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

 

 

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times: https://www.chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.htm

 

Roll of Honor:

This Commentary comes out weekly and on the festivals thanks to the great generosity of:

His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David and beloved wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah

His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah

His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham

His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,

His Honor Paqid Adon Tzuriel ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Gibora bat Sarah

Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family

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His Excellency Adon Bill Haynes and beloved wife HE Giberet Diane Haynes

Her Excellency Giberet Krysta Wallrauch & beloved family

 

For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that GOD’s richest blessings be upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael and her Torah Scholars, amen ve amen!

 

Also, a great thank you and great blessings be upon all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Torah Seder and allied topics.

 

 

 

Blessings Before Torah Study

 

Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our GOD, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us through Your commandments, and commanded us to actively study Torah. Amen!

 

Please Ha-Shem, our GOD, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and our offspring's offspring, and all the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your delight. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amen!

 

Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our GOD, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations, and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!

 

Ha-Shem spoke to Moses, explaining a Commandment. "Speak to Aaron and his sons and teach them the following Commandment: This is how you should bless the Children of Israel. Say to the Children of Israel:

 

May Ha-Shem bless you and keep watch over you; - Amen!

May Ha-Shem make His Presence enlighten you, and may He be kind to you; - Amen!

May Ha-Shem bestow favor on you and grant you peace. – Amen!

 

This way, the priests will link My Name with the Israelites, and I will bless them."

 

These are the Laws for which the Torah did not mandate specific amounts: How much growing produce must be left in the corner of the field for the poor; how much of the first fruits must be offered at the Holy Temple; how much one must bring as an offering when one visits the Holy Temple three times a year; how much one must do when performing acts of kindness; and there is no maximum amount of Torah that a person must study.

 

These are the Laws whose benefits a person can often enjoy even in this world, even though the primary reward is in the Next World: They are: Honoring one's father and mother; doing acts of kindness; early attendance at the place of Torah study -- morning and night; showing hospitality to guests; visiting the sick; providing for the financial needs of a bride; escorting the dead; being very engrossed in prayer; bringing peace between two people, and between husband and wife; but the study of Torah is as great as all of them together. Amen!

 

A Prayer for Israel

 

Our Father in Heaven, Rock, and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the first manifestation of the approach of our redemption. Shield it with Your lovingkindness, envelop it in Your peace, and bestow Your light and truth upon its leaders, ministers, and advisors, and grace them with Your good counsel. Strengthen the hands of those who defend our holy land, grant them deliverance, and adorn them in a mantle of victory. Ordain peace in the land and grant its inhabitants eternal happiness.

 

Lead them, swiftly and upright, to Your city Zion and to Jerusalem, the abode of Your Name, as is written in the Torah of Your servant Moses: “Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you. And the Lord your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it, and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers.” Draw our hearts together to revere and venerate Your name and to observe all the precepts of Your Torah, and send us quickly the Messiah son of David, agent of Your vindication, to redeem those who await Your deliverance.

We pray for his Honor Adon Tzuriel ben Avraham. Mi Sheberach…He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, may He bless and heal His Honor Paqid Tzuriel ben Avraham, May the Holy One, Blessed is He, be filled with compassion for him to restore his health, to heal him, to strengthen him, and to revivify him. And may He send him speedily a complete recovery from heaven, among the other sick people of Yisrael, a recovery of the body and a recovery of the spirit, swiftly and soon, and we will say amen ve amen!

 

Shabbat: “Za, Meen Hataevah” “Go from the Ark”

 

 

Contents of Week’s Torah Seder

 

·        Leaving the Ark and Building an Altar – Gen. 8:15-22

·        The Covenant with Noah and the Seven Laws of Noah – Gen. 9:1-17

 

Reading Assignment:

 

 

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan for: Bereshit (Genesis) 8:15 – 9:17

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for: Bereshit (Genesis) 8:15 – 9:17

 

16 you and your wife, etc. A man and his wife. Here He permitted them to engage in marital relations. See above 6:18, 7:7.

 

17 bring out It is written הוֹצֵא , but it is read הַיְצֵא .הַיְצֵא means: tell them that they should come out. הוֹצֵא means: if they do not wish to come out, you take them out. - [from Gen. Rabbah 34:8]

 

and they shall swarm upon the earth But not in the ark. This tells us that even the animals and the fowl were prohibited from mating. - [from Gen. Rabbah ad loc.]

 

19 according to their families They accepted upon themselves the condition that they cleave to their own species.

 

20 of all the clean animals He said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, commanded me to take in seven pairs of these only in order to offer up a sacrifice from them.”- [from Tan. Vayakhel 6, Gen. Rabbah 34:9]

 

21 from his youth This is written: מִנְעֻרָיו [i.e., without a “vav”] [implying that] from the time that he [the embryo] shakes himself [ נִנְעָר ] to emerge from his mother’s womb, the evil inclination is placed in him. - [from Gen. Rabbah 34:10]

 

I will no longer...and I will no longer He repeated the words to denote an oath. That is what is written (Isa. 54:9): “That I swore that the waters of Noah shall never again pass over the earth,” and we do not find an oath concerning this matter except in this [statement, in] which He repeated His words, and this [repetition denotes that it] is an oath. So did our Sages expound in Tractate Shevuoth (36a).

 

22 So long as the earth exists… shall not cease Each of these six seasons has two months, as we learned: Half of Tishri, Marcheshvan, and half of Kislev are “seedtime.” Half of Kislev, Teveth, and half of Shevat are the “cold” season, etc. in B.M. (106b). (Other editions add:

 

So long as the earth exists Heb. עֽד means “always”, like (Num. 19:13): “his uncleanness is permanently (עוֹד) upon him.”

 

cold is more severe than winter.

 

winter Heb. חֽרֶף , the time for sowing barley and beans, which are early (חֲרִיפִין) to ripen quickly. The cold period is half of Shevat, Adar, and half of Nissan.

 

Summer - קַיִץ This is half of Sivan, Tamuz, and half of Av, which is the time of the gathering of the figs and the time when they dry them in the fields, and it (the dried fig) is קַיִץ , as (II Sam. 16:2): “the bread and the dried fruits (וְהַקַיִץ) for the young men to eat.”

 

heat That is the end of the sunny season, half of Av, Elul, and half of Tishri, when the world is hottest, as we find in Tractate Yoma (29a): The end of the summer is more severe than the summer.

 

and day and night shall not cease From here we deduce that they ceased for the duration of the Flood: the planets did not function, and day was indistinguishable from night. - [from Gen. Rabbah 25:2, 34:11]

 

shall not cease All these shall not cease to perform according to their natural course.

 

Chapter 9

 

1 and your dread Heb. וְחִתְּכֶם , means “your fear,” like (Job 6:21): “You see terror (חַתַת) .” According to the Aggadah (Shab. 151b), however, it is an expression of life (חַיוּת) , for as long as an infant [even] one day old is alive, there is no need to guard him from mice, but if Og, the king of Bashan is dead, he must be guarded from mice, as it is said: “And your fear and your life shall be.” When will your fear be upon the creatures? As long as you are alive.

 

3 shall be yours to eat -(Sanhedrin 59b) For I did not permit the first man [Adam] to eat meat, but only vegetation, but for you, just as the green vegetation which I permitted for the first man, I have given you everything.

 

4 flesh with its soul He prohibited them [to eat] a limb [cut off from] a living creature; i.e., as long as its soul is in it, you shall not eat the flesh. - [from Sanh. ad loc.] [i.e., if the limb is cut from the animal while it is alive, it is forbidden to be eaten even after the animal expires.]

 

with its soul, its blood As long as its soul is within it.

 

flesh with its soul...you shall not eat This refers to a limb of a living creature. And also, its blood, you shall not eat-This refers to blood of a living creature. - [from above source]

 

5 But your blood Even though I permitted you to take the life of animals, your blood I will demand of one who sheds his own blood [i.e., who commits suicide]. - [from Gen. Rabbah 34:13, B.K. 91b]

 

of your souls Also one who strangles himself, even though no blood issued from him. - [Gen. Rabbah ad loc.]

 

from the hand of every beast Since the Generation of the Flood had sinned, and they were abandoned as prey for the wild beasts, which would have power over them, as it is said (Ps. 49:13, 21): “he is compared to the silenced animals”; therefore, it was necessary to warn the beasts about them [not to kill them].-[from unknown midrashic sources]

 

and from the hand of man From the hand of one who kills intentionally, without witnesses, I will demand [his life]. Cf. Targum Jonathan, verse 6.

 

from the hand of each man, his brother From the hand of the one who loves him like a brother, and killed him unintentionally, I will demand [punishment], if he does not go into exile nor beg that his iniquity be forgiven. For even the inadvertent sinner requires atonement. If there are no witnesses to sentence him to exile, and he does not humble himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, will demand it of him, as our Rabbis expounded [on the verse] (Exod. 21:13): “And God placed him into his hand,” in Tractate Makkoth (10b): the Holy One, blessed be He, causes them to meet at the same inn, etc. [The passage reads: What is this verse speaking of? Of two men, each of whom had murdered a person; one had murdered intentionally and one had murdered unintentionally. This one had no witnesses, and that one had no witnesses. The Holy One, blessed be He, causes them to meet at the same inn; the one who murdered intentionally sits under a ladder, and the one who murdered unintentionally climbs down the ladder, and falls upon him, killing him. The one who murdered intentionally is killed, and the one who killed unintentionally is exiled.]

 

6 through man shall his blood be shed If there are witnesses, you kill him. Why? “For in the image of God, etc.”

 

He made man This is an elliptical verse. It should read: “the Maker made man,” and there are many such instances in Scripture.

 

7 And you, be fruitful and multiply- According to its simple meaning: the first [mention of this expression] (verse 1) was a blessing, and this [mention] is a commandment. According to its midrashic interpretation, [it is written here] to compare one who does not engage in propagation to one who sheds blood. - [from Yev. 63b]

 

9 And I, behold I Agree with you, for Noah was afraid to engage in propagation until the Holy One, blessed be He, promised him never to destroy the world again, and so He did. He ultimately said to him, “Behold I agree to make a confirmation and a strengthening of a covenant for My promise, and I will give you a sign.”- [from Tan. Buber, Noach 17]

 

10 and among all the beasts of the earth with you These are the ones that walk with people.

 

of all those who came out of the ark to include abominable creatures and creeping animals.

 

the living creatures of the earth to include the demons, which are not included in “every living creature that is with you,” for they do not walk with human beings.

 

11 And I will establish I will make a confirmation for My covenant, and what is its confirmation? The rainbow, as it [Scripture] proceeds to conclude. Note that the Oxford ms. and the Guadalajara ed. read: the sign of the rainbow. However, our edition coincides with other early editions.

 

12 for everlasting generations It [the word דֽרֽת ] is written defectively [without the letter “vav”] because there were generations that did not require the sign because they were completely righteous, such as the generation of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and the generation of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Gen. Rabbah 35:2).

 

14 when I cause clouds to come when it comes to My mind to bring darkness and destruction to the world. - [from Gen. Rabbah 35:3]

 

16 between God and between every living creature Between the Standard of Justice of Heaven and between you, for it should have stated, “Between Me and every living creature!” But the following is its midrashic interpretation: When the standard of justice comes to accuse you (to condemn you), I will see the aforementioned sign. - [Gen. Rabbah 35:3] Other editions read: I will see the sign, and it will be remembered.

 

 

 

The seven Noachide laws:

 

1. Murder is forbidden.

2. Theft is forbidden.

3. Incestuous and adulterous relations are forbidden.

4. Eating the flesh of a living animal is forbidden.

5. Idolatry is forbidden.

6. Cursing the name of HaShem is forbidden (Blasphemy).

7. Mankind is commanded to establish courts of justice (Judiciary).

 

His Eminence Dayan Dr. Isidor Grunfeld,^[1] explains how these laws are derived:

 

In order to understand how the Talmud^[2] derives the Seven Laws of Noach from the verse preceding the commandment not to eat of the Tree of Good and Evil, we must have the full Hebrew Scriptural text and its translation in front of us:

 

וַיְצַו יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים, עַל-הָאָדָם לֵאמֹר:  מִכֹּל עֵץ-הַגָּן, אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל וּמֵעֵץ, הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע--לֹא תֹאכַל, מִמֶּנּוּ:  כִּי, בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ--מוֹת תָּמוּת. – “And HaShem God commanded the man, saying: ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will not eat of it; for in the day that you eat thereof you will surely die’” (Gen. 2:16-17).

 

This is the Talmudical explanation of the first of the two verses –Vay’tsav –הדינין אלו - ויצו ­ “And God commanded”: This refers to the administration of justice which is one of the general laws of morality to be observed by the whole of mankind.

 

Adonai ה׳ ברכת זו - ה׳ -The law was given to man in the name of God (HaShem) and man has a duty to keep the name of God holy. This implies the prohibition of blasphemy.

 

Elohim זרה עבודה זו - א׳ – God (Elohim) is not only the Creator of the Universe but also the universal Lawgiver, which is implied in the name א׳. Thereby the deification of any other being is automatically denied and forbidden as idol worship.

 

Al HaAdam דמים שפיכות זו - על-האדם - Human life is holy, as man was created in the image of God. Every human person is of irreplaceable value and the taking of human life is therefore a capital crime and a destruction of a micro-cosmos.

 

Lemor עריות גלוי זו - לאמר - The handing down of God's commandments from generation to generation presupposes an ordered family life which can only be guaranteed by the purity of sexual morals. The word לאמר - which means handing down – therefore includes the prohibition of adultery.

 

MiKol Etz HaGan גזל ולו - מכל עץ-הגן - Man was only to eat from what was his property given to him by God. The words מכל עץ-הגן exclude therefore theft and robbery.

 

Akol Tokel - החי מן אבר ולו - אכל תאכל - Man's food must be such that it prevents base animal substances and instincts from being introduced into the human body. This refers especially to

Nefesh Behemah ­ the animal soul -which can never be assimilated to the human soul, whereas animal flesh can be assimilated to human flesh. First, however, the animal life must have departed before man is allowed to consume any part of the animal. Apart from this it would be most inhuman and barbaric to tear off part of a living creature for human consumption. The words אכל תאכל exclude therefore Eber Min HaChai - the cutting off for food of a part of a living animal.

 

Rabbi Yochanan furnishes a source for all of the seven Noachide laws from our seder this week:

 

1. Murder is forbidden.

2. Theft is forbidden.

3. Incestuous and adulterous relations are forbidden.

4. Eating the flesh of a living animal is forbidden.

5. Idolatry is forbidden.

6. Cursing the name of HaShem is forbidden (Blasphemy).

7. Mankind is commanded to establish courts of justice (Judiciary).

 

Sanhedrin 59a From whence are these seven things derived?  Said Rabbi Yochanan: the text states that "God Lord commanded the earthling saying: you may surely eat from all of the trees of the garden…".^[3] 

 

The words "(He) commanded" refer to providing for a judiciary, as the verse states: "I know him that he will command his descendents and his household after him to observe the ways of God and to do that which is righteous and just…".^[4] 

 

The word "God" refers to the prohibition of blasphemy, as the verse states: "He that blasphemes the name of God shall surely be put to death".^[5] 

 

The word "Elohim" refers to the prohibition of idolatry, as the verse states: "You shall not have other elohim before Me…".^[6]

 

The words "the earthling" ("haAdam") refer to the prohibition of murder, as the verse states: "He that sheds the blood of a person ("haadam") shall have his own blood shed by other people…".^[7] 

 

The word "saying" refers to the prohibition of adultery and incest, as the verse states: "Saying: behold if a man sends forth his wife and she becomes married to another man, shall she then return to her first husband?  Shall not that land become defiled?".^[8] 

 

The words "from all of the trees of the garden" imply the prohibition of theft. 

 

The words "you shall surely eat" refer to the prohibition of eating a limb torn from a living creature.

 

The Seven Laws

 

The Seven Noachide laws are all prohibitory, with the possible exception of the injunction to establish courts of justice (which can be viewed as a prohibition against injustice).

 

Sanhedrin 56a-b Our Rabbis taught: seven precepts were the sons of Noach commanded: 1 social laws; to refrain from 2 blasphemy, 3 idolatry; 4 adultery; 5 bloodshed;6 robbery; and 7 eating flesh cut from a living animal.

 

R. Hanania b. Gamaliel said: Also not to partake of the blood drawn from a living animal. R. Hidka added emasculation. R. Simeon added sorcery. R. Jose said: The heathens were prohibited everything that is mentioned in the section on sorcery. viz., There shall not be found among you any one, that maketh his son or daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them [sc. the heathens in Canaan] out from before thee.1 Now, [the Almighty] does not punish without first prohibiting. R. Eleazar added the forbidden mixture [in plants and animals]: now, they are permitted to wear garments of mixed fabrics [of wool and linen] and sow diverse seeds together; they are forbidden only to hybridize heterogeneous animals and graft trees of different kinds.

