Esnoga Bet Emunah

7104 Inlay St. SE, Lacey, WA 98513

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

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings	First Year of the Reading Cycle
Sivan 14, 5769 – 05/06 June , 2009	First Year of the Shmita Cycle

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times:

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 8:27 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 9:29 PM

San Antonio, Texas, U.S.

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 8:13 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 9:12 PM

Baton Rouge & Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S.

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 7:46 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 8:45 PM

Sheboygan & Manitowoc, Wisconsin US

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 8:11 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 9:23 PM

Bowling Green & Murray, Kentucky, U.S.

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 7:44 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 8:48 PM

Brisbane, Australia

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 4:43 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 5:38 PM

Chattanooga, & Cleveland Tennessee, US

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 8:34 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 9:37 PM

Bucharest, Romania

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 8:37 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 9:51 PM

Miami, Florida, US

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 7:51 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 8:48 PM

Jakarta, Indonesia

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 5:27 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 6:18 PM

New London, Connecticut USA

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 7:52 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 9:01 PM

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 7:02 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 7:54 PM

Olympia, Washington, U.S.

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 8:44 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 10:03 PM

Manila & Cebu, Philippines

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 6:05 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 6:58 PM

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 8:07 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 9:15 PM

Singapore, Singapore

Friday June 05, 2009 – Candles at 6:51 PM

Saturday June 06, 2009 – Havdalah 7:42 PM

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

Roll of Honor:

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of:

His Honor Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and

beloved wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah,

His Honor Paqid Adon Mikha ben Hillel

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham,

Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah and

beloved family,

His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann and

beloved family,

His Excellency Adon John Batchelor and

beloved wife,

His Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and

beloved wife HE Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,

Her Excellency Giberet Sandra Grenier

His Excellency Adon Stephen Legge and

beloved wife HE Giberet Angela Legge

His Excellency Adon Tracy Osborne and

beloved wife HE Giberet Lynn Osborne

His Excellency Rev. Dr. Adon Chad Foster and

beloved wife HE Giberet Tricia Foster

His Excellency Adon Fred Dominguez and beloved wife

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!

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Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
וַיִּשְׁלַח
“VaYishlach”	Reader 1 – B’Resheet 32:4-8	Reader 1 – B’Resheet 33:18-20
“And sent”	Reader 2 – B’ Resheet 32:9-12	Reader 2 – B’Resheet 34:1-3
“Y envió”	Reader 3 – B’ Resheet 32:11-20	Reader 3 – B’Resheet 34:4-6
B’Resheet (Gen.) 32:4 – 33:17	Reader 4 – B’ Resheet 32:21-23
Ashlamatah: Obadiah 1:1-9 + 21	Reader 5 – B’ Resheet 32:24-30
	Reader 6 – B’ Resheet 32:31 – 33:5	Reader 1 – B’Resheet 33:18-20
Psalm 27	Reader 7 – B’ Resheet 33:6-17	Reader 2 – B’Resheet 34:1-3
N.C.: Jude 24-25	Maftir : B’ Resheet 33:15-17	Reader 3 – B’Resheet 34:4-6
Pirke Abot: II:11	Obadiah 1:1-9 + 21

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: B’Resheet (Genesis) 32:4 – 33:17

RASHI	TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN
4. Ya’aqob sent messengers ahead of him to Esav, his brother, to the Land of Seir, to the field of Edom.	4. And Jakob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Gabla the territory of the Edomites,
5. He commanded them saying, "This is what you should say to my master, Esav. 'Your servant, Ya’aqob says, I lived as a stranger with Laban, and was delayed until now	5. and instructed them to say, Thus will you speak to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jakob, With Laban have I dwelt, and have tarried until now.
6. I acquired oxen, donkeys, sheep, servants and maidservants. I have sent [these messengers] to tell this to my master, to find favor in your eyes.' "	6. And of all that in which my father blessed me there is nothing in my hand; but I have a few oxen and asses, sheep, and servants and handmaids; and I have sent to tell my lord that that blessing has not profited me; that I may find mercy in your eyes and that you may not maintain (enmity) against me on account thereof.
7. The messengers returned to Ya’aqob saying, "We came to your brother, to Esav, and he is also coming to meet you; and there are four hundred men with him."	7. And the messengers returned to Jakob, saying, We came to your brother, to Esau, and he also comes to meet you, and four hundred chief-warriors with him. [Jerusalem. And four hundred men, warlike leaders with him.]
8. Ya’aqob was very frightened and distressed. He divided the people that were with him, along with the sheep, cattle and camels, into two camps.	8. And Jakob was greatly afraid, because for twenty years he had not been mindful of the glory of his father: and he had anxiety; and he divided the people who were with him, the sheep, and oxen, and camels, into three troops, for a portion. to Leah, and a portion to Rachel.
9. He said, "If Esav comes to one camp and attacks it, the remaining camp will survive."	9. And he said, If Esau come to the one troop of them and smite it, the remaining troop may escape.
10. Ya’aqob said, "G-d of my father Avraham, and G-d of my father Yitschaq, Adonai Who said to me, 'Return to your land, to your birthplace, and I will do good with you.'	10. And Jakob said, God of my father Abraham, You, the God of my father Izhak, the LORD, who said to me, Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will do you good:
11. I am unworthy of all the kindness and of all the faithfulness that you have done with Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan [only] with my staff, and now I have become two camps.	11. I am altogether less than any of the (acts of) goodness and truth which You have exercised towards Your servant: for with my staff, alone, I passed this Jardena, and now I am become two bands.
12. Rescue me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esav, for I fear him, that he will come and attack me--- mother and children alike.	12. Deliver me I pray, from the hand of my elder brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him: for he has been mindful of the glory of his father; lest he come and smite the mother with the children.
13. You have said, "I will do very good with you, and I will make your offspring like the sands of the sea, which are too numerous to count.	13. But You have promised, I Will surely do you good, and will make your sons many as the sand of the sea be numbered for that cannot be numbered for Multitude.
14. He spent that night there. He took from that which had come into his hand, [for] a present to his brother, Esav.	14. And he abode there that night; and he took what was ready at his hand a present for Esau his brother:
15. Two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams.	15. she-goats two hundred, and he‑goats twenty; ewes two hundred and rams twenty:
16. Thirty nursing camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.	16. milking camels with their young ones thirty; cows forty, and bulls ten, small colts ten.[Jerusalem. Arid small colts ten.]
17. He placed them in the hand of his servants, each herd by itself. He said to his servants, "Pass on ahead of me, and keep a space between each herd.	17. And he made them ready by the hand of his servants in flocks apart, and said to his servants, Pass over before me, and put much (room) between flock and flock.
18. He commanded the first one, saying, "When my brother, Esav meets you and asks you saying, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going; and who is the owner of this that is before you?'	18. And he instructed the first, Saying, When Esau my brother will meet you, and ask of you, saying, Whose are you, and to where are you journeying and whose are these before you?
19. You should [then] say, ['They belong] to your servant, Ya’aqob. It is a present sent to my master, Esav, and see, he himself is also behind us.' "	19. You halt and say: “it is a gift of your servant Jakob, which he sends to my lord Esau, and, behold, he also comes after us.”
20. He also commanded the second and also the third, and to all who followed after the herds, saying, 'In like manner must you speak to Esav when you find [meet] him.'	20. And so he instructed the second, and the third, and all them who followed the flock, saying According to these words You must speak with Esau when you find him,
21. You should also say, 'See, your servant Ya’aqob is behind us. For he said, "I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterwards I will see his face, perhaps he will forgive me." ' "	21. and say, And, behold, your servant Jakob also comes after us. For he said, I will make his countenance friendly by the gift which goes before me, and afterward will see his face: peradventure he may accept me.
22. The present passed on ahead of him, but he spent the night in the camp.	22. And the present passed over before him, and he abode that night in camp.
23. He got up that night and took his two wives, his two handmaids, and his eleven children, and crossed over the ford of the Yabbok [River].	23. And he arose in the night and took his two wives, and his two concubines, and eleven children, and went over the ford Jubeka.
24. Verse 24: He [then] took them and crossed them over the stream. He [also] sent over all that he possessed.	24. And taking them he made them pass over the torrent, and all that he had went over.
25. Ya’aqob remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.	25. And Jakob remained alone beyond the Jubeka; and an Angel contended with him in the likeness of a man. And he said, Have you not promised to give the tenth of all that is yours? And, behold, you have ten sons and one daughter: nevertheless you have not tithed them. Immediately he set apart the four firstborn of the four mothers, and there remained eight. And he began to number from Shimeon, and Levi came up for the tenth.
26. He [the man] saw that he could not defeat him, and he struck the socket of his hip. Ya’aqob's hip joint was dislocated as he wrestled with him.	26. Michael answered and said, the Lord of the world is your lot. And on account of these things he (Michael) remained from God at the torrent till the column of the morning was ascending. And he saw that he had not power to hurt him, and he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jakob's thigh was distorted in his contending with him.
27. He [the man] said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." He [Ya’aqob] said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."	27. And he said, Let me go, for the column of the morning ascends; and the hour comes when the angels on high offer praise to the Lord of the world: and I am one of the angels of praise, but from the day that the world was created my time to praise has not come until now. And he said, I will not let you go, until you bless me. [JERUSALEM. And the hollow of Jakob's thigh was displaced in contending with him. And he said, Send me away, for the column of the dawn arises, and, behold, the hour comes for the angels to praise. And he said, I will not release you until you bless me.]
28. He [the man] said to him, "What is your name?" And he replied, "Ya’aqob."	28. And he said, What is thy name? He answered, Jakob.
29. He [the man] said, "No longer will your name be spoken of as Ya’aqob, but as Yisrael, for you have contended with G-d[ly beings] and with men, and you have won."	29. And he said, Your name will be no more called Jakob but Israel, because you are magnified with the angels of the Lord and with the mighty, and you have prevailed with them.
30. Ya’aqob asked him, and said, "Please tell me your name." He said, "Why then do you ask my name?" He then blessed him [Ya’aqob] there.	30. And Jakob asked and said, Show me now your name. And he said, Why do you ask for my name? And he blessed Jakob there.
31. Ya’aqob named the place Peniel [G-d's Face], "For I have seen G-d[ly beings] face to face, and my soul has survived."	31. And Jakob called the name of the place Peniel; for he said, I have seen the Angels of the Lord face to face, and my soul is saved.
32. The sun shone upon him as he passed by Penuel, and he limped due to his hip.	32. And the sun rose upon him before his time, (the sun) which on his account had set before his time, on his going out from Beersheba, as he crossed over Peniel. And he began to journey, and was lame upon his thigh.
33. Therefore, the children of Israel must not eat the displaced tendon [nerve] which is on the hip joint to this very day; because he struck Ya’aqob's hip joint on the displaced tendon.	33. Therefore the sons of Israel eat not the sinew which shrank, which is in the hollow of the thigh of cattle and of wild animals, until this day; because the Angel touched and laid hold of the hollow of the right thigh of Jakob, in the place of the sinew which shrank.

1. Ya’aqob raised his eyes and saw that Esav was coming, and with him there were four hundred men. He then divided the children among Leah, Rochel and the two handmaids.	1. And Jakob lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men of war. And be divided the children unto Leah, and to Rahel, and to the two concubines,
2. He placed the handmaids and their children foremost, Leah and her sons behind them, and Rachel and Yosef in the rear.	2. and placed the concubines and their sons foremost; for he said, If Esau come to destroy the children and abuse the women, he will do it with them, and meantime we will arise and encounter him in fight; and Leah and her children after, and Rahel and Joseph after them.
3. He went ahead of them, and he prostrated himself to the earth seven times, until he approached his brother.	3. And he himself went over before them, praying and asking mercy before the Lord; and he bowed upon the earth seven times, until he met with his brother.
4. Esav ran to meet him. He hugged him and fell on his neck and kissed him. They [both] wept.	4. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him, and they wept. Esau wept on account of the pain of his teeth which were shaken; but Jakob wept because of the pain of his neck. [JERUSALEM. And Esau ran to meet him, and hugged him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him. Esau wept for the crushing of his teeth, and Jakob wept for the tenderness of his neck.
5. [Esav] raised his eyes and saw the women and children. He said, "Who are these to you?" He [Ya’aqob] said, "These are the children whom G-d has graciously granted your servant."	5. And he lifted up his eyes and saw the wives and the children, and said, Who are these with you? And he said, They are the souls which have been given to me through mercy from before the Lord upon your servant.
6. The handmaids [then] approached, they, and their children, and prostrated themselves.	6. And the concubines came near, they and their children, and bowed themselves;
7. Leah and her children also approached and prostrated themselves, and finally Yosef and Rachel approached and prostrated themselves.	7. and Leah also approached, and her children, and bowed; and afterward Joseph came near and stood before Rachel, and hid her by his stature, and they bowed.
8. He [Esav] said, "What do you have to do with that whole camp that approached me?" He [Ya’aqob] said, "It was to find favor in the eyes of my master."	8. And he said, What to you is all this troop that I have met? And he said, It is a present I have sent to find mercy in the eyes of my lord.
9. Esav said, "I have plenty. My brother, let what you have remain yours."	9. And Esau said, I have much substance, my brother; let what you have be confirmed to you.
10. Ya’aqob said, "Please, no. If I have found favor in your eyes, take my present from my hand, because I have seen your face [and it was] like seeing the face of a G-d[ly being]; and you have received me favorably.	10. And Jakob said, Say not so, I beseech you. If now I have found favour in your eyes, accept my present from my hand; because I have seen the look of your face, and it is to me as the vision of the face of your angel; for, lo, you are propitious to me.
11. Please accept my blessing as it was brought to you, for G-d has been gracious to me, for I have everything. He thus urged him and he took it.	11. Receive now the present which is brought to you, because it has been given me through mercy from before the Lord, and because I have much substance. And he urged upon him, and he received.
12. He [Esav] said, "Let us journey and move on, and I will move on with you."	12. And he said, Let us journey and proceed, and I will go along with you, till you come to the house of your habitation.
13. He [Ya’aqob] said to him, "My master knows that the children are delicate, and that the sheep and cattle with me are nursing. If they are driven hard for [even] one day, all the sheep will die.	13. And he said to him, My lord knows that the children are tender, and the flocks and kine giving milk are with me; and if I overdrive them one day, all the flock may die.
14. Please my master, go on ahead of your servant. I will lead on gently, in my slow pace, according to the pace of the work that is before me, and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my master in Seir.	14. Let me beseech my lord to pass over and journey before your servant, and I will lead on quietly alone, according to the foot of the work which is before me, and according to the foot of the instruction of the children; until the time that I come to my lord at Gabla. [JERUSALEM. That the children are tender.]
15. Esav said, "Let me leave with you some of the people that are with me." He [Ya’aqob] said, "What for? Let me find favor in the eyes of my master."	15. And Esau said, Let me now leave with you some of the soldiers who are with me. But he said, Why this? Let me find favour before yo, my lord.
16. On that day Esav returned on his way--- going to Seir.	16. And a miracle was wrought for Jakob, and that day Esau returned on his way to Gabla.
17. Ya’aqob traveled to Sukkot and built himself a house, and for his livestock he made shelters. He therefore named the place Sukkot.	17. And Jakob journeyed to Succoth, and sojourned there the twelve months of the year; and he builded in it a Bet-Midrash, and for his flocks he made booths; therefore he called the name of the place Succoth.

Reading Assignment:

Torah With Targum Onkelos and Rashi’s Commentary – Vol. 1

The Book of Genesis: Hebrew/English

By: A.M. Silberman & M. Rosenbaum

Published by: BN Publishing (2007)

pp. 155-164.

The Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol IIIa: The Twelve Tribes

By: Rabbi Ya’aqob Culi

Published by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New York, 1988)

Vol. IIIa, pp. 111-153.

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/s is/are given using the seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel and as well as the laws of Hebrew Grammar and Hebrew expression.

The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as follows

[cf. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=472&letter=R]:

1. Ḳal va-ḥomer: "Argumentum a minori ad majus" or "a majori ad minus"; corresponding to the scholastic proof a fortiori.

2. Gezerah shavah: Argument from analogy. Biblical passages containing synonyms or homonyms are subject, however much they differ in other respects, to identical definitions and applications.

3. Binyan ab mi-katub eḥad: Application of a provision found in one passage only to passages which are related to the first in content but do not contain the provision in question.

4. Binyan ab mi-shene ketubim: The same as the preceding, except that the provision is generalized from two Biblical passages.

5. Kelal u-Peraṭ and Peraṭ u-kelal: Definition of the general by the particular, and of the particular by the general.

6. Ka-yoẓe bo mi-maḳom aḥer: Similarity in content to another Scriptural passage.

7. Dabar ha-lamed me-'inyano: Interpretation deduced from the context.

Rashi Commentary for: B’Resheet (Genesis) 32:4 – 33:17

4 Jacob sent angels Heb. מַלְאָכִים, literally angels (Gen. Rabbah 75:4).

to the land of Seir Heb. אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר [like] שֵׂעִיר לְאֶרֶץ, to the land of Seir. [In] every word that requires the prefix “lammed” [to] at the beginning, Scripture placed a “heh” at the end.-[from Yev. 13b]

5 I have sojourned Heb. גַּרְתִּי. I did not become an officer or a dignitary, but a stranger (גַּרְ). It is not worthwhile for you to hate me on account of your father’s blessing, [with] which he blessed me (27:29): “You will be a master over your brothers,” for it was not fulfilled in me (Tanchuma Buber Vayishlach 5). Another explanation: גַּרְתִּי has the numerical value of 613. That is to say: I lived with the wicked/Lawless Laban, but I kept the 613 commandments, and I did not learn from his evil deeds.

6 And I have acquired oxen and donkeys My father said to me, (27:28): “of the dew of the heavens and [of] the fatness of the earth,” but this is neither from the heavens nor from the earth.-[from Tanchuma Buber Vayishlach 5]

oxen and donkeys Heb. שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר, lit., an ox and a donkey. It is customary to call many oxen “ox.” A person says to his companion at night, “The rooster has crowed,” but does not say, “The roosters have crowed.”-[from Tanchuma Buber Vayishlach 5]

and I have sent to tell [this] to my master to let [you] know that I am coming to you.-

to find favor in your eyes That I am at peace with you and seek your love.-

7 We came to your brother, to Esau Concerning whom you said, “He is my brother,” but he still behaves toward you like the wicked/Lawless Esau. He still has hatred (Genesis Rabbah 75:7).

8 Jacob became...frightened, and...distressed He was frightened lest he be killed (Gen. Rabbah 75:2, Tanchuma, Vayishlach 4), and he was distressed that he might kill others.

9 one camp and strikes it down Heb. הַמַּחֲנֶה הָאַחַת וְהִכָּהוּ. [The word] מַּחֲנֶה is used both in the masculine and feminine genders. [Other examples are:] (Ps. 27:3): “If a camp encamps (תַּחֲנֶה) against me.” This is feminine. (Below, 33:8) “this (הַמַּחֲנֶה הַזֶּה) camp.” That is masculine. Likewise, there are other things (nouns) that are used both in the masculine and feminine genders, e.g. (above 19:23): “The sun (הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ) came out (יָצָא) upon the earth”; (Ps. 19:7): “From the end of the heavens is its source (מוֹצָאוֹ).” These are masculine. (II Kings 3: 22): “the sun shone (זָרְחָה) on the water.” This is feminine. And likewise, רוּחַ, wind (Job 1:19): “when, behold, a great (גְּדוֹלָה) wind came (בָּאָה).” This is feminine; “and struck (וַיִּגַּע) the four corners of the house.” This is masculine. [Another instance is] (I Kings 19: 11): “and a great (גְּדוֹלָה) and strong (וְחָזָק) wind, splitting (מְפָרֵק) mountains.” This is both masculine and feminine. Likewise, אֵשׁ, fire, as (Num. 16:35): “And fire went forth (יָצְאָה) from before the Lord,” feminine gender; (Ps. 104:4): “burning (לֹהֵט) fire, masculine gender.

the remaining camp will escape Against his will, for I will wage war with him. He (Jacob) prepared himself for three things: for a gift, for war, and for prayer. For a gift, [as Scripture says] (verse 22): “So the gift passed on before him.” For prayer, [as Scripture says] (verse 10): “God of my father Abraham...” For war, [as Scripture says]: “the remaining camp will escape.”-[from Tanchuma Buber, Vayishlach 6]

10 and God of my father Isaac But elsewhere (31:42), it says: and the Fear of Isaac. Moreover, why did he repeat the Tetragrammaton? Scripture should have written: “Who said to me, ‘Return to your land, etc.’ ” Rather, so did Jacob say before the Holy One, blessed be He: You gave me two promises: one when I left my father’s house from Beer-sheba, when You said to me (28:13): “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac,” and there You said to me, (ibid., verse 15): “and I will guard you wherever you go.” And in Laban’s house You said to me (31: 3), “Return to the land of your forefathers and to your birthplace, and I will be with you.” There You revealed Yourself to me with the Tetragrammaton alone, for it is said: “And the Lord (יְהוָה) said to Jacob, ‘Return to the land of your forefathers, etc.’ ” With these two promises I am coming before You.

11 I have become small My merits have diminished because of the kindnesses and the truth that You have rendered me. Therefore, I fear lest I have became sullied with sin since [the time that] You promised me, and it will cause me to be delivered into Esau’s hand[s].-[from Shab. 32a, Ta’anith 20b, Ber. 41]

and from all the truth The realization of Your words, that You kept for me all the promises that You made to me.

for with my staff I had with me neither silver nor gold nor livestock, but only my staff. The Midrash Aggadah states: He placed his staff into the Jordan, and the Jordan split.-[from Tanchuma Buber, Vayetze 3; Aggadath Bereishith 45:2]]

12 from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau From the hand of my brother, who does not behave toward me like a brother, but like the wicked Esau.-[apparently from Gen. Rabbah 75:7]

13 I will surely do good Heb. הֵיטֵב אֵיטִיב. [The double expression denotes:] הֵיטֵב, [I will do good] in your merit; אֵיטִיב, [I will do good] in the merit of your forefathers (Gen. Rabbah 76:7).

and I will make your seed [as numerous] as the sand of the sea Now where did He tell him this? Is it not so that He said to him only (28:14): “And your seed shall be like the dust of the earth”? But He said to him (ibid. 15): “for I will not forsake you until I have done for you what I have spoken concerning you,” and to Abraham He said (22: 17): “I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand that is on the seashore.”

14 what came into his hand Into his possession. And similarly, (Num. 21: 26): “and he took all his land from his possession (מִיָּדוֹ).” [According to the] Midrash Aggadah, “what came into his hand” means precious stones and pearls, which a person binds in a packet and carries in his hand. Another explanation: “what came into his hand” signifies ordinary animals [which have no sanctity], for he had already tithed them, as it is stated: “I will surely tithe to You.” And then he took [animals for] a gift.

15 Two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats Two hundred she-goats require twenty he-goats, and so all of them, the males according to what are required by the females. In Genesis Rabbah (76:7) the Rabbis derive from here the conjugal duties stated in the Torah: Men of leisure, every day; laborers, twice a week; donkey-drivers, once a week; camel-drivers, once in thirty days; sailors, once in six months. I do not know, however, how this midrash arrives at exactly these requirements. Nevertheless, it appears to me that we learn from here that conjugal duties are not uniform with every person, but according to the burden he must bear, for we find here that he (Jacob) gave each he-goat ten she-goats, and so for each ram. Since they are free from work, they generally mate frequently and [each male] can impregnate ten females, for as soon as an animal conceives, she does not accept a male [and he is compelled to seek another mate]. With the bulls, however, since they are occupied with work, he gave each male only four females, and for a donkey, which goes long distances, two females for a male, and for camels, which go longer distances, one female for a male.

16 Thirty nursing camels with their young Heb. וּבְנֵיהֶם. And their young with them. According to the Midrash Aggadah, the word means בניהם, their builders [those who impregnate them], a male corresponding to a female, but since it (the camel) is discreet in mating, Scripture did not publicize it (Gen. Rabbah 76:7).

and...he-donkeys Heb. וַעְיָרִם, male donkeys.

17 each herd individually Each species by itself.

Pass on ahead of me-a day’s journey or less, and I will come after you.

and make a space One herd before the next [within] the distance the eye can see, in order to satisfy the eye of the wicked man and bewilder him with the enormity of the gift.-[from Gen. Rabbah 76:8]

18 To whom do you belong Heb. לְמִי. To whom do you belong? Who is sending you? The Targum, therefore, renders: “whose are you?”

and for whom are these before you To whom is this gift being sent? The “lammed” serves at the beginning of the word in lieu of “shel,” “of,” like (above 31:43), “and all that you see is mine”; it is mine. [Similarly, we find,] (Ps. 24:1): “The land and the fullness thereof are the Lord’s”; of the Lord.

19 You shall say, ‘[I belong] to your servant Jacob…’ He replied first to the first question and last to the last question. [In reference to] what you asked, “To whom do you belong?” [the answer is:] I belong to your servant Jacob, and the Targum renders: “of your servant, of Jacob,” and [in reference to] what you asked, “and for whom are these before you?” it is a gift sent, etc.-[from Avoth d’Rabbi Nathan, ch. 37]

and behold, he himself Jacob.

21 I will appease his anger-Heb. אֲכַפְּרָה פָנָיו, I will do away with his anger (Targum Onkelos). Similarly (Isa. 28:18): “And your treaty with death shall be nullified (וְכֻפַּר)”; (ibid., 47:11) “you shall not be able to rid yourself of it (כַּפְּרָהּ).” This is Aramaic, and there are many instances of it in the Talmud, e.g. (B.M. 24a): “and he wiped (V’Kapar) his hands”; (Gittin 56a): “He wishes to wipe (LiK’purei) His hands on this person.” In biblical Hebrew also, the sacred sprinkling basins are called כְּפוֹרֵי זָהָב (Ezra 1:10) because the priest wipes his hands on them at the edge of the sprinkling basin.

22 before him Heb. עַל-פָּנָיו, lit., on his face, like L’Fanav, before him, and similarly (Jer. 6:7): “violence and spoil is heard therein before Me (עַל-פָּנַי) continually,” and so (Isa. 65:3): “who vex Me to My face עַל-פָּנַי.” He (Jacob) too was in an angry mood that he required all this.-[from Gen. Rabbah 75:8]

23 and his eleven children But where was Dinah? [Benjamin was not yet born, but Dinah should have been counted.] He put her into a chest and locked her in, so that Esau should not set eyes on her. Therefore, Jacob was punished for withholding her from his brother-[because had he married her,] perhaps she would cause him to improve his ways-and she fell into the hands of Shechem.-[from Gen. Rabbah 75:9]

Jabbok The name of the river.

24 what was his The animals and the movables. He made himself like a ferry-man, K’Gashar, taking from here and depositing there.-[from Gen. Rabbah 75:9]

25 And Jacob was left He had forgotten small bottles and returned for them.-[from Gen. Rabbah 77:2, Chullin 91a]

and a man wrestled Heb. וַיֵּאָבֵק. Menachem (p. 14) explains: And a man became covered with dust, derived from AVAQ, dust, for they were raising dust with their feet through their movements. I believe, however, that it is a term meaning that he attached himself, and it is an Aramaic expression [found in the Talmud] (Sanh. 63b): “After they became attached (DA’AVIQU) to it,” “and he would tie it (V’AVIQ LEIH MEIVAQ),” for so is the habit of two people who make strong efforts to throw each other down, that one embraces the other and attaches himself to him with his arms. Our Rabbis explained (Gen. Rabbah 77:3, 78:3) that this was the prince (guardian angel) of Esau.

26 he touched the socket of his hip --The upper thigh bone that is thrust into the hip bone is called the כַף, lit., ladle, because the flesh on it is like a sort of pot ladle.

became dislocated Heb. וַתֵּקַע. It became dislocated from its joint, and similar to this (Jer. 6:8): “lest My soul be alienated (תֵּקַע) from you,” and in the Mishnah: L’QA’AQEA BiTSATAN, to tear out their roots.-[from Gen. Rabbah 77:3]

27 for dawn is breaking And I must recite a song [of praise] (Gen. Rabbah 78:1, Chullin 91a).

unless you have blessed me Acknowledge for me the blessings [with] which my father blessed me, which Esau is contesting.

29 no… Jacob It shall no longer be said that the blessings came to you through trickery (A’AQ’VAH) and deceit, but with nobility and openness, and ultimately, the Holy One, blessed be He, will reveal Himself to you in Beth-el and change your name, and there He will bless you, and I will be there.” He then acknowledged them (the blessings) as being his (Jacob’s). This is [the meaning of] what is written (Hos. 12:5): “He strove with an angel and prevailed over him; he wept and supplicated him,” [meaning that] the angel wept and supplicated him. With what did he supplicate him? “In Beth-el he will find Him, and there He will speak with us” (ibid). Wait for me until He speaks with us there. Jacob, however, did not consent, [to release the angel] and, against his (the angel’s) will, he (the angel) acknowledged them (the blessings) as being his (Jacob’s). This is [the meaning of] “And he blessed him there,” that he entreated him to wait, but he did not wish [to do so].-[from Zohar, vol. 3, 45a]

and with men Esau and Laban.

and you have prevailed over them.-[from Targum Jonathan]

30 Why is it that you ask -(Gen. Rabbah 78:4) We have no permanent name. Our names change, (all) according to the service we are commanded [to do] in the mission upon which we are sent.

32 And the sun rose for him This is a common expression: When we arrived at such-and-such a place, the dawn broke for us. This is the simple explanation. The Midrashic Aggadah (Tanchuma Buber, Vayishlach 10; Gen. Rabbah 68:10) [explains]: And the sun rose for him-to heal his limp, as it is said: (Mal. 3:20): “the sun of mercy, with healing in its wings”; and those hours that it hastened to set for him when he left Beer-sheba, it hastened to rise for him.

and he was limping on his thigh He was limping on his thigh when the sun rose.

33 the hip sinew-Heb. גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה. Now why was it named גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה Because it sprang (NASHAH) out of its place and rose, and that [root] is a term for springing. Similarly (Jer. 51:30): “their might has failed (נָשְׁתָה),” and similarly (below 41:51): “for God has caused me to forget (נַשַּׁנִי) all my toil.”-[from Chullin 91a]

2 and Leah and her children after The further back the more beloved.- [from Gen. Rabbah 78:8]

3 went ahead of them He said, “If that scoundrel comes to fight, let him fight with me first.”-[from Gen. Rabbah 78:8]

4 and embraced him His compassion was moved when he saw him prostrate himself all those times.-[from Gen. Rabbah 78:8]

and kissed him Heb. וַיִּשָּׁקֵהוּ. There are dots over the word. There is controversy concerning this matter in a Baraitha of Sifrei (Beha’alothecha 69). Some interpret the dots to mean that he did not kiss him wholeheartedly. Rabbi Simeon ben Yochai said: It is a well known tradition that Esau hated Jacob, but his compassion was moved at that time, and he kissed him wholeheartedly.

5 “Who are these to you?” Who are these to be yours?

7 Joseph and Rachel drew near In all cases, the mothers drew near before the sons, but in Rachel’s case, Joseph preceded her. He said, “My mother has a pretty figure. Perhaps that scoundrel will set his eyes on her. I will stand in front of her and prevent him from gazing upon her.” Because of this deed, Joseph merited the blessing (below 49:22), “over the eye” [meaning that he stood up in front of Esau’s eyes].-[from Pesikta Rabbathi, ch. 12; Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel]

8 What is to you [the purpose of] all this camp Who is all this camp that I have met, which is yours? That is to say, why is it yours? The simple meaning of the verse is [that Esau asked] about those who brought the gift. Its midrashic interpretation is that he (Esau) encountered groups of angels, who were shoving him and his men and asking them, “To whom do you belong?” and they responded, “We belong to Esau.” They (the angels) said [to one another], “Hit [them], hit [them]!” These [men of Esau] would say, “Leave them alone! He is Isaac’s son.” But [the angels] would pay this no heed. [Esau’s men then retorted,] “He is Abraham’s grandson.” But they (the angels) would pay this no heed. [Esau’s men again retorted,] “He is Jacob’s brother.” [The angels] then said to them, “If so, he is one of ours.”-[from Gen. Rabbah 78:11]

9 let what you have remain yours Here he acknowledged his (Jacob’s) right to the blessings (Gen. Rabbah 78:11).

10 Please no!-Please do not say this to me. [from Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel]

If indeed I have found favor …shall take my gift from my hand, because I have seen your face, etc.-It is worthy and proper for you to accept my gift, because I have seen your face, and to me this is tantamount to seeing the face of the angel, for I saw your prince [guardian angel], and furthermore [you should take my gift], because you have consented to forgive my offense. Why did he (Jacob) mention that he saw the angel? In order that he [should] fear him and say, “He saw angels and was saved. From now on, I will not be able to prevail against him.”-[from Gen. Rabbah 75:10]

and you have accepted me You have become reconciled with me. Likewise, every [instance of] רׇצוֺן in Scripture is an expression of appeasement, apayement in Old French, e.g., “for it will not be for an appeasement (לְרָצוֹן) for you” (Lev. 22:20), “The lips of a righteous man know רָצוֹן. They know how to placate and appease (לְרָצוֹן)” (Prov. 10: 32). [from Targum Onkelos]

11 my gift Heb. בִּרְכָתִי. This gift, which is given for an audience and after an interval [of not seeing a person], is intended only as a greeting, as is every [instance of] בְּרָכָה for an audience. It is similar to: “And Jacob blessed (וַיְבָרֶךְ) Pharaoh” (Gen. 47:7); “Make peace (בְרָכָה) with me” (II Kings 18:31), mentioned in connection with Sennacherib, and, “to greet him and to bless him וּלְבָרְכוֹ” (II Sam. 8:10), mentioned in connection with Toi, king of Hamath. All are expressions of greeting, called in Old French saluder. This, too, viz. בִּרְכָתִי means mon salud, my greeting.

which has been brought to you You had no trouble with it, but I have toiled to bring it until it came into your hand.-[from Gen. Rabbah 78:12]

has favored me Heb. חַנַּנִי. The first “nun” has a “dagesh,” because it serves instead of two “nuns”. It should have been חְַנָנַּנִי since there is no instance of the root חנן without two “nuns.” The third one is a suffix, similar to “He [did not] make me (עָשָׂנִי)” (Isa. 29:16), “has given me (זְבָדַנִי)” (above 30:20).

I have everything All my necessities. Esau, however, spoke haughtily, “I have plenty,” [meaning] much more than I need.-[from Tanchuma Vayishlach 3]

12 Travel Heb. נִסְעָה, similar to: “hear (שְׁמָעָה), forgive (סְלָחָה) ” (Dan. 9:19), like שְׁמַע, סְלַח. Here, too, נִסְעָה is like נְסַע, and the “nun” is part of the radical. Therefore, Onkelos renders: Esau said to Jacob, “[You] travel from here and we will go.”

and I will go alongside you Even with you. I will do you a favor and I will lengthen my traveling time to go as slowly as you require. That is the meaning of “alongside you,” even with you.

13 which are raising their young, depend upon me The sheep and cattle, which are raising their young, depend on me to lead them slowly.

which are raising their young Heb. עָלוֹת raising their young (OLALEIHEN), an expression of “infant (עוֹלֵל) and suckling” (Lam. 2:11),”a youth (עוּל יָמִים)” (Isa. 65:20), “and two nursing (עָלוֹת) cows” (I Sam 6:7), and in French, enfantes, rearing, suckling.

and if they overdrive them one day-to tire them on the road by running, all the flocks will die.

and if they overdrive them Heb. וּדְפָקוּם, lit., and if they knock them, like “Hark! My beloved is knocking (דוֹפֵק)” (Song 5:2), knocking at the door.

14 Now, let my master go ahead Please, do not lengthen the days of your traveling. Go ahead according to your speed, even if you will distance yourself [from me].

and I will move Heb. אֶתְנָהֲלָה, [like] אֶתְנָהֵל, the “hey” is superfluous, like “I will descend (אֵרְדָה)” (above 18:21), “I shall hear (אֶשְׁמְעָה)” (Ps. 85:9).

my own slow pace Heb. לְאִטִּי, my slow pace, a term denoting gentleness, [like] “that flow gently (לְאַט)” (Isa. 8:6), “Deal gently (לְאַט) with the lad for my sake” (II Sam. 18:5). [In the word] לְאִטִּי, the “lammed” is a radical, [meaning] my slow pace, and it is not a prefix. I will move [at] my own slow pace.

according to...the work According to the need made by the pace of the feet of the work [cattle] that I am obliged to lead.

and according to the pace of the children Heb. וּלְרֶגֶל, according to their feet, how [fast] they can walk.

until I come to my master, to Seir He told him of a longer journey, although he intended to go only as far as Succoth. He said [to himself], “If he intends to harm me, he will wait until I come to him,” but he did not go [to Seir]. (Gen. Rabbah 78:14) So when will he go? In the days of the Messiah, as it is said (Obadiah 1:21): “And saviors shall ascend Mt. Zion to judge the mountain of Esau.” There are [also] many midrashic interpretations to this section.

15 But he said, “Why [do] that...” [Why] should you do me a favor that I do not need?

May I find favor in my master’s eyes And now you shall not pay me any reward.

16 Esau returned on…his way -(Gen. Rabbah 78:15) Esau alone, the four hundred men slipped away one by one. Where did the Holy One, blessed be He, recompense them? In the days of David, as it is said: “[and none of them escaped] except four hundred young men who rode on the camels” (I Sam. 30:17).

17 and built himself a house He stayed there eighteen months: summer, winter, and summer. “Succoth” denotes summer. “A house” denotes winter, and [again] “succoth” denotes summer.-[from Gen. Rabbah 78: 16]

Ketubim: Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 27:1-22

JPS TRANSLATION	TARGUM
1. A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom will I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom will I be afraid?	1. Of David. The LORD is my light and my redemption; whom will I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; whom will I fear?
2. When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh, even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.	2. Whenever evildoers come near to me to destroy my flesh, my oppressors and my foes – they have stumbled and fallen.
3. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war should rise up against me, even then will I be confident.	3. If an army of the wicked/Lawless encamps against me, my heart will not fear; if battle rises against me, in this I place my hope.
4. One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the graciousness of the LORD, and to visit early in His temple.	4. One thing I have sought from the presence of the LORD; that thing I will continue to seek: that I should dwell in the sanctuary of the LORD all the days of my life, to see the pleasantness of the LORD and to inquire in His temple.
5. For He conceals me in His pavilion in the day of evil; He hides me in the covert of His tent; He lifts me up upon a rock.	5. For He will hide me in His shadow in the day of evil, He will conceal me in the hiding place of His tabernacle, in a mighty fortress He will raise me up.
6. And now will my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me; and I will offer in His tabernacle sacrifices with trumpet-sound; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises unto the LORD.	6. And now my head will be lifted up over my enemies round about; and I will slaughter acceptable sacrifices in His tabernacle; I will sing praise and be glad in the presence of the LORD.
7. Hear, O LORD, when I call with my voice, and be gracious unto me, and answer me.	7. Receive, O LORD, my prayer when I call, and have mercy on me and pity me.
8. In Your behalf my heart has said: ‘Seek My face’; Your face, LORD, will I seek.	8. From You my heart said, “Seek my face”; Your countenance, O LORD, I will seek.
9. Hide not Your face from me; put not Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.	9. Do not remove Your presence from me; do not turn in anger to Your servant; You have been my help; do not exile me and do not abandon me, O God my redemption.
10. For though my father and my mother have forsaken me, the LORD will take me up.	10. Because my father (abba) and my mother have abandoned me, but the LORD will gather me in.
11. Teach me Your way, O LORD; and lead me in an even path, because of them that lie in wait for me.	11. Teach me, O LORD, your ways, and lead me by a straight path because of my psalm.
12. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine adversaries; for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out violence.	12. Do not hand me over to the will of my oppressors, for the false witnesses have risen against me, and those who speak rapacity.
13. If I had not believed to look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! -	13. Had I not believed I would look on the goodness of the LORD in the land of eternal life!
14. Wait on the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.	14. Hope in the LORD; strengthen and fortify your heart; and hope in the LORD.

Rashi’s Commentary for: Psalm 27:1-14

3 in this I trust In what is stated above: “The Lord is the stronghold of my life.”

4 and to visit His Temple every morning To appear there every morning. Dunash (Teshuvoth Dunash, p. 53) explained in this manner.

5 That He will hide me in His tabernacle I am confident that He will hide me in His Temple, and we learned in Seder Olam (ch. 18) that this verse was stated concerning Joash the son of Ahaziah, who was hidden by his sister, Jehosheba, in the attic of the Holy of Holies, as the matter is stated (in II Kings 11:3): “And he was hiding with her in the house of the Lord for six years.”

He will lift me up on a rock He stood my feet on a rock.

6 sacrifices with joyous song Sacrifices over which a song is recited.

8 On Your behalf, my heart says, “Seek My presence.” On Your behalf, as Your agent, my heart says to me, “All of you Israelites, seek My presence.” And I obey it. “Your presence, O Lord, I will seek.” [The word] לך is like (Job 33:6): “Behold I am like your mouth to God (לא־ל),” [that is,] in His stead; (ibid. 13:8), “Will you contend for God (לא־ל)?” [that is,] in His stead. Here, too, “On Your behalf, my heart says,” in Your stead, my heart comes to me to say this.

9 do not turn...away Heb. תַּט, do not bend over, as (above 18:10): “And He bent (וַיֵּט) the heavens.”

10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me At the time of coitus, they intended their own pleasure. As soon as their pleasure is over, this one turns his face this way and that one turns her face the other way.

but the Lord gathers me in The Holy One, blessed be He, guards the droplet and forms the fetus.

12 to the desires of my adversaries To the desire of my enemies, to have their desire fulfilled through me.

and speakers of evil Heb. וִיפֵחַ חָמָס, speakers of evil. Another explanation: An expression of a trap.

13 Had I not believed in seeing, etc. If I had not believed in the Holy One, blessed be He, those false witnesses would have already risen against me and destroyed me. [The word] לוּלֵא is punctuated for the homily which our Sages expounded (Ber. 4a): I know that You give reward to the righteous/generous in the world to come, but I do not know whether I have a share with them or not.

14 Hope for the Lord and if your prayer is not accepted, reinforce your hope.

Ashlamatah: Obadiah 1:1-9 + 21

1. The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom: We have heard a message from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the nations: ‘Arise, and let us rise up against her in battle.’

2. Behold, I make you small among the nations; you are greatly despised.

3. The pride of your heart has beguiled you, O you that dwells in the clefts of the rock, your habitation on high; that says in your heart: ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’

4. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, and though you set it among the stars, I will bring you down from thence, says the LORD.

5. If thieves came to you, if robbers by night - how are you cut off! - Would they not steal till they had enough? If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave some gleaning grapes?

6. How is Esau searched out! How are his hidden places sought out!

7. All the men of your confederacy have conducted you to the border; the men that were at peace with you have beguiled you, and prevailed against you; they that eat your bread lay a snare under you, in whom there is no discernment.

8. Will I not in that day, says the LORD, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and discernment out of the mount of Esau?

9. And your mighty men, O Teman, will be dismayed, to the end that every one may be cut off from the mount of Esau by slaughter.

10. For the violence done to your brother Jacob shame will cover you, and you will be cut off forever.

11. In the day that you did stand aloof, in the day that strangers carried away his substance, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even you were as one of them.

12. But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother in the day of his disaster, neither should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress.

13. You should not have entered into the gate of My people in the day of their calamity; yes, you should not have gazed on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity.

14. Neither should you have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that escape; neither should you have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.

15. For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations; as you have done, it will be done unto you; your dealing will return upon your own head.

16. For as you have drunk upon My holy mountain, so will all the nations drink continually, yes, they will drink, and swallow down, and will be as though they had not been.

17. But in mount Zion there will be those that escape, and it will be holy; and the house of Jacob will possess their possessions.

18. And the house of Jacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they will kindle in them, and devour them; and there will not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD has spoken.

19. And they of the South will possess the mount of Esau, and they of the Lowland the Philistines; and they will possess the field of Ephraim, and the field of Samaria; and Benjamin will possess Gilead.

20. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel, that are among the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath, and the captivity of Jerusalem, that is in Sepharad, will possess the cities of the South.

21. And saviours will come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom will be the LORD'S. {P}

Mishnah Pirke Abot: II:11

Rabbi Yosi said: Let your fellow’s money be as precious to you as your own. Prepare yourself to study Torah because [the ability to do so] does not come to you by inheritance. And let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven.

Abarbanel on Pirke Abot

By: Abraham Chill

Sepher Hermon Press, Inc. 1991

ISBN 0-87203-135-7

(pp. 136-138)

Rabbi Yosi of this Mishnah was called a Hasid by his master, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai. It was, therefore, only to be expected that when he heard the statement of his colleague that an evil eye, an evil inclination and unwarranted hate for one's fellow shorten people's lives, he would seek to find antidotes to these three frightful afflictions.

Ayin Ha-ra (Evil eye) is commonly and popularly understood as pathological jealousy of the success and belongings of others. Thus, Rabbi Yosi prescribes the following antidote: Let your friend's property be as precious to you as your own. What Rabbi Yosi meant was that an element of love should permeate our attitude towards others. If we have a certain measure of affection towards our fellow man, envy can never enter the picture. Ayin Ha-ra can only affect those whom we despise.

The antidote to the evil inclination - or Satan who embodies its essence - is to discipline yourself to the study of Torah. With Torah, one can easily defeat the onslaught of the evil inclination; without it a man is dangerously vulnerable. Along these lines the Sages of the Talmud (Kiddushin 30a) advise us that if we encounter this despicable person (i.e., Satan), we should draw him into the Bet Ha-Midrash. In the academy there is only Torah and when Torah fills one's life there is no place for the evil inclination. Another gem (Abot de-Rabbi Natan 16:31: The Yetzer Ha-ra can be compared to iron. As long as iron is in the furnace you can twist and form it according to your will. So is it with the Yetzer Ha-ra: As long as you have it caged in an atmosphere of the glowing heat of Torah it can easily be subdued.

But let there be no mistake. Torah study requires discipline, total concentration and significant personal sacrifice. A half-hearted indulgence in Torah study will not defeat the Yetzer Ha-ra.

Finally, Rabbi Yosi advises us what to do to overcome unwarranted hate for one's fellow man. Usually, both hatred and love are motivated by a desire to impress the object of the feeling. This is wrong! We should stop worrying about what our neighbour thinks of us and worry more about what God thinks of us. The fatherhood of God inevitably leads to the brotherhood of man. Hatred has no place in this setting.

To embellish his line of thinking, Abarbanel refers us to a passage in the Torah (Leviticus 9:16-18). There we are admonished not to go about as a tale-bearer. It is impossible to assess the immense damage that can be caused by tale-bearing and slander. It can even have its effects generations later. Then we are told: “You will not stand inactive by the blood of your neighbour.” You must realize that if you do not come to the rescue of your friend who is being attacked, you may be the next victim! These two laws affect the person of the one who is aggrieved. Then the Torah tells us that we should not hate our fellow in our hearts, and that we should rebuke him gently. “You should not bear a grudge.” These last two prohibitions deal with emotions of the heart: the conscience. The juxtaposition of these four mitzvoth means that a person must relate to his fellow-man with love, understanding and sympathy. If these prevail there can be no opening in a man's heart for hate or jealousy.

Abarbanel concludes his essay by calling to our attention the unique fact that the heart, which is one of the smaller organs of the body, is capable of harbouring both love and hate; sympathy and resentment, charity and malevolence - contradictory and polarized sensibilities and emotions. That is why the Torah (Leviticus 19:18) concludes the verses cited above with the words, “I am the LORD.” Only, I, the LORD can deposit within the heart these opposite phenomena. And it is I who demands of you to love and not to hate.

Miscellaneous Interpretations

Rashbatz (R. Shimon ben Tzemah Duran, Majorca (Spain) & Algiers 1361 – 1444): Dealing with Rabbi Yosi's last maxim in our Mishnah, “Let all your actions be for the sake of Heaven,” Rashbatz asks whether it is possible to do wrong for the sake of Heaven. He answers in the affirmative and bolsters his position by calling our attention to the incident of Yael and Sisra in the Book of Judges. General Sisra escaped from the battle with the Jewish army and arrived at Yael's tent. She was intent on killing him. She submitted herself to sexual intimacy with him seven times, to weaken him, thus providing her with the opportunity to destroy him.

Unquestionably, this was a sin on the part of Yael but it was done for the sake of Heaven. In this light Rabbi Yosi proposes that if one must violate a law of the Torah, let him chose one that can be done for the sake of Heaven. The principle emphasis is on the words, “All your actions.”

Rashi (R. Shelomo ben Yitzhaq, Troyes (France) 1040 – 1105): “For it does not come to you by inheritance” means that while most everything that characterizes a person is usually transferred to him through the genes of his parents, achievement in Torah is something that must be accomplished by one's own efforts.

Rabbenu Yonah (R. Yonah ben Avraham Gerondi, Barcelona (Spain) 1200 – 1236): The sole purpose of the Torah is to enable a person to elevate himself spiritually to an ever higher plateau. Hence, the advise: “Prepare yourself to study Torah” - work and slave at it because it does not come easily to you. Moreover, one must be prepared to forego most of the physical pleasures and comforts of life to achieve this goal. Above all, like Rashi, Rabbenu Yonah warns us not to assume that if we stem from a long line of scholars, that trait will be bequeathed to us.

On the subject of: “Let all your actions be for the sake of Heaven,” Rabbenu Yonah follows the same line of reasoning as Rashbatz. In the wide spectrum of our daily actions eating - sleeping, drinking, sex, etc. - we must be motivated by the desire to do God's will. In other words, one should act only with the purpose of fulfilling God's wish. Even when committing a transgression one should do it for the sake of Heaven.

In conclusion, Rabbenu Yonah draws an all-embracing rule: Anything that a person can do which will eventually lead him to avodat ha boreh (worship of the Creator) is to be acted on. Anything that does not lead to this end should be ignored.

Midrash Shemuel (R. Shemuel ben Yitzchaq de Uceda, Safed (Israel) 1540 - ?): The interpretation of “Let all your actions be for the sake of Heaven” is that in everything he does man should think of pleasing God. This applies not only to mitzvoth (commandments), but even to every-day needs; if these mundane deeds were performed with the thought of Heaven in mind, God will see them as mitzvoth.

Midrash Shemuel also confirms the theme of Rashbatz concerning the transgression that a person commits for the sake of Heaven which is transformed into a mitzvah. While Rashbatz retells the story of Yael and Sisra, Midrash Shemuel supports himself with the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Building an altar, Elijah challenged the false prophets to bring down a fire upon their sacrifice. The truth is that Elijah was culpable because he built an altar outside the Temple, which is forbidden.

What say the Nazarean Hakhamim?

“Then whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things to the glory/honour of God. Be without offense both to Jews and Greeks, and to the [Jewish] congregation of God.”

(I Cor. 10:31-32)

“Study to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15)

“And be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

Jude 24-25

Delitzsch Hebrew Rendition:

24וַאֲשֶׁר יָכוֹל לִשְׁמָרְכֶם מִמִּכְשׁוֹל וּלְהַעֲמִיד אֶתְכֶם בְּשָׂשׂוֹן תְּמִימִים לִפְנֵי כְבוֹדוֹ׃

25הָאֱלֹהִים (הֶחָכָם) הַיָּחִיד הַמּוֹשִׁיע אֹתָנוּ בְּיֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ אֲדֹנֵינוּ לוֹ הַכָּבוֹד וְהַגְּדֻלָּה וְהָעֹז וְהַמֶּמְשָׁלָה לִפְנֵי כָל־עוֹלָם גַּם עַתָּה גַּם לְעוֹלְמֵי עַד אָמֵן׃

Murdoch’s Rendition from the Aramaic:

24 And to him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless, and to establish you without a blemish,

25 before his majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only God, our Deliverer, by means of Jesus the Messiah our Lord, be praise, and dominion, and honor, and majesty, both now and in all ages. Amen.

