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

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

Sh’mot (Exodus) 4:18 – 6:1

And Mosheh went, and returned unto Jethro his father in law, and said, I will now go to my brethren who are in Mizraim, to see how they now live. And Jethro said to Mosheh, Go in peace. And the Lord said unto Mosheh in Midian, Go, return to Mizraim; for they have come to nothing, and gone down from their possessions; behold, all the men who sought to take your life are reckoned as the dead.

And Mosheh took his wife and his sons, and made them ride on the ass, and returned to the land of Mizraim. And Mosheh took the rod which he had brought away from the chamber of his father-in-law; and it was from the sapphire Throne of glory, in weight forty sein; and upon it was engraved and set forth the Great and Glorious Name by which the signs should be wrought before the Lord by his hand. And the Lord said to Mosheh, In going to return into Mizraim, consider all the miracles that I have put in your hand, and do them before Pharaoh: and I will make obstinate the disposition (passion) of his heart, and he will not deliver the people. And you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is My first-begotten son; and to you I say, Let My son go free, that he may worship before Me; and if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay your first-born son.

But it was on the way, in the place of lodging that the angel of the Lord met him, and sought to kill him, because Gershom his son had not been circumcised, inasmuch as Jethro his father-in-law had not permitted him to circumcise him: but Eliezer had been circumcised, by an agreement between them two. And Zipporah took a stone, and circumcised the foreskin of Gershom her son, and brought the severed part to the feet of the angel, the Destroyer, and said, The husband sought to circumcise, but the father-in-law obstructed him; and now let this blood of the circumcision atone for my husband. [JERUSALEM. And she circumcised the foreskin of her son, and brought before the feet of the Destroyer, and said, The husband could have circumcised, but the father-in-law did not permit him; but now, let the blood of this circumcision atone for the fault of this husband.] And the destroying angel desisted from him, so that Zipporah gave thanks, and said, How lovely is the blood of this circumcision that has delivered my husband from the angel of destruction! [JERUSALEM. And when the Destroyer had ceased from him, Zipporah gave thanks and said, How lovely is the blood of this circumcision which has saved my husband from the hand of the angel of death!]

And the Lord had said to Aharon, Go and meet Mosheh in the desert. And he came and met him at the mountain where was revealed the glory of the Lord, and he embraced him. And Mosheh delivered to Aharon all these words with which he had sent him and all the signs that he had instructed him to work. And Mosheh and Aharon went, and gathered together all the elders of the sons of Israel. And Aharon spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken with Mosheh, and did the signs in the eyes of the people. And the people believed, and heard that the Lord had remembered the sons of Israel and that their bondage was manifest before Him; and they bowed themselves and worshipped. [JERUSALEM. And they kneeled down.]

V. And after this Mosheh and Aharon went in unto Pharaoh, and said, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Release My people, that they may make unto Me a festival in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, The name of the Lord is not made known to me, that I should receive His word to release Israel. I have not found written in the Book of the Angels the name of the Lord. Of Him I am not afraid, neither will I release Israel. And they said, The Name of the God of the Jehudaee is invoked by (or upon) us. We will go, then, to proceed three days into the desert, and offer the sacrifices of a festival before the Lord God, that death and slaughter befall us not. And the king of Mizraim said to Mosheh and Aharon, Why do you make the people cease from their labors? Go to your work. And Pharaoh said, Behold, this people of the land are many, whom you would stop from their service. And Pharaoh that day commanded the officers of the people and their exactors, saying, You shall no more give straw to the people to cast bricks as heretofore; let them go and collect straw for themselves; but the (same) number of bricks which they have heretofore made you shall lay upon them, and not diminish from it, because they are idle; therefore they clamor, saying, Let us go to offer the sacrifice of a festival before our God. Make their work strenuous upon the men, that they may be occupied with it, and not be setting their hopes upon lying words. And the officers and exactors of the people went forth, and said to the people, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw; you must go and take straw wherever you can find it; for your work will not in anywise be diminished. And the people were scattered abroad in all the land of Mizraim to gather stubble for the straw. But the officers were pressing, saying, Fulfill your work day by day, as you did when the straw was given you. And the exactors whom Pharaoh set over them as officers beat the sons of Israel, saying, Why have not you fulfilled your appointment, to cast (the same number of) bricks as heretofore, to-day as yesterday? And the foremen came, and cried before Pharaoh, saying, Why have you dealt thus with your servants? You have not given your servants the straw, and (yet) say they to us, Make the bricks; and, behold, they beat your servants, and the guilty treatment of your people is strong but it goes up! But he said, You are idle, idle: therefore you are saying, Let us go and offer the sacrifice of a festival before our God. And now, go, work; but the straw shall not be given you, yet the number of the bricks you shall produce. And the fore-men of the sons of Israel saw that they were in evil, (in his) saying, You are not to withhold the assignment of your bricks from day to day. And they met Mosheh and Aharon, who stood before them when they came out from the presence of Pharaoh, and they said to them, Our affliction is manifest before the Lord, but our punishment is from you who have made our smell offensive before Pharaoh and his servants; for you have occasioned a sword to be put into their hand to kill us. And Mosheh returned before the Lord, and said, O Lord, why have You done evil to this people, and wherefore have You sent me? From the hour that I went in unto Pharaoh to speak in Your name, this people have suffered evil, and in delivering You have not delivered them.

VI. And the Lord said unto Mosheh, Now have I seen what Pharaoh has done: for by a strong hand shall he release them, and with a strong hand will I Chase them forth from his land.

Midrash Tanhuma Yelammedenu

Sh’mot (Exodus): 4:18 – 6:1

16. And Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law (Exodus 4:18). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17). Who was this friend? It was Jethro, who welcomed Moses after he fled from Pharaoh. From this you learn that if anyone undertakes to perform a good deed (even if he does not do it), that good deed will never cease recurring in his home.

Jethro welcomed into his home a redeemer who had fled from his enemy, and so from his house there descended one who welcomed an enemy who was fleeing from a redeemer and slew him. Who was this enemy? Sisera, as it is said: Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite ... then Jael took a tent pin, etc. (Judges 4:17, 21). And it is also written: And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law (ibid. 1:16). Hence it says: A brother is born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17).

Two men welcomed two righteous men and were blessed because of them. At first they had no sons, but after these righteous men entered their homes and then departed, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them sons. These two were Laban and Jethro. If Laban had any sons of his own, would his daughters have been forced to shepherd his flock? The fact is that he had no sons, but after Jacob's arrival, he was blessed with property and sons, as it is written: And the Lord has blessed me for your sake (Gen. 30:27), and furthermore, it is written: And he heard the words of Laban's sons (ibid. 31:1). In this instance, it is written: Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters (Exod. 2:16). Is it likely that if he had sons his daughters would have been shepherdesses? No. Obviously, he had no sons. After Moses entered his house, however, he was blessed with sons, as it is written: And the sons of the Kenite, Moses's father-in law (Judg. 14:17).

At the time the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Come now, therefore, and I will send you unto Pharaoh (Exod. 3:10), Moses replied: "Master of the Universe, I cannot leave, for Jethro welcomed me and opened his home unto me, and I am like a son unto him." If one opens his door to his fellowmen, the latter owes him his very life. You find this occurred at the time Elijah visited the widow in Zarephath. After her son's death, he began to plead: O Lord my God, have You also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourned, by slaying her son? (I Kings 17:20). Whereupon, The Lord harkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back into him, and he revived (ibid., v. 22).

Furthermore, when a person welcomes another into his home he must treat the visitor with greater respect than he accords his own father and mother. You find that when Elijah said to Elisha: Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you (II Kings 2:9), Elisha replied: Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. Thereupon Elijah responded: You have asked a difficult thing; nevertheless, if you should see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so unto you; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and hordes of fire, which parted them both asunder (ibid., vv. 10-11). Surely it was Elisha's duty to visit his father and mother first in order to revive them, but instead he revived the son of his host, the Shunammite's son. Similarly Elijah should have revived his father, instead of reviving the son of (the widow of) Zarephath, but he risked his life in appreciation for her hospitality.

Thus, Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He: “Jethro welcomed me and treated me with kindness, I cannot leave without his permission.” Therefore, it is written: And Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father-in law (Exod. 4:18). And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian (ibid., v. 19). After He had spoken to him at the bush, He returned and spoke to him once again in Midian, since the matter was of such vital concern.

17. What is written prior to the episode in which Moses was keeping the flock? Many things are designated for certain purposes even before they are introduced into the world. Death was designated to enter the world, as it is said: And darkness was on the face of the deep (Gen. 1:2). This refers to the angel of death, who darkens the countenances of all creatures. Yet it is written: And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (ibid., v. 3), even though death already existed, as it is said: Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep (ibid., v. 2).

The Holy One, blessed be He, introduced death through the serpent, which had been predestined for that purpose, as it is said: Now the serpent was more subtle (ibid. 3:1). It was foreseen by the Holy One, blessed be He, that Adam would eat the apple and would die because of its subtlety, as it is written: For in the day that you eat thereof, you shall die (ibid., v. 3). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her (Eve): This is no mere parable. He was already destined for that end, as it is written: Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil (ibid., v. 22). In the future, a flood will descend upon the world, but Noah and his sons will escape, as it is written: Noah was a just man in his generation, etc. (ibid. 6:9). He foresaw that a righteous man would arise, and that the world would be preserved through him, and that after him Abraham would come, as it is written: Abraham was one (Ezek. 33:24).

Punishments were to be imposed in the future, and job was preordained in order that they might be introduced through him, as it is written: There was a man in the land of Uz (Job 1:1). Israel was destined to be sold in the days of Haman, but Mordecai was predestined to save them. Israel was destined to descend into servitude in Egypt, but Joseph was predestined to help them, as it is written: And Joseph was in Egypt (Exod. 1:5). Israel was ultimately to be redeemed from Egypt, and Moses was predestined to deliver them from bondage, as it is written: And Moses was keeping the flock.

18. And Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law (Exodus 4:18). Scripture states elsewhere: But he is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, even that He does (Job 23:13). R. Pappos explained this verse as follows: Because He is the Unique One in the world, no one can stay His hand. He does whatever He desires, for what His soul desires, even that He does. R. Akiba replied: By your life, Pappos, that is not the correct interpretation of this verse. Pappos then asked: What then is the meaning of He is at one with Himself and who can turn him? He replied: Just as men consult each other on earth, so the heavenly beings consult each other. How do we know that? It is written: The matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will, and sets it up over it the lowest of men (Dan. 4:14). In other words, just as men debate a law here on earth, so do those above, and every decision rendered is in accordance with the law, as it is said: Howbeit I will declare unto you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth (ibid. 10:2 1).

The Holy One, blessed be He, ponders the matter in question and asks: What should the law be? Whereupon they respond: It should be such-and-such. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees, as you may learn from Micaiah: And Micaiah said: "Therefore hear the word of the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left hand (I Kings 22:19). But is there actually a left hand on high? No; it means that those on the right (side of God) balance the scale on the side of merit, and those on the left balance the scale on the side of guilt. And the Lord said: "Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?" And one said: On this manner; another said: On that manner (ibid., v. 20). This teaches us that they considered every decision with regard to the law, and the Holy One, blessed be He, discussed the law with them.

What is meant by But He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? (Job 23:13). It means that after the law was determined, the Holy One, blessed be He, would enter the place in which they were not permitted to go and seal the judgment, as it is said: He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? That is, He knows the opinions of all His creatures, and there are none who could challenge His words.

Another comment on He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? Because He is the Unique One in the world, no one can challenge His words. You know this from the fact that though Jonah strove to avoid fulfilling his assignment, as it is said: And Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish (Jonah 1:1), the Holy One, blessed be He, said: We see one who is ready to flee but he goes (where he is commanded to go). So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord (ibid. 3:3).

Jeremiah said: I cannot speak, for I am a child (Jer. 1:6). However, the Holy One, blessed be He, replied to him: Say not: "I am a child" ;• for to whomsoever I shall send thee, thou shalt go (ibid.). He did not leave where he was until he went where he was commanded to go. Hence, And what His soul desires, even that He does. Moses said: Send, I pray, by the hand of him whom You wilt send (Exod. 14:13). And he did not depart until he went (where he was commanded to go).

And Moses went, and returned unto Jethro his father-in-law. Prior to this is written: And when the Lord saw that he returned to see ... and He said: "Moses, Moses" (Exod. 3:4). R. Abba the son of Kahana said: Everyone whose name is repeated in immediate succession experiences life in both worlds: Noah, Noah (Gen. 6:9); Abraham, Abraham (ibid. 22:11); Jacob, Jacob (ibid. 46:2); Moses, Moses (Exod. 3:4); Samuel, Samuel (I Sam. 3:10); Perez, Perez (Ruth 4:15). However, someone retorted: Is it not also written: These are the generations of Terah, Terah (Gen. 11:27). He replied: Even he had a portion in both worlds, for our patriarch Abraham was not buried until he was assured that his father, Terah, had repented, for it is said: But you shall go to your fathers in peace (ibid. 15:15). Abraham said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe: Shall I go to my fathers, though I have stored up good deeds in this world? The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: Be assured: Your father has repented. Hence his name was repeated.

21. And Jethro said to Moses: "Go for peace" (Exodus 3:18). You find that everyone about whom it is written Go for peace departs and returns in peace, and that everyone concerning whom it is said Go in peace departs but does not return (in peace). Jethro said to Moses: Go for Peace. And he departed and he returned in peace.

22. And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass (Exodus 4:20). This is one of the ten verses our rabbis altered when they translated the Torah into Greek for King Ptolemy [Megillah 9a. The Septuagint, begun during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 B.C.E.)]. The ten changes are: "God created in the beginning" (Gen. 1:1) [Instead of In the beginning God created, in order to emphasize that God alone created]; "I shall make man in My image and My likeness" (ibid., v. 26) [Instead of Let us make man in our image. Etc]; "And He finished on the sixth day, and rested on the seventh day (ibid. 2:2) [Instead of And on the seventh day God finished, thus giving the impression that God actually worked on the seventh day.]; "Male and female He created him" (ibid. 5:2) [Instead of Male and female He created them, etc.]; "Come, let Me descend and confound their tongue" (ibid. 11:7) [Instead of Come, let us go down, etc.]; "And Sarah laughed among her relatives" (ibid. 18:12) [Instead of And Sarah laughed within herself.]; "For in their anger they slew an ox, and in their wrath they dug up a stall" (ibid. 49:6) [Instead of For in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they houghed oxen]; "And Moses took his wife and his sons, and made them ride on a carrier of men" (Exod. 4:20) [Instead of... and set them upon an ass]; "Now the time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt, and in the land of Goshen and in Canaan was four hundred and thirty years" (ibid. 12:40) [Instead of Now the time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years, etc.]; "And he sent the elect of the children of Israel" (ibid. 24:5) [Instead of And he sent the young men of the children of Israel]; "And against the elect of the children of Israel he put not forth his hand (ibid., v. 11) [Instead of And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand.]; "Since the Lord your God has arranged to give light to all the peoples under the entire heavens" (Deut. 4:19) [The words "to give light" were added]; "Which I had not commanded the people to serve" (Deut. 17:3) [Instead of Which I have commanded not]; they wrote about "the slender-footed," but they did not write the word `arnevet ("the hare") (Lev. 11:5) because the name of Ptolemy's wife was `Arnevet [Actually, her name was Arsinoe.], and he might say: "The Jews are ridiculing me by writing my wife's name in the Torah."

23. And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass (Exodus 4:20). The singular form ass is employed here, as when a man says: "Lead out the animal" (though he may have many). And Moses took the rod of God in his hand (ibid.). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Take this rod in your hand, for with it you will be able to perform any miracle you desire. He struck the Nile with it, as it is said: And your rod, wherewith you smote the river, take in your hand (Exod. 17:5). Sometimes Scripture calls it the rod of the Lord and at other times your rod.

And the Lord said unto Moses: When you go (ibid. 4:2 1). The Holy One, blessed be He, revealed all the miracles to him, all the signs and wonders it would perform. He asked him: What is in your hand? (ibid. 2). A rod (ibid.), he replied. Cast it to the ground (ibid., v. 3), said the Holy One, blessed be He, and it will become a snake. Why a snake and not something else? Moses asked. He replied: Just as a snake bites and destroys, so the Egyptians bite and destroy the Israelites. After that He turned it into a tree, for the Egyptians were to become like a withered tree. Now, place your hand into your bosom (ibid., v. 6), He told him. When he withdrew it, his hand was leprous, for just as leprosy is impure, so the Egyptians were impure and were making the Israelites impure. When he replaced his hand in his bosom the flesh returned to normal. Thus shall I cleanse the Israelites from the impurities of Egypt. said the Holy One. Even as when you smote the water of the river and it turned into blood, so shall I afflict the Egyptians with the plague of blood.

Another comment on this matter. Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He: But perhaps they will not believe me, nor hearken to my voice (Exod. 4:1). And He said: What is that in your hand? (ibid., v. 2). The word is written as mazeh ("what is this?"), but it may be read as mi-zeh ("with this"): "With this that is in your hand you will be punished [Indicating that he would be punished for striking the rock with the rod (see Num. 20:7-13)], for you have spoken slanderously against My children, just as the serpent spoke slanderously." And He said: For God does know (Gen. 3:5) that My son's children are believers, and the descendants of believers. They are believers, because it is written: And the people believed (Exod. 4:31), and the descendants of believers, because it is written: And he believed in the Lord (Gen. 15:6). Just as I smote the snake with leprosy, so you shall be smitten by it, place your hand in your bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom; and behold, when he withdrew it, it was leprous and as white as snow (Exod. 4:6). And if it shall come to pass that they do not believe you (ibid., v. , 8), then you shall smite the waters of the Nile and they shall turn into blood. This was also a sign to him that he would be judged in the future because of water, as it is said: Out of the rock, etc. (Gen. 20:8).

24. And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel (Exodus 4:29). He told them: The Holy One, blessed be He, has said: I have surely remembered you (Exod. 3:16). This was a sign that was transmitted to them from the days of Abraham and Isaac. Jacob had transmitted it to Joseph when he told him: "Every redeemer who comes and says to you I have surely remembered is a truthful redeemer." And when Moses came and said I have surely remembered, the people believed him forthwith. Moses and Aaron said to them: "Come with us and we will go unto Pharaoh." At first the elders of Israel accompanied them, but later they slipped away singly, and then in pairs. When they arrived at Pharaoh's palace, not a single person who had accompanied them, could be found, as it is written: And afterwards Moses and Aaron came (Exod. 5:1).

What happened to the elders who had accompanied them? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Because you slipped away, be assured, I will exact retribution from you. When did that occur? At the time that Moses and Aaron went up to Mount Sinai with the elders to receive the Torah. The Holy One, blessed be He, kept them away, as it is said: And unto the elders, He said: "Tarry ye here for us until we come back unto you" (ibid. 24:14). In this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, you shall not witness the glory of the Torah, but in the world-to-come, I will reveal unto you the light of the glory of the Torah, as it is said: Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed (Isaiah 24:23).

25. And the Lord said to Aaron: "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses" (Exodus 4:27). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: God thunders marvelously with His voice; great things does He, which we cannot comprehend (Job 37:5). What is meant by God thunders marvelously with His voice? When the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah at Sinai, He revealed untold marvels to Israel through His voice. In what way did He do that? The Holy One, blessed be He, spoke, and His voice reverberated throughout the entire world. When Israel heard the sound of His voice, it appeared at first to come from the south, and so they ran to the south to receive the voice. In the south the sound appeared to reverse itself and to emanate from the north, whereupon they ran to the north. In the north it shifted as though it came from the east, and so they hastened to the east to await the voice; then it appeared to shift once more from the east to the west, and they ran to the west. In the west, it turned about as though it came from the heavens, but when they lifted their eyes toward heaven, it seemed to come from the earth. Whereupon they looked toward the earth, as it is said: Out of heaven He made you to hear His voice, that He might instruct you; and upon the earth He made you to see His great fire; and, you did hear His words out of the midst of the fire (Deut. 4:36).

The Israelites said to one another: But wisdom, where shall it be found? And where is the place of understanding. The deep says: "It is not in me"; and the sea says: "It is not with me." Destruction and death say: "We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears" (Job 28:12, 14, 22).

The Israelites asked: From where does the Holy One, blessed be He, come – is it from the east, the west, the north, or the south? After all, it is said: And he said: The Lord comes from Sinai (Deut. 33:2), And also: God comes from Teman (Hab. 3:3), And all the people perceived the thunderings (Exod. 20:15). The verse does not say "perceived the thunder," but rather the thunderings. R. Johanan explained this as follows: The sound went forth and divided itself, at first, into seven sounds. These sounds in turn became seventy different languages, so that all nations might comprehend (what was being said). When each nation heard His voice in its own language they fainted away, but Israel listened to it and was unharmed.

How did the voice go forth? R. Tanhuma declared: It went forth in a dual role, destroying the nations that would not accept the Torah and giving life to Israel, which accepted the Torah. Thus Moses said to them at the end of the forty years: For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? (Deut. 5:23); that is to say, only you have heard His voice and have lived, while other nations heard it and perished.

Observe that His voice went forth to each Israelite in accordance with the individual's capacity to receive it. The elders, the men, the youths, the little ones, the suckling, each heard it according to his own capacity. Even Moses heard it according to his capacity, as it is said: Moses spoke, and God answered him by (with) a voice (Exod. 19:19); that is, with a voice that Moses was able to comprehend. Thus, it says: The voice of the Lord was powerful with strength (Ps. 29:1). "With His strength" is not written in this verse, but rather with strength, that is, according to the strength of each individual (to tolerate the sound). Even the pregnant women heard it in accordance with their strength. Therefore it says: Each one of them according to their strength.

R. Yose the son of Hanina stated: If you are amazed at this remember, that the manna descended for each Israelite with a taste that varied according to the needs of each individual. The young men, for instance, ate it as bread, as it is said: Behold, I will cause to rain bread from heaven for you (Exod. 16:4); the elders ate it as wafers of honey, as it is said: And the taste of it was like wafers made with honey (ibid., v. 31); the suckling, as milk from the breasts of their mothers, as is said: And the taste of it was as the taste of a cake baked with oil (Num. 11:8);32 for the ill, as fine flour mixed in honey, as it is said: You did eat fine flour, and honey, and oil (Exod. 16:13); and the gentiles who tasted it found it as bitter as coriander seed, as is said: Now the manna was like coriander seed (Num. 11:7).

R. Yose the son of Hanina stated further that just as the manna, which was actually of one kind, could change into different kinds (tastes), because of the requirements of each of them, so could the voice that went forth change for each of them according to the individual's ability to hear it, so that no harm might befall him. Whence do we know that the voice divided itself into many sounds? It is said: And all the people perceived the thunderings. The plural thunderings is written, and not the singular "thundering." Therefore, God thunders marvelously with His voice (Job 37:5).

26. Another explanation of God thunders marvelously with his voice (Job 37:5). When did the Holy One, blessed be He, perform these miracles with His voice? He did so at the time he wished to send Moses to Pharaoh to redeem the Israelites from Egypt. When Moses was in Midian, he was afraid to go to Pharaoh, so the Lord revealed Himself to him and told him: Go, return into Egypt (Exod. 4:19). These words divided themselves into two distinct sounds and took two different forms. Moses heard the voice in Midian saying: Go return into Egypt, and Aaron heard it saying: Go, meet Moses (ibid., v. 27), while those in between heard nothing at all. Hence, God thundes marvelously, etc.

27. Another comment upon the verse And the Lord said to Aaron: "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses" (Exodus 4:27). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: O that you were as my brother (Song 8:1). The Israelites said to the Holy One, blessed be He: O that you wert as my brother, yet you find that all brothers hated each other. Cain hated Abel, as it is said: And Cain rose up against Abel his brother (Gen. 4:8). Ishmael hated Isaac, as is said: And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, making sport (Gen. 21:9). Making sport implies, in this instance, that he wanted to kill him, as it is said: Let the young men, I pray, arise and make sport before us (II Sam. 2:14). Esau hated Jacob, as is said: And Esau said in his heart, etc. (Gen. 27:41). And the tribes hated Joseph, as it is said: And they hated him (Gen. 37:4). But in this instance the Israelites asked of the Holy One, blessed be He: Do you mean like Moses and Aaron, of whom it is said: Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity (Ps. 133:1)? They loved and cherished each other. At the time that Moses took the kingship and Aaron the priesthood, they bore no resentment toward each other. In fact, they rejoiced in each other's exalted role.

A proof of this is that when the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to go to Pharaoh as His messenger, he replied: O Lord, send, I pray, by the hand of him whom You wilt send (Exod. 4:13). Put out of your mind the thought that Moses was distressed because he was not willing to go. That is not so. He actually was concerned about Aaron's prestige. Moses said: Before I was designated (to go), my brother Aaron prophesied in Egypt for them for eighty years, as it is written: And I made known to them in the land of Egypt (Exod. 20:5). How do we know that Aaron prophesied for them in Egypt? We know this from the verse: And there came a man of God unto Eli and said unto him: "Thus says the Lord: Did I reveal Myself unto the house of your father, when they were in Egypt?" (I Sam. 2:27). It was for this reason that Moses said: Throughout all these years my brother prophesied, and if I should now intrude into his area (of service) he will be deeply distressed. That is why Moses did not wish to go. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied to Moses: Aaron will not be offended. In fact, not only will he not be displeased, but he will rejoice. You know this is so, for He said to him: And also, behold, he comes forth to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart (Exod. 4:14). It does not say "he will be glad with his mouth" or simply "he will be glad," but rather, he will glad to see him, in his heart.

R. Simeon the son of Yohai said: The heart that rejoices in the importance of his brother will ultimately rejoice in his own role, and as it is said: And you shall put on the breastplate of judgment, the Urim and Thummin; and they shall be put upon Aaron's heart (ibid. 28:13). Therefore, Behold, he comes forth to meet you implies that when he told him that (Aaron would be glad) he agreed to go. Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself unto Aaron and said to him: Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. Hence, O that you were as my brother refers to the kind of brothers Moses and Aaron were to each other. When I would find you without, I would kiss you (Song 8:1) indicates that he met him at the mountain of the Holy One, blessed be He, and kissed him.

28. Go into the wilderness to meet Moses (Exodus 4:27). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other (Ps. 85:11). Mercy refers to Aaron, as it is said: And of Levi he said: Your Thummin and Your Urim be with your Merciful One (Deut. 33:8). While truth alludes to Moses, as is said: He is trusted in all My house (Num. 12:7). Hence, Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Righteousness refers to Moses, as it is said: He executed the righteousness of the Lord (Deut. 33:21), while peace applies to Aaron, as is said: He walked with Me in peace and righteousness (Mal. 11:6).

Have kissed each other (Ps. 85:11) tells us that he kissed him. Our rabbis teach us that all but three kinds of kisses are frivolous. Those not frivolous are the kiss of parting, the kiss of homage, (and) the kiss of reunion. How do we know about the kiss of parting? From the fact that it is written: And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law Ruth (Ruth 1:14); the kiss of homage we know from what is written: Then Samuel took the vial of oil, poured it upon his head, and kissed him (I Sam. 10:1); we know about the kiss of reunion because it is written: And he went, and met him in the mountain of God and kissed him (Exod. 2:27).

29. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord (Exodus 4:29). Moses began to reveal to him everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, had told him, and that he was to go perform the miracles. Whereupon the two of them went to the elders, as it is said: And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel (Exod. 4:39). The elders are always held responsible for the survival of Israel. That is why Scripture says: And all Israel, and their elders and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side (Josh. 8:33). When do (the people of) Israel survive? When they have elders among them. Thus, when the Temple was erected, they consulted the elders, as is said: Ask your father, and he will declare unto you, your elders, and they will tell you (Deut. 32:7). Any one who consults his elders will not blunder. This is confirmed in the episode wherein Benhadad sent messengers to the king of Israel. "Thus says Benhadad: Your silver and your gold is mine; your wives also, and your children, even the goodliest are mine." The king of Israel answered and said: "It is according to your saying, my lord, O king; I am yours, and all that I have" (I Kings 20:3). Later He sent another messenger to him saying: But I will send my servants unto you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house, and the houses of your servants, and it shall be that whatsoever is pleasant in your eyes, they shall put it in their hand and take it away (I Kings 20:6). Does this verse imply that the things he (Ben-hadad) demanded at first were not desirable? He had asked for silver and gold, and surely they are desirable, as it is said: And the choicest things of all nations shall come (Hag. 2:7). He had demanded women, and that, indeed, is good to possess, as it is said: Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes in a plague (Ezek. 24:16) [i.e. Ezekiel’s wife was taken from him]. He desired their children, and they surely are precious, as is said: Yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb (Hos. 9:6). The fact is that everything he wanted was desirable. What, then, is meant by And it shall be that whatsoever is pleasant in your eyes? It refers to that which is most pleasant, the Torah, as it is said: More to be desired are they then gold, yea, then much fine gold (Ps. 19:11).

When the king of Israel heard these words, he said: This matter does not concern me alone. The elders must make the decision. Thereupon, the king of Israel assembled all the elders of the land and said: "Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeks mischief,- for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not." And all the elders and all the people said unto him: "Hearken you not, neither consent" (I Kings 20:8). He followed the advice of the elders, and the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Arameans with a great slaughter (ibid., v. 21). Therefore, one must always consult with elders. And thus it is written: Moses . . . and Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel (Lev. 9:1).

R. Akiba said: Why is Israel likened to a bird? Just as a bird cannot fly without wings, so Israel cannot survive without its elders. The influence of the elders is exceedingly great; if they are old, they are beloved by the Holy One, blessed be He, and if they are young, the children are attracted to them.

R. Simeon the son of Yohai taught: In numerous places we learn that the Holy One, blessed be He, paid homage to the elders. At the thorn-bush, since it is written: Go, and gather the elders of Israel (Exod. 3:16). And that is followed by: And they shall hearken unto your voice. And you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt (ibid., v. 18). At Sinai, as it is written: And unto Moses he said: "Come up unto the Lord, you, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel" (ibid. 24:1). In the Tent of Meeting whither Moses called Aaron, his sons, and the elders of Israel (Lev. 9:1). In the time-to-come, as it is said: For the Lord of hosts will reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His elders shall be glory (Isa. 24:23).

R. Abin declared: In the future the Holy One, blessed be He, will establish the elders of Israel as a court, and He will appoint their head as chief judge of the Bet Din, and with them will judge the heathens, as it is said: The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and the princes thereof (ibid. 3:14). It is not written "over the elders of His people" but with the elders of His people. That is, He will sit with them and judge the heathens. What will He say to them? You have eaten up the vineyard, namely, Israel, as it is said: For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel (Isa. 5:7); The spoil of the poor is in your houses (ibid. 3:14), for it is said: That the Lord has founded Zion, and in her shall the poor of His people take refuge (ibid. 14:32).

It was customary for kings to preside in a circular court room, as it says: And now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in a threshing floor (I Kings 22:10). Did they actually sit on a threshing floor? No. We have learned that the Sanhedrin met in a semicircle, in order that each member might be able to see the others, while the two scribes sat before them to write down the testimony. Solomon said: I see him sitting with them and judging in their midst, as it is said: Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land (Prov. 31:23).

Ashlamatah: 2 Samuel 15:7-15, 37

7 And it came to pass at the end of forty years, that Absalom said unto the king: 'I pray, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron.

8 For your servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Aram, saying: If the LORD shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.'

9 And the king said unto him: 'Go in peace.' So he arose, and went to Hebron. {P}

10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying: 'As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, then you shall say: Absalom is king in Hebron.'

11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were invited, and went in their simplicity; and they knew not any thing.

12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

13 And there came a messenger to David, saying: 'The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.'

14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem: 'Arise, and let us flee; for else none of us shall escape from Absalom; make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.'

15 And the king's servants said unto the king: 'Behold, your servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall choose.'

16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, that were concubines, to keep the house.

17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him; and they tarried in Beth-merhak.

18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed on before the king. {S}

19 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite: 'Wherefore do you also go with us? Return, and abide with the king; for you are a foreigner, and also an exile from your own place.

20 Whereas you came but yesterday, should I this day make you go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I may? Return, and take back your brethren with you in kindness and truth.'

21 And Ittai answered the king, and said: 'As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, even there also will your servant be.'

22 And David said to Ittai: 'Go and pass over.' And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.

23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, as all the people passed over; and as the king passed over the brook Kidron, all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.

24 And, lo, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down the ark of God--but Abiathar went up--until all the people had done passing out of the city. {S}

25 And the king said unto Zadok: 'Carry back the ark of God into the city; if I shall find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back, and show me both it, and His habitation;

26 but if He say thus: I have no delight in you; behold, here am I, let Him do to me as seems good unto Him.' {S}

27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest: 'See? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

28 See, I will tarry in the plains of the wilderness, until there come word from you to announce unto me.'

29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem; and they abode there. 30 And David went up by the ascent of the mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered, and went barefoot; and all the people that were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

31 And one told David, saying: 'Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.' And David said: 'O LORD, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.'

32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the ascent, where God was wont to be worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head.

33 And David said unto him: 'If you pass on with me, then you will be a burden unto me;

34 but if you return to the city, and say unto Absalom: I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so will I now be your servant; then wilt you defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

35 And have you not there with you Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing so ever you shall hear out of the king's house, you shall tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

36 Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them you shall send unto me every thing that you shall hear.'

37 So Hushai David's friend came into the city; and Absalom was at the point of coming into Jerusalem. {S}

Ketubim Targum Psalm 44

1. For praise; for David, composed by the sons of Korah, good discernment.

2. O Lord, with our ears we have heard, our fathers have told us of the deed You did in their days, in the days of old. {N}

3. You drove out the Canaanite Gentiles with your mighty hand; and you planted them, the house of Israel, in their land; you broke the peoples and sent them away. {N}

4. For they did not inherit the land by the strength of their swords, and the might of their arms did not redeem them, for [it was] Your right hand, and Your strong arm and the light of Your glorious splendor; for whenever they occupied themselves with the Torah, You were pleased with them. {N}

5. You are my king, O God; at this time command the redemption of the house of Jacob.

6. At Your command we will gore our oppressors; in Your name we will subdue all who rise against us.

7. For I do not trust in my bow, and my sword will not redeem me.

8. For You have redeemed us from our oppressors and from those who hate us, You have brought shame upon them.

9. By the Word of the Lord we sing praise all day; and your Name we will confess forever and ever.

10. Only You have neglected [us] and put us to shame; and Your presence will not abide with our forces.

11. You have made us turn our back in the presence of our enemies, and those who hate us have subdued us.

12. You have handed us over like sheep for food, and You have scattered us among the Gentiles.

13. You sold your people for nothing, for no money; and You did not increase property by their exchange.

14. You have made us a disgrace to our neighbors, a mockery and scandal to our surroundings.

15. You have made us a proverb among the Gentiles, a shaking of the head among the nations.

16. All the day my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face.

17. From the sound of the reviler and vilifier, from the presence of the enemy and revenge-taker;

18. All this has come upon us, yet we have not neglected You, and we have not been false to Your covenant.

19. We will not turn back hesitating, our hearts being proud, but You have diverted our steps from the straightness of the path.

20. For You have humbled us in a place of jackals, and You have covered us with the shadow of death.

21. If we have neglected the Name of our God and spread our hands in prayer to an idol of foreign nations –

22. Truly God will search this out, for He knows the hidden things of the heart.

23. For on Your account we are killed all the day; we are accounted as sheep handed over for slaughter.

24. Act mightily; why will You be like a sleeping man, O Lord? Arouse Yourself, do not forever be forgetful.

25. Why will You remove Your glorious presence, why neglect our shame and oppression?

26. For our soul is bent to the dust; our bowels cleave to the bottom of the pit.

27. Arise, help us, and redeem us, for the sake of Your goodness. {P}

Ketubim Midrash Psalm 44

1. For the leader; a Psalm o f the sons o f Korah. Maschil. O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what work You did in their days, in the times of old (Ps. 44:1-2).

These words are to be considered in the light of what Scripture says elsewhere: He ... led them by the right hand of Moses with His glorious arm ... to make Himself an everlasting Name (Isa. 63:12). From this you learn that when the children of Israel went forth from Egypt, they could not offer any works of their hands whereby they might be redeemed. And so, not because of the works of their fathers,' and not because of their own works, was the sea rent before them, but only that God might make Himself a name in the world. As the next verse says, As the cattle that go down into the valley, the spirit o f the Lord caused them to rest; so didst You lead Your people, to make Yourself a glorious name (ibid. 63:x4). When the children of Israel were redeemed from Egypt, Moses said: Not because of your works are you redeemed, but only That you may tell in the ears of your son (Ex. 10:2), that is, only that you may give the Holy One, blessed be He, the glory of having His children declare His praise among the Gentiles. Hence it is said O sing unto the Lord a new song ... Declare His glory among the nations (Ps. 96:1, 3). And what is His glory? That His children declare His glory among the Gentiles. Therefore it is said Declare His glory among the nations; and so too the sons of Korah said: O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us.

But did not the sons of Korah themselves go out of Egypt, as is said The sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph (Ex. 6:24)? Then why did they say: We have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us? Because they prophesied concerning present generations, who say to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, You did wonders for our fathers, wilt You not do them for us?

Thus the next verse You did a deed ... in the days of old (Ps. 44:2) means that the present generations say: "What a work did You perform in bringing them forth out of Egypt and dividing the sea for them! But You have not done the like for us!" As Scripture says, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us (Ps. 115:1): You did it for them, but not for us. What does it profit us what You did for our fathers? When shall the profit be ours? When You will work a good sign for us, as is said Work in my behalf a sign for good (Ps. 86:17).

You did a great work for former generations in the days of Abraham. And what was the great work? The night itself contended against them (Gen. 14:15). You did a great work for Abraham's children also. You did show favor unto them, but You show no favor unto us; as Scripture says, Lord, You have been favorable unto Your land ... Show us Your mercy, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation (Ps. 85:2,8). For when the children of Israel went forth out of Egypt, they entered into the land, not by their own might, and got possession of it, not by their own strength, but because You with Your hand did Chase out the nations (Ps. 44:3)- Should you say it was by their own works' which were good, note that Scripture says, And I said unto their children in the wilderness: Walk not in the statutes of your fathers, etc. (Ezek. 20:18), and also says, I said unto them: Cast away every man the detestable things of his eyes (Ezek. 20:7). And lest you should say it was by their swords, note that Scripture says, For they got not the land in possession by their own sword (Ps. 44:4) and concludes But by Your right hand, and Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You were favorable unto them (ibid.), for God went before them by day. You were favorable unto them, but You are not favorable unto us.

God said: "Indeed, I shall be favorable unto you also." And of this the sons of Korah were to say, Lord, You have been favorable unto Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob (Ps.85:2).

2. For our soul is bowed down to the dust (Ps. 44:26). According to R. Isaac, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham: I will make your seed as the dust of the earth (Gen. 13:16); and He continued, Arise, walk through the land in the length of it, and in the breadth of it; for unto you will I give it (ibid. 13:17); therefore Scripture, after saying Our soul is bowed down to the dust, continues with the words Arise for our help, and redeem us for Your mercy's sake -that is, "If we have good works, redeem us, but if we do not have good works, redeem us for Your name's sake," as is said redeem us for Your mercy's sake (Ps. 44:27).

R. Berechiah said: When the kingdom [of Israel] is so far fallen that it is become like dust, look, as from a watch tower, for deliverance.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: "Make your good works blossom like the lily, and I shall redeem you forthwith." And what follows at once is For Him who gives victory because of lilies (Shoshannim)(Psalm 45:1).

Midrash of Matityahu

(Matthew) 7:24-29

15. ¶ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in wool like sheep, but inside they are wolves who extort.

16. You will fully recognize them by their works. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

17. Even so, every healthy (green) tree bears good fruit [worthy of admiration], but the dried-up (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit.

18. A good (green) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a dried-up (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration].

19. Every tree that is not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

20. Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits, that is, their works.

21. Not everyone who says to me, Master, Master, will enter the government (kingdom) of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in the heavens.

22. Many will say to me on that day, Master, Master, have we not prophesied in your name (authority) and Chasen out demonic forces in your name (authority) and done many mighty signs (miracles) in your name (authority)?

23. And then I will say to them openly (publicly), “I never knew you; depart from me (cf. Psalm 6:9), you who act wickedly [disregarding G-d’s commandments].”

24. ¶ Therefore. Whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, is like a sagacious man who built his house into bedrock.

25. The rain came down, and the floods came, and the wind blew and beat upon the house. Yet, it did not fall, because its foundation was bedrock.

26. And everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon sand.

27. When the rain came down and the floods came and the wind blew and beat on that house ity fell, and its fall was great.

28. ¶ When Yeshuah had concluded these sayings, the congregation in the Bet K’nesset (Synagogue) was astonished at the abundant goodness of his guidance.

29. For he was expounding Midrash to them with great power, not like the rest of the scribes of the Sadducees.

Pirqe Abot

“All Israel have a share in the World to Come, as it is stated: And your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever; they are the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, in which to glorify Me” (Isaiah 60:21).

Pirqe Abot III:5-6

Mishnah 5

Rabbi Yishmael ben Rabbi Yosei says: "He who studies Torah in order to teach is given the opportunity to study and teach; and he who studies in order to practice is given the opportunity to study and teach, to observe and to practice."

Rabbi Tzadok says: "Do not separate yourself from the community, and do not act as a counselor [when sitting as a judge]. Do not make it [the Torah] a crown for self-aggrandizement, nor an axe with which to cut."

So too Hillel used to say: "He who exploits the crown [of Torah for his own ends] shall perish." Indeed, you have learned from this that whoever derives personal gain from the words of Torah removes his life from the world.

“He who studies Torah in order to teach, is given the opportunity to study and teach; and he who studies in order to practice is given the opportunity to study and teach, to observe and to practice.” (4:5) QUESTION: How does the reward relate to the person's deed?

ANSWER: The first clause of the Mishnah is talking of one who takes time from his own studies in order to teach others. Though there are only a certain number of hours in a day, and normally a person's capabilities are limited, Ha-Shem will help him that in the limited time he has, he will manage to be able to learn himself and also teach. Thus, his reward is that he will not lose anything through the time he gives up for the benefit of others.

The second clause is about the one who studies and is also engaged in la'asot — doing gemilut chassadim — acts of kindness. Such a person will merit not just to study, but also to teach and not only will he do but also teach and encourage others to observe and do. The advantage of Torah study together with doing acts of kindness is evident from what the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 18a) says concerning the Sages Rabbah and Abaye. They both descended from the House of Eli the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) against whom a decree was issued that all his male descendants would die as young men (see I Samuel ch. 2). Rabbah who engaged in Torah study lived for forty years and Abaye who engaged in both Torah study and acts of kindness lived for sixty years.

"Nor an axe with which to cut." (4:5) QUESTION: The intent is that Torah should not serve as the means by which one earns a livelihood. Why is this implied in such an obscure way?

ANSWER: There are people who use their knowledge to argue with and disprove the innovations of other scholars. For instance, when a renowned Torah personality visits a community and is invited to deliver a Talmudic discourse, these people like to show off their knowledge and attempt to stump the lecturer. They endeavor to prove that the lecturer is not so great because they have confronted him with a question which he cannot answer to their satisfaction.

The Mishnah warns of two things:

Do not make Torah a crown for self aggrandizement, i.e. do not study Torah with the intent that you be recognized and honored by the populace as a great Torah scholar.

Do not use your Torah knowledge as a tool with which to "chop down" others and diminish their stature.

According to some versions, the wording of the Mishnah is, "Velo kardum lachpor bo" — "Nor an axe with which to dig." A difficulty with this is that a spade is used for digging and not an axe? (See Tiferet Yisrael.)

The word "lachpor" can also mean "to cause humiliation and embarrassment," as the prophet says, "Vechafrah halevanah uboshah hachamah" — "The moon will be humiliated and the sun will be shamed" (Isaiah 24:23). Thus, the message is that one must not use the Torah as a means to "axe" another scholar and humiliate him. Torah scholars should protect the honor and integrity of one another, and one should never try to prove his greatness at another's expense.

"He who exploits the crown [of Torah for his own ends] shall perish." (4:5) QUESTION: How is such a harsh punishment "measure for measure"?

ANSWER: The word "chalaf" can mean "exchange," as in the word "chalifin," which means "acquiring something through exchange."

The proper way is that a person should keep Torah in high regard and not exploit it for his own benefit. When the person deviates from the norm and uses Torah for personal gain, "chalaf" — he has changed the proper order of things. Hence, the Torah which is "a tree of life for those who hold fast to it" (Proverbs 3:18), also changes its way, bringing the person the opposite of life.

Mishnah 6

Rabbi Yose says: "Whoever honors the Torah is himself given honor by men, and whoever dishonors the Torah is himself dishonored by men."

"Rabbi Yose says, Whoever honors the Torah is himself given honor by men." (4:6) QUESTION: Why is it significant that Rabbi Yose is the author of this statement? Why did he talk about "gufo" — "the physical self" and not "nishmato" — "the spiritual self"? Also, instead of "beriyot" — "creatures" — he should have said "benei adam" — "people"?

ANSWER: The Midrash Rabbah (Beresheet 68:4) relates that a Roman matron asked Rabbi Yose some questions about Ha-Shem's activities, and his reply to her was polite, and logical and accompanied by proofs from Torah. Though her questions were in no way related to the seven Noachide laws, and thus, he perhaps halachically did not have to entertain her questions at all, nevertheless, he replied in order so that she not formulate a negative attitude towards Torah. In fact, in the end she admitted, "There is no G-d like your G-d, your Torah is indeed beautiful and praiseworthy, and you spoke the truth."

The term "beriyot" — "creatures" — includes people who lack any specific virtues, and also non-Jews. The only redeeming quality they posses is that they are Ha-Shem's creatures.

Rabbi Yose is teaching that everyone should promote the honor of the Torah in the eyes of all people, even non-Jews. When a person endeavors to see that all men honor the Torah, he in turn will receive honor from all people, even those who are merely Ha-Shem's creations. Moreover, since such individuals have no conception of spiritual things, the honor they give him will be directed towards "gufo" — "his physical person" — the dimension to which they relate.

"Whoever honors the Torah." (4:6) QUESTION: How does one honor Torah?

ANSWER: According to Rashi, this includes not putting a Sefer Torah on a bench where people are sitting. (Incidentally, one should also not sit on a bench on which there is any Sefer — Yoreh Dei'ah 282:7.)

According to Tiferet Yisrael it means maintaining Torah books in good condition, binding them when they tear, and returning them to the shelf after use.

According to the Abarbanel it means that the Torah scholar should be careful about his appearance. When a Talmid Chacham is dirty or shabbily dressed, people lose their respect for Torah and speak disparagingly about Torah scholars (see Shabbat 114a).

According to Mei'iri it means that the Torah scholar should be of refined character, so that people will admire him and in turn have respect for Torah when they realize its influence on those who study it.

"Whoever honors the Torah is himself given honor by men." (4:6) QUESTION: Instead of "beriyot" — "creatures" — it should have said "anashim" — "people"?

ANSWER: Honoring the Torah means living according to authentic Torah teachings and conducting oneself in an upright and proper manner. One who does not follow Torah precepts and who does not fulfill the mitzvoth (commandments) is, in a sense, desecrating Torah.

The term "beriyot" also includes non-Jews; they, too, are His creatures. The Mishnah is assuring that by honoring Torah one will be honored and held in high esteem even by non-Jews. An upright non-Jew will have high regard for the Jew whom he sees adhering to his religious principles tenaciously and who is meticulous and consistent in his duties to Ha-Shem. On the other hand, he has little respect for the Jew who is unfaithful to Torah and non-observant of the mitzvoth (commandments). The assimilated and "wishy-washy" Jew does not rate high in his estimation and is viewed with disdain.

Once on a Shabbat a very wealthy Jew was riding in his limousine chauffeured by his black Chaser through the streets of a Chassidic community. When he noticed bearded people in Chassidic garb, he asked his chauffeur if he knew who these people are. The chauffeur told him, "They are Jews." Suddenly, from the back seat he said to his chauffeur, "I do not know if you are aware of it, but I am also Jewish." The black chauffeur turned back and innocently said, "But they are real Jews."

Commentary

For the last 30 years I have labored in this work, and at times of solitude and when feeling alone I have asked G-d, most blessed be He, many times if the labor has been in vain. Yet a small still voice within me repeated the famous words of the Mishanic Tractate of Pirqe Abot “for this you were created.” And so one consoles oneself and goes back to work. However, now and then Ha-Shem, most blessed be He, opens a little window that brings about a realization of the greater picture. This week I was favored by G-d, to read a most wholesome article that within summarizes what both my colleague His Honor Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and myself have been teaching over these years either by speech, classes, tracts, study-guides, or articles in the Internet (cf. http://www.betemunah.org/ ).

This week I was referred to a great article in the Internet entitled: “Not Subject to the Law of God?” –

http://www.yashanet.com/library/underlaw.htm . Please do read this most excellent article and understand that we are not alone in this holy work which the Holy One, most blessed be He has entrusted to us, and to all men and women of good will.

The above article from Yashanet is most important for it serves as corroboration to what the Midrash Tehillim (Midrash on the Psalms) states for this week on Psalm 44, as well as to debunk the Christian myth and anti-Semitic claim that the Jews and the Torah teach salvation by works and not by faith (Hebrew Emunah). I hope and pray that you enjoy this article as much as I have this week.

Shabbat:	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה
“Vayelekh Mosheh”	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 4:18-26	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 6:2-9
“And Moses went”	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 4:27-29	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 6:10-12
“Y se fue Moisés”	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 4:30 – 5:1	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 6:2-12
Sh’mot (Exodus) 4:18 – 6:1	Reader 4 – Sh’mot 5:2-8
2 Samuel 15:7-15, 37	Reader 5 – Sh’mot 5:9-13
Tehillim (Psalms) 44	Reader 6 – Sh’mot 5:14-17	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 6:13-19
	Reader 7 – Sh’mot 5:18 – 6:1	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 6:20-25
Pirke Abot Introd + III:5	Maftir – Sh’mot 5:22 – 6:1	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 6:13-25
Matityahu 7:24-29	2 Samuel 15:7-15, 37