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

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings	Second Year of the Reading Cycle
Shebat 15, 5770 – January 29/30 , 2010	Second Year of the Shmita Cycle

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times:

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 5:47 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 6:45 PM	Baton Rouge & Alexandria, LA., U.S. Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 5:20 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 6:16 PM	Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S. Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 4:49 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 5:49 PM
Brisbane, Australia Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 6:26 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 7:21 PM	Bucharest, Romania Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 5:01 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 6:07 PM	Chattanooga, & Cleveland, TN, U.S. Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 5:48 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 6:47 PM
Jakarta, Indonesia Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 6:00 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 6:50 PM	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 7:08 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 7:58 PM	Manila & Cebu, Philippines Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 5:35 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 6:27 PM
Miami, FL, U.S. Fri, Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 5:44 PM Sat. Jan. 20, 2010 – Havdalah 6:38 PM	New London, CT, U.S. Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 4:34 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 5:37 PM	Olympia, WA, U.S. Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 4:51 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 5:59 PM
Murray, KY, & Paris, TN. U.S. Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 4:57 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 5:57 PM	Philadelphia, PA, U.S. Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 4:58 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 5:59 PM	San Antonio, TX, U.S. Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 5:51 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 6:47 PM
Sheboygan & Manitowoc, WI, US Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 4:39 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 5:44 PM	Singapore, Singapore Fri. Jan. 29, 2010 – Candles at 7:02 PM Sat. Jan. 30, 2010 – Havdalah 7:52 PM

For other places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp

Roll of Honor:

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of:

His Honor Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and beloved wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah

His Honor Paqid Adon Mikha ben Hillel

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family

His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved family

His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife

His Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,

Her Excellency Giberet Alitah bat Sarah

His Excellency Adon Stephen Legge and beloved wife HE Giberet Angela Legge

His Excellency Adon Yoel ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Miryam bat Sarah

His Excellency Dr. Adon Yeshayahu ben Yosef and beloved wife HE Giberet Tricia Foster

His Excellency Adon Yisrael ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Elisheba bat Sarah

Her Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor

His Excellency Dr. Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Dr. Elisheba 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.

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Shabbat: Tu B’Shebat

For further study please see: http://www.betemunah.org/tubshevt.html

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
אִם-כֶּסֶף תַּלְוֶה
“Im Kesef Tal’veh”	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 22:24-30	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 25:1-3
“If money you lend”	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 23:1-8	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 25:4-6
“Si dinero prestas”	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 23:9-16	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 25:7-9
Shemot (Exodus) 22:24 – 23:19 Shemot (Exodus) 23:20 – 24:18	Reader 4 – Sh’mot 23:17-22
Ashlamatah: Isaiah 48:10-18 + 49:3	Reader 5 – Sh’mot 23:23-33
	Reader 6 – Sh’mot 24:1-11	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 25:1-3
Psalm 58:1-12	Reader 7 – Sh’mot 24:12-18	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 25:4-6
	Maftir – Sh’mot 24:16-18	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 25:7-9
N.C.: Mordechai (Mark) 8:22-26	Isaiah 48:10-18 + 49:3

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan

for: Shemot (Exodus) 22:24 – 24:18

RASHI	TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN
24. When you lend money to My people, to the poor person [who is] with you, you will not behave toward him as a lender; you will not impose interest upon him.	24. If you lend money to (one of) My people, to (one of) the humble of My people, you will not be to him as an usurer, neither lay it upon him that there will be witnesses against him, or that he give pledges, or equivalents, or usury. [JERUSALEM. If you lend money to My people, to the poor of your people, you will not be to him an oppressive creditor, or lay upon him either equivalents or usury.]
25. If you take your neighbor's garment as security, until sunset you will return it to him,	25. If you take (at all) for a pledge the garment of your neighbour, you will restore it to him before sunset;
26. for it is his only covering; it is his garment for his skin. With what will he lie? And it will be [that] if he cries out to Me, I will hear because I am gracious.	26. for it may be his Taleet which alone covers him; (or) it is his only garment in which he rests, which falls upon his skin; and if you take the coverlet of the bed whereon he lies, and he be heard before Me, I will hearken to his prayer; for I am Eloah the Merciful.
27. You will not curse a judge, neither will you curse a prince among your people.	27. Sons of Israel My people, you will not revile your judges, nor curse the rabbis who are appointed rulers among your people.
28. Your fullness offering and your heave offering you will not delay; the firstborn of your sons you will give Me.	28. The firsts of your fruits, and the firsts of your winepress, you will not delay to bring up in their time to the place of My habitation. The firstlings of your males you will separate before Me.
29. So will you do with your cattle and with your sheep: seven days it will be with its mother, on the eighth day you may give it to Me.	29. So will you do with the firstlings of your oxen and sheep; seven days it will be suckled by its mother, and on the eighth day you will separate it before Me.
30. And you will be holy people to Me, and flesh torn in the field you will not eat; you will throw it to the dog[s].	30. And holy men, tasting un-consecrated things innocently, will you be before Me; but flesh torn by wild beasts alive you may not eat, but throw it to the dog as his portion.
1. You will not accept a false report; do not place your hand with a wicked (Lawless) person to be a false witness.	1. Sons of Israel My people, take not up lying words from a man who accuses his neighbour before you, nor put your hand with the wicked (Lawless) to become a false witness.
2. You will not follow the majority for evil, and you will not respond concerning a lawsuit to follow many to pervert [justice].	2. Sons of Israel My people, you will not go after the many to do evil, but to do good; and no one among you will restrain himself from affirming justly concerning his neighbour in the judgment, by saying, Behold, the judgment sides with the many. [JERUSALEM. Sons of Israel My people, you will not go after the multitude to do evil, but to do good; and no one of you will restrain himself from setting forth the just cause of his neighbour in the judgment, nor say in your heart, The judgment sides with the many.]
3. Neither will you glorify a poor man in his lawsuit.	3. And to the poor man who is guilty in his cause, you will not be partial in having compassion upon him; for there must not be respect of persons in judgment.
4. If you come upon your enemy's bull or his stray donkey, you will surely return it to him.	4. If you meet the ox of your enemy whom you dislike on account of the wickedness (Lawlessness) which you only know is in him, or an ass that wanders from the way, you will surely bring it to him.
5. If you see your enemy's donkey lying under its burden would you refrain from helping him? You will surely help along with him.	5. If you see the ass of your enemy whom you dislike on account of the wickedness (Lawlessness) which you only know to be in him, lying under his burden, and you would refrain yourself from going near him, you will relinquish at once the dislike of your heart against (your enemy), and release and take care of the ass (or, charge yourself with him).
6. You will not pervert the judgment of your poor man in his lawsuit.	6. Sons of Israel My people, you will not warp the judgment of the poor in his cause.
7. Distance yourself from a false matter; and do not kill a truly innocent person or one who has been declared innocent, for I will not vindicate a guilty person.	7. From a false matter keep distant. And when one has gone forth from your house of justice acquitted, and they (afterwards) find out his guilt; or one has been brought out condemned, and they (afterward) find out his innocence,-you will not put him to death; for I will not hold (the former) innocent, nor the latter guilty.
8. You will not accept a bribe, for a bribe will blind the clear sighted and corrupt words that are right.	8. And you may not receive a bribe; for a bribe blinds their eyes who have taken it, and casts down the wise from their seats, and perverts the right words which are written in the Law, and confounds the words that are in the mouth of the innocent in the hour of judgment.
9. And you will not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, since you were strangers in the land of Egypt.	9. You will not oppress the stranger; for you know the sigh of a stranger's soul; because you were sojourners in the land of Mizraim.
10. Six years you may sow your land and gather in its produce.	10. Six years you will sow your land, and gather the produce;
11. But in the seventh [year] you will release it and abandon it; the poor of your people will eat [it], and what they leave over, the beasts of the field will eat. So will you do to your vineyard [and] to your olive tree[s].	11. but the seventh year you will exempt it from labour, and give up the fruit of it to be eaten by the poor of My people; and what they leave will be eaten by the beasts of the field. And in like manner will you do with your vine and olive grounds.
12. Six days you may do your work, but on the seventh day you will rest, in order that your ox and your donkey will rest, and your maidservant's son and the stranger will be refreshed.	12. Six days do your work, and on the seventh day repose, that your ox and your ass may rest, and that the uncircumcised son of your handmaid, and the stranger, may rest.
13. Concerning all that I have said to you you will beware, and the name of the gods of others you will not mention; it will not be heard through your mouth	13. And of all the precepts that I have spoken to you, be careful; and the names of the idols of the Gentiles remember not, nor let them be heard upon your lips.
14. Three times you will slaughter sacrifices to Me during the year.	14. Three times in the year you will keep festival before Me.
15. You will observe the festival of unleavened bread; for seven days you will eat unleavened bread as I have commanded you, at the appointed time of the month of springtime, for then you left Egypt, and they will not appear before Me empty handed.	15. The feast of unleavened cakes you will keep. Seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I have instructed you, in the time of the month of Abib, because in it you came forth from Mizraim; and you will not appear before Me empty.
16. And the festival of the harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you will sow in the field, and the festival of the ingathering at the departure of the year, when you gather in [the products of] your labors from the field.	16. And the feast of the harvest first-fruits of the work you did sow in the field; and the feast of gathering, at the end of the year, when you have gathered in your work from the field.
17. Three times during the year, all your males will appear before the Master, the Lord.	17. Three times in the year will all your males appear before the Lord the Ruler of the world.
18. You will not sacrifice the blood of My sacrifice with leaven, and the fat of My festive sacrifice will not stay overnight until morning.	18. Sons of Israel My people, while there is leaven in your houses you may not immolate the bloody sacrifice of My Pascha; nor will the fat of the sacrifice of My Pascha remain without the altar until morning, nor of the flesh that you eat in the evening.
19. The choicest of the first fruits of your soil you will bring to the house of the Lord, your God. You will not cook a kid in its mother's milk.	19. The first of the choice fruits of your ground you will bring to the sanctuary of the Lord your God. My people of the house of Israel, you are not permitted to dress or to eat of flesh and milk mingled together, lest I be greatly displeased; and I prepare you the wheat and the straw together for your food.
20. Behold, I am sending an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.	20. Behold, I will send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you in to the place of My habitation which I have prepared.
21. Beware of him and obey him; do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your transgression, for My Name is within him.	21. Be circumspect before him, and obey his word, and be not rebellious against his words; for he will not forgive your sins, because his word is in My Name.
22. For if you hearken to his voice and do all that I say, I will hate your enemies and oppress your adversaries.	22. For if you will indeed hearken to his word, and do all that I speak by Him, I will be the enemy of your enemy, and will trouble them who trouble you.
23. For My angel will go before you, and bring you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivvites, and the Jebusites, and I will destroy them.	23. For My Angel will go before you, and bring you to the Amoraee, and Pherizaee, and Kenaanaee, Hivaee, and Jebusaee; and I will destroy them.
24. You will not prostrate yourself before their gods, and you will not worship them, and you will not follow their practices, but you will tear them down and you will utterly shatter their monuments.	24. You will not worship their idols, nor serve them, nor do after their evil works; but you will utterly demolish the house of their worship, and break the statues of their images.
25. And you will worship the Lord, your God, and He will bless your food and your drink, and I will remove illness from your midst.	25. And you will do service before the Lord our God and He will bless the provision of your food and your drinks, and remove the bitter plague from among you.
26. There will be no bereaved or barren woman in your land; I will fill the number of your days.	26. None will be abortive or barren in your land; the number of the days of your life I will fulfil from day to day.
27. I will send My fear before you, and I will confuse all the people among whom you will come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.	27. My terror will I send before you, and will perturb all the peoples to whom you come, that you may wage battle against them; and I will make all your enemies turn back before you.
28. And I will send the tzir'ah before you, and it will drive out the Hivvites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you.	28. And I will send the hornet before you to drive out the Hivaee, and Kenaanaee, and Hitaee, from before you.
29. I will not drive them away from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field outnumber you.	29. I will not expel them before you in one year, lest the land become a wilderness, and the beasts of the field multiply upon you, when they come to eat their carcasses, and injure you.
30. I will drive them out from before you little by little, until you have increased and can occupy the land.	30. By little and little I will drive them out before you, until you are increased, and inherit the land.
31. And I will make your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the river, for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hands, and you will drive them out from before you.	31. And I will set your boundary from the sea of Suph, to the sea of the Philistaee, and from the desert unto the Pherat; for I will deliver into your hand all the inhabitants of the land, and you will drive them out from before you.
32. You will not form a covenant for them or for their gods.	32. You will make no covenant with them, nor with their idols.
33. They will not dwell in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me, that you will worship their gods, which will be a snare for you.	33. You will not let them dwell in your land, lest they cause you to err, and to sin before Me, when you do worship their idols; for they will be a stumbling-block to you.
1. And to Moses He said, "Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and prostrate yourselves from afar.	1. And Michael, the Prince of Wisdom, said to Mosheh on the seventh day of the month, Come up before the Lord, you and Aharon, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship at a distance.
2. And Moses alone will approach the Lord but they will not approach, and the people will not ascend with him."	2. And Mosheh alone will approach before the Lord; but they will not draw near, nor may the people come up with him.
3. So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances, and all the people answered in unison and said, "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do."	3. And Mosheh came and set before the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice, and said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do.
4. And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and he arose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and twelve monuments for the twelve tribes of Israel.	4. And Mosheh wrote the words of the Lord, and arose in the morning and built an altar at the lower part of the mountain; and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
5. And he sent the youths of the children of Israel, and they offered up burnt offerings, and they slaughtered peace offerings to the Lord, bulls.	5. And he sent the firstborn of the sons of Israel, for until that hour had the firstborn had the (office of performing) worship, the tabernacle of ordinance not (as yet) being made, nor the priesthood given unto Aharon; and they offered burnt offerings and consecrated oblations of oxen before the Lord.
6. And Moses took half the blood and put it into the basins, and half the blood he cast onto the altar.	6. And Mosheh took half of the blood of the offering, and put it in basins, and half of the blood of the offering he sprinkled upon the altar.
7. And he took the Book of the Covenant and read it within the hearing of the people, and they said, "All that the Lord spoke we will do and we will hear."	7. And he took the Book of the Covenant of the Law and read before the people; and they said, All the words which the Lord has spoken we will perform and obey.
8. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled [it] on the people, and he said, "Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has formed with you concerning these words."	8. And Mosheh took half of the blood which was in the basins, and sprinkled upon the altar, to expiate the people, and said, Behold, this is the blood of the Covenant which the Lord has made with you upon all these words.
9. And Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel ascended,	9. And Mosheh and Aharon, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, went up.
10. and they perceived the God of Israel, and beneath His feet was like the forming of a sapphire brick and like the appearance of the heavens for clarity.	10. And Nadab and Abihu lifted up their eyes, and saw the glory of the God of Israel; and under the footstool of His feet which was placed beneath His throne, was like the work of sapphire stone a memorial of the servitude with which the Mizraee had made the children of Israel to serve in clay and bricks, (what time) there were women treading clay with their husbands; the delicate young woman with child was also there, and made abortive by being beaten down with the clay. And thereof did Gabriel, descending, make brick, and, going up to the heavens on high, set it, a footstool under the cathedra of the Lord of the world whose splendour was as the work of a precious stone, and as the power of the beauty of the heavens when they are clear from clouds. [JERUSALEM. The footstool of His feet as the work of pure sapphire stones, and as the aspect of the heavens when they are cleared from clouds.]
11. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand, and they perceived God, and they ate and drank.	11. But upon Nadab and Abihu, the comely young men, was the stroke not sent in that hour, but it awaited them on the eighth day for a retribution to destroy them; but they saw the glory of the Shekinah of the Lord, and rejoiced that their oblations were received with favour, and so did eat and drink.
12. And the Lord said to Moses, "Come up to Me to the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets, the Law and the commandments, which I have written to instruct them."	12. And the Lord said to Mosheh, Ascend before Me at the mount, and I will there give you the tables of stone on which I have set forth the rest of the words of the Law, and the six hundred and thirteen precepts which I have written for their instruction.
13. So Moses and Joshua, his servant, arose, and Moses ascended to the mount of God.	13. And Mosheh arose and Jehoshua his minister; and Mosheh went up to the mountain on which was revealed the glory of the Shekinah of the Lord.
14. And to the elders he said, "Wait for us here until we return to you, and here Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a case, let him go to them."	14. And to the sages he had said, Expect us here, at the time of our return to you; and, behold, Aharon and Hur are with you; if there be any matter of judgment, bring it to them.
15. And Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.	15. And Mosheh went up into the mount, and the Cloud of Glory covered the mount.
16. And the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days, and He called to Moses on the seventh day from within the cloud.	16. And the glory of the Lord's Shekinah abode upon the mountain of Sinai, and the Cloud of Glory covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Mosheh from the midst of the Cloud.
17. And the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire atop the mountain, before the eyes of the children of Israel.	17. And the appearance of the splendour of the glory of the Lord was as burning fire with flashes of devouring fire; and the sons of Israel beheld and were awe-struck.
18. And Moses came within the cloud, and he went up to the mountain, and Moses was upon the mountain forty days and forty nights.	18. And Mosheh entered into the midst of the Cloud, and ascended the mountain; and Mosheh was upon the mountain forty days and forty nights, learning the words of the Law from the mouth of the Holy One, whose Name be praised.

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 Commentary for: Shemot (Exodus) 22:24 – 24:18

24 When you lend money to My people Rabbi Ishmael says: Every אִם in the Torah is optional except three, and this is one of them. -[From Mechilta] אִם usually means “if,” which refers to something optional, denoting an incident that may or may not occur. Rashi on Exod. 20:22 explains that in this case, lending money to the needy is obligatory, as in Deut. 15:8. Therefore, in this verse, אִם means “when.”]

to My people [If a member of] My people [i. e., an Israelite,] and a gentile [apply for a loan], [the member of] My people takes preference; [if] a poor person and a rich person [apply for a loan], the poor person takes preference; [if] the poor of your city and the poor of another city [apply for a loan], the poor of your city take preference (Mechilta, B.M. 71a), and this is its meaning: “When you lend money,” lend it to “My people” and not to a gentile, and to which of My people? “To the poor person.” And to which poor person? To the one who is “with you.” [I.e., if you have enough money to lend to only one person, lend it to a Jew rather than to a non-Jew. Even if the gentile will pay interest, and you are not allowed to take interest from the Jew, you must lend the money to the Jew (B. M. 71a).]

(Another meaning: to My people That you shall not behave toward him [the borrower] in a demeaning manner when you lend to him, for he is [a member of] My people. -[From Tanchuma 15]

to the poor person [who is] with you Look at yourself as if you were a poor person.) -[From Tanchuma 15]

you shall not behave toward him as a lender You shall not demand it of him forcibly (Tanchuma 9, Exod. Rabbah 31:6). If you know that he does not have [the money to repay you], do not appear to him as if you have lent to him, but as if you have not lent to him; i.e., do not embarrass him. -[From B.M. 75b]

interest Heb. נֶשֶׁךְ , lit., biting. Interest, which is like the biting of a snake, which bites by making a small wound in a person’s foot, and he [the person] does not feel [the wound], and suddenly, it spreads and swells up as far as his crown. So it is with interest. He does not feel it, and it is not noticeable until the interest accumulates and it costs him a considerable sum of money. -[From Tanchuma 9, Exod. Rabbah 31: 6]

25 If you take… as security Heb. חָבֽל תַּחְבּֽל . No expression of חֲבָלָה means security given at the time of the loan, but [that which] is exacted from the debtor when the debt becomes due and he [the debtor] does not pay (B.M. 114). ( חָבֽל תַּחְבּֽל the Torah repeats the taking of the security [implying that one may take security] even many times. The Holy One, blessed is He, said: “How much you owe Me! Yet your soul ascends to Me every night, gives an account, is found guilty before Me, and I return it to you. You too, take and return, take and return.”) -(Tanchuma 16.)

until sunset you shall return it to him [For] the entire day you shall return it to him until the sun sets, and when the sun sets you may again take it until the next morning arrives. This verse speaks of a garment worn by day, which he does not need at night. -[From Mechilta, B.M. 114b]

26 for it is his only covering This is a cloak. -[From Mechilta] his garment This is a shirt. -[From Mechilta]

With what shall he lie? [This comes] to include a spread. -[From Mechilta]

27 You shall not curse a judge Heb. אֱלֽהִים . This is a warning against cursing God and a warning against cursing a judge. -[From Sanh. 66a]

28 Your fullness offering The obligation that is incumbent upon you when your produce becomes fully ripe. This reference is to the first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים) . -[From Onkelos, Mechilta, Temurah 4a]

and your heave offering Heb. וְדִמְעֲךָ . [This is] the terumah [the first offering from the produce, which is given to the kohen] (Mechilta, Temurah 4a), but I do not know the etymology of דֶּמַע [which is the noun root of דִמְעֲךָ ].

you shall not delay You shall not alter the sequence of their separation by delaying what should come first and advancing what should come later, namely that one may not advance terumah before bikkurim or tithes before terumah. -[From Mechilta]

the firstborn of your sons you shall give Me to redeem him from the kohen with five selas. Now did He not give the command concerning this elsewhere (Num. 18:16) ? But [it is written here] to juxtapose to it “So shall you do with your cattle and with your sheep,” [implying that] just as the firstborn of man is redeemed after thirty days, as it is said: “And his redemption, from a month old you shall redeem [him]” (Num. 18:16), so too with the firstborn of small cattle; one must care for it for thirty days and afterwards give it to the kohen. -[From Bech. 26b]

29 seven days it shall be with its mother This is a warning to the kohen, that if he wants to bring his sacrifice early, he may not bring it before eight [days] because it lacks the minimum time requirement.

on the eighth day you may give it to Me We may think that is obligatory for that day, [and if so, we would render: On the eighth day you shall give it to Me. That is not so, however, because] it says here, “eighth,” and it says further (Lev. 22:27), “and from the eighth day on it will be accepted.” Just as “the eighth day” mentioned further means to make [it] fit from the eighth day on, so does the eighth day mentioned here mean to make [it] fit from the eighth day on, and this is its meaning: on the eighth day you are permitted to give it to Me. -[From Mechilta]

30 And you shall be holy people to Me If you are holy and abstain from the loathsomeness of [eating] carrion and mortally injured animals, you are Mine, but if not, you are not Mine. -[From Mechilta]

and flesh torn in the field [If the flesh was torn] in the house the law is the same, but the Scripture speaks of the usual occurrence, [i.e.,] the location where animals are usually torn. Similarly, “For he found her in the field” (Deut. 22:27), [i.e., the law is the same for any place where no one is around to rescue a betrothed woman who is violated; it is assumed that she cried out for help to no avail]. Similarly,” who will be unclean as a result of a nocturnal emission” (Deut. 23:11). The same applies to an emission that occurs during the day [that the person becomes unclean], but the Scripture speaks of the usual occurrence [Mechilta]. [Onkelos renders:] וּבְשַׂר תְּלִישׁ מִן חֵיוָא חַייָא , [i.e., you cannot eat] flesh that was torn off through the tearing of a wolf or a lion from a kosher beast or from a kosher domestic animal while it was alive.

you shall throw it to the dog[s] He [the gentile] is also similar to a dog [in this context, namely that the trefah can be given or sold to him], or perhaps a dog is meant literally [that the trefah can be given only to a dog]? Therefore, the Torah states regarding carrion ( נְבֵלָה [an animal that died without ritual slaughter]): “or sell [it] to a gentile” (Deut. 14:21). From this, we derive by a kal vachomer that from a trefah we are permitted to gain any type of benefit [except eating, of course]. If so, why does the Torah say “to the dogs”? Because the Holy One, blessed is He, does not withhold the reward of any creature, as it is said: “But to all the children of Israel, not one dog will whet its tongue” (Exod. 11:7). Said the Holy One, blessed is He, “Give it its reward.” -[From Mechilta]

Chapter 23

1 You shall not accept a false report Heb. לֹא תִשָׂא , as the Targum [Onkelos renders]: You shall not accept a false report. [This is] a prohibition against accepting slander (Mechilta, Pes. 118a, Mak. 23a), and for a judge [it dictates] that he should not hear the plea of one litigant until his opponent arrives (Mechilta, Sanh. 7b).

do not place your hand with a wicked person who files a false claim against his neighbor, for whom he had promised to be a false witness.

2 You shall not follow the majority for evil There are [halachic] interpretations for this verse given by the Sages of Israel, but the language of the verse does not fit its context according to them. From here they [the Sages] expounded that we may not decide unfavorably [for the defendant] by a majority created by one judge. They interpreted the end of the verse: אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים לְהַטֽת , “after the majority to decide,” [to mean] that if those [judges] voting [that the defendant is] guilty outnumber those voting [that the defendant is] innocent by two, the verdict is to be decided unfavorably according to their [the majority’s] opinion. The text speaks of capital cases [i.e., in regard to the death penalty] (Sanh. 2a). [Note that in monetary cases, the court requires a majority of only one judge in order to convict someone.] The middle of the verse תַעֲנֶה עַל-רִב וְלֽא- , they [the Rabbis] interpreted like וְלֽא-תַעֲנֶה עַל-רַב [and you shall not speak up against a master], meaning that we may not differ with the greatest of the court. Therefore, in capital cases they [the judges] commence [the roll call] from the side, meaning that they first ask the smallest [least esteemed] of them to express his opinion (Sanh. 32a). According to the words of our Sages, this is the interpretation of the verse:

You shall not follow the majority for evil to condemn [a person] to death because of one judge, by whom those who declare [the defendant] guilty outnumber those who declare [him] innocent.

And you shall not speak up against a master to deviate from his words. Because the “yud” [of רִיב , meaning quarrel] is missing, they interpreted it (רִב) in this manner [i.e., like (רַב) ].

After the majority to decide [signifies that] there is, however, a majority after whom you do decide [the verdict]. When? If those [judges] who declare [the defendant] guilty outnumber by two those who declare him innocent. And since it says: “You shall not follow the majority for evil,” I deduce that you shall follow them [the majority] for good. From here they [the Rabbis] deduced that in capital cases, we decide through [a majority of] one for an acquittal and through [a majority of] two for a conviction. Onkelos renders [this verse]: Do not refrain from teaching what appears to you concerning a judgment. The Hebrew wording according to the Targum is interpreted as follows: And you shall not respond concerning a quarrel by turning away. If someone asks you something concerning the law, do not answer by turning aside and distancing yourself from the quarrel, but judge it honestly. I, however, say, [differing from the Rabbis and Onkelos] that it [the verse] should be according to its context. This is its interpretation:

You shall not follow the majority for evil If you see wicked people perverting justice, do not say, “Since they are many, I will follow them.”

and you shall not respond concerning a lawsuit to follow, etc. And if the litigant asks you about that [corrupted] judgment, do not answer him concerning the lawsuit with an answer that follows those many to pervert the judgment from its true ruling But tell the judgment as it is, and let the neck iron hang on the neck of the many. [I.e., let the many bear the punishment for their perversion of justice.]

3 Neither shall you glorify You shall not bestow honor upon him [the destitute man] by deciding in his favor in his lawsuit, saying, “He is a poor man; I will decide in his favor and honor him.”

5 If you see your enemy’s donkey Heb. כִּי תִרְאֶה . [The word] כִּי serves as an expression of “perhaps,” which is [one] of the four meanings for which כִּי is used (R.H. 3a). This is its meaning: Will you perhaps see his donkey lying under its burden… ? –

would you refrain from helping him? This is the interrogative.

You shall surely help along with him Heb. עָזֽב תַּעֲזֽב עִמוֹ . This עֲזִיבָה is an expression of help, and similarly, “restrained or assisted (וְעָזוּב) ” (Deut. 32:36, I Kings 14:10), and similarly, “and they strengthened (וַיַּעַזְבוּ) Jerusalem until the… wall” (Neh. 3:8), [which means] they filled it with earth to strengthen and reinforce the strength of the wall. Similarly, [following Rashi’s rendering that the word כִּי means “perhaps,”] “Will you perhaps כִּי say in your heart, ‘These nations are more numerous than I’” (Deut. 7:17) ? Will you perhaps say so? This is the interrogative. [The verse thus tells you:] “Do not fear them.” Midrashically, our Rabbis interpreted it [the verse] as follows: If you see…, you may refrain; [meaning that] sometimes you may refrain [from helping someone], and sometimes you must help. How so [can this be judged]? An elder who [finds it] beneath his dignity [to unload a donkey]- “You may refrain” (Mechilta d’Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, Midrash Hagadol). Or if the animal belongs to a gentile and the burden belongs to an Israelite, you may refrain. -[From Mechilta, B.M. 32b]

You shall surely help along with him to unload the burden (Mechilta, B.M. 32a). [Onkelos renders מֵעֲזֽב לוֹ ] מִלְמִשְׁקַל לֵה , from taking the burden off it.

6 your poor man Heb. אֶבְיֽנְךָ , an expression of desiring אוֹבֶה , [meaning] one who is impoverished and desires all good things. -[From Mechilta]

7 and do not kill a truly innocent person or one who has been declared innocent How do we know that if one emerges from the court guilty [and is given the death sentence], and one [of the judges] says, “I have a way to prove his innocence,” we must bring him back [to the court and retry him]? Because the Torah states: “and do not kill a truly innocent person.” Although he was not declared innocent—for he was not vindicated by the court—he is, nevertheless, free from the death penalty, because you have reason to acquit him. And how do we know that if one emerges from the court innocent, and one [of the judges] says, “I have a way to prove his guilt,” we do not bring him back to the court [to retry him]? Because the Torah states: “and do not kill… one who is declared innocent.” And this one is innocent because he was vindicated by the court. -[From Mechilta, Sanh. 33b]

for I will not vindicate a guilty person It is not incumbent upon you to return him [to court] for I will not vindicate him in My law. If he emerges innocent from your hand [i.e., from the courts], I have many agents to put him to death—with the death penalty he deserves. -[From Mechilta, Sanh. 33b]

8 You shall not accept a bribe Even [in order] to judge fairly, and surely [not] to pervert the judgment, for [in fact, taking a bribe] in order to pervert the judgment is already mentioned: “You shall not pervert judgment” (Deut. 16:19). -[From Keth. 105a]

for a bribe will blind the clear- sighted Even if one is wise in Torah, and he accepts a bribe, he will eventually become deranged, forget his studies, and lose his eyesight. -[From Keth. 105a, Mechilta]

and corrupt Heb. וִיסַלֵף , as the Targum [Onkelos and Jonathan] renders: וּמְקַלְקֵל , [meaning] and spoils.

words that are right Heb. דִבְרֵי צַדִּיקִים , words that are just, true judgments, and so is its Aramaic translation: פִּתְגָמִין תְּרִיצִין , [meaning words that are] straight.

9 And you shall not oppress a stranger - In many places the Torah warns about the stranger [convert] because he has a strong temptation [to return to his former bad ways]. -[From B.M. 59b]

the feelings of the stranger How hard it is for him when people oppress him.

10 and gather in its produce Heb. וְאָסַפְתָּ , an expression of bringing into the house, like “And you shall bring it (וַאֲסַפְתּוֹ) into your house” (Deut. 22:2).

11 you shall release it from work.

and abandon it from eating it after the time of the removal (see Mechilta). Another interpretation: you shall release it from real work, such as plowing and sowing, and abandon it from fertilizing and hoeing.

and what they leave over, the beasts of the field shall eat [This is written in order] to liken the food of the poor to the food of the beast. Just as the beast eats without tithing, so do the poor eat without tithing. From here [we derive] that there are no tithes in the seventh year. -[From Mechilta]

So shall you do to your vineyard And the beginning of the verse is speaking of a grain field, as is stated above [verse 10]: “You may sow your land.”

12 but on the seventh day you shall rest Even in the seventh year, the weekly Sabbath, commemorating the Creation, shall not be uprooted, [so] that you shall not say that since the entire year is referred to as “Sabbath,” the weekly Sabbath need not be observed in it [the Sabbatical Year]. -[From Mechilta]

in order that your ox and your donkey shall rest Give it rest, to permit it to tear up and eat grass from the earth. Or perhaps it [this verse] means that one must confine it indoors? [But] you must say that this [confining them indoors] would not be rest but discomfort. -[From Mechilta]

your maidservant’s son The text is speaking of an uncircumcised slave. [From Mechilta]

and the stranger This refers to a resident alien. -[From Mechilta]

13 Concerning all that I have said to you you shall beware Heb. תִּשָׁמֵרוּ . [This verse comes] to give every positive commandment the stringency of a prohibition [i.e., negative commandment], for every exhortation to beware (שְׁמִירָה) in the Torah is a prohibition, [and it appears] instead of a negative expression.

you shall not mention That one should not say to another, “Wait for me beside such-and-such an idol,” or “Meet me on the day [dedicated to] such-and-such an idol” (Mechilta, Sanh. 63b). Another explanation: Concerning all that I have said to you, you shall beware, and the name of the gods of strangers you shall not mention -[this comes] to teach you that idolatry is tantamount to all the commandments [combined], and whoever is careful with it is considered as if he has observed them all. -[see Kid. 40a, Ned. 25a, Shev. 29a, Chul. 5a, Rashi on Num. 15:23, Deut. 12:28, Er. 69b]

it shall not be heard from the gentile.

through your mouth [Meaning] that you shall not enter a partnership with a gentile, so that he would swear to you by his pagan deity. The result [if he does swear] will be that you will indirectly cause it [the deity] to be mentioned through yourself [i.e., through a claim you made against him]. -[From Sanh. 63b] I.e., the occasion may arise that the gentile partner is required to swear something to his Jewish partner, and he will swear by his deity. [From Sanh. 63b] 14 times Heb. רְגָלִים , [synonymous with] פְּעָמִים , times, and similarly, “that you have struck me already three times (רְגָלִים) ” (Num. 22:28).

15 the month of springtime Heb. חֽדֶשׁ הָאָבִיב , [the month] in which the grain fills out in its greenness (בְּאִבֶּיהָ) . [Alternatively,] אָבִיב is an expression [related to the word for] a father אָב , the firstborn and the earliest [month] to ripen fruits.

and they shall not appear before Me empty- handed When you come to appear before Me on the festivals, bring Me burnt offerings. -[From Mechilta, Chag. 7a]

16 And the festival of the harvest That is the feast of Shavuoth.

the first fruits of your labors which is the time of the bringing of the first fruits for the two breads, which are brought on Shavuoth [and serve to] permit the new grain [to be used] for meal offerings and [also] to bring the first fruits to the Sanctuary, as it is said: “And on the day of the first fruits, etc.” (Num. 28:26).

and the festival of the ingathering That is the festival of Succoth. when you gather in [the products of] your labors For during the entire summer, the grain dries out in the fields, and on the festival [of Succoth], they gather it into the house because of the rains [that are about to fall].

17 Three times, etc. Since the context deals with the seventh year, it was necessary to say that the three pilgrimage festivals would not be uprooted from their place. -[From Mechilta]

all your males Heb. כָּל-זְכוּרְךָ . All the males among you.

18 You shall not sacrifice the blood of My sacrifice with leaven You shall not slaughter the Passover sacrifice on the fourteenth of Nissan until you have done away with the leaven. -[From Mechilta, Pes. 63a]

and the fat of My festive sacrifice shall not stay overnight off the altar. -[From Mechilta] until morning One may think that even on the altar pyre it would become disqualified. Therefore, the Torah states: “on its pyre on the altar all night” (Lev. 6:2). shall not stay overnight Only at dawn is it considered [as if the fat of the sacrifice had been] staying overnight, as it is said: “until morning,” but all night he may pick it [the fat] up from the floor [and return it] onto the altar. -[From Zev. 87a]

19 The choicest of the first fruits of your soil Even in the seventh year, the offering of bikkurim is obligatory. Therefore, it is stated here, too: “the first fruits of your soil.” How are the bikkurim chosen? A person enters his field and sees a fig that has ripened. He winds a blade of grass around it as a sign and sanctifies it. Bikkurim are [brought as an offering] only from the seven species enumerated in Scripture: “A land of wheat and barley, and vines and figs and pomegranates, a land of oil-yielding olives and honey” (Deut. 8:8). -[From Bik. 3:1]

You shall not cook a kid Heb. גְּדִי . A calf and a lamb are also included in [the term] גְּדִי , for גְּדִי is only an expression of a tender young animal. [This you know] from what you find in many places in the Torah where גְּדִי is written, and it was necessary to write after it עִזִים [to qualify it as a kid], for example, “I will send you a kid גְּדִי עִזִים ” (Gen. 38:17); “the kid גְּדִי הָעִזִים ” (Gen. 38: 20); “two kids גְּדָיֵי עִזִים ” (Gen. 27:9); to teach you that wherever גְּדִי is mentioned unqualified, it also means a calf and a lamb. This [prohibition] is written in three places in the Torah, one for the prohibition of eating [meat with milk], one for the prohibition of deriving any benefit [from meat with milk], and one for the prohibition of cooking [meat with milk]. -[From Chul. 113b, 115b] 20

Behold, I am sending an angel before you Here they were informed that they were destined to sin, and the Shechinah would say to them, “for I will not ascend in your midst” (Exod. 33:3). -[From Exod. Rabbah 32:3]

that I have prepared to give to you. This is its simple meaning. Its midrashic interpretation is:

that I have prepared My place is already recognizable opposite it. This is one of the verses that state that the heavenly Temple is directly opposite the earthly Temple. [From Midrash Tanchuma 18]

21 do not rebel against him Heb. תַּמֵּר , an expression of rebellion הַמְרָאָה , like “Any man who rebels (יַמְרֶה) against your orders” (Josh. 1:18).

for he will not forgive your transgression He is not accustomed to that [i.e., forgiving], for he is of the group that do not sin. And moreover, he is a messenger, and he can do only his mission. -[From Midrash Tanchuma 18]

for My Name is within him [This clause] is connected to the beginning of the verse: Beware of him because My Name is associated with him. Our Sages, however, said: This is [the angel] Metatron, whose name is like the name of his Master (Sanh. 38b). The numerical value of מֵטַטְרוֹן [314] equals that of שַׁדַּי [314]. -[From Tikunei Zohar 66b]

22 and oppress Heb. וְצַרְתִּי , as the Targum [Onkelos] renders: וְאָעֵיק , and I will cause distress.

24 but you shall tear them down Those gods.

their monuments Heb. מַצֵּבֽתֵיהֶם . Stones they erect (מַצִּיבִין) upon which to prostate themselves before them [idols]. 26

There will be no bereaved… woman if you comply with My will.

bereaved… woman Heb. מְשַׁכֵּלָה . [A woman who] miscarries or buries her children is called מְשַׁכֵּלָה .

27 and I will confuse Heb. וְהַמּֽתִי , like הָמַמְתִּי (I will confound), and its Aramaic translation is וֶאֱשַׁגֵּשׁ . Likewise, any word whose verb root has the last letter doubled, when it is converted to speak in the פָעַלְתִּי form [i.e., the first person past tense], in some instances the doubled letter is dropped [i.e., the third letter of the root], and a “dagesh” is placed into the [second] letter, and it is vowelized with a “melupum” [a “cholam”], like וְהַמּֽתִי [in this verse is] from the same root as in “and the wheel of his wagon shall be confused (וְהָמַם) ” (Isa. 28:28); “And I turned about (וְסַבּוֹתִי) ” (Eccl. 2:20), [which is] from the same root as “and go around (וְסָבַב) ” (I Sam. 7:16); “I was poor (דַּלוֹתִי) ” (Ps. 116:6), from the same root as “became impoverished (דָלְלוּ) ” (Isa. 19:6); “have I engraved you (חַקֽתִיךְ) ” (Isa. 49:16), from the same root as “resolves of (חִקְקֵי) heart” (Jud. 5: 15); “whom did I oppress (רַצּֽתִי) ” (I Sam. 12:3), from the same root as “When he oppressed רִצַץ , he abandoned the poor” (Job 20:19). The one who translates וְהַמּֽתִי as וְאֶקְטַל , “and I will kill,” is in error, because if this was from the same root as מִיתָה , death, the “hey” of this word would not be vowelized with a “pattach,” and the “mem” would not be punctuated with a “dagesh” and not be vowelized with a “melupum,” rather וְהֵמַתִּי (with a “tzeirei,”) like “and You will kill (וְהֵמַתָּה) this nation” (Num. 14:15), and the “tav” would be punctuated with a “dagesh,” because it would represent two “tav”s, one a root letter (מוּת) and one [“tav”] a suffix, like “I said, (אָמַרְתִּי) ” “I sinned (חָטָאתִי) ,” “I did (עָשִׂיתִי) ,” and so, in “and I will give (וְנָתַתִּי) ,” the “tav” is punctuated with a “dagesh,” because it comes instead of two [“tav”s], because there should have been three “tav”s, two of the root, like “on the day the Lord delivered up (תֵּת) ” (Josh. 10:12), “it is a gift of (מַתַּת) God” (Eccl. 3:13), and the third [“tav”] as a suffix.

their backs That they will flee from before you and turn their backs to you.

28 the tzir’ah [This was] a kind of flying insect, which would strike them [people] in their eyes, inject venom into them, and they would die (Tanchuma 18). The tzir’ah did not cross the Jordan, and the Hittites and the Canaanites are [those of] the land of Sihon and Og. Therefore, out of all the seven nations [the Torah] did not count [any] but these. As for the Hivvites, although they were on the other side of the Jordan, in tractate Sotah (36a) our Rabbis taught: It stood on the bank of the Jordan and cast venom upon them.

29 desolate Empty of human beings, since you are few and there are not enough of you to fill it [the land]. and… outnumber you Heb. וְרַבָּה ,

and will outnumber you. [The word וְרַבָּה is not an adjective, but a verb in the past tense. The “vav” converts it to the future.]

30 until you have increased Heb. תִּפְרֶה . You will increase, an expression of fruit, similar to “Be fruitful (פְּרוּ) and multiply” (Gen. 1:28).

31 And I will make Heb. וְשַׁתִּי , an expression of הֲשָׁתָה , [meaning] placing. The “tav” is punctuated with a “dagesh” because it represents two “tav”s, since there is no [expression of] placing [or making, שִׁיתָה ] without a “tav,” and the second one is [needed] for a suffix.

to the river [Meaning] the Euphrates.-[from targumim]

and you shall drive them out Heb. וְגֵרַשְׁתָּמוֹ , [the equivalent of] וּתְגָרְשֵׁם , and you shall drive them out.

33 that you will worship, etc. Heb. כִּי תַעֲבֽד וְגוֹ' כִּי-יִהְיֶה וְגוֹ' . These [instances of] כִּי are used instead of אֲשֶׁר [i.e.,] that, and so it is in many places. This is [similar to] the usage of אִי , if, which is one of the four expressions for which כִּי is used (Rosh Hashanah 3a). We also find אִם used as an expression of כַּאֲשֶׁר , when, in many places, such as “And when (וְאִם) you offer up an offering of first fruits (Lev. 2:14), which is obligatory [and not optional].

Chapter 24

1 And to Moses He said, “Come up… ” This section was [actually] said before the Ten Commandments [were given] (Mechilta 19:10). On the fourth of Sivan, “Come up” was said to him [Moses]. [Midrash Lekach Tov, based on Mechilta and Mechilta d’Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai on Exod. 19:10, Shab. 88a] See also Midrash Hagadol on this.

2 And Moses alone shall approach to the opaque darkness. -[Midrash Lekach Tov]

3 So Moses came and told the people on that day.

all the words of the Lord The commandments of separation [of the men from the women] and setting boundaries [around the mountain so that people would not cross].

and all the ordinances The seven commandments that the Noachides were commanded [to observe], in addition to [keeping] the Sabbath, honoring one’s father and mother, [the laws of] the red cow, and laws of jurisprudence, which were given to them in Marah. -[Mechilta on Exod. 19:10, Sanh. 56b] [Since this was before the giving of the Torah, there were only these commandments and ordinances.]

4 And Moses wrote [the Torah’s text] from “In the beginning” (Gen 1:1), until the giving of the Torah. He [also] wrote the commandments that they were commanded in Marah. [Again, since all this took place before the giving of the Torah, Moses could write only up to that point.]

and he arose early in the morning on the fifth of Sivan. -[From Mechilta on Exod. 19:10, Shab. 88a]

5 the youths Heb. נַעֲרֵי , the firstborn. -[From targumim, Zev. 115b, Num. Rabbah 4:8]

6 And Moses took half the blood Who [first] divided it [exactly in half]? An angel came and divided it. -[From Lev. Rabbah 6:5]

in the basins Two basins, one for half the blood of the burnt offering and one for half the blood of the peace offering, [in order] to sprinkle them on the people. From here our Sages learned that our ancestors entered the covenant with circumcision, immersion [in a mikvah], and the sprinkling of the blood [of the sacrifice on the altar], for there is no sprinkling [of blood on a person] without immersion [preceding it]. -[From Yev. 46b, Kreis. 9b]

7 the Book of the Covenant from “In the beginning” (Gen 1:1) until the giving of the Torah, and he [also wrote] the commandments that they were commanded in Marah. -[From Mechilta, Exod. 19:10]

8 and sprinkled [it] Heb. וַיִזְרֽק , an expression of sprinkling, and the Targum renders: and sprinkled it on the altar to atone for the people.

10 and they perceived the God of Israel They gazed and peered and [because of this] were doomed to die, but the Holy One, blessed is He, did not want to disturb the rejoicing of [this moment of the giving of] the Torah. So He waited for Nadab and Abihu [i.e., to kill them,] until the day of the dedication of the Mishkan, and for [destroying] the elders until [the following incident:] “And the people were as if seeking complaints… and a fire of the Lord broke out against them and devoured at the edge (בִּקְצֵה) of the camp” (Num. 11:1). [ בִקְצֵה denotes] the officers (בִקְצִינִים) of the camp [i.e., the elders]. -[From Midrash Tanchuma Beha’alothecha 16]

like the forming of a sapphire brick that was before Him at the time of the bondage, to remember Israel’s straits [i.e.,] that they were enslaved in the making of bricks. -[From Lev. Rabbah 23:8]

and like the appearance of the heavens for clarity Since they were [finally] redeemed, there was light and joy before Him. -[From Lev. Rabbah 23:8]

and like the appearance Heb. וּכְעֶצֶם , as the Targum (Onkelos) renders וּכְמֶחֱזֵי : an expression meaning appearance.

for clarity Heb. לָטֽהַר , an expression meaning clear and unclouded. -[From Lev. Rabbah 23:8] I.e., during the bondage of the Israelites, the sapphire brick clouded the heavens, but after the Exodus, the heavens became clear and not a cloud was in sight. - [Lev. Rabbah 23:8]

11 And upon the nobles They are Nadab and Abihu and the elders. -[From Midrash Tanchuma Beha’alothecha 16]

He did not lay His hand This indicates that they deserved that a hand be laid upon them.

and they perceived God They gazed at Him with levity, while [they were] eating and drinking. So is the [interpretation of] Midrash Tanchuma (Beha’alothecha 16). Onkelos, however, did not render [this clause] in this manner. אֲצִילֵי means great ones, like [in the phrases:] “and from its nobles (וּמֵאֲצִילֶיהָ) I called you” (Isa. 41:9); “and He magnified (וַיָּאצֶל) some of the spirit” (Num. 11:25); “six large cubits (אַצִּילָה) ” (Ezek. 41:8).

12 And the Lord said to Moses After the giving of the Torah.

Come up to Me to the mountain and remain there for forty days.

the stone tablets, the Law and the commandments, which I have written to instruct them All 613 mitzvoth are included in the Ten Commandments. In the “Azharoth” that he composed for each commandment [of the Ten], Rabbenu Saadiah [Goan] explained the mitzvoth dependent upon it [each commandment]. [from Jonathan, Num. Rabbah 13:16]

13 So Moses and Joshua, his servant, arose I do not know what business Joshua had here, but I would say that the disciple [Joshua] escorted his mentor [Moses] until the place of the limits of the boundaries of the mountain, for he was not permitted to go past that point. From there Moses alone ascended to the mountain of God. Joshua pitched his tent and waited there for forty days. So we find that when Moses descended, “Joshua heard the voice of the people as they shouted” (Exod. 32:17). We learn [from there] that Joshua was not with them.

14 And to the elders he said upon his departure from the camp.

Wait for us here Wait here with the rest of the people in the camp [so that you will] be ready to judge each person’s quarrel.

Hur He was Miriam’s son, and his father was Caleb the son of Jephunneh, as it is said: “and Caleb took to himself Ephrath, and she bore to him Hur” (I Chron. 2:19). Ephrath was Miriam, as is stated in Sotah (11b).

whoever has a case lit., whoever is a master of words, whoever has litigation. -[From targumim]

16 and the cloud covered it Our Sages disagree on the matter. Some say that these are the six days from the New Moon [until Shavuoth, the day of the giving of the Torah -(old Rashi)].

and the cloud covered it The mountain.

and He called to Moses on the seventh day to say the Ten Commandments, and [in fact] Moses and all Israel were standing [and listening to the Ten Commandments], but the text bestowed honor upon Moses [by mentioning only him]. Others say that the cloud covered Moses for six days after the Ten Commandments [were given], and they [these days] were at the beginning of the forty days that Moses ascended to receive the tablets (Yoma 4a). It teaches you that whoever enters the camp of the Shechinah requires six days separation [seclusion from society] (Yoma 3b).

18 within the cloud This cloud was a kind of smoke, and the Holy One, blessed is He, made a path (another version A canopy) within it. -[From Yoma 4b]

Ketubim: Psalm 58:1-12

Rashi	Targum
1. For the conductor, al tashcheth; of David a michtam.	1. For praise; concerning the distress in the time when David said, “Do no harm”; composed by David, humble and innocent.
2. Is it true that You were silent about the righteousness/ generosity that You should have spoken, the equities [with which] You should have judged the children of men?	2. In very truth are you silent, O righteous/generous ones, in the time of strife? It is fitting that you speak righteousness/generosity, that you judge uprightly the sons of men.
3. Even in your heart, you plot injustice; in the earth, you weigh down the violence of your hands.	3. But, O wicked/Lawless, wherefore do you commit iniquity/Lawlessness in the heart, wherefore do your hands establish crime on the earth?
4. The wicked/Lawless become estranged [even] from the womb; those who speak lies go astray from birth.	4. The wicked/Lawless have become strangers from birth; those who utter falsehood have gone astray from the womb.
5. They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like a deaf cobra that closes its ear,	5. Poison is theirs like the poison of the serpent; like the deaf adder that stops up his ears.
6. Which will not hear the voice of charmers, the most cunning caster of spells.	6. Lest it should accept the words of the wizards, the charmers of snakes; He is wiser than those who cast spells.
7. O God, smash their teeth in their mouth; break the molars of lions, O Lord.	7. O God, smash their teeth in their mouth; and shatter the fangs of the lions’ offspring, O Lord.
8. Let them be rejected; let them walk as [through] water; He will aim His arrows as though they are cut down.	8. Let them dissolve in their sins; like water, let them flow away; and He draws arrows at them, and they will be cut in pieces.
9. Like a snail, which continuously melts, a mole [and a] stillbirth, which did not see the sun.	9. Like the crawling snail whose path is disgusting, like the abortion and the mole who are blind and have not seen the sun;
10. Before your tender briars develop into hardened thorns, with vigor, with wrath, He will drive them away as a storm wind.	10. Before the soft wicked/Lawless become as hard as thorns, while they are moist, while they are like unripe fruit, may he destroy them by the storm wind.
11. The righteous/generous man will rejoice because he saw revenge; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked/Lawless.	11. The righteous/generous will rejoice, for he has seen retribution on them; he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked/Lawless man.
12. And man will say, "Truly, the righteous/generous man has reward; truly there is a God Who judges on earth."	12. And the sons of men will say, “Truly there is a good reward for the righteous/generous, truly there is a God whose judgments extend to the earth.”

Rashi Commentary for: Psalm 58:1-12

1 michtam The name of the melody of a song.

2 Is it true Heb. האמנם . This is an expression of truth.

Is it true that you were silent about the righteousness that you should have spoken, etc. He recited this psalm concerning [the incident] when he entered the barricade where Saul was lying, took the spear and the jug, went away, and called, “Will you not answer, Abner?” (I Sam. 26:14). That is to say, “Shouldn’t you now prove to Saul and show him that he pursues me for no reason? For had I wished, I would have killed him.” And so did he say in his song: Is it true that the righteousness that you should have said and the equities with which you should have judged have been silenced from your mouth? The righteousness that you should have spoken.

3 Even in your heart, you plot injustice And not only that, but in your heart you plot evil, to do injustice.

injustice lit. wrongs, like עַוָלוֹת as one says from שוֹר , שורים , and from עיר , עירים (Jud. 10:4): “and they had thirty cities (עירים) ,” which is an expression of עיר , a city.

in the earth, you weigh down the violence of your hands Inside the earth, you weigh down the violence of your hands until it is very heavy. תְפַלֵּסוּן is contrepesez or contrepezeres in Old French, you outweigh. (See Isa. 26:7.)

4 The wicked become estranged [even] from the womb From their mother’s womb they become strange to the Holy One, blessed be He, in the way that Esau did (Gen. 25:22): “And the children moved violently against each other in her womb.” become estranged Heb. זֽרו , like נזורוּ , the same construction as (Jer. 2:12): “O heavens (שֽֽֽמו) , be astonished”; (Gen. 49: 23), “they heaped bitter abuse upon him and became [his] opponents (ורֽבו) ”; (Job 24:24), “They are taken away (רוֹמוּ) in a second.” All these are in the passive voice.

5 They have venom They have venom to kill people, like the venom of a serpent.

like a deaf cobra that closes its ear When the snake ages, it becomes deaf in one ear, and closes the other ear with dust so that it should not hear the incantation of the charmer, adjuring it not to cause injury.

6 Which will not hear, etc. This is connected to the preceding verse: “and it closes its ear in order not to hear the voice of charmers.”

caster of spells who knows how to charm snakes.

7 molars The inner teeth, called messelers in Old French, molars, grinders.

8 Let them be rejected by themselves, that they will be rejected in their own eyes from worry, and as [if] in water let them walk. Similar to this is (Ezek. 7: 17): “and all knees will go [as in] water,” from tears.

He will aim His arrows i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He, so that they will be cut off. יתמֽללוּ is soyent preciz, let them be cut off.

9 a snail Heb. שבלול . Some interpret it as limace in Old French, a snail (as in Lev. 11:30). Others interpret it as שבּֽלת , a current of water (below 69:16). The “lammed” is doubled, as from (Job 18:16): “his branch will be cut off (ימל) ; (below 90:6), “will be cut off (ימולל) and will dry up.”

melts it continuously melts. תֶּמֶס is a noun, the “mem” being the fundamental radical and the “tav” a defective radical, like the “tav” of (Lev. 20:12): “they committed a disgraceful act (תבל) .”

a mole Heb. נפל אשת , talpe in Old French, which has no eyes. It is identified as תִּנְשֶׁמֶת (in Lev. 11:30), translated [by Onkelos] as אשותא . So did our Sages explain it (M.K. 6b). Others explain it as a stillbirth of a woman. אשת is like (Ezek. 23:44): “women of (אשת) lewdness.” There is a “tav” without the construct state, as (Prov. 4:9): “she will transmit to you, a crown of glory (עטרת תפארת) ,” like “a stillbirth of a woman (אשה) ,” for the stillbirths born did not see the sun. According to the former explanation, it is like נפל ואשת , a stillbirth and a mole, as (Jer. 11:19): “And I was like a lamb a bull (ככבש אלוף) ,” which Menachem explained: like a lamb and a bull (ככבש ואלוף) . That is, a bull; here too, a stillbirth and a mole נפל ואשת . It is proper to emend.

10 Before your tender briars develop into hardened thorns lit. before your tender briars know hardened thorns. That before your tender briars know to be hardened thorns, i.e., before the children of the wicked grow up.

with vigor, with wrath i.e., with might, with strength, and with wrath will the Holy One, blessed be He, drive them away as [with] a storm wind. with vigor חי is an expression of might.

12 And man will say, “Truly, the righteous man has reward” Then people will say, “Surely there is reward and recompense in the deeds of the righteous, since the Holy One, blessed be He, avenged their wrongs.”

there is a God A Judge, Who judges the wicked on the earth.

Ashlamatah: Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 48:10-18 + 49:3

Rashi	Targum of Isaiah
10. Behold I have refined you, but not as silver; I have chosen for you the crucible of poverty.	Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have tried you in an oppression of poverty.
11. For My sake, for My sake I will do, for how will it be profaned? And My honor I will not give to another. {P}	For My name’s sake, for My Memra’s sake I will acts, that nothing should be profaned. My glory – with which I am revealed to you – I will not give to another people.
12. Hearken to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, who was called by Me, I am He, I am first, yea I am last.	Attend to My Memra, O those of the house of Jacob, and Israel, whom I appointed! I am He, I am He that is from the first, even the ages of the ages are Mine, and besides Me there is no God.
13. Even My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand measured the heavens with handbreadths; I call them, they stand together.	Indeed, by My Memra I founded the earth, by My might I stretched out the heavens; I called to them, they stood forth together.
14. All of you, gather and hearken, who of them told these? The Lord loves him, who will do His work in Babylon and [show] His arm [upon the] Chaldeans.	Assemble, all of you, and hear! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD because He has compassion on Israel, will perform His pleasure on Babylon, and the strength of His mighty arm He will reveal against the Chaldeans.
15. I, yea I spoke, I even called him, I brought him, and his way prospered.	I, even I, by My Memra decreed a covenant with Abraham your father and exalted him, I brought him to the land of My Shekhinah’s house and i prospered his way.
16. Draw near to Me, hearken to this; in the beginning I did not speak in secret, from the time it was, there was I, and now, the Lord God has sent me, and His spirit. {P}	Draw near to My Memra, hear this from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time the Gentiles separated from My fear, from there I brought Abraham near to My service.” The prophet said, And now the LORD God has sent me and His Memra.
17. So said the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you for your profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.	Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; “I am the LORD your God who teaches you to profit, who declares to you the way you should go in.
18. Had you hearkened to My commandments, your peace would be as a river, and your righteousness/ generosity like the waves of the sea. {S}	If you had hearkened to My commandments then your peace would have been like the overflowing of the Euphrates river, and your innocence like the waves of the sea.
19. And your seed would be like the sand and those emanating from your innards [would be] like its innards; his name will neither be cut off nor destroyed from before Me.	Then your sons would have been numerous as the sand of the sea, and your son’s sons as its pebbles; the name of Israel would not cease or be destroyed before Me forever.”
20. Leave Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare, tell this, publicize it to the end of the earth; say, "The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob."	Go forth from Babylon, flee from the province of the land of the Chaldeans, declare this with a shout of joy, announce it, send it forth to the ends of the earth; say: “The LORD has redeemed his servants, those of the house of Jacob!”
21. And they did not thirst when He led them in the wastelands, He made water run from a rock for them; He split a rock and water flowed.	He did not let them thirst [when] He led them through the deserts; He brought forth water for them from the rock; He cleft the rock and the water gushed out.
22. "There is no peace," said the Lord. "for the wicked/Lawless." {P}	“There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked/Lawless.”
1. Hearken, you islands, to me, and listen closely, you nations, from afar; the Lord called me from the womb, from the innards of my mother He mentioned my name.	Attend to My Memra, O islands, and hearken, you kingdoms from afar. The LORD appointed me before I was, from the body of my mother He made mention of my name.
2. And He made my mouth like a sharp sword, He concealed me in the shadow of His hand; and He made me into a polished arrow, He hid me in His quiver.	He placed His words in my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of His might He protected me; He made me like a select arrow which in a quiver is hidden.
3. And He said to me, "You are My servant, Israel, about whom I will boast."	And He said to me: “You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
4. And I said, "I toiled in vain, I consumed my strength for naught and vanity." Yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my deed is with my God. {S}	But I said: “I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my judgment is disclosed before the LORD, and the recompense of deeds before my God.”

Rashi Commentary for: Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 48:10-18 + 49:3

10 but not as silver [lit. but not with silver.] Not with the fire of Gehinnom, as silver is refined through fire.

I have chosen for you Heb. בְּחַרְתִּיךָ . I have chosen for you the crucible of poverty as opposed to the crucible of fire. A crucible (כּוּר) is a vessel in which they melt silver and gold.

11 For My sake For the sake of My holy name.

for how shall it be profaned How shall My name be profaned when I utterly destroy you?

And My honor I will not give to another That your enemies shall say that their God is powerful.

12 Hearken to Me, O Jacob The name that your father called you.

and Israel, who was called by Me You were called Israel by Me (Gen. 32:29). Jonathan renders: Israel, My summoned one.

14 The Lord loves him He who will perform the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, upon Babylon.

and [show] His arm He will show in the land of the Chaldees, and concerning Cyrus he states this.

15 I redeemed Israel from Egypt, and I will redeem all Israel from the last exile and from the four corners of the earth.

I even called him [i.e., I called] Cyrus. Others say: The Lord loves Israel. I even called him, [i.e.,] Abraham. This calling is an expression of exaltation, to be My called one. Comp. (Num. 1:16), “These are the called ones of the congregation.”

16 from the time it was, there was I [Jonathan paraphrases:] From the time the nations ceased fearing Me, there I brought Abraham your father near to My service.

and now, the Lord God has sent me, and His spirit [Jonathan paraphrases:] Said the prophet, “And now, the Lord God has sent me, and His word.” This is an intermingling of words. The one who said this did not say that [i.e., the first part of the verse was said by God, and the second part by the prophet]. And the Aggadic Midrash of Rabbi Tanhuma (Yithro 21) explains: Hearken to thisThis alludes to Moses’ Torah, referred to as “This is the Torah.” In the beginning, I did not speak in secretat Sinai. And the prophet says, “From the time that thing was that, He says, I was there.” And we learned from here that all the prophets stood at Sinai. And now He sent me to prophesy to them. Even in this version there is an intermingling of words. “In the beginning I did not speak in secret,” was said by the Shechinah. “From the time it was, there was I,” was said by the prophet. It is possible to interpret it so that there should not be intermingling of words [as follows:] Draw near to me, hearken to this what I prophesy to you regarding the downfall of Babylon and your redemption. In the beginning I did not speak that in secret. From the time it was, that the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed to bring it, there I was. This teaches that from the time of the decree, the Holy One, blessed be He, appoints the prophet who is destined to prophesy regarding the matter in the council of the heavenly household, although it has not yet been created.

19 like its innards of the sea, like the fish of the sea for multitude.

22 for the wicked/lawless For Nebuchadnezzar and his seed.

1 called me from the womb When I was still in the womb, the thought came before Him that my name should be Isaiah (יְשַׁעְיָה) to prophesy salvations (יְשׁוּעוֹת) and consolations.

2 And He made my mouth like a sharp sword to castigate the wicked and to prophesy retribution upon them.

He concealed me in the shadow of His hand that they be unable to harm me.

into a polished arrow Heb. בָּרוּר , [lit. clear,] polished, kler in O.F. in His quiver A receptacle used as a case for arrows, called koujjbre in O.F.

4 And I said, I toiled in vain when I saw that I admonish them and they do not obey.

Yet surely my right is with the Lord He knows that it is not from me but from them [i.e., He knows that their failure to obey is not due to my laziness, but to their obstinacy].

Mordechai (Mark) 8:22-26

ESV[1]	A,B,R.’s Version[2]	Greek[3]	Delitzsch[4]
22. And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.	22. And he came to Beth-Saida and they brought a blind man to him and were entreating him to touch him.	22. Καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς Βηθσαϊδάν. καὶ φέρουσιν αὐτῷ τυφλὸν καὶ παρακαλοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἵνα αὐτοῦ ἅψηται.	22 וַיָּבֹא אֶל־בֵּית צָיְדָה וַיָּבִיאוּ אֵלָיו אִישׁ עִוֵּר וַיִּתְחַנֲנוּ לוֹ לָגַעַת בּוֹ׃
23. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"	23. And he took the hand of the blind man and led him outside the village. And he spat on his eyes and placed his hands on him and asked him what he saw.	23. καὶ ἐπιλαβόμενος τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ τυφλοῦ ἐξήγαγεν αὐτὸν ἔξω τῆς κώμης, καὶ πτύσας εἰς τὰ ὄμματα αὐτοῦ, ἐπιθεὶς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῷ, ἐπηρώτα αὐτόν, εἴ τι βλέπει;	23 וַיֹּאחֶז בְּיַד הָעִוֵּר וַיּוֹלִיכֵהוּ אֶל־מִחוּץ לַכְּפָר וַיָּרָק בְּעֵינָיו וַיָּשֶׂם יָדָיו עָלָיו וַיִּשְׁאָלֵהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הֲרֹאֶה אָתָּה׃
24. And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking."	24. He looked and said, “I see the sons of men resembling walking trees.”	24. καὶ ἀναβλέψας ἔλεγε· βλέπω τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὅτι ὡς δένδρα ὁρῶ περιπατοῦντας.	24 וַיַּבֵּט וַיֹּאמֶר אֶרְאֶה אֶת־בְּנֵי הָאָדָם כִּי מִתְהַלְּכִים כְּאִילָנוֹת אֲנִי רֹאֶה׃
25. Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.	25. He again placed his hand upon his eyes. And he was restored and was seeing everything clearly.	25. εἶτα πάλιν ἐπέθηκε τὰς χεῖρας ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν ἀναβλέψαι, καὶ ἀποκατεστάθη, καὶ ἐνέβλεψε τηλαυγῶς ἅπαντας.	25 וַיּוֹסֶף וַיָּשֶׂם שֵׁנִית יָדָיו עַל־עֵינָיו וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה עֵינָיו וַיֵּרָפֵא וַיַּרְא הַכֹּל הֵיטֵב עַד־לְמֵרָחוֹק׃
26. And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."	26. And he sent him to his house and said, “Neither enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.”	26. καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ λέγων· μηδὲ εἰς τὴν κώμην εἰσέλθῃς μηδὲ εἴπῃς τινί ἐν τῇ κώμῃ.	26 וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ וַיֹּאמַר אַל־תָּבֹא אֶל־תּוֹךְ הַכְּפָר (וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּר לְאִישׁ בַּכְּפָר)׃

Hakham’s Rendition & Commentary

22. ¶ And he came to Bet Tsaida. And people brought a blind one to him, and pleaded with him that he would touch him.

23. And having taken hold of the blind one's hand, he led him forth outside the village. And spitting into his eyes, laying hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.

24. And having looked up [to heaven], he said, I see men as walking trees.

25. Then he placed [his] hands on his eyes again, and made him look up. And he was restored and saw all clearly.

26. And he sent him to his house, saying, “You may not go into the village, nor may tell anyone in the village.”

v. 22 - And he came to Bet Tsaida - According to Marcus[5] Bet Tsaida “was in what is now the Golan Heights on the east bank of the Jordan near where it enters the Sea of Galilee from the north, was a Hellenistic city with some Jewish inhabitants.” According to Josephus (War 3.515) it was a village which Herod Philip built into a city, increasing it population (Ant. 18.28) and built its fortifications.

v. 23 - he led him forth outside the village – The words of this passage seem to intimate that healing of the sight of this man by necessity needs the separation of this man from his village. Sometimes we can’t muster a heavenly perspective, or attain “heavenly insight” whilst in the midst of family and friends.[6]

v.23 - spitting into his eyes – [lit. “having spat on his eyes]. In the Babylonian Tractate Shabbat 108b we read; “[To put] tasteless saliva, even on the eye, is forbidden [on the Sabbath].” Further, in Tosefta Sanh. 12:10, R. Aqiba condemns magicians who spit on a wound. Here we read: ‘Abba Shaul says in the name of R. Aqiba, “Also he who whispers over a wound, ‘It is written, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I have put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD who heals you’ (Ex. 15:26), and who then spits, has no portion in the world to come.’”

Further, the Jewish Encyclopaedia under the term “SALIVA”[7] sates:

“Healing properties, especially in eye-diseases, were ascribed to saliva by the Jews and the early Christians as well as by the Greeks and Romans (Yer. Shab. xiv. 14d; Yer. 'Ab. Zarah ii. 40d; Sanh. 101a; B. B. 126b; Mark vii. 33, viii. 23; John ix. 6; comp. Pliny, "Historia Naturalis," vii. 2; xxviii. 4, 7, 22). The power of curing eye-diseases with saliva was ascribed to the emperor Vespasian (Tacitus, "Historia," iv. 8; Suetonius, "Vespasianis," vii.). Both ancient and modern superstition attributed to spittle the power to ward off malign influences (see Krenkel, "Beiträge zur Aufhellung der Geschichte des Apostels Paulus," 1890, pp. 84-88; Grimm, "Deutsche Mythologie," p. 681).”

v. 23 - if he saw anything – The Greek has εἴ τι βλέπει – lit. “If you see anything?” In the Septuagint the particle “εἴ” frequently translates for the Hebrew אִם “Im” – as is used at the beginning of our Torah Seder: “IF you lend money to My People ...”

v. 24 - And having looked up [to heaven] – the blind man could have directed his sight to what was in front of him, but he rather chose to “look up to the heavens’ and so his vision was restored but with a heavenly perspective. In other words, the healing had become too powerful, and the man’s sense of sight was not human but heavenly, and thus the text informs us that the man said: “I see men as walking trees.”

This experience is most interesting as the Peshat of Mordechai is instructing us that there are other modes of “seeing” which a literal hermeneutics fond it difficult to cope with, as it exceeds the limits of its capabilities. The Peshat (literal mode of interpretation) therefore leaves it up to other modes such as the Remes, Drash of So’od to deal with this other forms or perspectives of seeing. Nevertheless it acknowledges that there are different forms of “seeing” which are all equally valid forms of “seeing.”

It is here interesting to note that the Torah itself is called “a Tree of Life” (cf. Prov. 3:18). A “walking tree” is therefore a person who fully embodies in his mind, speech and conduct the words of the Torah – the essential calling/vocation for all mankind. A “walking tree” has a different perspective and vision of so called “reality.” Such a person no longer “sees” things from a physical and natural perspective, but rather from a heavenly/Torah perspective. Whilst the natural man sees persons walking, the man who embodies the Torah sees people not as they are but as they should be (i.e. in their potential) “walking trees.” Nevertheless because of a multitude of sins, and a life lived in continuous sin, many will never attain their true potential and gifts whereby the Creator, most blessed be He has called every man and woman to bring into fruition.

v. 26 - And he sent him to his house, saying, “You may not go into the village, nor may tell anyone in the village.” – Here is an interesting distinction being made by the Master, a distinction that divides Jews from Christians. According to the Master, and as is the custom of our people, “the more one ‘sees’ the less one should speak” and also “the more one ‘sees’ the more one becomes isolated and unable to speak openly with others for fear of being put to ridicule or ostracized as a “religious madman.” Therefore he who desires truth and insights from the Spirit of Holiness (separation), must understand that truth by nature separates, and if one is not willing to pay this price, no truth will be given to him/her, and the little he/she has will be for sure taken away. Moses had to separate himself from the people for forty days in order to receive the truth. The way of G-d is simply put “the walk of the lonely man of faithful obedience.”

Some Questions to Ponder:

1. After diligently reading and studying the different readings for this Shabbat what reading especially touched your heart and fired your imagination?

2. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 22:24?

3. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 22:27?

4. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 22:30?

5. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 23:1?

6. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 23:2?

7. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 23:7?

8. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 23:8?

9. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 23:15?

10. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 23:19?

11. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 23:20?

12. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 23:21?

13. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 24:3?

14. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 24:10?

15. What questions were asked of Rashi regarding Exodus 24:16?

16. What word/words/phrase/concept of the Torah fired the imagination of our Psalmist this week?
17. How is our Ashlamatah of Isaiah 48:10-18 + 49:3 related to our Torah Seder?
18. How is Mordechai (Mark) 8:22-26 related to our Torah Seder, Psalm and Ashlamatah?
19. In your opinion what is the basic teaching of Mordechai (Mark) 8:22-26?
20. In your opinion, and taking altogether our two Torah Seders, Psalm, Ashlamatah and the Pericope of Mark for this Shabbat, what do you think is the prophetic statement for the coming week?

Next Shabbat (Shebat 22, 5770):

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
וְיִקְחוּ-לִי תְּרוּמָה
“V’Yiq’chú Li T’rumáh”	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 25:1-9	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 26:1-4
“And let them take for Me an offering”	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 25:10-16	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 26:5-8
“Y tomen para Mí ofrenda”	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 25:17-22	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 26:9-14
Shemot (Exodus) 25:1-40	Reader 4 – Sh’mot 25:23-30
Ashlamatah: Haggai 2:8-15 +21-23	Reader 5 – Sh’mot 25:31-33
	Reader 6 – Sh’mot 25:34-36	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 26:1-4
Psalm 59:1-18	Reader 7 – Sh’mot 25:37-40	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 26:5-8
	Maftir – Sh’mot 25:37-40	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 26:9-14
N.C.: Mordechai (Mark) 8:27-30	Haggai 2:8-15 +21-23

Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

Paqid Adon Mikha ben Hillel

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[1] ESV (English Standard Version) as found in Rick Meyers (2009) E-Sword v. 9.5.1 - http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html

[2] Roth, A.G. (2009), Aramaic English New Testament, Netzari Press,

[3] Greek New Testament (Majority Text) as found in Rick Meyers (2009) E-Sword v. 9.5.1 - http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html

[4] Delitzsch, F., Hebrew New Testament, As found in: http://www.kirjasilta.net/ha-berit/Mar.html

[5] Marcus, J. (2000), The Anchor Bible: Mark 1 – 8 – A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary, New York: Doubleday, p. 422.

[6] As an aside, this entire pericope is constructed around the theme of “seeing.” In the original Greek of this pericope there are eight different words used for nine instances of ‘seeing” (cf. 8:23-25). See: Edwards, J. R. (2002), The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to Mark, Grand Rapids, Michigan: W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p. 243.

[7] http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=78&letter=S&search=spit