By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
II. The Lives of Our Forefathers
In this paper I
would like to study the import of
The first mention
of the word
Bereshit (Genesis) 25:30
And Esau said to Yaaqov, Feed me, I pray thee, with
that same red [pottage]; for I [am] faint: therefore was his name called
Edom is the name which was given to Esau, the first-born son of Yitzchak, on the day he sold his birthright to Yaaqov for a mess of pottage, the reddish color of which gives it its name—"Adom".
The Torah’s first
use of the word
The Torah repeats
the association of
Bereshit (Genesis) 36:1
Now these [are] the generations of Esau, who [is]
Bereshit (Genesis) 36:8
Thus dwelt Esau in
Bereshit (Genesis) 36:43
Duke Magdiel, duke Iram: these [be] the dukes of
Now we know that
when Torah repeats a matter it is to emphasize the connection.
Thus Torah is connecting Esau to Edom.
This encounter
shows that Esau is more concerned for this world than
for the next world:
Bereshit
(Genesis) 25:32 Esau cried out,
"Why do I need the birthright?"
A Heavenly Voice echoed, "Why do you need the blessing?" (Midrash HaGadol 25:32)
Blessings made the difference between living ONLY in this world and also living in the Olam HaBa, the World to Come:
Yitzchak avoided using HaShem's Name in Esau's blessing since the purpose of Esau's blessing was to grant him his full reward in this world so that he should be excluded from the blessings of the World to Come (Midrash Pliah). We have examined this issue in greater detail in the study titled: WICKED.
For, that is what
Our Sages teach us that the lives of the forefathers foreshadow events in the lives of their descendants. To understand the events of history, relative to Israel, all we need to do is study the lives of the Patriarchs.
The Ramban calls Bereshit
(Genesis), Sefer Simanim, the book of signs. Bereshit
is not just the story of what happened, it also foretells what will happen!
The Rambam tells us
that the Torah’s purpose in writing about the encounter between Esau and Yaaqov, in Bereshit 32, is to tell us that Esau will
never defeat Yaaqov, though he will try with all of his might.
Yaaqov's life-and-death struggle with Esau is to characterize all of subsequent Jewish history. The night (exile) will be long and the battle will be intense.
The Zohar comments on the verse
Bereshit
(Genesis) 25:26 "And
afterwards his brother came out and his hand was holding on to the heel of Esav; and his name was called Yaakov”.
The Zohar[1]
states that Esau is compared to the Original Snake (nachash kadmoni). The force
in this world that represents the Original Snake, in
the Garden of Eden, that tricked Adam
and Chava into eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil, the personification of that Snake in this world, is Esau.
This gives us a bit of a hint into what
The Zohar says that when the verse tells us that Yaaqov's hand was holding Esau's heel, the Torah is setting the stage and is telling us how Yaaqov Avinu, in the future, will have to deal with Esau. He is going to have to deal with him by attacking at the heel; he is going to have to deal with him, sometimes, deceitfully and surreptitiously. That is the only way one can deal with that Snake.
Our Sages taught the meaning of this verse:
II
Shmuel (Samuel)
They taught that you cannot always be up front and straight forward with a person who is a liar. Even Yaaqov, the man of truth, has a mandate from the Torah, that the way to deal with Esau is by 'heel,' which is connoted in Yaaqov's name.
Yaaqov's meeting with Esau represented the paradigm of how Jews must deal with the non-Jewish world.
The Sforno writes: The events which occurred to Yaaqov when
he first left his father’s house foreshadow Jewish
history during the first exile, while the events which occurred to him after he returned to his
father’s house foreshadow Jewish history during the
Yaaqov and Esau started fighting before they were born:
Bereshit
(Genesis) 25:21-23 And Isaac entreated HaShem for his
wife, because she [was] barren: and HaShem was entreated of him, and Rebekah
his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she
said, If [it be] so, why [am] I thus? And she went to inquire of HaShem. And
HaShem said unto her, Two nations [are] in thy womb, and
two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and [the one] people
shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the
younger.
These two, Yaaqov and Esau, are going to be fighting
throughout history. Later, these powers coalesce;
* * *
Avraham paved the way for Galut Mitzrayim (Egyptian exile), Yitzchak for Galut Bavel (Babylonian exile), and Yaaqov, for Galut Edom (our current exile).
* * *
'The deeds of the forefathers are
a blueprint for the children', our Sages have said. Therefore lets observe how
Yaaqov acted towards
Bereshit
(Genesis) 32:13-20 And he lodged
there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for
Esau his brother; Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes,
and twenty rams, Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty
kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
And he delivered [them] into the hand of his servants, every drove by
themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space
betwixt drove and drove. And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my
brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose [art] thou? and whither
goest thou? and whose [are] these before thee? Then thou shalt say, [They be]
thy servant Jacob's; it [is] a present sent unto my
lord Esau: and, behold, also he [is] behind us. And so commanded he the second,
and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall
ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant
Jacob [is] behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that
goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept
of me.
Bereshit
(Genesis) 33:1-17 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four
hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto
the two handmaids. And he put the handmaids and their
children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he passed over before them, and
bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came
near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on
his neck, and kissed him: and
they wept. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women
and the children; and said, Who [are] those with thee? And he said, The
children which God hath graciously given thy servant. Then the handmaidens came
near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And Leah also with
her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and
Rachel, and they bowed themselves. And he said, What [meanest] thou by all this
drove which I met? And he said, [These are] to find grace in the sight of my
lord. And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto
thyself. And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy
sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face,
as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. Take, I
pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt
graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took
[it]. And he said, Let us take our journey, and let
us go, and I will go before thee. And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that
the children [are] tender, and the flocks and herds with young [are] with me:
and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. Let my lord,
I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according
as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I
come unto my lord unto Seir. And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee [some]
of the folk that [are] with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace
in the sight of my lord. So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. And
Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house,
and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called
Succoth.
Yaakov’s strategy here is a sign that in the times of Mashiach (which this episode portends), the Erev Rav (the mixed multitude) will lead all Israel (a curse that we are experiencing today), the ordinary people will be next in line and the talmidei-Hakhamim last.
The number four signifies
completion or fullness in this world.
The Sages often use the following pasuk to help us understand the number four as it relates to Pesach:
Shemot
(Exodus) 6:6-7 Wherefore say unto
the children of
1.
I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and
2.
I will rid you out of their bondage, and
3.
I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and
with great judgments: And
4.
I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall
know that I [am] HaShem your God, which bringeth you
out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
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“I am HaShem and I will separate you from Egyptian bondage, |
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Deliverance |
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I will deliver
you (through plagues), |
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Redemption |
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I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, |
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Completion |
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I will take you
as My own people and I will be your
God.” |
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Our Sages teach us that the four
statements speak to four exiles of
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I will bring you out |
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I will rid you out of their bondage |
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I will redeem you |
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I will take you to me for a people |
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Midrash
Rabbah - Genesis LXXXVIII:5 On
what grounds did the Sages institute the four cups
of Passover? R. Huna said in R. Banayah's name:
[They instituted them] in allusion to the four
expressions of redemption which occur in
connection with Egypt: I will bring you out... and
I will deliver you... and I will redeem you... and I will take you (Ex. VI, 6
f.). R. Samuel b. Nahman said: In allusion to the four cups mentioned in our
text: AND PHARAOH'S CUP WAS IN MY HAND; AND I TOOK THE GRAPES, AND PRESSED THEM
INTO PHARAOH'S CUP, AND I GAVE THE CUP INTO PHARAOH'S HAND... AND THOU SHALT
GIVE PHARAOH'S CUP INTO HIS HAND (XL, II, 13). R. Levi said: In allusion to the
four empires. R. Joshua b. Levi said: In allusion to the four cups of fury
which the Holy One, blessed be He, will make the nations of the world to drink, as it says, For thus saith the Lord, the
God of Israel, unto me: Take this cup of the wine of fury, etc. (Jer. XXV, 15);
Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's hand (ib. LI, 7); For in the hand
of the Lord there is a cup (Ps. LXXV, 9); And burning wind shall be the portion
of their cup (ib. XI, 6). Corresponding to these the Holy One, blessed be He,
will give Israel to drink four cups of salvation
in the Messianic future, as it says, O Lord, the
portion of mine inheritance and of my cup, Thou
maintainest my lot (ib. XVI, 5); Thou preparest a table before me in the
presence of mine enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup runneth
over (ib. XXIII, 5); I will lift up the cup of salvations, and call upon the
name of the Lord (ib. CXVI, 13): it does not say ‘The cup of salvation,’ but
’The cup of salvations’--one in the days of the Messianic future and one in the
days of Gog and Magog.
Midrash Rabbah - Exodus XV:6
THIS MONTH SHALL BE UNTO YOU (XII, 2). Another
interpretation: It is written: Who is she that looketh forth as the dawn? (S.S.
VI, 10). Four eulogies of Israel are mentioned here, corresponding with the
four exiles, throughout which Israel did not deny
God. How do we know that this was so in the Babylonian exile? Because it is
said: ' Who is she that looketh forth as the dawn?’ Nebuchadnezzar used to
worship the sun, as it says: How art thou fallen
from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning (Isa.
XIV,12), but Daniel used to rise early and pray unto
the Omnipresent, for it says: Now his windows were open in his upper chamber
toward Jerusalem (Dan. VI, 11), evening, morning, and
noon. Why did he get up early and pray? So that God should have compassion on
Israel. Concerning him does Solomon say: He that early [E.V. ’diligently’]
seeketh good seeketh favour (Prov. XI, 27). For this reason was God with them
in the time of their trouble, as it is said: I love them that love me (ib.
VIII, 17).6 And so we find that when Daniel was cast into the lions’ den, he
was not harmed, for it says: My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the
lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me (Dan. VI, 23). Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah were cast into the fiery furnace but were not
harmed, for it says: Nor was the hair of their head singed... nor had the smell
of fire passed on them (ib. III, 27).7 Instead of which
they gave light to the world, like the dawn which
gives light to the world; therefore does it say: ’ that looketh forth as the
dawn.’ Moreover, they made idol-worshippers recognise God and praise Him; for
when Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah emerged from the furnace,
Nebuchadnezzar said: Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego,
the servants of the God on High (ib28). So, too, Darius, when Daniel fell into
the lions’ den, said: Let men tremble and fear the God of Daniel; for He is the
living God (ib. VI, 27). Hence does it say:’ Who is she that looketh forth as
the dawn?’
’Fair as the moon’ (S.S. loc.
cit.)--during the Median [i.e. Persian] captivity. You find that if the moon does not appear in the sky at night, the world is
so dark that a man cannot walk about even within the city,
but as soon as the moon appears in the sky, all rejoice and walk about. So it
was in the days of Ahasuerus who decreed that Israel
should be destroyed, slain, and made to perish; but Esther came and brought
light to Israel, for it says: The Jews had light and
gladness, and joy and honour (Est. VIII, 16). ’ Fair as the moon ‘refers,
therefore, to the Median captivity. Should you inquire why Esther
is compared to the moon, the answer is that just as the moon renews itself
every thirty days, so did Esther say: But I have not been called to come in
unto the king these thirty days (ib. IV, 11). ‘Fair as the moon’ refers,
therefore, to the Median captivity. ’Clear as the sun’ (S.S. Ioc. cit.) refers
to the Greek kingdom. Alexander the son of Helios was his name, and the Sun is
called a hero, as it is said, He rejoiceth as a strong man to run his course
(Ps. XIX, 6). During the summer cycle all flee from
it [the sun], for who can endure its scorching rays, as it says: And there is
nothing hid from the heat thereof (ib. 7)? Thus it was with the Greek kingdom;
all were afraid of it. But Mattathias the priest and his sons stood firm in their faith in God,
with the result that the Greek legions fled from before them and were all
slain. Hence God said unto them: Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your
pruning-hooks into spears; let the weak say: I am strong (Joel IV, 10), the
verse: So perish all Thine enemies, O Lord; but they that love Him be as the
sun when he goeth forth in his might (Judg. v, 31) corroborating the words,
‘clear as the sun.
They were terrible as an army with banners (S.S. VI, 10) in Edom; and why is she [Israel] called ’terrible ‘? Because she was placed in a
kingdom which inspired awe; for it says: And behold a fourth beast, dreadful
and terrible, and strong exceedingly (Dan. VII, 7).
The Shulchan Aruch
explicitly says that it is possible to add more cups[2] to the seder at Pesach. The one exception is that it is forbidden to
add cups of wine between the third and fourth cups.[3] The Maharal explains that this halacha is connected to
the four stages of redemption.
It is possible to “interrupt” between the first three
stages. But it is forbidden to interrupt between the third and fourth stages.
The national independence of the Jewish people, “I will redeem you”, has meaning only in context of our
identity as HaShem’s nation as the recipients of His
Torah: “And I will take you to me as a nation, and I will be to you as G-d”
-when we accept the Torah.[4]
The four expressions of the Egyptian Passover have their counterparts in the Messianic redemption:
Yehezekel (Ezekiel) 34:13-14
I will bring them out from the nations and
gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own
land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel,
in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them
in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel
will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and
there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of
The number four signifies the
completion of our exiles. The nation of
According to our
Sages,
Bereshit (Genesis) 14:1-9
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of
Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations: [That these]
made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king
of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the
thirteenth year they rebelled. And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer,
and the kings that [were] with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth
Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, And the
Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which [is] by the wilderness. And
they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which [is] Kadesh, and smote all the
country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites,
that dwelt in Hazezon-tamar. And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king
of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of
Bela (the same [is] Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of
Siddim; With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and
Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.
The narrative, in Bereshit 14, describes the battle between
the four kings and the five kings. Who were these kings and their subjects? The
five kings were kings of cities in the
It is worth noting that the Amalekites are mentioned in the above pasuk long before Amalek was even born! Concerning this anomaly, the Midrash writes:
Midrash Rabbah - Genesis XLII:7
AND THEY TURNED BACK, AND CAME TO EN - MISHPAT-THE SAME IS KADESH (XIV, 7). R.
Aha said: They came only in order to attack the eyeball of the world; the eye which executed judgment in the world
they desire to blind! THE SAME (HI) IS KADESH: R. Aba said: This is written hu
(he): it was he [Abraham] that sanctified (kiddash) the name of the Holy One,
blessed be He, in the fiery furnace.1 AND THEY SMOTE
ALL THE COUNTRY OF THE AMALEKITES. Amalek had not yet arisen, yet you say, AND
THEY SMOTE ALL THE COUNTRY OF THE AMALEKITES! But, He declareth the end from
the beginning (Isa. XLVI, 10). AND ALSO THE AMORITES, THAT DWELT IN HAZAZON--TAMAR: this means, in En-gedi of the
palm-trees.3 AND THERE WENT OUT THE KING OF SODOM... FOUR KINGS AGAINST THE
FIVE (XIV, 8 f.). Four kings waged war with five and defeated them.
Alternatively, this was not a battle between two alliances of cities. Rather, this was a battle between a coalition of five cities and a confederation of four countries. The four kings joined forces in order to conquer the world. The reason, therefore, that the five kings paid tribute to Chedorlaomer, wasn't because he was the strongest of the four kings, but rather because the territory of their five cities fell out in his lot of the world[6].
The war was fought over only one thing, money.
It was
Midrash
Rabbah - Genesis XLII:2 R.
Abin said: Just as he commenced with four kings, so will he conclude with four
kings. [He commences with four kings, viz.]: With Chedorlaomer king of Elam,
and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of
Ellasar (Gen. XIV, 9); so he ends with four kingdoms: the kingdom of Babylon,
the kingdom of Media, the kingdom of Greece, and the empire of Edom [i.e.
Rome]. R. Phinehas quoted in R. Abin's name: But they know not the thoughts of
the Lord, neither understand they His counsel, for He hath gathered them as the
sheaves to the threshing- floor (Micah IV, 12). Thus,
why Came all these as allies (Gen. XIV, 3)? In order that they might come and
fall by the hands of Abraham; hence it is written, AND IT CAME TO PASS lN THE
DAYS OF AMRAPHEL, etc.
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King’s Name |
Peshat |
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Amraphel (aka Nimrod) amar pol,
meaning, "he said 'fall'" |
Shinar |
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Arioch Lion-like Man |
Elasaar |
Media |
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Chedorlaomer ( A Handful of
Sheaves |
Eylam Hidden or
distant |
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Tidal Fear or Reverence |
Goyim Gentile nations |
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Midrash
Rabbah - Genesis XLII:4 AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE DAYS OF
AMRAPHEL. He was called by three names: Cush, Nimrod,
and Amraphel. Cush, because he was indeed a Cushite; Nimrod, because he incited
the world to revolt (himrid) Amraphel denotes: he
made a declaration (amar imrah), ' I will cast down (appilah).’ [Another
interpretation is] that he made sport of (amar we-afle) the world, also that he
made sport of Abraham; again, that he ordered Abraham to be thrown (amar
we-hippil) into the furnace. ARIOCH KING OF ELLASAR.
R. Jose of Milhaya said: Why are they [hazel-nuts] called elsarin? Because
[they grow in the territory] of Ellasar. CHEDORLAOMER KING OF ELAM, AND TIDAL
KING OF GOIIM. R. Levi said: There is a place which is so called there [sc. in
Babylon], and [its inhabitants] took a certain man and made him king over them.
R. Johanan said: And his name was Tidal. Another interpretation: AND IT CAME TO
PASS IN THE DAYS OF AMRAPHEL KING OF SHINAR: this alludes to Babylon; ARIOCH
KING OF ELLASAR: that alludes to Greece; CHEDORLAOMER KING OF ELAM: that is
Media; AND TIDAL THE KING OF GOYIM [lit. ‘nations’]:
this alludes to the wicked Power [i.e. Rome] which
levies troops from all the nations of the world. R. Eleazar b. R. Abina said:
When you see the Powers fighting each other, look for the coming [lit. ' feet
‘] of the King Messiah. The proof is that in the
days of Abraham, because these Powers fought against each other, greatness came
to Abraham.
Tidal being called the King of
nations brought to mind the 'melting pot' that is now leading a coalition in
war against a king, or kings, in the Middle East (The Gulf War)…
At the time, Abram's star, Jupiter, was on the ascendancy, giving him additional power for success.
"Ma'aseh Avot
siman l'banim"
The actions of the father are a sign for the children.
The four kings represent a world-view where everything in creation is subsumed under the “forces of nature.” This
view holds that there is nothing else in this world, except this world. Four
always denotes completion or fullness in this world.
Avraham and the five kings were focused on an existence beyond this world. This is the world view represented by the number five. Five in Hebrew is represented by the letter v heh. If you look at the letter v heh, you will see that it is composed of the letter s dalet (which stands for four) plus the letter h yud. h Yud is a unique letter. It is the only letter which doesn’t touch the line on which you write. It is no more than the smallest dot floating above the line, representing intangible, spiritual existence. The written letter v heh, then, is a pictogram of this world focused and revolving around that which is above this world — the s dalet (the “four” of this world) with the h yud of spirituality at its axis. Avraham fought on behalf of the five kings against the four kings. Avraham was the first person to look at this world and see an existence beyond. If there was a creation, there had to be a Creator. After Avram fought the war against the four kings, HaShem added a letter to his name. Not surprisingly, that letter was the letter v heh. For Avraham stood for all that the v heh represents, that this world revolves around a Higher Existence.
The number five thus represents the perfection of the natural order (the number four), with the addition of one: HaShem Himself.
Bereshit chapter 14 contains
the Torah account of a cosmic battle which will reverberate till we hear the footsteps of the Mashiach. This
was the cataclysmic battle of ascendancy of the great forces of the world.
The battle of the four kings
against the five kings leads to victory for the four kings. These four kings,
in turn, are defeated by Avraham and his trusty servant, Eliezer.
The Torah is foreshadowing Jewish, and world, history. There
will be four kingdoms that will rule the world. These four will ultimately be
conquered by Avraham’s descendents.
In the end of days this
battle will occur again. As in the beginning, so it will be in the end. The
kings of the world will fight against each other and the redeemer of the Children of Israel will defeat the victors. The
captives will be set free and a tithe will be paid to the King of
Righteousness.
In this next pasuk we see one
of the keys to understand
Bereshit (Genesis) 25:26 And after
that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel;
and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac [was] threescore years old when she bare them.
The final exile is called 'Galut
Sanhedrin 97a
[Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Lord,’ wherewith they have
reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.] it has been taught, R.
Judah said: in the generation when the son of David
comes, the house of assembly will be for harlots, Galilee in ruins, Gablan lie
desolate, the border inhabitants wander about from city
to city, receiving no hospitality, the wisdom of scribes in disfavour,
God-fearing men despised, people be dog-faced, and truth entirely lacking, as
it is written, Yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh
himself a prey. What is meant by ‘yea, truth faileth [ne'edereth ]’? — The
Scholars of the School of Rab said: This teaches that it will split up into
separate groups and depart. What is the meaning of ‘and he that departeth from
evil maketh himself a prey [mishtollel ]’? — The School of R. Shila said: He
who departs from evil will be dubbed a fool by his fellow-men.
Thus we see that the Mashiach
will come at the end of the galut
The present exile is seen as an
extension of the Roman exile (
The exile of Ishmael and the
exile of
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Daniel 2:31-34 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a
great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before
thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible. This image's head [was] of fine
gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His
legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image
upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
In this vision, our Sages see
Daniel
2:38 “… You are the head of gold.”
Some of our Sages see Media and
My Teacher,
Hakham Yosef ben Haggai, and many other Sages see
“In
Daniel we see Esav as being identified as the “(two) legs of iron, his (two)
feet made part of iron and part of clay” of the great image the King saw. These
are the two divisions of the Esav empire today known as “the West” with a
“Western leg” headed by the
According to Jewish tradition we are presently in the
Diaspora of Edom, the last of the four Diasporas, the
one immediately preceding the arrival of the Mashiach.
The Torah tells us that Esau is synonymous with
Jewish tradition gives us the following formula:
Esau=
The name "
Midrash
Rabbah - Leviticus XIII:5 R. Phinehas and R. Hilkiah, in the
name of R. Simeon, said: Out of all the prophets, only two,
namely Asaph and Moses, named it [i.e. the fourth beast]. Asaph said: The boar
(hazir) out of the wood doth ravage it (Ps. LXXX, 14), Moses said: AND THE
SWINE (HAZIR) BECAUSE IT PARTETH THE HOOF, AND IS CLOVEN FOOTED, BUT CHEWETH
NOT THE CUD, HE IS UNCLEAN TO YOU (XI, 7). Why is it [i.e. Edom or Rome]
compared to a ’hazir’ [swine or boar]?-To tell you this: Just as the swine when
reclining puts forth its hooves as if to say: See that I am clean, so too does
the empire of Edom [Rome] boast as it commits violence and robbery, under the
guise of establishing a judicial tribunal. This may be compared to a governor
who put to death the thieves, adulterers, and sorcerers. He leaned over to a
counselor and said: ‘I myself did these three things
in one night.’
The Romans destroying the
Additionally, Seir is also seen as a synonym for
Bereshit (Genesis) 32:3
And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the
Galut (exile), although appearing to
us to be a negative phenomenon, actually carries the potential for the highest
good. And now that we are in the last days of the final exile, we approach an
era of unprecedented spirituality and goodness, for although the first and
second Temples were eventually destroyed, the third
Bereshit
(Genesis) 36:20-31 These [are]
the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, and Shobal, and
Zibeon, and Anah, And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan: these [are] the dukes of
the Horites, the children of Seir in the
Of what interest are all the names of the Children of Seir, asks the Gra?
Simple, he replies. All the names of the Children of Seir were also names of towns in Seir which fell into the hands of Esau. And that's what makes them important, because even though Esau's territory was one of the ten lands promised to Avraham’s children:
Bereshit
(Genesis) 15:18-21 In the same
day HaShem made a covenant
with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this
land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites,
and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and
the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the
Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
The
The way that HaShem has arranged the passages in the Torah is
meant to clarify and explain events. The Torah has juxtaposed the ordinance of
the red heifer with the “water from the rock” with the near war with
The Brisker Rav[9] said that it is THIS specific mitzva, the mitzva of the RED HEIFER that is the key to ending the final exile, Galut Edom, the 'Exile of Edom,' and bringing on the 'Final Redemption'.
The red heifer occurs first to give us the cure:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 19:1-2 And HaShem spake unto Moses and unto Aaron,
saying, This [is] the ordinance of the law which HaShem
hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of
Rashi indicates that the red heifer was meant as an atonement for the sin of the golden calf.
The Arizal suggested that the giving of the law at
The way that HaShem has arranged the passages in the Torah
is meant to clarify and explain events.
Bamidbar
(Numbers) 20:11-13 And Moses
lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock
twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their
beasts [also]. And HaShem spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me
not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall
not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This [is]
the water of Meribah, because the children of
HaShem told Moshe and Aharon, "Since you did not
believe in Me to sanctify Me..." (Bamidbar 20:12) That is, you did not
believe that I would bring the water out from the rock, an impossible
situation, by speaking to the rock, by simply working the spiritual controls. Survival in Eretz Israel means using one's spiritual abilities to accomplish physical goals.
What follows this episode in the Torah?
Bamidbar
(Numbers) 20:14-21 And Moses sent
messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel,
Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: How our fathers went down into Egypt,
and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the
Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: And when we cried unto HaShem, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath
brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we [are] in Kadesh, a city in the
uttermost of thy border: Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will
not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink
[of] the water of the wells: we will go by the king's [high] way, we will not
turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. And
What follows this episode in the Torah? Near war with
Hence, on one side of the episode is the red heifer, which the Brisker Rav said is a key to ending Galut Edom, and on the other side is an actual unfriendly confrontation with the people of Edom themselves, which many say is an allusion to the future and final exile itself! Sandwiched between the two is the tragic episode of Moshe hitting the rock, and the last chance for the Jewish people to bring the Final Redemption in Moshe Rabbeinu's time, and more than likely, until the End-of-Days since Moshe is the only who possessed the ability to actually bring it early.
We must be ready to forsake this world for Olam HaBa, the world to come, or else we are doomed to lose the Olam HaBa as we succumb to this world’s allures.
* * *
Eliphaz, from the
book of Iyov (Job) one a descendant of Esau:
Bereshit (Genesis) 36:16
Duke Korah, duke Gatam, [and] duke Amalek: these [are] the dukes [that came] of
Eliphaz in the
The kings of
Bereshit (Genesis) 36:31
And these [are] the kings that reigned in the
The Children of
Israel became greatly discouraged because they were not allowed, by the
Edomites, to pass through
Bamidbar (Numbers)
Bamidbar (Numbers) 20:20-21
And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And
Bamidbar (Numbers) 21:4
And they journeyed from
Many commentaries say that the above passage is an allusion
to the war with
Our Sages have indicated that we need to study Bereshit 32
when ever we are struggling with
Bereshit
(Genesis) 32:9 "And the
remaining camp will be able to escape"
The Ramban writes that these are prophetic words which enabled the Children of Israel to survive despite the greatest persecutions. Yaaqov testified that Eisav would never be successful in wiping out the entire Jewish people.
The acts of the Patriarchs foreshadow the fate of their offspring. When Yaaqov uttered these words, it became part of HaShem's plan: There will always be a remaining camp that will escape destruction. The Ramban cites a Midrash: 'If Esau comes to the camp and smites them', this refers to our brethren in the south, '... and the remaining camp will be spared', this refers to our brethren in the exile.
Thus HaShem has
assured our survival by dividing His people into different camps.
Amos 1:11-12 Thus
saith HaShem; For three transgressions of Edom, and
for four, I will not turn away [the punishment]
thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all
pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever: But I
will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the
palaces of Bozrah.
Ah, but which
nation will cause the downfall of
Yoma
10a R. Joshua b. Levi in the name
of Rabbi said: Rome is designed to fall into the hand of Persia, as it was
said: Therefore hear ye the counsel of the Lord, that He hath taken against
Edom; and His purposes that He hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman:
surely the least of the flock shall drag them away, surely their habitation
shall be appalled to them. Rabbah b. ‘Ullah demurred to this: What intimation
is there that ‘the last of the flock’ refers to Persia? [Presumably] because
Scripture reads: The ram which thou sawest having two
horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia. But say [perhaps] it is Greece,
for it is written, And the rough he-goat is the king of Greece? — When R.
Habiba b. Surmaki came up, he reported this interpretation before a certain
scholar. The latter said: One who does not understand the meaning of the
passage asks a question against Rabbi. What does, indeed, ‘the least of the
flock’ mean? The youngest of his brethren, for R. Joseph learnt that Tiras is
Persia.
Rabbah
b. Bar Hana in the name of R. Johanan, on the authority
of R. Judah b. Ila'i, said: Rome is designed to fall into the hands of Persia,
that may be concluded by inference a minori ad majus: If in the case of the first Sanctuary, which the sons of Shem [Solomon] built
and the Chaldeans destroyed, the Chaldeans fell into the hands of the Persians,
then how much more should this be so with the second Sanctuary,
which the Persians built and the Romans destroyed, that the Romans should fall
into the hands of the Persians. Rab said: Persia will fall into the hands of
Rome. Thereupon R. Kahana and R. Assi asked of Rab: [Shall] the builders fall
into the hands of the destroyers? — He said to them: Yes, it is the decree of
the King. Others say: He replied to them: They too are guilty for they
destroyed the synagogues. It has also been taught in
accord with the above, Persia will fall into the hands of Rome, first because
they destroyed the synagogues, and then because it is the King's decree that
the builders fall into the hands of the destroyers. Rab also said: The son of
David will not come until the wicked kingdom of Rome
will have spread [its sway] over the whole world for nine
months, as it is said: Therefore will He give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth; then the
residue of his brethren shall return with the children of Israel.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 24:18
And
1 Shmuel (Samuel)
2 Shmuel (Samuel)
1 Divre Hayamim (Chronicles)
18:11 Them also king David dedicated unto HaShem, with the silver
and the gold that he brought from all [these] nations; from Edom, and from
Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from
Amalek.
1 Divre Hayamim (Chronicles)
Tehillim (Psalm) 137:7
Remember, HaShem, the children of
Yeshayahu (Isaiah)
Yeshayahu
(Isaiah) 34:5 For my sword shall be bathed in heaven:
behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to
judgment.
Yeshayahu
(Isaiah) 34:6 The sword of HaShem is
filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, [and] with the blood of lambs
and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for
HaShem hath a sacrifice in Bazrah, and a great slaughter in the
Yeshayahu
(Isaiah) 63:1 Who [is] this that cometh from
If Esau / Edom's success is inversely proportional to that
of Yaaqov / Israel, then
it follows naturally that the punishment of
The small book
written by the prophet Ovadiah contains a prophecy regarding the end of
Ovadiah
1:17-21 But upon mount Zion shall
be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house
of Jacob shall possess their possessions. And the house of Jacob shall be a
fire, and the house of Joseph
aflame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them,
and devour them; and there shall not be [any] remaining of the house of Esau;
for HaShem hath spoken [it].And [they of] the south shall possess the mount of
Esau; and [they of] the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the
fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin
[shall possess]Gilead. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel
[shall possess] that of the Canaanites, [even] unto Zarephath; and the
captivity of Jerusalem, which [is] in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the
south. And saviours shall come up on
It is interesting
to note that Ovadiah was also an Edomite according to the Talmud:
Sanhedrin
39b Ephraim Maksha'ah, the
disciple of R. Meir, said on the authority of R.
Meir: Obadiah was an Edomite proselyte: and thus people say, From the very
forest itself comes the [handle of the] axe [that fells it].
The book of Ovadiah
is read, in the annual cycle, as the
Haftorah for parsha Vayishlach
(Bereshit 32:4 – 36:43). this portion is normally read a week or two before Chanukah.
The book of Ovadiah
is read, in the triennial cycle, as the haphtarah for
parsha Vayishlach (Bereshit 32:4 – 36:43). This portion is
normally read around the time of Succoth, in the
first year of the cycle.
The readings
for this time, in the triennial cycle are:
|
Torah: |
Bereshit (Genesis)
32:4-33:17 |
|
Haftorah: |
Ovadiah (Obadiah) 1:1-21 |
|
Psalm: |
27 |
|
N.C. |
Matityahu 9:27-31 |
We have a tradition from our ancestors that the weekly
Parasha, for both the annual and the triennial portions, and its latent messages relate and
are integrally connected to the time of year during
which the Parasha is read. This gives us a time frame for the beginning and the
completion of the events related to
In the end, after
the destruction of the Edomite,
In Bereshit
And Jacob sent messengers before
him to Esau his brother in the land of Gabla the territory of the Edomites, and
instructed them to say, Thus shall you speak to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy
servant Jacob, With Laban have I dwelt, and have
tarried until now. And of all that in which my father blessed me there is
nothing in my hand; but I have a few oxen and asses,
sheep, and servants and handmaids; and I have sent to tell my lord that that
blessing hath not profited me; that I may find mercy in thine eyes and that
thou mayest not maintain (enmity) against me on account thereof.
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother, to Esau,
and he also cometh to meet thee, and four hundred chief-warriors with him. [
Deliver me I pray, from the hand of my elder brother, from
the hand of Esau, for I fear him: for he hath been mindful of the glory of his
father; lest he come and smite the mother with the children. But Thou hast
promised, I Will surely do thee good, and will make thy sons many as the sand
of the sea be numbered for that cannot be numbered for multitude.
And he abode there that night; and he took what was ready at
his hand a present for Esau his brother: she-goats two hundred, and he-goats
twenty; ewes two hundred and rams twenty: milch camels with their young ones
thirty; cows forty, and bulls ten,
small colts ten..[Jerusalem. Arid small colts ten.] And
he made them ready by the hand of his servants in flocks apart, and said to his
servants, Pass over before me, and put much (room) between flock and flock. And
he instructed the first, Saying, When Esau my brother shall meet thee, and ask
of thee, saying, Whose art thou, and whither art thou journeying and whose are
these before thee? Thou halt and sayth it is a gift of thy servant Jacob, which
he sends to my lord Esau, and, behold, he also cometh after us. And so he
instructed the second, and the third, and all them who followed the flock,
saying According to these words You must speak with Esau when you find him, and
say, And, behold, thy servant Jacob also cometh after us. For he said, I will
make his countenance friendly by the gift which goeth before me, and afterward
will see his face: peradventure he may accept me. And the present passed
over before him, and he abode that night in camp And the night in the camp. And
he arose in the night and took his two wives, and his
two concubines, and eleven children, and went over
the ford Jubeka. And taking them he made them pass over the torrent, and all
that he had went over.
And Jacob remained alone beyond the Jubeka; and an Angel
contended with him in the likeness of a man. And he said, Hast thou not
promised to give the tenth of all that is thine? And, behold, thou hast ten
sons and one daughter: nevertheless thou hast not tithed them. Immediately he
set apart the four firstborn of the four mothers, and
there remained eight. And he began to number from Shimeon, and Levi came up for
the tenth.
Michael answered and said, Lord of the world
is Thy lot. And on account of these things he (Michael) remained from God at
the torrent till the column of the morning was ascending. And he saw that he
had not power to hurt him, and he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the
hollow of Jacob’s thigh was distorted in his contending with him.
And he said, Let me go, for the column of the morning
ascendeth; and the hour cometh when the angels on high offer praise to the Lord
of the world: and I am one of the angels of praise, but from the day that the
world was created my time to praise hath not come until now.
And he said, I will not let thee go, until thou bless me. [
And he said, What is thy name? He answered, Jacob. And he
said, Thy name shall be no more called Jacob but Israel, because thou art magnified with the angels of
the Lord and with the mighty, and thou hast prevailed with them. And Jacob
asked and said, Show me now thy name. And he said, Why dost thou ask for my
name? And he blessed Jacob there.
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; for he said,
I have seen the Angels of the Lord face to face, and my soul is saved. And the sun rose upon him before his time, (the sun) which on
his account had set before his time, on his going out from
XXXIII. And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and,
behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men of war. And be divided the
children unto Leah, and to Rachel, and to the two concubines, and placed the
concubines and their sons foremost; for he said, If Esau come to destroy the
children and abuse the women, he will do it with them, and meantime we will
arise and encounter him in fight; and Leah and her children after, and Rachel
and Joseph after them. And he himself went over
before them, praying and asking mercy before the Lord; and he bowed upon the
earth seven times, until he met with his brother. And
Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him,
and they wept. Esau wept on account of the pain of
his teeth which were shaken; but Jacob wept because
of the pain of his neck. [
And he lifted up his eyes and saw the wives and the
children, and said, Who are these with thee? And he said, They are the souls
which have been given to me through mercy from before the Lord upon thy
servant. And the concubines came near, they and their children, and bowed
themselves; and Leah also approached, and her children, and bowed; and
afterward Joseph came near and stood before Rachel,
and hid her by his stature, and they bowed. And he said, What to thee is all this
troop that I have met? And he said, It is a present I have sent to find mercy
in the eyes of my lord. And Esau said, I have much substance, my brother; let
what thou hast be confirmed to thee. And Jacob said, Say not so, I beseech
thee. If now I have found favor in thy eyes, accept my present from my hand;
because I have seen the look of thy face, and it is to me as the vision of the
face of thy angel; for, lo, thou art propitious to me. Receive now the present
which is brought to thee, because it hath been given me through mercy from
before the Lord, and because I have much substance. And he urged upon him, and
he received.
And he said, Let us journey and proceed, and I will go along with thee, till
thou come to the house of thy habitation. And he said to him, My lord knoweth
that the children are tender, and the flocks and kine giving milk are with me;
and if I overdrive them one day, all the flock may die. Let me beseech my lord
to pass over and journey before thy servant, and I will lead oil quietly alone,
according to the foot of the work which is before me, and according to the foot
of the instruction of the children; until the time that I come to my lord at
Gabla. [
And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the soldiers who are with me.
But he said, Why this? Let me find favour before thee, my lord. And a miracle
was wrought for Jacob, and that day Esau returned on his way to Gabla.
And Jacob journeyed to Succoth,
and sojourned there the twelve months of the year;
and he builded in it a midrasha, and for his flocks he made booths; therefore
he called the name of the place Succoth.
Chapter 32:1-73
In Sefer Mishlei (Book of Proverbs) we read: “As a
troubled fountain and a corrupted spring, so is the righteous man (Heb. Tzadik)
that gives way before the wicked. It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to search out their own glory
is not glory” (Mishlei 25:26-27. The Midrash
comments on the first verse:
Bereshit Rabba 75.2 R. Judah b. R. Simon
commenced his discourse: As a troubled fountain, and a corrupted spring, so is
a righteous man that giveth way before the wicked (Prov. XXV, 26). As a
fountain cannot be [permanently] troubled [muddied] nor a spring [permanently]
corrupted, so is it impossible for the righteous to sink [permanently] before
the wicked; and as a troubled fountain and a corrupted spring, so is a
righteous man who abases himself before the wicked [It is unworthy for a
righteous man to act thus. The word ‘permanently’ is added in order to
reconcile what is otherwise an obvious contradiction. Th., however, proposes
that the passage be emended: As it is possible for a fountain to be troubled,
etc]. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him [Jacob]: ‘He [Esau] was going
his own way, yet thou didst send to him, saying, THUS SAITH THY SERVANT JACOB.’
R.
Mishlei (Proverbs) 25:26 with
24:16 “For the righteous will rise even if he falls seven times.” In the
end he will regain his composure and his honour and dignity. The whole matter
can be compared to a well of spring water which someone steps into and
momentarily causes the water in that well to become murky. After a short while
of leaving those waters to themselves they will become clear again. Similarly,
the righteous will regain his composure and hence his dignity. The wicked is unable to permanently suppress the superior
qualities of the righteous.”
And concerning Mishlei 25:27, Hakham Bachya comments:
“Having
told us that it is impossible to permanently sully and debase the reputation of
a righteous person, just as it is impossible to permanently pollute such waters
as he had described, Solomon goes on to say that one must investigate, i.e.
seek out and praise the good qualities of the righteous. He describes the more
ethical value of discovering these good qualities of the righteous by a conscious
effort to find these qualities as something better than eating a lot of honey.
Whereas the consumption of too much honey is not beneficial, spending a lot of
effort in finding the good character qualities of the righteous is a very
worthwhile discipline and trains a person to think along the right lines. There
can be no question that praising the character of a righteous person is the
result of a good nature, one that seeks out the good in a person rather than
the negative qualities he may have. This is why Solomon describes the time spent extolling the righteous, the virtuous, as
better than the time spent eating honey. The reverse is true of someone who
praises good qualities he has found in a wicked person. This reflects bad characteristics
of the person doing so and if persisted in will lead to the one who thought he
had discovered “goodness” in the wicked person
praising him altogether, not just a particular good characteristic he had
discovered in such a person. It is a psychological truth that a person is apt
to extol the virtues of people whose general characteristics he shares, i.e.
when you hear who praises whom you know that they are “birds of a feather.” In
Chapter 28:4-5 of his Book of Proverbs Solomon is on record stating:
“They that forsake the Torah praise the wicked; but such as keep
the Torah contend with them. Evil men understand not justice; but they that
seek HaShem understand all things.”
That is, “praising a wicked person is typical
of someone who has abandoned the path of Torah.” The reason is simply that
people have a habit of praising those with whom they have the most in common.
Kind David already made the same point in Psalms 15:4, when he said: “but who
honours those that fear Ha-Shem.” Our Sages in Makkot 24 understood this verse
to apply to Yehoshaphat, King of Yehudah, who used to rise from his chair when
he saw a Torah Scholar and who would embrace him and kiss him and call him ‘my teacher.’ …
We must remember that when Yaakov displayed a
demeaning attitude when bowing repeatedly to Esau the wicked and addressing him
as “my master,” as well as when sending gifts to him, this was all part of
Yaakov’s momentary weakness though in the end he roused himself and assumed the
posture fitting to a man of his stature.”
We started this new year and this month of Tishri with a
slice of apple dipped in honey, not only to wish our loved ones, Israel and
ourselves a sweet year but also to symbolize that we start the year by
recommitting ourselves to “investigate, i.e. seek out and praise the good
qualities of the righteous” which are more profitable and precious than honey.
Surely all Tzaddikim have sins and imperfections but their good traits and
virtues fall outweigh and excel all their sins and imperfections put together.
Interestingly we also find in our portion of Matityahu for
this Shabbat this theme of “seeking out and praising
the good qualities of the righteous.” There we read:
Matityahu 9:27-31 “And as Yeshua passed by from thence, two
blind men followed him, crying out, and saying, ‘Have mercy on us, you son of
David.’ And when he was come to the house, the blind men came to him. And Yeshua says to them,
‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They say to him, ‘Yes, Master.’
Then he touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith be it done unto
you.’ And their eyes were opened. And Yeshua sternly charged them, saying, ‘See that
no man know this.’ They, however, going forth, made him known throughout the
whole of that land.”
There is a most interesting statement on the part of Yaaqov made in Bereshit 32:6 – “and I have oxen,
and asses, sheep, and bondmen, and bondwomen; and I
have sent to tell my Master, that I may find favour in your eyes.” Hakham
Bachya comments on this statement:
“Yaaqov
mentioned his great wealth by understating it, i.e. as if he had only acquired
a single ox, and a single donkey, etc., as he did not
want to appear boastful. He followed the dictates of Jeremiah 9:22 – “let not
the wealthy boast of his wealth.” It is customary for all righteous people to
belittle themselves and their belongings. The wicked
by contrast, boast of their wealth as we see from Esau who claimed “I own a
great deal” (Bereshit 33:9). Actually if the Torah had followed its own rules, it would have mentioned the sheep first, seeing
that the category of sheep and goats, is the most superior species amongst the
animals. We find that the Torah does so in the case of Avraham (Bereshit
A
Midrashic (Tanchuma Vayishlach 1 – a Halachic
Midrash) approach to our question: “Why did Yaaqov first mention the fact that
he had acquired “oxen”? He hinted that Yosef, who was
to be known as “SHUR” (ox), had already been born. Yosef was to be the natural
enemy of Esav and what Esav represented. When describing future
events, the prophet Ovadiah 1:18 uses Yosef as symbolic of the entire Jewish people when he predicts: “and the house of Yosef
flame, and the house of Esav straw; they shall burn it
and devour it, and no survivor will be left of the house of Esav, for HaShem has spoken.” In Devarim 33:17, when Moshe blesses
the Jewish people, he wrote of Yosef: “like the firstling bull in his majesty,
he has horns like the horns of a wild ox.”
Back again, our portion of Matityahu in a parable identifies
also Esav as consisting of two peoples who are stricken with the same disease.
Similarly in Daniel we see Esav as being identified as the “(two) legs of iron,
his (two) feet made part of iron and part of clay” of
the great image the King saw. These are the two divisions of the Esav empire
today known as “the West” with a “Western leg” headed by the
What is more important though is the way that Yehuda will
heal the blindness of the sincere souls of these two legs of Esav. On a Peshat Level through literacy, technological and medical
advances (something which the West - including the nations of the Eastern Roman
empire excel over all the Islamic nations put together), and from a Drash level
through the teaching of Torah (both Written and Oral)
to all men of good will. This places a great calling upon those who call
themselves Nazareans to be among the best in their profession or trade as well
as the calling to be the best teachers of Torah to the Gentiles
(a perfect embodiment of Mashiach ben Yosef).
There is also here in the Midrash
of Matityahu a wonderful play on words between the Hebrew
words “Shur” (Strong’s # 7789 = “to appear” or “to be seen”) and “Shor”
(Strong’s # 7794 = “ox”) which are spelled the same except for the pointing in
the letter “vav” in a pointed Hebrew text. The
gifts, given prior to the meeting between two dignitaries, are like the
offerings made when one appears before HaShem on the festivals, called in the Mishna
olat re'iyah. The root of re'iyah
means "to see". So too the biblical word teshura (I Sam. 9:7),
meaning present or gift, comes from the root sh-u-r, meaning to appear, be
seen. In other words, he who gives the gift of sight (both physical and spiritual) –
“sh-u-r” - also is the physical manifestation of the “sh-o-r” – “ox” –
(Mashiach ben Yosef).
With these explanations in mind it now becomes rather easy
to understand the Prophecy of Sefer Ovadiah (Book of Obadiah). Please remember
that the nations of Christian West and East are the two
legs of Esav, and that the nation of Islam (the majority of nations following
Islam) are represented by Ishmael. In fact, the Rambam (Maimonides) of blessed
memory calls the founder of Islam in his treatise on “The Laws of Kings”: “that
Ishmaelite.” Perhaps then after reading this short book with this understanding
we can see more clearly the meaning of present events as well as those over the
last two weeks.
Hakham Dr.
Yosef ben Haggai
According to Jewish Tradition, this Song relates to the Future, the "Acharit HaYamim," the End of Days, the Time of the Mashiach:
Shemot
(Exodus) 15:1-19 Then sang Moses
and the children of Israel this song unto HaShem, and spake, saying, I will
sing unto HaShem, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider
hath he thrown into the sea. HaShem [is] my strength and song, and he is become
my salvation: he [is] my God, and I will prepare
him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. HaShem [is] a man of
war: HaShem [is] his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into
the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the
* * *
Shoftim 5:4 HaShem, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the
field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens
dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
Shoftim 11:17 Then Israel sent messengers unto the king
of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of
Shoftim 11:18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of
Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side
of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not
within the border of Moab: for Arnon [was] the border of Moab.
1 Melachim
1 Melachim
1 Melachim 11:15 For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the
slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;
1 Melachim
1 Melachim
2 Melachim 3:8 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way
through the wilderness of
2 Melachim 3:9 So the king of
2 Melachim
2 Melachim 3:20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was
offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was
filled with water.
2 Melachim 3:26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he
took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through [even] unto
the king of Edom: but they could not.
2 Melachim
2 Melachim
2 Melachim 14:7 He slew of
2 Melachim
1 Divre Hayamim
1 Divre Hayamim
1 Divre Hayamim
2 Divre Hayamim
2 Divre Hayamim 25:20 But Amaziah would not hear; for it [came]
of God, that he might deliver them into the hand [of their enemies], because
they sought after the gods of Edom.
Tehillim 60:1 {To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach;
when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, when Joab returned, and
smote of
Tehillim 60:8
Tehillim 60:9 Who will bring me [into] the strong city? who will lead me into
Tehillim 83:6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the
Hagarenes;
Tehillim 108:9
Tehillim 108:10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into
Yirmeyahu 9:26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and
all [that are] in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all
[these] nations [are] uncircumcised, and all the
house of
Yirmeyahu 25:21 Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon,
Yirmeyahu 27:3 And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the
king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by
the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto
Zedekiah king of Judah;
Yirmeyahu 40:11 Likewise when all the Jews that [were] in
Yirmeyahu 49:7 ¶ Concerning Edom, thus saith HaShem of
hosts; [Is] wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is
their wisdom vanished?
Yirmeyahu 49:17 Also
Yirmeyahu 49:20 Therefore hear the counsel of HaShem, that he hath taken against Edom;
and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman:
Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their
habitations desolate with them.
Yirmeyahu 49:22 Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings
over Bazrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as
the heart of a woman in her pangs.
Eicha 4:21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the
Eicha 4:22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion;
he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will
visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
Yechezkel 25:12 Thus saith the Lord HaShem; Because that
Yechezkel 25:13 Therefore thus saith the Lord HaShem; I will
also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it;
and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the
sword.
Yechezkel 25:14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel:
and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and
they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord HaShem.
Yechezkel 32:29 There [is]
Yechezkel 35:15 As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of
the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so
will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea,
[even] all of it: and they shall know that I [am] HaShem.
Yechezkel 36:5 Therefore thus saith the Lord HaShem; Surely in the fire
of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against
all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of
all [their] heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.
Daniel 11:41 He shall enter also into the glorious land,
and many [countries] shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his
hand, [even]
Yoel 3:19
Amos 1:6 Thus saith HaShem; For three transgressions
of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because
they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver [them] up to
Amos 1:9 Thus saith HaShem; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because
they delivered up the whole captivity to
Amos 1:11 Thus saith HaShem; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I
will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because he did pursue his brother
with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually,
and he kept his wrath for ever:
Amos 2:1 Thus saith HaShem; For three
transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn
away [the punishment] thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of
Amos 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen,
which are called by my name, saith HaShem that doeth
this.
Ovadiah 1:1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord HaShem concerning Edom; We
have heard a rumor from HaShem, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen,
Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.
Ovadiah 1:8 Shall I not in that day, saith HaShem, even destroy the wise [men] out
of
Malachi 1:4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build
the desolate places; thus saith HaShem of hosts, They shall build, but I will
throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness,
and, The people against whom HaShem hath indignation for ever.
HaRav Elchonon
Wasserman says every event that takes place in the world
is intended exclusively for
Galut
Despite the great
hardships we are suffering at the hands of the Arabs, i.e. Malchut Ishmael, we
must keep in mind that we are in Galut
Malchut Yishmael
Since we are in
Galut
Bereshit (Genesis)
And this power
allows them to overcome and oppose Am Israel."
Understanding the
Current Period
The Ishmaelites have
undermined the peace of mind of the materialistic life and have induced a
worldwide state of fear of havoc and destruction.
This appears to be
more than a temporary trend: various observers say that the world is heading
toward a sharp polarization -- modern, Western culture versus traditional and
conservative Arab culture, and that a collision between these two
powers is inevitable.
(In fact the War of
Gog and Magog is described as a war between
* * *
Yalkut Shimoni (421): Rabbi Yishmael would say: Three wars of confusion will be waged by the Bnei Yishmael in the future at the end of days. One at sea and with drawn bow, one on dry land with drawn sword, and one on a great city which is worse than the other two, as it says, "and because of the severity of war" and from there Ben David will sprout and will see the destruction of these and those, and from there he will come to Eretz Yisrael, as it says, "who is this who comes from Edom...why are your clothes red...for it is a day of vengeance in my heart... (Melachim remez 261).
* * *
When Hagar had her child, HaShem told her to name him " Ishmael," which literally means that G-d listened to her prayers. But the Midrash informs us that this word means "Yishma Kel - G-d will listen," for it prophetically revealed that Ishmael's descendants, the Arabs, would generate many Jewish prayers, causing HaShem to listen to the urgent cries of His people. How amazing! A boy is born to a former bondmaid and a prophecy is revealed that, thousands of years later, his myriad descendants would repeatedly cause Tehillim to be said by Jews all around the world.
Indeed the description of Ishmael is replete with amazing prophecy. The description that he will be a "a wild (ass-like) man" is a perfect description of the Arab mentality. Who else would send little children with rocks to confront high-tech tanks? Who else but a wild subhuman people would go on suicide mission after suicide mission? And what about the testimony of what the pasuk says, “And everyone's hands will be in him," which the Targum translates to mean "That all will need him." How awesome a prophecy this is, that nations - world over - are in urgent need of Arab oil. And what about the verse that tells us "That he (Ishmael’s descendants) will dwell on the face of all of his brethren." How uncannily accurate is this description of how the Arabs totally encircle the Jewish people, literally camping upon all of their borders.
Ishmael’s (the Arabs of today) rights in eretz
This is also why our sages refer to the final stages of the exile as “the heels of the Mashiach,” for in that time it will be necessary to elevate [the Divine sparks] that have become enmeshed in the lowest elements [of these exiles], the feet.
Zohar Torah portion of Va'era page 32a Come and see - for four
hundred years the supervising angel of Yishmael beseeched G-d. He said
"whoever is circumcised has a portion with
you?" G-d replied, "Yes." He said, "Well, Yishmael is
circumcised; how come he doesn't have a portion with you like Yitzchak?"
G-d replied, "This one (Yitzchak) is circumcised properly, and this other
one (Yishmael) is not. Also, this one does it properly on the eighth day." He asked him "And despite all
this, even though he is circumcised he gets no reward?" G-d responded by
distancing the children of Yishmael from Himself in the upper worlds, and He gave them a portion below in the Holy
land, because they are circumcised. In the future, the children of Yishmael
will rule over the Holy land for a long time while the land is empty, just as
their circumcision is empty and without completion. And they will hinder the
children of Israel from returning to their place, until their merit in the Holy land runs out. In the future the children of Yishmael will stir great wars in
the world. And the children of Edom [the West] will gather against them, and
make war with them, one on the sea, and one on the land, and one by Jerusalem; and each one will prevail over the other but
the Holy land will not fall to the hands of Edom. At the same time, a nation
from the end of the world will be awakened against wicked
Rome.(Rome here is said to refer to the spiritual center of western
civilization) and it will make war against her for three
months, and many nations will gather there, and they will fall by her hand,
until all the children of Edom will gather against her from all corners of the
earth. And then G-d will awaken Himself against them, as it says, "a
sacrificial slaughter for the Lord in Batzra", and it says, "to shake
the corners of the Land". And after this, the children of Yishmael will be
finished from the world. And all the supernal powers
of the nations will be broken, and no power will remain above except for the
power of Israel alone.
* * *
“The Arabs will evoke many battles around the world invoking Edom [the descendents of Esav—another great bargain!] into fierce battles at sea, on land and near Jerusalem. They will attack and conquer each other…and additional armies will join the battle…Until God 'will grab the corners of the Land [and the wicked will be shaken from it]' (Job 38:13). He will remove the children of Ishmael from the Land…Then, I will transform all the nations into a pure tongue, that all shall call in God's Name and serve Him in unity (Zephaniah 3:9)."
All this is stated in the Zohar, written by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai some 1800 years ago.
The lives of the Patriarchs foreshadow events in the lives of their descendants. Just as Yaakov emerged from his battle with Esav victoriously, so should we merit redemption from our exile, and reach the heights of Yisrael.
If we ever wonder why Jews have so much 'trouble’ from the Arabs, like everything else in world history, it can be traced back to "The actions of the Patriarchs foreshadow the actions that happen to the children." This lack of compassion that was manifested by Sarah, in the treatment of Hagar. was the cause, as the Ramban points out, of the persecution manifested by the descendants of Ishmael to the Jewish people:
Bereshit
(Genesis) 16:4-6 And he went in
unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her
mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong [be]
upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had
conceived, I was despised in her eyes: HaShem judge
between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid [is] in thy
hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she
fled from her face.
The Sages speak about a great battle between
PIRQE
DE-RABBI ELIEZER §30
(END) according to HUC MS.75 FOL.
44A-B R. Ishmael said:
The Ishmaelites will do fifteen things in the Land
(of Israel) at the End of Days, to wit: They will
measure the Land with ropes, and make cemeteries (places) for the lodging of
flocks and (for) dunghills, and they will measure from them and by them on the
mountains. Deceit will increase and truth will be hidden, and royal coinage
will be cancelled. They will confuse scarlet-dye and worm, and {paper and pen}
will wither. They shall rebuild the roads and refurbish the destroyed cities. They shall plant gardens
and parks, and repair the holes in the walls of the houses of study. They shall
build a structure at (the site of the) Temple. Two
brothers shall be installed over them as leaders.
In those days the sons (sic!) of David will sprout
up, as Scripture says: ‘and in the time of those kings
the God of heaven will establish a kingdom etc.’ (Dan
The Zohar also speaks of this cosmic battle:
Soncino
Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2, Page 32a
Abram prayed to God: “O that Ishmael might live before thee!” Now, although the
Holy One, blessed be He, promised Abraham that he would beget Isaac, yet
Abraham was so attached to Ishmael, that the Holy One had to promise him: “As
for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him... and I will make
him a great nation” (Ibid. 20). Through his circumcision
Ishmael entered into the holy covenant before Isaac was born. Now, for four
hundred years the supramundane representative of Ishmael stood before the Holy
One, blessed be He, and pleaded thus with him: “He who is circumcised, has he a portion in Thy Name? “ “Yes.”
“But what then of Ishmael? Is he not circumcised? Why then has he no portion in
Thy Name, like Isaac?” The Holy One answered: “Isaac was circumcised according
to rule, [Tr. Note: i.e. with the peri'ah, or exposure of the flesh.] not so
Ishmael; moreover the Israelites attach themselves to me from the eighth day of
their birth, but the Ishmaelites for a long time are far from me.” Said he:
“Yet, as Ishmael has been circumcised, he ought to have a reward!’, Woe, woe,
that Ishmael was born into the world and was
circumcised! What did the Holy One do? He banished the children of Ishmael from
the heavenly communion and gave them instead a portion here below in the Holy Land, because of their circumcision. And they are
destined to rule over the land a long time, so long as
it is empty, just as their form of circumcision is empty and imperfect; and they
will prevent Israel from returning to their own land until the merit of the children of Ishmael shall have become
exhausted. And the sons of Ishmael will fight mighty battles in the world, and
the sons of Edom will gather against them, and make war against them, some on
land, others on sea, and some close to Jerusalem, and
one shall prevail over the other, but the Holy Land will not be delivered to
the sons of Edom. Then a nation from the furthest ends of the earth will rise
against wicked Rome and fight against her for three months, and many nations will gather there and fall
into the hands of that people, until all the sons of Edom will congregate
against her from all the ends of the earth. Then the Holy One will rise against
them, as it says: “A slaughter of the Lord in Basra and a great slaughter in
the land of Edom” (Isa. XXXIV, 6). He will “take hold of the ends of the earth
that the wicked might be shaken out of it” (Job XXXVIII, I3). He will wipe out
the children of Ishmael from the Holy Land, and crush all the powers and
principalities of the nations in the supramundane world, and only one power
will remain above to rule over the nations of the world, namely the power
representing Israel, as it is written: “The Lord is thy shadow at thy right
hand” (Ps. CXXI, 5). For the Holy Name is at the Right, and the Torah is at the
Right, and therefore all depends on the Right, and likewise the future salvation is at the
Right, as it says: “Save with thy right hand” (Ps. LX, 7). Concerning that time
it is written: “Then I will turn to the peoples a pure language that they may
all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with
one consent” (Haggai III, 9), and on that day “will the Lord be one and his
name one “ (Zech. XIV, 9). Blessed be the Lord for ever and ever. Amen and
amen.’
So, Ishmael and Edom will wage war against each other for three months and end up destroying each other. Wow!
Our festival readings during Succoth also speak to the war between
It is mentioned in the Tur, Orach Chaim: 490, in the name of Hai Gaon, that the war of Gog and Magog will break out during Chol HaMoed Succoth, and the resurrection of the dead will be in Nisan.
I suspect. as well, that this cosmic battle will take place during Succoth.
Abarbanel has an interesting perspective on the following verse:
Zechariah
14:4 And his feet
shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which
[is] before Jerusalem on the east,
and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and
toward the west, [and there shall be] a very great valley; and half of the
mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Abarbanel says that the events described here, in Zechariah 14, are not to be taken literally, but rather are referring to the battle between Edom and Ishmael, which will take place on the Mount of Olives, which will therefore be split between them. The reason this prophecy cannot be taken literally, is because HaShem does not do miracles for no reason (and there doesn’t seem to be any obvious reason why this miracle should be necessary).
The Abarbanel brings another possibility, that the description is literal, in the sense that the mountain will be levitated by the warring parties
Hashgacha Pratis -
Divine
The Rambam (Hilchot Ta’anith 1:3) warns against seeing events as being coincidental:
"If
they do not cry out and do not shout, but rather say 'this thing happened to us
through the natural course of events; this trouble came about by chance,' this
is the way of cruelty."
The Gulf war was an illogical war as it applied to the Jew. Saddam, like Hitler and Haman,
had no particular education, training, or noble birth that he should be
entitled to rule. It seems that his only qualification to rule was because HaShem wished to use his intense hatred of Jews, just
like Amalek. When he wished to fight
To a physical, illogical, and irrational, hatred that focuses on our physical destruction, our response must be spiritual! We must recognize that HaShem is behind this. We must see that our total response must be teshuva, repentance! We must not react physically.
The Gulf War ceasefire - Adar 14, 5751 (
It is the morning of
The Gulf War started on Shevat 1, 5751 (Sabbath reading: Bo, Ex 10:1-13:16 - Prophets: Jer
46:13-28),
Iraqi troops invaded
War in Afghanistan begins – Tishri 22, 5762 (
George Bush attacked
Things that don’t make sense:
A. Iraq declared, "We will pull out of
B. The whole world, except
C. 39 scuds fell on
D. The crushing defeat of a mortal enemy of the Jewish people without one Israeli soldier firing a shot.
Have we SEEN the miracle?
The Jews who saw the splitting of
the
Amos
1:4-6 Thus saith HaShem; For three transgressions
of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away [the
punishment] thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to
deliver [them] up to Edom: But I will send a fire on
the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof: And I will cut off
the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and
I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall
perish, saith the Lord HaShem.
There is also a reference [to Mashiach]
in the passage concerning Balaam, who prophesies about the two
anointed [kings]: the first anointed [king][11][2], David,
who saved Israel from her oppressors, and the final
anointed [king] who will arise from among his descendants and save Israel [at
the End of Days][12][3].
The following [quoted] phrases are from that passage: [Bamidbar
24:17-18]
"I see it, but not now" - This refers to David; "I perceive it, but not in the near future" - This refers to King Mashiach.
"A star
shall go forth from Yaakov" - This refers to
David; "and a staff shall arise in
"He shall
crush all of
"Edom will be demolished" - This refers to David, (as
it is written [Cf. II Shmuel 8:6 and
* * *
This study was written by Hillel ben David
(Greg Killian).
Comments may be submitted to:
Greg Killian
7104 Inlay St SE
Lacey, WA 98513
Internet address: gkilli@aol.com
Web page: http://www.betemunah.org/
(360) 584-9352
Return to The WATCHMAN home page
Send comments to Greg Killian at his email address: gkilli@aol.com
[1] Soncino Zohar, Bereshit, Section 1, Page 166b
[2] SA OC 473:3
[3] SA OC 479
[4] Based on Gevurot HaShem chapter 60
[5] Abarbanel
[6] Malbim
[7] The Living Torah by Arey Kaplan
[8] This section was derived from a teaching by Hakham Pinchas Winston.
[9] Bais HaLevi al HaHaggadah
[10] see Bereshit Rabbah Chap. 44; Vayikra Rabbah Chap. 29
