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Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

B’ resheet (Genesis) 11:1-32

XI. And all the earth was (of) one language, and one speech, and one counsel. In the holy language they spoke, that by which the world had been created at the beginning. And it was while they were journeying from the east that they found a plain in the land of Bavel, and dwelt there.

[JERUSALEM. And all the inhabitants of the earth were (of) one language, and of one speech, and one counsel: for they spoke the holy language by which the world was created at the beginning: while their hearts erred afterwards from the Word of Him who spoke, and the world was, at the beginning; and they found a plain in the land of Pontos and dwelt there.]

And they said, a man to his fellow, Come, we will cast bricks, and put them in the furnace. And they had brick for stone, and slime for cement. And they said, Come, we will build us a city and a tower, and the head of it shall come to the summit of the heavens; and we will make us (an image for) worship on the top of it, and put a sword in his hand to act against the array of war, before that we be scattered on the face of the earth. And the Lord was revealed to punish them for the work of the city and the tower which the sons of men built.

[JERUSALEM. And they said, Come now, and we will build us a city and a tower, and the head of it shall reach to the summit of the heavens, and we will make us in it a house of worship at the top,......and we will put a sword in his hand, lest there be set against him the array of war, before we be scattered upon the face of all the earth.]

And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and the language of all of them one: and this they have thought to do: and now they will not be restrained from doing whatever they imagine. And the Lord said to the seventy angels which stand before Him, Come, we will descend and will there commingle their language, that a man shall not understand the speech of his neighbor. And the Word of the Lord was revealed against the city, and with Him seventy angels, having reference to seventy nations, each having its own language, and thence the writing of its own hand: and He dispersed them from thence upon the face of all the earth into seventy languages. And one knew not what his neighbor would say: but one slew the other; and they ceased from building the city. Therefore He called the name of it Babel, because there did the Lord commingle the speech of all the inhabitants of the earth, and from thence did the Lord disperse them upon the faces of all the earth.

These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a son of a hundred years, and he begat Arphakshad, two years after the deluge. And Shem lived after he had begotten Arphakshad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Arphakshad lived thirty and five years, and begat Shelach. And Arphakshad lived after he had begotten Shelach four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. And Shelach lived thirty years, and begat Eber. And Shelach lived after he had begotten Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. And Eber lived thirty-four years, and begat Peleg. And Eber lived after he had begotten Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu. And Peleg lived after he had begotten Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. And Reu lived thirty-two years, and begat Serug. And Reu lived after he had begotten Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor. And Serug lived after he had begotten Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begat Terah. And Nahor lived after he had begotten Terah one hundred and sixteen years, and begat sons and daughters. And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram and Nahor and Haran.

These are the generations of Terah. Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. And it was when Nimrod had cast Abram into the furnace of fire because he would not worship his idol, and the fire had no power to burn him, that Haran's heart became doubtful, saying, If Nimrod overcome, I will be on his side: but if Abram overcome, I will be on his side. And when all the people who were there saw that the fire had no power over Abram, they said in their hearts, Is not Haran the brother of Abram full of divinations and charms, and has he not uttered spells over the fire that it should not burn his brother? Immediately (min yad, out of hand) there fell fire from the high heavens and consumed him; and Haran died in the sight of Terah his father, where he was burned in the land of his nativity, in the furnace of fire which the Kasdai had made for Abram his brother.

And Abram and Nahor took to them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sara, and the name of the wife of Nahor, Milcha, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcha and the father of Iska, who is Sara. And Sara was barren, she had no child. [JERUSALEM. And Sara was barren, she had no son.] And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot bar Haran, the son of his son, and his daughter-in-law Sara the wife of Abram his son, and went forth with them from Ur of the Kasdai, to go to the land of Kenaan. And they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years. And Terah died in Haran.

Ashlamatah:

Zephaniah 3:9-17, 20

9 For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent.

10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia shall they bring My suppliants, even the daughter of My dispersed, as Mine offering.

11 In that day shall you not be ashamed for all your doings, wherein you have transgressed against Me; for then I will take away out of the midst of you your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be haughty in My holy mountain.

12 And I will leave in the midst of you an afflicted and poor people, and they will take refuge in the name of the LORD.

13 The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they will feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

14 ¶ Sing, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

15 The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy; The King of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of you; you will not fear evil any more.

16 In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: ‘Fear not; O Zion, let not your hands be slack.

17 The LORD your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be silent in His love, He will joy over you with singing.’

18 I will gather them that are far from the appointed season, who are of you, that have borne the burden of reproach.

19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict you; and I will save her that is lame, and gather her that was driven away; and I will make them to be a praise and a name, whose shame has been in all the earth.

20 At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you to be a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I turn your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.

Targum

Psalm 7

1. ¶ A rendition of the thanksgiving of David, who gave praise to the Lord; for he spoke a song about the ruin of Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin.

2. O Lord my God, I have trusted in your word; deliver me from all my persecutors and save me.

3. Lest he crush my soul like a lion; he will tear and there is no one who will deliver me.

4. O Lord my God, if I have made this song with evil intent, if there is oppression in my hand,

5. If I have repaid my ally with evil, or thrust away my oppressor for nothing,

6. May the enemy pursue my soul, and may he overtake and trample my life to the ground, and may my honor rest in the dust forever.

7. Arise, O Lord, in your might; be lifted up in anger against my oppressors; and bring hastily to me the justice that you commanded.

8. The gathering of the nations will surround you; because of it return to the place of your presence.

9. The word of the Lord will judge the Gentiles; judge me, O Lord, by my merit, and for my innocence recompense me.

10. ¶ Now may the evil of the wicked perish; and let the righteous be firmly established; and the righteous God examines their hearts and minds.

11. My shield is on God, redeemer of the upright of heart.

12. God is the righteous judge, and in might is angry at the wicked every day.

13. If one does not repent and reverence him, his sword is whetted, his bow drawn and ready.

14. On his account, he has prepared the weapons of death; he will make his arrows for those who pursue the righteous.

15. Behold, he will be in pains with falsehood, and will conceive trouble, and give birth to falsehood.

16. He has dug a pit and deepened it; and he fell in the pit he made.

17. His misery will return on his head; and on his pate his rapacity will descend.

18. I will thank the Lord according to his righteousness; and I will praise the name of God Most High.

Pirqe Abot

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

Pirqe Abot I:8

Jehudah b. Tobai and Simeon b. Shata'h received (the tradition) from them. The former was wont to say: "Make not yourself as those that predispose the judges, and while the litigants stand before you let them be in your eyes as guilty; and when dismissed from before you let them be in your eyes as righteous, because that they have received the verdict upon them."

Simeon b. Shata'h used to say: "Interrogate the witnesses very closely, and be careful with your words, lest they be put by them on the track of falsehood."

Tosephtha--Aboth of R. Nathan

"Make yourself not as those that predispose the judges." Learn from this, that when entering a college and hearing there a saying or a Halakha, you will not be hasty in answering, but sit and think over the reason why they have said so [and from what sources they derived such judgment; also investigate about which Halakha they were questioned, and also consider the time when it happened]. When two litigants come before you for judgment, one of whom is poor and the other rich, say not: "How shall I declare the poor innocent, and the rich guilty, or vice versa? If I declare one of them guilty, he will become my enemy"; neither say: How shall I take away one's money and give it to the other? for the Torah said [Deut. 1:17]: "Ye shall not respect persons in judgment."

According to others, for what purpose is the following passage written: "The small as well as the great shall you hear" [ibid.]? That means that both litigants shall receive the same treatment: one shall not be allowed to sit down while the other is standing, or one shall not be allowed to plead at length while the other shall be directed to be short in his pleading.

Said R. Jehudah: "I have heard say that it is not forbidden to have both litigants sit down (at the hearing), but what is forbidden is, to allow one to sit down while the other one is directed to be standing," etc. From the above passage is to be inferred that the treatment must be alike, even if one of the litigants is a great man. The case of a common man shall be as carefully considered as that of a great man. The lawsuit of a very small amount shall receive the attention of a lawsuit of a great sum of money.

He also used to say: Whoever would have told me before I had entered this great position, "Enter," I would have challenged him, and now that I am the incumbent hereof, should anybody dare to tell me to abandon it, I would be of a mind to throw at his head a kettle of boiling water, for there is a difficulty in the ascent, but when one has reached the top, it is as hard for him to descend. So we find it was with Saul, that when he was told to ascend the throne he hid himself, as it is written [I Sam. 10:22]: "And the Lord said, Behold, be has hidden himself among the vessels"; but when told to give up the crown, he followed David even to take his life.

Simeon b. Shata'h said: Examine the witnesses very closely, but while you are so doing, be careful with your words on account of the deceivers. Since your words may give them the clue to lying.

Matityahu 1:24-25

24. ¶ Having risen from sleep, Joseph did everything as the angel of Adonai had commanded him and took to him his wife,

25. and did not know her (again) till she had given birth to his firstborn son. And he called his name Yeshua.

Commentary

The Seder for this week relates the incident at Babel, where all people on earth were speaking Hebrew – as the Targum puts it: “for they spoke the holy language by which the world was created at the beginning.” Then of course, in the reading of the Prophets we find the prophecy that: “For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent” (Zephaniah 3:9). The Hebrew expression being translated here as “a pure language” is שָׂפָה בְרוּרָה (i.e. Shafah B’rurah), whilst on the first verse of our Seder (Genesis 11:1) we read: וַיְהִי כָל-הָאָרֶץ, שָׂפָה אֶחָת (i.e. Vay’hi Kol HaAretz Shafah Echat), that is, “Shafah” = language (or tongue), and “Echat” = one. And the verse continues, that because the people of “Kol” = all, “HaAretz” = the earth were “Shafah Echat” (i.e. one tongue), they were also וּדְבָרִים, אֲחָדִים – UD’barim Achadim!

The Authorized Version translates this last Hebrew phrase: as “of one speech.” Darby translates: “and the same words,” whilst the Rotherham Translation has: “one manner of speech, —and of one stock of words.” The Vulgate (Latin Bible) following the Septuagint has “And the whole earth were of one lip (language) and of a unified sermon (discourse).” Finally, Young’s Literal Translation renders this verse as: “And the whole earth is of one pronunciation, and of the same words.”

Now the Hebrew word “D’barim” not only means words (in the plural) but also commandments. And our Targum reflects this translation when it translates the Hebrew phrase “UD’barim Achadim” as “one counsel.” In other words, the peoples of the earth at that point in time in human history not only spoke the holy language by which G-d created the universe – i.e. Hebrew, but because of this they also had one religion and all believed in the same G-d who had created them. Please understand, that these peoples were all descendants of Noach and therefore the catastrophe of the Flood was quite real in their minds, as well as G-d’s revelation to Noach and his family.

Hakham Shaul in His Epistle to the Romans paraphrases our initial verse of our Torah Seder: “And the whole earth was of one language (i.e. Shafah Echat) and of one discourse (i.e. D’barim Achadim)” [Genesis 11:1], as follows: “That you may with one mind (i.e. D’barim Achadim = one in the commandments) and one mouth (i.e. Shafah Echat = one language) glorify G-d, even the Father of our Master Yeshuah the Messiah” (Romans 15:6). Note the juxtaposition

Romans 15:6 Genesis 11:1

one mouth – one language

one mind – one discourse

This very much connects to the festival that we will celebrate G-d willing starting next Sunday evening – Shabbuoth (i.e. Pentecost). On one memorable Pentecost some two thousand years ago something special happened. We read of this in II Luqas (Acts) 2:1

1 And when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as being borne along by a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole Temple where they were sitting. 3And there appeared to them flames as of fire, being distributed, and sat upon each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Spirit of Holiness and began to speak in various languages other than Hebrew, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, Behold, are not all these who speak Galileans (who speak only Hebrew)? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs; we hear them speaking in our languages the wonderful works of G-d. 12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, Whatever would this mean?

In this passage we find “the wonderful works of G-d” being translated from the Hebrew into the 70 languages of mankind originating at Babel/ In other words the Jew learns other languages so that he can carry out the message of Torah to the Gentiles, and in turn the Gentiles have to learn Hebrew and Torah (in Hebrew) in order to worship G-d, as it is stated: “For then will I turn to the Gentiles a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent.” As we mentioned before, the word “pure” in this text is the Hebrew “B’rurah,” a word that comes from the Hebrew root “Barar” (Stron’s Concordance # 01305) and found in the Hebrew Scriptures 18 times and rendered in the Authorized version as: “pure” 5 times, “choice” 2 times, “chosen” 2 times, “clean” 2 times, “clearly” 1 time, “manifest” 1 time, “bright” 1 time, “purge out” 1 time, “polished” 1 time, “purge” 1 time, and “purified” 1 time. Our Sages since very ancient times and without dispute have understood this word to refer to the Hebrew Language, for it is “the pure language” that mankind originally spoke (the original language before G-d confounded the language of men), it is “the chosen language of G-d” ( the language by which G-d created the universe), it “purges out” man’s rebellion and renders a person “polished and purified,” for it is the “tongue (language) of angels” as Hakham Shaul calls it in 1 Corinthians 13:1 – “If I were to speak with the tongues (languages) of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”

Here, in 1 Corinthians 13:1 a distinction is made between the “languages (tongues) of men” vs. the “language (tongue) of angels.” For, the “languages (tongues) of men” are the 70 languages in which G-d divided humanity after Babel, and the “language (tongue) of angels” is the Hebrew language, the language of Israel, Noach, Adam, and the language that G-d used to create the universe, and the language that Yeshuah the Messiah and his disciples spoke most fluently.

And as we found earlier this “pure language” is also the language of the “one mind” – i.e. the language of the Torah! This should not surprise anyone, since G-d spoke in Hebrew the Torah, and all things were created. So that Hebrew, Torah, Israel, and the Messiah are intimately related to each other.

Now in Zephaniah 3:9, we read:

“For then will I turn to the Gentiles a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent.”

Notice that G-d give the person who turns to Him a “pure language” for a very important reason: “that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent.” That is, that without a “pure language” it becomes impossible to “call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent.”

But you may ask, what does it mean “to call upon the Name of the Lord?” This expression, as anyone who speaks Hebrew will inform you, means “to worship G-d either in prayer or Torah study.” And, further, to avoid any doubt, the verse continues to explain what means “to call upon the name of the LORD,” it says – “to serve Him.” In Hebrew, this is “L’Abdo Sh’khem.” The word “L’Abdo” comes from the verb “Aboda” which means “service of the heart (mind),” that is prayer and Torah study!

Thus, we may paraphrase the text of Zephaniah 3:9 to convey its Hebraic meaning more fully as:

“For then will I turn to the Gentiles to speak Hebrew, so that they may all pray to G-d and study the Torah with one mind.”

Learning Hebrew, has many advantages. One of it as can be deduced from our explanations is that it is almost impossible to accurately translate and convey the meaning of Hebrew words in any of the 70 languages of Post Babel which includes the English language. The person that makes the effort and sacrifices required to learn Hebrew, will find when reading the Torah a complete different universe that can’t be adequately translated to any other language! And if the Word of G-d is so important to your life, if it is the guiding principle of your life, if it is the source where eternal life and blessings emanate to you, if the Word of G-d is critical to you in determining the way of life from the way that leads to death or eternal damnation, should you not demand accuracy, and start learning Hebrew so that you can determine for yourself what G-d is saying and trying to show you?

Why speak to G-d in a language of disobedience and curse, why not speak to Him in the language He used to create the universe? When G-d cursed mankind for their gross rebellion he confounded the languages – i.e. he brought a curse upon seventy languages. And anyone using any of the seventy languages including English, Spanish, German, Chinese, etc. etc. is using an inept and cursed language apt and specially designed for those that are rebellious to G-d and His Messiah. One needs not to be extremely super intelligent to see that anyone in awe of and fearing G-d, will read His Word and upon reading Zephaniah 3:9 will see the folly of reading G-d’s word and praying to Him in any other language but Hebrew!

As we approach this glorious festival of Shabuoth (Pentecost), the commemoration of Matan Torah (the giving of G-d’s Torah to His people at Mr. Sinai), we need to be reminded that prior to G-d’s revelation His people were asked:

“And Adonai said to Moses, Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day Adonai will come down upon Mount Sinai in the eyes of all the people.” (Exodus 19:10-11)

They were asked to purify themselves – and in Zephaniah we see the Gentiles speaking a “pure” language. Shabuoth (Pentecost) is a festival of communication for it entails both a “pure” language (i.e. Hebrew) and a “pure” mind (i.e G-d’s Torah). Let us make an effort then and try to worship G-d, read and study Torah with “one pure” mind and “one pure” language – Hebrew, amen ve amen!

Shalom Shabbat ve Chag Sameach!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

Shabbat:	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
ויהי כל הארץ שפה אחת
“Vayihi Kol HaAretz Shafah Echat”	Reader 1 – B’resheet 11:1-5
“And the whole earth was of one language”	Reader 2 – B’resheet 11:6-9
“Y toda la tierra tenía una sola lengua”	Reader 3 – B’resheet 11:10-13
B’ resheet (Genesis) 11:1-32	Reader 4 – B’resheet 11:14-17
Zephaniah 3:9-17, 20	Reader 5 – B’resheet 11:18-21
	Reader 6 – B’resheet 11:22-25	Reader 1 – B’resheet 12:1-4
Psalm 7	Reader 7 – B’resheet 11:26-32	Reader 2 – B’resheet 12:5-9
Pirke Abot I:8	Maftir – B’resheet 11:29-32	Reader 3 – B’resheet 12:10-13
N.C.: Matityahu 1:24-25	Zephaniah 3:9-17, 20