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Esnoga Bet Emunah 4544 Highline Dr. SE Olympia, WA 98501 United States of America © 2014 E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com |
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Esnoga Bet El 102 Broken Arrow Dr. Paris TN 38242 United States of America © 2014 E-Mail: waltoakley@charter.net |
Triennial Cycle (Triennial
Torah Cycle) / Septennial Cycle (Septennial Torah Cycle)
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Three and 1/2 year
Lectionary Readings |
Second Year of the
Triennial Reading Cycle |
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Kislev 25, 5774 – Tebeth
02, 5774 Evening Tuesday December
16 – Evening Wednesday
December 24, 2014 |
Seventh Year of the
Shmita Cycle |
Chanuka
Sameach!
We take this opportunity to wish you
and your loved ones a very happy Chanuka – a festival of freedom and of
consecration/education to/for the work of G-d. And even if we do not finish the
task before us, still we should do our very best in this life to radiate it
with the constructive light of the Torah. For as the Psalmist wrote: “in Your
light do we see light” (Psalm 36:10).
Roll of Honor:
His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David and beloved
wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah
His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved
wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah
His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham
His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife
HH Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,
Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved
family
His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved
family
His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife
Her Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor
Her Excellency Prof. Dr. Conny Williams & beloved
family
Her Excellency Giberet Gloria Sutton & beloved
family
His Excellency Adon Yoel ben Abraham and beloved wife
HE Giberet Rivka bat Dorit
His Excellency Adon Tsuriel ben Abraham and beloved
wife HE Giberet Gibora bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Gabriel ben Abraham and beloved
wife HE Giberet Elisheba bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Yehoshua ben Abraham and beloved
wife HE Giberet Rut bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Ze’ev ben Abraham and beloved wife
HE Giberet Hadassah bat Sarah
Her Excellency Giberet Whitney Mathison
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
and her Torah Scholars, amen ve amen!
Also a great thank you and great blessings be upon all who send comments
to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Torah Seder and
allied topics.
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 benhaggai@GMail.com with your
E-Mail or the E-Mail addresses of your friends. Toda Rabba!
Halakhot and Minhagim for Sefardim
Chanuka means dedication. It is
also an acronym for Heth Neroth VeHalakha KeBeth
Hillel (eight candles and the law according to the House of Hillel).
This refers to the famous difference of opinion Between the Houses of Shammai
and Hillel. The House of Shammai said that we should light eight candles
on the first night and reduce one every subsequent night. The House of Hillel
said that we should light one candle on the first night and increase the amount
by one every day. We light in accordance with Beth Hillel.
The word Mashiach
(Messiah) is an acronym for Madliqin Shemonah Yeme
Chanuka (we light throughout the eight days of Chanuka). What
is the significance of this? By lighting the Hanukkah we perform three
Mitsvoth (precepts) together, as follows: When one enters one's home the Mezuzah
is on the right, the Canukiah is lit on the left, and the man who enters has Tsitsiyoth
(fringes) on his Tallith Qatan. The Acronym for Tsitsith,
Mezuzah and Chanuka is Tsemach (the
branch), who is the Mashiach.
During the eight days of
Chanuka we kindle lights in commemoration of the "miracles, deliverance,
mighty deeds salvations, wonders and solace" that our Heavenly Father
performed for us in those days, at this time. It was then that the suppressive
and tyrannical rule by the Greeks was overturned in battle and the Beth
Hamiqdash (Temple) was rededicated by the Hasmoneans.
There are different
opinions as to why, when they entered the Temple and found only one cruse of
pure oil for the Menorah (sufficient for only one day), they required eight
days to make new oil. One opinion is that they were defiled from war and
had to wait to be purified before making it. In any case, as is well
known, this solitary cruse lasted for eight days and in memory of this miracle
the festival of Hanukkah was established for eight days.
On each night of Chanuka,
from when the time for lighting arrives, we are not permitted to eat or even
study Torah till the lights are actually kindled. The choicest way of
performing the precept of the lighting of the Hanukkah lights is through the
use of olive oil. However two types of lights may not be mixed (such as
olive oil and wax candles) as it should not appear that two people lit
them. In accordance with the teachings of Sephardi Hakhamim, z"l,
only the head of the household may light Hanukkah lights in each household, as
he is considered the first-born of the house Halakhically. The other
members of the family stand beside him and watch. It is good, however, to allow
one of the children to light the additional candle - referred to as the Shamash
- in order to train them in the performance of the Mitsvoth. The Shamash,
which is generally considered to have some Mitsvah attached, should
be lit last and should not be used to light the other lights. This is in accordance
with the Sephardim. Ashkenazim have the Minhag of having each child light
his own Hanukkah. In any case, each one must do in accordance with the
teachings of his forefathers or the Hakham of his/her congregation and may not
change.
One may not make use of
the lights during the time that they are required to burn and even though some
hold that the light of the Shamash may be used, according to the Qabbalah
(Jewish Mysticism) it may not. After the recitation of the benedictions of
Lehadliq Ner Chanuka, She'asa Nissim, (followed by Shechecheyanu on the first
day), Haneroth Halalu the kindling of the lights and Mizmor Shir Chanukath
HaBayith, it is considered to be a good omen to recite Vihi No'am and Yosheb
Besether. The Ashkenazi Minhagh is to follow the lighting with the singing
of the hymn Ma'oz Tsur, a traditional European song. Sepharadim have different
songs for Hanukkah, but do not have the custom of singing them after the
lighting.
The story of Yehudith,
daughter of the Kohen Gadol (high Priest) Yochanan, bears some similarities to
the events that are commemorated in Hanukkah, and is also remembered during
these days. As is written in "Hemdath Yamim", the cruel Greek ruler
desired Yehudith and had her brought before him. She fed him with dairy
foods and wine till he fell asleep and then severed off his head. At the
sight of their leader's decapitated head, the enemy soldiers fled. For
this and other reasons, Chanuka is of specific importance to women. It is
important, therefore, that they do no Melakha (work) while the lights are
burning each night, - i.e. for the half hour that they are required to be
alight. It is appropriate also, for a woman whose livelihood does not
depend on it, to abstain from doing any Melakha on the first and last days of
Chanuka. In the memory of the afore-mentioned story of Yehudith, Sephardim
(and some Ashkenazim) partake of dairy foods during the Holiday. The
Ashkenazi custom is to eat foods fried in oil, in memory of the miracle of the
cruse of oil. In general, Sepharadim have not adopted this custom.
On Shabbath Chanuka and on
Rosh Chodesh - and especially if they fall on the same day - one should eat
more and sing Shbahoth (songs of praise) such as Vethismah Bakh Attah
Malka. On 'Ereb Shabbath Chanuka one must be particularly careful to pray
Mincha before lighting the Chanuka lights. And these, in turn, must be
kindled before those of Shabbath. At the close of the Shabbath, Sepharadim
light the Chanuka in the synagogue prior to Habdalah, but at home the order is
reversed. Ashkenazim have differing customs concerning this.
May we merit to see the Chanuka (dedication) of the third
Temple, speedily in our days, Amen ve Amen!
MY HANUKKAH CHECKLIST
Every night, when lighting the Chanuka lights, I recite:
1. Lehadliq Ner Chanuka. (Not
Ner Shel Chanuka - according to the Sod. This is the custom of most Sephardim).
Ashkenazim (most) say Ner Shel Hanukkah.
2. Haneroth Halalu.
3. Mizmor Chanuka HaBayith.
4. Vihi No'am (7 times).
5. Yosheb Besether 'Elyon.
Ashkenazim conclude the
lighting with the hymn Mao'z Sur. Sephardim do not have the custom of
concluding the lighting with songs of praise. However there are specific songs
for Chanuka, such as Y-a Hassel Yona [Vethismah Bakh Atta
Malka], Yasa Limlokh, Yabbi'un
Sephathai Shirah and Yithro'a'u.
If I am Sephardi, I do not
use the Shammash to light the other candles, but instead, I use matches or a
separate candle to light them. I
then light the Shammash last. If I am Ashkenazi, I light all candles with the Shammash. If I am
Sephardi, we only light one Chanuka (Chanukia Menorah) in my home, which is lit
by the head of the household. All other members stand by and watch.
(There is a difference in ruling between Sepharadi and Ashkenazi
Hakhamim). If I am Ashkenazi, the children light too.
We eat special foods on
Chanuka. Sephardim eat dairy foods all through Chanuka in memory of the miracle
that occurred through dairy foods at the hand of Yehudith. We also eat
Buňuelos[1]
and “Arroz con Leche y Canela.”[2]
Ashkenazim eat foods fried in oil, such as donuts and potato pancakes, in
memory of the miracle of the cruse of oil. This is not the Sephardi
custom. We eat more during Chanuka, and especially on Shabbath and Rosh Chodesh
of Chanuka and sing Shbahoth (songs of praise).
Sephardic children are
trained in the Mitsvah of giving money to charity and helping those in
need. Ashkenazim have the minhagh of giving Hanukkah money [and presents]
to the children. Although there is a source for it, this is not the
prevalent custom among Sephardim. Women abstain from Melakha (servile work) at
least during the time that the lights of the Chanukiya are required to be
alight.
Chanuka First Day
Evening Tuesday Dec. 16, 2014 – Evening
Wednesday Dec. 17, 2014
Morning Service
Torah: Numbers 7:1-17
Reader 1 - Num. 7:1-3
Reader 2 - Num. 7:4-11
Reader 3 - Num. 712-17
Yehudit (Judith) 1:1 – 2:28
1
Maccabees 1:1 – 2:48
Psalm 30:1-3
Nazareans add in their private study and
discussions: Genesis 1:1-5; & 1 John 1:1-10
For further information please read and study:
http://www.betemunah.org/lapin.html, http://www.betemunah.org/connection.html,
http://www.betemunah.org/chanukah.html, & http://www.betemunah.org/lights.html
Rashi & Targum Pseudo
Jonathan
for: B’Midbar (Numbers) 7:1-17
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Rashi |
Targum Pseudo
Jonathan |
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1. And it was that on the day that Moses
finished erecting the Mishkan, he anointed it, sanctified it, and all its
vessels, and the altar and all its vessels. |
1.
And it was on the day which begins the month of Nisan, when Mosheh had
finished to rear up 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 chieftains of Israel, the heads of their
fathers' houses, presented [their offerings]. They were the leaders of the
tribes. They were the ones who were present 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, |
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3. They brought their offering before the Lord:
six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for each two chieftains, and an
ox for each one; they presented them in front of 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. But Mosheh was not willing to receive them, and
they brought them before the tabernacle. |
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4. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: |
4. And the Lord spoke with Mosheh, saying: |
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5. Take [it] from them, and let them be used in
the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall give them to the Levites, in
accordance with each man's 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. So Moses took the wagons and the cattle and
gave them to the Levites. |
6. And Mosheh took the wagons and the oxen, and
gave them to the Levites. |
|
7. He gave two wagons and four oxen 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. And he gave four wagons and eight oxen to
the sons of Merari, according to their work under the direction of Ithamar
the son of Aaron the priest. |
8. and four wagons and eight oxen gave he to
the sons of Merari, according to the measure of their service, by the hand of
Ithamar bar Aharon the priest. |
|
9. But to the sons of Kohath he did not give, for
incumbent upon them was the work involving the holy [objects], which they
were 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 chieftains brought [offerings for] the
dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; the chieftains presented
their offerings in front of 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. The Lord said to Moses: One chieftain each
day, one chieftain each day, shall present his 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 who brought his offering on the
first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. |
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: |
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13. And his offering was one silver bowl
weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin
[weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with
fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
13.
and his oblation which he offered was one silver bowl, 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 [weighing] ten gold [shekels],
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 lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
15. one young bullock of three years, one ram of
two years, and one lamb of the year. These three did the chief of the tribe
Jehudah bring for a burnt offering; |
|
16. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
16. one kid of the goats he brought for a sin
offering; |
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17. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Nahshon the son of Amminadab. |
17.
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. |
|
|
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Yehudit (Judith) 1:1 – 2:28
New Jerusalem Bible Version
Judith 1:1 It was the twelfth year of
Nebuchadnezzar who reigned over the Assyrians in the great city of
Nineveh. Arphaxad was then reigning over the Medes in Ecbatana.
2 He surrounded this city with walls of dressed stones
three cubits thick and six cubits long, making the rampart
seventy cubits high and fifty cubits wide.
3 At the gates he placed towers one hundred cubits
high and, at the foundations, sixty cubits wide,
4 the gates themselves being seventy cubits high and
forty wide to allow his forces to march out in a body and
his infantry to parade freely.
5 About this time King Nebuchadnezzar gave battle to
King Arphaxad in the great plain lying in the territory of
Ragae.
6 Supporting him were all the peoples from the
highlands, all from the Euphrates and Tigris and Hydaspes, and
those from the plains who were subject to Arioch, king of the Elymaeans.
Thus many nations had mustered to take part in the battle of the
Cheleoudites.
7 Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians sent a message
to all the inhabitants of Persia, to all the inhabitants
of the western countries, Cilicia, Damascus, Lebanon, Anti-Lebanon, to
all those along the coast,
8 to the peoples of Carmel, Gilead, Upper Galilee, the
great plain of Esdraelon,
9 to the people of Samaria and its outlying towns, to
those beyond Jordan, as far away as Jerusalem, Bethany,
Chelous, Kadesh, the river of Egypt, Tahpanhes, Rameses and the whole territory
of Goshen,
10 beyond Tanis too and Memphis, and to all the
inhabitants of Egypt as far as the frontiers of Ethiopia.
11 But the inhabitants of these countries ignored the
summons of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians and did
not rally to him to make war. They were not afraid of him, since
in their view he appeared isolated. Hence they sent his
ambassadors back with nothing achieved and in disgrace.
12 Nebuchadnezzar was furious with all these
countries. He swore by his throne and kingdom to take revenge on all
the territories of Cilicia, Damascus and Syria, of the Moabites and of the
Ammonites, of Judaea and Egypt as far as the limits of the
two seas, and to ravage them with the sword.
13 In the seventeenth year, he gave battle with his
whole army to King Arphaxad and in this battle defeated him.
He routed Arphaxad's entire army and all his cavalry and chariots;
14 he occupied his towns and advanced on Ecbatana; he
seized its towers and plundered its market places,
reducing its former magnificence to a mockery.
15 He later captured Arphaxad in the mountains of
Ragae and, thrusting him through with his spears,
destroyed him once and for all.
16 He then retired with his troops and all who had
joined forces with him: a vast horde of armed men. Then he and
his army gave themselves up to carefree feasting for a
hundred and twenty days.
NJB
Judith 2:1 In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the first month, a rumour ran through the palace that
Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians was to have his revenge
on all the countries, as he had threatened.
2 Summoning his general staff and senior officers, he
held a secret conference with them, and with his own lips
pronounced utter destruction on the entire area.
3 It was then decreed that everyone should be put to
death who had not answered the king's appeal.
4 When the council was over, Nebuchadnezzar king of
the Assyrians sent for Holofernes, general-in-chief of his
armies and subordinate only to himself. He said to him,
5 'Thus speaks the Great King, lord of the whole
world, "Go; take men of proven valour, about a hundred and
twenty thousand foot soldiers and a strong company of horse with
twelve thousand cavalrymen;
6 then advance against all the western lands, since
these people have disregarded my call.
7 Bid them have earth and water ready, because in my
rage I am about to march on them; the feet of my soldiers
will cover the whole face of the earth, and I shall plunder it.
8 Their wounded will fill the valleys and the
torrents, and rivers, blocked with their dead, will overflow.
9 I shall lead them captive to the ends of the earth.
10 Now go! Begin by conquering this whole region for
me. If they surrender to you, hold them for me until the
time comes to punish them.
11 But if they resist, look on no one with clemency,
hand them over to slaughter and plunder throughout the territory
entrusted to you.
12 For by my life and by the living power of my
kingdom I have spoken. All this I shall do by my power.
13 And you, neglect none of your master's commands,
act strictly according to my orders without further
delay." '
14 Leaving the presence of his sovereign, Holofernes
immediately summoned all the marshals, generals and
officers of the Assyrian army
15 and detailed the picked troops as his master had
ordered, about a hundred and twenty thousand men and a further
twelve thousand mounted archers.
16 He organised these in the normal battle formation.
17 He then secured vast numbers of camels, donkeys and
mules to carry the baggage, and innumerable sheep, oxen
and goats for food supplies.
18 Every man received full rations and a generous sum
of gold and silver from the king's purse.
19 He then set out for the campaign with his whole
army, in advance of King Nebuchadnezzar, to overwhelm the whole
western region with his chariots, his horsemen and his picked body
of foot.
20 A motley gathering followed in his rear, as
numerous as locusts or the grains of sand on the ground; there was no
counting their multitude.
21 Thus they set out from Nineveh and marched for
three days towards the Plain of Bectileth. From Bectileth
they went on to pitch camp near the mountains that lie to the north
of Upper Cilicia.
22 From there Holofernes advanced into the highlands
with his whole army, infantry, horsemen, chariots.
23 He cut his way through Put and Lud, carried away
captive all the sons of Rassis and sons of Ishmael living on
the verge of the desert south of Cheleon,
24 marched along the Euphrates, crossed Mesopotamia,
rased all the fortified towns controlling the Wadi Abron and
reached the sea.
25 Next he attacked the territories of Cilicia,
butchering all who offered him resistance, advanced on the
southern frontiers of Japheth, facing Arabia,
26 completely encircled the Midianites, burned their
tents and plundered their sheep-folds,
27 made his way down to the Damascus plain at the time
of the wheat harvest, set fire to the fields, destroyed the
flocks and herds, sacked the towns, laid the countryside waste and put
all the young men to the sword.
28 Fear and trembling seized all the coastal peoples;
those of Sidon and Tyre, those of Sur, Ocina and Jamnia. The
populations of Azotos and Ascalon were panic-stricken.
1 Maccabees 1:1 – 2:48
New Jerusalem Bible Version
NJB 1
Maccabees 1:1 Alexander of Macedon son of Philip had come from the land of Kittim and defeated Darius king of
the Persians and Medes, whom he succeeded as ruler, at first of
Hellas.
2 He undertook many campaigns, gained possession of
many fortresses, and put the local kings to death.
3 So he advanced to the ends of the earth, plundering
nation after nation; the earth grew silent before him, and
his ambitious heart swelled with pride.
4 He assembled very powerful forces and subdued
provinces, nations and princes, and they became his tributaries.
5 But the time came when Alexander took to his bed, in
the knowledge that he was dying.
6 He summoned his officers, noblemen who had been
brought up with him from his youth, and divided his kingdom
among them while he was still alive.
7 Alexander had reigned twelve years when he died.
8 Each of his officers established himself in his own
region.
9 All assumed crowns after his death, they and their
heirs after them for many years, bringing increasing evils on
the world.
10 From these there grew a wicked offshoot, Antiochus
Epiphanes son of King Antiochus; once a hostage in Rome,
he became king in the 107th year of the kingdom of the Greeks.
11 It was then that there emerged from Israel a set of
renegades who led many people astray. 'Come,' they said,
'let us ally ourselves with the gentiles surrounding us, for since we
separated ourselves from them many misfortunes have overtaken us.'
12 This proposal proved acceptable,
13 and a number of the people eagerly approached the
king, who authorised them to practise the gentiles'
observances.
14 So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, such as the
gentiles have,
15 disguised their circumcision, and abandoned the
holy covenant, submitting to gentile rule as willing slaves
of impiety.
16 Once Antiochus had seen his authority established,
he determined to make himself king of Egypt and the ruler of
both kingdoms.
17 He invaded Egypt in massive strength, with chariots
and elephants (and cavalry) and a large fleet.
18 He engaged Ptolemy king of Egypt in battle, and
Ptolemy turned back and fled before his advance, leaving many
casualties.
19 The fortified cities of Egypt were captured, and
Antiochus plundered the country.
20 After his conquest of Egypt, in the year 143,
Antiochus turned about and advanced on Israel and Jerusalem in
massive strength.
21 Insolently breaking into the sanctuary, he removed
the golden altar and the lamp-stand for the light with all its
fittings,
22 together with the table for the loaves of permanent
offering, the libation vessels, the cups, the golden
censers, the veil, the crowns, and the golden decoration
on the front of the Temple, which he stripped of everything.
23 He made off with the silver and gold and precious
vessels; he discovered the secret treasures and seized
them
24 and, removing all these, he went back to his own
country, having shed much blood and uttered words of extreme
arrogance.
25 There was deep mourning for Israel throughout the
country:
26 Rulers and elders groaned; girls and young men
wasted away; the women's beauty suffered a change;
27 every bridegroom took up a dirge, the bride sat
grief-stricken on her marriage-bed.
28 The earth quaked because of its inhabitants and the
whole House of Jacob was clothed with shame.
29 Two years later the king sent the Mysarch through
the cities of Judah. He came to Jerusalem with an impressive
force,
30 and addressing them with what appeared to be peaceful
words, he gained their confidence; then suddenly he fell
on the city, dealing it a terrible blow, and destroying many of the
people of Israel.
31 He pillaged the city and set it on fire, tore down
its houses and encircling wall,
32 took the women and children captive and
commandeered the cattle.
33 They then rebuilt the City of David with a great
strong wall and strong towers and made this their Citadel.
34 There they installed a brood of sinners, of
renegades, who fortified themselves inside it,
35 storing arms and provisions, and depositing there
the loot they had collected from Jerusalem; they were to prove a
great trouble.
36 It became an ambush for the sanctuary, an evil
adversary for Israel at all times.
37 They shed innocent blood all round the sanctuary
and defiled the sanctuary itself.
38 The citizens of Jerusalem fled because of them, she
became a dwelling-place of strangers; estranged from
her own offspring, her children forsook her.
39 Her sanctuary became as forsaken as a desert, her
feasts were turned into mourning, her Sabbaths into a
mockery, her honour into reproach.
40 Her dishonour now fully matched her former glory,
her greatness was turned into grief.
41 The king then issued a proclamation to his whole
kingdom that all were to become a single people, each nation
renouncing its particular customs.
42 All the gentiles conformed to the king's decree,
43 and many Israelites chose to accept his religion,
sacrificing to idols and profaning the Sabbath.
44 The king also sent edicts by messenger to Jerusalem
and the towns of Judah, directing them to adopt customs
foreign to the country,
45 banning burnt offerings, sacrifices and libations
from the sanctuary, profaning Sabbaths and feasts,
46 defiling the sanctuary and everything holy,
47 building altars, shrines and temples for idols,
sacrificing pigs and unclean beasts,
48 leaving their sons uncircumcised, and prostituting
themselves to all kinds of impurity and abomination,
49 so that they should forget the Law and revoke all
observance of it.
50 Anyone not obeying the king's command was to be put
to death.
51 Writing in such terms to every part of his kingdom,
the king appointed inspectors for the whole people and
directed all the towns of Judah to offer sacrifice city by city.
52 Many of the people -- that is, every apostate from
the Law -- rallied to them and so committed evil in the
country,
53 forcing Israel into hiding in any possible place of
refuge.
54 On the fifteenth day of Chislev in the year 145 the
king built the appalling abomination on top of the altar of
burnt offering; and altars were built in the surrounding towns of Judah
55 and incense offered at the doors of houses and in
the streets.
56 Any books of the Law that came to light were torn
up and burned.
57 Whenever anyone was discovered possessing a copy of
the covenant or practising the Law, the king's
decree sentenced him to death.
58 Month after month they took harsh action against
any offenders they discovered in the towns of Israel.
59 On the twenty-fifth day of each month, sacrifice
was offered on the altar erected on top of the altar of burnt
offering.
60 Women who had had their children circumcised were
put to death according to the edict
61 with their babies hung round their necks, and the
members of their household and those who had performed the
circumcision were executed with them.
62 Yet there were many in Israel who stood firm and
found the courage to refuse unclean food.
63 They chose death rather than contamination by such
fare or profanation of the holy covenant, and they
were executed.
64 It was a truly dreadful retribution that visited
Israel.
NJB 1
Maccabees 2:1 About then, Mattathias son of John, son of Simeon, a priest of the line of Joarib, left Jerusalem
and settled in Modein.
2 He had five sons, John known as Gaddi,
3 Simon called Thassi,
4 Judas called Maccabaeus,
5 Eleazar, called Avaran, and Jonathan called Apphus.
6 When he saw the blasphemies being committed in Judah
and Jerusalem,
7 he said, 'Alas that I should have been born to
witness the ruin of my people and the ruin of the Holy City, and to
sit by while she is delivered over to her enemies, and the
sanctuary into the hand of foreigners.
8 'Her Temple has become like someone of no repute,
9 the vessels that were her glory have been carried
off as booty, her babies have been slaughtered in her streets,
her young men by the enemy's sword.
10 Is there a nation that has not claimed a share of
her royal prerogatives, that has not taken some of her
spoils?
11 All her ornaments have been snatched from her, her
former freedom has become slavery.
12 See how the Holy Place, our beauty, our glory, is
now laid waste, see how the gentiles have profaned it!
13 What have we left to live for?'
14 Mattathias and his sons tore their garments, put on
sackcloth, and observed deep mourning.
15 The king's commissioners who were enforcing the
apostasy came to the town of Modein for the sacrifices.
16 Many Israelites gathered round them, but Mattathias
and his sons drew apart.
17 The king's commissioners then addressed Mattathias
as follows, 'You are a respected leader, a great man in
this town; you have sons and brothers to support you.
18 Be the first to step forward and conform to the
king's decree, as all the nations have done, and the leaders of
Judah and the survivors in Jerusalem; you and your sons shall be reckoned
among the Friends of the King, you and your sons will be honoured
with gold and silver and many presents.'
19 Raising his voice, Mattathias retorted, 'Even if
every nation living in the king's dominions obeys him, each
forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his
decrees,
20 I, my sons and my brothers will still follow the
covenant of our ancestors.
21 May Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and
its observances.
22 As for the king's orders, we will not follow them:
we shall not swerve from our own religion either to right
or to left.'
23 As he finished speaking, a Jew came forward in the
sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein as the
royal edict required.
24 When Mattathias saw this, he was fired with zeal;
stirred to the depth of his being, he gave vent to his
legitimate anger, threw himself on the man and
slaughtered him on the altar.
25 At the same time he killed the king's commissioner
who was there to enforce the sacrifice, and tore down the
altar.
26 In his zeal for the Law he acted as Phinehas had
against Zimri son of Salu.
27 Then Mattathias went through the town, shouting at
the top of his voice, 'Let everyone who has any zeal for the
Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me.'
28 Then he fled with his sons into the hills, leaving
all their possessions behind in the town.
29 Many people who were concerned for virtue and
justice went down to the desert and stayed there,
30 taking with them their sons, their wives and their
cattle, so oppressive had their sufferings become.
31 Word was brought to the royal officials and forces
stationed in Jerusalem, in the City of David, that those
who had repudiated the king's edict had gone down to the hiding
places in the desert.
32 A strong detachment went after them, and when it
came up with them ranged itself against them in battle
formation, preparing to attack them on the Sabbath day,
33 and said, 'Enough of this! Come out and do as the
king orders and you will be spared.'
34 The others, however, replied, 'We refuse to come
out, and we will not obey the king's orders and profane the
Sabbath day.'
35 The royal forces at once went into action,
36 but the others offered no opposition; not a stone
was thrown, there was no barricading of the hiding places.
37 They only said, 'Let us all die innocent; let
heaven and earth bear witness that you are massacring us with no
pretence of justice.'
38 The attack was pressed home on the Sabbath itself,
and they were slaughtered, with their wives and children and
cattle, to the number of one thousand persons.
39 When the news reached Mattathias and his friends,
they mourned them bitterly
40 and said to one another, 'If we all do as our
brothers have done, and refuse to fight the gentiles for our lives
and institutions, they will only destroy us the sooner from the earth.'
41 So then and there they came to this decision, 'If
anyone attacks us on the Sabbath day, whoever he may be, we
shall resist him; we must not all be killed, as our brothers were in the
hiding places.'
42 Soon they were joined by the Hasidaean party, stout
fighting men of Israel, each one a volunteer on the side of
the Law.
43 All the refugees from the persecution rallied to
them, giving them added support.
44 They organised themselves into an armed force,
striking down the sinners in their anger, and the renegades in
their fury, and those who escaped them fled to the gentiles for safety.
45 Mattathias and his friends made a tour,
overthrowing the altars
46 and forcibly circumcising all the boys they found
uncircumcised in the territories of Israel.
47 They hunted down the upstarts and managed their campaign
to good effect.
48 They wrested the Law out of the control of the
gentiles and the kings and reduced the sinners to impotence.
Tehillim - Psalm
30:1-13
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. A psalm; a song of dedication of the House,
of David. |
1.
A praise song for the dedication of the sanctuary. Of David. |
|
2. I will exalt You, O Lord, for You have
raised me up, and You have not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me. |
2.
I will praise you, O LORD, for you made me stand erect, and did not let my
enemies rejoice over me. |
|
3. O Lord, I have cried out to You, and You
have healed me. |
3. O LORD my God, I prayed in Your presence and
You healed me. |
|
4. O Lord, You have brought my soul from the
grave; You have revived me from my descent into the Pit. |
4. O LORD, You raised my soul out of Sheol; You
preserved me from going down to the pit. |
|
5. Sing to the Lord, His pious ones, and give
thanks to His holy name. |
5. Sing praise in the LORD's presence, you His
devotees; and give thanks at the invocation of His holy one. |
|
6. For His wrath lasts but a moment; life
results from His favor; in the evening, weeping may tarry, but in the morning
there is joyful singing. |
6. For His anger is but a moment; eternal life
is His good pleasure. In the evening one goes to bed in tears, but in the
morning one rises in praise. |
|
7. And I said in my tranquility, "I will
never falter." |
7. And I said when I dwelt in trust, I will
never be shaken. |
|
8. O Lord, with Your will, You set up my
mountain to be might, You hid Your countenance and I became frightened. |
8. O LORD, by Your will You prepared the mighty
mountains; You removed Your presence, I became afraid. |
|
9. To You, O Lord, I would call, and to
the Lord I would supplicate. |
9. In Your presence, O LORD, I will cry out; and
to You, O my God, I will pray. |
|
10. "What gain is there in my blood,
in my descent to the grave? Will dust thank You; will it recite Your truth? |
10. And I said, What profit is there in my
blood, when I descend to the grave? Can those who descend to the dust
praise You? Will they tell of Your faithfulness? |
|
11. Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me; O Lord,
be my helper." |
11. Accept, O LORD, my prayer, and have mercy on
me; O LORD, be my helper. |
|
12. You have turned my lament into dancing for
me; You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. |
12. You turned my lament into my celebration;
You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. |
|
13. So that my soul will sing praises to You and
not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will thank You forever. |
13. Because the nobles of the world will give
You praise and not be silent, O LORD my God, I too will give You praise. |
|
|
|
Genesis 1:1-5 - JPS
1. When God began to create heaven and earth
--
2. the earth being unformed and void, with
darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the
water --
3. God said, "Let there be light";
and there was light.
4. God saw that the light was good, and God
separated the light from the darkness.
5. God called the light Day, and the darkness
He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.
Yochanan Alef (1 John)
1:1-10
By: Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu
ben Abraham &
Hakham Dr. Yosef ben
Haggai
1 What was from [the] beginning (i.e.
B’resheet – Gen.1:1ff.), what we have heard, what we have seen with our
eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched, concerning the Torah
giving life,
2 and the life was revealed, and we have seen
and testify and announce to you the eternal life which was with the Father and
was revealed to us;
3 what we have seen and heard, we announce to
you also, in order that you also may have fellowship with us, and indeed our
fellowship is with the Father and with His son (the anointed King of Israel)
Yeshua the Messiah.
4 And these things we write, in order that our
joy may be complete.
5 And this is the message which we have heard
from him (i.e. the Master) and announce to you, that God is light and
there is no darkness in Him (God) at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him (i.e.
God) and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth (i.e.
the Torah – cf. Ps. 119:142).
7 But if we walk in the light as he (the
Master) is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the life
of Yeshua His son (anointed King of Israel) purify us from every sin.
8 If we say that we do not have sin, we
deceive ourselves and the truth (i.e. the Torah – cf. Ps. 119:142) is
not in us.
9 If we confess our sins [to God and
repent], He (God) is faithful and just, so that He will forgive us
our sins and will purify us from all injustices [that we have committed].
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make
Him (i.e. God) a liar, and His word (i.e. Torah) is not in us.
END OF THE READINGS FOR THE FIRST DAY OF
CHANUKA
Chanuka Second Day
Evening Wednesday Dec. 17, 2014 – Evening
Thursday Dec. 18, 2014
Morning Service:
Torah: Numbers 7:18-29
Reader 1 - Num. 7:18-20
Reader 2 - Num. 7:21-23
Reader 3 - Num. 7:24-29
Yehudit (Judith) 3:1 – 5:17
1 Maccab. 2:49 – 4:40
Psalm 30:1-13
Nazareans add in their private study and
discussions: Isaiah 5:20-24; & 1 John 2:1-11
For further information please read and study:
http://www.betemunah.org/lapin.html, http://www.betemunah.org/connection.html,
http://www.betemunah.org/chanukah.html, & http://www.betemunah.org/lights.html
Rashi & Targum Pseudo
Jonathan
for: B’Midbar (Numbers) 7:18-29
|
Rashi |
Targum Pseudo
Jonathan |
|
18. On the second day, Nethanel the son of
Zu'ar, the chieftain of Issachar brought [his offering]. |
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 his offering of one silver bowl
weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing]
seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour
mixed 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 [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
20. |
|
21. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
21. |
|
22. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
22. |
|
23. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Nethanel the son of Zu'ar. |
23. |
|
24. On the third day, the chieftain was of the
sons of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon. |
24. On the third day, Eliab bar Helon, prince of
the Beni Zebulon, offered. |
|
25. His offering was one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing]
seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour
mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
25. |
|
26. One spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
26. |
|
27. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
27. |
|
28. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
28. |
|
29. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Eliab the son of Helon. |
29.
|
|
|
|
Yehudit (Judith) 3:1 – 5:17
New Jerusalem Bible Version
NJB
Judith 3:1 They therefore sent envoys to him to sue for peace, to say,
2 'We are servants of the great King Nebuchadnezzar;
we lie prostrate before you. Treat us as you think fit.
3 Our cattle-farms, all our land, all our wheat
fields, our flocks and herds, all the sheep-folds in our encampments
are at your disposal. Do with them as you please.
4 Our towns and their inhabitants too are at your
service; go and treat them as you think fit.'
5 These men came to Holofernes and delivered the
message as above.
6 He then made his way down to the coast with his army
and stationed garrisons in all the fortified
towns, levying outstanding men there as auxiliaries.
7 The people of these cities and of all the other
towns in the neighbourhood welcomed him, wearing garlands
and dancing to the sound of tambourines.
8 But he demolished their shrines and cut down their
sacred trees, carrying out his commission to destroy all
local gods so that the nations should worship Nebuchadnezzar alone
and people of every language and nationality should hail him as a
god.
9 Thus he reached the edge of Esdraelon, in the
neighbourhood of Dothan, a village facing the great ridge of
Judaea.
10 He pitched camp between Geba and Scythopolis and
stayed there a full month to re-provision his forces.
NJB
Judith 4:1 When the Israelites living in Judaea heard how Holofernes, general-in-chief of Nebuchadnezzar king of
the Assyrians, had treated the various nations,
plundering their temples and destroying them,
2 they were thoroughly alarmed at his approach and
trembled for Jerusalem and the Temple of the Lord their
God.
3 They had returned from captivity only a short time
before, and the resettlement of the people in Judaea and the
reconsecration of the sacred furnishings, of the altar, and of the
Temple, which had been profaned, were of recent date.
4 They therefore alerted the whole of Samaria, Kona,
Beth-Horon, Belmain, Jericho, Choba, Aesora and the Salem
valley.
5 They occupied the summits of the highest mountains
and fortified the villages on them; they laid in supplies
for the coming war, as the fields had just been harvested.
6 Joakim the high priest, resident in Jerusalem at the
time, wrote to the inhabitants of Bethulia and of
Betomesthaim, two towns facing Esdraelon, towards the plain of Dothan.
7 He ordered them to occupy the mountain passes, the
only means of access to Judaea, for there it would be easy
for them to halt an attacking force, the narrowness of the
approach not allowing men to advance more than two abreast.
8 The Israelites carried out the orders of Joakim the
high priest and of the people's Council of Elders in session at
Jerusalem.
9 All the men of Israel cried most fervently to God
and humbled themselves before him.
10 They, their wives, their children, their cattle,
all their resident aliens, hired or slave, wrapped sackcloth
round their loins.
11 All the Israelites in Jerusalem, including women
and children, lay prostrate in front of the Temple, and with
ashes on their heads stretched out their hands before the Lord.
12 They draped the altar itself in sackcloth and
fervently joined together in begging the God of Israel not to
let their children be carried off, their wives distributed as booty, the
towns of their heritage destroyed, the Temple profaned and desecrated
for the heathen to gloat over.
13 The Lord heard them and looked kindly on their
distress. The people fasted for many days throughout Judaea
as well as in Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord
Almighty.
14 Joakim the high priest and all who stood before the
Lord, the Lord's priests and ministers, wore sackcloth
round their loins as they offered the perpetual burnt offering and the
votive and voluntary offerings of the people.
15 With ashes on their turbans they earnestly called
on the Lord to look kindly on the House of Israel.
NJB
Judith 5:1 Holofernes, general-in-chief of the Assyrian army, received the intelligence that the Israelites were
preparing for war, that they had closed the mountain passes, fortified
all the high peaks and laid obstructions in the plains.
2 Holofernes was furious. He summoned all the princes
of Moab, all the generals of Ammon and all the satraps of
the coastal regions.
3 'Men of Canaan,' he said, 'tell me: what people is
this that occupies the hill-country? What towns does it inhabit?
How large is its army? What are the sources of its power and
strength? Who is the king who rules it and commands its army?
4 Why have they disdained to wait on me, as all the
western peoples have?'
5 Achior, leader of all the Ammonites, replied, 'May
my lord be pleased to listen to what your servant is
going to say. I shall give you the facts about these mountain folk whose home
lies close to you. You will hear no lie from the mouth of your
servant.
6 These people are descended from the Chaldaeans.
7 They once came to live in Mesopotamia, because they
did not want to follow the gods of their ancestors who
lived in Chaldaea.
8 They abandoned the way of their ancestors to worship
the God of heaven, the God they learnt to acknowledge.
Banished from the presence of their own gods, they fled to
Mesopotamia where they lived for a long time.
9 When God told them to leave their home and set out
for Canaan, they settled there and accumulated gold and
silver and great herds of cattle.
10 Next, famine having overwhelmed the land of Canaan,
they went down to Egypt where they stayed till they were
well nourished. There they became a great multitude, a race beyond
counting.
11 But the king of Egypt turned against them and
exploited them by forcing them to make bricks; he degraded them,
reducing them to slavery.
12 They cried to their God, who struck the entire land
of Egypt with incurable plagues, and the Egyptians expelled
them.
13 God dried up the Red Sea before them
14 and led them forward by way of Sinai and
Kadesh-Barnea. Having driven off all the inhabitants of the desert,
15 they settled in the land of the Amorites and in
their strength exterminated the entire population of Heshbon.
Then, having crossed the Jordan, they took possession of all the
hill-country,
16 driving out the Canaanites before them and the
Perizzites, Jebusites, Shechemites and all the
Girgashites, and lived there for many years.
17 All the while they did not sin before their God,
prosperity was theirs, for they have a God who hates
wickedness.
1 Maccabees 2:49 – 4:40
New Jerusalem Bible Version
49 As the days of Mattathias were drawing to a
close, he said to his sons, 'Arrogance and outrage are now in the ascendant; it
is a period of turmoil and bitter hatred.
50 This is the time, my children, for you to
have a burning zeal for the Law and to give your lives for the covenant of our
ancestors.
51 Remember the deeds performed by our
ancestors, each in his generation, and you will win great honour and
everlasting renown.
52 Was not Abraham tested and found faithful,
was that not considered as justifying him?
53 Joseph in the time of his distress
maintained the Law, and so became lord of Egypt.
54 Phinehas, our father, in return for his
burning zeal, received the covenant of everlasting priesthood.
55 Joshua, for carrying out his task, became
judge of Israel.
56 Caleb, for his testimony before the
assembled people, received an inheritance in the land.
57 David for his generous heart inherited the
throne of an everlasting kingdom.
58 Elijah for his consuming fervour for the Law
was caught up to heaven itself.
59 Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, for their
fidelity, were saved from the flame.
60 Daniel for his singleness of heart was
rescued from the lion's jaws.
61 Know then that, generation after
generation, no one who hopes in him will be overcome.
62 Do not fear the threats of the sinner, all
his brave show must come to the dunghill and the worms.
63 Exalted today, tomorrow he is nowhere to be
found, for he has returned to the dust he came from and his scheming is brought
to nothing.
64 My children, be resolute and courageous for
the Law, for it will bring you glory.
65 'Here is your brother Simeon, I know he is
a man of sound judgement. Listen to him all your lives; let him take your
father's place.
66 Judas Maccabaeus, strong and brave from his
youth, let him be your general and conduct the war against the gentiles.
67 The rest of you are to enrol in your ranks
all those who keep the Law, and to assure the vengeance of your people.
68 Pay back the gentiles to the full, and hold
fast to the ordinance of the Law.'
69 Then he blessed them and was joined to his
ancestors.
70 He died in the year 146 and was buried in
his ancestral tomb at Modein, and all Israel mourned him deeply.
NJB 1
Maccabees 3:1 His son, Judas, known as Maccabaeus, then took his place.
2 All his brothers, and all who had attached
themselves to his father, supported him, and they fought for Israel with a
will.
3 He extended the fame of his people. Like a
giant, he put on the breastplate and buckled on his war harness; he engaged in
battle after battle, protecting the ranks with his sword.
4 He was like a lion in his exploits, like a
young lion roaring over its prey.
5 He pursued and tracked down the renegades,
he consigned those who troubled his people to the flames.
6 The renegades quailed with the terror he
inspired, all evil-doers were utterly confounded, and deliverance went forward
under his leadership.
7 He brought bitterness to many a king and
rejoicing to Jacob by his deeds, his memory is blessed for ever and ever.
8 He went through the towns of Judah
eliminating the irreligious from them, and diverted the Retribution from
Israel.
9 His name resounded to the ends of the earth,
he rallied those who were on the point of perishing.
10 Next, Apollonius mustered the gentiles and
a large force from Samaria to make war on Israel.
11 When Judas learned of it, he went out to
meet him and routed and killed him. Many fell wounded, and the survivors took
to flight.
12 Their spoils were seized and the sword of
Apollonius was taken by Judas, who used it to fight with throughout his life.
13 On hearing that Judas had raised a mixed
force of believers and seasoned fighters,
14 Seron, commander of the Syrian troops,
said, 'I shall make a name for myself and gain honour in the kingdom if I fight
Judas and those supporters of his who are so contemptuous of the king's
orders.'
15 He therefore launched another expedition,
with a strong army of unbelievers to support him in taking revenge on the
Israelites.
16 He had nearly reached the descent of
Beth-Horon when Judas went out to confront him with a handful of men.
17 But as soon as these saw the force
advancing to meet them, they said to Judas, 'How can we, few as we are, engage
such overwhelming numbers? We are exhausted as it is, not having had anything
to eat today.'
18 'It is easy', Judas answered, 'for a great
number to be defeated by a few; indeed, in the sight of Heaven, deliverance,
whether by many or by few, is all one;
19 for victory in war does not depend on the
size of the fighting force: Heaven accords the strength.
20 They are coming against us in full-blown
insolence and lawlessness to destroy us, our wives and our children, and to
plunder us;
21 but we are fighting for our lives and our
laws,
22 and he will crush them before our eyes; do
not be afraid of them.'
23 When he had finished speaking, he made a
sudden sally against Seron and his force and overwhelmed them.
24 Judas pursued them down from Beth-Horon as
far as the plain. About eight hundred of their men fell, and the rest took
refuge in the country of the Philistines.
25 Judas and his brothers began to be feared,
and alarm seized the surrounding peoples.
26 His name even reached the king's ears, and
among the nations there was talk of Judas and his battles.
27 The news of these events infuriated
Antiochus, and he ordered mobilisation of all the forces in his kingdom, a very
powerful army.
28 Opening his treasury, he distributed a
year's pay to his troops, telling them to be prepared for any eventuality.
29 He then found that the money in his coffers
had run short and that the tribute of the province had decreased, as a result
of the dissension and disaster brought on the country by his own abrogation of
laws that had been in force from antiquity.
30 He began to fear that, as had happened more
than once, he would not have enough to cover the expenses and the lavish
bounties he had previously been accustomed to make on a larger scale than his
predecessors on the throne.
31 In this grave quandary he resolved to
invade Persia, there to levy tribute on the provinces and so accumulate
substantial funds.
32 He therefore left Lysias, a nobleman and
member of the royal family, to manage the royal affairs between the River
Euphrates and the Egyptian frontier,
33 making him responsible for the education of
his son Antiochus, until he should come back.
34 To him Antiochus made over half his forces,
with the elephants, giving him instructions about what he wanted done,
particularly with regard to the inhabitants of Judaea and Jerusalem,
35 against whom he was to send a force, to
crush and destroy the power of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem, to wipe out
their very memory from the place,
36 to settle foreigners in all parts of their
territory and to distribute their land into lots.
37 The king took the remaining half of his
troops with him and set out from Antioch, the capital of his kingdom, in the
year 147; he crossed the River Euphrates and made his way through the Upper
Provinces.
38 Lysias chose Ptolemy son of Dorymenes, with
Nicanor and Gorgias, influential men from among the Friends of the King,
39 and, under their command, despatched forty
thousand foot and seven thousand horse to invade the land of Judah and
devastate it, as the king had ordered.
40 The entire force set out and reached the
neighbourhood of Emmaus in the lowlands, where they pitched camp.
41 The local merchants, hearing the news of
this, arrived at the camp, bringing with them a large amount of gold and
silver, and fetters as well, proposing to buy the Israelites as slaves; they
were accompanied by a company from Idumaea and the Philistine country.
42 Judas and his brothers saw that the
situation was going from bad to worse and that armies were camping in their territory;
they were also well aware that the king had ordered the people's total
destruction.
43 So they said to each other, 'Let us restore
the ruins of our people and fight for our people and our sanctuary.'
44 The Assembly was summoned, to prepare for war,
to offer prayer and to implore compassion and mercy.
45 Jerusalem was as empty as a desert, none of
her children to go in and out. The sanctuary was trodden underfoot, men of an
alien race held the Citadel, which had become a lodging for gentiles. There was
no more rejoicing for Jacob, the flute and lyre were mute.
46 After mustering, they made their way to
Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem, since Mizpah was traditionally a place of prayer
for Israel.
47 That day they fasted and put on sackcloth,
covering their heads with ashes and tearing their garments.
48 For the guidance that the gentiles would
have sought from the images of their false gods, they opened the Book of the
Law.
49 They also brought out the priestly
vestments, with first-fruits and tithes, and marshalled the Nazirites who had
completed the period of their vow.
50 Then, raising their voices to Heaven, they
cried, 'What shall we do with these people, and where are we to take them?
51 Your holy place has been trampled underfoot
and defiled, your priests mourn in their humiliation,
52 and now the gentiles are in alliance to
destroy us: you know what they have in mind for us.
53 How can we stand up and face them if you do
not come to our aid?'
54 Then they sounded the trumpets and raised a
great shout.
55 Next, Judas appointed leaders for the
people, to command a thousand, a hundred, fifty or ten men.
56 Those who were in the middle of building a
house, or were about to be married, or were planting a vineyard, or were
afraid, he told to go home again, as the Law allowed.
57 The column then marched off and took up a
position south of Emmaus.
58 'Stand to your arms,' Judas told them,
'acquit yourselves bravely, in the morning be ready to fight these gentiles
massed against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.
59 Better for us to die in battle than to
watch the ruin of our nation and our Holy Place.
60 Whatever be the will of Heaven, he will
perform it.'
NJB 1
Maccabees 4:1 Gorgias took with him five thousand foot and a thousand picked
cavalry, and the force moved off by night
2 with the object of attacking the Jewish
position and dealing them an unexpected blow; the men from the Citadel were
there to guide him.
3 Judas got wind of it and himself moved off
with his fighters to strike at the royal army at Emmaus,
4 while its fighting troops were still
dispersed outside the camp.
5 Hence, when Gorgias reached Judas' camp, he
found no one and began looking for the Jews in the mountains. 'For', he said,
'we have got them on the run.'
6 First light found Judas in the plain with
three thousand men, although these lacked the armour and swords they would have
wished.
7 They could now see the gentile encampment
with its strong fortifications and cavalry surrounding it, clearly people who
understood warfare.
8 Judas said to his men, 'Do not be afraid of
their numbers, and do not flinch at their attack.
9 Remember how our ancestors were delivered at
the Red Sea when Pharaoh was pursuing them in force.
10 And now let us call on Heaven: if he cares
for us, he will remember his covenant with our ancestors and will destroy this
army confronting us today;
11 then all the nations will know for certain
that there is One who ransoms and saves Israel.'
12 The foreigners looked up and, seeing the
Jews advancing against them,
13 came out of the camp to join battle. Judas'
men sounded the trumpet
14 and engaged them. The gentiles were
defeated and fled towards the plain
15 and all the stragglers fell by the sword.
The pursuit continued as far as Gezer and the plains of Idumaea, Azotus and
Jamnia, and the enemy lost about three thousand men.
16 Breaking off the pursuit, Judas returned
with his men
17 and said to the people, 'Never mind the
booty, for we have another battle ahead of us.
18 Gorgias and his troops are still near us in
the mountains. First stand up to our enemies and fight them, and then you can
safely collect the booty.'
19 The words were hardly out of Judas' mouth,
when a detachment came into view, peering down from the mountain.
20 Observing that their own troops had been
routed and that the camp had been fired -- since the smoke, which they could
see, attested the fact-
21 they were panic-stricken at the sight; and
when, furthermore, they saw Judas' troops drawn up for battle on the plain,
22 they all fled into Philistine territory.
23 Judas then turned back to plunder the camp,
and a large sum in gold and silver, with violet and sea-purple stuffs, and many
other valuables were carried off.
24 On their return, the Jews chanted praises
to Heaven, singing, 'He is kind and his love is everlasting!'
25 That day had seen a remarkable deliverance
in Israel.
26 Those of the foreigners who had escaped
came and gave Lysias an account of all that had happened.
27 The news shocked and dismayed him, for
affairs in Israel had not gone as he intended, and the result was quite the
opposite to what the king had ordered.
28 The next year he mobilised sixty thousand
picked troops and five thousand cavalry with the intention of finishing off the
Jews.
29 They advanced into Idumaea and made their
base at Beth-Zur, where Judas met them with ten thousand men.
30 When he saw their military strength he
offered this prayer, 'Blessed are you, Saviour of Israel, who shattered the
mighty warrior's attack at the hand of your servant David, and delivered the
Philistine camp into the hands of Jonathan son of Saul, and his armour-bearer.
31 Crush this expedition in the same way at
the hands of your people Israel; let their troops and cavalry bring them
nothing but shame.
32 Sow panic in their ranks, confound the
confidence they put in their numbers and send them reeling in defeat.
33 Overthrow them by the sword of those who
love you, and all who acknowledge your name will sing your praises.'
34 The two forces engaged, and five thousand
men of Lysias' troops fell in hand-to-hand fighting.
35 Seeing the rout of his army and the courage
of Judas' troops and their readiness to live or die nobly, Lysias withdrew to
Antioch, where he recruited mercenaries for a further invasion of Judaea in
even greater strength.
36 Judas and his brothers then said, 'Now that
our enemies have been defeated, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and
dedicate it.'
37 So they marshalled the whole army, and went
up to Mount Zion.
38 There they found the sanctuary deserted,
the altar desecrated, the gates burnt down, and vegetation growing in the
courts as it might in a wood or on some mountain, while the storerooms were in
ruins.
39 They tore their garments and mourned
bitterly, putting dust on their heads.
40 They prostrated themselves on the ground,
and when the trumpets gave the signal they cried aloud to Heaven.
Tehillim - Psalm
30:1-13
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. A psalm; a song of dedication of the House,
of David. |
1.
A praise song for the dedication of the sanctuary. Of David. |
|
2. I will exalt You, O Lord, for You have
raised me up, and You have not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me. |
2.
I will praise you, O LORD, for you made me stand erect, and did not let my
enemies rejoice over me. |
|
3. O Lord, I have cried out to You, and You
have healed me. |
3. O LORD my God, I prayed in Your presence and
You healed me. |
|
4. O Lord, You have brought my soul from the
grave; You have revived me from my descent into the Pit. |
4. O LORD, You raised my soul out of Sheol; You
preserved me from going down to the pit. |
|
5. Sing to the Lord, His pious ones, and give
thanks to His holy name. |
5. Sing praise in the LORD's presence, you His
devotees; and give thanks at the invocation of His holy one. |
|
6. For His wrath lasts but a moment; life
results from His favor; in the evening, weeping may tarry, but in the morning
there is joyful singing. |
6. For His anger is but a moment; eternal life
is His good pleasure. In the evening one goes to bed in tears, but in the
morning one rises in praise. |
|
7. And I said in my tranquility, "I will
never falter." |
7. And I said when I dwelt in trust, I will
never be shaken. |
|
8. O Lord, with Your will, You set up my
mountain to be might, You hid Your countenance and I became frightened. |
8. O LORD, by Your will You prepared the mighty
mountains; You removed Your presence, I became afraid. |
|
9. To You, O Lord, I would call, and to
the Lord I would supplicate. |
9. In Your presence, O LORD, I will cry out; and
to You, O my God, I will pray. |
|
10. "What gain is there in my blood,
in my descent to the grave? Will dust thank You; will it recite Your truth? |
10. And I said, What profit is there in my
blood, when I descend to the grave? Can those who descend to the dust
praise You? Will they tell of Your faithfulness? |
|
11. Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me; O Lord,
be my helper." |
11. Accept, O LORD, my prayer, and have mercy on
me; O LORD, be my helper. |
|
12. You have turned my lament into dancing for
me; You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. |
12. You turned my lament into my celebration;
You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. |
|
13. So that my soul will sing praises to You and
not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will thank You forever. |
13. Because the nobles of the world will give
You praise and not be silent, O LORD my God, I too will give You praise. |
Isaiah 5:20-24 JPS
20 Ah, Those who call evil good
And good evil;
Who present darkness as light
And light as darkness;
Who present bitter as sweet
And sweet as bitter!
21 Ah, Those who are so wise -- In their own opinion;
So clever -- In their own judgment!
22 Ah, Those who are so doughty -- As drinkers of wine,
And so valiant -- As mixers of drink!
23 Who vindicate him who is in the wrong
In return for a bribe,
And withhold vindication
From him who is in the right.
24 Assuredly,
As straw is consumed by a tongue of fire
And hay shrivels as it burns,
Their stock shall become like rot,
And their buds shall blow away like dust.
For they have rejected the instruction in the Torah of
the LORD of Hosts,
Spurned the Word of the Holy One of Israel.
Yochanan Alef (1 John)
2:1-11
By: Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu
ben Abraham &
Hakham Dr. Yosef ben
Haggai
1 My sons, I am writing these things to you in
order that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the
Father, Yeshua the Messiah the righteous/generous one,
2 and he was made the propitiation for our
sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole [Gentile]
world.
3 And by this we know that we have come to
have intimate knowledge of him (the Master), if we keep His (God’s)
commandments.
4 The one who says "I have come to
intimately know him," and does not keep His (God’s) commandments is a
liar, and the truth (i.e. the Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142) is not [dwelling]
in this person.
5 But whoever puts in practice God’s Torah,
truly in this person the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that
we are in him (Messiah).
6 The one who says that he resides in
him (Messiah) ought also to walk just as he walked [in submissive
obedience to the Torah and to the Torah Sages].
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new
commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the
beginning (i.e. B’resheet = Gen. 1:1ff). The old commandment is the
message which you have heard [from the Torah].
8 Again, I am writing a new commandment to
you, which is true in him (Messiah) and in you, because the darkness is
passing away and the true light already is shining.
9 The one who says he is in the light and
hates/belittles his [Jewish] brother is in the darkness even now.
10 The one who loves his [Jewish]
brother resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 But the one who hates/belittles his [Jewish]
brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and does not know
where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
END OF THE READINGS FOR THE SECOND DAY OF CHANUKA
Chanuka Third Day
Evening Thursday Dec. 18, 2014 – Evening
Friday Dec. 19, 2014
Torah: Numbers 7:30-41
Reader 1 - Num. 7:30-32
Reader 2 - Num. 7:33-35
Reader 3 - Num. 7:36-41
Yehudit (Judith) 5:18 – 7:16
1 Maccab. 4:41 – 6:27
Psalm 30:1-13
Nazareans add in their private study and
discussions: Isaiah 42:18; & 1 John 2:12-29
For further information please read and study:
http://www.betemunah.org/lapin.html, http://www.betemunah.org/connection.html,
http://www.betemunah.org/chanukah.html, & http://www.betemunah.org/lights.html
Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for: B’Midbar (Numbers) 7:30-41
|
Rashi |
Targum Pseudo
Jonathan |
|
30. On the fourth day, the chieftain was of the
sons of Reuben, Elitzur the son of Shedeur. |
30.
On the fourth, Elizur bar Shedeur, prince of the Benei Reuben; |
|
31. His offering was one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing]
seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour
mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
31. |
|
32. One spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
32. |
|
33. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
33. |
|
34. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
34. |
|
35. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Elitzur the son of Shedeur. |
35. |
|
36. On the fifth day, the chieftain was of the
sons of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. |
36. on the fifth, Shelumiel bar Zurishaddai,
prince of Shemeon; |
|
37. His offering was one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing]
seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour
mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
37. |
|
38. One spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
38. |
|
39. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
39. |
|
40. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
40. |
|
41. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. |
41. |
|
|
|
Yehudit (Judith) 5:18 – 7:16
New Jerusalem Bible Version
18 But when they turned from the path he had
marked out for them some were exterminated in a series of battles, others were
taken captive to a foreign land. The Temple of their God was rased to the
ground and their towns were seized by their enemies.
19 Then having turned once again to their God,
they came back from the places to which they had been dispersed and scattered,
regained possession of Jerusalem, where they have their Temple, and reoccupied
the hill-country which had been left deserted.
20 So, now, master and lord, if this people
has committed any fault, if they have sinned against their God, let us first be
sure that they really have this reason to fail, then advance and attack them.
21 But if their nation is guiltless, my lord
would do better to abstain, for fear that their Lord and God should protect
them. We should then become the laughing-stock of the whole world.'
22 When Achior had ended this speech, all the
people crowding round the tent began protesting. Holofernes' own senior
officers, as well as all the coastal peoples and the Moabites, threatened to
tear him limb from limb.
23 'Why should we be afraid of the Israelites?
They are a weak and powerless people, quite unable to stand a stiff attack.
24 Forward! Advance! Your army, Holofernes our
master, will swallow them in one mouthful!'
NJB
Judith 6:1 When the uproar of those crowding round the council had
subsided, Holofernes, general-in-chief of the Assyrian army, reprimanded Achior
in front of the whole crowd of foreigners and Ammonites.
2 'Achior, who do you think you are, you and
the Ephraimite mercenaries, playing the prophet like this with us today, and
trying to dissuade us from making war on the people of Israel? You claim their
God will protect them. And who is God if not Nebuchadnezzar? He himself will
display his power and wipe them off the face of the earth, and their God will
certainly not save them.
3 But we, his servants, shall destroy them as
easily as a single individual. They can never resist the strength of our
cavalry.
4 We shall burn them all. Their mountains will
be drunk with their blood and their plains filled with their corpses. Far from
being able to resist us, every one of them will die; thus says King
Nebuchadnezzar, lord of the whole world. For he has spoken, and his words will
not prove empty.
5 As for you, Achior, you Ammonite mercenary,
who in a rash moment said these words, you will not see my face again until the
day when I have taken my revenge on this brood from Egypt.
6 And then the swords of my soldiers and the
spears of my officers will pierce your sides. You will fall among their
wounded, the moment I turn on Israel.
7 My servants will now take you into the
hill-country and leave you near one of the towns in the passes;
8 you will not die, until you share their
ruin.
9 No need to look so sad if you cherish the secret
hope that they will not be captured! I have spoken; none of my words will prove
idle.'
10 Holofernes having commanded his
tent-orderlies to seize Achior, to take him to Bethulia and to hand him over to
the Israelites,
11 the orderlies took him, escorted him out of
the camp and across the plain, and then, making for the hill-country, reached
the springs below Bethulia.
12 As soon as the men of the town sighted
them, they snatched up their weapons, left the town and made for the mountain
tops, while all the slingers pelted them with stones to prevent them from
coming up.
13 However, they managed to take cover at the
foot of the slope, where they bound Achior and left him lying at the bottom of
the mountain and returned to their master.
14 The Israelites then came down from their
town, stopped by him, unbound him and took him to Bethulia, where they brought
him before the chief men of the town,
15 who at that time were Uzziah son of Micah
of the tribe of Simeon, Chabris son of Gothoniel and Charmis son of Melchiel.
16 These summoned all the elders of the town.
The young men and the women also hurried to the assembly. Achior was made to
stand with all the people surrounding him, and Uzziah questioned him about what
had happened.
17 He answered by telling them what had been
said at Holofernes' council, and what he himself had said in the presence of
the Assyrian leaders, and how Holofernes had bragged of what he would do to the
House of Israel.
18 At this the people fell to the ground and
worshipped God.
19 'Lord God of heaven,' they cried, 'take
notice of their arrogance and have pity on the humiliation of our race. Look
kindly today on those who are consecrated to you.'
20 They then spoke reassuringly to Achior and
praised him warmly.
21 After the assembly Uzziah took him home and
gave a banquet for the elders; all that night they called on the God of Israel
for help.
NJB
Judith 7:1 The following day Holofernes issued orders to his whole army
and to the whole host of auxiliaries who had joined him, to break camp and
march on Bethulia, to occupy the mountain passes and so open the campaign
against the Israelites.
2 The troops broke camp that same day. The
actual fighting force numbered one hundred and twenty thousand infantry and
twelve thousand cavalry, not to mention the baggage train with the vast number
of men on foot concerned with that.
3 They penetrated the valley in the
neighbourhood of Bethulia, near the spring, and deployed on a wide front from
Dothan to Balbaim and, in depth, from Bethulia to Cyamon, which faces
Esdraelon.
4 When the Israelites saw this horde, they
were all appalled and said to each other, 'Now they will lick the whole country
clean. Not even the loftiest peaks, the gorges or the hills will be able to
stand the weight of them.'
5 Each man snatched up his arms; they lit
beacons on their towers and spent the whole night on watch.
6 On the second day Holofernes deployed his
entire cavalry in sight of the Israelites in Bethulia.
7 He reconnoitred the slopes leading up to the
town, located the water-points, seized them and posted pickets over them and
returned to the main body.
8 The chieftains of the sons of Esau, all the
leaders of the Moabites and the generals of the coastal district then came to
him and said,
9 'If our master will be pleased to listen to
us, his forces will not sustain a single wound.
10 These Israelites do not rely so much on
their spears as on the height of the mountains where they live. And admittedly
it is not at all easy to scale these heights of theirs.
11 'This being the case, master, avoid
engaging them in a pitched battle and then you will not lose a single man.
12 Stay in camp, keep all your troops there
too, while your servants seize the spring which rises at the foot of the
mountain,
13 since that is what provides the population
of Bethulia with their water supply. Thirst will then force them to surrender
their town. Meanwhile, we and our men will climb the nearest mountain tops and
form advance posts there to prevent anyone from leaving the town.
14 Hunger will waste them, with their wives
and children, and before the sword can reach them they will already be lying in
the streets outside their houses.
15 And you will make them pay dearly for their
defiance and their refusal to meet you peaceably.'
16 Their words pleased Holofernes as well as
all his officers, and he decided to do as they suggested.
1 Maccabees 4:41 – 6:27
New Jerusalem Bible Version
41 Judas then ordered his men to keep the Citadel
garrison engaged until he had purified the sanctuary.
42 Next, he selected priests who were blameless and
zealous for the Law
43 to purify the sanctuary and remove the stones of
the 'Pollution' to some unclean place.
44 They discussed what should be done about the altar
of burnt offering which had been profaned,
45 and very properly decided to pull it down, rather
than later be embarrassed about it since it had been defiled
by the gentiles. They therefore demolished it
46 and deposited the stones in a suitable place on the
hill of the Dwelling to await the appearance of a prophet
who should give a ruling about them.
47 They took unhewn stones, as the Law prescribed, and
built a new altar on the lines of the old one.
48 They restored the Holy Place and the interior of
the Dwelling, and purified the courts.
49 They made new sacred vessels, and brought the
lamp-stand, the altar of incense, and the table into the
Temple.
50 They burned incense on the altar and lit the lamps
on the lamp-stand, and these shone inside the Temple.
51 They placed the loaves on the table and hung the
curtains and completed all the tasks they had undertaken.
52 On the twenty-fifth of the ninth month, Chislev, in
the year 148 they rose at dawn
53 and offered a lawful sacrifice on the new altar of
burnt offering which they had made.
54 The altar was dedicated, to the sound of hymns,
zithers, lyres and cymbals, at the same time of year and on the
same day on which the gentiles had originally profaned it.
55 The whole people fell prostrate in adoration and
then praised Heaven who had granted them success.
56 For eight days they celebrated the dedication of
the altar, joyfully offering burnt offerings, communion and
thanksgiving sacrifices.
57 They ornamented the front of the Temple with crowns
and bosses of gold, renovated the gates and storerooms,
providing the latter with doors.
58 There was no end to the rejoicing among the people,
since the disgrace inflicted by the gentiles had been
effaced.
59 Judas, with his brothers and the whole assembly of
Israel, made it a law that the days of the dedication of the
altar should be celebrated yearly at the proper season, for eight days
beginning on the twenty-fifth of the month of Chislev, with rejoicing
and gladness.
60 They then proceeded to build high walls with strong
towers round Mount Zion, to prevent the gentiles from
coming and riding roughshod over it as in the past.
61 Judas stationed a garrison there to guard it; he
also fortified Beth-Zur, so that the people would have a fortress
confronting Idumaea.
NJB 1
Maccabees 5:1 When the surrounding nations heard that the altar had been rebuilt and the sanctuary restored to
what it had been before, they became very angry
2 and decided to destroy the descendants of Jacob
living among them; they began to murder and evict our
people.
3 Judas made war on the sons of Esau in Idumaea, in
the region of Acrabattene where they were besieging the
Israelites. He dealt them a serious blow, drove them off and despoiled
them.
4 He also remembered the wickedness of the sons of
Baean, who were a menace and a trap for the people with
their ambushes on the roads.
5 Having blockaded them in their town and besieged
them, he put them under the curse of destruction; he then
set fire to their towers and burned them down with everyone inside.
6 Next, he crossed over to the Ammonites where he
found a strong fighting force and a numerous people,
commanded by Timotheus.
7 He fought many battles with them, defeated them and
cut them to pieces.
8 Having captured Jazer and its dependent villages, he
retired to Judaea.
9 Next, the gentiles of Gilead banded together to
destroy the Israelites living in their territory. The latter,
however, took refuge in the fortress of Dathema,
10 and sent the following letter to Judas and his
brothers: 'The gentiles round us have banded themselves
together against us to destroy us,
11 and they are preparing to storm the fortress in
which we have taken refuge; Timotheus is in command of their
forces.
12 Come at once and rescue us from their clutches, for
we have already suffered great losses.
13 All our countrymen living in Tobias' country have
been killed, their women and children have been taken into
captivity, their property has been seized, and about a thousand
men have been destroyed there.'
14 While the letter was being read, other messengers
arrived from Galilee with their garments torn, bearing
similar news,
15 'The people of Ptolemais, Tyre and Sidon have
joined forces with the whole of gentile Galilee to destroy us!'
16 When Judas and the people heard this, they held a
great assembly to decide what should be done for their
oppressed countrymen who were under attack from their enemies.
17 Judas said to his brother Simon, 'Pick your men and
go and relieve your countrymen in Galilee, while my brother
Jonathan and I make our way into Gilead.'
18 He left Joseph son of Zechariah and the people's
leader Azariah with the remainder of the army in Judaea to
keep guard, and gave them these orders,
19 'You are to be responsible for our people. Do not
engage the gentiles until we return.'
20 Simon was allotted three thousand men for the
expedition into Galilee, Judas eight thousand for Gilead.
21 Simon advanced into Galilee, engaged the gentiles
in several battles and swept all before him;
22 he pursued them to the gate of Ptolemais, and they
lost about three thousand men, whose spoils he collected.
23 With him, he took away the Jews of Galilee and
Arbatta, with their wives and children and all their possessions,
and brought them into Judaea with great rejoicing.
24 Meanwhile Judas Maccabaeus and his brother Jonathan
crossed the Jordan and made a three-days' march
through the desert,
25 where they encountered the Nabataeans, who gave
them a friendly reception and told them everything that had
been happening to their brothers in Gilead,
26 many of whom, they said, were shut up in Bozrah and
Bosor, Alema, Chaspho, Maked and Carnaim, all large
fortified towns.
27 Others were blockaded in the other towns of Gilead,
and the enemy planned to attack and capture these
strongholds the very next day, and destroy all the people inside them on
one day.
28 Judas and his army at once turned off by the desert
road to Bozrah. He took the town and, having put all
the males to the sword and collected the booty, burned it down.
29 When night came, he left the place, and they
continued their march until they reached the fortress.
30 In the light of dawn they looked, and there was an
innumerable horde, setting up ladders and engines to
capture the fortress; the assault was just beginning.
31 When Judas saw that the attack had begun and that
the war cry was rising to heaven from the city, mingled
with trumpet calls and a great clamour,
32 he said to the men of his army, 'Into battle today
for your brothers!'
33 Dividing them into three commands, he advanced on
the enemy's rear, with trumpets sounding and prayers
shouted aloud.
34 The troops of Timotheus, recognising that this was
Maccabaeus, fled before his advance; Maccabaeus dealt them
a crushing defeat; about eight thousand of their men fell that
day.
35 Then, wheeling on Alema, he attacked and captured
it and, having killed all the males and collected the booty,
burned the place down.
36 From there he moved on and took Chaspho, Maked,
Bosor and the remaining towns of Gilead.
37 After these events, Timotheus mustered another
force and pitched camp opposite Raphon, on the far side of the
stream-bed.
38 Judas sent men to reconnoitre the camp, and these
reported back as follows, 'With him are massed all the
gentiles surrounding us, making a very numerous army,
39 with Arab mercenaries as auxiliaries; they are
encamped on the far side of the stream-bed, and ready to launch an
attack on you.' Judas then advanced to engage them,
40 and was approaching the watercourse with his troops
when Timotheus told the commanders of his army, 'If
he crosses first we shall not be able to resist him, because he
will have a great advantage over us;
41 but if he is afraid and camps on the other side of
the stream, we shall cross over to him and the advantage will
then be ours.'
42 As soon as Judas reached the watercourse, he posted
people's scribes along it, giving them this order: 'Do
not let anyone pitch his tent; all are to go into battle!'
43 He was himself the first across to the enemy side,
with all the people following. He defeated all the opposing
gentiles, who threw down their arms and ran for refuge in the
sanctuary of Carnaim.
44 The Jews first captured the town and then burned
down the temple with everyone inside. And so Carnaim was
overthrown, and the enemy could offer no further resistance to
Judas.
45 Next, Judas assembled all the Israelites living in
Gilead, from the least to the greatest, with their wives,
children and belongings, an enormous muster, to take them to Judaea.
46 They reached Ephron, a large town straddling the
road and strongly fortified. As it was impossible to
by-pass it either to right or to left, there was
nothing for it but to march straight through.
47 But the people of the town denied them passage and
barricaded the gates with stones.
48 Judas sent them a conciliatory message in these
terms, 'We want to pass through your territory to reach our own;
no one will do you any harm, we only want to go through on foot.' But
they would not open up for him.
49 So Judas sent an order down the column for everyone
to halt where he stood.
50 The fighting men took up their positions; Judas
attacked the town all day and night, and the town fell to him.
51 He put all the males to the sword, rased the town
to the ground, plundered it and marched through the town
square over the bodies of the dead.
52 They then crossed the Jordan into the Great Plain,
opposite Beth-Shean,
53 Judas all the time rallying the stragglers and
encouraging the people the whole way until they reached
Judaea.
54 They climbed Mount Zion in joy and gladness and
presented burnt offerings because they had returned safe and
sound without having lost a single man.
55 While Judas and Jonathan were in Gilead and Simon
his brother in Galilee outside Ptolemais,
56 Joseph son of Zechariah, and Azariah, who were in
command of the army, heard of their valiant deeds and of
the battles they had been fighting,
57 and said, 'Let us make a name for ourselves too and
go and fight the nations around us.'
58 So they issued orders to the men under their
command and marched on Jamnia.
59 Gorgias and his men came out of the town and gave
battle.
60 Joseph and Azariah were routed and pursued as far
as the frontiers of Judaea. That day about two thousand
Israelites lost their lives.
61 Our people thus met with a great reverse, because
they had not listened to Judas and his brothers, thinking
that they would do something equally valiant.
62 They were not, however, of the same breed of men as
those to whom the deliverance of Israel was entrusted.
63 The noble Judas and his brothers, however, were
held in high honour throughout Israel and among all the
nations wherever their name was heard,
64 and people thronged round to acclaim them.
65 Judas marched out with his brothers to fight the
Edomites in the country towards the south; he stormed Hebron
and its dependent villages, threw down its fortifications and
burned down its encircling towers.
66 Leaving there, he made for the country of the
Philistines and passed through Marisa.
67 Among the fallen in that day's fighting were some
priests who sought to prove their courage there by joining
in the battle, a foolhardy venture.
68 Judas next turned on Azotus, which belonged to the
Philistines; he overthrew their altars, burned the statues of
their gods and, having pillaged their towns, withdrew to Judaea.
NJB 1
Maccabees 6:1 King Antiochus, meanwhile, was making his way through the Upper Provinces; he had heard that in
Persia there was a city called Elymais, renowned for its
riches, its silver and gold,
2 and its very wealthy temple containing golden
armour, breastplates and weapons, left there by Alexander son of
Philip, the king of Macedon, the first to reign over the Greeks.
3 He therefore went and attempted to take the city and
pillage it, but without success, the citizens having been
forewarned.
4 They resisted him by force of arms. He was routed,
and began retreating, very gloomily, towards Babylon.
5 But, while he was still in Persia, news reached him
that the armies which had invaded Judaea had been routed,
6 and that Lysias in particular had advanced in
massive strength, only to be forced to turn and flee before the Jews;
that the latter were now stronger than ever, thanks to the arms,
supplies and abundant spoils acquired from the armies they had cut to
pieces,
7 and that they had pulled down the abomination which
he had erected on the altar in Jerusalem, had
encircled the sanctuary with high walls as in the past,
and had fortified Beth-Zur, one of his cities.
8 When the king heard this news he was amazed and
profoundly shaken; he threw himself on his bed and fell
sick with grief, since things had not turned out for him as he had
planned.
9 And there he remained for many days, subject to deep
and recurrent fits of melancholy, until he
realised that he was dying.
10 Then, summoning all his Friends, he said to them,
'Sleep evades my eyes, and my heart is cowed by anxiety.
11 I have been wondering how I could have come to such
a pitch of distress, so great a flood as that which now
engulfs me -- I who was so generous and well-loved in my heyday.
12 But now I recall how wrongly I acted in Jerusalem
when I seized all the vessels of silver and gold there and
ordered the extermination of the inhabitants of Judah for no reason at
all.
13 This, I am convinced, is why these misfortunes have
overtaken me, and why I am dying of melancholy in a
foreign land.'
14 He summoned Philip, one of his Friends, and made
him regent of the whole kingdom.
15 He entrusted him with his diadem, his robe and his
signet, on the understanding that he was to educate his son
Antiochus and train him for the throne.
16 King Antiochus then died, in the year 149.
17 Lysias, learning that the king was dead, established
on the throne in succession to him his son Antiochus, whom
he had brought up from childhood -- and styled him Eupator.
18 The people in the Citadel at the time were
blockading Israel round the sanctuary and were taking every
opportunity to harm them and to support the gentiles.
19 Judas decided that they must be destroyed, and he
mobilised the whole people to besiege them.
20 They assembled and laid siege to the Citadel in the
year 150, building batteries and siege-engines.
21 But some of the besieged broke through the
blockade, and to these a number of renegades from Israel attached
themselves.
22 They made their way to the king and said, 'How much
longer are you going to wait before you see justice done
and avenge our fellows?
23 We were content to serve your father, to comply
with his orders, and to obey his edicts.
24 As a result our own people will have nothing to do
with us; what is more, they have killed all those of us they
could catch, and looted our family property.
25 Nor is it on us alone that their blows have fallen,
but on all your territories.
26 At this moment, they are laying siege to the
Citadel of Jerusalem, to capture it, and they have fortified the
sanctuary and Beth-Zur.
27 Unless you forestall them at once, they will go on
to even bigger things, and then you will never be able to
control them.'
Tehillim - Psalm
30:1-13
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. A psalm; a song of dedication of the House,
of David. |
1.
A praise song for the dedication of the sanctuary. Of David. |
|
2. I will exalt You, O Lord, for You have
raised me up, and You have not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me. |
2.
I will praise you, O LORD, for you made me stand erect, and did not let my
enemies rejoice over me. |
|
3. O Lord, I have cried out to You, and You
have healed me. |
3. O LORD my God, I prayed in Your presence and
You healed me. |
|
4. O Lord, You have brought my soul from the
grave; You have revived me from my descent into the Pit. |
4. O LORD, You raised my soul out of Sheol; You
preserved me from going down to the pit. |
|
5. Sing to the Lord, His pious ones, and give
thanks to His holy name. |
5. Sing praise in the LORD's presence, you His
devotees; and give thanks at the invocation of His holy one. |
|
6. For His wrath lasts but a moment; life
results from His favor; in the evening, weeping may tarry, but in the morning
there is joyful singing. |
6. For His anger is but a moment; eternal life
is His good pleasure. In the evening one goes to bed in tears, but in the
morning one rises in praise. |
|
7. And I said in my tranquility, "I will
never falter." |
7. And I said when I dwelt in trust, I will
never be shaken. |
|
8. O Lord, with Your will, You set up my
mountain to be might, You hid Your countenance and I became frightened. |
8. O LORD, by Your will You prepared the mighty
mountains; You removed Your presence, I became afraid. |
|
9. To You, O Lord, I would call, and to
the Lord I would supplicate. |
9. In Your presence, O LORD, I will cry out; and
to You, O my God, I will pray. |
|
10. "What gain is there in my blood,
in my descent to the grave? Will dust thank You; will it recite Your truth? |
10. And I said, What profit is there in my
blood, when I descend to the grave? Can those who descend to the dust
praise You? Will they tell of Your faithfulness? |
|
11. Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me; O Lord,
be my helper." |
11. Accept, O LORD, my prayer, and have mercy on
me; O LORD, be my helper. |
|
12. You have turned my lament into dancing for
me; You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. |
12. You turned my lament into my celebration;
You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. |
|
13. So that my soul will sing praises to You and
not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will thank You forever. |
13. Because the nobles of the world will give You
praise and not be silent, O LORD my God, I too will give You praise. |
|
|
|
Isaiah 42:18 - JPS
18. Listen, you who
are deaf; You blind ones, look up and see!
Yochanan Alef (1 John)
2:12-29
Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben
Abraham &
Hakham Dr. Yosef ben
Haggai
12 I am writing to you, sons, because your
sins have been forgiven you on account of His (God’s) name (i.e.
authority).
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you
have known him who [is] from [the] beginning (i.e. Genesis
1:1ff). I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome wickedness/Lawlessness.
I have written to you, young boys, because you have known the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers, because you
have known him who [is] from [the] beginning (i.e. Genesis 1:1ff). I
have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God
resides in you, and you have overcome wickedness/Lawlessness.
15 Love not the [pagan] world nor the
things in the [pagan] world. If anyone should love the [pagan]
world, the love of the Father is not in him,
16 because all that is in the [pagan]
world, the desire of the Yetser Hara (Heb. for “The Evil Inclination”)
and the desire of the eyes, and the boasting of life (material possessions)
is not from the Father, but is from the [pagan] world.
17 And the [pagan] world and its desire
are passing away, but the one who does the will of God abides forever.
18 My sons, it is the last time, and according
to what you have heard that the anti-messiah (false messiah) is coming,
even now many anti-messiahs (false messiahs) have arisen, by which we
know that it is the last time.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of
us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But they went
out, in order that it might be known that all of them were not of us.
20 And you have an anointing from the Holy
One, and you all know.
21 I have not written to you because you do
not know the truth (i.e. Torah – Psalm 119:142), but because you do know
it, and because any lie is not of the truth (i.e. Torah – Psalm 119:142).
22 Who is the liar except the one who denies
that Yeshua is the Messiah? This person is the anti-messiah (false messiah)
the one who denies the Father and the son (anointed King of Israel).
23 Everyone who denies the son (i.e. the anointed
King of Israel) does not have the Father either; the one who agrees with
the son (i.e. the anointed King of Israel) has the Father also.
24 As for you, what you have heard from the
beginning (i.e. Gen. 1:1ff) let it be established in you. If what you
have heard from the beginning (i.e. Gen. 1:1ff) is established in you,
you also will be established in the [knowledge of the] son (i.e. the
anointed King of Israel) and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise which He (i.e.
God) Himself promised us: eternal life.
26 These things I have written to you
concerning the ones who are trying to lead you astray.
27 And as for you, the anointing (Smikha –
ordination) which you received from Him (i.e. God) is established in
you, and you do not have need that anyone teach you [anything different].
But as His anointing (Smikha – ordination) teaches you about all things,
and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you are
established in Him (i.e. God).
28 And now, my sons, be established in him (i.e.
the Master), so that whenever he is revealed we may have confidence and not
be put to shame before him (i.e. the Master) at his coming.
29 If you know that He (i.e. God) is
righteous/generous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness/
generosity has been fathered by Him (i.e. God).
END OF THE READINGS FOR THE THIRD DAY OF
HANUKA
Chanuka Fourth Day
Shabbat of Chanuka
Evening Friday Dec. 19, 2014 – Evening
Saturday Dec. 20, 2014
Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times:
|
Amarillo,
TX, U.S. Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 5:20 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 6:20 PM |
Austin
& Conroe, TX, U.S. Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 5:16 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 6:14 PM |
Brisbane,
Australia Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 6:23 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 7:21 PM |
|
Chattanooga,
& Cleveland, TN, U.S. Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 5:14 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 6:14 PM |
Everett,
WA. U.S. Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 4:00 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 5:11 PM |
Manila & Cebu, Philippines Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 5:13 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 6:06 PM |
|
Miami, FL, U.S. Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 5:16 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 6:12 PM |
Murray,
KY, & Paris, TN. U.S. Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 4:22 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 5:23 PM |
Olympia,
WA, U.S. Fri. Dec 19 2014 – Candles at 4:06 PM Sat. Dec 20 2014 – Habdalah 5:16 PM |
|
San Antonio, TX, U.S. Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 5:21 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 6:18 PM |
Sheboygan & Manitowoc, WI, US Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 3:58 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 5:05 PM |
Singapore,
Singapore Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 6:45 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 7:37 PM |
|
St.
Louis, MO, U.S. Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 4:24 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 5:27 PM |
Tacoma,
WA, U.S. Fri. Dec
19 2014 – Candles at 4:03 PM Sat. Dec
20 2014 – Habdalah 5:14 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
For other places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp
Roll of Honor:
His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David and beloved
wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah
His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved
wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah
His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham
His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife
HH Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,
Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved
family
His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved
family
His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife
Her Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor
Her Excellency Prof. Dr. Conny Williams & beloved family
Her Excellency Giberet Gloria Sutton & beloved
family
His Excellency Adon Yoel ben Abraham and beloved wife
HE Giberet Rivka bat Dorit
His Excellency Adon Tsuriel ben Abraham and beloved
wife HE Giberet Gibora bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Gabriel ben Abraham and beloved
wife HE Giberet Elisheba bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Yehoshua ben Abraham and beloved
wife HE Giberet Rut bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Ze’ev ben Abraham and beloved wife
HE Giberet Hadassah bat Sarah
Her Excellency Giberet Whitney Mathison
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 and her Torah
Scholars, amen ve amen!
Also a great thank you and great blessings be upon all
who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly
Torah Seder and allied topics.
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 benhaggai@GMail.com with your E-Mail or the E-Mail addresses of your
friends. Toda Rabba!
Shabbat “Chanukah - L’Haqim Et-HaMishkan” –
“Chanukah - of Setting up the Tabernacle”
Shabbat Mevar’chim HaChodesh Tebeth
Sabbath of the Proclamation of the New Moon of the
Month of Tebet
(Monday Evening 22nd of Dec., 2014 - Tuesday
Evening Dec. 23, 1014)
|
Shabbat |
Torah Reading: |
Weekday Torah Reading: |
|
לְהָקִים
אֶת-הַמִּשְׁכָּן |
|
Saturday
Afternoon |
|
“L’Haqim Et-HaMishkan” |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 7:1-11 |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 30:2-5 |
|
“of Setting up the Tabernacle” |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 7:12-23 |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 30:6-9 |
|
“de levantar el tabernáculo” |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 7:24-29 |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 30:2-9 |
|
B’Midbar (Num.) 7:1-59 B’Midbar (Num.) 28:9-15 |
Reader 4 – B’Midbar 7:30-35 |
|
|
Ashlamatah: Zechariah
2:14 – 4:7 |
Reader 5 – B’Midbar 7:36-41 |
Monday & Thursday Mornings |
|
Special: I
Samuel 20:18,42 |
Reader 6 – B’Midbar 7:42-47 |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 30:2-5 |
|
Psalm 30:1-13 |
Reader 7 – B’Midbar 7:48-59 |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 30:6-9 |
|
Maftir: B’Midbar 28:9-15 |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 30:2-9 |
|
|
N.C.: 2
John: 1-13 |
- Zechariah 2:14 – 4:7
I Samuel 20:18,42 |
|
Blessings Before
Torah Study
Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our G-d,
King of the universe, Who has sanctified us through Your commandments, and
commanded us to actively study Torah. Amen!
Please Ha-Shem, our G-d, sweeten the
words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel.
May we and our offspring, and our offspring's offspring, and all the offspring
of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and
study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You,
Ha-Shem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amen!
Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our G-d,
King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations, and gave us the Torah.
Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!
Ha-Shem spoke to Moses, explaining a
Commandment. "Speak to Aaron and his sons, and teach them the following
Commandment: This is how you should bless the Children of Israel. Say to the
Children of Israel:
May Ha-Shem bless you and keep watch
over you; - Amen!
May Ha-Shem make His Presence
enlighten you, and may He be kind to you; - Amen!
May Ha-Shem bestow favor on you, and
grant you peace. – Amen!
This way, the priests will link My
Name with the Israelites, and I will bless them."
These are the Laws for which the
Torah did not mandate specific amounts: How much growing produce must be left
in the corner of the field for the poor; how much of the first fruits must be
offered at the Holy Temple; how much one must bring as an offering when one
visits the Holy Temple three times a year; how much one must do when doing acts
of kindness; and there is no maximum amount of Torah that a person must study.
These are the Laws whose benefits a
person can often enjoy even in this world, even though the primary reward is in
the Next World: They are: Honouring one's father and mother; doing acts of
kindness; early attendance at the place of Torah study -- morning and night;
showing hospitality to guests; visiting the sick; providing for the financial
needs of a bride; escorting the dead; being very engrossed in prayer; bringing
peace between two people, and between husband and wife; but the study of Torah
is as great as all of them together. Amen!
Rashi & Targum Pseudo
Jonathan
for: B’Midbar (Numbers) 7:1-59
|
Rashi |
Targum Pseudo
Jonathan |
|
1. And it was that on the day that Moses
finished erecting the Mishkan, he anointed it, sanctified it, and all its
vessels, and the altar and all its vessels. |
1.
And it was on the day which begins the month of Nisan, when Mosheh had
finished to rear up 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 chieftains of Israel, the heads of their
fathers' houses, presented [their offerings]. They were the leaders of the
tribes. They were the ones who were present 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 offering before the Lord:
six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for each two chieftains, and an
ox for each one; they presented them in front of 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. But Mosheh was not willing to receive them, and
they brought them before the tabernacle. |
|
4. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: |
4. And the Lord spoke with Mosheh, saying: |
|
5. Take [it] from them, and let them be used in
the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall give them to the Levites, in
accordance with each man's 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. So Moses took the wagons and the cattle and
gave them to the Levites. |
6. And Mosheh took the wagons and the oxen, and
gave them to the Levites. |
|
7. He gave two wagons and four oxen 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. And he gave four wagons and eight oxen to
the sons of Merari, according to their work under the direction of Ithamar
the son of Aaron the priest. |
8. and four wagons and eight oxen gave he to
the sons of Merari, according to the measure of their service, by the hand of
Ithamar bar Aharon the priest. |
|
9. But to the sons of Kohath he did not give, for
incumbent upon them was the work involving the holy [objects], which they
were 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 chieftains brought [offerings for] the
dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; the chieftains presented
their offerings in front of 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. The Lord said to Moses: One chieftain each
day, one chieftain each day, shall present his 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 who brought his offering on the
first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. |
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. And his offering was one silver bowl
weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin
[weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with
fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
13.
and his oblation which he offered was one silver bowl, 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 [weighing] ten gold [shekels],
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 lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
15. one young bullock of three years, one ram of
two years, and one lamb of the year. These three did the chief of the tribe
Jehudah bring for a burnt offering; |
|
16. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
16. one kid of the goats he brought for a sin
offering; |
|
17. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Nahshon the son of Amminadab. |
17.
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. |
|
18. On the second day, Nethanel the son of
Zu'ar, the chieftain of Issachar brought [his offering]. |
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 his offering of one silver bowl
weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing]
seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour
mixed 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 [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
20. |
|
21. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
21. |
|
22. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
22. |
|
23. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Nethanel the son of Zu'ar. |
23. |
|
24. On the third day, the chieftain was of the
sons of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon. |
24. On the third day, Eliab bar Helon, prince of
the Benei Zebulon, offered. |
|
25. His offering was one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing]
seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour
mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
25. |
|
26. One spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
26. |
|
27. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
27. |
|
28. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
28. |
|
29. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Eliab the son of Helon. |
29.
|
|
30. On the fourth day, the chieftain was of the
sons of Reuben, Elitzur the son of Shedeur. |
30.
On the fourth, Elizur bar Shedeur, prince of the Benei Reuben; |
|
31. His offering was one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing]
seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour
mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
31. |
|
32. One spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
32. |
|
33. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
33. |
|
34. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
34. |
|
35. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Elitzur the son of Shedeur. |
35. |
|
36. On the fifth day, the chieftain was of the
sons of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. |
36. on the fifth, Shelumiel bar Zurishaddai,
prince of Shemeon; |
|
37. His offering was one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing]
seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour
mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
37. |
|
38. One spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
38. |
|
39. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
39. |
|
40. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
40. |
|
41. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. |
41. |
|
42. On the sixth day, the chieftain was of the
sons of Gad, Eliasaph the son of De'uel. |
42. on the sixth, Eljasaph bar Dehuel, prince of
the Benei Gad; |
|
43. His offering was one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing]
seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour
mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
43. |
|
44. One spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
44. |
|
45. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
45. |
|
46. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
46. |
|
47. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Eliasaph the son of De'uel. |
47. |
|
48. On the seventh day, the chieftain was of the
sons of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud. |
48. on the seventh, Elishama bar Ammihud, prince
of the Benei Ephraim; |
|
49. His offering was one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing]
seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour
mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
49. |
|
50. One spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
50. |
|
51. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
51. |
|
52. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
52. |
|
53. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Elishama the son of Ammihud; |
43. |
|
54. On the eighth day, the chieftain was of the
sons of Manasseh, Gamliel the son of Pedazhur. |
54. on the eighth, Gamaliel bar Pedazur, prince
of Menasheh; |
|
55. His offering was one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing]
seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour
mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
55. |
|
56. One spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
56. |
|
57. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
57. |
|
58. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
58. |
|
59. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Gamliel the son of Pedazhur. |
59. |
|
|
|
Rashi & Targum Pseudo
Jonathan
for: B’Midbar (Numbers) 28:1-15
|
Rashi |
Targum Pseudo
Jonathan |
|
1. The Lord spoke to: Moses, saying: |
1.
And the LORD spoke with Mosheh, saying: |
|
2. Command the children of Israel and say to
them: My offering, My food for My fire offerings, a spirit of satisfaction
for Me, you shall take care to offer to Me at its appointed time. |
2.
Instruct the children of Israel, and say to them: The priests may eat of My
oblation the bread of the order of My table; but that which you offer upon My
altar may no man eat. Is there not a fire that will consume it? And it will
be accepted before Me as a pleasant smell. Sons of Israel, My people, be
admonished to offer it from the firstlings on the Sabbath, an oblation before
Me in its time. |
|
3. And you shall say to them: This is the fire
offering which you shall offer to the Lord: two unblemished lambs in their
first year each day as a continual burnt offering. |
3.
And say to them: This is the order of the oblations you will offer before the
LORD; two lambs of the year, unblemished, daily, a perpetual burnt offering. |
|
4. The one lamb you shall offer up in the
morning, and the other lamb you shall offer up in the afternoon. |
4.
The one lamb you will perform in the morning to make atonement for the sins
of the night; and the second lamb you will perform between the suns to atone
for the sins of the day; |
|
5. And one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for
a meal offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of crushed [olive] oil. |
5.
and the tenth of three seahs of wheat flour as a mincha mingled with beaten
olive oil, the fourth of a hin. |
|
6. A continual burnt offering, as the one
offered up at Mount Sinai, for a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering to
the Lord. |
6.
It is a perpetual burnt offering, such as was (ordained to be) offered at
Mount Sinai, to be received with favor as an oblation before the LORD. |
|
7. Its libation shall be one quarter of a hin
for each lamb, to be poured on the holy [altar] as a libation of strong wine
to the Lord. |
7.
And its libation will be the fourth of a hin for one lamb; from the vessels
of the house of the Sanctuary will it be outpoured, a libation of old wine.
But if old wine may not be found, bring wine of forty days to pour out before
the LORD. |
|
8. And the second lamb you shall offer up in
the afternoon. You shall offer up it with the same meal offering and libation
as the morning [sacrifice], a fire offering with a spirit of satisfaction to
the Lord. |
8.
And the second lamb you will perform between the suns, according to the
presentation of the morning, and according to its oblation will you make the
offering, that it may be accepted with favor before the LORD. |
|
9. And on the Sabbath day, two unblemished
lambs in the first year, and two tenths fine flour as a meal offering, mixed
with oil, and its libation. |
9.
but on the day of Shabbat two lambs of the year without blemish, and
two-tenths of flour mixed with olive oil for the mincha and its libation. |
|
10. [This is] the burnt offering of each Sabbath
on its Sabbath, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation. |
10. On the Sabbath you will make a Sabbath burnt
sacrifice in addition to the perpetual burnt sacrifice and its libation. |
|
11. And on the beginning of your months, you
shall offer up a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and
seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished. |
11. And at the beginning of your months you will
offer a burnt sacrifice before the LORD; two young bullocks, without mixture,
one ram, lambs of the year seven, unblemished; |
|
12. Three tenths fine flour as a meal offering,
mixed with oil for each bull, and two tenths fine flour as a meal offering,
mixed with oil for each ram. |
12. and three tenths of flour mingled with oil
for the mincha for one bullock; two tenths of flour with olive oil for the
mincha of the one ram; |
|
13. And one tenth of fine flour mixed with oil
as a meal offering for each lamb. A burnt offering with a spirit of
satisfaction, a fire offering to the Lord. |
13. and one tenth of flour with olive oil for
the mincha for each lamb of the burnt offering, an oblation to be received
with favor before the LORD. |
|
14. And their libations: a half of a hin for
each bull, a third of a hin for each ram, and a quarter of a hin for each
lamb; this is the burnt offering of each new month in its month, throughout
the months of the year. |
14. And for their libation to be offered with
them, the half of a bin for a bullock, the third of a bin for the ram, and
the fourth of a hin for a lamb, of the wine of grapes. This burnt sacrifice
will be offered at the beginning of every month in the time of the removal of
the beginning of every month in the year; |
|
15. And one young male goat for a sin offering
to the Lord; it shall be offered up in addition to the continual burnt
offering and its libation. |
15. and one kid of the goats, for a sin offering
before the LORD at the disappearing (failure) of the moon, with the perpetual
burnt sacrifice will you perform with its libation. |
|
|
|
Welcome to the World
of P’shat Exegesis
In order to understand the finished work of
the P’shat mode of interpretation of the Torah, one needs to take into account
that the P’shat is intended to produce a catechetical output, whereby a
question/s is/are raised and an answer/a is/are given using the seven
Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel and as well as the laws of Hebrew Grammar and
Hebrew expression.
The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as
follows
[cf. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=472&letter=R]:
1. Ḳal va-ḥomer: "Argumentum a minori ad majus" or
"a majori ad minus"; corresponding to the scholastic proof a
fortiori.
2. Gezerah shavah: Argument from analogy. Biblical passages containing
synonyms or homonyms are subject, however much they differ in other respects,
to identical definitions and applications.
3. Binyan ab mi-katub eḥad: Application of a provision found in one
passage only to passages which are related to the first in content but do not
contain the provision in question.
4. Binyan ab mi-shene ketubim: The same as the preceding, except that the
provision is generalized from two Biblical passages.
5. Kelal u-Peraṭ and Peraṭ
u-kelal: Definition of the
general by the particular, and of the particular by the general.
6. Ka-yoẓe bo mi-maḳom aḥer: Similarity in content to another Scriptural
passage.
7. Dabar ha-lamed me-'inyano: Interpretation deduced from the context.
Rashi’s Commentary for: B’Midbar (Numbers) 7:1-59
1
And it was that on the day that Moses finished
Heb. כַּלּוֹת . The text כַּלּוֹת on the day the Mishkan was erected, the
Israelites were like a bride (כַּלּוֹת) entering the nuptial canopy.-[Tanchuma Naso 20,
26, Pesikta Rabbathi 5:5, Pesikta d’Rav Kahana p. 6a, and other sources]
[According to Tanchuma, the derash is based on the spelling כַּלַּת , which differs from the spelling in all extant
sifrei Torah. Some believe that the derash is based on the vowelization כַּלוֹת , instead כְּלוֹת , which would clearly mean “finishing.”
Heidenheim believes that the choice of the word כַּלוֹת , the root of which is ambiguous, indicates the
intention of the Torah to include both meanings: finishing and nuptials. See
fn. 104, to Pesikta d’Rav Kahana.
Moses
finished Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the wise-hearted [men] assembled the
Mishkan, yet Scripture credits Moses with it, because he utterly devoted
himself to it, overseeing that the design of each article conformed with what
he was shown on the mount [Sinai], to instruct the craftsmen, and he did not
err in any design. Similarly, we find with David, that since he devoted himself
to the building of the Temple, as it says, “O Lord, remember for David all his
affliction, that he swore to the Lord...” (Ps. 132:1-2), therefore, it [the
Temple] was called by his name, as it says, “See your House, David” (I Kings
12:16). -[See Midrash Tanchuma Naso 21]
[On
the day] that Moses finished erecting It does not say: “On the day he erected.”
This teaches us that throughout the seven days of investitures, Moses erected
it and dismantled it, but on that day he erected it but did not dismantle it.
Therefore, it says, "Moses finished erecting"—that day marked the end
of his erecting [the Mishkan]. It was the New Moon of Nissan. On the second
[day], the red cow was burned; on the third [day], they sprinkled the first
sprinkling (See below ch. 19); and on the seventh [day], they [the Levites]
were shaved (see below 5:7). -[Sifrei 1:145]
2
They were the leaders of the tribes They were the officers [appointed] over
them in Egypt, and they were beaten on account of them, as it says, “The
officers of the children of Israel were beaten” (Exod. 5:14). [Rashi interprets
הַמַּטּֽת as “the sticks.” Hence, נְשִׂיאֵי הַמַּטּֽת means “the chieftains who were beaten with
sticks.”] -[Sifrei 1:145]
who
were present during the counting They stood with Moses and Aaron when they
counted the Israelites, as it says, “With you [Moses and Aaron] there shall be
[a man from each tribe]” (Num. 1:4).
3
six covered wagons The word צָב can denote only “covered.” Similarly, “In covered wagons (בַּצַּבִּים) and on mules” (Isa. 66:20). Covered wagons are
called צַבִּים . [Some expound the word צָב in the sense of הַצְבִי
יִשְׂרָאֵל , “O beauty of Israel” (II Sam. 1:19), (meaning)
that they were elegant.] - [Sifrei Naso 1:148, Num. Rabbah 12:17. See
Maharzav.]
they
presented them in front of the Mishkan for Moses did not accept them from their
hands until he was instructed to do so by the Omnipresent. Rabbi Nathan says:
Why did the chieftains see fit to be the first to contribute here, whereas
concerning the work of the Mishkan, they were not the first to contribute [but
the last]? However, the chieftains said as follows, “Let the people contribute
what they can, and then we will complement whatever is missing.” When they saw
that the people had supplied everything—as it says, “And the work was
sufficient for them” (Exod. 36:7)—they said, “What is left for us to do now?”
So they brought the shoham stones and the filling [stones] for the ephod and
the choshen. Therefore, [in order to make amends,] here they were first to
contribute.-[Sifrei Naso 1:150]
7
according to their work Because the burden of the sons of Gershon was lighter
than that of [the sons of] Merari, who carried the planks, the pillars, and the
sockets.
9
for incumbent upon them was the work involving the holy [objects] [I.e.,] the
burden of the holy objects [such as] the ark and the table, etc. [was incumbent
upon them]. Therefore “they were to carry on their shoulders” [and not in
wagons].
10
The chieftains brought [offerings for] the dedication of the altar After they
had contributed the wagons and the oxen for carrying the Mishkan, they were
inspired to contribute offerings for the altar to dedicate it.
the
chieftains presented their offerings in front of the altar For Moses did not
accept it from their hands until instructed to do so by the Almighty.-[Sifrei
Naso 1:152]
11
shall present his offering for the dedication of the altar But Moses still did
not know how they should bring [the offerings], whether in the order of their
births [namely, the order in which Jacob’s sons were born] or according to the
order in which they traveled—until he was instructed by the Holy One, blessed
is He, that they should bring the offerings according to the order in which
they traveled, each one in his day.-[Sifrei Naso 1:152]
12
on the first day That day acquired ten crowns; it was the first day of
Creation, the first day of the [offerings of the] chieftains, etc., as it is
stated in Seder Olam.
of
the tribe of Judah Scripture traces his kinship to his tribe, but not that he
solicited [the offering] from his tribe and then offered it up. Or perhaps it
says, “of the tribe of Judah” to teach that he indeed solicited [the offering]
from his tribe and then brought [it]? Scripture therefore states, “This was the
offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab” (verse 17), [to teach us that] he
brought from his own [resources].-[Sifrei Naso 1:153, 157]
13
both filled with fine flour for a voluntary meal offering.-[Sifrei Naso 1:155]
14
ten gold [shekels] Heb. עֲשָָׂרָה זָהָב . As Targum [Onkelos] renders: it contained the
weight of ten [shekels of] gold according to the holy shekel.
filled
with incense We never find incense brought by an individual or on the outer
[i.e., copper] altar except in this case; this was a temporary order.- [Men.
50a]
15
One young bull The choice of the herd.-[Sifrei Naso 1:146]
16
One young he-goat for a sin-offering to atone for [uncleanness caused by] a
grave in the depths [i.e., an unknown grave which may lie in the earth over
which people unknowingly pass, rendering them unclean],which is a [case of]
uncertain contamination. -[Sifrei Naso 1:156]
18
Nethanel the son of Zu’ar... brought...
19
He brought his offering Why is the word הִקְרִב , “brought [his offering],” used in connection
with the tribe of Issachar, but is not used in connection with any of the
[other] tribes? Because [the tribe of] Reuben came and complained, “Is it not
enough that my brother Judah has preceded me? Let me [at least] offer up after
him.” Moses said to him, “I was told by the Almighty that they should offer up
in the order in which they travel, according to their divisions.” This is why
it says: אֶת־קָרְבָּנוֹ הִקְרִב , [in which the word הִקְרִב is] missing a “yud,” [thus] giving it the
meaning of הַקְרִב , in the imperative—for he was commanded by the
Almighty, “Bring the offering!” (Sifrei Naso 1:158) What is the meaning of הִקְרִב ... הִקְרִב , twice? For because of two reasons he
[Issachar] merited to be the second of the tribes to offer their sacrifices:
One, because they were [well] versed in the Torah, as it says, “And of the sons
of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times” (I Chron. 12:32).
Another, because they advised the chieftains to contribute these offerings
(Sifrei). In the writings of Rabbi Moses Hadarshan ["the preacher"],
I found [the following]: Rabbi Phinehas the son of Yair says [that] Nethaniel
the son of Zu’ar gave them this idea.
one
silver bowl Heb. קַעֲרַתכֶּסֶף . The numerical value of [the two words] in
gematria amounts to nine hundred and thirty, corresponding to the years of
Adam, the first man (Gen. 5:5). ק = 100 ע = 70 ר = 200 ת =400 כ = 20 ס = 60 פ = 80 - = 930
weighing
one hundred and thirty shekels Alluding to the fact that when he [Adam] began
to raise a family to maintain the existence of the world, he was one hundred
and thirty years old, as it says, “Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and
he begot...” (Gen. 5:3).
one
silver sprinkling basin Heb. מִזְרָק אֶחָד
כֶּסֶף . The gematria of these[three words] is five hundred and
twenty- מ = 40 ז = 7 ר = 200 ק = 100 א = 1 ח = 8 ד = 4 כ = 20 ס = 60 פ = 80 - =520 alluding to Noah, who began raising a family at the
age of five hundred, and alluding to the twenty years before his children were
born in which the decree of the [Great] Flood was enacted, as I explained [to
be the meaning of the verse], “His days shall be one hundred and twenty years”
(Gen. 6:3). This is why it says מִזְרָק
אֶחָד כֶּסֶף rather than מִזְרָק כֶּסֶף
אֶחָד , as it says in the case of the [silver] bowl [i.e., קַעֲרַתכֶּסֶף אַַחַת ], to tell us that even the letters of [the
word] אֶחָד are included in the calculation.
seventy
shekels Corresponding to the seventy nations who emanated from his [Noah’s]
sons.
20
One spoon Corresponding to the Torah, which was given by the hand of the Holy
One, blessed is He. [ כַּף also means “hand.”]
ten
gold [shekels] Corresponding to the Ten Commandments.
filled
with incense - קְטֽרֶת . The gematria of קְטֽרֶת [i.e., 613] corresponds to the six hundred and
thirteen commandments—provided that you convert the “chaph” into a “daleth” in
accordance with the cipher known as, ק “ ד ר ” ג ש “ ב ת ” א [in which the first and last letters of the alphabet are
interchangeable, the second and the second-to-last letters, etc. Thus, ד = 4 ט = 9 ר =200 ת = 400 totalling 613].
21
One young bull Corresponding to Abraham, of whom it says, “He took a young
bull” (Gen. 18:7).
one
ram Corresponding to Isaac [of whom it says,] “and took the ram [and offered it
up as a burnt offering instead of his son]...” (Gen. 22:13).
one
lamb Corresponding to Jacob, [about whom it says,] “Jacob separated the lambs”
(Gen. 30:40).
22
One young he-goat to atone for the sale of Joseph, about which it says, “and
they slaughtered a kid” (Gen. 37:31).
23
And for the peace-offering: two oxen Corresponding to Moses and Aaron, who
established peace between Israel and their Father in heaven.
Rams...he-goats...lambs
Three types, corresponding to kohanim, Levites, and Israelites, and
corresponding to the Torah, the Prophets, and the Holy Writings. The three
fives [in this verse] correspond to the five books of the Pentateuch, to the
five commandments inscribed on the first tablet, and the five commandments
inscribed on the second one. Until this point, [my comments were] in the name
of Rabbi Moses Hadarshan [the preacher].
24
On the third day, the chieftain... On the third day, the chieftain who brought
the offering was from the sons of Zebulun, and so with all of them. However,
regarding Nethanel, about whom it states, הִקְרִיב
נְתַנְאֵל , “Nethanel... brought,” it is appropriate to
follow it with the phrase “the chieftain of Issachar” [unlike the other
instances, where the verse refers to the chieftain as “the chieftain of the
sons of so-and- so,” followed by his name], since his name and what he had
offered has already been mentioned. Concerning the others, where it does not
say: הִקְרִיב , “he offered,” the appropriate wording is this,
"the chieftain was of the sons of so-and-so"—that day, the chieftain
who brought his offering was from such-and-such a tribe. [Why the word הִקְרִיב is written only in reference to Nethanel is
discussed above on verses 18 and 19.]
Tehillim - Psalm
30:1-13
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. A psalm; a song of dedication of the House,
of David. |
1.
A praise song for the dedication of the sanctuary. Of David. |
|
2. I will exalt You, O Lord, for You have
raised me up, and You have not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me. |
2.
I will praise you, O LORD, for you made me stand erect, and did not let my
enemies rejoice over me. |
|
3. O Lord, I have cried out to You, and You
have healed me. |
3. O LORD my God, I prayed in Your presence and
You healed me. |
|
4. O Lord, You have brought my soul from the
grave; You have revived me from my descent into the Pit. |
4. O LORD, You raised my soul out of Sheol; You
preserved me from going down to the pit. |
|
5. Sing to the Lord, His pious ones, and give
thanks to His holy name. |
5. Sing praise in the LORD's presence, you His
devotees; and give thanks at the invocation of His holy one. |
|
6. For His wrath lasts but a moment; life
results from His favor; in the evening, weeping may tarry, but in the morning
there is joyful singing. |
6. For His anger is but a moment; eternal life
is His good pleasure. In the evening one goes to bed in tears, but in the
morning one rises in praise. |
|
7. And I said in my tranquility, "I will
never falter." |
7. And I said when I dwelt in trust, I will
never be shaken. |
|
8. O Lord, with Your will, You set up my
mountain to be might, You hid Your countenance and I became frightened. |
8. O LORD, by Your will You prepared the mighty
mountains; You removed Your presence, I became afraid. |
|
9. To You, O Lord, I would call, and to
the Lord I would supplicate. |
9. In Your presence, O LORD, I will cry out; and
to You, O my God, I will pray. |
|
10. "What gain is there in my blood,
in my descent to the grave? Will dust thank You; will it recite Your truth? |
10. And I said, What profit is there in my
blood, when I descend to the grave? Can those who descend to the dust
praise You? Will they tell of Your faithfulness? |
|
11. Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me; O Lord,
be my helper." |
11. Accept, O LORD, my prayer, and have mercy on
me; O LORD, be my helper. |
|
12. You have turned my lament into dancing for
me; You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. |
12. You turned my lament into my celebration;
You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. |
|
13. So that my soul will sing praises to You and
not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will thank You forever. |
13. Because the nobles of the world will give
You praise and not be silent, O LORD my God, I too will give You praise. |
|
|
|
Rashi’s Commentary for: Psalm 30:1-13
1
A song of dedication of the House which the Levites will say at the dedication
of the House in the days of Solomon.
2
I will exalt You, O Lord, for You have raised me up
Heb. דליתני , You have lifted me on high.
and
You have not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me
Heb. לי , like עלי , over me, for they would say, “David has no
share in the world to come,” but when they saw that the doors opened for the
Ark because of me, then they knew that the Holy One, blessed be He, had
forgiven me for that sin, and the faces of David’s enemies became as black as
the bottom of a pot.
3
and You have healed me That is the forgiving of iniquity, as (in
Isa. 6:10), “and he repent and be healed.”
4
from my descent into the Pit, etc. Heb. מירדי , like מִיְרִדָתִי , from my descent into the Pit, that I should
not descend into Gehinnom.
5
Sing to the Lord, His pious ones about what He did for me, because you can
take refuge in Him, and He will benefit you; and even if you are experiencing
pain, have no fear.
6
For...but a moment [For] His wrath lasts but a short [moment];
life results from His favor, there is long life in appeasing and placating Him.
7
And I said in my tranquility In my tranquility, I thought that I would
never falter. However, the matter is not in my power, but in the power of the
Holy One, blessed be He. With His will, He set up my mountain, my greatness to
be [my] mightbut when He hid His countenance from me, I was immediately
frightened.
9
To You, O Lord, I would call I would call to You and supplicate constantly,
saying before You: “What gain is there in my blood, etc.,” and You heard my
voice and turned my lament into dancing for me.
12
You loosened Heb. פתחת , alachas in Old French, to release, like (Gen.
24:32): “and he untied (ויפתח) the camels.” Our Sages, however, explained the
entire psalm as referring to Mordecai, Esther, and Haman, in Pesikta Zuta.
and
I said in my tranquility Haman said this.
To
You, O Lord, I would call Esther said this etc. until “be my helper.”
You
turned my lament into dancing for me Mordecai and all Israel said this.
Ashlamatah: Zechariah 2:14 –
4:7
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
14. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for, behold!
I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. |
14.
“Rejoice and be glad, O congregation of Zion, for behold, I will reveal
Myself and I will make My Shekhinah dwell in your midst” says the LORD. |
|
15. And many nations shall join the Lord on that
day, and they shall be My people; and I will dwell in your midst and you
shall know that the Lord of Hosts sent me to you. |
15.
And many Gentiles will be added to the people of the LORD at that time, and
they will be for a people before Me, and I will make My Shekhinah dwell in
your midst; and you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent me to prophesy
to you. |
|
16. And the Lord shall inherit Judah as His
share on the Holy Land, and He shall again choose Jerusalem. |
16.
And the LORD will make the people of the house of Judah to inherit their
portion in the holy land and will again take pleasure in Jerusalem. |
|
17. Silence all flesh from before the Lord, for
He is aroused out of His holy habitation. |
17.
All the wicked/Lawless have perished from before the LORD, for He has
revealed Himself from His holy abode. |
|
|
|
|
1. And He showed me Joshua, the High Priest,
standing before the angel of the Lord. And Satan was standing on his right,
to accuse him. |
1.
And He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD
and the Accuser standing at His right hand to accuse him. |
|
2.
And the Lord said to Satan: The Lord shall rebuke you, O Satan; and the Lord
shall rebuke you, He who chose Jerusalem. Is this one not a brand plucked
from fire? |
2.
And the LORD said to the Accuser, “The LORD rebuke you, O Accuser! May the
LORD who has been pleased to make His Shekhinah dwell in Jerusalem rebuke
you. Is this not a brand rescued from the burning?” |
|
3.
Now Joshua was wearing filthy garments and standing before the angel. |
3.
And Joshua had sons who had married wives who were unsuitable for priests,
and he was standing before the angel. |
|
4. And he [the angel] raised his voice and said
to those standing before him, saying, "Take the filthy garments off
him." And he said to him, "See, I have removed your iniquity from
you, and I have clad you with clean garments." |
4.
And he answered and spoke to those in attendance before him, saying, Speak to
him and let him drive out from his house the wives who are unsuitable for priests,
and he said to him, Look, for I have removed your sins from you and have
clothed you with righteous/generous deeds. |
|
5.
And I said, "Let them put a pure miter on his head," and they put
the pure miter on his head. And they had clothed him with garments while the
angel of the Lord was standing. |
5.
And he said, “Set a clean turban upon his head.” And they set a clean turban
upon his head, and made him marry a wife who was suitable for a priest; and
the angel of the LORD was standing by. |
|
6.
And the angel of the Lord warned Joshua, saying, |
6.
And the angel of the LORD charged Joshua, saying: |
|
7.
So said the Lord of Hosts: If you walk in My ways, and if you keep My charge,
you, too, shall judge My house, and you, too, shall guard My courtyards, and
I will give you free access among these who stand by. |
7. “Thus says the LORD of Hosts, ‘If you
walk in paths which are good before Me, and if you keep the charge of My
Memra, then you will judge those who serve in My Sanctuary, and you will have
charge of My courts, and at the resurrection of the dead I will raise you to
life and will give you feet to walk among the Seraphim. |
|
8. Hearken, now, O Joshua the High Priest-you
and your companions who sit before you, for they are men worthy of a
miracle-for, behold! I bring My servant, the Shoot. |
8.
Hear now, Joshua the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you,
for they are men who are worthy that a sign be performed for them; for behold
I will bring My servant the anointed One (Messiah), and he will be revealed. |
|
9. For, behold the stone that I have placed
before Joshua. Seven eyes are directed to one stone. Behold! I untie its
knots, says the Lord of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in
one day. |
9.
For behold, the stone which I have set before Joshua, upon one stone are
seven facets; behold I will reveal its facets’, says the LORD of Hosts, ‘and
I will remove the sin of that land in one day.’ |
|
10.
On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, you shall call-each man to his
neighbor-to come under his vine and under his fig tree. |
10.
‘At that time’, says the LORD of Hosts, ‘you will call each to his neighbor
under the fruit of his vines and under the fruit of his fig trees.’” |
|
|
|
|
1.
And the angel who spoke with me returned, and he awakened me as a man who
wakes up from his sleep. |
1.
And the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me like a man that
is roused from his sleep. |
|
2.
And he said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I saw, and
behold [there was] a candelabrum all of gold, with its oil-bowl on top of it,
and its seven lamps thereon; seven tubes each to the lamps that were on top
of it. |
2.
And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a menorah
all of gold and a bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps which are upon
it, seven, and seven pipes which pour oil from them to the lamps which are on
top of it; |
|
3.
And [there were] two olive trees near it; one on the right of the bowl, and
one on its left. |
3.
and two olive trees which are beside it, one on the right of the bowl and the
other on its left.” |
|
4.
So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "What
are these, my lord?" |
4.
And I answered and spoke to the angel who was talking with me, saying, “What
are these my lord?” |
|
5. And the angel who spoke with me answered,
and he said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said,
"No, my lord." |
5.
And the angel who was speaking with me, answered and said to me, “Do you not
know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” |
|
6. And he answered and spoke to me, saying,
"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying: 'Not by military
force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit,' says the Lord of
Hosts. |
6.
And he answers and spoke to me, saying, “This is the Word of the LORD with
Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by strength, nor by might, but by My Memra’, says
the LORD of Hosts. |
|
7. Who are you, O great mountain? Before
Zerubbabel you sink to a plain! He will bring out the stone of the main
architect, with shouts of grace, grace to it." |
7.
What are you reckoned, O foolish kingdom? Are you not like a plain before
Zerubbabel? And He will reveal His anointed One (Messiah), whose name was
told from old, and he will rule over all kingdoms.” |
|
|
|
Rashi’s
Commentary for: Zechariah 2:14 – 4:7
15 And
many nations shall join many
Gentiles will join.
16 And
the Lord shall inherit Judah as His inheritance and His share.
17 Silence
all flesh All the rest of the nations.
for He is aroused An
expression [denoting] arousal and awakening.
Chapter
3
1 to
accuse him To accuse him because his sons were married to gentile women, as
it is written in the Book of Ezra (10:18): “And it was found of the sons of the
priests who had taken foreign wives, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak,
etc.”
2 The
Lord shall rebuke you, O Satan The Holy One, blessed be He, shall rebuke
you, O you Satan (and then he repeated and said: The Lord shall rebuke you, He
who chose Jerusalem Moharaz Margolioth);
and He Who rebukes you is the One Who chose Jerusalem, that you shall not enter
before Him to accuse this righteous man. Is he not fit, and has he not merited
this? For he was saved from the consuming fire.
Is this one not a brand plucked from fire?
It is related in the Aggadah of [chapter] Helek
Helek (Sanh. 93a) that he [Joshua] was
cast into the fire with Ahab son of Kolaiah and his colleague.
3 was
wearing filthy garments This is to be explained according to the Targum: He
had sons who had married women who were unfit [to marry into] the priesthood,
and he was punished because he did not interfere with the [sons’ marriages].
4 “Take
the filthy garments off him.” Let his sons separate from their wives, and
he will be forgiven.
clean garments
A change of beautiful garments; i.e., merits. Since he compared the iniquity to
filthy garments, he compares the merit to clean garments; beautiful, white
garments.
5 And I
said I, Zechariah.
“Let them put a pure miter, etc.”
I begged mercy for him.
6 warned
an expression of warning, as in (Deut. 31:28): “And I will warn them before the
heaven and the earth.”
7 If you
walk in My ways, etc. Then I, too, will do this for you.
you, too, shall judge My house
You shall judge and be the officer over My Temple.
and I will give you free access
According to the Targum: and when the dead will be resurrected, I will
resurrect you; and I will give you walkers who walk among these seraphim.
According to its simple meaning, he brings him tidings that his sons will be
meritorious in the future.
who stand by Seraphim
and ministering angels, who never sit.
8 you
and your companions They were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
for they are men worthy of a miracle
[Jonathan renders:] Men worthy to
have miracles performed for them, for a miracle was performed for them, too.
for, behold! I bring My servant, the Shoot
For now Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, is insignificant in the king’s
court, but I will make his greatness burgeon. I will also give him favor in the
eyes of the king, so that he will grant [Zerubbabel’s] request for the building
of the Temple and the city, as explained in Nehemiah (1:1): “The words of
Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah.” Nehemiah was identical with Zerubbabel, as we
say in Sanhedrin (38a).
9 For,
behold the stone The foundation of the house that you laid in the days of
Cyrus - they stopped you, and that foundation and the thickness of the wall
appeared little in your sight, as explained in Ezra (3:12f.) and in the
prophecy of Haggai (2:2f.).
Seven eyes are directed to one stone
It will eventually be widened seven times as much. And so did Jonathan render: On one stone, seven
eyes see it. The expression of עינים is an expression of appearances. It appears to
me that the seven eyes are because of the eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He
in Whose eyes and heart it is [planned] to add seven times as much because of
the prophecy similar to this one (4:10): “And they shall see the plummet in the
hand of Zerubbabel these seven times; the eyes of the Lord they are roving to
and fro throughout the land.” This is but to say that He directed His eyes to
increase the glory of the Temple in its building.
Behold! I untie its knots
I untie its knots I thwart the plot of the enemies who wrote an accusation to
stop the work.
and I will remove
Heb. ומשתי.
in one day I do not know what
day.
Chapter
4
2 with
its oil - bowl on top of it as in (Josh. 15:19): “The upper springs”. This
is an expression for a spring, [hence] a sort of large round bowl.
and its seven lamps
A type of vessel into which oil and wicks are inserted.
seven tubes each
Seven small tubes come to every lamp, for the oil flows from the bowl through
those tubes into each lamp.
3 And
[there were] two olive trees near it Beside it were two trees upon which
olives were growing, one on the right of the bowl, one on the its left, etc.
Here [the prophet] does not explain about the two golden vats mentioned below
in the chapter, which are the sorts of bowls or vats of the oil press. [These
vats] stand beside the olive trees. The olives beat themselves into the vats
and are heated there as [if] in a vat or pit where olives are generally packed.
There they are pressed in the oil press, and the oil falls into the vats, and
from the vats into the bowl, and from the bowl into the tubes, and from the
tubes into the lamps. The tubes and the lamps number forty-nine, an allusion to
the light, for in the future the light of the sun will be sevenfold the light
of the seven days forty-nine times the light of a day of Creation.
4 “What
are these, my Lord?” What is this, that the olive trees are picked by
themselves, and the oil comes into the lamps by itself?
6 “This
is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel” This is a sign for you to promise
Zerubbabel that just as the olives and this oil are finished by themselves in
all respects, so will you not build My house with your [own] power or with your
[own] strength.
but by My spirit
I will place My spirit upon Darius, and he will command you to build and to pay
all the building expenses from his [treasury]; and [he will] help you with
wheat, wine, oil, and wood, as is explained in Ezra (6, 7): They required no
aid from any man.
7 Who
are you, O great mountain? You, the princes of the other side of the river
Tattenai, the governor of the other side of the river; Shethar Bozenai, and
their companions (Ezra 6:6), who have stopped the work until now - from now on
you shall be before Zerubbabel as a plain; you have no more ruling power or
superiority over him.
He will bring out the stone of the main
architect The main architect will take the plummet in
his hand to be the main architect at the head of the builders, and they will
build everything according to his words [everything] that he will order
concerning a beautiful and glorious building.
with shouts of grace, grace to it
To that stone, for everyone will say, “How beautiful is this building that was
made with this plummet.” [The expression] “shouts of grace” is as (Job 39:7)
“the shouts of a driver,” and (Isa. 66:6) “a sound of stirring” both of which
are expressions of making a voice heard.
Special Ashlamatah: I Samuel 20:18,42
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
18. And Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is
the new moon, and you will be remembered, for your seat will be vacant. |
18. And Jonathan said to him: “Tomorrow is
the (new) moon, and you will be sought out, for your dining place will be
empty.” |
|
42. And Jonathan said to David, "Go in
peace! (And bear in mind) that we have sworn both of us in the name of the
Lord, saying, 'May the Lord be between me and you, and between my descendants
and your descendants forever.' And he arose and went away; and Jonathan came
to the city. |
42. And Jonathan said to David: “Go in
peace, for the two of us have sworn by the name of the LORD saying, ‘May the
Memra of the LORD be a witness between me and you, and between my sons and
your sons forever.’” And he arose and went; and Jonathan entered the city. |
|
|
|
Yehudit (Judith) 7:17 – 8:27
New Jerusalem Bible Version
17 Accordingly, a troop of Moabites moved forward with
a further five thousand Assyrians. They penetrated the
valley and seized the Israelites' waterpoints and springs.
18 Meanwhile the Edomites and Ammonites went and took
up positions in the highlands opposite Dothan,
sending some of their men to the south-east opposite Egrebel near Chous
on the Wadi Mochmur. The rest of the Assyrian army took up
positions in the plain, covering every inch of the
ground; their tents and equipment made an immense encampment, so vast were their numbers.
19 The Israelites called on the Lord their God,
dispirited because the enemy had surrounded them and cut all line of
retreat.
20 For thirty-four days the Assyrian army, infantry,
chariots, cavalrymen, had them surrounded. Every
water-jar the inhabitants of Bethulia had was empty,
21 their storage-wells were drying up; on no day could
a man drink his fill, since their water was rationed.
22 Their little children pined away, the women and
young men grew weak with thirst; they collapsed in the
streets and gateways of the town; they had no strength left.
23 Young men, women, children, the whole people
thronged clamouring round Uzziah and the chief men of
the town, shouting in the presence of the assembled elders,
24 'May God be judge between you and us! For you have
done us great harm, by not suing for peace with the
Assyrians.
25 And now there is no one to help us. God has
delivered us into their hands to be prostrated before them in
thirst and utter helplessness.
26 Call them in at once; hand the whole town over to
be sacked by Holofernes' men and all his army.
27 After all, we should be much better off as their
booty than we are now; no doubt we shall be enslaved, but at
least we shall be alive and not see our little ones dying before our eyes
or our wives and children perishing.
28 By heaven and earth and by our God, the Lord of our
fathers, who is punishing us for our sins and the sins of
our ancestors, we implore you to take this course now, today.'
29 Bitter lamentations rose from the whole assembly,
and they all cried loudly to the Lord God.
30 Then Uzziah spoke to them, 'Take heart, brothers!
Let us hold out five days more. By then the Lord our God will
take pity on us, for he will not desert us altogether.
31 At the end of this time, if no help is forthcoming,
I shall do as you have said.'
32 With that he dismissed the people to their various
quarters. The men went to man the walls and towers of the
town, sending the women and children home. The town was full of
despondency.
NJB
Judith 8:1 Judith was informed at the time of what had happened. She was the daughter of Merari son of Ox,
son of Joseph, son of Oziel, son of Elkiah, son of Ananias,
son of Gideon, son of Raphaim, son of Ahitub, son of Elijah, son of
Hilkiah, son of Eliab, son of Nathanael, son of Salamiel, son of
Sarasadai, son of Israel.
2 Her husband Manasseh, of her own tribe and family,
had died at the time of the barley harvest.
3 He was supervising the men as they bound up the
sheaves in the field when he caught sunstroke and had to take
to his bed. He died in Bethulia, his home town, and was buried with
his ancestors in the field that lies between Dothan and Balamon.
4 As a widow, Judith stayed inside her home for three
years and four months.
5 She had had an upper room built for herself on the
roof. She wore sackcloth next to the skin and dressed in
widow's weeds.
6 She fasted every day of her widowhood except for the
Sabbath eve, the Sabbath itself, the eve of New Moon, the
feast of New Moon and the joyful festivals of the House of Israel.
7 Now she was very beautiful, charming to see. Her
husband Manasseh had left her gold and silver,
menservants and maidservants, herds and land; and she lived among all her
possessions
8 without anyone finding a word to say against her, so
devoutly did she fear God.
9 Hearing how the water shortage had demoralised the
people and how they had complained bitterly to the
headman of the town, and being also told what Uzziah had said to them
and how he had given them his oath to surrender the town to the
Assyrians in five days' time,
10 Judith immediately sent the serving-woman who ran
her household to summon Chabris and Charmis, two
elders of the town.
11 When these came in she said: 'Listen to me, leaders
of the people of Bethulia. You were wrong to speak to the
people as you did today and to bind yourself by oath, in defiance of
God, to surrender the town to our enemies if the Lord did not come
to your help within a set number of days.
12 Who are you, to put God to the test today, you, of
all people, to set yourselves above him?
13 You put the Lord Almighty to the test! You do not
understand anything, and never will.
14 If you cannot sound the depths of the human heart
or unravel the arguments of the human mind, how can you
fathom the God who made all things, or sound his mind or unravel
his purposes? No, brothers, do not provoke the anger of the Lord
our God.
15 Although it may not be his will to help us within
the next five days, he has the power to protect us for as
many days as he pleases, just as he has the power to destroy us before
our enemies.
16 But you have no right to demand guarantees where
the designs of the Lord our God are concerned. For God is not
to be threatened as a human being is, nor is he, like a mere human,
to be cajoled.
17 Rather, as we wait patiently for him to save, let
us plead with him to help us. He will hear our voice if such is
his good pleasure.
18 'And indeed of recent times and still today there
is not one tribe of ours, or family, or village, or town that has
worshipped gods made by human hand, as once was done,
19 which was the reason why our ancestors were
delivered over to sword and sack, and perished in misery at the
hands of our enemies.
20 We for our part acknowledge no other God but him;
and so we may hope he will not look on us disdainfully
or desert our nation.
21 'If indeed they capture us, as you expect, then all
Judaea will be captured too, and our holy places plundered,
and we shall answer with our blood for their profanation.
22 The slaughter of our brothers, the captivity of our
country, the unpeopling of our heritage, will recoil on our
own heads among the nations whose slaves we shall become, and our
new masters will look down on us as an outrage and a disgrace;
23 for our surrender will not reinstate us in their
favour; no, the Lord our God will make it a thing to be ashamed of.
24 So now, brothers, let us set an example to our
brothers, since their lives depend on us, and the sanctuary --
Temple and altar -- rests on us.
25 'All this being so, let us rather give thanks to
the Lord our God who, as he tested our ancestors, is now
testing us.
26 Remember how he treated Abraham, all the ordeals of
Isaac, all that happened to Jacob in Syrian Mesopotamia
while he kept the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.
27 For as these ordeals were intended by him to search
their hearts, so now this is not vengeance that God is exacting
on us, but a warning inflicted by the Lord on those who are near
his heart.'
1 Maccabees 6:28-8:32
New Jerusalem Bible Version
28 The king was furious when he heard this and
summoned all his Friends, the generals of his forces and the
marshals of horse.
29 He recruited mercenaries from other kingdoms and
the Mediterranean islands.
30 His forces numbered a hundred thousand foot
soldiers, twenty thousand cavalry and thirty-two elephants with
experience of battle conditions.
31 They advanced through Idumaea and besieged
Beth-Zur, pressing the attack for days on end; they also
constructed siege-engines, but the defenders made a
sortie and set these on fire, putting up a brave resistance.
32 At this, Judas left the Citadel and pitched camp at
Beth-Zechariah opposite the royal encampment.
33 The king rose at daybreak and marched his army at
top speed down the road to Beth-Zechariah, where his
forces took up their battle formations and sounded the trumpets.
34 The elephants were given a syrup of grapes and
mulberries to prepare them for the battle.
35 These animals were distributed among the phalanxes,
to each elephant being allocated a thousand men
dressed in coats of mail with bronze helmets on their heads; five hundred
picked horsemen were also assigned to each beast.
36 The horsemen anticipated every move their elephant
made; wherever it went they went with it, never
quitting it.
37 On each elephant, to protect it, was a stout wooden
tower, kept in position by girths, each with its three
combatants, as well as its mahout.
38 The remainder of the cavalry was stationed on one
or other of the two flanks of the army, to harass the enemy
and cover the phalanxes.
39 When the sun glinted on the bronze and golden
shields, the mountains caught the glint and gleamed like
fiery torches.
40 One part of the royal army was deployed on the
upper slopes of the mountain and the other in the valley
below; they advanced in solid, well-disciplined formation.
41 Everyone trembled at the noise made by this vast
multitude, the thunder of the troops on the march and the
clanking of their armour, for it was an immense and mighty army.
42 Judas and his army advanced to give battle, and six
hundred of the king's army were killed.
43 Eleazar, called Avaran, noticing that one of the
elephants was royally caparisoned and was also taller than
all the others, and supposing that the king was mounted on it,
44 sacrificed himself to save his people and win an
imperishable name.
45 Boldly charging towards the creature through the
thick of the phalanx, dealing death to right and left, so
that the enemy scattered on either side at his onslaught,
46 he darted in under the elephant, thrust at it from
underneath, and killed it. The beast collapsed on top of him,
and he died on the spot.
47 The Jews however realising how strong the king was
and how ferocious his army, retreated ahead of them.
48 The royal army moved up to encounter them outside
Jerusalem, and the king began to blockade Judaea and
Mount Zion.
49 He granted peace terms to the people of Beth-Zur,
who evacuated the town; it lacked store of provisions to
withstand a siege, since the land was enjoying a sabbatical year.
50 Having occupied Beth-Zur, the king stationed a
garrison there to hold it.
51 He besieged the sanctuary for a long time, erecting
batteries and siege-engines, flame-throwers and ballistas,
scorpions to discharge arrows, and catapults.
52 The defenders countered these by constructing their
own engines and were thus able to prolong their
resistance.
53 But they had no food in their stores since it was
the seventh year, and because those who had taken refuge in
Judaea from the gentiles had eaten up the last of their reserves.
54 Only a few men were left in the Holy Place, owing
to the severity of the famine; the rest had dispersed and gone
home.
55 Meanwhile Philip, whom King Antiochus before his
death had appointed to train his son Antiochus for the
throne,
56 had returned from Persia and Media with the forces
that had accompanied the king, and was planning to
seize control of affairs.
57 On hearing this, Lysias at once decided to leave,
and said to the king, the generals of the army and the men,
'We are growing weaker every day, we are short of food, and the place
we are besieging is well fortified; moreover the affairs of the kingdom
demand our attention.
58 Let us offer the hand of friendship to these men
and make peace with them and with their whole nation.
59 Let us grant them permission to follow their own
customs as before, since it is our abolition of these
customs that has provoked them into acting like this.'
60 The king and his commanders approved this argument,
and he offered the Jews peace terms, which they
accepted.
61 The king and the generals ratified the treaty by
oath, and the besieged accordingly left the fortress.
62 The king then entered Mount Zion, but on seeing how
impregnable the place was, he broke the oath he had sworn
and gave orders for the encircling wall to be demolished.
63 He then hurriedly withdrew, making off for Antioch,
where he found Philip already master of the city.
Antiochus gave battle and captured the city by force of arms.
NJB 1
Maccabees 7:1 In the year 151, Demetrius son of Seleucus left Rome and arrived with a few men at a town on the
coast, where he inaugurated his reign.
2 It so happened that, as he was entering the royal
residence of his ancestors, the army captured Antiochus and
Lysias, and intended to bring them to him.
3 On hearing this, he said, 'Keep them out of my
sight.'
4 The army put them to death, and Demetrius ascended
his throne.
5 Next, all those Israelites without law or piety, led
by Alcimus, whose ambition was to become high priest,
6 approached the king and denounced our people to him.
'Judas and his brothers', they said, 'have killed all
your friends, and he has driven us out of our country.
7 Send someone now whom you can trust; let him go and
see the wholesale ruin Judas has brought on us and on
the king's dominions, and let him punish the wretches and all who
assist them.'
8 The king chose Bacchides, one of the Friends of the
King, governor of Transeuphrates, an important personage in
the kingdom and loyal to the king.
9 He sent him with the godless Alcimus, whom he
confirmed in the high priesthood, with orders to exact
retribution from the Israelites.
10 So they set out with a large force and, on reaching
Judaea, sent emissaries to Judas and his brothers with
proposals peaceable yet treacherous.
11 The latter, however, did not put any faith in their
words, aware that they had come with a large force.
12 Nevertheless, a commission of scribes presented
themselves before Alcimus and Bacchides, to sue for just
terms.
13 The first among the Israelites to ask them for
peace terms were the Hasidaeans,
14 who reasoned thus, 'This is a priest of Aaron's
line who has come with the armed forces; he will not wrong us.'
15 He did in fact discuss peace terms with them and
gave them his oath, 'We shall not attempt to injure you or
your friends.'
16 They believed him, but he arrested sixty of them
and put them to death on one day, fulfilling the words of
scripture:
17 They have scattered the bodies of your faithful,
and shed their blood all round Jerusalem, leaving no one to
bury them!
18 At this, fear and dread gripped the whole people.
'There is no truth or virtue in them,' they said, 'they have
broken their agreement and their sworn oath.'
19 Bacchides then left Jerusalem and encamped at
Beth-Zeth, and from there sent and arrested many of the men
who had deserted him and a few of our people too; he had them
killed and thrown down the great well.
20 He then put Alcimus in charge of the province,
leaving an army with him to support him; Bacchides himself
returned to the king.
21 Alcimus continued his struggle to become high
priest,
22 and all who were disturbing the peace of their own
people rallied to him, and, having won control of Judaea, did
much harm in Israel.
23 Seeing that all the wrongs done to the Israelites
by Alcimus and his supporters exceeded what the gentiles had
done,
24 Judas went right round the whole territory of
Judaea to take vengeance on those who had deserted him and to
prevent their free movement about the country.
25 When Alcimus saw how strong Judas and his
supporters had grown and realised that he was powerless to
resist them, he went back to the king, to whom he made malicious
accusations against them.
26 The king sent Nicanor, one of his generals ranking
as Illustrious and a bitter enemy of Israel, with orders to
exterminate the people.
27 Reaching Jerusalem with a large force, Nicanor sent
a friendly, yet treacherous, message to Judas and his
brothers, as follows:
28 'Let us have no fighting between you and me; I
shall come with a small escort for a peaceful meeting with you.'
29 He met Judas and they exchanged friendly greetings;
the enemy, however, had made preparations to abduct
Judas.
30 When Judas became aware of Nicanor's treacherous
purpose in coming to see him, he took fright and refused
any further meeting.
31 Nicanor then realised that his plan had been
discovered, and took the field against Judas, to give battle near
Caphar-Salama.
32 About five hundred of Nicanor's men fell; the rest
took refuge in the City of David.
33 After these events Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some
of the priests came out of the Holy Place with some
elders, to give him a friendly welcome and show him the burnt
offering being presented for the king.
34 But he ridiculed them, laughed at them, defiled
them and used insolent language, swearing in his rage,
35 'Unless Judas is handed over to me this time with
his army, as soon as I am safely back, I promise you, I
shall burn this building down!'
36 Then he went off in a fury. At this, the priests
went in again, and stood weeping in front of the altar and the
Temple, saying,
37 'You have chosen this house to be called by your
name, to be a house of prayer and petition for your people.
38 Take vengeance on this man and on his army, and let
them fall by the sword; remember their blasphemies and give
them no respite.'
39 Nicanor left Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-Horon,
where he was joined by an army from Syria.
40 Judas, meanwhile, camped at Adasa with three
thousand men, and offered this prayer,
41 'When the king's envoys blasphemed, your angel went
out and struck down one hundred and eighty-five
thousand of his men.
42 In the same way let us see you crush this army
today, so that everyone else may know that this man has
spoken blasphemously against your sanctuary: pass judgement on him
as his wickedness deserves!'
43 The armies met in battle on the thirteenth of the
month Adar, and Nicanor's army was crushed, he himself being
the first to fall in the battle.
44 When Nicanor's soldiers saw him fall, they threw
down their arms and fled.
45 The Jews pursued them a day's journey, from Adasa
to the approaches of Gezer; they sounded their
trumpets in warning as they followed them,
46 and people came out of all the surrounding Judaean
villages to encircle the fugitives, who then turned back
on their own men. All fell by the sword, not one being left alive.
47 Having collected the spoils and booty, they cut off
Nicanor's head and the right hand he had stretched out in a
display of insolence; these were taken and displayed within sight of
Jerusalem.
48 The people were overjoyed and kept that day as a
great holiday:
49 indeed they decided to celebrate it annually on the
thirteenth of Adar.
50 For a short while Judaea enjoyed peace.
NJB 1
Maccabees 8:1 Now Judas had heard of the reputation of the Romans: how strong they were, and how well disposed
towards any who made common cause with them, making a
treaty of friendship with anyone who approached them.
2 (And, indeed, they were extremely powerful.) He had
been told of their wars and of their prowess among the
Gauls, whom they had conquered and put under tribute;
3 and of all they had done in the province of Spain to
gain possession of the silver and gold mines there,
4 making themselves masters of the whole country by
their determination and perseverance, despite its
great distance from their own; of the kings who came from the ends of
the earth to attack them, only to be crushed by them and overwhelmed
with disaster, and of others who paid them annual tribute;
5 Philip, Perseus king of the Kittim, and others who
had dared to make war on them, had been defeated and
reduced to subjection,
6 while Antiochus the Great, king of Asia, who had
advanced to attack them with a hundred and twenty
elephants, cavalry, chariots and a very large army, had also suffered
defeat at their hands;
7 they had taken him alive and imposed on him and his
successors, on agreed terms, the payment of an enormous
tribute, the surrender of hostages, and the cession
8 of the Indian territory, with Media, Lydia, and some
of their best provinces, which they took from him and gave
to King Eumenes.
9 Judas had also heard how, when the Greeks planned an
expedition to destroy the Romans,
10 the latter had got wind of it and, sending a single
general against them, had fought a campaign in which they
inflicted heavy casualties, carried their women and children away into
captivity, pillaged their goods, subdued their country, tore down their
fortresses and reduced them to a slavery lasting to the present day;
11 and how they had destroyed and subjugated all the
other kingdoms and islands that resisted them.
12 But where their friends and those who relied on
them were concerned, they had always stood by their
friendship. They had subdued kings far and near, and all who heard
their name went in terror of them.
13 One man, if they determined to help him and advance
him to a throne, would certainly occupy it, while
another, if they so determined, would find himself deposed; their
influence was paramount.
14 In spite of all this, no single one of them had
assumed a crown or put on the purple for his own aggrandisement.
15 They had set up a senate, where three hundred and
twenty councillors deliberated daily, constantly
debating how best to regulate public affairs.
16 They entrusted their government to one man for a
year at a time, with absolute power over their whole empire,
and this man was obeyed by all without envy or jealousy.
17 Having chosen Eupolemus son of John, of the family
of Accos, and Jason son of Eleazar, Judas sent them to
Rome to make a treaty of friendship and alliance with these people,
18 in the hope of being rid of the yoke, for they
could see that Greek rule was reducing Israel to slavery.
19 The envoys made the lengthy journey to Rome and
presented themselves before the Senate with their formal
proposal:
20 'Judas Maccabaeus and his brothers, with the Jewish
people, have sent us to you to conclude a treaty of
alliance and peace with you, and to enrol ourselves as
your allies and friends.'
21 The proposal met with the approval of the senators.
22 Here is a copy of the rescript which they engraved
on bronze tablets and sent to Jerusalem to be kept there
by the Jews as a record of peace and alliance:
23 'Good fortune attend the Romans and the Jewish
nation by sea and land for ever; may sword or enemy be far from
them!
24 'If war comes first to Rome or any of her allies
throughout her dominions,
25 the Jewish nation will take action as her ally, as
occasion may require, and do it wholeheartedly.
26 They will not give or supply to the enemy any
grain, arms, money or ships: thus has Rome decided, and they are
to honour their obligations without guarantees.
27 In the same way, if war comes first to the Jewish
nation, the Romans will support them energetically as
occasion may offer,
28 and the aggressor will not be furnished with grain,
arms, money or ships: such is the Roman decision, and they
will honour these obligations without treachery.
29 Such are the articles under which the Romans have
concluded their treaty with the Jewish people.
30 If, later, either party should decide to make any
addition or deletion, they will be free to do so, and any
such addition or deletion will be binding.
31 'As regards the wrongs done to them by King
Demetrius, we have written to him in these terms: Why have you
made your yoke lie heavy on our friends and allies the Jews?
32 If they appeal against you again, we shall uphold
their rights and make war on you by sea and land.'
Yochanan Bet (2 John)
1-13 + Yochanan Gimel (3 John) 1-14
Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben
Abraham &
Hakham Dr. Yosef ben
Haggai
1.
The elder, to the chosen (i.e. Jewish) Lady and her children, whom I love in
the truth (i.e. the Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142), and not I alone, but
also all those who intimately know the truth (i.e. the Torah – cf. Psalm
119:142),
2.
because of the truth (i.e. the Torah – Psalm 119:142) that resides in us and
will be with us forever.
3.
[The] blessing Mercy and peace will be with us from God the Father and
from Yeshua the Messiah the son (i.e. the anointed King of Israel) of
the Father in truth (i.e. Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142) and love.
4.
I was very glad because I found [some] of your children walking in [the]
truth (i.e. Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142), just as the Father commanded us.
5.
And now I ask you, Lady not [as if I were] writing a new
commandment to you, but [one] that we have had from the beginning (i.e.
B’resheet – Gen. 1:1ff)], that we should love one another.
6.
And this is love: that we walk according to His (God’s) commandments.
This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning (B’resheet
– Gen. 1:1ff), so that you should walk in it.
7.
For many deceivers have gone out into the [pagan] world, those who do
not profess that Yeshua the Messiah came in (or, according to) [the] flesh.
This person is the deceiver and the anti-Messiah!
8.
Watch yourselves that you do not lose what we have worked for, but receive a
full reward.
9.
Everyone who [continually and intentionally] transgresses the [Written
and Oral] Law and does not remain in the teachings of Messiah does not have
God. The one who remains in the teachings [of the Written and Oral Law],
this person has both the Father and the son (i.e. the anointed King of
Israel).
10.
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this [Torah] teaching, do not
receive him into [your] house and do not speak a greeting to him,
11.
because the one who speaks a greeting to him shares in his evil deeds.
12.
[Although] I have many [things] to write to you, I do not want [to
do so] by means of paper and ink, but I hope to be with you and to speak
face to face, so that your joy may be complete.
13.
The children of your chosen (i.e. Jewish) sister greet you.
1.
The elder, to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in the truth (i.e. the
Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142).
2.
Beloved, I pray [that] you may prosper concerning everything and be
healthy, just as your soul prospers [in the Torah].
3.
For I rejoiced exceedingly [when the] brothers came and testified [to]
your truth, just as you are walking in [the] truth (i.e. Torah –
cf. Psalm 119:142).
4.
I have no greater joy than this: that I hear [that] my children are
walking in the truth (i.e. Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142).
5.
Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for the [Jewish]
brothers, and especially those who are strangers.
6.
They have testified [concerning] your love before all
the congregation; to whom you are doing well, because you supply them according
to what is proper to God.
7.
For they have gone out on behalf of God’s name, accepting nothing from the
Gentiles.
8.
Therefore we ought to support such [people], so that we become fellow
workers in [the proclamation of the] truth (i.e. Torah – f. Psalm
119:142).
9.
I wrote something to the congregation, but Diotrephes, who wants to have the
preeminence [among] them, does not [want to] receive our [Jewish]
authority.
10.
Therefore, if I come, I will call attention to the [evil] deeds he is
doing, disparaging us [Jews] with Lashon HaRa (evil words and
calumniating gossip). And not being content with these, he does not receive
the authority of the [Jewish] brothers himself, and he prevents those
wanting [to accept Rabbinical authority] and throws [them] out of
the congregation.
11.
Beloved, do not imitate [what is] evil, but [what is] good. The
one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
12.
About Demetrius there is a [good] testimony from everyone and from the
congregation and from the Torah. And also we bear [him] testimony and
you know that our testimony is true.
13.
I have many things to write to you, but I do not want to write to you by means
of ink and pen.
14.
But I hope to see you right away, and to speak [with you] face to face.
15,
Shalom [be] with you! The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
Blessing After Torah Study
Barúch
Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,
Ashér
Natán Lánu Torát Emét, V'Chayéi Olám Natá B'Tochénu.
Barúch
Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!
Blessed
is Ha-Shem our God, King of the universe,
Who has
given us a teaching of truth, implanting within us eternal life.
Blessed
is Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!
“Now
unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless, and to establish
you without a blemish,
before
His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer, by means of
Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion, and honor, and majesty,
both now and in all ages. Amen!”
END OF THE READINGS FOR THE FOURTH DAY OF
HANUKA
Hanuka Fifth Day
Kislev 29, 5775
Evening Saturday Dec. 20, 2014 – Evening Sunday
Dec. 21, 2014
Torah: Numbers 7:36-47
Reader 1 - Num. 7:36-38
Reader 2 - Num. 7:39-41
Reader 3 - Num. 7:42-47
Yehudit (Judith) 8:28 – 10:23
1
Maccabees 9:1 - 10:32
Psalm 30:1-13
Nazareans add in their private study and
discussions: Psalm 43:3; Proverbs 20:27;
& 1 John 3:1-24 & 4:1-12
For further information please read and study:
http://www.betemunah.org/lapin.html, http://www.betemunah.org/connection.html,
http://www.betemunah.org/chanukah.html, & http://www.betemunah.org/lights.html
Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for: B’Midbar (Numbers) 7:36-47
|
Rashi |
Targum Pseudo
Jonathan |
|
36. On the fifth day, the chieftain was of the
sons of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. |
36. on the fifth, Shelumiel bar Zurishaddai,
prince of Shemeon; |
|
37. His offering was one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy
shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with
olive oil for a meal offering. |
37. |
|
38. One spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
38. |
|
39. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
39. |
|
40. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
40. |
|
41. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. |
41. |
|
42. On the sixth day, the chieftain was of the
sons of Gad, Eliasaph the son of De'uel. |
42. on the sixth, Eljasaph bar Dehuel, prince of
the Benei Gad; |
|
43. His offering was one silver bowl weighing
one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy
shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with
olive oil for a meal offering. |
43. |
|
44. One spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels]
filled with incense. |
44. |
|
45. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its
first year for a burnt offering. |
45. |
|
46. One young he goat for a sin offering. |
46. |
|
47. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five
rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of
Eliasaph the son of De'uel. |
47. |
Yehudit (Judith) 8:28 – 10:23
New Jerusalem Bible Version
28 Uzziah replied, 'Everything you have just said
comes from an honest heart and no one will contradict a word
of it.
29 Not that today is the first time your wisdom has
been displayed; from your earliest years all the people have
known how shrewd you are and of how sound a heart.
30 But, parched with thirst, the people forced us to
act as we had promised them and to bind ourselves by an
inviolable oath.
31 You are a devout woman; pray to the Lord, then, to
send us a downpour to fill our storage-wells, so that
our faintness may pass.'
32 Judith replied, 'Listen to me, I intend to do
something, the memory of which will be handed down to the children
of our race from age to age.
33 Tonight you must be at the gate of the town. I
shall make my way out with my attendant. Before the time fixed
by you for surrendering the town to our enemies, the Lord will make
use of me to rescue Israel.
34 You must not ask what I intend to do; I shall not
tell you until I have done it.'
35 Uzziah and the chief men said, 'Go in peace. May
the Lord show you a way to take revenge on our enemies.'
36 And leaving the upper room they went back to their
posts.
NJB
Judith 9:1 Judith threw herself face to the ground, scattered ashes on her head, undressed as far as the sackcloth
she was wearing and cried loudly to the Lord. At the same time
in Jerusalem the evening incense was being offered in the Temple
of God. Judith said:
2 Lord, God of my ancestor Simeon, you armed him with
a sword to take vengeance on the foreigners who had
undone a virgin's belt to her shame, laid bare her thigh to her confusion,
violated her womb to her dishonour, since, though you said, 'This must
not be,' they did it.
3 For this you handed their leaders over to slaughter,
and their bed, defiled by their treachery, was itself
betrayed in blood. You struck the slaves with the
chieftains and the chieftains with their retainers.
4 You left their wives to be carried off, their
daughters to be taken captive, and their spoils to be shared out
among the sons you loved, who had been so zealous for you, had loathed
the stain put on their blood and called on you for help. O God, my
God, now hear this widow too;
5 for you have made the past, and what is happening
now, and what will follow. What is, what will be, you have
planned; what has been, you designed.
6 Your purposes stood forward; 'See, here we are!'
they said. For all your ways are prepared and your judgements
delivered with foreknowledge.
7 See the Assyrians, with their army abounding
glorying in their horses and their riders, exulting in the
strength of their infantry. Trust as they may in shield
and spear, in bow and sling, in you they have not recognised the Lord, the breaker of battle-lines;
8 yours alone is the title of Lord. Break their
violence with your might, in your anger bring down their
strength. For they plan to profane your holy places, to defile the
tabernacle, the resting place of your glorious name,
and to hack down the horn of your altar.
9 Observe their arrogance, send your fury on their
heads, give the strength I have in mind to this widow's hand.
10 By guile of my lips strike down slave with master,
and master with retainer. Break their pride by a woman's hand.
11 Your strength does not lie in numbers, nor your
might in strong men; since you are the God of the humble, the
help of the oppressed, the support of the weak, the refuge of the
forsaken, the Saviour of the despairing.
12 Please, please, God of my father, God of the
heritage of Israel, Master of heaven and earth, Creator of the
waters, King of your whole creation, hear my prayer.
13 Give me a beguiling tongue to wound and kill those
who have formed such cruel designs against your
covenant, against your holy dwelling-place, against Mount Zion, against
the house belonging to your sons.
14 And demonstrate to every nation, every tribe, that
you are the Lord, God of all power, all might, and that
the race of Israel has no protector but you.
NJB
Judith 10:1 Thus Judith called on the God of Israel. When she had finished praying,
2 she got up from the floor, summoned her maid and
went down into the rooms which she used on Sabbath days and
festivals.
3 There she removed the sackcloth she was wearing and
taking off her widow's dress, she washed all over,
anointed herself plentifully with perfumes, dressed her hair, wrapped a
turban round it and put on the robe of joy she used to wear when her
husband Manasseh was alive.
4 She put sandals on her feet, put on her necklaces,
bracelets, rings, earrings and all her jewellery, and made
herself beautiful enough to beguile the eye of any man who saw her.
5 Then she handed her maid a skin of wine and a flask
of oil, filled a bag with barley girdle-cakes, cakes of dried
fruit and pure loaves, and wrapping all these provisions up gave them to
her as well.
6 They then went out, making for the town gate of
Bethulia. There they found Uzziah waiting with the two elders
of the town, Chabris and Charmis.
7 When they saw Judith, her face so changed and her
clothes so different, they were lost in admiration of her
beauty. They said to her:
8 May the God of our ancestors keep you in his favour!
May he crown your designs with success to the glory
of the children of Israel, to the greater glory of Jerusalem!
9 Judith worshipped God, and then she said, 'Have the
town gate opened for me so that I can go out and fulfil
all the wishes you expressed to me.' They did as she asked and
gave orders to the young men to open the gate for her.
10 This done, Judith went out accompanied by her maid,
while the men of the town watched her all the way down
the mountain and across the valley, until they lost sight of
her.
11 As the women were making straight through the
valley, an advance unit of Assyrians intercepted them,
12 and, seizing Judith, began to question her. 'Which
side are you on? Where do you come from? Where are you going?'
'I am a daughter of the Hebrews,' she replied, 'and I am fleeing
from them since they will soon be your prey.
13 I am on my way to see Holofernes, the general of
your army, to give him trustworthy information. I shall show
him the road to take if he wants to capture all the hill-country
without losing one man or one life.'
14 As the men listened to what she was saying, they
stared in astonishment at the sight of such a beautiful
woman.
15 'It will prove the saving of you,' they said to
her, 'coming down to see our master of your own accord. You had
better go to his tent; some of our men will escort you and hand you
over to him.
16 Once you are in his presence do not be afraid. Tell
him what you have just told us and you will be well
treated.'
17 They then detailed a hundred of their men as escort
for herself and her attendant, and these led them to the
tent of Holofernes.
18 News of her coming had already spread through the
tents, and there was a general stir in the camp. She was
still outside the tent of Holofernes waiting to be announced, when a
crowd began forming round her.
19 They were immediately impressed by her beauty and
impressed with the Israelites because of her. 'Who could
despise a people who have women like this?' they kept saying.
'Better not leave one of them alive; let any go and they could twist the
whole world round their fingers!'
20 The bodyguard and adjutants of Holofernes then came
out and led Judith into the tent.
21 Holofernes was resting on his bed under a canopy of
purple and gold studded with emeralds and precious
stones.
22 The men announced her and he came out to the
entrance to the tent, with silver torches carried before him.
23 When Judith confronted the general and his
adjutant, the beauty of her face astonished them all. She fell on her
face and did homage to him, but his servants raised her from the
ground.
1 Maccabees 9:1 - 10:32
New Jerusalem Bible Version
NJB 1 Maccabees 9:1 Demetrius, hearing that
Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, sent Bacchides and Alcimus a second
time into Judaea, and with them the right wing of his army.
2 They took the road to Galilee and besieged
Mesaloth in Arbela, and captured it, putting many people to death.
3 In the first month of the year 152, they
encamped outside Jerusalem;
4 they then moved on, making their way to
Beer-Zaith with twenty thousand foot and two thousand horse.
5 Judas lay in camp at Elasa, with three
thousand picked men.
6 When they saw the huge size of the enemy
forces they were terrified, and many slipped out of the camp, until no more
than eight hundred of the force were left.
7 With battle now inevitable, Judas realised
that his army had melted away; he was aghast, for he had no time to rally them.
8 Yet, dismayed as he was, he said to those
who were left, 'Up! Let us face the enemy; we may yet have the strength to
fight them.'
9 His men tried to dissuade him, declaring,
'We have no strength for anything but to escape with our lives this time; then
we can come back with our brothers to fight them; by ourselves we are too few.'
10 Judas retorted, 'That I should do such a
thing as run away from them! If our time has come, at least let us die like men
for our countrymen, and leave nothing to tarnish our reputation.'
11 The army marched out of camp and drew up,
facing the enemy. The cavalry was drawn up in two squadrons; the slingers and
archers marched in the van of the army, and all the best fighters were put in
the front rank;
12 Bacchides was on the right wing. The
phalanx advanced from between the two squadrons, sounding the trumpets; the men
on Judas' side also blew their trumpets,
13 and the earth shook with the noise of the
armies. The engagement lasted from morning until evening.
14 Judas saw that Bacchides and the main
strength of his army lay on the right; all the stout-hearted rallied to him,
15 and they crushed the right wing, pursuing
them as far as the Azara Hills.
16 But when the Syrians on the left wing saw
that the right had been broken, they turned and followed hot on the heels of
Judas and his men to take them in the rear.
17 The fight became desperate, and there were
many casualties on both sides.
18 Judas himself fell, and the remnant fled.
19 Jonathan and Simon took up their brother
Judas and buried him in his ancestral tomb at Modein.
20 All Israel wept and mourned him deeply and
for many days they repeated this dirge.
21 'What a downfall for the strong man, the
man who kept Israel safe!'
22 The other deeds of Judas, the battles he
fought, the exploits he performed, and all his titles to greatness have not
been recorded; but they were very many.
23 After the death of Judas, the renegades
came out of hiding throughout Israel and all the evil-doers reappeared.
24 At that time there was a severe famine, and
the country went over to their side.
25 Bacchides deliberately chose the enemies of
religion to administer the country.
26 These traced and searched out the friends
of Judas and brought them before Bacchides, who ill-treated and mocked them.
27 A terrible oppression began in Israel;
there had been nothing like it since the disappearance of prophecy among them.
28 The friends of Judas then all united in
saying to Jonathan,
29 'Since your brother Judas died, there has
been no one like him to head the resistance against our enemies, people like
Bacchides and others who hate our nation.
30 Accordingly, we have today chosen you to
take his place as our ruler and leader and to fight our campaigns.'
31 Whereupon, Jonathan took command, in
succession to his brother Judas.
32 Bacchides, when he heard the news, made
plans to kill Jonathan.
33 But this became known to Jonathan, his
brother Simon and all his supporters, and they took refuge in the desert of
Tekoa, camping by the water-supply at Asphar storage-well.
34 (Bacchides came to know of this on the
Sabbath day, and he too crossed the Jordan with his entire army.)
35 Jonathan sent his brother, who was one of
his commanders, to ask his friends the Nabataeans to store their considerable
baggage for them.
36 The sons of Amrai, however, those of
Medeba, intercepted them, captured John and everything he had and made off with
their prize.
37 Later, Jonathan and his brother Simon were
told that the sons of Amrai were celebrating an important wedding, and were
escorting the bride, a daughter of one of the great notables of Canaan, from
Nabata with a large retinue.
38 Remembering the bloody end of their brother
John, they went up and hid under cover of the mountain.
39 As they were keeping watch, a noisy
procession came into sight with a great deal of baggage, and the bridegroom,
with his groomsmen and his family, came out to meet it with tambourines and a
band, and rich, warlike display.
40 The Jews rushed down on them from their
ambush and killed them, inflicting heavy casualties; the survivors escaped to
the mountain, leaving their entire baggage train to be captured.
41 Thus, the wedding was turned into mourning
and the music of their band into lamentation.
42 Having in this way avenged in full the
blood of their brother, they returned to the marshes of the Jordan.
43 As soon as Bacchides heard this, he came on
the Sabbath day with a considerable force to the steep banks of the Jordan.
44 Jonathan said to his men, 'Up! Let us fight
for our lives, for today it is not as in the old days.
45 You can see, we shall have to fight on our
front and to our rear; we have the waters of the Jordan on one side, the marsh
and scrub on the other, and we have no line of withdrawal.
46 This is the moment to call on Heaven, to
deliver you from the clutches of your enemies.'
47 The engagement was begun by Jonathan, who
aimed a blow at Bacchides, but the Syrian disengaged himself and withdrew,
48 whereupon Jonathan and his men leapt into
the Jordan and swam to the other bank; the enemy did not, however, cross the
Jordan in pursuit.
49 That day, Bacchides lost about a thousand
men.
50 Bacchides went back to Jerusalem and began
fortifying some of the Judaean towns: the fortresses of Jericho, Emmaus,
Beth-Horon, Bethel, Timnath, Pharathon and Tephon, with high walls and barred
gates,
51 and stationed a garrison in each of them to
harass Israel.
52 He also fortified the town of Beth-Zur,
Gezer and the Citadel, and placed troops in them with supplies of provisions.
53 He took the sons of the leading men of the
country as hostages, and had them placed under guard in the Citadel of
Jerusalem.
54 In the year 153, in the second month,
Alcimus ordered the demolition of the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary,
destroying the work of the prophets. Alcimus had just begun the demolition
55 when he suffered a stroke, and his work was
interrupted. His mouth became obstructed, and his paralysis made him incapable
of speaking at all or giving directions to his household;
56 it was not long before he died in great
agony.
57 On the death of Alcimus, Bacchides went
back to the king, and Judaea was left in peace for two years.
58 The renegades then all agreed on a plan.
'Now is the time,' they said, 'while Jonathan and his supporters are living in
peace and are full of confidence, for us to bring back Bacchides, and he will
arrest the lot of them in one night.'
59 So they went to him and reached an
understanding.
60 Bacchides at once set out with a large
force, and sent secret instructions to all his allies in Judaea to seize
Jonathan and his supporters. But they were unable to do this because their plan
became known,
61 and Jonathan and his men arrested some
fifty of the men of the country who were ringleaders in the plot, and put them
to death.
62 Jonathan and Simon then retired with their
partisans to Beth-Bassi in the desert; they rebuilt the ruinous parts of the
place and fortified it.
63 When Bacchides heard this, he mustered his
whole force and notified his adherents in Judaea.
64 He then proceeded to lay siege to
Beth-Bassi, the fighting was protracted, and he constructed siege-engines.
65 Jonathan, however, leaving his brother
Simon in the town, broke out into the countryside with a handful of men.
66 He launched a blow at Odomera and his
brothers, and at the sons of Phasiron in their encampment; whereupon, these too
came into the struggle, joining forces with him.
67 Simon and his people, meanwhile, made a
sortie from the town and set fire to the siege-engines.
68 Taking the offensive against Bacchides,
they defeated him. He was greatly disconcerted to find that his plan and his
assault had come to nothing,
69 and vented his anger on those renegades who
had induced him to enter the country, putting many of them to death; he then
decided to take his own troops home.
70 Discovering this, Jonathan sent envoys to
negotiate peace terms and the release of prisoners with him.
71 Bacchides agreed to this, accepting his
proposals and swearing never to seek occasion to harm him for the rest of his
life.
72 Having surrendered to Jonathan those
prisoners he had earlier taken in Judaea, he turned about and withdrew to his
own country, and never again came near their frontiers.
73 The sword no longer hung over Israel, and
Jonathan settled in Michmash, where he began to judge the people and to rid
Israel of the godless.
NJB 1 Maccabees 10:1 In the year 160,
Alexander, son of Antiochus Epiphanes, raised an army and occupied Ptolemais.
He was well received, and there inaugurated his reign.
2 On hearing this, King Demetrius assembled a
very large army and marched off to do battle with him.
3 Demetrius furthermore sent Jonathan a most
conciliatory letter, promising to promote him in rank,
4 for, as he said, 'We had better move first
to come to terms with these people before he makes common cause with Alexander
against us;
5 he will not have forgotten all the wrongs we
inflicted on him and his brothers, and on his nation.'
6 He even authorised him to raise an army, to
manufacture arms, and to describe himself as his ally, and ordered the hostages
in the Citadel to be surrendered to him.
7 Jonathan went straight to Jerusalem and read
the letter in the hearing of the whole people and of the men in the Citadel.
8 They were terrified when they heard that the
king had given him authority to raise an army.
9 The men in the Citadel surrendered the
hostages to Jonathan, who handed them back to their parents.
10 Jonathan then took up residence in
Jerusalem and began the rebuilding and restoration of the city.
11 He ordered those responsible for the work
to build the walls and the defences round Mount Zion of squared stone blocks to
make them stronger, and this was done.
12 The foreigners in the fortresses built by
Bacchides abandoned them,
13 one after another leaving his post to go
back to his own country.
14 Only at Beth-Zur were a few left of those
who had forsaken the Law and the precepts, since this was their refuge.
15 King Alexander heard of all the promises
Demetrius had sent to Jonathan, and he was also given an account of the battles
and exploits of this man and his brothers and of the hardships they had
endured.
16 'Shall we ever find another man like him?'
he exclaimed. 'We must make him our friend and ally!'
17 He therefore wrote him a letter, addressing
him in these terms:
18 'King Alexander to his brother Jonathan,
greetings.
19 'You have been brought to our notice as a
strong man of action and as someone who deserves to be our friend.
20 Accordingly, we have today appointed you
high priest of your nation, with the title of "Friend of the King" '
-- he also sent him a purple robe and a golden crown-'and you are to study our
interests and maintain friendly relations with us.'
21 Jonathan put on the sacred vestments in the
seventh month of the year 160, on the feast of Shelters; he then set about
raising troops and manufacturing arms in quantity.
22 Demetrius was displeased when he heard what
had happened.
23 'What have we been doing,' he said, 'for
Alexander to forestall us in winning the friendship of the Jews and so
improving his own position?
24 I too shall address an appeal to them,
offering them advancement and riches as an inducement to support me.'
25 And he wrote to them as follows: 'King
Demetrius to the Jewish nation, greetings.
26 'We have heard how you have kept your
agreement with us and have maintained friendly relations with us and have not
gone over to our enemies, and it has given us great satisfaction.
27 If you now continue to keep faith with us,
we shall make you a handsome return for what you do on our behalf.
28 We shall accord you many exemptions and
grant you privileges.
29 'Henceforth I release you and exempt all
the Jews from the tribute, the salt dues and the crown levies,
30 and whereas I am entitled to one-third of
the grain and one-half of the fruit of the trees, I release from this levy,
from today and for the future, Judaea and the three districts annexed to it
from Samaria-Galilee, from this day henceforth in perpetuity.
31 Jerusalem will be sacred and exempt, with
its territory, from tithes and dues.
32 I relinquish control of the Citadel in
Jerusalem and make it over to the high priest, so that he may man it with a
garrison of his own choosing.
Tehillim - Psalm
30:1-13
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. A psalm; a song of dedication of the House,
of David. |
1.
A praise song for the dedication of the sanctuary. Of David. |
|
2. I will exalt You, O Lord, for You have
raised me up, and You have not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me. |
2.
I will praise you, O LORD, for you made me stand erect, and did not let my
enemies rejoice over me. |
|
3. O Lord, I have cried out to You, and You
have healed me. |
3. O LORD my God, I prayed in Your presence and
You healed me. |
|
4. O Lord, You have brought my soul from the
grave; You have revived me from my descent into the Pit. |
4. O LORD, You raised my soul out of Sheol; You
preserved me from going down to the pit. |
|
5. Sing to the Lord, His pious ones, and give
thanks to His holy name. |
5. Sing praise in the LORD's presence, you His
devotees; and give thanks at the invocation of His holy one. |
|
6. For His wrath lasts but a moment; life
results from His favor; in the evening, weeping may tarry, but in the morning
there is joyful singing. |
6. For His anger is but a moment; eternal life
is His good pleasure. In the evening one goes to bed in tears, but in the
morning one rises in praise. |
|
7. And I said in my tranquility, "I will
never falter." |
7. And I said when I dwelt in trust, I will
never be shaken. |
|
8. O Lord, with Your will, You set up my
mountain to be might, You hid Your countenance and I became frightened. |
8. O LORD, by Your will You prepared the mighty
mountains; You removed Your presence, I became afraid. |
|
9. To You, O Lord, I would call, and to
the Lord I would supplicate. |
9. In Your presence, O LORD, I will cry out; and
to You, O my God, I will pray. |
|
10. "What gain is there in my blood,
in my descent to the grave? Will dust thank You; will it recite Your truth? |
10. And I said, What profit is there in my
blood, when I descend to the grave? Can those who descend to the dust
praise You? Will they tell of Your faithfulness? |
|
11. Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me; O Lord,
be my helper." |
11. Accept, O LORD, my prayer, and have mercy on
me; O LORD, be my helper. |
|
12. You have turned my lament into dancing for
me; You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. |
12. You turned my lament into my celebration;
You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. |
|
13. So that my soul will sing praises to You and
not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will thank You forever. |
13. Because the nobles of the world will give
You praise and not be silent, O LORD my God, I too will give You praise. |
|
|
|
Psalm 43:3 - JPS
3 Send forth Your light and Your truth (i.e.,
the Torah); they will lead me; they will bring me to Your holy mountain, to
Your dwelling-place,
Proverbs 10:27 - JPS
27 The fear of the LORD prolongs life, while
the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Isaiah 42:16 - JPS
I will lead the blind by a road they did not
know. And I will make them walk by paths they never knew. I will turn darkness
before them to light, rough places into level ground. These are the promises --
I will keep them without fail.
1 John 3:1-24
1 John 4:1-12
By: Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu
ben Abraham
& Hakham Dr. Yosef
ben Haggai
1. Behold what [manner] of love has the
Father given to us [Jews] that we are given the vocation (calling)
to [prepare ourselves to] become B’ne Elohim (i.e. Rabbis/Hakhamim).
Because of this the [pagan] world knows us not, because it has not known
Him (i.e. God).
2 Beloved, now we are [potentially] B’ne
Elohim (i.e. Rabbis/Hakhamim), and what we will be has not yet been
revealed. But we know that whenever he (i.e. Messiah) be revealed, in
his (i.e. Messiah’s) likeness (i.e. a Hakham) we will be, because
we will see him (i.e. Messiah) just as he is.
3 And everyone who holds this expectation in
him purifies (ceremonially and morally) himself, even as he (i.e.
Messiah) is (ceremonially and morally) pure.
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices
Lawlessness, for sin is Lawlessness (i.e. transgression of the Law).
5 And you know that he was revealed that our
sins he might take away, and in him [there] is no sin.
6 Everyone that tabernacles in him (i.e. Messiah)
does not [continually and habitually] sin. Everyone that sins [continually
and habitually] has neither [prophetically] seen him (i.e.
Messiah) nor [intimately] known him (i.e. Messiah).
7 [My] sons, let no one lead you
astray: the one who [continually and habitually] practices
righteousness/generosity is righteous/generous, just as he (i.e. Messiah)
is righteous/generous.
8 He who [continually and habitually]
practices sin is of the Accuser (i.e. Heb. “HaSatan”), because the
Accuser (i.e. “HaSatan”) has been [continually and habitually]
sinning from the beginning (i.e. Beresheet – cf. Gen. 1:1ff). For this [reason]
the son of God (Heb. Ben Elohim – lit. “the son of the Judge” – i.e. the
King Messiah of Israel) was revealed: that he may destroy (loosen)
the works of the Accuser (i.e. Heb. “HaSatan”). .
9 Everyone who is fathered (begotten)
of God does not [continually and habitually] practices sin (i.e.
Lawlessness –cf v.4 above), because His (God’s) seed (Greek:
“Sperm” – i.e. the Torah) tabernacles in him, and he is not capable to [continually
and habitually] sin, because he has been fathered (begotten) by God.
10 In this the sons of God (Heb. B’ne
Elohim - i.e. Rabbis/Hakhamim) and the sons of the Accuser (Heb.
“HaSatan”) are manifest: everyone who does not practice
righteousness/generosity is not of God, nor the one who does not love [and
treasure greatly] his [Jewish] brother/sister.
11 For this is the message that you have heard
from [the] beginning (i.e. Beresheet – Gen. 1:1ff): that we
should love [and treasure greatly] one another,
12 not as Cain, [who] was of the
Lawless one and [violently] murdered his brother. And for what reason
did he [violently] murder him? Because his deeds were Lawless and those
of his brother [were] righteous/generous.
13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the [pagan]
world hates you.
14 We [intimately] know that we have
departed from the sentence of [eternal] death to [eternal] life
because we love [and treasure greatly] the [Jewish] brotherhood.
The one who does not love [and treasure greatly] his [Jewish] brother/sister
remains under the sentence of [eternal] death.
15 Everyone who hates his [Jewish] brother/sister
is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have eternal life tabernacling
in him.
16 In this we have [intimately] know
love, because he (i.e. Messiah) shared his life for us, and we must [consequently
following his example] lay down our lives for the [Jewish]
brotherhood.
17 But whoever may have the world's means of
life (i.e. material possessions) and sees his [Jewish]
brother/sister having need and shuts up his sympathy/affection from him/her,
how does the love of God tabernacle in him/her?
18 My sons, we must not love with words nor
with tongue, but in deeds and truth (i.e. Torah - cf. Psalm 119:142).
19 And in this we intimately know that we are
of the truth (i.e. Torah - cf. Psalm 119:142) and before Him (i.e.
God’s Presence) we will persuade our hearts,
20 that if our hearts should condemn us, God
is greater than our hearts and He knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our hearts should not condemn
us, we have confidence before God,
22 and whatever we may ask we receive from Him
(i.e. God), because we keep/observe His commandments and practice what
is pleasing before His [presence].
23 And this is His (God’s) commandment:
that we should adhere to the authority of His son (i.e. the King Messiah of
Israel) Yeshua the Messiah and should love [and treasure greatly] one
another, just as he (i.e. the Master) commanded us.
24 And the one who keeps/observe His (God’s)
commandments tabernacles in him (i.e. Messiah), and he (i.e.
Messiah) in him. And in this we [intimately] know that he (i.e. Messiah)
tabernacles in us: by the spirit [of God – i.e. the Oral Torah]
which he (i.e. Messiah) has given to us.
1 Beloved, do not faithfully obey every
spirit, but test the spirits [to determine] if they are from God,
because many pseudo prophets have come forth into the world.
2 By this you [will intimately] know
the spirit of God: every spirit that professes [that] Yeshua the Messiah
came in (or, according to) [the] flesh is from God,
3 and every spirit that does not profess [that]
Yeshua the Messiah came in (or, according to) [the] flesh is not from God, and this is of the
anti-messiah, that you have heard that is coming, and now he is already in the [pagan]
world.
4 You are from God, sons, and have conquered
them (the pseudo-prophets), because greater is He who [is] in you
than he who [is] in the [pagan] world.
5 They (the pseudo-prophets) are from
the [pagan] world; because of this they speak from the [pagan]
world and the [pagan] world listens to them.
6 We are from God. The one who knows God
listens to us [Jewish Hakhamim]; whoever is not from God does not listen
to us [Jewish Hakhamim]. By this we know/distinguish the spirit of truth
(i.e. of the Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142) and/from the spirit of deceit.
7 Beloved, we must love [and treasure
greatly] one another, because love is from God (the numerical value of
Ahavah and Echad = 13), and everyone who loves [and treasures greatly
the Jewish brethren] has been fathered (begotten) by God and knows
God.
8 The one who does not love [and does not
treasure greatly the Jewish brethren] does not know God, because God is
love (the numerical value of Ahavah and Echad = 13).
9 In this the love of God is revealed in us:
that God has sent His only begotten son (i.e. the King Messiah of Israel) into
the [pagan] world that we may live through him.
10 In this is love: not that we loved God, but
that He (God) loved us and sent his son (i.e. the King Messiah of Israel) [as]
a propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God loved us so, we must also
love [and treasure greatly] one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we
should love [and treasure greatly] one another, God tabernacles in us
and His love has been achieved in us.
END OF THE READINGS FOR THE FIFTH DAY OF
HANUKA
Hag Chanukah
Sameach!
Hakham Dr.
Yosef ben Haggai
Rabbi Dr.
Hillel ben David
Rabbi Dr.
Eliyahu ben ABraham