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

 

 

Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times: https://www.chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.htm

 

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,

His Honor Paqid Adon Tzuriel ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Gibora 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 Leah bat Sarah & beloved mother

His Excellency Adon Yehoshua ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Rut bat Sarah

His Excellency Adon Michael ben Yosef and beloved wife HE Giberet Sheba bat Sarah

Her Excellency Giberet Prof. Dr. Emunah bat Sarah & beloved family

His Excellency Adon Robert Dick & beloved wife HE Giberet Cobena Dick

His Excellency Adon Ovadya ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Mirit bat Sarah

His Excellency Adon Brad Gaskill and beloved wife Cynthia Gaskill

His Excellency Adon Shlomoh ben Abraham

His Excellency Adon Ya’aqob ben David

His Excellency Adon Bill Haynes and beloved wife HE Giberet Diane Haynes

 

For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that GOD’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.

 

 

A Prayer for Israel

 

Our Father in Heaven, Rock, and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the first manifestation of the approach of our redemption. Shield it with Your lovingkindness, envelop it in Your peace, and bestow Your light and truth upon its leaders, ministers, and advisors, and grace them with Your good counsel. Strengthen the hands of those who defend our holy land, grant them deliverance, and adorn them in a mantle of victory. Ordain peace in the land and grant its inhabitants eternal happiness.

 

Lead them, swiftly and upright, to Your city Zion and to Jerusalem, the abode of Your Name, as is written in the Torah of Your servant Moses: “Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you. And the Lord your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it, and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers.” Draw our hearts together to revere and venerate Your name and to observe all the precepts of Your Torah, and send us quickly the Messiah son of David, agent of Your vindication, to redeem those who await Your deliverance.

 

We pray for his Honor Adon Tzuriel ben Avraham. Mi Sheberach…He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, may He bless and heal His Honor Paqid Tzuriel ben Avraham, May the Holy One, Blessed is He, be filled with compassion for him to restore his health, to heal him, to strengthen him, and to revivify him. And may He send him speedily a complete recovery from heaven, among the other sick people of Yisrael, a recovery of the body and a recovery of the spirit, swiftly and soon, and we will say amen ve amen!

 

We pray for her Excellency Giberet Miriam bat Sarah, Mi Sheberach… He Who blessed our holy and pure Matriarchs, Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah, may he bless and heal Giberet Miriam bat Sarah and may He send her a complete recovery to her 248 organs and her 365 sinews. Please heal her, please heal her, please heal her and strengthen her and return her to her original strength. May He send her a complete recovery of her body and her soul from the heavens among the other sick of Yisrael, and we will say Amen ve amen!

 

Reading Assignment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the World of Pshat Exegesis

 

In order to understand the finished work of the Pshat mode of interpretation of the Torah, one needs to take into account that the Pshat 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.

 

Welcome to the World of Remes Exegesis

 

Thirteen rules compiled by Rabbi Ishmael b. Elisha for the elucidation of the Torah and for making halakic deductions from it. They are, strictly speaking, mere amplifications of the seven Rules of Hillel, and are collected in the Baraita of R. Ishmael, forming the introduction to the Sifra and reading as follows:

 

1. Ḳal wa-ḥomer: Identical with the first rule of Hillel.

2. Gezerah shawah: Identical with the second rule of Hillel.

3. Binyan ab: Rules deduced from a single passage of Scripture and rules deduced from two passages. This rule is a combination of the third and fourth rules of Hillel.

4. Kelal u-Peraṭ: The general and the particular.

5. u-Peraṭ u-kelal: The particular and the general.

6. Kelal u-Peraṭ u-kelal: The general, the particular, and the general.

7. The general which requires elucidation by the particular, and the particular which requires elucidation by the general.

8. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it for pedagogic purposes elucidates the general as well as the particular.

9. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of the special regulation which corresponds in concept to the general, is thus isolated to decrease rather than to increase the rigidity of its application.

10. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of some other special regulation which does not correspond in concept to the general, is thus isolated either to decrease or to increase the rigidity of its application.

11. The particular implied in the general and excepted from it on account of a new and reversed decision can be referred to the general only in case the passage under consideration makes an explicit reference to it.

12. Deduction from the context.

13. When two Biblical passages contradict each other the contradiction in question must be solved by reference to a third passage.

 

Rules seven to eleven are formed by a subdivision of the fifth rule of Hillel; rule twelve corresponds to the seventh rule of Hillel, but is amplified in certain particulars; rule thirteen does not occur in Hillel, while, on the other hand, the sixth rule of Hillel is omitted by Ishmael. With regard to the rules and their application in general. These rules are found also on the morning prayers of any Jewish Orthodox Siddur.

 

Blessings Before Torah Study

 

Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our GOD, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us through Your commandments, and commanded us to actively study Torah. Amen!

 

Please Ha-Shem, our GOD, 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 delight. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amen!

 

Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our GOD, 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: Honoring 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!

 

 

Shabbat “V’Ishah Ki Yazuv” – “If a Woman has”

 

 

 

Contents of the Torah Seder

 

·       Impurity of Issues of Women – Leviticus 15:25-30

·       Concluding Admonition – Leviticus 15:31-33

·       The Day of Atonement: Purification in the Sanctuary - Leviticus 16:1-28

·       Instituting the Day of Atonements – Leviticus 16:29-34

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Vayikra (Leviticus) 15:25-16:34

 

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Vayikra (Leviticus) 15:25 – 16:34

 

25 many days Three days. - [Torath Kohanim 15:186]

 

outside of the time of her menstrual separation [I.e., after the seven days of her menstrual uncleanness had passed [not within the period of her menstrual uncleanness]. - [Torath Kohanim 8:187, Niddah 73a]

 

or she has a discharge [of] these three days.

 

after her menstrual separation i.e., separated from [the period of] her menstruation by one day, this is a zavah, whose law is decreed in this passage, unlike the laws of the menstruant, insofar as this one [the zavah gedolah A woman who discharges for three consecutive days,] requires a counting of seven [days] clean [of blood] and a sacrifice [for her purification], whereas the menstruant is not required [by Torah law] to count clean days. Rather, [the menstruant] need only remain in her state of menstrual separation for seven days (verse 19), whether she sees [an issue of blood] or not. And our Rabbis expounded this passage (Torath Kohanim 15:187; Niddah 73) as follows: Between the end of one period of menstruation to the beginning of the next, there is an eleven-day interval, so that if during these eleven days, she sees an issue of blood for three consecutive [days], she becomes a zavah [gedolah].

 

31 And you shall separate Heb. וְהִזַּרְתֶּם. The term נְזִירָה always denotes separation (Torath Kohanim 15:196); similarly, “they drew (נָזרוּ) backwards” (Isa. 1:4); and similarly, “the one separated (נְזִיר) from his brothers” (Gen. 49:26).

 

so that they will not die on account of their uncleanness [The punishment כָּרֵת  the death of the perpetrator and his offspring—is attached to an unclean person who enters the sanctuary, thus defiling it. See Num. 19:13.] We see [from here] that this כָּרֵת incurred by someone [unclean] who defiles the sanctuary is also referred to as מִיתָה [meaning “the death penalty from Heaven,” although in other contexts, מִיתָה refers to the death of the perpetrator but not his offspring.]. - [Sifrei Bamidbar 19:45]

 

32 This is the law for one who has a discharge [I.e.,] a person who sees one discharge. And what is the law governing him? [As the Torah continues:]

 

and one from whom semen issues He is like one who has experienced a seminal emission, that he becomes unclean until evening. - [Torath Kohanim 15:194]

 

33 and for one who has a discharge [This expression refers to] someone who has seen two discharges and someone who has seen three discharges, whose law is specified above [in this whole passage, beginning with verse 3]. - [Torath Kohanim 15:194]

 

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons What does this teach us [when it specifies “after the death of Aaron’s two sons”]? Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah illustrated [the answer] with a parable of a patient, whom a physician came to visit. [The physician] said to him, “Do not eat cold foods, and do not lie down in a cold, damp place.” Then, another [physician] visited him, and advised him, “Do not eat cold foods or lie down in a cold, damp place, so that you will not die the way so-and-so died.” This one warned that patient more effectively than the former. Therefore, Scripture says, “after the death of Aaron’s two sons” [i.e., God effectively said to Aaron, “Do not enter the Holy in a prohibited manner, so that you will not die as your sons died”]— [Torath Kohanim 16:3]

 

2 And the Lord said to Moses: Speak to your brother Aaron, that he should not come [at all times into the Holy] so that he should not die the way his sons died. - [Torath Kohanim 16:3]

 

so that he should not die for if he does enter, he will die.  - [Torath Kohanim 16:3]

 

for I appear...in a cloud -"For I continuously appear there with My pillar of cloud, and therefore, since My Divine Presence is revealed there, he must be careful not to accustom himself to enter." This is its simple meaning. Our Rabbis, however, interpreted [it as follows]: He shall not come except with the cloud of incense on Yom Kippur. - [Yoma 53a]

 

3 with this - בְּזֹאת. Its gematria [numerical value] is 410, an allusion to [the number of years that] the first Temple [would stand when the kohanim were righteous like Aaron, and it was as if Aaron lived all these years and entered the Holy of Holies]. - [Vayikra Rabbah 21:9]

 

With this shall Aaron enter [the Holy] And even [with] this, not at all times, but [only] on Yom Kippur, as is specified at the end of this section (verse 29 below),"in the seventh month, on the tenth of the of the month ...” [i.e.., the tenth of Tishri, namely, Yom Kippur].

 

4 [He shall wear a...] linen shirt... [By enumerating only the four garments of an ordinary kohen, Scripture] informs [us] that [the Kohen Gadol] does not perform the service inside [i.e., in the Holy of Holies] wearing the eight garments with which he performs the service outside [the Holy of Holies (see Exod. Chap. 28)], for those [garments] contain gold, and a prosecutor cannot become a defender. [I. e., since the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur to effect atonement for all Israel, he may not enter wearing gold, reminiscent of the golden calf]. Instead, [he wears] four garments, like an ordinary kohen, all of which are [made] of linen. - [R. H. 26a]

 

He shall wear a holy [linen shirt...] i.e., these garments shall be [purchased] from the Temple treasury. - [Torath Kohanim 16:13] and wear Heb. יִצְנֹף, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders it: יָחֵית בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ, he shall place on his head. This is similar to “So she placed (וַתַּנַּח) his garment” (Gen. 39: 16), [which Onkelos renders:] וְאַחְתְתֵהּ.

 

he shall immerse in water On that day he was required to immerse himself every time he changed [his garments]. And [in total, the Kohen Gadol] changed his garments five times [when transferring] from the service inside [the Holy of Holies] to the service outside, and from outside to inside, changing from golden garments to white garments, and from white garments to golden garments. And at every change [of garments], he was required to immerse in a mikvah [once] and to sanctify his hands and feet twice [by washing his hands in the water] from the washstand [i.e., once when removing the garments he wore and a second time when he donned the next set of garments].-[Yoma 32a]

 

6 his sin-offering bull That is the one mentioned above (verse 3). And [Scripture’s reference to “his”] teaches you here that [this bull] had to be [purchased] from Aaron’s own money, rather than from public funds. - [Torath Kohanim 16:19; Yoma 3b]

 

and initiate atonement...for himself and for his household [i.e., over this bull,] he confesses his own sins and those of his household. - [Torath Kohanim 16:20; Yoma 36b]

 

8 And Aaron shall place lots upon the two he-goats He would place one [he- goat] on his right and one on his left. Then, he would insert both his hands into an urn [which contained two lots, one bearing the inscription “to the Lord” and the other “to Azazel.” These lots were mixed up, and Aaron, with both hands inside the urn] took one lot in his right hand and the other in his left hand, and he would place them upon them [the he-goats]: [The one] upon which [he placed the lot] with the inscription “to the Lord,” would be for God, while the one upon which [he placed the lot] with the inscription “to Azazel,” would be sent off to Azazel.-[Yoma 39a]

 

Azazel This is a strong and hard mountain, [with] a high cliff, as the Scripture says [in describing Azazel] (verse 22 below),"a precipitous land (אֶרֶץ גְּזֵרָה)," meaning a cut-off land [i.e., a sheer drop]. - [Torath Kohanim 16: 28; Yoma 67b]

 

9 and designate it as a sin-offering When he places the lot upon it, he designates it by calling it [a sin-offering], saying, "To the Lord—a sin-offering". - [Yoma 39a]

 

10 while still alive [is to be understood] like יָעֳמַד חַי [i.e., the word יָעֳמַד is in the hof’al conjugation, which is a passive form, meaning that the goat] was “stood up by others.” [Thus,] the Targum translates it as, יִתָּקַם כַּד חַי, “shall be stood up while alive.” And what does the verse teach us when it says “alive?” Since it says: “to send it away to Azazel,” and we do not know whether it was to be sent away to be killed or to remain alive. Therefore, Scripture says, “shall be placed while still alive,” [meaning that] it is to be placed while still alive [and shall remain alive only] until it is sent away. From here, we learn that it was sent away to its death. - [Torath Kohanim 16:26]

 

to [initiate] atonement [lit., “to effect atonement upon it,” here meaning] that he is to confess upon it, as Scripture says, “and confess upon it....” (verse 21 below). - [Torath Kohanim 16:27; Yoma 40b]

 

11 ...and shall [initiate] atonement for himself This is a second confession [i. e., besides that stated in verse 6 above for himself and his household], and is for himself [again] and for his brothers, the kohanim, all of whom are called “his household,” as the verse says, “O house of Aaron, bless the Lord,” (Ps. 135:19). From here, we see that [all] the kohanim receive atonement through this [sin- offering bull of the Kohen Gadol] (Torath Kohanim 16:29; Shev. 13b) And all its atonement is exclusively for defiling the Sanctuary and its holy things, [e.g., if a kohen forgot that he was unclean and entered the Sanctuary or ate sacrifices], as the verse says, “And he shall effect atonement upon the Holy, from the defilements [of the children of Israel]” (verse 16 below). - [Shev. 14a]

 

12 from upon the altar [referring to] the outside altar. - [Yoma 45b]

 

from before the Lord From the side [of the altar] that is before the entrance [to the Holy], namely, the western side [of the altar]. - [Yoma 45b]

 

fine Heb. דַּקָּה. But what does Scripture teach us here, when it says [that the incense had to be] fine? Was not all incense fine, as Scripture says [regarding the spices], “And you shall crush some of it finely” (Exod. 30:36)? Rather, [Scripture is telling us here that this incense] was to be the finest of the fine, for on the eve of Yom Kippur, they would return [already crushed incense] to the mortar [in order to crush it even finer, for use on Yom Kippur]. - [Torath Kohanim 16:34; Keritot 6b]

 

13 [And he shall place the incense] upon the fire that is inside the pan.

 

so that he shall not die Hence, if [the Kohen GAdol] did not make it according to its formula, he would be liable to death. - [Torath Kohanim 16:35; Yoma 53a]

 

and sprinkle [it] with his index finger One sprinkling is meant.

 

and before the [ark] cover, he shall sprinkle seven [times] Thus, once above and seven times below. - [Torath Kohanim 16:41; Yoma 55a]

 

15 the people’s [sin-offering he-goat] For what the bull atones for the kohanim [namely, defilements of the Sanctuary and its holy things], the he-goat atones for the Israelites, and this goat was the one upon which the lot “For the Lord” had fallen. - [Yoma 61a]

 

as he had done with the bull’s blood [namely, sprinkling it] once above and seven times below. - [Torath Kohanim 16:41; Yoma 55a]

 

16 from the defilements of the children of Israel- [i.e., atoning] for those who, while in [a state of] uncleanness, had entered the Sanctuary, and it never became known to them [that they had been unclean], for it says: לְכָל־חַטֹּאתָם,  חַטָּאַתdenotes an unintentional sin.-[Torath Kohanim 16:42; Shev. 17b]

 

and from their rebellions [i.e., atoning] also [for] those who, in a state of uncleanness, willfully entered [the Sanctuary, thereby defiling it]. - [Torath Kohanim 16:42; Shev. 17b]

 

He shall do likewise to the Tent of Meeting i.e., just as he had sprinkled from [the blood of] both [the bull and the he-goat] inside [the Holy of Holies, with] one sprinkling above and seven below, so shall he sprinkle from [the blood of] both [the bull and the he-goat] on the dividing curtain from the outside once above and seven times below. - [Torath Kohanim 16:43; Yoma 56b]

 

which dwells with them, [even] amidst their defilements Although they are unclean, the Divine Presence is among them. - [Torath Kohanim 16:43; Yoma 56b]

 

18 to the altar that is before the Lord This is the golden altar, which is “before the Lord” in the heichal [i.e., in the Temple, it was in the heichal, was the equivalent of the Holy in the Mishkan]. And [since the Kohen Gadol was to remain inside the Holy for the next procedure,] what does Scripture mean when it says, “And he shall then go out?” Since he had just performed the blood sprinklings on the dividing curtain, standing on the inner side of the altar to sprinkle [i.e., between the altar and the dividing curtain], for the applications on the altar, [Scripture] required him to “go out” to the outer side of the altar and to begin with the north-eastern corner. - [Torath Kohanim 16:45; Yoma 58b. See Mizrachi, Gur Aryeh. Also Chavel, who asserts that, according to the Reggio edition of Rashi, the Kohen Gadol did not stand beyond the altar, but alongside it, from where he commenced to apply the blood from the north-eastern corner.]

 

and effect atonement upon it And what is the [procedure that effects the] atonement? [As the verse continues:] “He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the he-goat’s blood,” one mingled with the other. - [Torath Kohanim 16:46; Yoma 57b]

 

19 He shall then sprinkle some of the blood upon it After he has applied the blood with his index finger on its horns, he shall then sprinkle seven sprinklings on its top.

 

and he shall cleanse it from any [defilements] that had occurred in the past,

 

and sanctify it for the future. - [Torath Kohanim 16:48] [According to Mizrachi, this means that now that the altar had been purified from past defilements, care would be taken not to defile this now pure altar. Maskil LeDavid explains that, after the altar was cleansed of its previous defilements, it had to be resanctified for future use. This the Kohen Gadol would effect. Raavad explains that, by cleansing it of its defilements, he would sanctify it for future use.

 

21 with a timely man Heb. אִישׁ עִתִּי, one who had been prepared for this from the day before. - [Torat Kohanim 16:60; Yoma 32a]

 

23 And Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting Our Rabbis stated (Torath Kohanim 16:60; Yoma 32a) that this is not the [correct chronological] place for this verse, and they gave a reason for this in Tractate Yoma (32a). And they said: "This whole passage is in correct chronological order, except for this entry, for this followed the performance of his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering, and the burning of the sacrificial parts of the bull and the he-goat, which were performed outside [the Holy of Holies, with the Kohen Gadol attired] in golden garments. Then he would immerse himself, sanctify [his hands and feet with water from the washstand], remove them [his golden garments], don his white garments"-

 

and...shall come into the Tent of Meeting to take out the spoon and the pan, with which he had caused the incense to go up in smoke in the inner Holy. [Then,]

 

[Aaron shall...] remove the linen garments After he took them [the spoon and the pan] out, and then he would don his golden garments the afternoon תָּמִיד [i.e., the daily burnt offering sacrificed twice every day]. The following, [therefore,] is the order of the services: 1) The morning תָּמִיד in golden garments; 2) the service involving the bull and he-goat whose blood was sprinkled inside [the Holy] and the incense procedure [with the burning coals] in the pan, in white garments. 3) Then, his ram, the people’s ram and some of the additional sacrifices [of the day (see Num. 29:7-11)] in golden garments; 4) then, the removal of the spoon and the pan in white garments; 5) the remainder of the additional sacrifices, the afternoon תָּמִיד, and the incense procedure in the heichal upon the inner altar in golden garments. Hence, the [chronological] sequence of the verses, corresponding to [the chronological order of] the services is as follows: (Verse 22), “and he shall send off the he-goat into the desert”; then (verse 24),"And he shall immerse his flesh...He shall then go out and sacrifice his burnt offering..."; then (verse 25),"the fat of the sin-offering..."; then the remainder of this passage, up till (verse 26),"And after this, he may come into the camp"; only then [comes our verse 23 into the chronological sequence,] “And Aaron shall enter [the Tent of Meeting, and remove the linen garments],”

 

and there, he shall store them away This teaches [us] that they require being stored away [forever], and he shall not use those four garments for any other Yom Kippur. - [Torath Kohanim 16:61; Yoma 12b]

 

24 And he shall immerse his flesh... Above (see Rashi verse 4), we learned from “he shall immerse in water and then don them,” that when he changes from golden garments to white garments, he is required to immerse himself, for with that immersion, he removed the golden garments, with which he had performed the service of the morning תָּמִיד, and subsequently changed into white garments, to perform the service of the day (see verse 4). Here, we learn that when he changes from white garments to golden garments, he [also] is required to immerse [in a mikvah]. - [Torath Kohanim 16:60; Yoma 32a]

 

in a holy place sanctified with the [degree of] holiness of the Courtyard [of the Holy Temple], and it was on the roof of [a chamber in the Holy Temple, called] Beth HaParvah. And so were [all] four immersions which were obligatory for the day, except for the very first immersion, which was performed in an unsanctified [place because this immersion, in preparation to sacrifice the morning תָּמִיד, took place every day and was not, therefore, specific to the Yom Kippur service]. - [Torath Kohanim 16:62; Yoma 30a]

 

and don his garments [meaning “his” regular] eight garments, in which he officiates all the days of the year.

 

He shall then go out of the heichal, to the Courtyard in which the altar for burnt offerings was located.

 

and sacrifice his burnt offering namely, the ram for a burnt offering, stated above (verse 3), [when Scripture says there,] “Aaron shall come with this...,”

 

and the people’s burnt offering namely, “and one ram for a burnt offering,” stated above (verse 5), [when Scripture says,] “And from the community of the children of Israel ...”

 

25 the fat of the sin-offering [This refers to] the sacrificial fats of the bull and the he-goat.

 

And he shall cause [the fat of the sin-offering] to go up in smoke upon the altar On the outer altar, for, concerning the inner altar, it is written: “You shall offer up on it no alien incense, burnt offering, or meal offering” (Exod. 30:9), [and likewise, no sin-offering shall be brought on the internal altar since “burnt offering” includes any sacrifice of which any part is burned].

 

27 whose blood was brought into the heichal and into the very interior.

 

32 And the Kohen [Gadol] who is anointed This atonement on Yom Kippur, is valid only through a Kohen Gadol [since anointment in this context exclusively refers to that of a Kohen Gadol (see Lev. 21:10)]. - [Yoma 32b] Since this entire passage is stated concerning Aaron, Scripture found it necessary to state that the Kohen Gadol who succeeds him is like him. - [Torath Kohanim 16:79]

 

or who is invested [Without this phrase,] we would know only that [the Kohen Gadol] anointed with the anointing oil (see Exod. 30:22-33) may perform the Yom Kippur service]. How would we know that [a Kohen Gadol who was invested only by] wearing the many garments [i.e., eight, as opposed to the four of an ordinary kohen, may also perform Yom Kippur service]? Scripture, therefore, says here, "or who is invested to serve [for their authorized wearing of the eight golden garments of a Kohen Gadol is their very investiture (see Rashi Exod. 29:9)].-[Torath Kohanim 16:79] These [Kohanim Gedolim referred to here,] are all the Kohanim Gedolim who were appointed from the time of Josiah and onwards, for in the days [of Josiah], the jug of anointing oil was hidden away.-[see Yoma 52b]

 

to serve in his father’s stead This teaches us that if his son can take his place [meaning that he is his equal], he takes precedence over everyone else. - [Torat Kohanim 16:80]

 

34 And he did as the Lord had commanded [Moses] [i.e.,] when Yom Kippur arrived, [Aaron] performed [the service] according to this order, and [this verse is written] to tell Aaron’s praise, namely, that he did not don those [special garments of the Kohen Gadol] for his self-aggrandizement, but rather, as one who is fulfilling the King’s decree [thus, “he did as the Lord had commanded”].- [Torath Kohanim 16:85]

 

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 80:8-20

 

Rashi	Targum
1. For the conductor, to the roses, a testimony, of Asaph a song.	1. For praise; concerning those who sit in the Sanhedrin who occupy themselves with the testimony of the Torah; composed by Asaph; a psalm.
2. O Shepherd of Israel, hearken, He Who leads Joseph like flocks, He Who dwells between the cherubim, appear.	2. Caretaker of Israel, hear; you who guide the coffin of Joseph like a flock; You whose presence abides between the cherubim, shine forth.
3. Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh arouse Your might, and it is for You to save us.	3. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your mighty power for us; and it is right for You to redeem us.
4. O God, return us; cause Your countenance to shine and we shall be saved.	4. O God, bring us back from our exile, and shine the splendor of your countenance upon us, and we will be redeemed.
5. O Lord God of Hosts, how long have You been wroth at Your people's prayer?	5. O LORD God Sabaoth, how long have You not accepted the prayer of Your people!
6. You have fed them bread of tears, and You have given them to drink tears in large measure.	6. You fed them bread soaked in tears, and You made them drink the wine of tears in triple measure.
7. You have made us the target of strife to our neighbors, and our enemies mock themselves.	7. You made us a source of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies will jeer at them.
8. O God of Hosts, return us; cause Your countenance to shine and we shall be saved.	8. God Sabaoth, bring us back from our exile, and shine the splendor of your countenance upon us, and we will be redeemed.
9. You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out nations and planted it.	9. The house of Israel, which is likened to a vine, You brought out of Egypt; You chased away the Gentiles from the land of Israel and planted them.
10. You cleared [a place] before it; it took root and filled the land.	10. You cleared out the Canaanites before them, and You uprooted their roots and filled the land.
11. Mountains were covered [by] its shade, and its branches were great cedars.	11. The mountains of Jerusalem cover the shadow of the temple, and the academies, say the scholars, are strong, which are likened to mighty cedars.
12. It sent forth its branches until the sea, and to the river its tender shoots.	12. You made branches grow, you sent out her pupils to the Great Sea, and her children to the river Euphrates.
13. Why have You breached its fences, so that all wayfarers have plucked its fruit?	13. Why have You attacked her walls? And now all those who pass on the way are pruning her.
14. The boar from the forest gnaw at it, and the creeping things of the field graze on it?	14. The boar from the forest will root her up, and the wild cock will be sustained by her.
15. O God of Hosts, return now; look from heaven and see, and be mindful of this vine,	15. God Sabaoth, turn now, look from heaven, and see, and remember this vine in mercy.
16. And of the foundation that Your right hand has planted and over the son You have strengthened for Yourself.	16. And the branch that Your right hand planted, and the King Messiah whom You made mighty for Yourself.
17. Burned with fire [and] cut off; from the rebuke of Your countenance they perish.	17. It is being burned by fire and crushed; they will perish because of the rebuke that comes from Your presence.
18. May Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You strengthened for Yourself.	18. Let Your hand be on the man to whom You have sworn with Your right hand, on the son of man whom You made mighty for Yourself.
19. And let us not withdraw from You; grant us life, and we shall call out in Your name.	19. We will not turn away from the fear of You; You will sustain us and we will call on Your name.
20. O Lord God of Hosts, return us; cause Your countenance to shine, and we shall be saved.	20. O LORD God Sabaoth, bring us back from exile; shine the splendor of Your countenance upon us and we will be redeemed.

 

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Psalms 80:8-20

 

8 return us, etc., and we shall be saved from the Greeks.

 

9 You uprooted a vine from Egypt He went back and alluded to the exile of the Romans. The vine of Israel, which You uprooted from Egypt. You uprooted them from there, as (Job 19:10): “He has uprooted (ויסע) my hope like a tree.” Afterwards, You drove out the seven nations and planted Israel in their land.

 

10 You cleared before it those dwelling there.

 

11 and its branches were great cedars Heb. ארזי אל, like strong cedars, i.e., mighty kings.

 

12 It sent forth its branches Heb. קצירה. It sent forth its branches, as (Job 14: 9): “and it will produce a branch (קציר).”

 

until the sea Its boundary was until the Mediterranean Sea.

 

and to the river its tender shoots The width of Eretz Israel is from the desert to the Euphrates river.

 

13 Why now?

 

have You breached its fences of that vineyard?

 

so that all wayfarers have plucked its fruit וארוה. All who came plucked it, as (Song 5: 1): “I gathered (אריתי) my myrrh with my spices.” Similarly, in the language of the Mishnah (Shevi’ith 1:2): “as much space as is required by a picker (אורה) and his basket.”

 

14 The boar from the forest gnaws at it Heb. יכרסמנה, as (Peah 2:7): “A field that the ants have nibbled (קרסמוה),” an expression of plucking out.

 

from the forest Heb. מיער. The “ayin” is suspended (as though it were written with an “aleph”). If Israel is worthy, the enemies are like the beasts of the river, which have no strength to climb out upon the dry land; but when retribution is decreed upon them, he (sic) grows strong as the beast of the forest, which destroys and kills. The boar of the forest is Esau, as is written (Dan. 7:7): “It devoured and broke in pieces and the rest it trampled with its feet.” And it (the swine) has some signs of purity. Esau, too, has the merit of his fathers.

 

and the creeping things of the field Heb. זיז, all creeping things of the field. The expression זיז means anything that constantly moves from its place.

 

graze upon it Graze upon it and its branches and eat them

 

16 And of the foundation that Your right hand has planted Which is founded and established, which Your right hand has planted, an expression of (Gen. 40: 13): “and restore you to your office (כנך).”

 

and over the son You have strengthened for Yourself And over Esau, who was a beloved son to this father, who would call him, “my son.” You strengthened the vine of Jacob for Yourself, as it is said (Gen. 27:40 “and You will serve your brother.” Now it is...

 

17 Burned with fire [and] cut off Heb. כסוחה, an expression of (Lev. 25: 4): “You shall not prune (תזמר), which Onkelos renders: לא תכסח.

 

they perish constantly; they continually perish from the rebuke of Your face and Your anger.

 

18 May Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand Deliver Your blows upon the man viz. Esau who is destined to receive retribution from Your right hand.

 

upon the son of man whom You strengthened for Yourself that his habitation should be the fat places of the earth.

 

19 And let us not withdraw from You Do not cause us to withdraw from You.

 

grant us life from the exile, and we shall mention Your goodness and Your might, and then we shall call out in Your name.

 

20 O Lord God of Hosts Here are mentioned three holy names, yet in the middle case two names and in the first case one name. All this is according to the intensity of the exile, the trouble, and the redemption (which shall surely come).

 

Meditation from the Psalms

Tehillim (Psalms) ‎‎80:8-20

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

 

 

I am going to repeat my opening remarks from the first part of this chapter of Psalms. This chapter of Psalms ascribes authorship to Assaf, the son of Korach.^[1]

 

Hirsch explains that this psalm is dedicated to the generations of exiled Jews who have called upon HaShem to end the agonies of captivity and exile. Their suffering, he maintains, is described in three degrees of intensity corresponding to the circumstances and significance of three distinct eras of exile.

 

Hirsch’s analysis is structured around three similar verses (verses 4, 8, and 20) all of which are pleas for HaShem to lead us back to the Holy Land. He notes that the three verses are almost identical, except that in each successive verse an additional Divine Name is invoked.

 

 

Hirsch contends that:

verse 4 alludes to the exile of the Ten Tribes of Israel,^[3]

verse 8 refers to the Babylonian exile, and

verse 20 alludes to the present Roman exile.

 

Thus, Hirsch’s interpretation speaks of the three physical exiles from the Land. This should not be confused with the Four Monarchies: Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, which subjugated Israel from the time when the Monarchy of Judah first fell into decline. The exile of the Ten Tribes is not commonly reckoned among the exiles because they are regarded as a rebellious offshoot, rather than as the essential part of the nation. Our psalm, however, clearly alludes to them. Rashi however, sees our psalm as three pleas for salvation as referring to the Babylonian Exile, the Greek subjugation, and the Roman Exile.

 

Hirsch divides the psalm into three sections: Verses 2-4 constitute the pleas which the Ten Tribes direct to HaShem. (When they were dispersed and lost, a major portion of the Jewish people vanished from history. Nevertheless, the Temple still stood.)

 

Verses 5-8 contain the Babylonian exiles’ petition for Divine salvation. The Babylonians destroyed the First Temple and exiled the remaining tribes of Judah and Benjamin, leaving the land a desolate ruin. Nevertheless, the exiles returned after seventy years, and the Temple was rebuilt.

 

Verses 9-20 express the cry of those exiled by the Romans, who destroyed the Second Temple and scattered Israel to the four corners of the earth. This exile has been the longest of all, it continues today and its end is unknown. In each of these tragic eras, Israel beseeches HaShem, ‘Return us, and set Your face aglow that we may be saved!’^[4]

 

Let’s return to our discussion of the various names of HaShem that are found in our chapter of Psalms.

 

Chazal describe seven names which are so holy that, once written, should not be erased: HaShem, El (“God”), Elohim (“Gods”), Eloah (“God”), Elohai or Elohei (“My God”), El Shaddai (“God Almighty”), and Tzevaot or Sabaoth (“Of Hosts”). Other names are considered mere epithets or titles reflecting different aspects of God. This suggests that ‘HaShem Tzevaot’ is a special name that we should examine more closely.

 

When I think of HaShem, I don't think of angelic armies attacking the armies of evil directly. HaShem usually works in far more subtle ways than this, e.g. appearing as a burning bush to motivate Moshe to act, rather than acting himself. Consider the following pesukim as an introduction to ‘tzevaot’. These pesukim show the various ways that indicate that HaShem has an army.

 

Shoftim (Judges) 5:20 From heaven they fought; the stars from their courses fought against Sisera.

 

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 24:21-23 And it shall come to pass on that day, that the Lord shall visit punishment upon the host of heaven on high and upon the kings of the earth on the earth. And they shall be gathered a gathering [as] prisoners into a dungeon, and they shall be shut up in the prison, and [sins] of many days shall be visited [upon them]. And the moon shall be ashamed and the sun shall be abashed, for the Lord of Hosts (Tzevaot) has reigned in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders will be glory.

 

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 31:4-5 For so has the Lord said to me, "As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey, although a band of shepherds gather against him, from their voice he is not dismayed and from their stirring he is not subdued, so shall the Lord of Hosts (Tzevaot) descend to gather an army on Mount Zion and on its hill. Like flying birds, so shall the Lord of Hosts protect Jerusalem, protecting and saving, passing over and rescuing."

 

Daniel 10:13 And the prince of the kingdom of Persia has been standing against me for twenty-one days, and behold Michael, one of the first princes, has come to help, and I remained there beside the kings of Persia.

 

However, in Samuel 17:45 it seems like what is being referred to by "Lord of Hosts" is the armies of Israel, not the armies of Heaven:

 

Shmuel (Samuel) 17:45 And David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with spear and javelin, and I come to you with the Name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel which you have taunted.

 

On Chanukah, we read the famous words of the Prophet Zechariah:

 

Zechariah 4:6 Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, said Adonai Tzevaot.

 

Clearly, we have His Armies in mind because, at that time we were engaged in His fight directly. But there is more to this phrase than meets the eye.

 

What exactly is meant by Hosts (Tzevaot) in the term Lord of Hosts (צְבָאוֹת)? Is it referring the all human armies, Heavenly Armies (as Christians believe in Revelations 12), or both? Do we believe that HaShem actually has armies of angels? To understand an answer to this question, consider the following incident:

 

“Adonai Tzevaot”, Hannah begins her prayer, “Lord of Hosts”, or “Master of Legions”.^[5] It’s a name for HaShem that appears throughout the Hebrew Tanach, an image of HaShem as the commander of myriads of soldiers, perhaps, all of us on earth marching under HaShem’s command. It’s not the most common way of addressing HaShem, but not the most unusual one, either. And so while it’s not particularly surprising that Hannah might address HaShem in this way, what is surprising is how the rabbis of the Talmud respond to her usage. “From the day that the Holy One of Blessing created the universe,” Rabbi Elazar exclaims, “there was not a person who called the Holy One of Blessing by this name: Adonai Tzevaot, Master of Legions, until Hannah arrived and called” HaShem by this name!

 

Why are the Rabbis making this claim? Technically, they are observing that while the term “Adonai Tzevaot, Master of Legions” appears many times in the Tanach, Hannah’s prayer is the first time that phrase is uttered by a Biblical character as part of a prayer, rather than simply as a part of the Biblical narrative. But this technicality seems like a stretch when the term not only appears regularly in the Bible, but has even appeared earlier in the same chapter, at the beginning of the story of Hannah.^[6] Hannah, her husband, and her husband’s other wife, the story tells us “used to go up every year to Shiloh to worship and to offer sacrifice to Adonai Tzevaot, the Lord of Hosts”. Hannah is not inventing this name for HaShem.

 

But Chazal explain themselves in the next line, as they imagine what thoughts Hannah must have had in her head that made her select this name:

 

Berachot 31b Hannah said before the Holy One of Blessing: “Master of the Universe! From all the legions upon legions [of creatures] that You have created in Your universe, is it really so difficult in Your eyes to grant me one son”?

 

I imagine Hannah looking around at all the young men in the world, all the mothers with children, all the animals with their young; and each one of these that she sees feels like a fresh insult, mocking her childlessness. HaShem of all these children, she calls out in her prayer, find a way to give me a child, too. The name Adonai Tzevaot may have existed before Hannah uttered her prayer, but she is the first one to imbue the name with deep, personal meaning.

 

The overall implication is that it does not refer to an "army" in the sense of soldiers who will go and fight actual battles for HaShem, but rather to the vast abundance of creations, be they spiritual^[7] or physical,^[8] at His control. The Midrash add the understanding that tzevaot is used when HaShem battles evil.

 

Midrash Rabbah - Exodus III:6 “Rabbi Aba bar Memel said, ‘God said to Moses, “You want to know my name? I am known according to my deeds. Sometimes I am known as EL SHADDAI, sometimes as TZEVAOT, sometimes as ELOHIM, sometimes as ADONAI. When I judge creation I am called ELOHIM. When I make war against evil I am called TZEVAOT.^[9] And when I forgive the transgression of human beings I am called EL SHADDAI. And when I show compassion on my world I am called ADONAI, for any time I am called ADONAI, you will find the quality of compassion. You see, you can know me and my name according to my deeds.”

 

In addition to this unusual progression of the name of HaShem, our chapter of Psalms also contains a large letter zayin which soferim have calculated to be the middle letter^[10] of the Book of Psalms. The Talmud tell us about several “middles”:^[11]

 

Kiddushin 30a The early [scholars] were called soferim because they used to count all the letters of the Torah. Thus, they said, the waw in gahon^[12] marks half the letters of the Torah; darosh darash,^[13] half the words; we-hithggalah,^[14] half the verses. The boar out of the wood [mi-ya’ar] doth ravage it:^[15] the ‘ayin of ya’ar marks half of the Psalms.^[16] But he, being full of compassion, forgiveth their iniquity,^[17] half of the verses.

 

The ayin (ע) of the word ya’ar, in the verse “The boar of the field ravages it. . .” (80:14), is the middle letter^[18] of Tehillim:

יד  יְכַרְסְמֶנָּה חֲזִיר מִיָּעַר;    וְזִיז שָׂדַי יִרְעֶנָּה.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 80:14 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

 

Traditionally, four letters in the Hebrew Bible are written raised (or "suspended"). The list:

 

נ	Shoftim (Judges) 18:30	בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁה
ע	Tehillim (Psalms) 80:14	מִיָּעַר
ע	Iyov (Job) 38:13	רְשָׁעִים
ע	Iyov (Job) 38:15	מֵרְשָׁעִים

Rashi comments on this special ayin in our psalm:

 

from the forest: Heb. מיער – miyaar (meaning: out of the wood). The “ayin” is suspended (as though it were written with an “aleph”). If Israel is worthy, the enemies are like the beasts of the river, which have no strength to climb out upon the dry land; but when retribution is decreed upon them, he (sic) grows strong as the beast of the forest, which destroys and kills. The boar of the forest is Esau,^[19] as is written (Dan. 7:7): “It devoured and broke in pieces and the rest it trampled with its feet.” And it (the swine) has some signs of purity. Esau, too, has the merit of his fathers.

 

It is written,^[20] "the pig out of the wood ravages it that which moves in the field feeds it”.

 

Genesis Rabbah 65:1 R. Pinchas and R. Hlkiah said in the name of R. Shimon, "Of all the prophets, only two, Mosheh and Asaf, revealed it. Asaf wrote, "The pig in the wood ravages it." While Mosheh said, "And the pig because his hoof is split”.^[21] Why does he compare it [the Roman government] to a pig? For this reason, when the pig is lying down, it puts out its hoofs as if to say "I am clean”: so does this wicked State rob and oppress yet pretend to be executing justice.^[22]

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 26:34 When Esav was 40 years old, he married Yehudit the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemat the daughter of Elon.

 

In Psalms chapter 80, the people of Israel are likened to a vine, and their enemies to a wild boar eating the vine. According to Rabbinic interpretation, the boar represented Rome.

 

The two verses chosen: “... also the swine, for although it has true hoofs ...”^[23] and “... wild boars gnaw at it…”^[24] represent the two sides of the Romans. In the latter verse, there is the wild creature trying to destroy and swallow the vine. In the former, there is the calm, domesticated animal extending its “kosher” (i.e., split) hoofs. The not-so-subtle point of the Midrash is: Don’t believe everything you see. The pig shows off its kosher feet; the Romans pretend that they are a cultured and moral nation. What we don’t see is that the swine does not chew its cud; accordingly, it is not “kosher.” Roman corruption and cruelty give lie to the pretense of justice.

 

In the same way, Esau... Rome’s hypocrisy mirrors Esau’s. According to the Rab­bis, Esau lived a life of debauchery. Yet, for appearance’s sake, he married at the same age as his father Isaac did.^[25] Some people were fooled by his show of piety; those who knew him recognized his true nature. The same was true of Rome. The Jewish people were not fooled by Rome’s pretense at civilized demeanor. The people with the good eye (ayin) are consumed by the people with the evil eye (ayin).

 

The Hebrew letter ayin means eye and correspondingly, the ayin has to do with vision and bringing forth lights that are hidden. Ayin teaches us to see beyond and relates to time. It is the aspect of the visionary, to see not just what is happening in front of us, but to envision beyond that, to know one’s direction 5, 10, 100 years ahead and beyond. The pronunciation of the ayin is also very significant, it is often mispronounced as a silent letter similar to the aleph, however ayin’s correct sound is a guttural throat sound which stimulates the thyroid gland.

 

Ayin is included in a great number of words associated with time (עת – time,   שעה – hours,  עתיד – future,   עבר – past,   רגע – moment, עוד – until, עד – eternity) and vision. The Talmud tells us a story about a very old man, out in the yard of the family house, moving large rocks, clearing the land, creating a garden and planting trees. When a man asked, “Why is the old man planting those trees? He was too old and they would not mature in time to feed him”. It was because he was planting them for the next generation ahead, beyond himself. That is vision. It teaches us to understand the cause and effect in our lives, how past actions lead to future outcomes, and how to think for the future.

 

Ayin implores us to open our eyes, to see beyond the physical. The ayin is meant to take us from dark to light. It urges us to break through the walls of limitations in order to see what is not yet visible to us.

 

Ashlamata: Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 16:9-14 + 59-62

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Ashlamata: Yehezchel (Ezekiel) 16:9-14 + 59-62

 

9 and I anointed you. Heb. וָאֲסֻכֵך, a word expressing anointing. Now the entire episode is only a parable, and Jonathan explained it all, leaving nothing to add to the Targum, and he explained it in this manner:

 

[3] Your dwelling place and your birthplace, etc. Your dwelling place and your birthplace are from the land of the Canaanites; there I revealed Myself to your father Abraham [in the covenant] between the parts, and I let him know that you are going down to Egypt. With an arm raised on high, I redeemed you, and through the merit of your fathers, I drove out the Amorites and destroyed the Hittites.

 

[4] And as for your birth, on the day you were born, etc. And also, when your forefathers went down to Egypt, sojourners in a land that was not theirs, they subjugated them and oppressed them. The assembly of Israel was like a newborn infant abandoned in the open field, whose navel was not cut, and who was not rinsed with water to be cleansed, and not salted with salt or swaddled with swaddling clothes.

 

[5] No eye pitied you, etc. The eye of the wicked Pharaoh did not pity you to do you any favor, to lighten your bondage, [or] to have pity on you, and he decreed upon you a decree of annihilation, to cast your males into the river to destroy you at the time you were in Egypt.

 

[6] And I passed by you, etc. And the remembrance of the covenant of your forefathers came before Me. I revealed Myself to redeem you because it was known to Me that you were being oppressed in your bondage, and I said to you, “With the blood of the circumcision I shall spare you,” and I said, “With the blood of the Passover, I shall redeem you.”

 

[7] Myriads, like the plants of the field I have made you Myriads, as the plants of the field, I have made you, and you have increased and become strong, and you have become families and tribes, and with the good deeds of your forefathers, the time of the redemption of your assembly arrived because you were subjugated and oppressed. Myriads, like the plants of the field I made you as it is said (Exod. 1:7): “And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased.” but you were naked and bare of the commandments.

 

[8] And I passed by you, etc. And I revealed Myself to Moses in the thorn bush because it was revealed to Me that the time of your redemption had arrived. I shielded you with My word, and I removed your sins, and I swore by My word to redeem you as I swore to your forefathers, said the Lord God, that you should be a people serving before Me.

 

and I spread My skirt The skirt of My garment. and I swore to you (Exod. 6:6):

 

and I swore to you. (Exod. 6:6): “Therefore (לָכֵן) , say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord! I shall take you out, etc.” “Therefore” means only an [introduction to an] oath, as it is said (I Sam. 3:14): “therefore, I have sworn to the house of Eli…”

 

and came into a covenant with you (Exod. 24:8): “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you.”

 

[9] and I washed you with water And I redeemed you from the bondage of the Egyptians, and I removed the strength of their lordship from you, and I led you to freedom.

 

10 And I clothed you with embroidered garments “And I clothed you with embroidered garments of the spoils of your enemies.”

 

and I shod you with badger [Jonathan renders:] And I put shoes of glory on your feet.

 

and I girded you. Heb. וָאֶחְבְּשֵּׁךּ. [Jonathan renders:] and I hallowed priests of you to be serving before Me with turbans of fine linen.

 

and I covered you with silk soie in French. And the High Priest with colored raiment, and [according to] Midrash Aggadah (Mid. Song 4:2), these are the seven clouds of glory, as it is written (Exod. 13:22): “He did not move the pillar of cloud by day.”

 

11 And I adorned you with ornaments E pare toy, and I adorned you. [Jonathan renders:] And I adorned you with the adornment of the words of the Torah, written on the two stone tablets.

 

and I put. Heb. וָאֶתְּנָה [lit. and I gave,] through Moses.

 

bracelets. Heb. צְמִידִים [from צמד, to join]. I joined one commandment opposite the other, five opposite five.

 

12 And I put a nose ring on your nose [Jonathan renders:] And I placed the ark of My covenant among you.

 

and earrings on your ears. Heb. וַעֲגִילִים, a word for an earring. [Jonathan interprets:] And the cloud of My glory covering over you. [The clouds of glory are called וַעֲגִילִים] because they surrounded them in a circle (עִגּוּל).

 

and a crown of glory on your head. [Jonathan renders:] And an angel was sent from before Me leading at your head, as it is said (Micah 2:13): “and their king passed before them, and the Lord was at their head.”

 

13 And you adorned yourself with gold and silver [Jonathan renders:] And I placed My Tabernacle among you, adorned with gold, silver, curtains of linen, colored tapestries and embroidery, and manna which was as good as fine flour, honey and oil fed you, and you became exceedingly rich and strong, and you prospered and ruled over all the kingdoms.

 

fine flour, honey, and oil you ate The manna, which would change to any flavor to fine flour, honey, and oil you ate. The Midrash Aggadah (Mid. Song 4:2) [points out that] thirteen items are enumerated here, and corresponding to them, the Holy One, blessed be He, ordered them to bring the thirteen items enumerated in the donation for the Tabernacle (Exod. 25:1-7). Nevertheless, He is destined to repay them in the future with thirteen items (Isa. 4:5f.): “And the Lord shall create over every dwelling of Mount Zion, etc. And a tabernacle shall be for shade by day from the heat, etc., from stream and from rain, etc.”

 

became exceedingly beautiful An expression of beauty.

 

for it is all inclusive. Heb. כָּלִיל, an expression of all- inclusive beauty (23:12). Another explanation: כִּי כָּלִיל הוּא, for it was perfect. Another explanation: כִּי כָּלִיל couronne in French, like (Lev. 21:12): “crown (נֵזֶר),” which is translated כְּלִיל by Targum.

 

 

59 I have done with you, etc. I have done evil to you commensurate to your [ungrateful] repayment [to Me] which you made.

 

that you despised an oath, etc. That one that you accepted upon yourself in Horeb (Deut. 29:11): “That you pass into the covenant of the Lord your God, etc.” But I shall not violate the covenant by not remembering it, because I am not like you.

 

60 But I shall remember My covenant That was with you in the days of your youth.

 

61 And you will remember when I improve you evil ways for you, and you will be humiliated before Me for repaying Me with evil whereas I paid you with good.

 

when you take your sisters When you conquer to inherit the nations that are around you, the small and the great.

 

for daughters. For your suburbs, subordinate to you, like (verse 55): “Sodom and her daughters,” [translated by Jonathan as] וְכָפְרָנָהָא, its suburbs.

 

but not from your covenant. But not because of your observance of the covenant that I made with you, but because of My kindnesses and My mercies, [namely] that I observe My covenant. Midrash Aggadah of Rabbi Tanchuma (Buber, Devarim 3a) states: but not from your covenant (מִבְּרִיתֵ) not from your ‘patromonia’: I did not grant them to Abraham your father [in the covenant] ‘between the segments’ (Gen. 15:1). This term is close to the French, for now, kinship is called patremone, patrimony, and this is what they call anything a person has from the inheritance of his fathers.

 

Commentary on the Ashlamata of (Yechezkel)Ezekiel 16:9-14 + 59-62

By: H.Ex. Adon Shlomoh Ben Abraham

 

Ezekiel was a priest, a prophet and administer during the darkest days of Judah's history, the 70-year period of Babylonian captivity. Eziekiel uses parables and signs and symbols to dramatize God's message to his exiled people. Though the people of Israel may be like dry bones in the desert sun. God will reassemble them and breathe life into that nation once again.  The promise is that one day in the future you shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel’s name means, God strengthens or strengthened by God. Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, was a priest who was called to be a prophet and shows Priestly emphasis in his dealing with the temple, the priesthood, the sacrifices, and the Shekinah, the glory of God.

 

Ezekiel like most of the other prophets, had a twofold theme. Which was a theme of condemnation, judgement and then coming consolation. Although the Prophet spoke of coming judgment. He also assured physical comfort to the people by assuring them of God's promises, God's covenant promise, a future blessing and complete restoration and then you shall seek your places. Ezekiel places the emphasis on the sovereignty of God and the faithfulness of God and he tells the people – you shall wait --- “The goal of this history is the same as the other prophets, which is to fasten attention on the fact that idolatry is the fundamental sin that turns the covenant from a blessing to a document of disaster.^[26]

 

The background of our portion for the gifts listed here are gifts from a groom to his bride. Figuratively they express the beauty and bounty God has given to the Jewish people, Jerusalem under the reign of Solomon.  This entire chapter and we are only looking at a small portion is a parable showing the state of the Jewish nation, it’s birth and calling its prosperity, idolatries, and punishment and eventual return and restoration and reconciliation כָּפַר kāp̱ar (vv. 1–63)

 

Our reading begins just after God makes a covenant, a marriage covenant (Ketubah)^[27], with reference to the covenant made at Sinai.  I spread the corner of my garment covering your nakedness with my garment.16:8 This is a legal and symbolic gesture by the husband stating he intends to provide for the needs of his wife. It is further confirmed by the taking of an oath. An example of the practice is Boaz’s expansive covering of Ruth on the threshing floor when he agrees to serve as her advocate before the village elders (Ruth 3:9).  The background of our parsha begins with describing an orphan that had been cast out, and Hashem passed by and saw this orphan and had mercy and showed grace to it.  The orphan became his wife and queen and later turned from her faithful king to a life of a harlot.  In the last part of the reading, we see where the orphan/wife now steeped in sin, repents and returns home to her husband and is cleansed and restore to her position as queen. The birth of the nation as God’s covenant people is portrayed in parable form and compared to the untimely birth of an unwanted female child (v. 4). God had chosen Israel from among its Canaanite neighbors, principally the Amorites and Hittites, to be specially related to and used by him (v. 3).^[28]  When David captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites, he made it the capital and crown jewel of the Hebrew nation.^[29]

 

The nativity of Israel was traced to Egypt when the Hebrews were delivered and “born” as a nation at Mount Sinai (Exod 19:1–8). Ezekiel described normal birth practices such as rubbing the newborn with salt, water, and oil, then wrapping the baby in cloth strips for seven days and repeating the process for forty days. This was supposed to enhance the child’s character and promote general health and well-being for newborn children.  But Israel’s nativity was deprived of these rites. Instead, Israel was portrayed as a female abandoned at birth with no one to care for or have pity on her helplessness. This practice of exposure of sickly, deformed, and unwanted children was common in the ancient Near East, especially for unwanted female babies.^[30]  When she was unlovely and no one else wanted her (Israel), God had compassion on her as she lay struggling in her own blood, and he rescued her and decreed her life by the word of his power.^[31]    In 16:1–14 God commanded Ezekiel again to confront Jerusalem with its “detestable practices” (v. 2).^[32]  This message was so forceful and explicit that it was excluded from use as a public reading in later synagogue practice. The denunciation of the apostasy of Israel was considered an unhealthy topic for devotional reading in public worship.              

 

Our reading starts in v.9 Then I bathed you with water and washed off the blood from you and anointed you with oil. The readiness for marriage is described physically in16:7-8. The Hebrew word used here for love, dodim, refers specifically to sexual love (see Song 5:1). “I spread out my hem over you” Signifies the intent to marry the woman (compare Ruth 3:9). I swore to you, God is entering into a marriage covenant with her (Israel). It’s interesting to note, we have a symbolic reference to this purification of the Israelites before the revelation of the Torah at Sinai.^[33]

 

V.10 I clothed you with embroidered cloth and with sandals of fine leather; I bound you in fine linen and covered you with rich fabric. The language is figurative, but Jewish traditions and the targum connects this with the costly garments given to the Israelites by the Egyptians at the time of the Exodus. The leather or sealskin,^[34] mentioned here connects this bride with one of the coverings of the Ark or Tabernacle in Exo.25:5 The fine liens or silk gives us a connection to the priestly garments in Exo.39:27per the targum.^[35]

 

V.11 I adorned you with ornaments: I put bracelets on your arms, a chain on your neck, this is the bridal jewelry (cf. Gen. 24:22) which the bridegroom was expected to supply.  V.12 A ring on your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head.   It would have been clipped on to the outer part of the nostril (see also Gen. 24:47; Isa. 3:21; Hos. 2:13) The Rabbis look at this passage homiletically and connect it to the Tabernacle where the Children of Israel was commanded to donate 13 materials for the building of the Sanctuary as enumerated in Exo.25. The Holy One, blessed be, he says. Do not consider these 13 as repayment for the 13 gifts I gave you at the Exodus from Egypt, namely, (1) I clothed you with embroidered garments. (2) I shod you in leather. (3) I girded you with fine linen. (4) I Covered you with silk. (5) I decked you with ornaments. (6) I put bracelets on your hands. (7) Necklaces on your neck. (8) I Place a ring on your nose. (9) earrings on your ears. (10). A Crown of beauty on your head. (11). Fine flour, (12) honey and (13) oil.  God goes on to say that I considered it as if you acted kindly toward me, and I will repay you for those 13 materials in the world to come.^[36]

 

V.13 You were adorned with gold and silver, while your clothing was of fine linen, rich fabric, and embroidered cloth. You had choice flour and honey and oil for food. You grew exceedingly beautiful, fit to be a queen. Kimchi says this here is referring to the Kingdom of David, and It was Israel herself, personified as a woman that had attained royalty.^[37]  V.14 Your fame^[38] spread among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of my splendor that I had bestowed on you, says the Lord God.  Kimchi goes on to say, Israel is to become an independent State among the States and a Queen among Queens. Israel contributed no merit or worthiness of her own: it was all by grace. The same truth is expressed by other writers in Deuteronomy 7:7f.; 9:4f.; 32:10; Jeremiah 2:2f; Hosea 9:10. It is also carried over into Nazarene Codicil thought, as it represents perfectly the love and initiative of God in finding, saving and entering into covenant with people who would otherwise be doomed to die.  This all comes to teach us that it is not a result of our own strength, the marriage covenant is based solely on Hashems steadfast love and faithfulness.

 

               V.59 Thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done (measure for measure), you who have despised (בָּזָה bāzāh): A verb meaning to hold in contempt or to despise. The verb means to hold in disdain, to disrespect) the oath (אָלָה ʾālāh): A feminine noun meaning an oath, a sworn covenant, or a curse. The word signifies an oath to testify truthfully), breaking the covenant.^[39]  Ezekiel 16:53–63 concludes the historical review by looking toward and envisioning the future. As in 6:8–10 and 11:14–21, the remnant becomes the bridge between the day of punishment and the time of renewal.  God will restore the remnant by remembering the covenant and establishing a new/renewed, everlasting covenant (16:60). Then they will know that the Lord is God. ^[40]

 

Ezekiel now presents material that links his message to that of Isaiah and Jeremiah. Isaiah 45:17f; 51:6–8 state that God’s salvation is everlasting, 54:10 speaks of a covenant of peace that cannot be removed and 55:3 proclaims an everlasting covenant mediated through David’s lineage. Jeremiah 31:31–37 and 32:40 proclaims the renewed covenant unbreakable and everlasting. The close linking of the themes between Ezekiel 6:8–10, 11:14–21 and 16:59–63 indicate that they are all based on this ideal of a new/ renewed everlasting covenant. The parallels between Ezekiel 11:19–20 and Jeremiah 31:31–34 indicate that Jeremiah and Ezekiel agree that there will be a new covenant. Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel all believe that God must act directly upon the remnant through a new and everlasting covenant for Israel to be redeemed.^[41] 

 

V.60  I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant.  The covenant was sealed at Sinai, during Israels days of her youth, during the 40 years in the wilderness.^[42]     V.61 Then you will remember your ways, and be ashamed when I take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and give them to you as daughters, but not on account of my covenant with you. Earlier the sisters are discussed as Samaria and Sodom. Now they are not named, but Abarbanel explains that the big sister is indeed Samaria, and the little sister is Sodom. He goes on to say these sister’s plural refer to the environs around the land of Israel. You will be humiliated, although you had taken them as sisters, but in the redemption, they will be as daughters. The rabbis go on to say when the surrounding cities are annexed to you as daughters it will not be as part of the patrimony promised to Abraham in the covenant between the parts but as a special gift.^[43]  

 

An alternative Midrashic explanation is the incorporation of these provinces into Judea was not provided for in the covenant made with Abaham as described in Gen 15:18ff.  Therefore, this new promise is a sign of Judea’s restoration to God’s love.^[44]    V.62 I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord.   Though Israel was actively involved in the immorality and idolatry of the land, the primary emphasis has to do with a spiritual disaffection from the Lord. As the children of Israel despised God’s word and his way and turned from his path, God could do nothing but turn his face from them. As is so graphically pictured in this chapter, Israel looked to fame, riches, worldly nations, the gods of those nations, an etc. to be her strength and satisfaction/salvation, rather than the Hashem her Husband. Israel’s wickedness is seen as greater than her neighbor’s; in fact, at times it was an embarrassment even to them. The holiness and justice of God thus demanded His judgment to curb and purge Israel of these things. 

 

As we look at the current situation in the world, we can see a partial fulfillment of the steadfast love and faithfulness of Hashem. Part of Israel is back in the land, and that number has increased steadily in the last 75 years, currently, census data tells us that there are almost as many Jews in Israel as there are in the rest of the world.^[45]  Hashem’s work is half done.  Our pray is that the work is completed in our day and Hashem establishes the renew covenant, so the whole family can be back home in the land of Israel.

 

Verbal Tallies

By: Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

& HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

 

Vayikra (Leviticus) 15:25 – 16:34

Tehillim (Psalms) 80:8-20

Yehezchel (Ezekiel) 16:9-14 +59-62

1 Pet 3:1-7, Lk 12:2-9, Lk 12:13-21

 

The verbal tallies between the Torah and the Psalm are:

Young / Branch - בן, Strong’s number 01121.

 

The verbal tallies between the Torah and the Ashlamata are:

Blood - דמ, Strong’s number 01818.

Day - יום, Strong’s number 03117.

 

Vayikra (Leviticus) 15:25 And if a woman have an issue of her blood <01818> many days <03117> out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days <03117> of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days <03117> of her separation: she shall be unclean.

26  Every bed whereon she lieth all the days <03117> of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.

29  And on the eighth day <03117> she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young <01121> pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 80:15  And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch <01121> that thou madest strong for thyself.

 

Yehezechel (Ezekiel) 16:9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood <01818> from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

Yehezechel (Ezekiel) 16:60 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days <03117> of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.

 

 

Hebrew:

 

 

Greek:

 

 

 

 

Nazarean Talmud

Sidra of Vayikra (Lev.) 15:25 – 16:34

“V’Ishah Ki Yazuv” “If a woman has”

By: Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham & Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

 

Hakham Shaul’s School of Tosefta Luqas (Lk) 12:2–9; 12:13-21 Mishnah א	Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat 1 Tsefet (1 Pet.) 3:1-7 Mishnah א
¶ But nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, and (nothing is) secret[46] that will not be made known[47]. Therefore, everything that you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the secret chambers will be proclaimed on the roof tops. “And I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who destroy the body, and after this can do nothing. But I will show you whom you should fear: fear the One who has authority, after the killing, to throw you into GeyHinnom! Yes, I tell you, fear this One! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered! Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before people, the Son of Man also will acknowledge him before the messengers of God, but the one who denies me before people will be denied before the messengers of God.   ¶ Now someone from the congregation said to him, “Rabbi (Hakham), tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me!” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Watch out and guard (shomer) yourselves from all greediness, because his life does not consist of his possessions.”   And he gave an analogy to them, saying, “The land of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. And he reasoned to himself, saying, ‘What should I do? For I do not have anywhere I can gather in my crops.’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my granaries and build larger ones, and I will gather in there all my grain and (good) possessions. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good possessions stored up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, celebrate!” “But God said to him, ‘Fool! Tonight, your soul is demanded from you and the things which you have prepared, who will they belong to?’ So is the one who amasses wealth for himself, and who is not rich toward God!”	Similarly[48] women (wives) being subject to their own man (husband), so that the husband, disobedient to the Torah[49] (word) will by the woman’s (wife’s) reverential behavior (faithful obedience – halakhic observance) be turned back (the husband)[50] without direct intervention, halakhic discussion or argument as they (the husbands) observe the purity of your reverential behavior,[51] do not let your beauty be merely extraneous braiding of hair and gold necklaces or adornment of ornamental clothing. But let the soul’s hidden true honorable person (character) which is humble in its steadfast[52] (in peace –Shalom) spirit, which is precious before God. For in this manner righteous/generous women of the past trusted in God adorning themselves, submitting to their own husbands. (adorning themselves in subordination to their husbands) As Sarah obeyed Abraham’s words habitually calling him “my lord:” you become her daughters in appropriate conduct also without fear or intimidation. Likewise, you men (Husbands) living with (them) with knowledge (Da’at) according to the weakness of their vessel,[53] assigning honor to the wife as a fellow heir of a life of chesed (loving-kindness), in order not to be cut off in your prayers (personal convictions).

Commentary to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat

 

The Torah Seder opens with women’s issues. Our Nazarean Codicil opens by addressing women and the spiritual meaning of the husband-wife relationship. This relates to the symbology of the woman's purification after her cycle. Hakham Tsefet's making this connection is amazing. In short, this teaches us that our relationship with G-d follows an order—the Order of how this relationship is seen in the Oral Torah.

 

Psa 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

 

The story of the tragic death of Nadab and Abihu^[54] raises many questions, some already rooted in its ambivalent portrayal in the Bible. The greatness of Sages is evident in their willingness to grapple with the obscure narrative in Leviticus rather than shy away from the abyss that underlies it. Some sages sought to reach the roots of this enigmatic story, so it is no wonder so many midrashim have sprouted up around it.’ The present study will not try to survey all these midrashim; instead, it focuses on those that present the brothers’ acts in a positive or affirming light. A secondary argument will be that Philo’s abundant affection for Nadab and Ahihu is anchored in the thoughts of the Palestinian sages.^[55] Even though Philo is more lavish in his praise, his approach is fundamentally like the interpretive positions of the Sages who viewed the tragic death of Aaron’s sons sympathetically. In Leviticus 10:1-3 we find: “Now Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Ahihu, each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered foreign fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord meant when he said, ‘Through those who are near me I will show myself holy, and before all the people one will be glorified.’ And Aaron was silent.” Following the tragedy, the Sons of Aaron’s uncle “came forward and carried (Nadab and Abihu by their tunics out of the camp” (Lev 10:5). It is not our goal to provide new insights into the meaning of the original biblical text, though Moshe’s words to his brother reflect approval and affection for the dead children. Now, Philo praises Aaron’s two sons and finds nothing wrong with their behaviour. According to Philo, the names Nadab and Abihu allude to their spiritual connection to G-d and their ability to elevate themselves above mortal affairs: Nadab, from the same root as the biblical מתנדב  refers to one who fears G-d willingly and not as matter of compunction, while Abihu means that the Lord is his father — he accepts G-d’s authority as that of a father, not a master (On the Migration of Abraham, 168-169). This interpretation is otherwise unattested based on the Hebrew meaning of the names. However, other readers have similarly focused on the motif of the sons’ willing and enthusiastic acceptance of God.

 

The assertion that Aaron’s cousins approached Nadab and Abihu, who were then “carried by their tunics,” is ambivalent in Hebrew: do the tunics in question belong to Nadal and Abihu or the carriers? The Sifra states: “The verse teaches,^[56] the fire . . . consumed them,’ they hurt not their clothes.”^[57] The same view is attested in Berakhot 4.17, where the verse is explained as follows: “Since one has mercy on the righteous during times of ire, how much the more so during times of mercy.” However, Philo argues that the tunics in question belonged to the carriers, which is the basis of his expansive reading. When Nadab and Abihu drew near to the Lord, they left their mortal life behind them and received eternal life. They stand naked before the vacuous vanities of the world, for those who carried them would not have had to use their tunics had Aaron’s sons not torn from themselves the bonds of passion and physical compulsion (Allegorical Interpretation 2.57-58). It is hard to believe such an interpretation existed in early Rabbinic literature. Nonetheless, the general thrust is not wholly foreign to later Rabbinic interpretations — even today.

 

1.      How can we resolve the connection between the Nazarean Codicil and the Torah Seder?

2.      Explain why the Lord took Nadab and Abihu

 

The “Six Basic Elements of Peshat and Remes Discourse of the Nazarean Codicil” identify their relationship as translated above.

 

1.      Identify the context in which this Mishná was crafted;

2.      Identify the parties or stakeholders of this Mishná debate;

3.      Controversy of a Mitzvah or Mitzvoth in question;

4.      Contestation against the Hillelite interpretation of the mitzvah or mitzvoth in question;

5.      Riposte of the Master or Hakham;

6.      Verdict concluded by the Master or Hakham (Halakha).

 

 

Some Questions to Ponder:

 

1. From all the readings for this week, which particular verse or passage caught your attention and fired your heart and imagination?
2. In your opinion, and taking into consideration all of the above readings for this Sabbath, what is the prophetic message (the idea that encapsulates all the Scripture passages read) for this week

 

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!”

 

 

Next Shabbat: “Asher Yishchat” – “(he) who slaughters”

 

 

Reading Assignment

 

 

  

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

 

 

Edited by HH Paqid Ezra ben Abraham.

A special thank you to HH Giberet Giborah bat Sarah for her diligence in proof-reading every week.