Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for:
Sh’mot (Exodus) 11:1 –
12:28
XI. And the Lord spoke unto Mosheh, Yet one stroke will I bring
upon Pharaoh and upon the Mizraee, which shall be greater than all, and
afterward will he send you hence: when he releases, there shall be to himself
an end: driving, he will Chase you forth from hence. Speak now in the hearing
of the people, That every man shall demand from his Mizraite friend, and every
woman of her Mizraite friend, vessels of silver and vessels of gold. And the
Lord gave the people favor before the Mizraee; also the man Mosheh was very
great in the land
of Mizraim before the
servants of Pharoh and before his people.
And Mosheh spoke (or, had spoken)
to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, At this hour of the following night will I be
revealed in the midst of the Mizraee, and every firstborn in the land of
Mizraim shall die: from the firstborn of Pharaoh who should sit upon the throne
of his kingdom, unto the firstborn son of the humblest mother in Mizraim who
grinds behind the mills, and all the firstborn of cattle. And there will be a great cry in all
the land of Mizraim, because like the plague of this
night there has not been, and like the plague of this night there never will be
one. But any of the children of Israel
a dog shall not harm by lifting up his tongue against either man or beast ;
that they may know that the Lord makes distinction between the Mizraites and
the sons of Israel.
And you shall send down all your servants to me, coming and beseeching me,
saying, Go forth, you and all the people who are with you; and afterwards I
will go. And he went out from Pharaoh in great anger. But the Lord said to
Mosheh, Pharaoh will not hearken to you; that I may multiply My wonders in the land of Mizraim. And Mosheh and Aharon did all
these wonders before Pharaoh; and the Lord strengthened the design of Pharaoh's
heart, and he would not release the sons of Israel from his land.
XII. And the Lord spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon in the land of
Mizraim, saying, This month is ordained to be to you the beginning of the
months; and from it you shall begin to number for festivals, and times, and
cycles; it shall be to you the first of the number of the months of the year.
Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, In the tenth
of this month, whose time is appointed for this time (occasion), and not for
(coming) generations, they shall take to them a lamb for the house of a family,
and, if many in number, they shall take a lamb for a house: but if the men of
the house are fewer than ten in number, in proportion to a sufficient number to
eat the lamb, he and his neighbor who is nearest to his house shall take
according to the number of souls: each man according to the sufficiency of his
eating shall be counted for the lamb. The lamb shall be perfect, a male, the
son of a year he shall be to you; from the sheep or from the young goats you
may take. And it shall be bound and reserved for you until the fourteenth day
of this month, that you may not know the fear of the Mizraee when they see it;
and you shall kill him according to the rite of all to congregation of the
assembly of Israel,
between the suns. And you shall take of the blood and set it upon the two posts
and upon the upper board outside of the houses in which you eat and sleep. And
you shall eat the flesh on that night, the fifteenth of Nisan, until the
dividing of the night roasted with fire, [JERUSALEM.
Roasted,] without leaven, with horehound and lettuce shall you eat it. Eat not
of it while living, neither boiled in wine, or oil, or other fluids, neither
boiled in water, but roasted with fire, with its head, and its feet, and its
inwards. Nor shall any be left of it till the morning; but what may remain of
it in the morning you shall cover over, and in the daylight of the sixteenth
day burn with fire; for you may not burn the residue of a holy oblation on the
feast day. And according to this manner you shall eat it, this time, but not in
(other) generations: your loins shall be girded, [JERUSALEM. Bound by the precepts of the law,]
your shoes on your feet, and your staves in your hands; and you shall eat in
the fear of the majesty of the Lord of the world; because mercy has been shown
to you from before the Lord. And I will be revealed in the land of Mizraim in
the majesty of My glory this night, and with Me ninety thousand myriads of
destroying angels; and I will slay all the firstborn in the land of Mizraim, of
man and of beast, and against all the idols of the Mizraee I will execute four
judgments: the molten idols shall be melted, the idols of stone be broken, the
idols of clay shall he shattered, and the idols of wood be made dust, that the
Mizraee may know that I am the Lord. And the blood of the paschal oblation,
(like) the matter of circumcision, shall be a bail for you, to become a sign upon
the houses where you dwell; and I will look upon the worth of the blood, and
will spare you; and the angel of death, to whom is given the power to destroy,
shall have no dominion over you in the slaughter of the Mizraee. And this day
shall be to you for a memorial, and you shall celebrate it a festival before
the Lord in your generations; by a perpetual statute shall you solemnize it.
Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread: in the dividing of the day which
precedes the feast you shall put away leaven from your houses; for whosoever
eats what is leavened, from the first day of the feast until the seventh day,
that man shall be destroyed from Israel. And on the first day there
shall be a holy congregation, and on the seventh day there shall be to you a
holy congregation. No work shall be done among you, only that which must be
done for every one's eating may be done by you. And you shall observe the feast
of the unleavened bread, because in this same day the Lord will bring out your
hosts free from the land
of Mizraim; and you shall
observe this day in your generations, a statute for ever. In Nisan, on the
fourteenth day of the month, you shall kill the passover, and at evening on the
fifteenth you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first of the month.
On the evening of the twenty-second you may eat leavened bread. For seven days
leaven shall not be found in your houses; for whosoever eats of leaven, that
man shall perish from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger or
home-bred in the land. Any mixture of leaven you shall not eat; in every place
of your habitation you shall eat unleavened bread.
And Mosheh called all the elders
of Israel,
and said to them, Withdraw your hands from the idols of the Mizraee, and take
to you from the offspring of the flock, according to your houses, and kill the
paschal lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood
that is in the earthen vessel, and upon the upper bar without and upon the two
posts you shall sprinkle of the blood which is in the earthen vessel, and not a
man of you must come forth from the door of his hour till the morning. For the
Glory of the Lord will be manifested in striking the Mizraee, and He will see
the blood upon the lintel and upon the too posts, and the Word of the Lord will
spread His protection over the door, and the destroying angel will not be
permitted to enter your houses to smite.
And you shall observe this thing
for a statute to you and to your sons for a memorial for ever. And it shall be
when you are come into the land that the Lord will give to you, as He has
spoken, that from the time of your coming you shall observe this service. And
it shall be that when at that time your children shall say to you, What is this
your service? You shall say, It is the sacrifice of mercy before the Lord, who
had mercy in His Word upon the houses of the sons of Israel in Mizraim, when He
destroyed the Mizraee, and spared our houses. And when the house of Israel heard
this word from the mouth of Mosheh, they bowed and worshipped. And the sons of Israel went and
did as the Lord commanded Mosheh and Aharon, so did they hasten and do.
Midrash Tanhuma Yelammedenu
Sh’mot (Exodus): 11:1 – 12:28
5. And the Lord spoke unto
Moses and Aaron in the land o? Egypt,
saying (Exod. 12:1). Is it
not a fact that He spoke only to Moses? Why, then, does the Scripture say unto
Moses and Aaron? To indicate that just as Moses was included in the
revelation, so too was Aaron. Where do we learn that He did not speak to Aaron?
From the verse And it came to pass on the day that the Lord spoke unto Moses
in the land of Egypt (Exod. 6:28), that is, to Moses and not to Aaron.
Similarly in the above verse He spoke to Moses but not to Aaron. Why did He not
speak to Aaron? In order (to enhance) Moses’ honor. However, if that were so,
would not Aaron’s honor be diminished? No. For they were equals. You find that
whenever two things are mentioned together they are of equal importance. On
that day the heaven and the earth were finished (Gen. 2:1), and they are
equal. Honor thy father and mother (Exod. 20:12), and they are equal. Joshua the son of Nun and
Caleb the son of Jephunneh (Num. 14:38),
and they were equals. Similarly, Moses and Aaron were equals.
In
the land of Egypt refers to the territory outside of the capital of Egypt. You find
that the Shekhinah does not appear in the capital city of Egypt, for it
is stated: And Moses said unto him: ‘As soon as I am out of the city, I will
spread forth my hand’ (Exod. 9:29).
Why was it necessary to specify all the land of Egypt?
Because all of Egypt
was filled with idols. Hence it is written in the land of Egypt
and not simply “in Egypt.”
Why did
the Shekhinah appear in the land
of Egypt? To teach us
that prior to the selection of the land
of Israel, all lands
merited the revelation of the Holy One, blessed be He, but that after the land of Israel was selected, all other lands
were disqualified. Similarly, before Jerusalem
was chosen, the entire territory
of Israel merited the
revelation of the Divine Word, but after Jerusalem
was selected, the Divine Word forsook the remainder of the land. Likewise,
before the Temple was designated, the city of Jerusalem was considered
suitable for the words of the Shekhinah, but after the establishment of the
Temple, it removed itself from the rest of Jerusalem, as it is written: For
the Lord has chosen Zion, He has desired it for His habitation (Ps.
132:13). And it says also: That is My resting place forever; here will I
dwell; for I have desired it (ibid., v. 14). Prior to the selection of
Aaron, every Israelite merited priesthood, as it is said: It is an
everlasting covenant of salt (Num. 18:19),
but after he was selected the other Israelites were deemed unfit for
priesthood, as it is said: And it shall be unto him, and to his seed after
him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood (ibid. 25:13). Before David
was chosen, all Israelites were eligible for kingship, but after the selection
of David, all Israelites lost the right of kingship, as it is said: You have
nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God; but we ourselves together
will build unto the Lord, the God of Israel (Ezra4:3).
Why did He speak to the
prophets outside the land
of Israel? Because of the
merit of the patriarchs, as it is stated: A voice is heard in Ramah (Jer.
31:15). And after that it is written: Thus says the Lord: “Refrain your
voice from weeping” (ibid., v. 16). Even outside the land (however), He
spoke to the prophets only in places that were ritually clean, as in the case
of Daniel: As I was by the side of the great river which is Tigris (Dan.
10:4), and also: And I was by the stream Ulai (ibid. 8:3).6 Ezekiel said
to Him: As I was among the captives by the river Chebar (Ezek. 1:1).
This was the Tigris. When did He speak to him?
Outside the land only after he had previously spoken to him in the land, as it
is said: Rise, go forth into the plain, and I will there speak with you (ibid.
3:22).
6. This
month shall be unto you (Exod. 12:1). R. Ishmael said: He showed him the moon during night and
said: Like this shall you examine the new moon; this shall be the law for
future generations. Teach them the time of the new moon. He said to them: Until
now I intercalated the year (adding an additional month in leap years), but now
I turn this responsibility over to you. From now on you shall count (the days
and designate the time) for the appearance of the new moon. This month. This
is Nisan, and there is no other (i.e., no intercalated second Nisan to serve as
the first month). With regard to Tishri it is written: And the feast of
ingathering (Sukkot) at the turn of the year (the autumnal equinox)
(Exod. 34:22). This teaches us that the month in which the festival called the
feast of the ingathering at the turn of the year occurs is the month in
which the year actually changes. However, Tishri is called the seventh month
only because it comes seven months after Nisan. This month refers to
Nisan. A hint of this (is the fact that it is the only month that is spoken of as the first month), as Scripture
states: In the first month, which is the month of Nisan (Est. 3:17), first for months, and first
for festivals, since (Passover) is written first: The festival of Passover
the festival of Shavuot, the festival of Sukkot.
Ashlamatah: Micah 7:15-20 + Nahum
1:1-3,7
14 Tend Your people with Your
staff, the flock of Your heritage, that dwell solitarily, as a forest in the
midst of the fruitful field; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days
of old.
15 'As in the days of your coming
forth out of the land
of Egypt will I show unto
him marvelous things.'
16 The nations shall see and be
put to shame for all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth,
their ears shall be deaf.
17 They shall lick the dust like
a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of
their close places; they shall come with fear unto the LORD our God, and shall
be afraid because of You.
18 Who is a God like unto You,
that pardons the iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of
His heritage? He retains not His anger for ever, because He delights in mercy.
19 He will again have compassion
upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and You wilt cast all their sins into
the depths of the sea.
20 You will show faithfulness to
Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as You have sworn unto our fathers from the days of
old. {P}
1 The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the
Elkoshite.
2 The LORD is a jealous and
avenging God, the LORD avenges and is full of wrath; the LORD takes vengeance
on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies.
3 The LORD is long-suffering, and
great in power, and will by no means clear the guilty; the LORD, in the
whirlwind and in the storm is His way, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.
4 He rebukes the sea, and makes
it dry, and dries up all the rivers; Bashan
languishes, and Carmel,
and the flower of Lebanon
languishes.
5 The mountains quake at Him, and
the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at His presence, yea, the world, and
all that dwell therein.
6 Who can stand before His
indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is
poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder before Him.
7 The LORD is good, a stronghold
in the day of trouble; and He knows them that take refuge in Him.
Ketubim Targum Psalm 49
1. For praise; by the sons of
Korah; a hymn.
2. Hear this declaration, all
peoples; give ear, all dwellers on earth.
3. Even the sons of the first
Adam, even the sons of Jacob together, righteous and sinner.
4. My mouth will speak wisdom,
and the murmur of my heart is understanding.
5. I will incline my ear to a
parable, I will begin to open my riddle with the lyre.
6. Why should I fear on the day
of the visitation of evil, except that the guilt of my sin at my end will
encompass me?
7. Woe to the sinners, who trust
in their possessions, and who boast in the size of their riches.
8. A man will by no means redeem
his brother, who was taken captive, by his riches; and he will not give to God
his price of redemption.
9. And he gives his glorious
redemption, and his evil will cease, and vengeance forever.
10. And he will live again for
eternal life; he will not see the judgment of Gehenna.
11. For the wise will see the
wicked, in Gehenna they will be judged; together fools and the stupid will
perish, and they will leave their money to the righteous.
12. In their tomb they will abide
forever, and they will not rise from their tents for all generations, because
they have exalted themselves; and they have acquired an evil name upon the
earth.
13. And a wicked man will not
lodge in glory with the righteous; he is likened to a beast, he is worth
nothing.
14. This their way has caused
folly for them; and in their end with their mouth they will recount their
offenses in the world to come.
15. Like sheep, they have
assigned the righteous to death, and killed them; they have destroyed the
righteous and those who serve the Torah, and the upright they have punished;
because of this, their bodies will decay in Gehenna, because they extended
their hand and wrecked the dwelling place of his Presence.
16. David said in the spirit of
prophecy, “Truly God will redeem my soul from the judgment of Gehenna, for He
will teach me His Torah forever.”
17. About Korah and his party he
prophesied and said, “Do not fear, Moses, because Korah, the man of dispute,
has become rich, because the glory of his house will increase.”
18. For in his death he will keep
nothing, his glory will not descend after him.
19. For the soul of Moses during
his life will bless You; and the righteous will thank You, for You are good to
those who worship in Your presence.
20. The memory of the righteous
will come to the generation of their fathers; but the wicked will not see light
forever and ever.
21. The sinful man, when he is in
honor, will have no insight; and when his honor is taken from him, he becomes
like a beast and worth nothing.
Ketubim Midrash Psalm 49
I. For the leader; a Psalm
of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples (Ps. 49:1). These words are to
be considered in the light of what Scripture says elsewhere: Truly the light is
sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun (Eccles.
11:7). R. Isaac and R. Abba bar Kahana differed in their comments on this verse.
R. Isaac said: "How sweet is the light of the world-to-come. Blessed is
the man of good deeds, for he will see that light, as it is said: They that
love Him are as the sun when he goes forth in his might" (Judg. 5:31). But R. Abba bar Kahana said:
"How sweet are the words of Torah which is like light, as it is said: The
commandment is a lamp, and the law is light" (Prov. 6:23). Blessed is the man who sees the Halakah
glistening like snow. And why blessed? Because there is no end of reward for
the study of Torah. Again and again the Holy One, blessed be He, returns to
reward the children of Israel
because they labored diligently at Torah, giving them for their labor abundance
in the world-to-come. In that time Israel will say to the nations of
the earth: We merit this reward because we were diligent in the study of Torah.
What did you use to say to us? "You labor in vain!" But now see how
great is the reward given for study of Torah. See how many good things are done
for us on its account, for in “Hear this, all you peoples,” the word “this”
clearly refers to Torah as in the verse: “This is the Torah” (Dent. 4:44).
Give ear, all ye inhabitants of
heled (Ps. 49:2): “heled” means "the world." And why is the world
called heled? Because in the time-to-come the corrosion (haludah) of the wicked
will show on their faces.
II. Both the sons of [a great] man, and the sons of [a righteous]
man (Ps. 49:3). Who are meant by the sons of [a great] man? The sons of
Abraham, of whom it is written "the great man among the Anakim"
(Josh. 14:15). The word
“both” is meant to include the sons of Ishmael and the sons of Keturah. The
sons of [a righteous] man are the sons of Noah, of whom it is written:
"Noah was a righteous man" (Gen. 6:9). Or the phrase refers to the
seventy nations which will go down to Gehenna
The words at the end of the
verse, “Rich and poor together” (Ps. 49:3), mean that he who is rich in Torah
and he who is poor in Torah may alike go down to Gehenna. For "He who is
rich in Torah" refers to such as Doeg and Ahithophel. Although they were
heads of the Sanhedrin, yet because they kept not the Torah, they fell from
their greatness and went down into Gehenna. "He who is poor in Torah"
refers to any man who had in hand the opportunity to study, but did not.
Therefore the sons of Korah said:
“Since such is the requital for neglect of Torah, we shall be diligent in the
study of Torah.”
III. My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart
shall be understanding (Ps. 49:4). Here “wisdom” and “understanding” have the
same force as in the words "For this is your wisdom and your
understanding" (Dent. 4:6).
I will incline mine ear to a
parable (Ps. 49:5) – to the parables of Torah. I will open my dark saying upon
the harp (ibid.): I will explain it in the songs the Levites sang during their
watches in the Temple.
Wherefore shall I fear in the days of evil? Because the iniquity of my heels
compasses me about (Ps. 49:6). The congregation of Israel said: Why shall I be afraid
on the days of evil, that is, on the day of judgment? Because of the iniquity
of my heels which I directed into the ways of transgression that now compass me
about.
They that trust in their wealth
(Ps. 49:7) is to be interpreted as in the commentary on Psalm 46 4
Another comment: The words They
that trust in their wealth allude to Korah and his assembly. 'Oh, it shall
surely not redeem a man (ibid. 8): What did their wealth avail them, for they
could not redeem themselves with it? 'Oh! "Alas, for them who went down
alive into the pit!-they and all that was theirs."
Their soul would have been made
precious [by] redemption (Ps. 49:9): Had Korah and his assembly repented, their
souls would have been precious in the eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He, and
He would have forborne (ibid.) to punish them, and they would have inherited
the world (ibid.), that is, the world-to-come. And he would also have caused
them to live for ever (ibid. 10) they
would have had their share in the resurrection of the dead.
Hence, said the Sages, the
murmurers in the wilderness as well as the assembly of Korah have no share in
the world-to-come.
For He sees that wise men die
(ibid. 11): such men as Dathan and Abiram who were wise-to do evil.
Another comment: For He sees that
wise men die ... and leave their wealth to others. Such "wise" men
were the murmurers in the wilderness who left their wealth to Caleb, the son of
Jephunneh, and to Joshua, the son of Nun, for it is said "Joshua the son
of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of those men" (Num.
14:38). What is meant by the words "remained alive of those men"?
That Joshua and Caleb sustained themselves from the portions of those men who
died, for they inherited what was to have been allotted to them.
Kirbam (Their inward thought is
that) their houses (Ps. 49:12). Do not read kirbam, "their inward
thought," but kibram, "their grave," for it is said of Korah and
of his men "The earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the
assembly" (Num. 16:33).
These words prove that Korah and his assembly will not enter into the
world-to-come. And why not? Because By their titles they proclaimed themselves
above mankind' (Ps. 49:12), for it is said of them "They were the lofty
ones of the congregation, self-proclaimed above the assembly, men of name"
7 (Num. 16:2). But man ... abides not in honor (Ps. 49:13) alludes to Korah,
who during all the time he was honored as head of all the children of Levi, did
not keep to the way of the Lord. Therefore, his honor did not abide with him.
He is like the beasts (ibid.), who have no understanding, hence are like a
company of wicked men. This is the way of them (Ps. 49:14), of wicked men who
put their confidence and their trust in their wealth, and of whom, after they
perish, the children of men say, "Woe unto them, unto the wicked, for such
and such a thing came upon them."
They who set death as though [Israel] were
sheep will go down to the nether-world (Ps. 49:15): The nations of the earth
who slaughtered Israel
like sheep-to set death upon them was to hallow the Name-shall go down to the
nether-world. But in the morning the upright will have dominion over them and
rule them: When the twilight of Israel
will have been made dawn, the upright shall rule the nations of the earth.
And their form shall outlast the
nether-world, because of the habitation which is His 11 (Ps. 49:15): Gehenna
will wear away, but the wicked of the nations will not wear away. And why not?
Because they laid their hands upon the Temple,
His habitation.
But God will redeem my soul from
the power of the netherworld (Ps. 49:16) because we, [the sons of Korah], were
not in the counsel of Korah. He shall receive me for ever (ibid.) alludes to
the words "They became a sign" (Num. 26:10), which prove that God
made it possible for them to stay aloft in space.
Be not afraid when one is made
rich (Ps. 49:17), as Korah was. Though while he lived, he blessed his soul (Ps.
49:19). Though Aaron blessed Korah's soul, nevertheless when It shall go to the
generation of his fathers, [it and] they shall never see the light (Ps. 49:20):
meaning that Korah and his assembly will have no portion in the world-to-come.
And why not? Because Korah, who lived in honor, had not understanding and so he
perished.
Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 9:1-13
1. ¶ Having boarded a
Galileean-class boat he passed through the Lake Kineret
and came back to his hometown of K’far Nakhum, in the Galilee.
2. And behold they brought to him
who was sick with contractions, that is paralyzed, lying upon his bed. Yeshuah
saw their faithful obedience and said to the sick man: “Son be encouraged, it
is by faithful obedience to G-d that your sins have been forgiven.”
3. And behold, some of the
Sadducee Sages said among themselves: “This man is blaspheming.”
4. But, Yeshuah, seeing their
thoughts, said, Why do you think evil and harbor malice in your hearts?
5. For which is easier: to say,
Your sins are forgiven, or to say, “Get up and walk”?
6. But in order that you may know
that the Son of Man (Heb. “Ben Adam” - lit. “any man”) has authority on the
land to forgive sins, he then said to the (demon influenced man who was)
paralyzed: “Get up! Pick up your sleeping pad and go home.”
7. And he got up and went away to his own house
8. When the crowds saw it, they
were struck with exceeding fear and awe; and they praised and thanked G-d, Who
had given such power and authority to men.
9. ¶ As Yeshuah passed on from
there, He saw a man named Matityahu ben Kalfai Ha-Levi sitting at the Roman’s
tax collector's office; and Yeshuah said to him, “Follow me!” And having risen
Matityahu ben Kalfai Ha-Levi followed him.
10. He (Matityahu) brought him
Yeshuah) to his house to eat. And as Yeshuah reclined at the table in the
house, behold, many turncoat-tax-gougers and wicked men came and sat (reclined)
with Yeshuah and his Talmidim (disciples).
11. Having seen it the Rabbinic
Pharisees said to his Talmidim (disciples): “Why does your Rabbi eat with
turncoat-tax-gougers and wicked men?”
12. Having heard, Yeshuah
replied: “Those who are strong and well (healthy) have no need of a physician,
but those who are weak and sick and afflicted with evil need the physician.”.
13. Go and learn what Hoshea 6:6
means: “For I desire mercy [that is, readiness to help those in trouble] and
not sacrifice and sacrificial victims.” For I did not come to call and invite
[to repentance] the Tzadikim (those who are upright and generous with G-d and
man), but rather to call sinners to return to G-d and make Teshuvah
(repentance/returning).
Pirqe Abot
“All Israel have a share in the World to
Come, as it is stated: And Your people are all righteous/charitable; they shall
inherit the land forever; they are the branch of My planting, the work of My
hands, in which to glorify Me” (Isaiah 60:21).
Pirqe Abot IV:20-22
Mishnah 20
Elisha ben Avuyah says: "He
who studies Torah as a child, to what can he be compared? To ink written on
fresh paper. And he who studies Torah as an old man, to what can he be
compared? To ink written on paper that has been erased."
Rabbi Yosei bar Yehudah of Kfar
HaBavli says: "He who learns Torah from the young, to what can he be
compared? To one who eats unripe grapes or drinks wine from his vat; while he
who learns Torah from the old, to what can he be compared? To one who eats ripe
grapes or drinks aged wine."
Rabbi Meir says: "Do not
look at the vessel, but rather at what it contains; there may be a new vessel
filled with aged wine, or an old vessel in which there is not even new
[wine]."
"Elisha ben Avuyah says: 'He who studies Torah as a child, to what
can he be compared? To ink written on fresh paper; and he who studies Torah as
an old man, to what can he be compared? To ink written on paper that has been
erased.'" (4:20)
QUESTION: Pirqe Abot is mili dechassiduta — "words of piety." Elisha
ben Avuyah is discussing a difference between young and old. What words of
piety are contained here? Does Elisha be Avuyah advocate that someone should
learn only when he is young and not when he is older? Is Elisha ben Avuyah
against the ba'al teshuva movement, which encourages everyone to start learning
regardless of age. Why was it Elisha ben Avuyah who made this statement?
ANSWER: Young children have pure
thoughts and emunah peshutah — simple faithful obedience. Whatever they are
told or learn they accept in good faith and at face value. An older person
already has a mind of his own and tends to be skeptical. With the terms
"yeled" (child) and "zaken," (older) Elisha ben Avuyah is
not referring to biological age, but the approach with which one should study
Torah.
Regardless if one is five or
eighty five, if his approach to Torah is the "yeled" approach —
simplistic and unadulterated faithful obedience — such sublime learning is
compared to "ink written on fresh paper” — with his own notions and
opinions — such study is inferior and compared to "ink written on erased
paper."
Elisha ben Avuyah was one of the
greatest Sages of Talmud. His colleague was Rabbi Aqiba, and his student was
Rabbi Meir. Unfortunately, while delving too deeply into esoteric studies, he
became affected with thoughts of heresy and was subsequently referred to as
"Acheir" — the other one. Even at that stage in his life, Rabbi Meir
continued to seek his teachings (see Chagigah 15a).
As one who experienced the
difference between studying Torah with absolute faithful obedience to Ha-Shem
and also studying Torah with an improper approach, it was most suitable for him
to accentuate the "yeled" approach over the "zaken"
approach to the study of Torah.
Alternatively: King Shlomoh
(Solomon) writes "Tov yeled misken vechacham mimelech zaken uchesil"
— "Better is a poor but wise youth, than an old and foolish king"
(Ecclesiastes 4:13). Rashi explains that "yeled" refers to the yetzer
tov — good inclination — and "zaken" is the yetzer hara — evil
inclination. The yetzer tov is called a "yeled" because he first
fully enters the person when he reaches the age of thirteen (see Shulchan Aruch
Harav 4:2). "Zaken" refers to the evil inclination because it is
older — it clings to man from his earliest youth.
There are two approaches to Torah
study. One is known as "lishmah" — "for its own sake" —
i.e. the sake of fulfilling Ha-Shem's command to study Torah, and the other is
"shelo lishmah" — "study not for its own sake" — i.e., for
an ulterior motive. When one learns "lishmah" he is impelled by his
yetzer tov. The encouragement to learn "shelo lishmah" comes from the
evil inclination. Thus, Elisha ben Avuyah is praising the advantage of
"halomeid yeled" — one who learns under the influence of the yetzer
tov as opposed to "holomed zaken" — one who learns under the
motivation of the evil inclination.
Elisha ben Avuyah is accentuating
the study of Torah "lishmah." But, if one does not learn
"lishmah," he should still learn Torah because the Talmud (Pesachim
50b) says, "mitoch shelo lishmah ba lishmah." Ultimately, the one who
even is currently learning "shelo leshma" will study it
"lishmah" (without an ulterior motive).
"Elisha ben Avuyah says, 'He who studies Torah as a child, to what
can he be compared? To ink written on fresh paper.' " (4:20) QUESTION:
According to the Talmud (Chagigah 15a) he became a heretic and was known as
"Acheir" — "the other one." Why did Rabbi quote such a
person?
ANSWER: Some commentaries opine
that he made this statement prior to his forsaking the ways of Torah. Others
say that even after becoming a heretic Rabbi Meir continued to learn Torah from
him, and the Talmud (ibid.) explains Rabbi Meir's studying with him through a
parable, "He found a pomegranate, he ate the fruit inside, and discarded the
shell." It is thus possible that Elisha ben Avuyah said this after
becoming "sour," nevertheless, Rabbi inserted it in Pirqe Abot, since
he considered it to be "the fruit inside of the pomegranate."
Alternatively, the Jerusalem
Talmud (Chagigah 2:1) relates that after he became a heretic, he was kitzetz
benetiyot — chopping down the plants — which means that he came into the
schools where young children were studying Torah (some say it was his own
children — Karban Ha'edah) and would scoff, "What are they doing here?
This one could be a builder, this one a carpenter, etc." Upon hearing this
the children would leave and stop their Torah study. Of him the pasuk says,
"Let not your mouth bring guilt on your flesh" (Ecclesiastes 5:5). In
fact, one reason why he was called "Acheir" — "the other
one" — is that he not only sinned against himself, but also caused others
to sin.
When Elisha became older and his
health was failing, his student Rabbi Meir urged him to repent and assured him
that his repentance would be accepted. (See Tosafot ibid.) Realizing that his
mockery had caused untold harm to the young children who stopped studying
Torah, he renounced his previous statements and spoke highly of the value of
young children studying Torah. For this repentance he merited that his words
were included together with other mili dechassiduta — words of piety.
"Do not look at the vessel but rather at what it contains." (4:20) QUESTION: Why did Rabbi Meir say this?
ANSWER: Rabbi Yose takes a
general approach against learning from a young teacher, and compares it to
drinking freshly made wine, which tastes good at first, but which afterwards
may lead to a stomach ache. Rabbi Meir says one should not put an entire
category of people in one basket and judge their qualifications by the
majority. There are exceptions to every rule, and everyone should be judged
individually.
Alternatively, Rabbi Meir was
justifying his continuing to learn Torah from Elisha ben Avuyah after the
latter became a heretic. He is saying that he did not look at the
"vessel" — Elisha and his conduct — "but rather at what it
contains" — the Torah knowledge he possessed. As the Gemara (Chagigah 15b)
says, "Rabbi Meir found a pomegranate. He ate its contents and discarded
its shell."
(It must, however, be emphasized
that this approach is only appropriate for a Sage of Rabbi Meir's stature. By
and large, our Sages [Mo'ed Kattan 17a] have given us the directive: "If a
teacher resembles an angel of Ha-Shem seek Torah from him. If not, do not seek Torah
from him.")
"Do not look at the vessel but rather at what it contains."
(4:20) QUESTION: Why does Rabbi Meir use the term "kankan" — "vessel" — and not
"bakbuk" — "bottle"?
ANSWER: In the Thirteen
Attributes of Mercy listed in the Torah (Shemot/Exodus 34:6, 7), it is written,
"Preserver of kindness for two thousand generations, Forgiver of iniquity,
willful transgression and sin, and venakeh lo yenakeh — He cleanses but does
not cleanse completely" (see Rashi). How does venakeh lo yenakeh fit in to
the Attributes of Mercy?
The word "kankan" — "vessel" — is
composed of the middle letters of the words "venakeh yenakeh."
Possibly, Rabbi Meir is alluding that when we look at the words "venakeh
lo yenakeh" they do not appear to fit among the Thirteen Attributes of
Mercy. However, when we remove the nun quf from venakeh, and the nun quf from
yenakeh, then each word spells half of Hashem's name (yud-he-vav-he). Hence, by
not looking at the letters kankan,
the words venakeh lo yenakeh fit very well among the Thirteen Attributes of
Mercy.
Thus, Rabbi Meir is offering
words of consolation that no Jew should despair when reading of His attributes
of mercy since also in venakeh lo yenakeh there is hidden mercy.
Mishnah 21
Rabbi Elazar HaKappar says:
"Envy, lust, and honor-seeking Chase a man from the world."
"Envy, lust, and honor-seeking Chase a man from the world."
(4:21) QUESTION: Previously (2:11)
Rabbi Yehoshua said, "The evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred of
one's fellow Chase a man from the world." Does Rabbi Eliezer HaKappar
agree or do they argue?
ANSWER: In reality they are
talking of the same three things. Rabbi Yehoshua is discussing the cause, and
Rabbi Eliezer the effect. The root of jealousy is the evil eye. Looking with an
evil eye at someone else's possessions causes one to be jealous. Thus, a father
or teacher is not jealous of his son or student (Sanhedrin 105b) since he is
happy and proud of their accomplishments.
Desires and lust are the doing of
the evil inclination, which slyly induces man to desire the forbidden. The evil
inclination is situated in the person's heart, and as our Sages say, "The
eye sees and the heart desires" (Bamidbar 15:39, Rashi).
A main reason for a person's
hating people and disassociating himself from the community is his imagining
that people are not properly appreciating his qualities and not giving him the
respect and honor he deserves. Thus, hatred of people is caused by one's
pursuit of honor.
Hence, when the evil eye makes
one suffer of jealousy, and the evil inclination Chases one to outlandish
desires, and hatred springs from a thwarted desire for honor, these sicknesses
Chase a person from the world.
"Envy, lust, and honor-seeking Chase a man from the world."
(4:21) QUESTION: Why these
three specifically?
ANSWER: It is incumbent on a Jew
to excel in his relations with his fellow man (bein adam lachavero) and with
Ha-Shem (bein adam laMakom). A primary culprit and root of most evil in
inter-human relationships is kinah — jealousy. It causes one to engage in
lashon hara — slander — and tale bearing, and out of jealousy of other people's
financial status a person may even steal or cheat in business.
Lust and desires Chase a man to
transgress many of the sins which are between man and Ha-Shem. The obsessive
desire to eat what is not kosher, and illicit and immoral behavior are all the
persuasion, inducement, and incitement of the evil inclination.
Ha-Shem in His mercy knew that
mortal man may sin, and therefore He created the possibility of teshuvah —
returning/repentance. So if one's evil eye makes him jealous, driving him to
wanton behavior, or if one's evil inclination persuades him to commit heinous
crimes, there is still hope. He should return/repent and he will be forgiven.
However, if he is preoccupied
with the pursuit of honor then he is in serious trouble. He will not apologize
to his friend because his pride does not let him. Likewise, he does not have
the humility to confess to Ha-Shem and say, "I sinned, please forgive
me." Nor can he allow himself to act like a penitent, lest people will
find out his past and no longer respect him. Thus, a person's pride and
constant concern for his kabod — honor — prevents him from repenting for his
failings in his inter-human relationships and relationship with Ha-Shem. So
when these three culprits team up together, they Chase a person from the world.
"Chase a man from the world." (4:21) QUESTION: From which
world do they Chase man out of?
ANSWER: These three
characteristics are innate in man; they appear when a person is still very
young. A young child envies his peers, desires many things which may not be
good for him, and due to his sense of self-importance readily takes offence if
someone embarrasses or belittles him.
These qualities can also be
utilized in a positive way. For instance, though jealousy is despised, our
Sages say, "Kinat sofrim tarbeh chochmah" — "Rivalry between
scholars increases wisdom" (Bava Batra 21a). Strong desires can be
utilized to enhance one's service of Ha-Shem, as King David said, "My soul
yearns, indeed it pines, for the courtyard of Ha-Shem" (Psalms 84:3) And
to attain honor, one can honor others, as mentioned in the first Mishnah of
this chapter. Thus, it all depends on man's decision as to how he will direct
the qualities he received at birth.
Hence, Rabbi Eliezer says, should
he use these three properly, they will Chase him out of Olam Hazeh — this world
— when the time comes, to Olam Haba — the World to Come. On the other hand,
should he decide however to follow his nature and not elevate his innate
character for loftier purposes, then it will Chase him away from obtaining Olam
Haba.
Mishnah 22
He used to say: "Those who
are born are destined to die; those who are dead are destined to live again;
and those who live [again] are destined to be judged. [Therefore, let man]
know, make known, and become aware that He is Almighty, He is the Fashioner, He
is the Creator, He is the Discerner, He is the Judge, He is the Witness, He is
the Plaintiff, He will hereafter sit in judgment. Blessed is He, before whom
there is no iniquity, nor forgetting, nor partiality, nor bribe-taking; and
know that all is according to the reckoning.
"And let not your evil
inclination assure you that the grave will be a place of refuge for you, for
against your will you were created, against your will you were born; against
your will you live; against your will you die, and against your will you are
destined to give an account before the supreme King of kings, the Holy One,
blessed be He."
"Before Him there is not...any bribe-taking." (4:22)
QUESTION: When Ha-Shem accepts the teshuvah — returning/repentance — of the
wicked, isn't that bribe-taking?
ANSWER: The Mishnah describes
Ha-Shem as Dayan — Judge — and Ba'al din — plaintiff. In other words, He is the
Plaintiff who brings man — the defendant — before the Judge.
Nowhere is it stated that a
defendant is prohibited to bribe his plaintiff not to bring him to court for
judgment! Thus, when the wicked repents, in a sense he is bribing his plaintiff
not to press a case against him, and this is permissible.
However, if he does not repent,
then the plaintiff will bring him to trial, and at that time he will have to
pay in full for his iniquities with absolutely no bribe-taking by the
"judge" on which one can rely for a vindication or reduced sentence.
"And know that all is according to the reckoning." (4:22)
QUESTION: "According to the reckoning" of what?
ANSWER: When one reaches the age
of thirteen — Bar-Mitzvah — he is liable for his actions and can be punished by
a bet din (Jewish Court of Law); however, the Heavenly Tribunal does not punish
someone if he is under the age of twenty (Bamidbar 16:27, Rashi). In addition
to this, the punishment one receives is contingent on his mental development.
If he is a chacham — wise person — his sin is more grave and the punishment
more severe, while the opposite is the case if he is a foolish person.
It is also possible that a minor
should be punished for an iniquity based on his maturity and knowledge of
Torah. This is illustrated in an episode in the Talmud (Berachot 31b) that took
place with the prophet Shmuel. Immediately after he was weaned, his mother,
Chanah, brought him to the Bet Hamikdash (Temple)
to be under the tutelage of Eli the Kohen Gadol. An incident is recorded in
which Eli gave instructions to summon a Kohen to come and slaughter.
Shmuel noticed them going to look
for a Kohen and said to them, "Why do you go about after a Kohen to
slaughter? The slaughter of a sacrificed animal is valid even by a non-Kohen."
They brought the child to Eli, and when he asked him, "From where do you
know this?" Shmuel answered with a halachic source. Eli said to him,
"You have spoken well. The law is indeed as you say. Nevertheless, you
have rendered a legal decision in the presence of your teacher, and anyone who
renders a legal decision in his teacher's presence is liable to death."
Commentators ask, at that time he
was a very young boy, so how can a katan — minor — be liable to a death
punishment? Rabbi Yechezkel Landau in his commentary Tzelach explains that Eli
questioned Shmuel, not because the law was new to him, but because he wished to
examine the intelligence of the child and determine based on his wisdom whether
he could be held liable and deserving of punishment. Eli concluded that though
a minor is not punished, Shmuel was eligible for punishment due to his wisdom.
"And let not your evil inclination assure you that the grave will
be a place of refuge for you." (4:22) QUESTION: How would anyone
permit himself to entertain such a foolish thought?
ANSWER: The Talmud (Berachot 5a)
says that a person should always be on the alert and fight against his evil
inclination. If he vanquishes it, fine, but if not, he should engage in Torah
study. If this does not vanquish it, he should recite Shema. If he still
persists, he should remind himself of the day of death. By remembering that he
will have to come before the Heavenly Tribunal and give an accounting, he will
undoubtedly refrain from sinning.
With shrewdness and aggressiveness
the evil inclination endeavors to persuade the person to do what he should not.
To this end, he entices man in many ways and even deceives him into thinking
that whatever he does will simply be pardonable as human frailty and that he
can ascribe his actions to the excessive influence of the yetzer hara.
The Mishnah is teaching that
"ve'al yavtichacha" — "do not let him [your evil inclination]
assure you" — that you have nothing to worry about since you can always
blame your action and inability to resist the temptation on
"yitzrecha" — "your evil inclination" — i.e. he talked you
into it. This will not be accepted as an argument in your defense since
"hashe'ol bet manot lach" — "the grave is a refuge for you"
— you had the opportunity of reminding yourself that you will one day be in a
grave, and this is a way always available to escape the enticements of your
evil inclination.
"Against your will you live, against your will you die."
(4:22) QUESTION: This is an obvious contradiction: if a person does not want to
live, then he wants to die, and if he does not want to die, then he wants to
live?
ANSWER: In truth, both statements
are valid. On one hand, the soul is a spiritual entity, "an actual part of
Ha-Shem." Thus, it has a natural desire to rise above the limits of
material existence and return to its spiritual source.
Why does it remain within the
body? Because it perceives Ha-Shem's desire for the world to be transformed
into a Divine dwelling place. And it dedicates itself to the fulfillment of
this desire against its own individual will.
Nevertheless, because the soul is
an actual part of Ha-Shem, Ha-Shem's desire for a dwelling in this world is not
an external factor, but rather permeates its essential will. Therefore, death —
the departure from this material framework — is also against its will.
Kabala analyzes this spiritual
enthusiasm in terms of the concept of "ratzo" and "shov" —
advancing and retreating — as in Ezekiel 1:4. When the soul senses the
all-encompassing greatness of G-dliness, it is aroused to a gripping desire of
"ratzo" — running — seeking to become absorbed within Divinity. Quite
understandably, the soul wishes to leave the body and the world, but the Divine
intent and will is for it to be on earth and establish a dwelling place for
Ha-Shem. Thus, man must "shov" — retreat and return — to this world
to observe Torah and mitzvoth (commandments).
These two thrusts, though
seemingly contradictory, actually reinforce each other. It is only when a
person feels the limitations of material existence and desires the spiritual
that he is capable of satisfying Ha-Shem's desire for a dwelling within this
world. If he lacks the Chase for spirituality, it is likely that his
involvement in the world will be spurred by ordinary material desires and not
Ha-Shem's desire for a dwelling.
These concepts should be
reflected in every individual's life. On one hand, he should not shy away from
worldly involvement, for through such activity he can fulfill Ha-Shem's desire.
Simultaneously, a person should feel that this involvement is contrary to his
inner nature — against his will — for his true desire is to be one with
Ha-Shem.
"Against your will you live; against your will you die, and
against your will you are destined to give an account before the supreme King
of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He." (4:22) QUESTION: Why should a
person be required to give an accounting for what he did during his lifetime if
his very existence was against his will?
ANSWER: A very wealthy man had
two daughters and experienced much difficulty in marrying them off. One was
extremely ugly and the other was very wicked and cursed anyone that would come
near her. A marriage broker, who received a hefty sum, came up with a mate for
each one. For the ugly one, he found someone who was blind and for the one with
the wicked mouth, he found someone that was deaf. Since the deaf one could not
hear her curses and the blind one did not see her ugliness, they lived happily
married for many years.
A doctor once visited this city
and told the father-in-law that for the right price he could heal both his
sons-in-law. When the blind man opened his eyes and the deaf one began to hear,
chaos came into their lives, and the wealthy father-in-law argued, "You
brought upon me a curse instead of a blessing" and refused to pay him. The
doctor summoned him to court. The decision of the judge was that since his cure
brought suffering, the father-in-law did not have to pay and the doctor was
obligated to bring them back to their previous state.
The doctor accepted the verdict
and agreed to take away the vision from one of them and the hearing from the
other. The previously blind man protested vehemently that he would not permit
his eyesight to be taken away and the deaf man, too, would not let the doctor
remove his hearing. Upon observing this, the judge said to the two sons-in-law,
"Now that I see that you are happy with your present condition and do not
want to revert to the situation that you were in before, I am demanding that
you pay the doctor in full for his service."
Thus, it is true that
"against your will you were created and against your will you live";
however, once a person is alive, he does not want to, G-d forbid, leave this
world, and he will give all that he owns to remain healthy and alive.
Therefore, he must account for what he did during his lifetime upon this
earthly world.
Commentary
To borrow a phrase from a popular
and scholarly Jewish writer, we may ask: What is bothering Matityahu on this
Torah Seder for this week that prompted him to write this piece of Midrash
regarding his dinner with tax collectors and wicked men?
In the Targum Pseudo Jonathan as
well as the Jerusalem Targum we read that Sh’mot 12:21
“Then Moses
called for all the elders of Israel,
and said unto them: ‘Draw out, and take you lambs according to your families,
and kill the passover lamb.’”
was interpreted to mean:
“And Mosheh called all the elders of Israel, and
said to them, ‘Withdraw your hands from
the idols of the Mizraee, and take to you from the offspring of the flock,
according to your houses, and kill the paschal lamb.’”
And it is this interpretation
that the Midrash of Matityahu hones in and concluding with the famous words of
the Mater of Nazareth:
“Go and learn what Hoshea 6:6 means: “For I desire mercy [that is, readiness to
help those in trouble] and not sacrifice and sacrificial victims.” For I
did not come to call and invite [to repentance] the Tzadikim (those who are
upright and generous with G-d and man), but rather to call sinners to return to
G-d and make Teshuvah (repentance/returning).”
Some who are ignorant have
interpreted this to mean that the Master of Nazareth abolished ritual. However
the truth is far from it! Instead what we are seeing here is that he put ritual
and worship in its proper context and order. Chessed (Mercy) comes before
ritual and should also ensue as a consequence of the ritual. That is, Chessed
(Mercy, concern, and loving kindness to others) should precede ritual and
immediately follow it. And where this is so, then ritual and worship is
meaningful and has attained its proper place. Conversely, where this is not so,
then the act of ritual is as if it were a gross act of idolatry.
And therefore, this is the
meaning of the expression of our Targumim “Withdraw your hands from the idols
of the Mizraee (Egyptians),” for the Egyptians were all for ritual but without
an ounce of Chessed (mercy) either to precede the ritual of follow it. And thus
the Prophet Hosea states:
“For I (G-d) desire mercy, and not
sacrifice, and the knowledge of G-d rather than burnt-offerings.” (Hosea
6:6)
Ritual is indeed central and most
important for our lives. It provides us with a sense of purpose, meaning, and
even belonging. But first things first! Let us starts with Chessed (loving
kindness and concern for the wellbeing of our fellowman) and then by all means
let us engage in full obedience and wholeheartedly in the ritual, and out of reverential and meaningful ritual
(worship) must surely ensue meaningful Chessed. That is, the proper place of
ritual is like meat in a sandwich, not on top, nor under but in the middle.
May your worship and the worship
of your loved ones and of all the most
noble members of the house of Israel
follow the principle “For I (G-d) desire mercy,
and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of G-d rather than burnt-offerings” in its correct understanding and application,
amen ve amen!
Shalom Shabbat!
Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai
Esnoga Bet Emunah - 227 Millset
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