come upon you.
To cast out demons requires faithfulness:
Matityahu (Matthew) 17:14-20 When they came to the crowd, a man
approached Yeshua and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said.
“He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into
the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” “O
unbelieving and perverse generation,” Yeshua replied, “how long shall I stay
with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Yeshua
rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that
moment. Then the disciples came to Yeshua in private and asked, “Why couldn’t
we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the
truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this
mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be
impossible for you.
A demon is also an evil spirit:
Marqos (Mark) 7:24-30 Yeshua left that place and went to the
vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he
could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a
woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at
his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Yeshua to
drive the demon out of her daughter. “First let the children eat all they
want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss
it to their dogs.” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “but even the dogs under the table
eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go;
the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and found her child lying on
the bed, and the demon gone.
Luqas (Luke) 4:33-36 In the synagogue there was a man possessed
by a demon,[18]
an evil spirit. [19]He
cried out at the top of his voice, “Ha! What do you want with us, Yeshua of
Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of
G-d!” “Be quiet!” Yeshua said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw
the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people
were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and
power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!”
Casting out demons seems to be a critical aspect of proclaiming the
kingdom of G-d. When Mashiach walked the earth and many were
righteous/generous, then HaShem caused shedim to be manifest to this
generation:
Luqas (Luke) 9:1-2 When Yeshua had called the Twelve[20]
together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure
diseases, And he sent them out to preach the kingdom of G-d and to heal the
sick.
They are listed as being related to angels:
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor
life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any
powers, Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
able to separate us from the love of G-d that is in Mashiach Yeshua our Lord.
Demons seem to be the opposite of G-d, in terms of worship and
sacrifice:
1 Corinthians 10:18-22 Consider the people of Israel: Do not
those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? Do I mean then that a
sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but
the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to G-d, and I do not want
you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and
the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the
table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger
than he?
Demons can teach and deceive:
1 Timothy 4:1-7 The Spirit clearly says that in later
times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things
taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose
consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry
and order them to abstain from certain foods, which G-d created to be received
with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything
G-d created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with
thanksgiving, Because it is consecrated by the word of G-d and prayer. If you
point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Mashiach
Yeshua, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you
have followed. Have nothing to do with G-dless myths and old wives’ tales;
rather, train yourself to be G-dly.
Demons believe in one G-d:
Yaaqov (James) 2:19 You believe that there is one G-d. Good!
Even the demons believe that--and shudder.
They are worshipped by men, and the men who worship them are also
involved in murder, sexual immorality, and theft:
Revelation 9:20-21 The rest of mankind that were not killed
by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not
stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and
wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their
murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Demons have spirits, which can perform miraculous signs:
Revelation 16:12-16 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the
great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the
kings from the East. Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they
came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of
the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous
signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the
battle on the great day of G-d Almighty. “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed
is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go
naked and be shamefully exposed.” Then they gathered the kings together to the
place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
Demons and evil spirits inhabit the ruins of a city:
Revelation 17:15 - 18:5 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you
saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.
The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring
her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with
fire. For G-d has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by
agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until G-d’s words are
fulfilled. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the
earth.” After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great
authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice
he shouted: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for
demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and
detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her
adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the
merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” Then I heard
another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will
not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; For her
sins are piled up to heaven, and G-d has remembered her crimes.
Thus we see that in the days of Yeshua, like Talmudic times, shedim are
self-evident in everyday life. Thus we see that belief in shedim was widespread
in the ancient world, and the terror that it caused is unimaginable to us. But
in the civilized world today there is virtually nobody who still believes in
them. The transition from a global approach of belief to one of disbelief began
with Aristotle,[21]
gained a little more traction in the early medieval period, and finally
concretized in the eighteenth century.[22]
Why? What has changed that we no longer see or believe in shedim?
The Rabbi of Kotzk suggested that, “In days of old, demons existed. But,
from the time that Rambam came and said that they did not exist, behold, Rambam
is a posek, and they agreed to him as well in Heaven, and established his words
Halacha leMaaseh[23]
such that demons vanished from the earth”.
What is the nature of shedim?
In the Talmud, Shedim are referred to a few times; generally as the
weakest of the supernatural forces and sharing many characteristics with man.
They have no free will and act as forces of chaos and destruction as dictated
by HaShem. They have no free will, but their range of actions is generally
wider than the more powerful angels etc.
Chagigah 16a Six things were said about demons: in three ways they are like angels,
and in three like humans. In three they are like angels: they have wings like
angels; they fly from one end of the world to the other like angels; they know
the future like angels.[24]
And in three they are like people: they eat and drink like people; they
increase and multiply like people and they die like people.
Ramban describes them as being produced by witchcraft and possessing
bodies composed of air that cannot be detected,[25]
along with the element of fire.[26] Since they are composed of these
light elements, they are able to fly,[27] and
since they travel in the sky, they are able to learn about future events from
the angels of the constellations.[28]
Ramban also explains Chazal’s statement about demons eating like people[29] to
mean that they also subsist on food, although theirs consists of evaporated
moisture and smoke from fires.[30]
Most of the rabbis who wrote and commented on the Talmud took the
existence of demons for granted as an integral part of their understanding of
the world around them, just as we presume the existence of electrons,
radioactivity and all sorts of other things that we cannot see, but upon which
we nevertheless base our daily lives.
Psalms, the Torah and the Triennial Lectionary
In four days we will be celebrating Tu B’Shebat, the new year for
trees. We will also be starting the fifth book of psalms, along with sefer
Debarim, on the first Shabbat after Tu B’Shebat. This correlation is part of
the design of the triennial cycle. There are four new years on the Jewish
calendar.
Rosh HaShana
2a MISHNA. THERE ARE FOUR NEW YEARS. ON THE
FIRST OF NISAN IS NEW YEAR FOR KINGS AND FOR FESTIVALS. ON THE FIRSTOF ELUL IS
NEW YEAR FOR THE TITHE OF CATTLE. R. ELEAZAR AND R. SIMEON, HOWEVER, PLACE THIS
ON THE FIRST OF TISHRI. ON THE FIRSTOF TISHRI IS NEW YEAR FOR YEARS, FOR
RELEASE AND JUBILEE YEARS, FOR PLANTATION AND FOR [TITHE OF] VEGETABLES. ON THE
FIRST OF SHEBAT IS NEW YEAR FOR TREES, ACCORDING TO THE RULING OF BETH SHAMMAI;
BETH HILLEL, HOWEVER, PLACE IT ON THE FIFTEENTH OF THAT MONTH.
We have noted that the
weekly parasha, for both the annual and the Triennial portions, and its latent
messages relate and are integrally connected to the time of year during which
the parasha is read. The Torah reading started on Tishri the first, which was
regarded as the Jewish New Year; while the reading of each of the five books of
the Torah started on one of the New Years mentioned in the Mishna,[31]
as can be seen in the following list: The reading of the book of:
Beresheet (Genesis) started and ended on the
1st Shabbat, after Rosh
HaShana, of Tishri in the first year of the cycle. The new year for counting
years.
Beresheet (Genesis) started on the 1st Shabbat of Nisan[32] in the third year of the cycle. The
new year for counting months.
Beresheet (Genesis) ended on the Shabbat
before Tu B’Shebat in the fourth year
of the cycle. The new year for
trees.
Shemot (Exodus) started on the first Shabbat
after the 15th of Shevat (Tu B’Shebat) in the fifth year of the cycle. The new
year for trees.
Shemot (Exodus) started on the 1st Shabbat, after Rosh HaShana, of Tishri in the
third year of the cycle. The new year for counting years.
Vayikra (Leviticus) ended on the Shabbat
before Tu B’Shebat in the second year
of the cycle. The new year for
trees.
Bamidbar (Numbers) started on the first
Shabbat after Tu B’Shebat in the third year
of the cycle. The new year for
trees.
Bamidbar (Numbers) ended on the last Shabbat
before the 1st of Nisan in
the fifth year of the cycle. The new year for counting months.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) started on the 1st Shabbat of Elul in the third year of the
cycle. The new year for tithing cattle.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) started on the 1st
Shabbat of Nisan[33] in the seventh year of the
cycle. The new year for counting months.
The following example
shows us this relationship:
In this grouping, I have juxtaposed the two
triennial cycles. The red colored entries are those that are new years.
Beresheet = Tishri
1, 5769 till Tishri 1, 5770
Beresheet = Nisan 1,
5772 till Shevat 15, 5773
Shemot = Tishri 1,
5770 till Tammuz 15, 5770
Shemot = Shevat 15,
5773 till Kislev 1, 5774
Vayikra = Tammuz 15, 5770 till Shevat 15, 5771
Vayikra = Kislev 1, 5774 till Tammuz 1, 5774
Bamidbar = Shevat
15, 5771 till Elul 1, 5771
Bamidbar = Tammuz 1, 5774 till Nisan 1, 5775
Devarim = Elul 1, 5771 till Nisan 1, 5772
Devarim = Nisan 1, 5775 till Tishri 1, 5776
Ashlamatah: Joshua 20:1-9 + 21:3
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. ¶ And the
Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, |
1. ¶ And the LORD spoke with Joshua, saying: |
|
2. "Speak
to the children of Israel, saying, 'Prepare for you cities of refuge, of
which I spoke to you through Moses. |
2. Speak with the sons of Israel, saying: ‘Pick out for yourselves the
cities of refuge about which I spoke with you by the hand of Moses, |
|
3. To which a
slayer that kills any person unawares, unwittingly, shall flee and they shall
be for you as a refuge from the avenger of blood. |
3. where a
killer who will kill1 someone by negligence without his knowledge may flee. And they will be for
you a refuge from the avenger of blood. |
|
4. And he
shall flee to one of those cities, and he shall stand at the entrance of the
gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of
that city, they shall take him into the city to them, and give him a place,
and he shall dwell among them. |
4. And he will flee to one of these cities, and he will stand at the
entrance of the gate of the city, and he will speak before the elders of that
city his words, and they will gather him to the city unto them, and they will
give to him a place, and he will dwell with them. |
|
5. And if the
avenger of blood pursue him, then they shall not deliver the slayer into his
hand, because he smote his neighbor unwittingly, and did not hate him from
before. |
5. And if the avenger of blood will pursue after him, they will not hand
over the killer in his hand, for without his knowing he struck down his
neighbor and he was not hating him yesterday and before that. |
|
6. And he
shall dwell in that city until he stand before the tribunal for judgment,
until the death of the High Priest that shall be in those days. Then shall the
slayer return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city
from which he fled." |
6. And he
will dwell in that city until he will stand before the congregation for
judgment, until the high priest in those days will die. Then the killer will
return and enter his city and his house, the city from which he fled. |
|
7. And they
set apart Kedesh in Galilee Mount Naphtali, and Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and
Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. |
7. And they
appointed Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of the house of Naphtali, and
Shechem in the hill country of the house of Ephraim and Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, in the
hill country of the house of Judah. |
|
8. And on the
other side of the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they had assigned Bezer in the
wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead
out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. |
8. And across the Jordan which is east of Jericho, they picked Bezer in
the wilderness, in the plain, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead
from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Matnan from the tribe of Manasseh. |
|
9. These were
the cities set apart for all the children of Israel and for the stranger that
sojourns among them, that whosoever kills any person unawares might flee
there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before
the tribunal. {P} |
9. And these were the cities that were appointed for all the sons of
Israel and for the sojourners who will sojourn among them, where anyone who
will kill someone by negligence may flee, and he will not die by the hand of
the avenger of blood until he will stand before the congregation. {P} |
|
|
|
|
1. ¶ And the
heads of the fathers' [houses] of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest,
and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers' [houses] of the
tribes of the children of Israel; |
1. ¶ And the
heads of the clans of the Levites drew near unto Eleazar the priest and unto
Joshua the son of Nun and unto the heads of the clans of the tribes for the
sons of Israel. |
|
2. And they
spoke to them in Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "The Lord
commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, and the open land
around them for our cattle." {P} |
2. And they
spoke with them in Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying: “The LORD commanded
by the hand of Moses to give to us cities to dwell in and their open spaces
for our cattle.” {P} |
|
3. And the
children of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance, according to
the commandment of the Lord, these cities and the open land around them. |
3. And the
sons of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance according to the
Memra of the LORD these cities and their open spaces. |
|
4. And the
lot went out for the families of the Kohathites; and the children of Aaron
the priest, who were of the Levites, had by lot, from the tribe of Judah, and
from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities. |
4. And the
lot went forth for the families of Kohath, and the sons of Aaron the priest
from the Levites had in the lot from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of
Simeon and from the tribe of Benjamin thirteen cities. |
|
5. And the
rest of the children of Kohath had by lot ten cities from the families of the
tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of
Manasseh. {S} |
5. And the
sons of Kohath who were left had in the lot from the families of the tribe of
Ephraim and from the tribe of Dan and from the half tribe of Manasseh ten
cities. {S} |
|
6. And the
children of Gershon had by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar,
and from the tribe of Asher, and from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the
half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. |
6. And the
sons of Gershon had in the lot thirteen cities from the families of the tribe
of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher and from the tribe of Naphtali and
from the half tribe of Manasseh in Matnan. |
|
7. For the
children of Merari according to their families, there were twelve cities from
the tribe of Reuben and from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun.
{S} |
7. And the
sons of Merari according to their families had twelve cities from the tribe
of Reuben and from the tribe of Gad and from the tribe of Zebulun. {S} |
|
8. And the
children of Israel gave to the Levites by lot these cities with the open land
around them, as the Lord had commanded through Moses. {P} |
8. And the
sons of Israel gave to the Levites these cities and their open spaces, just
as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, in the lot. {P} |
|
|
|
Rashi’s Commentary on Joshua 20:1-9 + 21:3
6
until he stand before the tribunal for
judgment If he be freed from exile he is dismissed. If, however, he is
sentenced to exile, he is remanded to his refuge city, where he must dwell
until the death of the High Priest.
8
And of the other side of the Jordan at
Jericho eastward, they had assigned during Moses’ time as it is stated:
Bezer in the wilderness, etc.
9
set apart lit., the cities of
setting apart, those set apart for this.
Chapter
21
5
And the rest of the children of Kohath
They are the children of Moses, and the children of Izhar, and Hebron, and
Uzziel.
from
the families of the tribe of Ephraim These cities fell to them from
the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, for they received
cities in the inheritance of each tribe, as it is stated: "From the many
you shall take many, and from the few you shall take few; each tribe according
to its inheritance which they inherit, shall give of its cities to the
Levites."
5
And the rest of the children of Kohath
They are the children of Moses, and the children of Izhar, and Hebron, and
Uzziel.
from
the families of the tribe of Ephraim These cities fell to them from
the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, for they received
cities in the inheritance of each tribe, as it is stated: "From the many
you shall take many, and from the few you shall take few; each tribe according
to its inheritance which they inherit, shall give of its cities to the
Levites."
Verbal Tallies
By: HEm Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David
& HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah
Bamidbar (Numbers) 35:9 – 36:13
Tehillim (Psalms) 106:34-48
Yehoshua (Joshua) 20:1-9 + 21:3
Mk 14:1-2, Lk 22:1-2, Rm 8:18-25
The verbal tallies between the
Torah and the Psalm are:
LORD - יהוה,
Strong’s number 03068.
Saying / Say / Commanded - אמר, Strong’s number 0559.
Children / Sons - בן, Strong’s number 01121.
Israel - ישראל,
Strong’s number 03478.
Land - ארץ,
Strong’s number 0776.
Canaan - כנען,
Strong’s number 03667.
The verbal tallies between the
Torah and the Ashlamata are:
LORD - יהוה,
Strong’s number 03068.
Spake / Speak - דבר, Strong’s number 01696.
Moses - משה,
Strong’s number 04872.
Saying / Say / Commanded - אמר, Strong’s number 0559.
Children / Sons - בן, Strong’s number 01121.
Israel - ישראל,
Strong’s number 03478.
Jordan - ירדן,
Strong’s number 03383.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 35:9 And the LORD <03068> spake <01696> (8762) unto Moses <04872>, saying <0559> (8800),
10 Speak <01696> (8761) unto the children <01121>
of Israel <03478>,
and say <0559>
(8804) unto
them, When ye be come over Jordan <03383> into the land <0776> of Canaan <03667>;
Tehillim (Psalms) 106:34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the
LORD <03068>
commanded <0559>
(8804) them:
Tehillim (Psalms) 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons <01121> and their daughters
unto devils,
Tehillim (Psalms) 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons <01121>
and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan <03667>:
and the land
<0776> was polluted with blood.
Tehillim (Psalms) 106:48 Blessed be the LORD <03068> God of Israel <03478>
from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye
the LORD.
Yehoshua (Joshua) 20:1 The LORD <03068> also spake <01696> (8762) unto Joshua
<03091>, saying
<0559> (8800),
Yehoshua (Joshua) 20:2 Speak
<01696> (8761) to the children <01121> of Israel <03478>,
saying <0559>
(8800), Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto
you by the hand of Moses
<04872>:
Yehoshua (Joshua) 20:8 And on the other side Jordan <03383> by Jericho
eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe
of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan
out of the tribe of Manasseh.
Hebrew:
|
Hebrew |
English |
Torah Seder Num 35:9 – 36:13 |
Psalms Ps 106:34-48 |
Ashlamatah Josh 20:1-9 + 21:3 |
|
dx'a, |
one |
Num. 35:30 |
Jos. 20:4 |
|
|
by"a' |
enemy |
Num. 35:23 |
Ps. 106:42 |
|
|
hL,ae |
these |
Num. 35:15 |
Jos. 20:4 |
|
|
rm;a' |
saying, said, speak |
Num. 35:9 |
Ps. 106:34 |
Jos. 20:1 |
|
#r,a, |
land, earth, ground |
Num. 35:10 |
Ps. 106:38 |
|
|
rv,a] |
which, who |
Num. 35:13 |
Ps. 106:38 |
Jos. 20:2 |
|
!Be |
sons |
Num. 35:10 |
Ps. 106:37 |
Jos. 20:2 |
|
tB; |
daughters |
Num. 36:2 |
Ps. 106:37 |
|
|
la;G" |
avenger |
Num. 35:12 |
Jos. 20:3 |
|
|
lAdG" |
high, great |
Num. 35:25 |
Jos. 20:6 |
|
|
d['l.GI |
Gilead |
Num. 36:1 |
Jos. 20:8 |
|
|
rGE |
alien |
Num. 35:15 |
Jos. 20:9 |
|
|
rb;D' |
spoke, speak |
Num. 35:9 |
Jos. 20:1 |
|
|
rb'D' |
what, case |
Num. 36:6 |
Jos. 20:4 |
|
|
~D' |
blood |
Num. 35:19 |
Ps. 106:38 |
Jos. 20:3 |
|
hy"h' |
let them, became, become |
Num. 36:3 |
Ps. 106:36 |
Jos. 20:3 |
|
@nEx' |
pollute |
Num. 35:33 |
Ps. 106:38 |
|
|
amej' |
defile |
Num. 35:34 |
Ps. 106:39 |
|
|
dy" |
hand |
Num. 35:17 |
Ps. 106:41 |
Jos. 20:2 |
|
hwhy |
LORD |
Num. 35:9 |
Ps. 106:34 |
Jos. 20:1 |
|
!Der>y" |
Jordan |
Num. 35:10 |
Jos. 20:8 |
|
|
AxyrIy> |
Jericho |
Num. 36:13 |
Jos. 20:8 |
|
|
bv;y" |
live |
Num. 35:25 |
Jos. 20:4 |
|
|
laer'f.yI |
Israel |
Num. 35:10 |
Ps. 106:48 |
Jos. 20:2 |
|
!heKo |
priest |
Num. 35:25 |
Jos. 20:6 |
|
|
yKi |
when |
Num. 35:10 |
Jos. 20:5 |
|
|
lKo |
anyone, all, whole entire, every |
Num. 35:15 |
Ps. 106:46 |
Jos. 20:9 |
|
tWm |
die |
Num. 35:12 |
Jos. 20:9 |
|
|
tw<m' |
death |
Num. 35:25 |
Jos. 20:6 |
|
|
hJ,m; |
tribe |
Num. 36:3 |
Jos. 20:8 |
|
|
!mi |
across, outside, any |
Num. 35:14 |
Jos. 20:5 |
|
|
hV,n"m. |
Manasseh |
Num. 36:1 |
Jos. 20:8 |
|
|
jl'q.mi |
refuge |
Num. 35:11 |
Jos. 20:2 |
|
|
hv,m |
Moses |
Num. 35:9 |
Jos. 20:2 |
|
|
jP'v.mi |
trial |
Num. 35:12 |
Jos. 20:6 |
|
|
sWn |
flee |
Num. 35:11 |
Jos. 20:3 |
|
|
hl'x]n" |
inheritance |
Num. 36:2 |
Ps. 106:40 |
Jos. 21:3 |
|
hk'n" |
killed |
Num. 35:11 |
Jos. 20:3 |
|
|
vp,n< |
person |
Num. 35:11 |
Jos. 20:3 |
|
|
lc;n" |
deliver |
Num. 35:25 |
Ps. 106:43 |
|
|
!t;n" |
give, given |
Num. 35:13 |
Ps. 106:41 |
Jos. 20:2 |
|
d[; |
until |
Num. 35:12 |
Jos. 20:6 |
|
|
hd'[e |
congregation |
Num. 35:12 |
Jos. 20:6 |
|
|
dm;[' |
stand, stood |
Num. 35:12 |
Jos. 20:4 |
|
|
hP, |
evidence, mouth |
Num. 35:30 |
Jos. 21:3 |
|
|
~ynIP' |
before, face |
Num. 35:12 |
Ps. 106:46 |
Jos. 20:6 |
|
vd,qo |
holy |
Num. 35:25 |
Ps. 106:47 |
|
|
ha'r' |
seeing |
Num. 35:23 |
Ps. 106:44 |
|
|
xc;r' |
manslayer, murderer |
Num. 35:11 |
Jos. 20:3 |
|
|
hg"g"v. |
unintentionally |
Num. 35:11 |
Jos. 20:3 |
|
|
bWv |
restore, turn, return |
Num. 35:25 |
Jos. 20:6 |
|
|
~v' |
there |
Num. 35:11 |
Jos. 20:3 |
|
|
anEf' |
hate |
Ps. 106:41 |
Jos. 20:5 |
|
|
%p;v' |
shed |
Num. 35:33 |
Ps. 106:38 |
|
|
%w<T' |
among |
Num. 35:15 |
Jos. 20:9 |
|
|
~he |
those |
Ps. 106:41 |
Jos. 20:6 |
|
|
![;n"K. |
Canaan |
Num. 35:10 |
Ps. 106:38 |
|
|
ry[i |
cities |
Num. 35:11 |
Jos. 20:2 |
Greek:
|
Greek |
English |
Torah Seder Num 35:9 – 36:13 |
Psalms Ps 106:34-48 |
Ashlamatah Josh 20:1-9 + 21:3 |
Peshat Mk/Jude/Pet Mk 14:1-2 |
Remes 1 Luke Lk 22:1-2 |
Remes 2 Acts/Romans Rm 8:18-25 |
|
ἄζυμος |
unleavened |
Mk. 14:1 |
Lk. 22:1 |
||||
|
ἀναιρέω |
with, put |
Num 35:31 |
Lk. 22:2 |
||||
|
ἀποκτείνω |
kill |
Num 35:19 |
Mk. 14:1 |
||||
|
ἀρχιερεύς |
chief |
Mk. 14:1 |
Lk. 22:2 |
||||
|
γραμματεύς |
scribes |
Mk. 14:1 |
Lk. 22:2 |
||||
|
δίδωμι |
give, given |
Num. 35:13 |
Ps. 106:41 |
Jos. 20:2 |
|||
|
ἑορτή |
holiday, festival |
Mk. 14:2 |
Lk. 22:1 |
||||
|
ζητέω |
seeking |
Num 35:23 |
Mk. 14:1 |
Lk. 22:2 |
|||
|
θεός |
GOD |
Psa 106:47 |
Rom. 8:19 |
||||
|
ἵστημι |
stand, stood |
Num. 35:12 |
Jos. 20:4 |
||||
|
κύριος |
LORD |
Num. 35:9 |
Ps. 106:34 |
Jos. 20:1 |
|||
|
λαός |
peoples |
Psa 106:40 |
Mk. 14:2 |
Lk. 22:2 |
|||
|
λέγω |
says, saying |
Num. 35:9 |
Ps. 106:34 |
Jos. 20:1 |
Mk. 14:2 |
Lk. 22:1 |
|
|
ὅς / ἥ /
ὅ |
which, who |
Num. 35:13 |
Ps. 106:38 |
Jos. 20:2 |
Rom. 8:24 |
||
|
πᾶς |
all, whole, entire, every |
Num. 35:15 |
Ps. 106:46 |
Jos. 20:9 |
Rom. 8:22 |
||
|
πάσχα |
passover |
Mk. 14:1 |
Lk. 22:1 |
||||
|
πῶς |
how |
Mk. 14:1 |
Lk. 22:2 |
||||
|
υἱός |
sons |
Num. 35:10 |
Ps. 106:37 |
Jos. 20:2 |
Rom. 8:19 |
Nazarean
Talmud
Sidra of “b’Midbar?” (Num.) “35:9 – 36:13”
“A’arei Miq’lat” “Cities of Refuge”
By: H. Em Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham &
H. Em. Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai
|
School of Hakham Shaul’s Tosefta Luqas (LK) Mishnah א:א |
School of Hakham Tsefet’s Peshat Mordechai (Mk) Mishnah א:א |
|
Now the feast of Unleavened Bread (which is called Passover)
was drawing near. And the Chief Priests and the Scribes (Heb. Soferim, of the Sadducees Heb. Tz’dukim) were seeking[34] how they could destroy him, because they
were afraid of the people. |
¶And now Pesach (Passover) the feast of Matzot (unleavened bread) was near. And the Chief Priests and their scribes (Heb. soferim,
of the Sadducees Heb. Tz’dukim) sought,[35] by
cunning how they might take hold and kill him (Yeshua); For they said,[36]
“not during the Festival” for fear that there may be a disturbance (of mob violence) by the people. |
|
School of Hakham Shaul’s Remes Romans Mishnah א:א |
|
|
For
I logically deduced[37]
that the hardships[38]
we are experiencing at the present are not worthy to
be compared with the grandeur that is about to be revealed through us.[39]
For the creature is eagerly anticipating[40] and waiting[41] for an
encounter with the sons[42]
of God (B'ne Elohim).[43]
For (the) creature has been
subjected to vanity, because of the one who voluntarily subjected it,
in hope that the creature itself will also be set free from its servility of
decay, and be transformed into
the glorious freedom of the children[44]
of God. For we know that the
whole creation groans together and suffers birth pains together until now. Not only this, but
we ourselves also, having the first fruits of the Nefesh Yehudi, even we
ourselves groan within ourselves while we eagerly await the
fulfillment of our being made sons, and the redemption of our body.
For in hope we were delivered, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who
hopes for what he sees? But, if we hope for what we do not see, we await it
eagerly with patient endurance. |
|
Nazarean Codicil to be read in conjunction with the following Torah
Seder
|
Num 35:9 –
36:13 |
Ps 106:34-48 |
Josh 20:1-9 +
21:3 |
Mordechai
14:1-2 |
1 Luqas
22:1-2 |
Romans
8:18-25 |
Commentary
to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat
The Bi-modal theme of Pesach
We
now see a paradigm shift in our readings. It should not be hard to figure out
that we are about to make the transition from the book of B’Midbar to the book
of D’varim. Just as the Torah Seder makes its paradigm shift to the Book of
D’varim, Mordechai as Hakham Tsefet’s Sofer makes the shift of scenery. We have
been involved in reading of the calamities, which will befall the Bet Mikdash
on the end times. Now we will further our understanding of the final days of
Yeshua and the message that he wished to convey to his talmidim and all his
followers. The theme very well fits with the conclusion of B’Midbar and the
opening of the Book of D’varim where Moshe gives a rehearsal of the Torah and a
rebuke for past failures. The genius of Hakham Tsefet and his Sofer further
reveals itself in the present materials as once again Hakham Tsefet weaves all
the materials into a neat sermon. And, as usual the theme should be
self-evident once we have read the Torah Seder and readings.
The mention of the Festival is cryptic. Hakham
Tsefet does not elaborate on why he includes Pesach and Hag HaMatzah in his
opening of this pericope. Nor, does the opening phrase make a great deal of
sense. Here we would interject that we must remember that Hakham Tsefet and
Mordechai are NOT concerned with chronology and specific order of events. We
must say that Hakham Tsefet inserts the materials, as they would best fit the
Torah Seder theme. Therefore, we are not concerned with trying to present a
day-by-day chronological order to the life of Yeshua. Hakham Tsefet places the
opening sentence in that past tense. This is not to say that Hakham Tsefet was
looking back on these events. It is rather to say that he was reflecting on
Pesach (perhaps the Egyptian Passover) for some unexplained reason.
The Pesach theme seems to fit the final part of our
reading in the Psalms where the abundant chesed of G-d is bestowed on his
“children,” i.e. the B’ne Yisrael. The activities of the defunct Levitical
Priesthood parallel portions of the Davidic song.
Scholars
see the High Priests and their Soferim as representing the whole Sanhedrin.[45] This is NOT, G-d forbid in
any way remotely true. Ezra Gould completely misses the point. The amazing
point is that Gould’s subliminal undertones set the stage for how we read
future events. Furthermore, we see that abuse of the idea that the legitimate Sanhedrin was a body of
Lawmakers initiated by G-d and Moshe, was a good thing. Here the plot of
the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) and his Soferim is an abuse of their joint office
and power. The Kohen Gadol and the Soferim were most certainly a part of the Sanhedrin.
However, these events do NOT represent a legitimate Sanhedrin. Nor do they
represent the attitude of the whole of the Sanhedrin. The relationship of
Hakham Tsefet to the present Torah Seder allows us to see their abuse of the
office by adjudicating the illegitimate priesthood who had sold themselves to
the interests and whims of the Roman occupying forces.
Gould
believes that the language of Mordechai alluded to the Sanhedrin by use of the
phrase ἐν
δόλῷ. Gould states:
A designation of the Sanhedrim by the two
principal classes composing it. ἐν
δόλῷ—by
cunning; not openly[46]
Here
Gould suggests that every action of the Sanhedrin was subversive and thereby
corrupt. Gundry adds “the Elders” to further implicate the Sanhedrin.[47]
Yeshua
is not indifferent to the Sanhedrin as a governing body for the B’ne Yisrael.
Yeshua was looking to the day when the Mesorah (Oral Torah) would find its
place as the “King of Yisrael” rather than the illegitimate Roman overlords.
In
the words of Rabbi Yitzchak Behar Arguiti …
“our masters and Rabbis, high above the
kings of the earth, the Rabbi is a sage great among his people. He is a speaker
for our people, the glowing lamp, and the elder of judgment. He should be called holy”[48]
Consequently,
the theme of Pesach is a way of looking to the future by looking at the past.
The Romans i.e. Edom, like the Egyptians, will be overthrown and replaced by
the “Mesorah” and “Bate Din.” Hakham Tsefet realizes that validity and
importance of the Mesorah and illustrates this through his critical assessment
of the illegitimate Kohanim and their Soferim. The theme presented by the Torah
Seder and mimicked by Hakham Tsefet is that of poor or bad judgment and rebuke
for rebellion! What is his resolve? The Kohen Gadol and his Soferim
illegitimately judge Yeshua, as do the guests and talmidim, judging the woman
of our next pericope who anoints Yeshua for his burial.
The
actions of the Kohen Gadol and the Zekanim (Elders) must be viewed as separate
actions from the true functioning of the Sanhedrin. We will deal with this in
greater depth in the coming pericope.
Commentary to Hakham Shaul’s School of Remes
Chazaq
Hakham Shaul uses the Greek
word ἑκοῦσα[49] is rooted in the Greek
word ἐξουσία meaning “freedom of
choice.”[50]
ἐξουσία is frequently translated
as “authority.” We have made a dictionary trace below in the footnote. ἐξουσία
is one of
several words in the Nazarean Codicil that is used to denote “power.” However,
its root is seldom looked at with any degree of research. ἐξουσία is derived from a root of (G1832) ἔξεστι, meaning “Torah obedience”
(be lawful) and that which is obligatory.[51] There are
several things worth noting in the use of ἑκοῦσα and ἐξουσία, most of which are the idea of acting in freedom or of free will. We
have translated it as “voluntarily”
above. If we elaborate, we have the idea of freely obeying the Torah. Or
possibly voluntary obedience to the “obligations”
required in the Torah. The Louw, & Nida Greek-English lexicon of the New
Testament[52]
give us the definition of “be obligatory, it is permissible, it is lawful.”
This whole idea revolves around freedom of choice. Or to state things in a more
definitive manner, we are free only when we keep the Torah! And yet another
possibility is that we
have “authority” when we keep the Torah. This then would mean that
if we do not keep the Torah we are NOT free and we are without any authority
whatsoever except it be an usurped one. One of the possible Hebrew parallels is
חָזָק chazaq. Prayerfully the reader will understand that
this is the phrase we say when we have completed one of the five books of the
Torah. There is much more to say on this idea of חָזָק chazaq, ἑκοῦσα and ἐξουσία, most of which relate to the idea of being free and possess real
authority ONLY when we are Torah observant.
Eager Anticipation
Ἐξουσία, also plays into the idea Hakham Shaul mentions in that the “creature”
eagerly anticipates the transformation into a “son of G-d.” These words can
mean nothing less than one who is fully capable of conducting himself in a
manner requisite of the Torah. The creature looks for and longs for “freedom.”
The freedom we are speaking of and what Hakham Shaul has been heralding is
freedom from the law (principle) of sin and death. The creature waits
for the “encounter,” revelation (ἀποκάλυψις - apokalupsis)
which is not some cataclysmic even at the end of days as pictured and preached
by the “scare mongering scholars.” In the present case ἀποκάλυψις – apokalupsis means to have an encounter with the
halakhic man if we can borrow Soloveitchik’s terminology.
We
intimate that Hakham Shaul learned these things from Hakham Ya’aqob.
Ya’aqob -
Jam 1:23-25 For if anyone is a hearer of the Torah and not a doer, he is like a
man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has
looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person
he was. However, one who looks intently at the perfect Torah, (i.e. the Oral Torah) the Torah of liberty,
and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer,
this man will be blessed in what he does.
What Hakham Ya’aqob illustrates
is a man encountering himself in the Torah. He has a “revelation,” an
“apocalypse” of himself. The “apocalypse” of self is mirrored in the Oral
Torah. Hakham Ya’aqob’s mirror is most fascinating. His ἔσοπτρον – esoptron is certainly
a “mirror” of sorts. However, because Hakham Ya’aqob is speaking in Remes he is
“hinting” at things far deeper than a Peshat (literal) “mirror.” His mirror is
the Ispaqlarya - the nine floors of the Divine throne. Here is a secret
to faithful obedience. Looking through the Ispaqlarya a person sees his
reflection. However, the reflection is only a reflection of his “Torah
observant” self. His level of observation depends on his level of devotion. On
a level closer to Remes, the Ispaqlarya is one of the ten men of the Esnoga.
The “willing subjection to
the vanity of telluric life” (creature has been subjected to vanity)
means that the “creature” is fully cognizant of the notion that he can only be
observant as long as he resides in a body. The body then becomes the “Merkabah” (chariot) of Divine
expression. The use of “Merkabah” here is most fitting in that the
body is given restraints and objectives. Without the use of a “Merkabah”
(vehicle/channel of divine energy and authority emanating from the observance
of the commandments) Torah Observance is impossible. Likewise, the Merkabah was
revealed to Yechezkel – Ezekiel in diaspora. One Remes message that we
learn from the Merkabah is that G-d is with us even in exile. Let us also
destroy the Grecian notion that the “body” is bad! Amen ve amen!
2Co 3:3
being manifested that you are an Igeret of Messiah, (Mesorah) developed by us, written not with ink but
with the Ruach of the
living God, not on Luchot (tablets) of stone but on Luchot of human hearts.
1Co 3:16-17 ¶ Do you not know that you are a temple (of living stones) of God and the Torah breathed by God resides within you? If any man destroys the
residence of God, God will destroy him, for the residence of God is “set apart” for God, and that is what you are.
Here we must also dispense
with more false doctrine, namely that I cannot enjoy a glass of wine or the
smoke of a pipe etc. What the scarecrow pastors fail to see is that the
desecration of the “temple of living stones” (abomination of desolation) is when
we fail to elegantly and tastefully observe Torah. Therefore, these so-called
exegetes are actually teaching their audiences to desecrate the temple
“residence of G-d” and become a mediocre individual.
Υιων or τέκνον
Hakham Shaul makes a shift
between υἱῶν “sons” and τέκνον “children.” Is there a
difference? We must reply with a most resounding yes! The “sons” of G-d are and
always be the B’ne Yisrael who have spent many years in Torah study and in the
performance of great deeds of loving-kindness.[53] The term
“children of G-d” applies to all those Gentiles who have joined themselves to
the Jewish people, through conversion. The term “sons” is specific and children
are “general.” The general term “children” may include the B’ne Yisrael.
However, the specific term “sons” does not include the general idea of the
“children” (Gentiles) of G-d.
Here we must further unfold
the meanings of “sons” and “children” of G-d. To be definitive and clear we
need to break down what we are saying. The “sons of G-d” and “children” are
both subordinate to G-d, in Hebrew terms meaning “Elohim.”
Firstly, this means that
the “sons of G-d” have fulfilled the command to become “sons of the Judges”
through much Torah study and the performance of many acts of loving-kindness.
Secondly, this means that
sons are under the watchful eye of G-d – Elohim the “strict Judge.”
Thirdly, this means that
the “sons of G-d” are the sons of the Judges who sit and deliberate in the Bate
Din.
Fourthly, the “children of
G-d” are under the careful scrutiny of the “B’ne Elohim” sons of the Judges. In
other words, the “sons” are themselves “Judges” with the “children” of Elohim
under their purview.
Finally, the “children”
have voluntarily subjected themselves
the “sons” so that in hope that the creature
itself will also be set
free from its servility to decay, and be transformed into the glorious freedom of the children[54] of
God.
Herein is their freedom,
from sin and death. The words of their mouths should be…
“our
masters and Rabbis, high above the kings of the earth, the Rabbi is a sage
great among his people. He is a speaker for our people, the glowing lamp, and
the elder of judgment. He
should be called holy”[55]
Chazaq! Chazaq! V’Nitchazeq!
Be strong! Be strong! And may we be strengthened!
Some Questions to Ponder:
- From all the readings for this Shabbat, which
reading touched your heart and fired your imagination?
- What part of the Torah Seder fired the heart and
imagination of the Psalmist for this week?
- What part of the Torah Seder fired the heart and
the imagination of the prophet this week?
- What part/s of the Torah Seder, Psalm, and the
prophets fired the heart and the imagination of Hakham Tsefet for this
week?
- What “hints” are offered on the writings of the
Nazarean Codicil for this week that we are concluding the public reading
of the fourth book of the Torah?
- After taking into consideration all the above
texts and our Torah Seder, what would you say is the general prophetic
message from the Scriptures for this coming week?
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!”
Coming Festival:
HaMishah Asar or Tu BiShebat – New Year of the Trees
February the 4th, 2015
For further information see: http://www.betemunah.org/tubshevt.html
Next Shabbat:
Shabbat “Eleh
HaD’barim” – “These are the words”
|
Shabbat |
Torah
Reading: |
Weekday
Torah Reading: |
|
אֵלֶּה
הַדְּבָרִים |
|
|
|
“Eleh
HaD’barim” |
Reader 1 –
D’barim 1:1-5 |
Reader
1 – D’barim 2:2-5 |
|
“These are the words” |
Reader 2 –
D’barim 1:6-10 |
Reader
2 – D’barim 2:6-8 |
|
“Estas
son las palabras” |
Reader 3 –
D’barim 1:11-18 |
Reader
3 – D’barim 2:9-12 |
|
Debarim (Deut.) 1:1 – 2:1 |
Reader 4 –
D’barim 1:19-21 |
|
|
|
Reader 5 –
D’barim 1:22-25 |
|
|
Psalm: 107:1-43 |
Reader 6 –
D’barim 1:26-38 |
Reader
1 – D’barim 2:2-5 |
|
Ashlamatah: Zech.
8:16-23 + 9:9-10 |
Reader 7 –
D’barim 1:39 – 2:1 |
Reader
2 – D’barim 2:6-8 |
|
Maftir: D’barim
1:45 – 2:1 |
Reader
3 – D’barim 2:9-12 |
|
|
N.C.: Mordechai 14:3-9; Lk 7:36-50; Rom. 8:26-30 |
- Zech.
8:16-23 + 9:9-10 |
|
Shabbat
Shalom!
Hakham
Dr. Yosef ben Haggai
Rabbi
Dr. Hillel ben David
Rabbi
Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham