Esnoga Bet Emunah

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Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings

Second Year of the Reading Cycle

Ellul 11, 5767 – August 24/25, 2007

Sixth Year of the Sh’mita Cycle

 

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times

 

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

Friday, August 24, 2007 – Candles at: 7:48 PM                Friday, August 24, 2007 – Candles at: 5:12 PM

Saturday, August 25, 2007 – Havdalah 8:41 PM              Saturday, August 25, 2007 – Havdalah 6:06 PM

 

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.                                                             Singapore, Singapore

Friday August 24, 2007 – Candles at 7:56 PM                 Friday, August 24, 2007 – Candles at: 6:54 PM

Saturday, August 25, 2007 – Havdalah 8:52 PM              Saturday, August 25, 2007 – Havdalah 7:43 PM

 

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

 

Shabbat Nahamu V – 5th Sabbath of “Our Consolation”

5th Sabbath of the Consolation of Israel

   

Shabbat

Torah Reading:

Weekday Torah Reading:

כֹּה תְבָרְכוּ

 

 

“Koh T’Var’khu”

Reader 1 – B’midbar 6:22-27

Reader 1 – B’midbar: 7:48-50

“In this way you will bless”

Reader 2 – B’midbar 7:1-11

Reader 2 – B’midbar: 7:51-53

“Asi bendeciréis”

Reader 3 – B’midbar 7:12-17

Reader 3 – B’midbar: 7:48-53

B’midbar (Num.) 6:22 – 7:47

Reader 4 – B’midbar 7:18-23

 

Ashlamatah: 1 Kings 8:54-63

Reader 5 – B’midbar 7:24-29

 

Special Ashlamatah: Is. 54:1-10

Reader 6 – B’midbar 7:30-35

Reader 1 – B’midbar: 7:54-56

Psalm 95

Reader 7 – B’midbar 7:36-47

Reader 2 – B’midbar: 7:57-59

 

      Maftir – B’midbar 7:45-47

Reader 3 – B’midbar: 7:54-59

N.C.: Matityahu 19:23-30

                   Isaiah 54:1-10

 

 

 

Roll of Honor:

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

B’Midbar (Numbers): 6:22 – 7:47

 

RASHI

TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN

22. Adonai spoke to Moshe, saying;

22. And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:

23. Speak to Aharon and to his sons, saying; This is how you will bless B’ne Yisrael, saying to them:

23. Speak with Aharon and his sons, saying: Thus will you bless the children of Israel, while spreading forth the hands from the high place; in this tongue.

24. May Adonai bless you and protect you.

24.  The Lord bless you and keep you.

[The Lord bless you in all your business, and keep) you from demons of the night, and things that cause terror, and from demons of the noon and of the morning, and from malignant spirits arid phantoms.]

25. May Adonai cause His countenance to shine upon you and favor you.

25. The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and gracious unto you.

[The Lord make His face to shine upon you, when occupied in the law, and reveal to you its secrets, and be merciful unto you.]

26. May Adonai lift His face to you, and grant you peace.

26. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and grant you peace.

[The Lord lift up His countenance upon you in your prayer, and grant you peace in your end.]

27. They will bestow My Name upon B’ne Yisrael, and I will bless them.

27. And they will bestow the benediction of My Name upon the children of Israel, and I, by My Word, will bless them.

 

 

1. It came to pass, on the day Moshe finished erecting the Mishkan, and he anointed it and consecrated it and all of its utensils, and the Altar and all its utensils, and he anointed them and consecrated them.

1. And it was on the day which begins the month of Nisan, when Mosheh had finished to uprear the tabernacle, he took it not in pieces again, but anointed and consecrated it and all its vessels, the altar and all the vessels thereof, and he anointed them and hallowed them;

2. The leaders of Israel brought, [those who were] the heads of their fathers' houses; they were the leaders of the tribes, they stood by during the counting.

2. then the leaders of Israel, who were the chiefs of the house of their fathers, brought their offerings. These were they who had been appointed in Mizraim chiefs over the numbered,

3. They brought their offerings before Adonai; six covered wagons and twelve oxen; a wagon for each two leaders and an ox for each individual, and they placed them before the Mishkan.

3. and they brought their offering before the Lord; six wagons covered and fitted up, and twelve oxen; one wagon for two princes and one ox for each. [JERUSALEM. Six wagons yoked.] But Mosheh was not willing to receive them, and they brought them before the tabernacle.

4. Adonai said to Moshe, saying:

 

4. And the Lord spoke with Mosheh, saying:

5. Take [the offering] from them, and let them be used for the service of the Tent of Meeting. Give them to the Levites, each man according to his work.

5. Take them, and let them be used for the need of the appointed (work), and let the oxen and the wagons be for the work of the service of the tabernacle of ordinance, and give them to the Levites, to each according to the measure of his work.

6. Moshe took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.

6. And Mosheh took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites.

7. Two [of the] wagons and four [of the] oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their work

7. Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to the amount of their service,

8. Four [of the] wagons and eight [of the] oxen he gave to the sons of Merari. According to their work they were in the charge of Itamar the son of Aharon the Kohen.

8. and four wagons and eight oxen gave be to the sons of Merari, according to the measure of their service, by the band of Ithamar bar Aharon the priest.

9. He did not give any to the sons of Kehat because the sacred work was [incumbent] upon them, which they had to carry on their shoulders.

9. But to the sons of Kehath he gave neither wagons nor oxen, because on them was laid the service of the sanctuary, to be carried on their shoulders.

10. The leaders brought forward the [offerings for] the consecration of the altar on the day it was anointed. The leaders placed their offering before the altar.

10. And the princes offered at the dedication of the altar by anointing, on the day that he anointed it did the princes present their oblations before the altar.

11. Adonai said to Moshe: One leader each day, one leader each day, they will bring forth their offering, for the dedication of the altar.

11. And the Lord said unto Mosheh, Let the princes offer each, one prince on one day, their oblations at the dedication of the altar by anointing.

12. The one that brought his offering on the first day [was] Nachshon the son of Aminadav, of the tribe of Yehudah.

12. He who on the first day presented his oblation was Nachshon bar Amminadab, prince of the house of the fathers of the tribe Jehudah:

13. His offering was one silver tray, its weight was one hundred thirty shekalim; one silver bowl [that weighed] seventy shekalim according to sanctuary weights. Both were filled with fine flour kneaded with [olive] oil, for a meal-offering.

13. and his oblation which he offered was one silver bow, thickly embossed, (or, crusted,) in weight one hundred and thirty shekels, in shekels of the sanctuary; one silver vase, slightly embossed, of seventy shekels, in shekels of the sanctuary; both of these vessels he brought filled with flour of the separation, sprinkled with olive oil for a mincha;

14. One spoon of ten gold [shekalim], filled with incense.

14. one pan (censer) weighing ten silver shekels, but it was itself of good gold; and he brought it full of good sweet incense of the separation;

15. One young bull, one ram, and one yearling sheep for a burnt-offering.

15. one young bullock of three years, one ram of two years,

16. [And] one he-goat, for a sin-offering.

16. and one lamb of the year.

17. For the peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five kids, and five yearling sheep. This was the offering of Nachshon the son of Aminadav.

17. These three did the chief of the tribe Jehudah bring for a burnt offering; one kid of the goats he brought for a sin offering; and for consecrated victims, two oxen, five rams, five goats, lambs of the year five: this is the order of the oblation which Nachshon bar Amminadab offered of his wealth. [JERUSALEM. And the oblation which he offered was one silver dish, &c., in the same words as above.]

18. On the second day, [he that] brought [was] Nesanel the son of Tzu'ar, the leader of Yissachar.

18. On the second day, Nethanel bar Zuar, chief of the house of the fathers of the tribe Issakar, brought his oblation.

19. He brought forward his offering, one silver tray, its weight was one hundred thirty [shekalim]; one silver bowl [that weighed] seventy shekalim according to sanctuary weights. Both were filled with fine flour kneaded with [olive] oil, for a meal-offering.

19. He brought his oblation after Jehudah by commandment of the Holy: one silver dish thickly embossed, one hundred and thirty shekels, &c., as the first.

20. One spoon of ten gold [shekalim] filled with incense.

20.

21.  One young bull, one ram, and one yearling sheep for a burnt-offering.

21.

22. [And] one he-goat for a sin-offering.

22.

23. For the peace-offering sacrifice, two oxen, five rams, five kids, and five yearling sheep. This was the offering of Netanel the son of Tzu'ar.

23.

24. On the third day, the leader of the sons of Zevulun, Eliav the son of Cheilon.

24. On the third day, Eliab bar Helon, prince of the Beni Zebulon, offered.

25. His offering was one silver tray, its weight was one hundred thirty shekalim; one silver bowl [that weighed] seventy shekalim according to sanctuary weights. Both were filled with fine flour kneaded with [olive] oil, for a meal-offering.

25.

26. One spoon of ten gold [shekalim], filled with incense.

26.

27. One young bull, one ram, and one yearling sheep for a burnt-offering.

27.

28. [And] one he-goat for a sin-offering.

28.

29. For the peace-offering sacrifice, two oxen, five rams, five kids and five yearling sheep. This was the offering of of Eliav the son of Cheilon.

29.

30. On the fourth day, the leader of the sons of Reuven, Elitzur the son of Shdeiur.

30. On the fourth, Elizur bar Shedeur, prince of the Beni Reuben;

31. His offering was one silver tray, its weight was one hundred thirty shekalim; one silver bowl [that weighed] seventy shekalim according to sanctuary weights. Both were filled with fine flour kneaded with [olive] oil, for a meal-offering.

31.

32. One spoon of ten gold [shekalim], filled with incense.

32.

33. One young bull, one ram, and one yearling sheep for a burnt-offering.

33.

34. [And] one he-goat for a sin-offering.

34.

35. For the peace-offering sacrifice, two oxen, five rams, five kids and five yearling sheep. This was the offering of Elitzur the son of Shdeiur.

35.

36. On the fifth day, the leader of the sons of Shimon, Shlumiel the son of Tzurishadai.

36. on the fifth, Shelumiel bar Zurishaddai, prince of Shemeon;

37. His offering was one silver tray, its weight was one hundred thirty shekalim; one silver bowl [that weighed] seventy shekalim according to sanctuary weights. Both were filled with fine flour kneaded with [olive] oil, for a meal-offering.

37.

38. One spoon of ten gold [shekalim], filled with incense.

38.

39. One young bull, one ram, and one yearling sheep for a burnt-offering.

39.

40. [And] one he-goat for a sin-offering.

40.

41. For the peace-offering sacrifice, two oxen, five rams, five kids and five yearling sheep. This was the offering of Shlumiel the son of Tzurishadai.

41.

42. On the sixth day, the leader of the sons of Gad, Elyasaf the son of Deu'el.

42. on the sixth, Eljasaph bar Dehuel, prince of the Beni Gad;

43. His offering was one silver tray, its weight was one hundred thirty shekalim; one silver bowl [that weighed] seventy shekalim according to sanctuary weights. Both were filled with fine flour kneaded with [olive] oil, for a meal-offering.

43.

44. One spoon of ten gold [shekalim], filled with incense.

44.

45. One young bull, one ram, and one yearling sheep for a burnt-offering.

45.

46. [And] one he-goat for a sin-offering.

46.

47. For the peace-offering sacrifice, two oxen, five rams, five kids and five yearling sheep. This was the offering of Elyasaf the son of Deu'el.

47.

 

 

 

 

Midrash B’Midbar Rabba to Numbers 6:22 – 7:47

 

1. ON THIS WISE YOU WILL BLESS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, etc. (VI, 23). This bears on what is written in Scripture, Envy not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways (Prov. III, 31). ‘The man of violence’ refers to the wicked/lawless Esau, thus: ‘Man,’ as you read, And Esau was a man knowing hunting (Gen. XXV, 27); ‘violence,’ as you read, For the violence done to your brother Jacob (Obad. I, 10). And the reason why it says, 'Envy not' is because it is manifest to the Holy One, blessed be He, that Israel are destined to be enslaved beneath the power of Edom and will be oppressed and crushed in their midst, and that Israel will at some time raise angry protest against this, as Malachi asserts, You have said: It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, etc. (Mal. III, 14); And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness/lawlessness are built up; yea, they try God, and are delivered  (ib. 15). Accordingly the Holy Spirit, speaking through Solomon, said, 'Envy not the man of violence!' Envy not the peace enjoyed by the wicked/lawless Esau! ‘And choose none of his ways!’ i.e. you must not do according to their deeds! Why? Look to the ultimate end of the matter! For behold, a day will come when God will abhor all who sneer (meliz) at the commandments. Hence it is written, For the perverse (naloz) is an abomination to the Lord (Prov. III, 32); and in the same strain it says, The Lord abhors the man of blood and of deceit (Ps. V, 7). On the other hand, he who directs his course aright in His presence will be among the men of his counsel. Hence it is written, But his counsel is with the upright (Prov. loc. cit.). In the same strain it says, Now is it said to Jacob and to Israel: What has God wrought? (Num. XXIII, 23); and in the same strain it also says, The counsel of the Lord is with them that fear Him, etc. (Ps. XXV, 14). Moreover, it says, Then will you again discern between the righteous/generous and the wicked/lawless, between him that serves God and him that serves Him not (Mal. III, 8). The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked/lawless (Prov. III, 33) applies to the wicked Esau; as you read, Whereas Edom says: We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places; thus says the Lord of hosts: They will build, but I will throw down, etc. (Mal. I, 4). But He blesses the habitation of the righteous/generous (Prov. Ioc. cit.), that is of Israel, about whom it is written, Your people also will be all righteous/generous, they will inherit the land for ever (Isa. LX, 2I). [And your eyes will see, and you will say: The Lord is great beyond the border of Israel (Mal. I, 5)] If it concerns the scorners, He scorns them (Prov. III, 34). ‘Scorners’ applies to the Edomites who are termed scorners; as it says, A proud and haughty man, scorner is his name (ib. XXI, 24). They are also called proud; as you may read, ‘And now we call the proud happy.’ But how do you know that Scripture is speaking of the Edomites? Because it is written, 'Yea, they that work wickedness/lawlessness are built up’ and that applies to the Edomites; as you may infer from the text, And they will be called The border of wickedness/lawlessness (Mal. I, 4). They daily scoff at Israel because of the sufferings that come upon them; as you read, And you have magnified yourselves against Me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against Me; I have heard it (Ezek. XXXV, I3). ‘He scorns them’ implies that the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future mete out to them according to their own measure; as you read, As you have done, it will be done unto you; your dealing will return upon your own head (Obad. I, 15). But unto the humble (‘anawim) He gives grace (Prov. III, 34). ‘Anawim applies to Israel who are poor (‘aniyim) among the nations and go about in humility (‘anawah) in their midst and suffer the burden imposed upon them, in order to sanctify the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future show grace, executing justice upon their traducers; as you read, And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you (Isa. XXX, 18), and as it says, The humble also will increase their joy in the Lord (ib. XXIX, 19), and it also says, For, O people that dwell in Zion at Jerusalem, you will weep no more (ib. XXX, 19). The wise will inherit honor (Prov. III, 35) applies to Israel who are called wise when they fulfill the Torah and the commandments; as it says, Observe therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding, etc. (Deut. IV, 6). Because Israel observe the Torah while among the gentiles the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future cause them to inherit a throne of glory; as you read, To make them ... inherit the throne of glory (I Sam. II, 8) which indicates that the Holy One, blessed be He, will at some future time restore to Israel’s sovereignty; as you read, And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, will be given to the people of the saints, etc. (Dan.VII, 27). But as for the fools, they carry away shame (Prov. III, 35). This applies to the Edomites; as you read, And I will destroy the wise men out of Edom, and discernment out of the mount of Esau (Obad. I, 8), and as it says, Is wisdom no more in Teman? Is counsel perished from the prudent? Is their wisdom vanished? (Jer. XLIX, 7). What is the meaning of ‘They carry away (merim) shame (kalon)’? That they will raise (yarimu) in their territory conflagration (kalon), namely, that they will ultimately go into the fire. 'Kalon’ can signify nought but burning; as you read, Whom the king of Babylon roasted (kalam) in the fire  (ib. XXIX, 22), and as it says, Corn in the ear parched (kalui) with fire (Lev. II, 14), and as it likewise says, And the house of Joseph will be aflame, and the house of Esau for stubble, etc. (Obad. I, 18),and as it says, I beheld even till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire (Dan. VII, 11). Thus we have explained, ‘But as for the fools, they carry away shame.’ Another explanation is that ‘Envy not the man’ speaks of the adulterer who, when he lies with his neighbor's wife and she becomes pregnant by him, robs money from the children of the woman's husband and gives it to the bastard, for her husband thinks that the latter is his son, when in fact he is not his son, and so he gives him an inheritance together with his own son. On account of this the adulterer is called ‘Man of violence’. What is the exposition of ‘Envy not’? That any one who sees the adulterer satisfying his desires with his neighbour's wife and how she gives him to eat and to drink, should not envy him his contentment and should not adopt any of his ways. Why? Because the adulterer is called an abomination; There are six things which the Lord hates, yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him (Prov. VI, 16). And he that sows discord among brethren  (ib. 19); this is among the things that are an abomination, and alludes to the adulterer who sows discord between a man and his wife; as you read, And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, etc. (Num. V, 14). In view of this it says, 'For the perverse is an abomination to the Lord,’ alluding to the adulterer, of whom it is written, And the perverse in their paths (Prov. II, 15). 'But His counsel is with the upright’ applies to the man who sees his deeds and separates himself from wine in order to direct his paths aright; as you read, To call to them... who go right on their ways  (ib., 15).2 What is the exposition of 'His counsel’ ? That the Holy One, blessed be He, instructs him how to escape from her; as you read, I have taught you in the way of wisdom (ib. IV, 11).3 Wine (yayin) has the numerical value of seventy and counsel (sod) has the numerical value of seventy. Since he has separated himself from wine, the numerical value of which amounts to seventy, he will be privileged to attain to the counsel (sod) of wisdom, the numerical value of which amounts to seventy. If the wine goes in the counsel comes out; if the wine is out the counsel goes in. This explains, ‘But His counsel is with the upright.’ 'The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked/lawless’ applies to the adulterer. What is the curse? The bitter water that causes the curse tests him as it tests her. This explains, 'The curse of the Lord’; as you read, The Lord make you a curse, etc. (Num. V, 21). ‘But He blesses the habitation of the righteous/generous’ applies to the male nazirite and to the female, who, if they have separated themselves from wine in order to keep themselves away from transgression, merit a blessing. The reason then why Scripture put the priestly benediction immediately after the section of the nazirite is that the nazirite attains to the privilege of receiving the blessings contained in the priestly benediction. This explains, 'But He blesses the habitation of the righteous/generous’; as you read, The Lord bless you and keep you (Num. VI, 24). If it concerns the scorners’ applies to the adulterer who goes astray because of the wine which is called scorner; as you read, Wine is a scorner, strong drink is riotous, etc. (Prov. XX, I). ‘He scorns them,’ for everybody scorns the adulterer who is an oath and a curse unto Mine elect (Isa. LXV, 15). 'But unto the humble (‘anawim) He gives grace.’ This applies to the nazirites who lay hold of humility (‘anawah) for themselves, separating themselves from wine and allowing the locks of their hair to grow long, in order to afflict themselves and to keep away from transgression, and so the Holy One, blessed be He, gives them grace; as it is written in the priestly benediction, And be gracious unto you (Num. VI, 25). 'The wise will inherit honour.’ The nazirites, for being afraid of sin, are called wise; in accordance with the text, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. CXI, 10) and with the text, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom (Job XXVIII, 28). They inherit honor, for the Holy One, blessed be He, shows them a favorable countenance and grants them peace, since a man acquires honor by the very act of remaining at home in peace; and in the same strain it says, Glory therein, and remain at home (II Kings XIV, 10). That indeed is the reason why following the section concerning the nazirite comes the priestly benediction in which it is written, And give you peace (Num. VI, 26). 'But as for the fools, they carry away shame.’ This applies to the adulterer and the adulteress. They indeed are called fools. How do we know it of the adulterer? Whoso is a fool, let him turn in hither (Prov. IX, 4)1 Of the adulteress? Because it is written, The woman Folly is riotous (ib. 13). ‘Carry away shame’: for it says, Let the hair of the woman's head go loose (Num. V, 18), and it says,  Her belly will swell, etc. (ib. 27). Can you conceive of shame greater than this? Thus we have explained, ‘Carry away shame The reason then why the priestly benediction was inserted after the section dealing with the nazirite is that whosoever undertakes to abstain from wine to the glory of heaven will be worthy of all the blessings mentioned in the priestly benediction. How do we know? It can be inferred from the fact that it says in the present context, ON THIS WISE YOU WILL BLESS, etc.

 

My beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart, etc. (S.S. II, 9). R. Isaac expounded: Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He: 'Sovereign of the Universe! Behold, You come to us first!’ ‘My beloved is like a gazelle’; as the gazelle advances in leaps, so the Holy One, blessed be He, came by leaps and bounds from Egypt to the sea, from the sea to Sinai. In Egypt, For I will go through the land of Egypt, etc. (Ex. XII, 12). At the sea, This is my God, and I will glorify Him  (ib. XV, 2). At Sinai And he said: The Lord came from Sinai (Deut. XXXIII, 2). ‘Or to ‘Ofer ha'ayyalim, R. Jose, son of R. Hanina, explains this as denoting the young of the gazelle. Behold, he stands behind our wall (S.S. Ioc. cit.) alludes to the wilderness of Sinai. He looks in through the windows (ib.) bears on And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai etc. (Ex. XIX, 20). He peers through the lattice (S.S. Ioc. cit.) bears on And God spoke all these words, etc. (Ex. XX, 1). My beloved spoke, and said unto me (S.S. II, 10). He said, I am the Lord your God (Ex. XX, 2). Another exposition of the text, 'My beloved is like a gazelle’: Israel, explained R. Isaac, said to the Holy One, blessed be He: ' Sovereign of the Universe! You have told us that You will come to us first.’ 'My beloved is like a gazelle’; as the gazelle appears and then disappears, so the first redeemer appeared and then disappeared. R. Berekiah in the name of R. Levi said: Like the first redeemer so will the final redeemer be. The first redeemer was Moses, who appeared to them and then disappeared. For how long did he disappear from their sight? R. Tanhuma said: Three months; accordingly it is written, And they met Moses and Aaron, etc. (ib. V, 20). The final redeemer will also appear to them and then disappear. How long will he remain hidden from them? R. Tanhuma in the name of R. Hama, son of R. Hoshaya, said: Forty-five days. Thus it is written, And from the time that the continual burnt-offering will be taken away, and the detestable thing that causes apalment set up, there will be a thousand two hundred and ninety days (Dan. XII, 11), and it is written, Happy is he that waits, and comes to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days (ib. 12). How much does the difference amount to? Forty-five days. For he will disappear from their sight and will then again appear to them. Whither will he take them? Some say to the wilderness of Judah, and some say to the wilderness of Sihon and Og Whosoever believes in him and follows him is content to eat the roots of the broom and salt-wort. Hence it is written, They pluck salt-wort with worm-wood; and the roots of the broom are their food (Job XXX, 4). On the other hand, he who does not follow him goes and makes peace with the nations of the world and these will ultimately slay him. R. Isaac, son of Maryon, said: At the end of forty-five days the Holy One, blessed be He, will send manna down to them; this may be inferred from the fact that it is written, I will yet again make you to dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed season (Hos. XII, 10) and it says,  At the appointed season that you came forth out of Egypt (Deut. XVI, 6). ‘Or to an ‘ofer ha'ayyalim.’ R. Jose, son of R. Hanina, said it means ‘to the young of the gazelle’. ‘Behold, he stands behind our wall.’ 'Wall’ alludes to the Western Wall of the Temple, which will never be destroyed. Why? Because the Shechinah is in the west. ‘He looks in through the windows' by virtue of the merit of the Patriarchs. 'He peers through the lattice’ by virtue of the merit of the Matriarchs. As there is a difference between a window and a lattice, so there is a difference between the merit of the Patriarchs and that of the Matriarchs. ‘My beloved spoke, and said to me.’ What did He say? As I live, says the Lord, you will surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and gird yourself with them, like a bride (Isa. XLIX, 18). Another exposition of the text, ‘My beloved is like a gazelle' is that as the gazelle leaps from place to place, from fence to fence, from tree to tree, and from booth to booth, so the Holy One, blessed be He, travels by leaps and bounds from one congregation to another. Why all this alacrity? So that He may bless Israel; according to the text, In every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come unto you and bless you (Ex. XX, 21). By virtue of whose merit? That of our father Abraham. For it is written here ON THIS WISE (KO) YOU WILL BLESS, etc., an expression which recalls the text, So (ko) will your seed be (Gen. XV, 5). ‘Or to an ‘ofer ha'ayyalim.’ R. Jose explains this to mean ‘the young of the gazelle.' 'Behold, he stands behind our wall.’ This alludes to the occasion when the Holy One, blessed be He, came to visit our father Abraham on the third day after his circumcision. There you read, And the Lord appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat (yosheb), etc. (ib. XVIII, 1). The written form is ‘yashab’, because he wanted to stand up, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: 'Sit, O Abraham! You will serve as a symbol for your children, for when your children come in to their synagogues and houses of study and recite the shema’ they will be sitting down and My glory will stand by.’ What is the proof? God stands (nizzab) in the congregation of God (Ps. LXXXII, 1). R. Hannai in the name of R. Isaac expounded: It is not written in this text, ‘God ‘omed’ but ‘God nizzab’; i.e. ‘ready to receive them’. This accords with what you read, And it will come to pass that, before they call, I will answer (Isa. LXV, 24). Consequently it says, ‘Behold, he stands behind our wall,’ and this alludes to the synagogues and houses of study. ‘He looks in through the windows.’ When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Aaron and to his sons, ON THIS WISE YOU WILL BLESS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, etc., Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He: 'Sovereign of the Universe! Do You tell the priests to bless us? We desire none but Your own benisons, and to be blessed out of Your own mouth.’ Hence it is written, Look forth from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless, etc. (Deut. XXVI, 15). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: ‘Although I have told the priests to bless you, I will stand in their company and bless you.’ For this reason the priests spread out their palms as if to say: The Holy One, blessed be He, is standing behind us! And on account of this it says, ‘He looks in through the windows,’ i..e. in between the shoulders of the priests; ‘He peers through the lattice,’ i.e. in between the fingers of the priests. ' My beloved spoke, and said to me’ as follows, And I will bless them (Num. VI, 27). ON THIS WISE YOU WILL BLESS. This bears on what is written in Scripture, And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, etc. (Gen. XII, 2). R. Phinehas b. Yair expounded: Seven benedictions did the Holy One, blessed be He, confer upon Abraham. They are the following, ‘I will make of you a great nation’; I will bless you (ib.) And make your name great (ib.); Be you a blessing (ib.); I will bless them that bless you (ib. 3); Him that curses you will I curse (ib.); And in you will all the families of the earth be blessed [grafted in] (ib.). They correspond to the seven verses, connected with the work of creation, in which the expression That it was good is recorded. R. Levi b. Haytha and R. Abba, son of R. Hiyya b. Abba, said: Three expressions denoting greatness and four benedictions are recorded in the above text. By this means He conveyed to him the tidings that there would be three Patriarchs and four Matriarchs. But surely there are only two expressions denoting greatness! ‘And I will make of you’ also denotes greatness; for it is written, The Lord that made Moses (I Sam. XII, 6). R. Simeon, son of Lakish, expounded, 'And I will make of you a great nation’ alludes to what we say, ‘The God of Abraham’; ‘And I will bless you’ alludes to what we say, ‘The God of Isaac’; ‘And make your name great’ alludes to what we say, ‘The God of Jacob.’ Lest it be inferred that we must conclude the benediction with all of them, Scripture states, ‘And be you a blessing,’ thus telling him: With your name they will conclude the benediction, saying: 'The shield of Abraham,’ but they will not conclude with the names of all of them. R. Hiyya, son of Ze'ira, expounded the text 'And be you a blessing’ to mean: Your benediction will take precedence over Mine; inasmuch as they will say, ‘The shield of Abraham,’ and afterwards they will say, ' Who revives the dead.’ Another exposition: ‘Be you a blessing (berakah)’ implies 'Be you like a pond (berekah)’. As the pond cleanses the ritually unclean, so do you bring those who are far removed beneath the wings of the Shechinah.’ And I will make of you (e’ eseka) a great nation. R. Berekiah said: It is not written here, ‘eteneka’ or ‘asimeka’, but ‘e'eseka’, as much as to say, ‘As soon as I will make of you a new being’-in the same way as it says, And God made the firmament (Gen. I, 7)- ‘be you fruitful and multiply.’ 'A great nation’: Abraham said to Him: ‘Sovereign of the Universe! Did You not raise up seventy nations out of Noah?’ Said He: ‘That nation of whom it is written, What great nation is there (Deut. IV, 7), I will raise up out of you.’ R. Phinehas the priest, son of Hama, said: When did the Holy One, blessed be He, make of Abraham a great nation? After the children of Israel had come out of Egypt, arrived at Sinai, received the Torah and reached the Land of Israel, Moses looked at them and observed: 'Lo, they are become as the Holy One, blessed be He, had promised the Patriarch’; for it says,  And what great nation is there  (ib. 8). Another exposition: 'A great nation' implies: I will give the Torah to your children, and by reason of her they will be called, 'A great nation,’ as it says Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people (ib. 6).3 'And I will bless you.’ R. Berekiah expounded: Inasmuch as travel injures a man in three ways, viz. it reduces his procreative activities, diminishes his ready money,  and obscures his fame, Abraham was told, 'I will make of you a great nation,’ and travel will not reduce your procreative activities; ‘And I will bless you,’ so that travel will not diminish your ready money; ‘And make your name great,’ and so it will not obscure your fame. People have a proverb which says: ‘From house to house a garment; from place to place a soul,’ but in your case neither a soul will be missing nor will your personal property diminish, 'And be you a blessing.’ It is already written, ‘And I will bless you’; what then is the purpose of the statement, ‘And be you a blessing’? R. Eliezer explained: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: ‘From the time when I created My world until the present I was Myself obliged to bless My creatures’; as it says,  And God blessed them, etc. (Gen. I, 28), and it says, And God blessed Noah and his sons (ib. IX, 1). ‘Henceforward, however, the blessings are entrusted to you. Bless whomsoever it pleases you.' Nevertheless Abraham did not bless his children. Why was this? It may be illustrated by the parable of a king who possessed an orchard which he gave over to a tenant. Now in that orchard there was one tree which yielded a life-giving potion and another which yielded deadly poison. Said the tenant: ‘I will just cultivate it and accomplish my task and let the king do whatever he likes with his orchard.’ So here the king is the Holy One, blessed be He, and the orchard is the world. He handed it to Abraham by saying to him ‘Be you a blessing.’ What did Abraham do? He had two sons, one righteous and one wicked; Isaac and Ishmael. Abraham thought: If I bless Isaac, then Ishmael will wish to be blessed, and he is wicked/lawless. But I am God's servant; I am flesh and blood and will be gone from this world to-morrow. Let the Holy One, blessed be He, do with this world of His as He pleases. When Abraham died the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to Isaac and blessed him; as it says,  And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac, etc. (ib. XXV, 11). Isaac, in his turn, blessed Jacob and Jacob blessed the twelve tribes; as it says, All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed them  (ib. XLIX, 28). ‘From now and henceforward,’ said the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘the blessings are entrusted to you. The priests will bless My children; as I told their father Abraham,’ ‘And be you a blessing.’ This is why it says, ON THIS WISE YOU WILL BLESS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, etc.

 

ON THIS WISE YOU WILL BLESS. This bears on the Scriptural text, Behold, it is the litter of Solomon, etc. (S.S. III, 7). R. Simeon b. Yohai expounded it as referring to Solomon, ‘Behold, it is the litter of Solomon,’ i.e. of King Solomon. Threescore mighty men are about it  (ib.); sixty mighty men stood round his bed at night and they were Of the mighty men of Israel  (ib.). They all handle the sword and are expert in war (ib. 8). Why did he do this? Because of dread in the night (ib.); for he was afraid of the evil spirits, lest they should harm him. R. Simeon b. Yohai observed: As long as a man refrains from sin he is an object of awe and fear. The moment he sins he is himself subject to awe and fear. Before Adam sinned he used to hear the voice of the divine communication while standing on his feet and without flinching. As soon as he sinned, he heard the voice of the divine communication and hid; as it says, And the man and his wife hid themselves, etc. (Gen. III, 8). R. Abin said: Before Adam sinned the Voice sounded to him gentle; after he had sinned it sounded to him harsh. Before Israel had sinned, The appearance of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount (Ex. XXIV, 17). R. Abba b. Kahana observed: Seven partitions of fire were consuming one another and Israel looked on undaunted and undismayed. As soon as they had sinned, however, they could not even look at the face of the intermediary; When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face sent forth beams; and they were afraid to come nigh him (ib. XXXIV, 30). R. Phinehas b. R. Abin said in the name of R. Hanin that even the intermediary felt the consequences, as they did, from time to time. Previously, ‘Kings of armies (maleke zeba'oth) flee (Ps. LXVIII, 13). R. Judan in the name of R. Aibu expounded ' maleke zeba'oth ' as 'the kings of the angels’, namely, even Michael and even Gabriel were afraid of Moses. But as soon as they sinned, Moses could not look even at the weaker among them; hence it is written, For I was in dread of Af and Hemah (Deut. IX, 19). Before Saul sinned the text writes, not that Saul took the kingdom but that Saul conquered the kingdom over Israel, etc. (I Sam. XIV, 47).What is the meaning of the text, And whithersoever he turned himself, yarshia’ (ib.)? He conquered them. By what merit? By the merit of the religious duties and pious deeds which he had to his credit; for he was meek and used to eat even non-sacred food in ritual purity; he used to be lavish with his own money and sparing with that of Israel, and he was as careful of the dignity of his servant as of his own. R. Judah b. Nahman in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish said: In addition he was also a scholar; for it is written, By me kings reign, etc. (Prov. VIII, 15).6 As soon, however, as he had sinned, When Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid (I Sam. XXVIII, 5). Before David had sinned in connection with that un-nameable incident, - The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom will I fear, etc.? (Ps. XXVII, 1). Once that deed had been done - I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed (II Sam. XVII, 2)  Before Solomon had sinned he had command over male and female demons, for he ruled over the demons; as it says,  I got me sharim wesharoth, etc. (Eccl. II, 8), these are male singers and female singers; And the delight of the sons of men  (ib.)--these are private baths; Shiddah weshiddoth (ib.), these are male demons (shedim) and female demons who kept the fires going in the bath. When he built the Temple [we are told how he had recourse to these demons] and the whole incident with Ashmedai. As soon as he had sinned Ashmedai drove him into banishment, and when he afterwards returned to his kingdom Ashmedai's terror was upon him, and so he brought sixty strong men who kept watch over his bed. Hence it is written ‘Because of dread in the night’; for he was afraid of the spirits. 'Behold, it is the litter (mittatho) of Solomon.’ Our Rabbis expound the verse with reference to the Israelites who departed from Egypt. 'Behold, mittatho’: read ' mattothaw’, i.e. ' his tribes’; as you read, Sworn are the tribes--mattoth (Hab. III, 9).3 ‘Of Solomon (Shelomo)’; i.e. of the Holy One, blessed be He, to whom peace belongs (shalom lo). 'Threescore mighty men are about it’ alludes to the sixty myriads who came out of Egypt, from the age of twenty years and upwards. ‘Of the mighty men of Israel’; this serves to include the little ones and the women. ‘They all handle the sword.’ This bears on the text The children of Israel went up armed (Ex. XIII, 18). ‘Expert in war.’ From whom did they obtain their skill? From the Holy One, blessed be He, of whom it says, The Lord is a man of war (Ex. XV, 3). Every man hath his sword upon his thigh (S.S. loc. cit.). When Moses said to them that the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to him, summarily, No uncircumcised person shall eat thereof (Ex. XII, 48), each one took a knife and placed it upon his thigh and had himself circumcised. Who circumcised them? R. Berekiah taught in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai that Moses circumcised them, Aaron uncovered the corona, and Joshua gave them the wine to drink. Others say that Joshua circumcised them, Aaron uncovered the corona, and Moses gave them the wine to drink. Hence it is written, Circumcise again the children of Israel the second time (Josh. v. 2); from which it can be inferred that he had circumcised them the first time. And circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins (ib. 3), What was the ‘Hill of the foreskins’? It was the place, said R. Levi, which they had made into a hill by means of the foreskins. This explains, 'Every man hath his sword upon his thigh.’ What is the exposition of the text, ‘Because of dread in the night’? They were unable to offer the Passover sacrifice, for it is written, 'No uncircumcised person will eat thereof.’ But if the Israelites had not offered the Passover sacrifice they would have died on the Passover night as the firstborn of the Egyptians had died; for it says,  And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there will be no plague be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt (Ex. XII, 13). This explains, ‘Because of dread in the night.’ ‘Behold, it is the litter of Solomon,’ etc. R. Jonathan interpreted the text as applying to the Sanhedrin. 'Behold, it is mittatho' signifies ‘his tribes’ in accordance with the text, ’Sworn are the tribes.’ ‘Of Solomon (Shelomo),’ namely of the Holy One, blessed be He, to whom peace belongs (shehashalom shelo).' Threescore mighty men are about it.’ These are the sixty men of the people of the land, of whom it says,  And threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the city (II Kings XXV, 19). ‘Of the mighty men of Israel.’ This serves to include the eleven men, thus making the total of seventy-one members of the Sanhedrin.Who were these eleven men? They were those of whom it is written, And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door  (ib. 18); this makes five. And out of the city he took an officer (ib. 19), namely the mufla of the court; this makes six. And five men of them that saw the king's face  (ib.); this brings the total to eleven men. One verse speaks of 'five men' (ib.) and another verse speaks of Seven men of them that saw the king's face (Jer. LII, 25)! What was the nature of the two additional ones? They served as two scribes of the judges. And the scribe of the captain of the host, who mustered the people (ib.) alludes to the messenger of the court. ‘They all handle the sword.’ R. Meir and R. Jose offer differing expositions. R. Meir says that they all polished up their study of a point of law till it was as sharp as a sword, so that if a concrete case came to be handled by them the law might not stand crying to them [for decision]. R. Jose says that in the course of the case all of them argued the pros and cons in order to pass a verdict that was unimpeachable and they would act as though a sword lay between their thighs, and Gehenna was open before their faces. This explains, ‘Because of dread in the night’; they tremblingly sought how best to bring the case to a conclusion so as to escape from the judgment of Gehenna. R. Menahem, the son-in-law of R. Eleazar son of R. Abinah, said: If a woman comes to you to the house of study to inquire of you regarding a point of civil law or a ritual matter, you must look upon her as one who has sprung from your own thigh; you must not set your eye upon her and you must fear the judgment of Gehenna which is like night. ‘Behold, it is the litter,’ etc. R. Samlai expounded the verses as referring to the watches. ‘Behold, it is the litter (mittatho)‘; read 'mattothaw,’ i.e. his tribes, as you read, ‘Sworn are the tribes.’ ‘Of Solomon,’ namely of the Holy One, blessed be He, to whom peace belongs. ‘Threescore mighty men are about it.’ This alludes to the twenty-four priestly watches, the twenty-four levitical watches, and the twelve divisions. ‘Of the mighty men of Israel’ serves to include the rest of the people who were in Jerusalem; the Sanhedrin, the courts of law, and the disciples, all of whom ‘Handle the sword’; as you read, And a two-edged sword in their hand (Ps. CXLIX, 6).1 'Expert in war,’ namely in the battle of the Torah; as you read, The book of the Wars of the Lord (Num. XXI, 14).2 (R. Ze'ira and R. Judah, in the name of R. Samuel, say: The scholars who taught the priests the laws of ritual slaughter, reception of the blood, sprinkling and taking the handful received their payment from the Temple funds. R. Isaac b. R. Redifah, in the name of R. Ammi, said that those who examined the offerings for blemishes in Jerusalem also received their payment from the funds of the Temple treasury. R. Aha and R. Tanhum, son of the son-in-law of R. Samlai, said that those who checked the Law Scroll in the Temple Court also received their payment from the Temple funds. Giddal b. Benjamin in the name of R. Ammi said: There were in Jerusalem two judges of cases of robbery and they received their stipends from the Temple treasury.

 

R. Huna said that the veil for the ark came from the Temple repair fund. Samuel said that the women who wove the veil used to receive their pay from the Temple treasury. Thus we have explained, ‘Expert in war’; for they taught the priests how to perform the service. ‘Every man has his sword upon his thigh, because of dread in the night.’ They exhorted them that when slaughtering they should not cause unfitness in the sacrifices nor disqualify any of the offerings by allowing some pieces to remain over. ‘Behold it is the litter,’ etc. R. Bibi in the name of R. Eleazar expounded the verses as applying to the priestly benediction. ‘Behold, it is the litter’ [lit. ‘bed’] alludes to the Temple; as the bed serves primarily for the purpose of enabling one to be fruitful and multiply, so all that was in the Temple used to be fruitful and multiply; as it says, And the staves grew long (I Kings VIII, 8)1; it also says, And the gold2 was gold of Parvaim (II Chron. III, 6). What is the signification of ‘Parvaim’? It yielded fruit (peroth). It also says, He built the house of the forest of Lebanon (I Kings VII, 2). Why was the Temple called ‘The forest of Lebanon’? To tell you that as a forest yields fruit so, in the case of the Temple, the figures on the walls, which were of gold--for all kinds of trees were fashioned thereon--used to yield fruit. ‘Of Solomon,’ that is, of the Holy One, blessed be He, to whom peace belongs. 'Threescore mighty men are about it’ alludes to the sixty letters in the priestly benediction. ‘Of the mighty men of Israel.’ The priests are so called because they make Israel mighty. R. ‘Azariah says: It refers to the words which they utter with strength, for the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is mentioned in every verse, The Lord bless you, and keep you (Num. VI, 24); The Lord make His face to shine  (ib. 25); The Lord lift up His countenance (ib. 26). ‘They all handle the sword, and are expert in war’ applies to the priests because they fight against all the punishments threatened in the Torah. ‘Every man has his sword upon his thigh.’ This teaches that even if a man sees in his dream that a sword seems to be cutting into his thigh, what he had better do is to rise betimes for synagogue, stand before the priests and pay attention to the priestly benediction; in this way no evil thing can harm him. For this reason Scripture exhorts the priests and tells them, ON THIS WISE YOU WILL BLESS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

 

 

 

Ketubim Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 95

 

 

JPS Translation

TARGUM

1. O come, let us sing unto the LORD; let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

1. Come, let us sing praise before the Lord, let us shout aloud before the Mighty One of our redemption.

2. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us shout for joy unto Him with psalms.

2. Let us come before His face with thanksgiving, with hymns let us shout aloud before Him.

3. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods;

3. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King over every god.

4. In whose hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also.

4. From whose hand the depths of the earth are suspended, and the strongholds of the mountain height are His.

5. The sea is His, and He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.

5. His is the sea, and He made it; and His hands created the dry land.

6. O come, let us bow down and bend the knee; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

6. Come, let us bow down and prostrate ourselves; let us kneel in the presence of the Lord who makes us.

7. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the flock of His hand. To-day, if you would but hearken to His voice!

7. For He is our God and we are His people and the flock of His hand’s pasturing; today, if you accept His word –

8. ‘Harden not your heart, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness;

8. Do not harden your heart as in the dispute, as on the day you tested God in the wilderness.

9. When your fathers tried Me, proved Me, even though they saw My work.

9. For your fathers tempted Me, they tried Me; yet they saw my works.

10. For forty years was I wearied with that generation, and said: It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways;

10. Forty years I rejected the generation of the wilderness, and I said, “They are a people with error in their heart, and they do not know My ways.”

11. Wherefore I swore in My wrath, that they should not enter into My rest.’  

11. For I swore in the harshness of My wrath, “They will not enter the repose of My sanctuary.”

 

 

 

 

The Midrash on Psalms (Midrash Tehillim): Psalm 95 

 

I. O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation (Ps. 95:1). Elsewhere, this is what Scripture says: Sing, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem (Zeph. 3:14). Why? Because The Lord bas taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy (ibid. 3:15). At the fall of the wicked/lawless, every one shouts for joy. Thus it is said The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked/lawless, the scepter of the rulers, that smote the peoples in wrath (Isa. 14:5-6). And what verse follows? The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they break forth into singing (ibid. 14.7). Again, God said: When the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate (Ezek. 35:14). When will the earth rejoice? When I make you, Edom, desolate. And thus also upon the conclusion of the previous Psalm, And He has brought upon them their own iniquity/lawlessness (Ps. 94:23), the next Psalm begins at once with the words O come, let us sing unto the Lord (Ps. 95:1). So, too, Scripture says, When it goes well with the righteous/generous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked/lawless perish, there is joy (Prov. 11:10).

 

Let us come before His presence with avowal (Ps. 952):Avowal of faithful obedience is greater than offerings. So Jonah said: But I will sacrifice unto You with the voice of avowal (Jonah 2:10).

 

II. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods (Ps. 95:3). Are there other gods then? Is it not written See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with Me (Deut. 32:39)? But what the verse from the Psalm means to say is this: Woe unto the wicked/lawless that together with their gods go down below to Gehenna. For, as Scripture says, All the gods of the peoples are things of nought (I Chron. 16:26)

 

In His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, and He made it; and His hands formed the dry land (Ps. 95:4-5). Could a mortal king, if it were said to him, “The earth is yours,” declare what its length or what its depth is? But the Holy One, blessed be He can so declare, for in His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also.

 

The sea is His, and He made it (ibid.). Could a mortal king, if it were said to him, “The sea is yours,” declare how many measures of water are in it? But the Holy One, blessed be He, of Him it is proper to say The sea is His, and to say that He made it, for He knows how many measures of water are in it, as Scripture says, Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand? (Isa. 40:12), and also, He metes out the waters by measure (Job 28:25). Hence, it is said The sea is His, and He made it.

 

And what does God require of you? Bowing down in worship, as is said O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand (Ps. 95:6-7). When are we His people? When we are the sheep of His pasture, as it is said When you My sheep are the sheep of My pasture … I am your God, says the Lord God (Ezek. 31:31). But when we are like lions in the forest, God hates us, for it is said My heritage is unto Me as a lion in the forest, it cries out against Me: Therefore have I hated her (Jer. 12:8).

 

The day - if you would but hearken to His voice! (Ps. 95:7). R. Levi taught: If the children of Israel kept but one Sabbath as it ought to be kept, they would be redeemed forthwith, for it is said The day—if you would but hearken to His voice, the day of which it is written Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Deut. 5:12).

 

III. Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness; when your fathers tempted Me, put Me to proof, even though they saw My work (Ps. 95:8-9). You will find that the children of Israel put the Holy One, blessed be He, to proof ten times, as is said All those men that have seen My glory, and My miracles which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness ... have put Me to proof these ten times (Num. 14:22): twice at the Red Sea, as is said Our fathers understood not the wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of Your mercies; but provoked Him at the sea, even at the Red Sea (Ps. 106:7); twice with the quail; once with the manna; once with the golden calf; once at Paran this one being the most provoking. You say ten proofs, but you instance only seven: What arc the other three? The other three are mentioned in the verse At Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah, you provoked the Lord to wrath (Deut. 9:22). And why does not Scripture instance these with the others? Because these three were more provoking than the seven preceding ones. Hence it is said When your fathers tempted Me, put Me to proof, even though they saw My work (Ps. 95:9).

 

For forty years did I cut off (‘akut) that generation (Ps. 95:10), the generation which perished in the wilderness; here cut off has a connotation of loathing, as in the verse “My soul loathes (noktah) my life” (Job 10:1). R. Levi said: It connotes banishment, since the people of that generation were banished for thirty-eight years.

 

Wherefore 1 swore in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest (Ps. 95:11)—that is, into the Land of Israel, of which it is said For you are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance (Deut. 12:9); and also Zion ... is My rest for ever (Ps. 132:13-14).

 

 

 

Ashlamatah: 1 Kings 8:54-63

 

54. And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven.

55. And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying:

56. ‘Blessed be the LORD, that has given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised; there has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant.

57. The LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; let Him not leave us, nor forsake us;

58. that He may incline our hearts unto Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes, and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.

59. And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be near unto the LORD our God day and night, that He maintain the cause of His servant, and the cause of His people Israel, as every day will require;

60. that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD, He is God; there is none else.

61. Let your heart therefore be whole with the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as at this day.’

62. And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD.

63. And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which he offered unto the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.

 

 

 

Special Ashlamatah: Is. 54:1-10

 

1. Sing, O barren, you that did not bear, break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you that did not travail; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says the LORD.

2. Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations, spare not; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.

3. For you will spread abroad on the right hand and on the left; and your seed will possess the gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

4. Fear not, for you will not be ashamed. Neither be you confounded, for thou will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood will you remember no more.

5. For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth will He be called.

6. For the LORD has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit; and a wife of youth, can she be rejected? says your God.

7. For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great compassion will I gather you.

8. In a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have compassion on you, says the LORD your Redeemer. {S}

 

9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with you, nor rebuke you.

10. For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness will not depart from you, neither will My covenant of peace be removed, says the LORD that has compassion on you. {S}

 

 

 

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 19:23-30

 

23. Then Yeshuah said to his Talmidim, “Amen, I tell you, a wealthy person will hardly come into the government of the heavens.

24. Again I say to you, that it is easier for a camel to come in [through] the night door of the gate than for a wealthy person to come into the government of the heavens.”

25. And having heard, the Talmidim were exceedingly astonished saying, “So who will be able to turn to return in order to be delivered?”

26. And looking at them, Yeshuah said, “With man this is an inability, but for G-d all things are an ability.”

27. Then replying, Shimon HaTsefet Bar Yonah said to him, “We have left everything to follow you, what then will therefore be for us?”

28. And Yeshuah said to them, “Amen, I tell you that when you have followed me, in the renewal of all things, when the [royal] man will sit upon the seat of his glory, you yourselves will also sit upon the twelve seats of the twelve tribes of Israel.

29. And everyone, whoever has left brothers, or sisters, or father or mother, or women, or children, or fields for the sake of my name (authority), he will take a hundredfold and will inherit life throughout the ages.

30. There is the early bird who is hired and there is the early bird who loses.

 

 

 

The Rabbi’s Private Prophetic Study

 

Our Midrash on the Psalm for this week states:

 

For forty years did I cut off (‘akut) that generation (Ps. 95:10), the generation which perished in the wilderness; here cut off has a connotation of loathing, as in the verse “My soul loathes (noktah) my life” (Job 10:1). R. Levi said: It connotes banishment, since the people of that generation were banished for thirty-eight years.

 

Wherefore 1 swore in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest (Ps. 95:11)—that is, into the Land of Israel, of which it is said For you are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance (Deut. 12:9); and also Zion ... is My rest for ever (Ps. 132:13-14).

 

 

Compare this with:

 

And “Moses” truly “was faithful in all his house” as a ministering servant, for a testimony of the things having been spoken (Num. 12:7); but Messiah as Son (Judge) over his house, whose house we are, if truly we hold fast the boldness and rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. Because of this, even as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, there where your fathers tempted Me, testing Me, and saw My works forty years. Because of this, I was angry with that generation and said, They always go astray in their heart; and they did not know My ways; so I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest.” (LXX-Psalm 94:7-11; MT-Psalm 95:7-11)

 

Watch, brothers, lest perhaps there will be in any one of you an evil heart of unfaithfulness in withdrawing from the living God. But strengthen yourselves each day, as long as it is being called “today,” that not any of you be hardened by the deceit of sin. For we have become partakers of Messiah, if truly we hold the beginning of the assurance firm to the end; as in the saying, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation.” (Psalm 95:7,8 MT). For hearing, some provoked Him, but not all those coming out of Egypt through Moses. But with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with the ones sinning, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did “He swear they would not enter into His rest,” except to those not obeying?  (LXX-Psa. 94:11; MT-Psa. 95:11)  And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unfaithfulness.

 

Therefore, let us fear lest perhaps a promise having been left to enter into His rest, that any of you may seem to come short. For, indeed, we have had the gospel (Oral Torah) proclaimed to us, even as they also; but the Word did not profit those hearing it, not having been mixed with faithful obedience in the ones who heard. For we, the ones faithfully obeying enter into the rest, even as He said, “As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter into My rest,” though the works had come into being from the foundation of the world. (LXX-Psa. 94:11; MT-Psa. 95:11)

 

For He has spoken somewhere about the seventh day this way, “And God rested from all His works in the seventh day.” (Gen. 2:2) And in this again, “They will not enter into My rest.” (MT-Psalm 95:11)  Therefore, since it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly had the gospel (Oral Torah) proclaimed did not enter in on account of disobedience, He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, “Today” (after so long a time, according as He has said), “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (MT-Psalm 95:7, 8).

 

For if Joshua gave them rest, then He would not have afterwards spoken about another day. So, then, there remains a Sabbath rest to the people of God. For he entering into His rest, he himself also rested from his works, as God had rested from His own. LXX-Psa. 95:11; Gen. 2:2 Therefore, let us exert ourselves to enter into that rest, that not anyone fall in the same example of disobedience. For the Word of God is living, and powerfully working, and sharper than every two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of both soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge of the thoughts and intentions of the heart; and there is no creature unrevealed before Him; but all things are naked and laid open to His eyes, with whom is our account.” – Bereans (Hebrews) 3:5 – 4:13

 

 

As can be seen when comparing Our Midrashim for this week and the words of Hakham Shaul, we find that Hakham Shaul was not being original, in the sense that the people of Israel had already known this teaching.

 

Shalom Shabbat!

 

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai