Esnoga Bet Emunah
7104 Inlay St. SE, Lacey, WA 98513
Telephone: 360-584-9352 - United States of America
© 2009
E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com
Triennial
Cycle (Triennial Torah Cycle) / Septennial Cycle (Septennial Torah Cycle)
|
Three and 1/2 year
Lectionary Readings |
First Year
of the Reading Cycle |
|
Shebat 13, 5769 – February
06/07, 2009 |
First Year
of the Shmita Cycle |
Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times:
|
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 5:55 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 6:52 PM |
San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 5:58 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 6:53 PM |
|
Baton Rouge & Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S. Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 5:27 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 6:23 PM |
Sheboygan
& Manitowoc, Wisconsin US Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 4:50 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 5:54 PM |
|
Bowling Green & Murray, Kentucky, U.S. Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 4:58 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 5:57 PM |
Brisbane, Australia Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 6:22 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 7:16 PM |
|
Miami,
Florida, US Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 5:50 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 6:44 PM |
Jakarta,
Indonesia Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 6:00 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 6:50 PM |
|
New London, Connecticut USA Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 4:44 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 5:46 PM |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 7:09 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 7:59 PM |
|
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 5:45 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 6:43 PM |
Manila
& Cebu, Philippines Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 5:39 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 6:30 PM |
|
Olympia, Washington, U.S. Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 5:03 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 6:10 PM |
Port Elizabeth, South Africa Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 7:06 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 8:04 PM |
|
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania USA Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 5:07 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 6:08 PM |
Singapore, Singapore Friday Feb. 06, 2009 – Candles at 7:03 PM Saturday Feb. 07, 2009 – Havdalah 7:53 PM |
For
other places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp
Upcoming
Semi-Festival: “Chamisha Asar B’Shebat” or “Tu-BiShebat”
Shebat
15 – Evening Sunday February 8 – Evening Sunday February 9
For
further information see: http://www.betemunah.org/tubshevt.html
Roll of Honor:
This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of:
His
Honor Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and
beloved wife HH Giberet Batsehva bat Sarah,
His
Honor Paqid Adon Mikha ben Hillel
His
Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham,
Her
Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah and
8beloved family,
His
Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann and
beloved family,
His
Excellency Adon John Batchelor and
beloved wife,
His
Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and
beloved wife HE Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,
Her Excellency Giberet Sandra Grenier
His Excellency Adon Stephen Legge and
beloved wife HE Giberet Angela Legge
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 |
Torah
Reading: |
Weekday
Torah Reading: |
|
וְאַבְרָהָם
זָקֵן |
|
|
|
“V’Abraham Zaqen” |
Reader 1 – B’Resheet 24:1-9 |
Reader 1 – B’resheet 24:42-44 |
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“And Abraham was old” |
Reader 2 – B’Resheet 24:10-14 |
Reader 2 – B’resheet 24:45-47 |
|
“Y Abraham era ya viejo” |
Reader 3 – B’Resheet 24:15-18 |
Reader 3 – B’resheet 24:48-51 |
|
B’resheet (Gen.) 24:1-41 |
Reader 4 – B’Resheet 24:19-21 |
|
|
Ashlamatah: Isaiah 51:2-11 |
Reader 5 – B’Resheet 24:22-26 |
|
|
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Reader 6 – B’Resheet 24:27-33 |
Reader 1 – B’resheet 24:42-44 |
|
Psalms 17 |
Reader 7 – B’Resheet 24:34-41 |
Reader 2 – B’resheet 24:45-47 |
|
N.C.: Mark 3:7-12 |
Maftir: B’Resheet 24:39-41 |
Reader 3 – B’resheet 24:48-51 |
|
Mishle (Proverbs) 4:20-27 |
Isaiah 51:2-11 |
|
|
|
|
Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for: B’Resheet (Gen.) 24:1-41
|
RASHI |
TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN |
|
1.
Abraham was old, advanced in days [years], and Adonai had blessed Abraham in
all things. |
1.
And Abraham was old with days, and the Word of the Lord had blessed Abraham
with every kind of blessing. |
|
2.
Abraham said to his servant, the senior [servant] of his household, who was
in charge of all that he owned, "Place your hand under my thigh. |
2.
And Abraham said to Eliezer his servant, the senior of his house, who had
rule over all his property, Put now your hand upon the section of my
circumcision. [JERUSALEM. And Abraham said to his servant, the ruler who had
rule over all that was his, Put now your hand under the thigh of my
covenant.] |
|
3.
I will have you swear by Adonai, G-d of heaven and G-d of earth, that you
will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among
whom I live. |
3.
And swear to me in the name of the Word of the Lord God, whose habitation is
in heaven on high, the God whose dominion is over the earth, that you will
not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Kenaanites among whom I
dwell; |
|
4.
Instead, to my [native] land, to my birthplace, shall you go, and take a wife
for my son, for Yitzchaq," |
4.
but that you will go to the land and the house of my kindred, and take a wife
for my son, for Izhak. |
|
5.
The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not want to come back
with me to this land? Shall I bring your son back to the land from where you
came?" |
5.
And the domestic said to him, perhaps the woman may not be willing to come
after me to this land; will I, returning make your son return to the land
from whence you came? |
|
6.
Abraham said to him, "Take care, not to bring my son back there. |
6.
And Abraham said to him, Beware, lest you make my some return there! |
|
7.
Adonai, G-d of heaven, Who took me from my father's house, and from the land
of my birth, Who spoke to me, and Who swore to me, saying, 'To your
descendants I will give this land'--- He will send His angel before you, and
you shall take a wife for my son from there. |
7.
The Lord God, whose seat is in heaven on high, who took me from my father's
house, and from the land of my birth; and who spoke to me, and sware to me,
saying, To your son will I give this land; He will seasonably send His angel,
and you will take a wife for my son from thence. |
|
8.
If the woman does not want to come back with you, you are absolved from this
oath to me. But do not bring my son back there." |
8.
But if the woman be not willing to come after you, you will be innocent from
this my oath; only make not my son return there. |
|
9.
The servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and swore
to him regarding this matter. |
9.
And the servant put his hand upon the circumcised part of Abraham his lord,
and sware to him according to this thing. |
|
10.
The servant took ten camels from his master's camels and departed. All the
best of his master was in his hand. He rose and went to Aram Naharayim; to
the city of Nachor. |
10.
And the servant took ten camels from the camels of his lord, and went: for
all the goodly treasures of his lord were in his hand; and he arose and went
unto Aram, which was by the Pherat, to the city of Nachor. [JERUSALEM. And
all the goodly treasures of his lord were in his hand; and he arose and went
to Aram, which is by Pherat Naharaim.] |
|
11.
He made the camels kneel outside the city, beside a well of water, in the
evening, at the time the women go out to draw water. |
11.
And he made the camels lie down without the city by the fountain of waters,
at the time of evening, the time when the fillers (of water) come forth. |
|
12.
He said, "Adonai, G-d of my master, Abraham, be present before me today,
and act kindly with my master, Abraham. |
12.
And he said, Lord God of my master Abraham, prepare You a proper woman before
me today, and deal graciously with my master Abraham. |
|
13.
Behold, here I stand by this well of water, and the daughters of the townsmen
are coming out to draw water. |
13.
Behold I stand at the well of waters, and the daughters of the men of the
city are coming forth to fill waters. |
|
14.
Let it be that the girl to whom I say, 'Please, tip over your pitcher that I
may drink' and she will say 'Drink, and I will also give your camels to
drink,' will be the one whom You have determined for your servant, Yitzchaq.
With her I will know that You have dealt kindly with my master." |
14.
Let the damsel to whom I say, Reach me now your pitcher, that I may drink,
and she say, Drink, and she will also make my camels drink, be she whom You
have provided to go to your servant Izhak; and herein will I know that You
have dealt graciously with my master. |
|
15.
He had not yet finished speaking, and behold Rivkah came out. She had been
born to Betuel, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nachor, Abraham's brother. Her
pitcher was on her shoulder. |
15.
And it was in that little hour, while he had not ceased to speak, that,
behold, Rivekah came forth, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcha, the wife
of Nachor, the brother of Abraham, and her pitcher was upon her shoulder. |
|
16.
The girl was very good looking--- a virgin---no man had known her. She went
down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. |
16.
And the damsel was a virgin, very beautiful to behold, and she descended to
the fountain and filled her pitcher, and came up. |
|
17.
The servant ran toward her and said, "Please let me sip a little water
from your pitcher." |
17.
And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me taste now a little water
from your pitcher. |
|
18.
She said, "Drink, my master," and she quickly lowered her pitcher
to her hand, and let him drink. |
18.
And she said, Drink, my lord; and hastened to let down her pitcher upon her
hand, and gave him drink. |
|
19.
When she had finished giving him to drink, she said, "I will also draw
water for your camels, until they will have finished drinking." |
19.
And she finished giving him drink, and said, Also for your camels I will fill
until they be satisfied with drinking. |
|
20.
She quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough and she ran to the well again
to draw water. and she drew water for all his camels. |
20.
And she hastened and emptied the pitcher into the canal, the place of
drinking, and ran again to the well to fill; and she filled for all his
camels. [JERUSALEM. And she made haste, and poured out her vase into the
midst of the trough, and filled, and gave drink to all the camels.] |
|
21.
The man, wondering at her, remained silent, waiting to determine whether Adonai
had made his mission successful, or not. |
21.
But the man waited, and was silent, to know whether the Lord had prospered
his way or not. |
|
22.
When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring,
weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her arms, weighing ten gold
shekel. |
22.
And it was when the camels had been satisfied with drink, that the man took
an earring of gold, of a drachma in weight, the counterpart of the drachma of
the head (money) which her children presented for the work of the sanctuary;
and he set two golden bracelets upon her hands, in weight ten sileen of gold;
the sum of their weight being the counterpart of the two tables on which were
inscribed the Ten Words. |
|
23.
He said to her, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there place
in your fathers house for us to spend the night." |
23.
And he said, Whose daughter art you? Tell me now, if in your father's house
there be room for us to lodge. |
|
24.
She said to him, "I am the daughter of Betuel, the son of Milkah, whom
she bore to Nachor." |
24.
And she said, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcha, whom she bare
to Nachor. |
|
25.
She said to him, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, and also a place
to spend the night." |
25.
And she told him, saying, There is also straw and provender in plenty with
us, as also proper room to lodge. |
|
26.
The man bowed [his head] and prostrated himself to Adonai. |
26.
And the man bowed and worshipped before the Lord, who had thus prepared
before him a suitable wife. |
|
27.
He said, "Blessed is Adonai, G-d of my master, Abraham, Who has not
abandoned His kindness and truth [in dealing] with my master. I am still on
the road and Adonai has led me to the house of my master's brethren." |
27.
And he said, Blessed be the Name of the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,
who hath not restrained His mercy and His truth from my master; for the sake
of his righteousness/ generosity in the right way has the Lord led me to the
house of my master's brother. |
|
28.
The girl ran and told her mother's household of these these happenings. |
28.
|
|
29.
Rivkah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran outside to the man
[standing] at the well. |
29.
And Rivekah had a brother whose name was Laban. And Laban ran towards the man
without at the fountain. |
|
30.
When he had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on the hands of his sister,
and heard the words of his sister, Rivkah saying, this is what the man spoke
to me, that he [then] came to the man, who was still standing beside the
camels at the well. |
30.
And when Lamban saw the ring and the bracelets upon the hands of his sister,
and heard the words of Rivekah his sister, saying, Thus has the man spoken
with me; he came to the man, and behold, he stood by the camels at the
fountain. |
|
31.
He [Laban] said, "Come, you who are blessed of Adonai, why are you
standing outside? I have cleaned the house and [prepared] a place for the
camels." |
31.
And Laban thought that this was Abraham, and said, Come in, you blessed of
the Lord: wherefore do you stand without, when I have purified the house from
strange worship, and have prepared a place for the camels? |
|
32.
The man came into the house and unmuzzled the camels. [Lavan] gave the camels
straw and fodder, and water to wash his [the man's] feet and the feet of the
men who were with him. |
32.
And the man entered the house, and Laban undid the gear of the camels, and
gave the camels straw and provender; and water (to Eliezer) to wash his feet,
and the feet of the men who were with him. |
|
33.
Food was set before him, but he said, "I will not eat until I have
spoken my words." He replied, "Speak." |
33.
And he set in order before him to eat, prepared food in which was
poison to kill; but he objected to it, and said, I will not eat,
until I have spoken my words. And he said, Speak. |
|
34.
He said, "I am the servant of Abraham. |
34.
And he said, I am the servant of Abraham. |
|
35.
Adonai blessed my master greatly and he prospered. He gave him sheep, cattle,
silver, gold, male slaves, female slaves, camels and donkeys. |
35.
And the Lord has blessed my master greatly, and has increased, and given him
sheep and oxen, silver and gold, servants and handmaids, and camels and
asses. |
|
36.
Sarah, the wife of my master gave birth to a son to my master, after she had
grown old, and he has given him all that he possesses. |
36.
And Sarah; my master's wife, bare a son after she was old, and he has given
to him all that he has. |
|
37.
My master placed me under oath, saying, 'Do not take a wife for my son from
the daughter of the Canaanites, in whose land I live. |
37.
And my master made me swear, saying, You will not take a wife for my son from
the daughters of the Kenaanites in whose land I dwell, |
|
38.
Instead, you must go to my fathers house, and to my family, and take a wife
for my son.' |
38.
but will go to my kindred, and take a wife for my son. |
|
39.
I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not come back with me?' |
39.
But I said to my master, Perhaps the woman will not come after me. |
|
40.
He said to me, 'Adonai, before Whom I have walked, will send His angel with
you, and make your journey successful. You will then take a wife for my son
from my family and from my fathers house. |
40.
And he said to me, The Lord before whom I worship will appoint His angel to
be with you, and will prosper your way; and you will take a wife for my son
from my household, from the race of my father's house. |
|
41.
You will then be absolved from my oath, if when you come to my family, and
they will not give her to you. You will be absolved from my oath.' |
41.
Then will you be free from my oath: if, when you come to the house of my
kindred, they give not to you, you will be free from your oath. |
|
|
|
Reading Assignment:
Torah
With Targum Onkelos and Rashi’s Commentary – Vol. 1
The
Book of Genesis: Hebrew/English
By:
A.M. Silberman & M. Rosenbaum
Published
by: BN Publishing (2007)
pp.
100-107.
The
Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol II: The Patriarchs
By:
Rabbi Ya’aqob Culi
Published
by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New York, 1988)
Vol.
II, pp. 378-414.
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 on B’Resheet (Gen.)
24:1-41
1
had blessed Abraham with everything [The word] בַּכֹּל is numerically equal to בֵּן [son]. Since he had a son, he had to find
him a wife.
2
the elder of his house
Since [the word זְקַן] is in the construct state, it is
vowelized זְקַן.
under
my thigh
- (Shev. 38) Since one who swears must take with his hand an article related to
a mitzvah such as a Torah scroll or Tefillin, and circumcision was his first
mitzvah, and he had fulfilled it with pain, it was dear to him; so he took it.
7
The Lord, God of the heavens, Who took me from my father’s house But he did not say,
“and the God of the earth,” whereas above (verse 3) he said, “And I will adjure
you [by the Lord, the God of the heaven and the God of the earth].” He said to
him, “Now He is the God of the heaven and the God of the earth, because I have
made Him familiar in the mouths of the people, but when He took me from my
father’s house, He was the God of the heavens but not the God of the earth,
because mankind did not acknowledge Him, and His name was not familiar on the
earth.”
from
my father’s house
from Haran. and from the land of my birth from Ur of the Chaldees.
and
Who spoke about me
[Here לִי means]
“concerning me,” like אֲשֶׁר
דִּבֶּר, “who spoke concerning me.” Similarly,
every לִי, לוֺ, and לׇהֶם used in conjunction with the verb דבר—speak—is to be interpreted in the sense of
עַל, “concerning,” and their Aramaic
translation is עֲלֵי, עֲלוֺהִי, עֲלֵיהוֺן. For in conjunction with דִּבּוּר, the use of the terms לִי, לוֺ, and לׇהֶם is inappropriate, but rather אֵלַי, אֵלָיו and אֲלֵיהֶם [are to be used], and their Aramaic
translation is עִמִּי, עִמֵּיהּ, עִמְּהוֺן. However, following the expression אֲמִירה [saying], the terms לִי, לוֺ, and לׇהֶם are appropriate.
and
Who swore to me
At the Covenant Between the Parts.
8
you will be absolved of this, my oath And take him a wife from the
daughters of Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre.-[From Gen. Rabbah 49:8]
only…my
son
-“Only” is restrictive. My son will not return, but Jacob, my grandson, will
ultimately return.
10
of his master’s camels
-(Gen. Rabbah 59:11). They were distinguishable from other camels by the fact
that they would go out muzzled to prevent robbery, that they should not graze
in strangers’ fields.
all
the best of his master was in his hand -(Gen. Rabbah ad loc.) He wrote
a gift deed to Isaac for everything he owned, so that they would hasten [lit.,
jump] to send him their daughter.
Aram-naharaim [lit., Aram of the
two rivers.] It is situated between two rivers.
11
And he made the camels kneel He made them lie down.-[Gen. Rabbah 59:11, Targum
Jonathan]
14
her have You designated
She is worthy of him, for she will perform acts of kindness, and she is fit to
enter the house of Abraham; and the expression הֹכַחְתָּ means “You chose,” esprover in Old
French.
and
through her may I know
An expression of supplication: “Let me know through her.”
that
You have performed loving-kindness If she will be from his family and fit for him, I
will know that You have performed loving-kindness.
16
a virgin
from the place of her virginity.-[Gen. Rabbah 60:5] and no man had been
intimate with her in an unnatural way. Since the daughters of the gentiles
would preserve their virginity but were promiscuous in unnatural ways,
Scripture attests that she was completely innocent.-[Gen. Rabbah ad loc.]
17
And the servant ran toward her Because he saw that the water had risen toward
her.-[Gen. Rabbah ad loc.]
Please
let me sip
An expression of swallowing, humer in Old French.
18
and lowered her pitcher
from her shoulder.
19
until they will have finished drinking Here the word אִם is used in the sense of אֲשֶׁר, that they will have finished - Onkelos
renders: until they have had enough, because that is the end of their drinking,
when they have drunk their fill.
20
and she emptied
- וַתְּעַר is an expression of emptying. There are
many examples in the language of the Mishnah: “One who empties (הַמְעָרֵה) from one vessel to another.” It is also
found in Scripture (Psalms 141:8): “Do not cast out (תְּעַר) my soul”; (Isa. 53:12): “That he poured
out (הֶעֱרָה) his soul to death.”
the
trough
A hollow stone from which the camels drink.
21
was astonished
Heb. מִשְׁתָּאֵה, an expression of desolation, as in (Isa.
6:11): “[until] the cities become desolate (שָׁאוּ) …and [the ground] lies waste (תִּשָּׁאֶה) and desolate.”
was
astonished
- מִשְׁתָּאֵה [means that] he was astonished and
startled because he saw his efforts on the verge of succeeding, but he did not
yet know whether she was of Abraham’s family or not. Do not be surprised by the
letter “tav” in the word מִשְׁתָּאֵה [since the root is שׁאה], because there is no word [verb] whose
first root-letter is a “shin,” which is used in the reflexive [Hitpa’el] form,
in which a “tav” does not separate the first two letters of the root, e.g. מִשְׁתָּאֵה [here]; or (Isa. 59:15) מִשְׁתּוֹלֵל which is from the same root as תּשׁוֺלָל or (ibid. 59:16) וַיִּשְׁתּוֹמֵם, from the same root as שְׁמָמָה or (Micah 6:16): “And the statutes of Omri
shall be observed (וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּר),” from the same root as וַיִּשְׁמֺר. Here too, מִשְׁתָּאֵה is from the same root as תִּשָׁאֶה. And just as you find the expression מְשׁוֺמֵם used concerning a person who is
astonished, dumbfounded, and engrossed in thought, as in (Job 18:20): “Those
who come after shall be astonished (נָשַׁמּוּ) at his day”; or (Jer. 2:12): “O heavens,
be ye astonished (שֹׁמּוּ)”; or (Dan. 4:16): “He was bewildered (אֶשְׁתּוֹמַם) for awhile”; so can you explain the
expression שְׁאִיָה as referring to a person who is astonished and
engrossed in thought. Onkelos, however, renders it as an expression of waiting
(שְׁהִיָה): “and the man waited (שָׁהֵי),” [meaning that] he waited and stood in
one place to see “whether the Lord had made his way prosper.” However, we
cannot translate מִשְׁתָּאֵה as meaning שָׁתֵי, “to drink,” because [the word מִשְׁתָּאֵה] does not mean drinking, for the “aleph”
does not occur in the verb “to drink” (שְׁתִּיָה).
was
astonished at her
- [לָהּ means] he was astonished about her, as in [above 20:13]: “Say
about me (לִי), ‘He is my brother’ ”; and as in [26:7]: “The people of the
place asked about his wife (לְאִשְׁתּוֹ).”
22
half [a shekel]
This alludes to the shekels of Israel, half a shekel per head.-[Targum Jonathan]
and
two bracelets
An allusion to the two Tablets paired together.-[Gen. Rabbah (60:6), Targum
Jonathan]
weighing
ten gold [shekels]
An allusion to the Ten Commandments [inscribed] on them.-[Gen. Rabbah 60:6]
23
And he said, “Whose daughter are you? He asked her this after giving
her [the gifts] because he was confident that in the merit of Abraham, the Holy
One, blessed be He, had caused his way to prosper.
for
lodging
- לִין means one night’s lodging. - לִין is a noun. But she replied, לָלוּן, meaning many lodgings.-[Gen. Rabbah 60:6]
[Since לָלוּן is a verb, it does not limit the number of
lodgings.]
24
the daughter of Bethuel
She answered his first question first and his last question last.
25
fodder
All camel food is called מִסְפּוֹא, such as straw and barley.
27
on the road
on the designated road, the straight road, on the very road that I needed.
Likewise, every “bet,” “lamed,” and “hey,” that serve as a prefix and are
vowelized with a “pattach” refer to something specific, already mentioned
elsewhere, or of [some object] where it is clear and obvious about what one is
speaking. [i.e., The “pattach” under the prefix denotes the הַיְדִיעָה הֵא, the definite article.]
28
her mother’s house
It was customary for women to have a house in which to stay to do their work,
and a daughter confides only in her mother.-[Gen. Rabbah 60:7]
29
and Laban ran
Why did he run and for what did he run? “Now it came to pass, when he saw the
nose ring,” he said, “This person is rich,” and he set his eyes on the
money.-[Gen. Rabbah 60:7]
30
over the camels
to guard them, as (above 18: 8): “And he was standing over them,” in order to
serve them.
31
when I have cleared the house of idolatry.-[Gen. Rabbah 60:7]
32
and unmuzzled the camels
He loosened their muzzles, for he would shut their mouths so that they would
not graze along the way in fields belonging to others.-[Gen. Rabbah 60:8,
Targum Jonathan]
33
until I have spoken
Here אִם serves as an expression of אֲשֶׁר, [that] and as an expression of כִּי, as in (below 49:10): “Until (עַד
כִּי) Shiloh will come.” This is what our Sages of blessed memory
said (Rosh Hashanah 3a): The word כִּי serves for four meanings. One of these is [the
Aramaic] אִי, which is equivalent to [the Hebrew] אִם.
36
and he gave him all that he possesses He showed them a gift deed.
37
You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites unless you first go to
my father’s house, and she will not wish to follow you.
39
Perhaps the woman will not follow me It [the word אֻלַי (perhaps)] is written [without a “vav” and
may be read] אֵלַי (to me). Eliezer had a daughter, and he
was looking for a pretext so that Abraham would tell him, to turn to him, to
marry off his daughter to him (Isaac). Abraham said to him, “My son is blessed,
and you are cursed [Eliezer was a descendant of Canaan who had been cursed by
Noah], and an accursed one cannot unite with a blessed one.”
Ketubim: Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 17
|
JUDAICA PRESS TRANSLATION |
TARGUM |
|
1. A
prayer of David; Hearken, O Lord, to righteousness/generosity, listen to my
cry, lend an ear to my prayer, [which is] without deceitful lips. |
1. A prayer of David. Accept, O Lord, my
entreaty;[69] in righteousness hear my praise; you will incline your ear to
my prayer, since my lips are without guile. |
|
2. May my judgment come
forth from before You; may Your eyes see [my] upright acts. |
2. From Your presence my judgment will come forth; Your
eyes will behold honesty. |
|
3. You have tried my
heart; You have visited [upon me] at night. You have refined me and not
found; If I think, let it not pass my mouth. |
3. You have tested my heart; You have visited me at night;
You have purified me [and] not found corruption. [If] I thought of evil, it
has not passed my mouth. |
|
4. As for man's deeds, because of the word of Your
lips, I kept [myself] from the ways of the profligate. |
4. Truly You have rebuked the deeds of the sons of men by
the Word of Your lips; I have kept [myself from] the ways of audacity. |
|
5. To support my feet
in Your paths, lest my feet falter. |
5. Support my steps in Your path, lest my feet be
shaken. |
|
6. I called to You
because You will answer me, O God. Bend Your ear to me; hearken to my saying. |
6. I have called You because You will receive my prayer, O
God; incline Your ear, receive my prayer. |
|
7. Distinguish Your
kind acts to save, with Your right hand, those who take refuge [in You] from
those who rise up [against them]. |
7. Display your goodness, O Redeemer of those who hope;
from those who rise up against them by Your right hand. |
|
8. Guard me as the
apple of the eye; in the shadow of Your wings You will hide me. |
8. Guard me like the circle that is in the middle of the
eye; in the shadow of your presence you will hide me. |
|
9. Because of the
wicked/Lawless who have robbed me; my mortal enemies who encompass me. |
9. From the presence of the wicked/Lawless, those who harm
me; my enemies, in the desire of their soul, surround me. |
|
10. [With] their fat,
they closed themselves up; their mouths spoke with haughtiness. |
10. Their wealth has increased, their fat covers [them],
their mouth has spoken arrogantly. |
|
11. [By] our footsteps
they surround us now, they set their eyes roaming over the land. |
11. Our steps now have surrounded us; their eyes are fixed
to extend throughout the land. |
|
12. His likeness is like
a lion, which yearns for prey, and as a young lion, which lurks in hidden
places. |
12. He resembles a lion who yearns to tear, or a jungle-cat
that dwells in secret places. |
|
13. Arise, O Lord,
confront him; bring him down to his knees; rescue my soul from the wicked/Lawless,
Your sword. |
13. Arise, O LORD, forestall him, strike him down; deliver
my soul from the wicked/Lawless man who deserves death by Your sword. |
|
14. Of those who die by
Your hand, O Lord, of those who die of old age, whose share is
in life, and whose belly You will fill with Your hidden treasure, who have
children in plenty and leave their abundance to their babes. |
14. And the righteous/generous who hand over their souls on
Your account, O LORD, to death in the land, their portion is in eternal life,
and their bellies will be filled with your good store; children will be
satisfied, and they will leave their surplus to their children. |
|
15. I will see Your face
with righteousness/ generosity; I will be satisfied with Your image upon the
awakening. |
15. I in truth will see Your countenance, I will be
satisfied at the time that I awake, from the glory of Your face. |
|
|
|
RASHI’S COMMENTARY ON PSALMS
Psalm Seventeen
2 May my judgment
come forth from before You May the sins for which I deserve to be judged
with torments, go forth from before You and not come before You in judgment.
may Your eyes see [my] upright
acts If I have merits, may Your eyes see the upright
acts.
3 You have tried my
heart, etc. I know that I am guilty of a transgression, and, if the
judgment of its punishment comes before You, I will not be declared innocent in
the judgment, for You have already tried my heart.
You have visited [upon me] at
night at eventide for the iniquity/Lawlessness of
Bathsheba, concerning which it is stated (in II Sam. 11:2) “And it came to pass
at the time of evening, that David arose, etc.”
You have refined me You have tested me.
and not found You have not found in me Your desire.
If I think, let it not pass my
mouth If it enters my thoughts again to be tried before
You, let it not pass my mouth to say again, “Try me, O LORD, and test me,” as I
have already said, as is written (26:2) “ Try me, O LORD, and test me,” for
David asked the Holy One, blessed be He, “Why do they say, ‘the God of
Abraham,’ yet they do not say, ‘the God of David’?” He replied, “I tested him
with ten tests, and he was found perfect.” He [David] said, “Try me and test
me,” as appears in tractate Shabbath.
4 As for man’s
deeds, because of the Word of Your lips, etc. To support my feet, etc. From
then on, for every deed of man that I came to perform, I watched myself because
of the Word of Your lips; [I watched] the ways of the profligate, to turn away
from them, so that I should not walk in them, but [would] support my feet
constantly in Your paths, that my feet should not falter from them. Another
explanation:
For the deeds of man according to
the Word of Your lips, etc. Since a person must use his
deeds according to the uprightness (decree - early editions) of the Word of Your
lips, as You said, “You will not commit adultery,” I kept myself from the ways
of the profligate although I behaved unseemly according to the good You have
done.
5 To support my
feet From then on, for every deed of man that I did improperly, may Your
eyes see the upright deeds, but my judgment will go forth from before you.
6 because You shall
answer me, O God Because I am confident that You will answer me.
7 Distinguish Your
kind acts Heb. הַפְלֵה, esevre
in Old French, to separate, as (in Exod. 33:16): “and I and my people will be
distinguished (וְנִפְלִינוּ).” With Your right hand You save those who take refuge in You
from those who rise up against them. (This does not appear in manuscripts or in
most early editions.) [The literal meaning is:] Distinguish Your kind acts, You
Who save those who take refuge, etc. This is a transposed verse, meaning:
Distinguish Your kind acts to save with Your right hand those who take refuge,
etc.
8 as the apple
Heb. (כְּאִישׁוֹן). That is the pupil (lit. the black) of the eye, on which the
vision depends. Because it is black, it is called אִישׁוֹן, an expression of darkness, and the Holy One, blessed be He,
prepared a guard for it, viz. the eyelids, which constantly cover it.
9 who have robbed
me Because of this: my enemies, who encompass me to take my life, rob me.
10 [With] their fat,
they closed themselves up With their fat, they closed their heart and their
eyes from looking at Your deeds, in fear of You.
11 [By] our
footsteps they surround us now By our footsteps, the enemies surround us
now, and they set their eyes roaming over the land, to raid the land. It
appears to me that David prayed this prayer after the incident of Uriah and
Joab had happened to him, and the Israelites were in the land of the children
of Ammon besieging Rabbah (II Sam. 11), and David feared that they would be
defeated there because of the sin that he had committed, and the Philistines,
Moab, Edom, and all the evil neighbors of Eretz Israel, who looked forward to
the day of their misfortune, would hear and march against them.
12 which yearns
Heb. יִכְסוֹף, yearns, as (in Gen. 31:30): “for you yearned (נִכְסֹף
נִכְסַפְתָּה).”
13 confront him
The enemy.
bring him down to his knees Beat his legs, and he will kneel and fall.
rescue my soul from every wicked/Lawless man who is Your sword, for You
give him the power to rule, to requite those who are bound to You.
14 Of those who die
by Your hand I choose to be one of those who die by Your hand on their bed.
of those who die of old age Heb. מֵחֶלֶד. Of those who die of old age, after they have “rusted” (חלודה),
rodijjl in Old French, [rouille in Modern French] rust, and of the righteous/generous,
whose share is in life.
and whose belly You will fill
with Your hidden treasure And of those whose innards You
will fill with Your good, which You have hidden for those who fear You.
their abundance Their property that they leave over when they die.
15 I will see Your
face with righteousness/generous in the future (Mid. Ps. 17:13), or
I will see Your face with
righteousness/generosity Take my judgment away from
before You and grasp the righteous/generous deeds that I have performed, and
through them I will see Your face. In other editions, this is one
interpretation:
I will see Your face with
righteousness/generosity In the future, take my judgment
away from before You and grasp the righteous/generous deeds that I have
performed, and through them I will see Your face.
I will be satisfied with Your
image upon the awakening I will be satisfied with the
vision of Your image when the dead awaken from their sleep. In many editions,
the following appears at this point: Another explanation: I will be satisfied
from seeing Your face when the dead awaken from their sleep, for they are in
the likeness of Your image, for so it is stated (in Gen. 9:6): “For in the
image of God, He made man.”
Ashlamatah: Isaiah 51:2-11
1. Hear Me, you that follow after righteousness/generosity,
you that seek the LORD; look unto the rock from where you were hewn, and to the
hole of the pit from where ye were dug.
2. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that
bore you; for when he was but one I called him, and I blessed him, and made him
many.
3. For the LORD has comforted Zion; He has comforted
all her waste places, and has made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert
like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found therein,
thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. {S}
4. Attend unto Me, O My people, and give ear unto Me, O
My nation; for instruction will go forth from Me, and My right on a sudden for
a light of the peoples.
5. My favour is near, My salvation is gone forth, and
Mine arms will judge the peoples; the isles will wait for Me, and on Mine
arm will they trust.
6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the
earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish away like smoke, and the earth will
wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein will die in like manner;
but My salvation (Heb. Yeshua) will be forever, and My favour will not be
abolished. {P}
7. Hear Me, you that know righteousness/generosity,
the people in whose heart is My Law; fear not the taunt of men, neither be
dismayed at their revilings.
8. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and
the worm will eat them like wool; but My favour will be forever, and My
salvation (Heb. Yeshua) unto all generations. {S}
9. Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD;
awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Are you not it
that hewed Rahab in pieces, that pierced the dragon?
10. Are you not it that dried up the sea, the waters
of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to
pass over?
11. And the ransomed of the LORD will return, and come
with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy will be upon their heads; they will
obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. {S}
Mark 3:7-12
Delitzsch Hebrew Rendition:
7וְיֵשׁוּעַ
סָר מִשָּׁם
עִם־תַּלְמִידָיו
אֶל־יַד
הַיָּם
וַיֵּלְכוּ
אַחֲרָיו עַם־רָב
מִן־הַגָּלִיל׃
8וּמִיהוּדָה
וּמִירוּשָׁלַיִם
וּמֵאֱדוֹם
וּמֵעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן
וּמִסְּבִיבוֹת
צוֹר וְצִידוֹן
הָמוֹן רָב
בָּאוּ
אֵלָיו כִּי
שָׁמְעוּ אֵת
כָּל־אֲשֶׁר
עָשָׂה׃
9וַיֹּאמֶר
אֶל־תַּלְמִידָיו
לְהָכִין לוֹ
אֳנִיָּה
קְטַנָּה
מִפְּנֵי
הָעָם לְמַעַן
אֲשֶׁר לֹא
יִדְחָקוּהוּ׃
10כִּי רָפָא
לְרַבִּים
עַד
כִּי־נָפְלוּ
עָלָיו
כָּל־הַמְנֻגָּעִים
לִנְגֹּעַ
בּוֹ׃
11וְהָרוּחוֹת
הַטְּמֵאוֹת
כִּרְאוֹתָן
אֹתוֹ
נָפְלוּ
לְפָנָיו
וַתִּצְעַקְנָה
לֵאמֹר
אַתָּה הוּא
בֶּן־אֱלֹהִים׃
12וַיָּעַד
בָּם מאֹד
לְמַעַן
אֲשֶׁר
לֹא־תְגַלֶּינָה
אוֹתוֹ׃
Hakham’s
Rendition:
7.
And Yeshua withdrew with his [Rabbinic] disciples unto the sea, and a great
multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea,
8.
and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and they about Tyre
and Sidon--a great multitude--having heard how great things he was doing, came
unto him.
9.
And he said (ordered) to his [Rabbinic] disciples that a little boat may wait
on him (be in constant attendance), because of the multitude, that they may not
press upon him,
10.
For he did heal many, so that they threw themselves on him, in order to touch
him--as many as had plagues;
11.
And the spirits of uncleanness, when they were seeing him, were falling down
before him, and were crying, saying—“You are the Ben Elohim (Son of G-d)”;
12.
And many times he was charging them that they might not make him manifest.
Comments:
We
enter now, into a short section in the Mishnaic Book of Mark that starts at 3:7
and concludes at 3:19a. This we will cover over a period of two weeks, with the
first reading being 3:7-12, and the next one 3:13-19a. After this, we will take
a short interlude with readings supplied by the Epistle of Jude which together
with Mark forms the Mishnaic School of Hakham Tsefet (Apostle Peter). Both Jude
and Mark are scribes of Hakham Tsefet and distil in writing Hakham Tsefet’s
teachings, witness and revelations.
The
Pharisaic Yeshua’s controversies with the Boethusians and Herodians “seeking to
destroy him”, about which we have read in the last two Sabbaths is contrasted
here showing the other side of the coin. Multitudes of crowds gathered around
him from north, south, east and west of the Land of Israel, begging to heal
them or to be exorcised of their daemons which acknowledge his sovereignty as
G-d’s appointed King Messiah over all Israel and the nations of the world.
Such
large Jewish crowds following the Master would have frightened those corrupt
Jewish authorities that were in cohorts with the Roman occupying forces and
from which the depended for their sustenance and wellbeing. A rebellious
movement in Israel would have upset their evil status quo. On the other hand
such large crowds do testify like Josephus does, that the Pharisees,
particularly those of the school of Hillel (of which Yeshua was an integral
part) were quite popular with the great majority of the Jewish people of those
times.
v.
7a - And Yeshua withdrew with his [Rabbinic] disciples unto the sea – The Greek word for
“withdrew” is ανεχωρησεν (Strong’s # G402) and
Marcus[1]
as well as others take it to mean “withdrawal from danger” and thus connecting
to the last words of the previous pericope: “And the Boethusians having gone
forth, immediately, with the Herodians, were taking counsel against him how
they might destroy him” (Mark 3:6). But the verb can also mean to withdraw for
the sake of privacy.[2]
Whilst the first option seems perfectly feasible, I think that the idea of
retreating to have some privacy with his Talmidim (Rabbinic Disciples) is more
appropriate.
v.
7b - and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea,
v.
8 - and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and they about
Tyre and Sidon--a great multitude--having heard how great things he was
doing, came unto him.- As can ben seen, logically, verse 7 should finish
where 7a finishes above, and 7b and v. 8 should be altogether one verse.[3]
The
words “a great multitude” is here repeated twice (once in v. 7b and
again in v.8). This is to distinguish between the congregations of Galileans
who were native to that region and the other congregations that had come from
farther places within the Land of Israel. It also serves to indicate that verse
7b is really part of verse eight.
Now
watch the order of the places mentioned in the text and the points of the
compass. Jerusalem was situated to the most north of Judea; Idumea lied
to the south of Judea, “beyond the Jordan” lies to the east of
Judea, and Tyre and Sidon lie to the west of Judea. Verse eight
therefore could be summarized as saying that congregations of people from the
four corners of the Land of Israel (Palestine) together with congregations of
men from Judea and Galilee had come to see the Master based on the information
that “great things he was doing.”
Again,
I want to reiterate that if this information is true, and which I have no cause
to doubt its veracity, large congregations from the four corners of the Land of
Israel coming to visit a Rabbi that claims to be the Messiah, would be cause
for much preoccupation for the Roman and corrupt Temple authorities, as well as
the descendants of Herod. This man is surely challenging the status quo with
Pharisaic doctrine. If anyone can be credited with popularizing Pharisaism to
the Jewish masses it was none other than the Master of Nazareth.
v.
9 - And he said (ordered) to his [Rabbinic] disciples that a little boat may
wait on him (be in constant attendance), because of the multitude, that they
may not press upon him – The large congregations threaten to crush Yeshua and
his Rabbinic Disciples, and therefore he said (Greek: ειπεν
– Strong’s # G2036 – and meaning also “to give orders”) to prepare a boat in
case it be needed to avoid the crush and unnecessary injuries or deaths by
trampling.
v.
10 - For he did heal many, so that they threw themselves on him, in order to
touch him--as many as had plagues – Gould[4]
notes here:
“so that they were
falling upon him” – not in a hostile sense, but the verb is a strong word ...
and is intended to bring before us vividly the turbulent eagerness and
excitement of the crowd.”
Marcus[5]
notes that the Greek verb used here: “επιπιπτειν”
(Strong’s # G1968) can also mean that those who had been attacked by the
plagues in their turn attack the Master in their eagerness to be healed.
The
Greek word for “plagues” in this verse is μαστιγας
(Strong’s # G3148) and which is the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew נֶגַע (N’ga – singular) and נְגָעִים (N'gaim – Plural) – cf. Gen. 12:17; Ex. 11:1. In the Greek μαστιγας
means a “whip” or “lash” and in the Hebrew it has the meaning of “smiting.”
These were not normal diseases, but miraculous leprosy as divine chastisement
for sin. There is a whole Tractate in the Mishnah dealing with these miraculous
afflictions. Since Mark is telling us that these were people who were punished
by G-d for their sins, it is to be expected that they would be most unruly even
when begging for healing. The crowds of people pressing on the Master from the
four corners of the Land of Israel were not righteous/generous men and women
who were afflicted by diseases, but quite the opposite! These were people who
had done evil, and they were not following the Master because they wanted to
deal with the root of their problem – i.e. become righteous/generous persons,
but just came for healing from this Divine punishment. These were people who
wanted to deal with the externals whilst hiding from the reality of the dark internals.
Perhaps
to put a clearer picture of who these people who flocked to Yeshua were, we
need to be reminded of the Words of G-d in Deuteronomy 28:58-61
Deu 28:58 If you will
not observe to do all the words of this Law that are written in this book, that
you may fear this glorious and awful Name, the LORD your God;
Deu 28:59 then the
LORD will make your plagues wonderful, and the plagues of your seed, even great
plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
Deu 28:60 And He will
bring back upon you all the diseases of Egypt, which you were in dread of; and
they will cleave unto you.
Deu 28:61 Also every
sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this Law, them
will the LORD bring upon you, until you be destroyed.
The
very fact that the masses were unruly and were throwing themselves at Yeshua
wanting to touch him, informs us of the kind of people the Master had to deal
with, and the necessity to make preparations to have a boat on the ready in
order to escape the frenzy of the unruly crowds.
v.
11 And the spirits of the uncleanness, when they were seeing him, were falling
down before him - Here Mark as in previous episodes parallels
people suffering from divine chastisement in the form of plagues, with people
possessed by demons. Delitzsch renders the Greek “τα
πνευματα τα
ακαθαρτα” (Lit.: “the sprits [of] the
unclean/uncleanness”) as הָרוּחוֹת
הַטְּמֵאוֹת – (HaRuchot HaT’meot) literally
meaning:”the spirits of the uncleanness”, an expression used in Zech. 13:2 to
connote demons. Note that these demons are associated closely in Zech 13:2 with
idolatry. Interestingly, in Psalms 96:5 (95:5), the Septuagint uses the Greek
word daimonion as a rendering for the Hebrew 'eliyl (which the KJV mostly
translates as "idol"). Basically in Greek a demon is force that acts
as an intermediary between the gods and humans or/and nature. It is a force
which has been invested with divine powers, and therefore worshipped as a god. In
old Greece, the word daimôn was often also used as a reference to "the
power controlling the destiny of individuals" - "fate",
"lot", "fortune". The Greek-English lexicon by Liddell and
Scott notes that probably, the root of daimôn ("deity") was the verb
daiô which meant "to distribute", used of beings who
"distributed destinies".
So
these people who had these Ruchot HaT’meot (spirits of uncleanness) had them
because they were idol worshippers! So much so, that these sprits of
uncleanness had taken over control of these afflicted human beings,[6]
and they knew that the Master could set them free from this unclean oppression.
And why did they had these spirits of uncleanness in the first place? It was
not because they thirsted after righteousness/generosity and the performance of
the mitzvoth (commandments) to start with! But rather it was because of idol
worship they had become insane! Such is the power of disobedience and its
nefarious manifestations!
and
were crying, saying—“You are the Ben Elohim (Son of God)” – Quite a number of
Christian Scholars see in this expression a Messianic Title. And in part they
are right. They are right if we understand that all Jewish Kings and all Jewish
Judges also receive that title, since thy administer Divine Justice in the Name
of G-d, most blessed be He who is the Supreme ELOHIM (Judge). What these
spirits of uncleanness knew is that they were before the legitimate heir to the
throne of Israel, and therefore, before the highest Divinely appointed Judge in
the Land and in the world.
v. 12 - And many times he was charging them
that they might not make him manifest – It is interesting here to note
that in Jewish Law, a demon or a man possessed by an unclean spirit cannot be
accepted as a witness, and all of testimony proceeding from these sources is
deemed irreputable and illegitimate. Much the same as in most places, the
testimony of the mentally ill is not acceptable in court. Consequently we read
here that Yeshua charged them not to tell who he was.]
So,
we may ask what is the moral of this pericope? What lessons can we draw from
this pericope? Truly this pericope needs to be contrasted with the next one.
The mentally unstable are always attracted to Torah Scholars, because in their
inner being they know that their problems are caused by some form of
lawlessness. However, when these are confronted with the discipline of regular
in-depth Torah study and the obligations to observe the Mitzvoth, the demons
seem to evaporate.
Many
religious movements are based upon deliverance of sickness, disease and mental
ailments, and all of this can be good, provided that such deliverances include
the obligation of regular Torah study in-depth, otherwise it is just another
business venture. True health (spiritual, mental and physical) must be based on
Torah, as we read last Shabbat:
R. Yehoshua b. Levi
said: If one is walking on the road and has no one to accompany him, let him
occupy himself with Torah, viz. (Proverbs 1:9):“IT {Torah] is an accompaniment
of grace.” If he has a headache, let him occupy himself with Torah, viz. (ibid)
“They [words of Torah] are [healing] to your head.” If his throat ails him, let
him occupy himself with Torah, viz. (ibid): “and [bracing] chains to your throat.”
If his stomach ails him, let him occupy himself with Torah, viz. (ibid 3:8):
“It is healing to your navel.” If his bones ache, let him occupy himself with
Torah, viz. (ibid): “and marrow to your bones.” If his whole body ails him, let
him occupy himself with Torah, viz.: “and to all his flesh, healing.” R.
Yehudah b. R. Chiyya said: Come and see that not as the “measure” of the Holy
One Blessed be He is the measure of flesh and blood: If a man gives a drug to
his neighbour, it is good [for one organ or ailment] and bad for another; but
the Holy One Blessed be He gave Torah to Israel, and it is a drug of life to
their entire body, viz.: “and to all his flesh, healing.” (Erubin 54a)
In
the last verse there seems to be a contrast between openly declaring that the
Master is the Messiah vs. obedience to the commandments. Mark 3:11 has a
parallel in Matityahu 7:22-23
Mat 7:22 Many will say
to me in that day: “Master, Master, have we not in your authority (name)
prophesied? And in your authority (name) cast out demons? And in your authority
(name) done many miracles?”
Mat 7:23 And then I
will acknowledge to them, that – “I never knew you, depart from me you who
are working Lawlessness.”
What
is important is not so much publicising that Yeshua is the Messiah, but rather
that the Master has commanded us to study in-depth and observe the
commandments. For what is better to confess that one knows the Messiah or
rather to be known by the Messiah? For what good is to confess that one knows
the Messiah, to heal miraculously all those afflicted by Divine plagues, and
the mentally afflicted, and in the end be told: “I never knew you, depart from
me you who are working Lawlessness”? Confessing that one believes that
the Master is the Messiah is easy, but living a life in the pursuit of
righteousness/generosity and in obedience to the commandments is another song.
Let us ponder these questions and perhaps we need to heed the charge of the
Master “that we may be circumspect in making him manifest, but rather should concentrate
in emulating him and living a life faithfully obedient to G-d’s commandments as
he did!
MISHLE (Proverbs) 5:1-23
A Plea Against Immorality
Questions
for Reflection:
1.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 24:1?
2.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 24:2?
3.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 24:7?
4.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 24:14?
5.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 24:19?
6.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 24:20?
7.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 24:21?
8.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 24:22?
9.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 24:23?
10.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 24:29?
11.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 24:39?
12.
What is the name
of Abraham’s daughter, and how do we know that Abraham had a daughter?
13.
Why did Abraham
say to Eliezer: "Take
care, not to bring my son back there”?
14.
Why reasons did
Eliezer had for not eating the food set before him?
15.
How
is the Torah Seder related to:
(a)
Psalm
Seventeen for this week?
(b)
The
Ashlamatah of Isaiah 51:2-11 for this week?
(c)
Mark
(Mordechai) 3:7-11?
(d)
Proverbs
5:1-23?
16.
After taking into
consideration all the above texts and our Torah Seder, what would you say is
the general message from the Scriptures for this coming week?
Always remember
that the goal is not to be correct or incorrect in answering the questions but
to participate and give it your best!
Shalom Shabbat and
much courage and guidance of G-d’s Wisdom in answering the above questions!
Hakham Dr. Yosef
ben Haggai