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Esnoga Bet El 102 Broken Arrow Dr. Paris TN 38242 United States of America © 2012 http://torahfocus.com/ E-Mail: waltoakley@charter.net

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

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings	Fourth Year of the Reading Cycle
Shebat 04, 5772 – Jan. 27/28, 2012	Fourth Year of the Shmita Cycle

Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times:

Conroe & Austin, TX, U.S. Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 5:45 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 6:41 PM	Brisbane, Australia Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 6:27 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 7:22 PM	Bucharest, Romania Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 4:59 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 6:04 PM
Chattanooga, & Cleveland, TN, U.S. Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 5:46 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 6:45 PM	Jakarta, Indonesia Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 6:00 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 6:50 PM	Manila & Cebu, Philippines Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 5:34 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 6:26 PM
Miami, FL, U.S. Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 5:42 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 6:37 PM	Olympia, WA, U.S. Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 4:48 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 5:26 PM	Murray, KY, & Paris, TN. U.S. Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 4:55 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 5:55 PM
Sheboygan & Manitowoc, WI, US Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 4:36 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 5:41 PM	Singapore, Singapore Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 7:01 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 7:52 PM	St. Louis, MO, U.S. Fri. Jan 27 2012 – Candles at 4:58 PM Sat. Jan 28 2012 – Havdalah 5:59 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,

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

His Excellency Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Vardit bat Sarah

Her Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor

His Honor Paqid Dr. Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

Her Excellency Prof. Dr. Conny Williams & beloved family

Her Excellency Giberet Gloria Sutton & beloved family

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 Ki Tiq’tsor”

(“When you reap”)

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
כִּי תִקְצֹר
“Ki Tiq’tsor”	Reader 1 – D’barim 24:19-22	Reader 1 – D’barim 28:1-5
“When you reap”	Reader 2 – D’barim 25:1-10	Reader 2 – D’barim 28:6-10
“Cuando siegues”	Reader 3 – D’barim 25:11-19	Reader 3 – D’barim 28:11-14
	Reader 4 – D’barim 26:1-11
D’barim (Deut.) 24:19 - 27:26	Reader 5 – D’barim 26:12-19
Ashlamatah: Hos. 10:12-14, 14:1-7	Reader 6 – D’barim 27:1-14	Reader 1 – D’barim 28:1-5
Psalm 136 - 139	Reader 7 – D’barim 27:15-26	Reader 2 – D’barim 28:6-10
	Maftir: D’barim 27:24-26	Reader 3 – D’barim 28:11-14
	Hos. 10:12-14, 14:1-7
N.C.: Mark 15:42-47 + 16:1-8

Blessings Before Torah Study

Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us through Your commandments, and commanded us to actively study Torah. Amen!

Please Ha-Shem, our G-d, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and our offspring's offspring, and all the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amen!

Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our G-d, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations, and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!

Ha-Shem spoke to Moses, explaining a Commandment. "Speak to Aaron and his sons, and teach them the following Commandment: This is how you should bless the Children of Israel. Say to the Children of Israel:

May Ha-Shem bless you and keep watch over you; - Amen!

May Ha-Shem make His Presence enlighten you, and may He be kind to you; - Amen!

May Ha-Shem bestow favor on you, and grant you peace. – Amen!

This way, the priests will link My Name with the Israelites, and I will bless them."

These are the Laws for which the Torah did not mandate specific amounts: How much growing produce must be left in the corner of the field for the poor; how much of the first fruits must be offered at the Holy Temple; how much one must bring as an offering when one visits the Holy Temple three times a year; how much one must do when doing acts of kindness; and there is no maximum amount of Torah that a person must study.

These are the Laws whose benefits a person can often enjoy even in this world, even though the primary reward is in the Next World: They are: Honouring one's father and mother; doing acts of kindness; early attendance at the place of Torah study -- morning and night; showing hospitality to guests; visiting the sick; providing for the financial needs of a bride; escorting the dead; being very engrossed in prayer; bringing peace between two people, and between husband and wife; but the study of Torah is as great as all of them together. Amen!

Reading Assignment:

The Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol 18: Deuteronomy – IV – Laws And Warnings

By: Rabbi Shmuel Yerushalmi, Translated by: Rabbi Eliyahu Touger

Published by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New York, 1991)

Vol. 17 – “Deuteronomy – IV – Laws & Warnings,” pp. 85-144.

Contents of the Torah Seder

· Generosity to the Landless – Deut. 24:19-22

· Excessive Punishment – Deut. 25:1-3

· Kindness to Animals – Deut. 25:4

· Levirate Marriage – Deut. 25:5-10

· Flagrant Immodesty – Deut. 25:11-12

· Honest Weights and Measures – Deut. 25:13-16

· Remembering Amalek – Deut. 25:17-19

· First Fruits and Acknowledgement of Divine Providence – Deut. 26:1-11

· Triennial Distribution of Tithes and Prayer – Deut. 26:12-15

· Formulation of the Covenant between G-d and Israel – Deut. 26:16-19

· Procedure on Crossing Jordan – Deut. 27:1-4

· Building an Altar – Deut. 27:5-8

· Noblesse Oblige – Deut. 27:9-10

· Manner of the Solemn Blessing and Doom – Deut 27:1-14

· The Solemn Dooms – Deut. 27:15-26

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan

for: D’barim (Deut.) 24:19 – 27:26

Rashi	Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
19. When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to take it; it shall be [left] for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord, your God, will bless you in all that you do.	19. When you have reaped your harvests in your fields, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you will not return to take it; let it be for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, that the Word of the Lord your God may bless you in all the works of your hands.
20. When you beat your olive tree, you shall not deglorify it [by picking all its fruit] after you; it shall be [left] for the stranger, the orphan and the widow.	20. When you beat your olive trees, you will not search them after (you have done it); for the stranger, the orphan, and widow, let it be. When you gather in your vineyard, you will not glean the branches after you; they will be for the stranger, the orphan, and widow.
21. When you pick the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean after you: it shall be [left] for the stranger, the orphan and the widow.	21. -----
22. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt: therefore, I command you to do this thing.	22. So remember that you were bondservants in the land of Mizraim; therefore I command you to do this thing.
1. If there is a quarrel between men, and they approach the tribunal, and they [the judges] judge them, and they acquit the innocent one and condemn the guilty one	1. If there be a controversy, between two men, then they will come to the judges, and they will judge them, and give the decision (or outweighing of) righteousness/generosity to the innocent, and of condemnation to the guilty.
2. and it shall be, if the guilty one has incurred [the penalty of] lashes, that the judge shall make him lean over and flog him in front of him, commensurate with his crime, in number.	2. And if the wicked deserve stripes, the judge will make him lie down, and they will scourge him in his presence by his judgment, according to the measure of his guilt.
3. He shall flog him with forty [lashes]; he shall not exceed, lest he give him a much more severe flogging than these [forty lashes], and your brother will be degraded before your eyes.	3. Forty (stripes) may be laid upon him, but with one less will he be beaten, (the full number) will not be completed, lest he should add to smite him beyond those thirty and nine, exorbitantly, and he be in danger; and that your brother may not be made despicable in your sight.
4. You shall not muzzle an ox when it is threshing [the grain].	4. You will not muzzle the mouth of the ox in the time of his treading out; nor the wife of the (deceased) brother, who would be mated with one smitten with an ulcer, and who is poorly related, will you tie up with him.
5. If brothers reside together, and one of them dies having no son, the dead man's wife shall not marry an outsider. [Rather,] her husband's brother shall be intimate with her, making her a wife for himself, thus performing the obligation of a husband's brother with her.	5. When brethren from the (same) father inhabit this world at the same time, and have the same inheritance, the wife of one of them, who may have died, will not go forth into the street to marry a stranger; her brother-in-law will go to her, and take her to wife, and become her husband.
6. And it will be, that the eldest brother [who performs the levirate marriage, if] she [can] bear will succeed in the name of his deceased brother, so that his [the deceased brother's] name shall not be obliterated from Israel.	6. And the first-born whom she bears will stand in the inheritance in the name of the deceased brother, that his name may not be blotted out from Israel.
7. But if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, the brother's wife shall go up to the gate, to the elders, and say, "My husband's brother has refused to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel he does not wish to perform the obligation of a husband's brother with me."	7. But if the man be not willing, to take his sister-in-law, then will his sister-in-law go up to the gate of the Beth Din before five of the Sages, three of whom will be judges and two of them witnesses, and let her say before them in the holy language: My husband's brother refuses to keep up the name of his brother in Israel, he is not willing to marry me.
8. Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and he shall stand up and say, "I do not wish to take her."	8. And the elders of his city will call him and speak with him, with true counsel; and he may rise up in the house of justice, and say in the holy tongue, I am not willing to take her.
9. Then his brother's wife shall approach him before the eyes of the elders and remove his shoe from his foot. And she shall spit before his face and answer [him] and say, "Thus shall be done to the man who will not build up his brother's household!"	9. Then will his sister-in-law come to him before the Sages, and there will be a shoe upon the foot of the brother-in-law, a heeled sandal whose latchets are tied, the latchets at the opening of the sandal being fastened; and he will stamp on the ground with his foot; and the woman will arise and untie the latchet, and draw off the sandal from his foot, and afterward spit before him, as much spittle as may be seen by the Sages, and will answer and say, So is it fit to be done to the man who would not build up the house of his brother.
10. And that family shall be called in Israel, "The family of the one whose shoe was removed."	10. And all who are standing there will exclaim against him, and call his name in Israel the House of the Unshod.
11. If [two] men, a man and his brother, are fighting together, and the wife of one of them approaches to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she stretches forth her hand and grabs hold of his private parts	11. While men are striving together, if the wife of one of them approach to rescue her husband from the hand of him who smites him, and putting forth her hand takes hold of the place of his private parts,
12. you shall cut off her hand You shall not have pity.	12. you will cut off her hand; your eyes will not pity.
13. You shall not keep in your pouch two different weights, one large and one small.	13. You will not have in your bag weights that are deceitful; great weights to buy with, and less weights to sell with.
14. You shall not keep in your house two different ephah measures, one large and one small.	14. Nor will you have in your houses measures that deceive; great measures to buy with, and less measures to sell with.
15. [Rather,] you shall have a full and honest weight, [and] a full and honest ephah measure, in order that your days will be prolonged on the land which the Lord, your God, gives you.	15. Perfect weights, and true balances will you have, perfect measures and scales that are true will be yours, that your days may be multiplied on the land which the Lord your God gives you.
16. For whoever does these things, whoever perpetrates such injustice, is an abomination to the Lord, your God.	16. For whosoever commits these frauds, everyone who acts falsely in trade, is an abomination before the Lord.
17. You shall remember what Amalek did to you on the way, when you went out of Egypt,	17. Keep in mind what the house of Amalek did unto you in the way, on your coming up out of Mizraim;
18. how he happened upon you on the way and cut off all the stragglers at your rear, when you were faint and weary, and he did not fear God.	18. how they overtook you in the way, and slew every one of those among you who were thinking to go aside from My Word; the men of the tribe of the house of Dan, in whose hands were idols (or things of strange worship), and the clouds overcast them, and they of the house of Amalek took them and mutilated them, and they were cast up: but you, O house of Israel, were faint and weary from great servitude of the Mizraee, and the terrors of the waves of the sea through the midst of which you had passed. Nor were the house of Amalek afraid before the Lord.
19. [Therefore,] it will be, when the Lord your God grants you respite from all your enemies around [you] in the land which the Lord, your God, gives to you as an inheritance to possess, that you shall obliterate the remembrance of Amalek from beneath the heavens. You shall not forget!	19. Therefore, when the Lord has given you rest from all your enemies round about in the land that the Lord Your God gives you to inherit for a possession, you will blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens; but of the days of the King Messiah you will not be unmindful.
1. And it will be, when you come into the land which the Lord, your God, gives you for an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it,	1. AND when you have entered into the land, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, and you possess and dwell in it;
2. that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you will bring from your land, which the Lord, your God, is giving you. And you shall put [them] into a basket and go to the place which the Lord, your God, will choose to have His Name dwell there.	2. you will take of the earliest first fruits which are ripe at the beginning of all the produce of the ground which you ingathered from the land which the LORD your God has given you, and put them into a basket, and go unto the place which the LORD your God will choose that His Shekinah may dwell there.
3. And you shall come to the kohen who will be [serving] in those days, and say to him, "I declare this day to the Lord, your God, that I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us."	3. And you will put crowns upon the baskets, hampers, and paper cases, and bring them to the priest appointed to be the chief priest in those days, and will say to him: We acknowledge this day before the LORD your God that we have come into the land which the LORD swore unto our fathers to give us.
4. And the kohen will take the basket from your hand, laying it before the altar of the Lord, your God."	4. And the priest will receive the basket of early fruits from your hand, and take, bring, uplift, and lower it, and afterward lay it down before the altar of the LORD your God.
5. And you shall call out and say before the Lord, your God, "An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a small number of people, and there, he became a great, mighty, and numerous nation.	5. And you will respond, and say before the LORD your God: Our father Jacob went down into Aram Naharia at the beginning, and (Laban) sought to destroy him; but the Word of the LORD saved him out of his hands. And afterwards went he down into Mizraim and sojourned there, a few people; but there did he become a great people, and mighty and many.
6. And the Egyptians treated us cruelly and afflicted us, and they imposed hard labor upon us.	6. But the Mizraee evil-treated and afflicted us, and laid heavy bondage upon us.
7. So we cried out to the Lord, God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.	7. But we prayed before the LORD our God, and the LORD hearkened to our prayers, our affliction and our travail; and our oppression was manifest before Him.
8. And the Lord brought us out from Egypt with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, with great awe, and with signs and wonders.	8. And the LORD brought us out of Mizraim with a mighty hand and uplifted arm, and with great visions, signs, and wonders,
9. And He brought us to this place, and He gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.	9. and brought us into this place, and gave us this land, a land of fruits rich as milk and sweet as honey.
10. And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground which you, O Lord, have given to me." Then, you shall lay it before the Lord, your God, and prostrate yourself before the Lord, your God.	10. Now, therefore, behold, I have brought the early firstlings of the fruit of the land which you have given me, O LORD. And you will lay them before the LORD your God, and worship,
11. Then, you shall rejoice with all the good that the Lord, your God, has granted you and your household you, the Levite, and the stranger who is among you.	11. and rejoice in all the good which the LORD your God gives you, you and the men of your house, and enjoy and eat, you, the Levites and the sojourners who are among you.
12. When you have finished tithing all the tithes of your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give [them] to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, so that they can eat to satiety in your cities.	12. When you make an end of tithing all the tenths of your produce in the third year, which is the year of release, you will give the first tenth to the Levites, the second tenth, which is the tithe of the poor, to the stranger, the orphan, and widow, that they may eat in your cities, and be satisfied.
13. Then you shall say before the Lord, your God, "I have removed the holy [portion] from the house, and I have also given it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, according to all Your commandment that You commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten [them].	13. But the third tenth you will bring up, and eat before the LORD your God, and you will say: “Behold, we have set apart the consecrations from the house, and have also given the first tenth to the Levites, the second tenth to the strangers, the fatherless, and the widow, according to the commandment which you have commanded me. I have not transgressed one of Your commandments, nor have I forgotten.
14. I did not eat any of it [second tithe] while in my mourning, nor did I consume any of it while unclean; neither did I use any of it for the dead. I obeyed the Lord, my God; I did according to all that You commanded me.	14. I have not eaten of it in the days of my mourning, nor separated from it for the unclean, neither have I given of it a covering for the soul of the dead: we have hearkened to the voice of the Word of the LORD; I have done according to all that You have commanded me.
15. Look down from Your holy dwelling, from the heavens, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given to us, as You swore to our forefathers a land flowing with milk and honey.	15. Look down from heaven, from the habitation of the glory of Your holiness, and bless Your people Israel, and the land which You have given to us, as You did swear unto our fathers, a land of fruits rich as milk and sweet as honey.”
16. This day, the Lord, your God, is commanding you to fulfill these statutes and ordinances, and you will observe and fulfill them with all your heart and with all your soul.	16. This day does the LORD our God command you to perform these statutes and judgments, which you will observe and do with all your heart and with all your soul.
17. You have selected the Lord this day, to be your God, and to walk in His ways, and to observe His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and to obey Him.	17. The LORD have you confessed with one confession in the world this day; for so it is written, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; that He may be your God, and that you may walk in the ways that are right before Him, and keep His statutes, commandments, and judgments, and be obedient unto His Word.
18. And the Lord has selected you this day to be His treasured people, as He spoke to you, and so that you shall observe all His commandments,	18. And the Word of the LORD does acknowledge (or honor) you with one acknowledgment in the world this day; as it is written, Who is as Your people Israel, a peculiar people upon the earth, to be to Him a people beloved, as He has said unto you, and that you may obey all His commandments?
19. and to make you supreme, above all the nations that He made, [so that you will have] praise, a [distinguished] name and glory; and so that you will be a holy people to the Lord, your God, as He spoke.	19. And He will set you on high, and exalt you above all the peoples He has made in greatness, and with a name of glory and splendor, that you may be a holy people before the LORD your God, as He has spoken.
1. And Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Observe all of the commandment that I command you this day.	1. And Mosheh and the elders of Israel instructed the people, saying: Observe all the commandments which I command you this day.
2. And it will be, on the day that you cross the Jordan to the land the Lord, your God, is giving you, that you shall set up for yourself huge stones, and plaster them with lime.	2. And it will be on the day that you pass over the Jordan into the land which the LORD your God gives you, that you will erect for you great stones, and plaster them with lime;
3. When you cross, you shall write upon them all the words of this Torah, in order that you may come to the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, God of your forefathers, has spoken to you.	3. and you will write upon them all the words of this Law, when you go over to enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, a land whose fruits are rich as milk and producing honey, as the LORD God of your fathers has said to you.
4. And it will be, when you cross the Jordan, that you shall set up these stones, [regarding] which I command you this day on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with lime.	4. When you pass over Jordan, you will erect the stones that I command you on the mountain of Ebal, and plaster them with lime;
5. And there, you shall build an altar to the Lord, your God, an altar of stones. You shall not wield any iron upon them.	5. and you will build there an altar before the LORD your God, an altar of stone, not lifting up iron upon it.
6. You shall build the altar of the Lord, your God, out of whole stones. And on it, you shall offer up burnt offerings to the Lord, your God.	6. With perfect stones you will build an altar to the LORD your God,
7. And you shall slaughter peace offerings, and you shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the Lord, your God.	7. and offer sacrifices upon it before the LORD your God. And you will immolate the consecrated victims, and eat there, and rejoice before the LORD your God.
8. You shall write upon the stones all the words of this Torah, very clearly.	8. And upon the stones you will write all the words of this Law with writing deeply (engraved) and distinct, which will be read in one language, but will be interpreted in seventy languages.
9. Moses and the Levitic priests spoke to all Israel, saying, "Pay attention and listen, O Israel! This day, you have become a people to the Lord, your God.	9. And Mosheh and the priests, the sons of Levi, spoke with all the people, saying: Listen, O Israel, and hear: This day are you chosen to be a people before the LORD your God.
10. You shall therefore obey the Lord, your God, and fulfill His commandments and His statutes, which I command you this day.	10. Hearken, therefore, to the Word of the LORD your God, and perform His commandments which I command you today.
11. And Moses commanded the people on that day, saying,	11. And Mosheh instructed the people that day, saying:
12. When you cross the Jordan, the following shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.	12. These tribes will stand to bless the people on the mountain of Gerezim when you have passed the Jordan, Shimeon, Levi, Jehudah, Issakar, Joseph, and Benjamin;
13. And the following shall stand upon Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naftali.	13. and these tribes will stand (to pronounce) the curses on the mountain of Ebal, - Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulon, Dan, and Naphtali.
14. The Levites shall speak up, saying to every individual of Israel, in a loud voice:	14. And the Levites proclaimed and said to every man of Israel with a high voice:
15. "Cursed be the man who makes any graven or molten image an abomination to the Lord, the handiwork of a craftsman and sets it up in secret! And all the people shall respond, saying, 'Amen!'	15. Six tribes will stand on Mount Gerezim, and six on Mount Ebal; and the ark, the priests, and Levites in the midst. In blessing they will turn their faces towards Mount Gerezim, and say: Blessed will be the man who makes not an image or form, or any similitude which is an abomination before the LORD, the work of the craftsman's hand, and who places not such in concealment. In cursing, they will turn their faces toward Mount Ebal, and say: Accursed be the man who makes an image, figure, or any similitude which is an abomination before the LORD, the work of the craftsman's hand, or who places such in concealment. And all of them will respond together, and say, Amen.
16. Cursed be he who degrades his father and mother. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'	16. Accursed is he who contemns the honor of his father or his mother. And all of them will answer together, and say, Amen.
17. Cursed be he who moves back his neighbor's landmark. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'	17. Accursed is he who will transfer the boundary of his neighbor. And all of them will answer together, and say, Amen.
18. Cursed be he who misguides a blind person on the way. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'	18. Accursed is he who causes the pilgrim, who is like the blind, to wander from the way. And all of them will answer together, and say, Amen.
19. Cursed be he who perverts the judgment of the stranger, the orphan, or the widow. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'	19. Accursed be he who perverts the judgment of the stranger, the widow, and the fatherless. And all will answer together, and say, Amen.
20. Cursed be he who lies with his father's wife, thus uncovering the corner of his father's garment. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'	20. Accursed is he who lies with his father's wife, because he uncovers his father's skirt. And all will answer together, and say, Amen.
21. Cursed be he who lies with any animal. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'	21. Accursed is he who lies with a beast. And all will answer together, and say, Amen.
22. Cursed be he who lies with his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'	22. Accursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or mother. And all will answer together, and say, Amen.
23. Cursed be he who lies with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'	23. Accursed is he who will lie with his mother-in-law. And all will answer together, and say, Amen.
24. Cursed be he who strikes his fellow in secret. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'	24. Accursed is he who attacks his neighbor with slander in secret. And all will answer together, and say, Amen.
25. Cursed be he who takes a bribe to put an innocent person to death. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'	25. Accursed is he who receives hire to kill and to shed innocent blood. And all will answer together, and say, Amen.
26. Cursed be he who does not uphold the words of this Torah, to fulfill them. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'	26. The twelve tribes, each and every, will pronounce the blessings altogether, and the curses altogether. In blessing, they will turn their faces (in pronouncing) word by word towards Mount Gerezim, and will say: Blessed is the man who confirms the words of this Law to perform them. In cursing, they will turn their faces towards Mount Ebal, and say: Accursed is the man who confirms not the words of this Law to perform them. And all will answer together, and say, Amen. These words were spoken at Sinai, and repeated in the tabernacle of ordinance, and (again) the third time on the plains of Moab, in twelve sentences (words), as the word of every tribe; and each several commandment (was thus) ratified by thirty and six adjurations.

Rashi’s Commentary on D’barim (Deut.) 24:19 – 28:14

19 and forget a sheaf but not a stack. [That is, if someone forgot a stack of grain, he may go back to retrieve it.] (Sifrei 24:149). Hence, [our Rabbis] said: (Pe’ah 6:6) A sheaf containing two se’ah, which someone forgot, is not considered שִׁכְחָה [that is, the harvester is permitted to go back and retrieve it].

[When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf] in the field [Why the repetition of the word "field"? This comes] to include שִׁכְחָה of standing grain, part of which the harvester had forgotten to reap, [not only bound up sheaves standing in the field]. -[Sifrei 24:149]

you shall not go back to take it From here, [our Rabbis] said: Whatever is behind him is considered שִׁכְחָה , “forgotten” [and may not be retrieved]. Whatever is in front of him, is not considered “forgotten” [and may still be retrieved], since it does not come under the law of “you shall not go back to take.” - [Pe’ah 6:4]

so that [the Lord, your God,] will bless you Although [the forgotten sheaf came into his hand without intention [of the owner], how much more so [will one be blessed] if he did it deliberately! Hence, you must say that if someone dropped a sela, and a poor man found it and was sustained by it, then he [who lost the coin] will be blessed on its account.-[Sifrei 24:149]

20 you shall not deglorify it [by picking all its fruit] after you Heb. לֹא־תְפַאֵר , [This word is derived from פְּאֵר or תִּפְאֶרֶת , “glory.” The “glory” of an olive-tree is its fruit. Thus, the meaning is: “You shall not take its glory” (תִּפְאֶרֶת) from it. [I.e., do not remove all its fruit.] Hence, [our Rabbis derive that [in addition to the harvest of grain and produce, in fruit-bearing trees also], one must leave behind פֵּאָה , [fruits at the end of the olive harvest].-[Chul. 131b] after you This refers to שִׁכְחָה , forgotten fruit [in the case of a fruit-bearing tree, that one must leave the forgotten fruit for the poor to collect].-[Chul. 131b]

21 [When you pick the grapes of your vineyard,] you shall not glean i.e., if you find עוֹלְלוֹת , small clusters therein, you shall not take them. Now what constitutes עוֹלְלוֹת [thus necessitating them to be left for the poor]? Any cluster of grapes which has neither a כָּתֵף , “shoulder” or a נָטֵף , “drippings.” But if it has either one of them, it belongs to the householder.- [Pe’ah 7:4] I saw in the Talmud Yerushalmi (Pe’ah 7:3): “What is a כָּתֵף , shoulder?” It is [a cluster of grapes] in which the sprigs of grapes pile one on top of the other [at the top of the cluster, together taking on the shape of a shoulder. And what is] a נָטֵף , “drippings?” These are the grapes suspended from the central stalk [of the cluster, as though dripping down].

Chapter 25

1 If there is a quarrel they will eventually go to court. We learn from this, that peace cannot result from quarrel. [Just think,] what caused Lot to leave the righteous man [Abraham] (Gen. 13:7-12)? Clearly, it was quarrel.-[Sifrei 25:152]

and condemn the guilty one [Since the next verse continues, "the judge shall... flog him,"] one might think that all those convicted by the court must be flogged. Therefore, Scripture teaches us, “and it shall be, if the guilty one has incurred [the penalty] of lashes...” (verse 2). [From here, we see that] sometimes [a convicted party] is given lashes, and sometimes he is not. Who receives lashes is derived from the context, as follows: [Some negative commandments are mitigated by positive commandments which relate to the same matter, for example, the law of sending away the mother bird (Deut. 22:6-7). Scripture (22:6) states the negative commandment: “you shall not take the mother upon the young,” and immediately, Scripture (22:7) continues to state the positive commandment of: “You shall send away the mother.” Here, the negative commandment is mitigated by the positive commandment. How so? If someone transgressed the negative commandment and took the mother bird from upon her young, he may clear himself of the punishment he has just incurred, by fulfilling the positive commandment of sending the mother bird away from the nest. This is an example of “a negative commandment mitigated by a positive commandment.” (see Mishnah Mak. 17a) Now, in our context, immediately after describing the procedure of flogging in court, the next verse (4) continues with the negative commandment of:] “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is threshing [the grain],” a negative commandment which is not mitigated by a positive one. [Therefore, from the very context of these verses, we learn that only for transgressing a “negative commandment which is not mitigated by a positive commandment,” is one punished by lashes.]-[see Mak. 13b]

2 the judge shall make him lean over This teaches [us] that they [the judges] do not flog [the guilty party while [the latter is] standing or sitting, but, [when he is] leaning over.-[Mak. 22b]

[The judge shall... flog him] in front of him, commensurate with his crime Heb., רִשְׁעָתוֹ כְּדֵי [singular—meaning one punishment before him -] and behind him twice that number. From here they [the Rabbis] said: “They must give him two thirds [of his lashes] behind him [i.e., on his back], and one third in front of him [i.e., on his chest]” (Mak. 22b)

in number Heb. בְּמִסְפָּר , but it is not vowelized בַּמִּסְפָּר , in the number. This teaches us that the word בְּמִסְפָּר is in the construct state, [qualifying the word following it which is the first word of the next verse, namely, אַרְבָּעִים ], to read: בְּמִסְפָּר אַרְבָּעִים , that is, “[and flog him...] the number of forty,” but not quite a full quota of forty, but the number that leads up to the full total of forty, i.e., “forty-minus-one.”-[Mak. 22b]

3 He... shall not exceed From here, we derive the admonition that one may not strike his fellow man. - [Keth. 33a, San. 85a]

and your brother will be degraded All day [that is, throughout the entire procedure], Scripture calls him רָשָׁע , “wicked,” but, once he has been flogged, behold, he is “your brother.”-[Sifrei 25:153]

4 You shall not muzzle an ox Scripture is speaking here in terms of what usually occurs [i.e., one usually uses an ox for threshing grain]. However, the law applies equally to any species of domestic animal, non-domesticated animal, or bird, and in any area of work in the process of preparing food. If so, why does Scripture specify an ox? To exclude man [from this law. That is, if it is a human who is performing the work, his employer is permitted to “muzzle” him, that is, to prevent the worker from eating from the produce. Nevertheless, it is a mitzvah to allow him to eat from the employer’s produce.]-[Sifrei 25:154]

when it is threshing [the grain] One might have thought that it is permissible to muzzle the animal outside [the work area, i.e., before it starts threshing]. Therefore, Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox!"—i.e., at any time [even before the actual threshing] (see B.M. 90b). Why then, is threshing mentioned? To tell you that, just as threshing [has two specific features]: a) It is a thing that does not represent the completion of its process [rendering the product liable for tithing and challah], and b) it [namely, grain] grows from the ground, likewise, any [work] which resembles it [in these two features, is included in this law]. Thus, excluded [from this prohibition] is the labor of milking, cheese-making, or in churning [milk, to produce buttermilk], all of which deal with an item that does not grow from the ground. Also excluded is the labor of kneading [dough], or in rolling out the dough to shape, for these procedures do in fact complete the process, rendering the product liable for challah to be taken. A further exclusion to this prohibition is the labor of separating dates and figs [that is, when spreading out dates and figs on a roof or the like, so that they dry, the fruit may adhere into one mass. Here, the procedure is to separate individual dates or figs from the mass, a procedure] which completes the preparation process, rendering the fruit liable for tithing.-[B.M. 89a]

5 If brothers reside together [meaning] that they were both alive at the same time, [lit. that they had one dwelling in the world]. It excludes the wife of his brother who was no longer in the world [when he was born]. [This means as follows: If a man dies, and his brother is born after his death, his widow may not marry the brother of her deceased husband.] -[Sifrei 25:155, Yev. 17b]

together [This law applies only to brothers] who share in the inheritance “together” [namely, paternal brothers]. This excludes maternal brothers. -[Sifrei 25:155, Yev. 17b]

having no son Heb. וּבֵן אֵין־לוֹ [Literally, “and he has no son.” Here, the word אֵין can be read also as עַיִן , meaning to “investigate,” because an א is interchangeable with an ע (see Yev. 22b). Thus, the verse also teaches us:] Investigate him [if he has progeny of any sort]—whether he has a son or a daughter, or a son’s son or a son’s daughter, or a daughter’s son or a daughter’s daughter. [And if he has any of these, the law of יִבּוּם does not apply.]

6 the eldest brother Heb. הַבְּכוֹר , [literally “the firstborn.” However, here it means that] the eldest brother [of the deceased] should perform the levirate marriage with the widow.-[Sifrei 25:156, Yev. 24a]

she [can] bear Heb. אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵד [literally, “who will give birth.”] This excludes a woman incapable of conception. -[Sifrei 25: 156, Yev. 24a]

will succeed in the name of his deceased brother [literally, “will rise in the name of his brother.”] The one who marries his wife, is to take the share of his deceased brother’s inheritance of their father’s property [in addition to his own share]. -[Yev. 24a]

so that his name shall not be obliterated This excludes [from the obligation of יִבּוּם ] the wife of a eunuch whose name [was already] obliterated. -[Yev. 24a]

7 to the gate [Not to the gate of the city, but,] as the Targum [Onkelos] renders it: to the gate of the court.

8 and he shall stand up [He must make this declaration] in a standing position. -[Sifrei 25:158]

and say in the Holy Language. She too shall make her statement in the Holy Language.-[Yev. 106b]

9 And she shall spit before his face on the ground, [not in his face].-[Yev. 106b]

[Thus shall be done to the man] who will not build up [his brother’s household] From here, [we learn] that one who has undergone the rite of chalitzah [described in these verses], cannot change his mind and marry her, for it does not say, “[Thus will be done to that man] who did not build up [his brother’s household],” but,"who will not build up [his brother’s household]." Since he did not build it up [when he was obliged to do so], he will never again build it up.-[Yev. 10b]

10 And his name shall be called [in Israel] It is the duty of all those standing there to proclaim: הַנָּעַל חֲלוּץ - “you, who have had your shoe removed!”-[Yev. 106b]

11 If... men... are fighting together they will eventually come to blows, as it is said: “[to rescue her husband] from his assailant.” [The moral here is:] Peace cannot result from strife.-[Sifrei 25:160]

12 You shall cut off her hand [This verse is not to be understood literally, but rather, it means:] She must pay monetary damages to recompense the victim for the embarrassment he suffered [through her action. The amount she must pay is calculated by the court,] all according to the [social status] of the culprit and the victim (see B.K. 83b). But perhaps [it means that we must actually cut off] her very hand? [The answer is born out from a transmission handed down to our Rabbis, as follows:] Here, it says לֹא תָחוֹס , “do not have pity,” and later, in the case of conspiring witnesses (Deut. 19:21), the same expression, לֹא תָחוֹס , is used. [And our Rabbis taught that these verses have a contextual connection:] Just as there, in the case of the conspiring witnesses, [the literal expressions in the verse refer to] monetary compensation (see Rashi on that verse), so too, here, [the expression “You must cut off her hand” refers to] monetary compensation.-[Sifrei 25:161]

13 two different weights [This term is not to be understood literally as “stones,” but rather, it refers to specific stones, namely:] weights [used to weigh merchandise in business].

one large and one small [literally, “big and small.” This means:] the big stone “contradicts” [i.e., is inconsistent with] the small one. [That is to say, you must not have two weights which appear to be the same, but in fact, are unequal, allowing you] to purchase goods with the larger weight [thereby cheating the purchaser], and to sell with the smaller one [thereby cheating the buyer].-[Sifrei 25:162]

14 You shall not keep Heb. לֹא־יִהְיֶה לְךָ , literally, “You will not have.” That is, the verse literally reads: “If you keep... two different weights, you will not have.” This teaches us that] if you do this, You will not have anything! -[Sifrei 25: 162] [However,]

15 you shall have a full and honest weight [Literally, “If you keep a full and honest weight, you will have.” That is to say,] if you do this, you will have much.-[Sifrei 25:162]

17 You shall remember what [Amalek] did to you [The juxtaposition of these passages teaches us that] if you use fraudulent measures and weights, you should be worried about provocation from the enemy, as it is said: “Deceitful scales are an abomination of the Lord” (Prov. 11:1), after which the [next] verse continues, “When willful wickedness comes, then comes disgrace.” [That is, after you intentionally sin by using deceitful scales, the enemy will come to provoke you into war, and this will be a disgraceful matter to you].-[Tanchuma 8]

18 how he happened upon you on the way Heb. קָרְךָ , an expression denoting a chance occurrence (מִקְרֶה) . -[Sifrei 25:167] Alternatively, an expression denoting seminal emission (קֶרִי) and defilement, because Amalek defiled the Jews by [committing] homosexual acts [with them].- [Tanchuma 9] Yet another explanation: an expression denoting heat and cold (קוֹר) . He cooled you off and made you [appear] tepid, after you were boiling hot, for the nations were afraid to fight with you, [just as people are afraid to touch something boiling hot]. But this one, [i.e., Amalek] came forward and started and showed the way to others. This can be compared to a bathtub of boiling water into which no living creature could descend. Along came an irresponsible man and jumped headlong into it! Although he scalded himself, he [succeeded to] make others think that it was cooler [than it really was].-[Tanchuma 9]

and cut off [The word וַיְזַנֵּב is derived from the word זָנָב , meaning “tail.” Thus, the verse means: Amalek] “cut off the tail.” This refers to the fact that Amalek cut off the members [of the male Jews,] where they had been circumcised, and cast them up [provocatively] towards Heaven [exclaiming to God: “You see! What good has Your commandment of circumcision done for them?”]-[Tanchuma 9]

all the stragglers at your rear Those who lacked strength on account of their transgression. [And because these Jews had sinned,] the cloud [of glory] had expelled them [thereby leaving them vulnerable to Amalek’s further attack]. - [Tanchuma 10]

you were faint and weary faint from thirst, as it is written, “The people thirsted there for water” (Exod. 17:3), and [immediately] afterwards it says, “Amalek came [and fought with Israel]” (verse 17:8). - [Tanchuma 10]

and weary from the journey. -[Tanchuma 10]

He did not fear [God] i.e., Amalek did not fear God [so as to refrain] from doing you harm.-[Sifrei 25:167]

19 you shall obliterate the remembrance of Amalek Both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep [camel and donkey] (God’s command to King Saul: see I Sam. 15: 3), so that the name of Amalek should never again be mentioned (נִזְכָּר) , from the word (זֵכֶר) , even regarding an animal, to say: “This animal was from Amalek.”-[Midrash Lekach Tov]

Chapter 26

1 And it will be, when you come... and you possess it and settle in it This [verse, which is immediately followed by the commandment of bringing the firstfruits,] teaches us that they were not obligated [to bring] “firstfruits” until they conquered the Land and divided it. -[Kid. 37b]

2 of the first but not all the first, because not all fruits are subject to [the mitzvah of] "firstfruits"—only the seven species [for which the land of Israel is noted]. Here, in our verse, it says the word אֶרֶץ , “land,” and there [in the verse describing the praise of Eretz Israel], it says, “A land (אֶרֶץ) of wheat and barley, vines and figs and pomegranates, a land of oil-producing olives and honey” (Deut. 8:8). Just as the earlier verse (Deut. 8:8) is referring to the seven species through which Eretz Israel is praised, here too, [the verse is dealing with] the praise of the Land. [Rashi proceeds to explain two expressions in Deut. 8:8, which are relevant to the mitzvah of firstfruits, in light of the connection taught by our Rabbis above:]

oil-producing olives [refers to] “ אֲגוּרִי olives,” [see Sifrei 26:2, meaning superior quality] olives that retain their oil, keeping it gathered (אָגוּר) [as it were] inside it. [Hence, it is the superior fruits which must be brought here].-[Ber. 39a] [And in the same verse (Deut. 8: 8):]

honey That is the honey of dates.-[Sifrei 26:2]

of the first [of all the fruit] [What is the process of taking these fruits?] A man goes down into his field and sees a fig that has ripened. He winds a reed around it for a sign and declares: “This is the firstfruit (בִּכּוּרִים) .”-[Mishnah Bikkurim 3:1]

3 who will be [serving] in those days You have only the kohen in your days, whatever he is [and although he may not be as wise or holy as those of previous generations, you are obliged to address him with the respect due to his office as an agent of God].-[Sifrei 26:3]

and say to him that you are not ungrateful [for all that God has done for you].

I declare this day [The expression, “this day,” teaches us that the one who brings the firstfruits must make this declaration] once a year, and not twice [even though he may return with more firstfruits later that same year].-[Sifrei 26:3]

4 And the kohen shall take the basket from your hand-in order to wave it. [How so?] The kohen places his hand under [the basket, beneath the level of] the owner’s hand [which is grasping the basket at the top, by its rim] (Sukk. 47b), and [in this position,] waves [the basket together with its owner].

5 And you shall call out Heb. וְעָנִית [Usually meaning to “respond.” However, in this context, this word] denotes the raising of the voice.-[Sotah 32b]

An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather [The declarer] mentions [here] the kind deeds of the Omnipresent [by stating]: “An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather.” That is, Laban, when he pursued Jacob, sought to uproot [i.e., annihilate] all [the Jews], and since he intended to do so, the Omnipresent considered it as though he had actually done it (Sifrei 26:5), for [regarding] the pagan nations of the world, the Holy One, Blessed is He, considers the [mere] intention [of an evil deed] as [being equivalent to] the actual perpetration [of the deed itself].-[Yerushalmi Pe’ah 1:1 at end]

who then went down to Egypt And [apart from Laban,] still others came upon us to annihilate us, for after this, Jacob went down to Egypt ["and the Egyptians treated us cruelly..."].

with a small number of people [Namely,] seventy persons.-[Sifrei 26:5; see Gen. 46:27]

9 to this place meaning the Temple.-[Sifrei 26:9] [The expression הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶה must refer specifically to the Temple and not to the Land of Israel in general, because the following clause:]

and He gave us this land [is to be understood] literally.

10 Then, you shall lay [The repetition of the expressions וְהִנִּיחוֹ (verse 4) and here, וְהִנַּחְתּוֹ ] teaches us [that there were two procedures involving laying the hands on the basket and waving it, namely] that [the owner] takes [the basket] after the kohen has [completed] waving it; [the owner subsequently] grasps it in his hand during his declaration, and then repeats the waving procedure.

11 And you shall rejoice with all the good From here, [our Rabbis] said that the firstfruits declaration is recited only at the time of “rejoicing,” namely, from Shavuoth until Sukkoth, for [then] a person gathers in his grain, fruit, wine and oil [over which he rejoices]. However, from Sukkoth and onwards, he must bring [his firstfruits to the Temple], but he does not recite the declaration. -[Pes. 36b]

you, the Levite [From here, we learn that] the Levite is also obligated in [the mitzvah of bringing] firstfruits if they planted [trees] within their [forty-eight] cities. [Outside of these cities, they had no land.]

and the stranger who is among you [I.e., the proselyte.] He brings [his firstfruits], but he does not recite the declaration, since he cannot say “to our fathers” [in the introduction to the declaration (verse 3): “I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us”].-[Mishnah Bikkurim 1:4]

12 When you have finished tithing all the tithes of your produce in the third year When you have finished separating the tithes of the third year [of the seven-year shemittah cycle]. It fixes a time for the removal [of the tithes from the house] and for the [accompanying] confession [regarding their proper disposal] on the Eve of Passover [for the removal, and for the confession, in the afternoon of the last day of Passover] of the fourth year, as it is said, "At the end of (מִקֵּץ) three years, you shall take out [all the tithe of your crop] (Deut. 14:28), and later on, Scripture also uses this expression: “At the end of (מִקֵּץ) seven years” (Deut. 31:10), referring to the mitzvah of הַקְהֵל [assembling all the people in the Temple courtyard, to hear the king read the book of Deuteronomy]. Just as there, the mitzvah was to be performed on a Festival, here too [in the case of removing the tithes and reciting the confession, the mitzvah must be performed] on a Festival. But one could suggest that just as there [in the case of הַקְהֵל , the mitzvah was performed] on the Festival of Sukkoth, here too, [the mitzvah must be performed] on the Festival of Sukkoth. Therefore, Scripture states here: "When have you finished taking all the tithes in the third year"—[this refers to] a festival on which all tithes have been completely taken: this is Passover [not Sukkoth], because many trees have their fruits picked after Sukkoth [but not after Passover]. Consequently, the separating of tithes of the third year’s produce will conclude on Passover of [the following year, namely] the fourth year. And anyone who has delayed [in distributing] his tithes is ordered by Scripture to remove [any remaining tithes] from the house [on Passover of the fourth year of the shemittah cycle].-[Sifrei 26:12]

the year of the tithe [The third year of each shemittah cycle is called “the year of the tithe” because] it differs from its preceding two years insofar as it is a year in which only one of the tithes separated in the two preceding years is separated. During the first and second years of the shemittah cycle, the tithes separated are: a) מַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן , “the first tithe,” as the verse says, “[Speak to the Levites, and say to them,] When you take from the children of Israel the tithe...” (Num. 18:26) [referring to “the first tithe,”] and b) מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי , “the second tithe,” as the verse says, “And you shall eat before the Lord, your God... the tithes of your grain, of your wine and of your oil...” (Deut. 14:23) [which is a reference to “the second tithe”]. Thus, we have two tithes [being separated during the first two years of the shemittah cycle]. Now Scripture comes and teaches us that in the third year, only one of these two tithes is separated. And which one is that? It is “the first tithe.” ["The second tithe is not separated during the third year."] Instead of “the second tithe,” one must give “the tithe for the poor,” for it says here in our verse “you shall give [them] to the Levite” what belongs to him, namely “the first tithe”; [then our verse continues:] "the stranger, the orphan, and the widow"—this is “the tithe for the poor.” -[Sifrei 26:12; R.H. 12b]

so that they can eat to satiety Give them enough to satisfy them. Based on this, [our Rabbis] stated: One may not give the poor in the granary less than one-half a kav of wheat [or one kav of barley. [A kav represents the volume of twenty-four eggs].-[Sifrei 26:12, Pe’ah 8:5]

13 Then you shall say before the Lord, your God Confess [i.e., declare] that you have given your tithes [as required].-[Sifrei 26:13]

I have removed the holy [portions] from the house This refers to: a) “the second tithe,” and b) נֶטַע רְבָעִי , the fruit yielded by a tree in its fourth year of growth [both of which are termed קֽדֶשׁ , holy (portions)], they must be brought up to Jerusalem and eaten there in purity. [Accordingly,] the verse here teaches us that if one has delayed bringing these tithes up to Jerusalem for two years, he must take them up now [in the third year].

and I have also given it to the Levite This refers to “the first tithe.”- [ibid.]

and... also [This seemingly superfluous word, “also,”] comes to include terumah, [the part given to the kohen ] and the firstfruits [which is are also given to the kohen. Since Kohanim stem from the tribe of Levi, they are referred to here as Levites].-[Yerushalmi Ma’aser Sheni 5:5]

the stranger, the orphan and the widow This refers to “the tithe for the poor.”-[Sifrei 26:13]

according to all Your commandment I have given them [the tithes] in their proper sequence (ibid). I did not give terumah before the firstfruits; I did not give tithes before terumah ; I did not give the second tithe before the first tithe. For terumah is termed רֵאשִׁית , “the first one,” because it is the first portion to be separated when the produce has become [matured] “grain,” and it is written [regarding the separation of tithes]: מְלֵאָתְךָ וְדִמְעֲךָ לֹא תְאַחֵר (Exod. 22:28), which means that one must not change the order [set out in Scripture for separating tithes]. - [Mechilta, Exod. 22:28]

I have not transgressed Your commandments I did not separate tithes from one species [of produce to fulfill the obligation of tithe-separation due] from another species [of produce], and I did not separate tithes from the new crop [of the year to fulfill the obligation of tithe-separation due] from the old crop.-[Sifrei, Ma’aser Sheni 5:11]

nor have I forgotten to bless You [on the performance of the mitzvah] of separating tithes.-[ibid.]

14 I did not eat any of it [second tithe] while in my mourning From here [our Rabbis derive the ruling that the second tithe] is forbidden to [be eaten by] an אוֹנָן [close relative of a deceased on the day of death].-[Sifrei 26:14]

nor did I consume any of it while unclean Whether I was unclean and it was clean, or I was clean it was unclean. But where [in the Torah] is one warned against this? [The warning is alluded to in the verse: (Deut. 12:17),] “You shall not eat in your cities [the tithe...].” This refers to eating in a state of uncleanness, as it is said in reference to פְּסוּלֵי הַמֻּקְדָשִׁים , [animals dedicated as sacrifices, which subsequently became blemished and consequently unfit for that purpose (see Deut. 15:21-22) the Torah says,] “You may eat it within your cities, the unclean and the clean person together...” (Deut.15:22). This [the second tithe], however, you shall not eat in the manner of “eating in the cities,” mentioned elsewhere. -[Yev. 73b]

neither have I used any of it for the dead [using its value in money] to make for him a coffin or shrouds.-[Sifrei, Ma’aser Sheni 5:12]

I obeyed the Lord, my God [in that] I have brought [it] to the Temple. -[Sifrei, Ma’aser Sheni 5:12] [In fact, the second tithe was not brought to the Temple, but eaten in Jerusalem. If a person redeemed it, however, he was to bring the redempion money to Jerusalem and purchase food to be eaten in Jerusalem. Although all types of food could be purchsed, it was customary to purchase animals and sacrifice them as peace offerings. In this respect, the tithe would be brought into the Temple (Malbim).]

I have done according to all that You have commanded me I have myself rejoiced and caused others to rejoice through it.-[Sifrei, Ma’aser Sheni 5:12]

15 Look down from Your holy dwelling We have fulfilled what You have decreed upon us. Now You do what is incumbent upon You to do (Sifrei, Ma’aser Sheni 5: 13), for You said, “If you follow My statutes... then I shall give [you] your rains in their [proper] time....” (Lev. 26:3- 4).

which You have given us, as You swore to our forefathers to give to us, and You have [also] kept [the promise You made to our ancestors who left Egypt, that You would give us] “a land flowing with milk and honey.”

16 This day, the Lord your God is commanding you Every day, you shall regard the commandments as if they are brand new, as though you are just today being commanded regarding them!-[Tanchuma 1]

You will observe and fulfill them A heavenly voice is blessing you: “You have brought the firstfruits today—[so] will you merit to bring them next year!”

17 You have selected Heb. הֶאֱמַרְתָּ

has selected you Heb. הֶאֱמִירְךָ We do not find any equivalent expression in the Scriptures [which might give us a clue to the meaning of these words]. However, it appears to me that [the expression הֶאֱמִיר ] denotes separation and distinction. [Thus, here, the meaning is as follows:] From all the pagan deities, you have set apart the Lord for yourself, to be your God, and He separated you to Him from all the peoples on earth to be His treasured people. [Notwithstanding,] I did find a similar expression [to הֶאֱמִיר], which denotes “glory,” as in the verse “[How long will] all workers of violence praise themselves (יִתְאַמְּרוּ) ?” (Ps. 94:4).

18 as He spoke to you When He said]: “And [out of all the nations,] you shall be to Me a treasure” (Exod. 19:5). - [Mechilta 12:78]

19 And so that you will be a holy people... as He spoke [When He said]: “And you shall be holy to Me” (Lev. 20:26). -[Mechilta 12:78]

Chapter 27

1 Observe all of the commandment Heb. שָׁמֽר [The word שָׁמֽר here denotes] continuous action [that is to say: “You must observe this commandment always”]. Gardant in Old French.

2 you shall set up for yourself in the Jordan, and after this, you shall take out other [stones] from there, and out of this [second set of stones], build an altar on Mount Ebal. Consequently, we find that there were three places [at which constructions] of stones [were set up]: a) Twelve [stones were put together] in the Jordan, b) the same [number of stones set up] at Gilgal [i.e., the Israelites’ first stop in the land of Israel,] and c) the same [number of stones set up] at Mount Ebal. The above is taught in Tractate Sotah (35b) [where the Talmud, citing Chapter 4 of Joshua, proves the above].

8 very clearly in seventy languages.-[Sotah 32a]

9 Pay attention Heb. הַסְכֵּת [To be understood] as the Targum [Onkelos] renders: אֲצֵת [meaning, “Listen!” or “Pay attention!”].

This day, you have become a people [to the Lord, your God] Every single day, it should seem to you as though you are today entering into a covenant with Him.-[see Ber. 63b]

12 to bless the people As it is found in Tractate Sotah (32a): Six tribes ascended to the top of Mount Gerizim and [the other] six to the top of Mount Ebal; the kohanim, the Levites and the [holy] ark stood below in the middle. The Levites turned their faces towards Mount Gerizim and began with the blessing: “Blessed be the man who does not make a graven or molten image...,” and these [the tribes on Mount Gerizim] and these [the tribes on Mount Ebal] answered “Amen!” Then [the Levites] turned their faces towards Mount Ebal and began with the curse, saying: “Cursed be the man who makes any graven [or molten] image...,” and these [the tribes on Mount Gerizim] and these [the tribes on Mount Ebal] responded “Amen!” The Levites then turned their faces once again towards Mount Gerizim, and said: “Blessed be he who does not degrade his father and mother,” [and the tribes on Mount Gerizim and those on Mount Ebal responded “Amen!” The Levites] would then turn their faces once again towards Mount Ebal, and say: “Cursed be he who degrades his father and mother,” [and the tribes on Mount Gerizim and those on Mount Ebal responded “Amen!”]. Thus [it would continue] in this manner for all of them [the blessings and curses] until [the very last curse, namely (verse 26)]: “Cursed be the one who does not uphold [the words of this Torah].”

16 who degrades his father Heb. מְקַלֶה אָבִיו [The word מַקְלֶה means:] to treat cheaply [i.e., with disrespect]. It is similar to the verse, “ וְנִקְלָה אָחִיךָ , your brother will be degraded” (Deut. 25:3).

17 who moves back his neighbor’s landmark Heb. מַסִּיג גְּבוּל , moving it back and stealing the land. [The term מַסִּיג ] is an expression similar to, “has turned backwards (וְהֻסַּג אָחוֹר) ” (Isa. 59:14).

18 who misguides a blind person One [figuratively] blind regarding some matter [i.e., ignorant or inexperienced], and [knowingly] giving him bad advice.

24 who strikes his fellow in secret [Scripture] is speaking of [someone who causes harm to his fellow Jew through] slander (Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer 53). I saw in the Yesod of Rabbi Moshe Hadarshan that there are eleven curses here, corresponding to eleven tribes. [Each of eleven tribes was blessed by Moses before he passed away. Here, we learn that every tribe had an allusionary curse attached to it, as if in admonishment: “If you do God’s will, you will be granted the blessing, but if not, then there is a curse attached.”] But in allusion to [the tribe of] Simeon, [Moses] did not write “Cursed be he...,” for [Moses] did not intend to bless [the tribe of] Simeon [individually] prior to his passing, when he blessed the other tribes. Therefore, [Moses] did not wish to curse them [either. Moses did not deem the tribe of Simeon deserving of a direct blessing before he passed away, on account of the shocking incident at Shittim which involved the leader of the tribe of Simeon having illicit relations with a Midianite princess. See Num. 25:1-15].

26 who does not uphold [the words of this Torah] Here [in this curse,] Moses included the entire Torah, and they accepted it upon themselves with a curse and an oath.-[see Shevuoth 36a]

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 136:1-26, 137:1-9, 138:1-8, 139:1-24

RASHI	TARGUM
1. Give thanks to the Lord because He is good, for His kindness is eternal.	1. Sing praise in the presence of the LORD, for He is good, for His goodness is forever.
2. Give thanks to the God of the angels, for His kindness is eternal.	2. Sing praise to the God of gods, for His goodness is forever.
3. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His kindness is eternal.	3. Sing praise to the LORD of lords, for His goodness is forever.
4. To Him Who performs great wonders alone, for His kindness is eternal.	4. To Him who did great wonders by Himself, for His goodness is forever.
5. To Him Who made the heavens with understanding, for His kindness is eternal.	5. To Him who made the heavens by insight, for His goodness is forever.
6. To Him Who spread out the earth over the water, for His kindness is eternal.	6. To Him who made firm the earth on the waters, for His goodness is forever.
7. To Him Who made great luminaries, for His kindness is eternal.	7. To Him who made great lights, for His goodness is forever.
8. The sun to rule by day, for His kindness is eternal.	8. The sun to rule by day, for His goodness is forever.
9. The moon and stars to rule at night, for His kindness is eternal.	9. The moon and stars to rule by night, for His goodness is forever.
10. To Him Who smote the Egyptians with their firstborn, for His kindness is eternal.	10. To Him who smites the Egyptians with plagues, killing the firstborn, for His goodness is forever.
11. And He took Israel from their midst, for His kindness is eternal.	11. And brought out Israel redeemed from among them, for His goodness is forever.
12. With a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, for His kindness is eternal.	12. With a mighty hand and upraised arm, for His goodness is forever.
13. To Him Who cut the Sea of Reeds asunder, for His kindness is eternal.	13. To Him who split the Sea of Reeds into pieces, for His goodness is forever.
14. And caused Israel to cross in its midst, for His kindness is eternal.	14. And made Israel cross over in the middle of it, for His goodness is forever.
15. And He threw Pharaoh and his host into the Sea of Reeds, for His kindness is eternal.	15. And choked Pharaoh and his forces in the Sea of Reeds, for His goodness is forever.
16. To Him Who led His people in the desert, for His kindness is eternal.	16. To Him who led his people in the wilderness, for His goodness is forever.
17. To Him Who smote great kings, for His kindness is eternal.	17. To Him who smites great kings, for His goodness is forever.
18. And slew mighty kings, for His kindness is eternal.	18. And slew proud kings, for His goodness is forever.
19. Sihon the king of the Amorites, for His kindness is eternal.	19. Namely, Sihon the Amorite king, for His goodness is forever.
20. And Og the king of Bashan, for His kindness is eternal.	20. And Og, king of Mathnan, for His goodness is forever.
21. And He gave their land as an inheritance, for His kindness is eternal.	21. And gave their land as an inheritance, for His goodness is forever.
22. An inheritance to Israel His servant, for His kindness is eternal.	22. An inheritance to Israel His servant, for His goodness is forever.
23. Who remembered us in our humble state, for His kindness is eternal.	23. In our humiliation He remembered His covenant with us, for His goodness is forever.
24. And He rescued us from our adversaries, for His kindness is eternal.	24. And redeemed us from our oppressors, for His goodness is forever.
25. Who gives bread to all flesh, for His kindness is eternal.	25. Who gives His food to all flesh, for His goodness is forever.
26. Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His kindness is eternal.	26. Sing praise to the God of heaven, for His goodness is forever.
1. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat, we also wept when we remembered Zion.	1. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, also we wept, as we were remembering Zion.
2. On willows in its midst we hung our harps.	2. On the willows in her midst we hung our harps.
3. For there our captors asked us for words of song and our tormentors [asked of us] mirth, "Sing for us of the song of Zion."	3. For there the Babylonians who captured us asked us to utter the words of songs; and our despoilers, because of their] joy, were saying, "Sing for us some of the songs you used to utter in Zion."
4. "How shall we sing the song of the Lord on foreign soil?"	4. At once the Levites cut off their thumbs with their teeth, and say, "How can we sing the praise of the LORD on profane land?"
5. If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget [its skill].	5. The voice of the Holy Spirit replies and says, "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, I will forget my right hand."
6. May my tongue cling to my palate, if I do not remember you, if I do not bring up Jerusalem at the beginning of my joy.	6. My tongue will cleave to my palate, if I will not remember you; if I will not elevate the memory of Jerusalem above the principal joy of my temple.
7. Remember, O Lord, for the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem, those who say, "Raze it, raze it, down to its foundation!"	7. Said Michael, prince of Jerusalem, "Remember, O LORD, the people of Edom, who laid waste Jerusalem, who say, Destroy, destroy, to the foundations of it.”
8. O Daughter of Babylon, who is destined to be plundered, praiseworthy is he who repays you your recompense that you have done to us.	8. Said Gabriel, prince of Zion to the despoiling Babylonian mother, "Happy he who gives back to you evil for what you did to us."
9. Praiseworthy is he who will take and dash your infants against the rock.	9. Happy he who takes and smashes your children on a rock.
1. Of David. I shall thank You with all my heart; before the princes I shall sing Your praises.	1. Composed by David. I will give thanks in Your presence, O LORD, with all my heart; before the judges I will sing to You.
2. I shall prostrate myself toward Your holy Temple, and I shall give thanks to Your name for Your kindness and for Your truth, for You magnified Your word over all Your names.	2. I will bow down before Your holy temple, and I will confess Your name, because of Your goodness and because of Your truth; for You have magnified over every name of Yours the utterance of Your praise.
3. On the day that I called and You answered me; You made me great, [putting] strength into my soul.	3. In the day that I call, answer me; You have magnified strength in my soul.
4. O Lord, all the kings of the earth will acknowledge You, for they heard the words of Your mouth.	4. All the kings of the earth will give thanks in Your presence, O LORD, for they have heard the utterance of Your praise.
5. And they will sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.	5. And they will sing praise on the pathways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD.
6. For the Lord is high but He sees the lowly, and He chastises the haughty from afar.	6. For exalted is the LORD, but He will look on the humble for good; but He will humble the proud from heaven afar.
7. If I walk in the midst of distress, You revive me; against the wrath of my enemies, You stretch forth Your hand and Your right hand saves me.	7. If I walk in the midst of trouble, You will keep me alive; You will stretch forth Your hand against the nostrils of my enemies to destroy them, and Your right hand will redeem me.
8. May the Lord agree with me; O Lord, may Your kindness be eternal. Do not let go of the works of Your hands.	8. The LORD will pay them back evil on my account; O LORD, Your goodness is forever, You will not forsake the works of Your hands.
1. For the conductor. Of David, a song. O Lord, You have searched me out and You know.	1. For praise, composed by David, a psalm. O LORD, You have searched me out and known me.
2. You know my sitting and my rising; You understand how to attach me from afar.	2. It is manifest before You when I sit down to study the Torah, and when I rise up to go to war; You understand my fellowship in Your congregation from a people afar off.
3. My going about and my lying down You encompassed, and You are accustomed to all my ways.	3. Now when I walk in the road or when I recline to study the Torah, You have become a stranger; and You have made all my ways dangerous.
4. For there is no word on my tongue; behold, O Lord, You know it all.	4. And when there is no speech on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know the thought of my heart completely.
5. From the rear and the front You encompassed me, and You placed Your pressure upon me.	5. From behind me and in front of me You have confined me, and You have inflicted on me the blow of Your hand.
6. Knowledge is hidden from me; it is hard, I cannot attain it.	6. It is hidden from my knowing; it is too mighty, I am not capable of it.
7. Where shall I go from Your spirit, and where shall I flee from Your presence?	7. Where will I go from the presence of Your storm-wind? And where will I flee from Your presence?
8. If I ascend to the heavens, there You are, and if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there.	8. If I go up to the heavens, You are there; and if I lower myself to Sheol, behold, there is Your Word.
9. [If] I take up the wings of dawn, [if] I dwell at the end of the west,	9. I will lift up the fringes of sunrise, I will abide at the ends of the sea.
10. There too, Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will grasp me.	10. Also there Your hand will guide me, and Your right hand will seize me.
11. I said, "Darkness will darken me, and the night will be dark about me."	11. And I said, "Truly darkness will blind me, and the night will become dark for my sake."
12. Even darkness will not obscure [anything] from You, and the night will light up like day; as darkness so is the light.	12. Also the darkness will not be too dark for Your Word, and the night, like day, will give light; like darkness, like light they are equal.
13. For You created my reigns, You covered me in my mother's womb.	13. For You have created my kidneys; You established me in the belly of my mother.
14. I shall thank You for in an awesome, wondrous way I was fashioned; Your works are wondrous, and my soul knows it very well.	14. I will give You thanks, for You have miraculously done awesome things; Your works are wonderful, and my soul knows it well.
15. My essence was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, I was formed in the lowest parts of the earth.	15. My self is not hidden from You, for I was made in secret, I was formed in the belly of my mother.
16. Your eyes saw my unformed body, and on Your book they were all written; days have been formed and one of them is His.	16. Your eyes see my body; and in the book of Your remembrance all my days were written on the day the world was created; in the beginning all creatures were created but not on a single day among them.
17. And to me, how dear are Your friends, O Lord! How great is their sum!	17. And how precious to me are those who love You, the righteous/generous, O God; and how mighty have their scholars become!
18. I shall count them; they are more numerous than sand; I have come to the end, and I am still with You.	18. I will number them in this age: they will be more numerous than sand; I awake in the age to come and still I am with You.
19. If only You would slay the wicked, O God, and men of blood, "Turn away from me."	19. If You slay, O God, the wicked man, then men who are worthy of the judgment of death will depart from me.
20. Who mention You with wicked thought; Your enemies took it up in vain.	20. Who will swear in Your name for deception, taking an oath in vain, Your enemies.
21. Did I not hate Your enemies, O Lord? With those who rise up against You, I quarrel.	21. Do I not hate all those who hate You, O LORD? And when they rise against You, I am incensed.
22. I hate them with utmost hatred; they have become my enemies.	22. I hate them to the destruction of hatred; they have become enemies to me.
23. Search me out, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.	23. Search me out, O God, and know my thoughts; examine me and know my thinking.
24. And see whether there is any vexatious way about me, and lead me in the way of the world.	24. And see if any way of error is in me; and guide me in the path of those eternally upright

Rashi’s Commentary on Tehillim (Psalms) 136:1-26, 137:1-9, 138:1-8, 139:1-24

Chapter 136

4 To Him Who performs great wonders alone In the beginning, no angel was created when He made the wonders: the heaven, the earth, the sun and the moon.

10 To Him Who smote the Egyptians with their firstborn It does not say, “their firstborn,” but “with their firstborn.” The firstborn arose and beat their fathers’ legs because they detained Israel, when they heard about the tenth plague from Moses.

13 asunder In twelve pieces for the twelve tribes.

17 great kings Here he alluded to the thirty-one kings, and he compared for them Pharaoh and his host and the plagues of Egypt to mighty kings, harsher than they. Sihon was equal to all of them, [and Og was equal to all of them (Machzor Vitry)], each one individually, and so did he explain above (135:11): “Sihon the king of the Amorites and Og the king of Bashan and all the kingdoms of Canaan.” So it is in the Aggadah.

23 Who remembered us in our humble state In Egypt, He remembered us.

24 And He rescued us from their midst and performed all these wonders for us.

25 Who gives bread He alludes here to kindness (to all creatures).

26 Gives thanks to the God of heaven Who prepares therein food for every creature. The expression, “for His kindness is eternal,” appears twenty-six times in this psalm, corresponding to the twenty-six generations that the world was without Torah and existed through the kindness of the Holy One, blessed be He.

Chapter 137

1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat when we went down into exile, and Nebuchadnezzar asked them to sing for him as they used to sing on the stage.

2 On willows Willows of the brook.

3 and our tormentors mirth Heb. ותוללינו , kinds of musical instruments that they hang up. This is how Menachem interpreted it (p. 184): וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ שמחה , and our musical instruments of joy. וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ can also be interpreted as: our enemies who would scorn and mock and joke with us, an expression of (102:9): “those who scorn me (מהוללי) swear by me.”

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem The congregation of Israel says this.

6 If I do not bring up Jerusalem The remembrance of the mourning of its destruction I shall bring up to mention at the head of every joyous occasion of mine.

7 Raze it Heb. עָרוּ is an expression of destruction, and so (Jer. 51:58): “The broad walls of Babylon shall be overthrown (תתערער) ,” and so (Hab. 3:13): “baring (ערות) the foundation.” It is used only for something whose roots are uprooted from the ground.

Chapter 138

1 before the princes I shall sing Your praises before the eyes of the princes (kings).

2 for You magnified Your word over all Your names Your name is mighty, jealous, and vengeful, but You magnified Your word, so that You skip over Your standards, over all Your names, and You forgive us.

4 for they heard When they heard the words of Your mouth: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery,” they acknowledged the words of Your mouth: “I am [the Lord your God]” and “You shall have no [other god].” It is proper to make them first accept the yoke of His kingdom, and then He should levy all His decrees.

6 He chastises Heb. יידע , chastises, like (Jud. 8:16): “and with them he broke (ויודע) the men of Succoth.”

8 May the Lord agree with me May He agree with my requests.

the works of Your hands The Temple, about which is stated (Exod. 15:16): “Your hands established.”

Chapter 139

2 You understand how to attach me from afar You understand from afar [how] to attract me to Your friendship and to Your love.

to attach me Heb. לרעי , to attach me to You.

3 My going about and my lying down You encompassed My way, my lying down, and my dwelling You have encompassed with a wall, for I can do nothing without Your knowledge.

You encompassed heb. זרית , an expression of (Exod. 25:24): “a gold crown (זר) .” Menachem associated it in this manner (p. 82). Our Sages, however, interpreted it (Nid. 31a, Mid. Ps. 139:3) as referring to the droplet of [semen, transmitted in] sexual intercourse, from whose choicest part the fetus is formed, and the meaning of זֵרִיתָ (זורה) is an expression of winnowing the grain to purify it of the refuse it contains.

You are accustomed Heb. הִסכנתה , you are accustomed.

5 From the rear and the front My face and my back.

Your pressure your coercion and your ruling, destroit in Old French.

6 Knowledge is hidden from me, etc. A place to escape from You is covered up and hidden from me. (I found this.)

8 and if I make my bed Heb. ואציעה , an expression of a spread (מצע) and a bed.

9 [If] I take up the wings of dawn If I take up for myself the wings of dawn, which shine at once from one end of the world to the other, so will I fly swiftly until I dwell at the end of the sea.

11 I said, “Darkness will darken me” If I said, “I will be hidden in the darkness, and the darkness will envelop me so that You will not see me.” יְשׁוּפֵנִי is an expression of נֶשֶׁף , evening.

“and the night will be dark about me” Heb. אור , lit. light. And the night will darken before me. This אוֹר is an expression of darkness, like (Job 37:11): “he spreads his clouds of darkness (אור) ”; similarly (below 148:3), “all stars of the night (אור) ”; similarly (Exod. 14:20), “and it darkened (ויאר) the night.”

12 Even there I have no asylum, for no darkness will obscure [anything] from You.

as darkness, so is the light Both are the same to You.

13 For You created my reins which think all my thoughts.

You covered me Heb. תסכני , [equivalent to] תסוֹככני .

15 I was made in secret In sexual intercourse.

in the lowest parts of the earth In the lowest compartment in my mother’s womb.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed body From the time that You created the world, Your eyes saw all the forms of the coming generations.

My unformed body Heb. גלמי . My splendor and the pattern of my form, before I was born and before I came into the world, Your eyes saw.

and on Your book they were all written And all the creatures of the world, like me, like them, even all of them, before they were created, were together revealed before You.

days have been formed and one of them All man’s deeds and the end of the days are revealed before You as if they were already formed, although not one of them was in existence, and not one was yet in the world. These are the wonders of God’s works and the way of His might, that future events are revealed to Him before they come. And so, Scripture says (Jer. 1:5): “When I had not yet formed you in the womb, etc.”

and on Your book, they were all written The book of the generations of man, which You showed to Adam.

written lit. all of them will be written, like נכתבוּ .

days were formed without one of them Ultimately, many days were destined to be created, but not one of them was yet created. According to the masoretic text, in which לא is written, this is its explanation. And according to the readingfor it is read לו this is its explanation: days have been formed He showed the days that were destined to be created, and for His share, He chose one of them, viz. the Sabbath day. Another explanation: This is the Day of Atonement, for forgiveness.

17 And to me, how dear are Your friends The congregation of Israel says, “How esteemed in my eyes are the righteous/generous in every generation!”

How great is their sum! The calculation of their counting, an expression of (Exod. 30:12): “When you take the sum (ראש) of the children of Israel.”

18 I shall count them...than sand If I came to count the good of their deeds, they would be more numerous than sand.

I have come to the end, and I am still with You Behold I have now come to the end of the generations that You allotted from then until today, and this generation is still with You and in fear of You, and I have not turned away from following You.

19 If only You would slay the wicked If only You would slay the wicked.

20 Who mention You with wicked thought They mention Your name regarding all the thoughts of their evil and call their deities with Your name.

took it up Heb. נשוא , like נשאו , they took up.

Your enemies...in vain Your enemies took up Your name in vain.

24 whether there is any vexatious way about me Whether there is a way of vexation and deterioration in me.

Meditation from the Psalms

Psalms 136:1-26, 137:1-9, 138:1-8, 139:1-24

By: HH Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David

Psalm 136 was written by an anonymous author. As such, we do not have any background to suggest why it was written and what was going on in the author’s life that was compelling him to write this psalm. That said, we can see that this psalm was clearly written when the Psalmist was contemplating the mighty works of HaShem.

Psalms 135 and 136 stand as a single unit that is called “The Great Hallel”. Psalms 135 and 136 constitute a single unit that parallels the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113-118). According to Rabbi Yohanan (Jerusalem Talmud Pesachim 5:7, Ta'anit 3:11), this unit is the Great Hallel mentioned in the tractate Ta'anit 3:9 and Pesachim 118a. ^[1]

Pesachim 118a What comprises the great Hallel? Rab Judah said: From ‘O give thanks’ until ‘the rivers of Babylon.’^[2] While R. Johanan said: From ‘A song of ascents’ until ‘the rivers of Babylon.’^[3] R. Aha b. Jacob said: From ‘for the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself’^[4] until ‘the rivers of Babylon.’ And why is it called the great Hallel? — Said R. Johanan: Because the Holy One, blessed be He, sits in the heights of the universe and distributes food to all creatures.^[5]

Berachoth 4b R. Eleazar b. Abina says: Whoever recites [the psalm] Praise of David^[6] three times daily, is sure to inherit^[7] the world to come. What is the reason? Shall I say it is because it has an alphabetical arrangement? Then let him recite, Happy are they that are upright in the way,^[8] which has an eightfold alphabetical arrangement. Again, is it because it contains [the verse], Thou openest Thy hand [and satisfiest every living thing with favour]?^[9] Then let him recite the great Hallel,^[10] where it is written: Who giveth food to all flesh!^[11] — Rather, [the reason is] because it contains both.^[12]

Our verbal tally between our Torah portion and our Psalms revolves around the word Forgot / forget - שכח. Both our Torah portion and our Psalm speak of forgetting. The Torah speaks of forgetting as though it will happen, while the Psalm speaks of forgetting as though is should never happen.

In our psalm, the word forget is used twice in one verse (Tehillim 137:5), whereas our Torah portion uses the forget in the first and the last verses of our portion. Thus our verbal tally forms bookends for our Torah portion.

In contrast to our verbal tally of ‘forget’, our Torah and psalm are also both associated with remembering. Our Torah portion is also the portion that we read on Shabbat Zachor – the Sabbath of Remembrance, just before Purim. This is the only Torah portion that everyone is obligated to hear. This portion speaks of the mitzva to wipe out Amalek. Our psalm (136:23) also speaks of Israel being remembered.

Psalm 136:23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

Every verse in this Psalm ends with the phrase: “For His lovingkindness is forever” - Ki leolam chasdo - חסדו לעולם כי. I believe that this is an appropriate respones for those who remember and are remembered by HaShem.

Curiously, there are three mitzvot, found in our Torah portion, regarding Amalek:

1. Positive mitzva number 188: “The extinction of the seed of Amalek”:

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 25:19 Therefore it shall be, when HaShem thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which HaShem thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance to possess it, [that] thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget [it].

2. Positive mitzva number 189: “Remembering the nefarious deeds of Amalek”:

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 25:17 Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

3. Negative mitzva number 59: “Not forgetting what Amalek did to us”:

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 25:19 Therefore it shall be, when HaShem thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which HaShem thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance to possess it, [that] thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget [it].

(The Rambam also discusses the above mitzvot in Sefer Hachinuch mitzvah 603, 604, 608.)

The bi-modal reading of our Torah portion is done on Shabbat Hazon (Sabbath of Vision). This Shabbat normally falls just before, or on, Tisha B’Ab. This suggests that the Great Hallel, of our psalm, speaks of the joyous day when Tisha B’Ab will be a festival day where we celebrate the appearance of Mashiach ben David.

There are twenty-six verses in our Psalm, which corresponds with the numerical value of the yod-hay-vav-hay name of HaShem (yod =10, hay=5, vav=6, hay=5). This numerical value, along with the verbal tally with our Torah portion: LORD – יהוה, suggest that this Psalm is especially suited for praising HaShem while connecting us to our Torah portion. Thus we find this psalm in our Shabbat prayers/ This psalm is often sung responsively by the congregation and the chazan.

Our Sages have resolved the dispute over what constitutes the Great Hallel by deciding that it consists only of Psalm 136 and not both Psalms 135 and 136. Thus Psalm 136 is the Great Hallel!

Psalm 137:

The Talmud teaches us that this psalm was written by King David. Due to the nature of the psalm and the nature of the Hebrew language, we can surmise that King David wrote this psalm as he was collecting the materials for his son, Shlomoh, to build the Beit HaMikdash, the Temple.

Gittin 57b Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: What is meant by the verse, By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion?[13] This indicates that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed David the destruction both of the first Temple and of the second Temple. Of the first Temple, as it is written, ‘By the rivers of Babylon there we sat, yea we wept’; of the second Temple, as it is written, Remember, O Lord, against the children of Edom[14] the day of Jerusalem, who said, raze it, raze it, even unto the foundation thereof.

The Sefer Yitzirah teaches us that “the end is enwedged in the beginning”:

Sefer Yitzirah 3:1 Ten Sefirot out of nothing. Stop your mouth from speaking, stop your heart from thinking, and if your heart runs (to think) return to a place of which it is said "they ran and returned"; and concerning this thing the covenant was made; and they are ten in extent beyond limit. Their end is infused with their beginning, and their beginning with their end like a flame attached to a glowing ember. Know, think [reflect, meditate] and imagine that the Creator is One and there is nothing apart from Him, and before One what do you count?

This suggests that King David, from the Talmud, was contemplating the end of the Temple and he was planning it’s beginning.

The Talmud, in Gittin 57b, connects this Psalm with the destruction of both the first and second Temples. This connects us with our bi-modal reading, of our Torah portion, on Tisha B’Ab where we mourn the destruction of the first and second Temples.

The bi-modal reading of our Torah portion is done on Shabbat Hazon (Sabbath of Vision). This Shabbat normally falls just before, or on, Tisha B’Ab. This aligns well with the what the Gemara teaches us:

Soferim 18:4 On the ninth of Ab [the reading consists] of four verses of Jeremiah, Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah? To For thou hast made all these things,[15] and the following two psalms, O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance[16] and By the rivers of Babylon.[17]

Thus we understand that Sefardim[18] read Psalm 137 on Tisha B’Ab.[19] This connects us perfectly with our readings for this bi-modal Shabbat!

Psalm 138:

This psalm was written by King David to speak about the messianic future. Clearly David was settled in his kingdom and looking forward to the ultimate fulfillment of that settled kingdom.

Psalm 139:

This psalm attests that it was written by King David. However, R' Yehudah quoted in Midrash Shocher Tov attributes the authorship of this psalm to Adam. When God fashioned him from clay and dust, He molded much more than the shape of a simple man -the outline of all human history was etched into the flesh and bone of Adam, the father of all mankind. The destiny of his descendants was ordained at the dawn of creation. All subsequent historical events conformed to a comprehensive primeval pattern, the original Divine plan.[20]

I believe that a proper resolution should be derived from the Talmud:

Baba Bathra 14b Who wrote the Scriptures? — Moses wrote his own book and the portion of Balaam18 and Job. Joshua wrote the book which bears his name and [the last] eight verses of the Pentateuch.19 Samuel wrote the book which bears his name and the Book of Judges and Ruth. David wrote the Book of Psalms, including in it the work of the elders, namely, Adam, Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses, Heman, Yeduthun, Asaph, and the three sons of Korah.[21] Jeremiah wrote the book which bears his name, the Book of Kings, and Lamentations. Hezekiah and his colleagues wrote Isaiah,[22] Proverbs,[23] the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes. The Men of the Great Assembly wrote Ezekiel,[24] the Twelve Minor Prophets,[25] Daniel and the Scroll of Esther. Ezra wrote the book that bears his name[26] and the genealogies of the Book of Chronicles up to his own time. This confirms the opinion of Rab, since Rab Judah has said in the name of Rab: Ezra did not leave Babylon to go up to Eretz Yisrael until he had written his own genealogy. Who then finished it [the Book of Chronicles]? — Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.

We see that Psalm 139 is ascribed to Adam by the Talmud and its editors, but it was written by King David.

This psalm, more so than any other psalm, examines the roots and reasons of creation so intimately.[27] Thus we understand that to accomplish such a task would require someone intimately familiar with those events. This also helps us to understand how this psalm is connected to our Torah portion.

Yeshua is also called ‘Adam’:

1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

It is also well known that Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David are also of the line of King David.

Matityahu (Matthew) 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Thus we understand that there is a direct connection between Adam, King David, and Mashiach.

Our Torah portion is also read on Shabbat Hazon, the Shabbat closest to Tisha B’Ab. Now Tisha B’Ab is when we expect the advent of the Mashiach ben David. Thus if we are going to examine creation, it makes sense that we would start with Adam and his perspective, and finish up with Mashiach. Our psalm speaks of the beginning of Adam and Tisha B’Ab speaks of the beginning of Mashiach ben David.

We have another connection between our psalm and our Torah portion is the command to remember Amalek. Lets start by revealing the basic relationship:

King ® War against Amalek ® Temple

The Talmud[28] clarifies the process of the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash (the holy Temple). It states that the nation of Israel is commanded to perform three commandments sequentially after they occupy the land of Israel:

1. They are to appoint a king,
2. They are to eradicate the offspring of Amalek.
3. They are to construct the holy Temple.

The eradication of Amalek comes after we have a King who is a descendant of Rachel (Either from the tribe of Yosef or from the tribe of Benyamin). I have dealt with this topic extensively in the study titled “Esther”. Only AFTER Amalek is destroyed can the Mashiach ben David restore the Beit HaMikdash.

Thus we see that Mashiach ben David’s primary job is the eradication of Amalek.

Finally, Adam and Mashiach are the embodiment of the Jewish people.

Targum to Debarim (Deuteronnomy) 26:15-19 Look down from heaven, from the habitation of the glory of Your holiness, and bless Your people Israel, and the land which You have given to us, as You did swear unto our fathers, a land of fruits rich as milk and sweet as honey.” 16. This day does the LORD our God command you to perform these statutes and judgments, which you will observe and do with all your heart and with all your soul. 17. The LORD have you confessed with one confession in the world this day; for so it is written, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; that He may be your God, and that you may walk in the ways that are right before Him, and keep His statutes, commandments, and judgments, and be obedient unto His Word. 18. And the Word of the LORD does acknowledge (or honor) you with one acknowledgment in the world this day; as it is written, Who is as Your people Israel, a peculiar people upon the earth, to be to Him a people beloved, as He has said unto you, and that you may obey all His commandments? 19. And He will set you on high, and exalt you above all the peoples He has made in greatness, and with a name of glory and splendor, that you may be a holy people before the LORD your God, as He has spoken.

Aslamatah: Hosea 10:12-14 + 14:1-7

RASHI	TARGUM
9. ¶ Since the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel! There they remained; the battle against the haughty did not overtake them in Gibeah.	9. ¶ From the days of Gibeah the people of 'the house Israel have sinned. There they arose and rebelled against My Memra, by appointing a king over them, but they were not worthy that the kingship should be established for them in Gibeah. There warriors came against them for slaughter; fathers with sons went up.
10. With My will, I chastised them, and nations shall gather about them, when they bind them to their two eyes.	10. By My Memra I brought punishment on them and gathered the nations against them, and they exercised dominion over them as one ties a yoke of oxen to its two rings.
11. And Ephraim is a goaded heifer that loves to thresh, and I passed over her fair neck; I will cause Ephraim to ride, Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break his clods.	11. The congregation of Israel is like a heifer which they teach to plough but it does not learn; she loves to follow her own desires. For I delivered them from the servitude of Egypt; I removed the strong yoke from their necks, I caused the house of Israel to dwell on the fortified land of the Amorites, conquering before them. As for those of the house of Judah, I gave them the inheritance which I promised their father Jacob.
12. Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap according to loving-kindness, plow yourselves a plowing, and it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and instructs you in righteousness.	12. O house of Israel, perform acts of goodness, walk in the path of righteousness/generosity, establish for yourselves instruction in the Law. Behold, the prophets say to you at all times, ”Return to the service of the Lord.” Now He will be revealed and bring righteous/ generous deeds for you.
13. You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, you have eaten fruit of lies, for you have relied on your way, on the abundance of your mighty men.	13. You have devised oppression, you have done wickedness: you have received the punishment for your deeds. because you have trusted in your ways, in your many warriors.
14. And a tumult shall rise in your peoples, and all your fortresses shall be plundered, as the plunder of a peaceful people by an ambush on a day of war; the mother with the children was dashed to pieces.	14. But the tumult of war will arise among your people, and all your fortified cities will be plundered. as the peaceful are plundered in an ambush on the day of battle, when mothers and children are killed.
15. So has Bethel done to you because of the evil of your wickedness; at dawn, the king of Israel has been silenced.	15. This is what the sins you committed in Bethel have brought you, because of the wickedness of your deeds, Finally, at dawn, the king of Israel will be shamed and humiliated.
1. For, when Israel was young, I loved him, and from Egypt I called My son.	1. When Israel was a child, I loved him and brought him near to My worship' and ever since Egypt I called them sons,
2. The more they called to them, the more they went away from them; to the baalim they would slaughter sacrifices, and to the graven images they would burn incense.	2. I sent My prophets to teach them, but they went astray from them. They sacrifice to the Baals and offer up incense to images.
3. But I sent to train Ephraim, he took them on his arms, but they did not know that I healed them.	3. I, through a messenger sent from Me, led Israel along a right path, carrying them, as it were, in arms. But they did not know that it was from Me that care had come to them.
4. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love, and I was to them like those who lift the yoke on their bridles, and I extended to him the ability to bear.	4. I drew them with a cord of beloved sons, with strong love; and My Memra was to them like a good farmer who lightens the burden of the oxen, and loosens the bridle. So too when they were in the wilderness, I increased good things for them to eat.
5. He shall not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria is his king, for they have refused to repent.	5. They will not return to the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian will rule over them, for they refuse to repent.
6. And a sword shall rest in his cities, and it shall destroy his branches, and it shall consume; because of their counsels.	6. The sword will fall upon their cities and slay their warriors, and destroy their princes because of the counsels of their advisers.
7. And My people waver whether to return to Me, and to the matter concerning which they call them, together they do not uphold [it].	7. And My people are undecided about returning to My Law; in a grave crisis they meet together, they do not walk erect.
8. How shall I give you, Ephraim? [How] deliver you, O Israel? How shall I make you as Admah, make you as Zeboyim? My heart is turned within Me, together My remorse has been kindled.	8. How can I hand you over, Ephraim? How can I destroy you, Israel? How can I make you perish like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboim? The Memra of My covenant confronts Me; all compassion for your fathers is unfolded;
9. I will not execute the kindling of My anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not a man. In your midst is the Holy One, and I will not enter a city.	9. I will not execute My fierce anger, My Memra will not turn to destroy the house of Israel. For I am God, and My Memra exists forever, and my acts are not like those of men of flesh who dwell on the earth. Thus I have decreed that my holy Shekinah will be among you, and I will never exchange Jerusalem for another city,
10. They shall follow the Lord, He shall roar like a lion; for He shall roar, and the children shall hasten from the west.	10. They will follow the worship of the LORD; His Memra will be like a roaring lion; when he roars, the exiles will gather from the west.
11. They shall hasten like a bird from Egypt and like a dove from the land of Assyria; and I will place them in their houses, says the Lord. {S}	11. Like a bird which comes openly so will come those who were exiled to the land of Egypt. And like a dove which returns to its dovecot, so will they return who were removed to the land of Assyria; and I will bring them back in peace to their houses, and My Memra will be their support, says the LORD." {S}
1. Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah still rules with God, and with the Holy One he is faithful.	1. The house of Ephraim have multiplied lies before Me, and the house of Israel, deceit. But the people of 'the house of Judah were fervent in worship until the people of God were exiled from their land, and they who worshipped before Me in the Sanctuary were called a holy people. Thus were they established,
2. Ephraim joins the wind and chases the east wind; all day he increases deceit and plunder, and they make a treaty with Assyria, and oil is brought to Egypt.	2. The house of Israel is like one who sows the wind and reaps the whirlwind. They multiply lies and violence all day long. They make a covenant with Assyria and carry tribute to Egypt.
3. Now the Lord has a contention with Judah, and to visit upon Jacob according to his ways; according to his deeds He shall recompense him.	3. There is an indictment before the LORD against the people of the house of Judah, to punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his good deeds He will reward him.
4. In the womb, he seized his brother's heel, and with his strength he strove with an angel.	4. O prophet say to them: Was it not said of Jacob even before he was born, that he would be greater than his brother? And by his might he contended with the angel.
5. He strove with an angel and prevailed; he wept and beseeched him; In Bethel he shall find Him, and there He shall speak with us.	5. Thus he contended with the angel and prevailed, he wept and pleaded with him. In Bethel he was revealed to him and there he would speak with us.
6. And the Lord is the God of the hosts; the Lord is His Name.	6. He is the LORD, the God of hosts, who was revealed to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And as was said through Moses, "The Lord" is His memorial to every generation.
7. And you shall return by your God: keep loving-kindness and justice, and hope to your God always.	7. And as for you, be strong in the worship of your God. Hold fast to kindness and justice, and hope constantly for the deliverance of your God.
8. A trafficker who has deceitful scales in his hand; he loves to oppress.	8. Be not like traders in whose hands there are false scales; they love to oppress.
9. And Ephraim said: Surely I have become rich; I have found power for myself; all my toils shall not suffice for my iniquity which is sin.	9. And the people of the house of Ephraim said, "But we have become rich, we have acquired power." O prophet, say to them, 'Look! None of your wealth will remain for you on the day of punishment for sins.'
10. And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will yet make you dwell in tents as in the days of the [early] times.	10. I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. I will again let you dwell in tents as in the days of old.
11. And I spoke to the prophets, and I increased their visions; and to the prophets I assumed likenesses.	11. I spoke with the prophets; and I multiplied prophecies, and sent word through My servants the prophets.
12. If there is violence in Gilead, it is because they were but vanity; in Gilgal they sacrificed oxen; also their altars were like heaps on the furrows of the field.	12. If in Gilead there were oppressors, truly in the house of Gilgal they have sacrificed bullocks to idols; their heathen altars also they have multiplied like stone heaps on the boundaries of the fields.
13. And Jacob fled to the field of Aram; and Israel worked for a wife, and for a wife he guarded.	13. O prophet, say to them, "Did not Jacob your father go to the fields of Aram? And Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he guarded sheep?
14. And, through a prophet, the Lord brought up Israel from Egypt, and through a prophet they were guarded.	14. Indeed, when your forefathers went down to Egypt, the LORD sent a prophet and brought Israel up from Egypt, and through a prophet they were guarded.
15. Ephraim provoked, yea bitterness; therefore his blood shall be cast upon him, and his disgrace his Lord shall requite upon him.	15. The people of the house of Ephraim provoke to anger. they continue to sin. And the guilt of innocent blood which is shed will turn upon them, and their LORD will turn back on them their shame.
1. When Ephraim spoke with trembling, he became exalted in Israel; when he became guilty through Baal, he died.	1. When one of the people of the house of Ephraim spoke, trembling gripped the nations. They were exalted in Israel; but when they incurred guilt through worshipping idols, they were killed.
2. And now, they continue to sin, and they have made for themselves a molten image from their silver according to their pattern, deities, all of it the work of craftsmen; to them say, "Those who sacrifice man may kiss the calves."	2. And now they continue to sin; they have made for themselves a molten image from their silver, idols in their own image, all the work of craftsmen. The false prophets lead them astray; they sacrifice to the work of man s hands, they slaughter bullocks for calves,
3. Therefore, they shall be like a morning cloud, and like dew that passes away early, like chaff that is driven with the wind out of the threshing floor, and like smoke out of a chimney.	3. Therefore they will be like the morning clouds and like the dew that vanishes quickly; like the chaff which the wind blows from the threshing-floor, and like the smoke which passes from the smoke-hole.
4. And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt, and gods besides Me you should not know, and there is no savior but Me.	4. And I am the LORD your God who brought you up from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and there is no other savior than Me.
5. I knew you in the desert, in a land of deprivation.	5. I supplied your need in the wilderness, in the land where you were in need of everything.
6. When they grazed and were sated, they were sated and their heart became haughty; therefore, they forgot Me.	6. When I fed them, they were filled. They were filled and their hearts grew proud, therefore they abandoned My worship.
7. And I was to them as a lion, as a leopard by the way I will lurk.	7. So My Memra became like a lion to them, like a leopard lurking by the way.
8. I will meet them as a bereaving bear, and I will rend the enclosure of their heart, and I will devour them as a lion, the beast of the field shall rend them asunder.	8. My Memra comes on them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I have smashed the wickedness of their hearts, and have killed them there like young lions, like a beast of the crag that rends. I have destroyed them.
9. You have destroyed yourself, O Israel, for [you have rebelled] against Me, against your help.	9. When you corrupt your deeds, O house of Israel, the Gentiles rule over you, but when you return to my Law, My Memra is your support.
10. I will be, where is your king? Now let him save you in all your cities, and your judges, concerning whom you said, "Give me a king and princes."	10. Where now is your king, that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges, of whom you said, “Appoint over me a king and rulers"?
11. I gave you a king with My wrath and I took [him] away with My fury. {P}	11. I have appointed a king over you in My anger, and I have removed him in my wrath. {P}
12.¶ The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is laid away.	12. ¶ The iniquities of the house of Ephraim are stored up, all their sins are collected for punishment,
13. Pangs of a woman in confinement shall come to him: he is an unwise son, for it is a time that he shall not stand in the birthstool of the children.	13. Distress and agitation like the pangs of a woman giving birth will come upon him. He is a son who has grown up but has not learned to know the fear of Me. Now I will bring upon him distress like that of a woman who sits on the birth-stool but has no strength to give birth,
14. From the clutches of the grave I would ransom them, from death I would redeem them; I will be your words of death; I will decree the grave upon you. Remorse shall be hidden from My eyes.	14. I have delivered the house of Israel from the power of death and rescued them from the destroyer, but now My Memra will be against them to kill, and My decree will be to destroy. Because they have transgressed My Law, I will remove My Shekinah from them.
15. For though he flourish among the marshes, an east wind shall come, a wind of the Lord, ascending from the desert, and his spring shall dry up, and his fountain shall be parched; he shall plunder the treasure of all coveted vessels.	15. For they are called sons, but they have multiplied corrupt deeds. Now I will bring against them a king strong as the east wind, by the Memra of the LORD. He will come up by way of the desert and destroy their treasure-house and lay waste their royal city. He will plunder the treasures, every precious object.
1. Samaria shall be accounted guilty, for she has rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be dashed, and their pregnant women shall be ripped up. {P}	1. Samaria is guilty, for she has rebelled against the Memra of {or word of') her God. They will be killed by the sword, their youths will be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open. {P}
2. ¶ Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.	2. ¶ Return, O Israel, to the fear of the LORD your God, for you have fallen because of your sin.
3. Take words with yourselves and return to the Lord. Say, "You shall forgive all iniquity and teach us [the] good [way], and let us render [for] bulls [the offering of] our lips.	3. Bring with you words of confession and return to the worship of the LORD. Say before Him, “It is near before You to forgive iniquities", then we will be accepted as good. Let the words of our lips be accepted before You with favor like bullocks on your altar.
4. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses, nor will we say any longer, our gods, to the work of our hands, for in You, by Whom the orphan is granted mercy."	4. The kings of Assyria will not save us. We will not put our trust in horsemen, and no more will we say “Our god” to the works of our hands. For it was from before You that mercy was shown to our forefathers when they were like orphans in Egypt.
5. I will remedy their backsliding; I will love them freely, for My wrath has turned away from them.	5. I will accept them in their repentance, I will forgive their sins, I will have compassion on them when they freely repent, for My anger has turned away from them.
6. I will be like dew to Israel, they shall blossom like a rose, and it shall strike its roots like the Lebanon.	6. My Memra will be like dew to Israel; they will sprout like the lily, and they will dwell in their fortified land like the tree of Lebanon which puts forth its branches.
7. Its branches shall go forth, and its beauty shall be like the olive tree, and its fragrance like the Lebanon.	7. Sons and daughters will multiply, and their light will be like the light of the holy candelabrum, and their fragrance like the fragrance of incense.
8. Those who dwelt in its shade shall return; they shall revive [like] corn and blossom like the vine; its fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.	8. They will be gathered from among their exiles, they will dwell in the shade of their anointed One (Messiah). The dead will be resurrected and goodness will increase in the land. The mention of their goodness will go in and not cease, like the memorial of the blast of the trumpets made over the matured wine when it was poured out in the Sanctuary.
9. Ephraim; What more do I need the images? I will answer him and I will look upon him: I am like a leafy cypress tree; from Me your fruit is found.	9. The house of Israel will say: “Why should we worship idols any more?” I, by My Memra, will make them like a beautiful cypress tree, because forgiveness for their waywardness is found before Me.
10. Who is wise and will understand these, discerning and will know them; for the ways of the Lord are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them, and the rebellious shall stumble on them. {P}	10. Who is wise and will consider these things? Who is prudent and will take note of them? For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous/generous who walk in them will live an everlasting life through them, but the wicked will be delivered to Gehinnom because they have not walked in them. {P}

Rashi’s Commentary on on Hos. 10:12-14 + 14:1-7

9 Since the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel! Heb. חָטָאתָ . This word חָטָאת is punctuated weakly, since it is of the feminine gender and of the past tense. Comp. (Lev. 25:21) וְעָשָת , “and it shall produce”; (Gen. 16:8) בָאת , “have you come”; (Deut. 32:36) אָזְלַת , “their power is gone.” From the days of Gibeah of Benjamin, Israel sinned. Since the incident of the concubine in Gibeah (Jud. 19) took place during the time of Othniel the son of Kenaz, who was the first of the judges, at the time of Cushan- rishathaim, and in whose time the image of Micah existed, and all this we find in Seder Olam (ch. 12).

There they remained They adhered to that trait since then.

the battle...did not overtake them in Gibeah Since the iniquity of idolatry was with them and they were not concerned about it, they were not victorious in the battle of Gibeah against the Benjaminites. Scripture calls them בְּנֵי עַלְוָה , lit. sons of haughtiness, who made themselves superior (עֶלְיוֹנִים) and did not heed their brethren to deliver the people of Gibeah. Jonathan, however, translates this in reference to their request for a king and their crowning Saul. However this does not appear to me to follow the Hebrew wording. Moreover, the context fits the former interpretation.

10 With My will, I chastised them According to My will, I always chastised them from judge to judge, and I delivered them into the hands of their plunderers.

and nations shall gather about them, when they bind them to their two eyes Since Hosea compares them to a heifer as stated further: “Ephraim is a goaded heifer,” he, therefore, compared their chastisement to a cow, which they tire with plowing and they bind it to the yoke of the plowshare, and the pegs of the yoke penetrate it, [i.e., they penetrate the yoke,] one on this side and one on that side, next to the ox’s two eyes. And so did Jonathan render: as one hinds a “padna” on its two eyes. “Padna” is a yoke of oxen.

11 And Ephraim is a goaded heifer Heb. מְלֻמָּדָה , porpojjnte in O.F. punctured, wounded in many places with the oxgoad, which is called agojjlon in O.F. I.e., many chastisements have I brought upon her, yet she has not humbled herself, and he always loves to thresh the grain in a place of food and fat, and she did not subject herself to be plowing, i.e., they did not subject themselves to My Torah, but follow the vision of their heart.

that loves Heb. אֽהַבְתִּי . The “yud” is superfluous. Comp. (Gen. 31:39) “stolen by day (גְּנֻבְתִי) .”

and I passed over her fair neck Therefore, I bring upon them kings who will weaken their strength.

I will cause Ephraim to ride, Judah shall plow etc. If you wish that I would cause Ephraim to ride upon the nations, Judah shall plow, and Jacob יְשַּׂדֶד , shall break his clods with a plowing of good deeds, as Hosea explains and says: plow yourselves a plowing etc.

12 Sow righteousness/generosity for yourselves But you have plowed wickedness etc.; therefore, a tumult shall rise in your people.

plow yourselves a plowing Engage in the Torah and from there you will learn to go on the good way, to overpower temptation, like a person who plows the field to turn over the roots of grasses which sap the strength of the grain in the summer many days prior to sowing, and you shall set aside a time to seek the Lord, i.e., for the study of the Torah.

until He comes and instructs you in righteousness/generosity When you toil in it, He will give you to understand to let you know its secrets with righteousness/generosity. Another explanation:

Plow yourselves a plowing Do good deeds before oppression comes upon you, and that will cause for you that your prayer will be accepted in time of necessity, and then it will be a time fit for you to seek the Holy One, blessed he He, for all your necessities, for then your cry will be heard, and He will cast down (יוֹרֶה) charity to you; i.e., He will rain down charity to you. Comp. (Ex. 15:3) “He cast (יָרָה) into the sea.”

13 you have eaten fruit of lies You have received the retribution for your deeds.

14 And a tumult shall rise in your peoples i.e., a voice shouting, “Flee! Flee!”

as the plunder of a peaceful people by an ambush Like plunderers who come upon a tranquil people suddenly with an ambush, for they did not beware of them to flee from before them, and they plunder everything.

an ambush Heb. בֵּיתאַרְבֵּאל . Jonathan renders: a place of ambush (בֵּיתמַאֲרָב) , and the “aleph” “lammed” are superfluous. Comp. יִזְרְעֶאל , which is not the name of a city, e.g., (above 2:24) “And they shall answer Jezreel,” and he called it with the expression of a name. Here, too, he called it as a sort of name. In this manner, Menahem (Machbereth Menahem p. 34) classified it, but Dunash (Teshuvoth Dunash p. 49) interprets it as a placename.

was dashed to pieces Heb. רֻטָּשָׁה , split. Comp. (Isa. 13:18) “shall dash (תְּרַטַשְנָא) youths”; (ibid. v. 16) “and their babes shall be dashed (יְרֻטָשׁוּ) .” Another explanation of רֻטָּשָׁה is “abandoned,” like נֻטָּשָׁה .

15 So has Bethel done to you The calf in Bethel has brought about all this retribution upon you.

the evil of your wickedness Heb. , lit. the evil of your evil. Because of the evil of your wickedness, the sins of your evil intention.

at dawn the king of Israel has been silenced Heb. נִדְמָה נִדְמֽה . He has sunk into a deep sleep as though it were night; i.e. he has no strength. Now why has all this come about? For when Israel was young, devoid of all good, I loved him.

Chapter 11

1 and from Egypt I called My son through My prophets to cleave to My Torah. But what did they do?...

2 The more they called to them, the more they went away from them As much as the prophets call to teach them the good way, so did they turn their backs to run away from them and they would slaughter sacrifices to the baalim. It is customary for Scripture to speak in this manner. Comp. (above 4:7) “The more they have increased, the more they have sinned against Me”; (Ex. 1:12) “And the more they afflicted them, the more they increased.”

3 But I sent to train Ephraim, he took them etc. I sent a leader before them who would train them gently.

he took them on his arms This is Moses, concerning whom it is stated (Num. 11:12): “As the nursing father carries the sucking child.” The form תִּרְגַּלְתִּי is like הִרגַּלְתִּי , I trained, or accustomed, and there is no similar form in Scripture.

but they did not know that I healed them They, in fact, knew, but they trod with their heels; they pretended not to know. The Aggadah in the Midrash of Rabbi Tanhuma (Gen. 48:1) expounds it in reference to the sons of Joseph. When he brought them before Jacob to bless them, Jacob perceived wicked men destined to come from Ephraim, viz. Jeroboam and Ahab, and the Holy Spirit left him, “and he said: Who are these?” Joseph prayed for mercy, and the Holy Spirit rested on Jacob and he blessed them. This is the meaning of: And I trained My spirit upon Jacob for Ephraim’s benefit, and he took them on his arms.

4 with cords of a man I constantly drew them with tender cords with which a man draws his son; i.e., drawing mercifully. Jonathan, too, rendered it in this manner.

and I was to them like those who lift the yoke on their bridles I.e., like the good farmers who lift the yoke with their hands through bridles to lighten it for the cow that is plowing. So was I with them in every trouble, to make it lighter for them. Another explanation:

like those who lift the yoke on their bridles Like the farmers who lift the yoke off the neck of the cow or the ox by lengthening the peg upon which the yoke is placed, to lighten it for the plowing cow. So was I with them in every trouble to make it lighter for them. So did Jonathan render it: like a good farmer [who makes it lighter for the shoulders of the oxen and lengthens their bridles.]

on their bridles Heb. אוֹכִיל , an expression of a stake of an alley.

and I extended to him the ability to bear I extended him the strength to bear the yoke of the torments. Jonathan renders: referring to His supplying them food in the desert.

5 He shall not return to the land of Egypt I promised him (Ex. 14:13): “you shall no longer continue to see them etc.” Now what did it avail? Against his will, Assyria is his king. They sinned and brought about that they should be vassals to Assyria since they refused to repent.

6 And a sword shall rest in his cities Heb. וְחָלָה , and a sword shall rest in his cities.

and it shall destroy his branches, and it shall consume And it shall destroy his mighty men and consume them. [after Targum Jonathan]

because of their counsels (all these came upon them.) The word מִמּֽעֲצוֹתֵיהֶם is punctuated by two accents: it contains a tipcha and it contains a silluk (sof passuk), since it is a clause by itself. Comp. (Lev. 21:4) לְהֵחַלְוֹ , “for him to become profaned,” of the verse commencing, “A husband shall not contaminate himself.” Similarly, (Ex. 30:3l) לדֽרֽתֵיכֶם , “to your generations,” of the verse dealing with the holy anointing oil.

7 And My people waver whether to return to Me When the prophets teach them to return to Me, they are in doubt whether to return or not to return; it is with difficulty that they return to Me.

and to the matter concerning which they call them, together they do not uphold it And to the matter concerning which the prophets call them, together My people will not uphold it and will not agree to do it. Some explain וְאֶל-עַל יִקְרָאֻהוּ to mean: Harsh happenings shall befall them. The word וְאֶל means the same as (Gen. 31:29) “My hand has power (לְאֵל) ,” [and the word עַל means the same as עֲלִילוֹת , deeds (Kara). But this is not so since אֶל is vowelized with a “pattah.” [I.e. with a “segol,” called “pattah katan” by the early grammarians.] Were אֶל a noun, it would be vowelized with a “tseireh,” [i.e., אֵל ]. Jonathan, however, renders: A harsh happening will befall them. He interprets וְאֶל as an expression of harshness, but it appears to me that I have interpreted it properly.

together they do not uphold [it] [Jonathan renders:] Together they shall not walk erect.

8 deliver you Heb. אֲמַגֶּנְךָ . Comp. (Gen. 14:20) “Who delivered (מִגֵן) your adversaries.”

My remorse has been kindled Heb. נִכְרְמוּ , are heated. This is an Aramaic expression. Comp. (Lam. 5:10) “Our skin is heated (נִכְמָרוּ) like an oven.”

9 I will not return from My good word, which I said. (Lev. 26:44) “I have not rejected them nor have I abhorred them,” to destroy Ephraim.

for I am God Who keeps His favorable word, and I do not retract the good.

I will not enter a city I.e., another city. I have already promised to cause My Shechinah to rest in your midst in Jerusalem, and I will never again cause it to rest on another city. Others explain it as an expression of hatred. Comp. (I Sam. 28:16) “And has become your adversary (וַיְהִי עָרֶךָ) .”

10 He shall roar like a lion He will yet roar to them like a lion that they leave the exile and follow Him.

and the children shall hasten from the west And the exiles shall be gathered from the west. [from Jonathan]

Chapter 12

1 has surrounded Me Ephraim and the house of Israel have already surrounded Me with lies and deceit, i.e., the kings of the Ten Tribes and all the people, but Judah still...

rules with God Still rules with fear of God.

rules Heb. רָד . Comp. (Num. 24:19) “And there shall rule (וְיֵרְדְּ) out of Jacob.” Their kings are still with the Holy One, blessed be He.

2 joins the wind Heb. רֽעֵה . An expression of רֵעַ , a friend. He joins words of the wind, viz. idolatry.

and oil Their oil they carry to Egypt to give a bribe to Egypt to aid them.

3 Now the Lord has a contention with Judah He relates to them the matters of His contention which their brethren, the house of Israel, have done to Him, so that they should not wonder when He visits retribution on Jacob according to his ways.

4 In the womb, he seized his brother’s heel All this I did for him, he held him by the heel, as a sign that he would be a master over him.

5 he wept i.e., the angel wept. [from Chullin 92a]

and beseeched him When he said to him, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Gen. 32:26), and the angel was begging him, “Let me go now. Eventually, the Holy One, blessed be He, will reveal Himself to you in Bethel, and there you will find Him, and there He will speak with us, and He and I will agree with you concerning the blessings that Isaac blessed you.” Now that angel was Esau’s genius, and he was contesting the blessings.

6 And the Lord is the God of the hosts Just as I was then, so am I now, and had you walked with Me wholeheartedly, like Jacob your father, I would have acted toward you as I acted toward him.

7 And you shall return by your God On His promise and His support, which He promises you, you can rely, and return to Him. Only...

keep loving-kindness and justice and you may be assured to hope for His salvation always.

8 A trafficker who has deceitful scales in his hand You rely on your gain, for you are traffickers and deceivers, and concerning your wealth you say...

9 Surely I have become rich Now why should I worship the Holy One, blessed be He?

I have found power for myself Heb. אוֹן , meaning strength. Rabbi Simon, however, explained it homiletically as follows: I found אוֹן for myself: I found a deed of indebtedness for myself, that I possess kingship over Israel. (Gen. 50:18) “And his brothers too wept and fell etc. ‘Behold we are slaves to you etc.’” אוֹן means the laws of a deed. Comp. (Gittin 43b) “They may write his deed (אוֹנוֹ) for it.” Comp. (Gittin 43b) “They may write his deed אוֹנוֹ for it.” Comp. also (Gen. Rabbah 2:2) With one deed (אוֹנוֹ) and with one price. “And this is its explanation:

“And Ephraim said: Surely I have become rich; I have found a deed for myself.” Jeroboam son of Nebat, who was of the tribe of Ephraim, boasts and declares: Surely I have become rich, I have found a deed for myself, one deed, that all Israel are my slaves, for my father acquired them, as it is written: And his brothers too went and fell before him, and said: Behold we are your slaves. And whatever a slave acquires belongs to his master. Hence, all their property is mine. Therefore, I have no sin if I take all that is theirs, for they are my slaves. What is written after this? And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt. The greatness that came to your father in Egypt was from Me. Said the Holy One, blessed be He. ‘Behold we are your slaves,’ you have not forgotten, but ‘I am the Lord your God,’ which was stated in the Decalogue, you have forgotten, for you have erected two calves, one in Bethel and one in Dan. And according to the simple meaning of the verse, you say, “I have found power for myself through oppression and deceitful scales.” And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt. There I distinguished between a droplet [of seed] of a firstborn and a droplet which was not of a firstborn. I also know and exact retribution from deceitful scales made without understanding and from one who hides his weights in salt in order to deceive.

all my toils shall not suffice for my etc. It would have been better for you had you said to yourself: All my money shall not suffice to atone for my iniquity which I have sinned. In this manner Jonathan renders it: The prophet said to them: All your wealth will not remain with you on the day of the retribution of your sins.

shall not suffice Heb. לֹא יִמְצְאוּ , usually translated ‘shall not find.’ They shall not suffice. Comp. (Num. 11:22) “and suffice (וּמָצָא) for them.” But it cannot be explained: יְגִיעַי כָּֽל- , all those who toil to seek my iniquity shall not find any iniquity with me, for, were that the case, it should be spelled יְגֵעַי without a “yud,” and it should be vowelized with a “tseireh,” but now it is not an expression of one who toils but an expression of toil.

10 I will yet make you dwell in tents I will cut off from your midst deceitful traffickers, and I will cause you to dwell in tents. I will set up from among you students engaging in the Torah.

as in the days of the [early] times As in the days of the early times, when Jacob, the unpretentious man, was sitting in tents.

11 And I spoke to the prophets to admonish you and to bring you back to do good.

and to the prophets I assumed likenesses I appeared to them in many likenesses. Another explanation. I gave My words likenesses to them through allegories in order to make them comprehensible to their listeners.

12 If there is violence in Gilead If they suffered from destruction and violence, they caused it to themselves, for they were but vanity in Gilgal, and they sacrificed oxen to pagan deities.

also their altars were as numerous as heaps which are on the furrows of the field.

the furrows of the field The furrow made by the plowshare is called תֶלֶם .

13 And Jacob fled to the field of Aram etc. Like a person who says, “Let us return to the previous topic,” for we spoke above (verse 5): And he strove with an angel, and moreover, I did this for him; when he was forced to flee to the field of Aram, you know how I guarded him.

and for a wife he guarded the flocks.

14 And, through a prophet, the Lord brought up etc. And, insofar as you disgrace the prophets and mock their words, is it not so that through a prophet God brought us etc.?

15 Ephraim provoked his Creator by despising His prophets and betraying Him.

yea, bitterness (Heb. תַּמְרוּרִים ,) they are to him for his blood which he shed by causing Israel to sin by clinging to idolatryand one who causes a person to sin is worse to him than one who kills him, as we learn from Ammon and Moab, who misled Israel to cling to Baal-Peor, and Scripture punished them more severely than an Egyptian and an Edomite, who drowned them in the river and went forth toward them with the sword...

shall be cast upon him The Holy One, blessed be He, shall cast it upon him.

and his disgrace which he disgraced Solomon, as the matter is stated: (I Kings 11:26) “He raised his hand against the king,” that he rebuked him in public because Solomon had built up the Millo, as is explained in [the chapter entitled] Chelek (San. 101b).

his Lord shall requite upon him I.e., the Holy One, blessed be He, since he surpassed him in his evil deeds.

Chapter 13

1 When Ephraim spoke with trembling When Jeroboam showed zeal for the Omnipresent and spoke harshly against Solomon, and tremblingly, for Solomon was a great king.

he became exalted in Israel Thence he merited to be elevated to he king over Israel.

when he became guilty through Baal As soon as he assumed greatness and became guilty with Baal.

he died i.e., Jeroboam’s dynasty was terminated, and so was Ahab’s dynasty. Jonathan renders: When one of the house of Ephraim would speak, fear would seize the nations. They were great among Israel, but when they sinned by worshipping idols, they were slain.

2 And now Jehu’s dynasty, who saw all this, continue to sin.

according to their pattern Heb. כִּתְבוּנָם .

Those who sacrifice man may kiss the calves The priests of Molech say to Israel, “Whoever sacrifices his son to the idol is worthy of kissing the calf” for he has offered him a precious gift. So did our Sages explain this in Sanhedrin (63b), and it fits the wording of the verse better than Jonathan’s translation.

3 and like dew that passes away early Jonathan renders: And like dew, the water of which evaporates.

like chaff that is driven with the wind out of the threshing floor Jonathan renders: Like chaff which the wind blows from the threshing floor. e wind lifts up.

4 And I am the Lord your God and you should not have rebelled against Me

5 I knew you I set My heart to know your necessity, and I provided you.

deprivation Heb. תַלְאוּבֽת . There is no similarity to this in Scripture, and its interpretation is, according to the context, תֵּל , a heap, שֶאוֹבִין , where they long for all good and do not find it.

6 When they grazed When they entered the land of their pasture and they were sated, then...

they were sated and their heart became haughty (Ex. 7:20) “And he lifted (וַיָרֶם) the staff,” is an expression of lifting something else. “Became haughty (וַיָרָם) ” here means that he himself was lifted.

7 by the way I will lurk Heb. אָשּׁוּר . Every instance of אָשּׁוּר in Scripture is punctuated with a “dagesh,” but this one is “weak,” since it is not a place name but it means, “I will lurk and ambush.” Comp. (Num. 24:17) “I see him (אֲשּׁוּרֶנוּ) but not near.”

8 as a bereaving bear Heb. שַׁכּוּל . Like שּׁוֹכֵל , as you say חָנּוּן , gracious, and רַחוּם , merciful, so שַּׁכּוּל , i.e., entirely attired with bereavements and ready to bereave people.

and I will rend the enclosure of their heart like the habit of the bear, which holds its nails on the chest and rends until the heart. Another explanation:

the enclosure of the heart Their heart which is closed from understanding to return to Me.

9 You have destroyed yourself, O Israel Heb. שִּׁחֶתְךָ .

for against Me you have rebelled: you have rebelled against your help. This is an ellipsis, but [to] one who understands the language of the Scriptures, it makes sense. For against Me was the rebellion which you rebelled, and if you ask, “What does it mean to You?” Against your help you rebelled when you rebelled against Me.

10 I will be, where is your king? Heb. אֱהִי מַלְכְּךָ אֵפוֹא . Jonathan renders: Where is your king? But I say that it is unnecessary to interpret it other than its apparent meaning. I will be standing from afar to see where your king is, for I will make Myself see what your end will be, where your savior is.

12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up I did not overlook it; it is laid up with Me.

13 for [it is] a time For a time of trouble has come upon him, from which he will not be able to stand and endure.

in the birth stool of the children upon which the woman in confinement sits to give birth. And in Old French they call a birth stool sele.

in the birth stool of the children i.e., in the birth stool made for the birth of children.

14 From the clutches of the grave I would ransom them I am He Who would ransom them from the clutches of the grave and redeem them from death, but now...

I will be your words of death Heb. אֱהִי דְבָרֶיךָ . I will place Myself to speak of you words of death.

I will decree...upon you Heb. קָטָבְךָ . I will decree upon you the decree of the grave.

Remorse shall be hidden from My eyes Heb. נֽחַם . I will not regret this evil. נֽחֵם is an expression of regret (נִחוּם) , and the “mem” is a radical like the “mem” of נֽעַם , pleasantness, for the accent is on the first syllable, and the “heth” is vowelized with a “pattah.” Were it an expression of resting (נָח) , with the “mem” serving as a suffix denoting the plural, the accent would be under the “heth,” and it would be vowelized with a “kamatz” [like כּֽחָם their strength; רוּחָם , their spirit.]

15 For though he flourish among the marshes Heb. כִּי הוּא בֵּין אַחִים יַפְרִיא . Jonathan renders: For they are called sons, but they increased corrupt deeds. אַחִים An expression of an evil thing. Comp. (Ezekiel 21:20) “Woe! (אָח) It is made for a blade.” Also (ibid. 6:11) “And say, ‘Woe!’ (אָח) to all the... abominations.” יַפְרִיא An expression similar to (Deut. 29:17) פּֽרֶה רֽאשׁ וְלַעֲנָה , that hears (פּֽרַה) hemlock and wormwood.” But I say that אַחִים is an expression similar to (Gen. 41:2) “And they grazed in the marsh (בָּאָחוּ) .”

For though he flourish among the marshes Heb. יַפְרִיא . Blossoms and grows in the marsh. Among the marshes, among those growing in the marshes, which always flourish. And, since He compares him to a marsh, He says: An east wind shall come... and his spring shall dry up. Another explanation: For he decreased among the brothers, i.e., Jeroboam. He was a son who decreased the brotherhood [other versions: the heritage] of Israel. Through him, they were divided into two kingdoms. Decreased יַפְרִיע . An expression similar to (Gen. 16:12) “One who decreases men (פֶּרֶא אָדָם) .”

an east wind shall come A king, strong as the east wind, shall come up by the word of the Lord from the way of the desert.

he shall plunder That king shall plunder the treasures of all coveted vessels.

Chapter 14

1 Samaria shall be accounted guilty From now on, her guilt will be revealed.

and their pregnant women Heb. וְהָריּוֹתָיו . The pregnant women in its midst.

2 Return, O Israel You, who are in the land of Judah, lest what happens to Samaria happens to you. Therefore, the topics are juxtaposed. This can be compared to a king against whom a province rebelled. The king sent a general and commanded him to destroy it. That general was expert and deliberate. He said to them, “Take for yourselves days (sic); otherwise, I will do to you as I have done to such-and-such a province and to its allies, and to such-and-such a prefecture and to its allies.” Therefore it says, “Samaria shall be accounted guilty,” and then Scripture says: “Return, O Israel.” As is found in Sifrei in the section commencing. (Num. 25:1), “And Israel abode in Shittim.”

to the Lord your God One taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: Return, O Israel, while He is still יהוה , with the Divine Attribute of Mercy; otherwise, He is אֶלֹהֶיךָ with the Divine Attribute of Justice, before the defense becomes the prosecution. [from Pesikta d’Rav Kahana, p. 164a]

for you have stumbled in your iniquity Obstacles have come to you because of your iniquity.

3 You shall forgive all iniquity Heb. עָוֹן כָּל-תִּשָׂא . Forgive all our iniquities.

and teach [us the] good [way] Heb. וְקַח-טוֹב . And teach us the good way. Another explanation: The few good deeds in our hands take in Your hand and judge us accordingly. And so does David say (Psalms 17:2): “Let my sentence come forth from before You, may Your eyes behold the right.” Another explanation: And accept good And accept confession from us, as it is said (Psalms 92:2): “It is good to confess to the Lord.”

and let us render [for] bulls that we should have sacrificed before you, let us render them with the placation of the words of our lips.

4 Assyria shall not save us Say this also before Him, “We no longer seek the aid of man, neither from Assyria nor from Egypt.”

we will not ride on horses This is the aid from Egypt, who would send them horses, as they said to Isaiah (30:16), “No, but on horses will we flee... And on swift steeds will we ride.”

nor will we say any longer to the work of our hands that they are our gods.

for in You alone shall our hope be, You Who grant mercy to the orphans.

5 I will remedy their backsliding Said the prophet: So has the Holy Spirit said to me. After they say this before Me, I will remedy their backsliding, and I will love them with My charitable spirit. Although they do not deserve the love, I will love them charitably since My wrath has turned away from them.

6 and it shall strike I. e. the dew shall strike its roots and cause them to prosper.

like the Lebanon like the roots of the trees of the Lebanon, which are large.

7 Its branches shall go forth Sons and daughters shall increase.

and it shall be Their beauty shall be like the beauty of the menorah of the Temple, and their fragrance like the fragrance of the incense.

like the Lebanon Like the Temple.

8 Those who dwelt in its shade shall return Those who already dwelt in the shade of the Lebanon, to which He compared Israel and the Temple, and now were exiled there from, shall return to it.

its fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon Jonathan renders: Like the remembrance of the blasts of the trumpets over the old wine poured for libations in the Temple. For they would blow the trumpets over the libations when the Levites would recite the song.

9 Ephraim will say, “What more do I need to follow the images?” And they will turn away from idolatry.

I will answer him I will answer him from his trouble.

and I will look upon him I will look upon his affliction.

I am like a leafy cypress tree I will bend down for him to hold his hand on Me as the leafy cypress which is bent down to the ground, which a man holds by its branches; i.e., I will be accessible to him.

from Me your fruit is found Am I not He? For all your good emanates from Me.

10 Who is wise and will understand these Who among you is wise and will ponder to put his heart to all these and return to Me?

and the rebellious shall stumble on them i.e., because of them, because they did not walk in them. Jonathan renders in this manner.

In The School of the Prophets

Hosea 10:12-14 + 14:1-7

By: Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

As usual, our Prophetic Lesson for this Sabbath in the Hebrew text extends along three Petuchot (Closed Paragraphs) – the first starting in Hos. 10:9 and concluding at Hos. 13:11 (with an intermediate section at 11:11), the second Petucha (Closed Paragraph) starts in Hos 13:12 until Hos. 14:1, and the third Petucha (Closed Paragraph) starting in Hos. 14:2 and concluding in v.10. However, our Sages full of compassion for the congregation stipulated that for public reading from the Teba (pulpit) we should only read from the Prophets ten verses (Hos. 10:12-14 + 14:1-7). This of course, does not limit the preacher to refer or use in the course of his homily (sermon) from Hosea 10:9 through to Hos. 14:10.

The verbal tally between our Torah Seder and Ashlamatah (Lesson from the Prophets) is as follows:

Deuteronomy 24:19 –

יט כִּי תִקְצֹר קְצִירְךָ בְשָׂדֶךָ וְשָׁכַחְתָּ עֹמֶר בַּשָּׂדֶה, לֹא תָשׁוּב לְקַחְתּוֹ--לַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה, יִהְיֶה:  לְמַעַן יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ.

19 When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you will not go back to fetch it; it will be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

Hosea 10:12

יב זִרְעוּ לָכֶם לִצְדָקָה קִצְרוּ לְפִי-חֶסֶד, נִירוּ לָכֶם נִיר; וְעֵת, לִדְרוֹשׁ אֶת-יְהוָה, עַד-יָבוֹא, וְיֹרֶה צֶדֶק לָכֶם.

12 Sow to yourselves according to righteousness/generosity, reap according to mercy, break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and cause righteousness/generosity to rain upon you.

The Hebrew word קצר – QATSAR (Strong’s # H7114) is normally translated as “to reap,” or “to harvest.” In the Land of Israel there are three main harvesting seasons.

The barley harvest – around the time of Passover

II Samuel 21:9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, and they fell all seven together; and they were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Ruth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the field of Moab - and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of the barley harvest.

The wheat harvest – around the time of Pentecost

Gen 30:14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah: 'Give me, I pray, of your son's mandrakes.'

Judges 15:1 But it came to pass after a while, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said: 'I will go in to my wife into the chamber.' But her father would not suffer him to go in.

The grape harvest – around the time of Tabernacles

Isaiah 18:5 For before the [grape] harvest, when the blossom is over, and the bud becomes a ripening grape, He will cut off the sprigs with pruning-hooks, and the shoots will He take away and lop off.

Symbolically (i.e. from a So’od hermeneutic), these three harvest times represent the Shalosh Regalim (Three Pilgrim Festivals) which Israelites and Righteous Gentiles were commanded to participate in. Metaphorically (i.e from a Midrash hermeneutic), harvest is a time of retribution (Hos. 6:11; Joel 3:13 (H 4:13); Jer 51:33). Allegorically (i.e. from a Remes hermeneutic), harvest is a time of opportunity as it is written (Jer 8:20): “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”

The wave-sheaf offering the day after the first day of Passover was the first-fruits of the ripened barley that the priest offered to God in the early Spring. It was always waved “on the morning after the Sabbath” (i.e. on the morning after the first holy day of Passover which is called a Sabbath).

Lev 23:10-14 ¹⁰Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When you are come into the land which I give unto you, and will reap the harvest thereof, then you will bring the sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest. ¹¹And he will wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you; on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest will wave it. ¹²And in the day when you wave the sheaf, you will offer a he-lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt-offering unto the LORD. ¹³And the meal-offering thereof will be two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savor; and the drink-offering thereof will be of wine, the fourth part of a hin. ¹⁴And you will eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor fresh ears, until this selfsame day, until you have brought the offering of your God; it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Concerning verses 10 and 11 Rashi comments:

10 [you shall bring...an omer] of the beginning of your reaping the first of the harvest [from the fields. Thus, one is permitted to proceed with the general harvest only after this omer has been reaped.]-[Sifthei Chachamim ; Men. 71a]

omer a tenth of an ephah (see Exod. 16:36). That was its [the measure’s] name, like “And they measured it with an omer ” (Exod. 16:18).

11 And he shall wave Every [mention of] תְּנוּפָה , “waving,” [in Scripture], denotes moving back and forth, up and down. [It is moved] back and forth to prevent evil winds; [it is moved] up and down to prevent evil dews [i.e., the dew should be a blessing for the crop, not a curse].-[Men. 61a-62a]

so that it will be acceptable for you If you offer it up according to these instructions, it will be acceptable for you.

on the day after the rest day - מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת . On the day after the first holy day of Passover, [since a holy festival day is also שַׁבָּת , rest day, in Scripture]. For if you say [that it means] the “Sabbath of Creation” [i.e., the actual Sabbath, the seventh day of the week], you would not know which one. -[Men. 66a]

This day is sometimes called the Feast of First-fruits. The resurrection and first ascension of Yeshua “on the morning after the first holy day of Passover (which is called a Sabbath)” is symbolized by the wave-sheaf offering.

Therefore, here we have a point of connection between the Ashlamatah and the reading of the Peshat of Hakham Tsefet (Mark) for this week, as it is stated:

Mark 15:42, 16:1-2 ⁴²When evening came, because the previous day was the preparation day (for Pesach and the Festival of unleavened bread of the P’rushim - Pharisees) before the (weekly) Sabbath, ... ¹When the (weekly) Sabbath was over, Miriam Migdalah and Miriam the (mother) of Ya’aqov, and Shlomit bought aromatics that upon arrival they might anoint him. ²Very early at the first of the week at sunrise they came to the tomb.

Luke 23:54-24:1 ⁵⁴The day was the preparation day (for the weekly Sabbath), and the weekly Sabbath was approaching. ⁵⁵The women followers who had accompanied Yeshua from Galil observed where the tomb was and how his body was placed there. ⁵⁶They returned to the city and prepared ointments containing spices and embalming perfumes. During the weekly Sabbath, they were resting (observing the Shabbat) according to the mitzvot (commandments i.e. written and oral). ¹At early dawn on the first day of the week they came to the tomb, carrying the aromatic ointments they had prepared.

Verbal Tallies

By: HH Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David

& HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

Deuteronomy 24:19-27:26

Tehillim (Psalms) 136-137

Hosea 10:12-14 + 14:1-7

Mark 15:42-47

The verbal tallies between the Torah and the Ashlamatah are:

Cut down / reap - קצר, Strong’s number 07114.

Go again / return - שוב, Strong’s number 07725.

Fetch / take / receive - לקח, Strong’s number 03947.

Fatherless - יתום, Strong’s number 03490.

LORD - יהוה, Strong’s number 03068.

God - אלהים, Strong’s number 0430.

Work - מעשה, Strong’s number 04639.

Hands - יד, Strong’s number 03027.

The verbal tallies between the Torah and the Psalms are:

Forgot / forget - שכח, Strong’s number 07911.

LORD - יהוה, Strong’s number 03068.

God - אלהים, Strong’s number 0430.

Hands - יד, Strong’s number 03027.

Deuteronomy 24:19-20 When thou cuttest down <07114> (8799) thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot <07911> (8804) a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again <07725> (8799) to fetch <03947> (8800) it: it shall be for the stranger <01616>, for the fatherless <03490>, and for the widow: that the LORD <03068> thy God <0430> may bless thee in all the work <04639> of thine hands <03027>.

Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap <07114> (8798) in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD <03068>, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Hosea 14:1 O Israel, return <07725> (8798) unto the LORD <03068> thy God <0430>; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

Hosea 14:2 Take <03947> (8798) with you words, and turn to the LORD <03068>: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive <03947> (8798) us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.

Hosea 14:3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work <04639> of our hands <03027>, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless <03490> findeth mercy.

Tehillim (Psalms) 136:1 O give thanks unto the LORD <03068>; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Tehillim (Psalms) 136:2 O give thanks unto the God <0430> of gods <0430>: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Tehillim (Psalms) 136:12 With a strong hand <03027>, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Tehillim (Psalms) 137:5 If I forget <07911> (8799) thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget <07911> (8799) her cunning.

Hebrew:

Hebrew	English	Torah Seder Deut 24:19-27:26	Psalms 136-139	Ashlamatah Hos 10:12-14, 14:1-7
hm'd'a]	land, earth	Deut 25:15 Deut 26:2 Deut 26:10 Deut 26:15	Ps 137:4
dx'a,	one	Deut 25:5 Deut 25:11	Ps 139:16
byEao	enemies	Deut 25:19	Ps 138:7 Ps 139:22
lk;a'	eat	Deut 26:12 Deut 26:14 Deut 27:7		Hos 10:13
~yhil{a/	GOD
~ae	mother	Deut 27:16 Deut 27:22	Ps 139:13	Hos 10:14
rm;a'	say, declare, said	Deut 25:7 Deut 25:8 Deut 25:9 Deut 26:3 Deut 26:5 Deut 26:13 Deut 26:17 Deut 26:18 Deut 27:1 Deut 27:9 Deut 27:11 Deut 27:14 Deut 27:15 Deut 27:16 Deut 27:17 Deut 27:18 Deut 27:19 Deut 27:20 Deut 27:21 Deut 27:22 Deut 27:23 Deut 27:24 Deut 27:25 Deut 27:26	Ps 137:7 Ps 139:11 Ps 139:20	Hos 14:2 Hos 14:3
vAna/	men	Deut 25:1 Deut 25:11	Ps 139:19
@a;	wrath		Ps 138:7	Hos 14:4
#r,a,	land, earth	Deut 24:22 Deut 25:19 Deut 26:1 Deut 26:2 Deut 26:3 Deut 26:9 Deut 26:15 Deut 27:2 Deut 27:3	Ps 136:6 Ps 136:21 Ps 138:4 Ps 139:15
aAB	go, come, enter	Deut 25:5 Deut 26:1 Deut 26:2 Deut 26:3 Deut 26:9 Deut 26:10 Deut 27:3 Deut 28:2 Deut 28:6		Hos 10:12
rAkB.	firstborn	Deut 25:6	Ps 136:10
!Be	son, children	Deut 25:2 Deut 25:5	Ps 137:7	Hos 10:14
tB;	daughter	Deut 27:22	Ps 137:8
lAdG"	large, great	Deut 25:13 Deut 25:14 Deut 26:5 Deut 26:8 Deut 27:2	Ps 136:4 Ps 136:7 Ps 136:17 Ps 138:5
rb'D'	words, songs, thing	Deut 24:22 Deut 27:3 Deut 27:8 Deut 27:26 Deut 28:14	Ps 137:3	Hos 14:2
~D'	person, bloody	Deut 27:25	Ps 139:19
%r,D,	way	Deut 25:17 Deut 25:18 Deut 26:17 Deut 27:18	Ps 138:5 Ps 139:3 Ps 139:24	Hos 10:13
tyIz"	olive tree	Deut 24:20		Hos 14:6
rk;z"	remember	Deut 24:22 Deut 25:17	Ps 136:23 Ps 137:1 Ps 137:6 Ps 137:7
rk,zE	memory, renown	Deut 25:19		Hos 14:7
[;Arz>	arm	Deut 26:8	Ps 136:12
qz"x'	mighty, strong	Deut 26:8	Ps 136:12
hy:x'	revive		Ps 138:7	Hos 14:7
ds,x,	mercy		Ps 136:1 Ps 136:2 Ps 136:3 Ps 136:4 Ps 136:5 Ps 136:6 Ps 136:7	Hos 10:12
bAj	good	Deut 26:11	Ps 136:1	Hos 14:2
dy"	hand	Deut 24:19 Deut 25:11 Deut 26:4 Deut 26:8 Deut 27:15	Ps 136:12 Ps 138:7 Ps 138:8 Ps 139:10	Hos 14:3
hwhy	LORD
~Ay	days	Deut 25:15 Deut 26:3 Deut 26:16 Deut 26:17 Deut 26:18 Deut 27:1 Deut 27:2 Deut 27:4 Deut 27:9 Deut 27:10 Deut 27:11	Ps 136:8 Ps 137:7 Ps 138:3 Ps 139:12 Ps 139:16	Hos 10:14
$l;y"	walk, go, led, spread	Deut 26:17	Ps 136:16 Ps 138:7 Ps 139:7	Hos 14:6
ac'y"	came, brought, go. Come	Deut 25:17 Deut 26:8 Deut 28:6 Deut 28:7	Ps 136:11
bv;y"	live	Deut 25:5 Deut 26:1	Ps 137:1 Ps 139:2	Hos 14:7
[v;y"	save		Ps 138:7	Hos 14:3
laer'f.yI	Israel	Deut 25:6 Deut 25:7 Deut 25:10 Deut 26:15 Deut 27:1 Deut 27:9 Deut 27:14	Ps 136:11 Ps 136:14 Ps 136:22	Hos 14:1 Hos 14:5
~Aty"	orphan	Deut 24:19 Deut 24:20 Deut 24:21 Deut 26:12 Deut 26:13 Deut 27:19		Hos 14:3
@n"K'	skirt	Deut 27:20	Ps 139:9
@K;	hand	Deut 25:12	Ps 139:5
bt;K'	write, written	Deut 27:3 Deut 27:8	Ps 139:16
bb'le	heart	Deut 26:16	Ps 139:23
xq;l'	get, take	Deut 24:19 Deut 25:5 Deut 25:7 Deut 25:8 Deut 26:2 Deut 26:4 Deut 27:25		Hos 14:2
hf,[]m;	work	Deut 24:19 Deut 27:15 Deut 28:12	Ps 138:8 Ps 139:14	Hos 14:3
~yIr'c.mi	Egypt	Deut 24:22 Deut 25:17 Deut 26:5 Deut 26:8	Ps 136:10
hl'x]n"	inheritance	Deut 25:19 Deut 26:1	Ps 136:21 Ps 136:22
hj'n"	outstretched, distorts	Deut 26:8 Deut 27:19	Ps 136:12
hk'n"	beaten	Deut 25:2 Deut 25:3 Deut 25:11 Deut 27:24 Deut 27:25	Ps 136:10 Ps 136:17	Hos 14:5
vp,n<	soul, person	Deut 26:16 Deut 27:25	Ps 138:3 Ps 139:14
af'n"	take		Ps 139:9 Ps 139:20	Hos 14:2
!t;n"	gives, given, imposed	Deut 25:15 Deut 25:19 Deut 26:1 Deut 26:2 Deut 26:3 Deut 26:6 Deut 26:9 Deut 26:10 Deut 26:11 Deut 26:12 Deut 26:13 Deut 26:14 Deut 26:15 Deut 26:19 Deut 27:2 Deut 27:3	Ps 136:21 Ps 136:25
rt,se	secret, secretly	Deut 27:15 Deut 27:24	Ps 139:15
db,[,	slave, servant	Deut 24:22	Ps 136:22
rb;['	transgressed, passed over, gone over, come over, pass through	Deut 26:13 Deut 27:2 Deut 27:3 Deut 27:4 Deut 27:12	Ps 136:14
lw<[,	unrighteously, iniquity	Deut 25:16		Hos 10:13
!yI[;	Eyes	Deut 25:3 Deut 25:9	Ps 139:16
hl'['	go, offer, exalt	Deut 25:7 Deut 27:6	Ps 137:6
~[;	People	Deut 26:15 Deut 26:18 Deut 26:19 Deut 27:1 Deut 27:9 Deut 27:11 Deut 27:12 Deut 27:15 Deut 27:16 Deut 27:17 Deut 27:18 Deut 27:19 Deut 27:20 Deut 27:21 Deut 27:22 Deut 27:23 Deut 27:24 Deut 27:25 Deut 27:26	Ps 136:16	Hos 10:14
hn'['	answer	Deut 25:9 Deut 26:5 Deut 27:14 Deut 27:15	Ps 138:3
hf'['	to do	Deut 24:22 Deut 25:9 Deut 25:16 Deut 25:17 Deut 26:14 Deut 26:16 Deut 26:19 Deut 27:10 Deut 27:15 Deut 27:26	Ps 136:4 Ps 136:5 Ps 136:7 Ps 139:15
hP,	mouth,		Ps 138:4	Hos 10:12
~ynIP'	presence, face, before	Deut 25:2 Deut 25:9 Deut 26:4 Deut 26:5 Deut 26:10 Deut 26:13 Deut 27:7	Ps 139:7
yrIP.	produce, offspring, fruit	Deut 26:2 Deut 26:10		Hos 10:13
qd,c,	just, righteousness	Deut 25:15		Hos 10:12
vd,qo	sacred, holy	Deut 26:13 Deut 26:15	Ps 138:2
~Wq	assume, establish, set, confirm, rise	Deut 25:6 Deut 25:7 Deut 27:2 Deut 27:4 Deut 27:26	Ps 139:2 Ps 139:21	Hos 10:14
rc;q'	cut down, reap	Deut 24:19		Hos 10:12 Hos 10:13
ar'q'	summon,call	Deut 25:8 Deut 25:10 Deut 28:10	Ps 138:3
br,q,	among, midst	Deut 26:11	Ps 138:7
ha'r'	saw, see, regards,	Deut 26:7 Deut 28:10	Ps 138:6 Ps 139:16 Ps 139:24
~Wr	loud, exalted	Deut 27:14	Ps 138:6
[v'r'	wicked man	Deut 25:1 Deut 25:2	Ps 139:19
dd'v'	destroyed		Ps 137:8	Hos 10:14
bWv	go back, turn, return	Deut 24:19		Hos 14:1 Hos 14:2 Hos 14:4 Hos 14:7
hx'v'	worship	Deut 26:10	Ps 138:2
xk;v'	forgotten, forget	Deut 24:19 Deut 25:19 Deut 26:13	Ps 137:5
!k;v'	establish, dwell	Deut 26:2	Ps 139:9
xl;v'	puts, stretch forth	Deut 25:11	Ps 138:7
~l;v'	reward, render		Ps 137:8	Hos 14:2
~ve	name	Deut 25:6 Deut 25:7 Deut 25:10 Deut 26:2 Deut 26:19 Deut 28:10	Ps 138:2
~yIm;v'	heaven	Deut 25:19 Deut 26:15	Ps 136:5 Ps 136:26 Ps 139:8
[m;v'		Deut 26:7 Deut 26:14 Deut 26:17 Deut 27:9 Deut 27:10	Ps 138:4
@q;v'	look down, take heed, give thanks	Deut 26:15 Deut 27:9	Ps 136:1 Ps 136:2 Ps 136:3 Ps 136:26

Greek

Greek	English	Deut. 24:19 – 27:26	Psalms Psa 136-139	Hos 10:12-14 + 14:1-7	Mk 15:42-47 + 16:1-8
ἀποθνήσκω	die	Deu 25:5			Mar 15:44
γινώσκω	know, knew		Psa 138:6 Psa 139:1 Psa 139:2 Psa 139:4 Psa 139:14 Psa 139:23		Mar 15:45
δεξιός	right		Psa 137:5 Psa 138:7 Psa 139:10		Mar 16:5
εἴδω	see, saw	Deu 26:7 Deu 28:68	Psa 139:16 Psa 139:24		Mar 16:5
εἷς	one	Deu 25:5 Deu 25:9 Deu 25:11			Mar 16:2
εἰσέρχομαι	come in, enter	Deu 25:5 Deu 26:1 Deu 26:3 Deu 27:3			Mar 15:43 Mar 16:5
ἐπερωτάω	questioned, asked		Psa 137:3		Mar 15:44
ἔπω	said, speak, say	Deu 25:8 Deu 26:18 Deu 27:3	Psa 139:11	Hos 14:2 Hos 14:3	Mar 16:7 Mar 16:8
ἔρχομαι	come, came	Deu 26:3		Hos 10:12	Mar 15:43 Mar 16:1 Mar 16:2
ἥλιος	sun		Psa 136:8		Mar 16:2
θεός	GOD
θνήσκω	died	Deu 25:5 Deu 26:14			Mar 15:44
λέγω	said, says, saying	Deu 27:1 Deu 27:9 Deu 27:11	Psa 137:7		Mar 16:3 Mar 16:6
λίαν	exceedingly		Psa 139:17		Mar 16:2
λίθος	stone	Deu 27:2 Deu 27:3 Deu 27:4 Deu 27:5 Deu 27:6 Deu 27:8			Mar 15:46 Mar 16:3 Mar 16:4
μέγας	great	Deu 25:13 Deu 25:14 Deu 26:5 Deu 26:8 Deu 27:2 Deu 27:14
οὐδείς	no one, not one thing,		Psa 139:16		Mar 16:8
πέτρα	rock		Psa 137:9		Mar 15:46
σφόδρα	exceedingly, very	Deu 27:8	Psa 139:14		Mar 16:4
ταχύς	quickly		Psa 138:3		Mar 16:8
τίθημι	placed, put	Deu 27:15	Psa 139:5		Mar 15:47 Mar 16:6
τόπος	place	Deu 26:2 Deu 26:9			Mar 16:6 A
φεύγω	flee, fled	Deu 28:7	Psa 139:7		Mar 16:8
φοβέω	afraid, fear	Deu 25:18			Mar 16:8

NAZAREAN TALMUD

Sidra Of Debarim (Deuteronomy) 24:19–27:26

“Ki Tiq’tsor” (“When you reap”)

By: Paqid Dr. Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham &

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

School of Hakham Shaul

Tosefta

(Luke 23:50-56)

Mishnah א

Now there was a member of the Sanhedrin named Yosef, a good and righteous / generous man who did not consent or agree with the council of the Tz’dukim (Sadducees) and their decisions or actions. He was from Ramatayim, a city of Judea, and he was waiting for the kingdom (governance) of God [through Hakhamim and Bate Din]. Yosef went to Pilate and requested the body of Yeshua. He (Yosef) took it (Yeshua’s body) down from the cross, wrapped it in linen, and placed it in a tomb hewn in rock in which no one had been buried. The day was the preparation day (for the weekly Sabbath), and the weekly Sabbath was approaching. The women followers who had accompanied Yeshua from Galil observed where the tomb was and how his body was placed there. They returned to the city and prepared ointments containing spices and embalming perfumes. During the weekly Sabbath, they were resting (observing the Shabbat) according to the mitzvot (commandments i.e. written and oral).

At early dawn on the first day of the week they came to the tomb, carrying the aromatic ointments they had prepared. They found the stone rolled back from the entrance of the tomb. Upon entering, they did not find the body [of the Master Yeshua.] And they were perplexed about these things, suddenly two men in luminescent clothing stood beside them. The women became afraid and bowed their faces to the earth. The men said to them, "Why do you seek at the gravesite? The one who is risen? He is not here, he has been raised. Remember how he said to you while he was yet in the Galil, that the son of man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised?" And they did remember his words.

School of Hakham Shaul

Remes

(Rom. 15:1-21)

Pereq א

Those of us who are mature [seasoned in the practices and practical application of the mitzvot] should be considerate of the inadequacies [lack of practical application] of those who are immature (new converts), rather than to please ourselves [by refusing to teach and help them]. Each of us should be considerate of the well-being of those whom we fellowship with, for the benefit of building up [bringing to maturity] those persons. For Messiah did not pamper himself (follow after personal interests). On the contrary, as it is written: “My zeal for Your house has been my undoing; the reproaches of those who revile You have fallen upon me.” (Psa 69:9 (10)[29]

For those things, which were written (in the Tanakh), were written for our instruction, in order that through patience and comfort (consolation of the Oral Torah) the Tanakh (written scriptures) may (be kept) with confidence. May God, (who is) patient and encouraging, give you the ability to live in harmony with each other according [to the Mesorah of] Yeshua the Messiah, that with unanimous acclamation you might glorify the God and Father of our Master Yeshua HaMashiach.

Receive, each other, just as Messiah received you to God's glory. For I declare that Messiah became a servant of circumcision (following Jewish halakha, both written and Oral) on behalf of God's truth (Torah, written and Oral). His task was to establish that which was promised (to) the patriarchs,[30] in order (to be) merciful to the gentiles for God's glory, just as it has been written: For this I sing Your praise among the gentiles And (a) hymn (to) Your name. (Psa. 18:50 (49) And again he stated: O gentiles, acclaim His people! For He will avenge the blood of His servants, Wreak vengeance on His foes, and cleanse the land for His people. (D’barim 32:43) And again: Praise the Lord, all you gentiles; extol Him, all you peoples, (Ps 117:1). And again, Yesha’yahu stated: In that day, the stock of Jesse that has remained standing will become a standard to peoples— Gentiles will seek his counsel and his abode will be honored. (Is 11:10).

May God, the source of trust, fill you with comprehensive chesed (mercy) and shalom (peace and wholeness) because of your faithful obedience, that you might abound with trust enabled by the Ruach HaKodesh (holy spirit i.e. Oral – breathed Torah). I myself am confident concerning you, my brothers, that you, yourselves, also are full of goodness, having been filled with knowledge (da’at of God), being able also to teach each others (the truth – the correct path). But on some of the parshiyot, I have commented with authority to remind you of the favor given to me by God, who made me a minister of the lectionary[31] of Yeshua the Messiah to the Gentiles in the priestly (service) of God's Mesorah, that the gifts of the Gentiles might be acceptable, consecrated by the Ruach HaKodesh (holy spirit – breath – Oral Torah).

Therefore, I have a basis for being honored in Yeshua the Messiah as concerning the things of God. I will not dare to say anything except what Messiah accomplished through me, by word and deed, to produce obedience (to the Witten and Oral Torah) by the Gentiles, through the power of wondrous signs (the ability to bring Gentiles to circumcision - conversion). And, by the power of the breath (Oral Torah) of God. So, that from Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), making a radius as far away as Illyricum, I have filled the territory with Messiah's Mesorah, in such a way as to realize my ambition of proclaiming the Mesorah where Messiah had not been taught, so that I might not build on any one’s foundation. As it is written: “Just so he will startle[32] many Gentiles. Kings will be silenced because of him, For they will see what has not been told them, (and) will behold what they never have heard.” (Isa 52:15)

Commentary to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat

Gen 1:27And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.”

A great deal of inductive hermeneutic is used for exegesis on the Nazarean Codicil. By “inductive hermeneutic” I refer to the concept of “reading into” the text rather than reading from the text – i.e. “deductive hermeneutic,” and allowing the text to speak for itself. This is especially true of the present joined double pericope. This pericope is pivotal for much of Christian theology. Therefore, accuracy of translation and interpretation is worthy of special consideration. However, the contextual hermeneutic of the present pericopes of Mark and associated “Nazarean Talmud” readings must be established by the Torah Seder. This hermeneutic will be used for the present materials.

Having learned that Yeshua was not crying out to G-d because he was “forsaken” we realize that Yeshua could only accomplish the “Messianic Mission” by dying on the cross. The previous pericope in contiguity with the present one allows us to know that Yeshua’s death was the waving flag foretelling of the coming Diaspora. However, both Yeshua and Yosef looked forward to the coming “Kingdom (governance by the Bet Din and Hakhamim) of G-d.” Therefore, we can also associate the “Kingdom of G-d” with the Diaspora. The emancipation from Egypt brought about the freedom from physical slavery. But, Yisrael could only learn true freedom in the exile of the present Diaspora in these final days. While there were those Zealots who wanted autonomy, with justifiable cause G-d was trying to establish a Theocracy. However, this “Theocracy” is one, which does not focus on kings, priests or prophets in the traditional sense. Rather G-d is trying to build a Theocracy founded upon communal trust and faithfulness. This thought aligns itself with the original “cultural mandate” given to Adam as well as the final words of Yeshua concerning the “talmudizing,” of all peoples (Gentile nations). However, in both cases the “cultural mandate” is universal. Hyam Solomon,[33] who designed the One Dollar bill and financed much of the American Revolution, dreamed that the United States could be “One Nation Under G-d.” Hyam Solomon’s original theme was “one Nation under One G-d.” This statement was too “Monotheistic” for the fledgling Trinitarian country and therefore the statement was modified to the one we read on the Dollar Bill to this day: “one nation under God.” Nevertheless, this vision was not relegated to one geographic region. These visionaries dreamed a greater dream, rather than “one nation under One G-d”, they dreamed of “one world under One G-d.”

Yosef – A Model of Righteous Generosity

Gould believes that Yosef was a believer in Yeshua as the Messiah.[34] However, he does not believe that Yosef was necessarily a “talmid” (disciple). I find this logic sound. Nevertheless, I must part with Gould with regard to his statements about the “Kingdom.” Herein we find that it is most likely that the House of Hillel believed, at least in part that Yeshua was the Messiah. I have conjectured in the past that the House of Hillel would have possessed a stronger propensity towards believing that Yeshua was the Messiah than Shammaite Schools. This is very difficult to ascertain. However, studies show that the House of Hillel was much more sympathetic towards Yeshua and his talmidim (disciples) than the Shammaite School. Hakham Shaul (Paul) appears to have initially been of Shammaite persuasion. After his encounter with Yeshua on the road to Damascus, he becomes a Hillelite and spends the remainder of his life teaching Gentiles to submit to the “Kingdom” (governance) of G-d [through Hakhamim and Bate Din].[35] In His teachings, Hakham Shaul contends two principle parties. The first is those of his Shammaite accolades and the second is the Kohanim of the Tz’dukim (Sadducean Priests). In alignment with the present Torah Seder, we see that Yosef was a man of righteous generosity. The Torah Seder defines men of righteousness as men of generosity by not exhausting the harvesting process. The opening pasuk (passage) of our Torah Seder in D’barim (Deuteronomy) tells us not to try to deplete the fruit of the tree for the sake of personal gain. The act of leaving or overlooking some of the produce is a positive mitzvah.[36] Yosef demonstrates his righteous generosity by pleading for the body of Yeshua. Regardless of whether Yosef was a “talmid” (disciple) or not is not of importance to us. He extends his wealth and generosity to Yeshua in a moment of need. Our Tosefta of Hakham Shaul through his Scribe Hillel (Luke or Silas) demonstrates the opposition of Yosef against the Tz’dukim.

Luke 23:51 who did not consent or agree with the council of the Tz’dukim (Sadducees) and their decisions or actions.

This opposition most likely represents all those who were of the House of Hillel who occupied a seat on the Sanhedrin. This would account for the ad hoc trial brought against Yeshua by the Tz’dukim (Sadducees).

What was the House of Hillel’s agenda? In short, the most plausible answer was the “Kingdom” (governance) of G-d [through Hakhamim and Bate Din].

Pilate was surprised he (Yeshua) was already dead

I must also make one remark here to establish that the execution was a Roman execution NOT a Jewish one. Scholars have bickered over the Sanhedrin’s right to bring a capital case against Yeshua. The Markan text tells us plainly that the execution is Roman. The Tz’dukim (Sadducees) and the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) built their case for Pilate[37] to hear. The case they presented was the Yeshua was the “King of the Jews.” Herein Yeshua is accused and found guilty of treason against Rome. It is true that the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) accused Yeshua of blasphemy. However, this is not the case which was presented to Pilate.

Mar 14:64 Behold, from his own mouth you have heard blasphemy. How does it appear to you?” And they all [the Kohanim, the Soferim and the Zakanim (of the Tz’dukim)] decided, that he deserved to die.

Therefore, we see that the trumped up charges of treason were only to guarantee that Yeshua would receive the death penalty from a Roman court, which as we have demonstrated to be inapplicable in Eretz Yisrael. I will further this problem to state that no gentile authority has the legal authority to sentence a Jew in criminal court. Albeit present circumstances in Diaspora generate many difficulties.

At the core of our Torah Seder is the “penalty of lashes” (Makkot). The “Kingdom” (governance) of G-d is again prevalent when reviewing this section of the Torah Seder. The “Makkot” (lashes); administered at the behest of the Bet Din of the Esnoga (Synagogue) again refers to the “Kingdom” (governance) of G-d. This order of hierarchy of the Bet Din is one of the most fascinating studies we could embark upon. The “Kingdom” (governance) of G-d – ecclesiology establishes a Divine order of hierarchy. While I will not elaborate on this hierarchy in Peshat, we will try to explicate these matters minimally in the Remes commentary to understand the depth and implications of the allusions made in this present pericope.

Peroration

and rolled a stone upon its entrance…

D’barim 25:17 You shall remember what Amalek…

Again, I resort to the idea, which I believe is central to the whole corpus of our present readings. Why are we told to remember the Amalek and how does this relate to the Nazarean Talmud for this week? We cannot directly address this problem in the Peshat commentary. We will note that the agenda of the Amalek was the destruction of the B’ne Yisrael. The Tz’dukim (Sadducees) had a similar idea. However, the seed of their deception is rooted in the concept of destroying the Messiah in favor of serving an “idolatrous” nation (Rome). If the stone rolled across the entrance of Yeshua’s grave were the end of the story, we would be left in a state of wonderment. However, these events only set the stage for the coming scene.

The resurrection of Yeshua from the dead is the testimony that he is the Messiah. It furthers the notion that the Messianic Mission was far greater than the myopic view of the Tz’dukim (Sadducees), Herodians and other Zealots. A new page of excitement dawns with the resurrection. The resurrection exhibits the dawn of a new era. This era would be dominated by the hierarchy of the “Kingdom” (governance) of G-d [through Hakhamim and Bate Din]. According to Lawrence Schiffman, the P’rushim (Pharisees) had been collecting the Mesorah,[38] Oral Teachings of the Hakhamim passed down for generations. The ideological thesis of the P’rushim was to live in the present and prepare for the future, unlike the Tz’dukim who lived only for the “moment.” The initiation of the Tannaim envisioned the “Kingdom” (governance) of G-d [through Hakhamim and Bate Din] as one world under “One G-d” This could never happen, so long as the B’ne Yisrael remained only in Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel). These “Kings and Priests” must enter the global arena of humanity to bring about tikun for the sins of Adam, all humanity. The result of this Tikun would be a new “Eden” and a new “Adam.” Therefore, there is no such thing as “salvation” (salvation in the singular) for humanity. Rather there are “many salvations”[39] conforming to a single consistent and progressive agenda. Each “salvation” being an incremental part culminating in the progressive schema played out on the stage of time.

Remes Commentary to Hakham Shaul

When the (weekly) Sabbath was over…

The present materials have particularized “darkness.” And when the sixth hour (mid-day) came, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour (mid-afternoon – about 3:00 PM). (Mar 15:33,) “When evening came” (Mark 15:42). And, finally we have the appearance of the dawn. “Very early at the first of the week at sunrise they came to the tomb.” (Mark 16:2). These references should be viewed through the allegorical lens of Remes Hermeneutics. Therefore, the darkness of the present texts and passages teach us that the B’ne Yisrael are about to enter a new dimension of Judaism. This new dimension, which was dawning in the first century, was the “Kingdom” (governance) of G-d [through Hakhamim and Bate Din] as one world under “One G-d” as noted above. When the era of the second Temple ended, the B’ne Yisrael were sent to finish the work of global tikun.

Therefore, Hakham Shaul’s letter to the Congregations of Rome serves as the prototypical engagement of global tikun. In order for this tikun to take place, the B’ne Yisrael must rely on the training they received in Eretz Yisrael as “Kings and Priests” and implement those practices among the nations through the appropriate infrastructure of halakhic authority.

Mishnah: Yosef of Ramatayim, a respected member of the Sanhedrin, who, himself was waiting for the kingdom (governance) of God [through Hakhamim and Bate Din] boldly approached Pilate…

The Priesthood of the B’ne Yisrael, the firstborn must now Boldly approach the Diaspora. The Jewish Priesthood of the Firstborn must enter Gentile lands with the teachings of the Hakhamim and appropriate infrastructure of halakhic authority as noted above. The prototypical preview of this approach is found in Hakham Shaul’s Letter to Rome in “Pereq 13” (Romans 13).

Romans 13:1 Let every [gentile] soul be subject to the governing authorities [of the Jewish Synagogue]. For there is no [legitimate] authority except [that of the Jewish Bet Din] from God, and the authorities [of the Bet Din] that exist are appointed by God.

Yeshua the Nazarean who you are looking for — the crucified one — was raised!

The allegory of Yeshua being resurrected can be understood as the body of Yeshua raised (i.e. “Living Stones”) which were raised up as a New Temple. Here I refer to the “Body of Messiah” as a New Temple and a New Adam. This “New Adam” is Jew and Gentile under the Yoke of the Torah and appropriate infrastructure of halakhic authority. It is for this reason the Yeshua is called the “servant of circumcision,” circumcision being allegory for “following the Jewish halakhic system, both written and Oral.” Therefore, this “New Adam,” as Moshe Rabbenu prenatally circumcised, accepts the Torah and its halakhah as a Theocratic system along with the government of the Ten Men of authority in the Esnoga (Synagogue). This “New Adam” experiences Eden (pleasure) in the acceptance and observance of the Torah. Herein we see that “Eden” is not a place, per se but rather the source of pleasure.

Rom 15:8. For I declare that Messiah became a servant of circumcision (following Jewish halakha, both written and Oral) on behalf of God's truth (Torah, written and Oral). His task was to establish that which was promised (to) the patriarchs,[40]

Yermiyahu 23:7 Assuredly, a time is coming—declares the LORD—when it shall no more be said, “As the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt,” ⁸but rather, “As the LORD lives, who brought out and led the offspring of the House of Israel from the northland and from all the lands to which I have banished them.”

When Yisrael finishes their Messianic mission of global tikun, we will return to their homeland of Eretz Yisrael. Herein each of Yisrael’s historical events becomes an allegory for future events. With the destruction of the First Temple and rebuilding of the Second comes the allegory of the destruction of the Second Temple and the building of a “New Temple” in the form of “Living Stones,” “not built with hands.” This “New Temple” functions under the economy of a “New” hierarchy, “Kingdom” (governance) of G-d [through Hakhamim and Bate Din] as one world (Gan Eden – garden of pleasure) under “One G-d.” The Ten congregational leaders of the Esnoga mete out this “governance” by steering each congregation towards its path and part of the tikun process.

Hakham Shaul MINISTER OF A Living Lectionary / Talmud

Rom 15:15 But on some of the parshiyot, I have written with authority to remind you of the favor given me by God, ¹⁶ who made me a lectionary (priestly minister of lectionary or liturgy) of Messiah Yeshua to the Gentiles in the priestly (service) God's Mesorah that the gifts of the Gentiles might be acceptable, consecrated by Ruach HaKodesh (holy spirit – breath – Oral Torah).

Heb. 1:1 In many portions [Sidrotot] and in many sections[41] God spoke in ancient times by the interpreters (Prophets and Soferim[42]) to our ancestors (forefathers). ² In these end days, He (God) spoke to us by a son (relating to the B’ne Yisrael and Yeshua as Messiah), whom He (God) designated heir of everything. Around him (the B’ne Yisrael, Yeshua as Messiah and the messianic mission), He (God) also formulated the ages.

Hebrews 1:1 Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ θεὸς λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις

Hakham Shaul uses the letter פ/π to teach us that he is speaking of the Torah parshiyot and the important connection of the Oral Torah as an interpretation of the Written 613 mitzvot (commandments). The Hebrew letter פ “pey” is a symbol for the mouth and by extension the Oral Torah. Herein is the allegory of reproduction. The reproductive organ of the Hakhamim is the mouth, whereby they produce Talmidim (disciples). However, the summary statement of the “Men of the Great Assembly” was not only that of reproduction but making the talmid (disciple) to “stand”.[43] “Reproduction” is the initial stage of generating a talmid (disciple). The true test of a Hakham is the ability to make his talmidim “stand.” Allegorically speaking, making a talmid “stand” means that a “standing talmid” (disciple) is a Pillar in the New Temple. The Hebrew word for “stand” refers to the literal standing of persons or things or to a “pillar” which stands.[44]

But go and say to his talmidim (disciples) and to Tsefet, (the capital of the Pillar) 'He goes before you into the Galil. You will see him there just as he told you'."

At the opening of the Temple building proper, stood two great doors, which folded to open in the middle. Beyond those doors stood a great curtain, called the “Heavens.” Only the Kohanim were permitted beyond these doors and through this curtain. The Hebrew word “Galil” also means “folding doors.”[45] However, “Galil” also contains the idea of a circle indicating the cycle of the “Heavens.” The curtain, which obscured the view of the Holy place, was called the “Heavens.” The “Curtain” of our previous pericope was this very curtain. Therefore, Galil is allegory for the Holy Place of the “New Temple.” The place of Yeshua’s crucifixion was called “Gilguleth” (which is translated "Place of a Skull"). The top of the “Skull” is the place where one places his T’fillin. Herein the allegory of Galil includes the New Temple not made of stones, the restructure of the “Heavens” and being Torah Observant. Or the allegory of Galil can be treated as the Torah Observance of the New Temple of Living Stones. Or, it can refer to the Hierarchy of the New Temple of the Living Stones. Yet each of these interpretations miss the contextual hermeneutic of our handkerchief. The Allegory of Galil is the “New” hierarchy, “Kingdom” (governance) of G-d [through Hakhamim and Bate Din] as one world (Gan Eden – garden of pleasure) under “One G-d.”

Peroration: Remember the Amalek – Diaspora …

In the Diaspora, there will be those who defect by not adhering to the Torah and the appropriate infrastructure of halakhic authority. Targum Pseudo Jonathan depicts that Amalek as the agent of G-d to destroy the stragglers of the B’ne Yisrael. However, the Targum allegorizes the Torah text to demonstrate that the “stragglers” were those “who were thinking of going aside from G-d’s Word” (Torah).[46] The Greek word “anomos” translated as “iniquity” means to be without or in opposition to the Torah – Nomos. The time of Diaspora will identify the “workers of iniquity” and the righteous/generous. The New Adam who has modeled his life after “Adam Kadmon,” Messiah will experience the final act of salvation where he will enter the eternal paradise of the Theocratic society, which takes great pleasure in joint communal Torah observance.

We cannot afford to live in a world without Torah, the Oral Torah, the Hakhamim, Bet Din, and the Nazarean Talmud. Our biological fathers have brought us into this present world. The Hakhamim will carry us into the coming Theocratic Paradise where we will be free to observe the Torah without opposition or restraint.

Amen v’amen

Connections to the Torah and related Readings

Torah Seder

Mordechai/Luke– Righteous/generous Yosef was an “Elder” corresponding to the Elders of D’barim 25:8

Romans - connects through the idea of being considerate to the Gentile (D’barim 24:20)

Psalms

Mordechai/ Luke connects to Psalmist through the verbal tally of “darkness.” Psa 139:12

Romans – Romans connects through the thematic concept of Edom Psa 137:7

Ashlamatah

Mordechai/Luke connects to the Ashlamatah through the verbal connection of Galil / Gilgal both words being from the same Hebrew root. Hos. 14:12 – Mark 16:7

Romans 15:12 connects to Hos 14:6 (5) with the verbal connection of “sprout / root”

Mitzvoth

Torah Address	M#	Mitzvah	Oral Torah
D’barim 24:19	592	The precept of leaving the forgotten sheaf	m. Peah
D’barim 24:19	593	Not to take the forgotten sheaf of grain or forgotten fruit of trees	m. Peah
D’barim 25:2	594	The precept of lashes	m. Makkot
D’barim 25:3	595	The precept of not flogging to the extreme	m. Makkot
D’barim 25:4	596	Not to muzzle the ox treading grain	m. B.M
D’barim 25:5	597	That a Yevamah (a woman waiting levirate marriage) should not marry anyone but a Yevam	m. Makkot, San, Yevamot
D’barim 25:5	598	The precept of Levirate Marriage	m. Yevamot, San
D’barim 25:9	599	The precept of Halitzah to release a childless widow	m. Yesvamot
D’barim 25:12	600	The religious duty to save a person pursued by a killer	m. San
D’barim 25:12	601	To have no mercy on a pursuer with intent to kill
D’barim 25:13	602	Not to have or keep fraudulent scales or system of measurement	m. San
D’barim 25:17	603	Religious duty to remember the Amalek
D’barim 25:18	604	The religious duty to eradicate the progeny of Amalek	m. B.B
D’barim 25:19	605	Not to forget the deed of the Amalek brought upon the forefathers
D’barim 26:5	606	The precept of recital over the first fruits	m. Bikkurim
D’barim 26:13	607	The precept of avowal over tithes	m. Ma’aser Ma’aser Sheni
D’barim 26:14	608	Not to eat the second tithe	m. Ma’aser Sheni
D’barim 26:14	609	The prohibition of eating the second tithe in a state of ritual impurity	m. Ma’aser Sheni
D’barim 26:14	610	Not to spend the exchange money of the second tithe on anything but food	m. Ma’aser Sheni

Some Questions to Ponder:

1. From all the readings for this week, which particular verse or passage caught your attention and fired your heart and imagination?

2. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 24:19?

3. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 23:20?

4. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 25:1?

5. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 25:2?

6. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 25:4?

7. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 25:13?

8. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 25:18?

9. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 26:10?

10. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 26:13?

11. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 26:14?

12. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 27:8?

13. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 27:9?

14. What in the Torah Seder this week fired the imagination of the Psalmist as he penned Psalms 136-139?

15. What in the Torah Seder this week fired the imagination of the prophet in the Ashlamatah of Hos 10:12ff?

16. Why is Psalm 136 so important to a disciple of His Majesty King Yeshua the Messiah of Israel?

17. What in the Torah Seder, Psalm and Prophetic Lesson for this week fired the imagination of Hakham Tsefet as his scribe penned Mark 15:42-47 + 16:1-8?

18. In your opinion what key message/s did Hakham Tsefet try to convey in Mark 15:42-47 + 16:1-8?

19. What important Halakhic principles can be learned from Mark (Mordechai) Mark 15:42-47 + 16:1-8, and from Romans 15:1-21?

20. In your opinion, and taking into consideration all of the above readings for this Sabbath, what is the prophetic message (the idea that encapsulates all the Scripture passages read) for this week?

Blessing After Torah Study

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

Ashér Natán Lánu Torát Emét, V'Chayéi Olám Natá B'Tochénu.

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

Blessed is Ha-Shem our God, King of the universe,

Who has given us a teaching of truth, implanting within us eternal life.

Blessed is Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!

“Now unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless, and to establish you without a blemish,

before His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer, by means of Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion, and honor, and majesty, both now and in all ages. Amen!”

Next Sabbath:

“V’Haya Im Shamoa”

(“And will be if carefully”)

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
וְהָיָה, אִם-שָׁמוֹעַ
“V’Haya Im Shamoa”	Reader 1 – D’barim 28:1-3	Reader 1 – D’barim 29:9-11
“And will be if carefully”	Reader 2 – D’barim 28:4-6	Reader 2 – D’barim 29:12-14
“Y será si cuidadosamente”	Reader 3 – D’barim 28:7-9	Reader 3 – D’barim 29:15-17
	Reader 4 – D’barim 28:9-11
D’barim (Deut.) 28:1 - 29:8	Reader 5 – D’barim 28:12-69
Ashlamatah: Isaiah 55:2-11	Reader 6 – D’barim 29:1-3	Reader 1 – D’barim 29:9-11
Psalm 140-142	Reader 7 – D’barim 29:4-8	Reader 2 – D’barim 29:12-14
	Maftir: D’barim 29:6-8	Reader 3 – D’barim 29:15-17
	Is. 55:2-11
N.C.: Mark 16:9-11

Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

HH Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David

HH Paqid Dr. Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham

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[1] The Bible – Psalms with the Jerusalem Commentary, volume three. By Amos Hakham.

[2] Psalm 137:1

[3] Psalms 120-134 all bear the superscription ‘A song of ascents.’ Hence he probably means Psalms 120-136.

[4] Psalm 135:4

[5] The subject matter of Psalm 136:25-26. Which is a great thing indeed, and for that He is praised by the reciting of the great Hallel.

[6] Psalm 145

[7] Lit., ‘that he is a son of’.

[8] Psalm 119

[9] Psalm 145:16

[10] Psalm 136.

[11] Psalm 136:25

[12] The alphabetical arrangement and the sixteenth verse, dealing with God's merciful provision for all living things.

[13] Tehillim (Psalm) 137:1

[14] Stands for Rome.

[15] Yeremiyahu (Jeremiah) 14:19-22

[16] Tehillim (Psalm) 79

[17] Tehillim (Psalm) 137.

[18] Ashkenazim do not have this tradition.

[19] The Bible – Psalms with the Jerusalem Commentary, volume three. By Amos Hakham.

[20] The ArtScroll Tanach Series, Tehillim, A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and rabbinic sources. Commentary by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer, Translation by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer in collaboration with Rabbi Nosson Scherman, on verse 119:73.

[21] To Adam are ascribed the verses, Thine eyes did see mine imperfect substance etc. (Ps. 139:16); to Melchizedek Ps. 110; to Moses, Ps. XC. Abraham is identified with Ethan the Ezrahite (Ps. 89).

[22] According to Rashi, Isaiah was executed by Manasseh before he could reduce his own prophecies to writing.

[23] V. Prov25:1.

[24] Rashi supposes that the reason why Ezekiel did not write his own book was that he lived out of Eretz Yisrael. The same reason applies to Daniel.

[25] Who apparently did not publish their prophecies themselves because they were too small.

[26] This includes Nehemiah.

[27] Ibid. 20

[28] Sanhedrin 20b

[29] Jewish Publication Society. (1997, c1985). Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures : A new translation of the Holy Scriptures according to the traditional Hebrew text. Title facing t.p.: Torah, Nevi'im, Kethuvim = Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim. (Ps 69:10). Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society

[30] Cf. Gen. 17:5

[31] Hakham Shaul’s use of λειτουργός leitourgos carries the idea of functioning is the Priestly office. Therefore, I have associated it with the lectionary. The Temple functioned like a cosmic clock. It resonated with the Moedim and Sederim of G-d. The Parshiyot of the Torah were acted out in the Temple. In a similar way, Yeshua was the personification of the Torah Lectionary. Cf. John 1:1ff

[32] There is a particular ambiguity in this word. נָזָה (naza) bears the concept of bringing an object to the status of ritual purity. The root can also mean to consecrate to Divine service. See TWOT 1335 The Greek LXX uses θαυμάσονται as a marvel or wonder.

[33] Jones, V. (1983). Will the Real Jesus Please Stand,. Institute of Judaic-Christian Research. 2-19

[34] Gould, E. P. (1922). A critical and exegetical commentary on the Gospel according to St. Mark. New York: C. Scribner's sons. p. 298

[35] See our commentary and translation of Romans 13:1-10

[36] Positive Mitzvah 592 Sefer HaHinnuch

[37] Pilate is described by Philo as “inflexible, merciless, and obstinate.” He also catalogues here a list of his crimes and excesses Leg. ad Gaium, 38 Why does the conclave carry Yeshua to Pilate? I believe this demonstrates that the crime against Yeshua demonstrates that this could not have been a legitimate Sanhedrin.

[38] Schiffman, L. H. (1991). From Text to Tradition, A History of Second Temple & Rabbinic Judaism,. Ktav Publishing House, Inc. p. 104ff

[39] Neusner, J. (2001). Recovering Judaism, The Universal Dimension of Judaism. Fortress Press. p. 111

[40] Cf. Gen. 17:5

[41] πολυτρόπως polytropōs - In many portions... This is most likely a reference to the weekly Torah portions, called SIDRA (sing), and SIDROT or SEDARIM (pl). This Greek word seems to have a parallel in the Hebrew “Chag.” The Chagim are the shelosh regalim (the three Pilgrimage festivals). These festivals represent the repetitive nature of the Moedim (Divine appointments). Polutrópōs (4187), in many ways, in diverse manners; tropophoréō (5159), to be patient with the conduct of others. However, these diversities can also be summed up as Torah Sedarim. Cf. Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (G5158). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

[42] While we must concede to the fact that the Greek text tells us that these men were “Prophets,” we must view men such as Ezra as a “prophet” of sorts. However, the deeper truth is that Ezra was an exegete of Scripture and a crafter of halakhah.

[43] Cf. Abot 1:1

[44] Cf. TWOT 1637a-e This is by no means the limit of the definitions associated with the Hebrew word amad.

[45] Feyerabend, D. K. (n.d.). Langenscheidt Pocket Hebrew Dictionary to Old Testament. Munich, Germany: Langenscheidt p. 60

[46] Cf. Targum Pseudo Jonathan, D’barim 25:18