Esnoga Bet Emunah

4544 Highline Dr. SE

Olympia, WA 98501

United States of America

http://www.betemunah.org/

E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com

Esnoga Bet El

102 Broken Arrow Dr.

Paris TN 38242

United States of America

http://torahfocus.com/

E-Mail: waltoakley@charter.net

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

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings	Second Year of the Triennial Reading Cycle
Iyar 24, 5774 – May 23/24, 2014	Sixth Year of the Shmita Cycle

Candle Lighting and Habdalah Times:

Amarillo, TX, U.S.

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 8:32 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 9:34 PM

Austin & Conroe, TX, U.S.

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 8:05 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 9:03 PM

Brisbane, Australia

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 4:46 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 5:41 PM

Chattanooga, & Cleveland, TN, U.S.

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 8:25 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 9:27 PM

Everett, WA. U.S.

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 8:32 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 9:50 PM

Manila & Cebu, Philippines

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 6:01 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 6:53 PM

Miami, FL, U.S.

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 7:45 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 8:42 PM

Murray, KY, & Paris, TN. U.S.

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 7:44 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 8:47 PM

Olympia, WA, U.S.

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 8:31 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 9:47 PM

San Antonio, TX, U.S.

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 8:06 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 9:04 PM

Sheboygan & Manitowoc, WI, US

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 7:59 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 9:10 PM

Singapore, Singapore

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 6:49 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 7:40 PM

St. Louis, MO, U.S.

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 7:54 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 8:59 PM

Tacoma, WA, U.S.

Fri. May 23 2014 – Candles at 8:30 PM

Sat. May 24 2014 – Habdalah 9:47 PM

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

Roll of Honor:

His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David and beloved wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,

Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family

His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved family

His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife

Her Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor

His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

Her Excellency Prof. Dr. Conny Williams & beloved family

Her Excellency Giberet Gloria Sutton & beloved family

His Excellency Adon Yoel ben Abraham

His Excellency Adon Tsuriel ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Gibora bat Sarah

His Excellency Adon Gabriel ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Elisheba bat Sarah

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

His Excellency Adon Michael Murray and beloved wife HE Giberet Leah Murray

His Excellency Adon Elisha ben Abraham

His Excellency Adon Ze’ev ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Hadassah bat Sarah

His Excellency Adon Michael Harston

Her Excellency Giberet Whitney Mathison

Her Excellency Giberet Rivqa bat Sarah

For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’s richest blessings be upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael and her Torah Scholars, amen ve amen!

Also a great thank you and great blessings be upon all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Torah Seder and allied topics.

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

Friday Evening May 23, 2014

Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 39

Then read the following

Day of the Omer	Ministry	Date	Ephesians	Attributes
39	Parnas 3/Parnas 1	Iyar 24	5:24-28	Truth united with Confidence

Ephesians 5:24-28 Just as the Esnoga (congregation/Synagogue) submits to Messiah,^{^[1]} so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.^{^[2]} Husbands, love^{^[3]} your wives,^{^[4]} even as Messiah also loved the Esnoga and gave himself for it,^{^[5]} that he might sanctify (set apart) and cleanse^{^[6]} it with the washing of water^{^[7]} by the Torah,^{^[8]} that he cause it to stand by^{^[9]} itself as the glorious Esnoga/Congregation, without spot or wrinkle or any such things,^{^[10]} but that it should be holy and without blame.^{^[11]} Therefore, men should follow the example of Messiah and love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Shabbat “Im B’Chuqotai” – Sabbath: “If in My Statutes”

& Shabbat Mevar’chim HaChodesh Sivan – Proclamation of the New Moon of Sivan

Evening Thursday 29^th of May – Evening Friday 30^th of May, 2014

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
אִם-בְּחֻקֹּתַי
“Im B’Chuqotai”	Reader 1 – Vayiqra 26:3-5	Reader 1 – B’Midbar 1:1-3
“If in My Statutes”	Reader 2 – Vayiqra 26:6-10	Reader 2 – B’Midbar 1:4-6
“Si en Mis decretos”	Reader 3 – Vayiqra 26:11-46	Reader 3 – B’Midbar 1:7-9
Vayiqra (Lev.) Lev 26:3 – 27:34 Num. 28:9-15	Reader 4 – Vayiqra 27:1-8
Ashlamatah: Is. 1:19-20, 24-27 + 2:2-5	Reader 5 – Vayiqra 27:9-15	Monday & Thursday Mornings
Special: I Samuel 20:18,42	Reader 6 – Vayiqra 27:16-21	Reader 1 – B’Midbar 1:1-3
Psalm 89:16-53	Reader 7 – Vayiqra 27:22-34	Reader 2 – B’Midbar 1:4-6
Abot: 3:17	Maftir: B’midbar 28:9-15	Reader 3 – B’Midbar 1:7-9
N.C.: II Pet 3:11-18; Lk 18:1-14; Acts 28:23-32	- Is. 1:19-20, 24-27 + 2:2-5 - I Samuel 20:18,42

Blessings Before Torah Study

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

Please Ha-Shem, our G-d, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and our offspring's offspring, and all the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amen!

Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our G-d, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations, and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!

Ha-Shem spoke to Moses, explaining a Commandment. "Speak to Aaron and his sons, and teach them the following Commandment: This is how you should bless the Children of Israel. Say to the Children of Israel:

May Ha-Shem bless you and keep watch over you; - Amen!

May Ha-Shem make His Presence enlighten you, and may He be kind to you; - Amen!

May Ha-Shem bestow favor on you, and grant you peace. – Amen!

This way, the priests will link My Name with the Israelites, and I will bless them."

These are the Laws for which the Torah did not mandate specific amounts: How much growing produce must be left in the corner of the field for the poor; how much of the first fruits must be offered at the Holy Temple; how much one must bring as an offering when one visits the Holy Temple three times a year; how much one must do when doing acts of kindness; and there is no maximum amount of Torah that a person must study.

These are the Laws whose benefits a person can often enjoy even in this world, even though the primary reward is in the Next World: They are: Honouring one's father and mother; doing acts of kindness; early attendance at the place of Torah study -- morning and night; showing hospitality to guests; visiting the sick; providing for the financial needs of a bride; escorting the dead; being very engrossed in prayer; bringing peace between two people, and between husband and wife; but the study of Torah is as great as all of them together. Amen!

Contents of the Torah Seder

1. Blessings in the Wake of Disobedience – Leviticus 26:3-13

2. The Wages of Disobedience – Leviticus 26:14-39

a. Sickness and Defeat – Leviticus 26:16-18

b. Famine and Wild Beasts – Leviticus 26:19-22

c. The Horrors of Siege – Leviticus 26:23-26

d. National Destruction and Exile – Leviticus 26:27-39

3. Repentance Will Bring Restoration – Leviticus 26:40-45

4. Vowing and Valuation of a Person – Leviticus 27:1-8

5. Redemption of an Animal – Leviticus 27:9-13

6. Redemption of a House – Leviticus 27:14-15

7. Redemption of Land – Leviticus 27:16-25

8. Redemption of a Firstling – Leviticus 27:26-27

9. Law of the Ban – Leviticus 27:28-29

10. Redemption of the Tithe – Leviticus 27:30-33

11. Concluding Subscription – Leviticus 27:34

Reading Assignment:

The Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol XII: Holiness

By: Rabbi Yitschaq Magrisso, Translated by: Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

Published by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New York, 1990)

Vol. 12 – “Holiness,” pp. 289-326

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan

for: Vayiqra (Leviticus) 26:3 – 27:34

Rashi	Targum
3. If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them,	3. If you will go forward in the statutes of My Law, and keep the orders of My judgments, and perform them,
4. I will give your rains in their time, the Land will yield its produce, and the tree of the field will give forth its fruit.	4. then will I give you the rains for your lands in your seasons, the early and the late, and the land will yield the fruits of increase, and the tree on the face of the field will be prosperous in its fruit.
5. Your threshing will last until the vintage, and the vintage will last until the sowing; you will eat your food to satiety, and you will live in security in your land.	5. And with you the threshing will reach to the vintage, and the vintage unto the springing of the seed, and you will eat your bread and be satisfied, and dwell securely in your land.
6. And I will grant peace in the Land, and you will lie down with no one to frighten [you]; I will remove wild beasts from the Land, and no army will pass through your land;	6. And I will give peace in the land of Israel, that you may repose, and there be none to disturb; and I will make the power of the wild beast to cease from the land of Israel, and the unsheather of the sword will not pass through your land.
7. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you;	7. And you will chase your adversaries, and they will fall before you broken with the sword.
8. Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.	8. And five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you put a myriad to flight, and your adversaries will fall before you, broken with the sword.
9. I will turn towards you, and I will make you fruitful and increase you, and I will set up My covenant with you.	9. For I will turn from the wages of the Gentiles, to fulfil to you the recompense of your good works, and I will strengthen you, and multiply you, and establish My covenant with you.
10. You will eat very old [produce], and you will clear out the old from before the new.	10. And you will eat the old that is old without having the corn-worm, and the old from before the new produce will you turn out of your barns.
11. And I will place My dwelling in your midst, and My Spirit will not reject you;	11. And I will set the Shekinah of My Glory among you, and my Word will not abhor you,
12. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.	12. but the Glory of My Shekinah will dwell among you, and My Word will be to you for a redeeming God, and you will be unto My Name for a holy people.
13. I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt from being slaves to them; and I broke the pegs of your yoke and led you upright.	13. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out redeemed from the land of Mizraim, that you should not be bondmen to them, and broke the yoke of their bondage from off you, and brought you out from among them, the children of liberty, and led you forth with an erect stature.
14. But if you do not listen to Me and do not perform all these commandments,	14. But if you will be unwilling to hear the instructions of the doctrine of My Law, and to perform all these precepts with your free choice;
15. and if you despise My statutes and reject My ordinances, not performing any of My commandments, thereby breaking My covenant,	15. and if you despise My statutes, and hate in your soul the orders of My judgments, to do not all My precepts, but your purpose be to abolish My covenant;
16. then I too, will do the same to you; I will order upon you shock, consumption, fever, and diseases that cause hopeless longing and depression. You will sow your seed in vain, and your enemies will eat it.	16. this also will I do to you: I will draw out against you the smiting pestilence, the flame and the fever, to consume your eyes, and to exhaust life; and you will sow your seed in vain, for it will not spring up, and that which grows of itself will your enemies devour.
17. I will set My attention against you, and you will be smitten before your enemies. Your enemies will rule over you; you will flee, but no one will be pursuing you.	17. And I will appoint a reverse to your affairs, and you will be broken before your foes, and they who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursues you.
18. And if, during these, you will not listen to Me, I will add another seven punishments for your sins:	18. And if after these chastisements you be not willing to obey the doctrines of My Law, I will add to punish you with seven plagues, for the seven transgressions with which you have sinned before Me.
19. I will break the pride of your strength and make your skies like iron and your land like copper.	19. And I will break down the glory of the strength of your sanctuary, and will make the heavens above you obdurate as iron, to yield no moisture, nor send you dew or rain, and the ground beneath you to be like brass to put forth (only) to destroy its fruit.
20. Your strength will be expended in vain; your land will not yield its produce, neither will the tree of the earth give forth its fruit.	20. And your strength will be consumed in vain, for your land will not yield what you bestow upon it, and the tree upon the face of the field will drop its fruit.
21. And if you treat Me as happenstance, and you do not wish to listen to Me, I will add seven punishments corresponding to your sins:	21. And if you still walk perversely with Me, and will not hearken to the doctrine of My Law, I will add to bring upon you (yet) seven plagues, for the seven transgressions with which ye have sinned before Me;
22. I will incite the wild beasts of the field against you, and they will bereave you, utterly destroy your livestock and diminish you, and your roads will become desolate.	22. and I will send against you the strength of the wild beast, to make you childless, and to destroy your cattle without, and to diminish you within, and your highways will be desolate.
23. And if, through these, you will still not be chastised [to return] to Me, and if you [continue to] treat Me happenstance,	23. And if by these chastisements you will not be corrected before Me, but will walk before Me perversely,
24. Then I too, will treat you as happenstance. I will again add seven punishments for your sins:	24. I will Myself also remember you adversely in the world, and will destroy you, even I, with seven plagues, for seven transgressions with which you have sinned before Me.
25. I will bring upon you an army that avenges the avenging of a covenant, and you will gather into your cities. I will incite the plague in your midst, and you will be delivered into the enemy's hands,	25. And I will bring against you a people unsheathing the sword to take vengeance upon you, for that you will have abolished My covenant; and when you are gathered together from the wilderness into your cities, I will send the pestilence among you, or deliver you to die by the hand of your adversaries.
26. when I break for you the staff of bread, and ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread by weight, and you will eat, yet not be satisfied.	26. And when I will have broken for you the staff of all the subsistence of food, then ten women may bake your bread in one oven on account of its scarcity, and measure and divide it to you diminished in weight, and you will eat and not be satisfied.
27. And if, despite this, you still do not listen to Me, still treating Me as happenstance,	27. But if by no one correction you will hearken to the instruction of My Law, but will walk perversely before Me,
28. I will treat you with a fury of happenstance, adding again seven [chastisements] for your sins:	28. I will also remember you adversely in the world, and will chastise you, even I, with seven plagues, for the seven transgressions with which you have sinned before Me.
29. You will eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters you will eat.	29. And you will eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters. Mosheh the prophet has said, How heavy will have been the guilt, and how bitter those sins, that caused our fathers to eat the flesh of their sons, and the flesh of their daughters, because they kept not the commandments of the Law! JERUSALEM: How evil that guilt, and bow bitter those sins, which caused our fathers in Jerusalem to eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters!
30. I will demolish your edifices and cut down your sun idols; I will make your corpses [fall] upon the corpses of your idols, and My Spirit will reject you.	30. And I will destroy your high places, and overthrow your diviners and your enchanters, and your carcases will I cast away with the carcases of your idols, and My Word will abhor you.
31. I will lay your cities waste and make your holy places desolate, and I will not partake of your pleasant fragrances.	31. And I will make your cities desert places, and desolate your sanctuary; nor will I receive with acceptance the odour of your oblations.
32. I will make the Land desolate, so that it will become desolate [also] of your enemies who live in it.	32. And I, even I, will lay your country waste, that the spirit of quietness may not be upon it; so that your enemies who will dwell in it will be confounded.
33. And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you. Your land will be desolate, and your cities will be laid waste.	33. And you will I disperse among the nations; for I will stir up against you a people who draw the sword, and your country will be devastated, and your cities be solitary.
34. Then, the land will be appeased regarding its sabbaticals. During all the days that it remains desolate while you are in the land of your enemies, the Land will rest and thus appease its sabbaticals.	34. Behold, then will the land enjoy the years of its Sabbaths all the days that it is forsaken of you, and you are wanderers in the land of your enemies.
35. It will rest during all the days that it remains desolate, whatever it had not rested on your sabbaticals, when you lived upon it.	35. All the days that it is forsaken by you it will rest, because it was not at rest in the years of the times for repose when you were dwellers upon it.
36. And those of you who survive I will bring fear in their hearts in the lands of their enemies, and the sound of a rustling leaf will pursue them; they will flee as one flees the sword, and they will fall, but there will be no pursuer.	36. And unto those of you who remain will I bring brokenness of their hearts in the land of their enemies; and the sound of a leaf falling from the tree will put them to flight; and they will flee as those who flee from the sword, and fall, while no man pursues.
37. Each man will stumble over his brother, [fleeing] as if from the sword, but without a pursuer. You will not be able to stand up against your enemies.	37. And they will thrust each man his brother, as before them who draw the sword, though none pursue; and you will have no power of resistance to stand before your adversaries.
38. You will become lost among the nations, and the land of your enemies will consume you.	38. And you will perish among the Gentiles, and be consumed with pestilence in the land of your enemies,
39. And because of their iniquity, those of you who survive will rot away in the lands of your enemies; moreover, they will rot away because the iniquities of their fathers are still within them.	39. And those who remain of you will fail (melt away) for their sins in the land of your enemies, and also for the evil sin of your fathers which they held fast in their hands: like them will they melt away.
40. They will then confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers their betrayal that they dealt Me, and that they also treated Me as happenstance.	40. But (when) in the hour of their need they will confess their sins, and the sins of their fathers, with their falseness with which they have acted falsely against My Word; and that they have acted frowardly also with Me,
41. Then I too, will treat them as happenstance and bring them [back while] in the land of their enemies. If then, their clogged heart becomes humbled, then, [their sufferings] will gain appeasement for their iniquity,	41. so that I have remembered them adversely in the world, and brought them into captivity in the land of their enemies; behold, then will their proud heart have been broken, and they will make confession of their sins,
42. and I will remember My covenant [with] Jacob, and also My covenant [with] Isaac, and also My covenant [with] Abraham I will remember. And I will remember the Land,	42. and I will remember in mercy the covenant which I confirmed with Ya’aqob at Bethel, and the covenant which I covenanted with Yitschaq at Mount Moriah, and the covenant which I covenanted with Abraham, between the divided portions, I will remember, and the land of Israel will I remember in mercy.
43. [For] the Land will be bereft of them, appeasing its sabbaticals when it had been desolate of them, and they will gain appeasement for their iniquity. This was all in retribution for their having despised My ordinances and in retribution for their having rejected My statutes.	43. But the land will (first) be relinquished and forsaken you; and enjoy the repose of her remissions all the days that it will be deserted by you. And they will receive retribution for their sins: curses instead of blessings will come upon them, measure for measure: because they shunned the orders of judgments, and their souls revolted from the covenant of My Law.
44. But despite all this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor will I reject them to annihilate them, thereby breaking My covenant that is with them, for I am the Lord their God.	44. Yet for all this I will have mercy upon them by My Word, when they are captives in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them away in the kingdom of Babel; nor will My Word abhor them. in the kingdom of Madai, to destroy them in the kingdom of Javan, or to abolish My covenant with them in the kingdom of Edom; for I am the LORD in the days of Gog. JERUSALEM: And I will remember in mercy the covenant which I established with Ya’aqob at Bethel; and the covenant which I confirmed with Yitshaq at Mount Moriah, and the covenant I confirmed with Abraham between the divided parts. I will remember in mercy; and the land of Israel will I remember in mercy. Yet the land will be forsaken by you, and will enjoy the repose of her remission (times) all the days that she is deserted of you. And they will be broken for their sins; with measure for measure, and orders for orders, because they spurned the order of My judgments. Yet for this, when dwellers in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them away in the kingdom of Babel, nor abhor them in the kingdom of Madai, nor destroy them in the kingdom of Javan, (Greece) to abolish My covenant with them in the kingdom of Edom; for He (will be) the LORD your God in the days of Gog.
45. I will remember for them the covenant [made with] the ancestors, whom I took out from the land of Egypt before the eyes of the nations, to be a God to them. I am the Lord.	45. And I will remember with them the covenant which I confirmed before Me with their fathers in the time that I brought them out redeemed from the land of Mizraim; when all the nations beheld all the mighty acts which I wrought for them, that I might be their God; I, the LORD.
46. These are the statutes, the ordinances, and the laws that the Lord gave between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai, by the hand of Moses.	46. These are the statutes and the orders of the judgments and decrees of the Law, which the LORD appointed between His Word and the sons of Israel, in the mountain of Sinai, by the hand of Mosheh.

1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,	1. And the LORD spoke with Mosheh, saying:
2. Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When a man expresses a vow, [pledging the] value of lives to the Lord,	2. Speak with the children of Israel, and say to them: When a man wills to set apart the separation of a vow, in the valuing of the life unto the name of the LORD,
3. the [fixed] value of a male shall be as follows: From twenty years old until sixty years old, the value is fifty silver shekels, according to the holy shekel;	3. then his valuation for a male from twenty years old unto sixty years, fifty shekels, in the shekel of the sanctuary, will be his valuation:
4. And if she is a female, the value is thirty shekels;	4. but if for a female, his valuation will be thirty shekels.
5. And if [the person is] from five years old until twenty years old, the value of a male shall be twenty shekels, while that of a female shall be ten shekels;	5. And if it be a child from five years until twenty years, his estimation for a male will be twenty shekels; and for a female, ten shekels.
6. And if [the person is] from one month old until five years old, the value of a male shall be five silver shekels, while the value of a female shall be three silver shekels;	6. But for a child of a month old until five years, his estimation for a male will be five silver shekels; and for a female, three silver shekels.
7. And if [the person is] sixty years old or over, if it is a male, the value shall be fifteen shekels, while for a female, it shall be ten shekels.	7. Moreover, for a man of sixty years and upwards, his estimation will be fifteen shekels; and for a female, ten shekels.
8. But if he is [too] poor to [pay] the valuation [amount], he shall stand him up before the kohen, and the kohen shall evaluate him according to how much the one who is vowing his value can afford._	8. But if he be too poor for (such) a rate of his estimation, he will stand before the priest; and the priest will make an estimation for him, according to the ability of his hand, so will the priest estimate for him.
9. Now, if an animal of whose type is [fit] to be brought as an offering to the Lord, whatever part of it the person donates to the Lord, shall become holy.	9. And if it be an animal, of such as are offered as an oblation before the LORD, whatever he gives of it before the LORD will be sacred.
10. He shall not exchange it or offer a substitute for it, whether it be a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one. But if he does substitute one animal for another animal, [both] that one and its replacement shall be holy.	10. He will not alter it nor change it, that which is perfect for that which hath blemish, or that in which there is blemish for the perfect: but if by changing he will exchange animal for animal, both that and the one that is changed will be consecrate. JERUSALEM: And he will not change it, good for bad, or bad for good: but if changing he will exchange animal for animal, both that and his changed one will be sacred.
11. And if it is any unclean animal, of whose type shall not be brought as an offering to the Lord, then he shall stand up the animal before the kohen.	11. But if it be an unclean animal, of such as are not offered as an oblation before the LORD, he will make the animal stand before the priest.
12. The kohen shall then evaluate it whether it is good or bad; like the evaluation of the kohen, so shall it be.	12. And the priest will value it, whether good or bad; as the priest will value, so will it be.
13. But if he redeems it, he shall add its fifth to its value.	13. But if he would redeem it, let him add a fifth of its price upon that of its valuation.
14. And if a man consecrates his house [to be] holy to the Lord, the kohen shall evaluate it whether good or bad; as the kohen evaluates it, so shall it remain.	14. When a man would consecrate his house, as a consecrated thing before the LORD; the priest will value it, whether good or bad; according as the priest will estimate, so will it stand. JERUSALEM: A sanctified thing unto the name of the LORD: then the priest will order. As the priest has ordered it will be.
15. But if the one who consecrated it redeems his house, he shall add to it a fifth of its valuation money, and it shall be his.	15. And if he who has consecrated would redeem his house, let him add a fifth of the price of its valuation thereunto, and it will be his. JERUSALEM: And if he who has made sacred: A fifth of the price of its valuation upon it, and it will be his.
16. And if a man consecrates some of the field of his inherited property to the Lord, the valuation shall be according to its sowing: an area which requires a chomer of barley seeds at fifty silver shekels.	16. And if a man would dedicate (a portion) of the field of his inheritance before the LORD, the valuation of it will be according to the measure of its seed: a space on which may be sown a kor (seventy-five and a half pints) of barley (will be considered) worth fifty shekels of silver. JERUSALEM: It will be a sanctified thing unto the LORD, as a field of separation.
17. Now, if he consecrates his field from [when] the Jubilee year [has ended], it shall remain at [its full] valuation.	17. If he will dedicate the ground from the year of Jubilee, it will stand according to its valuation.
18. But if he consecrates his field after the Jubilee, the kohen shall calculate the money for him, according to the remaining years until the [next] Jubilee year, and it shall be deducted from the valuation.	18. But if he will dedicate his field after the year of Jubilee, the priest will compute with him the sum of the money according to the proportion of years that remain unto the next Jubilee year, and will abate it from the valuation.
19. If the one who consecrated it redeems the field, he shall add to it a fifth of the valuation money, and it shall be his.	19. And if he would redeem the field that he had consecrated, let him add one fifth of the money upon its valued price, and it will be confirmed to him.
20. But if he does not redeem the field, and if he has sold the field to someone else it may no longer be redeemed.	20. But if he will not redeem the field, but sell it to another man, it will not be redeemed again:
21. But, when the field leaves in the Jubilee, it shall be holy to the Lord like a field devoted; his inherited property shall belong to the kohen.	21. the field, when it goes out at the Jubilee, will be sacred before the LORD; as a field separated for the priest it will be his inheritance.
22. And if he consecrates to the Lord a field that he had acquired, that is not part of his inherited property,	22. And if he would consecrate before the LORD a field which he has bought, and which is not of the land of his inheritance, JERUSALEM: And if he would consecrate a purchased field unto the Name of the LORD, then the priest will compute with him the value of the separation unto the year of Jubilee, and he will give the separation of the value on that day, a holy thing unto the Name of the LORD. At the year of Jubilee the field will revert to him from whom he had bought it, to him who had the inheritance of the land. And every estimation will be according to the shekels of the sanctuary.
23. the kohen shall calculate for him the amount of the valuation until the Jubilee year, and he shall give the valuation on that day, holy to the Lord.	23. then the priest will compute with him the amount of the price of its valuation until the year of Jubilee; and he will give its value on that day, as a consecrated thing before the LORD.
24. In the Jubilee year, the field shall return to the one from whom he bought it namely, the one whose inherited land it was.	24. In the year of Jubilee the field will return to him from whom he bought it, to him who had the inheritance of the land.
25. Every valuation shall be made according to the holy shekel, whereby one shekel is the equivalent of twenty gerahs.	25. And every valuation will be in shekels of the sanctuary twenty mahin are a shekel.
26. However, a firstborn animal that must be [sacrificed as] a firstborn to the Lord no man may consecrate it; whether it be an ox or sheep, it belongs to the Lord.	26. Moreover, the firstling among cattle which is separated to the Name of the LORD, whether ox or lamb, a man cannot separate (as a votive gift), because it (already belongs) to the Name of the LORD. JERUSALEM: But the firstling among cattle, whether ox or lamb, which is separated before the LORD, belongs (already) to the Name of the LORD. But if it be of an unclean animal, then let him redeem it according to its valuation, and add a fifth of its price unto it. And if it be not redeemed, it will be sold according to its value.
27. Now, if [someone consecrates] an unclean animal, he may redeem [it] by [paying] the valuation, and he shall add its fifth to it, and if it is not redeemed, it shall be sold for the valuation [price].	27. And if it be an unclean animal, then he will redeem it according to its valuation, and add a fifth of the price to it; but if he will not redeem it, then it will be sold at the price of its valuation.
28. However, anything that a man devotes to the Lord from any of his property whether a person, an animal, or part of his inherited field shall not be sold, nor shall it be redeemed, [for] all devoted things are holy of holies to the Lord.	28. Nevertheless, no devoted thing which a man will separate before the LORD of anything that is his, of man, or beast, or of his inheritance, will be sold or redeemed; every (devoted) separation is most sacred before the LORD. JERUSALEM: Only no devoted thing that a man will separate to the Name of the LORD of anything, that he hath of child or cattle; every separation is most sacred to the Name of the LORD.
29. Any devoting of a person who has been devoted, need not be redeemed [for] he is to be put to death.	29. Every separation which will be separated of man will not be redeemed with money, but with burnt offerings, and with sanctified victims, and with supplication for mercy before the LORD, because such are to be put to death. JERUSALEM: Every one of the children of men set apart (or devoted) will not be redeemed; dying, he will be put to death.
30. Any tithe of the Land, whether it be from the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree it is the Lord's. It is holy to the Lord.	30. And all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the ground, or the fruits of the tree, is the LORD's, and is most sacred before the LORD. JERUSALEM: It pertains to the Name of the LORD; it is holy unto the Name of the LORD.
31. And if a man redeems some of his tithe, he shall add its fifth to it.	31. But if a man will redeem any (part) of his tithes, he will add a fifth part of its value thereunto. JERUSALEM: But if a man will redeem any portion of his tithe, let him add upon, it a fifth part of its price;
32. Any tithe of cattle or flock of all that pass under the rod, the tenth shall be holy to the Lord.	32. And every tithe of oxen and sheep, whatever passes under the (tithing) rod, the tenth will be consecrated before the LORD. JERUSALEM: and every tithe of ox and sheep, whatever passes under the rod, a tenth will be holy Unto the Name of the LORD.
33. He shall not inspect [a tithed animal] for a good or a bad one, nor shall he offer a substitute for it. And if he does replace it, then [both] that one and its replacement are holy; it cannot be redeemed.	33. He will not scrutinize between the good and the bad, nor exchange it; but if changing he will exchange it, both it and that for which it is changed will be sacred, and not be redeemed. JERUSALEM: He will not scrutinize between good and bad, nor exchange it; but if he will change it, then will both it and that for which it is changed be sacred, and not be redeemed.
34. These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses to [tell] the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.	34. These are the precepts which the LORD prescribed unto Mosheh, and of which not one must be trifled with (or, innovated upon); and He prescribed them to be shown Unto the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. JERUSALEM: These are the Commandments.
Chazaq Chazaq V’nitchazeq—be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves!

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan

for: Bemidbar (Numbers) 28:9-15

Rashi	Targum Pseudo Jonathan
9 On the Shabbat day [the offering will be] two yearling lambs without blemish, and two tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour as a meal-offering, mixed with [olive] oil, and its libation.	9 but on the day of Shabbat two lambs of the year without blemish, and two tenths of flour mixed with olive oil for the mincha and its libation.
10 This is the burnt-offering on its Shabbat, in addition to the constant (daily) burnt-offering and its libation.	10 On the Sabbath you will make a Sabbath burnt sacrifice in addition to the perpetual burnt sacrifice and its libation.
11 At the beginning of your months you will bring a burnt-offering to Adonai, two young bulls, one ram, seven yearling lambs, [all] without blemish.	11 And at the beginning of your months you will offer a burnt sacrifice before the Lord; two young bullocks, without mixture, one ram, lambs of the year seven, unblemished;
12 And three tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour as a meal-offering mixed with the [olive] oil for each bull, two tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour as a meal-offering, mixed with the [olive] oil for the one ram,	12 and three tenths of flour mingled with oil for the mincha for one bullock; two tenths of flour with olive oil for the mincha of the one ram;
13 And one tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour as a meal-offering mixed with the [olive] oil for each lamb. A burnt-offering of pleasing aroma, a fire-offering to Adonai.	13 and one tenth of flour with olive oil for the mincha for each lamb of the burnt offering, an oblation to be received with favour before the Lord.
14 Their libations [will be], one half of a hin for (a) bull, one third of a hin for the ram, and one fourth of a hin for (the) lamb, of wine. This is the burnt-offering of each [Rosh] Chodesh, at its renewal throughout the months of the year.	14 And for their libation to be offered with them, the half of a hin for a bullock, the third of a hin for the ram, and the fourth of a hin for a lamb, of the wine of grapes. This burnt sacrifice will be offered at the beginning of every month in the time of the removal of the beginning of every month in the year;
15 And [You will also bring] one he-goat for a sin offering to Adonai, in addition to the constant (daily) burnt-offering it will be done, and its libation.	15 and one kid of the goats, for a sin offering before the Lord at the disappearing (failure) of the moon, with the perpetual burnt sacrifice will you perform with its libation.

Welcome to the World of P’shat Exegesis

In order to understand the finished work of the P’shat mode of interpretation of the Torah, one needs to take into account that the P’shat is intended to produce a catechetical output, whereby a question/s is/are raised and an answer/a is/are given using the seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel and as well as the laws of Hebrew Grammar and Hebrew expression.

The Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as follows

[cf. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=472&letter=R]:

1. Ḳal va-ḥomer: "Argumentum a minori ad majus" or "a majori ad minus"; corresponding to the scholastic proof a fortiori.

2. Gezerah shavah: Argument from analogy. Biblical passages containing synonyms or homonyms are subject, however much they differ in other respects, to identical definitions and applications.

3. Binyan ab mi-katub eḥad: Application of a provision found in one passage only to passages which are related to the first in content but do not contain the provision in question.

4. Binyan ab mi-shene ketubim: The same as the preceding, except that the provision is generalized from two Biblical passages.

5. Kelal u-Peraṭ and Peraṭ u-kelal: Definition of the general by the particular, and of the particular by the general.

6. Ka-yoẓe bo mi-maḳom aḥer: Similarity in content to another Scriptural passage.

7. Dabar ha-lamed me-'inyano: Interpretation deduced from the context.

Rashi’s Commentary for: ‎ Vayiqra (Leviticus) 26:3 – 27:34

3 If you follow My statutes I might think that this refers to the fulfillment of the commandments. However, when Scripture says, “and observe My commandments,” the fulfillment of the commandments is [already] stated. So what is the meaning of "If you follow My statutes"? It means that you must toil in the study of Torah [for the word for “follow” here, תֵּלֵכוּ, literally means “walk,” which is a strenuous activity (Gur Aryeh)].-[Torath Kohanim 26:2]

and observe My commandments You shall toil in the study of Torah in order to observe and fulfill [the commandments (Torath Kohanim 26:2). This is similar to, “[Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances...] and learn them, and keep in mind to do them” (Deut. 5:1) [i.e., learn the Torah in order to keep them in your heart and perform them].-[Sifthei Chachamim]

4 [I will give your rains] in their time at a time when people do not usually go out, for example, on Sabbath Eve.-[Ta’anith 23a]

the tree of the field This refers to trees [planted in the field, as opposed to the orchard,] that do not bear fruit, but are destined to bear fruit in the future.-[Torath Kohanim 26:5]

5 Your threshing will last until the vintage [and the vintage will last until the sowing] For the threshing will be so plentiful that you will be occupied with it until the vintage, and you will occupied with the vintage until the sowing season.-[Torath Kohanim 26:6]

you will eat your food to satiety One will eat only a little [food], but it will become blessed in one’s innards.-[Torath Kohanim 26:6]

6 And I will grant peace You might say, “Here is food, and here is drink, but if there is no peace, there is nothing!” Scripture, therefore, states, after all this [blessing], “I will grant peace in the Land.” From here, [we learn] that peace is equal to everything else. And so, [this is illustrated in our morning prayers,] when we say: “[Blessed are You, O Lord...] Who... makes peace and creates everything” [a paraphrase of the verse] (Isaiah 45:7). -[see Ber. 11b; Torath Kohanim 26:7]

and no army will pass through your land It is unnecessary to state that they will not come to wage war, but [they will not come] even to pass through your land from one country to another.-[Torath Kohanim 26:9]

7 [And they will fall] by the sword before you each man [falling] by the sword of his fellow.- [Torath Kohanim 26:9]

8 of you will pursue [It will require only five] of your weakest [to pursue a hundred enemies], and not of your strongest [i.e., מִכֶּם means “the weakest (מָךְ) of you.”]-[Sifthei Chachamim ; Torath Kohanim 26:10]

Five... will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand But is this calculation correct? [Since five will pursue a hundred, this means that each Jew will pursue twenty enemies;] therefore, should Scripture not have written here: "and a hundred of you will pursue two thousand"? But, [the Torah teaches us that] there is no comparison between a few who fulfill the Torah and many who fulfill the Torah [and thus, here, the larger the group of pursuers, the higher proportionately is the number pursued].-[Torath Kohanim 26:10]

and your enemies will fall [by the sword before you] [This promise, already stated in verse 7, is repeated here to teach us (Torath Kohanim 26:10)] that the enemy will fall before you, not in the usual manner [i.e., that many of them will fall by the hand of only a few.-[Rash MiShantz ad loc.]

9 I will turn towards you -"I will turn away (אֶפְנֶה) from all My affairs to pay your reward." To what may this be compared? To a king who hired some workers [only one of whom worked for him for a long time, while all the others did not. When they presented themselves to receive payment, the king quickly paid the others a small amount, while to the one who had worked long, he said, “They worked merely a little for me, but with you, I must now turn my attention to calculate the substantial amount that I owe you.” Likewise, God will quickly pay the nations the small amount He owes them for their little good deeds, and then He will turn His attention, as it were, to the Jewish people, to calculate their great reward,] as is taught in Torath Kohanim 26:11.]

and I will make you fruitful [Unlike the usual expression of פִּרְיָה וְרִבְיָה in Scripture, here, the two parts of this expression are separated by the word אֶתְכֶם (Sifthei Chachamim quoting Maharai). The first part, וְהִפְרֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם, refers to the blessing of] being fruitful and multiplying.-[Torath Kohanim 26:12] [while the second part,] וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֶתְכֶם [refers to the blessing of having] dignity of stature [(הִתְרַבְרְבוּת) i.e., being able to hold one’s head up high due to dignity].-[Mizrachi ; Torath Kohanim 26:12]

and I will set up My covenant with you a new covenant, not like the first covenant, which you broke, but a new covenant, which will not be broken, as it is said, “I will form a new covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah—not like the covenant [that I formed with their forefathers... that they broke]” (Jer. 31:30-31). -[Torath Kohanim 26:12]

10 You will eat very old [produce] [But what blessing is it to eat old food? The Torah, means, however, that] the produce will remain well preserved, growing mellow with age, so that very old produce from three years ago will be better to eat than that of last year.-[B.B. 91b]

and you will clear out the old from before the new The threshing floors will be full of new [grain, which would decay if left there, and, therefore, must be stored]. The storehouses, however, will be filled with the [abundant] old produce. Therefore, you will have to remove what is in the storehouses and take it elsewhere [in your house], in order to put the new produce into them. -[Sifthei Chachamim and see preceding Rashi ; B.B. 91b]

11 And I will place My dwelling This is the Holy Temple.-[see Er. 2a and Rashi there; Torath Kohanim 26:14]

and My Spirit will not reject you My Spirit will not be disgusted with you. Every [expression of] גְּעִילָה is an expression of the purging of something that had been absorbed by something else, as in the verse, “For there, the shield of the mighty was rejected (נִגְעֲל),” (II Sam. 1: 21), it did not accept that anointment, that [warriors] used to anoint their leather shields with cooked fat, in order to have attacking arrows or spears glide off it, rather than pierce the leather.

12 I will walk among you [God promises a blessing of special spiritual quality, involving intimate knowledge of Him (Zeidah Laderech):] “I will stroll with you in the Garden of Eden, as if I were one of you, and you will not be terrified of Me.” Now, one might think that you will not fear Me [under such “familiar” circumstances]. Scripture, therefore, says here, “and be your God.”- [Torath Kohanim 26:15]

13 I am the Lord, your God, [Who took you out of the land of Egypt] It is worthwhile for you to believe Me that I can do all these things, for indeed “I took you out of the land of Egypt” and performed great miracles for you.-[Torath Kohanim 26:16]

the pegs [A plowing yoke consists of a bar that is placed over the animal’s neck and reins that are placed under its neck and threaded through two holes at each end of the bar. This term מוֹט refers to] a type of peg, which is inserted into the two [holes at the] ends of the yoke. [These pegs therefore jam the reins tightly through the holes,] preventing the reins from coming off the ox’s head and [preventing the] undoing of the knot. [The term is] as [it appears] in the verse, “Make yourself reins and yoke-pegs (מֹטוֹת) ” (Jer. 27:2); cheville in French.

upright Erect in stature [due to relief from bondage].-[Torath Kohanim 26: 17]

14 But if you do not listen to Me to toil in [the study of] Torah in order to know the exposition of the Sages [corresponding to verse 3]. I might think that this refers to fulfilling the commandments. When Scripture says, “and you do not perform all these commandments,” the fulfillment of commandments is [already] stated. So what is the meaning of "if you do not listen to Me"? To toil in [the study of] Torah. And what is the meaning of "to Me"? This is speaking only about someone who knows his Master, and yet willfully rebels against Him (Sanh. 109a). Likewise, regarding Nimrod [whom Scripture calls], “a powerful hunter before the Lord ” (Gen. 10: 9), [it means that] he recognized God but intentionally rebelled against Him; likewise, regarding the people of Sodom, [referred to as], “very evil and sinful against the Lord ” (Gen. 13:13)—[it means that] they recognized their Master but intentionally rebelled against Him.-[Torath Kohanim 26:18]

and do not perform If you do not learn [the Torah], you will not perform. Scripture hereby enumerates two transgressions [namely, (a) not learning the Torah and therefore (b) not fulfilling its commandments properly].-[Torath Kohanim 26:18]

15 and if you despise My statutes [This refers to one who] despises others who perform [the commandments];-[Torath Kohanim 26:18]

and reject My ordinances [refers to one who] hates the Sages -[Torath Kohanim 26:18]

not performing [refers to someone who] prevents others from fulfilling [the commandments];-[Torath Kohanim 26:18]

any of my commandments [refers to one who] denies that I [God,] commanded them. This is why the verse says “any of My commandments” and “not any of the commandments.”-[Torath Kohanim 26:18]

thereby breaking My covenant [This refers to one who] denies the main tenet [of Judaism, namely, that God is the Omnipotent Creator of all existence (Torath Kohanim 26:18).] Hence, [this verse has enumerated] seven sins, the first leading to the second, and so on, until the seventh, [and the process of degeneration is] as follows: [First, a person] does not learn [the Torah]; then, he [subsequently] does not fulfill [the commandments]; he then despises others who do [fulfill them]; then, he hates the Sages, prevents others from fulfilling [the commandments], denies the [authenticity of the] commandments and [finally] denies the very omnipotence of God.

16 I will order I will order upon you.

consumption This is a disease that consumes the flesh; anpoles in Old French, blisters. [The afflicted] appears like one who has had swellings and whose swellings have abated, thereby causing a sad appearance to his face [due to the stretched skin sagging after the swellings have abated].

fever Heb. קַדַּחַת, an illness that makes the body feverish, heating it up and making it burn, like, “For a fire blazed (קָדְחָה) in My wrath” (Deut. 32:22).

that cause hopeless longing and depression Heb. מְכַלּות עֵינַיִם וּמְדִיבֹת נֶפֶשׁ. The eyes (עֵינַיִם) look with anticipation, longing (כָּלוֹת) to see that the illness will abate, and he will recover, but, he eventually does not recover, and depression (מְדִיבֹת נֶפֶשׁ) falls upon his family members when he dies. Any desire that is not realized or some prolonged yearning [for something], is termed כִּלְיוּן עֵינַיִם.

You will sow [your seed] in vain [and your enemies will eat it] You will sow, but it will not grow, and if it does grow—"your enemies will eat it."

17 I will set my attention [The word here פָנַי, means] My leisure. [Thus, God is saying here:] “I will turn (פּוֹנֶה) away from all My affairs, to harm you.”

Your enemies will rule over you Heb. וְרָדוּ. [This expression is to be understood] literally, namely, [that they] will rule over you. Now, the Aggadic explanation of this passage (beginning from verse 16), as taught in Torath Kohanim (26: 19-24), is as follows: [16]

Then I too, will do the same-Heb., אַף אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה זֹּאת. I will speak only out of wrath (אַף). Likewise, וְהָלַכְתִּי אַף אֲנִי עִמָּכֶם בְּקֶרִי (verse 24 below);

I will order upon you Heb., וְהִפְקַדְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם. The plagues will address (פּוֹקְדוֹת) you one immediately after the other; i.e., the first plague will not have even finished, when I will bring the next one upon you, right next to it.

shock Heb., בֶּהָלָה. This is a plague that shocks (מַבְהֶלֶת) people. And what is this? A plague [whose cure is anxiously] awaited, [and when the afflicted dies suddenly, people are (נִבְהָלִים)shocked];

Consumption... — Heb. אֶת הַשַּׁחֶפֶת וְאֶת הַקַדַּחַת מְכַלּות עֵינַיִם וּמְדִיבֹת נֶפֶשׁ. Sometimes, a person is sick and lies in bed, but his flesh is well preserved on him—therefore, Scripture states, שַׁחֶפֶת, [a disease that] consumes the flesh. Or occasionally, a person may be worn away [from disease], but is comfortable in that he has no burning fever. Therefore, Scripture states, וְאֶת הַקַדַּחַת, which teaches us that [the afflicted] will be burning with fever. Or sometimes, a person may be burning with fever, but he himself believes that he will survive. Therefore, Scripture states, “[and diseases] that cause hopeless longing” [explained above in Rashi to mean that he will not recover]. Or, although he himself does not believe that he will survive, nevertheless, others may believe that he will. Therefore, Scripture states, מְדִיבוֹת נֶפֶשׁ [explained above in Rashi to mean that the family members of the afflicted will be depressed due to his death];

You will sow your seed in vain You will sow your seed, but it will not grow. If this is the case, though, what would your enemies come and eat, that the verse should then state, "and your enemies will eat it"? What circumstance are we speaking about here? You will sow your seed one particular year, and it will not grow [then]; in the following year, however, it will grow, but then, your enemies will come and find the produce for the time of the siege. Thus, those inside [the besieged cities] will be dying of starvation, because they had not gathered in produce from the previous year. Another explanation of “You will sow your seed in vain” is that Scripture here is alluding to sons and daughters, namely, that you will invest hard work in your children, rearing them, but [the punishment of your] sin will come and consume them, as the verse says, “Those whom I have reared and brought up—my enemy has consumed” (Lam. 2:22). [17]

I will set My attention against you Just as it is said regarding the good, “I will turn towards you” (verse 9), so it is said regarding the bad, “I will set My attention [against you.” Our Sages] drew a parable to a king, who said to his servants [when they had not obeyed him]: “I am now turning my attention away from all my affairs, and I am occupying myself with you, to do [you] harm!”

and you will be smitten before your enemies Heb. וְנִגַּפְתֶּם, [lit., “and you will fall by the plague before your enemies,”] that the deathly plague will kill you inside [the besieged cities] while your enemies surround you from the outside [and rejoice that you are dying off within, from the plague];-[Sifthei Chachamim]

Your enemies will rule over you Heb. וְרָדוּ בָכֶם. I will make your enemies stem from within your very own people. For at the time that the nations stand up against Israel, they seek out only what is visible, as it is said, “And it happened, when Israel sowed, that Midian, Amalek, and the children of the East came up... and they camped against them and destroyed the Land’s produce” (Jud. 6:3-4). However, when I will set up [enemies] against you from within your very own camp, they will seek out your hidden treasures [within]. Thus, says the verse, “who ate the flesh of My people and flayed their skin from upon them [and opened their bones and broke them” (Micah 3:3)—the metaphor of breaking the bone to get to the marrow within, alluding to the enemy seeking out the hidden treasure within (Yosef Hallel)].

you will flee out of fright,

but no one will be pursuing you for lack of strength [left to pursue you.] -[Torath Kohanim 26:24] [This is the end of the Aggadic explanation given by Torath Kohanim. Now Rashi resumes his commentary, although sometimes quoting Torath Kohanim.]

18 And if, during these Heb. וְאִם־עַד־אֵלֶּה, [equivalent to:] וְאִם־בְּעוֹד־אֵלֶּה, lit., “and if, while (עוֹד) these [are transpiring], you [still] will not listen to Me.”

I will add more sufferings of a different [nature].

another seven... for your sins Seven retributions for your seven sins that have been enumerated earlier [not sevenfold for your sins].-[see Rashi verse 15 above; Torath Kohanim 26:26]

19 I will break the pride of your strength This is the Temple, and so Scripture says, “Behold I am profaning My Sanctuary, the pride of your strength” (Ezek. 24:21). -[Torath Kohanim 26:27]

and make your skies like iron and your land like copper This is more severe than that of Moses, for there he says, “And your sky above you will be [like] copper and the earth beneath you (like) iron” (Deut. 28:23), that the sky will sweat as copper sweats, and the earth will not sweat, just as iron does not sweat, and therefore, [the earth] will preserve [any of] its [existing] fruit. Here, however, [in this harsher curse, pronounced by God Himself,] the sky will not sweat, just as iron does not sweat, and therefore, there will be drought in the world, while the earth will sweat, just as copper sweats, thus causing its fruits to rot [through its dampness].-[Torath Kohanim 26:28]

20 Your strength will be expended in vain In the case of a man who did not toil, not having plowed, sown, weeded, cut off [the thorns], or hoed—at the time of harvest, if blight comes and ruins everything [that others worked on], it does not affect him at all. However, a man who did toil, who plowed, sowed, weeded, cut off [the thorns], and hoed—if blight comes and ruins everything, this man’s teeth become blunt [i.e., his spirit will surely be broken]! [Thus is the force of the retribution described here].-[Torath Kohanim 26:28]

your land will not yield its produce [Heb. יְבוּלָה. Even [that quantity of seed] that you “bring forth (מוֹבִיל) ” to [the field] at the time of sowing.- Torath Kohanim 26:29]

and the tree of the earth [will not give forth its fruit] [Why the expression "tree of the earth"? It means that] the trees will be smitten even from the earth, for they will not be able to put forth their fruits in the season when fruits sprout forth. [The production of fruit originates from the earth in which the tree is rooted. The tree will blossom, but the earth will have no power to bring forth fruit.] -[Sefer Hazikkaron ; Torath Kohanim 26:29]

will not give forth [This phrase comes after “the tree of the land” and before “its fruit” and must be understood here to] refer to both that [phrase] which is before it and that which comes after it, the trees and the fruits [and therefore, there are two separate retributions specified here (see next Rashi)].

will not give forth its fruit i.e., if a tree will produce any fruit (Mizrachi), they will drop off (Torath Kohanim 26:29). Thus, this [clause, “the tree of the land will not give forth its fruit”] represents two separate curses and [by so identifying them as two separate curses here, Rashi has shown that verses 19-20 have] now enumerated seven retributions here (see Rashi on verse 18) [namely: (a) Breaking the pride of your strength, (b) making your skies like iron, and (c) your land like copper, (d) that your strength will be expended in vain, (e) your land will not yield its produce, (f) trees will not be able to give forth their fruits altogether (see preceding Rashi), and (g) any fruit produced will drop off the tree]. [Torath Kohanim]

21 And if you treat me as happenstance Heb. קֶרִי. Our Rabbis said that [this word means] temporary, by chance (מִקְרֶה), something that happens only sometimes. Thus, [our verse means:] “If you treat the commandments as happenstance, a temporary concern.” Menachem [Ben Saruk], (Machbereth, p. 1158) however, explains [קֶרִי] as refraining. Similar is, “hold back (הֹקֵר)your steps” (Prov. 25:17), and also, “he who keeps back (יְקַר) his breath” (Prov. 17:27). And this explanation [of לָלֶכֶת עִמִּי קֶרִי] resembles Onkelos’s translation, namely, denoting hardness (קשִׁי), i.e., [those who commit the sin of לָלֶכֶת עִמִּי קֶרִי] harden (מַקְשִׁין) their hearts to refrain from coming close to Me.

I will add seven punishments corresponding to your sins Seven other punishments, with the number seven, corresponding to your sins. -[Torath Kohanim 26:30]

22 I will incite Heb. הִשְׁלַחְתּי, an expression of inciting.

and they will bereave you [From this verse,] I know only that wild beasts will bereave you, for this is their nature. How do I know that domestic animals, which are not accustomed [to kill people, that they too, will kill]? Therefore, Scripture says, “I will incite the teeth of livestock upon them” (Deut. 32:24). Thus, there are two [punishments—both wild beasts and domestic animals attacking people]. How do I know that they will kill through their bite? Because that verse continues, "with the venom of the creatures that slither in the dust"—just as those [snakes] kill through their bite, these also will kill through their bite, and indeed, there were years in the Land of Israel, when [domestic] donkeys used to bite and kill, wild donkeys bit and killed.-[see Rashi Deut 32:24.; Torath Kohanim 26:31] [Be’er Mayim Chayim writes that the wild donkey is basically a domestic animal, but, as Leket Bahir comments, it lives in the wilderness and is therefore considered a wild animal. See also Sefer Hazikkaron. Extant editions of Torath Kohanim read: Donkeys would bite and kill; oxen would bite and kill.]

and they will bereave you these are the young children.

utterly destroy your livestock from outside [your city].

and diminish you from within [your city].

and your roads will become desolate The major trails and the minor trails. Here you have seven punishments: 1) the teeth of domestic animals, 2) the teeth of wild animals, 3) the venom of the crawling things of the dust, 4) and they will bereave [you], 5) utterly destroy [you], 6) and diminish [you], 7) and [your roads] will become desolate.

23 you will not be chastised to Me to return to Me.

25 the avenging of a covenant [Since] there is also an avenging which is not of the covenant [i. e., not stated here in the Torah, such as those] in the manner of other avengings and this is the blinding of the eyes of Zedekiah (see II Kings, 25:7) [i.e., blinding is not one of the punishments enumerated here]. Another explanation of “the avenging of a covenant”: The avenging [here] will be because you broke My covenant [namely, the Torah] (Sifthei Chachamim and Onkelos ; Shab. 33a). Wherever the expression of “bringing חֶרֶב ” appears in Scripture, it refers to a war of enemy armies.

and you will gather [into your cities] from the outside, to the inside of the cities, due to the siege.-[Torath Kohanim 26:33]

I will then incite the plague in your midst [and you will be delivered into the enemy’s hands] Through this plague, you will be delivered over to the hands of your enemies who are besieging you (see preceding Rashi); because since one may not allow a dead person to remain [unburied] overnight in Jerusalem (B.K. 82b), when they bring out their dead for burial, they will then be “delivered into the enemy’s hands.”-[Torath Kohanim 26:33]

26 the staff of bread Heb. מַטֵּה. [This expression] denotes [a source of] “support” [namely, food or bread, just as a staff (מַטֵּה) supports a person (Mizrachi)], similar to “staff (מַטֵּה) of strength” (Jer. 48:17).

When I break for you the staff of bread I will break every support of bread that you have.-[Torath Kohanim 26:34] This refers to “the arrows of hunger” (see Ezek. 5:16 where both of these expressions appear, and Redak identifies the “arrows of hunger” as blight, mildew, and locusts, which destroy some or most of the grain).

and ten women will bake your bread in one oven because of lack of wood.-[Torath Kohanim 26:34]

and they will bring back your bread by weight The grain will rot, and the bread will become crumbly, breaking apart inside the oven. The women, therefore, will sit and weigh the broken pieces, to divide them among themselves.-[Torath Kohanim 26:34]

and you will eat, yet not be satisfied This describes a curse within the intestines. [Once again,] seven retributions [are enumerated here (verses 25-26) corresponding to the seven sins (see Rashi on verses 15, 18, 20 and 22 above)], namely: (a) the attacking armies, (b) the siege, (c) the plague, (d) the destruction of food supply, (e) a lack of wood, (f) crumbly bread and (g) a curse in the intestines. The clause, “you will be delivered [into the enemy’s hand]” (in verse 25), does not count [as a separate retribution because it] is [part of] the attacking armies.

30 your edifices Towers and castles.

your sun-idols A type of idol that they would place upon the rooftops, and since they would stand in the sun (חַמָּה), they are called “sun idols.” (חַמָּנִים) -[Torath Kohanim 19:7]

I will make your corpses [fall] upon [the corpses of your idols] [How so?] The people would be swollen from starvation; [and in a futile gesture of homage,] they would take out their idol from their bosom and kiss it; their bellies would burst open, and they would fall down [dead] on top of it.-[Torath Kohanim 26:36]

and My Spirit will reject you This is the departure of the Divine Presence.-[Torath Kohanim 26:36]

31 I will lay your cities waste I might think that this means [desolate] of people [who reside there (Mizrachi)]. When the [next verse] says, “I will make the Land desolate,” [desolation of] people [who reside there] is [already] stated. So what is the meaning of "waste"? [It means that the Land will be desolate] of any passerby.-[Torath Kohanim 26:2]

and your holy places מִקְדְּשֵׁיכֶם

desolate I might think that this means [desolate] of sacrifices. [However,] when [Scripture] states, “and I will not partake [of your pleasant fragrances],” [desolation of] sacrifices is stated. So what is the meaning of "and make your holy places desolate"? It means [desolate] of throngs (Torath Kohanim 26:4) - these are the caravans of Israelites who prepare themselves (מִתְקַדְּשׁוֹת) and gather to go there [to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem]. [Here also,] seven retributions [are enumerated here (verses 29-31) corresponding to the seven sins (see Rashi on verses 15, 18, 20 and 22 above)], namely: eating the flesh of sons and daughters, edifices being demolished; thus we have two [retributions enumerated]. The cutting down of sun-idols is not [counted as a separate] retribution, but rather, [part of this second one, for] as a consequence of the edifices being demolished, the sun-idols that had been erected on the rooftops (see Rashi verse 30 above) will fall off [these tall buildings] and be destroyed; I will make your corpses [(fall) upon the corpses of your idols]—that makes three; the departure of the Divine Presence—four; the cities being laid waste, the desolation of the holy places from throngs, and I will not partake [of the pleasant fragrances of] your sacrifices—in total, seven [even though the ensuing verses go on to mention several other additional hardships that are not actually part of these seven, but that Israel will have to endure if they sin (Mizrachi)].

32 I will make the Land desolate This is actually a good thing for Israel, namely, that since the Land will be desolate of people living in it, the enemies will not find contentment in Israel’s Land [and will have to leave].-[Sifthei Chachamim ; Torath Kohanim 26:38]

33 And you, I will scatter among the nations This [though,] is a harsh thing [for Israel], for when the people of a country are exiled to the same place, they see each other and find solace. However, Israel was scattered as if through a winnowing basket, just as a person who scatters barley through a sieve [so that] not one of them is attached to another.-[Torath Kohanim 26:39]

and I will unsheathe Heb. וַהֲרִיקֹתִי, [lit., “I will empty out,” which means here to unsheathe, because] when one unsheathes a sword, the sheath is emptied out (מִתְרוֹקֵֵן). And the Midrashic explanation [based on the term לְהָרִיק, often used to mean “to empty out water,” is as follows]: The sword that will be taken out against you will not return quickly [to its sheath]. This is like a person who empties out (מֵרִיק) [a pitcher of] water, which does not return [to the pitcher].-[Torath Kohanim 26: 39]

Your land will be desolate For you will not hasten to return into it, and subsequently, “your cities will be laid waste,” i.e., they will appear to you as having been [permanently] laid waste. For when a person is exiled from his house, from his vineyard, and from his city, but he [knows that he] that he will ultimately return, [in his eyes,] it is as though his vineyard and house are not laid waste [whereas here, since Israel will give up hope of returning to their Land, it will appear to them as having been laid waste]; thus is it taught in Torath Kohanim (26:40).

34 Then, the Land will be appeased [This verb is in the reflexive form and the meaning is: Then, the Land will be appeased, and in turn,] appease the anger of the Omnipresent, Who had been angry regarding the Land’s Shemittah years (Mizrachi) [and thus appease [God regarding them].

and thus appease [This verb is in the causative form, meaning: The Land will appease] the King regarding its sabbaticals (Mizrachi).

35 all the days that it remains desolate [This word הָשַּׁמָּה is in the passive form, just] like the word הֵעָשׂוֹת [and means “being desolate”]. The [root of the word, שׁמם, actually has two letters מ, and our word should therefore appear as הָשַּׁמָמָּה Since this is difficult to pronounce, however, the first] “mem” is vocalized with a dagesh, which replaces the [second, omitted “mem,” rather than having the full word with a] double ["mem" in it, as in the noun form,] שְׁמָמָה.

whatever it had not rested on your sabbaticals The seventy years of the Babylonian exile [i.e., between the destruction of the first Temple and the building of the second,] corresponded to the seventy years of Shemittah and Jubilee years that took place during the years that Israel angered the Omnipresent while in their Land, [a total of] 430 years. Three hundred and ninety years were the years of their sinning from when they entered the land until the Ten Tribes were exiled, and the people of Judah angered Him for forty more years from the time the Ten Tribes were exiled until the destruction of Jerusalem. This is what is referred to in Ezek. (4:4-5) [when God makes Ezekiel figuratively suffer one day for each year Israel sinned, in order to atone for their sins], "And you shall lie on your left side (symbolizing the house of Israel, i.e., the ten tribes)... [Now I have made for you the years of their iniquity by the number of days, three hundred and ninety days, and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel]. And when you complete these, you shall lie on your right side a second time, and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah: forty days [a day for a year, a day for a year, I have given it to you]." Now, this prophecy was stated to Ezekiel in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile. And [since the people of Judah] spent another six years [in the Land] until Zedekiah’s exile, totaling forty-six [sinful years of the house of Judah, and hence, of the 850 years the people of Israel spent from the time of their entry into the Land until their eventual exile from it after the destruction of the first Holy Temple, they sinned for a total of 436 years]. Now, you might object, saying that King Manasseh [who was born immediately after the ten tribes were exiled, and who] ruled for fifty-five years [and so, even without taking into account the sinful years during the reigns of all the other kings of Judah, fifty-five years alone is more than forty-six, so surely the calculation is incorrect]! [However,] Manasseh repented [his evil ways] for thirty- three [of the fifty-five] years [of his reign], and thus, his sinful years [amounted to] twenty-two years, as it is written, “and he made an asherah as Ahab, the king of Israel, had made” (II Kings 21: 3), and Ahab ruled for twenty-two [sinful] years, [so did Manasseh sin for twenty-two of his fifty- five year reign,] as is taught in the Aggadah of [the eleventh chapter of Tractate Sanh. (103a), entitled] Cheilek. [Thus, the number of years that the house of Judah sinned was: 22 years during the reign of Manasseh,] two during [the reign of] Amon, eleven during [the reign of] Jehoiakim and the same [i.e., another eleven] during [the reign of] Zedekiah [making a total of 46 years. The other kings of Judah are not included in the calculation, because during the righteous Josiah’s reign, Israel did not sin, while Jehoachaz and Jehoiachin each ruled for only three months. Let us now] go and calculate, for the [period of] 436 years [of sin], how many Shemittah and Jubilee years transpired during the years, at a rate of sixteen in every hundred years: 14 Shemittah years and two Jubilee years [totaling 16 sabbatical years]. Therefore, for 400 years, we have 64, and for the remaining 36 years, there are five [cycles of seven years and thus five] Shemittah years, making a total of [64 and 5 =] seventy minus one [i.e., 69 unobserved sabbatical years in that total of 436 sinful years in that period]. And [we must add to this calculation] an extra year—this extra year was the [last sinful] year [of the 436,] which began another Shemittah cycle [and God exiled Israel then and did not wait for the completion of that cycle for them to desecrate the seventieth Shemittah year—out of mercy for them, so that they would not have to endure the punishment of utter destruction, God forbid.] -[see Deut. 4:25 and Rashi there; Sifthei Chachamim] [This extra year, nevertheless, is included in the calculation here, as though another sabbatical had gone by unobserved, thereby] completing the seventy [unobserved sabbatical years of that period]. And for these [unobserved sabbaticals], a full seventy years [of exile] were decreed. And thus is it stated in (II) Chron. (36:21), “until the Land was appeased regarding its Sabbaths; [for all the days of its desolation it rested,] until the completion of seventy years.” -[See Sefer Hazikkaron for the explanation of this Rashi.]

36 I will bring fear Heb. מֹרֶךְ, fear and timidity (רֹךְ) of heart (see Torath Kohanim 26:43). The letter “mem” of מֹרֶךְ is [actually part of] the root [of the word, but occasionally] is omitted (see Rashi on Gen. 17:11 and 49:10) [and does not appear in other forms of the word, e.g., לְבַבְכֶם אַל־יֵרַךְ (Deut. 20:3)], like the “mem” of מוֹעֵד and מוֹקֵשׁ [where the “mem” is also part of the root, but is omitted in different forms of these words, e.g., וְנוֹעַדְתּי שָׁמָה (Exod. 29:43) and, יָקוּשׁ (Hos. 9:8)].-[Meira Dachya]

they will flee as one flees the sword i.e., as if murderers are pursuing them [but only “as if,” because “there will be no pursuer. ” -[Mizrachi]

a rustling leaf Heb., עָלֶה נִדָּף, lit., a “ pushed” leaf, that the wind “pushes,” striking it against another leaf, so that it knocks and makes a sound. And so does the Targum [Onkelos] render: קַל טַרְפָא דְשָׁקִיף, an expression of striking, like שְׁדוּפוֹת קָדִים, beaten by the east wind (Gen. 41:6), [which Onkelos renders:] שְׁקִיפָן קִדּוּם, [and it is like] the term מַשְׁקוֹף, lintel, the place where the door slams. Similar is [Onkelos’s] translation of חַבּוּרָה ["bruise" (Exod. 21:25), which he renders:], מַשְׁקוֹפֵי [which actually means “blow,” since the bruise is a result of a blow on the body (see Rashi there)]. [Although the word נִדָָּף actually means “pushed,” Onkelos conveys the result of one leaf being pushed against another, namely, that it “strikes” its neighboring leaf. (Mizrachi).]

37 Each man will stumble over his brother When they run away to flee, they will stumble over each other, because they will flee in panic.

as if from the sword i.e., as if fleeing from [people] who want to kill them, for they will have fear in their hearts, and every moment, they will think that someone is chasing them. And the Midrashic explanation of וְכָשְׁלוּ אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו is: “Each man will stumble because of his brother,” i.e., one person will stumble because of somone else’s sin, because all Jews are guarantors for one another. -[Torath Kohanim 26:45, Sanh. 27b]

38 You will become lost among the nations When you will be scattered, you will become lost from one another.

and the land of your enemies will consume you This refers to those [Jews] who will die in the Diaspora.

39 because the iniquities of their fathers are still with them If they hold onto the [evil] practices of their forefathers in their hands.-[Sanh. 27b]

they will rot away Heb. יִמָּקּוּ, an expression of melting, and has the same meaning as יִמַּסּוּ, “they will melt.” Similar is, “their eyes will melt (תִּמַּקְנָה) in their sockets” (Zech. 14:12), and, “my bruises are... decayed (נָמַקּוּ) ” (Ps. 38: 6).

41 Then I too, will... bring them [... (back while) in the land of their enemies] -"I Myself will bring them [back]!" This is a good thing for Israel, so that they should not say, “Since we have been exiled among the nations, we may as well behave like them!” [Says God in answer to this:] “I will not allow them [to do this]! Rather, I will set up My prophets, and bring them back [to Me] under My very wings!” as it is said, “But what enters your mind shall not come about, [what you say, 'Let us be like the nations, like the families of the lands, serving wood and stone’]. As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with poured out fury, will I reign over you!” (Ezek. 20:32-33). -[Torath Kohanim 26:48]

If then... becomes humbled Heb. אוֹ אָז יִכָּנַע[This unusual expression, אוֹ אָז, is] similar to that in the verse, אוֹ נוֹדַע כִּי שׁוֹר נַגָּח הוּא, “If it was known that it was a [habitually] goring bull” (Exod. 21:36). [Thus, the meaning of this verse is: If they want to become like the nations, I will have to take them back to Me against their will] but, if (אוֹ) their clogged heart then (אָז) becomes humbled [without force, their sufferings will atone for them...] (Sifthei Chachamim). Another meaning [of אוֹ אָז is:] Perhaps. [Thus, the verse means:] “Perhaps then, their blocked heart will become humbled....”

then, [their sufferings] will gain appeasement for their iniquity [means that] they will gain atonement for their iniquity through their sufferings.

42 And I will remember My covenant [with] Jacob Heb. יַעֲקוֹב. [The name יַעֲקוֹב is] written in full, [i.e., with a “vav,”] in five places [in Scripture], and [the name] אֵלִיָּהוּ is written defectively [without a “vav,” i.e., אֵלִיָּה also] in five places [in Scripture]. Jacob took a letter ["vav"] from the name of Elijah [the Prophet] as security—that he will come and herald the redemption of his [Jacob’s] children [and since this is Elijah’s mission in life, his name will remain “incomplete,” as it were, until he fulfills it, speedily, in our days. The five instances of the “vav” symbolize the five fingers of the hand; i.e., this security arrangement between Jacob and Elijah was sealed by a handshake (Gur Aryeh)]. I will remember My covenant [with] Jacob, and also... Isaac, and also... Abraham] Why are the forefathers enumerated in reverse order? To inform [you that the youngest patriarch,] Jacob is [alone] worthy of this [i.e., that Israel be redeemed through his merit alone], but if this is not enough, then Isaac is together with him, and if this is not enough, then Abraham is with him, and [Abraham] is certainly worthy. And why is the expression “remembering” not used with Isaac? [Because] Isaac’s ashes (see Rashi on Gen. 22:13; Bereishith Rabbah 56:9; Tanchuma Shelach 14) [always] appear before Me, gathered up and placed upon the altar" [and therefore, God does not have to “remember” Isaac, for Isaac is never forgotten].-[Hagahoth Ubiyurei Hagra on Torath Kohanim]

43 This was all in retribution for [means:] "In retribution (יַעַן) and in retribution (וּבְיַעַן) [i.e., in retribution] for their having despised My ordinances [and in retribution (וּבְיַעַן) for their having rejected My statutes]."-[Mizrachi]

44 But despite all this Moreover (אַף), even though (גַּם) I will mete out this (זֹאת) retribution upon them which I have described [for them] when they are in the land of their enemies—nevertheless, I will not despise them... to annihilate them, thereby breaking My covenant that is with them.

45 The covenant [made with] the ancestors i.e., with the Tribes.-[Torath Kohanim 26:53]

46 the laws - וְהַתּוֹרוֹת. [Why the plural form, ”וְהַתּוֹרוֹת“ ? This denotes two Torahs -] one Written Torah and one Oral Torah. It teaches us that all were given to Moses on [Mount] Sinai.-[Torath Kohanim 26:54]

Chapter 27

2 When a man expresses Expresses verbally.

[pledging the] value of lives to give the valuation of his life, i.e., saying: “I take it upon myself [to donate to the Holy Temple] the value (בְּעֶרְכְּךָ) of a vital (נְפָשֹׁת) organ, [such as the head or the liver]”-[Torath Kohanim 26:57, Arachin 20a]

3 the [fixed] value... shall be The value stated here is not an expression of monetary value [the usual market value of a person sold as a slave], but, whether he has a high market value or a low one, the value fixed for him in this passage is according to his age. the value Heb. הָעֶרְכְּךָ [The last letter of this word, ךָ, is not the second person pronominal suffix, “your,” but rather, a double of the preceding letter כ, and therefore, this word is] the same as עֵרֶךְ, “value.” And I do not know what the double כ denotes here.

5 And if... five years old Not that the one who is vowing is a minor, because a minor’s words have no validity. Rather, [our verse is speaking of] an adult who says: “I take upon myself [to donate to the Holy Temple] the value of this five-year-old” [i.e., the subject of our verse is the person who is to be evaluated].

7 And if [the person is] sixty years old [or over] When people reach a venerable age, a woman’s value becomes closer to that of a man. This is why a man decreases [in value] in his old age [to] beyond a third of his value [as an adult, namely, from 50 shekels to 15], while a woman [in her old age] decreases [to] only one third of her value [namely, from 30 shekels to 10]. As people say: "An old man in the house is a breach in the house (Rashi) [or] a snare in the house (Rabbenu Gershom ), while an old woman in the house is a hidden treasure in the house and a good sign for the house. "-[Arachin 19a]

8 But if he is [too] poor that he cannot afford to pay this [fixed] valuation amount,

he shall stand him up [i.e., the one making the vow should stand up] the one whose value he pledged, before the kohen, [who] will then evaluate him in view of how much the one pledging the valuation, can afford.-[see next Rashi ; Torath Kohanim 27:62]

according to how much [the one who is vowing his value] can afford [The kohen] shall estimate the valuation, with reference to how much [the one who is vowing] owns, leaving him his basic life necessities, namely, a bed, a bolster, a pillow, and tools of trade—e.g., if he is a donkey-driver, the kohen must [make the valuation such that he] leaves him his donkey.-[Arachin 23b]

9 [If... an animal...] whatever part of it the person donates [... shall become holy] If a person says, “The leg of this animal shall be a burnt-offering,” his words have validity. [And how is his vow expedited?] The [entire] animal [except for its leg] should be sold to one who needs a burnt-offering, and the money [received from this sale] which excludes the value of that limb [as stated above], becomes non-consecrated, [and then the entire animal can be brought by both parties as a burnt-offering].-[Arachin 5a, Temurah 11b, Raavad on Torath Kohanim]

10 whether it be a good one for a bad one i.e., an unblemished animal in place of a blemished one,

or a bad one in place of a good one And how much more so [should he receive lashes if he replaced] a good [unblemished animal] for another good one, or if he replaced a bad [blemished animal] with another bad one [in which cases he did not raise the standard of the consecrated animal].-[Torath Kohanim 27:71; Temurah 9a]

11 And if it is any unclean animal [But the case of an unclean animal is stated later (verse 27); so what “unclean animal” is meant?] The text is speaking about a blemished animal, which is “unclean” [i.e., unfit] for sacrifice. And Scripture is teaching us that unblemished consecrated animals cannot leave [their holy status and enter] into a mundane status through redemption, unless they become blemished.-[Men. 101a, Temurah 32b, 33a]

12 like the evaluation of the kohen, so shall it be for anyone else [but the owner], who wishes to purchase it from the possession of the Temple treasury,

13 But if he redeems it [i.e., if the owner himself redeems the animal]. Scripture is more stringent with the owner, [obligating him] to add a fifth [to its value (see B.M. 54a, regarding the meaning of fifth)]. Likewise, in the case of one who consecrates his house, and likewise, in the case of one who consecrates his field, and likewise, in the case of the redemption of the Second Tithe—[in all these cases,] the owners must add a fifth [to the value], but no one else [who redeems these items must add a fifth]. [Torath Kohanim 27:83]

16 the valuation shall be according to its sowing And not according to its value, whether it is a field of good quality or a field of bad quality, their redemption from consecration is equal, [namely]: The area requiring a kor (a chomer in Scripture) of barley seeds [must be redeemed] for fifty [silver] shekels. This is Scripture’s decree.-[Torath Kohanim 27:90] Now, this applies to one who comes to redeem it at the beginning of the Jubilee cycle [namely, in its first year]. However, if he comes to redeem it in the middle [of the Jubilee cycle, i.e., after the first year has elapsed], he must pay according to the calculation of one sela (i.e., a shekel) and a pundyon (one forty-eighth of a shekel) per year [depending on how many years until the next Jubilee (see Rashi on verse 18 below)].-[Arachin 25a] [And why so?] Because property is consecrated only according to the years of the Jubilee cycle—if it is redeemed [within the Jubilee cycle], very good, [i.e., it reverts to its original owners and is no longer Temple property]; but if not, the [Temple] treasurer sells it to someone else at the aforementioned rate, and it remains in the purchaser’s possession until the next Jubilee, just like any other fields which are sold. Then, when it leaves the possession of this purchaser [in the Jubilee], it reverts to the kohanim of that watch, namely, [namely, the shift officiating] when [Yom Kippur of that] Jubilee occurs, and is apportioned among them.-[Arachin 28b] [The kohanim are divided into 24 family watches, or shifts, each in rotation for two or three one-week periods every year.] This is the law stated regarding one who consecrates a field. I will now explain it according to the order of the verses.

17 Now, if he consecrates his field from [when] the Jubilee year [has ended] If, as soon as the Jubilee year has ended, he immediately consecrates [his property i.e., within that first year of the next Shemittah and Jubilee cycle], and then he comes to redeem it immediately [i.e., before that first year has ended].

it shall remain at [its full] valuation i.e., like this aforementioned (in verse 16) valuation, it shall be, [namely,] he must give fifty silver shekels [for the size of field stated].-[see Arachin 24b]

18 But if he consecrates his field after the Jubilee, [the kohen should calculate the money for him.... [And not only in this case, but] likewise, if [the original owner] had consecrated the property immediately after the Jubilee ended, and it remained in the possession of the treasurer, and this one comes to redeem it after [this first year following] the Jubilee -

the kohen shall calculate the money for him, according to the remaining years [until the (next) Jubilee year] according to the rate. How? [Scripture] has stated the fixed value [of redemption for a field whose size is that stated in our verse,] for forty-nine years as fifty [silver] shekels, i.e., one shekel for each of the [49] years and an extra shekel [paid over] all the [49] years. Now, a shekel is equivalent to 48 pundyons. Thus, one sela [i.e., a shekel] and one pundyon for each year, except that one pundyon is missing for all of them [i.e., if we figure fifty shekels, we have only 49 shekels and 48 pundyons, which is less than a sela and a pundyon per year, but the redeemer is required to pay one extra pundyon per a 49-year period, for] our Rabbis taught (Bech. 50a) that, the [extra] pundyon is a surcharge for [currency exchange of] small coins [i.e., if someone comes to purchase a silver shekel with pundyons, he will be charged 49 of them, the extra pundyon being a surcharge for attaining the more significant single shekel coin rather than many small coins. This surcharge, then, is passed on to the one who wishes to redeem the field. Hence, at an annual rate of one shekel and one pundyon, the redeemer is actually paying one forty-ninth of a pundyon currency exchange surcharge every year]. And therefore, someone who comes to redeem [a field], must pay one sela [i.e., a shekel] and one pundyon for every year left until the next Jubilee year.

thereby deducting from the [full] valuation [amount] the number of years from the [preceding] Jubilee year until the redemption year.

19 If the [one who consecrated it] redeems the field The person who consecrated it must add a fifth to this set amount.-[see Rashi on preceding verse; Mizrachi]

20 But if he does not redeem the field [i.e., if] the one who consecrated [the field does not redeem it].

and if... has sold [i.e., if] the treasurer (444 Arachin 25b) has sold

the field to someone else—it may no longer be redeemed to revert to the possession of the one who consecrated it [i.e., the original owner, come Jubilee].-[Sifthei Chachamim]

21 But, when the field leaves in the Jubilee the possession of the one who had purchased it from the treasurer, just like all fields that leave the possession of their purchasers, come Jubilee.

holy to the Lord This does not mean that it reverts to the treasurer as sacred property designated for maintenance of the Holy Temple. Rather, it is “like a field devoted” which is given to the kohanim, as it is said, “Anything devoted in Israel shall belong to you” (Num. 18:14). This too shall be divided in Jubilee among the kohanim of the watch at that time, namely, when Yom Kippur of that Jubilee occurs.-[Arachin 28b]

22 And if [he consecrates...] a field that he had acquired... There is a difference between an acquired field (שְׂדֵה מִקְנֶה) and a field that is part of inherited property (שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה), namely, that the acquired field is not apportioned among the kohanim in the Jubilee because [the acquirer] can consecrate the field only until Jubilee, for in the Jubilee, the field is destined to leave his possession and revert to the original owner [from whom he acquired it]. Therefore, if he [the original owner (Panim Yafoth ; Malbim)] comes to redeem [his property,] he must redeem it with that same fixed rate of valuation for a field that was part of an inherited property. [Should the one who consecrated it redeem it, according to the Sages, he redeems it according to its market value.] But if he does not redeem it, and the treasurer sells it to someone else, or if he does redeem it [according to Tos., Arachin 26b, the reading in Rashi is: If no one redeemed it, and it remained in the possession of the treasurer] in the Jubilee year the field reverts to the one from whom the one who consecrated it bought it, [i.e., the original owner of the field]. Now, lest you say that [the expression] לַאֲשֶׁר קָנֵהוּ מֵאִתּוֹ (in verse 24 below) [refers to] the one from whom this acquirer most recently acquired the field, namely, the treasurer [and that our verse is thus stating here that come Jubilee, the field “reverts” to the treasurer]. Therefore, it was necessary to state (verse 24), "namely, the one whose inherited land it was," i.e., inherited from his ancestors—referring, therefore, to the original owner who had sold [the field] to the one who consecrated it.-[Arachin 26b]

25 Every valuation shall be made according to the holy shekel i.e., every valuation regarding which shekels are written, will be made according to the holy shekel.

one shekel is the equivalent of twenty gerahs Twenty ma’ahs. This was how it was originally. However, in later times, they “added a sixth” [i.e., instead of a dinar being worth five ma’ahs (or gerahs), it became worth six ma’ahs (or gerahs)]. And indeed, our Rabbis taught: "A dinar is comprised of six ma’ahs of silver, and [since a shekel is worth four dinars,] there are twenty-four ma’ahs to one sela (i.e., shekel)" [as opposed to twenty ma’ahs in the shekel of the Torah].-[Bech. 50a]

26 no man may consecrate it for the purpose of any other sacrifice, because it does not belong to him [but from its birth, a firstborn animal is designated as holy, to be given to the kohanim].- [Torath Kohanim 27:107]

27 Now, if [someone consecrates] an unclean animal [lit., “And if it is with an unclean animal....”] This verse does not refer back to firstborn animals [discussed in the preceding verse], for it cannot state of a firstborn unclean animal that “he may redeem [it] by [paying] the valuation” [for the only unclean animal to which the law of the firstborn applies is a donkey (see Exod. 13:12-13)]; and this [verse] cannot refer to a donkey, because the firstborn of a donkey can be redeemed only with a lamb (see Exod. 13:13), which becomes a gift to the kohen and is not given to the Sanctuary [as does the valuation money in our verse]. Rather, our verse here is referring back to consecration [of one’s possessions to the Temple], for Scripture above (verses 11-13) was speaking about the redemption of a clean animal that had been [consecrated and subsequently] blemished (see Rashi there), and here, our verse is speaking about one who consecrates an unclean animal for maintenance of the Temple.-[Men. 101a]

he may redeem [it] by [paying] the valuation According to how much the kohen will assess its value.

and if it is not redeemed By the owner,

it shall be sold for the valuation [price] to others.-[Torath Kohanim 27: 108]

28 However, anything that a man devotes... Our Rabbis are in dispute regarding this matter [of devoted property]: Some say that unqualified vows of devoted property [i.e., he says, “This is hereby devoted (חֵרֶם),” and does not specify,] go [automatically] to Sanctuary moneys [designated for maintenance of the Temple. Now, according to this ruling,] what then is the meaning of, "Anything devoted in Israel shall belong to you"? (Num. 18:14). This refers to vows of devoted property specifically designated to the kohanim, whereby someone says explicitly: “This is ((חֵרֶם)devoted for the kohen.” But some [Rabbis] say that unqualified vows of devoted property go [automatically] to the kohanim.-[Arachin 28b]

shall not be sold, nor shall it be redeemed But, it must be given to the kohen. [For] according to those who rule that unqualified vows of devoted property go [automatically] to the kohanim (see preceding Rashi), they explain this verse as referring to unqualified vows of devoted property, while those who rule that unqualified vows of devoted property go [automatically] to [Sanctuary moneys designated for] maintenance of the Temple, explain this verse as referring to vows of devoted property specifically designated to the kohanim. For all agree that devoted property specifically designated to kohanim does not have any redemption, until it falls into the possession of the kohen [and the property then becomes completely non-consecrated and can even be sold by the kohen (Sifthei Chachamim)]. Devoted property to the One on High [i.e., specifically designated to the maintenance of the Holy Temple, on the other hand], may be redeemed [at its market value even before it reaches the Temple treasury, and its redemption moneys go for maintenance of the Holy Temple, and the property itself then becomes non-consecrated].-[Sifthei Chachamim ; Arachin 29a]

all devoted things are holy of holies Those who rule that unqualified vows of devoted property go for maintenance of the Holy Temple, bring this verse as proof [to their position]. However, those who rule that unqualified vows of devoted property go to the kohanim, explain the phrase here, “all devoted things are holy of holies (קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים),” to mean that the act of devoting items to the kohanim can take effect upon [animal sacrifices with the degree of] “holy of holies” [indicated by the use of the double expression here, קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים] and [moreover, even the single expression itself here, קֹדֶשׁ, indicates that this act can take effect upon sacrifices with a degree] of lesser holiness. Thus, [if someone undertakes to bring a sacrifice, allocates which animal he is to sacrifice and then subsequently devotes that animal to the kohanim,] he must give [the relevant money (see below)] to the kohen [and then sacrifices the animal for the offering he had undertaken], just as we have learnt in Tractate Arachin (28b): If [he made] a vow (נֶדֶר) [to bring a sacrifice, i.e., he said, “I take upon myself (to bring an animal as such-and-such a sacrifice)” (see Rashi on Lev. 22:18)—in this case, if an animal he had then allocated becomes lost or blemished, he must fulfill his vow with a replacement animal, for his vow was to bring a sacrifice and was not limited to that particular animal. Therefore, in the case of a devoted vow ((נֶדֶר),] he must give [to the kohen, money worth] the full value [of the animal, for it is still considered fully his when he devoted it to the kohen]. And if [he committed himself in the form of] a donation (נְדָבָה) [saying, “This particular animal is to be brought as such-and-such a sacrifice” (see Rashi on Lev. 22:18)—in this case, if the animal he had allocated becomes lost or blemished, he need not replace it, for his undertaking was limited only to that particular animal, and therefore the animal is no longer considered his. Therefore, in the case of a devoted donation (נְדָבָה),] he need give only [the monetary value of] the “benefit” for the [animal which means: Since in case the animal is lost or dies, he would not be required to bring another one in replacement, then once he has set the animal aside for the purpose of that particular sacrifice, he is considered to have already fulfilled his duty, and so, his actual sacrificing it becomes simply a gift to God, as it were. Enjoying this gesture of presenting a gift to God is the “benefit” he has from that animal and which is also the extent of his monetary ownership. This “benefit” is valued as follows: Someone else, who was not obligated to bring this sacrifice, is asked how much he would pay to have this animal sacrificed in his name as a gift to God. The amount that this person states is the amount that the one devoting must give to the kohen , and then he must bring the animal as a sacrifice, as per his undertaking to bring a donation].- [Mishnah Arachin 8:6-7 and see Rashi on Talmud Arachin 28b]

[Anything that a man devotes... from any of his property -] whether it be a person For example, if he devotes his non-Jewish male or female servants [for they are considered his property].-[Arachin 28a]

29 Any devoting... who has been devoted [This verse refers to] someone who [has been sentenced to death, and, as he] is going out to be executed, another person declares, “I hereby make a personal commitment [to pay] his valuation!” his words have no validity.-[Arachin 6b]

[And why not? Because] he is to be put to death i.e., he is on his way to be executed, and therefore, he "cannot be redeemed"—he has no market value [as a slave] or any valuation.

30 Any tithe of the Land Scripture is speaking about the Second Tithe.-[Torath Kohanim 27:112]

the seed of the land [Regarding the Second Tithe, Scripture says, “the tithes of your grain, of your wine and of your oil” (Deut. 14:23 and see Rashi there). Thus, here, “the seed of the land” refers to] grain [and]

the fruit of the tree [refers to] wine and oil.

It is the Lord’s [The Second Tithe does not belong to God in the sense that one is forbidden to have benefit from it, for indeed it is eaten in Jerusalem by the one who brings it (Sifthei Chachamim) Rather,] God has acquired this [Second Tithe], and it is from His very Table, as it were, that He invites you to come up and eat it in Jerusalem, as it is said, "And you shall eat before the Lord, your God, [in the place which He will choose to establish His Name therein;] the tithes of your grain, of your wine and of your oil..." (Deut. 14:23). -[Kid. 53a]

31 [redeem] some of his tithe [... he shall add its fifth]] ["of his tithe,"] but not, of someone else’s tithe. Thus, one who redeems his friend’s tithe, does not add a fifth [to its value].-[Kid. 24a] And what is [the purpose of] its redemption? In order to permit its being eaten anywhere [outside Jerusalem]. And [instead] he must bring the money [of its redemption] up to Jerusalem and eat [food there, bought with that money], as it is stated, "[And if... the place is too distant from you...] Then you will turn it into money [... and... go to the place which... God will choose. And you will turn that money into whatever your soul desires... and you will eat there before... God]" (Deut. 14: 24-26).

32 of all that pass under the rod When one comes to tithe them, he lets them out [of the pen] through the gate, one by one, and he strikes [every] tenth animal with a rod that has been painted with vermillion (red dye), so that it is identifiable as the tithe. So he must do with every year’s lambs and calves, [but with no other animals, as Scripture states, “Any tithe of cattle or flock”].- [Bech. 58b]

[the tenth] shall be holy that its blood and sacrificial portions be offered upon the altar, while its meat is eaten by the owner [with nothing given to the kohanim], because it is not enumerated with other [items categorized as] “gifts to the kehunah,” nor do we find that its meat must be given to kohanim.

33 He shall not inspect [a tithed animal]... Since [Scripture] says, “[there will you bring...] the choice of your vows [which you will vow to the Lord]” (Deut. 12:11), one might think that he should select and take out the best [animal for the tithe]. Scripture, therefore, says, "He shall not inspect [a tithed animal] for a good or a bad one"—i.e., whether [the tenth animal] is unblemished or blemished, [since it is the tenth,] holiness has come upon it [exclusively]. This does not mean that a blemished animal can be sacrificed, but that he should eat it according to the law of tithes and that it must not be shorn or used for labor.-[Bech. 14b, 31b]

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) 89:16-53

Rashi	Targum
16. Fortunate is the people that know the blasting of the shofar; O Lord, may they walk in the light of Your countenance.	16. Happy the people who know to please their creator with a shout; O LORD, in the splendid light of Your countenance they will walk and be acquitted in judgment.
17. With Your name they rejoice every day, and with Your righteousness they are exalted.	17. In Your name they will rejoice all day, and by Your righteousness/generosity they will be exalted.
18. For You are the glory of their might, and with Your favor our horns will be raised.	18. For You are the splendor of their strength, and by Your will their horn is exalted.
19. For our shield is [devoted] to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.	19. For our shields belong to the LORD, and our king belongs to the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.
20. Then You spoke in a vision to Your pious ones, and You said, "I placed help on a mighty man; I lifted up a chosen one from the people.	20. Then You spoke in a vision to Your pious ones, and You said, "I have set up a helper for My people by the hand of one mighty in Torah; I have set apart a youth from among the people."
21. I found David My servant, I anointed him with My holy oil.	21. I have found David My servant, with the holy oil I anointed him.
22. With whom My hand will be established, even My arm will strengthen him.	22. Whom My hands are ready to help; truly My arm will strengthen him.
23. No enemy will exact from him, neither will an unjust person afflict him.	23. The enemy will not make him go astray; the son of wickedness will not afflict him.
24. And I shall crush his adversaries from before him, and I shall strike his enemies.	24. And I will crush his oppressors before him, and I will smite his foes.
25. My faithfulness and My kindness will be with him, and with My name his horn will be raised.	25. And My truth and goodness are with him; in the name of My word his glory will be exalted.
26. I shall place his hand over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers.	26. And I will place his dominion at the harbors of the sea, and the might of his right hand on those who dwell by the rivers.
27. He will call to Me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.'	27. He will call to me, "You are my father (Abba), my God, and the strength of my redemption."
28. I, too, shall make him a firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.	28. Also I will make him first-born of the kings of the house of Judah, the highest of the kings of the earth.
29. I will forever keep My kindness for him, and My covenant will remain true to him.	29. I will preserve My goodness to him forever; and My covenant is constant for him.
30. And I shall make his seed endure forever, and his throne as the days of the heavens.	30. And I will set up his sons forever, and his throne for as many days as the heavens will last.
31. If his sons forsake My Torah and do not walk in My judgments,	31. If his sons abandon My Torah, and do not walk in My judgments,
32. If they profane My statutes and do not keep My commandments,	32. If they violate My covenant, and do not keep My commandments,
33. I shall punish their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes.	33. Then I will punish their rebellions by means of the rod of the wicked, and their iniquities by the demons that plague them.
34. But I shall not cancel My kindness from him, and I shall not betray My faith.	34. But My goodness I will not revoke from him, and I will not be false to My faithfulness.
35. I shall not profane My covenant, neither shall I alter the utterance of My lips.	35. I will not violate My covenant, and the utterance of My lips I will not change.
36. One thing have I sworn by My holiness, that I will not fail David.	36. Once I have sworn by My holy name: "I will not lie to David."
37. His seed will be forever and his throne is like the sun before Me.	37. His sons will exist forever, and his throne is bright as the sun before Me.
38. Like the moon, which is established forever, and it is a witness in the sky, eternally true."	38. Like the moon that is set for an eternal sign, and a faithful witness in the sky forever.
39. But You abandoned and You rejected; You became wroth with Your anointed.	39. But You have forsaken and rejected, grown angry with Your anointed.
40. You abrogated the covenant of Your servant; You profaned his crown to the ground.	40. You have changed the covenant with Yur servant; You have profaned his crown to the earth.
41. You breached all his fences; You made his fortifications a ruin.	41. You have forced all his strongholds, You have made his open villages a ruin.
42. All wayfarers have plundered him; he was a disgrace to his neighbors.	42. All who pass on the road have trampled him; he has become a disgrace to his neighbors.
43. You raised the right hand of his adversaries; You caused all his enemies to rejoice.	43. You have raised the right hand of his oppressors; You have gladdened all his enemies.
44. You even turned back the sharp edge of his sword, and You did not raise him up in battle.	44. Also You will turn aside his sword and you have not supported him in battle.
45. You have brought an end to his shining, and his throne You have cast down to earth.	45. You have abolished the priests who sprinkle blood on the altar and cleanse His people, and You have cast to the ground His royal throne.
46. You have shortened the days of his youth; You have enwrapped him with shame forever.	46. You have cut short the days of his young men; You have covered him with shame and disgrace forever.
47. How long, O Lord? Will You hide forever? Will Your anger burn like fire?	47. How long, O LORD, will You remove Your presence forever? How long will Your rage burn like fire?
48. I am mindful what my old age is; for what futility have You created all the sons of man?	48. Remember that I was created from dust; why have You created all the sons of men for vanity?
49. Who is a man who will live and not see death, who will rescue his soul from the grasp of the grave forever?	49. Who is the man who will live and not see the angel of death, who will deliver his soul from his hand, and not go down to his grave forever?
50. Where are Your former acts of kindness, O Lord, which You swore to David in your trust?	50. Where are Your favors which were from the beginning, O LORD, which You swore to David in your faithfulness?
51. Remember, O Lord, the disgrace of Your servants, which I bear in my bosom, [the disgrace] of all great nations.	51. Remember, O LORD, the disgrace of Your servant; I have borne in my bosom all the insults of many peoples.
52. Which Your enemies disgraced, O Lord, which they disgraced the ends of Your anointed.	52. For Your enemies have scorned, O LORD, for they have scorned the delay of the footsteps of Your Messiah, O LORD.
53. Blessed is the Lord forever. Amen and Amen.	53. Blessed be the name of the LORD in this age, amen and amen. Blessed be the name of the LORD in the age to come, amen and amen.

Rashi’s Commentary for: Psalms 89:16-53

16 that know the blasting of the shofar Who know how to appease their Creator on Rosh Hashanah with the blasts, upon which they arrange the blessings of “malchuyoth” (manifestations of God’s dominion), “zichronoth” (remembrances), and “shofaroth.”

18 and with Your favor that You are appeased by them (apayement in Old French), propitiation.

20 to Your pious ones Nathan the prophet and Gad the seer.

“I placed help” on David, to help him constantly.

23 No enemy will exact from him No enemy will overwhelm him to become as his creditor.

28 shall make him a firstborn I shall make him great.

33 I shall punish their transgression with a rod So did Nathan the prophet say to him concerning Solomon (II Sam. 7:14): “so that when he goes astray, I will chasten him with the rod of men.” This refers to Rezon the son of Eliada, who rose up as an adversary to him: “and with the stripes of the sons of Adam.” This refers to Ashmadai, according to the Sages of blessed memory.

36 that I will not fail David Heb. אכזב, an expression of (Isa. 58:11): “whose water does not fail (יכזבו),” faliance in Old French, failure; possibly from the Latin fallera, deception.

38 and it is a witness in the sky, true The moon and the sun are witnesses to him that as long as they exist, his kingdom will exist, as it is written (Jer. 33:20f.): “If you break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, etc. Also My covenant with David will be broken.”

39 But You abandoned You dealt strictly with his children in counting their iniquity until You abandoned them and You rejected them in the days of Zedekiah.

40 You abrogated You nullified.

41 all his fences which he built in Jerusalem.

his fortifications The Temple Mount and the stronghold of Zion.

44 You even turned back the sharp edge of his sword You turned back and reversed the sharp edge of his sword, as (Josh. 5:2): “sharp (צרים) knives,” and likewise (Isa. 54:17): “Any weapon whetted (יוצר) against you.”

and You did not raise him up in battle And You did not hold him upright so that he should not fall.

45 You have brought an end to his shining Heb. מטהרו, his shining, as צהרים, noon, is translated טהרא, and like (Exod. 24:10): “and like the appearance of the heaven for splendor (לטהר).”

You have cast down to the earth Heb. מגרת. You have humbled and destroyed. Every expression of bending down is, in Targum Jonathan, מגר.

48 I am mindful what my old age is Heb. חלד. What old age do I have? Are not my days few? It should suffice You to punish me with my premature death.

for what futility Heb. שוא. For nothing and for vanity have You created all the sons of man?

51 which I bear in my bosom, of all great nations In exile I bear their burden and their load.

52 the ends of Your anointed Heb. עקבות, the ends of the King Messiah. This is the language of the Mishnah (Sotah 49b): At the ends of the Messiah, audacity will increase; i.e., at the end of the exile, prior to the advent of the Messiah.

53 Blessed is the Lord forever For all that He did for us.

Meditation from the Psalms

Psalms ‎‎89:16-53

By: H.Em. Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David

The superscription for this psalm indicates that it was written by Eitan the Ezrachite.^{^[12]} Rashi says that Eitan was one of five brothers who were famous musicians in the Temple, as stated in:

1 Chronicles 2:6, And the sons of Zerach: Zimri and Eitan and Heiman and Kalkol and Dara.

Thus Ezrachite means 'of the family of Zerach'. Radak adds that Eitan the Ezrachite was one of the wisest men who ever lived; his wisdom was surpassed only by that of Solomon.^{^[13]}

The Targum, based on the Talmud,^{^[14]} identifies Eitan as the Patriarch Abraham, for he was eitan [lit. strong] in his faith.^{^[15]} Since Abraham traveled from Chaldea in the mitzrach, east, in order to spread belief in HaShem, he was called the Ezrachite [lit. the easterner].

This composition unfolds the lengthy tale of bitter exile,^{^[16]} not so much for the nation as a whole, but for its outstanding heroes. The very first Hebrew, Abraham, was a fugitive from those who sought to obliterate HaShem's Name. Powerful kings and hostile nations rose up to defy HaShem and to torment Abraham, HaShem's representative on earth.^{^[17]}

Later, a king arose to lead the holy nation dedicated to HaShem. David, the model king, was also persecuted by those who wished to obliterate HaShem's Name.

This psalm records the pact that HaShem struck with David. The Almighty promised that if David and his offspring would remain true to Him, He would be true to them. But if the seed of David would betray the covenant, exile and suffering would be their lot.

I would like to take a more detailed look at the seed of David and the Mashiach because of an enigmatic verse in our psalm:

Tehillim (Psalms) 89:21 I have found David My servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him;

The Midrash, commenting on this verse, says:

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis XLI:4 HAD FLOCKS, AND HERDS, AND TENTS. R. Tobiah b. R. Yitzchak said: He had two tents, viz. Ruth the Moabitess and Naamah the Ammonitess.2 Similarly it is written, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters that are found:^{^[18]} R. Tobiah said: That means two ‘finds’, viz. Ruth and Naamah. R. Yitzchak commented: I have found David My servant:^{^[19]} where did I find him? In Sodom^{^[20]}.

This strange midrash says that David was found in Sodom! What is the meaning of this perplexing statement?

The above Midrash indicates that the Mashiach (David) will be found in Sodom, the most intensely negative and impure place that the world has ever known. There we find Lot and his two daughters:

Beresheet (Genesis) 19:30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. 37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

Thus we see that Ammon and Moab were born from incest in a place just removed from Sodom. Ruth was descended from Moab, and from Ammon was descended Naamah:

Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, HaShem gave her conception, and she bare a son. 14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be HaShem, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. 15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. 16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. 17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Melachim Alef (1 Kings) 14:21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which HaShem did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

Lot went to Sodom, a proverbially wicked place, to teach the people about HaShem and His ways. On the night that Sodom was destroyed, Lot was enjoying a Purim Seudah^{^[21]} and a Passover seder while feeding two angels. Lot was a very great man. He was great enough that in his merit he and his entire family were extracted before the destruction of Sodom and Gomora. Thus we find Mashiach in Sodom. HaShem extracted the messianic sparks from the Goyim (Gentiles) and built them into the Mashiach. He built those sparks in a cave of incest. This incest was converted by Lot’s daughter into a very great mitzva (good deed). So great was the mitzva and the ones who performed it, that the messianic line was drawn through them. Yet, how can incest be a mitzva?

Lot’s two daughters believed that the three of them were the only people left on earth. It was their desire to fulfill the command of HaShem that they should multiply and fill the earth. Since their father was the last man on earth, they thought, therefore they did what to them must have been the most disgusting thing in the whole world, they slept with their own father! Today we find this disgusting, how much more so must it have been with the towering spiritual greatness of Lot’s family. Our Sages teach that is greater to do a sin for the right reason, than to do a mitzva for the wrong reason. Lot’s two daughters did a sin for the sake of Heaven. This was an incredibly great act that was rewarded accordingly.

Nevertheless, the Mashiach came forth from two incestuous acts in the most depraved place on earth, that is where Mashiach MUST come from! Mashiach will always come from a place where it is impossible for Him to be, yet, He is there.

This idea that Mashiach comes from an impure place can be substantiated through a repeating historical process. We have talked before about the seeming impurity of David through his mother and also the seeming impurity of David in the incident with Batsheba, now let’s look at other examples from the Tanach, where the seed of Mashiach is mired in seeming impurity.

Yitzchak: Yitzchak died at the Akeida, before he had children, as we see from the Midrash and from the book of Hebrews:

Leviticus Rabbah. 29:9 R. Judah says: When the sword touched Yitzchak's throat his soul flew clean out of him. And when He let his voice be heard from between the two cherubim, 'Lay not thy hand upon the lad, 'the lad's soul returned to his body. Then his father unbound him, and Yitzchak rose, knowing that in this way the dead would come back to life in the future; whereupon he began to recite, Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who quickens the dead. Pirke de-Rav Eliezer 31

Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Yitzchak: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Yitzchak shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a parable.

Zohar 60a "When Yitzchak was sacrificed on the altar, his soul which was in him in This World departed. But when it was said by Abraham, Blessed be He who quickens the dead, his soul of the World to Come came back to him."

Minhat Yehudah, by R. Judah bar Eliezer ad Gen 24:64 and Paaneah Raza by R. Isaac bar Juda ha-Levi, 29a No wonder Rebeccah lost her equilibrium "and she fell from her camel" (v. 64) - for what she perceived was Yitzchak coming down from Paradise, and he walked the way the dead walked, head down and feet up.

Zevachim 62a As for the Temple, it is well, for its outline was distinguishable; but how did they know [the site of] the altar? — Said R. Eleazar: They saw [in a vision] the altar built, and Michael the great prince standing and offering upon it. While R. Isaac Nappaha said: They saw Yitzchak’s ashes lying in that place. R. Samuel b. Nahman said: From [the site of] the whole House they smelt the odour of incense, while from there [the site of the altar] they smelt the odour of limbs.

Since Yitzchak died, this presents a potential problem for the messianic line in that he had not married and had no children. When Yitzchak died, all of his descendants died with him. Therefore, Yaakov and his twelve sons, the tribes of Israel, all died with him. Of course, they were also resurrected with him!

Speaking of the binding of Yitzchak, the Zohar teaches that Yitzchak's soul flew from his body at the touch of the knife on his neck, and when his soul returned, he declared: "Blessed are You... Who resurrects the dead." The messianic line will always be found in impossible situations. These are precisely the situations where Mashiach must be found!

Rivka (Rebecca) – Yitzchak’s wife was barren. This is also a clear impediment to the messianic line.

Bereshit (Genesis) 25:21 And Yitzchak intreated HaShem for his wife, because she was barren: and HaShem was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Mashiach will always emerge from impossible situations.

Yaaqov: Did Yaakov “steal” his father’s blessing by deception? The appearance of theft through deception is so great that the majority of people who read this event come to the conclusion that the blessing was stolen. The forces of evil will not pay attention to folks involved in apparent impurity because they too are deceived. Thus the messianic seed will be preserved and hidden.

Never the less, those who are discerning should be able to see as our Sages have taught, that Yaakov Avinu (our father) was a righteous man and that he performed the will of HaShem when he secured the blessing from his father.

It is axiomatic that a thief does not get to keep stolen goods. How much more will HaShem retract the blessing if the blessing is stolen? Thus our Sages confirm that HaShem had it written that Yitzchak confirmed that Yaakov was to receive the blessing AFTER he was aware of the deception:

Beresheet (Genesis) 27:33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

Beresheet (Genesis) 28:1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother. 3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; 4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

Why does Yaakov have four wives and two sisters when the Torah forbids this? This is another item of apparent impurity which causes the evil forces to suckle elsewhere.

Vayikra (Leviticus) 18:18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.

Since the Torah forbids taking two sisters for wives, and since Leah and Rachel were sisters, surely this is an impediment to the messianic line? The evil forces see this as an impediment and will not suckle here, never the less, it is not a problem for the messianic seed.

Our Sages teach: "The prohibition against marrying two sisters did not exist prior to the giving of the Torah at Sinai, as proved by Yaakov's actions."

Ibn Ezra elaborates: "And God alone plans how things work out, that Rachel died on the way, as they began to enter the land. In her merit, she did not die outside Eretz Yisrael, and in his merit, he did not dwell in Eretz Yisrael married to two sisters, for she was married to him in contravention of the prohibition against marrying sisters. It appears that she fell pregnant with Benyamin before they reached Shechem; Yaakov had no relations with her at all within the land because of the prohibition."

This we see that this appearance of evil was sufficient to distract the evil forces without blemishing the messianic line. Now lets look at the impediments to Yaakov’s wife, Leah.

Leah also married Yaakov by deception:

Bereshit (Genesis) 29:21 And Yaakov said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. 24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. 25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

Is it possible that the messianic line should be built on the deception of Leah?

Leah was Yaakov’s wife through deception. Yaakov was supposed to marry Rachel, but when he awoke in the morning he found Leah. Leah was unloved yet she bore Yehuda and the messianic line.

Beresheet (Genesis) 29:25 "And it was, in the morning, that behold it was Leah !"

Note the difficulty: Was she not Leah the evening before as well? Thus, explains Rashi that in the evening, under the Chuppah, Yaakov actually thought Leah was Rachel. Yaakov and Rachel, in anticipation of Lavan's treachery, devised a secret sign to allow Yaakov to disclose the deception. However, when Rachel saw her father setting up Leah in her place, she had a change of heart. "My sister will be mortified!" Rachel, overwhelmed by sympathy, gave the secret sign to her sister.

Thus we see that the only deception came from Lavan. Leah and Rachel worked together to build Israel and the messianic line. They built the messianic seed whilst deceiving the evil forces.

Leah, in addition to the above deception, was barren as we can see from the following pasuk:

Beresheet (Genesis) 29:31 And HaShem saw that Leah was hated, so He opened her womb. And Rachel was barren."

Our Sages ask, "Why were all the matriarchs barren?" They reply: Because HaShem, desires the prayers of the righteous/generous. Being barren is definitely an impediment to producing progeny in the messianic line. This barrenness was also sufficient to deceive the evil forces and allow the messianic seed to be built.

Yehuda: Why does Yehuda, the father of kings and the Mashiach, visit a prostitute?

Bereshit (Genesis) 38:12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah’s wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. 14 And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. 16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? 17 And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? 18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

Thus we see that Yehuda engaged in the mitzva of yibbum with Tamar, unknowingly. The following Midrash helps us to understand why Yehudah went to a prostitute:

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis LXXXV:8 WHEN JUDAH SAW HER, etc. (XXXVIII, 15 f.). R. Aha said: A man should become familiar with his wife's sister and with his female relations, so as not to fall into sin through any of them. From whom do you learn this? From Judah: WHEN JUDAH SAW HER, HE THOUGHT HER TO BE A HARLOT; why so? FOR SHE HAD COVERED HER FACE-while in her father-in-law's house.5 Another interpretation: WHEN JUDAH SAW HER he paid no attention to her.6 But since she covered her face he reasoned, If she were a harlot, would she actually cover her face! R. Johanan said: He wished to go on, but the Holy One, blessed be He, made the angel who is in charge of desire appear before him, and he said to him: ‘Whither goest thou, Judah? Whence then are kings to arise, whence are redeemers to arise? ' Thereupon, AND HE TURNED UNTO HER-in despite of himself and against his wish.

Tamar – Why does she play a prostitute? This is clearly a way to muddy the messianic line. Tamar was the daughter of Shem^{^[22]} and a Prophetess in her own right. Tamar was an exceedingly great individual. She engaged in the mitzva of yibbum (Levirate Marriage) with Yehuda, knowingly. Tamar clearly understood that this was no sin, but rather a mitzva (good deed) that built the messianic line.

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 25:5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her. 6 And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. 7 And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother. 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her; 9 Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house. 10 And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

Bereshit (Genesis) 38:6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of HaShem; and HaShem slew him. 8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased HaShem: wherefore he slew him also. 11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

When Tamar finally sleeps with Yehudah and bears twins, she bore one for Er and one for Onan, a perfect yibbum!

Most folks see the encounter between Tamar and Yehudah, in Beresheet (Genesis) 38, as a sin of immorality. Torah, on the other hand, sees this encounter as a very great mitzva. It is a mitzva because Tamar was a childless widow, that her dead husband’s family was commanded to correct. The family was required to raise up seed for the deceased on his land. When Yehudah failed to give his son, Shelah, to fulfill this mitzva, Tamar enticed Yehudah himself to fulfill it. The Midrash records that HaShem sent an angel to “force” Yehudah, against his will, to turn in to Tamar’s tent. The angel asked Yehudah, “If you fail to turn to Tamar; from where will the Mashiach come?”

Oved: Boaz, Oved’s father - was descended from the harlotry of Yehuda and Tamar. The head of the Sanhedrin and the leader of his generation.

Ruth, Oved’s Mother – How can a Moabite join the congregation of Israel? Further, would HaShem use a Gentile in the messianic line?

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 23:3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of HaShem; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of HaShem for ever:

How can a descendant of incest be a part of the messianic line? Ruth married Boaz who was a descendent of harlotry. The greatest impediment, however, was the fact that Ruth was a Moabite. The oral law explains how this problem is solved:

Yevamoth 76b MISHNAH. AN AMMONITE AND A MOABITE ARE FORBIDDEN AND THEIR PROHIBITION IS FOR EVER , THEIR WOMEN, HOWEVER, ARE PERMITTED AT ONCE. AN EGYPTIAN AND AN EDOMITE ARE FORBIDDEN ONLY UNTIL THE THIRD GENERATION. WHETHER THEY ARE MALES OR FEMALES. R. SIMEON, HOWEVER, PERMITS THEIR WOMEN FORTHWITH. SAID R. SIMEON: THIS LAW MIGHT BE INFERRED A MINORI AD MAJUS: IF WHERE THE MALES ARE FORBIDDEN FOR ALL TIME THE FEMALES ARE PERMITTED FORTHWITH, HOW MUCH MORE SHOULD THE FEMALES BE PERMITTED FORTHWITH WHERE THE MALES ARE FORBIDDEN UNTIL THE THIRD GENERATION ONLY. THEY REPLIED: IF THIS20 IS AN HALACHAH, WE SHALL ACCEPT IT; BUT IF IT IS ONLY AN INFERENCE, AN OBJECTION CAN BE POINTED OUT. HE REPLIED: NOT SO. [BUT IN FACT] IT IS AN HALACHAH THAT I AM REPORTING.

GEMARA. Whence are these laws inferred? — R. Johanan replied: Scripture stated, And when Sail saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said into Abner, the captain of the host: ‘Abner, whose son is this youth’? And Abner said: ‘As thy soul liveth, O King, I cannot tell’. But did he not know him? Surely it is written, And he loved him greatly; and he became his armour bearer! — He rather made the inquiry concerning his father. But did he not know his father? Surely it is written, And the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken in years among them; and Rab or, it might be said, R. Abba, stated that this referred to the father of David, Jesse. who came in with an army and went out with an army! — It is this that Saul meant: Whether he descended from Perez, or from Zerah. If he descended from Perez he would be king, for a king breaks for himself a way and no one can hinder him. If, however, he is descended from Zerah he would only be an important man. What is the reason why he gave instructions that enquiry be made concerning him? — Because it is written, And Saul clad David with his apparel. being of the same size as his, and about Saul it is written, From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. Doeg the Edomite then said to him, ‘Instead of enquiring whether he is fit to be king or not, enquire rather whether he is permitted to enter the assembly or not’! ‘What is the reason’? ‘Because he is descended from Ruth the Moabitess’. Said Abner to him, ‘We learned: An Ammonite, but not an Ammonitess; A Moabite, but not a Moabitess! But in that case a bastard would’ imply: But not a female bastard?’ — ‘It is written mamzer [Which implies] anyone objectionable’. ‘Does then Egyptian exclude the Egyptian woman’? — ‘Here it is different, since the reason for the Scriptural text is explicitly stated: Because they met you not with bread and with water; it is customary for a man to meet [wayfarers]; It is not, however, customary for a woman to meet [them]’.

Thus we learn that Moabites were excluded, but not a Moabitess. This impediment was so severe that even David, three generations later, had to deal with this issue. Thus we find that Mashiach and His line is found in impossible situations. His line will be mired in apparent impurity.

Yeshua: Does a virgin birth preclude the throne of David? Is Yeshua HaShem? Is Yeshua part of a trinity? Did Yeshua spurn the Torah? Why don’t Jews believe in Him?

Obviously it is a serious impediment to the Mashiach if He is not acceptable to the Jewish people. Further, why are His parents very poor whilst previous ancestors, in the messianic line, have been kings and leaders of their generations?

These are some of the questions that have been asked by unlearned skeptics throughout the centuries. They are statements which call into question the messianic aspirations of Yeshua. These are all clear impediments to the messianic line.

Christians claim a virgin birth. This claim precludes any messianic possibility because the Mashiach cannot inherit the throne of David unless He is a blood descendant through Joseph, his father. The Mashiach must be descended on his father's side from King David:

Beresheet (Genesis) 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

According to the Christian claim that Yeshua was the product of a virgin birth, he had no father, and thus could not have possibly fulfilled the messianic requirement of being descended on his father's side from King David! This claim of a virgin birth will so thoroughly confuse the messianic hope that there will not be a single learned Jew who would entertain the idea. The virgin birth idea is easily discredited:

John 1:45 they refer to Yeshua specifically as "the son of Joseph."

John 6:42 has the townspeople ask: "Is this not Yeshua, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?"

Romans 1:1-3 he writes: "I Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle and separated onto the gospel of od...concerning his Son Yeshua HaMashiach our Master, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh."

Finally, if Yeshua was not virgin born, then we have the possibility that his birth was the result of unprotected, premarital sex, because the text explicitly says that Miriam became pregnant before she married Yosef. Further, it is also conceivable that she was too young to have had her first period when she became pregnant.

Yet, we see that Yeshua was born not to the leaders of the generation, or to a king, but rather to poor G-dly parents. There is no hope of an inheritance and therefore there is every expectation that Yeshua will be poor, like his parents. There is also the aspect that any son of David with any messianic expectation, was a sure target by Herod, for death. After all, Herod killed every infant in Bethlehem on declaration by a few Hakhamim that the Mashiach had been born.

The Reigning King

The Apostles, who were all Jews, were constantly wanting to know when Yeshua would reveal himself as the Mashiach ben David. No one wanted the Mashiach ben Yosef. They wanted to be delivered from their foes and to be a part of the messianic kingdom.

Yeshua, as Mashiach ben Yosef, was the exact opposite of what the Jews were expecting. This alone was sufficient to render Yeshua invisible to learned Jews.

This desire for Mashiach ben David has led many learned Jews to reject Yeshua (Mashiach ben Yosef) for the following reasons: If Yeshua had indeed been the Mashiach (ben David), he would have fulfilled the messianic prophecies mentioned in Tanach.^{^[23]} For instance, the Mashiach ben David will bring about universal peace and tranquility:

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 2:4 "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more".

The Mashiach ben David will bring about universal respect for HaShem, and lead all people to follow His ways:

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 11:9 "The knowledge of HaShem will fill the earth. The world will be filled with the knowledge of HaShem as the water covers the sea".

The Mashiach ben David will cause an ingathering of the Jewish exiles:

Micha 5:2 "Then the residue of his brethren shall return with the children of Israel"

The Mashiach ben David will bring about the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash, the Temple:

Zechariah 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh HaShem of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of HaShem:

The Mashiach ben David will also bring physical cure to all who are sick:

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 35:5-6 "Then the eye of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame man will leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb will sing".

Furthermore, the Mashiach ben David will accomplish these tasks within his own lifetime:

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 42:4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Thus Jews are looking for Mashiach ben David and this totally obscures the reality of Mashiach ben Yosef.

A Trinitarian Mashiach (May it NEVER be!)

Another attempt to discourage any messianic hope, was to make HaShem into three persons instead of being Ehad, one. If Mashiach was a part of a G-dhead of three persons, then there could never be a hope that He would be acceptable to Jews who proclaim Shema twice each day. The Trinity is an idolatrous concept that makes Yeshua anathema to every learned Jew.

The idolatrous concept that HaShem could have parts violates the second of the thirteen principles of faith, formulated by Maimonides, and negates a share in the Olam HaBa by any who abide by it: The belief in HaShem’s absolute and unparalleled unity.

HaShem in the Flesh (May it NEVER be!)

The idolatrous concept that HaShem could have a physical form violates the third of the thirteen principles of faith and negates a share in the Olam HaBa by any who abide by it:

The belief in neither HaShem’s non-corporeality, nor that He will be affected by any physical occurrences, such as movement, or rest, or dwelling.

As I have shown elsewhere (conundrum), Yeshua is clearly an Elohim, a judge, yet He is not HaShem because HaShem can not be corporeal, nor can He have parts. The Nazarean Codicil is quite clear in proclaiming that Yeshua is an Elohim whilst declaring that He was Corporeal and therefore not HaShem.

Yeshua is HaShem (May it NEVER be!)

Christianity wishes to ensure that no learned Jew would ever see Yeshua as the Mashiach, by saying that He is HaShem. No Learned Jew would ever accept such a proposition as it violates Torah law and the teachings of Chazal.

The idolatrous concept that Yeshua should be worshipped as HaShem violates the fifth of the thirteen principles of faith and negates a share in the Olam HaBa by any who abide by it:

The imperative to worship Him exclusively and no foreign false G-ds.

Why was Yeshua crafted into an idolatrous image that could never be acceptable to learned Jews? Maimonides answered this question for us:

Maimonides states that the popularity of Christianity (and Islam) is part of HaShem’s plan to spread the ideals of Torah throughout the world. This moves society closer to a perfected state of morality and toward a greater understanding of G-d. All this is in preparation for the Messianic age.

Further, Christianity has the monetary resources to translate the Torah and to take that translation to the four corners of the earth. In this task, Christianity has been an unparalleled success. This hiding of Mashiach is essential to the Goyim, the Gentiles, in order that they should have the merit to study Torah and see the truth about Mashiach in the Torah.

Luqas (Luke) 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Goyim, until the times of the Goyim be fulfilled.

Yeshua Died: Can He still be Mashiach? The Chabad Rabbis^{^[24]} say yes.

Can the Mashiach come from the dead? The answer is surprisingly enough, a resounding yes!

In the second to the last Rashi (the foremost explainer of the scripture and the Talmud, printed in every text) in the book of Daniel, (12:12) he writes: "The Mashiach will reveal himself and then be concealed.... and then revealed once more, and so it says in the Midrash on Ruth and in the poems of Rabbi Eliezer HaKalir."

So it states in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 98b), "If the Mashiach comes from the dead he will be someone like Daniel." Rashi there explains this to mean exactly what it says; Mashiach can come from the dead.

The great and holy scholar, Rabbi Chaim Midini, in his work Sdei Chemed (Peyas HaSadeh, Maareches "Alef", os Eyin), elaborates on this, and connects this Talmudic statement to an earlier one (ibid 98a) referring to the prophecy of Daniel: "If the generation is fortunate the Mashiach will come from the dead, i.e. on "clouds of heaven," and then everyone will accept him with no reservations. But if not he will come from the living, i.e. riding on a donkey (lit. "chamor", which also means "physical" in Hebrew)". And so agrees the Holy Chacham Yosef Chaim (The Ben Ish Chai) in his commentary on Sanhedrin 98 in his book "Ben Yhoyada", that Mashiach can come from the dead. (he also explains the topic there of Mashiach ben Yosef and how he can also be Mashiach)

The Zohar in Parshat Balak (pg. 203b) states that the Mashiach will have to "die"' i.e. go to a higher spiritual level, and return again with the new level he has attained.

So writes the famous Rabbi Yitzchak Luria in the thirteenth chapter of his work "Shaar Hagilgulim", that after the Mashiach arrives, he will be hidden in heaven like Moshe was hidden on Mount Siani, and then he will appear again.

Finally the Abarbanel states in his book "Yeshuot Moshicho" (Part 2, topic 2, chapter 1) that "the Mashiach will have to die in order to purify the generation...and he will wait in a spiritual state in 'heaven' until it he rises from the dead, as it says in the Talmud Sanhedrin (98b).

All the above were sources from several hundred years ago supporting the idea that Mashiach CAN come from the dead.

* * *

Even a translation of the Tanach contains enough truth for a Goy to learn how and where he needs to go to learn Torah properly:

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 42:6 I HaShem have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Goyim;

Yeshua ben Yosef follows exactly the same pattern that we have seen repeatedly in the messianic line. He is obscured in apparent anti-Torah, idolatrous circumstances, all impossible circumstances. It takes an incredibly discerning individual to begin to peel away the layers of Christianity to reveal the towering Torah genius of the Mashiach ben Yosef.

If we were to attempt to identify the father and mother of the Mashiach in that generation, where would we look? Would we not look to a Jewish couple who were poor and lowly as befits Mashiach ben Yosef? Would we not expect the Mashiach to come from a lowly and worthy family, perhaps even one of the thirty-six hidden righteous/ generous men? The reason we look to lowliness to find the Mashiach is because we know that “an apple never falls very far from the tree”. A son always resembles his parents. Since we know that the Mashiach ben Yosef is a poor and lowly man of incredible purity, then we would expect His parents to be lowly and pure.

This is in contradistinction to the lineage that must produce the Mashiach ben David. Mashiach ben David will be a mighty ruler and thus he will be descended from such parents.

Why does HaShem conceal the messianic line in apparent impurity? Because the impure spiritual forces suckle from the pure. The impure forces pay no attention to those mired in impurity because there is nothing to suckle from impurity. Even though there is no actual impurity in the messianic line, the impure forces are easily fooled and deceived, as are ignorant men.

So, HaShem disguises great purity and spiritual greatness with the appearance of impurity, in order that He might rectify the world and bring forth Mashiach into the light. Thus we see that Mashiach is the hidden flower which springs forth from a seed which seems to decay just before it sprouts forth anew!

* * *

With the end of this chapter of Psalms, we also end the third book of Psalms and conclude the book of Vayikra (Leviticus). Chazaq Chazaq V’nitchazeq—be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves!

Ashlamatah: Yeshayahu (Is.) 1:19-20, 24-27 + 2:2-5

Rashi	Targum
10. ¶ Hear the word of the Lord, O rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, O people of Gomorrah!	10. Listen to the word of the LORD, you rulers whose deeds are [as] evil as [those of] the rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the Law of our God, you people whose deeds resemble [those of] the people of Gomorrah!
11. Of what use are your many sacrifices to Me? says the Lord. I am sated with the burnt-offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle; and the blood of bulls and sheep and hegoats I do not want.	11. “There is no pleasure before Me in the multitude of your holy sacrifices, says the LORD. Enough of burnt offerings of rams and fat of fed beasts and blood of bulls or lambs or kids; in such things there is no pleasure before Me.
12. When you come to appear before Me, who requested this of you, to trample My courts?	12. When you come to be seen before Me, who requires this from your hand, that you should come. Do not trample My courts
13. You shall no longer bring vain meal-offerings, it is smoke of abomination to Me; New Moons and Sabbaths, calling convocations, I cannot [bear] iniquity with assembly.	13. Do not continue to bring an offering which is stolen; it is a despised oblation before Me. At new moons and Sabbaths you gather in assembly without forsaking your sins, so that your prayers might be accepted in the time of your assemblies.
14. Your New Moons and your appointed seasons My soul hates, they are a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing [them].	14. Your new moons and your appointed feasts My Memra despises; they are before Me as something despicable, I have forgiven much.
15. And when you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you, even when you pray at length, I do not hear; your hands are full of blood.	15. And when the priests spread forth their hands to pray for you, I take up the face of My Shekhinah from you; even though you pray much concerning yourselves, there is no pleasure before Me to accept your prayers; because your hands are full of innocent blood.
16. Wash, cleanse yourselves, remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes, cease to do evil.	16. Return to the Law; make yourselves clean from your sins; remove the evil of your deeds from before my Memra; cease to do evil.
17. Learn to do good, seek justice, strengthen the robbed, perform justice for the orphan, plead the case of the widow. {S}	17. Learn to do good; seek judgment, acquit him that is robbed, judge the case, of the fatherless, act on the complaint of the widow.
18. Come now, let us debate, says the Lord. If your sins prove to be like crimson, they will become white as snow; if they prove to be as red as crimson dye, they shall become as wool.	18. Then, when you return to the Law, you will beseech before Me, and I will carry out your request, says the LORD: though your sins are scarlet like dyed cloth, they will be white like snow; though they are red like crimson, they will become like pure wool.
19. If you be willing and obey, you shall eat the best of the land.	19. If you are willing and attend to My Memra, you will eat of the good of the land;
20. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword, for the mouth of the Lord spoke. {P}	20. but if you refuse and do not attend to My Memra, by the adversary’s sword you will be killed; for by the Memra of the LORD it has been so decreed.
21. How has she become a harlot, a faithful city; full of justice, in which righteousness/generosity would lodge, but now murderers.	21. How the faithful city’s deeds have turned to become as [those of] a harlot, she that was full of those who perform judgment! Truth was done in her, and now they are killers of souls.
22. Your silver has become dross; your wine is diluted with water.	22. Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water.
23. Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after payments; the orphan they do not judge, and the quarrel of the widow does not come to them.	23. Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. All of them love to accept a bribe, saying - a man to his neighbour - assist me in my case, so that I will repay you in your case. They do not defend the fatherless and the complaint of the widow does not come before them.
24. "Therefore," says the Master, the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, "Oh, I will console Myself from My adversaries, and I will avenge Myself of My foes.	24. Therefore the LORD of the world says, the LORD of hosts, the Strong One of Israel: The city of Jerusalem I am about to comfort, but woe to the wicked when I am revealed to take just retribution from the enemies of the people, and I will return vengeance to the adversary.
25. And I will return My hand upon you and purge away your dross as with lye, and remove all your tin.	25. And I will turn the stroke of My might upon you and I will separate, as those who purify with lye, all your wicked and 1 will remove all your sinners.
26. And I will restore your judges as at first and your counsellors as in the beginning; afterwards you shall be called City of Righteousness, Faithful City.	26. And I will appoint you true judges, steadfast as at the first, and your counsellors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the city of truth, the faithful city.
27. Zion shall be redeemed through justice and her penitent through righteousness.	27. Zion will be redeemed when judgment is performed in her, and the ones who have performed the Law will return to her in righteousness/generosity.
28. And destruction shall come over rebels and sinners together, and those who forsake the Lord shall perish.	28. But rebels and sinners will be shattered together, and those who have forsaken the Law of the LORD will be consumed.
29. For they shall be ashamed of the elms that you desired, and you shall be humiliated because of the gardens that you chose.	29. For you will be ashamed of the oaks of the idols in which you delighted; and you will be humiliated for your gardens of the idols in which you assemble.
30. For you shall be like an elm whose leaves are wilting, and like a garden that has no water.	30. For you will be like a terebinth when its leaves fall, and like a channelled garden without water.
31. And the[ir] strength shall become as tow, and its perpetrator as a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with no one to extinguish [the fire]. {P}	31. And the strength of the wicked will become as a tow of flax, and the deed of their hands as a spark of fire, as when they are brought near to each other and both of them burn together, so will the wicked come to an end, they and their wicked deeds, and there will be no pity for them.

1. ¶ The word that Isaiah, son of Amoz, prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem.	1. 2.1 The word of prophecy which Isaiah the son of Amoz prophesied concerning the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
2. And it shall be at the end of the days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be firmly established at the top of the mountains, and it shall be raised above the hills, and all the nations shall stream to it.	2. And it will come to pass in the end of days that the mountain of the sanctuary of the LORD will be established at the head of the mountains, and raised above the hills; and all kingdoms will turn to worship upon it,
3. And many peoples shall go, and they shall say, "Come, let us go up to the Lord's mount, to the house of the God of Jacob, and let Him teach us of His ways, and we will go in His paths," for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.	3. and many peoples will come, and say: “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the sanctuary of the LORD, to the house of the Shekhinah of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us ways that are correct before Him and that we might walk in the teaching of His Law." For out of Zion will go forth the Law, and the teaching of the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4. And he shall judge between the nations and reprove many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. {P}	4. And he will judge between kingdoms, and will reprove many peoples, and they will beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; people will not take up a weapon against people, neither will they learn war any more.
5. "O house of Jacob, come and let us go in the light of the Lord."	5. Those of the house of Jacob will say, "Come, and let us walk in the teaching of the Law of the LORD."
6. For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, for they are full of [witchcraft] from the East and soothsayers like the Philistines, and with children of gentiles they please themselves.	6. For you have forsaken the fear of the strong one, who was your saviour, you of the house of Jacob, because your land is filled with idols as from the east, and soothsayers like the Philistines, and they go in the customs of the Gentiles.
7. And his land became full of silver and gold, without end to his treasures; and his land became full of horses, without end to his chariots.	7. And their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to his treasures; and their land is filled with horses and there is no end to his chariots.
8. And his land is full of idols; to the work of his hands he prostrates himself, to that which his fingers made.	8. And their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to that which their fingers have prepared.
9. And man has become bowed down, and man has become humble, and You shall not forgive them.	9. So man is humbled, and men’s strength faints—and You will not forgive them!
10. Come into the rock and hide in the dust, because of fear of the Lord and because of the splendor of His pride.	10. They will enter to flee in flight in the caves of the rocks, and to hide in the dust from the fearful one, the LORD, and from the brilliance of His glory.
11. The haughty eyes of man will be humbled, and the height of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted on that day. {P}	11. The haughty looks of man will be humbled and men’s strength will fain׳, and the LORD alone is strong in that time.

Special Ashlamatah: ‎ I Samuel 20:18,42

Rashi	Targum
18. And Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be remembered, for your seat will be vacant.	18. And Jonathan said to him: “Tomorrow is the (new) moon, and you will be sought out, for your dining place will be empty.”
42. And Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace! (And bear in mind) that we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, 'May the Lord be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.' And he arose and went away; and Jonathan came to the city.	42. And Jonathan said to David: “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn by the name of the LORD saying, ‘May the Memra of the LORD be a witness between me and you, and between my sons and your sons forever.’” And he arose and went; and Jonathan entered the city.

Rashi’s Commentary on Yeshayahu (Is.) 1:19-20, 24-27 + 2:2-5

10 rulers of Sodom Princes whose deeds are like those of Sodom. From here, [the Rabbis] deduced that a person should not open his mouth to Satan.

11 I am sated with the burnt-offerings of rams This is similar to: “Lest he have too much of you and hate you,” (Proverbs 25:18).

fattened cattle Fattened cattle and sheep.

I do not want Since you transgress My Torah, the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination [from Prov. 21:27].

12 who requested this of you, to trample My courts to trample [the preposition is absent in the Hebrew] My courts, since your heart is not whole with Me.

13 You shall bring no more vain meal-offerings I warn you, you shall not bring Me your vain meal-offering, for the smoke that rises from it is smoke of abomination to Me, and not for My satisfaction.

New moons and Sabbaths, calling, convocations, I cannot... and [sic, does not appear in Parshandatha] to call convocations, i.e., New Moons and Sabbaths when you gather to call a convocation and an assembly on them, I cannot bear the iniquity in your hearts that is inclined to paganism, and the convocation with it, for these two things are incompatible: to call a convocation to gather before Me, and the iniquity that is in your hearts for paganism, and you do not take it out of your hearts.

15 And when you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you because your hands are full of blood.

blood Murder.

16 Wash, cleanse yourselves Vowelled with a ‘patach,’ the imperative form, since it is derived from רְחַץ, but רָחֲצוּ, [in the past tense, is vowelled with a ‘kamatz’ because it is derived from רָחַץ].

Wash, cleanse yourselves, remove, learn, seek, strengthen, perform justice, plead, go Ten exhortations of the expression of repentance are [listed] here, corresponding to the Ten Days of Penitence and to the ten verses of Kingship, Remembrances, and Shofaroth [in the musaf service of Rosh Hashanah].

cease to do evil Desist from your evil deeds.

to do evil Heb. הרע, like לְהָרֵעַ, to do evil. [Rashi explains this because the preposition is absent in Hebrew.] Scripture does not have to write מֵהָרֵעַ, desist from doing evil, for so does the Biblical language treat the expression of חֲדָלָה, stopping, [e.g.,] “and he failed to make (לַעֲשׂוֹת) the Pesach” (Num. 9:13); “until he stopped counting (לִסְפֹּר) ” (Gen. 41:49). That is to say, the counting stopped, the making failed, here too, stop the evildoing.

17 Learn It is punctuated ‘raphe,’ weak, without a dagesh. This is from the form לָמֹד, learn to do good. One who teaches himself is of the ‘kal’ form. Therefore, its imperative plural is voweled with a ‘chirik’ like אִמְרוּ, שִׁמְעוּ, but one who teaches others is of the form of the ‘heavy conjugation’ (pi’el) with a ‘dagesh,’ and if one comes to command a number of people, the word is voweled לַמְּדוּ. And so, דִּרְשׁוּ, from the form דְרשׁ, but אַשְּׁרוּ in which the ‘shin’ has a ‘dagesh,’ is from the ‘heavy conjugation,’ and from the form אַשֵּׁר ; therefore, the imperative plural is voweled with a ‘patach’ like בַּשְּׂרוּ, סַפְּרוּ, דַּבְּרוּ.

strengthen the robbed Heb. אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ. This is a Mishnaic term, אֲשַׁרְנוּהִי, “we have verified it” (Ketuboth 21a); “if I had strength (אֲיַשֵּׁר) ” (Gittin 30b); “May your strength be strengthened (יִישַׁר) ” (Shabbath 87a). Another explanation is: Lead him in the path of truth to acquire what rightfully belongs to him. An expression of: (Job 23:11) “My foot held its path (בֲּאֲשׁוּרוֹ) ”; (Prov. 23:19) “And go (וְאַשֵׁר) in the way of your heart.”

(perform justice So-and- so is innocent and so-and-so is guilty.

plead the case of the widow Endeavor in their quarrel to plead for her, for she cannot go out to pursue her opponents.)

the robbed Heb. חָמוֹץ, similar to (Ps. 71:4) “from the hand of the unrighteous and the robber (וּמְחַמֵּץ).”

18 Come now, let us debate together, I and you, and we will know who offended whom, and if you offended Me, I still give you hope to repent.

If your sins prove to be like crimson Stained before Me like crimson red, I will make them as white as snow.

says the Lord [The verb is in the future form to denote that] He always says this to you, like: (Num. 9:20) “By the word of the Lord they would camp (יַחֲנוּ),” also a future form. Another explanation is: Come now, let us debate. What is written above this? “Cease to do evil; learn to do good.” And after you return to Me, come now, and let us debate together, to notify Me, “We have done what is incumbent upon us; You do what is incumbent upon You;” and I say, “If your sins prove to be like crimson, they will become white as snow...”

as crimson dye Heb. תּוֹלָע, lit. a worm. Dye with which they dye fabrics red. They are kernels, each one of which has a worm inside it. Hence the name תּוֹלָע.

20 for the mouth of the Lord spoke Where did He speak? (Lev. 26:25) “And I will bring upon you a sword.”

21 a harlot Astray from her God.

city which was faithful and full of justice, and righteousness would lodge therein, but now murderers.

full of justice Heb. מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט [equivalent to מִשְׁפָּט מְלֵאַת, the ‘yud’ being superfluous,] as in (Lamentations 1:1) רַבָּתִי עָם, “great in population” [equivalent to רַבַּתעָם].

in which righteousness would lodge The daily dawn sacrifice would atone for the sins [committed] at night, and the daily afternoon [sacrifice] would atone for those of the day. Another explanation is that they would allow capital cases to rest overnight when they could find no merit for him, [i.e., for the defendant;] they would not conclude his verdict until the morrow, perhaps they would find a merit for him, and now they have become murderers. [We find in] Pesikta [d’Rav Kahana p. 121a]: Rabbi Menahem bar Oshia [according to Parshandatha,] Rabbi Phinehas in the name of Rabbi Oshia said: Four hundred eighty-one synagogues were in Jerusalem, corresponding to the numerical value of מְלֵאֲתִי.

and now murderers They killed Uriah; they killed Zechariah.

22 Your silver has become dross They would make copper coins and plate them with silver, in order to cheat with them.

your wine is diluted with water Your drinks are mixed with water, as is stated in Pesikta (122b). [The word] means ‘mixed,’ although there is no similar word in Scripture to prove it, but the Midrash Aggadah explains (Ecc. 2:2): “Of laughter I said, it makes one mad (מְהוֹלָל) ” to mean that it is confused, or mixed up.

23 rebellious Deviating from the straight path.

and runs after payments This word is similar to the Talmudic תַּשְׁלוּמִין. Jonathan paraphrases: One man says to another, Do me a favor in my case, and I will repay you in your case. This refers to a judge who was a robber, and the robbery victim complains about him before another judge. This one says to him, Declare me innocent today, and I will repay you when they complain about you before me. This is the meaning of running after payments.

and the quarrel of the widow does not come to them The widow comes to complain, and the orphan is coming out, when this one meets him and asks him, What did you accomplish in your case? He replies, All day long I toiled at work, but I did not accomplish anything. And this one turns around and says, If this one, who is a man, did not accomplish anything, surely I will not. This is the meaning of, “the orphan they do not judge, and the quarrel of the widow does not come to them” at all.

24 says the Master Who possesses everything, and in Whose power it is to uproot you from your land and to settle others in it.

the Mighty One of Israel the strength of Israel.

Oh Heb. הוי. An expression of preparation and announcement, and similar to this is (Zech. 2:10): “Ho, ho, (הוי הוי)flee from the land of the north.” And let all know that I will console Myself of My adversaries, who angered Me with their deeds.

25 And I will return My hand upon you One blow after another, until the transgressors have been completely destroyed.

as with lye This is an expression meaning soap [sbon in O.F., savon (in modern French)]. Its deviation is an expression of cleanliness, similar to (Ps. 24:4): “and pure (בַּר) of heart,” since it cleanses the garment of its stains.

your dross mentioned above, as: “Your silver has become dross”; a mixture of silver with copper is called dross. Here too, a mixture of the wicked with the righteous. I will destroy the transgressors, who are all dross.

all your tin The tin mixed with silver, that is to say, the wicked among you. בְדִיל is called estejjn [etain] in O.F. [tin].

26 as at first I will appoint for you pious judges.

City of Righteousness As in the beginning, righteousness/generosity will lodge therein.

27 shall be redeemed through justice Since there will be in it people who practice justice.

shall be redeemed from her iniquities.

and her penitent those penitent among them.

through righteousness through those who make themselves righteous/generous through justice and through righteousness/generosity that are in her midst [or,] among them.

28 And destruction shall come upon rebels... For with all these expressions he reproved them above: and they rebelled against Me (verse 2), sinful nation; they forsook the Lord (verse 4).

rebels Rebels and sectarians and those who worship idols.

and sinners Apostates guilty of other sins.

29 of the elms Heb. מֵאֵלִים, an expression derived from אֵלָה, a species of tree called olme in O.F. [orme in modern French, an elm].

that you desired to worship idols under them, similar to what is stated (Hosea 4:13): “Under the oak and the aspen, and the elm, for its shade is good.”

because of the gardens There they would worship idols, as it is stated (infra 66:17): “Those who prepare themselves and purify themselves for the gardens.”

30 whose leaves wilt Its leaf ([Other editions read:] whose leaf) wilts, becomes wilted [flatisant in O.F.]. When heat or cold comes upon it, it wilts and its moisture is lost and destroyed. [The word] נבל is not an expression of decay like בלה, for no ‘nun’ is found in that expression, but נבל[is an expression of something that becomes fatigued and its strength is curtailed, from the root of] נָבֹל תִּבֹּל (Exod. 18:18), which Onkelos renders: You will surely be exhausted.

that has no water to water its seeds; to the thing with which they sin, he compares their punishment.

31 the[ir] strength with which they take from the poor by force and rob them and strengthen themselves with the money. That money will become as tow, which is shaken out of the flax, which is light and easily ignited.

and its perpetrator The one who amasses this power will become as a spark of fire, and they will burn, one with the other.

as a spark Heb. וּפֹעֲלוֹ לְנִיצוֹץ, estencele in O.F. [etincelle in modern French], a spark. Jonathan renders וְעוֹבַד יְדֵיהוֹן, and the work of their hands. This does not follow the Hebrew, however, for, were it so, it would have to be voweled וּפָעֳלוּ with a ‘kamatz-chatuf,’ a hurried ‘kamatz,’ and it would be explained as an expression of work. Now, that it is voweled with a ‘cholam,’ it is an expression of a worker, or perpetrator.

with no one to extinguish Jonathan renders: And no one will pity them.

Chapter 2

2 At the end of the days after the rebels perish.

firmly established fixed.

at the top of the mountains On a mountain that is the head of all the mountains in the importance of the mountains.

and it shall be raised above the hills The miracle performed on it, will be greater than the miracles of Sinai, Carmel, and Tabor.

will stream will gather and stream to it like rivers.

3 to the house of the God of Jacob Since he [Jacob] called it [the Temple site] Beth El [the house of God], therefore, it will be called on his name, but Abraham called it a mount, “On God’s mount shall He appear” (Gen. 22:14); Isaac called it a field, “to meditate in the field” (ibid. 24: 63).

4 into plowshares koltres in O.F.

pruning hooks sarpes in O.F. [serpes in modern French], with which they prune the vineyards.

5 O house of Jacob... The nations will say this to them, and this verse refers back to the verse [commencing with], “And many peoples shall go...”

come and let us go in the light of the Lord They will say this to them. Jonathan, however, renders: And those of the house of Jacob will say, [“Come and let us go in the teaching of the Law of the Lord”].

6 For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob The prophet addresses the Shechinah and says, “For until now You have forsaken Your People because of their iniquity.” [Other editions read:] “...that which You have forsaken Your people was because of their iniquity, for they are full of [witchcraft] from the East,” and the entire section, and all the chapters follow one another, until (ch. 5) “I will sing now...” Therefore, in the end of days, when the sinners perish, it will be good for them(Parshandatha). (Another explanation is: The prophet admonishes them and says this to them, “For you have forsaken your people, O house of Jacob...” You have forgotten [the deed of your peopleParshandatha] the good deed through which you became a people, you house of Jacob.)

for they are full...from the east Their hosts have become full of the deeds of the Arameans who dwell in the East, who were sorcerers and used the name of pagan deities. [Other editions read:]...and used the name of defilement [sorcery and demonismRashi ad loc.], as we say in Ch. Chelek (Sanh. 91a): “Abraham gave gifts” (Gen. 25:6) He gave them the name of defilement and sent them away to the land of the East [as quoted by Parshandatha].

and with children of gentiles they please themselves They cohabit with the daughters of the heathens and mingle with them, and they would bear children to them, with whom they are always pleased, and they occupy themselves [with them]and long for them and bother with them. This is an expression similar to [that of] (Job 36:18) “lest he incite you because of abundance (בְּשֶׂפֶק) ” [debatement in O.F].

7 end Heb. קָצֶה, an expression derived from קץ.

8 they prostrate themselves Heb. ישתחוו. Although the form is future, it is to be rendered like מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים, they prostrate themselves.

9 And man has become bowed down [This refers to] inferior [men].

and man has become humble [This refers to] great [men], heroes, and warriors.

and You shall not forgive them The prophet says to the Holy One, blessed be He: And I know that you shall not forgive them from punishing them.

10 Come into the rock To come into the rock to escape in the cracks of the rocks.

and hide in the dust and to hide in the dust.

11 The haughty eyes of man [This means] the haughty spirit, and so every expression of haughty eyes in the Scriptures, as it is said: “Whoever is haughty of eye, lustful in heart...” (Ps. 101:5).

Pirqe Abot – MeAm Lo’ez

Pereq Gimel

Mishnah 3:17

By: Rabbi Yitschaq (ben Mosheh) Magriso

Rabbi Akiva said: Laughter and light-headedness lead a person to lewdness. Tradition is a fence for the Torah. Tithes are a fence for wealth. Vows are a fence for self- control. The fence for wisdom is silence.

The master here teaches us the "fence" (seyag) for each and every thing. When he speaks of a "fence," he is actually referring to a safeguard. Thus, a gardener makes a fence around the garden so that no one may enter from the outside to take away fruit. The same is true of the "fence" that one makes to protect a concept.

The master says, "laughter and light-headedness bring a person to lasciviousness." When a person indulges too much in hilarity and laughter, he will be led to commit acts of lewdness (zenuth). This is true even when a person indulges in laughter and jesting as an outlet for his emotions. It goes without saying that laughing and jesting with a member of the opposite sex will ultimately lead to sin.

Thus, the fence to prevent lewdness is that a person should always be in a state of fear and awe as if he were in the presence of a king. He should know for certain that God, "the whole world is filled with His glory" (Isaiah 6:3), is watching him. This is an excellent safeguard against unchastity, since when a person meditates on God's omnipresence, there is no way that the Evil Urge Can reach him and weaken him.

The master also taught that, "The tradition is a fence for the Torah." He is speaking of the fence to safeguard the Torah so that no heretic (apikorot) will be able to alter a verse to make it fit his beliefs. This can be prevented by preserving the traditional text of the scripture (mesoreth), the tradition transmitted to us by our revered sages. It was transmitted from one to another since the time of Moses, who received it from the mouth of God. It thus can never be altered by anyone who may wish to add to it or subtract from it.

The master continues to say, "Tithes are a fence for wealth." This means that if a person wants his possessions to be well guarded, he must do charitable acts with his wealth.

Charity to wealth is like salt to meat. Salt has the ability to preserve meat. If meat is not properly salted, it decays and becomes maggoty. The same is true of wealth. If one wants his wealth to be preserved and to increase, it is necessary that he use it for charity. He must have pity on the poor and not think that by sharing his wealth with others he impoverishes himself. Quite the contrary, when one is charitable, he can expect to become richer.

The Torah thus says, "tithe, you will tithe" (asser taaser) (Deuteronomy 14:22). Our sages say that this can also be read asser ta'asher, [meaning, "tithe, you will become wealthy."] They thus teach, "Give your tithes so that you will become wealthy". The more one gives for tithes and charity, the wealthier he will become.

King Solomon thus said, "There are some who make themselves rich but have nothing, and some make themselves poor and have great wealth" (Proverbs 13:7). Some people try to make themselves wealthier by being stingy and keeping all their riches, giving nothing to charity, but in the end they find themselves with nothing. Since they were not charitable their capital and earnings seem to fly away. Others seem to make themselves poor by giving so much of their money to charity, but in the end they find themselves with great wealth, coming from totally unexpected sources. When a person guides himself to give charity, God also guides Himself toward that person, giving him additional wealth.

King David thus said, "God is your Shadow, at your right hand" (Psalms 121:5). God is just like a person's shadow, reflecting his every move. When a person opens his hand, his shadow also opens it, and when a person closes his hand, his shadow does the same.

God is thus like a person’s shadow. When a person opens his right hand to give charity and shows pity to the poor, God also opens His hand and gives this person of His bounty without holding back. But if a person closes his hand and keeps his wealth to himself, not pitying the poor, then God does the same thing. He closes His hand and everything becomes salt and ashes.

In general, then the way to safeguard one's savings is to be generous with tithes (maas'roth) and charity (tzedakah). When a person has the bad trait of being stingy and not giving charity, the destructive forces have the authority to take possession of his wealth. They do not allow him to touch it, either for his own needs or even to do charity with it.

There was once a very rich man who had great holdings and much property. But he was so unusually tight and stingy that in order to avoid contributing to the synagogue's collection, he would pray at home, even on Mondays and Thursdays when the Torah was read.

This man had just one merit. He was a mohel (ritual circumcisor), and whenever he was called to perform circumcision (berith), he would leave his business and attend to it, even if it meant traveling a considerable distance.

One day a demon (shed) appeared before him in the form of a human being, and said to him, "I just had a son. I live in a nearby village, and 1 would like you to come and perform the circumcision."

The wealthy man took his instruments and left with the demon, assuming that he was a human being. The demon took him in a carriage, and they headed toward the village. When they came to a mountain, the demon told him that they must walk, and soon they were in a totally uninhabited area. They walked for two days and two nights, until finally, on the third day, they came to a small village, where there were twenty beautiful, well-built homes. The new father brought the mohel to his home and went out to attend to his business.

Finding himself in a beautiful, nicely decorated house, the mohel began to explore, walking from room to room. Finally he came to the room of the woman who had just given birth. When she saw the mohel, she was very happy and she welcomed him. She said to him, "Come to my side, and I will tell you a secret before my husband returns."

She bid the mohel to come close enough so that she would be able to whisper in his ear. "You must realize that my husband—the one who brought you here—is not a human being, but a demon. I am a human being like you. The demons kidnapped me when I was a child and brought me here, and now I am lost among them.

"Now, if you wish to escape from here you must follow my advice. Do not taste anything that they offer you, not even water. If they want to present you with a gift, accept nothing from them. If you make use of anything that they give you, you are finished."

Upon hearing all this, the mohel began to tremble. He did not know what to do, and he kept repeating to himself, "How did I ever fall into the hands of demons?"

In the evening, the host retuned along with many guests, all of whom were demons. After setting the tables, they invited the mohel to join them in the meal. He replied that he was very tired from the journey and could not eat anything. He thus avoided eating and drinking that night.

In the morning they all got up and went to the synagogue with the mohel, reciting the prayers, and chanting as is the custom when a new father is present. After the service, the circumcision was performed, and the father invited the entire congregation to his house, serving them sweets and arak. All attended, but when they offered food to the mohel, he told them that he could not partake since he was engaged in a fast for a bad dream (taanith chalom).

The father said, "This being the case, we shall postpone the feast until nightfall in honor of the mohel." The meal was postponed, and in the evening the tables were set and the mohel was invited to eat. Again he demurred, saying that he could no eat anything because he felt ill. He thus avoided eating, while the rest of them sat down and ate and drank.

After the meal, the father said to the mohel, "Come with me to my room" The mohel was greatly frightened, and said to himself, "The hour of death appears to be at hand." With great trepidation, he followed the father into the next room.

When they entered the room, the stranger showed the mohel all sorts of objects of gold and silver, begging him to take some as a token of remembrance. The mohel replied that he was very wealthy and had no need for anything.

The stranger then took him into another room and showed him heaps of jewels and precious stones, asking him to take whatever suited his fancy. Again the mohel replied that he had no need of it, since he already owned much jewelry.

The stranger then took him into another room and showed him bunches of keys hanging from the walls. Seeing this, the mohel stood there astounded. The stranger asked him, "How come you are so surprised at seeing these keys? You did not seem to be impressed with all the other wealth 1 showed you."

"I recognize one of these rings of keys!" replied the mohel. "They are the keys to the vault where I keep all my valuables!"

"I know," replied the demon. "You did me a favor by coming here to circumcise my son, and God therefore helped you, not allowing you to taste anything or accept anything from us. Let me explain to you the significance of these keys.

"I am one of the leading demons, and under my command are many other demons. We are in charge over people who are stingy, and keep their wealth to themselves, finding it difficult to help the poor. From such people we take away the keys to their possessions. We hold the keys in our possession, so that they are not permitted to touch their savings; they cannot make any use of them, even for themselves.

"Since you have this bad trait, we also took your keys, so that you no longer have any control over your possessions. But because you did me this favor, I will entrust you with your keys. I am doing it, however, with the understanding that you change your ways. Have no fear, for nothing evil will befall you."

The mohel took his ring of keys and returned home happy and content. From that day, he was a changed man. He put out much money to build a beautiful synagogue, and began to give charity generously.

From this we see that when a person is stingy and does not give charity, the forces of evil take charge of his possessions and everything turns to salt and ashes. But when a person has an open hand and pities the poor, then his wealth increases and he becomes worthy of the World to Come.

Vows are a fence for self-control, ..

There are times when a person wishes to avoid things that are permitted as a manner of personal piety. For example, he may wish to stop drinking wine. But often, when a person wishes to do this, he cannot because of his impulses. The remedy for this is to make a vow, saying, "It will be forbidden for me to drink wine from now on."

The same is true in other cases. If a person wants to break away from a bad habit, he should make a vow, so that his impulses will not weaken him. As a general rule, a person will not violate a vow.

This, however, is only true of a God-fearing person, who always comports himself according to the dictates of Judaism. Such a person may make a vow, since he is certain not to violate it. But if a person is not absolutely moral, and he now wishes to lead a life based on Judaism, he is not permitted to make vows to break away from his bad habits. Such a person's impulses may be so strong that they may even lead him to violate his vow.

The master also said, "The fence for wisdom is silence." If one wishes to amass wisdom, and not forget what he learns, he must speak as little as possible. Idle gossip and other mundane talk is detrimental to this goal.

Correlations

By: H.Em. Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David

& H.H. Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

Vayikra (Leviticus) 26:3 – 27:34

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 1:19-20, 24-27 + 2:2-5

Tehillim (Psalms) 89:16-53

2 Pet 3:11-18, Lk 18:1-14, Acts 28:23-31

The verbal tallies between the Torah and the Ashlamata are:

Walk / Come - ילך, Strong’s number 03212.

Land / Earth - ארץ, Strong’s number 0776.

The verbal tallies between the Torah and the Psalm are:

Walk / Come - ילך, Strong’s number 03212.

Statutes - חקה, Strong’s number 02708.

Commandments - מצוה, Strong’s number 04687.

Give / Yield / Make - נתן, Strong’s number 05414.

Land / Earth - ארץ, Strong’s number 0776.

Vayikra (Leviticus) 26:3 If ye walk <03212> (8799) in my statutes <02708>, and keep <08104> (8799) my commandments <04687>, and do them; 4 Then I will give <05414> (8804) you rain in due season, and the land <0776> shall yield <05414> (8804) her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield <05414> (8799) their fruit.

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land <0776>:

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach) us of his ways, and we will walk <03212> (8799) in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Tehillim (Psalms) 89:27 Also I will make <05414> (8799) him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth <0776>.

Tehillim (Psalms) 89:28 My mercy will I keep <08104> (8799) for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.

Tehillim (Psalms) 89:30 If his children forsake my law, and walk <03212> (8799) not in my judgments;

Tehillim (Psalms) 89:31 If they break my statutes <02708>, and keep not my commandments <04687>;

Hebrew:

Hebrew	English	Torah Seder *Lev 26:3 – 27:34	Psalms Psa 89:16-53	Ashlamatah Is 1:19-20, 24-27 + 2:2-5
ba'	forefather, father	Lev. 26:39 Lev. 26:40	Ps. 89:26
yn"doa]	Lord		Ps. 89:49 Ps. 89:50	Isa. 1:24
za'	then	Lev. 26:34 Lev. 26:41	Ps. 89:19
dx'a,	one	Lev. 26:26	Ps. 89:35
rx;a;	after	Lev. 26:33 Lev. 27:18		Isa. 1:26
by"a'	enemies	Lev. 26:7 Lev. 26:8 Lev. 26:16 Lev. 26:17 Lev. 26:25 Lev. 26:32 Lev. 26:34 Lev. 26:36 Lev. 26:37 Lev. 26:38 Lev. 26:39 Lev. 26:41 Lev. 26:44	Ps. 89:22 Ps. 89:42 Ps. 89:51	Isa. 1:24
lk;a'	eat, ate	Lev. 26:5 Lev. 26:10 Lev. 26:16 Lev. 26:26 Lev. 26:29 Lev. 26:38		Isa. 1:19 Isa. 1:20
la,	toward	Lev. 26:9		Isa. 2:4
~yhil{a/	GOD	Lev. 26:12 Lev. 26:13 Lev. 26:44 Lev. 26:45		Isa. 2:3
~ai	if	Lev. 26:3 Lev. 26:14 Lev. 26:15 Lev. 26:18 Lev. 26:21 Lev. 26:23 Lev. 26:27 Lev. 27:4 Lev. 27:5 Lev. 27:6 Lev. 27:7 Lev. 27:8 Lev. 27:9 Lev. 27:10 Lev. 27:11 Lev. 27:13 Lev. 27:15 Lev. 27:16 Lev. 27:17 Lev. 27:18 Lev. 27:19 Lev. 27:20 Lev. 27:22	Ps. 89:30 Ps. 89:31	Isa. 1:19 Isa. 1:20
!m;a'	confirm, faithful		Ps. 89:28 Ps. 89:37	Isa. 1:26
rm;a'	saying	Lev. 27:1 Lev. 27:2	Ps. 89:19	Isa. 2:3
@a;	turn, even, also	Lev. 26:16 Lev. 26:28 Lev. 26:39 Lev. 26:40 Lev. 26:41 Lev. 26:42 Lev. 26:44	Ps. 89:21 Ps. 89:27 Ps. 89:43
#r,a,	land, earth, ground	Lev. 26:4 Lev. 26:5 Lev. 26:6 Lev. 26:13 Lev. 26:19 Lev. 26:20 Lev. 26:32 Lev. 26:33 Lev. 26:34 Lev. 26:36 Lev. 26:38 Lev. 26:39 Lev. 26:41 Lev. 26:42 Lev. 26:43 Lev. 26:44 Lev. 26:45 Lev. 27:24	Ps. 89:27 Ps. 89:39 Ps. 89:44	Isa. 1:19
rv,a]	who, which, that	Lev. 26:13 Lev. 26:35 Lev. 26:40 Lev. 26:45 Lev. 26:46 Lev. 27:9 Lev. 27:11 Lev. 27:22 Lev. 27:24	Ps. 89:21 Ps. 89:51
!yIB;	between	Lev. 26:46 Lev. 27:12 Lev. 27:14		Isa. 2:4
tyIB;	house	Lev. 27:14 Lev. 27:15		Isa. 2:2 Isa. 2:3 Isa. 2:5
!Be	sons	Lev. 26:29 Lev. 26:46 Lev. 27:2 Lev. 27:3 Lev. 27:5 Lev. 27:6 Lev. 27:7	Ps. 89:22 Ps. 89:30 Ps. 89:47
tyrIB.	covenant	Lev. 26:9 Lev. 26:15 Lev. 26:25 Lev. 26:42 Lev. 26:44 Lev. 26:45	Ps. 89:28 Ps. 89:34 Ps. 89:39
yAG	nations	Lev. 26:33 Lev. 26:38 Lev. 26:45		Isa. 2:2 Isa. 2:4
rb;D'	spoke	Lev. 27:1 Lev. 27:2	Ps. 89:19	Isa. 1:20
%r,D,	road	Lev. 26:22	Ps. 89:41	Isa. 2:3
hy"h'	become	Lev. 26:33 Lev. 26:37 Lev. 27:10	Ps. 89:36 Ps. 89:41	Isa. 2:2
%l;h'	walk	Lev. 26:3 Lev. 26:12 Lev. 26:13 Lev. 26:21 Lev. 26:23 Lev. 26:24 Lev. 26:27 Lev. 26:28 Lev. 26:40 Lev. 26:41	Ps. 89:30	Isa. 2:3 Isa. 2:5
rh;	mount, mountain	Lev. 26:46		Isa. 2:2 Isa. 2:3
rk;z"	remember	Lev. 26:42 Lev. 26:45	Ps. 89:47 Ps. 89:50
[r'z<	sowing time	Lev. 26:5 Lev. 26:16 Lev. 27:16	Ps. 89:29 Ps. 89:36
hm'xe	wrathful, wrath	Lev. 26:28	Ps. 89:46
hQ'xu	statues	Lev. 26:3 Lev. 26:15 Lev. 26:43	Ps. 89:31
br,x,	sword	Lev. 26:6 Lev. 26:7 Lev. 26:8 Lev. 26:25 Lev. 26:33 Lev. 26:36 Lev. 26:37	Ps. 89:43	Isa. 1:20 Isa. 2:4
dy"	hands	Lev. 26:25 Lev. 26:46 Lev. 27:8	Ps. 89:21 Ps. 89:25 Ps. 89:48	Isa. 1:25
hwhy	LORD	Lev. 26:13 Lev. 26:44 Lev. 26:45 Lev. 26:46 Lev. 27:1 Lev. 27:2 Lev. 27:9 Lev. 27:11 Lev. 27:14 Lev. 27:16 Lev. 27:21 Lev. 27:22 Lev. 27:23	Ps. 89:18 Ps. 89:46 Ps. 89:51 Ps. 89:52	Isa. 1:20 Isa. 1:24 Isa. 2:2 Isa. 2:3 Isa. 2:5
~Ay	days	Lev. 26:34 Lev. 26:35 Lev. 27:23	Ps. 89:16 Ps. 89:29 Ps. 89:45	Isa. 2:2
bqo[]y"	Jacob	Lev. 26:42		Isa. 2:3 Isa. 2:5
ac'y"	clear, brought	Lev. 26:10 Lev. 26:13 Lev. 26:45 Lev. 27:21		Isa. 2:3
laer'f.yI	Israel	Lev. 26:46 Lev. 27:2	Ps. 89:18	Isa. 1:24
!WK	established		Ps. 89:21 Ps. 89:37	Isa. 2:2
yKi	when	Lev. 27:2 Lev. 27:14		Isa. 1:20
lKo	all, entire, whole	Lev. 26:14 Lev. 26:15 Lev. 26:34 Lev. 26:35 Lev. 27:9 Lev. 27:11	Ps. 89:16 Ps. 89:40 Ps. 89:41 Ps. 89:42 Ps. 89:47 Ps. 89:50	Isa. 1:25 Isa. 2:2
!Ke	so, thus	Lev. 27:12 Lev. 27:14		Isa. 1:24
tt;K	crush		Ps. 89:23 Isa. 2:4	Isa. 2:4
aol	no, none, not	Lev. 26:6 Lev. 26:21 Lev. 26:44 Lev. 27:20	Ps. 89:22 Ps. 89:33 Ps. 89:34	Isa. 2:4
hm'x'l.mi	battle, war		Ps. 89:43	Isa. 2:4
!mi	because	Lev. 26:10 Lev. 26:13 Lev. 26:43 Lev. 27:8	Ps. 89:23	Isa. 2:2 Isa. 2:3
hw"c.mi	commandments	Lev. 26:3 Lev. 26:14 Lev. 26:15	Ps. 89:31
jP'v.mi	ordinances	Lev. 26:15 Lev. 26:43 Lev. 26:46	Ps. 89:30	Isa. 1:27
@g"n"	down	Lev. 26:17	Ps. 89:23
vp,n<	soul, life	Lev. 26:11 Lev. 26:15 Lev. 26:16 Lev. 26:30 Lev. 26:43 Lev. 27:2	Ps. 89:48
~q;n"	execute, avenge	Lev. 26:25		Isa. 1:24
af'n"	raised		Ps. 89:50	Isa. 2:2 Isa. 2:4
!t;n"	yield, give, given	Lev. 26:4 Lev. 26:6 Lev. 26:11 Lev. 26:17 Lev. 26:19 Lev. 26:20 Lev. 26:25 Lev. 26:30 Lev. 26:31 Lev. 26:46 Lev. 27:9 Lev. 27:23	Ps. 89:27
db,[,	slave, servant	Lev. 26:13	Ps. 89:20 Ps. 89:39 Ps. 89:50
d[;	after	Lev. 26:18 Lev. 27:18	Ps. 89:46
dA[	longer, again	Lev. 27:20		Isa. 2:4
!A['	iniquity	Lev. 26:39 Lev. 26:40 Lev. 26:41 Lev. 26:43	Ps. 89:32
z[o	power, might	Lev. 26:19	Ps. 89:17
l[;	over, upon	Lev. 26:16 Lev. 26:32 Lev. 27:8		Isa. 1:25
~[i	against	Lev. 26:21 Lev. 26:23 Lev. 26:24 Lev. 26:27 Lev. 26:28 Lev. 26:40 Lev. 26:41	Ps. 89:38
hP,	mouth, proportionate	Lev. 27:8 Lev. 27:16 Lev. 27:18		Isa. 1:20
~ynIP'	before, face	Lev. 26:7 Lev. 26:8 Lev. 26:10 Lev. 26:17 Lev. 26:37 Lev. 27:8 Lev. 27:11	Ps. 89:23
dq;P'	appoint	Lev. 26:16	Ps. 89:32
hq'd'c.	righteousness		Ps. 89:16	Isa. 1:27
vd,qo	sanctuary	Lev. 27:3 Lev. 27:9 Lev. 27:10 Lev. 27:14 Lev. 27:21 Lev. 27:23	Ps. 89:20 Ps. 89:35
~Wq	confirm, stand	Lev. 26:9 Lev. 27:14 Lev. 27:17 Lev. 27:19	Ps. 89:43
ar'q'	call, cry		Ps. 89:26	Isa. 1:26
!AvarI	ancestors, former	Lev. 26:45	Ps. 89:49	Isa. 1:26
bWv	bring, turn, return	Lev. 26:26 Lev. 27:24	Ps. 89:43	Isa. 1:25 Isa. 1:26 Isa. 1:27
~yIm;v'	sky, heavens	Lev. 26:19	Ps. 89:29
[m;v'	obey, hear	Lev. 26:14 Lev. 26:18 Lev. 26:21 Lev. 26:27		Isa. 1:19
rm;v'	keep	Lev. 26:3	Ps. 89:28 Ps. 89:31
anEf'	hate	Lev. 26:17	Ps. 89:23
hr'AT	laws	Lev. 26:46	Ps. 89:30	Isa. 2:3
sa;m'	reject	Lev. 26:15 Lev. 26:43 Lev. 26:44	Ps. 89:38
rb;['	pass	Lev. 26:6	Ps. 89:41
bz"['	abandoned	Lev. 26:43	Ps. 89:30
ry[i	cities	Lev. 26:25 Lev. 26:31 Lev. 26:33 Isa. 1:26		Isa. 1:26
~[;	people	Lev. 26:12	Ps. 89:19 Ps. 89:50	Isa. 2:3 Isa. 2:4
rr'P'	break	Lev. 26:15 Lev. 26:44	Ps. 89:33
rc;	adversaries		Ps. 89:23 Ps. 89:42	Isa. 1:24
br'	many, much, great		Ps. 89:50	Isa. 2:3 Isa. 2:4
tb;v'	eliminate, rest	Lev. 26:6 Lev. 26:34 Lev. 26:35	Ps. 89:44

Greek:

Greek	English	Torah Seder *Lev 26:3 – 27:34	Psalms Ps 89:16-53	Ashlamatah Is 1:19-20, 24-27 + 2:2-5	Peshat Mk/Jude/Pet 2 Pet 3:11-18	Remes 1 Luke Lk 18:1-14	Remes 2 Acts/Romans Acts 28:23-31
a[gioj	holy				2 Pet. 3:11		Acts 28:25
ἀδελφός	brother, brethren	Lev 26:37			2 Pet. 3:15
ἀδικία	iniquities		Psa 89:32			Lk. 18:6
αἰών	eon, eternity		Psa 89:28 Psa 89:29 Psa 89:36 Psa 89:37 Psa 89:52		2 Pet. 3:18
ἀκούω	hear, heard					Lk. 18:6	Acts 28:26 Acts 28:27 Acts 28:28
ἀναβαίνω	ascend			Isa 2:3		Lk. 18:10
ἄνθρωπος	man, men	Lev 27:2 Lev 27:14 Lev 27:16 Lev 27:20 Lev 27:24	Psa 89:47 Psa 89:48			Lk. 18:2 Lk. 18:4 Lk. 18:8 Lk. 18:10
ἀποστέλλω	send	Lev 26:22					Acts 28:28
αὐξάνω	increase, grow	Lev 26:9			2 Pet. 3:18
γῆ	earth, land, ground	Lev. 26:4 Lev. 26:5 Lev. 26:6 Lev. 26:13 Lev. 26:19 Lev. 26:20 Lev. 26:32 Lev. 26:33 Lev. 26:34 Lev. 26:36 Lev. 26:38 Lev. 26:39 Lev. 26:41 Lev. 26:42 Lev. 26:43 Lev. 26:44 Lev. 26:45 Lev. 27:24	Ps. 89:27 Ps. 89:39 Ps. 89:44	Isa. 1:19	2 Pet. 3:13	Lk. 18:8
δίδωμι	give,gave, given	Lev 26:4 Lev 26:6 Lev 26:20 Lev 26:46 Lev 27:9			2 Pet. 3:15
δικαιοσύνη	righteousness		Ps. 89:16	Isa. 1:27	2 Pet. 3:13
δοῦλος	servant	Lev 26:13	Psa 89:20 Psa 89:39 Psa 89:50
ἔθνος	nations	Lev. 26:33 Lev. 26:38 Lev. 26:45	Psa 89:50	Isa. 2:2 Isa. 2:4			Acts 28:28
εἰρήνη	peace	Lev 26:6			2 Pet. 3:14
εἷς	one	Lev 26:26				Lk. 18:10	Acts 28:25
ἐκδικέω	avenging, protection	Lev 26:25				Lk. 18:3 Lk. 18:5
ἐκλεκτός	chosen one		Psa 89:19			Lk. 18:7
ἐντρέπω	remorse, feel shame	Lev 26:41				Lk. 18:2 Lk. 18:4
ἐξέρχομαι	come forth	Lev 27:21		Isa 2:3
ἔρχομαι	come, came					Lk. 18:3 Lk. 18:5 Lk. 18:8	Acts 28:23
ἕτερος	other, another	Lev 27:20				Lk. 18:10
ἡμέρα	day	Lev. 26:34 Lev. 26:35 Lev. 27:23	Ps. 89:16 Ps. 89:29 Ps. 89:45	Isa. 2:2	2 Pet. 3:12 2 Pet. 3:18	Lk. 18:7	Acts 28:23
θέλω / ἐθέλω	wanting, wished			Isa 1:19 Isa 1:20		Lk. 18:4 Lk. 18:13
θεός	GOD	Lev. 26:12 Lev. 26:13 Lev. 26:44 Lev. 26:45	Psa 89:26	Isa. 2:3	2 Pet. 3:12	Lk. 18:2 Lk. 18:4 Lk. 18:7 Lk. 18:11 Lk. 18:13	Acts 28:23 Acts 28:28
VIhsou/j	Jesus				2 Pet. 3:18		Acts 28:23
ἵστημι	set, stand, stood	Lev 26:9 Lev 27:8 Lev 27:11 Lev 27:12 Lev 27:14 Lev 27:17				Lk. 18:11 Lk. 18:13
καρδία	heart	Lev 26:36 Lev 26:41					Acts 28:27
κατοικέω	dwelt, dwell	Lev 26:35			2 Pet. 3:13
κριτής	judges			Isa 1:26		Lk. 18:2 Lk. 18:6
κτάομαι	acquired	Lev 27:22 Lev 27:24				Lk. 18:12
κύριος	LORD	Lev. 26:13 Lev. 26:44 Lev. 26:45 Lev. 26:46 Lev. 27:1 Lev. 27:2 Lev. 27:9 Lev. 27:11 Lev. 27:14 Lev. 27:16 Lev. 27:21 Lev. 27:22 Lev. 27:23	Ps. 89:18 Ps. 89:46 Ps. 89:51 Ps. 89:52	Isa. 1:20 Isa. 1:24 Isa. 2:2 Isa. 2:3 Isa. 2:5	2 Pet. 3:15 2 Pet. 3:18	Lk. 18:6
λαλέω	speak, say, spoke	Lev. 27:1 Lev. 27:2	Ps. 89:19	Isa. 1:20	2 Pet. 3:16		Acts 28:25
λαός	people	Lev. 26:12	Ps. 89:19 Ps. 89:50	Isa. 2:3 Isa. 2:4			Acts 28:26 Acts 28:27
λέγω	saying, said	Lev. 27:1 Lev. 27:2	Ps. 89:19	Isa. 2:3		Lk. 18:1 Lk. 18:2 Lk. 18:3 Lk. 18:4 Lk. 18:6 Lk. 18:8 Lk. 18:9 Lk. 18:13 Lk. 18:14	Acts 28:24 Acts 28:25 Acts 28:26 Acts 28:29
λοιποί	rest				2 Pet. 3:16	Lk. 18:9 Lk. 18:11
νόμος	law	Lev 26:46	Psa 89:30	Isa 2:3			Acts 28:23
οἶκος	house	Lev 26:45		Isa 2:3 Isa 2:5		Lk. 18:14
ὅλος	entire, all entire		Psa 89:16				Act 28:30
ὁράω	appear, seem		Psa 89:48				Acts 28:26 Acts 28:27
οὐρανός	heavens	Lev. 26:19	Ps. 89:29		2 Pet. 3:12 2 Pet. 3:13	Lk. 18:13
ὀφθαλμός	eyes	Lev 26:16				Lk. 18:13	Acts 28:27
παῤῥησία	manner	Lev 26:13					Act 2:29
πᾶς	all, entire, whole	Lev. 26:14 Lev. 26:15 Lev. 26:34 Lev. 26:35 Lev. 27:9 Lev. 27:11	Ps. 89:16 Ps. 89:40 Ps. 89:41 Ps. 89:42 Ps. 89:47 Ps. 89:50	Isa. 1:25 Isa. 2:2	2 Pet. 3:11 2 Pet. 3:16	Lk. 18:12 Lk. 18:14
πατήρ	father	Lev. 26:39 Lev. 26:40	Ps. 89:26				Acts 28:25
Pau/loj	Paul				2 Pet. 3:15		Acts 28:25
πείθω	persuaded, trusted					Lk. 18:9	Acts 28:23 Acts 28:24
πόλις	city	Lev. 26:25 Lev. 26:31 Lev. 26:33 Isa. 1:26		Isa. 1:26		Lk. 18:2 Lk. 18:3
πολύς	many, much, large		Ps. 89:50	Isa. 2:3 Isa. 2:4			Acts 28:23 Acts 28:29
πορεύομαι	go, went, leave	Lev 26:3 Lev 26:21 Lev 26:23 Lev 26:24 Lev 26:27 Lev 26:28 Lev 26:40 Lev 26:41	Psa 89:30	Isa 2:3 Isa 2:5			Acts 28:26
πυρόω	fire			Isa 1:25	2 Pet. 3:12
σάββατον	Sabbath, week	Lev 26:34 Lev 26:35 Lev 26:43				Lk. 18:12
σωτηρία	deliverance		Psa 89:26		2 Pet. 3:15
ταπεινόω	humbles, abase			Isa 1:26		Lk. 18:14
τέλος	full, end	Lev 27:23	Psa 89:46			Lk. 18:5
τήκω	melted away	Lev 26:39			2 Pet. 3:12
υἱός	sons	Lev. 26:29 Lev. 26:46 Lev. 27:2 Lev. 27:3 Lev. 27:5 Lev. 27:6 Lev. 27:7	Ps. 89:22 Ps. 89:30 Ps. 89:47			Lk. 18:8
ὑψόω	high		Psa 89:16 Psa 89:17 Psa 89:19 Psa 89:24 Psa 89:42	Isa 2:2		Lk. 18:14
φυλάσσω	guard, keep	Lev 26:3	Psa 89:28 Psa 89:31		2 Pet. 3:17
Christos	anointed		Psa 89:38 Psa 89:51		2 Pet. 3:18

Nazarean Talmud

Sidrot of Vayikra (Lev.) 26:3 – 27:24

“Im B’Chuqotai” “If in My Statutes”

By: H. Em Rabbi Dr. Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham &

H. Em. Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

School of Hakham Shaul

Tosefta

Luqas (Lk)

Mishnah א:א

School of Hakham Tsefet

Peshat

2 Tsefet (2 Pet)

Mishnah א:א

¶ And he told them a parable to show that they must always pray and not be discouraged, saying, “There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people. And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary!’ And for a time he was unwilling, but after these things he said to himself, ‘Even if I do not fear God or respect people, yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end by her continual coming back!’ ” And the Master said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying! And will not God surely see to it that justice is done to his chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay toward them? I tell you that He will see to it that justice is done for them soon! Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, then will he find faithful obedience on earth?”

¶ And he also told this parable to some who were obedient only to themselves thinking that they were righteous/generous, and looked down on everyone else: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one Bet Shamai and the other a tax collector. The one from Bet Shamai stood and prayed these things with reference to himself: ‘God, I give thanks to you that I am not like other people—swindlers, unrighteous/stingy people, adulterers, or even like this tax collector! I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far away, did not want even to raise his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than that one! For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¶ All these things being in the process of dissolution, what country^{^[25]} (people) must you belong to^{^[26]} and what sort of acts of piety should your holy conduct produce while waiting for the “Day of God,” (Elohim the Judge) by whom the heavens and elements will dissolve with great heat, being set on fire. But looking for new heavens and earth according to His declaration (prophecy)^{^[27]} in which righteousness /generosity dwells. Therefore, beloved look forward (to) these (things) endeavoring (to be) found spotless, without blame in peace. (Heb. Shalom) And the LORD delays^{^[28]} His wrath^{^[29]} having dominion over the coming deliverance as our beloved Chaber^{^[30]} Hakham Shaul wrote with the wisdom handed down to him from his Hakhamim. And as in all (his) letters, telling in them concerning (things) difficult to understand from the P’shat/literal perspective. For those who are unlearned (not schooled in Remez,^{^[31]} hermeneutics they) pervert (the truth of) the rest of the Scriptures to their own destruction.

¶ Consequently beloved be forewarned to keep guard in order not to (fall into) lawless deceit^{^[32]} (opposite of truth - truthless) withdrawing from your own ordination^{^[33]} (Heb. סמךְ)^{^[34]} But increasing in generosity and intimate knowledge of our Master and redeemer Yeshua HaMashiach. To him (be) honor now and unto the hidden^{^[35]} day, amen!

School of Hakham Shaul

Remes

2 Luqas (Acts)

Mishnah א:א

¶ And when they had set a day with him, many more came to him at his lodging place, to whom he was explaining from early in the morning until evening, testifying about the kingdom/governance of God through the Hakhamim and Bate Din and attempting to convince them about Yeshua as the Messiah from both the Torah of Moshe (Oral and written) and the Neb’i’im. And some were convinced by what was said, but others refused to faithfully obey the Mesorah. So being in disagreement with one another, they began to leave after Hakham Shaul made one statement: “The Spirit of Prophecy spoke rightly through the Nabi Yesha’yahu to your fathers, saying, "Go, say to that people: 'Hear, indeed, but do not understand; See, indeed, but do not grasp.' Dull that people's mind, Stop its ears, And seal its eyes -- Lest, seeing with its eyes And hearing with its ears, It also grasp with its mind, And repent and save itself."'^{^[36]} Therefore let it be known to you that this redemption of God has been sent to the Gentiles. They will listen also!”

¶ So he (Hakham Shaul) stayed two whole years^{^[37]} in his own rented house, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom/governance of God through the Hakhamim and Bate Din and teaching the things concerning the Master Yeshua the Messiah with all boldness, and without hindrance.

Nazarean Codicil to be read in conjunction with the following Torah Seder

Lev 26:3 – 27:34

Ps 89:16-53

Is 1:19-20, 24-27 + 2:2-5

2 Tsefet 3:11-18

1 Luqas 18:1-14

2 Luqas 28:23-31

Commentary to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat

The Chaber

The present Mishnaic text of Hakham Tsefet deals with a subject similar to the Talmudic discussion of Baba Bathra 75a. This discussion is based on a Mishnah regarding the sale of a ship. In this discussion, various things are taken into account and a discussion on Leviathan and a banquet for the righteous/generous ensues. Some of the “attendees” at that banquet are described as חֲבֵרִים Chabberim (companion). The Talmud then teaches us that the ֲבֵרִים Chabberim are “Scholars.” Schürer describes theחבר as a fellow-countryman and someone who observes Torah in the same way as his fellows.^{^[38]} This is also how the P’rushim (Pharisees) used the term. However, the interest we have in the term is Hakham Tsefet’s apparent use of the it as being synonymous with those who must join with the Nazareans as Scholars and Sages devoted to the Master. Hakham Tsefet uses the phrase ἀδελφός – adelphos (brother) to show Hakham Shaul’s association to the Nazarean community. The use of ἀδελφός – adelphos as opposed to other descriptions draws our attention and brings an investigation of what Hakham Tsefet is really saying about Hakham Shaul. ἀδελφός – adelphos finds a positive parallel to the Hebrew word Chaber חׇבֵר companion or associate. This inference follows the Hebrew parallel רע – reya companion, friend neighbor and fellow citizen. This parallels Hakham Tsefet’s use of ποταπός – potapos (what country, race or tribe) are you from? In the present contextual translation ἀδελφός – adelphos is similar to the Hebrew Chaber חׇבֵר companion or associate. A Chaber חׇבֵר is a Rabbi that is in the first stage of his Rabbinate. All evidence points to Chaber חׇבֵר as the best possible translation.

b. B.B. 75a And he prepared for them a great banquet and they ate and drank.^{^[39]} Companions (חֲבֵרִים Chabberim)^{^[40]} must mean scholars; for it is said: You that dwell in the gardens, the companions hearken for your voice; cause me to hear it.^{^[41]}

In the cited Gemara we can see חֲבֵרִים Chabberim as Scholars. Their devotion to Torah study is equated as those who are found spotless, without blame in peace. Hakham Tsefet’s reference to Hakham Shaul as ἀδελφός – adelphos, in the present context means that he is a Chaber חׇבֵר, companion or associate. The Gemara cited above notes that the Chaber חׇבֵר is a scholar. This now reveals the intent of Hakham Tsefet’s reference to Hakham Shaul in true clarity. He is a Chaber חׇבֵר, (Companion) i.e. a Remes Torah scholar. Here we are reminded of the Kallah from the previous Torah Seder. The term Chaber חׇבֵר, is therefore associated with the Kallah. However, the Kallah are the most distinguished of the חֲבֵרִים Chabberim.

Essential to the livelihood of the Chaber חׇבֵר is his association with his Hakham. When the Chaber is ordained it is frequently said that he was given the power to “bind and loose.”^{^[42]} This meant he was given power, as a Torah Scholar to open the meaning of the Torah as an authoritative Scholar. While, binding is a reference to halakhic binding it is also a reference to “binding” the text within a particular genre of hermeneutic.

m. Ta’anith 7a R. Hama b. Hanina said: What is the meaning of the verse, Iron sharpens iron?^{^[43]} This is to teach you that just as in the case of one [iron] sharpens the other so also do two scholars sharpen each other’s mind by halachah.

Rabbah b. Hanah said: Why are the words of the Torah likened to fire, as it is said, Is not my word like as fire? says the Lord?^{^[44]} This is to teach you that just as fire does not ignite of itself so too the words of the Torah do not endure with him who studies alone.

Again, the Chaber חׇבֵר is not to be a free independent Torah Scholar. He remains a Chaber חׇבֵר and a part of a collegiate “academy” of Rabbis. The present Nazarean Mishnah shows that Hakham Shaul was not an independent Torah Scholar. He was considered a Chaberחׇבֵר to the Sh’liachim (Original Apostles) specifically to the three “Pillars” Hakham Tsefet, Hakham Ya’aqob and Hakham Yochanan. Here we should also note that Hakham Shaul’s “wisdom” is not derived from the Ohr HaGanuz that he experienced on the Road to Damascus. His “wisdom” is handed down (δίδωμι – didomi, given to or handed to, i.e. Mesorah) to him from his Hakhamim. This “wisdom” is found in the writings of Hakham Shaul. Therefore, we can surmise that the “wisdom” of Hakham Shaul is the “wisdom” of the three Pillars, Hakham Tsefet, Hakham Ya’aqob and Hakham Yochanan.

Hatred of the Mesorah and its Hakhamim

Consequently beloved be forewarned to keep guard (Shomer) in order not to (fall into) lawless deceit^{^[45]} (opposite of truth - truthless) withdrawing from your own ordination^{^[46]} (Heb. סמךְ)^{^[47]}

We must despise the detestable hatred of the Oral Torah (Mesorah), however, this opposition is the very fuel that causes it to remain and flourish.

The Talmud, (Mesorah) which has survived the stake and the inquisition, will also resist these impotent attacks, which will cease as soon as the understanding of the Talmud will become the common possession of cultivated men or, at least, of cultivated, intelligent Jews. If ever the saying "by their fruits will you know them" was justified, it is in the case of the Talmud; hence the more we know of the makers of the Talmud, the nearer we are to a correct comprehension of the Talmud itself.^{^[48]}

Ginzberg’s analogy and comments on the importance of understanding of the Talmud well applies to the cosmic acceptance of the Mesorah of the Master. As the vanguard of Oral Torah in codified form, the Nazarean Codicil as the Mesorah of the Master, like the Talmud, is viewed with skepticism. And to echo the words of Ginzberg above, the more we know of the authors, i.e Hakham Tsefet, Hakham Ya’aqob, and Hakham Yochanan, the closer we come to being able to comprehend what he and the Master were saying. Symmetry between the Nazarean Mesorah and the Talmud show the mind of the first century Jewish Talmid Hakham. We can only understand the Mishnah and Talmud as we learn the Mesorah of the Master. In similar fashion, we can only understand the Mesorah of the Master when we study the Mishnah and the Talmud.^{^[49]}

New Heavens^{^[50]}

While we cannot elaborate in So’odic terms the meaning of the New Heavens and earth we can certainly look at their analogy as a means of understanding what Hakham Tsefet is saying in his present Mishnaic text. “Withdrawing from your own ordination^{^[51]} (Heb. סמךְ)^{^[52]}” Means to cease probing the Scriptures and the teachings of our ancestors and the Master. The Sages brought an innovation when they developed Mishnaic Hebrew. Mishnaic Hebrew is a beautiful expression of the genius of the Hakhamim.

b. Meg. 9a R. SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAYS THAT BOOKS [OF THE SCRIPTURE] ALSO ARE PERMITTED TO BE WRITTEN ONLY IN GREEK. R. Abbahu said in the name of R. Yohanan: The halakhah follows R. Simeon b. Gamaliel. R. Yohanan further said: What is the reason of R. Simeon b. Gamaliel? Scripture says, God enlarge Yapheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem;^{^[53]} [this means] that the words of Yapheth^{^[54]} will be in the tents of Shem.

The Hakhamim of the first century, especially including Yeshua and his Talmidim brought with them the study of Greek, Aramaic and most certainly Latin. This is mostly how Mishnaic Hebrew evolved. Interestingly, the Greek alphabet was derived from the Semitic alphabet of the Phoenicians. Furthermore, the early Greek alphabet was written, like its Semitic forebears, from right to left.^{^[55]} This gradually gave way to the boustrophedon style, and after 500 B.C.E.

The study and incorporation of other languages gave the Sages the ability to further elucidate and express Torah concepts in ways that had previously been impossible. This innovation is easily seen in the Nazarean Hakhamim who wrote in Hebrew and Greek. Their original Hebrew texts were translated into Greek so that the growing community turning to G-d from among the Gentiles could read the writings of the Nazarean Hakhamim. However, it can also be argued that the Nazarean Hakhamim realized the importance of the Greek language as a form and vehicle for expressing the Mesorah. This is NOT to suggest that the Greek language was preferred over Hebrew particularly when writing matters of Halakha.

Commentary to Hakham Shaul’s School of Remes

The “blossoms” of Iyar have opened. The vineyards, which are the Yeshibot, are like opened blossoms. The “blossoms” are the doors of the Yeshibot that are opened. The blossoms are also the B’ne Torah as they study Torah. From within, the radiance (Ziv) of the Torah radiates and flowers, sending its sweet fragrance to the Yeshibot in foreign lands.

It is evident from the two conjoined pericopes that the central thought of Hakham Shaul this week is the Kingdom/Governance of G-d through the Hakhamim and Bate Din as opposed to human Kings. In this frame, the Bate Midrash and Yeshiboth are the success of the B’ne Yisrael. The Remes text speaks of Hakham Shaul’s “lodging.” The usual οἶκος – oikos, “house” is replaced with ξενία – xenia, which is best understood as the “lodging” or dwelling of an alien, foreigner. This clearly shows that the Jewish Hakhamim are to be resident in the Diaspora for the duration of the Galut Gadol (great exile). Here the B’ne Yisrael will ferret out the souls of their brethren (companions – Chaberim) resident in foreign bodies (lodgings).

We must not come to believe that the contention of our present pericope is simply an argument that the Master, Yeshua is the Messiah. The rejection by some of these Roman hearers is the rejection of the Mesorah of the Hakhamim. They do not want to be subjected to the Bate Din with its Yeshiva of Hakhamim advancing halakhah for them. They want to do what is “right in their own eyes” rather than “Hear” (Shema) or “See” the freedom of having G-d fearing Sages who would guard (shomer) their souls with words of wisdom. The Prophetic voice is called as a witness against all who would reject the authority of G-d and G-d’s Sh’liachim (apostles - emissaries) “plenipotentiary agents.” As noted above in the Peshat commentary, those who reject the Oral Torah, have no idea what they are rejecting. Ginzberg was very accurate is his assessment of those who are ignorant and reject the Talmud, and Oral Torah.

The more we know of the makers of the Talmud, the nearer we are to a correct comprehension of the Talmud itself.^{^[56]}

Hakham Shaul ends the first pericope with the phrase “They will listen also!” What does this mean? Hakham Shaul is placing the Gentiles who “listen” in the same company with the Jewish souls in Rome that accepted the Mesorah, Governance of G-d through the Bate Din and Hakhamim. However, we need to refine his thoughts for allegorical consideration. Those who will “listen” have the Nefesh Yehudi. Those who reject the Mesorah of the Hakhamim and the Master are people with a dull mind, left with no understanding. They have eyes that will never behold the mysteries of the Zohar or the new heavens created by men like Hakham Tsefet and Hakham Shaul. The mind that will not listen or see can never save itself. The mind that ponders what it has heard and meditates on what it has “seen” is in no need of “redemption.” That mind is already free. It basks in the revelry of Iyar’s radiance (Ziv) knowing that the soul will soon be elevated to the heights of Har Sinai, where the voices of the Hakhamim “thunder.” The “pure mind” redeemed itself by watching the “torches” (Sages) of Sinai run back and forth like lightening. The thundering voices and the flashes of lightning are the establishment of a new heavens and new earth where the previous heavens and earth have been dissolved with great heat, being set on fire by the voices of the Hakhamim.

As we approach the Mountain of G-d we need to understand that the allegorical meaning of a mountain is that of “government.” The Government, Har Sinai of G-d is through His Sh’liachim (apostles - emissaries) “plenipotentiary agents.” And just as the allegory is non-literal, there is no mountain. How will we understand this mountain if it is not literal? If we leave you with an explanation from Mishnah Abot will you understand?

Abot 1:1 And as it is said: “Mosheh received the Torah from Sinai and gospelled it down to Yehoshua, and Yehoshua gospelled it down to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets gospelled it down to the Men of the Great Assembly. They (the Men of the Great Assembly) emphasized three things; Be deliberate in judgment, make stand many disciples, and make a fence around the Torah” (P. Abot 1:1).^{^[57]}

Questions for Understanding and Reflection

From all the readings for this Shabbat which verse or verses impressed your heart and fired your imagination?
‎Taking into consideration all the readings for this Shabbat what is the prophetic statement for this ‎week?‎

Blessing After Torah Study

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

Ashér Natán Lánu Torát Emét, V'Chayéi Olám Natá B'Tochénu.

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

Blessed is Ha-Shem our God, King of the universe,

Who has given us a teaching of truth, implanting within us eternal life.

Blessed is Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!

“Now unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless, and to establish you without a blemish,

before His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer, by means of Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion, and honor, and majesty, both now and in all ages. Amen!”

Saturday Evening May 24, 2014

Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 40

Then read the following

Day of the Omer	Ministry	Date	Ephesians	Attributes
40	Parnas 3/Parnas 2	Iyar 25	5:29-33	Truth united with Sincerity

Ephesians 5:29-33 For, no man ever hates his own body,^{^[58]} rather (he) sustains and values^{^[59]} it, even as the Master loves the Congregation (of Messiah). For we are members of his body, his flesh, and of bones.^{^[60]} As it is written, “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two of them will be one flesh.”^{^[61]} This is a profound So’od, (secret – mystery)^{^[62]} but I speak concerning Messiah and his congregation. But also let everyone of you in particular so love his wife even as himself, and the wife should defer to her own husband.

Sunday Evening May 25, 2014

Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 41

Then read the following:

Day of the Omer

Ministry

Date

Ephesians

Attributes

Parnas 3

Iyar 26

6:1-4

Foundation – Office of the Pastor #3

Virtue: Emet (Truth/Honesty)

Ministry: Parnas [Pastor] (Female – hidden)

Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents^{^[63]} in the LORD,^{^[64]} for this is right (just)^{^[65]}. “Honor your father and mother, (which is the first and chief mitzvah with a promise),^{^[66]} so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.”^{^[67]} And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,^{^[68]} but bring them up in the discipline^{^[69]} (Mesorah – Oral) Torah and instruction^{^[70]} of the LORD.^{^[71]}

Monday Evening May 26, 2014

Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 42

Then read the following:

Day of the Omer	Ministry	Date	Ephesians	Attributes
42	Parnas 3/Moreh	Iyar 27	6:5-8	Truth united with Humility

Ephesians 6:5-8 Bondservants,^{^[72]} follow the direction of your masters^{^[73]} according to the flesh, with reverential awe (fear and trembling), in purity of motive (singleness of your heart), as if it (your service) were to Messiah;not with the intent of making false impressions, as men-pleasers, but as the bondservants of Messiah, doing the will of God from the true understanding (motive – neshamah), with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to menknowing that the Lord rewards midda kneged midda (measure for measure), whether he is a bondservant or a freeman.

Tuesday Evening May 27, 2014

Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 43

Then read the following:

Day of the Omer	Ministry	Date	Ephesians	Attributes
43	Moreh/Masoret	Iyar 28	6:9	Humility united with Chesed

Ephesians 6:9 And masters, do the same things to them^{^[74]} the (bondservants),^{^[75]} setting aside any coercion (threats), knowing^{^[76]} that your Master also is in the heavens.^{^[77]} There is no partiality^{^[78]} with him.

Wednesday Evening May 28, 2014

Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 44

Then read the following:

Day of the Omer	Ministry	Date	Ephesians	Attributes
44	Moreh/Chazan	Iyar 28	6:10-12	Humility united with Reverential Awe

Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally,^{^[79]} my brothers, be clothed^{^[80]} (strong)^{^[81]} in the LORD and in the strength^{^[82]} of His might.^{^[83]} Put on^{^[84]} the whole armor of G-d^{^[85]} so that you may be able to stand against the deceits^{^[86]} (methods) of the adversary.^{^[87]} For we do not wrestle^{^[88]} against flesh and blood,^{^[89]} but^{^[90]} against principalities,^{^[91]} against authorities,^{^[92]} against the rulers of the cosmos,^{^[93]} ruling the present age of darkness,^{^[94]} against spiritual wickedness among the heavenly spheres.^{^[95]}

Thursday Evening May 29, 2014

Evening: Counting of the Omer Day 45

Then read the following:

Day of the Omer	Ministry	Date	Ephesians	Attributes
45	Moreh/Darshan	Iyar 29	6:13-15	Humility united with Compassion

Ephesians 6:13-15 Therefore,^{^[96]} take upon yourselves^{^[97]} the whole armor of G-d,^{^[98]} that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,^{^[99]} and having done all, to stand. Therefore stand, being equipped with the knowledge (Da’at) truth,^{^[100]} being clothed about with a breastplate of righteousness/generosity^{^[101]} and your walk^{^[102]} ordered^{^[103]} by the restorative^{^[104]} Mesorah. In all circumstances, take upon yourselves the shield of faithful obedience, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming darts of the Yetser HaRa (evil inclination).

Next Shabbat:

Shabbat “B’Midbar Sinai” – Sabbath: “In the wilderness of Sinai”

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי
“B’Midbar Sinai”	Reader 1 – B’Midbar 1:1-19	Reader 1 – B’Midbar 2:1-4
“In the wilderness of Sinai”	Reader 2 – B’Midbar 1:20-25	Reader 2 – B’Midbar 2:5-7
“En el desierto de Sinaí”	Reader 3 – B’Midbar 1:26-31	Reader 3 – B’Midbar 2:7-9
B’Midbar (Numbers) 1:1-54	Reader 4 – B’Midbar 1:32-37
Ashlamatah: Hosea 2:16-25	Reader 5 – B’Midbar 1:38-43	Monday & Thursday Mornings
	Reader 6 – B’Midbar 1:44-47	Reader 1 – B’Midbar 2:1-4
Psalm 90:1-17	Reader 7 – B’Midbar 1:48-54	Reader 2 – B’Midbar 2:5-7
Abot: 3:18	Maftir: B’midbar 1:52-54	Reader 3 – B’Midbar 2:7-9
N.C.: Mark 9:42-48; Lk 17:1-3a; Romans 1:1-7	- Hosea 2:16-25

Coming Festival:

Shabuoth – Pentecost

Tuesday Evening 3^rd of June – Thursday Evening 5^th of June, 2014

For further information see:

http://www.betemunah.org/shavuot.html & http://www.betemunah.org/freedom.html

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David

Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

[1] Submission to Messiah is that of submitting to the Bet Din. The Bet Din is that halakhic authority. However, should the Congregation choose to reject the halakhic decision of the Bet Din the Bet Din in and of itself is powerless to correct their actions. Nevertheless, that congregation which fails to submit to the Hakhamim and Bet Din places itself in a very precarious situation. This principle applies to the wife/husband relationship.

[2] The words ἐν παντί mean in everything within the proper circuit of conjugal obligation.

[3] The numerical value of love (ahavah) is 13, which is also the number of unity. Therefore, Hakham Shaul calls us to be at unity with our marital partner and God. Ahavah also means to give. The context is that of giving rather than demanding. Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife: But love atones for all sins. Also, note the relationship to “love” in the 3^rd Parnas, the feminine aspect of the Parnasim.

[4] This command appears nowhere else. It is exclusive to Hakham Shaul. However, we can see that high ethic that is presented to the Congregation of the Master.

[5] The devotion of a whole life to the preservation and establishment of the ethic of the Mesorah. This is the life’s work of Messiah.

[6] καθερίζω – katharizo infers ritual purity.

[7] The Torah washes? What does the Torah wash? The Torah washes the mind, Nefesh bringing it to a higher state of consciousness.

[8] Note that it is by means of the Oral Torah that the Esnoga, Congregation of Messiah is “set apart” and “cleansed,” made ritually whole. The phrase ῥῆμα – rhema can only refer to the “spoken” Torah i.e. Mesorah. Therefore, the means by which we are “cleansed is the Oral Torah.

[9] The Congregation of the master is an offering for the sake of the whole world. For G-d so loved the Gentile that he gave his only son. This refers simultaneously to Messiah and to the Jewish people. The talmidim of the Master are his offering to the world as a means of tikun. The Congregation of Messiah is given a role in the plan of tikun. The role that they play is in speaking out the Oral Torah, which is the cleansing agent for the whole world.

The text should read that he, Messiah caused his Congregation to stand at his side etc. Παρίστημι – paristemi can also mean to “serve at his side.”

[10] How is it that the Congregation of Messiah is presented “spotless” etc? The work of the Chazan, which we thought of as punishment turned out to be the true manifestation of Chesed. In other words, the fruit of discipline is reward.

[11] This means that the Congregation of Messiah is blameless with regard to the Oral Torah, being the standard of true holiness. The Congregation of Messiah stands out as exceptional in merit and blameless in their conduct. This is the true price of belonging to the Congregation of Messiah.

[12] Rav Shlomo Atiyah reconciles the various opinions regarding this psalm's authorship. In Abraham's time, he was despised by the G-dless monarchs who feared his powerful lessons of faith in the One G-d. Abraham's nephew Lot was also a disseminator of the Patriarch's religious teachings. An alliance of four kings attacked Sodom and took Lot into captivity (Genesis 14:12). Abraham pursued the kings, defeated them and liberated Lot. At that time, he composed this hymn on the theme of captivity in the hands of the enemies of HaShem. Many centuries later, David was captive in a trap set by the treacherous people of the city of Ke'ilah. HaShem delivered him from this trap and, in this psalm, David recorded the feelings of a liberated captive (see 1 Samuel 23:4-13). When David composed this psalm, he based his words on the feelings expressed by the Patriarch Abraham in his earlier work. [Perhaps David commissioned the famous musician Eitan the Ezrachite to execute a composition based on Abraham's theme.]

[16] Radak explains that this psalm bemoans the length of the exile. The main feature of the exile is the nullification of the Jewish sovereignty vested in the monarchy of the House of David. Therefore, the Psalmist here speaks in terms of David and his seed.

[17] These opening remarks are excerpted, and edited, from: The ArtScroll Tanach Series, Tehillim, A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and rabbinic sources. Commentary by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer, Translation by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer in collaboration with Rabbi Nosson Scherman.

[20] He was descended from Lot who was saved from the destruction of Sodom.

[25] G4217 ποταπός potapos

Thayer Definition:

1) from what country, nation or tribe

2) of what sort or quality (what manner of)

2a) of persons

2b) of things

Liddel Scott ποδαπός

ποδα±πός, ή, όν, from what country? Lat. cujas? generally, whence? where born? Hdt., Trag.; τίς καὶ π.; Plat. 2. generally, of what sort? ποδαπός; οἷος μὴ δάκνειν. . , of what sort? one that will not bite, Dem. (As in ἀλλοδαπός, ἡμεδαπός, ὑμεδαπός, τηλεδαπός, -δαπος is a termin. of uncertain origin.)

[VGNT] ποταπός [pg 530] ποταπός. This Hellenistic form of the classical ποδαπός, “of what country?” (cf. Proleg. p. 95), occurs in the Mime fragment, P Oxy III. 413¹⁵⁵(Roman period) ποταπὰ περιπατεῖς; “where are you walking from?”

[26] See Lexicons for the vast number of ways this word is used and translated. ὑπάρχειν seems to suggest a point of origin, “belonging to” ect.

[28] m. Aboth 5:2 There are ten generations from Adam to Noah, to show you how long-suffering is [God]. For all those generations went along spiting him until he brought the water of the flood upon them. There are ten generations from Noah to Abraham, to show you how long-suffering [God] is. For all those generations went along spiting him, until Abraham came along and took the reward which had been meant for all of them.

[30] This inference follows the Hebrew parallel רע who is friend, neighbor, associate and fellow citizen. In the present contextual translation ἀδελφός – adelphos is similar to the Hebrew Chaber חׇבֵר companion or associate. A Rabbi that is in the first stage of his Rabbinate.

[31] For someone who is not schooled in Remes, it is very difficult to read between the lines per se. WE must look beyond the narrative as we have repeatedly suggested. The simple mind does not want to be exercised to the place of drawing allegorical parallels.

[32] [VGNT] πλάνη [pg 516] has apparently the act. sense of “deceit” in BGU IV. 1208⁶(B.C. 27–6) “by means of which (sc. a writing-tablet) you are acquainting me with the deceit of Kalatytis.” Cf. Kaibel 351³where the editor understands the word as denoting the craft and stratagem, which hunters use against wild beasts. See further s.v. πλανάω. In the NT πλάνη is generally, if not always, used in the pass. sense of “error”: cf. Armitage Robinson ad Eph 4¹⁴.

[34] Cf. E. Lohse, Die Ordination im Spätjudt. u. im NT (1951), 28-66

[35] TWOT (1631a)

(1631a) עוֹלָם (±ôl¹m) forever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world, etc. (RSV Similar in general, but substitutes "always" for "in the world" in Psa 73:12 and "eternity" for "world" in Eccl 3:11.) Probably derived from ±¹lam I, "to hide," thus pointing to what is hidden in the distant future or in the distant past. The Ugaritic cognate is ±lm, "eternity."

1629.0 עָלַם (±¹lam) I, be hidden, concealed, secret.

H5956 עלם ‛âlam

BDB Definition:

1) to conceal, hide, be hidden, be concealed, be secret

1a) (Qal) secret (participle)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be concealed

1b2) concealed, dissembler (participle)

1c) (Hiphil) to conceal, hide

1d) (Hithpael) to hide oneself

Same as TWOT 1629 (see above)

[38] Schürer, Emil. A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ: Being a Second and Revised Edition of a Manual of the History of New Testament Times. T. & T. Clark, 1901.

[40] Heb. Talmide Hakamim, תלמידי חכמים, lit. “Disciples (talmidim) of the wise men (Hakham)”, applied to scholars (Chaberim), distinguished students.

[41] Cant. VIII, 13. The “companions” are the Talmide Hakamim. The entire Song of Songs is regarded in Talmudic literature as an allegorical poem on God, Israel and the Torah. The gardens are the Colleges (Chaburot). The companions are the scholars. Chaberim חֲבֵרִים companions in Cant. are taken to be equal חֲבֵרִים Chabberim in Job.

[42] Alban, Guild of st. Church Work, 1869. p. 204

[45] [VGNT] πλάνη [pg 516] has apparently the act. sense of “deceit” in BGU IV. 1208⁶(B.C. 27–6) “by means of which (sc. a writing-tablet) you are acquainting me with the deceit of Kalatytis.” Cf. Kaibel 351³where the editor understands the word as denoting the craft and stratagem, which hunters use against wild beasts. See further s.v. πλανάω. In the NT πλάνη is generally, if not always, used in the pass. sense of “error”: cf. Armitage Robinson ad Eph 4¹⁴.

[47] Cf. E. Lohse, Die Ordination im Spätjudt. u. im NT (1951), 28-66

[48] Ginzberg, Louis. Students, Scholars and Saints. 1st edition. The Jewish Publication Society and Meridian Books, 1958. p.39

[49] We are not excluding the Midrash and Zohar. We here insinuate a pars pro toto.

[50] Zohar 1:4b IN THE BEGINNING. R. Simeon opened his discourse with the text: And I put my words in thy mouth (Is. LI, 16). He said: “How greatly is it incumbent on a man to study the Torah day and night! For the Holy One, blessed be He, is attentive to the voice of those who occupy themselves with the Torah, and through each fresh discovery made by them in the Torah a new heaven is created.

[52] Cf. E. Lohse, Die Ordination im Spätjudt. u. im NT (1951), 28-66

[54] Javan (Greece) is reckoned among the sons of Japheth in Gen. X, 2

[55] Herodotus, The Histories V. 58, see Rhys Carpenter, “The Antiquity of the Greek Alphabet,”American Journal of Archaeology 37 (1933): 8–29: Berthold L. Ullman, “How Old is the Greek Alphabet?,”American Journal of Archaeology 38 (1934): 359–381; Peter Kyle McCarter Jr., The Antiquity of the Greek Alphabet and Early Phoenician Scripts (Missoula, Mont.: Scholars Press, 1975); and the unpublished article of Immanuel Velikovsky, “Cadmus,”now in virtual version in http://www.varchive. org/dag/cadmus.htm; see further Ruth B. Edwards, Kadmos the Phoenician: A Study in Greek Legends and the Mycenaean Age (Amsterdam: Hakkert, 1979).

[56] Ginzberg, Louis. Students, Scholars and Saints. 1st edition. The Jewish Publication Society and Meridian Books, 1958. p.39

[57] The Mountain is the near infinite number of Hakhamim and Habberim who have opened the words of Torah for their audience and build new heavens and a new earth where the Tsadiqim will rejoice in the Ohr HaGanuz illumed by these Torah Scholars.

[58] No one of typical sanity ever hated his body. On the contrary, many men love their bodies and are infatuated with themselves. Here to translate σάρξ – sarx as “body” makes most sense here.

[59] Hoehner notes that these two words are from the “nursery.” They indicate raising or nursing a child. Hoehner, H. W. (2002). Ephesians, An Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. pp. 766-7

[60] These statements should be read as nonliteral allegorical. The body, bones of the Congregation of Messiah is seen in the seven officers of the Congregation. In a measure, they are the Congregation. Furthermore, they are the means by which Messiah takes care of his body, i.e. “sustains and values it.” Some versions insert “out of his flesh and bones.” If we accept this as allegory, there is no problem with the longer version. However, there is no room for a Catholic Eucharist here as the meaning of these words.

[61] Cf. B’resheet 2:22 The Greek version of this text shows the transformation “into one flesh.” The better wording of the text would be “two become one flesh.” The phrase is used in 1 Corinthians 6:16 of a man being “joined” to a prostitute. Therefore, we learn that sexual intimacy brings a union between two partners. However, because the language is allegory we must ask ourselves how we are can define this relationship between Messiah and his Congregation. From this we also learn that intimacy is a mechanism by which the sins of a woman are transferred to the husband for him to atone before G-d, most blessed be He! Thus, being “joined” to a prostitute means that the male will absorb all the sins of the prostitute and will attone for them.

[62] The Mystery – So’od is not something that cannot be told because it is a secret in the western sense of the word. The “mystery” is accurately described as the “mystery of his will” in Eph:9 The mystery/secret is unfolded in the mind of the reader/talmid. As such, the talmid receives (Kibal) the secret from his master (Rabbi) and the unfolding of the mystery is in unspeakable words. This is because the “mystery,” at this point is grasped as the invisible spermatic Word of G-d. Or as Abraham Heschel puts it…It is not in a roundabout way, by analogy or inference, that we become aware of the ineffable; we do not think about it “in absentia”. It is rather sensed as something immediately given by way of an insight that is unending and underivable, logically and psychologically prior to judgment, to the assimilation of subject matter to mental categories; a universal insight into an objective aspect of reality, of which all men are at all times capable; not the froth of ignorance but the climax of thought, indigenous to the climate that prevails at the summit of intellectual endeavor, where such works as the last quartets of Beethoven come into being. It is a cognitive insight, since the awareness it evokes is a definite addition to the mind. Heschel, Abraham Joshua, Man is not Alone , Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1976 p.19. The “Word” of G-d” in this realm is unspoken. This is the ethereal world of spirit. This “Virtue” is the place where the supernal touches the natural. In the imagery of the human body, it is the crown of the head called “gilgal” or crown of the skull – Gilgulet. The point of connection to the Divine world begins in the Neshamah. The human Neshama has a point of connection with the speechless world called the Imagination. This “imagination” reaches into the speechless world of the Divine and draws down the Divine Wisdom – Hokhmah into the natural mundane and finite world. Or, we might understand that the Divine Wisdom “draws” us upward into the ethereal sublime world where we receive the invisible technical spermatic Word of G-d. The word written on the heart (mind) must be memorized. The “memorized” Word “written” on the mind is the Oral Torah, which proceeded from the ethereal speechless world. When the Imagination of man has received an awareness or revelation, it must find telluric words to define and capture the essence of what has been grasped from the spiritual dimension. This is a natural process. However, when we “capture” the “essence” of a thing it becomes telluric of a necessity. It contains a measure of its “spirituality” but is must be blended with it natural and finite mirror before we can comprehend it.

[63] The “household conduct” continues as a general theme in the office of the 3^rd Parnas. Likewise, we can determine that the Ephesian congregants had children of reasonable age to comprehend the message Hakham Shaul is transmitting. Furthermore, we see here a hierarchical order. Hakham Shaul first dealt with the marital relationship and now deals with the parental roles. From the parental responsibility we see Hakham Shaul address the children and then the “bond-servants.”

[64] We capitalize Lord so that the reader understands that we are referring to HaShem – G-d rather the Master – Yeshua. We see this reference to the Decalogue, where G-d says “Honor father and mother.” Shemot 20:12

[65] δίκαιος – dikaios “just/right.” This refers to the standard/expectancy of G-d’s mitzvoth (commandments). This also speak of what is obligatory with regard to the mitzvot. Hebrew יָשָׁר, יָשָׁר – yashar, straight or upright.

[67] As a general rule, the Torah does not promise a reward for observing the Mitzvot. In this case, the Torah gives the reward of longevity for obedience to this Mitzvah.

[68] אַף, אַפַּיִם – aph /af, anger or suffering. Therefore, we can say that the father/parent should not bring suffering to his children.

[69] The Gk. words παιδεία and παιδεύειν are mostly used for מוסר and יסר. The Tanakh has a whole series of words for teaching and direction, for chastisement and correction, but only the one word יסר and the derived מוסר can denote “to educate,” “education.” This word certainly belongs to the same field and can itself denote “rearing” (in the moral, not the biological sphere) as “correction,” but it can also take on a more intellectual sense and stand for “culture” in the sense of possession of wisdom, knowledge, and discernment. Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964-c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin. (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. (5:604).

[70] We find in this wording an association to the Shema. D’varim (Deut.) 6:7 You will teach them clearly to your children and will talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

[71] Bring them up with the instruction of G-d.

[72] The bondservant is in the house of his kinsman redeemer – Goel. In a measure, the Goel is his redeemer. Therefore, Hakham Shaul shows that the appropriate response for the bondservant is true humility. The bond-servant has been reduced to the place of humility by the “Hand of G-d” per se. Therefore, the bondservant should look to his master as a means of finding his identity. Hakham Shaul shows that the service should be honest and genuine and not for the sake of praise etc.

[73] The use of κύριος – kurios here shows us that the “master” is not a god-like master. He is a responsible model for the bondservant. The bondservant looks to the “master” as a mentor on how to conduct life within the Jewish Theocracy. It is the role of the Parnasin (Pastors) joined to the Moreh (Teacher) to demonstrate living models of the Jewish way of life. The role of the “master” is not “lordship.” The role of the master is responsibility for “Pastoring and teaching” the servants. The servant benefits by being in the household of the master as a living environment of Jewish halakhah. Interestingly, these two officers, the 3^rd Parnas and the Moreh (Pastor and Teacher) represent the Mesorah – Oral Torah as it applies to everyday life.

[74] “Do the same things to them” requires the master to respect with reverential awe the bondservants he is to mentor. Furthermore, we can see that the master is called upon to demonstrate integrity, dedication to G-d and goodwill. These qualities are to be expressed towards the bondservant as if the master had the Master in his household as a bondservant.

[75] The bondservant is in the house of the Goel for the sake of leaning from a master the things the servant needs in order to live a life pleasing to G-d. This system only works when both the bondservant and the master conduct themselves in a manner according to the Oral Torah.

[76] To have intimate knowledge that the Master above is watching all his talmidim below.

[77] Midda kneged midda (measure for measure), also applies here where the master must be patient with the bondservant. While threats may seem like the correct approach, these attempts to control by coercion never work. The key thought here is also that the masters are being watched by the master.

[78] We must realize that in Messiah, and in G-d there is no partiality. Therefore, masters should not think that because they are the “master” over bondservants that they are the “favoured” of G-d.

[79] Hakham Shaul has followed the structure of Shemot and the directions of the Mishkan’s (Tabernacle) construction. G-d’s instruction begins in the Kodesh Kodeshim (Holy of Holies) and “finally” moves to the outer courtyards. The beginning of Ephesians starts with the closest proximity to the “heavenlies” and progresses to the way things are “walked out” (halakhah) in everyday life. These lessons are addressed by the Moreh and the corresponding officers. Interestingly enough, the translation allegorically suggests that garments of the Jewish men i.e.; tallits and T’fillin. With a possible reference to the tallit as a “little Mishkan” (tent) we see that connection that Hakham Shaul is trying to make.

[80] Eνδυναμόω – endunamoo is paralleled by the Hebrew לָבֵשׁ (lābēš) to be clothed or dressed. Therefore, we have opted to translate the sentence, as it would have appeared in its Mishnaic Hebrew original. Likewise, we note that the allegory suggests the apparel of Jewish men, i.e. tallits and T’fillin. Being wrapped in the tallit and T’fillin is a symbol of G-d’s power and might.

[81] See note above. ἐνδυναμόω – endunamou could be translated “be empowered.” If we follow this translation, we need to extend the thought to capture the true nuance of the word, by saying “be empowered with virtuous power.” It would appear that Hakham Shaul is using the power of allegory to teach us that there is virtuous power associated with the way we dress. Be “dressed” is the L-rd carrying the connotations that being dressed in the tallit and the T’filln.

[82] κράτος – kratos is the power of dominion. Κράτος as a word associated with power seems be in concert with two other words, ἀρχή – arche, meaning the chief or principle power, ἐξουσία – exousia, meaning authority. The difficulty with these Greek words is that they do not directly translate into Hebrew.

[83] Based on contextual hermeneutics ἰσχύς – ischus seems to be associated with the power of “warfare” and “Adonai Tzabot.” What stands out in this concept and the context of the present pericope is that it is the L-rd that is associated with “Adonai Tzabot.” In other words we would seem to expect the title Elohim (G-d) rather than the L-rd because Elohim is associated with justice. Even here, where we have the Moreh working in concert with the Chazan, who represents justice we do not have the title Elohim used. Therefore, we determine that Hakham Shaul is demonstrating the true diffusion and balance of power. The Moreh in this case balances the Chazan’s justice into the more merciful aspect of the office and officer. What is also evident in Hakham Shaul’s presentation of the officers of the Esnoga (congregation) is that each officer labour is to produce the opposite of his character. As we face the tree of Messiah’s lights, we see the right side as given to chesed and the left side as justice. However, when we look down on these powers from the heavens we see that the right side is given to justice and the left side demonstrates chesed. Consequently, we understand that the heavenly perspective of these officers shows their maturity and connection to the upper realms of their office. “Adonai Tzabot” is the compassionate power that is an affront to the negativity. Through the power of “Adonai Tzabot” warfare is waged and the resultant force is compassion which defeats the despotic negative power.

[84] Eνδύω – enduo, meaning “to draw on” like ἐνδυναμόω – endunamoo is rooted in Hebrew לָבֵשׁ (lābēš) to be clothed or dressed. The meaning or allusion is to draw down the power that is above. In each case, with exception to the officers in the middle column, “draw” down the power from above incorporates the balanced power of the right or left side. Those sefirot in the middle column, which we see as “balanced” draw their balance from the power above. Eνδύω – enduo, to sink into (clothing) further shows that the officer’s power is derived from above.

[85] The Armour of G-d – Scholars generally look at the Roman soldier as a model for the “Armour of G-d.” This absolute nonsense! How can we look at a Roman soldier as “G-d?” This approach is Hellenistic paganism. Isa 59, below shows the “Armour of G-d.”

Isa. 59:14-19 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter. Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the LORD saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle (tallit). According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense. So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind (Ruach) – breath or sprit of the LORD drives.

The Davidic Midrash of Psalm 7 shows the anger of G-d focused on the wicked.

Ps. 7:11-13 God judges the righteous/generous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he does not repent, He (God) will whet his sword; He has bent His bow, and made it ready. He has also prepared for him the instruments of death; He ordains his arrows against the persecutors.

Ps. 91:4 He (God) will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

[86] The English vocabulary does not have a comparable word to describe Greek μεθοδείαςfrom μεθοδεία – methodeia, which is founded in the Hebrew word רָגַל – ragal, meaning “to go about as a calumniator.”

[87] The meaning of the Greek διάβολος – diabolos, does not mean “Satan” in the Christian sense. The better explanation is those spirits that are most commonly involved in the sense of complaint and especially calumniation. The reference here to “spirits” is that of the shedim (demons) rather than the “devil” of Christian myth. We should note that by use of “shade – demon,” Hakham Shaul is NOT referring to the Yetser HaRa. The Yetser HaRa is the natural G-d given balance needed for human survival. The reference to “shedim – demons” teaches us that the person, who believes that the body is the purpose for living, will be bound by a shade – demon to live in that manner. We state that the Torah Scholar is never controlled or possessed by the shedim – demons. Throughout the Nazarean Codicil we see that different persons are under the control and influence of shedim, “demon possessed.” Therefore, we see the graciousness and generosity of the Master as a healing agent for those bound by the shedim – demons giving them uncompelled and free movement of the will. If the Master gives uncompelled and free movement of the will, we can logically deduce (through Severah) that shedim compel, bind and dominate the will or soul of a person. On a deeper level Gaston says… Early Judaism held that God ruled over Israel directly, his rule over the Gentile nations was indirect and impersonal, through an agent something like a Persian satrap, if one will. The most common way of imagining these agents is in terms of the “angels of the nations.” A more Hellenistic way of putting the matter is to say that God’s rule, especially over nature, is administered by the “elements of the world,” that is, earth, water, air, and fire, or by the gods, especially the national gods. All of these are to be found in Paul along with much more general language concerning “the powers.” If in principle, the rule of the angels or elements or gods was intended to be benevolent, for most people of this period it was experienced as oppressive. None of this is stated explicitly by Hakham Shaul, but the basic pattern must be presupposed as part of the first century world-view. Cf. Gaston, L. (1987). Paul and the Torah. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. p. 9 (Bolding and underlining are my emphasis)

[88] The allegory and metaphor is that of armed conflict between two parties. Philo aptly illustrates this “wrestling match.” Alleg. Interp. III 190 -191 But, nevertheless, though pleasure appears to trip up and to deceive the good man, it will in reality be tripped up itself by that experienced wrestler, Jacob; and that, too, not in the wrestling of the body, but in that struggle which the soul carries on against the dispositions which are antagonistic to it, and which attack it through the agency of the passions and vices; and it will not let go the heel of its antagonist, passion, before it surrenders, and confesses that it has been twice tripped up and defeated, both in the matter of the birthright, and also in that of the blessing. For “rightly,” says Esau, “is his name called Jacob, for now has he supplanted me for the second time; the first time he took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing” (Gen 27:36). But the bad man thinks the things of the body the more important, while the good man assigns the preference to the things of the soul, which are in truth and reality the more important and the first, not, indeed, in point of time, but in power and dignity, as is a ruler in a city. But the mistress of the concrete being is the soul. Philo, o. A., & Yonge, C. D. (1996, c1993). The works of Philo: Complete and unabridged. Peabody: Hendrickson. p 72. What Hakham Shaul has clearly pointed to is in agreement with Philo. Ya’aqob wrestled until dawn, and has earned the title “wrestler.” Therefore, the B’ne Yisrael are “Sons” of the wrestler who are also engaged in this wrestling match.

[89] Not “wrestling against flesh and blood” shows that humanity is locked in a war of virtue. This virtue is taught and modelled by the Seven men of the Esnoga.

[90] Greek ἀλλὰ (but) is adversative showing struggle.

[91] Three specific “powers” are referenced in this pericope, ἀρχή – arche, principalities, ἐξουσία – exousia, authorities and κοσμοκράτωρ – kosmokrator cosmic rulers. This specific trio is not mentioned anywhere else together as Hakham Shaul has in this verse in the Nazarean Codicil. However, ἀρχή – arche, is frequently mentioned with ἐξουσία – exousia, authorities. Aρχάς from ἀρχή – arche in terms of person or personality, ἀρχή – arche refers the “leader, pioneer or originator” or that which is principle in rank. With reference to the “Seven Officers,” this is Chesed. Here we are only making analogy, and reference to positional status, not a word for word translation. On the higher plane we can see that this is, a reference to the interaction between the Chief Hakham endowed with Chochmah and the Will of Messiah. Philo in his discussion on the Allegory of Creation uses ἀρχή – arche as a reference to the “origin of creation.” Cf. Philo. (1993). The Works of Philo, Complete and Unabridged in one volume. (N. U. Edition, Ed., & C. Yonge, Trans.) Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers. p.8. In this way the seminal Will of Messiah, Chochmah received by the Hakham and Chesed stimulate the Esnoga forward and upward. Both the Chief of the Bet Din and the Principle officer of the Esnoga connect the Esnoga with the formative power of the Torah and its wisdom. The Torah/Oral is the infrastructure of the whole universe. Therefore, ἀρχή – arche is the basis of the structured universe. The Chief Hakham gives formative wisdom, which aligns the Bet Din with the decisive infrastructure of the universe through the Oral Torah. In similar manner, the Chief officer/Chesed injects the wisdom of the Bet Din into the Seven Officers and the Congregation of the Esnoga. This injection establishes a structured atmosphere, i.e. Oral Torah for the Esnoga. Eξουσίας from ἐξουσία – exousia, authorities. Eξουσία – exousia, is the power of judicial decision and deliberation, the power and rule of government i.e. the Bet Din. Eξουσία – exousia, also denotes the power of freedom, the unlimited possibility of action. While ἀρχή – arche, is related to the “Will of Messiah,” ἐξουσία – exousia, represents the office of the Chief Hakham that connects with that infinite source. In 1 Corinthians Hakham Shaul uses ἐξουσία – exousia, as the “symbol of authority” over the woman’s head. In this sense ἐξουσία – exousia, shows the infinity of masculine potential. (1 Co. 11:10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head,). Eξουσία – exousia, possesses authority, jurisdiction, is a symbol of authority, ruler, in control has power, has supernatural power and wisdom and the right to judge. Kοσμοκράτωρ – kosmokrator, the rulers of the heavenly spheres. In the negative sense, the rulers of the heavenly spheres are as our present case has it, rulers of the cosmos, ruling the present age of darkness showing that the Gentile is under the influence of the heavenly spheres.

[92] Eξουσία – exousia from ἔξεστι – exesti the freedom to act. The negative connotations of ἐξουσία – exousia show a licence for action, meaning that we may have given licence for negative authority in our lives.

[93] Hakham Shaul’s inclusion and phrase “we” shows that as he brings the Mesorah to the Gentiles that he, along with the Gentiles coming to conversion must contend with the heavenly spheres. These “spheres” are not necessarily the negative forces of the fallen angels. The difficulty with bringing the Gentile to the Torah is that the Spheres are “legalistic.” The Spheres govern the world by strict justice. As such, Hakham Shaul has a great problem in bringing Gentiles into the Esnoga as converts because of the demand by the Spheres for strict justice. Furthermore, his war of contention in bringing the Gentile to Torah observance is contended by the angelic rivalry and rage. See below

[94] The “present age” of darkness is omitted in some sources. While there may be justifiable cause to omit the seeming insertion, the phrase bears positive illumination on the text. In the present age, we live in a state that may be equated to darkness when compared to the “age to come,” Olam HaBa (the eternal, infinite coming age).

[95] These “Spheres” are discussed by Hakham Yehudah (Jude) in 1:13, They are waterless clouds carried by the fall winds; fruitless trees, twice dead, and uprooted; storm driven (wild) waves of the sea, foaming without water to their own shame; wandering spheres (stars) for who the deepest darkness is reserved for (their) eternity. In view of our understanding of the angelic rivalry (those opposed to creation of humanity because they will have Chesed – acts of righteousness and at the same time have a measure of wickedness in their lives) and the angelic rage which is focused on the B’ne Yisrael as the recipients of the Torah Oral/Written.

[96] The previous day of the Omer recounted the cosmic opposites to the Seven Men of the Esnoga. The present day of the Omer teaches how to withstand those forces and to look at the Seven Men of the Esnoga as though they were clothed with the virtues of G-d.

[98] Please refer to Iyar 29, the 44^th day of the Omer.

[99] This phrase is synonymous with the phrase “evil age” used in the previous pericope, i.e. Iyar 29, the 44^th day of the Omer.

[100] This translation is consistent with a true Remes translation.

[101] Here we see that Hakham Shaul is teaching us that the “Breastplate of Righteousness/Generosity” belongs to the Priesthood of the Firstborn, i.e. those of the Master/Messiah’s house

[102] Allegorically “feet” here is a reference to hakahah.

[103] Eτοιμασία – hetoimasia, prepared, ordered, ability, resolution or ready. Meaning that the feel (allegorically speaking) are prepared to keep the restorative Mesorah. כּוּן – kûn A primitive root; properly to be erect (that is, stand perpendicular – upright);. hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous): - certain (-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self), provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright, fast, forth), be stable, (e-) stablish, stand, tarry, X very deed.

[104] εἰρήνη – eirene of the possibly Hebrew synonyms there are two distinct possibilities. The first referring to halakhah, (H1980) and the second being Shalom (H7965) meaning wholeness, restoration etc.