Esnoga Bet Emunah

7104 Inlay St SE, Lacey, WA 98513

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

E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com

 

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

 

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings

Fourth Year of the Reading Cycle

Iyar 12, 5768 – May 16/17, 2008

Seventh Year of the Shmita Cycle

 

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times:

Friday Evening: Omer: 27 – Saturday Evening: Omer: 28

 

Olympia, Washington, U.S.                                                        Brisbane, Australia

Friday May 16, 2008 – Candles at 8:24 PM                                            Friday May 16, 2008 – Candles at 4:49 PM

Saturday May 17, 2008 – Havdalah 9:39 PM                           Saturday May 17, 2008 – Havdalah 5:43 PM

 

San Antonio, Texas, U.S.                                                                           Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Friday May 16, 2008 – Candles at 8:02 PM                                            Friday May 16, 2008 – Candles at 6:59PM

Saturday May 17, 2008 – Havdalah 9:00 PM                           Saturday May 17, 2008 – Havdalah 7:50 PM

              

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.                                                                 Singapore, Singapore

Friday May 16, 2008 – Candles at 8:14 PM                                            Friday May 16, 2008 – Candles at 6:48 PM

Saturday May 17, 2008 – Havdalah 9:15 PM                                          Saturday May 17, 2008 – Havdalah 7:39 PM

 

Cebu, Philippines                                                                         Jakarta, Indonesia

Friday May 16, 2008 – Candles at 5:59 PM                                            Friday May 16, 2008 – Candles at 5:26 PM

Saturday May 17, 2008 – Havdalah 6:51 PM                                          Saturday May 17, 2008 – Havdalah 6:16 PM

 

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

 

Coming Special Days:

 

Pesach Sheni – Iyar 14 – Passover Second Chance – Evening May 18-19 (Omer 29-30)

For further study see: http://www.betemunah.org/sheni.html

 

Lag B’Omer – 33rd Day of the Counting of the Omer – Ascension Day

Iyar 18 – Evening May 22 (Omer 33) – Evening May 23 (Omer 34)

For further study see:

http://www.betemunah.org/omer.html and http://www.betemunah.org/lgbomer.html 

 

 

Shabbat

Torah Reading:

Weekday Torah Reading:

  שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל

 

 

“Sh’ma Yisrael”

Reader 1 – D’barim 6:4-9

Reader 1 – D’barim 7:12-16

“Hear Oh Israel”

Reader 2 – D’barim 6:10-12

Reader 2 – D’barim 7:17-19

“Oye, Israel”

Reader 3 – D’barim 6:13-15

Reader 3 – D’barim 7:20-22

D’barim (Deut.) Deut. 6:4 – 7:11

Reader 4 – D’barim 6:16-19

 

Reader 5 – D’barim 6:20-25

 

Ashlamatah: Zechariah 14:9-11, 16-21

Reader 6 – D’barim 7:1-5

Reader 1 – D’barim 7:12-16

Psalm: 116-117

Reader 7 – D’barim 7:6-11

Reader 2 – D’barim 7:17-19

N.C.: Matityahu 26:31-35

      Maftir – D’barim 7:9-11

Reader 3 – D’barim 7:20-22

Pirke Abot: I:1

                   Zechariah 14:9-11, 16-21

 

 

 

Roll of Honor:

 

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

 

Also a great thank you to all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Seder.

 

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

 

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Deuteronomy 6:4 – 7:11

 

RASHI

TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN

4. ¶ Listen, Yisrael! Adonai is our G-d, Adonai is one.

4. It was, when the time came that our father Jakob should be gathered out of the world, he was anxious lest there might be an idolater among his sons. He called them, and questioned them, Is there such perversity in your hearts? They answered, all of them together, and said to him: HEAR, ISRAEL OUR FATHER: THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD! Jakob made response, and said, Blessed be His Glorious Name forever and ever. [JERUSALEM. When the end had come to our father Jakob, that he should be taken up from the world, he called the twelve tribes, his sons, and gathered them round his couch. Then Jakob our father rose up, and said to them, Do you worship any idol that Terah the father of Abraham worshipped? Do you worship any idol that Laban (the brother of his mother) worshipped? Or worship you the God of Jakob? The twelve tribes answered together, with fullness of heart, and said, Hear now, Israel our father: The Lord our God is one Lord. Jakob responded and said, May His Great Name be blessed forever!]

5. You are to love Adonai, your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your possessions.

5. Mosheh the prophet said to the people of the house of Israel, Follow after the true worship of your fathers, that you may love the Lord your God with each disposition of your hearts, and also that He may accept your souls, and the (dedicated) service of all your wealth;

6. And these words that I command you today shall be upon your heart.

6. And let these words which I command you this day be written upon the tables of your hearts.

7. You are to teach them to your children and you are to discuss them, when you sit at home, and when you journey on the road, and when you go to sleep, and when you rise.

7. And you will unfold them to your children, and meditate upon them when you are sitting in your houses, at the time when you are occupied in secret chambers, or in journeying by the way; at evening when you lie down, and at morn when you arise.

8. You are to tie them as a sign on your arm and they are to be totafot between your eyes.

8. And you will bind them as written signs upon your left hand, and they will be for Tephillin upon your forehead over your eyes.

9. You are to write them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gateposts.

9. And you will write them upon the pillars, and affix them in three places, against the cupboard, upon the posts of your house, and on the right hand of your gate, in your going out.

10. When Adonai your G-d will have brought you to the land that He swore to your forefathers--- to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov--- to give you: great and good cities that you did not build.

10. And when the Lord your God has brought you into the land which he promised to Abraham, Izhak, and Jakob, your fathers, to give you cities great and goodly which you did not toil in building,

11. And houses full of all bounty that you did not fill, and hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive stands that you did not plant; and you will eat and be full.

11. houses also, filled with all good, which you were not occupied in filling, and hewn cisterns in hewing which you did not labour, vineyards and olives with planting which you were not wearied; and when you have eaten. and are satisfied,

12. Look out for yourself, lest you forget Adonai, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

12. beware lest you forget the fear of the Lord your God, who delivered and led you out free from the land of Mizraim, from the house of the affliction of slaves;

13. Fear Adonai, your G-d, and serve Him, and swear by His name.

13. But fear the Lord your God, and worship before Him, and swear by the Name of the Word of the Lord in truth.

14. Do not follow other gods, from the gods of the peoples around you.

14. You will not go after the idols of the Gentiles, the idols of the peoples who are round about you:

15. For a jealous Almighty is Adonai, your G-d, within you; lest there be aroused the anger of Adonai, your G-d, against you and He destroy you from upon the surface of the land.

15. For the Lord our God is a jealous God, and an Avenger, whose Shekinah dwells in the midst of you; lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and He quickly destroy you from the face of the earth.

16. Do not test Adonai, your G-d, as you tested at Massah.

16. Sons of Israel, my people, be warned not to tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in the ten temptations;

17. Carefully guard the commandments of Adonai, your G-d, and His testimonies and His statutes that He commanded you.

17. In keeping keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and His testimonies and statutes which He has commanded you;

18. Perform the upright/generous and the good in Adonai's eyes, in order that you benefit and arrive in, and inherit the good land that Adonai swore to your forefathers.

18. and do what is good and right/generous before the Lord, that it may be well with you, and you may go in, and possess by inheritance the good land which the Lord covenanted to your fathers;

19. To smash all your enemies before you, as Adonai declared.

19. that He may drive out all your enemies before you, as the Lord has said.

20. When your son asks you tomorrow, saying, "What are the testimonies and the statues and the laws that Adonai, our G-d, commanded you?"

20. When your son, in time to come, will ask you, saying, What are the testimonies, statutes, and judgments which the Lord our God has commanded you?

21. You will tell your son, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Adonai took us out of Egypt with a strong hand.

21. Then will you say to your sons, We were servants to Pharoh in Mizraim, and the Word of the Lord brought us out of Mizraim with a mighty hand;

22. And Adonai set signs and wonders [that were] great and harmful, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon his entire household as we watched.

22. and the Word of the Lord wrought signs, great wonders, and sore plagues on Mizraim and on Pharoh and all the men of his house, which our eyes beheld;

23. And us He took out of there, in order to bring us into, and to give us the land He swore to our forefathers.

23. But us He led forth free to bring us in and give us the land which He sware to our fathers.

24. Adonai commanded us to perform all these statutes to [show that we] fear Adonai, our G-d; to benefit us for all time, to keep us alive like this day.

24. And the Lord commanded us to perform all these statutes, that we may fear the Lord our God for good to us in all days, that He may preserve us alive as at the time of this day;

25. And it will be to our credit if we are careful to fulfil this entire mitzvah before Adonai, our G-d, as He commanded us.

25. and (the reward of) righteousness/generosity will be reserved for us in the world to come, if we keep all these commandments to perform them before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.

 

 

1. When Adonai, your G-d, brings you into the land that you are coming there to inherit, He will cast out many nations from before you--- the Chittites, the Girgashites and the Emorites, the Canaanites and the Perizites, the Chivites and the Yevusites--- seven nations more numerous and more powerful than you.

1. When the Lord your God will bring you into the land to which you will come to possess it, and He will make many peoples to go out from before you, the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Kenaanites, Perizites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and strong than you,

2. Adonai, your G-d, will defeat them before you, and you will smite them. You must surely annihilate them. Do not make a treaty with them, and do not favour them.

2. And the Lord your God will deliver them up before you, then will you blot them out and utterly consume them by the curse of the Lord. You will strike no covenant with them, nor have pity upon them.

3. Do not marry them; do not give your daughter to his son, nor take his daughter for your son.

3. You will not intermarry with them; your daughters you will not give to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons; for whosoever marries with them is as if he made marriage with their idols. [JERUSALEM. You will not be commixed with them.]

4. For he will turn your son away from Me and they will serve other gods; and Adonai's anger will be aroused against you and He will destroy you swiftly.

4. For their daughters will lead your sons away from My worship to serve the idols of the Gentiles; so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and He will destroy you suddenly.

5. Rather, thus shall you do to them: raze their altars and smash their monuments, cut down their worship-trees and burn their statues in fire.

5. But this will you do to them: you will destroy their altars, break their statues in pieces, cut down their groves for worship, and burn the images of their idols with fire.

6. For you are a holy people to Adonai, your G-d; Adonai, your G-d, chose you to be for Him a treasured people from all the peoples that are on the face of the earth.

6. For you will be a holy people before the Lord your God, as the Lord your God has taken pleasure in you, that you may be a people more beloved before Him than all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

7. Not because of the multitude your population beyond all peoples did Adonai desire you and choose you; for you are the least of all the peoples.

7. Not because You were more excellent than all other peoples has the Lord had pleasure in you and chosen you, but because you were poor in spirit, and more humble than all the other nations.

8. Rather, out of Adonai's love for you and out of His keeping the oath that He swore to your forefathers did Adonai take you out with a strong hand, and did He redeem you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

8. Therefore, because the Lord had mercy on you, and would keep the covenant He had sworn with your fathers, He led you out free with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of the affliction of slaves, from the hand of Pharoh king of Mizraim.

9. You will know that Adonai, your G-d, is the G-d, the trusted Almighty, who keeps the covenant and the kindliness for those who love Him and for those who keep His commandments, for a thousand generations.

9. Know therefore that the Lord your God is a Judge, strong and faithful, keeping covenant and mercy with them who love Him and keep His commandments unto a thousand generations,

10. And He pays His enemy to his face to destroy him. He does not delay for His enemy--- to his face does He pay him.

10. and who repays to them who hate Him the reward of their good works in this world, to destroy them (for their evil works) in the world to come; neither delays He (to reward) His enemies, but while they are alive in this world He pays them their recompense. [JERUSALEM. And He repays them who hate Him for their little deeds of good which are in their hands in this world, to destroy them in the world to come; nor does He delay to render to them that hate Him the reward of the slight works that are in their hands in this world.]

11. You are to guard the commandments and the statutes and the laws that I am commanding you today, to fulfil.

11. Observe therefore the mandates, the statutes, and judgments which I command you, to perform them.

 

 

 

Midrash Rabba D’barim (Deuteronomy) 6:4 – 7:11

 

31. HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE (VI, 4). Halakha: If a Jew recites the shema and does not enunciate clearly its letters, has he fulfilled his duty? The Sages have learnt thus [cf. M. Ber. II, 3; Ber. 15a]: If one recited [the shema] but did not clearly enunciate [its letters], R. Jose says: He has done his duty; R. Judah says: He has not done his duty. And what constitutes a clear enunciation of the letters? Our Rabbis taught us: [In reciting the words] bekol lebabekhem  (with all your heart, Deut. XI, I3). One should make a clear pause between the one [letter] lamed and the other lamed; in va'abadtem meherah (and you perish quickly, ib. 17), one should make a clear pause between the one mem and the other mem. R. Judah further said in the name of Rab [cf. Ber. 13b]: And if one was reciting the shema whilst walking [he should] stop, in order to accept the Kingdom of Heaven standing. And what part [of the shema] is termed ‘the Kingdom of Heaven’? [The words], The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Whence did Israel merit to recite the shema? R. Phinehas b. Hama said: Israel merited to recite the shema at the Revelation on Sinai. How [is this to be inferred]? You find that it was with this word [shema] that God first began [to speak] at Sinai. He said to them: ‘Hear, O Israel, I am the Lord your God,’ and they all answered and exclaimed: ‘The Lord our God, the Lord is one.’ And Moses said, ‘Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.’ The Rabbis say: God said to Israel: ‘My children, all that I have created I have created in pairs; heaven and earth are a pair; sun and moon are a pair; Adam and Eve are a pair; this world and the world to come are a pair; but My Glory is One and unique in the world.’ Whence this? From what we have read in our context, HEAR. O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.

 

32. Another explanation: HEAR, O ISRAEL. This bears out what Scripture says, Whom have I in heaven but You? And beside You I desire none upon earth (Ps. LXXIII, 25). Rab said: There are two firmaments, the heaven and the heavens of heavens. R. Eleazar said: There are seven firmaments: Heaven (shamayim), the Heavens of Heavens (sheme shamayim), Firmament (raki'ah), Sky (shehakim), Habitation (ma'on), Residence (zebul), Thick Cloud (’arafel); and God opened them all unto Israel in order to show them that there is no God but He. The Assembly of Israel said before God: 'Master of the Universe, whom have I in heaven but Your glory? As in heaven I have none but You, so too upon earth I desire no other; as I have not associated another God with You in heaven, so upon earth, too, I have not associated with You any other God; but daily I enter the synagogues and testify concerning You that there is no other God but You, and I exclaim, HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.’

 

33. Another explanation: HEAR O ISRAEL. This bears out what Scripture says, My son, fear you the Lord and the king, etc. (Prov. XXIV, 21). What is the force of ‘And the king’? Abraham who feared Me did I not proclaim him as king in the world, as it is said, At the vale of Shaveh--the same is the king's vale (Gen. XIV, 17); Joseph who feared Me, of whom it is written, For I fear God (Gen. XLII, 18)--did I not proclaim him as king in the world, as it is written, And Joseph was the governor over the land (ib. 6)?

 

Another interpretation: ‘My son, fear you the Lord and the king,’ and rule over your inclination. Once R. Simeon b. Eleazar came to a city in the South and entering a synagogue he asked the teacher (lit. ‘the scribe’), ‘As you live, is there here any wine for sale?’ The latter replied: ‘Master, this is a city of Samaritans and they do not prepare the wine with [the strict levitical] purity as my fathers were wont to do.’ He [R. Simeon] then said: ‘If you have any wine to spare give it to me and I will buy it from you.’ The teacher replied: ‘If you can master your desires you should not taste of it’; whereupon R. Simeon b. Eleazar exclaimed: ‘As for me, I can master my desires.’  Hence the force of ’and king’, that is to say, Rule over your inclination. Another explanation: ‘My son, fear you the Lord and the king.’ What is the force of, ‘And the king’? [It means], but [fear] not Molech, as [Scripture] in another context says, ‘And you will not give any of your seed to set them apart to Molech’ (Lev. XVIII, 21). Another explanation: What is the force of, ‘And the king’? Make [God] King over you. And meddle not with them that are given to change (Prov. loc. cit.): Do not meddle with those who declare that there is a second god [dualists]. R. Judah b. Simon said: [Scripture says], ‘And it will come to pass, that in all the land, says the Lord, two parts therein will be cut off and die (Zech. XIII, 8); the mouths that declare that there are two Powers will be cut off and die. And who will survive in the future? ‘But the third will be left therein.’ This refers to Israel who are termed ‘thirds’ [or rather ‘threefold’], for they are divided into three groups, Priests, Levites, and Israelites; and are descended from the three Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Another explanation: Because they praise God with the threefold expression of holiness, ‘Holy, holy, holy’ (Isa. VI, 3). R. Aha said: God was angry with Solomon when he uttered the above verse. He said to him: ‘Why do you express a thing that concerns the sanctification of My Name by an obscure allusion’ [in the words] ‘And meddle not with them that are given to change’  (shonim)? Thereupon immediately Solomon expressed it more clearly [in the words], ‘There is one that is alone, and he has not a second; yea, he has neither son nor brother’ (Eccl. IV, 8); ‘He has neither son nor brother,’ but HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD. THE LORD IS ONE.

 

34. R. Isaac opened [his discourse] with the text ‘The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in Him  (Lam. III, 24). R. Isaac said: This may be compared to a king who entered a province with his generals, rulers, and governors. Some of the citizens of the province chose a general as their Patron, others a ruler and others a governor. One of them who was cleverer than the rest said, ‘I will choose the king.’ Why? All others are liable to be changed, but the king is never changed. Likewise, when God came down on Sinai, there also came down with Him many companies of angels, Michael and his company, Gabriel and his company. Some of the nations of the world chose for themselves [as their Patron] Michael, others Gabriel, but Israel chose for themselves God, exclaiming, ‘The Lord is my portion, says my soul;’ this is the force of, HEAR. O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.

 

35. Another explanation: HEAR O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. Whence did Israel merit to recite the shema? When Jacob was about to die he called together all the tribes and he said to them: ‘[I am anxious] lest you bow down to another God after I have departed this world.’ Whence this? For so it is written, ‘Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob’ (Gen. XLIX, 2). What is the force of, ‘And hearken unto Israel your father’ (ib.). Jacob said to them: ‘The God of Israel, He is your Father.’ They replied: HEAR. O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. And he added softly, ‘Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.’ R. Levi said: And what do Israel imply when they now say, [HEAR. O ISRAEL]? HEAR our father ISRAEL (i.e. Jacob), what you have commanded us we still adhere to; THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE

 

36. Another explanation: HEAR O ISRAEL. The Rabbis say: When Moses ascended to heaven he heard the ministering angels saying to God, ‘Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.’ This [declaration] Moses brought down to Israel. And why do not Israel make this declaration publicly [i.e. aloud]? R. Assi replied: This can be compared to a man who stole jewellery from the royal palace which he gave to his wife, telling her, ‘Do not wear these in public, but only in the house.’ But on the Day of Atonement when Israel are as pure as the ministering angels they do recite publicly, ‘Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.’

 

37. AND YOU WILL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL (VI, 5). What is the meaning of, WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL? With every soul (with every ounce of strength) that He has created within you. R. Meir said: For every single breath which a man breathes he should praise his Creator. Whence [can this be inferred]? For it is said, ‘For every breath praise you the Lord’  (Ps. CL, 6). R. Simon said: The soul is called by the following five names: ruah, nefesh, neshamah, hayyah, yehidah. The Rabbis say: Come and see: God fills this world, and the soul fills the body; God bears His world and the soul bears the body; God is One in His world and the soul is one; before God there is no sleep and the soul too does not sleep; God is the Pure One in His world and the soul is the pure one in the body; God is all-seeing but invisible and the soul sees but cannot be seen; let then the soul which can see but is not seen come and praise God who is all-seeing but invisible. Israel said: ‘Master of the Universe, how long will this soul that praises You lie in the dust, [as Scripture says], ‘For our soul is bowed down to the dust’  (Ps. XLIV, 26)?’ God replied to them: ‘By your life, the end comes and your souls will rejoice.’ Therefore Isaiah comforts [Israel] saying, ‘I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will be joyful in God  (Isa. LXI, 10). R. Berekiah said: In the following ten places in Scripture God refers to Israel as a bride: ‘Come with Me from Lebanon, my bride’ (S.S. IV, 8); ‘I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride’ (ib. V, 1); ‘You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride’ (ib. IV, 9); ‘How fair is your love, my sister, my bride’ (ib. 10); ‘Your lips, O my bride, drop honey’ (ib. 11)3; ‘And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride’ (Isa. LXII, 5.); ‘The voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride’ (Jer. VII, 34); ‘You will surely clothe you with them all as with an ornament, and gird yourself with them, like a bride’ (Isa. XLIX, 18); ‘And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels’ (ib. LXI, 10). And corresponding to these ten Israel adorn God with the following ten garments: ‘I put on righteousness/generosity, and it clothed itself with me’ (Job XXIX, 14); this makes two; ‘And He put on righteousness/generosity as a coat of mail’ (Isa. LIX, 17) ‘And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing’ (ib.): this makes five; ‘His raiment was as white snow’ (Dan. VII, 9); ‘Wherefore is your apparel red’ (Isa. LXIII, 2); ‘The Lord reigns; He is clothed in majesty; the Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength’ (Ps. XCIII, 1); ‘You are clothed with glory and majesty  (Ps. CIV, X): this makes ten. Another explanation: ‘I will greatly rejoice in the Lord.’ This can be compared to a woman whose husband, son, and son-in-law went away to a far distant country, etc., as is interpreted in the Pesikta on the section. ‘I will greatly rejoice.’

 

 

Ketubim: Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 116 - 117

 

JPS Translation

TARGUM

1. I love that the LORD should hear my voice and my supplications. 

1. I love, for the Lord will hear my voice, my prayer.

2. Because He has inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him all my days.

2. For He has inclined His ear to me, and I call [to Him] throughout my days.

3. The cords of death compassed me, and the straits of the nether-world got hold upon me; I found trouble and sorrow.

3. The sicknesses of death surrounded me, and the pains of Sheol found me; pain and sorrow I will find.

4. But I called upon the name of the LORD: ‘I beseech You, O LORD, deliver my soul.’

4. And in the name of the Lord I will call out: Please, O Lord, save my soul.

5. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous/generous; yes, our God is compassionate.

5. The Lord is gracious and righteous/generous, and our God is merciful.

6. The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.

6. The Lord observes enticements; I became poor, and it was meet to redeem me.

7. Return, O my soul, unto your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

7. Return, O my soul, to your place of rest, for the Word of the Lord has repaid you with good.

8. For You have delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.

8. For You have delivered my soul from being killed, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.

9. I will walk before the LORD in the lands of the living.

9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

10. I trusted even when I spoke: ‘I am greatly afflicted.’

10. I have believed, therefore I will speak; in the assembly of the righteous/generous I have sung much praise.

11. I said in my haste: ‘All men are liars.’

11. I said when I fled, “All the sons of men are liars.”

12. How can I repay unto the LORD all His bountiful dealings toward me?

12. How will I repay in the presence of the Lord all His kind favours that are shown to me?

13. I will lift up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

13. The cup of redemption I will carry in the age to come, and I will call on the name of the Lord.

14. My vows will I pay unto the LORD, yea, in the presence of all His people.

14. I will repay my vows in the presence of the Lord, I will tell now His miracles to all His people.

15. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.

15. Honourable in the presence of the Lord is the death that is sent to His pious ones.

16. I beseech You, O LORD, for I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid; You have loosed my bands.

16. Please, O Lord; for I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaiden, You have loosened my bonds.

17. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

17. To You I will sacrifice the sacrifice of slaughter, and call out in the name of the Lord.

18. I will pay my vows unto the LORD, yea, in the presence of all His people;

18. I will repay my vows in the presence of the Lord, I will tell now His miracles to all His people.

19. In the courts of the LORD'S house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah.

19. In the courts of the sanctuary of our God, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah!

                    

1. O praise the LORD, all you Gentiles; laud Him, all you peoples. 

1. Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; praise Him, all you nations.  

2. For His mercy is great toward us; and the truth of the LORD endures forever. Hallelujah.

2. For He has increased His goodness towards us [Israel]; and the truth of the Lord [the Torah] is forever. Hallelujah!

 

 

Ketubim: Midrash Tehillim (Psalm) 116 -117

 

I. 1 love the Lord, for He hears my voice and my supplica­tions (Ps. 116:1). Elsewhere, this is what Scripture says: For, O people that dwell in Zion at Jerusalem, you will weep no more; He will surely be gracious unto you at the voice of your cry (Isa. 30:19). No more need be asked of the Holy One, blessed be He, than that He hear the prayers of Israel, for when He hears them, He accedes, as is said O Lord, hear, O Lord, forgive; O Lord attend, and do: You do not defer (Dan. 9:19). The children of Israel love the Holy One, blessed be He, who always hears their prayers. Hence David said: I love the Lord, for He hears my voice and my supplications. The congregation of Israel says: I love You; therefore, hear. Indeed, because of the love that I bear You, I am sick, as is said For I am sick with love (Song 2:5). Yes, I love Him and I love His house, as is said Lord, I love the habitation of Your house (Ps. 26:8). Nο one knows how fierce is my love for my Maker, as it is said Love is strong as death (Song 8:6), and also Many waters cannot quench love (ibid. 8:7). Yet If I regard iniquity/lawlessness in my heart, the Lord will not hear me (Ps. 66:18). The Holy One, blessed be He, replies: You love Me, and I love you, as is said Because the Lord loved you (Dent. 7:8), and He will love you, and bless you, and multiply you (ibid 7:13).

 

For the Lord hears. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: Let me hear your voice (Song 2:14). Why? For sweet is your voice (ibid.).

 

You that dwells in the gardens, the companions hearken for your voice: “Cause Me to hear it” (Song 8:13): Yes, the Holy One, blessed be He, longs to hear the prayers of Israel. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: You long for Me to hear your voice, and I ask you to hearken unto Me, as is said And it will come to pass, if you will hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord your God (Dent. 28:1). That is, if you wilt hearken, you will be heard, as is said Then will you call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say: “Here I am” (Isa. 58:9).

 

My voice and my supplications. Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Even if the whole world should call to You, let it be, and hear our prayer: my voice and my supplications, as it is written. And indeed so has the Holy One, blessed be He, done for me.

 

II. Because He has inclined His ear unto me (Ps. 116:2). The ears of Him on high are open only to me, as is said Ears have You opened for me (Ps. 40:7), and O my God, incline Your ear and hear (Dan. 9:18).

 

And Therefore will I call upon Him all my days (Ps. 116:2) – call upon Him on the holidays which You have given me: on the Sabbath day, on the Day of Atonement, on the Feast of Tabernacles, on the Feast of Passover, on the Feast of Weeks, on New Year's Day. Therefore will 1 call upon Him all my days, as when I read the order of the offerings, and read the ap­propriate Scriptural passages that narrate the wonders You have done for me.

 

III. The cords of death compassed me (Ps. 116:3) : cords of death alludes to men who deserve the death penalty, who are hostages to death.

 

In a different interpretation, these words are read the bands of death, as in the phrase “a band of prophets” (I Sam. 10:10), and “The bands of the nether-world surrounded me” (Ps. 18:6), bands referring to bands of wicked/lawless men.

 

And the straits of the nether-world got hold upon me (Ps. 116:3), straits referring to the kingdoms, as in the verse Will I ransom them [Israel] from the power of the nether-world? (Hos. 13:14).

 

1 found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord (Ps. 116:3b-4a). For at bad tidings, we say the blessing: "Blessed be the true Judge." Indeed, at all times we call upon Your name, as is said Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will make mention of the name of the Lord our God (Ps. 20:8).

 

IV. My vows will 1 pay unto the Lord (Ps. 116:14). R. Judah cited: Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay (Eccles. 5:4). Rather than be one who does either of these, it is better to be one who does not vow at all, as it is said But if you will forbear to vow, it will be no sin in you (Deut. 23:23).

 

R. Meir taught: Better than either one of these is he who vows and pays, as is said Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God (Ps. 76:12).

 

V. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (Ps. 116:15). Ten things are called precious: Torah, as is said Wisdom ... is more precious than rubies (Prov. 3:15); Israel, as it is described in the verse Ephraim a darling son unto Me (Jer. 31:19); riches, as is said The substance of a diligent man is precious (Prov. 12:27); knowledge, as is said The lips of knowledge are a precious jewel (ibid. 20:15); prophecy, as is said And the Word of the Lord was precious in those days (I Sam. 3:1); understanding, as is said That which is precious in the spirit of man is understanding (Prov. 17:27); folly, as is said More precious than wisdom and honor is a little folly (Eccles. 10:1); the righteous/generous, as is said How precious are Your friends unto me, O God (Ps. 139:17) ; loving-kindness, as is said How precious is Your loving-kindness, O God! (Ps. 36:8); and the death of the righteous/generous, as is said Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Some say that man, also, is called precious, for it is said I will make man more precious than fine gold, even man than the pure gold of Ophir (Isa. 13:12).

 

VI. Grievous in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (Ps. 116:15). A parable of a king who sent an officer to collect his revenue. The officer went and lodged for ten days with a householder, and every day the householder voluntarily paid over to him one hundred mina, so that the total came to ten times ten thousand shekels. When the officer was about to collect the revenue the householder owed, he found that all the householder had been assessed was fifty shekels, and so the officer asked: "How can I presume to ask him for them?" Even so the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Grievous is it for Me to say to the righteous/generous that they must die. Grievous was it for Me to say to Abraham that he must die, seeing that he had proclaimed Me the Maker of heaven and earth, that he had gone down into the fiery furnace for My sake, and that he had hallowed My name in My world. Grievous was it for Me to say to Isaac that he must die, seeing that he had surrendered himself to be sacri­ficed, that he had bound himself on the altar, and that he had hallowed My name in the world. Grievous was it for Me to say to Jacob that he must die, seeing that all his life he had labored diligently in the Torah, and that he had hallowed My name in the world. Grievous was it for Me to say to Moses that he must die, seeing that he had taken his life in his hands when he went down to see Pharaoh, and that he had hallowed My name in the world. Grievous was it for Me to say to David that he must die, seeing that he had taken his life in his hands when he went down to Goliath and that he had hallowed My name in the world. Grievous, likewise, to say to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah who had hallowed My name in the world, and had gone down into the fiery furnace. And so, too, to Daniel in the lions' den, who had hallowed My name in the world. And had not the righteous/generous asked with their own mouths for death, they would never have died. In what words did the righteous/generous ask for death? Abraham said: 1 ... am but dust and ashes (Gen. 18:27). Isaac said: Before 1 die (ibid. 27:4). Jacob said: Now let me die (ibid. 46:30). Moses said: 1 must die in this land (Deut. 4:22). David said: Let Your hand, 1 pray to You, be against me (2 Sam. 24:17). And because the righteous/generous asked with their own mouths for death, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let these depart to make way for the others. Had Abraham gone on living, how could Isaac have come into authority? And Jacob? And Moses? And Joshua? And Samuel? And David and Solo­mon? But, in truth, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let these depart to make way for the others.

 

VII. Another interpretation of Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints: A parable is told of a king who sent a prefect to a place which he governed well. When his term ended, the king gave him another place. The place he was leaving praised him because he had governed it well; and the place he was going to praised him because he was going to govern it. Even so the Holy One, blessed be He, sends a righteous/generous man to govern a generation, and he governs it well, so that when he leaves the world mortals grieve for him, because as long as the righteous/generous man was among them, he prevented divine punish­ment from coming upon the world; and for their part, the ministering angels rejoice over him because he is coming to live among them.

 

Indeed, when the righteous/generous man leaves the world, three com­panies of ministering angels come out to meet him. One com­pany says, He will enter into peace (Isa. 57a). Another com­pany says, They will rest in their beds (ibid.). A third company says, Each one will walk in his uprightness/generosity (ibid.). But when the wicked/lawless man leaves the world, three companies of destroying angels come out to meet him. One company says, There is no peace, says the Lord, concerning the wicked/lawless (Isa. 48:22). A second company says, Go down, and be you laid with the un­circumcised (Ezek. 32:19). A third company says, Ye will lie down in sorrow (Isa. 50:11).

 

VIII. As another explanation of Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints, a parable is told of a king who went forth with his soldiers into the wilderness. When all the victuals he had with him were used up, he said: “Oh that someone would give me a white bread!” And a steward came and gave him a white bread. Afterwards the king came to an inhabited country, and he was received with food and drink, so that when he reached his own house, he forgot the steward. Then the steward came and stood still before the king, and the king asked him: “What is your desire?” The steward replied: “I am he who gave you a white bread in the wilderness.” The king said: “Behold, you are made a governor.” The steward asked: “Was it for this that I gave it to you?” The king said: “Behold, you are made an eparch.” Again the steward asked: “Was it for this that I gave it to you?” The king then said: “Behold, you are my equal. Can’t you ask more of me?”

 

Even so did the Holy One, blessed be He, speak to the righteous/generous: “Behold, you are made My equals. Can you ask more of Me?” As it is said Therefore thus says the Lord: If you return, then will I bring you again and you will stand before Me; and if you bring forth the precious out of the vile, you will be as My mouth (Jer. 15:19). Even as I create worlds and resur­rect the dead, so also will you.

 

I beseech You, O Lord, for I am Your servant (Ps. 116:16). This verse proves that wherever he was, David humbled him­self, for of him The king said: "Inquire you whose son the modest one is" (I Sam. 17:56).

 

IX. I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid (Ps. 116:16). David said: "The servant reared in the house is not to be ranked with the servant bought in the market. I am the son of Ruth who said: ‘Spread therefore your skirt over your handmaid’” (Ruth 3:9).

 

You have loosed my bands (Ps. 116:16). David said: “You have loosed the bands that constrict me on account of Tamar, she of whom it is written You will not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law (Lev. 18:15). You have also loosed the bands that constrict me on account of Ruth the Moabitess.”

 

I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving (Ps. 116:17). David said: When a man is obliged to bring a sin-offering, he brings a sin-offering, and when he is obliged to bring a guilt-offering, he brings a guilt-offering, but I bring neither a guilt-offering, nor a sin-offering, but bring You a thank-offering. Hence, in saying And I will call upon the name of the Lord (ibid.), David meant: “Because I am counted among the right­eous/generous, therefore I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving.”

 

==========

 

I. O praise the Lord, all you gentiles; laud Him, all you peoples (Ps. 117:1). Elsewhere, this is what Scripture says: Among the gods there is none like unto You, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto Your works (Ps. 86:8). Why not? Α mortal can figure an image upon a wall, but the image he figures cannot beget another image. Behold, the Holy One, blessed be He— man is His image, as is said And God created man in His own image (Gen. 1:27), and man begets children in his own image, as is said And Adam ... begot ... in his own likeness, after his image (ibid. 5:3). The waters also are the handiwork of the Holy One, blessed be He, and they, too, bring forth, as is said Let the waters bring forth abundantly (ibid. 1:20).

 

When the praises of a mortal king are to be sung, his friends come, but do his enemies? Behold the Holy One, blessed be He —all praise Him, as is said Αll nations whom You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord, and will glorify Your name (Ps. 86:9).

 

A philosopher asked R. Joshua ben Hananiah: “Is there a day when all the world is of one mind and the gentiles worship before the Holy One, blessed be He?” R. Joshua ben Hananiah replied: “There is one such day when all rejoice as one.” “What day is that?” “When the rains have held back and all the world is troubled thereby, comes the day when the rains fall, and then all the world rejoices and glorifies the Holy One, blessed be He, as is said All nations whom You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord, and will glorify Your name." Glorify it when? Whenever You, great as You are, does wondrous things (ibid. 86:10), the rains being the wondrous things, as again in the verse Who does ... marvelous things without number; who gives rain upon the earth (Job 5:9-10). For this, O praise the Lord, all you gentiles.

 

R. Tanhum bar Hiyya taught: The sending of rain is greater than the giving of Torah, for while the giving of Torah was a joy to the children of Israel, the sending of rain gives joy to all the world—to cattle, to beast, and to fowl, as is said You have remembered the earth, watésokékeha (Ps. 65:10). What is the meaning of watésokékeha? "Thou hast satisfied her thirst," or its meaning is "Thou hast given her her desire," as in the verse Thy desire (tésukah) shall be to thy husband (Gen. 3 :ιό)'

 

You crown the year with Your goodness (Ps. 65:12). And what verse follows? Shout unto God, all the earth (Ps. 66:1).

 

II. Another interpretation of O praise the Lord, all you gentiles; laud Him, all you peoples (Ps. 117:1). R. Simeon, the son of our holy Rabbi, asked his father: “What gentiles are meant by all you gentiles, and what peoples by all you peoples?" Rabbi replied: "The gentiles are all those gentiles which oppressed the children of Israel, and the peoples are all the peoples which did not oppress them."

 

All these peoples said: If they who oppressed the children of Israel sing praise to the Holy One, blessed be He, we who did not oppress them should sing all the more. Hence it is said O praise the Lord, all you gentiles; laud Him, all you peoples. The children of Israel also said: Even more should we sing His praise! And then they went on to say For His mercy is great toward us (Ps. 117:2). And the earth said: True is the Lord for ever (ibid.). True to what? True to the covenant made with the fathers, as is said Then will 1 remember My covenant with Jacob (Lev. 26:42).

 

Another interpretation of True is the Lord for ever: When the Holy One, blessed be He, was urging Elijah to go and show himself to Ahab, as is said "Go, show yourself unto Ahab" (I Kings 18:1), Elijah replied: “How can I go, seeing that up to this moment Ahab has not repented?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Elijah: When I first watered My world, did there even exist a human being for whose sake I should water My world? And yet, it is said There went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground (Gen. 2:6). And so now Go, show yourself unto Ahab, and 1 will send rain upon the land (I Kings 18:1).

 

III. Another comment on O praise the Lord, all you gentiles: When Abraham was cast into the fiery furnace, Gabriel came and wanted to save him. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I am one in My world, and Abraham is one in his world, as is said Abraham was one, and he inherited the land (Ezek. 33:24). It is fitting that the One save the one, as is said 1 am the Lord that brought you out of Ur [fire] of the Chaldees (Gen. 15:7). Nevertheless, I will not withhold your reward: There will come a time when three righteous men will go down into a fiery fur­nace to hallow My name. Then you will go down, and you will save them.

 

When Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were cast into the fiery furnace, Yurkami, the Prince of Hail, appeared before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said: “Master of the universe, I am the Prince of Hail. Let me go down and I will quench the fire of the furnace.” But Gabriel said: “I am the Prince of Fire. Let me go down, and I will burn up those who are outside the fur­nace and keep cool those who are inside it, and thus perform a miracle within a miracle.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Go down," and Gabriel went down and saved them.

 

Hananiah said: O praise the Lord, all you gentiles. Mishael said: Laud Him, all you peoples. Azariah said: For His mercy is great toward us. Gabriel said: “True is the Lord for ever. What You did promise me in the days of Abraham, You have done and fulfilled.” Hence True is the Lord forever.

 

 

 

Ashlamatah: Zechariah 14:9-11, 16-21

 

1. Behold, a day of the LORD comes, when your spoil will be divided in the midst of you.

2. For I will gather all the gentiles against Jerusalem to battle; and the city will be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city will go forth into captivity, but the residue of the people will not be cut off from the city.

3. Then will the LORD go forth, and fight against those gentiles, as when He fights in the day of battle.

4. And His feet will stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives will cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, so that there will be a very great valley; and half of the mountain will remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

5. And you will flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains will reach unto Azel; yes, you will flee, like as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with You.

6. And it will come to pass in that day, that there will not be light, but heavy clouds and thick;

7. And there will be one day which will be known as the LORD'S, not day, and not night; but it will come to pass, that at evening time there will be light.

8. And it will come to pass in that day, that living waters will go out from Jerusalem: half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea; in summer and in winter will it be.

9. And the LORD will be King over all the earth; in that day will the LORD be One, and His name one.

10. All the land will be turned as the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she will be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel unto the king's winepresses.

11. And men will dwell therein, and there shall be no more extermination; but Jerusalem will dwell safely. {S}

 

12. And this will be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the peoples that have made war against Jerusalem: their flesh will consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes will consume away in their sockets, and their tongue will consume away in their mouth.

13. And it will come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD will be among them; and they will lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand will rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

14. And Judah also will fight against Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations round about will be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.

15. And so will be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that will be in those camps, as this plague.

16. And it will come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

17. And it will be, that whosoever of the families of the earth goes not up unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, upon them there will be no rain.

18. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, they will have no overflow; there will be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the gentiles that go not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

19. This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that go not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

20. In that day will there be upon the bells of the horses: HOLY UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD'S house will be like the basins before the altar.

21. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy unto the LORD of hosts; and all they that sacrifice will come and take of them, and seethe therein; and in that day there will be no more a trafficker in the house of the LORD of hosts. {P}

 

 

 

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 26:31-35

 

31.   Then Yeshuah said to them, “In me you will all be ensnared tonight. For it has been written [Zechariah 13:7], ‘Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’”

32.   After my being raised, I will go ahead of you to the Galil.

33.   Replying, Tsefet said to him, “Even if all [of the rest of them] be ensnared in you I will never be ensnared.”

34.   Yeshuah replied to him, “Amen, I tell you, that during this night, before the rooster lifts its voice, you will utterly deny me three times.”

35.   Tsefet said to him, “Even if it were needful for me to die with you, in no case will I deny or disown you!” And all of the Talmidim (Rabbinic disciples) said the same thing.

 

 

 

Pirke Abot: I:1

 

“Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and gospelled it down to Yehoshua, and Yehoshua gospelled it down to the Judges, and the Judges gospelled it down to the Prophets, and the Prophets gospelled it down to the Men of the Great Assembly (Sanhedrin). They (the Men of the Great Assembly) emphasized three things: Be cautious in judgment, make stand many disciples, and make a face around the Torah.”

 

Abarbanel on Pirke Abot

By: Abraham Chill

Sepher Hermon Press, Inc. 1991

ISBN 0-87203-135-7

(pp. 15-18)

 

On this first Mishnah of Pirke Abot, Abarbanel raises six questions:

 

1.      When the míshnah proclaims that Moshe received the Torah from Sinai, it is not clear what the words, “from Sinai,” mean. To take it literally that he received the Torah from the mountain is untenable, because it was G-d who revealed the Torah and not Mt. Sinai. If so, why did the author of the Míshnah not specify that Moshe received the Torah from G-d? On the other hand, if, “from Sinai” means “at Sinai” or “on Sinai,” the Míshnah should have used the Hebrew word: “Be-Sinaí,” – on, or at, Mt. Sinai, and not “Mi-Sinai.” Furthermore, Abarbanel refuses to accept the interpretation that “from Sinai” means, “from the time of Sinai” because it is taught that the Children of Israel received certain mitzvoth (commandments) – such as the laws of Shabbat – even before Sinai.

 

2.      Among the logical candidates for the leadership of the people after the demise of Moshe was a saintly man and a bold heroic personality, Elazar, the high priest to whom even Joshua was to be subordinate, as it is written, “And he [Joshua] will stand before Elazar the priest, who will ask counsel for him ... before the Lord. At his word will they go out, and at his word they will come in, even all the congregation” (Numbers 27:21). This high priest was to guide the daily lives of the entire people. Surely High Priest Elazar should have been given preference over Joshua.

 

3.      Abarbanel then questions the accuracy of the sequence of generations as listed in this Míshnah. How can the Míshnah say that the Judges that followed Joshua relayed the Torah to the Prophets? The Judges of Joshua’s times never reached the era of the Prophets.

 

4.      Continuing the attack, Abarbanel cannot understand why the Judges transmitted the Torah to the Prophets. Moshe obviously wanted the leaders of the people to be given the Torah. That is why he gave it to Joshua and for the same reason Joshua gave it to the Judges. Following this policy, the Judges should have given the Torah to the kings who fulfilled the function of the Judges.

 

5.      Furthermore, by what right did the Judges pass on the Torah to the Prophets? Moshe, following G-d's instructions, handed on the Torah to sages, not prophets, and indeed, in one dispute in the Talmud, Rabbi Eliezer proves his point by invoking miraculous portents, but Rabbi Yehoshua rejected them, saying, “The Torah is not in Heaven.” Rabbi Yirmiyah explained this as meaning that once the Torah was given at Sinai, decisions are to be reached by normative rules and not by prophecy. If so, where did the Judges get the authority to hand the Torah over to the Prophets?

 

6.      Abarbanel questions the three dicta that are proffered: “Be deliberate in judgment, make stand many disciples and make a fence around the Torah.” Why are these values more important than the host of values that Judaism teaches? Furthermore, the Mishnah uses the term, “They said.” Who are “they” – the Judges, the Prophets or the men of the Great Assembly?

 

Abarbanel begins his interpretation of the Mishnah with a comparison between the physical genealogy of Adam and the spirituality of Moshe. It is a truism that one generation of a species begets the next generation through the natural process of conception and birth. Adam, the first human, however, was not born; he was created by G-d from the dust, without biological parents. He was a unique phenomenon in the genetics of mankind. So it was with Moshe from a spiritual perspective. Here, too, it is a human characteristic that one person learns from another and relays that knowledge to a successor, each one either approving, disapproving or improving on the previous teacher. Not so with Moshe. G-d Himself infused into Moshe the knowledge and wisdom of the Torah and it was from Moshe that all succeeding generations learned.

 

Why did Moshe merit this singular experience? What brought about this remarkable honour for Moshe? Abarbanel is quick and forthright in his reply: Sinai! It was the intensive, soul searching solitude on Mt. Sinai, divested of all human needs and desires, and an overpowering sensitivity to divine inspiration that made Moshe worthy of receiving the Torah. These were the ingredients that went into a super saintly lifestyle that approached Godliness.

 

To augment this line of thinking, Abarbanel cites the dispute between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehudah (Song of Songs Rabbah 2:4) on the verse, “He brought me to the house of wine and his flag was over me with love.” Rabbi Meir interprets this as follows: The Congregation of Israel complained, “G-d overpowered me with the evil inclination, until we proclaimed the Golden Calf as god,” just as wine confuses the mind. Rabbi Yehudah castigates Rabbi Meir and states that Song of Songs was meant to elevate and edify the Jewish people, not to denigrate and deprecate them. According to Rabbi Yehudah the verse is to be interpreted as follows: The Congregation of Israel praised G-d because He had brought them into a huge wine cellar (i.e., Mt. Sinai) and given them the flag of Torah and mitzvoth (commandments) which they accepted with love. In the light of this Midrash, says Abarbanel, we can understand the Biblical verse (Exodus 24:12), “Come up to Me into the mount, and be there; and I will give you the tablets of stone and the law and commandments which I have written, so you may teach them.” G-d wanted Moshe to ascend the sacred mountain – the vast reservoir of Torah and Godly wisdom – and remain there not as a simple, normal human being, but rather as one who has transcended every vestige of corporal being. Only in that manner could Moshe have received the Word of G-d.

 

Briefly and succinctly put, the phrase “from Sinai,” is to be understood as “because of the experience on Mt. Sinai.” Abarbanel gives an example of the Hebrew prefix “Mi” being used in this sense. The Torah which Moshe handed on to Joshua was the Oral Law, the interpretations he had received from G-d on Sinai when he was in that exalted state. It cannot refer to the Written Torah because once Moshe committed it to writing, it was available to all. Thus Abarbanel's first question is answered.

 

Moshe displayed every characteristic of leadership. It was he who urged the Children of Israel to stand firm and infused in them a sense of trust in G-d; it was he who led them out of Egypt and guided them for 40 years in the wilderness; and it was he who ascended Sinai and through self-denial and herculean determination brought the Torah down to the people. Nothing was handed to him on a platter; he had to work, strive end battle for every achievement.

 

When the unavoidable time came for him to pass on, it is noteworthy that although he may have had a perfect right to do so, he did not ask G-d to permit one of his own sons to succeed him. Nepotism had no place in Moshe's scheme of succession. He realized that none of his children nor any other member of his immediate family had the necessary leadership qualities, and so he passed on the perfection which he had acquired at Sinai to Joshua, who did. However, you may object, Moshe had no choice in the matter, since G-d Himself tοld him to appoint Joshua as his successor! Not so, says Abarbanel. He bolsters this thought by alerting us to the Biblical account of the succession (Numbers 27:16-23). Moshe did not ask G-d, as he could have done, to appoint one of his sons as his successor, but begged G-d, “Let the L-RD, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh set a man over the congregation .., that they be not as sheep which have no shepherd.” G-d replied, “Take Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is spirit and lay your hand upon him ... and he will stand before Elazar, the priest, who will inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the L-RD ...” What all this means is: Moshe informed G-d that he would have been more than honoured to have someone of his family succeed him, particularly after all the toil he put into acquiring the leadership. However, You, O L-RD, are the G-d of all spirits and You know that none of my family is suitable. You do the choosing and I will abide by Your decision. Therefore G-d chose Joshua because his life simulated that of Moshe. Moshe isolated himself on Mt. Sinai to be taught the Torah; Joshua isolated himself within the immediate vicinity of Moshe and was taught the Torah by him. This is in accordance with the Talmudic dictum (Berakhot 7b): “Ministering (i.e. Serving) to a Torah scholar is preferable to studying Torah from him.”

 

Even Elazar, the high priest, who was certainly a scholar and saint, could not succeed to the leadership because he was never totally encapsulated in the aura and personality of Moshe. This clarifies Abarbanel's second dilemma.

 

Concerning the authenticity of the historical sequence that evolves in our Mishnah, Abarbanel followed the path of least resistance and contends that the author had no intentions of giving us a resume of ancient history. His main purpose was to inform us that during the entire period between Joshua and the kings – the period of the Judges – the following procedure of selecting a leader was practiced: Beginning with Joshua every generation had a “Bet-Din” (Torah Court of Justice) and it was the members of the “Bet-Din” who selected the leader. This continued until the period of the Prophets.

 

What was of more serious concern to Abarbanel was the question why eventually the Torah tradition was transferred to the Prophets and not to the kings.

 

To answer this Abarbanel refreshes our recollection and reminds us that the kings of the Kingdom of Israel were all, without exception, men who became idolaters. Even in the Kingdom of Judah, most of those who reigned were in the same category. Under these circumstances, the Judges were opposed to transferring the Torah tradition into the hands of the kings. This solves the third and the fourth problems.

 

What is the function of a prophet? One might think that since there is communication between G-d and the prophet, the latter is a man of superior knowledge and wisdom. Hence, when the era of Prophets arrived on the stage of Jewish history it would logically follow that the Judges would transmit their tradition to them. This is not true. According to Abarbanel, the Prophets received the tradition from the preceding generation only because they were great scholars and not just because they were endowed with the gift of prophecy! In fact, it is stated in the Jerusalem Talmud (Yebamot 12:1) that in the ceremony of halitzah, the ritual of releasing a childless woman from being bound to marry her dead husband's brother, the rabbis interpreted the verses to mean that a shoe must be used, and even if Elijah, the great prophet, were to pronounce a sandal to be equally acceptable he must be ignored. The power of prophecy alone does not endow its holder with the right to be a decisor of Jewish law! Abarbanel, however, agrees that, all things being equal, a learned prophet will understand Torah better than a learned non-prophet. This resolves the fifth dilemma.

 

In the view of Abarbanel there are three ways in which a person can acquire Torah wisdom. The first is concentration on study. This is what the sages of the Talmud meant when they said, "Let no one say, ‘I toiled but did not find’.” (Megillah 6b). If one will only put a great deal of effort into his studies he will emerge a scholar. According to Abarbanel, this is the thrust of “Be deliberate in judgment.”

 

Secondly, to become erudite in Torah one must be prepared to accept the variegated approach of the subject matter and study together with other scholars. Profound knowledge is complex; acute wisdom is intricate. Nothing may be casually ignored; no opinion may be underrated. When a person studies Torah alone, he will find difficulties which he is unable to answer, whereas in group study, he will find help.

 

There is a fascinating dispute in the midrash (Kohelet Rabbah 7:49) which touches on this theme. The School of Shammai held that an academy of Torah should not accept students who are not Torah- oriented, talented and God-fearing. In the absence of these qualifications, it is a waste of time and effort to teach these inferior students. The School of Hillel, however, were more lenient and urged the academies to accept all students because if one hundred begin the study of Chuash (the Pentateuch), ten may emerge qualified to study Mishnah. Out of these ten there are good chances that one may emerge who will be qualified to study Talmud. In fact, it once happened that before he began his lecture Hillel asked whether all the students were present. The reply was that all were present and accounted for with the exception of one who was the most insignificant of them all the one who was later to become the great Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai who saved Judaism after the destruction of the Temple. By citing this source, Abarbanel was intimating that no one can tell in advance who will eventually turn out to be a master and teacher in Israel. It is in that light, that the author of the Mishnah urged us to make stand many disciples.

 

The third way to acquire perfect Torah wisdom is to eschew the easiest and most comfortable way of resolving difficult problems. If one is in doubt, he should follow the more stringent path, because in that he is taking no risk of transgressing. In rabbinic terms this is referred to as “making a fence for the law.”

 

According to Abarbanel, the ones who propounded these three ways of ensuring Torah knowledge enumerated in the Mishnah were the Prophets. By their prophetic ability, they foresaw a retreat and diminution in religious commitment in the lives of the masses and were convinced that when the last prophets, such as Zachariah and Malachi, died, all prophecy would end. At that time, the continuity of the Oral Law would depend on the non-prophetic sages, beginning with the men of the Great Assembly and so they counselled them that the state of their Torah knowledge would depend on these three courses of action. This answers Abarbanel's sixth question.

 

Abarbanel concludes his interpretation of the first Mishnah with an interesting insight, until we reach the men of the Great Assembly, the chain of tradition is described according to the transmitter – Moshe to Joshua, Joshua to the Elders, etc. From here on, however, the chain will be listed according to the receivers – Antigonus ... received the tradition from Shimon ha-Zaddik (mishnah 3), Yosi ben Yoezer ... received it from them ... (mishnah 4), etc. We are not told, for example, that Shimon ha-Zaddik passed it on to Antigonus. This is because our Mishnah ends with the advice to make stand many disciples and the men of the Great Assembly followed that advice; from now on the stress is, therefore, on the disciples who receive, rather than on the teachers who transmit.

 

 

Miscellaneous Interpretations

 

Be deliberate in judgment

 

Rabbenu Yonah inquires why the Mishnah requires caution in judgment and does not advise caution in any other facet of life. He replies that every other facet of life would be meaningless were it not for the strength of the Law. What would all the morals and values taught by the Torah be if they would not have the backing and support of a legal system to ensure their credibility? To embellish his line of thinking, he cites a midrash (Exodus Rabbah 30:3) which  equates the Torah with the royal matron who is in the habit of having equestrians ride before and after her carriage to protect her and so demonstrate her regal position. So it is with the Torah: The laws that were given to the Children of Israel prior to Mt. Sinai and those that followed Mt. Sinai were meant to shield the essence of the Torah. Thus, the exhortation, “Be cautious in the administration of the Law.”

 

Midrash Shemuel addresses himself to the same question Rabbenu Yonah raised, and muses that when a court is about to come to a decision it should be cautious in its deliberations because it can be reversed by an appellate court. This, of course, would lend no honour or dignity to the court that comes to a decision hastily.

 

He also cites an authority who argues that “be cautious” applies not to the judges, but to the litigants. That is to say, persons who have a dispute are urged not to hasten into litigation but rather to seek a compromise. When litigants are anxious for a judicial decision they are already enemies; in a compromise they can retain their friendship.

 

Ritva offers two interpretations of this Mishnah:

1.      The term Metunim (Be cautious) is closely associated with the word Matenah (a gift). The inference is that if a judge wishes to avoid the temptation of bribery, let him think in terms of granting his decision as a gift to the litigants.

2.      M’tunim is also phonetically close to Netunim (to be placed). Here the inference is that the judges are required to be deliberate because it is very possible they will find themselves placed in a position where instead of judging others they, themselves, will be judged. Every jurist knows that he would like to be judged with exactitude and patience.

 

 

Make stand many disciples

 

Midrash Shemuel is confident that when a master rears a generation of disciples, even if they are not on the same scholastic level as he is, the consequences can only be favourable, in that he can always learn something of value from them. The master himself has not reached the apex of wisdom and even a subordinate can come up with valuable ideas. Furthermore, the authentic mark of a Jew is his familiarity with Torah learning. By making stand more and more disciples, the master indelibly marks the true character of a Jew on an increasing number of individuals.

 

 

Make a fence' around the Torah

 

Midrash Shemuel: It is the nature of man to seek out those things that are forbidden to him because in most instances they are more pleasurable. It is much easier to steal than to work hard and toil to make a living and thus avoid stealing. The commandments of the Torah are comprised of a host of negative injunctions, but man has a strong urge to disobey them. Therefore, the Torah may be compared to a castle surrounded by a moat. First, the invading enemy must cross the moat before he can enter the stronghold. This moat is the decrees of the rabbis who strengthened the position of the laws of the Torah.

 

Rabbenu Yonah opines that if we are to say that the rulings of the rabbis serve as a fence around the Torah, it then follows that when a man meticulously follows the teachings of the rabbis which are more stringent, he demonstrates his profound love of, and attachment to, the commandments of the Torah.

 

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Other Comments To Pirke Abot I:1

 

“Moshe received the Torah from Sinai”

 

This opening statement teaches us that every word cited in this tractate (as indeed the entire Oral Law) can be traced back to Moshe and, in turn, to G-d Himself. (Kehati).

 

The other tractates deal with ritual obligations, which are obviously Divine in origin. Pirke Abot, on the other hand, deals with ethics. It is extremely important to emphasize that the source of these teachings is also Divine Revelation, and not mere human wisdom. (The Lubavitcher Rebbe, z’tl)

 

In many areas (e.g., the Holiday of Shabuot - Pentecost), emphasis is placed on the “giving” of the Torah. In regard to ethics, it is the “receiving” of the Torah -- how the Torah is internalized in one’s being -- which is highlighted. For in this realm it is not abstract knowledge which is important, but rather how the Torah is applied in life. (The Lubavitcher Rebbe, z’tl)

 

The Talmud teaches that Moshe’s vast well of knowledge did not remain intact. “The face of Moshe was like the sun, while the face of Joshua like the moon.” (Baba Batra 75a). This conveys that a measure of Divine knowledge was somehow lost in the transfer from Moshe to Joshua. Nevertheless, Mesorah (the transmission of knowledge) did take place. And although it is undeniably true that the knowledge of Moshe originally imparted to Joshua became more and more diluted with each passing generation, vast amounts of wisdom were still being transmitted from teacher to student, and we are all the beneficiaries of these teachings. (Sforno)

 

The Greatness of Moshe. Rabbi David Moshe of Tchortkov said with tears in his eyes: it is written that Moshe was meek above all men. How are we to interpret this? He with whom G-d spoke and whose work was so mighty -- how could he think himself less than others? The reason is this: in those 40 days which Moshe spent on Mt. Sinai, his body became pure like that of the angels. After that time he said to himself, “of what importance is it, if I, whose body is purified, give service to G-d? But if a Jew who is stuck in his turbid flesh serves G-d -- how much greater is he?!

 

"The Torah". R’ Yonah stresses that Torah includes the Written Law (i.e., 5 Books of Moshe) and accompanying Oral Law, the interpretation of the Text. R’ Aharon Kotler likened the relationship of the two to the difference between a world map and street map. On a huge map, New York City appears as a small black dot. Using only that map, one could never find a particular location within the city. Only with a detailed map can one locate his/her destination. Similarly, the basic map -- the Written Law -- needs the Oral Law to fill out its details.

 

"From Sinai". Why does it say "from Sinai," rather than "from G-d"? Sinai underscores two important character traits. On the one hand, Sinai is a mountain, reminding us to stand tall in the face of any and all challenges. Nevertheless, Mt. Sinai is “lower than all the mountains,” emphasizing that this pride must be tempered with humility. (The Lubavitcher Rebbe, z’tl).

 

"Sinai" refers not only to the location, but to the historical event that took place there (i.e., the giving of the Torah in the sight and hearing of the entire Jewish people). It is the directness of this Divine Revelation that the term "Sinai" brings to mind. (Rabbi S.R. Hirsch)

 

 

“They said three things”

 

The maxims cited enhance and strengthen the three most important foundations in the life of the Jewish people: justice, education and Torah (the observance of mitzvoth - commandments). (Kehati)

 

The retention of Torah and wisdom can only be achieved by one who fears sin and acts ethically. It was this exalted state that enabled Moshe, Joshua and the Elders to receive and transmit the Torah. (Midrash Shmuel)

 

 

“Be deliberate in judgment”

 

This was a lesson for judges and Rabbis -- do not rush to render a decision. Study the case well, so that you will not render a wrong verdict. (However, when the case is clear-cut and requires little analysis, it is correct and proper to render a decision quickly.) (Me’Am Lo’ez)

 

 

“Make stand many disciples”

 

Be not like the School of Shammai who taught “teach only him who is wise, humble and of good stock.” Rather, heed the words of the School of Hillel and “teach every man, for many sinners of Israel were drawn to Torah, and righteous/generous, pious and worthy men emerged from among them.” (Kehati)

 

The words “make stand” is calling upon us to support Torah scholars. (Midrash Shmuel)

 

 

“A Fence For the Torah”

 

One must create preventive safeguards against potential violations of the Torah. This concept is familiar in many areas. For example, the government will enact a margin of safety in the dosage of potentially harmful drugs, weight limits on airplanes, etc. (Artscroll Pirke Avot Treasury)

 

 

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What say the Nazarean Hakhamim?

 

Mar 1:1 The chief part of the Mesorah (Oral Torah) [is] Yeshuah the Messiah, the Son of G-d (the King/Judge of Israel);

Mar 1:2 As it is written in the prophet:

Mal 3:1 Behold, I send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in, behold, he comes, says the LORD of hosts.

Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap;

Mal 3:3 And he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver; and there will be they that will offer unto the LORD offerings in righteousness/generosity.

Mal 3:4 Then will the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.

Mal 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers; and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not Me, says the LORD of hosts.

Mal 3:6 For I the LORD change not; and you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

Mal 3:7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from Mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say: ‘Wherein will we return?’

Mal 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you say: ‘Wherein have we robbed You?' In tithes and heave-offerings!

 

Heb 4:1 Therefore, since a promise has been left [fig., remains] to enter into His (G-d’s) rest (i.e. Sabbath), let us fear lest anyone of you seems to have come short.

Heb 4:2 For we also have had the Mesorah (Oral Law) proclaimed [to us], even as they (i.e. the Israelites at Sinai); but the Word [which they] heard was of no use to them, it not having been mixed with faithful obedience by the ones having heard.

Heb 4:3  For we, the ones having faithfully obeyed, enter into that rest (i.e. Shabbat), just as He has said, “So in My anger I took an oath: ‘They will not enter into My rest’” - His works were done from [the] laying of the foundation of [the] world [or, from [the] beginning of the creation of [the] universe]. [Psalm 95:11]

 

 

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Some Questions to Ponder:

 

1.      According to Pirke Abot (Mishnah I:1) as well as according to the Nazarean Codicil (Hebrews 4:2), when was the “gospel” (Mesorah – Oral Law) proclaimed on this earth? And why do Christian priests and pastors teach otherwise?

 

2.      What does it exactly entail “to gospel down” the Torah? Enumerate the steps and try to find scriptural support for each step.

 

3.      Why does the Mishnah specifically says “make stand many disciples” and not “raise up many disciples”? What does the Nazarean Codicil has to say about this subject?

 

4.      Where in the Scriptures (Old Testament) did Mark got this idea that the Messiah is the chief part (the beginning) of the Mesorah (Oral Torah)? And what is the relationship that Mark draws between Mark 1:1 and Genesis 1:1?

 

5.      According to Malachi 3:1 the principal role of a messenger of G-d is “to clear the way before G-d.” According to the subsequent verses in Malachi Chapter 3:1-8, what does this “clearing the way” (Hebrew: וּפִנָּה-דֶרֶךְ לְפָנָי (UFinah Derekh L’Fanai) exactly entail? Enumerate please exactly all the steps.

 

6.      Mark 1:1 says that “The chief part of the Mesorah (Oral Torah) [is] Yeshuah the Messiah.” What does the Nazarean Codicil say about where Yeshuah the Messiah was at Mt. Sinai?

 

7.      Why was it necessary for Yeshuah the Messiah to “gospel down” the Oral Torah to Mosheh and then “receive it” from “the men of the Great Assembly,” and then again “re-gospel it down” to his [Rabbinic] Disciples?

 

8.      What do we learn from Pirke Abot I:1 about what the genuine “gospel” is, and what happens when a human being “receives” the “gospel”?     

 

 

 

The Hakham Recommends A Good Book For Your Personal Library:

 

Meet the Rabbis: Rabbinic Thought and the Teachings of JesusMeet the Rabbis: Rabbinic Thought and the Teachings of Jesus 

Author: Brad H. Young

Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers (June 30, 2007)

Paperback: 270 pages

ISBN-10: 1565634055

 

Meet the Rabbis explains to the reader how rabbinic thought is relevant to Jesus and the New Testament world, and hence should be relevant to those people today who read the New Testament. In this sense, Rabbinic thought is relevant to every aspect of modern life. Rabbinic literature explores the meaning of living life to its fullest, in right relationship with God and humanity. Brad Young seeks to introduce the reader to the world of Torah learning. It is within this world that the authentic cultural background of Jesus' teachings in ancient Judaism is revealed. Young uses parts of the New Testament, especially the Sermon on the Mount, as a springboard for probing rabbinic method. The book is an introduction to rabbinic thought and literature and has three main sections in its layout: Introduction to Rabbinic Thought, Introduction to Rabbinic Literature, and Meet the Rabbis, a biographical description of influential Rabbis from Talmudic sources.


 

 

Shalom Shabbat!

 

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai