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

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

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

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His Excellency Adon Shlomoh ben Abraham

His Excellency Adon Yaaqov ben David

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

Her Excellency Giberet Krysta Wallrauch & beloved family

 

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

 

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

 

 

Blessings Before Torah Study

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

A Prayer for Israel

 

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

 

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

 

Shabbat: “Khi Tetse LaMilchamah” – “When you go out to battle”

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·        Marriage with a Captive of War – Deuteronomy 21:10-14

·        The Right of the First-Born – Deuteronomy 21:15-17

·        A Disobedient Son – Deuteronomy 21:18-21

·        The Exposed Corpse of a Criminal – Deuteronomy 21:22-23

·        Restoring Lost Property – Deuteronomy 22:1-3

·        Assisting To Lift Fallen Beasts – Deuteronomy 22:4

·        Distinction of Sex in Apparel – Deuteronomy 22:5-7

·        MISCELLANEOUS LAWS – Deut. 22:6-12

·        Sparing the Mother-Bird – Deut. 22:6-7

·        Parapets to House Roofs – Deut. 22:8

·        Against Mixing Seeds – Deut. 22:9

·        Yoking an Ox And an Ass – Deut 22:10

·        Sha’atnes – Deut. 22:11

·        Tsitsit – Deut. 22:12

·        HOLINESS OF MARRIAGE – Deut. 22:13- 23:9

·        Charges Against a Bride – Deut. 22:13-21

·        Adultery – Deut. 22:22

·        A Betrothed Virgin – Deut. 22:23-27

·        A Virgin Not Betrothed – Deut. 22:28-29

·        Prohibition of Marriage with Stepmother – Deut. 23:1

·        Classes Excluded From the Congregation – Deut. 23:2-9

 

Reading Assignment:

 

 

Torah: Devarim (Deuteronomy) ‎‎21:10 – 23:9

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for Devarim (Deuteronomy) 21:10 – 23:9‎

Chapter 21

 

10 If you go out to war The verse here is referring to an optional war [i.e., non-obligatory] (Sifrei 21:1), since in reference to the [obligatory] war [to conquer] the land of Israel, it would be inappropriate to say, “and you take his captives” because it has already been stated [regarding the seven nations of Canaan], “[from these peoples’ cities...] you shall not allow any soul to live.” (Deut. 20:16).

 

and you take his captives Heb. וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ . [The double language here comes] to include Canaanites in their midst, even though they are from the seven nations. - [Sifrei 21:2; Sotah 35b]

 

11 [and you desire her,] you may take [her] for yourself as a wife [Not that you are commanded to take this woman as a wife,] but Scripture [in permitting this marriage] is speaking only against the evil inclination [, which drives him to desire her]. For if the Holy One, blessed is He, would not permit her to him, he would take her illicitly. [The Torah teaches us, however, that] if he marries her, he will ultimately come to despise her, as it says after this, “If a man has [two wives—one beloved and the other despised]” (verse 15); [moreover] he will ultimately father through her a wayward and rebellious son (see verse 18). For this reason, these passages are juxtaposed. - [Tanchuma 1]

 

a... woman Heb. אֵשֶׁת , even a married woman (אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ) . - [Kid. 21b]

 

12 and let her nails grow Heb. וְעָשְׂתָה אֶת־צִפָּרְנֶיהָ . She must let them grow, so that she should become repulsive [to her captor, to induce him to change his mind about marrying her]. - [Sifrei 21:7, Yev. 48a]

 

13 And she shall remove the garment of her captivity [so that she should not be attractive to her captor,] for they are pretty [clothes], because gentile women adorn themselves during wartime, in order to seduce others [namely, the enemy] to have relations with them. - [Sifrei 21:8]

 

and stay in your house In the house he uses. Upon entering, he will stumble upon her, and upon leaving, he will stumble upon her, see her weeping, and see her unsightly appearance—all this, so that she should become despicable to him. - [Sifrei 21:9]

 

and weep for her father and her mother Why is all this necessary? So that an Israelite woman [i.e., this man’s Jewish wife] should be happy, and this [gentile captive woman] should be grief-stricken, an Israelite woman should be dressed up, and this one should make herself repulsive. - [Sifrei 21:11]

 

14 And it will be, if you do not desire her Scripture informs you that eventually you will despise her. - [Sifrei 21:14.

 

You shall not keep her as a servant Heb. תִתְעַמֵּר בָּהּ לֹא־ . [This means:] “You must not use her [as a slave]” (Sifrei 21:16). In the Persian language, the term for slavery and servitude is עִימְרָאָה  [the term used here]. I learned this from the Yesod of Rabbi Moses the Darshan.

 

17 a double share [The firstborn son takes a share] equal to that of two brothers [together]. - [Sifrei 21:28]

 

[and give him a double share] in all that he possesses From here [we learn that] the firstborn son does not take [a double share] from that which [the father’s estate] is entitled to after the demise of the father, [e.g., from an uncollected debt,] as [he does] from what was in the father’s actual possession.-[Sifrei 21:29, Bech. 51b]

 

18 wayward Heb. סוֹרֵר , deviating (סָר) from the [proper] path.

 

rebellious Heb. מוֹרֶה , [meaning] one who disobeys the words of his father. [The word מוֹרֶה is] derived from [the same root as] the word מַמְרִים [meaning “to rebel”] (see Deut. 9:7).

 

they shall chasten him They must warn him in the presence of three [people, not to steal, nor to eat a certain quantity of meat and drink a certain quantity of wine (see further in Rashi)], and then they must have him flogged [by the court] (San. 71a; see Sifrei). [The Talmud (San. 71a) emends this to read: They must warn him in the presence of two (witnesses) and have him flogged in the presence of three (judges).] The wayward and rebellious son incurs punishment only if he steals [money from his father], consumes [at one meal] a tartemar [a weight equal to half a maneh] of meat, and drinks [at the same meal] half a log of wine, as it is said [referring to him] that “a glutton and a guzzler (זוֹלֵל וְסֽבֵא) ” (verse 20), and [elsewhere,] it says, “Do not be among wine-guzzlers (בְסֽבְאֵי־יָיִן), among gluttonous eaters of meat (בְּזֽלְלֵי־בָשָׂר) ” (Prov. 23:20), [which indicates that the term “guzzler” refers to wine and “glutton” refers to meat] (San. 70a, Sifrei). The wayward and rebellious son is executed on account of [what he will become in] the end—the Torah penetrates to his ultimate intentions. Eventually, he will squander his father’s money, seek what he has become accustomed to, not find it, and stand at the crossroads and rob people [killing them, thereby incurring the death penalty. Says the Torah, “Let him die innocent [of such crimes], rather than have him die guilty [of such crimes].”- [San. 72b]

 

21 and all Israel will listen and fear From here, [we learn that] the court must make a public proclamation, announcing: “So-and-so has been stoned because he was a wayward and rebellious son!”- [San. 89a]

 

22 If a man commits a sin for which he is sentenced to death The juxtaposition of these passages [i.e., this one and that of the wayward and rebellious son] teaches [us] that if his father and mother spare him, he will eventually lead an evil lifestyle and commit [grave] sins for which he will be sentenced to death by the court. - [Tanchuma 1]

 

you shall [then] hang him on a pole Our Rabbis said: All who are stoned [by the court] must [afterwards] be hanged, for the verse (23) says, “a hanging [human corpse] is a blasphemy of God.” [Thus, we find that the sin of blasphemy is connected with hanging,] and a blasphemer is punished by stoning. [Consequently, our Rabbis taught that all those stoned must be hanged.] - [San. 45b]

 

23 For a hanging [human corpse] is a blasphemy of God Heb. קִלְלַת אֱלֹֽהִים . This is a degradation of the [Divine] King in Whose image Man is created, and the Israelites are God’s children. This is comparable to two identical twin brothers. One [of them] became king, while the other was arrested for robbery and hanged. Whoever saw him [the second brother, suspended on the gallows], would say, “The king is hanging!” [Therefore, the king ordered, and they removed him (Reggio ed.).] -[Sanh. 46b] Wherever [the term]קְלָלָה  appears in Scripture, it means treating lightly (הָקֵל) and degrading. For example, “[And behold, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera...] and he cursed me with a severe curse (וְהוּא קִלְלַנִי קְלָלָה נִמְרֶצֶת) ” (I Kings 2:8). - [See II Sam. 16:5-13]

 

Chapter 22

 

1 and ignore them [I.e.,] by covering one’s eyes, pretending not to see it.

 

You shall not see... and ignore them Heb. לֹא־תִרְאֶה ... וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ [lit., “You shall not see them... but rather, you shall ignore them!” What it really means is:] You shall not see them and ignore them [i.e., ignore your brother’s animals straying]; that is the simple meaning of the verse. Our Rabbis, however, explain that [although the verse clearly means that one must not ignore them, nevertheless, the verse is alluding to] situations when one is, in fact, permitted to ignore them [for example, if he is a kohen, and the animals have wandered into a cemetery, where kohanim may not enter, or if he is an honored sage, and it is beneath his dignity to lead animals or carry packages in public places—he may “ignore” them, and he is not obligated to return them to his brother]. - [Sifrei 22:45, B.M. 30a]

 

2 [And it shall be with you] until your brother seeks it out Would you imagine that one should return it to him before he asks for it? Rather, [the meaning is that you must keep the animal] until you investigate him, [verifying] that he is not a swindler [by demanding that he produce identifying signs]. - [B.M. 27b, Sifrei 22:47]

 

whereupon you shall return it to him That there shall be something left in it to return, that it should not consume its [whole] value in your house, so you should claim it from him [from the owner]. From here, [the Rabbis] said: Any animal that works and eats, should work and eat [the proceeds of its work]; and [any animal] that does not work, yet still eats, should be sold [by the finder, and the money restored to the owner]. - [B.M. 28b]

 

3 You shall not ignore [it] You must not cover your eyes, pretending not to see it.

 

4 You shall pick up [the load] This is [the obligation of] טְעִינָה , “loading,” [i.e.,] to load up a burden that has fallen off it [the animal, as opposed to פְּרִיקָה , “unloading” a burden too heavy for the animal, delineated in Exod. 23: 5].-[B.M. 32a]

 

[You shall pick up (the load)] with him [I.e.,] with the owner. However, if the owner walks away, sits down, and says, “Since the commandment is incumbent upon you, if you want to load, [go ahead and] load!” you are exempt. - [B.M. 32a]

 

5 A man’s attire shall not be on a woman making her appear like a man, thereby enabling her to go among men, for this can only be for the [purpose of] adultery. - [Nazir 59a]

 

nor may a man wear a woman’s garment to go and abide among women. Another explanation: [In addition to not wearing a woman’s garment,] a man must also not remove his pubic hair or the hair of his armpits [for this is a practice exclusive to women]. - [Nazir 59a]

 

because... is an abomination The Torah forbids only [the wearing of] clothes that would lead to abomination [i.e., immoral, and illicit behavior]. - [Nazir 59a]

 

 6 If a bird’s nest chances before you This excludes [a bird nest that is] ready at hand. -[Chul. 139a, Sifrei 22:55]

 

you shall not take the mother while she is on her young, [whereas if she is only hovering overhead, you may take her from upon her young]. - [Chul. 140b]

 

7 in order that it should be good for you, [and you should lengthen your days] If in the case of a commandment easy [to fulfill, like this one] for which there is no monetary expense, Scripture says, “[Do this] in order that it should be good for you, and that you should lengthen your days,” then how much greater is the reward for [the fulfillment of] commandments that are more difficult to observe [or for which there is a monetary expense].-[Sifrei 22:64, Chul. 142a]

 

8 When you build a new house, [you shall make a guard-rail for your roof] If you have fulfilled the commandment of שִׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן, “sending away [the mother bird from her] nest,” you will eventually build a new house and fulfill the commandment of מַעֲקֶה,guard-rail, because [the fulfillment of] one commandment pulls along with it [an opportunity to fulfill] another commandment [i.e., one commandment leads to another]. You will then come to [possess] a vineyard, a field, and fine clothes. Therefore, these passages are juxtaposed [that is, those just discussed, and the ensuing passages pertaining to vineyards, fields, and garments]. - [Tanchuma 1]

 

a guard-rail Heb. מַעֲקֶה, a fence surrounding the roof. Onkelos renders: תְּיָקָא, like a sheath (תִּיק), which protects what is inside it.

 

that the one who falls should fall That one [who would fall] deserves to fall [to his death on account of his sins]; nevertheless, you should not be the one to bring about his death, for meritorious things are executed through meritorious people, while things of ill-fortune are executed through guilty people. - [Sifrei 22:68]

 

9 [You shall not sow your vineyard together with] a mixed variety of species [For example,] sowing in the same hand-throw [of seeds] wheat and barley, [the sowing together of which already constitutes one prohibition of כִּלְאַיִם -"mixed variety of species" (see Lev. 19:19)], and grapeseed’s [the total combination of which now constitutes an additional prohibition of sowing the two diverse species in a vineyard].-[Ber. 22a]

 

lest... become forbidden Heb. תִּקְדַּשׁ , as the Targum [Onkelos] renders: תִסְתָּאֵב , lit., become unclean. To anything repulsive to man, either in a positive sense, e.g., something holy, or in a negative sense, e.g., something forbidden, the term קָדוֹשׁ applies. For instance, “Do not come near me, lest I contaminate you (קְדַשְׁתִּיךָ) ” (Isa. 65:5) [according to Rashi on Shevuoth 18b, or, according to Rabbi Joseph Kara on Isa. 65:5: “lest I become contaminated by you”].  [See Maskil L’David, Be’er Basadeh, Yosef Hallel, and Leket Bahir.] the increase Heb. הַמְלֵאָה . This is the fullness מִלּוּי and increase, which a seed increases. - [See Pes. 25a]

 

10 You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey The same law applies to any two species in the world. [Similarly,] this law applies [also] to [merely] leading them together when they are bound to each other as a pair, for transporting any load. - [Sifrei 22:79-80, Kilayim 8:2]

 

11 a mixture Heb. שַׁעַטְנֵז An expression denoting a mixture. Our Rabbis explained [this term to be an acronym of the terms]: שׁוּעַ , combed, טָווּי , spun, and נוּז , woven. [Thus, our Rabbis explain that the Torah prohibition of שַׁעַטְנֵז applies only to materials combed, spun, and woven together.] - [Sifrei 22: 81, Niddah 61b, see Rashi and Tos.]

 

12 You shall make yourself twisted threads even from a mixture [of wool and linen]. For this reason, Scripture juxtaposes them [these two commandments: sha’atnez and tzitzith]. - [Yev. 4a]

 

13 [If a man takes a wife,] is intimate with her, and despises her in the end he will...

 

14 make libelous charges against her One sin leads to another sin. He transgressed [the negative commandment of] “You shall not hate [your brother in your heart]” (Lev. 19:17); so eventually he will come to [commit the sin of] slander (לָשׁוֹן הָרַע). - [Sifrei 22:87]

 

this woman We learn from here that he says nothing except in the presence of his opponent. - [Sifrei 22:89]

 

15 The girl’s father and her mother [shall obtain evidence...] Let those who raised this evil offspring be disgraced because of her. - [Sifrei 22:90]

 

16 And the girl’s father shall say [to the elders] [The father, but not the mother.] This teaches us that a woman is not permitted to speak in the presence of her husband [when others are present]. - [Sifrei 22:91]

 

17 and they shall spread the garment This is a figurative expression, meaning: they shall clarify the matter as ["clear"] as a [new] garment. - [Sifrei 22:92, Keth. 46a]

 

18 and chasten him [with] lashes. - [Sifrei 22:93, Keth. 46a]

 

20 But if this matter was true [as corroborated] by witnesses, and there was warning, [proving] that she had committed adultery after her betrothal. - [Keth. 44b]

 

21 [they shall take the girl out] to the entrance of her father’s house [as if to say:] “Look at the children you have reared!”- [Keth. 45a.]

 

her father’s house Heb. בֵּית אָבִיהָ , [to be understood as] [אָבִיהָ] בְּבֵית “ in her father’s house.”

 

the men of her city [I.e.,] in the presence of all the men of her city. - [Sifrei 22:100]

 

22 both of them shall die [The words “both of them” come] to exclude unnatural acts in which the man makes contact with the woman without intercourse], from which the woman derives no pleasure [thus not including “both of them” in the act]. - [Sifrei 22:102, San. 66b]

 

even - גַּם , lit., also. This comes to include those who have relations after them. [I.e., after these two people have already been tried and sentenced to death for adultery, and before they are put to death, other people commit further adultery with them, these new people are also to be put to death for adultery, and we do not consider this couple as dead people.] Another explanation [of the expression שְׁנֵיהֶם גַּם־ ]: To include the fetus. [I.e.,] if she was pregnant, they do not wait for her until she gives birth [but put her to death immediately, while still pregnant]. - [Arachin 7a]

 

23 And [another] man finds her in the city Therefore, he lay with her. A breach [in a wall] invites a thief; had she remained at home, this would not have happened to her. - [Sifrei 22:103]

 

26 for just as a man rises up [against his fellow and murders him, so is this case] According to the simple meaning, this is the explanation: For she was coerced, and the man overpowered her, just like the case of someone who overpowers another person to kill him. Our Rabbis, however, interpreted it [as follows]: This one comes to teach, but instead he learns (San. 73a). [That is, it would seem at first glance, that the case of the murderer in the verse is cited in order to teach us something about the case of the betrothed girl who was raped, namely, that just as the murdered person was overpowered, so was this girl overpowered and coerced. However, with further examination, we learn something new from the case of this girl, which can be applied to the case of the murderer. And that is: just as in the case of the girl, we may save her from sin by killing her assailant, so it is, in the case of a murderer overpowering someone with the intent of murder, anyone is permitted to kill his assailant in order to save the life of the intended victim.]- [Sifrei 22:106]

 

Chapter 23

 

1 shall not take [I.e.,] betrothal has no effect on her [even after the father’s death], and he cannot legally marry her. - [Kid. 67a]

 

nor shall he uncover the corner of his father’s [cloak] [This seemingly superfluous phrase comes to include] the שׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם  of his father [i.e., the widow of his father’s brother who died without children, who awaits (שׁוֹמֶרֶת) her brother-in-law (יָבָם) to either wed her or release her through the rite of חֲלִיצָה. See Deut. 25:5-10.] She is [thus] intended for his father [who is her brother-in-law]. But has he not already been admonished regarding her by [the verse] “[You shall not uncover] the nakedness of [i.e., commit incest with the wife of] your father’s brother” (Lev. 18:14)? However, [the prohibition is repeated here] to make the transgressor liable on her account for two negative commands (Yev. 4a), and to juxtapose it to “A bastard (מַמְזֵר) shall not enter [the assembly of the Lord,” to teach us that a מַמְזֵר , “bastard,” is only [a child of] a forbidden union punishable by כָּרֵת ["excision," as is the case with a child born of one who takes his father’s שׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם ]. All the more so [does it apply to one born] from a forbidden union punishable by the death sentence by the court, for in forbidden unions incurring the death penalty by the court, there is no case that does not [also] incur the penalty of כָּרֵת [Yev. 49a]

 

2 with injured testicles [I.e.,] one whose testicles have been injured or crushed. - [Sifrei 23:111]

 

whose member is cut Heb.וּכְרוּת שָׁפְכָה , one whose male organ is cut, [to the extent] that his semen no longer shoots forth in a continuous flow, but rather drips and trickles, and thus he cannot produce children. - [Yev. 75a]

 

3 A bastard shall not enter the assembly of the Lord [I.e.,] he shall not marry an Israelite woman. - [Yev. 77b]

 

4 An Ammonite [or Moabite] shall not enter [the assembly of the Lord] [I.e.,] he shall not marry an Israelite woman. - [Yev. 77b]

 

5 Because Heb. עַל־דְּבַר [lit., “because of the word,” i.e.,] because of the [word of] advice they gave you (sic), to cause you to sin. - [Sifrei 23: 114]

 

on the way when you were in [a state of] extreme exhaustion. - [Sifrei 23:114]

 

7 You shall not [ever] seek out their welfare [nor their good] Since it says [in the case of a runaway slave], “He may reside with you in your midst” (verse 17), one might assume that this one [the Ammonite or the Moabite] is the same. Therefore, Scripture states: “You shall not [ever] seek out their welfare [or their good]” - [Sifrei 23:114. See Yalkut Shimoni, Mossad Harav Kook, fn. 54]

 

8 You shall not despise an Edomite Completely, [but only the first two generations,] even though it is appropriate for you to despise him, because he went forth against you with the sword (see Num. 20:18- 21).

 

You shall not despise an Egyptian Absolutely, [but only the first two generations,] even though they cast your male [infants] into the Nile. What is the reason [that you may not despise them]? Because they hosted you in a time of dire need; therefore:

 

9 Children who are born to them in the third generation But other nations, are allowed [to marry Jews] immediately [after their conversion]. Thus, you learn from here that someone who causes a person to sin does worse to him than one who kills him, for one who kills him, kills him [only] in this world, whereas one who leads him to sin removes him from [both] this world and from the world-to-come. Therefore, Edom, who came forth against them with the sword was not [completely] despised. Similarly, Egypt, who drowned them. These, however, who caused them to sin, were [completely] despised. - [Sifrei 23:117]

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 129:1 – 132:18

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Rashi’s Commentary on Tehillim (Psalms) ‎‎129:1-132:18

 

Chapter 129

 

3 the plowmen...they lengthened their furrow That is the hill of the plowshare, as (I Sam. 13: 14): “about half a furrow (מענה) [which] a yoke [of oxen plow in] a field.”

 

6 which, before it is plucked, withers Which, before they pluck it and uproot it from its place, is withered.

 

7 his arm Like (Isa. 49:22): “and they will bring your sons in [their] arms (בחצן),” aisselle in French, and so (Neh. 5:13): “Also I shook out my arm (חצני).”

 

Chapter 130

 

4 For forgiveness is with You You did not give permission to an agent to forgive, as it is said (Exod. 23:21): “for he will not forgive your transgression.”

 

in order that You be feared for this, so that no man will rely on the forgiveness of another. (I found this.)

 

5 I hoped, O Lord; yea, my soul hoped one hope after another hope, similar to (above 27:14): “Hope for the Lord, be strong and He will give your heart courage, and hope,” and similar to “among those who await the morning, those who await the morning.”

 

6 My soul is to the Lord among those who await the morning I am among those who look forward to the redemption.

 

those who await the morning They look forward and repeatedly look forward for one end after another end. (I found this.)

 

Chapter 131

 

1 my heart was not haughty, etc. I did not behave with superiority. I did not make great things pleasures, buildings, and plantings as my son made. Behold I am with You like one who has no hands or feet, like an incomplete form lying before You.

 

2 I calmed and quieted my soul upon You, like a suckling who is placed upon his mother. גָמוּל  is one who sucks the breasts.

 

like a suckling was my soul with me My soul within me was before You as an infant sucking its mother’s breasts.

 

Chapter 132

 

1 A song of ascents. Remember, O Lord, onto David all his affliction, The affliction of his soul, how he worked and toiled to find a place for You.

 

5 Until I find a place Until it will be known where the place of His sanctuary will be. (I found this.)

 

6 we heard it The tidings.

 

in Ephrath In the most esteemed and superior place, like (I Sam. 1: 1): “the son of Toku, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite,” an important person, a palace dweller. Another explanation:

 

We heard it in Ephrath In the Book of Joshua (ch. 15), who came from Ephraim. In all the boundaries, he says, “And the border went up...and the border circled,” but here he says, “And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnon... Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is [therefore] found to be higher than all the lands, and it is fit for the Temple, as it is said (Deut. 17:8): “and you shall arise and ascend to the place, etc.” This teaches [us] that the Temple is higher than the whole land of Israel. So, it is expounded upon in tractate Zevachim (54b).

 

we found it in the fields of the forest In the boundary of Benjamin, who was likened to a beast of the forest, as it is said (Gen. 49:27): “Benjamin is a devouring wolf.”

 

7 Let us come there to His Tabernacles.

 

10 turn not away the face of Your anointed Solomon when he comes to place the Ark therein.

 

12 and this, My testimony, which I shall teach them This which I shall teach them.

 

15 its provision its food.

 

18 will shine Heb.יציץ, which shine, like (Ezek. 1:7): “and they sparkled (ונצצים) like the color of burnished copper.”

 

Meditation on Tehillim (Psalms) Psalms 129:8 – 132:18

By Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

Psalms chapter 129 sees the Levitical choir move up to the tenth step. The Psalmist enjoins the reader to study the annals of Jewish history. The Psalmist explains that the many diverse periods of Jewish history should not be understood as separate, detached entities. Rather, the entire panorama of Israel's existence must be viewed as one extended lifetime. The earlier years were the time of our nation's youth, and more recent times are likened to adulthood leading to old age.

 

The Psalmist cautions us not to forget the painful experiences and lessons of our nation's youth. Israel was born in the bitter Egyptian exile. Even after we entered the Holy Land we met with endless adversity and hatred. Through it all, the benevolent hand of G-d guided our fortunes and protected us from annihilation. Now, as the mature nation looks back on its early travails, the people proclaim: Much have they distressed me since my youth, let Israel declare now.^[1]

 

Thus, Radak describes this work as a song of thanksgiving and praise. Despite the massive efforts of the enemy to destroy Israel in its period of weakness and youth, it was not vanquished, despite adversity, Israel flourishes. Indeed, this is a Song of Ascents in the fullest sense because it depicts the constant growth of the nation as it rose to every challenge and overcame every threat.

 

Psalms chapter 130 sees the Levitical choir move up to the eleventh step and continues the Songs of Ascent which were designed to raise man's spirits. This message of hope is never more necessary than in eras when Israel suffers both the degrading despair of exile and the bitter knowledge that these misfortunes are the result of its own sins. Yet, even when the gentiles deride and harm the Jews, Israel rises from sorrow on the wings of song and prayer. I put confidence in HaShem,^[2] Israel cries out, because I know that the exile is perpetuated only by my sins, and that these sins can surely be forgiven, once I repent.

 

Even sincere repentance is useless, however, unless G-d accepts it favorably. Therefore, the Psalmist concludes with a declaration of complete faith in His desire to accept repentance: Let Israel hope for HaShem, for with HaShem is kindness, and with Him is abundant redemption.^[3]

 

In Psalms chapter 130, the Psalmist called to G-d from the depths of exile and degradation, emphasizing that it is the prayer of the downtrodden and humble which is heard most readily.

 

In Psalms chapter 131, The Levitical choir move up to the twelfth step. King David plumbs the depths of his own personality and reveals the innocent, childlike quality of his trusting soul. Although he is an exalted monarch, David approaches G-d with genuine humility and self-effacement.

 

Rambam^[4] stresses that the Torah explicitly requires a king to remain humble.^[5] Just as his subjects are obligated to honor him, so is the king obligated to be modest and meek and to hold himself in low esteem, as David said, My heart was empty within me.^[6] The king may not act with excessive pride, that he may not exalt his heart above all of his brothers ...^[7] Rather the king must be concerned about the feelings of the very lowest of his subjects. When he addresses the congregation, he should speak softly and tenderly ... and he must always act with great humility.

 

Through his prophetic vision, David foresaw that the Jews were destined to languish in exile. In this psalm, David also teaches that they will only be redeemed if they demonstrate sincere humility in the presence of the Almighty.^[8]

 

The blessing of v.8 is also the blessing found in Megillat Ruth. Compare:

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 129:8 And the passers-by did not say, "May the blessing of HaShem be to you; we have blessed you in the name of the Lord."

 

Ruth 2:4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, HaShem be with you. And they answered him, HaShem bless thee

 

This connection suggests that we are looking at the roots of Mashiach ben David – in this psalm, the ultimate King. Curiously, we are looking at the tenth ascent, in these Psalms of ascent. We have seen previously that the number ten always points to Mashiach. Clearly this chapter of Psalms is picturing the life of Mashiach ben Yosef, as well as the life of King David. We say Mashiach ben Yosef because the book of Ruth concludes with the birth of King David, but it begins with the roots of those great ones who precede David.

 

Psalms chapter 132 speaks of David’s desire to build the Temple. David had a long time to collect the Temple building materials and instruct his son in the crafting of the Temple. In a way, when we obey the mitzvot of our Torah portion, then we build ourselves into a sanctuary. It is this sanctuary which will merit that HaShem should defeat our enemies.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 132:4-5 I will not give sleep to my eyes nor slumber to my pupils, 5. Until I find a place for HaShem, dwellings for the Mighty One of Jacob.

 

Tradition teaches that the human soul has five levels, of which the lower three are connected to our physical selves. And it is these three that concern us here. At the core of our being we are a neshama, which is always connected to HaShem to such a great extent that it is difficult to tell where the Divine Presence ends, and the person begins. Although our neshama is the core of our being, we are not self-conscious on the level of neshama; we are only self-conscious on the bottom two levels of our souls, the Ruach and the nefesh.

 

The neshama is connected to our ruach, our spiritual self. We are all self-aware as spiritual beings; we can all imagine ourselves as living without our bodies, and we all have a sense of morality and right and wrong that we know is above all materialistic considerations. The ruach is connected to our nefesh, the life force that burns within us and is the engine that drives us, the materialistic part of our beings.

 

The Temple is put together in the same way. The outermost level is called the Azara, and that is where the animal sacrifices are all brought. This level parallels the nefesh. It is connected to the Heichel, a much more spiritual place. No animal sacrifices are ever offered there. The incense is offered in the Heichel, which is where the Menorah is to be found; the Holy bread^[9] that stays warm and fresh from Shabbat to Shabbat is there. It is clearly a more spiritual part of the Temple, but we still have daily access to it just as we do to our own spirituality. This level parallels the ruach.

 

Finally, within the innermost recesses of the Heichel is the Holy of Holies; a separate alcove that is curtained off; the Holy Ark is kept there, and this is the place that the Shechinah^[10] inhabits; we do not have daily access to this part of the Temple at all. The only person who ever enters it is the High Priest, and even he is only allowed to enter once a year. This lack of access is clearly an existential expression of our lack of access to our own neshamot.

 

The symbolism is clear; the High priest who enters the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur must enter it on the level of neshama.

 

Life is problematic only because we are not really sure about how to define ourselves. Were we able to see ourselves clearly as neshamot and were we therefore conscious of our unbreakable attachment to HaShem, the point of our lives would be quite clear to us; we wouldn't be at all confused as to why we exist and what we are supposed to do with our lives. But HaShem decreed that we must live with free will, and therefore the awareness of how our life depends on our attachment to HaShem at the source of our beings is withheld from our self-consciousness.

 

Instead we are placed in a situation of existential conflict; our raging life force, the nefesh, and our spiritual side, the ruach, are always contending with each other pulling us in different directions. The ceaseless conflict confuses us; none of us are sure of who and what we are. No one wants to deny their real selves and live the wrong life; our confusion about who we are is the source of our sins. The eternal confusion is the dilemma that forms the backdrop against which we must exercise our free will.

 

Our state of oblivion regarding the existence of our neshama, the highest level of our soul that is always attached to HaShem renders us incapable of reaching clarity about who we are and clearing up our confusion.

 

Stepping into the Holy of Holies means becoming self-conscious as neshamot. The fog of confusion is instantly dissipated and replaced by total clarity of vision. To enjoy such clarity runs contrary to the purpose of living in this world. To enter the Holy of Holies is to step out of life as HaShem decreed that it must be lived here in this world of difficult choices. When Nadav and Avihu took this step, they terminated the point of their continued existence in the world of choice and therefore left it; they died.

 

But they sanctified the Temple in the process. They demonstrated the existence of the Temple on the level of neshama; they demonstrated the existence of their own Neshamot, the state of the attachment of the neshama to HaShem, and how this relationship is mirrored by the Holy of Holies in the Temple. To us plain folks the cause of their death would perhaps have remained a total mystery; but to the 'generation of the wise' who stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai the lesson taught by their deaths was obvious and revealed the power of the heretofore missing dimension of the Temple, the Holy of Holies.

 

The Luz^[11] Connection

 

The Beit HaMikdash is the “neck” of the world.

 

Berachoth 30a Our Rabbis taught: A blind man or one who cannot tell the cardinal points should direct his heart towards his Father in Heaven, as it says, And they pray unto the Lord. If one is standing outside Palestine, he should turn mentally towards Eretz Israel, as it says, And pray unto Thee towards their land. If he stands in Eretz Israel he should turn mentally towards Jerusalem, as it says, And they pray unto the Lord toward the city which Thou hast chosen. If he is standing in Jerusalem he should turn mentally towards the Sanctuary, as it says, If they pray toward this house. If he is standing in the Sanctuary, he should turn mentally towards the Holy of Holies, as it says, If they pray toward this place. If he was standing in the Holy of Holies, he should turn mentally towards the mercy-seat. If he was standing behind the mercy-seat he should imagine himself to be in front of the mercy-seat. Consequently, if he is in the east, he should turn his face to the west; if in the west he should turn his face to the east; if in the south he should turn his face to the north; if in the north he should turn his face to the south. In this way all Israel will be turning their hearts towards one place. R. Abin — or as some say R. Abina — said: What text confirms this? — Thy neck is like the tower of David built with turrets [talpioth], the elevation [tel]^[12] towards which all mouths (piyyoth) turn.

 

Megillah 16b And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck.^[13] How many necks^[14] had Benjamin? — R. Eleazar said: He wept for the two Temples which were destined to be in the territory of Benjamin^[15] and to be destroyed. And Benjamin wept upon his neck: he wept for the tabernacle of Shiloh which was destined to be in the territory of Joseph and to be destroyed.

 

Midrash Rabbah - The Song of Songs IV:12  THY NECK IS LIKE THE TOWER OF DAVID: this refers to the Temple. Why is it compared to a neck? Because so long as the Temple was standing, Israel’s neck was stretched out among the nations of the world, but when the Temple was destroyed, then, if one may say so, Israel’s neck was bowed; and so it is written, And I will break the pride of your power (Lev. XXII, 19), namely, the Temple. Another explanation: Just as a man’s neck is in the highest part of him, so the Temple was in the highest part of the world. And just as most ornaments are hung round the neck, so the priests were attached to the Temple, the Levites were attached to the Temple. And just as, if the neck is removed, a man cannot live, so since the Temple was destroyed there has been no life for the enemies of Israel.

 

The Midrash has this to say about the luz bone:

 

Midrash Rabbah - Leviticus XVIII:1 And the almond shall blossom refers to the luz (nut) of the spinal column. Hadrian, may his bones be crushed, asked R. Joshua b. Hananiah, saying: ‘From which part of the body will the Holy One, blessed be He, in the Time to Come, cause man to sprout forth? ‘He answered: ‘From the nut of the spinal column.’ Said he: ‘How can you convince me?’ He thereupon brought one before him; he put it in water, but it was not dissolved; he let it pass through millstones, but it was not ground; he put it in fire, but it was not burnt; he put it on an anvil and began beating it with a hammer, but the anvil was flattened out, and the hammer was split, but all this had no effect.

 

The Mishkan as a Body:

 

The Mishkan, the Tabernacle in the wilderness, alludes to the human body. Rambam thus wrote the following to his son:

 

My son Avraham, you must realize that the Mishkan alludes to the human body.

 

The Holy Ark, the innermost part, alludes to the human heart, which is the innermost part of the body. The Ark was the main part of the Mishkan because it contained the Tablets of the Covenant. So, too, is the human heart the main part of the body. It is the source of his life, his knowledge, and his understanding. The wings of the keruvim, which spread over the Ark, allude to the lungs. The lungs are over the heart like wings, and they provide it with air. The Table in the Mishkan alludes to the human stomach. Just as food and drink are placed on the table, so the stomach is filled with food and drink that a person consumes and from there it is distributed to the other parts of the body.

 

The Menorah (candlestick) in the Mishkan alludes to the human mind. Just as the Menorah gives forth light, so the intellect enlightens the entire body. Three stems went out from the Menorah on each side. These allude to the three limbs that extend from each side of the human body, the eye, the ear, and the hand. The intellect directs these three parts of the body. The incense altar alludes to the sense of smell. The sacrificial altar alludes to the intestines, which digest the food that enters the body. The veil covering the Mishkan alludes to the diaphragm, which is like a barrier between the parts of the body. The washstand alludes to the moisture and other liquids in the body. The goats’ wool hangings allude to the skin that covers the human body. The beams of the Mishkan allude to the ribs.^[16]

 

The Beit HaMikdash is Female

 

The parts of the Beit HaMikdash, the Temple, all are in the feminine gender, in Hebrew. This suggests that the structure and its utensils are part of a female body. This aspect is further emphasized when we note that the Torah calls a man’s wife his “house”.^[17] A wife is a house. Thus, the Beit HaMikdash, “The House of the Holy One”, would also be female.

 

If one looks at the form of the Beit HaMikdash as emphasized by the courtyards, we can see that the Woman’s courtyard is the largest courtyard, and it is at the “bottom” of the structure. This mirrors the female body which has the largest part at the bottom of the structure. Please remember that the arms and legs are not part of the structure, only the head and torso.

 

An aspect of the connection between the creation of the world and the Mikdash is the idea that the Mishkan and the Mikdash are the goal of creation, and it was only with their construction that creation was completed.

 

Mishlei (Proverbs) 30:4 Who has established all the ends of the earth.

 

This refers to Moshe, who established the Mishkan, with which the world was established. It does not say “to set up the Mishkan”, but rather “to set up with the Mishkan”^[18] – the world was set up with it. For until the Mishkan was erected, the world was unstable; but after it was erected, the world became firm. Therefore, it says: “And it came to pass on the day that Moshe had finished setting up (with) the Mishkan”.^[19]

 

“To set up the Mishkan” … There we have learned: The world stands on three things: On the Torah, on the Divine service, and on acts of loving-kindness.^[20] And Moshe mentioned all three of them in one verse: “You in Your loving-kindness have led forth Your people whom you have redeemed”^[21] – this is loving-kindness; “You have guided them in Your strength” – this is the Torah…; “To Your holy habitation” – this is the service in the Mishkan and in the Mikdash… He guided them by virtue of the Torah which they had received before the erection of the Mishkan. What was the world like at that time? It was like a stool with two legs, which cannot stand and is unstable. When a third leg was made for it, it became firm, and it stood. So, too, when the Mishkan was made… immediately, it became firm and stood. For at first the world had only two legs, loving-kindness, and the Torah, and it was unstable. When a third leg was made for it, namely, the Mishkan, it immediately stood.^[22]

 

According to the Midrashim, the Mishkan and the Mikdash are essentially a continuation of the creation and its completion. Before they were built, the world was lacking, and the goal of creation had not been attained. Moreover, before the Mikdash was built, the existence of the world was not absolute and stable, for the world rests, among other things, upon the Divine service, the heart of which is in the Temple.

 

Parallels between the creation of the world and the construction of the Mishkan.

 

This connection finds expression in Scripture in a number of stylistic parallels between the Mishkan and creation:

 

1) Both are called melacha, “work”.^[23]

 

2) The root, עשה, repeats itself many times in both contexts.

 

3) Wisdom, understanding and knowledge:

 

Mishlei (Proverbs) 3:19-20 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens. By knowledge the depths were broken up.

 

See, I have called by name Betzalel… And I have filled him with the spirit of G-d, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.^[24] Lets examine the parallel between what happened at creation and what happened during the creation of the Mishkan:

 

	CREATION	MISHKAN
“Seeing” at the completion of the work:	Bereshit (Genesis) 1:31 And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was good.	Shemot (Exodus) 39:43 And Moshe saw all the work, and behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, even so they had done it.
Completion of the work:	Bereshit (Genesis) 2:1-2 Then the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their host. And by the seventh day God ended the work which He had done.	Shemot (Exodus) 39:32; 40:33 Thus was the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moshe, so they did… So, Moshe finished the work.
A blessing at the completion of the work:	Bereshit (Genesis) 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and performed.	Shemot (Exodus) 39:43 And Moshe saw all the work, and behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, even so they had done it: and Moshe blessed them.
Ending with the sanctity of Shabbat:	Bereshit (Genesis) 2:1-2 Then the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their host. And by the seventh day God ended the work which He had done.	Shemot (Exodus) 31:11 and the anointing oil, and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place; according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.' … 13 'Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying: Verily ye shall keep My sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the LORD who sanctify you.
Chazal noted these parallels in several places. The Tanchuma[25] draws a parallel between the order of creation and the order of the building of the Mishkan:
Rav Yaakov be-Rav Asi said: Why does it say:	Tehillim (Psalms) 26:8 Lord, I love the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells?	Because it is equivalent to the creation of the world. How so? On the first day it says: Bereshit (Genesis) 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Curtains for a separation:	Tehillim (Psalms) 104:2 Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain.	Shemot (Exodus) 26:7 And you shall make curtains of goats’ hair.
On the second day it mentions division:	Bereshit (Genesis) 1:6 And let it divide water from water.	Shemot (Exodus) 26:33 And the veil shall be for you as a division.
On the third day, it mentions water:	Bereshit (Genesis) 1:9 Let the waters be gathered.	Shemot (Exodus) 30:18 You shall also make a laver of brass, and its pedestal also of brass… and you shall put water in it.
On the fourth day, He created the lights:	Bereshit (Genesis) 1:14 Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven.	Shemot (Exodus) 25:31 And you shall make a candlestick of pure gold.
On the fifth day, He created the birds:	Bereshit (Genesis) 1:20 Let the waters swarm abundantly with moving creatures that have life, and let birds fly above.	And corresponding to them in the Mikdash – offering sacrifices from sheep and birds.
On the sixth day, man was created:	Bereshit (Genesis) 1:27 So God created man in his own image.	He formed him with dignity. And regarding the Mishkan it says “man”, namely, the High Priest who was anointed to serve and attend before God.

 

Why is the Mishkan equivalent to the heavens and the earth? Just as the heavens and the earth testify about Israel, as it says: I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you,^[26] so the Mishkan is testimony to Israel, as it is stated: These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the testimony.^[27] Therefore, it says: “Lord, I love the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells”.^[28]

 

The Midrash HaGadol at the end of Parashat Pekudei explains how the Mishkan completes the creation:

Shemot (Exodus) 40:34 Then a cloud covered the Tent of Meeting.

 

This is what it means when it says:

Tehillim (Psalms) 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it for ever.

 

Rav Yitzchak said: “The righteous shall inherit the land”, and where are the wicked? Hanging in the air? Rather what is “and dwell in it forever”, they will cause the Shechinah to dwell in it.

 

Genesis Rabbah 19:7 The Shechinah was originally in the lower world. When the first man sinned, it retreated to the first firmament. The generation of Enosh arose and sinned, and it retreated from the first to the second firmament.  The generation of the flood arose and sinned, and it retreated from the second to the third firmament. The generation of the dispersion arose and sinned, and it retreated from the third to the fourth firmament. The Egyptians in the days of Avraham sinned, and it retreated from the fourth to the fifth firmament. The Sodomites sinned, and it retreated from the fifth to the sixth [firmament]. The Egyptians in the days of Moshe sinned, and it retreated from the sixth to the seventh [firmament].

 

And corresponding to them, seven righteous men arose and brought [the Shechinah] down to earth. Avraham arose and acted virtuously and brought it down from the seventh to the sixth [firmament]. Yitzchak arose and acted virtuously and brought it down from the sixth to the fifth [firmament]. Yaakov arose and acted virtuously and brought it down from the fifth to the fourth [firmament]. Levi arose and acted virtuously and brought it down from the fourth to the third [firmament]. Kehat arose and acted virtuously and brought it down from the third to the second [firmament]. Amram arose and acted virtuously and brought it down from the second to the first [firmament]. Moshe arose and acted virtuously, and brought it down to the earth, as it is stated: “And the Glory of the Lord filled the Mishkan”.^[29]

 

The midrash in Shemot Rabba states that certain things were created solely for the sake of the Mishkan:

 

Shemot Rabba 35:1 Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The world was not worthy of using gold; why then was it created? For the Mishkan and for the Mikdash, as it is stated: “And the gold of that land is good”,^[30] and as it is stated: “That goodly mountain and the Levanon” …^[31] Rav Chanina said: The world was not worthy of using cedars. They were created solely for the Mishkan and for the Mikdash, as it is stated: “The trees of the Lord have their fill; the cedars of Levanon, which He has planted”,^[32] and Levanon refers to the Mikdash, as it is stated: “This goodly mountain and the Levanon.”

 

Meditation on Tehillim (Psalms) Psalms 129:8 – 132:3

By Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

Psalms 129 through 132 continue the Psalms of ascent that the Talmud[33] ascribes to King David. Our verbal tally, with the Torah, for these four psalms are “Enemies –איב ” and “Deliver / give - נתן”. Thus we expect the righteous to find deliverance from their enemies, through the hand of HaShem, in these psalms. Psalm 129:1 begins with ‘greatly afflicted’. The Hebrew word underlying ‘afflicted’ (צררוני) is from a root which conveys the sense of war, hatred, and pressure. This sense of ‘war’ connects our psalm with our Ashlamatah whose verbal tally with the Torah is found in the word ‘war’ (מלחמה).^[1]

 

Our Torah portion begins (21:10) and ends (23:9) with the same basic statement: “When the host goeth forth against thine enemies”. This admonition forms bookends which connect the subject matter between them. Thus, we understand that the various sins described in our Torah portion are the very sins which will tend to ensnare us when we go out against our enemies.

 

Our psalms have similar bookends. We start out as the ones greatly afflicted (in 129:1) and we end with our enemies being subdued (132:18): His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish. Our opening pasuk forms the reason for ‘going out’ and our ending pasuk describes the results of our going out. We can expect, therefore, that these are the results available to the righteous who observe the mitzvot which are contained in our Torah portion. This also suggests that King David is describing his life of conflict, with his enemies, as he penned these psalms.

 

With Psalm 129 the Levitical choir moves up to the tenth step. This psalm enjoins the reader to study Jewish history and see the diverse periods as a single story, a single panoramic picture painted by the hand of HaShem.

 

There are eight ‘ascents’ in this psalm.[34] The ascents are:

 

1.      They have greatly afflicted me from my youth, say.

2.      They have greatly afflicted me from my youth, not.

3.      The plowers have plowed.

4.      The LORD.

5.      Be confounded.

6.      Which has withered.

7.      With which… not.

8.      And… have not said, the blessing of the LORD, we bless you, the LORD.

 

The blessing of v.8 is also the blessing found in Megillat Ruth. Compare:

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 129:8 And the passers-by did not say, "May the blessing of the LORD be to you; we have blessed you in the name of the Lord."

 

Ruth 2:4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee

 

This connection suggests that we are looking at the roots of Mashiach ben David – in these psalms, the ultimate King. Curiously, we are looking at the tenth ascent, in these Psalms of ascent. We have seen in a previous study[35] that the number ten always points to Mashiach. Clearly this Psalm is picturing the life of Mashiach ben Yosef, as well as the life of King David. We say Mashiach ben Yosef because the book of Ruth concludes with the birth of King David, but it begins with the roots of those great ones who precede David.

 

With Psalm 130 the Levitical choir moves up to the eleventh step. The eight "ascents"^[36] of this psalm, are:

 

1.      O Lord.

2.      O Lord, my voice, my voice, the sound.

3.      Pay heed to iniquities, O Lord.

4.      Indeed, with You.

5.      I wait for the Lord, my soul waits… I hope.

6.      My soul waits for the Lord, among those, who watch for the morning, who watch for the morning.

7.      Israel, hope for the Lord, for with the Lord... redemption.

8.      He will redeem, Israel, his iniquities.

 

With Psalm 131 the Levitical choir moves up to the twelfth step. The three “ascents” ^[37] of this psalm are:

 

1.       O LORD… not (לא, lo)… nor (ולא, v’lo)… and not (ולא, v’lo).

2.      Surely (אמ־לא, im-lo)… like a weaned child beside its mother: my soul is to me like a weaned child.

3.      The LORD.

 

In our first verse, David is describing his heart at the time he was anointed as King over Israel by Shmuel the Prophet.[38]

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 131:1 A song of ascent by David. O LORD, my heart was not haughty, nor were my eyes raised on high, and I did not pursue matters greater and more wondrous than I.

 

This is the opposite attitude of the one who would have illicit relations with a woman, which are forbidden by our Torah portion. The one who engages in this behavior is one who sees himself as being above others and his needs eclipsing the needs of others. This first verse, of Psalm 131, forms a thematic connection with our Torah portion.

 

With Psalm 132 the Levitical choir moves up to the thirteenth step. The eighteen “ascents” ^[39] of this psalm are:

 

1.      O Lord... for David.

2.      He swore forever... to the Lord... to the mighty One of Jacob.

3.      I will not come... nor... mount.

4.      I will not give.

5.      Until I find a place for the Lord, a habitation for the mighty One of Jacob.

6.      We found it.

7.      Let us come into His dwelling places.

8.      Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place.

9.      May Your priests be clothed... and may Your pious ones shout for joy.

10.   David... turn away... Your anointed.

11.   The Lord has sworn to David… He will turn... upon your throne.

12.   If your children... their children will sit on your throne forevermore.

13.   He has desired it for His habitation.

14.   My resting place forever… I will dwell... I desire it.

15.   I will abundantly bless.

16.   I will clothe her priests... and her pious ones will surely shout for joy.

17.   Of David… for my anointed.

18.   I will clothe.

 

This psalm speaks of David’s desire to build the Temple. David had a long time to collect the Temple building materials and instruct his son in the crafting of the Temple. In a way, when we obey the mitzvot of our Torah portion, then we build ourselves into a sanctuary. It is this sanctuary which will merit that HaShem should defeat our enemies.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 132:4-5 I will not give sleep to my eyes nor slumber to my pupils, 5. Until I find a place for the LORD, dwellings for the Mighty One of Jacob.

 

Rashi shows us that v.6 is another clear reference to Ruth:

 

in Ephrath - In the most esteemed and superior place, like (I Sam. 1: 1): “the son of Toku, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite,” an important person, a palace dweller.

 

Naomi and her husband and sons were all Ephratites:

 

Ruth 1:1-2 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2  And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-Judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

 

Ruth’s son, Obed, contained the Ephratite soul of Machlon, Naomi’s son.

 

Ruth 4:13-17 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. 14  And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. 15  And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. 17  And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

 

This helps us to understand that the entire Messianic line of kings, which are descended from Ruth and Boaz, they were all Ephratites – palace dwellers. In Mashiach ben David, the culmination of this Kingly line, we find our deliverance from our enemies.

 

The end of this psalm shows that David’s sons will reign as well as Mashiach ben David.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 132:11-12 + 17 The LORD has sworn to David in truth, from which He will never turn back, "Of the fruit of your body I will seat upon your throne. 12. If your sons keep My covenant, and this, My testimony, which I will teach them, also their sons will sit on your throne forever." … 17. There I will cause David's horn to sprout; I have set up a lamp for My anointed (Messiah).

 

Ashlamatah: Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 2:4-7 + 12-17

 

 Rashi’s Commentary on Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 2:4-7 + 12-17

 

4 into plowshares koltres in O.F. pruning hooks sarpes in O.F. [serpes in modern French], with which they prune the vineyards. 

                                   

5 O house of Jacob... The nations will say this to them, and this verse refers back to the verse [commencing with], “And many peoples shall go...”

 

come and let us go in the light of the Lord They will say this to them. Jonathan, however, renders: And those of the

 

 6 For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob The prophet addresses the Shechinah and says, “For until now You have forsaken Your People because of their iniquity.” [Other editions read:] “...that which You have forsaken Your people was because of their iniquity, for they are full of [witchcraft] from the East,” and the entire section, and all the chapters follow one another, until (ch. 5) “I will sing now...” Therefore, in the end of days, when the sinners perish, it will be good for them (Parshandatha). (Another explanation is: The prophet admonishes them and says this to them, “For you have forsaken your people, O house of Jacob...” You have forgotten [the deed of your people Parshandatha] the good deed through which you became a people, you house of Jacob.)

 

for they are full...from the east Their hosts have become full of the deeds of the Arameans who dwell in the East, who were sorcerers and used the name of pagan deities. [Other editions read:] ...and used the name of defilement [sorcery and demonism Rashi ad loc.], as we say in Ch. Chelek (Sanh. 91a): “Abraham gave gifts” (Gen. 25:6) He gave them the name of defilement and sent them away to the land of the East [as quoted by Parshandatha].

 

and with children of gentiles, they please themselves They cohabit with the daughters of the heathens and mingle with them, and they would bear children to them, with whom they are always pleased, and they occupy themselves [with them]and long for them and bother with them. This is an expression similar to [that of] (Job 36:18) “lest he incite you because of abundance 

 

13 the cedars of the Lebanon This is symbolic of the heroes [var. the kings].

 

the oaks of the Bashan The governors, just as the oaks are inferior to the cedars. 

 

14 And over all the high mountains over their inhabitants. 

 

 16 And over all the ships Jonathan renders: And over all those who inhabit the islands of the sea, who go and come by ship.

 

Tarshish The name of a sea called Tarshish.

 

and over all coveted floors Heb. אֶבֶן, palaces paved with coverings of marble floors, similar to: (Lev. 26:1) and a covering stone 

 

17 on that day That is the Day of Judgment. 

Commentary on the Ashlamatah of (Yeshayah) Isaiah 2:4-7 + 12-17

By: H.Ex. Adon Shlomoh Ben Abraham

 

Isaiah lived in Jerusalem in the second half of Israel's Kingdom period, and he spoke for God to the leaders of Jerusalem and Judah. His career as a prophet ran for eighty-six years (619-533b.c.e.) [40] Isaiah spoke of God's judgment; he warned Israel's corrupt leaders that their rebellion against their covenant with God would come at a cost of judgement. HaShem was going to use the great empires of Assyria and later Babylon to judge Jerusalem if they persisted in idolatry and the oppression of the poor. The announcement of judgement was combined with a message of hope. This chapter describes the vision of the future when the nations of the world are streaming to Zion and the transformation of human society under divine instruction. Isaiah spoke that God would one day fulfill all of his covenant promises: that he would send a king from David's line to establish God's kingdom (2 Samuel 7), that he would lead Israel in obedience to all of the laws of the Covenant made at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19), and all of this was so that God's blessing and salvation would flow outward to all of the nations of the earth as God promised to Abraham in Genesis (12), and it's this hope that compelled Isaiah to speak out against the corruption and idolatry of Israel in his day.

 

I believe we have reached the time when “in the end of days, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say: ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” ^[41] Radak says (v.4) speaks of the King Messiah who will judge among many peoples and nations and settle their disputes. Abarbanel adds that the Sanhedrin will sit in judgment on the Temple Mount and will judge the nations. It will be a time of universal peace. A time when the end of warfare and the redirection of human energy toward life-giving work (agriculture). There will be harmony among nations, with justice replacing violence. “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”  Rashi tells us that (v.4) is a continuation of the words of the many people in verse three. They (many people) will turn to the Jewish nation and beseech them to lead the way to the observance of God’s Torah.[42]  And this agrees with the Prophet Zechariah in Zechariah 8:20–23.

 

It will be a time when divine justice will prevail, and God is portrayed as the ultimate judge and arbiter among peoples. This righteous judgment of the Messianic King leads to peace and the people’s submission and obedience to God’s law ensures fairness and stability. Isaiah calls for “the house of Jacob to Come and let us walk by the light of HaShem.”  How is this change going to happen? The rabbis say it will not be by might nor by a worldwide Jewish proselytizing campaign. The Rambam said, Israel will be in the land, and the Beit HaMikdash will be established, and the people will achieve such a level of holiness and service to HaShem, that their spiritual light will be so great the nations will be drawn to it.[43]  The prophet refers to Israel as the house of Jacob, a reference to Jacob’s descendants. How many descendants did Jacob have? Did Jacobs' descendants have anything to do with each other in the past, or will they in the future? Isaiah used this term eight times (vv. 5–6; 8:17; 10:20; 14:1; 29:22; 46:3; 48:1), whereas it is used only nine times by all the other prophets. In (v.6) we are told, ⁶ For Thou hast forsaken Thy people the house of Jacob; for they are replenished from the east, and with soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the brood of aliens. Other translations say, they content themselves with the children of foreigners, [44]  or they have joined, they strike [45]  hands with the children of foreigners.^[46]  Rashi says HaShem was justified in forsaking Israel, for they had followed the heathen nations. [47]  The biblical example we learn is that every time Israel is exiled from the land, when they return, they bring gentiles along with them. These foreigners with whom Israel has joined are called ‘nokriy.’ [48]  In the bible, hope for the conversion or inclusion of foreigners (‘nokriy’) was offered, as we see this word is used by Ruth and used by King Solomon in his great dedication prayer for all foreigners who pray to and fear HaShem. (Ruth 2:10; 1 Kgs. 8:38 - 43) ^[49]  In the pages of Tanach and in the history books of mankind, when the children of Israel turn from the ancient wisdom of Torah to modern heathen philosophies, then Israel and mankind move further away from God. This false sense of security with the nation's wisdom, which is ‘no wisdom,’ leads to physical prosperity and straight into full-blown idolatry.

 

In the biblical narrative, the “turning” at the end of days is not a spontaneous moral awakening. It is the result of: Events becoming so unmistakably beyond human control that people recognize a higher reality. We could propose a divine revelation of some sort. Scripture speaks of a period of crisis, instability, and disillusionment with human power structures. This is not humanity becoming better — it is humanity running out of illusions when this global upheaval takes place. The prophet Isaiah describes a time when God “removes the veil” covering the nations (Isaiah 25:7). People’s words and people’s perceptions change, and maybe there will be a moment of universal clarity when God enlarges Japheth, and he dwells in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant (Gen.9:27).” [50] The above change will be or must be accompanied by a great amount of pain and pressure to create humble and repentant people. This seems to be the history of humanity, both Israel and those of the nations. I would like to believe that all people will turn to HaShem and see the value of placing God first in one's life, but history tells us that it is only a remnant in every generation. In Isaiah 10:21, it speaks of a returning remnant of Jacob. Along with the children of Israel returning to HaShem, we should see the Gentiles returning also, as Isaiah describes in (Isa. 49:22,52:13-15,55:3-5,56:6-8). In both Jewish and Christian eschatology, the Messianic figure plays a significant role in unifying, teaching, and transforming humanity — not through coercion, but through his undeniable wisdom and presence.

 

Rabbi Saul in the Nazarene Codicil tells us exactly the prophet’s description of what will be in the last days, as humanity does not seem to gradually improve; it only seems to deteriorate in a race to the bottom. In 2 Timothy 3, it says “the last days are marked by: self-love, greed, arrogance, rebellion, ingratitude, a lack of holiness, and a love of pleasure over love of God.”  This is not a description of a world trending toward righteousness. It is a world trending toward self-destruction. It has been said the Jews are the canary in the coal mine to the world. In Jewish tradition, the phrase “the face of the generation will be like the face of a dog” is from the Mishnah in Sotah (9:15). This metaphor suggests the leaders of a generation will be perceived as followers, rather than as true leaders, reflecting a lack of genuine authority and direction. Isaiah in (v.6-7) turns his words toward HaShem. Addressing God, Isaiah acknowledges that God has hidden his face from Israel due to their sin and following the ways of the nations and serving their gods. Israel is criticized for adopting foreign practices, engaging in divination, and accumulating wealth, horses, and chariots. Israel became corrupt through foreign influence and materialism. HaShem asks that his people live a life of faithfulness to God, simplicity in their devotion and worship and reliance on divine protection rather than themselves and military might. The sin of pride destroys man and just as at the tower of Babel in (Gen.11) it always comes just before the fall. We live in a world where humanity has become the measure of all things and this leaves truth as a meaningless concept, thus nothing has any meaning, and this leaves humans looking to themselves and their leaders as gods. HaShem must destroy all this for the biblical view is that these pseudo-gods will eventually fail in a way that will be globally visible and recognized by all.

 

For centuries and millenniums people have trusted in what they build: empires, ideologies, wealth, technology, political systems, human progress, and their leaders. When the things people rely on collapse, they reassess what is real. This is the story of humanity, they rise and they fall, empires come and then they die off. But at the end of days something has to happen that breaks that cycle of human history. Isaiah laments that his contemporaries measured their high opinion of others and the respect due to them according to their wealth and power. Silver and gold, treasures, horses, and chariots determined the pride of mankind which leads to arrogance. If people are judged by their moral and spiritual characteristics, there will be equality and respect. But if gold, silver, and power are the criteria (as it is today) discrimination and disrespect are inevitable and there will be no inclination at all toward [living a life of practiced] morality.[51]

 

When judgement came to Israel in Isaiah's day and in ours, we are both told to enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the glory of His majesty. (v.10) How does one hide from the almighty by getting in the dust? How can one hide by going into the rocks or caves? By humbling oneself and acknowledging HaShem as your master and doing his will. Repentance repairs a legal and moral covenant, and it is about: fidelity, obedience, justice, and communal faithfulness. Prophetic and biblical repentance is triggered by crisis; Human history informs us that most people repent when they have a personal crisis in their lives. National repentance I suggest comes the same way. People repent when disaster strikes and an exile looms just ahead. The prophets warned that national catastrophe was approaching but the people are deaf to the voice of HaShem. Destruction comes and we then see that repentance is often reactive. The metaphor of squeezing an apple and expecting something other than apple juice is the same as what happens when we humans are squeezed by HaShem’s judgment of discipline. Under pressure we only produce what is in our hearts, the true measure of a man is how he reacts when put under pressure, only under pressure can he begin to start to grow spiritually.

 

For the Lord of hosts hath a day upon all that is proud and lofty, and upon all that is lifted up, and it shall be brought low...  upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up…  upon every lofty tower, and upon every fortified wall… upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all delightful imagery… the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. ^[52]   Radak compares the kings and leaders of the nations to the lofty cedars of Lebanon and their officers to the oaks of Bashan. God's retribution will be against the inhabitants of the mountains, the arrogant who rely on their wealth and power, those who think they are untouchable. The tall towers and the fortified walls are a metaphor for the arrogant warriors who rely on their might. The day of retribution upon all the proud and arrogant is the day of judgment, when the righteous will receive their reward and the wicked their punishment.[53]  The metaphor continues with those who take pride in their wealth and abundant possessions, which are transported by the ships of Tarshish. It has been said repentance begins when cognitive dissonance becomes impossible to ignore. The prophets spoke of repentance, not as “stop doing bad things.” But becoming a different kind of person. Ezekiel speaks of a “new heart.” a “new spirit,” or a heart of stone becoming a heart of flesh. The Prophets treat sin as a breach of relationship, not just a moral failure. The Prophets do not want temporary remorse; repentance is not a moment — it is a new direction in life, a new moral compass. Therefore, the Prophets speak of and want a permanent reorientation of a life lived.

 

Humanity's haughtiness will be humbled, and man's arrogance will be brought low. (v.17)    As the end comes upon us, Humanity does not start the redemption process. God does. The prophet's long view description of HaShem’s program is as follows: God is gathering the nations, God is revealing truth, God works to restore Israel, God judges’ injustice, and God works to heal and restore his world (creation). This process is the way of history, but we see where the work is speeding up, and what once took many years to accomplish, we are now witnessing in the course of days or weeks, not years. Bible scholars have taken note that Prophetic repentance as preached by the prophets of Israel is a national return to covenantal justice and the instruction of the law of Moses, whereas Christian repentance is an individual transformation of the heart through divine grace. One halakhic path is understood as national and the other as individual, but both systems require a humble and contrite heart submitting to HaShem’s will and following his way. This practice produces a permanent reorientation of one’s life.

 

The illusion of the world getting better is a false idea, it seems man does not naturally turn toward God, and this is the tension in the bible. At the end of days, we are not seeing a spontaneous moral awaking. As events become so unmistakably beyond human control people will be forced to recognize a higher reality. Scripture describes a period of crisis, instability, and disillusionment with the human power structures. This is not humanity becoming better — it is humanity running out of illusions. Therefore, we conclude that the truth of the matter is that “the end of days” is about the revelation of HaShem and his Messiah. A revelation so extraordinary and beyond anything man can imagine, a revelation unlike anything humankind has ever experienced. Some in a small way experienced this revelation and have turned to HaShem. But for the majority of humanity, they have not experienced spiritual and moral evolution or awakening. Yet scripture teaches us humanity will turn to God as their reality changes.

 

For the last five to ten years most people have recognized an enormous amount of change that has come to the entire world. Some people view it as the end, the extinction of all humanity. But for those who have faith and a relationship with HaShem and his anointed Messiah it only reinforces a phenomenon in nature. As dawn approaches the temperature drops and as the sun moves into position to start a new day it gets darker just before dawn. Going into the Gregorian year 2026 looks like the birth pains will be progressing and the contractions will become greater. It behooves each of us to increase our trust and faith in God and to live in a proactive way to practice the mitzvot in our service to HaShem.

 

As things become clearer and the pain becomes much greater, humanity will repent and simply humble itself to serve HaShem as its master and creator. He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? ^[54]

 

Verbal Tallies

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 21:10 – 23:9

Tehillim (Psalms) 129:1-132:18

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 2:4-7 + 12-17

 

Looking at the Hebrew of Devarim  21:10 and Isaiah 2:4, what is the verbal tally (all words) that connects these two passages?

 

The primary verbal tally connecting these two passages is the word War/Battle (מִלְחָמָה), marking the transition from the "going out" to war in the Law to the "ceasing" of war in the Messianic era.

 

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 21:10 When thou goest forth to battle [לַמִּלְחָמָה H4421] against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou carriest them away captive;

 

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 2:4 And He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war [מִלְחָמָה H4421] any more.

 

The Verbal Tallies: War / Battle (מִלְחָמָה — H4421): This is the direct lexical link. Deuteronomy defines the conduct for the commencement of a battle, while Isaiah envisions the abolition of war.

 

* * *

 

What is/are the thematic connection(s) between 21:10 – 23:9, and Tehillim (Psalms) 129:1-132:18?

 

The thematic connections between Deuteronomy 21:10 – 23:9 (Parashat Ki Teitzei) and Psalms 129–132 (Songs of Ascents) center on the transition from external conflict to the establishment of a holy household and sanctuary.

 

1. Triumph Over Affliction and Enemies

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 21:10: Begins with "When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies" and achieves victory.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 129:1-2: Recounts how Israel has been "afflicted from my youth," yet the enemies "have not prevailed against me." Both passages emphasize that Israel’s survival and victory over captors are orchestrated by God.

 

2. The Integrity of the "House"

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 22:8: Commands the building of a guardrail for your house to ensure it is a place of safety, free from bloodguilt.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 132:1-5: Records David’s oath to find a place for the Lord, refusing to enter his own house until a sanctuary (The Temple) is secured. The theme is the sanctification of domestic and Divine dwellings.

 

3. Redemption from Captivity and Iniquity

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 21:10-14: Deals with the captive woman and the laws regarding her redemption and treatment.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 130:1, 7-8: A cry "out of the depths" for redemption. Just as the captive in Deuteronomy must be treated with dignity and "released," the Psalmist looks to God to redeem Israel from all iniquities.

 

4. Boundary, Lineage, and Selection

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 23:2-9: Establishes boundaries for the assembly of the Lord, specifically excluding certain lineages (Moab/Ammon) while eventually allowing others (Edom/Egypt).

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 132:11-12: Focuses on the "fruit of the body" and the specific lineage of David chosen to sit upon the throne. Both texts deal with the "selection" of who is fit to stand in the presence of God’s holiness.

 

5. Humility vs. Forbidden Mixtures

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 22:9-11: Prohibits diverse mixtures (seeds, animals, wool/linen) to preserve the distinct order of creation.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 131:1: The Psalmist declares he does not exercise himself in "things too great or "too wonderful" for him. Both emphasize staying within the Divinely appointed boundaries of one's nature and status.

 

* * *

 

The connection between the Torah seder and the Ashlamata, though seemingly strictly verbal, is in addition eschatological.  The messianic kingdom, rather than the related contents of the Torah lesson, is the dominant theme of the Ashlamata.

 

What is the eschatological connection and message between Devarim (Deuteronomy) 21:10 – 23:9 and of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 2:4-7 + 12-17?

 

The eschatological connection between Devarim (21:10–23:9) and Yeshayahu (2:4-17) lies in the transition from a world of "Necessary Warfare" to a world of "Divine Sovereignty," where the tools of human conflict and pride are surrendered to HaShem.

 

1. The Transformation of Warfare

Devarim (The Law of the Present): This section opens with "When you go out to battle" (Ki Teitzei). It provides the legal framework for war in a broken world, acknowledging that as long as human ego reigns, conflict is inevitable.

 

Yeshayahu (The Vision of the Future): Isaiah 2:4 provides the "answer" to Deuteronomy. The laws of war are superseded by a reality where "nation shall not lift up sword against nation."

 

The Connection: Jewish sources (such as the Maharal of Prague) explain that the laws in Devarim are "concessions" to the human inclination (Yetzer Hara). In the eschaton, the Yetzer Hara is neutralized; thus, the "battle" of Devarim 21:10 is transformed into the "Peace" of Isaiah 2:4.

 

2. The Dismantling of the "Wall" of Pride

Deuteronomy 22:8 (The Guardrail): The Law commands building a physical guardrail (Ma'akeh) to protect the house and prevent bloodguilt. It emphasizes human responsibility in a world of physical danger.

 

Isaiah 2:15 (The Fallen Towers): Isaiah prophesies that in the "Day of the Lord," every "high tower" and "fenced wall" shall be brought low.

 

The Message: Radak notes that in the present age, we build walls and towers (both literal and metaphorical) for security. In the eschatological future, these symbols of human self-reliance become redundant because HaShem’s presence provides the only necessary protection.

 

3. Purity of Assembly vs. Purity of the World

Deuteronomy 23:2-9: This passage establishes strict boundaries for who may enter the "Assembly of the Lord," excluding certain nations (Moab/Ammon) to maintain the purity of the community.

 

Isaiah 2:5: "O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of HaShem."

 

The Message: The Malbim explains that while Devarim focuses on protecting the small "Assembly" from the contamination of the nations, Isaiah’s eschatological vision describes the entire world eventually seeking that light. The "Assembly" of Devarim is the seed that blooms into the universal recognition of HaShem in Isaiah.

 

4. The Rejection of Material Idolatry

Deuteronomy 21:10-14: Deals with the "Captive Woman"—a warning against being blinded by physical desire and the "spoils" of war.

 

Isaiah 2:7-8: Rebukes the nation for a land "full of silver and gold" and "horses without end."

 

The Connection: Both texts warn that material success and military conquest (the "horses and chariots" of war) lead to spiritual blindness. The eschatological message is that the "Day of the Lord" will purge the desire for conquest (Devarim) by removing the deification of wealth and power (Isaiah).

 

Summary: The movement from Devarim to Yeshayahu is the movement from Law as a restraint on chaos to Prophecy as the realization of harmony. The "battle" we go out to in the present is ultimately won not by the sword, but by the "humbling of the lofty" so that HaShem alone is exalted.

 

Nazarean Talmud

Sidra of D’varim (Deuteronomy) 21:10 – 23:9

 “Sabbath “Khi Tetse LaMilchamah” - “When you go out to battle”

By: Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

School of Hakham Shaul’s Tosefta Luqas (LK)

School of Hakham Tsefet’s Peshat Mordechai (Mk)

And as they led him away, they seized Sh’mon, a certain man of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and placed the cross on him, to carry it behind Yeshua. And a large gathering of the people were following him, and women who were mourning and lamenting him. But turning to them, Yeshua said, “Daughters of Yerushalayim, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children! For behold, days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that did not give birth, and the breasts that did not nurse!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” And two criminals were also led away to be executed with him.

And the soldiers taking him (Yeshua) away, led him out to the courtyard of the palace, that is, the governor's Praetorian, and called together the whole cohort. And they put purple (a robe) on him, and after weaving a crown of thorns, they placed it on his head. And they began saluting him, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they repeatedly struck him on the head with a reed, and they were spitting on him, and they knelt down and did homage to him mockingly. And after they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his own clothes on him, and they led him out to be crucified. And they instructed a passerby, one Shimon, a Galut Jew from Cyrene, Libya, who was coming from that country, the father of Alexandros and Rufos, to carry his cross.

 

And when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,” there they crucified him, and they placed criminals, the one on his right and the other on his left. But Yeshua said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothes.

And they (Pilate’s cohort) brought him (Yeshua) to the place Gilguleth (which is translated "Place of a Skull"). And they gave him (Yeshua) wine and myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among themselves, but they cast lots for his Tallit (Pilate’s cohort) for who should take it (not willing to tear/destroy the beautiful garment). Now it was the third hour[55] when they crucified him (Yeshua). And the inscription in the tablet of the charge (judgment) against him (Yeshua) was written, "The king of the Jews." And with him (Yeshua) they crucified two robbers, placing one on his (Yeshua’s) right and one on his left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Therefore will I divide him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoil with the mighty; because he bared his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isa 53:12)”

 

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

 

 

Commentary on Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat

 

Behold the King of the Jews

While the messianic figure of the Rabbis has covered a plethora of ideals and personas, the two outstanding figures representing the Messiah are David and Yosef. While there are scholars who postpone the two concepts until after the Bar Kokhba revolt, the “Gabriel Revelation.”^[56] reveals the truth that the idea predates the first century C.E. by as much as 200 years. As Messiah ben Yosef, Yeshua was to suffer rather than reign, as pictured in the Davidic prototype. However, the Davidic son established the primary prototype for the messianic persona.

 

1Ki 1:39-40 Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, "Long live King Solomon!" ⁴⁰ And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound.

1Ki 2:1-4 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying:  "I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. "And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; "that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, `If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,' He said, `you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'

 

G-d’s promise to King David is most profound, “If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me (G-d) in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,” He said, “you will not lack a man on the throne of Israel.” The Messiah must be faithful to the Torah, its Chuqot (statutes), mitzvot (commandments), eduyot (testimonies), mishpatim (judgments), and Derek HaShem (ethics).

 

All the accounts we have of Yeshua’s life demonstrate him as a man of great piety.

 

We are so accustomed…to make Jesus the object of religion that we become apt to forget that in our earliest records, he is not portrayed as the object of religion, but as a religious man. Thomas Walter Manson, The Teachings of Jesus (1935), 101^[57]

 

As Geza Vermes points out, Yeshua is pictured from the accounts of his life and contents of his “Mesorah” as wrapped within the confines of a pious Pharisaic Jew of the late Second Temple period. Judaism of the late Second Temple period saw the Torah as the absolute maxim for life. Furthermore, it was the application of Torah and the Oral Torah, which governed the religious life of the pious Jew. Temple worship played a vital part in the role of the general populace of this era. However, it appears not to have been the primary concern for those Jews who lived in the distant locations of Eretz Yisrael. Geza Vermes seems to believe that the mandate found in our present Torah Seder^[58] was more idealistic than practical.^[59] Therefore, we would surmise that the Jewish people who actually “appeared before the LORD” three times a year were the more pious Jewish people. The picture portrayed of Yeshua in the Nazarean Codicil matches the image of Yosef. When the Sages of blessed memory want to portray a man of piety, they use Yosef as their prototype. Consequently, Yeshua, the son of Yosef, is a fitting messianic title.

 

While the Biblical prophecies, which tell us that the Messiah would intervene in the affairs of humanity, are somewhat cryptic, the Oral Torah contains a plethora of materials that explain his role in redemption. Rabbi Akiva, with the failure of Bar Kokhba, looked to the future for redemption. His parallel taken from the words of Rabbi Tarfon, taught that the first redemption from Egypt would lay the foundation and precedent for the final redemption in the distant future.^[60] We must assert that the Jewish view of redemption does not match the typical Western view of “salvation.” Judaism saw the redemption as the end of exile. The analogy presented above clearly demonstrates the desire for Jewish autonomy. However, redemption is not merely autonomy. The Rabbis looked to the end of the age when the Jewish people would be the kings and priests of the earth. Therefore, the final phase of redemption would include the subjugation of the Gentiles by the Messianic redeemer. The violent abuse of Rome during the first century was intolerable. Hence, the Jewish people of that era longed for the appearance of this messianic figure.

 

Refusal of Rome^[61] to Acknowledge Yeshua as Messiah

Not only did Pilate refuse to acknowledge Yeshua as the Messiah, but his cohort of nearly 600 men incessantly mocked Yeshua by placing a robe of purple and a crown made of thorns on him. Then to show their disdain for the Messianic concept they spat and struck him repeatedly with a reed as it is written “⁶ I gave my back to the smitters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting (Isa 50:6)”. As we will see the refusal of Rome to accept and acknowledge Yeshua as the Messiah is not relegated to a few Roman soldiers from Pilate’s militia.

 

The Espousal of Rome

Rome has refused to accept Yeshua as the Messiah, establishing a pseudo-messiah. Replacement theology has relegated the Messiah to a mockery of his true character and mission

 

The Tz’dukim^[62] of the late Second Temple period established the mindset for the coming Roman “priesthood.” The defunct priesthood of the late Second Temple period espoused Rome. This defunct priesthood surrendered a Jewish Messiah to the Roman horde to become a new priesthood. The Tz’dukim who disappeared with the destruction of the Second Temple reappear as the priesthood of “Christianity.” The “out of work” priests looked for new occupational territory and employment, which they found in Rome. Regardless, we see that the espousal of Rome as inevitable when one abandons authentic normative Judaism. We must concur with the above-cited thesis and further that we see the Tz’dukim’s espousal of the Roman government as an analogy of what was to come. The Roman cohort of Pilate derided Yeshua through vicious behavior and conduct against a pious Jew as if he were a slave or a criminal. This behavior is nothing new for Rome. Nor should we be surprised at their conduct. Historically, Rome has been the instigator for many of the atrocities leveled against the Jewish people. However, we must note that Rome’s treatment of Yeshua has yet to change. Consequently, we must restate that Rome has yet to accept Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah. By this statement, we mean that Rome and all of its siblings have NEVER accepted Yeshua as Jewish Messiah, albeit they have deified “Jesus” as their Christ. Accordingly, we have a pseudo-priesthood with a pseudo-messiah. Messiah, divorced from normative Judaism, is not a Jewish Messiah but a Roman Christ.

 

One of the most heinous crimes perpetrated against Yeshua and the Jewish people is the crime of “replacement theology.” However, we must assert that this idea was not the brainchild of a later Christian strategist. The Tz’dukim and Samaritans developed this notion long before Christianity. Nonetheless, the idea of our present pericope, as found in the Nazarean Codicil, is of Roman origin. Herod had the legitimate priests of Levitical lineage assassinated only to “replace” them with a pseudo-priesthood that would follow Roman rules and serve the interests of Roman authorities. Consequently, Judaism’s battle with Rome and replacement theology has existed for millennia. Furthermore, its Roman origins remain intact to this very day.

 

Yaakov and Easu

The world has survived these thousands of years through a struggle, brother against brother. Ya’aqob and Esau were not the first brothers with these troubles. The very first brothers of Biblical mention demonstrate the difficulties of rivalries between brothers. However, it is Ya’aqob and Esau that the Sages use to depict the present Diaspora.

 

Mal 1:2-3 "I have loved you," says the LORD. "Yet you say, `In what way have You loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" Says the LORD. "Yet Jacob I have loved; But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.

 

Hakham Shaul cites this prophetic passage in his letter to the Roman talmidim of Yeshua.^[63] The Prophet speaks of the demise of Rome (Edom – Esau – Christianity).^[64] The “mountain laid waste” can only be understood as an analogy for the “government” of Rome. We will not delve into the imagery except to say that we must expect the Roman system and rule to crumble in the final redemption, just as the Egyptian régime toppled under the leadership of Moshe Rabbenu. Our mention of the Roman government must be understood as the system that has incessantly tried to strip Yeshua of his Jewish persona and Rabbinic profession. Like the Romans of Pilate’s cohort, they dress Yeshua in Roman garb mockingly honoring him as “King of the Jews.” However, before they placed him on the tree, they redressed him in his Jewish apparel to show disdain and contempt for a Jewish Rabbi and Messiah. The death of a Jewish Prophet and Rabbi allowed them to resurrect a Roman god in his place. Their mental perspective of Messiah has yet to change. And, they have yet to accept a Jewish Messiah.

 

We have noted that Hakham Shaul wrote a letter to the community of believers in Rome. In short, Hakham Shaul sums up his requirements in the initial paragraph of his letter.

 

Rom 1:5 Through him (Yeshua) we have received chessed and a commission to bring into obedience^[65] among all gentiles, living in faithfulness to the Torah under his authority…^[66]

 

Please note that the Gentiles are called to obedience and faithfulness to the Torah under the authority and Mesorah of Yeshua the Jewish Messiah. The letter of Hakham Shaul lays down the prototypical acceptance for the Messianic community. Those who follow Yeshua Must observe the Torah!^[67]

 

I have accepted Yeshua as the Messiah

Standard nomenclature among Christians, as noted, is the acceptance of Yeshua as Messiah. The difficulty being, Christianity (Rome) has yet to accept a Jewish Messiah! The “Jesus we believed in in our youth was a blond-haired hippie type rebel, who was in rebellion against the “establishment,” which at the time we thought was the Jewish religion. Much to our surprise, Yeshua turned out to be a pro – Torah Pharisaic Rabbi of the first century promoting rabbinic halakhah. Only after embracing the Jewish interpretation of Messiah could, one say that he accepted Yeshua as the Messiah! There is no such thing as a Gentile Messiah!

 

Acts 10:1-2 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people (of Yisrael), and prayed to God appropriately.

 

Act 10:47-48 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be immersed who received the Divine Presence just as we have?" ⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be immersed…

 

Cornelius demonstrates the profile for a genuine Gentile follower of Yeshua. While Cornelius appears here in our initially cited text as a “pious” man (Gentile) who “fears G-d,” he converts to Judaism in verse 47. It is a fallacy to believe or purport that Cornelius became a “Christian.” In other words, the true path of Any follower of Yeshua is sooner or later to convert to Judaism. However, we have juxtaposed Cornelius against the Roman cohort of our present pericope to demonstrate the appropriate response to Yeshua by a Gentile. The passage cited above from Hakham Shaul’s letter to the Romans clearly instructs Gentiles to “live in faithfulness to the Torah under his (Messiah’s) authority.”

 

Has Rome Fallen?

If the “First Redemption” can be pictured in the initial Pesach and “Yetsi'at Mitzrayim” (Exodus from Egypt) we must realize that there will be another redemption, a final redemption, which overturns all Roman rule in the earth. The demise of the Roman system will find masses themselves embracing a true Jewish Messiah rather than the false Christ they have worshiped for millennia.

 

Peroration

Subjugation by Rome not only brought Yisrael to its departure, sending them into Diaspora, it infiltrated and plagiarized its religious aspects instituting a pseudo-Judaism, which mimicked nearly every aspect of this ancient religion. This plagiarism has wearied the soul of the Jewish people. G-d, through His agent, Messiah will exact the appropriate vengeance upon Rome, Edom and those who have espoused their doctrines.

 

Targum Pseudo Yonatan Yesha’yahu 62:1 He is about to bring a stroke upon Edom, a strong avenger upon Bozrah, to take the just retribution of His people, just as He swore to them by His Memra. He said, Behold I am revealed – just as I spoke – in virtue, there is great force before Me to save.

 

We have cited this passage in the recent past. However, it suffices to cite it again for the present materials.

 

The prophet prophesies concerning what the Holy One, blessed be He, said that He is destined to wreak vengeance upon Edom, and He, personally, will slay their heavenly prince, like the matter that is said (supra 34:5), “For My sword has become sated in the heaven.” And afterward, (ibid.) “it shall descend upon Edom,” and it is recognizable by the wrath of His face that He has slain [them with] a great massacre, and the prophet is speaking in the expression of the wars of human beings, dressed in clothes, and when they slay a slaying, the blood spatters on their garments, for so is the custom of Scripture; it speaks of the Shekhinah anthropomorphically, to convey to the ear what it can hear. Comp. (Ezek. 43:2) “His voice is like the voice of many waters.” The prophet compares His mighty voice to the voice of many waters to convey to the ear according to what it is possible to hear, for one cannot understand and hearken to the magnitude of the might of our God to let us hear it as it is.

 

“The heavenly prince of Edom is destined to commit two errors. He thinks that Bozrah is identical with Bezer in the desert, which was a refuge city. He will also err insofar as it affords refuge only for inadvertent murder, but he killed Israel intentionally.”^[68]

 

Rashi’s comments make clear that there will be a war waged against Edom (Rome – Christianity, which has failed to embrace Yeshua as a Jewish Messiah). Messiah, our Go’el, “Kinsman redeemer,” will exact punishment on those who have been involved in intentional crimes against the Jewish people.

 

The Prophet Yermiyahu records the events of those days.

 

Jer 16:19-21 O LORD, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things." ²⁰ Will a man make gods for himself, Which are not gods?  ²¹ "Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might; And they shall know that My name is the LORD.”

Note that the Prophet reiterates the justice, which G-d will pour out on those who refuse to accept the true path to G-d in the words “Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might.”

 

Messiah’s death in the present pericope of Mordechai is not so strange when we stop to count the millions of Jews destroyed by senseless malice and hatred. Why did the Romans crucify Yeshua? Rome crucified a Jewish Rabbi in order to replace him with a gentile god. No self-respecting Jew could accept such a messiah. The demise of a Roman god is at hand. And, the footsteps of a Jewish Messiah are echoing in the near distance. 

 

 

Commentary on Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat

 

How does Hakham Tsefet tell us where we are at on the Biblical Calendar? We find it self-evident that we are in the month of Tebet, approaching a season of difficulty for the Jewish people – i.e., the Exodus from Egypt.

 

What special traits does a Jewish Hakham have to possess to be treated in the way that Pilate’s cohort treated Yeshua?

 

The treatment of the Master before the Roman cohort is nothing new to the Jewish people. We have tasted every level of persecution and hatred known to humanity. As such, Yeshua’s suffering is a personification of the cost of being Jewish. The cost of tikun is unfathomable. Yet, everyone else is hoping and praying for the so-called “Rapture.” Unfortunately, this is nothing more than escapism. Where was this “Rapture” when the Jewish people suffered the tyranny of the Egyptians? Where was it when we were persecuted and exiled by the Babylonians? And what “rapture” took place when we were exiled and persecuted, butchered and brought to near extinction by the Romans, not to mention gas chambers, lions, and being burned alive. The Master’s life is not atypical. It is quite the opposite. The Roman hoard never changed tactics. We are attuned to their special ways, taught not to trust them with any real commitment or assurance that we will not meet the same fate as before.

 

Ruth 1:1 AND IT came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the field of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. ^JPS

 

The story of Rut as told in the Tanakh could easily lend itself to deeper levels of hermeneutic. However, we will refrain from delving into those interpretations for the sake of Peshat. Yet, the story of Rut, like Deborah, Judith, and Ya’el, lends itself to inspirational acts of heroism for the sake of G-d, Torah, and Yisrael. Rut’s commitment to Naomi is unprecedented. Unlike here, “sister-in-law” Orpah, whose name, derived from the root “oreph,” means “the back of the neck,” thus implying a turning away. Orpah’s name is also associated with the “gazelle.” This would superficially associate Orpha with Ya’el, “the mountain goat.” The difference being that Ya’el is a heroine like Ruth and Orpah, a gentile who turns her back and flees like a gazelle. Therefore, the story of Rut suggests that she embraced Judaism and Orpah denied it and turned her back to Jewish life and people.

 

Consequently, Rut is the heroine of incomparable magnitude. Her acceptance of Judaism, Torah, and the halakhot of the Hakhamim has caused her to stand as the prototype for all converts. As a convert, Rut embraces the 613 mitzvoth (commandments). The story of Rut read during the Festival of Shavuot (Pentecost) is a reminder of the intricate part that the 613 mitzvoth (commandments) play in the lives of all those who embrace the covenant. Rut’s name is the equivalent of the number 606. When added to the seven laws of Noah, Rut embraces the 613 or the whole Torah.

 

The story of Rut deepens when we realize that she enriches David’s ancestry and by extension, is a progenitor of Messiah. Rut’s marriage to Boaz, a righteous Jewish judge, is of further import to us. Herein, we see the appropriate union between Jew and Gentile. The Gentile not only embraces the Torah, but also the Oral Torah. Boaz the Judge was skilled in the Torah and the Oral Torah. The story has one other detail we will mention. Naomi was a Jewess and the teacher of Rut. In this, Rut learned to love the Torah and the Oral Torah. What is of premier significance to us is the notion that Rut, as a Gentile convert, accepts rabbinic authority. Therefore, we conclude that Rut, a Gentile convert, becomes the prototypical model for all Gentile converts and their need for the acceptance of the Jewish judicial system.

 

This brings us to the Gentile question.

 

The Gentile Question

While we refer to the incorporation of the Gentile into the community of those who believe Yeshua to be Messiah as the “Gentile Question,” others refer to it as “the Gentile Predicament.”^[69] and “the Gentile Problem.” We have discussed this concept before. Therefore, we will not elaborate at length on this subject except as it applies to our present pericope. Lloyd Gaston, commenting on a point made by W. D. Davies, seems to think that “the Gentile Predicament” was the most significant theological problem of the First century Jews.^[70] While it may not have been the principal problem of the first century, it was undoubtedly one of the more problematic. It divided the School of Shammai and Hillel. The Shammaite view seems to have prevailed until Hakham Tsefet,^[71] via an extraordinary vision in which he sees that G-d wants to bring “salvation” to the Gentiles.

 

Jewish/Gentile relations in the first century were of a peculiar nature. Furthermore, they were problematic at best. The Roman administration made life extremely difficult for the Jewish people of Eretz Yisrael. Eretz Yisrael longed for autonomy, as we have stated in the past. However, the B’ne Yisrael (children of Israel) had a profound effect on their Roman overlords. Many of the Roman Gentiles, impressed and affected by Jewish religious practice, were inspired to conversion or near conversion. Herein lies a GREAT difficulty. Because Yisrael was subordinate to the Roman regime, Synagogue life with Roman attendees was strained to say the least. Furthermore, the situation brought about a role reversal of sorts. The supposed “Subordinate Jew” now became the Master over the Roman. So long, as the Roman was in the Synagogue or in the process of conversion, he was subordinate to the Jewish authorities of the Synagogue, as pointed out above in the cited passages from Hakham Shaul’s letter to the Romans. This eventually led to tough problems. However, the Roman passage and our story of Ruth teach us a powerful lesson. The lesson, in short, is that all governments are supposed to be subordinate to Jewish Authorities. And, all attendees of the Synagogue are subjected to the Bench of the Bet Din and its congregation. This is the situation addressed in the Romans passages above. Hakham Shaul, speaking to the Gentiles who have been attending Synagogue, states that they are subordinate to Jewish authority. The Seven Noahide Laws teach the Gentiles to have courts of Justice.^[72] However, these courts should mimic the Jewish legal system and remain subordinate to Jewish Authorities. Any system that does not use the Torah as its basis for justice, while at the same time being subordinate to Jewish Authority, is unacceptable. We realize that these ideas may be foreign to some of our readers. However, this system is the construct for the Theocratic government, which will dominate during the Y’mot HaMashiach (Days of Mashiach). The key statement of Hakham Shaul is found in the following words…

 

Romans 13:4 …But if you do that which is unprofitable, be afraid; for he (the Chazan)^[73] does not bear the circumcision knife in vain; ^REBA

 

Herein, everything is contextualized, and we can understand the meaning of these verses. The Jewish authorities have the power to allow or prohibit circumcision and to accept Gentile conversion. We will see below just how important this is. Interestingly, the Greek μάχαιραν carries the idea of contention. This is not always the case with the μάχαιραν; however, in our present case, the μάχαιραν is the judgment for or against Gentile conversion. The “Servant” who holds the “circumcision knife” is the final authority on ritual circumcision and conversion. The Mohel (circumciser), like the Chazan (cantor), embodies the aspirations and authority of the local congregation and the Bet Din (Jewish court of authority).

 

Returning to our pericope and example of case law, the sentencing of the Master by Pilate is the antithesis of the G-d-ordained system. This is because this Gentile court does not acknowledge G-d, Torah, or Yisrael. One might opine that this court was in Eretz Yisrael. However, a Gentile court that fails to accept G-d as the one and only true G-d will not embrace Torah or recognize the Jewish People’s proper custody of Eretz Yisrael. While this Gentile court played into the wishes of the Tz’dukim (Sadducees), it was never subordinate to an authentic Jewish Bet Din (court of law). Furthermore, the great atrocity committed against the Master is that a Jew carried another Jew to a Gentile court. As noted before, not only was it a Gentile court, it was a Gentile court devoid of Torah standards.

 

As we will see, Rut brings about a tikun (reparation) for the sin of her people by accepting the judgment of a Righteous Judge. Consequently, the Jewish people in the Diaspora are not to assimilate into the national norms of foreign countries. We have discussed this in the past. The Priesthood of the Jewish people is obligated to teach the nations the appropriate way to live and walk. Only after we have accomplished this task can we find solace and peace in Eretz Yisrael.

 

Yeshua’s words, “Go into all nations and talmudize the gentiles,” have had little success because of the wrong doctrinal baggage attached to them.

 

Yeshua clearly taught that we are to live within these lands and abide by the rules of those lands so long as they do not interfere with the Halakhic norms established by the Sages.^[74]

 

The King of the Jews

The grave sin of the Roman system noted above was injustice. The court of the Tz’dukim (Sadducees) was in grave error in sentencing Yeshua. The court of Pilate was in error in sentencing an innocent man based on the desires and pressures of the High Priest of the Tz’dukim (Sadducees). While the Roman governor was not technically subordinate to the Jewish Tz’dukim (Sadducees), as we have discussed above, Pilate played right into the hands of the Jewish Tz’dukim’s (Sadducees) desire for Yeshua’s death. Pilate, along with Herod, conspired to have Yeshua crucified.

 

Not only did the gathering of Tz’dukim, prompted by the Priesthood of the Tz’dukim (Sadducees), ask for the life (freedom) of a murderer, Bar Abba, but they also asked for the death of an innocent man. Not only did they ask for the death of an innocent man, they asked for his crucifixion, “crucifixion being the most barbaric form of execution and utmost cruelty.”^[75] Josephus tells us that the crucifixion is the most vicious death a man can experience.^[76] Crucifixion, thought to have originated among the Persians, was more humane than the previous system of impaling criminals on a stake, wherein they were suspended. Nonetheless, its use was for the sake of intimidation, humiliation and a means of prolonging a torturous death. The crucifixion of individuals was never carried out on Roman citizens as a rule. However, when the crime warranted such punishment, it was carried out on citizens and slaves alike without hesitation. However, generally, it was usually reserved for lower-class citizens or slaves. This may be because the Romans inherited this heinous system from the Germani or Britanni, where these atrocities were committed against the Romans.^[77] And, as is pointed out in the present pericope, crucifixion is the punishment of murderers, robbers, mischief-makers and deceivers.^[78] Therefore, Yeshua’s trial by a Roman court resulted in his being found guilty and sentenced to death.^[79] His death on the cross was the most humiliating death possible for a Jew.

 

Note how “just” the Roman system was…

 

Mar 15:24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among themselves, but they cast lots^[80] for his Tallit (Pilate’s cohort), for whom should take it (not willing to tear/destroy the beautiful garment).

 

This so-called “court” condemns an innocent man to die and then “robs” him of his clothing and Tallit. Then, he is hung between two robbers, one on the left and one on the right, as if he himself were a robber. Our contention is that there is not even a modicum of justice in the entire travesty, called “a trial.”

 

Summary

Why did I start with the story of Rut? This time of the year, on the bimodal side of the calendar, we are reminded of varied heroines, Judith, Deborah, and Ya’el, only to mention a few. While Rut read at Shavuot (Pentecost) in the month of Sivan, taking into consideration the bimodal aspect of the Torah, we would presently be reading passages associated with the month of Sivan had we started in the month of Nisan. The Sages of blessed memory have taught us that Rut was a Moabite Princess. Rut’s acts of generosity towards Naomi caused her to leave behind her Moabite heritage and embrace the religion of her deceased husband. However, the greater act of chesed (loving-kindness) was to demonstrate her altruistic love in helping Naomi return to her people. This act of selfless chesed (loving-kindness) is an unprecedented act of generosity. Why? Because the Moabite people initially sought the destruction of the B’ne Yisrael as they traveled towards the Promised Land. As I stated above, Rut’s acceptance of Judaism has caused her to stand as the prototype for all converts. Likewise, the act of generosity she demonstrates to Naomi should be seen as the appropriate response of the Gentile towards the Jewish People and Jewish authority.  It was a Jewish Bet Din (court of Justice) that accepted Rut as a convert. This situation caused the Rabbis and Judges to exegete a truth that Moabite women could convert to Judaism.

 

Lloyd Gaston finds “the Gentile Predicament.”^[81] of the end times, as summed by the Rabbis, terminated in one of two ways. Either the Gentiles will be destroyed, or they will find salvation by being incorporated into Judaism.^[82] Consequently, we see the path of “salvation” for the gentile is to embrace Jewish authority. And therefore, all courts will be subordinate to Jewish Authority!

 

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,

 

 

Next Shabbat: Tevet 14, 5786

Shabbat “Khi Tetse Machaneh” – “When you go out as an army”

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·        Holiness In The Camp – Deut. 23:10-15

·        Fugitive Slaves – Deut. 23:16-17

·        Immorality – Deut. 23:18-19

·        Interest – Deut. 23:20-21

·        Vows – Deut. 23:22-24

·        In a Neighbor’s Field and Vineyard – Deut. 23:25-26

·        Divorce – Deut. 24:1-4

·        Exemption From War – Deut. 24:5

·        Millstone Not To Be Taken In Pledge – Deut. 24:6

·        Man Stealing – Deut. 24:7

·        Leprosy – Deut. 24:8-9

·        Taking And Restoring A Pledge – Deut. 24:10-13

·        Treatment Of Workmen – Deut. 24:14-15

·        Individual Responsibility – Deut. 24:16

·        Injustice to the Stranger, Orphan and Widow – Deut. 24:17-18

 

Reading Assignment:

 

 

 

 

Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

Edited by HH Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham

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