Esnoga Bet Emunah

1101 Surrey Trace SE, Tumwater, WA 98501

Telephone:(360) 918-2905 - United States of America © 2011

E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com

 

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

 

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings

Second Year of the Reading Cycle

Sivan 02, 5771 – June 03/04, 2011

Second Year of the Shmita Cycle

 

Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times:

 

 

Conroe & Austin, TX, U.S.

Fri. June 03. 2011 – Candles at 8:11 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdalah 9:10 PM

 

 

Brisbane, Australia

Fri. June 03. 2011 – Candles at 4:43 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdalah 5:48 PM

 

 

Bucharest, Romania

Fri. June 03 2011 – Candles at 8:36 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdalah 9:49 PM

 

Chattanooga, & Cleveland, TN, U.S.

Fri. June 03. 2011 – Candles at 8:33 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdalah 9:35 PM

 

Jakarta, Indonesia

Fri. June 03. 2011 – Candles at 5:27 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdalah 6:18 PM

 

Manila & Cebu, Philippines

Fri. June 03. 2011 – Candles at 6:04 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdalah 6:57 PM

 

Miami, FL, U.S.

Fri. June 03. 2011 – Candles at 7:51 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdalah 8:48 PM

 

Olympia, WA, U.S.

Fri. June 03. 2011 – Candles at 8:42 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdal. 10:01 PM

 

Murray, KY, & Paris, TN. U.S.

Fri. June 03. 2011 – Candles at 7:52 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdalah 8:56 PM

 

Sheboygan  & Manitowoc, WI, US

Fri. June 03. 2011 – Candles at 8:09 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdalah 9:22 PM

 

Singapore, Singapore

Fri. June 03. 2011 – Candles at 6:50 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdalah 7:42 PM

 

St. Louis, MO, U.S.

Fri. June 03. 2011 – Candles at 8:02 PM

Sat. June 04. 2011 – Havdalah 9:08 PM

 

 

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

 

 

Roll of Honor:

 

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of:

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

His Honor Paqid Adon Mikha ben Hillel

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family

His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved family

His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife

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

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

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

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

Her Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor

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

Her Excellency Prof. Dr. Conny Williams & beloved family

Her Excellency Giberet Gloria Sutton & beloved family

 

For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’s richest blessings be upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael and her Torah Scholars, amen ve amen!

Also a great thank you and great blessings be upon all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Torah Seder and allied topics.

 

If you want to subscribe to our list and ensure that you never lose any of our commentaries, or would like your friends also to receive this commentary, please do send me an E-Mail to benhaggai@GMail.com with your E-Mail or the E-Mail addresses of your friends. Toda Rabba!

 

 

Shabbat

Torah Reading:

Weekday Torah Reading:

וְקַח מֵאִתָּם מַטֶּה

 

 

V’qach Meitam Mateh

Reader 1 – B’Midbar 17:16-24

Reader 1 – B’Midbar 19:1-4

And take from each of them a rod

Reader 2 – B’Midbar 17:25-28

Reader 2 – B’Midbar 19:5-8

y toma de cada uno de ellos una vara

Reader 3 – B’Midbar 18:1-10

Reader 3 – B’Midbar 19:9-12

B’Midbar (Num.) ‎ 17:16-18:32

Reader 4 – B’Midbar 18:11-16

 

Ashlamatah: Isaiah 11:1-10

Reader 5 – B’Midbar 18:17-20

 

 

Reader 6 – B’Midbar 18:21-24

Reader 1 – B’Midbar 19:1-4

Psalm 103:1-22

Reader 7 – B’Midbar 18:25-29

Reader 2 – B’Midbar 19:5-8

Pirqe Abot V:1

      Maftir: B’Midbar 18:30-32

Reader 3 – B’Midbar 19:9-12

N.C.: Mordechai 11:27-33

                - Isaiah 11:1-10

 

 

 

Blessing Before Torah Study

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan

for: B’Midbar (Num.) 17:16 - 18:32

 

Rashi

Targum

16. The Lord said to Moses saying:

16. And the LORD spoke with Mosheh, saying:

17. Speak to the children and take from them a staff for each father's house from all the chieftains according to their fathers' houses; [a total of] twelve staffs, and inscribe each man's name on his staff.

17. Speak with the sons of Israel, and take of them severally a rod, according to the house of their fathers; twelve rods; and upon each rod you will inscribe its (tribe) name.

18. Inscribe Aaron's name on the staff of Levi, for there is [only] one staff for the head of their fathers' house.

18. But on the rod of Levi you will write the name of Aharon: for there is but one rod for each head of their father's house.

19. You shall place the staffs in the Tent of Meeting before [the [Ark of] the Testimony where I commune with you.

19. And you will lay them up in the tabernacle before the testimony, where My Word is appointed to meet you.

20. The staff of the man whom I will choose will blossom, and I will calm down [turning away] from Myself the complaints of the children of Israel which they are complaining against you.

20. And the man whose rod germinates will be he whom I approve to minister before Me; and I will make the murmurings of the sons of Israel with which they have murmured against you to cease from Me.

21. Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their chieftains gave him a staff for each chieftain according to their fathers' houses, [a total of] twelve staffs, and Aaron's staff was amidst their staffs.

21. Mosheh spoke, therefore, with the sons of Israel, and the chiefs of them gave him severally their rods, according to the house of their fathers, twelve rods; and Aharon's rod was among theirs.

22. Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the Tent of the Testimony.

22. And Mosheh laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of ordinance.

23. And on the following day Moses came to the Tent of Testimony, and behold, Aaron's staff for the house of Levi had blossomed! It gave forth blossoms, sprouted buds, and produced ripe almonds.

23. And it came to pass, the day after, when Mosheh went into the tabernacle of the testimony, that, behold, the rod of Aharon had germinated; it had shot forth branches, blossomed with flowers, and, in the same night, produced and ripened almonds.

24. Moses took out all the staffs from before the Lord, to the children of Israel; they saw and they took, each man his staff.

24. And Mosheh brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the sons of Israel, who recognized and took severally their rods.

25. The Lord said to Moses: Put Aaron's staff back in front of the Testimony as a keepsake [and] a sign for rebellious ones. Then their complaints against Me will end and they will not die.

25. And the LORD said to Mosheh, Take back the rod of Aharon, before the testimony, to be kept for a sign for the rebellious children, that their murmurings may cease from before Me, lest they die.

26. Moses did so. He did just as the Lord had commanded him.

26. And Mosheh did so; as the LORD commanded so did he.

27. The children of Israel spoke to Moses saying, "Behold, we are dying, we will perish, we are all lost!

27. And the sons of Israel spoke with Mosheh, saying: Behold, some of us have been consumed with the flaming fire; some of us have been swallowed up by the earth, and have perished! Behold, we are accounted as if all of us are to be destroyed.

28. Whoever comes the closest to the Mishkan of the Lord dies! Have we been consigned to die?

28. Anyone who approaches the tabernacle must die: are we not doomed to destruction?

 

 

1. The Lord said to Aaron: You, your sons and your father's house shall bear the iniquity associated with the Sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your kehunah.

1. And the LORD said unto Aharon, You, and your sons, and the house of your fathers with you, will bear the iniquity of the consecrated things, when you have not been heedful in offering them; and you and your sons with you will bear the iniquity of your priesthood, when you have not been heedful of their separations.

2. Also your brethren, the tribe of Levi, your father's tribe, draw close to you, and they shall join you and minister to you, and you and your sons with you, before the Tent of Testimony.

2. And your brethren also of the tribe of Levi, who are called by the name of Amram your father, will you bring near to you, that they may consociate with and minister to you. But you, and your sons with you, (only) will stand before the tabernacle of the testimony.

3. They shall keep your charge and the charge of the Tent, and they shall not approach the holy vessels or the altar, so that neither they nor you will die.

3. And they will keep your charge, and have charge of all the tabernacle; yet to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar they are not to come near, lest both they and you die.

4. They shall join you, and they shall keep the charge of the Tent of Meeting for all the service of the Tent, and no outsider shall come near you.

4. And they will have appointment from you without, and keep charge of the tabernacle of ordinance for all its service; and a stranger will not come near you.

5. They shall keep the charge of the Sanctuary and the charge of the altar, so that there be no more wrath against the children of Israel.

5. And you will keep the charge of the sanctuary and of the altar, that there may be no more the wrath that has been upon the children of Israel.

6. I have therefore taken your brethren, the Levites, from among the children of Israel; they are given to you as a gift, and given over to the Lord to perform the service in the Tent of Meeting.

6. And, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the sons of Israel; to you they are given, a gift before the LORD, to perform the work of the tabernacle of ordinance.

7. And you and your sons shall keep your kehunah in all matters concerning the altar, and concerning what is within the dividing screen, and you shall serve; the service as a gift I have given your kehunah, and any outsider [non-kohen] who approaches shall die.

7. But you, and your sons with you, will keep the charge of your priesthood in all things that pertain to the altar, and (those) within the veil, and will minister by lots, according to the service. So, provision of food have I given you, on account of the anointing of your priesthood; and the stranger who comes near will die.

8. The Lord told Aaron: Behold I have given you the charge of My gift [offerings]. I have thus given you all the holy things of the children of Israel for distinction, and as an eternal portion for your sons.

8. And the LORD said to Aharon, And I have been pleased to give you the charge of My separated offerings; the cakes of the first-fruits, and all the consecrated things of the children of Israel, to you have I given them, on account of the anointing, and to your sons, by an everlasting statute.

9. These shall be yours from the holiest of holies, from the fire: all their offerings, their meal-offerings, their sin-offerings, their guilt-offerings, [and] what they return to Me; they shall be holy of holies to you and to your sons.

9. They will be to you most sacred; whatsoever remains of the sheep offered by fire, all their oblations, of all their minchas, of all their sin offerings, and of all their trespass offerings which they present before Me, they are most sacred for you and for your sons.

10. You shall eat it in the holiest of places. Any male may eat of it; it shall be holy to you.

10. You may eat it in the sanctuary; every male may eat thereof; on account of the holy anointing it will be yours.

11. This shall be yours what is set aside for their gifts from all the wavings of the children of Israel; I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as an eternal portion. Any [ritually] clean member of your household may eat it.

11. And this is what I have set apart to you of their separated minchas, and of all the uplifted things of the sons of Israel, to you have I given them, and to your sons and your daughters with you by an everlasting statute. Whoever is clean in your house may eat of it.

12. The choice of the oil and the choice of the wine and grain, the first of which they give to the Lord, to you I have given them.

12. All the best of the olive oil, of the grape wine, and of the wheat of their first-fruits which they present before the LORD, I have given unto you.

13. The first fruit of all that grows in their land, which they shall bring to the Lord shall be yours; any [ritually] clean member of your household may eat of it.

13. The firsts of all the trees of their ground which they present before the LORD will be yours; everyone who is clean in your house may eat them.

14. Any devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.

14. Every devoted thing in Israel will be yours.

15. Every first issue of the womb of any creature, which they present to the Lord, whether of man or beast, shall be yours. However, you shall redeem the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.

15. Whatever opens the womb, of all flesh among animals which they offer before the LORD, as the regulation concerning men, so the regulation concerning cattle, it is to be yours: only you are to redeem the firstborn of man by the five shekels, and the firstlings of the unclean animal you will redeem with lambs.

16. Its redemption [shall be performed] from the age of a month, according to the valuation, five shekels of silver, according to the holy shekel, which is twenty gerahs.

16. And the redemption of a man child of a month old you will make, according to your estimation of him, by five shekels of silver in the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty meahs.

17. However, a firstborn ox or a firstborn sheep or a firstborn goat shall not be redeemed, for they are holy; their blood shall be sprinkled on the altar, and their fats shall be burned as a fire-offering, as a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.

17. But the firstlings of oxen, of sheep, or of goats you may not redeem, for they are sacred; but you will sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and burn their fat for an oblation to be accepted before, the LORD.

18. Their flesh shall be yours; like the breast of the waving and the right thigh, it shall be yours.

18. And their flesh will be yours, for food; as the breast of the elevation, and as the right shoulder, it will be yours.

19. All the gifts of the holy [offerings] which are set aside by the children of Israel for the Lord I have given to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as an eternal portion; it is like an eternal covenant of salt before the Lord, for you and your descendants with you.

19. Everything set apart of the sacred things which the sons of Israel consecrate to the LORD have I given to you, to your sons and your daughters with you, by a perpetual statute not to be abolished; as the salt which seasons the flesh of the oblation, because it is an everlasting statute before the LORD, so will it be for you and for your children.

20. The Lord said to Aaron, You shall not inherit in their land, and you shall have no portion among them. I am your inheritance and portion among the children of Israel.

20. And the LORD said to Aharon, You will not receive a possession in their land as the rest of the tribes, nor will you have a portion among them: I am your Portion and your Inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel.

21. And to the descendants of Levi, I have given all tithes of Israel as an inheritance, in exchange for their service which they perform-the service of the Tent of Meeting.

21. And, behold, I have given to the sons of Levi all the tenths in Israel for a possession, on account of their service with which they serve in the work of the tabernacle of ordinance.

22. The children of Israel shall therefore no longer approach the Tent of Meeting, lest they bear sin and die.

22. And the sons of Israel will no more come near the tabernacle to incur the sin unto death;

23. The Levites shall perform the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they will bear their iniquity; it is an eternal statute for your generations, but among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

23. but the Levites will minister in the work of the tabernacle, and will bear their sin if they be not diligent in their work. It is an everlasting statute for your generations; but among the sons of Israel they will have no possession.

24. For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they shall set aside for the Lord as a gift, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance. Thus, I have said to them that they shall have no inheritance among the children of Israel.

24. Therefore the tenths of the children of Israel, which they set apart for a separation before the LORD, have I given to the Levites for a possession, because I have said to them that among the sons of Israel they will possess no inheritance.

25. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

25. And the LORD spoke with Mosheh, saying:

26. Speak to the Levites and tell them, "When you take the tithe from the children of Israel which I have given you from them as your inheritance, you shall set aside from it a gift for the Lord, a tithe of the tithe.

26. Speak to the Levites, and bid them take from the sons of Israel the tenth which I have given them for their possession; and (then) will you separate from it a separation before the LORD, a tenth from the tenth;

27. Your gift shall be considered for you as grain from the threshing-floor and as the produce of the vat.

27. and your separation will be reckoned to you as the corn from the threshing floor, and as the wine from the fullness of the winepress:

28. So shall you too set aside a gift for the Lord from all the tithes you take from the children of Israel, and you shall give there from the Lord's gift to Aaron the priest.

28. so will you set apart your separation before the LORD from all your tenths, which you may receive from the sons of Israel, and give thereof a separation before the LORD unto Aharon the priest.

29. From all your gifts, you shall set aside every gift of the Lord, from its choicest portion, that part of it which is to be consecrated."

29. Of all your gifts you will set apart a separation before the LORD, of all the finest and the best therein.

30. Say to them, "When you separate its choicest part, it shall be considered for the Levites as produce from the threshing-floor and as produce from the vat.

30. And say you to the priests, When you have set apart the finest and the best of it and in it, then will it be reckoned to the Levites as the setting apart of corn from the threshing floor, and of wine from the winepress.

31. You and your household may eat it anywhere, for it is your wage for you in exchange for your service in the Tent of Meeting.

31. And you may eat it, you, the priests, in any place, you and the men of your house; for it is your remuneration for your service in the tabernacle of ordinance.

32. After you separate the choicest part from it, you shall not bear any sin on account of it, but you shall not profane the sacred [offerings] of the children of Israel, so that you shall not die.

32. And you will not contract guilt by it, at what time you set apart the finest and best of it, by any one eating of it who is unclean; neither will you profane the consecrated things of the children of Israel, lest you die.

 

 

 

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. 44-66.

 

 

Summary of the Torah Seder - B’Midbar (Num.) 17:16 - 18:32

 

·        Numbers 17:16-28 Vindication of Aharon – the rod of Aharon buds and brings forth fruit.

·        Numbers 18:1-7 Duties and Emoluments of Priests and Levites.

·        Numbers 18:8-20 The Dues of the Priests from the people.

·        Numbers 18:21-24 The Dues of the Levites from the people.

·        Numbers 18:25-32 The Dues of the Priests from the Levites.

 

 

Welcome to the World of P’shat Exegesis

 

In order to understand the finished work of the P’shat mode of interpretation of the Torah, one needs to take into account that the P’shat is intended to produce a catechetical output, whereby a question/s is/are raised and an answer/a is/are given using the seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel and as well as the laws of Hebrew Grammar and Hebrew expression.

 

The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as follows

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

Rashi Commentary for: B’Midbar (Num.) 17:16 – 18:32

 

18 for... one staff... Although I have divided them into two families, the family of kehunah separate and the family of the Levites separate, it is, nevertheless, one tribe.

 

20 and I will calm down Heb. וַהֲשִׁכּֽתִי , as in “and the waters subsided וַיָּשֽׁכּוּ ” (Gen. 8:1); [and in] “and the king’s anger abated שָׁכָכָה ” (Esther 7:10).

 

21 amidst their staffs He placed it in the middle so that they should not say that it blossomed because he had placed it close to the Divine Presence.- [Mid. Tanchuma Acharei Moth 8]

 

23 It gave forth blossoms [This is to be understood] in its literal sense.

 

buds This is the budding of the fruit after the blossom falls off.

 

and produced ripe almonds Heb. וַיִּגְמֽל , when the fruit was recognizable, it was recognized that they were almonds. A similar expression is as found in “and the child grew and was weaned וַיִּגָמֵל ” (Gen. 21:8). This expression is frequently found used in reference to fruits of the tree, as in “and the buds turn into ripening grapes גֽמֵל ” (Isa. 18:5). Now why [did it bear particularly] almonds? That is the fruit that blossoms quicker than other fruits. Likewise, he who opposes the kehunah ; his punishment comes quickly, as we find in the case of Uzziah: “and the tzara’ath shone upon his forehead” (II Chron. 26:19) (See also Rashi on Jer. 1:12). The Targum [Onkelos] renders ‘knotted almonds,’ like a cluster of almonds knotted together one on top of the other.

 

25 Then their complaints will end [The word] וּתְכַל is equivalent to וְתִכְלֶה . The term תְּלוּנּֽתָם is a singular feminine verbal noun, similar to תְּלוּנָּתָם (their complaint), in French, murmures, murmurings. There is a distinction between תְּלוּנָּתָם and תְּלוּנּוֹתָם , the former being a single complaint and the latter a singular noun [collective], even when there are many complaints. (FOOTNOTE: The word וּתְכַל can possibly be used as a transitive verb in the second person singular, masculine gender [you shall end], or as an intransitive verb in the third person singular, feminine gender [she/it shall end]. Therefore, Rashi first establishes that וּתְכַל is equivalent to וְתִכְלֶה , intransitive, here meaning, it [the complaint] shall end, for if it were transitive, referring to Moses [and you, Moses, shall end] it would be vowelized as וּתְכַלֶּה uthechaleh. Having clarified that point, Rashi now explains that it should have said וְתִכְלֶינֶה [in the plural] rather than וּתְכַל , equivalent to וְתִכְלֶה [in the singular], since it refers to תְּלוּנּוֹת , which is plural, and therefore the verb וּתְכַל should conform with it and likewise be in the plural. Rashi therefore explains that תְּלוּנּֽתָם is a collective singular noun and thus a singular verb may precede it.)

 

as a keepsake and a sign As a remembrance that I have chosen Aaron to be kohen, so they will no longer complain about the kehunah.

 

28 Whoever comes the closest We cannot be careful of that. We are all permitted to enter the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting, but one who goes closer than his fellow and proceeds into the Tent of Meeting will die.

 

Have we been consigned to die Have we been abandoned for death?

 

Chapter 18

 

1 The Lord said to Aaron [God did not say directly to Aaron but] He said [this] to Moses to say to Aaron (Sifrei Korach 17) and caution him regarding regulations for the [benefit of the] Israelites, that they should not enter the Sanctuary.

 

You, your sons and your father’s house They are the sons of Kohath, who was Amram’s father.-[Midrash Aggadah]

 

Shall bear the iniquity associated with the Sanctuary I impose upon you the punishment of the outsiders who sin regarding the sacred objects entrusted to you; the Tent, the ark, the table, and the sacred vessels. You shall sit and warn any unauthorized person who attempts to touch [the sacred objects].

 

and you and your sons The kohanim.

 

shall bear the sin associated with your kehunah For it is not given over to the Levites. You shall warn the Levites who might inadvertently err, that they may not touch you during your [performance of the] service.

 

2 Also... your brethren The sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari.- [Midrash Aggadah]

 

and they shall join you They shall join you to warn any outsiders not to approach them.

 

4 and no outsider shall approach you You I am cautioning about this.

 

5 that there be no more wrath As there had been previously, as it says, “for wrath is gone forth” (17:11). -[Sifrei Korach 11]

 

6 They are given to you as a gift I might think [that they are given to you] for your mundane work. Therefore, it says, “to the Lord” as explained above, to be responsible for the posts of treasurers and administrators.- [Sifrei Korach 12]

 

7 the service as a gift I have given it to you as a gift.

 

8 Behold I have given you with joy. It [the word “behold”] is an expression of joy, as in “Behold, he is coming forth toward you, and when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart” (Exod. 4:14). This may be compared to a king who gave a field to his friend but did not write nor sign [a deed], and did not record it in court. A person came and contested [his ownership] of the field. The king said to him: [It seems that] anyone may come and contest your rights. Behold, I will write and sign [a deed] for you, and record it in court. Here, too, since Korah came and made a claim against Aaron regarding the kehunah, Scripture comes and gives him twenty-four ‘gifts’ of kehunah as an everlasting covenant of salt. This is why this section is placed here [after the rebellion of Korah].-[Sifrei Korach 18, 19]

 

the charge of My gift [offerings] That you must keep them in a state of purity. -[Bech. 34a]

 

for distinction Heb. לְמָשְׁחָה , for greatness.-[Sifrei Korach 20, Chul. 132b]

 

9 from the fire After the burning of the sacrificial parts.

 

All their offerings The communal peace-offerings.

 

Their meal-offerings, their sin-offerings, their guilt-offerings As the literal meaning indicates.[Sifrei Korach 21]

 

what they return to Me This refers to stolen property of a proselyte.-[Sifrei Korach 21, Zev. 44b. See Rashi on Num. 5:8]

 

10 You shall eat it in the holiest of places... This teaches us that [sacrifices] of the highest degree of holiness are to be eaten only in the courtyard and [only] by the male kohanim.-[Sifrei Korach 22]

 

11 what is set aside for their gifts That is separated from the thanksgiving offering and from the peace-offering and from the Nazirite ram. -[Sifrei Korach 24]

 

All the wavings Since these require waving. -[Sifrei Korach 25]

 

Any [ritually] clean And not those who are ritually unclean (Sifrei Korach 25). Another interpretation: Anyone ritually clean, including his [the kohen’s] wife.--[Sifrei Korach 29]

 

12 the first This refers to terumah gedolah [the kohen’s portion of the produce separated by Israelites].

 

18 like the breast of the waving and the right thigh Of the peace-offering which is eaten by the kohanim, their wives, their children and their slaves for two days and one night. So may the firstborn [animal] be eaten for two days and one night.-[Zev. 57a, Sifrei Korach 42]

 

it shall be yours R. Akiva taught: [By repeating the words “shall be yours”] Scripture adds another ‘being,’ so that you should not say [that it is] like the breast and thigh of the thanksgiving offering, which is eaten only for [one] day and [one] night.-[Zev. 57a]

 

19 All the gifts of the holy [offerings] Because this passage is so cherished, it is generalized at the beginning, generalized at the end, and detailed in the middle.-[Sifrei Korach 43]

 

An eternal covenant of salt He enacted a covenant with Aaron, with an object that is wholesome and lasting, and keeps other foodstuffs wholesome.- [Sifrei Korach 43]

 

covenant of salt Like a covenant made with salt, that it should never spoil.

 

20 and you shall have no portion among them Even in the spoils of war.- [Sifrei Korach 45]

 

23 and they The Levites shall bear the iniquity of the Israelites, for it is their duty to warn outsiders against approaching them.

 

24 which they shall set aside for the Lord as a gift Heb. תְּרוּמָה . Scripture calls it תְּרוּמָה , a gift, until he separates a gift [for the kohanim] from the tithes [received by the Levite from an Israelite].- [Sifrei Korach 53]

 

27 Your gift shall be considered for you, as grain from the threshing-floor Your gift separated from the tithe is forbidden to outsiders and to ritually unclean [people], and they incur the death penalty and [if eaten unintentionally] and [they are liable to pay] an additional fifth, just as in the case of the gift set aside by Israelites for the kohanim, which is called the first grain from the threshing-floor.-[Midrash Aggadah]

 

and the produce of the vat Like the gifts of wine and oil taken from the vats.

 

produce Heb. מְלֵאָה , lit., fullness, a term denoting ripening produce which has grown to its full [size].

 

vat Heb. יֶקֶב . This is the pit in front of the press into which the wine flows. The term יֶקֶב always denotes an excavation in the ground. Similarly, “the pits (יִקְבֵי) of the king” (Zech. 14:10), referring to the ocean—an excavation ‘dug’ by the King of the world. -[Peskita d’Rav Kahana p. 143; see also Song Rabbah 7:3, Mattenoth Kehunnah, Redal]

 

28 So shall you too set aside Just as the Israelites set aside [a portion] from their threshing-floors and from their wine vats [for the kohanim], so shall you, too, set aside [a portion] from your tithes, for that is your inheritance.

 

29 From all that is given to you, you shall set aside all God’s gifts Scripture refers to terumah gedolah [the gift set aside by the Israelites for the kohanim]. If the Levite preceded the kohen to the bin and accepted his tithes before the kohen took his terumah gedolah from the storage bin, the Levite must first separate one fiftieth from the tithe as terumah gedolah and then again separate another gift from the tithe.-[Shab. 127b]

 

30 When you separate its choicest part After you have separated a gift from the tithes.

 

it shall be considered The remainder shall be for the Levites and contain no sanctity whatsoever.

 

As produce from the threshing-floor For the Israelites. So that you should not say: Since Scripture calls it תְּרוּמָה , “a gift,” as it says, “For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they shall set aside for the Lord as a gift” (18:24), one might think it is completely forbidden [i.e., that it would retain its sanctity]. Thus, Scripture tells us that it shall be considered to the Levites like the produce of the threshing-floor; just as that of the Israelites is non-sacred [after the terumah gift has been set aside from it], so is that of the Levites non-sacred.-[Sifrei Korach 70]

 

31 Anywhere Even in a cemetery.-[Sifrei Korach 71, Yev. 86b]

 

32 You shall not bear any sin on account of it However, if you do not set aside [a portion], you will bear a sin.-[Yev. 89b, Rashi]

 

So that you shall not die However, if you do profane it, you shall die.-[Bech. 26b]

 

 

Ketubim: Psalm 103:1-22

 

Rashi

Targum

1. Of David. My soul, bless the Lord, and all my innards, His holy name.

1. Composed by David, spoken in prophecy. Bless, O my soul, the name of the LORD, and let all my viscera bless His holy name.

2. My soul, bless the Lord and do not forget any of His benefits.

2. Bless, O my soul, the name of the LORD, and do not forget all His nourishment, for He made breasts for your mother instead of insight.

3. Who forgives all your iniquity, Who heals all your illnesses.

3. Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.

4. Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with kindness and mercy.

4. Who redeems your life from Gehinnom, who crowned you with kindness and mercy.

5. Who sates your mouth with goodness, that your youth renews itself like the eagle.

5. Who satisfies the days of your old age with goodness, and in the age to come, your youth will be renewed like the eagle of the canopy.

6. The Lord performs charitable deeds and judgment for all oppressed people.

6. The LORD does acts of righteousness/generosity, and judgments for all the oppressed.

7. He makes His ways known to Moses, to the children of Israel His deeds.

7. He revealed His ways to Moses, His deeds to the children of Israel.

8. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and with much kindness.

8. The LORD is merciful and compassionate; He loathes anger and does many deeds of goodness and truth.

9. He will not quarrel to eternity, and He will not bear a grudge forever.

9. He will not quarrel always, nor will He retain hostility forever.

10. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor has He repaid us according to our iniquities.

10. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor has He repaid us according to our iniquities.

11. For, as the height of the heavens over the earth, so great is His kindness toward those who fear Him.

11. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His goodness to those who fear Him.

12. As the distance of east from west, He distanced our transgressions from us.

12. As far as the east is from the west, thus far has He removed from us our transgressions.

13. As a father has mercy on sons, the Lord had mercy on those who fear Him.

13. As a father (Abba) who loves the children, so the LORD loves those who fear Him.

14. For He knows our creation; He remembers that we are dust.

14. For He knows our evil impulse that makes us sin; in His presence it is remembered, for we are from dust.

15. As for man-his days are like grass; like a flower of the field, so does he sprout.

15. The days of a son of man are like grass; like a blossom of the field, so will he bloom.

16. For a wind passes over him and he is no longer here; and his place no longer recognizes him.

16. For a storm-wind has blown on him and he is no more; and he no longer is aware of his place.

17. But the Lord's kindness is from everlasting to everlasting, and His charity to sons of sons.

17. But the favor of the LORD is upon those that fear Him, from this age to the age to come; and His generosity is for the children of their children.

18. To those who keep His covenant and to those who remember His commandments to perform them.

18. For those who keep His covenant, and for those who remember His commandments to do them.

19. The Lord established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.

19. The LORD has established His throne in the highest heavens; and His kingdom rules over all.

20. Bless the Lord, His angels, those mighty in strength, who perform His word, to hearken to the voice of His word.

20. Bless the name of the LORD, O His angels, who are mighty in power, who do His word, to obey the sound of His word.

21. Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His ministers, those who do His will.

21. Bless the name of the LORD, all His hosts, His ministers who do His will.

22. Bless the Lord, all His works, in all the places of His dominion; my soul, bless the Lord.

22. Bless the name of the LORD, all His works, His dominion is in every place. Bless, O my soul, the name of the LORD.

 

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary to Psalm 103:1-22

 

1 My soul, bless There are five mentions of “My soul, bless” here, corresponding to the five worlds in which man lives, as our Sages said in Tractate Berachoth (10a): “He lived in his mother’s womb, he sucked his mother’s breasts, and so all of them.”

 

5 that your youth renews itself like the eagle Like this eagle, which renews its wings and feathers from year to year. There is a Midrash Aggadah about a kind of eagle that returns to its youth when it becomes old.

 

7 He makes His ways known He makes His ways known to Moses.

 

14 He remembers that we are dust He remembers and has not forgotten that we are dust and He knows that: “As for manhis days, etc.”

 

16 For a wind passes over him If mortal illness passes over him.

 

22 Bless the Lord, all His works who are in all the places of His dominion.

 

 

 

Ashlamatah: Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 11:1-10

Rashi

Targum

1. And a shoot shall spring forth from the stem of Jesse, and a twig shall sprout from his roots.

1. And a king will come forth from the sons of Jesse, and the Messiah will be exalted from the sons of his sons.

2. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and heroism, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.

2. And a spirit before the LORD will rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.

3. And he shall be animated by the fear of the Lord, and neither with the sight of his eyes shall he judge, nor with the hearing of his ears shall he chastise.

3. And the LORD will bring him near to His fear. And he will not judge by the sight of his eyes, and he will not reprove by the hearing of his ears;

4. And he shall judge the poor justly, and he shall chastise with equity the humble of the earth, and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall put the wicked to death.

4. but in truth he will judge the poor, and reprove with faithfulness for the needy of the people, and he will strike the sinners of the land with the command of his mouth, and with the speaking of his lips the wicked will die.

5. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faith the girdle of his loins.

5. And the righteous/generous will be all around him, and the faithful will be brought near him.

6. And a wolf shall live with a lamb, and a leopard shall lie with a kid; and a calf and a lion cub and a fatling [shall lie] together, and a small child shall lead them.

6. In the days of the Messiah of Israel will peace increase in the land, and the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little suckling child shall lead them.

7. And a cow and a bear shall graze together, their children shall lie; and a lion, like cattle, shall eat straw.

7. The cow and the bear will feed; their young will lie down together; and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

8. And an infant shall play over the hole of an old snake and over the eyeball of an adder, a weaned child shall stretch forth his hand.

8. And the suckling child will play over the hole of an asp, and the weaned child will put his hands on the adder's eyeballs.

9. They shall neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mount, for the land shall be full of knowledge of the Lord as water covers the sea bed. {S}

9. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the fear of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

10. And it shall come to pass on that day, that the root of Jesse, which stands as a banner for peoples, to him shall the nations inquire, and his peace shall be [with] honor. {P}

10. And it will come to pass in that time that to the son of the son of Jesse who is about to stand as an ensign to the Gentiles, to him will kingdoms be obedient, and his resting place will be glorious.

 

 

 

Verbal Tallies

By: HH Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David

& HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

 

B’Midbar (Numbers) 17:16-18:32

Isaiah 11:1-10

Psalm 103:1-22

Mordechai 11:27-33

 

The verbal tallies between the Torah and the Ashlmata are:

LORD - יהוה, Strong’s number 03068.

 

The verbal tallies between the Torah and the Psalm:

LORD - יהוה, Strong’s number 03068.

Moses - משה, Strong’s number 04872.

Children - בן, Strong’s number 01121.

Israel - יהראל, Strong’s number 03478.

 

B’Midbar (Numbers) 17:16-19 And the LORD <03068> spake unto Moses <04872>, saying, 17  Speak unto the children <01121> of Israel <03478>, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers <01>, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers <01> twelve rods: write thou every man’s name <08034> upon his rod. 18  And thou shalt write Aaron’s name <08034> upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers <01>. 19  And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.

 

Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD <03068> shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD <03068>;

 

Psalm 103:1 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD <03068>, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name <08034>.

Psalm 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses <04872>, his acts unto the children <01121> of Israel <03478>.

Psalm 103:13   Like as a father <01> pitieth his children <01121>, so the LORD <03068> pitieth them that fear him.

 

Hebrew:

 

Hebrew

English

Torah Seder

Num 17:1-18:32

Psalms

Psa103:1-22

Ashlamatah

Isa 11:1-10

אָב

father

Num. 17:2

Ps. 103:13

אָכַל

eat

Num. 18:10

Isa. 11:7

אֶרֶץ

earth, land, ground

Num. 18:13

Ps. 103:11

Isa. 11:4

אֲשֶׁר

which, whom, where

Num. 17:4

Isa. 11:10

בֵּן

sons

Num. 17:2

Ps. 103:7

בְּרִית

covenant

Num. 18:19

Ps. 103:18

גָּמַל

bore, rewarded, weaned

Num. 17:8

Ps. 103:10

Isa. 11:8

דָּבָר

concerning, word

Num. 18:7

Ps. 103:20

הִיא

himself, which

Num. 18:16

Ps. 103:14

חֵטְא

sin

Num. 18:22

Ps. 103:10

יהוה

LORD

Num. 17:1

Ps. 103:1

Isa. 11:2

יוֹם

day

Ps. 103:15

Isa. 11:10

יָצָא

put forth, spring

Num. 17:8

Isa. 11:1

יִשְׂרָאֵל

Israel

Num. 17:2

Ps. 103:7

כִּי

when

Num. 18:26

Ps. 103:16

כֹּל

all

Num. 17:2

Ps. 103:1

Isa. 11:9

כֵּן

so

Num. 17:11

Ps. 103:15

לֹה

nor, or

Num. 18:3

Ps. 103:9

Isa. 11:3

מוּת

die, slay

Num. 17:10

Isa. 11:4

מָקוֹם

place, anywhere

Num. 18:31

Ps. 103:16

מֹשֶׁה

Moses

Num. 17:1

Ps. 103:7

נוּחַ

deposit, rest

Num. 17:4

Isa. 11:2

עוֹד

longer

Num. 18:5

Ps. 103:16

עוֹלָם

forever, perpetual

Num. 18:8

Ps. 103:9

עָוֹן

guilt, iniquities

Num. 18:1

Ps. 103:3

עַל

against

Num. 17:5

Ps. 103:11

קֹדֶשׁ

holy, sanctuary

Num. 18:3

Ps. 103:1

Isa. 11:9

רוּחַ

wind, spirit

Ps. 103:16

Isa. 11:2

שֵׁבֶט

tribe, rod

Num. 18:2

Isa. 11:4

שֵׁם

name

Num. 17:2

Ps. 103:1

שָׁמַר

attend, keep

Num. 18:3

Ps. 103:18

שָׁרַת

serve

Num. 18:2

Ps. 103:21

hf'['

did, performs

Num. 17:11

Ps. 103:6

#Wc

produce, flourishes

Num. 17:8

Ps. 103:15

 

 

Greek:

 

Greek

English

Torah Seder

Num 17:16-18:32

Psalms

Psa103:1-22

Ashlamatah

Isa 11:1-10

NC

Mk 11:27-33

ἄνθρωπος

man, men

Num 18:15

Psa 103:15

Mar 11:30 

δίδωμι

give, given

Num 18:6 

Mar 11:28

ἔπω

said, say

Num 18:1

Mar 11:29

ἐρέω

tell, say

Num 18:24

Mar 11:29

λέγω

say, saying

Num 18:25

Mar 11:28

λογίζομαι

considered

Num 18:27

Mar 11:31

λόγος

matter,word

Psa 103:20

Isa 11:4

Mar 11:29 

ποιέω

make, do

Psa 103:6

Mar 11:28 

φοβέω

fear

Psa 103:11

Mar 11:32 

 

 

Mishnah Pirke Abot V:1

 

The world was created by ten statements. And what does this come to teach us? Could it not have been created by one statement? This was in ‎order to take payment from the wicked who destroy the world that was created by ten statements, and to give a good reward to the righteous/generous who ‎sustain the world that was created by ten statements.‎

 

Abarbanel on Pirke Abot

By: Abraham Chill

Sepher Hermon Press, Inc. 1991

ISBN 0-87203-135-7

(pp. 313-318)

 

Abarbanel begins his commentary to this Mishnah with a very lengthy introduction, which, in keeping with the symmetry of the Mishnah, includes ten "introductions," as he calls them, and ten specific questions on the form and substance of the Mishnah.

 

The Mishnah, he claims, is composed of three parts: an assumption, i.e., that the world was created by ten statements; a question, i.e., it could have been created by one statement; and an answer, i.e., God created the world by ten statements in order to punish the wicked more and reward the righteous more. A close reading of the Mishnah reveals that just as it talks of ten statements, it contains ten true "introduc­tions," by which Abarbanel means ten basic doctrines:

 

1.      The world was created, and is not, as some philosophers believe, eternal. Similarly, creation does not mean that a change was effected in some primordial or hylic matter that already existed, as Plato taught and in which he was followed by Rabbi Levi ben Gershon (Gersonides), but that the world was created ex nihilo, something out of nothing, and that before the creation, nothing existed. Rambam (Guide for the Perp­lexed, Part 2, Chapter 30) has already pointed out that the only word in the Hebrew language to indicate creation after a state of absolute nothingness is bara.

 

2.      The world was created by a statement. This means that Almighty God did not create the world by physical labor nor through a natural process, but by statements. (This is the meaning of verses such as "God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light" [Genesis 1:3].) Rambam (ibid., Part 1, Chapter 61) explains that in this context "said" really means "wanted" and just as "said" is thus a borrowed term, so is "ceased" or "rested" as used in Genesis 2:3.

 

3.      The number of statements made by God to create the world was exactly ten. The number one refers to God Himself who is in the beginning and the prime cause of all existence. In order to make the number ten a holy number, there are ten divine spheres (sefirot) and ten commandments were given at Mt. Sinai.

 

4.      God could have created the world by one statement, since His ability is infinite. Since He could create something out of nothing, He could certainly have done so by one statement.

 

5.      It would have been more fitting if He had created the world by one statement, since duplication and redundancy are not natural. This the thrust of the question in the Mishnah.

 

6.      God observes the activities of each individual person to see whether they are good or bad and whether the person is to be rewarded or punished. This is the meaning of " ... to take payment from the wicked ... and to give a good reward to the righteous/generous ...”

 

7.      The wicked, by their wickedness, destroy the world. This means that they do not only destroy themselves, but also the entire world.

 

8.      The punishment of the wicked is not only in accordance with the sin they committed, but also in accordance with the number of statements which created the world they destroy by their sin.

 

9.      Righteous/generous people, by their righteousness/generosity, sustain the existence of the world.

 

10.   The reward of the righteous/generous is not only in accordance with the mitzvoth they performed; it is also in accordance with the number of statements which created the world which they sustain.

 

Abarbanel continues: Just as there are ten basic doctrines in this Mishnah, so too are there ten difficulties in it. His interpretation of the Mishnah solves them all.

 

The main thrust of this chapter is to inform us that the world was created only for the honor of God. That is to say, in order that every creature should acknowledge that it was God who created and fashioned him.

 

Why did the Sage lay so much stress on this theme? Why is it so important that it had to be brought out at this junction? Abarbanel is true to form and not only makes an effort to weave one Mishnah of a chapter into the previous Mishnah; he also does this with the chapters themselves. Since the last Mishnah of Chapter IV discusses the subject of resurrection, the significance of which is to demonstrate to the world that He is God, the Creator of the world and possesses the power to recreate and resurrect at His will, the first Mishnah of this chapter substantiates and endorses that theme by stating that the world was created by ten statements that God uttered.

 

The special inference is that the wicked person distances mankind from its purpose, whereas the righteous/generous person brings it nearer. It is in this light that we can understand the dictum in the Talmud, "God made a provision at the time of the creation that if the Children of Israel accept the Torah, all would be well; if not He would return it [the world] to its primordial state - unformed and void" (Shabbat 88a). Furthermore, in the last Mishnah of Chapter IV Rabbi Elazar ha-Kapar reflects that men are created against their will and that God is the Creator of all. Our Mishnah therefore, is a continuation of this topic and endeavors to explain and clarify the entire concept of creation.

 

Abarbanel discusses the exact identification of the ten statements in detail. If the term "statement" refers to the verses in the account of the creation which read, "And God said: 'Let there be ... ," there are only nine such verses. The Talmud itself (Rosh ha-Shanah 32a) raises this question and answers that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth ... " must also be considered a "statement," as it is writ­ten, "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made" (Psalms 33:6). This leads Abarbanel into the correct interpretation of the first word of the Book of Genesis, Be-resheet. Rashi interprets this word as being in the construct state and thus the verse should be read: "When God began to create [literally: At the beginning of God's creation of] the heaven and the earth, the earth was unformed and void ... God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light" (Genesis 1:1-3). Ramban understood Rashi to mean that the first thing to be created was light and objects on the grounds that the luminaries in the firmament were created on the fourth day, not the first.

 

Abarbanel claims that Ramban misunderstood Rashi, since accord­ing to Rashi the first verse is to be understood thus: The first thing that God created was the material from which heaven and earth were created and at that stage in the process heaven and earth were void and darkness hovered over the surface of the deep ... Therefore, God said: Let there be light. However, the first creation was the primordial material. Thus, בְּרֵאשִׁית can also be considered a statement, in the sense of the Divine will, and make up the number ten. The phrase "And God said ... " was not used, because at that stage nothing existed for God to address.

 

However, Abarbanel prefers to find the tenth statement elsewhere. He argues that the statements must relate to the created world as we know it, which the creation of the primordial material does not. (This is particularly true in view of the main teaching of the Mishnah, which is that the wicked destroy the world which was so created - this cannot refer to the very first act of creation.)

 

Abarbanel, therefore, takes "And God blessed them [i.e., Adam and Eve] and God said to them: Be fertile and increase ... " (verse 28). This is legitimate since this verse appears before the heaven and earth were finished, whereas the rest of God's statements to Adam and Eve occur after the creation was completed. Abarbanel points out that God's blessing to the fish to be fertile and multiply is not given with the formula "And God said ... ", The ten statements are thus:

 

1.         Let there be light (verse 3).

2.         Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water (verse 6).

3.         Let the water below the sky be gathered (verse 9).

4.         Let the earth sprout vegetation (verse 11).

5.         Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky (verse 14).

6.         Let the water bring forth swarms of living creatures (verse 20).

7.         Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature (verse 24).

8.         Let us make man in our image (verse 26).

9.         Be fertile and increase (verse 28)

10.      See, I give you every seed-bearing plant ... for food (verse 29).

 

Abarbanel explains the fact that there is no "And God said" with regards to the fish in the sea. The Torah merely says, "And God blessed them saying: Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water." When man was told to be fruitful and multiply, however, the creation formula is used. The fish in the waters were given only the natural instincts to multiply and reproduce. This propensity was a gift to them from God. Man, on the other hand, besides the physical lust to be fruitful was also accorded the privilege of fulfilling a mitzvah. The statement, "And He said,” therefore adds a dimension of performing God's will to the act of procreation.

 

Abarbanel also offers a homiletic interpretation of the first verse of Genesis: At the beginning - before everything else - man must believe that God created the heaven and the earth. This is the basis of all Jewish belief.

 

Abarbanel finally turns to the substance of our Mishnah which asks why God had to create the world in ten utterances, when He could have accomplished the same in one statement. To elaborate on this, Abar­banel muses that at this point all agree that the heavens and the earth, the celestial bodies and all the components of living were created ex-nihilo, without any intermediary agent. If this be true God could have allowed all later creations to evolve by themselves on the strength of. and by means of, the first creation. Thus, the question in our Mishnah will read: Why did God have to speak ten times to create the world when, having provided the ingredients for the rest of the cre­ation, He needed but to utter one proclamation.

 

Abarbanel cites Rabbi Mattityah who takes an entirely different direction. Why did God create both destructible and indestructible things? Would not one statement have been sufficient to bring into existence only the everlasting and the perpetual? Furthermore, why did God find it necessary to create in man moods and actions, both for good and for bad? Would it not have sufficed, and indeed been better, to have created one single type of human being, the virtuous man? Just one statement from God to indicate this preference would have ac­complished it.

 

In an effort to be evenhanded, Abarbanel asks why God deliberately chose to create the world with ten pronouncements in order to punish the sinners ten-fold? Would it not have been more charitable if He had created the world with one pronouncement in order to reduce the punishment? In answer, Abarbanel offers an analogy to a person who builds a home. He can give one order to the architects and builders: "Build me a home." Another person, however, confers with the archi­tects and builders on each detail and instructs them as to the specific measurements of the house and each room therein, what materials to use, and what appurtenances should adorn every nook and cranny. All this because his home is very dear to him.

 

So it is with God's world. He created the world with ten statements because it is so precious to Him. Therefore, when a sin is committed, the transgressor is, in effect, damaging God's priceless possession. Hence, God's severe punishment of the sinner is not simply because he went against His will, but because he damaged the image of the world which God, with care, love and dedication, created. In other words, this is an act of retaliation and revenge.

 

"It now becomes clear," says Abarbanel, "why man was created last. Until the very last moment, God was occupied in preparing the most detailed comforts and necessities for the benefit and pleasure of man." God considers Himself degraded and unappreciated, as it were, when man disrupts His hopes and all the planning that He invested in creating the world. 

 

Miscellaneous Interpretations ‎

 

Midrash Shemuel offers several interpretations for this Mishnah. If God had created the world with one pronouncement as He could have very well done, He would have been justified in destroying it on the first occasion people sinned. One utterance, one sin, one destruction! But, God, in His infinite compassion, wanted man to have ample time to recognize and acknowledge his sins and repent. This is why He waited ten generations from Adam to Noah - a generation tor each utterance.

 

Another interpretation: If God had destroyed the world when the first sin was perpetrated, it would have appeared that He was acting out of rage and vindic­tiveness. By creating the world with ten utterances, punishment assumes the nature of a debt being called in.

 

Another interpretation: If the world had been created with one declaration the wicked could argue that they were not really destroying the world, since it was shaky and insecure anyway, standing, as it were, on only one leg. Why should they be so severely penalized? Therefore, God created the world with ten declarations so that it would be tantamount to a world standing on ten feet which could only be destroyed by the wicked.

 

A major question arises: If God did not care to create the world by merely stating, "Let there be heaven and earth, light, ocean, etc.," what need was there to use the words, "And He said ... " for the creations of each day? The answer propounded revolves around the singular importance of man. God started with the less important creations and reached the pinnacle in the creation of man Otherwise one might believe that all creations are equal in importance.

 

Rambam's thinking on this Mishnah is similar to that of Midrash Shemuel, with a slight variation. To him the severe transgression of the sinners is the ruination of so many wonderful things that were created by God in the form of a special utterance.

 

Rabbenu Ovadiah: When one violates the word of God, he destroys himself, his own world. This is the inference of "to exact penalty from the wicked who destroy the world [i.e. their own world].

 

What Say the Nazarean Hakhamim?

 

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Yeshua the Messiah unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

 

Ephesians 4:24 And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness/generosity and true holiness.

 

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge [of the Torah] after the image of Him that created him.

 

Revelation 4:11 You are worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power: for You have created all things, and for Your pleasure they are and were created.

 

 


 

N.C.: Mark 11:27-33

 

CLV[1]

Magiera Peshitta NT[2]

Greek[3]

Delitzsch[4]

27. And they are coming again into Jerusalem. And at His walking in the sanctuary, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders are coming to Him,

27. And they came again to Jerusalem. And while he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and scribes and elders came to him.

27. Καὶ ἔρχονται πάλιν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ περιπατοῦντος αὐτοῦ ἔρχονται πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι

27 וַיָּשׁוּבוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ יְרוּשָׁלָיִם וַיְהִי הוּא מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו רָאשֵׁי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַסּוֹפְרִים וְהַזְּקֵנִים׃

28. and they said to Him, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gives you this authority, that you may be doing these things?

28. And they said to him, "With what authority do you do these [things]? And who gave you this authority to do these [things]?"

28. καὶ λεγουσιν αὐτῷ Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς καὶ τίς σοι τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ἔδωκεν ἵνα ταῦτα ποιῇς

28 וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו בְּאֵי־זוֹ רְשׁוּת אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה אֵלֶּה וּמִי נָתַן לְךָ אֶת־הָרְשׁוּת הַזֹּאת לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־אֵלֶּה׃

29. Now Jesus, answering, said to them, "I also will be inquiring of you one word, and answer Me, and I will be declaring to you by what authority I am doing these things."

29. And Jesus said to them, "I will ask you also a certain question that you might answer me. And I will tell you with what authority I do these [things].

29. δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ἐπερωτήσω ὑμᾶς κἀγὼ ἕνα λόγον καὶ ἀποκρίθητέ μοι καὶ ἐρῶ ὑμῖν ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιῶ·

29 וַיַּעַן יֵשׁוּעַ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם גַּם־אֲנִי אֶשְׁאֲלָה אֶתְכֶם דָּבָר אֶחָד וְאַתֶּם הֲשִׁיבוּנִי וְאֹמַר לָכֶם בְּאֵי־זוֹ רְשׁוּת אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה אֵלֶּה׃

30. The baptism of John - whence was it? Was it of heaven or of men? Answer Me!"

30. The baptism of John, from where was it, from heaven or from men? Tell me."

30. τὸ βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἦν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀποκρίθητέ μοι

30 טְבִילַת יוֹחָנָן הֲמִשָּׁמַיִם הָיָתָה אִם־מִבְּנֵי אָדָם הֲשִׁיבוּנִי׃

31. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we should be saying, 'Of heaven,' he will be declaring, 'Wherefore then, do you not believe him?'"

31. And they reasoned among themselves and said, "If we say to him that [it was] from heaven, he will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

31. καὶ ἐλογίζοντο πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς λέγοντες Ἐὰν εἴπωμεν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐρεῖ Διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ

31 וַיִּוָּעֲצוּ יַחְדָּו לֵאמֹר אִם־נֹאמַר מִשָּׁמַיִם יֹאמַר מַדּוּעַ אֵפוֹא לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בּוֹ׃

32. But may we be saying, 'Of men'? They feared the people, for all had it that John really was a prophet."

32. And [if] we say from men, there is the fear of the people, for all of them were regarding John to be truly a prophet."

32. ἀλλ᾽ ἐὰν εἴπωμεν Ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἐφοβοῦντο τὸν λαόν. ἅπαντες γὰρ εἶχον τὸν Ἰωάννην ὅτι ὄντως προφήτης ἦν

32 אוֹ הֲנֹאמַר מִבְּנֵי־אָדָם וַיִּירְאוּ אֶת־הָעָם כִּי־כוּלָּם חָשְׁבוּ אֶת־יוֹחָנָן לְנָבִיא בֶּאֱמֶת׃

33. And answering Jesus, they are saying, "We are not aware. And answering, Jesus is saying to them, "Neither am I telling you by what authority I am doing these things."

33. And they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know." He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these [things]."

33. καὶ ἀποκριθέντες λέγουσιν τῷ Ἰησοῦ Οὐκ οἴδαμεν καὶ Ἰησοῦς ἀποκριθεὶς λέγει αὐτοῖς Οὐδὲ ἐγὼ λέγω ὑμῖν ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιῶ

33 וַיַּעֲנוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־יֵשׁוּעַ לֹא יָדָעְנוּ וַיַּעַן יֵשׁוּעַ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם אִם־כֵּן גַּם־אֲנִי לֹא אֹמַר לָכֶם בְּאֵי־זוֹ רְשׁוּת אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה אֵלֶּה׃

 

 

 

 

 

 

HH Paqid Dr. Adon Eliyahu’s Rendition

 

27. ¶ And they (Yeshua and his talmidim), came again into Yerushalayim.  And as he (Yeshua) was walking around the Temple, the chief priests (of the Sadducees Heb. Tz'dukim) and the scribes (of the Sadducees - Heb. Tz'dukim) and the elders (Zekanim) (of the Sadducees - Heb. Tz'dukim) came to him,

28. and (they) said to him (Yeshua), By (in) what authority do you do these things? And who gave you the authority to do these things?

29. And Yeshua responded and said to them: I will ask of you one question, answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30. The immersion (Heb. Mikveh) of Yochanan, was it from (the) Heavens [God], or from men? Answer Me.

31. And they considered within themselves, saying, If we shall say, From (the) Heavens, he will say, why then did you not believe him?

32. But if we shall say, From men, they feared the people, for all held Yochanan to be a prophet indeed.

33. And they answered and said to Yeshua, We do not know. And Yeshua answering, said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

 

 

Hakham’s Commentary

 

28. and (they) said to him (Yeshua), By (in) what authority do you do these things? And who gave you the authority to do these things? – This is obviously a reference to the events that took place in the previous pericope when he cleared the court of the Gentiles from moneychangers and sellers of animals on the Sabbath. The Sadducaic/Temple authorities skit the appropriateness or not of the Master’s action in the court of the Gentiles, and now question who had given the Master “authority to do these things.” The argument could also have been put: “We are the Temple’s supreme authority, and what is allowed or not allowed in the Temple is our business and not yours. Do you follow a greater authority over the Temple than us?”

 

29. And Yeshua responded and said to them: I will ask of you one question, answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. - Beyer[5] finds the Greek expression: καὶ ἀποκρίθητέ μοιas reflecting Semitic syntax where the imperative is equivalent to a conditional clause – “and if you answer me.” This is no surprise since as we have advocated many a time, the Greek text reflects an original Hebrew document now lost, which was first translated to Greek and then retouched by Christian authorities and copyists.

 

30. The immersion (Heb. Mikveh) of Yochanan, was it from (the) Heavens (i.e. God), or from men? Answer Me. – The term “Heaven/s” is a circumlocution for “God” in Jewish texts, cf. Daniel 4:26. Now, Yochanan the Immerser was a Kohen himself, and if his immersion program was of G-d, then there is a higher authority in the Temple than the chief priests (of the Sadducees Heb. Tz'dukim) and the scribes (of the Sadducees - Heb. Tz'dukim) and the elders (Zekanim) (of the Sadducees - Heb. Tz'dukim) – i.e. G-d and His Torah! For, as our Torah Seder indicates, though the Priests have certain prerogatives over the Tabernacles, these prerogatives do not alleviate them from the just demands of the Torah – like not buying and selling on the court of the Gentiles on the Sabbath!

 

31. And they considered within themselves, saying, If we shall say, From (the) Heavens, he will say, why then did you not believe him? – This of course, would have exposed their illegitimacy to serve in the Temple, or to claim to have any authority over the Temple grounds.

 

32. But if we shall say, From men, they feared the people, for all held Yochanan to be a prophet indeed. – This and the previous verse, proves that the people of Israel in their great majority had accepted Yeshua, the problem was with its leadership which was sick, and described previously by the unfruitful fig tree.

 

33. And they answered and said to Yeshua, We do not know. And Yeshua answering, said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things. – As Evans[6] puts it:

 

“We do not know,” gives the ruling priests’ response to the counter question. By giving an evasive answer and failing to answer Yeshua’s challenge, the authorities sacrifice their opportunity to force Yeshua to indict himself. The irony of this scene can hardly be overlooked. Ostensibly there to protect the Temple as G-d’s house from arbitrary acts of unauthorized persons and to take action against just such persons, these representatives of Jewish authority and the ranking priests show their true colours. Rather than defend the Temple, they protect themselves. In doing so, they betray their own selfish concerns and their inability to respond to and for G-d, who confronts them in the persons of Yochanan and of Yeshua. Their answer demonstrates their unbelief. At the very least, their admission, “we do not know,” if taken at face value, is an embarrassing surrender of the field. If their admission is not taken at face value but is recognized for the dodge that it is, then it is an embarrassing public display of cowardice. 

 

This brings us to the concept which the Greeks call ἐξουσία (Exusia – Srng’s # G1849) and normally translated as “authority.” There are two concepts of authority, one that is patronizing – i.e. I have the authority therefore do this or that; the second is what I call consensual – i.e. the Torah says to do this or that as is found in ... and I am here to help you do this or that.

 

Surely there is room sometimes because of lack of time or in imminent danger that authority needs to be exercised in a patronizing way. But these occasions should not be the norm of expressing authority. The Master well taught:

 

“But Yeshua called them to him, and saith unto them, You know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise [despotic] lordship over them; and their great ones exercise [despotic] authority upon them. But so will it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, will be your servant [to help you observe the directives or commandments].” (Mark 10:42-43).

 

True and genuine leadership has much more in common with a “coach” or a “mentor” than with a “military sergeant”! This is not to say that there are legitimate occasions and circumstances where what is needed is a military sergeant barking orders without any explanation as to their logic. One such a time is explained in the Nazarean Codicil, where a G-d fearing Roman Centurion said to the Master:

 

 

“The centurion answered and said, Master, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it. When Yeshua  heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Amen, amen I say unto you, I have not found so great faithful obedience, no, not in Israel.” (Matityahu 8:8-10)

 

But, overall, and in general, making room for extraordinary circumstance which requires a different leadership mode, genuine and true leadership needs to explain the logic for the commands or instructions, as well as to offer a helping hand to achieve such course of action/s.

 

When as a normal every day course of action a patronizing form of leadership is used, that leadership shows that it is week and subject to corruption, and other greater evils.

 

 

 

Some Questions to Ponder:

 

  1. From all the readings for this Shabbat, which reading touched your heart and fired your imagination?
  2. How is B’Midbar 17:17-18 related to B’Midbar 18:32?

3.      What question/s were asked of Rashi in B’Midbar 17:23?

4.      What question/s were asked of Rashi in B’Midbar 17:25?

5.      What question/s were asked of Rashi in B’Midbar 17:28?

6.      What question/s were asked of Rashi in B’Midbar 18:1?

7.      What question/s were asked of Rashi in B’Midbar 18:8?

8.      What question/s were asked of Rashi in B’Midbar 18:9?

9.      What question/s were asked of Rashi in B’Midbar 18:18?

10.   What question/s were asked of Rashi in B’Midbar 18:19?

11.   What question/s were asked of Rashi in B’Midbar 18:27?

12.   What question/s were asked of Rashi in B’Midbar 18:30?

13.   Why in your opinion did the chief priests choose not to confront the Master when he was overturning the tables of the money-changers in the court of the Gentiles on Shabbat but chose another occasion to confront him?

14.   In your opinion what is the intent of Hakham Tsefet’s pericope by the hand of his scribe Mordechai (Mark) for this Shabbat?

15.   What part of the Torah Seder fired the heart and imagination of the Psalmist for this week?

16.   What part of the Torah Seder fired the heart and the imagination of the prophet Yeshayahu this week?

17.   What part/s of the Torah Seder, Psalm, and the prophets fired the heart and the imagination of Hakham Tsefet for this week?

18.   When the chief priests answer to the Master: “we do not know,” – i.e. they could not say, whether one of their own priests was a prophet or not, what did they exactly convey to the Master and all the audience around them?

19.   Why did the chief priests asked “By (in) what authority do you do these things?‎" rather than just simply "Why do you do these things"?

20.   After taking into consideration all the above texts and our Torah Seder, what would you say is the general prophetic message from the Scriptures for this coming week?

 

Blessing After Torah Study

 

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

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

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

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

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

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

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

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

 

 


Counting of the Omer

http://www.betemunah.org/omer.html

 

Sundown Friday June the 3rd – 2011 – “Today is forty six days of the counting of the Omer”

Sundown Saturday June the 4th – 2011 – “Today is forty seven days of the counting of the Omer”

Sundown Sunday June the 5th – 2011 – “Today is forty eight days of the counting of the Omer”

Sundown Monday June the 6th – 2011 – “Today is forty nine days of the counting of the Omer”

Sundown Tuesday June the 7th – 2011 – Festival of Shabuoth (Pentecost) First Day

Sundown Wednesday June the 8th – 2011 – Festival of Shabuoth (Pentecost) Second Day

Cf. http://www.betemunah.org/shavuot.html & http://www.betemunah.org/freedom.html

 

 

Next Shabbat: Shabbat “Zot Chuqat HaTorah”

 

Shabbat

Torah Reading:

Weekday Torah Reading:

זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה

 

 

“Zot Chuqat HaTorah”

Reader 1 – B’Midbar 19:1-3

Reader 1 – B’Midbar 20:14-16

“This is the statute of the Law”

Reader 2 – B’Midbar 19:4-6

Reader 2 – B’Midbar 20:17-19

“Este es el estatuto de la Ley”

Reader 3 – B’Midbar 19:7-10

Reader 3 – B’Midbar 20:19-21

B’Midbar (Num) ‎19:1 - 20:13

Reader 4 – B’Midbar 19:11-16

 

Ashlamatah: Judges 11:1-11

Reader 5 – B’Midbar 19:17-22

 

 

Reader 6 – B’Midbar 20:1-6

Reader 1 – B’Midbar 20:14-16

Psalm 103:1-22

Reader 7 – B’Midbar 20:7-13

Reader 2 – B’Midbar 20:17-19

Pirqe Abot V:2

      Maftir: B’Midbar 20:7-13

Reader 3 – B’Midbar 20:19-21

N.C.: Mordechai 12:1-12

                - Judges 11:1-11

 

 

Shalom Shabbat !

 

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

HH Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David

HH Paqid Dr. Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham



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

[2] Magiera, J.M. (2009), Aramaic Peshitta New Testament: Vertical Interlinear, Light of the Word Ministry, Vol. III.

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

[4] Delitzsch, http://www.kirjasilta.net/ha-berit/

[5] Beyer, K. (1962). Semitische Syntax im Neuen Testament, Teil I: Satzlehre, SUNT, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht,  pp. 238-255.

[6] Evans, C.A. (2001). Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 34B: Mark 8:27 – 16:20, Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers, p. 207.