|
Esnoga
Bet Emunah 4544
Highline Dr. SE Olympia,
WA 98501 United
States of America ©
2015 E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com |
|
Esnoga
Bet El 102
Broken Arrow Dr. Paris
TN 38242 United
States of America ©
2015 E-Mail: waltoakley@charter.net |
Triennial Cycle (Triennial Torah Cycle) / Septennial Cycle (Septennial
Torah Cycle)
|
Three
and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings |
Third Year of the
Triennial Reading Cycle |
|
Shebat
04, 5775 – Jan 23/24, 2015 |
Seventh
Year of the Shmita Cycle |
Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times:
|
Amarillo,
TX, U.S. Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 5:48 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 6:47 PM |
Austin
& Conroe, TX, U.S. Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 5:42 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 6:38 PM |
Brisbane,
Australia Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 6:28 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 7:24 PM |
|
Chattanooga,
& Cleveland, TN, U.S. Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 5:43 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 6:42 PM |
Everett,
WA. U.S. Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 4:37 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 5:47 PM |
Manila & Cebu, Philippines Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 5:32 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 6:24 PM |
|
Miami, FL, U.S. Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 5:40 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 6:34 PM |
Murray,
KY, & Paris, TN. U.S. Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 4:44 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 5:45 PM |
Olympia,
WA, U.S. Fri. Jan 23 2015 – Candles at 4:33 PM Sat. Jan 24 2015 – Habdalah 5:42 PM |
|
San Antonio, TX, U.S. Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 5:40 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 6:37 PM |
Sheboygan & Manitowoc, WI, US Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 4:51 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 5:52 PM |
Singapore,
Singapore Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 7:00 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 7:51 PM |
|
St.
Louis, MO, U.S. Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 4:55 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 5:56 PM |
Tacoma,
WA, U.S. Fri. Jan
23 2015 – Candles at 4:40 PM Sat. Jan
24 2015 – Habdalah 5:49 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
For other
places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp
Roll of Honor:
His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David and beloved
wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah
His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved
wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah
His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham
His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife
HH Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,
Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved
family
His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved
family
His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife
Her Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor
Her Excellency Prof. Dr. Conny Williams & beloved
family
Her Excellency Giberet Gloria Sutton & beloved
family
His Honor Paqid Adon Yoel ben Abraham and beloved wife HH
Giberet Rivka bat Dorit
His Honor Paqid Adon Tsuriel ben Abraham and beloved
wife HH Giberet Gibora bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Gabriel ben Abraham and beloved
wife HE Giberet Elisheba bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Yehoshua ben Abraham and beloved
wife HE Giberet Rut bat Sarah
For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the
best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’s richest blessings be upon their
lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael and her Torah
Scholars, amen ve amen!
Also a
great thank you and great blessings be upon all who send comments to the list
about the contents and commentary of the weekly Torah Seder and allied topics.
If you
want to subscribe to our list and ensure that you never lose any of our
commentaries, or would like your friends also to receive this commentary,
please do send me an E-Mail to benhaggai@GMail.com with your
E-Mail or the E-Mail addresses of your friends. Toda Rabba!
We dedicate this Torah Seder Commentary on the
occasion of H.H. Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah HaRabbanit’s birthday. May the
King and Master of the universe grant her a long and productive life, full of
much good health, joy and gladness, with many opportunities to perform great
deeds of loving-kindness, amen ve amen! From all of us, we wish her a very
happy Yom Huledet Sameach!
Shabbat “Ki
Atem Baim, El HaAretz” – “When you come into the land”
|
Shabbat |
Torah Reading: |
Weekday Torah Reading: |
|
כִּי-אַתֶּם
בָּאִים,
אֶל-הָאָרֶץ |
|
|
|
“Ki Atem Baim, El HaAretz” |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 34:1-12 |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 35:9-11 |
|
“When
you come into the land” |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 34:13-15 |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 35:12-14 |
|
“Cuando
entréis en la tierra” |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 34:16-18 |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 35:15-18 |
|
B’Midbar (Num.) 34:1 – 35:8 |
Reader 4 – B’Midbar 34:19-24 |
|
|
|
Reader 5 – B’Midbar 34:25-29 |
|
|
Psalm: 106:28-33 |
Reader 6 – B’Midbar 35:1-3 |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 35:9-11 |
|
Ashlamatah: Ezek.
45:1-8, 14-15 |
Reader 7 – B’Midbar 35:4-8 |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 35:12-14 |
|
Maftir: B’Midbar 35:6-8 |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 35:15-18 |
|
|
N.C.: Mordechai 13:32-37; Lk 12:35-48; 19:11-27; 21:34-38; Rom. 8:12-17 |
- Ezekiel 45:1-8, 14-15 |
|
Blessings Before
Torah Study
Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified
us through Your commandments, and commanded us to actively study Torah. Amen!
Please Ha-Shem, our G-d, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and
in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and our
offspring's offspring, and all the offspring of Your people, the House of
Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the
sake of fulfilling Your delight. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who teaches
Torah to His people Israel. Amen!
Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our G-d, King of the universe, Who chose us from
all the nations, and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Giver of the
Torah. Amen!
Ha-Shem spoke to Moses, explaining a Commandment. "Speak to Aaron and
his sons, and teach them the following Commandment: This is how you should
bless the Children of Israel. Say to the Children of Israel:
May Ha-Shem bless you and keep watch
over you; - Amen!
May Ha-Shem make His Presence
enlighten you, and may He be kind to you; - Amen!
May Ha-Shem bestow favor on you, and
grant you peace. – Amen!
This way, the priests will link My Name with the Israelites, and I will
bless them."
These are the Laws for which the Torah did not mandate specific amounts:
How much growing produce must be left in the corner of the field for the poor;
how much of the first fruits must be offered at the Holy Temple; how much one
must bring as an offering when one visits the Holy Temple three times a year;
how much one must do when performing acts of kindness; and there is no maximum
amount of Torah that a person must study.
These are the Laws whose benefits a person can often enjoy even in this
world, even though the primary reward is in the Next World: They are: Honoring
one's father and mother; doing acts of kindness; early attendance at the place
of Torah study -- morning and night; showing hospitality to guests; visiting
the sick; providing for the financial needs of a bride; escorting the dead;
being very engrossed in prayer; bringing peace between two people, and between
husband and wife; but the study of Torah is as great as all of them together.
Amen!
Contents of the
Torah Seder
·
Boundaries of the Holy Land – Numbers 34:1-2
·
The
Southern Boundary – Numbers 34;3-5
·
The
Western Border – Numbers 34:6
·
The
Northern Border – Numbers 34:7-9
·
The
Eastern Boundary – Numbers 34:10-12
·
Ten
Princes Appointed to Superintend Allotments – Numbers 34:16-29
·
Levitical
Cities of Refuge – Numbers 35:1-8
Reading Assignment:
The
Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol 14: Numbers – II – Final Wonderings
By:
Rabbi Yitzchaq Magriso
Published
by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New York, 1983)
Vol.
14 – “Numbers – II – Final Wonderings,” pp. pp. 408-416.
Rashi
& Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for:
B’midbar (Numbers) 34:1 – 36:13
|
Rashi |
Targum Pseudo Jonathan |
|
1. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: |
1. And
the LORD spoke with Mosheh, saying: |
|
2. Command the children of Israel and say to them, When
you arrive in the land of Canaan, this is the land which shall fall to you as
an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its borders. |
2. Command the sons of Israel, and say to them: When
you have entered into the land of Kenaan, this will be the land that will be
divided to you for an inheritance, the land of Kenaan by its limits. |
|
3. Your southernmost corner shall be from the desert of
Zin along Edom, and the southern border shall be from the edge of the Sea of
Salt [the Dead Sea] to the east. |
3. Your south border (will be) from the Wilderness of
Palms, by the iron mountain, at the confines of Edom, even the south border
at the extremities of the Sea of Salt, eastward. |
|
4. The border then turns south of Maaleh Akrabim
[elevation of Akrabim], passing toward Zin, and its ends shall be to the
south of Kadesh barnea. Then it shall extend to Hazar addar and continue
toward Azmon. |
4. And your border will turn from the south to the
ascent of Akrabbith, and pass on to the palms of the mountain of iron, and
the going forth thereof will be southward of Rekem Giah, and will go onward
to the tower of Adar, and pass over to Kesam. |
|
5. The border then turns from Azmon to the stream of
Egypt, and its ends shall be to the sea. |
5. And the border will wind round from Kesam unto
Nilos, of the Mizraee, and its outgoings will be to the west. |
|
6. The western border: it shall be for you the Great
[Mediterranean] Sea and the border this shall be your western border. |
6. And for the western border you will have the Great
Ocean Sea; its limits are the waters of the beginning with the waters of old
which are in its depth; its capes and havens, its creeks and its cities, its
islands and ports, its ships and its recesses: this will be your border
westward. |
|
7. This shall be your northern border: From the Great
[Mediterranean] Sea turn yourselves toward Mount Hor. |
7. And this will be your northern border; — from the
Great Sea you will appoint to you unto Mount Umanis. |
|
8. From Mount Hor turn to the entrance of Hamath, and
the ends of the border shall be toward Zedad. |
8. From
Mount Umanis you will appoint to you (a line) as you go up to the entrance of
Tebaria, and the outgoings of the border at its two sides, unto Kadkor Of Bar
Zahama, and to Kadkol of Bar Sanigora, and Divakinos and Tarnegola unto
Kesarin, where you go up to Abelas of Cilicia. |
|
9. The border shall then extend to Ziphron, and its
ends shall be Hazar enan; this shall be your northern border. |
9. And the border will go on unto Keren Zekutha, and to
Gibra Hatmona, and its outgoings will be at Keria Bethsekel, and to the midst
of the great court (darela rabtha), which is at Mizeha, between the towers of
Hinvetha and Darmeshek: this will be your northern limit. |
|
10. You shall then turn yourselves toward the eastern
border, from Hazar enan to Shepham. |
10. And you will appoint your eastern border from the of
Hinvetba unto Apamea; |
|
11. The border descends from Shepham toward Riblah, to
the east of Ain. Then the border descends and hits the eastern shore of Lake
Kinnereth. |
11. and the border will descend from Apamea to Dophne,
eastward of Hinvetha; thence the border will go down to the cavern of Panias,
and from the cavern of Panias to the mountain of snow, and from the mountain
of snow to Henan, and from Henan the border will go down and encompass the
plain of the river of Arnon, and arrive at the wilderness and the palms of
the mountain of iron, take in the Waters of Contention, and rest at Ginesar,
a city of the kings of the Edomites, the inheritance of the tribes of Reuben
and Gad, and the half tribe of Menasheh; and the border will descend and
encompass the Sea of Genesar on the east. |
|
12. The border then continues down along the Jordan, and
its ends is the Sea of Salt [the Dead Sea]; this shall be your Land according
to its borders around. |
12. And
the border will descend to the Jordan, and its outgoing be at the Sea of
Salt. Rekem Giah on the south, Mount Umanos on the north, the Great Sea on
the west, the Sea of Salt on the east,-this will be your country, the Land of
Israel, by the extent of its borders round about. |
|
13. Moses commanded the children of Israel saying,
"This is the Land which you are to apportion for inheritance through
lot, that the Lord has commanded to give to the nine and a half tribes. |
13. And Mosheh commanded the sons of Israel, saying:
This is the land which you are to inherit by lot, which the LORD has
commanded to give to the nine tribes and the half tribe. |
|
14. For the tribe of Reuben's descendants according to
their fathers' house, and the tribe of Gad's descendants according to their
fathers' house, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received their
inheritance. |
14. For
the tribe of the children of Reuben, according to the house of their fathers,
and tribe of Gad, and the half tribe of Menasheh have received their
inheritance __ |
|
15. The two and a half tribes have received their
inheritance on this side of the Jordan, near Jericho in the east, toward the
sunrise." |
15. __ beyond the Jordan on the eastern side. |
|
16. The Lord spoke to Moses saying: |
16. And
the LORD spoke with Mosheh, saying: |
|
17. These are the names of the men who shall inherit the
land on your behalf: Eleazar the kohen and Joshua the son of Nun. |
17. These are the names of the men who will make to you
the inheritance of the land: Elazar the priest, and Jehoshua bar Nun, |
|
18. You shall take one chieftain from each tribe to
[help you to] acquire the land. |
18. and
one prince from each of the tribes you will choose to give you the
inheritance of the land. |
|
19. These are the names of the men: for the tribe of
Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. |
19. And these are the names of the men. Of the tribe of
Jehudah, Kaleb bar Jephunneh; |
|
20. For the tribe of the descendants of Simeon, Samuel
the son of Ammihud. |
20. for
Shimeon, Shemuel bar Ammihud; |
|
21. For the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of
Chislon. |
21. Benjamin, Elidad bar Kiselon; |
|
22. The chieftain for the tribe of the descendants of
Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli. |
22. Dan, Buki bar Jageli; |
|
23. For the descendants of Joseph; the chieftain for the
tribe of the descendants of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod. |
23.