Etheridge’s Rendition from the Aramaic:

24. But to him who is able to keep you without falling and without spot, and to establish you without blemish,

25. Aloha our only Saviour by Jeshu Meshiha our Lord, before his majesty with joy, Be glory, and dominion, and honour, and grandeur, both now and in all ages. Amen.

Finished is the Epistle of Jihuda the apostle, the brother of Jakub and of Jose.

Hakham’s Rendition

24. And to Him (G-d) who is able to guard you without stumbling, and to make you stand before the presence of His glory unblemished, with joy,

25. to the one and only God our Saviour by/through Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be honour and greatness, power and authority, both now and to all the ages! Amen.

Commentary:

We come this Shabbat to the end of this wonderful Responsa of Hakham Yehudah shortly before the great apostasy. Hakham Yehudah concludes his Responsa with a memorable benediction. Back in the 70’s when I began this work, I bought a plaque that was nicely framed and contained one of my favourite passages of the Hebrew Scriptures, and made it my motto. The passage comes from Psalm 119:18 – “Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from Your Torah.” And to this very day, this prayer has been answered to me in G-d’s undeserved mercy and compassion thousands of times. This verse much agrees with the contents of the benediction before us.

v. 24 - And to Him (G-d) who is able to guard you without stumbling – What a most wonderful reality is this! Though we may stumble at times and even fall, we know that G-d’s faithfulness will always help us get out of that black hole, pick us up continue marching towards our goal. The Psalmist puts it this way: “Behold, he that guards Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4). The “stumbling” here is in relation to G-d and not to ourselves. The verse does not say that we will not stumble, but rather that G-d, most blessed be He is “able to guard us without Him ever stumbling!”We surely, as human beings will stumble and fail now and then, but He (G-d) will always guard us and help us to recover and continue our walk with Him.

and to make you stand before the presence of His glory unblemished, with joy, - Here we may ask, what is G-d’s chief joy? Is it not to make stand His children and recite the Amiddah with complete love, harmony and devotion three times a day? But here we learn something else, we learn about the power of the Amiddah and its preceding and closing benedictions. If the Amiddah is recited sincerely with much love and devotion and understanding before other similarly minded men it has the power to touch G-d’s heart in such a way that He takes away all of our blemishes over time.

The work of the apostasy that Hakham Yehudah has been speaking about resulted in fact with the abandonment of the wonderful set order of prayers in the Jewish Prayer-book, and the recitation of the Amiddah and its blessings three times a day. There is a special power that G-d has vested on the order of prayers in the Jewish Siddur, and for those who are sincere and love G-d, it is extremely worthy and rewarding to get used to the Jewish discipline of prayer. One’s body, soul, and mind will be enriched and ennobled beyond measure if one cultivates the discipline of reciting those prayers in a Jewish Orthodox Siddur three times a day. And this is the substance and meaning of our clause.

‎v. 25 - to the one and only God our Saviour by/through Yeshua the Messiah our Master – Here Hakham Yehudah sets the record straight and joins with the Prophet Hosheah in confessing: “Yet I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt; and you know no God but Me, and beside Me there is no saviour” (Hos. 13:4). This is where Christians err, for the Master is not our Saviour, but G-d is the Saviour! That He entrusted this work to an agent is of no consequence, in the end it is G-d, most blessed be He that has effected salvation.

How can we compare this? Say that I wanted to purchase a parcel of land in Antartica, but for whatever reasons I chose to send an agent to purchase the parcel of land for me. Whilst my agent has done all the work, and even payed and signed the contract on my behalf, still I am the purchaser and not the agent. So here, likewise, the only one G-d is the Saviour, and the Master His agent. This in no way makes the agent to be me, but rather one working on my behalf. Similarly, the Master is not the only One G-d, but a special agent working on G-d’s behalf. This is further explained and emphasised in the next clause.

be honour and greatness, power and authority, both now and to all the ages! Amen. – All honour, greatness, power and authority belong exclusively to the only One G-d alone! The rest are all agents including the Master and each one of us. Thus, whatever good, whatever excellent anyone does it does so as an agent of the Most High G-d of Yisrael. The benediction ends up in the hope and assurance that we may all be found faithful agents of the only one G-d of Yisrael, as the Master has given us an example to follow, Amen ve Amen!

Some Questions to Ponder:

1. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 32:4?

2. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 32:8?

3. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 32:9?

4. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 32:13?

5. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 32:18?

6. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 32:22?

7. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 32:24?

8. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 32:26?

9. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 32:28?

10. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 33:3?

11. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 33:7?

12. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 33:10?

13. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Genesis 33:13?

14. Why did Esav live in Seir?

15. How do we know that Ya’aqob observed the 613 commandments of the Torah?

16. Who was Ya’aqob’s chief servant and what was the name of his son?

17. What was special about the bottles that Ya’aqob returned for them?

18. Since when did Michael became Israel’s guardian angel?

19. How is Psalm 27 related to our Torah Seder?

20. How is the Ashlamatah of Obadiah 1:1-9 + 21 related to our Torah Seder?

21. How is the reading of Jude 24-25 related to our Torah Seder for this week?

22. How is our reading of Pirke Abot II:11 related to our Torah Seder for this week?

23. In your opinion, taking into consideration the contents of our Torah Seder, Psalm, Ashlamatah, Pirke Abot II:11, and Jude 24-25, what is the ‎prophetic ‎message for this week?

Next Shabbat:

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
וַיָּבֹא יַעֲקֹב
“VaYavo Ya’aqob”	Reader 1 – B’Resheet 33:18-20	Reader 1 – B’Resheet 35:9-12
“And Jacob came”	Reader 2 – B’ Resheet 34:1-6	Reader 2 – B’Resheet 35:13-15
“Y vino Jacob”	Reader 3 – B’ Resheet 34:7-10	Reader 3 – B’Resheet 35:9-15
B’Resheet (Gen.) 33:18 – 35:8	Reader 4 – B’ Resheet 34:11-17
Ashlamatah: Nahum 1:12 – 2:6 + 14	Reader 5 – B’ Resheet 34:18-24
	Reader 6 – B’ Resheet 34:25 – 35:3	Reader 1 – B’Resheet 35:9-12
Psalm 28	Reader 7 – B’ Resheet 35:4-8	Reader 2 – B’Resheet 35:13-15
N.C.: Mark 3:19b-27‎	Maftir : B’ Resheet 35:6-8	Reader 3 – B’Resheet 35:9-15
Pirke Abot: II:12	Nahum 1:12 – 2:6 + 14

Reading Assignment:

Torah With Targum Onkelos and Rashi’s Commentary – Vol. 1

The Book of Genesis: Hebrew/English

By: A.M. Silberman & M. Rosenbaum

Published by: BN Publishing (2007)

pp. 164-170.

The Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol IIIa: The Twelve Tribes

By: Rabbi Ya’aqob Culi

Published by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New York, 1988)

Vol. IIIa, pp. 153-185.

Please always remember:

The above questions are not about how many you can answer right or wrong, or how many you have answered at all, that is NOT the purpose of this exercise! The REAL merit is in making an effort to attempt to answer them as best as you can! We run no competitions here! The competition if any is a matter between you and Ha-Shem, most blessed be He! The questions are given to help you grasp the mechanics of the Peshat level of Hermeneutics and to help you understand Scripture from a legitimate Jewish perspective. So far, only few brave souls have attempted to answer the questions posed. For those who have not yet jumped into the pool of the brave, why not give it a try, even if you answered a few questions that would be great and most encouraging for you and the honourable members of this list!

Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai