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Triennial Cycle (Triennial Torah Cycle) /
Septennial Cycle (Septennial Torah Cycle)
|
Three and
1/2 year Lectionary Readings |
Fourth Year of the Reading
Cycle |
|
Kislev 25, 5772 – Dec. 20, 2011 |
Fourth Year of the Shmita
Cycle |
Chanuka Sameach!
We take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a
very happy Hanuka – a festival of freedom and of consecration to the work of
G-d. And even if we do not finish the task before us, still we should do our
very best in this life to radiate it with the healing light of the Torah. For
as the Psalmist wrote: “in Your light do we see light” (Psalm 36:10).
Roll of Honor:
This
Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of:
His Honor
Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and beloved wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah
His Honor
Paqid Adon Mikha ben Hillel
His Honor
Paqid Adon David ben Abraham
Her
Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family
His Excellency
Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved family
His Excellency
Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife
His
Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,
His
Excellency Dr. Adon Yeshayahu ben Yosef and beloved wife HE Giberet Tricia
Foster
His
Excellency Adon Yisrael ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Elisheba bat
Sarah
His
Excellency Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Vardit bat
Sarah
Her
Excellency Giberet Laurie Taylor
His Honor
Paqid Dr. Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat
Sarah
Her
Excellency Prof. Dr. Conny Williams & beloved family
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Excellency Giberet Gloria Sutton & beloved family
For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing
the best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’s richest blessings be upon their
lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael and her Torah
Scholars, amen ve amen!
Also a
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about the contents and commentary of the weekly Torah Seder and allied topics.
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Chanuka
First Day
Evening Tuesday Dec.
20 – Evening Wednesday Dec. 21, 2011
Torah: Numbers 7:1-17
Reader 1 - Num. 7:1-3
Reader 2 - Num. 7:4-11
Reader 3 - Num. 712-17
Yehudit (Judith) 1:1 –
2:28
1 Maccabees 1:1 – 2:48
Psalm 30:1-13
Nazareans add in their
private study and discussions: Genesis
1:1-5; & 1 John 1:1-10
Rashi
& Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for:
B’Midbar (Numbers) 7:1-17
|
Rashi |
Targum
Pseudo Jonathan |
|
1. And it
was that on the day that Moses finished erecting the Mishkan, he anointed it,
sanctified it, and all its vessels, and the altar and all its vessels. |
1. And
it was on the day which begins the month of Nisan, when Mosheh had finished
to rear up the tabernacle, he took it not in pieces again, but anointed and
consecrated it and all its vessels, the altar and all the vessels thereof,
and he anointed them and hallowed them; |
|
2. The
chieftains of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, presented [their
offerings]. They were the leaders of the tribes. They were the ones who were
present during the counting, |
2. then
the leaders of Israel, who were the chiefs of the house of their fathers,
brought their offerings. These were they who had been appointed in Mizraim
chiefs over the numbered, |
|
3. They
brought their offering before the Lord: six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a
wagon for each two chieftains, and an ox for each one; they presented them in
front of the Mishkan. |
3. and
they brought their offering before the LORD; six wagons covered and fitted
up, and twelve oxen; one wagon for two princes and one ox for each. But
Mosheh was not willing to receive them, and they brought them before the
tabernacle. |
|
4. The
Lord spoke to Moses, saying: |
4. And the
Lord spoke with Mosheh, saying: |
|
5. Take
[it] from them, and let them be used in the service of the Tent of Meeting.
You shall give them to the Levites, in accordance with each man's work. |
5. Take
them, and let them be used for the need of the appointed (work), and let the
oxen and the wagons be for the work of the service of the tabernacle of
ordinance, and give them to the Levites, to each according to the measure of
his work. |
|
6. So
Moses took the wagons and the cattle and gave them to the Levites. |
6. And
Mosheh took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. |
|
7. He gave
two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, according to their work. |
7. Two
wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to the amount
of their service, |
|
8. And he
gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to their
work under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. |
8. and
four wagons and eight oxen gave he to the sons of Merari, according to the
measure of their service, by the hand of Ithamar bar Aharon the priest. |
|
9. But to
the sons of Kohath he did not give, for incumbent upon them was the
work involving the holy [objects], which they were to carry on their
shoulders. |
9. But to
the sons of Kehath he gave neither wagons nor oxen, because on them was
laid the service of the sanctuary, to be carried on their shoulders. |
|
10. The
chieftains brought [offerings for] the dedication of the altar on the day it
was anointed; the chieftains presented their offerings in front of the altar. |
10. And the
princes offered at the dedication of the altar by anointing, on the day that
he anointed it did the princes present their oblations before the altar. |
|
11. The Lord
said to Moses: One chieftain each day, one chieftain each day, shall present
his offering for the dedication of the altar. |
11. And the
LORD said unto Mosheh, Let the princes offer each, one prince on one day,
their oblations at the dedication of the altar by anointing. |
|
12. The one
who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab of
the tribe of Judah. |
12. He
who on the first day presented his oblation was Nachshon bar Amminadab,
prince of the house of the fathers of the tribe Jehudah: |
|
13. And his
offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one
silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy
shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
13. and
his oblation which he offered was one silver bowl, thickly embossed, (or,
crusted,) in weight one hundred and thirty shekels, in shekels of the
sanctuary; one silver vase, slightly embossed, of seventy shekels, in shekels
of the sanctuary; both of these vessels he brought filled with flour of the
separation, sprinkled with olive oil for a mincha; |
|
14. One
spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels], filled with incense. |
14. one pan
(censer) weighing ten silver shekels, but it was itself of good gold; and he
brought it full of good sweet incense of the separation; |
|
15. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
15. one
young bullock of three years, one ram of two years, and one lamb of the year.
These three did the chief of the tribe Jehudah bring for a burnt offering; |
|
16. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
16. one kid
of the goats he brought for a sin offering; |
|
17. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab. |
17. and
for consecrated victims, two oxen, five rams, five goats, lambs of the year
five: this is the order of the oblation which Nachshon bar Amminadab offered
of his wealth. |
|
|
|
Yehudit (Judith) 1:1 –
2:28
New Jerusalem Bible
Version
Judith 1:1 It was the
twelfth year of Nebuchadnezzar who reigned over the Assyrians in the great
city of Nineveh. Arphaxad was then reigning over the Medes in Ecbatana.
2 He surrounded this
city with walls of dressed stones three cubits thick and six cubits long, making
the rampart seventy cubits high and fifty cubits wide.
3 At the gates he
placed towers one hundred cubits high and, at the foundations, sixty cubits wide,
4 the gates themselves
being seventy cubits high and forty wide to allow his forces to march out in
a body and his infantry to parade freely.
5 About this time King
Nebuchadnezzar gave battle to King Arphaxad in the great plain lying in the
territory of Ragae.
6 Supporting him were
all the peoples from the highlands, all from the Euphrates and Tigris and
Hydaspes, and those from the plains who were subject to Arioch, king of
the Elymaeans. Thus many nations had mustered to take part in the battle of the
Cheleoudites.
7 Nebuchadnezzar king
of the Assyrians sent a message to all the inhabitants of Persia, to all the
inhabitants of the western countries, Cilicia, Damascus, Lebanon, Anti-Lebanon, to all
those along the coast,
8 to the peoples of
Carmel, Gilead, Upper Galilee, the great plain of Esdraelon,
9 to the people of
Samaria and its outlying towns, to those beyond Jordan, as far away as Jerusalem,
Bethany, Chelous, Kadesh, the river of Egypt, Tahpanhes, Rameses and the whole territory
of Goshen,
10 beyond Tanis too
and Memphis, and to all the inhabitants of Egypt as far as the frontiers of
Ethiopia.
11 But the inhabitants
of these countries ignored the summons of Nebuchadnezzar king of the
Assyrians and did not rally to him to make war. They were not afraid of him, since in
their view he appeared isolated.
Hence they sent his ambassadors back with nothing achieved and in disgrace.
12 Nebuchadnezzar was
furious with all these countries. He swore by his throne and kingdom to take
revenge on all the territories of Cilicia, Damascus and Syria, of the
Moabites and of the Ammonites, of Judaea and Egypt as far as the limits of the two
seas, and to ravage them with the sword.
13 In the seventeenth
year, he gave battle with his whole army to King Arphaxad and in this battle
defeated him. He routed Arphaxad's entire army and all his cavalry and chariots;
14 he occupied his
towns and advanced on Ecbatana; he seized its towers and plundered its market
places, reducing its former magnificence to a
mockery.
15 He later captured
Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragae and, thrusting him through with his
spears, destroyed him once and for all.
16 He then retired
with his troops and all who had joined forces with him: a vast horde of armed men.
Then he and his army gave themselves up to
carefree feasting for a hundred and twenty days.
NJB Judith 2:1 In the eighteenth year, on the
twenty-second day of the first month, a
rumour ran through the palace that Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians was to have
his revenge on all the countries, as he had threatened.
2 Summoning his
general staff and senior officers, he held a secret conference with them, and with
his own lips pronounced utter destruction on the
entire area.
3 It was then decreed
that everyone should be put to death who had not answered the king's appeal.
4 When the council was
over, Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians sent for Holofernes,
general-in-chief of his armies and subordinate only to himself. He said to him,
5 'Thus speaks the
Great King, lord of the whole world, "Go; take men of proven valour, about a
hundred and twenty thousand foot soldiers and a strong company of horse with twelve
thousand cavalrymen;
6 then advance against
all the western lands, since these people have disregarded my call.
7 Bid them have earth
and water ready, because in my rage I am about to march on them; the feet
of my soldiers will cover the whole face of the earth, and I shall plunder it.
8 Their wounded will
fill the valleys and the torrents, and rivers, blocked with their dead, will
overflow.
9 I shall lead them
captive to the ends of the earth.
10 Now go! Begin by
conquering this whole region for me. If they surrender to you, hold them for
me until the time comes to punish them.
11 But if they resist,
look on no one with clemency, hand them over to slaughter and plunder
throughout the territory entrusted to you.
12 For by my life and
by the living power of my kingdom I have spoken. All this I shall do by my
power.
13 And you, neglect
none of your master's commands, act strictly according to my orders without
further delay." '
14 Leaving the
presence of his sovereign, Holofernes immediately summoned all the marshals,
generals and officers of the Assyrian army
15 and detailed the
picked troops as his master had ordered, about a hundred and twenty thousand men
and a further twelve thousand mounted archers.
16 He organised these
in the normal battle formation.
17 He then secured
vast numbers of camels, donkeys and mules to carry the baggage, and
innumerable sheep, oxen and goats for food supplies.
18 Every man received
full rations and a generous sum of gold and silver from the king's purse.
19 He then set out for
the campaign with his whole army, in advance of King Nebuchadnezzar, to
overwhelm the whole western region with his chariots, his horsemen and
his picked body of foot.
20 A motley gathering
followed in his rear, as numerous as locusts or the grains of sand on the ground;
there was no counting their multitude.
21 Thus they set out
from Nineveh and marched for three days towards the Plain of Bectileth.
From Bectileth they went on to pitch camp near the mountains that lie to the north of
Upper Cilicia.
22 From there
Holofernes advanced into the highlands with his whole army, infantry, horsemen,
chariots.
23 He cut his way
through Put and Lud, carried away captive all the sons of Rassis and sons of
Ishmael living on the verge of the desert south of Cheleon,
24 marched along the
Euphrates, crossed Mesopotamia, rased all the fortified towns controlling the
Wadi Abron and reached the sea.
25 Next he attacked
the territories of Cilicia, butchering all who offered him resistance, advanced
on the southern frontiers of Japheth, facing Arabia,
26 completely
encircled the Midianites, burned their tents and plundered their sheep-folds,
27 made his way down
to the Damascus plain at the time of the wheat harvest, set fire to the fields,
destroyed the flocks and herds, sacked the towns, laid the countryside
waste and put all the young men to the sword.
28 Fear and trembling
seized all the coastal peoples; those of Sidon and Tyre, those of Sur, Ocina and
Jamnia. The populations of Azotos and Ascalon were panic-stricken.
1 Maccabees 1:1 – 2:48
New Jerusalem Bible
Version
NJB 1 Maccabees 1:1 Alexander of Macedon son of
Philip had come from the land of
Kittim and defeated Darius king of the Persians and Medes, whom he succeeded as
ruler, at first of Hellas.
2 He undertook many
campaigns, gained possession of many fortresses, and put the local kings to death.
3 So he advanced to
the ends of the earth, plundering nation after nation; the earth grew silent
before him, and his ambitious heart swelled with pride.
4 He assembled very
powerful forces and subdued provinces, nations and princes, and they became his
tributaries.
5 But the time came
when Alexander took to his bed, in the knowledge that he was dying.
6 He summoned his
officers, noblemen who had been brought up with him from his youth, and
divided his kingdom among them while he was still alive.
7 Alexander had
reigned twelve years when he died.
8 Each of his officers
established himself in his own region.
9 All assumed crowns
after his death, they and their heirs after them for many years, bringing
increasing evils on the world.
10 From these there
grew a wicked offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes son of King Antiochus; once a
hostage in Rome, he became king in the 107th year of the kingdom of the Greeks.
11 It was then that
there emerged from Israel a set of renegades who led many people astray. 'Come,'
they said, 'let us ally ourselves with the gentiles surrounding us, for
since we separated ourselves from them many misfortunes have overtaken us.'
12 This proposal
proved acceptable,
13 and a number of the
people eagerly approached the king, who authorised them to practise the
gentiles' observances.
14 So they built a
gymnasium in Jerusalem, such as the gentiles have,
15 disguised their
circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant, submitting to gentile rule as
willing slaves of impiety.
16 Once Antiochus had
seen his authority established, he determined to make himself king of Egypt and
the ruler of both kingdoms.
17 He invaded Egypt in
massive strength, with chariots and elephants (and cavalry) and a
large fleet.
18 He engaged Ptolemy
king of Egypt in battle, and Ptolemy turned back and fled before his advance,
leaving many casualties.
19 The fortified
cities of Egypt were captured, and Antiochus plundered the country.
20 After his conquest
of Egypt, in the year 143, Antiochus turned about and advanced on Israel and
Jerusalem in massive strength.
21 Insolently breaking
into the sanctuary, he removed the golden altar and the lamp-stand for the light
with all its fittings,
22 together with the
table for the loaves of permanent offering, the libation vessels, the cups, the
golden censers, the veil, the crowns, and the golden decoration on the
front of the Temple, which he stripped of everything.
23 He made off with
the silver and gold and precious vessels; he discovered the secret treasures
and seized them
24 and, removing all
these, he went back to his own country, having shed much blood and uttered words
of extreme arrogance.
25 There was deep
mourning for Israel throughout the country:
26 Rulers and elders
groaned; girls and young men wasted away; the women's beauty suffered a change;
27 every bridegroom
took up a dirge, the bride sat grief-stricken on her marriage-bed.
28 The earth quaked
because of its inhabitants and the whole House of Jacob was clothed with shame.
29 Two years later the
king sent the Mysarch through the cities of Judah. He came to Jerusalem with
an impressive force,
30 and addressing them
with what appeared to be peaceful words, he gained their confidence; then
suddenly he fell on the city, dealing it a terrible blow, and destroying
many of the people of Israel.
31 He pillaged the
city and set it on fire, tore down its houses and encircling wall,
32 took the women and
children captive and commandeered the cattle.
33 They then rebuilt
the City of David with a great strong wall and strong towers and made this their
Citadel.
34 There they
installed a brood of sinners, of renegades, who fortified themselves inside it,
35 storing arms and
provisions, and depositing there the loot they had collected from Jerusalem; they
were to prove a great trouble.
36 It became an ambush
for the sanctuary, an evil adversary for Israel at all times.
37 They shed innocent
blood all round the sanctuary and defiled the sanctuary itself.
38 The citizens of
Jerusalem fled because of them, she became a dwelling-place of strangers;
estranged from her own offspring, her children forsook her.
39 Her sanctuary
became as forsaken as a desert, her feasts were turned into mourning, her
Sabbaths into a mockery, her honour into reproach.
40 Her dishonour now
fully matched her former glory, her greatness was turned into grief.
41 The king then
issued a proclamation to his whole kingdom that all were to become a single people,
each nation renouncing its particular customs.
42 All the gentiles
conformed to the king's decree,
43 and many Israelites
chose to accept his religion, sacrificing to idols and profaning the Sabbath.
44 The king also sent
edicts by messenger to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, directing them to adopt
customs foreign to the country,
45 banning burnt
offerings, sacrifices and libations from the sanctuary, profaning Sabbaths and
feasts,
46 defiling the
sanctuary and everything holy,
47 building altars,
shrines and temples for idols, sacrificing pigs and unclean beasts,
48 leaving their sons
uncircumcised, and prostituting themselves to all kinds of impurity and
abomination,
49 so that they should
forget the Law and revoke all observance of it.
50 Anyone not obeying
the king's command was to be put to death.
51 Writing in such
terms to every part of his kingdom, the king appointed inspectors for the
whole people and directed all the towns of Judah to offer sacrifice city
by city.
52 Many of the people
-- that is, every apostate from the Law -- rallied to them and so committed
evil in the country,
53 forcing Israel into
hiding in any possible place of refuge.
54 On the fifteenth
day of Chislev in the year 145 the king built the appalling abomination on top of
the altar of burnt offering; and altars were built in the surrounding
towns of Judah
55 and incense offered
at the doors of houses and in the streets.
56 Any books of the
Law that came to light were torn up and burned.
57 Whenever anyone was
discovered possessing a copy of the covenant or practising the Law, the king's decree
sentenced him to death.
58 Month after month
they took harsh action against any offenders they discovered in the towns of
Israel.
59 On the twenty-fifth
day of each month, sacrifice was offered on the altar erected on top of the
altar of burnt offering.
60 Women who had had
their children circumcised were put to death according to the edict
61 with their babies
hung round their necks, and the members of their household and those who had
performed the circumcision were executed with them.
62 Yet there were many
in Israel who stood firm and found the courage to refuse unclean food.
63 They chose death
rather than contamination by such fare or profanation of the holy covenant,
and they were executed.
64 It was a truly
dreadful retribution that visited Israel.
NJB 1 Maccabees 2:1 About then, Mattathias son of
John, son of Simeon, a priest of
the line of Joarib, left Jerusalem and settled in Modein.
2 He had five sons,
John known as Gaddi,
3 Simon called Thassi,
4 Judas called
Maccabaeus,
5 Eleazar, called
Avaran, and Jonathan called Apphus.
6 When he saw the
blasphemies being committed in Judah and Jerusalem,
7 he said, 'Alas that
I should have been born to witness the ruin of my people and the ruin of the Holy
City, and to sit by while she is delivered over to her enemies, and the sanctuary
into the hand of foreigners.
8 'Her Temple has
become like someone of no repute,
9 the vessels that
were her glory have been carried off as booty, her babies have been slaughtered in
her streets, her young men by the enemy's sword.
10 Is there a nation
that has not claimed a share of her royal prerogatives, that has not taken
some of her spoils?
11 All her ornaments
have been snatched from her, her former freedom has become slavery.
12 See how the Holy
Place, our beauty, our glory, is now laid waste, see how the gentiles have
profaned it!
13 What have we left
to live for?'
14 Mattathias and his
sons tore their garments, put on sackcloth, and observed deep mourning.
15 The king's
commissioners who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein for the
sacrifices.
16 Many Israelites
gathered round them, but Mattathias and his sons drew apart.
17 The king's
commissioners then addressed Mattathias as follows, 'You are a respected
leader, a great man in this town; you have sons and brothers to support you.
18 Be the first to
step forward and conform to the king's decree, as all the nations have done, and the
leaders of Judah and the survivors in Jerusalem; you and your sons shall be reckoned among
the Friends of the King, you and your
sons will be honoured with gold and silver and many presents.'
19 Raising his voice,
Mattathias retorted, 'Even if every nation living in the king's dominions obeys
him, each forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his decrees,
20 I, my sons and my
brothers will still follow the covenant of our ancestors.
21 May Heaven preserve
us from forsaking the Law and its observances.
22 As for the king's
orders, we will not follow them: we shall not swerve from our own religion
either to right or to left.'
23 As he finished
speaking, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in
Modein as the royal edict required.
24 When Mattathias saw
this, he was fired with zeal; stirred to the depth of his being, he gave vent
to his legitimate anger, threw himself on the man and slaughtered him on
the altar.
25 At the same time he
killed the king's commissioner who was there to enforce the sacrifice, and
tore down the altar.
26 In his zeal for the
Law he acted as Phinehas had against Zimri son of Salu.
27 Then Mattathias
went through the town, shouting at the top of his voice, 'Let everyone who has any
zeal for the Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me.'
28 Then he fled with
his sons into the hills, leaving all their possessions behind in the town.
29 Many people who
were concerned for virtue and justice went down to the desert and stayed
there,
30 taking with them
their sons, their wives and their cattle, so oppressive had their sufferings
become.
31 Word was brought to
the royal officials and forces stationed in Jerusalem, in the City of David,
that those who had repudiated the king's edict had gone down to the hiding places in
the desert.
32 A strong detachment
went after them, and when it came up with them ranged itself against them
in battle formation, preparing to attack them on the Sabbath day,
33 and said, 'Enough
of this! Come out and do as the king orders and you will be spared.'
34 The others,
however, replied, 'We refuse to come out, and we will not obey the king's orders and
profane the Sabbath day.'
35 The royal forces at
once went into action,
36 but the others
offered no opposition; not a stone was thrown, there was no barricading of the hiding
places.
37 They only said,
'Let us all die innocent; let heaven and earth bear witness that you are massacring
us with no pretence of justice.'
38 The attack was
pressed home on the Sabbath itself, and they were slaughtered, with their wives and
children and cattle, to the number of one thousand persons.
39 When the news
reached Mattathias and his friends, they mourned them bitterly
40 and said to one
another, 'If we all do as our brothers have done, and refuse to fight the gentiles
for our lives and institutions, they will only destroy us the sooner from
the earth.'
41 So then and there
they came to this decision, 'If anyone attacks us on the Sabbath day, whoever he
may be, we shall resist him; we must not all be killed, as our brothers were in the
hiding places.'
42 Soon they were
joined by the Hasidaean party, stout fighting men of Israel, each one a volunteer
on the side of the Law.
43 All the refugees
from the persecution rallied to them, giving them added support.
44 They organised
themselves into an armed force, striking down the sinners in their anger, and the
renegades in their fury, and those who escaped them fled to the gentiles
for safety.
45 Mattathias and his
friends made a tour, overthrowing the altars
46 and forcibly
circumcising all the boys they found uncircumcised in the territories of Israel.
47 They hunted down
the upstarts and managed their campaign to good effect.
48 They wrested the
Law out of the control of the gentiles and the kings and reduced the sinners to
impotence.
Tehillim
- Psalm 30:1-13
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. A
psalm; a song of dedication of the House, of David. |
1. A
praise song for the dedication of the sanctuary. Of David. |
|
2. I will
exalt You, O Lord, for You have raised me up, and You have not allowed my
enemies to rejoice over me. |
2. I
will praise you, O LORD, for you made me stand erect, and did not let my
enemies rejoice over me. |
|
3. O Lord,
I have cried out to You, and You have healed me. |
3. O LORD
my God, I prayed in Your presence and You healed me. |
|
4. O Lord,
You have brought my soul from the grave; You have revived me from my descent
into the Pit. |
4. O LORD,
You raised my soul out of Sheol; You preserved me from going down to the pit. |
|
5. Sing to
the Lord, His pious ones, and give thanks to His holy name. |
5. Sing
praise in the LORD's presence, you His devotees; and give thanks at the
invocation of His holy one. |
|
6. For His
wrath lasts but a moment; life results from His favor; in the evening,
weeping may tarry, but in the morning there is joyful singing. |
6. For His
anger is but a moment; eternal life is His good pleasure. In the evening one
goes to bed in tears, but in the morning one rises in praise. |
|
7. And I
said in my tranquility, "I will never falter." |
7. And I
said when I dwelt in trust, I will never be shaken. |
|
8. O Lord,
with Your will, You set up my mountain to be might, You hid Your countenance
and I became frightened. |
8. O LORD,
by Your will You prepared the mighty mountains; You removed Your presence, I
became afraid. |
|
9. To You,
O Lord, I would call, and to the Lord I would supplicate. |
9. In Your
presence, O LORD, I will cry out; and to You, O my God, I will pray. |
|
10. "What
gain is there in my blood, in my descent to the grave? Will
dust thank You; will it recite Your truth? |
10. And I
said, What profit is there in my blood, when I descend to the
grave? Can those who descend to the dust praise You? Will they tell of Your
faithfulness? |
|
11. Hear, O
Lord, and be gracious to me; O Lord, be my helper." |
11. Accept,
O LORD, my prayer, and have mercy on me; O LORD, be my helper. |
|
12. You
have turned my lament into dancing for me; You loosened my sackcloth and
girded me with joy. |
12. You
turned my lament into my celebration; You loosened my sackcloth and
girded me with joy. |
|
13. So that
my soul will sing praises to You and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will
thank You forever. |
13. Because
the nobles of the world will give You praise and not be silent, O LORD my
God, I too will give You praise. |
|
|
|
Genesis
1:1-5 - JPS
1. When God began to
create heaven and earth --
2. the earth being
unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from
God sweeping over the water --
3. God said, "Let
there be light"; and there was light.
4. God saw that the
light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.
5. God called the
light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there
was morning, a first day.
Yochanan
Alef (1 John) 1:1-10
Hakham’s
Rendition
1 What was from [the]
beginning (i.e. B’resheet – Gen.1:1ff.), what we have heard, what we
have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched,
concerning the Torah giving life,
2 and the life was
revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life
which was with the Father and was revealed to us;
3 what we have seen
and heard, we announce to you also, in order that you also may have fellowship
with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His son (the
anointed King of Israel) Yeshua the Messiah.
4 And these things we
write, in order that our joy may be complete.
5 And this is the
message which we have heard from him (i.e. the Master) and announce to
you, that God is light and there is no darkness in Him (God) at all.
6 If we say that we
have fellowship with Him (i.e. God) and walk in the darkness, we lie and
do not practice the truth (i.e. the Torah – cf. Ps. 119:142).
7 But if we walk in
the light as he (the Master) is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another, and the life of Yeshua His son (anointed King of Israel)
purify us from every sin.
8 If we say that we do
not have sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth (i.e. the Torah – cf. Ps.
119:142) is not in us.
9 If we confess our
sins [to God and repent], He (God) is faithful and just, so that
He will forgive us our sins and will purify us from all injustices [that we
have committed].
10 If we say that we
have not sinned, we make Him (i.e. God) a liar, and His word (i.e.
Torah) is not in us.
END OF THE READINGS
FOR THE FIRST DAY OF CHANUKA
Chanuka
Second Day
Evening Wednesday Dec.
21 – Evening Thursday Dec. 22, 2011
Torah: Numbers 7:18-29
Reader 1 - Num.
7:18-20
Reader 2 - Num.
7:21-23
Reader 3 - Num.
7:24-29
Yehudit (Judith) 3:1 –
5:17
1 Maccab. 2:49 – 4:40
Psalm 30:1-13
Nazareans add in their
private study and discussions: Isaiah
5:20-24; & 1 John 2:1-11
Rashi
& Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for:
B’Midbar (Numbers) 7:18-29
|
Rashi |
Targum
Pseudo Jonathan |
|
18. On the
second day, Nethanel the son of Zu'ar, the chieftain of Issachar brought [his
offering]. |
18. On
the second day, Nethanel bar Zuar, chief of the house of the fathers of the
tribe Issakar, brought his oblation. |
|
19. He
brought his offering of one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty
[shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according
to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a
meal offering. |
19. He
brought his oblation after Jehudah by commandment of the Holy: one silver
dish thickly embossed, one hundred and thirty shekels, &c., as the first. |
|
20. One
spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels] filled with incense. |
20. |
|
21. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
21. |
|
22. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
22. |
|
23. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zu'ar. |
23. |
|
24. On the
third day, the chieftain was of the sons of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon. |
24. On the
third day, Eliab bar Helon, prince of the Beni Zebulon, offered. |
|
25. His
offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one
silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy
shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
25. |
|
26. One
spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels] filled with incense. |
26. |
|
27. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
27. |
|
28. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
28. |
|
29. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon. |
29. |
|
|
|
Yehudit (Judith) 3:1 –
5:17
New Jerusalem Bible
Version
NJB Judith 3:1 They therefore sent envoys to him
to sue for peace, to say,
2 'We are servants of
the great King Nebuchadnezzar; we lie prostrate before you. Treat us as you think
fit.
3 Our cattle-farms,
all our land, all our wheat fields, our flocks and herds, all the sheep-folds in our
encampments are at your disposal. Do with them as you please.
4 Our towns and their
inhabitants too are at your service; go and treat them as you think fit.'
5 These men came to
Holofernes and delivered the message as above.
6 He then made his way
down to the coast with his army and stationed garrisons in all the fortified towns,
levying outstanding men there as auxiliaries.
7 The people of these
cities and of all the other towns in the neighbourhood welcomed him,
wearing garlands and dancing to the sound of tambourines.
8 But he demolished
their shrines and cut down their sacred trees, carrying out his commission to
destroy all local gods so that the nations should worship Nebuchadnezzar alone and
people of every language and
nationality should hail him as a god.
9 Thus he reached the
edge of Esdraelon, in the neighbourhood of Dothan, a village facing the
great ridge of Judaea.
10 He pitched camp
between Geba and Scythopolis and stayed there a full month to re-provision his
forces.
NJB Judith 4:1 When the Israelites living in
Judaea heard how Holofernes, general-in-chief
of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians, had treated
the various nations, plundering their temples and destroying them,
2 they were thoroughly
alarmed at his approach and trembled for Jerusalem and the Temple of the
Lord their God.
3 They had returned
from captivity only a short time before, and the resettlement of the people in
Judaea and the reconsecration of the sacred furnishings, of the altar, and of the Temple,
which had been profaned, were of
recent date.
4 They therefore
alerted the whole of Samaria, Kona, Beth-Horon, Belmain, Jericho, Choba, Aesora
and the Salem valley.
5 They occupied the
summits of the highest mountains and fortified the villages on them; they laid
in supplies for the coming war, as the fields had just been harvested.
6 Joakim the high
priest, resident in Jerusalem at the time, wrote to the inhabitants of Bethulia and
of Betomesthaim, two towns facing Esdraelon, towards the plain of Dothan.
7 He ordered them to
occupy the mountain passes, the only means of access to Judaea, for there it
would be easy for them to halt an attacking force, the narrowness of the approach not
allowing men to advance more than two
abreast.
8 The Israelites
carried out the orders of Joakim the high priest and of the people's Council
of Elders in session at Jerusalem.
9 All the men of
Israel cried most fervently to God and humbled themselves before him.
10 They, their wives,
their children, their cattle, all their resident aliens, hired or slave, wrapped
sackcloth round their loins.
11 All the Israelites
in Jerusalem, including women and children, lay prostrate in front of the Temple,
and with ashes on their heads stretched out their
hands before the Lord.
12 They draped the
altar itself in sackcloth and fervently joined together in begging the God of
Israel not to let their children be carried off, their wives distributed as
booty, the towns of their heritage destroyed, the Temple profaned and desecrated for
the heathen to gloat over.
13 The Lord heard them
and looked kindly on their distress. The people fasted for many days
throughout Judaea as well as in Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty.
14 Joakim the high
priest and all who stood before the Lord, the Lord's priests and ministers,
wore sackcloth round their loins as they offered the perpetual burnt
offering and the votive and voluntary offerings of the people.
15 With ashes on their
turbans they earnestly called on the Lord to look kindly on the House of
Israel.
NJB Judith 5:1 Holofernes, general-in-chief of
the Assyrian army, received the
intelligence that the Israelites were preparing for war, that they had closed the
mountain passes, fortified all the high peaks and laid obstructions in the plains.
2 Holofernes was
furious. He summoned all the princes of Moab, all the generals of Ammon and all the
satraps of the coastal regions.
3 'Men of Canaan,' he
said, 'tell me: what people is this that occupies the hill-country? What towns does
it inhabit? How large is its army? What are the sources of its power and strength? Who
is the king who rules it and commands
its army?
4 Why have they
disdained to wait on me, as all the western peoples have?'
5 Achior, leader of
all the Ammonites, replied, 'May my lord be pleased to listen to what your
servant is going to say. I shall give you the facts about these mountain
folk whose home lies close to you. You will hear no lie from the mouth of your servant.
6 These people are
descended from the Chaldaeans.
7 They once came to
live in Mesopotamia, because they did not want to follow the gods of their
ancestors who lived in Chaldaea.
8 They abandoned the
way of their ancestors to worship the God of heaven, the God they learnt to
acknowledge. Banished from the presence of their own
gods, they fled to Mesopotamia where they lived for a long time.
9 When God told them
to leave their home and set out for Canaan, they settled there and
accumulated gold and silver and great herds of cattle.
10 Next, famine having
overwhelmed the land of Canaan, they went down to Egypt where they stayed
till they were well nourished. There they became a great multitude, a race beyond
counting.
11 But the king of
Egypt turned against them and exploited them by forcing them to make bricks; he
degraded them, reducing them to slavery.
12 They cried to their
God, who struck the entire land of Egypt with incurable plagues, and the
Egyptians expelled them.
13 God dried up the
Red Sea before them
14 and led them
forward by way of Sinai and Kadesh-Barnea. Having driven off all the inhabitants of
the desert,
15 they settled in the
land of the Amorites and in their strength exterminated the entire
population of Heshbon. Then, having crossed the Jordan, they took possession
of all the hill-country,
16 driving out the
Canaanites before them and the Perizzites, Jebusites, Shechemites and all
the Girgashites, and lived there for many years.
17 All the while they
did not sin before their God, prosperity was theirs, for they have a God who
hates wickedness.
1 Maccabees 2:49 –
4:40
New Jerusalem Bible
Version
49 As the days of
Mattathias were drawing to a close, he said to his sons, 'Arrogance and outrage
are now in the ascendant; it is a period of turmoil and bitter hatred.
50 This is the time,
my children, for you to have a burning zeal for the Law and to give your lives
for the covenant of our ancestors.
51 Remember the deeds
performed by our ancestors, each in his generation, and you will win great
honour and everlasting renown.
52 Was not Abraham
tested and found faithful, was that not considered as justifying him?
53 Joseph in the time
of his distress maintained the Law, and so became lord of Egypt.
54 Phinehas, our
father, in return for his burning zeal, received the covenant of everlasting
priesthood.
55 Joshua, for
carrying out his task, became judge of Israel.
56 Caleb, for his
testimony before the assembled people, received an inheritance in the land.
57 David for his
generous heart inherited the throne of an everlasting kingdom.
58 Elijah for his
consuming fervour for the Law was caught up to heaven itself.
59 Hananiah, Azariah
and Mishael, for their fidelity, were saved from the flame.
60 Daniel for his
singleness of heart was rescued from the lion's jaws.
61 Know then that,
generation after generation, no one who hopes in him will be overcome.
62 Do not fear the
threats of the sinner, all his brave show must come to the dunghill and the
worms.
63 Exalted today,
tomorrow he is nowhere to be found, for he has returned to the dust he came
from and his scheming is brought to nothing.
64 My children, be
resolute and courageous for the Law, for it will bring you glory.
65 'Here is your
brother Simeon, I know he is a man of sound judgement. Listen to him all your
lives; let him take your father's place.
66 Judas Maccabaeus,
strong and brave from his youth, let him be your general and conduct the war
against the gentiles.
67 The rest of you are
to enrol in your ranks all those who keep the Law, and to assure the vengeance
of your people.
68 Pay back the
gentiles to the full, and hold fast to the ordinance of the Law.'
69 Then he blessed
them and was joined to his ancestors.
70 He died in the year
146 and was buried in his ancestral tomb at Modein, and all Israel mourned him
deeply.
NJB 1 Maccabees 3:1 His son, Judas, known as
Maccabaeus, then took his place.
2 All his brothers,
and all who had attached themselves to his father, supported him, and they
fought for Israel with a will.
3 He extended the fame
of his people. Like a giant, he put on the breastplate and buckled on his war
harness; he engaged in battle after battle, protecting the ranks with his
sword.
4 He was like a lion
in his exploits, like a young lion roaring over its prey.
5 He pursued and
tracked down the renegades, he consigned those who troubled his people to the
flames.
6 The renegades
quailed with the terror he inspired, all evil-doers were utterly confounded,
and deliverance went forward under his leadership.
7 He brought
bitterness to many a king and rejoicing to Jacob by his deeds, his memory is
blessed for ever and ever.
8 He went through the
towns of Judah eliminating the irreligious from them, and diverted the
Retribution from Israel.
9 His name resounded
to the ends of the earth, he rallied those who were on the point of perishing.
10 Next, Apollonius
mustered the gentiles and a large force from Samaria to make war on Israel.
11 When Judas learned
of it, he went out to meet him and routed and killed him. Many fell wounded,
and the survivors took to flight.
12 Their spoils were
seized and the sword of Apollonius was taken by Judas, who used it to fight
with throughout his life.
13 On hearing that
Judas had raised a mixed force of believers and seasoned fighters,
14 Seron, commander of
the Syrian troops, said, 'I shall make a name for myself and gain honour in the
kingdom if I fight Judas and those supporters of his who are so contemptuous of
the king's orders.'
15 He therefore
launched another expedition, with a strong army of unbelievers to support him
in taking revenge on the Israelites.
16 He had nearly
reached the descent of Beth-Horon when Judas went out to confront him with a
handful of men.
17 But as soon as
these saw the force advancing to meet them, they said to Judas, 'How can we,
few as we are, engage such overwhelming numbers? We are exhausted as it is, not
having had anything to eat today.'
18 'It is easy', Judas
answered, 'for a great number to be defeated by a few; indeed, in the sight of
Heaven, deliverance, whether by many or by few, is all one;
19 for victory in war
does not depend on the size of the fighting force: Heaven accords the strength.
20 They are coming
against us in full-blown insolence and lawlessness to destroy us, our wives and
our children, and to plunder us;
21 but we are fighting
for our lives and our laws,
22 and he will crush
them before our eyes; do not be afraid of them.'
23 When he had
finished speaking, he made a sudden sally against Seron and his force and
overwhelmed them.
24 Judas pursued them
down from Beth-Horon as far as the plain. About eight hundred of their men
fell, and the rest took refuge in the country of the Philistines.
25 Judas and his
brothers began to be feared, and alarm seized the surrounding peoples.
26 His name even
reached the king's ears, and among the nations there was talk of Judas and his
battles.
27 The news of these
events infuriated Antiochus, and he ordered mobilisation of all the forces in
his kingdom, a very powerful army.
28 Opening his
treasury, he distributed a year's pay to his troops, telling them to be
prepared for any eventuality.
29 He then found that
the money in his coffers had run short and that the tribute of the province had
decreased, as a result of the dissension and disaster brought on the country by
his own abrogation of laws that had been in force from antiquity.
30 He began to fear
that, as had happened more than once, he would not have enough to cover the
expenses and the lavish bounties he had previously been accustomed to make on a
larger scale than his predecessors on the throne.
31 In this grave
quandary he resolved to invade Persia, there to levy tribute on the provinces
and so accumulate substantial funds.
32 He therefore left
Lysias, a nobleman and member of the royal family, to manage the royal affairs
between the River Euphrates and the Egyptian frontier,
33 making him
responsible for the education of his son Antiochus, until he should come back.
34 To him Antiochus
made over half his forces, with the elephants, giving him instructions about
what he wanted done, particularly with regard to the inhabitants of Judaea and
Jerusalem,
35 against whom he was
to send a force, to crush and destroy the power of Israel and the remnant of
Jerusalem, to wipe out their very memory from the place,
36 to settle
foreigners in all parts of their territory and to distribute their land into
lots.
37 The king took the
remaining half of his troops with him and set out from Antioch, the capital of
his kingdom, in the year 147; he crossed the River Euphrates and made his way
through the Upper Provinces.
38 Lysias chose
Ptolemy son of Dorymenes, with Nicanor and Gorgias, influential men from among
the Friends of the King,
39 and, under their
command, despatched forty thousand foot and seven thousand horse to invade the
land of Judah and devastate it, as the king had ordered.
40 The entire force
set out and reached the neighbourhood of Emmaus in the lowlands, where they
pitched camp.
41 The local
merchants, hearing the news of this, arrived at the camp, bringing with them a
large amount of gold and silver, and fetters as well, proposing to buy the
Israelites as slaves; they were accompanied by a company from Idumaea and the
Philistine country.
42 Judas and his
brothers saw that the situation was going from bad to worse and that armies
were camping in their territory; they were also well aware that the king had
ordered the people's total destruction.
43 So they said to
each other, 'Let us restore the ruins of our people and fight for our people
and our sanctuary.'
44 The Assembly was
summoned, to prepare for war, to offer prayer and to implore compassion and
mercy.
45 Jerusalem was as
empty as a desert, none of her children to go in and out. The sanctuary was
trodden underfoot, men of an alien race held the Citadel, which had become a
lodging for gentiles. There was no more rejoicing for Jacob, the flute and lyre
were mute.
46 After mustering,
they made their way to Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem, since Mizpah was
traditionally a place of prayer for Israel.
47 That day they
fasted and put on sackcloth, covering their heads with ashes and tearing their
garments.
48 For the guidance
that the gentiles would have sought from the images of their false gods, they
opened the Book of the Law.
49 They also brought
out the priestly vestments, with first-fruits and tithes, and marshalled the
Nazirites who had completed the period of their vow.
50 Then, raising their
voices to Heaven, they cried, 'What shall we do with these people, and where
are we to take them?
51 Your holy place has
been trampled underfoot and defiled, your priests mourn in their humiliation,
52 and now the
gentiles are in alliance to destroy us: you know what they have in mind for us.
53 How can we stand up
and face them if you do not come to our aid?'
54 Then they sounded
the trumpets and raised a great shout.
55 Next, Judas
appointed leaders for the people, to command a thousand, a hundred, fifty or
ten men.
56 Those who were in
the middle of building a house, or were about to be married, or were planting a
vineyard, or were afraid, he told to go home again, as the Law allowed.
57 The column then
marched off and took up a position south of Emmaus.
58 'Stand to your
arms,' Judas told them, 'acquit yourselves bravely, in the morning be ready to
fight these gentiles massed against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.
59 Better for us to
die in battle than to watch the ruin of our nation and our Holy Place.
60 Whatever be the
will of Heaven, he will perform it.'
NJB 1 Maccabees 4:1 Gorgias took with him five
thousand foot and a thousand picked cavalry, and the force moved off by night
2 with the object of
attacking the Jewish position and dealing them an unexpected blow; the men from
the Citadel were there to guide him.
3 Judas got wind of it
and himself moved off with his fighters to strike at the royal army at Emmaus,
4 while its fighting
troops were still dispersed outside the camp.
5 Hence, when Gorgias
reached Judas' camp, he found no one and began looking for the Jews in the
mountains. 'For', he said, 'we have got them on the run.'
6 First light found
Judas in the plain with three thousand men, although these lacked the armour
and swords they would have wished.
7 They could now see
the gentile encampment with its strong fortifications and cavalry surrounding
it, clearly people who understood warfare.
8 Judas said to his
men, 'Do not be afraid of their numbers, and do not flinch at their attack.
9 Remember how our
ancestors were delivered at the Red Sea when Pharaoh was pursuing them in
force.
10 And now let us call
on Heaven: if he cares for us, he will remember his covenant with our ancestors
and will destroy this army confronting us today;
11 then all the
nations will know for certain that there is One who ransoms and saves Israel.'
12 The foreigners
looked up and, seeing the Jews advancing against them,
13 came out of the
camp to join battle. Judas' men sounded the trumpet
14 and engaged them.
The gentiles were defeated and fled towards the plain
15 and all the
stragglers fell by the sword. The pursuit continued as far as Gezer and the
plains of Idumaea, Azotus and Jamnia, and the enemy lost about three thousand
men.
16 Breaking off the
pursuit, Judas returned with his men
17 and said to the
people, 'Never mind the booty, for we have another battle ahead of us.
18 Gorgias and his
troops are still near us in the mountains. First stand up to our enemies and
fight them, and then you can safely collect the booty.'
19 The words were
hardly out of Judas' mouth, when a detachment came into view, peering down from
the mountain.
20 Observing that
their own troops had been routed and that the camp had been fired -- since the
smoke, which they could see, attested the fact-
21 they were
panic-stricken at the sight; and when, furthermore, they saw Judas' troops
drawn up for battle on the plain,
22 they all fled into
Philistine territory.
23 Judas then turned
back to plunder the camp, and a large sum in gold and silver, with violet and
sea-purple stuffs, and many other valuables were carried off.
24 On their return,
the Jews chanted praises to Heaven, singing, 'He is kind and his love is
everlasting!'
25 That day had seen a
remarkable deliverance in Israel.
26 Those of the
foreigners who had escaped came and gave Lysias an account of all that had
happened.
27 The news shocked
and dismayed him, for affairs in Israel had not gone as he intended, and the
result was quite the opposite to what the king had ordered.
28 The next year he
mobilised sixty thousand picked troops and five thousand cavalry with the
intention of finishing off the Jews.
29 They advanced into
Idumaea and made their base at Beth-Zur, where Judas met them with ten thousand
men.
30 When he saw their
military strength he offered this prayer, 'Blessed are you, Saviour of Israel,
who shattered the mighty warrior's attack at the hand of your servant David, and
delivered the Philistine camp into the hands of Jonathan son of Saul, and his
armour-bearer.
31 Crush this
expedition in the same way at the hands of your people Israel; let their troops
and cavalry bring them nothing but shame.
32 Sow panic in their
ranks, confound the confidence they put in their numbers and send them reeling
in defeat.
33 Overthrow them by
the sword of those who love you, and all who acknowledge your name will sing
your praises.'
34 The two forces
engaged, and five thousand men of Lysias' troops fell in hand-to-hand fighting.
35 Seeing the rout of
his army and the courage of Judas' troops and their readiness to live or die
nobly, Lysias withdrew to Antioch, where he recruited mercenaries for a further
invasion of Judaea in even greater strength.
36 Judas and his
brothers then said, 'Now that our enemies have been defeated, let us go up to
purify the sanctuary and dedicate it.'
37 So they marshalled
the whole army, and went up to Mount Zion.
38 There they found
the sanctuary deserted, the altar desecrated, the gates burnt down, and
vegetation growing in the courts as it might in a wood or on some mountain,
while the storerooms were in ruins.
39 They tore their
garments and mourned bitterly, putting dust on their heads.
40 They prostrated themselves
on the ground, and when the trumpets gave the signal they cried aloud to
Heaven.
Tehillim
- Psalm 30:1-13
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. A
psalm; a song of dedication of the House, of David. |
1. A
praise song for the dedication of the sanctuary. Of David. |
|
2. I will
exalt You, O Lord, for You have raised me up, and You have not allowed my
enemies to rejoice over me. |
2. I
will praise you, O LORD, for you made me stand erect, and did not let my
enemies rejoice over me. |
|
3. O Lord,
I have cried out to You, and You have healed me. |
3. O LORD
my God, I prayed in Your presence and You healed me. |
|
4. O Lord,
You have brought my soul from the grave; You have revived me from my descent
into the Pit. |
4. O LORD,
You raised my soul out of Sheol; You preserved me from going down to the pit. |
|
5. Sing to
the Lord, His pious ones, and give thanks to His holy name. |
5. Sing
praise in the LORD's presence, you His devotees; and give thanks at the
invocation of His holy one. |
|
6. For His
wrath lasts but a moment; life results from His favor; in the evening,
weeping may tarry, but in the morning there is joyful singing. |
6. For His
anger is but a moment; eternal life is His good pleasure. In the evening one
goes to bed in tears, but in the morning one rises in praise. |
|
7. And I
said in my tranquility, "I will never falter." |
7. And I
said when I dwelt in trust, I will never be shaken. |
|
8. O Lord,
with Your will, You set up my mountain to be might, You hid Your countenance
and I became frightened. |
8. O LORD,
by Your will You prepared the mighty mountains; You removed Your presence, I
became afraid. |
|
9. To You,
O Lord, I would call, and to the Lord I would supplicate. |
9. In Your
presence, O LORD, I will cry out; and to You, O my God, I will pray. |
|
10. "What
gain is there in my blood, in my descent to the grave? Will
dust thank You; will it recite Your truth? |
10. And I
said, What profit is there in my blood, when I descend to the
grave? Can those who descend to the dust praise You? Will they tell of Your
faithfulness? |
|
11. Hear, O
Lord, and be gracious to me; O Lord, be my helper." |
11. Accept,
O LORD, my prayer, and have mercy on me; O LORD, be my helper. |
|
12. You
have turned my lament into dancing for me; You loosened my sackcloth and
girded me with joy. |
12. You
turned my lament into my celebration; You loosened my sackcloth and
girded me with joy. |
|
13. So that
my soul will sing praises to You and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will
thank You forever. |
13. Because
the nobles of the world will give You praise and not be silent, O LORD my
God, I too will give You praise. |
|
|
|
Isaiah
5:20-24 JPS
20 Ah, Those who call evil good
And good evil;
Who present darkness as light
And light as darkness;
Who present bitter as sweet
And sweet as bitter!
21 Ah, Those who are so wise -- In
their own opinion;
So clever -- In their own judgment!
22 Ah, Those who are so doughty --
As drinkers of wine,
And so valiant -- As mixers of drink!
23 Who vindicate him who is in the
wrong
In return for a bribe,
And withhold vindication
From him who is in the right.
24 Assuredly,
As straw is consumed by a tongue of fire
And hay shrivels as it burns,
Their stock shall become like rot,
And their buds shall blow away like dust.
For they have rejected the
instruction in the Torah of the LORD of Hosts,
Spurned the word of the Holy One
of Israel.
Yochanan
Alef (1 John) 2:1-11
Hakham’s
Rendition
1 My sons, I am
writing these things to you in order that you may not sin. And if anyone sins,
we have an advocate with the Father, Yeshua the Messiah the righteous/generous
one,
2 and he was made the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole [Gentile] world.
3 And by this we know
that we have come to have intimate knowledge of him (the Master), if we
keep His (God’s) commandments.
4 The one who says
"I have come to intimately know him," and does not keep His (God’s) commandments
is a liar, and the truth (i.e. the Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142) is not [dwelling]
in this person.
5 But whoever puts in
practice God’s Torah, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected.
By this we know that we are in him (Messiah).
6 The one who
says that he resides in him (Messiah) ought also to walk just as he
walked [in submissive obedience to the Torah and to the Torah Sages].
7 Dear friends, I am
not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had
from the beginning (i.e. B’resheet = Gen. 1:1ff). The old commandment is
the message which you have heard [from the Torah].
8 Again, I am writing
a new commandment to you, which is true in him (Messiah) and in you,
because the darkness is passing away and the true light already is shining.
9 The one who says he
is in the light and hates/belittles his [Jewish] brother is in the
darkness even now.
10 The one who loves
his [Jewish] brother resides in the light, and there is no cause for
stumbling in him.
11 But the one who
hates/belittles his [Jewish] brother is in the darkness, and walks in
the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded
his eyes.
END OF THE READINGS
FOR THE SECOND DAY OF CHANUKA
Chanuka
Third Day
Evening Thursday Dec.
22 – Evening Friday Dec. 23, 2011
Torah: Numbers 7:24-35
Reader 1 - Num.
7:24-26
Reader 2 - Num.
7:27-29
Reader 3 - Num.
7:30-35
Yehudit (Judith) 5:18
– 7:16
1 Maccab. 4:41 – 6:27
Psalm 30:1-13
Nazareans add in their
private study and discussions: Isaiah
42:16; & 1 John 3:1-24
Rashi
& Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for:
B’Midbar (Numbers) 7:24-35
|
Rashi |
Targum
Pseudo Jonathan |
|
24. On the
third day, the chieftain was of the sons of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon. |
24. On the
third day, Eliab bar Helon, prince of the Benei Zebulon, offered. |
|
25. His offering
was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver
sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy shekel,
both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
25. |
|
26. One
spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels] filled with incense. |
26. |
|
27. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
27. |
|
28. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
28. |
|
29. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon. |
29. |
|
30. On the
fourth day, the chieftain was of the sons of Reuben, Elitzur the son of
Shedeur. |
30. On
the fourth, Elizur bar Shedeur, prince of the Benei Reuben; |
|
31. His
offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one
silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy
shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
31. |
|
32. One
spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels] filled with incense. |
32. |
|
33. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
33. |
|
34. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
34. |
|
35. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Elitzur the son of Shedeur. |
35. |
|
|
|
Yehudit (Judith) 5:18
– 7:16
New Jerusalem Bible
Version
18 But when they
turned from the path he had marked out for them some were exterminated in a
series of battles, others were taken captive to a foreign land. The Temple of
their God was rased to the ground and their towns were seized by their enemies.
19 Then having turned
once again to their God, they came back from the places to which they had been
dispersed and scattered, regained possession of Jerusalem, where they have
their Temple, and reoccupied the hill-country which had been left deserted.
20 So, now, master and
lord, if this people has committed any fault, if they have sinned against their
God, let us first be sure that they really have this reason to fail, then
advance and attack them.
21 But if their nation
is guiltless, my lord would do better to abstain, for fear that their Lord and
God should protect them. We should then become the laughing-stock of the whole
world.'
22 When Achior had
ended this speech, all the people crowding round the tent began protesting.
Holofernes' own senior officers, as well as all the coastal peoples and the
Moabites, threatened to tear him limb from limb.
23 'Why should we be
afraid of the Israelites? They are a weak and powerless people, quite unable to
stand a stiff attack.
24 Forward! Advance!
Your army, Holofernes our master, will swallow them in one mouthful!'
NJB Judith 6:1 When the uproar of those crowding
round the council had subsided, Holofernes, general-in-chief of the Assyrian
army, reprimanded Achior in front of the whole crowd of foreigners and
Ammonites.
2 'Achior, who do you
think you are, you and the Ephraimite mercenaries, playing the prophet like
this with us today, and trying to dissuade us from making war on the people of
Israel? You claim their God will protect them. And who is God if not
Nebuchadnezzar? He himself will display his power and wipe them off the face of
the earth, and their God will certainly not save them.
3 But we, his
servants, shall destroy them as easily as a single individual. They can never
resist the strength of our cavalry.
4 We shall burn them
all. Their mountains will be drunk with their blood and their plains filled
with their corpses. Far from being able to resist us, every one of them will
die; thus says King Nebuchadnezzar, lord of the whole world. For he has spoken,
and his words will not prove empty.
5 As for you, Achior,
you Ammonite mercenary, who in a rash moment said these words, you will not see
my face again until the day when I have taken my revenge on this brood from
Egypt.
6 And then the swords
of my soldiers and the spears of my officers will pierce your sides. You will
fall among their wounded, the moment I turn on Israel.
7 My servants will now
take you into the hill-country and leave you near one of the towns in the
passes;
8 you will not die,
until you share their ruin.
9 No need to look so
sad if you cherish the secret hope that they will not be captured! I have
spoken; none of my words will prove idle.'
10 Holofernes having
commanded his tent-orderlies to seize Achior, to take him to Bethulia and to
hand him over to the Israelites,
11 the orderlies took
him, escorted him out of the camp and across the plain, and then, making for
the hill-country, reached the springs below Bethulia.
12 As soon as the men
of the town sighted them, they snatched up their weapons, left the town and
made for the mountain tops, while all the slingers pelted them with stones to
prevent them from coming up.
13 However, they
managed to take cover at the foot of the slope, where they bound Achior and left
him lying at the bottom of the mountain and returned to their master.
14 The Israelites then
came down from their town, stopped by him, unbound him and took him to
Bethulia, where they brought him before the chief men of the town,
15 who at that time
were Uzziah son of Micah of the tribe of Simeon, Chabris son of Gothoniel and
Charmis son of Melchiel.
16 These summoned all
the elders of the town. The young men and the women also hurried to the
assembly. Achior was made to stand with all the people surrounding him, and
Uzziah questioned him about what had happened.
17 He answered by
telling them what had been said at Holofernes' council, and what he himself had
said in the presence of the Assyrian leaders, and how Holofernes had bragged of
what he would do to the House of Israel.
18 At this the people
fell to the ground and worshipped God.
19 'Lord God of
heaven,' they cried, 'take notice of their arrogance and have pity on the
humiliation of our race. Look kindly today on those who are consecrated to
you.'
20 They then spoke
reassuringly to Achior and praised him warmly.
21 After the assembly
Uzziah took him home and gave a banquet for the elders; all that night they
called on the God of Israel for help.
NJB Judith 7:1 The following day Holofernes
issued orders to his whole army and to the whole host of auxiliaries who had
joined him, to break camp and march on Bethulia, to occupy the mountain passes
and so open the campaign against the Israelites.
2 The troops broke
camp that same day. The actual fighting force numbered one hundred and twenty
thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry, not to mention the baggage train
with the vast number of men on foot concerned with that.
3 They penetrated the
valley in the neighbourhood of Bethulia, near the spring, and deployed on a
wide front from Dothan to Balbaim and, in depth, from Bethulia to Cyamon, which
faces Esdraelon.
4 When the Israelites
saw this horde, they were all appalled and said to each other, 'Now they will
lick the whole country clean. Not even the loftiest peaks, the gorges or the
hills will be able to stand the weight of them.'
5 Each man snatched up
his arms; they lit beacons on their towers and spent the whole night on watch.
6 On the second day
Holofernes deployed his entire cavalry in sight of the Israelites in Bethulia.
7 He reconnoitred the
slopes leading up to the town, located the water-points, seized them and posted
pickets over them and returned to the main body.
8 The chieftains of
the sons of Esau, all the leaders of the Moabites and the generals of the
coastal district then came to him and said,
9 'If our master will
be pleased to listen to us, his forces will not sustain a single wound.
10 These Israelites do
not rely so much on their spears as on the height of the mountains where they
live. And admittedly it is not at all easy to scale these heights of theirs.
11 'This being the
case, master, avoid engaging them in a pitched battle and then you will not
lose a single man.
12 Stay in camp, keep
all your troops there too, while your servants seize the spring which rises at
the foot of the mountain,
13 since that is what
provides the population of Bethulia with their water supply. Thirst will then
force them to surrender their town. Meanwhile, we and our men will climb the
nearest mountain tops and form advance posts there to prevent anyone from
leaving the town.
14 Hunger will waste
them, with their wives and children, and before the sword can reach them they
will already be lying in the streets outside their houses.
15 And you will make them
pay dearly for their defiance and their refusal to meet you peaceably.'
16 Their words pleased
Holofernes as well as all his officers, and he decided to do as they suggested.
1 Maccabees 4:41 –
6:27
New Jerusalem Bible
Version
41 Judas then ordered
his men to keep the Citadel garrison engaged until he had purified the
sanctuary.
42 Next, he selected
priests who were blameless and zealous for the Law
43 to purify the
sanctuary and remove the stones of the 'Pollution' to some unclean place.
44 They discussed what
should be done about the altar of burnt offering which had been profaned,
45 and very properly
decided to pull it down, rather than later be embarrassed about it since it had
been defiled by the gentiles. They therefore demolished it
46 and deposited the
stones in a suitable place on the hill of the Dwelling to await the appearance
of a prophet who should give a ruling about them.
47 They took unhewn
stones, as the Law prescribed, and built a new altar on the lines of the old
one.
48 They restored the
Holy Place and the interior of the Dwelling, and purified the courts.
49 They made new
sacred vessels, and brought the lamp-stand, the altar of incense, and the table
into the Temple.
50 They burned incense
on the altar and lit the lamps on the lamp-stand, and these shone inside the
Temple.
51 They placed the
loaves on the table and hung the curtains and completed all the tasks they had
undertaken.
52 On the twenty-fifth
of the ninth month, Chislev, in the year 148 they rose at dawn
53 and offered a
lawful sacrifice on the new altar of burnt offering which they had made.
54 The altar was
dedicated, to the sound of hymns, zithers, lyres and cymbals, at the same time of year
and on the same day on which the gentiles had originally profaned it.
55 The whole people
fell prostrate in adoration and then praised Heaven who had granted them
success.
56 For eight days they
celebrated the dedication of the altar, joyfully offering burnt offerings,
communion and thanksgiving sacrifices.
57 They ornamented the
front of the Temple with crowns and bosses of gold, renovated the gates and
storerooms, providing the latter with doors.
58 There was no end to
the rejoicing among the people, since the disgrace inflicted by the
gentiles had been effaced.
59 Judas, with his
brothers and the whole assembly of Israel, made it a law that the days of the
dedication of the altar should be celebrated yearly at the proper season, for
eight days beginning on the twenty-fifth of the month of Chislev, with rejoicing and
gladness.
60 They then proceeded
to build high walls with strong towers round Mount Zion, to prevent the
gentiles from coming and riding roughshod over it as in the past.
61 Judas stationed a
garrison there to guard it; he also fortified Beth-Zur, so that the people would
have a fortress confronting Idumaea.
NJB 1 Maccabees 5:1 When the surrounding nations
heard that the altar had been rebuilt
and the sanctuary restored to what it had been before, they became very angry
2 and decided to
destroy the descendants of Jacob living among them; they began to murder and
evict our people.
3 Judas made war on
the sons of Esau in Idumaea, in the region of Acrabattene where they were
besieging the Israelites. He dealt them a serious blow, drove them off and
despoiled them.
4 He also remembered
the wickedness of the sons of Baean, who were a menace and a trap for the
people with their ambushes on the roads.
5 Having blockaded
them in their town and besieged them, he put them under the curse of
destruction; he then set fire to their towers and burned them down with
everyone inside.
6 Next, he crossed
over to the Ammonites where he found a strong fighting force and a numerous
people, commanded by Timotheus.
7 He fought many
battles with them, defeated them and cut them to pieces.
8 Having captured
Jazer and its dependent villages, he retired to Judaea.
9 Next, the gentiles
of Gilead banded together to destroy the Israelites living in their territory. The
latter, however, took refuge in the fortress of Dathema,
10 and sent the
following letter to Judas and his brothers: 'The gentiles round us have banded
themselves together against us to destroy us,
11 and they are
preparing to storm the fortress in which we have taken refuge; Timotheus is in
command of their forces.
12 Come at once and
rescue us from their clutches, for we have already suffered great losses.
13 All our countrymen
living in Tobias' country have been killed, their women and children have
been taken into captivity, their property has been seized, and about a thousand men
have been destroyed there.'
14 While the letter
was being read, other messengers arrived from Galilee with their garments torn,
bearing similar news,
15 'The people of
Ptolemais, Tyre and Sidon have joined forces with the whole of gentile Galilee to
destroy us!'
16 When Judas and the
people heard this, they held a great assembly to decide what should be done for
their oppressed countrymen who were under attack from
their enemies.
17 Judas said to his
brother Simon, 'Pick your men and go and relieve your countrymen in Galilee, while
my brother Jonathan and I make our way into Gilead.'
18 He left Joseph son
of Zechariah and the people's leader Azariah with the remainder of the army in
Judaea to keep guard, and gave them these orders,
19 'You are to be
responsible for our people. Do not engage the gentiles until we return.'
20 Simon was allotted
three thousand men for the expedition into Galilee, Judas eight thousand for
Gilead.
21 Simon advanced into
Galilee, engaged the gentiles in several battles and swept all before him;
22 he pursued them to
the gate of Ptolemais, and they lost about three thousand men, whose spoils he
collected.
23 With him, he took
away the Jews of Galilee and Arbatta, with their wives and children and all their
possessions, and brought them into Judaea with great rejoicing.
24 Meanwhile Judas
Maccabaeus and his brother Jonathan crossed the Jordan and made a three-days'
march through the desert,
25 where they
encountered the Nabataeans, who gave them a friendly reception and told them
everything that had been happening to their brothers in Gilead,
26 many of whom, they
said, were shut up in Bozrah and Bosor, Alema, Chaspho, Maked and
Carnaim, all large fortified towns.
27 Others were
blockaded in the other towns of Gilead, and the enemy planned to attack and
capture these strongholds the very next day, and destroy all the people
inside them on one day.
28 Judas and his army
at once turned off by the desert road to Bozrah. He took the town and,
having put all the males to the sword and collected the booty, burned it down.
29 When night came, he
left the place, and they continued their march until they reached the
fortress.
30 In the light of
dawn they looked, and there was an innumerable horde, setting up ladders and
engines to capture the fortress; the assault was just beginning.
31 When Judas saw that
the attack had begun and that the war cry was rising to heaven from the
city, mingled with trumpet calls and a great clamour,
32 he said to the men
of his army, 'Into battle today for your brothers!'
33 Dividing them into
three commands, he advanced on the enemy's rear, with trumpets sounding and
prayers shouted aloud.
34 The troops of
Timotheus, recognising that this was Maccabaeus, fled before his advance;
Maccabaeus dealt them a crushing defeat; about eight thousand of their men
fell that day.
35 Then, wheeling on
Alema, he attacked and captured it and, having killed all the males and
collected the booty, burned the place down.
36 From there he moved
on and took Chaspho, Maked, Bosor and the remaining towns of Gilead.
37 After these events,
Timotheus mustered another force and pitched camp opposite Raphon, on the far
side of the stream-bed.
38 Judas sent men to
reconnoitre the camp, and these reported back as follows, 'With him are massed
all the gentiles surrounding us, making a very numerous army,
39 with Arab
mercenaries as auxiliaries; they are encamped on the far side of the
stream-bed, and ready to launch an attack on you.' Judas then advanced to
engage them,
40 and was approaching
the watercourse with his troops when Timotheus told the commanders of his army, 'If he
crosses first we shall not be able to
resist him, because he will have a great advantage over us;
41 but if he is afraid
and camps on the other side of the stream, we shall cross over to him and the
advantage will then be ours.'
42 As soon as Judas
reached the watercourse, he posted people's scribes along it, giving them
this order: 'Do not let anyone pitch his tent; all are to go into battle!'
43 He was himself the
first across to the enemy side, with all the people following. He defeated all
the opposing gentiles, who threw down their arms and ran for refuge in the sanctuary
of Carnaim.
44 The Jews first
captured the town and then burned down the temple with everyone inside. And so
Carnaim was overthrown, and the enemy could offer no further resistance to Judas.
45 Next, Judas
assembled all the Israelites living in Gilead, from the least to the greatest,
with their wives, children and belongings, an enormous muster, to take them to
Judaea.
46 They reached
Ephron, a large town straddling the road and strongly fortified. As it was
impossible to by-pass it either to right or to left, there was nothing for it
but to march straight through.
47 But the people of
the town denied them passage and barricaded the gates with stones.
48 Judas sent them a
conciliatory message in these terms, 'We want to pass through your territory to
reach our own; no one will do you any harm, we only want to go through on foot.' But they
would not open up for him.
49 So Judas sent an
order down the column for everyone to halt where he stood.
50 The fighting men
took up their positions; Judas attacked the town all day and night, and the town
fell to him.
51 He put all the
males to the sword, rased the town to the ground, plundered it and marched through
the town square over the bodies of the dead.
52 They then crossed
the Jordan into the Great Plain, opposite Beth-Shean,
53 Judas all the time
rallying the stragglers and encouraging the people the whole way until they
reached Judaea.
54 They climbed Mount
Zion in joy and gladness and presented burnt offerings because they had
returned safe and sound without having lost a single man.
55 While Judas and
Jonathan were in Gilead and Simon his brother in Galilee outside Ptolemais,
56 Joseph son of
Zechariah, and Azariah, who were in command of the army, heard of their valiant
deeds and of the battles they had been fighting,
57 and said, 'Let us
make a name for ourselves too and go and fight the nations around us.'
58 So they issued
orders to the men under their command and marched on Jamnia.
59 Gorgias and his men
came out of the town and gave battle.
60 Joseph and Azariah
were routed and pursued as far as the frontiers of Judaea. That day about two
thousand Israelites lost their lives.
61 Our people thus met
with a great reverse, because they had not listened to Judas and his
brothers, thinking that they would do something equally valiant.
62 They were not,
however, of the same breed of men as those to whom the deliverance of Israel
was entrusted.
63 The noble Judas and
his brothers, however, were held in high honour throughout Israel and
among all the nations wherever their name was heard,
64 and people thronged
round to acclaim them.
65 Judas marched out
with his brothers to fight the Edomites in the country towards the south; he
stormed Hebron and its dependent villages, threw down its fortifications and burned
down its encircling towers.
66 Leaving there, he
made for the country of the Philistines and passed through Marisa.
67 Among the fallen in
that day's fighting were some priests who sought to prove their courage
there by joining in the battle, a foolhardy venture.
68 Judas next turned
on Azotus, which belonged to the Philistines; he overthrew their altars, burned
the statues of their gods and, having pillaged their towns, withdrew to Judaea.
NJB 1 Maccabees 6:1 King Antiochus, meanwhile,
was making his way through the Upper
Provinces; he had heard that in Persia there was a city called Elymais,
renowned for its riches, its silver and gold,
2 and its very wealthy
temple containing golden armour, breastplates and weapons, left there by
Alexander son of Philip, the king of Macedon, the first to reign over the Greeks.
3 He therefore went
and attempted to take the city and pillage it, but without success, the citizens
having been forewarned.
4 They resisted him by
force of arms. He was routed, and began retreating, very gloomily,
towards Babylon.
5 But, while he was
still in Persia, news reached him that the armies which had invaded Judaea had been
routed,
6 and that Lysias in
particular had advanced in massive strength, only to be forced to turn and flee
before the Jews; that the latter were now stronger than ever, thanks to the
arms, supplies and abundant spoils acquired from the armies they had cut to pieces,
7 and that they had
pulled down the abomination which he had erected on the altar in
Jerusalem, had encircled the sanctuary with high walls as in the past, and had
fortified Beth-Zur, one of his cities.
8 When the king heard
this news he was amazed and profoundly shaken; he threw himself on his
bed and fell sick with grief, since things had not turned out for him as he had planned.
9 And there he
remained for many days, subject to deep and recurrent fits of melancholy,
until he realised that he was dying.
10 Then, summoning all
his Friends, he said to them, 'Sleep evades my eyes, and my heart is cowed by
anxiety.
11 I have been
wondering how I could have come to such a pitch of distress, so great a flood as
that which now engulfs me -- I who was so generous and well-loved in my
heyday.
12 But now I recall
how wrongly I acted in Jerusalem when I seized all the vessels of silver and
gold there and ordered the extermination of the inhabitants of Judah for
no reason at all.
13 This, I am
convinced, is why these misfortunes have overtaken me, and why I am dying of
melancholy in a foreign land.'
14 He summoned Philip,
one of his Friends, and made him regent of the whole kingdom.
15 He entrusted him
with his diadem, his robe and his signet, on the understanding that he was to
educate his son Antiochus and train him for the throne.
16 King Antiochus then
died, in the year 149.
17 Lysias, learning
that the king was dead, established on the throne in succession to him his son
Antiochus, whom he had brought up from childhood -- and styled him Eupator.
18 The people in the
Citadel at the time were blockading Israel round the sanctuary and were taking
every opportunity to harm them and to support the gentiles.
19 Judas decided that
they must be destroyed, and he mobilised the whole people to besiege them.
20 They assembled and
laid siege to the Citadel in the year 150, building batteries and
siege-engines.
21 But some of the
besieged broke through the blockade, and to these a number of renegades from Israel
attached themselves.
22 They made their way
to the king and said, 'How much longer are you going to wait before you see
justice done and avenge our fellows?
23 We were content to
serve your father, to comply with his orders, and to obey his edicts.
24 As a result our own
people will have nothing to do with us; what is more, they have killed all those
of us they could catch, and looted our family property.
25 Nor is it on us
alone that their blows have fallen, but on all your territories.
26 At this moment,
they are laying siege to the Citadel of Jerusalem, to capture it, and they have
fortified the sanctuary and Beth-Zur.
27 Unless you
forestall them at once, they will go on to even bigger things, and then you will never
be able to control them.'
Tehillim
- Psalm 30:1-13
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. A
psalm; a song of dedication of the House, of David. |
1. A
praise song for the dedication of the sanctuary. Of David. |
|
2. I will
exalt You, O Lord, for You have raised me up, and You have not allowed my
enemies to rejoice over me. |
2. I
will praise you, O LORD, for you made me stand erect, and did not let my
enemies rejoice over me. |
|
3. O Lord,
I have cried out to You, and You have healed me. |
3. O LORD
my God, I prayed in Your presence and You healed me. |
|
4. O Lord,
You have brought my soul from the grave; You have revived me from my descent
into the Pit. |
4. O LORD,
You raised my soul out of Sheol; You preserved me from going down to the pit. |
|
5. Sing to
the Lord, His pious ones, and give thanks to His holy name. |
5. Sing
praise in the LORD's presence, you His devotees; and give thanks at the
invocation of His holy one. |
|
6. For His
wrath lasts but a moment; life results from His favor; in the evening,
weeping may tarry, but in the morning there is joyful singing. |
6. For His
anger is but a moment; eternal life is His good pleasure. In the evening one
goes to bed in tears, but in the morning one rises in praise. |
|
7. And I
said in my tranquility, "I will never falter." |
7. And I
said when I dwelt in trust, I will never be shaken. |
|
8. O Lord,
with Your will, You set up my mountain to be might, You hid Your countenance
and I became frightened. |
8. O LORD,
by Your will You prepared the mighty mountains; You removed Your presence, I
became afraid. |
|
9. To You,
O Lord, I would call, and to the Lord I would supplicate. |
9. In Your
presence, O LORD, I will cry out; and to You, O my God, I will pray. |
|
10. "What
gain is there in my blood, in my descent to the grave? Will
dust thank You; will it recite Your truth? |
10. And I
said, What profit is there in my blood, when I descend to the
grave? Can those who descend to the dust praise You? Will they tell of Your
faithfulness? |
|
11. Hear, O
Lord, and be gracious to me; O Lord, be my helper." |
11. Accept,
O LORD, my prayer, and have mercy on me; O LORD, be my helper. |
|
12. You
have turned my lament into dancing for me; You loosened my sackcloth and
girded me with joy. |
12. You
turned my lament into my celebration; You loosened my sackcloth and
girded me with joy. |
|
13. So that
my soul will sing praises to You and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will
thank You forever. |
13. Because
the nobles of the world will give You praise and not be silent, O LORD my
God, I too will give You praise. |
|
|
|
Isaiah
42:18 - JPS
18.
Listen, you who are deaf; You blind ones, look up and see!
Yochanan
Alef (1 John) 2:12-29
Hakham’s
Rendition
12 I am writing to you,
sons, because your sins have been forgiven you on account of His (God’s)
name (i.e. authority).
13 I am writing to
you, fathers, because you have known him who [is] from [the] beginning
(i.e. Genesis 1:1ff). I am writing to you, young men, because you have
overcome wickednes/Lawlessness. I have written to you, young boys, because you
have known the Father.
14 I have written to
you, fathers, because you have known him who [is] from [the] beginning (i.e.
Genesis 1:1ff). I have written to you, young men, because you are strong,
and the Word of God resides in you, and you have overcome
wickedness/Lawlessness.
15 Love not the [pagan]
world nor the things in the [pagan] world. If anyone should love the [pagan]
world, the love of the Father is not in him,
16 because all that is
in the [pagan] world, the desire of the Yetser Hara (Heb. for “The
Evil Inclination”) and the desire of the eyes, and the boasting of life (material
possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the [pagan] world.
17 And the [pagan] world
and its desire is passing away, but the one who does the will of God abides
forever.
18 My sons, it is the
last time, and according to what you have heard that the antimessiah (false
messiah) is coming, even now many antimessiahs (false messiahs) have
arisen, by which we know that it is the last time.
19 They went out from
us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have
remained with us. But they went out, in order that it might be known that all
of them were not of us.
20 And you have an
anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
21 I have not written
to you because you do not know the truth (i.e. Torah – Psalm 119:142),
but because you do know it, and because any lie is not of the truth (i.e.
Torah – Psalm 119:142).
22 Who is the liar
except the one who denies that Yeshua is the Messiah? This person is the
antimesiah (false messiah) the one who denies the Father and the son (anointed
King of Israel).
23 Everyone who denies
the son (i.e. the anointed King of Israel) does not has the Father
either; the one who agrees with the son (i.e. the anointed King of Israel)
has the Father also.
24 As for you, what
you have heard from the beginning (i.e. Gen. 1:1ff) let it be
established in you. If what you have heard from the beginning (i.e. Gen.
1:1ff) is established in you, you also will be established in the [knowledge
of the] son (i.e. the anointed King of Israel) and in the Father.
25 And this is the
promise which He (i.e. God) Himself promised us: eternal life.
26 These things I have
written to you concerning the ones who are trying to lead you astray.
27 And as for you, the
anointing (Smikha – ordination) which you received from Him (i.e.
God) is established in you, and you do not have need that anyone teach you [anything
different]. But as His anointing (Smikha – ordination) teaches you
about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you,
you are established in Him (i.e. God).
28 And now, my sons,
be established in him (i.e. the Master), so that whenever he is revealed
we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him (i.e. the Master)
at his coming.
29 If you know that He
(i.e. God) is righteous/generous, you know that everyone who practices
righteousness/ generosity has been fathered by Him (i.e. God).
END OF THE READINGS
FOR THE THIRD DAY OF CHANUKA
Shabbat
“Fourth Day of Chanukah” & Mevar’chim
HaChodesh Tebet
Sabbath
of Chanukah & Proclamation of the New Moon for the Month of Tebet
(Friday Evening December
23 – Saturday Evening December 24, 2011)
Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times:
|
Conroe &
Austin, TX, U.S. Fri.
Dec 16 2011 – Candles at 5:18 PM Sat.
Dec 17 2011 – Havdalah 6:15 PM |
Brisbane,
Australia Fri.
Dec 16 2011 – Candles at 6:25 PM Sat. Dec
17 2011 – Havdalah 7:23 PM |
Bucharest,
Romania Fri.
Dec 16 2011 – Candles at 4:21 PM Sat.
Dec 17 2011 – Havdalah 5:29 PM |
|
Chattanooga, & Cleveland, TN, U.S. Fri.
Dec 16 2011 – Candles at 5:16 PM Sat.
Dec 17 2011 – Havdalah 6:16 PM |
Jakarta,
Indonesia Fri. Dec
16 2011 – Candles at 5:48 PM Sat.
Dec 17 2011 – Havdalah 6:40 PM |
Manila & Cebu, Philippines Fri.
Dec 16 2011 – Candles at 5:15 PM Sat.
Dec 17 2011 – Havdalah 6:08 PM |
|
Miami,
FL, U.S. Fri.
Dec 16 2011 – Candles at 5:17 PM Sat.
Dec 17 2011 – Havdalah 6:13 PM |
Olympia,
WA, U.S. Fri.
Dec 16 2011 – Candles at 4:08 PM Sat.
Dec 17 2011 – Havdalah 5:18 PM |
Murray,
KY, & Paris, TN. U.S. Fri.
Dec 16 2011 – Candles at 4:24 PM Sat.
Dec 17 2011 – Havdalah 5:25 PM |
|
Sheboygan & Manitowoc, WI, US Fri.
Dec 16 2011 – Candles at 3:59 PM Sat.
Dec 17 2011 – Havdalah 5:06 PM |
Singapore,
Singapore Fri.
Dec 16 2011 – Candles at 6:47 PM Sat.
Dec 17 2011 – Havdalah 7:39 PM |
St.
Louis, MO, U.S. Fri.
Dec 16 2011 – Candles at 4:26 PM Sat.
Dec 17 2011 – Havdalah 5:28 PM |
|
Shabbat |
Torah Reading: |
Weekday Torah Reading: |
|
בְּיוֹם
כַּלּוֹת
מֹשֶׁה |
|
|
|
“B’Yom
Khalot Mosheh” |
Reader 1 – B’Midbar 7:1-11 |
Reader
1 – Vayiqra 24:1-4 |
|
“And on the
day Mosheh finished” |
Reader 2 – B’Midbar 7:12-23 |
Reader
2 – Vayiqra 24:5-9 |
|
“En el día que Moisés hubo acabado” |
Reader 3 – B’Midbar 7:24-29 |
Reader
3 – Vayiqra 24:1-9 |
|
B’Midbar
(Num.) 7:1-59 & 28:9-15 |
Reader 4 – B’Midbar 7:30-35 |
|
|
Ashlamatah:
Zechariah 2:14 – 4:7 |
Reader 5 – B’Midbar 7:36-41 |
|
|
Special: I Samuel 20:18,42 |
Reader 6 – B’Midbar 7:42-47 |
Reader
1 – Vayiqra 24:1-4 |
|
Psalm
30:1-13 |
Reader 7 – B’Midbar 7:48-59 |
Reader
2 – Vayiqra 24:5-9 |
|
Yehudit (Judith) 7:17 – 8:27 1 Maccab. 6:28 – 8:32 |
Maftir – B’Midbar 28:9-15 |
Reader
3 – Vayiqra 24:1-9 |
|
N.C.:
2
John 1-13 + 3 John 1-14 |
Zechariah 2:14 - 4:7 I Samuel 20:18 &42 |
|
For further study see:
http://www.betemunah.org/lapin.html ;
http://www.betemunah.org/connection.html ;
http://www.betemunah.org/chanukah.html ; &
http://www.betemunah.org/lights.html
Rashi
& Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for:
B’Midbar (Numbers) 7:1-59
|
Rashi |
Targum
Pseudo Jonathan |
|
1. And it
was that on the day that Moses finished erecting the Mishkan, he anointed it,
sanctified it, and all its vessels, and the altar and all its vessels. |
1. And
it was on the day which begins the month of Nisan, when Mosheh had finished
to rear up the tabernacle, he took it not in pieces again, but anointed and
consecrated it and all its vessels, the altar and all the vessels thereof,
and he anointed them and hallowed them; |
|
2. The
chieftains of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, presented [their
offerings]. They were the leaders of the tribes. They were the ones who were
present during the counting, |
2. then
the leaders of Israel, who were the chiefs of the house of their fathers,
brought their offerings. These were they who had been appointed in Mizraim
chiefs over the numbered, |
|
3. They
brought their offering before the Lord: six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a
wagon for each two chieftains, and an ox for each one; they presented them in
front of the Mishkan. |
3. and
they brought their offering before the LORD; six wagons covered and fitted
up, and twelve oxen; one wagon for two princes and one ox for each. But
Mosheh was not willing to receive them, and they brought them before the
tabernacle. |
|
4. The
Lord spoke to Moses, saying: |
4. And the
Lord spoke with Mosheh, saying: |
|
5. Take
[it] from them, and let them be used in the service of the Tent of Meeting.
You shall give them to the Levites, in accordance with each man's work. |
5. Take
them, and let them be used for the need of the appointed (work), and let the
oxen and the wagons be for the work of the service of the tabernacle of
ordinance, and give them to the Levites, to each according to the measure of
his work. |
|
6. So
Moses took the wagons and the cattle and gave them to the Levites. |
6. And Mosheh
took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. |
|
7. He gave
two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, according to their work. |
7. Two
wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to the amount
of their service, |
|
8. And he
gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to their
work under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. |
8. and
four wagons and eight oxen gave he to the sons of Merari, according to the
measure of their service, by the hand of Ithamar bar Aharon the priest. |
|
9. But to
the sons of Kohath he did not give, for incumbent upon them was the
work involving the holy [objects], which they were to carry on their
shoulders. |
9. But to
the sons of Kehath he gave neither wagons nor oxen, because on them was
laid the service of the sanctuary, to be carried on their shoulders. |
|
10. The
chieftains brought [offerings for] the dedication of the altar on the day it
was anointed; the chieftains presented their offerings in front of the altar. |
10. And the
princes offered at the dedication of the altar by anointing, on the day that
he anointed it did the princes present their oblations before the altar. |
|
11. The
Lord said to Moses: One chieftain each day, one chieftain each day, shall present
his offering for the dedication of the altar. |
11. And the
LORD said unto Mosheh, Let the princes offer each, one prince on one day,
their oblations at the dedication of the altar by anointing. |
|
12. The one
who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab of
the tribe of Judah. |
12. He
who on the first day presented his oblation was Nachshon bar Amminadab,
prince of the house of the fathers of the tribe Jehudah: |
|
13. And his
offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one
silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy
shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
13. and
his oblation which he offered was one silver bowl, thickly embossed, (or, crusted,)
in weight one hundred and thirty shekels, in shekels of the sanctuary; one
silver vase, slightly embossed, of seventy shekels, in shekels of the
sanctuary; both of these vessels he brought filled with flour of the
separation, sprinkled with olive oil for a mincha; |
|
14. One
spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels], filled with incense. |
14. one pan
(censer) weighing ten silver shekels, but it was itself of good gold; and he
brought it full of good sweet incense of the separation; |
|
15. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
15. one
young bullock of three years, one ram of two years, and one lamb of the year.
These three did the chief of the tribe Jehudah bring for a burnt offering; |
|
16. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
16. one kid
of the goats he brought for a sin offering; |
|
17. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab. |
17. and
for consecrated victims, two oxen, five rams, five goats, lambs of the year
five: this is the order of the oblation which Nachshon bar Amminadab offered
of his wealth. |
|
18. On the
second day, Nethanel the son of Zu'ar, the chieftain of Issachar brought [his
offering]. |
18. On
the second day, Nethanel bar Zuar, chief of the house of the fathers of the
tribe Issakar, brought his oblation. |
|
19. He
brought his offering of one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty
[shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according
to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a
meal offering. |
19. He
brought his oblation after Jehudah by commandment of the Holy: one silver
dish thickly embossed, one hundred and thirty shekels, &c., as the first. |
|
20. One spoon
[weighing] ten gold [shekels] filled with incense. |
20. |
|
21. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
21. |
|
22. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
22. |
|
23. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zu'ar. |
23. |
|
24. On the
third day, the chieftain was of the sons of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon. |
24. On the
third day, Eliab bar Helon, prince of the Benei Zebulon, offered. |
|
25. His
offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one
silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy
shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
25. |
|
26. One
spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels] filled with incense. |
26. |
|
27. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
27. |
|
28. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
28. |
|
29. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon. |
29. |
|
30. On the
fourth day, the chieftain was of the sons of Reuben, Elitzur the son of
Shedeur. |
30. On
the fourth, Elizur bar Shedeur, prince of the Benei Reuben; |
|
31. His
offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one
silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy
shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
31. |
|
32. One spoon
[weighing] ten gold [shekels] filled with incense. |
32. |
|
33. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
33. |
|
34. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
34. |
|
35. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Elitzur the son of Shedeur. |
35. |
|
36. On the
fifth day, the chieftain was of the sons of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of
Zurishaddai. |
36. on the
fifth, Shelumiel bar Zurishaddai, prince of Shemeon; |
|
37. His
offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one
silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy
shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
37. |
|
38. One spoon
[weighing] ten gold [shekels] filled with incense. |
38. |
|
39. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
39. |
|
40. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
40. |
|
41. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. |
41. |
|
42. On the
sixth day, the chieftain was of the sons of Gad, Eliasaph the son of De'uel. |
42. on the
sixth, Eljasaph bar Dehuel, prince of the Benei Gad; |
|
43. His
offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one
silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy
shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
43. |
|
44. One
spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels] filled with incense. |
44. |
|
45. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
45. |
|
46. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
46. |
|
47. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Eliasaph the son of De'uel. |
47. |
|
48. On the
seventh day, the chieftain was of the sons of Ephraim, Elishama the son of
Ammihud. |
48. on the
seventh, Elishama bar Ammihud, prince of the Benei Ephraim; |
|
49. His
offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one
silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy
shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
49. |
|
50. One spoon
[weighing] ten gold [shekels] filled with incense. |
50. |
|
51. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
51. |
|
52. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
52. |
|
53. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud; |
43. |
|
54. On the
eighth day, the chieftain was of the sons of Manasseh, Gamliel the son of
Pedazhur. |
54. on the
eighth, Gamaliel bar Pedazur, prince of Menasheh; |
|
55. His
offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one
silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy
shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. |
55. |
|
56. One
spoon [weighing] ten gold [shekels] filled with incense. |
56. |
|
57. One
young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. |
57. |
|
58. One
young he goat for a sin offering. |
58. |
|
59. And for
the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their
first year; this was the offering of Gamliel the son of Pedazhur. |
59. |
|
|
|
Rashi
& Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for:
B’Midbar (Numbers) 28:9-15
|
Rashi |
Targum
Pseudo Jonathan |
|
9. And on
the Sabbath day, two unblemished lambs in the first year, and two tenths fine
flour as a meal offering, mixed with 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 of each Sabbath on its Sabbath, in addition to the
continual 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. And on
the beginning of your months, you shall offer up a burnt offering to the
Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all]
unblemished. |
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. Three
tenths fine flour as a meal offering, mixed with oil for each bull, and two
tenths fine flour as a meal offering, mixed with oil for each 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 fine flour mixed with oil as a meal offering for each lamb. A burnt
offering with a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering to the Lord. |
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 favor before the LORD. |
|
14. And
their libations: a half of a hin for each bull, a third of a hin for each
ram, and a quarter of a hin for each lamb; this is the burnt offering of each
new month in its month, throughout the months of the year. |
14. And for
their libation to be offered with them, the half of a bin for a bullock, the
third of a bin 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 one
young male goat for a sin offering to the Lord; it shall be offered up in
addition to the continual burnt offering 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 Commentary for: B’Midbar (Numbers) 7:1-59
1 And it
was that on the day that Moses finished Heb. כַּלּוֹת . The text כַּלּוֹת on the day the Mishkan was erected, the Israelites
were like a bride (כַּלּוֹת) entering the nuptial canopy.-[Tanchuma Naso 20,
26, Pesikta Rabbathi 5:5, Pesikta d’Rav Kahana p. 6a, and other sources]
[According to Tanchuma, the derash is based on the spelling כַּלַּת , which differs from the spelling in all extant sifrei Torah.
Some believe that the derash is based on the vowelization כַּלוֹת , instead כְּלוֹת , which would clearly mean “finishing.” Heidenheim
believes that the choice of the word כַּלוֹת , the root of which is ambiguous, indicates the
intention of the Torah to include both meanings: finishing and nuptials. See
fn. 104, to Pesikta d’Rav Kahana.
Moses
finished Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the wise-hearted [men]
assembled the Mishkan, yet Scripture credits Moses with it, because he utterly
devoted himself to it, overseeing that the design of each article conformed
with what he was shown on the mount [Sinai], to instruct the craftsmen, and he
did not err in any design. Similarly, we find with David, that since he devoted
himself to the building of the Temple, as it says, “O Lord, remember for David
all his affliction, that he swore to the Lord...” (Ps. 132:1-2), therefore, it
[the Temple] was called by his name, as it says, “See your House, David” (I
Kings 12:16). -[See Midrash Tanchuma Naso 21]
[On the
day] that Moses finished erecting It does not say: “On the day he erected.” This
teaches us that throughout the seven days of investitures, Moses erected it and
dismantled it, but on that day he erected it but did not dismantle it.
Therefore, it says, "Moses finished erecting"—that day marked the end
of his erecting [the Mishkan]. It was the New Moon of Nissan. On the second
[day], the red cow was burned; on the third [day], they sprinkled the first
sprinkling (See below ch. 19); and on the seventh [day], they [the Levites]
were shaved (see below 5:7). -[Sifrei 1:145]
2 They
were the leaders of the tribes They were the officers [appointed] over them in
Egypt, and they were beaten on account of them, as it says, “The officers of
the children of Israel were beaten” (Exod. 5:14). [Rashi interprets הַמַּטּֽת as “the sticks.” Hence, נְשִׂיאֵי הַמַּטּֽת means “the chieftains who were beaten with
sticks.”] -[Sifrei 1:145]
who were
present during the counting They stood with Moses and Aaron when they counted the
Israelites, as it says, “With you [Moses and Aaron] there shall be [a man from
each tribe]” (Num. 1:4).
3 six
covered wagons The word צָב can denote only “covered.” Similarly, “In covered
wagons (בַּצַּבִּים) and on mules” (Isa. 66:20). Covered wagons are
called צַבִּים . [Some expound the word צָב in the sense of הַצְבִי
יִשְׂרָאֵל , “O beauty of Israel” (II Sam. 1:19), (meaning)
that they were elegant.] - [Sifrei Naso 1:148, Num. Rabbah 12:17. See
Maharzav.]
they
presented them in front of the Mishkan for Moses did not accept them from their hands until
he was instructed to do so by the Omnipresent. Rabbi Nathan says: Why did the
chieftains see fit to be the first to contribute here, whereas concerning the
work of the Mishkan, they were not the first to contribute [but the last]?
However, the chieftains said as follows, “Let the people contribute what they
can, and then we will complement whatever is missing.” When they saw that the
people had supplied everything—as it says, “And the work was sufficient for
them” (Exod. 36:7)—they said, “What is left for us to do now?” So they brought
the shoham stones and the filling [stones] for the ephod and the choshen.
Therefore, [in order to make amends,] here they were first to
contribute.-[Sifrei Naso 1:150]
7
according to their work Because the burden of the sons of Gershon was lighter
than that of [the sons of] Merari, who carried the planks, the pillars, and the
sockets.
9 for
incumbent upon them was the work involving the holy [objects] [I.e.,]
the burden of the holy objects [such as] the ark and the table, etc. [was
incumbent upon them]. Therefore “they were to carry on their shoulders” [and
not in wagons].
10 The
chieftains brought [offerings for] the dedication of the altar After
they had contributed the wagons and the oxen for carrying the Mishkan, they
were inspired to contribute offerings for the altar to dedicate it.
the
chieftains presented their offerings in front of the altar For Moses did not
accept it from their hands until instructed to do so by the Almighty.-[Sifrei
Naso 1:152]
11 shall
present his offering for the dedication of the altar But Moses
still did not know how they should bring [the offerings], whether in the order
of their births [namely, the order in which Jacob’s sons were born] or
according to the order in which they traveled—until he was instructed by the
Holy One, blessed is He, that they should bring the offerings according to the
order in which they traveled, each one in his day.-[Sifrei Naso 1:152]
12 on the
first day That day acquired ten crowns; it was the first day of
Creation, the first day of the [offerings of the] chieftains, etc., as it is
stated in Seder Olam.
of the
tribe of Judah Scripture traces his kinship to his tribe, but not
that he solicited [the offering] from his tribe and then offered it up. Or
perhaps it says, “of the tribe of Judah” to teach that he indeed solicited [the
offering] from his tribe and then brought [it]? Scripture therefore states,
“This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab” (verse 17), [to teach
us that] he brought from his own [resources].-[Sifrei Naso 1:153, 157]
13 both
filled with fine flour for a voluntary meal offering.-[Sifrei Naso 1:155]
14 ten
gold [shekels] Heb. עֲשָָׂרָה זָהָב . As Targum [Onkelos] renders: it contained the
weight of ten [shekels of] gold according to the holy shekel.
filled
with incense We never find incense brought by an individual or on
the outer [i.e., copper] altar except in this case; this was a temporary order.-
[Men. 50a]
15 One
young bull The choice of the herd.-[Sifrei Naso 1:146]
16 One
young he-goat for a sin-offering to atone for [uncleanness caused
by] a grave in the depths [i.e., an unknown grave which may lie in the earth
over which people unknowingly pass, rendering them unclean],which is a [case
of] uncertain contamination. -[Sifrei Naso 1:156]
18
Nethanel the son of Zu’ar... brought...
19 He
brought his offering Why is the word הִקְרִב , “brought [his offering],” used in connection
with the tribe of Issachar, but is not used in connection with any of the
[other] tribes? Because [the tribe of] Reuben came and complained, “Is it not
enough that my brother Judah has preceded me? Let me [at least] offer up after
him.” Moses said to him, “I was told by the Almighty that they should offer up
in the order in which they travel, according to their divisions.” This is why
it says: אֶת־קָרְבָּנוֹ הִקְרִב , [in which the word הִקְרִב is] missing a “yud,” [thus] giving it the meaning
of הַקְרִב , in the imperative—for he was commanded by the
Almighty, “Bring the offering!” (Sifrei Naso 1:158) What is the meaning of הִקְרִב ... הִקְרִב , twice? For because of two
reasons he [Issachar] merited to be the second of the tribes to offer their
sacrifices: One, because they were [well] versed in the Torah, as it says, “And
of the sons of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times” (I Chron.
12:32). Another, because they advised the chieftains to contribute these
offerings (Sifrei). In the writings of Rabbi Moses Hadarshan ["the
preacher"], I found [the following]: Rabbi Phinehas the son of Yair says
[that] Nethaniel the son of Zu’ar gave them this idea.
one
silver bowl Heb. קַעֲרַתכֶּסֶף . The numerical value of [the two words] in
gematria amounts to nine hundred and thirty, corresponding to the years of
Adam, the first man (Gen. 5:5). ק = 100 ע = 70 ר = 200 ת =400 כ = 20 ס = 60 פ = 80 - = 930
weighing
one hundred and thirty shekels Alluding to the fact that when he [Adam] began to
raise a family to maintain the existence of the world, he was one hundred and
thirty years old, as it says, “Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and he
begot...” (Gen. 5:3).
one
silver sprinkling basin Heb. מִזְרָק
אֶחָד כֶּסֶף . The gematria of these[three words] is five
hundred and twenty- מ = 40 ז = 7 ר = 200 ק = 100 א = 1 ח = 8 ד = 4 כ = 20 ס = 60 פ = 80 - =520 alluding to Noah, who began raising a family at the
age of five hundred, and alluding to the twenty years before his children were
born in which the decree of the [Great] Flood was enacted, as I explained [to
be the meaning of the verse], “His days shall be one hundred and twenty years”
(Gen. 6:3). This is why it says מִזְרָק
אֶחָד כֶּסֶף rather than מִזְרָק כֶּסֶף
אֶחָד , as it says in the case of the [silver] bowl [i.e., קַעֲרַתכֶּסֶף אַַחַת ], to tell us that even the letters of [the word] אֶחָד are included in the calculation.
seventy
shekels Corresponding to the seventy nations who emanated from
his [Noah’s] sons.
20 One
spoon Corresponding to the Torah, which was given by the hand of the Holy
One, blessed is He. [ כַּף also means “hand.”]
ten gold
[shekels] Corresponding to the Ten Commandments.
filled
with incense - קְטֽרֶת . The gematria of קְטֽרֶת [i.e., 613] corresponds to the six hundred and
thirteen commandments—provided that you convert the “chaph” into a “daleth” in
accordance with the cipher known as, ק “ ד ר ” ג ש “ ב ת ” א [in which the first and last letters of the alphabet are
interchangeable, the second and the second-to-last letters, etc. Thus, ד = 4 ט = 9 ר =200 ת = 400 totalling 613].
21 One
young bull Corresponding to Abraham, of whom it says, “He took a
young bull” (Gen. 18:7).
one ram
Corresponding to Isaac [of whom it says,] “and took the ram [and offered it up
as a burnt offering instead of his son]...” (Gen. 22:13).
one lamb Corresponding
to Jacob, [about whom it says,] “Jacob separated the lambs” (Gen. 30:40).
22 One
young he-goat to atone for the sale of Joseph, about which it says,
“and they slaughtered a kid” (Gen. 37:31).
23 And
for the peace-offering: two oxen Corresponding to Moses and Aaron, who established
peace between Israel and their Father in heaven.
Rams...he-goats...lambs Three
types, corresponding to kohanim, Levites, and Israelites, and corresponding to
the Torah, the Prophets, and the Holy Writings. The three fives [in this verse]
correspond to the five books of the Pentateuch, to the five commandments
inscribed on the first tablet, and the five commandments inscribed on the
second one. Until this point, [my comments were] in the name of Rabbi Moses
Hadarshan [the preacher].
24 On the
third day, the chieftain... On the third day, the chieftain who brought the
offering was from the sons of Zebulun, and so with all of them. However,
regarding Nethanel, about whom it states, הִקְרִיב
נְתַנְאֵל , “Nethanel... brought,” it is appropriate to
follow it with the phrase “the chieftain of Issachar” [unlike the other
instances, where the verse refers to the chieftain as “the chieftain of the
sons of so-and- so,” followed by his name], since his name and what he had
offered has already been mentioned. Concerning the others, where it does not
say: הִקְרִיב , “he offered,” the appropriate wording is this,
"the chieftain was of the sons of so-and-so"—that day, the chieftain
who brought his offering was from such-and-such a tribe. [Why the word הִקְרִיב is written only in reference to Nethanel is
discussed above on verses 18 and 19.]
Tehillim
- Psalm 30:1-13
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
1. A
psalm; a song of dedication of the House, of David. |
1. A
praise song for the dedication of the sanctuary. Of David. |
|
2. I will
exalt You, O Lord, for You have raised me up, and You have not allowed my
enemies to rejoice over me. |
2. I
will praise you, O LORD, for you made me stand erect, and did not let my
enemies rejoice over me. |
|
3. O Lord,
I have cried out to You, and You have healed me. |
3. O LORD
my God, I prayed in Your presence and You healed me. |
|
4. O Lord,
You have brought my soul from the grave; You have revived me from my descent
into the Pit. |
4. O LORD,
You raised my soul out of Sheol; You preserved me from going down to the pit. |
|
5. Sing to
the Lord, His pious ones, and give thanks to His holy name. |
5. Sing
praise in the LORD's presence, you His devotees; and give thanks at the
invocation of His holy one. |
|
6. For His
wrath lasts but a moment; life results from His favor; in the evening,
weeping may tarry, but in the morning there is joyful singing. |
6. For His
anger is but a moment; eternal life is His good pleasure. In the evening one
goes to bed in tears, but in the morning one rises in praise. |
|
7. And I
said in my tranquility, "I will never falter." |
7. And I
said when I dwelt in trust, I will never be shaken. |
|
8. O Lord,
with Your will, You set up my mountain to be might, You hid Your countenance
and I became frightened. |
8. O LORD,
by Your will You prepared the mighty mountains; You removed Your presence, I
became afraid. |
|
9. To You,
O Lord, I would call, and to the Lord I would supplicate. |
9. In Your
presence, O LORD, I will cry out; and to You, O my God, I will pray. |
|
10. "What
gain is there in my blood, in my descent to the grave? Will
dust thank You; will it recite Your truth? |
10. And I
said, What profit is there in my blood, when I descend to the
grave? Can those who descend to the dust praise You? Will they tell of Your
faithfulness? |
|
11. Hear, O
Lord, and be gracious to me; O Lord, be my helper." |
11. Accept,
O LORD, my prayer, and have mercy on me; O LORD, be my helper. |
|
12. You
have turned my lament into dancing for me; You loosened my sackcloth and
girded me with joy. |
12. You
turned my lament into my celebration; You loosened my sackcloth and
girded me with joy. |
|
13. So that
my soul will sing praises to You and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will
thank You forever. |
13. Because
the nobles of the world will give You praise and not be silent, O LORD my
God, I too will give You praise. |
|
|
|
Rashi’s Commentary for: Psalm 30:1-13
1 A song
of dedication of the House which the Levites will say at the dedication of the
House in the days of Solomon.
2 I will
exalt You, O Lord, for You have raised me up Heb. דליתני , You have lifted me on high.
and You
have not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me Heb. לי , like עלי , over me, for they would say, “David has no share
in the world to come,” but when they saw that the doors opened for the Ark
because of me, then they knew that the Holy One, blessed be He, had forgiven me
for that sin, and the faces of David’s enemies became as black as the bottom of
a pot.
3 and You
have healed me That is the forgiving of iniquity, as (in Isa. 6:10),
“and he repent and be healed.”
4 from my
descent into the Pit, etc. Heb. מירדי , like מִיְרִדָתִי , from my descent into the Pit, that I should not
descend into Gehinnom.
5 Sing to
the Lord, His pious ones about what He did for me, because you can take refuge
in Him, and He will benefit you; and even if you are experiencing pain, have no
fear.
6
For...but a moment [For] His wrath lasts but a short [moment]; life
results from His favor, there is long life in appeasing and placating Him.
7 And I
said in my tranquility In my tranquility, I thought that I would never
falter. However, the matter is not in my power, but in the power of the Holy
One, blessed be He. With His will, He set up my mountain, my greatness to be
[my] mightbut when He hid His countenance from me, I was immediately
frightened.
9 To You,
O Lord, I would call I would call to You and supplicate constantly, saying
before You: “What gain is there in my blood, etc.,” and You heard my voice and
turned my lament into dancing for me.
12 You
loosened Heb. פתחת , alachas in Old French, to release, like (Gen.
24:32): “and he untied (ויפתח) the camels.” Our Sages, however, explained the entire psalm as
referring to Mordecai, Esther, and Haman, in Pesikta Zuta.
and I
said in my tranquility Haman said this.
To You, O
Lord, I would call Esther said this etc. until “be my helper.”
You
turned my lament into dancing for me Mordecai and all Israel said this.
Ashlamatah:
Zechariah 2:14 – 4:7
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
14. Sing
and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for, behold! I will come and dwell in your
midst, says the Lord. |
14.
“Rejoice and be glad, O congregation of Zion, for behold, I will reveal
Myself and I will make My Shekhinah dwell in your midst” says the LORD. |
|
15. And
many nations shall join the Lord on that day, and they shall be My people;
and I will dwell in your midst and you shall know that the Lord of Hosts sent
me to you. |
15. And
many Gentiles will be added to the people of the LORD at that time, and they
will be for a people before Me, and I will make My Shekhinah dwell in your
midst; and you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent me to prophesy to
you. |
|
16. And the
Lord shall inherit Judah as His share on the Holy Land, and He shall again
choose Jerusalem. |
16. And
the LORD will make the people of the house of Judah to inherit their portion
in the holy land and will again take pleasure in Jerusalem. |
|
17. Silence
all flesh from before the Lord, for He is aroused out of His holy habitation. |
17. All
the wicked/Lawless have perished from before the LORD, for He has revealed
Himself from His holy abode. |
|
|
|
|
1. And He
showed me Joshua, the High Priest, standing before the angel of the Lord. And
Satan was standing on his right, to accuse him. |
1. And
He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD and
the Accuser standing at His right hand to accuse him. |
|
2. And
the Lord said to Satan: The Lord shall rebuke you, O Satan; and the Lord
shall rebuke you, He who chose Jerusalem. Is this one not a brand plucked
from fire? |
2. And
the LORD said to the Accuser, “The LORD rebuke you, O Accuser! May the LORD
who has been pleased to make His Shekhinah dwell in Jerusalem rebuke you. Is
this not a brand rescued from the burning?” |
|
3. Now
Joshua was wearing filthy garments and standing before the angel. |
3. And
Joshua had sons who had married wives who were unsuitable for priests, and he
was standing before the angel. |
|
4. And he
[the angel] raised his voice and said to those standing before him, saying,
"Take the filthy garments off him." And he said to him, "See,
I have removed your iniquity from you, and I have clad you with clean
garments." |
4. And
he answered and spoke to those in attendance before him, saying, Speak to him
and let him drive out from his house the wives who are unsuitable for priests,
and he said to him, Look, for I have removed your sins from you and have
clothed you with righteous/generous deeds. |
|
5. And
I said, "Let them put a pure miter on his head," and they put the
pure miter on his head. And they had clothed him with garments while the
angel of the Lord was standing. |
5. And
he said, “Set a clean turban upon his head.” And they set a clean turban upon
his head, and made him marry a wife who was suitable for a priest; and the
angel of the LORD was standing by. |
|
6. And
the angel of the Lord warned Joshua, saying, |
6. And
the angel of the LORD charged Joshua, saying: |
|
7. So
said the Lord of Hosts: If you walk in My ways, and if you keep My charge,
you, too, shall judge My house, and you, too, shall guard My courtyards, and
I will give you free access among these who stand by. |
7. “Thus says the
LORD of Hosts, ‘If you walk in paths which are good before Me, and if you
keep the charge of My Memra, then you will judge those who serve in My
Sanctuary, and you will have charge of My courts, and at the resurrection of
the dead I will raise you to life and will give you feet to walk among the
Seraphim. |
|
8. Hearken,
now, O Joshua the High Priest-you and your companions who sit before you, for
they are men worthy of a miracle-for, behold! I bring My servant, the Shoot. |
8. Hear
now, Joshua the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for
they are men who are worthy that a sign be performed for them; for behold I
will bring My servant the anointed One (Messiah), and he will be revealed. |
|
9. For,
behold the stone that I have placed before Joshua. Seven eyes are directed to
one stone. Behold! I untie its knots, says the Lord of Hosts, and I will
remove the iniquity of that land in one day. |
9. For
behold, the stone which I have set before Joshua, upon one stone are seven
facets; behold I will reveal its facets’, says the LORD of Hosts, ‘and I will
remove the sin of that land in one day.’ |
|
10. On
that day, says the Lord of Hosts, you shall call-each man to his neighbor-to
come under his vine and under his fig tree. |
10. ‘At
that time’, says the LORD of Hosts, ‘you will call each to his neighbor under
the fruit of his vines and under the fruit of his fig trees.’” |
|
|
|
|
1. And
the angel who spoke with me returned, and he awakened me as a man who wakes
up from his sleep. |
1. And
the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me like a man that is
roused from his sleep. |
|
2. And
he said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I saw, and
behold [there was] a candelabrum all of gold, with its oil-bowl on top of it,
and its seven lamps thereon; seven tubes each to the lamps that were on top
of it. |
2. And
he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a menorah
all of gold and a bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps which are upon
it, seven, and seven pipes which pour oil from them to the lamps which are on
top of it; |
|
3. And
[there were] two olive trees near it; one on the right of the bowl, and one
on its left. |
3. and
two olive trees which are beside it, one on the right of the bowl and the
other on its left.” |
|
4. So I
answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "What are
these, my lord?" |
4. And
I answered and spoke to the angel who was talking with me, saying, “What are
these my lord?” |
|
5. And the
angel who spoke with me answered, and he said to me, "Do you not know
what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." |
5. And
the angel who was speaking with me, answered and said to me, “Do you not know
what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” |
|
6. And he
answered and spoke to me, saying, "This is the word of the Lord to
Zerubbabel, saying: 'Not by military force and not by physical strength, but
by My spirit,' says the Lord of Hosts. |
6. And
he answers and spoke to me, saying, “This is the Word of the LORD with Zerubbabel,
saying, ‘Not by strength, nor by might, but by My Memra’, says the LORD of
Hosts. |
|
7. Who are
you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you sink to a plain! He will bring
out the stone of the main architect, with shouts of grace, grace to
it." |
7. What
are you reckoned, O foolish kingdom? Are you not like a plain before
Zerubbabel? And He will reveal His anointed One (Messiah), whose name was
told from old, and he will rule over all kingdoms.” |
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Rashi’s Commentary for: Zechariah
2:14 – 4:7
15 And many
nations shall join many Gentiles will
join.
16 And the Lord
shall inherit Judah as His inheritance and His share.
17 Silence all
flesh All the rest of the nations.
for He is aroused An expression [denoting]
arousal and awakening.
Chapter 3
1 to accuse him
To accuse him because his sons were married to gentile women, as it is written
in the Book of Ezra (10:18): “And it was found of the sons of the priests who
had taken foreign wives, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, etc.”
2 The Lord shall
rebuke you, O Satan The Holy One, blessed be He, shall rebuke you, O you
Satan (and then he repeated and said: The Lord shall rebuke you, He who chose
Jerusalem Moharaz Margolioth); and He
Who rebukes you is the One Who chose Jerusalem, that you shall not enter before
Him to accuse this righteous man. Is he not fit, and has he not merited this?
For he was saved from the consuming fire.
Is this one not a brand plucked from fire? It is
related in the Aggadah of [chapter] Helek
Helek (Sanh. 93a) that he [Joshua]
was cast into the fire with Ahab son of Kolaiah and his colleague.
3 was wearing
filthy garments This is to be explained according to the Targum: He had
sons who had married women who were unfit [to marry into] the priesthood, and he
was punished because he did not interfere with the [sons’ marriages].
4 “Take the
filthy garments off him.” Let his sons separate from their wives, and he
will be forgiven.
clean garments A change of beautiful
garments; i.e., merits. Since he compared the iniquity to filthy garments, he
compares the merit to clean garments; beautiful, white garments.
5 And I said
I, Zechariah.
“Let them put a pure miter, etc.” I begged
mercy for him.
6 warned an
expression of warning, as in (Deut. 31:28): “And I will warn them before the
heaven and the earth.”
7 If you walk in
My ways, etc. Then I, too, will do this for you.
you, too, shall judge My house You
shall judge and be the officer over My Temple.
and I will give you free access
According to the Targum: and when the dead will be resurrected, I will
resurrect you; and I will give you walkers who walk among these seraphim.
According to its simple meaning, he brings him tidings that his sons will be
meritorious in the future.
who stand by Seraphim and ministering angels, who never sit.
8 you and your
companions They were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
for they are men worthy of a miracle [Jonathan renders:] Men worthy to have
miracles performed for them, for a miracle was performed for them, too.
for, behold! I bring My servant, the Shoot For now
Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, is insignificant in the king’s court, but I
will make his greatness burgeon. I will also give him favor in the eyes of the
king, so that he will grant [Zerubbabel’s] request for the building of the
Temple and the city, as explained in Nehemiah (1:1): “The words of Nehemiah,
the son of Hachaliah.” Nehemiah was identical with Zerubbabel, as we say in Sanhedrin (38a).
9 For, behold
the stone The foundation of the house that you laid in the days of Cyrus -
they stopped you, and that foundation and the thickness of the wall appeared
little in your sight, as explained in Ezra (3:12f.) and in the prophecy of
Haggai (2:2f.).
Seven eyes are directed to one stone It will
eventually be widened seven times as much. And so did Jonathan render: On one stone, seven eyes see it. The expression of
עינים is an expression of appearances. It appears to me
that the seven eyes are because of the eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He in
Whose eyes and heart it is [planned] to add seven times as much because of the
prophecy similar to this one (4:10): “And they shall see the plummet in the
hand of Zerubbabel these seven times; the eyes of the Lord they are roving to
and fro throughout the land.” This is but to say that He directed His eyes to
increase the glory of the Temple in its building.
Behold! I untie its knots I untie
its knots I thwart the plot of the enemies who wrote an accusation to stop the
work.
and I will remove Heb. ומשתי.
in one day I do not know what day.
Chapter 4
2 with its oil -
bowl on top of it as in (Josh. 15:19): “The upper springs”. This is an
expression for a spring, [hence] a sort of large round bowl.
and its seven lamps A type of vessel into which
oil and wicks are inserted.
seven tubes each Seven small tubes come to
every lamp, for the oil flows from the bowl through those tubes into each lamp.
3 And [there
were] two olive trees near it Beside it were two trees upon which olives
were growing, one on the right of the bowl, one on the its left, etc. Here [the
prophet] does not explain about the two golden vats mentioned below in the
chapter, which are the sorts of bowls or vats of the oil press. [These vats]
stand beside the olive trees. The olives beat themselves into the vats and are
heated there as [if] in a vat or pit where olives are generally packed. There
they are pressed in the oil press, and the oil falls into the vats, and from
the vats into the bowl, and from the bowl into the tubes, and from the tubes
into the lamps. The tubes and the lamps number forty-nine, an allusion to the
light, for in the future the light of the sun will be sevenfold the light of
the seven days forty-nine times the light of a day of Creation.
4 “What are
these, my Lord?” What is this, that the olive trees are picked by
themselves, and the oil comes into the lamps by itself?
6 “This is the
word of the Lord to Zerubbabel” This is a sign for you to promise
Zerubbabel that just as the olives and this oil are finished by themselves in
all respects, so will you not build My house with your [own] power or with your
[own] strength.
but by My spirit I will place My spirit upon
Darius, and he will command you to build and to pay all the building expenses
from his [treasury]; and [he will] help you with wheat, wine, oil, and wood, as
is explained in Ezra (6, 7): They required no aid from any man.
7 Who are you, O
great mountain? You, the princes of the other side of the river Tattenai,
the governor of the other side of the river; Shethar Bozenai, and their
companions (Ezra 6:6), who have stopped the work until now - from now on you
shall be before Zerubbabel as a plain; you have no more ruling power or
superiority over him.
He will bring out the stone of the main architect The main
architect will take the plummet in his hand to be the main architect at the
head of the builders, and they will build everything according to his words
[everything] that he will order concerning a beautiful and glorious building.
with shouts of grace, grace to it To that
stone, for everyone will say, “How beautiful is this building that was made
with this plummet.” [The expression] “shouts of grace” is as (Job 39:7) “the
shouts of a driver,” and (Isa. 66:6) “a sound of stirring” both of which are
expressions of making a voice heard.
Special
Ashlamatah: I Samuel 20:18,42
|
Rashi |
Targum |
|
18. And Jonathan said to him, Tomorrow is the new moon, and
you will be expected, for your seat will be empty. |
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, because we
have sworn, the two of us, in the name of Ha-Shem, saying, Ha-Shem will be
between you and me, and between my seed and your seed forever. And he rose up
and went. And Jonathan went into 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
rose up and went. And Jonathan went into the city. |
|
|
|
Yehudit (Judith) 7:17
– 8:27
New Jerusalem Bible
Version
17 Accordingly, a
troop of Moabites moved forward with a further five thousand Assyrians. They
penetrated the valley and seized the Israelites' waterpoints and springs.
18 Meanwhile the
Edomites and Ammonites went and took up positions in the highlands
opposite Dothan, sending some of their men to the south-east opposite
Egrebel near Chous on the Wadi Mochmur. The rest of the Assyrian army
took up positions in the plain, covering every inch of the ground; their
tents and equipment made an immense encampment, so vast were their numbers.
19 The Israelites
called on the Lord their God, dispirited because the enemy had surrounded them and cut
all line of retreat.
20 For thirty-four
days the Assyrian army, infantry, chariots, cavalrymen, had them surrounded.
Every water-jar the inhabitants of Bethulia had was empty,
21 their storage-wells
were drying up; on no day could a man drink his fill, since their water was
rationed.
22 Their little
children pined away, the women and young men grew weak with thirst; they collapsed
in the streets and gateways of the town; they had no strength left.
23 Young men, women,
children, the whole people thronged clamouring round Uzziah and the chief men of the
town, shouting in the presence of the
assembled elders,
24 'May God be judge
between you and us! For you have done us great harm, by not suing for
peace with the Assyrians.
25 And now there is no
one to help us. God has delivered us into their hands to be prostrated
before them in thirst and utter helplessness.
26 Call them in at
once; hand the whole town over to be sacked by Holofernes' men and all his army.
27 After all, we
should be much better off as their booty than we are now; no doubt we shall be
enslaved, but at least we shall be alive and not see our little ones dying
before our eyes or our wives and children perishing.
28 By heaven and earth
and by our God, the Lord of our fathers, who is punishing us for our sins and
the sins of our ancestors, we implore you to take this course now, today.'
29 Bitter lamentations
rose from the whole assembly, and they all cried loudly to the Lord God.
30 Then Uzziah spoke
to them, 'Take heart, brothers! Let us hold out five days more. By then the Lord
our God will take pity on us, for he will not desert us altogether.
31 At the end of this
time, if no help is forthcoming, I shall do as you have said.'
32 With that he
dismissed the people to their various quarters. The men went to man the walls and
towers of the town, sending the women and children home. The town was full of
despondency.
NJB Judith 8:1 Judith was informed at the time of
what had happened. She was the
daughter of Merari son of Ox, son of Joseph, son of Oziel, son of Elkiah, son
of Ananias, son of Gideon, son of Raphaim, son of Ahitub, son of Elijah, son of
Hilkiah, son of Eliab, son of Nathanael, son
of Salamiel, son of Sarasadai, son of Israel.
2 Her husband
Manasseh, of her own tribe and family, had died at the time of the barley harvest.
3 He was supervising
the men as they bound up the sheaves in the field when he caught sunstroke
and had to take to his bed. He died in Bethulia, his home town, and was
buried with his ancestors in the field that lies between Dothan and
Balamon.
4 As a widow, Judith
stayed inside her home for three years and four months.
5 She had had an upper
room built for herself on the roof. She wore sackcloth next to the skin and
dressed in widow's weeds.
6 She fasted every day
of her widowhood except for the Sabbath eve, the Sabbath itself, the eve of
New Moon, the feast of New Moon and the joyful festivals of the House of Israel.
7 Now she was very
beautiful, charming to see. Her husband Manasseh had left her gold and
silver, menservants and maidservants, herds and land; and she lived among all her
possessions
8 without anyone
finding a word to say against her, so devoutly did she fear God.
9 Hearing how the
water shortage had demoralised the people and how they had complained bitterly
to the headman of the town, and being also told what Uzziah had said to them and how
he had given them his oath to
surrender the town to the Assyrians in five days' time,
10 Judith immediately
sent the serving-woman who ran her household to summon Chabris and Charmis, two elders
of the town.
11 When these came in
she said: 'Listen to me, leaders of the people of Bethulia. You were wrong to
speak to the people as you did today and to bind yourself by oath, in defiance of God, to
surrender the town to our enemies if
the Lord did not come to your help within a set number of days.
12 Who are you, to put
God to the test today, you, of all people, to set yourselves above him?
13 You put the Lord
Almighty to the test! You do not understand anything, and never will.
14 If you cannot sound
the depths of the human heart or unravel the arguments of the human mind, how
can you fathom the God who made all things, or
sound his mind or unravel his purposes? No, brothers, do not provoke the
anger of the Lord our God.
15 Although it may not
be his will to help us within the next five days, he has the power to protect
us for as many days as he pleases, just as he has the power to destroy us before our
enemies.
16 But you have no
right to demand guarantees where the designs of the Lord our God are concerned.
For God is not to be threatened as a human being is, nor is he, like a mere human, to be
cajoled.
17 Rather, as we wait
patiently for him to save, let us plead with him to help us. He will hear our
voice if such is his good pleasure.
18 'And indeed of
recent times and still today there is not one tribe of ours, or family, or village, or
town that has worshipped gods made by human hand, as once was done,
19 which was the
reason why our ancestors were delivered over to sword and sack, and perished in
misery at the hands of our enemies.
20 We for our part
acknowledge no other God but him; and so we may hope he will not look on us
disdainfully or desert our nation.
21 'If indeed they
capture us, as you expect, then all Judaea will be captured too, and our holy places
plundered, and we shall answer with our blood for their profanation.
22 The slaughter of
our brothers, the captivity of our country, the unpeopling of our heritage, will
recoil on our own heads among the nations whose slaves we shall become, and our new
masters will look down on us as an outrage
and a disgrace;
23 for our surrender
will not reinstate us in their favour; no, the Lord our God will make it a thing to
be ashamed of.
24 So now, brothers,
let us set an example to our brothers, since their lives depend on us, and the
sanctuary -- Temple and altar -- rests on us.
25 'All this being so,
let us rather give thanks to the Lord our God who, as he tested our ancestors,
is now testing us.
26 Remember how he
treated Abraham, all the ordeals of Isaac, all that happened to Jacob in Syrian
Mesopotamia while he kept the sheep of Laban, his
mother's brother.
27 For as these
ordeals were intended by him to search their hearts, so now this is not
vengeance that God is exacting on us, but a warning inflicted by the Lord on those
who are near his heart.'
1 Maccabees 6:28-8:32
New Jerusalem Bible
Version
28 The king was
furious when he heard this and summoned all his Friends, the generals of his
forces and the marshals of horse.
29 He recruited
mercenaries from other kingdoms and the Mediterranean islands.
30 His forces numbered
a hundred thousand foot soldiers, twenty thousand cavalry and thirty-two
elephants with experience of battle conditions.
31 They advanced
through Idumaea and besieged Beth-Zur, pressing the attack for days on end; they
also constructed siege-engines, but the defenders made a sortie and set
these on fire, putting up a brave resistance.
32 At this, Judas left
the Citadel and pitched camp at Beth-Zechariah opposite the royal encampment.
33 The king rose at
daybreak and marched his army at top speed down the road to Beth-Zechariah,
where his forces took up their battle formations and sounded the trumpets.
34 The elephants were
given a syrup of grapes and mulberries to prepare them for the battle.
35 These animals were
distributed among the phalanxes, to each elephant being allocated a
thousand men dressed in coats of mail with bronze helmets on their heads;
five hundred picked horsemen were also assigned to each beast.
36 The horsemen anticipated
every move their elephant made; wherever it went they went with it, never quitting
it.
37 On each elephant,
to protect it, was a stout wooden tower, kept in position by girths, each with its
three combatants, as well as its mahout.
38 The remainder of
the cavalry was stationed on one or other of the two flanks of the army, to harass
the enemy and cover the phalanxes.
39 When the sun
glinted on the bronze and golden shields, the mountains caught the glint and
gleamed like fiery torches.
40 One part of the
royal army was deployed on the upper slopes of the mountain and the other in the
valley below; they advanced in solid,
well-disciplined formation.
41 Everyone trembled
at the noise made by this vast multitude, the thunder of the troops on the
march and the clanking of their armour, for it was an immense and mighty
army.
42 Judas and his army
advanced to give battle, and six hundred of the king's army were killed.
43 Eleazar, called
Avaran, noticing that one of the elephants was royally caparisoned and was also
taller than all the others, and supposing that the king was mounted on it,
44 sacrificed himself
to save his people and win an imperishable name.
45 Boldly charging
towards the creature through the thick of the phalanx, dealing death to right
and left, so that the enemy scattered on either side at his onslaught,
46 he darted in under
the elephant, thrust at it from underneath, and killed it. The beast collapsed on
top of him, and he died on the spot.
47 The Jews however
realising how strong the king was and how ferocious his army, retreated
ahead of them.
48 The royal army
moved up to encounter them outside Jerusalem, and the king began to blockade
Judaea and Mount Zion.
49 He granted peace
terms to the people of Beth-Zur, who evacuated the town; it lacked store of
provisions to withstand a siege, since the land was enjoying a sabbatical
year.
50 Having occupied
Beth-Zur, the king stationed a garrison there to hold it.
51 He besieged the
sanctuary for a long time, erecting batteries and siege-engines, flame-throwers and
ballistas, scorpions to discharge arrows, and catapults.
52 The defenders
countered these by constructing their own engines and were thus able to prolong
their resistance.
53 But they had no
food in their stores since it was the seventh year, and because those who had taken
refuge in Judaea from the gentiles had eaten up the last of their reserves.
54 Only a few men were
left in the Holy Place, owing to the severity of the famine; the rest had
dispersed and gone home.
55 Meanwhile Philip,
whom King Antiochus before his death had appointed to train his son
Antiochus for the throne,
56 had returned from
Persia and Media with the forces that had accompanied the king, and was
planning to seize control of affairs.
57 On hearing this,
Lysias at once decided to leave, and said to the king, the generals of the army
and the men, 'We are growing weaker every day, we are short of food, and the place we
are besieging is well fortified; moreover
the affairs of the kingdom demand our attention.
58 Let us offer the
hand of friendship to these men and make peace with them and with their whole
nation.
59 Let us grant them
permission to follow their own customs as before, since it is our abolition
of these customs that has provoked them into acting like this.'
60 The king and his
commanders approved this argument, and he offered the Jews peace terms,
which they accepted.
61 The king and the
generals ratified the treaty by oath, and the besieged accordingly left the
fortress.
62 The king then
entered Mount Zion, but on seeing how impregnable the place was, he broke the oath
he had sworn and gave orders for the encircling wall to be demolished.
63 He then hurriedly
withdrew, making off for Antioch, where he found Philip already master of
the city. Antiochus gave battle and captured the city by force of arms.
NJB 1 Maccabees 7:1 In the year 151, Demetrius
son of Seleucus left Rome and arrived with
a few men at a town on the coast, where he inaugurated his reign.
2 It so happened that,
as he was entering the royal residence of his ancestors, the army captured
Antiochus and Lysias, and intended to bring them to him.
3 On hearing this, he
said, 'Keep them out of my sight.'
4 The army put them to
death, and Demetrius ascended his throne.
5 Next, all those
Israelites without law or piety, led by Alcimus, whose ambition was to become high
priest,
6 approached the king
and denounced our people to him. 'Judas and his brothers', they said, 'have
killed all your friends, and he has driven us out of our country.
7 Send someone now
whom you can trust; let him go and see the wholesale ruin Judas has brought
on us and on the king's dominions, and let him punish the wretches and all who assist
them.'
8 The king chose
Bacchides, one of the Friends of the King, governor of Transeuphrates, an important
personage in the kingdom and loyal to the king.
9 He sent him with the
godless Alcimus, whom he confirmed in the high priesthood, with orders to
exact retribution from the Israelites.
10 So they set out
with a large force and, on reaching Judaea, sent emissaries to Judas and his
brothers with proposals peaceable yet treacherous.
11 The latter,
however, did not put any faith in their words, aware that they had come with a large
force.
12 Nevertheless, a
commission of scribes presented themselves before Alcimus and Bacchides, to
sue for just terms.
13 The first among the
Israelites to ask them for peace terms were the Hasidaeans,
14 who reasoned thus,
'This is a priest of Aaron's line who has come with the armed forces; he will
not wrong us.'
15 He did in fact
discuss peace terms with them and gave them his oath, 'We shall not attempt to
injure you or your friends.'
16 They believed him,
but he arrested sixty of them and put them to death on one day, fulfilling the
words of scripture:
17 They have scattered
the bodies of your faithful, and shed their blood all round Jerusalem,
leaving no one to bury them!
18 At this, fear and
dread gripped the whole people. 'There is no truth or virtue in them,' they said,
'they have broken their agreement and their sworn oath.'
19 Bacchides then left
Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-Zeth, and from there sent and arrested many
of the men who had deserted him and a few of our people too; he had them killed and
thrown down the great well.
20 He then put Alcimus
in charge of the province, leaving an army with him to support him;
Bacchides himself returned to the king.
21 Alcimus continued
his struggle to become high priest,
22 and all who were
disturbing the peace of their own people rallied to him, and, having won control
of Judaea, did much harm in Israel.
23 Seeing that all the
wrongs done to the Israelites by Alcimus and his supporters exceeded what the
gentiles had done,
24 Judas went right
round the whole territory of Judaea to take vengeance on those who had
deserted him and to prevent their free movement about the country.
25 When Alcimus saw
how strong Judas and his supporters had grown and realised that he was
powerless to resist them, he went back to the king, to whom he made
malicious accusations against them.
26 The king sent
Nicanor, one of his generals ranking as Illustrious and a bitter enemy of Israel,
with orders to exterminate the people.
27 Reaching Jerusalem
with a large force, Nicanor sent a friendly, yet treacherous, message to Judas and
his brothers, as follows:
28 'Let us have no
fighting between you and me; I shall come with a small escort for a peaceful
meeting with you.'
29 He met Judas and
they exchanged friendly greetings; the enemy, however, had made preparations to
abduct Judas.
30 When Judas became
aware of Nicanor's treacherous purpose in coming to see him, he took fright
and refused any further meeting.
31 Nicanor then
realised that his plan had been discovered, and took the field against Judas, to give
battle near Caphar-Salama.
32 About five hundred
of Nicanor's men fell; the rest took refuge in the City of David.
33 After these events
Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the priests came out of the Holy
Place with some elders, to give him a friendly welcome and show him the burnt offering
being presented for the king.
34 But he ridiculed
them, laughed at them, defiled them and used insolent language, swearing in
his rage,
35 'Unless Judas is
handed over to me this time with his army, as soon as I am safely back, I
promise you, I shall burn this building down!'
36 Then he went off in
a fury. At this, the priests went in again, and stood weeping in front of the
altar and the Temple, saying,
37 'You have chosen
this house to be called by your name, to be a house of prayer and petition for
your people.
38 Take vengeance on
this man and on his army, and let them fall by the sword; remember their
blasphemies and give them no respite.'
39 Nicanor left
Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-Horon, where he was joined by an army from Syria.
40 Judas, meanwhile,
camped at Adasa with three thousand men, and offered this prayer,
41 'When the king's
envoys blasphemed, your angel went out and struck down one hundred and
eighty-five thousand of his men.
42 In the same way let
us see you crush this army today, so that everyone else may know that this
man has spoken blasphemously against your
sanctuary: pass judgement on him as his wickedness deserves!'
43 The armies met in
battle on the thirteenth of the month Adar, and Nicanor's army was crushed, he
himself being the first to fall in the battle.
44 When Nicanor's
soldiers saw him fall, they threw down their arms and fled.
45 The Jews pursued
them a day's journey, from Adasa to the approaches of Gezer; they sounded
their trumpets in warning as they followed them,
46 and people came out
of all the surrounding Judaean villages to encircle the fugitives, who then
turned back on their own men. All fell by the sword, not one being left
alive.
47 Having collected
the spoils and booty, they cut off Nicanor's head and the right hand he had
stretched out in a display of insolence; these were taken and displayed within
sight of Jerusalem.
48 The people were
overjoyed and kept that day as a great holiday:
49 indeed they decided
to celebrate it annually on the thirteenth of Adar.
50 For a short while
Judaea enjoyed peace.
NJB 1 Maccabees 8:1 Now Judas had heard of the
reputation of the Romans: how strong
they were, and how well disposed towards any who made common cause with them,
making a treaty of friendship with anyone who
approached them.
2 (And, indeed, they
were extremely powerful.) He had been told of their wars and of their prowess
among the Gauls, whom they had conquered and put
under tribute;
3 and of all they had
done in the province of Spain to gain possession of the silver and gold mines
there,
4 making themselves
masters of the whole country by their determination and perseverance, despite its great
distance from their own; of the kings who
came from the ends of the earth to attack them, only to be crushed by them and
overwhelmed with disaster, and of others who paid them annual tribute;
5 Philip, Perseus king
of the Kittim, and others who had dared to make war on them, had been
defeated and reduced to subjection,
6 while Antiochus the
Great, king of Asia, who had advanced to attack them with a hundred and
twenty elephants, cavalry, chariots and a very large army, had also suffered defeat at
their hands;
7 they had taken him
alive and imposed on him and his successors, on agreed terms, the payment of
an enormous tribute, the surrender of hostages, and the cession
8 of the Indian
territory, with Media, Lydia, and some of their best provinces, which they took from
him and gave to King Eumenes.
9 Judas had also heard
how, when the Greeks planned an expedition to destroy the Romans,
10 the latter had got
wind of it and, sending a single general against them, had fought a campaign in
which they inflicted heavy casualties, carried their women and children
away into captivity, pillaged their goods, subdued their country, tore down their
fortresses and reduced them to a slavery
lasting to the present day;
11 and how they had
destroyed and subjugated all the other kingdoms and islands that resisted them.
12 But where their friends
and those who relied on them were concerned, they had always stood by their
friendship. They had subdued kings far and
near, and all who heard their name went in terror of them.
13 One man, if they
determined to help him and advance him to a throne, would certainly occupy
it, while another, if they so determined, would find
himself deposed; their influence was paramount.
14 In spite of all
this, no single one of them had assumed a crown or put on the purple for his own
aggrandisement.
15 They had set up a
senate, where three hundred and twenty councillors deliberated daily,
constantly debating how best to regulate public affairs.
16 They entrusted
their government to one man for a year at a time, with absolute power over their
whole empire, and this man was obeyed by all without
envy or jealousy.
17 Having chosen
Eupolemus son of John, of the family of Accos, and Jason son of Eleazar, Judas
sent them to Rome to make a treaty of friendship and alliance with these people,
18 in the hope of
being rid of the yoke, for they could see that Greek rule was reducing Israel to
slavery.
19 The envoys made the
lengthy journey to Rome and presented themselves before the Senate with their formal
proposal:
20 'Judas Maccabaeus
and his brothers, with the Jewish people, have sent us to you to conclude a
treaty of alliance and peace with you, and to enrol ourselves as your allies
and friends.'
21 The proposal met
with the approval of the senators.
22 Here is a copy of
the rescript which they engraved on bronze tablets and sent to Jerusalem to
be kept there by the Jews as a record of peace and alliance:
23 'Good fortune
attend the Romans and the Jewish nation by sea and land for ever; may sword or enemy
be far from them!
24 'If war comes first
to Rome or any of her allies throughout her dominions,
25 the Jewish nation
will take action as her ally, as occasion may require, and do it
wholeheartedly.
26 They will not give
or supply to the enemy any grain, arms, money or ships: thus has Rome decided,
and they are to honour their obligations without
guarantees.
27 In the same way, if
war comes first to the Jewish nation, the Romans will support them
energetically as occasion may offer,
28 and the aggressor
will not be furnished with grain, arms, money or ships: such is the Roman
decision, and they will honour these obligations without treachery.
29 Such are the
articles under which the Romans have concluded their treaty with the Jewish
people.
30 If, later, either
party should decide to make any addition or deletion, they will be free to do
so, and any such addition or deletion will be binding.
31 'As regards the
wrongs done to them by King Demetrius, we have written to him in these terms:
Why have you made your yoke lie heavy on our friends and allies the Jews?
32 If they appeal
against you again, we shall uphold their rights and make war on you by sea and land.'
Yochanan
Bet (2 John) 1-13 + Yochanan Gimel (3 John) 1-14
Hakham’s
Rendition
1. The
elder, to the chosen (i.e. Jewish) Lady and her children, whom I love in the
truth (i.e. the Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142), and not I alone, but also
all those who intimately know the truth (i.e. the Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142),
2. because
of the truth (i.e. the Torah – Psalm 119:142) that resides in us and will be
with us forever.
3. [The]
blessing Mercy and peace will be with us from God the Father and from
Yeshua the Messiah the son (i.e. the anointed King of Israel) of the
Father in truth (i.e. Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142) and love.
4. I was
very glad because I found [some] of your children walking in [the] truth
(i.e. Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142), just as the Father commanded us.
5. And
now I ask you, Lady not [as if I were] writing a new commandment
to you, but [one] that we have had from the beginning (i.e. B’resheet
– Gen. 1:1ff)], that we should love one another.
6. And
this is love: that we walk according to His (God’s) commandments. This
is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning (B’resheet –
Gen. 1:1ff), so that you should walk in it.
7. For
many deceivers have gone out into the [pagan] world, those who do not
profess that Yeshua the Messiah came in (or, according to) [the] flesh.
This person is the deceiver and the anti-Messiah!
8. Watch
yourselves that you do not lose what we have worked for, but receive a full
reward.
9.
Everyone who [continually and intentionally] transgresses the [Written
and Oral] Law and does not remain in the teachings of Messiah does not have
God. The one who remains in the teachings [of the Written and Oral Law],
this person has both the Father and the son (i.e. the anointed King of
Israel).
10. If
anyone comes to you and does not bring this [Torah] teaching, do not
receive him into [your] house and do not speak a greeting to him,
11. because
the one who speaks a greeting to him shares in his evil deeds.
12. [Although]
I have many [things] to write to you, I do not want [to do so] by
means of paper and ink, but I hope to be with you and to speak face to face, so
that your joy may be complete.
13. The
children of your chosen (i.e. Jewish) sister greet you.
1. The
elder, to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in the truth (i.e. the Torah
– cf. Psalm 119:142).
2.
Beloved, I pray [that] you may prosper concerning everything and be
healthy, just as your soul prospers [in the Torah].
3. For I
rejoiced exceedingly [when the] brothers came and testified [to] your
truth, just as you are walking in [the] truth (i.e. Torah – cf. Psalm
119:142).
4. I have
no greater joy than this: that I hear [that] my children are walking in
the truth (i.e. Torah – cf. Psalm 119:142).
5.
Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for the [Jewish] brothers,
and especially those who are strangers.
6. They
have testified [concerning] your love before all the congregation; to whom you are
doing well, because you supply them according to what is proper to God.
7. For
they have gone out on behalf of God’s name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
8. Therefore
we ought to support such [people], so that we become fellow workers in [the
proclamation of the] truth (i.e. Torah – f. Psalm 119:142).
9. I
wrote something to the congregation, but Diotrephes, who wants to have the
preeminence [among] them, does not [want to] receive our [Jewish]
authority.
10. Therefore,
if I come, I will call attention to the [evil] deeds he is doing,
disparaging us [Jews] with Lashon HaRa (evil words and calumniating
gossip). And not being content with these, he does not receive the authority
of the [Jewish] brothers himself, and he prevents those wanting [to
accept Rabbinical authority] and throws [them] out of the congregation.
11.
Beloved, do not imitate [what is] evil, but [what is] good. The
one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
12. About
Demetrius there is a [good] testimony from everyone and from the
congregation and from the Torah. And also we bear [him] testimony and
you know that our testimony is true.
13. I
have many things to write to you, but I do not want to write to you by means of
ink and pen.
14. But I
hope to see you right away, and to speak [with you] face to face.
15,
Shalom [be] with you! The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
END OF THE READINGS
FOR THE FOURTH DAY OF CHANUKAH
BEING THIS YEAR THE
INTERMEDIATE SABBATH OF CHANUKAH
Shalom Shabbat ve Chag
Sameach Chanukah!
Hakham Dr. Yosef ben
Haggai
Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel
ben David
Paqid
Dr. Adon Eliyahu ben Abraham