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

 

 

Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times: https://www.chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.htm

 

Roll of Honor:

This Commentary comes out weekly and on the festivals thanks to the great generosity of:

His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David and beloved wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah

His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,

His Honor Paqid Adon Tzuriel ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Gibora bat Sarah

Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family

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His Excellency Adon Robert Dick & beloved wife HE Giberet Cobena Dick

His Excellency Adon Ovadya ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Mirit bat Sarah

His Excellency Adon Shlomoh ben Abraham

His Excellency Adon Yaaqov ben David

His Excellency Adon Bill Haynes and beloved wife HE Giberet Diane Haynes

Her Excellency Giberet Krysta Wallrauch & beloved family

 

For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that GOD’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.

 

                                                                            

 

Blessings Before Torah Study

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

A Prayer for Israel

 

Our Father in Heaven, Rock, and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the first manifestation of the approach of our redemption. Shield it with Your lovingkindness, envelop it in Your peace, and bestow Your light and truth upon its leaders, ministers, and advisors, and grace them with Your good counsel. Strengthen the hands of those who defend our holy land, grant them deliverance, and adorn them in a mantle of victory. Ordain peace in the land and grant its inhabitants eternal happiness.

 

Lead them, swiftly and upright, to Your city Zion and to Jerusalem, the abode of Your Name, as is written in the Torah of Your servant Moses: “Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you. And the Lord your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it, and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers.” Draw our hearts together to revere and venerate Your name and to observe all the precepts of Your Torah, and send us quickly the Messiah son of David, agent of Your vindication, to redeem those who await Your deliverance.

We pray for his Honor Adon Tzuriel ben Avraham. Mi Sheberach…He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, may He bless and heal His Honor Paqid Tzuriel ben Avraham, May the Holy One, Blessed is He, be filled with compassion for him to restore his health, to heal him, to strengthen him, and to revivify him. And may He send him speedily a complete recovery from heaven, among the other sick people of Yisrael, a recovery of the body and a recovery of the spirit, swiftly and soon, and we will say amen ve amen!

 

Shabbat “Parah Adumah” – “A red heifer”

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·        The service of the Red Heifer - Numbers 19:1-10

·        The sprinkling of the ashes of the Red Heifer - Numbers 19:11-22

·        Miriam’s death and lack of water - Numbers 20:1-2

·        The people protest - Numbers 20:3-5

·        God commands Moses and Aaron to bring water - Numbers 20:6-8

·        Moses and Aaron err and are punished - Numbers 20:9-29

·        Amalek attacks - Numbers 21:1-3

·        A new challenge - Numbers 21:4-13

·        The song in the book of the wars of HaShem - Numbers 21:14-20

·        The battle with Sihon – Numbers 21:21-31

·        Og does battle - Numbers 21:31-35

 

 

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.

 

Welcome to the World of Remes Exegesis

 

Thirteen rules compiled by Rabbi Ishmael b. Elisha for the elucidation of the Torah and for making halakic deductions from it. They are, strictly speaking, mere amplifications of the seven Rules of Hillel, and are collected in the Baraita of R. Ishmael, forming the introduction to the Sifra and reading as follows:

 

1. Ḳal wa-ḥomer: Identical with the first rule of Hillel.
2. Gezerah shawah: Identical with the second rule of Hillel.
3. Binyan ab: Rules deduced from a single passage of Scripture and rules deduced from two passages. This rule is a combination of the third and fourth rules of Hillel.
4. Kelal u-Peraṭ: The general and the particular.
5. u-Peraṭ u-kelal: The particular and the general.
6. Kelal u-Peraṭ u-kelal: The general, the particular, and the general.
7. The general which requires elucidation by the particular, and the particular which requires elucidation by the general.
8. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it for pedagogic purposes elucidates the general as well as the particular.
9. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of the special regulation which corresponds in concept to the general, is thus isolated to decrease rather than to increase the rigidity of its application.
10. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of some other special regulation which does not correspond in concept to the general, is thus isolated either to decrease or to increase the rigidity of its application.
11. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of a new and reversed decision can be referred to the general only in case the passage under consideration makes an explicit reference to it.
12. Deduction from the context.
13. When two Biblical passages contradict each other the contradiction in question must be solved by reference to a third passage.

 

Rules seven to eleven are formed by a subdivision of the fifth rule of Hillel; rule twelve corresponds to the seventh rule of Hillel, but is amplified in certain particulars; rule thirteen does not occur in Hillel, while, on the other hand, the sixth rule of Hillel is omitted by Ishmael. With regard to the rules and their application in general. These rules are found also on the morning prayers of any Jewish Orthodox Siddur.

 

Reading Assignment:

 

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Bamidbar (Numbers) 19:1 – 22:1

 

 

Rashi Commentary for: ‎ Bamidbar (Numbers.) 19:1 – 22:1

 

2 This is the statute of the Torah Because Satan and the nations of the world taunt Israel, saying, “What is this commandment, and what purpose does it have?” Therefore, the Torah uses the term “statute.” I have decreed it; You have no right to challenge it. - [Yoma 67b]

 

and have them take for you It will always be called on your name; 'the cow which Moses prepared in the desert.’-[Mid. Tanchuma Chukath 8, see Etz Yosef]

 

perfectly red Heb. אֲדֻמָּה תְּמִימָה , lit., red, perfect. It shall be perfect in redness, so that two black hairs disqualify it. - [Sifrei Chukath 5]

 

3 Eleazar The mitzvah was performed by the deputy [to the kohen gadol]. - [Sifrei Chukath 8]

 

outside the camp Outside all three camps. - [Yoma 68a]

 

and slaughter it in his presence A non-kohen slaughters it while Eleazar watches. - [Yoma 42a]

 

4 toward the front of the Tent of Meeting [In later generations, when this rite will be performed outside the Temple in Jerusalem,] he is to stand to the east of Jerusalem and to direct his gaze toward the entrance to the Temple while sprinkling the blood. - [Sifrei Chukath 14]

 

7 enter the camp The camp of the Divine Presence, because no ritually unclean person is banished from two camps, except one who experienced a flow, one who experienced a seminal emission, or one afflicted with tzara’ath. [Hence, he is admitted to the one camp from which he was banished.] - [Pes. 67a]

 

and the kohen shall be unclean until evening Transpose it [the verse] and explain it [thus]: He shall be unclean until evening, and then he may enter the camp.

 

9 and place them outside the camp He divided it into three parts; one was put on the Mount of Olives, one was divided among all the watches, and one who put on the rampart surrounding the Temple area. The one given to the watches was outside the courtyard, allowing access to it for the inhabitants of outlying cities, whoever needed to purify himself. The one on the Mount of Olives was for the kohanim gedolim to sanctify themselves from it for use with other [red] cows. The one put on the rampart was kept as a keepsake by Scriptural ruling, as it says, "It shall be as a keepsake for the congregation of Israel. - [Sifrei Chukath 30, Parah 3:11 Tosefta Parah 3:8]

 

for sprinkling water Heb. לְמֵי נִדָּה, water used for sprinkling, as in, “they cast (וַיַּדּוּ) a stone at me” (Lam. 3:53); “to cast down (לְיַדּוֹת) the horns of the nations” (Zech. 2:4); an expression denoting throwing.

 

for purification - חַטָּאת, an expression of cleansing (חִטּוּי), according to its simple meaning, but according to its halachoth, Scripture calls it חַטָּאת, “sin-offering,” to tell us that it is like holy objects, and using it for personal benefit is forbidden. - [Sifrei Chukath 34]

 

12 He shall cleanse himself with it With these ashes. - [Sifrei Chukath 39]

 

13 corpse of a human soul Which type of corpse? That of a human soul, to exclude an animal, that its uncleanness does not require sprinkling. Another explanation: “Of a human soul” refers to a quarter [of a log] of blood [necessary for maintaining life] - [Chul. 72a]

 

he has defiled the Mishkan of the Lord If he enters the courtyard even after [ritual] immersion, without having been sprinkled on both the third and seventh days. - [Sifrei Chukath 45]

 

his uncleanness remains Although he [ritually] immersed himself. - [Sifrei Chukath 45]

 

14 anyone entering the tent while the corpse is inside.

 

15 any open vessel Scripture refers to an earthenware vessel, whose exterior does not accept contamination, only its interior. Thus, if the seal around its top is not securely fastened, it becomes contaminated. But if there is a securely fastened seal, it remains clean. - [Sifrei Chukath 50, Chul. 25a]

 

fastened Heb. פָּתִיל, an expression meaning “fastened” in Hebrew. Similarly, “[With] divine bonds נִפְתַּלְתּי, I have been joined, with my sister” (Gen. 30:8).

 

16 in an open field The Sages expounded [on this phrase] to include the top and side of a coffin (Sifrei Chukath 56, Chul. 72a). But the simple meaning is that in an open field, where there is no tent, a corpse contaminates through contact.

 

19 and he shall cleanse him This consummates his cleansing.

 

20 If a person becomes unclean... If “Sanctuary” is stated [here], why need it say “Mishkan ...” [in verse 13]? The answer is that if it would say “Mishkan,” I would say that the person is punished with excision only if he enters the Mishkan in a state of uncleanness because the Mishkan was anointed with the anointing oil, but if he enters the Temple in a state of uncleanness, he would not be punished since the Temple was not anointed with the anointing oil. If it would say, “Sanctuary,” denoting the Temple, I would say that only for entering the Temple in a state of uncleanness, would he be punished by excision because its sanctity is permanent, but for entering the Mishkan in a state of uncleanness, he would not be punished because its sanctity was temporary. Therefore, it was necessary to mention both,] ... as it is stated in [Tractate] Shevuoth [16b].

 

21 and the one who sprinkles the sprinkling waters Our Rabbis said that the one who sprinkles is actually ritually clean, but this teaches us that the one who carries the purifying waters becomes defiled with a stringent uncleanness, for even the clothes he is wearing are contaminated, unlike the one who merely touches [the sprinkling waters]. Scripture uses the expression מַזֵּה, “the one who sprinkles” to teach that the waters do not contaminate until there is an amount of water adequate for sprinkling. - [Yoma 14a]

 

and the one who touches... shall be unclean but he is not required to wash his clothes.

 

22 Whatever the unclean one touches I.e., this unclean one who was defiled by a corpse [touches], “becomes unclean.”

 

and anyone touching him, that is, the one defiled by a corpse-

 

shall be unclean until evening From here we derive that a corpse is the supreme source of contamination, whereas one touching it is a primary source of contamination, who can in turn defile another person [through contact]. This is the explanation [of this passage] according to its literal meaning and the laws associated with it.

 

I have transcribed a homiletic interpretation from the commentary of R. Moshe HaDarshan [the preacher], which is as follows:

 

[2] and have them take for you From their own [possessions]; just as they removed their own golden earrings for the [golden] calf, so shall they bring this [cow] from their own [possessions] in atonement. - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

a red cow This can be compared to the son of a maidservant who soiled the king’s palace. They said, “Let his mother come and clean up the mess.” Similarly, let the cow come and atone for the calf. - [Midrash Aggadah and Tanchuma Chukath 8]

 

red Alluding to [the verse], “if they [your sins] prove to be as red as crimson dye” (Isa. 1:18), for sin is described as [being] ‘red.’ - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

perfectly An allusion to the Israelites, who were perfect, but became blemished. Let this come and atone for them so that they regain their perfection. - [See Midrash Aggadah.]

 

and upon which no yoke was laid Just as they cast off from themselves the yoke of Heaven. - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

[3] to Eleazar the kohen -just as they assembled against Aaron, who was a kohen, to make the calf, but because Aaron made the calf, this service was not performed through him, for the prosecution cannot serve as the defense. - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

[5] The cow shall then be burned just as the calf was burned. - [Midrash Aggadah

 

a piece of cedar wood, hyssop, and of crimson wool These three types [of objects] correspond to the three thousand men who fell because of the [sin of the golden] calf. The cedar is the highest of all trees, and the hyssop is the lowest of them all. This symbolizes that the one of high standing who acts haughtily and sins should lower himself like a hyssop and a worm [for the תּוֹלַעַת means ‘worm’ as well as ‘crimson.’ See Rashi on Isa. 1:18], and he will then gain atonement. - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

[9] a keepsake Just as the transgression of the calf is preserved throughout the generations for retribution, for there is no reckoning [punishment] which does include a reckoning for the calf, as it says, “But on the day I make an accounting [of sins upon them], I will bring their sin to account...” (Exod. 32:34). Just as the calf defiled all those who were involved in it, so does the cow render unclean all those involved with it. And just as they were cleansed through its ashes, as it says, “[he] scattered [the ashes of the burned calf] upon the surface of the water” (ibid. 20), so [with the cow], “They shall take for that unclean person from the ashes of the burnt purification offering...” (verse 17). - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

Chapter 20

 

1 The entire congregation The complete congregation, for the ones destined to die in the desert had already died and these were assigned for life. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 14]

 

Miriam died there Why is the passage relating Miriam’s death juxtaposed with the passage of the Red Cow? To teach you that just as sacrifices bring atonement, so the death of the righteous secure atonement. - [M.K. 28a].

 

Miriam died there She too died through a kiss [from God’s mouth rather than by the angel of death]. Why does it not say “by God’s mouth” [as it does with Moses]? Because it is not respectful to speak of the Most High in this way (M.K. 28a). Concerning Aaron it does say “by God’s mouth” in [the portion beginning] “These are the Journeys” (33:38).

 

2 had no water From here [we learn that] all forty years they had the well in Miriam’s merit. - [Ta’anith 9a]

 

3 If only we had died We wish that we had died. - [Onkelos]

 

with the death of our brothers With the death of our brothers from plague. This teaches us that death from thirst is more dreadful than it [death by plague].

 

with the death Heb. בִּגְוַע אַחֵינוּ . This is a noun, like בְּמִיתַת אַחֵינוּ , with our brothers’ death [that is, in the way they died]. But it is incorrect to explain it as meaning, ‘when our brothers died’ for in that case, Scripture would have punctuated it בִּגְוֽעַ.

 

8 and their livestock. From here we learn that the Holy One, blessed is He, has regard for the property of Israel. — [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 9, Lev. Rabbah 10:9, Num. Rabbah 19:9]

 

10 assembled This is one of the places where we find that a small area held a large number [of people].-[Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 9, Lev. Rabbah 10:9, Num. Rabbah 19:9]

 

Shall we draw water... from this rock? Since they did not recognize it, for the rock had gone and settled among the other rocks when the well departed. The Israelites said to them, “What difference is it to you from which rock you draw water for us?” Therefore, he said to them, הַמּוֹרִים, obstinate ones; in Greek, ‘fools,’ those who teach (מוֹרִים) their teachers. [He said,] “Can we draw water from this rock regarding which we were not commanded?”- [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 9, Num. Rabbah 19:9]

 

11 twice Because the first time he drew out only a few drops, since God had not commanded him to strike it, but, “you shall speak to the rock.” However, they spoke to a different rock, and nothing came out. They said, “Perhaps we ought to strike it first,” as it says, “and strike the rock” (Exod. 17:6). They came upon that very rock and struck it. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 9, Num. Rabbah 19:9]

 

12 Since you did not have faith [faithful obedience] in Me Scripture reveals that if it were not for this sin alone, they would have entered the Land, so that it should not be said of them, “The sin of Moses and Aaron was like the sin of the generation of the desert against whom it was decreed that they should not enter [the Land].” But was not [the question asked by Moses] “If sheep and cattle were slaughtered for them...” (11:22) [a] more grievous [sin] than this? However, there he [Moses] said it in private, so Scripture spares him [and refrains from punishing him]. Here, on the other hand, it was said in the presence of all Israel, so Scripture does not spare him because of the sanctification of the Name. - [Tanchuma Chukath 10, Num. Rabbah 19:10]

 

to sanctify Me For had you spoken to the rock and it had given forth [water], I would have been sanctified in the eyes of the congregation. They would have said, "If this rock, which neither speaks nor hears, and does not require sustenance, fulfills the word of the Omnipresent, how much more should we! - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

therefore, you shall not bring Heb. לָכֵן, by an oath, as in, “Therefore (וְלָכֵן), I have sworn to the house of Eli” (I Sam. 3:14) [Tanchuma Va’era 2]. He hurried to take an oath so that they should not engage in lengthy prayer concerning it [i.e. to repeal the decree].

 

13 These are the waters of dispute These are the ones mentioned elsewhere. Pharaoh’s astrologers saw these [when they foresaw that] the savior of Israel would be smitten through water, and that is why they decreed: "Every son who is born you shall cast into the Nile. - [Sanh. 101b] and He was sanctified through them For Moses and Aaron died because of them. When God judges His holy ones, He is feared and sanctified by mankind. Similarly, it says, “You are awesome, O God, because of Your holy ones” (Ps. 68:36). And likewise it says, “I am sanctified by those close to Me” (Lev. 10:3) - [Zev. 115b].

 

14 your brother Israel Why did he see fit to mention brotherhood here? However, he said to him, “We are brothers, sons of Abraham, to whom it was said, 'your descendants will be strangers [in a land which is not theirs’]” (Gen. 15:13). And both of us are responsible for fulfilling that obligation. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 12, Num. Rabbah 19:15]

 

You know of all the hardship Therefore, your father parted from our father, as it says, “He went to a land because of Jacob his brother” (Gen. 36:6), [that is] because of the debt that was imposed upon them, and he [Esau] cast it onto Jacob. - [Gen. Rabbah 82:13]

 

15 mistreated us We endured many hardshipsand our forefathers From here [we learn] that when Israel is afflicted with punishment, the Patriarchs grieve in the grave. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 12, Num. Rabbah 19:15]

 

16 and He heard our voice through the blessing that our father [Isaac] gave: “The voice is the voice of Jacob” (Gen. 27:22). When we cry out we are answered. - [Midrash Aggadah. See also Midrash Tanchuma Beshallach 9]

 

an angel This refers to Moses. From here [we derive] that the prophets are called “angels,” and it says, “They mocked the angels of God” (II Chron. 36:16). - [Midrash Tanchuma Vayikra 1, Lev. Rabbah 1:1]

 

17 Please let us pass through your land You have no right to contest the inheritance of the Land of Israel, since you did not pay the debt. Help us a little, and let us pass through your land. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 12, Num. Rabbah 19:15]

 

nor will we drink well water He should have said, “water from cisterns.” However, Moses said, “Though we have manna to eat and a well from which to drink, we will not drink from it, but we will buy food and drink from you, for your benefit.” From here [we learn] that even if a guest has his own provisions, he should buy from the shopkeeper [or householder] to benefit his host. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 12, Num. Rabbah 19:15]

 

We will walk along the king’s road—we will muzzle our animals so they should not turn to either side to eat. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 12, Num. Rabbah 19:15]

 

18 lest I go out towards you with the sword You pride yourselves with the ‘voice’ your father bequeathed you, and declare, “We cried out to the Lord, and He heard our voice” (verse 16). But we will go out against you with what my father bequeathed me: “You shall live by the sword” (Gen. 27:40) - [Midrash Tanchuma Beshallach 9]

 

19 It is really nothing There is nothing to harm you.

 

20 and with a strong hand With our grandfather’s promise: “the hands are the hands of Esau” (Gen. 27:22). - [Midrash Aggadah]

 

22 the entire congregation All were perfect, ready to enter the Land. There was not among them even one of those upon whom the decree had been pronounced, for all those destined to die in the desert had already perished, and these were of those about whom it is written, “you... are all alive this day” (Deut. 4:4). - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 14, Num. Rabbah 19:16]

 

Mount Hor A mountain atop a mountain, [appearing like] a small apple atop of big apple. Although the cloud went in front of them and leveled out mountains, three of them remained: Mount Sinai for [the giving of] the Torah, Mount Hor, for the burial of Aaron, and Mount Nebo for the burial of Moses. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 14, Num. Rabbah 19:16]

 

23 on the border of the land of Edom This teaches that because they associated themselves in a close relationship with the wicked Esau, a breach was made in their accomplishments, and they lost this righteous man. Similarly, the prophet said to Jehoshaphat, “When you joined up with Ahaziahu, God has breached your accomplishments” (II Chron. 20:37). - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 14, Num. Rabbah 19:16]

 

25 Take Aaron with words of solace; say to him, “You are fortunate that you can see your crown given over to your son, something I do not merit.” - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 17, Num. Rabbah 19:19]

 

26 his garments He dressed him in the garments of kehunah gedolah and then stripped him of them, to give them to his son in his presence. He told him, “Enter the cave,” and he entered. He saw a ready made bed, and a lighted candle. He told him, “Get up onto the bed,” and he got up. “Stretch out your hands,” and he stretched them out. “Close your mouth,” and he closed it. “Shut your eyes,” and he shut them. At that moment Moses yearned for such a death. This is why it was said to him, “in the way Aaron your brother died” (Deut. 32:50)—a death that you desired.-[Tanchuma Buber p. 132, Sifrei Ha’azinu 49]

 

27 Moses did Although it was difficult for him, he did not hesitate. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath, Num. Rabbah 19:19]

 

29 The whole congregation saw When they saw Moses and Eleazar coming down, and Aaron did not come down, they said, “Where is Aaron?” He said to them, “He died.” They said, “Is it possible that the one who stood up against the angel and stopped the plague can be overpowered by the angel of death?” Whereupon Moses asked for mercy, and the ministering angels showed him to them, lying in the bed. They saw [him] and believed. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 17, Num. Rabbah 19:20]

 

the entire house of Israel [both] the men and the women, for Aaron had pursued peace; he promoted love between disputing parties and between man and wife. - [Avoth d’Rabbi Nathan 12:4, Mid. Aggadah]

 

that [Aaron] had expired Heb. כִּי גָוַע אַהֲרֽן. I say that the one who renders דְּהָא מִית , because [Aaron] had died, is in error, unless he also renders, וַיִּרְאוּ as וְאִתְחֲזִיאוּ , “they [the congregation] were seen” [in the sense of exposed], for our Rabbis’ statement that the word Heb. כִּי is used here in the sense of ‘because’ applies only according to the Midrash [which states] that the clouds of glory departed, and as R. Abahu said, “Do not read וַיִּרְאוּ , they saw, but וַיֵּרָאוּ , they were seen [exposed].” According to this explanation, ‘because’ is appropriate, since it gives the reason for what precedes it: Why were they exposed? Because Aaron had died [and the clouds had departed]. But, according to the Targum’s rendering, וַחֲזוֹ כָּל־כְּנִשְׁתָּא , and the whole congregation saw, [the rendering of the word כִּי as] ‘because’ is inapplicable, only it has the meaning of אֲשֶׁר , ‘that’ which is a usage of the word אִי , for we find that אִם [its Hebrew equivalent] can mean ‘that,’ as in, “so that (וְאִם) why should I not be short of breath?” (Job 21:4). And there are many other instances [of the word אִם] in this sense, [as in] “that (אִם) his days are limited” (ibid. 14:5).

 

Chapter 21

 

1 The Canaanite... heard He heard that Aaron had died and that the clouds of glory had departed... as is stated in [Tractate] Rosh Hashanah (3a). Amalek was always a chastising whip for Israel, ready at any time to mete out punishment. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 18, Num. Rabbah 19: 20]

 

who lived in the south This refers to Amalek, as it says, “The Amalekites dwell in the south land” (13:29). They changed their language to speak in the language of Canaan so that the Israelites would pray to the Holy One, blessed is He, to deliver the Canaanites into their hands, and [since] they were not Canaanites [their prayers would have no effect]. But Israel saw that they were dressed like Amalekites though they spoke in a Canaanite tongue. So they said, “We will pray generally [for success],” as it says, “If You deliver his people into my hand....”- [Midrash Aggadah, Yalkut Shimoni from Midrash Yelammedenu. Note that in these sources, the Amalekites changed their dress as well, and that version is found also in the Reggio edition of Rashi. The Yemenite manuscript, however, conforms with our reading. See Chavel fn. 87, Yosef Hallel, Leket Bahir fn. ד . See also Num. Rabbah 19:20.]

 

the route of the spies Heb. דֶּרֶךְ הָאֲתָרִים, the southern route, taken by the spies (הַתָּרִים), as it says, “They went up in the south” (13:22). Another interpretation: The route of the great guide [the ark] (הַתַּיָּר) which went ahead of them, as it says, “traveled three days ahead of them to seek for them a place to settle” (10:33). - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 18, Num. Rabbah 19:20]

 

and took from them a captive It was only a single maidservant. - [Midrash Aggadah, Yalkut Shimoni from Midrash Yelammedenu]

 

2 I shall consecrate I shall consecrate their spoils to Heaven.

 

3 He destroyed them By execution.

 

and their cities He consecrated them to Heaven.

 

4 by way of the Red Sea Since Aaron had died, and this war had come upon them, they turned back to the Red Sea route, which is the route they returned to after the decree [because of the sin] of the spies had been issued against them, as it says, “and journey into the desert by way of the Red Sea” (Deut. 1:40). Here they went back seven stations, as it says, “The children of Israel journeyed from the wells of Benei Yaakan to Moserah; there Aaron died” (ibid. 10:6). Did he really die in Moserah? Did he not die at Mount Hor? However, there [in Moserah] they again mourned for him and eulogized him, as if he had died in their presence. Go and study the stations, and you will find that there were seven stations between Moserah and Mount Hor.- [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 18, Seder Olam ch. 9]

 

to circle the land of Edom since they did not allow them to pass through their land.

 

and the people became disheartened because of the way Because of the hardship of traveling, which was hard for them. They said, “Now we were so close to entering the Land, and we are turning back. So did our fathers turn back and remain for thirty-eight years, until today.” Therefore, they became disheartened by the hardship of traveling. In old French, encrote lor, or encrut lor, it discouraged them. It is, however, incorrect to say that “the people became disheartened בַּדָָּרֶךְ ” means “while on the way,” without explaining what caused them to become disheartened, for whenever קִצּוּר נֶפֶשׁ, [literally, shortness of spirit] is mentioned in Scripture, the cause of the discouragement is specified, as in, “I could not tolerate them (וַתִּקְצַר נַפְשִׁי בָּהֶם) ” (Zech. 11:8), and as in, “He felt distressed because of the misery of Israel (וַתִּקְצַר נַפְשׁוֹ בַּעֲמַל יִשְׂרָאֵל) ” (Jud. 10:16). Anything difficult for a person to bear is called קִצּוּר נֶפֶשׁ , like a person who is beset with trouble, and his mind is not composed enough to accept it. There is no place in his heart for the distress to settle. The thing causing the distress is described as ‘large’ since it is too large for him and weighs heavily on him, as in, “and their souls also loathed Me (בָּחֲלָה בִי) ” (Zech. 11:8); they were too much for Me. [And also,] “And it is so great (וְיִגְאֶה) that you hunt me like a lion” (Job 10:16). In summary, the expression shortness of spirit (קִצּוּר נֶפֶשׁ) for a thing, means that it is intolerable, and the mind cannot bear it.

 

5 against God and against Moses They equated the servant with his Master. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 19, Num. Rabbah 19:21]

 

Why have you brought us up Both of them [were considered] equal.

 

and we are disgusted Heb. וְנַפְשֵׁנוּ קָצָה. This too denotes intolerance and loathing.

 

with this rotten bread Since the manna was absorbed into their limbs [and not excreted from their bowels], they called it rotten (Mizrachi, or cursed, according to Gur Aryeh.) They said, “This manna will eventually swell up in our stomachs.” Is there any mortal who ingests but does not excrete? - [Yoma 75b, see Rashi there]

 

6 the venomous snakes Heb. הַנְּחָשִׁים הַשְּׂרָפִים, lit. the burning snakes, [so named] because they ‘burn’ a person with the venom of their fangs. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 19, Num. Rabbah 19:22]

 

and they bit the people Let the snake, which was smitten for speaking evil [to Eve] come and punish those who spread slander [about the manna]. Let the snake, for which all types of food taste the same, come and punish those ingrates, for whom one thing [the manna] changes into various tastes. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 19, Num. Rabbah 19:22]

 

7 So Moses prayed From here [we learn] that someone who is asked to forgive, should not be so cruel so as not to forgive. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 19, Num. Rabbah 19:23]

 

8 on a pole Heb. עַל־נֵס, on a post, perche in French. Similarly, “and like a flagpole (וְכַנֵּס) on a hill” (Isa. 30: 17); “will I raise My standard (נִסִּי)” (ibid. 49:22); “raise a banner” (נֵס) (ibid. 13:2). Since it stands high, and serves as a signal and is to be seen, it is called נֵס (a sign).

 

whoever is bitten Even if a dog or a donkey bit him, he would suffer injury and steadily deteriorate, but a snake bite would kill quickly. That is why it says here [regarding other bites], "will look at it"—a mere glance. But regarding the snake bite it says "he would gaze"—"and whenever a snake bit [a man], he would gaze" (verse 9), for the snake bite would not heal unless one gazed at it [the copper snake] intently (Yer. R. H. 3:9). Our Rabbis said, Does a snake cause death or life? However, when Israel looked heavenward and subjected their hearts to their Father in heaven, they would be healed, but if not, they would waste away. - [R.H. 29a]

 

9 a copper snake He was not told to make it of copper, but Moses said, "The Holy One, blessed is He, called it a snake (נָחָשׁ) , so I will make it of copper, (נְחשֶׁת), one term similar to the other term. - [Mid. Gen. Rabbah 19:31:8]

 

11 the wasteland passes Heb. בְּעִיֵּי הָעֲבָרִים. I do not know why they were called עִיּים, wastelands. The word עִי denotes a ruin; something swept aside with a broom. Only the letter ‘ayin’ in it belongs to the root; it derives from the word עִי “shovels” (Exod. 27:3), [and as in] וְיָעָה בָרָד , “and hail shall sweep away” (Isa. 28:17). - [Machbereth Menachem p. 135]

 

passes This was the route for those crossing Mount Nebo on the way to the Land of Canaan, which separates the land of Moab from the land of Amorites.

 

facing Moab toward the rising sun To the east of the land of Moab.

 

13 from the Amorite border. Heb. מִגְּבֻל הָאֱמֹרִי, the boundary at the edge of their territory. Similarly, “the border of Moab (גְּבוּל מוֹאָב),” a term denoting an edge and an end.

 

on the other side of the Arnon They circled the southern and eastern [sides] of the land of Moab, until they came to the other side of the Arnon [river] in the middle of the Amorite territory, to the north of the land of Moab.

 

extending from the Amorite border A strip of Amorite territory protrudes from the Amorite border into Moabite territory [reaching] until Arnon, which is the Moabite border. The Israelites camped there, without entering the border of Moab, (for Arnon was the Moabite border, and they did not allow them to pass through their land. Even though Moses did not state this explicitly, Jephthah did explain it), as Jephthah said, “Also to the king of Moab he sent, but he was unwilling” (Jud. 11:17). Moses, however, alludes to it: “Just as the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites who dwell in Ar, did for me” (Deut. 2:29). [He meant to say:] Just as these [children of Esau] did not permit them to pass through their lands, but they circled around them, so did Moab too.

 

14 Concerning this it is told Concerning this encampment, and the miracles that happened there.

 

it is told in the account of the wars of the Lord When they relate the miracles that happened to our forefathers, they will relate: “What He gave....”

 

What He gave Heb. וָהֵב אֵת־ , like אֶת־יָהֵב [which is the Aramaic root meaning to give]. Just as from [the root] יעד we say ועד so from יהב ‘to give’ [we get] והב , and the “vav” is [part of] the root. That is to say, what He gave (יהב) them and wrought many miracles at the Red Sea. - [Onkelos]

 

and the streams of Arnon Just as we recount the miracles of the Red Sea, so should we recount the miracles that happened at the streams of Arnon, for here too, many great miracles were performed. What were those miracles?... - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 20, Num. Rabbah 19:25]

 

15 The spilling of the streams The Aramaic translation of שֶׁפֶךְ, “spilling,” is אֶשֶׁד —the spilling of the streams, for [there] the blood of the Amorites who were hidden there was spilled. The mountains were high and the gorge deep and narrow, and the mountains were so close to each other, that a man standing on the mountain on one side [of the gorge] could speak to his fellow standing on the mountain on the other side. A road passed along [the floor of] the gorge. The Amorites said, "When the Israelites enter the land by passing through the gorge, we will come out of the caves in the mountains above them and kill them with arrows and stones shot from catapults." There were clefts in the rock on the Moabite side [of the canyon], and directly opposite those clefts, on the mountain on the Amorite side, there were protrusions, [appearing] like horns and breasts. When the Israelites prepared to pass through, the mountain of the Land of Israel trembled, like a maidservant going out to greet her mistress, and moved toward the mountain of Moab. Then those breast like protrusions entered the clefts, killing them [the Amorites]. This is the meaning of, “that turned to settle at Ar.” The mountain swung from its place and moved toward the side of the Moabite border, and attached itself to it. Thus, “[it] leaned on the border of Moab.”- [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 20, Num. Rabbah 19:25]

 

16 From there to the well From there the flow [of blood] came to the well. How? The Holy One, blessed is He, said, “Who will inform My children of these miracles?” The proverb goes, “If you give a child bread, inform his mother” (Shab. 10b). After they passed through, the mountains returned to their places, and the well descended into the stream, and brought up the blood of the slain, their arms, and their limbs, and carried them around the camp. The Israelites saw them and sang a song. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 20, Num. Rabbah 19:25]

 

17 Ascend, O well from the stream, and bring up what you are to bring up. How do we know that the well informed them? For it says, “From there... the well.” Was it [really] from there? Was not [the well] with them since the beginning of the forty years? However, it descended to proclaim the miracles. Similarly, “Then Israel sang this song,” was said at the end of forty [years], but the well was given to them at the beginning of the forty [years]. Why was it [the song] written here [instead of earlier]? Because the subject [of the song] is explained in connection to what precedes it in the above text. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 20, Num. Rabbah 19:25]

 

18 A well dug out this is the well dug out by princes, Moses and Aaron. - [See Mid. Lekach Tov, Mid. Hagadol, Mid. Aggadah]

 

with their staffs Heb. בְּמִשְׁעֲנֽתָם, with the staff [upon which the Explicit Name was engraved (Reggio edition)]. - [See Targum Jonathan, Exod. 4:20]

 

from the desert it was given to them [as a gift]. - [Onkelos]

 

19 From the gift, to the streams As the Targum renders it [since it was given to them, it descended with them to the streams].

 

20 From the heights to the valley in the field of Moab For there Moses died and the well ceased. Another interpretation: [18]

 

A well dug out by princes When they encamped each tribal chieftain took his staff and drew it toward his division and his camp. The waters of the well were drawn after that mark, and came in front of the camping place of each tribe -[Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 21, Num. Rabbah 19:25].

 

through the lawgiver Through Moses, who was called lawgiver, as it says, “for there the portion of the lawgiver is concealed” (Deut. 33:21). But why is Moses not explicitly mentioned in this song? Because he was smitten through the well. And because Moses’ name is not mentioned, the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He, is not mentioned. This can be compared to a king who was invited to a banquet. He said, “If my friend is there, I will be there, but if not, I am not going.”- [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 21, Num. Rabbah 19:26]

 

at the top of the peak Heb. רֽאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders, “the top of the height.”

 

the peak Heb. פִּסְגָּה , a term denoting height. Similarly, פַּסְּגוּ אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ (Ps. 48:14), raise high its palaces.

 

that overlooks That peak [overlooks] a place called Jeshimon, a word which describes a desert, which is a desolate place (שָׁמֵם) . Another interpretation: The well can be seen from the Jeshimon, for the well was hidden in the Sea of Tiberias [Kinnereth], and anyone standing on the wastelands [above the sea] can look down and see a kind of sieve in the sea, and that is the well. In this manner R. Tanchuma explained it. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 21, Num. Rabbah 19:25]

 

21 Israel sent messengers Elsewhere, the sending [of messengers] is ascribed to Moses, as it says, “So I sent messengers from the desert of Kedemoth” (Deut. 2:26). Similarly, “Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom...” (above. 20:14), but concerning Jephthah it says, “Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom...” (Jud. 11:17). These verses supplement each other; one holds back [information by not informing us who authorized the sending of the messengers] and the other reveals [that Moses sent them]. Moses is Israel, and Israel is Moses, to teach you that the leader of the generation is equal to the entire generation, because the leader is everything. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 23, Num. Rabbah 19:28]

 

22 Let me pass through your land Even though they were not commanded to offer them peace, they nevertheless sought peace from them. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 22, Num. Rabbah 19:27]

 

23 But Sihon did not permit Since all the Canaanite kings paid him tribute for protecting them against marauding armies, when Israel said to him, “Let me pass through your land,” he said to them, “My very presence is only to protect them from you, so how can you suggest such a thing?”- [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 23, Num. Rabbah 19:29]

 

went out... toward Israel Had Heshbon been full of gnats, no creature could have conquered it, and had Sihon been [living in] a weak village, no man could have conquered it. How much more so [was it invincible] since he [Sihon] was in Heshbon. The Holy One, blessed is He, said, “Why should I trouble My children to besiege every city?” He gave all the warriors the idea to leave the cities, and they all gathered in one place, where they were slain. From there Israel proceeded to the cities, where there met with no opposition, since only women and children were [left] there. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 23, Num. Rabbah 19:29]

 

24 for...strong What was its strength? The warning of the Holy One, blessed is He, Who said to them [Israel], “neither distress them [Ammon]” (Deut. 2:19). - [Mid. Aggadah]

 

25 its villages Heb. בְּנֽתֶיהָ, lit. her daughters, the villages near it.

 

26 and he had fought Why was it necessary to write this? For it says, “Do not distress the Moabites” (Deut. 2:9), and Heshbon belonged to Moab, Scripture writes that Sihon had taken it from them, and through him it was made permissible for Israel. - [Chul. 60b]

 

from his possession Heb. מִיָּדוֹ, lit. from his hand, [meaning] from his possession. - [B.M. 56b]

 

27 Concerning this Concerning that war, which Sihon waged against Moab.

 

those who speak in parables say [This refers to] Balaam, about whom it says, “He took up his parable” (23:7).

 

those who tell parables Balaam and [his father] Beor. They said.... - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 24, Num. Rabbah 19:30]

 

Come to Heshbon because Sihon could not conquer it. So he went and hired Balaam to curse it. This is what Balak [meant when he] said to him, “For I know that whoever you bless is blessed” (22:6). - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 24, Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 19:30, 20:7, Mid. Aggadah]

 

built and established Heshbon under the name of Sihon, to be his city.

 

28 For a fire went forth from Heshbon After Sihon had conquered it.

 

it consumed Ar of Moab The name of that country was called Ar in Hebrew, and Lechayath in Aramaic. - [Onkelos]

 

Ar of Moab Heb. עָר מוֹאָב, Ar, which belonged to Moab. - [Onkelos]

 

29 Woe is You, Moab [Meaning] that they cursed Moab that it be delivered into his hand. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 24, Num. Rabbah 19:30]

 

Chemosh The name of Moab’s god. - [I Kings 11:7]

 

He has given over The one who has given over his sons, that is, [not his own sons but] the sons of Moab.

 

refugees who flee and escape the sword, and his daughters into captivity, etc.

 

30 Their kingdom Heb. וַנִּירָם, their kingdom. The kingdom and dominion that Moab had over Heshbon terminated from there. Similarly, עַד־דִּיבֽן —the Targum of סַר ‘removed’ is עַד, that is to say, the kingdom was removed from Dibon. [The word] נִִיר is a term denoting kingship and dominion [resulting from] the rule of man, as in “so that there be dominion for David your servant” (I Kings 11:36). -[Onkelos]

 

we laid them waste Heb. וַנַּשִּׁים. The [letter] Heb. שׁ is punctuated with a dagesh [thus indicating a missing “mem,”], denoting ‘waste’ Heb. (שְׁמָמָה). Thus say those who tell parables, Heb. וַנַּשִּׁים אוֹתָם עַד־נֽפַח, “we laid them waste as far as Nophah.”

 

32 Moses sent [men] to spy out Jaazer The spies captured it. They said, We shall not do like the first group. We have [such] confidence in the power of Moses’ prayer that we are able to do battle. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 24, Num. Rabbah 19:31]

 

34 Do not fear him Moses was afraid to fight [against him] lest the merit of Abraham advocate for him, as it says, “The refugee came” (Gen. 14:13) —this was Og who had escaped from the Rephaim, who were smitten by Chedorlaomer and his allies at Ashteroth Karnaim, as it says, “only Og, the king of Bashan, was left of the remnant of the Rephaim” (Deut. 3:11). -[Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 24, Num. Rabbah 19:32]

 

35 They smote him Moses slew him, as it says in [Tractate] Berachoth, in [the chapter beginning] Haroeh (54b): He uprooted a mountain of three parasangs [intending to throw it at the Israelites and crush them] ....

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 103:10-22

 

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 Tehillim (Psalms) 103:10-22

 

 

Meditation from the Psalms

Tehillim (Psalms) ‎‎103:10-22

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

For the sake of continuity, I will repeat my opening from two weeks ago.

 

In this psalm David thanks HaShem for the greatest gift He bestowed upon man, the soul. Without a soul man is merely a two-legged creature competing against all other animals in the bitter struggle for survival. With a soul, he becomes a reflection of the sacred heavens, a semblance of the Divine.

 

The tragic irony of life is that people are often oblivious to their own souls, unaware of the essence of their being and the true purpose of their existence. All too often, this Divine fragment is smothered by the flesh; this ray of eternal light is engulfed in darkness.

 

Modern psychology has yet to acknowledge what to every believing Jew is a fundamental of daily life: humans have souls. This cannot be proven empirically, because the soul is beyond the grasp of the microscope and computer analysis. It is not physical, and therefore, it cannot be tracked or traced. Belief in the soul is a matter of faith, and the only logical answer to the mystery of life. It is the invisible source (battery pack, if you will) of life that leaves as secretly as it comes.

 

The fundamental lesson of Judaism is to foster an awareness of the Divine Soul and to teach man how to enhance and enrich this most precious possession so that it will be worthy of standing in HaShem’s presence to praise Him. Thus, the Psalmist recites the refrain, repeated five times in this psalm and the next,^[1] Bless HaShem, O my soul!^[2]

 

Our section of Psalms chapter 103 deals with sin and HaShem’s dealing with our sins.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor requited us according to our iniquities.

 

In this paper, I would like to look at how sins were corrected in the Tanach.

 

Tikkun is the Hebrew word for correction or repair. Thus, if a person sins and damages the world, HaShem will send one of his descendants to correct the problem. Megillat Ruth, at one level, is all about corrections. The sin of Adam HaRishon must be corrected and ultimately the Mashiach will provide the tikkun as He sums up Israel into one new man. To understand how this works will require some understanding of the genealogy of the messianic line.

 

Terach had three sons: Avraham, Haran, and Nachor. Our Patriarchs Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov all married daughters of Haran. Ruth was also a grand-daughter of Haran. Thus, we see that from Avraham and his descendants we have the male side of the messianic line that includes Lot, Judah, Elimelech, Machlon, and Boaz, and from Haran and his descendants we have the female side that included Lot’s daughters and Ruth. These are the patriarchs and matriarch, the mothers and fathers of the royal Messianic line.

 

From the male side we get the ideas that will shape the messianic line. From the female side we get the binah, the understanding as to how to apply these ideas from the male side. The spark of the male is fanned into the flame of reality by the female side.

 

In the evening meeting between Ruth and Boaz,^[3] the story alludes to two similar situations, Lot’s daughters,^[4] and Tamar, Yehuda’s daughter-in-law.^[5] The three situations have common features, most notably, that there are women who have little prospect of having further children who take actions to insure their own offspring. In both stories, a mitzva^[6] has the appearance of immorality. Additionally, each of the cases has the death of two husbands.

 

Chazal^[7] teach that the acts of the daughters of Lot were intended to extract two good sparks, or portions. One is Ruth the Moabite and the other is Naamah the Ammonite.^[8] Clearly these two sparks are related to the rectification of the two daughters of Lot who gave birth to the two peoples of Moab and Amon. They erroneously thought that the entire world had been destroyed, as in the time of the Flood, and that they had to retain the existence of the human race. Their good intention, which is the good spark within them, returned as the two converts, Ruth the Moabite and Naamah the Ammonite. Mashiach, whose role is to bring the earth to its final rectification, also descends from them.

 

It took ten years in Moab for the family to disappear. It took less than a year in Bethlehem for the ghostly remnants of the family to be rebuilt. A family of four, father, mother, and two sons, left Bethlehem, and a family of four was rebuilt in Bethlehem, Boaz, with Ruth and Naomi, acting as Obed’s mothers, and Ruth acting as Naomi’s daughter. Thus we have a father, a mother, a son, and a daughter.

 

The Tikkun of Yehudah and Tamar

 

Most folks see the encounter between Tamar and Yehudah as a sin of immorality. Torah, on the other hand, sees this encounter as a very great mitzva. It is a mitzva because Tamar was a childless widow, and her dead husband’s family was commanded[9] to raise up seed for the deceased. The family was required to raise up seed for the deceased on his land. When Yehudah failed to give his son, Shelah, to fulfill this mitzva, Tamar enticed Yehudah himself to fulfill it. The Midrash records[10] that HaShem sent an angel to “force” Yehudah, against his will, to turn in to Tamar’s tent. The angel asked Yehudah, “If you fail to turn to Tamar; from where will the Kings come?” So, Yehuda’s sin in not giving his son Shelah, the first in line for this mitzva, was corrected when Boaz gave way to Ploni Almoni, for the same mitzva, because he was first in line. This tikkun, this rectification, required enormous strength.

 

The Daughters Of Tzelophchad

 

Yosef is the lost son who returns to his family, and the place from which he was dispossessed of his inheritance, Dotan Valley, is given later as an inheritance to his descendants, the daughters of Tzelophchad.

 

“Our father died in the desert... He died because of his own sin, and he had no sons.” [Num. 27:3]

 

There they resurrect their dead father’s name, and there they also resurrect the name of Yosef, who had been exiled by brothers.

 

In the case of Yehuda, Yoseph was made homeless and exiled from the land much as Elimelech and Lot, albeit involuntarily. Yoseph is the lost son who returns to his family, and the place from which he was dispossessed of his inheritance, Dothan Valley, is given later as an inheritance to his descendants, the daughters of Tzelophchad. There they resurrect their dead father’s name, and there they also resurrect the name of Yoseph, who had been exiled by brothers.

 

The most prominent case of return to lost property appears in our Megillah, where the acquisition of Ruth overlaps with the purchase of the field of Machlon.

 

Ruth 4:5 When you acquire the property from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabite, you must also acquire the wife of the deceased so as to perpetuate the name of the deceased.

 

Redemption thus occurs when the name of the deceased is resurrected on his property. Parallel to this, in Parashat Behar we find the term redemption used with regard to the return of the freed slave to his property and the return of family estates in the Jubilee year.

 

When a slave, who sold himself to a foreigner and went out from amongst his nation, is returned to his property, that is called redemption. The prophet Yechezkel[11] describes the redemption of the nation of Israel in a similar manner. First, the nation will return to the land of its inheritance. Immediately afterwards, HaShem purifies Israel:

 

Yehezechel (Ezekiel) 36:25 I will sprinkle pure water on you and you will be pure.

 

Here, the parallel to the red heifer is clear (and therefore these verses are known to us from the Haftarah of Parashat Parah), purification from the impurity caused by contact with the dead. After these verses comes the chapter on the dry bones, “I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live”.^[12] Thus, the redemption of the nation of Israel begins as the redemption of the land, and on the redeemed land the dry bones arise and live.

 

The land, the inheritance, gives man his connection to eternity. The days of the land are “like the days of the world”, as Rashi explains, and even though man’s days are limited, his connection to the land gives him eternal life. When a person is rooted in his property and passes it to his son and grandson, only then does he taste immortality. Cain’s punishment for the murder is that “You shall become a ceaseless wanderer on earth”.[13] In parallel, when the nation of Israel is punished with exile, when it is evicted from the land of the living, it turns temporarily into a “dead” nation until the redemption of the bones, the resurrection of the dead on his property. The same rooting in the land is described by the verse:

 

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 65:22 For the days of My people shall be as long as the days of a tree.

 

The tree embodies eternal existence, as described in:

 

Iyov (Job) 14:7-9 There is hope for a tree; if it is cut down it will renew itself ... at the scent of water it will bud.

 

Even after the tree has dried out, it can still revive itself through its attachment to the land. But the death of man, who is not attached to the land, is an eternal death.

 

The Tikkun of Lot and His Eldest Daughter

 

Many folks see the encounter between Lot and his eldest daughter [From the younger descended Naamah the mother of Rehoboam^[14] the first King of Judah.] as incest. The Torah, however, records this encounter as a GREAT mitzva. The eldest daughter truly believed that the only way to fulfill the mitzva of filling the earth, was through her father. So, as repulsive as the act was, she endured it in order to sanctify the name of HaShem. So great was the effort that she was rewarded with offspring (Ruth) who were a part of the Messianic line.

 

When the sun came up on the day HaShem was to destroy Sodom, the angels told Lot, “Get up and take your wife and your two daughters who are found”.^[15] Why did the Torah write, “who are found”? The verse would be easy to understand without writing the phrase, “who are found”!

 

Rabbi Yitzchak^[16] says that this word is connected with the verse in:

 

Tehillim (Psalms 89:21 I have found David my servant

 

This refers to Mashiach. And where did HaShem find Mashiach? In Sodom!

 

But how does Mashiach come from Sodom? Because from one of Lot’s daughters, came Ruth, from whom came King David, from whom comes Mashiach. In fact, the reason Lot’s daughters were saved was for the sake of King David and Mashiach.

 

The sin of Lot’s eldest daughter was not incest. Her sin was in not consulting Lot so that He could bring his wisdom to bear on this situation. This sin had its tikkun, its rectification, on the threshing floor, when Ruth deferred to Boaz to tell her what to do. She did this even though it resulted in great disappointment and a potential loss of Boaz.

 

There is another connection to this tikkun: Just as Lot abandoned the land of Israel and went away from Avraham, so too did Elimelech. Lot left Avraham’s house for a land that became known as part of Moab. Lot’s departure constituted not only a geographic exit from Israel but also a cultural and religious exit, from the Godly nation of Avraham to a foreign nation, from Avraham’s way of life, which followed the path of God, a way of charity and justice, to its opposite, the Sodomite way. According to Chazal, Lot declared: “I do not want Avraham and his God”.

 

Elimelech repeats the same act,^[17] and there is no doubt that it has the same significance; as Chazal say, “One who lives outside of Israel is like one who has no God”. Elimelech’s sons marry non-Jewish women.^[18] He becomes immersed in foreign culture, and, essentially, he leaves Avraham and his God, attaching himself to the culture of Moab. For this reason, his punishment is also great.

 

Lot in his time was punished in a similar manner, his wife dies, his sons-in-law and married daughters are destroyed, and he remains an old man with daughters who cannot marry. Elimelech, too, leaves behind a wife who cannot bear children, and two daughters-in-law whom no man in Israel will come forward to redeem.

 

In Megillat Ruth there is a meeting between the House of Yehuda and the family of Lot. We find a similar sin with a similar punishment with regard to Yehuda. Although Yehuda did not leave the country and did not abandon his father’s culture, he did force this fate onto his brother Yosef, causing him to leave his father’s home and culture with the intent that he should become defiled by the culture of a foreign nation. The punishment exacted of Yehuda is similar to that which befalls both Lot and Elimelech. Immediately after selling Yosef, Yehuda marries; his wife later dies, his two sons die, and in his opinion, his third son cannot perform the act of yibum^[19] (levirate marriage) with his daughter-in-law. He is left without any assured continuity.

 

The tie that binds these cases is that in all three stories there is almost a total loss of family, but at the last minute a solution is found through the act of yibum. With regard to Yehuda, the yibum is mentioned expressly in the text. With regard to Lot, the matter is hinted at. Professor Benno Jacob points out a linguistic anomaly in the statement of Lot’s daughters: “And there is not a man on earth to consort with us”.^[20] In Hebrew, the word “Aleinu” is unusual; usually the word “eleinu” would be used in this context. The only other time that “Aleinu” appears in a similar context is in the chapter on yibum: “Her husband’s brother shall unite with her”^[21]. In other words, this hints that yibum was at the heart of Lot’s daughters’ attempts to revive their father’s seed and rebuild the name of the family that perished.

 

In the third case, that of Boaz and Ruth, there is no expression relating to yibum, but the text does state, “So as to perpetuate the name of the deceased on his estate”^[22], similar to what is written in the parsha on yibum, “... shall be accounted to his dead brother, that his name not be blotted out in Israel“.^[23] Yibum in all three cases is the solution to the problem, but in all three cases, the yibum is irregular. We do not find here a standard case of yibum between the brother of the deceased and the widow; rather, we have a father (Lot) with his daughter, a father (Yehuda) with his daughter-in-law, and the father’s brother (Boaz) with the father’s daughter-in-law. These irregular, surprising acts of yibum are what return the families to the land of the living.^[24]

 

With Ruth, a beautiful tapestry of tikkun, intricately woven across the centuries, is revealed for all to see. Ruth “returns” to Eretz Yisrael and she “returns” to the God of Avraham. She takes the disparate threads of her ancestors and displays them as the tapestry of majesty! she rectifies the sin of Lot, in a spectacular way, and carried Machlon back to the land to rectify the sin of Elimelech. In Ruth and Boaz, the Kingly qualities of both Avraham and Yehudah are reunited in a spectacular display of intricacy that only HaShem could have done. Rightly has the story of Ruth been called “A Harvest of Majesty”!

 

But wait! There is much more to this tikkun! Rabbi Moshe Alshich^[25] suggests that Ruth is a gilgul^[26] of Lot’s eldest daughter. When we compare Ruth and Lot’s eldest daughter, we see that they share many common points.

 

Man’s existence depends on passing his property to his sons or to those who come in their place due to yibum. We have mentioned three stories: the first (Lot) is the story of the birth of Moab. The second is the story of the birth of the House of Yehuda. The third is the story of the meeting between the two, between Ruth (Moab) and Boaz (Yehuda). The theme uniting the three is the resurrection of the name of the dead on his property. This is redemption, and this is the goal of the House of David, to reestablish the People of Israel on its land. When all hope is gone, there is still the possibility of yibum, even in an irregular, unnatural manner, which allows the name of the deceased to be resurrected on his property. When this “irregular tapestry is turned over, we can see that all of those odd threads have been perfectly placed by HaShem. They have been perfectly woven into the tapestry of our redemption.

 

As we begin comparing the events of Megillat Ruth with the story of Lot and His daughter, along with the story of Yehuda and Tamar, we will begin to see how the protagonists of Megillat Ruth will effect a tikkun, a rectification of the sins of their ancestors. In Sefer Ruth, there is an emphasis on Ruth’s modesty and Boaz’s self-control. Ruth, unlike Lot’s daughters, makes only a symbolic advance to Boaz, who had been drinking of his own accord. Lot’s daughters, on the other hand, get their father drunk and have relations with him. Boaz’s self-control, in contrast to Yehuda’s impulsive behavior, allows him to follow the proper procedure regarding the more rightful redeemer. Rabbi Sassoon^[27] explained that the meeting between Ruth and Boaz is a tikkun, rectification, of the previous two encounters. Ruth is the descendant of the product of the first encounter (Lot and his eldest daughter), Moab, and Boaz is a descendant of a product of the second encounter (Judah and Tamar), Peretz. It is the correction of these earlier encounters that eventually leads to the birth of the ruling dynasty in Israel, and ultimately to the Mashiach.

 

Ruth the Moabite joins the tribe of Judah, through an act of kindness, and she becomes the great-grandmother of David ben Yishai, the king of Israel. Predictably, Sefer Shmuel summarizes his reign as follows:

 

2 Shmuel (Samuel) 8:15 “And David reigned over all of Israel, and David performed Torah law and Charity for his entire nation.”

 

Recall that David had earlier hidden out in a CAVE (not unlike the cave when Lot encountered his daughters) in the area of the Dead Sea (Ein Gedi), where he performed an act of kindness by not injuring Shaul.^[28]

 

The Kingship of David constitutes the tikkun for the descendants of Lot. His kingdom was characterized by the performance of tzedaka (charity) and mishpat (Torah law), the antithesis of Sodom, Moab, and Ammon.

 

One of the most important roles for Mashiach to fulfill, is this tikkun:

 

II Luqas (Acts) 3:19-21 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, And that he may send Mashiach, who has been appointed for you--even Yeshua. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

 

This correction, this return to the faith and obedience of the Patriarchs is forcefully proclaimed in the closing verses of Malachi:

 

Malachi 4:4-6 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of HaShem comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

 

The father, in this context, is one’s Torah teacher. The Son’s are the talmidim of the teacher. This return to the fathers is nothing less than a return to the Torah of Moses, as we can see from the context.

 

All of the basic soul-roots from Adam on, become gilgulim^[29] in order to continue to elevate their tikkun, their rectification.

 

Is it logical to expect that another gilgul of that soul will appear just before the coming of Mashiach?

 

Why did HaShem consistently look outside of the Jewish nation, when compiling the gene pool for our Savior?

 

What was Ruth doing in the field of Boaz? She was performing Leket,^[30] gathering ears of corn. She gleaned and picked up. Leket is a halachic and metaphysical institution, HaShem gleaned and gathered beautiful inclinations and virtues from people all over the world in order to weave the soul of the king Mashiach. HaShem was preoccupied with the Mashiach’s personality. He disregarded race and religion and instead looked through all of mankind to find special qualities and capabilities. This is the Almighty’s approach to culture, to sift and glean through the nations of the world noting outstanding moral traits and ethical accomplishments.

 

Ruth was chosen because of her unique heroism. She came from pagan royalty, a life intoxicated with orgiastic pleasures and unlimited luxury. Ruth sacrificed all this to identify with a strange and mysterious people, to adopt a religion that demanded superhuman discipline.

 

Leah and Rachel

 

Why is Ruth, who was alone, being compared to Rachel and Leah “the TWO of whom together built the house of Israel”?^[31] What did they mean by saying that Rachel and Leah were two and that they were together and how does this relate to the current situation? Why did they put it into the double context of Ephrath and Bethlehem?

 

I think that the intent is to call attention to Naomi, to the role that Naomi will play together with Ruth. Throughout this book we have encountered the symbiotic relationship between Ruth and Naomi. These two women function almost as one, distinct in bodies but united in outlook, values and spirit. It is as if Ruth is a proxy for Naomi for Naomi is not only a mentor but a partner in everything that Ruth does. Naomi is Ruth and Ruth is Naomi and the two share accomplishment and fulfillment. These two kindred spirits rectify the conflict and lack of harmony between the two sisters, Rachel and Leah that ultimately expressed itself in strife between the Kingdom of Israel, led by Ephraim who stemmed from Rachel, and the Kingdom of Judah, descendant from Leah. This lack of unity directly led to the long and bitter exile in which we still find ourselves. The Bach^[32] and Ben Ish Chai^[33] both suggest that Ephrath is mentioned as an allusion to Ephraim whereas Bethlehem is associated closely with the tribe of Judah. Davidic monarchy is then a reflection and a re-enactment of the birth of the nation. In this fashion the destiny of Ruth is tied not only to the past but also to the future, separation is transformed into harmony and redemption shines out upon the world.

 

Trembling – Yitzchak vs. Boaz

 

There is a question concerning another prominent woman in Tanach,^[34] Rivka,^[35] who orders Yaaqov to seize deceptively the blessings intended for his brother. Convinced that Yaaqov deserved the blessings, by virtue of both his character and the explicit prophecy she had received from God, “the older will serve the younger”,^[36] Rivka instructs Yaaqov to deceive his father and take his brother’s blessing. In both instances, the women felt assured of their scheme’s success, despite the considerable risk entailed. The Midrash^[37] indeed draws a comparison between these two incidents:

 

Mishlei (Proverbs) 29:25 A man’s trembling becomes a trap for him.

 

This refers to the trembling Yaakov caused Yitzchak, as it says, ‘Yitzchak was seized with very violent trembling.’ He should have cursed him, only ‘But he who trusts in HaShem shall be safeguarded’, You placed [an idea] in his heart to bless him, as it says, ‘Now he must remain blessed’. [This verse also refers to] the trembling Ruth caused Boaz, as it says, ‘The man trembled and pulled back’. He should have cursed her, only ‘But he who trusts in the Lord shall be safeguarded’, You placed [an idea] in his heart that he would bless her, as it says, ‘You are blessed to the Lord, my daughter’”.

 

It is doubtful, however, whether this comparison between Naomi and Rivka could justify what Naomi did. The commentaries have noted that Yaakov’s deception was the direct cause of his exile, not only practically, but also on the level of reward and punishment. Many sources have also observed the clear parallel between Lavan’s duplicity towards Yaakov, particularly in substituting Rachel with Leah, and Yaaqov’s seizing of Esav’s blessing. The Midrash comments:

 

Bereshit Rabba 70:19 “Throughout the night, he would call to her, ‘Rachel’, and she would respond. In the morning, ‘Behold, she was Leah’. He said: You are a trickster, the daughter of a trickster! She said to him: Is there a teacher without students? Did your father not similarly call to you, ‘Esav’, and you responded? You, too, called to me and I responded.”

 

This Midrash clearly equates Yaakov’s experiences with Lavan as a punishment measure for measure for deceiving his father.^[38]

 

In our context, too, the Midrash^[39] emphasizes the chillul HaShem^[40] that could have resulted from Ruth’s visit to the threshing floor:

 

“Rabbi Chonya and Rabbi Yirmiya said in the name of Rav Shemuel bar Rav Yitzchak: That entire night, Boaz was spread out on the floor crying, ‘Master of the worlds! It is revealed and known to You that I did not touch her. May it be Your will that it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor, so that the Name of HaShem not be desecrated through me!’”

 

We have spent a bit of time exploring the tikkuns of Megillat Ruth. This will help us to appreciate the consolation of our section of this chapter of psalms:

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.

 

 

Ashlamatah: Shoftim (Judges) 11:1-21

 

Rashi	Targum
1. Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a woman harlot, and Gilead begot Jephthah.	1. And Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, and he was the son of a harlot woman. And Gilead begat Jephthah.
2. And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and his wife's sons grew up and drove Jephthah out, and they said to him, "You shall not inherit in our father's house for you are the son of another woman."	2. And the wife of Gilead bore to him sons, and the sons of the wife grew up and drove out Jephthah. And they said to him: “You will not inherit in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman.”
3. And Jephthah fled from his brothers and he dwelt in the land of Tob; and idle men were gathered to Jephthah, and they went out with him. {P}	3. And Jephthah fled from before his brothers, and he dwelt in the land of Tob. And idle men were gathered unto Jephthah, and they went forth with him.
4. And it was after many days, and the children of Ammon made war with Israel.	4. And at the time of days the sons of Ammon waged battle? with Israel.
5. And it was, when the children of Ammon fought with Israel; and the elders of Gilead went to take Jephthah from the land of Tob.	5. And when the sons of Ammon waged battle with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6. And they said to Jephthah, "Come and become our chief, and we will fight with the children of Ammon."	6. And they said to Jephthah: “Come, and be our leader, and we will wage battle against the sons of Ammon.”
7. And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me, and drive me from my father's house? So why have you come to me now when you are in distress?"	7. And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead: “Did you not hate me and drive me out from my father's house? And why have you come unto me now when you are in distress?”
8. And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "Therefore we returned to you now, and you shall go with us, and you will fight with the children of Ammon, and you shall become our head, over all the inhabitants of Gilead."	8. And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah: “Because now we have turned back unto you, may you come with us and wage battle against the sons of Ammon, and be our head for all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
9. And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me back to fight with the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them before me, I will become your head."	9. And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead: “If you bring me back to wage battle against the sons of Ammon and the LORD will hand them over before me, I will be your head.”
10. And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The Lord shall hear between us, if not according to your word so will we do."	10. And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah: “The Memra of the LORD will be a witness between us if we do not act thus according to your word.”
11. And Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people appointed him a head and chief over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord in Mizpah. {P}	11. And Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people appointed him over them for head and for the leader. And Jephthah arranged all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.
12. And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, "What is (between) me and you, that you have come to me to fight in my land?"	12. And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the sons of Ammon, saying: "What is there to me and to you, for you have come unto me to wage battle against my land?"
13. And the king of the children of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land, when they came out of Egypt, from Arnon and up to the Jabbok, and up to the Jordan; and now restore them peacefully."	13. And the king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah: "Because Israel took my land when it went up from Egypt, from the Arnon and unto the Jabbok and unto the Jordan. And now return them in peace."
14. And Jephthah continued, and sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon.	14. And Jephthah continued again and sent messengers unto the king of the sons of Ammon.
15. And he said to him, "So said Jephthah, Israel did not take the land of Moab and the land of the children of Ammon.	15. And he said to him: "Thus says Jephthah: 'Israel did not take the land of Moab and the land of the sons of Ammon.
16. Because when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness up to the Red Sea, and they came to Kadesh.	16. Because when they went up from Egypt, Israel went in the wilderness unto the Sea of Reeds and came to Rekem,
17. And Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom saying, 'Let me pass now through your land,' and the king of Edom did not listen, and also to the king of Moab he sent, and he was unwilling; and Israel abode in Kadesh.	17. And Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying: 'Let me pass now in your land.' And the king of Edom did not accept, And again he sent unto the king of Moab, and he was not willing. And Israel dwelt in Rekem.
18. And they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and they came to the east of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon, and they did not come within the border of Moab, for (the) Arnon (was) the border of Moab.	18. And he went in the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and they came from east of the land of Moab, and they camped on the other side of the Arnon, and they did not enter within the border of Moab, for the Arnon is the border of Moab.
19. And Israel sent messengers to Sichon, king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, 'Please let us pass through your land up to my place.'	19. And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon the Amorite king, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him: "Let us pass now in your land unto my place."
20. And Sichon did not trust Israel to pass through his border, and Sichon gathered all his people, and they encamped in Jahaz, and he fought with Israel.	20. And Sihon did not trust Israel to pass within his border, and Sihon gathered all his people, and they camped at Jahaz, and he waged battle with Israel.
21. And the Lord, the God of Israel, delivered Sichon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them; and Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that land.	21. And the LORD God of Israel gave Sihon and all his people in the hand of Israel, and they struck them down, and Israel inherited all the land of the Amorite inhabiting that land.
22. And they possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon up to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness up to the Jordan.	22. And they inherited all the territory of the Amorite from the Arnon and unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness and unto the Jordan.
23. And now the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites from before His people Israel, and you want to possess it?	23. And now the LORD God of Israel has driven out the Amorite from before His people Israel; and are you thinking to inherit it?
24. Is it not that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess, that you may possess; and all that which the Lord our God has driven out from before us, that we shall possess.	24. And will not you inherit that which Chemosh your idol made you inherit? And everything that the LORD our God drives out before us, we will inherit it.
25. And now, are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive with Israel, (or) did he ever fight against them?	25. And now are you indeed better than Balak the son of Zippor the king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or wage battle against them?
26. When Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along Arnon, three hundred years; why did you not recover them at that time?	26. When Israel dwelt in Heshbon and in its villages, and in Aroer and in its villages, and in all the cities that are upon the borders of the Arnon for three hundred years, why did you not rescue them in that time?
27. And I have not sinned against you, and you do wrong with me by fighting against me; may the Lord, the Judge, decide this day between the children of Israel and between the children of Ammon."	27. And I have not sinned against you, and you are doing evil with me to wage battle against me. The LORD who makes judgment will judge this day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon."
28. And the king of the children of Ammon did not listen to the words of Jephthah which he had sent him. {P}	28. And the king of the sons of Ammon did not accept the words of Jephthah that he sent unto him.

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Shoftim (Judges) 11:1-21

 

4 and the children of Ammon made war: (The war) referred to above.

 

11 all his words: The stipulation which was between them.

 

before the Lord in Mizpah: At the place where they all gathered (above 10:17), since the Divine Presence resides amongst the multitudes of the congregation.

 

16 up to the Red Sea Located south of the land of Edom which is itself located to the south of the land of Canaan.

 

17 Let me pass now through your land From the South to the North to enter the land of Canaan.

 

and also to the king of Moab Whose land was adjacent to the land of Edom along the east, and was to the south of the land of Israel.

 

and he was unwilling Moses hinted this in the Torah (Deut. 2:29), “As was done to me by the children of Esau who dwell in Seir (Edom) and by the Moabites who dwell in Ar,” implying that just as Edom did not let them pass, similarly Moab did not let them pass.

 

18 And they went through the wilderness From west to east along the southern border of Edom and Moab.

 

and went around the land of Edom Its entire southern border.

 

and the land of Moab The entire southern border, and when they reached the southeastern corner they turned north to compass the eastern border.

 

and they came to the east of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon To the end of the eastern border of the land of Moab whence began the land of Sichon and Og. They then conquered the side of the Jordan to the east of the land of Canaan (as the following verses indicate), and then crossed the Jordan, entering the land of Canaan from the east.

 

 

 

Commentary on the Ashlamatah of (Shophetim) Judges 11:1-21

By: H.Ex. Adon Shlomoh Ben Abraham

 

JEPHTHAH (PERSON) [Heb yiptāḥ (יִפְתָּח)]. Yiptah or Yiftach was one of Israel's military leaders in the time of the book of Judges. Jephthah mobilized the resistance and led the counteroffensive to defeat the Ammonites in Transjordan. We see Jephthah named among the heroes of faith in the Nazarene codicil, letter to the Hebrews 11:32. The name means “El (God) opens (the womb?)” or “El (God) frees (the captive?).” The name yiptāḥ also occurs as the name of a town in Judah (Josh 15:43), probably situated in the Shephelah. It is also related to the personal name Pethahiah, “Hashem has opened” (1 Chr 24:16, Ezra 10:23). Jephthah’s name is the short form of a sentence name, yiptaḥ ʾēl, appearing as a place name, of the sons of Aaron in the divisions of the priest.^[41] Jephthah lived and died and operated as a Judge or leader in Israel during the period when Israel had no Prophet(Moses) or King (Messiah), similar to the time we are currently living in. This period paved the path for Ruth, and then the time of King David, which followed.

 

Jephthah’s activity begins with a large introduction (10:6–16) summarizing the preceding period. The seven surrounding nations each had their own gods, and they enticed Israel to worship them, which brought trouble to Israel until they cried out to Hashem for deliverance. (10:10) Rashi points out that the seven nations each had their own form or type of idolatry and that Israel had “forsaken Hashem to follow after them.” Rashi and Kimchi both emphasize that at this point, Israel had not combined the worship of Hashem with these seven nations, but they had forsaken Hashem in their religious life. Jephthah’s final appeal, “the Lord, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.’^[42] (11:27) Here is the only occurrence of the noun šōpēṭ, “judge,” in the book of Judges,[43] some have suggested this is the theological key to the Jephthah story, if not the whole book. The reference is to the outcome of the battle that is soon to take place. As we see, Jephthah is by no means certain of the outcome. In a judicial sense, the word שָׁפַט šāp̱aṭ could also indicate, the exalted status of the ruler, the arbitration of civil, domestic, and religious disputes This function of Judge, could be fulfilled by the congregation of Israel (Num. 35:24); individual judges (Ex. 18:16) it is Moses here in; (Deut. 1:16); and later it is the tribal leaders who are wise and experienced men. The king is requested when the people rejected the leadership and judgment by the prophet (1 Sam. 8:5, 6, 20) or even God Himself, as we see in these passages. (Gen. 16:5; 1 Sam. 24:12[13], 15[16]).

 

As our story continues the Ammonites pressed their advantage to the point where the elders of Gilead are ready to recall Jephthah and offer him the position of qāṣı̂n (field commander or captain), a status not mentioned in Judges outside this unit (but see Josh 10:24; Isa 1:10; 3:6, 7; 22:3; Mic 3:1–9). An Arabic cognate means “one who decides judicially.” Jephthah holds out, contingent upon his success against the Ammonites, for the more powerful and prestigious title רֹאשׁ rōʾš “Head,” which the elders had originally proposed for one of their own. The deal was solemnized “before Hashem” at the Mizpah sanctuary (11:4 -11).^[44] Our text starts, Now Jephthah the Gileadite. This shows that he came from the very place now suffering from the Ammonite oppression. He is described as a mighty man of valor. In the Book of Judges, that term is used only of Jephthah and Gideon (6:12). The phrase “a mighty warrior” is translated as Hy’yil gibbor here in 11:1, and in Zech 10:7 it is translated a little differently when it speaks of “Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior.” Here it indicates that something has occurred or come about, such as events that have turned out a certain way.^[45] This “mighty man of valor” was also ascribed to Kish, the father of King Saul (1 Sam. 9:1) and to the Syrian General Naaman in (2 Kings 5:1).

 

Gilead the place is found on the east side of the Jordan River from the Galilee in the north to the Dead Sea in the south. The name gilʿād is difficult to explain both as regards etymology and original usage. The first use is a derivation of the word found in Gen 31:48, from galʿed “witness cairn,” reminiscent of popular etymology. The name survives in Arabic in the form gelʿad.^[46] This Gilead is the place where Jacob and Laban made a covenant and set up a heap of stones and agreed that “God is witness between you and me.” We have an echo of this later in the chapter when Jephthah said, “The Lord, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.”^[47] When Jacob flees from his father-in-law, Laban, he moves to the region of Gilead. Jacob and Laban make a covenant to keep peace between their families (Gen 31). Joseph is sold to a caravan of Ishmaelites traveling from Gilead (Gen 37). Moses counts a person and clan named “Gilead” among the descendants of Joseph through Manasseh in a census (Num 26). Numbers 32 recounts the agreement the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh made with Israel to give military assistance in exchange for possession of Gilead (Num 36). Texts in Deuteronomy and Joshua are consistent with previous texts that allot the region of Gilead to the tribes of Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad.^[48] Encounters with the Ammonites reveal tense relationships between Gilead and Ephraim during the period of the judges (Judg 11–12). An important part of the background to our reading is, as we learn in (10:9), the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so Israel was sore distressed. These three tribes are to play a pivotal role in the future history of the nation of Israel and in the redemptive process that we have seen played out for the last 2000 years. In the dividing of the tribes, Ephraim represents the north, but camps in the West (Num. 2:18-24), and Judea represents the south. Both groups are to be reunited according to the prophets in the end of days. (Jer. 31, Ezek. 37)

 

As to Jephthah's origin, he was the son of a harlot. The word translated here as harlot or prostitute [49] and as in one rabbinic tradition, she was a concubine. Other rabbis claim she was an innkeeper like Rahab, trying to avoid the status of a prostitute.^[50] In Hosea 4, the people of Israel are referred to as “They have played the prostitute, served other gods, and deserted their God.” We know Gilead was Jephthah's father; he, Gilead, had another wife whose sons drove out Jephthah and said: ‘Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of another woman.’ [51] “The verse mentions that Yiftach the Gilaedite was a mighty young man and was the son of a prostitute woman, meaning to say that she was not betrothed and [had no] ketubah, or that she was an innkeeper, as [targum] Yonatan translates. It seems that Gilad bore this son before his wife bore other sons than him, and therefore he said after him (2) that Gilad's wife bore him sons, whom he bore after him. And remember that they divorced him by saying, "You shall not inherit in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman," and since they did not do it according to the law, because the son of a concubine was an heir, they made him leave by force, and Jephthah fled from his brothers”.[52] This raises the question of whether the son of another woman (concubine) could be the father's heir? Apparently so, and the brothers knew it and thus ran off this, “Son of another woman”.

 

Following the principles that he who comes first in the order of hereditary succession transmits that right to his descendants, and that the father comes before all his descendants in hereditary succession (B. B. 115a), the Rabbis elaborated the incomplete provisions of the Bible and established the following order of legal heirs: (1) sons and their descendants; (2) daughters and their descendants; (3) the father; (4) brothers and their descendants; (5) sisters and their descendants; (6) the father's father; (7) the father's brothers and their descendants; (8) the father's sisters and their descendants; (9) the father's father; and so on (Maimonides, "Yad," Naḥalot, i. 1-3; Shulḥan 'Aruk, Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ, 276, 1)…. Each of the sons of the deceased receives an equal share of the estate of his father or of his mother, except the firstborn of the father, who receives a double share (see Primogeniture). A son born after the death of his father (Yeb. 67a), or one born of illegitimate connections ("mamzer"; ib. 22b), is also a legal heir to his father's estate, but the son born of a slave or of a non-Jewess is excluded (ib.; Naḥalot, i. 7, comp. iv. 6; Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ, 276, 6; comp. ib. 279, 6, and "Be'er ha-Golah," ad loc.). An apostate Jew does not lose his right of inheritance, although the court, if it sees fit, may deprive him of his share (Ḳid. 18a; Naḥalot, vi. 12; Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ, 283, 2).[53]

 

Malbim gives us the reason for this first verse, to establish the Father of Jephthah, and thus agrees Metzudat David, while Radak says the mother was a concubine and was outside of the Ketubah and the Kiddushin.[54] In our world, I’m convinced the wrong connotation is put forward when translating Jephthah's mother as a prostitute. It would seem to me if the marriage order or custom of the day was not followed and when it came to the inheritance the brothers took matters in their own hands and did not let the elders decide the issue, which seems to be a recurring theme in Jephthahs life if we remember what happen later in his story with the sacrifice of his daughter. Which raises another question: where were the judges and leadership at this time? I would say, much the same as it has been in our time, the leaders are there, they just abdicate their responsibilities but continue to retain the position and the paycheck.

 

There are four points we can note about Jephthah’s career in these opening verses. First, then Jephthah fled from his brethren. Second, he lived in the land of Tob. This is recorded in 1 Maccabees 5:13 as a place where all the Jews living there were killed. Third, it refers to his gang, and there were gathered vain fellows to Jephthah. The word gathered in the Hebrew text is not the normal word asaph, but lakat, which is associated with gleaning.[55] This conveys the idea of a slow recruitment, man by man, rather than a sudden mass following. These men were vain, אֲנָשִׁים רֵקִים וּפֹחֲזִים, lit., “empty and reckless men.^[56] The same word was used of the hirelings of Abimelech back in 9:4. This word also connects with Gen.37:24 as in the pit Joseph was thrown into by his brothers, and It describes people as worthless as to moral character (Judg. 9:4; 11:3; 2 Sam. 6:20; 2 Chr. 13:7).^[57] A place by the same name is mentioned several times in the David narrative (1 Sam 22:2; 27:8; 2 Sam 10:6, 8), which makes me think, do we have a connection with King Messiah or a hint at the messianic role to be played out by Jephthah? Lastly, we note that Jephthah is called a Gileadite, and he is fighting, in one sense, the wars of David, to prepare the way for David, who is to come in the future.

 

At Verse 4, we return Jephthah’s story to the present: And it came to pass after a while. Literally, the Hebrew reads from days. However, it has been eighteen years since the Ammonite oppression began according to 10:8. Therefore, the phrase refers to the time of Jephthah’s expulsion from his home, and so picks up the narrative from 10:17, after the parenthetical interlude, and continues on with the recounting of the Ammonite oppression, the children of Ammon made war against Israel.^[58] The elders of Gilead, and, as 11:7 shows, their purpose was to bring Jephthah out of the land of Tob. (Tob is only mentioned here and in 2 Sam. 10, part of the wars of David) Their offer was to come and be our chief, so that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

 

And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead: ‘Did not ye hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? And why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?’ Do we hear the echo of the cry of Joseph here? In Verse seven, we hear Jephthah’s response in which he contrasts the past and the present. Concerning the past, he asked, did not ye hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? Compare this with what Isaac said to Abimelech in (Gen.26:26-28) while disputing over the land and water wells with the inhabitants of the land. And concerning the present, Jephthah questioned, why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? This reply by Jephthah is similar to Hashem's reply in (10:13) when he told the people to appeal to the gods you have chosen over me. If we look back into the history of the last view years, we see the same story played out in American politics, the one hated was driven out by his brothers and persecuted, and later he was called upon to play the part of a “mighty Gibbor.” Gideon in 6:12, is characterized in the same way as Jephthah as a gibbôr ḥayil. “The expression may be interpreted either as “a noble/rich man” or “valiant warrior,” but given this man’s parentage and how his brothers treated him, the former definition seems unlikely. On the other hand, the latter is most appropriate when one observes how he conducted himself. The narrative will portray him [Jephthah] as a person who, expelled from his own family, distinguished himself as a resourceful warrior, one without any hint of timidity. Expelled from his home, he fled to the land of Tob, where he lived his life. “ ^[59] Until he was called upon by the Israeli leadership to help them against their enemy, which lived east of the Jordan.

 

The negotiations begin, and from Jephthah's viewpoint, the very elders before him are the ones responsible for the mess they find themselves in. Jephthah, in all fairness, displays his savvy as he works the art of the deal, If God will let him be victorious over the enemy, then he will accept the position as their Rosh or head(our first word here is simply a commander or Captain, but then the promotion is to a Rosh). And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah: ‘The Lord shall be witness between us; surely according to thy word so will we do.’ Not only did Jephthah work a good deal for himself, but God also came in on his side to support Jephthah and gave the Ammonites into his hand, and he defeated them with a mighty blow. (11:32-34) As one reads the text, it seems there is more going on in the discussion between the elders and Jephthah than what is being recorded. When discussions are held between leaders and those about to execute a military strategy, the behind-the-scenes details are never reported. Jephthah and the elders both call God in as a witness between them, that each party will do as they promised.

 

In part two of our study, we will continue and learn more about the outlook of Jephthah and his viewpoint in dealing with his enemies and the enemies of Israel. Far from being rash, hotheaded, or impulsive, Jephthah proved to be a tough but patient negotiator. Rather than charge off to war, Jephthah sought first to avoid bloodshed and show the legitimacy of his actions in the region by negotiation. A question I’ll leave you with: Have we seen anything similar to this on the world stage in the month of Sivan? A leader and commander of people who, first through negotiations and working for peace, tries to head off a military conflict?

Commentary on the Ashlamatah of (Shofetim) Judges 11:12-21

By: H.Ex. Adon Shlomoh Ben Abraham

 

The background to our reading is 10:13-18 Yet ye have forsaken Me and served other gods; wherefore I will save you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.’ And the children of Israel said unto the Lord: ‘We have sinned; do Thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto Thee; only deliver us, we pray Thee, this day.’ And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord; and His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. Then the children of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah. ¹⁸ And the people, the princes of Gilead, said one to another: ‘What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.’ Is this passage still applicable to us today? Are WE (Jews of Judah, and Israelis scattered around the world) still serving strange gods and have not yet put them away to serve Hashem?

 

The narrative tells us that Jephthah was a negotiator, and his negotiations with Ammon reflect the political situation. This exchange sets the conflict in a historical and legal context, demonstrating Israel’s thoughts about its territorial claims and rights. The Ammonites were descended from Lot and, therefore, were remote relatives of Israel. According to Genesis 19:36-38, the ancestor of the Ammonites was Ben-ammi, the son of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his younger daughter.^[60] God had given them their own territory (Deut 2:9, 19, 20-21), and Israel was told not to provoke them into a war. Jephthah asks Ammon Why are you coming up to fight against our land? Because Ammon said, you took my land away when you came up out of Egypt. (V.13) From a purely scientific perspective, it is presently impossible either to prove or to disprove the Bible’s view of Ammonite origins. Critical scholarship tends to view the biblical account of Ammonite origins as an Israelite attempt to disparage their long-time enemies, and it generally prefers to look for an exogenous origin for the Ammonites (Younker 2003).^[61] Who was it that said, “The more things change, the more they are/stay the same?” Everything in the news about Israel in our current day is predicated on this same false narrative: Israel has taken our land!

 

Jephthah sent messengers to refute the charge of Ammon and reminded him that they took no land when they came up from Egypt. First, they sent messengers to the king of Edom asking them to pass through the land, but they were refused passage. Then they asked the same of Moab, and they refused passage also, and so the children of Israel traveled around those lands and camped at the Arnon,^[62] which was on the border of Moab, but they came not into the land of Moab. (v.18) At this point, Israel sent diplomatic messages to Sihon, king of Heshbon, asking to pass through, and he also refused, but the difference here is that the king of the Amorites^[63] gathered his people to fight against Israel. In verse 21 we come to the end of our reading, and we are informed that Hashem, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hands of Israel; they smote them, so Israel possessed all the land and borders of the Amorites. Ammon accused Israel of taking their land and was reminded that the land Israel took was from the Amorites, who took it from Moab’s king, and therefore the Ammonites had no claim. (Num 21:21-26)

 

As the story continues, Jephthah said this happened some 300 years ago. Why are you just now making a claim? Although scholars dispute this number due to the difficulty of the chronology of the book of Judges. We have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. The Lord, the Judge, decides this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon. (Judges 11:26-27) The first Ammonite king whose name is recorded is Nahash, noted for his conquest of Israelite territories bordering Ammon, especially his invasion across the Jabbok and the siege of Jabesh-gilead (1 Sam 11:1–11), only to be pushed back by Israel’s king Saul^[64]

 

When David’s envoys were humiliated by Nahash’s successor, Hanun, war broke out between Israel and Ammon. In spite of help from several Aramaean city states, the Ammonites were defeated by David’s generals, Joab and Abishai (2 Sam 10; 1 Chron 19). The Ammonites eventually became tributary to David when he captured their capital city, Rabbah (2 Sam 11:12; 1 Chron 20:1–3). David is said to have placed the Ammonite crown upon his head. During the reign of Solomon, the Ammonites relationship with Israel seems to have improved, with Solomon taking wives from the princesses of the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:1). However, they attempted another invasion of Judah in the time of Jehoshaphat (2 Chron 20:1–30) and were again forced to pay tribute. Tribute continued to be paid by Ammon to Israel during the times of Uzziah (Azariah) (2 Chron 26:8) and Jotham (2 Chron 27:5).^[65]

 

During Iron Age II (ninth through sixth centuries BCE) the Ammonites appear to have reached the zenith of their power, in spite of the fact that they were mostly under Assyrian domination during that time. Indeed, it was at this time, some scholars suggested, that Ammon truly reached the sociopolitical level of a small-scale secondary (tribal) state. When Ammon was conquered by the Assyrians, the tribute that the former had paid to Judah was now redirected to Assyria. The relatively high amount of tribute paid by the Ammonites has led some scholars to conclude that Ammon was among the wealthy kingdoms of Syria-Palestine during the time of Assyrian domination.^[66] After the fall of the Assyrian Empire, the Ammonites became vassals of the Babylonians. When Jehoiakim of Judah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, the Ammonites took up their overlord’s cause by harassing Judah (2 Kings 24:2).^[67] Assyria, in geographical terms, encompasses the northern part of Mesopotamia, “the land between two rivers” (Tigris and Euphrates), principally modern-day Iraq^[68] Unlike Egypt, Mesopotamia, including Assyria, is not an easily defined area in terms of historical culture. While Egypt presents a rather unilateral development throughout ancient history, with foreign invasions and influences being more the exception than the rule, Assyria’s development is a kaleidoscope of peoples, languages, and cultures.^[69] All this history convinces this writer that the very people Israel has struggled with in the past have been blended and mingled with each other and then with each new empire that came to control the Middle East. The people from the west, from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to the far east of the Caspian Sea under the Median empire, are still alive and living today, and harassing Israel just as their forefathers did. The wars of King David were fought by Jephthah before King David came. I wonder if we are not seeing a repeat of history in our current wars in Israel? The seven nations have down through time, remained a thorn in the side of Israel. Deuteronomy 7 lays this out and the path Israel must follow. From time to time, Israel has been able to accomplish some of its goals, yet Israel the nation has not reached the end of the road where peace will one day reign supreme.

 

A recent poll ^[70] of Arab Muslim residents of the West Bank and Gaza, known as “Palestinians,” the Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) asked them. [about their views on Oct. 7, 2023, atrocities]. Seventy-four percent (74%) supported the Hamas atrocities of October 7. Of these 59% “extremely” support them, and another 15% only “somewhat.” Only 7% were “extremely against” and 5% somewhat against.^[71] Now, let’s juxtapose that against this question? I posed the question to the internet and was shocked by the response. What percentage of Israelis are religious vs. secular? (From before Oct. 7, 2025, till the latest data, March 2025”

 

Defining religious and secular percentages in Israel can be nuanced, as there are varying degrees of religious observance among different populations. However, here's a general breakdown based on recent data:

 

 Among the Jewish population:

A 2022 survey indicated that over 43% of Jews in Israel identified as secular. Other surveys show variations in how Jews classify themselves. [The same numbers as the most recent data for 2024-2025]

·        45% self-identified as "secular" (hiloni)^[72] in 2022.

·        33% identified as "traditional" (masorti)^[73] in 2022.

·        12% identified as "religious" or "orthodox" (dati) in 2022.

·        10% identified as "ultra-orthodox" (haredi) in 2022. 

 

Among the Muslim population:

• In 2022, less than 10% of Muslims in Israel were reported as non-religious.
• Almost 64% of Muslims in Israel identified as religious. 

 

Important Notes:

-These classifications are based on self-identification and may not perfectly reflect actual levels of religious practice.^[74]

-These figures reflect Jewish Israelis over the age of 20 and are drawn from surveys by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics and Pew Research Center.^[75] Notably, about 22% of Israeli Jews have switched religious identity within Judaism since childhood, with the largest growth seen among secular Jews and the largest decline among the religious (Dati) group.^[76] Here’s the data: 22% of Israeli Jews have changed their religious identity since childhood.

 

• Net gains: The secular (Hiloni) group has grown the most.
• Net losses: The religious (Dati) group has seen the largest decline.
• Retention rates:
• Haredi: 91%
• Religious (Dati): 78%
• Traditional: 65%
• Secular: 88%

 

There could be a lag between the societal movement and that movement being captured in a survey. However, due to the ability to capture society in a survey and the sophistication of surveys, I would venture to suggest that what this is showing is that in the last two to three years, the Ammonites, Philistine, and Amalekite oppression of Israel has still not reached the level to bring Isreal back or to increase their religious relationship with Hashem. But then, when we think about it, all the signs and wonders Moses performed in Egypt did not produce the mass numbers, and as we learn, the majority of Israel stayed in Egypt, and those who went out to the wilderness repeatedly wished they had stayed there. When I look at the data before the October massacre and the current data, the movement of the needle that one sees is a measurement error. Meaning: statistically speaking, all the trouble Israel has lived through in the last two years has not moved the people any closer to the law of Moses. The same thing can be said of Christianity in the West; it, too, is declining at an alarming rate.

 

In the book of Judges, it seems there is no unified Israel; the Judges were civil or military leaders who tried to govern for some time between the death of Joshua (Yeshua) and the foundation of the kingdom of Israel. In each of the Judges spoken of, we can see them displaying a part of the Messianic role that is to come forth at the coming of that ‘anointed one’. Samuel the prophet is soon to come, and he is the connecting link between the Judges and the soon-coming King David. The story told in the book is not the story of a united commonwealth of twelve tribes but of separate and independent tribes acting on their own, more than acting as one, as they did with the story of Benjamin. It has been said, these (judges) were all brought into harmony and unity of purpose by the compiler, who selected those portions (of Israels history) which bore upon his main purpose, which was to denounce idolatry, to confirm the Israelites in the service of the Lord the God of their fathers, and to illustrate the faithfulness, the mercy, and the power of their covenant God. And certainly, if anything could confirm a people in their faith and obedience to the living and true God, the exhibition of such deliverances as those from the Canaanite and Midianite and Ammonite invasions, and of such examples of faith and constancy as those of Barak, Gideon, and Jephthah, were well calculated to do so.^[77]

 

We see that with Jephthah, the spirit of Hashem came upon him, and this is offered as an explanation for his successful tour of Gilead and Manasseh, as he gathered his army. (11:29) The spirit also came on others as on Othniel (3:10]; on Gideon (6:34]; and in the initial attack upon Samson’s conscience (13:25). Not at all certain of the outcome, Jephthah makes one more deal with the elders and leaders who summon him from the land of Tob (the good land). The final episodes, briefly told, of the career of Jephthah are only loosely connected to our story (12:1-6). Here, Jephthah is represented as dealing with inter-Israelite affairs in much the same way that he had approached the Ammonite threat: diplomacy first.^[78] Is this the mark of a true leader, such as Jephthah, to pursue peace through diplomacy?

 

The question has been asked: Is it appropriate for a man with Jephthah's record to be immortalized as a true judge of Israel and as a hero of faith? We should note that the Jephthah of 11:1-3 was more sinned against than sinning. So far in the story of Jephthah's life, he seems unsuited for the Bible’s Hall of Fame. He seems to be one who is ‘despised and rejected’ and as we know, a label applied elsewhere to one chosen to be the savior of the people of God. The phrase in Isaiah 53:3, which points forward to Yeshua, also looks back to some of these forerunners of his. It is linked to Ehud the handicapped, undoubtedly despised for his withered hand, and can here link it with Jephthah the outlaw, rejected for his illegitimate birth. And remembering how Jesus warns his disciples that both master and servant can expect the same treatment (‘If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you’) (John 15:18). Although, Yeshua was directly speaking to his disciples, I would like to think he was speaking to them as representative of the whole nation of Israel and speaking of himself as the head of the body of Israel. He continues and says, If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you… all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me… Whoever hates me hates my Father also… Yeshua then speaks of the law that must be fulfilled and quotes from (Psa. 35:17-19, 69:4-5), both passages are written by King David during his hardest trials, as if all Israel were a single person. It would seem that Israel finds itself in the same predicament today.

 

Jephthah is quoting from our Torah reading this week as he negotiates, sometimes relating almost verbatim. Edom, when asked, refused Israel passage to the point of the sword, and then the King of Moab refused passage also, and the route Israel took was carefully traced around Moab in Numbers 21. Then Sihon the King of the Amorites, again hated Israel without cause and would not let them pass through his territory, and went a step further and started a fight with Israel, which they lost. It seems our story is a prelude to the coming of the prophet (Samuel) and the soon-coming King Messiah. As we witness the happenings of Israel in the last few weeks, I can only think the same thing is happening in our day as it did in Jephthah's. The world is being prepped and prepared for the soon-coming of the King. May it happen speedily and in our days.

 

Verbal Tallies and Connections

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

Verbal Tally:

 

The word אֲשֶׁר (asher, Strong's H834) is present in both passages.

 

In Bamidbar 19:2, it appears as a relative pronoun "which" or "wherein."

 

In Judges 11:5, it appears as part of the compound word כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka'asher), meaning "when" or "as," literally "like that which."

 

While the grammatical function shifts slightly due to the prefixed preposition in Judges 11:5, the core Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (H834) is indeed a verbal tally connecting these two passages.

 

* * *

 

What is/are the thematic connection(s) between Bamidbar 19:1 – 22:1, and Tehillim (Psalms) 103:10-22?

 

The thematic connections between Bamidbar (Numbers) 19:1–22:1 and Tehillim (Psalms) 103:10-22, based on the JPS 1917 translation and Jewish interpretive traditions, center on divine mercy, purification, covenantal relationship, and God’s sovereignty over Israel. Below is an analysis:

 

Bamidbar 19:1–22:1

 

Context: Laws of the red heifer (purification from impurity, 19:1-22), Israel’s wilderness journey, complaints, divine judgment (e.g., Miriam’s death, 20:1; serpent plague, 21:6-9), and victories (21:21-35).

 

Key Themes:

 

1.      Purification: The red heifer ritual (19:2-10) addresses spiritual and physical impurity, ensuring Israel’s holiness.

 

2.      Divine Mercy and Judgment: God disciplines Israel (e.g., water shortage, 20:2-13; serpents, 21:6) but provides mercy (e.g., water from the rock, 20:11; bronze serpent, 21:9).

 

3.      Covenantal Relationship: God’s guidance through the wilderness and victories over enemies (21:21-35) affirm His covenant with Israel.

 

4.      Sovereignty: God’s authority is evident in laws, miracles, and victories (e.g., defeating Sihon and Og, 21:23-35).

 

Tehillim 103:10-22

 

Context: A psalm of David praising God’s mercy, forgiveness, and covenantal love for Israel.

 

Key Themes:

 

1.      Divine Mercy: God does not deal with Israel according to their sins (103:10-12), showing compassion like a father (103:13).

 

2.      Purification: God’s forgiveness removes iniquity (103:12), paralleling spiritual cleansing.

 

3.      Covenantal Relationship: God’s mercy is everlasting for those who keep His covenant (103:17-18).

 

4.      Sovereignty: God’s rule over all creation (103:19) and His angels (103:20-22) reflects His supreme authority.

 

Thematic Connections

 

1. Divine Mercy and Forgiveness:

 

* Bamidbar: God’s mercy is shown in providing water (20:11), healing via the bronze serpent (21:9), and granting victories despite Israel’s complaints.

 

* Tehillim: God’s mercy forgives sins and spares Israel from deserved punishment (103:10-12).

 

* Connection: Both texts highlight God’s compassion in response to human frailty, preserving Israel despite their failings.

 

2. Purification and Holiness:

 

Bamidbar: The red heifer ritual (19:1-10) purifies from defilement, ensuring Israel’s sanctity.

 

Tehillim: God’s removal of iniquity (103:12) offers spiritual cleansing, akin to purification.

 

Connection: Both emphasize God’s provision for restoring holiness, whether through ritual (Bamidbar) or forgiveness (Tehillim).

 

3. Covenantal Relationship:

 

Bamidbar: God’s guidance and victories (21:21-35) uphold His covenant with Israel in the wilderness.

 

Tehillim: God’s mercy is tied to His covenant with those who fear Him (103:17-18).

 

Connection: Both texts affirm God’s enduring commitment to Israel, rooted in the covenant.

 

4. God’s Sovereignty:

 

Bamidbar: God’s authority is evident in laws (19:1-22), miracles (20:11), and victories (21:21-35).

 

Tehillim: God’s throne and universal dominion are praised (103:19-22).

 

Connection: Both portray God as the sovereign ruler who governs Israel and creation.

 

Summary

 

Bamidbar 19:1–22:1 and Tehillim 103:10-22 are thematically linked through divine mercy (forgiveness and provision), purification (ritual and spiritual), the covenantal relationship (God’s commitment to Israel), and God’s sovereignty (authority over creation and history). Bamidbar illustrates these themes historically in Israel’s wilderness journey, while Tehillim expresses them poetically in praise.[79]

 

* * *

 

Christian and Jewish sources offer distinct perspectives on the eschatological message of Judges 11:1-21 due to differences in theological frameworks, hermeneutical approaches, and canonical contexts. Below, I compare the eschatological interpretations of this passage, focusing on Jewish sources (as previously outlined) and Christian sources, while remaining concise and using only relevant texts.

 

Jewish Eschatological Perspective

 

Based on Jewish sources (e.g., Midrash Tanchuma, Rashi, Radak, Abarbanel, Talmud Rosh Hashanah 25b):

 

• Key Themes:

 

o   Jephthah’s rise from humble origins reflects God’s choice of unlikely leaders for redemption, prefiguring the Messianic age.

 

o   The defense of Israel’s land rights (Judges 11:12-21) underscores God’s eternal covenant, pointing to eschatological restoration of Israel’s borders.

 

o   Divine intervention in victories (11:9, 11:21) foreshadows God’s ultimate deliverance in the end times.

 

• Eschatological Message: God will redeem Israel through unexpected deliverers, secure the covenantal land, and intervene decisively in the Messianic era.

 

• Focus: National restoration, covenant fidelity, and collective redemption, rooted in Torah and prophetic promises (e.g., Ezekiel 37:25, Isaiah 11:11-16).

 

• Sources: Midrash, Talmud, and medieval Jewish commentators emphasize Israel’s covenantal destiny without a personal Messiah figure.

 

Christian Eschatological Perspective

 

Christian interpretations of Judges 11:1-21 draw from New Testament theology, patristic writings, and later commentators, often viewing Old Testament narratives as typological foreshadowing of Christ and the end times. Key sources include the New Testament (e.g., Hebrews 11), early Church Fathers (e.g., Augustine, Origen), and modern Christian commentators.

 

1. Jephthah as a Type of Mashiach:

 

o   Hebrews 11:32-34 lists Jephthah among the faithful, emphasizing his faith despite flaws. Christian commentators (e.g., Matthew Henry, John Gill) see Jephthah’s leadership and deliverance of Israel as a type of Christ, the ultimate deliverer who overcomes rejection (cf. John 1:11).

 

o   Eschatological Implication: Jephthah prefigures Christ’s role as the Messiah who, in the Second Coming, will deliver believers from oppression (Revelation 19:11-16).\

 

o   Difference from Jewish View: Jewish sources focus on Jephthah as a historical figure pointing to national redemption, not a personal Messiah. Christians emphasize a Christological typology.

 

2. Victory and Divine Justice (Judges 11:12-21):

 

o   Origen (Homilies on Judges) and Augustine interpret Israel’s victories, attributed to God (11:21), as foreshadowing Christ’s triumph over spiritual enemies (e.g., Satan, sin) in the eschaton (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26).

 

o   Modern Commentators (e.g., Keil and Delitzsch) view the Ammonite conflict as a precursor to the ultimate battle where Christ defeats evil powers (Revelation 20:7-10).

 

o   Eschatological Implication: The passage points to the final judgment and establishment of God’s kingdom through Christ.

 

o   Difference from Jewish View: Jewish sources emphasize physical land restoration for Israel; Christian sources spiritualize the land as the Kingdom of God or the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-2).

 

3. Faith and Redemption:

 

o   Patristic View (e.g., Clement of Alexandria): Jephthah’s faith, despite his outsider status, aligns with Christian themes of salvation through faith, open to all (Galatians 3:26-28).

 

o   Eschatological Implication: The inclusion of outcasts like Jephthah foreshadows the universal call to salvation in the end times, culminating in the gathering of all nations (Matthew 24:31).

 

o   Difference from Jewish View: Jewish interpretations focus on Israel’s national redemption, while Christian sources extend redemption universally, centered on Christ.

 

Key Differences:

 

 

Similarities

 

• Both traditions see divine intervention as central to the passage’s message, with victories (11:21) pointing to God’s ultimate power in the end times.

 

• Both view Jephthah’s rise from lowliness as significant, though Jewish sources emphasize national leadership, while Christians see a Christological parallel.

 

Conclusion

 

Christian sources differ from Jewish sources in interpreting Judges 11:1-21 eschatologically by framing Jephthah as a type of Christ, spiritualizing the land as the Kingdom of God, and emphasizing universal salvation through faith. Jewish sources focus on national restoration and covenantal fidelity without a personal Messiah. Both agree on God’s redemptive power but diverge in scope and fulfillment.[80]

 

Nazarean Talmud

Sidra of Bamidbar (Numbers)

“Parah Adumah” “A red heifer”

By: Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

Hakham Shaul’s School of Tosefta - Luqas (Lk)

Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat Mordechai (Mk)

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish that it had been kindled already! But I have an immersion to be immersed with, and I am distressed until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to grant peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! For from now on there will be five in one household, divided three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Micah 7:6) And a dispute also occurred among them as to which of them was recognized as being greatest (Heb. Gadol).[81] So he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise despotic lordship over them, and those who have authority over them are called benefactors. But you are not to be like this! But the one who is greatest among you must become like the youngest (newest), and the one who leads must be like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am in your midst as the one who serves.[82] “And you are the ones who have remained with me in my trials, and I confer on you a kingdom/governance, just as my Father conferred it on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom/governance of God through the Bate Din and Hakhamim, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

¶ And Yaakov and Yochanan, the sons of Zavdeyel, approached Him (Yeshua), and said, Rabbi (Hakham), we have a request that whatever we may request, you would grant us. And he (Yeshua) asked them, what do you desire for me to do for you? And they said to him, allow us (permit us the honor) that we may sit one on the right hand of you and one on the left hand of you in your seat of honor. But Yeshua said to them, you do not know what you are asking for. Do you have the ability to drink from the cup, which I now drink from, and to be immersed with the immersion that I am now immersed with? And they said to him, we are able. However, Yeshua said to them, certainly you will drink from my cup, and you will be immersed with the immersion with which I am immersed. But to sit on my right hand or on my left hand is not mine to give, but for whom it has been appointed.   ¶And the other ten hearing, began to be indignant about at Yaakov and Yochanan. But having called them (all his talmidim) to him, Yeshua said to them, you know that those who presume to rule over the Gentiles, and their great (Heb. גָּדוֹל) men exercise oppressive authority over them. But, it will not be so among you; but whoever desires to become the greatest (Heb. גָּדוֹל) (reach maturity i.e. become a Hakham) among you must first be your ministering courtier (Paqid). And whoever of you desires to become (the) first (Heb.הָרֹאשׁ ), he will a be courtier before all. For even the Son of Man (the Prophet) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life (Heb. נֶפֶשׁ) as a ransom[83] (Heb. גְּאֻלָּה) for many slaves.

Nazarean Codicil to be read in conjunction with the following Torah Seder

 

 

Commentary to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat

 

The Red Heifer: Nuances of the Ashes and the Call to Radical Transformation

The Parah Adumah (Numbers 19:1ff) remains the central enigma, its ashes symbolizing a purification that defies conventional logic. From a deep Spiritual perspective, the ashes represent the ultimate dissolution of Yesh (somethingness) and the ego into a state of Ayin (nothingness). This is not annihilation but a primordial state of absolute purity, transformed through fire. The pulverized, indistinguishable ashes symbolize the breaking down of individual identity and a return to primal unity (Yihud), a prerequisite for true purification.

 

When these ashes are combined with mayim hayim (living water), often corresponding to Binah (Understanding) we see the reintegration of this refined essence with the divine flow. This sacred mixture, the mei niddah, is a vehicle for spiritual regeneration, capable of cleansing the defilement of death. The unblemished nature of the heifer and its never having borne a yoke speaks to a pristine, untainted state—a powerful symbol of the messianic purity that will ultimately cleanse the world. The paradox of the pure becoming impure by handling the ashes remains central: it teaches that engaging with the deepest levels of impurity to extract the sparks of holiness often requires a temporary descent, a form of spiritual self-sacrifice for the sake of higher purification.

 

This intense purification, demanding a total surrender of the material form to fire and water, sets the stage for the radical self-abnegation Yeshua speaks of. The heifer’s transformation into cleansing ash foreshadows the kind of death to self that is required for true spiritual rebirth and leadership.

 

Interwoven Threads: A Deeper Look at This Week’s Readings and Commentary

The revised references, particularly the Nazarean Codicil portions, reveal an even more intricate and profound fabric of meaning. This fabric emphasizes radical transformation, the costs of true discipleship, and the establishment of divine authority through profound self-abnegation and a total surrender of will.

 

Bamidbar (Numbers) 19:1 – 22:1: Purification, Consequences, and G-d’s Sovereignty

This section establishes the archetype of purification from death’s defilement through the Parah Adumah. The subsequent narratives of Miriam’s and Aharon’s deaths, as well as Moshe’s sin at Meribah, highlight the consequences of disobedience and the exacting nature of divine decree, even for the most righteous leaders. The commentary’s emphasis on Moshe’s inability to enter Eretz Yisrael due to his act at Mei Merivah directly connects to the concept that even those who are agents of purity—like the Kohanim purified by the Red Heifer—are held to the highest standard and can face consequences for imperfect service. The Parah Adumah offers a path to purity, but the events that follow underscore that this path demands absolute alignment with the divine will.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 103:10-22: Divine Mercy and Everlasting Dominion

This Tehillim acts as a crucial counterpoint, emphasizing G-d’s boundless compassion and unwavering sovereignty. “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Tehillim 103:10). This provides context for the severity seen elsewhere: while there are decrees and consequences, the ultimate backdrop is one of divine mercy. The Parah Adumah, despite its strictness, is fundamentally an act of grace, providing a means of purification and reconciliation. This psalm reassures one of G-d’s ultimate control and His willingness to show compassion, even when human beings falter or face severe consequences, reinforcing that actual authority emanates from G-d’s compassionate governance.

 

Shoftim (Judges) 11:1-21: The Cost of Vows and Imperfect Leadership

This haftarah presents Yiftach, a strong but flawed leader whose tragic, ill-conceived vow results in the sacrifice of his only daughter. This directly links to the concept of sacrifice seen in the Parah Adumah, but through a human lens, highlighting the dangers of impulsive promises and the profound cost of human error, even when driven by sincere devotion. Yiftach’s military success is tragically overshadowed by his spiritual misstep and lack of Hokhmah, offering a poignant contrast to the perfection demanded by the Torah and ultimately exemplified by the Mashiach. It underscores that human leadership, left to its own devices, can bring about unintended tragedies, emphasizing the need for true divine guidance.

 

Mordecai (Mark) 10:35-45: “My Cup and Immersion”—True Greatness Through Service and Ransom

This passage is central to the commentary. Ya’akov and Yohanan seek positions of honor, prompting Yeshua’s pivotal teaching: “You do not know what you are asking (for). Do you have the ability to drink from the cup, which I now drink, and to be immersed with the immersion that I am now immersed with? Do you have the ability to drink from the cup, which I drink?” (Mordecai 10:38). “My Cup and Immersion,” brilliantly unpacks this. The insight that Yeshua makes a direct link to “light, education, and consecration” is critical. The “cup of suffering” is not merely physical pain but the profound pain of intellectual and spiritual immersion required for true Torah scholarship, akin to the “countless hours required for study, learning (education) and devotion to thresh for kernels.” Just as the Menorah was fueled by the purest oil, demanding complete dedication, so too is the path of a Hakham. I believe this extends further, connecting the “pain and suffering” to “the rebirth of the priesthood of the firstborn.” This deepens the parallel to the Parah Adumah, which purifies from defilement by death, and also to the cleansing and dedication of the Kohanim in Bamidbar 8. The analysis of Bamidbar 8:21, “Then Aaron lifted them” (alluding to the Kohanim rather than the offerings) and Rashi’s interpretation, reinforces the idea of elevation of status (Korban as “bringing near”). This connects beautifully to the point: “Therefore, just as the oil, being consumed in the Menorah brings light through the elevation of the flame the olah elevates the Kohanim and the Mikvah elevates the immersed.” The mikvah as a “picture of death as well as elevation,” where a “way of life that died” leads to dedication to HaShem’s service, directly parallels Yeshua’s statement in Mordecai 10:38 as: “Do you have the ability to suffer in the manner in which I suffer, and to die to the life you now possess as I do?” This is the radical transformation hinted at by the Red Heifer’s ashes. The meticulous tracing of Hakham Tsefet’s threefold use of “immerse” in Mordecai 10:38-39, mirroring the threefold use of tenufah (תְּנוּפָה) in Bamidbar 8:11, 13, 15, is a masterful connection. The definition of tenufah as “dedication, designation, and direction” and the “threefold dedication” by the community, G-d, and Aharon, powerfully illustrates the comprehensive nature of this spiritual transformation. Thus, Hakham Tsefet’s triple use of “immersion” signifies “complete and whole immersion in the study of Torah and pursuit of the position of Hakham”—a profound elevation of status through a death to the old self, akin to the cleansing fire and water of the Red Heifer.

 

Luqas (Luke) 12:49-53: The Fire of Division and Transformative Pain

This passage introduces Yeshua’s declaration: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have an immersion to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” (Luqas 12:49-51). This “fire” is deeply symbolic, representing the divine intensity and transformative power that purifies and refines. Just as the Red Heifer is consumed by fire to produce purifying ashes, Yeshua speaks of a “fire” He brings that will lead to profound spiritual transformation, even if it entails painful division. This is the burning away of impurities, the radical shift in priorities that causes separation between those who accept this transformative “fire” and those who resist it. It is a necessary purification, like the burning of the heifer. His reference to a “baptism to undergo” directly alludes to his ultimate sacrifice, a profound act of self-purification and atonement for humanity. This connects explicitly to the Red Heifer’s sacrifice for purification and the concept of giving one’s life as a ransom. This “fire” is the catalyst for the “death to the life you now possess,” as mentioned in the commentary.

 

Luqas (Luke) 22:24-30: Leadership as Humility and Enduring Kingdom

This reiterates the teaching from Mordecai on true leadership, emphasizing: “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them... But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves... You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred on one upon me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Yisrael.” (Luqas 22:25-30). The commentary, “Beginning with Chesed,” perfectly complements this. It notes the contrast between “sensual pleasures of life rather than subservience to G-d” and the “wants of a people that had yet to master their entire being.” The disciples’ desire to sit near Yeshua, though not inherently wrong, becomes unhealthy “when that type of desire permeates every act of our being and when we are wholly consumed by it.” This imbalance of will without true Chesed leads to a fall. This resonates with the “Dynamic Tension” described: the tension between self-focus and G-d-focus, or between self and fellow humans. True mastery is when “man’s ambitions must be subservient to G-d’s will.” “Yehi Ratzon” particularly the prayer of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, highlights the “expression of desire... to have a pure desire” and the importance of submitting one’s personal will to the “will of G-d.” This is the ultimate aspiration of the Torah Scholar, to “be a tool rather than trying to be the next great master.” This pure motive is what leads to a “place of prominence,” becoming a Paqid (courtier), a place of “initial beginnings for a Torah Scholar.” This contrasts sharply with the worldly ambition Yeshua confronts in Luqas 22. The commentary’s powerful statement on Mordecai 10:45 (“For even the Son of Man (the Prophet) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life (Heb. נֶפֶשׁ) as a ransom (Heb. גְּאֻלָּה) for many [slaves]”) clarifies that Yeshua’s “life” was “a life of example and demonstration.” He “sacrificed personal ambitions for our sake and for the sake of the Mesorah.” This is not merely an “atoning sacrifice” that gives “license to do as they choose,” but a call to “practice the mastery of ones being.” This directly connects to the Red Heifer: its purpose is not to grant license, but to enable a return to purity through a radical example of self-emptying. Finally, the “Dynamic Tension” between the righteous man’s focus on self versus G-d, and the capacity for man to “master his being” unlike animals, and the lifelong task of removing hamets (leaven, or excessive pride), provides the overarching spiritual framework. The “Festival of Freedom” (Pesach) is about freeing oneself from this hamets to “be like Abraham Avinu, someone who really loves the LORD our G-d.” This mastery of self, achieved through diligent spiritual work and subservience of personal will to G-d’s will (as exemplified by the “ransom” and “fire” of Yeshua), is the ultimate goal of purification, transforming one from a slave to one’s impulses to a truly free being, dedicated wholly to HaShem’s service, just as the Kohanim were through their three-fold dedication.

 

Overarching Synthesis

Intensely illuminating the Triennial Torah readings, a powerful and cohesive message emerges: the path to spiritual purity, true leadership, and ultimate freedom involves a radical, transformative process of self-emptying and dedication to G-d’s will, mirroring the paradoxical, purifying essence of the Red Heifer.

 

1. The Necessity of Radical Purification and Death to Self: The Parah Adumah (Numbers 19) is the archetype of deep, paradoxical purification. This ritual demands fire and water to cleanse from the defilement of death. The “My Cup and Immersion” commentary extends this, showing Yeshua’s call to a “death to the life you now possess,” a profound spiritual mikvah that elevates status through complete dedication, mirroring the three-fold tenufah of the Kohanim. The “fire” Yeshua brings (Luqas 12) is this same transformative crucible, burning away impurities, even if it brings division.

 

2. The Nature of True Authority and Leadership: The narratives of Moshe’s human fallibility and Yiftach’s misguided vow highlight the limitations of human leadership. This contrasts sharply with Yeshua’s teachings in Mordecai and Luqas, where true greatness and enduring authority are found not in worldly power, but in humble, self-sacrificial service. The “Beginning with Chesed” and “Dynamic Tension” Torah underscore that this true leadership stems from a balanced will, free from excessive personal ambition, and rooted in subservience to G-d’s will. The “ransom” of Yeshua’s life (Mordecai 10:45) stands as an example of mastering one’s being for the sake of the Mesorah and others’ purification, distinct from granting license for apathy. Divine Mercy as the Overarching Context: Tehillim 103 provides the essential context of G-d’s boundless mercy, within which all human striving, failing, and purification take place. This divine compassion offers the grace for the intense transformations demanded by the Parah Adumah and the journey of true discipleship.

 

 

3. From the literal sacrifice of the Red Heifer, to Yiftach’s tragic vow, to Yeshua’s ultimate immersion and ransom, the theme is clear: a higher state of purity and spiritual authority is achieved through the mastery of one’s will and the laying down of self—whether it be personal ambition, a former way of life, or indeed, one’s very nefesh (soul).

 

Some Questions to Ponder:

 

1. From all the readings for this week, which particular verse or passage caught your attention and fired your heart and imagination?
2. In your opinion, and taking into consideration all of the above readings for this Sabbath, what is the prophetic message (the idea that encapsulates all the Scripture passages read) for this week.

 

Blessing After Torah Study

 

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

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

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

Next Shabbat: Shabbat: “VaYar Balaq” – Sabbath: “And Balaq saw”

 

 

 

Contents of Next Week’s Torah Seder

 

·        Balak King of Moab – Numbers 22:2-4

·        The first deputation to Balaam – Numbers 22:5-14

·        A second deputation to Balaam – Numbers 22:15-20

·        The journey – Numbers 22:21-35

·        Arrival and reception – Numbers 22:36-40

·        Preparation for the Great Incantation – 22:41 – 23:6

·        Balaam’s first prophecy 23:7-9

·        Conclusion of Balaam’s First Prophecy – Numbers 23:10

·        New Arrangements – Numbers 23:11-17

·        Balaam’s Second Prophecy – Numbers 23:18-24

·        Remonstrances and New Preparations – Numbers 23:25 – 24:2

·        Balaam’s Third Prophecy – Numbers 24:3-9

·        Balak’s Anger – Numbers 24:10-14

·        A Vision of Israel’s Future – Numbers 24:15-17

·        Oracles Concerning the Gentiles – Numbers 24:18-24

·        Departure of Balaam – Numbers 24:25

 

Next week’s Reading Assignment:

 

 

 

Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

Edited by HH Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham

A special thank you to HH Giberet Giborah bat Sarah and Giberet Sarai bat Sarah for their diligence in proof-reading