Esnoga Bet Emunah - 227 Millset Chase# - San Antonio, Texas 78253

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

B’resheet (Gen.) 48:1-22

XLVIII. And after these things it was told Joseph, Behold, thy father is lying ill. And he took his two sons with him., Menasheh and Ephraim. And it was announced to Jakob, saying, Behold, thy son Joseph hath come to thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.

And Jakob said to Joseph: El Shadai revealed Himself to me at Luz, in the land of Kenaan, and blessed me. And He said to me, Behold, I will increase thee and multiply thee, and make thee an assemblage of tribes, and will give this land to thy sons after thee for an everlasting inheritance. And now, thy two sons who have been born to thee in the land of Mizraim before I came to thee into Mizraim are mine; Ephraim and Menasheh as Reuben and Shimeon shall be reckoned unto me. And thy children whom thou mayest beget after them shall be thine; by the name of their brethren shall they be called in their inheritance. And I beseech thee to bury me with my fathers. Rahel died by me suddenly in the land of Kenaan, while there was yet much ground to come to Ephrath; nor could I carry her to bury her in the Double Cave, but I buried her there, in the way of Ephrath which is Bethlechem.

And Israel looked at the sons of Joseph and said, From whom are these born to thee? And Joseph answered his father, They are my sons which the Word of the Lord gave me according to this writing, according to which I took Asenath the daughter of Dinah thy daughter to be my wife.

And he said, Bring them now near to me, and I will bless them. But Israel's eyes were heavy from age, and he could not see. And he brought them to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, To see thy face I had not reckoned, but, behold, the Lord hath also showed me thy sons. And Joseph brought them out from (between) his knees, and worshipped on his face upon the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right side, which was Israel's left, and Menasheh on his left side, which was Israel's right, and brought them to him.

And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, though be was the younger; and his left hand upon the head of Menasheh, altering his hands, for Menasheh was the firstborn. [JERUSALEM. He altered his hands.] And he blessed Joseph, and said:

The Lord, before whom my fathers Abraham and Izhak, did serve; the Lord who hath fed me since I have been unto this day, be pleased that the angel whom thou didst ordain for me, to redeem me from all evil, may bless the children; and let my name be called upon them, and the names of my fathers Abrabam and Izhak. And as the fishes of the sea in multiplying are multiplied in the sea, so may the children of Joseph be multiplied abundantly in the midst of the earth.

And Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand upon Ephraim's head; and it was evil before him, and he uplifted his father's hand to remove it from off the head of Ephraim, that it might rest on the head of Menasheh. And Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; lay thy right hand on his head. But his father was not willing, and said, I know, my son, I know that he is the firstborn, and also that he will be a great people, and will also be multiplied; yet will his younger brother be greater than he, and his sons be greater among the nations. And he blessed them in that day, saying, In thee, Joseph my son, shall the house of Israel bless their infants in the day of their circumcision, saying, The Lord set thee as Ephraim and as Menasheh. And in the numbering of the tribes the prince of Ephraim shall be numbered before the prince of Menasheh. And he appointed that Ephraim should be before Menasheh.

And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, my end cometh to die. But the Word of the Lord shall be your Helper, and restore you to the land of your fathers; and I, behold, I have given to thee the city of Shekem, one portion for a gift above thy brethren, which I took from the hand of the Amoraee at the time that you went into the midst of it, and I arose and helped you with my sword and with my bow. [Jerusalem. And I, behold, I have given thee one portion. above thy brethren, the robe of the first Adam. Abraham the father of my father took it from the hands of Nimrod the Wicked, and gave it to Izhak my father; and Izhak my father gave it to Esau, and I took it from the hands of Esau my brother, not with my sword nor with my bow, but through my righteousness and my good works.]

Midrash Tanhuma Yelammedenu

B’resheet (Gen.) 48:1-22

4. And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph: "Behold, your father is sick" (Gen. 48:1). May it please our master to teach us whether a benediction may be recited over the light or the spices stationed at the side of a corpse? Our masters teach us: A benediction may not be recited over the light or the spices used at the side of a corpse. What is the basis of this decision? It is written: The dead praise not the Lord (Ps. 115:17).

R. Meir said: The idolatrous dead are truly dead, but the deceased in Israel do not actually die. They survive because of the merit (of their forebears). Thus, you find that the Israelites, who erected the golden calf, would have vanished from the world if Moses, our Master, had not mentioned the merit of the patriarchs, as it is said: Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Your servants (Exod. 32:13). Therefore, it is difficult for the Holy One, blessed be He, to decree the death of the righteous, as it is said: Weighty in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (Ps. 116:15). What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He revealed to the righteous the reward that awaits them in the world-to-come so that they would plead for their own death. When R. Abahu was about to depart from this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed to him the reward stored up for him and he was astounded by it. He said: "Is all this for Abahu?" Whereupon he applied to himself the verse And I said: "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught and vanity; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God" (Isa. 49:4). Immediately, he began to long for death.

Abraham also pleaded for death with his own lips, as it is said: What wilt You give me, seeing I go hence childless (Gen. 15:2). Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You shall go to your fathers in peace (ibid., v. 15). Isaac likewise sought death, as is said: That I may eat, and bless you before the Lord before my death (ibid. 35:29). Similarly, Jacob asked for death, as is said: Now let me die (ibid. 46:30). The Holy One, blessed be He, told him: You have said: Now let me die, but you will live seventeen additional years. After that time had passed he became ill and died.

And it came to pass after these things (Gen. 48:1). Scripture states in response to this verse: For such as are blessed of Him shall inherit the land; and they that are cursed of Him shall be cut off (Ps. 37:22). R. Meir said: Every one who blesses Israel is considered to have blessed the Holy Spirit, since it is said: For such as blessed Him. The verse is not written "blessed them" but rather blessed Him. R. Simeon the son of Yohai declared: Every one who assists Israel is considered to be assisting the Holy Spirit, as is said: Curse bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to help of the Lord (Judg. 5:23). Does the Holy One, blessed be He, actually require assistance? This verse teaches us that one who aids Israel is considered to be aiding the Holy Spirit. R. Ishmael said: You find that righteous men bless their children when they are about to leave this life. That is why Isaac said to Esau: And bless you before the Lord before my death (Gen. 27:7). Therefore, when Jacob became ill, Joseph took his two sons unto his father so that he might bless them.

6. And it came to pass after these things (Gen. 48:1). What is written previously on this subject? And the time drew near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph (Gen. 47:29). He called his son Joseph because he (Joseph) was in a position of authority at that time.

The prophet cried out: Come, My people, enter into your chambers . . . hide yourself for a little moment (Isa. 26:20). The Holy One, blessed be He, had declared: I counsel you to restrain yourselves and to surrender to the conditions that prevail at the moment. Naboth would not temporize (when Ahab demanded his land), and so it is written about him: Naboth is stoned, and is dead (I Kings 21:14). Mordecai likewise refused to temporize. He should have flattered the wicked man. Indeed, Israel was almost obliterated from the earth because he antagonized Haman.

On the other hand, David fled and escaped from Saul, and he also fled from Absalom. Moses did likewise, as it is said: He fled from the face of Pharaoh (Exod. 2:15). Similarly, Jacob fled from Esau, as it is said: And Jacob fled into the field of Aram (Hos. 12:13). Even the patriarchs temporized and flattered the one in power at the moment. Abraham relied upon Sarah: That it be well with me for your sake (Gen. 12:13). Isaac demeaned himself before Esau, as is said: Now Isaac loved Esau (ibid. 25:28). Similarly, in this instance Jacob called his son Joseph.

But when I sleep with my fathers, bury me in their resting place (ibid. 47:30). "Where is that place?" Joseph inquired. Jacob replied: In the grave I prepared for myself. Did Jacob actually dig a grave? The purpose of this remark is to teach us that after Isaac died, Jacob had said: "Perhaps the wicked Esau will be buried in the cave of the righteous one?" What did he do? He piled up all his gold and silver possessions into a single heap, and said to Esau: "Which do you prefer, this heap or the cave?" Esau chose the heap, and Jacob took the cave.

One said to Joseph: "Behold, your father is sick" (ibid. 48:1). Our sages of blessed memory maintained that it was Ephraim who revealed this fact to him, for he was studying the law with Jacob at the time. Why does Scripture add the words: And Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed (ibid., v. 2)? He said to himself: "Even though he is my son, he is a ruler, and I must be respectful toward him."

And Jacob said unto Joseph: "God Almighty appeared . . . and said unto me: Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you" (ibid., v. 4). This was the first time he included Joseph's two sons among the tribes, as it is said: Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine (ibid., v. 5).

And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said: "Who are these?" (ibid., v. 8). R. Judah the son of Shalum asked: Is it possible that he did not recognize them? Had they not sat and studied the law with him every day? Yet now he asked "Who are these?" even though they had ministered to him during the seventeen years he had resided in Egypt. Did he actually not recognize them? The fact is that he foresaw that Jeroboam the son of Nebat and Ahab the son of Omri would descend from Ephraim, and that they would become idolaters [Jeroboam made two calves of gold, placing one in Beth-El, and the other in Dan (I Kings 12:28). Ahab married the Phoenician princess Jezebel, who introduced the worship of Baal and Astarte into the northern kingdom. And he went and served Baal and worshipped him (I Kings 16:31)]. It was for this reason the Holy Spirit departed from him. When Joseph realized this, he prostrated himself before the Holy One, blessed be He, and pleaded for mercy, saying: "Master of the Universe, if they are worthy to be blessed, do not turn away and cause me to be turned away today disgraced." Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, restored the Holy Spirit to Jacob, and he blessed them. Whence do we know this? From the fact that it is written: And I, I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms (Hos. 11:3), that is, I restored the Holy Spirit to Jacob for the sake of Ephraim.

R. Samuel the son of Nahman stated: The Holy Spirit forsook Jacob twice. Once when he wished to bless Manasseh and Ephraim, and again when he was about to reveal the time of redemption. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head (Gen. 48:14). He began to bless him with the words: And let them increase like fish (ibid., v. 16). He thus indicated that Ephraim's descendants would be caught like fishes, as it is said: Say now "Shibboleth"; and he said "Sibboleth" (Judg. 12:6) [Just as fishes are caught by their mouths, so too forty-two hundred Ephraimites were killed because they could not pronounce the word Shibboleth correctly]. When Joseph saw that his father was laying his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him and He held up his father's hand, to remove it (Gen. 48:17). Jacob rebuked him, saying: "Do you seek to turn away the hand that vanquished the foremost among the angels?" R. Yohanan said: Jacob's arms were like two columns in the public baths in Tiberias. And Joseph said unto his father: "Not so, my father, only this one is the firstborn" (ibid. , v. 18). And his father refused and said: "I know it, my son; I know it" (ibid., v. 19). He foresaw that Gideon would descend from Manasseh, but that his younger brother was the more important one, since Joshua would descend from him. And he blessed them that day, saying: "By you shall Israel bless, saying: God make you as Ephraim and Manasseh" (ibid., v. 20). He mentioned Ephraim before he mentioned Manasseh. When was his blessing finally fulfilled? At the time of the consecration of the chiefs. Then Ephraim brought his offering on the seventh day, and Manasseh on the eighth, in fulfillment of the scriptural verse: That confirms the word of his servant and performs the counsel of his messengers (Isa. 44:26).

Ashlamatah: 2 Kings 13:14-23 & 1 Samuel 20:18 & 42

14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he was to die; and Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over him, and said: 'My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!'

15 And Elisha said unto him: 'Take bow and arrows'; and he took unto him bow and arrows. 16 And he said to the king of Israel: 'Put your hand upon the bow'; and he put his hand upon it. And Elisha laid his hands upon the king's hands.

17 And he said: 'Open the window eastward'; and he opened it. Then Elisha said: 'Shoot'; and he shot. And he said: 'The LORD'S arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory against Aram; for you shall smite the Arameans in Aphek, till you have consumed them.'

18 And he said: 'Take the arrows'; and he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel: 'Smite upon the ground'; and he smote thrice, and stayed.

19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said: 'You should have smitten five or six times; then have you smitten Aram till you had consumed it; whereas now you shall smite Aram but three times.' {P}

20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites used to invade the land at the coming in of the year.

21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet. {P}

22 And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

23 But the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither has He cast them from His presence until now.

18 And Jonathan said unto him: 'To-morrow is the new moon; and thou wilt be missed, thy seat will be empty.

42 And Jonathan said to David: 'Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying: The LORD shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, for ever.' {P}

Ketubim Targum Psalm 39

1. For praise; concerning the guard of the sanctuary, according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

2. I said, I will keep my way from sinning by my tongue, I will keep a bridle for my mouth, while there is a wicked man before me.

3. I was dumb, I was quiet, I kept away from the words of Torah; because of this my pain contorts [me].

4. My heart grew heated in my body; when I murmur, fire will burn; I spoke with my tongue.

5. Make known to me the way of my end; and the measure of my days, what they are; I would know when I will cease from the world.

6. Behold, you have ordained my days to be swift, and my body is as nothing before You. Truly all are considered to be nothing, but all the righteous endure for eternal life.

7. Truly in the image of the Lord man goes about; truly for nothing they are perplexed; he gathers and does not know why anyone gathers them.

8. And now, why have I hoped, O Lord? My waiting is for You.

9. From all my rebellions deliver me; do not put on me the shame of the fool.

10. I have become mute, and I will not open my mouth, for You have done it.

11. Remove your plague from me; I am destroyed by the blow of Your mighty hand.

12. You punish a son of man with rebuke for sin; and You have dissolved his body like wool that has been nibbled away; truly every son of man is as nothing forever.

13. Receive my prayer, O Lord, and hear my supplication, and to my tears do not be silent; for I am like a foreigner with You, an alien like all my fathers.

14. Leave me alone, and I will depart, ere I go and exist no more.

Ketubim Midrash Psalm 39

1. For the leader. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said: "I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue" (Ps. 39:1) - David's meditation is to be considered in the light of what Scripture says elsewhere: A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger (Prov. 15:1). An evil tongue is more grievous than idolatry. In the wilderness, when the children of Israel sinned and made the golden calf, it was only after they had also sinned with their mouths that the decree of their punishment was sealed, as is said The Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth (Deut. 1:34), and as is also said As I live, says the Lord, surely as you have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you (Num. 14:28). Mark that the verse does not say, "You have wearied the Lord with your deeds" but says, You have wearied the Lord with your words (Mal. 2:17). Similarly, it is written For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord (Isa. 3:8). And again: My heritage is become unto Me as a lion in the forest; she has uttered her voice against Me; therefore have I hated her (Jer. 12:8).

But does the Lord hate Israel, His heritage, because of her voice? Rather does He not love her because of her voice, as is said Let me hear your voice (Song 2:14)? The fact is that He loves her because of her voice and He hates her because of her voice. Say then that Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18:21).

2. I said: "1 will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue" (Ps. 39:2). It happened once that a king of Persia was about to die. As he grew exceeding weak, his physicians said: "There can be no remedy for you until they bring you the milk of a lioness, which you must drink until you are healed." So the king sent his servants, who took much money with them, to Solomon, son of David. Thereupon Solomon sent and summoned Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, whom he asked: "How can we get the milk of a lioness?" Benaiah replied: "Give me ten she-goats." Then Benaiah and the king's servants went to a lions' den, in which a lioness was giving suck to her whelps. The first day he stood afar, and threw one goat to her, which she devoured. The second day Benaiah came a little nearer and threw another goat. And thus he continued day by day. At the end of ten days, he was close to the lioness, so that as he played with her, he touched her dugs and took some of her milk and went on his way. Then the king's servants went back to Solomon; he dismissed them in peace, and they went on their way.

While they were midway in their journey, the physician [who was with the king's servants] had a dream in which he saw the parts of his body arguing with one another. The feet were saying: "Among all the parts, there are none like us. Had we not walked, he would not have been able to fetch any of the milk."

The hands replied, saying: "There are none like us. Had we not touched the lioness, he would not now be carrying any of the milk."

The eyes said: "We are of greater worth than any of you. Had we not shown him the way, nothing at all would have been accomplished."

The heart spoke, saying: "I am of greater worth than any of you. Had I not given counsel, you would not have succeeded at all in the errand."

But the tongue spoke up and said: "I am better than you. Had it not been for speech, what would you have done?"

Then all the parts replied, saying to the tongue: "Art you not afraid to compare yourself with us, you that are lodged in a place of obscurity and darkness—you indeed in whom there is not a single bone such as there is in all the other parts?"

But the tongue declared: "This very day, you are going to acknowledge that I rule you."

As the physician woke up from his sleep, he kept the dream in his heart, and went on his way. He came to the king, and said: "Here is the milk of a bitch which we went to get for you. Drink it."

Immediately the king became angry with the physician and ordered that he be hanged. As he went out to be hanged, all the parts began to tremble. The tongue said to them: "Did I not tell you this day, that there is nothing to you? If I save you now, will you admit that I rule you?"

They said: "Yes."

Then the tongue said to those who were about to hang the physician: "Bring me back to the king." They brought the physician back to the king, and he asked the king: "Why did you order to have me hanged?"

The king replied: "Because you brought the milk of a bitch to me."

He asked the king: "What does that matter to you? It will cure you. Besides, a lioness can be called a bitch."

The king then took some of the milk, and drank, and was healed. And so since it was proved that the milk was the milk of a lioness, the physician was dismissed in peace.

Thereupon all the parts said to the tongue: "Now do we confess to you that you rule all the parts."

Of this it is written Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18:21). And so David declared: I said: "I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue."

3. Behold, what the tongue offers is better than all other offerings, as is said I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. And it shall please the Lord better than that bull-calf or bullock that had horns and hoofs (Ps. 69:31-32). If it was a bull-calf, how could it be a bullock? And if a bullock, how a bull-calf? The verse means, however, that what the tongue offers pleases the Lord even more than that bull-calf which Adam offered in place of a bullock for thanksgiving, saying It is good to give thanks unto the Lord (Ps. 92:2). Adam's offering took place on the Day of Atonement, and corresponded to the service of the high priest, of which it is said Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place; with a young bullock for a sin-offering (Lev. 16:3).

By the words that had horns and hoofs is meant that the bull-calf which Adam offered had horns before he had hoofs, for the verse is to be read that had horns and [then] hoofs.

Over there it was taught: The bull-calf which Adam offered had one horn in his forehead, for what the verse really says is a bull-calf . . . that had a horn (mkrn) and hoofs. Note that mkrn as written calls for the pronunciation mekoran, meaning "it had one horn."

4. Another comment on: For the leader. For Jeduthun. ]ed-uthun refers to the profession of judges and their judgments.Therefore the Psalm continues I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue so as not to pervert judgment; and another Psalm says, Even though princes sit and talk against me, Your servant does meditate in Your statutes (Ps. 119:23).

7 will keep a curb upon my mouth (Ps. 39:2). Is there such a thing as a curb for a man's mouth? The verse means, however, "I shall keep silence and not occupy myself with idle words, only with words of Torah." So, too, it is said A wholesome tongue is a tree of life (Ps. 15:4), tree of life meaning Torah.

From this you learn that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah to the children of Israel that they should not busy themselves with idle words, nor be busy with evil tongues. So the Psalm says I will take heed to my ways, that 1 sin not with my tongue. So, too, Scripture says, These words . . . you . . . shall speak them (Deut. 6:7)—that is, you shall speak words of Torah, not slander, nor idle words.

Likewise David asked: "Who wishes to have life in the world-to-come?" and they replied: "No man can have it." David replied: "But it can be had, and at a low price: When Scripture asks Who is the man that desires life? (Ps. 34:13), the question means, 'who is he who wants life in the world-to-come?'" And they asked: "But how can one have such life?" David answered: "By keeping your tongue from evil (Ps. 34:14)—that is, from slander, of which it is said Stilled be the lying lips which speak against the righteous (Ps. 31:19), lips which prevent you from ever saying, Oh how abundant is Your goodness, which You have laid up for them that fear You (Ps. 31:20)."

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 6:9-13

9. After this manner therefore you must pray: Our Father Who sits in the heavens, May You and Your Name be hallowed (sanctified).

10. May Your government come. May Your will be done in the heavens and in the land.

11. Give us of Your bread from day to day.

12. And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those that sin against us.

13. And do not bring us into the hand of testing, but watch over and guard us from all evil: For Yours is the government, and all the power, and all the glory, for ever, and ever. Amen!

Commentary

This week in the Midrash of Matityahu, the Master of Nazareth goes on to provide for us a summary of what is known as the main and central prayer of a Jewish service: The Amida. He is not making a new prayer to substitute for the Amida, but rather he is indicating that our chief prayer three times a day should be the Amida – the heart of a Jewish prayer service.

Roughly, the full Amida, rendered into English reads as follows:

Patriarchs

1. Blessed art You, L-rd our G-d and G-d of our Patriarchs, G-d of Abraham, G-d of Isaac, and G-d of Jacob. The great, mighty and awesome G-d, G-d Supreme Who extends loving kindness and is Master of all, Who remembers the gracious deeds of our forefathers, and Who will bring a Redeemer with love to their children's children for His name's sake. King, Helper, Savior, and Protector, blessed are You, L-rd, shield (Protector) of Abraham.

Power of G-d

2. Your might is eternal, O L-rd, who revives the dead, powerful in saving, who makes the wind to blow and the rain to fall, who sustains the living with loving kindness, who revives the dead with great mercy, who supports the falling, heals the sick, frees the captive, and keeps faith with the dead; who is like You, Almighty, and who resembles You, O King who can bring death and give life.

Holiness of G-d

3. You are holy, and Your name is holy, and those who are holy shall praise You every day. Blessed art You, L-rd, the holy G-d.

Discernment

4. You grant knowledge to man, and teach understanding to humans; from Your own self, favor us with knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Blessed are You, L-rd, giver of knowledge.

Repentance - Returning

5. Return us, our Father, to Your Torah, and draw us closer, our King, to Your worship, and bring us back before You in complete repentance. Blessed are You, L-rd, who desires repentance.

Forgiveness

6. Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned, pardon us, our King, for we have transgressed, for You are a pardoner and forgiver. Blessed are You, L-rd, gracious One who forgives abundantly.

Redemption

7. Look upon us in our suffering, and fight our struggles, redeem us speedily, for Your name's sake, for You are a mighty Redeemer. Blessed are You, L-rd, Redeemer of Israel.

Healing

8. Heal us, O L-rd, and we shall be healed, save us and we shall be saved, for You are our glory. Send complete healing for our every illness, for You, Divine King, are the faithful, merciful Physician. Blessed are You, L-rd, who heals the sick of His people Israel.

For bounty and prosperity

9. Bless this year for us, O L-rd our G-d, and all its varied produce that it be for good; provide (dew and rain as a) blessing on the face of the earth, satisfy us with Your goodness, and bless this year like the good years. Blessed are You, L-rd, who blessed the years.

Return of the exiles

10. Sound the great shofar (to proclaim) our freedom, lift up a banner for the ingathering of our exiles, and bring us together from the four corners of the earth. Blessed art You, L-rd, Who gathers together the dispersed of His people Israel.

Justice

11. Restore our judges as at first, and our counselors as in the beginning, removing from us sorrow and sighing; rule over us, You alone, O L-rd, with kindness and mercy, and vindicate us in the judgment. Blessed are You, L-rd, King, who loves righteousness and judgment.

Against slanderers and heretics

12. For slanderers let there be no hope, and let all wickedness instantly perish. May all Your enemies be quickly cut off; and as for the malicious, swiftly uproot, break, cast down, and subdue quickly in our day. Blessed are You, L-rd, who breaks the power of His enemies and subdues the malicious.

For the righteous

13. On the righteous and the saintly, on the elders of Your people, the house of Israel, and on their surviving scholars, on the true proselyte and on ourselves, let Your compassion flow, O L-rd our G-d. Grant a good reward to all who sincerely trust in Your name; place our lot with them forever and let us not be shamed, for in You do we trust. Blessed are You, L-rd, the support and security of the righteous.

For Yerushalayim (Jerusalem)

14. To Jerusalem Your city, return with compassion, and dwell within it as You promised; rebuild it soon in our day, an everlasting structure; and speedily establish in its midst the throne of David. Blessed art You, L-rd, builder of Jerusalem.

Davidic (Messiah’s) Reign

15. The offspring of Your servant David, quickly cause to flourish, and lift up his power by Your deliverance; for Your deliverance do we constantly hope. Blessed are You, L-rd, Who makes the glory of deliverance to flourish.

Acceptance of prayer

16. Hear our voice, O L-rd our G-d, show compassion and mercy to us, accept our prayers with mercy and favor, for You are a God Who hears prayers and supplications.

Restoration of the Temple

17. Favorably receive, O L-rd our G-d, Your people Israel and their prayer, restore the worship to Your temple in Zion, receive with love and favor the offerings of Israel and their prayer, and may the worship of Your people Israel always be favorably received by You, may our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy. Blessed art You, L-rd, Who restores Hi Divine Presence to Zion.

Thanksgiving

18. We give thanks unto You Who are the L-rd our Go-d and G-d of our fathers for all eternity. You are the strength of our lives, the shield of our deliverance. In every generation, we shall thank You and declare Your praise for our lives that are entrusted in Your hand, and for our souls that are in Your care, and for Your miracles that are daily with us, and for Your wondrous deeds and goodness that occur at all times, evening, morning, and noon. You are the Benevolent One, for Your mercies are never ended. The Compassionate One, for Your deeds of kindness do not stop, always have we placed our hope in You. For all this, O our King, may Your name be always blessed and exalted forever and ever. All the living will forever thank You and praise Your name in truth, O G-d, our eternal salvation and help. blessed art You, L-rd, Whose name is goodness; it is pleasing to give thanks to You.

For peace

19. Establish peace, well-being, blessing, grace, loving kindness, and mercy upon us and upon all Israel, Your people for by the light of Your presence have You given us, O L-rd our God, a Torah of life, love of kindness, justice, blessing, compassion, life, and peace, and it is good in Your sight to bless Your people Israel at all times and in every hour with Your peace. Blessed are You, L-rd, Who blessed His people Israel with peace.

=====

The first three blessings of praise appeal to G-d as the protector of our forefathers, and extol His powers and holiness. The blessings of petition ask for six personal needs: knowledge, repentance, forgiveness, redemption, health and economic prosperity. They also plead for six needs of the Jewish people: ingathering of the exiled, restoration of justice, destruction of Israel's enemies, reward for the righteous, restoration of Jerusalem, and the coming of the Messiah. The final supplication asks God to hear our prayers. The closing three blessings speak of the hope of return to Temple worship, thanksgiving to God, and a prayer for peace. In summary:

States of Master's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)	Shemoneh Eshreh
1. Worship (vs. 9) Our Father Who sits in the heavens, May You and Your Name be hallowed (sanctified).	1. G-d as the protector of the Forefathers 2. G-d as the power that makes for salvation 3. G-d as the source of holiness 4. For knowledge
4. Repentance (vs. 12) And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those that sin against us.	5. For the strength to repent 6. For forgiveness
3. Requests (vs. 11) Give us of Your bread from day to day.	7. For relief from affliction 8. For healing 9. For bounty and material prosperity 10. For the ingathering of the exiles
2. Restoration (vs. 10) May Your government come. May Your will be done in the heavens and in the land.	11. For the establishment of the reign of true justice 14. For the rebuilding of Jerusalem 15. For the coming of the Messiah 16. For the acceptance of our prayers 17. For the restoration of the Sanctuary
5. Protection for righteous (vs. 13a) And do not bring us into the hand of testing, but watch over and guard us from all evil:	12. Against slanderers and heretics. 13. For the support and protection of the righteous
6. Thanksgiving (Praise) vs. 13b) For Yours is the government, and all the power, and all the glory, for ever, and ever. Amen!	18. Gratitude as man's response to G-d's work in the world 19. For peace

[The above table is a brief outline of the Amida and is in part taken from the book: “Back to the Sources: Reading the Classic Jewish Texts” by Barry W. Holtz, pg. 41, Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition, 1986. Please, also note that there are variations in the Amida for the morning, afternoon and evening services, as well as on Shabbats and Festivals.]

As can be seen the Master’s Model prayer was not intended to be repeated verbatim as Christianity does but is given in the Midrashic style of literature as an obvious reference to the Amida.

The question now is how does the recitation of the Amida relates to our texts for this week from the Tanakh?

In Beresheet (Genesis) 48:13 we read:

“And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.”

This “bringing near” remins us also of another similar passage in the Nazarean Codicil about a teaching of Hakham Shaul, that reads:

“Remember that at that time you (Gentiles) were without Messiah, being aliens (non-citizens) from the commonwealth (nation) of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without G-d in the world: But now in Yeshuah the Messiah you who sometime were far off are brought near by the life of Messiah. ... So then you are no longer strangers and aliens (non-citizens), but you are fellow citizens (of Israel) with the saints (Hebrew: Tsadiqim = righteous/charitable ones), and are of the household of G-d.” [Ephesians 2:12-13,19]

Now in the action of “being brought near” it goes without saying that such must be standing or made to stand before the person or authority in question. Also, he who blesses must also stand in order to bless. Thus, in most citations where the phrase “brought near” appears in the Scriptures we must understand that there is also a concurrent action of “standing” or “being made to stand” before some one.

The Amida is as we mentioned earlier the centre-piece of Jewish prayer. It is the so, because it is the prayer par-excellance that “brings us near unto G-d,” most blessed be He! This is one of the reasons that we say it standing, as if we were standing before a Great King, which we are. Thus, standing before G-d, the King of Kings, is not only an occasion for petition but also an occasion to blessed as Ya’aqob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh, in the same way that males in Israel are blessed by their father every Shabbat saying: “May G-d make you as Ephraim and Manasseh” as we learn from this week’s Torah Seder and the last statement of of Midrash Tanchuma Yelammedenu in th readings for this Shabbat.

Yet another question arises as to whether the Gentiles of good will that join us are permitted to say three times day the Amida (in the morning, afternoon and evening. The answer to this is found in the reading of the Midrash Tanchuma Yelammedenu for this week, where we found:

May Ha-Shem, most blessed be He, help us and strengthen to be faithful in our meaningful recitation of the Amida, standing before Him, three times a day, amen ve amen!

“What shall we then do?” – Towards a Nazarean Halakhic Code

Marqos 1:32-34

32. Now when it was evening, after the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those under the power of demons Hebrew: powers)

33. Until the whole town was gathered together about the door

34. And He cured many who were afflicted with various diseases; and He drove out many demons (Hebrew: powers), but would not allow the demons (Hebrew: powers) to talk because they knew Him.

At what times should one say the evening Amida? Answer: “Now when it was evening, after the sun had set …” Therefore what happens in this passage of the Mishnah of Marqos has to do with the evening Amida, and by implication the evening Shema. The theme of being made to stand to take upon oneself the yokes of the kingdom (government of G-d) and of the Torah (Written and Oral are the subject of the last and present paragraphs. Why is this theme twice repeated? As we will often find in the Mishnah of Marqos this is because in Hebew saying the same thing twice adds emphasis. For Example, DAM = Red, DAM, DAM = Very Red; Tov = Beneficial, TOV, TOV = Very Beneficial.

If we read this in its order we can speculate that in the morning he attended the Esnoga (Ladino for Synagogue), sometime in the afternoon when saying the afternoon Amida he healed Shimon HaTsefet’s mother in law so that she could be of service in the government of G-d, and now after the time of or after the recitation of the Amida they made Havdalah (ceremony closing the Sabbath – separating the holy from the profane) and immediately or shortly after the events in this present passage of the Mishnah of Marqos takes place.

The texts says that they stood about the door. Door in Hebrew = DELET. The tent was divided into two parts. The main section, behind the tent door, is the men's section. The other section is the women’s section, with a wall dividing the two parts. The only person allowed into the women’s section, is the father of the tent.

The entrance to the tent is covered by a curtain which hung down from the top of the entrance. The Hebrew word "dal" means "hang down" and is the root for the word "dalet" meaning "door". The door of the tent is the most important part of the tent, not because of its appearance, but is function as the entrance into the tent. "He [Abraham] was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot" (Genesis 18:1).. The door of the tent can be equated with the throne of a king. [In some houses today we still have a porch or a study/reception room at the entrance of a house.] In the Hebrew culture, the father of the family is the "king", the one who holds full authority over the family. The father will often sit at his door much like a king will sit on a throne. All family legal matters were performed at the tent. Here he will watch over his household as well as watch for passing travelers.

Another important feature of doors, particularly when the Israelites started to live in fix dwellings in the land was the Mezuza [The command to place a Mezuzah on the doorposts of our houses is derived from Deut. 6:4-9, a passage commonly known as the Shema (Hear, from the first word of the passage). In that passage, G-d commands us to keep His words constantly in our minds and in our hearts, by (among other things) writing them on the doorposts of our house. The words of the Shema are written on a tiny scroll of parchment, along with the words of a companion passage, Deut. 11:13-21. On the back of the scroll, the word SHADDAI (Almighty) is written. The scroll is then rolled up placed in the case, so that the first letter of the Name (the letter ‘Shin’) is visible.].

Now the text says that the Master of Nazareth “cured many who were afflicted with various diseases; and He drove out many demons (Hebrew: powers).” The Hebrew word used here is “SHEDDIM” which is normally translated as “Demons,” but literally means “powers.” Both Hebrew words “Shaddai” and “Sheddim” share a same common root. Thus, we find the confrontation between G-d Almighty (El Shaddai) together with the Torah (in the Mezuzah) and His Messiah on the one side and the powers of sickness and mental illnesses (Sheddim) on the other.

From a Torah perspective, sickness and mental illness are not just biochemical deficiencies that require either chemical or surgical intervention alone! The Torah treats these from a much more holistic perspective. In fact it goes to pint out that Torah and faithful obedience to it as therapy plays a farther greater role than medicine itself which also plays a key role.

This text of Marqos brings for us together a glimpse of three components necessary for a permanent full healing: G-d, Torah, and Mesiah. Without these three key ingredients, a person can’t be made able to stand and effectively pray the Amida.

From this passage of the Mishnah of Marqos, we learn:

That counseling and healing are not activities that should be carried out in the Esnoga (unless there is life threatening emergency). But rather in the Hakham’s office at his house or at his office close to the entrance of the Esnoga, or in the home of the afflicted.

Counseling or healing that does not enable the person being healed to fully stand before G-d, to acknowledge and obey Him, study and observe diligently the commandments, and to accept the yoke of the kingdom of Israel under the Messiah is a deficient healing or counseling and at best only a temporary remedy. The best treatments are those who address consecutively the physiological, psychological and spiritual components of a person,

That the dwelling place of a righteous person should be open at all times to Torah Sages and those in need, as it is said in Mishnah Pirke Abot 1:4 – “Yossi ben Yoezer Ish Tzredah and Yossi ben Yochanan Ish Yerushalayim received (the tradition) from him (Antignos Ish Socho). Yossi ben Yoezer says: Your house should be a meeting place for the Hakhamim (i.e. Torah Scholars). Attach yourself to the dust of their feet. And drink thirstily of their words.”

Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

Shabbat:	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
אביך חלה
“Vay’hi Achare’”	Reader 1 – B’resheet 48:1-3	Reader 1 – B’resheet 49:1-4
“And it was after”	Reader 2 – B’resheet 48:4-6	Reader 2 – B’resheet 49:5-7
“Sucedió que después”	Reader 3 – B’resheet 48:7-9	Reader 3 – B’resheet 49:1-7
B’resheet (Genesis) Gen. 48:1-22 B’Midbar (Numbers) 28:9-15	Reader 4 – B’resheet 48:10-12
2 Kings 13:14-23 1 Samuel 20:18 & 42	Reader 5 – B’resheet 48:13-16
	Reader 6 – B’resheet 48:17-19	Reader 1 – B’resheet 49:8-10
Psalm 39	Reader 7 – B’resheet 48:20-22	Reader 2 – B’resheet 49:10-12
	Maftir – B’midbar 28:9-15	Reader 3 – B’resheet 49:13-15
N.C.: Matityahu 6:9-13	2 Kings 13:14-23 1 Samuel 20: 18 & 42