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

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings	Fourth Year of the Reading Cycle
Tebet 12, 5772 – Jan. 07/08, 2012	Fourth Year of the Shmita Cycle

Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times:

Conroe & Austin, TX, U.S. Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 5:27 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 6:25 PM	Brisbane, Australia Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 6:30 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 7:27 PM	Bucharest, Romania Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 4:33 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 5:40 PM
Chattanooga, & Cleveland, TN, U.S. Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 5:26 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 6:26 PM	Jakarta, Indonesia Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 5:54 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 6:46 PM	Manila & Cebu, Philippines Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 5:23 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 6:15 PM
Miami, FL, U.S. Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 5:26 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 6:22 PM	Olympia, WA, U.S. Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 4:20 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 5:30 PM	Murray, KY, & Paris, TN. U.S. Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 4:34 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 5:35 PM
Sheboygan & Manitowoc, WI, US Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 4:11 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 5:17 PM	Singapore, Singapore Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 6:54 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 7:45 PM	St. Louis, MO, U.S. Fri. Jan 07 2012 – Candles at 4:36 PM Sat. Jan 08 2012 – Havdalah 5:39 PM

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

Roll of Honor:

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of:

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

His Honor Paqid Adon Mikha ben Hillel

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family

His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved family

His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife

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

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

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

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

Her Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor

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

Her Excellency Prof. Dr. Conny Williams & beloved family

Her Excellency Giberet Gloria Sutton & beloved family

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

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

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

“Shabbat Ki HaGoyim HaEleh”

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
כִּי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה
“Ki HaGoyim HaEleh”	Reader 1 – D’barim 18:14-22	Reader 1 – D’barim 21:10-12
“For these gentiles”	Reader 2 – D’barim 19:1-10	Reader 2 – D’barim 21:12-14
“Porque estos gentiles”	Reader 3 – D’barim 19:11-21	Reader 3 – D’barim 21:10-14
	Reader 4 – D’barim 20:1-9
D’barim (Deut.) 18:14 -21:9	Reader 5 – D’barim 20:10-15
Ashlamatah: Micah 5:11 – 6:8	Reader 6 – D’barim 20:16-20	Reader 1 – D’barim 21:10-12
Psalm 124 - 128	Reader 7 – D’barim 21:1-9	Reader 2 – D’barim 21:12-14
	Maftir: D’barim 21:5-9	Reader 3 – D’barim 21:10-14
	Micah 5:11 – 6:8
N.C.: Mark 15:29-32

Blessings Before Torah Study

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading Assignment:

The Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol 17: Deuteronomy – III – Gratitude & Discipline

By: Rabbi Yitzchaq Behar Argueti & Rabbi Shmuel Yerushalmi

Published by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New York, 1992)

Vol. 17 – “Deuteronomy – III – Gratitude & Discipline,” pp. 250-284.

Contents of the Torah Seder

· Prophets (continued) – Deut. 18:14-22

· Cities of Refuge – Deut. 19:1-13

· Removing A Landmark – Deut. 19:14

· Plotting Witnesses – Deut. 19:15-21

· Exemption From Service for War – Deut. 20:1-9

· Capture of Heathen Cities – Deut. 20:10-18

· Destruction of Trees During War – Deut. 20:19-20

· On the Expiation of an Untraced Murder – Deut. 21:1-9

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan

for: D’barim (Deut.) 18:14 -21:9

Rashi	Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
14. For these nations, which you are to possess, hearken to diviners of [auspicious] times and soothsayers, but as for you, the Lord, your God, has not given you [things] like these.	14. For these nations which you are about to dispossess have listened to inspectors of serpents and enchanters. But you are not to be like them the priests will inquire by Urim and Thummim and a Right Prophet will the LORD your God give you;
15. A prophet from among you, from your brothers, like me, the Lord, your God will set up for you, you shall hearken to him.	15. a Prophet from among you of your brethren like unto me, with the Holy Spirit will the LORD your God raise up unto you; to Him will you be obedient.
16. According to all that you asked of the Lord, your God, in Horeb, on the day of the assembly, saying, "Let me not continue to hear the voice of the Lord, my God, and let me no longer see this great fire, so that I will not die."	16. According to all that you begged before the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembling of the tribes to receive the Law, saying, Let us not again hear the Great Voice {of the Word - Dibbura} from before the LORD our God, nor behold again that great fire, lest we die:
17. And the Lord said to me, "They have done well in what they have spoken.	17. and the LORD said to me, That which they have spoken is right;
18. I will set up a prophet for them from among their brothers like you, and I will put My words into his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him.	18. I will raise up unto them a Prophet from, among their brethren in whom will be the Holy Spirit, as in you; and I will put My Word of prophecy in his mouth, and he will speak with them whatsoever I command him;
19. And it will be, that whoever does not hearken to My words that he speaks in My name, I will exact [it] of him.	19. and the man who will not hearken to the words of My prophecy which will be spoken in My Name, My Word will take vengeance upon him.
20. But the prophet who intentionally speaks a word in My name, which I did not command him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.	20. But the false prophet who does wickedly in speaking a thing in My Name, when I have not commanded him to speak, or who will speak in the name of the gods of the Gentiles., that prophet will be slain with the sword.
21. Now if you say to yourself, "How will we know the word that the Lord did not speak?"	21. And if you will say in your thoughts, How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?
22. If the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing does not occur and does not come about, that is the thing the Lord did not speak. The prophet has spoken it wantonly; you shall not be afraid of him.	22. When a false prophet speaks in the Name of the LORD, and the thing does not come to pass, or be not confirmed, it is a word which the LORD has not spoken; the false prophet spoke it in presumption; fear him not.
1. When the Lord, your God, cuts off the nations, whose land the Lord, your God, is giving you, and you inherit them, and dwell in their cities and in their houses,	1. When the LORD your God will have destroyed the nations whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you possess them, and dwell in their cities and houses,
2. you shall separate three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which the Lord, your God, is giving you to possess.	2. three cities will you set apart within your land which the LORD your God gives you to inherit.
3. Prepare the road for yourself and divide into three parts the boundary of your land, which the Lord, your God, is giving you as an inheritance, and it will be for every killer to flee there.	3. You will prepare a high road, and divide your limit which the LORD your God bestows upon you, that any manslayer may flee thither.
4. And this is the case of the killer who will flee there, so that he may live: Whoever strikes his fellow [to death] unintentionally, whom he did not hate in times past.	4. And this is the regulation for the manslayer who flees thither that he may live: Whoever will have killed his brother without intention, he not having kept enmity against him yesterday, or the day before,
5. As when a man goes with his fellow into the forest to chop wood, and his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, and the iron flies off the handle, and it reaches his fellow, and he dies he shall flee to one of these cities, and live.	5. (as for example) if any one goes with his neighbor into the thicket to cut wood, and he drives his hand with the axe to cut wood, and the iron flies apart from the shaft and lights on his neighbor that he die, he may flee to one of those appointed cities, and. save his life.
6. Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the killer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and he strikes him to death, whereas he was not deserving of death, for he had not hated him in times past.	6. Lest the avenger of blood follow after him his heart boiling within him on account of his grief, and apprehend him, if the way be long, and take his life, though he is not guilty of the judgment of death, because he had not enmity against him in time past.
7. Therefore, I command you, saying, "You shall separate for yourself three cities."	7. Therefore I command you today that you set apart for you three cities.
8. And when the Lord, your God, expands your boundary, as He swore to your forefathers, and He gives you all the land of which He spoke to give to your forefathers;	8. And if the LORD your God enlarge your border, as He has sworn to your fathers, and give you all the land which He has sworn to your fathers to give,
9. if you will keep all this commandment to perform it, which I command you this day, to love the Lord, your God, and to walk in His ways all the days, you shall add three more cities for yourself, in addition to these three,	9. then will you keep all this commandment which today I command you to do, that you may love the LORD your God, and walk in the ways which are right before Him all days; and you will add yet three cities to those three;
10. so that innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord, your God, gives you for an inheritance which would deem you guilty of [having shed this] blood.	10. that innocent blood may not be shed in your land which the LORD your God gives you to inherit, and the guilt of the judgment of death may not be upon you.
11. But if a man hates his fellow, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, and strikes him mortally, and he flees to one of these cities,	11. But if a man with enmity against his neighbor will lay wait for him in secret, to destroy his life, and he die, then should he flee into one of those cities,
12. the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of the blood, that he may die.	12. the sages of his city will send and take him thence, and give him up into the hand of the pursuer for blood, and he will be put to death.
13. And you shall not pity him, but you shall abolish [the shedding of] the blood of the innocent from Israel, and it will be good for you.	13. Your eye will not spare him, but you will put away shedders of innocent blood from Israel, that it may be well with you.
14. You shall not pull back your neighbor's landmark, which the earlier ones have set as borders in your inheritance, which you will inherit in the land that the Lord, your God gives you, to possess.	14. You will not remove the boundary mark of your neighbors which the predecessors did set for the limit in your possession of inheritance in the land which the LORD your God gives you to inherit.
15. One witness shall not rise up against any person for any iniquity or for any sin, regarding any sin that he will sin. By the mouth of two witnesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be confirmed.	15. The testimony of one (witness) will not be valid against a man for any crime (regarding the taking) of life, or guilt concerning money, or any sin with which one may be charged with sinning; but, by the Word of the LORD, (to insure) retribution upon secret crimes, (while) one witness may swear to deny what has been attested against him, the sentence will be confirmed upon the mouth of two witnesses, or of three.
16. If a false witness rises up against a man, to bear perverted testimony against him,	16. When false witnesses stand up against a man to testify wrong things against him,
17. Then the two men between whom the controversy exists shall stand before the Lord, before the kohanim and the judges who will be in those days.	17. then the two men between whom lies the subject of contention will stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who will be in those days:
18. And the judges shall inquire thoroughly, and behold, the witness is a false witness; he has testified falsely against his brother;	18. and the judges will question the witnesses of their times fairly; and, behold, false testimony is in the mouth of the witnesses; they have borne false witness against their brother.
19. then you shall do to him as he plotted to do to his brother, and you shall [thus] abolish evil from among you.	19. And so will you do unto them as they had devised to do against their brother, and you will put down the doers of evil from among you.
20. And those who remain shall listen and fear, and they shall no longer continue to commit any such evil thing among you.	20. And the wicked who remain will hear and be afraid, and not add to repeat an evil thing like this among you.
21. You shall not have pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.	21. Your eye will not spare; life for life, the value of an eye for an eye, the value of a tooth for a tooth, the value of a hand for a hand, the value of a foot for a foot.
1. When you go out to war against your enemies, and you see horse and chariot, a people more numerous than you, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord, your God is with you Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.	1. When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots, and peoples proud, overbearing, and stronger than you, fear them not; for all of them are accounted as a single horse and a single chariot before the LORD your God, whose Word will be your Helper; for He brought you free out of the land of Mizraim.
2. And it will be, when you approach the battle, that the kohen shall come near, and speak to the people.	2. And at the time that you draw near to do battle, the priest will approach and speak with the people,
3. And he shall say to them, "Hear, O Israel, today you are approaching the battle against your enemies. Let your hearts not be faint; you shall not be afraid, and you shall not be alarmed, and you shall not be terrified because of them.	3. and say to them, Hear, Israel, you draw near this day to fight against your adversaries; let not your heart be moved, be not afraid, tremble not, nor be broken down before them:
4. For the Lord, your God, is the One Who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.	4. for the Shekinah of the LORD your God goes before you to fight for you against your enemies, and to save you.
5. And the officers shall speak to the people, saying, What man is there who has built a new house and has not [yet] inaugurated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war, and another man inaugurate it.	5. And the officers will speak with the people, saying: Who is the man who has built a new house, and has not set fast its door-posts to complete it? Let him go and return to his house, lest through sin he be slain in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
6. And what man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not [yet] redeemed it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war, and another man redeem it.	6. Or, what man has planted a vineyard, and has not redeemed it from the priest to make it common? Let him go and return to his house, lest sin be the occasion of his not redeeming it, but he be slain in the battle, and another make it common.
7. And what man is there who has betrothed a woman and has not [yet] taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war, and another man take her."	7. And what man has betrothed a wife, but not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest sin prevent him from rejoicing with his wife and he be slain in the battle, and another take her.
8. And the officers shall continue to speak to the people and say, "What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, that he should not cause the heart of his brothers to melt, as his heart."	8. Yet more will the officers speak to the people, and say, Who is the man who is afraid on account of his sin and whose heart is broken? Let him go and return to his house, that his brethren be not implicated in his sins, and their heart be broken like his.
9. And it shall be, that when the officials finish speaking to the people, they shall appoint officers of the legions at the edges of the people.	9. And when the officers will have finished to speak with the people, they will appoint the captains of the host at the head of the people.
10. When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall propose peace to it.	10. When you come near to a city to make war against it, then you will send to it certain to invite it to peace;
11. And it will be, if it responds to you with peace, and it opens up to you, then it will be, [that] all the people found therein shall become tributary to you, and they shall serve you.	11. and if they answer you with words of peace, and open their gates to you, all the people whom you find therein will be tributaries, and serve you.
12. But if it does not make peace with you, and it wages war against you, you shall besiege it,	12. But if they will not make peace, but war, with you, then you will beleaguer it.
13. and the Lord, your God, will deliver it into your hands, and you shall strike all its males with the edge of the sword.	13. And when the LORD your God will have delivered it into your hand, then may you smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword.
14. However, the women, the children, and the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoils you shall take for yourself, and you shall eat the spoils of your enemies, which the Lord, your God, has given you.	14. But the women, children, and cattle, and whatever is in the city, even all the spoil, you will seize, and eat the spoil of your enemies which the LORD your God gives you.
15. Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.	15. Thus will you do to all cities that are remote from you, which are not of the cities of these seven nations;
16. However, of these peoples' cities, which the Lord, your God, gives you as an inheritance, you shall not allow any soul to live.	16. but of the cities of these peoples, which the LORD your God gives you to inherit, you will not spare alive any breathing thing:
17. Rather, you shall utterly destroy them: The Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivvites, and the Jebusites, as the Lord, your God, has commanded you.	17. for destroying you will destroy them, Hittites, Amorites, Kenaanites, Pherizites, Hivites, and Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded you;
18. So that they should not teach you to act according to all their abominations that they have done for their gods, whereby you would sin against the Lord, your God.	18. that they may not teach you to do after their abominations with which they have served their idols, and you sin before the LORD your God.
19. When you besiege a city for many days to wage war against it to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them, for you may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Is the tree of the field a man, to go into the siege before you?	19. When you beleaguer a city all the seven days to war against it, to subdue it on the Sabbath, you will not destroy the trees thereof by bringing against them (an instrument of) iron; that you may eat its fruit, cut it not down; for a tree on the face of the field is not as a man to be hidden (put out of sight) before you in the siege.
20. However, a tree you know is not a food tree, you may destroy and cut down, and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until its submission.	20. But the tree that you know to be a tree not making fruit to eat, that you may destroy and cut down. And you will raise bulwarks against the city which makes war with you, until you have subdued it.
1. If a slain person be found in the land which the Lord, your God is giving you to possess, lying in the field, [and] it is not known who slew him,	1. If a male be found slain upon the ground, unburied, in the land which the LORD your God gives you to inherit, lying down, and not hanged on a tree in the field, nor floating on the face of the water; and it be not known who did kill him:
2. then your elders and judges shall go forth, and they shall measure to the cities around the corpse.	2. then two of the sages will proceed from the chief court of judgment, and three of your judges, and will measure to the surrounding cities which lie on the four quarters from the (spot where) the dead man (is found);
3. And it will be, [that from] the city closer to the corpse, the elders of that city shall take a calf with which work has never been done, [and] that has never drawn a yoke,	3. and the city which is nearest to the dead man, being the suspected one, let the chief court of justice take means for absolution (or disculpation). Let the sages, the elders of that city, take an heifer from the herd, not commixed, an heifer of the year, which has not been wrought with nor has drawn in the yoke:
4. and the elders of that city shall bring the calf down to a rugged valley, which was neither tilled nor sown, and there in the valley, they shall decapitate the calf.	4. and the sages of that city will bring the heifer down into an uncultivated field, where the ground has not been tilled by work, nor sowed; and let them there behead the heifer from behind her with an axe (or knife, dolch) in the midst of the field.
5. And the kohanim, the sons of Levi, shall approach, for the Lord, your God, has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the Name of the Lord, and by their mouth shall every controversy and every lesion be [judged].	5. And the priests the sons of Levi will draw near; for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to Him, and to bless Israel in His Name, and according to their words to resolve every judgment, and in any plague of leprosy to shut up, and pronounce concerning it;
6. And all the elders of that city, who are the nearest to the corpse, shall wash their hands over the calf that was decapitated in the valley;	6. and all the elders of the city lying nearest to the dead man will wash their hands over the heifer which has been cut off in the field,
7. And they shall announce and say, "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see [this crime]."	7. and will answer and say: It is manifest before the LORD that this has not come by our hands, nor have we absolved him who shed this blood, nor have our eyes beheld.
8. "Atone for Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, O Lord, and lay not [the guilt of] innocent blood among your people Israel." And [so] the blood shall be atoned for them.	8. And the priests will say: Let there be expiation for Your people Israel, whom You, O LORD, has redeemed, and lay not the guilt of innocent blood upon Your people Israel; but let him who has done the murder be revealed. And they will be expiated concerning the blood; but straightway there will come forth a swarm of worms from the excrement of the heifer, and spread abroad, and move to. the place where the murderer is, and crawl over him: and the magistrates will take him, and judge him.
9. And you shall abolish the [shedding of] innocent blood from among you, for you shall do what is proper in the eyes of the Lord.	9. So will you, O house of Israel, put away from among you whosoever sheds innocent blood, that you may do what is right before the LORD.

Rashi’s Commentary on D’barim (Deut.) 18:14 – 21:9

14 [But...] the Lord your God has not given you to hearken to diviners of auspicious times and soothsayers, for He caused His Divine Presence to rest upon the prophets and upon the Urim and Tummim.-[Targum Jonathan]

15 [A prophet] from among you, from your brothers, like me This means: Just as I am among you, from your brothers, so will He set up for you [another prophet] in my stead, and so on, from prophet to prophet.

20 which I did not command him to speak But which I commanded his fellow prophet [to speak].

or who speaks in the name of other gods Even though his words coincide with the halakhah [Jewish law], forbidding what is forbidden or permitting what is permissible.-[San. 89a]

[That prophet] shall die By strangulation. Three [sinful prophets] are executed by man [i.e., by the court]: One who prophesies what he has not heard, one who prophesies what was not told to him but was told to his fellow [prophet], and one who prophesies in the name of a pagan deity. However, one who suppresses his prophecy [i.e., does not announce it], or one who transgresses the words of a prophet, or a prophet who transgresses his own words [of prophecy]—their death is by the hands of Heaven, for it is said (verse 19), “ I shall exact [it] from him.”-[San. 89a]

21 Now if you say to yourself, ["How will we know the word the Lord did not speak?"]? [This verse alludes to a future time when Israel will want to know which prophet is speaking the word of God. It means:] You are destined to say this when Hananiah, the son of Azzur [a false prophet], came and prophesied, “Behold the vessels of the house of the Lord will be returned from Babylon now hastily” (Jer. 27:16), and Jeremiah stood and cried (Jer. 27:19- 22), “concerning the pillars, concerning the sea,... and concerning the remainder of the vessels...” which had not been exiled, ‘they shall be brought to Babylon’ "together with the exile of Zedekiah.-[Sifrei]

22 If the prophet speaks [in the Name of the Lord] And says, “This thing is destined to happen to you,” and you see [afterwards] that it does not come about, “that is the thing the Lord did not speak”; so execute him. But you might say, "This applies to one who prophesies regarding the future. However, suppose one comes and says ‘Do such and such a thing, and I am telling you this by the command of the Holy One, blessed is He,’ [how do we know whether he is speaking the truth? Regarding such a case,] they were already commanded that if someone comes to make you stray from any of the commandments, “Do not hearken to him” (Deut. 13:4), unless you are certain that he is a perfectly righteous person, e.g., Elijah on Mount Carmel, who sacrificed on a high place when high places were forbidden, [but did so] in order to control Israel [against idolatry]. Everything must be done according to the needs of the time, and the need for preventive measures to protect against breaches [in the religion]. Therefore [with respect to this authentic prophet], it is stated, “hearken to him” (verse 15). -[San. 89a]

you shall not be afraid of him I.e., do not restrain yourselves from advocating his guilt, and do not fear that you will be punished for this [when your advocating leads to his death].-[Sifrei]

Chapter 19

3 Prepare for yourself the way -"Refuge! Refuge!" was inscribed at each crossroads [directing the way to the nearest refuge city].-[Mak. 10b]

and divide into three parts the boundary of your land so that [the distance] from the beginning of the border to the first refuge city should be the same as the distance from this first city to the second, and so from the second to the third and from the third to the opposite border of Israel.-[Mak. 9b]

5 And his hand swings [the ax] when he was about to let the ax fall on the tree. The Targum renders this as וְתִתְמְרֵיג יְדֵּיּהּ meaning, וְנִשְׁמְטָה יָדוֹ his hand swayed while letting the stroke of the ax fall upon the tree. [Similarly,] the words הַבָָּקָר כִּי שָׁמְטוּ (II Sam. 6:6), are rendered in Targum Jonathan as: אֲרֵי מַרְגוּהִי תּוֹרַיָּא “for the oxen swayed.”

and the iron flies off the handle וְנָשַׁל הַבַּרְזֶל מִן־הָעֵץ Some of our Rabbis say that this means that the iron head [of the ax] slipped off its handle, while others say, the ax chipped a splinter of wood off the tree which was being chopped, and it ricocheted, killing [the victim].-[Mak. 7b]

6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue [the killer] This is why I am telling you prepare a way for yourself, and [to prepare] many refuge cities.

8 And when [the Lord your God] expands [your boundary] As He swore to give you the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites.

9 you shall add three more [cities] for yourself Thus, [altogether you will have] nine: The three on the other side of the Jordan, the three in the land of Canaan, and three more in the future [when God will expand your boundary].-[Sifrei]

11 But if a man hates his fellow [and lies in wait for him...] Through this man’s hatred of his fellow, he comes to “lie in wait for him.” From here our Rabbis derived the maxim: If a man transgresses a minor commandment, he will ultimately transgress a major commandment. [Here,] since he transgressed the command: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart” (Lev. 19:17), he ultimately came to shed blood. This is why it says here, “But if a man hates his fellow,” for it should have written only: “But if a man rises up and lies in wait for his fellow and strikes him mortally.”-[Sifrei]

13 And you shall not pity him I.e., you should not say, “The first [person] has already been killed; why should we kill this one too and cause two Israelites to be killed?”-[Sifrei]

14 You shall not pull back [your neighbor’s] landmark Heb. לֹא תַסּיג , an expression similar to, “they shall turn back (נָסֽגוּ אָחוֹר) ” (Isa. 42:17). [Here therefore, it means] that he moves the boundary-mark of the land backwards into his neighbor’s field, thereby enlarging his own [property]. But has it not already been stated, “You shall not rob” (Lev. 19:13) ? Why then, is it stated here: “You shall not pull back [the landmark]?” [The answer is that this verse teaches that the person who removes his neighbor’s boundary mark transgresses two negative commandments, “You shall not rob (לֹא תִגְזֽל) ” and “You shall not pull back [the landmark]?” (לֹא תַסִּיג) . Now I might think that [this applies] outside Eretz Israel as well. Therefore it says, “in your inheritance, which you will inherit [in the land]”, [indicating that] in [only] Eretz Israel, one transgresses two negative commandments, whereas outside Eretz Israel, one transgresses only the commandment of “you shall not rob.”-[Sifrei]

15 One witness [shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity] This verse establishes a general principle [i.e., from here it is derived] that wherever the term “witness” (עֵד) appears in the Torah, it means two [witnesses], unless the Torah specifies [that] one witness is meant.-[San. 30a]

for any iniquity, or for any sin where his testimony would lead to the accused being punished, either with corporal punishment or with or monetary punishment. However, one [witness] may rise up to [compel his fellow to take] an oath, as follows: If one says to his fellow, “Give me the maneh [100 zuzim] that I lent you,” and his fellow replies, “I have nothing of yours,” and one witness testifies for him [the plaintiff] that he [the defendant] owes him [the money], [the defendant] is required to swear [that he did not borrow any money].-[Shev. 40a]

By the mouth of two witnesses [... the matter will be established] [The expression, “by the mouth” means here that only the direct, verbal testimony suffices,] but they should not write their testimony in a letter and send it to the court, or have an interpreter stand between the witnesses and the judges. -[Sifrei]

16 to bear perverted testimony against him Heb. סָרָה [That is, he testifies about] a thing which is not so, that this witness is removed (הוּסַר) from the whole testimony [meaning that he could not possibly have been a witness,] such as if [a second set of witnesses] said [to the first set of witnesses], “But weren’t you with us on that day in such and such a place [and not with the defendant, as you claim to have been]?”-[Mak. 5a]

17 Then the two men... shall stand The text is referring to the witnesses, and it teaches us that there is no testimony by women. It also teaches us that witnesses must submit their testimony while standing.- [Shev. 30a]

between whom the controversy exists These are the litigants.

before the Lord It should seem to them as though they are standing before the Omnipresent, as it says: “in the midst of the judges He will judge” (Ps. 82:1). - [San. 6b]

who will be in those days [Now could one stand in front of those who are not in his day? Rather, it means that] Jephthah [one of the less important judges] in his generation, is [to be considered] as Samuel [the greatest judge] in his generation; you must treat him with respect.

18 And the judges shall inquire thoroughly By means of the testimony of [the new set of witnesses] who rebut them, that they investigate and examine those who come to prove that they [the first pair] are עֵדִים זוֹמְמִין , “plotting witnesses,” by diligent inquiry and examination.

and behold, the witness is a false witness Wherever עֵד , witness, is written, Scripture is speaking of two [witnesses].-[San. 30a]

19 as he plotted But not as he did. From here [our Rabbis] said that if the first set of witnesses [before being proven false,] already killed the defendant [by their testimony], they are not to be put to death.-[Mak. 5b]

to do to his brother Why does Scripture state, “to his brother?” To teach, that in the case of witnesses who conspired against a married daughter of a kohen [by accusing her of adultery], that they are not executed with burning [the form of execution to which she would have been subjected], but rather, by strangulation, the form of execution of the adulterer. For it says [regarding such a woman] “she shall be burnt with fire” (Lev. 21:9) -"she," but not her paramour [who is dispatched by strangulation]; therefore it says here, "to his brother"—"as he plotted to do to his brother," but not as he plotted to do to his sister. With other crimes, however, Scripture regards women equally with men, and conspiring witnesses against a woman are executed in the same way as those who conspired against a man. For instance, if they testified that a women killed a person, or that she desecrated the Sabbath [and they are revealed to be false witnesses before she is executed], then they are executed in the form that they intended for her, for Scripture does not exclude his sister [by stating “brother”] except in a case where one may carry out the punishment of the conspiring witnesses by the form of execution of the adulterer [as opposed to the adulteress].-[Sifrei and San. 90a]

20 shall listen and fear From here, [we derive the law] that a public announcement is required: “So-and-so and so- and-so are to be executed because they were proven by the court to be plotting witnesses.”-[San. 89a] [Note that Rashi on Mak. 5a and San. 89a writes that the proclamation is made after the perpetrators have been executed.]

21 Eye for eye i.e., financial compensation; and similarly, “tooth for tooth, etc.”-[Sifrei, B.K. 87a]

Chapter 20

1 When you go out to war Scripture juxtaposes the departure for war alongside this ["eye for eye etc."] to teach us that a person with a missing limb does not go out to war. - [Sifrei] Another explanation: It teaches that if you execute righteous judgment, you can be sure that when you depart for war you will be victorious. Similarly, David says, “I performed justice and righteousness; do not leave me to my oppressors” (Ps. 119:121). -[Tanchuma]

against your enemies Let them be in your eyes as enemies; have no pity on them, for they will have no pity upon you.

horse and chariot In My eyes, they are all like one horse. Similarly, it says,"and you shall strike Midian as one man." (Jud. 6:16) And similarly, it says,, “When Pharaoh’s horse... came [into the sea]” (Exod. 15:19). -[Sifrei]

a people more numerous than you In your eyes, they are numerous, but in My eyes, they are not numerous.-[Sifrei]

2 when you approach the battle When you are on the point of leaving the border.

that the kohen shall come near This refers to the kohen anointed for this purpose, and he is called “the one anointed for war.”

and speak to the people in the Holy Tongue.-[Sotah 42a]

3 “Hear, O Israel” Even if you have no merit other than the reading of the Shema, you are worthy that He [God] save you.-[Sotah 42b]

against your enemies These are not your brothers, for if you fall into their hands, they will not have pity on you; this is not like the war of Judah with Israel, of which the verse states, "And the men, who were mentioned by name, rose up and took hold of the captives, and, and clothed all their nakedness from the spoils, and they dressed them and shod them, and fed them and gave them to drink, and anointed them, and led them on donkeys, every feeble one, and they brought them to Jericho, the city of the palms, beside their brothers, and they returned to Samaria" (II Chron. 28:15). You, however, are going against your enemies; therefore strengthen yourselves for battle.-[Sifrei ; Sotah 42a]

Let your hearts not be faint; you shall not be afraid, you shall not be alarmed, and you shall not be terrified Four warnings, corresponding to four practices in which the kings of the nations engage [during battle]: They hold their shields close together to strike them against one another, thereby producing a loud noise to alarm those confronting them, so that they should flee; they stamp [the ground heavily] with their horses and make them neigh, sounding the beating of their horses’ hoofs, and they shout loudly and blow horns and [other] kinds of noisy instruments.

Let your hearts not be faint Because of the neighing of the horses;

you shall not be afraid of the noise made by the fastening of the shields;

and you shall not be alarmed At the sounds of the horns;

and you shall not be terrified By the noise of the shouting.-[Sifrei ; Sotah 42a]

4 For the Lord, your God... They are coming with the victory of flesh and blood, whereas you approach with the victory of the Omnipresent. The Philistines came with the victory of Goliath—What was his end? He fell, and they fell with him.

Who goes with you This refers to the camp of the ark.-[Sotah 42a]

5 [What man is there who has built a new house] and has not [yet] inaugurated it i.e., has not yet lived in it. The term חִנּוּךְ denotes beginning.

[Lest he die in the war,] and another man inaugurate it This would be a source of great grief.

6 [And what man is there that has planted a vineyard,] and has not [yet] redeemed it Heb. וְלֹא חִלְּלוֹ . He has not redeemed the vineyard in the fourth year [of its growth], for the fruits [of the fourth year] have to be eaten in Jerusalem or redeemed [by exchanging them] for money, and to eat [food purchased with] the money in Jerusalem.

7 lest he die in the war He should return lest he die, for if he does not obey the kohen, he deserves to die.-[Sifrei]

8 And the officers shall continue Why does it say here: “shall continue” [lit. shall add]? They add this [statement] to the words of the kohen, for the kohen speaks and announces aloud to the people from “Hear, O Israel” (verse 3) until “to save you,” (end of verse 4) while “What man is there” (verse 5), and the second and third one [with the same beginning (verses 6 and 7)], the kohen speaks, and an officer announces aloud [to the people]. This verse, however, an officer speaks, and an officer announces aloud. - [Sotah 43a] According to several incunabula editions of Rashi, “a kohen announces aloud.” [See Yosef Hallel.]

[What man is there] who is fearful and fainthearted Rabbi Akiva says: [This verse is to be understood] according to its apparent meaning, that he cannot stand in the closed ranks of battle and look upon a drawn sword. Rabbi Jose the Galilean says that [it means] one who is afraid of his sins [that they will cause him to fall in war, as he is unworthy], and therefore, the Torah gives him the excuse of attributing his return home because of a house, a vineyard, or a wife, to cover up for those who return because of their sins, so that people should not understand that they are sinners. [Consequently,] one who sees this person returning would say, “Perhaps he has built a house, or planted a vineyard, or betrothed a woman.”-[Sotah 44a]

9 [They shall appoint] officers of the legions This means that they place (זַקָּפִין) guards in front of them and behind them, with iron arrows in their hands, and if anybody attempted to retreat, the guard had the authority to strike his legs. זַקָּפִין are people who stand at the edge of the battle array to pick up (לִזְקֽף) the fallen and to encourage them with words: “Return to the battle and do not flee, for flight is the beginning of defeat.”-[Sifrei, Sotah 44a]

10 When you approach a city [to wage war against it] Scripture is speaking of an optional war, as is explicit in the context of this section (verse 15), “Thus you will do to all the cities which are very far away [from you]....”-[Sifrei]

11 all the people found therein [shall become tributary] Even if you find in it people of the seven nations, whom you have been commanded to exterminate, you are permitted to spare their lives.-[Sifrei]

tributary [to you], and they shall serve you [You shall fight them] until they accept upon themselves both tribute and bondage.-[Sifrei]

12 But if it does make no peace with you, and it wages war against you Scripture is informing you that if it does not make peace with you, then, if you let it be and go away, [this city] will ultimately wage war against you.

you shall besiege it Even to starve it out, and cause them to [die of] thirst and to kill [the inhabitants of the city] through diseases.-[Sifrei]

13 and the Lord your God will deliver it into your hands If you have done all that is stated in this section, the Lord will ultimately deliver it into your hands.-[Sifrei]

14 And the children [... you shall take for yourself] Even the male children. But, how then, am I to explain "and you shall strike all its males"? (verse 13) It refers to adult males.-[Sifrei]

17 as [the Lord your God] has commanded you [This is] to include the Girgashites [the seventh nation, not mentioned here, but you were commanded to destroy them].-[Sifrei]

18 so that they will not teach you to do [like all] their abominations] But if they repent and wish to convert, you are allowed to accept them.-[Sifrei]

19 [When you besiege a city for many] days The word “days” implies two days. [But when it says many [this means] three [days]. From here our Rabbis derived [the ruling that] the siege of a heathen city may not be initiated less than three days before the Sabbath (Sifrei, Shab. 19a), and this verse teaches us that the offer of peace (verse 10) must be repeated for two or three days. Similarly, it says: “that David dwelt in Ziklag for two days” (II Sam. 1:1). Scripture is speaking here of an optional war.-[Sifrei]

Is the tree of the field a man, to go into the siege before you]? The word כִּי here means “perhaps:” Is the tree of the field perhaps a man who is to go into the siege by you, that it should be punished by the suffering of hunger and thirst like the people of the city? Why should you destroy it?

20 until its submission Heb. רִדְתָּהּ , an expression of רִדּוּי , subjugation, [meaning] that it becomes submissive to you.

Chapter 21

2 then your elders... shall go out the distinguished ones of your elders, [namely] the Great Sanhedrin.-[Sotah 44]

and they shall measure from the place where the corpse lies.

to the cities around the corpse in every direction, in order to ascertain which is the nearest.

4 to a rugged valley Heb. נַחַל אֵיתָן hard, [a valley] that was never tilled.

shall decapitate He breaks its neck with a hatchet [i.e., from the back]. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: Let the calf which is in its first year and has, therefore, produced no fruits, come and be decapitated at a place [the valley that was not tilled] which has not produced fruits, in order to atone for the murder of this man, whom they [the murderers] did not allow to produce fruit [i.e., to perform mitzvoth].-[Sotah 46a]

7 Our hands did not shed [this blood] But would it enter one’s mind that the elders of the court are murderers? Rather, [they declare:] We [ourselves] did not see him and let him depart without food or escort [which would have indirectly caused his death, leaving this man to the elements and to robbers].-[Sifrei ; Sotah 45a] The kohanim then say:

8 Atone for Your people Israel,... And [so] the blood will be atoned for them Scripture informs them that from the time they complete all this, their sin is atoned.-[Sifrei]

9 and you shall abolish This tells [us] that if the murderer is found after the calf is decapitated, the murderer must be executed, and that is “what is proper in the eyes of the Lord.”-[Sotah 47b, Keth. 37b]

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 124:1-8, 125:1-5, 126:1-6, 127:1-5, & 128:1-6

Rashi	Targum
1. A song of ascents. Of David. Had it not been for the Lord Who was with us, let Israel declare now.	1. A song that was uttered on the ascents of the abyss, composed by David. Had it not been for the LORD who was our help let Israel say now,
2. Had it not been for the Lord Who was with us when men rose up against us,	2. Had it not been for the Word of the LORD who was our help, when a son of man rose against us.
3. Then they would have swallowed us raw when their anger was kindled against us.	3. Then they would have swallowed us while alive, when their anger grew strong against us.
4. Then the waters would have washed us away; illness would have passed over our soul.	4. Then the waters would have washed us away, sickness would have passed over our soul.
5. Then the wicked waters would have passed over our soul.	5. Then the king would have passed over our soul, he who is likened to the malicious waters of the sea.
6. Blessed is the Lord, Who did not give us as prey for their teeth.	6. Blessed is the name of the LORD, who has not handed us over as dead meat to their teeth.
7. Our soul escaped like a bird from the hunters' snare; the snare broke, and we escaped.	7. Our soul is like a bird saved from the traps of the fowlers; the trap broke, and we have been saved.
8. Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.	8. Our help is in the name of the Word of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
1. A song of ascents. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which will not falter but will abide forever.	1. A song that was uttered on the ascents of the abyss. The righteous/generous who trust in the Word of the LORD are like Mount Zion; it will not totter, it is inhabited forever.
2. Jerusalem has mountains around it, and the Lord is around His people from now and to eternity.	2. Mountains are round about Jerusalem, and the Word of the LORD is round about his people from this time and forever.
3. For the rod of wickedness will not rest on the lot of the righteous, because the righteous do not stretch out their hands into wrongdoing.	3. For the scepter of wickedness will not rest on the lot of the righteous, so that the righteous will not stretch out their hand to deceit.
4. Be good, O Lord, to the good and to the upright in their hearts.	4. Be good, O LORD, to the good, and to those upright/generous in their heart.
5. And those who turn their crooked ways- may the Lord lead them away with the workers of iniquity, [and may there be] peace on Israel.	5. But those who go astray following their perversity the LORD will make them go to Gehenna; their portion is with the workers of deceit. Peace be upon Israel!
1. A song of ascents. When the Lord returns the returnees to Zion, we shall be like dreamers.	1. A song that was uttered on the ascents of the abyss. When the LORD makes the exiles of Zion return, we were like the sick who were healed.
2. Then our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues with songs of praise; then they will say among the nations, "The Lord has done great things with these."	2. Then will our mouths be full of laughter, and our tongue with praise; then will they say among the Gentiles, "The LORD has done great good to these."
3. "The Lord has done great things with us; we were happy."	3. The LORD has done great good to us; we are joyful.
4. Return, O Lord, our captivity like rivulets in arid land.	4. O LORD, make our exiles return, like a land that is made habitable when fountains of water flow during drought.
5. Those who sow with tears will reap with song.	5. Those who sow with tears will harvest with praise.
6. He will go along weeping, carrying the valuable seeds; he will come back with song, carrying his sheaves.	6. He will surely go with weeping; the ox that bears a load of seed will surely come with praise, when he bears his sheaves and grazes on the young growth from the furrow.
1. A song of ascents about Solomon. If the Lord will not build a house, its builders have toiled at it in vain; if the Lord will not guard a city, [its] watcher keeps his vigil in vain.	1. A song that was uttered on the ascents of the abyss, composed by Solomon. If the Word of the LORD will not build the city, its builders labor in vain; if the Word of the LORD is not guarding the city of Jerusalem, its guard has stayed awake in vain.
2. It is futile for you who arise early, who sit late, who eat the bread of toil, so will the Lord give to one who banishes sleep from himself.	2. In vain will you trouble yourselves to rise early in the morning to do robbery, who stay up late to do fornication, who eat the bread of the poor for which they labored honestly and truly; the LORD will give sleep to those who love him. ANOTHER TARGUM: The wicked say to the righteous/generous, "It is wrong for you that you rise early and pray in the morning and stay up late in the evening to study the Torah, eating the bread of sorrow." The righteous/generous reply, "Truly the LORD gives to those who love him a complete reward for hunger."
3. Behold, the heritage of the Lord is sons, the reward is the fruit of the innards.	3. Behold, the legacy of the LORD is proper sons, children of the womb are a reward for good deeds.
4. Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the sons of one's youth.	4. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are sons of the youth.
5. Praiseworthy is the man who has filled his quiver with them; they will not be ashamed when they talk to the enemies in the gate.	5. It is good for a man that he fill his academy with them; they will not be ashamed, for they will dispute with their enemies in the gate of the place of judgment.
1. A song of ascents. Praiseworthy is every man who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.	1. A song that was uttered on the ascents of the abyss. How happy all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.
2. If you eat the toil of your hands, you are praiseworthy, and it is good for you.	2. Happy the work of your hands, for you will eat it; happy are you in this age and you shall have good in the age to come.
3. Your wife will be as a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.	3. Your wife is like a vine that bore fruit on the side of your house; your sons are like olive plants around your table.
4. Behold that so will a man who fears the Lord be blessed.	4. Behold, because of this, blessed is the man who is reverent in the presence of the LORD.
5. May the Lord bless you from Zion, and see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.	5. The LORD will bless you from Zion, and you will see the welfare of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6. And may you see children [born] to your children, [and see] peace upon Israel.	6. And you will see the sons of your sons. Peace be upon Israel.

Rashi’s Commentary on Tehillim (Psalms) 124:1-8, 125:1-5, 126:1-6, 127:1-5, & 128:1-6

Chapter 124

3 when their anger was kindled against us Heb. בחרות , “when their anger was kindled against us,” is the same form as בעשות , “when he made.”

4 illness Heb. נחלה , Hehhhhddan expression of illness (חלי) .

7 Our soul escaped like a bird [It escaped] from them like a bird that escaped from the hunter’s snare.

Chapter 125

1 Those who trust in the Lord will not falter, like Mount Zion, which will not falter, for just as Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains, so is the Holy One, blessed be He, around His people.

3 For the rod of wickedness will not rest on the lot of the righteous For the Holy One, blessed be He, will not allow the rule of the wicked to rest on the righteous because the righteous are careful not to stretch out their hand in wrongdoing.

5 and those who turn their crooked ways on the people to find wicked accusationsmay the Lord lead them away with the workers of iniquity.

Chapter 126

1 When the Lord returns the returnees to Zion from the Babylonian exile, we were like dreamers.

4 like rivulets in arid land Like rivulets in arid land, which moisten it, so shall we be moistened [freshened] when You return [us from] our captivity, for those who sow in an arid land, with tears, worrying that it will not grow, reap with song through the rivulets of water, when they are directed into it [that land].

6 He will go along weeping, etc. So do Israel in exile sow charity in tears, and they will reap it when You pay their reward in the future.

Chapter 127

1 A song of ascents about Solomon This song David recited about his son, Solomon, for he saw through the holy spirit that he [Solomon] was destined to build the Temple, and on that very day, Solomon would marry Pharaoh’s daughter, and concerning this was said (Jer. 32: 31): “For this city has aroused My anger and My wrath since the day they built it.” Therefore, he recited this song. My son, why should you build a house and turn away from following the Omnipresent? Since He does not desire it, its workers have toiled at it in vain.

[its] watcher keeps his vigil in vain The watchman watches it in vain.

2 It is futile for you The craftsmen, who rise early and stay late at their work and sustain themselves with toil and labor, with bread of toil, [i.e.,] of the toil of work.

so will the Lord give The Holy One, blessed be He, [will give] sustenance to him who banishes his sleep from his eyes in order to engage in the Torah.

to one who banishes sleep Heb. לידידו שנא . to one who banishes (מנדד) sleep from his eyes.

3 Behold, the heritage of the Lord for that man [who banishes sleep from his eyes].

sons These are the disciples whom he sets up, who are to him like sons.

the reward is the fruit of the innards The reward is the fruit of the Torah that is in his heart as it is said (Prov. 22: 18): “For it is pleasant that you guard them in your innards.”

4 Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man with which to battle his enemies.

so are the sons of one’s youth The disciples that a man sets up in his youth.

5 Praiseworthy is the man who has filled his quiver with those arrows. אשפה is the arrowcase, called cuyvre in Old French.

they will not be ashamed when they talk to the enemies in the gate Torah scholars who defeat one another in halakhah and appear as enemies to one another (addendum).

Chapter 128

1 A song of ascents. Praiseworthy is every man who fears the Lord All of these are admonitions and disciplines. Because it is written, “Praiseworthy is the man,” “Praiseworthy is a man,” it therefore says here “every,” to include a woman.

2 If...the toil of your hands He who benefits from the toil of his hands inherits two worlds. In Tractate Berachoth (8a).

3 as a fruitful vine Every woman whose blood is abundant will have many children.

in the innermost parts of your house Because it is customary to have marital relations in secret. Another explanation:

in the innermost parts If your wife is menstruating, put her into the innermost parts of your house so that you will not become accustomed to being with her.

your sons will be like olive shoots Just as olive trees cannot be grafted, so will your sons not have any disqualification.

5 from Zion which is the gate of heaven. Moreover, in the merit of Zion they would be fruitful and multiply, as it is written (I Kings 4:20): “Judah and Israel [were] many.”

the good of Jerusalem And you shall rejoice with all the good.

6 And may you see children [born] to your children and they shall not come to quarrel about halitzah, [since that is performed only if there are no children,] and then there will be peace upon Israel (addendum).

children [born] to your children They will inherit the estate, and no woman will be subject to the levir [in a levirate marriage]. Then there will be peace in the world.

Meditation from the Psalms

Psalm 124:1-8, 125:1-5, 126:1-6, 127:1-5, & 128:1-6

By: HH Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David

Psalms 124 through 128 continue the Psalms of ascent that the Talmud[1] ascribed to King David. Psalm 127 begins with “A song of ascents of Solomon”. Some commentators maintain that King Solomon was the author of this psalm. Others suggest that is is a psalm that was written for Solomon, or in honor of Solomon, or about Solomon. ^[2]

Exile is a recurring theme of these psalms, in one form or another.^[3] While it is clear that King David experienced the anguish of exile as he was being chased by King Shaul, the exile of the manslayer was clearly on his mind as he penned these psalms. The verbal tally of ‘heathen – גוי’ and ‘Suffered / given - נתן’ are the incessant refrains of the exile. The manslayer who lives among strangers must surely commiserate with those who are exiled from their land. It is the manslayer who is sensitized to the problem and tribulations of exile.

Just as the manslayer undergoes a tikkun, a correction, in the refuge city, so also does Israel undergo a tikkun in exile. Thus we learn that exile is not a punishment per se, but the means by which we understand and learn the lesson that enable us to return to the land. In the same way, the manslayer becomes re-sensitized to the Torah by the difficulty of his exiled coupled with his constant exposure to the Levites who are the picture of the way the manslayer should be.

Psalm 124 is the fifth psalm of ascent. We can almost envision the Levitical choir moving to the fifth of the fifteen steps that separate the Courtyard of the Women from the Courtyard of Israel.

The repetition of the phrase, “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side” (in v.1 + 2) alludes to the double threat that which confronts Israel in exile, for we are challenged both physically and spiritually.^[4] The manslayer, by way of contrast, is exiled physically because he exiled himself spiritually. For this reason, the manslayer’s teacher and all of his talmidim are sent to the city of refuge along with the manslayer. Further, the city of refuge is the home of the Levites – the Torah teachers. Thus the manslayer is sent to the perfect place for a tikkun, a correction, to be effected.

With Psalm 125 the Levitical choir moves up to the sixth step. In Psalm 125:5 we read the following:

Tehillim (Psalm) 125:5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, HaShem will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.

HaShem will lead them with the workers of iniquity. Radak interprets this as a prediction that God is destined to purge all undesirable elements from our holy nation. God will expel from the ranks of the faithful Jews those who turn to their perverseness, and He will lead them away to damnation together with the villainous heathens, who are also workers of iniquity. At that time, the words of Zephaniah 3:11-13 will be fulfilled: On that day, I will take away from your midst all those who exult in arrogance, and you shall cease to be haughty on My Holy Mountain. And 1 will leave behind in your midst a poor and lowly people and they will trust in the Name of HASHEM. The remnant of Israel shall do no iniquity, nor shall they speak falsehood, neither shall deceitful words be found in their mouths.^[5]

In the same way, the manslayer is driven by HaShem away from his home and family and sent into exile, Unlike the heathen, the manslayer is destined to return once he has been rehabilitated. The goal is that Israel will dwell in peace.

Sforno[6] tells us, in the second verse of Psalm 125, that the Psalmist is praying that God no longer exile the returnees, and that He remove from among them all who harbor false beliefs so that they no longer entice the people to accept those beliefs. We see in our Torah portion, in 18:20, that Moses warns us about the false prophet that are to be removed from the land with the sword.

With Psalm 126 the Levitical choir moves up to the seventh step. This song describes the highest of Ascents, the ascent of the Jewish nation from the depths of exile. The final redemption will appear to be a dream, because the wonders which will accompany it will exceed Israel's wildest expectations. David composed this psalm as a prophecy of events that were destined to occur long after his death. Thus, this psalm is written as if it were said by the exiles in Babylon. This psalm stands out in sharp contrast to psalm 137, By the rivers of Babylon, which describes the descent of the Jews into exile. Psalm 137 is recited prior to Bircat HaMazon, the Grace after Meals, on weekdays, in order to keep the memory of the Temple's destruction fresh in our minds, even when our bodies are sated and comfortable in exile. Psalm 126, however, is recited before Bircat HaMazon on the Sabbath and the festivals. Since these holy, festive days afford downtrodden, exiled Jews a glimpse of their future elevation and glory it is appropriate that they recite this Song of Ascents, which tells that HaShem will return the captivity of Zion.^[7]

Now imagine the manslayer who has spent twenty years in the refuge city. The High Priest dies, signifying that his exile is over, and he is able to return to his home, family, and friends. To the manslayer this must be like a dream, something he has dreamed about for twenty years.

The idea of a dream is that it is the ultimate un-reality. Whether we dream what we want, or what ‘could be’, the dream never matches the reality. In the same way, when this exile ends and we finally arrive in the Olam HaBa, it will be as though we had awaken from a very bad dream. At that moment we will suddenly realize that that the Olam HaZeh, this world, was just a dream. Until we arrive in the Olam HaBa we will not understand fully that this world is just the foyer, it is just an entrance hall. The trials and tribulations of this world will fade before the ‘real’ world, the Olam HaBa.

As much as the manslayer has grown accustomed to his exile, after twenty years, he will realize that when he arrives back at his home that this exile was just a dream, an un-real experience whose only goal was to prepare him for his return to the ‘real’ world.

With Psalm 127 the Levitical choir moves up to the eighth step. The Psalmist speaks of four things that constitute man’s well-being and peace of mind in this world: A house and a city in which to live; protection and defense against enemies: food to eat: and children.^[8] For the manslayer, of our Torah portion, this psalm hits home in an impactive way. The manslayer, more than most men, appreciates the protection that the Refuge City provides protection for him.

With Psalm 128 the Levitical choir moves up to the ninth step. This Psalm is a continuation of the previous Psalm. Marriage and parenthood are the noblest pursuits of a person's life, but only if the participants enter into a partnership with God and invoke His assistance. It is especially crucial for the Jew to appreciate the sacred character of labor and marriage while he suffers in exile, otherwise he may fall into despair and see no value and purpose in life. If the Jew succeeds in maintaining his personal spiritual level in every aspect of life he will ultimately be redeemed and returned to the Holy Land, the source of all sanctity. He will merit the Psalmist's good wish: May HaShem bless you from Zion, and may you gaze upon the goodness of Jerusalem, all the days of your life. And may you see the children of your children, and peace upon Israel (v. 5, 6).^[9]

This verse presents a word portrait of the genuinely righteous Jew: Since he fears only HaShem, no mortal can intimidate him, not even the hostile conqueror who holds him captive in exile (Maharam Arama).[10]

Only one fear occupies the thoughts of this righteous man: that he might transgress a Divine prohibition and act counter to God's will (Radak).[11]

Sforno perceives in these words special instructions for the Jew who tends to feel extremely insecure in exile. Often this fear drives the persecuted Jew to seek security in material things and, particularly, in money, The Psalmist decries this materialism and advises the exiles to derive security from fulfilling the Torah's precepts.[12]

Sforno adds that the exile can also find security in raising a large and close knit family. Thus, this psalm also speaks in praise of the family unit. [The Midrash states:[13] A family resembles a mound of stones. When one is removed the entire heap shakes and trembles. If one is added, the entire mound is strengthened.]

The Midrash[14] points out that the Psalmist does not say 'praiseworthy are the priests or the Levites,' but praiseworthy are those who fear HaShem, Specifically, this refers to the God-fearing converts, who join the ranks of Israel in exile. Sometimes a convert feels insignificant and questions the value of his accomplishments: 'Since I lack, the merit of ancestors, which accrues to the born Jew, how can I expect a portion in the World to Come?’

The Holy One, Blessed is He, reassures him in the following verses: When you eat the labor of your own hands - i.e., you are rewarded for your own accomplishments, not for those of your parents. If you labor, you are praiseworthy in this world and all is well with you in the World to Come (v 2).[15]

Exile is the crucible that forges the Jewish soul with emunah (faithful obedience). If this exile is used properly for Torah study and performance of the mitzvoth (commandments), then the Jewish soul is refined and purified. That carelessness which allowed a man to become and accidental manslayer is removed and replaced with righteousness/ generosity.

Aslamatah: Micah 5:11 – 6:8

Rashi	Targum
7. ¶ And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples - like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, if it passes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and no one [can] save anything.	7. ¶ The remnant of the house of Jacob will be among the nations in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it passes through, tramples and kills, and there is none to rescue.
8. Your hand shall be raised above your oppressors, and all your enemies shall be destroyed.	8. Indeed henceforth, O Israel, your hand will prevail over your foes, and all your enemies will be destroyed.
9. And it shall come to pass on that day, says the Lord, that I will cut your horses out of your midst, and I will destroy your chariots.	9. At that time, says the LORD, I will make an end of the horses of the peoples in your midst and I will destroy their chariots.
10. And I will destroy the cities of your land, and I will break down all your fortresses.	10. I will make an end of the cities of the peoples in your land and I will demolish all their mighty fortresses.
11. And I will destroy sorcery from your hand, and you will have no soothsayers.	11. I will make an end of the sorcerers among you, and you will have no more soothsayers.
12. And I will destroy your graven images and your monuments from your midst, and you shall no longer prostrate yourself to your handiwork.	12. I will make an end of the carved images of the peoples and their pillars in your midst, and you will no more do homage to the works of your hands.
13. And I will uproot your asherim from your midst, and I will destroy your enemies.	13. I will uproot the plants of the peoples from your midst and I will destroy your enemies.
14. And in anger and fury I will execute vengeance upon the nations who have paid no heed. {P}	14. And in anger and wrath I will wreak vengeance of judgment on the Gentiles who have not obeyed the teaching of the Law: {P}
1. Hear now what the Lord says; Rise; contend with the mountains, and may the hills hear My voice.	1. Hear now what the Lord is saying: "Rise up, contend with the mountains and let the hills hear your voice." 2. 3.
2. Hear ye, O mountains, the controversy of the Lord; and you mighty ones, the foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a controversy with His people, and with Israel He shall contend.	2. Hear the LORD'S case, you mountains, and you roots of the foundations of the earth, for there is a case before the LORD against His people, and against the house of Israel He is conducting" a suit.
3. O My people, what have I done, and how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.	3. My people, what good have I said that I would do to you and I have not done it? Or what severe hardship have I increased against you? Testify before Me.
4. For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.	4. For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and rescued you from the house of bondage; and I sent before you my three prophets. Moses to teach the tradition of judgments, Aaron to atone for the people, and Miriam to instruct the women.
5. My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab planned, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him. From Shittim to Gilgal, may you recognize the righteous deeds of the Lord.	5. My people, remember what Balak king of Moab advised and what Balaam son of Beor answered him. Were mighty deeds not done to you from the valley of Shittim to the house of Gilgal so that you might know the righteous/generous deeds of the LORD?
6. With what shall I come before the Lord, bow before the Most High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves?	6. With what will I worship before the LORD, or do homage to God whose Shekinah is in the high heavens? Will I worship before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?	7. Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of streams of oil? Will I give my first-born for my transgressions, the loved one of my body for my own sins?
8. He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk discreetly with your God. {S}	8. It has been told to you, o man, what is good. And what does the Lord seek from you, except to carry out true justice and to love acts of kindness. You will be modest by walking in the fear of your God. {S}
9. The voice of the Lord calls out to the city, and the wisdom of the Torah, the one who sees Your name; hearken to the staff and Who appointed it.	9. With a cry the prophets of the LORD call out to the city, and the teachers fear Your name. Hear O king and prince. and the rest of the people of the land.
10. Does the house of the wicked last long, [or do] the treasures of wickedness? And an ephah of leanness is condemned.	10. Are there still in the house of the wicked man storehouses of wickedness and fraudulent measures bringing a curse?
11. Will I merit with scales of wickedness or with a bag of deceitful weights?	11. Can they be acquitted despite wicked scales and a bag in which there are greater and smaller weights?
12. For the wealthy thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof speak lies, and their tongue is guile in their mouth.	12. Whose rich men fill their storehouses by violence, and whose inhabitants speak falsehood, with deceitful tongues in their mouths.
13. Therefore I, too, will smite you with sore wounds and make [you] desolate because of your sins.	13. I for my part have brought upon you sickness and plague, and I have made you desolate because you have sinned.
14. You shall eat and not be sated, and it shall bend you over in your innards; and you shall overtake, but you shall not rescue, and those whom you rescue I will deliver to the sword.	14. You will eat, but not be satisfied; and there will be sickness in your insides. You will obtain, but not carry off, and what you do carry off I will deliver to the sword.
15. You shall sow, but you shall not reap; you shall tread the olives, but you shall not anoint yourself with oil; and the must; but you shall not drink wine.	15. You will sow but not reap, you will tread the olives, but not anoint yourself with oil; you will press grapes, but not drink wine.
16. And the statutes of Omri shall be observed, and every deed of the house of Ahab; and you shall walk in their counsels, in order that I make you an astonishment, and its inhabitants a hissing; and the disgrace of My people you shall bear. {P}	16. For you have kept the decrees of the house of Omri and you have performed the practices of the house of Ahab, and you have followed their laws, so that they might deliver you to desolation and her inhabitants to devastation; you shall receive the scorn of My people. {P}

Rashi’s Commentary on Micah 5:11 – 6:8

7 like a lion among the beasts of the forest -So will their king rule over all.

which treads down and tears in pieces Heb. רָמַס . This is the lion’s treading down [an animal] when he [the lion] is hungry and eating it in its place. Tearing (טָרַף) is when he carries the prey to his den for his cubs and his lionesses.

9 that I will cut your horses -the Egyptian aid upon which you rely to supply you with horses.

10 And I will destroy your cities -And you will no longer need fortified cities.

13 and I will destroy your enemies Heb. עָרֶיךָ . Jonathan renders: And I will destroy your enemies. Similarly, (Isa. 14:21) “And fill the surface of the earth with enemies (עָרִים) ,” and (I Sam. 28:16) “And has become your adversary (עָרֶךָ) .”

Chapter 6

1 with the mountains -with the Patriarchs.

the hills -the Matriarchs.

3 what have I done for you -Put your heart to recognizing what benefit I have done for you.

and how have I wearied you -with My worship?

Testify against Me Heb. עֲנֵה בִּי

4 For I brought you up -Although I bestowed all this benefit upon you, I did not weary you with much worship or with large sacrifices.

Moses, Aaron, and Miriam - Jonathan paraphrases: Moses to teach the transmission of the laws, Aaron to atone for the people, and Miriam to instruct the women.

5 and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him -(Num. 23:8) “How shall I be angry if God is not angry?” for I did not become angry all those days. [from Berachot 4a]

from Shittim -where you sinned before Me. You should recognize My righteous deeds, for I did not withhold My kindness and My assistance from you until I brought you to Gilgal, and I conquered the land before you.

6 bow I will be humbled.

7 streams of oil -for meal offerings.

Shall I give my firstborn? -as a sacrifice for my transgression.

8 He has told -The Holy One, blessed be He, has told you what is good for you to do.

and to walk discreetly - Jonathan renders: Walk discreetly in the fear of your God. Another explanation: And walk discreetly. The standard of flesh and blood is not like the standard of the Holy One, blessed be He. The standard of flesh and blood is: If one man embarrasses his fellow and comes to placate him, the fellow says to him, “I will not accept your apology until so and so and so and so, before whom you disgraced me, come.” But the Holy One, blessed be He, desires only that the man’s return to Him be between the two of them. [from Pesikta d’Rav Kahana 163b]

9 The voice of the Lord calls out in the city -The voice of the prophets of the Lord calling out, calling them [the people] to repentance. [from Jonathan]

and the wisdom of the Torah, the one who sees Your name -The prophet who sees Your name calls out the wisdom of the Torah; i.e., the one who puts his heart to contemplate and to see your ways. The word וְתוּשִׁיּה refers to the verse above it.

hearken to the staff and Who appointed it -Bend your ears, and hearken to the staff of retribution that will punish you, concerning which the prophets warn you; and hearken to who it is Who appointed that retribution, whether He has the ability to fulfill what He decreed. But Jonathan did not render in this manner.

and the wisdom of Torah, the one who sees Your name From here we deduce that whoever recites daily a verse beginning [with the letter] and ending [with the letter] as his name begins and ends, the Torah saves him from Gehinnom.

10 Does the house of the wicked last long, [or do] the treasures of wickedness? -The “hey” of הַאִשׁ is vowelized with a “pattach” [not a kamatz] because it denotes a question. And this is its meaning: עוֹד is an expression of longevity. הַאִשׁ is like הֲיֵשׁ , is there. In I Chronicles (2:13) we find: “Ishai the father of David,” instead of “Yishai.” Here, too, is אִשׁ instead of יֵשׁ . And so in II Samuel (14:19): “If anyone can (אִשׁ) turn to the right or to the left.” [This is identical to] “If anyone can (יֵשׁ) turn to the right or to the left.” So did Jonathan render it: Is there. Will it enter your mind that the house of the wicked will last long, and the treasures of wickedness?

And an ephah of leanness is condemned -A small measure with which your wealthy deceive the poor and bring them to leanness - that is condemned by the wrath of the Holy One, blessed be He.

13 I will smite you with sore wounds -I have made your wounds sore - strong and ill and incurable.

and make [you] desolate Heb. הַשְׁמֵם , to make you desolate because of your sins.

14 and it shall bend you over in your innards Heb. וְיֶשְׁחֲךָ . The food that you eat - I will bring a curse into it within your intestines, and it will cause you illness, that you will be ill and walk bent over. So it is explained in Sifre: How do we know that, even within the intestines? Scripture states: “And it shall bend you over in your innards.” In the parashah of Ekev, in expounding (Deut. 11:12) “The eyes of the Lord your God are upon it,” Jonathan, too, renders [our verse] in this manner: And it shall be to you for illness and a wound in your intestines.

and you shall overtake -your enemies who lead your sons and daughters away, into captivity; but you shall not rescue them, and if you rescue them, their end will be to the sword. In the name of Rabbi Menahem I heard: You shall gain your desire for sexual intercourse, but you shall not ejaculate. You shall not have the strength to ejaculate semen; and, if you do ejaculate them [and beget children], their end will be that I will deliver them to the sword [of the enemy].

16 And the statutes of Omri shall be observed -I know that you will not obey Me, but through you and your children will all the statutes of Omri and Ahab [the evil kings of Israel] be observed.

and the disgrace of My people you shall bear -You shall bear the iniquity for the disgrace that the peoples of the world deride My people, for the Torah admonished them concerning (Deut. 25:14): “You shall not have in your house two kinds of ephah,” but they do not keep it.

In The School of the Prophets

Micah 5:11 – 6:8

By: Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

As usual, our Prophetic Lesson for this Sabbath in the Hebrew text extends along two Petuchot (Closed Paragraphs) – the first starting in Micah 5:7 and concluding at Micah 5:14, and the second Petucha (Closed Paragraph) starts in Micah 6:1 until verse 16 (with a section brake at 6:8). However, our Sages full of compassion for the congregation stipulated that for public reading from the Teba (pulpit) we should only read from the Prophets ten verses (Micah 5:11 – 6:8). This of course, does not limit the preacher to refer or use in the course of his homily (sermon) from Micah 5:7 through to 6:16. In fact some of the most interesting parts of this Ashlamatah (Lesson from the Prophets) are not read in public this week.

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

Deuteronomy 18:14 –

כִּי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה יוֹרֵשׁ אוֹתָם--אֶל-מְעֹנְנִים וְאֶל-קֹסְמִים, יִשְׁמָעוּ; וְאַתָּה--לֹא כֵן, נָתַן לְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ.

For these nations, that you are to dispossess, hearken unto soothsayers, and unto diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not suffered you so to do.

Micah 5:11 -

וְהִכְרַתִּי כְשָׁפִים, מִיָּדֶךָ; וּמְעוֹנְנִים, לֹא יִהְיוּ-לָךְ

And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers;

Commenting on Deut. 18:14 Rashi explains:

14 [But...] the Lord your God has not given you to hearken to diviners of auspicious times and soothsayers, for He caused His Divine Presence to rest upon the prophets and upon the Urim and Tummim.-[Targum Jonathan]

We note that Rashi, therefore defines “diviners” as people who say that they can forecast “auspicious times” in which something can or may be done. And these Rashi and Targum Pseudo Jonathan contrasts with Israelite Prophets an the Urim and Tummim of the Levitical High Priest. Hwever, Rashi remains silent on the nature of “soothsayers” unless he believed that “diviners” and “soothsayers” are different names for the same person or role.

The great Italian Master of Peshat Seforno[16] (Rabbi Ovadia Seforno) sides with Rashi in believing that “diviners” and “soothsayers” are different names for the same class of persons, but he adds:

וְאַתָּה--לֹא כֵן, נָתַן לְךָ – but as to you, not so has given you – Even if you were to consult the various types of soothsayers listed here, their messages would never prove accurate as our Sages have already told us “Ein Mazal L’Yisrael” – “No part of Israel’s destiny is linked to astrological constellations” (Shabbat 156).

The Strong’s Concordance[17] defines the Hebrew word ענן (# H6049 – a’anan) as: “a primitive root; to cover; used only as denominative from # H6051, to cloud over; figuratively to act covertly, that is, practise magic: - X bring, enchanter, MeOnemin, observers of times, soothsayers, sorcerers.”

These ancient MeOnemim (Soothsayers) would be called in today’s Christian World: “Prophets.” That is, people who are preoccupied with “prophecy” particularly in its fulfilment in the end times. There is a plethora of web pages and a great number of books that have been published on this subject which authors falls very much under the description of MeOnemim – Soothsayers. Interestingly all of these “soothsayers” are antinomian (rejecting the need and validity of G-d’s Laws as expressed in the Pentateuch) not to mention the absolute revulsion towards any rabbinical teaching or authority.

The Torah, however contrasts these “Soothsayers” in Deut. 18:14 with the genuine Prophets of G-d:

Rashi	Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
14. For these nations, which you are to possess, hearken to diviners of [auspicious] times and soothsayers, but as for you, the Lord, your God, has not given you [things] like these.	14. For these nations which you are about to dispossess have listened to inspectors of serpents and enchanters. But you are not to be like them the priests will inquire by Urim and Thummim and a Right Prophet will the LORD your God give you;
15. A prophet from among you, from your brothers, like me, the Lord, your God will set up for you, you shall hearken to him.	15. a Prophet from among you of your brethren like unto me, with the Holy Spirit will the LORD your God raise up unto you; to Him will you be obedient.

Commenting on Deut. 18:15, the Rash’bam (Rabbi Shemuel ben Meir)[18] writes:

18:15 - נָבִיא מִקִּרְבְּךָ מֵאַחֶיךָ כָּמֹנִי - A prophet from among you, from your brothers, like me – Such Prophets establish the authentic nature of their mission by commanding you to observe the Laws of the Torah, not like false prophets or dreamers purporting to have been told that you should practice some idolatrous rites.

When the Torah wrote in Deut. 34:10 that there never again arose a Prophet of the stature of Moses, what is meant is the manner in which Moses was familiar with G-d on an unprecedented level, speaking to Him at anytime, and being addressed by Him without introductory formalities, i.e. פנים אל פנים – Panim Al Panim – “face to face,” as the informal nature of two friends speaking with one another. The verse does not mean that subsequent Prophets would have less faith in G-d than Moses had. Concerning that aspect of Moses as a Prophet, he told the people that Prophets after him would display similar faith in the LORD, i.e. כָּמֹנִי – Kamoni – “like me.” They too would faithfully deliver messages from G-d, neither withholding part nor adding something of their own and passing it off as a Divine message.

This verse of Deut. 18:15 is echoed in the Nazarean Codicil in such passages as Acts 3:22-23, Acts 7:37, and Luke 24:19. In the citations the word כָּמֹנִי – Kamoni – “like me” of Deut. 18:15 is allegorically taken to point to the person of His Majesty King Yeshua the Messiah of Israel. There is nothing illegal with this interpretation of the Torah provided that we accept the following three limitations:

a) His Majesty King Yeshua the Messiah of Israel must at all time conform in his behaviour with the decrees of both the Written and Oral Torah as accepted by Israel and taught by our Sages.

b) His Majesty King Yeshua the Messiah of Israel must at all time conform in his teachings with the decrees of both the Written and Oral Torah as accepted by Israel and taught by our Sages.

c) The “authentic” disciples of His Majesty King Yeshua the Messiah of Israel will emulate to whatever extent possible, and model in their lives all the behaviours and teachings that he (His Majesty King Messiah) performed and passed on to them (his disciples) without any deviation either to the left or to the right.

And this, therefore is the true meaning of the verses:

¹⁵a Prophet from among you of your brethren like unto me, with the Holy Spirit will the LORD your God raise up unto you; to Him will you be obedient. … ¹⁸I will raise up unto them a Prophet from, among their brethren in whom will be the Holy Spirit, as in you; and I will put My Word of prophecy in his mouth, and he will speak with them whatsoever I command him; ¹⁹and the man who will not hearken to the words of My prophecy which will be spoken in My Name, My Word will take vengeance upon him.

May we all heed these wise words of Word/Law of HaShem our G-d, most blessed be He!

Verbal Connections

By HH Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David & HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

D’Barim (Deuteronomy) 18:14 – 21:9

Ashlamata: Micah 5:11 – 6:8

Tehillim (Psalms) 124-128

The verbal tally between the Torah and the Ashlmata are:

Nations / heathen - גוי, Strong’s number 01471.

Hearken / heard / hear - שמע, Strong’s number 08085.

Oservers of time / soothsayers - ענן, Strong’s number 06049.

LORD - יהוה, Strong’s number 03068.

God - אלהים, Strong’s number 0430.

Raise up / arise - קום, Strong’s number 06965.

Midst - קרב, Strong’s number 07130.

The verbal tally between the Torah and the Psalms are:

Nations / heathen - גוי, Strong’s number 01471.

LORD - יהוה, Strong’s number 03068.

Suffered / given - נתן, Strongs number 05414.

D’Barim (Deuteronomy) 18:14-15 14 For these nations <01471>, which thou shalt possess, hearkened <08085> (8799) unto observers of times <06049> (8781), and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD <03068> thy God <0430> hath not suffered <05414> (8804) thee so to do. 15 The LORD <03068> thy God <0430> will raise up <06965> (8686) unto thee a Prophet from the midst <07130> of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken <08085> (8799);

Micah 5:12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers <06049> (8781):

Mic 5:13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

Micah 5:15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen <01471>, such as they have not heard <08085> (8804).

Micah 6:1 Hear <08085> (8798) ye now what the LORD <03068> saith; Arise <06965> (8798), contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear <08085> (8799) thy voice.

Micah 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD <03068>, and bow myself before the high God <0430>? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

Tehillim (Psalms) 124:6 Blessed be the LORD <03068>, who hath not given <05414> (8804) us as a prey to their teeth.

Tehillim (Psalms) 126:2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen <01471>, The LORD <03068> hath done great things for them.

Hebrew:

Hebrew	English	Torah Seder	Psalms	Ashlamatah
~d'a'	man	Deut 20:19	Ps 124:2	Mic 6:8
bhea'	love	Deut 19:9		Mic 6:8
by"a'	enemies	Deut 20:1 Deut 20:3 Deut 20:4 Deut 20:14	Ps 127:5
!t'yae	running water	Deut 21:4		Mic 6:2
lk;a'	use, eat	Deut 20:14 Deut 20:19	Ps 127:2 Ps 128:2
~yhil{a/	GOD
~ai	if
rm;a'	saying, say, said	Deut 18:16 Deut 18:17 Deut 18:21 Deut 19:7 Deut 20:3 Deut 20:5 Deut 20:8 Deut 21:7	Ps 124:1 Ps 126:2	Mic 6:1
@a;	anger		Ps 124:3	Mic 5:15
#r,a,	land, earth, ground	Deut 19:1 Deut 19:2 Deut 19:3 Deut 19:8 Deut 19:10 Deut 19:14 Deut 20:1	Ps 124:8	Mic 5:11 Mic 6:2 Mic 6:4
hV'ai	woman, wife	Deut 20:7 Deut 20:14	Ps 128:3
aAB	come,	Deut 18:22 Deut 19:5	Ps 126:6
!j,B,	womb		Ps 127:3	Mic 6:7
tyIB;	house	Deut 19:1 Deut 20:5 Deut 20:6 Deut 20:7 Deut 20:8	Ps 127:1 Ps 128:3	Mic 6:4
!Be	sons	Deut 21:5	Ps 127:3 Ps 127:4 Ps 128:3 Ps 128:6	Mic 6:5
hn"B'	built, construct	Deut 20:5 Deut 20:20	Ps 127:1
%r'B'	bless	Deut 21:5	Ps 124:6 Ps 128:4 Ps 128:5
yAG	nations	Deut 18:14 Deut 19:1 Deut 20:15	Ps 126:2	Mic 5:15
rb;D'	spoken, speak	Deut 18:17 Deut 18:18 Deut 18:19 Deut 18:20 Deut 18:21 Deut 18:22 Deut 19:8 Deut 20:2 Deut 20:5 Deut 20:8 Deut 20:9	Ps 127:5
%r,D,	roads, way	Deut 19:3 Deut 19:6 Deut 19:9	Ps 128:1
vr'D'	require, investigate	Deut 18:19 Deut 19:18		Mic 6:8
hy"h'	come, been, become	Deut 18:19 Deut 18:22 Deut 20:11	Ps 124:1 Ps 124:2	Mic 5:12
%l;h'	walk, goes, depart, lead,	Deut 19:9 Deut 20:4 Deut 20:5 Deut 20:6 Deut 20:7 Deut 20:8	Ps 125:5 Ps 126:6 Ps 128:1	Mic 6:8
hNEhi	if, behold	Deut 19:18	Ps 127:3 Ps 128:4
rh;	mount,		Ps 125:1 Ps 125:2	Mic 6:1 Mic 6:2
[r'z"	sow	Deut 21:4	Ps 126:5
bAj	go well,	Deut 19:13	Ps 128:2
dy"	hand	Deut 19:5 Deut 19:12 Deut 19:21 Deut 20:13 Deut 21:6 Deut 21:7	Ps 125:3 Ps 127:4	Mic 5:12 Mic 5:13
[d'y"	know,	Deut 18:21 Deut 20:20 Deut 21:1		Mic 6:5
~Ay	day	Deut 18:16 Deut 19:9 Deut 19:17 Deut 20:3 Deut 20:19	Ps 128:5
bj;y"	well, thoroughly,	Deut 18:17 Deut 19:18	Ps 125:4
bv;y"	settle, abides,	Deut 19:1	Ps 125:1 Ps 127:2
rv'y"	right, upright	Deut 21:9	Ps 125:4
laer'f.yI	Israel	Deut 19:13 Deut 20:3 Deut 21:8	Ps 124:1 Ps 125:5 Ps 128:6	Mic 6:2
lKo	all, entire	Deut 18:16 Deut 18:18 Deut 19:3 Deut 19:8 Deut 19:9 Deut 19:15 Deut 20:11 Deut 20:13 Deut 20:14 Deut 20:15 Deut 20:16 Deut 20:18 Deut 21:5 Deut 21:6	Ps 128:1 Ps 128:5	Mic 5:11
tr'K'	cut off, cut down	Deut 19:1 Deut 19:5 Deut 20:19 Deut 20:20		Mic 5:11 Mic 5:12 Mic 5:13
aol	never, no, unless	Deut 18:16 Deut 19:20 Deut 21:7	Ps 125:1 Ps 127:1	Mic 5:12 Mic 5:13
~yIr'c.mi	Egypt	Deut 20:1		Mic 6:4
jP'v.mi	justice	Deut 19:6		Mic 6:8
an"	now		Ps 124:1	Mic 6:1 Mic 6:5
hl'x]n"	inheritance, gift	Deut 19:10 Deut 19:14 Deut 20:16	Ps 127:3
vp,n<	life, soul,	Deut 19:6 Deut 19:21	Ps 124:4 Ps 124:5 Ps 124:7	Mic 6:7
!t;n"	allowed, put, gives, deliver, place, present	Deut 18:14 Deut 18:18 Deut 19:1 Deut 19:2 Deut 19:8 Deut 19:10 Deut 19:12 Deut 19:14 Deut 20:13 Deut 20:14 Deut 20:16 Deut 21:1 Deut 21:8	Ps 124:6 Ps 127:2	Mic 6:7
bybis'	around, surround	Deut 21:2	Ps 125:2 Ps 128:3
d[;	until, forever	Deut 20:20	Ps 125:2
dA[	anymore, more, again, longer	Deut 18:16 Deut 19:9 Deut 19:20		Mic 5:13
hl'['	brought	Deut 20:1		Mic 6:4
~[i	against	Deut 20:4 Deut 20:12		Mic 6:2
hd'P'	redeemed,	Deut 21:8		Mic 6:4
hP,	mouth, evidence, edge, settle	Deut 18:18 Deut 19:15 Deut 20:13 Deut 21:5	Ps 126:2
~ynIP'	before	Deut 19:17 Deut 20:3		Mic 6:4
yrIP.	fruit		Ps 127:3	Mic 6:7
lAq	voice	Deut 18:16		Mic 6:1
~Wq	raise, rise, rose, arise	Deut 18:15 Deut 18:18 Deut 19:11 Deut 19:15 Deut 19:16	Ps 124:2 Ps 127:2	Mic 6:1
br,q,	among. Midst	Deut 18:15 Deut 18:18 Deut 19:10 Deut 19:19 Deut 19:20 Deut 21:8 Deut 21:9		Mic 5:13 Mic 5:14
ha'r'	see	Deut 18:16 Deut 20:1 Deut 21:7	Ps 128:5 Ps 128:6
byrI	dispute, indictment,	Deut 19:17 Deut 21:5		Mic 6:2
bWv	return, bought back, restore	Deut 20:5 Deut 20:6 Deut 20:7 Deut 20:8	Ps 126:1 Ps 126:4
~Alv'	peace	Deut 20:10 Deut 20:11	Ps 125:5 Ps 128:6
xl;v'	send,	Deut 19:12	Ps 125:3	Mic 6:4
~ve	name	Deut 18:19 Deut 18:20 Deut 18:22 Deut 21:5	Ps 124:8
[m;v'	listen, hear	Deut 18:14 Deut 18:15 Deut 18:16 Deut 18:19 Deut 19:20 Deut 20:3		Mic 5:15 Mic 6:1 Mic 6:2
rm;v'	observe, guards, watchman	Deut 19:9	Ps 127:1
!ve	tooth, teeth	Deut 19:21	Ps 124:6
bAj	good, upright		Ps 125:4	Mic 6:8
arey"	afraid, fears	Deut 19:20 Deut 20:1 Deut 20:3 Deut 20:8	Ps 128:1 Ps 128:4
lx;n"	valley, stream, rivers	Deut 21:4 Deut 21:6	Ps 124:4	Mic 6:7
ry[i	cities	Deut 19:1 Deut 19:2 Deut 19:5 Deut 19:7 Deut 19:9 Deut 19:11 Deut 19:12 Deut 20:10 Deut 20:14 Deut 20:15 Deut 20:16 Deut 20:19 Deut 20:20 Deut 21:2 Deut 21:3 Deut 21:4 Deut 21:6	Ps 127:1	Mic 5:11 Mic 5:14
~[;	people	Deut 20:1 Deut 20:2 Deut 20:5 Deut 20:8 Deut 20:9 Deut 20:11 Deut 20:16 Deut 21:8	Ps 125:2	Mic 6:2 Mic 6:3 Mic 6:5
hn"['	accuse, agrees, make, answer	Deut 19:16 Deut 19:18 Deut 20:11 Deut 21:7		Mic 6:3 Mic 6:5
hf'['	carefully, do, makes, done, execute	Deut 19:9 Deut 19:19 Deut 19:20 Deut 20:12 Deut 20:15 Deut 20:18 Deut 20:20 Deut 21:9	Ps 124:8 Ps 126:2 Ps 126:3	Mic 5:15 Mic 6:3 Mic 6:8

Greek:

Greek	English	Torah Seder Deu 18:14-21:9	Psalms Ps 124-128	Ashlamatah Mic 5:11 – 6:8	NC Mk 15:29-32
βασιλεύς	king			Mic 6:5	Mar 15:32
γραμματεύς	scribe	Deu 20:5 Deu 20:8 Deu 20:9			Mar 15:31
εἴδω	behold, known	Deu 20:1 Deu 21:1	Psa 128:5 Psa 128:6		Mar 15:32
ἡμέρα	days	Deu 18:16 Deu 19:9 Deu 19:17 Deu 20:19	Psa 128:5		Mar 15:29
κεφαλή	head	Deu 21:6			Mar 15:29
λέγω	say, speak	Deu 18:16 Deu 19:7 Deu 20:5			Mar 15:29 Mar 15:31
νῦν	now, present		Psa 125:2		Mar 15:32
οἰκοδομέω	rebuilding, build	Deu 20:5 Deu 20:20	Psa 127:1		Mar 15:29
τρεῖς / τρία	three	Deu 19:2 Deu 19:7 Deu 19:9 Deu 19:15			Mar 15:29

Mordechai 120-123

Mordechai 15:29-32

By: HH Paqid Dr. Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham

BESB	GREEK TEXT
Mar 15:29[19] Those passing by[20] were insulting[21] him (Yeshua), shaking their heads[22] [bowing the head in a mocking manner][23] and saying, "Ah [you who were going to], destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days.	^29 Καὶ οἱ παραπορευόμενοι ἐβλασφήμουν αὐτὸν κινοῦντες τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν καὶ λέγοντες Οὐὰ ὁ καταλύων τὸν ναὸν καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις οἰκοδομῶν
Mar 15:30 Save yourself by coming down from the cross."[24]	^30 σῶσον σεαυτὸν καὶ κατάβα ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ
Mar 15:31 Likewise the Kohen Gadol (of the Tz’dukim – Sadducees), mocking (Yeshua) with the Soferim (Scribes of the Tz’dukim - Sadducees), ridiculed[25] (him) saying, "He delivered others. He is not able to deliver himself.	^31 ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἐμπαίζοντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους μετὰ τῶν γραμματέων ἔλεγον Ἄλλους ἔσωσεν ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται σῶσαι·
Mar 15:32 (Let) Messiah, the King of Israel,[26] now come down from the cross so (we might) see and believe." (And) those crucified with him were insulting him as well	^32 ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καταβάτω νῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἵνα ἴδωμεν καὶ πιστεύσωμεν καὶ οἱ συνεσταυρωμένοι αὐτῷ ὠνείδιζον αὐτόν

Delitzsch Hebrew Translation

²⁹ וְהָעֹבְרִים גִּדְּפוּ אוֹתוֹ וַיָּנִיעוּ רֹאשָׁם וַיֹּאמְרוּ הֶאָח אַתָּה הַהוֹרֵס אֶת־הַהֵיכָל וּבוֹנֶה אוֹתוֹ בִּשְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים׃

³⁰ הוֹשַׁע אֶת־עַצְמֶךָ וּרְדָה מִן־הַצְּלוּב׃

³¹ וְכֵן גַּם־רָאשֵׁי הַכֹּהֲנִים עִם־הַסּוֹפְרִים הִתְלוֹצְצוּ אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶת־אֲחֵרִים הוֹשִׁיעַ וְאֶת־עַצְמוֹ לֹא יוּכַל לְהוֹשִׁיעַ׃

³² הַמָּשִׁיחַ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵרֵד עַתָּה מִן־הַצְּלוּב לְמַעַן נִרְאֶה וְנַאֲמִין וְגַם־הַנִּצְלָבִים אִתּוֹ חֵרְפוּהוּ׃

Introduction

Isaiah 66:1 Thus says the LORD, "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? ²"For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

The words of the Prophet Yeshayahu (Isaiah) echo in the ears of those who would rebuild the Temple after the Babylonian exile. Conversely, the LOrd tells us that the Heavens are the place of His abode. Can a “House” built by human hands contain G-d? For that matter, can the “heavens” contain Him?

Furthermore, how can we take the materials, which G-d created, and make an abode for the Almighty?

After citing, the Prophet above, Stephen gave the following discourse…

Act 7:51-52 "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit); you are doing just as your fathers did. ⁵²"Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One,^[27] whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;

While there are those who would use these texts against the Jewish People of the First century as a whole, Stephen is addressing an audience with “uncircumcised hearts.”^[28] Furthermore, Stephen is addressing those who are primarily Sadducean. Stephen’s allegation is against those who have preconceived ideas of what G-d must do to engender the redemption of the B’ne Yisrael, which they expected in the treacherous times of Roman occupation. However, there were those who were of a contradictory mindset. They embraced Rome and found solace in the regime of “Pax Romana.”^[29] It was never the plan of G-d for the B’ne Yisrael to be subject to foreign powers while living in Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel). When G-d permitted these circumstances, it was to awaken repentance. By “repentance”, I refer to a change of ways as well as a change of heart and most emphatically, a “return to G-d.” However, sin is never without consequence and we must, in essence do more than repent. However, when addressing the Gentiles the language should be understood in a different manner. The Jew must “return” to G-d while the Gentile must “turn towards G-d.”

m. Abot 4:2 Ben Azzai says, “Run after the most minor religious duty as after the most important, and flee from transgression. “For doing one religious duty draws in its wake doing yet another, and doing one transgression draws in its wake doing yet another. “For the reward of doing a religious duty is a religious duty, and the reward of doing a transgression is a transgression.”^[30]

How are we to understand this Mishnah?

The Torah, as a normative order, a nomos, is the plan of the cosmos. Therefore, Torah study is not simply the study of a peculiar positive nomos-cum-narrative, but is the inner truth of the world as such. A premise such as this informs Abot as well. Torah is more than story and Law; it is the inner pulse of reality.^[31]

Therefore, we inhabit a “nomos – a normative universe.” Torah is not only a “system of rules” but rather becomes the structure of the world in which we live. The Torah is the fabric and infrastructure of all life. As such, the present world is structured by the nomos of the Torah, and G-d’s Law is maintained by dynamic Torah observance. If we violate that structure and order, we damage the fabric of the universe. When we conform to the dynamic normative nomos of Torah, we build the universe or repair the damage caused by sin. If we are to understand the world in which we live, we must study its nomos, Torah. Of course, this develops into a bifurcate approach to Torah, static and dynamic. Herein, legal hermeneutics becomes the fundamental contrivance for life’s directive. As such, each mitzvah is an opportunity to build or destroy the world. The positive mitzvoth (commandments) demonstrate our devotion to G-d along with our determination to collaborate with Him in the creative and reparative process. “The performance of a mitzvah transforms the overall character of one’s life.”^[32] As such, the transformation of a single life is the reparation of the world, Torah – nomos. The static practice of mitzvoth sustains the universe. While we may often think in terms of our individual practices, we must realize that the practice of Torah is a universal singularity. As Yeshua was “one” with G-d and Torah, we must abandon our individuality for the sake of the one G-d and Torah. The acceptance of the Yoke of the Kingdom in the Kiriat Shema (recital of the Shema Deut. 6:4ff.) is not only for the sake of G–d’s unity, it is to forge our existence into that unity. The fragmentation of the world, Gen 1:6ff is repaired through our unification of G–d and His Torah. If the “mitzvoth (commandments) are vehicles for enlivening and refining the consciousness of the Divine”^[33] we must be engaged in this practice on a universal level. Or, we might opine that the practice of the Torah – nomos has cosmic effects. Practice of the Torah – nomos by a society is not only the realization and healing of the world; it is becoming one with G-d. It is for this reason that the Kiriat Shema (recital of the Shema) has precedence as a Halakhic norm in Jewish life.

In defining nomos as a “plan for the universe,” we can see why G-d gave the Torah – nomos in the wilderness. By exhibition of the Torah – nomos in the wilderness, G-d demonstrated that the Torah – nomos is universal and eternal. Therefore, we can see how Hakham Shaul understood nomos as a “Law,” for the Gentiles and Torah for the Jewish people. The nomos of the Gentile is NOT the Torah of the Jew. Through acceptance of the Torah, the Gentile embraces Judaism and comes under the canopy of righteousness/generosity as presented in Torah. The nomos of the Gentile is the “Law” of subservience to the varied intermediaries, which govern their territories under the authority of G-d. Each “intermediary is matched to the disposition of the nation and peoples it governs. Furthermore, the disposition of the intermediary may change to match the changing disposition of the subordinate nation. However, when the Gentile embraces Torah in the same manner as the Jew (i.e. through conversion to Judaism), he no longer lives under the nomos of the universe and intermediary in the way other Gentiles do.

Hearing the Voice of G–d through His agents

Hearing the voice of G-d was an overwhelming problem for the Gentile nations, ruled by G-d through intermediaries. However, the B’ne Yisrael (children of Israel) are not governed in this fashion. G-d and His direct intermediaries (Prophets, Priests and Kings)[34] govern the B’ne Yisrael.

Mic 6:2 "Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the LORD, And you enduring foundations[35] of the earth…

The problem of interpreting G-d’s vice for the Gentile is that of clarity. We, the Jewish people have heard the voice of G-d from Moshe Rabbenu, who received it from the mouth of the Divine, blessed be He. Because we have a Torah from the mouth of G-d, we can clearly determine our path and assignment. The words of our Prophets, who saw through nine speculara, when weighed against the Torah are readily discerned. Hakham Shaul’s “dark glass”[36] describes the “Gentile Predicament.”[37] Gentile approach to the Torah is usually that of narrative rather than Torah – nomos (law). Consequently, Gentile hermeneutics do not include a halakhic hermeneutic and therefore the rabbinical system of hermeneutic is foreign to them. There is no desire to develop such a hermeneutic since the Gentile worldview is primarily antinomian.^[38] Gentile courts, as we discussed in the previous Parsha are to be Torah based. Therefore, any system which is void of Torah – nomos is not a “just legal system” or court and thereby antinomian. As we saw in the previous pericope, the court, which condemned Yeshua, was unjust. This is because the court did not recognize the authority of the Torah as a nomos applicable to the Gentiles. Pilate functioned as a solitary judge condemning Yeshua without appropriate witness or following appropriate debriefing of the witnesses who testified against Yeshua. Furthermore, as a solitary judge, rather than a Bet Din, Pilate demonstrated his antinomian contempt for the Torah. His condemnation of a Hakham/Rabbi is further demonstration of his contempt for Torah – nomos. Only Jewish Hakhamim can enact Jewish Halakhah (Law). Consequently, Yeshua a representative of Jewish Hakhamim must be destroyed in order to allow the antinomian courts of the Gentile injustice to continue. The Rome – Christian antinomian system still permeates the Gentile world. Pilate’s antinomian system set the tone for the coming Rome – Christianity system. Yeshua’s abandonment by his talmidim (disciples) illustrates the Jewish abandonment of Messiah when portrayed as a Gentile “King of the Jews.” Three groups demonstrate contempt for the Torah – nomos system in the present pericope.

The table below shows the three groups and their claims against Yeshua.

Table 1[39]

	Group	Accusation	Comments
1	The passersby (Tz’dukim – Sadducees)	Destroy Temple	Save yourself
2	Kohen Gadol (of the Tz’dukim – Sadducees)	King of Yisrael (Israel)	Saves others but not self
3	(And) those crucified with him (Yeshua)	Co-crucified	Insulting remarks

Scholars have looked at the fierce nature of the mocking on the cross and their dramatic character.[40] While it may seem difficult for some to determine the identity of these “passersby,” I have deduced that the passersby were the Tz’dukim – Sadducees because of the time of the crucifixion. The P’rushim – Pharisees would have been preparing their Pesach – Passover Seder at that time leaving the Tz’dukim to wander the highways etc. Donahue[41] suggests that the passersby knew little of Yeshua and that they mocked Him because of the accusation written above his head, “the King of the Jews.” This may be a further attestation that the passersby were Tz’dukim – Sadducees.

Furthermore, three reactions to the Jewish Tz’dukim (Sadducees) are present in this pericope.

· Shaking (bowing in a mocking manner) [42]

· Insults

· Mocking[43]

So long as Yeshua, a Jewish Hakham remains on the cross, he is powerless to enact Jewish Halakhah. Note the reaction of our Prophet in our present Ashlamatah.

Mic 5:15 "And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath On the nations (Gentiles) which have not obeyed."

Prophet Like Moshe

A Prophet “like Moshe” – Moshe presented the “Torah” along with the Oral Torah. Yeshua’s Oral Torah (Mesorah) is the presentation of the Torah through Messianic eyes. Any figure that does not fit the Mosaic prototypical pattern cannot be Messiah. In other words, Messiah must be…

· Jewish D’barim 18:15,18

· Prophet D’barim 18:14, 18 – 22

· Pro–Torah D’barim 18:18

· Pro–Oral Torah

Moshe brought the B’ne Yisrael out of Egypt to worship and serve G-d trough Torah. Moshe prepared the Jewish people for entrance into the Holy land of Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel). Yeshua prepared the Jewish People for exile.[44] Therefore, we must conclude that Yeshua was equally concerned about the Jewish People. Many scholars have never fully addressed what Yeshua has done for the Jewish People. Because the antinomian scholars have used Yeshua as a Roman – Christian god, and therefore it is impossible to see what Yeshua has really done on behalf of the Jewish people. Only in the recent past, has his “Jewishness” been researched and taught by Jewish and Christian scholars alike.

Mockery

The subliminal message of the mockery presents an undertow in our present pericope. This undertow is not fully developed by Hakham Tsefet. However, this undertow aligns itself with the Torah Seder.

Deu 18:22 "When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

In other words, the veracity of the “Prophet’s words are the mark of a true Prophet, not signs and miracles.

Mar 15:30 Save yourself by coming down from the cross."

These words are reminiscent of the adversary’s temptation of Yeshua. Cf. Luke 4:1–13 Herein lays an inference that the generation of the crucifixion may have believed that Messiah would perform miracles that undeniable demonstrated his “Messiahship” (v.32). History has proved that Messiah is not interested in the making “miracles” as a proof of his Messiahship. Likewise, the so-called “Messianic secret”[45] demonstrates that Yeshua was not preoccupied with the fame attributed to being Messiah. Yeshua never told his talmidim to go and preach “Messiah” or “Yeshua.” His message was to proclaim the “Mesorah” and talmudize the nations (Gentiles). The miracles performed by Yeshua in the Nazarean Codicil are demonstrations of chesed (loving-kindness), NOT proof of Messiah. Furthermore, while the mockers jeer at Yeshua making accusations concerning the Temple, in rehearsing these accusations they do not realize what they are saying. The Temple will be destroyed in the very near future and rather than the rebuilding of a physical Temple. Yeshua builds, through his talmidim (disciples) a living temple, made of living stones.

Peroration

One core principle established by our present Torah Seder, is that of the “Prophet like Moshe.” However, I have also introduced the relationship of Moshe to the Torah and the Torah’s place as the fabric of the cosmos. Herein Moshe taught the Jewish people how to relate to G-d and the world in which we live. Yeshua’s “Mesorah” not only benefited the Jewish world by being a prototype for the didacted Oral Torah, it gave the Gentile an avenue of connection, which did not exist before. Yeshua and his talmidim changed the interface between G-d and the Gentile. So long as the Gentile remains without the agent, Yeshua HaMashiach he is governed by G-d’s intermediaries as noted above. In turning to Yeshua, the Gentile has a more direct path to the Torah. If the Gentile does not embrace Torah trough conversion to Judaism or the path to conversion through Yeshua, he remains governed by the intermediaries and the nomos – Torah. Life in Yeshua awakens the Gentile to the Torah and Torah observance. Therefore, “acceptance” of the master is to initiate the path towards faithful obedience of the Torah and Oral Torah.

Rom 13:11-14 And knowing this, it is already time (and the) hour (of Divine appointment) for you to awaken from sleep; [life without Torah consciousness] for now salvation [life with Torah awareness and practice] is nearer to us than when we initiated (obedient) faithfulness (to G-d and Torah). ¹²The night [activities without Torah] is almost gone,[46] and the day is near [time for deeds of righteousness]. Therefore, let us lay aside the deeds of darkness [life without Torah] and put on the armor[47] of light [righteous acts of the Torah]. ¹³Let us behave properly [according to the mitzvoth (commandments) of the Torah and Oral Torah] as in the day [time for deeds of righteousness], not in carousing [life without Torah practice] and drunkenness (self-reliance),[48] not in sexual promiscuity [infidelity to Torah and G-d] and sensuality [being cut off from the benefits of Torah], not in strife [rebellion against Jewish authority][49] and jealousy.[50] ¹⁴But put on (be clothed with) the master[51] Yeshua HaMashiach, and make no provision for the Yetser HaRa (evil inclination) in regard to (its) desires.[52]

Why did Yeshua have to die? So the Gentile seeking G-d could hear the “Word of G-d” (Torah) through an agent “like” Moshe rather than the intermediaries which govern the nations (Gentiles) without G-d or Torah observance.

Connections to Torah readings

Torah Seder

The Torah Seder speaks of those who find a man slain man in the field. This “passerby” has an obligation with regard to identifying his murder and atone for his death. D’barim 21:1-9 — Mark 15:29

Tehillim

Rather than “mouths filled with laughter” (Psa. 126:2) the mouths of Mark’s “passersby” are filled with insult. Likewise, the Psalm tells us that those who sow in tears will reap in joy (song). (Psa. 126:5)

Ashlamatah

The Prophet speaks of doing justice (Micah 6:8). The passersby have no appreciation for justice. This is evident in their insults and jeers.

Mitzvoth From the Torah Seder

Torah Add	M#	Mitzvah (Commandment)	Oral Torah
D’barim 18:15	516	The precept to heed every Prophet, in every generation, provided he does not make changes to the Torah.	m. San
D’barim 18:20	517	Prohibition against prophesying falsely	m. San
D’barim 18:20	518	Prohibition against prophesying in the name of an idol	m. Abodah Zarah
D’barim 18:22	519	Not to refrain from putting a false prophet to death.	m. San
D’barim 19:3	520	Preparing six cities of refuge	m. Mak, B.B, Moed Katan
D’barim 19:21	521	Show no mercy for those who have inflicted injury	m. Abot 3:2
D’barim 19:14	522	Prohibition against overreaching a boundary	Equated with mitzvot of not stealing
D’barim 19:15	523	Not to pass judgment on the word of a single witness	m. San.
D’barim 19:15	524	Deal with a false witness according to the damage of his false testimony	m. San.
D’barim 20:30	525	Not to run for fear of the enemy
D’barim 20:5-7	526	Precept of anointing a Kohen for war	m. N’gaim 12:6
D’barim 20:10	527	To act according to Scripture in a war of choice	m. Hullin
D’barim 20:16	528	Let no one in the seven nations of Canaan live
D’barim 20:19	529	Not to destroy the fruit trees in setting a siege	m. Kid
D’barim 21:1	530	Precept of beheading a heifer in a riverbed	m. Yoma, Sotah, B.B
D’barim 21:4	531	Not to sow or plow in the riverbed of the slain heifer

Some Questions to Ponder:

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

2. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 18:14?

3. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 18:15?

4. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 18:20?

5. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 18:22?

6. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 19:14?

7. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 19:15?

8. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 19:17?

9. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 19:18?

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

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

12. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 21:2?

13. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding Deut. 21:7?

14. What in the Torah Seder this week fired the imagination of the Psalmist as he penned Psalms 124-128?

15. What in the Torah Seder this week fired the imagination of the prophet in the Ashlamatah of Micah 5:11ff?

16. Why is Psalm 127:3-4 so important to a disciple of His Majesty King Yeshua the Messiah of Israel?

17. What in the Torah Seder, Psalm and Prophetic Lesson for this week fired the imagination of Hakham Tsefet as his scribe penned Mark 15:29-32?

18. In your opinion what key message/s did Hakham Tsefet try to convey in Mark 15:29-32?

19. What important Halakhic principles can be learned from Mark (Mordechai) 15:29-32?

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

Blessing After Torah Study

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

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

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

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

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

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

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

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

Next Sabbath:

“Shabbat Ki Tetse LaMilchamah”

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
כִּי-תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה
“Ki Tetse LaMilchamah”	Reader 1 – D’barim 21:10-14	Reader 1 – D’barim 23:10-12
“When you go out to war”	Reader 2 – D’barim 21:15-23	Reader 2 – D’barim 23:13-15
“Cuando salieres á la guerra”	Reader 3 – D’barim 22:1-9	Reader 3 – D’barim 23:10-15
	Reader 4 – D’barim 22:10-15
D’barim (Deut.) 21:10 -23:9	Reader 5 – D’barim 22:16-21
Ashlamatah: Isaiah 2:4-7 + 5:1-6	Reader 6 – D’barim 22:22-29	Reader 1 – D’barim 23:10-12
Psalm 129 - 132	Reader 7 – D’barim 23:1-9	Reader 2 – D’barim 23:13-15
	Maftir: D’barim 23:4-9	Reader 3 – D’barim 23:10-15
	Isaiah 2:4-7 + 5:1-6
N.C.: Mark 15:33-39

Shalom Shabbat !

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

HH Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David

HH Paqid Dr. Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham

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[1] Sukkah 53a

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

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

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Mikraoth Gedaloth – Psalms volume 3, translation of text, Rashi, and other commentaries by Rabbi A. J. Rosenberg.

[7] Ibid.

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

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

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Bereshit Rabbah 100:7

[14] B’Midbar Rabbah 8:10

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

[16] As quoted in: Munk, E. (2003), Hachut HaMeshulash: A Threefold Cord Is Not Easily Broken, New York, Lambda Publishers, Vol. 6, p. 1539.

[17] Strong, J. (1995), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers

[18] As quoted in: Munk, E. (2003), Hachut HaMeshulash: A Threefold Cord Is Not Easily Broken, New York, Lambda Publishers, Vol. 6, pp. 1537-38.

[19] Scholars suggest a Pre-Markan narrative. Collins, A. Y. (2007). Mark, A Commentary (Hermeneia, A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible ed., Vol. Mark). (H. W. Attridge, Ed.) Fortress Press. p. 750 I attribute this to the Oral transmission of the Peterine materials and school. These materials, though scholars of the critical school cannot account for them are a part of the materials taught by Hakham Tsefet in his School of Mishnaic Import.

[20] That there are “passersby” demonstrates the close proximity to the road for public viewing.

[21] ἐβλασφήμουν blasphemy, meaning insult, jeer, reproach ect. Here Hakham Tsefet brings the sentence placed on Yeshua full circle. In other words the Kohen Gadol, which accused Yeshua of “Blasphemy,” now use “blasphemy” against Yeshua G-d’s Messiah and agent. We must not think of the use of ἐβλασφήμουν as a technical term as the “blasphemy” of G-d’s Divine name. Here the idea of is ἐβλασφήμουν the use of offensive speech. Donahue, J. R. (Ed.). (n.d.). The Gospel of Mark, Pagina Sacra (Vol. 2). Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press. p. 443 However, Edwards wants to deify Yeshua through the use of the Greek word, taking it out of context and attributing to it a false notion of diety. Edwards, J. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark. Grand Rapids Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Apollos. p.4 73 See also Brown, R. E. (1994). The Death of Messiah, From Gethsemane to the Grave A commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels (Vol. 2). Doubleday, The Anchor Bible Reference Library. p. 986

[22] This may be an inference of Psa. 22:7–8

[23] I would suggest that the passersby, like the Roman cohort also bowed mockingly before Yeshua because of the sign above his head.

[24] These words are reminiscent of the adversary’s temptation of Yeshua. Cf. Luke 4:1–13 Herein lays an inference that the generation of the crucifixion may have believed that Messiah would perform miracles that undeniable demonstrated Messiahship. v.32 History has proved that Messiah is not interested in the making “miracles” as a proof of His Messiahship. The miracles performed in the Nazarean Codicil are demonstrations of chesed, NOT proof of Messiah.

[25] Moloney suggests that the language here indicates that the Kohen Gadolim stationed at a distance from Yeshua yet mocking his inability to “save” himself. Moloney, F. J. (2002). The Gospel of Mark, A Commentary. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers. p. 323 note 246

[26] Here Hakham Tsefet makes a more fitting title for Messiah, the “King of Yisrael”

[27] Here Stephen refers to Yochanan HaMatvil (John the Baptist) who announced the coming of Yeshua the Messiah.

[28] In the time of the Prophets, the term “uncircumcised” was applied allegorically to the rebellious heart or to the obdurate ear (Ezek. 44:1, 9; Jer. 6:10). Jeremiah declared that all the nations were uncircumcised in the flesh, but the whole house of Israel were of uncircumcised heart (Jer. 9:25). It has been suggested that the Hebrew word for uncircumcised עֵרל (arel) means properly “obstructed,” as is indeed explicitly stated by Rashi (to Lev. 9:23) and the fact that the same word and the related orlah (“foreskin”) are also used to describe a certain kind of taboo (ibid.) has resulted in the infelicitous translation of many biblical passages. The word describes the lips of a person whose speech is not fluent (Ex. 6:12, 30) or the heart and ear of a person who will not listen to reason (Jer. 6:10; 9:25; for alternative translations see the JPS translation of the Torah (1962) to Leviticus 19:23 and Deuteronomy 10:16 and 30:6). Thomson Gale. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Judaica, (2 ed., Vol. 14). (F. Skolnik, Ed.) 2007: Keter Publishing House Ltd. pp. 731-732

[29] While I understand with great clarity the idea of “Pax Romana” I am suggesting here that “Pax Romana” was also a system which “forced” through brutality the Roman agenda on all those who lived in Roman occupied territories.

^[30] Neusner, J. (1988). The Mishnah : A new translation (682). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

[31] Mittleman, A. L. (2011). A Short History of Jewish Ethics: Conduct and Character in the Context of Covenant. John Wiley & Sons. p. 65

[32] Ibid

[33] Ibid

[34] G-d uses varied types of messengers to convey His message to the B’ne Yisrael. This is because the B’ne Yisrael, after hearing the first two mitzvot (commandments) decided to hear the words of G-d through the Moshe Rabbanu rather than directly from G-d.

[35] The mountains are the Gentile governments of the world. The enduring foundations מוֹסָד mosad, are the elemental powers or intermediaries Hakham Shaul speaks of in his Letter to the Ephesians. Cf. Eph. 6:12ff

[36] Cf. 1 Cor. 13:12 Moshe saw G-d face to face and the Prophets saw through “nine Mirrors.” However, when the message of the Prophets is weighed against the Torah the message is as if we received it directly from Moshe. (Lev. R. i)

[37] Gaston, L. (1987). Paul and the Torah. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. p. 9

[38] The word “antinomian” may be understood in a bifurcate manor. Firstly, it may mean that the Gentile has no desire to relate to the Torah as a nomos. Secondly, the lack of desire to study or apply Torah as a nomos develops into an Anti–Torah campaign.

[39] Hakham Tsefet (Peter) through his Sofer (scribe) Mordechai (Mark) loves to group things in groups of three. i.e. the Temptation ect. These groups form messages within the “Mesorah” (Oral Tradition) that possess materials, which interrelate. See Death Brown, R. E. (1994). The Death of Messiah, From Gethsemane to the Grave A commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels (Vol. 2). Doubleday, The Anchor Bible Reference Library. p. 984ff

[40] Ibid. p. 986

[41] Donahue, J. R. (Ed.). (n.d.). The Gospel of Mark, Pagina Sacra (Vol. 2). Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press. p. 443

[42] I would suggest that the passersby, like the Roman cohort also bowed mockingly before Yeshua because of the sign above his head. Furthermore, the “wagging” of the head as noted above may have been the way the Psalmist attributes the activities of the wicked against the just. See Death Brown, R. E. (1994). The Death of Messiah, From Gethsemane to the Grave A commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels (Vol. 2). Doubleday, The Anchor Bible Reference Library. p. 987

[43] Butler, J. G. (2008). Analytical Bible Expositor, Matthew to Mark (Vol. 10). Clinton, Iowa: LBC Publications. pp. 748-760

[44] Yeshua’s Mesorah was first didacted by Hakham Tsefet. The Mesorah of our Master served as a prototype for the Writing of the Oral Torah, giving the Jewish people the normative life of Torah – nomos.

[45] Cf. Mark 8:27-30, See my comments on the “The Messianic Secret” at torahfocus.com

[46] Here we should understand that Hakham Shaul it telling the Gentile convert, that his conversion is nearing completion. Consequently, the Gentile’s conversion mandates faithful obedience to the Torah and Oral Torah. Once the Gentile fully embraces the “Light” – Torah observance through conversion, the “night” will have past and faithful obedience will be fully required.

[47] ὅπλον hoplon is translated in a number of ways, such as armor, weapon and instrument. The idea being that is a tool, which is used to generate a positive benefit. There is no standard Hebrew equivalent. Words like “vessel” swords, spears and fishhooks. However, when we apply the hermeneutic of Remes to our translation, as we should we see that it is often related to the “logos” is given to men as ὅπλον hoplon. Logos relates to the Torah, G-d’s Memra and Messiah. Therefore, I have used ὅπλον hoplon as in association with Torah because of its connotation of “light.”

[48] Wine kindles the emotions and gives self-reliance, though drunkenness reduces to childish helplessness. A reasonable use of wine makes a man mellow and receptive to good influences.

[49] ἐριθεία eritheia – a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means, electioneering or intriguing for office. Apparently, in the NT a courting distinction, a desire to put one’s self forward, a partisan and fractious spirit which does not disdain low arts. Partisanship, fractiousness.

[50] ζηλόω – When used in a negative sense ζηλόω becomes a concept linked with the nature of man and not suitable to the understanding of G-d.

[51] Being “clothed” with the master, means emulation of his character, lifestyle and his religious practices of the Torah along with the Oral Torah.

[52] Here I opine that the previous passages of Hakham Shaul’s Letter to the Romans 13:1-10 dealt with the Gentile submitting himself to Jewish authority in conversion. This pericope of Hakham Shaul calls the Gentile embracing conversion to Torah practice and activity.