Esnoga Bet Emunah

227 Millset Chase - San Antonio, Texas 78253

Telephone: (210) 277 8649 - United States of America © 2007

E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com

 

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings

Second Year of the Reading Cycle

Sivan 23, 5767 – June 08/09, 2007

Fifth Year of the Sh’mita Cycle

 

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times

 

San Antonio, Texas, U.S.                                             Brisbane, Australia:

Friday, June 08, 2007 – Candles at: 8:15 PM                  Friday, June 08, 2007 – Candles at: 4:42 PM

Saturday, June 09, 2007 – Havdalah 9:14 PM                 Saturday, June 09, 2007 – Havdalah 5:38 PM

 

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.                                                 Singapore, Singapore

Friday June 08, 2007 – Candles at 8:28 PM                    Friday, June 08, 2007 – Candles at: 6:51 PM

Saturday, June 09, 2007 – Havdalah 9:30 PM                 Saturday, June 09, 2007 – Havdalah 7:43 PM

 

For other places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp

 

Shabbat Mevar’chim HaChodesh – Sabbath of the proclamation of New Moon

Rosh Chodesh - New Moon for the month of Tammuz will be on next Shabbat

Evening of the 15th of June – Evening of 17th of June

 

Shabbat

Torah Reading:

Weekday Torah Reading:

שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ

 

 

“Shemen Zayit Zakh”

Reader 1 – Vayikra 24:1-4

Reader 1 – Vayikra 25:14-16

“oil of olives pure”

Reader 2 – Vayikra 24:5-9

Reader 2 – Vayikra 25:17-19

“aceite puro de olivas”

Reader 3 – Vayikra 24:10-12

Reader 3 – Vayikra 25:20-22

Vayikra (Lev.) 24:1 – 25:13

B’midbar (Num.) 28:9-15

Reader 4 – Vayikra 24:11-23

 

Ashlamatah: Hos. 14:7 –

Joel 1:5, 14 + 2:4; I Samuel 20:18,42

Reader 5 – Vayikra 25:1-3

 

 

Reader 6 – Vayikra 25:4-7

Reader 1 – Vayikra 25:14-16

Psalms 88

Reader 7 – Vayikra 25:8-13

Reader 2 – Vayikra 25:17-19

Pirke Abot VI:8

      Maftir – B’midbar 28:9-15

Reader 3 – Vayikra 25:20-22

N.C.: Matityahu 17:24-27

       Hos. 14:7 –  Joel 1:5, 14 + 2:4

       1 Samuel 20:18,42

 

 

 

Roll of Honor:

 

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of His Honor Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and most beloved family, and that of Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah and beloved family, as well as that of His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann and beloved family and that of His Excellency Adon John Batchelor and beloved wife, and that of His Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and his beloved wife Giberet Karmela bat Sarah. 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, amen ve amen! Also a great thank you to all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Seder.

 

If you want to subscribe to our list and ensure that you never lose any of our commentaries, or would like your friends also to receive this commentary, please do send me an E-Mail to ravybh@optusnet.com.au with your E-Mail or the E-Mail addresses of your friends. Toda Rabba!

 

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

Vayikra (Lev.) 24:1 – 25:13

 

RASHI

TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN

1 ¶ Adonai spoke to Moshe, saying;

1 And the Lord spoke with Mosheh, saying:

2 Command B’ne Yisrael to take (bring) to you pure, pressed, olive oil for illumination to keep the lamp burning constantly.

2 Command the children of Israel that they bring of their own, pure beaten olive oil for the light, that the lamps may burn continually, on the day of Sabbath, and on the day of work;

3 Outside of the Curtain of the Testimony, which is inside the Tent of Meeting, Aharon will arrange it [so that it burns] from evening until morning before Adonai, continually; as an everlasting statute throughout your generations.

3 outside of the veil of the testimony for evermore, because the Shekinah dwells in Israel: in the tabernacle of ordinance will Aharon order it from evening till morning before the Lord continually, by an everlasting statute unto your generations.

4 Atop the pure menorah he will arrange the lights before Adonai, constantly.

4

 

5 You will take fine flour and bake twelve loaves, each individual loaf will be two tenths [of an ephah].

5 And you will take flour, and bake thereof twelve cakes, according to the twelve tribes; two tenths will be one cake.

6 You will place them in two stacks, six in each stack on the Pure Table, before Adonai.

6 And you will set them in two orders (rows), six in one order, and six in the other upon the table in its purity, as it is ordained before the Lord.

7 You will put pure frankincense on [each] stack and it will be as a memorial portion for the bread, as a fire-offering, to Adonai.

7 And you swill put upon the orders pure frankincense, that it may be an oblation of memorial bread before the Lord.

8 On each and every Sabbath he will arrange them before Adonai, continually, from B’ne Yisrael as an eternal covenant.

8 From Sabbath day to Sabbath day he will order it anew before the Lord continually from the children of Israel. This will be an everlasting statute.

9 It will belong to Aharon and to his sons and they will eat it in a sacred place, for it is most holy for him from among the fire-offerings of Adonai, as an everlasting statute.

9 And it will be for Aharon and for his sons, and they will eat it after they have taken it from off the table in the holy place; for it is most sacred to him of the oblations of the Lord by an everlasting statute.

10 The son of an Israelite woman went out, and he was the son of an Egyptian man, among B’ne Yisrael. They argued in the encampment--- the son of the Israelite woman, and the Israelite man.

10 But a wicked/lawless man, a rebel against the God of heaven, had come out of Mizraim, the son of the Mizraite man who had killed the man of Israel in Mizraim, and had gone in unto his wife, who conceived and bare a son among the children of Israel. And while the Israelites were dwelling in the wilderness, he had sought to spread his tent in the midst of the tribe of the children of Dan; but they would not permit him, because in the arrangements of Israel every man dwelt with his family by the ensigns of the house of their fathers. And they contended together in the camp, and the son of the Israelite woman with a man of Israel, who was of the tribe of Dan, went to the house of judgment;

11 The Israelite woman's son clearly pronounced the Name [of G-d] and blasphemed and they brought him to Moshe. The name of his mother was Shlomis, daughter of Divri of the tribe of Dan.

11 and when they had come out from the house of judgment, where he had been condemned, the son of the daughter of Israel expressed and reviled the great and glorious Name of Manifestation which he had heard at Sinai, and defiled and execrated; and the name of his mother was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibree, of the tribe of Dan. [JERUSALEM. And the son of the woman of Israel reviled the Manifested Name and defied.]

12 They placed him in the guardhouse until [his penalty] would be explained to them through the word of Adonai.

12 This is one of four judgments which were brought in before Mosheh the prophet, who decided them by the dictate of the Word, who is above. They were judgments about money and about life. In judgments on money Mosheh was prompt; but in the judgment on life he was deliberate (or slow by delay) each (party) Mosheh said, I have not heard: that He might teach the chiefs of the Sanhedrin of Israel, who were to arise after him, to be prompt in judgments respecting money, but slow in judgments that affected life; and not to be ashamed to inquire for counsel in cases that should be too hard for them, forasmuch as Mosheh, Rabban of Israel, had need to say, I have not heard. Therefore they shut him up in the house of confinement till the time that it should be explained to them by the decree of the Word of the Lord.

 

[JERUSALEM. This is one of four judgments that were brought before Mosheh our Rabbi. In two of them was Mosheh slow by delay, and in two of them was Mosheh expeditious. With the blasphemer who blasphemed the Holy Name with scoffings and with the gatherer of sticks who profaned the Sabbath, Mosheh had delay, because they were judgments that affected life; but in the case of unclean persons who could not perform the Pascha in its time, and in that of the daughters of Zelophehad, Mosheh could be prompt, because they were judgments on temporal matters. But to those he would say, I have not heard: to teach the judges who were to arise after Mosheh to be slow in judgments on life and to be expeditious in judgments of Mammon; and not to be ashamed to say, I have not heard; for Mosheh our Rabban said, I have not heard. And they shut him up in confinement, while as yet it had not been explained to them from before the Lord with what judgments they were to deal with him.]

13 Adonai spoke to Moshe, saying;

13 And the Lord spoke with Mosheh, saying:

14 Take the blasphemer beyond the encampment, and all those who heard him will lay their hands on his head and the entire congregation will stone him.

14 Bring forth the blasphemer without the camp, and let the witnesses who heard his blasphemy, and the judges, lay their hands upon his head, and let the whole congregation stone him with stones.

15 And to B’ne Yisrael you will speak, saying; Any person who will blaspheme his G-d will bear [the burden of] his sin.

15 And speak you with the sons of Israel, saying: A man young or old who will blaspheme the known Name of his God will bear his sin.

16 Whoever pronounces clearly the Name of Adonai [and blasphemes] he will surely be put to death. The entire congregation will surely stone him. The proselyte and native born alike when he clearly articulates the Name, will be put to death.

16 Whosoever expresses and reviles the Name of the Lord will verily be put to death; all the congregation will cast stones upon him, whether he be a sojourner or native‑born, when he has blasphemed the Name that is Alone, he will die.

17 Any man who kills any human being must surely be put to death.

17 And if a man destroy the life of any one of the children of Israel, he will verily be put to death by the sword.

18 Whoever kills an animal will pay for it, [the compensation of] an animal for an animal.

18 And he who destroys the life of an animal will make it good, a living animal for a living one.

19 A man who maims his neighbor just as he did, so will be done to him.

19 And a man who inflicts a blemish on his neighbor, whatsoever he has done it will be done unto him:

20 [Compensation for] a broken bone [in exchange] for a broken bone, [compensation for] the loss of an eye [in exchange] for the loss of an eye, [compensation for] the loss to a tooth [in exchange] for the loss of a tooth; just as he maimed the man, so will it be done to him [monetarily].

20 the value of a fracture for a fracture; the value of an eye for an eye; the value of a tooth for a tooth; whatsoever blemish he inflicts upon the man, the same will be rendered unto him. [JERUSALEM. Fracture will be recompensed by fracture, an eye will be recompensed by an eye, a tooth for a tooth, the blemish he has given to the man it will be given unto him.]

21 Whoever smites an animal will pay for it. Whoever smites a person will be put to death.

21 He who kills a beast will restore it; but be who slays a man will be slain.

22 One rule will apply for all of you just as it is for the proselyte, so it will be for the native born, for I am Adonai, your G-d.

22 One judgment will you have for the stranger and for the native; for I am the Lord your God.

23 Moshe spoke to B’ne Yisrael and they took the blasphemer, beyond the encampment and they stoned him with a stone. And B’ne Yisrael did just as Adonai commanded Moshe.

23 And Mosheh spoke with the sons of Israel, and they brought forth the blasphemer without the camp, and stoned him with stones; and the sons of Israel did it, by laying their hands upon, leading him away hanging, and burying him, as the Lord had commanded Mosheh.

 

 

1 Adonai spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai, saying;

1 AND the Lord spoke with Mosheh in the mountain of Sinai, saying:

2 Speak to B’ne Yisrael and say to them, when you come to the land which I give to you the land will be at rest---a Sabbath for Adonai.

2 Speak with the children of Israel, and say to them: When you have entered into the land that I will give to you, then will the ground rest for a rest before the Lord.

3 For six years you will plant your field and for six years you will prune your vineyard and you will harvest its produce.

3 Six years you will sow your fields, and six years prune your vineyards and gather in the fruit;

4 But the seventh year will be a Sabbath of rest for the land, a Sabbath for Adonai, you will not plant your field and you will not prune your vineyard.

4 but in the seventh year there will be a rest of remission to the earth, that she may rest before the Lord; you will not sow your fields, nor prune your vineyards.

5 [Even] crops that grew on their own [from the seeds of your previous] harvest you will not reap, and the grapes of your untended vines you will not gather; it will be a year of complete rest for the land.

5 The after crop which remains from your harvests you may not reap, nor of your later grapes make a vintage; a year of remission it will be unto the earth;

6 The [produce] of the land's Sabbath[-year] will be for yourselves, for food, for you, your servant and your maidservant, for your hired hand and your resident sojourner who reside with you.

6 but the remission of the ground will be to you for food, to you, to your servant, and to your handmaid, and to your hireling, and to the stranger who dwells with you;

7 [Also] for your domesticated animals and for the [wild] beasts that are in your land will all of its produce be for food.

7 and for your cattle and for the animals that are in your land will be the produce of it (also).

8 You will count for yourself seven sabbatical years, seven years, seven times and it will be for you, the days (period) of the seven sabbatical years, forty-nine years.

8 And you will number to yourself seven Sabbaths of years, seven times seven years, and they will be to you the sum of the days of seven Sabbaths (or remissions, shemittin) of years, forty and nine years.

9 You will make a proclamation with the Shofar on the tenth day of the seventh month. On Yom Kippur will this Shofar-proclamation be made. throughout all your land.

9 And you will make the voice of the trumpet to sound a jubilee in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, on the Day of the Expiations you will make the voice of the trumpet of Liberty to pass through all your land.

10 You will sanctify the year of the fiftieth year and proclaim freedom in the land for all of its inhabitants; it will be for you a jubilee and each man will return to his ancestral land and each man will return to his family.

10 And you will sanctify that year, the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty in the land of Israel to all the inhabitants; Jubilee will it be to you, and you will return every man to his inheritance, and every man unto his family, you will return.

11 It is a jubilee, [that] the year of the fiftieth year will be for you. You will not plant and you will not reap [even] crops that grew on their own; and you will not gather the [grapes of] its untended vineyard,

11 The year of Jubilee will that fiftieth be to you: ye will not sow, nor reap the after crop, nor make vintages of the grapes which have been let alone.

12 For it is a jubilee, it will be holy to you. Whatever is in the field, you may eat of its produce.

12 For that Jubilee will be sacred to you, the produce of the field will you eat.

13 On this jubilee year, each man will return to his ancestral land.

13 In this year of Jubilee you will return every man unto his inheritance.

 

 

 

 

 

Midrash Tanhuma (Lev.) 24:1 – 25:13

 

8.31 Leviticus 24: 10ff, Part I

 

[(Lev. 24:10:) NOW THERE WENT OUT THE SON OF AN ISRAELITE WOMAN. From where did he go out? R. Levi says: He went out from his world, just as it is stated (in I Sam. 17:4): AND THERE WENT OUT A CHAMPION. R. Berekhyah said: He went out (i.e., became excluded from Israel) because of (literally: from) the preceding parashah, where it is written (in Lev. 24:5): THEN YOU SHALL TAKE FINE FLOUR AND BAKE IT INTO TWELVE LOAVES. He said: It is customary for the king to eat warm bread. Would <he eat it> cold? It is like that which we learn there (in the latter part of Men. 11:9): THE SHEWBREAD WAS EATEN NO EARLIER THAN THE NINTH DAY <AFTER BAKING> AND NO LATER THAN THE ELEVENTH DAY. HOW SO? IT WAS BAKED ON THE EVE OF THE SABBATH AND EATEN ON THE SABBATH <OF THE FOLLOWING WEEK, I.E.,> ON THE NINTH DAY. <IF> A HOLIDAY HAPPENED TO FALL ON THE EVE OF THE SABBATH, IT WAS EATEN ON THE TENTH. <IN THE CASE OF> THE TWO-DAY HOLIDAY OF THE NEW YEAR, IT WAS EATEN ON THE ELEVENTH, FOR <THE BAKING> OVERRIDES NEITHER THE SABBATH NOR A HOLIDAY. R. SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAYS IN THE NAME OF {RABBI } SIMEON THE SON OF THE SAGAN: <THE BAKING> OVERRIDES A HOLIDAY BUT DOES NOT OVERRIDE THE FAST DAY (Day of Atonement). (According the first part of Men. 11:9) THE TWO LOAVES OF BREAD <OFFERED AT PENTECOST> WERE EATEN NO EARLIER THAN THE SECOND DAY AND NO LATER THAN THE THIRD. HOW SO? THEY WERE BAKED ON THE EVE OF THE FESTIVAL <OF WEEKS AND> EATEN ON THE FESTIVAL, <I.E.,> ON THE SECOND DAY. IF THE FESTIVAL HAPPENED TO FALL ON THE DAY AFTER THE SABBATH, THEY WERE EATEN ON THE THIRD DAY.]

 

 

8.32 Leviticus 24: 10ff, Part II

 

(Lev. 24:10:) NOW THERE WENT OUT THE SON OF AN ISRAELITE WOMAN, <WHOSE FATHER WAS EGYPTIAN>. From where did he go out? R. Hiyya bar Abba said: he went out (i.e., became excluded from Israel) because of (literally: from) the parashah on genealogies.’ When he came to pitch his tent in the camp of Dan, they rejected him. Now they said to him: You have an Egyptian father, but it is written (in Numb. 2:2): <THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL CAMP,> EACH WITH HIS STANDARD, UNDER THE BANNERS OF THEIR FATHERS’ HOUSES, and not of their mothers’ houses. [Immediately,] (according to Lev. 24:11) he began to utter the Name and curse it. R. Levi said: He was a bastard. How so? Taskmasters were from Egypt, and the officers were from Israel.’ The taskmaster was in charge of ten officers, and the officer <was in charge> of ten Israelites. <Thus,> it turned out that the taskmaster was in charge of a hundred {and ten} Israelites. On one occasion a taskmaster met an officer. He said to him: Go gather your groups of ten. When he had gone, he entered his house and seduced Shelomith, the officer’s wife. <When> her husband returned, he found him leaving his house. When <the taskmaster> knew that <her husband> noticed him, he beat him every day. The Holy Spirit was kindled in Moses. He raised his eyes to the sky. He said: Was it not enough for this wicked/lawless man to rape his wife, but that he should return and beat him? Immediately (according to Exod. 2:12) HE SMOTE THE EGYPTIAN AND HID HIM IN THE SAND. The Holy One said: In this world you are delivered through sins into the hands of the nations of the world. However, in the world to come (according to Is. 49:23): KINGS SHALL BE YOUR GUARDIANS; THEIR LADIES, YOUR WET NURSES; [THEY SHALL BOW DOWN BEFORE YOU, NOSE TO THE GROUND, AND LICK THE DUST OF YOUR FEET. THEN YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD. THOSE WHO TRUST ME SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED.]

 

 

9.1 Leviticus 25:lff, Part I

 

(Lev. 25:1:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES ON MOUNT SINAI, SAYING. This text is related (to Prov. 28:22): AN EVIL-EYED PERSON MOVES QUICKLY AFTER WEALTH, [AND HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT POVERTY WILL COME TO HIM]. This verse speaks about a lot of Adam’s children: {about Cain, about Ephron, and about one who lends at interest}. [AN EVIL-EYED PERSON MOVES QUICKLY AFTER WEALTH. This was Cain, since he killed his brother so that he would inherit the world for himself. Ergo (in Prov. 28:22): AN EVIL-EYED PERSON MOVES QUICKLY AFTER WEALTH.] The Holy One said: You moved quickly to become rich and inherit the world. By your life, you shall have a loss in the matter. Ergo (in Prov. 28:22): AND HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT POVERTY WILL COME TO HIM. And what happened to him? That he wandered about the world, as stated (in Gen. 4:12): YOU SHALL BECOME A CEASELESS WANDERER ON THE EARTH. Ergo (in Prov. 28:22): AN EVIL-EYED PERSON MOVES QUICKLY AFTER WEALTH: This is Cain.

 

Another interpretation (of Prov. 28:22): AN EVIL-EYED PERSON MOVES QUICKLY AFTER WEALTH. This was Ephron the Hittite. When Abraham’s wife Sarah died, Abraham went to Ephron for him to sell him the cave. Ephron said to him: Give me its price. He said to him (in Gen. 23:15): WHAT IS A PIECE OF LAND WORTH FOUR HUNDRED SHEKELS OF SILVER BETWEEN YOU AND ME? SO BURY YOUR DEAD. Abraham began piling up the silver for Ephron, as stated (in Gen. 23:16): ABRAHAM HEEDED EPHRON,AND ABRAHAM WEIGHED OUT THE SILVER FOR EPHRON. . . . Ben Ma’ma said: Although R. Hanina has said: All the shekels in the Torah are sela’im, these <shekels> are an exception, since they are centenaria. <It was> four hundred centenaria <that> Abraham piled up before Ephron. When Ephron saw the silver, he moved quickly and was persuaded, as stated (in Gen. 23:6): BURY YOUR DEAD IN THE CHOICEST OF OUR TOMBS. The Holy One said to him: You have moved quickly after money. (Prov. 28:22): AN EVIL-EYED PERSON MOVES QUICKLY AFTER WEALTH. By your Life, you shall have a loss in the matter. (Prov. 28:22, cont.): AND HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT POVERTY (HSR) WILL COME TO HIM. And what was his loss (rt.: HSR)? R. Judah bar Shallum the Levite said: Every EPHRON which is written here <in Scripture>, before he took the silver from Abraham, is written plene as ‘PRWN (i.e., with the vowel O represented by the Hebrew consonant W); but this <usage> (in Gen. 23:6) is deficient (HSR): AND ABRAHAM WEIGHED OUT THE SILVER FOR EPHRON (‘PRN). It is written with the W missing (HSR).

 

Another interpretation (of Prov. 28:22): AN EVIL-EYED PERSON MOVES QUICKLY AFTER WEALTH. This is the one who lends at interest, because he is anxious to become wealthy. He lends in order to receive interest from the borrower and becomes wealthy from the interest. But a curse is given through his riches, AND (ibid., cont.) HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT POVERTY WILL COME TO HIM.

 

Another interpretation (of Prov. 28:22): [<AN EVIL- EYED PERSON> MOVES QUICKLY AFTER WEALTH. ... ] This represents those who engage in business in the Sabbatical Year, in that they move quickly to become rich. They do not observe the Sabbatical Year but are intent on becoming rich. The Holy One said to them: You have moved quickly to become rich from the Sabbatical Year. By your life, you shall have a loss in the matter. But he only acted when he did not observe the Sabbatical Year. The curse began entering into his money, and he sold all that he had. What is written elsewhere on the matter (in Lev. 25:2): THE LAND SHALL OBSERVE A SABBATH FOR THE LORD. And after that it is written (in vs. 14): AND WHEN YOU MAKE A SALE.

 

 

9.2 Leviticus 25:lff, Part II

 

R. Eleazar haQappar said: It is written (in Cant. 5:15): HIS LEGS ARE PILLARS OF MARBLE; SET UPON SOCKETS OF FINE GOLD. ... If a column does not have a capital above and a pedestal below, it does not seem beautiful. R. Samuel ben Gedaliah said: You do have no section in the Torah which does not have a capital above and a pedestal below. What is written above of the matter (in Lev. 25:1-2:)? THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES ON MOUNT SINAI, SAYING: SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL [...] THE LAND SHALL OBSERVE <A SABBATH FOR THE LORD>. Then after that <comes> the section on the Jubilee (in vs. 8): AND YOU SHALL COUNT SEVEN SABBATHS OF YEARS If one has not observed the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee, he will end up selling his chattels, [as stated] (in vs. 14): AND WHEN YOU MAKE A SALE. ... <If> he repents, <all> is well; but if not, he will end up selling his field, [as stated] (in vs. 25): WHEN YOUR RELATIVE BECOMES POOR AND SELLS SOME OF HIS PROPERTY <...> <If> he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up selling his house, as stated (in vs. 29): AND WHEN SOMEONE SELLS A DWELLING HOUSE. <If> he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up going around <begging> at doorways, as stated (in vs. 35): AND WHEN YOUR RELATIVE BECOMES POOR ..., <YOU SHALL MAINTAIN HIM AS A FOREIGNER AND SOJOURNER AND LET HIM LIVE NEAR YOU>. <If> he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up being sold to you, as stated (in vs. 39): [AND WHEN YOUR RELATIVE BECOMES POOR] NEAR YOU AND IS SOLD TO YOU <....> <If> he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up being sold to the gentiles, as stated (in vs. 47): AND WHEN A FOREIGNER AND A SOJOURNER NEAR YOU BECOMES WEALTHY, <WHILE YOUR RELATIVE NEAR HIM BECOMES POOR AND IS SOLD TO A SOJOURNING FOREIGNER NEAR YOU ...> Now it is not merely the individual himself <at issue here>, but that person and all Israel; for so you find in the days of Jeremiah, because they profaned the Sabbatical Year, they were sold to the gentiles, as stated (in II Chron. 36:17-18): SO HE BROUGHT UP THE KING OF THE CHALDEANS UPON THEM [....] AND ALL THE VESSELS OF THE HOUSE OF GOD [...,]AND THE TREASURES OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD [...,] <ALL THESE HE BROUGHT TO BABYLON>. Consider the case of Israel. The Holy One said to Moses: See how they will be sold to the gentiles because they profaned the Sabbatical Year. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, did you not say this (in Lev. 25:35): AND WHEN YOUR RELATIVE BECOMES POOR, [AND HIS STRENGTH FAILS NEAR YOU], <YOU SHALL MAINTAIN HIM AS A FOREIGNER AND SOJOURNER AND LET HIM LIVE NEAR YOU>? Fulfill what you said. [Israel is your brother (ah), as stated (in Ps. 122:8): FOR THE SAKE] OF MY RELATIVES (ah) AND FRIENDS. (Lev. 25:35:) AND WHEN YOUR RELATIVE BECOMES POOR, AND HIS STRENGTH FAILS NEAR YOU, <i.e.,> when their strength fails before Nebuchadnezzar, the Divine Presence, as it were, will be with them. It is so stated (in Is. 43:14): FOR YOUR SAKE I HAVE SENT TO BABYLON. (Lev. 25:35, cont.:) YOU SHALL MAINTAIN HIM. Take them (i.e., Israel) by the hand, lest they perish by his (Babylon’s) hand. But how? (Lev. 25:35, cont.:) AS A FOREIGNER AND SOJOURNER AND LET HIM LIVE NEAR YOU. Although they became foreigners and sojourners in Babylon, just LET HIM LIVE NEAR YOU. The Holy One said to him: Because of their sins I have sold my house to the Chaldeans, as stated (in Lev. 25:29): AND WHEN SOMEONE SELLS A DWELLING HOUSE. This is the house of the Holy One. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 132:13): FOR THE LORD HAS CHOSEN ZION; HE HAS DESIRED IT FOR HIS DWELLING. And what happened to it? (II Kings 25:9 = Jer. 52:13:) AND HE BURNED THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. (Lev. 25:29, cont.:) <IN> A WALLED CITY. [This is the city of the Holy One, as stated] (in II Chron. 36:19): AND THEY BROKE DOWN THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM. ... That is what the Holy One says (in Lev. 25:47): AND WHEN A FOREIGNER AND A SOJOURNER <NEAR YOU> BECOMES WEALTHY. This wealthy foreigner is Nebuchadnezzar, and this sojourner is the Median empire. (Ibid., cont.:) <WHILE YOUR RELATIVE NEAR HIM BECOMES POOR> AND IS SOLD TO A SOJOURNING FOREIGNER NEAR YOU. This <sojourning foreigner] is the Greek empire. (Ibid., cont.:) OR TO AN OFFSHOOT OF A FOREIGNER’S FAMILY. This is the fourth empire (i.e., Rome). Moses said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the World: Why were they sold to these empires? He said to him: Because they profaned the Sabbatical Year. It is so stated (in II Chron. 36:20-21): THEN HE CARRIED OFF UNTO BABYLON THOSE LEFT FROM THE SWORD, AND THEY BECAME SLAVES TO HIM AND HIS CHILDREN, UNTIL THE RULE OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE, IN ORDER TO FULFILL THE WORD OF THE LORD IN THE MOUTH OF JEREMIAH, UNTIL THE LAND MADE UP ITS SABBATHS. AS LONG AS IT LAY DESOLATE, IT OBSERVED SABBATH, TO FULFILLSEVENTYYEARS. Therefore the Holy One said to Moses: Is it your wish that they do not go into exile? <Then> warn them concerning the Sabbatical Years and the Jubilees. That is what he has said at the end of all the sections (in Lev. 26:2): YOU SHALL OBSERVE MY SABBATHS AND REVERENCE MY SANCTUARY. 1 AM THE LORD. I am the one who is going to give you a good reward, if you observe them; but if not, I am going to exact retribution from them through the empires. Therefore, warn them about the Sabbatical Year. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 25:2): THE LAND SHALL OBSERVE A SABBATH FOR THE LORD, so that they do not attain <the punishments in> those sections written below (in Lev. 26:14-45).

 

 

 

Ketubim Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 88

 

JPS Translation

TARGUM

1. A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Leader; upon Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.

1. A song and a psalm composed by the sons of Korah, with a prayer; for praise; a good lesson composed by Heman the native.

2. O LORD, God of my salvation, what time I cry in the night before You,

2. O Lord God my redemption, daily I have made complaint; in the night my prayer is before You.

3. Let my prayer come before You, incline Your ear unto my cry.

3. May my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my plea. Another Targum: Let my prayer for Your people, the house of Israel, come before You; and incline Your ear to my psalm that I have sung for Your glory.

4. For my soul is sated with troubles, and my life draws near unto the grave.

4. For my soul has had its fill of evils; and my life has arrived at Sheol.

5. I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am become as a man that has no help;

5. I am reckoned with those who go down to the prison-house; I have become like a son of man who has no strength.

6. Set apart among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom You remember no more; and they are cut off from Your hand.

6. Like the wicked/lawless who died and did not return, having been made free from strife; like those slain by the sword, lying in the grave, whom You no longer remember, since they have been separated from the face of Your presence.

7. You have laid me in the nethermost pit, in dark places, in the deeps.

7. You have placed me in exile, which is likened to the lower pit, among the oppressed in the depths.

8. Your wrath lies hard upon me, and all Your waves You press down. Selah

8. Your fury rests on me, and all evil decrees have broken me; You have afflicted me forever.

9. You have put mine acquaintance far from me; You have made me an abomination unto them; I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

9. You have removed those who know me far from me; You have made me loathsome to them; enclosed in prison, and I may not go out.

10. Mine eye languishes by reason of affliction; I have called upon You, O LORD, every day, I have spread forth my hands unto You.

10. My eye has flowed with tears because of affliction; every day I have called to You, O lord; I have spread my hands to You in prayer.

11. Will You work wonders for the dead? Or will the shades arise and give You thanks? Selah

11. Could it be that You would work miracles for the dead? Or will bodies that have decayed in dust arise [and] give thanks in Your presence forever?

12. Will Your mercy be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in destruction?

12. Could it be that Your goodness will be talked of in the grave? Your truth in the place of perdition?

13. Will Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness/generosity in the land of forgetfulness?

13. Could it be that Your wonders will be known in the darkness of Gehenna? And Your generosity in the land of thirst and desolation?

14. But as for me, unto You, O LORD, do I cry, and in the morning does my prayer come to meet You.

14. But I have prayed in Your presence, O lord; and in the morning my prayer will come before You.

15. LORD, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?

15. Why, O lord, have You forsaken my soul, why will you hide Your face from me, that I may not see illumination by Your light?

16. I am afflicted and at the point of death from my youth up; I have borne Your terrors, I am distracted.

16. I am afflicted and frail from childhood; I have borne the fear of You, loaded upon me.

17. Your fierce wrath is gone over me; Your terrors have cut me off.

17. Your anger has passed over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.

18. They came round about me like water all the day; they compassed me about together.

18. They have surrounded me like water all day; they have encompassed me together.

19. Friend and companion have You put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

19. You have removed friend and fellow far from me; as for those who know me, I am lowly in their mouth.

 

 

 

 

Ketubim Midrash Tehillim (Psalms) 88

 

I. A song, a Psalm of the Sons of Korah; for the leader; upon Mahalath Leannoth (“for singing of praise”) (Ps. 88:1). What is meant by Mahalath? According to R. Berechiah, Mahalath means that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to David: Praise Me in any way you desire to praise Me, and I will condone (mahalti) whatever your manner of praising Me, for no man can discover even one of the many kinds of praise which are appropriate for the Holy One, blessed be He. As Scripture says, Will it be told Him that I would speak? If a man speak, surely he will be swallowed up (Job 37:20). But who was given permission to speak? David, as is said For the leader; upon Mahalath Leannoth (“for singing of praise”): This phrase may also be taken to mean that the Holy One, blessed be He, condoned David’s faults in his singing of God’s praise, for Leannoth means “faults” (a’wonot), too, as in the verse “Lord, remember unto David all his faults (‘unnot)” (Ps. 132:1).

 

O Lord, God of my salvation (Ps. 88:2). The congregation of Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He: I have no salvation except in You, and my eyes wait upon no one except You. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: Because you avowed this, I will save you: O Israel, that are saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation (Isa. 45:17).

 

II. For my soul is full of trouble, and my life draws near to the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that has no strength (Ps. 88:5-6) – “as a man that has no strong guardian.” Set apart among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave (Ps. 88:6): R. Helbo took the phrase like the slain that lie in the grave to mean “like the generation which perished in the flood.” Of this generation, R. Aba taught that the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Because its people called My agents by My name, therefore, I will call upon the waters of the ocean in My name, and the waters will punish them in My name, as is said He that calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the face of the earth; the Lord is His name (Amos 5:8).

 

R. Abbahu said: The waters of the ocean stand higher than the face of the earth. Thereupon R. Eleazar asked in the name of R. Menahem: Is not this point fully made in Scripture in the verse He that calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the face of the earth, for it is impossible to pour down except from above. Hence And pours them upon the face of the earth.

 

But as for me, unto You, O Lord, do I cry (Ps. 88:14). The rest of the verse, and in the morning does my prayer come to meet You, is, according to R. Samuel bar Nabmani, God’s reply, for the angel whose charge is prayer comes to meet the children of Israel, as is said In the morning does My prayer come to meet You.

 

But R. Phinehas took the words to mean: The angel whose charge is prayer waits until that congregation in Israel which is the latest to assemble concludes its prayers; then he takes all the prayers and out of them he fashions a crown which he places upon the head of the Holy One, blessed be He, as is said Blessings are upon the head of the Righteous/Generous (Prov. 10:6), of Him that lives for ever. Hence the verse is read In the morning does my prayer come to meet You.

 

 

 

Ashlamatah: Hosea 14:7 –  Joel 1:5, 14 + 2:4

 

7 His branches will spread, and his beauty will be as the olive-tree, and his fragrance as Lebanon.

8 They that dwell under His shadow will again make corn to grow, and will blossom as the vine; the scent thereof will be as the wine of Lebanon.

9 Ephraim [will say]: 'What have I to do any more with idols?' As for Me, I respond and look on him; I am like a leafy cypress-tree; from Me is thy fruit found.

10 Whosoever is wise, let him understand these things, whoso is prudent, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the just do walk in them; but transgressors do stumble therein. {P}

 

1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

2 Hear this, you old men, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land. Has this been in your days, or in the days of your fathers?

3 Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

4 That which the palmer-worm has left hath the locust has eaten; and that which the locust has left has the canker-worm eaten; and that which the canker-worm has left has the caterpillar eaten.

5 Awake, you drunkards, and weep, and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it is cut off from your mouth.

6 For a people is come up upon My land, mighty, and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the jaw-teeth of a lioness.

7 He has laid my vine waste, and blasted my fig-tree; he has made it clean bare, and cast it down, the branches thereof are made white.

8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

9 The meal-offering and the drink-offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests mourn, even the LORD'S ministers.

10 The field is wasted, the land mourns; for the corn is wasted, the new wine is dried up, the oil languishes.

11 Be ashamed, O you husbandmen, wail, O you vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.

12 The vine is withered, and the fig-tree languishes; the pomegranate-tree, the palm-tree also, and the apple-tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered; for joy is withered away from the sons of men. {S}

 

13 Gird yourselves, and lament, you priests, wail, you ministers of the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God; for the meal-offering and the drink-offering is withheld from the house of your God.

14 Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD.

15 Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty will it come.

16 Is not the food cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?

17 The grains shrivel under their hoes; the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.

18 How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

19 Unto You, O LORD, do I cry; for the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame has set ablaze all the trees of the field.

20 Yea, the beasts of the field pant unto You; for the water brooks are dried up, and the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness. {S}

 

1 Blow the horn in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the LORD comes, for it is at hand;

2 A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, as blackness spread upon the mountains; a great people and a mighty, there has not been ever the like, neither will be any more after them, even to the years of many generations.

3 A fire devours before them, and behind them a flame blazes; the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing escapes them.

4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so do they run.

 

 

 

Ashlamatah: 1 Samuel 20:18,42

 

18. And Jonathan said unto him: 'Tomorrow is the new moon; and you will be missed, your seat will be empty.

42. And Jonathan said to David: 'Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying: The LORD will be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed, for ever.' And he arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.

 

 

 

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 17:24-27

 

  1. And having come to K’far Nakhum those who took the half shekel came near to Shimon Ha-Tsefet Bar Yonah and said, “Does your Rabbi not pay the half-shekel?”
  2. Shimon HaTsefet said, “Yes.” And coming into the house, Yeshuah anticipated him saying, “What do you think Shimon, from whom do the kings of a land take tribute, of their sons, or from outsiders?”
  3. And Shimon HaTsefet having said “from the outsiders,” Yeshuah answered him, “Then the sons are indeed freemen.
  4. But in order that we may not cause them to stumble, go down to the sea and throw a hook and pick up the first fish coming up. And having opened its mouth you will find a shekel. Having taken it, give it to them for me and for you.”

 

 

 

Pirqe Abot

 

“All Israel have a share in the World to Come, as it is stated: And Your people are all righteous/generous; they will 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 VI:8

 

 

Mishnah 8

 

Rabbi Shimon ben Yehudah says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai: “Beauty, strength, wealth, honor, wisdom, old age, hoary age, and children are pleasing for the righteous/generous and pleasing for the world, as it is stated: ‘Ripe old age is a crown of glory; it is to be found in the path of righteousness;’ and it says: ‘The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of the elderly is the hoary age.’ And it [also] says: ‘Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children are their fathers;’ and also: ‘The moon will be abashed and the sun put to shame when G-d of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and honor will be before His elders.’”

 

Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya says: “These seven qualities which the Sages enumerated [as pleasing for] the righteous/generous were all realized in Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi and in his sons.”

 

 

“Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children are their fathers.” (6:8) QUESTION: To prove that “banim” - “children” - are pleasing for the righteous/generous it is sufficient to just state the first part of the pasuk (verse), “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged.” Why is it necessary to also quote the conclusion of the pasuk (verse), “The glory of children are their fathers”?

 

ANSWER: Not always are the grandchildren the crown of the aged. Unfortunately, there are grandparents who are very disappointed with their grandchildren's alienation from Torah and mitzvoth. For instance, how sad is it to grandparents when they know that they cannot eat at their grandchild's home because it is not kosher. Thus, the Baraita is teaching that when “tiferet banim avotam” – “the glory of the children is their parents” - i.e. they are proud of their parents who are strictly observant Jews and all their endeavors are to emulate them, only then is “ateret zekenim b'ne banim” - “the grandchildren are the crown of the aged.” To the grandparents who merited to live to see this blessing, the grandchildren are a crown which they love and cherish immensely.

 

 

“All of them were realized in Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi and in his sons.” (6:8) QUESTION: Surely there were righteous/generous men before Rabbi who possessed these virtues. Why was he singled out, and why the mention of “banav” – “his sons”?

 

ANSWER: Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya specifically mentions his contemporaries, Rabbi and his sons, and not any of his great predecessors to emphasizes that the manifestation of these traits could be realized in any - and every - generation. Moreover, the mention of Rabbi's sons also highlights how the teachings of the Baraita can relate to individuals in later generations. Since one's students are also referred to as one's children (Debarim/Deut. 6:7, Rashi), by studying Rabbi's work - the Mishnah which he compiled - and observing Torah in accordance with the teachings of the Oral Torah, each of us can become one of Rabbi's “children” and acquire the virtues mentioned in this teaching.

 

 

“All of them were realized in Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi and in his sons.” (6:8) QUESTION: He was known as “Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi” – “Rabbi Yehudah the Prince” (2:2), also “Rabbenu Hakadosh” – “Our Holy Teacher” - and also "Rabbi" (Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 11:3). Why here when mentioning all the qualities he attained, is he just called "Rabbi"?

 

ANSWER: He was called “Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi,” since he was the leader of his generation. The title “Rabbenu Hakadosh” emphasizes his lack of interest in worldly and mundane matters regardless of his vast wealth. The Talmud (Shabbat 118b) relates that prior to departing from this world, he stretched his ten fingers towards heaven and said “Master of the universe, let it be known before You that at no time in my life did I took advantage of the pleasures of this world by as much as my little finger.” Perhaps his greatest contribution and claim to fame was his being Rabbi - a revered teacher of K'lal Yisrael (the community of Israel). Through compiling and editing the Mishnah, which is so widely studied, he became the teacher of Torah to posterity. It is specifically this that merited him all the mentioned qualities. Accordingly, “UBanav” - “his sons” - are the countless children he acquired over the generations through teaching them Torah. When they will continue on in his footsteps as Rabbis - teachers - of K'lal Yisrael, they too will merit the enumerated qualities.

 

A story is told that a wise king once decided that he would set aside a day to give honor to the greatest of his subjects. On the specified day, people from all walks of life gathered in the palace garden. Amid the cheers of his subjects, the king sat down on his throne and instructed the various groups of citizens to present their candidates.

 

First to be presented was a man of immense wealth. It was told that he gave much of his wealth to the less fortunate. A doctor was then presented with the words that he was a faithful servant to all in need. A famous lawyer was introduced with the words that he was a fair judge and was famous for his wise decisions. Finally, an old, poorly dressed lady was led to the front. Looking into her eyes one could see love, loyalty, and understanding. “Who is this?” demanded the king. “This, O king,” was the immediate answer, “is their teacher.” Amid the applause of the throng, the king descended from his throne to proclaim her the greatest of them all.

 

 

 

The Rabbi’s Private Prophetic Study

 

In order to give our readers an idea of where we are in Sefer Vayiqra (Book of Leviticus) and where our present Torah Seder fits in, here is a small summary of the whole book of Leviticus.

 

 

·       Laws regarding the regulations for different types of sacrifice (Leviticus 1-7):

§  Burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and thank-offerings (Leviticus 1-3)

§  Sin-offerings, and trespass-offerings (Leviticus 4-5)

§  Priestly duties and rights concerning the offering of sacrifices (Leviticus 6-7)

 

·       The practical application of the sacrificial laws, within a narrative of the consecration of Aaron and his sons (Leviticus 8-10)

§  Aaron's first offering for himself and the people (Leviticus 8)

§  The incident in which "strange fire" is brought to the Tabernacle by Nadab and Abihu, leading to their death directly at the hands of God for doing so (Leviticus 9-10)

 

·       Laws concerning purity and impurity (Leviticus 11-16)

§  Laws about clean and unclean animals (Leviticus 11)

§  Laws concerning ritual cleanliness after childbirth (Leviticus 12)

§  Laws concerning tzaraath of people, and of clothes and houses, often translated as leprosy, and mildew, respectively (Leviticus 13-14)

§  Laws concerning bodily discharges (such as blood, pus, etc.) and purification (Leviticus 15)

§  Laws regarding a day of national atonement, Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16)

 

o  Holiness Code (Leviticus 17-26)

§  Laws concerning idolatry, the slaughter of animals, dead animals, and the consumption of blood (Leviticus 17)

§  Laws concerning sexual conduct (including some that are often interpreted as referring to male homosexuality), sorcery, and moloch (Leviticus 18, and also Leviticus 20, in which penalties are given)

§  Laws concerning molten gods, peace-offerings, scraps of the harvest, fraud, the deaf, blind, elderly, and poor, poisoning the well, hate, sex with slaves, self harm, shaving, prostitution, sabbaths, sorcery, familiars, strangers, and just weights and measure (Leviticus 19)

§  Laws concerning priestly conduct, and prohibitions against the disabled, ill, and superfluously blemished, from becoming priests, or becoming sacrifices, for descendants of Aaron, and animals, respectively (Leviticus 21-22)

§  Laws concerning the observation of the annual feasts, and the sabbath, (Leviticus 23)

§  Laws concerning the altar of incense (Leviticus 24:1-9)

§  The case law lesson of a blasphemer being stoned to death, and other applications of the death penalty (Leviticus 24:10-23), including anyone having "a familiar ghost or spirit", a child insulting its parents (Leviticus 20), and a special case for prostitution (burning them alive) (Leviticus 21)

§  Laws concerning the Sabbath and Jubilee years (Leviticus 25)

§  A hortatory conclusion to the section, giving promises regarding obedience to these commandments, and warnings and threats for those that might disobey them, including sending wild animals to devour their children. (Leviticus 26:22)

 

o  Laws concerning the commutation of vows (Leviticus 27)

 

 

Questions for Meditation and Discussion

 

 

1.     According to what is written in Psalm 88, what caught the imagination of our Psalmist in our Torah Seder for this week?

 

2.     What also, lectionary-wise is this lament of Psalm 88 anticipating?

 

3.     How is our Ashlamatah of Hosea 14:7 – Joel 1:5, 14 + 2:4 related to our Torah Seder for this week?

 

4.     How is the Midrash of Matityahu in 17:24-27 related to our Torah Seder for this week, to our Ashlamatah for this week, and to our Psalm for this week?

 

5.     How is Pirke Abot 6:8 related to our Torah Seder, Ashlamatah and Psalm for this week?

 

6.     If someone would ask you as to what is the common thread or theme that binds all these different readings for this week, what would your answer be?

 

 

Shalom Shabbat and much success in your Torah study and answers to the above questions!

 

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai