Esnoga Bet Emunah

7104 Inlay St. SE, Lacey, WA 98513

Telephone: 360-584-9352 - United States of America © 2008

E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com

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

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings	Fourth Year of the Reading Cycle
Ellul 27, 5768 – September 26/27, 2008	Seventh Year of the Shmita Cycle

Shabbat Nahamu VII

7^th of 7 Shabbatot (Sabbaths) of Consolation

Shabbat Simchat Torah

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times:

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. San Antonio, Texas, U.S.

Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 7:10 PM Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 7:07 PM

Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 8:04 PM Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 7:59 PM

Baton Rouge & Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S. Sheboygan & Manitowoc, Wisconsin US

Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 6:38 PM Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at: 6:23 PM

Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 - Havdalah 7:30 PM Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah at: 7:21 PM

Bowling Green & Murray , Kentucky, U.S. Brisbane, Australia

Friday, Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 6:18 PM Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 5:28 PM

Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 7:13 PM Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 6:21 PM

Miami, Florida, US Jakarta, Indonesia

Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at: 6:54 PM Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 5:30 PM

Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah at: 7:45 PM Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 6:19 PM

New London, Connecticut USA Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 6:07 PM Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 6:49 PM

Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 7:04 PM Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 7:38 PM

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S Manila & Cebu, Philippines

Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 7:03 PM Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 5:31 PM

Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 7:57 PM Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 6:20 PM

Olympia, Washington, U.S. Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 6:43 PM Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 6:03 PM

Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 7:44 PM Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 6:59 PM

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA Singapore, Singapore

Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at: 6:33 PM Friday Sept. 26, 2008 – Candles at 6:41 PM

Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah at: 7:29 PM Saturday Sept. 27, 2008 – Havdalah 7:29 PM

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

Coming Special Days:

Rosh HaShanah – New Year – Feast of Trumpets

Monday/Wednesday September the 29^th – 1^st October, 2008

For further study see:

http://www.betemunah.org/teruah.html; http://www.betemunah.org/shofar.html;

& http://www.betemunah.org/knowday.html

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה
“V’Zot HaB’rakha”	Reader 1 – D’barim 33:1-7	Reader 1 – B’resheet 1:1-5
“And this is the blessing”	Reader 2 – D’barim 33:8-12	Reader 2 – B’resheet 1:6-8
“Y ésta es la bendición”	Reader 3 – D’barim 33:13-17	Reader 3 – B’resheet 1:1-8
D’barim (Deut.) 33:1 – 34:12 & (B’resheet) Gen. 1:1-5	Reader 4 – D’barim 33:18-21
Ashlamatah: Joshua 1:1-9	Reader 5 – D’barim 33:22-29
Special: Isaiah 41:10 – 43:9	Reader 6 – D’barim 34:1-6	Reader 1 – B’resheet 1:1-5
Psalms 146-147	Reader 7 – D’barim 34:7-12	Reader 2 – B’resheet 1:6-8
N.C.: Matityahu 28:11-15	Maftir: B’Resheet 1:1-5	Reader 3 – B’resheet 1:1-8
Pirqe Abot: II:5

Roll of Honor:

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of:

His Honor Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and

beloved wife HH Giberet Batsehva bat Sarah,

His Honor Paqid Adon Mikha ben Hillel

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham,

Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah and

beloved family,

His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann and

beloved family,

His Excellency Adon John Batchelor and

beloved wife,

His Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and

beloved wife HE 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 and allied topics.

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Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan

for: D’barim (Deut.) 33:1 - 34:12

RASHI	TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN
1. And this is the blessing that Moshe, the man of G-d, blessed B’ne Yisrael before his death.	1. AND this is the order of the Benedictions wherewith Mosheh the Prophet blessed the children of Israel before he died. And he said: [JERUSALEM. This is the Benediction wherewith Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the children of Israel before be should be gathered, and he said:]
2. He said: "Ad-noy came from Sinai, radiated forth to them from Seir, appeared from Mount Paran He came with part of the sacred myriads; from His right [hand]---the flaming Torah Law.	2. The Lord was revealed at Sinai to give the Law unto His people of Beth Israel, and the splendor of the glory of His Shekinah arose from Gebal to give itself to the sons of Esau: but they received it not. It shined forth in majesty and glory from mount Pharan, to give itself to the sons of Ishmael; but they received it not. It returned and revealed itself in holiness unto His people of Beth Israel, and with Him ten thousand times ten thousand holy angels. He wrote with His own right hand, and gave them His Law and His commandments, out of the flaming fire. [JERUSALEM. The Lord was revealed from Sinai to give the Law unto His people of Beth Israel. He arose in His glory upon the mountain of Seir to give the law to the sons of Esau; but after they found that it was written therein, You will do no murder, they would not receive it. He revealed Himself in His glory oil the mountain of Gebala, to give the Law to the sons of Ishmael; but when they found that it was written therein, You will not be thieves, they would not receive it. Again did He reveal Himself upon Mount Sinai, and with Him ten thousands of holy angels; and the children of Israel said, All that the Word of the Lord has spoken will we perform and obey. And He stretched forth His hand from the midst of the flaming fire, and gave the Law to His people.]
3. He also cherished the nations--- all of their sacred ones are in Your keeping; for they were gathered in at Your feet and accepted the burden of Your Word.	3. And whatever has befallen to the nations (has been done) because He loved His people of Beth Israel, and all of them He hath called to be saints, to stand in the place of His sanctuary. And when they observed the precepts of the Law, they were conducted at the foot of Your glorious Cloud, they rested and encamped according to the dictate of the Word. [JER. Is it not all manifest and known before Him, that neither the sons of Esau nor of Ishmael would receive the law? Nevertheless, because He loved His people of Beth Israel as myriads of the holy angels, though He brought upon them many corrections, they rested not, nor desisted from the doctrine of the Law; and, behold, they were conducted and brought on at the foot of His Cloud, and went forward and encamped according to His Word.]
4. The Torah which Moshe commanded us, is the heritage of the congregation of Ya’aqob.	4. The sons of Israel said, Mosheh commanded us the Law, and gave it for an heritage to the tribes of Jaqob. [JER. The sons of Israel said, Mosheh commanded us the Law: he gave it for an inheritance and possession to the congregation of the house of Jaqob.]
5. There was a king in Yeshurun, at the gathering of the counting. the tribes of Yisrael together.	5. And he was king in Israel: when the chiefs of the people were gathered together, the tribes of Israel were obedient to him. [JER. And a king will arise from the house of Jaqob, when the heads of the people are gathered together: unto Him will the tribes of Israel be obedient.]
6. May Reuven live and let him not die, and may his constituency be counted.	6. Let Reuben live in this world, nor die the second death which the wicked/lawless die in the world to come; and let his youths be numbered with the young men of his brethren of Beth Israel. [JER. Let Reuben live in this world, nor die the second death which the wicked/lawless the in the world to come; and let his youths be with the men in number.]
7. Now this for Yehudah and he said, "Ad-noy, hear the voice of Yehudah, and bring him to his people; May his hands fight his battles and may You provide assistance against his enemies."	7. And this is the benediction of the tribe of Jehudah, conjoined with the portion and benediction of his brother Shimeon; and thus he spoke: Receive, O Lord, the prayer of Jehudah when he goes forth unto war, and bring You him back from war unto his people in peace. Let his hand take vengeance on his enemies, and be You his help and support against his foes. [JER. And this is the benediction with which Mosheh the prophet blessed the tribe of Jehudah, and he said: May the Word of the Lord hearken to the prayer of Jehudah, and bring him back to his people from battle. May his hand avenge him upon his enemies, and be You a help and a support against his foes.]
8. And regarding Levi he said, "Your Tumim and Your Urim to Your pious man; whom You tried with tests, You brought him strife at the waters of Meribah.	8. And Mosheh the prophet blessed the tribe of Levi and said, With Perfections and Lights have You robed Aharon, the man whom You did find devout before You, whom You did try in the temptation, and he was sincere, and did prove at the Contention Waters in Rekem, and he was found faithful. [JER. And Mosheh the prophet blessed the tribe of Levi, and said: With the Urim and Tumim have You clothed Aharon the saint, whom You did try, and he was steadfast in the temptation, and whom You did prove at the Waters of Contention in Rekem, and he was found faithful.]
9. He who said of his father and his mother, 'I did not see them,' and his brothers he did not recognize and his sons he did not know; for they observed Your command and kept Your covenant.	9. The tribe of Levi go forth to the service of the tabernacle, and separate themselves from their dwellings, saying of their fathers and mothers, I have not regarded them and of their brethren, Since we were of thirty years we have not known them or their children, for that they abide twenty years in their charge according to Your Word, and keep the service of the holy covenant. [JER. For of the tribe of Levi it may be said, He respected not the face of his own father and mother in the judgment of Tamar, and knew not his brother in the matter of the (golden) calf, nor towards his own children was he moved with mercy, in the work of Zimri; for they have kept the word of Your mouth, and have been ready (to fulfil) the decree of Your Law.
10. They shall teach Your law to Yaakov and Your Torah to Yisrael; let them place incense before You and totally consumed offerings on Your altar;	10. Apt are they in teaching the orders of Thy judgments to them of Beth Jaqob, and Your Law to them of Beth Israel. Their brethren the priests put incense on the censers to restrain the plague in the day of Your wrath, and offer up the burnt sacrifice with acceptance at Your altar. [JER. Apt are they to teach the orders of Your judgments to them of Beth Jaqob, and the decree of Your Law to the congregation of the tribes of Israel. They put the goodly aromatic incense (on the censer) to restrain Your anger, and offer the perfect sacrifice with acceptance at Your altar.
11. Ad-noy, bless his wealth and accept his handiwork; shatter his adversaries at the loins and his enemies, so that they may not arise."	11. Bless Lord, the sacrifice of the house of Levi, who give the tenth of the tenth; and the oblation of the hand of Elijah the priest, which he will offer on Mount Karmel, receive You with acceptance: break the lons of Achab his enemy, and the neck of the false prophets who rise up against him, that the enemies of Jochanan the high priest may not have a foot to stand. [JER. Bless, Lord, the substance of the tribe of Levi, and receive with favor the oblation of his hand; break You the loins of his enemies, that his adversaries may fall, and rise no more.]
12. Regarding Binyamin he said, "Ad-noy's friend, let him live secure with Him; He hovers protectively over him throughout the day, and He resides between his shoulders."	12. Mosheh the prophet blessed the tribe of Benjamin, and said: The beloved of the Lord will abide in safety with Him, He will protect him all the days, and His Shekinah will dwell within his borders. [JER. Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Benjamin, and said: The beloved of the Lord will abide with confidence by Him, He will protect him all the days, and within his borders will dwell the glory of the Shekinah of the Lord.]
13. And regarding Yosef he said, "Blessed by Ad-noy is his land; with the delight of heaven, from dew, and the deep waters that lie below.	13. And Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Joseph, and said: The land of Joseph will be blessed from before the Lord. From the bounty of the heavens will it have goodly fruit, from the dew and the rain that come down from above, and from the bounty of the founts of the deep which rise up and flow and with good fruitage to water the herbage from beneath, [JER. And Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Joseph, and said: Blessed be the laud of Joseph, before the Lord, with the blessing of the dew and the rain that come down from the heavens above, with the blessings of the fountains of the deep which well up from the earth beneath.]
14. With the delight of the sun's harvest; and with the delight of the moon's ripening.	14. age and produce that the earth makes perfect by the aid (bringing out) of the sun, and with the bounty of the first-fruits of the trees which the ground yields in the beginning of month after month, [JER. Bounteous produce will it yield from the good provision of the sun; and will ripen its first fruits at the beginning of month and month.]
15. With the first fruits of the early mountains and from the sweetness of the perennial hills.	15. and with the good through the birthright ordainedness of the mountain tops, him at the beginning by the benediction of the fathers who resemble the mountains, and with the goodness of the hills whose produce fails not, which was given him in heritage by the benedictions of the mothers of old, [JER. It aboundeth in fruitfulness for the righteousness sake of Abraham, Izhak, and Jakob, the holy fathers who are like the mountains, and for the merit of Sarah, Revekah, Rahel, and Leah, the four mothers who are like the hills.]
16. And from the sweetness of earth and its fullness, and the favor of the One who resides in the thorn-bush; let this be visited upon Yosef's head, and upon the head of the one set apart from his brothers.	16. Who resemble the hills; and with the goodness of the excellent fruits of the earth and its fullness and the favor towards him of Elohim who revealed Himself to Mosheh at the bush in the glory of His Shekinah: let all these blessings be combined, and be made a diadem of grandeur for the head of Joseph, and for the brow of the man who was chief and ruler in the land of Mizraim, and was the glory and honor of his brethren. [JER. It bringeth forth richly from the excellence of the earth and its fulness, and by the good will of Him who caused the glory of His Shekinah to dwell in the bush. Let all these blessings come and be a crown upon the head of Joseph, and upon the brow of the man who ruled in the land of Mizraim, and was the brightness of his brothers glory.]
17. His firstborn ox, glory to him, and re'em's horns are his horns, with which he will gore together peoples to the ends of the earth; and they are Ephraim's myriads, and they are Menasheh's thousands."	17. The birthright had belonged to Reuben, but was taken from him and given to Joseph at the beginning; from thence comes the splendor of his glory and praise. For as it may not be that a man should work the ground with the firstling of his herd, so are not the children of Joseph to be reduced to servitude among the kingdoms; and as the reem pushes with his horns the beasts of the wilderness, so will the sons of Joseph predominate together among the peoples in all the ends of the earth. Myriads will be slain in Gulgela by Hoshea bar Nun who has arisen from the house of Ephraim, and thousands of the Midyance by Gideon bar Yoash who will be of the tribe of Menasheh. [JER. The birthright, kingdom, and honor are Joseph's: for as it may not be that one should work with the firstling among cattle, nor bring the horns of the reema into servitude; but as the ox and the reema push with their horns, so this people, the sons of the tribe of Joseph, going out to battle against their enemies, will slaughter kings and princes. Myriads of the Amoraah will be slain by Jehoshua bar Nun, who is of the tribe of the B’ne Ephraim; thousands of the Midyanee will be slain by Gideon bar Yoash, who is of the tribe of the B’ne Menasheh.]
18. And regarding Zevulun he said, "Rejoice Zevulun at your departure; and Yissachar in your tents.	18. And Mosheh the prophet blessed the tribe of Zebulon, and said: Rejoice, O house of Zebulon, in your going forth for your commerce, and you, O house of Issakar, in the tabernacles of your schools. [JER. Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Zebulon, and said: Rejoice, O ye of the house of Zebulon, when you go out upon your commerce; and ye of the house of Issakar, rejoice, when you come in unto your houses of learning.]
19. Peoples shall assemble at the mountain--- there will they slaughter righteous offerings; for by the streaming of the sea they shall be nurtured and the hidden treasures of sand."	19. Many peoples shall pray at the mountain of the sanctuary, thither will they bring their oblations of truth: for they dwell by the side of the great sea, they are nourished with (its) dainties; and they take the shell-fish and dye with its blood in purple the threads of their vestments; and from the sands make mirrors and vessels of glass; for the treasures of their coasts are discovered to them. [JER. Behold, this people of the house of Zebulon will come up together to the mountain of the sanctuary to offer true oblations; for they eat the revenue of the seas, and the treasures hidden in the sands are disclosed unto them.]
20. And regarding Gad he said, "Blessed is the One who broadens Gad; He lairs like a lion then rips the arm with the head.	20. Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Gad, and said: Blessed be He who has made wide the border of Gad. He reposes as a lion in his habitation; but when he goes out to battle against his adversaries, he slays kings and rulers, and his slaughtered ones are known from all the slain, for he strikes off the arm with the crown (of the head). [JER. And Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Gad, and said: Blessed is he who has made wide the border of Gad. He reposes and inhabits as a lion and a lioness; nor will there be any kingdom or people who can stand before him; and when he goes forth in war against his enemies his slaughtered are known among the slain by the head being cut away unto the arm.]
21. He saw the foremost for himself, for there the great scribe's burial plot is concealed; he marched at the head of the people, he acted righteously before Ad-noy and His Laws with Yisrael."	21. And he saw that the land was good, and took his portion among the first; for there was a place strown with precious stones and pearls; for there is the place where Mosheh the prophet is hidden, who, as he went in and out at the head of the people in this world, will go in and out in the world that comes; because he wrought righteousness/generosity before the Lord, and taught the orders of the judgments to the house of Israel his people. [JER. And he saw at the beginning that a place had been prepared there for a sepulchre, a place strown with precious stones and pearls, where Mosheh the prophet, the scribe of Israel, was to be hidden, (who,) as he went in and out at the head of the people in this world, so will he go in and out in the world to come; because he wrought righteousness/ generosity before the Lord, and taught the orders of the judgments to the sons of Israel.]
22. And regarding Dan he said, "Dan is a lion cub, bounding from Bashan."	22. And Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Dan, and said: The tribe of Dan is like a lion's whelp, his land is watered by the streams that flow from Mathnan, and his border comes unto Batania. [JER. And Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Dan, and said: The tribe of Dan is like a lion's whelp, and his land is watered from Batanea.]
23. And regarding Naftali he said, "Naftali's desire is satisfied and he is full of Ad-noy's blessing; occupy the sea and its southern coast!"	23. And Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Naphtali, and said: Naphtali is satisfied with favor, and has delight in the fishes of the sea which falls within his portion; and he will be replete with blessings in the fruits of the vale of Genesareth which has been given him from the Lord; he will inherit the water of Sopheni, and the sea of Tebaria. [JER. And Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Naphtali, and said: Naphtali will be satisfied with favor, and be filled with blessings from the Lord; he will have possession to the west of the sea of Genesareth, and to the south.]
24. And regarding Asher he said, "May Asher be blessed with sons; he shall be favored by his brothers and immerse his foot in oil."	24. And Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Asher, and said: Blessed is Asher of the sons of Jaqob. He will be acceptable to his brethren, and will supply them with provender in the years of release: his border will produce many olives yielding oil, enough for him to bathe in it even his feet. [JER. And Mosheh the prophet of the Lord blessed the tribe of Asher, and said: Asher will be blessed of the children; he will be acceptable to his brethren, in the release of the land, for his ground will produce oil like water.]
25. Your locks are iron and copper; As the days [of your youth], so may be your declining days.	25. The tribe of Asher be sound as iron, and their feet‑strong as brass in walking on the stony rocks; and as the days of their youth so will they be strong in their age. [JER. Behold, this people of Beth Asher are sound as iron and strong as brass; as the days of their youth so will be the days of their age.]
26. G-d is incomparable---Yeshurun; He who straddles the firmament in your aid and, in His pride, the high heavens.	26. There is no God like the God of Israel, whose Shekinah and Chariot dwell in the heavens. He will be your helper. He sitteth on His glorious throne in His majesty, in the expanse of the heavens above. [JER. There is none like the God of Israel, whose glorious Shekinah dwells in the heavens, and His magnificence in the high expanse.]
27. As the dwelling of the eternal G-d, and beneath are the world's strong-armed; He banished the enemy from your presence and said, 'Destroy.'	27. The habitation of Elohim, is from eternity; by the arm of His power beneath the world is up-borne. He will scatter your adversaries before you, and will say by His Word, Destroy them. [In His abode has His Shekinah dwelt before they were, and under His power He brings the world; and He drives out your enemies before you, and says in His word, Let them be destroyed.]
28. Yisrael lived securely, as individuals like Yaakov in a land of grain and wine; even its skies shall drip dew.	28. And Isreal will dwell safely as of old according to the benediction with which Jaqob their father did bless them, for whose righteousness/generosity sake He will cause them to inherit the good land that yields corn and wine; the heavens also above them will drop with the dews of blessing, and the rains of loving-kindness. [JER. But Israel will dwell safely by themselves according to the benediction with which Jaqob did bless them, in the land yielding wine and oil, The heavens also above you are bidden to send down upon you the dew and the rain.]
29. You are fortunate, Yisrael, who can compare to you--- a people saved by Ad-noy, the shield of your aid and who [provides the victory of] the sword of your glory; and your enemies will prevaricate to you, while you tread on their high places."	29. Happy are you, O Israel: who of all the nations are like you, a people saved in the Name of the Word of the Lord? He is the shield of your help, and His sword, the strength of your excellence. And your enemies will be found liars against you from terror, and you will tread upon the necks of their kings. [JER. O Israel, happy are you! Who is as you, a people saved before the Lord, the shield of your help, the guardian of your armies, and the trusty sword of your pre‑eminence? Your enemies are to be scattered before you; but you, O Beth Israel, while you give diligence in the Law, and keep the commandments, will tread upon the necks of their kings.]
1. Moshe went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo--- the peak of the crest that faces Yericho; and Ad-noy showed him the entire land, the Gil'ad till Dan.	1. And Mosheh went up from the plains of Moab to the mountain of Nebo, to the summit of the height which is over against Jericho; and the Word of the Lord showed him all the strong ones of the land, and the mighty acts which would be done by Jeptha of Gilead, and the victories of Shimeon bar Manoah of tribe of Dan; [JER. And Mosheh went up from the plain of Moab to the mountain of Nebo, to the summit. of the height which is over against Jericho; and the Lord showed him the whole land of Gilead unto Dan of Kesavan,]
2. And all of Naftali, and the land of Ephraim and Menasheh; and all the land of Yehudah up until the rearward Sea.	2. and the thousand princes of Beth Naphtali who would gather with Barak, and the kings who would be slain by Jehoshua bar Nun of the tribe of Ephraim, and the deeds of strength to be wrought by Gideon bar Yoash of the tribe of Menasheh, and all the kings of Israel, and of the kingdom of Beth Jehudah, who would have dominion in the land until the latter sanctuary should be destroyed. [JER. and the whole land of Naphtali and Ephraim and Manasheh, and all the land of Jehudah to. the outer sea,]
3. And the Negev, and the plain, the valley of Yericho, the city of date-palms, till Tzo'ar.	3. And the king of the south who will combine with the king of the north to destroy the inhabitants of the land and the Ammonites and Moabites, the dwellers in the plain, who will oppress Israel, and the captives of Elijah's disciples who will be dispersed from the plain of Jericho, and the captives of Elisha's disciples who will be dispersed from the city of palm trees by the hand of their brethren of Beth Israel, two hundred thousand men; and the affliction of generation after generation, and the punishment of Armalgos the wicked, and the battle of Gog, when in the time of that great tribulation Michael will rise up to deliver by his arm.[JER and the south, and the plain of the vale of Jericho, the city which cultivates palms, which is Zeir.]
4. Ad-noy said to him, "This is the land that I swore to Abraham, to Yitzchaq, and to Ya’aqob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have shown it to you with your eyes, but you will not cross over there."	4. And the Lord said to him, This is the end of the word concerning the land, and this is the land which I covenanted unto Abraham, to Izhak, and to Jacob, saying, I will give it unto your children. I grant you to see it with your eyes, but you will not pass over to it.
5. Moshe, Adonai's servant, died there, in the land of Moab, by the mouth of Ad-noy.	5. Mosheh, the Rabban of Israel, was born on the seventh day of the month Adar, and on the seventh day of Adar he was gathered from the world. A voice fell from heaven, and thus spoke: Come, all you who have entered into the world, and behold the grief of Mosheh, the Rabban of Israel, who has labored, but not to please himself, and who is ennobled with four goodly crowns: the crown of the Law is his, because he brought it from the heavens above, when there was revealed to him the Glory of the Lord's Shekinah, with two thousand myriads of angels, and forty and two thousand chariots of fire. The crown of the Priesthood bath been his in the seven days of the peace offerings. The crown of the kingdom they gave him in possession from heaven: he drew not the sword, nor prepared the war horse, nor gathered he the host. The crown of a good name he possesses by good works and by his humility. Therefore is Mosheh, the servant of the Lord, gathered in the land of Moab, by the kiss of the Word of the Lord. [JER. Spoke Mosheh the prophet: The Word of the Lord said unto me, This is the land which I have sworn unto Abraham, to Izhak, and to Jaqob, saying, Unto the children of your children will I give it. Behold it with your eyes, but you, will not pass over unto it. And Mosheh, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of the Moabaee, according to the mouth of the decree of the Word of the Lord.]
6. He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab facing Bet Peor; and no man knows his burial place till this very day.	6. Blessed be the Name of the Lord of the world, who has taught us His righteous/generous way. He has taught us to clothe the naked, as He clothed Adam and Hava; He has taught us to unite the bridegroom and the bride in marriage, as He united Hava to Adam. He has taught us to visit the sick, as He revealed Himself to Abraham when he was ill, from being circumcised; He has taught us to console the mourners, as He revealed Himself again to Jaqob when returning from Padan, in the place where his mother had died. He has taught us to feed the poor, as He sent Israel bread from heaven; He has taught us to bury the dead by (what He did for) Mosheh; for He revealed Himself in His Word, and with Him the companies of ministering angels. Michael and Gabriel spread forth the golden bed, fastened with chrysolites, gems, and beryls, adorned with hangings of purple silk, and satin, and white linens. Metatron, Jophiel, and Uriel, and Jephephya, the wise Sages, laid him upon it, and by His Word He conducted him four miles, and buried him in the valley opposite Beth Peor; that Israel, as oft as they look up to Peor, may have the memory of their sin; and at sight of the burying place of Mosheh may be humbled: but no man knows his sepulchre unto this day. [JER. And He buried him in a valley in the land of the Moabaee, opposite to the idol Peor; nor knows any one his sepulchre unto this day.]
7. And Moshe was 120 years old at his death; his appearance was not dulled, and his freshness did not fade.	7. Mosheh was a son of a hundred and twenty years when he died; the orbs of his eyes were not darkened, nor had his teeth passed away. [JER. Mosheh was the son of a hundred and twenty years in the time that he died; his eyes were not darkened, nor had the brightness of his face faded away.]
8. B’ne Yisrael bewailed Moshe on the plains of Moab for thirty days; [after which] ended the days of bewailing in Moshe's mourning period.	8. And the children of Israel wept for Mosheh in the plains of Moab thirty days; and the days of weeping in the mourning for Mosheh were completed on the eighth of the month of Nisan. And on the ninth of Nisan the people of Beth Israel prepared their vessels and set their cattle in order, and passed over the Jordan on the tenth of Nisan. And the manna ceased for them on the sixteenth of Nisan. They found manna to eat thirty-seven days after the death of Mosheh, for the sake of his righteousness/generosity. [JER. And the children of Israel wept for Mosheh in the plains of Moab thirty days; and so were fulfilled the days of weeping in mourning for Mosheh.]
9. And Yehoshua son of Nun was filled with a spirit of wisdom because Moshe had rested his hands on him; B’ne Yisrael listened to him and acted as Ad-noy had commanded Moshe.	9. But Jehoshua bar Nun was filled with the Spirit of wisdom; for Mosheh had laid his hands upon him; and the children of Israel received instruction from him, and did as the Lord had commanded (by) Mosheh. [JER. And Jehoshua bar Nun was filled with the Spirit of Wisdom: for Mosheh had laid his hands upon him; and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Word of the Lord had commanded Mosheh.]
10. And there has not ever arisen a prophet within Yisrael like Moshe, whom Ad-noy knew face-to-face.	10. But no prophet has again risen in Israel like unto Mosheh, because the Word of the Lord had known him to speak with him word for word, [JER. But no prophet hath arisen yet in Israel as Mosheh, whom the Word of the Lord knew, (speaking with him word for word,)]
11. For all the signs and the wonders that Ad-noy sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his slaves and to his entire land.	11. in all the signs, and wonders, and manifestations which the Word of the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Mizraim upon Pharoh, and all his servants, and all the people of his land; [JER. in all the miracles, and wonders, and distinguishing signs which the Word of the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Mizraim, on Pharoh, and all his servants, and all his land;]
12. And for the entire strong hand and for the entire great display that Moshe performed in view of all of Yisrael. Chazak!	12. and in all the strength of the Mighty Hand by which he bare the rod whose weight was forty savin and that divided the sea, and smote the rock; and in all the solemn things which Mosheh did when he received the two tables of sapphire stone, whose weight was forty savin, and carried both of them in his bands in the sight of all Israel. [JER. and in all the Mighty Hand, and all the great manifestations which Mosheh did in the sight of all Israel.] BLESSED BE THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, FOR EVER AND EVER, AND LET THE WHOLE EARTH BE FILLED WITH HIS GLORY.
1. In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.	1. At the beginning (min avella) the Lord created the heavens and the earth. [JERUSALEM TARGUM. In wisdom (be-hukema) the Lord created.]
2. The earth was unformed and desolate, and darkness covered the surface of the abyss. The breath of Elohim hovered above the surface of the water.	2. And the earth was vacancy and desolation, solitary of the sons of men, and void of every animal; and darkness was upon the face of the abyss, and the Spirit of mercies from before the Lord breathed upon the face of the waters. [JERUSALEM TARGUM. And the earth was vacancy and desolation, and solitary of the sons of men, and void of every animal; and the Spirit of mercies from before the Lord breathed upon the face of the waters.]
3. Elohim said, "Let there be light." and there was light.	3. And the Lord said, Let there be light and to enlighten above; and at once there was light.
4. Elohim saw that the light was good, and Elohim divided the light from the darkness.	4. And the Lord beheld the light, that it was good; and the Lord divided between the light and the darkness.
5. Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night. It became evening and it became morning, one day.	5. And the Lord call the light Day; and He made it that the inhabiters of the world might labor by it: and the darkness called He night; and He made it that in it the creatures might have rest. And it was evening, and it was morning, the First Day. [JERUSALEM TARGUM. And it was evening, and it was morning, in the order of the work of the creation, (or of the beginning,) the First Day.]

Midrash Rabbenu Bachya

Torah Commentary

By: Rabbi Bachya ben Asher

Translated by R. Eliyahu Munk

Lambda Publishers Inc. (Brooklyn, New York)

Vol. 7, pp. 2813 -

תְּנוּ-לָהּ, מִפְּרִי יָדֶיהָ;    וִיהַלְלוּהָ בַשְּׁעָרִים מַעֲשֶׂיהָ. – “Acknowledge her for the fruit of her hands, and let her accomplishments praise her in the gates (Proverbs 31,31) Solomon commenced the concluding chapter of Proverbs with the words ESHET CHAYIL MI YIMTSA, “Who can find a woman of valour?” According to the plain meaning of the text he spoke about an intelligent woman, eager and competent to discharge the duties of her household, working hard both by day and by night; this is the meaning of Proverbs 31,18: “even when her affairs thrive her lamp does not go out at night.” This woman is known far and wide for the good she does for the poor, sustaining them with the work of her own hands. This is the meaning of 31,20: “she extends her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hand to the needy.” This whole chapter teaches us both moral/ethical lessons as well as lessons in good manners. A man is to look for this kind of a woman when he wants to get married as she is the mainstay of his home to be. Together with her he can look forward to building his family. Solomon wanted to enumerate all the virtues of such a woman in alphabetical order in order to demonstrate that a woman who possesses all these virtues also symbolises the entire Torah. Her presence is her husband's best preparation to achieve success in his Torah study and mitzvah performance, much as the body is the preparation for the soul to attain its objectives.

This is what the sages alluded to when they said (concerning a man finding a woman) “if he has merit, she will prove an invaluable helpmate” (Yevamot 63). Addressing the same subject, Solomon said: (Proverbs 18,22) “He who found a wife has found a good thing; he will obtain favour from the Lord,” seeing the Torah had said it is not good for man to remain solitary (Genesis 2,18) Solomon, when discussing marriage, said that a woman does not deserve to be praised on account of her physical beauty, graceful mannerism. Solomon said (Proverbs 31,30) “grace is deceptive, beauty is vain, but a G-d-fearing woman is the woman who is truly praiseworthy.” This is also why he concludes by saying: “acknowledge her for the fruit of her hands and let her accomplishments praise her in the gates.” It is appropriate that she be praised for what she does, not for the attributes she was endowed with at birth [something for which one should praise the Lord, not her. Ed.] We find that Abigail was the prototype for such a woman whose good virtues employed at the right time and in the right place, saved her husband and her entire household from being killed by David and his men. David himself acknowledged this when he said to her (Samuel 1 25,33): “blessed be your prudence, and blessed be you yourself for restraining me from seeking redress in blood by my own hands.”

A Midrashic approach: the words: תְּנוּ-לָהּ, מִפְּרִי יָדֶיהָ “acknowledge her for the fruit of her hands,” refer to the opening words of the chapter “who can find a woman of valour?” The Midrash understands the whole chapter as a parable describing Torah and wisdom, something very elusive, almost impossible to attain fully. Solomon proceeds to enumerate the advantages of Torah and wisdom in order to encourage people to immerse themselves in both Torah and wisdom. He commences by saying that בָּטַח בָּהּ, לֵב בַּעְלָהּ , “the heart of someone who has mastered this discipline has absolute confidence in it.” This is why he adds וְשָׁלָל, לֹא יֶחְסָר, “such a person will never be short of 'loot.” It is a well known fact that people who constantly engage in the pursuit of wisdom do not experience the lack of anything.

The poor and destitute whom Solomon refers to in verse 20 are the students, who have thus far only accumulated a minimum of wisdom, not having expended sufficient effort yet to acquire it in larger doses; this is why Solomon says to people at large: “give her (wisdom) from the fruit of her hands.” Solomon encourages the people at large to treat wisdom with respect seeing it produces such good fruit, i.e. honour and glory for those who have acquired it. The fruit which are the result of the acquisition of wisdom are the good deeds man performs, as a result of which he qualifies for eternal life in the celestial spheres. Concerning this, Solomon himself wrote in Proverbs 11,30: “the fruit of the righteous/generous is a tree of life.” He referred to the Torah being the entrance card to the tree of life, i.e. eternal life. The Torah already stated concerning the tree of life that if Adam were to eat from it “he would live forever” (Genesis 3,22).

A kabbalistic approach: when Solomon concludes the Book with the words תְּנוּ-לָהּ, מִפְּרִי יָדֶיהָ, “let her enjoy the fruit of her hands,” he refers to the virtue he had commenced with, i.e. “who can find a woman of valour?” Solomon wanted to seal his Book with the virtue which is the “seal” the structure comprised by the various emanations, its seal being the emanation HOKHMAH [the simile with which he described the woman of valour. Ed.]. Seeing that the Jewish people had heard the Torah out of the fire and the prophet Chabakuk 3,10 referred to this experience saying “the deep gave forth loud roars” [see the whole verse, Ed.], Solomon arranged the praises of the Torah/wisdom in the order of the 22 letters of the aleph bet. The meaning of the concluding verse: “give to her of the fruit of her hands,” is a call to bestow a blessing on the emanation HOKHMAH, also known as Torah. The whole idea is similar to what the sages said in Pirqe Abot 3,7 “give to Him part of what is His, for you yourself and all that is yours are really His.” The words “and let her accomplishments praise her in the gates,” are a reference to what the blessing consists of. David also used the words “Blessing” and “Praise,” in the same verse (Psalms 104,35) when he said “let my soul bless the Lord, Hallelujah.” Even though every human being is himself the beneficiary of G-d's blessing, G-d nonetheless desires blessing uttered by human beings. He specifically commanded this when He said (Deut. 8,10) “you will bless the Lord your G-d.” Isaiah tells us that “for whoever blesses himself in the land will bless himself by the true (Amen) G-d." (Isaiah 65,16) You should pay heed to the saying of the sages (Sotah 38) “he (the priest) who utters a blessing will in turn be blessed.” The reason is that by blessing the people in the name of the Lord, he (the priest) has included everybody i.e. G-d, in his blessing. It is well known that the whole idea of bestowing a blessing is to contribute to the continued existence of the universe. This is why G-d bestowed blessings immediately after He had created certain phenomena, especially living creatures which are very fragile as compared to inert phenomena. [this is why we find already in Genesis 1,20 when the first living creatures were produced by the waters, that G'd felt compelled to bestow a blessing on them. Perhaps the absence of such a blessing for the vegetation on the third day is the reason we have non-fruit-bearing trees. Ed.] The reason that the whole Torah commences with the letter BET instead of the letter ALEF for instance, is that it wanted to begin with an allusion to blessing. G-d blessed Adam, i.e. the human species (Genesis 1,28); He blessed Noach and his children (Genesis 9,1, the remnants of the human species). Only with the advent of Avraham (described by oúr author as ROSH HA-EMUNAH, “the father-figure of all true faithful obedience”) did G-d transfer the ability to bless to him and his descendants as we know from Genesis 12,2. Instead of telling Avraham that he would be blessed, BARUKH, He told him that he himself would originate blessings, i.e. “become (a source of) blessing.” Ever since, the righteous/generous have become the “sources” of blessings (or distributors directing blessings). This was how Yitzchaq viewed himself when he said: “let me bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.” He meant that if he did not transfer the power to bless given to him, it would die with him as he was conscious of the responsibility entailed by this power to bestow blessing (compare Genesis 27,7).

At this point, Moses makes use of this power, just as had Ya’aqob before his death (Genesis 49,28). The remarkable thing (from a kabbalistic point of view) is the use as an introduction of the word ZOT on both occasions. This is also why the sages said that Moses continued where Ya’aqob had left off (Debarim Rabbah 11,1, Ya’aqob concluded with V’ZOT and Moses began with V’ZOT.)

33,1. וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה, אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ מֹשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים--אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:  לִפְנֵי, מוֹתוֹ. “And this is the blessing with which Moses blessed the Children of Israel before his death.” According to the plain meaning of the text Moses arranged, prepared, this entire blessing and bestowed it on the respective tribes on the day of his death, seeing it is customary for the righteous/generous to bestow such blessings on the day they die.

A Midrashic approach based on Tanchuma Vezot Haberachah 1: the letter VAV at the beginning of the word V’ZOT means that Moses added something over and above the blessing which had been bestowed on the people by Bíleam. Bíleam should really have bestowed seven blessings on the people corresponding to each of the seven altars he had built at the time. However, if you will check you will find that Bileam only uttered three blessing instead of seven (We know this from Balak who remonstrated with him saying: “here you have blessed them three times” (Numbers 24,10). In view of this, G-d said to him: “you wicked/lawless and niggardly person; seeing that you are too jealous to bestow the proper number of blessings on these people, I will appoint Moses, who is more generous than you to complete the blessings these people are entitled to.” This is the meaning of Proverbs 22,9: “the generous one is blessed (יְבֹרָךְ); do not read the word as יְבֹרָךְ (Y’BORAKH) but as יברך, “he will bestow blessing.” The person whom Solomon refers to in this verse is none other than Moses. He was anxious to bless Israel, and he completed the four blessings Bileam had withheld from the people. The first one of those four is found in Exodus 39,43: “Moses saw the entire work, and behold! - they had done it all as Ha-Shem had commanded, so had they done; and Moses blessed them.” The second occasion Moses blessed the people is in Leviticus 9,23: “Moses and Aaron came to the Tent of Meeting; they came out and blessed the people and the attribute of K’BOD appeared to the entire nation.” The third time Moses blessed the people was in Deut. 1,11: “May Ha-Shem, the G-d of your fathers continue to increase you one thousand-fold and bless you as He has said to you.” The fourth occasion when Moses blessed the people begins in our portion with the words: “and this is the blessing, etc.”

A kabbalistic approach: The words: “and this is the blessing,” are a reference to the T’RUMAH, the gift, the Torah, and the covenant, all of which have been introduced with the word V’ZOT on different occasions. (compare Exodus 25,3; Deuteronomy 33,1; Isaiah 59,21). This is why Moses commenced his blessings at the point where our patriarch Ya’aqob had left off. I already elaborated on this in connection with Genesis 49,28.

אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים, "a [Royal] man of G-d." According to the plain meaning of the text a man who was great as he was endowed with the power of prophecy by G-d. G-d had appeared to him [in his waking hours, already on the first occasion He communicated with Moses at the burning bush with His attribute of the tetragram Exodus 3,2 - 4,17 where he was told that he would be an אֱלֹהִים to Pharaoh. Ed.].

A Midrashic approach based on Midrash Tehillim 90,1: the word means: “a judge.” This is based on Deut. 33,21 צִדְקַת יְהוָה עָשָׂה, וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו עִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל, “he carried out the righteousness/genrosity of Ha-Shem and His justice with Israel.” [I do not understand how this applies to Moses, seeing it is said of the tribe of Gad. Ed.] Moses' personality reflected the Sages' definition of “let the attribute of Justice bore a hole in the mountain.” [he strove for absolute perfection. Ed.] Rabbi Yehudah, son of Seymon said: “why was Moses described as אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים? When a man (husband) is confronted by certain vows made by his wife he has the option of annulling them or letting them remain valid. This is what the Torah says in Numbers 30,14: “her husband may either confirm it or her husband may cancel it.” Similarly, Moses was in a position in his dealings with G-d to say to Him “let the Lord arise,” or “let the Lord desist.” (compare Numbers 10,35). Thus far that Midrash. You need to analyse what the author of this Midrash had in mind. In view of the fact that the prophetic powers of Moses were emanated from the force of the power of Mercy, which is elsewhere described as an active force, an instigator, self-propelled, the Torah compared Moses to the role of the activist, the initiator, whereas the attribute of Justice is described as both initiating and responding as the situation may require. Moses was also compared to that attribute, seeing that the glue which sticks to something is described by the material it sticks to. This is why the Torah here calls him ISH HA-ELOHIM. [instead of ISH HA-ADONAI. The Torah differentiates between Moses the man, and Moses' prophecy. The former had an affinity to the attribute of Justice, the latter was an outgrowth of the attribute of Mercy. Ed.]

A kabbalistic approach: the reason he is called ISH HA-ELOHIM is because it is the Torah's nature to associate the word ISH, with the attribute ELOHIM. You will not encounter the word ISH ADONAI anywhere in the Torah. On the other hand, the word EBED is frequently associated with the attribute of Mercy, i.e. EBED ADONAI. Moses himself (as well as Joshua) is described as EBED ADONAI in Joshua 1,1 and numerous other verses.

לִפְנֵי, מוֹתוֹ. “before his death.” the Torah means: “close to the time when he died.” According to Debarim Rabbah 11,5 the words mean that when an angel came to take away his soul, Moses stopped him and got up and first blessed the people. The words then are to be understood as “before the angel who had come to take his soul could carry out his mission.”

33,2. יְהוָה מִסִּינַי בָּא, “The Lord had come from Sinai.” The Torah really should have written B’SINAI, “at Sinai,” instead of “from Sinai.” Similarly, instead of writing we would have expected the Torah to write בשֵּׂעִיר “at Se-ir,” and בהַר פָּארָן, instead of מֵהַר פָּארָן. Most of the commentators simply say that the letter MEM here is taking the place of the letter BET. I do not think it is that simple. Rather, I think that if the Torah had wńtten B’SINAI, this would have sounded as if a certain place had been assigned to G-d. Seeing that G-d is known as the M’QOMO SHEL HA-OLAM, “assigning space to the universe,” and not vice versa, the wrong impression about G-d's omnipresence would have been conveyed. (compare Beresheet Rabbah 68,10) In Psalms 68,18 David speaks of “the Lord is among them as in Sinai in holiness.” David was careful to avoid saying QODESH B’SINAI, which would have meant “holy at Sinai.” He reversed the wording to avoid giving the impression that it is possible to assign a certain place (only) to G-d. This is why here Moses had to write MISINAI BO. This means that the beginning of the revelation the attribute of K’BOD originated at Mount Sinai. He goes on to describe how this revelation expanded to other areas and included other people's consciousness. Originally, it had emanated its rays towards Israel from afar i.e. from Se-jr. At that time Israel had been a long way from Sinai. It had gradually been perceived as closer, i.e. near Mount Paran. This was the area from which Moses had sent the spies (Numbers 13,3). [in terms of space, not time, Ed.] From Mount Paran this attribute of K’BOD moved to Sinai; from there it was finally revealed to the Jewish people. The reason Moses did not describe all these steps in chronological order was that he wanted to demonstrate that the purpose of all these moves by the attribute of K’BOD (Glory) was the revelation at Mount Sinai to the Jewish people.

Actually, the prophetess Devorah explained all this in Judges 5,4-5 when she said in her song of thanksgiving: “O Lord, when You came forth from Se-ir, advanced from the country of Edom; the earth trembled....before the Lord, Him of Sinai, before the Lord, G-d of Israel.” It is noteworthy that in connection with the distant Se-ir Moses used the term ZARACH “shone,” i.e. the term used for the sun's rays when it just rose over the horizon, whereas in connection with Paran Moses used the verb HOFIA, which denotes that its visibility was far more pronounced. As the attribute of K’BOD (Glory) came ever closer to Sinai, its rays and brilliance intensified. By the time Moses speaks of the attribute of K’BOD getting to Sinai, he uses the expression BO, i.e. it had arrived at its destination. This was the mountain which G-d had selected for this attribute to come to rest on. (compare Psalms 68,17.) Thence, it became visible for the eyes of all the Jewish people.

A Midrashic approach based on Tanchuma Vezot Haberachah 4: the words “He shone forth from Se-ir,” mean that G-d first offered the Torah to the descendants of Esau who refused it. He then offered it to the various other descendants of Abraham, all of whom declined. Finally, He offered it to the Israelites who accepted. The fact that only Esau and Ishmael are singled out for mention simply means that even they who were Abraham's descendants did not want the Torah. Other nations, not genetically related to Abraham, most certainly did not show any interest in it either. Our Sages in Avodah Zarah 2 state specifically that G-d offered the Torah to all the nations and peoples of all tongues but that they all declined.

מִימִינוֹ, אשדת (אֵשׁ דָּת) לָמוֹ, “from His right, fire turned into Law became theirs.” We must imagine the word HAYEH as following the word MIMINU. While G-d was displaying celestial fire, He made the Israelites hear the words of the Ten Words. The reference “from His right,” does not refer to the angels but to G-d's essence. It is as if the Torah had spoken about ESH V’DAT, “fire and (religious) Law.”

A kabbalistic approach: G-d used His right side (attribute) to make the people hear the words of the Ten Commandments (as if) emanating from the fire (compare Deut. 5,19). This describes the spiritual niveau of the Jewish people at that time. However, Moses, whose spiritual niveau was higher, heard the voice of G-d from His right without the need for fire to form a screen. Perhaps the two words ESHDAT are spelled as one word, as an allusion to what happened at the time. This is the Torah's way of describing the affinity of the Law to the fiery experience when it was revealed. The Torah already described in Deut, 4,15: “the day on which the Lord your G-d spoke to you out of the fire.” I have referred to all this already on Exodus 20,1. Jeremiah 6,29 uses the fusion of two words into one to describe the affinity of one to the other when he said נָחַר מַפֻּחַ, מאשתם (מֵאֵשׁ תַּם) עֹפָרֶת, “the bellows puff, the lead is consumed by the fire." According to our tradition the word מאשתם (מֵאֵשׁ תַּם) is written as a single word.

33,3. אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים, “Also (You) love the peoples (tribes of the Israelites).” Apart from having given to the Jewish people His Law out of the fire, G-d displayed additional signs of His love for this nation, such as calling them SEGULA, “precious.” (Exodus 19,5). The Aramaic translation of SEGULA is HABIBIN, “beloved” i.e. the word Moses uses here. G-d meant that He was fonder of the Israelites than of all the other nations. On the other hand; it is possible that Moses meant that G-d's fondness of His people was manifest in His applying the title “nation” to each of its tribes. (compare Rashi). He bases this on Deut. 33,19 עַמִּים, הַר-יִקְרָאוּ, “the tribes (nations) will assemble at the Mount.”

It is also possible to interpret that what Moses meant was that even at a time when the Torah speaks of the people derogatively, calling them simply: HA-AM, this does not mean that G-d is no longer fond of them. We have several examples of the term HA-AM, being used in an unflattering manner; Numbers 25,1, “the people debased itself;” or Numbers 21,5: “the people spoke out against G-d.” Or, Exodus 32,1 “the people assembled” (in preparation of demanding a new leader). In each of these instances the word HA-AM points at their being at a moral/spiritual low. Even if Moses, perhaps, did not relate to the people with fondness at such times, G-d did not stop being fond of them.

Still another way of understanding the words אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים is that the word AF here means “anger” as it does on numerous occasions. The message is that even when G-d, has reason to be angry at the people, He still also relates to them with fondness. The reason that this is so is that they are His people, AMIM SHELO.

כָּל-קְדֹשָׁיו בְּיָדֶךָ, “all its holy ones were in Your hand.” A reference to the Levites (Ibn Ezra). They took their lives into their hands, i.e. they placed their lives in Your hands, when they executed the Israelites who had actively worshipped the golden calf.

וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶךָ, “and they planted themselves at Your feet.” They always feel drawn to the site of the Holy Ark which symbolises Your Presence, which they perceive as “the footstool for Your feet.” The word TUKU (planted themselves) is the same as HUKU (footstool), the letter TAV being a substitute for the letter HAI. We sometimes find the TAV replacing the letter HAI, whereas on other occasions the letter HAI replaces the letter TAV. In the phrase (verse 10) commencing with יָשִׂימוּ קְטוֹרָה, “they will prepare incense,” etc., the letter HAI, I believe, is also a substitute for the letter TAV in the word קְטורת, incense. I believe this is a rule in grammar, seeing that the letter HAI normally symbolises the feminine gender] as well as in all the other verbs; the letter TAV seeing that it is the final and last letter in the aleph bet, also symbolises something feminine, passive. This is the reason it was made the last letter. The letter HAI at the end of the third person of the verb is also reminiscent of the last letter of the tetragram. The letter TAV is used in many forms of the verb in the third person feminine future. In other words, the function of the letter TAV and the letter HAI frequently overlap, so that we need not be surprised to see them used as alternate spelling for each other.

יִשָּׂא מִדַּבְּרֹתֶיךָ. , “it bears (willingly) Your pronouncements.” This is a reference to the Levites carrying the Holy Ark containing G'd's pronouncements, the Tablets with the Ten Commandments. (lbn Ezra). Alternatively, [especially because of the switch to the singular, i.e. the individual, Ed.] each one of them gladly acts as the bearer of G-d's instructions teaching them to his fellow Israelites. This would be similar to verse 10 where Moses praises the Levites for being the teachers of Torah.

A kabbalistic approach: According to the Midrash the carrying with one's body of spiritually heavy loads, such as the Levites' carrying the Holy Ark containing the Ten commandments and the Torah scroll, is debilitating and took its toll of the people doing this. This is why their number of adult males comprised fewer than half of that of the smallest other tribe. (B’midbar Rabbah 5,1) [perhaps this is why they had to retire from active duty at the age of 50. Ed.] The words יִשָּׂא מִדַּבְּרֹתֶיךָ (“it bears (willingly) Your pronouncements”) is an allusion to the fact that each individual Levite was considered by G-d as the instrument of “carrying (like a flag)” the words of the Lord. The people, so to speak, heard the words of the Torah from the mouths of the Levites as if they had emerged from the Holy Ark.

33,4. תּוֹרָה צִוָּה-לָנוּ, מֹשֶׁה, “Moses commanded us the Torah;” according to the plain meaning of the text this is a continuation of the previous instruction to the Levites that each one of them has the burden of instructing all the Israelites that the commandments he performs are based on a tradition going back all the way to Moses. The Torah had become an inheritance for them seeing they are what is called the “congregation of Ya’aqob.” The reason he mentions “Ya’aqob” instead of saying MORASHAH Q’HILAT YISRAEL, is to exclude the Ishmaelites and Edomites, both of whom though descendants of Avraham or even Abraham and Yitzchak, are not descendants of Ya’aqob, the other descendants of Abraham having declined to accept it. Torah is an heritage only for the descendants of Ya’aqob, being one of the four gifts from G-d given exclusively to the Jewish people. (the other three are: prophecy, the land of Israel, and resurrection of the bodies at some point in the future).

It is possible to understand the word מוֹרָשָׁה as referring to the land of Israel so that the meaning of the whole verse is: “due to the merit of Torah which Moses commanded us, we inherited the land of Israel of which it is written: ‘I give it to you as an inheritance I am the Lord’” (Exodus 6,8). The land becomes the inheritance of the community of Ya’aqob as a result of these people observing its commandments. If we were to transgress its commandments we would be exiled and be deprived of it.

The word MORASHAH, as distinct from YERUSHAH, refers to something which is continuously to be passed on as an heritage to future generations.[as distinct from a normal heritage which the owner could give away during his lifetime without passing it on to his heirs. Ed.]

We find the expression “G-d makes poor (as opposed to 'bestows as inheritance') and enriches” (apparently simultaneously) something that appears very contradictory, in Samuel 1 2,7 in Chanah's prayer. This is not the only word in the Torah which appears to have opposite meanings on occasion. Everything depends on the intention. When the community of Ya’aqob relates positively to the Torah, the land of. Israel will “behave” positively toward the Jewish people, they will enjoy it as a bountiful inheritance. If the Jewish people disdain the Torah, the land of Israel will disdain the Jewish people.

A Midrashic approach (Makkot 23-24): the numerical value of the letters in the word TORAH add up to 611, i.e. the number of commandments taught and commanded the Jewish people by means of their leader Moses. The other two commandments, i.e. the first two commandments in the Decalogue, the people had heard directly from the mouth of G-d at Mount Sinai. The expression מוֹרָשָׁה, קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב – “an inheritance of the congregation of Ya’aqob” is understood as including all those who have become part of the Jewish people, Q’HILAT, through conversion. Our sages (Yoma 72) state further that there are “three crowns,” the crown of Torah (not hereditary), the crown of the priesthood, exclusive to descendants of Aaron, and the crown of the kingship, inherited only by descendants of King David. The “crown” of Torah must be perceived as if lying neglected in an out of the way corner, something which can be picked up by anyone desirous of acquiring it.

Another Midrashic approach understands the Torah's choice of the word MORASHAH instead of YERUSHAH, as a hint that it could also be read as M’ORASHAH, “betrothed,” í.e. that the purpose of giving us the Torah was to make us the Lord's “betrothed.”

33,5. וַיְהִי בִישֻׁרוּן, מֶלֶךְ, “He became King in Yeshurun.” [continuing the author's approach based on the "plain meaning", Ed.] every Levite would be expected to declare that there was a king in Israel, i.e. none other than the Lord Himself. The concept is that the presence of the Shechinah over the Jewish camp was a manifestation of the presence of the king. The reason the expression Yeshurun has been used here is that it reflects a visual experience, i.e. the experience of the Israelites at Mount Sinai. At that time they had been enabled to have a visual experience of the attribute of K’BOD (Glory). This was where all the heads of the tribes had assembled together with all the tribes in order to accept G-d as their King. [compare Deut. 32,8 where the author explained the word YESHURUN, as the same as ASHURENU in Numbers 24,17 where Bíleam uses is to describe his visionary powers. Ed.]

A Midrashic approach (Pessikta Zutrata) The “king” referred to in the line וַיְהִי בִישֻׁרוּן, מֶלֶךְ, is Moses, seeing that people had heard the entire Torah (legislation) from his mouth. The Torah means that the manner in which all the people including their tribal heads assembled around him, gave Moses the stature of king. This was not the first time that Moses had acted as lawgiver. It had occurred in Deut. 31,9 already when he had given the Torah to the priests, the Levites, carriers of the Holy Ark. We also find Moses ordering all the people to appear in his presence in Deut. 31,28

Another way of understanding our verse is that the “king” described here is G-d Himself. The Torah describes that G-d became king only when all the tribal heads assembled. We find something similar described in Psalms 47,8-10 where David refers to G-d's position as “king” in connection with the leaders of mankind indicating that they accept Him as such. In the case of the Jewish people: “when the leaders of the people volunteered to rally around Him.” We have another very similar description of G-d becoming king in Amos 9,6. [The prophet portrays that G-d cannot build His chambers in heaven until an assembly of His loyal people have laid the foundation for this on earth. Ed.] The common denominator in all these verses is that G-d does not impose Himself as “king,” but waits until His creatures manifest their desire for Him to be their king.

A kabbalistic approach: the word MELEKH is an allusion to the emanation MALKHUT, which is the one emanation which has absorbed input from all the other emanations “above” it. This is the background to the commentary on the verse in Amos 9,6 “Who builds (commences the structure) in the heaven and gathers it all together when it reaches earth;” [my translation, Ed.] in other words, you may perceive of G-d's “structure” described by the prophet as if it consisted of a palace built on a number of ships, in sections. As long as the ships supporting different parts of this palace are securely tied together the palace is not in any danger of crumbling; the structure which the prophet describes as the universe, G-d's palace, i.e. heaven, is secure only as long as Israel provides its sound foundation on earth. This can only be when the Israelites themselves form a firm union one with the other, AGUDATO. In the absence of the proper AGUDATO, “union, brotherliness,” of the Jewish people on earth, His throne in the celestial spheres may be viewed as somehow defective, insecure. This indicates that this verse in Amos makes G-d's throne's completeness conditional on the condition of the Jewish people on earth, especially their brotherliness, their ability to establish a single AGUDAH, union.

You should remain aware that the word VAYEHI in our verse teaches that this king is the Lord G-d. Furthermore, in the word VAYEHI you find three of the permutations of the holy name of G-d, the tetragram, when you perceive of that name as capable of 4 permutations. The sequence would correspond to the fruit used as part of the 4 species on Sukkot; [we use a progressively smaller number of each of these species, i.e. 3 Hadassim, 2 Aravot, 1 Lulav in the AGUDAH, i.e. the three species which form part of the bunch. Ed.] Seeing the word VAYEHI is emanated from the tetragram, this indicates that the tenth emanation belongs to G-d. The meaning of the word MELEKH in our verse may be similar to what David had in mind when he stated in psalm 145, “let me extol You, my G-d and king.” It may also correspond to the way the word is used in Numbers 23,21 “the Lord their G-d is with them and their king's acclaim in their midst.” Solomon may have used the word in a similar sense when he said in Kohelet 5,8 “even a king is indebted to the soil.” The expression MELEKH is used in that sense (also by Solomon) in Song of Songs 7,6 when he said “a king is held captive by (nazaríte) tresses.” The common denominator of the verses we have mentioned is that even a king is subject to restrictions. When G-d is described. as king, this does not necessarily mean His total independence, but His dependence on His subjects in a certain way. [all of this is part of what our sages call “His self-imposed humility.” Ed.] Similarly, the verse “the Lord of Hosts, He is the king of the attribute K’BOD.” [If I understand the author correctly, the latter expression, i.e. king of an attribute, even that of K’BOD is less encompassing than the title represented by the tetragram. All of this shows that G-d imposes restrictions upon Himself. The reason that the psalmist added the word SELAH was so that we should not err and think that when G-d manifests Himself as an attribute, that this represents His essence. Ed.]

.... / ...

33,26. אֵין כָּאֵל, יְשֻׁרוּן “There is none like G-d, Yeshurun;”

After Moses had concluded blessing the tribes individually, he now addresses the whole people reminding them of how fortunate they are in receiving their share on earth by the Creator of the universe directly. He tells them that they will inherit the land of Canaan, something that has been denied him; he also explains aspects of the hereafter to them, as I will explain in greater detail. He seals his words with esoteric matters, and this is why he begins this paragraph reminding the people that there is No One comparable to G-d. Whereas all the other nations have been placed under the guidance of intermediaries, angels, etc., not so the Jewish people. The first time Moses had requested from G-d that this be so was in Exodus 33,16 with the words “and let me and Your people be distinct.” The reason he calls the Jewish people YESHURUN at this stage is not because of their character but because they have a “direct line,” יְשֻׁר to G-d, unlike the other nations. This is also why, in extolling the advantages of the Jewish people compared to other nations, he says אַשְׁרֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִי כָמוֹךָ, “Hail to you Israel; who is comparable to you?” (verse 29). They are unlike the other 70 nations. This is why he tells the people that their share of the worldly goods and their status on earth is different from those nations. He commences by describing the G-d of Israel as “riding the heavens,” always available to assist His people, “in His majesty (He rides) through the upper regions.”

The concept of G-d “riding” the heavens requires some analysis. According to the plain meaning of the text the verb “riding” depicts simply someone who is in control, much as the mounted police are in control of the mob on foot. It is similar to 32,13: “He makes it (Israel) ride on the heights of the Land,” where “riding” also was a simile for being in a dominant position. Just as the horse performs at the command of its rider, Moses describes the function of the heaven as being to perform at the will of G-d Who rides it. We find this described in Job 39,18: “making fun of both horse and its rider.” (G-d describing that were it not for being deprived of its natural instincts, the ostrich would fly and not leave its eggs exposed to all kinds of danger) The orbits of the celestial bodies must not be ascribed to their own ability and power, but only to the power of G-d Who is the source of their motion.

A kabbalistic approach: when Moses described G-d as רֹכֵב שָׁמַיִם (ROKEB SHAMAYIM – “Riding the Heavens”), the word SHAMAYIM has to be understood as a reference to the various attributes of G-d, whereas the One “riding” them is the Essence, Ha-Shem, the EIN SOF – “Incomprehensible One”. The message Moses wishes to convey is that as long as the Israelites carry out G-d's commandments, the distance between G-d the Essence, and G-d in the form of His attributes is minimal, no more so than that of a horse and a rider. If the Israelites do not observe the Torah, however, He will gradually withdraw His Essence to more distant regions, thus distancing Himself from His attributes. This has been expressed in a similar vein by our sages who interpreted Psalms 60,14 where David says “with G-d we shall triumph;" i.e. at a time when Israel performs the commandments, whereas, Deut. 32,18: “You weakened the Rock Who brought you forth,” í.e. you weakened G-d's powers by not observing His commandments.

33,27. מְעֹנָה אֱלֹהֵי קֶדֶם, “you made as your abode the G-d who preceded time.” According to the plain meaning of the text the words mean: “your abode is the G-d from immemorial times.” The meaning is similar to Psalms 91,9: “you established the most High as your haven.” The meaning of the word M’ON is similar to SUKAH, “hut,” in the sense of “shelter.” Compare Psalms 76,3 “Salem became His abode, Zion His den.” The difference between MAQOM and M’ON is that the former describes a place beneath the subject, the latter a place above the subject. (Ibn Ezra)

וּמִתַּחַת זְרֹעֹת עוֹלָם, “and beneath are the world's mighty ones.” This could refer to powerful forces on earth which provide support for the Jewish people, or it could refer to G-d being the Z’RO’OT, “the mighty arms,” Who supports both what is beneath Him as well as what is perceived as above the earth. The simile is somewhat like Psalms 104,2 where David describes G-d as establishing the firmament (without supporting pillars) over the whole globe as if it were a carpet. The fact that G-d suspends earth without perceptible supports has also been described in Job 26,7: “He suspends the world (earth) over nothing (emptiness).” All the Lord needs to support the universe is His invisible, abstract force, power. We human beings have to restrain ourselves from voicing the thought: “how is this possible?” We are simply not able to comprehend this (something which does not it make any less true). The word B’LEMAH in Job 26,7 are two words spelled as one, i.e. B’LE + MAH, “without + anything.” Heaven and earth both are supported by an invisible force. This is also what Isaiah quotes G-d as saying to him in Isaiah 46,4: “I have made it and I carry it.” The prophet speaks of G-d saying that He made both heaven and earth and He carries or supports both. Anyone who possesses this kind of strength is certainly able to expel His enemies from His presence (a reference to the second half of our verse here).

A kabbalistic approach: The letter HAI at the end of the word M’ONAH (which is usually simply M’ON) is a reference to the attribute of Justice. If this were not so, Moses would have said (as he did in Psalms 90,1): “Lord You have been a refuge for us.” In Psalms Moses uttered a prayer and alluded to Ha-Shem, the attribute of Mercy. Hence he spoke of M’ON rather than of M’ONAH. Here Moses was forced to allude to the attribute of Justice as it is the attribute which will drive out G-d's (and Israel's) enemies. The word Z’RO’OT is not in the construct form, í.e. “arms of,” or something to that effect. The letter HAI at the end of the word M’ONAH then is a reference to the first letter n in the tetragram, not the last. [I confess 1 cannot follow from here to the end of this paragraph. The author tries to describe that Moses demonstrates how, through observance of G-d's commandments, an aspect of the attribute of Justice may be converted into becoming an advocate on behalf of the people. The precise steps and how they are reflected in the wording here escape me. Ed.]

33,28. עֵין יַעֲקֹב, “the well of Ya’akob” According to the plain meaning of the text "someone who had emerged from the ‘well’ of Ya’aqob" (Ibn Ezra). We find a similar expression pertaining to offspring of Yehudah in Isaiah 48,1, where the words “and have issued forth from the waters of Yehudah,” also mean that the people the prophet refers to are descended from Ya’aqob through Yehudah.

The words אֶל-אֶרֶץ דָּגָן, “to a land of grain,” clearly must be understood as "in a land of grain, etc." We have a similar use of the word in Kings 18,35 where Solomon describes people praying at the Temple as “and they will pray to this place.” Clearly, he did not mean that their prayers should be directed at the “place,” but, to G-d Who is perceived as being at that place.

If Moses speaks of the inheritance of the land in conjunction with Ya’aqob (instead of Avraham or Yitzchaq), this is to preclude anyone thinking that other descendants of the two senior patriarchs had any claim to that land. This is also why we never find the expression EIN ABRAHAM or EIN YITSCHAQ as it would have included other sons of Avraham, or Esau, a son of Yitzchaq. We have pointed out repeatedly that the Jewish people have an exclusive claim to four gifts: prophecy, Torah, the land of Israel, and resurrection of the bodies after an interval.

The exclusivity of these gifts to the Jewish people can be attributed directly to quotes from Moses' own lips. Concerning the gift of prophecy, he said in Deut. 18,15: “a prophet among you, one of your brethren, someone like me, etc.” He meant: “just as I am a direct descendant of Ya’aqob, so any future prophet will be a direct descendant of Ya’aqob.” This verse teaches that prophecy is not to be found except among the Jewish people.

If you were to counter that we do find Bileam as a prophet among the Gentile nations, the fact is that Bileam was not a prophet at all; he had the occasional communication from G-d, as we know from the Torah itself which described G'd 's communication to him as i.e. a happening which was of a totally irregular nature. Even on that occasion, G-d communicated with him only for the sake and honour of the Jewish people. (compare author's words on Numbers 23,16 and 24,4) Alternatively, the only reason Bileam was granted prophetic powers was to silence the Gentiles' argument that if G-d had given them prophets they too would have risen to the same moral and ethical levels as had the Jewish people (B’midbar Rabbah 20,1).

The exclusivity of the gift of the Torah to the Jewish people is proved by the verse (Deut. 33,4) “Moses has commanded the Torah to us, an hereditary gift for the community of Yaakov.”

The exclusivity of the gift of Eretz Yisrael to direct descendants of Ya’aqob is proved by our verse mentioning עֵין יַעֲקֹב, אֶל-אֶרֶץ דָּגָן – “of Jacob alone, in a land of corn”. History has proved that during the many centuries of the Jewish people being exiled from that land no other nation ever succeeded in making it a land flowing with milk and honey. This is why it was never settled successfully by another nation for any period of time.

The resurrection of the dead being something reserved for the Jewish people is attested to by the words in our verse אַף-שָׁמָיו, יַעַרְפוּ טָל, “even its heavens drip with dew.” The word שָׁמָיו, “its heavens,” refers to the expression עֵין יַעֲקֹב “Of Jacob alone” at the beginning of the same verse, meaning that the dew which in the future will be the mechanism awakening the dead to rebirth comes from the part of heaven AROBOT, in which the descendants of Ya’aqob ride in the interval. In other words, the Yeshurun described in verse 26 are the souls of the Jewish people after death awaiting the call to be resurrected. This part of heaven contains the dew which will reunite these souls with their bodies. Other nations do not share this privilege; their souls will not be reunited with their bodies. This is what Daniel 12,2 referred to when he spoke about many awakening from their slumber, the “many” being Jews. According to Rabbi Semoey there, Moses calls the heaven the domain of the soul, whereas he refers to the earth as the domain of the body. He calls on the dew to reunite the two. People who studied and practiced Torah on earth are as if “heavenly,” and the curse that they will die (permanently) as described by David in Psalms 82,7 does not apply to them. Obviously, the people he speaks of can only be the Jewish people.

We also find that Isaiah prophesied about the future of the Gentile nations saying that “they are dead, they can never live; shades, they can never rise” (Isaiah 26,14), whereas in verse 19 of the same chapter he writes: “your dead will live, let corpses arise! Awake and shout for joy, you who dwell in the dust, for your dew is like the dew on fresh growth, you make the land of shades come to life.” The meaning of the two verses is that a revival of the dead will occur only for the Jewish people. You should know that all of the Jewish people will be resurrected physically, however they will then experience a judgment which will determine their future. This is why Daniel 12,2 describes that some "will remain alive indefinitely whereas others will be consigned to everlasting abhorrence." This is also what the psalmist Assaph referred to in (Psalms 73,20) “when awake you despise death.” Targum Yonathan renders the verse in Psalms 73,20 as “like the dream of a person who is awakened from a dream to face a day of judgment when I awaken them from their graves in anger to announce their permanent death.” We have also been taught in a Baraitha (Rosh Hashanah 16) that when the day of judgment arrives there will be three groups of people. One group comprises the totally righteous/generous, one the totally wicked/lawless, irredeemable, and one group consists of the ones who fall in between the other two categories. The first group will be immediately inscribed and sealed in the Book of the righteous/generous and their fate will be sealed so that they can immediately proceed to the hereafter. The second group will be consigned to hell immediately, in accordance with the verse from Daniel which we already quoted. This proves to you that even the totally wicked/lawless (Jews) will first be awakened before being consigned to their eventual destination. For the wicked/lawless this resurrection of their bodies will actually be a punishment rather than a reward seeing that they will be judged in Gehinom both body and soul in one of the seven levels of that domain.

Concerning the people who fall between the two extremes of being totally righteous/generous and totally wicked/lawless, the Talmud Rosh Hashanah 17 says that they will express their pains during the punishments endured but, if their merits exceed their demerits, they will rise from the pain inflicted upon them and join their brethren in the hereafter reserved for the righteous/generous. The ones whose demerits exceed their accumulated merits, however, will descend into Gehinom for a period of 12 months. At the end of that period their bodies will cease to exist and their souls will be burned, the remains being scattered beneath the soles of the feet of the righteous/generous inhabiting these celestial regions. The fact that the Talmud describes their bodies as “ceasing,” proves that they had descended to Gehinom first both as bodies and souls.

In order to hint that the resurrection of the bodies is something reserved exclusively for the Jewish people, Moses mentioned “dew,” and immediately afterwards: “hail to you Israel.” Our sages in the Sifri 340, commenting on the words in 34,2 where the Torah describes the extent of the vision granted to Moses, “as far as the western sea” in 34,2, add: that instead of reading these words as עַד הַיָּם הָאַחֲרוֹן, we should read them as AD HA-YOM HA-ACHARON, “until the final day.”

A Midrashic approach based on Sifri Vezot. Haberachah 356: the words EIN YA’AQOB mean: “a similar type of blessing to that bestowed by Ya’aqob.” The essence of Ya’aqob's blessing had been that G-d would bring his family back to the land of Israel. (Genesis 48,21).

שָׁמָיו, יַעַרְפוּ טָל אַף-, “also its heavens will drip dew.” The simile: "its havens" (read "his" heavens) refer back to G-d, Alternatively, the simile “its heavens,” may refer to Israel, and the construction would be an example of appending something minor to something major. Moses phrased it thus in order to emphasise the great stature of the people of Israel, making the “heavens” subordinate to Israel. A third possibility is that the word “its heavens,” refers to the word “the earth;” it would not be the first time that the word ARETZ appears as masculine. We have several such examples, one of which is Genesis 13,8 “the earth could not support them,” where the word is masculine. The meaning of our verse then would be: “the heavens which correspond to the sacred earth will drip dew,” i.e. beneficial dew.

33,29. אַשְׁרֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִי כָמוֹךָ, “Hail to you, Israel;” this verse is an explicit promise to the Jewish people concerning life in the hereafter. Seeing that in the previous verse Moses had discussed the destination(s) of the body i.e. what is good for the body, such as the blessings bestowed on earth, abundant crops, conditions of secure tenure of the land, such as a land with ample supplies of grain and wine, a land benefiting from the beneficial dews descending from the skies, and even the promise that should the people ever be exiled, no conquering nation would ever feel at home in their land, now Moses addresses his attention to matters of benefit to the soul.

We know about this already from Bileam's blessing in Numbers 23,9: “they are a nation which dwells in solitary splendour,” Moses now takes up this theme when he refers to Israel being בָּדָד. (verse 28). He is at pains to point out that the rosy future of the Jewish people comprises more than a secure and worry-free existence in Eretz Yisrael, accompanied by an abundance of material blessings. This is why he introduces the subject by describing a unique feature of the Jewish people, i.e. “hail to you Israel, who is like you?” He means that whereas all the other nations, at best, can look forward to a worry-free life of plenty on terrestrial earth, Israel will experience an additional dimension of life in the celestial spheres. This is the meaning of the words “a nation delivered by Ha-Shem Who extends His deliverance into 2 worlds” OLAMIM, pl. Ed.). A true deliverance must include life in the world to come, or it is by definition not a true deliverance. [one may understand the words "true deliverance" as a deliverance from the initial curse that came on upon mankind, i.e. death, when Adam ate from the tree of knowledge. Every “true” deliverance should free one from that. Ed.]

After having told the people that there would indeed be a reward for keeping the Torah in the world . to come, Moses proceeds to offer the Jewish people proof of this in the form of a miracle. He tells the people that G-d Himself would be their shield, that they would be able to boast about G-d being their “sword.” This promise includes the attribute of Justice, even. The word MAGEN, shield, is an allusion to the attribute of Justice, seeing a shield is generally worn on the left, and the attribute of Justice is perceived as on the left side of the diagram of the emanations. David also speaks of G-d being Israel's shield in Psalms 18,36, when he said: “You gave me the shield of Your protection.” He elaborates further in Psalms 84,12, saying: “for the Lord is both sun and shield.” In that verse David refers to the tetragarm, Ha-Shem, as “sun,” and to the attribute of Justice, as “shield.” Moses reassures the people that constant military success on earth against all their enemies is proof that they have a future in the very regions from which this success emanates, is orchestrated on their behalf by G-d.

You may consider it a rule that all the various promises to the people of Israel as a whole, such as at the beginning of the portion Bechukotai, do not concern them themselves merely with the promise of reward in this finite world of ours. They are all similes for the kind of reward awaiting us in celestial regions after the death of our bodies. The success promised by the Torah in our terrestrial world is only to be viewed as proof of the far greater reward in store for us (if we keep the commandments) in a far better world than the terrestrial globe on which we have been born. It is most appropriate that the King of Israel, Moses, on the day when he himself readied himself for entry into that better world, tells his charges that he blessed them in this fashion, that all of them could look forward to that kind of a future.

34,1. וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה, “Moses ascended;” according to the view of Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra, these words and all those that follow have been written by Moses' disciple Joshua, seeing that after Moses ascended he did not come back, and when should he have written these words and where? Joshua wrote these lines after having been prophetically inspired, seeing that he was not an eye-witness to what is described in these verses. Ibn Ezra views the words “the Lord showed him,” as proof that Moses could not have written this, else he would have written “the Lord showed me.” He also feels it is impossible for Moses to have written, concerning himself, “he was buried there.” Ibn Ezra felt constrained to adopt this approach as he could not accept that Moses describes his own death and burial while still alive.

However, this is not true; his commentary is not correct. The correct way of viewing these lines is that we must accept the tradition that Moses wrote the entire Torah including the last eight verses at the dictation of G-d. In fact, one may view Moses as someone who copied verbatim a book which had been written long before he ever lived. This is the view of Rabbi Meir in Baba Batra 15 who said: “is it conceivable that the Torah would be complete if even a single letter of it were missing? Was it not Moses himself who commanded the Levites in Deut. 31,26: ‘to take this book of the Torah?’ Did he command them to take an incomplete Torah?” We must adopt the opinion of the sages in the Talmud who hold that Moses wrote these last verses. (I have never been sure if this means "tearfully," or "with tears," i.e. substituting tears for ink. Ed.]

I do not believe that it is something so extraordinary for us to believe that Moses could write a verse saying: “Moses, the servant of Ha-Shem, died there, and He buried him in the valley, etc.,” seeing he was writing matters which had not happened yet but would surely happen in the future. He had previously written about things which had not happened yet but would happen in the future, when he wrote (Deut. 32,19) “the Lord saw and became exasperated and spurned His sons and daughters, etc.” At that time Moses had predicted events which would not occur until the fall of the Temple. He had also described many other events in the future in the past tense, as if they had already taken place. This was a style employed by many prophets and is something we should not have too much trouble to understand. (compare Nachmanides on Exodus 15,1 and the use of the future tense there for an event which had just occurred).

... / ...

34,12. וּלְכֹל הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה “and by all the strong hand;” this is a reference to the splitting of the Sea of Reeds in connection with which the Torah had written (Exodus 14,31) “Israel saw the manifestation of the great hand.”

וּלְכֹל הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל, “and by the great awesome spectacle;” this is a reference to what occurred at Mount Sinai during the revelation. At that time G-d had explained these awesome spectacles as designed to strengthen the people's awe of G-d and to help them not to trespass against Him. (Exodus 20,20) Moses enumerates events in chronological order. His miracles had first been aimed at Pharaoh, and subsequently at the Jewish people.

A kabbalistic approach: the references to “strong hand” and “which Moses performed,” are similes for the emanations Tiferet and Kebod. These emanations are also reflected in the words of Isaiah 8,13: “and He is the object of your reverence and of your awe.” These words must be understood as: “he demonstrated,” [seeing Moses does not make miracles, but G-d does. Ed.] The reason that the Torah here does not write matters in the same order as did Isaiah, is due to the respective level of the prophetic powers of the prophet involved. Moses, as opposed to Isaiah, had been privileged to see what are called “clear, un-blurred visions.” He demonstrated everything he wanted to convey to the 'eyes' of Israel," to their most superior means of perception, in the clearest possible manner. He was able to convey the meaning of the emanations to the people. [He did not speak to the people in riddles, in euphemisms and in parables, as distinct from other prophets including Isaiah. Ed.] I believe that this is also the meaning of 33,21: “Moses performed righteousness/generosity and justice of the Lord with Israel,” [I believe the author means that he could demonstrate how these two attributes blend with one another without conflicting with each other. Ed.]

You have to appreciate that seeing that both the Torah and the concept of the Jewish people preceded the creation of the universe (Beresheet Rabbah 1,5), the Torah commenced with the word B’RESHEET, and concluded with the word YISRAEL. This Torah which Moses presented to the entire people of Israel is a true Torah, something which is eternal in its function as a salvation for the Jewish people. In the words of Deut. 6,24, “It is good for us for all the days (which this universe endures).” It commenced with the letter BET and ends with the letter LAMED which represent between them the 32 paths of wisdom contained in the Torah. If you read these two letters from back to front, you have the allusion to the fact that sooner or later the world as we know is subject to unraveling, to returning to the state it was in at its beginning. The word LEB, heart, is what we get when reading the last letter of the Torah first followed by the first letter of the Torah. “Heart” is symbolic of RATSON, “will.” The will of G-d is the key to the continued existence of any phenomenon. The last letter in the Torah, the letter LAMED, is the tallest of the letters in the aleph bet, and it points in the direction of the root of the highest tree, the one from which all existence which we are witness to emanates, and which will also be the one causing it to terminate when the Creator so desires. The psalmist David had something like this in mind when he commenced the hymn in Psalms 24,1 with the letter LAMED. This is the domain from which all intelligent beings receive their first insights, perceptions. This is also the path by means of which existence as we know it will come to an end. I believe all the allusions to metamorphosis of this universe and the ones preceding it are expressions of their failure to achieve the potential the Creator had hoped for. Ed.]

Ketubim: Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 146 - 147

JPS TRANSLATION	TARGUM
1. Hallelujah. Praise the LORD, O my soul.	1. Hallelujah! Praise the name of the Lord, O my soul.
2. I will praise the LORD while I live; I will sing praises unto my God while I have my being.	2. I will sing praise, O Lord, in my lifetime, I will make music to my God while I exist.
3. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.	3. You will not place your trust in rulers, in a son of man who has no redemption.
4. His breath goes forth, he returns to his dust; in that very day his thoughts perish.	4. His spirit will go away, he will return to his dust; on that day his plans perish.
5. Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,	5. Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.
6. Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is; who keeps truth for ever;	6. Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps truth forever.
7. Who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives bread to the hungry. The LORD looses the prisoners;	7. Who brings judgment for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry; the Lord, who sets the prisoners free.
8. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; the LORD raises up them that are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous/generous;	8. The Lord gives sight to foreigners, who are likened to the blind; the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous/ generous.
9. The LORD preserves the strangers; He upholds the fatherless and the widow; but the way of the wicked/lawless He makes crooked.	9. The Lord protects the proselyte; He will support the widow and orphan, but will confound the way of the wicked/lawless.
10. The LORD will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, unto all generations. Hallelujah.	10. The Lord will reign forever; Your God, O Zion, for all generations. Hallelujah!
1. Hallelujah; for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely.	Hallelujah! For it is good to make music in the presence of our God, for it is pleasant, praise is comely.
2. The LORD does build up Jerusalem, He gathers together the dispersed of Israel;	2. The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem, He will gather the exiles of Jerusalem.
3. Who heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.	3. Who heals the broken hearted, and applies bandages to their hurts.
4. He counts the number of the stars; He gives them all their names.	4. He numbers the sum of the stars, calling them all by name.
5. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.	5. Great is our Lord and abundant in power; there is no sum of His intelligence.
6. The LORD upholds the humble; He brings the wicked/lawless down to the ground.	6. The Lord supports the meek, He humbles the wicked/lawless to the ground.
7. Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving, sing praises upon the harp unto our God;	7. Sing praise in the presence of the Lord with thanksgiving; make music in the presence of our God with the harp.
8. Who covers the heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes the mountains to spring with grass.	8. Who covers the heavens with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass grow on the mountains.
9. He gives to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.	9. He gives to the beast its food, to the young of the raven that cry out
10. He delights not in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.	10. He will not desire the strength of those who ride on horses; He will take no pleasure in the thighs of swift men.
11. The LORD takes pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that wait for His mercy.	11. The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear Him, who wait long for His goodness.
12. Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise Your God, O Zion.	12. Praise, O Jerusalem, the Lord, praise your God, O Zion.
13. For He has made strong the bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you.	13. For He has strengthened the bars of your gates, He has blessed your sons in your midst.
14. He makes your borders peace; He gives you in plenty the fat of wheat.	14. Who has set peace at your border, He will satisfy you with the fat of wheat.
15. He sends out His commandment upon earth; His word runs very swiftly.	15. Who sends His Word to the earth, with speed His speech will run.
16. He gives snow like wool; He scatters the hoar-frost like ashes.	16. Who gives snow as white as wool, He will scatter frost like ash.
17. He casts forth His ice like crumbs; who can stand before His cold?	17. Who casts His hail parceled out as crumbs; who is able to stand before His cold?
18. He sends forth His word, and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.	18. He will send the east wind of His wrath and melt them; He will make His wind blow [and] waters flow.
19. He declares His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances unto Israel.	19. Who tells the words of Torah to Jacob, his statutes and judgments to Israel.
20. He has not dealt so with any nation; and as for His ordinances, they have not known them. Hallelujah.	20. He has not acted so with every people; He did not tell them his judgments. Hallelujah!

Midrash Tehillim Psalms 146 - 147

PSALM ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SIX

I. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord, O my soul. 1 will praise the Lord while 1 live; 1 will sing praises unto my God while 1 have my being ... Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob (Ps. 144:1-2, 5). Jeremiah said: Sing unto the Lord, praise you the Lord (Jer. 20:13). Wherefore sing? Why praise Him? Because He has delivered the soul of the meek from the hand of evil-doers (ibid.). When the Holy One, blessed be He, fells the evil-doers into Gehenna and delivers the righteous/generous, the righteous/generous will extol Him and will sing praises unto Him because He does not abandon the meek. Thus Scripture says, But on this man will 1 look, even on him that is meek and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at My Word (Isa. 66:2). Similarly, in the preceding Psalm, it is written The Lord preserves all them that love Him; but all the wicked/lawless will He destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord (Ps. 145:20-21). And not I alone will speak His praise, but all flesh will bless His Holy name forever and ever (ibid.). Hence it is said 1 will praise the Lord while 1 live; 1 will sing praises unto My God while 1 have my being (Ps. 146:2). As Solomon said: Man also knows not his time (Eccles. 9:12). If a man does not praise God while he is alive, when can he praise Him? Surely not when he is dead? For it is said The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence (Ps. 115:17). And it is also written For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give Thee thanks? (Ps. 6:6). Who, then, must praise You? We, from this time forth and forever, will bless the Lord (Ps. 115:18). That is, The living, the living, he will praise You (Isa. 38:19). Not they that are in the grave can praise You, For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither you go (Eccles. 9:10). Hence it is said 1 will praise the Lord while 1 live; 1 will sing praises unto my God while 1 have my being.

II. O put not your trust in princes nor in any son of man; for there is no help in them (Ps. 146:3). A man has no right to put his trust in the works of his forebears. Ishmael has no right to say: “Abraham is my father, I am a part of him, and he will help me.” Esau has no right to say: “Jacob was righteous/generous, and he will help me: by virtue of his works I will be redeemed.” For the verse Nο man can by any means redeem his brother (Ps. 49:8) means that a man's brother cannot redeem him; if a man does no good in this world, he has no right to put his trust in the works of his forebears. Hence it is said O put not your trust in princes, nor in any son of man; for there is no help in them. In what should you put your trust? In your own wise labors, for it is said If you are wise, you are wise for yourself (Prov. 9:12). Likewise Scripture says, He that labors labors for himself (Prov. 16:26). In the time-to-come no man will eat because of his forebears' labor; but each and every man will eat because of his own, for it is said All the labor of man is for his own mouth (Eccles. 6:7). It is also written Wherefore I perceived that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his portion (ibid. 3:22). That is, a man has no portion in anything other than his own works. As Scripture says, Blessed is every one that fears the Lord, that walks in His ways. For you will eat the labor of your hands. Happy will you be, and it will be well with you (Ps. 128:2). Hence it is said O put not your trust in princes, nor in any son of man; for there is no help in them.

III. For when the breath of man goes forth, he will turn again to his earth, and then all his thoughts perish (Ps. 146:4). By what parable may this verse be interpreted? By the parable of a water-skin. When it is blown full of air and is standing upright, he who sees it from afar is afraid of it, wondering what kind of thing it is. But what happens? As he comes near it, he sees that it is only a water-skin; and when he touches it, and it falls down, and the air which filled it escapes, the man says, “Was I afraid of this? There was nothing to it except the air which made it stand upright.” Even so does the Holy One, blessed be He, say, “All flesh is nothing, as it is said All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field (Isa. 40:6).” Likewise Scripture says, How much less man, that is a worm! And the son of man, that is a maggot! (Job 25:6). Man stands upright only because he has breath. As soon as his breath escapes, he becomes dust. As Scripture says, When the breath of man goes forth, he returns to his dust (Ps. 146:4).

The Holy One, blessed be He, spoke thus: I created this being, but it is he who stands and boasts. Wicked/Lawless Sennacherib came, and he boasted and reviled and blasphemed, but as soon as his breath escaped, his thoughts perished. So it was with Pharaoh. And so it was with Haman. And so it is with all the wicked/lawless men in the world that revile and blaspheme: They are only breath, and when their breath escapes, their thoughts perish. Do you desire an intercessor who will stand by you for ever? Then trust Him always, and you will stand upright, as it is said Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God (Ps. 146:5). O that you knew in whom you ought to put your trust! In Him who made heaven and earth! God says: Ever since I stretched out the heavens and spread forth the earth, have they budged from their places? So, too, he who puts his trust in Me; his reward will never cease. Hence it is said Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God (Ps. 146:5). And what does Scripture at once go on to say? Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is (ibid. 146:6). What is taught by all that in them is? You are taught that over against every creature God has οn earth, He has its like in the sea. Hence it is said Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.

IV. Who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives bread to the hungry (Ps. 146:7). Who is meant by the hungry? Elijah. He was hungry, and God gave him bread to eat, as is said And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook (I Kings 17:6). Hence it is said Who gives bread to the hungry.

The Lord will loose the bonds (Ps. 146:7) What does the verse mean by the words loose the bonds? Some say that of every animal whose flesh it is forbidden to eat in this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, will declare in the time-to-come that the eating of its flesh is permitted. Thus in the verse That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been given is that which will be given (Eccles. x :9), the words that which has been given refer to the animals that were given as food before the time of the sons of Noah, for God said: “Every moving thing that lives will be food for you; as the green herb have I given you all” (Gen. 9:3). That is to say, "As I give the green herb as food to all, so once I gave both beasts and cattle as food to all." But why did God declare the flesh of some animals forbidden? In order to see who would accept His commandments and who would not accept them. In the time-to-come, however, God will again permit the eating of that flesh which He has forbidden.

Others say that in the time-to-come, God will not permit this, for it is said They that ... eat swine's flesh, and the detestable thing, and the mouse, will be consumed together, says the Lord (Isa. 66:17). Now if God will cut off and destroy men who eat forbidden flesh, surely he will do the same to the forbidden animals themselves. To what, otherwise, do the words will loose the bonds refer? Though nothing is more strongly forbidden than intercourse with a menstruate woman—for when a woman sees blood the Holy One, blessed be He, forbids her to her husband— in the time-to-come, God will permit such intercourse. As Scripture says, It will come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that ... 1 will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land (Zech. 13:2), the unclean clearly denoting a menstruate woman, and of such it is said “And you will not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness” (Lev. 18:19).

Still others say that in the time-to-come sexual intercourse will be entirely forbidden. You can see for yourself why it will be. On the day that the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself on Mount Sinai to give the Torah to the children of Israel, He forbade intercourse for three days, as it is said Be ready against the third day; come not at your wives (Ex. 19:15). Now since God, when He revealed Himself for only one day, forbade intercourse for three days, in the time-to-come, when the presence of God dwells continuously in Israel's midst, will not intercourse be entirely forbidden?

What, otherwise, is meant by bonds in will loose the bonds? The bonds of death and the bonds of the nether-world.

V. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind (Ps. 146:8). No privation is greater, no affliction is greater or more cruel than blindness. What parable fits here? That of a man who carried freight on camels and on donkeys. Once they were loaded, they would set out on their route. He loaded one of the animals with a burden as great as all the others together carried, and he also loaded it with fodder for all the others. Then he commanded concerning this animal: “Take special care of this one, for it is not merely straw that is loaded on him. I know well what a load I put upon him.” When they came into the city and were about to unload the animals, the man said: “Unload this one first, for Ι put a greater burden upon him than upon all the others.” Even so, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave special commandments concerning the blind, for no affliction is greater than theirs. As Scripture says: Cursed be he that makes the blind to go astray in the way (Deut. 27:18). Indeed, when God comes to heal the world, He will certainly first heal the blind, as it is said The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises up them that are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous/generous; the Lord preserves the strangers; He upholds the fatherless and the widow (Ps. 146:8-9).

Another comment: Who are the blind? Men of the present generation who go groping like blind men in the Torah, saying We wait for light, but behold obscurity, for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind (Isa. 59:9-10). All of them read, but do not know what they read. All of them study, but do not know what they study. In the time-to-come, however, The eyes of the blind will be opened (ibid. 35:5).

VI. The Lord raises up them that are bowed down (Ps. 146:8). Who are bowed down? The children of Israel who are exiled from the Land of Israel. Ever since the day that they were exiled from Jerusalem, they have not been able to stand up straight, but are bowed down so low before their enemies that their enemies walk all over them. So Isaiah declared: Thus says your Lord the Lord, and your God that pleads the cause of His people: Behold, 1 have taken out of your hand the cup of staggering, the beaker, even the cup of My fury, you will no more drink it again; and 1 will put it into the hand of them that afflict you; that have said to your soul: “Bow down, that we may go over” (Isa. 51 :22-23)—that is, I will put the cup into the hand of your enemies that make you bow down so low. Hence The Lord raises up them that are bowed down.

VII. The Lord loves the righteous/generous (Ps. 146:8). As Scripture says, 1 love them that love Me (Prov. 8:17), and again For them that honor Me 1 will honor (I Sam. 2:30) : they love Me, and I love them. And why does God love the righteous/generous? Because their righteousness/generosity is not something inherited, as is the priesthood in a family of priests or in a family of Levites. The priests, rather, are part of a family line, and the Levites, too, are part of a family line, as it is said O house of Aaron, bless you the Lord; O house of Levi, bless you the Lord (Ps. 135:19). Therefore, should a man seek to become a Levite, or to become a priest, he cannot become one because his father was not a Levite or a priest. But should a man seek to become righteous/generous person, even if he is a gentile, he can become righteous/generous; for the righteous/generous do not depend upon a family line, but in their own persons and of their own will volunteer and come to love the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous/generous (Ps. 33:1). Hence it is said The Lord loves the righteous/generous.

VIII. The Lord preserves the strangers (Ps. 146:9). The Holy One, blessed be He, greatly loves converts. What parable fits here? That of a king who had a flock. Every day it used to go out and feed in the pasture and come back in the evening. One time a stag joined the flock, walking along with the goats and the ewes and feeding with them. He would come back with the flock, and when it would go out to feed, he would go with it. The king was told, “A stag goes with the flock and feeds with it, every day going out and coming back with it.” And the king came to love the stag exceedingly. When the stag went out into the pasture, the king would command the shepherd, saying to him: “Take special care of this stag! Let no one strike him.” And when the stag came back with the flock, the king would command his friend concerning him: “Give him to eat and to drink.” And the king loved the stag more and more. The shepherd said to the king: “My lord king, many are the he-goats, many the she-goats, many the ewes, and many the lambs you have, but you do not command me to take special care of them. But the stag— every day you give me commands about him.” The king replied: “As for the flock, it feeds in its usual way. But stags, they live in the wilderness. It is not their way to come into inhabited land, among men. This stag did come in, however, and found a place among us. Will we not show our appreciation of him for having left the great wide wilderness, the place where stags and hinds feed, for having abandoned them and coming among us? We must show our appreciation of him.”

Even so does the Holy One, blessed be He, say: “I must show My great appreciation of the stranger who has left his family and his father's house and has come to Me. Therefore, I command concerning him: Love you therefore the stranger (Deut. 10:19); And a stranger will you not wrong (Ex. 22:20).” Hence it is said The Lord preserves the strangers.

IX. He upholds the fatherless and the widow (Ps. 146:9). Scripture pairs the stranger with the fatherless and with the widow. Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, said: The three of them are lowly and poor. Moses also said: He does execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves the stranger (Deut. 10:18). Hence it is said The Lord preserves the strangers; He upholds the fatherless and the widow.

And who are the fatherless? The children of Israel, who say: We are become orphans and fatherless (Lam. 5:3). And who is the widow? Zion, and also Jerusalem, as it is said The city ... that was full of people! How is she become as a widow! (ibid. 1:1). Hence it is said He upholds the fatherless and the widow. Does God, then, uphold all the fatherless and all the widows? Nο!; only if they are righteous/generous, for it is only to such that Scripture says Sing unto God, sing praises to His name ... exult you before Him. A Father of the fatherless, and a Judge of the widows, is God in His holy habitation (Ps. 68:5-6). But if they are wicked/lawless, then, as it is written of them, The way of the wicked/lawless He makes crooked (Ps. 148:9). Does God make ways crooked? He decrees that all, the righteous/generous and the wicked/lawless, should go up to Jerusalem and to the Garden of Eden, for the same way leads to both places, and both the righteous/generous and the wicked/lawless come to Jerusalem. As soon as they arrive there, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings the righteous/generous into the Garden of Eden; but He twists the way of the wicked/lawless and leads them onto the road to Gehenna. Hence it is said But the way of the wicked/lawless He makes crooked. Likewise Scripture says, The Lord upholds the humble; He brings the wicked/lawless down to the ground (Ps. 147:6). And the righteous/generous proclaim the reign of God, as it is said The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, unto all generations (Ps. 146:10).

PSALM ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN

I. The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise you the Lord. Praise you the Lord; for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely (Ps. 146:10-147:2). Isaiah said: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good tidings, that announce peace, the harbinger of good tidings, that announce salvation; that says unto Zion: “Your Lord reigns” Your watchmen will lift up the voice, with the voice together will they sing. Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem (Isa. 52:7-9).

But is it not true that now there is awe of Me only in heaven, as is declared by the verse His glory is above the earth—in heaven (Ps. 148:13)? When is there to be awe of Me on earth? When God exalts the horn of Israel, as it is said I will sing praises to the God of Jacob when the horns of the righteous/generous will be exalted (Ps. 75:10-11). Hence it is said He will exalt the horn of His people; all His saints will praise Him (Ps. 148:14).

Why is Israel likened to a horn? Because as the horn is set in the head, so Israel is set at the head of all peoples, for Scripture says, And the Lord will make you the head (Deut. 28:13). Hence it is said He will exalt the horn of His people.

Why does the conclusion of the verse speak of Israel as a people near unto Him? Because Israel is a people that draws near to Him through its obedience to the commandments, a people that the Holy One, blessed be He, draws nearer to Him than He draws any other people. As Israel says: But as for me, the nearness of God is my good (Ps. 73:28). Hence it is said The children of Israel, a people near unto Him (Ps. 148:14).

II. Another comment: The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise you the Lοrd. Praise you the Lοrd; for it is good to sing praises unto our God ... The Lord does build up Jerusalem, He gathers together the outcasts of Israel (Ps. 146:10-147:2). Isaiah said: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good tidings (Isa. 52:7). That is, when the Lord will reign, everything will bring good tidings: as Scripture says, announcing peace, bringing good tidings, announcing salvation (ibid.).

Thus also it is said Sing, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem (Zeph. 13:14). At what event? When The Lord has taken away your judgments ... the King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of you (ibid. 13:15).

And so when the Holy One, blessed be He, reigns, everything will sing praises unto Him. Thus also the preceding Psalm says: The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise you the Lord. Praise you the Lord; for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely. That is, when the Holy One, blessed be He, is King, it will be proper to praise Him. Why? Because everything will belong to the kingdom of the Holy One, blessed be He. Then all will sing, all will shout praises, all will laud Him because all will see Him reigning. Hence it is written How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good tidings ... that says unto Zion: “Your God reigns!” And what does the next verse declare? Your watchmen will lift up the voice, with the voice together will they sing ... Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem (Isa. 52:7-9).

So Scripture says again: Sing, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel; be glad, and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem (Zeph. 3:14). At what event? When The Lord has taken away your judgments ... The King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of you (ibid. 3:15).

So when the Holy One, blessed be He, reigns, in that hour you are to sing praises unto Him. Hence it is said The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise you the Lord. Praise you the Lord. For it is good to sing praises unto our God. For it is pleasant, and praise is comely. The Lord does build up Jerusalem, He gathers together the dispersed of Israel. He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds (Ps. 147:1-3).

A mortal king, if he is addressed by a poor man with the scar of a burn on his hand, will he not respond to the man, however noble the man may be, because the king finds the scar repulsive? Not so the Holy One, blessed be He. All addresses to Him are welcome. He says, “Address Me with praise, and you will be acceptable to Me”: For it is good to sing praises unto our God ... He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds (Ps. 147:1-3).

III. The Lord does build up Jerusalem, He gathers together the outcasts of Israel (Ps. 147:2). Even as the Holy One, blessed be He, will be acknowledged King by the recital of songs and the singing of praises, so only by the recital of songs and the singing of praises will Jerusalem be rebuilt. You will find that this was true of the rebuilding of the Second Temple, for it is said And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord ... they sang one to another in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord (Ezra 3:10, i1). Hence it is said For it is good to sing praises unto our God.

He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. Who are the outcasts of Israel? Korah and his entire company who were cast out at the command of Moses our master, peace to him. Achan, also, who was cast out at the command of Joshua. Scripture says, however: Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly unto her. And I will give her vineyards from thence, and the valley of troubling (Achor) for a door of hope (Hos. 2:16-17). What valley of troubling is described here as a door of hope? The very valley of Achor where Joshua said to Achan: “Why have you troubled (achar) us?” (Josh. 7:25). Hence it is said He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

Another comment: He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. These are the ten tribes of Israel, of whom it is said The Lord ... cast them into another land (Deut. 29:27). So, too, Scripture says, And it will come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet will be blown, and they will come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt (Isa. 27:13). In that hour the children of Israel will have no sicknesses, for then and there they will be healed, as it is said He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds (Ps. 147:3).

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: If a hand which is burnt can be healed, surely the breach in the heart of Israel can be healed. The heart of Israel is broken only because Jerusalem is desolate, as it is said For this our heart is faint, for these things our eyes are dim. Because of the Mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it (Lam. 5:17-18). Thus when the Holy One, blessed be He, asked: “Why is your heart faint?” Israel replied: Because of the Mountain of Zion, which is desolate. He said: “Behold, then, I will rebuild it and heal you, as it is said The Lord does build up Jerusalem ... He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.” And as it is also written In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people, and heals the stroke of their wound (Isa. 30:26). What, then, is the bruise of His people? The desolation of Jerusalem. And what is meant by heals the stroke of their wound? That he who made Jerusalem desolate, will rebuild it. In that hour there will be no trouble, no sighing, no sorrow, as it is said And the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads; they will obtain joy and gladness; and sorrow and sighing will flee away (Isa. 35:10). And the children of Israel will rejoice forever.

Ashlamatah: Joshua 1:1-9

1. Now it came to pass after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying:

2. “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

3. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, to you have I given it, as I spoke unto Moses.

4. From the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, will be your border.”

5. There will not any man be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you, nor forsake you.”

6. Be strong and of good courage; for you will cause this people to inherit the land which I swore unto their fathers to give them.

7. Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the Law, which Moses My servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success whithersoever you go.

8. This book of the Law will not depart out of your mouth, but you will meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then you will make your ways prosperous, and then you will have good success.

9. Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be you dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you whithersoever you go.” {P}

Special Ashlamatah: Isaiah 41:10 – 43:9

8. And you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham, My lover,

9. Whom I have taken hold of, from the ends of the earth, And from its near places I have called you, And I say to you, My servant You are, I have chosen you, and not rejected you.

10. Fear you not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I strengthen you, yes, I help you; yes, I uphold you with My victorious right hand.

11. Behold, all they that were incensed against you will be ashamed and confounded; they that strove with you will be as nothing, and will perish.

12. You will seek them, and will not find them, even them that contended with you; they that warred against you will be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

13. For I the LORD your God hold thy right hand, who say unto you: ‘Fear not, I help you.’ {S}

14. Fear not, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel; I help you, says the LORD, and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

15. Behold, I make you a new threshing-sledge having sharp teeth; you will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills as chaff.

16. You will fan them, and the wind will carry them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them; and you will rejoice in the LORD, you will glory in the Holy One of Israel. {S}

17. The poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst; I the LORD will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

18. I will open rivers on the high hills, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

19. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia-tree, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane-tree, and the larch together;

20. That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it. {P}

21. Produce your cause, says the LORD; bring forth your reasons, says the King of Jacob.

22. Let them bring them forth, and declare unto us the things that will happen; the former things, what are they? Declare you, that we may consider, and know the end of them; or announce to us things to come.

23. Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; yes, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.

24. Behold, you are nothing, and your work a thing of nought; an abomination is he that chooses you. {P}

25. I have roused up one from the north, and he is come, from the rising of the sun one that calls upon My name; and he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treads clay.

26. Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know? And beforetime, that we may say that he is right? Yes, there is none that declares, yes, there is none that announces, yes, there is none that hears your utterances.

27. A harbinger unto Zion will I give: ‘Behold, behold them’, and to Jerusalem a messenger of good tidings.

28. And I look, but there is no man; even among them, but there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can give an answer.

29. Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought; their molten images are wind and confusion. {P}

1. Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delights; I have put My spirit upon him, he will make the right (judgement) to go forth to the Gentiles.

2. He will not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

3. A bruised reed will he not break, and the dimly burning wick will he not quench; he will make the right (judgment) to go forth according to the truth.

4. He will not fail nor be crushed, till he have set the right (judgment) in the land; and the isles will wait for his Law with hope. {P}

5. Thus says God the LORD, He that created the heavens, and stretched them forth, He that spread forth the earth and that which comes out of it, He that gives breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

6. I the LORD have called you in righteousness/generosity, and have taken hold of your hand, and kept you, and set you for a covenant of the people, for a light to the Gentiles;

7. To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.

8. I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images.

9. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them. {P}

10. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth; you that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

11. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar does inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela exult, let them shout from the top of the mountains.

12. Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare His praise in the islands.

13. The LORD will go forth as a mighty man, He will stir up jealousy like a man of war; He will cry, yes, He will shout aloud, He will prove Himself mighty against His enemies. {S}

14. I have long time held My peace, I have been still, and refrained Myself; now will I cry like a travailing woman, gasping and panting at once.

15. I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.

16. And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, in paths that they knew not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and rugged places plain. These things will I do, and I will not leave them undone.

17. They will be turned back, greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten images: ‘You are our gods.’ {P}

18. Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that ye may see.

19. Who is blind, but My servant? Or deaf, as My messenger that I send? Who is blind as he that is wholehearted, and blind as the LORD'S servant?

20. Seeing many things, you observe not; opening the ears, he hears not.

21. The LORD was pleased, for His righteousness'/generosity’s sake, He magnifies the Law, and makes it honourable.

22. But this is a people robbed and spoiled, they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison-houses; they are for a prey, and none delivers, for a spoil, and none says: ‘Restore.’

23 Who among you will give ear to this? Who will hearken and hear for the time to come?

24. Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the LORD? He against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, neither were they obedient unto His Law.

25. Therefore He poured upon him the fury of His anger, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not, and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.

1. But now thus says the LORD that created you, O Jacob, and He that formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name, you are Mine.

2. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you will not be burnt, neither will the flame kindle upon you.

3. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Saviour; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for you.

4. Since you are precious in My sight, and honourable, and I have loved you; therefore will I give men for you, and peoples for your life.

5. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

6. I will say to the north: ‘Give up,’ and to the south: ‘Keep not back, bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the end of the earth;

7. Every one that is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, I have formed him, yes, I have made him.’

8. The blind people that have eyes will be brought forth, and the deaf that have ears.

9. All the Gentiles are gathered together, and the peoples are assembled; who among them can declare this, and announce to us former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; and let them hear, and say: ‘It is truth.’

10. You are My witnesses, says the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He; before Me there was no God formed, neither will any be after Me. {S}

11. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour.

12. I have declared, and I have saved, and I have announced, and there was no strange god among you; therefore you are My witnesses, says the LORD, and I am God.

13. Yes, since the day was I am He, and there is none that can deliver out of My hand; I will work, and who can reverse it? {S}

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 28:11-15

11. As they were on their way, behold, some of the guards of the Bet HaMiqdash (Temple) Sentry-Unit having gone into the city, reported to the [Greco-Roman oriented Sadducee] Chief Kohanim (Priests) of the Bet HaMiqdash (Temple) everything that had occurred.

12. Then they [the Chief Priests] having gathered with the elders and having convened a council, they gave an adequate number of silver shekelim to the elite Roman Royal Guards saying,

13. “Say that, having come by night, his Talmidim (Rabbinic Disciples) stole him while we were lying down to rest.

14. If this be heard by the Roman ruler, we will persuade him him otherwise and make you safe and free from worry.”

15. Then they, having taken the silver shekalim, did as they were instructed. This thing is reported by Judeans even to this day.

Pirke Abot: II:5

“He [R. Hillel] used to say: He who increases flesh, increases worms; he who increases possessions, increases worry; he who takes many wives, increases witchcraft; he who has many maidservants, increases licentiousness; he who has many male servants, increases robbery; he who increases Torah, increases life; he who increases sitting [in study], increases wisdom; he who increases counsel, increases understanding; he who increases charity, increases peace. He who acquires a good name, has acquired it for himself; he who acquires for himself words of Torah, has acquired for himself life in the World to Come.”

Abarbanel on Pirke Abot

By: Abraham Chill

Sepher Hermon Press, Inc. 1991

ISBN 0-87203-135-7

(pp. 113 - 117)

Abarbanel begins his commentary on this Mishnah by pointing to four aspects which, to his mind, are problematical.

1. The terms Torah, sitting, wisdom, counsel, and understanding are very close to each other in meaning and are almost synonyms.

2. Why did Hillel associate wisdom with sitting and understanding with counsel? Surely, he should have said, “He who increases Torah, increases understanding; he who increases wisdom, increases counsel,” because understanding is a product of Torah and counsel is a product of wisdom.

3. What is the significance of “He who acquires a good name, has acquired it for himself”? The verb “acquires” already implies “for himself.”

4. The aphorism “He who acquires for himself words of Torah, has acquired for himself life in the World to Come” seems to be out of place here. Previous Mishnayot have already addressed themselves to the subject of Torah study. Why return to it now and integrate it into this string of “acquisitions”?

Abarbanel therefore suggests that this Mishnah of Hillel is cited here in order tο buttress his support for Rabbi Yehudah ha Nasi's view regarding the ideal way of life for the Jew. In this important dictum, Hillel embarks on an investigation of the accepted ways of life of human beings in order to establish which of them will bring satisfaction and success.

There are four lifestyles current: Some people devote their lives to eating and drinking and physical pleasure and efforts to lengthen their lives. They see this as the purpose in life, in that it is all man has for his labours. Hillel is quick to reject this philosophy because undisciplined gluttony shortens a man's life and hastens his death when he will be food for the worms. That is the reason, contends Abarbanel, why the Torah restrains us from eating certain foods or certain combinations of foods, such as meat and milk products together. (This is in contradiction to the overwhelming majority of Halakhic authorities who see no connection between the Jewish dietary laws and medical principles — A.C.)

Abarbanel cites other commentators who interpreted the aphorism as meaning that a corpulent body is just that much more nourishment for the worms in the grave, which cause great pain.

The second popular philosophy of life is to seek joy and satisfaction in promiscuous sexual activity. To this end they take many wives and concubines and their aim is to arouse love and have many sons. A person with this philosophy does not seek a woman with proper attributes and honourable qualities, in order to become one flesh with her and beget sons who will share his characteristics; the children that he will beget will be the evil spirits his wives will create by their magic to divert his heart from God. This is what Hillel meant when he said, “More women, more witchcraft.” The women will use his love for them to make him crazy and not believe what he sees, which is, in fact, the essence of witchcraft. Therefore, in the final analysis, the result will be the direct opposite of his intentions. This is why the Torah forbade various kinds of incestuous relationships and also specified a certain part of each month when sexual relations are forbidden. In fact, the rabbis even cautioned man to restrict his simple conversation with a woman so that he will not become vulnerable to dishonourable thoughts and conduct.

The third philosophy examined by Hillel is that which leads a man to seek his blissful exultation in accumulating riches in order to have everything his heart desires and not have to resort to the generosity of others. The answer that Hillel gives to this type of person is, “The more possessions, the more worry.” A man expends his energy in accumulating wealth in order to ensure that he will never have to worry. The result, however, is the opposite. It is inevitable that a man of great wealth is in constant fear of losing that wealth. It will give him no peace of mind; it will cause him sleepless nights and anxious days. What he will have gained in financial security will have been more than lost in a life of fear and trepidation. Suspicious people will hover around him to discredit and rob him.

To make a further point about the futility of wealth, Abarbanel quotes “a certain wise man” who witnessed the following incident. Two men independently buried their wealth in the ground. The treasure of one of them was stolen, but the owner was not aware of the theft. He continued happily to associate with the wealthy and was proud of his great wealth and power. The other man had a lapse of memory and forgot where he had buried his treasure. He went to the place where he thought he had buried it, but did not find it. He thought he had been robbed and spent the rest of his days in misery, weeping and wailing for his treasure which had been stolen, but which, in reality, was buried exactly where he put it — in his back garden. The moral which Abarbanel draws from this story is that wealth and poverty are a matter of imagination, a state of mind, and have no connection with truth or reality.

With the above in mind, the Torah commanded us to give charity and fulfil all our other obligations, such as tithes, lending without interest, cancelling debts in the Sabbatical Year and restoring property in the Jubilee Year. In truth, the Torah goes so far as to instruct the king in Israel that he may not accumulate more money than he needs for his royal expenses.

The fourth philosophy which Hillel examined is the one most accepted by the masses. It claims that the purpose of life is the achievement of honor and respect, and argues that it is a life's purpose approved by God Himself, who promised to give those who love Him and observe mitzvoth “seats of honor” (I Samuel 2:8). A man's honor is demonstrated by the number of his servants. He needs servants to run before him, announcing his arrival, and to do all things necessary, so that his own hands will never have to turn themselves to any chore. His honor is also measured by the number of maids he has to serve his wife and daughters. Abarbanel quotes an anonymous “philosopher” who said, “He who has no slaves is a slave.”

Therefore, Hillel says that this philosophy is also self-destructive and instead of honor, it will bring in its wake tragedy and shame. For example, if a man fills his home with maids, he will find his home filled with lewdness, licentiousness and immorality which will infect his wife find daughters, who, instead of being honored will be reputed to he immoral and licentious.

Furthermore, a house full of servants cannot avoid leading to theft.

These men are usually from the lowest level of corruption and when they are sold into slavery, they continue to act in the manner they are accustomed to. They will steal throughout the city and their master will be blamed, bringing shame and disgrace in place of the honor he so much desired.

Examine the situation with masses, urges Abarbanel. Who was the greatest personality in Jewish history? Moshe, of course. Yet he limited himself to one, and only one, assistant - Joshua.

These four philosophies and ways of life are, therefore, all vain and illusory. However, conformity to the philosophy of the Torah will bring about the opposite to these other philosophies. Overindulgence in food and drink hasten death, but “he who increases Torah increases life”; lust after women and sexual pleasures leads to madness, but “he who increases sitting in study, increases wisdom”; the drive to be wealthy only leads to increased worry, but “he who increases counsel”, which is the “business” of Torah study, “increases understanding” and not worry. As to the fourth philosophy, the pursuit of honor, which leads to dishonor, Hillel says, “He who increases charity, increases peace” and not the strife which will dishonor him.

Hillel's last aphorism, according to Abarbanel, comes to sum up the difference between the four philosophies he rejected and Torah philosophy. He who follows those philosophies must, of necessity, acquire an unsavory reputation, a bad name, but he who follows the Torah's mitzvoth, “acquires a good name.” Furthermore, the benefits a man derives from the other philosophies are all external and have no bearing on his own essence, but when a man acquires a good name from practicing mitzvoth, “he acquires if for himself,” i.e., it is real and benefits his inner essence. Thirdly, all the material things described above are alien and foreign to Torah, but sitting in study, counsel, wisdom and charity are all intrinsic parts of Torah and, therefore, when he practices them, “he acquires for himself words of Torah.” Finally, the benefits of the foreign philosophies are, at best, limited to this world, but when a man acquires Torah and mitzvoth, “he acquires for himself life in the World to Come.”

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Miscellaneous Interpretations

Rabbenu Yonah (Yonah ben Abraham Gerondi – Barcelona, Spain; 1200 – 1236): When Hillel muses that, “He who takes many wives, increases witchcraft; he who has many maidservants, increases licentiousness; he who has many male servants, increases robbery,” he was reflecting that these three results – witchcraft, lewdness, and robbery – were not of the master’s doing but the work of others. In spite of this, the blame is placed squarely on the shoulders of the master. Theft committed by servants should have been recognized by the master and should have been severely dealt with by him.

If maidservants are permissive and lewd it is tantamount to his own involvement with them because they live with him in his house. The man who acquire a number of women in his own harem causes each one to practice witchcraft to attract the husband to her.

“He who increases charity, increases peace” can best be understood in the context that a community loves a philanthropist, and where there is love, there is peace.

Rabbenu Yonah offers a simple posture on the adage, “He who acquires a good name, acquired it for himself.” Everyone who passes on leaves his worldly belongings to others. The good name a man enjoyed during his lifetime remains his even after death.

Rashbatz (R. Shimon ben Tzemah Duran; Majorca, Spain; Algiers; 1361 – 1444): The dicta expounded by Híllel in this Mishnah are not casual and unrelated social articulations. They fit into the domino pattern. A person can be so egocentric as to seek only food and drink to satisfy his appetites. He then whets his appetite for wealth. When he has become affluent, he is desirous of displaying his riches by attracting a number of women to his menage. Subsequently, each spouse demands her own entourage and there is a need for maidservants. This results in a never-ending drive to accumulate wealth to sustain his lavish household.

Rabbi Moshe Alshakhar (Spain, Tunis, Cairo, Jerusalem 1466-1542): makes an interesting point on “He who has many maidservants, increases licentiousness.” Is it not possible that a person may seek to spare his wife the daily chores of shopping, cooking, etc. and not submit her to fiendish ogling by men in the street? Alshakhar shifts the burden of lewdness from the maidservants to the master himself. In other words, when there are many maidservants around, the master himself may fall victim to temptation.

Midrash Shemuel (R. Shemuel ben Yitzhak de Uceda – Safed, Israel ; 1540- ?): explaining the significance of the maxim, “He who takes many wives, increases witchcraft,” maintains that in seeking the favors of many wives he may run into a situation where one of them will adamantly refuse to cater to his whims. He will be compelled to use deviate ways to appease her.

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Some Questions to Ponder:

1. Abarbanel identifies in this Mishnah four worldly philosophies, and one Torah oriented philosophy. Are these five philosophies identified and dealt with in the Nazarean Codicil? If yes, where?

2. Why do most commentators on this Mishnah shift the blame to the master regarding the witchcraft of his wives, the licentiousness of his maidservants, and the robbery of his male-servants? After all, is it not the case that each individual is responsible for his sin?

3. In British Common Law alike in Jewish Law there is a doctrine called “Duty of Care” by which a person is made responsible before Law for damages which his possessions, servants, employees and dependants may cause to others, as well as responsible for their welfare. Is this principle also central to the Nazarean Codicil? If yes, please cite where this principle is enunciated in the Nazarean Codicil.

4. On the statement “He who has acquired for himself a good name, has acquired it for himself” it appears that acquiring a good name for oneself is also a defective philosophy. Why? Is it because such a person instead of acquiring a good name for his Jewish community, spent all efforts to make a good name for himself? Is this principle enunciated in the Nezarean Codicil? If yes, where?

5. We have gone through the first 20 Mishnayot so far of Pirqe Abot, and this is the last one until we come after Pesach next April 2009. Apart from the well learned lesson that we find the dicta of the Sages well restated in the teachings of the Nazarean Codicil, and that there is no contradiction between the teachings of the Nazarean Codicil and that of our Sages, what other important principles have you learned from this study of Pirqe Abot?

The Hakham Recommends A Good Book For Your Personal Library:

The Ways of the Tzaddikim--Orchos Tzaddikim

Publisher: Feldheim (1995)

ISBN: 978-0873067331

Hardcover: 684 pages

A treasured classic on character refinement. This is a newly researched, corrected, annotated and vowelized Hebrew edition with a contemporary English translation. Discusses refining character traits and maintaining a balance in all matters. Anyone interested in becoming my Talmid should read this famous Jewish Classic in order to understand what to expect from me, and what I in turn expect from any of my Talmidim.

UB’Sefer Chayim Hakat’bi V’T’Chatemu!

May you be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life!

Shabbat Shalom!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai