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© 2009
E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com
Triennial
Cycle (Triennial Torah Cycle) / Septennial Cycle (Septennial Torah Cycle)
|
Three and 1/2 year
Lectionary Readings |
First Year
of the Reading Cycle |
|
Sivan 21, 5769 – 12/13 June ,
2009 |
First Year
of the Shmita Cycle |
Candle Lighting
and Havdalah Times:
|
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 8:30 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 9:32 PM |
San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 8:16 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 9:15 PM |
|
Baton Rouge & Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S. Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 7:49 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 8:49 PM |
Sheboygan
& Manitowoc, Wisconsin US Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 8:15 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 9:28 PM |
|
Bowling Green & Murray, Kentucky, U.S. Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 7:48 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 8:52 PM |
Brisbane, Australia Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 4:42 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 5:38 PM |
|
Chattanooga,
& Cleveland Tennessee, US Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 8:37 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 9:40 PM |
Bucharest, Romania Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 8:42 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 9:56 PM |
|
Miami, Florida, US Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 7:54 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 8:51 PM |
Jakarta, Indonesia Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 5:28 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 6:19 PM |
|
New London, Connecticut USA Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 7:56 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 9:05 PM |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 7:04 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 7:56 PM |
|
Olympia, Washington, U.S. Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 8:49 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 10:08 PM |
Manila
& Cebu, Philippines Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 6:07 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 7:00 PM |
|
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania USA Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 8:11 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 9:19 PM |
Singapore, Singapore Friday June 12, 2009 – Candles at 6:52 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 – Havdalah 7:44 PM |
For other places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp
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 and
beloved family,
His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann and
beloved family,
His Excellency Adon John Batchelor and
beloved wife,
His Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and
beloved wife HE Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,
Her Excellency Giberet Sandra Grenier
His Excellency Adon Stephen Legge and
beloved wife HE Giberet Angela Legge
His Excellency Adon Tracy Osborne and
beloved wife HE Giberet Lynn Osborne
His Excellency Rev. Dr. Adon Chad Foster and
beloved wife HE Giberet Tricia Foster
His Excellency Adon Fred Dominguez and beloved wife
For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing
the best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’s richest blessings be upon their
lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael and her Torah
Scholars, amen ve amen!
Also a great thank you and great blessings be upon all
who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly
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|
Shabbat |
Torah Reading: |
Weekday Torah Reading: |
|
וַיָּבֹא
יַעֲקֹב |
|
|
|
“VaYavo Ya’aqob” |
Reader
1 – B’Resheet 33:18-20 |
Reader
1 – B’Resheet 35:9-12 |
|
“And Jacob came” |
Reader
2 – B’
Resheet 34:1-6 |
Reader
2 – B’Resheet 35:13-15 |
|
“Y vino Jacob” |
Reader
3 – B’
Resheet 34:7-10 |
Reader
3 – B’Resheet 35:9-15 |
|
B’Resheet (Gen.) 33:18 – 35:8 |
Reader
4 – B’
Resheet 34:11-17 |
|
|
Ashlamatah: Nahum 1:12 – 2:6
+ 14 |
Reader
5 – B’
Resheet 34:18-24 |
|
|
|
Reader
6 – B’
Resheet 34:25 – 35:3 |
Reader
1 – B’Resheet 35:9-12 |
|
Psalm 28 |
Reader
7 – B’
Resheet 35:4-8 |
Reader
2 – B’Resheet 35:13-15 |
|
N.C.: Mark 3:19b-27 |
Maftir : B’ Resheet 35:6-8 |
Reader
3 – B’Resheet 35:9-15 |
|
Pirke Abot: II:12 |
Nahum 1:12 – 2:6 + 14 |
|
Rashi
& Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: B’Resheet (Genesis) 33:18 – 35:8
|
RASHI |
TARGUM PSEUDO
JONATHAN |
|
18. Ya’aqob arrived
safely at the city of Shechem, which is in the Land of
Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram. He encamped before the city. |
18. Then came Jakob in
peace with all that he had to the city of Shekem, in
the land of Kenaan, in his Coming from Padan Aram; and he dwelt near the
city, |
|
19. He bought the part of the field where he had
spread his tent, from the sons of Chamor, father of Shechem, for one hundred
kesitahs. |
19. and bought the possession of a field where lie
spread his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor father of Shekem, for a
hundred pearls. |
|
20. He erected an altar there and called it,
"the Almighty is G-d of Yisrael." |
20. And he raised there an altar, and there he
gave the tithes which he had set apart of all that he had before God, the God
of Israel. |
|
1. Deenah went out, the daughter of Leah, whom she
had borne to Ya’aqob, to see [visit] the local girls. |
1. And Dinah the daughter of Leah whom she bare to
Jakob, went forth to see the manners of the daughters of the people of the
land |
|
2. She was seen by Shechem, son of Chamor, the
Chivite, who was the prince of the land. He took her, was with her, and
mistreated her. |
2. And Shekem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince
of the land, saw her, and took her by force, and lay with her and afflicted
her. |
|
3. He became deeply attached to Deenah, the
daughter of Ya’aqob, and he loved the girl. He spoke to the girl's heart. |
3. And his soul delighted in Dinah the daughter of
Jakob; and he loved the girl, and spoke kindly to the heart of the girl. |
|
4. Shechem spoke to his father Chamor, saying,
"Take this young girl for me as a wife." |
4. And Shekem spoke to Hamor his father, saying,
Take for me this damsel to wife. |
|
5. Ya’aqob heard that he had defiled his daughter,
Deenah, [while] his sons were with the livestock in the fields. Ya’aqob
remained silent until they returned. |
5. But Jakob had heard that he had polluted Dinah
his daughter, And his sons were with the flocks in the field, and Jakob was
silent until they came. |
|
6. Chamor, father of Shechem, went out to Ya’aqob
to speak with him. |
6. And Hamor the father of Shekem came forth to
Jakob to speak with him. |
|
7. The sons of Ya’aqob returned from the field
when they heard [what had happened]. The men grieved and were very angry, for
he [Shechem] had committed an outrage against Yisrael to lie with a daughter
of Ya’aqob. Such a thing should not be done. |
7. And the sons of Jakob had come up from the
field when they heard. And the men were indignant, and very violently moved,
because Shekem had wrought dishonour in Israel in lying with the daughter of
Jakob; for so it was not right to have been done. |
|
8. Chamor spoke with them saying, "My son,
Shechem, desires your daughter. Please grant her to him for a wife. |
8. And Hamor spoke with them, saying, The soul of
Shekem my son delights in your daughter: give her, I pray, to him to wife; |
|
9. Intermarry with us. Give us your daughters, and
take our daughters for yourselves. |
9. and conjoin yourselves by marriage with us.
Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to you; |
|
10. You will [then] live with us and the land will
be open to you. Live and trade in it and possess it." |
10. and dwell with us, and the land will be before
you, to dwell where you please and do business in it and possess it. |
|
11. Shechem said to her father and her brothers,
"Let me find favor in your eyes and whatever you say [ask of me], I will
give. |
11. And Shekem said to her father and to her
brethren, Let me find grace in your sight, and what you will tell me I will
give. |
|
12. Increase greatly the amount I must pay for the
bridal dowry and gifts. I will give whatever you say, but give me the girl
for a wife." |
12. Multiply upon me greatly dowry and gift, and I
will give as you will tell me; only give me the damsel to wife. [JERUSALEM.
Dotation and marriage portion.] |
|
13. The sons of Ya’aqob answered Shechem, and his
father Chamor, with guile, when they spoke; because he had defiled their
sister, Deenah. |
13. But the sons of Jakob answered Shekem. and
Hamor his father with subtlety, and so spoke, because he had polluted Dinah
their sister, |
|
14. They said to them, "We cannot do such a
thing--- to give our sister [in marriage] to an uncircumcised man, for that
is a disgrace to us. |
14. and said to them, We cannot do this thing, to
give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, because that would be a
disgrace to us. |
|
15. This is the only way we will consent to you: if you will be like us, circumcising all your males. |
15. But in this we will accede to you, if you will be as we are by circumcising every male. |
|
16. [Then] we will give our daughters to you, and
we will take your daughters for ourselves. We will live together with you,
and we will become one people. |
16. And we will give our daughters to you, and
will take your daughters to us, and dwell with you, and be one people. |
|
17. But if you do not listen to us to be
circumcised, we will take our daughter and go." |
17. But if you will not hearken to us to be
circumcised, we will take our daughter by force and will go. |
|
18. Their words were agreeable in the eyes of
Chamor, and in the eyes of Shechem, the son of Chamor. |
18. And their words were pleasing in the eyes of
Hamor, and in the eyes of Shekem, the son of Hamor. |
|
19. The young man did not delay doing the thing,
because he desired the daughter of Ya’aqob. He was the most honored person in
his father's house. |
19. And the young man delayed not to do the thing;
because he wished for the daughter of Jakob; and he was more honourable than
all his father's house. |
|
20. Chamor and his son, Shechem came to the gate
of their city, and they spoke to the men of their city saying, |
20. And Hamor and Shekem his son came to the gate
of their city, and spoke with the men of the gate of their city, saying, |
|
21. "These men are completely at peace with
us. Let them live in the land and trade in it. The land has ample room to be
open to them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them
our daughters. |
21. These men are friendly with us; and they may
dwell in the land and do business in it; and the land, behold, it is broad
(in) limits before them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and
give our daughters to them. |
|
22. But only on these terms will the men consent
to live with us, to become one people: every male among us must be circumcised,
just as they are circumcised. |
22. But in this only will the men accede to us, to
dwell with us, and to be one people, by every male of us being circumcised as
they are. |
|
23. Their livestock,
their possessions and all their cattle, will it not be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will live with us. |
23. Their flocks, and
their substance, and all their cattle, will they not be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us. |
|
24. They listened to Chamor, and to his son,
Shechem--- all those who passed through the gate of his city. Every male was
circumcised--- all who passed through the gate of his city. |
24. And all they who came out of the gate of his
city received from Hamor and from Shekem, his son; and they circumcised every
male, all who came out of the gate of the city. |
|
25. On the third day when they were in pain, two
of Ya’aqob's sons, Shimon and Levi, brothers of Deenah, each took his sword.
They approached the city with confidence, and killed every male. |
25. And it was on the third day, when they were
weak from the pain of their circumcision, two of the sons of Jakob, Shimeon
and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, took each man his sword, and came upon the
city, which was dwelling securely and killed every male. |
|
26. They killed Chamor and his son Shechem at the
point of the sword. They took Deenah from the house of Shechem and they left. |
26. And Hamor and Shekem his son they killed with
the edge of the sword; and they took Dinah from the house of Shekem, and went
forth. |
|
27. The sons of Ya’aqob came upon the corpses, and
they plundered the city that had defiled their sister. |
27. And the rest of the sons of Jakob came to the
spoil of the slain, and they sacked the city because they had polluted their
sister in the midst of it. |
|
28. Their sheep, their cattle, their donkeys,
whatever was in the city and whatever was in the field--- they took. |
28. Their flocks, and oxen, and asses, and
whatever was in the city or in the field they spoiled; |
|
29. All their wealth, all their children, and
their wives--- they took captive, and plundered--- including everything in
the houses. |
29. and all their wealth and all their little ones
they took and spoiled, and all that was in the houses. |
|
30. Ya’aqob said to Shimon and Levi, "You
have made trouble for me, making me obnoxious to the inhabitants of the land,
the Canaanites and the Perizzites. [Since] I am few in number, they will
gather together and attack me. I and my house [family] will be destroyed. |
30. And Jakob said to Shimeon and Levi, You have
made my name to go forth as evil among the inhabitants of the land, among the
Kenaanites and Phezerites. And I am a people of (small) number, and they will
gather together against me, and destroy me and the men of my house. |
|
31. They said, "Should he make our sister
into a harlot?" |
31. And Shimeon and Levi answered, It would not
have been fit to be said in the congregations of Israel that the
uncircumcised polluted the virgin, and the worshippers of idols debased the
daughter of Jakob: but it is fit that it should be said, The uncircumcised
were slain on account of the virgin, and the worshippers of idols on account
of the daughter of Jakob. Shekem bar Hamor will not (now) deride us with his
words; for as a whorish woman and an outcast who hath no avenger would he
have made our sister, if we had not done this thing. [JERUSALEM. The two sons of Jakob answered
together, and said to Israel their father, It would not be fit to be said in
the congregations of Israel, in their house of instruction, that the uncircumcised
polluted the virgin, and the worshippers of idols the daughter of Jakob; but
it is fit that it be said in the congregations of Israel and in their house
of instruction, that the uncircumcised were put to death for the sake of the
virgin, and the worshippers of idols because they had defiled Dinah the
daughter of Jakob. And Shekem bar Hamor will not boast in his heart and say,
As a woman who hath no man to avenge her injury, so hath Dinah the daughter
of Jakob been made. And they said, As an impure woman and an outcast would he
have accounted our sister.] |
|
1. Elohim said to Ya’aqob, "Arise, go up to
Bet El and live there; make an altar there to the Almighty Who appeared to
you when you were fleeing from your brother Esav." |
1. And the Lord said to Jakob, Arise, go up to
Bethel and dwell there, and make there an altar unto Eloha, who revealed
Himself to thee in thy flight from before Esau thy brother. |
|
2. Ya’aqob [then] said to his household, and to
everyone that was with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods in your midst.
Purify yourselves and change your garments. |
2. And Jakob said to the men of his house, and to
all who were with him, Put away the idols of the peoples which are among you
which you took from the temple of Shekem, and purify you from the
uncleannesses of the slain whom you have and change your raiment. |
|
3. Let us arise and go up to Bet El. There I will
make an altar to the Almighty, Who answered me in the day of my distress, and
Who was with me along the way I travelled." |
3. And we will arise and go up to Bethel, and I
will make there an altar unto Eloha, who heard my prayer in the day when I
was afflicted, and whose Word was my helper in the way that I went. |
|
4. They gave Ya’aqob all the foreign gods that
were in their hands, and [also] the rings in their ears. Ya’aqob buried them
under the oak [tree] which was near Shechem. |
4. And they delivered into Jakob's hand all the
idols of the people which were in their hands which they had taken from the
temple of Shekem, and the jewels that had been in the ears of the inhabitants
of the city of Shekem, in which was portrayed the likeness of their images;
and Jakob hid them under the terebinth that was near to the city of Shekem. |
|
5. They began their journey. The terror of Elohim
was upon the cities that were around them, and they did not pursue the sons
of Ya’aqob. |
5. And they journeyed from thence, offering praise
and prayer before the Lord. And there was a tremor from before the Lord upon
the people of the cities round about them, and they pursued not after the
sons of Jakob. |
|
6. Ya’aqob came to Luz, which was in the land of
Canaan--- that is, to Bet El--- he and all the people that were with him. |
6. And Jakob came to Luz in the land of Kenaan,
which is Bethel, he and all the people who were with him. |
|
7. There he built an altar, and he called the
place El Bet El, for there Elohim was revealed to him when he was fleeing
from his brother. |
7. And he builded there an altar, and named that
place, To God, who made His Shekinah to dwell in Bethel, because there had
been revealed to him the angels of the Lord, in his flight from before Esau
his brother. |
|
8. Devorah, Rivkah's nurse, died, and she was
buried below Bet El, under the oak. He named it Weeping Oak [Alon Bachut]. |
8. And Deborah, the nurse of Rivkah, died, and was
buried below Bethel, in the field of the plain. And there it was told Jakob
concerning the death of Rivkah his mother; and he called the name of it, The
other weeping. |
Reading
Assignment:
Torah
With Targum Onkelos and Rashi’s Commentary – Vol. 1
The
Book of Genesis: Hebrew/English
By:
A.M. Silberman & M. Rosenbaum
Published
by: BN Publishing (2007)
pp.
164-170.
The
Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol IIIa: The Twelve Tribes
By:
Rabbi Ya’aqob Culi
Published
by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New York, 1988)
Vol.
IIIa, pp. 153-185.
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/s
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’Resheet
(Genesis) 33:18 – 35:8
18 And Jacob came
safely Heb. שָׁלֵם, lit., whole, unimpaired in his body, for
he was cured of his limp and whole with his money. He did not lose anything
because of that entire gift that he had given Esau. [He was also] whole with
his Torah, for he had not forgotten [any of] his studies in Laban’s
house.-[from Gen. Rabbah 79:5, Shab. 33b]
the city of Shechem Heb. עִיר, [meaning] the city of Shechem, like לְעִיר, to the city, and similar to this, “until they came to
Bethlehem (בֵּית
לֶחֶם)”
(Ruth 1:19).
when he came from Padan- aram Like a person who says to his companion, “So-and-so came
out from between the teeth of lions and returned safely.” Here too, he came
whole from Padan-aram, from Laban and from Esau, who had come to attack him on
the way.
19 kesitas [This
is a coin known as] a ma’ah. Rabbi Akiva said, “When I traveled to the cities
by the sea, they called a ma’ah, kesita.” (The Targum renders it TURFAN, good, acceptable everywhere, like [above
23:16] “accepted by the merchant”). [from Rosh
Hashanah 26a]
20 and he named it,
“God is the God of Israel.” Not that the altar is called “the God of
Israel,” but since the Holy One, blessed be He, had been with him and saved him,
he named the altar because of the miracle. That is to say: He Who is God that
is the Holy One, blessed be He—He is God to me, whose name is Israel. We find
something similar in connection with Moses: “and he named it Ha-Shem Nissi”
(Exod. 17:15). Not that the altar was called Ha-Shem, but because of the
miracle he named the altar thus, to mention the praise of the Holy One, blessed
be He: “The LORD is my miracle.” Our Rabbis (Meg. 18a) interpreted it to mean that the Holy One, blessed be He,
called Jacob God [rendering: and the God of Israel called him God]. The words
of Torah are “like a hammer that shatters a rock” (Jer. 23:29). They divide
into many meanings, but I have come to establish the simple meaning of the
verse.
1 the daughter of Leah And not the
daughter of Jacob? However, because of her going out she was called the
daughter of Leah, since she (Leah) too was in the habit of going out, as it is
said: “and Leah came forth toward him” (above 30:16). [from Tanchuma Vayishlach
7] (And concerning her, they devise the proverb: Like mother like daughter.) -
[Gen. Rabbah 80:1]
2 lay with her in a natural way.-[from
Gen. Rabbah 80:5]
and
violated her Heb. וַיְעַנֶּהָ, lit., and afflicted her. [I.e. he was intimate
with her] in an unnatural way.-[from Gen.
Rabbah 80:5]
3 and spoke to the girl’s heart [I.e. he
spoke] seductive words, “Look how much money your father squandered for a small
parcel of land. I will marry you, and you will acquire the city and all its
fields.”-[from Gen. Rabbah 80:7]
7 and such ought not to be done- to
violate virgins, for the nations (the general population) had refrained from
illicit relationships because of the Flood.-[from Gen. Rabbah 80:7]
8 has a liking He desires.
12 marriage settlemet Kethubah-[from
Mechilta Mishpatim, Nezikin 17]
13 with cunning Heb. בְּמִרְמָה, with cunning.- [from Targum Onkelos]
because
[after all] he had defiled Scripture states that this was not trickery because
[after all] he had defiled their sister Dinah.-[from Gen. Rabbah 80:8]
14 for that is a disgrace to us To us, it
is a defect. If someone wishes to insult another person, he says, “You are
uncircumcised,” or “[You are] the son of an uncircumcised person.” Wherever חֶרְפָּה is mentioned, it is an [expression of] insult.
15 we will consent to you Heb. נֵאוֹת. We will consent to you, an expression like (וַיֵּאֹתוּ, הַכֹּהֲנִים), “And (the priests) consented,” (in connection
with Jehoiada) (II Kings 12:9).
will be
circumcised Heb. לְהִמֹּל, lit., to be circumcised. This is not in the
active voice but in the passive.
16 Then we will give Heb. וְנָתַנּוּ. The second “nun” is punctuated with a “dagesh,”
because it serves instead of two “nuns.”
and we
will take your daughters for ourselves You find in the stipulation that Hamor suggested to
Jacob, and in the reply of Jacob’s sons to Hamor, that they [Hamor and Shechem]
attached importance to Jacob’s sons, [allowing them] to take whomever of the
daughters of Shechem they would choose for themselves, and their daughters they
would give to them [the people of Shechem], as they (the sons of Jacob) wished,
for it is written: “Then we will give you our daughters,” as we wish, “and we
will take your daughters for ourselves,” however we wish. But, when Hamor and
his son Shechem spoke to their townsmen, they reversed the matter, [and said
(verse 21),] “We will take their daughters for ourselves as wives, and our
daughters we will give them,” in order to appease them (the townsmen), that
they would consent to be circumcised.
21 These men are peaceful with us Heb. שְׁלֵמִים. With peace and sincerity.
and the
land-behold it is spacious enough [The metaphor is that of] a person whose hand is wide
and generous. That is to say: You will not lose anything [if they trade here].
Plenty of merchandise comes here, and there is no one to purchase it.
22 by...being circumcised Heb. בְּהִמּוֹל, by being circumcised.
23 But let us consent to them regarding
this matter, and thereby, they will dwell with us.
25 Jacob’s two sons They were his sons,
but nevertheless, Simeon and Levi conducted themselves like other people, who
were not his sons, for they did not take counsel with him.- [from Gen. Rabbah 80:10]
Dinah’s
brothers Since they risked their lives for her, they were
called her brothers.-[from Gen. Rabbah 80:10]
with
confidence Because they (the townsmen) were in pain. The Aggadah
(Gen. Rabbah 80:10) says: They were
confident in the strength of the elder (Jacob).
27 upon the slain-to strip the slain.
[from Targum Onkelos]
29 And all their wealth Heb. חֵילָם, their money, and similarly; “amassed this wealth
(הַחַיִל) for me” (Deut. 8:17); “and Israel amasses wealth
(חָיִל)” (Num. 24:18); “and leave over their possessions
(חֵילָם) to others” (Ps. 49:11).
they
captured Heb. שָׁבוּ, a term denoting captivity. Therefore, the accent
is on the latter syllable.-[from Targum
Onkelos]
30 You have troubled me Heb. עֲכַרְתֶּם, an expression denoting murky water [meaning that]
now my mind is not clear [without worry]. The Aggadah (Gen. Rabbah 80:12) [explains]: The barrel was clear, but you have
made it murky. (I.e., I saw our way clear to co-exist with the Canaanites, but
now you have spoiled the possibility to do so.) The Canaanites had a tradition
that they would fall into the hands of Jacob’s sons, but they said [that this
would only happen], “Until you are fruitful and inherit the land” (Exod.
23:30). Therefore, they have been silent.
few in
number few men.
31 like a harlot Abandoned-[from Gen. Rabbah 80:12]
our
sister [Onkelos renders] YAT LA’ACHATANA, our sister.
1 Arise and go up -(Tanchuma Vayishlach 8) Since you tarried on the way, you were
punished, and this trouble with your daughter has befallen you.
2 the foreign nations That you have in
your possession from the spoils of Shechem.-from Zohar, vol. 1, 173a] purify yourselves from idolatry.
and
change your clothes Perhaps you have the clothing of idols in your
possession.-[from Gen. Rabbah 81:3]
4 under the terebinth Heb. אֵלָה, a species of tree that bears no fruit.
near
Shechem Heb. עִם-שְׁכֶם, lit., with Shechem, [meaning] next to
Shechem.-[from Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel]
5 and the fear terror.
7 El Beth-el Heb. אֵל בֵּית-אֵל, The Holy One, blessed be He, is in Beth-el (בְּבֵּית-אֵל) the manifestation of His presence is in Beth-el.
Some words lack the prefix “beth,” [meaning “in,”] like “Behold, he is in the
house of (בֵּית) Machir, the son of Ammiel” (II Sam. 9:4), [Which
is equivalent to] בְּבֵּית
מָכִיר.
had been
revealed to him Heb. נִגְלוּ, the plural form. In many places, the noun
referring to godliness or mastership appears in the plural form, like “Joseph’s
master (אֲדֹנֵי
יוֹסֵף)” (Gen. 39:20), “if its owner (בְּעָלָיו) is with him” (Exod. 22: 14), and it does not say בַּעֲלוׄ. Likewise, אֱלָהוּת (godliness), an expression of judgment and
lordship, is mentioned in the plural form, but none of the other names [of the
Deity] are found in the plural form.- [from Sanh.
38b]
8 And Deborah...died What connection does
Deborah have with Jacob’s household? However, since Rebecca said to Jacob, “and
I will send and take you from there” (above 27:45), [it was] Deborah [whom] she
sent to him, to Padan-aram [to instruct him] to leave from there, and she died
on the way. I learned this from the words of Rabbi Moshe Hadarshan.-[from
Bereishith Rabbathi, p. 113]
beneath
Beth-el The city was situated on a mountain, and she was
buried at the foot of the mountain.
beneath
the plain [Onkelos renders:] at the bottom of the plain, for
there was a plain above, on the incline of the mountain, and the grave was
below, and the plain of Beth-el was called Allon. The Aggadah [tells us that]
he was informed there of another mourning, for he was told about his mother,
who died (Gen. Rabbah 81:5), and
Allon in Greek means “another.” For the following reason, the day of her death
was concealed, viz. so that people should not curse the womb whence Esau had
emerged. Therefore, neither did Scripture publicize it.
Ketubim: Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 28:1-22
|
JPS TRANSLATION |
TARGUM |
|
1. A Psalm of David. Unto thee, O LORD, do I call; my Rock, be not Thou
deaf unto me; lest, if Thou be silent unto me, I become like them that go
down into the pit. |
1.
Of David. To you, O LORD, I cry; O my strength, do not be silent to me, lest,
when You are silent, I become like those who descend to the pit. |
|
2.
Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto
Thee, when I lift up my hands toward Thy holy Sanctuary. |
2.
Accept the voice of my petition when I pray to You, whenever I spread my
hands in prayer before Your holy temple. |
|
3.
Draw me not away with the wicked/lawless, and with the
workers of iniquity/lawlessness; who speak peace with their neighbours, but
evil is in their hearts. |
3.
Do not drag me away with the wicked/lawless or with those who do wrong; who
speak peace with their fellows, while evil is in their hearts. |
|
4.
Give them according to their deeds, and according to
the evil of their endeavours; give them after the work of their hands; render
to them their desert. |
4.
Give to them according to their deeds, and according to their evil deeds;
according to the works of their hands, repay them; turn upon them their
retribution. |
|
5.
Because they give no heed to the works of the LORD, nor
to the operation of His hands; He will break them down and not build them up. |
5.
Because they do not understand the Torah of the LORD or the works of His
hands; he will tear them down and not rebuild them. |
|
6.
Blessed be the LORD, because He has heard the voice of
my supplications. |
6.
Blessed is the LORD because He has accepted the voice of my prayer. |
|
7.
The LORD is my strength and my shield, in Him has my
heart trusted, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with
my song will I praise Him. |
7.
The LORD is my strength and shield; on Him my heart has set its hope; and You
have aided me, and my heart exults; I will give thanks in His presence by my
psalm. |
|
8.
The LORD is a strength unto them; and He is a
stronghold of salvation to His anointed. |
8.
The LORD is their strength and might; He is the redemption of His anointed. |
|
9.
Save Your people, and bless Your inheritance; and tend
them, and carry them forever. |
9.
Redeem Your people and bless Your inheritance; feed them and support them
forever. |
|
-
|
|
Rashi’s Commentary for:
Psalm 28:1-9
3 Do not cause me
to be drawn Heb. תִּמְשְׁכֵנִי, do not draw me with the wicked; treras
moy in Old French.
7 and I will thank
Him with my song Now what is the thanks?...
8 The Lord is
strength to them to those who rely on Him, viz. the entire house of Israel,
at the time that He is the stronghold of the salvations of His anointed.
9 and tend them
Heb. וּרְעֵם, an expression of pasture (מרעה).
Ashlamatah: Nahum 1:12 – 2:6 +
14
12.
Thus says the LORD: Though they be in full strength, and likewise many, even so
will they be cut down, and he will pass away; and though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no more.
13.
And now will I break his yoke from off you, and will burst your bonds in
sunder.
14.
And the LORD has given commandment concerning you, that no more of your name be
sown; out of the house of your god will I cut off the graven image and the
molten image; I will make your grave; for you are become worthless. {P}
1.
Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that brings good tidings, that
announces peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah, perform your vows; for the wicked/Lawless
one will no more pass through you; he is utterly cut off.
2.
A maul is come up before your face; guard the defences, watch the way, make your
loins strong, fortify your power mightily! -
3.
For the LORD restores the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel; for the
emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine-branches. -
4.
The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet; the
chariots are fire of steel in the day of his preparation, and the cypress
spears are made to quiver.
5.
The chariots rush madly in the streets, they jostle one against another in the
broad places; the appearance of them is like torches, they run to and fro like
the lightnings.
6.
He bethinks himself of his worthies; they stumble in their march; they make
haste to the wall thereof, and the mantelet is prepared.
7. The gates of the rivers are
opened, and the palace is dissolved.
8. And the queen is uncovered,
she is carried away, and her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves,
tabering upon their breasts.
9 But Nineveh has been from of
old like a pool of water; yet they flee away; 'Stand, stand'; but none looks
back.
10 Take the spoil of silver, take
the spoil of gold; for there is no end of the store, rich with all precious
vessels.
11. She is empty, and void, and
waste; and the heart melts, and the knees smite together, and convulsion is in
all loins, and the faces of them all have gathered blackness.
12. Where is the den of the
lions, which was the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion and the
lioness walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?
13. The lion did tear in pieces
enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves
with prey, and his dens with ravin.
14.
Behold, I am against you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots
in the smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions; and I will cut off your
prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers will no more be heard.
{P}
Mishnah Pirke Abot: II:12
Rabbi
Shimon said: Be careful regarding the recitation of the Shema and the Tefillah
[prayer], and when you pray do not make your prayer a fixed task, but rather
supplication before the Omnipresent, because He is gracious and merciful, slow
to anger and abounding in loving-kindness, and He changes His mind regarding
evil [decrees he has already passed]. And do not be a wicked/lawless man in
your own estimation.
Abarbanel on Pirke Abot
By: Abraham Chill
Sepher Hermon Press, Inc. 1991
ISBN 0-87203-135-7
(pp. 139-143)
Since
Rabbi Shimon feared sin, he warns us not to sin against God by taking the
recitation of the Shema and the Amidah prayer lightly or by saying our prayers
mechanically. All these things can be included under the heading of fearing
sin.
Rabbi
Shimon of our Mishnah was reacting to the preachments of his colleagues in the
two preceding Mishnayoth. Rabbi Yehoshua cautioned us to beware of the damage
of an evil eye. Then came Rabbi Yosi and offered a remedy: the constant study
of Torah. In this Mishnah, Rabbi Shimon, who did not subscribe to the principle
that Torah study is everything, proclaims an alternative which he conceives as
superior to any other strategy. He advocates that intensive prayer is the most
effective way of avoiding the consequences of the Ayin Ha-Ra; not deadweight,
mechanical prayer, but meaningful prayer that has direction and purpose.
Why
did Rabbi Shimon choose the Shema (“Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God the Lord
is One") and the Amidah prayer (the Eighteen actually, nineteen
Benedictions recited in silence) as his examples? There are so many prayers in
the Jewish liturgy that are expressive and inspiring? Why only these two?
Here,
Abarbanel gives us a lesson in the philosophy of prayer. It is common knowledge
that most of the authorities agree that with the destruction of the Temple and
the cessation of the sacrificial cult, the Amidah prayer was instituted to
replace the sacrifices. The ancient sacrifices were intended to deflate a man's
ego and permeate him with a sense of humility. When he saw the animal being
offered up, the sinner was filled with remorse and gratitude because he
realized the he should have been destroyed for his transgressions instead of
the animal. Similarly, prayer is meant to draw the finite human being closer to
the infinite God. Here, too, man must approach God meekly subdued and penitent.
In the case of the animal sacrifice, God was not in need of the animal, but
rather required a sign of repentance on the part of the sinner. Similarly, God
does not need our prayers; He only wants them as a symbol of our modesty and
humbleness before Him.
Abarbanel
then addresses himself to the question why Rabbi Shimon mentions first the
Shema and then the Shemoneh Esreh. Would it not be more logical for the latter,
with its conglomerate of personal supplications to God, to be mentioned first?
The
Shema is the fulcrum of the entire Jewish religion. To remove this sensitive
element is to deny Judaism in its entirety. The oneness and unity of God is the
heart of Judaism. If a person does not acknowledge this most basic component of
the Jewish religion, his prayers are not Jewish prayers. If he does not
proclaim the omnipotence of the one God, how can he come to Him to ask for His
beneficence?
It
is because of this that the sages of the Great Assembly, who formulated most of
our prayers, bracketed the Shema with a number of benedictions: Before the
Shema two benedictions are recited which relate the unparalleled power of God
and His unequivocal love for our people. With that in mind, the Jew should feel
sufficiently inspired to call out, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is God, the Lord
is One.” The recitation of the Shema is followed by a benediction dedicated to
the redemption of Israel. Only after he has accepted the message of the Shema,
can the Jew approach his Maker and pray for his personal needs.
There
is another underlying difference between the Shema and the Shemoneh Esreh,
which is often called the Amidah because it is said standing. Basing himself on
the prayer of Hannah as described in the bible – “Only her lips moved but her
voice could not be heard” (I Samuel 1:131 - Abarbanel merely repeats the
authoritative rule that when a man entreats God for His blessings, he should do
so silently and without fanfare. This is why the Amidah, which is a series of
personal supplications for God's generosity, should be recited in a whisper. In
the first place, God does not need to be shouted at to draw His attention. He
is aware of the emotional upheaval that pervades the petitioner. Secondly,
there is no need for anyone standing nearby to learn about the grief of
another. It is in this sense that Rabbi Shimon counsels us to be careful about
our recitations of the Shema and the Amidah. In other words, Shema and its
attendant benedictions should be recited with enthusiasm and vigour in a loud
voice, since it is a declaration of faith; the Amidah, however, should be
prayed in a state of humbleness and in an inaudible whisper.
Thirdly,
we must recognize the fact that neither the Shema nor the Amidah is necessary
for God's personal delight; nor is the Almighty such who is swayed by
sweet-talk. They are meant to attune man to God and put him in a position where
he can solicit His good will.
Another
aspect of these two prayers that is of cardinal importance is the necessity and
obligation of the one who prays to do so with great earnestness. To pray by
rote, without close mental attention is farcical; Abarbanel compares it to the
chirping of the birds - sounds not representative of any mental or emotional
process. There is a popular saying in religious literature, “A prayer without
concentration is like a body without a soul.” In this light, says Abarbanel, we
can understand why God required Moshe to ascend Mt. Sinai alone to receive the
Torah. The purpose was to free Moshe from any distraction, disturbances and
mental impediments, and to give him the opportunity to encapsulate himself in
the sublime, heavenly environment.
A
fifth aspect of the Shema and the Amidah is the time element involved.
According to Abarbanel, by warning us to be careful in these prayers, Rabbi
Shimon meant that we should recite them at their proper time. The morning
prayer, Shaharit, should be recited with the first rays of the sun; the
afternoon prayer, Minhah, when the sun is still high; the evening prayers, Ma'ariv,
when the stars are out. Abarbanel condemns the Greek Jews who pray Shaharit
before the sun rises so that they will have a full day for their work and other
enterprises. He also chastises the Jews of Italy who were wont to recite their
evening prayers immediately after Minhah so that they would not have to wait
for the necessary time to elapse between the two sets of prayers. Apparently,
services were considered a burden to be borne; which is exactly what Rabbi
Shimon was warning against when he said, “Do not make your prayers a fixed
task.”
Abarbanel
also offers a novel interpretation of “Do not make your prayers a fixed task.”
In the Hebrew, the word for “Your prayers” is TEFILATEKHA, which should be more
correctly rendered as “your tefilah,” tefilah being another name of the Amidah
prayer. The Shema and its benedictions are prayers which praise and glorify the
Almighty, whereas the Amidah is mostly made up of benedictions asking for
personal needs. Therefore, according to Abarbanel, Rabbi Shimon's thrust was as
follows: Be careful with the recitation of the Shema and the Amidah, i.e., say
them in that order: first - praise to God and only then make your personal
requests. Furthermore, do not make the Amidah the main part of your prayers or
concentrate mainly on your own needs; rather make God's praise the main part.
Finally,
commenting on the axiom that God is gracious and full of mercy, Abarbanel sees
it as a statement encouraging sinners to repent: A person should not consider
himself so incorrigible and perverted that he feels there is no sense in
praying to God because it will be of no value. Rather he should look to God -
who is full of compassion and mercy, and who is ready to forgive.
Here,
too, Rabbi Shimon shows his preference for Torah and derekh eretz (proper noble
manners) over the study of Torah by itself. This is indicated by the fact that
he did not mention the study of Torah.
Miscellaneous Interpretations
Rashi
(R. Shelomo ben Yitshaq, Troyes (France), 1040 – 1105): had two versions
before him. In the first, the word TEFILLAH (prayer, referring specifically to
the Amidah prayer) was omitted and Rabbi Shimon warned us against being complacent
in our recitation only of the Shema. The second version accepts the concept
that the Shema and the Tefillah are similar in importance.
Also
to avoid making one's prayer a “fixed task” means that he must not assume the
attitude that prayer is a burden and when will he be relieved of this burden.
He must approach prayer with a sense of pleading for his life.
Rashi
sees in the words of Rabbi Shimon, “And do not be a wicked/Lawless man in your
own estimation” to mean that after sinning one day one should not get up the
next day and declare himself a wicked/Lawless person.
Rashbatz
(R. Shimon ben Tzemah Duran, Majorca (Spain) & Algiers, 1361 – 1444): In the text that he
had before him, he, too, discovered that Rashi was intent on preferring the
version that omitted the word tefilah.
Why?
Two reasons are proposed by Rashbatz: First, the recitation of the Shema is
limited to a very short period of time; the time for Amidah is more extended.
Thus, Rabbi Shimon cautions us to be careful of the Shema, but does not bother
to emphasize the Amidah.
Secondly,
a mitzvah which has a fixed time limit cannot be treated lightly. On this
basis, the rabbis taught (Kiddushin 33a) that an employee may not waste time by
standing up when a Sage passes by, because no mitzvah of a fixed time nature is
involved. However, we find that the citizens of Jerusalem would stand and wave
to those who were arriving from distances with their First-Fruits and spend
time welcoming them. Here, there was a fixed time element - not every day in
the week would the First-Fruits be brought to the Temple.
Rabbenu
Yonah (R. Yonah ben Abraham Gerondi, Barcelona (Spain), 1200 - 1236): One must approach the
act of worship in the same light as a pauper pleading and begging for something
that he needs, not casually like one who is asking for something that he really
does not need. Furthermore, prayer should never be a burden on the petitioner.
According
to Rabbenu Yonah, the adage of Rabbi Shimon that one should not be wicked/Lawless
in his own eyes has a psychological truth. A person must never feel himself so
grief stricken after living a life of sin that he resigns himself to feeling
that he can never rehabilitate himself. By doing that he is adding one serious
error to the other. However, Rabbenu Yonah continues, polarization is not only
undesirable in wickedness/Lawlessness but also in righteousness/Generosity. In
other words, a man must not be self-righteous/generous and consider himself a
Tsaddik. This is what the rabbis meant (Niddah 30b), “God compels a foetus in
its mother's womb to swear that it will reject self-righteousness/generosity
when it is born.” In the view of Rabbenu Yonah, the ideal person is one who
considers himself half-wicked/Lawless and half-righteous/generous, where every
single deed will determine to which side the scale will tip.
Midrash
Shemuel (R. Shemuel ben Yitchaq de Uceda, Safed (Israel), 1540 - ?): What constitutes a
fixed prayer? A petition to God that emanates from one's lips automatically is
unacceptable. In other words, when prayer is so fixed in one's mouth that it
comes out without kavanah (concentration), even to the extent that he bows like
a robot, it is displeasing in the eyes of God.
Midrash
Shemuel cites an anonymous commentator who comments on, “Do not be a wicked/Lawless
man in your own estimation.” If you do not worship with kavanah but your
gyrations cause people to believe that you do, you are a wicked/Lawless person
in the eyes of God, but not in the eyes of man. There is another dimension to
this: When you pray without kavanah you are not only deceiving your neighbour
but, even worse, you are deceiving yourself. This is unforgivable.
The
last axiom of Rabbi Shimon can also be interpreted as a direct accusation
against the one who deludes himself into believing that when he sins, he sins
for himself and no one is harmed. This is false reasoning. In the concept of
one Jew being responsible for the other, the sinner does involve every other
Jew as well.
Rabbi
Ephraim (France, 1110 – 1175): There can be no doubt that worshipping within the
framework of a congregation is more ecstatic, inspiring and exciting than when
one isolates oneself, even in prayer. Nevertheless, fervent and passionate
prayer by the individual, with profound kavanah, will be received kindly by
God. “Do not make yourself wicked/Lawless before yourself (i.e., when you
worship by yourself).”
What Say the Nazarean Hakhamim?
Ya’aqob
(James 5:16
Confess [privately] to one another your transgressions of the Law [between each
other], and pray for one another, that you may be healed. Very strong and
effective is the supplication of a righteous/generous [man].
Ephesians
6:18 Through
all prayer and supplication, praying in every appointed time in the spirit, and
watching to this same thing with all perseverance and supplication for all the
saints (the most noble and beloved Jewish people).
Philippians
1:3 I
give thanks to my [one and only] God upon all the remembrance of you,
Philippians
1:4
always in my every supplication on your behalf making my supplication with
joy
Philippians
1:5 for
your contribution to the Masorah (tradition), from the first day until now,
Philippians
1:6 being
confident of this very thing, that the One having begun a good work in you will
perform it until the day of Yeshua the Messiah;
Colossians
4:2
In the prayer (i.e. the Amiddah) continue, watching in it with thanksgiving;
Romans
12:3 For
through the compassion which is given to me, I say to everyone being among you,
not to be high-minded beyond what is right to think. But set your mind to be
sober-minded, even as God divided a measure of faithful obedience to each.
Philippians
2:2 Fulfil
my joy, that you may be of the same mind, having the same love, being as one
soul, minding (preoccupied with) the same thing[s].
Philippians
2:3
Let nothing be done through rivalry or vainglory; but in humility of mind, each
esteeming the other better than him/herself.
Philippians 2:4 Consider (look after)
not every man on his own things, but every man also consider [look after] the
things of others (i.e. his brethren).
Mark (Mordechai) 3:19b-27
Delitzsch Hebrew Rendition
20וַיָּבֹאוּ
הַבָּיְתָה
וַיּוֹסֶף
הֲמוֹן עָם
לְהִתְאַסֵּף
עַד כִּי־לֹא
יָכְלוּ אַף
לֶאֱכָל־לָחֶם׃
21וַיִּשְּׁמְעוּ
קְרוֹבָיו
וַיֵּצְאוּ
לְהַחֲזִיק
בּוֹ כִּי
אָמְרוּ
יָצָא
מִדַּעְתּוֹ׃
22וְהַסּוֹפְרִים
אֲשֶׁר
יָרְדוּ
מִירוּשָׁלַיִם
אָמְרוּ
בַּעַל־זְבוּל
בּוֹ וְעַל־יְדֵי
שַׂר־הַשֵּׁדִים
הוּא
מְגָרֵשׁ אֶת־הַשֵּׁדִים׃
23וַיִּקְרָא
אוֹתָם
אֵלָיו
וַיְדַבֵּר
לָהֶם
בִּמְשָׁלִים
לֵאמֹר אֵיךְ
יוּכַל הַשָׂטָן
לְגָרֵשׁ
הַשָׂטָן׃
24וְאִם־נֶחְלְקָה
מַמְלָכָה
עַל־עַצְמָהּ
לֹא־תוּכַל
לַעֲמֹד
הַמַּמְלָכָה
הַהִיא׃
25וּבַית
אִם־נֶחֱלַק
עַל־עַצְמוֹ
לֹא־יוּכַל
לַעֲמֹד
הַבַּיִת
הַהוּא׃
26וְאִם־הַשָׂטָן
יִתְקוֹמֵם
אֶל־עַצְמוֹ וְנֶחֱלָק
לֹא־יוּכַל
לַעֲמֹד
כִּי־בָא קִצּוֹ׃
27אֵין
אִישׁ יָכֹל
לָבוֹא
לְבֵית
הַגִּבּוֹר וְלִגְזֹל
אֶת־כֵּלָיו
אִם־לֹא
יֶאֱסרֹ בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה
אֶת־הַגִּבּוֹר
וְאַחַר יִשְׁסֶה
אֶת־בֵּיתוֹ׃
19b.
And they came to a house.
20.
And came together again a congregation, so that they are not able so much as to
eat bread;
21.
And having heard [of it], those belonging to him (i.e. his family) went forth
to lay hold of him (lit. “apprehend him by force”), for they said that he was
beside himself,
22.
And the scribes who from Jerusalem came down, said: “He has (is possessed by) Ba’al
zevul, and by the prince of the demons he does cast out the demons.”
23.
And, having called them near, in similes (analogies) he said to them, “How is
the Satan (Adversary) able to cast out the Satan (Adversary)?
24.
And if a kingdom against itself be divided, that kingdom is not
able to stand.
25.
And if a house against itself be divided, that house is not able
to stand;
26.
And if the Satan (Adversary) has risen up against himself, and has been
divided, he is not able to stand, but has finished.
27.
No one in any wise is able the vessels of the strong man (Heb.: GIBOR)--having entered
into his house--to plunder, unless first the strong man (Heb.: GIBOR) be bound,
and then his house he will plunder.”
Commentary:
vv.
19b-21 – Verse
19b should be the beginning of verse 20. Here we have a contrast between v. 20
and v.21, and also a strong bond between v. 21 and v. 22. In verse 20 a large
congregation sought him (most probably for teaching and healing), and in v.21
his family is after him to apprehend him by force in the belief that he had
gone mad. The text is silent as to why his own family thought he had gone mad.
But by the Jewish principle of contiguity we can infer things in v.21 by the
information provided to us in v.22. This means, that at some point that scribes
either of the Herodian party, or of the Priestly party, or of the School of
Shamai had convinced the family of Yeshua that he had gone mad (the term
“besides himself” means going mad, which also was interpreted as being demon
possessed). Already in 3:6 we read that those of the School of Shamai and the
Herodians “took counsel together against him, how they might destroy him.”
My
father, always taught me, that one knows who are his real friends and family
when adversity comes. It is quite possible that these same scribes who had
come down from Jerusalem had visited Yeshua’s relatives prior to arriving where
Yeshua was (somewhere in the Galil). The response of the Master towards
defining who is family will be answered later on in this chapter (cf. 3:31-35).
v.22
–
Two most horrible accusations are then openly laid against the Master by these
scribes that had come from Jerusalem. (1) That the Master was possessed by Ba’al
zevul and (2) that his healings, miracles, and teachings flow from a demonic
source. These are very serious charges indeed which if found true deserve the
death penalty. However none of these two charges were ever proven to be true
nor were they the accusations for which he was later put to death. However, to
this very day many are they from amongst our own flesh that still lay these
accusations. Perhaps so that what is said in Zechariah 13:3-6, and Wisdom of
Solomon 5:1-5 be fulfilled.
Zec 13:3 And it will
come to pass that, when any will yet prophesy, then his father and his mother
that begot him will say unto him: “You will not live, for you speak lies in the
name of the LORD;” and his father and his mother that begot him will thrust him
through when he prophesies.
Zec 13:4 And it will
come to pass in that day, that the prophets will be brought to shame every one
through his vision, when he prophesies; neither will they wear a hairy mantle
to deceive;
Zec 13:5 but he will
say: “I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground; for I have been made a
bondman from my youth.”
Zec 13:6 And one will
say unto him: “What are these wounds between your hands?” Then he will answer:
“Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”
Wis 5:1 Then will the
righteous/generous [royal] man stand in great boldness before the face of such
as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labours.
Wis 5:2 When they see
it, they will be troubled with terrible fear, and will be amazed at the
strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for.
Wis 5:3 And they
repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit will say within themselves, This
was he, whom we had sometimes in derision, and a proverb of reproach:
Wis 5:4 We fools
accounted his life madness, and his end to be without honour:
Wis 5:5 How is he
numbered among the sons of God (i.e. Jewish Torah Judges), and his lot is among
the Tsadiqim!
Not
only are these scribes identified to a specific city and by implication to two
specific clans (cf. 3:6), but they are also depicted as “coming down” (for anyone
going out from Jerusalem descends in holiness). On the other hand, Yehua
belongs firmly to the school of R. Hillel, and his work as will be seen in the
following chapters is one of ascent towards Yerushalayim.
v.23
– The Master here finds it necessary to summon his blaspheming opponents, and
his opponents perhaps forced by the presence of the large congregation have no
other option but to attend this summons. The following clause we have
translated as “in similes (analogies) he said to them". I
know that the Greek text has " ἐν
παραβολαῖς” (EN
PARABOLES), and which literally means “in parables.” Similarly, Delitzsch has: וַיְדַבֵּר
לָהֶם
בִּמְשָׁלִים – VaY’Daber
(and spoke) Lahem (to them) BiM’Shalim (in parables). The problem
is that the parable belongs to the Drash genre of literature, and here we are
in the midst of a Peshat work. Therefore, the arguments here is more of simile or an analogy rather than the full
complexity of a parable. In fact, the proper rules of a parable are inoperative
in the arguments given. I do acknowledge nevertheless that no Christian scholar
seems to agree with me on this point, this, on the other hand does not
necessarily mean that my argument is wrong or that is of no value.
The
verse concludes with a logical question that summarizes the two similes
(analogies) presented and with the logical conclusion to the question in v. 26.
The construction of the argument is very much in a sandwich as follows:
Question
- v. 22 - How is the Satan (Adversary) able to cast out the Satan
(Adversary)?
Analogy 1- v. 24.
And if a kingdom against itself be divided, that kingdom is not
able to stand.
Analogy 2 – v. 25. And if a house
against itself be divided, that house is not able to stand;
Answer -
: v. 26. And if the Satan
(Adversary) has risen up against himself, and has been
divided, he is not able to stand,
but has (is) finished.
Another
way to illustrate this argument would be as follows:
Question - v.22 - ""How is the Satan (Adversary) able to cast out the Satan
(Adversary)?
Answer - v. 26.
And if the Satan (Adversary) has risen up against himself, and has been
divided,
he is not able to stand,
but has (is) finished.
Because:
Analogy 1- v. 24.
if a kingdom against itself be divided, that kingdom is not able to
stand.
Analogy 2 –
v. 25.
if a house against itself be divided, that house is not able to
stand;
What
is interesting in these two presentations is the three times repetition of the
verbs “divided” and “to stand.” There seems here to be a very subtle
relationship between “division” and “being able to stand.” We can infer from
this presentation that something that is divided against itself can’t be able
to stand permanently. The accusers were one with regards to the accusation but
deadly divided on many other things, therefore their accusation will not be
able to stand permanently. This brings us also to another inference that a
conflicted person, a person between two opinions finds it very hard to stand
and recite the amidda. The recitation therefore of the amidda is essentially
from this vantage point a plea for unity amongst all the peoples of Yisrael.
v.
27 –
The last simile or analogy concerns a Gibbor (Master of the house) and his
home’s invasion and plundering of his goods. According to Marcus[1],
Cranfield[2],
Lane[3]and
many other Christian commentators the Gibor is identified with Ha-Satan.
Personally I disagree completely with this line of interpretation and find
Sbain’s[4]explanation
more satisfactory. She states:
“By quoting the
protests of the scribes to Jesus’ exorcisms, Mark presents more of Jesus’
teaching on forgiveness. The scribes say that Jesus himself must be possessed
by Stan in order to drive out demons. Implicit in their statement is the idea
that good and evil are so distinct and opposite that the “good” person should
not go anywhere near “evil” persons. This thought is a logical extension of the
idea that if Jesus were truly a person of G-d, he would not eat with (Jewish)
sinners.
Jesus refutes this
point of view in several ways. Fist he asks the commonsense question, “How can
Satan drive out Satan?” He goes on to make the observation that “A kingdom
divided against itself cannot stand (3:23-24). Ne3xt he uses the analogy of the
“strong man”: “But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his
property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house”
(3:27). Some interpretations of this analogy assert that “the strong man” is
Satan, and Jesus is the one who ties him up. But this would turn Jesus into a
plunderer as well as a violent enforcer of his will – roles that violate
everything we know of Jesus’ teachings. Rather it makes more sense to see that
the violent intruder is Satan, and the “strong man” is the normally good person
who is bound and robbed by him.”
Therefore,
what the Master is doing is coming to the aid of humanity who has been home
invaded and plundered of their goods – a repetition of the Exodus but at a
universal scale. This is the thrust of this last analogy in our section for
this Shabbat.
Some Questions to Ponder:
1. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding
Genesis 33:18?
2. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding
Genesis 33:20?
3. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding
Genesis 34:2?
4. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding
Genesis 34:13?
5. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding
Genesis 34:15?
6. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding
Genesis 34:25?
7. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding
Genesis 34:28?
8. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding
Genesis 34:30?
9. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding
Genesis 35:2?
10. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding
Genesis 35:7?
11. What question/s were asked of Rashi regarding
Genesis 35:8?
12. For what seven reasons is said that Ya’aqob was
whole and safe in Gen. 33:18?
13. According to
our Sages how old was Dinah when she was raped by Chamor?
14. Did Chamor
and Shechem has good intentions towards Ya’aqob when they spoke to the men of
Shechem regarding being circumcised? Why or why not?
15. How is the
death of devorah and Rivkah tied together, from the name where the former was
buried?
16. How is Psalm
28 related to our Torah Seder?
17. How is the
Ashlamatah of Nahum 1:12 – 2:6 + 14 related to our Torah Seder?
18. How is the
reading of Mordechai (Mark) 3:19b-27 related to our Torah Seder for this week?
19. How is our
reading of Pirke Abot II:12 related to our Torah Seder for this week?
20. In your
opinion, taking into consideration the contents of our Torah Seder, Psalm,
Ashlamatah, Pirke Abot II:12, and Mordechai 3:19b-27, what is the prophetic message for
this week?
Next Shabbat:
Shabbat Mevar’chin HaChodesh
Tammuz
(Proclamation of the New Moon of the
Month of Tammuz)
Evening June 21 – Evening June
23, 2009
|
Shabbat |
Torah Reading: |
Weekday Torah Reading: |
|
וַיֵּרָא
אֱלֹהִים אֶל-יַעֲקֹב |
|
|
|
“Vayera Elohim El-Ya’aqob” |
Reader
1 – B’Resheet 35:9-15 |
Reader
1 – B’Resheet 37:1-3 |
|
“And appeared G-d unto Jacob” |
Reader
2 – B’
Resheet 35:16-26 |
Reader
2 – B’Resheet 37:4-7 |
|
“Y se apareció Dio
a Jacob” |
Reader
3 – B’
Resheet 35:27-29 |
Reader
3 – B’Resheet 37:8-11 |
|
B’Resheet (Gen.) 35:9 – 36:43 B’Midbar (Num.) 28:9-15 |
Reader
4 – B’
Resheet 36:1-8 |
|
|
Ashlamatah: Isaiah 43:1-7 + 19-21 |
Reader
5 – B’
Resheet 36:9-19 |
|
|
Special: 1 Samuel 20:18-42 |
Reader
6 – B’
Resheet 36:20-30 |
Reader
1 – B’Resheet 37:1-3 |
|
Psalm 29:1-11 |
Reader
7 – B’
Resheet 36:31-43 |
Reader
2 – B’Resheet 37:4-7 |
|
N.C.: Mark 3:28-30 |
Maftir : B’ Midbar 28:9-15 |
Reader
3 – B’Resheet 37:8-11 |
|
Pirke Abot: II:13 |
Isaiah 43:1-7 + 19-21 1 Samuel 20:18,42 |
|
Reading
Assignment:
Torah
With Targum Onkelos and Rashi’s Commentary – Vol. 1
The
Book of Genesis: Hebrew/English
By:
A.M. Silberman & M. Rosenbaum
Published
by: BN Publishing (2007)
pp.
170-178.
The
Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol IIIa: The Twelve Tribes
By:
Rabbi Ya’aqob Culi
Published
by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New York, 1988)
Vol.
IIIa, pp. 185-228.
Please
always remember:
The
above questions are not about how many you can answer right or wrong, or how
many you have answered at all, that is NOT the purpose of this exercise! The
REAL merit is in making an effort to attempt to answer them as best as you can!
We run no competitions here! The competition if any is a matter between you and
Ha-Shem, most blessed be He! The questions are given to help you grasp the
mechanics of the Peshat level of Hermeneutics and to help you understand
Scripture from a legitimate Jewish perspective. So far, only few brave souls
have attempted to answer the questions posed. For those who have not yet jumped
into the pool of the brave, why not give it a try, even if you answered a few
questions that would be great and most encouraging for you and the honourable
members of this list!
Shalom
Shabbat!
Hakham
Dr. Yosef ben Haggai