Esnoga Bet Emunah

7104 Inlay St SE, Lacey, WA 98513

Triennial Cycle (Triennial Torah Cycle) / Septennial Cycle (Septennial Torah Cycle)

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings	Fourth Year of the Reading Cycle
Sivan 04, 5768 – June 06/07, 2008	Seventh Year of the Shmita Cycle

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times:

Friday Evening: Omer: 48 – Saturday Evening: Omer: 49

Olympia, Washington, U.S. Brisbane, Australia

Friday June 05, 2008 – Candles at 8:45 PM Friday June 05, 2008 – Candles at 4:42 PM

Saturday June 06, 2008 – Havdalah 10:04 PM Saturday June 06, 2008 – Havdalah 5:38 PM

Eve of First day Shavuot Eve of First day Shavuot

Sunday, June 8, 2008 Candles at: 8:47 PM Sunday, June 8, 2008 Candles at: 4:42 PM

Eve of Second day Shavuot Eve of Second day Shavuot

Monday, June 9, 2008 Candles after: 10:06 PM Monday, June 9, 2008 Candles after: 5:38 PM

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Holiday Ends: 10:07 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Holiday Ends: 5:38 PM

San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Friday June 05, 2008 – Candles at 8:14 PM Friday June 05, 2008 – Candles at 7:03 PM

Saturday June 06, 2008 – Havdalah 9:13 PM Saturday June 06, 2008 – Havdalah 7:54 PM

Eve of First day Shavuot Eve of First day Shavuot

Sunday, June 8, 2008 Candles at: 8:15 PM Sunday, June 8, 2008 Candles at: 7:03 PM

Eve of Second day Shavuot Eve of Second day Shavuot

Monday, June 9, 2008 Candles after: 9:14 PM Monday, June 9, 2008 Candles after: 7:55 PM

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Holiday Ends: 9:14 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Holiday Ends: 7:55 PM

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Singapore, Singapore

Friday June 05, 2008 – Candles at 8:28 PM Friday June 05, 2008 – Candles at 6:51 PM

Saturday June 06, 2008 – Havdalah 9:30 PM Saturday June 06, 2008 – Havdalah 7:43 PM

Eve of First day Shavuot Eve of First day Shavuot

Sunday, June 8, 2008 Candles at: 8:29 PM Sunday, June 8, 2008 Candles at: 6:51 PM

Eve of Second day Shavuot Eve of Second day Shavuot

Monday, June 9, 2008 Candles after: 9:31 PM Monday, June 9, 2008 Candles after: 7:43 PM

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Holiday Ends: 9:31 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Holiday Ends: 7:43 PM

Cebu, Philippines Jakarta, Indonesia

Friday June 05, 2008 – Candles at 6:05 PM Friday June 05, 2008 – Candles at 5:27 PM

Saturday June 06, 2008 – Havdalah 6:59 PM Saturday June 06, 2008 – Havdalah 6:18 PM

Eve of First day Shavuot Eve of First day Shavuot

Sunday, June 8, 2008 Candles at: 6:59 PM Sunday, June 8, 2008 Candles at: 5:27 PM

Eve of Second day Shavuot Eve of Second day Shavuot

Monday, June 9, 2008 Candles after: 6:59 PM Monday, June 9, 2008 Candles after: 6:18 PM

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Holiday Ends: 7:00 PM Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Holiday Ends: 6:19 PM

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

Coming Special Days:

Shabuoth – Pentecost

Sivan 6 & 7, 5768 – Evening Sunday the 8^th of June – Evening the 10^th of June, 2008

For further information see: http://www.betemunah.org/shavuot.html & http://www.betemunah.org/freedom.html & http://www.betemunah.org/betroth.html

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
בָּעֵת הַהִוא אָמַר
“Ba’Et HaHi Amar”	Reader 1 – D’barim 10:1-5	Reader 1 – D’barim 11:10-12
“At that time said”	Reader 2 – D’barim 10:6-8	Reader 2 – D’barim 11:13-15
“En aquel tiempo dijo”	Reader 3 – D’barim 10:9-11	Reader 3 – D’barim 11:16-21
D’barim (Deut.) 10:1 – 11:9	Reader 4 – D’barim 10:12-15
	Reader 5 – D’barim 10:16-19
Ashlamatah: 1 Kings 8:9-18	Reader 6 – D’barim 10:20-22	Reader 1 – D’barim 11:10-12
Psalm: 119:25-48	Reader 7 – D’barim 11:1-9	Reader 2 – D’barim 11:13-15
N.C.: Matityahu 26:51-54	Maftir : D’barim 11:7-9	Reader 3 – D’barim 11:16-21
Pirke Abot: I:4	1 Kings 8:9-18

Roll of Honor:

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of His Honor Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and most beloved family, and that of His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham, 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, as well as Her Excellency Giberet Hannah bat Sarah and beloved family. 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: Deuteronomy 10:1 – 11:9

RASHI	TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN
1. ¶ At that time, Adonai said to me, "Hew for yourself two stone tablets like the originals, and ascend to Me on the mountain; and make for yourself a wooden case.	1. At that time did the Lord say to me: Hew tfor yourself two tables of marble according to the form of the first; and ascend before Me into the mountain, and make for yourself an ark of wood.
2. And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the original tablets that you smashed, and you will place them in the case."	2. And I will write upon the tables the words which were upon the former ones, which you did break with your entire strength; and you will put them within the ark.
3. So I made a case of shittim wood, and I hewed two stone tablets like the originals, and I ascended the mountain with the two tablets in my hand.	3. And I made an ark of sitta wood, and hewed two marble tables according to the form of the first, and went up into the mountain, having the two tables in my hand.
4. He wrote on the tablets like the original writing, the ten statements that Adonai addressed to you on the mountain from within the fire on the day of assembly, and Adonai gave them to me.	4. And He wrote upon the tables according to the former writing, the Ten Words which the Lord spoke with you from the mount in the midst of the fire on the day that the congregation was gathered together, and the Lord gave them to me.
5. I turned and descended the mountain, and placed the tablets into the case that I had made; and they remained there as Adonai had commanded me.	5. And I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tables into the ark which I had made, and there are they laid up (hidden) as the Lord commanded me.
6. B’ne Yisrael traveled from Be'eirot B’ne Ya'akan to Moseirah. There Aharon died and was buried there; and his son El'azar served in his stead.	6. And the children of Israel journeyed from the villages of the wells of the Beni Jahakan to Mosera. There Amalek, who reigned in Arad, and who had heard that Aharon was dead, and that the Cloud of Glory had gone up, (came and) fought with them. And those of Israel who were distressed by that war sought to go back into Mizraim, and returned (towards it) six journeys; (but) the sons of Levi followed after them, and slew eight families of them, and the remainder returned. Of the sons of Levi also four families were slain. And they said one to another, What has been the cause of this slaughter? Because we have been remiss in the mourning for Aharon the Saint. Therefore all the children of Israel observed there a mourning for Aharon's death; and there was he buried, and Elazar his son ministered in his stead.
7. From there they traveled to Goodgode, and from Goodgode to Yotvat, a land with flowing streams.	7. Thence they journeyed to Gudgod, and from Gudgod to Jotbath, a land flowing with streams of water.
8. At that time Adonai separated the tribe of Levi to carry the case of Adonai's covenant, to stand before Adonai to serve Him, and to bless in His name until this day.	8. At that time the Lord distinguished the tribe of Levi, because they had been zealous (even) to slay for His honour; that they should bear the ark of the Lord's covenant, and stand before the Lord to minister unto Him and to bless in His Name until this day.
9. This is why Levi had no share or territory with his brothers: Adonai is his territory as Adonai, your G-d, promised for him.	9. Therefore the tribe of Levi has not a portion or inheritance with his brethren; the gifts which the Lord gives him are his inheritance, as the Lord your God has spoken to him.
10. And I remained on the mountain like the previous time, forty days and forty nights, and Adonai accepted my prayer that time, too; Adonai was unwilling to harm you.	10. But I stood in the mount praying and interceding as in the former days (of the) forty days and nights, and the Lord received my prayer at that time also, and the Lord would not destroy you.
11. And Adonai said to me, "Get ready! Go lead the people's travelling, and let them come and inherit the land that I swore to their forefathers to give them."	11. And the Lord said to me, Arise, go, lead forth the people, that they be brought in, and possess the land which I promised to their fathers to give them.
12. And now, Yisrael, what is Adonai, your G-d, asking of you, other than to fear Adonai, your G-d, to go in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve Adonai, your G-d, wholeheartedly and with your whole being.	12. And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but that you fear the Lord your God, to walk in all the ways that are right before Him, and that you love Him, and serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
13. To guard Adonai's commandments and His statutes that I am commanding you today; for your benefit.	13. to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you this day, that it may be well with you?
14. Look! to Adonai, your G-d, belong the heavens and the heavens beyond the heavens, the earth and all that is in it.	14. Behold, the heavens, and the heavens of the heavens, are the Lord's your God, and the hosts of angels are in them to minister before Him, and the earth, and whatsoever is therein.
15. [Yet] only your forefathers did Adonai desire, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them--- you---from all the peoples, like this day.	15. Only the Lord had pleasure in your fathers, and because He would love you He has had favour to their children after them, as you, above all the nations upon the face of the earth, at the time of this day.
16. You are to remove your heart's blockage, not to make yourselves stubborn any more.	16. Put away folly, therefore, from your heart, and be not stiff-necked any more;
17. For Adonai, your G-d, is G-d over judges and Lord over lords; the Almighty---the Great, the Powerful, and the Awesome [One]--- Who neither exercises favouritism nor accepts bribes.	17. for the Lord your God is God, the Judge, and the Monarch of kings, a Great God, mighty and terrible, before whom there is no respect of persons, and who takes no bribe;
18. Who performs justice for orphan and widow, and loves the convert to give him bread and a garment.	18. He does judgment for the orphan and widow, and has compassion upon the stranger to give him food and raiment.
19. You are to love the convert, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt.	19. Have pity then (yourselves) upon the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Mizraim.
20. You are to fear Adonai, your G-d, serve Him, cling to Him, and swear by His name.	20. Revere the Lord your God, and worship before Him, and cleave closely to His fear, and swear by His Name.
21. He is your praise and He is your G-d, Who performed with you these great and fearsome things that your eyes witnessed.	21. He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and mighty acts which you have beheld with your eyes.
22. Numbering seventy people, your forefathers went down to Egypt; and now Adonai, your G-d, has placed you like the stars of the sky, numerous.	22. With seventy souls your fathers went down into Mizraim, and now has the Lord your God set you as the stars of the heavens for multitude.

1. You are to love Adonai, your G-d, and you are to guard His watch, and His statutes, and His laws, and His commandments, all the years.	1. Therefore will you love the Lord your God, and diligently observe His Word, His statutes, and His judgments always.
2. You will know today that not with your children who have not known and who have not seen the teaching of Adonai, your G-d--- His greatness, His powerful hand and His extended arm,	2. And know you this day, for (I speak) not with your children who have not known or seen the instruction of the Law of the Lord your God, nor His greatness, nor His mighty hand, nor His uplifted arm,
3. and His signs and His deeds that He performed within Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his entire land;	3. or His signs and works which He wrought in Mizraim, on Pharaoh king of Mizraim, and on all the inhabitants of his land;
4. And what He did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and to its chariots--- that He flooded the waters of Yam Suf over them when they were chasing you--- Adonai destroyed them until this day;	4. what He did also to the hosts of Mizraim, to their horses and chariots, when He made the waters of the Red Sea to overwhelm their faces when they followed after you, when the Lord destroyed them unto this day's time;
5. And what He did for you in the wilderness, until you arrived at this place;	5. and what He has done to you in the wilderness till the time that you came to this place;
6. And what He did to Dathan and to Aviram sons of Eli'av son of Re'uven, that the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their families and their tents and all the sustenance at their feet amid all of Yisrael.	6. and what He did unto Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab bar Reuben, when the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up with the men of their house, and all their substance, in the midst of all Israel:
7. Rather your eyes have been witnessing the entire overwhelming activity of Adonai that He has performed.	7. for with your eyes have you seen all the great work of the Lord which He has wrought.
8. You will guard the entire mitzvah that I am commanding you today, in order that you be encouraged and will arrive in and inherit the land that you are crossing over there to inherit.	8. Therefore will you keep all the precepts which I command you this day, that you may be strengthened, and go in, and inherit the land to possess which you go over;
9. And in order that you will last long on the land that Adonai swore to your forefathers to give to them and to their descendants, a land flowing milk and honey.	9. and that your days may be multiplied upon the land which the Lord sware to your fathers to give it to them and their children; a land whose fruits are rich as milk, and sweet as honey.

Midrash Rabba for: Deuteronomy 10:1 – 11:9

XII. AT THAT TIME THE LORD SAID UNTO ME: HEW FOR YOURSELF (X, 1). Halakha: When a Jew betroths a woman, who has to pay for the writing of the document of betrothal? Our Rabbis have learnt thus [Mishnah Baba Bathra. X:4; Keth. lO2b; Kid. 9b]: Documents of betrothal and marriage [In former times marriage was divided into two stages- [1] Erusin or ‘Betrothal’. This was a proper marriage, in so far as the woman would henceforth not be free to marry another unless she were divorced. Yet cohabitation was forbidden until [2] Nesu'in or ‘Marriage’, i.e. the home-taking of the bride. A considerable interval might elapse between the two. Nowadays they are combined] are written only with the consent of the two parties, and the bridegroom pays the fee. And this we learn from God from His betrothal of Israel at Sinai, as it is written, And the Lord said unto Moses: Go unto the people and betroth them today and tomorrow (Ex. XIX, 10). And who wrote this document? Moses. Whence do we know this? For it is said, And Moses wrote this Law (Deut. XXXI, 9). And what reward did God give him? A lustrous countenance, as it is written, That Moses knew not that the skin of his face sent forth beams (Ex. XXXIV, 29). To what time does While He talked with him (ib.) refer? [God spoke many times to Moses. What was the first time at which his face sent forth beams?] Resh Lakish said: When Moses wrote the Law he acquired a lustrous appearance. How [did this come about]? Resh Lakish said: The scroll that was given to Moses was made of a parchment of white fire, and was written upon with black fire and sealed with fire and was swathed with bands of fire, and whilst he was writing it he dried his pen on his hair, and as a result he acquired a lustrous appearance. R. Samuel b. Nahman said: Moses acquired a lustrous appearance from the Tables; whilst the Tables were being passed to him from [God's] hands to his own hands he acquired a lustrous appearance. When Israel did that deed of shame [the Golden Calf] he took hold of the Tables and broke them. Whereupon God said to him: ‘When you arranged [the Tables] for Israel I gave you as your reward a shining face, and now you have broken them.’ R. Isaac said: Our Rabbis have learnt: When a cask is broken [before delivery to the buyer] it is the middleman who bears the loss. God said to Moses: ‘You were the intermediary [Lit. ‘the middleman’] between Me and My children; you broke the Tables, and you must replace them.’ Whence this? For so it is written, And the Lord said unto Moses: Hew for yourself two tables of stone like unto the first; and I will write upon the tables the words that were on the first tables, which you did break. And be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning unto the Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mount. And no man will come up with you, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount (Ex. XXXIV, 1 ff).

XIII. Another explanation: HEW FOR YOURSELF. This bears out what Scripture says, A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing (Eccl. III, 5). R. Tanhuma said: What is the meaning of, ‘A time to cast away stones’? There was a time for Hadrian, may his bones be turned to dust, to come up and break in pieces the stones of the Temple. ‘And a time to gather stones together.’ [There will be] a time when God will rebuild it. Whence this? For it is said, Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a costly cornerstone of sure foundation; he that believes will not make haste. And I will make justice the line, and righteousness/generosity the plummet; and the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding-place (Isa. XXVIII, 16 f). Another explanation: ‘A time to cast away stones.’ The Rabbis say: This refers to Moses. There was a time for Moses to cast away the Tables, as it is written, ‘And it came to pass, as soon as he came near unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount’ (Ex. XXXII, 19). ‘And a time to gather stones together.’ A time [came] for him to restore them [the Tables] to Israel, as it is said, HEW FOR YOURSELF TWO TABLES OF STONE.

XIV. Another explanation: HEW FOR YOURSELF. This bears out what Scripture says, Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry; for anger rests in the bosom of fools (Eccl. VII, 9). And who was it that was angry? It was Moses, as it is said, ‘And Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands.’ God said to him: ‘Ah! Moses, you have vented your wrath on the Tables of the Covenant. Do you desire that I also should vent My wrath? You will see that the world could not endure even one hour.’ Moses replied: ‘what can I do?’ God replied: ‘I will impose a fine on you; you have broken the Tables and you must replace them.’ This is the meaning of that which is written, HEW FOR YOURSELF TWO TABLES OF STONE.

XV. Another explanation of HEW FOR YOURSELF. R. Isaac said: It is written, Then it will be, if he has sinned, and is guilty, that he will restore that which he took by robbery, or the thing which he has gotten by oppression, or the deposit which was deposited with him, or the lost thing which he found (Lev. v, 23). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: ‘Were not the Tables deposited with you? You broke them, and you must replace them.’ R. Isaac said: Moses reconciled God with Israel through the second Tables. What did Moses do? He went up to God angrily and said to Him: ‘Your children have sinned, and yet You have put a fine on me.’ He feigned anger on behalf of Israel. For it is said, And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said: Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them a god of gold. Yet now, if You will forgive their sin-; and if not, blot me, I pray to You, out of Your book which You have written (Ex. XXXII, 31 f). When God saw this He said to him, ‘Moses! Two beings are angry, you and I are angry with them! [Surely Israel cannot endure if we are both angry with them!] Immediately, And the Lord spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaks unto his friend. And he would return into the camp; but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent (Ex. XXXIII, 11). God said to him: ‘Let not the two of us be angry, but when you see Me pour hot [water], you pour cold, and when you see Me pour cold, you pour hot.’ Moses asked: ‘Master of the Universe, how will this come about?’ God replied: ‘Pray you for mercy on their behalf.’ What did he do? Immediately, And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said: Lord why does Your wrath wax hot against Your people, that You have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying: For evil did He bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Your people (ib. XXXII, 11 f). He said thus to God: ‘Lo, they are Your children; do You release them from this sin.’ Another explanation: He said to God: ‘Master of the Universe, I know that You love Your children and that You only seek one who should plead on their behalf.’ R. Simon said: It is as if a king and his son were in an inner chamber and the son's tutor was in the vestibule, and the king kept on shouting out, ‘Let me be while I kill my son,’ but in reality he was seeking for someone to plead on his [son's] behalf [Otherwise he need not have shouted, since there was none to prevent him in any case]. Likewise, when God said to Moses: Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them, and I will make of you a great nation (ib. 10), Moses said to himself: ‘Am I then to hold back God's hands? If one may say so, He is surely looking for someone to plead on their behalf.’ Whereupon, And Moses besought.

Another explanation: ‘Now therefore let Me alone.’ Moses said: ‘Lord of the Universe, do You seek to destroy them? Uproot first all above and all below and then destroy them.’ Whence this? For it is said, Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish away like smoke, and the earth will wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein will die in like manner; but My salvation will be forever, and My favour will not be abolished (Isa. LI, 6). First, ‘The heavens shall vanish away like smoke,’ etc., and afterwards, ‘And they that dwell therein will die in like manner.’ Moses further said: ‘Even if You would destroy the heavens and the earth You cannot destroy Israel, because You did swear to their fathers; and further, You did not swear to them by the heavens nor by the earth, but by Your great name.’ Whence this? For it is said, To whom You did swear by Your own self (Ex. XXXII, 13).3 ‘Wouldst You then annul Your name?’ Moses further said to God: ‘Account them as [the people of] Sodom. What did You say to Abraham? And the Lord said: If I find in Sodom fifty righteous/generous within the city, then I will forgive all the place for their sake (Gen. XVIII, 26); and You did promise forgiveness even for ten [righteous/generous].’ Whence this? For it is said, And he said: Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Peradventure ten will be found there. And he said: I will not destroy it for the ten's sake (ib. XVIII, 32). But I can muster up before You from these [Israel] eighty righteous/generous men.’ God replied: ‘Muster them up.’ Said Moses to God: ‘Master of the Universe, lo there are the seventy elders, as it is written, And the Lord said unto Moses: Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them, and bring them unto the tent of meeting, that they may stand with you: and I will come down and speak with you and I will take of the spirit which is upon you, and will put it upon them; and they will bear the burden of the people with you, that you bear it not yourself alone (Num. XI, 16 f). ‘Add to them Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar, Phinehas, and Caleb, lo these make seventy-seven.’ God said to him: ‘But, Moses, where are the three remaining righteous/generous men?’ Moses could not find them. He then exclaimed: ‘Master of the Universe, if these [righteous/generous] men though alive cannot stand for them [Israel] in the breach, let then the dead do so.’ And continuing he said: ‘Do it for the merit of the three Patriarchs and lo, then there will be eighty,’ [as Scripture says], Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants (Ex. XXXII, 13). As soon as Moses mentioned the merits of the Fathers immediately God replied: ‘I have pardoned according to your word’ (Num. XIV, 20). When at a later date Solomon arose and saw that though Moses had mentioned seventy-seven living righteous/generous men it would have been of no avail had he not also mentioned the merits of the three dead Patriarchs, he began to remark: Wherefore I praised the dead that are already dead more than the living that are yet alive; but better than they both is he that has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun (Eccl. IV, 2 f). Another explanation: ‘Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Your servants,’ to whom You did swear by Your own self, and said unto them: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they will inherit it forever. And the Lord repented of the evil which He said He would do unto His people (Ex. XXXII, 13 f). R. Levi said: Moses said to God: ‘Master of the Universe, will the dead live again?’ God replied: ‘Moses, are you also ignorant of the truth? Have I not said unto you, “I kill and I bring back to life”?’ Whereupon Moses retorted: ‘If the dead are to live again, account it as if the Patriarchs were now beseeching You on behalf of their children. If so, what would You answer them?’ As soon as Moses said this thing to God, immediately ‘And the Lord repented of the evil’.

XVI. Another explanation: HEW FOR YOURSELF TWO TABLES. Why two? The Rabbis say: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: ‘These will act as witnesses between Me and My children. They correspond to two witnesses [that must testify to a cause], to two groomsmen, to bridegroom and bride, to heaven and earth, to this world and the World to Come.’

XVII. Another explanation: HEW FOR YOURSELF. R. Johanan b. Zakkai was asked: Why were the first Tables the work of God and the second two the work of man? He replied: It is like the case of a king who took a wife to himself and himself defrayed the cost of the paper [for the marriage document] and the [fee of] the scribe; he also adorned her at his own expense and brought her into his house. Seeing her behaving in a familiar manner with one of his servants he became angry with her and sent her away. Her groom man came to the king and said to him, ‘Sire, do you not know whence you took her? Was she not brought up among slaves? Since she was brought up amongst the servants she is familiar with them.’ Said the king to him: ‘And do you wish that I should become reconciled with her? Then bring at your expense the paper and the scribe and I will append my signature to it. Similarly Moses spoke to God after Israel had done that deed. He said to Him: ‘Do You not know whence You did bring them out? Was it not from Egypt, from the house of idolatry?’ Whereupon God answered, ‘And do you desire that I should become reconciled with them? Then bring the Tables at your own expense and I will append My signature.’ As it is said, And I will write upon the tables, etc. (ib. XXXIV, 1). He added: ‘Moses, I swear to you, as you devoted your life to their service in this world, so too in the time to come when I bring Elijah, the prophet, unto them, the two of you will come together.’ Whence this? For so it is written, The Lord is longsuffering and great in power, and will by no means clear the guilty; the Lord, in the whirlwind and in the storm is His way, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea, and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers; Bashan languishes, and Carmel, and the flower of the Lebanon languishes (Nahum I, 3 f). ‘In the whirlwind’ (be-Su fah): this refers to Moses, of whom it is written, And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch; and she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags (ba-suf) by the river's brink (Ex. II, 3). ‘And in the storm’: this refers to Elijah, of whom it is written, And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried: My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces (II Kings II, 11f). At that time he will come and comfort you, as it is said, Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet... And he will turn the heart of the fathers to the children (Mal. III, 23 f).

Ketubim: Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 119:1-24, 25-48

JPS Translation	TARGUM
1. ALEPH. Fortunate are they that are upright in the way, who walk in the Law of the LORD.	1. ALEPH How happy are the perfect of way, who walk in the Torah of the Lord.
2. Happy are they that keep His testimonies, that seek Him with the whole heart.	2. How happy those who keep His testimony; with a whole heart they will seek His instruction.
3. Yes, they do no unrighteousness; they walk in His ways.	3. Truly they have not acted deceitfully; in His proper ways they have walked.
4. You have ordained Your precepts, that we should observe them diligently.	4. You have given your commandments, to keep very much.
5. Oh that my ways were directed to observe Your statutes!	5. It is good for me that my ways are straight, to keep Your decrees.
6. Then I should not be ashamed, when I have regard unto all Your commandments.	6. Then I will not be disappointed when I look to all Your commandments.
7. I will give thanks unto You with uprightness/ generosity of heart, when I learn Your righteous/ generous ordinances.	7. I will give thanks in Your presence with uprightness/generosity of heart, when I learn the judgments of Your righteousness/generosity.
8. I will observe Your statutes; O forsake me not utterly.	8. I will keep Your decrees; do not abandon me utterly.
9. BETH. Wherewithal will a young man keep his way pure? By taking heed thereto according to Your word.	9. BETH In what way will a youth purify his way? To keep [it] as Your words.
10. With my whole heart have I sought You; O let me not err from Your commandments.	10. With all my heart I have sought Your teaching; do not let me go astray from Your commandments.
11. Your Word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You.	11. In my heart I have hidden Your Word, that I might not sin in Your presence.
12. Blessed art You, O LORD; teach me Your statutes.	12. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me Your decrees.
13. With my lips have I told all the ordinances of Your mouth.	13. With my lips I have recounted all the judgments of Your mouth.
14. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.	14. In the way of Your testimonies I have rejoiced, as at a stroke of luck.
15. I will meditate in Your precepts, and have respect unto Your ways.	15. I will speak by Your commandments, and I will behold Your ways.
16. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.	16. I will find delight in Your decrees, I will not forget Your utterance.
17. GIMEL. Deal bountifully with Your servant that I may live, and I will observe Your word.	17. GIMEL Requite Your servant with good; I will live, and keep Your words.
18. Open mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law.	18. Uncover my eyes, and I will behold wonders from Your Torah.
19. I am a sojourner in the earth; hide not Your commandments from me.	19. I am a dweller in the land; do not take away Your commandments from me.
20. My soul breaks for the longing that it has unto Your ordinances at all times.	20. My soul has longed with longing for Your commandments at all times.
21. You have rebuked the proud that are cursed, that do err from Your commandments.	21. You have rebuked the malicious; cursed are all who stray from Your commandments.
22. Take away from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept Your testimonies.	22. Remove from me humiliation and shame; for I have kept Your testimonies.
23. Even though princes sit and talk against me, Your servant does meditate in Your statutes.	23. For leaders sit speaking against me; Your servant is engaged in instruction of Your decrees.
24. Yes, Your testimonies are my delight, they are my counsellors.	24. Also Your testimonies are my delight, the source of my counsel.
25. DALET. My soul cleaves unto the dust; revive You me according to Your Word.	25. DALET. My soul is joined to the dust; heal me according to Your Word.
26. I told of my ways, and You did answer me; teach me Your statutes.	26. I numbered my ways and You received my prayer; teach me Your decrees.
27. Make me to understand the way of Your precepts, that I may talk of Your wondrous works.	27. Give me insight into the way of Your commandments, and I will speak of Your wonders.
28. My soul melts away for heaviness; sustain me according unto Your Word.	28. My soul is grieved by weariness; sustain me according to Your Word.
29. Remove from me the way of falsehood; and grant me Your Law graciously.	29. Remove from me the path of lies; and [by] Your Torah have compassion on me.
30. I have chosen the way of faithfulness; Your ordinances have I set before me.	30. I have chosen the faithful path; I have placed Your judgements [with me].
31. I cleave unto Your testimonies; O LORD, put me not to shame.	31. I have joined myself to Your testimonies, O Lord; do not make me ashamed.
32. I will run the way of Your commandments, for You do enlarge my heart/mind.	32. I will run in the path of Your commandments, for You will expand my heart/mind.
33. HAI. Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes; and I will keep it at every step	33. HAI. Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your decrees, and I will keep it totally.
34. Give me understanding, that I keep Your Law and observe it with my whole heart.	34. Give me insight, and I will keep Your Torah, O Lord; and I will keep it with a whole heart.
35. Make me to tread in the path of Your commandments; for therein do I delight.	35. Make me walk in the course of Your commandments, for I desire it.
36. Incline my heart unto Your testimonies, and not to covetousness.	36. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to money.
37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and revive me in Your ways.	37. Turn my eyes away from the sight of deceit; by Your Words heal me.
38. Confirm Your word unto Your servant, which pertains unto the fear of You.	38. Confirm Your Word to your servant, which [leads] to Your worship.
39. Turn away my reproach which I dread; for Your ordinances are good.	39. Take away my reproach, which I fear, for Your judgments are good.
40. Behold, I have longed after Your precepts; quicken me in Your righteousness/generosity.	40. Behold, I have yearned for Your commandments; in Your generosity heal me.
41. VAV. Let Your mercies also come unto me, O LORD, even Your salvation, according to Your Word;	41. VAV. And let Your kindness come upon me, O Lord, Your redemption in accordance with Your Word.
42. That I may have an answer for him that taunts me; for I trust in Your Word.	42. And I will give answer to those who mock me, for I have trusted in Your Word.
43. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I hope in Your ordinances;	43. And do not remove the Word of truth from my mouth utterly, for I have waited long for Your judgments.
44. So will I observe Your Law continually forever and ever;	44. And I will keep Your Torah always, for ages upon ages.
45. And I will walk at ease, for I have sought Your precepts;	45. And I will walk in the wideness of the Torah, for I have sought Your commandments.
46. I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings, and will not be ashamed.	46. And I will speak of Your testimonies before kings, and I will not be ashamed.
47. And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I have loved.	47. And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love.
48. I will lift up my hands also unto Your commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in Your statutes.	48. And I will lift my hands to Your commandments, which I love, and I will speak of Your decrees.

Midrash Tehillim Psalm 119: 1-48

I. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord (Ps. 119:1). These words are to be considered in the light of what Scripture says elsewhere: O My dove, that are in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs (Song 2:14). R. Judah the Levite bar Shallum taught in the name of R. Judah bar Simon: Not "O dove" is written here, but “O My dove,” meaning that the Holy One, blessed be He, said: To Me, the children of Israel are like a dove, undefiled. But to the peoples of the earth, they seem as subtle as serpents. Hence it is said O My dove.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said further: I have given them positive commandments, and they took their performance upon themselves; and negative commandments, and they took obedience to them upon themselves. And although I did not explain to them what their reward was to be, they said not a word to Me. And so of all My many other commandments. Therefore God called the people of Israel My dove.

R. Huna bar Abin taught in the name of R. Aha: All wondrous works and mighty deeds which the Holy One, blessed be He, does in the world are on account of the undefiled in the way, for Scripture says: Do you know the balancing of the clouds (Job 37:16)? And what is meant by the balancing of the clouds? Even the power of rain is balanced as if it were weighed in a scale; that `balancing" signifies weighing in a scale is evident from the phrase "A just weight and balance" (Prov. 16:11). And what is meant by the conclusion of the verse in Job: Do you know the balancing of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is undefiled in wisdom? It means, taught R. Judah bar Simon, that God brings rain for the sake of him who is undefiled in the sight of the Holy One, blessed be He. And David made it plain that the undefiled is Israel, saying: And Ι was undefiled unto Him (Ps. 18:24), even though Israel is regarded as serpents and scorpions by the [heathen] nations of the earth.

And when David saw that Israel was undefiled in the sight of the Holy One, blessed be He, he began to offer praise, as is said Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord.

II. Another exposition of Blessed are the undefiled in the way. Elsewhere Scripture says, Mark the man that is undefiled, and behold the upright (Ps. 37:37). R. Tanhuma related that R. Judah the Levite bar Shallum, R. Phinehas the Priest, and R. Huna, all three of them, agreed on the following: In the time-to-come, Gog and Magog will move against Israel three times, and the third time they will come and ascend against Jerusalem and go about through Judah and conscript into their armies the men of Judah, strong men, as is said “I will make the house of Judah strong” (Zech. 10:6). Of Gog and Magog, however, Scripture goes on to say, Behold, I will make Jerusalem a threshold of staggering unto all the peoples round about (Zech. 12:2).

For having come to the threshold of Jerusalem, what will Gog and Magog do? They will put two strong men in charge of each and every conscripted man of Israel. Wherefore? In order to keep the men of Israel from running away.

But as the strong men of Judah are forced to go up and lay siege to Jerusalem, they will pray in their hearts, saying, “Let us fall into the hands of the men defending Jerusalem, and let not them fall into our hands.” And why will they pray in their hearts? Because they will be afraid of letting their voices be heard. As Scripture says, The chiefs of Judah will say in their heart: May redemption come to the inhabitants of Jerusalem (tech. 12:5). Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, will say to the conscripted men of Judah: In innocence you came. By your lives I swear that innocence will guide you, as is said The innocence of the upright will guide them Prov. 11:3).

And in that instant, the Holy One, blessed be He, will add might to the might of the men of Judah: They will draw their swords, strike left and right, and slay the men in charge of them. Hence it is said Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord.

III. A different exposition of Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord. Elsewhere Scripture says, He that walks uprightly walks surely; but he that perverts his ways will be known (Prov. 10:9). He who walks uprightly may be assured that the Holy One, blessed be He, will prosper his ways, but he who perverts his ways will be made known; the kind of man he is will be revealed to the world in more ways than one. Hence it is said He that perverts, his ways will be known.

Another comment: He that walks uprightly/generously is Abraham, to whom it was said Walk before Me, and be you upright/generous (Gen. 17:1). For what had the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham? He had said: Get out of your country, and from your kindred! (Gen. 12:1). And Abraham did not argue the matter with the Holy One, blessed be He, by saying: “What difference can it make to You whether a man remain here or get him to another country? He who moves from one house to another house is distressed, and needless to say, he is even more so who has to move from one country to another country.” Abraham, however, did not hesitate, and at once did everything that God had commanded him, as is said So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him (ibid. 12:4). Did Abraham lose by this? No, for when the four kings invaded Canaan, did they not fall before him? As Scripture says, The night itself contended against them (Gen. 14:15).

Moreover, when God said to Abraham: Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac ... and offer him there for a burnt-offering (Gen. 22:2), he did not talk back to God, though he might have talked back, saying "Yesterday You did say to me In Isaac will your seed be called (ibid. 21:12). And today I am to offer Isaac for a burnt-offering! Whence, then, wilt You bless me?” But he did not talk back to God. Instead he did at once all that the Holy One, blessed be He, had commanded him, as is said And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took ... Isaac his son (ibid. 22:3). And the Holy One, blessed be He, did for His part what He had promised Abraham when He said to him: I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you (ibid. 12:2); and so He did, for Scripture says, Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation (ibid. 18:18), and also, The Lord had blessed Abraham in all things (ibid. 24:1).

And therefore, to the children of Israel, Moses said this: Do you desire that the Holy One, blessed be He, be with you? Hold fast to Abraham's uprightness/generosity, because uprightness/generosity is beautiful in the sight of the Holy One, blessed be He, as is said You will be upright/generous with the Lord your God (Deut. 18:13), as He is upright, for it is said The Rock, His work is upright/generous, and as His Torah is upright, for it is said The Law of the Lord is upright/generous (Ps. 19:8).

Therefore David began this Psalm, which is an acrostic, by offering praise in the first verse, Ah, blessed are they that are upright/generous in the way, and came to the end of the alphabet, saying: Your servant, seek; I have gone astray like a lost sheep (Ps. 119:176) – that is, as the strayed sheep is innocent, so have I acted in innocence.

Another comment: Why did David say at the end of the Psalm, I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant? R. Judah the Levite bar Shallum answered in the name of R. Haggai bar Eleazar: As things go in the world, when a sheep strays from the flock, or an ox strays from the pasture, who seeks whom? The sheep, the shepherd? Or the shepherd, the sheep? Obviously, the shepherd, the sheep. So David said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, seek me as the sheep is sought. Even as You did say through Samuel the prophet: The Lord has sought Him a man after His own heart (I Sam. 13:14), try me, O Lord, and prove me because I have acted in innocence. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for, like a sheep, I am innocent—a ewe lamb ... without blemish (Lev. 14:10).

IV. Another comment: Blessed are they that are upright/generous in the way, the generation that wandered in the wilderness. Hezekiah bar Hiyya taught: The Holy One, blessed be He, saw that no other generation would be as capable of receiving the Torah as this generation, and so He laid up the Torah for its people, as is said He lays up sound wisdom for the upright (Prov. 2:7).

R. Berechiah said in the name of R. Hanina bar Abbahu: Both Scripture and the Holy One, blessed be He, praise them, the people of that generation, as is said He has remembered His covenant with the world, the word which He commanded to the thousandth generation (Ps. 105:8), the thousandth generation being the only one specified by number in the order of the generations. You can see for yourself that they were upright/generous people. When they came to the sea, God told them to go down into the sea, and they went down; He told them to go forth into the wilderness, and they went forth; He told them to take the Torah, and they took it, and even before He told them to take it, they said: All that the Lord hath said we will do and obey (Ex. 24:7). God forbade their eating the sinew of the thigh-vein which is within the hollow of the animal's thigh, forbade their eating meat together with milk, and also forbade their bringing on the same day a cow or an ewe together with her young as an offering, and they took these prohibitions upon themselves. And although God did not explain to them what the reward for their performing of the commandments was to be, they gave Him no arguments. Therefore, it is said He has remembered His covenant with the world, the Word which He commanded to the thousandth generation, and also Blessed are they that are upright/generous in the way.

V. Another exposition of Blessed are the upright/generous in the way. The Holy One, blessed be He, called the children of Israel “saintly,” “upright,” and “righteous/generous.” He called them “saintly” in the verse Gather My saints together unto Me (Ps. 50:5). He called them “righteous/generous” and “just” because they sang a song at the Red Sea, saying Rejoice in the Lord, O, you righteous/generous, praise is comely for the just (Ps. 33:1). He called them “upright/generous” in the verse Blessed are the upright/generous in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord.

Lest it be thought that they suffered any loss, or that they did not pass on merit to their children after them, Scripture says, The just man walks in his integrity/generosity: his children are blessed after him (Prov. 20:7). And when did this merit work for them? In the time of Jeremiah, when the children of Israel were sentenced to exile, you find that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jeremiah: Go and tell them this— "On account of the merit of the generation of the wilderness I will be guided by the measure of mercy in My treatment of you," as is said Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus says the Lord: I remember for your sake the affection of your youth ... when you went after Me in the wilderness (Jer. 2:1-2).

Do not say that merit can accrue only to a generation as a whole, for any individual who walks in integrity/generosity before the Holy One, blessed be He, acquires merit for himself and for his children as well, as is said The just man walks in his integrity/generosity: his children are blessed after him (Prov. 20:7).

Accordingly, David said: Since uprightness is so comely to the Holy One, blessed be He, I will sing of it: Blessed are they that are upright/generous in the way.

VI. Another exposition of Blessed are the upright/generous in the way. The people of the generation of the wilderness were saints. According to R. Eliezer, they are the saints referred to in the verse Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice (Ps. 50:5). And yet not until God had sore wearied them did Israel take the Torah. The verse A bounteous rain did You pour out, O God: when Your inheritance was weary You did steady it (Ps. 68:1) proves that God wearied them before he gave them the Torah. How had God wearied them? When the children of Israel received the Torah, they had to walk two hundred and forty miles: to receive the Ten Commandments, they had to walk twelve miles forward for each one and twelve miles back. Therefore it is said Blessed are the upright/generous in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord.

And so, purified, the children of Israel received the Torah. God said to them: You will not seethe a kid in its mother's milk (Ex. 23:19), and they did not ask: “Why should we not seethe it?” but took obedience to the command upon themselves. God said to them: You will eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat (Lev. 7:23), and they did not ask: “Wherefore not?” but took obedience to the command upon themselves. Moreover, after they took obedience to these commands upon themselves, they did not ask, “What is to be the reward for our doing them?” Therefore Scripture says: Blessed are the upright/generous in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord.

VII. Blessed are they that keep His testimonies (Ps. 119:2) – that is, if you keep them, I will keep you. So, too, Solomon said: Hear, you children, the instruction of a Father, and attend to know understanding (Prov. 4:1), and also For 1 give you good doctrine; forsake you not My Law (ibid. 4:2), and further He taught me also, and said unto me: “Let your heart retain My words: keep My commandments, and live” (ibid. 4:4). And Solomon said also, Forsake her not, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you (ibid. 4:6), and further When you go, it will lead you, when you sleep, it will keep you (ibid. 6:22).

8. You have charged that we will diligently keep Your commandments (Ps. 119:4). In every part of Scripture the Holy One, blessed be He, charged the children of Israel to keep the commandments of the Torah: He charged them in the five books of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Writings, as is shown by the verse Have I not written three times unto you of counsels and knowledge? (Prov. 22:20). Hence it is said You have charged that we will diligently keep Your commandments. Likewise Scripture says, Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it (Deut. 6:3), and also says, Only take heed to yourself, and keep your soul diligently (ibid. 4:9). What is meant by Only take heed to yourself, and keep your soul diligently? It means that God said to the children of Israel: "If you keep the Torah, I will keep your souls." And what is meant by the words Lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life (ibid.)? They mean that God said to the children of Israel: If you obey the Torah, I will keep you all the days of your life. Till when? Till in peace you will have seen your children and your children's children: Yea, you will see your children's children, and peace upon Israel! (Ps. 128:6).

I. Blessed are the upright/generous in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord. King Solomon, may he rest in peace, said: The just man walks in his integrity/generosity: his children are blessed after him (Prov. 20:7). Now, if the children of a just man are blessed because of him, all the more so is the just man himself blessed!

The Holy One, blessed be He, asked of Abraham only that he be upright/generous, as is said Walk before Me, and be you upright/generous (Gen. 17:1). So, too, Moses said to Israel: You will be upright/generous with the Lord your God (Deut. 18:13). The verse does not say “before the Lord your God,” but with the Lord your God. That is, “If you are upright/generous, you will be with the Lord your God.” Wherefore? Because God Himself is upright/generous, as is said The Rock, His work is perfect ... just and upright/generous is He (Deut. 32:4). The children of Israel are also upright, and the Torah is upright, as is said The Law of the Lord is upright/generous (Ps. 19:8). Hence it is said Blessed are they that are upright/generous in the way.

The people of the generation of the wilderness were upright/generous and saintly. According to R. Eliezer, they are the saints referred to in the verse Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice (Ps. 50:5).12 To receive the Torah, the children of Israel had to walk twelve miles forward for each of the [Ten] Commandments and twelve miles back. Hence it is said Blessed are they that are upright/generous in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord.

And so, purified, the children of Israel received the Torah. God said to them: You will eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat (Lev. 7:23), and though He did not tell them why not, they took obedience to the command upon themselves. God said to them: And when you will come into the land, and will have planted all manner of trees for food, then you will count the trees thereof as forbidden; three years will it be as forbidden unto you (ibid. 19:23), and though He did not tell them why it was forbidden, they took obedience to the command upon themselves. And even after they took obedience to these commands upon themselves, they did not ask: What is to be the reward for our doing them? Hence it is said Blessed are they that are upright/generous in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord.

II. Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, that seek Him with the whole heart (Ps. 119:2). What is meant by Blessed are they that keep His testimonies? It means that God said: “If you keep the testimony, it will keep you.” So, too, Solomon said: Hear, you children, the instruction of a Father, and attend to know understanding: for 1 give you good doctrine; forsake you not My Law ... And He taught me, and said unto me: Let thy heart retain My words ... Forsake her not, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you ... Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go; keep her, for she is your life (Prov. 4:1,2,4, 6, 13). Hence it is said Blessed are they that keep His testimonies. And Solomon said further, When you go, it will lead you, when you sleep, it will keep you (Prov. 6:22).

III. ‘Af, they do no wickedness/lawlessness (Ps. 119:3). Why does this verse begin with the word 'Af? To show that the angel of wrath ('Af) will not touch them. Why not? Because They do no wickedness/lawlessness, but walk in the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He. Hence it is said They walk in His ways (ibid.).

IV. You have charged that we will diligently keep Your commandments (Ps. 119:4). In every part of Scripture, the Holy One, blessed be He, charges the children of Israel to keep the Torah: He so charges them in the five books of Moses; He so charges them in the Prophets; He so charges them in the Writings, as is shown by the verse Have I not written three times unto you of counsels and knowledge? (Prov. 22:20). Likewise Scripture says, Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it (Deut. 6:3), and also Only take heed to yourself, and keep your soul diligently (Deut. 4:9). What is meant by the verse Only take heed to yourself, and keep your soul diligently? It means that the Holy One, blessed be He, said: If you keep the Torah, I will keep your souls. Hence it is said Only take heed to yourself, and keep your soul diligently. The verse goes on to say, Lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And what is meant by the words all the days of thy life? They mean: “If you obey the Torah all the days of your life, you will be privileged to see your children and your children's children.” Hence it is said Teach them unto your children and your children's children (ibid.). And when you see your children and your children's children, behold, that is peace, as is said Yea, you will see your children's children, and peace upon Israel (Ps. 128:6).

V. Wherewith shall a young man keep his way pure? By taking heed thereto according to Your Word (Ps. 119:9). Solomon said: In all your ways acknowledge Him (Prov. 3:6); if you acknowledge the Holy One, blessed be He, in all things, He will direct your paths (ibid.). David also said I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved (Ps. 16:8). And because I set the Lord always before me, Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices (ibid. 16:9). And what is meant by the words My flesh also will rest in hope (ibid.)? They mean that David said: “I know that worms will have no dominion over my flesh.” And thus the righteous/generous rest without [being consumed by] worms. Wherefore? Because they keep watching and seeking and searching to find out by just what path they can enter into the life of the world-to-come. Therefore David said: You show me the path of life, etc. (ibid. 16:11). Moses also said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Now therefore, I pray to You, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way (Ex. 33:13). Scripture also says, Lead me in Your truth, and teach me (Ps. 25:5). And again Teach me Your way, O Lord; and lead me in the right way (Ps. 27:11). It is also written Thus says the Lord: Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and you will find rest for your souls (Jer. 6:16). See in what way Abraham went, and in what way Nimrod went, and which of them prospered; in what way Jacob went, and in what way Esau went, and which of them prospered. Hence it is said Wherewith will a young man keep his way pure? By taking heed thereto according to Your Word.

VI. With my whole heart have I sought You; O let me not go wrong out of Your commandments (Ps. 119:10). It is the whole heart which brings the righteous/generous into the Garden of Eden, but the heart of the wicked/lawless brings them down to Gehenna. Likewise, Scripture says, Behold, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry; behold, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty ... Behold, My servants will sing for joy of heart, but you will cry for sorrow of heart, and will howl for breaking of spirit (Isa. 65:13-14). So, too, David said to his son Solomon: And you, Solomon my son, know you the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of your thoughts (I Chron. 28:9).

VII. Your Word have 1 laid up in my heart, that 1 might not sin against You (Ps. 119:11). The Inclination-to-evil has no power in the presence of Torah. And so the Inclination-to-evil has no power over him who has Torah in his heart, and cannot touch him.

So, too, Scripture says, I, wisdom, dwell with prudence (Prov. 8:12): where I dwell, prudence is round about me, and the Inclination-to-evil has no power over prudence. Likewise Scripture says, The Law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps will slide (Ps. 37:31). And Moses also said: Therefore will you lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul ... that your days may be multiplied (Deut. 2:18). Hence it is said Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

VIII. O reward Your servant that 1 may live, and keep Your Word (Ps. 119:17). Isaiah said: According to their deserts, accordingly He will repay, etc. (Isa. 59:18). Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, requites the wicked/lawless as they deserve, and requites the righteous/generous for their deeds. God requites the wicked/lawless: Fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies (ibid.), but He requites the righteous/generous with loving-kindness. So Scripture says, Truly God is loving unto Israel: Even unto such as are of a clean heart (Ps. 73:1), and 1 will mention the loving-kindnesses of the Lord . . . according to all that the Lord had bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel (Isa. 63:7).

Neither to the wicked/lawless nor to the righteous/generous does the Holy One, blessed be He, give any requital whatever without cause. As for the evil that befalls the wicked/lawless, in truth, it is not the Holy One, blessed be He, who causes it to fall upon them, for Scripture declares Out of the mouth of the Most High proceeds not evil, but good (Lam. 3:38). But the wicked/lawless requite their own souls with evil. As Scripture says, The show of their countenance does witness against them (Isa. 3:9).

And wherewith does God reward the righteous/generous? With life as a gift of grace. Thus another Psalm says, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His rewards: who forgives all your iniquities/lawlessness; who heals all your diseases; who saves your life from destruction (Ps. 103:2-3). And not only these, but many other deeds of deliverance does God do, as is said The Lord does deeds of deliverance and judgments for all that are oppressed (Ps. 103:6). So, too, Scripture says, Turn again then unto your rest, O my soul; for the Lord has rewarded you (Ps. 116:7). How has He rewarded me? In that You have delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling (ibid. 116:8). David also said to the Holy One, blessed be He: You alone cannot reward me with life: O reward Your servant, that I may live. And why should You reward me with life? So that I may keep Your word. By life, David meant understanding of Torah, of which it is said Keep her, for she is your life (Prov. 4:13). Hence David said: O reward Your servant that 1 may live, and keep Your Word.

IX. Unveil You mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law (Ps. 119:18). David said to God: Master of the universe, Your will is that I keep Your words, so Unveil You mine eyes, that 1 may behold wondrous things out of Your Law. For if You do not unveil mine eyes, how will I know Your words? Hence he said: Unveil You mine eyes, that 1 may behold, etc.

Yet though mine eyes be open, I still know nothing. Consider: Even though Samuel was a prophet, he really knew nothing, until the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him insight, as is said Now the Lord had revealed unto Samuel, etc. (I Sam. 9:15). And as Nebuchadnezzar said: Of a truth it is that your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets (Dan. 2:47). And Daniel said: But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living (ibid. 2:30); and again, He reveals the deep and secret things (ibid. 2:22). And David also said: Unveil You mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law. And wherefore do I call upon You? Because Such knowledge is too wonderful for me ... I cannot attain unto it (Ps. 139:6), the wonderful knowledge being the Torah, of which it is said Your testimonies are wonderful (Ps. 119:129). Hence David said: Unveil You mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law.

Torah is also termed treasure, as in the verse There is a treasure to be desired (Prov. 21:20), and Torah is also termed hid treasure as in the verse If you ... search for her as for hid treasures (ibid. 2:4). The Torah is also described as having a multitude of gates and a multitude of doors leading into it, and hence it is said Blessed is the man that hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors (Prov. 8:34).

And so David said: Knowledge of the Torah is too wonderful. But Moses said: It is not too wonderful, as is written It is not too wonderful, except for you (Deut. 30:11)—that is “Knowledge of the Torah is too wonderful for you, because you have not labored in it.” Accordingly, it is said I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law.

X. I am a stranger in the land: hide not Your commandments from me (Ps. 119:19). David a stranger? But David meant: Even as a stranger who becomes a Jew knows nothing of the Torah, so though the eyes of a man be open, when it comes to knowledge of Torah, he does not know the difference between his right hand and his left. Now if David who sang so many songs and so many Psalms, said: “I am a stranger in the land, I know nothing,” then it is all the more certain that we know nothing of the Torah. Hence it is said I am a stranger in the land. Scripture also says: For we are strangers before You, and sojourners, as all our fathers were: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no abiding (I Chron. 29:15)—as the shadow passes away, so does man. And when are our days like shadows? When men do not study or occupy themselves with Torah. So, too, our Masters taught: “The day is short and the work is great, and the laborers are sluggish, and the reward is much, and the Master of the house is urgent.” Hence it is said 1 am a stranger in the earth; hide not Your commandments from me.

XI. My soul heaps up [knowledge of Scripture] in the longing that it has unto Your ordinances at all times (Ps. 119:20). What did the Psalmist mean in saying My soul heaps up? He meant: When I begin to study a chapter in Scripture, it is impossible for me to put the chapter aside. For I see something excellent in it and have no disposition to put it aside. Hence I heap up knowledge of Scripture. After all, who can dare put aside any portion of that of which it is written The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea (Job 11:9)? And so I heap up knowledge of Scripture [indiscriminately], even as the Psalmist says, My soul heaps up, etc.

XII. My soul cleaves unto the dust; quicken You me according to Your Words (Ps. 119:25). Isaiah said: The grass withers, the flower fades ... But the Word of our God will stand for ever (Isa. 40:7-8)—that is, still stand the words which the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke to our father Jacob: And your seed will be as the dust of the earth (Gen. 28:14): As the dust of the earth is trodden down by all, so will your children be trodden down by all; but, as the dust of the earth wears down vessels of metal and itself lasts forever, so will your children wear down the nations of the earth and themselves will last forever: And you will break forth to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south (ibid.). As Isaiah said: Shake yourself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem (Isa. 52:2).

And as the sons of Korah said: Wherefore do You hide Your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaves unto the earth. Arise for our help (Ps. 44:25-27). And as Hannah said: He raises up the poor out of the dust (I Sam. 2:8)—when the poor reach the dust, You raise them up. Hence David said: My soul cleaves unto the dust, etc.

XIII. I have declared my ways, and You heard me (Ps. 119: 26). What is meant by I have declared my ways? It means that I have confessed, and that I have declared all the ways wherein I sinned. Wherefore did You smite me? Because I sinned. As Scripture says, We have sinned, and have dealt iniquitously/lawlessly, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, and have turned aside from Your commandments and from Your ordinances ... Neither have we hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His Laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets (Dan. 9:5, 10). And because we have not hearkened, Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the land that You gave unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof, behold, we are servants in it (Neh. 9:36). And though we are servants in ít, we make a sure covenant with You, as is said And yet for all this we make a sure covenant, and subscribe it; and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, set their seal unto it (Neh. 10:1). Howbeit You are just in all that is come upon us (ibid. 9:33).

Hence it is said I have declared my ways, and You heard me. Even though I sinned, I have confessed to You, and so, Teach me Your statutes (ibid.).

XIV. Make me to understand the way of Your precepts (Ps. 119:27). What is meant by the words Make me to understand? They mean that David prayed to God: My Master, do not say to me, “Behold, the precepts are before you. Understand them by yourself.” For if You do not make me to understand, I will know nothing. Hence it is said Make me to understand the way of Your precepts, that I may talk of Your wondrous works.

XV. My soul melts away with sorrow (Ps. 119:28). Why with sorrow? Because of the calamities that have come upon me. No year has been without its calamity, no month without its rumor of calamity, no day without its trouble: Calamity comes upon calamity, and rumor upon rumor (Ezek. 7:26). Therefore My soul melts away with sorrow; establish me according to what You have said. To what does what You have said refer? To that which Moses declared: That He may establish you this day unto Himself for a people, and that He may be unto you a God, as He has said unto you (Deut. 29:12).

Another comment. My soul melts away with sorrow: A drop one day, and a drop the next day until the soul is dissolved and is gone. Hence it is said My soul melts away with sorrow, etc.

XVI. Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes; and 1 will keep it unto the end (Ps. 119:33). Solomon said: Happy is the man that finds wisdom, and the man that obtains understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver ... She is more precious than rubies: and all the things you can desire are not to be compared unto her (Prov. 3:13, 14, 15). Three men—David, Solomon, and the king Messiah— asked the Holy One, blessed be He, for wisdom. David said: Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes. Solomon said: Give me now wisdom and knowledge (2 Chron. 1:10), whereto God replied: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto you (ibid. 1:12). And of the king Messiah, it is said A Psalm of Solomon. Give the king Your judgments, O God (Ps. 72:1). Thus it is said Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes. Why did he say Teach me? David meant: Do not tell me, “Behold, the statutes are before You. Learn them by yourself.” Do You teach me. And he goes on in the next verse: Give me understanding, that I keep Your Law (Ps. 119:34). Hence he said: Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes. What did he mean by the way? He meant: “Make the statutes a well-trodden way for me; and I will keep it to my last extremity.” What did he mean by last extremity? He meant: “To the very end will the Torah be in my hand." Indeed a man who occupies himself with Torah for nearly all of his days and then forsakes it, has so little left that it is as though he had never occupied himself with Torah at all. And so it is with all things. For example, a man made a lamp for a king, but as he brought it to him, the lamp broke, so that what was left in the man's hand was as though the man had not occupied himself at all with making the lamp. Or, a man made a beautiful vessel which broke in his hand, so that what was left in his hand was as though he had not made the vessel at all. So if a man occupies himself with Torah for nearly all of his days and labors in it, and then forsakes it, what does he have left? Doeg who occupied himself with Torah, and then forsook it; Ahithophel, too: what did they come to? With all this in mind, David said: Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes; and 1 will keep it to my last extremity; and he also said: More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold... . Moreover by them is Your servant warned; in keeping them unto the last extremity, there is great reward (Ps. 19:11-12); and he said further: Great peace have they that love Your Law; and there is no stumbling for them (Ps. 119:165).

XVII. Let Your mercies also come unto me, O Lord, even Your salvation, according to Your Word (Ps. 119:40—that is, let those mercies come of which You did speak to our fathers. As Scripture says, You will show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as You have sworn unto our fathers from the days of old (Micah 7:20). And as Moses said: You in Your mercy have led forth the people which You have redeemed (Ex. 15:13). So David said: Let Your mercies also come unto me. And what is the mercy that You will show us? You will deliver us. For when You deliver us, I can open my mouth to speak and answer those who taunt me, even though I cannot answer them now, as is said 1 am dumb, 1 open not my mouth; because You have done it (Ps. 39:10). But it is Your will that I am to answer them, and so Remove Your stroke from off me; I am consumed by the blow of Your hand (ibid. 39:11). Hence David said: That 1 may have an answer for him that taunts me (Ps. 119:42). And wherefore do they taunt me? Because of You, as is said For Your sake I have borne reproach; confusion has covered my face (Ps. 69:8), and as is also said Because zeal for Your house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproach You are fallen upon me. When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting ... . (ibid. 69:10-11). And wherewith do they reproach me? They say unto me ... Where is your God? (Ps. 42:4). Then the Holy One, blessed be He, said to David: “If you are reproached because of Me, I will free you of the reproach.” As Scripture says: He will swallow up death for ever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of His people will He take away from off all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it (Isa. 25:8). And what verse follows? And it will be said in that day: ‘Lo, this is our God, for whom we waited, that He might save us’ (ibid. 25:9). And the wicked/lawless who used to say: “Where is your God?” will acknowledge Him and say This is the Lord, for whom we waited, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation (ibid.).

Ashlamatah: 1 Kings 8:9-18

1. Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers' houses of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

2. And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

3. And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.

4. And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

5. And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

6. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto its place, into the Sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.

7. For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

8. And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the holy place, even before the Sanctuary; but they could not be seen without; and there they are unto this day.

9. There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10. And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

11. so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. {P}

12. Then spoke Solomon: The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.

13. I have surely built You a house of habitation, a place for You to dwell in forever.

14. And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel; and all the congregation of Israel stood.

15. And he said: ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth unto David my father, and has with His hand fulfilled it, saying:

16. Since the day that I brought forth My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that My name might be there; but I chose David to be over My people Israel.

17. Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

18. But the LORD said unto David my father: Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart;

19. nevertheless you will not build the house; but your son that will come forth out of your loins, he will build the house for My name.

20. And the LORD has established His Word that He spoke; for I am risen up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

21. And there have I set a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.’ {S}

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 26:51-54

51. ¶ And behold! One of those who were with Yeshuah, having stretched out a hand, drew out his sword and, striking the servant of the Rosh Kohen (high priest of the Bet HaMiqdash), severed his ear.

52. Then Yeshuah said to him, “Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.”

53. “Or do you suppose that I am not able to request forbearance of My Father, and He would immediately provide me with more than twelve brigades of messengers here?

54. But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must become thusly?

Pirke Abot: I:4

“Yosi ben Yoezer, a [royal] man from Tzereidah, and Yosi ben Yochanan of Jerusalem received [the tradition] from them. Yosi ben Yoezer used to say: Let your house be a meeting place for the Sages, roll in the dust of their feet and drink their words with thirst.”

Abarbanel on Pirke Abot

By: Abraham Chill

Sepher Hermon Press, Inc. 1991

ISBN 0-87203-135-7

(pp. 36-38)

In his inimicable fashion, Abarbanel connects this Míshnah with a previous one. Starting with Shimon ha-Tsadik who stated that the world stands on three pillars: Torah, service and loving-kindness, Antigonus, in the preceding Míshnah had elaborated on what constitutes service. Now, in the present Míshnah, Yosi ben Yoezer addresses himself to another of Shimon Ha-Tsadik's principles – Torah. He believes that in order to achieve a measure of Torah, the first prerequisite is that one's home environment must be one that is characterized by the love of Torah and serve as a meeting place for Torah Scholars. However, there are two conditions. The first is that you do not lord it over them like a rich host over his impoverished guests, but rather that you see them as the host and yourself as their guest. This is the thrust of “roll in the dust of their feet.” The second condition is that you do not become bored by the abundance of Torah you will hear but, with perseverance, drink it all with great thirst.

From this dictum, Abarbanel learns that not all places are equal as far as Torah is concerned. Torah can be best studied in a place specifically designated for that purpose and to bolster this thought, he cites the story of the Shunamite woman who was fascinated by Elisha, the prophet of God. She said to her husband that since the holy man passed through their neighbourhood frequently, they should make a small apartment for him in their home with the proper appurtenances, for Elisha to rest and meditate there. She understood that contemplation, and even more so prophecy, requires a special place set aside specifically for that purpose.

However, there always lurks the danger of unjustified pride and unbridled arrogance. You may very easily fall victim and believe that you are doing the Torah Scholars a favour by giving them food and drink. Although that is true, a man must always realize that the benefit he derives from the learned is much greater than what they derive from him. The wisdom, insight and cultural gains that he will gain from the Sage who visits his home are priceless. Therefore, Yosi ben Yoezer teaches, make of your home a meeting place for the wise (Hakhamim) — but do not exaggerate your own importance. Here, too, Abarbanel resorts to the Torah to prove his point: When Abraham, soon after his circumcision, sat at the entrance to his tent and saw three strangers coming, he ran from the entrance to greet them and invited them to come in and be his guests. Although they were only lowly desert travellers, Abraham himself served them. In this light, we can understand the advice of the sage that one should humble oneself before the dust of the feet of Torah Scholars.

There is a pronounced difference between one who studies Torah with passive commitment and one who is passionately and inextricably involved in the pursuit of this study. The latter thirsts for every word and letter that he can draw from the deep wells of Torah learning. In fact, the rabbis of the Talmud, commenting on the Biblical view (Deuteronomy 26:16, see Rashi), caution us that each and every day of one's life we should consider the Torah as a new gift from God.

Finally, Abarbanel comes up with a unique interpretation: “Let the housing of your intellect — your mind — be open to accept the counsel of wise men (Hakhamim).” In other words, no matter how advanced your education and intellect are, you should not arrogantly disregard any wisdom that you can yet gain from other Torah Scholars. On the other hand, you should imbibe these newly found waters with moderation and discipline. You should accept counsel in the same manner you drink water. A person who is dehydrated can benefit by sipping a little at a time: he can injure himself by gulping without waiting to take a breath of air. The optimal way of learning is to study intermittently and pause to think, analyse and digest the material studied.

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Miscellaneous Interpretations

Rabbenu Yonah, commenting on the statement in the Mishnah that one should let his house be a meeting place for the Sages, underlies the idea that one’s home should acquire a reputation as a centre of cultural activity. When Torah Scholars will need to meet and discuss intricate religious problems they will not hesitate to gather there. It then behoves the owner of the home to conduct himself with great dignity since men of superior talents will be visiting there frequently.

Rabbenu Ovadiah explains the imagery of “Roll in the dust of their feet.” When a man walks along a dusty road his feet kick up dust in the face of one who is following him; even so, when one is following a Torah Scholar he should not be concerned with any inconvenience that may result. To the contrary, he should be grateful to be in the shadow of a Torah Scholar from whom he can gain something of value.

Midrash Shemuel: In order to fully comprehend the meaning of this Mishnah, we must start with the second part of the maxim and then return to the first part. Thus, if one wishes to assure himself that his home will be a centre for learning and that all his peers will recognize his position in intellectual circles and will turn to him for enlightenment — let him first sit in the dust of the feet of the great luminaries and drink with thirst whatever they have to teach. In other words, Yosi ben Yoezer is not offering us cautious advice, but rather a prescription for success and its rewards.

But why use the phrase, “And roll in the dust of their feet?” In the first place the Sage of Mishnah could have chosen a more discreet phraseology to make his point. Secondly, most of the English translations of this maxim interpret the word MITAVEK - as “to sit.” Technically this is not correct; the Hebrew word is closer to the meaning of to joust — to contest. The answer suggested is that when two people are jousting they kick up a great deal of dust, each one endeavouring to trip and fell his opponent. Hence, in a home of culture one should be eager to match skills and cross intellectual swords with colleagues in order to rise to a higher level.

Rashi proposes a novel interpretation: “Roll in the dust of their feet,” means to attend to the personal need of the Sages. This approach can be questioned: If a student takes the time out to do this he will be losing time from study. It is in that context that Yosi ben Yoezer advocates that it is better to interrupt the study periods and take deep drafts of the lifestyle of the Scholars and then return to your studies. You will then take to your scholarly endeavours with much greater enthusiasm and eagerness.

Rabbi Moshe Almosnino is practically the only commentator who maintains that, “Let your home” means a house of study — not a private home. This is to say, one should be as at ease and comfortable in the Bet Ha-Midrash which is the gathering place for Scholars as much as he is in his own home.

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Other Comments To Pirke Abot I:3

“Let your house ...” Structure your house [environment] so that it will be a place where Sages frequently gather. (Rambam)

Sforno interprets this verse as “let your house be in the meeting place of Sages” (i.e., in the House of Study). That is, spend the majority of your time in the House of Study, reminiscent of David’s request, “one thing I have asked of Ha-Shem that I seek: That I dwell in the House of Ha-Shem all the days of my life (Psalms 27:4).”

“Sit amid the dust of their feet.”

One must follow them everywhere even if he is covered with the dust raised by their footsteps. Other explain that this is in accordance with the prevalent custom whereby the Sage would sit on a stool while his disciples sat at his feet on the ground.

Even those who are incapable of comprehending a Torah Scholar’s Torah dissertation can learn Derech Eretz (proper ethical conduct) and worthy personality traits from a Torah Scholar. (Rabbi Menachem of Beit Meir, cited in Midrash Shmuel)

One will always gain from the presence of Torah Scholars in one’s house, since it is impossible not to assimilate wisdom from them. This is analogous to one who enters a perfumery; merely by entering, he absorbs some of the sweet scent. (Rav)

“Drink in their words with thirst.”

Sforno interprets “their words” to mean not their words of Torah, but their informal, seemingly ordinary speech.

Rabbi Yitzchak Hunter explains the analogy of Torah to water. One is obligated to recite a blessing before drinking any beverage, even if he is not thirsty. An exception to this rule is water. Only if one is thirsty for water must he recite a blessing, because one derives enjoyment and blessing only if one is thirsty for it. It is the same with Torah learning; in order to get the proper and maximum benefit from it, one must be thirsty for it. (Artscroll Pirke Avot Treasury)

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What say the Nazarean Hakhamim?

Mark 6:7 Then he summons the twelve, and he began to be sending them out two [by] two, and he was giving to them authority [or, power] over the unclean [or, defiling] spirits.

Mark 6:8 And He gave strict orders to them that they should be taking nothing for the journey, except a staff only – no traveller's bag, no bread, no copper coin [or, money] in their money belt -

Mark 6:9 but having put on sandals - also, you will not put on two Tallits (Prayer mantles).

Mark 6:10 And He was saying to them, "Whenever you enter into a house, be staying there until you depart from there.

Mark 6:11 And as many as will not receive you nor hear you, going out from there, shake off the dust that [is] under your feet for a testimony to [or, against] them. Amen, amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom or Gomorrah in [the] day of judgment than for that city.”

1Timothy 5:17 Be letting the elders having ruled well be counted worthy of double honour, especially the ones labouring in Word and teaching.

1Timothy 5:18 For the Scripture says, “You will not muzzle an ox treading out [grain],” and “The labourer [is] worthy of his pay.” [Deuteronomy 25:4; Leviticus 19:13]

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Some Questions to Ponder:

1. What are the ‘real’ reasons why today it is frown upon for one’s home to acquire a reputation as a centre of cultural activity, particularly in-depth Torah study?

2. According to this Mishnah, why is it so critical for a Jewish home to be a centre of cultural activity, particularly in-depth Torah study?

3. Enumerate what particular requirements need to be met for a private dwelling to be considered apt for the Sages to meet for serious discussions on Torah matters?

4. What does Hakham Shaul means by “worthy of double honour” in 1 Timothy 5:17, and how is this demand in accord with what is taught in our Mishnah of Pirke Abot?

5. The Master of Nazareth said that whoever did not receive the Hakhamim at their home, or did not want to hear them, the Hakhamim should “shake off the dust that [is] under their feet for a testimony to [or, against] such people.” Yet in our Mishnah we are commanded “to roll in the dust of their feet.” Are the two statements in agreement or is there a discrepancy between the two statements? Explain your answer.

6. Is it lawful to say that those who do not want their private dwelling to become a centre for Torah teaching by the Sages, or for resolution of Torah questions by the Sages, should then actively and monetarily support the acquisition of premises suitable for being used as a Bet Midrash? Support you answer with at least one or two Scriptural quotes.

7. From this Mishnah, Abarbanel learns that not all places are equal as far as Torah is concerned. Torah can be best studied in a place specifically designated for that purpose. In your opinion what key ingredients would be necessary for a place to be considered aporpriate for Torah study?

Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

We wish you a

Chag Shabuot Sameach!

Happy Festival of Pentecost!

Eve of First day Shavuot - Sunday Evening June the 8^th, 2008

Tikun Leil Shabuot - a Night of Vigil and Study for Shabuot (Pentecost)

We have a custom on the night of Shabuot to stay awake all night and study the Torah. It is called the “tikun” of Shabuot. A tikun implies a repair. We stay up to “repair” the damage. Our Sages in the Midrash tell us that the Israelites went to sleep on that all-important night, and when Ha-Shem came down onto Mt. Sinai, the people were sleeping.

Frantically, Moses had to wake them up telling them that the “groom” (Ha-Shem) is here already awaiting his “bride” (Israel). How could this happen? How could they have slept? Our sages explain that the Jews didn't just go to sleep like any other night. They thought that the Torah would be given to them through prophecy, and like most prophets, Ha-Shem appears to them in a dream-like appearance. They thought that the happiness of the holiday and its meal, together with a pleasant sleep would create a happy feeling in order to receive the prophecy. Moshe had to wake them and tell them that Torah is not like prophecy. One must be fully awake with a clear head and a sharp logic. He taught them that otherwise we wouldn't be able to learn and study the Torah with clarity. Receiving the Torah is greater than prophecy! The Talmud (Baba Batra 12) says that a Hakham is greater than a prophet. We must utilize all of our senses to learn Torah. Therefore it had to be initially received with clarity. This is why the Torah makes a point that they “stood” (vayityatzvu) at Mt. Sinai.

The whole experience at Mt. Sinai is referred to as Ma'amad Har Sinai, the standing at Har Sinai, to imply that they stood on their own two feet and used their clear senses. This is why we stay up all night to study Torah, to be awake with open eyes and an open mind. Ha-Shem gave man an unbelievably powerful intellect. Man can develop almost anything. We see this all the time with man's scientific and technological advances which are mind boggling. Why did Ha-Shem do this? Because the Torah in itself is mind boggling! He gave us a great mind to meet the challenge of Torah study. Let's grab that opportunity!

Texts for study: Psalm 119; 2 Lukas (Acts) 2:1-47

Questions for reflection:

In 2 Lukas 2:1 we literally read in the Greek “And in the day of the Pentecost being fulfilled, they were all with one accord at the same place.” Why does the text need to emphasize the facts that the Talmidim were “all with one accord” and “at the same place”? Were they not allowed to have differences of opinion, and to sit in the Temple each one with their own families and friends? And by saying: “they were all with one accord at the same place” what does Hakham Shaul want to teach by the hand of his scribe Dr. Lukas?

Where is the antecedent in the Torah for the statement in 2 Lukas 2:2 – “and there came suddenly out of the heaven a sound as of a bearing violent wind, and it filled all the temple where they were sitting”?

Is there any antecedent in the Torah (Pentateuch) for the statement in 2 Lukas 2:3-4 – “and there appeared to them divided flames, as it were of fire; it sat also upon each one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, according as the Spirit was giving them to declare” ?

Why is fire a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and what is the meaning of this symbol as explained in the Hebrew Scriptures?

Why is the festival of Pentecost associated with the 70 languages of the Gentiles as with the Hebrew language par excellance?

Why did this miracle happened only to the Talmidim and not to the rest of the Jews congregated in the Temple for this solemn occasion? And what does this incident has to say about some of the gifts required to be a Hakham (Rabbi)?

Why did the Jewish people in the Temple asked the Talmidim “What will we do, men, brethren?” (2 Lukas 2:37), and not “what will we believe?” What are the quantitative and qualitative differences between “believing” and “doing”?

Hakham Tsefet answered (2 Lukas 2:38) “Return, and be immersed each of you on the authority of Yeshuah the Messiah, to remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The word in Hebrew is “Shuv” which means “return,” and since all in the audience were Jews celebrating the feast of Pentecost, to what did the Jewish audience understood they needed to return? Why does it state “the gift of the Holy Spirit,” if before two conditions are mentioned (return and immerse) in order to receive it?

In 2 Lukas 2:41 we read: “then those, indeed, who did gladly receive his (Hakham Tsefet’s) word were immersed, and there were added on that day, as it were, three thousand souls.” The text says that they “did gladly receive his (Hakham Tsefet’s) word.” Since all the audience were Jews from many places in the world who had come in obedience to the Word to celebrate Shabuot, how come now the text says that “did gladly receive Hakham Tsefet’s word”? Did Hakham Tsefet added anything that was not already mentioned in the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures)?

Why did this miracle of flames of fire and speaking in different languages happened in the Temple at Jerusalem and not in Rome, Athens or Alexandria?

After mentioning this miracle at Shabuot in the Temple, the text now says (2 Lukas 2:44-45): “and all those believing were at the same place, and had all things common, and the possessions and the goods they were selling, and were parting them to all, according as any one had need.” Why is the theme of community intimately related here to the act of receiving the Holy Spirit? How is this related to Psalm 133? How did the Talmidim understand the relationship between the degree of indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the degree of community bonding?

In 2 Lukas 2:46 we read: “Daily also continuing with one accord in the temple, breaking also at every house bread, they were partaking of food in gladness and sincerity of heart.” Why did the Talmidim found it necessary to continue “with one accord in the Temple”? And why does the text emphasize the word “daily,” had they not work to do to earn a living? Who was “daily” at the Temple? All who were added to the Nazarean group or only some of them? Why were they “daily” in the Temple and not in the street proclaiming their message?

What commandments are taught to be obeyed by all who call themselves disciples of the Master of Nazareth?

Why does Smikha (ordination) to be a Hakham (Rabbi) is so intimately connected to the festival of Shabuot? And in relation to this subject what should be one of the main purposes of Tikun Leil Shabuot (Lit. “Reparation of the Night of Pentecost”)?

Why were the Talmidim not expelled from the Temple (since they attended daily there for many years)?

According to Psalm 119:1-8 why is the study of Torah so vital for any human being? And why was the Study of Torah so essential for the Talmidim that they went daily to the Temple to teach and study Torah?

The Temple is called in Hebrew Bet HaMiqdash (House of Holiness). What relationship is there between pericope “Bet” in Psalm 119:9-16 and the Temple or the individual’s home (household)?

Why does the local Nazarean Synagogue should be the key and central passion to any follower of the Master of Nazareth? The Synagogue is symbolized by the word Delet (Door), what does Psalm 119:25-32 have to teach regarding the Synagogue and its importance to the life of a follower of the Master of Nazareth?

The Holy Spirit is known as G-d’s agent in bringing life (Hebrew Chai – starting with the Hebrew letter “Chet”). What does Psalm 119:57-64 has to say about living a life in the Holy Spirit?

The Hebrew letter Yod is the first letter of G-d’s name and also of Messiah’s name. What does Psalm 119:73-80 has to say about the Messiah ben David, and our relation to him? According to this portion who can truly call him/herself a G-d fearer and a disciple of the Messiah the Master of Nazareth?

May you have a very profitable Tikun Leil Shabuot with your Torah study partners and loved ones, together with all of our most noble and beloved nation/people of Yisrael, amen ve amen!

Shabuot (Pentecost) Morning Service - Monday, June 9, 2006

Torah & Ashlamatah Readings:

Shemot (Exodus) 19:1 – 20:26

B’Midbar (Numbers) 28:26-31

Yehezekel (Ezekiel) 1:1-28; 3:12

Reader 1 – Shemot 19:1-6

Reader 2 – Shemot 19:7-13

Reader 3 – Shemot 19:14-19

Reader 4 – Shemot 19:20 – 20:14

Reader 5 – Shemot 20:15-23

Maftir - B’Midbar 28:26-31

Yehezekel 1:1-28; 3:12

N.C. Matityahu (Matthew) 25:1-13

Shabuot (Pentecost) Minchah – Afternoon Service:

• Recitation of the Azharoth part I (positive commandments)

• Reading on the Book of Ruth 1:1 – 3:7

Shabuot (Pentecost) Morning Service - Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Torah and Ashlamatah Readings:

D’barim (Deuteronomy) 14:22 – 16:17

B’Midbar 28:26-31

Habakkuk 2:20 - 3:19

Reader 1 – D’barim 14:22-29

Reader 2 – D’barim 15:1-18

Reader 3 – D’barim 15:19-23

Reader 4 – D’barim 16:1-3

Reader 5 – D’barim 16:4-8

Reader 6 – D’barim 16:9-12

Reader 7 – D’barim 16:13-17

Maftir - B’Midbar 28:26-31

Habakkuk 2:20 - 3:19

N.C. Bereans (Hebrews) 5:12 – 6:3

Shabuot (Pentecost) Minchah – Afternoon Service:

• Recitation of the Azharoth part II (negative commandments)

• Reading on the Book of Ruth 3:8 - 4:22

For further studies on this festival see:

· http://www.betemunah.org/shavuot.html

· http://www.betemunah.org/ruth.html

· http://www.betemunah.org/freedom.html

· http://www.betemunah.org/betroth.html

His Honour Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and myself, join together with our beloved families to wish you and loved ones a very happy and prosperous observance of Chag Shabuot, may these two days of festivities, be two great days that changed your life completely for great blessing, two nights and two days that you will remember forever, amen ve amen!

Do not forget to eat some good “arroz con leche y canela” (creamed rice with cinnamon)! J

Chag Sameach Shabuot ve Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai