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

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

Bemidbar 27:15 – 28:25

And Mosheh spoke before the Lord, saying May the Word of the Lord, who rules over the souls of men, and by whom has been given the inspiration of the spirit of all flesh, appoint a faithful man over the congregation, [JERUSALEM. The Word of the Lord the God who rules over the spirit of all flesh, appoint a praiseworthy man over the people of the congregation,] who may go out before them to set battle in array, and may come in before them from the he battle who may bring them out from the bands of their enemies, and bring them into the land of Israel; that the congregation of the Lord may not be without the wise, nor go astray among the nations as sheep who go astray, having no shepherd. And the Lord said to Mosheh, Take to thee Yehoshua bar Nun, a man upon whom abides the Spirit of prophecy from before the Lord, and lay your hand upon him, and make him stand before Elazar the priest and the whole congregation, and instruct him in their presence. And you shall confer a ray of your brightness upon him, that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may be obedient to him. And he shall minister before Elazar the priest; and when any matter is hidden from him, he shall inquire for him before the Lord by Urim. According to the word of Elazar the priest they shall go forth to battle, and come in to do judgment and all the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation. And Mosheh did as the Lord commanded him, and took Yehoshua and caused him to stand before Elazar the priest and all the congregation; and he laid his hands upon him and instructed him, as the Lord commanded Mosheh.

XXVIII. And the Lord spoke with Mosheh, saying: Instruct the children of Israel, and say to them: The priests may eat of My oblation the bread of the order of My table; but that which you offer upon My altar may no man eat. Is there not a fire that will consume it? And it shall be accepted before Me as a pleasant smell. Sons of Israel, My people, be admonished to offer it from the firstlings on the Sabbath, an oblation before Me in its time. [JERUSALEM. Instruct the children of Israel, and say to them, My oblation, the bread of the order of My table. That which you offer upon the altar. Is there not a fire that will consume it? To be received from you before Me for a pleasant smell. Sons of Israel, My people, be admonished to offer it before Me in its season.]

And say to them: This is the order of the oblations you shall offer before the Lord; two lambs of the year, unblemished, daily, a perpetual burnt offering. The one lamb you shall perform in the morning to make atonement for the sins of the night; and the second lamb you shall perform between the suns to atone for the sins of the day; and the tenth of three seahs of wheaten flour as a mincha mingled with beaten olive oil, the fourth of a hin. It is a perpetual burnt offering, such as was (ordained to be) offered at Mount Sinai, to be received with favor as an oblation before the Lord. And its libation shall be the fourth of a hin for one lamb; from the vessels of the house of the sanctuary shall it be outpoured, a libation of old wine. [JERUSALEM. From the vessels of the house of holiness, it shall be poured out a libation of choice wine unto the Name of the Lord.] But if old wine may not be found, bring wine of forty days to pour out before the Lord. And the second lamb you shall perform between the suns, according to the presentation of the morning, and according to its oblation shall you make the offering, that it may be accepted with favor before the Lord 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. On the Sabbath you shall make a Sabbath burnt sacrifice in addition to the perpetual burnt sacrifice and its libation.

And at the beginning of your months you shall offer a burnt sacrifice before the Lord; two young bullocks, without mixture, one ram, lambs of the year seven, unblemished; 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; 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. 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 shall be offered at the beginning of every month in the time of the removal of the beginning of every month in the year; 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 shall you perform with its libation.

And in the month of Nisan, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the sacrifice of the Pascha before the Lord. On the fifteenth day of this month is a festival; seven days shall unleavened be eaten. On the first day of the festival a holy convocation; no servile work shall you do; but offer an oblation of a burnt sacrifice before the Lord, two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of the year, unblemished, shall you have. And their minchas of wheat flour, mingled with olive oil, three tenths for each bullock, two tenths for the ram, and for a single lamb a tenth, so for the seven; and one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you: beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning, the perpetual burnt sacrifice, you shall make these offerings. According to these oblations of the first day you shall do daily through the seven days of the festival. It is the bread of the oblation which is received with favor before the Lord; it shall be made beside the perpetual burnt offering, with its libation. And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; no servile work shall you do.

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

Bemidbar 7:42-47

on the sixth, Eljasaph bar Dehuel, prince of the Beni Gad;

Special Ashlamatah for Shabbat Chanukah: Zechariah 2:14 - 4:7

14 'Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.

15 And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be My people, and I will dwell in the midst of thee'; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

16 And the LORD shall inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

17 Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD; for He is aroused out of His holy habitation. {S}

1 And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

2 And the LORD said unto Satan: 'The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan, yea, the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee; is not this man a brand plucked out of the fire?'

3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

4 And he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying: 'Take the filthy garments from off him.' And unto him he said: 'Behold, I cause thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with robes.'

5 And I said: 'Let them set a fair mitre upon his head.' So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments; and the angel of the LORD stood by.

6 And the angel of the LORD forewarned Joshua, saying:

7 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts: If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge, and wilt also judge My house, and wilt also keep My courts, then I will give thee free access among these that stand by.

8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee; for they are men that are a sign; for, behold, I will bring forth My servant the Shoot.

9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone are seven facets; behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts: And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

10 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig-tree.

1 And the angel that spoke with me returned, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.

2 And he said unto me: 'What seest thou?' And I said: 'I have seen, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes, yea, seven, to the lamps, which are upon the top thereof;

3 and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.'

4 And I answered and spoke to the angel that spoke with me, saying: 'What are these, my lord?'

5 Then the angel that spoke with me answered and said unto me: 'Knowest thou not what these are?' And I said: 'No, my lord.'

6 Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying: 'This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

7 Who art thou, O great mountain before Zerubbabel? thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the top stone with shoutings of Grace, grace, unto it.' {P}

Special Ashlamatah for Shabbat & Rosh Chodesh: Isaiah 66:1 & 23

1 Thus saith the LORD: The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool; where is the house that ye may build unto Me? And where is the place that may be My resting-place?

23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the LORD.

Special Ashlamatah for Shabbat Preceding Rosh Chodesh: 1 Samuel 20:18 & 42

18 And Jonathan said unto him: 'To-morrow is the new moon; and thou wilt be missed, thy seat will be empty.

42 And Jonathan said to David: 'Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying: The LORD shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, for ever.' {P}

Mishle (Proverbs) 7:1-27

My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

2 Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of thine eye.

3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.

4 Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art my sister', and call understanding thy kinswoman;

5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words.

6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;

7 And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

8 Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house;

9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.

10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.

11 She is riotous and rebellious, her feet abide not in her house;

12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lieth in wait at every corner.

13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him:

14 'Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows.

15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

16 I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.

17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.

19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;

20 He hath taken the bag of money with him; he will come home at the new moon.'

21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield, with the blandishment of her lips she enticeth him away.

22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox that goeth to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;

23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare-- {N}

and knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life.

24 Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

26 For she hath cast down many wounded; yea, a mighty host are all her slain.

27 Her house is the way to the nether-world, going down to the chambers of death. {P}

Commentary

Those of our Jewish brethren following the Torah Reading in its Annual cycle would be reading this Shabbat amongst the three distinct Torah readings for this Shabbat the Torah portion of Miqetz, which we have been covering over the last three weeks, albeit a slower pace as we use the Three-and-a-half Torah Reading Lectionary. In our cycle of readings we stop the normal weekly Torah readings on the festivals which fall on Shabbat, as well as for special Sabbaths like this one which happens also to be Rosh Chodesh (New Moon), and which theme takes central stage. The Maftir of course will introduce us to the readings for the 6^th day of Chanukah and the largest Ashlamatah is the designated one for the Sabbath that falls in the semi-festival of Chanukah.

Two key questions we encounter as we go through the two distinct readings of the Torah and the three Ashlamatot for this Shabbat in our Shmitah Torah Lectionary are:

How are the themes in our Torah reading for Rosh Chodesh related to each other? (Particularly, the topic covered at the beginning seems to be unrelated to the topic covered at the end of the Torah Seder.) And

What is the thematic relationship between Rosh Chodesh and the semi-festival of Chanukah?

In answer to the first question, we find that the main Torah Seder for this Shabbat starts with the theme of the appointment of a “faithful man” to shepherd the people of Israel before Mosheh Rabbenu (Moses our Teacher) departed from the land of the living to be gathered with the righteous in the heavens. The Divine answer finds Yehoshua (shorter form “Yeshuah”) as the acceptable successor of Mosheh Rabbenu. Then the Seder concludes with the topic of the special offerings for the Sabbath, New Moons and for the feast of Passover. Thus, the Torah Seder in which the reading for New Moons (Numbers 28:9-15) is located (Numbers 27:15 – 28:25) starts with the theme of orderly succession of leadership and culminates with the special Temple offerings for the Sabbath, New Moons, and Passover. Therefore we can logically deduce that leadership of the people of Israel and Temple offerings, particularly in this case the ones for New Moons, are somehow related.

The text from the Mishle (Book of Proverbs) in Chapter 7:19-20 provides us a clue as to the relationship between special Temple offerings for the New Moon and the leadership of Isarel as a nation. There we read about the idolatrous organization reasoning with the youth void of understanding to join her in apostasy and saying:

18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves

19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;

20 He has taken the bag of money with him; he will come home at the new moon.'

“The husband,” that is the King of Israel – i.e. the Messiah appears to have absented himself for a while from his subjects, and this idolatrous organization which appears to have some knowledge of the times makes the statement that the “New Moon” seems to be the appointed time for the return of the Messiah. The woman further describes the absence of the King as having gone on “a long journey” and that he has taken a “bag of money with him.” By a “long journey” we understand to be metaphorically depicting the visitation of many far away places and that the journey will take a rather long period of time. The “bag of money” means that the purpose of the long journey is one which at least entails the buying or redemption of things, animals or peoples. With this picture in mind, we can say that King Solomon is intimating to us that at some point in the history of Israel, the Messiah would depart from Israel for a long time to visit foreign lands for the purpose of buying or redeeming things, animals or peoples, and at one of the New Moons in the history of Israel he will return back to his land and people, presumably with what he bought or redeemed.

Many years after King Messiah Shlomoh wrote this important piece of prophecy, Hakham Shaul writes:

We (Nazarean Jews) believe that Yeshua died and rose again and so we believe that G-d will bring with Yeshua those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Master's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the returning of the Master, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Master himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the shofar call of G-d, and the dead in Messiah will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Master in the air. And so we will be with the Master forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. (I Thessalonians 4:14-18)

So, King Messiah Shlomoh (Solomon) says that the Messiah will return on the New Moon and here Hakham Shaul says that the Messiah will return when the Shofar is sound. Are they speaking of two different times or one and the same time? The answer is simply that they are speaking of the same day, a day which is a Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) and at the same time a day in which we sound the shofar call of G-d which we are solemnly commanded to hear – that is the New Moon of New Moons, and otherwise known as Rosh HaShanah (beginning of the New civil Year), and also known as the Feast of Trumpets. Therefore both King Messiah Shlomoh (Solomon) and Hakham Shaul (Paul) are speaking of the same event.

Interestingly, in the liturgy for the New Moon we read:

“May it be Your will, HaShem, my G-d and the G-d of my forefathers, to fill the flaw of the moon that there be no diminution in it. May the light of the moon be like the light of the sun and like the light of the seven days of creation, as it was before it was diminished, as it is said: ‘The two great luminaries.’ And may there be fulfilled upon us the verse that is written: They shall seek HaShem, their G-d, and David, their king. Amen!”

As we can see the leadership of the people of Israel and the New Moon are intimately connected, and the beginning theme of our Seder is indeed well connected to its end theme (Sabbath, New Moon, Pesach). For more on this subject please read the following study:

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

The second question brings us in fact to a crucial piece of the answer to the first question which we deliberately left unanswered – the relationship of the Temple to the New Moon. In an interesting article by Dr. Gabriel H. Cohen of Bar–Ilan University, Department of Bible, he states (http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/miketz/coh.html):

“We have a tendency to ascribe events of the same type to certain dates, grouping together fundamental experiences of Jewish existence around these occasions. For example, we say, "We were redeemed in the month of Nisan and are destined to be redeemed in the future in the month of Nisan" (R.H. 11a and parallel texts), and thus Nisan is the focal point for the basic Jewish idea of redemption throughout all generations. At the other extreme, pain and suffering are clustered around the 17th of Tamuz and the 9th of Av, with the Mishnah citing many tragic events in the course of history that took place precisely on these days (Ta'anit 4.6). The period of Hanukkah as a time of intensified light and the renewal of Temple worship is also impressively reflected in Jewish literature in two different directions. Some ancient sources attest to analogous events that took place during the days of Hanukkah in other periods, while later literary sources instill new meanings relevant to contemporary times into the events of Hanukkah.” …

Thus the Festival of Chanukah, also known as the fest of Temple dedication, celebrates the renewal of the functioning of the Temple in its many purposes. However in another place in the Nazarean Codicil we read that the Temple is a figure of the body of Messiah, where the lively stones are people dedicated to the study of Torah, dispensation of divine justice, and worship of G-d, most blessed be He! (See: http://www.betemunah.org/connection.html)

In the Ashlamatah for this Shabbat of Chanukah we read:

8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows that sit before you; for they are men that are a sign; for, behold, I will bring forth My servant the Shoot.

This stone with seven faces is an allusion to the Menorah, and this is also the stone which the Master of Nazareth said he would build his congregation upon. And this Menorah, deals with the organization of leadership amongst the people of Yisrael. Each of its branches represents peculiar gifts which as Hakham Shaul puts it are “gifts for the edification of the tsadiqim.” Consequently, the leadership of the people of Yisrael is also connected with the functioning of the Temple – the people of Yisrael and represented particularly by the Menorah. (Please read: (http://www.betemunah.org/synagog.html)

As can be seen therefore, there is a connection between Rosh Chodesh (New Moon), leadership of the people of Yisrael (the Messiah), and the building and dedication of the Temple. Three subjects which are made to perfectly coincide and explain each other on this Shabbat of Rosh Chodesh Tebeth and also Shabbat of Chanukah.

May Ha-Shem, most blessed be He, help us to discern and understand the words of His Torah, so that we may rededicate ourselves afresh this Shabbat to the rebuilding of the Temple built with lively stones, and to perfect the individual gifts that G-d has in His love for Yisrael bestowed upon each of us for the edification of His people and congregation, amen ve amen!

Shalom Shabbat ve Chanukah Sameach!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

Colosians 1:9-15 “9. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge (Da’at -> Hidden) of his will in all wisdom (Chokhmah -> # 2) and spiritual understanding (Binah -> # 3);

10. That ye might walk worthy of Ha-Shem unto all pleasing, being fruitful (Sod -> # 9) in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of G-d;

11. Strengthened with all might (G’vurah -> # 5), according to his glorious power (G’dolah -> # 4), unto all patience (Tiferet -> # 6) and longsuffering (Netsach -> # 7) with joyfulness;

12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet (najestic -> Hod -> # 8) to be partakers of the inheritance of the Tsadiqim in light (i.e. the 10 spheres of light):

13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom (Malkhut -> # 10) of his dear Son:

14. In whom we have redemption through his life, even the forgiveness of sins:

15. Who is the image of the invisible G-d (Ein Sof = Incomprehensible G-d), the firstborn (Adam Kadmon = Prototype man) of every creature:”

Shabbat:	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
יפקוד ה'
“Yif’qod Adonai”	Reader 1 – B’midbar 27:15-17	Reader 1 – B’resheet 43:14-16
“Let appoint Adonai”	Reader 2 – B’midbar 27:18-20	Reader 2 – B’resheet 43:17-19
“Que Adonai designe”	Reader 3 – B’midbar 27:21-23	Reader 3 – B’resheet 43:20-22
B’midbar (Numbers) 27:15 – 28:25 & 7:42-47	Reader 4 – B’midbar 28:1-9
Zechariah 2:14-4:7	Reader 5 – B’midbar 28:10-14
Isaiah 66:1,23 & 1 Samuel 20:18,42	Reader 6 – B’midbar 28:15-18	Reader 1 – B’resheet 43:23-25
Proverbs 7:1-27	Reader 7 – B’midbar 28:19-25	Reader 2 – B’resheet 43:26-30
	Maftir – B’midbar 7:42-47	Reader 3 – B’resheet 43:31-34
N.C.: Yochanan (John) 10:1-42	Zechariah 2:14-4:7 Isaiah 66:1,23 & 1 Samuel 20:18,42