Esnoga Bet Emunah
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© 2008
E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com
Triennial
Cycle (Triennial Torah Cycle) / Septennial Cycle (Septennial Torah Cycle)
|
Three and 1/2 year
Lectionary Readings |
First Year
of the Reading Cycle |
|
Tebet 21, 5769 – January
16/17, 2009 |
First Year
of the Shmita Cycle |
Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times:
|
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 5:34 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 6:33 PM |
San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 5:40 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 6:37 PM |
|
Baton Rouge & Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S. Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 5:09 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 6:06 PM |
Sheboygan
& Manitowoc, Wisconsin US Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 4:22 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 5:28 PM |
|
Bowling Green & Murray, Kentucky, U.S. Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 4:35 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 5:36 PM |
Brisbane, Australia Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 6:30 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 7:26 PM |
|
Miami,
Florida, US Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 5:34 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 6:29 PM |
Jakarta,
Indonesia Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 5:58 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 6:49 PM |
|
New London, Connecticut USA Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 4:18 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 5:22 PM |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 7:04 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 7:55 PM |
|
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 5:23 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 6:23 PM |
Manila
& Cebu, Philippines Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 5:28 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 6:21 PM |
|
Olympia, Washington, U.S. Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 4:32 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 5:42 PM |
Port Elizabeth, South Africa Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 7:18 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 8:18 PM |
|
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania USA Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 4:43 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 5:45 PM |
Singapore, Singapore Friday Jan. 16, 2009 – Candles at 6:58 PM Saturday Jan. 17, 2009 – Havdalah 7:49 PM |
For
other places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp
Roll of Honor:
This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of:
His
Honor Rosh Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and
beloved wife HH Giberet Batsehva bat Sarah,
His
Honor Paqid Adon Mikha ben Hillel
His
Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham,
Her
Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah and
beloved family,
His
Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann and
beloved family,
His
Excellency Adon John Batchelor and
beloved wife,
His
Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and
beloved wife HE Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,
Her Excellency Giberet Sandra Grenier
His Excellency Adon Stephen Legge and
beloved wife HE Giberet Angela Legge
For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing
the best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’s richest blessings be upon their
lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael and her Torah
Scholars, amen ve amen!
Also a great thank you and great blessings be upon
all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the
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Shabbat |
Torah
Reading: |
Weekday
Torah Reading: |
|
וַיָּבֹאוּ
שְׁנֵי |
|
|
|
“Vayabo’u Sh’ne” |
Reader 1 – B’Resheet 19:1-6 |
Reader 1 – B’resheet 20:1-4 |
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“And [the] two” |
Reader 2 – B’Resheet 19:7-11 |
Reader 2 – B’resheet 20:5-8 |
|
“Y los dos” |
Reader 3 – B’Resheet 19:12-17 |
Reader 3 – B’resheet 20:9-12 |
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B’resheet (Gen.) 19:1-38 |
Reader 4 – B’Resheet 19:18-23 |
|
|
Ashlamatah: Isaiah 17:14-18:7
+ 19:25 |
Reader 5 – B’Resheet 19:24-26 |
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|
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Reader 6 – B’Resheet 19:27-30 |
Reader 1 – B’resheet 20:1-4 |
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Psalms 14 |
Reader 7 – B’Resheet 19:31-38 |
Reader 2 – B’resheet 20:5-8 |
|
N.C.: Mark 2:18-22 |
Maftir: B’Resheet 19:36-38 |
Reader 3 – B’resheet 20:9-12 |
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Mishle (Proverbs) 4:1-9 |
Isaiah 17:14-18:7
+ 19:25 |
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|
|
|
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Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for: B’Resheet (Gen.) 19:1-38
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RASHI |
TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN |
|
1.
The two angels came to Sedom in the evening, while Lot was sitting at the
gate of Sedom. Lot saw them, and he got up to greet them, and he bowed with
his face to the ground. |
1.
Two angels came to Sedom at the evening; and Lot sat in the gate of Sedom.
And Lot saw, and rose up to meet them from the gate of the tabernacle. And he
bowed his face to the ground, [JERUSALEM.
And Lot sat in the gate of Sedom, and he saw them, and ran and saluted them,
and bowed with his face to the ground.] |
|
2.
He said, "Behold now my lords, please turn in to your servant's house.
Stay over night, bathe your feet, and get up early and continue on your
way." They said, "No, we will spend the night in the street." |
2.
and said, I beg now, my lords, turn now hither, and enter the house of your
servant, and lodge, and wash your feet; and you will arise and proceed on
your way. And they said to him, No; for in the street we will lodge. [JERUSALEM.
And wash your feet, and wash you in the morning, and go to your tents in
peace. And they said to him, No; for in the open place of the city we will
lodge.] |
|
3.
He urged them greatly, and they turned in to him and came to his house. He
made a feast for them, and baked matzot, and they ate. |
3.
And he persuaded them earnestly, and they turned aside to be with him; and
they entered his house, and he made a repast for the, and prepared unleavened
cakes. And it seemed to him as if they did eat. [JERUSALEM. And it appeared
as if they ate and drank.] |
|
4.
They had not yet laid down when the men of the city, the men of Sedom,
surrounded the house--- young and old alike--- all the people from one end
[of the city] to the other end. |
4.
They had not yet lain down, when the wicked men of the city, the men of
Sedom, came round upon the house, from the youth to the old man, all the
people throughout. |
|
5.
They called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you
tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them." |
5.
And they cried to Lot, and said to him, Where are the men who entered with
thee to-night? Bring them out to us, and we will lie with them. |
|
6.
Lot went out to them in front of the entrance, shutting the door behind him. |
6.
And Lot went out to them to the gate, and shut the door after him. |
|
7.
He said, "My brothers, please do not act wickedly. |
7.
And he said, I pray, my breathren, do not thus wickedly. [JERUSALEM.
7. And Lot said to them, Wait here a little, till we have besought mercy
before the Lord.] |
|
8.
Behold! I have two daughters who have never known a man, I will bring them
out to you, and do with them as you please; only do nothing to these men,
since after all, they came under the shelter of my roof." |
8.
Behold, now, I have two daughters who have had no dealing with a man; I would
now bring even them out to you to do to them as is meet before you, rather
than you should do evil to these men, because they have entered in to lodge
under the shadow of my roof. [JERUSALEM.
Who have not known dealing with man.] |
|
9.
They said, "Step back out of the way!" They said, "This one
came as an immigrant, and now he wants to be a judge. We will now deal worse
with you than with them." They pushed hard against Lot, and came near to
break the door. |
9.
And they said, Give up this. And they said, Did not this come alone to
sojourn among us? and, behold, he is making himself a judge, and judging the
whole of us. But now we will do worse to thee than to them. And they
prevailed against the man, against Lot, greatly, and came near, to shatter
the door. |
|
10.
The men put out their hands, and pulled Lot to them, into the house, and
closed the door. |
10.
And the Men stretched forth their hands, and brought Lot unto them in the
house, and shut the door. |
|
11.
The men who were at the entrance of the house, they struck with
blindness---young and old alike--- so that they wearied themselves trying to
find the entrance. |
11.
But the men who were at the gate of the house they struck with a suffusion of
the eyes, from the young to the old, and they waried themselves to find the
gate. [JERUSALEM.
With blindness.] |
|
12.
The men said to Lot, "Who else do you have here--- a son-in-law, your
sons, your daughters? Whoever you have in the city, bring them out of his
place. |
12.
And the Men said to Lot, Hast thou yet in this city kinsman or brother? Thy
sons-in-law, thy sons and thy daughters, take forth from the place; |
|
13.
We are going to destroy this place, for the wailing concerning them has
become great in the presence of Adonai; and Adonai has sent us to destroy
it." |
13.
for the cry of it before the Lord is great, and the Lord hath sent us to
destroy it. |
|
14.
Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who had married his daughters. He
said [to them], Get up! Get out of this place, for Adonai is going to destroy
the city! He appeared as a comedian in the eyes of his sons-in-law. |
14.
And Lot went forth, and spake with his sons-in-law who had taken his
daughters, and said, Arise, come forth from this place; for the Lord
destroyeth the city. But the word was as a wonder, (and he) as a man ranting,
in the eyes of his sons-in-law. |
|
15.
At the break of dawn, the angels urged Lot on, saying, "Get up! Take
your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the
iniquity of the city. |
15.
And at the time that the morning was about to uprise, the angels were urgent
upon Lot, saying, Up, take thy wife and thy two daughters who are with you,
lest you perish in the condemnation of the inhabitants of the city. [JERUSALEM.
And it was at the time of the upcoming of the column of the morning] |
|
16.
He hesitated, and the men grabbed his hand and the hand of his wife and two
daughters, for Adonai had pity on him. They brought him out and placed him
outside the city. |
16.
But he delayed: and the men laid hold on his hand, and on the hand of his
wife, and on the hand of his two daughters, for mercy from the Lord was upon
them. And they brought them forth, and set them without the city. |
|
17.
When they were brought out [of the city], he [the angel] said, "Escape
for your life! Do not look back! Do not remain anywhere in the valley. Escape
to the mountain, lest you be swept away." |
17.
And it was that as they led them without, one of them returned into Sedom, to
destroy it; and one remained with Lot, and said to him, Be merciful to your
life; look not behind you, and stand not in all the plain; to the mountain
escape, or you perish. |
|
18.
Lot said to them, "Please, not so my Master. |
18.
And Lot said to him, I beseech of thee endure with me a little hour, until I
have prayed for mercy from before the Lord. [JERUSALEM. Be steadfast here a
little with us until I have besought mercy before the Lord.] |
|
19.
Behold your servant has found favor in Your eyes. Great is your kindness that
you have done with me, to keep me alive. I cannot escape to the mountain,
lest the evil attach itself to me and I die. |
19.
Behold, now, thy servant hath found mercy before Thee, and Thou hast
multiplied the kindness Thou hast done me in saving my life, and I am not
able to escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die. |
|
20.
Behold, please, this city is near [enough] to flee there. It is
insignificant. Let me escape there! It is insignificant, and my life will be
saved." |
20.
Behold, now, I pray, this city, it is a near habitation, and convenient (for
us) to escape thither; and it is small, and the guilt thereof light. I will
flee thither, then. Is it not a little one? and my life shall be preserved. |
|
21.
He said to him, "See I have also given you consideration regarding this.
I will not overturn the city that you mentioned. |
21.
And He said, Behold, I have accepted thee in this matter also, that I will
not overthrow the city for which thou hast spoken, to destroy it, that thou
mayest escape to it. |
|
22.
Hurry, escape there, for I can do nothing until you get there." The city
was therefore called Zoar. |
22.
Hasten and flee thither: for I cannot do any thing till thou have entered
there. Therefore he called the name of the city Zoar. |
|
23.
The sun had risen upon the earth, when Lot came to Zoar. |
23.
The sun had passed the sea, and come forth upon the earth, at the end of
three hours, and Lot entered into Zoar. |
|
24.
Adonai caused to rain upon Sedom and Amorah--- sulphur and fire--- from Adonai,
from heaven. |
24.
And the Word of the Lord had caused showers of favour to descend upon Sedom
and Amorah, to the intent that they might work repentance, but they did it
not: so that they said, Wickedness is not manifest before the Lord. Behold,
then, there are now sent down upon them sulphur and fire from before the Word
of the Lord from Heaven. [JERUSALEM.
And the Word of the Lord Himself had made to descend upon the people of Sedom
and Amorah showers of favour, that they might work repentance from their
wicked works. But when they saw the showers of favour, they said, So, our
wicked works are not manifest before Him. He turned (then), and caused to
descend upon them bitumen and fire from before the Lord from the heavens.] |
|
25.
He overturned these cities, and the entire plain, and all those who lived in
the cities and all that grew upon the ground. |
25.
And He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of
the cities, and the herbage of the earth. |
|
26.
His [Lot's] wife looked behind him; and she became a pillar of salt. |
26.
And his wife looked after the angel, to know what would be in the end of her
father's house, for she was of the daughters of the Sedomaee; and because she
sinned by salt (bemilcha) she was manifestly punished; behold, she was made a
statue of salt. [JERUSALEM. And because the wife of Lot was of the children
of the people of Sedom, she looked behind her, to see what would be the end
of her father's house: and, behold, she was made to stand a statue of salt,
until the time of the resurrection shall come, when the dead shall arise.] |
|
27.
Avraham got up early in morning [to return] to the place where he had stood
before the Presence of Adonai. |
27.
And Abraham arose in the morning (and went) to the place where he had
ministered in prayer before the Lord. |
|
28.
He [Avraham] stared at Sedom and Amorah, and the whole land of the plain, and
he saw the heavy smoke rising from the earth like the smoke of a furnace. |
28.
And he looked towards Sedom and Amorah, and all the land of the plain, and
saw, and, behold, the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace. |
|
29.
When Elohim destroyed the cities of the plain; Elohim remembered Avraham, and
He sent Lot out of the upheaval when He overturned the cities in which Lot
had lived. |
29.
And it was when the Lord destroyed the cities of the plain, that He
remembered the righteousness of Abraham, and sent forth Lot from the midst of
the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities wherein Lot had dwelt. |
|
30.
Lot went up from Zoar and lived in the mountain; and his two daughters went
with him, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. He lived in a cave, he and his
two daughters. |
30.
And Lot went up from Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters
with him; because he feared to reside in Zoar. And he dwelt in a cavern, he
and his two daughters. |
|
31.
The older girl said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no
man [left] on earth who will come into us in the normal manner. |
31.
And the elder said to the less, Our father is old, and there is no man in the
land to come to us after the way of the whole earth: [JERUSALEM.
And there is not a man in the land who may come with us after the law of all
the earth:] |
|
32.
Come let us urge our father to drink wine, and sleep with him; that we may
give life to seed [children] from our father." |
32.
come, let us make our father drink wine, and when he is drunken we will lie
with him, and raise up sons from our father. |
|
33.
They urged wine upon their father that night; and the older girl went in and
slept with her father. He was not aware when she lay down or got up. |
33.
And they made their father drink wine that night, and he was drunk. And the
elder arose, and lay with her father, nor did he know when she lay down, nor
when she arose. |
|
34.
The next day, the older girl said to the younger, "Last night I slept
with my father. Let us urge wine upon him tonight also, and you go in and
sleep with him that we may give life to seed from our father." |
34.
And it was the day following, and the elder said to the less, Behold, now, I
lay my evening with the father; let us make him drink wine this night also,
that he may be drunk; and go thou and lie with him, that we may raise up sons
from our father. |
|
35.
That night also, they urged their father [to drink] wine. The younger went up
and slept with him, and he was not aware when she lay down or got up. |
35.
And they made their father drink wine that night also, and he was drunk, and
the younger arose, and lay with him; and he knew not in her lying down nor in
her rising up. |
|
36.
Lot's two daughters became pregnant from their father. |
36.
And the two daughters of Lot became with child by their father. |
|
37.
The older girl gave birth to a son and she named him Moab. He is the ancestor
of the Moabite nation even to this day. |
37.
And the elder brought forth a son, and she called his name Moab, because from
her father she had conceived. He is the father of the Moabaee unto this day. |
|
38.
The younger girl also gave birth to a son, and she named him Ben-Ami. He is the
ancestor of the people of Ammon even to this day. |
38.
And the younger also brought forth a son, and she called his name Bar-Ammi,
because he was the son of her father. He is the father of the Ammonite people
unto this day. |
|
|
|
Reading Assignment:
Torah
With Targum Onkelos and Rashi’s Commentary – Vol. 1
The
Book of Genesis: Hebrew/English
By:
A.M. Silberman & M. Rosenbaum
Published
by: BN Publishing (2007)
pp.
76-83.
The
Torah Anthology: Yalkut Me’Am Lo’Ez - Vol II: The Patriarchs
By:
Rabbi Ya’aqob Culi
Published
by: Moznaim Publishing Corp. (New York, 1988)
Vol.
II, pp. 220-261.
Welcome to the World of P’shat Exegesis
In
order to understand the finished work of the P’shat mode of interpretation of
the Torah, one needs to take into account that the P’shat is intended to
produce a catechetical output, whereby a question/s is/are raised and an
answer/a is/are given using the seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel and as well
as the laws of Hebrew Grammar and Hebrew expression.
The
Seven Hermeneutic Laws of R. Hillel are as follows
[cf.
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=472&letter=R]:
1.
Ḳal va-ḥomer:
"Argumentum a minori ad majus" or "a majori ad minus";
corresponding to the scholastic proof a fortiori.
2.
Gezerah shavah:
Argument from analogy. Biblical passages containing synonyms or homonyms are
subject, however much they differ in other respects, to identical definitions
and applications.
3.
Binyan ab mi-katub eḥad: Application of a provision found in one passage
only to passages which are related to the first in content but do not contain
the provision in question.
4.
Binyan ab mi-shene ketubim:
The same as the preceding, except that the provision is generalized from two
Biblical passages.
5.
Kelal u-Peraṭ and Peraṭ u-kelal: Definition of the general by the
particular, and of the particular by the general.
6.
Ka-yoẓe bo mi-maḳom aḥer: Similarity in content to another
Scriptural passage.
7.
Dabar ha-lamed me-'inyano:
Interpretation deduced from the context.
Ketubim: Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 14
|
JUDAICA PRESS TRANSLATION |
TARGUM |
|
1. For
the conductor, of David; The fool said in his heart, "There is no
God"; they have dealt corruptly; they have committed abominable deeds;
no one does good. |
1. For praise; in the spirit of prophecy through
David. The fool said in his heart, “There is no rule of God on the earth.”
They corrupted their deeds, they despised goodness and found iniquity/
lawlessness. There is none who does good. |
|
2. The Lord in Heaven
looked down upon the sons of men to see whether there is a man of
understanding, who seeks the Lord. |
2. The Lord looked down from heaven on the sons of men to
see if there was any wise man seeking instruction from the presence of the
Lord. |
|
3. All have turned
away; together they have spoiled; no one does good, not even one. |
3. All alike have turned backward, they have become lax;
there is none who does good, there is not even one. |
|
4. Did not all the workers of iniquity/ Lawlessness
know? Those who devoured My people partook of a feast; they did not call upon
the Lord. |
4. Do they not know, all doers of falsehood? Those among
my people who dine have dined on bread [and] not blessed the name of the
Lord. |
|
5. There they were in
great fear, for God is in the generation of a righteous/generous man. |
5. There they became afraid because the Word of
the Lord is in the generation of the righteous/ generous. |
|
6. You put to shame the counsel of the poor, for the
Lord is his refuge. |
6. You will despise the counsel of the poor man, because
he has placed his hope in the Lord. |
|
7. O that the salvation
of Israel (Hebrew: Yeshuat Yisrael) would come out of Zion;
when the Lord returns the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice,
Israel shall be glad. |
7. Who will produce from Zion the redemption of Israel?
When the Lord brings back the exile of His people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel
will be glad. |
|
|
|
RASHI’S COMMENTARY ON PSALMS
Psalm Fourteen
1 The fool said in
his heart, etc. David recited two psalms in this Book, in one manner [with
almost identical wording]: the first one concerning Nebuchadnezzar and the
second one (ch. 53) concerning Titus. In this one, he prophesied concerning
Nebuchadnezzar, who was destined to enter the Temple and to destroy it, with
not one [man] of all his armies protesting against him. “There is no God” and “I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds.” they have committed abominable
deeds Heb. עֲלִילָה, deeds.
3 All have turned
away, etc. Not one man of his armies protested against him. they have spoiled Heb. נֶאֱלָחוּ, have turned to rot.
4 Did not...know?
Did they not know at the end what had befallen them? Those who devoured My people The seed of Nebuchadnezzar. partook of a feast Heb. לֶחֶם, lit. bread. They made a feast (as
in Dan. 5:1) “made a huge feast (לֶחֶם).” they did not call upon the Lord They neither considered Him nor
remembered His wondrous and awesome deeds at their feast, and [they] used His
vessels.
5 There they were
in great fear For recompense was paid to Belshazzar king of Babylon
[causing him] to be in great fear, as it is stated (in Dan. 5: 6): “Then the
king’s color changed, his thoughts terrified him, the joints of his loins came
loose, and his knees knocked against each other.” But our Sages explained this
(Sanh. 104b, Mid. Ps. 14:4) as referring to the heathens: Whoever does not rob
Israel does not experience a pleasant taste in his food. Those who devoured my
people felt as though they ate bread, for they experienced a pleasant taste. for God is in the generation of a righteous/generous
man In the generation of Jeconiah, who were righteous/generous.
6 You put to shame
the counsel of the poor You say that the counsel of Israel is shameful, for
they trust in the LORD because He is their refuge.
7 O that Then
the day will arrive when He will give out of Zion the salvation of Israel in
the future; then Jacob will rejoice; Israel shall be glad.
Ashlamatah: Isaiah 17:14-18:7 + 19:25
12. Ah, the uproar of many
peoples, that roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of Gentiles,
that rush like the rushing of mighty waters!
13. The Gentiles will rush like
the rushing of many waters; but He will rebuke them, and they will flee far
off, and will be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like
the whirling dust before the storm.
14.
At eventide behold terror; and before the morning they are not. This is the
portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us. {P}
1.
Ah, land of the buzzing of wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia;
2.
That sends ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus upon the waters!
Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and of glossy skin, to a people
terrible from their beginning onward; a nation that is sturdy and treads down,
whose land the rivers divide!
3.
All you inhabitants of the world, and you dwellers on the earth, when an ensign
is lifted up on the mountains, see; and when the horn is blown, hear. {S}
4.
For thus has the LORD said unto me: I will hold Me still, and I will look on in
My dwelling-place, like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat
of harvest.
5.
For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the bud becomes a
ripening grape, He will cut off the sprigs with pruning-hooks, and the shoots
will He take away and lop off.
6.
They will be left together unto the ravenous birds of the mountains, and to the
beasts of the earth; and the ravenous birds will summer upon them, and all the
beasts of the earth will winter upon them. {S}
7.
In that time will a present be brought unto the LORD of armies of a people tall
and of glossy skin, and from a people terrible from their beginning onward; a
nation that is sturdy and treads down, whose land the rivers divide, to the
place of the name of the LORD of armies, the mount Zion. {P}
1. The burden of Egypt. Behold,
the LORD rides upon a swift cloud, and comes unto Egypt; and the idols of Egypt
will be moved at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt within it.
2. And I will spur Egypt against
Egypt; and they will fight every one against his brother, and everyone against
his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.
3. And the spirit of Egypt will
be made empty within it; and I will make void the counsel thereof; and they will
seek unto the idols, and to the whisperers, and to the ghosts, and to the
familiar spirits.
4. And I will give over the
Egyptians into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king will rule over them,
says the Lord, the LORD of armies.
5. And the waters will fail from
the sea, and the river will be drained dry,
6. And the rivers will become
foul; the streams of Egypt will be diminished and dried up; the reeds and flags
will wither.
7. The mosses by the Nile, by the
brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile, will become dry, be driven
away, and be no more.
8. The fishers also shall lament,
and all they that cast angle into the Nile will mourn, and they that spread
nets upon the waters will languish.
9. Moreover they that work in
combed flax, and they that weave cotton, will be ashamed.
10. And her foundations will be
crushed, all they that make dams will be grieved in soul.
11. The princes of Zoan are utter
fools; the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh are a senseless counsel; how can you
say unto Pharaoh: ‘I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings’?
12. Where are they, then, your wise
men? And let them tell you now; and let them know what the LORD of armies has
purposed concerning Egypt.
13. The princes of Zoan are
become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have caused Egypt to go
astray, that are the corner-stone of her tribes.
14. The LORD has mingled within
her a spirit of dizziness; and they have caused Egypt to stagger in every work
thereof, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.
15. Neither will there be for
Egypt any work, which head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do.
16. In that day will Egypt be
like unto women; and it will tremble and fear because of the shaking of the
hand of the LORD of armies, which He shakes over it.
17. And the land of Judah will
become a terror unto Egypt, whensoever one makes mention thereof to it; it will
be afraid, because of the purpose of the LORD of armies, which He purposes
against it. {S}
18. In that day there will be
five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan, and swear
to the LORD of hosts; one will be called The city of destruction. {S}
19. In that day will there be an
altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border
thereof to the LORD.
20. And it will be for a sign and
for a witness unto the LORD of armies in the land of Egypt; for they will cry
unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and He will send them a saviour
(Hebrew: מוֹשִׁיעַ), and a defender (Hebrew: וָרָב), who will deliver them.
21. And the LORD will make
Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day; yes,
they will worship with sacrifice and offering, and will vow a vow unto the
LORD, and will perform it.
22. And the LORD will smite
Egypt, smiting and healing; and they will return unto the LORD, and He will be
entreated of them, and will heal them. {S}
23. In that day will there be a
highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt, and the
Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. {S}
24. In that day will Israel be
the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth;
25.
For that the LORD of armies has blessed him, saying: ‘Blessed be Egypt My
people and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.’ {S}
Mark 2:18-22
Delitzsch Hebrew Rendition:
18וְתַלְמִידֵי
יוֹחָנָן
וְתַלְמִידֵי
הַפְּרוּשִׁים
הָיוּ
מַרְבִּים
לָצוּם וַיָּבֹאוּ
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו
מַדּוּעַ
תַּלְמִידֵי
יוֹחָנָן וְתַלְמִידֵי
הַפְּרוּשִׁים
צָמִים
וְתַלְמִידֶיךָ
אֵינָם
צָמִים׃
19וַיּאֹמֶר
אֲלֵיהֶם
יֵשׁוּעַ
אֵיךְ יוּכְלוּ
בְּנֵי
הַחֻפָּה
לָצוּם
בְּעוֹד
הֶחָתָן
עִמָּהֶם
כָּל־יְמֵי
הֱיוֹת
הֶחָתָן עִמָּהֶם
לֹא יוּכְלוּ
לָצוּם׃
20הִנֵּה
יָמִים
בָּאִים
וְלֻקַּח
מֵאִתָּם הֶחָתָן
וְאָז
יָצוּמוּ
בַּיָּמִים
הָהֵם׃
21אֵין־אָדָם
תֹּפֵר
טְלַאי בַד
חָדָשׁ עַל־שִׂמְלָה
בָלָה כִּי
אִם־כֵּן
יִנָּתֵק מִלוּיוֹ
הֶחָדָשׁ
מִן־הַבָּלָה
וְיִתְרַחֵב
הַקֶּרַע׃
22וְאֵין
אָדָם נֹתֵן
יַיִן חָדָשׁ
בְּנֹאדוֹת
בָּלִים כִּי
אִם־כֵּן
יְבַקַּע הַיַּיִן
הֶחָדָשׁ
אֶת־הַנּאֹדוֹת
וְהַיַּיִן
יִשָּׁפֵךְ
וְהַנֹּאדוֹת
יֹאבֵדוּ אֲבָל
יַיִן חָדָשׁ
יִנָּתֵן
בְּנֹאדוֹת
חֲדָשִׁים׃
Hakham’s
Rendition:
18.
And Yochanan's disciples, and those of the Pharisees, were fasting. And they
came and said to him (Yeshua), “Why do John's disciples and those of the
Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
19.
And Yeshua said to them, “Can the sons of the Chuppah (wedding canopy) fast
while the groom is with them? What time they have the groom with them, they
cannot fast.
20.
But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then
they will fast in those days.
21.
And no one sews a patch of unbleached/unshrunken cloth on an old garment, else
it takes away its fullness, the refreshed (Greek: KAINOS) from the old, and a
worse rip/schism occurs.
22.
And no one puts new (Greek: NEOS) wine into old skins, else the new (Greek:
NEOS) wine bursts the skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will be
destroyed. But new (Greek NEOS) wine is put into refreshed (Greek: KAINOS)
skins.
Comments:
We
have entered into the second Chapter/block of the Mishnaic Treatise of Mark,
which starts at 2:1 and should end at 3:6.[1]
This second block or Marcan writing can be divided into five segments centred
around five questions put forward by the scribes and Pharisees and Yeshua’s
response. Thus, we can summarize as follows:[2]
|
Segment |
Question |
Yeshua’s Response |
|
On whether a Jewish
prophet can announce that sin has been forgiven |
||
|
Mark 2:1-12 |
2:7 - ‘Why (Greek: TI) does this one thus speak evil words? Who
is able to forgive sins except the One God?’ |
2:10 – ‘And, that you may know that the Son of Man (Hebrew: Ben
Adam – a title given to Jewish prophets) has authority on the earth to
[announce the] forgiveness of sins -- (he said to the paralytic) –‘ |
|
On whether a Hakham
can eat with Jewish habitual Law transgressors |
||
|
Mark 2:13-17 |
2:16 – ‘Why (Greek: HOTI) that with the [gauging] tax-collectors
and sinners (habitual transgressors of the Law) he does eat and drink?’ |
2:17 – ‘They who are strong have no need of a doctor, but they
who are ill; I came not to call righteous/generous men, but sinners to
reformation.’ |
|
On fasting when in
the physical presence of the Messiah |
||
|
Mark 2:18-22 |
2:18 – ‘Why (Greek: DIA TI) do the disciples of Yochanan (John)
and those of the Pharisees fast, and your Talmidim (Rabbinic disciples) do
not fast?’ |
2:19-20 – ‘Should the sons of the bride-chamber (wedding guests)
fast, while the bridegroom is with them? So long time as they have the
bridegroom with them they are should not fast; but days will come when the
bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast--in those days. |
|
On plucking grain
on the Sabbath because none shares their Table with travellers |
||
|
Mark 2:23-28 |
2:24 – ‘Why (Greek: TI) do they on the Sabbath [are doing] that
which is not Lawful?’ |
2:27-28 – ‘And he said to them, The Sabbath for man was made,
not man for the Sabbath, so that the Son of Man (Hebrew: Ben Adam – a title
given to Jewish prophets) is master also of the Sabbath.’ |
|
On healing on the
Sabbath |
||
|
Mark 3:1-6 |
Mark 3:2 – [Implied: Is it Lawful to heal on the Sabbath?] |
3:4 – ‘Is it Lawful on the Sabbaths to do good, or to do evil?
Life to save, or to murder?’ |
|
|
||
I
would like to point out that all of these five narratives in one way or another
are centred around the question as to whether Yeshua was a prophet or not – or
more precisely, the prophet spoken of by Moses: “A prophet will the LORD
your God raise up unto you, from the midst of you, of your brethren, like unto
me; unto him you will hearken” (Deut. 18:15). And of course we know that this
prophet is associated with the person of the Messiah. This also connects with
the idea that Yeshuah is the second Adam, who like the first Adam was both King
and Prophet, as well as with Noach, Shem (Melchizedek – i.e. King of
Tsedeq/Jerusalem), and Abraham who were also kings and prophets simultaneously.
Most
Christian Theologians observe in these five arguments a tone of confrontation.
However, the point that eludes these scholars is that what Yeshuah was doing
was clarifying Halakha on subjects where there was considerable debate at that
time. Interestingly, Jewish Orthodoxy have accepted and have adopted the
Master’s position on these matters.
v.
18 – And Yochanan's disciples, and those of the Pharisees, were fasting – The fast alluded here
is not that of Yom Kippur, for which Yeshua had no authority to dispense with
it. The fast alluded here corresponds to one of the four fasts mentioned in
Zechariah 8:19, which states:
“Thus says the LORD of
armies: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth,
and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, will be
to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful seasons; therefore love
truth and peace.”
These
four fasts are as follows:
Fast of the Fourth Month – 17th of
Tammuz
Remembering the breaking
of the first two tablets of the 10 Words
Fast of the Fifth Month – 9th
of Ab
Remembering the
destruction of the First and Second Temples
Fast of the Seventh Month – 3rd
of Tishri
Remembering the murder
of Gedaliah
Fast of the Tenth Month – 10th
of Tebet
Remembering the siege
and taking of Jerusalem by the Babylonians
And
more in particular, the allusion here, in my opinion, is to the “Fast of the
Tenth Month” which we have recently observed, and by alluding to one of the
fasts he is alluding also to all of the four as per the “pars pro toto”
principle.
Amongst
many reasons why we believe that the pericope is alluding to the Fast of the 10th
of Tebet is chiefly that the fast commemorates the taking away of central
Jewish government, and however according to Zechariah 8:19 (just quoted above)
in the Messianic Era this day would be a season of joy and gladness. Why?
Because Israel’s central government headed by the Messiah as King of Israel
would be restored. Therefore whilst the Messiah was here, there was hope of the
restoration of Israel’s central government (see 2 Lukas (Acts) 1:6 – “So when
they had come together, they asked him, "Master, will you at this time
restore the kingdom to Israel?").
Some
have advanced an opinion that the fasts spoken of here are the weekly fasts
amongst pious Jews on Mondays and Thursdays and which by the end of the first
century Christians changed to fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays (cf. Didache
8:1). If this be accepted, then Christian Scholars are guilty of the crime
mentioned in Daniel 7:25
“He will speak words
against the Most High, and will wear out the saints of the Most High, and will
think to change the appointed times [for festivals and fasts], and the Law; and
they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time (i.e. 3 and
½ prophetic years).”
It
seems to me that those Christian theologians that go on positing some design of
fantasy ought to think clearly the implications of their illogical
propositions.
On
another dimension this verse also teaches that a Hakham or Rabbi is completely
responsible for the actions of his disciples and associates, in the same manner
that a head of a Jewish household is responsible for the deeds of all of his
dependants.
v.
19 - “Can the sons of the Chuppah (wedding canopy) fast while the groom is with
them?
– Here the Master is describing his Rabbinic Disciples as בְּנֵי
הַחֻפָּה (B’né
HaChuppáh) – “sons of the wedding canopy” that is, the “wedding
guests/witnesses.” If the “Disciples” are “wedding guests/witnesses” one
therefore must assume that these knew the identity of the bridegroom and of the
bride. Christian Scholars seem to gloss over this key fact before us, that the
Rabbinic Disciples of the Master are neither “the groom” nor the “bride” but
simply honoured guests/witnesses at the wedding! Also and equally important,
both the Disciples of Yochanan the Immerser and the Disiciples of the Pharisees
seem to understand perfectly the allegories presented in this and following
verses of this pericope.
Before
we uncover the interpretation of this allegory, we need to emphasize that both
the Scriptures, and Jewish Law render a wedding of non-effect if either the
groom, the bride, or the witnesses/guests are not present. The text makes it
clear that Yeshua is the groom, and his Jewish Rabbinic Disciples are the
honoured wedding guests/witnesses. That Yeshua is the “bride” is recognized in
Rabbinic literature in the Midrashic text of Pesiqta Rabbati 149a –
“The garment in which
G-d will one day clothe the Messiah will shine ever more brightly from one end
of the world to the other, for it is said (Isaiah 61:10): ‘Like a bridegroom
who puts on a priestly mitre.’”
Now
if Yeshua is the “bridegroom” and the Jewish Rabbinic Disciples of the Master
are the “wedding guests/witnesses,” then, who may we ask is the bride? Note
that the picture here painted by the Master is incomplete. The bride is there,
the wedding guests/witnesses are present, but they all seem to be waiting for
the bride’s appearance. The identity of the bride seems to be revealed in the
text of Psalm 2:8!
What
time they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. – There seems to be an
echo here of Mishnah Berakhot 1:1, where the recitation of the Shema in its
appropriate time is suspended if persons are engaged in a greater Mitzvah such
as making the groom and the bride joyful immediately before, during, and after
the wedding. Here we find a veiled Kal VaChomer ("Argumentum a minori ad
majus" or "a majori ad minus"; corresponding to the scholastic
proof a fortiori), which can be stated as: “If the recital of the Shema at its
appropriate time can be postponed, because one is engaged in making the bride
and the groom rejoice, how much the more are the minor fasts in the Jewish
liturgical calendar to be postponed whilst the groom is with the wedding
guests/witnesses waiting for the appearance of the bride to join him under the
wedding canopy?” This, of course allegorically is hinted at in the text of
Zechariah 8:19, which states:
“Thus says the LORD of
armies: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth,
and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, will
be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful seasons; therefore love
truth and peace.”
Now,
we know that weddings are prohibited during these four minor fasts, so, the
interpretation here can’t be literal but of necessity involves allegorical
interpretation. The wedding alluded to by the Master is that therefore
described in Zechariah 8:19, which both the disciples of Yochanan and the
disciples of the Pharisees perfectly understand without any protestation.
This
verse also contains the teaching that for any conversion to G-d by a Gentile to
be valid, there needs to be witnesses that are Shomer Torah (Torah Observant),
otherwise such a conversion is void and meaningless. Christianity has never
equated conversion to following G-d as a marriage, and therefore necessitating
to borrow from some of the ceremonial steps from a Jewish wedding.
v.
20 - But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, – This is a great
verse who few have understood its profound implications. The groom appears to
be “taken away” before the bride makes her appearance and the marriage ceremony
takes place. There seems to be an echo here of the words of the Prophet Isaiah
53:8, where we read:
“By oppression and
judgment he was taken away, and with his generation who did
reason? for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression
of my people to whom the stroke was due.”
and
then they will fast in those days. – Taken together with the above
first part of this verse, it seems that the Messianic age started to germinate
for 3 and ½ years of the Master’s ministry, but before it could be stabilized
the Messiah was taken away, and therefore there is a reversion to the previous
order. Before the Messiah appeared on the scene pious Jews fasted on the 10th
of Tebet, Messiah appears and for 3 and ½ years Messiah and his disciples do
not fast on the 10th of Tebet, but after the Messiah is taken, all
Torah observant Jews, including Nazarean Jews continue fasting on the 10th
of Tebet. Therefore, we can say that for 3 and ½ years the world was given a
foretaste of what the Messianic Age would be like.
Our
response to those Christian Scholars that propose that the Master inaugurated a
new age, and therefore the fast days also changed or were abolished, is that it
appears that they can’t read the Scriptures clearly either in a translation or
in the Greek. For the text clearly says “and they will fast in those days”
but does not say “and they will fast in different days”! There is absolutely
no indication so far in the words of this pericope of a change in the appointed
days in the Jewish calendar in which fasting is to be observed. What we have is
a brief interruption on the practice for 3 and ½ years to showcase the
Messianic Era, and then reverting back to the customary practice until
Messiah’s return to this earth.
v.
21 - And no one sews a patch of unbleached/unshrunken cloth on an old garment,
else it takes away its fullness, the refreshed (Greek: KAINOS) from the old,
and a worse rip/schism occurs. This Wisdom statement as some
have described it has been the subject of unanimous gross Chrstian
misinterpretation in order to justify a still latent anti-Semitic bias on the
part of most Christian Scholars. Note the following:
·
Christian
scholars point to the unbleached/unshrunken cloth as better and therefore
pointing to Christianity, and the old garment as inferior and thus pointing to
Judaism. However, what these scholars fail to point out that the allegory
speaks of an older garment which has withstood many washing and the passing of
time and therefore not subject to change, but the unbleached/unshrunken cloth
is an unknown quantity subject to change and untested by time. Therefore, if
the Christian Scholarly interpretation be true then it logically follows that
Christianity is indeed inferior and unstable compared to Judaism!
·
Christian
Scholars allegorize most of verse 21 except for the last clause. Let us
logigally examine this verse. There is an old/used garment that has various
rips (schisms) – pointing to Judaism at the time of Yeshua divided into various
schisms such as Sadducees, Herodians, Pharisaic Hillelites and Pharisaic
Shamaaites. Now what are the possible solutions to this problem? Basically two.
One, we bring a new untried/unstable movement to displace the rips/schisms. But
Messiah points out that if this is done “a worse schism” would occur.
The next possible solution is carefully mend the rips/schisms in the old/used
garment with a good piece of the old cloth and therefore refresh the old/used
garment. Christianity is the first solution, Jewish Orthodoxy is the second
solution.
·
It
seems to me that Christian Scholars have failed abysmally to see how much
irreparable damage they have caused to the Messiah, and to his teachings, and
how guilty of the crime of producing a greater and unnecessary schism they are.
Is there any sane Christian Scholar out there that can read accurately and
think logically without injecting Christian anti-Semitic dogma to the plain
meaning of the text? May G-d, most blessed be He brings us speedily to that
day!
v.
22 - And no one puts new (Greek: NEOS) wine into old skins, else the new
(Greek: NEOS) wine bursts the skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will
be destroyed. But new (Greek NEOS) wine is put into refreshed (Greek: KAINOS)
skins.
– Before we delve into the interpretation of this text, let me ask a simple
question to all reading this commentary. What wine is better and more
expensive, an old aged wine or wine that has not fully fermented and was
produced just recently? Yet again Christian Scholars allegorize this verse and
say that the New Intoxicating Wine (which is still in process of fermentation
and therefore unstable and unknown quantity) points to Christianity and the Old
Wine points to Judaism.
Consider
for example, the following statement of Marcus[3]
and echoed by Hooker[4],
Gundry[5],
Lane[6],
and many other who parrot the same line:
“This basic point
about the incompatibility between the new and the old orders and the necessity
of preserving, undiluted by compromise with the structures of the old age, the
eschatological power that has broken into the world in Jesus’ advent, is summed
up by the battle cry that end the passage: “New wine into new wineskins!” This slogan
was probably specially important to the Markan community, which was conscious
of the singularity of its claim that, despite consisting largely of Gentiles,
it was the true Israel. In a context decisively influenced by the Old Testament
and Judaism, however, the slogan necessarily raises the question of whether or
not the old age structures swept away by the eschaton include not only
Pharisaic purity rules and various fasting practices but also the Law of Moses
itself.”
At
this point, the Catholic Scholar Noonan Sabin[7]
seems to introduce some degree of sanity and fresh air into the vicious equation.
She states:
“The second question
asked of Jesus here comes not from the Pharisees but from the people. The
question is typical of all people who have made a religious commitment, because
it is natural for pious folk to assume that there is a right way and a wrong
way of doing things. If they see two religious leaders whom they respect doing
things differently, they naturally want to know which one is right. Jesus’
indirect reply (again a question answered by a question) suggests that there
are no absolutes here but simply seasons of appropriateness. His response is
again reminiscent of the Wisdom writings – this time, of Ecclesiastes:
There is an appointed time for
everything ...
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance
(Eccl. 3:1,4).
The point is bolstered
by two more Wisdom sayings: “No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old
cloak” (2:21) and “No one pours new wine into old wineskins” (2:22). Like so
many of the concise truths of Proverbs, these sayings are homey, seeming to
arise from close observation in a domestic setting. They are not in themselves
profound, but they support the perspective implicit in the reply about fasting
or feasting that there are seasons in the spiritual life. This pair of sayings
also suggests that there can be a tension if we try to force a new style upon
an old one.
Many Christians have
been tempted to read in here a contrast between the “Old Testament” and the New
Testament or between Judaism and Christianity, but such contrasts would have
made no sense to Mark. At the time Mark was composing, there was no division
between testaments; what we now call the “Old” or First Testament constituted
all the Scripture there was. There was, moreover, not yet an established
Christian church that sharply distinguished itself from Judaism. So the tension
between the “old” and “new” here cannot be taken as a Jewish-Christian
conflict; it is simply a wise observation about the unsettling effects of new
patterns upon old ones. It is worth noting, moreover, that Jesus suggests here
that his disciples will eventually and appropriately return to fasting (2:20).
The time of the bridegroom is not here permanently – at least not yet.”
This
take, seems to be much closer to the truth, and in consonance with what we have
explained thus far. How refreshing it is to see a Christian Scholar making
justice to the text!
On
this last verse of our pericope, Schmidt[8]
comments:
“Winemaking was one of
the most ancient and famous trades of Palestine. The juice collected from
treading grapes in a large vat began to ferment naturally when the yeast of the
grape-skins came into contact with the juice, converting its sugar content into
alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. The fermentation process was not yet completed
when the young wine was placed in containers for storage, either jars or skins
made from whole goat hides. The gas produced from young wine still fermenting made
even flexible new wineskins “ready to burst” (Job 32:19).”
What
is therefore the Master trying to communicate with this saying? Well, if we
follow the majority of Christian Scholars in equating the New Wine with
Christianity, we could say that Christianity is inherently unstable and
dangerous until it reaches its full maturity in the course of time as it
returns back to its Jewish roots and rejects its pagan influences and becomes
once again a sect within Jewish Orthodoxy. I have to confess that this view is
very tempting, but it is somewhat disconnected with the issue of fasting here
at hand at the appropriate seasons of the Jewish calendar.
A
better interpretation of this verse would be to see “New Wine” (the Messianic
Age) as futile and contra productive whilst the present cosmic,
socio-political, and even cultural norms remain unchanged (old wine skins).
This is NOT a matter of Christianity vs. Judaism it is a matter of the present
age and its cosmic order vs. the Messianic Age and its refreshed cosmic order.
After all, how can we speak of a Messianic age whilst wolves are still eating
lambs, leopards eating kids, and lions eating calves? Did not Isaiah prophesied
of an age in which: “The wolf also will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will
lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
and a little child will lead them” (Isaiah 11:6)? In other words, the present
cosmic/natural/social order cannot contain the “New Wine” of the Messianic Age,
and for the Messianic Age, in order to be fully manifested there needs to be a
refreshing/reformation of the cosmic/natural/social order (refreshed
wineskins).
Please
note the Greek words used for “New” (NEOS) and “Refreshed” (KAINOS) in vv.
21-22
21. And no one sews a
patch of unbleached/unshrunken cloth on an old garment, else it takes away its
fullness, the refreshed (Greek: KAINOS) from the old, and a worse
rip/schism occurs.
22. And no one puts new
(Greek: NEOS) wine into old skins, else the new (Greek: NEOS) wine
bursts the skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will be destroyed. But new
(Greek NEOS) wine is put into refreshed (Greek: KAINOS) skins.
It
is NOT therefore a case of “New Wine” into “New Wineskins” but rather “New Wine”
into “Refreshed skins.” If Mark (Mordechai) wanted to say “New Wineskins” he
could have used the word “NEOS” as he did in the case of wine, but
unfortunately this is not the case, and for a very important reason that
escapes Christian Scholars blinded by their anti-Semitic dogmas.
Further,
and to drive our point home, the Messianic Age is not about the Jews grabbing
firmly and with enthusiasm the tsitsit (knotted fringes) of a pastor or priest
and saying to them we want to go with you up to the Heavenly Jerusalem because
we know that G-d is with you, but rather as the G-d Himself says:
“In those days [it will
come to pass, that] ten [Gentile] men do take hold, out of all the languages of
the Gentiles, Yes, they have taken hold of the knotted fringes of a man, a Jew,
saying: We [will] go [up] with you, for we have heard that God is with
you.” (Zechariah 8:23)
Note
also that neither the disciples of Yochanan the Immerser, nor the disciples of
the Pharisees, nor the disciples of the Master debate Yeshua’s answers nor do
they raise any questions about what he said. It seems that all were unanimous
and agreeing with our Master’s answer. Surely their interpretation of the
sayings of the Master in this pericope was vastly different to that held by the
most prestigious Christian Scholars in the past and today.
As
we have seen, when the verses of this pericope are logically examined and
properly interpreted, its teachings are not at variance with the teachings of
normative Judaism. We have also found that the Christian classical interpretation
of these verses is obviously inconsistent with a plain reading of the text and
with the intentions of its author (Mordechai).
To
G-d, most blessed be He, be all the glory, honour, and praise, and may His
Mashiach return soon to us in our days and in the days of the entire house of
Yisrael so that justice may prevail, amen ve amen!
MISHLE (Proverbs) 4:1-9
A Father’s Admonition
Comments:
v.
2 For a good lekach – If it is possible for one to study Torah and he does
not do so, the Holy One blessed be He brings upon him sore afflictions to
grieve him, viz., (Psalms 39:3): “I was dumb with silence, silenced from good,
and my pain was grievous,” “good” being Torah, viz., “For a good lekach have I
given you; do not forsake My Torah.” R. Zeira (some say, Chanina ben Pappa)
said: Come and see that the nature of flesh and blood is not like that of the
Holy One blessed be He. It is the nature of flesh and blood that when one sells
something to his neighbour the seller is sad and the buyer is glad. Not so with
the Holy One blessed be He – He gave Torah to Israel and was glad, viz.: “For a
good lekach have I given you; do not forsake My Torah.” (Berakhot 5a)
This
tells me only of the blessing over food. Whence do I derive [the same
obligation for] the blessing over the Torah? R. Yishmael said: It is derived a
fortiori, viz.: If he must make a blessing for temporal life, how much more so
must he make one for eternal life! ... R. Yehudah b. Betheira says: This [a
fortiori argument] is not required. It is written “good” [(Deuteronomy 8:10)
“And you will bless the LORD your G-d for the good land which He has given
you”] = “the good” [(a superfluous construction in Hebrew)]. “good” – this Torah,
viz.: “For a good lekach have I given you; do not forsake My Torah.” “the good”
– the building of Jerusalem. (Berakhot
48b)
R.
Yehudah said: A day of rain is as great as the day on which the Torah was
given, viz. (Deuteronomy 32:2) “My lekach will drip as the rain”; and “lekach”
is none other than Torah, viz.: “For a good lekach have I given you; do not
forsake My Torah.” Rava said: It is even greater than the day on which the
Torah was given, it being written: “My lekach will drip as the rain.” Which is
being made subservient to which? The smaller [Torah] is bening made subservient
to the greater [rain]. (Ta’anit 7a)
...
(Psalms 34:13): “Who is the man that wants life ... guard your tongue from
evil.” Lest you say: Since I have guarded my tongue from evil and my lips from
speaking falsehood, I can go and indulge in sleep; it is, therefore written
(ibid 15): “Depart from evil and do good,” “good” being Torah, viz.: “For a
good lekach have I given you; do not forsake My Torah.” (Aboda Zarah 19b)
R.
Yehudah said (Hosea 8:3): “Israel has cast off the good – the foe will pursue
him” – “the good” is none other than Torah, viz.: “For a good lekach have I
given you; do not forsake My Torah.” (Yerushalmi Rosh HaShanah 38)
4
And he taught me -
... And there are no days so steeped in good as those [(of a fetus in its
mother’s womb)], viz. (Job 29:2): “Who will give me [months] like the months of
yore, like the days when G-d kept watch over me!” Which are “the days” which
have “months” but no years? These are the months of birth [i.e. gestation]. And
he is taught the entire Torah, viz.: “And He taught me. And He said to me: ‘Let
your heart uphold My Words; keep My commandments and live!” And it is written
(Job 29:4): “When the secret of G-d was upon my tent.” Why adduce [“When the
secret, etc.”]? If you would contend that the Prophet says this [(“Let your
heart, etc.”)]; it is, therefore, adduced: “When the secret of G-d was upon my
tent.” (Nidda 30b)
7
Acquire wisdom; acquire understanding – The Rabbis taught: If one sees
a reed [kaneh] in a dream, he can look forward to wisdom, viz.: “Acquire
wisdom.” If he sees many reeds [kanim], he may look forward to understanding,
viz.: “And with all your acquirements [kinyanecha], acquire understanding.” (Berakhot 56b)
8 Caress it - ... The King said [to Shimon ben
Shetach]: “See how much honour I accord you.” He answered: “It is not you, but
the Torah that accords me honour, as it is written: “Caress it, and it will
uplift you; it will honour you, when you embrace it.” (Berakhot 48a)
Questions
for Reflection:
1.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:1?
2.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:2?
3.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:3?
4.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:4?
5.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:5?
6.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:6?
7.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:12?
8.
What question/s lie
behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:15?
9.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:16?
10.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:17?
11.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:19?
12.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:20?
13.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:24?
14.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:26?
15.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:29?
16.
What question/s
lie behind Rashi’s comments in Genesis 19:37?
17.
What questions are
answered in the Mishnaic Treatise of Mark 2:18-22?
18.
What obligations
are intimated in the Mishnah of Mark 2:18-22?
19.
What is the
relationship between acquiring “understanding” and acquiring
“a good wife”?
20.
How
is the Torah Seder related to:
(a)
Psalm
Fourteen for this week?
(b)
The
Ashlamatah of Isaiah 17:14-18:7 + 19:25 for this week?
(c)
Mark
(Mordechai) 2:18-22?
(d)
Proverbs
4:1-9?
21.
After taking into
consideration all the above texts and our Torah Seder, what would you say is
the general message from the Scriptures for this coming week?
Always remember
that the goal is not to be correct or incorrect in answering the questions but
to participate and give it your best!
Shalom Shabbat and
much courage and guidance of G-d’s Wisdom in answering the above questions!
Hakham Dr. Yosef
ben Haggai