‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God’. This makes clear that the events spoken of in the prophecy are to take place not in Jerusalem, but in the wilderness. By this is meant that the glory of the Lord will appear, and the salvation of God will be made known to all flesh.
This prophecy was fulfilled historically and literally, when John the Baptist preached the saving advent of God, in the wilderness by the Jordan, where the salvation of God was in fact seen. For Christ and his glory became known to all when, after he had been baptized, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit came down under the appearance of a dove, and rested upon him. This was the Father’s voice heard in testimony to the Son: ‘This is my Son, my Beloved; listen to him!’ .
These things were said because God was about to come to the wilderness which had been impenetrable and inaccessible for a whole age. For all the nations were empty of the knowledge of God: access to them had been prohibited to all the men of God and the prophets.
That was why that voice ordered a way to be prepared for the Word of God, and the pathless and rugged wastelands leveled, so that at his coming, our God might find the road clear for his advance. ‘Prepare the way of he Lord’: this is the Gospel preaching, the new consolation, the ardent desire that the salvation of god come to the knowledge of all men.
‘Get up to a high mountain, O herald of good tidings to Zion,
lift up your voice with strength, O herald of good tidings to Jerusalem’
These words fit in very well with the meaning of our first quotation. They make an appropriate reference to the preachers of the Gospel, and announce the coming of God among men, after we have heard of the voice crying in the wilderness. It is fitting that after the prophecy about John the Baptist, the preachers of good tidings be mentioned.
Who then is this Zion, except she who earlier was called Jerusalem? For she too is a mountain, according to that passage of scripture, ‘The mountain of Zion, where you made your dwelling’, and the Apostle says, ‘You have come to Mount Zion’. Does this perhaps refer to the band of apostles, chosen from among the former people of the circumcision?
This Zion and Jerusalem is she who receives the salvation of God. She herself is placed on high on the mountain of God, that is on his Only-begotten Word. To her he gives the command to get up on a high mountain, and preach the word of salvation. But who preaches the good tidings, if not the band of those who make the Gospel known? And what is meant by making the Gospel known? Preaching to all mankind the coming of Christ on earth, and preaching it first to the cities of Judah.
Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα Bible. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων
Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα Bible. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων
Digging for Water
Digging for Water
What do we really know about Isaac, the second of our three patriarchs? The Torah presents vivid and detailed accounts of the lives of his father Abraham and his son Jacob, but Isaac himself always remains an obscure and mysterious figure. We see Abraham prepared to sacrifice him on the mountaintop. We see Abraham seeking a bride for him. We see him bless his sons when he feels death approaching. And in the between, we see him embroiled in a dogged dispute with the Philistines. Isaac digs wells, and as soon as he finds water, the Philistines fill them or claim ownership for themselves.
What was so significant about the incident of the wells that the Torah saw fit to record it for all time? What does it tell us about the person inside this enigma named Isaac?
The commentators explain that the life work of each of the patriarchs was to blaze a path along which the Jewish people would be able to draw closer to the Creator. Abraham, the paragon of kindness, hospitality and unbounded love, demonstrated that a relationship with the Creator could be forged on the basis of a heart overflowing with compassion. But Isaac perceived that more avenues were required, that it was far too limiting to expect all future Jewish people to derive their spiritual and religious energies from the emotional outpourings of the heart. What would happen if circumstances deprived people of sufficient emotional resources? What if they suffered burnout? Would they also lose their religious and spiritual bearings?
Isaac understood that his mission in life was to complement rather than just duplicate his father's achievements. He bore the awesome responsibility of adding an important new dimension to his father's revolutionary work. Isaac therefore focused on introducing a solid foundation of discipline and rigorous observance. This would provide religious stability, so that emotional expansiveness and inspiration could then bring a person to the most transcendent levels of spiritual experience.
These extraordinary qualities of determination, perseverance and relentless self-discipline were amply illustrated by the incident of the wells. Although the Philistines filled up his newly dug wells with rocks and soil, he was not discouraged. He dug a second set, and once again found water. When the Philistines deprived him of these wells too, he was nonetheless undaunted. He dug a third set of wells, and finally the Philistines, realizing the relentlessness of their opponent, acquiesced. Isaac applied this very same determination to his conduct of his relationship with the Creator, providing his offspring for all time with the paradigm of stable and steadfast devotion.
The mystical teachers also discern a deeper symbolism here. They see the entire affair of the disputed wells as a metaphor for the constant struggle that characterizes the human condition. The water represents the pure spirituality of the soul that lies buried deep underneath the suffocating soil of physicality. A person's life is an unceasing effort to penetrate that physical shell and connect with the spirituality underneath. And unfortunately, success carries no guarantee of permanence. New layers of soil can inundate the liberated water and buried it once again.. Then the process begins again. It takes discipline and determination and a tenacious refusal to concede defeat. With every spade of dirt that was excavated in the search for water, Isaac was sending a powerful message down the halls of time. Never give up. There is water down there. If you refuse to abandon the search for water, you will undoubtedly be rewarded.
The young man was very excited. He had been invited to a Passover seder for the first time in his life, and he couldn't wait to experience this celebrated feast of freedom.
As the seder began, the young man waited eagerly as the Haggadah was read and discussed. When would the feast begin? he wondered. Soon, he became impatient, but he was determined to stay. Finally, the meal seemed about to begin, but to his dismay, all the people were just eating matzoh and bitter greens.
Disgruntled, he slipped away from the table and made a quiet exit. The next day, his host met him in the street. "Why did you leave?" he chided. "Had you stuck it out a few more minutes you would have been served the most wonderful feast!"
In our own lives, we all aspire to bring out the beautiful spiritual and esthetic qualities we harbor deep in our hearts. But just when we feel we have brought them, the grind of daily existence buries them once again under a veritable mountain of rubble. It is terribly discouraging, but it is the way of the world. Life is an unending struggle, and as our patriarch Isaac showed us, determination and perseverance are the keys to ultimate success. Failure is only a temporary setback, and if we dig hard enough and long enough we will reach the sparkling water.
What do we really know about Isaac, the second of our three patriarchs? The Torah presents vivid and detailed accounts of the lives of his father Abraham and his son Jacob, but Isaac himself always remains an obscure and mysterious figure. We see Abraham prepared to sacrifice him on the mountaintop. We see Abraham seeking a bride for him. We see him bless his sons when he feels death approaching. And in the between, we see him embroiled in a dogged dispute with the Philistines. Isaac digs wells, and as soon as he finds water, the Philistines fill them or claim ownership for themselves.
What was so significant about the incident of the wells that the Torah saw fit to record it for all time? What does it tell us about the person inside this enigma named Isaac?
The commentators explain that the life work of each of the patriarchs was to blaze a path along which the Jewish people would be able to draw closer to the Creator. Abraham, the paragon of kindness, hospitality and unbounded love, demonstrated that a relationship with the Creator could be forged on the basis of a heart overflowing with compassion. But Isaac perceived that more avenues were required, that it was far too limiting to expect all future Jewish people to derive their spiritual and religious energies from the emotional outpourings of the heart. What would happen if circumstances deprived people of sufficient emotional resources? What if they suffered burnout? Would they also lose their religious and spiritual bearings?
Isaac understood that his mission in life was to complement rather than just duplicate his father's achievements. He bore the awesome responsibility of adding an important new dimension to his father's revolutionary work. Isaac therefore focused on introducing a solid foundation of discipline and rigorous observance. This would provide religious stability, so that emotional expansiveness and inspiration could then bring a person to the most transcendent levels of spiritual experience.
These extraordinary qualities of determination, perseverance and relentless self-discipline were amply illustrated by the incident of the wells. Although the Philistines filled up his newly dug wells with rocks and soil, he was not discouraged. He dug a second set, and once again found water. When the Philistines deprived him of these wells too, he was nonetheless undaunted. He dug a third set of wells, and finally the Philistines, realizing the relentlessness of their opponent, acquiesced. Isaac applied this very same determination to his conduct of his relationship with the Creator, providing his offspring for all time with the paradigm of stable and steadfast devotion.
The mystical teachers also discern a deeper symbolism here. They see the entire affair of the disputed wells as a metaphor for the constant struggle that characterizes the human condition. The water represents the pure spirituality of the soul that lies buried deep underneath the suffocating soil of physicality. A person's life is an unceasing effort to penetrate that physical shell and connect with the spirituality underneath. And unfortunately, success carries no guarantee of permanence. New layers of soil can inundate the liberated water and buried it once again.. Then the process begins again. It takes discipline and determination and a tenacious refusal to concede defeat. With every spade of dirt that was excavated in the search for water, Isaac was sending a powerful message down the halls of time. Never give up. There is water down there. If you refuse to abandon the search for water, you will undoubtedly be rewarded.
The young man was very excited. He had been invited to a Passover seder for the first time in his life, and he couldn't wait to experience this celebrated feast of freedom.
As the seder began, the young man waited eagerly as the Haggadah was read and discussed. When would the feast begin? he wondered. Soon, he became impatient, but he was determined to stay. Finally, the meal seemed about to begin, but to his dismay, all the people were just eating matzoh and bitter greens.
Disgruntled, he slipped away from the table and made a quiet exit. The next day, his host met him in the street. "Why did you leave?" he chided. "Had you stuck it out a few more minutes you would have been served the most wonderful feast!"
In our own lives, we all aspire to bring out the beautiful spiritual and esthetic qualities we harbor deep in our hearts. But just when we feel we have brought them, the grind of daily existence buries them once again under a veritable mountain of rubble. It is terribly discouraging, but it is the way of the world. Life is an unending struggle, and as our patriarch Isaac showed us, determination and perseverance are the keys to ultimate success. Failure is only a temporary setback, and if we dig hard enough and long enough we will reach the sparkling water.
O Divine Jesus
O Divine Jesus, lonely tonight in so many Tabernacles,
without visitor or worshipper, I offer Thee my poor heart.
May its every beat be an act of love for Thee.
Thou art always watching beneath the Sacramental Veils.
In Thy Love Thou dost never sleep and
Thou art never weary of Thy vigil for sinners.
O lonely Jesus, may the flame of my heart burn
and beam always in company with Thee.
O Sacrament most Holy. O Sacrament Divine.
All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.
Amen.
___________
without visitor or worshipper, I offer Thee my poor heart.
May its every beat be an act of love for Thee.
Thou art always watching beneath the Sacramental Veils.
In Thy Love Thou dost never sleep and
Thou art never weary of Thy vigil for sinners.
O lonely Jesus, may the flame of my heart burn
and beam always in company with Thee.
O Sacrament most Holy. O Sacrament Divine.
All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.
Amen.
___________
Adam, Eve, Seth
Peter J. Leithart » Blog Archive » Adam, Eve, Seth
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From Gregory’s fifth oration, defending the divinity and consubstantiality of the Spirit: “What was Adam? A creature of God. What then was Eve? A fragment of the creature. And what was Seth? The begotten of both. Does it then seem to you that Creature and Fragment and Begotten are the same thing? Of course it does not. But were not these persons consubstantial? Of course they were. Well then, here it is an acknowledged fact that different persons may have the same substance.”
The image is not perfect, Gregory admits. And the main point is to establish personal distinction and individuation within a single substance. But it is interesting that Gregory, like Basil, resorts to temporal sequences when they attempt to explain the relation of the Persons. While denying that God experiences time, the Cappadocians recognize that temporal succession, generational succession, is a trace of Trinitarian life.
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From Gregory’s fifth oration, defending the divinity and consubstantiality of the Spirit: “What was Adam? A creature of God. What then was Eve? A fragment of the creature. And what was Seth? The begotten of both. Does it then seem to you that Creature and Fragment and Begotten are the same thing? Of course it does not. But were not these persons consubstantial? Of course they were. Well then, here it is an acknowledged fact that different persons may have the same substance.”
The image is not perfect, Gregory admits. And the main point is to establish personal distinction and individuation within a single substance. But it is interesting that Gregory, like Basil, resorts to temporal sequences when they attempt to explain the relation of the Persons. While denying that God experiences time, the Cappadocians recognize that temporal succession, generational succession, is a trace of Trinitarian life.
Holy Spirit
Near the end of his fifth oration, Gregory flies off into an ecstatic review of the Spirit’s work and titles. It is in some ways standard pneumatology, but the overwhelming rhetorical flood has never been surpassed.
“Christ is born; the Spirit is His Forerunner. He is baptized; the Spirit bears witness. He is tempted; the Spirit leads Him up. He works miracles; the Spirit accompanies them. He ascends; the Spirit takes His place. What great things are there in the idea of God which are not in His power? . . .
“What titles which belong to God are not applied to Him, except only Unbegotten and Begotten? For it was needful that the distinctive properties of the Father and the Son should remain peculiar to Them, lest there should be confusion in the Godhead Which brings all things, even disorder itself, into due arrangement and good order. Indeed I tremble when I think of the abundance of the titles, and how many Names they outrage who fall foul of the Spirit.
“He is called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Mind of Christ, the Spirit of The Lord, and Himself The Lord, the Spirit of Adoption, of Truth, of Liberty; the Spirit of Wisdom, of Understanding, of Counsel, of Might, of Knowledge, of Godliness, of the Fear of God. For He is the Maker of all these, filling all with His Essence, containing all things, filling the world in His Essence, yet incapable of being comprehended in His power by the world; good, upright, princely, by nature not by adoption; sanctifying, not sanctified; measuring, not measured; shared, not sharing; filling, not filled; containing, not contained; inherited, glorified, reckoned with the Father and the Son; held out as a threat; the Finger of God; fire like God; to manifest, as I take it, His consubstantiality); the Creator-Spirit, Who by Baptism and by Resurrection creates anew; the Spirit That knows all things, That teaches, That blows where and to what extent He lists; That guides, talks, sends forth, separates, is angry or tempted; That reveals, illumines, quickens, or rather is the very Light and Life; That makes Temples; That deifies; That perfects so as even to anticipate Baptism, yet after Baptism to be sought as a separate gift; That does all things that God does; divided into fiery tongues; dividing gifts; making Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers; understanding manifold, clear, piercing, undefiled, unhindered, which is the same thing as Most wise and varied in His actions; and making all things clear and plain; and of independent power, unchangeable, Almighty, all-seeing, penetrating all spirits that are intelligent, pure, most subtle (the Angel Hosts I think); and also all prophetic spirits and apostolic in the same manner and not in the same places; for they lived in different places; thus showing that He is uncircumscript.”
“Christ is born; the Spirit is His Forerunner. He is baptized; the Spirit bears witness. He is tempted; the Spirit leads Him up. He works miracles; the Spirit accompanies them. He ascends; the Spirit takes His place. What great things are there in the idea of God which are not in His power? . . .
“What titles which belong to God are not applied to Him, except only Unbegotten and Begotten? For it was needful that the distinctive properties of the Father and the Son should remain peculiar to Them, lest there should be confusion in the Godhead Which brings all things, even disorder itself, into due arrangement and good order. Indeed I tremble when I think of the abundance of the titles, and how many Names they outrage who fall foul of the Spirit.
“He is called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Mind of Christ, the Spirit of The Lord, and Himself The Lord, the Spirit of Adoption, of Truth, of Liberty; the Spirit of Wisdom, of Understanding, of Counsel, of Might, of Knowledge, of Godliness, of the Fear of God. For He is the Maker of all these, filling all with His Essence, containing all things, filling the world in His Essence, yet incapable of being comprehended in His power by the world; good, upright, princely, by nature not by adoption; sanctifying, not sanctified; measuring, not measured; shared, not sharing; filling, not filled; containing, not contained; inherited, glorified, reckoned with the Father and the Son; held out as a threat; the Finger of God; fire like God; to manifest, as I take it, His consubstantiality); the Creator-Spirit, Who by Baptism and by Resurrection creates anew; the Spirit That knows all things, That teaches, That blows where and to what extent He lists; That guides, talks, sends forth, separates, is angry or tempted; That reveals, illumines, quickens, or rather is the very Light and Life; That makes Temples; That deifies; That perfects so as even to anticipate Baptism, yet after Baptism to be sought as a separate gift; That does all things that God does; divided into fiery tongues; dividing gifts; making Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers; understanding manifold, clear, piercing, undefiled, unhindered, which is the same thing as Most wise and varied in His actions; and making all things clear and plain; and of independent power, unchangeable, Almighty, all-seeing, penetrating all spirits that are intelligent, pure, most subtle (the Angel Hosts I think); and also all prophetic spirits and apostolic in the same manner and not in the same places; for they lived in different places; thus showing that He is uncircumscript.”
Summary of Christian Doctrine
Summary of Christian Doctrine
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Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1 - Religion
Chapter 2 - Revelation
Chapter 3 - Scripture
Part II: The Doctrine of God and Creation
Chapter 4 - The Essential Nature of God
Chapter 5 - The Names God
Chapter 6 - The Attributes of God
Chapter 7 - The Trinity
Chapter 8 - The Divine Decrees
Chapter 9 - Creation
Chapter 10 - Providence
Part III: The Doctrine of Man in Relation to God
Chapter 11 - Man in His Original State
Chapter 12 - Man in the State of Sin
Chapter 13 - Man in the Covenant of Grace
Part IV: The Doctrine of the Person and Work of Christ
Chapter 14 - The Names and Nature of Christ
Chapter 15 - The States of Christ
Chapter 16 - The Offices of Christ
Chapter 17 - The Atonement Through Christ
Part V: The Application of the Work of Redemption
Chapter 18 - The Common Operation of the Holy Spirit: Common Grace
Chapter 19 - Calling and Regeneration
Chapter 20 - Conversion: Repentance and Faith
Chapter 21 - Justification
Chapter 22 - Sanctification and Perseverance
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Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1 - Religion
Chapter 2 - Revelation
Chapter 3 - Scripture
Part II: The Doctrine of God and Creation
Chapter 4 - The Essential Nature of God
Chapter 5 - The Names God
Chapter 6 - The Attributes of God
Chapter 7 - The Trinity
Chapter 8 - The Divine Decrees
Chapter 9 - Creation
Chapter 10 - Providence
Part III: The Doctrine of Man in Relation to God
Chapter 11 - Man in His Original State
Chapter 12 - Man in the State of Sin
Chapter 13 - Man in the Covenant of Grace
Part IV: The Doctrine of the Person and Work of Christ
Chapter 14 - The Names and Nature of Christ
Chapter 15 - The States of Christ
Chapter 16 - The Offices of Christ
Chapter 17 - The Atonement Through Christ
Part V: The Application of the Work of Redemption
Chapter 18 - The Common Operation of the Holy Spirit: Common Grace
Chapter 19 - Calling and Regeneration
Chapter 20 - Conversion: Repentance and Faith
Chapter 21 - Justification
Chapter 22 - Sanctification and Perseverance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joseph
Joseph is the favorite son of Jacob - Why? - Because Joseph is the son his Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel. Jacob loves Joseph and blesses Joseph with this gift of a many colored coat just because he was born of a woman he loved. My point is that Joseph didn’t DO anything to receive his fathers blessing. The same is true of us, there is nothing we can DO for our initial salvation. Salvation is granted to us as a gift from God.
Now only does Joseph loose his garment, but another garment as we will see. His brothers strip him of his coat and sell him, and with this he looses his freedom. When we sin, we become slaves of sin until we once again turn to the blood of Christ to cover us and set us free.
So Joseph goes down to Egypt where he is working in Potiphers house and climbs in rank and is once again clothed. Now is when he looses his garments a second time. While working in Potiphers house his wife begins to tempt him to an adulterous relationship to no end.
Genesis 39:11-13 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and got out of the house.
Because of this Joseph would once again loose his freedom and be cast into prison, until one day he was blessed and then dressed again in the garments of the Pharaoh.
So we see from that story the significance of loosing your garments goes along with the loss of your freedom.
THE NEW TESTAMENT AND GARMENTS
Jesus tells a parable about a king having a wedding feast for his son. People get invited but they don’t want to come.
Matthew 22:8-14 Then he said to his servants, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, `Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."
So, while this guy was in fact invited to the wedding, he chooses to even come to the wedding, but he refused to put on the garments of those at the wedding. There are many levels to this, but I think this is concerning those who want Christianity without Christ. They want the benefits of Christianity without having to actually conform themselves to Christ and this is dangerous. If we want to share in his heavenly blessings we must come to the altar of the Lord with our souls robed in holiness, lest we be cast into Hell for defiling the body and blood of our Lord in communion.
Ephesians 6:10-17 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, …girded your loins with truth, … the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; … shield of faith, … helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
What about that place in Mark where that disciple runs off without his garments?
During the agony in the garden while Jesus is getting arrested it says:
Mark 14:51-52 And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
Now, without any reference, Tim Grey (who has as awesome free talk on Mark @ EWTN - see side bar) says that there is a Jewish tradition which says that if you were a priest guarding the temple and you were caught sleeping, that your clothes would be taken from you and burned so that you would have to run home naked and in shame.
Now, Christ is the New Temple and the disciples were suppose to be watching and praying, yet they fell asleep, and this one runs off naked. Revelation speaks somewhat on this same topic when it says:
Revelation 16:15 "Lo, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is he who is awake, keeping his garments that he may not go naked and be seen exposed!"
2 Corinthians 5:1-4 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling, so that by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we sigh with anxiety; not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
Revelation 19:7-8 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure" -- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
Now only does Joseph loose his garment, but another garment as we will see. His brothers strip him of his coat and sell him, and with this he looses his freedom. When we sin, we become slaves of sin until we once again turn to the blood of Christ to cover us and set us free.
So Joseph goes down to Egypt where he is working in Potiphers house and climbs in rank and is once again clothed. Now is when he looses his garments a second time. While working in Potiphers house his wife begins to tempt him to an adulterous relationship to no end.
Genesis 39:11-13 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and got out of the house.
Because of this Joseph would once again loose his freedom and be cast into prison, until one day he was blessed and then dressed again in the garments of the Pharaoh.
So we see from that story the significance of loosing your garments goes along with the loss of your freedom.
THE NEW TESTAMENT AND GARMENTS
Jesus tells a parable about a king having a wedding feast for his son. People get invited but they don’t want to come.
Matthew 22:8-14 Then he said to his servants, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, `Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."
So, while this guy was in fact invited to the wedding, he chooses to even come to the wedding, but he refused to put on the garments of those at the wedding. There are many levels to this, but I think this is concerning those who want Christianity without Christ. They want the benefits of Christianity without having to actually conform themselves to Christ and this is dangerous. If we want to share in his heavenly blessings we must come to the altar of the Lord with our souls robed in holiness, lest we be cast into Hell for defiling the body and blood of our Lord in communion.
Ephesians 6:10-17 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, …girded your loins with truth, … the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; … shield of faith, … helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
What about that place in Mark where that disciple runs off without his garments?
During the agony in the garden while Jesus is getting arrested it says:
Mark 14:51-52 And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
Now, without any reference, Tim Grey (who has as awesome free talk on Mark @ EWTN - see side bar) says that there is a Jewish tradition which says that if you were a priest guarding the temple and you were caught sleeping, that your clothes would be taken from you and burned so that you would have to run home naked and in shame.
Now, Christ is the New Temple and the disciples were suppose to be watching and praying, yet they fell asleep, and this one runs off naked. Revelation speaks somewhat on this same topic when it says:
Revelation 16:15 "Lo, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is he who is awake, keeping his garments that he may not go naked and be seen exposed!"
2 Corinthians 5:1-4 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling, so that by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we sigh with anxiety; not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
Revelation 19:7-8 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure" -- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.
The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.
Money answereth all things! Who said these words? The Preacher did (Eccl 10:19). Are they true? Yes, they are true, for money can solve a lot of problems and do a lot of things. Solomon also said money was a defense against trouble (Eccl 7:12).
Rich men know they can buy their way out of most difficulties, so they learn to trust in riches as their defense and source of help (18:11). They become conceited in their own abilities and forget God, as they do not feel any need for Him or dependency upon Him. Rich men do not pray, for they believe they can save themselves by their financial power.
Poor men cannot buy themselves out of trouble. When expenses mount, they have no defense, and they are destroyed. They lose confidence, become frustrated and fearful, and are tempted to covet or steal what the rich man has. Neither do poor men pray, for they have no hope of deliverance, so they often try to take matters into their own hands.
It is even hard for the poor to make and keep friends (14:20; 19:4,7). What a miserable life! But the rich have many friends (19:6). What a blessed life! Beware, dear reader, neither of these situations is ideal! Poverty and prosperity each have their disadvantages.
Because of these two extremes, both of which lead to sin, wise Agur prayed that God would deliver him from both riches and poverty (30:7-9). He chose moderate financial success as his goal – a convenient amount of money would be just right. He knew that riches could lead to presumption against God, and he knew poverty could lead to theft.
Can you be content with only moderate success? Will you be? If you love your soul, this will be more than enough! Can you be peacefully content with God as your portion (Ps 73:25-26; Gen 15:1; Heb 13:5-6)? Will you be? This is a measure of spiritual perfection.
It is holy wisdom and eternal prudence when the rich become poor in spirit (Matt 5:3) and the poor become rich in faith (James 2:5). Are these the measures most important to your soul? Are these your ambitions and goals? These measure true success.
A strong city was a place of safety, especially in the days of Solomon (II Chron 11:5). Rich men trust their money the same way citizens trusted high and thick walls of a city. But the Lord should be our only defence (Ps 7:10; 62:2,6), refuge (Ps 9:9; 94:22), fortress (Ps 71:3; 91:2), and high tower (Ps 18:2; 144:2) against trouble and fear. Trust in Him! Many troubles will surely come that money cannot save you from, especially death.
Do not trust money. If riches increase, do not think about them (Ps 62:10). Remember Job and how the Lord took everything away in one day. Riches grow wings and fly away (23:4-5), and thieves break through and steal (Mat 6:19). Job cursed himself, if he had ever let money become his hope or confidence (Job 31:24-25). Do not trust money.
The desire to be rich is a foolish ambition and horrible curse. A man must love pain and death to set wealth as his goal. Desiring riches is the root of all evil, and it drowns men in destruction and perdition. Many men have left the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows by seeking to be rich (I Tim 6:6-10). Hate America’s love of riches. Remember Lot, Balaam, Achan, and Gehazi as Bible examples of those who brought much trouble upon themselves by seeking to be rich. Do not even think about being rich!
Men have lost the kingdom of God by valuing riches more than Jesus Christ, so He taught His disciples it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for rich men to enter the kingdom of heaven (Mark 10:17-27). Money may help put braces on your children’s teeth, but it can cost you the kingdom of heaven! Lord, help us.
Wealth and success cannot help in the Day of Judgment, as two rich men learned (Luke 12:13-21; 16:19-31). And you will take none of it with you (I Tim 6:7; Job 1:21). Though you may trust your money, you cannot redeem your own soul or that of anyone else (Pr 49:6-9). Only righteousness will help in the day of wrath, not riches (10:2; 11:4).
True success is living a godly life and being content with what you have (I Tim 6:6). Consider it. Many waste the pleasure and satisfaction of what they do have by fretting for what they do not have? Here is profound wisdom for true happiness and a fulfilling life. This is learned behavior, and there is nothing in your sinful nature that wants to be content (Phil 4:11). But choose contentment today, for it will bring you happy success!
If you are rich, do not glory in your riches, but rather glory in knowing the Lord (Jer 9:23-24). This is a greater treasure than any bank account (II Cor 9:15). David was rich, but he valued God’s word more precious to him than much fine gold (Ps 19:f10). Be ready to distribute your money to others, so you can lay hold of eternal life and lay up a good foundation against the time to come (I Tim 6:17-19; Matt 25:31-46).
If you are poor, remember God chose the poor of this world rich in faith (James 2:5). He has not called many rich or successful people to heaven (I Cor 1:26-29). Most of them will be shocked in the Day of Judgment to discover that God has rejected them. But if you are poor, you have riches untold and unimagined in glory (I Cor 2:9; John 14:2).
What is the summary of the lesson? It cannot be said better than James wrote it, “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich, in that he is made low” (James 1:9-10)! This is a choice based on the facts and promises of the gospel. A poor man trusting Christ is a king and priest with an eternal inheritance beyond the richest man’s imagination. A rich man can be sober, humble, and helpful by realizing his real wealth is in spiritual blessings purchased by Jesus Christ’s blood rather than his wealth.
Dear reader, do you know about the greatest reversal of fortune in the whole universe? Hollywood may have named a movie by those words, but hear the Scriptures.
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
II Corinthians 8:9
Lord, help us to be content with convenient food here and give us eyes of faith to see the abundance that awaits us with Thee. Amen.
Money answereth all things! Who said these words? The Preacher did (Eccl 10:19). Are they true? Yes, they are true, for money can solve a lot of problems and do a lot of things. Solomon also said money was a defense against trouble (Eccl 7:12).
Rich men know they can buy their way out of most difficulties, so they learn to trust in riches as their defense and source of help (18:11). They become conceited in their own abilities and forget God, as they do not feel any need for Him or dependency upon Him. Rich men do not pray, for they believe they can save themselves by their financial power.
Poor men cannot buy themselves out of trouble. When expenses mount, they have no defense, and they are destroyed. They lose confidence, become frustrated and fearful, and are tempted to covet or steal what the rich man has. Neither do poor men pray, for they have no hope of deliverance, so they often try to take matters into their own hands.
It is even hard for the poor to make and keep friends (14:20; 19:4,7). What a miserable life! But the rich have many friends (19:6). What a blessed life! Beware, dear reader, neither of these situations is ideal! Poverty and prosperity each have their disadvantages.
Because of these two extremes, both of which lead to sin, wise Agur prayed that God would deliver him from both riches and poverty (30:7-9). He chose moderate financial success as his goal – a convenient amount of money would be just right. He knew that riches could lead to presumption against God, and he knew poverty could lead to theft.
Can you be content with only moderate success? Will you be? If you love your soul, this will be more than enough! Can you be peacefully content with God as your portion (Ps 73:25-26; Gen 15:1; Heb 13:5-6)? Will you be? This is a measure of spiritual perfection.
It is holy wisdom and eternal prudence when the rich become poor in spirit (Matt 5:3) and the poor become rich in faith (James 2:5). Are these the measures most important to your soul? Are these your ambitions and goals? These measure true success.
A strong city was a place of safety, especially in the days of Solomon (II Chron 11:5). Rich men trust their money the same way citizens trusted high and thick walls of a city. But the Lord should be our only defence (Ps 7:10; 62:2,6), refuge (Ps 9:9; 94:22), fortress (Ps 71:3; 91:2), and high tower (Ps 18:2; 144:2) against trouble and fear. Trust in Him! Many troubles will surely come that money cannot save you from, especially death.
Do not trust money. If riches increase, do not think about them (Ps 62:10). Remember Job and how the Lord took everything away in one day. Riches grow wings and fly away (23:4-5), and thieves break through and steal (Mat 6:19). Job cursed himself, if he had ever let money become his hope or confidence (Job 31:24-25). Do not trust money.
The desire to be rich is a foolish ambition and horrible curse. A man must love pain and death to set wealth as his goal. Desiring riches is the root of all evil, and it drowns men in destruction and perdition. Many men have left the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows by seeking to be rich (I Tim 6:6-10). Hate America’s love of riches. Remember Lot, Balaam, Achan, and Gehazi as Bible examples of those who brought much trouble upon themselves by seeking to be rich. Do not even think about being rich!
Men have lost the kingdom of God by valuing riches more than Jesus Christ, so He taught His disciples it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for rich men to enter the kingdom of heaven (Mark 10:17-27). Money may help put braces on your children’s teeth, but it can cost you the kingdom of heaven! Lord, help us.
Wealth and success cannot help in the Day of Judgment, as two rich men learned (Luke 12:13-21; 16:19-31). And you will take none of it with you (I Tim 6:7; Job 1:21). Though you may trust your money, you cannot redeem your own soul or that of anyone else (Pr 49:6-9). Only righteousness will help in the day of wrath, not riches (10:2; 11:4).
True success is living a godly life and being content with what you have (I Tim 6:6). Consider it. Many waste the pleasure and satisfaction of what they do have by fretting for what they do not have? Here is profound wisdom for true happiness and a fulfilling life. This is learned behavior, and there is nothing in your sinful nature that wants to be content (Phil 4:11). But choose contentment today, for it will bring you happy success!
If you are rich, do not glory in your riches, but rather glory in knowing the Lord (Jer 9:23-24). This is a greater treasure than any bank account (II Cor 9:15). David was rich, but he valued God’s word more precious to him than much fine gold (Ps 19:f10). Be ready to distribute your money to others, so you can lay hold of eternal life and lay up a good foundation against the time to come (I Tim 6:17-19; Matt 25:31-46).
If you are poor, remember God chose the poor of this world rich in faith (James 2:5). He has not called many rich or successful people to heaven (I Cor 1:26-29). Most of them will be shocked in the Day of Judgment to discover that God has rejected them. But if you are poor, you have riches untold and unimagined in glory (I Cor 2:9; John 14:2).
What is the summary of the lesson? It cannot be said better than James wrote it, “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich, in that he is made low” (James 1:9-10)! This is a choice based on the facts and promises of the gospel. A poor man trusting Christ is a king and priest with an eternal inheritance beyond the richest man’s imagination. A rich man can be sober, humble, and helpful by realizing his real wealth is in spiritual blessings purchased by Jesus Christ’s blood rather than his wealth.
Dear reader, do you know about the greatest reversal of fortune in the whole universe? Hollywood may have named a movie by those words, but hear the Scriptures.
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
II Corinthians 8:9
Lord, help us to be content with convenient food here and give us eyes of faith to see the abundance that awaits us with Thee. Amen.
The Path of the Just
The Path of the Just
Chapter 13 (Part 1)
We’re told ironically enough that “abstinence”, our next trait, “is the beginning of piety”, which is a trait further down the line. What’s Ramchal’s point? For one thing, he means to underscore the fact that “piety” is actually the main thrust of this work (see our Introduction) and that we’re finally getting closer to it; and he also wants to begin laying out its parameters, since so many misunderstand piety. He then makes the following vital point which touches upon each one of us in search of spiritual excellence.
“Whereas all that we’ve discussed to now” in this work from the beginning to this point “is what you would need to become righteous; from here on we’ll discuss what you’d need to become pious”.
Now, that’s a daunting statement in fact. It means for one thing that all we’d struggled with to now has been step one, for all intents and purposes -- including all we’d learned about what we’d need to do to achieve caution, enthusiasm, and innocence (and there has been a lot!). It thus implies that all of that is just the beginning. In fact, it could all even be said to be apprentice, maybe even amateur rank. Because what it does is to ready us for the ultimate task of achieving piety (and even beyond).
Nonetheless, the point is (and this will surprise and disappoint many) that “most people cannot be pious, and it would be enough for them to be righteous” by living up to all that preceded this. So we might not even get very much farther along.
We’re all capable of living up to what had been laid out for us until now, to be sure; but we’re not all spiritually gifted enough to be out-and-out pious, which calls for much more. (See an esoteric discussion of this in Ramchal’s Sod HaYichud, found in Ginzei Ramchal pp. 269-271, also see Adir Bamarom pp. 28-29) .
Even if we aren’t capable of reaching the highest levels, though, we’ll still pick up a clue here and there about what we’re capable of by going further, and of what the truly pious and holy ones are made of. And so while some would advise us to stop where we are and hone the lofty achievements we’d been encouraged in until now rather than go further and either frustrate ourselves or grow discouraged, we’ll go on.
Let’s define “abstinence” -- the trait under discussion now -- according to Ramchal’s depiction of it.
After all, we all know about restraining ourselves for the sake of a good end. Many of us steer clear of things we’re perhaps very inclined toward for the sake of character development. In fact, our people have been weaned on self-restraint for many, many centuries. Weren’t we instructed to ready ourselves for the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai three days beforehand by avoiding intimacy (see Exodus 19:23)?
As Ramchal puts it, though, “the general principle behind abstinence was expressed by our sages with their admonition to ‘Sanctify yourself through what is permitted to you’” (Yevamot 20a). And so, abstinence comes down to “disallowing yourself something that the Torah (itself actually) permits, so you won’t come in contact with something it (actually) forbids”. That is it means “withdrawing from anything that’s likely to cause you to come to do bad, even though it’s not bad itself”.
That’s to say that one who’s out to achieve abstinence is to avoid things that are in fact perfectly acceptable for the sake of the “big picture”, since it might lower his or her spiritual rank in the end. Ramchal will lay out the parameters and offer examples as we go along.
Chapter 13 (Part 1)
We’re told ironically enough that “abstinence”, our next trait, “is the beginning of piety”, which is a trait further down the line. What’s Ramchal’s point? For one thing, he means to underscore the fact that “piety” is actually the main thrust of this work (see our Introduction) and that we’re finally getting closer to it; and he also wants to begin laying out its parameters, since so many misunderstand piety. He then makes the following vital point which touches upon each one of us in search of spiritual excellence.
“Whereas all that we’ve discussed to now” in this work from the beginning to this point “is what you would need to become righteous; from here on we’ll discuss what you’d need to become pious”.
Now, that’s a daunting statement in fact. It means for one thing that all we’d struggled with to now has been step one, for all intents and purposes -- including all we’d learned about what we’d need to do to achieve caution, enthusiasm, and innocence (and there has been a lot!). It thus implies that all of that is just the beginning. In fact, it could all even be said to be apprentice, maybe even amateur rank. Because what it does is to ready us for the ultimate task of achieving piety (and even beyond).
Nonetheless, the point is (and this will surprise and disappoint many) that “most people cannot be pious, and it would be enough for them to be righteous” by living up to all that preceded this. So we might not even get very much farther along.
We’re all capable of living up to what had been laid out for us until now, to be sure; but we’re not all spiritually gifted enough to be out-and-out pious, which calls for much more. (See an esoteric discussion of this in Ramchal’s Sod HaYichud, found in Ginzei Ramchal pp. 269-271, also see Adir Bamarom pp. 28-29) .
Even if we aren’t capable of reaching the highest levels, though, we’ll still pick up a clue here and there about what we’re capable of by going further, and of what the truly pious and holy ones are made of. And so while some would advise us to stop where we are and hone the lofty achievements we’d been encouraged in until now rather than go further and either frustrate ourselves or grow discouraged, we’ll go on.
Let’s define “abstinence” -- the trait under discussion now -- according to Ramchal’s depiction of it.
After all, we all know about restraining ourselves for the sake of a good end. Many of us steer clear of things we’re perhaps very inclined toward for the sake of character development. In fact, our people have been weaned on self-restraint for many, many centuries. Weren’t we instructed to ready ourselves for the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai three days beforehand by avoiding intimacy (see Exodus 19:23)?
As Ramchal puts it, though, “the general principle behind abstinence was expressed by our sages with their admonition to ‘Sanctify yourself through what is permitted to you’” (Yevamot 20a). And so, abstinence comes down to “disallowing yourself something that the Torah (itself actually) permits, so you won’t come in contact with something it (actually) forbids”. That is it means “withdrawing from anything that’s likely to cause you to come to do bad, even though it’s not bad itself”.
That’s to say that one who’s out to achieve abstinence is to avoid things that are in fact perfectly acceptable for the sake of the “big picture”, since it might lower his or her spiritual rank in the end. Ramchal will lay out the parameters and offer examples as we go along.
David wishes to impart to his son
David wishes to impart to his son as follows:
1. Torah – Your spiritual orientation is of prime importance. It is this factor that will determine the success or failure of Shlomo personally and, more globally, of the royal House of David.
2. Yoav – Beware of governmental forces that express disloyalty, attempting to manipulate the national agenda. Be prepared to take action to eliminate them.
3. Barzilai Ha-Giladi – Reward loyal allies who support you in times of crisis. Hold them close.
4. Shimi – Beware of influential leaders who try to arouse old tribal divisions. They can cause a great deal of harm.
.
1. Torah – Your spiritual orientation is of prime importance. It is this factor that will determine the success or failure of Shlomo personally and, more globally, of the royal House of David.
2. Yoav – Beware of governmental forces that express disloyalty, attempting to manipulate the national agenda. Be prepared to take action to eliminate them.
3. Barzilai Ha-Giladi – Reward loyal allies who support you in times of crisis. Hold them close.
4. Shimi – Beware of influential leaders who try to arouse old tribal divisions. They can cause a great deal of harm.
.
The blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Eival
the history of the resting of the shekhina – the altar, the writing of the torah, and the blessings on mount eival (1)
Rav Yitzchak Levi
As was mentioned in the previous lecture, the first study unit in this year's series will deal with various issues connected to Bnei Yisrael's entry into Eretz Yisrael. The first topic, the subject of this lecture, is the special events that took place on Mount Eival.
At the end of the eighth chapter of the book of Yehoshua, the prophet describes two highly important events about which the people of Israel had already been commanded in the plains of Moav along the Jordan across from Jericho:
Then Yehoshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel on Mount Eival, as Moshe the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the Torah of Moshe, an altar of whole stones, over which no man lifted up any iron instrument. And they offered on it burnt-offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace- offerings. And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the Torah of Moshe, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, both stranger, and native born; half of them facing Mount Gerizim and half of facing Mount Eival; as Moshe the servant of the Lord had commanded that they should first bless the people of Israel. And afterwards he read all the words of the Torah, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the Torah. There was not a word of all that Moshe commanded that Yehoshua did not read before the congregation of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers that went among them. (Yehoshua 8:30-35)
We see from these verses that Moshe had commanded Bnei Yisrael about two matters, and that these commandments were fulfilled now by Yehoshua:
· The building of an altar to the Lord God of Israel on Mount Eival, the offering of burnt-offerings and peace-offerings upon that altar, and the writing of a copy of the Torah of Moshe upon the stones.
· The assembly involving blessings and curses on Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival.
Based on the order of the chapters, these two events took place at the same time, following the conquest of Jericho and Ay.
Let us first examine the Torah's commands regarding these matters, and then we shall relate to the execution of these commands in the book of Yehoshua.
As part of the introduction to Moshe's oration regarding the mitzvot, Bnei Yisrael are commanded in the book of Devarim (11:29) to recite the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Eival. Scripture even notes the location of these mountains: "Surely they are on the other side of the Jordan, by the way where the sun goes down, in the land of the Cana'ani, who dwell in the Arava over against Gilgal, beside Elonei Moreh." Without going into detail about the location of this place, I wish to note that Scripture mentions that Gerizim and Eival are near Elonei Moreh.
It is interesting that Elon Moreh is also mentioned in the account of Avraham's journey to Eretz Yisrael (Bereishit 12:6). That verse implies that Elon Moreh is the name of a place near Shekhem. No verse directly connects Mount Gerizim, Mount Eival, and Shekhem as places that are in close proximity to one another. The verses that mention Shekhem do not mention Gerizim or Eival, and similarly, the verses that mention Gerizim or Eival make no mention of Shekhem.
The fact that Shekhem is mentioned together with Elon Moreh in the story regarding Avraham and that Elonei Moreh is mentioned as being near Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival when Bnei Yisrael enter the land allows us to draw a connection between the places – both geographical and substantive.[1] When Bnei Yisrael enter the Land, they are told to go to Mount Eival, near the place where God appeared to Avraham for the first time in Eretz Yisrael. In this way, they connect their entry into the Land to Avraham's actions when he arrived in Eretz Yisrael.
In this context, it is interesting how the mishna in Sota formulates the manner in which the blessings and curses were uttered at Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival:
Blessings and curses, how so? When Israel crossed the Jordan and came to Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival in Samaria, near Shekhem which is next to Elon Moreh, as it is stated: "Surely they are on the other side of the Jordan." And above it says: "And Avraham passed through the land to the place of Shekhem unto Elon Moreh." Just as the Elon Moreh mentioned above is Shekhem, so too the Elon Moreh mentioned here is Shekhem. (Sota 32a)
The mishna notes the precise location of Mount Gerizim and Eival in Samaria alongside Shekhem next to Elonei Moreh. The connection between Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival and Shekhem lies in the parallelism between the verses describing Avraham's entry into the land and the verses describing the location of Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival as near Elonei Moreh.
The command regarding the assembly is spelled out in detail in chapter 27 of the book of Devarim, at the end of Moshe's oration regarding the mitzvot. The command there can be divided into several topics:
· On the day that they cross the Jordan, Bnei Yisrael are to set up great stones, cover them with plaster, and write upon them all the words of the Torah.
· When they cross the Jordan, they are to set up these stones on Mount Eival and cover them with plaster.
· Bnei Yisrael are to build an altar made of stones, offer upon it burnt-offerings to God, offer peace-offerings, and eat and rejoice before God.
· All the words of the Torah are to be written on the stones very plainly.
After this, the Torah spells out the tribes that will stand to bless the people on Mount Gerizim and those that will stand on Mount Eival to curse. This is followed by a detailed account of the curses.
Thus, we see that Bnei Yisrael were commanded to do three things at Mount Eival following their crossing of the Jordan:[2]
1) To set up stones, plaster them, and write all the words of the Torah upon them.
2) To build an altar, sacrifice upon it burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and rejoice before God.
3) The assembly involving the blessings and curses.
The TIming of the event
The first question regarding the aforementioned events relates to their timing – when did they take place? The scriptural verses and rabbinic midrashim suggest several possibilities.
1) The Torah says as follows:
And it shall be on the day when you shall pass over the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall set up great stones and cover them with plaster. (Devarim 27:2)
According to the simple reading of this verse, it follows that this event was to take place on the day that Bnei Yisrael cross the Jordan. The actual occurrence, however, is described in the book of Yehoshua at the end of chapter 8. On the assumption that the chapters of the book of Yehoshua are arranged in chronological order, Bnei Yisrael first conquered Jericho and Ay, and only afterwards did they reach the area of Mount Eival, where the assembly took place. This was followed by the covenant made with the Giv'onites and the wars fought against the southern kings and the northern kings.
Accordingly, we cannot date this assembly in a precise manner, but it occurred some time after the conquest of Jericho and Ay, in accordance with the advance up the central mountain massif from the east toward the north-west.
In contrast to the plain meaning of the verses, we find various views in the words of Chazal:
The gemara in Sota states:
Come and see how many miracles were performed on that day. Israel crossed the Jordan and came to Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival more than sixty mils away, and no one could stand before them… And afterwards they brought the stones, and built the altar, and covered it with plaster, and wrote on them all the words of the Torah in seventy languages, as it is stated: "very plainly." And they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and ate and drank and rejoiced. And they uttered the blessings and the curses. And they packed the stones and went and spent the night in Gilgal… (36a)
According to this opinion, all of these things took place on the day that Israel entered the land, and it all transpired in a miraculous manner. It is clearly difficult to reconcile this view with the plain sense of the biblical verses.
As for the possibility that the people of Israel reached the region of Mount Eival on the day that they crossed the Jordan, there is a consideration that makes this possibility easier to accept, one that is connected to a geographical question connected to the crossing of the Jordan. The verse in Yehoshua reads:
The waters which came down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far from the city Adam, which is beside Tzaretan; and those that came down toward the sea of the Arava, the salt sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people passed over opposite Jericho. (3:16)
Why were the waters cut off so far north up the Jordan if the people crossed the river opposite Jericho?
It may be argued that this magnifies the miracle. It is also possible to suggest[3] that the people of Israel crossed the Jordan along the entire sector, from the Jericho region in the south to the area of the Damya bridge in the north, "very far from the city of Adam, which is beside Tzaretan." In this way, their entry in the northern region – close to the Damya bridge - allowed them to enter via Wadi Tirtza (Wadi Fara) and proceed straight to the area of Shekhem, Mount Gerizim, and Mount Eival. The distance is much shorter and it allows us to explain how Bnei Yisrael reached Mount Eival on the very day that they entered the land.[4]
In addition, and as we mentioned earlier, noting this place as the site where the waters of the Jordan were cut off sharpens the parallelism between Israel's entry into the land and the entry of the patriarchs, Avraham and Yaakov, at that same place. What this parallelism means is that the children followed in the footsteps of their forefathers, who paved the way for Israel's entry into the land.[5]
2) Another possibility regarding the timing of the assembly at Mount Eival arises from the words of the Yerushalmi:
…For R. Yishmael said: All the "comings" mentioned in the Torah are after fourteen years, seven [years] of conquest and seven [years] of dividing up [the land]. According to this, the blessings and curses were only uttered after fourteen years. R. Chananya raised an objection before R. Mana: But surely it is written: "And it shall be when you have gone over the Jordan, that you shall set up these stones" (Devarim 27:4)! He said to him: The stones they set up immediately, [but] the blessings and curses they uttered [only] after fourteen years. (Yerushalmi, Sota 7:3 [end])
According to the Yerushalmi, a distinction must be made between the various events: The stones at Mount Eival were set up immediately – as we saw in the Bavli. As for the blessings and curses, the Tannaim disagree whether they were uttered on that very day or only after fourteen years of conquest and dividing up the land.
According to this approach, the assembly at Mount Eival marked the conclusion of the fourteen years of conquest and settlement. It is interesting that Chazal (Seder Olam Rabba) understood that the Mishkan stood in Gilgal for fourteen years. According to this, it was at the point of transition of the Mishkan in Gilgal to the Mishkan in Shilo that the ceremony involving the blessings and curses took place at Mount Eival, north of Shekhem.
The transfer of the Mishkan from Gilgal to Shilo expresses a shift to a less temporary and more permanent site than Gilgal[6] paralleling the ascent from the Jordan valley to the central mountain massif.
3) There is a third possibility that the words "on the day when you shall pass over the Jordan" do not refer to the day that Bnei Yisrael actually crossed the Jordan, but to the initial period of their settlement in Eretz Yisrael. This can certainly be reconciled with our understanding of the plain sense of Scripture, that the reference is to the period following the conquest of Jericho and Ay and before the great wars against the kings of the south and the north.
In any event, we learn from Chazal that a distinction can be made between the stage of setting up the stones, building the altar, and writing the Torah, which took place immediately following Israel's entry into the land, and the assembly involving the blessings and curses that took place only later after fourteen years of conquest and settlement.
We will later try to understand, based on the content and essence of that assembly, the significance of the timing in accordance with the three possibilities proposed above.
The Location of the Assembly
Why do these events (the altar, the sacrifices, the writing of the Torah on the stones)[7] take place specifically at Mount Eival? And furthermore, why were the blessings set for Mount Gerizim and the curses for Mount Eival?
It should first be noted that this is the only instance in which the Torah commands that a particular action be performed in a particular place in Eretz Yisrael. Scripture does not specify the future stations of the Mishkan or the various capital cities; it only names the place where Bnei Yisrael are commanded to build an altar, write the Torah, and conduct the assembly involving the blessings and curses.
It seems that the Torah attaches great importance and meaning to the assembly being held specifically at Mount Eival.
A second point that requires examination is the relationship between the establishment of an altar at Mount Eival and the Mishkan. As we have seen, the Torah commands that an altar be built. During this period, however, the Mishkan had already been built, and we might have expected that the Torah would relate to the Mishkan and its location - but not a word is said about the matter. This point greatly sharpens the question regarding the location of the altar at the time of the entry into Eretz Yisrael in relation to the Mishkan.
It is possible that at the beginning of the conquest, when the Mishkan was in Gilgal, Bnei Yisrael were preoccupied with the conquest and afterwards with the settlement of Eretz Yisrael (according to Chazal, seven years of conquest and seven years of dividing up the land), the ark was going out to various wars, and the Mishkan did not yet enjoy any permanence, it was vitally necessary that a covenant be made upon Israel's entry into the land. The entry into Eretz Yisrael constituted a drastic change on several levels –a change from miraculous governance to worldly governance and struggle with the material world, as well as reaching the place where they wanted to settle permanently. It was appropriate that at this time of transition, a covenant be made between God and Israel, and the best way to do this was by building an altar, writing the Torah, and performing an assembly involving blessings and curses.
Why did these things have to take place at Mount Eival? The city of Shekhem is situated in a fertile valley running from east to west, with Mount Eival to its north and Mount Gerizim to its south. Why hold the assembly on the mountain upon which the curses were uttered? Why not conduct it in the valley below or on Mount Gerizim?
1) The Ramban explains (ad loc.):
It is possible that Mount Gerizim was to the south, which is to the right, and Mount Eival was to the north, as it is stated: "Out of the north the evil shall break forth" (Yirmiyahu 1:14).
R. Sandorfi explains the Ramban's comment based on what he writes in his commentary to Shemot 32:1:
Destruction and desolation come from the north, as it is written: "Out of the north the evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land" (Yirmiyahu 1:14). The reference is not exclusively to the king of Bavel, as it may appear from a superficial reading of the text. But rather this means that the quality of justice always comes from the left to recompense all the inhabitants of the land in accordance with their evil.
2) R. David Tzvi Hoffman, in his commentary to Vayikra (1:11), explains the significance of the northern side in general, including in the Mikdash. According to him, the south always symbolizes the bright and shining side, whereas the north (tzafon) indicates the dark and hidden side (tzafun = hidden).
Therefore, the menora which symbolizes the spiritual assets of the nation, stands on the side of the light, whereas the shulchan with the shewbread, which represents its material assets, stands on the side of the darkness.
Similarly, the daily offering was always slaughtered (according to Yoma 62b) during the day facing the sun – the morning sacrifice was slaughtered at the north-west corner and the afternoon sacrifice was slaughtered at the north-east corner - both were slaughtered in the north, but in different places, so as to face the sun. Thus, it turns out that the slaughter of these offerings, which symbolizes the people of Israel's dedication to God, took place in the open, before the eyes of all, "facing the sun." The most appropriate place was the north, because the slaughter had to take place on the side of the altar, and to the south stood the ramp leading to the top of the altar.
This arrangement, which was established at first for the communal daily offering, was extended to the rest of the sacrifices. This is the reason, according to R. Hoffman, that the altar was set up specifically on Mount Eival.
3) R. Samson Raphael Hirsch proposes that the two mountains differ in their very nature: Mount Gerizim is covered in green, whereas Mount Eival is dry and desolate, and they well exemplify blessing and curse. Both mountains share the same geographic conditions, but nevertheless Mount Gerizim is fertile while Mount Eival is desolate. He writes as follows:
In the same way, blessing and curse are not conditional on external circumstances, but on our own inner receptivity for the one or the other, on our behavior towards that which is to bring blessing.[8] (Commentary to Devarim 11:29)
4) Another question relating to this topic is why the Torah was written and the altar set up specifically on the mountain on which the curse was given. The commentators answer this question in various ways:
That it should serve as a support for them, for they stand next to the altar and the site of joy, as it is written: "And you shall offer peace-offerings, and shall eat there, and rejoice before the Lord your God" (Devarim 27:7). For there the Shekhina rests with them. (Bekhor Shor, Devarim 27:5)
In other words, the altar was set up on Mount Eival in order to support those tribes, so that joy and the Shekhina should rest upon the cursed tribes.
The Iyyun Yaakov offers a different explanation, explaining that the altar was built specifically on this mountain in order to achieve atonement for the cursed ones (Iyyun Yaakov on the Ein Yaakov, Sota 32, no. 89, s.v. ve-achar kakh hevi'u et ha-avanim).
5) R. Sandorfi offers an interesting proposal: The ceremony was conducted on Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival, near Shekhem, because Shekhem was the place to which Yosef was sent to visit his brothers before they sold him; from there they sold him, and now the people of Israel are commanded to repair the sin of that sale in that very place. This assembly repaired the root of division, the sin of the sale of Yosef that began at Shekhem, from which began the exile to Egypt. In this manner, R. Sandorfi also explains the division of the tribes between Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival based on their relationship with Yosef.
This explanation is very attractive, and it also accords with other events connected to Yosef that took place in Shekhem.
· Shekhem was given to Yosef by his father Yaakov, according to one possible understanding of the verse, "Moreover, I have given to you one portion (shekhem) more than your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Emori with my sword and with my bow" (Bereishit 48:22).
· Yosef was buried in Shekhem: "And the bones of Yosef, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shekhem, in a section of ground which Yaakov bought from the sons of Chamor the father of Shekhem for a hundred kesita; and they became the inheritance of the children of Yosef" (Yehoshua 24:32).
Accordingly, understanding the assembly involving the blessings and curses next to Shekhem as a repair of the division in Israel that became manifest at the time of the sale of Yosef accords well with Yosef's strong connection to Shekhem.[9]
6) There is another connection between the setting up of the altar on Mount Eival next to Shekhem and Yosef:[10] The kingship of Yosef symbolizes the descent to Egypt, as well as the exodus from Egypt and the return to Eretz Yisrael. Yosef promises that "God will surely remember you" (Bereishit 50:24), and Yehoshua from the tribe of Yosef led the return to Eretz Yisrael, thus closing the circle. It is not by chance that the book of Yehoshua ends with an account of the burial of Yosef's bones. When the people of Israel entered Eretz Israel, they were still under the influence of Yosef's leadership through Yehoshua. In this sense, more than anything else, the Shekhem region symbolizes Yosef, for it was the first station on Yosef's journey that led him and all of Yaakov's family to Egypt.
In this sense, we can certainly understand that the first and most important assembly following Israel's entry into the land was conducted in the Shekhem area, in the territory of the tribes of Efrayim and Menasheh, in the territory of the tribe of the leader who was Yosef's heir – Yehoshua from the tribe of Efrayim.[11]
In keeping with our approach, I wish to propose that this assembly took place at Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival because this was Avraham and Yaakov's starting point when they entered the land, and the city of Shekhem constitutes in great measure the northern gate to Eretz Yisrael.
In order to prove this argument, we must consider the essence of Shekhem, as it finds expression in various sources. This we shall do in the next lecture.
(Translated by David Strauss)
[1] Even though one source refers to "Elon Moreh" while the other source refers to "Elonei Moreh," there is no doubt that they refer to the same place.
[2] Only the assembly involving the blessings and curses is a fulfillment of what is stated in Devarim 11:29 and on. The other two commands appear only in Devarim 27.
[3] This was proposed by Rav Yoel Bin-Nun in an oral lecture.
[4] Adam Zartal claims, based on an archaeological survey that he conducted in the region, that he found across the entire length of the sector from Jericho to Damya bridge, to the west of the Jordan, "gilgals," Israelite settlements dating to the 13th century BCE, the period of the Israelite conquest.
[5] One of the most important arguments for dating this assembly to the day that Bnei Yisrael entered the land (or to the first stage of their entry) is the desire to see the covenant made at Mount Eival as a direct continuation of the covenant made at the plains of Moav, which was arranged by Moshe in Devarim 28.
[6] Although Shilo was still a place that combines temporariness and permanence, "stones at the bottom and curtains at the top," it was certainly more permanent than the Mishkan in Gilgal. Both in its location and in its structure, as well as in the time that it stood according to Chazal and the Rambam (369 years), Shilo symbolizes a certain degree of permanence.
[7] R. Eitan Sandorfi wrote an article, "Ha-Berakha Ve-Ha-Kelala Be-Har Gerizim U-Be-Har Eival," in Nitzanei Aretz 17 (5767), pp. 366-397. In this article, he brings many sources relevant to our discussion, some of which we shall cite below.
[8] With all the beauty of this explanation, which is based primarily on the difference between a northern exposure and a southern exposure, in what way were Mount Eival and Mount Gerizim different than many other mountains that exhibit a difference between northern and southern exposures?
[9] We must still try to understand why the Torah itself does not spell out directly the connection between Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival and Shekhem.
[10] Yonatan Feinton notes this in his article, "Berit Moav U-Berit Har Gerizim Ve-Har Eival," Megadim 34 (Tishrei 5762), pp. 67-84.
[11] This phenomenon occurs again later in the relationship between the site of the Mishkan and the territory of the tribe of the leader of Israel at each stage.
Rav Yitzchak Levi
As was mentioned in the previous lecture, the first study unit in this year's series will deal with various issues connected to Bnei Yisrael's entry into Eretz Yisrael. The first topic, the subject of this lecture, is the special events that took place on Mount Eival.
At the end of the eighth chapter of the book of Yehoshua, the prophet describes two highly important events about which the people of Israel had already been commanded in the plains of Moav along the Jordan across from Jericho:
Then Yehoshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel on Mount Eival, as Moshe the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the Torah of Moshe, an altar of whole stones, over which no man lifted up any iron instrument. And they offered on it burnt-offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace- offerings. And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the Torah of Moshe, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, both stranger, and native born; half of them facing Mount Gerizim and half of facing Mount Eival; as Moshe the servant of the Lord had commanded that they should first bless the people of Israel. And afterwards he read all the words of the Torah, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the Torah. There was not a word of all that Moshe commanded that Yehoshua did not read before the congregation of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers that went among them. (Yehoshua 8:30-35)
We see from these verses that Moshe had commanded Bnei Yisrael about two matters, and that these commandments were fulfilled now by Yehoshua:
· The building of an altar to the Lord God of Israel on Mount Eival, the offering of burnt-offerings and peace-offerings upon that altar, and the writing of a copy of the Torah of Moshe upon the stones.
· The assembly involving blessings and curses on Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival.
Based on the order of the chapters, these two events took place at the same time, following the conquest of Jericho and Ay.
Let us first examine the Torah's commands regarding these matters, and then we shall relate to the execution of these commands in the book of Yehoshua.
As part of the introduction to Moshe's oration regarding the mitzvot, Bnei Yisrael are commanded in the book of Devarim (11:29) to recite the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Eival. Scripture even notes the location of these mountains: "Surely they are on the other side of the Jordan, by the way where the sun goes down, in the land of the Cana'ani, who dwell in the Arava over against Gilgal, beside Elonei Moreh." Without going into detail about the location of this place, I wish to note that Scripture mentions that Gerizim and Eival are near Elonei Moreh.
It is interesting that Elon Moreh is also mentioned in the account of Avraham's journey to Eretz Yisrael (Bereishit 12:6). That verse implies that Elon Moreh is the name of a place near Shekhem. No verse directly connects Mount Gerizim, Mount Eival, and Shekhem as places that are in close proximity to one another. The verses that mention Shekhem do not mention Gerizim or Eival, and similarly, the verses that mention Gerizim or Eival make no mention of Shekhem.
The fact that Shekhem is mentioned together with Elon Moreh in the story regarding Avraham and that Elonei Moreh is mentioned as being near Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival when Bnei Yisrael enter the land allows us to draw a connection between the places – both geographical and substantive.[1] When Bnei Yisrael enter the Land, they are told to go to Mount Eival, near the place where God appeared to Avraham for the first time in Eretz Yisrael. In this way, they connect their entry into the Land to Avraham's actions when he arrived in Eretz Yisrael.
In this context, it is interesting how the mishna in Sota formulates the manner in which the blessings and curses were uttered at Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival:
Blessings and curses, how so? When Israel crossed the Jordan and came to Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival in Samaria, near Shekhem which is next to Elon Moreh, as it is stated: "Surely they are on the other side of the Jordan." And above it says: "And Avraham passed through the land to the place of Shekhem unto Elon Moreh." Just as the Elon Moreh mentioned above is Shekhem, so too the Elon Moreh mentioned here is Shekhem. (Sota 32a)
The mishna notes the precise location of Mount Gerizim and Eival in Samaria alongside Shekhem next to Elonei Moreh. The connection between Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival and Shekhem lies in the parallelism between the verses describing Avraham's entry into the land and the verses describing the location of Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival as near Elonei Moreh.
The command regarding the assembly is spelled out in detail in chapter 27 of the book of Devarim, at the end of Moshe's oration regarding the mitzvot. The command there can be divided into several topics:
· On the day that they cross the Jordan, Bnei Yisrael are to set up great stones, cover them with plaster, and write upon them all the words of the Torah.
· When they cross the Jordan, they are to set up these stones on Mount Eival and cover them with plaster.
· Bnei Yisrael are to build an altar made of stones, offer upon it burnt-offerings to God, offer peace-offerings, and eat and rejoice before God.
· All the words of the Torah are to be written on the stones very plainly.
After this, the Torah spells out the tribes that will stand to bless the people on Mount Gerizim and those that will stand on Mount Eival to curse. This is followed by a detailed account of the curses.
Thus, we see that Bnei Yisrael were commanded to do three things at Mount Eival following their crossing of the Jordan:[2]
1) To set up stones, plaster them, and write all the words of the Torah upon them.
2) To build an altar, sacrifice upon it burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and rejoice before God.
3) The assembly involving the blessings and curses.
The TIming of the event
The first question regarding the aforementioned events relates to their timing – when did they take place? The scriptural verses and rabbinic midrashim suggest several possibilities.
1) The Torah says as follows:
And it shall be on the day when you shall pass over the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall set up great stones and cover them with plaster. (Devarim 27:2)
According to the simple reading of this verse, it follows that this event was to take place on the day that Bnei Yisrael cross the Jordan. The actual occurrence, however, is described in the book of Yehoshua at the end of chapter 8. On the assumption that the chapters of the book of Yehoshua are arranged in chronological order, Bnei Yisrael first conquered Jericho and Ay, and only afterwards did they reach the area of Mount Eival, where the assembly took place. This was followed by the covenant made with the Giv'onites and the wars fought against the southern kings and the northern kings.
Accordingly, we cannot date this assembly in a precise manner, but it occurred some time after the conquest of Jericho and Ay, in accordance with the advance up the central mountain massif from the east toward the north-west.
In contrast to the plain meaning of the verses, we find various views in the words of Chazal:
The gemara in Sota states:
Come and see how many miracles were performed on that day. Israel crossed the Jordan and came to Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival more than sixty mils away, and no one could stand before them… And afterwards they brought the stones, and built the altar, and covered it with plaster, and wrote on them all the words of the Torah in seventy languages, as it is stated: "very plainly." And they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and ate and drank and rejoiced. And they uttered the blessings and the curses. And they packed the stones and went and spent the night in Gilgal… (36a)
According to this opinion, all of these things took place on the day that Israel entered the land, and it all transpired in a miraculous manner. It is clearly difficult to reconcile this view with the plain sense of the biblical verses.
As for the possibility that the people of Israel reached the region of Mount Eival on the day that they crossed the Jordan, there is a consideration that makes this possibility easier to accept, one that is connected to a geographical question connected to the crossing of the Jordan. The verse in Yehoshua reads:
The waters which came down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far from the city Adam, which is beside Tzaretan; and those that came down toward the sea of the Arava, the salt sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people passed over opposite Jericho. (3:16)
Why were the waters cut off so far north up the Jordan if the people crossed the river opposite Jericho?
It may be argued that this magnifies the miracle. It is also possible to suggest[3] that the people of Israel crossed the Jordan along the entire sector, from the Jericho region in the south to the area of the Damya bridge in the north, "very far from the city of Adam, which is beside Tzaretan." In this way, their entry in the northern region – close to the Damya bridge - allowed them to enter via Wadi Tirtza (Wadi Fara) and proceed straight to the area of Shekhem, Mount Gerizim, and Mount Eival. The distance is much shorter and it allows us to explain how Bnei Yisrael reached Mount Eival on the very day that they entered the land.[4]
In addition, and as we mentioned earlier, noting this place as the site where the waters of the Jordan were cut off sharpens the parallelism between Israel's entry into the land and the entry of the patriarchs, Avraham and Yaakov, at that same place. What this parallelism means is that the children followed in the footsteps of their forefathers, who paved the way for Israel's entry into the land.[5]
2) Another possibility regarding the timing of the assembly at Mount Eival arises from the words of the Yerushalmi:
…For R. Yishmael said: All the "comings" mentioned in the Torah are after fourteen years, seven [years] of conquest and seven [years] of dividing up [the land]. According to this, the blessings and curses were only uttered after fourteen years. R. Chananya raised an objection before R. Mana: But surely it is written: "And it shall be when you have gone over the Jordan, that you shall set up these stones" (Devarim 27:4)! He said to him: The stones they set up immediately, [but] the blessings and curses they uttered [only] after fourteen years. (Yerushalmi, Sota 7:3 [end])
According to the Yerushalmi, a distinction must be made between the various events: The stones at Mount Eival were set up immediately – as we saw in the Bavli. As for the blessings and curses, the Tannaim disagree whether they were uttered on that very day or only after fourteen years of conquest and dividing up the land.
According to this approach, the assembly at Mount Eival marked the conclusion of the fourteen years of conquest and settlement. It is interesting that Chazal (Seder Olam Rabba) understood that the Mishkan stood in Gilgal for fourteen years. According to this, it was at the point of transition of the Mishkan in Gilgal to the Mishkan in Shilo that the ceremony involving the blessings and curses took place at Mount Eival, north of Shekhem.
The transfer of the Mishkan from Gilgal to Shilo expresses a shift to a less temporary and more permanent site than Gilgal[6] paralleling the ascent from the Jordan valley to the central mountain massif.
3) There is a third possibility that the words "on the day when you shall pass over the Jordan" do not refer to the day that Bnei Yisrael actually crossed the Jordan, but to the initial period of their settlement in Eretz Yisrael. This can certainly be reconciled with our understanding of the plain sense of Scripture, that the reference is to the period following the conquest of Jericho and Ay and before the great wars against the kings of the south and the north.
In any event, we learn from Chazal that a distinction can be made between the stage of setting up the stones, building the altar, and writing the Torah, which took place immediately following Israel's entry into the land, and the assembly involving the blessings and curses that took place only later after fourteen years of conquest and settlement.
We will later try to understand, based on the content and essence of that assembly, the significance of the timing in accordance with the three possibilities proposed above.
The Location of the Assembly
Why do these events (the altar, the sacrifices, the writing of the Torah on the stones)[7] take place specifically at Mount Eival? And furthermore, why were the blessings set for Mount Gerizim and the curses for Mount Eival?
It should first be noted that this is the only instance in which the Torah commands that a particular action be performed in a particular place in Eretz Yisrael. Scripture does not specify the future stations of the Mishkan or the various capital cities; it only names the place where Bnei Yisrael are commanded to build an altar, write the Torah, and conduct the assembly involving the blessings and curses.
It seems that the Torah attaches great importance and meaning to the assembly being held specifically at Mount Eival.
A second point that requires examination is the relationship between the establishment of an altar at Mount Eival and the Mishkan. As we have seen, the Torah commands that an altar be built. During this period, however, the Mishkan had already been built, and we might have expected that the Torah would relate to the Mishkan and its location - but not a word is said about the matter. This point greatly sharpens the question regarding the location of the altar at the time of the entry into Eretz Yisrael in relation to the Mishkan.
It is possible that at the beginning of the conquest, when the Mishkan was in Gilgal, Bnei Yisrael were preoccupied with the conquest and afterwards with the settlement of Eretz Yisrael (according to Chazal, seven years of conquest and seven years of dividing up the land), the ark was going out to various wars, and the Mishkan did not yet enjoy any permanence, it was vitally necessary that a covenant be made upon Israel's entry into the land. The entry into Eretz Yisrael constituted a drastic change on several levels –a change from miraculous governance to worldly governance and struggle with the material world, as well as reaching the place where they wanted to settle permanently. It was appropriate that at this time of transition, a covenant be made between God and Israel, and the best way to do this was by building an altar, writing the Torah, and performing an assembly involving blessings and curses.
Why did these things have to take place at Mount Eival? The city of Shekhem is situated in a fertile valley running from east to west, with Mount Eival to its north and Mount Gerizim to its south. Why hold the assembly on the mountain upon which the curses were uttered? Why not conduct it in the valley below or on Mount Gerizim?
1) The Ramban explains (ad loc.):
It is possible that Mount Gerizim was to the south, which is to the right, and Mount Eival was to the north, as it is stated: "Out of the north the evil shall break forth" (Yirmiyahu 1:14).
R. Sandorfi explains the Ramban's comment based on what he writes in his commentary to Shemot 32:1:
Destruction and desolation come from the north, as it is written: "Out of the north the evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land" (Yirmiyahu 1:14). The reference is not exclusively to the king of Bavel, as it may appear from a superficial reading of the text. But rather this means that the quality of justice always comes from the left to recompense all the inhabitants of the land in accordance with their evil.
2) R. David Tzvi Hoffman, in his commentary to Vayikra (1:11), explains the significance of the northern side in general, including in the Mikdash. According to him, the south always symbolizes the bright and shining side, whereas the north (tzafon) indicates the dark and hidden side (tzafun = hidden).
Therefore, the menora which symbolizes the spiritual assets of the nation, stands on the side of the light, whereas the shulchan with the shewbread, which represents its material assets, stands on the side of the darkness.
Similarly, the daily offering was always slaughtered (according to Yoma 62b) during the day facing the sun – the morning sacrifice was slaughtered at the north-west corner and the afternoon sacrifice was slaughtered at the north-east corner - both were slaughtered in the north, but in different places, so as to face the sun. Thus, it turns out that the slaughter of these offerings, which symbolizes the people of Israel's dedication to God, took place in the open, before the eyes of all, "facing the sun." The most appropriate place was the north, because the slaughter had to take place on the side of the altar, and to the south stood the ramp leading to the top of the altar.
This arrangement, which was established at first for the communal daily offering, was extended to the rest of the sacrifices. This is the reason, according to R. Hoffman, that the altar was set up specifically on Mount Eival.
3) R. Samson Raphael Hirsch proposes that the two mountains differ in their very nature: Mount Gerizim is covered in green, whereas Mount Eival is dry and desolate, and they well exemplify blessing and curse. Both mountains share the same geographic conditions, but nevertheless Mount Gerizim is fertile while Mount Eival is desolate. He writes as follows:
In the same way, blessing and curse are not conditional on external circumstances, but on our own inner receptivity for the one or the other, on our behavior towards that which is to bring blessing.[8] (Commentary to Devarim 11:29)
4) Another question relating to this topic is why the Torah was written and the altar set up specifically on the mountain on which the curse was given. The commentators answer this question in various ways:
That it should serve as a support for them, for they stand next to the altar and the site of joy, as it is written: "And you shall offer peace-offerings, and shall eat there, and rejoice before the Lord your God" (Devarim 27:7). For there the Shekhina rests with them. (Bekhor Shor, Devarim 27:5)
In other words, the altar was set up on Mount Eival in order to support those tribes, so that joy and the Shekhina should rest upon the cursed tribes.
The Iyyun Yaakov offers a different explanation, explaining that the altar was built specifically on this mountain in order to achieve atonement for the cursed ones (Iyyun Yaakov on the Ein Yaakov, Sota 32, no. 89, s.v. ve-achar kakh hevi'u et ha-avanim).
5) R. Sandorfi offers an interesting proposal: The ceremony was conducted on Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival, near Shekhem, because Shekhem was the place to which Yosef was sent to visit his brothers before they sold him; from there they sold him, and now the people of Israel are commanded to repair the sin of that sale in that very place. This assembly repaired the root of division, the sin of the sale of Yosef that began at Shekhem, from which began the exile to Egypt. In this manner, R. Sandorfi also explains the division of the tribes between Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival based on their relationship with Yosef.
This explanation is very attractive, and it also accords with other events connected to Yosef that took place in Shekhem.
· Shekhem was given to Yosef by his father Yaakov, according to one possible understanding of the verse, "Moreover, I have given to you one portion (shekhem) more than your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Emori with my sword and with my bow" (Bereishit 48:22).
· Yosef was buried in Shekhem: "And the bones of Yosef, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shekhem, in a section of ground which Yaakov bought from the sons of Chamor the father of Shekhem for a hundred kesita; and they became the inheritance of the children of Yosef" (Yehoshua 24:32).
Accordingly, understanding the assembly involving the blessings and curses next to Shekhem as a repair of the division in Israel that became manifest at the time of the sale of Yosef accords well with Yosef's strong connection to Shekhem.[9]
6) There is another connection between the setting up of the altar on Mount Eival next to Shekhem and Yosef:[10] The kingship of Yosef symbolizes the descent to Egypt, as well as the exodus from Egypt and the return to Eretz Yisrael. Yosef promises that "God will surely remember you" (Bereishit 50:24), and Yehoshua from the tribe of Yosef led the return to Eretz Yisrael, thus closing the circle. It is not by chance that the book of Yehoshua ends with an account of the burial of Yosef's bones. When the people of Israel entered Eretz Israel, they were still under the influence of Yosef's leadership through Yehoshua. In this sense, more than anything else, the Shekhem region symbolizes Yosef, for it was the first station on Yosef's journey that led him and all of Yaakov's family to Egypt.
In this sense, we can certainly understand that the first and most important assembly following Israel's entry into the land was conducted in the Shekhem area, in the territory of the tribes of Efrayim and Menasheh, in the territory of the tribe of the leader who was Yosef's heir – Yehoshua from the tribe of Efrayim.[11]
In keeping with our approach, I wish to propose that this assembly took place at Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival because this was Avraham and Yaakov's starting point when they entered the land, and the city of Shekhem constitutes in great measure the northern gate to Eretz Yisrael.
In order to prove this argument, we must consider the essence of Shekhem, as it finds expression in various sources. This we shall do in the next lecture.
(Translated by David Strauss)
[1] Even though one source refers to "Elon Moreh" while the other source refers to "Elonei Moreh," there is no doubt that they refer to the same place.
[2] Only the assembly involving the blessings and curses is a fulfillment of what is stated in Devarim 11:29 and on. The other two commands appear only in Devarim 27.
[3] This was proposed by Rav Yoel Bin-Nun in an oral lecture.
[4] Adam Zartal claims, based on an archaeological survey that he conducted in the region, that he found across the entire length of the sector from Jericho to Damya bridge, to the west of the Jordan, "gilgals," Israelite settlements dating to the 13th century BCE, the period of the Israelite conquest.
[5] One of the most important arguments for dating this assembly to the day that Bnei Yisrael entered the land (or to the first stage of their entry) is the desire to see the covenant made at Mount Eival as a direct continuation of the covenant made at the plains of Moav, which was arranged by Moshe in Devarim 28.
[6] Although Shilo was still a place that combines temporariness and permanence, "stones at the bottom and curtains at the top," it was certainly more permanent than the Mishkan in Gilgal. Both in its location and in its structure, as well as in the time that it stood according to Chazal and the Rambam (369 years), Shilo symbolizes a certain degree of permanence.
[7] R. Eitan Sandorfi wrote an article, "Ha-Berakha Ve-Ha-Kelala Be-Har Gerizim U-Be-Har Eival," in Nitzanei Aretz 17 (5767), pp. 366-397. In this article, he brings many sources relevant to our discussion, some of which we shall cite below.
[8] With all the beauty of this explanation, which is based primarily on the difference between a northern exposure and a southern exposure, in what way were Mount Eival and Mount Gerizim different than many other mountains that exhibit a difference between northern and southern exposures?
[9] We must still try to understand why the Torah itself does not spell out directly the connection between Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival and Shekhem.
[10] Yonatan Feinton notes this in his article, "Berit Moav U-Berit Har Gerizim Ve-Har Eival," Megadim 34 (Tishrei 5762), pp. 67-84.
[11] This phenomenon occurs again later in the relationship between the site of the Mishkan and the territory of the tribe of the leader of Israel at each stage.
Secrets of the Soul
Dvar Torah - Parshas Vayera, 5767 - Torah.org
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The Secrets of the Soul
By Rabbi Label Lam
And HASHEM appeared to him in the Orchards of Mamre and he was sitting by the opening of the tent in the heat of the day. And he lifted his eyes and behold three men were standing by him and he saw them and he ran to greet them from the opening of the tent and he bowed down to them to the earth. And he said, “My Lord if please I find favor in Your eyes please do not pass by from Your servant!” (Breishis 18:1-3)
To W(w)hom was Avraham Avinu addressing his words, to HASHEM or to the three wayfarers or both? The practical difference in knowing helps us determine whether or not the word for “My Lord” is a Holy name or not? Can it be erased when correcting a Sefer Torah or is it referring to HASHEM and dare not be altered. Another practical issue emerges based on the opinion that the word for “My Lord” is Holy and Avraham was in fact speaking to HASHEM. The Talmud states the following principle, “It is greater to be a host to guests than to receive the Divine Presence!” (Shabbos 127A)
Talk about moral audacity! On the third day after his circumcision at the age of 99 years, Avraham is sitting at the opening to his tent scanning the horizon for guests when G-d Himself comes to visit. This can only be described as the height of the heights of human experience. It doesn’t get much better. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato in The Path of the Just writes, “Man was only created to rejoice in HASHEM and to enjoy the rays of His Divine Presence, and this is the true pleasure and the greatest delight from all the delights that one can find!”
Noticing that Avraham is more discomforted by the absence of guests than by his medical condition, HASHEM provides three wanderers that are quickly passing by. What does Avraham do? He briefly excuses himself, putting HASHEM on hold with the MUZAK, while he busies himself feeding these three heat stricken strangers. Wow! From here we learn that it is greater to play the host than to receive even the Divine Presence!
This principle we learn from the behavior of Avraham Avinu! Fine! The question is: “Where did Avraham learn it from?” I once heard the following answer to that question: The verse states, “He saw and he ran to greet them…” His feet went instinctively! His initial impulse especially after the Bris was considered already correct. His perfected body was not an interposition between his G-dly Soul and its desire for generous action. No! He was so refined to the degree that his physical body was not less than a rubber glove worn by a skilled surgeon or as the nimble fingers of a concert pianist. The intentionality of his action is easily expressed in an unimpeded fashion through the vehicle of his earthly limbs.
Perhaps the proof of this thesis is that by the Binding of Isaac the verse records concerning Avraham, “And he sent out his hand and he took the knife to slaughter his son…” Ultimately we know that HASHEM did not want him to slaughter his son but only to be willing to deliver him. Therefore we are told that “he sent out his hand to take the knife”. When I pick up my coffee in the morning I don’t need to send my hand consciously. It goes automatically because I am thirsty. Since Avraham’s instinct was already presumed G-dly, he therefore needed to force his hand into action.
Lest we be misled to believe that we ought to obey our feet, no, Avraham was different. We need to train our limbs like a child practices musical scales to reach the musicality within. We dare not over-trust our gut or we’ll end up at the mall or worse. We require a sophisticated Code of Law to navigate life affectively and to acquire, as Avraham, those habits of action that access the secrets of the soul.
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The Secrets of the Soul
By Rabbi Label Lam
And HASHEM appeared to him in the Orchards of Mamre and he was sitting by the opening of the tent in the heat of the day. And he lifted his eyes and behold three men were standing by him and he saw them and he ran to greet them from the opening of the tent and he bowed down to them to the earth. And he said, “My Lord if please I find favor in Your eyes please do not pass by from Your servant!” (Breishis 18:1-3)
To W(w)hom was Avraham Avinu addressing his words, to HASHEM or to the three wayfarers or both? The practical difference in knowing helps us determine whether or not the word for “My Lord” is a Holy name or not? Can it be erased when correcting a Sefer Torah or is it referring to HASHEM and dare not be altered. Another practical issue emerges based on the opinion that the word for “My Lord” is Holy and Avraham was in fact speaking to HASHEM. The Talmud states the following principle, “It is greater to be a host to guests than to receive the Divine Presence!” (Shabbos 127A)
Talk about moral audacity! On the third day after his circumcision at the age of 99 years, Avraham is sitting at the opening to his tent scanning the horizon for guests when G-d Himself comes to visit. This can only be described as the height of the heights of human experience. It doesn’t get much better. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato in The Path of the Just writes, “Man was only created to rejoice in HASHEM and to enjoy the rays of His Divine Presence, and this is the true pleasure and the greatest delight from all the delights that one can find!”
Noticing that Avraham is more discomforted by the absence of guests than by his medical condition, HASHEM provides three wanderers that are quickly passing by. What does Avraham do? He briefly excuses himself, putting HASHEM on hold with the MUZAK, while he busies himself feeding these three heat stricken strangers. Wow! From here we learn that it is greater to play the host than to receive even the Divine Presence!
This principle we learn from the behavior of Avraham Avinu! Fine! The question is: “Where did Avraham learn it from?” I once heard the following answer to that question: The verse states, “He saw and he ran to greet them…” His feet went instinctively! His initial impulse especially after the Bris was considered already correct. His perfected body was not an interposition between his G-dly Soul and its desire for generous action. No! He was so refined to the degree that his physical body was not less than a rubber glove worn by a skilled surgeon or as the nimble fingers of a concert pianist. The intentionality of his action is easily expressed in an unimpeded fashion through the vehicle of his earthly limbs.
Perhaps the proof of this thesis is that by the Binding of Isaac the verse records concerning Avraham, “And he sent out his hand and he took the knife to slaughter his son…” Ultimately we know that HASHEM did not want him to slaughter his son but only to be willing to deliver him. Therefore we are told that “he sent out his hand to take the knife”. When I pick up my coffee in the morning I don’t need to send my hand consciously. It goes automatically because I am thirsty. Since Avraham’s instinct was already presumed G-dly, he therefore needed to force his hand into action.
Lest we be misled to believe that we ought to obey our feet, no, Avraham was different. We need to train our limbs like a child practices musical scales to reach the musicality within. We dare not over-trust our gut or we’ll end up at the mall or worse. We require a sophisticated Code of Law to navigate life affectively and to acquire, as Avraham, those habits of action that access the secrets of the soul.
Edom-Rome
Dvar Torah - Parshas Vayera, 5769 - Torah.org
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The children agitated within her, and she said, “If so why am I thus?” And she went to inquire of HASHEM. And HASHEM said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; two regimes from within your insides shall be separated; The might shall pass from one regime to the other, and the elder shall serve the younger.” (Berishis: 25:22-23)
Rivka was experiencing difficulty with her pregnancy so she went for a supernal sonogram and gained a prophetic report about her twin boys. A superficial reading may lead us to believe that this is just some ancient soap opera from 3600 years ago. Although there are lessons for all time about relationships there’s a much bigger play in the making here.
Besides being born ruddy Aisov murders and slurps “red- red” soup and earns a new title. “Therefore his name is called Edom-Red” (Breishis 25:30). Edom becomes Rome, the capital of Western Civilization, where fifteen centuries later Christianity would take root before spreading all over the world. The Romans destroyed the 2nd Temple and drove us into a more than 2000 year exile. Aisov is given for all time the task of being a watchdog to ensure that Yaakov remains worthy of the blessings, as it says, “And By your sword you shall live and your brother you should serve and if you should become bereaved (when Israel will violate the Torah and you should have cause to complain about the blessing he took…–Rashi) and you can throw off his yoke. (Breishis 27:40)
Yishmael turns out to be the father of the Arab/Islamic world. The Zohar tells us that because he made a circumcision at the age of 13, as his descendants do so today, he was given guardianship of the land until it is time for Israel to return. The Zohar states “they will prevent the
Children of Israel from returning to their place until the merit of the Children of Yishmael is depleted. And in the future the Children of Yishmael will arouse a great war in the world and the Children of Edom will gather against them and awaken a war against them…”
It’s interesting to note that the Arab world keeps Friday as their day off while the Christian’s occupy Sunday. The Jewish people rest on Shabbos- Saturday. There is no dispute about which day is actually Shabbos. Everyone agrees Shabbos is Shabbos! The Islamic world abides by a Lunar Calendar which is 354 days and the Christian world adheres to the Solar Calendar which is 365 and ¼ days long. The Jewish universe is managed by a Lunar Calendar that adjusts to the Solar Calendar so Pesach should be in the Spring Season.
The source of Yishmael’s name in Hebrew is the word “Shema” – hear. Aisov’s name was picked because he came into the world complete-done. His name implies action- “asu”. Yishmaelites are notorious nowadays for their willingness to obliterate themselves and others in this world in order to gain an imagined reward for doing so in the next world. Aisov’s descendants are credited with filling out the paradigm of building and developing this world materially. When the Jewish People accepted the Torah on Mount Sinai 3320 years ago there was a unanimous agreement at the time “we shall do and hear (learn)” – “nasa v’ nishma”. What we do in the world will be understood completely in the next.
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The children agitated within her, and she said, “If so why am I thus?” And she went to inquire of HASHEM. And HASHEM said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; two regimes from within your insides shall be separated; The might shall pass from one regime to the other, and the elder shall serve the younger.” (Berishis: 25:22-23)
Rivka was experiencing difficulty with her pregnancy so she went for a supernal sonogram and gained a prophetic report about her twin boys. A superficial reading may lead us to believe that this is just some ancient soap opera from 3600 years ago. Although there are lessons for all time about relationships there’s a much bigger play in the making here.
Besides being born ruddy Aisov murders and slurps “red- red” soup and earns a new title. “Therefore his name is called Edom-Red” (Breishis 25:30). Edom becomes Rome, the capital of Western Civilization, where fifteen centuries later Christianity would take root before spreading all over the world. The Romans destroyed the 2nd Temple and drove us into a more than 2000 year exile. Aisov is given for all time the task of being a watchdog to ensure that Yaakov remains worthy of the blessings, as it says, “And By your sword you shall live and your brother you should serve and if you should become bereaved (when Israel will violate the Torah and you should have cause to complain about the blessing he took…–Rashi) and you can throw off his yoke. (Breishis 27:40)
Yishmael turns out to be the father of the Arab/Islamic world. The Zohar tells us that because he made a circumcision at the age of 13, as his descendants do so today, he was given guardianship of the land until it is time for Israel to return. The Zohar states “they will prevent the
Children of Israel from returning to their place until the merit of the Children of Yishmael is depleted. And in the future the Children of Yishmael will arouse a great war in the world and the Children of Edom will gather against them and awaken a war against them…”
It’s interesting to note that the Arab world keeps Friday as their day off while the Christian’s occupy Sunday. The Jewish people rest on Shabbos- Saturday. There is no dispute about which day is actually Shabbos. Everyone agrees Shabbos is Shabbos! The Islamic world abides by a Lunar Calendar which is 354 days and the Christian world adheres to the Solar Calendar which is 365 and ¼ days long. The Jewish universe is managed by a Lunar Calendar that adjusts to the Solar Calendar so Pesach should be in the Spring Season.
The source of Yishmael’s name in Hebrew is the word “Shema” – hear. Aisov’s name was picked because he came into the world complete-done. His name implies action- “asu”. Yishmaelites are notorious nowadays for their willingness to obliterate themselves and others in this world in order to gain an imagined reward for doing so in the next world. Aisov’s descendants are credited with filling out the paradigm of building and developing this world materially. When the Jewish People accepted the Torah on Mount Sinai 3320 years ago there was a unanimous agreement at the time “we shall do and hear (learn)” – “nasa v’ nishma”. What we do in the world will be understood completely in the next.
Glossary
Ask the Rabbi, JewishAnswers.org » Glossary#H
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Abba – father
Acharonim – Authorities on the subject of Jewish Law, of the period since the publication of the “Shulchan Aruch” in the sixteenth century till today.
Acharon Shel Pesach – The last day of Passover.
Afikoman – The last food eaten at the Passover Seder. A broken piece of Matzah.
Aharon – Older brother of Moshe, Moses.
Ahavas Yisrael - Loving a fellow Jew.
Aleph – First letter of the Hebrew alphabet
Aleph / Bais – The Hebrew alphabet consisting of twenty-two letters.
Aliyah - lit. Going up. 1. The part of the Torah Service performed in the synagogue when a person is called up to the Torah; 2. Moving to the land of Israel.
Am Yisroel – All Jews, the nation of Israel.
Amah – Measurement ranging from 21.7 inches or 55.11 cm to 23.5 inches or 59.7 cm. Pl Amos.
Amen – lit. “Agreed,” from the same root as Emunah, belief, and Ne’eman, trustworthy.
Amidah – lit. “standing”. The prayer said while standing that is the central part of every prayer service.
Amoraim - Post-Mishnaic authorities cited in the Gemara, Talmud.
Ashkenazi - lit. “German”. Generally used to refer to Jews who are of North, East, and West European descent (e.g. Germany, France, England, Russia, Hungary, etc.).
Avodah, Avodas Hashem - Service of G-d.
Avodah Zarah – Idolatry.
Avraham – Abraham, the first patriarch of the Jewish people.
Ayin Hara - The evil eye.
B
Ba’al Teshuva, Ba’alas Teshuva – One who returns to Torah Judaism / Torah Observance.
Bais – Second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Bar Mitzvah – When a young man reaches the age of thirteen he accepts the responsibility of fulfilling the the Torah and it’s commandments. This is a much-celebrated event by family and friends, as it is his inauguration into Jewish adulthood.
Bas – Daughter, girl.
Bas/Bat Mitzvah – When a young woman reaches the age of twelve she accepts the responsibility of fulfilling the Torah. This is a much-celebrated event by family and friends, as it is her inauguration into Jewish adulthood.
Bayis – House;
Ben – Son, boy.
Beis Din – Rabbinical court.
Beis HaMikdash – The (First or Second) Temple in Jerusalem.
Beis Medrash – House of Study.
B”H – Baruch Hashem, Praise G-d
Bima – Pulpit.
Bracha – Blessing, a prayer.
Bris Mila – Jewish male circumcision on eighth day after birth.
Bubby – Yiddish for grandmother.
C
Chag – Jewish holiday
Chaim – Life
Challah – (a) A tithe of dough for the Kohen; (b) A braided loaf baked in honor of Shabbos.
Chametz – The five grains of wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and oats or products produced from them, which Jews are prohibitted to eat or own on Passover.
Charoses – A apple nut mixture resembling mortar used in the Pesach Seder.
Chasidism - lit. “pious ones”. A Jewish movement that arose in 18th century Ukraine, teaching closeness to G-d through simple piety and ecstatic singing and dancing.
Chasan – Groom.
Ches – Eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Chessed – Loving kindness and grace towards others.
Chaya; pl. Chayos – lit. living; generally used to refer to animals that belong to species that are undomesticated.
Chol HaMoed – lit. The Intermediate Days; the “work days” of Passover and Sukkos. The Festivals of Passover and Sukkos both have holidays at the beginning and end (though technically the holiday at the end of Sukkos is a separate holiday), and “intermediate days” in the middle. During these days, much work is permitted, but many holiday laws remain in effect.
Cholov Yisroel – It generally denotes milk that was produced under constant supervision by an observant Jew. See here for a discussion on how this law should be applied in the context of the United States dairy industry.
Chumash – lit. “five”. A book containing all of the five books of the Torah.
Chuppah – Marriage canopy for a Jewish wedding.
Chutzpah – Insolence
Chazzan – Cantor
D
Daled – The fourth letter in the Hebrew alphabet.
Daven, Davening – Pray, praying.
E
Eisav – Esau, Yaakov’s twin brother.
Eretz Yisrael - The Land of Israel
Erev… – lit. `Evening’, the eve of [a Sabbath or a festival]
F
Frum – Religious, devout, pious
G
G-d – Creator and Ruler of everything. The dash is used in place of the middle letter out of respect and caution not to destroy His Holy Name.
Gabbi – The person who assists in running the congregation services.
Gadol – Great, large.
Galus – Exile; diaspora.
Gan Eden – the Garden of Eden, aka the World to come.
Gefilte Fish – Ground fish, onions, and seasoning cooked in salt water. Traditional Jewish food, usually eaten on Shabbos.
Gehenom – Hell.
Gemara – see “Talmud”.
Gematria – A system of numerical values and mystical significance for each letter, word, phrase, chapter, parsha of the Torah and Tanach.
Get – Jewish divorce.
Geulah – Redemption
Gezunterhait – Yiddish for, in good health, said after one sneezes.
Gilgul – The reincarnation of a soul.
Golem – A human-like creature created through mystical powers.
Goy – (a) Non-Jewish person. (b) A nation.
H
Haftorah – lit. `Final passage’. The passage from the Prophets read in the synagogue after the reading from the Torah.
Haggadah – lit. `Telling’. Book from which the Seder service is conducted on Passover.
Halachah – (a) The body of Torah law; (b) a particular law.
Hallel - a recitation from the prayer service for Jewish Holidays from Psalms 113-118, used for praise and thanksgiving.
Har Sinai - Mount Sinai.
Hashem – lit. ‘The name’. Commonly used to refer to G-d, while avoiding casual use of His name in conversation.
Havdalah – lit. ‘separation’. Commonly refers to the ritual that signals the end of the Sabbath (i.e. it separates between the holy Sabbath and the mundane weekday). The ritual involves making a benediction over a cup of wine, as well as making a blessing over spices and a multi-wicked candle.
Hey – Fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Hoshana Rabbah – The seventh day of the festival of Sukkos.
I
Ima – Mother.
J
Jew – A person who was born of a Jewish mother, A person who converted to Judaism.
K
Kabbalah – lit. `received tradition’. The body of classical Jewish mystical teachings, the central text of which is the book of Zohar.
Kaddish – An Aramaic declaration of the holiness of G-d’s name, said several times during services when praying with a quorum of ten men.
Kallah – Bride.
Karpas – One of the rituals of the Passover Seder. One eats a vegetable (e.g. parsley or celery) that is dipped in salt water.
Kashrus – State of being Kosher.
Kedusha – Declaration of the holiness of G-d’s name, said during the chazzan’s repetition of the Amidah, the standing prayer.
Kiddush – Blessing over wine and bread on Saturday and Jewish Holidays. Additionally, it can refer to a celebratory buffet held after morning services on Saturday or Jewish Holidays.
Kippah – Yarmulka, skull cap.
Kitniyos or Kitniyot – lit. “Legumes”. Jews of Ashkenazi descent do not eat legumes during the Passover holiday. This category includes rice and corn.
Kittel – A white robe worn at festive occasions like at one’s own wedding, Yom Kippur and Pesach. A pious person is usually buried in the kittel he wore during his lifetime at the festivities.
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch – Part of the Code of Jewish Law.
Kal Yisrael – All the people of Israel.
Kohen, Kohanim – `Priests’, i.e., Descendants of Aharon.
Kohen Gadol – High Priest.
Kosher – Food permitted to be eaten by Torah observant Jews.
L
Lashon Hara – speaking any form of evil about another Jew. It is forbidden to speak Lashon Hara about another person, EVEN IF IT’S TRUE.
Latke – (Potato) pancake.
Lulav – One of the “four species” taken on Sukkos, but often used colloquially to refer to all four. During the Sukkos holiday, there is a commandment to take four species – the Lulav, a palm frond; the Esrog, a species of citrus fruit; the Hadas, myrtle; and Aravah, willow – and wave them in a special ceremony with a blessing.
M
Maaser – Tithe.
Malach – Messenger, angel sent to carry out a mission for Hashem.
Mamzer – Bastard.
Marror – Bitter herbs (e.g. horseradish), eaten at the Passover Seder.
Mashiach - lit. `The anointed one’. The Jewish Messiah.
Matzah – Unleavened bread. Unleavened bread is prepared in a Kosher-for-Pesach location with only kosher-for-Pesach utensils. Only eighteen minutes are permitted to mix, roll, perforate and bake Matzah from the time water and flour are mixed.
Mazal Tov – Good luck, congratulations.
Mechitzah – A physical barrier. Wall, curtain, that separates men and women in the Synagogue.
Megillas Esther – The book of Esther which is read on Purim.
Melaveh Malkah – Festive meal held after the close of Shabbos to escort the departing Sabbath Queen.
Mem – Thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Mezuzah; pl. Mezuzos – small parchment scroll written by a scribe and affixed to the door post, containing the first two paragraphs of Shema.
Midrash – Collections of the classical Sages’ homiletical teachings, commentary on the Torah.
Mikveh, Mikvah – ritual bath
Minchah – The afternoon prayer.
Minhag; pl. Minhagim – A Custom.
Minyan – Quorum of ten men required for communal prayer.
Mishkan – The Tabernacle.
Mishna – The germinal statements of law which are elucidated by the Talmud.
Mishpachah – Family, relatives.
Mitzvah; pl. Mitzvos – A religious obligation; one of the 613 Commandments that are written in the Torah.
Mohel – Individual who performs the circumcision of a Jewish male.
Moshe – Moses.
Motzei Shabbos – Saturday night after Shabbos concludes.
Mussaf – The additional prayer of Shabbos and other Jewish holidays.
N
Nachas – Joy, happiness especially from our children.
Navi – Prophet.
Niddah – The time when a woman is in a state of separation from her husband.
Nissan – First month of the Jewish Year.
Nun – The fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
P
Parsha – Portion of the Torah read each week, one of the fifty-four weekly divisions of Torah.
Parshas – The parsha of…
Pesach – Passover, an eight day festival celebrating G-d’s deliverance of the Jews when they were slaves in Egypt. The first two days and the last two days of Pesach are observed as holy days. The in between days are termed Chol Hamo’ed – intermediate days.
Pirkei Avos – lit., `chapters of the fathers’. Tractate in the Mishnah commonly known as `Ethics of the Fathers’.
Posek – lit. Decisor; Rabbi whose legal decisions are authoritative.
Pshat – The plain meaning of (e.g.) a Scriptural passage.
Purim – Even though Purim represents a very significant event it is considered a minor holy day since it is not part of the Torah. It centers on the plot by the wicked Haman to murder all the Jews in King Ahasuerus 127 provinces and how Hashem used Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai to bring relief and deliverance to the Jewish people.Strong
R
Rabeinu – Our teacher.
Rasha – Evil person.
Rashi – A great sage and commentator on the Torah.
Rav – Rabbi.
Rebbe – Chasidic spiritual leader.
Rebbi – My teacher.
Rebetzin – Rabbi’s wife.
Rivkah – Rebecca, the wife of Yitzchak the second patriarch.
Rosh Chodesh – lit. “The Head of the Month.” This semi-holiday occurs for one or two days of each month – on the first day of every month, and also on the thirtieth day of a Jewish month.
Rosh Hashanah – lit., `head of the year’. The Jewish new year, which falls on the first two days of Tishrei.
S
Sandek – Title of the person honored with holding the baby on his lap during circumcision.
S’chach – The covering of a Sukkah. This covering must consist of natural growth that does not provide a complete cover – such as bamboo or tree branches.
Seder – lit. `order’; pl., Sedarim. The order of service observed on the first night of Pesach (and outside of the land of Israel, on the first two nights).
Sefardi – lit. “Spanish”. Generally refers to Jews of Spanish, North African, and Middle Eastern descent.
Sefer – Book.
Sefer HaChinuch – A medieval work that organizes the 613 commandments by the weekly portion in which they appear. The work analyzes the legal structure and philosophical implications of the commandments.
Sefer Torah – pl., Sifrei Torah. Torah scroll.
Sefiras HaOmer – Counting of the 49 days of the Omer between Pesach and Shavuos.
Seudah Shlishis – The obligatory third meal that is eaten on the Sabbath.
Shabbos – The Jewish Sabbath, celebrated weekly from Friday at sundown till Saturday at nightfall.
Shabbos Goy – A non-Jew who does work on Sabbath that a Jew cannot do.
Shadchan – Matchmaker or marriage broker.
Shalom – Peace, also used as a greeting as “hello” or “goodbye”.
Shavuos – lit. `weeks’. A Festival commemorating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Shavuos falls on the 6th of Sivan, and outside of the land of Israel, also on the 7th of Sivan.
Shechinah – The Divine Presence
Shechitah – Ritual slaughtering.
Shehecheyanu – lit. `Who has granted us life’). Blessing pronounced on seasonal and other occasions for thanksgiving.
Shema – A prayer which proclaims the Oneness of Hashem, and the Jewish dedication to Him. The Shema is prayed twice a day everyday.
Shemoneh Esrei – lit. ‘18’. Refers to the main “Amidah,” the prayer said while standing that is the central part of every prayer service.
Shtetl - Small Jewish Village
Shoah – Holocaust.
Shofar – A ram’s horn, blown during the Rosh Hashanah services.
Shul – Jewish synagogue.
Shulchan Aruch – lit. `a set table’. The standard Code of Jewish Law compiled by R. Yosef Caro in the mid-sixteenth century.
Shemitah – The seven-yearly Sabbatical year.
Shemoneh Esrei – lit. ‘18’. Refers to the main “Amidah,” the prayer said while standing that is the central part of every prayer service.
Shivah – Mourning period of seven days by immediate relatives upon the death of a spouse, mother, father, brother, sister, son, or daughter.
Siddur – Prayer book.
Simcha – lit. Happiness. A Jewish family or community celebration, such as a wedding, bar/bas mitzvah, etc.
Simchas Torah – lit. `the rejoicing of the Torah’. Festival immediately following Sukkos, on which the yearly Torah-reading cycle is concluded and recommenced.
Siyyum – lit., `conclusion’. Celebration marking one’s completion of the study of a portion of Torah or Talmud.
Succos – The festival of dwelling in booths. This is a seven-day holiday in which there is a commandment to live in booths.
Sukkah – The special booths used during the holiday of Succos.
T
Taanis Esther – A fast observed from sunrise to nightfall on the 13 of Adar, the day before Purim. On this day, the Jews were battling for their lives (see Esther chapter 9), and they prayed and fasted so as to entreat G-d to help them. This fast commemorates the fact that G-d responds to the prayers of those in distress, who fast and repent wholeheartedly.
Taharas Hamishpachah – Laws of family purity. In general, upon the onset of menstruation, a man and woman may not have any intimate contact until a “purification” process has been undergone. This process is completed by immersion in a mikvah (ritual bath). Please consult with a knowledgeable Rabbi for details of these laws.
Tallis, Tallit – Prayer shawl.
Tallis Katan – lit. ‘small garment’. Refers to a small four-cornered garment, with Tzitzis attached, customarily worn throughout the day.
Talmud – The basic compendium of Jewish law, thought, and Biblical commentary. When unspecified refers to the Talmud Bavli, the edition developed in Babylonia, and edited at end of the fifth century C.E.; the Talmud Yerushalmi is the edition compiled in the land of Israel at end of the fourth century C.E.
Tanach – Acronym for Torah (the Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im (the Prophets), and Kesuvim (the Writings).
Tashlich – Ceremony of casting off ones sins at a live body of water on Rosh HaShanah.
Tefillin – Phylacteries. Small black leather cubes containing parchment scrolls inscribed with Shema Yisrael and other Biblical passages, bound to the arm and forehead and worn by men at weekday morning prayers.
Tefillin Shel Rosh – lit. Tefillin of the head. Of the two Tefillin, the one worn on the head.
Tefillin Shel Yad – lit. Tefillin of the hand. Of the two Tefillin, the one worn on the arm.
Tehillim – lit. `praises’. The book of Psalms.
Tes – The ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Teshuvah – lit. `return’. Repentance.
Tisha B’Av – lit. `The Ninth of [the month of] Av’) – A fast day commemorating the Destruction of both Temples.
Todah Rabah – Thank you!
Torah – the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, also known as the Five Books of Moses and the Pentateuch. In addition to the Torah (the Written Law), G-d gave Moses a more comprehensive explanation of the Written Law known as the Oral Law. Both the Written and Oral Law constitute the Torah.
Traif – Not Kosher.
Tzaddik – pl., Tzaddikim). A righteous individual.
Tzedakah – Charity, righteousness.
Tzitzis – Fringes.
V
Vav – The sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Vidui – Confession to G-d.
Y
Yahrtzeit – The anniversary of the day of death for parents or other relatives.
Yeshiva – Religious Jewish school where Torah is studied.
Yeshiva Bochur – An unmarried young man attending a Yeshiva.
Yetzer Harah – The natural drive for misdoing.
Yetzer Hatov – The natural drive for virtue
Yibum – A marrige law in the Torah (Deut. 25:5-10), often called the “Levirate Marriage”, obligating one of the male relatives, ideally a brother, of a man who died before having children to marry his widow.
Yid – Yiddish for Jew.
Yiddishkeit – Yiddish for Jewish.
Yisroel, Yisrael - (Nation of) Israel.
Yizkor – Prayer in memory of the dead.
Yom Kippur – The Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year. This is the Day that the fate of every living creature and all nations for the coming year, is sealed.
Yom Tov – Jewish holiday.
Yud – Tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Z
Zaidy – Yiddish for grandfather.
Zayin – The seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Zero’a – A shank bone from a Kosher animal, nowadays a chicken, used for the Pesach Seder Plate.
Zohar – Classic book of Jewish mysticism written by Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai
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Abba – father
Acharonim – Authorities on the subject of Jewish Law, of the period since the publication of the “Shulchan Aruch” in the sixteenth century till today.
Acharon Shel Pesach – The last day of Passover.
Afikoman – The last food eaten at the Passover Seder. A broken piece of Matzah.
Aharon – Older brother of Moshe, Moses.
Ahavas Yisrael - Loving a fellow Jew.
Aleph – First letter of the Hebrew alphabet
Aleph / Bais – The Hebrew alphabet consisting of twenty-two letters.
Aliyah - lit. Going up. 1. The part of the Torah Service performed in the synagogue when a person is called up to the Torah; 2. Moving to the land of Israel.
Am Yisroel – All Jews, the nation of Israel.
Amah – Measurement ranging from 21.7 inches or 55.11 cm to 23.5 inches or 59.7 cm. Pl Amos.
Amen – lit. “Agreed,” from the same root as Emunah, belief, and Ne’eman, trustworthy.
Amidah – lit. “standing”. The prayer said while standing that is the central part of every prayer service.
Amoraim - Post-Mishnaic authorities cited in the Gemara, Talmud.
Ashkenazi - lit. “German”. Generally used to refer to Jews who are of North, East, and West European descent (e.g. Germany, France, England, Russia, Hungary, etc.).
Avodah, Avodas Hashem - Service of G-d.
Avodah Zarah – Idolatry.
Avraham – Abraham, the first patriarch of the Jewish people.
Ayin Hara - The evil eye.
B
Ba’al Teshuva, Ba’alas Teshuva – One who returns to Torah Judaism / Torah Observance.
Bais – Second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Bar Mitzvah – When a young man reaches the age of thirteen he accepts the responsibility of fulfilling the the Torah and it’s commandments. This is a much-celebrated event by family and friends, as it is his inauguration into Jewish adulthood.
Bas – Daughter, girl.
Bas/Bat Mitzvah – When a young woman reaches the age of twelve she accepts the responsibility of fulfilling the Torah. This is a much-celebrated event by family and friends, as it is her inauguration into Jewish adulthood.
Bayis – House;
Ben – Son, boy.
Beis Din – Rabbinical court.
Beis HaMikdash – The (First or Second) Temple in Jerusalem.
Beis Medrash – House of Study.
B”H – Baruch Hashem, Praise G-d
Bima – Pulpit.
Bracha – Blessing, a prayer.
Bris Mila – Jewish male circumcision on eighth day after birth.
Bubby – Yiddish for grandmother.
C
Chag – Jewish holiday
Chaim – Life
Challah – (a) A tithe of dough for the Kohen; (b) A braided loaf baked in honor of Shabbos.
Chametz – The five grains of wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and oats or products produced from them, which Jews are prohibitted to eat or own on Passover.
Charoses – A apple nut mixture resembling mortar used in the Pesach Seder.
Chasidism - lit. “pious ones”. A Jewish movement that arose in 18th century Ukraine, teaching closeness to G-d through simple piety and ecstatic singing and dancing.
Chasan – Groom.
Ches – Eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Chessed – Loving kindness and grace towards others.
Chaya; pl. Chayos – lit. living; generally used to refer to animals that belong to species that are undomesticated.
Chol HaMoed – lit. The Intermediate Days; the “work days” of Passover and Sukkos. The Festivals of Passover and Sukkos both have holidays at the beginning and end (though technically the holiday at the end of Sukkos is a separate holiday), and “intermediate days” in the middle. During these days, much work is permitted, but many holiday laws remain in effect.
Cholov Yisroel – It generally denotes milk that was produced under constant supervision by an observant Jew. See here for a discussion on how this law should be applied in the context of the United States dairy industry.
Chumash – lit. “five”. A book containing all of the five books of the Torah.
Chuppah – Marriage canopy for a Jewish wedding.
Chutzpah – Insolence
Chazzan – Cantor
D
Daled – The fourth letter in the Hebrew alphabet.
Daven, Davening – Pray, praying.
E
Eisav – Esau, Yaakov’s twin brother.
Eretz Yisrael - The Land of Israel
Erev… – lit. `Evening’, the eve of [a Sabbath or a festival]
F
Frum – Religious, devout, pious
G
G-d – Creator and Ruler of everything. The dash is used in place of the middle letter out of respect and caution not to destroy His Holy Name.
Gabbi – The person who assists in running the congregation services.
Gadol – Great, large.
Galus – Exile; diaspora.
Gan Eden – the Garden of Eden, aka the World to come.
Gefilte Fish – Ground fish, onions, and seasoning cooked in salt water. Traditional Jewish food, usually eaten on Shabbos.
Gehenom – Hell.
Gemara – see “Talmud”.
Gematria – A system of numerical values and mystical significance for each letter, word, phrase, chapter, parsha of the Torah and Tanach.
Get – Jewish divorce.
Geulah – Redemption
Gezunterhait – Yiddish for, in good health, said after one sneezes.
Gilgul – The reincarnation of a soul.
Golem – A human-like creature created through mystical powers.
Goy – (a) Non-Jewish person. (b) A nation.
H
Haftorah – lit. `Final passage’. The passage from the Prophets read in the synagogue after the reading from the Torah.
Haggadah – lit. `Telling’. Book from which the Seder service is conducted on Passover.
Halachah – (a) The body of Torah law; (b) a particular law.
Hallel - a recitation from the prayer service for Jewish Holidays from Psalms 113-118, used for praise and thanksgiving.
Har Sinai - Mount Sinai.
Hashem – lit. ‘The name’. Commonly used to refer to G-d, while avoiding casual use of His name in conversation.
Havdalah – lit. ‘separation’. Commonly refers to the ritual that signals the end of the Sabbath (i.e. it separates between the holy Sabbath and the mundane weekday). The ritual involves making a benediction over a cup of wine, as well as making a blessing over spices and a multi-wicked candle.
Hey – Fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Hoshana Rabbah – The seventh day of the festival of Sukkos.
I
Ima – Mother.
J
Jew – A person who was born of a Jewish mother, A person who converted to Judaism.
K
Kabbalah – lit. `received tradition’. The body of classical Jewish mystical teachings, the central text of which is the book of Zohar.
Kaddish – An Aramaic declaration of the holiness of G-d’s name, said several times during services when praying with a quorum of ten men.
Kallah – Bride.
Karpas – One of the rituals of the Passover Seder. One eats a vegetable (e.g. parsley or celery) that is dipped in salt water.
Kashrus – State of being Kosher.
Kedusha – Declaration of the holiness of G-d’s name, said during the chazzan’s repetition of the Amidah, the standing prayer.
Kiddush – Blessing over wine and bread on Saturday and Jewish Holidays. Additionally, it can refer to a celebratory buffet held after morning services on Saturday or Jewish Holidays.
Kippah – Yarmulka, skull cap.
Kitniyos or Kitniyot – lit. “Legumes”. Jews of Ashkenazi descent do not eat legumes during the Passover holiday. This category includes rice and corn.
Kittel – A white robe worn at festive occasions like at one’s own wedding, Yom Kippur and Pesach. A pious person is usually buried in the kittel he wore during his lifetime at the festivities.
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch – Part of the Code of Jewish Law.
Kal Yisrael – All the people of Israel.
Kohen, Kohanim – `Priests’, i.e., Descendants of Aharon.
Kohen Gadol – High Priest.
Kosher – Food permitted to be eaten by Torah observant Jews.
L
Lashon Hara – speaking any form of evil about another Jew. It is forbidden to speak Lashon Hara about another person, EVEN IF IT’S TRUE.
Latke – (Potato) pancake.
Lulav – One of the “four species” taken on Sukkos, but often used colloquially to refer to all four. During the Sukkos holiday, there is a commandment to take four species – the Lulav, a palm frond; the Esrog, a species of citrus fruit; the Hadas, myrtle; and Aravah, willow – and wave them in a special ceremony with a blessing.
M
Maaser – Tithe.
Malach – Messenger, angel sent to carry out a mission for Hashem.
Mamzer – Bastard.
Marror – Bitter herbs (e.g. horseradish), eaten at the Passover Seder.
Mashiach - lit. `The anointed one’. The Jewish Messiah.
Matzah – Unleavened bread. Unleavened bread is prepared in a Kosher-for-Pesach location with only kosher-for-Pesach utensils. Only eighteen minutes are permitted to mix, roll, perforate and bake Matzah from the time water and flour are mixed.
Mazal Tov – Good luck, congratulations.
Mechitzah – A physical barrier. Wall, curtain, that separates men and women in the Synagogue.
Megillas Esther – The book of Esther which is read on Purim.
Melaveh Malkah – Festive meal held after the close of Shabbos to escort the departing Sabbath Queen.
Mem – Thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Mezuzah; pl. Mezuzos – small parchment scroll written by a scribe and affixed to the door post, containing the first two paragraphs of Shema.
Midrash – Collections of the classical Sages’ homiletical teachings, commentary on the Torah.
Mikveh, Mikvah – ritual bath
Minchah – The afternoon prayer.
Minhag; pl. Minhagim – A Custom.
Minyan – Quorum of ten men required for communal prayer.
Mishkan – The Tabernacle.
Mishna – The germinal statements of law which are elucidated by the Talmud.
Mishpachah – Family, relatives.
Mitzvah; pl. Mitzvos – A religious obligation; one of the 613 Commandments that are written in the Torah.
Mohel – Individual who performs the circumcision of a Jewish male.
Moshe – Moses.
Motzei Shabbos – Saturday night after Shabbos concludes.
Mussaf – The additional prayer of Shabbos and other Jewish holidays.
N
Nachas – Joy, happiness especially from our children.
Navi – Prophet.
Niddah – The time when a woman is in a state of separation from her husband.
Nissan – First month of the Jewish Year.
Nun – The fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
P
Parsha – Portion of the Torah read each week, one of the fifty-four weekly divisions of Torah.
Parshas – The parsha of…
Pesach – Passover, an eight day festival celebrating G-d’s deliverance of the Jews when they were slaves in Egypt. The first two days and the last two days of Pesach are observed as holy days. The in between days are termed Chol Hamo’ed – intermediate days.
Pirkei Avos – lit., `chapters of the fathers’. Tractate in the Mishnah commonly known as `Ethics of the Fathers’.
Posek – lit. Decisor; Rabbi whose legal decisions are authoritative.
Pshat – The plain meaning of (e.g.) a Scriptural passage.
Purim – Even though Purim represents a very significant event it is considered a minor holy day since it is not part of the Torah. It centers on the plot by the wicked Haman to murder all the Jews in King Ahasuerus 127 provinces and how Hashem used Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai to bring relief and deliverance to the Jewish people.Strong
R
Rabeinu – Our teacher.
Rasha – Evil person.
Rashi – A great sage and commentator on the Torah.
Rav – Rabbi.
Rebbe – Chasidic spiritual leader.
Rebbi – My teacher.
Rebetzin – Rabbi’s wife.
Rivkah – Rebecca, the wife of Yitzchak the second patriarch.
Rosh Chodesh – lit. “The Head of the Month.” This semi-holiday occurs for one or two days of each month – on the first day of every month, and also on the thirtieth day of a Jewish month.
Rosh Hashanah – lit., `head of the year’. The Jewish new year, which falls on the first two days of Tishrei.
S
Sandek – Title of the person honored with holding the baby on his lap during circumcision.
S’chach – The covering of a Sukkah. This covering must consist of natural growth that does not provide a complete cover – such as bamboo or tree branches.
Seder – lit. `order’; pl., Sedarim. The order of service observed on the first night of Pesach (and outside of the land of Israel, on the first two nights).
Sefardi – lit. “Spanish”. Generally refers to Jews of Spanish, North African, and Middle Eastern descent.
Sefer – Book.
Sefer HaChinuch – A medieval work that organizes the 613 commandments by the weekly portion in which they appear. The work analyzes the legal structure and philosophical implications of the commandments.
Sefer Torah – pl., Sifrei Torah. Torah scroll.
Sefiras HaOmer – Counting of the 49 days of the Omer between Pesach and Shavuos.
Seudah Shlishis – The obligatory third meal that is eaten on the Sabbath.
Shabbos – The Jewish Sabbath, celebrated weekly from Friday at sundown till Saturday at nightfall.
Shabbos Goy – A non-Jew who does work on Sabbath that a Jew cannot do.
Shadchan – Matchmaker or marriage broker.
Shalom – Peace, also used as a greeting as “hello” or “goodbye”.
Shavuos – lit. `weeks’. A Festival commemorating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Shavuos falls on the 6th of Sivan, and outside of the land of Israel, also on the 7th of Sivan.
Shechinah – The Divine Presence
Shechitah – Ritual slaughtering.
Shehecheyanu – lit. `Who has granted us life’). Blessing pronounced on seasonal and other occasions for thanksgiving.
Shema – A prayer which proclaims the Oneness of Hashem, and the Jewish dedication to Him. The Shema is prayed twice a day everyday.
Shemoneh Esrei – lit. ‘18’. Refers to the main “Amidah,” the prayer said while standing that is the central part of every prayer service.
Shtetl - Small Jewish Village
Shoah – Holocaust.
Shofar – A ram’s horn, blown during the Rosh Hashanah services.
Shul – Jewish synagogue.
Shulchan Aruch – lit. `a set table’. The standard Code of Jewish Law compiled by R. Yosef Caro in the mid-sixteenth century.
Shemitah – The seven-yearly Sabbatical year.
Shemoneh Esrei – lit. ‘18’. Refers to the main “Amidah,” the prayer said while standing that is the central part of every prayer service.
Shivah – Mourning period of seven days by immediate relatives upon the death of a spouse, mother, father, brother, sister, son, or daughter.
Siddur – Prayer book.
Simcha – lit. Happiness. A Jewish family or community celebration, such as a wedding, bar/bas mitzvah, etc.
Simchas Torah – lit. `the rejoicing of the Torah’. Festival immediately following Sukkos, on which the yearly Torah-reading cycle is concluded and recommenced.
Siyyum – lit., `conclusion’. Celebration marking one’s completion of the study of a portion of Torah or Talmud.
Succos – The festival of dwelling in booths. This is a seven-day holiday in which there is a commandment to live in booths.
Sukkah – The special booths used during the holiday of Succos.
T
Taanis Esther – A fast observed from sunrise to nightfall on the 13 of Adar, the day before Purim. On this day, the Jews were battling for their lives (see Esther chapter 9), and they prayed and fasted so as to entreat G-d to help them. This fast commemorates the fact that G-d responds to the prayers of those in distress, who fast and repent wholeheartedly.
Taharas Hamishpachah – Laws of family purity. In general, upon the onset of menstruation, a man and woman may not have any intimate contact until a “purification” process has been undergone. This process is completed by immersion in a mikvah (ritual bath). Please consult with a knowledgeable Rabbi for details of these laws.
Tallis, Tallit – Prayer shawl.
Tallis Katan – lit. ‘small garment’. Refers to a small four-cornered garment, with Tzitzis attached, customarily worn throughout the day.
Talmud – The basic compendium of Jewish law, thought, and Biblical commentary. When unspecified refers to the Talmud Bavli, the edition developed in Babylonia, and edited at end of the fifth century C.E.; the Talmud Yerushalmi is the edition compiled in the land of Israel at end of the fourth century C.E.
Tanach – Acronym for Torah (the Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im (the Prophets), and Kesuvim (the Writings).
Tashlich – Ceremony of casting off ones sins at a live body of water on Rosh HaShanah.
Tefillin – Phylacteries. Small black leather cubes containing parchment scrolls inscribed with Shema Yisrael and other Biblical passages, bound to the arm and forehead and worn by men at weekday morning prayers.
Tefillin Shel Rosh – lit. Tefillin of the head. Of the two Tefillin, the one worn on the head.
Tefillin Shel Yad – lit. Tefillin of the hand. Of the two Tefillin, the one worn on the arm.
Tehillim – lit. `praises’. The book of Psalms.
Tes – The ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Teshuvah – lit. `return’. Repentance.
Tisha B’Av – lit. `The Ninth of [the month of] Av’) – A fast day commemorating the Destruction of both Temples.
Todah Rabah – Thank you!
Torah – the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, also known as the Five Books of Moses and the Pentateuch. In addition to the Torah (the Written Law), G-d gave Moses a more comprehensive explanation of the Written Law known as the Oral Law. Both the Written and Oral Law constitute the Torah.
Traif – Not Kosher.
Tzaddik – pl., Tzaddikim). A righteous individual.
Tzedakah – Charity, righteousness.
Tzitzis – Fringes.
V
Vav – The sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Vidui – Confession to G-d.
Y
Yahrtzeit – The anniversary of the day of death for parents or other relatives.
Yeshiva – Religious Jewish school where Torah is studied.
Yeshiva Bochur – An unmarried young man attending a Yeshiva.
Yetzer Harah – The natural drive for misdoing.
Yetzer Hatov – The natural drive for virtue
Yibum – A marrige law in the Torah (Deut. 25:5-10), often called the “Levirate Marriage”, obligating one of the male relatives, ideally a brother, of a man who died before having children to marry his widow.
Yid – Yiddish for Jew.
Yiddishkeit – Yiddish for Jewish.
Yisroel, Yisrael - (Nation of) Israel.
Yizkor – Prayer in memory of the dead.
Yom Kippur – The Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year. This is the Day that the fate of every living creature and all nations for the coming year, is sealed.
Yom Tov – Jewish holiday.
Yud – Tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Z
Zaidy – Yiddish for grandfather.
Zayin – The seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Zero’a – A shank bone from a Kosher animal, nowadays a chicken, used for the Pesach Seder Plate.
Zohar – Classic book of Jewish mysticism written by Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai
Detachment from results
http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/letting-go-always-letting-go
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The Dalai Lama says that meditation is the cure for every problem. That seems a bold claim to make. When we consider the various small and large problems in our lives, it doesn’t seem that meditation could resolve them. What can sitting in silence, counting our breaths do about the pain we feel in our bodies, or the fear we experience when we face death, or the lack of purpose we sometimes feel, or even the bread we baked that did not rise as it should have? How is meditation a solution for that?
Meditation actually applies to every problem, no matter how debilitating or simplistic we find the problem to be. These principles can be seen in stories of people that have lived them out. One story in the Christian tradition is about two sisters, Martha and Mary. We don’t know if either of the women was accustomed to meditating, but we do know that when Jesus arrived for dinner Mary was insistent on simply sitting at his feet. She didn’t seem to want to speak or attend to the details of the meal preparations. Martha, on the other hand, was so distracted, so worried about all that needed to be done, so consumed with the problems that loomed before her, that all she could do was complain – certainly not meditate!
Meditation applies to every problem, no matter how debilitating we find the problem to be.
Jesus’ response to Martha was that Mary had chosen the best part and it wouldn’t be taken from her. Jesus was saying what the Dalai Lama might have said to Martha — that meditation was the solution for every problem — even cleaning the house, getting the table set, seating the guests, being sure that all the dishes were prepared properly and that conversation flowed with ease.
We are accustomed to dealing with our problems by trying to find solutions to them, or by trying to escape them altogether. On the one hand, we stress, we worry, we plan and strategize, or we get more outside opinions. On the other hand, we turn on the television, take a drink, plan a party, shop, take a trip, surf the Internet. Even though neither approach seems to get us the results we hope for, we feel that we are at least doing something -– even if it’s just stressing about our problem.
I have found in my own tradition that there are two principles of meditation that make it the solution to every problem. First, we learn about letting go. Second, we give up our attachment to the result. The most important of these is the first -– learning to let go. It is counter-intuitive because we are so used to holding on, controlling, making something happen by our own will and action. Letting go takes us out of control, removes the drama around our problem, and leaves us with nothing to stress about or act upon. The good news of that is that it takes us out of control, removes the drama around our problem, and leaves us with nothing to stress about or act upon! In other words, when we sit in meditation and find issues, thoughts, and problems rising in our soul and we simply let them go, we are cutting them loose from us. Because we are no longer attached to them they cease to have power over us.
Letting go removes the drama around our problems, and leaves us with nothing to stress about
When we fully accept this, we move into the second principle of not being attached to the result. This is critical because we can separate ourselves from a problem for awhile, but still be seeking a certain resolution to it. When we fully let go of the result, we become as open as curious as children about how things will turn out. We’re no longer so afraid or uncertain. We may take action on our problem, but we are as surprised as anyone else about how it will all unfold.
Meditation helps us learn to let go and helps us practice letting go on a regular basis. It’s really only when we let go that we are able to be detached from what acts on our lives from outside. It’s only when we let go that we experience the freedom of detachment from results.
Letting go is not easy. It’s hard even during the midst of meditation, much less in the hard reality of everyday life. When we’re impatient waiting in line to check out at the grocery store, it’s not easy to let go. When our spouse has misinterpreted something we said, it’s not easy to let go. When our net worth drops yet again, it’s not easy to let go. When our computer doesn’t respond, it’s not easy to let go. When someone hurts us or betrays us, it’s not easy to let go. These are the hard, implacable areas of life – the ones where we tend simply to respond as we’ve always responded. Unfortunately, we continue to get the same results.
Imagine what would happen if we learned to let go. Imagine what would happen if we became detached from results. I believe we would begin to see our souls developing peace and fullness. I believe we would begin to see joy and hope slipping into everything we experienced – even those things that were less than desirable. I believe we would find ourselves becoming braver and bolder.
The divine truth is that the invitation to sit down and breathe is always there. And when we sit down and breathe we are surprised to find ourselves stilled and filled.
.
The Dalai Lama says that meditation is the cure for every problem. That seems a bold claim to make. When we consider the various small and large problems in our lives, it doesn’t seem that meditation could resolve them. What can sitting in silence, counting our breaths do about the pain we feel in our bodies, or the fear we experience when we face death, or the lack of purpose we sometimes feel, or even the bread we baked that did not rise as it should have? How is meditation a solution for that?
Meditation actually applies to every problem, no matter how debilitating or simplistic we find the problem to be. These principles can be seen in stories of people that have lived them out. One story in the Christian tradition is about two sisters, Martha and Mary. We don’t know if either of the women was accustomed to meditating, but we do know that when Jesus arrived for dinner Mary was insistent on simply sitting at his feet. She didn’t seem to want to speak or attend to the details of the meal preparations. Martha, on the other hand, was so distracted, so worried about all that needed to be done, so consumed with the problems that loomed before her, that all she could do was complain – certainly not meditate!
Meditation applies to every problem, no matter how debilitating we find the problem to be.
Jesus’ response to Martha was that Mary had chosen the best part and it wouldn’t be taken from her. Jesus was saying what the Dalai Lama might have said to Martha — that meditation was the solution for every problem — even cleaning the house, getting the table set, seating the guests, being sure that all the dishes were prepared properly and that conversation flowed with ease.
We are accustomed to dealing with our problems by trying to find solutions to them, or by trying to escape them altogether. On the one hand, we stress, we worry, we plan and strategize, or we get more outside opinions. On the other hand, we turn on the television, take a drink, plan a party, shop, take a trip, surf the Internet. Even though neither approach seems to get us the results we hope for, we feel that we are at least doing something -– even if it’s just stressing about our problem.
I have found in my own tradition that there are two principles of meditation that make it the solution to every problem. First, we learn about letting go. Second, we give up our attachment to the result. The most important of these is the first -– learning to let go. It is counter-intuitive because we are so used to holding on, controlling, making something happen by our own will and action. Letting go takes us out of control, removes the drama around our problem, and leaves us with nothing to stress about or act upon. The good news of that is that it takes us out of control, removes the drama around our problem, and leaves us with nothing to stress about or act upon! In other words, when we sit in meditation and find issues, thoughts, and problems rising in our soul and we simply let them go, we are cutting them loose from us. Because we are no longer attached to them they cease to have power over us.
Letting go removes the drama around our problems, and leaves us with nothing to stress about
When we fully accept this, we move into the second principle of not being attached to the result. This is critical because we can separate ourselves from a problem for awhile, but still be seeking a certain resolution to it. When we fully let go of the result, we become as open as curious as children about how things will turn out. We’re no longer so afraid or uncertain. We may take action on our problem, but we are as surprised as anyone else about how it will all unfold.
Meditation helps us learn to let go and helps us practice letting go on a regular basis. It’s really only when we let go that we are able to be detached from what acts on our lives from outside. It’s only when we let go that we experience the freedom of detachment from results.
Letting go is not easy. It’s hard even during the midst of meditation, much less in the hard reality of everyday life. When we’re impatient waiting in line to check out at the grocery store, it’s not easy to let go. When our spouse has misinterpreted something we said, it’s not easy to let go. When our net worth drops yet again, it’s not easy to let go. When our computer doesn’t respond, it’s not easy to let go. When someone hurts us or betrays us, it’s not easy to let go. These are the hard, implacable areas of life – the ones where we tend simply to respond as we’ve always responded. Unfortunately, we continue to get the same results.
Imagine what would happen if we learned to let go. Imagine what would happen if we became detached from results. I believe we would begin to see our souls developing peace and fullness. I believe we would begin to see joy and hope slipping into everything we experienced – even those things that were less than desirable. I believe we would find ourselves becoming braver and bolder.
The divine truth is that the invitation to sit down and breathe is always there. And when we sit down and breathe we are surprised to find ourselves stilled and filled.
A Woman of Valor
A Woman of Valor, called Eshet Chayil in Hebrew, is a hymn which is customarily recited on Friday evenings, after returning from synagogue and singing "Shalom Aleichem" and before sitting down to the Shabbat evening meal.
Eshet Chayil is a twenty-two verse poem with which King Solomon concludes the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 31). The poem has an acrostic arrangement in which the verses begin with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in regular order. The poem describes the woman of valor as one who are is energetic, righteous, and capable.
According to Aggadic Midrashim (interpretation of the non-legal portions of the Hebrew Bible), the poem was originally composed by Abraham as a eulogy for his wife Sarah.
According to Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, the poem is a reference to the Shabbat Queen, the spiritual soul-mate of the Jewish nation.
According to commentators, the poem is allegorical. A Woman of Valor has been interpreted as a reference to the Shechinah (Divine presence), the Shabbat, the Torah, wisdom, and the soul. Using Jewish women as the vehicle through which to describe these spiritual manifestations is a tribute to her.
It has become a Jewish custom for men to recite this hymn at the end of the week, and thus to think about and be thankful for all his wife has done for him and their family throughout the past week.
Eshet chayil mi yimtza v'rachok mip'ninim michrah
An accomplished woman, who can find? Her value is far beyond pearls.
Batach bah lev ba'lah v'shalal lo yechsar
Her husband's heart relies on her and he shall lack no fortune.
G'malathu tov v'lo ra kol y'mei chayeiha
She does him good and not evil, all the days of her life.
Darshah tzemer ufishtim vata'as b'chefetz kapeiha
She seeks wool and flax, and works with her hands willingly.
Haitah ko'oniyot socher mimerchak tavi lachmah
She is like the merchant ships, she brings her bread from afar.
Vatakom b'od lailah vatiten teref l'vetah v'chok l'na'aroteiha
She arises while it is still night, and gives food to her household and a portion to her maidservants.
Zam'mah sadeh vatikachehu mip'ri chapeiha nat'ah karem
She plans for a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
Chagrah v'oz motneiha vat'ametz zro'oteiha
She girds her loins in strength, and makes her arms strong.
Ta'amah ki tov sachrah lo yichbeh balailah nerah
She knows that her merchandise is good. Her candle does not go out at night.
Yadeha shilchah vakishor v'chapeiha tamchu felech
She sets her hands to the distaff, and holds the spindle in her hands.
Kapah parsah le'ani v'yadeiha shil'chah la'evyon
She extends her hands to the poor, and reaches out her hand to the needy.
Lo tira l'vetah mishaleg ki chol betah lavush shanim
She fears not for her household because of snow, because her whole household is warmly dressed.
Marvadim astah lah shesh v'argaman l'vushah
She makes covers for herself, her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Noda bash'arim ba'lah b'shivto im ziknei aretz
Her husband is known at the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
Sadin astah vatimkor vachagor natnah lak'na'ani
She makes a cloak and sells it, and she delivers aprons to the merchant.
Oz v'hadar l'vushah vatischak l'yom acharon
Strength and honor are her clothing, she smiles at the future.
Piha patchah v'chochma v'torat chesed al l'shonah
She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the lesson of kindness is on her tongue.
Tzofi'ah halichot betah v'lechem atzlut lo tochel
She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Kamu vaneha vay'ash'ruha ba'lah vay'hal'lah
Her children rise and praise her, her husband lauds her.
Rabot banot asu chayil v'at alit al kulanah
Many women have done worthily, but you surpass them all.
Sheker hachen v'hevel hayofi ishah yir'at Hashem hi tit'halal
Charm is deceptive and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears God shall be praised.
T'nu lah mip'ri yadeiha vihal'luha vash'arim ma'aseha
Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.
Eshet Chayil is a twenty-two verse poem with which King Solomon concludes the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 31). The poem has an acrostic arrangement in which the verses begin with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in regular order. The poem describes the woman of valor as one who are is energetic, righteous, and capable.
According to Aggadic Midrashim (interpretation of the non-legal portions of the Hebrew Bible), the poem was originally composed by Abraham as a eulogy for his wife Sarah.
According to Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, the poem is a reference to the Shabbat Queen, the spiritual soul-mate of the Jewish nation.
According to commentators, the poem is allegorical. A Woman of Valor has been interpreted as a reference to the Shechinah (Divine presence), the Shabbat, the Torah, wisdom, and the soul. Using Jewish women as the vehicle through which to describe these spiritual manifestations is a tribute to her.
It has become a Jewish custom for men to recite this hymn at the end of the week, and thus to think about and be thankful for all his wife has done for him and their family throughout the past week.
Eshet chayil mi yimtza v'rachok mip'ninim michrah
An accomplished woman, who can find? Her value is far beyond pearls.
Batach bah lev ba'lah v'shalal lo yechsar
Her husband's heart relies on her and he shall lack no fortune.
G'malathu tov v'lo ra kol y'mei chayeiha
She does him good and not evil, all the days of her life.
Darshah tzemer ufishtim vata'as b'chefetz kapeiha
She seeks wool and flax, and works with her hands willingly.
Haitah ko'oniyot socher mimerchak tavi lachmah
She is like the merchant ships, she brings her bread from afar.
Vatakom b'od lailah vatiten teref l'vetah v'chok l'na'aroteiha
She arises while it is still night, and gives food to her household and a portion to her maidservants.
Zam'mah sadeh vatikachehu mip'ri chapeiha nat'ah karem
She plans for a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
Chagrah v'oz motneiha vat'ametz zro'oteiha
She girds her loins in strength, and makes her arms strong.
Ta'amah ki tov sachrah lo yichbeh balailah nerah
She knows that her merchandise is good. Her candle does not go out at night.
Yadeha shilchah vakishor v'chapeiha tamchu felech
She sets her hands to the distaff, and holds the spindle in her hands.
Kapah parsah le'ani v'yadeiha shil'chah la'evyon
She extends her hands to the poor, and reaches out her hand to the needy.
Lo tira l'vetah mishaleg ki chol betah lavush shanim
She fears not for her household because of snow, because her whole household is warmly dressed.
Marvadim astah lah shesh v'argaman l'vushah
She makes covers for herself, her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Noda bash'arim ba'lah b'shivto im ziknei aretz
Her husband is known at the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
Sadin astah vatimkor vachagor natnah lak'na'ani
She makes a cloak and sells it, and she delivers aprons to the merchant.
Oz v'hadar l'vushah vatischak l'yom acharon
Strength and honor are her clothing, she smiles at the future.
Piha patchah v'chochma v'torat chesed al l'shonah
She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the lesson of kindness is on her tongue.
Tzofi'ah halichot betah v'lechem atzlut lo tochel
She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Kamu vaneha vay'ash'ruha ba'lah vay'hal'lah
Her children rise and praise her, her husband lauds her.
Rabot banot asu chayil v'at alit al kulanah
Many women have done worthily, but you surpass them all.
Sheker hachen v'hevel hayofi ishah yir'at Hashem hi tit'halal
Charm is deceptive and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears God shall be praised.
T'nu lah mip'ri yadeiha vihal'luha vash'arim ma'aseha
Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.
Live and Let Live
LIVE & LET LIVE
In the first verse of his classic James Bond theme song – just before the song shifts into its ominous frenzy – Sir Paul McCartney uses his sweet, melodic vocals to reminisce about the youthfully innocent ideology known as “Live and let Live”. The philosophy of “laissez-faire” tolerance he is referring to is one that understandably enjoys widespread appeal in some Western Societies. Indeed, while most ideologies are far from perfect, the “Live and let Live” value system would probably fare well in a morality competition against its similar sounding alternatives, such as 1) “Live and let Die”, championed by DESPOTS, AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES, etc.; and 2) “Die and let Die”, popularized by SUICIDE/HOMICIDE BOMBERS, CULT LEADERS WHO MANDATE MASS SUICIDE, and others.
But we shouldn’t be too impressed by a philosophy simply because it compares favorably with the Totalitarians and Terrorisms of its time! A brief analysis of this week’s Portion will help us determine to what degree the “Live and let Live” attitude, on its own merits, should command our allegiance.
WHEN “LIVE & LET LIVE” EQUALS “LIVE & LET DIE”
While Noah was a truly remarkable person – one who heroically maintained clarity and integrity in a drowning generation (drowning in denial long before the rains even descended) – there was one major challenge that he apparently did not succeed in. G-d had wanted him to reach out and share his understanding of the world with his contemporaries, in hopes that they would internalize the principle that those who don’t consider the future will not merit a future. And yet, whatever Noah’s reasons may have been: whether they stemmed from fear of repercussion and ridicule; self-doubt regarding his leadership credentials and charisma; or simply assuming his contemporaries wouldn’t listen anyway; he somehow seems to have avoided confrontation and opted for the path of least resistance.
Eventually, the flood arrived and decimated the rest of humanity, leaving Noah and all who came after him to ponder a profound, eternal message: that when people are involved in destructive behavior that onlookers perceive more objectively, the “Live and let Live” ideology becomes equivalent to a “Live and let Die” irresponsibility; that when dire consequences are on the line, the path of least resistance is actually tantamount to the path of most remissness (i.e. negligence). In this way, the flooding of humanity – tellingly referred to as the “Waters of Noah” – exposed the fatal flaw in the human assumption that we’re only held accountable for damage we cause directly. The Torah itself steers us away from this grave mistake, categorically commanding us to “not stand idly by the blood of (our) neighbor”[1]
“HONEST ABE”: THE ULTIMATE “NICE GUY” HAVING TO TELL THE ENTIRE WORLD IT WAS WRONG
In contrast, Abraham (the original “Honest Abe”), whom we meet at the end of this Portion, stood up against his entire generation. Perceiving that the world was addicted to self-deception, he went out of his comfort zone and initiated a worldwide “Intervention” against humanity’s destructive beliefs and behaviors. What’s particularly striking is that Abraham – called “The Ivri (Hebrew)”, connoting his willingness to stand on “the other side” – possessed a defining trait of loving-kindness and a natural tendency towards warm acceptance. He was probably the last person who wanted to tell people they were wrong. And yet he was challenged to say it to the whole world!
FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS…
But true to his loving nature, Abraham masterfully managed to pull off this mission in the only way it could prove effective: through genuine motivations, sensitivity, tact, recognizing the good in others, and truly learning to love those he was reaching out to. In these ways, Abraham gracefully modeled a timeless message for humankind: that in order to improve the world, we must often take unpopular stances, and we shouldn’t be afraid if those stances place us in the minority. But he also taught us what it means to be a Friend: to care about the personal growth of others, even when that care requires effort to reach them when they aren’t seeing themselves objectively. In effect, Abraham coined the campaign, “Friends don’t let Friends hide behind their destructive delusions” – and in that vein, he was the best friend that all of human history has ever known. In short, his life provided us with an elegant answer to our original analysis. Abraham demonstrated co nclusively that while “Live and let Live” may be a more enlightened philosophy than some of its gruesome counterparts, it should never be mistaken for the ideal that we should truly strive for: to LIVE AND HELP LIVE!
In the first verse of his classic James Bond theme song – just before the song shifts into its ominous frenzy – Sir Paul McCartney uses his sweet, melodic vocals to reminisce about the youthfully innocent ideology known as “Live and let Live”. The philosophy of “laissez-faire” tolerance he is referring to is one that understandably enjoys widespread appeal in some Western Societies. Indeed, while most ideologies are far from perfect, the “Live and let Live” value system would probably fare well in a morality competition against its similar sounding alternatives, such as 1) “Live and let Die”, championed by DESPOTS, AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES, etc.; and 2) “Die and let Die”, popularized by SUICIDE/HOMICIDE BOMBERS, CULT LEADERS WHO MANDATE MASS SUICIDE, and others.
But we shouldn’t be too impressed by a philosophy simply because it compares favorably with the Totalitarians and Terrorisms of its time! A brief analysis of this week’s Portion will help us determine to what degree the “Live and let Live” attitude, on its own merits, should command our allegiance.
WHEN “LIVE & LET LIVE” EQUALS “LIVE & LET DIE”
While Noah was a truly remarkable person – one who heroically maintained clarity and integrity in a drowning generation (drowning in denial long before the rains even descended) – there was one major challenge that he apparently did not succeed in. G-d had wanted him to reach out and share his understanding of the world with his contemporaries, in hopes that they would internalize the principle that those who don’t consider the future will not merit a future. And yet, whatever Noah’s reasons may have been: whether they stemmed from fear of repercussion and ridicule; self-doubt regarding his leadership credentials and charisma; or simply assuming his contemporaries wouldn’t listen anyway; he somehow seems to have avoided confrontation and opted for the path of least resistance.
Eventually, the flood arrived and decimated the rest of humanity, leaving Noah and all who came after him to ponder a profound, eternal message: that when people are involved in destructive behavior that onlookers perceive more objectively, the “Live and let Live” ideology becomes equivalent to a “Live and let Die” irresponsibility; that when dire consequences are on the line, the path of least resistance is actually tantamount to the path of most remissness (i.e. negligence). In this way, the flooding of humanity – tellingly referred to as the “Waters of Noah” – exposed the fatal flaw in the human assumption that we’re only held accountable for damage we cause directly. The Torah itself steers us away from this grave mistake, categorically commanding us to “not stand idly by the blood of (our) neighbor”[1]
“HONEST ABE”: THE ULTIMATE “NICE GUY” HAVING TO TELL THE ENTIRE WORLD IT WAS WRONG
In contrast, Abraham (the original “Honest Abe”), whom we meet at the end of this Portion, stood up against his entire generation. Perceiving that the world was addicted to self-deception, he went out of his comfort zone and initiated a worldwide “Intervention” against humanity’s destructive beliefs and behaviors. What’s particularly striking is that Abraham – called “The Ivri (Hebrew)”, connoting his willingness to stand on “the other side” – possessed a defining trait of loving-kindness and a natural tendency towards warm acceptance. He was probably the last person who wanted to tell people they were wrong. And yet he was challenged to say it to the whole world!
FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS…
But true to his loving nature, Abraham masterfully managed to pull off this mission in the only way it could prove effective: through genuine motivations, sensitivity, tact, recognizing the good in others, and truly learning to love those he was reaching out to. In these ways, Abraham gracefully modeled a timeless message for humankind: that in order to improve the world, we must often take unpopular stances, and we shouldn’t be afraid if those stances place us in the minority. But he also taught us what it means to be a Friend: to care about the personal growth of others, even when that care requires effort to reach them when they aren’t seeing themselves objectively. In effect, Abraham coined the campaign, “Friends don’t let Friends hide behind their destructive delusions” – and in that vein, he was the best friend that all of human history has ever known. In short, his life provided us with an elegant answer to our original analysis. Abraham demonstrated co nclusively that while “Live and let Live” may be a more enlightened philosophy than some of its gruesome counterparts, it should never be mistaken for the ideal that we should truly strive for: to LIVE AND HELP LIVE!
Writing the Teaching on Stones and Building an Altar
Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people, saying, “Observe all the Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day. As soon as you have crossed the Jordan into the land the L-RD your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones. Coat them with plaster and inscribe upon them all the words of this teaching. When you cross over to enter the land that the L-RD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the L-RD, the God of your fathers promised you- upon crossing the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, about which I charge you this day, on Mount Ebal, and coat them with plaster. There too, you shall build an altar to the L-RD your God, an altar of stones. Do not wield an iron tool over them; you must build the altar for the L-RD your God of unhewn stones. You shall offer on it burnt offerings to the L-RD your God, and you shall sacrifice there offerings of well-being and eat them, rejoicing before the L-RD your God. And on these stones you shall inscribe every word of this teaching most distinctly (Deuteronomy 27:1-8, JPS translation). (Several English commentaries on this portion use the term steles to refer to the surfaces upon which the Teaching (=Torah)was written. A stele is an upright stone or slab with an inscribed or sculptured surface, used as a monument or as a commemorative tablet in the face of a building. We will not discuss here the various views as to whether the entire Torah was written on the steles or only parts of it.)
Chapter 8 of the book of Joshua records the fulfillment of this commandment, as well as the fulfillment of the commands described in the latter part of the chapter; namely, the readings of the blessings and the curses.
At that time Joshua built an altar to the L-RD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, as Moses, the servant of the L-RD, had commanded the Israelites- as is written in the Book of the Teaching of Moses- an altar of unhewn stone upon which no iron had been wielded. They offered on it burnt offerings to the L-RD, and brought sacrifices of well-being. And there, on the stones, he inscribed a copy of the Teaching which Moses had written for the Israelites. All Israel-stranger and citizen alike- with their elders, officials, and magistrates, stood on either side of the Ark, facing the Levitical priests who carried the Ark of the L-RD’s covenant. Half of them faced Mount Gerizim and half of them faced Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the L-rd had commanded them of old, in order to bless the people of Israel. After that, he read all the words of the Teaching, the blessing and the curse, just as is written in the Book of the Teaching. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua failed to read in the presence of the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the strangers who accompanied them (Joshua 8:30-35, JPS translation).
Regarding the prohibition of hewn stones, we find elsewhere in the Torah as well the statement: And if you make for me an altar of stones, do not build it of hewn stones; for by wielding your tool upon them you have profaned them (Exodus 20:22).
Why did God prohibit the use of an iron tool to cut the stones for the altar? The Mishnah (Massekhet Middot 3:4) gives an answer. First the Mishnah in great detail which describes the procedures involved in preparing proper stones from the altar in the Bet Ha-Miqdash. It writes as follows:
The stones both of the ascent and of the altar were taken from the valley of Beth Kerem. They dug into virgin soil and brought from there whose stones on which no iron had been lifted, since iron disqualifies by mere touch, though a scratch made by anything could disqualify. If one of them received a scratch it was disqualified, but the rest were not. They were whitewashed twice a year, once at Passover and once at Tabernacles, and the Hekhal was whitewashed once a year, at Passover. Rabbi says: They were whitewashed every Friday with cloth on account of the blood stains. The plaster was not laid on with a trowel of iron, for fear that it might touch and disqualify.
(A trowel is a flat-bladed hand tool for leveling, spreading, or shaping substances such as cement or mortar.)
Finally, the Mishnah concludes:
Since iron was created to shorten man’s days, and the altar was created to prolong man’s days, and it is not right therefore that that which shortens would be lifted against that which prolongs.
The Mekhilta of R. Yishmael to Exodus 20:23 (ed. Lauterbach, [Phila., 1949, p. 290] quotes the statement found in the Mishnah of Middot (in the name of R. Shimon ben Elazar) and adds the following comment in the name of R. Johanan ben Zakkai:
Behold it says, You shall build of (whole) stones (Deut. 27:6). They are to be stones that establish peace. Now, by using the method of kal va-homer, you reason: the stones for the altar do not see nor hear nor speak. Yet because they serve to establish peace between Israel and their Father in heaven the Holy One, blessed be He, said (Deut. 27:5) Do not wield an iron tool over them. How much the more then should he who establishes peace between man and his fellow-man, between husband and wife, between city and city, between nation and nation, between family and family, between government and government, be protected so that no harm should come to him.
(The commentary of Rashi, for his part, to Exodus 20:22 is based upon these sources as well.)
Remarkably, Rashi’s grandson Rashbam, on the other hand, in his commentary to Parashat Yitro, advances a different explanation for the prohibition to hew the stones for the altar with iron. In his view, since sculptors who would use iron to mold stones would draw figures and idols on the stones with the iron implements, the Torah, in attempting to steer the Israelites from any idolatry, forbade the use of iron.
Rashbam quotes Isaiah 44:12-13: The craftsman in iron, with his tools, Works it over charcoal, And fashions it by hammering…He forms it with scraping tools, marking it out with a compass. He gives it a human form….(See Martin Lokhshin (ed.), Perush Ha-Rashbam ‘al Ha-Torah (Jerusalem, 2009), p. 250 and n. 46 ad loc., and his English translation, Rashbam’s Commentary on Exodus (Atlanta, 1997), pp. 222, and note 42 ad loc., for a discussion of the Rashbam’s view.)
Chapter 8 of the book of Joshua records the fulfillment of this commandment, as well as the fulfillment of the commands described in the latter part of the chapter; namely, the readings of the blessings and the curses.
At that time Joshua built an altar to the L-RD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, as Moses, the servant of the L-RD, had commanded the Israelites- as is written in the Book of the Teaching of Moses- an altar of unhewn stone upon which no iron had been wielded. They offered on it burnt offerings to the L-RD, and brought sacrifices of well-being. And there, on the stones, he inscribed a copy of the Teaching which Moses had written for the Israelites. All Israel-stranger and citizen alike- with their elders, officials, and magistrates, stood on either side of the Ark, facing the Levitical priests who carried the Ark of the L-RD’s covenant. Half of them faced Mount Gerizim and half of them faced Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the L-rd had commanded them of old, in order to bless the people of Israel. After that, he read all the words of the Teaching, the blessing and the curse, just as is written in the Book of the Teaching. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua failed to read in the presence of the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the strangers who accompanied them (Joshua 8:30-35, JPS translation).
Regarding the prohibition of hewn stones, we find elsewhere in the Torah as well the statement: And if you make for me an altar of stones, do not build it of hewn stones; for by wielding your tool upon them you have profaned them (Exodus 20:22).
Why did God prohibit the use of an iron tool to cut the stones for the altar? The Mishnah (Massekhet Middot 3:4) gives an answer. First the Mishnah in great detail which describes the procedures involved in preparing proper stones from the altar in the Bet Ha-Miqdash. It writes as follows:
The stones both of the ascent and of the altar were taken from the valley of Beth Kerem. They dug into virgin soil and brought from there whose stones on which no iron had been lifted, since iron disqualifies by mere touch, though a scratch made by anything could disqualify. If one of them received a scratch it was disqualified, but the rest were not. They were whitewashed twice a year, once at Passover and once at Tabernacles, and the Hekhal was whitewashed once a year, at Passover. Rabbi says: They were whitewashed every Friday with cloth on account of the blood stains. The plaster was not laid on with a trowel of iron, for fear that it might touch and disqualify.
(A trowel is a flat-bladed hand tool for leveling, spreading, or shaping substances such as cement or mortar.)
Finally, the Mishnah concludes:
Since iron was created to shorten man’s days, and the altar was created to prolong man’s days, and it is not right therefore that that which shortens would be lifted against that which prolongs.
The Mekhilta of R. Yishmael to Exodus 20:23 (ed. Lauterbach, [Phila., 1949, p. 290] quotes the statement found in the Mishnah of Middot (in the name of R. Shimon ben Elazar) and adds the following comment in the name of R. Johanan ben Zakkai:
Behold it says, You shall build of (whole) stones (Deut. 27:6). They are to be stones that establish peace. Now, by using the method of kal va-homer, you reason: the stones for the altar do not see nor hear nor speak. Yet because they serve to establish peace between Israel and their Father in heaven the Holy One, blessed be He, said (Deut. 27:5) Do not wield an iron tool over them. How much the more then should he who establishes peace between man and his fellow-man, between husband and wife, between city and city, between nation and nation, between family and family, between government and government, be protected so that no harm should come to him.
(The commentary of Rashi, for his part, to Exodus 20:22 is based upon these sources as well.)
Remarkably, Rashi’s grandson Rashbam, on the other hand, in his commentary to Parashat Yitro, advances a different explanation for the prohibition to hew the stones for the altar with iron. In his view, since sculptors who would use iron to mold stones would draw figures and idols on the stones with the iron implements, the Torah, in attempting to steer the Israelites from any idolatry, forbade the use of iron.
Rashbam quotes Isaiah 44:12-13: The craftsman in iron, with his tools, Works it over charcoal, And fashions it by hammering…He forms it with scraping tools, marking it out with a compass. He gives it a human form….(See Martin Lokhshin (ed.), Perush Ha-Rashbam ‘al Ha-Torah (Jerusalem, 2009), p. 250 and n. 46 ad loc., and his English translation, Rashbam’s Commentary on Exodus (Atlanta, 1997), pp. 222, and note 42 ad loc., for a discussion of the Rashbam’s view.)
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