Joseph, Menasheh, Haniel bar Ephod; |
|
24. The chieftain for the tribe of the descendants of
Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. |
24.
Ephraim, Kemuel bar Shipbtan; |
|
25. The chieftain for the tribe of the descendants of
Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. |
25. Zebulon, Elizaphan bar Parnak; |
|
26. The chieftain for the tribe of the descendants of
Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan. |
26. Issakar, Paltiel bar Azan; |
|
27. The chieftain for the tribe of the descendants of
Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. |
27. Asher, Abihud bar Shelomi; |
|
28. The chieftain of the tribe of the descendants of
Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud. |
28.
Naphtali, Pedahael bar Ammihud. |
|
29. These are the ones whom the Lord commanded to
apportion the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan. |
29. These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the
inheritance of the land of Kenaan to the children of Israel. |
|
|
|
|
1. The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab, by
the Jordan at Jericho saying: |
1. And
the LORD spoke with Mosheh in the plains of Moab, by Jordan-Jericho, saying: |
|
2. Command the children of Israel that they shall give
to the Levites from their hereditary possession cities in which to dwell, and
you shall give the Levites open spaces around the cities. |
2.
Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from their
inheritance cities to dwell in, and suburbs (open spaces) to the cities round
about will you give to the Levites. |
|
3. These cities shall be theirs for dwelling, and their
open spaces shall be for their cattle, their property, and for all their
needs. |
3. And the cities will be for them to dwell in, and the
suburbs for their cattle, their property, and all their needful things. |
|
4. The areas of open space for the cities which you
shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward, one
thousand cubits all around. |
4. But of the cities which you give to the Levites the
suburbs round the city will be one thousand cubits without the city round
about. |
|
5. You shall measure from outside the city, two
thousand cubits on the eastern side, two thousand cubits on the southern
side, two thousand cubits on the western side, and two thousand cubits on the
northern side, with the city in the middle; this shall be your cities' open
spaces. |
5. And you will measure outside the city, on the east
side, two thousand cubits; on the South two thousand, on the west two
thousand, and on the north two thousand cubits, with the city in the midst;
these will be to you the suburbs of the cities. |
|
6. Among the cities you shall give to the Levites,
shall be six cities of refuge, which you shall provide [as places] to which a
murderer can flee. In addition to them, you shall provide forty two
cities. |
6. And
of the cities you give to the Levites, six will be for refuges to manslayers,
that the manslayer may escape thither. Beside these you will give them forty-two
other cities. |
|
7. All the cities you shall give to the Levites shall
number forty eight cities, them with their open spaces. |
7. All the cities that you give to the Levites will be
forty-eight cities with their suburbs. |
|
8. And as for the cities that you shall give from the
possession of the children of Israel, you shall take more from a larger [holding]
and you shall take less from a smaller one. Each one, according to the
inheritance allotted to him, shall give of his cities to the Levites. |
8. But
when you give the cities from the inheritance of the Bene Yisrael, from the
tribe whose people are many you will give many, and from the tribe whose
people are few you will diminish; every one will give of his cities to the
Levites, according to the inheritance he possesses. |
|
|
|
Welcome to the World of P’shat Exegesis
In order to understand the finished work of the P’shat
mode of interpretation of the Torah, one needs to take into account that the
P’shat is intended to produce a catechetical output, whereby a question/s
is/are raised and an answer/a is/are given using the seven Hermeneutic Laws of
R. Hillel and as well as the laws of Hebrew Grammar and Hebrew expression.
The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as follows
[cf. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=472&letter=R]:
1. Ḳal va-ḥomer: "Argumentum a minori ad majus" or "a
majori ad minus"; corresponding to the scholastic proof a fortiori.
2. Gezerah shavah: Argument from analogy. Biblical passages containing
synonyms or homonyms are subject, however much they differ in other respects,
to identical definitions and applications.
3. Binyan ab mi-katub eḥad: Application of a provision found in one passage only
to passages which are related to the first in content but do not contain the
provision in question.
4. Binyan ab mi-shene ketubim: The same as the preceding, except that the provision
is generalized from two Biblical passages.
5. Kelal u-Peraṭ and Peraṭ u-kelal: Definition of the general by the particular, and of
the particular by the general.
6. Ka-yoẓe bo mi-maḳom aḥer: Similarity in content to another Scriptural passage.
7. Dabar ha-lamed me-'inyano: Interpretation deduced from the context.
Rashi’s Commentary for:
B’Midbar (Num.) 34:1 – 35:8
2 This is
the land which shall fall to you Since many precepts apply to the Land [of Israel] and
do not apply outside the Land, Scripture found it necessary to chart the outer
limits of its boundaries from all sides, to inform you that the precepts apply
everywhere within these borders.
shall
fall to you Since it was apportioned by lot, the division is described in
terms of נְפִילָה , falling [a word commonly used
in connection with lots]. The Midrash Aggadah says that [this expression is
used here] because the Holy One, blessed is He, cast down [lit., caused to
fall] from heaven the celestial ministers of the seven [Canaanite] nations, and
shackled them before Moses. He said to him [Moses], See, they no longer have
any power.- [Mid. Tanchuma]
3 Your
southernmost corner shall be The southern flank extending from east to west.
from the
desert of Zin which adjoins Edom, beginning in the southeastern
corner of the land of the nine tribes. How? Three lands lie south of the Land
of Israel, each adjoining the other—part of Egypt, the entire land of Edom, and
the entire land of Moab. The land of Egypt is in the southwestern corner, as it
says [later] in this passage, “from Azmon to the stream of Egypt and its ends
shall be to the sea” (verse 5). The stream of Egypt ran through the entire
length of Egypt, as it says, “from the Shihor [river], which is along the face
of Egypt” (Josh. 13:3), and it intervenes between the land of Egypt from the
Land of Israel. The land of Edom adjoins it [Egypt] from the east, and the land
of Moab adjoins the land of Edom at the southeastern corner [of the land of
Israel]. When the Israelites departed from Egypt, had the Omnipresent wished to
expedite their entry into the Land, He would have taken them northward across
the Nile, and they would have thus entered the Land. But He did not do so, and
this is the meaning of what is said, “God did not lead them [by] way of the
land of the Philistines” (Exod. 13:17). For they [the Philistines] dwelt by the
sea in the west of the land of Canaan, as it says regarding the Philistines,
“those who inhabit the coastal area, the Cherethite nation” (Zeph. 2:5). He did
not lead them by that route, but diverted them and took them along the southern
route, to the desert. Ezekiel called it “the desert of the nations” (Ezek.
5:35) because several nations dwelt alongside it. He led them along the south,
always from west to east, until they arrived at the southern end of the land of
Edom. They asked the king of Edom for permission to enter his land and traverse
its width in order to enter the Land [of Israel], but he refused, and they had
to turn and travel along the entire south of Edom until they reached the
southern end of the land of Moab, as it says, “He sent [messengers] also to the
king of Moab, but he was unwilling” (Jud. 11:17). They then traversed the
entire southern boundary of Moab, right to the end, and then turned northward
until they had passed along its entire eastern boundary, along its width, and
when they finished its eastern boundary, they came upon the land of Sihon and
Og, who dwelt to the east of the land of Canaan, with the Jordan [river]
intervening between them. This is the meaning of what is stated concerning
Jephthah, “And they went through the desert and went around the land of Edom
and the land of Moab, and they came to the east of the land of Moab” (ibid.
18). They conquered the lands of Sihon and Og, which were to the north of Moab,
and came near to the Jordan, opposite the northwestern corner of the land of
Moab. Hence, the land of Canaan, which was across the Jordan to the west, has
its southeastern corner bordering on Edom.
4 The
border then turns south of Maaleh Akrabim Whenever the term וְנָסַב ("turns") or וְיָצָא ("extends to") is used, it [Scripture]
informs us that the border was not straight, but veered outward; the boundary
line bent to the north, angling westward, so that the border passed south of
Maaleh Akrabim, so that Maaleh Akrabim was within the border.
passing
toward Zin Heb. צִנָה , to Zin, as in מִצְרַיְמָה , to Egypt.
its ends
shall be Heb. תוֹצְאֽתָיו , its ends, to the south of
Kadesh-barnea.
it shall
extend The boundary stretches northward and continues angling westward, until
it reaches Hazar-addar, and from there to Azmon and from there to the stream of
Egypt. The term “turns” is used here, because Scripture writes, “it shall
extend to Hazar-addar.” For it began to widen after passing Kadesh-barnea, and
the width of that strip which protruded northward was from Kadesh-barnea to
Azmon. From there onward, the boundary narrowed and turned southward, reaching
the river of Egypt, and from there westward to the Great Sea, which is the
western boundary of the entire Land of Israel. Thus, the river of Egypt is in
the southwestern corner.
5 and its
ends shall be to the sea To the western border, for the southern border no
longer stretches westward past there.
6 The
western border And what was the western border?
[It shall
be for you] the Great Sea As a boundary.
and the
border The islands in the sea are also included in the border. These islands
are called isles in old French.-[Gittin 8a]
7
northern border Heb. גְּבוּל צָפוֹן , the northern boundary.
From the
Great Sea turn yourselves toward Mount Hor which is the northwestern
corner. Its summit slopes down into the sea. Some of the expanse of the sea is
inward of it and some outside it.
turn
yourselves Change your direction, to move from west to north,
toward Mount Hor.
turn
yourselves An expression denoting a slant, as in “the [slanting]
chamber (תָּא) of the guards” (I Kings 14:28); “the chamber (תָּא) of the gate” (Ezek. 40:10), which are called apendiz in old
French [penthouse, lean-to, a small building with a sloping roof, attached to a
main building] for it is curved and sloping.
8 From
Mount Hor you shall turn and continue along the northern border
eastward, and then you will arrive at the entrance to Hamath, which is Antioch.
- [Targum Yerushalmi]
and the
ends of the border Heb. תּוֹצְאֽֽת
הַגּבוּל , the ends of the border. Whenever [Scripture]
mentions “the ends of the border” either the boundary line ends there
completely and does not continue further in that direction, or from there it
spreads out, broadens, and extends backwards, continuing in a more slanting
direction than [encompassed in] the original expanse. In relation to the
breadth of the original dimension, it is called the ends, for that dimension
ends there.
9 and its
ends shall be Hazar-enan This is the end of the northern border, and Hazar-
enan is situated in the northeastern corner. From there “you shall then turn
yourselves” toward the eastern border.
10 You shall
then turn yourselves Heb. וְהִתְאַוִּיתֶם , a term denoting turning or
veering, cognate with [the term] תְּתָאוּ
to
Shepham on the eastern boundary, and from there to Riblah.
11 east
of Ain [Ain is] the name of a place, and the border passes east of it, so that
Ain is situated within the border and is part of the Land of Israel.
Then the
border descends As the border proceeds from north to south, it
descends.
and hits
the eastern shore of Lake Kinnereth For Lake Kinnereth was within the border to the west,
and the border which is east of Lake Kinnereth, descends to the Jordan. The
Jordan flows from north to south diagonally, slanting eastward, moving toward
the land of Canaan opposite Lake Kinnereth, and extending along the eastern
flank of the Land of Israel, opposite Lake Kinnereth, until it falls into the
Sea of Salt [the Dead Sea], and from there the border ends with its ends at the
Sea of Salt, from which the southeastern border begins. This is how it is
encompassed from all its four sides.
15 in the
east toward the sunrise Heb. קֵדְמָה , meaning toward the front of the
world, which is in the east, for the east side is called the forefront [lit.,
the face] and the west is called the back. Thus, the south is to the right, and
the north is to the left.
17 who
shall inherit the land of your behalf Heb. לָכֶם , on your behalf. Each chieftain
was an administrator for his tribe, to divide the tribal inheritance among
families and individuals. He chose a suitable portion for each one, and
whatever they did was binding, as if they had been designated as agents [by the
members of the tribes]. It is not possible to render this word לָכֶם as every לָכֶם in Scripture, [meaning “to you,”] for in that case, it should have
written יַנְחִילוֹ
לָכֶם , [in the hiph’il, the causative conjugation, they
shall give it to you to inherit], but the word יִנְחֲלוּ [in the kal, simple conjugation]
means that they shall inherit for you, on your behalf and in your stead, as in,
“The Lord will wage war for you לָכֶם ” (Exod. 14:14).
18 to
[help you] to acquire the land To take possession of the land and apportion it in
your stead.
29 to
apportion the inheritance They are the ones who shall divide the inheritance
among you according to its portions.
Chapter
35
2 open
spaces Empty belts of land surrounding each city, so as to beautify the city.
It was forbidden to build a house, plant a vineyard or sow seed there.-[Arachin
33b]
3 and for
all their needs Heb. חַיָּתָם , for their personal
necessities.-[Ned. 81a]
4 one
thousand cubits all around Yet following this it says, "two thousand
cubits"? How can this be? However, He assigned two thousand for them
around the city, of which the inner thousand was for open area and the outer
[thousand] for fields and vineyards.- [Sotah 27b]
Ketubim: Psalm 106:28-33
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. Hallelujah. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,
for His kindness is forever. |
1.
Hallelujah! Give thanks in the presence of the LORD, for He is good, for His
goodness is forever. |
|
2. Who can narrate the mighty deeds of the Lord? [Who]
can make heard all His praise? |
2. Who is able to utter the might of the LORD? Who is
allowed to proclaim all His praises? |
|
3. Fortunate are those who keep justice, who perform
righteousness at all times. |
3. Happy are they who observe judgment, those who do
righteousness/generosity at every time. |
|
4. Remember me, O Lord, when You favor Your people; be
mindful of me with Your salvation. |
4. Remember me, O LORD, with good will toward Your
people; call me to mind with Your redemption (Hebrew: פָּקְדֵנִי, בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ – Paq’deni BiShuatekha –
lit. “appoint me to Your Yeshua (salvation)”. |
|
5. To see the goodness of Your chosen ones, to rejoice
with the joy of Your nation, to boast with Your inheritance. |
5. To look on the plenty of Your chosen ones; to
rejoice in the joy of Your people; to join in praise with Your inheritance. |
|
6. We sinned with our forefathers; we committed
iniquity and wickedness. |
6. We have sinned, along with our fathers; we have
committed iniquity, acted wickedly. |
|
7. Our forefathers in Egypt did not understand Your
wonders; they did not remember Your manifold deeds of kindness, and they were
rebellious by the sea, by the Sea of Reeds. |
7. Our fathers in Egypt paid no heed to Your wonders;
they did not call to mind Your great goodness; and they rebelled against Your
word by the sea, at the sea of Reeds. |
|
8. And He saved them for His name's sake, to make known
His might. |
8. And He redeemed them for His name's sake, to make
known His might. |
|
9. And He rebuked the Sea of Reeds, and it dried up,
and He led them in the depths as [in] a desert. |
9. And He rebuked the sea of Reeds, and it dried up;
and He conducted them through the deeps, as in the wilderness. |
|
10. He saved them from the hand of the enemy, and He
redeemed them from the hand of the foe. |
10. And He redeemed them from the power of the foe; and
He redeemed them from the power of the enemies. |
|
11. And the water covered their adversaries; not one of
them survived. |
11. And the waters covered their oppressors; not one of
them was left. |
|
12. And they believed His words; they sang His praise. |
12. And they believed in the name of His word; they sang
His praise. |
|
13. Quickly, they forgot His deeds; they did not await
His counsel. |
13. They quickly forgot His deeds; they did not wait for
His counsel. |
|
14. They craved a lust in the desert, and they tried God
in the wasteland. |
14. And they made a request and tested God in the place
of desolation. |
|
15. He gave them their request, but He sent emaciation
into their soul. |
15. And He gave them their request, and sent leanness
into their souls. |
|
16. They angered Moses in the camp, Aaron, the holy man
of the Lord. |
16. And they were jealous of Moses in the camp, of
Aaron, the holy one of the LORD. |
|
17. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan and covered
the congregation of Abiram. |
17. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, and
covered the company of Abiram. |
|
18. And fire burned in their congregation; a flame
burned the wicked. |
18. And fire burned in their company; flame will kindle
the wicked. |
|
19. They made a calf in Horeb and prostrated themselves
to a molten image. |
19. They made a calf in Horeb, and bowed down to
something of metal. |
|
20. They exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox
eating grass. |
20. And they exchanged the glory of their master for the
likeness of a bull that eats grass and befouls itself. |
|
21. They forgot God, their Savior, Who wrought great
deeds in Egypt. |
21. They forgot God their redeemer who had done mighty
works in Egypt. |
|
22. Wonders in the land of Ham, awesome deeds by the Sea
of Reeds. |
22. Wonders in the land of Ham, awesome things by the
sea of Reeds. |
|
23. He intended to destroy them [and would have] were it
not that Moses, His chosen one, stood before Him in the breech to return His
wrath from destroying. |
23. And He commanded by His word to destroy them, had it
not been for Moses His chosen one, who stood and grew mighty in prayer in His
presence to turn aside His wrath from obliteration. |
|
24. They rejected the desirable land; they did not
believe His word. |
24. And their soul was repelled by the desirable land;
they did not believe His word. |
|
25. They complained in their tents; they did not hearken
to the voice of the Lord. |
25. And they complained in their tents; they did not
accept the word of the LORD. |
|
26. He raised His hand to them to cast them down in the
desert, |
26. And He lifted His hand in an oath because of them,
to throw them down slain in the wilderness. |
|
27. And to cast their seed among the nations and to
scatter them in the lands. |
27. And to exile their seed among the peoples, and to
scatter them among the lands. |
|
28. They became attached to Baal Pe'or and ate
sacrifices of the dead. |
28. And they attached themselves to the idol of Peor,
and they ate the sacrifices of the dead. |
|
29. They provoked [God] with their deeds, and a plague
broke out among them. |
29. And they caused anger in His presence by their
deeds, and a plague attacked them. |
|
30. Phinehas stood up and executed justice, and the
plague was stopped. |
30. And Phinehas rose and prayed, and the plague was
restrained. |
|
31. It was accounted for him as a merit, for generation
to generation to eternity. |
31. And it was accounted to him for merit for all
generations forever. |
|
32. They provoked [God] by the waters of Meribah, and
Moses suffered because of them. |
32. And they caused anger by the waters of Dispute, and
it grieved Moses because of them. |
|
33. For they rebelled against His spirit, and He uttered
with His lips. |
33. For they rebelled against His holy spirit, and He
had explained it clearly with His lips. |
|
|
|
Rashi’s Commentary for: Psalm 106:28-33
27 And to cast
their seed among the nations From that time, the destruction of the Temple
was decreed upon them, for on the night of the ninth of Ab they went, and the
Holy One, blessed be He, said, “They wept for nothing, and I shall establish
for them weeping for generations.”
33 For they
rebelled Moses and
Aaron.
against His spirit with (Num. 20:10) “Hear now, you rebels!”
and He uttered with His lips an oath (Num. 20:12): “Therefore
you shall not bring this community, etc.”
Meditation from the Psalms
Psalms 106:28-33
By: H.Em. Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David
For continuity I am
repeating my intro from the first part of our psalm.
The preceding
composition, Psalms 105, described the extensive wonders with which God
mercifully redeemed our forefathers from Egypt. This psalm resumes the
narrative and relates how God miraculously sustained the Jews as they wandered
in the wilderness for forty years. Then HaShem led the Israelites into the land
of Canaan and empowered them to conquer their adversaries despite overwhelming
odds. Throughout these great historic periods, HaShem repeatedly performed so
many wonders that the Psalmist exclaims (verse 2), who can express the mighty acts of HaShem? Who can declare all of His praise?[1]
However, even while God
was displaying unprecedented kindness to Israel, the Israelites were negligent
in their duties toward God, and they failed to appreciate His wonders. Indeed,
they defied God’s representative, Moshe, and rebelled against his commands.
This defiance initiated the spiritual and moral decline which eventually led to
the Jew’s exile from the Holy Land.[2]
The Psalmist completes
his description of Israel’s infidelity and exile with a prayer for redemption
(verse 47), Save us HaShem, our
God, and gather us from among the peoples, to thank Your Holy Name and to glory
in Your praise!
This psalm concludes the fourth Book of Tehillim with the declaration, blessed is HaShem, the God of Israel, from This World to the World to Come, and let the
entire nation say, “Amen!” Praise God![3]
This portion of our psalm contains some interesting words in a context
that is unusual. Consider:
Tehillim
(Psalms) 106:30-31 And Pinchas arose and executed judgment,
and the plague was halted. It was ascribed to him as Tzedaka (righteousness/generousity)[4]
for all generations forever.[5]
Now, let’s put this in the context the Torah gives us:
Bamidbar
(Numbers) 25:11 Pinchas, the son of Eleazar, the son of
Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from the people of Israel, while he
was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the people of Israel in
my jealousy.
Let's take a closer look at the above verse from Tehillim: And
Pinchas[6]
arose and executed judgment (וַיְפַלֵּל). The Hebrew root for executing
judgment is פלל. The word tefilah, prayer,[7]
stems from the same root. The Midrash teaches that when Pinchas arose, he
arose in order to pray.
Midrash Rabbah
- Genesis LXVIII:9 R. Joshua b. Levi said: Our patriarchs
instituted the three [daily] services. Abraham instituted morning prayer, for
it says, And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had
stood before the Lord:[8]
now standing refers to prayer, as it says, Then stood up Phinehas, and prayed.[9]
The Midrash understands this verse to mean that Pinchas prayed and his
prayers were effective to remove the plague from the Jewish People. It would
seem from the words of the Midrash that the prayer of Pinchas was not
incidental. Rather, his prayer was critical for the survival of the Jewish
People. Because of his prayer and his act, Pinchas stopped the plague when it
had only killed 24,000 people. If he had not acted, who knows how many more
would have died.
What is the relationship between prayer and judgment, and why is
Pinchas' act described in these terms? To understand the answer we will need a bit
of background. Consider that the root - פלל,[10] to
judge, also means to differentiate, to clarify, to decide.
Prayer is called tefilah because it is the soul's yearning to separate
the chaff from the fruit, to define what truly matters, and to separate that
from the trivialities of life that often masquerade as essential.[11]
Prayer is judging yourself and changing who you are.
Ostensibly, what Pinchas did by killing Zimri and Kozbi[12] was
an act of judgment. He needed to set aside his natural inclination towards
peace and civility, and, for HaShem's sake, commit a most brutal and unmerciful
act.
By attributing his lineage to Aaron,[13] the
Torah dispels any claim that Pinchas was brutal and a man of vengeance. Pinchas
was not brutal. He was a grandson of Aaron, who so loved peace and harmony that
he couldn't bear to see two Jews fighting. In killing the sinners, Pinchas was
not revealing his violent and untamed nature, but rather committing an act of
pe'lila (פלל), of separating what he might like to do from what
must be done, and acting on that knowledge.
Our Psalm uses the term va-ye'falel (from the root פלל), and he executed judgment.[14]
Like tefilah, where we separate truth from fancy, Pinchas had to remove himself
from his own gentle nature in order to perform an act of brutality and
vengeance.
Sanhedrin
81b At that moment Moses forgot the halachah
[concerning intimacy with a heathen woman], and all the people burst into
tears; hence it is written, and they were weeping before the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation. And it is also written, And Pinchas, the son of
Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it. Now, what did he see? — Rab said:
He saw what was happening and remembered the halachah, and said to him, ‘O
great-uncle! did you not teach us this on thy descent from Mount Sinai: He who
cohabits with a heathen woman is punished by zealots?’ He replied. ‘He who
reads the letter, let him be the agent [to carry out its instructions]’. Samuel
said: He saw that ‘There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the
Lord’:[15]
whenever the Divine Name is being profaned, honor must not be paid to one's
teacher.[16]
R. Isaac said in R. Eleazar's name: He saw the angel wreaking destruction
amongst the people. And he rose up out of the midst of the congregation, and
took a spear in his hand;[17]
hence one may not enter the house of learning with weapons.
The Gemara states that Pinchas took Zimri and Kozbi and slammed them
down on the ground, declaring, “because of these two sinners the Jewish People
should lose twenty-four thousand people?!’ Although the Gemara states that
Pinchas was litigating with his Creator, he was clearly praying that HaShem
stop the plague.[18]
Tzedaka plays a similar role. Man by nature tends to hoard that which he
has earned. "What's mine is mine and what's yours is yours." He is
attached to his possessions, and it does not come naturally to simply give them
away, receiving nothing in exchange. The mitzva of tzedaka commands us to
remove ourselves from our personal attachment to our money and possessions, and
separate a portion for those less fortunate than us. Perhaps it is for this
reason that the verse declares, "It was ascribed to him as
righteousness/generosity", for in removing himself from his peace-loving
nature, Pinchas was doing tzedaka.
Why does scripture describe
Pinchas' vengeful act as one of "tzedaka”, usually translated as righteousnees,
generousity, or charity? What does the act of Pinchas have to do
with tzedaka?
Pinchas through his zealousness removed the plague from the Bne Israel,
thus committing an act of Tzedaka whereby life prevailed and death was
excluded. As Shlomo said:
Mishlei
(Proverbs) 10:2 Tzedaka saves from death.
Pinchas, by his tzedaka,
reaped kindness from HaShem, as the Prophet said:
Hoshea
(Hosea) 10:12 Sow charity for yourself and you will reap
according to kindness.
The Tzedaka of Pinchas raises an interesting question: Why didn’t Moshe
deal with Zimri and Kozbi?
As Moshe was in the time of Pinchas’ tzedaka, so also are leaders in
every generation. In our generation, there are things about which the leaders
of the generation are silent, and yet this does not always prove that nothing
need be done, and that calculation and scholarly reasoning must be used to slip
one’s way out of it. If one sees that he can do something, he must do it.
The fact that those greater than him say nothing may be similar to the fact
that Pinchas was granted the opportunity to slay Zimri in order to become a
Priest. This was his portion that he was destined to refine, and only by doing
so could he attain personal perfection. Just as everyone is designated his own
portion of material wealth, and no one can encroach upon someone else’s
livelihood, so is it, and all the more, in the spiritual realm, for everyone
has his share in Torah.[19]
The leader of the tribe of Shimon, Zimri, committed the public sin of
taking a Midianite woman into his tent, Kozbi, and having relations with her.
This terrible, public rebellion against HaShem caused a plague to spread among
the Jewish people. Pinchas was the only one to remember the law taught by Moses
that “If one has relations with a gentile woman, zealots may attack him”.[20]
Even Moshe himself forgot this law. When Pinchas slew Zimri and Kozbi, the
plague ceased. HaShem then rewarded him by granting him and all his descendants
the status of Priesthood.[21]
Rashi, on Bamidbar 25:6, says that the reason Moshe forgot the law was “so that
Pinchas would come and take that which was fit for him”, i.e. the reward of priestly status.
So if one observes a community leader doing nothing about a certain issue, one
should not necessarily conclude that this proves that no action is necessary,
or that that leader is at fault for his inaction. Regardless of whether the
leader is at fault, the one who sees clearly that a certain task needs to be
done for the benefit of the community, and sees that he is able to carry it
out, should know that this is his personal duty, and that the reason that he
noticed this problem and that he is in a position to fix it, is that in so
doing he will reach his personal tikkun, the rectification of his neshama, his
soul.
Pinchas was not the leader amongst the Jewish people;
Moses, Elazar, and the elders occupied the positions of authority. Yet
when the need arose, Pinchas did not wait for the leaders' guidance, but seized
the initiative himself.
The main task of the Levites
is to learn Torah and to teach Torah. Pinchas was “teaching” that the proper
way to act was to be zealous for the sake of HaShem.
Wow!
The reward promised to Pinchas is spread over two verses, and appears to
consist of two parts.
Bamidbar
(Numbers) 25:10-13 And HaShem spake unto Moses, saying,
11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son
of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel,
while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children
of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Wherefore
say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
13
And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting
priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an
atonement for the children of Israel.
In the first verse, HaShem grants him "My covenant of peace".
Then, in the second verse, Pinchas receives the “covenant of eternal
priesthood".
The second of these promises is relatively clear. As Rashi explains[22] if
not for Pinchas' heroism, neither he nor his descendants would have earned the
status of Priesthood, despite his being the grandson of the first High Priest,
Aharon, and the son of the current High Priest, Elazar. The status of
Priesthood was granted only to Aharon and his four sons, and to their
descendants born after the initial anointing of Aharon and his sons. Since
Pinchas had been born to Elazar prior to his having been anointed Priest,
Pinchas did not earn the Priesthood. He earned this privilege only through his
zealous defense of HaShem's honor as exhibited through his killing of Zimri and
Kozbi.
The first part of his reward, however, seems unclear. What does God mean
by "My covenant of peace"?
Targum Yonatan Ben Uziel adopts a Midrashic interpretation of this
verse, claiming that "My covenant of peace" means that Pinchas will
live forever so that he will ultimately announce the final redemption. Targum
Yonatan here refers to the famous comment of Chazal[23]
identifying the prophet Eliyahu as Pinchas. According to tradition, as
mentioned in the final verses of Sefer Malachi, Eliyahu will come before
"the great, awesome day of God" to announce the arrival of the
long-awaited redemption. The Targum Yonatan claims that it is to this that
"My covenant of peace" refers.
This approach appears in "Peshat" form in the commentary of
Sforno to this verse. He claims that the "covenant of peace" refers
simply to long life. Pinchas lived during the story of "pilegesh
be-giv'a" told in Sefer Shoftim,[24]
which occurred at least after the death of Yehoshua and his contemporaries –
many decades after the incident recorded in Sefer Bamidbar. Undoubtedly, then,
Pinchas enjoyed a particularly long life,[25] all
the more so, Sforno adds, if we accept the tradition that Eliyahu was Pinchas.
But how does the term "covenant of peace" mean longevity? The
Sforno briefly explains, "Because demise occurs only as a result of the
contrast between opposites". The Sforno likely refers to the explanation
presented at greater length later, by the Malbim. The human body operates only
through the harmonious cooperation between its various different components.
Death results from the disunity of the body's organs and systems, when they
lose the ability to communicate and interact with one another. For this reason,
then, HaShem refers to long life as "the covenant of peace",
referring to a state of peace of harmony among the various parts of the body.
Upon reflection, it appears that there is no personality in the Jewish
world that is both as admired and as mysterious as Elijah the Prophet. Just
as his appearance on the Biblical scene was abrupt and sudden, with no
background provided, so too his disappearance was mysterious and
unnatural.
For the sake of comparison, let us consider the greatest prophet of all
generations, Moshe Rabbenu. The Torah takes the trouble to detail his
birth to Amram and Yocheved, of the tribe of Levi, and also describes his death
at Mount Nebo, "by the word of G-d”.[26]
With Eliyahu HaNavi, though, the situation is quite different. Let us
first read what the Tanach says about his first, sudden appearance, when he
speaks to King Ahab of Israel:
I Melachim
(Kings) 17:1 Eliyahu the Tishbite, from among the
residents of the Gilad, said to Ahab: By G-d... there will be no rain or dew
these years, unless I say so.
The Tanach gives us no prior word as to who Eliyahu was or what were his
qualifications to be Prophet. We meet him here for the first time, learning
that it is he who holds the keys to the rain and dew that are to fall, or not,
on the Land of Israel. And in fact, the rain did fall only when he gave the
word.
And how is Eliyahu's departure from this world described? Just as
mysteriously:
II Melachim
(Kings) 2:11 They [Eliyahu and his student Elisha] were
walking and talking, and behold a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated
between the two, and Eliyahu ascended to the Heavens in a storm.
The mystery surrounding Eliyahu was so great that the Sages of Israel
could not even agree on his exact identity. The Midrash[27] tells
us: One time, our teachers disagreed on this point: Some said that Eliyahu
HaNavi was descended from the Tribe of Gad; others said he was from Binyamin.
Eliyahu himself then stood before them and said: "Our teachers, why are
you arguing about me? I am from the descendants of Rachel's sons [Joseph
and Binyamin]".
This famous notion, in the Midrash, that Pinchas is Eliyahu,[28] the
hero of the story of Baal Peor who, in our psalm and in Parashat Pinchas,
receives a special reward for his zealotry, according to some opinions, is the
same man known later as the prophet Eliyahu. Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer[29] and
Yalkut Shimoni[30]
describe in fuller detail the conversation between HaShem and Eliyahu at Mount
Chorev[31]
after the prophet's famous, victorious "showdown" against the
idolatrous prophets at Mount Carmel. As recorded in the Tanach,[32]
Eliyahu tells HaShem, "I have acted zealously for the Lord, the God of
hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant…". The Midrash
relates HaShem's critical response to Eliyahu: "You always act zealously!
You were zealous at Shitim… “This zealotry at Shitim is a clear reference to
the incident of Baal Peor, which occurred at Shitim,[33]
where Pinchas killed Zimri and Kozbi. Clearly, then, according to these
Midrashim, Pinchas and Eliyahu are the same person.
Another interesting source relevant to this discussion is the Targum
Yonatan Ben Uziel to Shemot 4:13. Moshe Rabbenu, in his insistent refusal to
accept the task of going to Pharaoh to demand Bne Israel's release from
bondage, pleads with HaShem, "Send whomever you will send". Targum Yonatan
explains this to mean, "Send the one whom you will eventually send",
meaning, send Pinchas, the one whom you will send in the end of days. Like the
passage from Targum Yonatan in Parashat Pinchas, this refers to Eliyahu's
mission[34] to
herald the coming of the final redemption.[35]
Clearly, then, Targum Yonatan identifies Pinchas, Moshe's great-nephew, as the
prophet Eliyahu. Targum Yonatan makes this point even more explicitly a bit
later in Sefer Shemot,[36]
where he writes that Amram, Moshe's father, lived to see his great-grandson,
Pinchas, "he is Eliyahu, the high priest, who in the future will be sent
to the Israelite exile, in the end of days".
The Yalkut Shimoni in Parashat Balak[37]
likewise mentions explicitly that Pinchas is Eliyahu. It records HaShem telling
Pinchas, "You brought peace between Me and My children, in the future, as
well, you are the one who will bring peace between Me and My children".
The Midrash proceeds by citing the verse from the end of Sefer Malachi that
indicates that Eliyahu will come to lead Bne Israel towards teshuva in
anticipation of the final Day of Judgment.
This identification of Eliyahu as Pinchas may have a basis in the
Talmud, as well. The Gemara[38]
tells the story of Rabba Bar Avuha, who once met Eliyahu in a graveyard. The
rabbi asked him, "Are you not a Priest"? He wondered why Eliyahu was
permitted in the cemetery if he was a Priest, given the prohibition against
Priests contracting tumah.[39]
Eliyahu replied that the graves were those of gentiles, and according to Rabbi
Shimon Bar Yochai, the remains of gentiles render tumah only upon direct
contact; their graves, however, do not generate tumah. In any event, it emerges
from this Gemara that Eliyahu was a Priest, which would obviously accommodate
the theory that he was Pinchas. Indeed, Rashi, in his commentary to this
Gemara, writes that the Gemara works under this very assumption.
Rabbi Mandelbaum draws further Talmudic evidence from a brief passage in
Masechet Taanit. The mishnayot towards the beginning of the second chapter of
that Masechet describe the prayer service conducted during public fast days.
One prayer, which has been incorporated into our selichot service, as well,
goes through the Tanach and cites examples of where HaShem answered the prayers
of our ancestors. In this appeal to HaShem, we ask that He answer us the way He
answered them. The Gemara notes a chronological inconsistency in this prayer,
that we mention HaShem's favorable response to the prophet Yonah before we
speak of His having answered the prayers of David and Shlomo. Why would we
discuss Yonah before we mention David and Shlomo, whom lived many years
earlier? Leaving aside the Gemara's response to this question, the Gemara,
oddly enough, does not ask why this prayer mentions HaShem's answer to Eliyahu's
prayer before it talks of David and Shlomo, despite the fact that Eliyahu, too,
lived a good deal later than David and Shlomo! Rabbi Mandelbaum suggests that
perhaps the Gemara assumed that Eliyahu was Pinchas, who indeed lived before
David and Shlomo.
Last weeks Torah portion spoke
of the camping places for the Bne Israel under the leadership of Moshe[40] and
Aaron.[41]
This week our Torah portion, and Ashlamata, speak of the border of the land of
Israel which Moshe was to delineate. It also speaks of the designation of the
cities of refuge as Levitical cities. What is the connection between these two
portions?
The Kli Yakar notes that these forty-two Levitical cities correspond to
the forty-two encampments of the Jews in the desert. He explains that HaShem, in
His infinite mercy, arranged that the cities of refuge were those designated
for the Levites. Members of the tribe of Levi did not own portions in the land
of Israel, but rather lived in these cities. Moshe, also of the tribe of Levi,
acted as a king, a priest, and a prophet. Thus it is fitting that Moshe
be our verbal tally[42] for
this Shabbat.
Finally, consider the following pasuk:
Malachi
3:23-24 Behold, I am sending you Elijah the
Prophet ahead of the arrival of the awesome day of Divine Judgment. And he will
return the heart of fathers to their sons, and the heart of sons to their
fathers.
The Bne Israel angered Moshe at Meribah,
according to our psalm, and he failed to sanctify HaShem. Pinchas, on the other
hand, took an angry out of control nation and brought them near HaShem. He
stopped the plague and brought the people to their senses. He brought peace
between men and HaShem, which was the hallmark of Aharon, and indeed the
priesthood. It is fitting that we see Pinchas as Eliyahu who will turn the
hearts of the people and bring peace. Shabbat Shalom!
Ashlamatah:
Ezekiel 45:1-8, 14-15
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. And when you divide the land by lot for inheritance,
you shall set aside an offering to the Lord, holy from the land, its length
twenty-five thousand and its width ten thousand, it is holy within all its
borders around. |
1. "When you divide the land as an inheritance,
you will set aside a gift before the LORD, a sacred portion of the land, the
length twenty-five thousand cubits long, and the width, ten thousand; it will
be sacred within its entire boundary round about. |
|
2. From this shall be for the Sanctuary five hundred by
five hundred square around and fifty cubits open land for it around. |
2. Of this, there will be for the Sanctuary, a square
five hundred cubits by five hundred cubits round about, and fifty cubits of
open space for it, round about. |
|
3. And with this measurement you shall measure the
length twenty-five thousand and the width ten thousand, and in it shall be
the Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. |
3. And from this measurement, you will measure off a
length of twenty-five thousand cubits and a width of ten thousand, and within
it will be the Sanctuary, Holy of Holies. |
|
4. It is the holy portion of the land; it shall be for
the priests, the ministers of the Sanctuary who come near to serve the Lord,
and it shall be for them a place for houses, and the hallowed part shall be
for the Sanctuary. |
4. It is a sacred portion of the land; it will be for
the priests who serve in the Temple, who approach to serve before the LORD,
so that they might have a place left for houses, and a precinct by the
Sanctuary. |
|
5. And twenty-five thousand in length and ten thousand
in width, shall be for the Levites, the ministers of the House, for them for
a possession, twenty chambers. |
5. And an area of twenty-five thousand cubits length
and ten thousand width, shall be for the Levites, the servants of the Temple,
for a possession, twenty chambers. |
|
6. And for the property of the city you shall give a
width of five thousand and a length of twenty-five thousand, corresponding to
the offering of the holy portion; for the entire House of Israel it shall be. |
6. And as property of the city, you shall give an
area of five thousand cubits width and a length of twenty-five thousand,
facing that which is set aside for the Sanctuary; it shall belong to the
whole House of Israel. |
|
7. And for the prince, on either side of the offering
corresponding to the holy portion and of the possession of the city,
alongside the offering of the holy portion and alongside the possession of
the city, from the western side westward and from the eastern side, eastward,
and the length opposite one of the parts from the western border to the
eastern border. |
7. And to the prince shall belong a portion on both
sides of that which is set aside for the Sanctuary and the city property,
from a westerly direction west, and from an easterly direction east; and the
length shall correspond to one of the portions extending from the western
border to the eastern border. |
|
8. In the land, he shall have it for a possession in
Israel, and My princes shall no longer defraud My people, and the land they
shall give to the House of Israel to their tribes. {P} |
8. This land
shall be for the prince as a possession in Israel; and My princes shall no
longer oppress My people, but they shall give the land to the House of Israel
according to their tribes. |
|
9. So said the Lord God: Enough, princes of Israel;
remove violence and plunder, and perform justice and righteousness; take away
your evictions from My people, says the Lord God. |
9. Thus says the
LORD God: Enough for you, princes of Israel! Put away violence and robbery,
and practice true justice and righteousness/generosity; cease your taxation of'
My people, says the LORD God. |
|
10. You shall have honest scales, an honest ephah, and
an honest bath. |
10. You will have
accurate scales, and accurate measures, and accurate baths. |
|
11. The ephah and the bath shall have one volume, the
bath shall contain a tenth part of the homer, and a tenth part of the homer
is the ephah; according to the homer shall be its volume. |
11. The measure and the bath shall have the same volume,
for you; an amount of three seahs, being the equivalent of one-tenth of a kor
in the liquid measure of the bath; and one-tenth of a kor dry measure of the
kor; this shall be its measurement. |
|
12. And the shekel is twenty gerah; twenty shekels,
twenty-five shekels, and fifteen shekels shall the maneh be to you. |
12. The sela shall be twenty meah. A third of a mina
shall be twenty sela. A silver mina shall be twenty-five sela. One fourth of
a mina shall be fifteen sela. All of them together equals sixty. And you
shall have a large mina for Temple purposes. |
|
13. This is the offering that you shall set apart; a
sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat, and you shall separate a sixth of an
ephah from a homer of barley. |
13. This is the contribution which you will make:
one-sixth of a measure from a kor of wheat, and one-sixth of a measure from a
kor of barley. |
|
14. And the rule of the oil [is as follows]; the bath,
[which is a measure of] oil, the tithe of a bath is from a kor, ten baths are
a homer, for ten baths are a homer. |
14. And that which is proper to take from the oil by
liquid measure, one-tenth of a bath: from a kor; one-tenth of a kor is a
bath. for there are ten baths to the kor. |
|
15. And one lamb from the flocks out of two hundred,
from Israel's banquet for a meal offering, for a burnt offering, and for a
peace offering to atone for them, says the Lord God. {P} |
15. And one sheep from every flock of two
hundred, which is proper to take from the fatlings of Israel; for meal
offerings, and for burnt offerings, and for the holy sacrifices, to make
atonement for them, says the LORD God. |
|
|
|
Rashi’s Commentary on Ezekiel 45:1-8,
14-15
1
And when you divide the land by lot
For they are destined to divide the land of Israel into twelve strips, not like
the original division, in which the large [tribe] had [land] according to its
number and the small [tribe] according to its number, and there were two or
three tribes on one strip. Now the portions are equal and they are like rows in
a vineyard, from the western side to the eastern side, as delineated at the end
of the Book.
an
offering to the Lord in which to build this
Temple.
2
From this shall be From this
offering, there shall be for the needs of the Sanctuary: five hundred rods for
the Temple Mount and the rest shall be for houses for the priests, as is
delineated at the end of the Book.
3
And with this measurement [lit. from
this measurement.] With the measuring rod by which the 500 by 500 square of the
Temple Mount was measured, as is stated above (42:20): “To four sides he
measured it; its wall all around, five hundred rods, etc.”
you
shall measure the length of 25, 000 rods and the width
of 10,000 rods. Because he did not explain in the first verse what the 25, 000
are, whether rods or cubits, he had to say, concerning the 25,000 measures that
they were measured with the measuring rod by which the five hundred by five
hundred of the Temple Mount were measured.
4
It is the holy portion of the land
Rearrange the verse: “The remainder of the holy portion, which is from that
land, shall be for the priests, the ministers of the Sanctuary, who come near,
etc. The holy portion of the land is this offering.”
for
the priests, the ministers of the Sanctuary The remainder over the 500 of
the Temple Mount; 12,250 to the east and correspondingly to the west the
Sanctuary [being] in the center 4,750 to the north, and correspondingly to the
south.
and
it shall be for them a place for houses this remainder, which
surrounds the Sanctuary.
and
the hallowed part shall be for the Sanctuary And the middle five hundred by
five hundred shall be hallowed for the Sanctuary, e sentije al sentuere in O.
F., and consecrated for the Sanctuary.
5
And twenty-five thousand rods in
length, and ten thousand in width, you shall separate as another strip beside this
one, south of this one, for the Levites. It is explained at the end of the Book
that it is in the south. Twenty chambers shall be for the Levites in the
perimeter of the Sanctuary in order to guard the House and to provide beauty,
and the remainder of the strip shall be used for their own needs.
6
And, [for] the property of the city
The environs of the city; its properties meant for ordinary dwelling, in which
the Israelites may build houses.
you
shall give a width of five thousand in the south of the second
one, and a length equal to the measurement of the two strips. It is found that
the entire offering is square, twenty-five [thousand] by twenty-five thousand.
corresponding
to the offering of the holy portion in the measurement of the
length of the strips of the offering of the holy portion.
for
the entire House of Israel it shall be That third strip shall be the
dwelling place for non priests.
7
And for the prince, on either side of
the offering of the holy portion and of the possession of the city At the
end of the section, he divides the land of Israel from east to west into
thirteen strips: twelve as the number of the tribes each one twenty-five
thousand rods wide, and its length equaling the length of all the land of
Israel and one strip as an offering whose length is from the eastern border to
the western border, and whose width is twenty-five thousand rods, just as each
of the other portions. And from that strip he separated in its center the three
strips stated above, which [all together] are twenty-five thousand by
twenty-five thousand. And the remainder to the east until the end of the border
of the land, and to the west, as well, shall be for the prince from either side
to the east and to the west.
alongside
the offering of the holy portion and alongside the possession of the city
opposite the entire breadth of the three strips separated for the offering of
the holy portionof the strips of the priests, the Levites, and the property of
the city.
from
the western side, westward from the west of the offering
of the holy portion and the city until the west of the boundary.
and
from the eastern side, east ward And from the east of the
offering to the eastern boundary, opposite one of the portions of the tribes
delineated at the end of the Book, which are from the western boundary of the
land of Israel, until the eastern boundary.
8
In the land he shall have it for a
possession [Heb. לָאָרֶץ Jonathan renders: This land shall be for the prince as a
possession.
shall
no longer defraud [Heb. יוֹנוּ,] an expression for monetary fraud; they take away their
inheritance forcibly for they rob their inherited property
9
take away your evictions Take away
[your practice] of evicting My people from their inherited property.
10
ephah of the dry measure.
bath
of the liquid measure.
11
one volume [Heb. תֹּכן,] a word denoting number, like (Exod. 5:18): “and a quota (וְתֹכֶן) of bricks you must deliver.” One measure is equivalent to one
tenth of a “homer” of dry measure, which equals thirty “se’ah,” and which is a
tenth of a “homer” of liquid measure. “Ephah” and “bath” are words for [units
of] measurement.
the
homer
[A measure known further as] kor, moy(d) or muy(d) in Old French, a measure.
shall
contain
[Heb. לָשֵּׂאת,] similar to לָקַחַת, to take, and so too did Jonathan render it: לְמֵיסַב. A tenth part of a “homer” shall be a “bath,” and a tenth part
of the dry “homer,” shall be an “ephah.”
according
to the homer shall be its volume The total amount of [the
volume of] the “bath” and the “ephah” shall be according to the size of the
“homer.”
12
And the shekel is twenty gerah
Twenty “ma’ah.”
twenty
shekels, twenty-five shekels, and fifteen shekels
totaling sixty shekels.
shall
the maneh be to you Le zent in O. F., the 100 (zuz
weight). Menahem, however, connected it to the word מִנְיָן, a number (p. 118). We have here 240 “zuz,” [four zuz to a
shekel]. From here we derive that the “maneh” of the Sanctuary was double, and
they added a sixth to it in Ezekiel’s time, totaling 240 [zuz] (Men. 77a). When
Scripture divided it into three parts and did not write simply, “sixty shekels
shall the maneh be for you,” it commanded to make from it a weight one third of
it, and a weight equaling a fourth of it, and a weight of the ordinary “maneh”
as it was originally. So too did Jonathan paraphrase: a third of the “maneh”
shall be twenty “selaim” of silver; a “maneh” of silvertwenty-five “selaim”; a
fourth of a “maneh”fifteen “selaim”; altogether, sixty “selaim”; and the great
“maneh” of the Sanctuary shall be for you.
13
a sixth of an ephah from a homer of
wheat This amounts to one out of sixty. Whoever wishes to give little shall
not give less than this, and this is what they said (Ter. 4:3): “A stingy
person gives one out of sixty.”
and
you shall separate a sixth And you shall separate a sixth
of an “ephah” for the “terumah” of a “homer” of barley.
14
And the rule of the oil regarding
tithes.
the
bath, [which is a measure of] oil, etc. The “bath,” which is a measure
of oilthis is its tithe: the “bath” will be from a “kor.” I found [the
following]: The tenth that the “bath” represents as a tithe shall be from a
“kor.” How so? The tithe of a “bath” is from a “kor.” Dix measures in French, ten
measures. This word is used for itself and for others, like (Num. 7:9): “the
service of the Sanctuary,” (ibid. 4:33): “the service of [the families of] the
sons of Merari.”
ten
baths
shall equal a “homer” for you. Then it will be possible to take from it one
“bath” as a tithe.
for
ten baths are a homer because the “homer” will
consist of ten “baths” for you. So too did Jonathan render it: one out of ten
is the “bath” in relation to the “kor” for ten “baths” are a “kor”.
15
And one lamb from the flocks A
special one of his flocks, and so too said Moses (Deut. 12: 11): “and all the
choice of your pledges, le meilleur in Fr., the best.
out
of two hundred, from Israel’s banquet Our Rabbis expounded (Pes.
48a) this as regarding libations [coming] from a multiplicity of two hundred
[times as much of the original wine] as remained in the pit after the wine of
“orlah” or of “mingled species in the vineyard” fell into it. From here it is
derived that “orlah” and “mingled species in the vineyard” are nullified in two
hundred [times as much].
from
Israel’s banquet from what is permissible for Israel. All your
sacrifices shall be drink that is fit for Israel. The main part of the feast is
called by the name of the drink; i.e., the food and also the drink shall be
from that which is permitted for Israel.
Verbal Tallies
By: HEm Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David
& HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah
Bamidbar
(Numbers) 34:1 – 35:8
Tehillim
(Psalms) 106:28-33
Yehezechel
(Ezekiel) 45:1-8, 14-15
Mk
13:32-37, Lk 12:35-48, Lk 19:11-27, Lk 21:34-38, Rm 8:12-17
The verbal tallies
between the Torah and the Psalm are:
Moses - משה,
Strong’s number 04872.
The verbal tallies
between the Torah and the Ashlamata are:
LORD - יהוה,
Strong’s number 03068.
Israel - ישראל,
Strong’s number 03478.
Land - ארץ,
Strong’s number 0776.
Fall / Lot - נפל,
Strong’s number 05307.
Inheritance - נחלה,
Strong’s number 05159.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 34:1 And the LORD <03068>
spake unto Moses
<04872>, saying, 2
Command the children of Israel <03478>, and say unto them, When ye come into
the land <0776>
of Canaan; (this is the land
<0776> that shall fall <05307> (8799) unto you for an inheritance <05159>,
even the land
<0776> of Canaan with the coasts thereof:
Tehillim (Psalms) 106:32 They angered
him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses <04872>
for their sakes:
Yehezechel (Ezekiel)
45:1
Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot <05307> (8687) the land <0776> for inheritance <05159>,
ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD <03068>, an holy portion of the
land <0776>:
the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the
breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof
round about.
Yehezechel (Ezekiel)
45:6
And ye shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and five
and twenty thousand long, over against the oblation of the holy portion: it
shall be for the whole house of Israel <03478>.
Hebrew:
|
Hebrew |
English |
Torah Seder Num 34:1 – 35:8 |
Psalms Ps
106:28-33 |
Ashlamatah Ezek 45:1-8, 14-15 |
|
dx'a, |
one |
Num. 34:18 |
Ezek. 45:7 |
|
|
hZ"xua] |
possession |
Num.
35:2 |
Ezek.
45:5 |
|
|
@l,a, |
thousand |
Num.
35:4 |
Ezek.
45:1 |
|
|
hM'a; |
cubits |
Num.
35:4 |
Ezek.
45:2 |
|
|
#r,a, |
land,
earth, ground |
Num.
34:2 |
Ezek.
45:1 |
|
|
tyIB; |
house,
household |
Num.
34:14 |
Ezek.
45:4 |
|
|
lWbG> |
border |
Num.
34:3 |
Ezek.
45:1 |
|
|
hz< |
this |
Num.
34:2 |
Ezek.
45:2 |
|
|
hwhy |
LORD |
Num.
34:1 |
Ezek.
45:1 |
|
|
~y"
|
sea |
Num.
34:3 |
Ezek.
45:7 |
|
|
laer'f.yI |
Israel |
Num.
34:2 |
Ezek.
45:6 |
|
|
!heKo |
priest |
Num.
34:17 |
Ezek.
45:4 |
|
|
yKi |
when |
Num.
34:2 |
Ps.
106:33 |
|
|
lKo |
all,
whole, entire, every |
Num.
35:3 |
Ezek.
45:1 |
|
|
yYIwIle |
Levites |
Num.
35:2 |
Ezek.
45:5 |
|
|
vr'g>mi |
pasture |
Num.
35:2 |
Ezek.
45:2 |
|
|
dd'm' |
measure |
Num.
35:5 |
Ezek.
45:3 |
|
|
hv,m |
Moses |
Num.
34:1 |
Ps.
106:32 |
|
|
hl'x]n" |
inheritance |
Num.
34:2 |
Ezek.
45:1 |
|
|
lp;n" |
fall,
fell |
Num.
34:2 |
Ezek.
45:1 |
|
|
!t;n"
|
give,
given |
Num.
34:13 |
Ezek.
45:6 |
|
|
bybis' |
around |
Num.
34:12 |
Ezek.
45:1 |
|
|
ha'Pe |
sector,
side |
Num.
34:3 |
Ezek.
45:7 |
|
|
ayfin" |
leader |
Num.
34:18 |
Ezek.
45:7 |
|
|
ry[i |
cities |
Num.
35:2 |
Ezek.
45:6 |
|
|
~d,qe |
eastward |
Num.
34:3 |
Ezek.
45:7 |
Greek:
|
Greek |
English |
Torah Seder Num 34:1 – 35:8 |
Psalms Ps 106:28-33 |
Ashlamatah Ezek 45:1-8, 14-15 |
Peshat Mk/Jude/Pet Mk 13:32-37 |
Remes 1 Luke Lk 12:35-48 |
Remes 2 Acts/Romans Rm 8:12-17 |
|
ἀγρυπνέω |
alert |
Mk. 13:33 |
Lk. 21:36 |
||||
|
ἄγω |
bring, led |
Lk. 19:27 |
Rom. 8:14 |
||||
|
ἄνθρωπος |
man, men |
Mk. 13:34 |
Lk. 12:36 |
||||
|
ἀφίημι |
leaving, allowed |
Mk. 13:34 |
Lk. 12:39 |
||||
|
γῆ |
land, earth. Ground |
Num. 34:2 |
Ezek. 45:1 |
Lk. 21:35 |
|||
|
γρηγορεύω |
watch, alert |
Mk. 13:34 |
Lk. 12:37 |
||||
|
δέκα |
ten |
Eze 45:1 |
Lk. 19:13 |
||||
|
δίδωμι |
give, given |
Num. 34:13 |
Ezek. 45:6 |
Mk. 13:34 |
Lk. 12:42 |
||
|
δοῦλος |
servant, slave |
Mk. 13:34 |
Lk. 12:37 |
||||
|
εἷς |
one |
Num. 34:18 |
Ezek. 45:7 |
||||
|
ἕκαστος |
each, every |
Num 35:8 |
Mk. 13:34 |
||||
|
ἐντέλλομαι |
charge |
Num 34:2 |
Mk. 13:34 |
||||
|
ἐξέρχομαι |
come forth, go forth |
Num 34:4 |
Lk. 21:37 |
||||
|
ἐξουσία |
charge |
Mk. 13:34 |
Lk. 19:17 |
||||
|
ἔρχομαι |
come, came |
Mk. 13:35 |
Lk. 12:36 |
||||
|
ἐσθίω |
eat |
Psa 106:28 |
Lk. 12:45 |
||||
|
εὑρίσκω |
find, found |
Mk. 13:36 |
Lk. 12:37 |
||||
|
ἔχω |
being, have, had |
Num 34:3 |
Lk. 19:20 |
||||
|
ἡμέρα |
day |
Mk. 13:32 |
Lk. 12:46 |
||||
|
θεός |
GOD |
Eze 45:15 |
Lk. 19:11 |
Rom. 8:14 |
|||
|
ἵστημι |
stand, stood |
Psa 106:23 |
Lk. 21:36 |
||||
|
καθίστημι |
placed, set |
Lk. 12:42 |
|||||
|
καιρός |
time |
Mk. 13:33 |
Lk. 12:42 |
||||
|
κύριος |
LORD |
Num. 34:1 |
Ezek. 45:1 |
Mk. 13:35 |
Lk. 12:36 |
||
|
λαμβάνω |
take, took |
Num 34:14 |
Lk. 19:12 |
Rom. 8:15 |
|||
|
λαός |
people |
Eze 45:8 |
Lk. 21:38 |
||||
|
λέγω |
say, saying, says |
Num 34:1 |
Eze_45:15 |
Mk. 13:37 |
Lk. 12:37 |
||
|
μέλλω |
going, about, must |
Lk. 19:11 |
Rom. 8:13 |
||||
|
μέρος |
part |
Num 34:3 |
Lk. 12:46 |
||||
|
οἶκος |
house, household |
Num. 34:14 |
Ezek. 45:4 |
Lk. 12:39 |
|||
|
ὄρος |
mountain, mount |
Num 34:7 |
Lk. 21:37 |
||||
|
παρέρχομαι |
go, gone, went |
Num 34:4 |
Lk. 12:37 |
||||
|
πᾶς |
all, whole, entire, every |
Num. 35:3 |
Ezek. 45:1 |
Mk. 13:37 |
Lk. 12:41 |
||
|
πατήρ |
father |
Mk. 13:32 |
Rom. 8:15 |
||||
|
πέντε |
five |
Eze 45:1 |
Lk. 19:18 |
||||
|
πιστός |
faithful |
Lk. 12:42 |
|||||
|
πνεῦμα |
spirit, wind |
Psa 106:33 |
Rom. 8:13 |
||||
|
πόλις |
cities |
Num. 35:2 |
Ezek. 45:6 |
Lk. 19:17 |
|||
|
πρόσωπον |
face, front |
Eze 45:7 |
Lk. 21:35 |
||||
|
υἱός |
son |
Num 34:2 |
Mk. 13:32 |
Lk. 12:40 |
Rom. 8:14 |
||
|
ὥρα |
season, hour, time |
Mk. 13:32 |
Lk. 12:39 |
||||
|
oida |
knew, known, know |
Mk. 13:32 |
Lk. 12:39 |
Nazarean Talmud
Sidra
of “B’Midbar” (Num.) 34:1 – 35:8
“Shabbat:
“Ki Atem Baim, El HaAretz”
“When You Come Into The Land”
By:
H. Em Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham &
H.
Em. Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai
School of Hakham Shaul’s
Tosefta Luqas (LK) Mishnah א:א ¶ “You must be prepared for action and your lamps burning. And you, be like people who are waiting for their master
when he returns from the wedding feast, so that when he comes back and knocks, they can open the door for him immediately.
Blessed are
those slaves whom the master will find on the
alert when
he returns! Truly I say to
you that he will dress
himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come by and serve them. Even if he should come back in the second or in the third
watch of the night and find them like this, blessed are they! But understand this, that if the master
of the house had known what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left
his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man
is coming at an hour that you do not think he will come.” And Tsefet said, “Master, are you telling this parable for us, or also for the Gentiles?” And the Master said, “Who then is the faithful wise manager
whom the master will put in charge over his servants to give them their food allowance at the right time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will
find so doing when
he comes back. Truly I say to
you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave
should say to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time to return,’ and he
begins to beat the male slaves and the female slaves and to eat and drink and
get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not
expect and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in two and
assign his place with the unfaithful. And that slave who knew the will of his master and did not prepare
or do according to his will be given a severe beating. But the one who did
not know and did things
deserving blows will be given a light
beating. And from everyone to whom much has been given, much will be
demanded, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will ask him for even more. ¶ Now while
they were listening to these things, he went on and gave them an analogy,
because he was near Yerushalayim and they thought[43]
that the Governance of
God through bate Din and Hakhamim as opposed to Kings and despotic
rulers was needed immediately.[44]
Therefore he
said, “A certain Royal Ish (man of nobility i.e. Hakham)[45] traveled
to a distant country to take upon himself[46]
a seat on the Bench (office of authority)[47]
(become a judge in a Bet Din) and to return. And summoning ten of his own Paqidim, he gave them
ten minas [48]
and said to them, ‘conduct business until I come back.’ But the Gentile
citizens (of his region) hated him, and sent a delegation after him,
saying, ‘We do not want this man to be Judge[49]
over us!’ And it happened that when he returned after receiving a seat
on the Bench (office of authority)[50]
(become a judge in a Bet Din), he ordered these Paqidim to whom he
had given the money to be summoned to him, so that he could know what they
had gained by trading. So the first arrived, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made
ten minas more!’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, you are a good Paqid!
Because you have been faithfully obedient in a very small thing, have
authority over ten cities[51].’
And the second came, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ So he said
to this one also, ‘And you be over five cities.’ And another came, saying, ‘Sir, behold
your mina, which I had put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth. For I
was afraid of you, because you are an austere man—you withdraw what you did not deposit, and you reap
what you did not sow!’ He said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you,
wicked Paqid! You knew that I am an austere man, withdrawing what I did
not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. And why did you not give my money
to the bank, and when I returned, would have collected it with
interest?’ And to the bystanders he said, ‘Take[52]
away from him the mina and give[53]
it to
the one who has the ten minas!’ And they said to him, ‘Sir, he already has
ten minas.’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given.
But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. But
these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my
presence!’ ” ¶ “But take care[54]
for yourselves, lest your hearts are weighed down with dissipation and
drunkenness and the worries of daily life,[55]
and that day come upon you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all
the Gentiles who dwell on the face of the whole earth.[56]
But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all
these things that are going to happen, and to stand before the Son[57]
of Man.” ¶ And in the daytime he was teaching in the temple,
but at night he went out and stayed on Har Zeytim (Mount Of
Olives). ¶ And all the
people were getting up
very early in the morning[58]
to recite the Shema with him in the temple courts and to
listen to him. |
||
|
School of Hakham Shaul’s
Remes Romans Mishnah א:א |
||
|
So
then, brothers,[59]
we are not obligated[60]
to the Yetser Hara (flesh), to live according to
inordinate physical desire.[61]
For if you are only living according to the desires of the
Yetser HaRa, the result is spiritual annihilation,[62] but if by the Nefesh
Yehudi you put to death inordinate physical desire, you will have your part
in the Olam HaBa.[63]
For the B'ne Yisrael, sons[64]
of God are led by the instructions
of the Oral Torah (Ruach HaKodesh). Spiritually speaking you
are no longer enslaved to Mitzrayim[65] causing you to live
in fear, but you have been adopted through the Nefesh Yehudi by which
we cry out to "Abba Father." The Nefesh Yehudi seals our adoption
as B'ne Elohim. And as B'ne Elohim, sons of the Judges, we inherit their judgments
(mishpatim and chukkot) now
having our share in the Torah (inheritance)[66]
and having our share (inheritance) in Messiah's Mesorah (Oral
Torah) if indeed we endure[67]
the hardships of contending with the Yetser HaRa being united with Messiah so
that we may also be dignified[68]
in his company (courts).[69] |
Nazarean Codicil to be read in conjunction with the following Torah
Seder
|
Numbers 34:1 – 35:8 |
Psalm 106:28-33 |
Ezekiel 45:1-8, 14-15 |
Mordechai 13:32-37 |
1 Luqas 12:35-48, 19:11-27, 21:34-36, 37-38 |
Romans 8:12-17 |
Commentary
to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat
The
setting for our pericope must be somewhere near Yerushalayim. Consequently, it
would have been impossible to hear the crow of the Rooster. Both the Mishnah
and Gemara attest to the fact that a “chicken” or fowl were restricted within
the city limits of Yerushalayim. Please forgive our extensive use of cited
materials. These materials make clear that the Temple crier was not a crowing
rooster. Nor is the “rooster” of our morning prayers, anything more than a
Temple crier. The Siddur is not making mention of a bird.[70]
m. B.K. 7:7 They do not rear chickens in Jerusalem, on account
of the Holy Things, nor do priests [rear chickens] anywhere in the Land of
Israel, because of the [necessity to preserve] the cleanness [of heave offering
and certain other foods which are handed over to the priests]. They do not rear
pigs anywhere.
b. B.K.82b Ten special regulations were applied to Jerusalem…[71] no fowls should be reared there, and that no dead person
should be kept there overnight.[72]
m. Tam. 1:2 A He who wants to take up
[the ashes] from the altar gets up early, and immerses before the
superintendent comes by. And at what time does the superintendent come by? Not
all the times are the same. Sometimes
he comes at cockcrow, or near then, earlier or later. The superintendent
came and knocked on their door. And they opened it to him. He said to them,
“Let him who has immersed come and cast lots.” They cast lots. Whoever won won.
The
title for the Town (Temple) crier was the “Gever” (cock). This was because the Temple Crier was similar
to the Rooster, permitted in rural locations, which crowed at dawn or
thereabouts.
b. Yoma 20b What does Gebini the Temple
crier call out: Arise, ye priests for your service, Levites for your
platform, Israel for your post!
The
interesting point is that the “Gever” was often given the duty of being the
“doorkeeper” or making the announcement for the doorkeeper to open the door.
From Hakham Shaul’s writings,[73] we learn that the “Gever”
must have sounded out at various watches of the night.
The
theme of the crier is VERY important to our present Torah Seder as we will see
below.
The
present portion of our pericope reading highlights the importance of staying focused.
The core of the thought is found in verse 34.
It is like a man away on a
journey, leaving home, he places
each of his bondservants in charge of his appointed work and orders the doorkeeper to REMAIN FOCUSED!
The
contiguity of the Pericope of Mordechai 13:3-8 helps us understand this passage
and the theme of the present pericope. In that reading of the Torah and
Mordechai both Moshe and Yeshua, initiate their “farewell speeches.” Here the
Master – man of the house (Moshe and Yeshua) take their journey into a far
country leaving instruction to their talmidim.[74]
EACH servant has his or her appointed task and duties. These tasks are of
preeminent import. Therefore, we (servants of the master) MUST STAY FOCUSED on
our appointed task. Focus on the duties and tasks of others OR, worrying about
all these “SIGNS” will only serve as a distraction. Therefore, mental clarity
and focus are COMMANDED!
Rather, I say to you, I command to everyone “STAY FOCUSED” in
your appointed task.
Our
choice for a website name was “Torah Focus.” This is because we believe our
primary occupation in these times is to REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE TORAH!
Commentary to Hakham Shaul’s School of Remes
We need to state at the
outset that the “Tosefta” of the present Torah Seder falls more in the category
of “Remes” than “Peshat.” Therefore, we will weave the comments around the
joint Remes materials to see if we can see how Hakham Shaul and his soferim were
connecting to the present Torah Seder and maintaining the Bi-modal aspects.
B’Midbar 35:8
κληρονομήσουσιν – Romans 8:17 κληρονόμοι
What we have here is a case
of the missing verbal tally. It should be evident to even the novice Greek
reader that both words deal with an “inheritance.”
As the B’ne Yisrael enter
the land of Canaan they embrace a new phase of redemption. The master teaches
us that we are to be ready for the next stage of redemption. While there are a
great number of scholars, who think that Yeshua’s talmidim and Hakham Shaul
believed that Yeshua would return immediately to establish the Y’Mot
HaMashiach, this is due to the great amount of empty space between their ears.
It is foolish to believe that the systematic collection of teachings from the
master was only to be used for a couple of decades and then we would live in
the sweet by and by. We must contest these thoughts opting for the most obvious
truth. The talmidim were daily with the master. As such, they were more aware
of the coming times than many of their contemporaries. It is for this reason
that we opine that the Nazarean Codicil is a proto-Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash and
So’od. When one stops to take an inventory of all the rabbinic thought that is forwarded
in the Nazarean Codicil, one is faced with an overwhelming truth. The Nazarean
Codicil was put to pen before each of the above-mentioned works. This not only confirms
that Yeshua was an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi; it also shows that he was the
vanguard of the Mesorah.
B’Midbar
35:8 “As for the
cities which you will give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you will
take more from the larger and you will take less from the smaller; each will
give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits."
Note Hakham Shaul’s statement
in verse 17 where it is commonly rendered as “inheritors” or “inheritance” we have translated as “having
our share in the Torah.” And, because we are “co-inheritors” with the
Master we follow the same hermeneutic in showing that we have our share in
Messiah's Mesorah (Oral Torah). The present allegorical understanding of
Hakham Shaul’s Remes is pointing to the occupation of the Jewish people to
“take possession” of the land/earth for the sake of redemption. “Having a
share” is no privilege! Having a share is a great obligation
to talmudize the Gentiles.
The analogy from the
“Tosefta” of 1 Luqas does not present Messiah as some “all-forgiving” free
grace “savior.” The contrary is
presented. How many teachers show that Messiah is thought of in the following
terms, “For I was afraid of you, because you are an austere man.”
Again, association with the Messiah is not a privilege it is a great obligation
and to be taken very seriously. The previous pericope of Romans is even more
daunting as we re-read in its opening sentence.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation[75]
for those who belong to the congregation[76]
of Yeshua HaMashiach.
The daunting revelation is that
the Master’s talmidim knew that he is to be feared because he IS an austere man,”
“you withdraw what you did not deposit, and you reap what you did not sow!’”
And, still his talmidim are found to be without any condemnation!
The first two
Paqidim turned fear into respect and “reaped in places that they had not sown”
per se. This shows that they were Paqidim above reproach, i.e. without
“condemnation.”
Hakham Shaul’s Remes to the
Torah Seder
We have cited
the verbal tallies relevant to the Nazarean Codicil. Therefore, we need to see
what “fired” Hakham Shaul’s “imagination.” The idea of “inheritance” having a
share in the Torah takes on a cosmic perspective in Hakham Shaul’s mind.
B’Midbar 43:18 And you will also take a chieftain from each tribe to take possession of the Earth.[77]
What critique
would Hakham Shaul have for our present talmudizing activities? Have we become
complacent in Diaspora? Have we forgotten our mission? The tribes of Reuben and
Gad capture the contemporary mindset of Jewish people in Diaspora. We might
hear their thoughts as “This looks like a good place to live.” The pogroms and
holocausts are now but a fleeting memory. Why does G-d permit the terrorism we
face today? If it were not for these thorns the garden would be without any
roses.
The
“occupation” of the present is to take possession of the Earth (land). How many
“cities” have we
occupied? What would Paris Tn. be like with no Jewish presence?
Kabbalat Shabbat
Any Jewish soul
who is shomer Shabbat will tell you that preparations for Shabbat require some
deliberation. As Shabbat draws nearer, unfinished tasks can bring a great deal
of stress. Anxiety and tension can be high and Sabbath joy is frequently
elusive at this point. When the “Bride” – Sabbath Queen arrives, all of those
tensions are set aside and we begin to relish the tranquility of the G-dly
dimension. The job at hand allegorically speaking is preparation for Shabbat.
The dimension of the Sabbatical millennium awaits, is it any wonder that
tensions are high on a cosmic level?
Each Jewish soul
knows that Shabbat is only what you make of it. In other words, the Sabbath you
experience is the Sabbath that you have prepared for.
What are the
things that you can imagine that need to be done for your eternal Shabbat?
Some Questions to Ponder:
Blessing After
Torah Study
Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch
HaOlám,
Ashér Natán Lánu Torát Emét,
V'Chayéi Olám Natá B'Tochénu.
Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh.
Amen!
Blessed is Ha-Shem our God, King of
the universe,
Who has given us a teaching of
truth, implanting within us eternal life.
Blessed is Ha-Shem, Giver of the
Torah. Amen!
“Now unto Him who is able to
preserve you faultless, and spotless, and to establish you without a blemish,
before His majesty, with joy,
[namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer, by means of Yeshua the Messiah our
Master, be praise, and dominion, and honor, and majesty, both now and in all
ages. Amen!”
Coming Festival:
HaMishah Asar or Tu BiShebat – New year of the Trees
February the 4th, 2015
For further information see: http://www.betemunah.org/tubshevt.html
Next Shabbat:
Shabbat “A’arei
Miq’lat” – “Cities of Refuge”
|
Shabbat |
Torah
Reading: |
Weekday Torah
Reading: |
|
עָרֵי
מִקְלָט |
|
|
|
“A’arei
Miq’lat” |
Reader 1 –
B’Midbar 35:9-12 |
Reader
1 – Debarim 1:1-4 |
|
“Cities of Refuge” |
Reader 2 –
B’Midbar 35:13-16 |
Reader
2 – Debarim 1:5-7 |
|
“Ciudades
de refugio” |
Reader 3 –
B’Midbar 35:17-19 |
Reader
3 – D’barim 1:8-10 |
|
B’Midbar (Num.) 35:9 – 36:13 |
Reader 4 –
B’Midbar 35:20-28 |
|
|
|
Reader 5 –
B’Midbar 35:29-34 |
|
|
Psalm: 106:34-48 |
Reader 6 –
B’Midbar 36:1-4 |
Reader
1 – Debarim 1:1-4 |
|
Ashlamatah: Joshua
20:1-9 + 21:3 |
Reader 7 –
B’Midbar 36:5-13 |
Reader
2 – Debarim 1:5-7 |
|
Maftir: B’Midbar
36:11-13 |
Reader
3 – D’barim 1:8-10 |
|
|
N.C.: Mordechai 14:1-2; Lk 22:1-2; Rom. 8:18-25 |
- Joshua 20:1-9 + 21:3 |
|
Shabbat
Shalom!
Hakham
Dr. Yosef ben Haggai
Rabbi
Dr. Hillel ben David
Rabbi
Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham
[1] Radak
[2] Sforno
[3] These
opening remarks are excerpted, and edited, from: 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.
[4] The
wording of this pasuk begs us to compare it to a later pasuk: Romans
4:3 For what says the scripture? Abraham
believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
[5] This
incident took place in Shittim. The Bne Israel’s camp
spanned between Shittim and Beth Yeshimoth, this was camp #42.
[6] Shemot
(Exodus) 6:25 Elazar, Aharon’s son married one of the daughters of
Putiel, and she gave birth to Pinchas.
[7] The
Hebrew verb ‘to pray’ is a reflexive verb. Reflexive verbs describe actions
that we do to ourselves.
[8]
Beresheet (Genesis) 19:27.
[9]
Tehillim (Psalms) 106:30.
[10] Root פלל, which signifies
judgment, as well as 'prayer’.
[11] Siddur
Avodat Ha-lev
[12] Bamidbar
(Numbers) 25:7-8 When Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon
the Priest, saw it, he rose up from amongst the congregation, and took a spear
in his hand. He followed the Israelite into the tent and speared the Israelite
man and the woman through their lower bodies. The pestilence stopped from the
Children of Israel. The number of those who died from the plague was 24,000.
[13] In
Bamidbar (Numbers) 25:7.
[14]
Midrash Rabbah - Numbers 20:25
[15] Mishlei (Proverbs) 21:30
[16] I.e., seeing the profanation of the Divine Name, he
did not wait for Moshe’s ruling.
[17] Bamidbar (Numbers 25:7.
[18] Bamidbar (Numbers) 25:10-13 G-d told
Moshe, “Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon the Priest, stopped My
anger towards the Children of Israel because he was zealous on My behalf, which
prevented Me from destroying them because of jealousy. Therefore, I give him My
covenant of peace. The covenant of the priesthood will be his and his
descendants forever, because he was zealous for his G- d, and atoned for the
Children of Israel.
[20] Sanhedrin 81b
[21] Zevachim 101b Pinchas was not made a Priest
until he killed Zimri.
[22] Based on the Gemara in Masechet Zevachim (101b).
[23] Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer 47.
[24] see Shoftim (Judges) 20:28
[25] The Midrash Rabba (Beresheet 60:3) states:
Was not Pinchas the High Priest around to 'overturn' the vow (of Shoftim
11:30-31)? Yes, but Pinchas said: "He needs me; why should I go to
him?!" And Yiftach, too, said: "I am the Commander-General in Israel;
why should I go to Pinchas?!" And between the two of them, the girl
was lost. This is why Pinchas was punished, and his Holy Spirit and gift of
prophecy was taken from him. As the verse in 1 Chronicles 9:20 states: 'HaShem had
been with him.'
[26] Devarim (Deuteronomy) 34:5
[27] Beresheet Rabbah 71
[28] Eliyahu HaNavi = Elijah the Prophet. The Midrash in
Bereshit Rabbah 71:9 cites a debate among Chazal as to whether Eliyahu came
from the tribe of Gad, or from the tribe of Binyamin. The Midrash then records
that once, as the sages discussed the matter, Eliyahu personally appeared and
resolved the issue, identifying himself as a descendant of Rachel, presumably
confirming the theory that he is a Benjamite. Interestingly, later in Bereshit
Rabbah 99:11, the Midrash appears to assume that Eliyahu belonged to the tribe
of Gad. In any event, according to both these views, Eliyahu could not have
been Pinchas, who was a Priest – from the tribe of Levi.
[29] Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer 28 God turned the name
of Pinchas to be like that of Eliyahu of the Gil'ad.
[30] In several places including Pinchas 771.
Pinchas is Eliyahu. HaShem said to Pinchas: You have placed peace between
Israel and Myself in this world, and so in the future, you will also be
the one to place peace between Myself and My children, as is written: Behold, I
am sending you Elijah the Prophet… And he will return the heart of fathers to
their sons… (Malachi 3:23-24)
[31] Mount Chorev = Sinai.
[32] 1 Melachim (Kings) 19:10
[33] Bamidbar (Numbers) 25:1
[34] Consider the connection between these two: Bamidbar (Numbers) 25:11
Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aharon the Priest reversed My anger from upon the
Children of Israel when he acted zealously for My sake among them.
And: 1 Melachim (Kings) 19:14
What are you doing here, Eliyahu? And Eliyahu answered, I was very zealous
for G-d, the Lord of Hosts, because Israel has left Your covenant.
[35] See final verses of Sefer Malachi.
[36] Shemot (Exodus) 6:18
[37] Yalkut Shimoni in Parashat Balak 771
[38] Bava Metzia 114a-b
[39] Tumah = uncleanness.
[40] Moshe
is our verbal tally with the Torah portion: Moses - משה,
Strong’s number 04872.
[41]
Bamidbar (Numbers) 33:1.
[42] Moses - משה, Strong’s number 04872.
[43] δοκεῖν is used here also from 1 Luqas - Luke 12:39
[44] “Without delay” not "Εὐθύς" Immediately
– moral immediacy (Sivan 12, 5772) See also footnote
in Tebeth 16, 5773. Hakham Shaul uses here παραχρῆμα - parachrema to show “Necessity,” “it is inevitable,” the abstract. χρῆμα “something necessary”
does not have a neutral sense “thing,” as one might think, but rather a
factitive “affair,” τὴν τελευτὴν
παντὸς
χρήματος ὁρᾶν “to see the outcome of the matter,”
Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964-c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich.
Vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin. (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G.
Friedrich, Ed.) Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 9:480. παραχρῆμα
μέλλει
- the compounding of "necessity"
and "inevitability"
is here reflected in Hakham Shaul's thoughts. This draws a parallel between Εὐθύς and παραχρῆμα giving both words the sense of immediacy and moral acceptance and
urgency. Why is it that Yeshua's
talmidim believe in the immediate and inevitable appearance of the Malchut
Shamayim (מַלְכוּת
הָאֱלֹהִים).
It seems that they could not be able to think otherwise. The Master has been
teaching his Talmidim about a structured ecclesiology and the power and
necessity of the Bate Din. It should come as no surprise that they naturally
arrived at this solution.
[45] The "man of
nobility" is a Royal Ish or specifically a Hakham.
[46] Kibal - receive or See
Strong’s Enhanced Lexicon G2983 entry 1A2 - to take
upon one’s self.
[47] The
"place of authority comes from the use of βασιλείαν (βασιλεία).
Interestingly βασιλικός is also
related to royalty. It is here that we get the idea that a Hakham is a man of
"Royalty" or a Royal Ish. We can put a deal of emphasis on the idea
of reception. In other words, he "became" a Hakham, or a Hakham he
received a seat on the Bench. If we had no inference of "receive" we
might of said that he went to confer upon someone "authority" and a
place as a Hakham. These ideas can be seen in the differing uses of λαμβάνω - lambano.
[48] "ten minas" monetary value
Cf. Strong's 3414
[49] The
text here is now allegorical. The Gentiles of the foreign lands, regions do not
want a Jewish Judge to rule over them. They send a "delegation"
saying we do not want a "Jewish Judge" per se. The Greek word χώραν is now
clear because we can see the exile of the Jewish Hakhamim who are exiled for
the sake of establishing Bate Din and bringing Teshuba in foreign
"countries."
[50] The
"place of authority comes from the use of βασιλείαν (βασιλεία).
Interestingly βασιλικός is also
related to royalty. It is here that we get the idea that a Hakham is a man of
"Royalty" or a Royal Ish. We can put a deal of emphasis on the idea
of reception. In other words, he "became" a Hakham, or as a Hakham he
received a seat on the Bench. If we had no inference of "receive" we
might of said that he went to confer upon someone "authority" and a
place as a Hakham. These ideas can be seen in the differing uses of λαμβάνω - lambano.
[51] Cf.
B’Midbar 35:2
[52] Cf.
B’Midbar 34:1
[53] Cf.
B’Midbar 34:13
[54] GK 4668
continue to believe, hold firmly to a belief, your confidence in G-d.
[55] These vices are specifically suited to a
Gentile audience. This is not to say that some Jewish people suffer from these
things. But, as we have learned in the past, these are things that the Jewish
people despised in the Gentiles of the first century.
[56] Cf.
B’Midbar 34:2
[57] Cf.
B’Midbar 34:2, 13
[58] Cf.
Berakhot 1:2 From what time do they recite the Shema in the morning? Note here
also that the Temple crier would arise early to make the announcement s of each
watch.
[59] Hakham
Shaul uses ἀδελφός showing
that the Gentile converts are joining Judaism through conversion. These
brothers are
1.
Those
who believe Yeshua is Messiah
2.
Accept
the Unity of G-d
3.
Shomer
Shabbat
4.
Keeping
the dietary laws of the Torah i.e. Kosher as taught by the Hakhamim
5.
Keeping
the Mitzvoth
6.
Following
Rabbinic Halakhah and rulings
[60] Debt in
most instances the word ὀφειλέτη carries
the idea of being indebted to someone or thing.
ὀφειλέτης, ου, ὁ (1)
literally debtor, one owing money or goods (MT 18.24); (2) figuratively; (a) of
various obligations and duties one who is obliged to, one who must (RO 1.14);
(b) of one who has committed a misdeed and owes it to the law to make it right
guilty person, offender, sinner (MT 6.12)
[61] I.e. an
unrestrained Yetser HaRa
[62] Total
annihilation is reaching the fiftieth negative level.
[63] Cf. m. Sanhedrin 10
[64] Shemot - Exo 4:22 Thus says the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
See also
B’Midbar 34:2
[65] Insinuated
and contextually necessary for the sake of understanding bondage and fear as a
part of the redemptive history of the B’ne Yisrael.
[66] κληρονομία - kleronomia
is usually translated "inheritance." We accept this translation only
superficially. This word is easily seen as a compound word in Greek. κλάω meaning
break of piece. νόμος - nomos
obviously referring to the Torah. Consequently, we have the idea of receiving a
piece or share in the Torah.
[67] πάσχω
Perschbacher, Wesley J, and George V Wigram. The
New Analytical Greek Lexicon. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1990. p. 316
Thayer, Joseph, and James Strong. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament: Coded with Strong’s Concordance Numbers. Rei Sub edition. Place
of publication not identified: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995. p. 494
The
suffix πάσχω, as
noted by Thayer can be either negative, i.e. suffer, endure, be affected by
etc. The suffering, if we can accurately call it "suffering,"
enduring is contextual. Here we make mention of Hakham Shaul's wrestling in
Ephesians. The present "suffering" has nothing to do with persecution
etc.
[68] From
G4862 and G1392; to exalt to dignity in company (that is, similarly)
with: - glorify together.
[69] Context is established above. We are not only wrestling with the Yetser HaRa we are given a share of the Torah. As B'ne Elohim we are committed to the courts of the Master's legal proceedings. Here the magnitude of what is being said is staggering. The context shows that even Gentile converts have the ability to join the courts of his Majesty King Messiah.
[70] Toledano, Rabbi Eliezer. Orot Sephardic Shabbat
Siddur: A New Linear, Sephardic Siddur with English Translation. Orot, n.d.
p. 236
[71] Yoma 23a; Ar. 32b and Tosef. Neg. VI, 2. [According to
Krauss, REJ. LIII, 29 ff., some of these regulations relate only to the Temple
Mount]
[72] Cf. Hag. 26a; v. infra, p. 469
[73] Cf. Luke 22:56-62
[74] Obviously, Moshe passes the Torah on to Yehoshua.
However, the Kohanim and other agents such as the Bet Din have received
specific instruction from Moshe on their duties. In similar manner, we should
expect that Yeshua passed down his Mesorah to his most trusted talmidim.
Mishnah Abot 1:1 reads Moshe received the Torah on Sinai and handed it down to
Yehoshua… In similar manner, we might suggest that Yeshua (Yehoshua) received
the Torah from Moshe and handed it down to Hakham Tsefet… The analogy is
furthered in the Torah Seder where Moshe (the master of the house) appoints the
leaders of each tribe their portion of land to occupy and possess.
[75] It
should be noted that the final phrase of verse 1, which also appears in verse
4, is not found in many manuscripts and is regarded by most scholars as an
interpolation that anticipates the later verse. Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Romans:
The Law: Its Functions and Limits: Exposition of Chapters 7:1-8:4.
Zondervan Publishing House, 1973. p. 258. Condemnation - κατάκριμα, ατος, τό as a
legal technical term for the result of judging, including both the sentence and
its execution condemnation, sentence of doom, punishment. The Torah does
not condemn those who are faithfully obedient to the Mesorah of the Master,
because they belong to the congregation of the Master and are the Kallah of
Messiah.
"In Messiah" - those who belong to
the congregation of Messiah, i.e. Kallah
BDAG
- 1 air in movement, blowing, breathing
2 - that which animates or gives
life to the body, breath, (life-)spirit
צלם - tselem, tseh'-lem
From an
unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, that is, (figuratively) illusion,
resemblance; hence a representative figure, especially an idol: - image, vain
shew. Cranfield has a number of questions that he posits for the present
pericope. Firstly, he notes that there are difficulties in word order.
Secondly, reordering the words obviously changes the meaning. So, which meaning
do we follow? Here Cranfield decides the following… “We shall not attempt to
indicate all the conceivable combinations of answers or the various
interpretations of which each combination might be patient, but shall simply
consider the three questions in turn.” Cranfield, C. E. B. (2004). A
Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. London;
New York: T&T Clark International. p. 374
[76] The
Greek phrase
[77] Our
translation