BS”D (B’Siyata D’Shamaya)
Aramaic: With the Help of Heaven
Esnoga Bet Emunah - 227 Millset Chase - San Antonio, Texas 78253
Telephone: (210) 2778649 - United States of America © 2006
Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings / First Year of the Reading CycleIyar 15, 5766 – May 12/13, 2006 / Fifth Year of the Shemittah Cycle
Texas Candle lighting times
Friday, May 12, 2006 Light Candles at: 7:59 PM – 30 days of the counting of the Omer
Saturday, May 13, 2006 – Havdalah 8:56 PM – 31 days of the counting of the Omer
Brisbane, Australia - Candle lighting times:
Friday, May 12, 2006 Light Candles at: 4:51 PM - 30 days of the counting of the Omer
Saturday, May 13, 2006 – Havdalah 5:45 PM - 31 days of the counting of the Omer
Singapore, Singapore
Friday, May 12, 2006 Light Candles at: 6:48 PM - 30 days of the counting of the Omer
Saturday, May 13, 2006 – Havdalah 7:38 PM - 31 days of the counting of the Omer
For other places see:
Week Forty-eight of the Cycle
Coming Next Week: Lag BaOmer – May 15/16 – Iyar 18 (Hakham’s Birthday)
On the significance of Lag BaOmer see:
Shabbat: / Torah Reading: / Weekday Torah Reading:הִכְבַּדְתִּי
“Hik’bad’ti” / Reader 1 – Sh’mot 10:1-3 / Reader 1 – Sh’mot 11:1-3
“have hardened” / Reader 2 – Sh’mot 10:4-6 / Reader 2 – Sh’mot 11:4-6
“he endurecido” / Reader 3 – Sh’mot 10:7-11 / Reader 3 – Sh’mot 11:6-8
Sh’mot (Exodus) 10:1-29 / Reader 4 – Sh’mot10:12-15
1 Samuel 6:6-14 / Reader 5 – Sh’mot 10:16-20
Reader 6 – Sh’mot 10:21-23 / Reader 1 – Sh’mot 11:4-6
Psalm 48 / Reader 7 – Sh’mot 10:24-19 / Reader 2 – Sh’mot 11:7-9
Pirke Abot 4:17-19 / Maftir – Sh’mot 10:27-29 / Reader 3 – Sh’mot 11:8-10
N.C.: Matityahu 8:28-34 / 1 Samuel 6:6-14
Roll of Honor:
This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of His Honour Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and most beloved family, and that of Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah and beloved family as well as that of His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann and beloved family For their regular sacrificial giving, we pray G-d’s richest blessings upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael, amen ve amen! Also a great thank you to His Excellency Adon Stephen Legge and beloved family for making available at short notice computing facilities to produce this week’s Torah Commentary. May a very special blessing be upon this great family, for their generosity, amen ve amen!
1
BS”D (B’Siyata D’Shamaya)
Aramaic: With the Help of Heaven
Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:
Sh’mot (Exodus) 10:1-29
X. AND the Lord spoke to Mosheh, Go in unto ; for I have made strong the design of his heart, and the design of the heart of his servants, to set these My signs among them; and that in the hearing of your sons and of your children's children may be told the wonders I have done in Mizraim, and the signs that I set among them, that you may know that I am the Lord. And Mosheh and Aharon went in unto Pharaoh, and said to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may worship before Me. But if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I bring the locust upon your borders, and they shall cover the face of the ground, so that it will be impossible to see the ground, and shall destroy the remainder that was spared to you from the hail, and destroy every tree which grows for you out of the field. And they shall fill your house, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of the Mizraee, (the like of) which neither your fathers nor your forefathers have seen since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.
And the servants of Pharaoh said, How long shall this man be a stumbling-block to us? Let the men be released, that they may worship before the Lord their God. Are you not aware that by His hand it will be that the land of Mizraim shall be destroyed? And he commanded to bring back Mosheh and Aharon to Pharaoh, and said to them, Go, worship before the Lord your God: but who are they that are to go? And Mosheh said, With our children and with our old men will we go; with our sons and with our daughters we will go; with our sheep and with our oxen we will go; for we have a solemn feast before the Lord. And he said to them, So may the Word of the Lord be a help to you: (but) how can I release (both) you and your children? The evil offence is in the look of your faces: (you think to go onward) in the way that you would walk, till the time that you shall have come to the house of the place of your habitation. (It shall be) not so as you devise; but the men only shall go and worship before the Lord; for that it was which you demanded. And he drove them out from before the face of Pharaoh.
And the Lord spoke to Mosheh, Lift up your hand over the land of Mizraim for the locust, that he may come up over the land of Mizraim, and destroy every herb of the earth, whatsoever the hail has left. And Mosheh lifted up his rod over the land of Mizraim, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the country all that day and all the night; and in the morning the east wind bare the locust. And the locust came up over all the land of Mizraim, and settled in all the limits of Mizraim exceedingly strong. Before him there had been no locust so hard, nor will there be like him. And he covered the face of all the land, until the land was darkened, and every herb of the ground was consumed, and all the fruit of the tree that the hail had left; and nothing green of tree or herb of the field was left in all the land of Mizraim.
And Pharaoh made haste, and sent certain to call Mosheh and Aharon. And he said, I have sinned before the Lord your God and against you. But now, pardon my sin only this once, and pray before the Lord, that He would only remove from me this death. And he went out from Pharaoh, and prayed before the Lord. And the Lord turned a wind from the west of exceeding strength, and it carried away the locust, and bare him to the sea of Suph: there was not one locust left in all the borders of Mizraim. And even such as had been salted in vessels for needed food, those, too, the western wind bare away, and they went. But the Lord strengthened the design of Pharaoh's heart, and he would not release the children of Israel.
And the Lord said to Mosheh, Lift up your hand towards the height of the heavens, and there shall be darkness over all the land of Mizraim, in the morning, at the passing away of the first darkness of the night. [JERUSALEM. And they shall serve in darkness.] And Mosheh stretched out his hand towards the height of the heavens, and there was dark darkness in all the land of Mizraim three days. No man saw his brother, and none arose from his place three days. But among all the sons of Israel there was light, that the wicked among them who died might be buried, and that the righteous might be occupied with the precepts of the law in their dwellings. And at the end of three days Pharaoh called Mosheh, and said, Go, worship before the lord; only your sheep and your oxen shall abide with me: your children also may go with you. But Mosheh said, You must also give into our hands holy oblations and burnt offerings, that we may perform service before the Lord our God. Our flocks, more-over, must go with us; not one hoof of them shall remain; for from them we are to take, to do service before the Lord our God. We cannot leave them; for we know not (as yet) in what manner we are to worship before the Lord, until we come thither. But the Lord made strong the design of Pharaoh's heart, and he would not release them. And Pharaoh said to him, Go from me. Beware that you add not to see my face to speak before me one of these words that are so hard: for in the day that you see my face, my anger will grow strong against you, and I will deliver you into the hands of the men who seek your life to take it. And Mosheh said, You have spoken fairly. While I was dwelling in Midian, it was told me in a word from before the Lord, that the men who had sought to kill me had fallen from their means, and were reckoned with the dead. At the end there will be no mercy upon you; but I will pray, and the plague shall be restrained from you. And now I will see your face no more. [JERUSALEM. And Pharaoh said to him, Go from me. Beware that you increase not my anger against you by saying, Are not these hard words that you speak to me? Verily Pharaoh would rather die than hear your words. Beware, lest my anger grow strong against you, and I deliver you into the hands of this people, who require your life to slay you. And Mosheh said, You have spoken truly. But it was certified to me at the former time when I dwelt in Midian, that all the men were dead who sought to kill my life. At the end there will be no mercy upon you. Yet I will pray for you, and this plague shall be restrained. But a tenth plague is for Pharaoh, of (which the victim will be) your firstborn son. And Mosheh said to him, You have spoken fairly the truth: I will see your face no more.]
Midrash Tanhuma Yelammedenu
Sh’mot (Exodus): 10:1-29
1. And the Lord said unto Moses: "stretch out your hand toward the heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt" (Exod. 10:21).Scripture states (elsewhere in reference to this verse): He sent darkness, and it was dark; and they rebelled not against His word (Ps. 105:28). The darkness that the Holy One, blessed be He, spread over Egypt was exceedingly thick. Why? Because they would not submit to the authority of the word of the Holy One, blessed be He [Word-play on rebelled not (maru), connecting marut ("rebel") from ma ("authority"). See Exodus Rabbah 4:1]. The Holy One, blessed be He, told Egypt's guardian angels: They deserve to be smitten with darkness, and they all agreed at once, for they rebelled not against His word (ibid.). He sent darkness, and it was dark (ibid. 105:28). This implies that the darkness had a substance of its own. To what may this be compared? It may be compared to a king whose slave has rebelled against him. He told one of his aides: “Go give him fifty lashes.” When that person whipped the slave, however, he administered a hundred lashes, adding fifty of his own accord. Similarly, when the Holy One, blessed be He, may His name be blessed, sent the darkness upon Egypt, the darkness added something of its own. Hence, He sent darkness, and it was dark (ibid.).
2. Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness (Exod. 10:21). Where did the darkness come from? R. Judah and R. Nehemiah discussed this question. R. Judah held: It descended from the darkness of the upper regions, as it is said: He made darkness His hiding place, His pavilion round about Him (Ps. 18:12). While R. Nehemiah argued that it ascended from the darkness of the netherworld, as it is stated: A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself a land of the shadow of death, without any order and where the light is as darkness (Job 10:22).
R. Joshua the son of Levi declared: We are informed by three verses that man should cause his learning to be heard (by others) at the time of his death. Where do we learn this? It is written: That I might make you know the certainty of the words of death, that you might bring back words of truth to them that send you (Prov. 22:21). Similarly, Solomon declared: The end of the matter~ all having been heard, fear God and observe His commandments (Eccles. 12:13). And by the verse Shadow of death and without order (Job 10:22). When a man is about to enter the shadow of death, he must systematize his studies, for it is said: The shadow of death, without any order[That is, he should arrange his teachings so that others can learn from him]. R. Tanhuma the son of Abba held: When a man is about to die, the ministering angels proclaim: “Give glory unto the Lord.” Hence, a land of thick darkness, as darkness itself (Job 10:22).
Woe to the house whose windows open toward the darkness, as it is said: And where the light is as darkness (ibid.), for the light itself comes from darkness. Hence it says: Thus says the Lord God: In the day when he went down to the nether-world, I caused the deep to mourn and cover itself for him, and I restrained the rivers thereof and the great waters were stayed (Ezek. 31:15). R. Judah the son of Rabbi stated: What are the wicked covered with in the nether-world? With darkness. And Hezekiah the son of R. Judah explained why that was so. With what does one cover an earthenware tub? With a lid that is made of the same substance. And just as an earthenware tub is covered with an earthenware lid, the wicked whose works are in the dark (Isa. 29:15) are covered by the Holy One, blessed be He, with the deep which is darkness, as it is said:
And darkness was upon the face of thedeep (Gen. 1:2). This refers to the nether-world. Hence, the darkness that came upon the Egyptians ascended from the nether-world. Even darkness which may be felt (Exod. 10:2 1). How thick was this darkness? Our sages asserted that it was as thick as a dinar, as it is said: Even darkness which may be felt.
3. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days (Exod. 10:22). Our sages maintained: There were seven days of darkness. During the first three days, a person who was sitting could stand if he wished to do so, and so too one who was standing could sit down. During the final three days, those who were sitting were unable to stand, those who were standing were unable to sit, and those who were reclining were unable to arise. Whence do we know this? From the fact that it is said; And they saw not one another for three days (ibid., v. 23). Hence for three days they could not change their positions, and for three days they could not arise from their places.
What was the seventh day like? And there was the cloud and the darkness here, yet gave it light (Exod. 14:20). This light resembled the light experienced at the sea. Similarly in Egypt the cloud gave light to the Israelites but darkness to the Egyptians, as it is said: They saw not.
All the children of Israel had light (ibid. 10:23). This implies that everything was illumined and disclosed to the Israelites—all the silver and gold utensils, the garments and the valuables of Egypt. Even the things that were in their boxes, barrels, and treasure chests were visible to them. And whatever the Israelites requested of them, they surrendered voluntarily, for the Israelites would say to them: “Behold, in that certain place you have such a utensil.” Hence, And there was a thick darkness.
4. Our sages of blessed memory said:The Holy One, blessed be He, followed the military tactics employed by kings when inflicting the plagues upon them. When the people of a province rebel, a human king dispatches his legions to surround them. First he dams up their water supply. If the people repent, well and good; but if not, he orders thunderous noises to be directed against them. If they are contrite, good; but if not, he commands that arrows be shot at them. If they relent (their actions), well and good; but if not, he sends barbarians against them. If they retract, good; but if not, he orders other reprisals to be taken against them. If they are contrite, well and good; but if not, he orders naphtha to be hurled upon them. If they are repentant, good; but if not, he catapults stones upon them. If they repent, good; but if not, he turns a large population against them. If they retract, good; but if not, he imprisons them. If they relent, good; but if not, he destroys their leaders. The Holy One, blessed be He, attacked Egypt with the tactics employed by a king. The first thing He did was to cut off their water supply, as it is said: And he turned their rivers into blood. They were not contrite, and He therefore brought tumultuous noises upon them. These were the frogs. R. Yosé the son of Hanina said: Their croaking was harder to bear than the havoc they wrought. Still they did not repent, and so he shot arrows at them. These were the gnats, as it is said: And there were gnats upon man, and upon beast (Exod. 8:13). They penetrated the bodies of the Egyptians like spears. However, they did not become contrite, and so He sent barbarians against them. These were the swarms, as it is said: And there came grievous swarms of beasts (ibid., v. 20). Still they did not relent, and so He took other reprisals against them. He brought the murrain: And all the cattle of Egypt died (ibid. 9:6). Nevertheless, they did not repent, and so He poured naphtha over them. These were the boils, as it is said: And a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast (ibid., v. 9). Still they were not contrite, and so He catapulted projectiles upon them. This was the hail. But even then they did not repent, and so he stirred up a large population against them, that is, the locusts. Even so, they did not mend their ways, and so He imprisoned them. This was the darkness, as it is said: And there was a thick darkness (ibid. 10:22). When they refused to repent, He killed their important men, as it is said: The Lord smote all the firstborn (ibid. 12:19).