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Ki Tavo, Ki Thavo, Ki Tabo, Ki Thabo, or Ki Savo ( he, כִּי-תָבוֹא —
Ki Tavo, Ki Thavo, Ki Tabo, Ki Thabo, or Ki Savo ( he, כִּי-תָבוֹא — Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
for "when you enter," the second and third words, and the first distinctive words, in the parashah
The term ''parashah'' ( he, פָּרָשָׁה ''Pārāšâ'', "portion", Tiberian , Sephardi , plural: ''parashot'' or ''parashiyot'', also called ''parsha'') formally means a section of a biblical book in the Masoretic Text of the Tanakh ( ...
) is the 50th weekly Torah portion
It is a custom among religious Jewish communities for a weekly Torah portion to be read during Jewish prayer services on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The full name, ''Parashat HaShavua'' ( he, פָּרָשַׁת הַשָּׁבוּעַ), is p ...
( he, פָּרָשָׁה, ''parashah'') in the annual Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
cycle of Torah reading
Torah reading (; ') is a Jewish religious tradition that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Torah scroll. The term often refers to the entire ceremony of removing the scroll (or scrolls) from the Torah ark, chanting the ap ...
and the seventh in the Book of Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy ( grc, Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, second law) is the fifth and last book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called (Hebrew: hbo, , Dəḇārīm, hewords Moses.html"_;"title="f_Moses">f_Moseslabel=none)_and_th ...
. It comprises . The parashah tells of the ceremony of the first fruits
First Fruits is a religious offering of the first agricultural produce of the harvest. In classical Greek, Roman, and Hebrew religions, the first fruits were given to priests as an offering to deity. In Christian faiths, the tithe is similarly g ...
( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim''), tithe
A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...
s, and the blessings from observance and curses ( he, תוֹכֵחָה, '' tocheichah'') from violation of the law.
The parashah is made up of 6,811 Hebrew letters, 1,747 Hebrew words, 122 verses, and 261 lines in a Torah Scroll ( he, סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה, ''Sefer Torah
A ( he, סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה; "Book of Torah"; plural: ) or Torah scroll is a handwritten copy of the Torah, meaning the five books of Moses (the first books of the Hebrew Bible). The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of To ...
''). Jew
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
s generally read it in September, or rarely in late August.
Readings
In traditional Sabbath Torah reading, the parashah is divided into seven readings, he, עליות, '' aliyot''. In theMasoretic Text
The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; he, נֻסָּח הַמָּסוֹרָה, Nūssāḥ Hammāsōrā, lit. 'Text of the Tradition') is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism. ...
of the Tanakh
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' peh'')). Parashah Ki Tavo has several further subdivisions, called "closed portion" ( he, סתומה, ''setumah'') divisions (abbreviated with the Hebrew letter he, ס (''
The second reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah'') and a closed portion ( he, סתומה, ''setumah'') end here.
In the sixth reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah''), Moses continued that if the Israelites obeyed God and observed faithfully all the commandments, then God would 
In the continuation of the reading, Moses taught that if they did not obey God and observe faithfully the commandments, then God would curse them in the city and the country; curse their basket and kneading bowl; curse the issue of their womb, the produce of their soil, and the fertility of their herds and flocks; curse them in their comings and goings; loose on them calamity, panic, and frustration in all their enterprises; make pestilence cling to them; strike them with
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an
, an
and
an
an
describes the Land of Israel as a land flowing "with milk and honey." Similarly, the Middle Egyptian (early second millennium BCE) tale of Sinuhe Palestine described the Land of Israel or, as the Egyptian tale called it, the land of Yaa: "It was a good land called Yaa. Figs were in it and grapes. It had more wine than water. Abundant was its honey, plentiful its oil. All kind of fruit were on its trees. Barley was there and emmer, and no end of cattle of all kinds."
The Mishnah interpreted the words "the first fruits of ''your'' land" in to mean that a person could not bring first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim'') unless all the produce came from that person's land. The Mishnah thus taught that people who planted trees but bent their branches into or over another's property could not bring first fruits from those trees. And for the same reason, the Mishnah taught that tenants, lessees, occupiers of confiscated property, or robbers could not bring first fruits.
The Mishnah taught that first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim'') were brought only from the Seven Species ( he, שבעת המינים, ''Shiv'at HaMinim'') that noted to praise the Land of Israel: 
The inhabitants of the district assembled in a city of the district and spent the night in the town square. Early in the morning, their leader said: "Let us rise and go up to 
The
Mishnah Bikkurim 2:4
that one waved the first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim''). Rabbi Judah interpreted the words "you shall set it down" in to refer to the waving. The Gemara explained that these words could not refer literally to setting the basket down because already accounted for setting the basket down. Alternatively, Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob deduced the requirement to wave the first fruits from the word "hand" occurring in both and in the case of the peace-offering in , which says, "His own hands shall bring the offering unto the Lord." The Gemara concluded that just as explicitly directs the priest to take the basket and wave it, so in , the priest was to take the offering and wave it, even though refers only to the donor. And just as explicitly directs the donor to wave the offering, so in , the donor was to wave the basket. The Gemara explained that it was possible for both the priest and the donor to perform the waving because the priest placed his hand under the hand of the donor and they waved the basket together. Originally, all who knew how to recite would recite, while those unable to do so would repeat after the priest. But when the number of pilgrims declined, it was decided that all pilgrims would repeat the words after the priest. The Mishnah taught that converts to Judaism would bring the first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim'') but not recite, as they could not say the words of , "which the Lord swore to ''our fathers'', to give us." But it was taught in a Baraita in the name of Rabbi Judah that even converts both brought first fruits and recited, for when God changed Abram's name to
The Gemara reported a number of Rabbis' reports of how the Land of Israel did indeed flow with "milk and honey," as described in an
17
, and , , and , and , , an
, and . Once when Rami bar Ezekiel visited
Reading , "Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses took upon himself to expound (, ''be’er'') this law," the Gemara noted the use of the same word as in with regard to the commandment to erect the stones on 
Our Rabbis asked in a Baraita why says, "You shall set the blessing upon Mount Gerizim and the curse upon mount Ebal." cannot say so merely to teach where the Israelites were to say the blessings and curses, as already says, "These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people . . . and these shall stand upon Mount Ebal for the curse." Rather, the Rabbis taught that the purpose of was to indicate that the blessings must precede the curses. It is possible to think that all the blessings must precede all the curses; therefore, the text states "blessing" and "curse" in the singular, and thus teaches that one blessing precedes one curse, alternating blessings and curses, and all the blessings do not proceed all the curses. A further purpose of is to draw a comparison between blessings and curses: As the curse was pronounced by the Levites, so the blessing had to be pronounced by the Levites. As the curse was uttered in a loud voice, so the blessing had to be uttered in a loud voice. As the curse was said in Hebrew, so the blessing had to be said in Hebrew. As the curses were in general and particular terms, so must the blessings had to be in general and particular terms. And as with the curse, both parties respond "Amen," so with the blessing both parties respond "Amen."Babylonian Talmud Sotah 37b
in, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli: Tractate Sotah: Volume 2'', elucidated by Eliezer Herzka, et al., volume 33b, page 37b. The Mishnah told how the Levites pronounced the blessings and curses. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan and came to Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, six tribes ascended Mount Gerizim and six tribes ascended Mount Ebal. The priests and Levites with the
Rabbi Judah ben Nahmani, the interpreter of Simeon ben Lakish (Resh Lakish), taught that the whole section of the blessings and curses refers to adultery. says, "Cursed be the man who makes a graven or molten image." Is it enough merely to curse such a person in this world? Rather, Rabbi Judah ben Naḥmani taught that alludes to one who commits adultery and has a son who goes to live among idolaters and worships idols; cursed be the father and mother of this man, as they were the cause of his sinning.
A 
Reading the words "to observe to do all His commandments" in , Rabbi Simeon ben Halafta taught that one who learns the words of the Torah and does not fulfill them receives punishment more severe than does the one who has not learned at all.
A Midrash expounded on why Israel was, in the words of , like "a leafy olive tree." In one explanation, the Midrash taught that just as oil floats to the top even after it has been mixed with every kind of liquid, so Israel, as long as it performs the will of God, will be set on high by God, as it says in .
Rabbi Joshua of Siknin in the name of Rabbi Levi interpreted to convey God's message that if people will heed God's commandments, God will heed their prayers.
Rav's disciples told Rabbi Abba that Rav interpreted the words of , "Blessed shall you be in the city," to mean that your house would be near a synagogue. Rav interpreted the words, "and blessed shall you be in the field," to mean that your property would be near the city. Rav interpreted the words of , "Blessed shall you be when you come in," to mean that you would not find your wife in doubt of being a ''
The Mishnah taught that when they flogged a person, a reader would read , beginning "If you will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book . . . ," then , "Observe therefore the words of this covenant," and then , "But He, being full of compassion, forgives iniquity."
Rabbi Johanan taught that God does not rejoice in the downfall of the wicked. Rabbi Johanan interpreted the words ''zeh el zeh'' in the phrase "And one did not come near the other all the night" in to teach that when the Egyptians were drowning in the sea, the ministering
In his letter to Obadiah the Proselyte,
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an
an
MacDonald wrote that the term for milk ( he, חָלָב, ''chalav'') could easily be the word for "fat" ( he, חֵלֶב, ''chelev''), and the word for honey ( he, דְבָשׁ, ''devash'') could indicate not bees' honey but a sweet syrup made from fruit. The expression evoked a general sense of the bounty of the land and suggested an ecological richness exhibited in a number of ways, not just with milk and honey. MacDonald noted that the expression was always used to describe a land that the people of Israel had not yet experienced, and thus characterized it as always a future expectation.
Professor James Kugel of 
43–44
followed by a formal conclusion and summing up in .
The Passover 
Next, the Haggadah cites , , and to elucidate the report in that "we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression." The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that the Israelites cried to God. The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that God heard the Israelites' voice. The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that God saw the Israelites' affliction, interpreting that affliction as the suspension of family life. The Haggadah quotes to explain the Israelites' travail, interpreting that travail as the loss of the baby boys.Menachem Davis, editor, ''Interlinear Haggadah'', page 47; Joseph Tabory, ''JPS Commentary on the Haggadah'', page 93. And the Haggadah quotes to explain the Israelites' oppression, interpreting that oppression as pressure or persecution.
Next, the Haggadah cites , , , , , and to elucidate the report in that "the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders." The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that God took the Israelites out of Egypt, not through an
The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these sources:
Vassal treaties
of
''Allegorical Interpretation''
3:11:36, 35:107
8:24, 24:84, 29:99
34:156
3:10, 15:76, 51:250
22:123
1:34:193; 2:40:263, 41:272
2:34–36
8:47, 21:106
21:127, 22:131
20:167.
4:8:18, 22, 31, 44
Circa 93–94. In, e.g., ''The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition''. Translated by William Whiston, pages 118–19, 121, 124. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1987. .
Maaser Sheni 1:1�
5:15Bikkurim 1:1–3:12
Pesachim 10:4
Megillah 2:53:6Sotah 7:1589:10Makkot 3:14Middot 3:4
Land of Israel, circa 200 CE. In, e.g., ''The Mishnah: A New Translation''. Translated by
297:1–303:11
Land of Israel, circa 250–350 CE. In, e.g., ''Sifre to Deuteronomy: An Analytical Translation''. Translated by Jacob Neusner, volume 2, pages 269–285.13:622:1033:660:1373:8
Land of Israel, 5th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Genesis''. Translated by
*Babylonian
Berakhot 5a6a15b24a35b40a–b56a57a63bShabbat 25a31b55b138bEruvin 55bPesachim 24a36a–b49b70b109a116aYoma 5b13b52b74bSukkah 40b46b47bBeitzah 35bRosh Hashanah 12b15aTaanit 2a3b8b–9bMegillah 10b–11a16b20b24b25bMoed Katan 15bChagigah 3a4b7a12b18bKetubot 111b–12aSotah 17a32a–33b35b36a37a–38a39b47a48a49aGittin 47b–48a56a57b–58a81aKiddushin 2b26a66bBava Metzia 11a–b52b59b90a96a107aBava Batra 25b26b–27a81a–82a89a136bSanhedrin 7a11b28b39b44aMakkot 7b13b16b–17b18b–19b22b24aShevuot 35a36a39aAvodah Zarah 5b19b52b55aHorayot 12aZevachim 16a50a54b60b61b99b101aMenachot 35b61a–b82a84b103bChullin 16a18a89a120b–21a131a–b136aBekhorot 41aArakhin 11aTemurah 3b10a21aKeritot 11a
Land of Israel, 9th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Leviticus''. Translated by Harry Freedman and Maurice Simon. London: Soncino Press, 1939. . *
Deuteronomy 26–29
*
*
Introduction, 26
''Hilchot Matnot Aniyim (The Law of Gifts to the Poor)'', chapter 6, halachah 7
Egypt, circa 1170–1180. In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Sefer Zeraim: The Book of Agricultural Ordinances''. Translated by Eliyahu Touger, pages 156–57. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 2005. . *Maimonides. Letter to Obadiah the Proselyte. Spain, 12th century. In, e.g., ''A Treasury of Jewish Letters: Letters from the Famous and the Humble''. Edited by Franz Kobler, volume 1, pages 194–96.
Sefer ha-Chinuch, commandments 606–11
Spain, 13th century. In, e.g., ''Sefer HaḤinnuch: The Book of itzvahEducation''. Translated by Charles Wengrov, volume 5, pages 414–31. Jerusalem: Feldheim Publishers, 1988.
*
*
*
"The Deuteronomic Tithe."
'' The American Journal of Theology'', volume 18 (number 1) (January 1914): pages 119–26.
*
*
"A Wandering Aramean."
''
"The Inclusio and Other Framing Devices in Deuteronomy I–XXVIII."
''
* W. Gunther Plaut. ''The Haftarah Commentary'', pages 489–99. New York: UAHC Press, 1996. .
* Jeffrey H. Tigay. ''The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation'', pages 238–77, 486–97. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996. .
* Walter Homolka
"'God Is Thy Rescue' as the Central Message of the ''Seder'' Ritual: The Midrash on Devarim 26 in Its Biblical Context."
'' European Judaism'', volume 30 (number 2) (Autumn 1997): pages 72–85. *Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden. ''Teaching Torah: A Treasury of Insights and Activities'', pages 329–34.
* Michael Fishbane. ''The JPS Bible Commentary: Haftarot'', pages 304–10. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2002. .
* Admiel Kosman
“The Story of a Giant Story: The Winding Way of Og King of Bashan in the Jewish Haggadic Tradition.”
'' Hebrew Union College Annual'', volume 73 (2002): pages 157–90. *
"Greek Deuteronomy's 'Fever and Chills' and Their Magical Afterlife."
''Vetus Testamentum'', volume 58 (number 4/5) (2008): pages 544–49. *''The Torah: A Women's Commentary''. Edited by
''Joy''
In ''Face to Face: A Poetry Collection''. DreamSeeker Books, 2010. . ("land of milk and honey"). *Idan Dershowitz
"A Land Flowing with Fat and Honey."
''Vetus Testamentum'', volume 60 (number 2) (2010): pages 172–76. *Naftali S. Cohn. ''The Memory of the Temple and the Making of the Rabbis'', introduction. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012. . (analysis of the Mishnaic retelling of the first fruits ceremony).
* William G. Dever. ''The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel: When Archaeology and the Bible Intersect'', pages 46, 192–93. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012. .
* Shmuel Herzfeld. "The Joy of Selichot." In ''Fifty-Four Pick Up: Fifteen-Minute Inspirational Torah Lessons'', pages 284–89. Jerusalem: 
* Shlomo Riskin. ''Torah Lights: Devarim: Moses Bequeaths Legacy, History, and Covenant'', pages 269–314. 
*
"Ancient Israelite Population Economy: Ger, Toshav, Nakhri and Karat as Settler Colonial Categories."
''Journal for the Study of the Old Testament'', volume 42 (number 2) (December 2017): pages 139–53. *Ernst Wendland.
Deuteronomy: translationNotes
'' Orlando, Florida: unfoldingWord, 2017. *Jonathan Sacks. ''Covenant & Conversation: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible: Deuteronomy: Renewal of the Sinai Covenant'', pages 219–51.
"The Curse of the Law, the Covenant, and Anthropology in Galatians 3:10–14: An Examination of Paul's Use of Deuteronomy 27:26."
''
"The Problem of Reubenite Primacy: New Paradigms, New Answers."
''Journal of Biblical Literature'', volume 139, number 1 (2020): pages 27–45.
Hear the parashah chanted
Academy for Jewish Religion, New YorkAkhlah: The Jewish Children's Learning NetworkAleph Beta AcademyAmerican Jewish University — Ziegler School of Rabbinic StudiesAscent of SafedBar-Ilan UniversityChabad.orgeparsha.comG-dcastJewish Theological SeminaryMechon HadarMyJewishLearning.comOhr SameachON Scripture — The TorahOzTorah, Torah from AustraliaOz Ve Shalom — Netivot ShalomPardes from JerusalemProfessor James L. KugelProfessor Michael CarasikRabbi Jonathan SacksRabbi Shmuel HerzfeldReconstructionist JudaismSephardic InstituteShiur.comTeach613.org, Torah Education at Cherry HillTheTorah.comTorah from DixieTorah.orgTorahVort.comUnion for Reform JudaismUnited Synagogue of Conservative JudaismYeshivat Chovevei TorahYeshiva University
{{Weekly Torah Portions Weekly Torah readings in Elul Weekly Torah readings from Deuteronomy
'' Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' peh'')). Parashah Ki Tavo has several further subdivisions, called "closed portion" ( he, סתומה, ''setumah'') divisions (abbreviated with the Hebrew letter he, ס (''
samekh
Samekh (Phoenician ''sāmek'' ; Hebrew ''samekh'' , Syriac ''semkaṯ'') is the fifteenth letter of the Semitic abjads, including the Hebrew alphabet.
Samekh represents a voiceless alveolar fricative . Unlike most Semitic consonants, the ...
'')) within the open portion divisions. The first open portion spans the first three readings. The second open portion contains all of the fourth and fifth readings and part of the sixth reading. The third open portion constitutes the balance of the sixth reading, which enumerates a series of curses. The fourth open portion is identical with the seventh reading. Closed portion divisions coincide with the first two readings. Closed portion divisions further divide the fourth, fifth, and sixth readings, and a string of 11 closed portion divisions set off a series of curses in the fifth reading.
First reading — Deuteronomy 26:1–11
In the first reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah''),Moses
Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu ( Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pr ...
directed the Israelite
The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan.
The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele ...
s that when they entered the land
Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various islan ...
that God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
was giving
Giving may refer to:
* Gift, the transfer of something without the expectation of receiving something in return
* Generosity, the habit of giving freely without expecting anything in return
* Charity (practice), the giving of help to those in nee ...
them, they were to take some of every first fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in parti ...
of the soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...
that they harvest
Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most la ...
ed, put it in a basket
A basket is a container that is traditionally constructed from stiff fibers and can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials such as horsehai ...
, and take it to the place God would choose. There they were to go to the priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
in charge and acknowledge that they had entered the land that God swore to their fathers
A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...
. The priest was to set the basket down in front of the altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
. They were then to recite:
"A wandering Aramean
The Arameans ( oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; syc, ܐܪ̈ܡܝܐ, Ārāmāyē) were an ancient Semitic-speaking people in the Near East, first recorded in historical sources from the late 12th century BCE. The Aramean ...
was my father, and he went down into Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medite ...
, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation
A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective Identity (social science), identity of a group of people unde ...
, great, mighty, and populous. And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. And we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound product ...
, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders. And He has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modul ...
and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, that You, O Lord, have given me."
They were to leave the basket before the altar, bow low to God, and then feast on and enjoy, together with the Levite
Levites (or Levi) (, he, ''Lǝvīyyīm'') are Jewish males who claim patrilineal descent from the Tribe of Levi. The Tribe of Levi descended from Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. The surname ''Halevi'', which consists of the Hebrew defi ...
and the stranger, the bounty that God had given them. The first reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah'') and a closed portion ( he, סתומה, ''setumah'') end here.
Second reading — Deuteronomy 26:12–15
In the second reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah''), Moses instructed that when the Israelites had given the tenth part of their yield to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and thewidow
A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died.
Terminology
The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word can s ...
, in the third year, the year of the tithe, they were to declare before God:
"'I have put away the hallowed things out of my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to Your commandment that You have commanded me; I have not transgressed any of Your commandments, neither have I forgotten them. I have not eaten thereof in my mourning
Mourning is the expression of an experience that is the consequence of an event in life involving loss, causing grief, occurring as a result of someone's death, specifically someone who was loved although loss from death is not exclusively ...
, neither have I put away thereof, being unclean, nor given thereof for the dead; I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, I have done according to all that You have commanded me. Look from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the land that You have given us, as You swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey."
The second reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah'') and a closed portion ( he, סתומה, ''setumah'') end here.
Third reading — Deuteronomy 26:16–19
In the third reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah''), Moses exhorted the Israelites to observe theselaw
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vari ...
s faithfully with all their heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to ...
and soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
, noting that they had affirmed that the Lord was their God and that they would obey God. And God affirmed that the Israelites were God's treasured people, and that God would set them high above all the nations in fame and glory, and that they would be a holy
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
people to God. The third reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah'') and the first open portion ( he, פתוחה, ''petuchah'') end here with the end of chapter .
Fourth reading — Deuteronomy 27:1–10
In the fourth reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah''), Moses and the elders charged the people that as soon as they had crossed theJordan River
The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...
, they were to set up large stones on Mount Ebal
Mount Ebal ( he, ''Har ʿĒyḇāl''; ar, جبل عيبال ''Jabal ‘Aybāl'') is one of the two mountains in the immediate vicinity of the city of Nablus in the West Bank ( biblical ''Shechem''), and forms the northern side of the valley ...
, coat them with plaster
Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...
, and inscribe on them all the words of the Torah. There they were also to build an altar to God made of stones on which no iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in fro ...
tool
A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...
had struck, and they were to offer on it offerings to God and rejoice. A closed portion ( he, סתומה, ''setumah'') ends here with .
In the continuation of the reading, Moses and the priests told all Israel to hear: They had become the people of God, and should heed God and observe God's commandments. The fourth reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah'') and a closed portion ( he, סתומה, ''setumah'') end here.
Fifth reading — Deuteronomy 27:11–28:6
In the fifth reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah''), Moses charged the people that after they had crossed the Jordan, the tribes ofSimeon
Simeon () is a given name, from the Hebrew (Biblical ''Šimʿon'', Tiberian ''Šimʿôn''), usually transliterated as Shimon. In Greek it is written Συμεών, hence the Latinized spelling Symeon.
Meaning
The name is derived from Simeon, so ...
, Levi
Levi (; ) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's third son), and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi (the Levites, including the Kohanim) and the great-grandfather of Aaron, Moses and ...
, Judah, Issachar, Joseph
Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...
, and Benjamin
Benjamin ( he, ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's thi ...
were to stand on Mount Gerizim
Mount Gerizim (; Samaritan Hebrew: ''ʾĀ̊rgā̊rīzēm''; Hebrew: ''Har Gərīzīm''; ar, جَبَل جَرِزِيم ''Jabal Jarizīm'' or جَبَلُ ٱلطُّورِ ''Jabal at-Ṭūr'') is one of two mountains in the immediate vicinit ...
when the blessings were spoken, and the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher
Asher ( he, אָשֵׁר ''’Āšēr''), in the Book of Genesis, was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Zilpah (Jacob's eighth son) and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Asher.
Name
The text of the Torah states that the name of ''As ...
, Zebulun
Zebulun (; also ''Zebulon'', ''Zabulon'', or ''Zaboules'') was, according to the Books of Genesis and Numbers,Genesis 46:14 the last of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's tenth son), and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Zebulun. Som ...
, Dan, and Naphthali were to stand on Mount Ebal when the curses were spoken. The Levites were then to loudly curse anyone who: made a sculptured image; insulted father or mother; moved a fellow countryman's landmark; misdirected a blind person; subverted the rights of the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow; lay with his father's wife; lay with any beast; lay with his sister; lay with his mother-in-law; struck down his fellow countryman in secret; accepted a bribe in a murder case; or otherwise would not observe the commandments; and for each curse all the people were to say, "Amen." Eleven closed portion ( he, סתומה, ''setumah'') divisions set apart each of the curses, and the curses bring chapter to an end.
In the continuation of the reading, Moses taught that, on the other hand, if the Israelites obeyed God and observed faithfully all the commandments, then God would set them high above all the nations of the earth; bless them in the city and the country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
; bless the issue of their wombs, the produce of their soil, and the fertility of their herd
A herd is a social group of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with this is called ''herding''. These animals are known as gregarious animals.
The term ''herd'' i ...
s and flocks; bless their basket and their kneading
In cooking (and more specifically baking), kneading is a process in the making of bread or dough, used to mix the ingredients and add strength to the final product. Its importance lies in the mixing of flour with water; when these two ingredie ...
bowl
A bowl is a typically round dish or container generally used for preparing, serving, or consuming food. The interior of a bowl is characteristically shaped like a spherical cap, with the edges and the bottom forming a seamless curve. This makes ...
; and bless them in their comings and goings. The fifth reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah'') ends here.
Sixth reading — Deuteronomy 28:7–69
In the sixth reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah''), Moses continued that if the Israelites obeyed God and observed faithfully all the commandments, then God would rout
A rout is a panicked, disorderly and undisciplined retreat of troops from a battlefield, following a collapse in a given unit's command authority, unit cohesion and combat morale (''esprit de corps'').
History
Historically, lightly-eq ...
their enemies; bless them upon their barn
A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. N ...
s and all their undertakings; bless them in the land; establish them as God's holy people; give them abounding prosperity; provide rain
Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water ...
in season; and make them the head and not the tail. The second open portion ( he, פתוחה, ''petuchah'') ends here.
In the continuation of the reading, Moses taught that if they did not obey God and observe faithfully the commandments, then God would curse them in the city and the country; curse their basket and kneading bowl; curse the issue of their womb, the produce of their soil, and the fertility of their herds and flocks; curse them in their comings and goings; loose on them calamity, panic, and frustration in all their enterprises; make pestilence cling to them; strike them with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...
, fever
Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...
, inflammation
Inflammation (from la, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molec ...
, scorching heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...
, drought
A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
, blight
Blight refers to a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism.
Description
Blight is a rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral orga ...
, and mildew
Mildew is a form of fungus. It is distinguished from its closely related counterpart, mould, largely by its colour: moulds appear in shades of black, blue, red, and green, whereas mildew is white. It appears as a thin, superficial growth consi ...
; turn the skies into copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish- ...
and the earth into iron; make the rain into dust
Dust is made of fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian process), volcanic eruptions, and pollution. Dust in ho ...
; rout them before their enemies; and strike them with the Egyptian inflammation, hemorrhoid
Hemorrhoids (or haemorrhoids), also known as piles, are vascular structures in the anal canal. In their normal state, they are cushions that help with stool control. They become a disease when swollen or inflamed; the unqualified term ''he ...
s, boil-scars, itch
Itch (also known as pruritus) is a sensation that causes the desire or reflex to scratch. Itch has resisted many attempts to be classified as any one type of sensory experience. Itch has many similarities to pain, and while both are unpleasant ...
, madness, blindness, and dismay. If they paid the bride price
Bride price, bride-dowry (Mahr in Islam), bride-wealth, or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry. Bride dowr ...
for a wife, another man would enjoy her; if they built a house, they would not live in it; if they planted a vineyard
A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyar ...
, they would not harvest it. Their oxen
An ox ( : oxen, ), also known as a bullock (in BrE, AusE, and IndE), is a male bovine trained and used as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration inhibits testosterone and aggression, which makes the m ...
would be slaughtered before their eyes, but they would not eat of it; their donkey
The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a ...
would be seized and not returned; their flock would be delivered to their enemies; their sons and daughters would be delivered to another people; a people they did not know would eat the produce of their soil; they would be abused and downtrodden continually, until they were driven mad; God would afflict them at the knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the ...
s and thigh
In human anatomy, the thigh is the area between the hip (pelvis) and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.
The single bone in the thigh is called the femur. This bone is very thick and strong (due to the high proportion of bone ...
s with a severe inflammation; God would drive them to an unknown nation where they would serve other gods, of wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...
and stone; and they would be a byword among all the peoples. Locust
Locusts (derived from the Vulgar Latin ''locusta'', meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstanc ...
s would consume their seed
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
, worm
Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes (though not always).
Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine polychaete wo ...
s would devour their vineyards, the olives would drop off their olive trees, their sons and daughters would go into captivity, the cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by s ...
would take over all the trees and produce of their land, the stranger in their midst would rise above them, the stranger would be their creditor, and the stranger would be the head and they the tail. Because they would not serve God in joy over abundance, they would have to serve in hunger, thirst, and nakedness, the enemies whom God would let loose against them. God would bring against them a ruthless nation from afar, whose language
Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...
they would not understand, to devour their cattle and produce of their soil and to shut them up in their towns until every mighty wall in which they trusted had come down. And when they were shut up under siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...
, they would eat the flesh of their sons and daughters. God would inflict extraordinary plagues and diseases on them until they would have a scant few left, for as God once delighted in making them prosperous and many, so would God delight in causing them to perish and diminish. God would scatter them among all the peoples from one end of the earth to the other, but even among those nations, they would find no place to rest. In the morning they would say, "If only it were evening!" and in the evening they would say, "If only it were morning!" God would send them back to Egypt in galley
A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be u ...
s and they would offer themselves for sale as slaves
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
, but none would buy. The long closed portion ( he, סתומה, ''setumah'') of the curses ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, ''Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Devarim / Deuteronomy'', page 183.
The reading concludes with a summary statement that this is the covenant that God commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab
Moab ''Mōáb''; Assyrian: 𒈬𒀪𒁀𒀀𒀀 ''Mu'abâ'', 𒈠𒀪𒁀𒀀𒀀
''Ma'bâ'', 𒈠𒀪𒀊 ''Ma'ab''; Egyptian: 𓈗𓇋𓃀𓅱𓈉 ''Mū'ībū'', name=, group= () is the name of an ancient Levantine kingdom whose territ ...
, in addition to the covenant that God made with the Israelites at Horeb (Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai ( he , הר סיני ''Har Sinai''; Aramaic: ܛܘܪܐ ܕܣܝܢܝ ''Ṭūrāʾ Dsyny''), traditionally known as Jabal Musa ( ar, جَبَل مُوسَىٰ, translation: Mount Moses), is a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It is ...
). The sixth reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah'') and the third open portion ( he, פתוחה, ''petuchah'') end here with the end of chapter .
Seventh reading — Deuteronomy 29:1–8
In the seventh reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah''), Moses reminded the Israelites that they had seen all that God did toPharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: '' pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the a ...
and Egypt, yet they did not yet understand. Moses led them through the wilderness
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...
40 years, their clothes
Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...
and sandals
Sandals are an open type of footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps going over the instep and around the ankle. Sandals can also have a heel. While the distinction between sandals and other types of footwear can some ...
did not wear out, and they survived without bread
Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made foo ...
to eat and wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts ...
to drink
A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothies ...
, so that they might know that the Lord was their God.
In the maftir ( he, מפטיר) reading of that concludes the parashah,See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, ''Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Devarim / Deuteronomy'', page 184. Moses recounted that the Israelites defeated King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the t ...
Sihon
Sihon was an Amorite king mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, who refused to let the Israelites pass through his country.
Biblical accounts
The Book of Numbers recounts that as the Israelites making their Exodus journey came to the country east of ...
of Heshbon
Heshbon (also Hesebon, Esebon, Esbous, Esebus; ar, حشبون, links=no, la, Esebus, links=no, he, חשבון, links=no, grc, Ἐσεβών, Ἐσσεβών, Ἐσβούτα, Ἐσβούς, Ἔσβους, Ἔξβους, links=no) were at leas ...
and King Og of Bashan
Bashan (; he, הַבָּשָׁן, translit=ha-Bashan; la, Basan or ''Basanitis'') is the ancient, biblical name used for the northernmost region of the Transjordan during the Iron Age. It is situated in modern-day Syria. Its western part, no ...
, took their land, and gave it to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Manasseh (; Hebrew: ''Ševet Mənašše,'' Tiberian: ''Šēḇeṭ Mănašše'') was one of the Tribes of Israel. It is one of the ten lost tribes. Together with the Tribe of Ephraim, Manasseh also fo ...
. Therefore, Moses urged them to observe faithfully all the commandments, that they might succeed in all that they undertook. The seventh reading ( he, עליה, ''aliyah''), the fourth open portion ( he, פתוחה, ''petuchah''), and the parashah end here.
Readings according to the triennial cycle
Jews who read the Torah according to the triennial cycle of Torah reading read the parashah according to the following schedule:In ancient parallels
The parashah has parallels in these ancient sources:Deuteronomy chapter 27
(as well as an17
an
, an
and
an
an
describes the Land of Israel as a land flowing "with milk and honey." Similarly, the Middle Egyptian (early second millennium BCE) tale of Sinuhe Palestine described the Land of Israel or, as the Egyptian tale called it, the land of Yaa: "It was a good land called Yaa. Figs were in it and grapes. It had more wine than water. Abundant was its honey, plentiful its oil. All kind of fruit were on its trees. Barley was there and emmer, and no end of cattle of all kinds."
In inner-biblical interpretation
The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these Biblical sources:Deuteronomy chapter 26
Professor Benjamin Sommer of theJewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studie ...
argued that borrowed whole sections from the earlier text of .
Shavuot
set out the ceremony for the bringing of the first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim''). , in turn, associates theFestival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...
of Shavuot
(''Ḥag HaShavuot'' or ''Shavuos'')
, nickname = English: "Feast of Weeks"
, observedby = Jews and Samaritans
, type = Jewish and Samaritan
, begins = 6th day of Sivan (or the Sunday following the 6th day of Sivan in ...
with the first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרֵי, ''bikurei'') of the wheat harvest.
In the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...
, the day that they brought the sheaf of barley for waving. Similarly, directs counting seven weeks from when they first put the sickle to the standing barley.
sets out a course of offerings for the fiftieth day, including a meal-offering of two loaves made from fine flour from the first fruits of the harvest; burnt-offerings of seven lambs, one bullock, and two rams; a sin-offering of a goat; and a peace-offering of two lambs. Similarly, sets out a course of offerings including a meal-offering; burnt-offerings of two bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs; and one goat to make atonement. directs a freewill-offering in relation to God's blessing.
and ordain a holy convocation in which the Israelites were not to work.
reports that Solomon offered burnt-offerings on the Feast of Weeks.
'' Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...
Corpse contamination
The discussion of the dead in the profession associated with tithing, , is one of a series of passages setting out the teaching that contact with the dead is antithetical to purity. In , God instructed Moses to direct the priests not to allow themselves to become defiled by contact with the dead, except for a mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or unmarried sister. And the priests were not to engage in mourning rituals of making baldness upon their heads, shaving off the corners of their beards, or cutting their flesh. In , God instructed Moses to command the Israelites to put out of the camp every person defiled by contact with the dead, so that they would not defile their camps, in the midst of which God dwelt. sets out a procedure for a red cow mixture for decontamination from corpse contamination. In its profession associated with tithing, instructed Israelites to aver that they had not eaten from the tithe in mourning, nor put away any of it while unclean, nor given any of it to the dead. In , theprophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
Ezekiel
Ezekiel (; he, יְחֶזְקֵאל ''Yəḥezqēʾl'' ; in the Septuagint written in grc-koi, Ἰεζεκιήλ ) is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible.
In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is ackno ...
cites the burial of kings within the Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
as one of the practices that defiled the Temple and cause God to abandon it.
Deuteronomy chapter 27
, which prohibits wielding iron tools over the stones of the altar and requires that the Israelites build the altar from unhewn stones, echoes , which prohibits building the altar from hewn stones, explaining that wielding tools upon the stones would profane them. ProfessorJohn J. Collins
John J. Collins (born 1946) is the Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale Divinity School. He is noted for his research in the Hebrew Bible, as well as the apocryphal works of the Second Temple period including the ...
of Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
noted that describe a ceremony in which the tribes of Israel stand on two mountains that overlook the town of Shechem, and describes a covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem after the Israelites had occupied the land.
The writing of the law on the plastered stones on Mount Ebal in may be contrasted with the proclamation of the prophet Jeremiah
Jeremiah, Modern: , Tiberian: ; el, Ἰερεμίας, Ieremíās; meaning " Yah shall raise" (c. 650 – c. 570 BC), also called Jeremias or the "weeping prophet", was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewi ...
in , "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people".
The curse in of one who "makes the blind go astray in the way" echoes the prohibition in to "put a stumbling-block before the blind."
Deuteronomy chapter 28
The exhortation of to "walk in God's ways" echoes God's injunction toAbraham
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jew ...
in and reflects a recurring theme in the discourse of Moses in ; ; ; ; ; ; and .
While required a new mother to bring a burnt-offering and a sin-offering, , , and Psalm
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
make clear that having children is a blessing from God; and 1 Samuel
The Book of Samuel (, ''Sefer Shmuel'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the narrative history of Ancient Israel called the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books ( Jo ...
characterize childlessness as a misfortune; and and threaten childlessness as a punishment.
The curses in run in parallel with the Tocheichah curses of .
warned, "The Lord will strike you with . . . blight and mildew ( he, בַשִּׁדָּפוֹן, וּבַיֵּרָקוֹן, ''vashdefon u-vayeirakon'')." And in , the 8th century BCE prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
Amos condemned the people of Israel for not returning to God after God "scourged you with blight and mildew ( he, בַּשִּׁדָּפוֹן וּבַיֵּרָקוֹן, ''vashidafon u-vayeirakon'')."
foretold that the Israelites would be reduced in number after having been as numerous as the stars, echoing God's promise in that Abraham's descendants would as numerous as the stars of heaven. Similarly, in , God promised that Abraham's descendants would as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore. In , God reminded Isaac that God had promised Abraham that God would make his heirs as numerous as the stars. In , Jacob reminded God that God had promised that Jacob's descendants would be as numerous as the sands. In , Moses reminded God that God had promised to make the Patriarch's descendants as numerous as the stars. In , Moses reported that God had multiplied the Israelites until they were then as numerous as the stars. And in , Moses reported that God had made the Israelites as numerous as the stars.
In early nonrabbinic interpretation
The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these early nonrabbinic sources:Deuteronomy chapter 27
Philo interpreted the curses of regarding moving landmarks and misleading the blind to apply allegorically to virtue and vice. Philo noted that Moses included among his curses (in ) removing a neighbor's landmark, and Philo interpreted the landmark to represent virtue, which God placed before humankind as the tree of life (in ) to be a law for the soul. But pleasure, taught Philo, removed this landmark of virtue, placing in its stead the landmark of vice, the tree of death. Philo taught that pleasure was therefore worthy to be cursed, being a passion, which altered the boundaries of the soul, rendering the soul a lover of the passions instead of a lover of virtue. And thus Philo interpreted , "And the Lord God said to the serpent, '... You are cursed over every creature and over all the beasts of the field,'" to apply to the passion of pleasure. And Philo read , "Cursed is he who causes the blind man to wander in the road," also to speak of pleasure. Philo taught that impious pleasure caused the blind to wander, for the outward sense, devoid of reason, is blinded by nature, and the eyes of its reason are put out. Philo taught that it is by reason alone that we attain a true comprehension of things, and not by the outward senses. Pleasure deceived the outward senses, persuading the outward senses to follow a blind guide, making the mind utterly unable to restrain itself. Only through reason does the mind see clearly, and mischievous things become less formidable in their attacks. But pleasure has put such great artifices in operation to injure the soul that it has compelled the soul to use them as guides, cheating it, and persuading it to exchange virtue for evil habits and vice.Josephus
Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...
expounded on the curse in of one who "makes the blind go astray in the way," teaching that one has a duty more generally to show the roads to those who do not know them. And, he taught, one has a duty not to consider it a matter for sport to hinder others by setting them on the wrong way.
Deuteronomy chapter 28
Echoing the command of that the Israelites "shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left," theCommunity Rule
The Community Rule ( he, סרך היחד, ''Serekh haYahad''), which is designated 1QS and was previously referred to as the Manual of Discipline, is one of the first scrolls to be discovered near ''khirbet'' (ruin of) Qumran, the scrolls found in ...
of the Qumran
Qumran ( he, קומראן; ar, خربة قمران ') is an archaeological site in the West Bank managed by Israel's Qumran National Park. It is located on a dry marl plateau about from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli ...
sectarians provided, "They shall not depart from any command of God concerning their times; they shall be neither early nor late for any of their appointed times, they shall stray neither to the right nor to the left of any of His true precepts."
In classical rabbinic interpretation
The parashah is discussed in theserabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
nic sources from the era of the Mishnah
The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah ...
and the Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the center ...
:
Deuteronomy chapter 26
Tractate Bikkurim in the Mishnah,Tosefta
The Tosefta (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: תוספתא "supplement, addition") is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah.
Overview
In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah ( ...
, and Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...
interpreted the laws of the first fruits in , , and and .
The Mishnah taught that to set aside first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim''), a landowner would go down into the field, see a fruit that ripened, tie a reed-rope around it, and say, "These are first fruits." But Rabbi Simeon said that even if the landowner did this, the landowner still had to designate the fruits as first fruits again after they had been picked.
The Mishnah interpreted the words "the first fruits of ''your'' land" in to mean that a person could not bring first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim'') unless all the produce came from that person's land. The Mishnah thus taught that people who planted trees but bent their branches into or over another's property could not bring first fruits from those trees. And for the same reason, the Mishnah taught that tenants, lessees, occupiers of confiscated property, or robbers could not bring first fruits.
The Mishnah taught that first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim'') were brought only from the Seven Species ( he, שבעת המינים, ''Shiv'at HaMinim'') that noted to praise the Land of Israel: wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologica ...
, barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley ...
, grapes, figs
The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the worl ...
, pomegranate
The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between tall.
The pomegranate was originally described throughout the Mediterranean region. It was intr ...
s, olive oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...
, and date honey
Date honey, date syrup, date molasses, Debes ( ar, دِبس, ), or rub ( ar, رُب, ; he, דְּבַש תמרים ''dvash tmarim'' or סילאן, ''silan''; fa, شیره خرما) is a thick dark brown, very sweet fruit syrup extracted from d ...
. But first fruits could not be brought from dates grown on hills, or from valley-fruits, or from olives that were not of the choice kind. The Mishnah deduced from the words "the feast of harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you sow in the field" in that first fruits were not to be brought before Shavuot
(''Ḥag HaShavuot'' or ''Shavuos'')
, nickname = English: "Feast of Weeks"
, observedby = Jews and Samaritans
, type = Jewish and Samaritan
, begins = 6th day of Sivan (or the Sunday following the 6th day of Sivan in ...
. The Mishnah reported that the men of Mount Zeboim brought their first fruits before Shavuot, but the priests did not accept them, because of what is written in .
The Mishnah taught that one who bought two trees in another person's field had to bring the first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim'') but did not recite (the declaration of , which in contains the words, "the land that you, O Lord, have given me," which only those who owned land could recite). Rabbi Meir
Rabbi Meir ( he, רַבִּי מֵאִיר) was a Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishnah. He was considered one of the greatest of the Tannaim of the fourth generation (139-163). He is the third most frequently mentioned sage in the Mishn ...
, however, said that the owner of the two trees had to bring and recite.
The inhabitants of the district assembled in a city of the district and spent the night in the town square. Early in the morning, their leader said: "Let us rise and go up to Zion
Zion ( he, צִיּוֹן ''Ṣīyyōn'', LXX , also variously transliterated ''Sion'', ''Tzion'', ''Tsion'', ''Tsiyyon'') is a placename in the Hebrew Bible used as a synonym for Jerusalem as well as for the Land of Israel as a whole (see ...
, to the house of the Lord our God." Those who lived near Jerusalem brought fresh figs and grapes, and those who lived far away brought dried figs and raisins. Leading the pilgrimage procession was an ox with horns overlaid with gold wearing a crown of olive branches. The sounds of the flute announced the pilgrims' coming until they neared Jerusalem when they sent messengers ahead and arranged their first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim'') for presentation. A delegation of the Temple's leaders and treasurers came out to meet them, varying in relation to the procession. Jerusalem's artisans would stand and greet them, saying: "People of such and such a place, we welcome you." They played the flute until they reached the Temple Mount
The Temple Mount ( hbo, הַר הַבַּיִת, translit=Har haBayīt, label=Hebrew, lit=Mount of the House f the Holy}), also known as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, lit. 'The Noble Sanctuary'), al-Aqsa Mosque compou ...
. On the Temple Mount, even King Agrippa would carry the basket of first fruits on his shoulder and walk to the Temple Court. As the procession approached the Temple Court, Levites would sing the words of "I will extol You, O Lord, for You have raised me up, and have not suffered my enemies to rejoice over me."
The pilgrims offered turtle doves that had been tied to the basket as burnt offerings. And they gave what they held in their hands to the priests. While the pilgrims still held the basket on their shoulders, they would recite . Rabbi Judah said that they read only through , "A wandering Aramean was my father." When they reached these words, the pilgrims took the baskets off their shoulders and held them by their edges. The priests would put their hands beneath the baskets and wave them while the pilgrims recited from "A wandering Aramean was my father" through the end of the passage. The pilgrims would then deposit their baskets by the side of the altar, bow, and leave.
The Gemara
The Gemara (also transliterated Gemarah, or in Yiddish Gemo(r)re; from Aramaic , from the Semitic root ג-מ-ר ''gamar'', to finish or complete) is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah w ...
cited two textual proofs for the instruction oMishnah Bikkurim 2:4
that one waved the first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim''). Rabbi Judah interpreted the words "you shall set it down" in to refer to the waving. The Gemara explained that these words could not refer literally to setting the basket down because already accounted for setting the basket down. Alternatively, Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob deduced the requirement to wave the first fruits from the word "hand" occurring in both and in the case of the peace-offering in , which says, "His own hands shall bring the offering unto the Lord." The Gemara concluded that just as explicitly directs the priest to take the basket and wave it, so in , the priest was to take the offering and wave it, even though refers only to the donor. And just as explicitly directs the donor to wave the offering, so in , the donor was to wave the basket. The Gemara explained that it was possible for both the priest and the donor to perform the waving because the priest placed his hand under the hand of the donor and they waved the basket together. Originally, all who knew how to recite would recite, while those unable to do so would repeat after the priest. But when the number of pilgrims declined, it was decided that all pilgrims would repeat the words after the priest. The Mishnah taught that converts to Judaism would bring the first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim'') but not recite, as they could not say the words of , "which the Lord swore to ''our fathers'', to give us." But it was taught in a Baraita in the name of Rabbi Judah that even converts both brought first fruits and recited, for when God changed Abram's name to
Abraham
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jew ...
in , God made Abraham "the father of a multitude of nations," meaning that Abraham would become the spiritual father of all who would accept the true belief in God.
The rich brought their first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim'') in baskets overlaid with silver or gold, while the poor used wicker baskets. Pilgrims would give both the first fruits and the baskets to the priest.
Rabbi Simeon ben Nanos said that the pilgrims could decorate their first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim'') with produce other than the seven species, but Rabbi Akiva
Akiva ben Yosef ( Mishnaic Hebrew: ''ʿĂqīvāʾ ben Yōsēf''; – 28 September 135 CE), also known as Rabbi Akiva (), was a leading Jewish scholar and sage, a '' tanna'' of the latter part of the first century and the beginning of the second ...
said that they could decorate only with produce of the seven kinds. Rabbi Simeon taught that there were three elements to the first fruits ( he, בִּכּוּרִים, ''bikkurim''): the first fruits themselves, the additions to the first fruits, and the ornamentations of the first fruits. The additions to the first fruits had to be like the first fruits, but the ornamental fruit could be of another kind. The additions to the first fruits could only be eaten in Levitical purity, and were exempt from the law of doubts as to tithing (''demai''), but the fruits used for ornamentations were subject to the law of doubts as to tithing.
Rabbi Berekiah in Rabbi Levi's name read to say, "The blessing of the destroyer ( he, אֹבֵד, ''oved'') came upon me," and interpreted "The blessing of the destroyer ( he, אֹבֵד, ''oved'')" to allude to Laban the Syrian. Rabbi Berekiah in Rabbi Levi's name thus read to say, "An Aramean
The Arameans ( oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; syc, ܐܪ̈ܡܝܐ, Ārāmāyē) were an ancient Semitic-speaking people in the Near East, first recorded in historical sources from the late 12th century BCE. The Aramean ...
(Laban) sought to destroy ( he, אֹבֵד, ''oved'') my father (Jacob
Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...
)." (Thus Laban sought to destroy Jacob by, perhaps among other things, cheating Jacob out of payment for his work, as Jacob recounted in . This interpretation thus reads he, אֹבֵד, ''oved'', as a transitive verb.) Rabbi Berekiah and Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Hama ben Haninah thus explained that Rebekah
Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...
was remembered with the blessing of children only after Isaac
Isaac; grc, Ἰσαάκ, Isaák; ar, إسحٰق/إسحاق, Isḥāq; am, ይስሐቅ is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was th ...
prayed for her, so that the heathens in Rebekah's family might not say that their prayer in caused that result. Rather, God answered Isaac's prayer, as reports, "And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife . . . and his wife Rebekah conceived."
Rabbi Judah the son of Rabbi Simon in the name of Hezekiah employed the meaning of the pilgrim's recitation in to help interpret Jacob's statement to Laban in . Rabbi Judah the son of Rabbi Simon noted that the word "little" or "few" ( he, מְעָט, ''me'at'') appears both in Jacob's statement to Laban in , "For it was little ( he, מְעָט, ''me'at'') that you had before I came, and it has increased abundantly," and also in the pilgrim's recitation in , "few ( he, מְעָט, ''me'at'') in number" (went down to Egypt). Rabbi Judah the son of Rabbi Simon said in the name of Hezekiah that just as in , "few" ( he, מְעָט, ''me'at'') means 70 (people), so in , "little" ( he, מְעָט, ''me'at'') must also mean 70 (head of cattle and sheep).
The Gemara reported a number of Rabbis' reports of how the Land of Israel did indeed flow with "milk and honey," as described in an17
, and , , and , and , , an
, and . Once when Rami bar Ezekiel visited
Bnei Brak
Bnei Brak or Bene Beraq ( he, בְּנֵי בְּרַק ) is a city located on the central Mediterranean coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an area of 709 hectares (1752 acres, or 2.74 s ...
, he saw goats grazing under fig trees while honey was flowing from the figs, and milk dripped from the goats mingling with the fig honey, causing him to remark that it was indeed a land flowing with milk and honey. Rabbi Jacob ben Dostai said that it is about three miles from Lod
Lod ( he, לוד, or fully vocalized ; ar, اللد, al-Lidd or ), also known as Lydda ( grc, Λύδδα), is a city southeast of Tel Aviv and northwest of Jerusalem in the Central District of Israel. It is situated between the lower Shephe ...
to Ono, and once he rose up early in the morning and waded all that way up to his ankles in fig honey. Resh Lakish said that he saw the flow of the milk and honey of Sepphoris
Sepphoris (; grc, Σέπφωρις, Séphōris), called Tzipori in Hebrew ( he, צִפּוֹרִי, Tzipori),Palmer (1881), p115/ref> and known in Arabic as Saffuriya ( ar, صفورية, Ṣaffūriya) since the 7th century, is an archaeolog ...
extend over an area of sixteen miles by sixteen miles. Rabbah bar Bar Hana said that he saw the flow of the milk and honey in all the Land of Israel and the total area was equal to an area of twenty-two parasang
The parasang is a historical Iranian unit of walking distance, the length of which varied according to terrain and speed of travel. The European equivalent is the league. In modern terms the distance is about 3 or 3½ miles (4.8 or 5.6 km).
His ...
s by six parasangs.
Mishnah Peah 8:5–9, Tosefta Peah 4:2–10, and Jerusalem Talmud Peah 69b–73b interpreted and regarding the tithe given to the poor and the Levite. Noting the words "shall eat and be satisfied" in , the Sifre
Sifre ( he, סִפְרֵי; ''siphrēy'', ''Sifre, Sifrei'', also, ''Sifre debe Rab'' or ''Sifre Rabbah'') refers to either of two works of ''Midrash halakha'', or classical Jewish legal biblical exegesis, based on the biblical books of Numbers a ...
taught that one had to give the poor and the Levite enough to satisfy them. The Mishnah thus taught that they did not give the poor person at the threshing floor less than a half a '' kav'' (the equivalent in volume of 12 eggs, or roughly a liter
The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3) ...
) of wheat or a ''kav'' (roughly two liters) of barley. The Mishnah taught that they did not give the poor person wandering from place to place less than a loaf of bread. If the poor person stayed overnight, they gave the poor person enough to pay for a night's lodging. If the poor person stayed for the Sabbath, they gave the poor person three meals. The Mishnah taught that if one wanted to save some for poor relatives, one could take only half for poor relatives and needed to give at least half to other poor people.
In the Sifre, the Sages taught that the time for the removal of tithes specified in was the closing Festival day of Passover in the fourth and seventh years.
A Midrash interpreted the command of to give "to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan, and to the widow" in the light of , which says, "Rob not the weak, because he is weak, neither crush the poor in the gate." And the Midrash taught that if one did "crush the poor" by failing to give the tithe, in the words of , "the Lord will plead their cause, and despoil of life those that despoil them."
Noting that the discussion of gifts to the poor in appears between discussions of the festivals — Passover and Shavuot on one side, and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur on the other — Rabbi Avardimos ben Rabbi Yossi said that this teaches that people who give immature clusters of grapes (as in and ), the forgotten sheaf (as in ), the corner of the field (as in and ), and the poor tithe (as in and ) is accounted as if the Temple existed and they offered up their sacrifices in it. And for those who do not give to the poor, it is accounted to them as if the Temple existed and they did not offer up their sacrifices in it.
The Mishnah taught that the pilgrim could say the confession over the tithe in in any language and anytime during the day.
The Mishnah recounted that Johanan the High Priest abolished the confession over the tithe. Rabbi Jose bar Hanina reported that Johanan the High Priest did so because people were not presenting the tithe as mandated by the Torah. For God commanded that the Israelites should give it to the Levites, but (since the days of Ezra
Ezra (; he, עֶזְרָא, '; fl. 480–440 BCE), also called Ezra the Scribe (, ') and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra, was a Jewish scribe (''sofer'') and priest (''kohen''). In Greco-Latin Ezra is called Esdras ( grc-gre, Ἔσδρα ...
) they presented it to the priests instead.
Deuteronomy chapter 27
The Mishnah told that the stones of the Temple's altar and ramp came from the valley of Beit Kerem. When retrieving the stones, they dug virgin soil below the stones and brought whole stones that iron never touched, as required by , because iron rendered stones unfit for the altar just by touch. A stone was also unfit if it was chipped through any means. They whitewashed the walls and top of the altar twice a year, on Passover andSukkot
or ("Booths, Tabernacles")
, observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopagans
, type = Jewish, Samaritan
, begins = 15th day of Tishrei
, ends = 21st day of Tishr ...
, and they whitewashed the vestibule once a year, on Passover. Rabbi ( Judah the Patriarch) said that they cleaned them with a cloth every Friday because of blood stains. They did not apply the whitewash with an iron trowel, out of the concern that the iron trowel would touch the stones and render them unfit, for iron was created to shorten humanity's days, and the altar was created to extend humanity's days, and it is not proper that that which shortens humanity's days be placed on that which extends humanity's days.
The Tosefta reported that Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai said that singled out iron, of all metals, to be invalid for use in building the altar because one can make a sword from it. The sword is a sign of punishment, and the altar is a sign of atonement. They thus kept that which is a sign of punishment away from that which is a sign of atonement. Because stones, which do not hear or speak, bring atonement between Israel and God, says, "you shall lift up no iron tool upon them." So children of Torah, who atone for the world — how much more should no force of injury come near to them. Similarly, says, "You shall build the altar of the Lord your God of unhewn stones." Because the stones of the altar secure the bond between Israel and God, God said that they should be whole before God. Children of Torah, who are whole for all time — how much more should they be deemed whole (and not wanting) before God.
Rabbi Judah ben Bathyra taught that in the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jews could not rejoice without meat (from an offering), as says, "And you shall sacrifice peace-offerings, and shall eat there; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God." But now that the Temple no longer exists, Jews cannot rejoice without wine, as says, "And wine gladdens the heart of man."
Reading , "Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses took upon himself to expound (, ''be’er'') this law," the Gemara noted the use of the same word as in with regard to the commandment to erect the stones on Mount Ebal
Mount Ebal ( he, ''Har ʿĒyḇāl''; ar, جبل عيبال ''Jabal ‘Aybāl'') is one of the two mountains in the immediate vicinity of the city of Nablus in the West Bank ( biblical ''Shechem''), and forms the northern side of the valley ...
, "And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law clearly elucidated (, ''ba’er'')." The Gemara reasoned through a verbal analogy that Moses also wrote down the Torah on stones in the land of Moab and erected them there. The Gemara concluded that there were thus three sets of stones so inscribed. Rabbi Judah taught that the Israelites inscribed the Torah on the stones, as says, "You shall write upon the stones all the words of this law," and after that they plastered them over with plaster. Rabbi Simeon asked Rabbi Judah how then the people of that time learned the Torah (as the inscription would have been covered with plaster). Rabbi Judah replied that God endowed the people of that time with exceptional intelligence, and they sent their scribes, who peeled off the plaster and carried away a copy of the inscription. On that account, the verdict was sealed for them to descend into the pit of destruction, because it was their duty to learn Torah, but they failed to do so. Rabbi Simeon, however, taught that the Israelites inscribed the Torah on the plaster and wrote below (for the nations) the words of , "That they teach you not to do after all their abominations." And Rabbi Simeon taught that if people of the nations then repented, they would be accepted. Rava bar Shila taught that Rabbi Simeon's reason for teaching that the Israelites inscribed the Torah on the plaster was because says, "And the peoples shall be as the burnings of plaster." That is, the people of the other nations would burn on account of the matter on the plaster (and because they failed to follow the teachings written on the plaster). Rabbi Judah, however, explained to mean that their destruction would be like plaster: Just as there is no other remedy for plaster except burning (for burning is the only way to obtain plaster), so there was no remedy for those nations (who cleave to their abominations) other than burning.
Rabbi Judah expounded the words of , "Attend and hear, O Israel: ''This day'' you have become a people unto the Lord your God." Rabbi Judah asked whether it was on ''that day'' that the Torah was given to Israel; was ''that day'' not at the end of the 40 years of the wandering in the Wilderness? Rabbi Judah explained that the words "this day" served to teach that every day the Torah is as beloved to those who study it as on the day when God gave it at Mount Sinai. The Gemara explained that the word "attend" ( he, הַסְכֵּת, ''hasket'') in teaches that students should form groups (''aso kitot'') to study the Torah, as one can acquire knowledge of the Torah only in association with others, and this is in accord with what Rabbi Jose ben Hanina said when he interpreted the words of , "A sword is upon the boasters ( he, בַּדִּים, ''baddim'') and they shall become fools," to mean that a sword is upon the scholars who sit separately (''bad bebad'') to study the Torah. The Gemara offered another explanation of the word "attend" ( he, הַסְכֵּת, ''hasket'') in to mean, "be silent" (''has'') listening to the lesson, and then "analyze" (''katet''), as Rava taught that a person should always first learn Torah, and then scrutinize it.
Our Rabbis asked in a Baraita why says, "You shall set the blessing upon Mount Gerizim and the curse upon mount Ebal." cannot say so merely to teach where the Israelites were to say the blessings and curses, as already says, "These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people . . . and these shall stand upon Mount Ebal for the curse." Rather, the Rabbis taught that the purpose of was to indicate that the blessings must precede the curses. It is possible to think that all the blessings must precede all the curses; therefore, the text states "blessing" and "curse" in the singular, and thus teaches that one blessing precedes one curse, alternating blessings and curses, and all the blessings do not proceed all the curses. A further purpose of is to draw a comparison between blessings and curses: As the curse was pronounced by the Levites, so the blessing had to be pronounced by the Levites. As the curse was uttered in a loud voice, so the blessing had to be uttered in a loud voice. As the curse was said in Hebrew, so the blessing had to be said in Hebrew. As the curses were in general and particular terms, so must the blessings had to be in general and particular terms. And as with the curse, both parties respond "Amen," so with the blessing both parties respond "Amen."Babylonian Talmud Sotah 37bin, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli: Tractate Sotah: Volume 2'', elucidated by Eliezer Herzka, et al., volume 33b, page 37b. The Mishnah told how the Levites pronounced the blessings and curses. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan and came to Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, six tribes ascended Mount Gerizim and six tribes ascended Mount Ebal. The priests and Levites with the
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant,; Ge'ez: also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, is an alleged artifact believed to be the most sacred relic of the Israelites, which is described as a wooden chest, covered in pure gold, with an el ...
stationed themselves below in the center. The priests surrounded the Ark, the Levites surrounded the priests, and all the Israelites stood on this side and that of the Levites, as says, "And all Israel, and their elders and officers, and their judges stood on this side the ark and on that side." The Levites turned their faces towards Mount Gerizim and opened with the blessing: "Blessed be the man who does not make a graven or molten image," and all the Israelites responded, "Amen." Then the Levites turned their faces towards Mount Ebal and opened with the curse of "Cursed be the man who makes a graven or molten image," and all the Israelites responded, "Amen." So they continued until they had completed all the blessings and curses.
Rabbi Judah ben Nahmani, the interpreter of Simeon ben Lakish (Resh Lakish), taught that the whole section of the blessings and curses refers to adultery. says, "Cursed be the man who makes a graven or molten image." Is it enough merely to curse such a person in this world? Rather, Rabbi Judah ben Naḥmani taught that alludes to one who commits adultery and has a son who goes to live among idolaters and worships idols; cursed be the father and mother of this man, as they were the cause of his sinning.
A Midrash
''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...
noted that almost everywhere, including , Scripture mentions a father's honor before the mother's honor. But mentions the mother first to teach that one should honor both parents equally.
Rabbi Eliezer the Great taught that the Torah warns against wronging a stranger in 36, or others say 46, places (including ). The Gemara went on to cite Rabbi Nathan's interpretation of , "You shall neither wrong a stranger, nor oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt," to teach that one must not taunt one's neighbor about a flaw that one has oneself. The Gemara taught that thus a proverb says: If there is a case of hanging in a person's family history, do not say to the person, "Hang up this fish for me."
The ''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...
Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer
Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer (also Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer; Aramaic: פרקי דרבי אליעזר, or פרקים דרבי אליעזר, Chapters of Rabbi Eliezer; abbreviated PdRE) is an aggadic-midrashic work on the Torah containing exegesis and re ...
read the curse of , "Cursed be he that smites his neighbor in secret," to teach that one must not slander. According to the Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, anyone who secretly slanders a neighbor has no remedy, as says, "Whoso privately slanders his neighbor, him will I destroy: him that has a high look and a proud heart will I not suffer."
Rabbi Aha said in the name of Rabbi Tanhum that if a person studies Torah and teaches it, observes and performs its precepts, but has the means to support needy scholars and fails to do so, then that person comes within the words of "Cursed be he who does not confirm the words of this law." But if a person studies and does not teach or observe or perform the precepts, and does not have the means to support needy scholars and yet does so by self-denial, then that person comes within the category of "Blessed be he who confirms the words of this law," for every "cursed" implies a "blessed." Similarly, a Midrash taught that had read, "Cursed be he who does not ''learn'' the words of the law," then Israel would not have been able to survive, but reads, "who does not ''confirm'' the words of this law," and so the Hebrew implies that one may avoid the curse through the maintenance of Torah students and colleges.
A Midrash taught that there is nothing greater before God than the "amen" that Israel answers. Rabbi Judah ben Sima taught that the word "amen" contains three kinds of solemn declarations: oath, consent, and confirmation. demonstrates oath when it says, "Then the priest shall cause the woman to swear . . . and the woman shall say: 'Amen, Amen.'" demonstrates consent when it says "And all the people shall say: 'Amen.'" And 1 Kings
The Book of Kings (, '' Sēfer Məlāḵīm'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Kings) in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of Israel also including the bo ...
demonstrates confirmation when it says, "And Benaiah
Benaiah ( he, בניה, "Yahweh builds up") is a common name in the Hebrew Bible.
Etymology
In the etymology of the name, the first part of Benaiah comes from the root-verb בנה (bana), which is a common Hebrew verb meaning "to build". The se ...
the son of Jehoiada
Jehoiada ( ''Yəhōyāḏā‘'', "Yahweh knows") in the Hebrew Bible, was a prominent priest in the kingdom of Judah during the reigns of Ahaziah (reigned c. 842 - 841 BCE), Athaliah (reigned c. 841–835 BCE), and Joash (reigned c. 836–796 B ...
answered the king, and said: 'Amen; so say the Lord.'"
The Mishnah told that after they had completed all the blessings and curses, the Israelites brought the stones that Moses directed them to set up in , built the altar and plastered it with plaster, and inscribed on it all the words of the Torah in 70 languages, as says, "very plainly." Then they took the stones and spent the night in their place.
Deuteronomy chapter 28
The Mishnah taught that they read the blessings and curses of and on public fast days. The Mishnah taught that they did not interrupt the reading of the curses, but had one person read them all. In the Babylonian Talmud, however, Abaye taught that this rule applies only with regard to the curses in , but with regard to the curses in , one may interrupt them and have two different people read them. The Gemara explained this distinction by noting that the curses in Leviticus are stated in the plural, and Moses pronounced them from the mouth God, and as such, they are more severe. The curses in Deuteronomy, however, are stated in the singular, and Moses said them on his own, like the rest of the book of Deuteronomy, and are thus considered less harsh. A Midrash interpreted to teach that Moses told Israel to be diligent to listen to the words of the Torah, because whoever listens to the words of the Torah is exalted in both this world and theWorld to Come
The world to come, age to come, heaven on Earth, and the Kingdom of God are eschatological phrases reflecting the belief that the current world or current age is flawed or cursed and will be replaced in the future by a better world, age, or p ...
. Another Midrash tied , "And it shall come to pass, if you shall listen diligently," to , "Happy is the man who listens to me . . . for whoever finds Me finds life, and obtains favor of the Lord." And the Midrash interpreted to mean that a person is happy whose hearing is devoted to God.
Reading the words "to observe to do all His commandments" in , Rabbi Simeon ben Halafta taught that one who learns the words of the Torah and does not fulfill them receives punishment more severe than does the one who has not learned at all.
A Midrash expounded on why Israel was, in the words of , like "a leafy olive tree." In one explanation, the Midrash taught that just as oil floats to the top even after it has been mixed with every kind of liquid, so Israel, as long as it performs the will of God, will be set on high by God, as it says in .
Rabbi Joshua of Siknin in the name of Rabbi Levi interpreted to convey God's message that if people will heed God's commandments, God will heed their prayers.
Rav's disciples told Rabbi Abba that Rav interpreted the words of , "Blessed shall you be in the city," to mean that your house would be near a synagogue. Rav interpreted the words, "and blessed shall you be in the field," to mean that your property would be near the city. Rav interpreted the words of , "Blessed shall you be when you come in," to mean that you would not find your wife in doubt of being a ''niddah
Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional Judaism, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during menstruation), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated require ...
'' upon returning home from travels. And Rav interpreted the words, "and blessed shall you be when you go out," to mean that your children would be like you. Rabbi Abba replied that Rabbi Joḥanan interpreted the words of , "Blessed shall you be in the city," to mean that the privy, not the synagogue, would be near at hand. Rabbi Johanan's interpretation was in accordance with his opinion that one receives reward for walking (some distance) to a synagogue. Rabbi Johanan interpreted the words, "And blessed shall you be in the field," to mean that your estate would be divided into three equal portions of cereals, olives, and vines.
Rabbi Isaac interpreted the words of , "Blessed shall you be in the city," to mean that God will reward people for the commandments that they fulfil in the city — the dough offering
In Judaism, the dough offering (or ''mitzvat terumat challah'', "commandment of separating ''challah''" he, מצוות תרומת חלה) is a positive commandment requiring the owner of a bread dough to give a part of the kneaded dough to a ko ...
( he, חלה, ''challah''), the fringes ( he, ציצית, ''tzitzit
''Tzitzit'' ( he, ''ṣīṣīṯ'', ; plural ''ṣīṣiyyōṯ'', Ashkenazi: '; and Samaritan: ') are specially knotted ritual fringes, or tassels, worn in antiquity by Israelites and today by observant Jews and Samaritans. are usually ...
''), the sukkah
A or succah (; he, סוכה ; plural, ' or ''sukkos'' or ''sukkoth'', often translated as "booth") is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated w ...
, and the kindling of Shabbat candles
Shabbat candles ( he, נרות שבת) are candles lit on Friday evening before sunset to usher in the Jewish Sabbath. Lighting Shabbat candles is a rabbinically mandated law. Candle-lighting is traditionally done by the woman of the househol ...
. And the continuation of , "And blessed shall you be in the field," means that God will reward for the precepts people fulfil in the field — the gleanings in the field that belong to the poor (''leket''), the forgotten sheaf in the field that belongs to the poor (''shikhah''), and the corner of the field left unreaped for the poor ( he, פֵּאָה, ''peah''), And the Rabbis interpreted to mean that people will feel blessed in the city because they have been blessed through the field, the earth having yielded its fruits.
Rabbi Johanan interpreted the words of , "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out," to mean that your exit from the world would be as your entry to it — and just as you entered the world without sin, so would you leave it without sin.
Rabbi Judah bar Simon read , "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out," to refer to Moses. Rabbi Judah bar Simon read "when you come in" to refer to Moses, because when he came into the world, he brought nearer to God Batya the daughter of Pharaoh (who by saving Moses from drowning merited life in the World to Come). And "blessed shall you be when you go out" also refers to Moses, for as he was departing the world, he brought Reuben nearer to his estranged father Jacob, when Moses blessed Reuben with the words "Let Reuben live and not die" in (thus gaining for Reuben the life in the World to Come and thus proximity to Jacob that Reuben forfeited when he sinned against his father in and became estranged from him in ).
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana read together with , "And lay up my commandments with you," to teach God's message that if people laid up for God Torah and precepts in this world, then God would lay up for them a good reward in the World to Come.
And Ben Azzai
Simeon ben Azzai or simply Ben Azzai ( he, שמעון בן עזאי) was a distinguished tanna of the first third of the 2nd century.
Biography
Ben Azzai is sometimes called "Rabbi", but, in spite of his great learning, this title did not right ...
taught that the performance of one commandment leads to the performance of another commandment, and one sin leads to another sin; and thus the reward for a commandment is another commandment, and the reward for one sin is another sin.
The Sifre interpreted the "ways" of God referred to in (as well as ; ; ; ; ; ; and ) by making reference to , "The Lord, the Lord, God of mercy and grace, slow to wrath and abundant in mercy and truth, keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving transgression, offense, and sin, and cleansing . . . ." Thus the Sifre read , "All who will be called by the name of the Lord shall be delivered," to teach that just as calls God "merciful and gracious," we, too, should be merciful and gracious. And just as says, "The Lord is righteous," we, too, should be righteous.
Rabbi Abin son of Rav Ada in the name of Rabbi Isaac deduced from that God wears tefillin
Tefillin (; Israeli Hebrew: / ; Ashkenazic pronunciation: ), or phylacteries, are a set of small black leather boxes with leather straps containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah. Tefillin are worn by adult Jews durin ...
. For says: "The Lord has sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength." "By His right hand" refers to the Torah, for says, "At His right hand was a fiery law to them." "And by the arm of His strength" refers to tefillin, as says, "The Lord will give strength to His people," and tefillin are a strength to Israel, for says, "And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon you, and they shall be afraid of You," and Rabbi Eliezer the Great said that this refers to tefillin of the head (in which the Name of God is written in fulfillment of ).
A Baraita taught that having observed that predicted, "The Lord will bring you and your king . . . to a nation that you have not known," Josiah
Josiah ( or ) or Yoshiyahu; la, Iosias was the 16th king of Judah (–609 BCE) who, according to the Hebrew Bible, instituted major religious reforms by removing official worship of gods other than Yahweh. Josiah is credited by most biblical s ...
ordered the Ark referred to in hidden away, as reports, "And he osiahsaid to the Levites who taught all Israel, that were holy to the Lord, 'Put the Holy Ark into the house that Solomon the son of David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
, King of Israel, built; there shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders; now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.'" The Baraita further taught that at the same time Josiah hid away the Ark, he also hid the jar of manna
Manna ( he, מָן, mān, ; ar, اَلْمَنُّ; sometimes or archaically spelled mana) is, according to the Bible, an edible substance which God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert during the 40-year period follow ...
referred to in , the anointing oil referred to in , Aaron's rod with its almonds and blossoms referred to in , and the coffer that the Philistines
The Philistines ( he, פְּלִשְׁתִּים, Pəlīštīm; Koine Greek ( LXX): Φυλιστιείμ, romanized: ''Phulistieím'') were an ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan from the 12th century BC until 604 BC, when ...
sent the Israelites as a gift along with the Ark and concerning which the priests said in , "And put the jewels of gold, which you returned Him for a guilt offering, in a coffer by the side thereof f the Ark and send it away that it may go." Rabbi Eleazar deduced that Josiah hid the anointing oil and the other objects at the same time as the Ark from the common use of the expressions "there" in with regard to the manna and "there" in with regard to the Ark, "to be kept" in with regard to the manna and "to be kept" in with regard to Aaron's rod, and "generations" in with regard to the manna and "generations" in with regard to the anointing oil.
The curse of figured in a debate among the Rabbis about whether one should perform a worldly occupation in addition to studying Torah. The Rabbis in a Baraita questioned what was to be learned from the words of "And you shall gather in your corn and wine and oil." Rabbi Ishmael
Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha Nachmani (Hebrew: רבי ישמעאל בן אלישע), often known as Rabbi Yishmael and sometimes given the title "Ba'al HaBaraita" (Hebrew: בעל הברייתא), was a rabbi of the 1st and 2nd centuries (third gener ...
replied that since says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night," one might think that one must take this injunction literally (and study Torah every waking moment). Therefore, directs one to "gather in your corn," implying that one should combine Torah study with a worldly occupation. Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai questioned that, however, asking if a person plows in plowing season, sows in sowing season, reaps in reaping season, threshes in threshing season, and winnows in the season of wind, when would one find time for Torah? Rather, Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai taught that when Israel performs God's will, others perform its worldly work, as says, "And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, aliens shall be your plowmen and vine-trimmers; while you shall be called 'Priests of the Lord,' and termed 'Servants of our God.'" And when Israel does not perform God's will, it has to carry out its worldly work by itself, as says, "And you shall gather in your corn." And not only that, but the Israelites would also do the work of others, as says, "And you shall serve your enemy whom the Lord will let loose against you. He will put an iron yoke upon your neck until He has wiped you out." Abaye observed that many had followed Rabbi Ishmael's advice to combine secular work and Torah study and it worked well, while others have followed the advice of Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai to devote themselves exclusively to Torah study and not succeeded. Rava would ask the Rabbis (his disciples) not to appear before him during Nisan
Nisan (or Nissan; he, נִיסָן, Standard ''Nīsan'', Tiberian ''Nīsān''; from akk, 𒊬𒊒𒄀 ''Nisanu'') in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month i ...
(when corn ripened) and Tishrei
Tishrei () or Tishri (; he, ''tīšrē'' or ''tīšrī''; from Akkadian ''tašrītu'' "beginning", from ''šurrû'' "to begin") is the first month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical yea ...
(when people pressed grapes and olives) so that they might not be anxious about their food supply during the rest of the year.
The Mishnah taught that when they flogged a person, a reader would read , beginning "If you will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book . . . ," then , "Observe therefore the words of this covenant," and then , "But He, being full of compassion, forgives iniquity."
Rabbi Johanan taught that God does not rejoice in the downfall of the wicked. Rabbi Johanan interpreted the words ''zeh el zeh'' in the phrase "And one did not come near the other all the night" in to teach that when the Egyptians were drowning in the sea, the ministering angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles includ ...
s wanted to sing a song of rejoicing, as associates the words ''zeh el zeh'' with angelic singing. But God rebuked them: "The work of my hands is being drowned in the sea, and you want to sing songs?" Rabbi Eleazar replied that a close reading of shows that God does not rejoice personally, but does make others rejoice.
Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel
Simeon ben Gamliel (I) ( or רשב"ג הראשון; c. 10 BCE – 70 CE) was a ''Tannaim, Tanna'' sage and leader of the Jewish people. He served as Nasi (Hebrew title), nasi of the Sanhedrin, Great Sanhedrin at Jerusalem during the outbreak of t ...
said in the name of Rabbi Joshua
Joshua ben Hananiah ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ ben Ḥánanyāh''; d. 131 CE), also known as Rabbi Yehoshua, was a leading tanna of the first half-century following the destruction of the Second Temple. He is the seventh-most-frequently mentioned sage in ...
that from the day that the Temple was destroyed, there was no day without a curse, the dew had not descended for a blessing, and the flavor had departed from fruits. Rava said that in addition, the curse of each day was severer than that of the preceding day, as says, "In the morning, you shall say: Would God it were evening! And in the evening, you shall say: Would God it were morning." The Gemara asked which morning they would long for. If it would be the morning of the next day, nobody knows what that will be like. Therefore, reasoned the Gemara, it must have been the morning of the previous day (because the previous day would have been less severe than the current day, and therefore they longed for its return).
In , the heart fears. A Midrash catalogued the wide range of additional capabilities of the heart reported in the Hebrew Bible. The heart speaks,Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes (; hbo, קֹהֶלֶת, Qōheleṯ, grc, Ἐκκλησιαστής, Ekklēsiastēs) is one of the Ketuvim ("Writings") of the Hebrew Bible and part of the Wisdom literature of the Christian Old Testament. The title commonly ...
. sees, hears, walks, falls, stands, rejoices, cries, is comforted, is troubled, becomes hardened, grows faint, grieves, can be broken, becomes proud, rebels, invents, cavils, overflows, devises, desires, goes astray, lusts, is refreshed, can be stolen, is humbled, is enticed, errs, trembles, is awakened, loves, hates, envies, is searched, is rent, meditates, is like a fire, is like a stone, turns in repentance, becomes hot, dies, melts, takes in words, is susceptible to fear, gives thanks, covets, becomes hard, makes merry, acts deceitfully, speaks from out of itself, loves bribes, writes words, plans, receives commandments, acts with pride, makes arrangements, and aggrandizes itself.
Deuteronomy chapter 29
Reading , "Your clothes have not grown old on you," Rabbi Jose bar Ḥanina taught that the clothes that the Israelites wore did not wear out, but those that they packed away in their trunks did. Alternatively, Rabbi Eleazar, the son of Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai, asked his father-in-law Rabbi Simeon ben Jose whether the Israelites had not taken with themleather
Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs ...
garments into the wilderness (which would wear out). Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that the clothes that they wore were those with which the ministering angels had invested them at Mount Sinai, and therefore they did not grow old. Rabbi Eleazar asked whether the Israelites did not grow so that the clothes became too small for them. Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that one should not wonder at this, for when a snail
A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class Ga ...
grows, its shell grows with it. Rabbi Eleazar asked whether the clothes did not need washing. Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that the pillar of cloud rubbed against them and whitened them. Rabbi Eleazar asked whether they were not scorched, as the cloud consisted of fire. Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that one should not wonder at this, as amianthus (a kind of asbestos
Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere ...
) is cleansed only by fire, and as their clothes were made in heaven, the cloud rubbed against them without damaging them. Rabbi Eleazar asked whether vermin did not breed in the clothes. Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that if in their death no worm could touch the Israelites, how much less could vermin in their lifetime. Rabbi Eleazar asked whether they did not smell because of perspiration. Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that they used to play with the sweet-scented grass around the well, as says, "And the smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
."
Rabbi Eleazar interpreted the words, "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and make them," in to teach that Scripture regards one who teaches Torah to a neighbor's child as though he himself had created the words of the Torah, as it is written.
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi
Joshua ben Levi (Yehoshua ben Levi) was an amora, a scholar of the Talmud, who lived in the Land of Israel in the first half of the third century. He lived and taught in the city of Lod. He was an elder contemporary of Johanan bar Nappaha and ...
noted that the promise of that whoever studies the Torah prospers materially is written in the Torah, the Prophets ( he, נְבִיאִים, ''Nevi'im
Nevi'im (; he, נְבִיאִים ''Nəvīʾīm'', Tiberian: ''Năḇīʾīm,'' "Prophets", literally "spokespersons") is the second major division of the Hebrew Bible (the ''Tanakh''), lying between the Torah (instruction) and Ketuvim (wri ...
''), and the Writings ( he, כְּתוּבִים, ''Ketuvim
The Ketuvim (; hbo, , Modern: ''Kəṯūvīm'', Tiberian: ''Kăṯūḇīm'' "writings") is the third and final section of the Tanakh ( Hebrew Bible), after Torah (instruction) and Nevi'im (prophets). In English translations of the Hebrew ...
''). In the Torah, says: "Observe therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may make all that you do to prosper." It is repeated in the Prophets in , "This book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then you shall make your ways prosperous, and then you shall have good success." And it is mentioned a third time in the Writings in , "But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His Law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does he shall prosper."
Rabbi Berekiah interpreted , "I am the man ( he, גֶּבֶר, ''gever'') who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath," to mean that God strengthened the writer (writing for the people of God) to withstand all afflictions (interpreting he, גֶּבֶר, ''gever'', "man," to mean he, גִּבֹּר, ''gibor'', "strong man"). Rabbi Berekiah noted that after the 98 reproofs in , says, "You are standing this day all of you," which Rabbi Berekiah taught we render (according to Onkelos
Onkelos ( he, אֻנְקְלוֹס ''ʾunqəlōs''), possibly identical to Aquila of Sinope, was a Roman national who converted to Judaism in Tannaic times ( 35–120 CE). He is considered to be the author of the Targum Onkelos ( 110 C ...
), "You ''endure'' this day all of you," and thus to mean, you are strong men to withstand all these reproofs.
In medieval Jewish interpretation
The parashah is discussed in thesemedieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
Jewish sources:
Deuteronomy chapter 26
In his letter to Obadiah the Proselyte, Maimonides
Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah s ...
addressed whether a convert could recite declarations like that in , "A wandering Aramean was ''my father''." Maimonides wrote that converts may say such declarations in the prescribed order and not change them in the least, and may bless and pray in the same way as every Jew by birth. Maimonides reasoned that Abraham taught the people, brought many under the wings of the Divine Presence, and ordered members of his household after him to keep God's ways forever. As God said of Abraham in , "I have known him to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice." Ever since then, Maimonides taught, whoever adopts Judaism is counted among the disciples of Abraham. They are Abraham's household, and Abraham converted them to righteousness. In the same way that Abraham converted his contemporaries, he converts future generations through the testament that he left behind him. Thus Abraham is the father of his posterity who keep his ways and of all proselytes who adopt Judaism. Therefore, Maimonides counseled converts to pray, "God of our fathers," because Abraham is their father. They should pray, "You who have taken for his own our fathers," for God gave the land to Abraham when in , God said, "Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give to you." Maimonides concluded that there is no difference between converts and born Jews. Both should say the blessing, "Who has chosen us," "Who has given us," "Who have taken us for Your own," and "Who has separated us"; for God has chosen converts and separated them from the nations and given them the Torah. For the Torah has been given to born Jews and proselytes alike, as says, "One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourns with you, an ordinance forever in your generations; as you are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord." Maimonides counseled converts not to consider their origin as inferior. While born Jews descend from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, converts derive from God, through whose word the world was created. As Isaiah said in "One shall say, I am the Lord's, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob."
Reading , "And they shall eat in your gates and be satisfied," Maimonides taught that when poor people passed by a field while the owner was in the field and in possession of the tithe for the poor, the owner had to give each poor person who passed a portion of the tithe sufficient to satisfy the poor person.
Deuteronomy chapter 28
Maimonides taught that because idolatrous religions promised great reward in length of life, protection from illness, exemption from bodily deformities, and plenty of produce, Scripture teaches, in order that people should abandon idolatry, that blessings actually flow from the reverse of what the idolatrous priests preached to the people. Maimonides interpreted , "And you shall walk in His ways," to command a person to walk in intermediate paths, near the midpoint between extremes of character. And Maimonides reported that the Sages explained the commandment of to teach that just as God is called "Gracious," one should be gracious; just as God is called "Merciful," one should be merciful; just as God is called "Holy," one should be holy; and just as the prophets called God "Slow to anger," "Abundant in kindness," "Righteous," "Just," "Perfect," "Almighty," "Powerful," and the like, one is obligated to accustom oneself to these paths and to try to resemble God to the extent of one's ability. Baḥya ibn Paquda read , "that you may fear this glorious and revered Name," as an example of how Scripture ascribes most of its praises to the "Name" of God, as it is impossible to form a representation of God with the intellect or picture God with the imagination. Scripture thus honors and exalts God's essence because, besides apprehending that God exists, it is impossible for people to conceive in our minds anything about God's Being except for God's great Name. Baḥya noted that for this reason, the Torah frequently repeats God's Name.In modern interpretation
The parashah is discussed in these modern sources:Deuteronomy chapters 11–29
The 20th century scholar Peter Craigie, formerly of the University of Calgary, saw in the followingchiastic structure
Chiastic structure, or chiastic pattern, is a literary technique in narrative motifs and other textual passages. An example of chiastic structure would be two ideas, A and B, together with variants A' and B', being presented as A,B,B',A'. Chia ...
centered on the specific legislation, stressing the importance of the blessing and curse contingent upon obedience to the legislation both in the present and in the future.
:A: The blessing and curse in the ''present'' renewal of the covenant ()
::B: The blessing and curse in the ''future'' renewal of the covenant ()
:::C: The specific legislation ()
::B1:The blessing and curse in the ''future'' renewal of the covenant ()
:A1:The blessing and curse in the ''present'' renewal of the covenant ()
Deuteronomy chapter 26
Professor Robert A. Oden, formerly ofDartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a Private university, private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded t ...
, compared , which he dated to 1100 BCE, in which he identified three themes (1) an ancient Patriarch Jacob, (2) the Exodus from Egypt, and (3) the conquest of the Land of Israel, to , which he dated to the 4th century BCE, in which he identified six themes, (1) creation, (2) the Patriarch Abraham, (3) a massively expanded Exodus story, (4) Moses and the reception of the Law, (5) wandering and rebelling in the Wilderness, and (6) the conquest. Oden identified the shape of the current Hebrew Bible with the Nehemiah outline.
Reading the confessional recital in , "A wandering Aramean was my father," Professor John Bright
John Bright (16 November 1811 – 27 March 1889) was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, one of the greatest orators of his generation and a promoter of free trade policies.
A Quaker, Bright is most famous for battling the Corn Law ...
of Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, (now Union Presbyterian Seminary
Union Presbyterian Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Richmond, Virginia. It also has a non-residential campus in Charlotte, North Carolina and an online blended learning program.
History
As a result of efforts undertaken together by the S ...
) in the mid-20th-century wrote that a tradition so deeply rooted was unlikely to be without foundation. Bright concluded that Israel's ancestors and those of the later Arameans were of the same ethnic and linguistic stock, and therefore it was not without reason that Israel could speak of her father as "a wandering Aramean."
Deuteronomy chapter 27
Dr. Nathan MacDonald ofSt John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...
, reported some dispute over the exact meaning of the description of the Land of Israel as a "land flowing with milk and honey," as in an17
an
, an
and
an
an
MacDonald wrote that the term for milk ( he, חָלָב, ''chalav'') could easily be the word for "fat" ( he, חֵלֶב, ''chelev''), and the word for honey ( he, דְבָשׁ, ''devash'') could indicate not bees' honey but a sweet syrup made from fruit. The expression evoked a general sense of the bounty of the land and suggested an ecological richness exhibited in a number of ways, not just with milk and honey. MacDonald noted that the expression was always used to describe a land that the people of Israel had not yet experienced, and thus characterized it as always a future expectation.
Professor James Kugel of Bar Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University (BIU, he, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic ...
noted that Deuteronomy shares certain favorite themes with Wisdom literature
Wisdom literature is a genre of literature common in the ancient Near East. It consists of statements by sages and the wise that offer teachings about divinity and virtue. Although this genre uses techniques of traditional oral storytelling, it ...
, as, for example, when and prohibit moving boundary marks, a very specific offense also mentioned in and , as well as in ancient Egyptian wisdom texts (as well as ). Kugel concluded that the Deuteronomist
The Deuteronomist, abbreviated as either Dtr or simply D, may refer either to the source document underlying the core chapters (12–26) of the Book of Deuteronomy, or to the broader "school" that produced all of Deuteronomy as well as the Deutero ...
was closely connected to the world of wisdom literature.
Deuteronomy chapter 28
Noting that the array of curses in dwarf the catalogue of blessings preceding them, the 20th centuryReform
Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement ...
Rabbi Gunther Plaut
Wolf Gunther Plaut, (November 1, 1912 – February 8, 2012) was an American Reform rabbi and writer who was based in Canada. Plaut was the rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto for several decades and since 1978 was its senior scholar.
...
argued that this imbalance should not be surprising, for specific negative commandments far outnumber specific positive ones in the Torah, and forbidden behaviors were generally more common in law codes. Plaut taught that the Torah promises and threatens based on the realistic assumption that, while pure love of God and the commandments is the highest rung, such devotion for its own sake can be scaled only by the very few, while the majority will need earthly rewards and punishments held up before their eyes. Plaut reported general scholarly agreement that the vassal treaties of the Assyrian King Esarhaddon
Esarhaddon, also spelled Essarhaddon, Assarhaddon and Ashurhaddon (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , also , meaning " Ashur has given me a brother"; Biblical Hebrew: ''ʾĒsar-Ḥaddōn'') was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from the death of his ...
influenced these curses. Noting that in the Assyrian model, the suzerain lays down conditions and states what he will do if the vassal complies or fails to comply, Plaut concluded that the Torah's adoption of this treaty form can be seen as part of the Torah's ever-present view of Israel as a covenanted community.
Professor Gerhard von Rad of Heidelberg University in the mid-20th-century argued that the section of curses attracted gradual amplifications after the catastrophe of the exile of 587 BCE. Von Rad saw the original set of curses in an43–44
followed by a formal conclusion and summing up in .
Deuteronomy chapters 28 and 29
In some Biblical translations, chapter 28 of Deuteronomy ends with , "These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which He made with them in Horeb," reading therefore that the covenant made or renewed at Moab was the one detailed in the preceding chapters of Deuteronomy. In the majority of modern texts, however, these words form verse 1 of chapter 29.Charles Ellicott
Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905) was a distinguished English Christian theologian, academic and churchman. He briefly served as Dean of Exeter, then Bishop of the united see of Gloucester and Bristol.
Early life and family
Ellicott was b ...
argued that the Hebrew Bibles which "add this verse to the previous chapter, and begin Deuteronomy 29 at the second verse . . . cannot be right in so doing. For though the pronoun 'these' in Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
has nothing to determine whether it belongs to what precedes or to what follows, yet the context shows that the covenant is described in Deuteronomy 29, not in Deuteronomy 28." Similarly, John Gill argued that the words of the covenant are "not what go before, but follow after, in the next chapters, to the end of the book."
In critical analysis
Some scholars who follow theDocumentary Hypothesis
The documentary hypothesis (DH) is one of the models used by biblical scholars to explain the origins and composition of the Torah (or Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). A versi ...
find evidence of three separate sources in the parashah. Professor Richard Elliott Friedman
Richard Elliott Friedman (born May 5, 1946) is a biblical scholar and the Ann and Jay Davis Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Georgia.
Friedman was born in Rochester, New York. He attended the University of Miami (BA, 1968), the Je ...
, of the University of Georgia
, mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things."
, establ ...
, attributed to the original Deuteronomist
The Deuteronomist, abbreviated as either Dtr or simply D, may refer either to the source document underlying the core chapters (12–26) of the Book of Deuteronomy, or to the broader "school" that produced all of Deuteronomy as well as the Deutero ...
ic law code (Dtn). He attributed , , and to the first, Josianic edition of the Deuteronomistic history. And he attributed and to the second, exilic edition of the Deuteronomistic history.
Commandments
According toMaimonides
Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah s ...
and Sefer ha-Chinuch
''Sefer ha-Chinuch'' ( he, ספר החינוך, "Book of Education") is a Jewish rabbinic text which systematically discusses the 613 commandments of the Torah. It was published anonymously in 13th-century Spain. History
The work's enumeratio ...
, there are 3 positive and 3 negative commandments in the parashah.
*To make the declaration on bringing the first fruits
*To make the tithe declaration
*Not to eat the second tithe while unclean, even in Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, until it has been redeemed.
*Not to eat the second tithe while mourning
*Not to spend redemption money of the second tithe for anything but food and drink
*To imitate God's good and upright ways
In the liturgy
The Passover Haggadah
The Haggadah ( he, הַגָּדָה, "telling"; plural: Haggadot) is a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. According to Jewish practice, reading the Haggadah at the Seder table is a fulfillment of the mitzvah to each Je ...
, in the ''magid'' section of the Seder, quotes and interprets .
The Haggadah interprets the report of , often translated as "a wandering Aramean was my father," to mean instead that Laban the Aramean tried to destroy Jacob. Next, the Haggadah cites , ,
, and to elucidate . The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that the Israelites had sojourned in Egypt. The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that the Israelites started few in number. The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that the Israelites had become "great" and "mighty." And the Haggadah quotes to elucidate the report in that the Israelites had nonetheless become "numerous."
Next, the Haggadah cites to elucidate the report in that "the Egyptians dealt ill with us he Israelites
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage." The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that the Egyptians attributed evil intentions to the Israelites or dealt ill with them. The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that the Egyptians afflicted the Israelites. And the Haggadah quotes for the proposition that the Egyptians imposed hard labor on the Israelites.Menachem Davis, editor, ''Interlinear Haggadah'', page 46; Joseph Tabory, ''JPS Commentary on the Haggadah'', page 92.
Next, the Haggadah cites , , and to elucidate the report in that "we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression." The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that the Israelites cried to God. The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that God heard the Israelites' voice. The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that God saw the Israelites' affliction, interpreting that affliction as the suspension of family life. The Haggadah quotes to explain the Israelites' travail, interpreting that travail as the loss of the baby boys.Menachem Davis, editor, ''Interlinear Haggadah'', page 47; Joseph Tabory, ''JPS Commentary on the Haggadah'', page 93. And the Haggadah quotes to explain the Israelites' oppression, interpreting that oppression as pressure or persecution.
Next, the Haggadah cites , , , , , and to elucidate the report in that "the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders." The Haggadah quotes for the proposition that God took the Israelites out of Egypt, not through an angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles includ ...
, not through a seraph
A seraph (, "burning one"; plural seraphim ) is a type of celestial or heavenly being originating in Ancient Judaism. The term plays a role in subsequent Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Tradition places seraphim in the highest rank in Chr ...
, not through an agent, but on God's own. The Haggadah quotes to elucidate the term "a mighty hand" in , interpreting the "mighty hand" to mean the plague of pestilence on the Egyptian livestock.Menachem Davis, editor, ''Interlinear Haggadah'', page 49; Joseph Tabory, ''JPS Commentary on the Haggadah'', page 94. The Haggadah quotes to elucidate the term "an outstretched arm" in , interpreting the "outstretched arm" to mean the sword. The Haggadah quotes to elucidate the term "great terribleness" in , interpreting the "great terribleness" to mean the revelation of the Shekhinah
Shekhinah, also spelled Shechinah ( Hebrew: שְׁכִינָה ''Šəḵīnā'', Tiberian: ''Šăḵīnā'') is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling" and denotes the presence of God, as it were, in a plac ...
or Divine Presence.Menachem Davis, editor, ''Interlinear Haggadah'', pages 49–50; Joseph Tabory, ''JPS Commentary on the Haggadah'', page 94. The Haggadah quotes to elucidate the term "signs" in , interpreting the "sign" to mean the staff of Moses.Menachem Davis, editor, ''Interlinear Haggadah'', page 50; Joseph Tabory, ''JPS Commentary on the Haggadah'', page 94. And the Haggadah quotes to elucidate the term "wonders" in , interpreting the "wonders" to mean the blood.
Haftarah
Thehaftarah
The ''haftara'' or (in Ashkenazic pronunciation) ''haftorah'' (alt. ''haftarah, haphtara'', he, הפטרה) "parting," "taking leave", (plural form: ''haftarot'' or ''haftoros'') is a series of selections from the books of ''Nevi'im'' ("Pro ...
for the parashah is . The haftarah is the sixth in the cycle of seven haftarot of consolation after Tisha B'Av
Tisha B'Av ( he, תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב ''Tīšʿā Bəʾāv''; , ) is an annual fast day in Judaism, on which a number of disasters in Jewish history occurred, primarily the destruction of both Solomon's Temple by the Neo-Babylonian E ...
, leading up to Rosh Hashanah
Rosh HaShanah ( he, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, , literally "head of the year") is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , lit. "day of shouting/blasting") It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days (, , " ...
. A connection to the parashah appears in , where God says that the Israelites are God's special treasure, while in , we read about the light of the people.
Notes
Further reading
The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these sources:
Ancient
Vassal treaties
of
Esarhaddon
Esarhaddon, also spelled Essarhaddon, Assarhaddon and Ashurhaddon (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , also , meaning " Ashur has given me a brother"; Biblical Hebrew: ''ʾĒsar-Ḥaddōn'') was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from the death of his ...
.
Biblical
* (blessings and curses). * (recited history of Israel). * (cannibalism). * (cannibalism). * (parents eating children). * (parents eating children); (unburied carcasses). * (cannibalism). * (blessings and curses); (heart); (heart); (God provided food); (eyes). * (mothers eating children). * (recited history of Israel).Early nonrabbinic
*'' The Temple Scroll'' 18–19.Dead Sea scroll
The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the no ...
11QT=11Q19,20. Land of Israel, 2nd Century B.C.E. In Géza Vermes
Géza Vermes, (; 22 June 1924 – 8 May 2013) was a British academic, Biblical scholar, and Judaist of Hungarian Jewish descent—one who also served as a Catholic priest in his youth—and scholar specialized in the field of the history of re ...
. ''The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English'', pages 190, 195. New York: Penguin Press, 1997. .
* Philo''Allegorical Interpretation''
3:11:36, 35:107
8:24, 24:84, 29:99
34:156
3:10, 15:76, 51:250
22:123
1:34:193; 2:40:263, 41:272
2:34–36
8:47, 21:106
21:127, 22:131
20:167.
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
, Egypt, early 1st century CE. In, e.g., ''The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition''. Translated by Charles Duke Yonge
Charles Duke Yonge (30 November 1812 – 30 November 1891) was an English historian, classicist and cricketer. He wrote numerous works of modern history, and translated several classical works. His younger brother was George Edward Yonge.
Biog ...
, pages 54, 62, 134, 140–41, 171, 276, 282, 297, 332, 382, 407, 588–89, 644, 650, 676, 739. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993. .
*Josephus
Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...
. ''The Wars of the Jews
''The Jewish War'' or ''Judean War'' (in full ''Flavius Josephus' Books of the History of the Jewish War against the Romans'', el, Φλαυίου Ἰωσήπου ἱστορία Ἰουδαϊκοῦ πολέμου πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ...
'', 6:3:3–5. Circa 75 CE. In, e.g., ''The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition''. Translated by William Whiston
William Whiston (9 December 166722 August 1752) was an English theologian, historian, natural philosopher, and mathematician, a leading figure in the popularisation of the ideas of Isaac Newton. He is now probably best known for helping to inst ...
, pages 737–38. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1987. .
*Josephus
Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...
, ''Antiquities of the Jews
''Antiquities of the Jews'' ( la, Antiquitates Iudaicae; el, Ἰουδαϊκὴ ἀρχαιολογία, ''Ioudaikē archaiologia'') is a 20-volume historiographical work, written in Greek, by historian Flavius Josephus in the 13th year of the ...
'4:8:18, 22, 31, 44
Circa 93–94. In, e.g., ''The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition''. Translated by William Whiston, pages 118–19, 121, 124. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1987. .
Classical rabbinic
*Mishnah
The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah ...
br>Maasrot 1:1–5:8Maaser Sheni 1:1�
5:15
Pesachim 10:4
Megillah 2:5
Land of Israel, circa 200 CE. In, e.g., ''The Mishnah: A New Translation''. Translated by
Jacob Neusner
Jacob Neusner (July 28, 1932 – October 8, 2016) was an American academic scholar of Judaism. He was named as one of the most published authors in history, having written or edited more than 900 books.
Life and career
Neusner was born in Hartfor ...
, pages 120–47, 166–75, 250, 319, 321, 457–59, 464, 619, 878. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. .
*Sifre
Sifre ( he, סִפְרֵי; ''siphrēy'', ''Sifre, Sifrei'', also, ''Sifre debe Rab'' or ''Sifre Rabbah'') refers to either of two works of ''Midrash halakha'', or classical Jewish legal biblical exegesis, based on the biblical books of Numbers a ...
to Deuteronom297:1–303:11
Land of Israel, circa 250–350 CE. In, e.g., ''Sifre to Deuteronomy: An Analytical Translation''. Translated by Jacob Neusner, volume 2, pages 269–285.
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
: Scholars Press, 1987. .
*Tosefta
The Tosefta (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: תוספתא "supplement, addition") is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah.
Overview
In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah ( ...
Peah 1:1; Sheviit 7:1–7; Maaser Sheni 5:23, 25–27; Bikkurim 1:1–2:16; Megillah 3:39–40; Sotah 7:10, 17, 19, 22; 8:1, 9; 13:1; Bava Kamma 7:6–7. Land of Israel, circa 250 CE. In, e.g., ''The Tosefta: Translated from the Hebrew, with a New Introduction''. Translated by Jacob Neusner, volume 1, pages 47, 238–40, 329–30, 345–53, 653, 862–65, 867–68, 871, 884; volume 2, page 987. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2002. .
*Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...
: Berakhot 54b; Peah 31b, 47b, 69b–73b; Sheviit 33a; Terumot 71b; Maasrot 26a, 27b; Maaser Sheni 12b, 13b, 52b, 56b–57a, 58a; Orlah 20a; Bikkurim 1a–26b; Shabbat 24a, 67a, 74a, 92a; Pesachim 84b; Yoma 51b, 53a–b; Sukkah 28b; Taanit 5a, 7a, 17a; Yevamot 68a; Ketubot 40a, 50b; Sotah 24b, 31b–35a, 37a, 38b; Makkot 6a, 11a; Shevuot 4a, 17a, 23a; Avodah Zarah 25b. Tiberias
Tiberias ( ; he, טְבֶרְיָה, ; ar, طبريا, Ṭabariyyā) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's Fo ...
, Land of Israel, circa 400 CE. In, e.g., ''Talmud Yerushalmi''. Edited by Chaim Malinowitz, Yisroel Simcha Schorr, and Mordechai Marcus, volumes 2–3, 6a, 8–10, 12, 13–15, 19, 21–22, 30–32, 36–37, 46, 48–49. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2006–2020. And in, e.g., ''The Jerusalem Talmud: A Translation and Commentary''. Edited by Jacob Neusner and translated by Jacob Neusner, Tzvee Zahavy, B. Barry Levy, and Edward Goldman. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009. .
*Genesis Rabbah
Genesis Rabbah (Hebrew: , ''B'reshith Rabba'') is a religious text from Judaism's classical period, probably written between 300 and 500 CE with some later additions. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletical inter ...
br>1:15Land of Israel, 5th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Genesis''. Translated by
Harry Freedman
Harry Freedman (''Henryk Frydmann''), (April 5, 1922 – September 16, 2005) was a Canadian composer, English hornist, and music educator of Polish birth. He wrote a significant amount of symphonic works, including the scores to films such as '' ...
and Maurice Simon, volume 1, pages 13, 102, 189–90, 265–66; volume 2, pages 536, 670, 672, 752, 828, 896–97, 951. London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
: Soncino Press
Soncino Press is a Jewish publishing company based in the United Kingdom that has published a variety of books of Jewish interest, most notably English translations and commentaries to the Talmud and Hebrew Bible. The Soncino Hebrew Bible and T ...
, 1939. .
*Babylonian Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the center ...
Berakhot 5a
Sasanian Empire
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Name ...
, 6th century. In, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli''. Edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr, Chaim Malinowitz, and Mordechai Marcus, 72 volumes. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2006.
Medieval
* Deuteronomy Rabbahbr>7:1–7Land of Israel, 9th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Leviticus''. Translated by Harry Freedman and Maurice Simon. London: Soncino Press, 1939. . *
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzchaki ( he, רבי שלמה יצחקי; la, Salomon Isaacides; french: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see below), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a compre ...
. ''Commentary''Deuteronomy 26–29
Troyes
Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...
, France, late 11th century. In, e.g., Rashi. ''The Torah: With Rashi's Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated''. Translated and annotated by Yisrael Isser Zvi Herczeg, volume 5, pages 267–302. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1997. .
*Rashbam
Samuel ben Meir (Troyes, c. 1085 – c. 1158), after his death known as "Rashbam", a Hebrew acronym for RAbbi SHmuel Ben Meir, was a leading French Tosafist and grandson of Shlomo Yitzhaki, "Rashi".
Biography
He was born in the vicinity of Tro ...
. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Troyes, early 12th century. In, e.g., ''Rashbam's Commentary on Deuteronomy: An Annotated Translation''. Edited and translated by Martin I. Lockshin, pages 147–63. Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
: Brown Judaic Studies, 2004. .
*Judah Halevi
Judah Halevi (also Yehuda Halevi or ha-Levi; he, יהודה הלוי and Judah ben Shmuel Halevi ; ar, يهوذا اللاوي ''Yahuḏa al-Lāwī''; 1075 – 1141) was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born in Spain, ...
. '' Kuzari''. 2:55; 3:11. Toledo, Spain
Toledo ( , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, capital of the province of Toledo and the ''de jure'' seat of the government and parliament of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. Toledo was declare ...
, 1130–1140. In, e.g., Jehuda Halevi. ''Kuzari: An Argument for the Faith of Israel.'' Introduction by Henry Slonimsky, pages 116–17, 144, 148. New York: Schocken, 1964. .
* Abraham ibn Ezra. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Mid-12th century. In, e.g., ''Ibn Ezra's Commentary on the Pentateuch: Deuteronomy (Devarim)''. Translated and annotated by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver, volume 5, pages 188–212. New York: Menorah Publishing Company, 2001. .
*Letter from Ephriam ben Isaac to Moses. Egypt, 12th century. In Mark R. Cohen. ''The Voice of the Poor in the Middle Ages: An Anthology of Documents from the Cairo Geniza'', 72. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005. . (Citing in a request for charity the reference of to "the stranger who is in your midst").
*Maimonides
Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah s ...
. ''Mishneh Torah
The ''Mishneh Torah'' ( he, מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, , repetition of the Torah), also known as ''Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka'' ( he, ספר יד החזקה, , book of the strong hand, label=none), is a code of Rabbinic Jewish religious law ('' ...
''Introduction, 26
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo met ...
, Egypt, 1170–1180.
*Maimonides. ''Mishneh Torah''''Hilchot Matnot Aniyim (The Law of Gifts to the Poor)'', chapter 6, halachah 7
Egypt, circa 1170–1180. In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Sefer Zeraim: The Book of Agricultural Ordinances''. Translated by Eliyahu Touger, pages 156–57. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 2005. . *Maimonides. Letter to Obadiah the Proselyte. Spain, 12th century. In, e.g., ''A Treasury of Jewish Letters: Letters from the Famous and the Humble''. Edited by Franz Kobler, volume 1, pages 194–96.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sin ...
: Jewish Publication Society
The Jewish Publication Society (JPS), originally known as the Jewish Publication Society of America, is the oldest nonprofit, nondenominational publisher of Jewish works in English. Founded in Philadelphia in 1888, by reform Rabbi Joseph Krausko ...
, 1953.
*Hezekiah ben Manoah Hezekiah ben Manoah, or Hezekiah bar Manoah, was a French rabbi and Bible commentator of the 13th century. He is generally known by the title of his commentary, Chizkuni ( he, חזקוני).
In memory of his father, who lost his right hand through ...
. ''Hizkuni''. France, circa 1240. In, e.g., Chizkiyahu ben Manoach. ''Chizkuni: Torah Commentary''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 4, pages 1178–91. Jerusalem: Ktav Publishers, 2013. .
*''Sefer ha-Chinuch
''Sefer ha-Chinuch'' ( he, ספר החינוך, "Book of Education") is a Jewish rabbinic text which systematically discusses the 613 commandments of the Torah. It was published anonymously in 13th-century Spain. History
The work's enumeratio ...
''Sefer ha-Chinuch, commandments 606–11
Spain, 13th century. In, e.g., ''Sefer HaḤinnuch: The Book of itzvahEducation''. Translated by Charles Wengrov, volume 5, pages 414–31. Jerusalem: Feldheim Publishers, 1988.
*Nachmanides
Moses ben Nachman ( he, מֹשֶׁה בֶּן־נָחְמָן ''Mōše ben-Nāḥmān'', "Moses son of Nachman"; 1194–1270), commonly known as Nachmanides (; el, Ναχμανίδης ''Nakhmanídēs''), and also referred to by the acronym Ra ...
. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Jerusalem, circa 1270. In, e.g., ''Ramban (Nachmanides): Commentary on the Torah: Deuteronomy.'' Translated by Charles B. Chavel, volume 5, pages 307–30. New York: Shilo Publishing House, 1976. .
*Bahya ben Asher
Bahya ben Asher ibn Halawa (, 1255–1340) was a rabbi and scholar of Judaism, best known as a commentator on the Hebrew Bible.
He is one of two scholars now referred to as Rabbeinu Behaye, the other being philosopher Bahya ibn Paquda.
Biograp ...
. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Spain, early 14th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbeinu Bachya: Torah Commentary by Rabbi Bachya ben Asher''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 7, pages 2679–717. Jerusalem: Lambda Publishers, 2003. .
* Isaac ben Moses Arama. ''Akedat Yizhak (The Binding of Isaac)''. Late 15th century. In, e.g., Yitzchak Arama. ''Akeydat Yitzchak: Commentary of Rabbi Yitzchak Arama on the Torah''. Translated and condensed by Eliyahu Munk, volume 1, pages 881–93. New York, Lambda Publishers, 2001. .
Modern
*Isaac Abravanel
Isaac ben Judah Abarbanel ( he, יצחק בן יהודה אברבנאל; 1437–1508), commonly referred to as Abarbanel (), also spelled Abravanel, Avravanel, or Abrabanel, was a Portuguese Jewish statesman, philosopher, Bible commentator ...
. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Italy, between 1492 and 1509. In, e.g., ''Abarbanel: Selected Commentaries on the Torah: Volume 5: Devarim/Deuteronomy''. Translated and annotated by Israel Lazar, pages 129–50. Brooklyn: CreateSpace, 2015. .
*Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno
Ovadia ben Jacob Sforno (Obadja Sforno, Hebrew: עובדיה ספורנו) was an Italian rabbi, Biblical commentator, philosopher and physician. A member of the Sforno family, he was born in Cesena about 1475 and died in Bologna in 1550.
Bi ...
. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Venice, 1567. In, e.g., ''Sforno: Commentary on the Torah''. Translation and explanatory notes by Raphael Pelcovitz, pages 954–73. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1997. .
*Moshe Alshich
Moshe Alshich he, משה אלשיך, also spelled Alshech, (1508–1593), known as the ''Alshich Hakadosh (the Holy)'', was a prominent rabbi, preacher, and biblical commentator in the latter part of the sixteenth century.
The Alshich was born ...
. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Safed
Safed (known in Hebrew as Tzfat; Sephardic Hebrew & Modern Hebrew: צְפַת ''Tsfat'', Ashkenazi Hebrew: ''Tzfas'', Biblical Hebrew: ''Ṣǝp̄aṯ''; ar, صفد, ''Ṣafad''), is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elev ...
, circa 1593. In, e.g., Moshe Alshich. ''Midrash of Rabbi Moshe Alshich on the Torah''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 3, pages 1085–111. New York, Lambda Publishers, 2000. .
*Avraham Yehoshua Heschel. ''Commentaries on the Torah''. Cracow, Poland, mid 17th century. Compiled as ''Chanukat HaTorah''. Edited by Chanoch Henoch Erzohn. Piotrkow, Poland, 1900. In Avraham Yehoshua Heschel. ''Chanukas HaTorah: Mystical Insights of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel on Chumash''. Translated by Avraham Peretz Friedman, pages 312–19. Southfield, Michigan
Southfield is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,618.
As a northern suburb of Detroit, Southfield shares part of its southern border with Detroit. The city was original ...
: Targum Press
Menucha Publishers is an Orthodox Jewish English-language publishing company based in Brooklyn, New York. Originally founded as a distributor for Targum Press, in 2011 after Targum's shutdown, Menucha established itself as an independent publis ...
/Feldheim Publishers
Feldheim Publishers (or Feldheim) is an American Orthodox Jewish publisher of Torah books and literature. Its extensive catalog of titles includes books on Jewish law, Torah, Talmud, Jewish lifestyle, Shabbat and Jewish holidays, Jewish history ...
, 2004. .
*Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes ( ; 5/15 April 1588 – 4/14 December 1679) was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. Hobbes is best known for his 1651 book ''Leviathan'', in which he expounds an influent ...
. ''Leviathan
Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and, according to so ...
'', 3:42. England, 1651. Reprint edited by C. B. Macpherson
Crawford Brough Macpherson (1911–1987) was an influential Canadian political scientist who taught political theory at the University of Toronto.
Life
Macpherson was born on 18 November 1911 in Toronto, Ontario. After graduating from the Univ ...
, pages 547–48. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Classics, 1982. .
* Chaim ibn Attar. ''Ohr ha-Chaim''. Venice, 1742. In Chayim ben Attar. ''Or Hachayim: Commentary on the Torah''. Translated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 5, pages 1935–68. Brooklyn: Lambda Publishers, 1999. .
*Samuel David Luzzatto
Samuel David Luzzatto ( he, שמואל דוד לוצאטו, ; 22 August 1800 – 30 September 1865), also known by the Hebrew acronym Shadal (), was an Italian Jewish scholar, poet, and a member of the Wissenschaft des Judentums movement.
Early ...
(Shadal). ''Commentary on the Torah.'' Padua
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of ...
, 1871. In, e.g., Samuel David Luzzatto. ''Torah Commentary''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 4, pages 1247–61. New York: Lambda Publishers, 2012. .
* Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter. ''Sefat Emet''. Góra Kalwaria
Góra Kalwaria (; "Calvary Mountain", yi, גער, ''Ger'') is a town on the Vistula River in the Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is situated approximately southeast of Warsaw and has a population of around 12,109 (as of 2019). ...
(Ger), Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, before 1906. Excerpted in ''The Language of Truth: The Torah Commentary of Sefat Emet''. Translated and interpreted by Arthur Green
Arthur Green ( he, אברהם יצחק גרין, born March 21, 1941) is an American scholar of Jewish mysticism and Neo-Hasidic theologian. He was a founding dean of the non-denominational rabbinical program at Hebrew College in Boston, where he ...
, pages 323–28. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1998. . Reprinted 2012. .
* John M. Powis Smith"The Deuteronomic Tithe."
'' The American Journal of Theology'', volume 18 (number 1) (January 1914): pages 119–26.
*Hermann Cohen
Hermann Cohen (4 July 1842 – 4 April 1918) was a German Jewish philosopher, one of the founders of the Marburg school of neo-Kantianism, and he is often held to be "probably the most important Jewish philosopher of the nineteenth centu ...
. ''Religion of Reason: Out of the Sources of Judaism''. Translated with an introduction by Simon Kaplan; introductory essays by Leo Strauss
Leo Strauss (, ; September 20, 1899 – October 18, 1973) was a German-American political philosopher who specialized in classical political philosophy. Born in Germany to Jewish parents, Strauss later emigrated from Germany to the United States. ...
, pages 126, 152–53, 348. New York: Ungar, 1972. Reprinted Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
: Scholars Press, 1995. . Originally published as ''Religion der Vernunft aus den Quellen des Judentums''. Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
: Gustav Fock, 1919.
*Alexander Alan Steinbach. ''Sabbath Queen: Fifty-four Bible Talks to the Young Based on Each Portion of the Pentateuch'', pages 158–61. New York: Behrman's Jewish Book House, 1936.
*Joseph Reider. ''The Holy Scriptures: Deuteronomy with Commentary'', pages 236–74. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1937.
*Thomas Mann
Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novella ...
. ''Joseph and His Brothers
''Joseph and His Brothers'' (''Joseph und seine Brüder'') is a four-part novel by Thomas Mann, written over the course of 16 years. Mann retells the familiar stories of Genesis, from Jacob to Joseph (chapters 27–50), setting it in the hi ...
''. Translated by John E. Woods, page 788. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. . Originally published as ''Joseph und seine Brüder''. Stockholm: Bermann-Fischer Verlag, 1943.
*Delbert R. Hillers. ''Treaty-Curses and the Old Testament Prophets''. Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1964.
*Martin Buber
Martin Buber ( he, מרטין בובר; german: Martin Buber; yi, מארטין בובער; February 8, 1878 –
June 13, 1965) was an Austrian Jewish and Israeli philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of existentialism ...
. ''On the Bible: Eighteen studies'', pages 80–92, 122–30. New York: Schocken Books, 1968.
*Barnabas Lindars
Barnabas Lindars (born Frederick Chevallier Lindars; 1923–1991) was an English New Testament scholar. Born 11 June 1923, Lindars was educated at Altrincham Grammar School and then studied at St John's College, Cambridge. He was ordained as an ...
. "Torah in Deuteronomy." In ''Words and Meanings: Essays Presented to David Winton Thomas''. Edited by Peter R. Ackroyd and Barnabas Lindars, pages 117–36. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1968. .
* Otto Eissfeldt. "Gilgal or Shechem." In ''Proclamation and Presence: Old Testament Essays in Honour of Gwynne Henton Davies''. Edited by John I. Durham and J. Roy Porter, pages 90–101. London: SCM Press, 1970. .
* Jacob Milgrom. "First fruits, OT." In ''The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible''. Supp. volume, pages 336–37. Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1976. .
* Peter C. Craigie. ''The Problem of War in the Old Testament'', pages 75, 87. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...
: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is a religious publishing house based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1911 by Dutch American William B. Eerdmans (November 4, 1882 – April 1966) and still independently owned with William's daughte ...
, 1978. .
* Nehama Leibowitz. ''Studies in Devarim: Deuteronomy'', pages 257–97. Jerusalem: The World Zionist Organization
The World Zionist Organization ( he, הַהִסְתַּדְּרוּת הַצִּיּוֹנִית הָעוֹלָמִית; ''HaHistadrut HaTzionit Ha'Olamit''), or WZO, is a non-governmental organization that promotes Zionism. It was founded as the ...
, 1980.
* Alan R. Millard"A Wandering Aramean."
''
Journal of Near Eastern Studies
The ''Journal of Near Eastern Studies'' is an academic journal published by the University of Chicago Press, covering research on the ancient and medieval civilisations of the Near East, including their archaeology, art, history, literature, li ...
'', volume 39 (number 2) (April 1980): pages 153–55.
* Pinchas H. Peli. ''Torah Today: A Renewed Encounter with Scripture'', pages 225–28. Washington, D.C.: B'nai B'rith Books, 1987. .
* Patrick D. Miller. ''Deuteronomy'', pages 177–208. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990.
* Mark S. Smith. ''The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel'', pages 18, 128. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1990. .
*''A Song of Power and the Power of Song: Essays on the Book of Deuteronomy''. Edited by Duane L. Christensen. Winona Lake, Indiana
Winona Lake is a town in Wayne Township, Kosciusko County, in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the major suburb of Warsaw. The population was 4,908 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Winona Lake is located at (41.220818, -85.817118). It is now contigu ...
: Eisenbrauns, 1993. .
*Judith S. Antonelli. "Festivals and Tithes." In ''In the Image of God: A Feminist Commentary on the Torah'', pages 471–81. Northvale, New Jersey
Northvale is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,640,Jason Aronson
Jason Aronson was an American publisher of books in the field of psychotherapy. Topics dealt with in these books include child therapy, family therapy, couple therapy
Couples therapy (also couples' counseling, marriage counseling, or marriag ...
, 1995. .
* Ellen Frankel. ''The Five Books of Miriam: A Woman's Commentary on the Torah'', pages 286–91. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons
G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group.
History
The company began as Wiley & Putnam with the 1838 partnership between George Palmer Putnam and ...
, 1996. .
*Marc Gellman. "God's Mailbox." In ''God's Mailbox: More Stories About Stories in the Bible'', pages 99–104. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1996. .
*Jack R. Lundbom"The Inclusio and Other Framing Devices in Deuteronomy I–XXVIII."
''
Vetus Testamentum
''Vetus Testamentum'' is a quarterly academic journal covering various aspects of the Old Testament. It is published by Brill Publishers
Brill Academic Publishers (known as E. J. Brill, Koninklijke Brill, Brill ()) is a Dutch international a ...
'', volume 46 (number 3) (July 1996): pages 296–315.
* W. Gunther Plaut. ''The Haftarah Commentary'', pages 489–99. New York: UAHC Press, 1996. .
* Jeffrey H. Tigay. ''The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation'', pages 238–77, 486–97. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996. .
* Walter Homolka"'God Is Thy Rescue' as the Central Message of the ''Seder'' Ritual: The Midrash on Devarim 26 in Its Biblical Context."
'' European Judaism'', volume 30 (number 2) (Autumn 1997): pages 72–85. *Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden. ''Teaching Torah: A Treasury of Insights and Activities'', pages 329–34.
Denver
Denver () is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States#State capital, capital, and List of municipalities in Colorado#, most populous city of th ...
: A.R.E. Publishing, 1997. .
*Susan Freeman. ''Teaching Jewish Virtues: Sacred Sources and Arts Activities'', pages 4–6, 299–317. Springfield, New Jersey: A.R.E. Publishing, 1999. . (; ).
*Richard D. Nelson. "Deuteronomy." In ''The HarperCollins Bible Commentary''. Edited by James L. Mays, pages 209–10. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, revised edition, 2000. .
*Nancy Wechsler-Azen. "The Basket Ceremony of Gratitude and Hope." In ''The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions''. Edited by Elyse Goldstein, pages 371–76. Woodstock, Vermont
Woodstock is the shire town ( county seat) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,005. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and West Woodstock.
History
Cha ...
: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2000. .
*Lainie Blum Cogan and Judy Weiss. ''Teaching Haftarah: Background, Insights, and Strategies'', pages 342–47. Denver: A.R.E. Publishing, 2002. .
* Michael Fishbane. ''The JPS Bible Commentary: Haftarot'', pages 304–10. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2002. .
* Admiel Kosman“The Story of a Giant Story: The Winding Way of Og King of Bashan in the Jewish Haggadic Tradition.”
'' Hebrew Union College Annual'', volume 73 (2002): pages 157–90. *
Robert Alter
Robert Bernard Alter (born 1935) is an American professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He published his translation of the Hebrew Bible in 2018.
Biography
Robe ...
. ''The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary'', pages 1004–22. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004. .
* Bernard M. Levinson. "Deuteronomy." In ''The Jewish Study Bible''. Edited by Adele Berlin
Adele Berlin (born May 23, 1943 in Philadelphia) is an American biblical scholar and Hebraist. Before her retirement, she was Robert H. Smith Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Maryland.
Berlin is best known for 1994 work ''Poetic ...
and Marc Zvi Brettler
Marc Brettler (Marc Zvi Brettler) is an American biblical scholar, and the Bernice and Morton Lerner Professor in Judaic Studies at Duke University. He earned his B.A., M.A., and PhD from Brandeis University, where he previously served as Dora Gold ...
, pages 423–33. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. .
*''Professors on the Parashah: Studies on the Weekly Torah Reading'' Edited by Leib Moscovitz, pages 340–44. Jerusalem: Urim Publications, 2005. .
*Hilary Lipka. ''Sexual Transgression in the Hebrew Bible''. Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2006. . ().
*W. Gunther Plaut. ''The Torah: A Modern Commentary: Revised Edition''. Revised edition edited by David E.S. Stern, pages 1347–71. New York: Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms established b ...
, 2006. .
*Suzanne A. Brody. "Curses." In ''Dancing in the White Spaces: The Yearly Torah Cycle and More Poems'', page 108. Shelbyville, Kentucky: Wasteland Press, 2007. .
* Esther Jungreis. ''Life Is a Test'', pages 245–46. Brooklyn: Shaar Press, 2007. .
* James L. Kugel. ''How To Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now'', pages 246–47, 311–12, 345–49, 463, 508, 579. New York: Free Press, 2007. .
*David Lincicum"Greek Deuteronomy's 'Fever and Chills' and Their Magical Afterlife."
''Vetus Testamentum'', volume 58 (number 4/5) (2008): pages 544–49. *''The Torah: A Women's Commentary''. Edited by
Tamara Cohn Eskenazi Tamara Cohn Eskenazi is The Effie Wise Ochs Professor of Biblical Literature and History at the Reform Jewish seminary Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles.
She was the first woman hired by the Hebrew Union College-Jewis ...
and Andrea L. Weiss, pages 1191–216. New York: URJ Press, 2008. .
*Eugene E. Carpenter. "Deuteronomy." In ''Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary''. Edited by John H. Walton, volume 1, pages 505–12. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan
Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). They are a part of HarperCollins Christian Pu ...
, 2009. .
* Reuven Hammer. ''Entering Torah: Prefaces to the Weekly Torah Portion'', pages 287–91. New York: Gefen Publishing House, 2009. .
*Shirley Idelson. "In a New Country: Parashat Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8)." In ''Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible''. Edited by Gregg Drinkwater, Joshua Lesser, and David Shneer; foreword by Judith Plaskow
Judith Plaskow (born March 14, 1947) is an American theologian, author, and activist known for being the first Jewish feminist theologian. After earning her doctorate at Yale University, she taught at Manhattan College for thirty-two years before ...
, pages 259–62. New York: New York University Press
New York University Press (or NYU Press) is a university press that is part of New York University.
History
NYU Press was founded in 1916 by the then chancellor of NYU, Elmer Ellsworth Brown.
Directors
* Arthur Huntington Nason, 1916–193 ...
, 2009. .
*Julie Cadwallader-Staub''Joy''
In ''Face to Face: A Poetry Collection''. DreamSeeker Books, 2010. . ("land of milk and honey"). *Idan Dershowitz
"A Land Flowing with Fat and Honey."
''Vetus Testamentum'', volume 60 (number 2) (2010): pages 172–76. *Naftali S. Cohn. ''The Memory of the Temple and the Making of the Rabbis'', introduction. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012. . (analysis of the Mishnaic retelling of the first fruits ceremony).
* William G. Dever. ''The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel: When Archaeology and the Bible Intersect'', pages 46, 192–93. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012. .
* Shmuel Herzfeld. "The Joy of Selichot." In ''Fifty-Four Pick Up: Fifteen-Minute Inspirational Torah Lessons'', pages 284–89. Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House
Gefen Publishing House (הוצאת גפן) is an English language publishing firm located in Jerusalem, which also has a department in New York City. History
Gefen was founded in 1981 by Murray and Hana Greenfield.
Its CEO is Ilan Greenfield, s ...
, 2012. .
*Elyse Goldstein. "Do it ''Today'': What an interesting experience it would be if we looked upon Judaism every day as if it was brand new." '' The Jerusalem Report'', volume 25 (number 12) (September 22, 2014): page 47.
* Shlomo Riskin. ''Torah Lights: Devarim: Moses Bequeaths Legacy, History, and Covenant'', pages 269–314. New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is in western Connecticut, north of Danbury, on the banks of the Housatonic River, and it shares its border with the northeastern shore of Candlewood Lake. It is ...
: Maggid Books, 2014. .
*''The Commentators' Bible: The Rubin JPS Miqra'ot Gedolot: Deuteronomy.'' Edited, translated, and annotated by Michael Carasik, pages 172–95. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2015. .
*Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks ( he, יונתן הנרי זקס, translit=Yona'tan Henry Zaks; 8 March 19487 November 2020) was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the Unite ...
. ''Lessons in Leadership: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible'', pages 275–80. New Milford, Connecticut: Maggid Books, 2015. .
*Jonathan Sacks. ''Essays on Ethics: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible'', pages 311–15. New Milford, Connecticut: Maggid Books, 2016. .
* Shai Held. ''The Heart of Torah, Volume 2: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion: Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy'', pages 260–69. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2017. .
*Steven Levy and Sarah Levy. ''The JPS Rashi Discussion Torah Commentary'', pages 171–73. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2017. .
*Pekka Pitkänen"Ancient Israelite Population Economy: Ger, Toshav, Nakhri and Karat as Settler Colonial Categories."
''Journal for the Study of the Old Testament'', volume 42 (number 2) (December 2017): pages 139–53. *Ernst Wendland.
Deuteronomy: translationNotes
'' Orlando, Florida: unfoldingWord, 2017. *Jonathan Sacks. ''Covenant & Conversation: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible: Deuteronomy: Renewal of the Sinai Covenant'', pages 219–51.
New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is in western Connecticut, north of Danbury, on the banks of the Housatonic River, and it shares its border with the northeastern shore of Candlewood Lake. It is ...
: Maggid Books, 2019.
*J. Andrew Cowan"The Curse of the Law, the Covenant, and Anthropology in Galatians 3:10–14: An Examination of Paul's Use of Deuteronomy 27:26."
''
Journal of Biblical Literature
The ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' (''JBL'') is one of three academic journals published by the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). First published in 1881, ''JBL'' is the flagship journal of the field. ''JBL'' is published quarterly and incl ...
'', volume 139, number 1 (2020): pages 211–29.
*Andrew Tobolowsky"The Problem of Reubenite Primacy: New Paradigms, New Answers."
''Journal of Biblical Literature'', volume 139, number 1 (2020): pages 27–45.
External links
Texts
Commentaries
Academy for Jewish Religion, New York
{{Weekly Torah Portions Weekly Torah readings in Elul Weekly Torah readings from Deuteronomy