 

Whence do we know this? — R. Johanan answered: The Writ saith: And the Lord God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. And [He] commanded, refers to [the observance of] social laws, and thus it is written, For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment. The Lord-is [a prohibition against] blasphemy, and thus it is written, and he that blasphemest the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death. God-is [an injunction against] idolatry, and thus it is written, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. The man-refers to bloodshed [murder], and thus it is written, Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. Saying-refers to adultery, and thus it is written, They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and became another man's. Of every tree of the garden-but not of robbery. Thou mayest freely eat-but not flesh cut from a living animal.… Surely it has been taught: Just as the Israelites were ordered to set up law courts in every district and town, so were the sons of Noach likewise enjoined to set up law courts in every district and town!

 

Ketubim: Tehillim (Psalms) ‎6:1-11‎

 

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary on Tehillim (Psalms) 6:1-11

 

Meditation from the Psalms

Tehillim (Psalms) 6:1-11

By H. Em. Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David

 

David composed this psalm when bed-ridden with a terrible illness which enfeebled his entire body. Righteous man that he was he accepted his pains as a means to release his soul from the shackles of sin.

 

The Sheminit, the eight-stringed instrument which accompanied this psalm, relates to this theme.

 

Maharal and Hirsch discuss in many of their writings, the significance of the numbers six, seven, eight, and ten. 'Six' symbolizes the cube form covered from all sides, a three-dimensional unit, representing the total perfection of this physical world created in six days. 'Seven' always indicates the divine element connected, and connecting, with the physical world of creation, as we find on the Holy Sabbath, the seventh day. 'Eight', however, heralds release from this world, redemption from all bodily and moral ills, and resurrection from all physical decay. This is primarily the condition of the future, when Messiah will loosen the bonds which shackle us to this world. Similarly, circumcision is performed on the eighth day, teaching that a basic prerequisite for our covenant, our Brit, with HaShem is that we free ourselves from the fetters of the sensual world (symbolized by the ערלה, foreskin). The harp of ten strings, however, is reserved for the day when all of the world will unite into one harmonious whole.

 

David's choice of the Messianic Sheminit instrument to accompany this particular psalm denotes terrible anguish over his desecration of his Brit-Covenant with HaShem because of sin. He yearns to achieve a self-discipline of Messianic proportions, thereby liberating himself from the lusts and desires which drew him to sin.

 

Radak explains that David did not dedicate this psalm to himself alone; he meant it to be a prayer for every person in distress, particularly for Israel when sick and oppressed in exile.

 

Indeed, David's intention was fulfilled, for this psalm has been incorporated into our daily prayers^[9] as תחנון, 'Tachanun' a plea for forgiveness and mercy.^[10] This sad, depressing psalm is a part of our daily prayers, but it is omitted on any day when we have even a minor celebration.^[11]

 

As we mentioned earlier, David was sick when he composed this psalm. The Midrash enlightens us on this subject:

 

Aggadat Bereshit 38 Our Rabbis said: “David was sick and bedridden for thirteen years.  They would change his mattress seven times a day, because of wetness, as it is stated: ‘I am weary with my groaning; all the night I make my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears’.^[12]  These are the thirteen years during which he suffered affliction, because of that act that he had committed^[13], and all his enemies would say: ‘When will he die [already]?’  As it is stated: ‘My enemies speak evil of me: “When shall he die, and his name perish?” ‘.^[14]  Finally, he asked for mercy from the Holy One, blessed be He; he said to him: ‘Master of the Universe, raise me up for the sake of the Temple that the prophet Shmuel passed down to me.  Please raise me up from this bed, so that I may complete the blueprints of the Temple.’  As it is stated: ‘O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may complete it for them’^[15] —’Raise me up from this illness and I will complete for them the blueprints of the Temple.’  Immediately, the Holy One, blessed be He, heard his prayer and he stood up from the bed.  As it is stated: ‘Then David the king stood up upon his feet’.^[16]  Now, where does a man stand if not upon his feet?  What is ‘upon his feet’?  Rather, he was cured and became healthy, and he stood on his feet after all those years, and he handed over to them the blueprints of the Temple; ‘All this is put in writing by the hand of the Lord who instructed me’.^[17]  Furthermore, it says: ‘Then David gave to Shlomo his son the pattern of the porch,’ and it says: ‘and the pattern of all that he had by the spirit’.

 

This psalm was meant to be played on a musical instrument called a Sheminit. This eight stringed instrument,^[18] used in messianic days, speaks to the meaning of the number eight and it’s application to King David as he was enduring this terrible illness as an atonement for his sins against his brit mila, his circumcision. Remember that brit mila is performed on the eighth day of a boy’s life. Consider that the number eight always alludes to a departure from the “natural” world, and entry into the supernatural world. Thus, we understand that this psalm teaches us how to rejoice while undergoing tremendous physical trials by helping us to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel, in the next world. The Talmud^[19] elaborates on the when we use the various stringed instruments:

 

Arachin 13b R. Judah said, the harp (kinnor) of the Sanctuary had seven cords, as it is written: In Thy presence is fitness [soba] of joy;^[20] read not, fullness [soba’], but seven [sheba]! The harp of the messianic days has eight cords, as it is said: For the leader on the Sheminith,^[21] [i.e., the eighth string]. The harp of the world to come has ten cords, as it is said: With an instrument (asor) of ten strings, and with the psaltery (nevel); with a solemn sound upon the harp.^[22] Furthermore, it is said: Give thanks unto the Lord with harp, sing praises unto Him with the psaltery of ten strings. Sing unto Him a new song; play skillfully midst shouts of joy.^[23] You could say also that [our Mishnah will be] in accord with R. Judah: Since, in the world to come, it will have more cords and its sound will be stronger, like that of a harp, he calls it ‘harp’.

 

In the septennial lectionary, we read this Torah portion, and psalm, on the Shabbat closest to when^[24] HaShem began drying up the waters of the flood, in the days of Noach. The flood waters had prevailed for 150 days.^[25] 

 

The verbal tally between the Torah and our psalm is: Return – שוב. This is the root of teshuva - תשובה, normally translated as “repent”. Those who repent will spend time with HaShem in the messianic millennium, the time of transition from this world to the next. In fact, one might say that repentance is the key to the messianic millennium. Now, eight is also that which connects our psalm to our Torah portion, as we can see from the Nazarean Codicil:

 

2 Tsefet (Peter) 2:4-5 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

 

I suppose that it is no coincidence that we are reading about Noach who was the eighth person, on a “cruise ship” containing eight people,^[26] which endured a flood which began, and ended, in the eighth month,^[27] while listening to a psalm played on an eight stringed instrument, in the eighth chapter of Bereshit. In the annual Torah cycle parashat Noach is read in the eighth month. In the septennial Torah cycle, seder Noach is read in the eighth month and in the second month.

 

Crying

 

In this psalm^[28] we see a copious amount of tears and crying. This is reflected in our Torah portion with the hot waters of the flood that surely was a bit salty. Lets explore tears and crying a little.

 

What is crying? Crying is the involuntary reaction to a process that has ceased. Crying is a normal human response to the sudden termination of a process that we wanted to continue. Our soul becomes confused by certain events. The soul expresses this confusion in the physical world with crying. We can see from the symptoms of crying, that everything about them spells confusion. The symptoms of crying are:

 

1. Water pouring from the eyes.
2. Blurred vision.
3. Slurred and incoherent speech.
4. Confused thoughts.

 

Water is a fluid that can dissolve anything. Water is often called the universal solvent.

 

On the land we have landmarks, but we have no such marking for our path on the sea. The waters of the tears are an indication that we have lost our path and that we no longer know which way to go; the pathway in no longer marked and clear. We are now sailing on the sea without a clear path.

 

When our body pulls us in one direction and our soul in another, when we have not been able to unite the two and express ourselves holistically, then we suffer. What are tears? Tears,דמעות  - dima’ot, come from a root, da’mai, denoting mixture and confusion. The Zohar observes that the Hebrew word for crying, בכי - bechi, is derived from the same root as nevucha, which means confusion. We see this confusion^[29] in:

 

Shemot (Exodus) 14:3 … They are confused (nevochim) in the land, the desert has closed them in.

 

The numerical value of bechi, weeping, is equal to that of lev, heart, which is thirty-two, because tears are meaningful when they are sincere expressions of the heart.

 

In Hebrew, the word for “tears” (דמעה - dima) is spelled the same way as the word “jumbled” (דמעה - dema).

 

The Talmud^[30] describes earthquakes as produced by two tears shed by HaShem into the Great Ocean over “His children dwelling in pain among the nations.” When the Jewish people are not living according to the Torah in their Land, the essential image of man is missing from the world, and the world therefore returns to the chaos and formlessness it had before creation. HaShem’s tears symbolize the chaos: His crying for a world without apparent order.

The ocean is a place of chaos, a place incapable of fulfilling the purpose for which HaShem formed the world, to be inhabited. The water filling the ocean is the paradigm of physicality; it has no shape of its own, but can only take on the shape of whatever container is found. This explains why the book of Revelation tells us that in the end there will be no more sea.^[31]

 

What is the mashal^[32] of crying?

 

The Gemara^[33] says that, although the gates of prayer may be closed, the gates of tears are never closed. Apparently there is a relationship between the two, although the tears may go further.

 

In his commentary on Bereshit (Genesis) 43:20, Rashi equated crying and beseeching. Thus we learn that the right kind of tears can be shed to beseech HaShem to hear our prayer.

 

The Talmud shows that tears are the source of the mitzva of shofar on Rosh Hashanah.

 

Eicha (Lamentations) 3:48-49 “My eye sheds streams of water at the shattering of my People. My eye will flow and will not cease, without relief, until HaShem looks down and takes notice from Heaven.”

 

The Tanach teaches a number of things with respect to tears; I will speak to four of them:

 

1 - Two closely related physiological acts emanate from different parts of the face. The act of weeping is associated with the mouth (the voice), as we see in Yirmeyahu 31:15, where the Prophet speaks encouragingly to our mother Rachel, “Keep your voice from weeping...”, but tears are associated with the eyes, “...and your eyes from tears”.^[34]

 

2 - Tears can be, and are, counted and preserved by HaShem – “collect my tears in Your flask...”,^[35] recited in the “Neilah” Prayer at the end of Yom Kippur.

 

3 – A reward is given for the shedding of tears:

 

Tehillim (Psalm) 126:5 “Those who sow with tears, will harvest with joy.”

 

4 – Ultimately, HaShem will wipe away all of our tears:

 

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 25:8 And the Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face.

 

Clearly our psalm is meant to be a prayer for all those in physical distress who yearn for the eighth millennium when we can, again, walk with HaShem in the garden, free of the distress of this body. Noach has his salty flood and King David had his salty flood.

 

The Talmud^[36] teaches that "Even when all the gates are closed, the gates of tears remain forever open."

 

Bava Metzia 59a Rabbi Elazar says: From the day the Temple was destroyed the gates of prayer have been locked, as the verse states, “though I cry and plead, He shut out my prayer”.^[37] But even though the gates of prayer are locked, the gates of tears are not locked, as the verse states, “Hear my prayer, G-d, give ear to my cry, do not remain silent to my tears”.^[38]

 

Those tears surely ascended to the highest of heavens and reached the throne of the Almighty Himself and surely, the Almighty gathered those precious drops and is preserving them to make a path for the coming of Mashiach.

 

Ashlamata: Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 42:7-15, 21

 

 

Rashi’s Commentary for Yeshayahu (Isaiah) ‎42:7-15, 21 ‎‎

 

7 To open blind eyes: who do not see My might, to take heart to return to Me.

            

to bring prisoners out of a dungeon: And because their eyes will be opened, the prisoners will come out of the dungeon. Another explanation: To inform them of the exile destined to befall them, out of which they will eventually come.

 

8 that is My Name: This is explained as an expression of Lordship and power. I must show that I am the Master. Therefore, My glory I will not give to another, that the heathens shall rule over My people forever and say that the hand of their God is powerful.

 

9 The former things: that I promised Abraham concerning the exile of Egypt (Gen. 15:14), “And also the nation etc.”

            

behold they have come to pass: I kept My promise, and now new things I tell My people, to promise them concerning a second exile.

 

10 His praise from the end of the earth: Perforce, when they see My mighty deeds for Israel, all the heathens (nations [Parshandatha, K’li Paz]) will admit that I am God.

            

those who go down to the sea: Those who embark in ships.

            

and those therein: Those whose permanent residence is in the sea and not in the islands, but in the midst of the water, they spill earth, each one of them, enough for a house, and go from house to house by boat, like the city of Venice. [As in Warsaw ed. and Parshandatha.]

 

11 The desert and its cities shall raise [their voice]: their voice in song.

            

Kedar shall be inhabited with villages: (Connected to “The desert… shall raise.” The desert of Kedar, where they now dwell in tents, shall raise their voice and sing. It is like: And the villages with which Kedar is settled.) The desert of Kedar, where they now dwell in tents, will be permanent cities and villages.

            

rock dwellers: The dead who will be resurrected. So did Jonathan render this.

            

from the mountain peaks they shall shout: From the mountain peaks they shall raise their voices [from Jonathan].

 

14 I was silent from time immemorial: Already for a long time I have been silent about the destruction of My Temple, and always…

            

I am still; I restrain Myself: This is present tense. Until now My spirit has constrained Me, and from now, like a travailing woman will I cry.

            

I will be terrified: Heb. אֶשֹּׁם, I will be terrified.

            

and destroy [them] together: And I will long to destroy everyone together, all My adversaries.

 

15 I will destroy mountains and hills: I will slay kings and rulers.

            

and all their grass: All their followers.

            

I will dry out: Heb. אוֹבִישׁ. This is an expression of drying, used in reference to wet things, e.g., grass and rivers.

 

21 The Lord desires: to show you and to open your ears for His righteousness’ sake; therefore, he magnifies and strengthens the Torah for you.

 

Commentary on the Ashlamatah of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 42:7-15, 21

By: H.Ex. Adon Shlomoh Ben Abraham

 

Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched them forth, He that spread forth the earth and that which cometh out of it, He that giveth breath[39] unto the people upon it, and spirit[40] to them that walk therein: I the Lord have called thee (you) in righteousness, and have taken hold of thy (your) hand, and kept thee (you), and set thee (you) for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nation.[41] (Isa.42:5-6) The opening verses of chapter 42 of Isaiah say, Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delighted; I have put My spirit upon him, he shall make the right to go forth to the nations.[42] He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. [43](42:1-2) The speaker throughout this first song is God. HaShem introduces his servant in language borrowed from the court. This is the way in which, on some solemn occasions, an emperor might have presented one of his vassal kings or a provincial governor to his nobles and legally defined the new official's duties and powers.[44]

 

Jewish commentators read Isaiah 42 as describing Israel as God’s servant, chosen to bring justice and divine teaching to the nations, “he is to bring forth truth to the nations”. The Lectionary reading of Genesis 8:15–9:17 describes God’s covenant with all creation after the Flood. When we read the Genesis reading together, with our Ashlamatah reading, the shared themes are covenant, divine mission, universal responsibility, and moral order. They are not identical in purpose, but they interlock and shall we say overlap. Genesis establishes a universal covenant, while Isaiah assigns Israel a covenantal role within that universal framework.  Rashi comments on (42:1) that the text is speaking of Israel as God’s servant — Chosen to manifest God’s justice and teaching among the nations. The operation will be of a Gentle justice — The servant brings mishpat (moral order) without violence or coercion.  This servant nation will be a Light to the nations. Israel’s role is educational and ethical, not imperial (Ibn Ezra on Isa. 42:6). The servant is given as a Covenant of the people — God appoints Israel as a berit am, a covenantal people whose mission is tied to God’s universal purposes.  These people (of Israel) are given as a covenant to the עַם ʿam (nations of the world), who are the servant nation of Israel.[45] Could this servant identity be understood in different ways? Yes, I think so, as we shall learn. The servant will stand in Opposition to idolatry — Isaiah 42:8–9 emphasizes God’s (HaShem’s) uniqueness and the reliability of His promises, and that his glory will not be given to idols. This chapter is therefore about Israel’s vocation as God’s servant to embody divine justice and spread knowledge of God (HaShem) to God’s creation. When both our Torah reading and Ashlamatah readings are understood together, we see the servant is taken from among the Nations to be a light to the nations, and the nations, when they receive the light, the nations are to support the mission of the servant nation in fulfilling its duty. The nations are not to be arrogant and work in opposition to the servant, nor are they to think they have replaced and overtaken the servant. The oldest brother is the oldest brother for a reason, and the elder will serve the younger.[46]

 

HaShem, through the prophet Isaiah, introduces the servant whose gentle nature is noticed. HaShem here addresses the nations of the world while pointing to his anointed and chosen nation, Israel, as the one who brings justice to the other nations. Scholars tell us this is contrasted with the pagan Gods of the nations and their worshippers. HaShem has asked for a man from among them (the nations), and there is not one to be found, so he raises one from the nation of Israel to be his witness. He will not fail until he has set justice(right) in the earth, and the Isles will wait (have hope in) for his teaching (Law). (v.4) The servant, in His perseverance and persistency, works until the fulfilment of his mission.[47] Moses sings the song, showing how the words of HaShem flow like gentle rain and dew, like showers on young growth. Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations; ask thy father, and he will declare unto thee, thine elders, and they will tell thee. When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel. For the portion of the Lord is His people, Jacob, the lot of His inheritance. (Deut.32:7-9)

 

The identification of the servant in these verses is a hotly debated issue. The possibilities include Cyrus (so said Saadia Gaon[48] ), the prophet himself (Ibn Ezra[49] ), the Messiah (Targum and Radak, Abarbanel and Malbim, [50] and the Israelite nation as a whole (Septuagint and Rashi. [51] The term “servant” in most other passages in chapters 40–66 clearly refers to the nation Israel or to the faithful within Israel, and that is the most likely explanation here as well.[52]  At this point, we have come to identify these verses with the Messiah as recorded in the Septuagint, and as Rashi does. Since Yeshua and his followers in the first century, this has become our understanding and belief, but ultimately the world awaits the revealing of the King Messiah. It has been said that this passage borrows language from both (Isaiah 11) and from (Jeremiah 31:31-36). In these chapters, we see the regathering of Israel and a future reign of justice under the messianic servant of the house of David. People with a changed heart, where the worship of HaShem and the observance of his will (Torah) shall be done perfectly. It seems that the promises made to the Servant King are spoken of and are transferred to the whole nation, as we also see in (Isa. 53:1ff, 60:1-22, 65:25).[53]  How exactly this comes about, we wait to see. Even in the book of Revelation, it is recorded that Yeshua said, “Hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  ^[54]  Here, Yeshua takes a Messianic prophecy from Psalms 2 and applies it to those who conquer and overcome and keep my works. The Messianic role of the servant is shared by those who overcome.

 

In verses (1-4), we see that the nations will come to know, because of the result of God’s treatment of his servant (the individual) or Israel (the nation), and it is said that Israel becomes the light to the nations and the one to bring his Torah to the world.   If a person undertook an objective review of world history, they would see the influence of this one man from the first century in Israel who has had a profound effect on the world. Since Moses and the prophets of old, no other person can put a claim to this fact, and regardless of how much or how little his mission has been understood or misunderstood by people over the centuries, he has continued to have a meaningful effect on people's lives, sharing the light of Torah and helping to reveal HaShem's teachings to the gentile world.

 

We could also make the same claim for the people of Israelite descent and specifically for the Jewish people of the world. Why has the nation of Israel and the Jewish people existed for all these many years? Why is it that other nations have come and gone to the dustbin of history, yet the Jew remains?  Why is it that the least of all the nations has had such an overwhelming influence among the nations? It has been said that the Jewish people punch way over their weight. In the past, Israel as a people may have been carrying the light and leading from behind, but I personally believe we are rapidly approaching a time when Israel will move to the head of the class and begin leading in the forefront.  The nations may assume a posture of peace with Israel for a little while, but something is going to happen that is going to place all the nations in sharp disagreement with Israel. I would guess that it will centre around the land issue, which is referred to as Judah and Samaria and the Temple Mount.

 

Israel was chosen as a covenant people, a nation that continues to exist because of the covenant God made with their ancestors thousands of years ago. Their task is to be a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to release prisoners from the dungeon or pit, and to bring out those who sit in darkness in prison (v. 6-7). If you went back and reviewed Isaiah 11 and Jeremiah 31 in their entirety, it should become clear that the only reason humanity walks upon the earth is that the people of Israel, with whom HaShem made a covenant, are still in existence today. May HaShem’s holy name be blessed, for he is faithful to his covenant and to his people, and each time any of us look at the noonday Sun or view the Moon and Stars at night, we have two or three witnesses that HaShem is faithful.

 

Although we believe this passage speaks of the Messiah as expressed by Radak and others. The targums also speak of the covenant servant as a whole. As we see in (v.1-4), ‘my servant’ refers to all Israel, and by the time we reach (v.19ff), we see this is clearly so. However, when we get to the last part of (v.1f), the language suggests the servant is the messiah, an individual as in Isaiah 11:2, There shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots.  And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears; But with righteousness shall he judge the poor.[55]   The Servant was assured that He would be a covenant for the people (Isa. 49:8). In context, you have what seems to be both an individual and the nation of Israel. (49:1-5) A careful reading shows us that the Messiah would fulfill God’s covenant promises to Israel and would also be a light (Isa. 42:16; Luke 1:79) for the Gentiles (Isa. 49:6).[56]  The two thousand years we are removed from the first century suggest, above all else, that this is an ongoing process.

 

If we go back and look at the pattern of scripture, we see that HaShem started with one (Adam), and from this one came the many. Then, from the many (the then current world population), God chose one man named Abraham, and it is through him that he again chooses the many. The many are now the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and from these God always seems to choose one at a time to lead his people to the next place: Joseph, Moses, and then Joshua, and many other examples. So, from the many, God chose one from the stock and root of Jesse. We can now clearly see that the covenant with one and the covenant with many are intertwined; both are needed to produce the ever-coming kingdom and plan of HaShem.[57]   The promise to Abraham and to David becomes one promise to the nations of the world. (Isa.42:1) The Divine covenants with David and the Patriarchs are eternal; they are the same today as in the days of the Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. If we broaden our view, our parsha gives us a glimpse into the future of an ideal world, where corruption is put down, and justice rules and reigns, and the covenant God made between Himself, and mankind will be observed perfectly and faithfully by his children and at that time the Messianic covenant given to King David will move from the one to the many as Yeshua suggested in the above quote.

 

The servant in our passage is compared with the servant in Isaiah 11, though not identical, and the promises made to the Davidic king there are transferred to the whole nation of Israel here. When we compare the text of (v.14-20) with our reading, we see two types of metaphorical images being used of God. He shows himself as a ‘warrior’ and as a ‘mother giving birth.’ With war comes pain and blood, and with childbirth comes pain and blood, but the result of both occurrences is the beginning of a new creation that is different from what it was before. In Noah’s day, the promise of a new creation was established and confirmed with four sets of witnesses. (Gen.8:22) [58]

 

The above refrain is built upon Isaiah's teaching forty chapters before, in Isaiah 2, we are told: And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say: ‘Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many people, and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

 

All the commentators agree that “In days to come” refers to messianic times, but not “the end of time” as often mistranslated, for time does not end when the Messiah comes. To be taught in “his ways” and for “the Torah to come forth from Zion” is understood as the teaching of the seven universal truths known as the seven Laws of Noah. i.e., the obligation to establish courts of law, the prohibitions against murder, incest, robbery, idolatry and blasphemy, and eating limbs torn from a living animal.[59]  When looking at the current state of the world, can the mind comprehend the changes that shall come to the world if just half of these universal laws were implemented? The above-quoted passage (Isa.2:2-5) ends with “O house of Jacob, come let us walk in the light of the LORD”. (v.5) Rashi and Abarbanel tell us this is the nations, when they finally understand they must follow and walk with Israel in the light of Torah.[60]  Zion is to become the centre of religious instruction and the place of the supreme court of the nations and the reign of world peace. This passage also occurs in Micah 4:1-4 with slight variations.[61]

 

Isaiah tells us this is not just any of the gods mankind will worship, but it's HaShem who creates the heavens and gives a soul and the breath of life to all peoples.[62]  According to both Rashi and Abarbanel, it is a spirit of sanctity [or prophecy] to those who walk in his ways, and they point out that the verbs for ‘creates’ and ‘gives’ are in the present tense, because creation is constant.[63]  Someone, being called in righteousness as in (v.6), I believe, points back to the one and the many who are to bring redemption and salvation to the ends of the earth. “In the messianic Era, everyone, Jew and none Jew alike, will be righteous. (Psa. 118:2-4), which calls upon the people to acknowledge God’s kindness, which begins with Israel, continues with the house of Aaron, and concludes with those who fear HaShem. The latter are all the people who have accepted God and his moral law (teaching) for mankind.[64]  RaDaK adds: "Moreover, 'I will not give My glory to another' as I have done until now because I have not yet executed judgment upon the wicked, and for this reason they have not recognized Me and have continually gone astray after idols. But after I bring Israel out of exile and perform the greatest wonders for them, executing judgment upon the wicked, all the nations will recognize Me and know that there is none besides Me." [65]

 

Israel and the nations will one day sing a new song (v. 10). Radak and Abarbanel say this refers to the Messianic times when Israel will be gathered from the ends of the earth, and the miracles in that day will eclipse the first Exodus. Rashi said that at this time, the events will cause the most devout idolaters to admit that HaShem is God and creator of the world and the protector of Israel, his people.[66]   The language of (v.12-14) suggests that at this time, all the people will recognize when God redeems and gathers his children. When God decides ‘he has kept silent for too long, then everyone will hear him; he will scream like a woman in Labor’, and those under the sound of his voice will know what is happening and why. How exactly this plays out in the world, we will have to wait and see.  In this passage, we see two images, one is of God as a warrior fighting for his people, and the other is of a woman giving birth, a birth which seems to be hard Labor.  We can speculate that everyone will know what is going on, and mankind's attention will be drawn to the events at hand, like ‘the screams of a woman in Labor’, the silence will be broken. When a woman screams in Labor….  hard Labor, all who hear the sound have their attention acutely directed to one point. And then, when there is action and movement from HaShem (heaven), there will also be a reaction and movement of mankind here on earth.

 

Our passage continues, “I will lay waste to mountains and hills” (42:15). Therefore, he said here: I will lay waste to the nations, who are compared to mountains and to grass, and will dry up all the rivers, that is to say, the strong nations.[67] As stated above, this passage deliberately mixes two types of images of God, as warrior fighting enemies and as mother giving birth, which are united by the extraordinary energy that each involves. A bloody process ends with a new creation.[68] The nation of Israel is a messenger to the world, and it is through Israel’s experiences that the world will come to know the one God. It is through the exile and suffering of Israel that both Israel and the nations find their salvation. The nation of Israel has wandered in exile as the sheep that has been led to slaughter. The nation that has suffered for their and the people’s ( עַם ʿam) sins. At the time Isaiah spoke, he said, Israel is blind, however, and has not yet understood its own purpose in history. Who is blind, but My servant? Or deaf, as my messenger that I send? Who is as blind as he that is wholehearted, and blind as the Lord’s servant? Seeing many things, thou observest not; opening the ears, he heareth not.  The Lord was pleased, for His righteousness’ sake, to make the teaching great and glorious.  Some would position that the servant of Isaiah is the Messiah only, and these chapters do not reference the nation of Israel. If that be so, how should we understand a blind and deaf-mute messiah?

 

This (v.21) in other translations reads, The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious.[69]   It pleased HaShem, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law and make it honourable.[70]  Another says, The LORD desires His [servant’s] vindication, that he may magnify and glorify [His] teaching. The Lord desires His vindication: This might refer to the vindication of the servant Israel or of God, or perhaps both; the former brings about the latter, teaching, or in Hebrew “Torah.”[71]   A footnote in the Jewish study bible says the meaning of (v.21) is uncertain, but it shows a connection with the next chapter (43:9-12), which tells us that: All the nations shall gather together, and the peoples shall assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right, and let them hear and say, it is true. “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD(HaShem), and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I am the Lord, and besides me there is no Savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and I am God (El).[72]   Notice what our biblical text says.  There is no other nation that can show the former things. There is no other nation that speaks for HaShem. All the nations and all the different religions of the world presume to speak for HaShem; they all have a similar but very different message. Naturally, we speak of the three main Abrahamic religions.  But eventually, all the nations will come to recognize God and his true witnesses.

 

A “witness” is any person or thing that has knowledge of truth and can testify to that truth. In Genesis 31:44, the covenant is a witness, and in (v.48) the witness is a heap of stones. The nation of Israel and the work that HaShem has done with them testifies, and the redemption that comes through them will be the witness to the nations that HaShem is God. Alternatively, this last verse (21) explains why Israel is so precious before God, and why they were exiled among the nations. The Lord was pleased for his righteousness’s sake; The meaning here is ‘steadfastness’ or ‘purpose’. God acts in accordance with his predetermined plan. He will make great his teaching. The Torah, which embraces Divine revelation and moral and religious instruction to Israel, who is to be the appointed messenger for propagating its truth unto all of mankind and thus make the Torah great and glorious.[73]

 

Many years ago, HaShem took Israel out of slavery in Egypt and defeated the mighty Egyptian empire. Later, after seventy years, he took them out of Babylon, and in the future, he will once more destroy empires and return his people from their exile.  The nations will come to understand that God so loved his son and the world, his creation (Exo. 4:23, John 3:16), that all that has happened to the nation of Israel has been for the salvation of the nations and the salvation of the people of God. The final Redemption is placed in comparison to the redemption of the people from Egypt. This is done for at least two reasons: (1) God mentions the two in comparison, saying that the final (redemption) will be ultimately more important than the Exodus, which will pale in comparison (Jeremiah 16:14-15 and 23:7-8).  (2) It sets the stage for a couple of word pictures used later in the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah.

 

In our Genesis reading of (8:15-9:17), God promises never again to destroy the world. In Isaiah, God promises to bring justice gently, without crushing the weak. Together: God’s governance is characterized by mercy, patience, and moral purpose.  Although the Torah and Ashlamatah readings are not identical, they are deeply connected in Jewish thought. Genesis provides the universal backdrop consisting of all humanity. All humanity is bound to God through a covenant of moral responsibility and ethical behavior. Isaiah describes Israel’s particular role: to serve as God’s instrument for bringing that universal moral order to fruition. In summary, Genesis gives the universal covenant, and Isaiah gives the universal mission. They are two halves of a single theological arc that runs throughout time and human history.

 

The return of the people of Israel to the land represents God’s faithfulness to his covenant, his proof to the nations that he is still a powerful God and that he chose Israel to be his own. The Redemption is the time when God reaches out to bring his people out of exile, just as he did in the Exodus from Egypt. This new event will be unlike anything that has happened before.  The Prophet spoke of it in terms that are not easily represented, due to it being unlike the Exodus. Isaiah 48:6ff tells us of new things we have not heard before nor had been revealed to us. This time he will again reveal his arm, his power, his might to the world – and they will be totally speechless!

 

This new event will be so great that the Exodus will fade from memory. This time, the people of God (the servant nation) will be gathered from every nation and from every corner of the earth. In the Prophet's mind, Israel is thought of as a sign, one that the nations will not be able to ignore. The nations will become aware in a way not previously thought of. They will come to Israel and confess to them that God is with you and you only, and nowhere else…  There is no God besides him: only in HaShem is salvation and strength; truly thou art a God that hides thyself. (Isa. 45:14f, 24) By their suffering in exile, the people of Israel would atone for the sins of the righteous before judgment day. At that time, the eyes of the blind will see, and the ears of the deaf will hear, and God’s righteousness will be acknowledged as He magnifies His Torah for the people of Israel, and “it is through the LORD that all the offspring of Israel shall have vindication and glory”. (Isa. 45:25)

 

Verbal Tallies

By: H.Em. Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Bereshit (Genesis) 8:15 – 9:17

Tehillim (Psalms) 6:1-18

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 42:7-15, 21

 

Looking at the Hebrew of Bereshit (Genesis) 8:15 and Isaiah 42:7, what is the verbal / lexical tally that connects these two passages?

 

The verbal/lexical tally connecting Genesis 8:15 and Isaiah 42:7 is the root יצא (YTZ), meaning to go out or to bring forth.

 

In both contexts, the word marks a transition from confinement to liberation. In Genesis, it is the Divine command to leave the Ark; in Isaiah, it is the Messianic mission to release the imprisoned from darkness.

 

Lexical Tally: Hebrew Word: הַוְצֵא / לְהוֹצִיא (YTZ) - Strong’s Number (KJV): 3318

 

Bereshit (Genesis) 8:15–16 God spoke to Noah, saying, “Come out [צֵא – 3318] from the ark, together with your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives.”

(Note: Verse 17 uses the causative form: "Bring out [הַוְצֵא – 3318] with you every living thing of all flesh...")

 

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 42:7 Opening eyes deprived of light, Bringing out [לְהוֹצִיא – 3318] prisoners from confinement, from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

 

* * *

 

What is/are the thematic connection(s) between Bereshit (Genesis) 8:15 – 9:17, and Tehillim (Psalms) 6? 

 

The thematic connections between Genesis 8:15–9:17 (the exit from the Ark and the Covenant of the Rainbow) and Psalm 6 (a plea for mercy during illness or distress) center on the Transition from Divine Wrath to Restoration and the Preservation of Life.

 

1. The Cessation of Judgment

Bereshit (Genesis) 8:21 / 9:11: God resolves never again to "doom the earth" or destroy all flesh by a flood. It marks the formal end of the Mabul (Flood) as an instrument of total destruction.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 6:2: The Psalmist begins with the plea, "O LORD, do not punish me in Your anger; do not chastise me in Your fury." Both texts reflect a moment where the "waters" of judgment are sought to be stayed in favor of mercy.

 

2. The Preservation of Life (The "Vitality" Theme)

Bereshit (Genesis) 9:4–5: God emphasizes the sanctity of life through the prohibition of consuming blood ("for the blood is the life") and the requirement of an accounting for human life.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 6:6: The Psalmist argues for his survival based on the need to praise God: "For there is no praise of You among the dead; in Sheol, who can acclaim You?" Both passages highlight that God's primary desire—and the purpose of the covenant—is the continuation of life and the testimony of the living.

 

3. Weeping and Transformation

Bereshit (Genesis) 8:21: God "smells the pleasing odor" of the sacrifice, which shifts the Divine stance from judgment to a promise of seasonal stability.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 6:9–10: The Psalmist’s state shifts abruptly: "The LORD has heard the sound of my weeping... the LORD accepts my prayer." The transition from the "tears" of the Psalmist to the "acceptance" by God mirrors the transition from the "waters" of the Flood to the "acceptance" of Noah's offering.

 

4. The Sign in the Cloud

Bereshit (Genesis) 9:13–14: God places the Rainbow in the cloud as a sign that the "waters shall no more become a flood." It is a visual assurance that the storm has passed.

 

Tehillim (Psalms) 6:8: The Psalmist mentions that his "eyes are wasted with grief" and "grown old." In Jewish thought, the "healing" of the eyes and the "hearing" of the prayer serve as the personal "rainbow"—the internal sign that the period of affliction has concluded and the "clouds" of Divine anger have dispersed.

* * *

 

The connection between the Torah seder and the Ashlamata, though seemingly strictly verbal, is in addition eschatological.  The messianic kingdom, rather than the related contents of the Torah lesson, is the dominant theme of the Ashlamata.

 

What is the eschatological message of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 42:7-15, 21?

 

In Jewish eschatology, Isaiah 42 describes the transition from the "Hiddenness of Face" (Hester Panim) to the "Revelation of Sovereignty". The message centers on the Redemption of the Senses and the Divine Warrior motif.

 

The Message: The liberation of prisoners and the opening of blind eyes. Rashi and the Radak interpret this as the end of the Babylonian and final exiles. Eschatologically, "blindness" refers to the inability to perceive Divine Providence. The Messianic era is defined by the restoration of clear spiritual vision, where the "prisoners" (the souls trapped in material shells) are released into the light of truth.

 

The Message: "I will not yield My glory to another”. The Malbim explains that in the End of Days, the "glory" that humanity currently attributes to idols (ideologies, technology, or false gods) will return exclusively to God. The eschatological message is the elimination of spiritual competition; the world will realize that all power originates from a single Source.

 

The Message: God as a "man of war" who has "held My peace for a long time" but now "cries out like a woman in travail." The Midrash (Tanchuma) and Abarbanel teach that God’s "silence" represents the long duration of the exile. The "woman in travail" symbolizes the Birth Pangs of the Messiah (Chevlei Mashiach). Just as a birth is sudden and transformative after a long wait, the redemption will be a forceful, irreversible emergence of a new reality that "gasps and pants" through the old-world order.

 

The Message: "I will lay waste mountains and hills... and make the rivers islands". The Metzudat David views this as the leveling of the proud. In eschatology, "mountains" symbolize great empires. God will "dry up" their resources and "level" their height to prepare a smooth path for the returning exiles to Zion.

 

The Message: "The LORD desires... to make the teaching (Torah) great and glorious". The Rambam and Chassidic masters teach that the ultimate goal of the redemption is not political dominance, but the expansion of Torah consciousness. The "glory" of the Torah will be revealed in such a way that its inner dimensions (the Sod) become public knowledge, fulfilling the prophecy that "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD".

 

Nazarean Talmud

Sidra Of Bereshit (Genesis) 8:15-9:17

“Za, Me’en Hataevah” “Go from the Ark”

Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

School of Hakham Shaul Tosefta (Luke 5:1-2)	School of Hakham Tsefet Peshat (Mark 1:16-18)
And now it happened that Yeshua was standing at the shore of the Kineret (The Galil) and the congregation was insisting on him to hear the Torah of God (his oral elucidation of the Torah), and he saw two boats sitting at the shore of the sea (the Kineret); the fishermen were out cleaning their nets.	And walking about the sea of the Galil (Kineret), he (Yeshua) saw Shimon[74] bar Yonah and his brother Adam bar Yonah casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Yeshua said to them, come follow me, and I will make you into fishers of men.[75]

Commentary to Hakham Tsefet’s School of Peshat

 

 

The Word (Torah) of G-d

 

The opening movement of Hakham Tsefet’s account situates Yeshua within the normative rhythm of Jewish life—Shabbat, Esnoga, and instruction. The Peshat presentation makes this explicit: Yeshua attends the synagogue and teaches regularly. The Lukan Tosefta, attributed to Hakham Shaul, complements rather than contradicts this framing by emphasizing the expectation of the congregation—that Yeshua would expound the “Word of G-d.” While Luke does not always narrate the synagogue setting with the same concreteness as the Peshat tradition, the textual signals are clear enough to place Yeshua firmly within the liturgical and pedagogical framework of Shabbat observance. The setting is not incidental; it establishes the locus of authority, transmission, and recognition. Yeshua does not emerge as an outsider figure but as one operating within an established system, addressing an audience that already understands the categories of Torah, teaching, and halakhic relevance.

 

The phrase “Word of G-d” (Dabar Elohim) is not a generic reference to sacred speech but carries a precise theological weight. Within the Hebrew framework, Dabar is not merely informational—it is operative, effectual, and binding. It is the medium through which Divine will is articulated and enacted. When the attendees of the Esnoga seek the “Word of G-d,” they are not asking for homiletics or philosophical reflection; they are seeking articulation of Divine intent with practical consequence. This expectation places Yeshua within the category of one who can mediate that Dabar in a manner that is both faithful to Torah and applicable to lived reality. The narrative, therefore, assumes a level of recognized competence and standing that goes beyond informal teaching.

 

This brings into focus the critical observation that Yeshua teaches with authority (exousia). This authority must be understood within its proper halakhic and institutional context. It is not charisma, nor is it merely rhetorical force. Authority in this setting refers to the capacity to determine, apply, and adjudicate Torah in a binding way. This identifies Yeshua as a fully recognized Hakham, functioning within the chain of transmission that allows for legal and interpretive decisions. The contrast with the soferim must therefore be handled with precision. The text does not diminish their role; it defines it. The soferim were skilled in preservation, reading, and textual handling. Their expertise lay in accurate transmission and careful engagement with the written tradition. However, they did not occupy the same role as ordained Hakhamim or Kohanim in matters of halakhic determination. Their teaching lacked the juridical force that characterizes authoritative instruction.

 

Yeshua’s authority, then, is not a rejection of the existing system but an expression of its operative center. His teaching demonstrates the capacity to move from text to application, from written Torah to enacted halakhah. This distinction becomes even more significant when viewed against the broader transition occurring within the period. The priestly (Kohanic) structure, while still present, no longer functioned as the sole locus of authoritative mediation. The emerging prominence of the Hakhamim and the Bate Din reflects a redistribution of authority toward those trained in the interpretive and judicial processes of Torah. Yeshua’s immersion marks this shift symbolically and functionally, positioning him within the stream of authority that would increasingly define Jewish communal and legal life.

 

Within this framework, the connection to Pkidah (Divine Intervention) becomes evident. The act of Divine intervention—פקד—is not isolated to miraculous events such as Sarah’s visitation but operates within the transmission of Dabar itself. When Yeshua teaches with authority, the Dabar is not merely spoken; it enters the system in a way that reorders understanding and compels response. The calling of Shimon bar Yonah and his brother at the sea of the Galil exemplifies this dynamic. The Dabar does not persuade gradually; it interrupts and redirects. Their immediate response—leaving nets to follow—reflects the intrusion of a word that carries operative force. In this sense, the authoritative teaching of Yeshua within the Esnoga and the decisive call by the lakeside participate in the same underlying mechanism: the Dabar functioning as an instrument of Divine intervention, reconfiguring human action in alignment with a higher directive.

 

Again, the Lukan account sharpens the scene by describing how the congregation “pressed” Yeshua, creating a moment that is far more than simple enthusiasm. The Greek term ἐπίκειμαι (epikeimai) carries the sense of weight, pressure, even imposition. The image is not passive listening but active demand. The assembly does not merely gather; it compels. This compulsion is not disorderly but purposeful. It reflects recognition—an awareness that the one standing before them carries something they cannot extract from the ordinary channels of instruction. As a result, Yeshua withdraws slightly by entering the boat and pushing off from the shore. This spatial shift is not incidental. It creates both distance and elevation, forming a natural bimah from which the Word can be delivered while simultaneously marking a boundary between the pressing crowd and the authoritative source of teaching. The people draw near; the teacher establishes a position. The tension between these movements defines the moment.

 

Within this pressure lies a deeper dynamic. The congregation is not requesting teaching; it is imposing an expectation upon a recognized Hakham. The text implies that Yeshua stands within the orbit of the Academy associated with the School of Hillel, where the interpretive tradition carries both continuity and authority. Their demand is therefore specific: they want the Dabar Elohim articulated in a way that carries halakhic force. Translating this as the “Torah of G-d” clarifies the intent. The request encompasses not only the Written Torah but also its living articulation within the Oral tradition—the Torah that is “G-d-breathed” in its transmission and application. The congregation seeks more than exposition; it seeks direction. They are not satisfied with textual familiarity; they require a path of walking. The question underlying their pressure is practical and immediate: how is Torah lived in real time, within the complexities of daily existence?

 

This framing reveals the spiritual posture of the assembly. Their pressing is not impatience but hunger. It signals a readiness to move from hearing to doing, from text to embodiment. In this sense, the scene becomes a microcosm of Israel’s ongoing engagement with Torah, where the written word demands interpretation that can be enacted. The presence of Yeshua as one who teaches with authority answers that demand. The Dabar is not left abstract; it is brought into a form that can direct action.

 

Within this context, a subtle allusion to Shavuot emerges. The desire to hear the “Torah of G-d” echoes the foundational moment at Sinai, where Israel stood to receive Divine instruction not as theory but as covenantal obligation. The language chosen by Hakham Shaul strengthens this connection. When Yeshua tells Hakham Tsefet “not to be afraid,” the phrasing resonates with Shemot 20:20, where Moshe Rabbenu addresses Israel in the aftermath of revelation. The parallel is not accidental. It situates the present moment within the pattern of Sinai—Divine Word encountering human readiness, producing both awe and the need for assurance. The congregation’s pressing, the authoritative teaching, and the call to remove fear together form a continuum with that earlier event, suggesting that what unfolds by the waters of the Galil participates in the same dynamic of Divine disclosure and human reception that defines Shavuot itself.

 

Abandoning All?

 

The narrative of immediate response—nets left, movement initiated, direction altered—must be read with precision, not exaggeration. Yosef ben Matityahu, known as Flavius Josephus, provides an essential frame for understanding the lived reality of Torah within first-century Jewish life. His observation (Apn 2:175) does not present Torah as an escape from life but as its organizing center. The people are commanded to gather weekly, to hear, to learn, and to internalize. This rhythm does not dismantle livelihood; it orders it. The Law does not compete with life—it defines how life is lived. Therefore, any reading of the calling of the talmidim that suggests a total abandonment of responsibility misreads the cultural and halakhic context in which the text is situated.

 

The peshat itself guards against such misinterpretation. Structure remains. Livelihood remains. What changes is priority, not existence. The talmidim do not cease to be part of the world—they reorient their place within it. Their movement is not from responsibility to irresponsibility, but from one central axis to another. The axis shifts from economic activity as primary identity to Torah embodiment as primary identity. This distinction is critical. The call is not to abandon life, but to reorder it under the authority of Torah as mediated through the Hakham.

 

This reordering reflects a recognized path within Jewish tradition: the elevation of becoming a Hakham as a defining pursuit. The talmid does not disengage from the world but engages it differently, under a new framework of authority and purpose. The pursuit of Torah at the level of halakhic embodiment requires intensity, discipline, and proximity to a master. It requires time, attention, and restructuring of priorities. Yet it does not negate the necessity of sustaining life. Rather, it integrates life into the pursuit of Torah, ensuring that all activity becomes aligned with the Divine directive rather than existing as an independent domain.

 

The immediacy of the talmidim’s response is therefore not recklessness but clarity. The threefold pattern of immediacy—seen in the narrative repetition—signals recognition rather than impulse. This pattern finds its root in Abraham Avinu, who “rose early” in response to Divine command. The act of rising early is not about speed for its own sake; it is about alignment without delay. When the directive is clear, hesitation is unnecessary. This becomes the defining characteristic of the true talmid: responsiveness that is immediate because alignment is recognized.

 

This immediacy is joined by faithful obedience. The talmid does not merely hear; he acts. The call of Yeshua carries authority, and that authority demands response. This brings us back to the nature of that authority. Yeshua teaches the congregations with recognized halakhic force. It follows, hermeneutically and necessarily, that his instruction to the talmidim carries the same authority, if not greater intensity, due to the proximity of the relationship. The talmid is not engaging in casual learning; he is entering a structured apprenticeship under a Hakham whose words carry binding weight.

 

This directly challenges the assessment of Martin Hengel, who suggests that the relationship depicted is not a formal Rabbi–talmid framework. Such a conclusion does not hold under the scrutiny of the textual and cultural evidence. The immediacy of response, the transfer of priority, the authority of the teacher, and the expectation of obedience all align precisely with known patterns of Rabbinic apprenticeship. The talmidim are not informal followers; they are entering a disciplined and recognized structure of transmission.

 

The language of “abandoning all” must therefore be reinterpreted within this framework. What is abandoned is not life, but misaligned centrality. What is relinquished is not responsibility, but the primacy of self-directed structure. The talmid steps into a life where Torah, as embodied through the Hakham, becomes the organizing principle. Livelihood continues, relationships continue, responsibilities continue—but all are subordinated to the greater alignment.

 

In this way, the narrative does not depict withdrawal from the world but reconstitution within it. The talmid remains in the world, but no longer defined by it. The nets are left in the moment not as a permanent rejection of sustenance, but as a decisive act of reorientation. The system shifts. Authority shifts. Identity shifts. And within that shift, the talmid begins the process of becoming not merely a hearer of Torah, but a vessel through which the Torah is lived and transmitted.

 

We must contend that M. Hengel’s assessment that this is not a formal Rabbi – talmid relationship is incorrect.^[76]

 

Peroration

 

We surmise that Yeshua’s selection of these talmidim is intentional and determinate. Yeshua selects men who will become fitting embodiments of the Mesorah, capable of receiving, preserving, and transmitting the living tradition with integrity. These are not abstract candidates; they are men formed through labor, discipline, and attentiveness to life. Their work as fishermen is not incidental—it reflects consistency, endurance, and responsiveness to conditions beyond their control. Such traits translate directly into the demands of Torah apprenticeship. They are grounded, capable of sustained effort, and already accustomed to operating within ordered systems. Their spirituality is not detached from life; it is embedded within it.

 

Hakham Tsefet’s declaration that he is a “sinful man” must be read with care. It is not a legal admission of disqualification, nor a statement of moral collapse. Within the context, it functions as recognition of disparity—an acknowledgment of the presence of a Tsaddiq. The contrast is not between sinner and saint in a categorical sense, but between ordinary standing and manifest righteousness. Hakham Tsefet’s response highlights Yeshua’s stature as one who embodies generosity and righteousness in operative form. This recognition is immediate and instinctive, arising from encounter rather than deliberation.

 

As we will see, the Lukan detail that Yeshua uses the boat of Hakham Tsefet further clarifies the relational dynamic. This is not incidental narrative texture; it reflects reciprocity. The talmid provides access, space, and means through his craft. The Master responds not merely with instruction but with action that corresponds to the talmid’s domain. The abundance of fish is not arbitrary—it meets the talmid within his own field of labor. This exchange establishes a pattern: the talmid offers what he has; the Master elevates and expands it within alignment. It is neither one-sided dependence nor detached authority, but a mutual reinforcement ordered by purpose.

 

Within this relationship, the formation of the talmid becomes clear. He is not removed from his world but reoriented within it. His skills, resources, and context are not discarded; they are integrated into a higher framework of meaning. The Master does not negate the talmid’s life—He redirects it. In this way, the selection of these men is both precise and instructive. They are chosen not despite their occupations, but through them, as vessels capable of carrying the Mesorah into lived reality, where teaching and action remain inseparable.

 

 

Some Questions to Ponder:

 

1.      From all the readings for this week, which particular verse or passage caught your attention and fired your heart and imagination?

 

Blessing After Torah Study

 

Barúch Atáh Adonai, Elohénu Meléch HaOlám,

Ashér Natán Lánu Torát Emét, V'Chayéi Olám Natá B'Tochénu.

Barúch Atáh Adonái, Notén HaToráh. Amen!

 

Blessed is Ha-Shem our God, King of the universe,

Who has given us a teaching of truth, implanting within us eternal life.

Blessed is Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!

 

“Now unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless, and to establish you without a blemish,

before His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer, by means of Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion, and honor, and majesty, both now and in all ages. Amen!”

 

 

Next Shabbat: Iyar 29, 5786

“Vayihyu B’ne Noach” - “And were the sons of Noach”

Shabbat Mevar’chin HaChodesh Sivan Announcing of the New Moon for the Month of Sivan

Evening Saturday 16th of May – Sunday 17th

 

 

Contents of Next Week’s Torah Seder

 

·        Planting a Vineyard – Genesis 9:18-29

·        The Family of Nations – Genesis 10:1-32

 

Next Week’s Reading Assignment:

 

 

Hakham Dr. Hillel ben David

Hakham Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham

 

Edited by His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham

A special thank you to HH Giberet Giborah bat Sarah and Giberet Sarai bat Sarah for their diligence in proof-reading