Esnoga Bet Emunah

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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 6, 5768 – Dec. 14/15, 2007	Seventh Year of the Shmita Cycle

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times

San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Brisbane, Australia:

Friday Dec. 14, 2007 – Candles at 5:19 PM Friday Dec. 14, 2007 – Candles at 6:20 PM

Saturday Dec. 15, 2007 – Havadalah 6:16 PM Saturday Dec. 15, 2007 – Havadalah 7:18 PM

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Singapore, Singapore

Friday Dec. 14, 2007 – Candles at 5:12 PM Friday Dec. 14, 2007 – Candles at 6:42 PM

Saturday Dec. 15, 2007 – Havadalah 6:11 PM Saturday Dec. 15, 2007 – Havadalah 7:34 PM

Cebu, Philippines Jakarta, Indonesia

Friday Dec. 14, 2007 – Candles at 5:11 PM Friday Dec. 14, 2007 – Candles at 5:44 PM

Saturday Dec 15, 2007 – Havadalah 6:03 PM Saturday Dec. 15, 2007 – Havadalah 6:33 PM

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

Coming Fast: Fast of the 10^th of Tebet – Dec. 18-19, 2007

For more information please see: http://www.betemunah.org/tevet10.doc

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
וַיַּרְא בָּלָק
“Vayar Balaq”	Reader 1 – B’midbar 22:1-7	Reader 1 – B’midbar 23:10-14
“And saw Balak”	Reader 2 – B’midbar 22:8-12	Reader 2 – B’midbar 23:15-19
“Y vió Balac”	Reader 3 – B’midbar 22:13-20	Reader 3 – B’midbar 23:20-25
B’midbar (Numbers) 22:2 – 23:9	Reader 4 – B’midbar 22:21-26
Ashlamtah: Micah 7:16-20 + Nahum 1:7 + 2:1-3	Reader 5 – B’midbar 22:27-35
	Reader 6 – B’midbar 22:36-38	Reader 1 – B’midbar 23:10-14
Psalm: 104:19-35	Reader 7 – B’midbar 22:39 – 23:9	Reader 2 – B’midbar 23:15-19
	Maftir – B’midbar 23:7-9	Reader 3 – B’midbar 23:20-25
N.C.: Matityahu 23:13-22	Micah 7:15-20; 1:7; 2:1-3

In Memoriam

The Torah Commentary for this week is dedicated to the memory of His Excellency Adon Philip C. Lindemann, the beloved father of His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann, and who passed away November 10, 2007 (Rosh Chodesh Tevet 5768) at age 77. May his memory be for blessing! Barukh Dayan Emet (Blessed be the true and faithful Judge)!

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan

for: B’midbar (Numbers) ) 22:2 – 23:9

RASHI	TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN
2. And Balak the son of Tzipor saw all that Yisrael had done to the Emorite.	2. AND Balak bar Zippor saw what Israel had done to the Amoraee.
3. And Moab became terrified of the people [of Israel] because of their great numbers, and so, Moab detested the B’ne Yisrael.	3. And the Moabaee feared before the people greatly because they were many, and they were distressed in their life before the sons of Israel.
4. Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this assembly will lick up everything around us, just as the ox laps up the herbs of the field." Balak the son of Tzipor was King of Moab at that time	4. And they said to the elders of the Midianee, for the people had been one and the kingdom one unto that day: Now will this congregation consume all that is about them, as the ox eats up the grass of the field. And Balak bar Zippor, a Midianite, was the king of Moab at that time; without (a Midianite) being such at another time; for so was the tradition among them, to have kings from this people and from that, by turns.
5. He sent emissaries to Bil'am the son of Beor, to Petor--- which is by the river, the land of his people--- to call him, saying: "Behold, a nation came out of Egypt, behold they have covered the face of the earth, and is located across from me	5. And he sent unto Laban the Aramite, who was Bileam, (so called because he it was) who sought (Biluva) to swallow up (Amma) the people of the house of Israel: the son of Beor, who was insane from the vastness of his knowledge; and would not spare Israel, the descendants of his sons and daughters: and the house of his habitation in Padan was at Pethor, a name signifying an interpreter of dreams. It was built in Aram upon the Phrat, in a land where the children of the people worshipped and adored him. (To him did Balak send) to call him, saying: Behold, a people have come out of Mizraim, and, lo, they cover the face of the earth, and are encamped over against me.
6. And now, please come and curse this nation for me, for it is too mighty for me, perhaps it will enable us to strike at him, and banish them from the land; for I know, that whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed."	6. But now, I entreat, come, curse this people for me, for they are stronger than I, if I may but be able to meet them, though smaller than they, and drive them from the land. For I know that he whom you do bless is blessed, and he whom you do curse is cursed.
7. And the elders of Moab and Midian went with magic charms in their hands; they came to Bil'am and conveyed Balak's message to him.	7. And the elders of Moab and of Midian went, with the price of divinations sealed up in their hands, and came to Bileam, and told him the words of Balak. [JERUSALEM. And the sages of the Moabites and of the Midianites went, with sealed letters in their hands, and came to Bileam, and spoke with him the words of Balak.]
8. He replied to them: "Spend this night here and then I will give you an answer according to what Adonai tells me," and the dignitaries of Moab remained with Bil'am.	8. And he said to them, Abide here tonight, and I will return you word as the Lord will speak with me. And the princes of Moab stayed with Bileam.
9. G-d appeared to Bil'am and said, "Who are these men with you"?	9. And the Word from before the Lord came to Bileam, and He said, What men are these who are now lodging with you?
10. Bil'am replied to G-d: "Balak son of Tzipor, King of Moab, has sent them to me [saying]:	10. And Bileam said before the Lord, Balak bar Zippor, king of the Moabaee, hath sent messengers to me, saying:
11. 'Behold, the people that came out of Egypt has covered the face of the earth; come now, and curse him for me so that I will be able to wage war against him, and banish him'."	11. Behold, a people have come out of Mizraim, and cover the face of the land: now therefore, come, curse them for me, so that I may be able to fight and drive them away.
12. G-d said to Bil'am: "Do not go with them! You will not curse the people, for they are blessed."	12. And the Lord said unto Bileam, you will not go with them, nor curse the people, for they are blessed of Me from the day of their fathers.
13. Bil'am arose in the morning and said to Balak's dignitaries: "Go back to your land, for Adonai refuses to allow me to go with you."	13. And Bileam rose up early, and said to the princes of Moab, Go unto your country, for it is not pleasing before the Lord to permit me to journey with you.
14. Moab's dignitaries got up, and came to Balak and said: "Bil'am refuses to go with us."	14. And the princes of Moab arose and came to Balak, and said, Bileam has refused to come with us.
15. Balak persisted and sent dignitaries in greater number and of higher rank than these.	15. But Balak added to send (other) princes more, and nobler than they;
16. They came to Bil'am and said to him: "The following is a message from Balak the son Tzipor: 'Please do not refuse to come to me.	16. and they came to Bileam, and said to him: Thus says Balak bar Zippor, Let not anything hinder you from coming to me;
17. For I will honor you greatly and whatever you tell me, I will do, if you would just please come and curse this people for me.'	17. for in honoring I will honor you greatly, and whatever you bid me I will do. Come therefore now, and curse this people for me.
18. Bil'am answered and said to Balak's servants: "Even if Balak would give me silver and gold enough to fill his house, I cannot transgress the word of Adonai my G-d, by doing anything small or great.	18. And Bileam answered the servants of Balak, and said, If Balak would give me out of his treasury a house full of silver and gold, I have no power to transgress the decree of the Word of the Lord my God, to fabricate a word either small or great.
19. Now, you also, please remain here overnight, and I will get to know what more will Adonai tell me."	19. But I entreat you to remain here this night also, that I may know what the Word of the Lord may yet speak with me.
20. G-d appeared to Bil'am that night and said to him: "If the men have come to call you, arise and go with them; however, whatever I will say to you, you will do."	20. And the Word came from before the Lord unto Bileam in the night, and said to him, If these men come to call you, arise, go with them; only, the word that I will speak with you, that will you do.
21. Bil'am arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the Moabite dignitaries.	21. And Bileam, arose in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. [JERUSALEM. And Bileam arose in the morning, and made ready his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.]
22. G-d showed anger because he went, and an angel of Adonai placed himself in the way to thwart him, as he was riding on his donkey accompanied by his two attendants.	22. But the anger of the Lord was provoked, because he would go (that he might) curse them; and the angel of the Lord stood in the way to be an adversary to him. But he sat upon his ass, and his two young men, Jannes and Jambres, were with him.
23. The donkey saw the angel of Adonai standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; the donkey turned aside from the way and went into the field; Bil'am struck the donkey to get it back on the way.	23. And the ass discerned the angel of the Lord standing in the way with a drawn sword in his hand, and the ass turned aside out of the road, to go into the field. And Bileam smote the ass to make her return unto the way.
24. But the angel of Adonai stood in a narrow path of the vineyards with a barrier at either side.	24. And the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path that was in the midst between vineyards, [JERUSALEM. And the angel of the Lord stood between the vineyards, a hedge (being) on this and on that side,] in the place where Jacob and Laban raised the mound, the pillar on this side and the observatory on that side, which they raised, that neither should pass that limit to do evil (to the other).
25. When the donkey saw the angel of Adonai, she was pressed against the wall and pressed Bil'am's foot against the wall; and he struck her even more.	25. And the ass discerned the angel of the Lord, and thrust herself against the hedge, and bruised Bileam's foot by the hedge, and he smote her again; for the angel was invisible to him.
26. Adonai's angel passed further ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no room to turn [either] to the right or to the left.	26. And the angel of the Lord yet passed on, and stood in a distant place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or left.
27. When the donkey saw the angel of Adonai, it crouched beneath Bil'am; Bil'am became angry and beat the donkey with the stick.	27. And the ass saw the angel of the Lord, and fell under Bileam; and Bileam's wrath was strong, so that he smote the ass with his staff. - Ten things were created after the world had been founded at the coming in of the Sabbath between the suns,‑the manna, the well, the rod of Mosheh, the diamond, the rainbow, the cloud of glory, the mouth of the earth, the writing of the tables of the covenant, the demons, and the speaking ass.
28. Adonai opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Bil'am: "What have I done to you, that you have hit me these three times"?	28. And in that hour the Word of the Lord opened her mouth, and fitted her to speak: and she said to Bileam. What have I done to you, that you have smitten me these three times?
29. Bil'am said to the donkey: "Because you have ridiculed me; would that I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you now."	29. And Bileam said to the ass, Because you have been false to me; if there was now but a sword in hand, I would kill you.
30. The donkey replied to Bil'am: "Am I not the very same donkey that you have been riding on all your life until this very day? Was it ever my habit to do this to you"? And he said: "No."	30. And the ass said to Bileam, Woe to you, Bileam, you wanting-in-mind, when me, an unclean beast, who am to die in this world, and not to enter the world to come, you are not able to curse; how much less (can you harm) the children of Abraham, Izhak, and Jakob, on account of whom the world has been created, but whom you are going to curse! So have you deceived these people, and have said, This is not my ass, she is a loan in my hand, and my horses remain in the pasture. But am I not your ass upon whom you have ridden from your youth unto this day? And have I been used to do thus with you? And he said, No. [JERUSALEM. And the ass said to Bileam, Woe to you, Bileam the wicked/lawless, wanting in understanding and wisdom! Behold, me, an unclean beast, who am to die in this world and not to enter the world to come, you have not power with all your skill to curse; how much less the children of Abraham, Izhak, and Jakob, on whose account the world was created at the beginning! And why are you going to curse them? For you have deceived the people, saying to them, This is not my ass: she is a loan in my hand. But am I not your ass, upon whom you have ridden from your youth unto this day? Did I indeed intend to do thus with you? And he said to her, No.]
31. Adonai then enabled Bil'am to see, and he observed the angel of Adonai standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand. He bowed his head and prostrated himself on his face.	31. And the Lord unveiled the eyes of Bileam, and he beheld the angel of the Lord standing in the way, his sword unsheathed in his hand; and he bowed, and worshipped on his face.
32. The angel of Adonai said to him: "Why did you hit your donkey these three times? Behold, I came out to obstruct you, because your way is contrary to me.	32. And the angel of the Lord said to him, why have you smitten your ass these three times? Behold, I have come out to withstand you; and the ass, fearing, saw, and turned from the way. It is known before me that you seek to go to curse the people, a thing that is not pleasing to me.
33. And when the donkey saw me, it turned aside these three times; had she not turned aside before me as [she did] now I would surely have killed you and she, I would let live."	33. But the ass discerned me, and turned away from me these three times: had she not turned from me, surely now I should have slain you, and spared her alive.
34. Bil'am said to the angel of Adonai: "I have sinned because I did not know that you were standing in the way before me; now therefore, if it is wicked in your eyes, I will return."	34. And Bileam said to the angel of the Lord, I have sinned, because I knew not that you were standing against me in the way. But now, if it displease you, I will go back.
35. The angel of Adonai said to Bil'am: "Go with the men, but only the word that I will speak to you will you speak." Bil'am then continued to go with Balak's dignitaries.	35. But the angel of the Lord said to Bileam, Go with these men; but the word that I will tell you that you will speak. And Bileam went with the princes of Balak.
36. When Balak heard that Bil'am was coming, he went out to meet him, to the city of Moab, which is on the boundary of Arnon--- at the very edge of the boundary.	36. And Balak heard that Bileam was coming, and came out to meet him at a city of Moab on the border of Arnon, which is on the side of the frontier.
37. Balak said to Bil'am: "Did I not send so many [dignitaries] to invite you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really incapable of honoring you"?	37. And Balak said to Bileam, Did I not send to call you? Why came you not to me? Did you not indeed say that I could not do you honor?
38. Bil'am replied to Balak: "Now that I have come to you, have I any power to say anything? Only the word that Adonai puts in my mouth will I speak."	38. And Bileam said to Balak, Behold, I have come to you; yet now am I able to say any thing to you? But the word that the Lord will ordain for my mouth, that I must speak.
39. Bil'am went with Balak and they came to Kiryat Chutzot.	39. And Bileam went with Balak, and they came to a city surrounded with walls, to the streets of the great city, the city of Sihon, which is Berosha.
40. Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and he sent some to Bil'am and to the dignitaries that were with him.	40. And Balak slew oxen and sheep, and sent to Bileam and the princes, and those who were with them.
41. In the morning, Balak took Bil'am and he led him up to Bamot Ba'al; from there he saw part of the people.	41. And at the time of the morning Balak took Bileam, and brought him up to the high place of the idol Peor; and be saw from thence the camp of Dan, which went at the rear of the people; and they were discovered under the Cloud of Glory.
1. Bil'am said to Balak: "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams."	1. And Bileam, as he looked upon them, knew that strange worship was among them, and rejoiced in his heart; and he said to Balak, Build here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
2. Balak did as Bil'am requested. Balak and Bil'am then sacrificed as burnt-offerings an ox and a ram on each altar.	2. And Balak did as Bileam had said, and Balak and Bileam offered a bullock and a ram upon an altar.
3. Bil'am said to Balak: "Stand beside your burnt-offering and I will go away. Perhaps, Adonai will appear to me, and whatever He will show me I will tell you." And he went away alone.	3. And Bileam said to Balak, Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go, if peradventure the word of the Lord may come to meet me; and the word that will be discovered to me, that I will declare to you. And he went, bending as a serpent. [JERUSALEM. And Bileam went with a humbled heart.]
4. G-d chanced to appear to Bil'am, and he said to Him: "I have set up the seven altars and I offered [as burnt-offerings] an ox and a ram on the altar."	4. And the Word from before the Lord met with Bileam, who said before Him, The seven altars I have set in order, and have offered a bullock and a ram upon every altar.
5. Adonai put a message in Bil'am's mouth and He said: "Return to Balak and tell him as follows."	5. And the Lord put a word in Bileam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus speak.
6. When he returned, Balak was still standing next to his burnt-offering together with all the dignitaries of Moab.	6. And he returned to him, and, behold, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he and all the nobles of Moab.
7. Bil'am set forth his parable, and said: "From Aram has Balak, King of Moab, brought me, out of the mountains of the east [saying]: 'Come, curse Yaakov for me; go, invoke wrath against Yisrael.	7. And he took up the parable of his prophecy, and said: From Aram on Euphrates hath Balak king of the Moabaee brought me; from the mountains of the east come, curse for me the house of Jakob; come, for me make Israel small. [JERUSALEM. And he took up the parable of his prophecy, and said: Balak, the king of the Moabaee, has brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, curse for me the house of Jakob, come, diminish for me the tribes of the house of Israel.]
8. How can I curse, when G-d has not cursed? What Divine wrath can I evoke if Adonai has not been angry?	8. How will I curse, (while) the Word of the Lord blesses them? And whom will I diminish, when the Word of the Lord increases them?
9. For I view it, from the mountain peaks, I gaze upon it from the hills; behold! A people which will dwell alone and will not be reckoned among the nations.	9. For, said Bileam the wicked/lawless, I look on this people who are led on for the sake of their righteous/generous fathers, who are like the mountains, and of their mothers, who are like the hills: behold, this people alone are to possess the world, because they are not led by the laws of the gentiles.

Midrash Rabba for: B’midbar (Numbers) 22:2 – 23:9

1. AND BALAK THE SON OF ZIPPOR SAW (Num. XXII, 2). This bears on what it says in Scripture, The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are Justice (Deut. XXXII, 4). The Holy One, blessed be He, did not afford the idolaters an opportunity of saying in the time to come: ‘It is You that has estranged us!’ What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? In the same way as He raised up kings, sages, and prophets for Israel, so He raised them up for the idolaters. He raised up Solomon as king over Israel and over the whole earth, and He did the same with Nebuchadnezzar. The former built the Temple and uttered numerous songs and supplications, while the latter destroyed it and reviled and blasphemed, saying: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High (Isa. XIV, 14). He gave David wealth and he acquired the Temple in his own name [cf. Ps. XXX, 1. He did this by making all the necessary preparations, though he did not actually build it]. He gave wealth to Haman and he acquired a whole nation for the purpose of slaughtering them. You find that all the distinctions conferred upon Israel were conferred upon the nations. In like manner He raised up Moses for Israel and Balaam for the idolaters. See what a difference there is between the prophets of Israel and those of the idolaters! The prophets of Israel caution Israel against transgressions; as it says, Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman unto the house of Israel... and you will give them warning (Ezek. III, 17). The prophet who rose from among the nations, however, made a breach in the moral order [The immorality recorded in Num. XXV, 1 ff. is attributed to Balaam's machinations] so as to destroy men from the world. Nay, more; all the prophets retained a compassionate attitude towards both Israel and the idolaters. Thus Jeremiah says: My heart moans for Moab like pipes (Jer. XLVIII, 36); and it was the same with Ezekiel: Son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre (Ezek. XXVII, 2). But this cruel man rose to uproot a whole nation for no crime! The reason then why the section dealing with Balaam was recorded is to make it known why the Holy One, blessed be He, removed the Holy Spirit from the idolaters, for this man rose from their midst, and see what he did!

2. AND BALAK... SAW (XXII, 2). What did he see? He saw the punishment that was destined to come upon Israel (whom he hated more than did) all their enemies, since all these others threatened them only with war and enslavement which Israel were able to endure: while this man came with a person who, by uttering a word, could uproot a whole nation. AND BALAK... SAW. It would have been better for the wicked/lawless if they had been blind, for their eyes bring evil on the world! In regard to the Generation of the Flood it is written, The sons of God saw (Gen. VI, 2).2 It is also written, And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw (ib. IX, 22),2 and again it is written, And the princes of Pharaoh saw her (ib. XII, 15) It is the same with all the other cases, and it is the same here, AND BALAK... SAW. AND BALAK... SAW: this may be compared to the case of a king who stationed guards to protect him from invaders. He trusted in them, for they were strong. When invading troops passed by and killed them, he trembled for his own life. It was the same with Balak. When he saw what Israel had done with Sihon and Og to whom he had been sending payment that they might protect him, he was afraid on his own account. Furthermore, he saw the miracles at the brooks of Arnon.

3. It is written, VAYYAGOR MOAB (XXII, 3). What is the meaning of VAYYAGOR? When Israel came into the sight of the Amorites, they showed themselves cloaked as for peace, but to the Moabites they showed themselves armed for war. This may be inferred from the fact that it is written, When you come near over against the children of Ammon, harass them not (Deut. II, 19); implying, ‘Harass them not’ with any kind of harassing: ‘Harass them not,’ nor contend with them (ib.) in any manner of contention. In regard to Moab, however, He said: Be not at enmity with Moab, neither contend with them in battle (ib. 9). This implies: You must not fight a battle with them, but whatever you can seize from them seize. Consequently they showed themselves to the Moabites armed and so these gathered together (ne'egarim) into their cities. VAYYAGOR cannot but denote ‘gathering’; as may be inferred from the text, A wise son gathers (oger) in summer (Prov. X, 5). Another exposition of the expression VAYYAGOR is that it bears the sense of stranger (ger). The Moabites felt themselves becoming strangers in the world. They thought: The Israelites went down to Egypt to sojourn there and took possession of it, letting houses to the Egyptians; as it says, Every woman will ask of her neighbor, and of her that sojourns in her house (Ex. III, 22). Another explanation is that VAYYAGOR connotes fear. The Moabites were afraid, for they saw that all the nations were in the hand of Israel. For Sihon had come and taken away the land of Moab, as it says, Who had fought against the former king of Moab (Num. XXI, 26), while Og had taken all the land of the children of Ammon, as is proved by the text, For only Og king of Bashan remained... behold, his bedstead... is it not in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? (Deut. III, 11). Israel came and took them away from both of them, for in this act there was no injustice. When the Moabites saw their land in the hand of Israel, they thought: Did not the Holy One, blessed be He, say to them: I will not give you of his land for a possession (ib. II, 9)? See, our land is at their mercy! Consequently they were afraid. AND MOAB WAS OVERCOME WITH DREAD--VAYYAKOZ (XXII, 3). VAYYAKOZ implies that they felt themselves to be like mere thorns (kozin) before them [which are easily trampled down and overcome].

4. AND MOAB SAID UNTO THE ELDERS OF MIDIAN (XXII, 4). How come the elders of Midian to be mentioned here? The Moabites saw Israel conquering in an abnormal manner and thought: Their leader was reared in Midian; let us ascertain from them what his characteristics are. The elders of Midian said to them: ‘His power is only in his mouth’[i.e. Prayer and intercession]. Said the Moabites to them: ‘We shall also come against them with a man whose power is in his mouth!’ AND MOAB SAID UNTO THE ELDERS OF MIDIAN. But do you not find that the Midianites waged war with the Moabites; as it says, Who smote Midian in the field of Moab (Gen. XXXVI, 5) [the Midianites had come to war against Moab and had been defeated there]? And this hostility between them was of long standing. It is like the case of two dogs that were fighting with each other. A wolf attacked one of them. The other thought: If I do not come to his aid the wolf will kill him to-day and to-morrow he will attack me. For a similar reason Moab joined with Midian. NOW WILL THIS MULTITUDE LICK UP ALL THAT IS ROUND ABOUT US, AS THE OX LICKS UP (XXII, 4). As the ox, they implied, has his strength in his mouth [i.e. he plucks up the grass with his mouth and does not trample upon his prey with his feet like the lion or tiger], so have these their strength in their mouths; as in the case of the ox, all that he licks up loses every sign of fertility, so in the case of these people, any nation that harms them loses all sign of prosperity; as the ox gores with his horns, so these do battle with their prayers, as it says, His horns are the horns of the wild-ox (Deut. XXXIII, 17). BALAK THE SON OF ZIPPOR WAS KING OF MOAB AT THAT TIME (XXII, 4). But was he not originally a prince, as it says, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, etc. (Josh. XIII, 21) [Identified with Balak]? Yes, but when Sihon was slain they proclaimed him king in his stead. AT THAT TIME. This implies that he owed his rise to the exigencies of the hour.

5. AND HE SENT MESSENGERS (XXII, 5). The Holy One, blessed be He, had wrought miracles for Israel, and said: ‘I redeem you and perform miracles for you, yet you rebel against me. Come and observe! I have redeemed you with seven redemptions, and it was your duty to praise Me seven times, in accordance with the seven redemptions referred to in the text, And the Lord said unto the children of Israel: Did I not save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also and the Amalakites, and the Maonites... and ye cried unto Me, and I saved you (Judg. X, 11f.). Here you have a record of seven redemptions. Yet you rebelled against Me by indulging in seven forms of idolatry,’ as is proved by the text, And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baalim, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines (ib. 6) [i.e. seven forms of idol-worship are recorded]. Thus the prophet reproves them: O my people, what have I done unto you? And wherein have I wearied you? (Micah VI, 3). In what way, that is, have I put you to any trouble? Did I, perchance, say to you: ‘Bring Me burnt-offerings from the beasts that are in the mountains?’ There are three kinds of cattle which live in your domain, viz. The ox, the sheep, and the goat (Deut. XIV, 4), while of those which do not live in your domain there are seven, namely The hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the antelope, and the mountain-sheep (ib. 5). Did I, perchance, trouble you about the latter, asking you to bring to Me from the cattle that are not in your domain? I only commanded you to bring from the cattle which are in your domain; as it says, When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth... it may be accepted for an offering (Lev. XXII, 27), and likewise, You will bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd of the flock (ib. I, 2). When Sihon and Og went out to fight against you, did I not cast them down before you? Wherein have I wearied you? Did I, perchance, tell you to bring a sacrifice on account of them? Did not Balak the son of Zippor, seeing that I wrought for you all those miracles, hire Balaam against you? But I changed his curses to blessings.

6. AND BALAK... SAW (XXII, 2). When his messengers came to Balaam, the Holy One, blessed be He, asked the latter: ’What men are these?’ (ib. 9). Balaam replied: ‘Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent them unto me’ (ib. 10). This man, said R. Abba b. Kahana, was one of the three persons whom the Holy One, blessed be He, examined and found to be a vessel full of urine [i.e. a despicable person]. They were Cain, Hezekiah, and Balaam. How do we know it of Cain? On the occasion when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: ’Where is Abel your brother?’ (Gen. IV, 9), he tried to mislead, if the expression be permitted. He should have said: ‘Sovereign of the Universe! The hidden things as well as the revealed are clearly known to You, and do You inquire of me about my brother?' Instead, he said to Him: ‘I know not; am I my brother's keeper?’ (ib.). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: ‘By your life, you have spoken to your own hurt! The voice of your brother's blood cries’ (ib. 10)! How do we know it of Hezekiah? When he recovered from his illness, Merodachbaladan sent him a gift; as it says, At that time Merodachbaladan... sent a letter and a present to Hezekiah (Isa. XXXIX, 1). Isaiah came to him and said: ‘What said these men? and from where came they, unto you?’ (ib. 3). Now, Hezekiah should have answered: ‘You are a prophet of the Omnipresent; is it of me that you inquire?' Instead, he began to boast and said: ‘They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon’ (ib.). Said Isaiah to him: Since you expressed yourself in this way, Behold, the days come, that all that is in your house ... will be carried to Babylon.... And of your sons that will issue from you, whom you will beget ... will be officers in the palace of the king of Babylon’ (ib. 6 f.). It was the same with the wicked Balaam. When Balak sent to him, and the Holy One, blessed be He, asked him, ‘What men are these with you?’ he should have replied: 'Sovereign of the Universe! Everything is manifest to You, and there is nothing hidden from You; do You then inquire of me?’ Instead, he said to Him: ‘Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent them unto me.’ Said the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘Since you speak in this way, You will not curse the people (Num. XXII, 12). Vilest of sinners! 'said the Holy One, blessed be He. ‘It is written of Israel, Surely, he that touches you touches the apple of his eye (Zech. II, 12)! And you are going to injure them and to curse them, are you? Let your eye fall out! 'Thus it says [of Balaam], The man whose eye is closed (Num. XXIV, 3). This serves to confirm the text, ‘He that touches you touches the apple of his eye.’

7. AND HE SENT MESSENGERS UNTO BALAAM THE SON OF BEOR, TO PETHOR (XXII, 5). Pethor was his native city. Some say he was a money-changer in the sense that the kings of gentiles came to him for counsel, as to a money-changer to whom all rush [to exchange their money]. Others say that at first he was an interpreter (pother) of dreams, then he became a soothsayer (cf. Josh. XIII, 22), and then finally attained to the Holy Spirit. TO THE LAND OF THE CHILDREN OF HIS PEOPLE (XXII, 5). Balak had come from there and it was Balaam who had told him that he would ultimately reign. To CALL HIM (ib.): he wrote to him: ‘Do not imagine that you will do the favor to me alone and that I alone will honor you! If you uproot them you will be honored by all the gentiles, and the Canaanites and the Amalekites will worship you! BEHOLD, THERE IS A PEOPLE COME OUT FROM EGYPT (ib.). To this Balaam replied: ‘What matters it to you?’ Said he: BEHOLD, THEY COVER THE EYE OF THE EARTH’ (ib.)! They have blinded, he intimated, the ‘eyes’ upon which the earth depended. They have destroyed Sihon and Og, and have, as it were, covered up their eyes. What then am I to do? AND THEY ABIDE OVER AGAINST ME--MIMMULI (ib.). The written form is memali, and should be explained in accordance with the text, Verily in the name of the Lord I will cut them off-amilam (Ps. CXVIII, 10 ff.). COME NOW, THEREFORE, I PRAY, CURSE (ARAH) ME THIS PEOPLE (XXII, 6). What did he imply by the words ARAH ME? I may be able, he meant, to overcome them a little, as one who picks (oreh) figs. FOR THEY ARE TOO MIGHTY FOR ME (ib.). Not that they are strong men and their armies are numerous, but they conquer with their mouth! This is a thing which I cannot do. PERADVENTURE I WILL PREVAIL, THAT WE MAY SMITE THEM (ib.). What reason had this man for assailing them? Did not the Holy One, blessed be He, tell Israel that they were not to take any of Moab's land? That is so, but Balak was more skilled in soothsaying and divination than Balaam, as may be inferred from the text, which says, ’And Balak ... saw,’ [i.e. with magical vision. This is inferred from the fact that one would have expected the use of the verb ‘heard’ rather than ‘saw’] only he could not precisely comprehend the things he saw. In the same strain it says, You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; let now the astrologers, the star-gazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save you (Isa. XLVII, 13). Balak saw by his star-gazing that Israel would fall by his hand. Accordingly he offered his daughter for prostitution [the allusion is to Num. XXV, 1 ff., where Zur is identified with Balak], and through her twenty-four thousand people fell. For this reason he wanted to assail them, but did not know how best to do it. Consequently he said: PERADVENTURE I WILL PREVAIL, THAT WE MAY SMITE (NAKKEH) THEM, implying by NAKKEH that he hoped to destroy them gradually in the manner of a person who deducts (menakkeh) one out of twenty-four in every se'ah. In the same way, out of every twenty-four thousand Israelites a thousand perished. AND THAT I MAY DRIVE THEM OUT OF THE LAND (XXII, 6). All he sought was to drive them away so that they should not enter the Promised Land. FOR I KNOW THAT HE WHOM YOU BLESS IS BLESSED (ib.).Whence did he derive this knowledge? On the occasion when Sihon wished to fight against Moab, and was afraid because they were great fighters, he hired Balaam and his father to curse Moab; as it says, Wherefore they that speak in parables say, etc. (Num. XXI, 27), and as it is written, For a fire is gone out of Heshbon (ib. 28), and as it is further written, Woe to you, Moab! (ib. 29). Consequently Balak said: FOR I KNOW THAT HE WHOM YOU BLESS IS BLESSED.

8. AND THE ELDERS OF MOAB AND THE ELDERS OF MIDIAN DEPARTED WITH INSTRUMENTS OF DIVINATION5 IN THEIR HAND (XXII, 7). This implies that they carried with them all manner of divining instruments, by means of which divination could be performed, so that Balaam might not offer excuses. These divining instruments were in the hand of the elders of Midian, who said: ‘If he comes immediately with us it is a sign that he will succeed, but if he will delay for even one hour he is hopeless.’ When, therefore, Balaam said to them: LODGE HERE THIS NIGHT (XXII, 8), the elders of Midian went away, for they knew by means of their divinations that he was useless.

9. AND GOD CAME UNTO BALAAM, AND SAID:WHAT MEN ARE THESE? (XXII, 9). This bears on the text, Whoso causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he will fall himself into his own pit (Prov. XXVIII, 10). It applies to Balaam. At first people used to lead chaste lives, but as a result of his words they adopted lewd ways. In regard to the former generations we read, Rachel came with her father's sheep (Gen. XXIX, 9)1; Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters (Ex. II, 16) [shepherdesses, who could trust themselves to the company of the men]. Balaam appeared on the scene and led mankind astray into lewdness. And as he led others astray so he was himself led astray. By the counsel that he gave he was himself tripped up. And the Holy One, blessed be He, led him astray; for so it is in fact written, He causes the gentiles to err, and destroys them (Job XII, 23). When He said to him, WHAT MEN ARE THESE WITH YOU? (XXII, 9), that villain thought: He does not know them! There are times, then, when He does not know what is going on, and so I will do with His children all that I please. The reason then why He said [WHAT MEN ARE THESE?] was in order to mislead him. Another exposition of the text, WHAT MEN ARE THESE WITH YOU? AND BALAAM SAID... BALAK THE SON OF ZIPPOR... HAS SENT THEM UNTO ME (XXII, 9 f.). He began to boast and said: ‘Although You do not honor me and do not spread my name throughout the world, kings seek me! BEHOLD THE PEOPLE THAT IS COME OUT OF EGYPT ... NOW, COME CURSE (KABAH) ME THEM (ib. 11). This serves to inform you that he hated them more than Balak did. For Balak did not say KABAH but ARAH, while this man cursed (kabah) with the mention of the Ineffable Name. The former had said: That I may drive them out of the land (ib. 6), while the latter said: And will drive them out (ib. 11),6 implying both from this world and from the next.

10. AND GOD SAID UNTO BALAAM: YOU WILL NOT GO WITH THEM (XXII, 12). Well, then, said Balaam, ‘I will curse them from where I am.’ Said He: YOU WILL NOT CURSE THE PEOPLE (ib.). In that case, said Balaam, ‘let me bless them!’ Said He: ‘They do not need your blessing, FOR THEY ARE BLESSED’ (ib.). Men say to the hornet: ‘Neither of your honey nor of your sting!’ AND BALAAM ROSE UP IN THE MORNING, AND SAID UNTO THE PRINCES OF BALAK: GET YOU INTO YOUR LAND (ib. 13). Balaam did not tell them, ‘He has not given me permission to go and curse, but THE LORD REFUSES TO GIVE ME LEAVE TO GO WITH YOU (ib.); as much as to say: He told me, ‘It is not consonant with your dignity to go with these. You must go with greater men than these! He likes me to he honored!’ Consequently, AND BALAK SENT YET AGAIN PRINCES, MORE, AND MORE HONOURABLE THAN THEY (ib.15). FOR I WILL PROMOTE YOU UNTO VERY GREAT HONOR (ib. 17). Even more, he implied, than what you received formerly (from Sihon to curse Moab) will I give you. AND BALAAM ANSWERED AND SAID ... IF BALAK WOULD GIVE ME HIS HOUSE FULL OF SILVER AND GOLD (ib. 18). From this you can infer that he possessed three qualities, viz. an evil eye, a haughty spirit, and a greedy soul. How do we know that he had an evil eye? Because it is written, And Balaam lifted up his eyes (with evil intent), and he saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe (Num. XXIV, 2). ‘A haughty spirit?’ Because it is written, ‘The Lord refuses to give me leave to go with you.’ ‘A greedy soul?’ Because it is written, IF BALAK WOULD GIVE ME HIS HOUSE FULL OF SILVER AND GOLD. ‘If,’ he told them, ‘Balak desired to hire for himself armies to fight against them, he would be in doubt as to whether they would be victorious or whether they would fall. Is it not worth his while that he should give me all that wealth and be sure of victory?’ Thus you learn that he actually asked for this. I CANNOT GO BEYOND THE WORD OF GOD (XXII, 18). He thus prophesied that he would not be able to annul the blessings wherewith they had been blessed by the mouth of the Shechinah. NOW THEREFORE, I PRAY YOU, TARRY YOU ALSO HERE (ib. 19). What did he imply by the expression YOU ALSO? He meant: You will ultimately go away disappointed like the former messengers. THAT I MAY KNOW WHAT THE LORD WILL SPEAK UNTO ME MORE (ib.). By using the expression MORE he prophesied that the Holy One, blessed be He, would give Israel still more blessings through him.

11. AND GOD CAME UNTO BALAAM AT NIGHT (XXII, 20). This bears on what Scripture says: In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men... then He opens the ears of men... that men may put away their purpose, and that He may hide pride from man (Job XXXIII, 15 ff.). The Holy One, blessed be He, concealed from him the fact that his going would destroy him from the world and lead him to the nethermost pit. To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of the living (ib. 30). This implies that Balaam destroyed his soul by going, for when a man is on the way to commit a sin Satan dances encouragingly before him until he completes the transgression; and after he has destroyed him he informs him. In the same strain it says, He goes after her straightway, as an ox that goes to the slaughter... till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare (Prov. VII, 22 f.). The Holy One, blessed be He, concealed his doom from the wicked/lawless Balaam until he had gone and destroyed his soul. When he had taken leave of his glory and realized the position in which he was, he began to pray for his soul, Let my soul die the death of the righteous/generous (Num. XXIII, 10).

12. AND GOD CAME TO BALAAM AT NIGHT (XXII, 20). This bears on the text, It was a night of watching unto the Lord... this same night (Ex. XII, 42). All the miracles which were wrought for Israel, and the punishment of the wicked/lawless on their behalf, took place in the night. Thus: And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night (Gen. XXXI, 24); But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night (ib. XX, 3); And it came to pass at midnight (Ex. XII, 29); and it is written, And there was the cloud and the darkness here, yet gave it light by night there (ib. XIV, 20); And he divided himself against them by night (Gen. XIV, 15), and the same was the case with all the other instances. Another exposition: Why did He reveal Himself to Balaam at night? Because he was not worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit (except at night), for with all the prophets of the gentiles He speaks at night. Thus Eliphaz says: In thoughts from the visions of the night (Job IV, 13). Elihu also says: In a dream, in a vision of the night (ib. XXXIII, 15), because of the fact that He spoke to him at night. IF THE MEN ARE COME TO CALL YOU, RISE UP, AND GO WITH THEM (XXII, 20). From this you can infer that a man is led in the way he desires to go. For at first Balaam was told: You will not go (ib. 12), but once he was so brazen as [to desire] to go, he was allowed to go. Thus it is in fact written, And God's anger was kindled because he went (ib. 22). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: ‘Villain! I have no wish that the wicked/lawless will perish, but seeing that you are eager to go and to perish out of the world, RISE UP, GO! BUT ONLY THE WORD WHICH I SPEAK (ib. 20). This serves to teach you that he went under a caution, yet straightway he ROSE UP IN THE MORNING (ib. 21). He anticipated everybody and rose with zeal, himself, entirely unaided. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘Villain! Their father Abraham has already forestalled you on the occasion of the binding of Isaac his son’; as it says, And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, etc. (Gen. XXII, 3).4 AND WENT WITH THE PRINCES OF MOAB (XXII, 21). This serves to teach you that he rejoiced at the misfortunes of Israel as much as they did.

13. AND GOD'S ANGER WAS KINDLED BECAUSE HE WENT; AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD PLACED HIMSELF IN THE WAY (XXII, 22). This ANGEL OF THE LORD was an angel of mercy, but to Balaam he made himself an adversary. AND HIS TWO SERVANTS WERE WITH HIM (ib.). This is the proper way, viz. that when a man [of eminence] goes out on a journey two people should attend on him, so that they can afterwards attend on each other. AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD... WITH HIS SWORD DRAWN (ib. 23). But could not the angel have breathed on him and taken his spirit away, that he must needs draw his sword? Is it not written in connection with Sennacherib, And the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians (Isa. XXXVII, 36)? And is it not written, When He blows upon them, they wither (ib. XL, 24)? He could; but he said to Balaam as follows: ‘The mouth [is a weapon that] was given to Jacob; as is borne out by the text, The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau (Gen. XXVII, 22); and of Esau it is written, By your sword will you live (ib. 40). Now the gentiles all gain their livelihood by the sword, yet you exchange your trade and come against Israel with a weapon that is theirs! I, then, will come against you with a weapon that is yours.’ Consequently it is written, WITH HIS SWORD DRAWN IN HIS HAND.

14. AND THE ASS TURNED ASIDE OUT OF THE WAY (XXII, 23). This villain was going to curse an entire nation which had not sinned against him, yet he has to smite his ass to prevent it from going into a field! [He could not control even the dumb recalcitrant brute with his mouth,yet wanted to destroy a whole innocent nation with a word!] It is further written, THEN THE ANGEL OF THE LORD STOOD IN A HOLLOW WAY (MISH'OL) BETWEEN THE VINEYARDS (ib. 24). But could he not have followed him? He could; but this is the manner of the Holy One, blessed be He. When a mortal king sends an executioner to kill a man, the executioner follows the victim about for many days. The man who has incurred the penalty of death goes on eating and drinking while the executioner follows doggedly after him from place to place. With the Holy One, blessed be He, it is not so. The executioner remains in one spot and the person who has incurred the death-penalty comes to him of his own accord. The angel, in order that he might not be put to the trouble of following after Balaam, forestalled him on the road. THEN THE ANGEL OF THE LORD STOOD IN A HOLLOW WAY BETWEEN THE VINEYARDS. The angel said to him: ’Will the vineyards (metaphorically for Israel) be sold like foxes?’ A FENCE BEING ON THIS SIDE, AND A FENCE ON THAT SIDE (ib.). You cannot, he implied, prevail over them, for they possess Tables that were written on both their sides; on this side and on that side were they written (Ex. XXXII, 15). AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, AND SHE THRUST HERSELF UNTO THE WALL ... AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WENT FURTHER (XXII, 25 f.). What reason had he for going in front of Balaam three times before letting him see him? He in this way showed him symbols recalling the Patriarchs. When he stood in his way the first time there was room on this side and that, ‘And the ass turned aside out of the way, and went’; the second time she could not move except to one side; the third time there Was no way to turn (ib. 26). What did these symbols signify? That (1) if Balaam sought to curse the children of Abraham he would find on one side the children of Ishmael and on the other the children of Keturah [unrighteous tribes against whom his curses would be efficacious]; (2) if he sought to curse the children of Isaac he would find one side of them, the children of Esau, accessible, this is symbolized by SHE THRUST HERSELF UNTO THE WALL; (3) in the case of the children of Jacob he could find no dross which he could touch, and consequently it says on the third occasion that he ’Stood in a narrow (zar) place’, zar alluding to Jacob, of whom it is written that he Was greatly afraid and was distressed--vayyezer (Gen. XXXII, 8). ’Where was no way to turn either to the right or to the left’ implies that he found no dross in any of Jacob's children. AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD AND SHE LAY DOWN UNDER BALAAM; AND BALAAM'S ANGER WAS KINDLED, AND HE SMOTE THE ASS WITH HIS STAFF--BAMMAKKEL (XXII, 27); BAMMAKKEL implies: on account of the humiliation that she had inflicted upon him. AND THE LORD OPENED THE MOUTH OF THE ASS (ib. 28). This was done in order to make known to him that the mouth and the tongue are in His power and that if he wished to curse his mouth was in His power. AND SHE SAID UNTO BALAAM: WHAT HAVE I DONE UNTO YOU, THAT YOU HAVE SMITTEN ME THESE THREE TIMES--SHALOSH REGALIM (ib.). She hinted to him; You are seeking to uproot a nation that celebrates the three Pilgrimage Festivals (shalosh regalim)! [the merit of these celebrations alone would protect them against your curses] AND BALAAM SAID UNTO THE ASS: BECAUSE YOU HAVE MOCKED--HITH'ALLALT ME (ib. 29). Even when he speaks the holy tongue an idolater's language is foul. I WOULD THERE WERE A SWORD IN MY HAND (ib.). It is like the case of a physician who offered to cure with his tongue a person bitten by a snake. On the way he saw a lizard and began searching for a stick with which to kill it. People said to him: ‘If you are unable to remove this creature, how can you offer to heal one bitten by a snake with your tongue?’ The ass spoke to Balaam in the same way: ‘You are unable to kill me unless you have a sword in your hand; how then do you intend to uproot an entire nation?’ He kept silence, not finding a reply. The princes of Moab began to express astonishment, for they had witnessed a miracle the like of which had never happened in the world. Some authorities say that he told them: ‘She is not mine’ [and I have no experience on how to control her]. So she answered him: ‘AM I NOT YOUR ASS, UPON WHICH YOU HAVE RIDDEN ALL YOUR LIFE LONG UNTO THIS DAY? (ib. 30). You may thus infer that he was not an old man, since the ass was older than he. WAS I EVER WONT TO DO SO UNTO YOU? (ib.). As soon as she finished speaking she died, so that people should not say: ‘This is the animal that spoke, and so make her an object of reverence.’ Another exposition of the expression, WAS I EVER WONT TO DO SO UNTO YOU. The Holy One, blessed be He, [killed her] out of consideration for the dignity of that villain; so that it might not be said that this was the animal that had degraded Balaam Now, if the Holy One, blessed be He, has consideration for the dignity of the wicked/lawless, needless to say that He has consideration for the dignity of the righteous/generous. In the same strain it says, And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, you will kill the woman, and the beast (Lev. XX, 16). The object was that people might not say: ‘This is the beast on whose account such-and-such a woman was killed.’ This serves to inform you that the Holy One, blessed be He, has consideration for the dignity of mankind and, knowing their needs, He shut the mouth of beasts. For had they been able to speak, it would have been impossible to put them to the service of man or to stand one's ground against them. For here was this ass, the most stupid of all beasts, and there was the wisest of all wise men, yet as soon as she opened her mouth he could not stand his ground against her!

15. THEN THE LORD OPENED THE EYES OF BALAAM (XXII, 31). But had he been blind? No; it merely served to inform him that the eye also is in His power. AND HE BOWED HIS HEAD AND FELL ON HIS FACE (ib.), because the angel spoke with him. AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM: WHEREFORE HAVE YOU SMITTEN YOUR ASS (ib. 32). But did the angel come to seek satisfaction at his hand on behalf of the ass? In fact, he signified to him: If for this ass, which possesses neither merit nor a covenant of Patriarchs, I have been commanded to demand satisfaction at your hand, how much more in the case of the entire nation which you seek to uproot and which possesses both merit and a covenant of Patriarchs! BEHOLD, I AM COME FORTH FOR AN ADVERSARY, BECAUSE YOUR WAY IS CONTRARY--YARAT (ib.). YARAT represents the words yare'ah, ra'athah, natethah [‘She feared, she saw, she turned aside’]. Another exposition: YARAT in the athbash alphabet reads magen (shield) [By the process of exchanging the first letter of the alphabet with the last, the second with the last but one, and so on, the h == n , r == d and y == b. The implication is that the angel has come as a shield or protection [1] to the ass, [2] to Balaam himself, by giving him an opportunity to return, and [3] to Israel]. AND THE ASS SAW ME ... UNLESS SHE HAD TURNED ... SURELY NOW I HAD EVEN SLAIN YOU, AND SAVED HER ALIVE (ib. 33). From this you can infer that he slew the ass. AND BALAAM SAID UNTO THE ANGEL OF THE LORD: I HAVE SINNED (ib. 34). He said it because he was a cunning villain and knew that nothing can prevent retribution except repentance, and that if anyone, having committed a crime, says, ‘I have sinned,’ the angel has no power to touch him. FOR I KNEW NOT ... NOW THEREFORE, IF IT DISPLEASES YOU, I WILL GET ME BACK (ib.). He in effect said to the angel: ‘I did not go until the Holy One, blessed be He, told me: "Rise up, go with them" (ib. 20); yet you tell me to return! This is His usual practice! Did He not in a similar manner bid Abraham offer up his son and afterwards The angel of the Lord called... and said: Lay not your hand (Gen. XXII, 11 f.)? He is accustomed to say a thing and to have an angel reverse it! He has just said to me, Go with them, but now IF IT DISPLEASE YOU, I WILL GET ME BACK!’ AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID UNTO BALAAM: GO WITH THE MEN (XXII, 35); as much as to say: Your lot is with them and you will ultimately perish from the world. SO BALAAM WENT WITH THE PRINCES OF BALAK (ib.). This teaches that as they rejoiced to curse Israel so did he.

16. AND WHEN BALAK HEARD THAT BALAAM WAS COME (XXII, 36). This teaches that he sent messengers to Balak to inform him [in order that due preparation might be made for his reception]. HE WENT OUT TO MEET HIM UNTO IR-MOAB (ib.). He went to their metropolis. What was Balak's reason for going to meet him at the border? He implied: Those people are coming to destroy these borders which have been fixed as far back as the days of Noah, So that no nation will enter into the territory of its neighbor. He pointed out to him how they had broken through and passed the border of Sihon and Og, as if lodging a complaint against them. AND BALAK SAID TO BALAAM: DID I NOT EARNESTLY SEND UNTO YOU? ... AM I NOT ABLE INDEED TO PROMOTE YOU TO HONOR? (ib. 37). He prophesied in effect that Balaam would ultimately depart from him in disgrace. And Balaam suitably answered him: LO, I AM COME UNTO YOU; HAVE I NOW ANY POWER AT ALL TO SPEAK ANY THING? (ib. 38); for I have no power to speak as I should like.

17. AND BALAAM WENT WITH BALAK, AND THEY CAME UNTO KIRIATH HUZOTH (XXII, 39). The expression KIRIATH – HUZOTH (Lit., ‘city of streets’) implies that he opened markets for buying and selling and made a bazaar in order to let Balaam see the throngs and tell him: ‘See what those people are coming to kill! Adults and children who have done them no wrong! AND BALAK SACRIFICED AN OX AND A SHEEP (ib. 40). Righteous/generous people promise little but do much. For example, Abraham; as is proved by the fact that it says, I will fetch a morsel of bread (Gen. XVIII, 5) and afterwards he tells his wife, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal (ib. 6), And Abraham ran unto the herd (ib. 7). The wicked/lawless, however, promise much and do not perform even a little! Balak had said: I will promote you unto very great honor (Num. XXII, 17), and when Balaam came he sent him only one ox and one sheep! Balaam began to gnash his teeth against him, for his soul was greedy. ‘Is this,’ he said, ‘what he sends me? Tomorrow I will send a curse on his property! ’And Balaam said unto Balak: Build me here seven altars (ib. XXIII, 1) [which will necessitate the sacrifice of numerous oxen and sheep, not merely one of each]!

18. AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MORNING THAT BALAK TOOK BALAAM, AND BROUGHT HIM UP INTO THE HIGH PLACES OF (BAMOTH) BAAL (Num. XXII, 41). Balak was a greater master of divination and of enchantment than Balaam, for the latter trailed along after him like a blind man! To what may this matter be compared? To a person who possessed a knife but did not know where to find the joints [the exact spot in the animal's neck where the ritual cut should be made] of animals, while his companion knew where the joints were but had no knife. This is what both of them were like. Balak divined the places in which Israel would fall, and so he BROUGHT HIM UP INTO THE HIGH PLACES OF (BAMOTH) BAAL of Peor, for he saw that Israel would fall there (cf. Numbers XXV, 3 ff.). AND BALAAM SAID TO BALAK: BUILD ME HERE SEVEN ALTARS (Num. XXIII, 1). And why seven altars? Corresponding to the seven altars which had been built by seven righteous/generous men, from Adam to Moses, and which had been received [by God] with favor. These righteous/generous men were: Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Balaam said to God: ‘Why did You accept them? Was it not on account of the service which they performed before You that You did accept them? Is it not more seemly that You should be worshipped by seventy nations than by one?’ The Holy Spirit answered him: ’Better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith’ (Prov. XVII, 1); better, that is to say, is a Meal-offering, mingled with oil, or dry (Lev. VII, 10), Than a house full of feasting with strife (Prov. loc. cit.); for you desire to introduce strife between Me and Israel! AND BALAK DID AS BALAAM HAD SPOKEN... AND... OFFERED UP... AND HE WENT TO A BARE HEIGHT-SHEFI (XXIII, 2 ff.). His intention was to curse. Until that moment he had been calm and collected (shafui), but from then onwards he was confused. AND GOD MET BALAAM (ib. 4). He said to him: ‘Wretch! What are you doing?’ Said he: I HAVE PREPARED THE SEVEN ALTARS (ib.) This is like the case of a money-changer who falsified his weights. The Chief of the market came and detected him. ‘You are,’ he said, ‘falsifying the weights!’ The other replied: ‘I have already sent a gift to your house.’ Balaam also acted in like manner. The Holy Spirit said to him: ‘Villain! What are you doing?’ He replied: I HAVE PREPARED THE SEVEN ALTARS! Said He: Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith (Prov. XV, 17). More acceptable is the meal which Israel prepared in Egypt, eating [the paschal lamb] with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, than the oxen which you offer in hatred.’ AND THE LORD PUT A WORD IN BALAAM'S MOUTH (XXIII, 5). This implies that He twisted his mouth and pierced it, like a man who drives a nail into a board. R. Eliezer says that an angel was speaking (while R. Joshua says that it was the Holy One, blessed be He). AND SAID: RETURN UNTO BALAK, AND THUS YOU WILL SPEAK. AND HE RETURNED UNTO HIM, AND, LO, HE STOOD BY HIS BURNT-OFFERING, HE, AND ALL THE PRINCES OF MOAB (ib. 5 f.). They stood anxiously awaiting the moment when he should arrive.

19. AND HE TOOK UP HIS PARABLE, AND SAID: FROM ARAM BALAK BRINGS ME--YANHENI (XXIII, 7). He began his oration by saying: ‘I was among the high (ramim), and Balak brought me down to the nethermost pit.’ YANHENI is to be understood in the sense of the verse, Wail (neheh) for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down... with them that go down into the pit (Ezek. XXXII, 18). Another exposition is that the expression FROM ARAM (MIN ARAM) signifies ‘with the all High’ (‘im ram), and that he implied: I have been high up and Balak has brought me down from my glory. It is like the case of a man who was walking with a king when he saw a robber, and, forsaking the king, he walked with the robber. When he returned to the king the latter said to him: ‘Go with the person with whom you have been walking, for you cannot possibly walk with me.’ It was the same with Balaam. He had been attached to the Holy Spirit and had returned to be a diviner as at first, a fact that can be inferred from the text, Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer (Josh. XIII, 22). Consequently he cried: ‘I was high (ram) and Balak brought me low.’ Another exposition of the text, FROM ARAM BALAK BRINGS ME. Balaam said to Balak: ‘We are both alike in being ungrateful. Were it not for Abraham their father Balak would never have come into existence; as may be inferred from the text, And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow (Gen. XIX, 29). Were it not for Abraham Lot would not have escaped from Sodom, and you [Balak] are one of the children's children of Lot (who was the ancestor of Moab – cf. Gen. XIX, 37). And were it not for Jacob their father I should never have been in the world. For Laban had sons only as a result of the merit of Jacob [Balaam is said to be descended from Laban], seeing that at first it is written, Rachel his daughter comes with the sheep (ib. XXIX, 6), and if he had sons how did his daughter come to be a shepherdess? ‘When, however, Jacob came there, Laban was given sons; as it says, And he heard the words of Laban's sons (ib. XXXl, 1), and he himself says to Jacob: I have observed the signs, and the Lord hath blessed me (i.e. with children) for your sake (ib. XXX, 27). COME, CURSE ME (XXIII, 7). He that curses, curses himself, for so it is in fact written, Him that curses you I will curse (Gen. XII, 3), and it also says, Cursed be every one that curseth thee (ib. XXVII, 29). COME, CURSE ME JACOB, AND COME, EXECRATE ISRAEL (XXIII, 7). If, Balaam implied, he had asked me to curse a different nation--for example, the children of Abraham and Isaac--I might have been able to do so. But Jacob! If a king selects a portion for himself and someone come forward and speaks disparagingly of its will his life be his own? Now these people are His lot, His heritage, and His own treasure, as is proved by the texts, For the portion of the Lord is His people, Jacob the lot of His inheritance (Deut. XXXII, 9) and Then you will be Mine own treasure (Ex. XIX, 5). AND COME, EXECRATE ISRAEL. If a king takes a crown and places it on his head and then a man says that the act is meaningless, is that man's life his own? And of these people it is written, Israel, in whom I will be glorifed--ethpa'ar (Isa. XLIX, 3). HOW WILL I CURSE, WHOM GOD HAS NOT CURSED (Num. XXIII, 8). Even on an occasion when they deserved to be cursed they were not cursed! When Jacob came in to take the blessings he came in with guile, as is proved by the text, She put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands (Gen. XXVII, 16).

When his father asked: Who are you (ib. 18), he answered him, I am Esau your firstborn (ib. 19). Does not one who allows a falsehood to escape from his mouth deserve to be cursed? Yet not only was he not cursed but he was actually blessed, as is borne out by the text, Yea, and he will be blessed (ib. 33)! How then can I curse them, WHOM GOD HAS NOT CURSED? Another interpretation of the text, HOW WILL I CURSE WHOM GOD HAS NOT CURSED? It is the rule that if a legion rebels against a king it incurs the penalty of death. These, however, denied His Godhood, rebelled and- said [of the Golden Calf]: This is your god, O Israel (Ex. XXXII, 4)! Should He not have consumed them? Yet even at that time He did not give up loving them! He caused the clouds of glory to accompany them and the manna and the well did not cease to be with them! In the same strain it says, When they have made them a golden calf... yet You in Your manifold mercies forsook them not in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud departed not from over them by day... and withheld not Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst (Neh. IX, 18 ff.). How then can I curse them? HOW WILL I CURSE, WHOM GOD HAS NOT CURSED? When He commanded them concerning the blessings and curses, in connection with the blessings He mentioned them, as it says, These will stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, etc. (Deut. XXVII, 12), while in connection with the curses He did not specify them, as may be inferred from the fact that it says, And these will stand upon mount Ebal for the curse (ib. 13). Furthermore, when they sin, and He intends to bring a curse upon them, He does not write in Scripture that He Himself will bring it, while in the case of blessings He Himself blesses them, as it says, The Lord your God will set you on high (ib. XXVIII, 1), The Lord will command the blessing with you (ib. 8). In the case of the curses, however, He did not specify this, for it says, in fact, But it will come to pass, if you will not hearken... that all these curses will come upon you (ib. 15); i.e. they will come of their own accord. Thus we have explained the text: HOW WILL I CURSE, WHOM GOD HAS NOT CURSED. It is written, FOR FROM THE TOP OF THE ROCKS I SEE HIM (XXIII, 9), in order to make known the hatred of that villain from whose blessings you may know his thoughts. To what may this matter be likened? To a person who comes to cut down a tree. A man who is not an expert lops off the branches, cutting down each branch separately and tiring himself out, but the clever man lays bare the roots and cuts down the tree. In this same strain did that villain argue. ‘Why,’ he said, ‘should I curse each tribe separately? I will go to their roots!’ But when he came to touch them he found it hard work. Accordingly, when he said, FOR FROM THE TOP OF THE ROCKS I SEE HIM, he was alluding to the Patriarchs and when he said, FROM THE HILLS I BEHOLD HIM (ib.) he was alluding to the Matriarchs. Lo, IT IS A PEOPLE THAT WILL DWELL ALONE (ib.). When he makes them happy He does so to them alone, as may be inferred from the text which says, The Lord alone did lead him (Deut. XXXII, 12), and when the nations in this world are happy they [Israel] feast with each kingdom and the pleasure will not be taken into the final account [i.e. when the ultimate reward for merit will be distributed in the World to Come, no deduction will be made on account of the pleasures already experienced], for it says, AND WILL NOT BE RECKONED AMONG THE NATIONS (XXIII, 9). WHO HAS COUNTED THE DUST OF JACOB? (ib. 10). Who, that is to say, can count the precepts they perform in connection with the dust? For example, You will not plow with an ox and an ass (Deut. XXII, 10), You will not sow thy vineyard with two kinds of seed (ib. 9), And a man that is clean will gather up the ashes of the heifer (Num. XIX, 9), And of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle (ib. V, 17), Three years will it be as forbidden unto you and so on. OR NUMBERED THE STOCK (ROBA’) OF ISRAEL? (XXIII, 10), i.e. even the fourth part (reba’) of them. Who can count the hosts that have issued from those women who eagerly snatched at the precepts and cherished them, as is proved by the texts, Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? (Gen. XXX, 15), Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her (ib. 3), When Leah saw that she had left off hearing, etc (ib. 9), And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar, etc. (ib. XVI, 3). LET ME DIE THE DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS/GENEROUS (XXIII, 10). This may be illustrated by the case of a butcher who was about to slaughter the king's cow, when the king noticed it. Perceiving that the king was watching he threw the knife away and began rubbing her down and filling the crib for her. He began to say: ‘Let me die for having come to slaughter her! See, I have polished her up!’ In the same way Balaam said: ‘Let my soul depart for my having come to curse! I will bless them! AND HE TOOK HIM INTO THE FIELD OF ZOPHIM, TO THE TOP OF PISGAH (XXIII, 14): He saw that there breaches would occur. It was there that Moses died; as is borne out by the text, Get you up into the top of Pisgah (Deut. III, 27). Is there, he thought, a breach greater than this? For he saw it by means of his enchantments and was of the opinion that Israel would there be consumed.

Ketubim Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 104

JPS Translation	TARGUM
1. Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with glory and majesty.	1. Bless, O my soul, the name of the Lord. O Lord my God, You are greatly exalted; You have put on praise and splendor.
2. Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain;	2. Who wraps himself in light like a sheet, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain.
3. Who lays the beams of Your upper chambers in the waters, who makes the clouds Your chariot, who walks upon the wings of the wind;	3. Who covers his chambers with water like a building with beams; who placed His chariot, as it were, upon swift clouds; who goes on the wings of an eagle.
4. Who makes winds Your messengers, the flaming fire Your ministers.	4. Who made His messengers as swift as wind; His servants, as strong as burning fire.
5. Who did establish the earth upon its foundations, that it should not be moved for ever and ever;	5. Who lays the foundation of the earth upon its base, so that it will not shake for ages upon ages.
6. You did cover it with the deep as with a vesture; the waters stood above the mountains.	6. You have covered over the abyss as with a garment; and the waters split on the mountains, and endure.
7. At Your rebuke they fled, at the voice of Your thunder they hasted away -	7. At Your rebuke, they will flee, flowing down; at the sound of Your shout, they will be frightened, pouring themselves out.
8. The mountains rose, the valleys sank down - unto the place which You had founded for them;	8. They will go up from the abyss to the mountains, and descend to the valleys, to this place that You founded for them.
9. You did set a bound which they should not pass over, that they might not return to cover the earth.	9. You have placed a boundary for the waves of the sea that they will not cross, lest they return to cover the earth.
10. Who sends forth springs into the valleys; they run between the mountains;	10. Who releases springs into rivers; they flow between the mountains.
11. They give drink to every beast of the field, the wild asses quench their thirst.	11. They water all the wild animals; the asses will break their thirst.
12. Beside them dwell the fowl of the heaven, from among the branches they sing.	12. The birds of heaven will settle on them; they will give out a sound of singing from among the branches.
13. Who waters the mountains from Your upper chambers; the earth is full of the fruit of Your works.	13. Who waters the mountains from His upper treasury; the earth will be satisfied with the fruit of Your deeds.
14. Who causes the grass to spring up for the cattle, and herb for the service of man; to bring forth bread out of the earth,	14. Who makes grass grow for beasts, and herbs for the cultivation of the son of man, that bread may come forth from the earth;
15. And wine that makes glad the heart of man, making the face brighter than oil, and bread that stays man's heart.	15. And wine that gladdens the heart of the son of man, to make the face shine by oil; and bread will support the heart of the son of man.
16. The trees of the LORD have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon, which He has planted;	16. The trees that the Lord created are satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted:
17. Wherein the birds make their nests; as for the stork, the fir-trees are her house.	17. Where the birds make nests; the stork’s dwelling is in the cypresses.
18. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the conies.	18. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are security for the conies.
19. Who appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knows his going down.	19. He made the moon to calculate times by; the sun knows the time of his setting.
20. You make darkness, and it is night, wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.	20. You will make darkness and it will be night; in it all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God.	21. The offspring of lions roar to find food, and to seek their sustenance from God.
22. The sun arises, they slink away, and couch in their dens.	22. The sun will shine, they gather together; and they lay down in their dwelling place.
23. Man goes forth unto his work and to his labor until the evening.	23. A son of man will go forth to his work and to his cultivation, until the sunset of evening.
24. How manifold are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.	24. How many are your works, O Lord! You have made all of them in wisdom; the earth is full of your possessions.
25. Yonder sea, great and wide, therein are creeping things innumerable, living creatures, both small and great.	25. This sea is great and broad in extent; creeping things are there without number, both tiny creatures and large.
26. There go the ships; there is leviathan, whom You have formed to sport therein.	26. There the ships go about, [and] this Leviathan you created for the sport of the righteous at the supper of his dwelling place.
27. All of them wait for You, that You may give them their food in due season.	27. All of them rely on you to give their food in its time.
28. You give it unto them, they gather it; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.	28. You will give it to them, and they gather it; you will open your hand, and they are satisfied with goodness.
29. You hide Your face, they vanish; You withdraw their breath, they perish, and return to their dust.	29. You will remove your presence, they are dazed; you will gather their spirit and they expire, and return to their dust.
30. You send forth Your spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.	30. You will send out your holy spirit and they are created; and you will make new the surface of the earth.
31. May the glory of the LORD endure for ever; let the LORD rejoice in His works!	31. May the glory of the Lord be eternal; the Lord will rejoice in his works.
32. Who looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.	32. Who looks at the earth, and it shakes; he draws near to the mountains, and they emit smoke.
33. I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.	33. I will sing praise in the presence of the Lord during my life; I will make music to my God while I exist.
34. Let my musing be sweet unto Him; as for me, I will rejoice in the LORD.	34. May my talk be pleasing in his presence; I will rejoice in the word of the Lord.
35. Let sinners cease out of the earth, and let the wicked/lawless be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Hallelujah.	35. The sinners will be destroyed from the earth, and wicked exist no longer. Bless, O my soul, the name of the Lord. Hallelujah!

The Midrash on Psalms (Midrash Tehillim): Psalm 104

I. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God; You are very great; You are clothed with glory and majesty (Ps. 104:1). Elsewhere, this is what Scripture says: Your’s, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory ... Your’s is the kingdom, O Lord, and in it the head is exalted above all (I Chron. 29:11). R. Huna asked: Who is referred to by the head? You find that all things offer praise to the Holy One, blessed be He, as is said From the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof the Lord’s name is praised (Ps. 113:3), yet to the Holy One, blessed be He, no praise means more than the praise offered by Israel, The people which I formed for Myself, that they might tell of My praise (Isa. 43:21). This you can see for yourself from the preceding Psalm, where it is written Bless the Lord, you angels of His, you mighty in strength, that do His word, hearkening unto the voice of His word (Ps. 103:20). One would expect the verse to put hearkening unto the voice of His word before that do His word,’ for ordinarily a man must first hearken to word of what he is to do before he does it. Why, then, does the verse read this way? Because it is speaking of the people of Israel who stood at Sinai, willing to do the will of God even before hearkening to word of what they were to do, for they said: All that the Lord hath spoken we will do, and then hearken (Ex. 24:7). After Israel offer praise, the angels follow them in offering praise, as is evident from the next verse in the Psalm, Bless the Lord, all you His hosts (Ps. 103:21), these being the angels, of whom it is said “The Lord will punish the host of the high heaven on high” (Isa. 24:21). Hence the head in Your’s is the kingdom … and in it the head is exalted above all is none other than Israel, of whom it is said “You exalt the head, the children of Israel” (Ex. 30:52); in the same way, holiness is none other than Israel, as in the verse “Israel is holiness Unto the Lord” (Jer.2:3).

II. In another comment, the verse is read And You are exalted as head above all (I Chron. 29:11). R. Simon taught: As the head is above the body, so are You above all the praises wherewith men exalt You; You are high above every blessing and every praise, as is said Who can express the mighty acts of the Lord? (Ps. 106:2)—that is, “Who can declare the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He?” If a man endeavor to speak of all the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, he will forfeit his life. As Elihu said: If a man speak, surely he will be destroyed (Job 37:20). You can see for yourself that all His glory cannot be expressed. Even after David had composed one hundred and forty-seven Psalms of praise, he said that he had still to speak the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, for he said: My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord (Ps. 145:21).

The essence of all praise is David’s praising of God with the two hundred and forty-eight parts of the body, as is said All my bones will say: “Lord, who is like unto You?” (Ps. 35:10). David did not leave out a single part of the body: there was not one with which he did not praise the Holy One, blessed be He. Yet David said to all the parts: Do you think that in exalting the Holy One, blessed be He, with all these praises I have touched upon even one tiny portion of the multitudes of myriads of the glories of the Holy One, blessed be He? At this moment I am only at the beginning of my praise of Him: A Psalm of praise; of David. I will extol You, my God, O King (Ps. 145:1).

Rabbi taught: Even if the mouths of righteous/generous men were changed into springs ceaselessly pouring out praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, do you suppose that then they could pour forth His glory, the whole of it? Never! For it is written They will pour forth the memory of Your great goodness (Ps. 145:7): It is not written “They poured forth,” but They will pour forth —that is, they will have to go on pouring forth praise like a spring which gushes up more and more. Hence You are exalted as head above all. David also said: O Lord my God, You art very great (Ps. 104:1).

III. Another comment on Bless the Lord, O my soul. Elsewhere, this is what Scripture says: The Lord will command the blessing with you in your barns (Deut. a8:8). You will find it true that every single thing has an angel in charge of it. When a man proves worthy, angels of peace are assigned to be with him; but when a man proves unworthy, angels of destruction are assigned to be with him. Hence it is said The Lord will command the blessing with you in your barns—if you have separated your tithes in the field, My blessing will be with you: Blessed will you be in the city, and blessed will you be in the field (ibid. 28:3).

R. Ze’era taught: Even the common talk of Israel is worthy of study. In proof, consider the common saying: It depends on you, who is assigned to be with you.

R. Meir observed: Which is the greater, he who is borne up by another or he who bears another up? Admit that it is he who is borne up. Again, which is the greater, He who watches over another, or he that is watched over by another? Admit that it is he who is watched over. Why? Because if he did not have good works, he would not be borne up, or watched over, for it is said He will give His angels charge over you, to watch over you in all your ways. They will bear you upon their hands (Ps. 91:11-12). When a man is worthy, ministering angels go with him and watch over him so that no evil thing will befall him, as is said There will no evil befall you (ibid. 91:10). When David saw that the presence of angels was so precious and beautiful a blessing, with his soul and with all the parts of his body he blessed, in return, the Holy One, blessed be He, as is said Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name (Ps. 103:1).

IV. In further exposition of Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, You are very great (Ps. 104:1), R. Berechiah said in the name of R. Eleazar and also in the name of R. Joshua: You were great in the world before the world was created. But after You did create Your world, it is written You are very great. You were great before the children of Israel went forth out of Egypt. But after they went forth out of Egypt, it is written You are very great. You were great before the Prophets offered praise to You. But after the Prophets offered praise to You, it is written You are very great.

You are clothed with glory and majesty (ibid.). R. Simeon ben Jehozadak interrogated R. Samuel bar Nahmani, saying: “How did the Holy One, blessed be He, create the light?” R. Samuel bar Nahmani replied: “God covered Himself with a white garment and suffused the world with His light.” But since R. Samuel bar Nahmani gave his reply in a whisper, R. Simeon ben Jehozadak pressed him further: “Is this not said outspokenly in the verse Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment (ibid. 104:2)?” Thereupon R. Samuel bar Nahmani said to him: “As in a whisper I received this tradition, so in a whisper I answered you.”

R. Berechiah said: Had I not heard that R. Isaac expounded this verse in public, I, too, would not expound it in public.

And whence did the Holy One, blessed be He, diffuse the light? R. Berechiah said In the name of R. Isaac, God diffused it from the Holy Temple, as is said And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east … and the earth’s light came from His glory (Ezek. 43:2).

V. Another exposition of You are clothed with glory and majesty. A mortal, when he is strong, is not beautiful, and when beautiful, is not strong. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is both strong and beautiful, for He has the two attributes of glory and majesty. God gave glory to Moses, as is said And you will put some of your glory upon him (Num. 27:20); and God gave majesty to Joshua, of whom it is said His firstling bullock, majesty is his (Deut. 33:17). God also gave glory to Solomon, as is said And the Lord ... bestowed upon him such royal glory as had not been on any king before him in Israel (I Chron. 29:25).

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In the time-to-come, I will give glory and majesty to the king Messiah, as is said For You meet him with choicest blessings ... Glory and majesty do You lay upon him (Ps. 25:4,6). And God gives glory and majesty not only to the king Messiah, but also to every man who labors diligently in the Torah. For in the verse The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein (Ps. 111:2), the works of the Lord means the Torah, as it is said “And the tables were the work of God” (Ex. 32:16). And what is to be the wage of the man who labors diligently in the Torah? His wage is glory and majesty (Ps. 151:3). Hence You are clothed with glory and majesty.

VI. Who makes of water the roof beams of His upper chambers (Ps. 104:3). R. Phinehas taught in the name of R. Meir: The marvelous heavens—are they made of such chemicals as natron, or lixivium? Indeed, you would have no way of knowing what they are made of, but because Scripture says, Who makes of water the roof beams of His upper chambers, you must conclude that the heavens are made of water.

Who makes the clouds His chariot (ibid.). The Holy One, blessed be He, came on two clouds for the sake of Israel. On one cloud God came unto Egypt, as is said Behold, the Lord rides upon a swift cloud, and comes unto Egypt (Isa. 59:1). And on the other cloud God came unto Sinai, as is said “Lo, I come unto you in a thick cloud” (Ex. 19:9).

Who walks upon the wings of the wind (Ps. 104:3). R. Huna bar Papa taught: A mortal—him, his chariot carries; but the Holy One, blessed be He, He carries His chariot. A mortal—his chariot carries him, his chariot being a material thing; but the Holy One, blessed be He, walks upon the wings of the wind.

VII. Who makes His angels winds (Ps. 104:4). R. Johanan taught: The angels were created on the second day. Angels that serve as messengers, they are made of wind. Angel, in fact, means “messenger,” as is said And Israel sent messengers (Num. 21:21). And angels that serve as ministers, they are made of fire, for the verse concludes His ministers a flaming fire (Ps. 104:4).

VIII. On You did cover the deep as with a vesture (Ps. 104:6), R. Judah and R. Nehemiah differed. R. Judah maintained: The earth, what does it stand upon? Upon the waters, for it is said To Him that stretched out the earth upon the waters (Ps. 136:6); and the waters stand upon pillars of mountains, as is said The waters stood above the mountains (Ps. 104:6); the pillars of mountains stand upon the wind, as is said He that forms the mountains, and creates the wind (Amos 4:13); and the wind stands upon the storm, as is said Stormy wind, sustaining His word (Ps. 148:8). R. Nehemiah taught: The earth is upon the waters, and the waters are upon pillars of mountains, as is said The waters stood above the mountains (Ps. 104:6); and, as it is also written, The waters ... go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which You have founded for them (ibid. 104:8). And by Unto the place which You have founded for them is meant the Ocean.

IX. You have set a bound that they may not pass over … He sends the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills ... Above them the inhabitants of the sky have their dwelling place (Ps. 104:9, 10, 12). R. Ishmael and R. Akiba differed. R. Akiba maintained that springs refers to pools of water out in the valleys. In these pools lepers (whose presence under a roof brings the degree of uncleanness that a dead body brings) are required to immerse themselves when they are healed; and the inhabitants of the sky are the ministering angels hovering above [when the lepers are healed]. But R. Ishmael said to R. Akiba: You ought to give up this kind of exegesis, and turn to study of the treatises “Signs of Leprosy” and “Tents.”

Then R. Ishmael said: The inhabitants of the sky are the fowl of heaven which make their habitation among the trees, and from the midst thereof their praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, rises up, as is said From among the branches (‘afayim) they give voice to a song (Ps. 104:12). R. Ishmael added—some say, that R. Yudan said it in the name of R. Ishmael: the uncommon word ‘afayim means “branches,” as in The branches (‘afyeh) thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much (Dan. 4:9).

Samuel said: I stand stock-still at three sounds, not knowing what they signify: the sound of a tent-peg being driven into the ground; the sound a horse gives off when it gets heated in its galloping; the sound of the winds when among branches they make a sound.

X. In a different exposition, the verse is read Upon them the fowl of the heaven make their habitation (Ps. 104:12)—that is, [heathen] nations of the earth, like birds of prey, gather against the children of Israel and work upon them, trying to make them forsake the Holy One, blessed be He. Nevertheless, the children of Israel do not forsake God, as is said: From among the weary ones they give voice to a song (ibid.) – that is, twice daily the children of Israel voice the unity of the Holy One, blessed be He, saying, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One (Deut. 6:4).

XI. He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb to be worked by man (Ps. 104:14). By herb is meant flax which is worked into linen to clothe man.

To bring forth bread out of the earth (ibid.). R. Jacob bar Aha said that R. Nehemiah and the Rabbis differed in their exposition of these words. R. Nehemiah taught: Note that these words which the Sages introduced into the benediction “Blessed art You ... who brings forth bread out of the earth,” imply that God used to bring forth bread out of the earth. But the Rabbis maintained that the time when God will bring forth bread out of the earth is yet to come, as it is said There will be hand-sized corn in the earth (Ps. 72:16).

XII. And bread that stays man’s heart (Ps. 104:15). R. Isaac taught: In three places in Scripture we are told that bread stays the heart: Of Abraham it is written that he said, And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and stay you your heart (Gen. 18:5); in the Book of Judges, it is written Stay your heart with a morsel of bread (Judg. 19:5); and in this Psalm it is written And bread that stays man’s heart.

XIII. The trees of the Lord have their fill, the cedars for Lebanon which He has planted (Ps. 104:16). R. Hanina taught: The trees of the Lord in Eden had their fill of water, they had their fill of days, they had their fulfillment in their seedlings.

R. Hanina also said: Not for the world’s need were the cedars created. Wherefore, then, were they created? For the glory of God: in The cedars for Lebanon, which He has planted, Lebanon clearly means the Temple, described in Scripture as That goodly hill and Lebanon (Deut. 3:25). Hence The cedars for Lebanon, which He has planted.

Resh LaItish taught: Not for the world’s need was gold created. Wherefore, then, was it created? For the glory of God in the sanctuary, as is said All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary (Ex. 38:2.4). Thus also Scripture says, And the gold of that land is for a goodly place (Gen. 2:12), the goodly place being the sanctuary, described in Scripture as That goodly hill, and Lebanon (Deut. 3:25).

XIV. The birds in The cedars for Lebanon ... wherein the birds make their nests (Ps. 104:17) are the Levites. As to the meaning of hãsidah, “stork,” in the concluding words of the verse, As for the stork, the fir-trees are her house (ibid.), R. Huna bar Papa and R. Simon differed. One said: The stork is called hasidah because she lets herself be stepped on. But the other said: Because she has compassion for her companions. And there are others who say: Because she is given to deeds of loving-kindness among her neighbors.

But according to R. Judah bar Simon, the concluding words refer only to the tribe of Levi who were called hasidim, “holy ones,” as is said And to Levi he said: Your Thummim and your Urim be with your holy one (Deut. 33:8).

XV. The high mountains are for the wild-goats (Ps. 104:18). R. Yudan taught: The Holy One, blessed be He, would not have created His heaven and His earth had it not been for Abraham, as is said The generating of the heaven and the earth was on account of hbr’m (Gen. 2:4), the letters of hbr’m being the very letters that make up the name Abraham (‘brhm). And R. Yudan went on to say: If you marvel that God should have created His heaven and His earth for Abraham, note that it is written The high mountains are for the wild-goats. Now, if the high mountains were created solely for the wild-goats, surely it can be maintained that the world was created solely because of the merit of Abraham.

XVI. He appointed the moon for seasons (Ps. 104:19). R. Johanan taught: The sun alone would have sufficed for the world’s use. Why then did God make the moon? For fixing the time of the festal seasons, as is said He appointed the moon for seasons.

R. Shela of the village of Temarta said in the name of R. Johanan: Nevertheless, we reckon the lunar month as beginning at the first sunset after the new moon.

R. Berechiah taught: Scripture says, And they journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month (Num. 33:3). But it was really the fourteenth day of the month. And yet Scripture says, the fifteenth day. Hence it follows that the lunar month is reckoned as beginning at the first sunset after the new moon, as is said He appointed the moon for seasons, and the sun, the time of whose setting is known.

XVII. In The young lions roar after their prey (Ps. 104:21), the young lions (kéfirim) are the nations that deny (koferim) the Holy One, blessed be He. R. Hanina bar Papa said: The young lions arc the nations roaring to tear Israel to pieces. And seek their food from God (ibid.): It is the children of Israel who pray to and seek their food from the Holy One, blessed be He.

That You give them, they gather (Ps. 104:28): Out of what He gives to the rich, the Holy One, blessed be He, sustains the poor. In You open Your hand, they are filled with good (ibid.), they is meant to include poor and rich alike.

XVIII. The sun arises, they slink away (Ps. 104:22): When the sun of the king Messiah rises, [heathen] nations of the earth will slink away, and couch in their dens (ibid.). Whither will they go? To Gehenna.

Man comes to his reward when he is at his labor all through the evening (Ps. 104:23). According to R. Asi, such men as occupy themselves with Torah from evening until morning are men who will come to have their reward.

In another comment the verse is read: The sun arises Man goes forth to his work and is at his labor until evening. R. Abbahu said in the name of R. Simeon ben Lakish that the Sages interpreted the verses as follows: The going forth of the worker to the place of his work is on the employer’s time; but the return of the worker to his house is on his own time. Also, the worker must be at the place of his work when the sun rises, and the employer must see to it that the worker return to his house when the sun sets.

XIX. How manifold are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures (Ps. 104:24). It happened that a lion, a dog, and an Ethiopian gnat were together. The lion was about to mangle the dog, but when he saw the Ethiopian gnat, he drew back in fear, for the Ethiopian gnat is the scourge of the lion, even as the dog is the scourge of the Ethiopian gnat. Thus the three creatures did no harm to one another. Thereupon R. Akiba quoted: How manifold are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.

XX. Yonder sea, great and wide (Ps. 10425) is the Ocean. Therein are creeping things innumerable (ibid.), such as mollusks and their shells. Living creatures both small and great (ibid.): There are creatures that grow up in the sea, and there are creatures that grow up on land. Those creatures that grow up on land, should they go down into the sea, would instantly die. And those creatures that grow up in the sea, should they come onto the land, would instantly die. The place where one creature lives is the place where the other dies; and the place where one dies is the place where the other lives. Hence How manifold are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures (Ps. 104:24).

XXI. Another exposition: Yonder sea, great and wide (Ps. 104:25) is the wicked kingdom of Edom, wide because it spreads itself over all and rules the whole world. Therein are creeping things: Like creeping things, the inhabitants of Edom spawn and multiply, innumerable: innumerable are the decrees which day after day they enact and publish. Beasts, small and large: dukes, eparchs, and marshals. Thence come forth wrongs (ibid. 104:26), the wrongs which they do to the people of Israel against whom they publish and enact decrees of persecution. He who unites himself to them, him You have formed to be made sport of (ibid.): Whoever unites himself with the inhabitants of Edom, will in time be made sport of along with them.

22. A different exposition: Yonder sea, great and wide (Ps. 104:25) is the Torah, of which it is said “The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and wider than the sea” (Job 2:9). Therein are creeping things innumerable (ibid.).—that is, the Talmudic treatises. Some say that these are the Mishnah collections of Bar Kappara, of R. Hiyya, of Rab, and of the Rabbis of Babylonia. Beasts, small and great (ibid.): these are the scholars, the small and the great who sharpen their teeth on one another’s arguments. There go the ships (ibid. 104:26); that is, the followers of the Torah, one saying, “This is permitted,” and another saying, “This is forbidden,” thereby keeping the world on course as if it were a ship. He who unites himself with them, him You have formed to sport with (ibid.): whoever unites himself with the followers of the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, will sport with him in the time-to-come.

XXIII. Another exposition: Yonder sea, great and wide is Gehenna, of which it is said “Therefore hell has made great her desire” (Isa. 5:14). Therein are creeping things innumerable (ibid.): wicked/lawless men, sectarians, and infidels. Beings small and great: “The small and great are there alike; and the servant is free from his master” (Job 3:19). There go the ships (ibid. a6): “Man goes to his long home and the mourners go about the streets” (Eccles. 12:5). But He who unites himself with this, him You have formed to sport with (ibid.), this being righteousness/generosity which accompanies him. All of them wait for You (Ps. 104:27) - that is, the dead wait, their eyes hanging upon the Resurrection. Now, of the Resurrection it is written The inhabitants of the rock will sing, they will shout from the top of the mountains. They will give glory unto the Lord (Isa. 42:11-12). In this Psalm also it is written The glory of the Lord will endure for ever (Ps. 104:31). Therefore, as glory in the one verse refers to the Resurrection, so in the other, glory refers to the Resurrection. At that time the dead will sing a song to You. Of this it is written Sing unto the Lord a new song (Isa. 42:10).

In another comment on There go the ships (Ps. 104:26), R. Isaac bar Maryon said: Were it not written Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters (Isa. 43:16), any man that went upon the sea would die.

XXIV. In their exposition of You hide Your face, they vanish (Ps. 104:29), Rabbi and R. Jonathan differed. Rabbi said: Were it not for the shadow of the Holy One, blessed be He, which protects a man, the demons would destroy him, as is said Their shadow is removed from over them, but the Lord [‘s shadow] is with us; fear them not (Num. 14:9). But R. Jonathan said: Were it not for the ordinance of the Holy One, blessed be He, which protects a man, the demons would destroy him, as is said Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, ordains the Lord that creates the fruit of the lips (Isa. 57:19).

You will send forth Your spirit, they will be created (Ps. 104:30). And when will the Resurrection come? When You renew the face of the earth (ibid.). At that time The glory of the Lord will endure for ever (ibid. 104:31).

R. Berechiah said in the name of R. Levi: Of the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, what does Scripture say? And God saw every thing that He had made, and behold, it was very good (Gen. 1:3I). Thereupon the Prince of the world began to say, The glory of the Lord will endure for ever (Ps. 104:31). And all creatures began to say, The Lord will rejoice in His works (ibid.). But when is the rejoicing of Israel to be? In the world-to-come, as is said Israel will rejoice in Him that made him (Ps. 149:2).

XXV. He looks on the earth, and it trembles (Ps. 104:32). Elijah, ever remembered on good occasions, asked R. Nehora’i: “Why do earthquakes come?” R. Nehora’i answered: “Because of the neglect of the tithes, which the children of Israel do not set aside as is ordained.” Elijah said to him: Although things appear to be as you say, yet this is not the reason. The reason is that the Holy One, blessed be He, looks upon the theaters and the circuses of the gentiles of the earth, they sitting unperturbed and the Temple in ruins—looks upon His earth and wishes to lay it waste, as is said The Lord does roar from on high, and utter His voice because of His holy habitation; He does mightily roar because of His pasture (Jer. 25:30), roars, that is, because of that which was done to His pasture. Hence He looks on the earth, and it trembles (Ps. 104:32).

R. Aha taught: Earthquakes come because of pederasty. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to man: You agitate your member in a place improper for you, and because of you, I agitate the earth.

R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: Wherever the term “earthquake” occurs in Scripture it denotes the chaos between [the fall of] one kingdom and [the rise of] another. And what verse is the key to the meaning of all such terms? The land will tremble and sorrow (Jer. 51:29). Why will the earth quake? Because Every purpose of the Lord will be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant (ibid.).

XXVI. In commenting on I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live (Ps. 104:33), R. Yannai and R. Judah bar Simon differed. One said: Even if a man were willing to put his tongue in the hinge of the door as the price of being saved from death, he would not be saved. And the other said: Even if a man were willing to put his tongue in the hinge of the door as the price of being saved from Gehenna, he would not be saved. Hence it is said I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while 1 have any being (ibid.).

XXVII. In their exposition of Sinners will cease out of the earth (Ps. 104 :35), R. Judah and R Nehemiah differed. R. Judah said: These words mean, “Sinners will become upright men,” and The wicked/lawless are no more (ibid.)—that is, they will no longer be wicked/lawless. Only then will we he justified in saying Bless the Lord, O my soul (ibid.). But R. Nehemiah said: “Sins will cease out of the earth,” and The wicked/lawless are no more—that is, they will no longer be sinners. And then will we be justified in saying Bless the Lord, O my soul.

R. Meir had living in his neighborhood a certain sectarian who so vexed him with quotations from Scripture that R. Meir was about to pray that the sectarian should die. But R. Meir’s wife, Beruria, said to him: “How would you justify your praying thus? Because you think that Scripture says, Sinners will cease? But does the verse actually say, Sinners will cease? It says, in fact, Sins will cease out of the earth. That is, as soon as sins cease, The wicked/lawless are no more.” Whereupon R. Meir prayed that the sectarian would repent, and his prayer justified his saying Bless the Lord, O my soul.

R. Samuel bar R. Isaac taught: Because, in this world, Pharaoh was punished separately, Sisera was punished separately, Sennacherib was punished separately—indeed, every wicked/lawless man is punished separately—whereas in the time-to-come, all wicked/lawless men will be punished together and will cease to be, as is said Sinners will cease out of the earth, and the wicked/lawless will be no more, [therefore] Bless the Lord, O my soul.

R. Samuel bar Abba observed: So far, counting from the beginning of the book, there are a hundred and four Psalms. Yet in none of these does the word Hallelujah occur until it is said that sinners will cease out of the earth and the wicked/lawless will be no more: then comes Bless the Lord, O my soul. Hallelujah. Why? Because When the wicked/lawless perish, there is joy (Prov. 11:10).

Ashlamatah: Micah 7:16-20 + Nahum 1:7 + 2:1-3

16. The gentiles will see and be put to shame for all their might; they will lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears will be deaf.

17. They will lick the dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they will come trembling out of their close places; they will come with fear unto the LORD our God, and will be afraid because of You.

18. Who is a God like unto You, that pardons the iniquity/lawlessness, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger for ever, because He delights in mercy.

19. He will again have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities/lawlessness; and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

20. You will show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as You have sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. {P}

1. The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

2. The LORD is a jealous and avenging God, the LORD avenges and is full of wrath; the LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies.

3. The LORD is long-suffering, and great in power, and will by no means clear the guilty; the LORD, in the whirlwind and in the storm is His way, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.

4. He rebukes the sea, and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers; Bashan languishes, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languishes.

5. The mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at His presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

6. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder before Him.

7. The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows them that take refuge in Him.

8. But with an overrunning flood He will make a full end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue His enemies.

9. What do you devise against the LORD? He will make a full end; trouble will not rise up the second time.

10. For though they be like tangled thorns, and be drunken according to their drink, they will be devoured as stubble fully dry.

11. Out of you came he forth, that devises evil against the LORD, that counsels wickedness/lawlessness. {S}

12. Thus says the LORD: Though they be in full strength, and likewise many, even so will they be cut down, and he will pass away; and though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more.

13. And now will I break his yoke from off you, and will burst your bonds in sunder.

14. And the LORD has given commandment concerning you, that no more of your name be sown; out of the house of your god will I cut off the graven image and the molten image; I will make your grave; for you are become worthless. {P}

15. Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that brings good tidings, that announces peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah, perform your vows; for the wicked/lawless one will no more pass through you; he is utterly cut off!

1. A maul is come up before your face; guard the defenses, watch the way, make your loins strong, fortify your power mightily! -

2. For the LORD restores the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel; for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine-branches. -

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 23: 13-22

13. But Oy to you, painted scribes and painted Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you lock up the government of the heavens in men's faces; for you neither enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who wish to enter do so.
14. Oy to you, painted scribes and painted Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you swallow up widows' houses and for a pretense to cover it up make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation and the heavier sentence.
15. Oy to you, painted scribes and painted Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes one [a proselyte], you make him doubly as much a child of hell (Gehenna) as you are.
16. Oy to you, blind guides, who say, If anyone swears by the Bet HaMiqdash (Temple), it is not binding; but if anyone swears by the gold of the Bet HaMiqdash, he is bound by his oath.
17. You are blind fools! For which is greater: the gold, or the Bet HaMiqdash that has made the gold sacred?
18. You say too, Whoever swears by the Mitsbeach [altar] of the Bet HaMiqdash is not duty bound; but whoever swears by the Korban [offering] on the Mitsbeach [altar], his oath is binding.
19. You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the Mitsbeach [altar] which makes the gift sacred?
20. So whoever swears by the Mitsbeach [altar] swears by it and by everything on it.
21. And he who swears by the Bet HaMiqdash [the Temple] swears by it and by Him Who dwells in it. [I Kings 8:13; Ps. 26:8.]
22. And whoever swears by the heavens swears by the throne of G-d and by Him Who sits upon it

The Rabbi’s Private Prophetic Study

For those of you, who want to know how this Torah Seder fits into the general architecture of Sefer B’midbar (Book of Numbers) perhaps this small diagram from Prof. Duane L. Christensen (The Unity of the Bible: Exploring the Beauty and Structure of the Bible, New York: Paulist Press, 2003) will help.

THE THREE MENOROT [Candelabras] OF SEFER B’MIDBAR

Menorah I – Preparing to Enter the Promised Land – Num 1:1 – 12:16

A. Military census and arrangement of the wilderness camp – Num. 1:1 – 2:34

B. Census of the Levites – Num. 3:1 – 4:49

C. Purification of the camp – Num. 5:1 – 6:27

X. Offerings from tribal leaders and consecration of the Levites – Num. 7:1- 8:26

C. Second observance of Passover (at Sinai)—the journey begins – Num. 9:1-23

B. Instructions on blowing trumpets to signal Israel is on the march – Num. 10:1-10

A. The trek from Sinai to Kadesh – Num. 10:11 – 12:16

Menorah II – From an “Unholy War” to the wars of Ha-Shem – Num. 13:1 – 25:9

A. The reconnaissance of Canaan and Israel’s unholy war – Num. 13:1 – 14:45

B. Cultic regulations – Numbers 15:1-41

C. Encroachment on the part of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On – Num. 16:1-35

X. Aaron’s budding rod—shows special status of his priesthood – Num. 17:1-28

C. Responsibility of Aaronic priesthood and other Levites – Num. 18:1-32

B. Purification from contamination by a corpse – Num. 19:1-22

A. The trek from Kadesh to Shittim and the wars of Ha-Shem – Num. 20:1 – 25:9

Menorah III – Preparing for Life in the Promised Land – Num. 25:10 – 36:13

A. From sin at Peor to Zelophehad’s daughters (inheritance rights) – Num 25:10 - 27:1

B. Joshua commissioned to succeed Moses for Eisodus into Cisjordan – Num. 27:12-23

C. Cultic calendar for life in the land [+ addendum on vows] – Num. 28:1 – 30:16

X. Holy war vs. Midian - cleansing the contamination of Peor – Num. 31:1-54

C. Allotment of land in Transjordan – Num. 32:1-4

B. The trek from Egypt to the Jordan for Eisodus into Cisjordan – Num. 33:1 – 35:34

A. Heiresses must marry within their clan (Zelophehad’s daughters) – Num. 36:1-13

What a most appropriate Torah Seder as we face all around us celebrating this pagan and filthy festival of XMAS. It was in fact Balaam who wanted to introduce XMAS to the Israelites back then in Wilderness, and some of them who observed it suffered very tragic consequences. When will man ever learn from past mistakes? This Seder does come at a very opportune time. Such is the precision of G-d and His Septennial arrangement of Torah readings – a Word in its appropriate season!

Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai