Esnoga Bet Emunah

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Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings	Second Year of the Reading Cycle
Adar 13, 5767 – March 2/3, 2007	Fifth Year of the Sh’mita Cycle

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times

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

Friday, March 2, 2007 – Candles at: 6:16 PM Friday, March 2, 2007 – Candles at: 6:02 PM

Saturday, March 3, 2007 – Havdalah 7:10 PM Saturday, March 3, 2007 – Havdalah 6:54 PM

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Singapore, Singapore

Friday March 2, 2007 – Light Candles at 6:16 PM Friday, March 2, 2007 – Candles at: 7:02 PM

Saturday, March 3, 2007 – Havdalah 7:12 PM Saturday, March 3, 2007 – Havdalah 7:50 PM

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

Adar 14, 5767 – March 3-4 – Purim

Adar 15, 5767 – March 4-5 – Shushan Purim

Next Shabbat: Shabbat Parah (Sabbath of the Red Cow)

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
זָכוֹר
“Zakhor”	Reader 1 – Debarim 24:19-22	Reader 1 – Vayikra 14:33-35
“Remember”	Reader 2 – Debarim 25:1-4	Reader 2 – Vayikra 14:36-38
“Acuérdate”	Reader 3 – Debarim 25:5-7	Reader 3 – Vayikra 14:39-41
Debarim (Deut.) 24:19 – 25:19	Reader 4 – Debarim 25:8-10
Ashlamatah: I Samuel 15:1-34	Reader 5 – Debarim 2511-13
	Reader 6 – Debarim 25:14-16	Reader 1 – Vayikra 14:33-35
Psalms 136-137	Reader 7 – Debarim 25:17-19	Reader 2 – Vayikra 14:36-38
	Maftir – Debarim 25:17-19	Reader 3 – Vayikra 14:39-41
N.C.: Matityahu 13:47-58	I Samuel 15:1-34

Roll of Honor:

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of His Honor Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and most beloved family, 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. 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: Debarim (Deut.) 24:19 – 25:19

RASHI	TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN
19 ¶ When you reap your reaping in your field, and you forget a sheaf in the field, you may not return to take it; for the proselyte, for the orphan, and for the widow let it be; in order that Adonai, your G-d, will bless you in all your endeavors.	19 When you have reaped your harvests in your fields, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you will not return to take it; let it be for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, that the Word of the Lord your God may bless you in all the works of your hands.
20 When you harvest your olive tree, you may not strip it of its glory behind you. for the proselyte, for the orphan, and for the widow let it be.	20 When you beat your olive trees, you will not search them after (you have done it); for the stranger, the orphan, and widow, let it be. [JERUSALEM. When you beat your olive trees, search them not afterward; let them be for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.]
21 When you harvest your vineyard you may not harvest pygmy vines behind you; for the proselyte, for the orphan, and for the widow let it be.	21 When you gather in your vineyard, you will not glean the branches after you; they will be for the stranger, the orphan, and widow. [JERUSALEM. When you gather your vines, search not their branches afterwards let them be for the stranger and the widow.]
22 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; that is why I am commanding you to do this thing.	22 So remember that you were bondservants in the land of Mizraim; therefore I command you to do this thing.
1 ¶ If a quarrel should occur among men and they bring it to court and they judge them and they determine who is righteous and they convict the villain.	1 If there be a controversy, between two men, then they will come to the judges, and they will judge them, and give the decision (or outweighing of) righteousness to the innocent, and of condemnation to the guilty.
2 Should the wicked one deserve flogging, the judge shall incline him and have him flogged before him in the amount befitting his crime, with the number near.	2 And if the wicked deserve stripes, the judge will make him lie down, and they will scourge him in his presence by his judgment, according to the measure of his guilt. [JERUSALEM. And if it be needful to scourge the guilty, the judge will make him lie down, and they will smite him in his presence, according to the measure of his guilt, by number.]
3 Forty is he to have him flogged, he may not add; lest he additionally flog him over these, a great flogging, when your brother will be slighted before you.	3 Forty (stripes) may be laid upon him, but with one less will he be beaten, (the full number) will not be completed, lest he should add to smite him beyond those thirty and nine, exorbitantly, and he be in danger ; and that your brother may not be made despicable in your sight.
4 You may not muzzle an ox while it threshes.	4 You will not muzzle the mouth of the ox in the time of his treading out; [JERUSALEM. Sons of Israel, My people, you will not muzzle the ox in the hour of his treading;] nor the wife of the (deceased) brother, who would be mated with one smitten with an ulcer, and who is poorly related, will you tie up with him.
5 If brothers reside together, and one of them dies having no son, let the wife of the dead man not marry outside [the family] to a strange man; her brother-in-law will consummate with her thus marrying her to be his wife, and perform levirate marriage with her.	5 When brethren from the (same) father inhabit this world at the same time, and have the same inheritance, the wife of one of them, who may have died, will not go forth into the street to marry a stranger; her brother-in-law will go to her, and take her to wife, and become her husband.
6 It shall be that the firstborn, when she is capable of bearing children, shall be established in place of his deceased brother, so that his name may not be obliterated from Yisrael.	6 And the first-born whom she bears will stand in the inheritance in the name of the deceased brother, that his name may not be blotted out from Israel.
7 But if the man will not want to marry his sister-in-law; his sister-in-law must go up to the portal, to the judges, and say, "My brother-in-law refuses to establish for his brother a name in Yisrael; he is unwilling to do perform levirate marriage with me."	7 But if the man be not willing, to take his sister-in-law, then will his sister-in-law go up to the gate of the bet din before five of the sages, three of whom will be judges and two of them witnesses, and let her say before them in the holy language: “My husband's brother refuses to keep up the name of his brother in Israel, he not being willing to marry me.”
8 The judges of his city will call him and converse with him. He shall stand and say, "I do not want to marry her."	8 And the elders of his city will call him and speak with him, with true counsel; and he may rise up in the house of justice, and say in the holy tongue, “I am not willing to take her.”
9 And his sister-in-law will approach him in the sight of the judges, and she will remove his shoe from upon his foot, and spit before him; and she will say aloud, "This is done to the man who will not build his brother's family."	9 Then will his sister-in-law come to him before the sages, and there will be a shoe upon the foot of the brother-in-law, a heeled sandal whose lachets are tied, the latchets at the opening of the sandal being fastened; and he will stamp on the ground with his foot; and the woman will arise and untie the latchet, and draw off the sandal from his foot, and afterward spit before him, as much spittle as may be seen by the sages, and will answer and say, “So is it fit to be done to the man who would not build up the house of his brother.”
10 And it will be entitled in Yisrael, the house of the divestiture of the shoe.	10 And all who are standing there will exclaim against him, and call his name in Israel the House of the Unshod. [JERUSALEM. And his name in Israel will be called the House of him whose shoe was loosed, and who made void the law of Yeboom. ]
11 If men engage in an altercation, a man and his brother, and the wife of one approaches to save her husband from his assailant, and she puts out her hand and grasps his genitals,	11 While men are striving together, if the wife of one of them approach to rescue her husband from the hand uf him who smites him, and putting forth her hand lays hold of the place of his shame, [JERUSALEM. If she put forth her hand, and lay hold by the place of his shame.]
12 You shall sever her hand; you are not to have compassion.	12 you will cut off her hand; your eyes will not pity.
13 You are not to have for yourself in your pouch varying weight-stones, large and small.	13 You will not have in your bag weights that are deceitful; great weights to buy with, and less weights to sell with.
14 You shall not have in your house varying measures, large and small.	14 Nor will you have in your houses measures that deceive; great measures to buy with, and less measures to sell with. [JERUSALEM. You will not have in your houses measures and measures; great ones for buying with, and small ones to sell with.]
15 A fully accurate, just weight, you shall have, you are to have whole and honest measures; in order that you live long on the land that Adonai, your G-d, is giving you.	15 Perfect weights, and true balances will you have, perfect measures and scales that are true will be yours, that your days may be multiplied on the land which the Lord your God gives you.
16 Because Adonai, your G-d's abomination, are all who do these [things]; all who do falsehood.	16 For whosoever commits these frauds, every one who acts falsely in trade, is an abomination before the Lord.
17 Remember what Amalek perpetrated against you on the way when you were going out of Egypt.	17 Keep in mind what the house of Amalek did unto you in the way, on your coming up out of Mizraim;
18 When they chanced upon you en route struck down your appendage--- all the feeble ones behind you--- and you were exhausted and wearied, and they had no fear of G-d.	18 how they overtook you in the way, and slew every one of those among you who were thinking to go aside from My Word; the men of the tribe of the house of Dan, in whose hands were idols (or things. of strange worship), and the clouds overcast them, and they of the house of Amalek took them and mutilated them, and they were cast up: but you, O house of Israel, were faint and weary from great servitude of the Mizraee, and the terrors of the waves of the sea through the midst of which you had passed. Nor were the house of Amalek afraid before the Lord. [JERUSALEM. Who overtook you in the way, and slew among you those who were thinking to desist from My Word, the cloud overcast him, and they of the house of Amalek took him and slew him. But you, people of the sons of Israel, were weary and faint; nor were they of the house of Amalek afraid before the Lord.]
19 When Adonai, your G-d, has given you repose from all your enemies around, in the land that Adonai, your G-d, is giving you as territory to inherit, you shall obliterate the memory of Amalek from beneath the sky; do not forget.	19 Therefore, when the Lord has given you rest from all your enemies round about in the land that the Lord Your God gives you to inherit for a possession, you will blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens; but of the days of the King Mashiah you will not be unmindful.

Midrash Mekhilta Attributed to Rabbi Ishmael – Amalek I-IV

Amalek 1

XLIII:I

“Then came Amalek [and fought with Israel at Rephidim]:” R. Joshua and R. Eleazar Hisma say, “This verse of Scripture is worked out as allegory and articulated by Job: “Can the rush shoot up without mire? Can the reed-grass grow without water?’ (Job 8:11). Now is it possible for rush to develop with neither muck nor water? And can reed-grass survive without water? So too it is not possible for the Israelites to exist unless they occupy themselves with teachings of the Torah. And it is because they abandoned teachings of the Torah the enemy came against them. For the enemy comes only on account of sin and transgression. That is why it is said, “Then came Amalek [and fought with Israel at Rephidim].”

R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “Then came Amalek [and fought with Israel at Rephidim]:” It is because Amalek would enter under the wings of the cloud and kidnap Israelite people and kill them: “How he met you by the way ... and did not fear God” (Dt. 25:18). Others say, “...and did not fear God” speaks of Israel, which was without religious duties to their credit.”

R. Eliezer says, “Then came Amalek [and fought with Israel at Rephidim]:” He came impudently. For all the attacks that he made were only in secret: “How he met you by the way” (Dt. 25:18). But in this attack he came only impudently. Therefore Scripture says, “Then came Amalek [and fought with Israel at Rephidim].” He came impudently.

R. Yost b. Halafta says, “Then came Amalek [and fought with Israel at Rephidim]:” He came with forethought. For Amalek gathered all the nations and said to them, ‘Come and help me against Israel.’ They said to him, ‘We will not be able to withstand them. Pharaoh could not withstand them, for the Holy One blessed be he drowned him in the Red Sea: “And he overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea” (Ps. 136:15). How then will we be able to withstand them?’ He said to them, ‘Come and I will give you a plan for what you should do. If they defeat me, you can flee, and if not, come and help me against Israel.’ That is why it is said, “Then came Amalek [and fought with Israel at Rephidim]:” He came with forethought.

R. Judah the Patriarch says, Through five peoples did Amalek have to make his way to come and make war against Israel: “Amalek dwells in the land of the south” (Num. 13:29): he was beyond all of them [to the south].” R. Nathan says, “Amalek came only from Mount Seir. Through four hundred parasangs he made his way to come and make war against Israel.

Others say, Let Amalek, an ingrate, come and exact punishment of the ingrate people. Along these same lines: And these are the ones who conspired against him: Zabad, son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad, the son of Shimrith the Moabitess” (2 Chr. 24:26). Let these ingrates come and exact punishment from the ingrate, Joash: “Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him but slew his son. And when he died, he said, “The Lord look upon it and require it” (2 Chr. 24:22). How was he punished? “And it came to pass, when the year was up, that the army of the Aramaeans came up against him” (2 Chr. 24:23). “And the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand” (2Chr.24:24)—why? “Because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment upon Joash” (2 Chr. 24:24).

[“So they executed judgment upon Joash” (2 Chr. 24:24):] Do not read “judgment” bit “sport.” What sport did they make with him? They say that they set up harsh guards in charge of him, who had never in their lives known a woman, and they tortured him with pederasty, in line with this verse: “And restored the pride of Israel” (Hos. 5:5). And it is written, “And when they left him, for they left him in great diseases, his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest and killed him on his bed and he died” (2 Chr. 24:25).

“[Then came Arnalek] and fought with Israel at Rephidim:” Said R. Hananiah, This matter did I ask to R. Eleazar, who was in the major session: ‘What is the meaning of ‘Rephidim’? He said to me, ‘It is meant literally.’

And further did R. Hananiah say, “I asked R. Eleazar, ‘How come Israelites redeem the first born of asses but not the first born of horses and camels?’ He said to me, ‘It is a decree of the king. Furthermore, the Israelites at that time only had asses. For you have none in Israel who did not bring up with him ninety asses bearing silver and gold.’

Others say, “[As to the meaning of ‘Rephidim,’] the word refers only to a weakening of the hands [since the word for ‘weakening uses the same consonants]. It is because the Israelites allowed their hands to weaken [their grasp upon] teachings of the Torah. Therefore the enemy came against them. For the enemy comes only on account of allowing the hands to weaken [their grasp upon] teachings of the Torah. “And it came to pass when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and he was strong that he abandoned the Torah of the Lord and Israel with him’ (2 Chr. 12:1). And the punishment? “And it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem; and he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord” (1 Kgs. 14:25-26).

This is one of three things that returned to their place. The exile of Judah came back to its original place: “Your fathers dwelt of old time beyond the river” (Josh. 24:2); “Who destroyed this house and carried the people away into Babylonia” (Ezra 5:12). The heavenly writing returned to its place: “Will you set your eyes upon it? It is gone” (Prov. 23:5). The silver of Egypt returned to its original place: “And it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem; and he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord” (1 Kgs. 14:25-26).

XLIII:II

“And Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose for us men:” In this connection [we observe] that Moses treated him as an equal. Let everyone learn proper conduct from Moses, who did not say to Joshua, “Choose for me men,” but “choose for us men.” [Cf. Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan XXVII:XI. “R. Eleazar b. Shammua says, “The honor owing to your disciple should be as precious to you as yours. And the honor owing to your Torah study partner should be like the reverence owing to your master. And the reverence owing to your master should be like the awe owing to Heaven.” How do we know that the honor owing to one’s disciple should be as precious to one as his own? Let everyone learn from the case of our lord, Moses, who said to Joshua, “Choose men for us” (Ex. 17:9). He did not say to him, “Choose men for me,” but for us, teaching that he treated him like himself [as an equal], even though he was his master and Joshua was his disciple.] How do we know that the honor owing to one’s Torah study partner should be like the reverence owing to his master? As it is said, “And Aaron said to Moses, Please, my lord” (Num. 12:11). But was he not his elder brother? [ARN: Now was Moses not younger than he?] But he treated him as his master. And how do we know that the reverence owing to one’s master should be like the awe owing to Heaven? As it is said, “And Joshua b. Nun, servant of Moses from his youth, answered and said, My lord, Moses, destroy them” (Num. 11:28), so treating Moses as though he were equal [in power] to the Presence of God. He said to him, “My lord, Moses, just as the Omnipresent has shut them in, so you shut them in. And so you find in the case of Gehazi: When Elisha said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand” (2 Kgs. 4:29), he began to lean on his staff and go along. They said to him, ‘Where are you going, Gehazi?’ He said to them, ‘To resurrect the dead.’ They said to him, ‘And can you resurrect the dead? And is it not the Holy One, blessed be he, who resurrects the dead? “The Lord kills and brings to life” (1 Sam. 2:6).’ He said to them, ‘So too my lord can kill and bring back to life.’

“And Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose for us men:” R. Joshua says, ‘Choose for us heroes, men who fear sin.’ R. Eleazar the Modiite says, ‘Choose for us those who fear sin, mighty men.’

“and go out, fight with Amalek:” R. Joshua says, “Moses said to him, ‘Joshua, Go out from under the cloud and do battle with Amalek.’ R. Eleazar the Modiite says, Said Moses to him, ‘Joshua, why are you guarding your head? Is it not for a crown? Then go out from under the cloud and do battle with Amalek.’

“tomorrow I will stand [on top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand]:” ‘Tomorrow we shall be ready to stand.’

“on top of the hill:” ‘Literally,’ the words of R. Joshua. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, ‘Tomorrow we shall make a decree for a fast and we shall rely on the deeds of the patriarchs. “top” refers to the deeds of the patriarchs. “hill” refers to the deeds of the matriarchs.

“with the rod of God in my hand:” Said Moses before the Omnipresent, ‘Lord of the world, with this rod you took the Israelites out of Egypt, with this rod you split the sea for them, with this rod you did wonders and acts of might, with this rod do wonders and acts of might even now.’

Issi b. Judah says, ‘There are these five passages in the Torah in which the syntactical construction is not certain: “shall it not be lifted up,” “cursed,” “tomorrow,” “made like almond blossoms,” and “rise up.” “shall it not be lifted up:” “If you do well, shall it not be lifted up” (Gen. 4:7) also can be read, “shall it not be lifted up, and even if you do not do well.” “cursed;” “cursed be their anger, because it is fierce” (Gen. 49:7) also can be read, “for in their anger they slew men and in their self-will they houghed oxen cursed” (Gen. 47:6-7). “tomorrow:” “tomorrow I will stand upon the top of the hill” can be read, ‘Choose us out men and go out, fight with Amalek tomorrow.” “‘made like almond blossoms:” “Made like almond blossoms the knops thereof and the flowers thereof” (Ex. 25:34) can be read, “And in the candlestick four cups made like almond blossoms.” and “rise up:” “And this people will rise up and go astray’ (Dt. 31:16) can be read, “Behold you are about to sleep with your fathers and rise up.” Thus there are these five passages in the Torah in which the syntactical construction is not certain.”

“So Joshua did as Moses told him:” What he was commanded to do. He did not violate the decree of Moses.

“[and fought with Amalek;] and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill:” This is in line with what we have said. It serves to call to mind the deeds of the patriarchs and the deeds of the matriarchs: “For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him” (Num. 23:9).

XLIII:III

“Whenever Moses held up his hand, [Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed]:” Now is it really so that the hands of Moses made the Israelites win or the hands of Moses broke Amalek? But all the time that Moses raised up his hands to the heaven, the Israelites looked to him and believed in the One who had commanded Moses to do it that way, and the Omnipresent then did wonders and acts of might for them.

Along these same lines: “The Lord said to Moses, Make yourself a fiery serpent” (Num. 2 1:8): Now could the snake kill or bring to life? But all the time that Moses did so, the Israelites looked to him and believed in the One who had commanded Moses to do it that way, and the Omnipresent then sent healing to them.

Along these same lines: “And the blood will be to you as a token” (Ex. 12:13): Now what value did the blood have for the angel or for the Israelites for that matter? But all the time that the Israelites did so, putting blood on their doors, the Holy One, blessed be he, had mercy on them: “The Lord will pass over” (Ex. 12:23).

R. Eliezer says, What is the point of the statement, “Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed,” and what is the point of the statement, “and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed”? So long as Moses raised his hands upward, the Israelites were destined to be strengthened through teachings of the Torah which were going to be given through his hands. So long as Moses lowered his hands, the Israelites were destined to lower themselves from words of the Torah which were going to be given through his hands.

“But Moses’ hands grew weary:” In this connection [we learn that] one should not postpone doing religious duties. For had Moses not said to Joshua, “Choose men for us,” he would not have been distressed in this way.

They said that at that moment the hands of Moses were heavy. It was like a man who had two jugs of water hanging from his hands.

“so they took a stone and put it under him [and he sat upon it]:” Didn’t they have some sort of pillow or cushion or bolster to put under Moses? But Moses said...[this alludes to a pericope that is not cited here].

“and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, [one on one side, and the other on the other side]:” For he would raise and lower them.

“so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun:” This indicates that they were observing a fast [to sunset], the words of R. Joshua. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “Sin at that moment weighed heavily on Moses’s hands. He could not withstand it. What did he do? He turned to the deeds of the patriarchs: “so they took a stone and put it under him:” this refers to the deeds of the patriarchs. “and he sat upon it:” this refers to the deeds of the matriarchs.

“and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, [one on one side, and the other on the other side]:” Why does Scripture say, “one on one side, and the other on the other side”? It is because Aaron would call to mind the deeds of Judah, and Hur would call to mind the deeds of Levi. In this connection sages say, “They have no fewer than three persons passing before the ark on the day of a public fast.

“so his hands were steady:” With one hand [he called attention to the fact that] he had not received a thing from the Israelites. And with the other hand Moses said before the Holy One, blessed be he, ‘Lord of the world! Through my hands you brought the Israelites out of Egypt, through my hands you split the Red Sea for them, through my hands you did wonder and acts of might for them, and so too, through my hands you should now do wonders and acts of might for them.’

“[so his hands were steady] until the going down of the sun:” Since we have learned in connection with all the other kingdoms that they make war only to the sixth hour of the day. But as to this culpable kingdom, it made war from dawn to dusk.

“And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people [with the edge of the sword]:” R. Joshua says, He went down and chopped off the heads of the heroes who were with him standing at the head of the battle lines. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, [The word for “mowed down”] serves as an acronym: he made them sick, he made them tremble, he crushed them.”

“Amalek:” This means Amalek literally. The use of the accusative particle serves to encompass his wife and children. “his people:” this refers to his troops who were with him. And when the word “and” is added, it serves to encompass the troops with his sons.

“with the edge of the sword:” R. Joshua says, He did not disfigure them but judged them with mercy.

R. Eliezer says, “with the edge of the sword:” why is this said? We learned that this war was carried out only at the instruction of the Almighty.

Others say, This verse of Scripture was carried out in their regard: “Therefore as I live, says the Lord God, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; surely you have hated your own blood, therefore blood shall pursue you” (Ezekiel 35:6).

Amalek 2

XLIV:I

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this as a memorial in a book:” The earlier elders say, This is the measure that runs through all generations: The scourge with which the Israelites are smitten in the end will smite [others]. Let everyone learn the rule of the world from the case of Amalek, who came to do injury to the Israelites, so the Omnipresent destroyed him from the life of this world and from the life of the world to come: “that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” So in the case of Pharaoh, who came to do injury to the Israelites, so the Holy One, blessed be he, drowned him in the Red Sea: “But He overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea’ (Ps. 136:15). So in the case of every nation and empire that comes to do harm to Israel will God always judge in accord with this rule: “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because He delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians when they dealt arrogantly with them” (Ex. 18:11).

“Write this as a memorial in a book:” “This” speaks of what is written in this book. “as a memorial” refers to what is written in the prophetic writings. “in a book” refers to what is written in the Esther-scroll.

“and recite it in the ears of Joshua:” This indicates that on that day Joshua was anointed,” the words of R. Joshua. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, This is one of four righteous men to whom a hint [of what was coming] was given. Two of them perceived, and two of them did not perceive it. To Moses a hint was given, but he did not perceive it. To Jacob a hint was given, but he did not perceive it. To David and Mordecai hints were given, and they perceived them.

How do we know the case of Moses? It is said, “and recite it in the ears of Joshua.” He so said to him, “Joshua will bring about Israel’s inheritance of the land.” But in the end, Moses stood and pleaded: “And I besought the Lord” (Dt. 3:23). To what may the matter be likened? To the case of a king who made a decree concerning his son that he not come into his palace with him. He entered the first gate, but people kept silence, the second, but people kept silence, the third, and people rebuked him, saying to him, “It is enough for you! To this point!” So too when Moses had conquered the territory of the two peoples, the land of Sihon and Og, and gave it to the tribe of Reuben and of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they said to him, It appears that the decree has been made only conditionally. So too, we have been judged only conditionally. Said Moses before the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Lord of the age, perhaps Your way is like the way of a mortal. If an administrator makes a decree, a prefect can force its revocation. If a prefect makes a decree, a commander can force its revocation. If a commander makes a decree, a general can force its revocation. When a general makes a decree, a governor can force him to revoke it. When a governor makes a decree, a viceroy can make him revoke it. When a viceroy makes a decree, the principal ruler can make him revoke it. For all of them are appointed, one above the next in succession’: “For one higher than the high watches” (Eccl. 5:7). “Are Your ways like their ways?”

“For what God is there in heaven or on earth who can do according to Your works and according to Your mighty deeds” (Dt. 3:24). “like your works” in Egypt, and “like your mighty deeds” at the sea. “like your works” at the sea, and “like your mighty deeds” at the rivers of Arnon.

“Let me go over, I ask you [na] (Dt. 3:24):” The word “I ask you” is only a usage that indicates beseeching.

“And see the good land” (Dt. 3:24): the Land of Israel.

“that goodly hill” (Dt. 3:24): the royal mountain.

“and Lebanon” (Dt. 3:24): that is the temple: “Open your doors, Lebanon” (Zech. 11:1); “And Lebanon will fall by a mighty one” (Is. 10:34).

“But the Lord was angry with me on your account:” R. Eleazar b. R. Simeon says, “[Moses said,] ‘With me He spoke in a harsh way,’ which is not possible for a mortal to say. [Moses continues,] ‘Perhaps you might suppose that it was on my account?’ Scripture is explicit: ‘on your account,’ meaning, ‘on your account, not on my account.’ ‘You are the ones who caused me not to enter the land of Israel.’

“And the Lord said to me, ‘It is enough for you” (Dt. 3:24): He said to him, “It is enough for you! To this point!”

[“And the Lord said to me, ‘It is enough for you” (Dt. 3:24):] R. Joshua says, “It is enough for you:” It is enough for you to have the world to come.

Now Moses was yet standing and pleading, setting forth all those pleas. Said Moses before Him, ‘Lord of the world, was a decree made that I personally will not enter the land?’ “Therefore you will not bring this assembly’ (Num. 20:12): ‘as ruler I will not enter, let me enter as a commoner.’ He said to him, ‘A king may never thereafter enter as a commoner.’ Now Moses was yet standing and pleading, setting forth all those pleas. Said Moses before Him, ‘Lord of the world, since a decree has been made that I will not enter the land either as king or as commoner, let me enter it by the cave of Caesarion below Paneas.’ He said to him, “But you shall not go over there” (Dt. 34:4). He said before Him, ‘Lord of the world, since a decree has been issued that I will not enter the land either as king or as commoner, not even by the cave of Caesarion below Paneas, then at least let my bones cross the Jordan.’ He said to him, “But you will not go over this Jordan” (Dt. 3:27).

R. Simeon b. Yohai says, It is hardly necessary to demonstrate matters in this way. Is it not in fact said: ‘But I must die in this land, I must not go over the Jordan’ (Dt. 4:22)? How is it possible for a corpse to cross? Rather, they said to Moses, ‘Even your bones are not going to cross the Jordan.’

R. Hananiah b. Iddi says, Moses was weeping for himself: “But I must die in this land, I must not go over the Jordan” (Dt. 4:22). “For you are to pass over the Jordan” (Dt. 11:31). ‘You are going to cross the Jordan but I am not going to.’

Others say, Moses was bending over the feet of Eleazar, saying to him, ‘Eleazar, son of my brother, seek mercy for me as I sought mercy for your father, Aaron.’ “Moreover the Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him, but I prayed for Aaron also” (Dt. 9:20).

He said before Him, “Lord of the world, if so, let me at least see it from a distance.” And as to that matter, he said to him, “Go up to the top of Pisgah” (Dt. 3:27).

R. Hananiah b. Aqabia says, The view given to Abraham our father was more accommodating than the view accorded to Moses. For as to Abraham, he was not put to any trouble, while Moses was put to trouble. In the case of Abraham: “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are located, northward, southward, eastward, and westward” (Gen. 13:15). In the case of Moses: “Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward, northward, southward, and eastward, and look with your eyes” (Dt. 3:27). ‘Go up there, look around, and only then will you see.’

How do we know that whatever Moses asked to see, the Holy One, blessed be he, showed him? “And the Lord showed him all the land” (Dt. 34:1), that is, the land of Israel. He wanted to see the house of the sanctuary, and he showed it to him: “Even Gilead” (Dt. 34:1), which only means the Temple, “Gilead, you are to me the head of Lebanon” (Jer. 22:6). How do we know that he showed him Samson, son of Manoah? “As far as Dan” (Dt. 34:1); “And there was a man of Zorah, of the family of Dan, whose name was Manoah” (Judges 13:2).

Another interpretation of the phrase, “As far as Dan” (Dt. 34:1): The tribes had not yet entered the land, and the land of Israel had not yet been divided among the Israelites, so how can Scripture say, “As far as Dan” (Dt. 34:1)? He had earlier said to Abraham, “Twelve tribes are destined to come forth from your loins, and this is the portion of one of them.”

Along these same lines: “And pursued as far as Dan” (Gen. 14:14): The tribes had not yet entered the land, and the land of Israel had not yet been divided among the Israelites, so how can Scripture say, “And pursued as far as Dan” (Gen. 14:14)? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to our father, Abraham, “In this place your descendants are destined to worship an idol.” Abraham’s strength then failed him.

And how do we know that he showed him Barak, son of Abinoam? “And all Naphtali” (Dt. 34:2); “And she sent and called Barak, son of Abinoam, out of Kedesh-naphtali” (Judges 4:6).

And how do we know that he showed him Joshua as king? “And the land of Ephraim” (Dt. 34:2); “of the tribe of Epbraim, Hoshea son of Nun” (Num. 13:8).

And how do we know that he showed him Gideon, son of Joash? And Manasseh” (Dt. 34:2); “Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh” (Judges 6:15).

And how do we know that he showed him David as king? “And all the land of Judah” (Dt. 34:2); “Howbeit the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever; for He has chosen Judah to be prince, and in the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel” (1 Chr. 28:4).

And how do we know that he showed him the whole west? “As far as the distant sea” (Dt. 34:2).

And how do we know that he showed him the graves of the patriarchs? “and the south” (Dt. 34:2). And how do we know that the graves of the patriarchs are in the south? “And they went up to the south and came to Hebron” (Num. 13:22).

And how do we know that he showed him the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah? “And the plain” (Dt. 34:2); “And he overthrew those cities and all the plain” (Gen. 19:25).

And how do we know that he showed him Gog and his multitude? “and the valley of Jericho” (Dt. 34:2). And we have learned that Gog and his multitude are destined to go up and fall in the valley of Jericho.

Another interpretation of the phrase, “and the valley of Jericho” (Dt. 34:2): Cannot anyone easily see the valley of Jericho [so why did God have to show it to Moses]? Just as a valley is cultivated, with a field filled with wheat, another field filled with barley, so He showed him the whole of the land of Israel cultivated like the valley of Jericho.

And how do we know that he showed him Deborah? “the city of palm trees” (Dt. 34:2); “And she sat under the palm tree of Deborah” (Judges 4:5).

And how do we know that he showed him Lot’s wife? “as far as Zoar” (Dt. 34:2); “The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came to Zoar” (Gen. 19:23).

‘To Jacob a hint was given, but he did not perceive it:’ “And behold, I am with you and I shall guard you” (Gen. 28:15): Still, in the end he was afraid: “Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed” (Gen. 32:8). How can a man to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, had given assurances nonetheless have been greatly afraid and distressed? Our father Jacob thought, ‘Woe is me, perhaps sin may bring about [disaster nonetheless]!’

‘To David a hint was given, and he did perceive it:’ “Your servant smote both the lion and the bear” (1 Sam. 17:36): Thought David, “Why am I so special that I could smite these noxious beasts? It is because in the future something is going to happen to Israel and they are destined to be rescued by me.”

‘To Mordecai a hint was given, and he did perceive it:’ “And Mordecai walked every day” (Est. 2:11): Mordecai thought, ‘Is it possible that that pious woman should be married to a wicked, uncircumcised man such as that! It is because in the future something is going to happen to Israel and they are destined to be rescued by her.’

XLIV:II

“that I will utterly blot out [the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven):” [The use of the duplicated verb, “blotting out, I will blot out”] covers both this world and the world to come.

“the remembrance of Amalek [from under heaven]:” “The remembrance:” this speaks of Haman. “of Amalek:” this is to be interpreted literally

Another interpretation of the verse, “that I will utterly blot out [the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven]:” [The use of the duplicated verb, ‘blotting out, I will blot out’] covers both him and all his descendants, him and all his family,” the words of R. Joshua. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, The remembrance’ speaks of Agag; ‘Amalek’ is to be interpreted literally. “blotting out’ speaks of him and all his descendants; “I will blot out” speaks of him and all that generation in particular.

“from under heaven:” The meaning is that there will never be for Amalek offspring or posterity under the canopy of heaven.

R. Joshua says, When Amalek came so to injure Israel as to remove them from under the wings of their Father who is in heaven, said Moses before the Holy One, blessed be he, ‘Lord of the world, this wicked man is coming to destroy your children from under your wings. As to the scroll of the Torah that you have given to them, who then will read in it?’ R. Eleazar the Modiite says, When Amalek came so to injure Israel as to remove them from under the wings of their Father who is in heaven, said Moses before the Holy One, blessed be he, ‘Lord of the world, your children, whom you are destined to scatter to the four winds of heaven, as it is said, “For I have spread you abroad to the four winds of heaven” Zech. 2:10) — this wicked man is coming to destroy your children from under your wings. As to the scroll of the Torah that you have given to them, who then will read in it?’

[“that I will utterly blot out [the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven:”] R. Eleazar says, “When indeed will the name of those perish? When idolatry will be uprooted, that and those who worship it, and when the Omnipresent will be unique in the world, and God’s rule will be established forever. At that time: “the Lord will go forth and fight” (Zech. 14:3), “and the Lord will be king” (Zech. 14:9); “you will pursue them in anger and destroy them” (Lam. 3:66).

R. Nathan says, Haman serves only as a reminder to generations to come: “And that these days of Purim shall not fail from among the Jews, or the memorial of them perish from their seed’ (Est. 9:28).”

“And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord is my miracle:” R. Joshua says, “Moses called it “...my miracle.” R. Eleazar the Modiite says, God called it “my miracle,” as it is said, “the Lord called the name of it, My miracle.”

Moses said, ‘This miracle that the Omnipresent has done — it is for Himself that He has done it. And so you find that whenever Israelis subject to a miracle, it is as if the miracle is before Him [that is, for God’s sake as well]: Thus: “The Lord, My miracle.” And whenever Israel has trouble, then it is as if there is trouble before Him: “In all their affliction He was afflicted” (Is. 63:9). If Israel has joy, it is as if there is joy before Him: “Because I rejoice in your salvation” (1 Sam. 2:1).’

“saying, A hand upon the miracle of the Lord! The Lord will have war [with Amalek from generation to generation]:” R. Joshua says, When the Holy One, blessed be He, sits upon the throne of His kingdom and dominion is His, then will come “the Lord will have war with Amalek.” R. Eleazar the Modiite says, The Holy One, blessed be he, took an oath by his throne of glory, ‘...that I will leave neither offspring nor progeny to Amalek under the entire canopy of heaven.’ So that people should not say, ‘This camel belongs to Amalek,’‘that ewe lamb belongs to Amalek.’ R. Eliezer says, The Omnipresent took an oath by his throne of glory, ‘...that if someone of any of the nations of the world comes to be converted, the Israelites should accept him, but as to the household of Amalek, they shall not accept him.’ For so it is said, “And David said to the young man who told him, ‘Where do you come from?’ And he answered, ‘I am the son of an Arnalekite convert” (2 Sam. 1:13). David then remembered what had been said to our lord, Moses, namely, [The Omnipresent took an oath by his throne of glory,] ‘...that if someone of any of the nations of the world comes to be converted, the Israelites should accept him, but as to the household of Arnalek, they shall not accept him.’ Thus: “And David said to him, ‘Your blood be upon your head, for your mouth has testified against you’” (2 Sam. 1:16). That is why it is said, “from generation to generation.”

Another interpretation of the phrase, “[saying, A hand upon the miracle of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek] from generation to generation:” R. Joshua says, “from generation:’ this refers to the life of this world. “to generation:” this refers to the life of the world to come. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “From the generation” of Moses and “from the generation” of Samuel. R. Eliezer says, “From the generation” of the Messiah, which consists of three generations. And how do we know that the generation of the Messiah consists of three generations? “They will fear You while the sun endures and so long as the moon, a generation and two generations’ (Ps. 72:5).”

Amalek 3

XLV:I

“Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard:” What had he heard that made him come? He heard about the war of Amalek and came, as is written in the immediately prior passage, the words of R. Joshua. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “He heard about the giving of the Torah and therefore came along.”

When the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to give the Torah, all the kings of the world shook in their palaces, as it is said: “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters... The voice of the Lord is mighty” (Ps. 29:3-4). At that time all the nations of the world collected around the wicked Balaam and said to him, ‘Balaam, perhaps the Omnipresent is going to do to us as he did to the generation of the flood, as it is said, “The Lord sat enthroned at the flood” (Ps. 29:10).’ He said to them, ‘Fools, the Holy One, blessed be He, has taken an oath to Noah that He will not bring a flood into the world, for it is said, “For this is as the waters of Noah to Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth...” (Is. 54:9).’ They said, ‘Perhaps He will not bring a flood of water, but He may bring a flood of fire?’ He said to them, ‘He is going to bring neither a flood of water nor a flood of fire. It is Torah that He is giving to His people: “The Lord is giving strength to His people” (Ps. 29:11).”’ When they had heard that from his mouth, they all turned around and each one went to his place.

R. Eliezer says, It was the splitting of the Red Sea that he heard, so he came along. For when the Red Sea was split open for Israel, the sound was heard from one end of the world to the other: “And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites...heard” (Josh. 5:1) “And so Rahab the whore said to Joshua’s messengers, “For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when you came out of Egypt...and as soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, and no spirit remained in any one, because of you” (Josh. 2:10-11).

They say that Rahab was ten years old when the Israelites went forth from Egypt. During all those forty years that the Israelites were in the wilderness, she was a hooker. At the end of her fiftieth year, she converted, and she said before the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Lord of the world, in three matters I have sinned. In three ways forgive me: on account of the cord, the window, and the wall: “Then she let them down by a cord through the window, for her house was upon the side of the wall, and she dwelt upon the wall” (Josh. 2:15).

“Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard:” He had seven names: Jether, Jethro, Heber, Hobab, Ben Reuel, Putiel, Keni. Jether: because he added a passage to the Torah. Jethro: because he abounded in good deeds. Heber: because he joined himself to the Omnipresent. Hobab: because he was precious to the Omnipresent. Ben: because he was like a son to the Omnipresent. Reuel: because he was like a friend to the Omnipresent. Putiel: because he freed himself from idolatry. Keni: because he was zealous for Heaven and acquired for himself the Torah.

Another interpretation of the phrase, “Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard:” To begin with they called him only Jether: “And Moses went and returned to Jether his father-in-law” (Ex. 4:18). When he had done some good deeds, they added a letter to his name and he was called “Jethro.”

So you find in the case of Abraham. To begin with he was called only Abram. When he had done some good deeds, they added a letter to his name and he was called “Abraham.”

So you find in the case of Sarah. To begin with she was called only Sarai.

C. When she had done some good deeds, they added a larger letter to her name and she was called “Sarah.”

So you find in the case of Joshua. To begin with he was called Hoshea. When he had done some good deeds, they added a letter to his name and he was called “Joshua: “And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua” (Num. 13:16).

And there are others from whose names a letter was taken away. You may learn that fact from the case of Ephron. For to begin with people called him Ephrone. But after he took the money from our father, Abraham, they took away a letter from his name, specifically an “o” [i.e., a vav.] Specifically, it is written, “Abraham agreed with Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron...” The second reference to

Ephron is written without the “o” [i.e., the vav].

So you find in the case of Jonadab. For to begin with, people called him Jehonadab. But when he came to that incident, they took away a letter from his name, and he was called Jonadab. In this regard sages said, ‘A person should not buddy up with an evil person, even with the intent of drawing him near to the Torah.’

“the priest of Midian:” R. Joshua says, He was a priest serving an idol: And Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests’ (Judges 18:30). R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “It means that he was a prince: “And the sons of David were priests [meaning, princes]” (2 Sam. 8:18).

“Moses’ father-in-law:” To begin with, Moses would pay honor to his father-in-law: “And Moses went and return to Jethro, his father in law” (Ex. 4:18). Now, his father paid honor to him. They said to him, ‘What is your station?’ He said to them, ‘I am the father-in-law of Moses.’

“of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people:” Moses weighed in the balance as equal to the Israelites, and the Israelites as equal to Moses. The master was equal to the disciple, the disciple to the master.

“how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt:” This indicates that the exodus from Egypt is equivalent to all of the other miracles and acts of might that the Holy One, blessed be He, had done for Israel.

“Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away:” R. Joshua says, After he had sent her away from him through a writ of divorce. Here we find the word “send” and elsewhere [at Dt. 24:1] the same term appears. Just as in that other context, we speak of a writ of divorce, so here too we speak of a write of divorce. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, After he had sent her away through a mere statement. For when the Omnipresent said to Moses, “Go and take out My people, the children of Israel, from Egypt,” as it is said, “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh” (Ex. 3:10), at that time Moses took his wife and two sons and was bringing them to Egypt: “And Moses took his wife and his sons and set them upon an ass and returned to the land of Egypt” (Ex. 4:20). At that same time Aaron was instructed, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses” (Ex. 4:27). He went forth to meet him and hugged him, embraced him, kissed him, and said to him, ‘Moses, my brother, where were you all these years?’ He said to him, ‘In Midian.’ He said to him, ‘who are the children and women that are with you?’ He said to him, ‘My wife and my children.’ He said to him, ‘Where are you leading them?’ He said to him, ‘To Egypt.’ He said to him, ‘Now we are distressed about the ones who originally went down there, and now are you going to bring us new ones [to worry about]?’ At that moment, Moses said to Zipporah, ‘Go to your father’s house.’ She took her two sons and went her way. That is the sense of the statement, “after he had sent her away.”

“and her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom (for he said, ‘I have been a sojourner in a foreign land’):” R. Joshua says, It was a strange land, certainly strange to him. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, It was a strange land, estranged from the Lord.

Said Moses, ‘Since the whole world is serving idols, whom will I worship? “Him who spoke and brought the world into being.” For at the time that Moses had said to Jethro, “Give me Zipporah, your daughter, as a wife,” Jethro said to him, ‘Agree to one thing which I will tell you, and I will give her to you for a wife.’ He said to him, ‘What is it?’ He said to him, ‘The first son whom you will have will be for idolatry, and from that point onward, they will be for the sake of Heaven.’ Moses agreed to that thing. He said to him, ‘Take an oath to me.’ So he took an oath to him: “And he adjured Moses” (Ex. 2:21), and the word used for “adjure” only means taking an oath: “But Saul adjured the people” (1 Sam. 14:24); “Be adjured to take two talents” 2 Kings 5:23). Therefore the angel took action to kill Moses. Forthwith: “Zipporah took a flint and cut off the foreskin of her son...so he let him alone” (Ex. 4:25-26).

R. Eleazar b. Azariah says, “Detestable is uncircumcision, for the wicked/lawless are reproached with it: “For all the nations are uncircumcised” (Jer. 9:25).” R. Ishmael says, Great is circumcision, for thirteen covenants were made through it. R. Yosé the Galilean says, Great is circumcision, for it overrides the restrictions of the Sabbath, which is a weighty matter, on account of the violation of which the penalty of

extirpation is incurred. R. Joshua b. Qorhah says, Great is circumcision, for the merit accruing to Moses did not suspend that requirement even for a full hour. R. Nehemiah says, Great is circumcision, for it overrides the laws concerning plagues. Rabbi [Judah the Patriarchi says, Great is circumcision, for all of the merits of Moses did not protect him at the moment that that matter pressed upon him. He was going to bring Israel out of Egypt, but because he had been slothful about circumcision for even a single hour, the angel wanted to kill him: “And it came to pass on the way at the lodging place” (Ex. 4:24). R. Yosé says, God forbid that such a righteous man should be slothful about circumcision for even a single hour. But if

he performed the rite and forthwith went on the journey, there is danger to life. Should he tarry and perform the right, the Omnipresent had instructed him, “Go and bring the Israelites out of Egypt.” It was because he had taken his leisure in spending the night prior to the act of circumcision that the angel sought to kill him: “And it came to pass on the way at the lodging place” (Ex. 4:24). Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says, The angel wanted to kill not Moses but the infant: “Surely a bridegroom of blood you are to me” (Ex. 4:25). Now say: go and see who is called the bridegroom? Moses or the infant? You must conclude, it is the infant.

“and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, ‘The God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh’):” R. Joshua says, “When did the Omnipresent deliver him? It was at the moment at which Dathan [Ex. 2:13, “two Hebrews striving together,” identifying the one as Dathan, the other as Abirani] said to him, “Who made you ruler and judge...now when Pharaoh heard this thing” (Ex. 2:14-15). They say that they seized Moses and brought him up to the platform, tied him up, and put a sword on his throat. At that moment an angel came down and appeared to them in Moses’s guise. They seized the angel and let Moses go. R. Eliezer says, As to the people who seized Moses, the Omnipresent turned them into isolated bands. Some he made dumb, some deaf, some blind. They would say to the dumb ones, ‘Where is Moses?’ but they could not speak; to the deaf ones, and they could not hear; to the blind ones and they did not see. That is in line with this verse: “And the Lord said to him, “Who has made a man’s mouth or makes a man dumb” (Ex. 4:11). That is the sense of the verse, “The God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

XLV:II

“And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife [to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God]:” Has it not been said, “and your wife and her two sons with her” (Ex. 17:6)? I might then have inferred that they were her sons from another source. Scripture therefore says, “his sons and his wife [to Moses].” They were the sons of Moses, and not her Sons from another source.

“in the wilderness:” In this way Scripture expresses the remarkable character of [Jethro’s action], for he was ensconced in a place of worldly honor, yet desired to go out into the empty wilderness, in which there is nothing. That is why Scripture emphasizes, “in the wilderness.”

“And he said to Moses, [‘Lo, your father-in-law Jethro is coming to you, with your wife and her two sons with her’]: R. Joshua says, He wrote him a letter [saying he was coming]. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, He sent Kim a messenger, saying ‘Do it [come greet me] for my sake, and if you do not do it for my sake, then do it for the sake of your wife, and if you do not do it for the sake of your wife, do it for the sake of your children.’ That is why it is said, ‘And he said to Moses, [“Lo, your father-in- law Jethro is coming to you, with your wife and her two sons with her”].”

R. Eliezer says, It was said to Moses, ‘I, I who am the one who spoke and brought the world into being, I am the one who draws near, not the one who drives away.’ So it is said, “Behold, I am a God who brings near, says the Lord, and not a God who drives away” (Jer. 23:23). ‘I am the one who drew Jethro near, and I did not drive him out.’ You too, when someone comes to you to convert and comes only for the sake of Heaven, you too draw him near and do not drive him away. In this connection you learn that one should push away with the left hand and draw near with the right, not like Gehazi’s treatment by Elisha, who drove him out for all time.

“Moses went out to meet his father-in-law:” They say that Moses went out along with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. Some say, ‘Even the Presence of God went forth with them.’

“and did obeisance and kissed him:” I do not know who bowed down to whom, or who kissed whom. When Scripture says, “And they asked, a man of his fellow, after their welfare,” — now whom is called “a man”? Is it not Moses: “And the man, Moses, was very meek” (Num. 12:3)? One must conclude that only Moses bowed down to and kissed his father-in-law. In this connection we learn that a man must treat his father-in-law with respect.

“went into the tent:” This refers to the house of study.

“Then Moses told his father-in-law:” this was to draw him forth and bring him near to the Torah.

“all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake:” That He had given the Torah to His people, Israel.

“all the hardship:” in Egypt.

“that had come upon them in the way:” in the war with Amalek.

“and how the Lord had delivered them:” the Omnipresent had saved them from all of them.

“And Jethro rejoiced [for all the good which the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians]:” R. Joshua says, It is in regard to the benefit of giving the manna that Scripture speaks. He said to him,’ In this manna that the Omnipresent has given to us we detect the flavor of bread, the flavor of meat, the flavor of fish, the flavor of locusts, the flavor of all the delicacies in the world, for Scripture says not only “good,” or “the good,” or “all the good” but “for all the good.” R. Eleazar the Modiite says, It is in regard to the benefit of the well that Scripture speaks. He said to him, ‘In this well that the Omnipresent has given us we detect the taste of old wine, the taste of new wine, the taste of milk, the taste of honey, the taste of all delicious drinks in the world, for Scripture says not only ‘good,’ or ‘the good,’ or ‘all the good’ but “for all the good.” R. Eliezer says, It is in regard to the benefit of the land of Israel that Scripture speaks. He said to him, ‘The Omnipresent is going to give us six measures of benefits: the land of Israel, the age to come, the new world, the monarch of the house of David, the priesthood, the Levites, for Scripture says not only ‘good,’ or ‘the good,’ or ‘all the good’ but “for all the good.” Forthwith: “And Jethro said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, [who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because He delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians when they dealt arrogantly with them.]”

XL:III

“And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord:” Said R. Pappyas, “Scripture speaks in a disparaging way about Israel. “For lo, there were 600,000 men there, but not one of them went and blessed the Omnipresent, until Jethro came and blessed the Omnipresent. For it is said, “And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh:” From the hand of that great dragon, of whom it is said, “The great dragon that lies in the midst of his rivers, who has said, My river is my own and I have made it for myself” (Ez. 29:3).

“out of the hand of the Egyptians:” out of the subjugation to the Egyptians.

“Now I know [that the Lord is greater than all gods]:” Up to now he had not confessed the matter.

“that the Lord is greater [than all gods]:” They say that to begin with no slave had been able to escape from Egypt, but now the Holy One, blessed be He, has taken out six hundred thousand men from Egypt. That is why it is said, “that the Lord is greater.”

“than all gods:” They say that Jethro had not neglected a single idol in the world, that he had not gone after and worshipped: “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel” (2 Kgs. 5:15). So too Rahab the whore says, “For the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (Josh. 2:11).

“because he delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians when they dealt arrogantly with them:” I knew Him in the past, and now all the more so, for His name has been made great in the world. For with the very plan that the Egyptians had devised to destroy Israel with that very thing the Omnipresent inflicted punishment upon them, as it is said, “Yes, for with the very thing with which they acted presumptuously against them.”

“And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law offered a burnt offering and sacrifices to God:” In this way Scripture expresses the remarkable character of [Jethro’s action], for here was a man who had been worshipping idols, sacrificing, burning incense, making libation offerings, bowing down to his idol. And now he offered a burnt offering and sacrifices to the Lord.

“and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God:” Where had Moses gone? Had he not gone forth in the first place to meet him: “And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law” (Ex. 17:7)? And now where did he go? This teaches that he was standing and serving them. Whence did he learn to do so? From Abraham our father.

They say that R. Isaac expounded this matter and said, “When Rabban Gamaliel made a banquet for sages, all the sages were seated, reclining with him. Rabban Gamaliel went and served them. They said, ‘We are not in the right that Rabban Gamaliel should serve us.’ R. Joshua said to them, ‘Let him do his service. We find a greater man than Rabban Gamaliel who served people.’ They said to him, ‘Who was that?’ He said to them, ‘It was our father Abraham [who was the greatest man of the age but] served the ministering angels, even though he thought that they were idol-worshipping Arabs.’ All the more so should Rabban Gamaliel serve sages, sons of Torah.’ Said to them R. Sadoq, ‘Let him do his service. We find a greater man than Rabban Gamaliel and than Abraham our father, who served people.’ They said to him, ‘Who was that?’ He said to them, ‘It was the Holy One, blessed be He, who supplies every one his needs, and everybody what is needed, and not only to suitable people but even to wicked/lawless people, people who worship idols. All the more so should Rabban Gamaliel serves sages, sons of Torah.

“and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God:” Why “before God”? It teaches that whoever welcomes a fellow is as if one welcomed the face of the Presence of God.

Amalek 4

XLVI:I

“On the morrow [Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from morning till evening]:” on the morrow, after the Day of Atonement.

“Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from morning till evening:” Was Moses really in session and judging the Israelites from morning to night? Is it not the fact that judges do their work only up to meal time? Why does Scripture then say, “from morning till evening”? It teaches that whoever produces an accurate judgment is credited as though he were partner with the Holy One, blessed be he, in the works of Scripture. Here it is written, “from morning till evening,” and elsewhere, “And there was evening and there was morning” (Gen. 1:5).

“When Moses’ father-in-law saw [all that he was doing for the people]:” What did he see? He sat that he was like a king, sitting on his throne, with everyone standing around him. He said to him, “What is this that you are doing to the people? ‘Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand about you from morning

until evening?” (Ex. 18:14).

“And Moses said to his father-in-law, ‘Because the people come to me to inquire of God:” They say that Judah of Kefar Akko asked the following of Rabban Gamaliel: ‘How come Moses said, Because the people come to me to inquire of God’? He said to him, If not, then what should he have said? He said to him, Let him say, Because the people come to inquire of God. He said to him, “Since he does say, ‘to inquire of God,’ he has phrased matters quite felicitously.

“when they have a dispute they come to me”: in respect to matters of uncleanness and cleanness. And “I decide between a man:” this refers to a judgment without arbitration. “and his neighbor:” this refers to a judgment based upon arbitration, indicating that both of them part from one another as friends. “and I make them know the statutes of God:” this refers to exegesis. “and his decisions:” this refers to instructions, the words of R. Joshua. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “statutes” refers to the prohibition of incest, as it is said, “That you do not do any of these abominable statutes’ (Lev. 18:30), “and his decisions” refers to instructions.

“Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘What you are doing is not good. Also you and the people with you will wear yourselves out:” R. Joshua says, They will wear you out and make you fall away. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, They will make you fade and will criticize you, like a fig the leaves of which fade: “As the leaf falls off from the vine and as a falling fig from the fig tree” (Is. 34:4).

“Also you and the people with you will wear yourselves out:” “you” refers to Moses. “Also” refers to Aaron. “and the people with you” speaks of the seventy elders,” the words of R. Joshua. E. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “you” refers to Moses. “Also” refers to Aaron. “and also” speaks of Nadab and Abihu. “and the people with you” speaks of the seventy elders.”

“for the thing is too heavy for you:” He said to him, “Look at a beam. When it is still moist, two or three

get under it but cannot to stand under its weight. If four or five get under it, they can hold it up. “...for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone.”

“Listen now to my voice:” If you listen to me, it will be good for you.

“I will give you counsel and God be with you!:” Go and take counsel with the Almighty.

“You will represent the people before God [and bring their cases to God]:” Be for them like a pot full of words [of God].

“and bring their cases to God:” words that you hear you will bring and set them forth.

“and you will teach them the statutes and the decisions:” “the statutes:” this refers to exegesis. “and decisions:” this refers to instructions the words of R. Joshua. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “...statutes” refers to the prohibition of incest, as it is said, “That you do not do any of these abominable statutes” (Lev. 18:30). ...and “...decisions” refers to instructions.”

“and make them know the way in which they must walk:” this refers to the study of Torah. “and what they must do:” this refers to good deeds, the words of R. Joshua. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “and make them know:” teach them how to live. “the way:” this refers to visiting the sick. “in which they must walk:” this refers to burying the dead. “in which:” this refers to acts of loving kindness. “and what:” this refers to the strict requirements of the law. “they must do:” this refers to what falls beyond the limits of strict justice.

“Moreover choose [able men from all the people]:” You will see them through prophecy. “able men:” rich and substantial. “such as fear God:” these are those who fear the Omnipresent when sitting in court. “men who are trustworthy:” these are those who are reliable. “and who hate a bribe:” these are those who hate to take money when judging a case, the words of R. Joshua. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “Moreover choose able men from all the people:” see them through use of the mirror, with the glass through which kings peer. “able men:” these are reliable men. “such as fear God:” these are those who arbitrate when making a decision. “men who are trustworthy:” these are men like R. Hanina b. Dosa and his colleagues. “and who hate a bribe:” these are those who hate their own money, all the more the money of others.

“and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens:” There were six hundred rulers of thousand, six thousand rulers of hundreds, twelve thousand rulers of fifties, sixty thousand rulers of tens. So in all there were 78,600 princes of Israel.

“And let them judge the people at all times:” R. Joshua says, They are to be people able to take their time away from their work. Let them judge the people at all times. R. Eleazar the Modiite say, They are to be people who are able to take time from their own work and occupy themselves with teachings of the Torah. Let them judge the people at all times.

“every great matter they will bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves:” Major matters they will bring to you. That is what you say. But perhaps the sense is, matters that pertain to important persons do they bring to you, while matters that pertain to unimportant persons they are to judge on their own? When Scripture says, “The hard cases they brought to Moses” (Ex. 18:26), it means that Scripture speaks not of the status of persons but of the character of the cases.

“so it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you:” if you do this thing, and “God so commands you:” Go and take counsel with the Almighty.

“and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure:” If He concurs, you will be able to endure, and if not, you will not be able to endure.

“and all this people also [will go to their place in peace]:” This speaks of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders, who “will go to their place in peace.”

XLVI:II

“So Moses gave heed to the voice of his father-in-law:’ literally. “and did all that he had said:” whatever his father in law said to him, the words of R. Joshua. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, “So Moses gave heed to the voice of his father-in-law:’ literally. “and did all that He had said:” whatever God said.

“[Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times; every great matter they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.] Then Moses let his father-in-law depart:” R. Joshua says, He sent him out with the worldly honor that was coming to him. R. Eleazar the Modiite says, He gave him many gifts. For from the answer that he gave to Moses, you can learn, for it is said, He said, “Do not leave us, I ask you” (Num. 10:31). You have given us good advice and valuable advice and the Omnipresent concurs with your views. “Do not leave us, I ask you.” He said to him, ‘Is a lamp useful except in a dark place? Is a lamp useful between sun and moon? Now you are the sun and Aaron is the moon. What is a lamp going to do between the sun and the moon. But lo, I am going to go to my country and tell everybody and convert everybody in my town and bring them to the study of the Torah and draw them near under the wings of the presence of God.’

Might one suppose that he went along and did nothing? Scripture says, “And the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in- law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arab; and they went and dwelt with the people” (Judges 1:16). “People” means only wisdom, in line with this usage: “No doubt you are the people and with you is the perfection of wisdom” (Job 12:2). Do not read the letters as though they spelled “perfection” but rather “cessation.” So long as a sage endures, his wisdom endures with him. When the sage dies, his wisdom dies with him. So we find that when R. Nathan died, his wisdom died with him.

They went and dwelled with those living at Jabez. Were there people living there at that time? But they were disciples of Jabez, as it is said, “The clans of the scribes living at Jabez: Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These were Kenites who were connected by marriage with the ancestor of the Rechabites” (1 Chr. 2:55). They were called Tirathites, because when they sounded the horn in supplication, they were answered; Shimeathites, because they heard the alarm-note [which in Hebrew uses the same consonants] from Mount Sinai; Suchathites because they lived in tents: “But we have lived in tents and have obeyed and acted in accord with all that Jonadab, our father, commanded us” (Jer. 35:10).

There was the case of someone who said, “Today is the offering of the sons of those who drink water.” A heavenly echo came forth from the house of the Holy of Holies and said, “He who accepted their offerings in the wilderness is the one who will accept their offerings at this time.”

R. Nathan says, “Greater is the covenant that was made with Jonadab b. Rahab than the one made with David. For the covenant made with David was made with him only conditionally: “If your children keep My covenant” (Ps. 132:12), and if not: “Then I will visit their transgression with the rod” (Ps. 89:33). But the covenant made with Jonadab b. Rechab was not conditional: To the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “These are the words of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have kept the command of Jonadab your ancestor and obeyed all his instructions and carried out all that he told you to do, therefore these are the words of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab son of Rahab will not want a descendant to stand before Me for all time” (Jer. 35:18-19).

Three things were given conditionally: the land of Israel, the house of the sanctuary, and the monarchy of the house of David, thus excepting the scroll of the Torah, the covenant of Abraham, which were not given conditionally. The land of Israel: “Take heed of yourselves lest your heart be deceived...and the anger of the Lord be kindled against you” (Dt. 11:6-17). The house of the sanctuary: “As for this house which you are building, if you walk in my statutes and carry out my ordinances and keep all My commandments to walk in them, then I will establish My word with you, which I spoke to David your father” (1 Kgs. 6:12); and if not, “And this house which is so high will become desolate and every one who passes by it will be astonished” (1 Kgs. 9:8). And the monarchy of the house of David: “If your children keep My covenant” (Ps. 132:12), and if not: “Then I will visit their transgression with the rod” (Ps. 89:33). How do we know that the scroll of the Torah was not given conditionally? “The Torah which Moses commanded us is an inheritance” (Dt. 33:4). How do we know that the covenant of Abraham was not given conditionally? “It is an everlasting covenant of salt” (Num. 18:19); “And it shall be to him and to his seed after him the covenant of an everlasting priesthood” (Num. 25:13).

And how do we know that the descendants of Jethro are the descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab? As it is said, “These were Kenites who were connected by marriage with the ancestor of the Rechabites” (1 Chr. 2:55). They were looking for a teacher, and Jabez was looking for disciples: Jabez called upon the God of Israel and said, “I pray You, bless me and grant me wide territories. May Your hand be with me, and do me no harm, I pray You, and let me be free from pain. And God granted his petition” (1 Chr. 4:10). “I pray You, bless me:” with the study of the Torah. “and grant me wide territories:” with disciples. “May Your hand be with me:” so that the impulse to do evil should not so distress me as to stop me from occupying myself in your Torah. “And God granted his petition:” indicating that He gave him what he had asked, and gave them what they had asked.

For it is said, “The poor man and the one of means meet together; the Lord gives light to the eyes of both” (Prov. 29:13); “The rich and the poor meet together, the Lord is the maker of them all” (Prov. 22:2). How so? If a disciple serves the master, and the master wants to teach him, “the Lord gives light to the eyes of both,” for this one acquires the life of the age to come, and that one acquires the life of the age to come. But if a disciple serves the master, while the master does not want to teach him “the Lord is the maker of them all:” the one who made this one a sage will in the end make him an idiot, and the one who made this one an idiot in the end will make him a sage.

Along these same lines you find the rule for those who give to charity. How so? A poor man who stretched out his hand to the householder, and the house holder wants to give him: “the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.” But if a poor man who stretched out his hand to the householder, and the house holder does not want to give him: “the Lord is the maker of them all:” The one who made the one poor in the end will make him rich, and the one who made the other rich in the end will make him poor.

R. Judah the Patriarch says, Lo, Scripture says, “Jabez called upon the God of Israel and said, I pray You, bless me:” with children. “and grant me wide territories:” with sons and daughters. “May Your hand be with me:” in business. “and do me no harm, I pray You, and let me be free from pain:” as to the life that You have given me, may it be free from belly ache, eye pain, head aches. “and let me be free from pain:” but if not, I will go down in grief to the grave. “And God granted his petition:” He gave him what he wanted.

R. Hananiah b. Gamaliel says, “Why were all these figures given [“Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens”]? They were stated only in the second year, at the time that Moses wanted to set appoint magistrates’ assistants over the Israelites: “By their father’s houses, every man with his own standard, according to the ensigns’ (Num. 2:2).”

Pesiqta deRab Kahana

Midrashic sermons for Shabbat Zakhor

Pisqa Three

Remember [what the Amalekites did to you on your way out of Egypt, how they met you on the road when you were faint and weary and cut off your rear, which was lagging behind exhausted; they showed no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you peace from your enemies on every side, in the land which he is giving you to occupy as your patrimony, you shall not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven] (Deut. 25:17-19).

III:I

“Remember [what the Amalekites did to you on your way out of Egypt, how they met you on the road when you were faint and weary and cut off your rear, which was lagging behind exhausted; they showed no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you peace from your enemies on every side, in the land which he is giving you to occupy as your patrimony, you shall not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven]” (Deut. 25:17-19). “May the sins of his forefathers be remembered [and his mother’s wickedness/lawlessness never be wiped out! May they remain on record before the Lord but may He extinguish their name from the earth]” (Ps. 109:14-15). [Since Ps. 109:17 refers to one’s not delighting in the blessing, and since, as we shall see, Amalek is identified with Esau, we assume that the cited passage refers to Esau, who rejected the birthright, and so ask:] now were the forebears of Esau wicked/lawless? Were they not utterly righteous/generous? Abraham, after all, was his grandfather, Isaac his father, and yet you say, May the sins of his forefathers be remembered! But [the sense is,] the sin that he committed was against his forefathers. And what is the sin that he committed against his forefathers? You find that Isaac represented Abraham. Now Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years, while Abraham lived only one hundred seventy-five years. [We shall now see that the loss of those five years to Abraham’s loss is attributed to the behavior of Esau.] R. Yudan in the name of R. Aibu, R. Phineas in the name of R. Levi: ‘In the five years that were withheld from the life of Abraham, Esau, that wicked man, committed two severe transgressions. He had sexual relations with a betrothed maiden, and he committed murder.’ [Abraham then was taken away five years earlier than he should have been, so that he would not have to witness these sins, and Isaac suffered in like manner on that same account.] That is in line with this verse: “Esau came from the field” (Gen. 25:29), and the word “field” stands only for a betrothed maiden, as it is said, “and f it is in the field that the man found the betrothed maiden” (Deut. 22:25). “And he was tired” (Gen. 25:29), and. the word tired stands only for murder, as it is said, “For my soul is tired like the soul of a murderer” (Jer. 4:31). R. Zakkai the Elder says, ‘He also had stolen.’ Said the Holy One, blessed be He, I promised Abraham, “And you will come to your fathers in peace” (Gen. 15:15). Would it be a good old age for this man to see his son’s son fornicating, murdering, and stealing? Is that good old age? It is better for that righteous/generous man to be gathered up in peace: “For your loving-kindness is better than life” (Ps. 63:4). And what is the sin that he committed against his father? He caused his eyes to weaken. On the basis of that case, they have said: ‘Whoever brings up a wicked/lawless son or a wicked/lawless disciple in the end will suffer from weak eyes.’ The case of the wicked/lawless son derives from our father, Isaac: “And when Isaac got old, his eyes grew so weak that he could not see” (Gen. 27:1). Why? Because he had raised a wicked/lawless son, Esau. The rule of the wicked/lawless disciple comes from the case of Ahiah the Shilonite: “And Ahiah the Shilonite could not see, because his eyes had grown weak on account of old age” (1 Kgs. 14:4). Why? Because he had raised a wicked/lawless disciple. And who was it? It was Jeroboam son of Nabat, who committed sin and who caused the Israelites to sin. Therefore his eyes grew dim.

What was the sin that he committed against his mother [to whom reference is made in the intersecting-verse, . ..and his mother’s wickedness never be wiped out]? R. Tanhum bar Abun and R. Judah and R. Nehemiah and rabbis: R. Judah says, When he was coming out of his mother’s womb, he cut off her uterus, so that she should not give birth again. That is in line with this verse of Scripture [in the translation of Braude and Kapstein]: “Because he pursued his brother with a sword, he destroyed the womb whence he came” (Amos 1:11). Said R. Berekhiah, You should not conclude that it was merely [adventitious, that is,] because he was coming forth from his mother’s womb, but as he was coming out of his mother’s womb, his fist was [deliberately] stretched out toward [his brother, and this was intentional]. What verse of Scripture so indicates? [In the translation of Braude and Kapstein:] “The wicked have a fist from the womb, liars go astray as soon as they are born” (Ps. 58:4). R. Nehemiah says, “He caused her not to produce the twelve tribes. For R. Huna said, Rebecca was worthy of producing all the twelve tribes, a fact indicated by this verse: And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb” (Gen. 25:23). Lo, there are two. “And two peoples will separate from your belly” (Gen. 25:23), thus four. “One people shall be stronger than the other” — so six; “the elder shall serve the younger” — eight; “And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold there were twins in her womb,” then ten; “And the first came forth. ...and after that came forth his brother...” — twelve in all.” There are those who prove the same proposition from this verse of Scripture: “If this is the way my childbearing is to go, why should I bear this” (Gen. 25:22). The word for this is composed of the letters Z and H, the numerical value of which is seven and five, respectively, thus twelve. And rabbis say, [Esau] caused her bier not to be carried out in public. You find that when Rebecca died, people said, ‘Who is going to go forth before the bier? Abraham is dead, Isaac is blind and stays at home, Jacob has fled before Esau. Will the wicked Esau be permitted to go forth before her bier?’ People will say, ‘Cursed be the teats that suckled that one.’ What did they do? They brought out her bier by night [without public display]. Said R. Yose bar Haninah, And since her bier was not carried out in public, Scripture too dealt with her death only obliquely: “Deborah, Rebecca’s nurse died. ...and was buried below Beth-el under the oak, which was called allon-bacuth [bacuth being understood to mean weeping] (Gen. 35:8).” What is the meaning of allon? R. Simeon bar Nahman in the name of R. Jonathan, It is a word in Greek, meaning, another. [Hence the sense of the name of the oak is, another weeping. The first, then, was for Rebecca. So it is only obliquely that we learn that she had died, as is made clear in the immediately-following verse of Scripture.] While Jacob was sitting and observing the lamentation for his nursemaid, news came to him about his mother: “God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram and blessed him” (Gen. 35:9). What is the blessing that he bestowed on him? R. Aha in the name of R. Jonathan, It was the blessing that is bestowed upon mourners.

Said the Holy One, His father could have paid him back with evil, his mother could have paid him back with evil, his brother [Jacob] could have paid him back with evil, his grandfather could have paid him back with evil. Now you [Israel] pay him back with evil, so will I pay him back with evil. You make mention of his name down below, and I will wipe out his name up above: May they remain on record before the Lord but may He extinguish their name from the earth. “Remember what the Amalekites did to you.”

III:II

R. Tarthum bar Hanilai opened [discourse by citing the following intersecting-verse]: “Your memorials will be like unto ashes, your eminences to eminences of clay” [New English Bible: “your pompous talk is dust and ashes, your defenses will crumble like clay”] [Braude and Kapstein, p. 46: Your acts of remembering Amalek, followed by repentance for your sins, will be like ‘ashes,’ but when you deserve visitation [for sin], visitation in ‘clay’ will be your punishment] (Job 13:12). Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Israel [with reference to the verse’s statement about memorials, that is, acts of remembering], As to those two acts of remembrance that I inscribed for you in Scripture, be meticulous about them: “Blot out the memory of Amalek” (Deut. 25:19), “For I shall certainly blot out the memory of Amalek” (Ex. 17:14). “...will be like unto ashes:” that is, are comparable to ashes. If you have acquired merit, lo, you are the children of Abraham, the one who compared himself to ashes: “For I am dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27). And if not: “your eminences to eminences of clay,” that is, prepare yourselves for the subjugation of Egypt. For what is written with respect to Egypt: “They embittered their lives with hard work in clay” (Ex. 1:14).

III:III

R. Judah in the name of R. Aibu opened discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture: Do not behave like horse or mule, unreasoning creatures, whose course must be checked with bit and bridle. [Many are the torments of the ungodly; but unfailing love enfolds him who trusts in the Lord] (Ps. 32:9-10). Six matters have been stated with reference to a horse: it eats a lot, excretes a little, loves fornication, loves war, despises sleep, and displays arrogance. And some say, “In battle it also kills its owner.” Do not behave like horse: as to a horse, when you bridle it, it kicks, when you pat it, it kicks, when you ornament it, it kicks, when you feed it barley, it kicks If you do not get near it, it kicks. You should not be like that. Rather, be conscientious about responding to good with good, and responding to evil with evil. Paying back good with good: “You will not abominate the Edomites” (Deut. 23:8). Paying back evil with evil: “Remember what Amalek did to you” (Deut. 25:17).

III:IV

R. Banai in the name of R. Huna commenced discourse by citing the following verse: “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord [but a just weight is his delight. When pride comes, then comes disgrace] (Prov. 11:1-2).” Said R. Banai in the name of R. Huna, If you have seen a generation, the measures of which are perverted, know that the government is going to come and declare war against that generation. What verse of Scripture so indicates? “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord.” And what is written immediately following? “When pride comes, then comes disgrace” [Braude and Kapstein: “The insolent (kingdom) will come and bring humiliation (to Israel)”].

R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Abba bar Kahana, “It is written: “Will I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights” (Micah 6:11). “Will I acquit the man with wicked scales:” is it possible even to imagine that God would acquit one with perverted scales? But: “a bag of deceitful weights” [means, even in your own bag, they will remain deceitful weights].

Said R. Levi, So Moses gave an indication to Israel in the Torah: “You will not have in your bag a large stone and a small one, you will not have in your house two ephah-measures, one large, one small” (Deut.

25:13-14). If you have done so, know that the government is going to come and declare war against that generation. What verse of Scripture so indicates? “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord.” And what is written immediately following [Deut. 25:13-14]? “Remember what Amalek did to you” (Deut. 25:17).

III:V

R. Levi commenced discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture: “You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked/lawless, You have blotted out their name forever and ever (Ps. 9:5): “You have rebuked the nations” refers to Amalek, concerning whom it is written: “Amalek was the first of the gentiles” (Num. 24:20). “...You have destroyed the wicked/lawless,” refers to the wicked/lawless Esau, concerning whom it is written, “Edom will be called the border of wickedness/lawlessness” (Mal. 1:4). If one would say to you, even Jacob is covered by that statement, say to him, “You have destroyed the wicked/lawless,” [which cannot possibly speak of Jacob, for] what is written is not wicked/lawless ones, in the plural, but the wicked/lawless one, in the singular, which refers to the wicked/lawless Esau. “...You have blotted out their name forever and ever:” [this speaks of Amalek, as it is said,] “Blot out the remembrance of Amalek” (Deut. 25:17).

III: VI

“Return sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted You, O Lord (Ps. 79:12): R. Judah bar Guria said, Let what they did to us in respect to the circumcision, which was assigned to the bosom of Abraham, be remembered against them. This accords with that which R. Hinenah bar Silqah, R. Joshua of Silchnin, and R. Levi in the name of R. Yohanan said, What were the members of the household of Amalek doing? They cut off the circumcised penises of the Israelites and tossing them upward, saying. ‘Is this what you have chosen? Here is what you have chosen!’

And R. Joshua b. Levi: Let what they did to us with respect to the Torah be remembered against them. For concerning the Torah it is written: “It is refined seven times” (Ps. 12:7). So: “Return sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted You, O Lord” (Ps. 79:12).

Rabbis say, Let what they did to us with regard to the sanctuary, which is set in the bosom of the world, be remembered against them [for they razed the Temple to its foundations, which are at the bosom of the earth (Braude and Kapstein, p. 48). For R. Huna said, From the bottom of the ground (bosom of the earth, to the lower settle will be two cubits” (Ez. 43:14).

Now Samuel came along and paid them back: “Samuel cut Agag apart before the Lord in Gilgal” (1 Sam. 15:33). What did he do to him? R. Abba bar Kahana said, He chopped off his flesh in small bits, the size of an olive’s bulk, and fed it to the ostriches: “Pieces of his body will be devoured, yes, the firstborn of death shall devour pieces of his flesh” (Job 18:13). He chose for him a bitter form of death. And rabbis say, He set up four stakes in the ground and tied him on them. [Agag] was saying, “Surely the most bitter of deaths is at hand” (1 Sam. 15:32). Do people put princes to death in such a way, with so harsh a form of death?

R. Samuel bar Abidimi said, They judged him in accord with the law of the nations of the world, that is, without appropriately cross-examined testimony of witnesses, and without an admonition in advance. R. Isaac said, They castrated him: Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women” (1 Sam. 15:33), reading the word for mother as if the letters meant penis, hence, the penis of that man [shall not produce children].

Said R. Levi, So in the Torah Moses gave an indication of the same matter to Israel: When men fight with one another and the wife of the one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of him who is beating him and puts out her hand and seizes him by the private parts, then you shall cut off her hand; your eye shall have no pity (Deut. 25:11-12). What is written thereafter: “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt” (Deut. 25:17).

III: VII

“Remember [what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt]” (Deut. 25:17): Said R. Berekhiah, You say to us, “Remember!” You do the remembering. For we are often forgetful, but You, who are never forgetful, You are the one to do the remembering “of what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt” (Deut. 25:17).

“[Remember] what [Amalek] did to you [on the way as you came out of Egypt]” (Deut. 25:17): Said R. Isaac, Did he do it to us and not to You? “Remember, O Lord, against the children of Edom, the day of Jerusalem [the day they said, raze it, raze it]” (Ps. 137:7).

“[Remember, O Lord, against the children of Edom, the day of Jerusalem the day they said,] raze it, raze it” (Ps. 137:7): R. Abba bar Kahana said, The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “raze it” follows the sense of the same word as it occurs in the following verse: “The broad walls of Babylon will be utterly razed” (Jer. 51:58). R. Levi said, The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “raze it” should be rendered as “empty it, empty it,” for it follows the sense of the same word as it occurs in the following verse: “She hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough” (Gen. 24:20). In the view of R. Abba bar Kahana, who holds that the word means “raze it, raze it,” the sense is that they went down to the very foundations, to the base. In the view of R. Levi, who holds that the word means, “empty it out, empty it out,” the sense is that they cut away the foundations, taking them away.

III: VIII

“[Remember what] the Amalekites [did to you on your way out of Egypt, how they met you on the road when you were faint and weary and cut off your rear, which was lagging behind exhausted; they showed no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you peace from your enemies on every side, in the land which he is giving you to occupy as your patrimony, you shall not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekires from under heaven]” (Deut. 25:17-19): The word for “Amalek” is to be divided into two components, bearing the meanings “am” = people, and “yeleq,” = locust. It flew down like the zahla-locust. Another interpretation: the nation of Amalek came down to lick up the blood of Israel like a dog.

R. Levi in the name of R. Simeon b. Halapta: To what may Amalek be compared? To a fly that was lusting for an open wound. So Amalek was lusting after Israel like a dog.

It was taught in the name of R. Nathan, Four hundred parasangs did Amalek leap in coming to make war against Israel at Rephidim.

III:IX

“Remember [what the Amalekites did to you] on your way out of Egypt, how they me: you on the road when you were faint and weary and cut off your rear, which was lagging behind exhausted; they showed no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you peace from your enemies on every side, in the land which he is giving you to occupy as your patrimony, you shall not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven]” (Deut. 25:17-19): Said R. Levi, They came against you on the way like highwaymen. The matter may be compared to the case of a king who had a vineyard, and he surrounded it with a wall and the king put in the vineyard a vicious dog. Said the king, The dog will bite anyone who comes and breaks through the wall. Then the son of the king came along and broke through the wall, and the dog bit him. Whenever the king wanted to remind the son about the sin that he had committed in the vineyard, he said to him, Remember how the dog bit you. So whenever the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to remind the Israelites of the sin that they had committed in Rephidim, saying, “Whether God is in our midst or not” (Ex. 17:7), He says to them, “Remember what Amalek did to you” (Deut. 25:17).

III:X

“Remember [what the Amalekites did to you on your way out of Egypt, how they met you on the road when you were faint and weary and cut off your rear, which was lagging behind exhausted; they showed no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you peace from your enemies on every side, in the land which he is giving you to occupy as your patrimony, you shall not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven]” (Deut. 25:17-19): R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and rabbis: R. Judah said, The letters for words, “how they met you,” can be read, how they made you unclean [Mandelbaum: through pederasty], in line with this verse, in which the same letters bear that meaning: “Any man who is not clean because of a seminal emission by night” (Deut. 23:11). R. Nehemiah says, The letters for words, “how they met you,” can be read to mean read, thus: “They read up on you.” What did Amalek do? He went into the archives in Egypt and took the volumes of genealogies of the tribes which were located there in their names. He came and stood outside of the cloud and announced, ‘Reuben. Simeon, Levi, Judah, I am your brother. Come out, for I want to do business with you.’ When one of them came out, he would kill him. Rabbis say, The letters for words, “how they met you,” can be read to mean, “to cool,” that is, he made them look cold [and not heated up for battle and good fighters] before the nations of the world. Said R. Hunia, The matter may be compared to the case of a scalding-hot bath, into which no one could dip himself. One son of Beliel came along and jumped in; even though he was burned, he made it appear cool for others [who followed him in and got burned]. So when the Israelites had gone forth from Egypt, “fear of them fell upon all the nations of the world: Then were the chiefs of Edom frightened...terror and dread fell on them” (Ex. 15:15-16). But when Amalek attacked them and made war against them, even though he got his from them, he made them look cold before the nations of the world.

III:XI

“Remember (what the Amalekites did to you on your way out of Egypt, how they met you on the road when you were faint and weary] and cut off your rear, which was lagging behind exhausted; they showed no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you peace from your enemies on every side, in the land which he is giving you to occupy as your patrimony, you shall not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven]” (Deut. 25:17-19): [The word, “how he cut off your rear,” means] how we smote you with a blow to the “tail” [penis]. This accords with that which R. Hinenah bar Silqah, R. Joshua of Sikhnin, and R. Levi in the name of R. Yohanan said, What were the members of the household of Amalek doing? They cut off the circumcised penises of the Israelites and tossing them upward, saying, ‘Is this what you have chosen? Here is what you have chosen!’ For the Israelites did not know about the character of the “branch”: Lo, they put the branch to their nose (Ez. 8:17). When Amalek came along, he taught it to them. From whom had he learned it? From our forefather Esau: “Is he not rightly named Jacob” (Gen. 27:36). He cleared his throat and produced the “branch” [penis, as a gesture of disrespect].

III:XII

“Remember [what the Amalekites did to you on your way out of Egypt, how they met you on the road when you were faint and weary and cut off your rear, which was lagging behind exhausted; they showed no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you peace from your enemies on every side, in the land which he is giving you to occupy as your patrimony, you shall not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven]” (Deut. 25:17-19): R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and rabbis: R. Judah said, Whoever hung back was cut off. R. Nehemiah said, Whomever the cloud expelled was cut off. Rabbis say, This refers to the tribe of Dan, which the cloud expelled. For all of them worshipped idolatry.

Another interpretation of the clause: “... [when you were faint and weary and cut off your rear,] which was lagging behind exhausted:” Said R. Isaac, All those who were whispering in Your rear [against You, that is, against God, as will now be spelled out].

R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and Rabbis: R. Judah said, They said, ‘If He is the lord of all His works as He is lord over us, we will worship Him, and if not, we will rebel against Him.’ R. Nehemiah said, They said, ‘If He provides our food the way a king does in his capital, so that the city lacks nothing, we shall worship Him, and if not, we shall rebel against Him.’ And rabbis say, They said, ‘If we reflect in our hearts and He knows what we are thinking, we shall serve Him, and if not, we shall rebel against Him.’

R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Levi: In their hearts they would reflect, and the Holy One would give them what they wanted. What verse of Scripture shows it? “And in their hearts they tested God, asking food for their soul” (Ps. 78:18). What then is written there? “And they ate and were most sated because He brought them what they craved” (Ps. 78:29).

III:XIII

“Remember [what the Amalekites did to you on your way out of Egypt, how they met you on the road] when you were faint and weary [and cut off your rear, which was lagging behind exhausted; they showed no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you peace from your enemies on every side, in the land which he is giving you to occupy as your patrimony, you shall not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven]” (Deut. 25:17-19): “faint:” from thirst. “and weary:” from the journey.

“they showed no fear of God:” R. Phineas in the name of R. Samuel bar Nahman, There is a tradition concerning the narrative that the seed of Esau will fall only by the hand of the sons of Rachel. “Surely the youngest of the flock shall drag them” (Jer. 49:20). Why does he refer to them as “the youngest of the flock”? Because they were the youngest of all the tribes. [Now we shall see the connection to the downfall of Esau=Amalek=Rome:] This one is called “a youth,” and that one is called “young.” This one is called “a youth:” “And he was a youth” (Gen. 37:2). And that one is called “young:” “Lo, I have made you the youngest among the nations” (Ob. 1:2). This one [Esaul grew up between two righteous/generous men and did not act like them, and that one [Joseph] grew up between two wicked/lawless men and did not act like them. Let this one come and fall by the hand of the other. This one showed concern for the honor owing to his master, and that one treated with disdain the honor owning to his master. Let this one come and fall by the hand of the other. In connection with this one it is written, “And he did not fear God” (Deut. 25:18), and in connection with that one it is written, “And I fear God” (Gen. 42:18). Let this one come and fall by the hand of that one.

III:XIV

“...When the Lord your God gives you peace from your enemies on every side, in the land which he is giving you to occupy as your patrimony, you shall not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven” (Deut. 25:17-19): R. Azariah, R. Judah bar Simon in the name of R. Judah bar Ilai: When the Israelites entered the Land, they were commanded in three matters: to appoint a king, to build the chosen house, “And they shall make me a sanctuary” (Ex. 25:8), and to wipe out the memory of Amalek.

III:XV

R. Joshua b. Levi in the name of R. Alexandri: One verse of Scripture says, “You will not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven” (Deut. 25:17-19), and another verse of Scripture says, “For I will surely wipe out the memory of Amalek” (Ex. 17:14). How can both verses be carried out? [Either Israel will do it or God will do it.] Before Amalek laid his hand on God’s throne [with reference to And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord is My banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord. The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (Ex. 17:15-16)], “You will not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekites.” Alter he had laid hands on God’s throne, For “I will surely wipe out the memory of Amalek” [God is victim of Amalek, as much as Israel is.] Now is it really possible for a mortal to lay hands on the throne of the Holy One, blessed be He? But because he was going to destroy Jerusalem, concerning which it is written, “At that time Jerusalem will be called the throne of the Lord” (Jer. 50:17), therefore: “For I will surely wipe out the memory of Amalek” (Ex. 17:14).

III:XVI

“[And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord is my banner,] saying, A hand upon the throne of the Lord. The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (Ex. 17:15-16): It was taught in the name of R. Ilai: The Holy One, blessed be He, took an oath: ‘By my right hand, by my right hand, by my throne, by my throne, if proselytes come from any of the nations of the world, I will accept them, but if they come from the seed of Amalek I will never accept them.’ And so was the case with David: “And David said to the youth who told him [that Saul and Jonathan had died], Where do you come from? And he said, I am the son of an Amalekite convert” (2 Sam. 1:13). Said R. Isaac, He was Doeg the Edomite. “And David said to him, Your blood be upon your own head” (2 Sam. 1:16). Said R. Isaac, What is written is, “your bloods,” meaning, he said to him, ‘You [Doeg] have shed much blood in Nob, city of the priests.’

“...from generation to generation” (Ex. 17:15-16): Said the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘From one generation to the next I am after him, for generations.’

R. Eliezer, R. Joshua, and R. Yose: R. Eliezer says, It was from the generation of Moses to the generation of Samuel [but not beyond that point]. R. Joshua says, It was from the generation of Samuel to the generation of Mordecai and Esther. R. Yose says, ‘It was from the generation of Mordecai and Esther to the generation of the Messiah-King, which is three generations.’ And how do we know that to the generation of the Messiah-King it is three generations? As it is written, “They will fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, a generation, generations” (Ps. 72:5). A generation — one, then generations — two, lo, three in all.

R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Abba bar Kahana: So long as the seed of Amalek endures in the world, it is as if a wing covers the face [of God]. When the seed of Amakk perishes from the world, Your teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your teacher (Is. 30:20).

R. Levi in the name of R. Huna bar Hanina: So long as the seed of Amalek endures in the world, the Name of God is not whole, and the throne is not whole. When the seed of Amalek perishes from the world, the Name of God is whole, and the throne is whole. What verse of Scripture indicates it? “The enemy have vanished in everlasting ruins, their cities you have rooted out, the very memory of them has perished” (Ps. 9:6). What is written immediately therefore: “But the Lord sits enthroned for ever, He has established His throne for judgment, [and He judges the world with righteousness/generosity, He judges the peoples with equity]” (Ps. 9:7-8).

Ketubim Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 136-137

Psalm 136

1.     Sing praise in the presence of the Lord, for He is good, for His goodness is forever.

2.     Sing praise to the God of gods, for His goodness is forever.

3.     Sing praise to the Lord of lords, for His goodness is forever.

4.     To Him who did great wonders by Himself, for His goodness is forever.

5.     To Him who made the heavens by insight, for His goodness is forever.

6.     To Him who made firm the earth on the waters, for His goodness is forever.

7.     To Him who made great lights, for His goodness is forever.

8.     The sun to rule by day, for His goodness is forever.

9.     The moon and stars to rule by night, for His goodness is forever.

10.  To Him who smites the Egyptians with plagues, killing the firstborn, for His goodness is forever.

11.  And brought out Israel redeemed from among them, for His goodness is forever.

12.  With a mighty hand and upraised arm, for His goodness is forever.

13.  To him who split the Sea of Reeds into pieces, for His goodness is forever.

14.  And made Israel cross over in the middle of it, for His goodness is forever.

15.  And choked Pharaoh and his forces in the Sea of Reeds, for His goodness is forever.

16.  To Him who led His people in the wilderness, for His goodness is forever.

17.  To Him who smites great kings, for His goodness is forever.

18.  And slew proud kings, for His goodness is forever.

19.  Namely, Sihon the Amorite king, for His goodness is forever.

20.  And Og, king of Mathnan, for His goodness is forever.

21.  And gave their land as an inheritance, for His goodness is forever.

22.  An inheritance to Israel His servant, for His goodness is forever.

23.  In our humiliation He remembered His covenant with us, for His goodness is forever.

24.  And redeemed us from our oppressors, for His goodness is forever.

25.  Who gives His food to all flesh, for His goodness is forever.

26.  Sing praise to the God of heaven, for His goodness is forever.

Psalm 137

1.     By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, also we wept, as we were remembering Zion.

2.     On the willows in her midst we hung our harps.

3.     For there the Babylonians who captured us asked us to utter the words of songs; and our despoilers,

because of [their] joy, were saying, “Sing for us some of the songs you used to utter in Zion.”

4.     At once the Levites cut off their thumbs with their teeth, and say, “How can we sing the praise of the

Lord on profane land?”

5.     The voice of the Holy Spirit replies and says, “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, I will forget my right

hand.”

6.     My tongue will cleave to my palate, if I will not remember you; if I will not elevate the memory of

Jerusalem above the principal joy of my temple.

7.     Said Michael, prince of Jerusalem, “Remember, O Lord, the people of Edom, who laid waste

Jerusalem, who say, ‘Destroy, destroy, to the foundations of it.’ ”

8.     Said Gabriel, prince of Zion to the despoiling Babylonian mother, “Happy he who gives back to you

evil for what you did to us.”

9.     Happy he who takes and smashes your children on a rock.

Ketubim Midrash Tehillim (Psalms) 136-137

Psalm 136

I. O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures for ever (Ps. 136:1). R. Joshua ben Levi taught: Give thanks unto the Lord who makes a man pay for his sins out of his property—a rich man pays with his ox; a poor man, with his lamb; an orphan, with his egg; a widow, with her hen.

R. Joshua ben Levi said further: With reference to whom is His mercy endures for ever repeated twenty-six times in this Psalm? With reference to the twenty-six generations which God created in His world, generations to which He did not give the Law, but which in His mercy He sustained. Why is this Psalm called “the Great Hallel”? R. Johanan explained: Because this Psalm says that the Holy One, blessed be He, sits in the highest heaven of the universe and apportions food to every creature.

Where does the Great Hallel begin? R. Judah said: It begins with O give thanks unto the Lord (Ps. 136:1) and goes up to By the rivers of Babylon (Ps. 137 :1). But R. Johanan maintained: It begins with A song of ascents and goes up to By the rivers of Babylon (Ps. 137:1). And R. Aba said: It begins with For the Lord has chosen Jacob unto Himself (Ps. 135:4) and goes up to By the rivers of Babylon (Ps. 137:1).

II. To Him who alone does great wonders (Ps. 136:4). Why alone? Is it conceivable that anyone else would be helping Him to do great wonders? Alone implies, however, that God alone knows what wonders He does. For example, a man is lying on his bed, and on the ground before him there is a snake. As the man is about to get up from his bed, the snake is startled away, yet the man has not the slightest knowledge of what wonders the Holy One, blessed be He, has just done for him. And who knows? The Holy One alone, blessed be He. Likewise the Psalmist says, Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts which are to us-ward. They cannot be reckoned up in order unto You (Ps. 40:6). That is to say, ‘I cannot reckon up the praise of You and am not competent to declare Thy wonderful works.’

III. R. Eleazar taught: Even the beneficiary of the miracle is not aware of the miracle done for him, for it is said Blessed be the Lord God ... who alone does wondrous things (Ps. 72:18).

As R. Joseph taught: In saying O Lord, I will praise You because You were angry with me (Isa. 12:1), of what is Scripture speaking? Of two men who were about to travel somewhere on business. But a thorn got into the foot of one of the men and kept him from traveling; whereupon he upbraided God and reproached Him. After a while, however, he heard that the ship of his companion had sunk in the sea; whereupon he praised God and lauded Him. Hence it is said O Lord, I will praise You because You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.

IV. To Him that stretched out the earth above the waters (Ps. 136:6). Our Masters taught: Three liquids—water, wine, and milk—can be declared forbidden by the law of Gilluy, the law forbidding the use of liquids that have been left uncovered. Whence do we know that water can be declared forbidden? Because it is said of water “To Him that stretched the earth above the waters.” Whence do we know that milk can be declared forbidden? Because it is said Jael ... opened a bottle of milk (Judg. 4:19). Whence do we know that wine can be declared forbidden? Because it is said Every bottle is filled with wine (Jer. 13:12).

V. It is taught that R. Jose said: Alas for the people that see and do not know what they see, that stand and do not know what they stand upon. The earth, what does it stand upon? Upon the pillars, as it is said God ... shakes the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble (Job 9:6). And the pillars? Upon the waters, for it is said To Him that stretched out the earth above the waters (Ps. 136:6). And the waters? Above the mountains, for it is said The waters stand above the mountains (Ps. 104:6). And the mountains? Above the wind, for it is said For, lo, He that forms the mountains, and creates the wind (Amos 4:13). And the wind? Above the storm, for it is said Wind and storm, fulfilling His word (Ps. 148:8). And the storm hangs above the arms of the Holy One, blessed be He, for it is said And underneath are the everlasting arms (Deut. 33:27) .

The Sages say that the earth stands upon twelve pillars, for it is said When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel (Deut. 32:8). Some say that the earth stands upon seven pillars, for, as it is said, Wisdom has built her house; She has hewn out her seven pillars (Prov. 9:1). But R. Eleazar ben Shammu’a maintains that the earth stands upon one pillar, whose name is the Righteous/Generous, for it is said But the Righteous/Generous is the foundation of the earth (Prov. 10:25).

VI. To Him that smote Egypt with their first-born (Ps. 136:10). As He let loose upon Egypt the plague of the first-born, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “At midnight, every first-born will die.” The first-born of Egypt came in and said to their fathers: “All things that Moses promised, he has brought upon us. And so, if you wish us to remain alive, go to and fetch forth the Hebrews out of our midst. For if you do not fetch them forth, we will die!” The fathers replied, saying: “Even if all the Egyptians should die, the Hebrews will not go hence.” What did the first-born do then? All the first-born went in to Pharaoh and cried out to Pharaoh, saying: “We beseech you, O Pharaoh! Fetch forth this people on whose account evil will come upon us and upon you also.” But Pharaoh said to his servants: “Go to, and beat these persons until they are humpbacked.” What did the first-born do then? They went out at once, and each one of them took his sword, and slew his father, for it is said To Him that smote Egypt with their first-born. Scripture does not say here, “To Him that smote the first-born of Egypt,” but says To Him that smote Egypt with their first-born. And the first-born of Egypt slew sixty myriads of their fathers.

R. Abin said in the name of R. Judah ben Pazzi: Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, was his first-born, but because of Moses’s prayer on her behalf she escaped death, as we know from the verse Her candle goes not out by night (bal-layil) (Prov. 31 :i8), the word night being spelled layil, as also in the verse It was a night (layil) of watching unto the Lord (Ex. 12:42).

VII. To Him who divided the Red Sea into parts (Ps. 136:13). At the Red Sea ten miracles were wrought for our fathers: (i) The waters of the Red Sea were pierced through and were made into a kind of tunnel, as is said You have pierced through for the sake of his tribes (Hab. 3:14). (2) The Red Sea was divided in two, as is said Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it (Ex. 14:16). (3) It was turned into dry land, as is said The children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea (Ex. 15:19). (4) It was changed into a kind of clay, as is said You have trodden the sea with your horses, the clay of mighty waters (Hab. 3:15). (5) The surface of the seaway was broken up, as is said You did break the sea in pieces by Your strength (Ps. 7413). (6) The waters were turned into rocks, as is said You did shatter the heads of the sea -monsters upon the waters (ibid.). (7) The waters were divided into separate paths, as is said To Him who divided the Red Sea into parts. (8) The waters were gathered together in masses, as is said And with the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together (Ex. 15:8). (9) The waters were forced upright into a sort of heap, as is said The floods stood upright as a heap (ibid.). (10) Out of the salt waters, God caused sweet water to gush for the children of Israel, as is said It gushed out like the rivers (Ps. 78:16). (11) The depths crystallized on both sides [of the children of Israel] and became a kind of glass, as is said The depths were congealed in the heart of the sea (Ex. 15:8).

VIII. To Him who divided the Red Sea into parts (Ps. 136:13), says the Psalm, and adds further on: To Him . . . who gives food to all flesh (ibid. 136:25). A mortal king, engaged in war, is unable to give food to his soldiers, nor to make other provision for them. Not so He by whose word the world came into being, for Scripture says The Lord is a man of war (Ex. 15:3), who made war against the Egyptians, and, Scripture adds, The Lord is His name, because at the same time He provided for and gave food to all His creatures. Hence the two verses To Him who divided the Red Sea, and To Him . . . who gives food to all flesh.

IX. R. Samuel bar Natimani taught: It is more difficult to give the necessities of life than to give redemption, for redemption may come by way of an angel, as Jacob said: The angel who has redeemed me from all evil (Gen. 48:16); but the necessities of life must come directly from God, as Jacob said: The God who fed me all my life long unto this day (ibid. 48:15).

R. Joshua of Siknin added: It is more difficult than the dividing of the Red Sea, since the Psalm says To Him who divided the Red Sea (Ps. 136:13), and then goes on To Him … who gives food to all flesh (ibid. 136:25).

X. It was taught in the School of Elijah: Once when I was traveling from one place to another, a man who had Scripture, but did not have Oral Law, came up to me. He said: “My master, there is a certain thing I want to say to you, but I am afraid that you will be angry with me.” I replied: “God’s mercy, no! Not if you ask me something about Scripture.” Whereupon the man said: “My master, why does Scripture say To Him who gives food to all [human] flesh (Ps. 136:25), and then say God ... gives to the beast his food (Ps. 147:9), [as though the giving were equally free]? Is it not true that a man has to get his food for himself?” I answered: “The way life goes, a man must work with his hands to provide for himself, and the Holy One, blessed be He, blesses the work of his hands, as it is said That the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands (Deut. 14:29). But lest it be thought that a man may sit in idleness, the verse ends with the phrase “which thou must do” (ibid.). He said to me: “This answer supports what I said first! And so it is acceptable to me.” Then I said to the man: “My son, I have more to say to you. Go out and look at a simpleton. With his wisdom gone, he is unable to get food for himself. Even so are the children of men: When their wisdom is gone from them, they are accounted as cattle, as wild animals, and as birds, and therefore it is clear that the Holy One, blessed be He, apportions food to all inhabitants of the earth.”

XI. To Him that smote great kings . . . and slew mighty kings Sihon king of the Amorites . . . and Og king of Bashan (Ps. 136:17). Concerning the verse Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks (Amos 2:9), our Masters taught: Sihon was as solid as a tower and its bastion. He was more solid than all creatures of flesh. And though he was taller than any tower, his feet were planted in the earth, so that no creature on earth was able to stand up against him. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? God bound up Sihon’s guardian angel, as is said I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath (ibid.), felled Sihon in his tracks, and thus handed him over to the children of Israel.

The Sages taught: Sihon and Og were stronger than Pharaoh and his hosts. And even as the children of Israel sang a song at the discomfiture of Pharaoh, they should have sung a song at the discomfiture of Sihon and Og. It was David, however, who came and sang a song concerning both discomfitures, as is said To Him that smote Egypt in their first-born . . . to Him that smote great kings . . . Sihon king of the Amorites . . . and Og king of Bashan (Ps. 136:10, 16, 19, 20).

XII. R. Simeon ben Lakish taught in the name of Bar Kappara: Og’s real name was Palit, for it is said And there came the Palit (Gen. 14:13). Why then is he called Og? Because he came and found Abraham busy preparing Passover cakes.

When Moses and the children of Israel came to the border of Edrei, Moses said: “Let us encamp here, and tomorrow at dawn we will breach Edrei and subdue it.” They got up at dawn when the eye can take in very little. Moses lifted up his eyes and saw Og sitting on the wall, with his feet reaching down to the earth. Moses said: “I know not what I see unless these people built another wall in the night!” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “Moses, what thou seest is Og.” According to R. Johanan, the length of Og’s feet was eighteen cubits. Og lifted up a mountain and tossed it at the children of Israel, and God said to Moses: “Moses, do not be afraid.” Then Moses picked up a pebble and pronounced the Ineffable Name over it and held the mountain off with the pebble. Meanwhile the children of Israel were saying: “Cursed be the hands that do such tossing!” and the Amorites were saying: “Cursed be the hands that do such holding off!”

Psalm 137

I. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion (Ps. 137:1). R. Judah said in the name of Rab: This Psalm proves that the Holy One, blessed be He, let David see the destruction of the First Temple, and also the destruction of the Second Temple—the destruction of the First Temple, for David says, By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion; the destruction of the Second Temple, for David says, Remember, O Lord, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem; who said:“Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof” (Ps. 137:7).

II. When Jeremiah drew near the river Euphrates, Nebuzaradan lifted up his voice and said to Jeremiah: If it seem good unto you to come with me into Babylon, come (Jer. 40:4). Jeremiah thought the behest over and said: If I go into Babylon with the children of Israel who are going there, those who are left behind in captivity will have no comforter. So Jeremiah withdrew from those who were going into Babylon. When the exiles looked and saw that Jeremiah was leaving them, they all moaned loudly, crying out: “Jeremiah our master, behold, you are abandoning us!” Thereupon the exiles wept, as it is said By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept. Jeremiah raised his voice, and said: “I call upon heaven and earth to witness that if you had wept but once while you were still in Zion, you would not now be going into exile.”

III. There we sat down, yea, we wept (Ps. 137:1). Why does Scripture say that it was There we sat down? To show that from the time the exiles went forth from Jerusalem until the time they came to the Euphrates, they had not been allowed to sit down. For the Babylonians had said: “The God of these people is merciful. If they show signs of wanting to please Him, He will turn to them and befriend them. If they do unite and turn, all of them, in repentance, calling upon their God, He will help them, and we shall not have availed at all.” Therefore the Babylonians pressed close upon the exiles, compelling them to hustle along, as is said To our very necks we are pursued; we labor, and have no rest (Lam. 5:5), and as is also said Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heaven (ibid. 4:19).

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept (Ps. 137:1). What made the children of Israel sit down and weep by the rivers of Babylon? R. Johanan explained: It was the Euphrates which slew more of the children of Israel than the wicked Nebuchadnezzar had slain. While the children of Israel were living in the Land of Israel, they drank only rain water, running water, or spring water. But when they were exiled to Babylon, they drank from the waters of the Euphrates, and many of them died. And so the exiles wept—wept for the dead whom their enemies had slain, wept for the dead who had perished in the way and whom the Babylonians had not permitted to be buried, and wept for the dead whom the Euphrates had slain. Nay, they had cause to weep even more! For Nebuchadnezzar was seated in a ship, he and all his nobles and all his princes, and they had with them all kinds of instruments to sing to, as is said the Chaldeans, in the ships of their singing (Isa. 43:14); and, at the same time, all the kings of Judah, who had been put into iron chains, were walking naked along the edge of the river. The wicked Nebuchadnezzar looked up and saw them. He said to his servants: “Why are such as these walking with their heads held high and without burdens? Have you no burdens to load upon their necks?” Instantly the servants brought scrolls of the Torah, shaped them into sacks, filled them with sand, and loaded them upon the shoulders of the kings of Judah until their heads were bowed down. Thereupon the kings of Judah said of themselves: To our very necks we are pursued (Lam. 5:5). And in that hour all Israel moaned loudly, until their cry came up to heaven.

R. Aba bar Abba taught: It was at this moment that the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to return the world to chaos and emptiness, for the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “All that I created, I created only for the sake of Israel.” In the verse I will also smite My hands together, and I will satisfy My fury (Ezek. 21:22), it is as though God were saying: The world I created, I created with My two hands alone, as is said “My hand has laid the foundation of the earth” (Isa. 48:13), and now I will return it to chaos.

R. Alpha bar Keruya taught: It was at this moment that all the ministering angels came into the presence of the Holy One, blessed be He, and said to Him: “Master of the universe! The universe, all of it, and all that is in it, is Yours. Is it not sad enough for You that You have already destroyed the Temple, Your dwelling-place on earth? Must You also destroy Your dwelling-place in heaven?” God replied: “Do I need your comforting? I know the beginning, and I know the end, as is said Even to your old age I am He (Isa. 46:4). Therefore said I, Look away from Me, I will weep bitterly; labor not to comfort Me (ibid. 22:4). The verse does not say as in usual discourse, “Comfort Me no more,” but says Labor not, employing an unusual verb, which signifies that God said to the ministering angels: “These words of comfort wherewith you would console Me are as blasphemies to Me. Go down out of My presence and lift the burden from the kings of Judah!” Instantly the ministering angels went down and lifted the burden from the kings of Judah. And not only the ministering angels, but the Holy One Himself, blessed be He, lifted the burden from the kings of Judah, for it is said For your sake I have reached out to Babylon (Isa. 43:14).

As all the children of Israel were going into exile, the people of Beri and the people of nearby provinces came out towards them and saw that they were naked. What did the people of Beri do? They unclothed their man servants and their maid servants and brought them as a gift to Nebuchadnezzar, saying: “Apparently you are a king who desires that people go naked?” Nebuchadnezzar said: “Go and clothe the children of Israel.” What was the reward of the people of Beri? The Holy One, blessed be He, spread more comeliness among them than among all the other people of the Land of Israel. They became the most comely of people. It is said that when a man comes among the people of Beri, he does not wish to leave without committing a sin of the body. What is meant by the word gam, “also,” in the sentence Also,

we wept? That the children of Israel, by their weeping, caused the Holy One, blessed be He, also to weep with them.

IV. By the rivers of Babylon . . . we hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song (Ps. 137:1-3). Nebuchadnezzar asked the children of Israel: “Why do you sit and weep?” and he called the tribe of Levi and said: “Get yourselves ready! I desire that while we are eating and drinking, you stand up and strike your harps before me as you used to strike them before your God.” The Levites looked at one another and said: “Is it not grievous enough for us that we brought about the destruction of His Temple? Must we now stand to strike up a song for the pleasure of this dwarf?”

V. R. Isaac bar Tabla used to say: What parable fits here? The parable of a king who had married a princess. He said to her: “Rise and serve me a cup.” But she was loath to serve him the cup, and the king became angry with her and put her out of his house. Thereupon she went and married a man who was stricken with boils. And he said to her: “Rise and serve me a cup.” She replied: “You good for nothing! I am a princess of royal blood, and I was married to a king. But when he said to me, ‘Serve me a cup,’ I would not serve it to him, and he became angry with me and put me out of his house. Had I been willing to serve him the cup, I would now be adding honor to the honor I already had. And you dare say to me: ‘Rise and serve me a cup!’”

So all the Levites stood up, and with great self-command put their thumbs into their mouths and mangled them. Note that when the Babylonians said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion,” the Levites did not reply, “We shall not sing” but, How shall we sing? (Ps. 137:4), and then showing their thumbs, said: “We were manacled, and our thumbs are crushed.”

And Scripture tells us that Ezra said: I gathered them together to the river that runs to Ahava. . . and I viewed the people and found there none of the sons of Levi (Ezra 8:15).

Actually, they were there; what Ezra meant was that they could not strike their harps. And how do we know they were there? Because these Levites, exiled from the Land, are spoken of as having returned, for we are told: The Levites . . . that were come out of the captivity into Jerusalem . . . who were ancient men that had seen the first house . . . wept with a loud voice (Ezra 3:8,12).

When Nebuchadnezzar found out what the Levites had done, he rose up and in slaughter of the children of Israel he heaped multitudes upon multitudes. Nevertheless, though many of them were slain, there was gladness among the Levites, because they had not sung for the pleasure of an alien god, as it is said For though they laid us on heaps, there was gladness (Ps. 137:3).

In that hour, the Holy One, blessed be He, swore to Israel: “You showed such self-command and mangled the fingers of your right hand, and I, too, [restraining Myself against the enemy], have had it said of Me He has withdrawn His right hand from before the enemy (Lam. 2:3). But My right hand is not wholly withdrawn: I shall remember you, as it is said If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let My right hand forget her cunning (Ps. 137:5).”

VI. It is taught: If a man covers his house with plaster, he must leave a small space uncovered as a mourning reminder of Jerusalem. If a man prepares all that goes with a feast, he must leave out some small thing as a reminder of Jerusalem. If a woman is adorning herself, she must leave off some small thing as a reminder of Jerusalem, for it is said If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning (Ps. I37:5).

After the Temple was destroyed, the number of ascetics increased in Israel; they ate no meat and drank no wine. R. Joshua met with them and said: “My children, why do you not eat meat, and why do you not drink wine?” They replied: “How can we eat meat, seeing that it would have been offered daily as a sacrifice upon the altar which no longer stands? How can we drink wine, seeing that it would have been poured daily as a libation upon the altar which no longer stands?” Thereupon R. Joshua answered: “According to you, then, we ought not eat figs or grapes because the first fruits of these would have been brought as an offering; and we ought not eat bread because two loaves of it would have been brought as an offering, and on every Sabbath showbread would have been brought; and we ought not drink water because libations of it would have been poured as offerings on the Feast of Tabernacles.” The ascetics were silent, and R. Joshua went on: “To mourn not at all is impossible. To mourn too much is also impossible.” Thus it was the opinion of R. Joshua that a prohibition ought not be imposed unless the majority of the community is capable of enduring it. What verses may be cited in support of R. Joshua? According to R. Adda bar Ahaba, these: You say: “Wherein have we robbed Thee?” In tithes and heave- offerings. Though you are bound by a solemn oath, yet you rob Me, even this whole nation (Mal. 3:8-9). The words even this whole nation show that only if the whole nation accepts a prohibition, does it stand; otherwise, it does not.

In accordance with this opinion, the Sages taught: If a man is covering his house with plaster, he must leave a small space uncovered. How much of a space? R. Joseph said: The square of a cubit. R. Hisda said: The uncovered space should be conspicuously adjacent to the entrance of the house. And if a man is preparing all that goes with a feast, he must leave out some small thing. What should it be? R. Papa said: It should be a relish of fish-cakes. And if a woman is adorning herself, she must omit some small thing. And what should it be? Rab said: She should omit the removal of hair from her temples. Hence it is said If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I set not Jerusalem upon my chiefest joy (Ps. 137:6). What is implied by the words upon my chiefest joy? They imply that ashes are to be set upon a bridegroom’s head.

R. Papa asked Abaye: Upon what part of the head should the ashes be put? Abaye replied: Where the Tefillin is put, for it is said To bring good tidings . . . to them that mourn in Zion, to put a garland upon them instead of ashes (Isa. 61:3).

VII. R. Dosa taught: The verse If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let My right hand forget her cunning (Ps. 137:5) means that if Jerusalem is forgotten, never again will miracles be performed. R. Ze’era taught in the name of R. Simeon ben Levi: You find that when the nations came into Jerusalem because of Israel’s sins, they seized the mighty men of Israel and bound their hands behind their backs. And so the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I will be with him in trouble (Ps. 91:15), as if to say, “When My children are seized by trouble, can I just look on?” Thereupon, if one dare speak thus, God put His right hand behind His back in the presence of the enemy (Lam. 2:3). But at the end God will again make His right hand visible, for He said to Daniel: Go you your way till the end be (Dan. 12:13). Daniel asked: “To give an account of myself?” God said: “You will rest” (ibid.). Daniel asked: “Rest for ever” God said: “You will arise” (ibid.). Daniel asked: “Master of the universe, with whom? With the righteous/generous or with the wicked/lawless?” God said: “In your lot (ibid.), with righteous/generous men like yourself.” Daniel asked: “When?” God said: “At the end of yamin (ibid.) .“ Daniel asked: “At the end of yamim, ‘days,’ or at the end of yamin, ‘the right hand’?” God said: “At the end of My right hand’s being bound behind My back.” By this the Holy One, blessed be He, meant to tell Daniel: “I have set an end to the time that My right hand will be bound. As long as My children are bound in slavery, My right hand will be bound with them. When I deliver My children, I will deliver My right hand.”

David had this in mind when he said: That Your beloved may be delivered, save for Your right hand’s sake, and answer me (Ps. 60:7)—that is, “Master of the universe, save Israel for the sake of Your beloved, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But as long as Israel have no merit, save them for Your right hand’s sake, and answer me!” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: I will save them, as it is said The Lord has made visible His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God (Isa. 52:10), and also His right hand, and His holy arm has gotten Him the victory (Ps. 98:1).

VIII. Remember, O Lord, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem (Ps. 137:7). The children of Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He: “Master of the universe! You did tell us Remember (Deut. 25:17). But of us—forgetfulness is to be expected of us. Do You remember since there can be no forgetfulness before the throne of Your glory.”

The children of Edom . . . said: ‘Aru, ‘aru, even to the foundation thereof. R. Abba bar Kahana took ‘Aru, aru’ to mean: “Raze it, raze it,” as in the verse The broad walls of Babylon will be razed (‘ar’er)” (Jer. 51:58). But R. Levi said: ‘Aru, ‘aru means, “Empty it, empty it,” as in the verse And she hastened and emptied (tè’ar) her pitcher into the trough (Gen. 24:20).

IX. Remember, OLord, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem (Ps. 137:7). When will this day be? When the foundations of Edom are rooted up, who said: Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof.

X. R. Eliezer was asked: “Are the later generations more worthy than the early generations?” He replied: What befell the Temple shrine because of your conduct gives the answer. Your forefathers brought it about that the Temple roof was broken away, as is said And the covering of Judah was laid bare (Isa. 22:8). But we, we brought it about that the very walls were razed, as is said ‘Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof.” Thus you learn that when a generation in whose days the Temple is not rebuilt goes by, it is reckoned against the generation as if it had destroyed the Temple. Why is it reckoned so? Because the generation did not repent.

XI. R. Leoni inquired of R. Jonah: It is understandable that a priest’s daughter who marries an Israelite [commoner] [and has a child by him] is not permitted [even if her husband dies] to eat Tèrumah again. But an Israelite’s daughter who marries a priest [and has a child by him] is entitled [even after her husband’s death] to eat Tèrumah. The question is: [If she re-marry, an Israelite this time, have a child by him, and then be widowed again] should she not be permitted to resume the eating of Térumah? No, R. Jonah replied, for R. Ze’era and R. Anan taught in the name of Rab: What is the full implication of the phrase A priest’s daughter (Lev. 22:12)? It means that she continues with the priestly way of life. Hence when Scripture speaks of the daughter of Babylon (Ps. 137:8), does the phrase mean that Edom was actually the daughter of Babylon? No; it means that Edom continued doing the very things Babylon had done.

Ashlamatah: I Samuel 15:1-34

1 And Samuel said unto Saul: 'The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over His people, over Israel; now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. {S}

2 Thus says the LORD of hosts: I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt.

3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.' {S}

4 And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.

6 And Saul said unto the Kenites: 'Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt.' So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7 And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, that is in front of Egypt.

8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, even the young of the second birth, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but every thing that was of no account and feeble, that they destroyed utterly. {P}

10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying:

11 'It repents Me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.' And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying: 'Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he is setting him up a monument, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.'

13 And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him: 'Blessed be you of the LORD; I have performed the commandment of the LORD.'

14 And Samuel said: 'What means then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?'

15 And Saul said: 'They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.' {P}

16 Then Samuel said unto Saul: 'Stay, and I will tell you what the LORD has said to me this night.' And he said unto him: 'Say on.' {S}

17 And Samuel said: 'Though you be little in your own sight, art you not head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed you king over Israel;

18 and the LORD sent you on a journey, and said: Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

19 Wherefore then did you not hearken to the voice of the LORD, but did fly upon the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD?' {S}

20 And Saul said unto Samuel: 'Yes, I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto the LORD your God in Gilgal.' {S}

22 And Samuel said: 'Has the LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearkening to the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.' {S}

24 And Saul said unto Samuel: 'I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and your words; because I feared the people, and hearkened to their voice.

25 Now therefore, I pray, pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.'

26 And Samuel said unto Saul: 'I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.' {S}

27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it rent. {S}

28 And Samuel said unto him: 'The LORD has rent the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, that is better than you. {S}

29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent.'

30 Then he said: 'I have sinned; yet honor me now, I pray, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.'

31 So Samuel returned after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD. {S}

32 Then said Samuel: 'Bring hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.' And Agag came unto him in chains. And Agag said: 'Surely the bitterness of death is at hand.' {S}

33 And Samuel said: As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. {S}

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeath-shaul.

35 And Samuel never beheld Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul; and the LORD repented that He had made Saul king over Israel. {P}

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 13:47-58

47. ¶ “Once again, the kingdom (government) of the heavens is like a dragnet thrown into the sea and caught all kinds of fish.
48. When it was full, they dragged it up on the shore. Having sat down they gleaned the good fish into baskets, and the bad ones they threw out.
49. This is how it will be at the conclusion of the age. The messengers will go forth and separate the wicked/lawless from the righteous/generous and will (Daniel 3:6) ‘throw them into the midst of a furnace of burning fire.’ There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
50. “Have you related to all these things?” Yeshuah asked. “Yes,” they replied.
51. He said to them, "On account of this, every Sopher (scribe) who has become a Talmid (Disciple) to the kingdom (government) of the heavens is like a man who is a father of children, who brings forth out of his treasure new things and old."
52. When Yeshuah finished speaking these parables, he crossed Yam Kineret from the northwest shore near Ginnosar to the north shore.

53. ¶ Coming to his hometown K’far Nakhum, he and his brothers and his Talmidim, and he was teaching the local synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where does this one get his logic and charisma?” they asked.
54. “Isn't he the son of a blacksmith? Isn't his mother Miriam, and aren't his brothers Ya’aqov ben David, Yoseph ben David, Shimon ben David and Yehudah ben David?
55. Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did he become acquainted with all of this logic?”
56. Yeshuah replied and said to them, “The Navi (prophet) is not slighted (spoken evil of) except in his home-town and in his own house.”
57. Therefore he did not do many great deeds there.

The Rabbi’s Private Prophetic Study

In Soferim, XVI, 10 we read:

“Rabbi Joshua b. Levi said: I have never looked into a book of aggadda except once when I looked and found written therein that the one hundred and seventy-five sections of the Torah, in which occurs any expression of speaking, saying or commanding, correspond to the number of years of our father Avraham (175 years – Genesis 25:7); for it is written, “Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts (i.e. Torah at Mt. Sinai) for the sake of man (i.e. Avraham),” and it is also written: “The greatest man (i.e. Avraham) among the Anakim” (Joshua 14:15). On this account the Rabbis instituted one hundred and seventy-five orders (Sedarim) in the Torah to be read in public every Sabbath as regular as the continual burnt-offering.”

Now elsewhere ( http://www.betemunah.org/shmita.html ) I have taught:

Concerning the difference in the citations and counting of Sedarim in the Torah of between 154 Sedarim in the Torah Scroll to the 175 Sedarim cited in Soferim, XVI, 8, that is, the difference between these two numbers amounting to around 21 Sedarim, may have an easy explanation. Here is the cited passage:

Megillah 3:4. IF THE NEW MOON OF ADAR FALLS ON SABBATH, THE PORTION OF SHEKALIM IS READ [ON THAT DAY]. IF IT FALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK, IT IS READ ON THE SABBATH BEFORE, AND ON THE NEXT SABBATH THERE IS A BREAK. ON THE SECOND [OF THE SPECIAL SABBATHS] ZAKOR IS READ, ON THE THIRD THE PORTION OF THE RED HEIFER, ON THE FOURTH THIS MONTH SHALL BE TO YOU.’ ON THE FIFTH THE REGULAR ORDER IS RESUMED. [THE REGULAR READING] IS INTERRUPTED FOR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION: FOR NEW MOONS, FOR HANUKKAH, FOR PURIM, FOR FASTS, FOR MA'AMADOTH, AND FOR THE DAY OF ATONEMENT.

If to the 154 Sedarim we add the special festival Sedarim that displace the regular Sedarim when these fall on a Sabbath, that would give us on a 3 and half year cycle, about 6 Sabbaths per year reserved for festivals, and new moons. (under the category of festivals we also should include special Sabbaths such as Shabbat Shekalim and Shabbat Parah amongst others, as well as Shabbats that are Hol HaMoed, intermediate Sabbaths of a Festival). That is,  six special Sabbaths times three years plus three special Sabbaths of a half year, this brings us to the mysterious 21 Sedarim that when added to the regular 154 Sedarim produces 175 Sedarim mentioned in the text of Soferim. Thus, in our view the difference in numbers of Sedarim can be perfectly reconciled.

However, though this explanation seems elegant and simple a first sight, yet, reality does not conform to such simple explanations. Take for example the following readings:

New moon falling on a Sabbath:    

Numbers 28:9-15 = 7 verses

Shabbat Shekalim:                          

Exodus 30:11-16 = 6 verses

Shabbat Zakhor:                              

Deut. 25:17-19 = 3 verses

Shabbat Parah:                                

Numbers 19:1-22 = 22 verses

Shabbat HaChodesh:                      

Exodus 12:1-20 = 20 verses

Shabbat Hagadol                             

None

As can be seen, it would be an extremely clumsy arrangement to have three verses as in the case of Shabbat Zakhor to be read by the seven readers for that Shabbat and then again by the Maftir. This would mean that these three verses would have been read repeatedly for eight times!

Some Triennial Cycle proponents side with the interpretation that the Rabbis defending the use of the annual cycle make of:

Mishnah Megillah 3:4 IF THE NEW MOON OF ADAR FALLS ON SABBATH, THE PORTION OF SHEKALIM IS READ [ON THAT DAY]. IF IT FALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK, IT IS READ ON THE SABBATH BEFORE, AND ON THE NEXT SABBATH THERE IS A BREAK. ON THE SECOND [OF THE SPECIAL SABBATHS] ZAKOR IS READ, ON THE THIRD THE PORTION OF THE RED HEIFER, ON THE FOURTH THIS MONTH SHALL BE TO YOU.’ ON THE FIFTH THE REGULAR ORDER IS RESUMED. [THE REGULAR READING] IS INTERRUPTED FOR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION: FOR NEW MOONS, FOR HANUKKAH, FOR PURIM, FOR FASTS, FOR MA'AMADOTH, AND FOR THE DAY OF ATONEMENT.

When the ma’amadoth fall on Monday or on Thursday, they do not read from the weekly Torah passage, but rather a passage related to the day

On the ma'amadot - the ma'amadot assemblies of Israel, in which they would gather for prayer and Torah reading, when the public sacrifices were offered, they would read - in the creation - as listed in Tractate Taanit (4:2-3).

Dealing with the readings for the four special Shabbats in Adar, as “additional” prescribed readings, normally said by the Maftir. According to this scheme then, the 21 missing Sedarim must be found in the 21 Sedarim of the normal weekly cycle that consist of 42 or more verses and can therefore admit each being split into two Sedarim as Mann shows.  

Buchler, on the contrary opines that the reading of the annual cycle proponents of Megillah 3:4 is incorrect, and he further states that in Talmud:

Megillah 29b The following was then cited in objection: ‘If it [the New Moon of Adar] falls on the portion next to it [the portion of Shekalim], whether before or after, they read it and repeat it’. Now this creates no difficulty for one who holds that ‘When thou takest’ is read because [the regular portion containing this passage] falls about that time. But according to the one who says that ‘My food which is presented to ‘me’ is read — does [the portion containing that passage] fall about that time? — Yes, for the people of Palestine, who complete the reading of the Pentateuch in three years.

[In this passage] one of the Rabbis remarks that in Palestine, Numbers 28 in the ordinary course of the Sabbath Sedarim fell on Shabbat Shekalim, i.e. the first of Adar. On this account the Torah Seder for Rosh Chodesh falling on Shabbat was not as the annual cycle proponents have it, as consisting of Numbers 28:9-15 (= 7 verses), but rather of Numbers 27:15 – 28:25. It appears then, that the readings for new moon falling on a Sabbath, according to Megillah 3:4 needs to contain numbers 28:9-15 but not limited to these verses alone! Rather that the whole Torah Seder in which these verses were found was read in toto – i.e. Numbers 27:15 – 28:25!

Now, according to this, for Shabbat Shekalim the Torah Seder containing the prescribed verses by the Mishnah (Exodus 30:11-16) is in fact Exodus 30:1-38 (38 verses); for Shabbat Zakhor the Torah Seder containing the prescribed verses by the Mishna (Deut. 25:17-19) is in fact the Torah Seder of Deuteronomy 24:19 – 25:19 (= 23 verses); for Shabbat Parah the Torah Seder containing the prescribed verses (Numbers 19:1-22 ) is Numbers 19:1 – 20:13 (= 35 verses); and so on. In other words, the Mishna is not telling us exactly what to read, but rather that we should read the whole Torah Seder in which these prescribed verses appear. If we then follow this scheme as suggested by Buchler, then the model that we started with, i.e. that 21 missing Sedarim are to be accounted by the formula: 6 x 3 + 3 =21, is not only practicable but elegant and parsimonious at the same time. 

This week we find vindication for my words. In the Midrash of Pesiqta de Rab Kahana (A Midrashic commentary for the Torah and Ashlamatah readings for the festival and special days), in Pisqa Three, which I have scanned above, the Midrash treats not only the passage of Deut. 25:17-19, but also passages within the Torah Seder of Deut. 24:19 – 25:19! [I have enclosed these comments above in Pisqa Three within a square box]. In other words on the special Sabbath called “Shabbat Zakhor” the whole Torah Seder in which we find Deut. 25:17-19 – i.e. Deut. 24:19 – 25:19 – is fully read.

On another tack, I have heard some say that the name “Amalek” means “No King” – i.e. “No G-d,” and therefore all atheists and atheistic governments are considered under the “Amalek” banner. This is not exactly correct!

“Amalek” does not mean “No G-d,” but rather “No G-d of Israel” and by implication “No Laws as Israel has received them, whether written or oral”! There are plenty of Amalekites that believe in God, but not the G-d of Israel, and His laws as received by the Jewish nation.

Therefore, anyone not fully accepting the G-d of Israel and His Laws as received by Israel, whether in writing or orally, is either an Amalekite or a potential Amalekite. And therefore it is written:

“Remember what the Amalekites did to you on your way out of Egypt, how they met you on the road when you were faint and weary and cut off your rear, which was lagging behind exhausted; they showed no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you peace from your enemies on every side, in the land which he is giving you to occupy as your patrimony, you will not fail to blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven” (Deut. 25:17-19).

And how shall we “blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven”? By teaching them the Torah as Israel has received it whether written or oral, as the Master taught (Matityahu 13:49): “The messengers will go forth and separate the wicked/lawless from the righteous/generous [by means of the Torah that Israel has received whether Written or Oral]”!

The special Shabbat Zakhor finds of course its grand illustration on the semi-festival of Purim where we find Haman as an incarnation of the old Amalek. And today this evil person/people are still very much with us today.

It is interesting to note that in relation to this, some rabbis note that a full lunar eclipse will take place hours after the Purim holiday begins on the evening of March 3, reaching its climax in the Middle East just after midnight. The eclipse is especially unique in that scientists say it will be at least partially visible from every continent on earth. It is also occurring on the very day that marks Israel's deliverance from ancient Persia's nefarious plans to wipe out all of the Jews living in Queen Esther's day. With modern Persian leaders issuing the exact same vows today, some rabbis see the celestial event as a divine sign that the God of Israel intends once again to eclipse the contemporary annihilation plot emanating from Iran. If so, King David's modern kin can repeat his ancient words of praise, uttered in the midst of turmoil: "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me. You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me" (Psalm 138:7), amen ve amen!

Shalom Shabbat and happy Purim!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai