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

 

 

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

 

Roll of Honor:

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

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

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

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

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

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

Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family

His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved family

His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife

Her Excellency Giberet Leah bat Sarah & beloved mother

His Excellency Adon Yehoshua ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Rut bat Sarah

His Excellency Adon Michael ben Yosef and beloved wife HE Giberet Sheba bat Sarah

Her Excellency Giberet Prof. Dr. Emunah bat Sarah & beloved family

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

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

His Excellency Adon Brad Gaskill and beloved wife Cynthia Gaskill

His Excellency Adon Shlomoh ben Abraham

His Excellency Adon Ya’aqob ben David

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

 

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

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

 

 

Blessings Before Torah Study

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

A Prayer for Israel

 

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

 

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

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

 

We pray for her Excellency Giberet Miriam bat Sarah, Mi Shebeirach… He Who blessed our holy and pure Matriarchs, Sarah, Ribkah, Rachel and Leah, may he bless and heal Giberet Miriam bat Sarah and may He send her a complete recovery to her 248 organs and her 365 sinews. Please heal her, please heal her, please heal her and strengthen her and return her to her original strength. May He send her a complete recovery of her body and her soul from the heavens among the other sick of Yisrael, and we will say Amen ve amen!

 

Shabbat: “שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ”– “Shemen Zayit Zakh” “Pure Olive Oil”

 

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·        The Lamps and the Shewbread – Leviticus 24:1-9

·        The Penalty of Blasphemy – Leviticus 24:10-23

·        The Sabbatical Year – Leviticus 25:1-7

·        The Jubilee – Leviticus 25:8-13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the World of Pshat Exegesis

 

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

 

The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as follows

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Welcome to the World of Remes Exegesis

 

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

 

1. Ḳal wa-ḥomer: Identical with the first rule of Hillel.

2. Gezerah shawah: Identical with the second rule of Hillel.

3. Binyan ab: Rules deduced from a single passage of Scripture and rules deduced from two passages. This rule is a combination of the third and fourth rules of Hillel.

4. Kelal u-Peraṭ: The general and the particular.

5. u-Peraṭ u-kelal: The particular and the general.

6. Kelal u-Peraṭ u-kelal: The general, the particular, and the general.

7. The general which requires elucidation by the particular, and the particular which requires elucidation by the general.

8. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it for pedagogic purposes elucidates the general as well as the particular.

9. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of the special regulation which corresponds in concept to the general, is thus isolated to decrease rather than to increase the rigidity of its application.

10. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of some other special regulation which does not correspond in concept to the general, is thus isolated either to decrease or to increase the rigidity of its application.

11. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of a new and reversed decision can be referred to the general only in case the passage under consideration makes an explicit reference to it.

12. Deduction from the context.

13. When two Biblical passages contradict each other the contradiction in question must be solved by reference to a third passage.

 

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

Reading assignment

 

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Vayiqra (Leviticus) 24:1 – 25:13

 

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: ‎ Vayiqra (Leviticus) 24:1 – 25:13

 

Ketubim:  Tehillim (Psalms) 87:1-7

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Tehillim (Psalms) 87:1-7

 

A Psalm by the sons of Korach: this Psalm is speaking about Jerusalem and her holy mountains (including the Temple mount). HaShem loves the gates of Jerusalem, especially the gates of the Temple, the spiritual heart of the nation. As precious as the Jewish home is, these gates are more precious still. Jerusalem is a thing of remarkable beauty, fit to be called the city of HaShem.

 

The sons of Korach speak of other great empires (Babylonia, Rahab (Egypt), Tyre, and Ethiopia, among others), and each one is noteworthy for some accomplishment or prominent person. Only Jerusalem, however, can boast of a constant stream of great people. (The words "ish v'ish" are interpreted "man after man" by most commentators, but the Targum renders it "a man and another man," referring to David and Solomon, the two great kings who ruled there.) HaShem Himself established Jerusalem as the most prominent city on Earth.

 

In the future, HaShem will decide the fate of the nations of the world. At that time, He will locate the Jews who have been lost among these nations. Musicians will sing HaShem’s praises, saying that our very lives are dedicated to the service of Him.[2]

 

Meditation from the Psalms

Tehillim (Psalms) 87:1-7

By: H.Em. Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David

 

Korach denied the sovereignty and superior sanctity of Moses, Aaron, and the other leaders of Israel He protested, “The entire congregation is holy, all of them, and HaShem is among them. Why then do you elevate yourselves above the congregation of HaShem?”^[3] He also refused to recognize that the Land of Israel is holier than any other land. At that point, Korach’s sons^[4] refused to join his revolt; instead, they composed a song to extol the unique virtues of the Land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem.^[5] In this way they gave credence to the concept that just as some locations are better suited to the service of HaShem than others, so too are certain men, such as Moses, better suited for the spiritual leadership of the nation than others.

 

This composition was based on and dedicated to the mountains of Jerusalem and Zion.^[6] Specifically, the Psalmist was inspired by Mount Zion, Mount Moriah,^[7] and the other mountains surrounding Jerusalem.^[8] The impressive mountains represent special Divine providence and protection for Jerusalem.

 

Indeed, these mountains form the foundation for the entire world, for tradition teaches that the first part of earth created at the genesis of the universe was the foundation stone, a rock in the Holy of Holies. From that rock, the earth expanded and spread outward to form the globe.^[9]

 

According to Midrash Shocher Tov, Judaism is founded on two holy mountains: Mount Sinai and Mount Moriah. In the former, our tradition was transmitted, on the latter it was preserved.

 

I would like to look more intently at the following verse:

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 87:2 HaShem loves the gates of Tzion more than all the dwellings of Yaaqov.

 

Chazal^[10] interpret this passage as describing HaShem’s intense love for the study of halacha:[11] “HaShem loves the gates that excel in halacha more than batei knesset^[12] and houses of study.^[13] This is similar to what R’ Chiya bar Ami said in the name of Ulla: that ever since the Temple was destroyed the only thing HaShem has in His world is the dalet (ד) amot^[14] of halacha.”

 

Berachoth 8a Raba said to Rafram b. Papa: Let the master please tell us some of those fine things that you said in the name of R. Hisda on matters relating to the Synagogue! — He replied: Thus said R. Hisda: What is the meaning of the verse: HaShem loveth the gates of Zion [Ziyyon] more than all the dwellings of Jacob?^[15] The Lord loves the gates that are distinguished through Halacha more than the Synagogues and Houses of study.^[16] And this conforms with the following saying of R. Hiyya b. Ammi in the name of ‘Ulla: Since the day that the Temple was destroyed, the Holy One, blessed be He, has nothing in this world but the daled cubits of Halacha alone. So, said also Abaye: At first, I used to study in my house and pray in the Synagogue. Since I heard the saying of R. Hiyya b. Ammi in the name of ‘Ulla: ‘Since the day that the Temple was destroyed, the Holy One, blessed be He, has nothing in His world but the daled cubits of Halacha alone’, I pray only in the place where I study. R. Ammi and R. Assi, though they had thirteen Synagogues in Tiberias, prayed only between the pillars where they used to study.^[17]

 

The sense seems to be that since the site of HaShem’s permanent dwelling in Jerusalem was erased, HaShem is present in the private sphere within which we act according to His will. Rabbi AJ Heschel notes that this is hardly a jubilant statement expressing an ideal. We work and pray for the time when HaShem’s presence will return to our communal and national lives, and beyond.

 

“Returning” is what we do when we go up to Israel. “Returning” is what we do when we repent from our sins.

 

The parallel between teshuva (or “return to HaShem”) and entering the Land of Israel is supported by the fact that teshuva, from the root word meaning “return”, occurs in the Tanach^[18] most frequently in relation to the Jewish peoples’ return to the Land of Israel. This teaches that entering the Land of Israel (aliyah) in its deepest sense is the ultimate manifestation of return to HaShem (teshuva), it being the physical and spiritual entry into an entirely new state of being. With this perspective, we can begin to appreciate what our Sages in the Talmud have told us:

 

Ketuvot 110b Anyone who lives outside of Eretz Israel, it is as if they worship idols.^[19]

 

The Sages have thereby told us that there is a connection between returning to HaShem, through repentance, and returning to the land of Israel. This connection began “in the beginning…”

 

The Torah begins with the account of creation in order to prove that the earth belongs to HaShem and He can give it to anyone He wishes. When HaShem makes a covenant with Avraham, He gives Avraham AND HIS SEED Eretz Israel. Now we know that his seed was not through Ishmael, but through Yitzchak:

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 21:12 And G-d said unto Abraham, let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

 

HaShem said to Avraham: “To your descendants I will give this Land”.^[20] However, it is not clear who the descendants of Avraham are, Yitzchak or Ishmael? So, the Torah comes to tell us that Ishmael is excluded from all that Avraham had, he received gifts instead:

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 25:5-6 And Avraham gave all (“kol”) that he had to Yitzchak. And to the sons of the concubines, he gave presents.

 

Now I would like to take note that there were three parcels of land, in Eretz Israel, that were purchased by the Patriarchs:

 

1. The Cave of Machpelah near Hebron where the Patriarchs and their wives are buried. This site was purchased by Avraham Avinu.
2. The field near Shechem where Yosef HaTzadiq^[21] is buried. This site was purchased by Yaaqov Avinu.
3. Har HaBayit, the Temple mount, in Jerusalem. This site was purchased by David HaMelech.

 

The Torah documents the purchase of the land for the tombs of the Patriarchs and the land that contains the tomb of Yosef HaTzadiq. The only other parcel whose purchase is documented, in perpetuity, by Scripture itself is the site of the Beit HaMikdash, the Temple, in Jerusalem. These three special places, in Eretz Israel, are mentioned explicitly in the Midrash:

 

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis LXXIX:7 AND HE BOUGHT THE PARCEL OF GROUND, etc. (XXXIII, 19). R. Judan b. R. Simon said: This is one of the three places regarding which the nations of the world cannot taunt Israel and say, ‘Ye have stolen them.’ These are they: The cave of Machpelah, the [site of the] Temple, and the sepulcher of Yosef HaTzadiq. The cave of Machpelah: And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver (Gen. XXIII, 16). The Temple: So, David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold (I Chron. XXI, 25). And Yosef HaTzadiq’s sepulcher: AND HE BOUGHT THE PARCEL OF GROUND.

 

R. Aharon Soloveitchik^[22] calls this kind of acquisition “chazakah”, holding. It comes from HaShem’s commandment to Adam “to guard the garden and keep it”.^[23] This is the gift of reaching unto things through cultivation, work, and dedication.

 

How tragically ironic it is that it is in regard to these very areas: Hebron, Shechem, and the Temple Mount, we are forced to stand up against the world to defend our rights of ownership.

 

“The entire war^[24] is based on who’s in charge of the holy sites. The Arabs sense that their life force comes from the Jews’ holy sites. That’s why their battles have always been focused on the tombs of the righteous, because these places nourish their life force. It’s no wonder that they hold fast to Kever (the tomb of) Yosef, Machpelah, and most importantly, The Temple mount.”^[25]

 

Now these three cities Shechem, Hebron, and Jerusalem all share certain common features:

 

1. The three cities are located in the hill country.
2. The three cities lie in the center (east to west) of Israel. Additionally, Jerusalem lies in the center, north to south, of Eretz Israel.^[26]
3. The three cities are situated in places of high temperature.^[27]
4. Each is associated with a “double”. Shechem is also called Dothan which means “dual wells”, Machpelah is a double cave, and Jerusalem is the double of the heavenly Jerusalem.^[28]
5. They are all related to the Levites as two were cities of refuge and the Temple was built in the third city.
6. They are border cities between adjacent tribes. Shechem is between Manasseh and Ephraim, Hebron is between Judah and Dan, and the Temple is between Benjamin and Judah.
7. They were the only cities purchased for money.
8. All three had something precious from Mitzrayim:^[29] Jerusalem had the Ark, Hebron had Yaaqov Avinu (Jacob), and Shechem had Yosef HaTzadiq (Joseph).
9. All three cities were on the same trade route. “The Way of the Patriarchs” also called the “Ridge Route”.
10. Each of these cities is distinctly associated with Avraham Avinu: Moriah with the Akeida,[30] Shechem with his entrance to Eretz Israel, and Machpelah with his burial.
11. Each of these cities is distinctly associated with Yaaqov Avinu: Shechem is where Yaaqov entered the land when returning from Lavan and where he purchased the area of Yosef’s tomb, Jerusalem AKA Beit El with the ladder vision, and Machpelah as his burial place.
12. Each of these is the city of a king. Shechem from whence Avraham Avinu defeated the kings of the world and where Rehoboam was crowned king, Hebron where David HaMelech was crowned King, and Jerusalem where David reigned as king over all Israel.
13. Each of these cities is associated with redemption because each was purchased, for money, after they were promised to Avraham and after Avraham defeated the five kings.
14. Each of these places is associated with an altar. This indicates that each of these places was a place of worship and a place where our fathers expressed their gratefulness to HaShem. Curiously, each of these three is also associated with an altar built by Avraham.

 

As Jews, we believe that legally and morally according to our laws and history these places are part of our Jewish nation. However, this is not just an historical and religious claim, it also represents the connection to the Land of Israel.

 

When Avraham first came to the land, the Torah tells us where Avraham went:

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 12:6-9 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land. And HaShem appeared unto Abram, and said, unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto HaShem, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, [having] Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto HaShem and called upon the name of HaShem. And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

 

It appears that Avraham went first to Shechem, then to Jerusalem, and finally he went south to the area of Hebron. These three places seem to contain the essence of the land as promised to Avraham.

 

The three cities were purchased with money and provide a proof that they belong to the Jewish people. The purchase of land by Jeremiah,^[31] serves as a proof that the purchase of the land is inviolate and constitutes a firm link to the land for the purchaser and his offspring.

 

Each of these cities also symbolizes an eternal contact point that must be maintained or else we will have the appropriate problem.

 

Kever Yosef^[32] (Shechem) – The eternal contact point to the land, of the Jewish soul. This area of Shechem was purchased by Yaaqov Avinu, for a hundred kesitah’,^[33] and Yosef was carried up from Mitzrayim^[34] to be buried here.

 

Shechem is a city of central Israel; called Sichem in Bereshit 12:6, Shalem, according to some commentators;^[35] Sychem in II Luqas 7:16; and Sychar in Yochanan 4:5. Its situation is indicated as in Mount Ephraim in Yehoshua (Joshua) 20:7 and I Melachim (Kings) 12:25.

 

The word Shechem means “Shoulder”. A “shoulder” represents the power to connect the back state of knowledge (secular science) and wisdom to the front state of knowledge and wisdom (Torah). Shechem is the bridge.

 

Anatomically, Shechem represents the head^[36] and specifically the brain, which is composed of three main parts (left hemisphere, right hemisphere, and midbrain), as we can see in the following illustration:

 

Mount Eval and Mount Gerizim are the left and right hemispheres. Shechem is the midbrain, the center of the head, the place of connection. It is centered left to right, top to bottom, and front to back in the very center of the head. This the place of connection between the body and the head. It is the point of origin for the creation of a talmid, a soul destined for the next world.

 

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis C:9 R. Simlai said: [He assured them]: Ye are the body, and I am the head, as it says, Let the blessing come upon the head, [viz.] Joseph:^[37] if the body is removed, of what use is the head?

 

Rashi says that the Hebrew word shechem, means “portion,” or “division”^[38]; inherent in the name Shechem is the idea of divisiveness.^[39]

 

Shechem is a place designed for trouble^[40]: Here Dina was profaned, here Yosef was sold, here Avimelech killed his brothers and here the kingship was split. But Shechem was also given as a present to Yosef: “And I have given thee one shoulder (=Shechem) over thy brothers)”. It therefore signifies the complete connection of the tribes to Yosef and his unique way of elevating everything secular to holiness.^[41]

 

The “Blessings and Curses” on Mt. Eval and Mt. Gerizim, were spoken with Shechem directly between the two mountains. This pasuk clearly states that Shechem is the place where the Children of Israel received their connection to the Promised Land:

 

Yehoshua (Joshua) 24:25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

 

Shechem has been called a “place ready for punishment”.^[42]

 

Finally, since Shechem was the first city for Avraham, so it will be the first city in the days of Mashiach.^[43]

 

Shechem = A promise by HaShem to give Avraham and his seed the land of Israel. This infers that our possession of Shechem is an indication of our possession of the entire Land of Israel as promised to Avraham.

 

Har HaBayit, the Temple in (Jerusalem) – The eternal contact point to the Torah, of the Jewish soul.

 

Jerusalem represents the center of the center, the focal point of Eretz Israel: “All roads lead to Jerusalem”.

 

Anatomically, Jerusalem represents the heart.

 

The heart is in the center of the body that is between the belt and the shoulders. It is centered left to right, top to bottom, and front to back in the area normally covered by the shirt or blouse.

 

The heart has two basics pumps. One pumps blood through the lungs, and one pumps to the rest of the body. This pictures the ‘pumping’ of life from the Jerusalem above (to the lungs) and the circulating of that life to the Jerusalem below. Those who enter the Temple always go in one gate and out a different gate. Just as the heart’s valve ensures that blood is only pumped in one direction.

 

Torah is also the heart of the world and the quintessential depiction of the Torah is the luchot which are depicted as a heart.

 

The word “Jerusalem” is a combination of two Hebrew words: Yireh and Salem. Yireh is what Avraham called this place when he was binding Isaac. Salem is what Melchizedek called this place when he met Avraham after the first major war:

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place HaShem-Yireh: as it is said [to] this day, in the mount of HaShem it shall be seen.

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 14:18-20 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] the priest of the most high G-d. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the most high G-d, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high G-d, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

 

This first use of the “Jerusalem” then suggests that Jerusalem is our contact with HaShem and His Word. Jerusalem is thus the eternal contact point of the Jewish soul with the Torah.

 

The prophet confirmed this understanding:

 

Micah 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of HaShem, and to the house of the G-d of Yaaqov; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of HaShem from Jerusalem.

 

Machpelah^[44] (Hebron) – The eternal contact point of our people to our fathers, our people, of the Jewish soul. Machpelah means “The Doubled One” and was understood to be a double cave. Some say it was a cave within a cave, while others say it was a cave above a cave. Hebrew word kaful - כפןל), meaning ‘double’. The commentators explain that the cave is actually a double cave. According to the medieval commentator Rashi, it is one cave above another, while the commentator known as the Ibn Ezra explains that the arrangement is one cave inside another, i.e. an entrance cave leading to an inner cave.

 

Anatomically, Machpelah is situated at the place of yesod, foundation,^[45] vis-à-vis the land of Israel.

 

This portion, the womb, of the female anatomy illustrates the idea of cave within a cave and also a cave above a cave. When a woman is laying down, it is a cave within a cave. When she is standing up, then it is a cave above a cave. Curiously, a womb and a grave are both called a ‘kever’, because they are both portals to another world.^[46]

 

In the area between the bottom of the torso and the belt, the womb is precisely in the center. The womb is the point of origin for all new life. It is the point of connection between this world and the next world.

 

Kiryat Arba = Hebron (from hibur = connection) because there the spirit connects with the body, the upper world with the lower. Some say that the name Hebron means friendship. Hebron is the first location in Eretz Israel to be purchased.

 

The name Hebron speaks of a connection. Burial in Hebron represents a connection to the living even in death. The essence of an ancestor is the fact that he has children. Everything a child is - finds its basis in his parent. The link continues from generation to generation, such that every descendent owes his entire being to all those who came before. The Jewish people as they are today, and will be tomorrow, stand on the foundation laid by Avraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rivka, Yaaqov and Leah.

 

Thus, Hebron replaced Gan Eden.[47] In place of individual immortality came the immortality of a connection with the future, an immortality of the whole. Hebron is the place where the body and spirit join. Though the body dies, as long as the spirit, the ideas and values passed on to the next generation, endures, the man is still alive.

 

Hebron is the place where the lower and upper worlds join; the infusion of holy purpose into future generations unites them. The creation of life in the lower world, and the living of life in the lower world with an eye to both past and future, are together our means of spiritual fulfillment. They are the guarantee of our ultimate purpose.

 

It is for this reason that Hebron is considered the spiritual entry point into Eretz Israel.^[48]

 

Shortly after Avraham reached the Promised Land, before he bought Machpelah, whilst Sarah is still alive. He built an altar in Hebron.

 

Later the Torah describes in painstaking detail how Avraham requests to buy the grave site at Machpelah, how the Hittites wish him to take it for free, and. when Ephron the Hittite finally agrees to make it a purchase, he charges Avraham the inflated and outlandish sum of four hundred silver shekels.^[49]

 

This cave was purchased by Avraham Avinu as a grave for Sarah. Eventually, Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivka, and Yaaqov and Leah were buried in this doubled cave.

 

Why did Avraham have to purchase Sarah’s gravesite? Why had he not purchased land during the nearly sixty years that he and Sarah had sojourned in the land?

 

Avraham and Sarah are semi-nomadic herdsmen because, notwithstanding Divine promises to the contrary, there is as of yet no Hebrew nation to settle the land. While associated with Canaan, their direct connection to the land is tenuous and fragile, because Avraham and Sarah personify the earliest stages of a new nation being born. Only one thing anchors them to this place, and that is the word of HaShem. Actual possession and settlement, the true possibility of a national destiny being realized, is for them far off in the future. For now, the land is firmly in the hands of the indigenous inhabitants, the Canaanites.

 

This trial is indeed a difficult trial. Avraham must wait till the death of Sarah before he acquires his first piece of the land.

 

The Land and Torah of Israel are both called by the Torah morasha^[50] a word which literally means “heritage” but which the Sages of the Talmud link to “me’orasa” (eros, love), or “fiancée”. A successful marriage, a proper conquest of and living in the Land of Israel, knowledge and performance of Torah, are each fraught with problems along the way.

 

When Moses sent scouts to scout the land, they looked at the length and breadth of the land, but they only looked at one city: Hebron.^[51]

 

When Joshua sent the two spies to spy out the land, they only went to one city: Jericho.

 

These two leaders, Moses and Joshua, both intended to conquer the land. Moses intended to conquer the land from the south and he therefore started with Hebron. When the sin of the spies cut short that plan, HaShem changed tactics.

 

Joshua entered the land from the east and began his conquest with Jericho. This route roughly parallels the route taken by Avraham when he entered the land and by Yaaqov when he returned from Lavan. Joshua thus followed a tried-and-true route that had great significance.

 

Joshua traveled to Shechem for the blessings and the curses: From Eval and Gerizim. His campaign then proceeded south.

 

The significance of this route must not be lost. Avraham’s route led to a temporary exile in Egypt. Yaaqov’s and Joshua’s route led to a much longer exile in Egypt.

 

Moses intended to reverse this pattern in order to eliminate the exile by entering from the south at Hebron. Because of the sin of the spies, this pattern was abandoned and the road to exile was paved again. We know that the conquest of the land led to the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles. After that exile, we were restored to the land only to be sent into the longest exile, the exile we are currently experiencing. In the future redemption we will enter from the south, never to be exiled again.

 

Each of these three locations is a contact point of Jewish value for Jewish souls.

 

The entire war, with the PLO/Hamas, is based on who’s in charge of the holy sites. The Arabs sense that their life-force comes from the Jews’ holy sites. That’s why their battles have always been focused on the graves of our righteous ancestors, because these places nourish their life-force. It’s no wonder that they hold fast to Kever Yosef, Kever Rachel Imeinu, Ma’arat HaMachpelah, and most importantly, Har HaBayit.

 

These three locations have become the MOST problematic area of Eretz Israel. Somehow the Arabs know that their survival in the land depends on holding these three places. The Arabs have built a pagan mosque on the Temple mount, they have destroyed kever (the tomb of) Yosef, and they have taken over Machpelah and now prevent Jews from worshipping there most of the time.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 87:6-7 HaShem shall count in the register of the peoples: ‘This one was born there.’ Selah 7 And whether they sing or dance, all my thoughts are in thee.

 

Kethuboth 75a But of Zion it shall be said: ‘This man and that^[52] was born in her; and the Most High Himself doth establish her;^[53] R. Meyasha, grandson of R. Joshua b. Levi, explained: Both^[54] he who was born therein and he who looks forward to seeing it.^[55]

 

Ashlamatah:  Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) 11:16 – 12:2 + 15:15-16

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary on Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) 11:16 – 12:2 + 15:15-16

 

7 For I warned Heb. העידתי, an expression of warning.

 

8 And I brought upon them all the words of this covenant The curses stated in the covenant for the things that I commanded to do and they did not do.

 

12 And they shall go the cities of Judah From the cities of Judah.

 

14 cry nor prayer This follows the Targum.

 

15 What has my beloved to do in My house What reason has My treasured people to come anymore into My house?

 

[seeing that]...perform evil design That she does the evil design of her sinful plans.

 

the many of them.

 

and the holy flesh they remove from you Even the circumcision through which they were hallowed to Me, they have abolished from their flesh.

 

for [with] your evil, then you rejoice When you commit a transgression, you rejoice.

 

16 to the sound of a great tumult Heb. המולה, an expression of the tumult of a large multitude that will come upon them.

 

18 And the Lord let me know So said the prophet, The Holy One, blessed be He, let me know their retribution.

 

19 And I was like a lamb [and] a bull that will be brought to the slaughter.

 

brought Since I let them know of the evil, they plan to kill me.

 

like a lamb [and] a bull Heb. ככבש אלוף. Dunash and Judah son of Kudish (Karish) interpreted it as a lamb and a bull, brought to the slaughter. And אלוף is like (Deut. 28:4) “the offspring of your cattle (אלפיך).” Although it was not stated ואלוף, we find similar cases, e.g., (Habukkuk 3:11) “The sun [and] the moon (ירח) stood on high”; (Isaiah 38:14) “Like a crane [and] a swallow (עגור) so I chirp.” And Menahem interpreted ככבש אלוף, a large lamb (see Psalms 58:9, Rashi ad loc.), and Jonathan supports him, since he renders like a choice lamb.

 

Let us destroy his food with wood Let us put poison into his food.

 

20 Let me see Your vengeance against them He cursed the people of Anathoth.

 

23 upon the men of Anathoth Heb. אל־אנשי ענתות, like על־אנשי ענתות, upon the men of Anathoth.

 

1 You are right, O Lord, when I contend with You When I debate with You, I know that you will be right in Your words, but I wish to argue with You so that You will let me know Your way.

 

Why has the way of the wicked prospered? That You have given greatness to Nebuchadnezzar the wicked, and you have made him succeed in destroying Your house? Another explanation is that he was crying and complaining about the men of Anathoth.

 

have peace Heb. שלו, an expression of שלוה, peace.

 

3 But You, O Lord, have known me Also, concerning the men of Anathoth You have aided me, for You have known me.

 

Draw them out like sheep to the slaughter Draw them out of life to death (detache les in French, separate them, cut them off). Comp. (Joshua 8:6) “until we have drawn (התיקנו) them from the city.”

 

and prepare them Heb. הקדישם, prepare them.

 

15 Take me not to Your long-suffering Jonathan renders. Do not grant a reprieve for my humiliation. Do not take my cause to leave it for Your long suffering, but hasten and avenge me.

 

I bore like סָבַלְתִּי bore.

 

for Your sake for You.

 

16 Your words were found, and I ate them eagerly at the beginning, and they were a joy for me, for I thought that now they would listen to me.

 

Commentary on the Ashlamatah of

Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 11:16-12:2 + 15:15-16

By: H.Ex. Adon Shlomoh Ben Abraham

 

As we begin our passage, The people’s sin was so pervasive that God for the second time commanded Jeremiah not to pray for them because He would not listen to their prayers for deliverance in their coming time of … distress (cf. 7:16;11:14;14:11). The previous thought is this: the beloved were the people of Judah who were in God’s temple (lit., “house”). Evidently some people came to the temple to offer consecrated meat as a sacrifice, believing that this ritual would avert any punishment. Yet they never ceased to engage in their wickedness. “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?”

 

My mother during her twilight years once commented, when asked about what she had learned about people and human nature and after a moment of thought she replied, people are just people they seem to never change. In all the many years of human civilization, basic human nature hasn’t changed at all. Technology has changed the way we live, and a poor person today lives with more conveniences than Kings had thousands of years ago. It seems the basics of life and human nature remain the same—and they are remarkably the same across all cultures and all people. However, down through the ages of time, God has not/does not changed. As one reads the Bible it seems we human beings go through the same stuff over and over again, never seeming to learn the lessons. This is why history repeats itself and why prophecies seem to be fulfilled more than once. It isn’t that God hasn’t told us what he expects of mankind. He has sent prophet after prophet, but people don’t seem to listen to God’s prophets.

 

We like to think that we would listen, today. But would we?  Do we?  One of the reasons people miss the point of prophecy is because they are trying to determine what will happen and when. Whereas the prophets are mostly concerned with what is happening and why. The genre of literature we call apocalyptic concerns itself with what the future holds. The difference between apocalyptic literature and prophecy is that prophecy is loaded with moral teaching, which is almost entirely absent from apocalyptic literature. In my experience, most people are interested in apocalyptic literature and give short attention to the moral teaching and of the Prophets. The powerful message of morality the prophets proclaimed makes people uncomfortable. It may be that the necessary moral tone of the prophets is why God picks them very young and brings them up the way he wants them. To Jeremiah, God said this: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

 

Hashem tells Jeremiah that he will not accept the prayers of the people without sincere repentance, and if he will not except their own prayers, he most certainly will not except Jeremiahs prayers on their behalf. The people had committed so many vile deeds that Hashem had even questioned if they, his beloved, even had a right to be in his house?   As long as the Jewish people fulfilled the words of the Torah, they were compared to an olive Tree but when their deeds betrayed them, they were considered as a tree that did not produce fruit and therefore it was time to prune the branches and cast the dead wood into the fire. The Lord once called you, “A green olive tree, fair with goodly fruit” (v.16), The sages noted similarities between the Jewish people and the olive tree:

 

-Just as the olive tree does not release its oil without being pressed, so too the Jews do not repent without the press of tribulations.

-Just as the leaves remain on the olive tree throughout the year the People of Israel will never cease to exist.

-All fluid mixes with each other except for the olive oil. So too, the Jewish people are to remain separate and distinct from the other nations.

-Just as the olive oil provides light, the Jews enlighten the world with their faith when they are performing the deeds of Torah.^[56]

 

Some commentators relate this to the Temple as representative of the Jewish people, that is destroyed with fire. However, it is interesting that the fire only destroys the branches and not the tree itself. (v.16).    The Lord of hosts, who planted you, has decreed(evil) disaster (misfortune) against you, because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done, provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal. The first “evil” of the verse references the misfortune that Hashem is sending upon Israel for their sins, while the second “evil” points to the sin of the house of Israel. R. Breuer points out that the reference to “the LORD, who planted you” is in the present tense showing that Hashem continues to plant the tree of Israel forever and ever.^[57] I find it interesting to note here that both houses of the children of Israel are called out and punished.  Many religious people want to point a finger at the Jewish people for their sin, all the while refusing to see the other ten tribes are just as guilty of their Baal worship and evil deeds. In our modern world we can see the children of greater Israel and their two leaders being tried and receiving tribulations as Hashem works to bring them to repentance. Which should make us ponder if we are not due more trials and tribulations coming due to the lack of repentance on the part of the American and Israeli populations.

 

The prophet did not realize the people were plotting to kill him, as he continued to deliver his constant rebukes and prophecies of the coming doom and refer to himself as like a gentle lamb he was led to the slaughter.(v.19)  Not only did the people want to stop the mouth of the prophet,(v.22)  they went as far as to say, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.”  The tree represented the prophet. The tree also represented the whole nation of Israel. The evil deeds of the individual branches created the process whereby they would be pruned off and placed in the fire. Not only did the men of Anathoth want to destroy the tree (the prophet) they also conspired to destroy its fruit^[58] and to cut off his seed - posterity from the land of the living.  Did they not understand that by destroying the prophet they were in effect destroying themselves?  No! We are still doing the same thing today.

 

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to  him you shall listen— just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.^[59]

 

Anathoth, one of the cities of refuge (Josh 21:18) given to the sons of Aaron and in the area of Benjamin (Jer. 1:1). According to Jeremiah (32:6-8) he had a part and the right of “possession and redemption” to play in this place of refuge. When Ezra and Nehemiah return to build the Temple, 128 men of Anathoth returned with them. This tells us that disobedient sinners will be cut off by the hand of heaven, but the righteous will return. The Anathoth priests had lived there since the time of Solomon (1 Kgs 2:26f.), and by force of circumstances were excluded from priestly functions in Jerusalem. Perhaps their jealousy of Jeremiah’s support for Josiah’s reforms stirred up their opposition.^[60]  Some scholars believe the following sermon at the Temple is what galvanized the men of Jeremiah’s own hometown against him.

 

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’ “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another,  if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever. “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord. Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim. ^[61]

 

Currently, we have no temple, and religious people want to write themselves into the picture as being the temple or they say the temple is now Jesus Christ.  These religious people of today are the same as their forefathers in that they put their trust in the Temple and that trust leads to their destruction. According to them, the Temple was a charm which must render Jerusalem and its inhabitants secure. However, we know that history records its destruction and their death. In our present-day, Jesus is used as a charm, just like the people of the earlier times thought of their temples. Many religious people use Jesus as their lucky charm and think that just professing Jesus is enough and they live as they want, just like the children of Israel 2700 years ago in Jeremiah’s day. Someone once remarked, that the WWJD^[62] bracelets asked the wrong question, which was a speculative question which left the answer open to each person’s own personal inclination. The more correct question should be WDJSD?^[63] This begs the question, what will happen to people when their perception of their “lucky charm” or “get out of jail free pass” is destroyed just as the Temple was destroyed? As in Jeremiah’s day, the same as in our day (12:2) says, near in their mouth, they honor God (the image they have created in their minds) with their lips, but their heart is far from Him.

 

The same figure is the basis of Rabbi Saul’s (Paul’s) key passage about the relation of Jew and Gentile in Romans 11:17–24. God’s ideal for the nation was for it to remain green and beautiful; but, because of the barrenness of sin, it must be destroyed.^[64]  Paul like Jeremiah does not speak of the destruction of the national tree, he only speaks of the pruning of the branches that are not producing the fruit and those practicing the same deeds the prophet Jeremiah spoke of that day at the temple gates.  We ask Rabbi Saul (Paul) why were the branches pruned or broken off? “They were broken off because of their unbelief,^[65] but you stand fast through faith”^[66] (Rom.11:20) 

 

The problem of the prosperity of the wicked in the light of God’s righteousness is not directly solved here or elsewhere in Scripture. The only final answer is faith in the sovereign wisdom and righteousness of God. Some interpreters see in Jeremiah’s questions (12:1) a measure of impatience. He is still deeply troubled by the treachery of his fellow citizens of Anathoth. He acknowledges at the outset that God is righteous—a fact basic to all theistic thinking. Jeremiah refuses in principle to question the justice of God, but he still has questions about the success of the wicked in the light of his own trials.^[67]  I’m sure all of us have asked this question to God, when we see the unrighteous prosper and those who are faithful in the practice of their faith struggle with life’s many issues.  Malbim^[68], elucidates that Jeremiah distinguishes the righteous from the evil: “I do not wonder why the righteous suffer – regarding that you are justified- because only You (Hashem) know who is truly righteous and is doing what is expected of him. I only wonder about the success of those whose evil is so well known that it cannot be denied.  The question leans more to the side of why the unrighteous are so undeniably successful in their evil deeds than to the perceived trials and tribulations of the righteous”. ^[69]

 

The targums^[70] and Radak^[71] shares this view, although the unrighteous may amass wealth and speak words of Torah, they have no fear of God, and he is far from their thoughts and although they may profess to pray or mention God, they don’t really believe that He controls their destiny.^[72] Jeremiah ask the question, but did God respond to him? It seems Hashem did not respond and indeed, many sources intimate that there is no standard formula to explain why or when the wicked prosper, each individual situation is governed by the depth of God’s wisdom and providence, to which the human mind is not privy in this world.^[73]  In context Jeremiah is speaking of the evil doers in the land of Israel and the effect their unrighteous deeds have on the land, however we understand that in the greater context of God’s whole creation, we see the effect of sin and the evil deeds of the unrighteous and the destroying results it has on the whole earth.

 

Jeremiah finishes our reading with the express plea that God remember him and take vengeance on his persecutors. (15:15) God had promised ultimately to deliver and vindicate Jeremiah; but in considering the coming calamity Jeremiah asked for a speedy settling of accounts. Though God was long-suffering, Jeremiah hoped for swift justice; he wanted to be vindicated before God would take him in death. I have often expressed the same prayer to Hashem, may he come speedily in our days.

 

Jeremiah could make this request because of his relationship with God. In contrast with the people of Judah who despised God’s Word. Jeremiah accepted (ate) it and claimed it as his joy and delight. (15:15) Which is what each of us should practice, to accept God’s word, eat it and assimilate it’s teaching into our life’s. Endeavor to take the word of God internally so that it can create in us a new and right spirit as King David prayed. (Psa. 51:10) Jeremiah refused to associate with the company of revelers, he chose instead to sit alone and be guided by God’s hand.  Bava Kamma 60a^[74] teaches us that during times of plague or mass punishment the angel of death does not distinguish between good and evil people, but it is pointed out that Hashem himself is certainly capable of such distinction. We pray for Hashems spirit upon us and that he would guide us into the path he would have each of us to walk.  As we witness the things coming upon the earth, we pray for his drawing power to bring us under the wings of his tent, covering us with a cloud of his divine protection and restoring us to his “house” as the time of Moshiach is drawing closer.

 

Verbal Tally

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

The verbal tally between the Torah and the Ashlamata is ‘olive – זַיִת ‘.

 

Given that the name of our seder is: “שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ”– “Shemen Zayit Zakh” “Pure Olive Oil”, it is not surprising that “olve” should be what connects our Torah seder to our Ashlamata. Lets look a bit closer at the two pesukim, verses, that contain this connector word:

 

Leviticus 24:2 Command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive (זַ֚יִת) <02132>[75]  oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the lamps continually.

 

Jeremiah 11:16 A leafy olive (זַ֚יִת)-tree <02132> fair with goodly fruit, has the Lord called your name; to the sound of a great tumult, He has kindled fire upon it, and they have broken its branches.

 

זַ֚יִת Is the very first Hebrew word of Jeremiah 11:16.

 

The thematic connection between the Torah seder and our chapter of Psalms is found in Tehillim (Psalms) 87:6 where the psalmist speaks about the calendar just as the Torah speaks about the calendar (v.25:1-13 - Sabbatical and yovel years). In Tehillim (Psalms) 87:6, it is said that HaShem uses the secular calendar:

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 87:6 HaShem shall count in the register[76] of the peoples: 'This one was born there.' Selah

 

Leviticus 23 talks about each festival, in order, ending with Succoth. Leviticus 24 then ‘alludes’ to Chanukah with the lighting of the menorah. This reading is only one week removed from Chanukah.

 

 

 

 

Nazarean Talmud

Sidrot of Vayikra (Leviticus) 24:1 – 25:13

“Shemen Zayit Zakh” “Pure Olive Oil”

By: H. Em Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

School of Hakham Shaul Tosefta Luqas (Lk) Mishnah א:א

School of Hakham Tsefet Peshat 2 Tsefet (2 Pet) Mishnah א:א

¶ Now when one of those reclining at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom/governance of God through the Bate Din and Hakhamim!” But he said to him, “A certain man (householder) was giving a large feast and invited many. And he sent his household servant at the hour of the feast to say to those who have been invited, ‘Come, because now the table is prepared!’ And they all were alike and began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field, and I must go out to look at it. I ask you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and for this reason I am not able to come.’ And the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house (householder) became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame (last, least little and the dead)!’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, the command you have given has been done, and there is still room.’ And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and press them to come in, so that my house will be filled! For I say to you that none of those persons who were invited will taste my feast!’ ”

¶ Even as we have been given all things, for a life of righteous/generous practice (study, worship, mitzvot, and halachot), through Godly virtuous power. This is accomplished by the means of full and complete knowledge (Da’at) of the Mesorah, which has called us to honour and moral excellence, by which means we are presented with this great Mesorah to become partners with the Godly nature (yetzer hatov) escaping the corrupt desires of the worldly pagan system.

 

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

 

 

Commentary to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat

   Covenantal Relationship and Divine Invitation

• Vayikra 24:1–25:34 emphasizes laws that sustain the covenant between G-d and His people, including the Sabbatical Year and Yubal, which reflect G-d’s provision and faithfulness.
• Tehillim 87:1–7 celebrates Tzi’on as the city of G-d, symbolizing the Divine dwelling among His covenant people and the inclusion of the nations in His plan.
• Yirmi’yahu 11:16–12:2 and Yirmi’yahu 15:15–16 center on covenant faithfulness and the consequences of neglecting G-d’s Word while affirming the joy and sustenance found in His promises.
• 2 Tsefet 1:3–4 speaks of the Divine invitation to partake in His glory and nature, reflecting the fulfillment of covenant promises.
• Luqas 14:15–24 portrays a parable of a great banquet, symbolizing G-d’s invitation to fellowship, blessing, and covenantal inclusion.

 

Core Elements of the Theme

 

1. Faithfulness to G-d’s Word: All passages stress the importance of adhering to G-d’s Word as a basis for the covenant.
2. Invitation to Relationship: There is a clear invitation to draw near to G-d, whether through obedience (Vayikra), worship (Psalm), repentance (Yermi’yahu), or accepting His promises (2 Tsefet and Luke).
3. Divine Provision: The texts underscore G-d’s ongoing care and provision for His people, whether through land, spiritual blessings, or eternal promises.

 

This shared theme demonstrates the consistency of G-d’s covenantal relationship with humanity across the Torah, Prophets, Writings, and Nazarean Codicil.

 

The Divine Invitation as Seen in 2 Tsefet 1:3–4

 

 

Questions for Understanding and Reflection

 

1. From all the readings for this Shabbat which verse, or verses impressed your heart and fired your imagination?

 

2. From all the Tanakh: which particular verse or passage taught you about the role of Messiah as described in the Nazarean Codicil readings for this week?

 

Blessing After Torah Study

 

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

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

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

 

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

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

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

 

“Now unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless,

and to establish you without a blemish,

before His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer,

by means of Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion,

and honor, and majesty, both now and in all ages. Amen!”

 

 

Next Shabbat: “And that-you will sell”

 

 

 

Contents of the next Torah Seder

 

·        Selling to fellow Jew - Leviticus 25:14-17

·        Exhortation – Leviticus 25:18-23

·        Redemption of Land – Leviticus 25:24-28

·        Redemption of Houses – Leviticus 25:29-34

 

Reading assignment for next week

 

 

 

 

Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

Edited by His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham

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