Torah Seder I Adar 24

Esnoga Bet Emunah

227 Millset Chase - San Antonio, Texas 78253

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

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings	Fourth Year of the Reading Cycle
I Adar 24, 5768 – Feb. 29/ March 01, 2008	Seventh Year of the Shmita Cycle

Shabbat Mevar’chim HaChodesh Adar II

Sabbath of the Proclamation of the New Moon for the Month of II Adar

Evening Thursday March 6 – Evening Shabbat March 8

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times

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

Friday Feb. 29, 2008 – Candles at 6:15 PM Friday Feb. 29, 2008 – Candles at 6:03 PM

Saturday Mar. 01, 2008 – Havdalah 7:09 PM Saturday Mar. 01, 2008 – Havdalah 6:55 PM

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Singapore, Singapore

Friday Feb. 29, 2008 – Candles at 6:16 PM Friday Feb. 29, 2008 – Candles at 7:02 PM

Saturday Mar. 01, 2008 – Havdalah 7:11 PM Saturday Mar. 01, 2008 – Havdalah 7:51 PM

Cebu, Philippines Jakarta, Indonesia

Friday Feb. 29, 2008 – Candles at 5:46 PM Friday Feb. 29, 2008 – Candles at 5:54 PM

Saturday Mar. 01, 2008 – Havdalah 6:36 PM Saturday Mar. 01, 2008 – Havdalah 6:43 PM

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

Coming Festivals: Fast of Esther & Purim

Evening Wed. March 19 – Evening Shabbat March 22

For further study see: http://www.betemunah.org/esther.html ;

http://www.betemunah.org/allegories.html ; http://www.betemunah.org/purim.html &

http://www.betemunah.org/r2r.html

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
וְהִקְרִיתֶם לָכֶם
“V’Hiq’ritem Lakhem”	Reader 1 – B’midbar 35:9-12	Reader 1 – D’barim 1:1-5
“Then you will choose for you”	Reader 2 – B’midbar 35:13-16	Reader 2 – D’barim 1:6-12
“escogeréis para vosotros”	Reader 3 – B’midbar 35:17-19	Reader 3 – D’barim 1:13-18
B’midbar (Numbers) 35:9 – 36:13 B’midbar (Numbers) 28:9-15	Reader 4 – B’midbar 35:20-28
Ashlamatah: Joshua 20:1-9 + 21:3	Reader 5 – B’midbar 35:29-34
Special: 1 Kings 7:13-26; 40-50	Reader 6 – B’midbar 36:1-4	Reader 1 – D’barim 1:1-5
Psalm: 106:34-48	Reader 7 – B’midbar 36:5-13	Reader 2 – D’barim 1:6-12
	Maftir – B’midbar 28:9-15	Reader 3 – D’barim 1:13-18
N.C.: Matityahu 25:31-46	Joshua 20:1-9 + 21:3 1 Kings 7:13-26; 40-50

Roll of Honor:

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of His Honor Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and most beloved family, and that of His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham, and that of Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah and beloved family, as well as that of His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann and beloved family and that of His Excellency Adon John Batchelor and beloved wife, and that of His Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and his beloved wife Giberet Karmela bat Sarah, as well as Her Excellency Giberet Hannah bat Sarah and beloved family. For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’s richest blessings be upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael, amen ve amen!

Also a great thank you to all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Seder.

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

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan

for: B’midbar (Numbers) 35:9 – 36:13

RASHI	TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN
9. Adonai spoke to Moshe, saying:	9. And the Lord spoke with Mosheh, saying:
10. "Speak to B’ne Yisrael and say to them: 'When you cross the Yarden into the land of Canaan,	10. Speak with the sons of Israel, and say to them, When you have passed over Jordan unto the land of Kenaan,
11. you will provide cities for yourselves, which will serve as refuge cities for you, so that a murderer can flee there, one who accidentally killed a person.	11. you will provide you cities with streets and houses of living (boarding houses), cities of refuge will they be to you, that there the manslayer may flee who has killed a man inadvertently.
12. These cities will serve you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the murderer will not die until he stands in judgment before the congregation.	12. And they will be to you for cities of refuge for the manslayer from the avenger of blood, that the man may not be put to death till he will have stood before the congregation for judgment.
13. The cities that you will give, will serve you as six refuge cities.	13. And these cities which you give will be six cities of refuge for the manslayer;
14. Three cities on this side of the Yarden, and the [other] three cities you will give in the land of Canaan. They will be cities of refuge.	14. three you will appoint beyond Jordan, and three in the land of Kenaan; cities of refuge will they be.
15. For B’ne Yisrael, the proselyte, and resident among them, will these six cities be a refuge, to flee there anyone who accidentally kills a person.	15. For the sons of Israel and the sojourners among you will be these six cities of refuge, that there whoever has killed a man through ignorance may flee.
16. But if he struck him with an iron instrument and he died, then he is a murderer; the murderer must be executed.	16. But if he smote him with an instrument of iron and killed him, he is a murderer; and the murderer will be surely put to death.
17. Or if with a stone that can be held in the hand and which can kill he strikes him, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer must be executed.	17. Or if, filling his hand with a stone large enough to kill any one, he struck him, and killed him, he is a murderer, and the murderer dying will die.
18. Or if with a wooden implement [that can be held] in the hand and which can cause death he strikes him, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer must be executed.	18. Or if, filling his hand with an instrument of wood sufficient to kill any one, he struck him, and killed him, he is a murderer; the murderer will be put to death.
19. The blood avenger will kill the murderer, wherever he meets him he may kill him.	19. The avenger of blood may himself kill the manslayer, if he meet him outside of these cities; he may kill him in judgment.
20. If he pushes [his victim] out of hatred or throws at him deliberately, and he died,	20. But if (the manslayer) had assaulted in enmity and intentionally with a club or staff, or thrown stones upon him with purpose of heart, and killed him;
21. or if in enmity, he struck him with his hand and he died, the assailant must be executed; he is a murderer. The blood avenger may kill the murderer wherever he meets him.	21. or cherishing enmity had struck him with his hand and killed him; he is a murderer; dying he will die. The avenger of blood may slay the homicide when he has been condemned.
22. But if suddenly, without enmity, he pushed him or threw any object at him not deliberately,	22. But if in ignorance, without keeping of malice, he let anything fall upon him, having no intention to kill;
23. Or (even) with a stone which can kill, without seeing [the victim], he threw it down on him and he died, but he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm.	23. or if without intention he let a stone sufficient to kill any one, or any other thing, fall upon him, and kill him, without having hated, or purposed to do him harm,
24. Then the congregation will judge between the assailant and the blood avenger, abiding by these laws.	24. then the congregation will judge between him who had smitten him, and the avenger of blood, according to these judgments;
25. The congregation will protect the murderer from the blood avenger, and return him to his refuge city where he had fled, and he must remain there until the death of the Kohen Gadol who was anointed with the sacred oil.	25. and the congregation will release the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and make him return to his city of refuge where he had fled; and he will dwell there until the time that the high priest die, whom the multitude (sages) had anointed with the oil of anointing; because he did not pray on the Day of Atonement in the Holy of Holies concerning the three great transgressions, that the people of the house of Israel might not be smitten for strange worship, or impure connexions, or the shedding of innocent blood, when it was in his power to obviate them by his prayer, and he prayed not, therefore has he been condemned to die in that year.
26. But if the murderer goes outside of the border of his refuge city where he had fled,	26. But if, while the high priest is yet alive, the manslayer goes out indeed from the bounds, of his city of refuge where he had fled,
27. and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his refuge city, and the blood avenger kills the murderer, he has no blood.	27. and the avenger of blood find him without the bounds of his city of refuge, he may kill the manslayer, without being guilty of death,
28. For he (the killer) must remain in his refuge city until the death of the Kohen Gadol. After the death of the Kohen Gadol the murderer may return to the land of his possession.	28. for he should have abided in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the high priest is dead he may return to the land of his inheritance.
29. These [rules] will be for you the law of justice for all your descendants in all your dwelling places.	29. And these indications will be to you a decree of judgment for your generations in all your dwellings:
30. If anyone kills a person, only upon the testimony of witnesses will the murderer be killed. But one witness may not testify against a person, in a case of capital punishment.	30. Whosoever kills a man, according to the word of witnesses fit to give testimony against him, the avenger of blood, or the house of judgment, will put him to death. But one witness only will not testify against a man to put him to death.
31. And do not accept atonement compensation for the life of a murderer who is wicked/lawless to incur the death penalty, for he must be executed.	31. You may not take a ransom for the release of a murderer who is guilty of death, for dying he will die.
32. And do not accept atonement compensation for one who has fled to his refuge city, to allow him to return to live in the land, before the death of the Kohen (Gadol).	32. Neither may you take ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, so as that he may return to dwell in the land before the time of the high priest's decease.
33. Do not pollute the land in which you live, for, the blood pollutes the land, and for the land there can be no atonement for the blood that was spilled in it, except through the blood of the one who spilled it.	33. Nor contaminate you the land in which you are, because innocent blood which has not been avenged will overflow the land, and there is no atonement made for the land upon which innocent blood has been shed, but by the shedding of the blood of him who shed it.
34. You must not defile the land in which you live, wherein I reside, for, I, Adonai, dwell among B’ne Yisrael.' "	34. Therefore defile not the land in which you are; for My Shekinah dwells in the midst of it; for I am the Lord whose Shekinah dwells among the children of Israel.

1. The paternal leaders approached--- for the children of Gilad, son of Machir, son of Menashe, of the families of Yosef's sons--- and they spoke before Moshe and the leaders who were the paternal heads of B’ne Yisrael.	1. And the heads of the fathers of the family of the Bene Gilead bar Makir bar Menasheh, even the family of the Bene Gilead bar Joseph, came to the house of judgment, and spoke before Mosheh and the princes, the chief fathers of the Bene Israel,
2. They said: "Adonai commanded our master to give the land as an inheritance, through the casting of lots, to B’ne Yisrael, and our master was commanded by Adonai to give the inheritance of our brother Tzelofchad to his daughters.	2. and said: The Lord commanded Rabboni to give the land an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel, and Rabboni was commanded before the Lord to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.
3. But if they marry a member of another tribe of B’ne Yisrael, their inheritance will be diminished from our father's inheritance, and it will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they will marry, and from the lot of our inheritance it will be subtracted.	3. But if these marry into any of the tribes of the children of Israel, their inheritance will be withdrawn from that of our fathers, and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe which will have become theirs, and our lot will be diminished.
4. And even when the Yovel occurs for B’ne Yisrael, their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they will marry, and from the inheritance of our fathers' tribe, their inheritance will be subtracted.	4. And at the Jubilee of the Bene Israel their inheritance will be added to that of their tribe in which they will be; and their possession will have been withdrawn from the inheritance of our father's tribe.
5. Moshe instructed B’ne Yisrael according to command of Adonai, saying: "Correctly are the descendants of Yoseif's tribe speaking.	5. Then Mosheh commanded the children of Israel by the Word of the Lord, saying: The tribe of the Bene Joseph have said well.
6. This is the word that Adonai has commanded regarding Tzelofchad's daughters: 'Let them marry whom they think best, as long as they marry within their tribe of their father.	6. This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: not for the generations that Will arise after the division of the land, but for the daughters of Zelophehad, saying: They may be the wives of them who are proper in their eyes, only such must be of the families of their father's tribe.
7. Thereby, there will be no transfer of inheritance of B’ne Yisrael from tribe to tribe but each person to the inheritance of his father's tribe, will B’ne Yisrael remain attached.	7. That the inheritance of the children of Israel may not pass about from one tribe to another: for the children of Israel Will every one keep to the inheritance of their father's tribe.
8. Every daughter who inherits property among the tribes of B’ne Yisrael to a member of her father's tribe Will she marry, so that B’ne Yisrael will inherit--- each one---the property of his fathers.	8. (Verses 8 and 9 are lacking.)
9. And no inheritance will be transferred from one tribe to another tribe; for, through every man with his own inheritance, will the tribes of B’ne Yisrael be attached.	9. (Verses 8 and 9 are lacking.)
10. Exactly as Adonai commanded Moshe, so did Tzelofchad's daughters.	10. As the Lord commanded Mosheh, so did the daughters of Zelophehad;
11. And they were--- Machlah, Sirtzah, Choglah, Milkah and No'ah, the daughters of Tzelofchad--- wives to their cousins.	11. and Mahalah, Thirzah, Hogelab, Milchah and Nohah, the daughters of Zelophehad, became wives of sons of their kindred;
12. From the families of Menashe, son of Yosef, they married, and their inheritance remained with the tribe of their father's family.	12. of the family of the children of Menasheh bar Joseph were they wives, and their inheritance was with the tribe of their father's family.
13. These are the commandments and the laws that Adonai commanded B’ne Yisrael through Moshe, in the plains of Moab at the Yarden near Yericho.	13. These are the commandments and orders of judgments which the Lord commanded the children of Israel, by Mosheh, in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.

May it be G-d’s will that the Temple be rebuilt speedily. May our eyes quickly see the King Messiah in his glory. May our eyes see it and our hearts rejoice. Amen, may this be His will! Courage and more courage! Cazaq!

Midrash Rabba for: B’midbar (Numbers) 35:9 – 36:13

13. THEN YOU WILL APPOINT YOU CITIES OF REFUGE... THAT THE MANSLAYER... MAY FLEE THERE (XXXV, 11). This bears on the Scriptural texts, Good and upright is the Lord, therefore does He instruct sinners in the way (Ps. XXV, 8). Remember, O Lord, Your compassions and Your mercies (ib. 6). David says: Sovereign of the Universe! Were it not for Your mercies which came to the timely assistance of Adam, he could not have survived. For it says, In the day that you eat thereof you will surely die (Gen. II, 17), but You did not do so unto him. You did merely exclude him from the Garden of Eden and he lived nine hundred and thirty years, and only then did he die. What did You do to him? You did merely drive him from the Garden of Eden; as it says, So He drove out the man (ib. III, 24). Why was he driven out? Because he brought death upon future generations, and deserved to die immediately, but You did have compassion upon him and did drive him out, as is the fate of one who commits murder in error, such a man having to be an exile from his own home to the cities of refuge. Consequently it says, ’Remember, O Lord, Your compassions and Your mercies,’ for they have been from of old (Ps. XXV, 6). When Moses came and the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, THEN YOU WILL APPOINT YOU CITIES. Moses replied: ' Sovereign of the Universe! If a man slays a person unwittingly in the north or in the south, how is he to know where the cities of refuge are, so as to flee there?’ Said He to him: ’You will prepare (takin) yourself the way’ (Deut. XIX, 3), implying: You will make for yourself straight (tekawen) roads so that they will not miss the way, and, being found by the avenger of the blood, be killed, Whereas he was not deserving of death (ib. 6). Still he asked Him: ‘How?’ Said He to him: ‘Put up for them resting-stations on the direct route to the cities of refuge, so that he may know how to get there, and on every station let there be an inscription, saying: " The manslayer to the cities of refuge"’; as it says, ’You will prepare yourself the way.’ Accordingly David said: ’Good and upright is the Lord; therefore does He instruct sinners in the way.’ Now, if for manslayers He prepared a path and a road by which they might escape and be delivered, how much more so, in the case of the righteous/generous, is it true that He guides the humble in justice; and teaches the humble His way (Ps. XXV, 9). THAT THE MANSLAYER THAT KILLS ANY PERSON THROUGH ERROR MAY FLEE THERE (XXXV, 11). THROUGH ERROR, but not presumptuously. If he should slay a man presumptuously and say: ' I have slain him in error’ and flee to the cities of refuge, the Holy One, blessed be He, states: ' Even if he flees and comes to My altar, slay him ‘; as it says, And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour to slay him with guile; you will take him from Mine altar, that he may die (Ex. XXI, 14). Who was it that fled to the altar and was slain? Joab; as it says, And the tidings came to Joab... And Joab fled unto the Tent of the Lord, and caught hold of the horns of the altar (I Kings II, 28). Now it says of him, Tahchemonite, chief of the captains (II Sam. XXIII, 8). Was it because he did not know that it is written in the Torah, ’And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour... you will take him from Mine altar,’ that he went and took hold of the horns of the altar? No; but he argued: Those slain by a court of law are not buried in their fathers’ sepulchres, but in a grave by themselves. It is preferable to me that I should die here and be buried in the sepulchre of my fathers. And Benaiah brought back word unto the king, saying: Thus said Joab... And the king said unto him: Do as he has said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that you may take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house (I Kings II, 30). Why was he killed? Because Solomon had been so commanded by his father David: Moreover you know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did unto me, even what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew (ib. 5). What had Joab done to David? You find that on the occasion when David wrote to Joab: Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire from him, that he may be smitten, and die (II Sam. XI, 15), Joab did so, and Uriah was slain. Then all the army chiefs assembled against Joab with the intention of slaying him, for Uriah had been the chief of the mighty men; as it is written of him, Uriah the Hittite over all the thirty and seven (ib. XXIII, 39). So Joab showed them the king's letter. Accordingly it is written, ’What Joab the son of Zeruiah did unto me.’ ’Even what he did... unto Abner, etc. All Israel thought that David

had commanded Joab to slay him, for Abner was Saul's cousin. It is written therefore, Let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue, or that is a leper (ib. III, 29); David came forward and cursed Joab. All Israel, therefore, realising that the act did not originate with David, were reconciled. David commanded his son Solomon to slay him, for Joab was the son of David's sister and he desired to qualify him for the World to Come [by causing him to suffer for his sins in this world]; when Solomon wanted to kill him, Joab said to Benaiah: ‘Go and tell Solomon this: " Do not sentence me to two punishments. If you are going to kill me, take away from me the curses with which your father David cursed me, and if you are not, then leave me alone with the curses." ' Straightway, ’The king said unto him: Do as he has said, and fall upon him, and bury him.’ R. Judah said: All the curses with which David cursed Joab were fulfilled upon the seed of David. ’One that has an issue’ was fulfilled on Rehoboam the son of Solomon; as may be inferred from the fact that it says, And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot--hammerkabah (I Kings XII, 18), and it is written of the man that has an issue, And what saddle (hammerkab) soever he that has the issue rides upon will be unclean (Lev. XV, 9). ’Or one that is a leper’ was fulfilled upon Uzziah; as it says, And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a house set apart (II Chron. XXVI, 21). Or that leans on a staff (II Sam. III, 29) was fulfilled on Asa; as it is written, But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet (I Kings XV, 23); this means that he was seized with gout. Or that falls by the sword (II Sam. loc. cit.) was fulfilled on Josiah; as it says, And the archers shot at king Josiah (II Chron. XXXV, 23). And, said R. Judah in Rab's name, they transfixed him with iron javelins, making his body like a sieve. Or that lacks bread (II Sam. loc. cit.) was fulfilled upon Jehoiachin; as it says, And for his allowance there was a continual allowance given him of the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life (II Kings XXV, 30); he had to be maintained at the table of Evil-merodach. You find that as long as Jehoiada was alive Joash used to do the will of his Creator; as it says, And Jehoash did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him (ib. XII, 3). But After the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and prostrated themselves before the king. Then the king hearkened unto them (II Chron. XXIV, 17), that is to say, he pledged himself to take an idol. Therefore they executed judgment upon Joash (ib. 24). Why was Abner killed? Because he made sport of the blood of young men; as it says, Abner said to Joab: Let the young men, I pray, arise and play before us, etc. (II Sam. II, 14). R. Joshua b. Levi says that it was because he had put his name before the name of David; as is borne out by the text, And Abner sent messengers to David straightway, saying: Whose is the land? (ib. III, 12). The Sages say that it was because he did not allow Saul to be conciliated by David, and because he could have prevented the destruction of Nob, the city of the priests; but did not protest.

14. THEN YOU WILL APPOINT YOU CITIES (XXXV, 11). It is also written, SIX CITIES OF REFUGE (ib. 13). YOU WILL GIVE THREE CITIES BEYOND THE JORDAN, AND THREE CITIES WILL YOU GIVE IN THE LAND OF CANAAN (ib. 14). There were three in the Land of Israel, in the west, and three beyond the Jordan, in the east, in the land of the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh; as it says, Bezer in the wilderness, in the table-land, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites (Deut. IV, 43). This gives you three in the east. The three in the west were: Hebron, belonging to Judah, Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim--this was Neapolis--and Kedesh in Galilee, belonging to the tribe of Naphtali. Moses divided [Transjordan] among Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, and set apart from these lands three cities; as it says, Then Moses separated three cities (ib. 41). But Joshua divided [the land] among all the tribes and gave to the tribe of Levi forty-eight cities, of which the priests took thirteen, the rest going to the Levites. Three cities of refuge they took in their lot, but in the Land the tribe of Levi took nothing. Why? They will eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His inheritance (ib. XVIII, 1). You find that Sennacherib carried them off in three sections. On the first occasion he exiled the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh. On the second, the tribe of Zebulun and the tribe of Naphtali; as it says, In the former time he has lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali (Isa. VIII, 23). On the third occasion he exiled the rest of the tribes; as it says, But on the latter he has dealt a more grievous blow--hikbid (ib.); ‘Hikbid’ implies that he swept them out (hikbidam) as with a broom (makbed). Nebuchadnezzar also drove out the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in three instalments. On the first occasion he exiled Jehoiakim and on the second Jehoiachin. What did he do to him? He bound him [and seated him] in his most honoured carriage; as may be inferred from the text, ‘For behold I will send her away like the queen-mother; as a queen-mother is honoured by men, so was Jehoiachin honoured by Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuzaradan exiled Zedekiah This gives you three exiles. The Holy one, blessed be He, said: ‘In this world, as a result of iniquities, Israel were exiled and dispersed through the gates of the Land,’ as it says, And I fan them with a fan in the gates of the land (Jer. XV, 7). For Sennacherib was the lord of the world, and used to exile some to one place and others to another. He drove Israel to Babylon and brought those who were in Babylon here. In the time to come, however, If any of yours that are dispersed be in the uttermost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord your God gather you, and from thence will He fetch you (Deut. XXX, 4). And gather together the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth (Isa. XI, 12). Isaiah in the same strain says, The ransomed of the Lord will return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy will be upon their heads; they will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away (ib. XXXV, 10).

Ketubim: Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 106: 34-48

JPS Translation	TARGUM
1. Hallelujah. O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endures for ever.	1. Hallelujah! Give thanks in the presence of the Lord, for He is good, for His goodness is forever.
2. Who can express the mighty acts of the LORD, or make all His praise to be heard?	2. Who is able to utter the might of the Lord? [Who] is allowed to proclaim all His praises?
3. Happy are they that keep justice, that do righteousness/generosity at all times.	3. Happy are they who observe judgment, those who do righteousness/generosity at every time.
4. Remember me, O LORD, when You favour Your people; O think of me at Your salvation;	4. Remember me, O Lord, with good will toward Your people; call me to mind with Your redemption.
5. That I may behold the prosperity of Your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance.	5. To look on the plenty of Your chosen ones; to rejoice in the joy of Your people; to join in praise with Your inheritance.
6. We have sinned with our fathers, we have done iniquitously, we have dealt wickedly/lawlessly.	6. We have sinned, along with our fathers; we have committed iniquity, acted wickedly/ lawlessly.
7. Our fathers in Egypt gave no heed unto Your wonders; they remembered not the multitude of Your mercies; but were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea.	7. Our fathers in Egypt paid no heed to Your wonders; they did not call to mind Your great goodness; and they rebelled against Your Word by the sea, at the sea of Reeds.
8. Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, that He might make His mighty power to be known.	8. And He redeemed them for His name’s sake, to make known His might.
9. And He rebuked the Red Sea, and it was dried up; and He led them through the depths, as through a wilderness.	9. And He rebuked the sea of Reeds, and it dried up; and He conducted them through the deeps, as in the wilderness.
10. And He saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.	10. And He redeemed them from the power of the foe; and He redeemed them from the power of the enemies.
11. And the waters covered their adversaries; there was not one of them left.	11. And the waters covered their oppressors; not one of them was left.
12. Then believed they His words; they sang His praise.	12. And they believed in the name of His Word; they sang His praise.

13. They soon forgot His works; they waited not for His counsel;	13. They quickly forgot His deeds; they did not wait for His counsel.
14. But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tried God in the desert.	14. And they made a request and tested God in the place of desolation.
15. And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.	15. And He gave them their request, and sent leanness into their souls.
16. They were jealous also of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron the holy one of the LORD.	16. And they were jealous of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
17. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.	17. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
18. And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked/lawless.	18. And fire burned in their company; flame will kindle the wicked/lawless.
19. They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped a molten image.	19. They made a calf in Horeb, and bowed down to something of metal.
20. Thus they exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox that eats grass.	20. And they exchanged the glory of their Master for the likeness of a bull that eats grass and befouls itself.
21. They forgot God their Saviour, who had done great things in Egypt;	21. They forgot God their Redeemer who had done mighty works in Egypt.
22. Wondrous works in the land of Ham, terrible things by the Red Sea.	22. Wonders in the land of Ham, awesome things by the sea of Reeds.
23. Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breach, to turn back His wrath, lest He should destroy them.	23. And He commanded by His Word to destroy them, had it not been for Moses His chosen one, who stood and grew mighty in prayer in His presence to turn aside His wrath from obliteration.
24. Moreover, they scorned the desirable land, they believed not His Word;	24. And their soul was repelled by the desirable land; they did not believe His Word.
25. And they murmured in their tents, they hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.	25. And they complained in their tents; they did not accept the Word of the LORD.
26. Therefore He swore concerning them, that He would overthrow them in the wilderness;	26. And He lifted his hand in an oath because of them, to throw them down slain in the wilderness.
27. And that He would cast out their seed among the Gentiles, and scatter them in the lands.	27. And to exile their seed among the Gentiles, and to scatter them among the lands.
28. They joined themselves also unto Baal of Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.	28. And they attached themselves to the idol of Peor, and they ate the sacrifices of the dead.
29. Thus they provoked Him with their doings, and the plague broke in upon them.	29. And they caused anger in His presence by their deeds, and plague attacked them.
30. Then stood up Phinehas, and wrought judgment, and so the plague was stayed.	30. And Phinehas rose and prayed, and the plague was restrained.
31. And that was counted unto him for righteousness/generosity, unto all generations forever.	31. And it was accounted to him for merit for all generations forever.
32. They angered Him also at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses because of them;	32. And they caused anger by the waters of Dispute, and it grieved Moses because of them.
33. For they embittered his spirit, and he spoke rashly with his lips.	33. For they rebelled against his holy spirit, and he had explained [it] clearly with his lips.
34. They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them;	34. They did not destroy the peoples, which the Lord had commanded them [to do].
35. But mingled themselves with the Gentiles, and learned their works;	35. And they mingled with the Gentiles and they learned their deeds.
36. And they served their idols, which became a snare unto them;	36. And they worshipped their idol, and they became a stumbling-block for them.
37. Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons,	37. And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons.
38. And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.	38. And they shed innocent blood – the blood of their sons and daughters that they sacrificed to the idols of the Canaanites – and the land was defiled by capital crimes.
39. Thus were they defiled with their works, and went astray in their doings.	39. And brought uncleanness by their deeds and went astray by their acts.
40. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against His people, and He abhorred His inheritance.	40. And the anger of the Lord was harsh against His people and He despised His inheritance.
41. And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles; and they that hated them ruled over them.	41. And He handed them over into the power of the Gentiles, and their foes ruled over them.
42. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were subdued under their hand.	42. And their enemies oppressed them, and they were subdued under their hand.
43. Many times did He deliver them; but they were rebellious in their counsel, and sank low through their iniquity/lawlessness.	43. Many times He would deliver them, but they would rebel against Him in their counsel, and they were brought low in their sins.
44. Nevertheless He looked upon their distress, when He heard their cry;	44. And He saw when it went ill with them, when He heard their prayer.
45. And He remembered for them His covenant, and repented according to the multitude of His mercies.	45. And He remembered His covenant in their favour, and He turned aside from His anger according to His abundant mercies.
46. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captive.	46. And He made them find mercy in the sight of all who had taken them captive.
47. Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, that we may give thanks unto Your holy name, that we may triumph in Your praise.	47. Redeem us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, to give thanks in Your holy name, to boast in Your praise.
48. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting, and let all the people say: 'Amen.' Hallelujah.	48. Blessed be the name of the Lord God of Israel, from this age to the age to come, and let all the people say, Amen, Hallelujah.

END OF BOOK IV OF PSALMS OF MESSIAH KING DAVID All praise, honour and glory be to G-d, the Creator and Sovereign Ruler of the universe, most blessed be He!

The Midrash on Psalms (Midrash Tehillim): Psalm 106: 34-48

I. O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endures forever. Who can express the mighty acts of the Lord? (Ps.106:1-2). These words are to be considered in the light of what Scripture says elsewhere: Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done, and Your youghts which are to us-ward (Ps. 40:6). What is meant by the words Many ... are Your wonderful works? They mean that every day You do for us miracles and wonderful works, of which no man knows. Then who does know? You, O Lord!

R. Eleazar ben Pedat said: Mark that it is written To Him who alone does great wonders (Ps.136:4) – that is, God alone knows [the great wonders He does]! The later verse, To Him who divided the Red Sea in sunder (ibid. 136:13), implies that God's giving of sustenance is as great a wonder as the miracle at the Red Sea. It implies further that even as the world cannot exist wiyout God's giving of sustenance, so the world cannot exist wiyout wonders and miracles. For example, a man is lying on his bed, and not far from him there is a snake. As the man starts to get up, the snake becomes aware of him; but as the man is about to put his feet down, the snake glides away from him. A man does not know how many such wonderful works the Holy One, blessed be He, does for him. Who does know? Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things (Ps. 72:18). Why alone? Is it conceivable that anyone else would be helping Him to do wondrous things? Alone means that God alone knows how many wondrous works He does every day. Hence David said: Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done, and Your youghts which are to us-ward (Ps. 40:6).

And of the words They cannot be reckoned up in order unto You (ibid.), R. Aha said: We can number neither Your wonderful works which You do, nor Your youghts. Nor can His glory be precisely reckoned. Consider an analogy of two men, one strong and the other weak. Is it possible for the weak man to recount the glorious deeds of the strong one? No! For he can have no understanding of the glorious deeds of the strong man. But the strong man knows his own strength, and he can recount the glorious deeds of another strong man. Therefore, David asked: Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? and answered: He who can show forth all His praise (Ps. 106:2).

Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? R. Samuel said: Men like us who are occupied with Torah to the full extent of our obligation.

II. Another interpretation of Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? (Ps. 106:2). When Zophar the Naamathite said to Job: Can you fathom the deep things of God? ... The measure thereof is longer than the earth (Job 11:7, 9), he meant: "Who can fathom the things in which God reveals Himself?" Is it not said: The things which are in the heights above—what can you make of them? (Job 11:8). And what is meant by the words The things which are in the heights above—what can you make of them? They mean: Can you tell how God made the heavens and the stars? Not even Moses who went up into heaven to receive the Torah from God's hand into his own could fathom heaven's depth.

R. Huna the Priest taught in the name of R. Jeremiah, who taught in the name of R. Hiyya the Great: Then I beheld all the work of God (Eccles. 8:17)—that is, beheld the Torah, as in the words "And the tables were the work of God" (Ex. 32:16). Alyough some say that the end of the verse, That a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because yough a man labor to seek it out, yout he will not find it; yous further, yough a wise man think to know it, yout will he not be able to find it (Eccles. 8:17) speaks of the Messiah, the wise man [Hakham], in truth, is Moses, the master of wise men [Hakhamim], who, nevertheless, could not make out all the meaning of Torah.

And who sang the praise of the mighty acts of the Holy One, blessed be He? The people of Israel, who were told Yours is the song, O Israel; who is like unto you? (Deut. 33:29). Again, They who sing are they that keep justice, that do righteousness/generosity at all times (Ps. 106:3), they being the children of Israel, as is evident from the words spoken of Abraham, I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness/generosity and justice (Gen. 18:19).

How came the people of Israel to sing the praise of His mighty acts? When they went forth out of Egypt, and the Holy One, blessed be He, did wonders for them by dividing the Red Sea for them and bringing them across it onto dry land, the ministering angels came to sing praises to the Holy One, blessed be He. But the Holy One, blessed be He, did not let them, as is said And the one came not near the other all the night (Ex. 14:20), the one and the other here clearly referring to the angels and to their singing of praise, as in the verse "And one called unto the other, and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isa. 6:3). Instead, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let Moses and the children of Israel sing praises unto Me, as is said Then let Moses and the children of Israel sing (Ex. 15:1), it is not written "Then Moses sang," but Then let Moses … sing, as yough a man were saying to his fellow: "Let So-and-so sing first."

Who is like unto You, O Lord, among the mighty? ... Fearful in praises (Ex. 15:11). What is meant by Fearful in praises? R. Yudan said: It means, Your fearfulness transcends all praise that can be uttered of You. A mortal king, when he enters a city, may be praised that he is^, rich, or strong, yough he is often weak; or, he may be praised that he is merciful, yough he is often cruel. But with the Holy One, blessed be He, it is not so. For beyond the reach of anything a man says in praise of Him is that within Him which is ineffable. His fearfulness transcends all the praise you can utter of Him.

David said: As they praise You in this world, so will they praise You in the world-to-come: This will be written for the generation to come; and a people which will be created will praise the Lord (Ps. 102:19). And we praise You: So we that are Your people and the flock of Your pasture will give You thanks forever; we will tell of Your praise to all generations (Ps. 79:13).

III. Another exposition of Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? ... Blessed are they that keep justice, and he that does righteousness/generosity at all times (Ps. 106:2-3). His disciples asked R. Tarfon: "What man is busy in righteousness/generosity at all times?" and he answered: "He that copies out sacred scrolls and lends them to other people." The disciples said to one another: "Are, then, the instructors of the young ever idle? Or is he idle who feeds an orphan in his house?" It was argued: "But the child goes naked." Thereupon, the disciples agreed: "We must have recourse to the Modaite." They were referring to what R. Eliezer the Modaite taught: Even yough the orphan child be left naked, nevertheless it is the portion of bread he is given to eat that enables him to stand up. And so he that feeds an orphan is one that does righteousness/generosity at all times.

IV. Let me be in remembrance, O Lord, in the boon that You wilt extend unto Your people (Ps. 106:4).David said: Master of the universe, when You bring deliverances through Mordecai and Esther, let me be in remembrance. [The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: As you live, I will bring you to remembrance by My saying, There was a certain Judaean (Esther 2:5),a man of David's tribe, Judah, and only after that will I say that the man's name was Mordecai].

They remembered not the multitude of Your mercies; but were rebellious at the sea, at the Red Sea (Ps. 106:7). R. Abba bar Kahana said: Two rebellions took place. Since the sea and the Red Sea refer to one and the same sea, it follows not that there were two seas, but that two rebellions took place at the sea.

R. Abba bar Kahana taught in the name of R. Levi: The sea became mire for the children of Israel, as is said You did walk through the sea with Your horses, through the mire of the great waters (Hab. 3:15); and of the Egyptians, when Israel was in bondage, it is said They made their lives bitter with hard service in mire and in brick (Ex. 1:4)^.Therefore, as the children of Israel went down into the sea, they said: Out of mud and mire we came forth, and now we come back to mud and mire.' Thereupon He rebuked the Red Sea, and it was dried up (Ps. 106:9).

Rab Huna and Rab Aha differed. One taught: It was not by a rebuke but by raising a wind that God brought back the waters, as is said You did blow with Your wind, the sea covered them (Ex. 15:10). The other said: It was by a roaring – And He will roar against them in that day like the roaring at the sea (Isa. 5:30). The verse uses the story of the discomfiture of Pharaoh to throw light upon the discomfiture of Sennacherib, but the verse's description of this, in turn, throws light back upon the means of Pharaoh's discomfiture—the roaring of the waters against him.

V. And the waters covered their adversaries; there was not one of them left (Ps. 106:11). R. Judah and R. Nehemiah differed concerning the words not one of them was left. Not even Pharaoh was left, R. Judah taught, since it is said There was not one of them left. Pharaoh alone was left, R. Nehemiah taught, for it is said But in very deed for this cause have I made you to remain (Ex. 9:16). Some say Pharaoh was finally drowned, for it is said The Lord …. overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea (Ps. 136:15).

They were jealous also of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron the holy one of the Lord (Ps. 106:16). R. Simeon bar Yannai said: In the wilderness, Israel resolved to appoint Dathan in the place of Moses, and Abiram in the place of Aaron, for it is said Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt (Num.

14:4).

A different explanation of They were jealous also of Moses: each and every rebel against Moses made his wife drink the waters of jealousy which women suspected of adultery are made to drink. And what did the rebels bring upon themselves? The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram (Ps. 106:17).

They made a calf in Horeb (Ps. 106:19). Of this, Scripture says Also in Horeb you saddened (hiksaftem) the Lord (Deut. 9:8). R. Meir said: There are places where a mourner is called in Aramaic kasafa.

R. Simeon taught: At Horeb the children of Israel adorned themselves, and at Horeb also they stripped themselves, as is said And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward (Ex. 33:6).

VI. Thus they exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox that eats grass (Ps. 106:20). R. Pappias said: By likeness of an ox is meant the likeness of the ox of the divine chariot. R. Akiba said to him: Enough, Pappias! Behold, it is written an ox that eats grass, that is, an ox in the month of Nisan when he is beslobbered with spittle.

Concerning Therefore He said that He would destroy them (Ps. 106:23)," R. Berechiah, in the name of R. Judah bar Simon, and R. Samuel bar Nahman differed. R. Berechiah said: This verse may be expounded through an analogy. A prosecutor was making accusations against a prince. What did the defender do? He thrust the prosecutor aside, and stood in his place to defend the prince. Similarly, He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breach to turn back His [accusing] wrath (Ps. 106:23). But R. Samuel bar Nahman maintained: A different analogy—a king, angry at his son, was about to sign with a reed pen the decree of punishment, but the defender snatched the reed from the king's hand. Even so Moses sought To turn back His wrath, lest He should destroy them.

VII. Therefore He lifted up His hand against them (Ps. 106:26). R. Huna taught in the name of R. Samuel bar Nahman: Because of the deed at Peor, the children of Israel were doomed to have the kingdoms rule over them, as is said Therefore He lifted up His hand against them, etc. Why such a heavy doom? Because They joined themselves also unto Baal of Peor (ibid. 106:28).

For they embittered his spirit, and he spoke rashly with his lips (ibid. 106:33). That is, according to R. Johanan, Moses swore an oath, as is said And Moses lifted up his hand (Num. 20:11), an act explained by the verse He lifted up his right hand left hand unto heaven, and swore by Him that lives forever (Dan. 12:7).

R. Yudan, the son of R. Yudan, taught: And he spoke rashly with his lips is explained by the verse Or if any one swear rashly with his lips (Lev. 5:4).

And they served their idols, which became a snare (moke') unto them (Ps. 106:36). R. Yudan said that the children of Israel likened God to a pair of idols [which they brought with them across the sea]; " they said: Like us, He and the idols were saved [from the sea]. Of this it is written And they served their idols, which for them had a likeness [to God]."

VIII. Many times did He deliver them (Ps. 106:43). How many times did they provoke the Holy One, blessed be He, as is said And the children of Israel did that which was evil (Judg. 6:1), yet He prolonged His patience with them and delivered them from the distress of their poverty. For note what the chapter says further: And Israel was greatly impoverished (ibid. 6:6). R. Berechiah said: Israel was poor in righteous deeds. R. Samuel said: Israel became poverty-stricken. To what extent? To such an extent that they had not enough to make the sacrifice prescribed for the poor, the sacrifice referred to in the verse And if he be poor, and his means suffice not (Lev. 14:21). Hence, Many times did He deliver them.

IX. Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry (Ps. 106:44). R. Eleazar taught: Israel is to be saved only on account of five things: on account of affliction, on account of the cry of prayer, on account of the merit of the fathers, on account of repentance, and on account of the time of ingathering. On account of affliction, for it is said He regarded their affliction on account of the cry of prayer, for it is said He heard their r cry; on account of the merit of the fathers, for it is said And He remembered for them His covenant (ibid. 106:45); on account of repentance, for it is said He . . . repented according to the multitude of His mercies (ibid.); on account of the time of ingathering, for it is said Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles (ibid. 106:47).

Indeed, Moses brought all five things together in one passage: In your distress when all these things are come upon you, in the end of days, you will return to the Lord your God, and hearken unto His voice (Deut. 4:30): In your distress—that is, on account of affliction; when all these things are come upon you—that is, on account of prayer; you will return—that is, on account of the power of repentance. For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not fail you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers (ibid. 4:30—that is, He will not forget the merit of the fathers, and that which He swore unto them (ibid.) concerning the time of ingathering. Hence it is said He regarded their affliction, etc.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from world to world (Ps. 106:48)—that is, from the world whence we came to the the world we now dwell in.

And let all the people say: "Amen" (ibid.). R. Eleazar taught in the name of R. Jose ben Zimra: Here Amen is an oath, as in the verse And the woman will say: "Amen, Amen" (Num. 5:22) :19 One Amen for this world, and the other Amen for the world-to-come.

Ashlamatah: Yehoshua (Joshua) 20:1-9 + 21:3

1. And the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying:

2. 'Speak to the children of Israel, saying: Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you by the hand of Moses;

3. that the manslayer that kills any person through error and unawares may flee there; and they will be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.

4. And he will flee unto one of those cities, and will stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; and they will take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

5. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they will not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unawares, and hated him not beforetime.

6. And he will dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that will be in those days; then may the manslayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.'

7. And they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kiriath- arba - the same is Hebron - in the hill-country of Judah.

8. And beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the table-land out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

9. These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourns among them, that whosoever kills any person through error might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation. {P}

1. Then came near the heads of fathers' houses of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of fathers' houses of the tribes of the children of Israel;

2. and they spoke unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying: 'The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the open land thereabout for our cattle.' {P}

3. And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the commandment of the LORD, these cities with the open land about them.

Special Ashlamatah: Melakhim א (I Kings) 7:13-26; 40-51

13. And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.

14. He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill, to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.

15. Thus he fashioned the two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high each; and a line of twelve cubits did compass it about; and so the other pillar.

16. And he made two capitals of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits.

17. He also made nets of checker-work, and wreaths of chain-work, for the capitals which were upon the top of the pillars: seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital.

18. And he made the pillars; and there were two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the capitals that were upon the top of the pomegranates; and so did he for the other capital.

19. And the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily-work, four cubits.

20. And there were capitals above also upon the two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network; and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows round about upon each capital.

21. And he set up the pillars at the porch of the temple; and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin; and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.

22. And upon the top of the pillars was lily-work; so was the work of the pillars finished.

23. And he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and the height thereof was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

24. And under the brim of it round about there were knops which did compass it, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about; the knops were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

25. It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

26. And it was a hand-breadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held two thousand baths.

40. And Hiram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he wrought for king Solomon in the house of the LORD:

41. the two pillars, and the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars;

42. and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars;

43. and the ten bases, and the ten lavers on the bases;

44. and the one sea, and the twelve oxen under the sea;

45. and the pots, and the shovels, and the basins; even all these vessels, which Hiram made for king Solomon, in the house of the LORD, were of burnished brass.

46. In the plain of the Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan.

47. And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many; the weight of the brass could not be found out.

48. And Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the LORD: the golden altar, and the table whereupon the showbread was, of gold;

49. and the candlesticks, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the Sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold;

50. and the cups, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the pans, and the fire-pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, that is, of the temple, of gold.

51. Thus all the work that king Solomon wrought in the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD.

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 25: 31-46

31. When the Son of Man comes in his glory, with all the messengers with him, then he will sit upon the seat of his glory.

32. [Zephaniah 3:8] For my task is to gather all the Gentiles [To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them Mine indignation, All the heat of Mine anger, For by the fire of My jealousy consumed is all the earth.]. [Ezkel 34:17] And you, My flock, thus said the Lord Ha-Shem: Behold, I am adjudicating Halakha between sheep and sheep, Between rams and he-goats.

33. And he will make the sheep to stand at his right hand, but the goats at his left.

34Then the King will say to those at his right hand, Come blessed, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom (government) of the Heavens prepared for you from the conception of the hosts of the Heavens.

35. For I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was a stranger and you gathered me in,

36. I was scantily-clad and you outfitted me, I was weak and you examined me, I was in prison and you came to see me.

37. Then the Tsadiqim (the just and generous) will answer him saying, “Master, when did we see you hungry and nurtured you, or thirsty and gave you to drink?

38. And when did we see you a stranger and gathered you in, or scantily-clad and outfitted you?

39. And when did we see you weak or in prison and came to visit you?”

40. Then replying, the King will say to them, “Amen I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least (in the estimation of men) of these my [Jewish] brothers, you did it for me.”

41. Then he will say to those at his left hand, “Cursed (ones), proceed from me into the eternal fire prepared for the adversary and his messengers!

42. For I was hungry and you did not give me anything to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,

43. I was a stranger and you did not gathered me in, I was scantily-clothed and you did not outfit me, I was weak and you did not examined me, and in prison and you did not visit me.

44. Then they will also reply saying, “Master, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or scantily-clothed or weak or in prison, and did not serve you?”

45. Then he will reply to them saying, “Amen, I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it for the least (in the estimation of men) of these [my Jewish borthers], you failed to do it for me.”

46. These will go away into punishment eternal, but the Tsadiqim (just and generous) into life eternal.

By the grace of G-d we have come to the end of Book IV of the Midrash of Matityahu, all praise and glory be to G-d, Creator of the universe, most blessed be He!

The Rabbi’s Private Prophetic Study

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

THE THREE MENOROT [Candelabras] OF SEFER B’MIDBAR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

B. Cultic regulations – Numbers 15:1-41

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

C. Allotment of land in Transjordan – Num. 32:1-42

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

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

On this Sabbath we complete the last and third Menorah of the Sefer B’midbar, and indeed we reach the very end of the book itself! Chazaq!

The Torah Seder for this week starts with the cities of refuge for those who had committed involuntary man-slaughter. Our Sages have stated that not only was such person to go into exile in one of the cities of refuge, but also his Torah teacher had to accompany him. Targum Yerushalayim adds a further note: “because he [the Kohen Gadol = High Priest] did not pray on the Day of Atonement in the Holy of Holies concerning the three great transgressions, that the people of the house of Israel might not be smitten for strange worship, or impure connexions, or the shedding of innocent blood, when it was in his power to obviate them by his prayer, and he prayed not, therefore has he been condemned to die in that year.”

What does this teaches? Simply that leaders are responsible for the sins of those he leads! They are held responsible before G-d, most blessed be He for the welfare of those they lead and teach. This is what we call mutual responsibility. This principle is stated in similar words, but as applying to a different set of circumstance, by Hakham Tsefet in 1 Pet. 3:1-7:

1 Likewise, the wives, [continue] being subjected [or, submitted] to your own husbands, so that even if some are refusing to believe the Word, through the conduct of their wives they will be won without a word,

2. having observed your pure conduct with respect,

3. Whose adornment must not be external, of braided hair [or, elaborate hairstyles] and of wearing of gold [jewellery] or of putting on of clothing,

4. but [it must be] the hidden person of the heart [fig., inner self], with the incorruptible [beauty] of the gentle and quiet spirit, which is very costly [fig., precious] before God.

5. For in this way in times past also the holy women, the ones placing their hope on [or, trusting in] God were adorning themselves, being subjected [or, submitted] to their own husbands,

6. as Sarah was obedient to Abraham, calling him "Master," of whom you became daughters, doing good, and not fearing any terror. [see Gen 18:12; Prov 3:25]

7. The husbands, likewise, [continue] living with [your wives] according to knowledge, as with a weaker vessel, with the feminine [one], showing respect, as also being joint-heirs of [the] grace of life, for your prayers not to be hindered.

And likewise Hakham Shaul in Bereans (Hebrews) 13:17, writes:

“You yourselves be obeying the ones leading/teaching you, and be yielding [to them] [fig., be accepting their authority], for they are watching over your souls as they will be giving an account, so that they will be doing this with joy and not complaining with groans, for this [would be] detrimental to you.”

Torah Teachers have great responsibilities for the souls entrusted to their care;. That is why obedience to, supporting and honouring your Torah Scholar/Teacheris so critica to any person’s welfare. In the same way that wives need to be submissive to their husbands for the husband has to give an account of/about his wife and is responsible for her behaviour before G-d.

This is the big difference between a pretend-to-be Torah Teacher, or leader, or good husband, and a ‘real one’: is he visibly responsible for the welfare of your soul? Does he take it to heart that he is totally responsible for the lives of his disciples and congregation? Here is where the goats are separated from the sheep. Here is the key that opens the leadership gift: “Duty of Care”!

On the other hand, how can a Torah Teacher/ Leader be held responsible for the sins of his Talmidim and all those in his congregation if they do not obey him, nor care for his needs nor are subject to him? In this case we have the case of Mida Ke Neged Mida – Measure for measure. Those that do not obey, care fore, and subject themselves top their Torah Teacher/ Leader G-d will not only hold them accountable for their own sins, but also for the sin of disobedience and rebellion which is considered by G-d like witchcraft, and the sins of their Torah Teacher/Leader. And the same for a wife that is rebellious/disobedient, and/or inconsiderate to her husband’s needs and commands.

That is why originally G-d placed the priesthood on all first born, because first-borns seemed to have been drilled to take care of the rest of the siblings. And so the congregation of Messiah is called the Congregation of the First-borns because all take most seriously the concept of duty of care, as an older brother, as a father, as a husband, as a pastor, and as a Hakham.

May this key characteristic of duty of care be impressed on each one of us this Shabbat and forever more, amen ve amen!

Courage and more courage! Chazaq!

Shabbat Shalom!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai