Esnoga Bet Emunah - 227 Millset Chase# - San Antonio, Texas 78253

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

B’resheet (Gen.) 42:18–43:13

And Joseph said to them on the third day, This do, that you may live; for I fear the Lord. If you are true, let one of your brothers be bound in the house of your confinement and go you, carry the corn, that you may buy for the hunger of your house, and bring your youngest brother to me, that your words may be verified, and you may not die. And they did so.

And they said, a man to his brother, In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, when we saw the distress of his soul, when be entreated us, and we would not hearken to him; therefore has this affliction come upon us. And Reuben answered them and said, Did I not tell you, saying, Do not sin against the youth? But you would not listen to me; and thus, behold, his blood is required of us. But they knew not that Joseph understood (heard) the holy language; for Menasheh was interpreter between them. [Jerusalem. But they knew not that Joseph heard in the holy language; for as an interpreter Menasheh stood between them.] And he withdrew from them and wept, and returned and, spoke with them. And from them he took Shimeon, who had counseled them to kill him, and bound him before them.

And Joseph commanded his servant to fill their vehicles with corn, and to return each man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the way. And he did so for them. And they laid their corn upon their asses and went thence.

Levi, who had been left without Shimeon his companion, opened his sack to give food to his ass at the place of lodging, and saw his money: behold, it was in the mouth of his pannier. And he said to his brothers, My money is returned, behold, it is in my pannier. And knowledge failed from their hearts, and each wondered with his brother, saying, What is this which the Lord has done, and not for sin of ours?

And they came to Jakob their father in the land of Kenaan, and related to him all that had befallen them, saying, The man the lord of the land spoke with us harshly, and treated us as spies of the country: but we said to him, We are faithful men, not spies. We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; of one, we know not what was his end, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Kenaan. And the man, the lord of the land said to us, By this I shall know that you are true. Leave me one of your brothers with me, and what is needed by the hunger of your houses take, and go, and bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that you are not spies, but faithful. I will (then) restore your brother to you, and you shall transact business in the land.

And it was as they emptied their baggage, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his baggage; and they and their father saw the bundles of money, and they were afraid on account of Shimeon whom they had left there. And Jakob their father said to them, Me have you bereaved! Of Joseph you said, An evil beast has devoured him; of Shimeon you have said, The king of the land hath bound him; and Benjamin you seek to take away: upon me is the anguish of all of them. [JERUSALEM. And Jakob their father said to them Me have you bereaved of Joseph. From the hour that I sent him to you I have not known what was his end; and Benjamin you are seeking to take. Yet by me are to arise the twelve tribes.] And Reuben spoke to his father, saying Slay my two sons with a curse if I do not bring him to you. Give him into my hand, and I will restore him to you. But he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone remains of his mother; and if death should befall him in the way that you go, you will bring down my age with mourning to the grave. But the famine was strong in the land. [JERUSALEM. Death.]

XLIII. And it was when they had finished eating the corn they had brought from Mizraim, their father said to them, Return and buy us a little corn. And Jehuda spoke to him, saying, The man attesting attested to us saying, You shall not see the sight of my face unless your youngest brother be with you. If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy corn for you; but if you will not send (him), we will not go down; for the man told us, You shall not see the sight of my face unless your brother be with you. And Israel said, Why did you do me evil in showing the man that you had yet a brother? And they said, The man demanding demanded (to know) about us, and about our family, saying Is your father yet living? Have you a brother? And we informed him according to the word of these things. Could we know that he would say, Bring your brother down? And Jehuda said to Israel his father, Send the youth with me, that we may arise and go; and that we may live and not die, both we, and you, and our little ones. I will be surety for him: of my hand shall you require him. If I bring him not to you again, and set him before you, the guilt be upon me before you all days. [JERUSALEM. I will be afar off from the salutation of my father all days.] For unless we had thus delayed, we should already have returned these two times.

And Israel their father said to them, If it must be so, do this: Take of the praiseworthy things of the land, and put them in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little gum and a little honey, wax and ladanum, the oil of nuts, and the oil of almonds, and money two upon one [JERUSALEM. Double] take in your hands, even the money that was returned in the mouth of your baggage, take back in your hands; perhaps it was done in error. And take Benjamin your brother, and arise, return to the man;

Midrash Tanhuma Yelammedenu

B’resheet (Gen.) 42:18–43:13

8. Jacob said unto his sons: "Why do you look one upon another?" (Gen. 42:1). Jacob told his sons: Since you are strong and handsome, do not enter through one gate, nor stand together in one place, lest the evil eye prevail over you. Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get you down thither (ibid., v. 2). What is the meaning of the words get you down? He foresaw that they would go down and be enslaved there for two hundred and ten years, the numerical value of the letters of the word redu ("get you down"). The expression Get you down thither was employed because everyone who purchases grain in the marketplace degrades himself by doing so. And Joseph's ten brethren went down (ibid., v. 3). Surely, the verse should read "Israel's sons," but it is written in this way because they did not treat him like a brother when they sold him. Later they began to regret their actions and promised each other: "When we descend to Egypt, we shall return our brother to our father." When their father told them to go to Egypt, they all agreed to return with him.

R. Judah the son of Simeon held that Joseph was aware that his brothers were descending to Egypt to obtain corn. What did he do? He stationed guards at each gate and ordered them to examine every person who entered to purchase food. They were to record his name, and the name of his father, and then to bring the list to him. They did as directed. When Jacob's sons entered through different gates, their names and the name of their father were written down. At night, they (the guards) brought their lists to Joseph. One of the guards read the name of Reuben the son of Jacob, another read Simeon the son of Jacob, and still another read Levi; and so each gatekeeper read the name that was on his list. Thereupon Joseph ordered them to close all but one of the storehouses. He gave their names to the official in charge of the open storehouse, and commanded: "When these men come to you, seize them and bring them to me." Three days passed by but still they did not appear. Then Joseph selected seventy powerful men from the king's guard and sent them to the marketplace to seek them out. They searched for them until they found them in the district in which the harlots resided. Why did the brothers go to the district in which the harlots lived? They had said to each other: "Our brother Joseph is extremely well built and handsome, perhaps he is in a brothel." Then the guards seized the brothers and brought them to Joseph.

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange (Gen. 42:7). This verse tells us that he acted as a stranger toward them. He took his goblet, struck it, and said: "I see by this cup that you are spies." They replied: "We are upright men (ibid, v. 11), but our father advised us not to enter through one gate." He retorted: "Then what business did you have in the street of harlots? Were you not afraid of being seen, did your father, then, command it?" "We have lost something," they replied,' "and we sought it there." "What is this thing you have lost?" he demanded. "I see by this goblet that two of you destroyed the great city of Shechem." "Which of us did so?" they asked. He smote the goblet once again and replied: "Their names were Simeon and Levi." They began to tremble and to cry out: We, your servants, are twelve brothers (ibid., v. 13). "Where are the other two?" he inquired. "The youngest is with our father, but we do not know the whereabouts of the other." He said to them: "Bring the youngest to me so that your words may be confirmed." He seized Simeon and bound him before their eyes, and then said to them: "This one will remain bound up until you bring your brother to me to prove your statements." After they departed, he released him, fed him, and gave him drink.

Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with corn (Gen. 42:25). Upon their return to their father they related everything that had transpired. When their father asked: "Where is your brother Simeon?" They answered: "The man who rules that land is holding him captive until we bring our youngest brother to him." Whereupon Jacob, their father, exclaimed: "Me have you bereaved ... Joseph is not, and Simeon is not." ... And Reuben spoke unto his father; saying: "You shall slay my two sons" (ibid., vv. 36-37). "Fool," he retorted, "are not your children, my children?" Then Judah told his brothers: "Let us not disturb the old man until all the bread is gone," as it is said: And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn (ibid. 43:2). Thereupon Judah said: "Father, if Benjamin accompanies us, it is not certain whether he will be held or not, but if he does not join us, we shall all surely perish. Is it better to avoid the doubtful than to succumb to the inevitable? I will be surety for him; of my hand you shall require him (ibid., v. 9)." He sent Benjamin with them and told them: Take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry' down the man a present (ibid., v. II). Hence it is written: Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt.

Ashlamatah: Isaiah 50:10 – 51:7 + 11

10 Who is among you that fears the LORD, that obeys the voice of His servant? Though he walks in darkness, and has no light, let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God. {S}

11 Behold, all you that kindle a fire, that gird yourselves with firebrands, be gone in the flame of your fire, and among the brands that you have kindled. This shall you have of My hand; you shall lie down in sorrow. {S}

1 Hearken to Me, you that follow after righteousness, you that seek the LORD; look unto the rock whence you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence you were dug.

2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bore you; for when he was but one I called him, and I blessed him, and made him many.

3 For the LORD has comforted Zion; He has comforted all her waste places, and has made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. {S}

4 Attend unto Me, O My people, and give ear unto Me, O My nation; for instruction shall go forth from Me, and My right on a sudden for a light of the peoples.

5 My favor is near, My salvation is gone forth, and Mine arms shall judge the peoples; the isles shall wait for Me, and on My arm shall they trust.

6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but My salvation shall be for ever, and My favor shall not be abolished. {P}

7 Hearken unto Me, you that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear you not the taunt of men, neither be ye dismayed at their mockeries.

8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but My favor shall be for ever, and My salvation unto all generations. {S}

9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Art you not it that hewed Rahab in pieces, that pierced the dragon?

10 Are you not it that dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?

11 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. {S}

Ketubim Targum Psalm 35

1. Of David. Contend, O Lord, with those who contend against me; make war against those who war against me.

2. Take up a shield and buckler, and arise as my help.

3. And draw the spear and fasten the scabbard; and be prepared to meet those who pursue me; say to my soul, “I am your redeemer.”

4. Let those who seek my life be ashamed and embarrassed; let those who plot my ruin shrink back and be subdued.

5. Let them be like chaff before the storm-wind, with the angel of the Lord repelling [them].

6. May their paths be dark and murky, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

7. For without cause they have spread before me a pit; their net they have hidden for my soul without cause.

8. May a sudden calamity, unsuspected, overtake him; and may his net that he spread catch him; let him suddenly fall in it.

9. But my soul will rejoice in the word of the Lord; it will be glad in his redemption.

10. All my limbs will keep saying, “O Lord, who is like you?” – who saves the poor from the one stronger than he, and the poor and wretched from his oppressor.

11. Rapacious witnesses stand up; those whom I have not known question me.

12. They repay me evil for good, seeking to bereave my soul.

13. But I, in the time of their illness, wore sackcloth; I afflicted my soul with fasting; but my prayer will return to my bosom.

14. As if for my friend or brother, I went about like a mourner; like one who mourns for his mother, I was bowed down in gloom.

15. But when I was stricken, they rejoiced and even gathered together against me; the wicked, who belittle me with their words, and I knew it not, as if they cut my skin without drawing blood.

16. With smooth words and haughtiness and mockery, they grind their teeth against me.

17. O Lord, how long will you watch? Deliver my soul from their calamities, my body from the lion’s whelps.

18. I will give thanks in your presence in the great assembly; among a mighty people I will praise you.

19. Let not my enemies rejoice over me [with] a lie – those who hate me without cause, winking with their eyes.

20. For they do not speak peace; and against the righteous of the earth who have rest in this world they plot devious things.

21. And they have opened their mouth wide against me [and] said, “Joy! Joy! Our eye has seen it!”

22. You have seen, O Lord, do not be silent; O Lord, be not far from me.

23. Wake and be alert to my cause, O my God; the Lord is the victor in my dispute.

24. Judge me by your generosity, O Lord my God, and they will not rejoice over me.

25. Let them not say in their heart, “Our soul is glad”; lest they say, “We have finished him.”

26. Let those who rejoice at my harm be ashamed and subdued together; let those who vaunt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.

27. May those who seek my vindication be glad and rejoice and say always, “May the glory of the Lord be great, he who desires the peace of his servant.”

28. And my tongue will sing of your generosity, all the day of your praise.

Ketubim Midrash Psalm 35

1. [A Psalm] of David. Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me (Ps. 35:1). David's prayer for himself is to be considered in the light of the verse Therefore hear now this, you afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine; thus says . . . your God that pleads the cause of His people (Isa. 51:21). Had Israel been asked: "If not drunk with wine, then with what?" Israel might have replied: "Not with much wine, but with affliction. For they rose up against me, and I had no one except You to fight for me."

Scripture says further, For He that makes inquisition for blood, remembers them (Ps. 9:13). The congregation of Israel prayed to the Holy One, blessed be He: If You rise not up for me, I have no one to rise up for me. And again Israel said: O Lord, You have pleaded the causes of my soul . . . You have seen my wrong; judge You my cause. You have seen all their vengeance . . . You have heard their taunt, O Lord. The lips of those that rise up against me (Lam. 3:60-62). Therefore You did rise up for me. Again in another Psalm, speaking for Israel, David prayed Give us help from trouble (Ps. 60:13; 108:13). And in this Psalm, praying for himself, David said: Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me (Ps. 35:1). Could a mortal servant venture to say such a thing to his master as "Plead my cause, O lord, with mine enemies, and go forth to fight beside me?" But the Holy One, blessed be He, said to David: "David, occupy yourself with Torah, and I shall fight your wars!" even as He had promised Moses: Wherefore it is said in the Book, the wars of the Lord (Num. 21:14), by which He meant: "If you occupy yourselves with the Book, I shall fight beside you." Hence David could pray: Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me.

2. Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to my help (Ps. 35:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, asked David: "Do I need a shield or a buckler? Your enemies are like chaff before the wind. When I let the wind blow upon them, they fly." As Isaiah said, The voice said: "Cry!" And he said: "What shall I cry?" "That all flesh is grass. . . . The wind of the Lord blows upon it" (Isa. 40:6-7).

All the parts of my body say: "Lord, who is like unto You?" (Ps. 35:10). The Holy One, blessed be He, asked David: "David, what will you do for Me?" And David answered: I shall praise You with all the parts of my body. With my head, when in prayer I bend my head and bow down. With the hair on my head, when I fulfill the ordinance You shall not round the corners of your heads (Lev. 19:27) and when I lay Tefillin on my head. With my neck, when I fulfill the precept of wearing fringes.With my eyes, when I fulfill the precept It shall be unto you for a fringe that ye may look upon it (Num. 15:39). With my mouth, I speak Your praise, as when My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord (Ps. 145:21). With my lips, also, I praise You as when My lips utter praise (Ps. 119:171). With my beard, when I obey the ordinance Neither shall you mar the corners of your beard (Lev. 19:27); with my tongue, when My tongue shall speak of Your righteousness (Ps. 35:28); with my face, when I fall down on my face during prayer, as is said He fell down on his face to the earth (Gen. 48:12); with my throat, as when My throat is dried (Ps. 69:4); with my heart, as when Your word have I laid up in my heart (Ps. 118:11); with my breast, when in reading the Shema, I lay the fringes against the heart in keeping with the precept These words which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart (Deut. 6:6). With the back of my body and the front of my body, when I throw my praying shawl about me, two of its corners behind me, and two of its corners before me. With my right hand, when I write with it, or when I point out with it the sound reasoning in Torah. With my left hand, when I fasten the hand Tefillin to it, or when I hold my fringes in it at the reading of the Shema. With my nose, when I smell spices with it during the blessing said at the outgoing of Sabbath. With my ears, when I listen with them to the sound reasoning of Torah. With my nails, when I examine the light reflected in them while the Habdalah blessing is being spoken at the end of the Sabbath. With my inmost parts, as is said Your Law is in my inmost parts (Ps. 40:10); with all that is within me, as is said All that is within me, bless His Holy Name (Ps. 103:1); with my reins, as is said Yea, in the night seasons my reins instruct me (Ps. 16:7). With my male organ, at circumcision and at the uncovering of the corona; with my knees, at bending my knees in prayer; again with my knees, when I act as godfather for children whom I hold for circumcision on my knees. With my right foot, from which the shoe is loosed in the rite of Halisah? And with my left foot, the first one I move at the end of the Eighteen Benedictions when I take three steps backward to retire from God's presence. Hence David said: All the parts of my body shall say: "Lord, who is life unto You.”

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 5:43-48

43. Again Yeshua said to his Talmidim (disciples) You have heard the Oral Law: “And you shall love your companion as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) that this isn’t a mitzvah except as it ensues from companions; that one is permitted to reject those who reject him.

44. But I say to you: “Love those who reject you, bless those who curse you, and render good to those who wrong you and pray for them;

45. And in doing this you will be sons of your Father Who is in the heavens.

46. If you inquire into the well-being of your brother you will be doing a great kindness.

47. If you love those who love you what is your reward? Do not the Goyim do the same?

47. (This verse does not exist in the best manuscripts and is a later interpolation)

48. Therefore be whole as your Father is whole.

Commentary

A good commentary for this Seder and for the life of Joseph in general and its implications please see the following study:

http://www.betemunah.org/joseph.html

In years where the calendar designates lesser weeks for the year this Torah Seder for this week is joined with the Torah Seder of last week.

This week we read about how Yosef decides to hold in jail his brother Simeon since, in the words of the Targum: “who had counseled them to kill him (Yosef), and bound him (Yosef) before them,” and force his brothers to bring Benjamin his brother to Egypt.

At the end of the narrative, there is the heroic utterance of Yehudah, whereby he becomes surety for his brother Benjamin safety. This, of course has given rise to the well known Jewish cry that all Jews are responsible for the welfare of their brethren.

Our reading of the Midrash of Matityahu puts it in a more subtle way: “If you inquire into the well-being of your brother you will be doing a great kindness.”

This of course brings us to the central teaching for us this week: If we as Jews are to be held guarantors of each other’s welfare, how much the more should this be a visible reality amongst us Nazareans?

For if there is no real love amongst the brethren to the level of being guarantors for each other, what kind of love can we offer our enemies? Simple logic tells us that we can’t give of that which we do not have nor teach of that we do not practice often amongst ourselves. Thus how can we love those who reject us if in the firt place we are not willing, nor capable of being guarantors for each other?

As always the popular adage: “charity starts at home” is very appropriate for this week’s lesson. For no one can teach appropriately what he/she does not know, nor is perfectly acquainted with, and even less practices as part of his/her normal routine.

We need desperately to avoid the ways of Cain and Simeon, we need to constantly inquire deeply on the welfare of our brethren, we need to reach that level of brotherly love whereby we are ready when called upon to be guarantors for our brethren. If we do this then our love of G-d will be enormously enhanced. For as it is said, No man can say that he loves G-d but despises (or is uninterested in the welfare of) his brother.

As we enter this season of Chanukkah we must bear in mind the beautiful Sephardi tradition of kindling the shamash (servant) lamp last, for a true brother is busy with the needs of his brethren starting with his own family before he looks after his own interests, for if we be Nazarean Jews, then in truth it is obvious that our love for the brethren burns deeply within our soul. Let us take stock then of what Yehudah did, and let us replicate this brotherly love and deep concern for the welfare of the brethren so that it becomes part of our own very make-up and true soul’s desire. May G-d help us to be more and more concerned for the welfare of our brethren, amen ve amen!

“What shall we then do?” – Towards a Nazarean Halakhic Code

Marqos 1:19-20

19. And when he had gone a little farther from there, he saw Ya’aqov “Ben Rogaz” Ben Zavdeyel, and his brother Yochanan “Ben Rogaz” Ben Zavdeyel, who also were in the boat mending their nets.

20. And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zavdeyel in the boat with the hired servants, and they went and followed him.

The above two verses, although with variations are a repetition of the previous paragraph. The actions are the same though applied to two different people. Here though, there is a difference, the sons appear to answer the Master’s call but the father seems to have chosen to remain attending the fishing the business. As in all cases where no explicit reason/s are given, nobility obliges us to think the best of the person/s concerned. It is possible that the father remained back because he was old and not able to cope with the rigors of Rabbinic training, and therefore he chose to continue with the business and support the family that remained as well as the costs involved in his son’s training. We thus find that the above two verses contain the following three injunctions (two previous ones for emphasis, plus a new one):

The calling and sacred command to train to become a Rabbi is not given to the slothful or to those who do not have a trade or stable employment, but rather to those working hard on their profession. Thus a father not only ought to teach his son Torah but also an easy and reputable trade by which to earn an honest income (cf. Pirke Abot 1:10).

One of the most important traits of a genuine Jewish Nazarean disciple is that of total and immediate obedience to his Hakham, and when a mitzvah is laid in front of him he will not delay in its immediate performance (cf. Shulchan Arukh 1:1).

In cases where reason/s for bad motives are not available we are obliged to think about possible in-good-faith motives that may have prevented a person from taking a good/beneficial course of action.

Shabbat:	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
ויאמר אליהם’
“Vayomer Alehem”	Reader 1 – B’resheet 42:18-20	Reader 1 – B’resheet 43:14-16
“And said to them”	Reader 2 – B’resheet 42:21-25	Reader 2 – B’resheet 43:17-19
“Y les dijo”	Reader 3 – B’resheet 42:26-28	Reader 3 – B’resheet 43:20-22
B’resheet (Genesis) Gen. 42:18–43:13	Reader 4 – B’resheet 42:29-35
Isaiah 50:10 – 51:7 + 11	Reader 5 – B’resheet 42:16 – 43:2
	Reader 6 – B’resheet 43:3-10	Reader 1 – B’resheet 43:23-25
Psalm 35	Reader 7 – B’resheet 43:11-13	Reader 2 – B’resheet 43:26-30
	Maftir – B’midbar 28:9-15	Reader 3 – B’resheet 43:31-34
N.C.: Matityahu 5:43-48	Isaiah 50:10 – 51:7 + 11