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:

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

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

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

 

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

 

                                                                            

Blessings Before Torah Study

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

A Prayer for Israel

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Shabbat: “Eleh HaDevarim”- “These [are] the words”

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·        Introduction – Deuteronomy 1:1-5

·        Command to Start from Horeb – Deuteronomy 1:6-8

·        Appointment of Assistants – Deuteronomy 1:9-18

·        From Horeb to Kadesh Barnea – Deuteronomy 1:19 – 2:1

 

Reading Assignment:

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the World of P’shat Exegesis

 

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

 

The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as follows:

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Welcome to the World of Remes Exegesis

 

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

 

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

 

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

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Devarim (Deuteronomy) 1:1 – 2:1

 

 

 

Rashi Commentary for: ‎ ‎ Devarim (Deuteronomy) 1:1 – 2:1

 

1 These are the words Since these are words of rebuke and he [Moses] enumerates here all the places where they angered the Omnipresent, therefore it makes no explicit mention of the incidents [in which they transgressed], but rather merely alludes to them, [by mentioning the names of the places] out of respect for Israel (cf. Sifrei).

 

to all Israel If he had rebuked only some of them, those who were in the marketplace [i.e., absent] might have said, “You heard from [Moses] the son of Amram, and did not answer a single word regarding this and that; had we been there, we would have answered him!” Therefore, he assembled all of them, and said to them, “See, you are all here; if anyone has an answer, let him answer!” - [from Sifrei]

 

in the desert [At that time] they were not in the desert, but in the plains of Moab. [Accordingly,] what is [the meaning of] בַּמִּדְבָּר, in the desert? It means that he rebuked them for their having angered Him in the desert by saying, “If only we had died [by the hand of God]” (Exod. 16:3).

 

in the plain in the plain [He rebuked them] regarding the plain, for they had sinned with [the worship of] Baal-Peor at Shittim in the plains of Moab (Num. 25:1-9). [from Sifrei]

 

opposite the Red Sea [He rebuked] them regarding their rebellion at the Red Sea. When they arrived at the Red Sea, they said, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt [that you have taken us to die in the desert?]” (Exod. 14:11) Likewise, [they sinned] when they traveled from the midst of the sea, as it is said, “and they were rebellious by the sea, by the Red Sea” (Ps. 106:7), as is found in Arachin (15a).

 

Between Paran and Tofel and Lavan Rabbi Yochanan said: We have reviewed the entire Bible, but we have found no place named Tofel or Lavan! However, [the explanation is that] he rebuked them because of the foolish things they had said (תָּפְלוּ) about the manna, which was white (לָבָן), saying “And our soul loathes this light bread” (Num. 21:5), and because of what they had done in the desert of Paran through the spies. [from Eileh Hadevarim Rabbah, Lieberman]

 

and Hazeroth Concerning the insurrection of Korach [which took place in Hazeroth] (Eileh Hadevarim Rabbah, Lieberman). Another explanation: He said to them, “You should have learned from what I did to Miriam at Hazeroth because of slander; [nevertheless,] you spoke against the Omnipresent” (Sifrei).

 

and Di-Zahav - (lit., enough gold). He rebuked them for the calf they had made as a result of their abundance of gold, as it is said: “and I gave her much silver and gold, but they made it for Baal” (Hosea 2:10). (cf. Sifrei; Ber. 32a, Eileh Hadevarim Rabbah, Lieberman).

 

2 It is eleven days journey from Horeb Moses said to them: “See what you caused! There is no shorter route from Horeb to Kadesh-Barnea than the way through Mount Seir, and even that is a journey of eleven days. But you traversed it in three days!” For they traveled from Horeb on the twentieth of lyar, as it is said, “And it came to pass in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month [... the children of Israel traveled...]” (Num. 10:11-12). And on the twenty-ninth of Sivan, they sent out the spies from Kadesh Barnea, (an interval of 40 days; cf. Ta’anith 29a). Subtract from them the thirty days they spent at Kivroth Hataavah (Num. 11:34), where they ate the meat a “month of days,” and the seven days they spent at Hazeroth for Miriam to be confined [as a mezora’ath] (Num. 12:15); we find therefore, that this entire journey [from Horeb to Kadesh-Barnea] took [only] three days. And to such an extent did the Shechinah exert itself to hasten your arrival to the land of Canaan, but because you sinned, He made you travel around Mount Seir for forty years. [from Sifrei]

 

3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month [... Moses spoke] This teaches us that he rebuked them only a short while before his death. From whom did he learn [to do] this? From Jacob, who rebuked his sons only a short while before his death. He said, "Reuben, my son, I will tell you why I have not reproved you [for your shortcomings] during all these years: So that you would not leave me and join my brother, Esau." And for four reasons, one should not reprimand a person except shortly before one’s death: So that one should not rebuke and again have to rebuke him, so as not to cause his friend to feel ashamed when he sees him; etc. These appear in Sifrei. And similarly, Joshua rebuked Israel only shortly before his death (cf. Joshua 24:1-29), and so, Samuel, as it is said, “Behold, testify against me” (I Sam. 12:3) and so, also, David rebuked his son Solomon only shortly before his death (see I Kings 2:1-10).

 

4 After He had smitten [Sihon] Moses said: If I rebuke them before they enter [at least] part of the land, they will say, "What [claim] has this [man] on us? What good has he ever done for us? He has come only to vex us and to find some pretext, for he does not have the power to bring us into the land." Therefore he [Moses]waited until he had defeated Sihon and Og before them and had given them possession of their land, and [only] afterwards did he rebuke them. [Sifrei]

 

Sihon... who dwelt in Heshbon -"Even if Sihon himself had not been powerful, but had dwelt in Heshbon, he would have [nevertheless] been powerful because the city was a powerful one; and even had it been another city, and Sihon had dwelt in it, it would have [also] been powerful because the king was powerful. How much more so now, since both the king and the city were powerful!" [Sifrei]

 

[And Og...] who dwelt in Ashtaroth [Here, too,] the king was powerful, and the city was powerful. [Sifrei]

 

Ashtaroth This is an expression denoting sharp cliffs and strength, just as “Ashteroth-karnaim” (Gen. 14:5) [the hard rocks of Karnaim]. And the Ashtaroth [referred to here] is indeed that same Ashteroth-karnaim where the Rephaim [the giants] were, whom Amraphel smote, as it is said, “And they smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim ” (Gen. 14:5). And Og escaped from them, and that is the meaning of that which is stated, “And the fugitive came” (Gen. 14:13), and Scripture states (further, 3:11) “For only Og, king of the Bashan, remained from the remnant of the Rephaim.” in Edrei the name of the kingdom. [Sifrei]

 

5 commenced, Heb. הוֹאִיל, he commenced, just as “Behold, now I have commenced (הוֹאַלְתִּי)” (Gen. 18:27). [based on Sifrei]

 

explained this Law He explained it to them in seventy languages. [from Midrash Tanchuma 2; Gen. Rabbah 49; see Sotah 32a). Hakethav Vehakabbalah explains this to mean that Moses gave them seventy interpretations to every passage.

 

6 You have dwelt long enough [at this mountain] [This is to be interpreted] according to its simple meaning. But there also is an Aggadic explanation: I have given you much greatness and reward for your having dwelt at this mountain: you made the Mishkan, the menorah, and the [other] furnishings; you received the Torah; you appointed a Sanhedrin for yourselves, and captains over thousands and captains over hundreds. [Sifrei]

 

7 Turn and journey This is the way to Arad and Hormah.

 

and come to the mountain of the Amorites This is to be understood literally.

 

and to all its neighboring places Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.

 

in the plain This refers to the forested plain. on the mountain This is the king’s mountain.

 

and in the lowland This is the southern lowland.

 

and in the south, and by the seashore [This refers to] Ashkelon, Gaza and Caesarea, etc., as is stated in Sifrei.

 

until the great river [the Euphrates] Since it [the Euphrates] is mentioned [in association] with the Land of Israel it is referred to as “great.” A popular parable says: A king’s servant is a king. Associate yourself with the ruler, and [people] will bow down to you; attach yourself to a person anointed [with oil] and you will become anointed [with oil yourself] (Shevuoth 47b).

 

8 Behold! I have set [the land before you] With your own eyes you can see [this]: I do not tell you this from guessing or hearsay (Sifrei).

 

Go in and possess [the land] No one will contest the matter, and you will not need to go to war. If they [the Israelites] had not sent the spies, [but had trusted God] they would not have needed weapons of war (Sifrei).

 

to your forefathers Why does he [Moses] further mention Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [when the reference “your forefathers” clearly indicates them]? [Their names are mentioned to show that] Abraham is worthy [of God’s oath] by himself, Isaac is worthy by himself, [and] Jacob is worthy by himself (Sifrei).

 

9 And I said to you at that time, saying Heb. לֵאמֽר. What is the meaning of לֵאמֽר? Moses said to them, "Not by my own accord do I speak to you [and tell you that I cannot carry you alone] but by the command of the Holy One, blessed is He (Sifrei).

 

I cannot alone Is it possible that Moses could not judge Israel? The man who brought them out of Egypt, split the sea for them, brought down the manna, and caused the quails to fly, could not judge them? Rather, he said to them: "The Lord, your God, has multiplied you"—[i.e.,] He has made you superior and elevated you higher than your judges. He took the punishment away from you and imposed it upon the judges [in cases where they could have prevented your wrongdoing and did not]. Solomon made a similar statement: “For who is able to judge Your great people?” (I Kings 3:9) Is it possible that he [i.e., Solomon] of whom it is said (I Kings 5:11), “He was wiser than all men,” could say, “Who is able to judge?” But this is what Solomon meant: The judges of this people are not like the judges of other peoples, for if [one of the judges of other nations] gives judgment and sentences a person to death, to lashes, or to strangulation, or perverts judgment and robs him, it means nothing; if, however, I cause a person to pay unjustly, I am liable with my life, as it is said (Proverbs 22:23), “And He robs the life of those who rob them” (Sifrei, San. 7a).

 

10 And, behold, you are today as the stars of the heavens But were they [the Israelites] on that day as [many as] the stars of the heavens? Were they not only six hundred thousand? What, then, is [the meaning of] “And, behold, you are today...?” [It means]—Behold, you are compared to the sun, [signifying that you will] exist forever as do the sun, the moon, and the stars (cf. Sifrei).

 

11 May... add to you a thousandfold as many as you are What is [the purpose of] repeating further [in the verse]: “And He will bless you, as He has spoken concerning you?” They [the Israelites] said to him, “Moses, you are limiting our blessings [i.e., our numbers being multiplied only a thousandfold]. The Holy One, blessed is He, already promised to Abraham (Gen. 13:16), 'so that if a man will be able to count [the dust of the earth, so will your seed be counted]!’” [Moses] replied to them: “This [blessing of a thousandfold] is mine, but He will bless you as He spoke concerning you!” (Sifrei)

 

12 How can I bear...all by myself? [Even] if I were to say, “I will do so in order to receive a reward,” I cannot do so. This is what I have already said to you, “Not by my own decision do I tell you [that I am unable to bear your trouble], but by the command of the Holy One, blessed is He.”

 

your trouble This teaches us that the Israelites were troublesome [people]; if one saw his opponent in a lawsuit about to win, he would say, "I have [other] witnesses to bring, [more] evidence to introduce, I [will exercise my right to] add judges to you [in your tribunal]".

 

and your burden This teaches that they [the Israelites] were heretics: If Moses was early leaving his tent they would say, “Why does the son of Amram leave so early? Perhaps he is not at ease inside his house?” If he left late, they would say, "Why does the son of Amram not leave? What do you think? He is [probably] sitting and devising evil schemes against you, and is thinking up plots against you. [Other editions of Rashi have “commandments and reckonings.”]

 

and your strife This teaches that they [the Israelites] were contentious (Sifrei).

 

13 prepare for yourselves Heb. הָבוּ לָכֶם . Prepare yourselves for this matter.

 

men- Would it enter your mind [that] women [could be chosen]? What does [specifying] “men” teach us? [It signifies that they should pick] righteous men. (Sifrei).

 

wise [men] Desirable [men]. [According to the glosses of Rabbi Akiva Eiger on Sifrei, bashful men, men who are ashamed of doing anything wrong.] [According to Heidenheim, the word כְּסוּפִים is the definition of אֲנָשִׁים , not of חֲכָמִים According to him, the next heading reads:

 

wise and understanding [men].] understanding [men] [I.e., men] who understand [and derive] one thing from another. This is what Arius asked Rabbi Yose: “What is the difference between wise men and understanding men?” [Rabbi Yose said] "A wise man is like a rich money changer: When people bring him dinars to examine, he examines them. When they do not bring [money] to him, he sits doing nothing. An understanding man, however, is like a merchant money changer: When they bring him money to examine, he examines it, and when they do not bring it to him, he goes out and brings his own [money—i.e., he does not wait for people to come to him—he goes to them] (Sifrei)

 

well- known among your tribes Men whom you recognize, for if one were to come before me wrapped in his tallith, I would not know who he is and of what tribe he is, and whether he is suitable. But you know him, for you have raised him. Therefore, it says, “well-known among your tribes.” (Sifrei)

 

and I will make them heads over you As chiefs and respected persons over you, i.e., you should act towards them with respect and reverence.[The word] וַאֲשִׂמֵם lacks a י [after the שׂ ; our editions, however, have it]: This teaches us that Israel’s transgressions (אָשָׁם) are hung over the heads of their judges, since they [the judges] should have prevented them [from sinning], and directed them along the right path (Sifrei).

 

14 And you answered me You decided the matter for your benefit. You should have replied, "Our teacher, Moses! From whom is it proper to learn, from you or from your disciple? Is it not [better to learn] from you, who have taken such pains about them?" However, I knew your thoughts; you were saying [to yourselves], “Many judges will now be appointed over us; if one does not know us, we shall bring him a gift, and he will show us favor.” (Sifrei)

 

to do If I was sluggish, you said, “Act quickly.” (Sifrei)

 

15 So I took the heads of your tribes I attracted them through [fine] words: "How fortunate you are! Over whom are you to be appointed? Over the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—over the children of people who are called brothers and friends, [God’s] portion and inheritance, and every term of endearment." (Sifrei)

 

[So I took...] men wise and well-known But understanding men I could not find (Ned. 20b.). This is one of the seven qualities which Jethro described to Moses (Exod.18:21), but Moses found only three [of them]—righteous, wise, and well-known [men]. (Sifrei).

 

[And I made them] heads over you You should respect them— [think of them as] chiefs in buying, chiefs in selling, chiefs in all business matters, last to enter (the synagogue from his home) and first to leave [so that everyone should stand up out of respect] (Sifrei).

 

leaders over thousands one who is appointed over one thousand.

 

leaders over hundreds one who is appointed over one hundred.

 

and officers I appointed [court officers] over you, for your tribe. These are the ones who bind and lash with a whip at the judges’ order (Sifrei).

 

16 And I commanded your judges I said to them: "Be patient in passing judgment. If a case comes before you once, twice, three times, do not say, ‘This [case] has already appeared before me several times,’ but debate it over again.’" (Sifrei)

 

[And I commanded your judges] at that time When I appointed them, I said to them, "Now is not like the past. Previously, you were your own masters, now you are subservient to the community."-[Sifrei]

 

Hear Heb. שָׁמֽעַ Present tense: odant in Old French, [always be] hearing, as in זָכוֹר, remembering, and שָׁמוֹר, keeping.

 

and between his litigant Heb. גֵּרוֹ. This (גֵּרוֹ) is his opponent in the lawsuit who accumulates (אוֹגֵר) arguments against him. Another explanation: (וּבֵין גֵּרוֹ): Even in undertakings concerning a residence [גּוּר meaning to dwell], in the division of [property between inheriting] brothers, even if it is a dispute about [such minor things as] an oven and a stove (Sifrei; San. 7b).

 

17 You shall not favor persons in judgment This refers to the person who appoints judges, that he should not say, “So-and-so is handsome or strong; I will appoint him as a judge” [or] “So-and-so is my relative; I will appoint him as a judge in the city,” even if he is not expert in the laws, and consequently he condemns the innocent and acquits the guilty. [God says:] I will hold it against the one who appointed him [this judge] as though he [himself] had shown partiality in judgment (Sifrei).

 

You shall hear the small just as the great A case regarding a perutah [small coin] should be as important to you as [a case] regarding a hundred maneh [a large sum], so that if it [the former] is presented before you first, do not postpone it for last (San. 8a). Another explanation of “You shall hear the words of the small as you do those of the great,” as per the Targum [The words of the small you shall hear like the words of the great]: You shall not say: “This is a poor man, and his friend [opponent] is rich, and it is a mitzvah to support him [the poor man]. I will favor the poor man, and he will thus be supported respectably.” Another explanation: You shall not say, "How can I affront the honor of this rich man because of one dinar? I will favor him now and when he goes outside [leaves the court] I will tell him, 'Give it to him [to the poor man], for you really owe it to him!’" (Sifrei)

 

You shall not fear any man Heb. לֹא תָגוּרוּ, meaning you shall not fear. Another explanation: You shall not gather in [stifle] your words because of any man. As in (Prov. 10:5),"It gathers (אוֹגֵר) in summer." (See Sifrei.)

 

for the judgment is upon the Lord Whatever you unjustly take from one, you will oblige Me to return to him. Consequently you have perverted a judgment against Me (San. 8a).

 

[And the case that is too difficult for you] bring to me Because of this [presumptive] statement, Moses forgot the law regarding the daughters of Zelophchad [in Num. 27:1-5] (San. 8a). Similarly, Samuel answered Saul and said (I Sam. 9:19),"I am the seer." Whereupon, the Holy One, blessed is He, said to him, “By your life, I will let you know that you do not [always] see [with the holy spirit].” And when did He let him know [this]? When he came to anoint David, “And he saw Eliab [and] he said, ‘Surely, before the Lord is His anointed’ ” (I Sam. 16:6-7). The Holy One, blessed is He, said to him: “Did you not say, ‘I am the seer?’ Look not upon his appearance.” (Sifrei)

 

18 [And I commanded you...] all the things which you should do These are the ten things that distinguish monetary cases from capital cases (Sifrei.).

 

19 [that] great and fearful desert [It is termed fearful] because in it were serpents as [thick as] beams and scorpions as [big as] bows (Sifrei).

 

22 And you approached me—all of you: in a state of disorder. But further on (Deut. 5:20-21) it says, “You approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders, and you said, Behold [the Lord, our God] has shown us [His glory and His greatness].” That approach to me was proper—young people respecting their elders, sending these before them. Here, however, you approached me all of you, in a state of disorder, the young pushing aside their elders, the elders pushing aside their heads.

 

and bring us back word [meaning that they will report] which language they [the Canaanites] speak.

 

by which route we shall go up There is no road without a crooked portion.

 

and to which cities we shall come first, to capture (Sifrei).

 

23 And the matter pleased me -"It pleased me, but it did not please the Omnipresent." But if it pleased Moses, why does he mention it in his rebukes? This may be compared to a man who says to his friend, “Sell me this donkey of yours.” He replies to him, “Yes.” "Will you give it to me to test it?" He replies, “Yes.” "May I test it on mountains and hills?" Again he replies, “Yes.” When he sees that his friend does not withhold anything from him, the purchaser thinks to himself, “This man is certain that I shall not find any defect in the donkey,” and he immediately says to him, “Take your money; I need not test it now.” I too, consented to your words, thinking that you would perhaps reconsider when you saw that I do not withhold it from you, but you did not reconsider (Sifrei).

 

so I took... from you- from the select that were among you, of the finest that were among you (Sifrei).

 

twelve men... one man for each tribe [This] tells [us] that the tribe of Levi was not with them. (Sifrei).

 

24 [And they came] to the valley of Eshkol [This] tells us that it [here it was so called] on account of a future event [that the spies took from there a cluster (אֶשְׁכּֽל) of grapes]. (Sifrei).

 

and [they] spied it out This teaches us that they traversed through it along four lines, along the length and the breadth (Sifrei.).

 

25 and brought it down to us This tells us that the land of Israel is higher than all other lands (Sifrei).

 

And they said, The land... is good Who were the ones who spoke about its goodness? Joshua and Caleb (Sifrei.).

 

26 and you rebelled Heb. וַתַּמְרוּ. This is an expression denoting confrontation; you confronted His words.

 

27 You murmured Heb. וַתֵּרָגְנוּ. This is an expression denoting slander. It is similar to (Prov. 18:8)"The words of a נִרְגָּן " i.e., of a slanderer.

 

Because the Lord hates us Really, however, He loves you, but you hate Him. A common parable says: What is in your own heart about your friend, [you imagine] is in his heart about you (Sifrei).

 

Because the Lord hates us, He took us out of the land of Egypt- His taking us out was due to hatred [they claimed]. This may be compared to a mortal king who had two sons and two fields, one well irrigated, the other dependent upon rain only. To the son he loved, he gave the well irrigated field, and to the one he hated, he gave the one dependent upon rain only. The land of Egypt is a well irrigated country, for the Nile rises and irrigates it, while the land of Canaan is dependent upon rain only. He took us out of [the irrigated] Egypt to give us the arid land of Canaan (Num. Rabbah 17).

 

28 The cities are great and fortified up to the heavens The Scriptural text here is talking in exaggerated terms (Sifrei; Chullin 90b).

 

29 Do not be broken Heb. לֹא תַעַרְצוּן. This is an expression denoting breaking, as the Targum renders it: [Do not be broken], and similar to it (Job 30:6),"To dwell in the cleft of the valleys (בערוץ נחלים)," i.e., to break through the valleys.

 

30 will fight for you Heb. יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם — [ לָכֶם means] on your behalf.

 

31 and in the desert, where you have seen This refers to the preceding verse: “just as He did for you in Egypt,” and also what He did “in the desert, where you have seen how the Lord, your God, has carried you, etc.”

 

as a man carries his son As I explained regarding [the verses]: “And the angel of God who went before the camp of the Israelites traveled and went behind, etc.” (Exod. 14:19-20). This may be compared to one who is traveling on a road, with his son in front of him. If bandits come to kidnap [the son, he removes him from in front of him and places him behind him].

 

32 Yet regarding this matter that He promises you to bring you to the Land, you do not believe Him.

 

33 to enable you to see Heb. לַרְאוֹתְכֶם, like לְהַרְאוֹתְכֶם, and similarly, “to cause it to lead them (לַנְחֽתָם) on the way” (Exod. 13:21) [like (לְהַנְחֽתָם) ] and also, “To proclaim (לַשְׁמִעַ) ) thanksgiving with a loud voice” (Ps. 26:7), [like לְהַשְׁמִיעַ], and so, “to go to tell (לַגִּיד) in Jezreel” (II Kings 9:15), [like לְהַגִּיד ].

 

36 [And to him will I give the land] that he trod upon [i.e.] Hebron, as it says, “And he [Caleb] came to Hebron” (Num. 13:22).

 

37 Was angry Heb. הִתְאַנַּף , became filled with anger.

 

40 turn yourselves I thought [previously] to let you pass through the breadth of the land of Edom northward, to enter the Land, but you sinned and caused delay for yourselves.

 

turn yourselves Backwards, and proceed through the desert towards the Red Sea, for the desert in which they were traveling was south of Mount Seir, separating the Red Sea from Mount Seir. Now turn in the direction of the Sea and go around Mount Seir, along its entire southern side from west to east.

 

41 and you prepared yourselves Heb. וַתָּהִינוּ, an expression of “Here we are (הִנֶּנּוּ) and we will go up to the place” (Num. 14:40). This expression which you used, denotes, “Yes” (הֵן) , as if to say: You prepared [to go up to the mountain].

 

42 Neither go up There will be no ascent [victory] for you, but only a descent [defeat].

 

44 As bees do- Just as a bee dies instantly after stinging a person, they too [the Amorites], upon touching you, died immediately.

 

45 But the Lord would not hear your voice As if possible [to say of God], you made His attribute of mercy as though it were cruel.

 

46 And you dwelled in Kadesh many days- Nineteen years, as it says, “as the days that you dwelled” in the other stations. They totaled thirty-eight years; nineteen of them were spent at Kadesh, and for nineteen years they were continually wandering about, and they returned to Kadesh, as it says, (Num. 32:13),"And He made them wander about in the desert"—thus I have found in Seder Olam (ch. 8).

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 107:1-32

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary to Tehillim (Psalms) 107:1-32

 

1 Give thanks to the Lord because He is good, etc.

 

2 Those redeemed by the Lord shall say it when He redeems them from the hands of an oppressor.

 

4 They strayed in the desert, on a road of desolation, etc. Those who travel in the deserts must also give thanks because sometimes they stray and suffer from hunger and thirst.

 

7 And He led them And He led them; therefore, they shall give thanks to the Lord for His kindness.

 

10 Those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death Also those imprisoned in a dungeon are required to give thanks when they emerge from their prison.

 

11 For they rebelled against the words of God Trouble does not befall a person except because of his iniquity.

 

16 For He broke copper doors that were shut before them.

 

17 Fools, because of the way of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted with the agonies of illnesses. They too are among those who are required to give thanks. There are markers in this chapter (i.e., six inverted “nuns” are written) and they come to be expounded upon instead of “buts” and “onlys” to limit [the power of the verse] meaning that if they [the prisoners] cry out before the verdict has been promulgated, they are answered; after the verdict has been promulgated, they are not answered.

 

27 They were frightened Heb. יחוגו. This is an expression of breaking. Similarly (Song 2:14): “in the clefts of (בחגוי) the rock”; and similarly (Isa. l9:17), “And the land of Judah will be to Egypt for a dread (לחגא) .”

 

30 They rejoiced that they were stilled The waves.

 

the region Heb. מחוז, an expression of a border, and Menachem (p. 86) associated it with (Isa. 28:18): “and your limit (וחזותכם) with the grave,” your limit, that it should not enter our boundary. Similarly (I Kings 7:4): “an edge (מחזה מול מחזה) opposite an edge,” three times. In Tanchuma, I found [this].

 

32 And they shall exalt Him in an assembly of people He must give thanks in the presence of ten.

 

and in a sitting of elders And two of them must be rabbinical scholars.

 

Meditation from the Psalms

Tehillim (Psalms) ‎‎107:1-32

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

This hymn of thanksgiving opens the fifth and final Book of Psalms. Primarily, this composition expresses the thanks of those who were in places of danger but were rescued and arrived home safely. As such, these verses relate to a number of historical settings. Alshich says that the Psalmist is amplifying the thanks which Israel offered to G-d when they were redeemed from the dangers of Egyptian bondage, where they were threatened by the hazards of both the scorched wilderness^[1] and the deep sea.

 

Ibn Yachya relates this work to David's life.^[2] The Philistines captured the Holy Ark, and it was endangered in countless ways. When David returned the Ark to a haven of safety and sanctity, he composed this hymn of thanks.

 

Sforno says that the Psalmist echoes those who will be redeemed from the present exile. Throughout the centuries they have endured all kinds of danger, only to be ultimately confronted with the greatest danger of all — the war of Gog and Magog, which will threaten to tear the entire world asunder.

 

The Talmud^[3] derives a practical rule of Jewish conduct from this psalm: Four people must offer thanks to God — he who traveled over the sea; he who journeyed through the desert; he who was sick and then healed; and he who was jailed and then released. All four of these perilous situations are vividly described in this psalm.^[4]

 

As we begin our study of this fifth book of Psalms it seems appropriate that we should spend a moment to reflect on the books of the Tanach which are divided into five books. There are the five books of the Torah, where we see HaShem speaking to man. Next, we have the five books of Psalms where we have man speaking to HaShem. Thus, we have the following summary:

 

HaShem speaking to Man - Torah

Man speaking to HaShem - Psalms

 

Given that each of these contains five books, we would expect that they would have an explicit relationship to each other.^[5] In our study of Psalms we have noted that the psalmist is commenting on the corresponding Torah portion. Now we can understand the psalmist’s perspective with his commentary. The psalmist is commenting on the Torah portion as a way of speaking to HaShem. In a sense, the psalmist is praising HaShem for that particular Torah portion, or rather what HaShem has spoken to us in the corresponding Torah portion.

 

Midrash Psalms 1:1 The foremost among the prophets - he is Moses ... [and foremost among the kings - he is David. You find that whatever Moses did, David did. As Moses led Israel out of Egypt, so David led Israel out of servitude to Goliath. As Moses fought the battles of the Lord against Sihon and Og, so David fought the battles of the Lord in all the regions around him ... As Moses became king in Israel and in Judah ... so David became king in Israel and in Judah. As Moses divided the Red Sea for Israel, so David divided the rivers of Aram for Israel, as it is said David ... divided the rivers of Aram”.^[6] As Moses built an altar, so David built an altar. As the one brought offerings, so the other brought offerings. As Moses gave five books of Law to Israel, so David gave five books of Psalms to Israel ... Finally, as Moses blessed Israel with the words "Blessed art you. O Israel”,^[7] so David blessed Israel with the words "Blessed is the man.”’

 

This reinforces the idea that the five books of the Torah were given by HaShem through Moses and reciprocally the five books of the Psalms came from David.

 

Psalms chapter 107 begins with a summation of history, therefore, let us continue what we started with the end of Psalms chapter 106, and look a bit more at how the process is playing out in our days.^[8]

 

5750 A.M. (September 1989) on the cosmic weekly calendar corresponds to 12:00 noon. At that time the sun begins to set. 5750A.M. begins the change over to the final climax. We are expecting the following events:

 

1.      ikvot HaMashiach – the footsteps of the Messiah - The time immediately before Mashiach.^[9]

2.      Atchalta d’Geula^[10] – the release of Mashiach ben Yosef from captivity.

3.      Yemot HaMashiach^[11] – Messianic days.

 

September 1989, 5751 A.M., is Friday noon^[12] (between the eves). Thus, the intensity of Ohr HaMashiach^[13] is rapidly increasing. This time frame saw the collapse of the Berlin wall and the beginning of the demise of communism in Russia. It is also the time when the internet opened up. By 9/11/2001 the World Trade Center collapses after the most dramatic terrorist event in history. It was also the deadliest.

 

We are now at approximately 12:55 PM, in 5782. Every hour is 41 years and 8 months. (At the time of evening there will be light.) Six and a half hours after dawn.

 

In our day we are seeing 7500 journal articles published every single day! These all represent new ideas and understanding in the many fields of science. That’s how fast science is growing. The sum total of man’s knowledge doubles every 5.5 years. Nine out of ten scientists, that have ever lived, live today because of the tremendous outpouring of the Ohr Rishon. The acceleration of human knowledge is astounding! Just remember: This all brings the Geula, the redemption, by preparing the world and effecting the needed tikkun.^[14]

 

This is all necessary to prepare the world for the outpouring of Chokma, wisdom, that will come with Mashiach. Remember what happened at Mt. Sinai when the Bne Israel were blasted back 12 mil?^[15] We need to be prepared, and this out-pouring of the Ohr Rishon^[16] is necessary so that we are able to withstand the Chokma of the messianic age. It is not just the Jewish world that needs to be prepared, it is also the Gentile world that needs to be prepared.

 

This preparation includes movies which are highly spiritual and messianic in nature. Consider Star Wars and “the force”. Its similarity to kedusha^[17] or tumah, impurity, is so obvious that it is concealed only from the naïve. Yet, they are gaining the Chakma, the messianic understanding to prepare them for the Ohr Rishon. Hollywood is teaching kabbalistic concepts in a manner that is palatable to the general public, via movies and videos. Many movies are so strongly kabbalistic that the wise have no problem discerning it. What is remarkable is that these movies are being shown throughout the world and are translated into many other languages, all to prepare the world for the messianic age. HaShem is using the tumah, the impurity, of Hollywood movies to convey deep spiritual concepts in a form that is acceptable to the Gentiles; so that the whole world is prepared for Mashiach. They are learning the concepts of redemption, of Messiah, of kedusha, and evil vs. good.

 

Iyov (Job) 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?

 

Eventually, when the world is properly prepared, the unclean will be removed and only the clean will remain.

 

In the Torah world, we are now seeing books on the Gemara from ArtScroll that fully explain the Gemara, in English. The books contain background and explanations that are difficult to come by. We have never had such publications in the past. This suggests that Torah is emerging from the klipah, the husks that have made learning so difficult in the past. The whole concept of daf yomi’s popularity revolves around the ArtScroll Gemara’s accessibility to those who were not able to attend Yeshiva. Because HaShem is freeing Torah from the klipot, we are getting all of these astounding publications, which are bringing Torah to a much wider audience.

 

As we said before, the Ohr Rishon will have three components to notice:

 

1. The topics
2. The forms
3. The methods

 

ArtScroll is completely remaking the form into that which is much more comprehensible with less research and providing expert insights at the tips of your fingers.

 

Kabbalah, together with scientific discovery and its technology, is essential in ushering in, and even accelerating, the incoming and final stage of global evolution, traditionally referred to as the Messianic Era. Thus, modern science and technology are one of the manifestations of the messianic process itself. The doctrine of (combined and intertwined) “Kabbalah and science” securely grabs hold of both extremities of the separate, and often opposing, disciplines of ancient religious truth and evolving scientific knowledge. Accordingly, the true confluence and interpenetration of these systems will only emerge when these two things happen. Paradoxically, the newly discovered models and metaphors provided by the “external wisdom” of science will help illuminate the deepest secrets of the ancient mysteries of the “internal wisdom” of the Kabbalah. Reciprocally, those same ancient mysteries of the Kabbalah’s “internal wisdom” will define, explain, and help reshape our perception of the entire phenomenon of the external physical world.

 

There is even more to the unique vision of the role that secular wisdom must play in the messianic unfolding. Not only do science and technology play a prophetic and mystical role, alongside the ancient mystical teachings of Judaism but, according to this tradition of the Talmudic Sage-Mystics, this synthesis depends upon the Jewish nation being re-centered in a rebuilt Jerusalem.

 

The satan is dying because after 2000 years the Jews have suffered enough.^[18] This means that all of the kedusha, holiness, given to the satan and to the Gentiles is being taken back by the Jews. The monumental suffering of the holocaust^[19] greatly speeded up the tikkun. Consider that during the holocaust every nation was involved in the killing of the Jews, whether overtly or covertly by denying them safety (The east may be an obvious exception^[20]). This was the satan’s first strategy, kill the Jews and bring them such suffering that they no longer perform mitzvot. The satan’s second strategy was to use the Erev Rav^[21] to divert the Jews from mitzvot.^[22] The Erev Rav^[23] believes that pickled herring, gefilte fish, and Jewish culture are what makes a Jew, not Torah. The Erev Rav^[24] are the reformed, conservative, and reconstructionist leaders of the Jews.

 

Consider that modern Israel was not formed by Torah observant Jews; rather it was formed by secular^[25] Jewish leaders.^[26] They were trying to destroy Torah Jews. They are a fifth column^[27] within the ranks of the Jewish people. They were not seen as enemies, rather they were our brothers.

 

Rome has been providing the satan the kedusha he requires … until they become so wicked that he can no longer suck from this source. The satan needed kedusha from another place so he goes to his ‘ally’, Ishmael.^[28] Ishmael has some kedusha because it was put into him by Avraham when he pleaded with HaShem to give him life:

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 17:18 And Abraham said unto G-d, O that Ishmael might live before thee! 19 And G-d said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

 

So, Ishmael had kedusha, but Ishmael wants a quid pro quo.^[29] Instead of the satan working with Edom (Rome),^[30] Ishmael wants the satan’s exclusive help for himself. Ishmael’s nation is destined to supplant the Roman nations. Thus, the Muslims are taking over Israel, Europe, and even the United States. They want a Moslem like president (Obama) in the US. The job of the American administration is to destroy Rome and thereby elevate Ishmael. This administration has to support the Palestinians. Obama supports Morsi who self-destructs. This administration must elevate and empower Iran. Yet Ishmael is running out of kedusha as seen by the collapse of multiple Arab states, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Lebanon, and Syria all indicate that Ishmael is running out of kedusha.

 

In a recent lecture, Rav Moshe Wolfson shlita, the esteemed mashgiach^[31] of Yeshivat Torah V’Daat said that the fall of a nation is preceded by the fall of it’s sar, or administering angel. Once the sar falls, then the nation will fall. This is based on the Zohar^[32] which says that what the Jews saw on the banks of the Yam Suf was the sar of Egypt dying.

 

Israel has discovered oil^[33] and gas^[34] which will cause them to grow stronger as the Arab states implode (If we can’t get oil from the Arabs, then we will surely buy from Israel). Because Ishmael^[35] knows he is dying, he must go super-nova by creating ISIS^[36] which is the death throes of Ishmael. ISIS is a banding together of many nations of Muslims^[37] in one desperate move to survive.

 

At the Reed Sea:

 

Shemot (Exodus) 14:13-14 HaShem shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of HaShem, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. HaShem shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

 

In modern times this manifest as Israel stands on the sidelines while the Arabs destroy each other. Israel is just protecting their borders while the Arabs kill each other without any help from Israel. It means we are approaching the end^[38] where HaShem is able to openly manifest His power. Further, the Arabs are now killing Christians (Edom).

 

A piece of rabbinic literature [written 2000 years ago] known as the Yalkut Shimoni^[39] touches on many future scenarios both for the nation of Israel and for the world. In its section on the biblical Book of Isaiah and the prophecies contained therein, a rabbi cited by the Yalkut Shimoni^[40] states:

 

“Rabbi Yitzchak said that the year the Messiah will arrive when all the nations of the world will antagonize each other and threaten with war. The king of Persia (Iran antagonizes the King of Arabia - Saudi Arabia) with war. The King of Arabia goes to Edom (The Western Countries, headed by USA) for advice. Then the King of Persia destroys the world (and since that cannot be done with conventional weapons it must mean nuclear which can destroy most of the world). And all the nations of the world begin to panic and are afraid, and Israel too is afraid as to how to defend from this. G-d then says to them, ‘Do not fear for everything that I have done is for your benefit, to destroy the evil kingdom of Edom and eradicate evil from this world so that the Messiah can come, your time of redemption is now’.” [Persia and Ishmael are one people according to the Maharal. Persia^[41] represents the Syrians, Lebanese, and Arabians.]

 

Paras^[42] will incite a war against other Arabs. Edom will seek counsel before Paras destroys Edom.^[43] The last great war is Paras^[44] vs. Edom.^[45] The great city of Rome (New York?) will be terrorized. Then Mashiach ben David will sprout. It sounds like Mashiach is born in America. To do this Iran needs the atomic bomb. At the end of Yoel we see Edom vs. Ishmael. Obama’s American government is Ishmael’s savior. He is giving them the bomb by the year 5790 AM (2030 CE). The American President, as a Muslim sympathizer, must empower the Iranians with missile and bomb technology. Iran (Shiites) wants to destroy the world to bring the 12th Imam.^[46] (Note that Ishmael has twelve sarim based on the fact that he had twelve sons.^[47]) Some say that this is the war of Gog u’Magog, with Paras (Iran) being Gog. The whole world (Magog) will be the United Nations.

 

The war of Gog u’Magog, as prophesied in Yehezchel chapter 38, has been brought to fulfillment by the UN. Because the UN represents the 70 root nations (193 political entities), when the UN takes an action it is an action of all 70 nations. In this scenario, the 70 nations are Magog and the leader of these nations is Obama. Obama is Gog.

 

The latest UN anti-settlement resolution, number 2334, which condemned Israel was HaShem’s way of showing the heart of the nations. Many times, their hatred is concealed and their bad acts are done under cover to conceal their sins from the world. Now that their hearts have been revealed, when it is time for punishment the whole world will be guilty and show that they deserve what HaShem is handing out.

 

The latest UN anti-settlement resolution, number 2334, which condemned Israel was HaShem’s way of ending the “two-state” solution to the war with the Palestinians. Since Judea and Samaria have been given to the Palestinians, there is no longer any way for Israel to negotiate with the Palestinians by offering them some land. The UN gave away Israel’s bargaining position.

 

This is the last war. The last war deals with Iran! Iran could only do this if they have an atomic bomb. This will enable them to make war against Israel and the entire Middle East. In this war the Israeli Arabs will side with Arabs elsewhere, against the Jews. As a result, the Jews will completely expel the Arabs from Israel. Israel will then contain Jews only. This begs the question: Why don’t the Jews expel the Arabs now? The answer is that Israel is afraid of the reaction of the rest of the world. Until the Jews are attacked in a wholesale manner from within and without, until that time they must do what the world wants. But, after they are attacked in such a manner, then they will be free to destroy and expel every last Arab. In this war they will have America as its ally because Trump does not tolerate those who refuse to make a deal. He will have already seen that they cannot make peace and he will realize that the Arabs need to be destroyed or expelled from Israel.

 

One of the ways that we recognize the hand of HaShem is when the actions of our leaders do not make sense. This is clearly the case with Iran. The leaders of Iran have shouted “death to America” and “death to Israel” many times. In the midst of this kind of talk, Obama wants to give them an atomic bomb. This does not make any sense, rather it is idiotic, bordering on insane. Yet, that is exactly what is happening.

 

Edom must be weakened because they have given the Jews the ability to study Torah. This strength must be weakened by the Supreme Court to legitimize same-sex marriage. Rampant immorality is what Rabbi Nachman^[48] says will flood the world. The flood destroyed the world partly for this reason.^[49] The rest of the world is following the lead of the US. Except Ishmael kills homosexuals to their credit! The end game is the end of the exile, of Ishmael, of Edom, and the Erev Rav. This is Tisha B’Av. The American government’s job is to destroy Edom in favor of Ishmael. Thus, the American government acts foolish in order to accomplish this task. Thus, the satan will bring the Mashiach.

 

In Esther we see that everyone, and every action, brings the Geula, the redemption. Mordechai because he serves HaShem, gets a reward. Haman brings the Geula and is destroyed because he wants to destroy the Jews.

 

Klal^[50] Israel is at their lowest point because of intermarriage and mitzvot. They have greatly descended. They need to be brought low so that they are not culpable for their sins and HaShem can save them despite their sins. Like Avraham who descended to his lowest point when Paro took Sarah,^[51] but that turned out to be his greatest reward. The Jews must be uplifted to be able to do Torah and mitzvot, otherwise when Mashiach comes they will be destroyed by his kedusha.

 

Exiles

 

There are four major nations, and their corresponding exiles, mentioned in Daniel chapter 2. Ishmael is not on the list. However, the four are really 8. The final exile is Edom according to the Midrash Shacher Tov.^[52] the bottom of the feet is represented by Ishmael and Edom. The four exiles, among the eight kingdoms are:

 

1) Babylon-Chaldea,

2) Media-Persia,

3) Macedonia-Greece,

4) Edom^[53] (= Rome = the western world) and Ish­mael^[54] (= Arabs).

 

The eight total nations to subjugate the Jews are:

 

Egypt

Babylon

Persia

Greece

Rome (the greatest) = Edom = Esav = Christianity

Ishmael - Moslem

Amalekites

Erev Rav - enemy within

 

The secret of these kingdoms is found in Chad Gadya^[55] which is read by Ashkenazim^[56] (and some Sephardim^[57]) at the end of the Pesach seder. Israel is the kid. The two zuzim are the two Luchot. There are eight nations between the kid and HaShem, as delineated by Rabbi Mendel Kessin:

 

Nebuchadetzer (Babylon) = cat

Belshazzar (Babylon) = dog

Modai (Media) = stick

Achashverosh (Babylon) = fire

Macedonians (Greece) = water

Greece = ox

Rome / Edom = Slaughterer

Ishmael = Angel of Death

 

A second opinion:

 

The ten stanzas of Chad Gadya, according to Ohr Samayach, correspond to the ten kingdoms that will rule from before the beginning of time until the end of the world. They are:

 

HaShem alone before the creation.

The Babylon of Nimrod

Egypt

Yisrael until the destruction of the First Temple

The Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar

Persia and Media

Greece and Macedonia

Rome

Mashiach

HaShem alone

 

A third opinion:

 

The symbolic meaning of this sequence of people, animals and objects remained obscure until the Vilna Gaon presented the following interpretation of the famous Pesach summation of “A Kid a Kid…”. Each verse alludes to one person or event in Jewish history:

 

The kid is the birthright mentioned in Genesis 25. This is the right to take the baton that had been passed from Abraham to Isaac, to continue Abraham’s mission to build a world full of loving kindness and monotheism and devoid of idolatry, child sacrifice and other evils.

 

My father is Yaaqob who bought the birthright from his twin brother Esau, who had been born first and thus had the natural right to the birthright.

 

The two zuzim are the bread and stew Yaaqob paid Esau for the birthright.

 

The cat represents the envy of Yaaqob’s sons toward their brother Joseph’s, leading them to sell him into slavery in Egypt.

 

The dog is Egypt, where Joseph landed, and where eventually the entire clan of Yaaqob and the subsequent Israelite nation lived, were enslaved and were redeemed.

 

The stick is the famous staff of Moses, used to call forth various plagues and part the waters of the Sea for the Israelites to cross.

 

The fire represents the thirst for idolatry among Israelites that proved to be a persistent bane for over 800 years, from the year they left Egypt until the destruction of the First Temple in the Fifth Century BCE.

 

The water represents the Fourth Century BCE sages who eradicated idolatry.

 

The ox is Rome (Esau’s descendent) who destroyed the 2nd Temple in 70 CE.

 

The butcher is the “Messiah Son of Joseph” (Mashiach Ben-Yoseph) who will restore full Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel.

 

The Angel of Death needs no introduction; in this song he represents the death of Messiah Ben-Yoseph

 

The Holy One of course also needs no introduction; here He arrives with Messiah Ben-David.

 

The repetition in each stanza underscores the ebb and flow of Jewish history – sometimes we’re down, but then we rise up. While most of the song looks backwards, it ends with an optimistic view toward the future, a fitting conclusion to the Seder.

 

Our Hakhamim have associated the opening words of Genesis with the four exiles.

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 1:2 And the earth was without form (tohu), and void (bohu); and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

 

With respect to this seemingly uninformative verse, our Hakhamim have explained the words this way:

 

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis II:4 R. Simeon b. Lakish applied the passage to the [foreign] Powers. NOW THE EARTH WAS TOHU (E.V. ‘UNFORMED’) symbolizes Babylonia: I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was tohu-E.V. ‘waste’ (Jer. IV, 23)^[58]; AND BOHU (E.V. ‘VOID’) symbolizes Media: They hastened (wa-yabhillu) to bring Haman (Est. VI, 14).^[59] AND DARKNESS symbolizes Greece, which darkened the eyes of Israel with its decrees, ordering Israel, ‘Write on the horn of an ox that ye have no portion in the God of Israel.’^[60] UPON THE FACE OF THE DEEP - this wicked State^[61]:just as the great deep cannot be plumbed, so one cannot plumb [the depths of iniquity of] this wicked State. AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD HOVERED: this alludes to the spirit of Messiah, as you read, And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him (Isa. XI, 2). In the merit of what will [this spirit] eventually come? [For the sake of that which] HOVERED OVER THE FACE OF THE WATERS, i.e. in the merit of repentance which is likened to water, as it is written, Pour out thy heart like water (Lam. II, 19). R. Haggai said in the name of R. Pedath: A covenant was made with water^[62] that even in the hot season a breeze stirs over it.^[63]

 

 

 

Within this single and ominous verse, there is an allusion to all four exiles that the Jewish people were destined to experience throughout their long history until the Messianic time, which has still yet to occur. And without exception, all of them have come to pass as predicted, with the final exile, the “Roman Exile” (Edom) still in progress.

 

HaShem hinted to these four exiles in the story of creation, as we saw earlier. At the beginning of creation, it is written that, “The world was tohu and bohu, and darkness covering the deep.” The four phrases:

 

1) “tohu”,

2) “bohu”,

3) “darkness”, and

4) “covering the deep”

 

The four phrases hint to the four exiles (The following image depicts Daniel 2:33–34, 41–43):

 

 

From Daniel we see that the Jews will endure only four exiles before Mashiach comes. However, Rav Chaim Vital, who is the disciple of the Arizal, writes something very fascinating. He teaches that there will be a fifth galut which will sprout out from the exile of Edom, called galut Ishmael. When Ishmael falls Mashiach will come.

 

There is much more, perhaps next week. 😊

 

Ashlamatah: Zecharyah (Zechariah) 8:16-23 + 9:9-10

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary on Zechariah 8:16-23, 9:9-10

 

14 and I did not repent of what I had planned to bring upon you, [or] retract it; but I brought it. Neither will I repent of the good that I have planned for you.

 

16 and judgment of peace I.e., compromise.

 

17 And let no one think evil of his neighbors He warned them concerning hatred without cause, which brought about the destruction of the Second Temple.

 

19 the fast of the fourth [month] The fast of Tammuz, which is the fourth of the months.

 

the fast of the fifth [month] of Av.

 

the fast of the seventh [month] The third of Tishri, when Gedaliah was assassinated.

 

and the fast of the tenth [month] Of Teveth.

 

23 ten men from the seventy nations. This equals seven hundred for each corner. For the four corners of the tallith there will be two thousand and eight hundred.

 

9 Behold! Your king shall come to you It is impossible to interpret this except as referring to the King Messiah, as it is stated: “and his rule shall be from sea to sea.” We do not find that Israel had such a ruler during the days of the Second Temple.

 

just and victorious saved by the Lord.

 

and riding a donkey This is a symbol of humility.

 

and a foal of she-donkeys as in (Gen. 32:16) "and ten foals.

 

10 And I will cut off the chariots for they will not need them.

 

and his rule  וּמָשְׁלוֹ

 

from the sea to the west From its sea to the west, to the end of the world.

 

and from the river The Euphrates.

 

11 You, too shall be saved with him, as he is just and victorious. For with the blood of your covenant, I prophesied for you for the future; and for now, too, from the Babylonian exile in which you are now found.

 

with the blood of your covenant With the merit of the blood of the covenant that was sprinkled upon you at Sinai, as it is written (Exod. 24:8): “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made.”

 

I have freed your prisoners from the exile.

 

12 Return to the stronghold To your strength and to your glory, even though you are now under the rule of the kings of Persia.

 

you prisoners of hope who hoped for Me until now that My words [would] be fulfilled at the end of seventy years.

 

Also today, I will restore to you a double promise Today I will yet tell you second tidings, besides those of the building. And what is the second narrative that I am returning to repeat to you?

 

13 For I bend Judah for Me Eventually, the Greeks will wrest the kingdom from the Persian kings and inflict harm upon you, and I will bend Judah to be a war bow for me; and Judah will wage war against the Greeks in the days of the Hasmoneans.

 

a bow; I filled [the hand of] Ephraim This is an elliptical verse: Like a bow, I filled the hand of Ephraim; as (II Kings 9: 24), “And Jehu put all his strength into his bow.” Ephraim shall be as a quiver full of arrows to Me.

 

and I will arouse your children, O Zion The children of Zion on the children of Javan.

 

14 And the Lord shall appear over them In the book of Josippon (chap. 18), we find that at that time a sign appeared to the people of Jerusalem.

 

shall sound the shofar He shall thunder.

 

and He shall go with the whirlwinds of the south To storm the people of the south; they are the Greeks. And some of our Sages interpreted [the phrase] as referring to Edom in the future.

 

15 and they shall devour the spoils of their enemies.

 

and they shall tread under them.

 

sling- stones They are the Greeks, who are trained to use the bow and to sling stones.

 

They shall make a noise like [those who drink] wine They shall make noise with a voice of joy and happiness, as those who have drunk much wine make noise.

 

and they shall become full Their souls shall become full of all good.

 

like the basin that is full of blood. before the altar.

 

like the corners of the altar where wine is libated. The wine would flow upon it, as we learned in tractate Sukkah (49b). This is an expression of satiety, an expression of drunkenness.

 

16 like the flocks of His people Like the flocks that He caused to travel from Egypt to become His people.

 

for crown stones are exalted on His land For the priests, the sons of the Hasmoneans, who boast of the crown stones in the rows of the breast-plate and the ephod, will be exalted with miracles on their land.

 

17 For how How great is the goodness laid out for that generation.

 

Corn... young men Which gives strength to young men.

 

and new wine Which causes maids to speak in song and joy. Others interpret יְנוֹבֵב [as that] which will be fruitful and grow in virgin soil, which is superior wine.

 

 

Commentary on the Ashlamatah of Zechariah 8:16-23, 9:9-10

By: H.Ex. Adon Shlomoh Ben Abraham

 

As our reading starts, Hashem says he plans to do good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah and proceeds to instruct his children in the correct behaviour he expects. In the very opening verses of this eighth chapter, Hashem, the LORD of Hosts, tells us,   I am jealous ^[64]  for Zion with great jealousy,^[65] and I am jealous for her with great fury.^[66] Thus saith the Lord: I return unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts The holy mountain.^[67] (v.2-3)  At this time, in the days of the Messiah, the City of Jerusalem is called the city of truth or the faithful city. Radak says only Jerusalem is named as the capital, but in reality, it speaks of the whole land of Israel, and in (v.7-8 & 13) we see it is speaking of all the remnant that is brought back from the house of Judah and of the house of Israel.

 

The LORD of Hosts' zealousness is turning toward his children and against those who have placed themselves over and against Judah and Israel. The punishment and chastisement that has come to the children because of their rebelliousness now will turn into the promised blessing spoken of by Jeremiah 31:28,  And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them^[68] to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the Lord.^[69]  The promises are connected to obedience, and this obedience and keeping of the mitzvot and statutes bring one to holiness and not a life that's filled with licentiousness and evil deeds^[70]. These are the things that ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates; and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord. ^[71]  The second admonition is listed in the correct place. If every man loved his neighbor as himself and emulated God and brought himself into conformity with God's Nature, then no one would be mistreated, and the second step, execute judgment of truth and peace in your gates, we would then have no need.  In the bible, the ‘gate” was the place of the meeting of the elders and city fathers^[72] to settle disputes and disagreements and to complete the business of keeping the peace, in a lawful and orderly society. Malbim tells us that if the people follow these directives, their fast days will become days of joy and celebration. Malbim and Metzudot also say that if the people had conducted themselves like this, the temple would not have been destroyed. Therefore, we can surmise that returning to this directive will bring the restoration of that which we have lost.

 

The fast of the fourth month. This is the fast of the ninth of Tammuz, the time that the walls of the city of Jerusalem were breached, which brought the destruction of the First Temple. Some thought this was not on the ninth but on the seventeenth of Tammuz. This is the fourth month, counting from Nissan.  Jeremiah 52:6-7 records it as the fourth month on the ninth. The two Talmuds dispute these two different dates and resolve them by listing the first temple on the ninth and the second temple and the breaching of the city walls as the seventeenth.  As to this first date in Jeremiah, it is understood that the common people recorded it on the wrong day, and so the scripture recorded it the same as the common understanding.^[73]

 

According to Radak and Rashi, the next fast day, the fast of the fifth, is also connected with the destruction of the Temple. It is understood as the fast day for the destruction of the temple on the ninth of Av and not the breaching of the walls of the city.^[74]  The fast of the seventh month, the Fast of Gedaliah, is observed on the third of Tishri, which is the seventh month from Nissan. The Sages associate his death with the destruction of the Temple to enumerate it among the fasts associated with the Temple to teach us that the death of the righteous is as tragic as the burning of the Temple.^[75]   The last fast mentioned (v.19) is that which is to be turned into a time of joy and celebration, the fast of the tenth month. This is when it all started, according to Jeremiah 52:4 and 2 Kings 25:1. Notice that earlier, both Judah and Israel were mentioned, but here, this sadness will be overturned and turned into joy for Judah only.  Are we to learn that only Judah has kept these four days as fast days, and therefore, for them, they will be turned into a time of joyous celebration? - - shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful seasons; therefore love ye truth and peace. (v.19) Is this turning to joy and happiness associated with all the fast days or just the fast of the tenth month? Could it be associated with, Messiah, the restoration of the temple, and Judah being the place of the King, that Judah is mentioned?   The Rabbis ponder this, Radak^[76] said, if you love ‘truth and peace’, they would be days of joy and celebration. Also, because Judah suffered the destruction of the first temple and they returned after the 70 years of exile, they got a mention, but not Israel, because they had already been in exile earlier. Abarbanel^[77] suggests that Israel, while in exile, had their own fast days to commemorate what had happened to them, so no mention. But Metzudot,^[78] those fast days will become days of joy and happiness strictly for the house of Israel. I like to think of it like this: Judah first, then all of Israel, and the next verse begins to speak of other peoples and many strong nations that come. In the final analysis or bottom line, those who follow the directive of the earlier verses (16-17).

 

We could understand these next few verses in a messianic and prophetic sense. We suggest these next few verses have been slowly coming to pass for the last several thousand years.  In verse 20, some translate as “there will yet be a time,” others as “It shall yet come to pass,” and the ESV translates as “Peoples shall yet come.”  If we look at verse 22, we see many “am” people and strong nations “גּוֹיִם  gôyim” shall come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. (Hashem).  Malbim tells us that although the Jewish people will be despised, the gentile nations will still come to and look to Jerusalem as a city of holiness and will turn toward the city of Jerusalem to seek the truth of Hashem’s existence.^[79]  It seems to me we have a progression of events here.

 

In the last verse of this eighth chapter (v.23), we see another addition to this time when people are coming to Jerusalem. Now we see “in those days” the passage speaks of a time period, and within that time period, we see inside of that time period ten^[80] men from the nations taking a physical hold of a Jew's robe and making a declarative statement, “We have heard that God is with you”.  The period of time mentioned, I believe, has been since Zechariah wrote the words, The voice has been calling Hashem's people Israel back to the land. Only in the last 2,500 years has mankind been hearing the call, and the sound has been increasing year after year, and for the last 77 years, this last part has been steadily gaining momentum. It is one thing to seek an ideal, a concept, or a belief, but when the reality of the rebuilding of the city of Holiness begins to manifest itself in the earth before our very eyes,^[81] and we hear of Hashem's wondrous works, we go to the Jew and proclaim, Let us go with you, we have heard that God is with you.

 

The Chofetz Chaim taught that according to the wording of the text, there will be ten men from the seventy nations(languages), which makes seven hundred per corner. Multiply this by four, and the result is twenty-eight hundred per Jew.^[82]

 

These fasts had been observed for 70 years when Zechariah spoke (Zech. 7:5) with sorrowful hearts and the affliction of the exile and of the fast on the physical body of the Jewish people. (cf. 7:5–7). These fasts are still observed by religious Jews today. But at the arrival of the Messiah, these fasts will be turned into feasts, symbolizing joy and celebration that the exile has come to an end.

 

The people in Zechariah’s day were encouraged by their future hope to love what God loves (cf. 8:16–17), truth and peace, and may we add hate what God hates.  Now and in the future, people of the whole earth are joining with Jews because of their relationship with Hashem, their father. People from the nations are learning, and more will come to know that God is with Israel and that they are His people (8:8).  Zechariah spoke this prophecy after 70 years of mourning on these feast days, and we are now 77 years past the new beginning of the Nation state of Israel. It seems we are fast approaching a climax, where we have seen a few from the nations clinging to the Jew. Soon the numbers will multiply exponentially, and as a result, many nations will come to Jerusalem to worship (Zech. 14:16–19; Isa. 2:3).  If you’re a Jew get ready for the flood gates to open and if you’re one from among the nations, cling to the Jew will all your heart and soul as if your life depends on it.

 

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy king cometh unto thee, he is triumphant, and victorious, lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace unto the nations; and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. (9:9-10)

 

In the ancient Near East, scholars tell us, if a king came in peace, he would ride on a donkey instead of on a war stallion. Messiah rode on a colt, the foal (lit., “son”) of a donkey.  According to the accounts in the Nazarene Codicil (N.T.),^[83] the second account of his coming is on clouds and on a stallion.^[84] Could this be telling us it will be with war, destruction, and blood-stained garments, as Isaiah says when he comes from Edom, as in Isaiah 63?  The days are soon coming when that righteous branch will spring forth, although it comes with a sense of fear and trepidation, we have long placed our hope in seeing this day come to pass. (Jer. 23:5–6; 33:15–16) God’s blessing which he covenanted to Israel is not made dependent on Israel’s goodness or worthiness, but Israel’s goodness and worthiness should follow as the consequence of God’s gracious promises.  A promise was made in Zechariah 8:13, and promises will be fulfilled in Zechariah 8:15. While you wait and trust in Hashem, these are the things you are to do! (8:16, 17; 7:9, 10).

 

 

Verbal Tallies and Connections

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 1:1-2:1, Zecharia 8:16-23 + 9:9-10, Tehillim (Psalms) 107:1-32

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

Looking at the Hebrew of Devarim (Deuteronomy) 1:1 and Zechariah 8:16, what is the verbal tally (all root words) that connects these two passages?

 

The primary verbal tally connecting Devarim (Deuteronomy) 1:1 and Zechariah 8:16 is the Hebrew root word דָּבַר (dabar), which means "to speak" or "to command."

 

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 1:1 (JPS) These are the words הַדְּבָרִים which Moses דִּבֶּ֤ר spoke [Strong's H1696] to all Israel on that side of the Jordan in the desert, in the plain opposite the Red Sea, between Paran and Tofel and Lavan and Hazeroth and Di Zahav.

 

The word דִּבֶּ֤ר (dibber) is the Piel perfect third-person singular form of the verb דָּבַר (dabar).

 

Zechariah 8:16 (JPS) These are the things that ye shall do: Speak (דַּבְּר֨וּ [Strong's H1696]) the truth each one with his neighbor; truth, and judgment of peace you shall judge in your cities.

 

The word דַּבְּר֨וּ (daberu) is the Piel imperative plural form of the same verb, דָּבַר (dabar).

 

Both passages use this root to describe the act of speaking or saying words. In Deuteronomy, the root establishes that the entire book is a collection of words spoken by Moses. In Zechariah, it is used in a direct command to the people to speak truthfully to one another. The shared root word highlights the fundamental importance of speech and words in both divine and human contexts.

 

* * *

 

What is/are the thematic connection(s) between Devarim (Deuteronomy) 1:1 - 2:1, and Tehillim (Psalms) 107:1-32?

 

The passages Devarim (Deuteronomy) 1:1-2:1 and Psalms 107:1-32 share a central theme: the recounting of Israel's journey in the wilderness and God's consistent deliverance from their distress. Both passages describe a series of events where the people wander, suffer, and are ultimately saved by God, but they do so from different perspectives.

 

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 1:1-2:1: The Historical Reiteration

 

This section of Deuteronomy is the beginning of Moses's final address to the Israelites. It is a historical summary of their 40-year journey through the wilderness. Moses reminds them of:

 

The Command to Depart: God's command for Israel to leave Mount Horeb and journey toward the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 1:6-8).

 

The Failure to Trust: The people's fear and rebellion when faced with the land's inhabitants, leading to their refusal to enter (Deuteronomy 1:26-33).

 

The Consequence of Disobedience: God's subsequent decree that they would wander for 40 years as a result of their lack of faith (Deuteronomy 1:34-40).

 

The Journey through the Wilderness: The passage concludes by mentioning their wandering and their respectful passage through the territory of their kin, like the Edomites and the Moabites (Deuteronomy 2:1-4).

 

This account frames the journey as a series of events dictated by God's commands and the people's response. It is a narrative of God's plan and the consequences of deviating from it.

 

Psalms 107:1-32: A Poetic and Thematic Parallel

 

Psalm 107 is a poetic hymn that offers a broader, more thematic reflection on God's redemptive power. It is structured around a four-part refrain, each part describing a group of people in distress and their subsequent deliverance by God. The first two parts are particularly relevant to the wilderness journey:

 

Part One (107:4-9): This section describes the wandering of people in the wilderness who were "hungry and thirsty." They cried out to the Lord, and "He delivered them out of their distresses, and He led them by a straight way." This is a direct parallel to the Israelites' physical and spiritual journey in the desert.

 

Part Two (107:10-16): This part describes those who "sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron." They were rebellious against God's word and were brought low. They cried out, and God "broke the bars of iron in sunder." This reflects Israel's repeated rebellion and the suffering that came as a result, followed by God's ultimate salvation.

 

Thematic Connections

 

The two passages, while different in genre, are thematically linked by the following:

 

1. The Wilderness as a Test: Both describe the wilderness as a place of hardship and wandering. In Deuteronomy, it's a consequence of sin; in Psalms, it's a setting for God's redemptive action.

 

2. Human Rebellion: Deuteronomy details specific acts of rebellion and unbelief. Psalms generalizes this human tendency, describing those who "rebelled against the words of God."

 

3. Divine Deliverance: The central theme is God as the ultimate deliverer. Deuteronomy recounts how God led the people despite their failures, and Psalms celebrates God's consistent response to those who "cry unto the Lord in their distress."

 

4. The Centrality of God's Word: Deuteronomy begins with Moses speaking the "words" of the Lord. Psalm 107 emphasizes that God "sent His word, and healed them." Both texts see God's word as the source of guidance and salvation.

 

* * *

 

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 message of Zechariah 8:16-23 + 9:9-10?

 

Based on Jewish sources, the eschatological message of Zechariah 8:16-23 and 9:9-10 is a prophecy of the final redemption of Israel and the establishment of a peaceful, messianic kingdom on Earth. This redemption is not merely a political restoration but a complete moral and spiritual transformation.

 

The Foundation of Truth and Peace

Zechariah 8:16-17 provides the ethical groundwork for the eschatological era. The prophet commands the people to live with truth, justice, and peace. According to Jewish commentators like Rashi and the Malbim, this is a precondition for redemption. The prophecy is that in the end of days, these virtues will be fully realized. People will no longer harbor evil in their hearts, and all falsehood will be abolished. This moral perfection is an essential part of the Messianic era.

 

The Ingathering of Exiles and Universal Worship

The passage in Zechariah 8:20-23 describes the ultimate ingathering of the exiles and the recognition of God by all nations. The text says that "many peoples and mighty nations" will come to Jerusalem to "seek the Lord of hosts." Jewish tradition interprets this as a prophecy that in the Messianic era, the nations of the world will realize the truth of God and will join the Jewish people in divine worship. The image of ten men from different languages clinging to the garment of a single Jew symbolizes the universal recognition of God's chosen people and the central role of Jerusalem as a spiritual beacon for the entire world.

 

The Reign of the Messiah

Zechariah 9:9-10 contains a pivotal messianic prophecy. The Messiah is described as a righteous and victorious king who will enter Jerusalem "humble, and riding upon an ass." This is a profound eschatological image, contrasting the humble nature of the Messiah with the power of the kingdom he establishes. Jewish commentators explain that this signifies that the Messiah's victory will be achieved not through war and conquest, but through justice and peace. His reign will extend "from sea to sea," and he will "cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem," bringing an end to all warfare. This is a vision of a world where peace is not merely the absence of conflict but a new reality brought about by the righteous reign of the Messiah.

 

Nazarean Talmud

“Eleh HaDevarim” – “These [are] the words”

Sidra of Devarim (Deuteronomy) “1:1 – 2:1”

By: Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

School of Hakham Shaul’s Tosefta Luqas (LK)

School of Hakham Tsefet’s Peshat Mordechai (Mk)

¶ But when they bring you before their assemblies and rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you should speak in your own defense or what you should say, for the Divine Presence will teach you in that same hour what it is necessary to say.”   ¶ “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, handing you over to their unlawful gatherings and prisons. You will be brought before kings and governors because of my authority (name). Therefore, this will become for you a time of witness. Hence, please make up your minds not to prepare in advance to speak in your own defense, for I will give you a mouth and Hakhmah (wisdom) that all your opponents will not be able to resist or contradict you. And you will be handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all because of my authority (name). Not even a single hair of your head will perish! By your patient endurance, you will gain your lives.

¶ But you yourselves, watch with discernment; for you will be (betrayed and) handed to their Gentile courts and receive stripes in their Gentile courts; and stand before Gentile governors and kings because of your relationship to me as a testimony to them (i.e. the Gentile authorities). The first (or, as a matter of first priority), is that my Mesorah must be proclaimed to all the Nations (Gentiles). But, whenever you are brought to trial, do not worry beforehand what you should say; answer honestly at that time according to the Divine Presence (breathing out of my Mesorah – i.e., the Oral Torah), and not with your own answer. Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rebel against their parents, having them put to death; And everyone will hate you because of my name (authority). But, only those who keep (guard and teach the Mesorah) until they achieve the goal will be whole (experience Shalom).

 

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

 

 

Commentary on Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat

 

Collective ideology and thematic connections

 

This analysis delves into the profound metaphysical and mystical connections woven throughout the provided texts, exploring their shared essence from a Sephardi perspective. The common threads reveal a fabric of divine truth centered on themes of testimony, tribulation, and the ultimate redemption of the soul.

 

The Fabric of Testimony and Divine Justice

 

The core commonality is the concept of eidot, or testimony, as a means of divine revelation and the administration of justice. In Devarim (Deuteronomy) 1:1-2:1, Moshe offers a final, comprehensive testimony to B’ne Yisrael before they enter the land. Therefore, this is not merely a recounting of historical events but a mystical transmission of divine will, a final Mussar (ethical instruction) to prepare them for their ultimate purpose. This act of testimony is a foundational act of tikkun (rectification). The text’s opening, “These are the words which Moshe spoke,” (Eileh ha’devarim asher dibber Moshe), hints at the sephirot, the ten divine emanations, as the building blocks of reality, and Moshe, a vessel for their manifestation. His words are a final articulation of the holy order, a spiritual scaffolding for the nation’s future.

 

The verses from Tehillim (Psalms) 107:1-32 echo this theme through the testimony of those who have been redeemed from distress.¹ The repeated refrain, “Hodu l’Adonai chasdo v’nifla’otav livnei adam” (Let them give thanks to G-d for His lovingkindness and His wonders to the children of men), is a powerful testament to G-d’s saving grace. Each stanza describes a different form of tribulation—from wandering in the wilderness to imprisonment and sickness—and the subsequent divine deliverance. This public acknowledgment is an act of teshuvah (repentance) and a form of mystical elevation, where the individual’s personal experience becomes a collective testimony to Elohim’s power. Consequently, this is the inner work of tikkun ha’nefesh (rectification of the soul), where personal suffering transmutes into communal praise and spiritual elevation.

 

Zekharyah (Zechariah) 8:16-23 and 9:9-10 further illuminate this thread. The prophet commands the people to “speak the truth each man to his neighbor” and to “love truth and peace.” Hence, this is a prophetic testimony regarding the future messianic age, where honesty and righteousness will be the very foundation of the world. The image of the “Mashiach” (Messiah) riding on a donkey in chapter 9 is a symbol of humility and peace, not a king of conquest. Therefore, this is a profound sod (secret), hinting at a spiritual redemption that transcends physical might. The testimony of the prophet is a bridge from the present exilic consciousness to the future Geulah (redemption), where all nations will seek out Yisrael, a testament to G-d’s ultimate plan.

 

Tribulation as a Catalyst for Spiritual Growth

 

A second, deeply intertwined theme is the transformative power of tsarot (tribulations). In Devarim, the forty years of wandering are presented not as a punishment but as a period of spiritual refinement. The wilderness, a place of desolation, becomes a mystical crucible where the people’s faith is tested and purified. The failures and rebellions, such as the sin of the spies (referenced in chapter 1), are a divine strategy to build a generation forged in Emunah (faith).

 

The Tehillim similarly presents tribulation as a prerequisite for salvation. The sailors lost at sea, the prisoners in darkness, the sick—all cry out to G-d from their distress. Their suffering is the impetus for a deep, heartfelt prayer that merits a divine response. From a Kabbalistic perspective, these are descents into the klipot (shells) of impurity, from which the nefesh (soul) must ascend. The very act of crying out is an act of bitul ha’yesh (annihilation of the ego), allowing the light of Ein Sof (the Infinite) to penetrate the darkness. The more profound the darkness, the more brilliant the subsequent revelation.

 

Hakham Tsefet in Markos 13:9-13 and Luqas 12:11-19 and 21:12-19 speaks of a different form of tribulation: persecution for the sake of one’s testimony. They will warn the talmidim that they will stand before councils and rulers and give an account of their faith. Here, tribulation is not a punishment but a Divine appointment to bear witness. The text states, “Do not worry about what you will say... for it is not you who speaks, but the Holy Spirit.” Thus, this is the ultimate bitul ha’yesh, where the individual becomes a mere vessel for the divine word. From a mystical vantage, this tribulation is a purification ritual, a spiritual immersion that prepares the soul for a higher level of holy communion. Physical imprisonment is an analogue to the soul’s exile in this world, and the spoken testimony is its liberation.

 

The Redemption of the Soul and Its Messianic Horizon

 

Ultimately, all these texts point to a single, overarching goal: Geulah, redemption. In D’dabrim, the final destination is the Land of Yisrael, a physical place that reflects the spiritual reality of tikkun ha’nefesh. It is the place where the Shekhinah (Divine Presence) dwells and where the soul can achieve its highest purpose. This physical redemption is a metaphor for the final redemption of all souls. The wandering is over, and the people enter their inheritance.

 

In Tehillim, the redemption is an immediate, personal deliverance from specific afflictions. The act of “He saved them from their distress” is a microcosm of the final redemption of all Yisrael. It is a promise that no matter how dire the circumstances, G-d’s lovingkindness is always present. The return of the scattered exiles from the “east, west, north, and south” is a potent messianic vision, a literal and spiritual ingathering of the lost sparks of holiness.

The prophetic vision of Zekharyah offers a glimpse of the ultimate, cosmic redemption. The “daughter of Tzion” rejoices at the coming of her humble king, and “his dominion shall be from sea to sea.” Herein is a vision of global, peaceful dominion, where all of humanity will recognize G-d’s sovereignty. The Mashiach is not only a redeemer for Yisrael but for all of creation. The testimony of the Jewish people’s resilience and faith will inspire all nations to seek out the truth.

 

In the Nazarean Codicil texts, the redemption is personal and internal, a salvation of the soul through unwavering faith and testimony. The promised endurance and the ultimate salvation of the soul for those who persevere through tribulations are the core promises. This spiritual redemption is the foundation upon which the Messiah builds the Y’mot HaMashiach. The suffering of the individual becomes part of the cosmic drama of tikkun olam, the rectification of the world.

 

Thus, the common thread in these disparate texts is a profound, interwoven fabric of divine purpose. It is a journey of testimony—from Moshe’s words to the public declaration of the redeemed soul—and of tribulation—from the wandering in the wilderness to the spiritual trials of the persecuted. All these experiences are not ends in themselves but means to a single, glorious end: the redemption of the soul and the ultimate Geulah of the entire cosmos. They are a testament to G-d’s lovingkindness, which uses the darkest moments to reveal the most brilliant light.

 

Markos and Luqas

 

This commentary delves into the profound spiritual and layered aspects of the provided translation of Markos 13:9-13. This commentary expands on the insights with a deep Sephardi perspective. The verses are a revelation of the mystical mechanics of redemption, where tribulation becomes a crucible for the soul’s rectification (tikkun ha’nefesh) and the manifestation of the divine will. The text reveals a spiritual roadmap for the talmidim (disciples), guiding them to engage in the tikkun of the world through the power of their testimony.

 

The Mystical Nature of Mesorah and Its Proclamation

 

At the heart of this passage lies the concept of Mesorah (tradition). From a Kabbalistic standpoint, Mesorah is more than a set of transmitted laws or teachings. It is a living, breathing current of divine light (Ohr Ein Sof) that flows from the primordial source, Keter, down through the sephirot and into the physical world. It is the spiritual DNA of Am Yisrael (the people of Israel) and how the world is sustained and rectified. The Oral Torah, or Torah She’be’al Peh, is the living embodiment of this Mesorah, perpetually revealing new depths and applications of the written law.

 

The translation, “my Mesorah must be proclaimed to all the Nations (Gentiles),” underscores the universal nature of this divine flow. The Zohar teaches that just as the soul has both an inner and outer aspect, so too does the Torah. The inner dimension, the sod, is for Yisrael, the “heart of the world,” while the outer, more literal, aspects are a part of the enlightenment of all of humanity eventually. The proclamation to the goyim is not a conversionary mandate in the classical sense, but an act of spiritual dispersion, an infusion of divine sparks (nitzotzot) into the nations, preparing them for the ultimate Geulah. The talmidim serve as vessels for this light, and their testimony releases it through them as a conduit. A cosmic act of tikkun olam rectifies the fallen sparks scattered throughout the world.

 

Critics view the static, legalistic approach as an affront to this dynamic reality. A religion without a living, breathing Mesorah is like a body lacking a soul. It cannot sustain the continuous flow of divine life, and therefore, it cannot affect true transformation. The “Messianic congregations” that cast off rabbinic authority essentially cut themselves off from the very wellspring of Mesorah. They may possess the “words” of the Torah, but they lack the “melody” of its transmission, a melody found only in the unbroken chain of tradition.

 

Tribulation as a Keter-infused Testimony

 

The translation of the text’s opening, “watch with discernment,” is crucial. The Hebrew word for discernment, binah, is the sephirah of understanding, located at the head of the left pillar of the sephirotic tree. Binah is the mother of all understanding, a concept that receives the divine light from Hokhmah and gives it form. To “watch with discernment” is not to be fooled by the external appearance of persecution but to perceive its inner, spiritual purpose. The tribulation is not a random act of evil; it is a divine test, a mystical trial by fire that purifies the soul and reveals its true essence.

 

The act of being “handed to their Gentile courts” and standing before “Gentile governors and kings” is not an act of surrender but a divine opportunity. The Hebrew word for witness, ed, shares a root with eidot, testimony. The disciple’s appearance before these authorities is their moment to become a true “ed” (witness). The Sages teach that when a person is in a state of extreme distress, a unique channel to the highest levels of Keter opens. The “ruach ha’kodesh” (Holy Spirit) breathes out of my Mesorah at a precise moment. A direct connection to the Divine allows the individual to speak from their neshamah (divine soul), no longer relying on the nefesh (animal soul) or ruach (emotional soul) for speech.

 

The command “do not worry beforehand what you should say” holds a deeper meaning. The prepared answer is the product of the ego (yesh). The divine answer, however, stems from a state of bitul ha’yesh, the annihilation of the ego. The disciples must empty themselves, creating a vessel for the divine word. The testimony they give is not their own; the Mesorah speaks through them. Creating a dwelling for the Divine Presence is the ultimate form of hekhshat shekhinah (bringing the Shekhinah to rest).

 

The Family and Communal Fracture: A Tikkun of Binah

 

The passage, “Brother will betray brother...and children will rebel against their parents,” describes a fracturing of the fundamental social unit—the family. From a Kabbalistic perspective, the family represents the microcosm of the divine order. The father-son relationship mirrors the relationship between G-d (Abba) and Yisrael (Ben), and the mother-daughter relationship reflects the Shekhinah. This familial betrayal is a profound spiritual wound, a p’gam (blemish) in the very fabric of creation.

 

Even this fracture serves a deeper purpose. The talmidim must choose a higher allegiance—to their spiritual family, the community of the Master’s Mesorah. The “hate you because of my name” is not merely personal animosity but a cosmic hatred of the divine light. Those immersed in the darkness of the klipot will naturally despise the light of Mesorah. This hatred is a sign that the talmid is on the correct path. It is a necessary separation, a Havdalah, between the sacred and the profane, the light and the darkness.

 

The Goal of Shalom and the Enduring of the Mesorah

 

The passage’s final line, “But, only those who keep (guard and teach the Mesorah) until they achieve the goal will be whole (experience Shalom),” is the key to the entire pericope. The Hebrew word for “whole,” shalem, comes from the same root as Shalom, peace. True peace is not the absence of conflict but a state of spiritual wholeness, where all the parts of the soul are in harmony with the divine will. The “goal” is not merely survival; it is the achievement of this state of Shalom.

 

To “keep (guard and teach the Mesorah)” is the path to this wholeness. Kabbalah teaches that the study of Torah sustains the world. Each word of Torah is a divine name, and each act of keeping a mitzvah (commandment) is an act of unification (yichud) of the sephirot. The one who holds fast to the Mesorah during tribulation is not a passive observer; they are an active partner in the divine work of tikkun. Their endurance is a manifestation of Netzach, the sephirah of eternity, and their wholeness is a taste of the ultimate Shalom that will characterize the Messianic age.

 

The commentary on the anti-Semitism inherent in the “Persecution by Jews” heading is essential. The struggle is not a conflict between two historical groups but a spiritual struggle between light and darkness. The persecution comes from the “Gentile courts,” representing the forces of this world that are hostile to the divine order. The historical fact of Herod Agrippa II’s client-kingship under Rome and the Roman hegemonon underscores that Gentile authority ultimately holds power. The talmidim did not suffer persecution from Yisrael, but from the forces seeking to sever Yisrael from its Mesorah. Throughout Jewish history, this struggle against those who would strip away the living, dynamic tradition and replace it with a static, lifeless counterfeit remains a constant theme.

 

The talmidim are scattered among the nations, much like the Jewish people in Galut. Their trials are the trials of exile, and their testimony is the Mitzvah of holding fast to the Mesorah in a world that seeks to erase it. Their endurance is a testament to the ultimate triumph of light over darkness, and their Shalom is a foretaste of the final, complete redemption of all Yisrael and, through them, all of the nations.

 

Some Questions to Ponder:

 

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

 

Blessing After Torah Study

 

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

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

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

Coming Festival

Sukkoth – Tabernacles

Monday Evening October 6, 2025 to Wednesday Evening October 15, 2024

 

For further information see:

http://www.betemunah.org/succoth.html ; http://www.betemunah.org/emunah.html ; http://www.betemunah.org/hoshana.html ; http://www.betemunah.org/shemini.html

http://www.betemunah.org/birth.html ; http://www.betemunah.org/simchat.html

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