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Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings

Second Year of the Reading Cycle

Heshvan  6, 5767 – October 27/28, 2006

Fifth Year of the Shemittah Cycle

 

Texas, U.S. – Candle lighting times:                         Friday, October 27, 2006 – Light Candles at: 6:34 PM

Saturday, October 28, 2006 – Havdalah 7:28 PM

 

Brisbane, Australia – Candle lighting times:             Friday, October 27, 2006 – Light Candles at: 5:44 PM

Saturday, October 28, 2006 – Havdalah 6:39 PM

 

Singapore – Candle lighting times                 Friday, October 27, 2006 – Light Candles at: 6:33 PM

Saturday, October 28, 2006 – Havdalah 7:22 PM

 

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

 

 

Shabbat

Torah Reading:

Weekday Torah Reading:

כְּתָב-לְךָ

 

 

“K’tav L’kha”

Reader 1 – Sh’mot 34:27-30

Reader 1 – Sh’mot 35:30-32

“Write for yourself”

Reader 2 – Sh’mot 34:31-35

Reader 2 – Sh’mot 35:33-35

“Escribe para ti”

Reader 3 – Sh’mot 35:1-3

Reader 3 – Sh’mot 35:30-35

Sh’mot  (Exodus) 34:27 – 35:29

Reader 4 – Sh’mot 35:4-10

 

Ashlamatah: Jer. 31:32-39 + 32:40-41

Reader 5 – Sh’mot 35:11-20

 

 

Reader 6 – Sh’mot 35:21-23

Reader 1 – Sh’mot 36:1-3

Psalm 68

Reader 7 – Sh’mot 35:24-29

Reader 2 – Sh’mot 36:4-7

 

      Maftir – Sh’mot 35:27-29

Reader 3 – Sh’mot 36:1-7

N.C.: Matityahu 11:25-30

                   Jer. 31:32-39 + 32:40-41

 

 

 

Roll of Honor:

 

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of His Honor Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and most beloved family, and that of Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah and beloved family, as well as that of His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann and beloved family and that of His Excellency Adon John Batchelor and beloved wife, and that of His Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and his beloved wife Giberet Karmela bat Sarah. For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’s richest blessings be upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael, amen ve amen! Also a great thank you to all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Seder.

 

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Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Sh’mot (Exodus) 34:27 – 35:29

 

RASHI

TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN

27 Adonai said to Moshe, "Write these words down for yourself, for with these words I have made a covenant with you and with [the B’ne] Yisrael."

27 And the Lord said to Mosheh, Write thou these words; for upon the expression of these words have I stricken My covenant with thee and with the people of Israel.

28 He [Moshe] remained there with Adonai for forty days and forty nights. He did not eat bread nor drink water, and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Words [commandments.]

28 And he was there before the Lord forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread nor did he drink water; and he wrote upon the other tables the words of the covenant, the Ten Words which had been written upon the former tables.

29 And when Moshe came down from Mount Sinai, and the two Tablets of the Testimony were in Moshe's hand when he came down from the Mountain. Moshe did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant when He [G-d] spoke to him.

29 And it was at the time when Mosheh came down from the mountain of Sinai, with the two tables of the testimony in the hand of Mosheh, in his descending from the mount, that Mosheh knew not that the visage (form) of his face shone with the splendor which had come upon him from the brightness of the glory of the Lord's Shekinah in the time of His speaking with him. [JERUSALEM. That the beams of his face did shine.]

30 When Aharon and all the B’ne Yisrael saw Moshe, and beheld that the skin of his face had become radiant, they were afraid to come close to him.

30 And Aharon and all the sons of Israel saw Mosheh, and, behold, the glory of the form of his face shined, and they were afraid to come near to him.

31 Moshe called to them and they returned to him--- Aharon and all the leaders of the congregation--- and Moshe spoke to them.

31 And Mosheh called to them and Aharon, and all the princes who had been appointed chiefs in the congregation returned, and Mosheh conversed with them.

32 After that, all the B’ne Yisrael came close [to him] and he commanded them [regarding] all that Adonai had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.

32 And afterward drew nigh all the sons of Israel, and he taught them all that the Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.

33 When Moshe finished speaking with them, he placed a cover over his face.

33 And when Mosheh had finished to speak with them, he put over the form of his face a veil. [JERUSALEM. A cloth.]

34 [But] when Moshe came before Adonai, to speak to Him; he removed the cover until he was ready to leave. and he would then go out and speak to the B’ne Yisrael, [telling them] what he had been commanded.

34 And when Mosheh went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he removed the veil from his countenance until he came forth; and he came forth and spake to the sons of Israel what had been commanded.

35 The B’ne Yisrael saw Moshe's face, that the skin of Moshe's face had become radiant, and Moshe replaced the cover over his face until he would come in to speak to Him [Adonai].

35 And the sons of Israel saw the countenance of Mosheh, that the glory of the form of Mosheh's face was shining. And Mosheh replaced the veil upon his face until the time of his going in to speak with Him.

1 Moshe assembled the entire congregation of the B’ne Yisrael, and said to them, "These are the words that Adonai has commanded you to do.

1 And Mosheh gathered together all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them: These are the things which the Lord hath commanded to be done.

2 Work may be done six days, but the seventh day must be holy to you, it is a Shabbat of Shabbat to Adonai. Whoever does work on it shall be put to death.

2 Six days thou shalt do work, and on the seventh day there shall be to you the holy Sabbath of repose before the Lord. Whoever doeth work on the Sabbath day, dying he shall die by the casting of stones.

3 You must not kindle a fire in all your dwelling places on the day of Shabbat."

3 My people of the sons of Israel, ye shall not kindle a fire in any place of your habitations on the day of the Sabbath. [JERUSALEM. Ye shall not kindle a fire in any place of the house of your dwelling on the Sabbath day.]

4 Moshe said to the entire congregation of the B’ne Yisrael, saying, "This is the word that Adonai has commanded:

4 And Mosheh spake to all the assembly of the children of Israel, saying, This is the word which the Lord hath commanded,

5 Take [collect] from among yourselves a terumah-offering to Adonai. Every man whose heart impels him to generosity shall bring a terumah-offering to Adonai: gold, silver and copper,

5 saying, This is the word which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Take of you a separation before the Lord: whosoever is moved in his heart, let him present the separation for the Lord; gold, or silver, or brass,

6 And greenish-blue wool, dark red wool, crimson wool, fine linen, and goat's hair,

6 or hyacinth, or purple, or scarlet, or fine linen,

7 and red-[dyed] rams' skins, tachash skins, and accacia wood,

7 or goats' hair, or rams' skins dyed red, or skins of seals, (purple skins), and woods of sitta;

8 and oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for the incense of aromatic spices,

8 or oil for the lights, aromatics for the anointing oil, and sweet incense;

9 and onyx stones, and stones for setting into the ephod and the breastplate.

9 the onyx stones, and stones for completing the encasement of the ephod and the breastplate.

10 All those who are wise in heart among you shall come and make all that Adonai has commanded.

10 And let all the wisehearted among you give and make all that the Lord hath commanded:

11 The mishkan (tabernacle), its tent and its cover, its clasps, and its planks, its bars, its pillars and its sockets.

11 The tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its hasps, and its boards, its bars, and its pillars, and its bases. [JERUSALEM. The tabernacle, and its tent, and its covering, its hasps, and boards, and its bars, its pillars, and its bases.]

12 The ark and its poles, its cover and the partition screen.

12 The ark, with its staves, and the mercy seat, and the veil for the covering;

13 The table and its poles, and all its vessels, and the show breads.

13 and the table, and its staves, and all its vessels, and the bread for the Presence;

14 The menorah for light, and its vessels, and its lamps and the oil for the light.

14 and the candelabrum for illumination, with the lamps, and the oil for the light;

15 The incense altar, and its poles, and the anointing oil, and the incense of aromatic spices, and the screen for the entrance, at the entrance of the mishkan (tabernacle).

15 and the altar of sweet incense, and its staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the curtain for the door of the tabernacle of ordinance;

16 The altar for burnt-offerings, with its copper grate, its poles and all its vessels, the laver and its base.

16 the altar of burnt offering, and its brasen grate, with its staves, and its vessels, and the laver, with its base;

17 The curtains for the enclosure, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the entrance of the enclosure.

17 and the curtains of the court, with its pillars, and bases, and the hanging for the gate of the court,

18 The stakes of the mishkan (tabernacle), and the stakes of the enclosure and their ropes.

18 and the pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords;

19 The covering cloths for the holy articles, and the sacred garments for Aharon the kohen (priest), and the garments for his sons to wear when they serve.

19 the vestments of ministration, for ministering in the sanctuary, and the holy vestments for Aharon the priest, and the vestments of his sons for ministering.

20 The entire congregation of the B’ne Yisrael departed from the presence of Moshe.

20 And all the congregation of the sons of Israel went out from before Mosheh.

21 Every man whose heart lifted him up came--- and every one whose generous spirit inspired him brought a terumah-offering to Adonai, for the work of the Tent of Meeting, and for all [that was needed for] its service, and for the sacred garments.

21 And every man whose heart moved him, and every one who was filled with the Spirit of prophecy, came, and brought what he had for a separation before the Lord for the work of the tabernacle of ordinance, and for all its service, and for the holy vestments.

22 And they came---both men and woman--- all who were generous of heart brought bracelets, nose rings, finger rings, and buckles--- all kinds of golden vessels--- and every man that offered a wave-offering of gold unto Adonai.

22 And with the men came the women, every one whose heart was moved, and brought chains, and necklaces, rings, bracelets, and every ornament of gold; every one offering up the offering of gold before the Lord.

23 Every man who had with him greenish-blue wool, dark red wool, crimson wool, fine linen, goat's hair, red dyed rams' skins, or tachash skins brought them.

23 And every one with whom was found hyacinth, or purple, or crimson, or fine linen, goats' hair, or purple skins, brought the separation before the Lord;

24 Everyone who did lift up a terumah-offering of silver or copper, brought the terumah-offering to Adonai; and everyone who had with him acacia wood for use in the work of the service, brought it.

24 and all with whom were found woods of sitta for all the work of the service brought.

25 And every wise-hearted woman spun with her hands; and they brought the spun yarn of greenish-blue wool, dark red wool, crimson wool and fine linen.

25 And every woman whose heart was wise spun with her hands, and brought the spun work of hyacinth, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen.

26 And all the women whose hearts inspired them with wisdom, spun the goat's hair.

26 And all the women whose hearts were moved in wisdom spun goats' hair (while) upon their bodies, and sheared them, being alive.

27 And the leaders [of the tribes] brought onyx stones, and stones for setting into the ephod and breastplate.

27 And the clouds of heaven went to the Phison, and drew up from thence onyx stones, and stones for infilling, to enchase the ephod and the breastplate, and spread them upon the face of the wilderness; and the princes of Israel went, and brought them for the need of the work.

28 And the spices, and the oil for the light, and the anointing oil, and the incense of aromatic spices.

28 And the clouds of heaven returned, and went to the garden of Eden, and took from thence choice aromatics, and oil of olives for the light, and pure balsam for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.

29 Every man and woman whose generous heart inspired them to bring something for all the work that Adonai had commanded to be done through Moshe [did so]. The B’ne Yisrael brought a free-will gift to Adonai.

29 Every man, a son of Israel, and (every) woman, a daughter of Israel, who was moved in heart, brought for all the work which the Lord by Mosheh had commanded to be made; so brought the children of Israel the votive gift before the Lord.

Midrash Tanhuma Yelammedenu for: Sh’mot (Exodus) 34:27 – 35:29

 

33. And the Lord said unto Moses: “Write these words” (Exod. 34:27). May our masters teach us: Is one who writes two letters on the Sabbath (while unmindful of the prohibition or of the Sabbath) obligated (to bring a sin-offering)? Thus do our masters teach us: One who writes two letters thoughtlessly on the Sabbath is obligated (to bring a sin-offering) because he has made a mark and profaned the Sabbath. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: Be zealous of the glory of the Sabbath, for on that day I rested from the work of creation, as it is said: And He rested on the seventh day (ibid. 20:9).

 

It happened that the wicked Turnus Rufus encountered R. Akiba and asked him: “What difference is there between today and yesterday?” He responded: “What difference is there between one strong man and another?” Rufus retorted: “I asked you a question, yet you reply with another question.” R. Akiba then said: “You asked me what difference was there between the Sabbath and any other day, and I asked you what is the difference between Turnus Rufus and any other man.”“The king among kings wished to honor me,” he answered. R. Akiba replied: “It is the King of Kings who demands that Israel honor the Sabbath.”“If that is so,” he argued, why does He labor on the Sabbath?”“What labor does He perform on the Sabbath?” queried Akiba. “Exactly what He does during the week,” said Rufus. “He makes the winds to blow, the clouds to soar, the rain to fall, the sun and the moon to shine, the fruits to grow, and answers (the prayers) of women giving birth as they do on any other day of the week.” Akiba retorted: “I know that you are familiar with the law of eruv. Now if two men reside in one courtyard and one deposits an eruv while the other does not, you would not maintain that they are both permitted to walk about on the Sabbath.

 

However, if a man lived alone in a courtyard as large as Antioch itself, he could walk about that courtyard, for no one else shares the area with him. So, too, the Holy One, blessed be He, may His name and His memory be blessed, has His throne in heaven and the earth is His footstool, His glory fills the earth and no one shares it with him, hence He goes about in His world. Nevertheless those who ate the manna testify that it descended on weekdays and not on the Sabbath, as it is said: Eat that today; for today is a Sabbath (ibid. 16:25). Likewise, those who conjure up the dead through witchcraft testify that the dead arise on weekdays but not on the Sabbath. If you doubt this, consult your father’s (corpse), may his bones be ground to dust.”

 

He went to the sorcerer on the first day of the week and his father’s corpse was brought up. That occurred also on the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth day of the week, but on the Sabbath day it did not ascend. Then, on the first day of the next week, it reappeared. He asked his father’s corpse: “Now that you are dead, why do you behave as a Jew, observing the Sabbath?” He replied: “My son, everyone among you who does not observe the Sabbath as it is decreed will do so unwillingly when he arrives here.” He asked him: “What work do you do on weekdays? He answered: “On weekdays we are judged, but on the Sabbath we rest until the Sabbath ends and the Sabbath reading is completed. When the Sabbath reading is concluded, the angel in charge of souls comes and takes the souls of those people and casts them back into the pit of the earth that is called A land of thick darkness as darkness itself a land of the shadow of death, without any order (Job 10:22).” What is meant by tzalmavet (“shadow of death”)? It means tze’u lemavet (“they go out to death”), since they have already completed reading the text for the Sabbath. He then asked him: “If that is so, then why does the Holy One, blessed be He, work on that day?” He replied: “He is like one who walks about a courtyard four cubits in size. Furthermore, the river Sabbatyon [The legendary river Sabbatyon flowed, and therefore was impassable, on the six weekdays, but was still on Sabbaths and holy days. According to legend it formed the boundary of the territory in which the ten lost tribes were exiled. See Gen. R. Chapter 73, sect. 6 and San.h. 65b.] testifies to this fact, for it carries stones and sand throughout the week, but on the Sabbath it rests.” He said to him: “Do you intend to fob me off (with this answer)?” He said to him: “It is written: He rested on the seventh day from all His labors (Gen. 2:2) (My answer is intended seriously).”

 

R. Phinehas stated in the name of R. Joshua: Though it is written concerning Him that He rested from all His labors, it indicates merely that He rested from the work of creation, but not that He rests from considering the deeds of the righteous/generous and the acts of the wicked/lawless. Rather, He works with them. He reveals to these (the righteous/generous) the essential character of their deeds and to those (the wicked/lawless) the essential nature of their acts. How do we know that the punishment of the wicked/lawless is called work? It is said: The Lord has opened His armory and has brought forth the weapons of His indignation; for it is a work that the Lord God of hosts has to do (Jer. 50:25). How do we know that rewarding the righteous/generous is considered work? It is said: Oh, how abundant is Your goodness, which You have laid up for them that fear You; which You have wrought for them (Ps. 31:20).

 

Thus you learn that even the dead are aware of the Sabbath day. R. Joshua the son of Hanina declared: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: “Keep the Sabbath, for it is equal to the entire law.” About the Sabbath, it is written: Keep the Sabbath day (Deut. 5:12), and concerning the law it states: You will diligently keep the commandments (ibid. 6:17). The Sabbath was given through Moses: See that the Lord has given you the Sabbath (Exod. 16:29), and similarly, the law was given through Moses.

 

34. And the Lord said unto Moses: “Write these words, for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel” (Exod. 34:27). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Though I write for him never so many things of My Law, they are accounted as stranger’s (Hos. 8:12). R. Judah the son of Shalum was of the opinion that when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses Write for yourself, Moses wanted to write the Mishnah as well. However, the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that ultimately the nations of the world would translate the Torah into the Greek language and would claim: “We are the Israelites.”

 

Now the scales are balanced (as to who are His people). The Holy One, blessed be He, can say to the nations of the world: You claim that you are My children, but I know that only those who know My secrets are My children. Where are His secrets (to be found)? In the Mishnah, which was given orally, and from which everything can be derived.

 

R. Judah the son of Shalum said: The Holy One, blessed be He, asked Moses: Why do you wish the Mishnah to be written?’ What would be the difference, then, between the peoples of the world and Israel? That is why it is written: Though I write for him never so many things of My Law, they are counted as a stranger’s. Therefore give them the Scripture in writing and the Mishnah orally.

 

Write for yourself these words refers to Scripture, and after the tenor of these words alludes to the Mishnah, which was transmitted orally. Another comment on Write for yourself these words. They concluded from these words that one is forbidden to glance into the Torah and translate it (during the reading of the Torah in the synagogue) [While it was being read, the translator would translate the Hebrew text of Torah into Aramaic, the language familiar to the masses of the people], and that whoever is reading the Torah is prohibited from removing his eyes while reading it, since it was given in writing as it is said: And I will write upon the tablets the words (Exod. 34:1). One is prohibited from glancing into the Torah while translating it, for it is said: Write for yourself these words, but the Mishnah, concerning which it is stated: After the tenor of these words, may be interpreted freely because it was given orally.

 

R. Judah the son of Shalum said in reference to the verses Write for yourself these words and for after the tenor of these words: I have made a covenant with You both with the words write for yourself and with after the tenor of. If you fulfill that which is written in writing and that which was given orally with your mouth, then will I have made a covenant with you, but if you should reverse the two, I will not have made a covenant with you.

 

35. Another comment on write for yourself (Exod. 34:27). Scripture states elsewhere: Let them be yours only, and not a stranger’s with you (Prov. 5:17). What does this verse refer to? When they made the golden calf, Moses prayed until the Holy One, blessed be He, became reconciled with them. Moses cried out: My Master, restore the law to them just as David proclaimed: Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation (Ps. 51:14). However, the Holy One, blessed be He, responded: How can I return it to them, when only yesterday they said at Sinai: All that the Lord has spoken we will do (Exod. 24:17), and now, in the very place in which they committed themselves (to observe the law), they debased themselves, as it is said: They made a calf in Horeb (Ps. 106:19)? Despite all the miracles and wonders that I performed in their behalf in Egypt and at the Red Sea, and even though they beheld My Glory at Sinai, where myriads of angels descended and crowned them, as it is said: A beautiful crown upon your head (Exod. 16:12), they erected a calf at Horeb. Indeed, within the blinking of an eye they forgot Me.

 

What is more, I preceded them into the desert as a quartermaster would: And the Lord went before them by day (ibid. 13:21). I lowered the high places for them and raised the valleys, I caused bread to rain down from the heavens and the sea to send up quail, as it is said: And brought across quails from the sea (Num. 11:31). Though they lacked nothing at all, they built the golden calf. I cannot restore the tablets to those idolaters. When he continued to plead, He said: Write for yourself, that is, I shall give the law to you, as it is said: Let them be your own, and not a stranger’s with you (Prov. 5:17); that is, not to the idolaters with you. Because He held Moses in the highest esteem, it is said: Remember the law of Moses My servant (Mal. 3:22).

 

This is one of the three things to which Moses devoted himself: the law, judgeship, and Israel. R. Hiyya the son of Yosé said: Moses also was deeply involved in the building of the Tabernacle. Arid it is called by his name. R. Hiyya the son of Yosé said: Throughout the seven days of consecration, Moses took apart the Tabernacle twice each day and then assembled it. The elder R. Hiyya said: He did it three times each day, for it is said: You will rear up (Exod. 40:1), The Tabernacle was reared up (ibid., v. 17), and Moses reared up the Tabernacle (ibid., v. 18).

 

Observe how strenuously he worked at doing that. If you should be of the opinion that the tribe of Levi assisted him, the answer is no. Our sages of blessed memory said: Moses took it apart and assembled it by himself. Not a single Israelite aided him, as it is said: And it came to pass in the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the Tabernacle (Num. 7:1). “On the day that Israel made an end” is not written here, but rather Moses made an end. Because he did the work himself, it is called by his name. Similarly, because he devoted himself to working on the Torah alone, it is called by his name, as is said: Hew for yourself.

 

36. And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights (Exod. 34:28). How did Moses know when it was day? When the Holy One, blessed be He, taught him the Written Law he knew it was the day time, and when He taught him the Oral Law, the Mishnah and the Talmud, he was aware that it was night time. This was so because day and night are alike in the presence of the Holy One, blessed be He,, as is said: And the light dwells with Him (Dan. 2:22). And as it is also written elsewhere: Even the darkness is not too dark for You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness even as the light (Ps. 139:12). In what other way did he distinguish between night and day? When he beheld the constellations kneeling and bowing (descending), he realized that it was day, and when he saw the sun bowing, he knew that it was night, as it is written: The host of heaven worship You (Neh. 9:6).

 

37. And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai ... Moses knew not that the skin of his face sent forth beams (Exod. 34:29). Why did Moses merit the beams of glory? Our sages of blessed memory said: Because of the incident at the rock, as it is said: And it will come to pass, while My glory passes by (Exod. 33:22). The Holy One placed His Hand upon him, and because of that he merited the beams of glory. For so it says: Rays has He at his side; and there is the hiding of His power (Hab. 3:4).

 

There are others who say that at the time the Holy One, blessed be He, taught him the Torah, sparks emanated from the countenance of the Shekhinah, and he received the beams of glory from them. R. Samuel the son of Nahman said: The tablets were six handbreadths long and three handbreadths thick, and Moses held them by two of the handbreadths, and the Holy One, blessed be He, held them by two, and Moses obtained the beams of glory from the two handbreadths in the middle.

 

R. Samuel said: After Moses wrote the Torah, a little ink was left in the pen, and when he passed it before his head, the beams of glory were formed upon him, as it is said: And Moses knew not that the skin of his face sent forth beams. All the glory he obtained was a reward (for what he had done), but You placed the beams, as it is said: Rays has He at His side; and there is the hiding of His power. The righteous/generous receive their reward in the world-to-come, but he received his reward at that time, as is said: Behold, the Lord will come as a Mighty One, and His arm will rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him (Isa. 40:10).

 

 

 

Ketubim Targum Psalm 68

 

1. For praise, of David. A hymn and song.

2. God will arise, His enemies will be scattered, and His foes will flee from His presence.

3. Just as the smoke is driven out, they will be driven; just as wax will melt in the presence of fire, the wicked/lawless will perish in the presence of God.

4. And the righteous/generous will rejoice and exult in the presence of the Lord, and they will rejoice joyfully.

5. Give praise in the presence of God, praise His glorious Name; magnify the One who sits on His glorious throne in Araboth; Yah is His name; and be glad in His presence.

6. Father of the orphans, and judge of widows – such is God in the dwelling place of His holy presence.

7. God, who makes matches, joining the solitary to mates; who brought out the house of Israel, who were bound in Egypt; for the correct deeds of their fathers [He redeemed them] in public procession; but Pharaoh and his armies, who refused to let them go, dwelt in thirst.

8. O God, when You went forth in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire before Your people, when You traveled in the wilderness of Jeshimon forever, when You gave the Torah to your people –

9. The earth shook, also the heavens dropped dew in the presence of the Lord; as for this Sinai, its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace before the Lord, God of Israel, was manifested upon it.

10. When the house of Israel heard the voice of Your power, their souls flew away; at once He made to descend upon them the dew of resurrection; O God, You brought the favorable rain to Your inheritance, and You supported the assembly which was exhausted.

11. You caused Your vigor to go back to it; You appointed a troop of angels to do good to the poor of God.

12. The Lord gave the words of Torah to his people; truly, Moses and Aaron [were] proclaiming the word of God to the great army.

13. Kingdoms with their armies went into exile from their palaces, and the wise were exiled from their knowledge; but the assembly of Israel divides the spoil from heaven.

14. The God of Israel said: If you wicked/lawless kings lay down among the rubbish heaps, the assembly of Israel, likened to a dove flying in the clouds of glory, divides the spoil of the Egyptians – silver that is refined, and her treasures full of pure gold. Another Targum: If you wicked/lawless kings sleep in the theatres, which are likened to rubbish heaps, behold, the sons of the assembly of Israel, which are likened to the wings of a dove, are covered with the words of Torah, which are likened to silver, and her scholars, which are likened to the pinions of a young dove in pure gold.

15. When she spread her hands over the sea in prayer, Shaddai abased kingdoms, and on her account clouded over Gehinnom like snow; He delivered them from the shadow of death. Another Targum: Because of this, when the priests spread their hands and bless the people of Israel, Shaddai agrees with them and kings are subdued beneath them; and because of their merits, their sins are made white as snow, and Gehinnom is cooled for the wicked who have received punishment in their children and have repented of their bad deeds.

16.  Mount Moriah, the place where the patriarchs worshipped in the presence of the Lord, was chosen for the building of the sanctuary; and Mount Sinai for the giving of Torah; Mount Mathnan, Mount Tabor, and Carmel were disqualified, and a hump was made for them like Mount Mathnan. Another Targum: Mount Moriah was chosen first for the worship of the patriarchs in the presence of the Lord, and was chosen second for the building there of the sanctuary; and Mount Sinai was pulled up from there and chosen third for the Torah; Mount Buthnin was removed and set far away; Mount Tabor – a miracle was performed there for Barak and Deborah; Mount Carmel – miracles were performed there for Elijah the prophet. And they were racing, one against the other, and arguing one with the other. One said, “On me the presence shall abide,” and the other would say, “On me the presence will abide.” And the Lord of the World, who sharpens the proud and rebellious with the humble, struck them down and they were disqualified. A hump was made for them like Mount Buthnin.

17. God said, Why do you leap, O mountains? It is not My will to give the Torah on proud, contemptuous mountains. Behold, Mount Sinai which is humble; the word of the Lord desires to place His presence upon it; [but] in the highest heaven the Lord will abide forever.

18. The chariots of God are two myriads of burning fire, two thousand angels guiding them; the presence of the Lord rests on them, on the mountain of Sinai, in holiness.

19. You ascended to the firmament, O prophet Moses; you captured captives, you taught the words of Torah, you gave gifts to the sons of men, and even the stubborn who are converted turn in repentance, [and] the glorious presence of the Lord God abides upon them.

20. Blessed be the Lord, every day he weighs us down, adding commandments to commandments; the mighty One, who is our redemption and our helper forever.

21. God is for us might and redemption; and from God the Lord death and loss of breath are inflicted on the wicked/lawless through suffocation.

22. Truly God will break the heads of His enemies, He will make fall out the hair of the man who keeps walking in his sins.

23. The Lord says, “I will bring back the righteous/generous who have died and been eaten by wild beasts from Buthnin; I will bring back the righteous/generous who have drowned in the depths of the sea.”

24. So that they will see the punishment of the wicked/lawless, they will dip their feet in the blood of the slain; the tongue of the wild beast will grow fat from their plumpness, some of them will be sated on the enemies.

25. The house of Israel has seen the paths of Your presence on the sea, O God; they say, “The paths of God, King of all the world in holiness!”

26. They rose up early and uttered a song after Moses and Aaron who were playing melodies before them, in the midst of the righteous/generous women who were with Miriam playing timbrels.

27. In the midst of the assemblies, bless God, exalt the Lord, O fetuses in the bellies of their mothers, O seed of Israel!

28. There Benjamin, least of the tribes, who first of all went into the sea -- because of this, he received kingship; and after them went down the princes of Judah; the tribes stoned them with stones, and they received dominion after them; the princes of Zebulun were their merchants, and the princes of Naphtali were their warriors.

29. God has commanded your strength; be strong, O God, abide in this sanctuary You have made for us!

30. From your temple You will accept sacrifices; Your presence abides on Jerusalem; from their palaces the kings will bring to You sacrifices.

31. Rebuke the armies of sinners, shatter them like reeds, the assembly of warriors who trust in calves, the idols of the Gentiles. His favor is toward the people who are occupied willingly in the Torah, which is purer than silver. Scatter the peoples who desire to wage war!

32. The children of Ham, the Osmani, will come from Egypt to be converted; the children of Cush will run to spread their hands in prayer before God.

33. O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise in the presence of the Lord, sing praise to the Lord forever.

34. To the One who sits on His throne in the heaven of heavens; in the beginning He, by His command, gave through His voice the voice of the spirit of prophecy to the prophets.

35. Ascribe the glory of strength to God, whose excellence is over Israel, and whose strength is in heaven.

36. Fearful is God, from Your sanctuary; the mighty One of Israel has given strength and might to His people. Blessed be God!

 

 

 

Ketubim Rashi Psalm 68

 

2 May God rise; His enemies scatter Amalek and his ilk.

3 As smoke is driven away as it is driven away. As the smoke is driven away so will You drive [them] away. from before God From before the Ark in the days of Moses. (And it came to pass when the Ark traveled, that Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and Your enemies will scatter.”Shem Ephraim) And when it rested, he would say, “Return, O Lord, etc.”

4 and they will delight with joy And this is the joy, and so will they say, “Sing to God, etc.”

5 praise An expression of praise. Similarly (Job 28:16): “It cannot be praised with the jewelry of Ophir”; (Lam. 4:2), “worth their weight in fine gold.” by His name Yah By the name Yah, which is an expression of fear, as we translate it: fear (below 118:14): “My might and my praise is the fear of the Lord Yah.” Likewise (Exod. 17:16): “For a hand is on the throne of the Lord Yah,” in the Targum: [And he said, “This is stated with an oath from below the fear of the Shechinah on the throne of His glory, etc.] Similarly (Isa. 26:4): “for in Yah the Lord,” is paraphrased by the Targum: for then You will be redeemed by the word of the fear of the Lord, the Strongest of the world.” The Psalmist says, “Praise Him, fear Him, and rejoice.” This resembles what is said elsewhere (above 2:11): “and rejoice with quaking.”

6 O Father of orphans And this is the praise that You shall praise before Him: the entire matter until the end of the psalm. Father of orphans Who became a father to Israel, who are orphans, as it is said (Lam. 5:3): “We were orphans without a father.” and Judge of widows Who performed the judgment of Jerusalem, concerning which it says (Lam. 1:1): “was like a widow.”

7 settles the solitary in a house Israel, who were spread out. He gathered together each one from the place where he was lost and settled them in a complete household and a complete nation. He takes the prisoners out at the most opportune time He took Israel out of Egypt in the month that is best suited for travelers, neither hot nor cold. but the rebellious The Egyptians. dwell in an arid land Their land remained arid and thirsty. I found [this].

8 when You marched When You stepped with your step. forever There You showed me that this is Your way forever: for every distress, redemption.

9 this is Sinai That too quaked because of the Lord God of Israel.

10 Generous rain You poured down This too You did for us: if we needed rain, You lifted them and poured upon us constantly rains of generosity and blessing. Your heritage, which was weary, You established When the heritage of Your land was weary and thirsty for rain, You established it [Your heritage]. I found: Your heritage which was weary Which is called your heritage, and which is weary; i.e., sometimes it is so.

11 Your congregation dwelt therein Your congregation has dwelt therein, as (II Sam. 23:11): “and the Philistines gathered together their camp (sic) into a troop.” Another explanation: The congregation of Israel is known as the animal and the beast of the Holy One, blessed be He. You prepare with your goodness When they left Egypt, You led them around in the desert for forty years because the Canaanites rose and cut down the trees. During the interim, when they tarried in the desert, they rose and rectified it all.

12 The Lord will give out a word; they will announce it to a great multitude He will yet roar with [His] voice to allow the hosts of the great nations to hear it. Now what is the word? The kings of the hosts of nations will wander, yea they will wander. They will wander and be cast out of the land of Israel, and the congregation of Israel, who is the dweller of the house, will divide their spoils, as it is said (Isa. 23:18): “And her commerce and her hire shall be holy, etc.”

14 If you lie between the borders, etc. All this is the word. He says to them, “If you had lain between your borders and had enjoyed pleasures, this My dove, My congregation, whose feathers are covered with silver.” Now what is the silver, and what is the gold? (15) When the Almighty spreads out, etc. When the Holy One, blessed be He, explained His Torah, with which the kings are “snowed and whitened” in a land of the Shadow of Death and darkness then its feathers (dove’s feathers) were covered with the desire and yearning for the Torah and [its] Commandments. the feathers of a dove Plumes in French. and its pinions Its wings, with which it flies. with brilliant gold Heb. בִּירַקְרַק חָרוּץ. Dunash the son of Labrat interpreted חָרוּץ as gold. Therefore, the Psalmist juxtaposed it to silver, and ירַקְרַק חָרוּץ is the gold brought from the land of Havilah and from the land of Cush; very good gold, neither yellow nor red. Therefore, it is called ירַקְרַק, as (Lev. 13:42): “reddish white” which is neither white nor red. Therefore, it is doubled.

15 kings These are the Torah scholars, as it is said (Prov. 8:15): “Kings reign with me.” When...spreads out Heb. בְּפָרֵשׂ, an expression of (Deut. 22:17): “and they will spread out the garment”; they clarify the matter as a new garment.

16 The mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan And where did He spread it out? On Mt. Sinai, which is the mountain of God and is near Bashan on the eastern side of the Jordan. the mountain of peaks The special mountain among the mountains. peaks Heb. גַּבְנֻנִּים, an expression of mountains, because of their height, as (Ezek. 16:24),

17 Why do you lurk, you lofty mountains All this refers back to “The Lord will give out a word.” He says further to them, “Why do you lurk (תְּרַצְּדוּן), you lofty mountains?” Why do you lurk, you lofty mountains, to destroy the mountain that God desired for His dwelling, to cause His Shechinah to rest upon it? That is the Temple Mount. Even He will dwell there forever. Its sanctity is a perpetual sanctity. After it was chosen for His dwelling, the Shechinah did not rest elsewhere.

18 God’s chariot, etc. This too refers back to the “The Lord will give forth a word,” to mention the love of His people. Even when God’s chariot of “twice ten thousand times thousands of” brilliant “sharpened” angels appeared, and the Lord was among them at Sinai with His holiness, there too, you, the leader of His people, Moses the son of Amram ascended on high and took captives.

19 and also rebellious ones for Yah God to dwell Also you brought about that the Holy One, blessed be He, rested in the Tabernacle of the Torah, and you took gifts from the celestial beings to give them to the sons of men, also among a people who were rebellious and were rebelling against Him and provoking Him.

20 Blessed is the Lord, etc. This is part of the song mentioned above: “Sing to God.” lavishes upon us He will give us a great salvation, [greater] than any burden, as much as we can carry. (I found: every day... lavishes upon us He always behaves in this manner to us, that for every distress there is a salvation.)

21 God is to us the God of salvations God is our Savior, but He has many paths, i.e., kinds of death. תֹּצָאוֹת means, ways to death. However, He does not lay them upon us, but with them He wounds the head of His enemies.

22 the hairy pate The pate of Esau, who is a “hairy man,” and who always goes with his guilt.

23 The Lord said, “I shall restore from Bashan” For so He promised to restore us from the mighty ones of Bashan and from the islands of the sea.

24 In order that your foot may wade through blood When He crushes the head of the enemy, our feet will wade through their blood. תִּמְחַץ is an expression of splitting into the blood, as (Jud. 5:26): “she split and penetrated his temple,” from the enemies From the blood of the enemies. will have its portion Heb. מִנֵּהוּ, its sustenance will be, as we say (Suc. 39b): “How do we know that mn is an expression of food?” For it is written (Dan. 1:10): “who appointed mnh your food, etc.”

25 They saw Your ways, O God That is to say, it is fitting that You save these people, for when they saw Your ways in Your sanctity in the sea, singers came first to sing before You the Song of the Sea, and after them came the minstrels these are the angels.

26 in the midst of maidens playing timbrels With Miriam and her maidens, who took the timbrel in her hand, and they said with their praise...

27 In congregations bless God, the Lord, from the womb of Israel Even the fetuses in their mothers’ wombs recited the Song.

28 There Benjamin the youngest became the ruler over them. rules over them Heb. רֹדֵם, like rodam, with a “kamatz.” From there, he merited to become king because he descended first into the sea, and so did Samuel say to Saul (I Sam. 15:17): “Even if you are small in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel?” which Jonathan paraphrases: The tribe of Benjamin crossed the sea at the head of all the other tribes. the princes of Judah pelt them with stones They envy them and throw stones at them, and so do the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naftali. So, he says to him, “Your God has commanded your strength.” Another explanation: רִגְמָתָם is the equivalent of riq’matam, their embroidery, their embroidered garments, an expression of purple. In this way Menachem associated it (p. 161).

29 show this strength, O God, etc. Now the Psalmist returns to his prayer that he prayed, “Let God rise, and let His enemies scatter.” Show Your strength, O God, and strengthen Yourself, for You have wrought all these for us.

30 From Your Temple, which is over Jerusalem, etc. And since the kings will see the glory of Your temple, which is over Jerusalem, they will bring You a gift and a tribute.

31 Rebuke the people of the forest This is Ishmael [Esau], who is compared to the “boar from the forest,” which dwells among the reeds (below 80:14). the congregation of mighty bulls, among peoples like calves A people that has become fat and thick like mighty bulls among the other nations, which are merely like calves as compared to them. submitting himself for pieces of silver They do not submit themselves to any person unless he persuades them with money. he scatters peoples They scattered the tribes, as it is said: (Deut. 33:3): “Also He loves the peoples,” and they always desire battles. They want to fight with us.

32 Gifts will be brought (Then, when You destroy Esau and the King Messiah arises, they will bring you gifts from Egypt and from Cush.Parshandatha) Then, when You scatter the enemy, and the King Messiah arises in the future, they will bring you gifts from Egypt and from Cush. Menachem interpreted hashmonayim as the name of a province, the dwellers of Hashmonah (p. 96), but the commentators interpret it as an expression of a gift.

33 sing to God Who showed His greatness and redeemed His people.

34 behold He gives forth Heb. יִתֵּן, behold He gives.

36 You are feared, O God, from Your Sanctuary Because You destroyed it, You are feared. If He did not show favoritism to His [own] Sanctuary, surely [He will] not [show favoritism] to the wicked/lawless of the heathens. The Midrash Aggadah explains: Do not read: מִמִּקְדָּשֶׁיךָ, “from Your Sanctuaries,” but mim’qud’shekha, “from Your hallowed ones.” When the Holy One, blessed be He, executes justice upon the righteous/generous, He is feared, elevated, and praised. Similarly, it is said (Lev. 10:3): “Through those near to me I will be sanctified.” [Also] (Exod. 29:43), “and it will be sanctified with My honor” [i.e., with My honored ones]. With the death of Aaron’s two sons (Zev. 115b). Our Rabbis, however, expounded on the entire psalm until (verse 20): “Blessed is the Lord; every day” as referring to the giving of the Torah; (verse 10) “generous rain” refers to the giving of the Torah, and (verse 11) “Your congregation dwelt therein,” means that they became engrossed in Torah (Mid. Ps. 68 with variations). Also, my heart is uneasy at explaining (verse 17) “the mountain that God desired for His dwelling” as referring to Mt. Sinai, because He did not desire it for His dwelling and [did] not [want] to dwell there forever, whereas here it is written: “Even the Lord will dwell there forever.” Likewise (verse 13): “Kings of hosts,” he explained as “angels of hosts,” which is not the language of Scripture.

 

 

 

Ketubim Midrash Psalm 68

 

I. For the leader. A Psalm of David, a song. Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered (Ps. 68:1-2). These words are to be considered in the light of what Scripture says elsewhere: When the wicked/lawless rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous/generous increase (Prov. 28:28). How so? Because it is through the wicked/lawless that the Holy One, blessed be He, punishes the righteous/generous; when the wicked/lawless rule, the righteous/generous cannot lift up their heads nor open their mouths. When the wicked/lawless perish, the righteous/generous increase. Hence it is said When the wicked/lawless rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous/generous increase. So, too, when Deborah said, So perish all Your enemies, O Lord; but they that love Him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might (Judg. 5:31), she meant that when the wicked/lawless perish, at once they that love Him are as the sun when he goes forth in his might. And so, too, David said, I will keep a curb upon my mouth, while the wicked/lawless is before me (Ps. 39:2). From this verse it follows that the righteous/generous can neither open their mouths nor raise their heads in the presence of the wicked/lawless.

 

David pleaded: Deal with these as You have dealt with former enemies. Even as Moses prayed to You, Rise up, O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered (Num. 10:35), so I pray to You to scatter these: Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered (Ps. 68:2).

 

When Zophar the Naamathite said, But the eyes of the wicked/lawless shall fail, and they shall have no way to flee (Job 11:20), he meant that the wicked/lawless have nowhere a refuge, for wherever they flee, Their hope shall be a puff of breath (ibid.). Of them, Jeremiah also said: These will perish from the earth, and from under the heavens (Jer. 10:11). Hence it is said Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered.

 

II. As smoke after it has been driven away—so drive them away (Ps. 68:3): Drive them away not only as smoke is driven away, but make it seem as if they never existed.

 

In a different interpretation the verse is read Like smoke that is made to come up are the wicked/lawless. A parable of a king and the slaves in his palace. He was in the upper part of the palace, and the slaves were in the lower part of the palace, and they raised such a smoke that the smoke came up to him. So the wicked/lawless, as Isaiah says, are A people that provoke Me to My face continually, that sacrifice in gardens, and burn incense upon bricks; that sit among the graves, and lodge in the vaults, that eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels ... These are a smoke in My nose (Isa. 65:3-5). Like makers of smoke are the wicked/lawless, and when they make smoke come up in My face, that is, provoke Me, then, as it is said, The anger of the Lord and His jealousy shall smoke against that man (Deut. 29:19); and it is also written Smoke arose up in His nostrils (Ps. 18:9), which is to say that the wicked/lawless make themselves go up in smoke, as it is said The enemies of the Lord will be as the fat of lambs—they shall pass away in smoke, they will pass away (Ps. 37:20).

 

A different interpretation. Taking the first part of this verse to read The enemies of the Lord will be as the glory of lambs, R. Aha said: The wicked/lawless will come to such glory as comes to lambs. For what happens to lambs? They are killed and hung up to smoke.

 

Another interpretation. Taking the first part of this verse to read The enemies of the Lord will be as the glory [of the dwellers] on the plain, R. Johanan said: The enemies of the Lord will come to such glory as will befall the dwellers on the plain — so called in the vision of Moses when the Lord showed him The south and the plain (Deut. 34:3) — as will befall them on the day when God raises such a cloud of smoke that in the murk no man will be able to see his fellow. So it will be with the wicked/lawless. Hence it is said As smoke is driven away, so drive them away ... so let the wicked/lawless perish at the presence of God (Ps. 68:3). The righteous/generous will then rejoice, as is said But the righteous/generous will be glad, they will exult before God; yea, they will rejoice with gladness (ibid. 68:4).

 

III. Sing unto God, sing praises to His name; extol Him that rides upon the skies (ibid. 68:5). Like a man riding a horse and guiding it over the plain, the Holy One, blessed be He, rides upon the skies. As Moses said, “He who rides upon the sky, is thy help” (Deut. 33:26).

 

The end of the verse, With His name YH (Ps. 68:5), means that with the two letters yod and he, which spell out but half of God’s name, God created two worlds.

 

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows (Ps. 68:6): The children of Israel in banishment are like widows and orphans, as is said We are become orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows (Lam. 5:3). Not widows in fact; rather, like a woman whose husband has gone to a land beyond the sea, but intends to return to her. And not orphans in fact; rather, like children whose father has gone to a land beyond the sea, and who have no one to provide for them. As Scripture says, For Israel is not widowed, nor Judah, of his God, of the Lord of hosts (Jer. 51:5).

 

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows is God in His holy habitation (Ps. 68:6), for it is said The Lord God executes justice for the oppressed ... gives bread to the hungry. The Lord looses the prisoners (Ps. 346:7).

 

IV. God sets the solitary in families (Ps. 68:7). Elsewhere this is what Scripture says, it is not good that the man should be solitary (Gen. 2:18). God fashioned Eve out of Adam’s rib and set her in a bridal chair.

In a different interpretation, the verse is taken to read God sets the solitary to dwell within; that is, God made Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were solitary in the world, to dwell in the Land of Israel which is called within, Since it is said While as yet He had not made the Land nor the lands without (Prov. 8:26), the Land of Israel is called “the land within,” and the other lands are called lands without.

 

He brings out the prisoners because of good works (Ps. 68:7)—that is, the children of Israel who were prisoners in Egypt. God brought them forth because of the good works of their fathers, but the Egyptians who were rebellious remained dwelling in a parched land (ibid.), as it is said “Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore” (Ex. 14:30).

 

O God, when You went forth before Your people (Ps. 68:5). As Scripture says, “The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud” (Ex. 13:21). It was When You did march through the wilderness (Ps. 68:8) on the day of the giving of the Torah.

 

V. The earth trembled (Ps. 68:9), and at once all the living in the Land of Israel died: But the dead came to life as the Holy One, blessed be He, dropped the dew of resurrection on them, for the verse goes on to say The heavens also dropped at the presence of God (ibid.).

 

Zeh Sinai (ibid.) means “Sinai was on fire.” Here zeh is clearly a term for “fire and conflagration”—as in the verse It was wont to be fired (mezyeh) (Dan. 3:59)—for it is said The mountain burned with fire unto the heart of heaven (Deut. 4:11).

 

A bounteous rain (Ps. 68:10). When the ministering angels saw that the breath of life had flown out of the children of Israel, they asked the Holy One, blessed be He: “To whom wilt You give the Torah, to the dead or to the living?” At once the Holy One, blessed be He, waved out rains of life over the children of Israel so that they should receive the Torah with a generous and abounding spirit. And the ministering angels waved the rain along with fans upon the children of Israel, as is said You did pour out, O God (ibid.).

 

When Your inheritance was weary (ibid.): When Your inheritance grew weary at the noise of thunder and of earthquake, You did steady it (ibid.).

 

Through Your quickening, they inhabited it (Ps. 68:11): Your quickening them enabled the children of Israel to inhabit the Land. The end of the verse, You, O God, by saying it is well, did approve [the plea of] the poor (Ps. 68:11), refers to the occasion when They said unto Moses: “Speak you with us, and we will hear” (Ex. 20 :i6). Note that it is written in Deuteronomy of this occasion If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we will die ... Go you near and hear all that the Lord our God may speak to you (Deut. 5:22, 24). Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses: They have well said all that they have spoken (ibid. 5:25).

 

VI. The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it (Ps. 68:12). When the Holy One, blessed be He, whose name and whose might are to be praised, gave forth the divine word, the voice divided itself into seven voices, and from the seven voices passed into the seventy languages of the seventy nations, so that all men understood it. Hence it is said Great was the company of those that published it.

 

Another comment on The Lord gave the word. The divine word came forth out of the mouth of the Almighty, and Moses and Aaron published it to the great company, that is, to the congregation of Israel.

 

VII. Hosts of angels did move them, did move them (Ps. 68:13). These words are to be read in the light of what Scripture says elsewhere: And when the people saw it, they were removed, so that they stood afar off (Ex. 20:15); afar off implies that they were removed to a distance of twelve mil from the mountain. This verse intimates that the children of Israel recoiled a distance of twelve mil and returned a distance of twelve mil — twenty-four mil at each Commandment. Thus the children of Israel went back and forth two hundred and forty mil on that day.

 

And on that day the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the ministering angels: “Go down and help your brothers,” for it is said Hosts of angels did move them, did move them— that is, moved them at the going away from the mountain and moved them at the coming back.

 

R. Judah bar Ilai taught: Because the children of Israel were scorched by flames of fire from above, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the clouds of glory: Distill the dew of life for My children. Hence it is said A bountiful rain You did pour out, O God (Ps. 68:10). The end of the verse, After Your inheritance had been weary, You did steady it, means that after the children of Israel had been refreshed, at once they received the Torah, as is said The beauty of the house You did divide as spoil (Ps. 68:13).

 

VIII. If you have lain in dunghills (Ps. 68:14). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the nations: If you sprawl among the dung-hills of your circuses and theatres, then the congregation of Israel, dove-like, shall receive the Torah, as is said The wings of a dove shall be covered with silver (ibid).

 

Why are the children of Israel called dove-like? To tell you that as a dove does not struggle when it is killed, so the children of Israel do not struggle when they are killed for the hallowing of the Name; and that as a dove can save itself only by its wings, so the children of Israel can save themselves only by means of Torah, which is likened to silver in the verse The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in the open before all men, refined seven times (Ps. 12:7). In the end of the verse, And her pinions with the shimmer of gold (Ps. 68:14), gold refers to the collections of Mishnah and the treatises of the Talmud.

 

IX. When kings expound, the Almighty is within it (Ps. 68:15): when Israel engages continually in the study of Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes His presence dwell within Israel. You will make Zalmon as white as snow (ibid.): even if the interpretation of a law be obscured from Israel as if by a shadow (zalmiq), the Holy One, blessed be He, makes it white as snow and clarifies it for them.

 

Whence do we know that the disciples of the wise are called kings? Because it is said By me kings reign and princes decree justice (Prov. 8:15).

 

A mountain of God, the mountain of Bashan. A mountain of peaks, the mountain of Bashan (Ps. 68:16). R. Nathan taught: When the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to give the Torah to the children of Israel, Carmel came from Aspamea and Tabor came from Beth-elim. Later revelation refers to their coming in the verse As I live, says the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, surely like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come (Jer. 46:38). The one said: “I am called Mount Tabor. It is fitting that the Presence should rest upon me, for I am the highest of all the mountains, and not even the water of the deluge overwhelmed me.” And the other said: “I am called Mount Carmel. It is fitting that the Presence should rest upon me, for I put myself in the middle of the Red Sea, and it was by my help that the children f Israel got across.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: “By the blemish of arrogance in you, you have already made yourselves unworthy of My presence. Each of you is unworthy of My presence.” The mountains asked: “Art You partial to another? Is it possible that You will deprive us of our due?” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: “Because you put yourselves to trouble for My honor, I will give you a reward. Behold, in the time of Deborah I will give deliverance to the children of Israel upon Mount Tabor, as is said Go and draw toward Mount Tabor (Judg. 4:6); and also I will give deliverance to Elijah upon Mount Carmel, as is said Ahab ... gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20).”

 

All the other mountains then began to thunder protests and to make a commotion, as is said The mountains quaked in [contesting for] the presence of the Lord (Judg. 5:5). Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, asked: Why do you look askance (térassédun)? (Ps. 68:17). (That is, why do you wish [tirélsu] to contend [dun] with Sinai?) Ye are all peak-backed mountains (ibid.)! Here “peak-backed” has the sense of “blemished,” as in the verse “He that hath a blemish ... shall not approach a man that is ... peak-backed” (Lev. 21:18-20).

 

At the mountain which God has desired for His abode (Ps. 68:17). God said: “My wish is to dwell only on Sinai because Sinai is the lowliest of all of you,” for, as Scripture says, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and lowly spirit (Isa. 57:15), and also For though the Lord be high, yet He regards He the lowly, and the haughty He knows from afar (Ps. 138:6). Lest it be thought, however, that God has dwelt upon Sinai for all the generations since, the verse ends by saying But the Lord will dwell in eternity (Ps. 68:17)—that is, God returned His presence to heaven.

 

Whence did Sinai come? R. Jose taught: Out of Mount Moriah, out of the place where our father Isaac had been bound as a sacrifice, Sinai plucked itself as a priest’s portion is plucked out of the bread. For the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Since their father Isaac was bound upon this place, it is fitting that his children receive the Torah upon it.

 

And whence do we know that Mount Moriah will be restored to its pre-eminence? Because it is said The mountain of the Lord’s house will be established as the top of the mountains (Isa. 2:2), mountains referring to Tabor, Carmel, Sinai, and Zion. The mountains (heharim), however, implies five mountains, equaling in number the five books of the Torah.

 

X. The chariots of God: two myriads, thousands of angels (Ps. 68:18). R. Abdimi of Haifa said: In the course of my study I learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, came down upon Mount Sinai, and with Him were twenty-two thousand chariots of ministering angels.

 

R. Berechiah said: Their number equaled the number of Levites in the camp of the tribe. For the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that at the making of the golden calf, they in the camp of Levi would abide in their limpid integrity, as is said All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him (Ex. 32:26). Accordingly, down from the camp of the Holy One, blessed be He, came twenty-two thousand chariots, equaling in number the Levites in the camp of the tribe.

 

Another interpretation of The chariots of God: Twenty-two thousand chariots came down with the Holy One, blessed be He, and every chariot was like the chariot which Ezekiel the son of Buzi saw.

 

In the name of a company of scholars that came up from Babylonia, it is reported that there were forty-two thousand chariots, for the verse ends by saying The Lord is among them (bm) as in Sinai, in the holy place (ibid.), and the numerical value of the letters bm is forty-two? So also taught Elijah, ever remembered on good occasions.

 

In a different reading of the verse, namely, The chariots of God are myriads, even thousands of angels (Ps. 68:17), R. Tanhum bar Ilanilai said: There were as many chariots as only an accountant can imagine—a thousand thousands of thousands, and myriads of myriads.

 

On another reading of the verse, namely, The chariots of God are myriads, even thousands of sharp-visaged ones, R. Eleazar ben Pedath commented: All of them came down sharply intent on destroying the world, if the children of Israel did not accept the Torah.

 

But, according to R. Levi, the children of Israel had seen the countenance of the Holy One, blessed be He, and if a man has seen the countenance of the Holy One, blessed be He, he cannot die, as is said In the light of the King’s countenance is life (Prov. 16:15).

 

The Lord is in them (Ps. 68:17). R. Simeon ben Lakish said: There is a tablet [with El upon it] over the heart of every angel such as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Anael, and in this way the Holy One, blessed be He, is in them, as is said The Lord is in them. The end of the verse, even as Sinai is upon holiness (ibid.), means that though the Holy One, blessed be He, seemed to be coming down upon Mount Sinai, for it is said And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:20), in truth, Sinai hung upon God, as is said The Lord is among them, even as Sinai is upon holiness.

 

XI. You have gone up on high, you have led captivity captive; you have received gifts for men (Ps. 68:19). These words are to be read in the light of what Scripture says elsewhere: A wise man goes up to the city of the mighty, and brings down the strength wherein it trusts (Prov. 21 :22). This wise man is Moses, of whom it is said “And Moses went up unto God” (Ex. 19:3); the words you have received gifts for men refer to the Torah which was bestowed upon Israel as a gift, at no cost. The words The rebellious dwell but in a parched land (Ps. 68:7) refer to the nations of the earth who were unwilling to accept the Torah; on the other hand, in the words Yes, among the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them (ibid. 68:19), among the rebellious refers to the children of Israel who had also been rebellious, but among whom, the presence of God came to dwell after they accepted the Torah.

 

XII. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loaded us with benefits (Ps. 68:20)—He who daily put more and more precepts and laws upon the children of Israel. God is unto us a God of deliverances (Ps. 68:21): Deliverances refers to the way of life which He gave to us and to our children. Also unto God the Lord belong the issues of death (ibid.), that is, belongs the way of death, as it is said See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil (Deut. 30:15).

 

Surely God will break the head of His enemies (Ps. 68:22). Here the Psalmist refers again to the enemies of God and to the enslavement in Egypt, which are also referred to in such verses as You did break the sea in pieces by Your strength; You did break the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters (Ps. 74:13), and in You break the head out of the house of the wicked/lawless (Hab. 3:13), where head refers to Pharaoh and his host.

 

XIII. The Lord said: “I will bring again from Bashan” (Ps. 68:23)—that is, bring those whom wild beasts devoured; “I will bring My people again from the depths of the sea” (ibid.)—that is, bring those who were drowned in the depths for the hallowing of the Name. [Or, reading the end of the verse, I will bring them again from the depths of the sea, and taking the word them to refer to the enemies of Israel, the verse means that] even as the Holy One, blessed be He, requited Og, the king of Bashan, and requited Pharaoh and the Egyptians at the Red Sea, so will the Holy One, blessed be He, requite the mighty men of wicked Edom. What is meant by the words I will bring them again? They mean: “Upon them, as upon Og and Pharaoh, it is in My power to bring requital.”

 

That Your foot may be red in the blood of Your enemies (Ps. 68:24): in the wars against Gog and Magog. Or, in the war against Edom, of which it is said “Who is this that comes from Edom ... Wherefore are You red in Your apparel, and Your garments like him that treads in the wine-vat?” (Isa. 63:1, 2). The end of the verse, and the tongue of your dogs in the same (Ps. 68:24), means that the beasts of the field will be invited to the feast, for it is said “Come, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour” (Jer. 12:9), and also “Every beast of the forest” (Ps. 50:10).

 

They have seen Your goings, O God (Ps. 68:25), Your goings at the Red Sea; even the goings of the God my King in holiness (ibid.) upon Mount Sinai.

 

The singers went before (Ps. 68:26), as it is said “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel” (Ex. 15:1); and The players on instruments followed after, among them were the damsels playing with timbrels (ibid.): “And Miriam the prophetess took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances” (Ex. 15:20).

 

XIV. Bless God in full assemblies, even the Lord, you that are the fountain of Israel (Ps. 68:26): full assemblies includes children, and the fountain of Israel refers to embryos in the wombs of their mothers. This verse teaches that every child and every embryo pointed their fingers over against the Presence and said: This is my God, and I will glorify Him (Ex. 15:2).

 

There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them (rodem) (Ps. 68:28). R. Meir taught: When the tribes stood at the sea, one said: “I shall go down first,” and another said: “I shall go down first.” As they stood there defying one another, the tribe of Benjamin jumped first into the sea, as is said There is Benjamin, the youngest, rodem. Do not read rodem, but rd ym, meaning “braved (rd) the sea (ym).”

 

Thereupon the princes of Judah began to pelt the tribe of Benjamin with stones, as is said The princes of Judah stoned them (Ps. 68:28). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: “My children, because each of you intended an act of piety in Mine honor, therefore I will not withhold your reward.” Thus it is said of the tribe of Benjamin The beloved—with him the Lord will dwell in secure habitation (Deut. 33:12), and also Benjamin will raven as a wolf (Gen. 49 :27), that is, the tribe of Benjamin was thought worthy of having the presence of God dwell in its part of the land. And as for the tribe of Judah, it was thought worthy of royalty, for in the verse The princes of Judah, theirs is the purple (Ps. 68:28), purple implies that the princes of Judah were thought worthy of wearing purple, the symbol of royalty, as Scripture says, Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple (Dan. 5:29).

 

The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali (Ps. 68:28). The verse teaches that on account of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, miracles were wrought for Israel at the Red Sea, and so, too, on account of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, miracles were wrought for Israel in the time of Deborah and Barak. For it is said And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali (Judg. 4:6), and also Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, and Naphiali, upon the high places of the field (ibid. 5:18).

 

XV. Your God has commanded Your strength (Ps. 68:29). The congregation of Israel said: Master of the universe, command the deliverances of Your people, and give strength to Your Messiah, as is written He will give strength unto His king, and exalt the horn of His Messiah (1 Sam. 2:10).

 

Out of Your Temple at Jerusalem, where kings will bring presents unto You (Ps. 68:30). When will kings bring presents unto You? When the kingdom of Edom is destroyed.

 

Rebuke the wild beast of the reed (Ps. 68:31a), that is, rebuke wicked/lawless Edom whose decrees, all done with [an undeviating] reed, impose only persecution upon the children of Israel and command them to worship idols.

 

The multitude of bulls, with the calves of the people, everyone submitting himself with pieces of silver (Ps. 68:31 b-c) What does this verse say that the children of Israel must do? They must open their palms to the Romans and appease them with money, as is said Every one submitting himself with pieces of silver. Therefore Scatter  the people that delight in war (ibid.).

 

Because of Your Temple at Jerusalem will kings bring presents unto You ... hasmannim will come out of Egypt (Ps. 68:30,32). Choice flocks will be brought out of Egypt as presents to be offered upon Your altar, as is said All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together unto You (Isa. 60:7). Ethiopia will hasten to stretch out her hands unto God (Ps. 68:32b); that is, with a stretching out of the hand sacrifices will be offered to God, and thereupon it will be said Sing unto God, you kingdoms of the earth (Ps. 68:33a).

 

A different interpretation: In haste will gifts (hasmannim) be brought to You out of Egypt (Ps. 68:31). Here hasmannim is taken as made up of manim, ‘minas’ and of halut, “haste”: Thus in haste and with zeal shall presents weighty as minas be brought out of Egypt, as it is said Kings shall bring presents unto You (Ps. 68:30). And in the words Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God (ibid. 68:31), shall soon stretch out has the sense of “shall carry quickly,” as in the verse They carried them quickly (2 Chron. 35:13).

 

Another interpretation: Ready-hasting (hasmannim) they shall come out of Egypt. Here hasmannim is taken as made up of haEm, “they that are in haste” and of mèmunnim, “they that are ready”: Thus they shall come in haste, ready to be proselytes. So, too, the end of the verse implies that Ethiopia shall hasten and run to reach out her hands toward God.

 

Or, the letter het being interchangeable with the letter ‘alef, hasmannim may be equated with ‘asmannim, “men burnished by the sun,” and thus means “black people,” referring to the verse The sons of Ham: Ethiopia and Egypt (Gen. 10:6).

 

 

 

Ashlamatah: Jer. 31:32-39 + 32:40-41

 

32 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD, I will put My law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people;

33 and they will teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying: 'Know the LORD'; for they will all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more. {S}

 

34 Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea, that the waves thereof roar, the LORD of hosts is His name:

35 If these ordinances depart from before Me, says the LORD, then the seed of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever. {S}

 

36 Thus says the LORD: If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then will I also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD. {S}

 

37 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that the city will be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananel unto the gate of the corner.

38 And the measuring line will yet go out straight forward unto the hill Gareb, and will turn about unto Goah.

39 And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, will be holy unto the LORD; it will not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever. {P}

 

 

40 and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put My fear in their hearts, that they will not depart from Me.

41 Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land in truth with My whole heart and with My whole soul. {S}

 

 

 

Midrash of Matityahu  (Matthew)  11:25-30

 

25.   ¶ At that season Yeshuah raised himself up and said: ‘Here am I. Be praised my Father, G-d of the heavens and the land, because You have hidden these words for the Sages and intellectuals but makes them known to little ones [to the humble].

26.   Amen, my Father, such is Your gracious will.

27.   Every word delivered to me is from my Father. Absolutely no man is an intimate of the son except he also be an intimate of the Father. The Father is intimate with absolutely no man except the son.

28.   Come to me, all you who are weary and are heavy-laden, and I will help you to bear your yoke.

29.   Take my yoke as your yoke and learn from me that I am humble and good and pure of heart, “and you will find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16),

30.   because my yoke is soft and my burden is light.

 

 

 

The Rabbi’s Private Prophetic Study

 

What a most wonderful set of readings we are presented with for this Shabbat. On the one hand we have the Torah Seder whose central theme is about the response to gratitude is manifested amongst other things in great generosity of heart and soul [For more elucidation on this topic, and how justification or G-d’s justice gushes forth into great generosity see: http://www.betemunah.org/justification.html as well as http://www.betemunah.org/giver.html].

 

Messiah King David looks at our Torah Seder and picks on the mountain where G-d revealed Himself to Israel and to Mosheh Rabbenu in a more intimate manner. Har (Mount) Sinai is described a “lowly and humble” and that is why it was chosen as the place in which G-d would reveal His will to His people. This theme, as always is picked up by Matityahu (remember that both Messiah King David and Matityahu are Midrash experts, and it is no coincidence that quite a number of time their thoughts are purposefully coincidental since their aim is to reveal the Messiah in the Torah). This subject is alluded to in Matityahu 11:25-26 – “You have hidden these words for the Sages and intellectuals but makes them known to little ones [to the humble]. Amen, my Father, such is Your gracious will.” Then the prophet Jeremiah who is commenting altogether from a different perspective brings to the forefront the future “New Covenant” which will be introduced at the second coming of the Messiah.

 

The pronouncement from the Prophet Jeremiah begs the question: What is relationship of the “New Covenant” to the present Torah Seder of Sh’mot (Exodus) 34:27 – 35:29? And to further complicate matters you may also be asking yourself, why did I say that the “New Covenant” is not now with us, but will be introduced at the second coming of the Messiah?

 

With regards to the first question, the answer is to be found in the words opening our Torah Seder – “כְּתָב-לְךָ” – “Write for yourself.” This same verb is used in Jeremiah 31:32 – “and in their heart will I write it.” The Sages advance the proposition that the second writing (the one in the heart/mind) is the writing of the Oral Torah which Mosheh Rabbenu received during the 40 days and nights before the Presence of Ha-Shem, most blessed be He, at Mount Sinai. The aftermath of this writing of the Oral Torah in the heart of Mosheh Rabbenu was that his face radiated light. Regarding Moses and his luminous face after spending forty days and nights before the Prence of G-d at Mount Sinai please see: http://www.betemunah.org/eschatol.html.

 

So, based upon this understanding, one enters into the New Covenant by writing the Oral Torah in one’s heart and mind. The more one’s will is subjected to G-d’s will by this writing of the Oral Law upon our consciences the more one has entered into the delights and rewards of the New Covenant. Whilst it is true that the fullness of the New Covenant can only be apprehended after the coming of the Messiah, nevertheless by internalizing the Oral Torah one can partake of a foretaste of the New Covenant.

 

This of course has great significance when we try to understand the full meaning of the Aaronic blessing His face shine upon you– “may He make His face shine upon you”!  I.e. May G-d write His Oral Torah on the tables of your heart and mind!

 

With regards to the second question please see: http://www.betemunah.org/reasons.html as well as the wonderful article: http://www.betemunah.org/gen-jew.html. But briefly, let me point out the following facts:

 

1.       The “New Covenant” is made by G-d with the house of Israel – “But this is the covenant that I (G-d) will make with the house of Israel” (Jer. 31:32), and not by the Rabbi from Nazareth with the Gentiles!

 

2.       The church and Xtianity are not the house of Israel, nor can they ever be, unless they accept unconditionally and fully the rule of the tribe of Yehudah upon themselves as outlined by our Sages.

 

3.       We have no doubt whatsoever that in the Church and amongst Xtians there are many who know or are in ignorance of the fact that they are either descendants from Yehudah or from the lost Tribes of Israel. However, this in no way makes the Church or Xtianity Jewish or the New Israel! Those that believe that Xtianity is the “New Israel” are simply mouthpieces of demons and satanic influences.

 

4.       That no Israelite has ever been given authority from G-d, most blessed be He, to do away with or dispute the validity of the laws issued by the tribe of Yehudah or Levi as it is written: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the lawmaker from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and the obedience of the peoples to him” (Genesis 49:10); and it is further said: “For the lips of the priest must guard knowledge, and they must seek the Law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of Ha-Shem of Hosts” (Malachi 2:7). Therefore, G-d has made it perfectly clear, that no Xtian or Israelite has any right to even disagree with what the Sages from the tribes of Judah or Levi teach and adjudicate. Israel is about a Theocracy not a demon-ocracy where everyone has his say!

 

5.       It is fashionable for some to claim to be Israelites or Messianic, and this is not wrong in itself, as long as they teach the Torah as taught by the Sages of Judah and Levi. If they teach that the Sages of present day Judah and Levi are wrong, then they are not sent by G-d, but are sent by their own egos who seek money, fame, and power. To these, the Master of Nazareth teaches this week: “Take my yoke as your yoke and learn from me that I am humble and good and pure of heart” Matityahu 11:29).

 

6.       That even when it may not appear to be so, and to the chagrin of many who consider themselves scholars, all the laws and rulings of the Sages of present day Yehudah emanate and are guided by the Messiah of Israel from above, as it is written: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the lawmaker from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and the obedience of the peoples to him” (Genesis 49:10), and it is also stated: “And Yeshuah came to them and said to them, the “Authority and glory, and a kingdom has been given unto me in [the] heavens and on earth” (Daniel 7:14). Therefore, as you go Talmudize (make Talmidim that follow the dictates of the Talmud from) all the Gentiles, immersing them onto the authority of the Father (G-d the Creator) and of the Son (the King of Israel and the people of Israel) and of the Holy Spirit (the Jewish Bate Din) teaching them to observe all the commandments I commanded you: and behold, I am with you all the days, even unto the consummation of the age, Amen!” (Matityahu 28:18-20).

 

7.       Having said this, it is utterly impossible for the writings of the Nazarean Codicil to teach anything contrary to the teachings of the Sages of the tribe of Judah and Levi! If they do it is because either the text has been tampered with in its transmission, or the text has been mistranslated in order to placate powerful political and religious interests, or the reader is reading into those writings something that has been erroneously taught to him/her as infallible truth but is nevertheless no there in the text itself and was never the intention of the authors to say so.

 

The seven cannons have guided us well throughout our journey, and we have been blessed of Ha-Shem by faithfully adhering to them, and together they irrevocably prove that we are not living ate present under the “New Covenant” prophesied by Jeremiah, otherwise as the prophet states “and they will teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying: 'Know the LORD'; for they will all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:33) would be a reality amongst us today. The fact that to this day we need more than ever good teachers to teach us the Laws of G-d and how to establish them, and also we still have to deal with the issue of “sin” is proof positive that we are not living under the dispensation of the “New Covenant”!

 

May you and your loved ones together with all Yisrael, be privileged to partake of a great measure of the foretaste of the New Covenant, amen ve amen!

 

Shalom Shabbat!

 

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai