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Ruth Chapter 4 Tue, Jul 07, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 25:23 |
 Text Pages |
Ploni Almoni
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Boaz went to the gate of the Sanhedrin and waited for his relative. When the relative came by, Boaz escorted him in. (The relative is only referred to as "Ploni Almoni," which is Hebrew for "John Doe." For simplicity's sake, we'll refer to the relative as Ploni.) Boaz also gathered ten elders, for reasons that will soon become clear. Boaz explained the situation.
"Naomi is selling the property of our relative Elimelech, who died. As his brother, you are the closest relative. Do you want to purchase it? If not, I am next in line and I'll take it."
"I'll take it," Ploni said.
"There's a string attached," Boaz continued. "The property is being sold with the condition that the one who buys it has to agree to marry Ruth. Are you still willing?"
At this, Ploni balked. "Ruth? She's that Moabite convert, isn't she? Yeah... that's a little too much baggage for me to handle. You go ahead."
In transactions, we make an act of acquisition called a "kinyan" in Hebrew. Nowadays we typically transfer an object such as a pen or a handkerchief. (Perhaps you recall doing this when empowering the rabbi to sell your chometz before Passover.) In Boaz' time, a shoe was used to make the kinyan, so Boaz and Ploni transferred a shoe to seal the deal. Boaz then bought the property of Elimelech and his sons, plus he married Ruth. (This was why he gathered the ten elders - he needed a minyan for the marriage ceremony.) The witnesses blessed the couple that Ruth should be like Rachel and Leah (the mothers of the Tribes) and like Tamar, another illustrious woman in the house of Judah, not to mention an ancestor of Boaz.
Boaz and Ruth went home and Ruth conceived on their wedding night. Ruth had a son and the local women blessed Naomi, who had previously lost her own sons. The baby was named Oveid, and he grew up to be the father of Yishai (Jesse).
The Book ends with a list of the descendants of Peretz, who was the son of the aforementioned Judah and Tamar. Peretz was the father of Chetzron; Chetzron was the father of Rom; Rom was the father of Aminadav. Aminadav was the father of Nachshon (who, of the Jews that left Egypt, was the first to run headlong into the Red Sea). Nachshon's son was Salma, or Salmon (pronounced sahl-mohn, not like the fish). Salmon was the father of Boaz, who was the father of Oveid. Oveid's son was Jesse, the father of David.
Why is Ploni's name omitted from the Book of Ruth? Ploni balked at the thought of marrying her because he felt her background might be too scandalous for his reputation. Clearly that was an error in judgment, as Ruth went on to be the mother of the Davidic (and Messianic) dynasty, while Ploni's name has literally been forgotten. Just something to think about.
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Ruth Chapter 3 Mon, Jul 06, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 22:46 |
Text Pages |
"Who the Heck is THAT?"
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Naomi told Ruth that she was going to set her up with Boaz (who, clearly, was already interested in Ruth). She gave Ruth the following advice: Boaz would be working at night, winnowing his barley crop. Naomi told Ruth to put on her best clothes and go to Boaz' threshing floor, but to stay out of sight until after he had finished eating and was ready to turn in for the night. When he lies down, Ruth should lay down at his feet and follow Boaz' lead. (Naomi and Ruth were too modest to go right up to Boaz and say, "Hey, how about marrying this girl?" so they were kind of putting the idea in his head. The lead they would follow would be Boaz's knowledge regarding the right to redeem Machlon's property and the opportunity to marry Ruth.)
Ruth did as Naomi instructed. Boaz went to sleep on his threshing floor (to protect his grain), and Ruth lay down at his feet. Boaz awoke with a start to find a woman at his feet. "Who's there?" he asked. "Ruth," she said. "It turns out that you're a close relative of my late husband. Perhaps you could see your way clear to marrying me and redeeming his property?" Boaz, who was an older man, blessed Ruth and praised her that her deeds keep getting more and more virtuous. First, there was the fact that she converted and stuck by Naomi. Now, instead of going after younger, more attractive men, Ruth's motivations were completely altruistic. Boaz agreed to do whatever Ruth wanted, though there was one fly in the ointment: there was another relative who was closer than Boaz and who had right of first refusal on the property. Boaz agreed to deal with matters first thing in the morning. Ruth stayed overnight at Boaz' feet, leaving early in the morning so people shouldn't get the wrong idea. He gave her a load of grain to take back to Naomi.
Ruth returned to Naomi, who asked her how it went. Ruth told her and Naomi said, "Relax. Worrying about it won't make it happen any faster. I know Boaz - he won't rest until he's taken care of things."
There is an opinion that the relative's name was "Tov," which means "good" in Hebrew. Verse 13 says, "If he will redeem you, good, let him redeem you..." but that can also be understood as "If Tov will redeem you, he will redeem you." However, even if his name actually was Tov, it is obscured by the more obvious way of reading the verse. (Why is the relative's name hidden? We'll discuss that in the next chapter.) Rashi (on verse 12) cites the Midrash explaining the relationship among the players: Tov, Salmon and Elimelech were brothers. Boaz (the son of Salmon) was a nephew to Elimelech, so Tov was closer and had first call.
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Ruth Chapter 2 Sun, Jul 05, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 42:49 |
Text Pages |
Who's That Girl?
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Elimelech had a relative named Boaz, who was still living in Bethlehem. Ruth told Naomi that she was going to support them by gleaning in the fields. She followed the reapers, picking up the grain, in a field that happened to belong to Boaz. Boaz came to inspect his field and he blessed the workers, who returned the favor. Then, Boaz asked his assistant, "Who's that girl?" The assistant replied that she was a new arrival, who accompanied Naomi from Moab. And, apparently, Ruth was a hard worker.
Boaz went over to Ruth. "You know what?" he said. "Don't go work in any other fields. Stay here in my fields, with my girls. I'll instruct my workers to give you free access, even to their water when you're thirsty." Ruth prostrated in gratitude. "What have I done to deserve such kindness?" she asked. Boaz responded that he had heard all about the kindness she had shown Naomi after the death of their husbands, even leaving her homeland and family to join the Jewish nation. He blessed her and she replied that he had truly elevated her dejected spirit, though she considered herself unworthy of his attention.
Boaz then gave Ruth a simple meal of toasted grain. She finished and got back to work. Boaz instructed his workers to give her access to glean wherever she wanted and not to bother her. He also arranged for the workers to "forget" some sheaves ("accidentally on purpose") for Ruth to find. Ruth finished her work and brought what she had made during the day back home to Naomi. Naomi asked Ruth about her day and Ruth told her about her encounter with Boaz.
"Praise be to G-d!" Naomi exclaimed. "That man is a close relative of ours!" Ruth told Naomi about all the kindnesses Boaz had extended to her and Naomi agreed that this was a very favorable arrangement. So Ruth stayed on with Boaz's girls, to glean through the barley and wheat harvests.
So many notes here! First off, Boaz is identified with the Judge Ivtzan. (Ivtzan appears in Judges chapter 12; the connection is made in Baba Basra 91a). Ivtzan ruled after Yiftach (Jephthah). If Boaz is Ivtzan, that places the events of this book at about 2792 (969 BCE). Don't be bothered that Ivtzan had more than one name; it's not uncommon. Jacob was also called Israel. Yisro was also called Reuel. Gideon was also called Yerubaal. We do the same thing today: Sean Combs, Puff Daddy and P. Diddy are all the same person. (What? You thought our generation invented doing this?)
The famous question (asked by Talmud Shabbos 113b and cited by Rashi) is why Boaz is asking about women. The answer given is that he was attracted by her unusual wisdom and modesty. (Yes, it seems counter-intuitive that modesty should actually catch the attention of men, but that's exactly what would attract men like Boaz!)
Finally, you may see the word "corn" bandied about in some older (particularly non-Jewish) translations. Don't be mistaken into thinking that it refers to what we call corn today (i.e., maize). Our corn was unknown in the Middle East until millennia after this book was written. The word "corn" comes from the same root as the word "grain" and it originally meant grain.
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Ruth Chapter 1 Sat, Jul 04, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 49:39 |
Text Pages |
"...We're Gonna Go Through It Together!"
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
The following story, we are told, occurred in the days of the Judges, that is, after the death of Joshua, who led the Jewish people into Israel, but prior to King Saul being anointed. At some point during that period (which lasted around 300 years), there was a famine in the land. A man named Elimelech took his wife and sons from their home in Bethlehem, in the portion of Judah, to Moab. Elimelech died, leaving his wife, Naomi, and the two sons, Machlon and Chilyon. The boys married Moabite wives, Ruth and Orpah, respectively. After about ten years, Naomi's son's also died, leaving her and their wives. The famine long since over, Naomi decided to go back to Israel.
Naomi's daughters-in-law both accompanied her, though she encouraged them to return to their homeland and move on with their lives. Both women refused to leave her, insisting that they would stay with her. But Naomi was tenacious. She told her daughter-in-law that she had no more sons for them to marry. Even if she could have more sons, there would be a ridiculous gap in their ages, making marriage unrealistic. No, Naomi said, it would better for the girls to retrn to Moab and look for new husbands. They all cried at this and Orpah relented, returning to her homeland. But Ruth insisted on sticking by Naomi, saying that she would go wherever Naomi went; Naomi's people would be her people and Naomi's G-d would be her G-d. Ruth said that she would die where Naomi dies and that G-d should smite her if anything less than death can separate her from Naomi. Naomi saw that Ruth's mind was made up, so she stopped pressing the matter.
When they reached Bethlehem, the people were amazed to see Naomi. "Is that Naomi?" they asked one another. Naomi replied, "Don't call me Naomi (which means pleasant), call me Marah (which means bitter) because it has been a very bitter time for me lately. I left here wealthy and with a family, but I return with nothing." Naomi and Ruth settled in Bethlehem at the start of the barley harvest.
There is some question as to Ruth and Orpah's status at the start of this chapter. Did they convert to marry Machlon and Chilyon? If so, was the conversion valid? There are many interesting ramifications according to the different views, but it is apparent that whatever Ruth's status was before, she sincerely converted (or affirmed her sincerity) when she accompanied Naomi. From Naomi's actions we derive that a potential convert should initially be discouraged, but we stop when they refuse to be swayed.
Finally, a famous Gematria: Jews have 613 commandments; non-Jews have 7. By converting, Ruth accepted upon herself an additional 606 commandments. This is reflected by the numerical value of Ruth's name, which is 606.
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Song of Songs Chapter 8 Fri, Jul 03, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 26:00 |
Text Pages |
Brothers and Sisters
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Mashal:
The woman says, "If only you were like my baby brother! Then, I could display my affection for you in public and no one would think any less of me for it! I would then take you to my mother's house, where I would give you sweet wine to drink and you could embrace me." The woman warns the other girls not to try to disturb their love, since it will be to no avail.
The man says, "Who is that, coming from the desert, hugging her lover?" The woman replies, "I enticed you under the apple tree, where your mother gave birth to you." (This means that she was trying to attract his attention from the time he was born.) The man responds, "Seal me on your heart or on your arm, since my love for you is as powerful as death. It burns like a great fire that can never be put out. A river couldn't quench the flames of my love for you. If someone offered me all his possessions in exchange for your love, he would be hated for it."
The woman says, "I have a little sister who has not hit puberty yet. What will we do for her when it is time for her to marry? If she is like a wall, then let us build a silver turret for her, and if she is like a door, then let us get cedar panels for her." (The meaning of a wall and a door is whether or not she retained her virginity; the "door" has been opened, but the "wall" hasn't.) "I, myself, am a wall," the woman says, meaning that she has retained her virginity, "and my breasts are like towers." The woman says to the other girls, "When my lover saw I was concerned for the welfare of my little sister, he loved me even more."
The woman concludes: "Solomon had a vineyard, which he handed over to those who would tend it for him. They sold the fruit the vineyard produced for exorbitant prices. The vineyard lies before me. You, Solomon, can have the profits of your vineyard, you can even keep the farmers' share of the proceeds. Those who sit in gardens, where friends can be found, will listen to your voice. And you, my beloved, go swift as a deer on fragrant mountains."
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Nimshal:
Israel says to G-d, "If only You were like a brother to us so that You would console us for the way we mistreated You, the way Joseph consoled the brothers who mistreated him! We would take You to the Temple where we could learn from You as Moses did in the Tabernacle; there, we would offer libations of wine to You." Israel then tells the other nations that, despite their sins and G-d's punishment of them, He still embraces the nation. Nothing can come between them, so the nations should just back off.
G-d praises the Jewish people, who came through the desert bearing His Presence. Israel says that they aroused G-d's love for them at Sinai, where the nation became a mother. (Refer back to chapter 3 regarding the metaphor of Israel as "mother.") They ask to be placed as a seal on G-d's "heart," meaning His love, and His "arm," meaning His might. (That is, He should always remember them and act on their behalf.) Their love for Him will be so strong that they would die for it. It burns within them like a raging fire. (Or, the jealousy of other nations towards Israel over their relationship with G-d burns like a fire from Hell.) No one can quench the love between G-d and Israel. It can't be tortured out of them and it can't be bribed out of them; anyone who attempted to lure Israel away from G-d would be laughed at for even trying.
Israel in exile is the least of the nations, like an undeveloped little sister. What shall be done for her when the nations band together against her? If her faith is as strong as a wall, G-d crown her with beauty. If she turns like a door, her protection will be the less sturdy cedar panels. Israel says, "We have been steadfast like a wall, with synagogues and study halls strong like towers!" When they gave this reply, they were even more pleasing to G-d.
Israel was G-d's vineyard, but He turned them over to other nations, who treated them harshly. G-d reminds those nations that Israel is His and the deeds of those nations are revealed to Him. G-d will reclaim what is His and the scholars who guarded His vineyard will be rewarded. G-d says that the Jews are sitting in synagogues and study halls throughout the lands of their exile; He longs to hear the voice of their prayers. Israel replies that G-d should swiftly return them to His sweet Presence on the Temple Mount.
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Song of Songs Chapter 7 Thu, Jul 02, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 40:02 |
Text Pages |
Shulamith's Nose
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Mashal:
The man calls the woman, whom he calls "Shulamis," from the word meaning complete or perfect. He praises her from head to toe. (Actually, he starts with her footsteps and works his way up.) Her thighs are like jewels, her navel is like a bowl of the finest wine, and her stomach is like a pile of wheat. As in chapter 4, he again compares the woman's breasts to twin fawns. Her neck is like a tower of ivory and her eyes are like pools of water. Her face is like the royal palace that Solomon made lined with Lebanon cedar. Her head is like Mount Carmel and her hair is like precious braided purple wool - even kings are attracted by her hair! After praising her piece by piece, the man exclaims how beautiful the "total package" is.
The man continues to praise the woman: "Your posture is like a palm tree and your breasts are like the dates that grow there. Let me climb up your tree and grab onto your branches. You can be the fruit of the tree and your fragrance like apples. Your mouth is like the best wine, which will make even my ancestors rejoice with me."
The woman replies: "I am my beloved's and he truly desires me. Let us go to the fields and stay in the villages. We can get up early and go to the vineyards to see whether the grapes and pomegranates have blossomed; there, I will give you my love. The pots of figs are fragrant and all sorts of fruit can be found in our doorways - I have placed them there for you, my love!"
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Nimshal:
The nations try to entice Israel into turning away from G-d, but they won't hear of it. The nations respond by recounting Israel's praises: their footsteps are the three times each year that they travel to Jerusalem for the Festivals; the thighs are pipes that carried the libations on the altar and the navel is the Sanhedrin. The wine and wheat attributed to the woman's stomach represent their teachings, which flow like wine and nourish the people like wheat. The breasts are the two Tablets, upon which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. The neck is the Temple, standing tall, while the eyes are the scholars of Jerusalem. The "face" of the city looks towards Damascus, its future border in Messianic times. The head refers to the tefillin which Jews place upon their heads and the hair is the long growth of the Nazirite, which attracts G-d through their dedication to His laws. They are upright like a palm tree and the teachers are their fruit.
G-d says that the deeds of the Jewish people cause Him to climb that palm tree and hold tight to the branches. He only asks that the teachers continue to be like fruit to the nation. Israel is overwhelmed by G-d's display of affection for them and they tell the nations that there is no way they would stray. The Jews ask G-d to take them to the fields, away from worldly distractions, where they may serve Him. They hope to arise early to learn His Torah and do His will; they will go see the success of the students. They end by saying that all their deeds, both old and new, have been stored up before G-d.
The word "apeich" in verse 5 could mean "your nose" or "your face." Rashi can't see how comparing someone's nose to a tower could be a compliment, so he renders it "face." The Metzudas Dovid, however, renders it "nose," explaining the praise to be that her nose is straight like a tower, not bent or crooked in any way.
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Song of Songs Chapter 6 Wed, Jul 01, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 26:44 |
Text Pages |
NOW "Ani L'dodi V'Dodi Li"
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Mashal:
Picking up from where we left off, the girls ask the woman where her lover has gone; if she tells them, then they'll know where to look. The woman replies that the man has gone to his garden to enjoy the spices and roses there. "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine, the one who pastures his flocks among the roses."
When the man hears these praises, he replies that the woman is as beautiful as the cities of Tirtza and Jerusalem and as awe-inspiring as legions carrying flags. (This may possibly refer to the legions of G-d's angels.) The man advises the woman to look away, because her gaze is making him feel arrogant and proud. As before, he praises her hair, teeth and face. The man goes on to say that there are 60 queens, the king has 80 concubines and there countless other women, but his beloved is one of a kind. The other women - including the queens and the king's concubines - praise her as bright as the dawn, fair as the moon, clear as the sun and as awe-inspiring as those legions we mentioned earlier.
The man concludes that when he was turned away, he went to the garden to enjoy the plants and to see what had bloomed. The woman says that she didn't know enough to open the door for him, which has caused her to bear the weight of the world.
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Nimshal:
The nations of the world ask Israel where G-d has gone. In the future (our past), the nations will offer their assistance in rebuilding the Temple, albeit for ulterior motives. Israel replies to the nations that even though the nation may be in exile, G-d will again be found in His Temple, where fragrant incense is offered to Him. Israel is their Beloved's and He is theirs, causing them to graze tranquilly among the roses.
G-d tells the Jewish people that they are beautiful to Him when they act in a manner that is befitting of their relationship with Him. When they do, they are as precious to G-d as Jerusalem was at the height of its righteousness and even the legions of angels cannot compare to them. G-d advises the Jews to turn away, lest He be inspired to redeem them from exile prematurely. Despite their sins, even the least among them is praiseworthy; their leaders are righteous and even the common people have merits as numerous as a pomegranate's seeds. Abraham had sixty descendants (counting the children of Keturah, and the children of Isaac and Ishmael through the heads of their Tribes and familes). The descendants of Noah until Abraham are 80. The former are like queens, while the latter are like concubines. Israel, however, is unique. The other "queens and concubines" praise Israel and the Temple.
G-d says He will go down to the second Temple to see if the Torah and merits of the nation have blossomed. Israel replies that they didn't know how to guard themselves from temptation. They became slaves to their passions, which drove G-d away and allowed nations to conquer them.
Verse 3 contains the famous phrase "Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li" ("I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine"), whose Hebrew initials spell the name of the month of Elul. This is symbolic of the relationship between G-d and Israel, especially at that time of year, leading up to the "High Holy Days."
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Song of Songs Chapter 5 Tue, Jun 30, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 34:13 |
Text Pages |
Knock, Knock
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Mashal:
At the end of the previous chapter, the man compared the woman to a garden and she invited him in to partake of her fruits. Now, the man says he has come to the garden, where he ate sugar cane and drank wine and milk. He encourages his friends to join him in rejoicing and to drink deeply.
The woman now says that she is sleeping when she hears her lover knocking. He calls for her to let him in, but she refuses, having already turned in for the night. She doesn't want to put her robe on or dirty her feet, which she has already washed. The man reaches his hand in through the hole beside the door, which stirs the woman's passions and makes her long for him. She gets up to open the door for him but she's too late: he has already disappeared. She calls him, but there is no reply.
The woman ventures out to look for her lover. She encounters the city watchmen, but unlike the encounter in chapter 3, this time they abuse her. They beat her up and steal her jewelry. She then asks the girls of Jerusalem, if they see her lover, to let him know how madly in love with him she is. The girls ask the woman what makes her man so superior to other men. The woman replies by praising the man's complexion, his hair, his eyes, his face, and his body. After enumerating his praises, she says, " And THAT's why I love him so much!"
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Nimshal:
The previous chapter ends with Israel's plea that G-d join them and rejoice in them. Here, G-d replies that He has already done so, when He caused His presence to rest on the Tabernacle and the Nesiim ("princes") of the Tribes offered incense before Him. G-d accepted all types of sacrifices offered Him, as well as wine libations on the altar. (Milk - "chalav" in Hebrew - may be a reference to "cheilev," the fats that were burned on the altar.) The Kohanim ("priests") are encouraged to eat the portions assigned to them and become lightheaded from their spiritual experiences. (The Kohanim could not literally become drunk, as they were obligated to abstain from wine while "on duty.")
The nation replies that they permitted themselves to slack off; they may have been asleep, but G-d was awake and He "knocked" by sending prophets to rouse the people. He asked the people to let Him in, but they turned Him away. They have already strayed, they say, so how can they ever hope to return?
In response to this refusal, G-d sent enemy nations to strike them. The people then returned to Him, but it was too late; G-d had already "gone away." The people prayed, but G-d did not revoke the decree of exile. The enemy soldiers came and encountered the Jews, whom they struck fiercely. Then invaders then destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple.
Israel asks the nations that are destined to invade Jerusalem that they testify to G-d about how the Jews endured the punishments of their exile. In response, the nations ask what it is about the Jews' relationship with G-d that makes such trials worth experiencing. Israel replies that G-d is pure; He forgives the sins of those who return to Him and punishes those who don't. The subsequent verses extol G-d through a variety of metaphors, comparing Torah to spices and the Tabernacle (or possibly the prophets) to G-d's "lips." "Arms" refers to the Tablets, upon which G-d inscribed the Ten Commandments and the bowels represent the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus), which is at the center of the Torah and contains the "guts" of the laws.
After listing these praises of G-d, among others, the Jews tell the nations, "That's why G-d is my Beloved and my Friend."
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Song of Songs Chapter 4 Mon, Jun 29, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 31:39 |
Text Pages |
That's an Odd Thing to Call Moses...
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Mashal:
The man praises the woman for a wide variety of her attributes. "Your eyes are like doves," he say, "and your hair cascades down like a flock of goats from a mountain. Your teeth are like perfectly uniform white sheep. Your lips are like scarlet and your speech is pleasing to the ear. Your cheeks are like pomegranates and your neck is like the Tower of David. Your breasts are like twin fawns, the offspring of a gazelle, peacefully grazing among roses. I will go to the two fragrant mountains until high noon."
The man continues: "You are perfect, my beloved, without blemish. Come with me from Lebanon and look down from the peaks of mountains, where lions dwell. You have stolen my heart with just one of your eyes, with one link of your necklace. Your love is better than wine and you anoint yourself with oils more fragrant than spices. Your lips are like honey; indeed, milk and honey are under your tongue. Your clothes are as aromatic as the forests of Lebanon."
The man concludes: "You, my love, are like a garden or a spring that is protected by a locked gate. Even your arid fields are fruitful with abundant trees and spices."
The woman replies, "If so, may the winds blow upon my garden and distribute the fragrance of the spices. You, my beloved, should come to the garden and partake of some of the fruits."
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Nimshal:
G-d praises Israel for her modest traits. Their sons are like the cascading goats and their soldiers are like a perfect, unblemished flock. Their words are trustworthy, like the scarlet thread used to identify and save Rahab's family in the Book of Joshua (chapters 2 and 6). The merits of even the least of them are as numerous as the seeds of a pomegranate.
The Sanhedrin is upright, like the Tower of David. The brothers Moses and Aaron are like twin fawns among the roses. (They are referred to as breasts in the text because they nurtured the nation in its infancy.) G-d says that He went to the site of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) until the sins of the nation caused Him to depart. He will then be with the Jewish people on the Temple Mount, where He will accept their prayers. He will be with them when the Temple is destroyed and they are ultimately exiled. ("Lebanon" is a frequent name for the Temple throughout Tanach.)
G-d says to Israel, "You have captured My heart with just one of your attributes, with but a single one of the many mitzvos that adorn you. Your love is better than wine and your reputation for righteousness is better than perfume."
Sweet words of Torah are found on the lips of the Jewish people. Their garments are fragrant through the mitzvos they perform. (Rashi refers specifically to the mitzvos performed through clothing, such as the Priestly garments, placing tzitzis - fringes - on a four-cornered garment, and not wearing shaatnez, i.e., a mixture of wool and linen.)
The Jewish girls are paragons of modesty, chaste like a locked garden. Even the simplest Jews, compared to the dry fields, are replete with virtues, compared to pomegranates and a variety of spices.
May G-d return the exiles of Israel to this "garden" like winds from the north and the south. Then, may He join the Jewish people in this metaphorical garden, where He will delight in them.
In this chapter, G-d says the Jews' love is better than wine. What use does G-d have for wine? In Hebrew, the numerical value of the word "yayin" (wine) is 70. According to the Targum, wine here is an allusion to the traditional 70 nations of the world. According to this interpretation, the love displayed by Israel is superior to that shown G-d by the other nations. (See Targum on verse 10.)
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Song of Songs Chapter 3 Sun, Jun 28, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 21:22 |
Text Pages |
Not Greek to ME!
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Mashal:
The woman says, "On my bed at night, I longed for the one I love, so I decided to get up and look for him." She looked all through the markets and the streets, but she did not find him. She encountered the night watchmen and asked if they had seen her lover, but they did not reply. She had just left the guards, when she found her man. She held him and did not let go until they reached her mother's house and entered her bedroom. (At this point, the woman again warns other girls not to interfere in her relationship.)
Who is that, coming from the desert like a pillar of smoke, perfumed with all the wares of a spice merchant? It is the sedan chair of Solomon, borne by sixty of his mightiest armed warriors. Solomon had this chair made from the trees of Lebanon, with its accessories in silver, gold and the finest cloth; it was much admired by the girls of Jerusalem. Go out, you girls, and take a good look at Solomon, wearing the crown his mother placed on his head on the joyful day he got married.
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Nimshal:
Israel sought G-d in the wilderness during the forty years of wandering, which are compared to night. They looked for Him, but He did not allow them to find Him. They asked their "watchmen," Moses and Aaron, if they had spoken with G-d. Not long after they passed on, Joshua brought the Jews into Israel, where they were "reunited" with G-d. They brought the Mishkan (Tabernacle) to Shiloh and G-d established His Presence there. Now that Israel and G-d have been reconciled, the Jews warn the other nations not to rock the boat.
Who was it who marched through the desert, led by a pillar of cloud and burning incense? The Jews. The Tabernacle is the resting place of G-d. (Remember that in the nimshal, "Shlomo" doesn't refer to Solomon, it refers to G-d, i.e., the One to Whom all peace belongs.) The Tabernacle was surrounded by the 600,000 Jews in the desert who were eligible for army service. G-d had the Tabernacle built of the finest wood, silver, gold and cloth, and it was much beloved to the Jews. They would gaze upon it in order to see the glory of G-d, Who was crowned by His nation on the day they were united with Him at Sinai. (How does the nimshal get "His nation" out of "his mother," as found in the mashal? A simple vowel change: "His mother" in Hebrew is "imo," while "His nation" is "umo." The consonant base of the words is the same.)
Verse 9 appears to contain a Greek word (apirion, meaning a sedan chair or a litter - a kind of seat that was carried by bearers), which some consider anachronistic. I asked my friend Rabbi Eric Levy, who has delivered lectures on many Books for Nach Yomi, and he sent me a long list of explanations. Here are just two: First, it's not even so clear cut that it is a Greek word. It may be of Sanskrit derivation, Akkadian, or even Hebrew! (The Metzudas Tziyon refers us to the similar word puriya, derived from Hebrew, in Talmud Kesubos 10b.) Second, remember that Solomon may have composed the Song, but it was Chizkiyahu's court that edited it. Even if the word was probably unknown in Israel in Solomon's time, this certainly wasn't the case in Chizkiyahu's day.
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Song of Songs Chapter 2 Sat, Jun 27, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 31:35 |
Text Pages |
Dodi Li Va'Ani Lo
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Mashal:
The woman says: I am a lily of Sharon, a rose of the valley.
The man replies: You ARE like a rose - and the rest of the girls are like thorns!
The woman responds: And you're like an apple tree among all the other trees of the forest - your shade is delightful and your fruit is sweet. Take me to your banquet hall and demonstrate your love for me. Fill me with wine and cover my bed with your fragrant apples. Hold me in your embrace. The rest of you girls, do not come between me and my man! My beloved is coming, gracefully like a gazelle. He is peeking at me from behind the wall. My love calls me to come away with him because winter has passed and spring has arrived. The land is full of flowers, singing birds, fresh figs and aromatic grapes. My lover compares me to a dove in the cleft of a rock and he asks that I reveal myself so that he might see me and hear my voice. I ask that he seize people who, cunning as foxes, might try to come between us. I am my beloved's and he is mine; he stays here, among the roses. When the sun was high, however, I caused him to depart like one to a distant mountain.
Verse 1 contains the famous phrases "rose of Sharon" and "lily of the valley," although the opposite would perhaps be more accurate. Verse 16, "Dodi Li Va'Ani Lo," "My beloved is mine and I am his," is the same concept but the reverse order of the more famous "I am my beloved's...," which we'll see in chapter 6.
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Nimshal:
Israel compares itself to a rose, with G-d adding that others nations are thorns by comparison. Israel replies by comparing G-d to a fruitful apple tree and idols to dead wood. G-d protects His people with His shade and His fruit, the Torah, is sweet.
G-d brought Israel to His "chamber," the Tabernacle, and He sustains them with comfort in exile, because they are sick from missing Him; they recall how He "embraced" them in the wilderness after they left Egypt. Israel warns the other nations, compared here to rival women, that when they come to offer sacrifices in Jerusalem, not to disturb their relationship with G-d.
Israel was excited to hear the voice of G-d coming to redeem them in Egypt. The Jews thought they were abandoned, but G-d was with them the whole time, metaphorically watching them from behind the wall. G-d called to Israel, for the "winter" of Egyptian servitude has passed and it is time for the "spring" of redemption. (Please note that Passover, which commemorates the freedom from bondage, very literally occurs in the spring.)
As in the previous chapter, G-d again compares Israel to a dove. However, they are cornered by the Egyptians at the Red Sea, so He asks them to show Him the appropriateness of their deeds. They cried out to G-d (see Exodus 14:10) and He found their voice pleasing. (The Midrash applies this to the Shira, the "Song at the Sea.") G-d had the sea grab the Egyptians, who were pursuing like foxes and who had tried to undermine the integrity of the nation while it was still in its formative stages.
The chapter concludes with Israel saying that G-d is their Beloved, Who fulfills all their needs. He causes them to graze peacefully, until their sins drive Him away, as if to distant mountains.
According to Rashi, the meaning of "Dodi Li Va'Ani Lo" ("my Beloved is mine and I am His") is that G-d requires certain things of the Jewish people, but not from any other nation. Conversely, they turn to Him for all their needs and not to idols.
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Song of Songs Chapter 1 Fri, Jun 26, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 37:47 |
Text Pages |
Black is Beautiful
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Mashal:
The Song of Songs, by Solomon.
The woman says: Kiss me, because your love is sweeter than wine. Your reputation is comparable to fine oil. All the girls want you. Show me some encouragement and I'm all yours! You're like a king to me; you brought me to your chambers. I will rejoice in your love. I am dark-skinned but beautiful. Don't look down on me because of my complexion; my brothers were angry with me and they made me work in the fields. I had to tend their vineyards rather than looking after my own. Tell me, my love, where and when you rest your flocks so that I can join you there rather than mourn.
The man replies: You don't know where to go? Just follow the tracks left by the flocks and you can graze your goats alongside the shepherds' housing. You are as superior as the horses selected to pull the Pharaoh's chariots. You are adorned with earrings and necklaces. I will have ornaments of gold and silver made for you.
The woman responds: While you were dining, I anointed myself with fragrant oil. You are like a bundle of myrrh that I place between my breasts. You are like a bunch of henna blossoms from the vineyards in Ein Gedi.
The man says: You are beautiful, with eyes like doves.
The woman concludes: No, YOU'RE the beautiful one! We're wonderful together - our bed is prolific and our home is built of cedar and cypress.
Some people mistakenly believe that this Song was written by Solomon for the Queen of Sheba, whom they believe to be Ethiopian. To support this hypothesis, they cite verse 5, commonly translated "I am black but comely." This is clearly not the intent of the text, as the subsequent verses go on to explain that the reason the woman in the Song has been darkened is because her brothers have been making her toil in the vineyards, and that it is a temporary condition.
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Nimshal:
The Song of Songs to G-d. (In this sense, the word "Shlomo" is not interpreted as the name Solomon, but as "the One to Whom peace belongs.")
Israel, represented by the woman in the Song, asks G-d to share His wisdom, compared to kisses. His Name is like the finest oil, which is why people have left all the various nations of the world to join Him. He encouraged the Jewish people and they followed Him into the wilderness, where He sheltered them. No matter what, they shall rejoice in the Torah, which He has given them.
Israel may be blackened from their sins, but they are also beautiful from their merits. They ask that G-d not hate them for their sins, since they were compelled by their oppressors to neglect their obligations.
Israel asks G-d, their Shepherd, where He may be found and when He will give rest to Israel, His flock. He replies that if they don't know where to find Him, they should follow the path blazed by their forefathers. G-d defeated Pharaoh's mighty army for the sake of His beloved, Israel, whom He adorned with booty from the splitting of the Red Sea.
But even as Israel stood at Sinai, they antagonized G-d by crafting the Golden Calf. This "drove G-d away," so He responded by having them build the Mishkan (Tabernacle), so that they might keep His Presence among them, between the poles of the Aron (Ark). (This is the metaphor of the myrrh between the breasts.)
G-d forgives the Jewish people for their errors since their good deeds make them beautiful; He compares the righteous of Israel to doves. Israel replies that G-d is the beautiful One, for forgiving us and enabling us to build the Temple, which was lined with cedar and cypress.
The Talmud in Yoma (38a) relates the final verse of this chapter, about the cypress doors, to the famous Nikanor doors of the Temple. A man named Nikanor went to Egypt to pick up the specially-made doors for the Temple's eastern gate. On his way back, a storm arose and the sailors threw one of the doors into the sea. Nikanor wouldn't let them touch the other door, saying "You'll have to throw me in with it!" At this, the sea calmed. When they reached their destination, the first door washed up on the shore. Later, when the doors of the Temple were upgraded to gold, the Nikanor doors were retained because of these miracles.
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Song of Songs Chapter Intro Fri, Jun 26, 09 |
Shir HaShirim - The Holiest of the Holy
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
If you read the introduction to my book, The Nach Yomi Companion Volume I: Neviim - Prophets (now available on ShopOU.org), then you saw how I was formerly daunted at the prospect of learning such Books as Job and some of the Later Prophets.
Boy, was I off base! You know what's hard? Shir HaShirim. Though we might be deceived into thinking it's simple from our public reading of it on Passover (if not every Friday night, as is some people's custom!).
Shir HaShirim, The Song of Songs (also known as Canticles and as The Song of Solomon) is a most atypical Book. On the surface, it is a beautiful love story, at times bordering on erotic poetry. There would seem to be little place for such a thing in the Bible. And yet, the Mishna in Yadayim (3:5) says that the entire world was never more deserving than the day on which Shir HaShirim was given to Israel. Why? Because "all the Writings are holy, but Shir HaShirim is the holiest of the holy."
Shir HaShirim, like Koheles (Ecclesiastes) and Mishlei (Proverbs) was written by King Solomon, but edited into its final form by the court of his descendant, King Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah). The commentators try to infer the order of the Books' composition based on their introductory phrases, but no definitive conclusion is reached. (Proverbs is by "Solomon the son of David, king of Israel," Ecclesiastes is attributed to "the son of David, king in Jerusalem," and Shir HaShirim is merely "by Solomon." The presumption is that by the time he wrote that, Solomon was famous in his own right.)
The Book is taken to be a metaphor for the relationship between G-d and Israel. In the metaphor, G-d plays the role of the man and Israel plays the woman. (This is a common metaphor; throughout the Bible, the relationship between G-d and Israel is described as a marriage, with the revelation at Sinai being the wedding.) However, the depth of the imagery makes this Book very hard to understand, as the basic reading of the text and the meaning of the verses can be quite divergent. For example, let's look at just the first verse, which is the aforementioned introductory phrase:
Text: "The Song of Songs, by Solomon."
Targum (Aramaic translation): "The songs and praises recited by Solomon, the prophet and king of Israel, which he received through a spirit of prophecy from the Master of the world, G-d."
Rashi (a Medieval commentator who focuses on the simple meaning of the verses): "Our rabbis taught (in Talmud Shavuos 35b) that every place it says Shlomo (Solomon) in Shir HaShirim, it refers to The Holy One, i.e., the King to Whom peace belongs. This is the song above all other songs, which was sung to G-d by His congregation and people, the nation of Israel..."
That's a translation and a very basic comment just on the introduction - can you imagine what the actual allegorical stuff must be like?
Accordingly, I have provided not one, but two synopses for each chapter of Shir HaShirim. One addresses the metaphor presented by the simple translation of the text; this is called the Mashal in Hebrew. The second synopsis is for the deeper, allegorical meaning. This is called the Nimshal. They are completely independent of one another. Not only can they be read together or separately, but whatever comments I might normally make after a synopsis are unique to either the Mashal or the Nimshal.
I hope this helps one better understand and appreciate the depth and beauty of Shir HaShirim, arguably the most profound Book in the Bible.
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Job Chapter 42 Thu, Jun 25, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 16:36 |
Text Pages |
All's Well That Ends Well
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Over the past few chapters, G-d has brought Job back down to Earth by pointing out His wonders, which Job can scarcely comprehend, let alone control. Job has had an epiphany that maybe he's not as wonderful as he thought he was. Job replies:
"I always knew that You could do anything You desired. I included this in my remarks as best I understood it. But there was so much I didn't know, which You have now told me! I always knew You by reputation, but this is the first time I've experienced you 'first-hand.' Now I'm absolutely mortified by what I said before."
Next, G-d addressed Job's friend Elifaz, whom you will remember was a prophet, as we saw in chapter 4. He said:
"Job may have been mistaken in thinking that he was more perfect than he actually is, but you three were WAY off-base. Job may not be perfect, but he IS righteous and you three were ready to assume the worst of him! You three must offer seven bulls and seven rams to atone. Job will pray for you and when he does, I will forgive you for his sake."
Elifaz, Bildad and Tzofar did as G-d instructed and G-d showed favor to Job. G-d returned that which had been taken from Job and he had twice as much wealth as he had before. His family and friends, who had been estranged, came and consoled Job for what he had been through and they each gave him a token of their affection. Job had fourteen (or possibly seven) sons and three daughters. His daughters were the most beautiful girls in the land and Job gave them an inheritance with their brothers.
After the events of this story, Job lived an additional 140 years and he saw four generations of descendants. He died satisfied, at a ripe old age.
Now, as for the matter of whether or not Job's children were actually killed, to which we alluded in chapter 1. We didn't actually see them killed in the narrative, as the action happened "off-camera." It is possible that the messengers reporting their deaths had been caused to hallucinate. Several things in this chapter support that hypothesis. First, verse 10 says that G-d restored that which had been captured from Job, which would be the wrong word to use for someone or something that had died. Next, verse 13 says that Job had however many sons and daughters - not that he begot them at this point, but that he already had them. Finally, that same verse uses the unusual word "shivana" for the number of sons. Most commentaries, including Metzudas Dovid and "Rashi," interpret that word as "twice seven" or 14. Some, however, including Ibn Ezra, interpret it to mean seven. If so, verse 13 could mean that Job had those those selfsame seven sons and three daughters as he had had in the beginning.
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Job Chapter 41 Wed, Jun 24, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 17:46 |
Text Pages |
More About the Leviathan
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
G-d continues telling Job about the Leviathan, continued from the previous chapter:
"The Leviathan is so imposing, the mere sight of it can fill a person with fear. A human couldn't rouse the sleeping Leviathan, so how could he hope to stand up before Me, the One Who created it? I will reward those who keep My laws; everything in the universe is Mine, so I certainly have the means to do so. I will even reward the children of righteous people in merit for their deeds."
"Getting back to the Leviathan, who can tame it like one tames a horse? You could never put a bridle in its mouth because its teeth are so fearsome! Its scales are like armor; they are so close together that they cannot be penetrated. The Leviathan sneezes light and its eyes shine like the sun. Fire goes forth from its mouth and smoke from its nostrils. Power is in the neck of the Leviathan and its heart is as strong as stone. The mighty of other species quake before it. A person could not defeat the Leviathan with a sword or a spear, and chain mail would not protect a person from it. Iron weapons and stones are as effective as straw against it. The Leviathan basks in the golden sunlight and it makes the water churn like a pot boiling. It swins so swiftly, it cuts a path in the water. No other creature rules over the Leviathan."
There are some who identify the Leviathan as the crocodile. The verses in this chapter are actually a pretty good description of a crocodile, assuming, of course, that the part about breathing fire is a metaphor.
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Job Chapter 40 Tue, Jun 23, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 19:37 |
Text Pages |
All About the Behemoth
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
G-d asks Job, "So, who would like to debate with Me?"
Job replies, "I have nothing to say! I retract my statement about You handing control of the world over to the constellations, since You have shown me that this is not the case. I still don't understand why the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper, but I think I'll leave well enough alone."
So G-d continued to reply to Job, still from the midst of a storm, but milder now:
"Stand up like a man so I can ask and you can answer. Do you intend to dismiss My judgment? Will you try to make Me look bad in an attempt to make yourself look good? Do you have the kind of power I have so that you can compete with Me? If so, clothe yourself with glory, then punish the wicked and humble the arrogant. When you can do that, I'll admit that you're as perfect as you have maintained. Until then, you'll have to admit that you're not."
"Consider the Behemoth." (This is a large - possibly supernaturally large - mammal upon which the righteous are destined to feast in the Next World - see Talmud Baba Basra 74b.) "The Behemoth eats grass like cattle, but he is the strongest of animals. His tail is hard as a tree, his limbs are like copper and his bones are like iron. He was created to be foremost among animals and only I, G-d, can subdue him. It takes mountains of food to feed him and I must personally shelter him because he's too big to be shaded by trees. He opens up his massive mouth and takes in the river. Only I can conquer the Behemoth."
"And what of the Leviathan?" (The Leviathan is a large - possibly supernaturally large - sea creature.) "Can you catch it, Job? Will it beg you to spare its life? Will you enslave it and treat it like a pet? Do you plan to skin it and make yourself a tent? If so, you'd better get yourself ready because you've got a big job ahead of you!"
There are those who identify the Behemoth of this chapter as the hippopotamus. The hippo is a huge, herbivorous, river-dwelling mammal with a stiff tail and a giant, gaping mouth. The description actually fits the text quite nicely. However, one would have to assume that the various Talmudic and Midrashic statements attributing supernatural size to the Behemoth are strictly allegorical. (This would include the part about the Behemoth being the meal for the righteous in the Next World, as the hippopotamus is not a kosher animal.)
The commentary of Rashi on Job ends before the last few verses of this chapter. The balance of his commentary on this Book was completed by other hands. It is not unprecedented that the commentary popularly attributed to Rashi may have been authored by others; such is also the case in the Book of Chronicles.
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Job Chapter 39 Mon, Jun 22, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 21:23 |
Text Pages |
Zoology
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
G-d continues His list of reasons why Job shouldn’t consider himself such hot stuff:
“Do you know when it’s time for mountain goats to give birth? How about deer? Do you ensure that every creature fulfills its proper gestation period? They give birth naturally, without doctors or midwives, and they grow up strong, eventually becoming independent."
"Did you make the wild donkey so hard to tame? Their home is in the wilderness, in places uninhabitable to man, so they laugh at the thought of being hooked to a wagon. Instead, they get to survey their territory, pasturing wherever they wish."
"How about the wild ox? Does it want to serve you, Job? Does it even want you to feed it? You certainly can’t plow with it! Will you try to get it to do your work for you? It’s not happening."
"And what about birds like the ostrich, whose eggs are in nests on the ground? When she has to leave them unattended, they could easily be trampled by other animals. These birds do not have strong protective instincts because I, G-d, have not given them that capacity."
"Let’s talk about horses. Did you make them such mighty creatures? Did you make them so impressive in battle and so agile? Riders use them to search out the land on reconnaissance missions and soldiers are confident in their strength as they rush towards the enemy. The quiver full of arrows rattles alongside the spears. The horse rushes forward, unafraid of the enemy’s trumpets. If anything, it spurs him on!”
"Do you make the hawk soar? Do you make it fly south? Do you make the eagle build its nest on a high mountain? Do you give it eyes to find food from a distance? Where people are found slain, there you will find predators.” (Rashi quotes various Midrashim applying the section about the eagles to Aaron, the High Priest.)
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Job Chapter 38 Sun, Jun 21, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 33:44 |
Text Pages |
OMG!
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
And now, G-d Himself speaks to Job! G-d addresses Job from the midst of a storm because in chapter 9, Job said that G-d could intimidate him by crushing him with a storm (verse 17).
"Who is saying such foolish things?" G-d asks rhetorically. "You don't know anything. You wanted to talk to Me; well, here I am! Stand up like a man and let's talk. Where were you when I formed the Earth? Do you know how it was hung in it place? Where were you when the stars started singing and the angels started their praises? Do you set the boundary around the sea? I think not! Where were you when I wrapped the world in clouds?"
"Do you make the sun come up in the morning? Not! Do you shake the world so that the wicked may be uprooted? No! A person is mortal; his face changes in death, until he stands up again at the future revival of the dead. At that time, the wicked will be deprived of light and the arm of oppressors will be broken. Have you explored the ocean depths or seen the gates of Hell? Do you understand the way the world runs? If you do, then please, speak up!" (The Ralbag renders verse 18, "Do you know the distance from the equator to the poles?" The Ibn Ezra also sees it as a geography question.)
"Do you know where light comes from and where darkness goes? Did you know when you would be born? Do you know when you'll die? Do you understand the wonder of snow? How about the hail that I saved from the plague in Egypt to be used against the invaders in the time of Joshua?" (See Joshua chapter 10.) So, tell me, how exactly does one separate the light over the Earth from the east? Was it you who made a separate follicle for every hair and a separate path for every thunderclap? Do you make it rain in the desert, where no one can see it? Where do ice and frost come from?"
"Can you bind up the constellations, or free them? Do you make the Zodiac go around and around? Do you know which angel is assigned what job in order to supervise them? Can you command the clouds, making it rain? Can you send lightning with a word? Who gave the rooster its ability as an alarm clock? Do you have any control over the sky? How about the dust of the Earth? Do you make sure the lions are fed? How about the ravens?"
G-d appears to end rather abruptly, but He continues in the next chapter.
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Job Chapter 37 Sat, Jun 20, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 17:32 |
Text Pages |
(Except For You, Apparently)
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Elihu concludes:
"Listen to the thunder, which is like the voice of G-d, and the lightning He sends to the ends of the Earth. G-d will not cease these functions because people pray for the rain. Thunder and lightning may be obvious phenomena, but how many marvelous things does G-d do about which we are completely unaware? He sends snow to the Earth, as well as light showers and heavy rains. When a person sins, he is effectively signing off on it himself so that he'll understand for what he is being judged. G-d judges a person not only through the rains, but through wild animals, the cold, and more. The winds, which are like G-d's breath, bring ice and floods. G-d has the clouds loaded with rainwater, which He distributes. The clouds are guided by G-d to dole out the rains as He deems appropriate, whether they will fall on faraway mountains or on the fields of man."
"Listen up, Job! Be still and think about all of G-d's wonders! Do you know how He distributes the rain? Can you comprehend how wise He must be to properly place the clouds across the sky? Do you know how your clothes are warmed when G-d turns away the cold winds? Do you share the ability to spread out the sky? If you're all that, please tell the rest of us how to reply to G-d; we're all incapable of doing that because (unlike you, apparently) we don't fully comprehend the nature of G-d. No, G-d is not like a person who needs to be told things; G-d already knows them."
At the end of his speech, Elihu addresses the fact that Job's other three friends were ultimately unable to answer him.
"Your other three friends are like babies who never saw wisdom, like clouds swept away so that no rain comes - they started the job, but they were unable to finish it! We may not understand all that G-d is, but we do know that He is infinitely powerful and He does not burden His creatures unnecessarily. If He punishes someone, it is called for and appropriate for that person. This is why people (except for you, apparently) would be too in awe of G-d to engage Him in a debate. Even those who are wise by our standards have nothing to say in a debate before G-d."
With this, Elihu concludes his remarks.
Verse 11 says that "Af B'ri" fills the clouds. The commentaries say that Af B'ri is the name of the angel to whom this task is delegated. "Af" in Hebrew is a word for anger, since rain can be used to punish mankind; B'ri is a word for healthy, since the rains can be a source of crops and nourishment.
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Job Chapter 36 Fri, Jun 19, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 27:08 |
Text Pages |
What'll It Be, Job?
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Elihu continued:
"Be patient and I will explain things to you; there's a lot to know about G-d. I will say it loud and clear and I will only proclaim G-d's righteousness. What I'm telling you is true and G-d's knowledge is perfect. He is infinitely great and merciful and He doesn't hate the oppressed. Instead, He takes action on their behalf. When He acts to protect the needy, He separates the wicked from them and does not preserve the oppressors. G-d always watches His righteous, until He lifts them up like exalted kings. If you see righteous people suffering, it is as payment for their sins. By means of their pains, G-d informs them of their misdeeds; if they are receptive and change their ways, they will enjoy good for the rest of their lives. If they refuse to listen and persist in their ways, they will perish."
"Evil people bring on G-d's wrath and do not change their ways." (Rashi says that when misfortune strikes the wicked, they blaspheme instead of turning to G-d.) "Their souls will be terminated, but G-d will save those of the righteous by means of their suffering. He leads people from the narrow place to wide open spaces, to enjoy a fully-stocked table." (Rashi says the narrow place is Gehinnom - Hell - and the wide open place is Olam HaBa - the Next World, i.e., paradise.) "If you've had enough suffering, this will save you from a dire afterlife, so you should embrace it. Otherwise, G-d will direct His wrath towards you and carry you away - and nothing can save you then!"
"So, what's it going to be, Job? Will you complain that you should never suffer? If so, what will be done to pay off your misdeeds? Don't go looking to trade the pains G-d has chosen for you with others you think might be preferable. If you think poverty might have been a better punishment, what you have now is better." (Don't be misled into thinking that Job was also impoverished. Rashi points out that Job may have lost his flocks, but he retained his gold and silver.)
"G-d is the Supreme Power - no one can outdo Him. He teaches us to repent through warnings and then through punishments. Who can criticize Him for not following the system He created? Look how wondrous all of His works are! G-d is infinite and beyond our comprehension! He makes the Heavens rain for the sake of the righteous who pray to Him. Can you comprehend the way He spreads His clouds across the sky? He uses them to judge the nations of the world, by granting or withholding rain. He increases the portion of one who has many children. He withholds rain when the people sin until they investigate their actions and correct their misdeeds."
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Job Chapter 35 Thu, Jun 18, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 10:41 |
Text Pages |
Use Your Brain
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Elihu took another breath so Job could soak all this in. Then he continued:
"Do you think it's normal for you to claim to be more righteous than G-d? Do you really think one's lot is the same whether he's a sinner or a saint? I'll answer both you and your three friends, who were left speechless by your arguments. Look up at the Heavens - see how high they are? Try to grasp how exalted G-d is. No matter how much you may sin, do you think it can possibly affect Him? Conversely, even if you're very righteous, do you think you're giving Him anything? Your actions only impact on other human beings, not on G-d."
"Many people cry out to G-d because they are oppressed by others, who do not fear Him. But G-d has given us a greater capacity for wisdom than He has given His other creatures, so let's use it. We see the oppressed cry out and G-d may not answer them immediately. Well, you, Job, are not being oppressed by man, but by G-d Himself, yet you complain that He doesn't come down here and answer you in person? You should just state your case and wait for His reply, in His own due time. Just be aware that what you've endured so far is nothing compared to what one's sins truly deserve; G-d is graciously overlooking many of them. You, Job, simply don't know what you're talking about."
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Job Chapter 34 Wed, Jun 17, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 30:13 |
Text Pages |
"Let Me Speak to Your Supervisor!"
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Elihu took a breather, then he resumed:
"All you wise people should listen to me. Let your ears sample my words like your mouths taste food. Let us clarify matters and we'll see what's what. Job is sure that he is innocent and that G-d is punishing him for no reason. By accusing G-d of being unjust, Job is effectively calling Him a liar. Job indulges in such scornful words as if they were water. Job has done G-d a great disservice by claiming there is no benefit in following G-d. Listen to me! G-d does not act unjustly! He pays all people according to what they have earned! He can't be bribed and He doesn't play favorites!"
"No one else put G-d in charge of the world; He has no boss to report to. There's no need for Him to make up excuses for the things He does, as He is the Ultimate Authority. If G-d wants to, He can just recall the soul that He put into a person, no questions asked. He could withdraw the gift of life from the entire world at once if it pleased Him to do so!"
"Do you think G-d will heal those who despise righteousness? Will you accuse Him of being unfair? It's not proper to insult a king, certainly not THE King! He shows no favoritism - the mighty and the humble are all the same before Him. He made them and their brief lives are in His hands. The fate of entire nations is up to Him! G-d sees everything man does and He reacts accordingly; nothing is hidden from Him. There's absolutely no reason for Him to add anything to a person's sins when He judges because He knows what's what. If a person deserves it, G-d will turn their day into night."
"He struck down the wicked of Sodom in public, so that others would see and learn from it. The people of Sodom wholly distanced themselves from G-d, causing the oppressed of the city to cry out to Him. (The cry of the oppressed is exactly the kind of thing to which G-d pays attention!) After G-d has given the victims relief from their oppressors, who would dare emulate them in perpetrating evil? And if G-d hides Himself from people, who could find Him? The same is true in the micro, dealing with individuals, and in the macro, dealing with nations. G-d will not permit the wicked to thrive so that they may continue to trap the innocent."
"You know what you should have done, Job? You should have accepted the pains that G-d gave you in lieu of destruction. You should have acknowledged that this is G-d's way of correcting you; you should evaluate your deeds and fix them! Do you really think that G-d should have consulted you regarding your own punishment? Smart people will understand that the things you have said were not wise; your judgment was clearly affected by all your suffering. Oh, G-d! May Job be tried forever until he repents, so that others will see that what he said was wrong! The more he talks, the more sins he piles up!"
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Job Chapter 33 Tue, Jun 16, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 25:18 |
Text Pages |
Reincarnation?
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Elihu continues his response to Job :
"Just listen to me, since I am finally ready to speak. G-d has made me, just like you he made you, and He has kept me alive, so I will speak up for Him. You wanted to talk to G-d? I will represent Him, so answer my words, if you can. But I am also human, so you won't be intimidated by being in awe of me like you would be if you spoke directly to G-d."
"I heard what you said to your friends about being innocent and pure, without any sins. You said that G-d was making up pretexts to punish you. Well, guess what: you're wrong. You think you must be right because G-d refuses to answer you? Well, G-d does speak to people, just not necessarily through words! He could speak to you in your dreams. If that fails, He might speak to you through punishments. People get sick, which robs them of the ability to carry out sins they had planned. Doing this actually spares a person from death! Instead of dying, one may suffer in pain on his bed. He may lose his appetite and become emaciated, or he may look horrible, but he has an opportunity to mend his ways. If not, he proceeds to the grave."
"A person may have 999 angels testifying against him and only one on his side, but that's enough for G-d to find favor and save this person." (Alternatively, a person may have 999 faults and only one merit, but that's enough for G-d to save him.) "When the person turns to G-d in prayer, he will be restored to health as in his youth. G-d will repay the person for his righteous deeds. The person will testify to others that he had sinned but that he did not profit thereby. Since the person changed his ways and saved his own life, he will see light."
"G-d does this two or even three times with a person, bringing him back from the brink of death to live a renewed life. So don't say that G-d doesn't speak to people, because He does - you just have to listen to what He's saying! Now I will address your other points, so keep listening. If you have questions, ask and I'll answer them for you. If not, sit back and I will enlighten you."
The Zohar Chadash on parshas Ki Seitzei (96a), uses verse 29 as a source for the concept of reincarnation. The verse says that G-d goes through this purification process with a person two or three times. There, it interprets this to mean that a soul can have two or three opportunities (i.e., lives) to rectify itself. After that, it cannot be rectified and it falls subject to kareis (spiritual excision).
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Job Chapter 32 Mon, Jun 15, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 21:17 |
Text Pages |
That's All I Can Stands 'Cause I Can't Stands No More!
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job's friends saw that they were going in circles. Job's mind was made up and they weren't going to convince him, so they stopped arguing. This upset a fourth friend, Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. (Elihu was presumably related to Abraham in some way, as we will soon discuss.) Elihu became angry with Job for thinking that he was more righteous than G-d, and he became angry with the three friends for letting Job win the debate. (It wasn't just a stalemate because Job actually knew what his deeds were, while his friends could only speculate, so he "won" in the event of a tie.)
"That's it," said Elihu. "I've held my tongue so far out of respect because you're all older than I am and I figured you'd work it all out, but now I see that isn't the case. Apparently wisdom is only G-d-given, not something that necessarily comes with age. So, listen to me and I'll clear things up."
"You three had your chance and all you did was beat up on poor Job, telling him he must have sinned. Don't think you're doing the right thing by shutting up now and leaving things in G-d's hands, since you didn't do such a great job of speaking for Him so far. I wouldn't handle things the way you three have, so now it's my turn. I'm so full of things to say, I'm ready to burst and I can no longer contain myself. I must let the words out now. I will not take it easy on anyone and I will not soften my language out of respect for any person. If I did, I would be doing a disservice to G-d."
As far as the identity of Elihu, "the family of Ram" is taken to mean "the family of Avram," the original name of Abraham. Some think that Elihu may even be Isaac, and that the name Barachel may mean "the one who was blessed by G-d." At the very least Elihu is related to Abraham because as a Buzite, he is descended from Buz, the son of Abraham's brother Nachor (Genesis 22:21).
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Job Chapter 31 Sun, Jun 14, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 32:37 |
Text Pages |
Job's "Last Words"
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job concludes his response:
"I'm a righteous person. I didn't even look at eligible girls unless I was looking to get married or to find a wife for one of my sons. But this is how G-d repays me? Isn't this kind of punishment more appropriate for sinners? Why doesn't G-d treat me fairly? He knows I haven't acted falsely. He should treat me fairly, because I'm innocent! If I have done anything wrong, then I deserve to be punished accordingly, measure for measure. If I had sinful thoughts about another man's wife, that would be like fire, threatening my harvest. If I didn't treat my servants fairly, then I would deserve whatever G-d gives me."
"Have I ignored the needs of the poor or of widows? Did I let orphans go hungry? I was raised in the ways of righteousness all my life! I didn't let a needy person go around without adequate clothing - I used the fleece of my own flocks to make them clothes and they blessed me for it! If I had raised a hand against an orphan, I would deserve to lose that arm. I have seen what G-d does to the wicked and I fear it, so I have always stayed in line."
"If I had trusted in riches rather than in G-d, or if I had been lured to idolatry, I would deserve to be punished. Same thing if I had rejoiced in the downfall of others or tried to collect money I wasn't actually owed. Didn't I crowd my house with guests? No one ever went without a place to stay. I wasn't perfect, but I always admitted when I was wrong. I used to be able to overcome a huge number of evil men, but now the lowliest of them can intimidate me into hiding."
"I wish there was someone who would listen to my side and take action on my behalf. May G-d testify on my behalf and may the one who sides with Him write it down in a book! If he did, I would wear the book like a crown and carry its author on my shoulders out of gratitude. I would explain it all to that person and I would ask him to present my case to G-d."
"If my property complains that I was lax with fulfilling my agricultural obligations, if I didn't pay my workers or oppressed my sharecroppers, then may my land grow thorns and weeds instead of crops. That's all I have to say; I'm finished."
Rashi cites a Midrash that Moses is the one Job wants to write his book. As per our introduction, we are working under the assumption that that's exactly what happened.
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Job Chapter 30 Sat, Jun 13, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 26:39 |
Text Pages |
That Was Then, This Is Now
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
In the previous chapter, Job enumerated how esteemed he was before G-d afflicted him with all of his current troubles. Now, Job continues:
"But that was then; now, people younger than me laugh at me, even those of low families whose fathers were far below me. I put them to work as shepherds, but I shouldn't have because not only were they bad people, they were bad workers. Because of their poverty, they would dwell alone, subsiding on plants and berries they would pluck for food. These people were so despised, they were driven out of the cities, to live in caves. They were descended from equally lowly people, alienated from the people of the land."
"But now," Job continues, "I have become a topic of conversation among them. They hate me and they keep away from me, except to spit on me. And you know why all this has happened? Because G-d has taken away all my power and authority. Little punks stand up to me, acting with shameless 'chutzpah.' They antagonize me just for fun. Terrors have come upon me and my salvation has dissipated like a cloud."
"Now," Job says (are you detecting a theme here?), "my soul pours out because of all my troubles. My bones are picked clean all night and my muscles know no rest. My oozing boils constantly require having their dressing changed. They require me to sit in the dirt" (as we said in chapter 2) "and I myself have become like dust and ashes. I cry out to G-d, but He doesn't answer. All He does is think, 'What can I do to Job next?' He's acting hatefully to me for some reason. He will send me to the grave, where we all end up."
"It's not G-d's way to send complete destruction. While He's afflicting one person or nation, He's simultaneously comforting another. He knows whether or not I was compassionate to the needy when I was up. I expected good as a reward for my deeds, but He sent evil instead. I am internally conflicted and I cannot remain silent about this. I have been blackened without even going out in the sun. I wail and moan constantly, like an ostrich or a jackal. All my rejoicing has turned to mourning."
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Job Chapter 29 Fri, Jun 12, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 12:24 |
Text Pages |
Phoenix Rising
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job continues:
"If only things were good, like they were before, when G-d was taking care of me! He used to protect me and light my way! People used to come to me for advice and young men would wait upon me! I had all the best things in abundance and when I went to town, I occupied a place of honor. The young men would hide from me in shame and even the old men would rise for me. Princes and nobles would be silent before me, until I opened dialogue with them."
"Anyone who heard my words or saw my appearance couldn't help being impressed. I would go to bat for the needy and for orphans when they were being oppressed. The property of deceased evil men would find its way into my possession and I would use it to support their widows and orphans. I wore my righteousness like a garment, for all to see. I was eyes for the blind, feet for the lame, and I supported the needy. If I didn't know the true story behind a situation, I would investigate it."
"Back in the day," Job reminisced, "I would break the fangs of predatory people and release their prey. I had every reason to expect my legacy would endure and I would be renewed like a phoenix. My roots would be watered and dew would be on my branches. People hung on my every word, which was the final say on any matter. They would eagerly anticipate my wisdom and if I cracked a joke, they were amazed that someone as esteemed as I also had a sense of humor. I was their leader and they looked at me like a king."
One of the ways of understanding the word "chol" in verse 18 is the mythical phoenix, an immortal bird that would renew itself. The fact that a mythical creature may be mentioned in the Bible should not be taken as proof of its existence, or even to suggest that Job necessarily believed in it. Its use here is simply a metaphor, as if I said that one has as many lives as a cat. We all know that cats have the same number of lives as dogs, cows and horses (i.e., one each), but invoking a common expression, however zoologically inaccurate, is an effective means of conveying an idea. (Of course, the Metzudas Dovid understands verse 18 to say that Job thought his days would be as numerous as grains of sand on the beach, which renders the phoenix question entirely moot.)
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Job Chapter 28 Thu, Jun 11, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 25:32 |
Text Pages |
It's Not Sold in Any Store!
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job continues:
"Everything has a beginning and an end, just like precious metals that are taken from the Earth and end up in the refinery. G-d will outlast both Heaven and Earth."
"Streams of fire and sulfur rolled over Sodom, destroying the evildoers who lived there. That land had once been a source of bread, but it became desolate, as if consumed by fire. It had been a place of jewels and riches, untouched by robbers and spies, nor did wild animals lurk there. What did G-d do? He overturned the mountains of Sodom."
"G-d brings rivers out of rocks" (as He did to give water to the Jews in the wilderness). "He gathered the waters together at the time of Creation and He brings light from the Heavens. But where can wisdom (i.e., Torah) be found? People don't appreciate its value, with the result that it is rare among humans. You can't find it in the sea and you can't purchase it at any price. Neither gold nor rare commodities can compare." (Job mentions pearls, coral, and many other desirable things as paling before wisdom.)
"So where does wisdom come from?" Job asks. "Not only is it hidden from man, it's hidden from the angels, as well. Only those who figuratively 'kill themselves' to acquire wisdom will hear what it has to say. G-d, of course, knows the ways of Torah, as He used it as the blueprint for creating the world. He satisfies the needs of the world, from one end to the other, weighing the wind and measuring the water. He calculated the world's requirements, then He looked in the Torah and meted them out. When He did, He cautioned mankind that deference to Him and avoiding evil are what constitutes wisdom."
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Job Chapter 27 Wed, Jun 10, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 14:29 |
Text Pages |
An Innocent Man
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job continues:
"I swear by G-d that He is the One Who has deprived me of my rights and made my life miserable. As long as I may live, I will not recant . I will not give into your words because I am innocent. I know I have acted properly, so those who oppose me are in the wrong. It won't help a thief to flatter G-d; He will still cast him down. If G-d won't help an innocent man like me, He certainly won't help a guilty one! Such a person will never know joy in G-d."
"I will tell you what's in G-d's hand," Job says. "We've all seen what happens to evil people, so how can you be so smug as to suggest that I have chosen that path? Here's what G-d does to the wicked: if he has many children, he will lose them to violence and his grandchildren will starve. Those who survive will perish while he dies and his wife will be relieved to see him gone. If he gathers money and possessions, they will go to the righteous when the wicked man is destroyed. The wicked man builds his house as frail as a moth hole, or at best temporary like a watchman's booth. He dies wealthy, but he goes unburied. As soon as he becomes ill, he just has to blink and people will run off with his wealth. He is terrorized by night and swept away, as if by a storm. Those who overpower this wicked person will have no mercy on him and his advisors will defect. Those who formerly supported him jeer at him in his downfall."
As an example of supporters turning on the wicked when things go sour, Rashi cites Charbonah from the Book of Esther. Charbonah had been a supporter of Haman, but when the tables turned, Charbonah sold him out and told Ahashuerus about the gallows Haman had made to use on Mordechai. (See Esther 7:9.)
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Job Chapter 26 Tue, Jun 09, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 10:29 |
Text Pages |
Don't Leave Me Hanging
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job answers Bildad:
"What have you possibly contributed to the conversation? Who doesn't know that? You state common knowledge as if it's some profound insight! Don't presume to tell me, because I know more about G-d than you do."
"Hell lies concealed in the deepest depths, but G-d can see it all quite clearly. He suspends the world so that it hangs in space without supports. He binds water together in the form of clouds and it doesn't rain down in one big puddle. He surrounds His Heavenly throne with a cover of cloud" (as we saw in the first chapter of Ezekiel). "G-d set a boundary for the seas, which will endure so long as there's night and day." (The Ibn Ezra says that verse 10 refers to the horizon, "the place where light ends, so that above it is light and below it is darkness.")
"The pillars of Heaven shook when G-d set them in place and they were amazed when He commanded them to stand firm. He caused the sea to fold up (when the Jews left Egypt) and He made the Heavens like a tent. He punished the Egyptians and struck down the Pharaoh" (compared here to a serpent).
"And yet," Job says, "these are among the smallest of G-d's mighty deeds. But what can we learn from them? Who can understand the thunder of G-d's actions?"
Once again, we have to be impressed that Job knows that Earth is "hanging" suspended in space. Of course, he may have had some "inside information." (This is especially true if we subscribe to the opinion that Moses wrote the Book of Job and that it is he who put the words into all the characters' mouths.)
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Job Chapter 25 Mon, Jun 08, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 7:22 |
Text Pages |
Moonshine
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Bildad responds to Job:
"Control and fear are in G-d's hands. He's the One Who makes peace between fire and water in Heaven. Are His angels limited in number? Is there anyone in the universe to whom G-d's reach does not extend? You say that if G-d tested you, you would be found to be as pure as gold, but how can a mere mortal hope to be deemed righteous in G-d's sight?"
"If G-d removes the moon, it won't shine. Even the stars are not pure before Him! So how can a lowly person, whose end is to be consumed by worms and maggots, expect to impress Him?"
Astronomically speaking, Bildad is quite correct: If G-d removed the moon from its place, it wouldn't shine. That's because the moon doesn't generate any light of its own; it merely reflects light from the sun. If it were no longer adjacent to the sun, it would cease to shine. (You have to be at least a little impressed that Bildad knew that!)
The latter half of verse 2, Oseh Shalom Bimromav ("The One Who makes peace in His Heights") is quoted in the conclusion of both Shemoneh Esrei and Kaddish.
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Job Chapter 24 Sun, Jun 07, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 27:54 |
Text Pages |
Tread Water
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job continues:
"Why does G-d have to know our lifespans so that He can be sure to afflict us before we die? There are all sorts of evil people in this world. They move boundary markers to steal their neighbors' property. They take the property of widows and orphans; the needy get off the roads to avoid encountering them. They're like wild animals stalking their prey. People work hard on their fields and vineyards, only to have their produce seized by these evil ones."
"The evil people make the poor lie outside at night, cold and wet, because they've taken away their clothing and shelter. All over town, people moan from the actions of these oppressors and the souls of those they have murdered cry out, but still G-d does not punish them. They rebelled against Him because they lacked no good thing. They refused to recognize G-d or follow in His ways. They just kill by day and mug people by night. The adulterers wait until evening to sneak around. The ones who are too weak to overpower others break into houses by night, then lock themselves in safely by day, since they're scared of the morning light."
According to Rashi, Job has been speaking of the generation of the flood. He interprets verse 18, which appears at this juncture, accordingly. Job says that the evil people are "light upon the face of the water." Rashi says that this means that when Noah would rebuke them for their evil ways, warning of the impending flood, they would laugh at him and respond that they would merely float upon the surface of the waters.The following verse (19), which says that the wicked have stolen heat and snow, is a reference to the seasons being suspended during the year of the flood. Job acknowledges that many evil people did indeed perish in the great flood, but many more lived full, albeit evil, lives and died without any rebuke whatsoever.
Job concludes:
"The evil people of this generation would have two wives. One was for having a good time and the husband treated her quite well; the other was for bearing children and she lived like a widow." (Verse 21 here is consistent with Rashi's comment on Genesis 4:19.) "G-d grants these evildoers safety their whole lives, then they are destroyed in one fell swoop, without having to suffer leading up to it. If this isn't true, let one of you prove me a liar."
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Job Chapter 23 Sat, Jun 06, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 13:24 |
Text Pages |
Maybe Job Should Hire a Process Server?
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job responds to Elifaz:
"Even after everything that you've said, and venting as much as I have, I'm just as upset as I was when we started! I wish I knew where I could find G-d so that I could confront Him! I would lay out my case before Him and, even if He prevented me from speaking, I'd love to know what He has to say! Even if He afflicts me, He will not intimidate me into shutting up because I am innocent and I intend to prove it. But I look East, West, North and South and I cannot find Him."
"G-d knows I am innocent, which is why He won't meet with me. I have kept all of His will, treasuring His word more than I do my own daily bread. G-d is the ruler of all, no one will speak up before Him, and whatever He desires is what occurs. He will keep punishing me until He's finished, just as all His plans for mankind see their fruition. So when I think about His ways, yes, I get scared. What He's done to me has certainly 'put the fear of G-d' into me! I must say, I'm amazed that He's done all this and it hasn't killed me yet!"
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Job Chapter 22 Fri, Jun 05, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 16:45 |
Text Pages |
The "No Bang" Theory
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Elifaz responds to Job's latest statement:
Is G-d missing anything? Of course not! So it doesn't affect Him whether or not a person learns wisdom! It doesn't benefit G-d for a person to behave righteously! He doesn't fear anything you can do, He has no reason to engage you in debate, and you can't take Him to court. Doesn't He know what sins you have and have not committed in order to treat you accordingly? Did you take collateral for no reason or take the shirt off a poor man's back? Did you let people go hungry and thirsty? You don't get special treatment from G-d just because you were a prominent person! Did you oppress widows and orphans? Things like this would get you into your current sorry state."
"G-d is above us all, but do you think He doesn't see what goes on down here? Do you think our actions are beneath His notice? Will you follow in the footsteps of earlier, evil generations? These people were cut off because of their ways. Who can distance themselves from G-d without paying the price? They denied Him even though He gave them good things in their lives - I just don't understand how they can be so oblivious to Him!"
"The righteous rejoice for not having followed the path of the wicked and the innocent can mock them. You'll see the wicked get theirs. Repent and get closer to G-d so that you will be complete and enjoy goodness. Learn His word and embrace it. If you give up your evil ways and return to G-d, your situation will improve. You will be firmly established and prosperous. G-d will judge your enemies and you will delight in Him. Pray to Him and He will listen; you can be confident that your sacrifices will be accepted. He will favor you and allow your plans to succeed. You will be able to elevate a humble person and your merit can save others."
By accusing Job of a series of fairly severe sins, Elifaz is intimating that for a person as prominent as Job, even a seemingly minor sin is quite serious. In verse 15, Elifaz uses the phrase "orach olam," "the way of the world." The Ibn Ezra says that this refers to the heretical belief that the world was always the way it is now, without a beginning. (Hmm. Debates over the origin of the universe. The details may be different, but apparently some things never change!)
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Job Chapter 21 Thu, Jun 04, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 20:39 |
Text Pages |
Apparently, Crime Really DOES Pay!
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job replies to Tzofar's none-too-subtle accusations of wrongdoing:
"Just listen up. If you can keep quiet and hear me out, that will make me happy" (presumably as opposed to the lousy job Job's friends have done of "consoling" him). "When I'm done, then you can mock my words. Besides, I'm not even talking to you, I'm talking to G-d."
"When I think about this, I become terrified. Why do the evil become so mighty and prosperous? They see their children and grandchildren thrive. They are free from fear and G-d doesn't punish them. Their wealth increases and their children are secure and happy. They live joyful lives and pass away peacefully. They send G-d away from themselves, but they still prosper."
"I kept far away from evil people," Job says, "so how long will they be permitted to rejoice like this? I'd prefer to see G-d give them what they deserve! They should be uprooted like straw in the wind. Why should G-d make His faithful suffer? He should punish the wicked instead! Let them suffer, so they'll understand what they've done wrong! Their wealth isn't any good to them if they die!"
"Can anyone explain the way G-d judges the world? He punishes righteous people like me, while the wicked enjoy life and luxury! After death, we all experience the same grave. I know you all think I have done something to earn this treatment, but you're mistaken. You say, 'What happened to Job? What did he do to deserve this?' You've been talking about me and people say that the wicked have 'payback' coming. But who would talk back to G-d and tell Him He's being unfair? A person is mortal and dies. Your so-called 'comforts' are really a betrayal of our friendship."
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Job Chapter 20 Wed, Jun 03, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 17:30 |
Text Pages |
Them's Fightin' Words!
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Tzofar the Naamasite replies to Job:
"Sorry, but I have to respond to that. You disparage me, so I must reply. Don't you know the way things have always been? As long as man has been on Earth, the victory that evil people enjoy has been short-lived. If they become powerful and elevated, they soon fall and disappear. Their sons will be left to try and compensate for the fathers' wrongdoings and the property that they took through force will find its way back to the rightful owners. The evil person dies suddenly, at the height of his strength. He loves his wickedness, though he may initially conceal it until the time is ripe to spring his traps on people."
"The food eaten by the wicked will become like poison to them when their time comes. He will 'vomit up' the wealth he gathered; it will be like a snake's venom to him. He will take no pleasure in his ill-gotten gain and he will have to return it to its owner. Because he oppressed the poor, he actually drove himself from the world. Such a person is always hungry for more, so he will never be able to satisfy himself. He uses up all his resources and doesn't help the poor, so he will never prosper. As soon as he appears to have enough, he will find himself in trouble and the needy will overwhelm him. G-d will send His wrath upon this person. He is destined to meet a violent end."
"The darkness that awaits this evil person is concealed from him," Tzofar concludes. "The fire of Gehinnom (Hell) will consume him and those who take his place will not find things any better. His actions will become known and he will be despised for them. His possessions will be carried off by enemies when he gets his comeuppance. This is the fate G-d has decreed for the wicked."
The implication of Tzofar's closing remark, that this is what happens to evil people, is not subtle. Tzofar is suggesting that if this is what has happened to Job, then he must have done something to deserve it. (As you can imagine, Job is NOT going to take that lying down!)
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Job Chapter 19 Tue, Jun 02, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 22:25 |
Text Pages |
By the Skin of His Teeth
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job answers Bildad. "Will you knock it off already? You guys keep kicking me while I'm down. Aren't you ashamed to treat me like this? If I did sin, I would know about it, not you. You three are insults added to all my injuries, trying to prove me guilty of some wrongdoing. But you're mistaken. G-d has merely stacked the deck so that I look wrong. I keep complaining about the injustice of this, but He doesn't answer me. He has me 'in check,' so that I cannot move. He has removed all my honor and authority; in short, He has broken me, treating me like an enemy. He dispatches His forces against me and they cut me off. This has separated me from friends like you, who now stand against me. Everyone I know treats me like a stranger - even my household servants don't answer me! My wife and grandchildren are distant."
"I am emaciated to the point where I'm nothing but skin and bones; I have only escaped death by the skin of my teeth.You should have pity on me because of the way G-d has treated me! Don't join Him in persecuting me! Haven't I suffered enough? I wish my words would be written down in a book for posterity! I know that G-d is eternal and He will ultimately judge you for accusing me! Everyone can see my visible wounds, but I can also sense my internal injuries. Ask yourselves what is to be gained by ganging up on me. You should be worried about the judgment you will face for doing so!"
The phrase "skin of one's teeth" actually comes from this chapter (verse 20). Rashi explains the expression to mean that all of Job's flesh was afflicted except for his gums. Other commentators likewise interpret the expression to refer to the gums. In common usage, however, we use it more in the sense of the enamel of the tooth, i.e., that one escaped by a slim margin, although such does not appear to be the intent of the verse.
Also, Job got his wish - his words WERE recorded in a Book for posterity!
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Job Chapter 18 Mon, Jun 01, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 15:41 |
Text Pages |
Family Matters
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job's friend Bildad is the next to speak up. "How long will you drag this out?" he asks. "Just zip it and try to wrap your brain around what we've been telling you. Why do you have to put us down and call us dumb? You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment. After all, you can't expect G-d to change the way the world is run just to accommodate you!"
"What we told you before is accurate: evil people may prosper in the here and now, but their light is destined to be snuffed out. Their plots and schemes will ultimately be thwarted and prove their undoing. They will be trapped and G-d will give them over to the ones they oppressed. The wicked will know terrors and their families will suffer because of them. They will lead to their families' ruin until death consumes them. The wicked man will be separated from his wife, who relied on him, as he is sent to the grave. She will remain behind as a widow as his legacy crumbles. He will have no heirs and his name will be eradicated from the world. People who live later will be amazed when they hear how that mighty person was toppled; his contemporaries will tremble that the same fate might befall them. This is the fate of those who refuse to recognize G-d."
Regarding the families of the wicked, verse 12 literally says "his strength" and "his rib," which Rashi explains as "his son" and "his wife," respectively. These interpretations are precedented; Deuteronomy 21:17 refers to a person's first-born son as the "first fruits of his strength." And, of course, Eve was crafted from her husband's rib in Genesis chapter 2.
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Job Chapter 17 Sun, May 31, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 15:03 |
Text Pages |
Going Down
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job continues his reply to Elifaz:
"My will to live has been crushed. I'd be ready to die, even without you three aggravating me with your accusations. Won't G-d give me a trustworthy person to debate until the truth is revealed? You three have made up your minds and refuse to listen to sense. You just stick up for one another - there's no honor in that. I have been made an example of suffering, my vision dimmed and my limbs frail. Righteous people will be appalled by the way I've been treated and they will confront hypocrites like you three. So, let's get back to the topic, though apparently none of you is all that smart."
"My good times have passed," Job resumes, "and the good things I anticipated are never going to happen. You three trouble me so much that I can't even sleep at night. I look forward to death like going home to my family's embrace. What hope do I have? All that's left for me is the grave."
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Job Chapter 16 Sat, May 30, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 19:48 |
Text Pages |
Job "Spills His Guts"
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job responds to Eifaz:
"Yeah, yeah," Job says, "I've heard it all before. You're no help. We can go in circles like this all day. If our positions were reversed, I'm sure I'd say to you what you're saying to me. But I'm on this side of the discussion and you guys are draining me with your accusations. G-d clearly has issues with me and He's given me quite a beat-down. He hands me over to those who would harm me. Everything was cool, but then He grabbed me and started attacking me. His 'arrows' have wounded me to the extent that my guts are all over the ground. He has wounded me repeatedly, like a relentless soldier."
"I put on sack cloth" (or, perhaps, "I put gauze on my wounds") "and ashes on my face. I cried until I was at the brink of death. But did I do anything to deserve this treatment? No! I hope the ground doesn't conceal my blood so that everyone can see what G-d has done to me! Let my cries ascend to Heaven where they're testifying about me in G-d's court room. You should have supported me, but G-d knows I'm innocent. If only I could talk with Him like I do with you because a person has a limited lifespan and when he reaches the end, it's over."
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Job Chapter 15 Fri, May 29, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 29:36 |
Text Pages |
Older Than Dirt
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Each of Job's friends has spoken and Job replied to each. Elifaz, the friend who first addressed Job, now speaks again.
"I'm surprised," Elifaz told Job. "You're supposed to be so wise, but your words are full of hot air. How does it benefit you to argue your position? All you're going to accomplish is eroding others' faith in G-d by undermining Him." (Remember, Job hypothesized that G-d turned control of the world over to the stars, which is not the case.) "Your yetzer hara (evil inclination) is tempting you to say such things; you should take the time to consider your words and speak more wisely. I'll ask you a question and when you answer, it'll be your words that condemn you, not mine."
Here's the question Elifaz asked Job. "Are you older than Adam, or older than the hills, and therefore so much wiser than us? What do you think you know that we don't? Tzofar may be younger than you, but Bildad and I are older and we three all agree. What do you see that causes you to deny G-d's 'hands-on' approach to the world? Give it a rest. How can you, an imperfect human being, accuse G-d of being unfair? Even the angels, who lack the capacity to sin, are inferior before Him."
"Nobody's perfect. All people sin, but wise people confess their misdeeds and are rewarded for their integrity." (Rashi gives the examples of Judah and Reuben, who admitted the error of their ways in Genesis.) "An evil person who does not repent will spend his life suffering in anticipation of his fate. He will live in a state of dread and when he does know peace, robbers will come upon him. He doesn't think he can ever escape the darkness and he sees destruction at every turn. His life is one of insecurity and anxiety all because he's too stubborn to humble himself before G-d. Such a person will not prosper and his legacy will not endure. He will be eradicated by his own words." (Or, possibly, by G-d's.)
"A person who was misled into folly will not accept that the same will be his fate. He will be cut down prematurely, before he has a chance to fulfill his potential, because G-d will discard him. No one likes a hypocrite and G-d's wrath will consume things built with ill-gotten gains. They bring these fates upon themselves through their actions."
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Job Chapter 14 Thu, May 28, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 21:24 |
Text Pages |
Nobody's Perfekt
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job continues his reply to Tzofar's remarks:
"A person is born mortal, to a short and fearful life. As soon as he starts to thrive, he's chopped down. You, G-d, want to bring me to judgment? It's impossible for a person to be perfect. You have assigned man a certain number of days and a person cannot exceed them, no matter what he does. At the very least, let a person get through life without torment! A person is not like a tree that can re-grow branches. You can water a tree and refresh it, but a person withers and dies. He disappears altogether, like a river that has dried up - it's just gone."
"If only You, G-d, would just put me in my grave and leave me there until Your anger has passed. But when a person dies, that's it - end of story. I will hope for life until I die. Call me, G-d, and I'll respond. It's like You want my soul back, so You're hounding me to death. You're smiting me with everything at once. Mountains that collapse and stones that are eroded my still have their uses, but when a person dies, his usefulness is over. You have removed him from the world. He's not even aware of how his children fare after he dies. All that happens is that his flesh decomposes and his soul mourns."
In short, Job concludes by saying that there's only so good a mortal can possibly be. He posits that G-d is punishing him for failing to accomplish the impossible.
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Job Chapter 13 Wed, May 27, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 22:37 |
Text Pages |
No, YOU Shut Up
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job continues his reply to Tzofar the Naamasite:
"When it comes to G-d's works, I've seen, heard and understood more than you. You say you wish G-d would talk with me personally; well, I'd like to talk with Him myself! By accusing me of sin, you three reveal yourselves as liars. Why don't you just shut up and make yourselves look smart? If you claim to speak what G-d would say, then it reflects poorly on your argument to lie about me. You're just 'sucking up' to Him. What will you do when He calls you on it? Will you try to justify by saying that you lied for Him? He won't go for that. So just keep quiet and let me talk, come what may."
"Look at the sorry state I'm in; why would I possibly refrain from speaking the truth? Let G-d kill me, I will still place my hope in Him. Nevertheless, what I say is true and G-d does not abide liars. I will present my case before Him and I know that I am innocent. If I let you accuse me without replying, I might as well die. I only ask two things of G-d so that we can discuss this matter: that He not coerce me and that He not terrify me so that I may speak freely. So, let's talk, G-d. You can start or, if You prefer, I'll go first."
"Tell me what sins I've allegedly committed," Job asks. "Why do You, G-d, afflict me long-distance? I'm nothing before You, like a dry leaf, so why persecute me? You must be punishing me for things I did as a child, before I understood my actions. You've permanently engraved all my actions and are causing me to rot away like a moth-ridden garment."
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Job Chapter 12 Tue, May 26, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 15:37 |
Text Pages |
No Strength in Numbers
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Tzofar said that Job isn't correct just because he's verbose. He went on to suggest that Job use his suffering as an opportunity to mend his ways, while those who do not learn their lesson will perish. Now, Job replies.
"I may not automatically win just because I have a lot to say, but you won't win just because you outnumber me. You think you're so smart, but I'm at least as wise as you. I'm some sort of joke to you - the answer to all my problems is that the righteous will eventually rejoice? Big help, thanks. The fires of Hell are ready to receive those who get complacent and slack off. Those who mistreat their fellow man and antagonize G-d prosper in this world. Everyone knows we cannot understand G-d's ways; what news flash is that? I'm older than you, Tzofar, and more experienced. I know G-d is all-wise and all-powerful."
"When G-d wants to tear down a person down," Job continues, "he stays down. If G-d wants a person confined, he stays locked up. He can make wise men go mad and topple kings. He can bring enlightenment to hidden secrets. He can make nations prosperous or bring them down. He can deprive the leaders of nations of their wits, causing them to lead their people into the wilderness and darkness."
In this reply, Job acknowledges Tzofar's observations with a "duh." He does not concede defeat, however, speculating that G-d merely "manually overrides" the system Job thinks He has delegated to the stars.
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Job Chapter 11 Mon, May 25, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 13:00 |
Text Pages |
He'd Tell It To Your Face: "Man, You're Some Kind of Sinner"
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
To recap: Bildad reiterated the point made by Elifaz, that G-d does not act capriciously. Job must have done something wrong, but the punishment of the righteous is an opportunity for them to correct their ways. Job rejects Bildad's premise, that identical afflictions can befall the righteous and the wicked alike for different reasons and with different outcomes.
Now, Job's third friend, Tzofar the Naamasite, offers his opinion.
"Doesn't a person with so much to say deserve to be answered? You're not automatically right just because you're so passionate on the subject. You may sway some, but you're simply wrong. You claim to be innocent of any wrongdoing - if only G-d would speak for Himself, He'd tell you and you'd know. If anything, He has only given you a taste of your full punishment."
"Do you really think you're so perfect?" Tzofar asked Job. "You don't know anything - not the heights of Heaven, nor the depths of the grave. So do you really think you understand the ways of G-d? If He wants to punish someone, no power in Heaven or on Earth can stop Him. He doesn't have to put up with sin. A person should use the punishments he receives to learn to improve his ways. Turn to G-d and distance yourself from sin. When you do, He will fix you up better than you were before. Your future will be so bright that even your dark times will seem like daybreak. You will dwell securely, without fear, and even powerful people will turn to you for aid. Those who wish you harm will not only fail to see it, but what they hoped for you will befall them"
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Job Chapter 10 Sun, May 24, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 17:34 |
Text Pages |
"I Hate My Life"
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job continues his reply to Bildad the Shuchite:
"I hate my life and I cannot help but speak my piece. I will tell G-d not to afflict me like this without at least explaining why. How does it benefit Him to oppress me like this? G-d's vision is not limited as a man's is, so He can see with certainty that I'm innocent! He knows this, so why does He choose to afflict me?"
"G-d made me," Job continues, "and He will return me to the ground. He formed me from a drop, even though I had done nothing to deserve it - THAT was a kindness! But since then, He has decided to ruin my life. If I have ever sinned, He has apparently saved it all up to punish me for everything at once. G-d must really have it out for me to pursue me so vigorously."
"G-d keeps changing the afflictions that He's using to testify against me," Job says. "I take them all in shifts. So why did He have to create me? It would have been better not to be born at all. Life is short, so I wish He'd lay off me a little. I'll be dead soon enough, never to return."
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Job Chapter 9 Sat, May 23, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 26:45 |
Text Pages |
What's The Point of Arguing?
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
So, Bildad reiterated the point made by Elifaz, that G-d is not arbitrary. If Job's children were killed, Bildad said, they must have done something wrong. Job himself is being afforded an opportunity to clean up his act and if he does, his future will be even brighter than his previous state was.
Job disagrees.
Remember, Job hadn't blamed G-d directly for his troubles, though he did blame G-d indirectly, by saying that G-d had delegated running the world to the Zodiac. "Since G-d isn't handling things personally," Job says, "what does one accomplish by being righteous? You can ask G-d all the questions you want, but He's never going to answer. You can't 'win' in a debate with G-d; who ever accomplished that? He punishes people for their actions, but they don't know the reasons."
"G-d is infinitely powerful. After all, He created the whole universe and performs wonders too numerous to count. Anything He wants, He can just do. If He wants to punish a person, no one can stop Him. So what can I say? Even if I'm right, He gets the last word. If He wanted to, He could punish me even worse, for no reason at all! I can't compete because in a contest with G-d, I will automatically lose."
"I know I'm innocent," Job continues, "but I don't know what to do about it. It doesn't matter if one is righteous or guilty, G-d punishes everyone the same way. The wicked have a good laugh when the righteous are caused to endure suffering. Let's face it, the wicked are running the show here on Earth. If not, why do the righteous suffer so much?"
Job starts to conclude this part of his reply to Bildad. "My life is passing by quickly and there's no good in it. If I withhold my complaints about the way I have been treated, you will take that to mean I admit that I have sinned, but I haven't. Even if I were guilty, what good would be gained by turning to G-d after all He has done to me? There's simply no level playing ground where I can discuss the situation with G-d on equal terms. There's no impartial moderator between us. Let Him take the threat of punishment away and allow me to speak freely, without fear of consequences."
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Job Chapter 8 Fri, May 22, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 10:35 |
Text Pages |
Shape Up or Ship Out
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
The next friend to address Job was Bildad the Shuchite. He said, "How long will you persist in saying such things? Do you think G-d isn't fair? If He punished your children, they must have done something to deserve it." (Rashi says that Bildad's intent is that if they perished through their feast, then their feast was the source of their sin.) "If you repent and seek G-d," Bildad says, "He will focus on your merits and your home will be complete in your righteousness. Your beginning (Job's earlier prosperity) will seem small compared with what lies ahead."
"Look at past generations," Bildad advises, "and work at understanding what they learned. We have no experience to speak of and our lives are brief; the teachings of our ancestors are priceless when it comes to understanding things."
Bildad compares people to various types of grass. Papyrus needs water to grow and it won't be plucked while it's still green, but when the water runs out, it's the first one to dry up. Similarly, a person who turns his back on G-d will prosper until his merits run out and then it's "game over." Such a person relies on his home, but it will not endure. When his merits run out and G-d takes action, this person will disappear. G-d will neither abandon the righteous nor allow the wicked to persist.
"If you shape up," Bildad told Job, "G-d will cause your mouth to be filled with joy, while those who rejoiced in your troubles will be ashamed. Those who stumble and return to G-d will arise, but those who are obstinate in their ways will fall and stay down."
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Job Chapter 7 Thu, May 21, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 19:02 |
Text Pages |
Life After Death
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job continues where he left off at the end of the previous chapter:
"A person is only on Earth for a short time. I'm like a slave, toiling away, waiting for a rest, or like a hired servant, waiting for his wages. I have been given this life of trouble. At night, I lie awake waiting for sunrise, but during the day I can't wait for night because of all my afflictions. My life zooms by quickly and I don't expect much out of it. A person who sees me now will not see me again because when a person is dead and buried, he's never coming back." (The Talmud in Baba Basra 16a points out from here that Job denied techiyas hameisim, the revival of the dead in the post-Messianic era.)
"And so," said Job, "I won't shut up. I'm bitter and angry and I'm going to voice my complaints. You think you can silence me? You think that sleep will ease my pain? My dreams are full of the horrible things I endure during the day. I would rather be dead than live this life. So leave me be, because it's all pointless."
Job asks G-d why He should pay attention to something as insignificant as man. (David expressed a similar sentiment in Psalm 8, but with a very different intention; there, the reason is to praise G-d.) Job wants to know why he deserves such unrelenting torment. "Even if I did sin," he says, "which I didn't, but let's just say, how could it hurt You, G-d? Why did You create me just to torture me? Why don't You forgive whatever it was that angered You? Soon, I'll be dead and gone."
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Job Chapter 6 Wed, May 20, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 18:16 |
Text Pages |
I'll Cry Instead
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
To recap: Job blamed his troubles on "being born under an unlucky star," which may not attribute malice to G-d, but does blame Him for instituting an unfair system. Elifaz disagreed with Job's premise, saying that we bring about our own fates through our actions, the difference lying in how we react when trouble strikes. The righteous and wise accept G-d's rebuke and use it to improve, while the wicked and foolish become angry and bitter, which drives them to destruction. Now, Job replies to the words of Elifaz.
"You want angry?" Job says, "I'll show you angry. I'm so upset, I can hardly think straight. I'll agree with you on one point, though: all my afflictions DO come from G-d! I've got every reason to complain and you don't know what you're talking about. Right now, things I used to throw away because they were too disgusting to use have become my clothes and my food. You know what I'd really like? If G-d would just finish me off already. I know I haven't done anything to deserve this punishment."
"You think I'm strong enough to endure all this suffering? Why should I even want to? You think I'm made of stone? And you guys are no help. I don't find your words supportive at all. In fact, I feel betrayed. You know I'm right, you're just siding with G-d out of fear. I didn't ask you to ransom me out or to come save me, so why do you have to sell me out like that?"
"I know I haven't done anything wrong," Job says, "so feel free to prove me wrong - if you do, I'll shut up. If you were right, I'd admit it, but you've proved nothing. You're full of hot air and you kick me when I'm down. Listen to what I have to say and you'll see that I'm right. You know me a long time and you've never heard me lie or even say something if I don't know what I'm talking about."
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Job Chapter 5 Tue, May 19, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 23:39 |
Text Pages |
No Pain, No Gain
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Having finished relating his prophecy, Elifaz resumes his response to Job's complaint. "Cry out," Elifaz says, "and see what angel can spare you from all this. Anger will cause the end of foolish people. When I see such a person thrive, I know it will not end well. His children will be far from salvation and no one will help them in times of need. This evil, angry person will see his property carried off by those he wronged in his lifetime."
"Trouble just doesn't happen," Elifaz continues. "It doesn't just spring spontaneously from the ground. Trouble happens because man is born inherently flawed. It is inevitable that he will sin, unlike angels, who have no temptations and only soar upward. If these calamities happened to me, I would turn to G-d with repentance and prayer." Elifaz then enumerates some of G-d's praises, acknowledging that the full scope of His wondrous deeds could never be counted.
Among his praises, Elifaz describes how G-d does not allow the plans of the wicked to succeed and how He saves the weak from the sword of the strong. The Targum takes this section as a reference to G-d taking the Jews out of Egypt, an interpretation that fits quite nicely. For example, Elifaz says that the wicked will grope in darkness in the middle of the day, which is a clear parallel to the plague of darkness that struck the Egyptians.
Elifaz concludes, "A person is fortunate if G-d sends troubles to push him back onto the proper path. Don't reject this rebuke. G-d may cause you pain, but He will also bind your wounds. He will save you from famine, war, the accusing tongue, plunder, wild animals and 'the stones of the field' (which Rashi says refers to a type of person, though he does not elaborate). Then," Elifaz says to Job, "you will have peace and tranquility, lacking nothing. You will depart this world at a ripe old age, surrounded by your many descendants. Listen to what I say; you know it's true."
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Job Chapter 4 Mon, May 18, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 17:22 |
Text Pages |
With This Week's Special Guest... Elifaz!
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Elifaz the Temanite was the first to reply. He said, "This is the first time in your life you've ever had trouble and you just give up like that? You, Job, have corrected many people, pushing them back onto the proper path, but when you get chastised, you give up? Perhaps your faith wasn't as strong as you thought it was. Let's look at this objectively: in your experience, did you ever see someone punished who hadn't done anything wrong? We've all seen that what goes around, comes around. G-d 'roars' and those who have committed evil scatter."
Next, Elifaz relates a prophetic vision he received. An angel spoke to him in a dream about Job's situation, saying, "Is any person more righteous than G-d? Even the prophets are not infallible and the angels are likewise imperfect. Certainly this is also true of regular people, whose end is in the ground. They are undone in one fell swoop. All the things that made them swell with pride disappear. They die without wisdom."
Now, who is Elifaz that he should be given a prophecy about Job? Elifaz was the son of Esau, the brother of Jacob. (You may recall that Esau dispatched Elifaz to avenge him on Jacob, but Elifaz let him go. See Rashi on Genesis 29:11.) Since Elifaz was raised in his grandfather Isaac's house, he was spiritually conducive to such thing. (As far as "the Temanite," Teman was the name of Elifaz' son - see Genesis 36:15 - so it may have been a way of referring to that branch of the family.)
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Job Chapter 3 Sun, May 17, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 29:43 |
Text Pages |
Born Under A Bad Sign
(If It Wasn't For Bad Luck, I Wouldn't Have No Luck At All)
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job cried out that the day of his birth and the night of his conception should be removed from the calendar. No light should shine on those inauspicious occasions. There should be no rejoicing on the anniversary of those events. Let those who curse other days, such as a couple trying in vain to conceive (or perhaps a person bereaved of a spouse), add these days to the ones they already curse.
Job regrets that G-d did not shut his mother's womb before he could be born. Why did he have to survive? If he had died at birth, he'd be at peace now, alongside mighty kings since the grave does not discriminate. Better yet, Job says, if he had been stillborn, he never would have suffered at all.
Yes, Job continues, the grave is the place to be. There, the wicked no longer perpetrate acts of evil, the tired get to rest and prisoners are not driven to labor. Everybody is equal there, so why should G-d give us a life of trouble instead of just sending us straight to the cemetery? Those who hope for death anticipate its arrival more than other people want to find treasure and they rejoice when they get it. This person feels so trapped that death is the only escape.
There's no more joy in his life, Job says, only suffering. Everything he has ever feared has come to pass. Despite his worry and taking proper steps to avoid such catastrophes (such as offering sacrifices, as described in chapter 1), nevertheless all this happened to him.
In short, Job did not blame G-d per se for his troubles. Rather, he blamed the constellations, since he must have been "born under an unlucky star." (Tacitly, this was blaming G-d because, if Job's complaint were accurate, it still would have been G-d who delegated such things to the Heavenly spheres.)
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Job Chapter 2 Sat, May 16, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 13:12 |
Text Pages |
Satan Says
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Not long after, Yom Kippur rolled around and all the angels re-grouped in front of G-d, the Satan included. G-d said, "How about that Job, huh?" (Very loosely paraphrased.) "You did all that and he still didn't lose his cool at Me."
"I'm not surprised," the Satan replied. "People don't care as much about their property as they do their own bodies. If You were to afflict him bodily, he would curse You to Your Face." (We might as well mention here that the idea of cursing G-d is so abhorrent that it is euphemized as "birkas Hashem," blessing G-d. In the interest of clarity, we are translating it "curse," but the concept is so distasteful, it ought be euphemized under normal circumstances. See Talmud Pesachim 3a on the subject of when to speak bluntly vs. when to employ euphemisms.)
G-d granted the Satan permission to afflict Job bodily, being careful not to kill him. So, the Satan smote Job with painful boils from head to toe.
Job took a piece of pottery with which to scratch himself and he sat in the ashes, a custom of mourning. (The Midrash says that the upper boils were dry and itchy, but the lower boils oozed pus, so he sat in the ashes to absorb the discharge.) Job's wife said to him, "What a mess you are! Can't you take a hint? Why don't you end your troubles by cursing G-d so that you'll die?" (Either she expected that G-d would strike Job dead, or that he would be executed for blasphemy, which is forbidden under the seven universal laws of mankind.)
Job replied with shock at his wife's suggestion. "How can you say such a thing? Should we only accept it when G-d does things we like?" (The Talmud in Baba Basra 16a infers from the words, "he did not sin with his lips" that Job actually agreed with his wife, he just didn't say so out loud.)
Job had three friends who heard about his troubles and came to visit. Their names were Elifaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuchite and Tzofar the Naamasite. They saw him from a distance, but he was so changed by his suffering that they didn't even recognize him. When they realized it was him, they tore their robes in grief and put dirt on their heads. They joined Job in sitting on the ground, but none of them could address him first because of his tremendous pain. (This is similar to how visitors to a house of mourning should not speak until they are addressed by the mourner.) After a full week, Job finally opened up and he cursed the day he was born.
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Job Chapter 1 Fri, May 15, 09 |
Rabbi Eric Levy - Length: 39:24 |
Text Pages |
Get a Job
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
In the land of Utz, there lived a man named Iyov (Job), who was righteous and obedient to G-d. He had seven sons, three daughters, and many flocks and herds. He was the greatest man in that part of the world and he was highly respected. His sons took turns hosting a feast in their homes, each on a designated day. After the cycle was completed, Job would offer sacrifices to G-d in order to atone for any unseemly behavior that might have occurred out of levity. (This is similar for the fasts of Behab or BH"B following the week-long holidays of Pesach and Succos.)
On Rosh Hashana, the angels all gathered before G-d to report and one of them was the Satan. (It is important to note that, in Jewish thought, the Satan - which, by the way, is pronounced "sah-tahn" and not "say-tin" - is not a "devil." He is an angel, whose job is to serve as prosecuting attorney. He's not evil and he doesn't rule Hell. He is properly referred to as "THE Satan," not just "Satan," i.e., "The Accuser.") G-d asked the Satan to report on his activities and the Satan replied that he had been out in the world keeping an eye on what people were up to.
G-d asked the Satan to report on Job, whom He knew to be the most righteous of His servants. The Satan replied, "Of course he is! Why shouldn't he be? You've given him everything a person could ever want! But if you take it all away, he'll reveal his true colors."
G-d said, "You think so, huh? Fine, go ahead and try. But don't harm him physically." With that, the Satan left.
That day, Job's children were feasting in the home of the eldest son. A series of messengers arrived at Job's house with distressing messages. The first said that the army of Sheba captured all of Job's cattle and donkeys, killing all the herdsmen except for him. The second said that a terrible fire consumed all the flocks and all the shepherds except for him. The third messenger related how the Kasdim (Chaldeans) stole all of Job's camels and killed all the attendants except for him. The final messenger to arrive carried the grim news that the house where Job's children had been feasting collapsed, killing all inside except for him.
A note on the messengers. Each one said, "I alone escaped to tell you." Rashi suggests that each messenger only survived long enough to deliver his message, expiring upon the completion of his mission.
In any event, Job absorbed all this news, arose and tore his clothes and his hair, and fell down on the ground. (These are all signs of mourning, although Jews are specifically forbidden to tear their hair out as a sign of grief - see Deut. 14:1.) He said, "I entered this world with nothing and I'll leave it with nothing. G-d gives and G-d takes away, in either event G-d should be praised." This anticipates the Jewish practice to bless G-d even upon receiving bad news (see Talmud Brachos 60b). It is significant to note that Job used the "four-letter" Name of G-d (Y-H-V-H, rendered "Hashem" in conversation). This Name of G-d denotes His attribute of mercy, as opposed to "Elokim," which reflects His attribute of justice. Even in the face of such overwhelming loss, Job did not blame G-d.
The Ramban (Nachmanides) is of the opinion that Job's children and property were not actually lost to him. The disasters that deprived Job all happened "off camera." He suggests that the messengers may have been made to suffer delusions, which they reported, and that the flocks, servants and children were all hidden away, to be restored to Job at the end of the tale. (We will see the Ramban's rationale for drawing this conclusion in the final chapter.)
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Job Chapter Intro Fri, May 15, 09 |
Sefer Iyov - An Introduction to the Book of Job
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Job is a very unusual Book, unique in many ways. For starters, there is no consensus as to when Job lived - or even if he ever actually lived at all! The Talmud, in tractate Baba Basra (15a-b) relates a number of opinions. R. Yehoshua b. Levi says Job lived in Moses' day; R. Yochanan and R. Eleazar say Job was one of the Babylonian exiles; R. Yehoshua b. Korcha says Job lived in the time of Esther; others say he lived at the time of Jacob. (There are still more views that I am not recounting here.)
These opinions are generally based on other references in the text. For example, if I referred in writing to Hessians, you might infer that my piece was set during the time of the American Revolution, whereas a reference to Czechoslovakia would suggest that my piece was set between 1918 and 1992. Of course, this method is neither foolproof nor conclusive, as I could say that Abraham lived in Israel, although the territory was certainly not known by that name at the time.
The most surprising opinion is that Job never actually existed and that the entire story is a parable. This is the opinion of a certain rabbi, and an objection against it is immediately raised by R. Shmuel b. Nachmani, based on the idea that the level of detail in terms of names and places is beyond what would be necessary for a parable. While this position appears to get the last word, no conclusion is reached.
The position that Job was a historical personage is bolstered by the fact that he is mentioned in sefer Yechezkel (the Book of Ezekiel) alongside Noah and Daniel, who were certainly historical figures (see 14:14 and 14:20). While a logical assumption, it is still hardly conclusive. (For example, one might say that someone is "as great as Washington, Lincoln and Superman" or "like Al Capone and Dracula rolled into one," comparing someone with both historical people and fictional characters.) There is also a view, expressed by Resh Lakish, that Job was an actual person but that this story is a work of historical fiction, a la King Arthur or Robin Hood (see Genesis Rabbah 57).
The Talmud starts with the assumption that the Book of Job was authored by Moses, an assumption that makes sense if Job lived in his time or earlier, or if the story is a parable. There is also a debate as to whether Job is a Jew or a non-Jew. The opinions on this also vary based in large part upon assumptions of when Job lived.
For the purpose of these synopses, we will generally assume: (a) that Moses wrote the Book of Job; (b) that it is a parable and that Job is a fictional character; and (c) that for the purposes of the parable, Job is not Jewish. Rather, he is a "righteous non-Jew," who lives according to the seven universal laws commanded of all the descendants of Noah.
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Proverbs Chapter 31 Thu, May 14, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 35:49 |
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Wonder Woman
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
This chapter of Proverbs is easily the most famous - at least, most of it is. It is recited as "Eishes Chayil," "A Woman of Valor," on Friday evenings at the Shabbos table. However, that famous section does not begin until verse 10.
The chapter starts "The words of King Lemuel," Lemuel being a name for Solomon. (It's also Gulliver's first name in Gulliver's Travels, but that's neither here nor there.) The name Lemuel, Rashi explains, means "to G-d," and this chapter was composed as part of Solomon's repentance to G-d following his wedding to Pharaoh's daughter. According to the tale related in the Midrash, Solomon overslept, delaying the Temple service, for which he was reprimanded by his mother, Batsheva. (Remember her from way back in II Samuel?)
Her reprimand was a follows: Solomon's father, David, had a number of wives (not unusual for a king), but he didn't allow them to distract him from his duties, and especially from his service to G-d. While the other wives all hoped that their sons would be heir to the throne, all Batsheva wanted from Solomon was to be steadfast in Torah. It is not appropriate for Solomon, as king, to party and neglect his duties.
Alcohol impairs one's judgment, and the king needs to have impeccable judgment. It would be better to give the wine to those who are downtrodden, so they can forget their troubles for a while. If he abstains from wine, Solomon will have his wits about him, so that he can stand up for those who cannot defend themselves.
At this point, after his mother's rebuke, Solomon replies by praising the one who bore him, with the familiar "Woman of Valor." The praises enumerated are that such a woman is worth more than precious pearls. The husband who relies on such a woman to run his affairs will prosper, as all she does for him is good. Unprompted, she purchases wool and flax to spin into clothes. She is like a ship, bringing provisions to her household, working all hours.
When the praiseworthy woman decides to do something, like purchase a field, she doesn't rest until the job is done; she strengthens herself to see it through. She works on a task day and night until she is satisfied in the quality of the results. Even when engaged in a large undertaking, she does not neglect her seemingly more menial (but equally crucial) daily routine.
This type of woman is charitable and generous, as well as hard-working. Her family doesn't fear inclement weather because she has seen to it that they have the finest protection from the elements. Her own deeds are like garments of the finest cloth. Because of her influence, her husband stands out from the crowd and makes a positive impression.
The woman of valor wears strong and beautiful character traits like garments and she will leave this world pleased with her reputation. Her statements are well-thought out and wise, and she encourages others towards acts of kindness. She is aware of her household's needs and never slacks, causing her to be praised by her family that many women have done very well, but she has exceeded them all.
Grace and physical beauty are superficial; a woman who performs the will of G-d is truly praiseworthy. Her accomplishments testify to her greatness.
The various Midrashim apply different parts of this praise to the Foremothers and other righteous Jewish women, such as Ruth, Yael and Michal.
As we have discussed, every Proverb has both a straightforward and a metaphorical understanding. In the second layer of meaning, the woman of valor is a metaphor for Torah and the husband is one who studies it. A person is fortunate if he acquires knowledge of Torah, which is more valuable than pearls. Torah brings prosperity and a good reputation among people, etc. (See Rashi for a fuller examination of this interpretation.)
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Proverbs Chapter 30 Wed, May 13, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 37:40 |
Text Pages |
This Agurs Well
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
We said previously that this book is divided into several thematic sections, each introduced by its own superscription. The last two chapters are each their own section. This chapter begins, "The words of Agur the son of Yakeh..." Rashi cites the Midrash that Solomon is called Agur, meaning the one who gathered this information, "bin" meaning not son here but that Solomon understood this wisdom, and Yakeh because he then "spit it out" for others. He said these words prophetically on the subject of his overconfidence that G-d was with him and would protect him for error. Because of this overconfidence, Solomon erred in gathering too many wives, too many horses and too much wealth, counter to the Torah's instructions (Deuteronomy 17:16-17). Despite his great wisdom, Solomon considers himself foolish for allowing himself to stumble in this matter.
Has anyone ascended to Heaven and returned since Moses got the Torah? Has anyone gathered the wind or wrapped up the waters like Moses did (before the plague of boils and at the Red Sea, respectively)? Has anyone caused the world to endure like Moses did when he built the Mishkan (Tabernacle)? If so, speak up and tell us his name and who his descendants are! But, of course, there is no such person, so Solomon was foolish to deviate from the Torah that Moshe delivered from G-d.
Every word in the Torah is refined; there's not so much as a superfluous letter. G-d protects those who follow His word. Don't add to the Torah or you'll be proven a liar (like Chava - Eve - who said that G-d said not even to touch the Tree, when in fact He commanded no such thing - see Genesis 3:3).
Solomon addresses G-d and requests two things: (1) He asks that falsehoods and lies be distanced from him and (2) that he experience neither poverty nor wealth. The temptation of the wealthy is to become complacent and to deny G-d, while the poor are tempted to steal; Solomon wishes to experience neither test.
Solomon says that we should not complain to G-d about others, because He uses that opportunity to examine our deeds and punish us as necessary. This is true even in a particularly sinful generation. (Solomon describes such a generation in some detail.) Heaven and Hell are like leeches, both eager for more residents. (That is, neither one is so crowded that more people can't get in.) Certain things are insatiable: the grave is never full, the sexual urge is never satisfied, the Earth loves to receive water, and fire consumes as much as it can.
A person who mocks his parents' experience and teachings by winking his eye as if to say, "Yeah, right," doesn't deserve that eye; it would be better off feeding birds of prey.
Solomon admits that there are some things he'll never know about, because they leave no trail: the paths taken by eagles in the sky, snakes on the rocks ships in the sea, and the secret, illicit affair. The woman "eats, then wipes her mouth" (a euphemism) and denies that anything has happened.
Next, Solomon enumerates things that make the people of the world tremble: when a slave becomes ruler and uses his new authority to seek retribution, when a base person's desires are satisfied and he becomes an example for others, when a hated woman marries an important man and influences him, and when a servant girl becomes the lady of the house. (All of these people will misuse their new authority.)
Solomon also names some of G-d's most humble creatures, which are also among the wisest. Ants store food for the winter. Hyraxes have no tools, but they persevere in burrowing through rock. (The hyrax is often called the "rock badger.") Locusts have no king, but they march united. Spiders spin their webs and live on what they catch.
The lion is the mightiest of all the beasts, so it is unafraid. Also outstanding among their peers are swift dogs, agile goats and mighty kings. (Rashi says that these groups of four items each represent the various conquering nations.)
If you have been shamed, you will eventually be raised back up. If you get the idea to speak evil and provoke arguments, put your hand on your mouth and shut yourself up. Churn milk and you'll get butter. Pop someone on the nose and you'll get blood. Similarly, applying pressure to anger leads to trouble.
Some say that Agur is not another name for Solomon. Rather, he was a contemporary, whose work Solomon incorporated into the Book, much the same way that David included others' work in Psalms. (See Ibn Ezra on verse 1.) Assuming that Agur was not Solomon changes our understanding of the context of some of the verses, as they would now not refer autobiographically to incidents in Solomon's life. (We are not, however, going to go through the whole chapter again based on this view.)
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Proverbs Chapter 29 Tue, May 12, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 35:24 |
Text Pages |
Snap!
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
A person whose acts require correction, but who is too stubborn to accept words of reproof, will find himself suddenly broken. The people benefit from righteous leadership, but evil rulers cause them to sigh from their troubles. A son who pursues wisdom pleases his father, but one who pursues women of questionable morals wastes his family fortune. (Rashi says the metaphor is for one who picks and chooses - "I like these laws, so I'll accept them, but not these...") A king may establish his nation with righteousness, but arrogant judges can tear it all down by refusing to listen to the litigants.
A person who flatters his friend lays a trap for him. The evil are also caught in a trap, but the righteous are spared and rejoice. Righteous people know the needs of the poor, but the wicked are willfully oblivious. Angry people can embroil an entire city in controversy, but wise people can inspire the people to improve their ways, thus turning aside G-d's wrath. When a wise man debates with a foolish man, whether done in anger or with laughter, it will not be satisfactory - either way the fool will remain a fool! (Rashi brings examples of Kings Achaz and Amatzya. Whether G-d permitted them to defeat their enemies or be defeated, those kings persisted in their idolatry.)
Violent people hate the innocent, but righteous people watch our for their spiritual needs. (So interprets Rashi, though he acknowledges that others read this verse differently.) A fool lets it all out, but a wise man carefully chooses his words. A king who listens to lies will find himself surrounded by servants all too happy to take advantage of that flaw. Through the education process, G-d enlightens both the student and the teacher.
Correcting someone's behavior will make him wiser; letting a child run wild does him a disservice. When wicked people reign, there is chaos, but the righteous can outlast the evil regime. In Solomon's future (our past), the people would cause prophecy to cease. Without this guidance, their standards will slip, but one who keeps the Torah can remain true to G-d. People do not often change their ways based on words alone; even though they understand, they are not motivated without some repercussion.
You have a better chance of educating a fool than you do a person who is quick to speak. If you pamper your urge to indulge yourself, it will rule you instead of the other way around. Angry people cause arguments and their anger leads them to sin. Arrogant people will be humbled by their own egos, but modest people will be honored. An accomplice to a crime must hate himself or he wouldn't get involved in someone else's evil. People seek out the ruler to judge their cases, but the judge's power of insight comes from G-d. The righteous hate evil and the wicked hate goodness.
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Proverbs Chapter 28 Mon, May 11, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 34:54 |
Text Pages |
Get Rich Quick Scheme
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Evil people are doomed to flee even when no one is pursuing them, but the righteous stand firm, as bravely as a lion. (This mirrors the concept found in "The Tochacha," the rebuke in Leviticus 26. Those who disobey G-d will flee without pursuers chasing them - Lev. 26:17. Those who heed G-d will have no fear - Lev. 26:6-8.) It is a punishment for the nation to have many leaders, who are a burden to them; a wise person who can inspire the people to repent can forestall a catastrophe. A poor judge (poor in the sense of "not a good one") who oppresses a poor person in judgment (poor in the sense of "impoverished") is like a torrential downpour that washes away the crops. People who forsake the Torah are assisting the wicked in their goals, but those who remain true to the Torah continue to battle the forces of evil.
Evil people do not understand; if they did, they'd give up their evil ways! Those who seek G-d "get it." It's better to be poor and innocent than rich from deceit. (Using wealth in its ongoing sense as a metaphor for Torah, it's better to be ignorant and righteous than learned and evil.) A son who follows his father's footsteps in Torah honors his parents, but one who leaves the path in order to pursue worldly pleasures puts his parents to shame. A person who enriches himself through usury will find his money confiscated and given to benefit the poor. (Rashi quotes a Midrash that he will be heavily taxed and the money will be used to build roads and bridges, which benefit the poor.)
A person who turns away from hearing words of Torah utters unacceptable prayers. One who attempts to mislead the righteous will fall into his own trap. A rich man considers himself wise - after all, he's rich, right? - but an understanding poor person can see right through him. (Rashi applies this verse to clever students, who sharpen their teachers' skills.) When the righteous prosper, everybody benefits, but when the wicked get the upper hand, the people will undergo all sorts of trials. A person can't conceal his sins from G-d; he should confess and repent in order to get a clean slate.
A person who fears punishment is fortunate, as this keeps him far from sin. A person who has "screwed up his courage" in this matter is headed for trouble. An evil person with authority is like a vicious animal. An unwise ruler will be a tyrant, but one who hates to benefit by oppressing others will thrive. One who causes another to sin and leave the path of Torah will seek aid in repenting from this until his dying day, but he won't get any help from G-d. (Why should he merit a Heavenly afterlife reward after sending others in the opposite direction?)
One who works will enjoy the fruits of his labors, but one who wastes his time will have nothing to show for it. A person who gives charity faithfully will enjoy many blessings, but one who tries to get rich quickly by profiting from the poor will be severely punished. It's not good for a judge to play favorites; unfortunately, people are swayed by the smallest of bribes. G-d would rather people rebuke one another on His behalf than speak words of flattery. A person who justifies stealing from his parents is a source of destruction. (Metaphorically, one's "father" is G-d and one's "mother" is the Jewish people. It is shameful to "steal" from G-d - such as by not saying a blessing before food - and to "steal" from the nation - such as by leading them into sin.)
It's foolish to follow your heart rather than your brain - that is to follow your own ideas instead of what G-d has instructed us. The generous person will have all he needs, but those who hide their eyes from seeing the poor will lose their fortunes. When the wicked are in control, good people hide, but when their time is through, the righteous emerge and their numbers increase.
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Proverbs Chapter 27 Sun, May 10, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 29:56 |
Text Pages |
Friendship
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Don't brag about something that hasn't happened yet, because who knows what tomorrow will bring? It's far better to accomplish something and let others praise you than to toot your own horn over plans that may never see fruition. (Even after the fact, it's better to be praised by a third party than to do it yourself.) The anger of a fool is a heavier burden than stones and sand. (This could refer either to the fool's own anger or to that which He arouses in G-d.) Wrath leads to cruelty and anger leads to destruction, but who can stand up before G-d when they incite His "jealousy?" (Remember, our relationship with G-d is like a marriage and He is "jealous" when we "cheat" on Him with false "gods.")
It's better to openly chastise someone than to withhold the criticism because you like the person. "Wounds" caused by a loved one are better than "kisses" from an enemy. A person who is complacent will spurn good things, but a person who is "hungry" will take all he can get. (This is phrased in terms of hunger, but can be seen as a metaphor for Torah study.) A student who wanders from his studies is like a bird wandering from its nest. A friend's advice should be as pleasant to a person as oil and incense; one should consider it more valuable than one's own ideas.
Don't neglect G-d, Who has been a friend to us and to our fathers. Don't rely on the other nations, even though they are related to us, because they have historically let us down. G-d is closer in times of trouble than any person could ever be.
Solomon says that he will rejoice if the reader becomes wise; he will bask like a father in the success of a son. Clever people see sin and avoid it (and the punishment it brings), while fools walk right into it and pay for it. If someone co-signs a loan and the borrower defaults, he will have to pay; he got himself into this mess.
A person who loudly praises his friend every day is actually doing him a disservice; he draws attention to his friend and creates more burdens for him. (Rashi also cites a Midrash applying the verse to Balaam, who praised the Jews as part of an effort to curse them.) An argumentative woman drives her husband out of the house, just like a constant drip from a leaky roof. Trying to rein in such a person is like trying to steer the wind; she brings trouble upon him. (Verse 16 refers to oil of one's right hand, which Rashi says refers to the oil placed on the right hand of a leper, as seen in Leviticus 14:17.)
As iron is used to sharpen iron, so does one scholar sharpen another, intellectually. The one who guards his tree will enjoy its fruits. (Again, the tree is a metaphor for Torah, the "tree of life," as in 3:18.) Just as water shows you the reflection of your own face, so does a person's actions towards another reveal the way he feels about him. Just as the grave will never be satisfied that it has claimed enough lives, so too a person's lusts can never be satisfied; if you think you can feed your desires and they'll cease to hunger, you're mistaken.
Just like gold is refined in a fire, a person's character is tested by the praise he receives. Even if one would crush a fool, like a pestle grinding in a mortar, he would not abandon his foolishness. Pay careful attention to your personal and business affairs, so you'll understand what their needs are. Appreciate the little things because your money won't last forever. When hay is gathered, grass remains. This grass feeds the flocks, who can provide wool and milk to support your family. (In addition to its literal meaning, Rashi explains this section as metaphorically referring to Torah scholars. Understand the character of the teacher appointed to lead the community, whose teachings will be disseminated and who will raise students in his example.)
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Proverbs Chapter 26 Sat, May 09, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 36:53 |
Text Pages |
Contradiction!
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Honor is not fitting for a fool; it's like snow in the summer or rain during the harvest. (In an agricultural society, these things are not just incongruous or inconvenient, they are overtly detrimental!) A curse uttered casually will come back to haunt the one who said it, like a bird returning to its nest. Fools don't accept rebuke until something bad happens, like a horse that needs to be switched to drive it back onto the path.
Verse 4: Don't answer a fool because you will appear equally foolish. Verse 5: Answer a fool so that he doesn't think his words are wise. Huh? These two verses - which appear immediately next to one another - appear to contradict. In fact, they seem so blatantly contradictory that the Sages almost declined to include Proverbs in the canon until they reconciled the apparent difficulty. One should answer a fool in matters of Torah, but not in other matters. (See the Talmud in Shabbos, page 30b.)
A person who uses a fool as his messenger wastes energy, because he will have to send others to correct the fool's mistakes; additionally, he exasperates the recipient! Fools cannot evaluate wisdom in order to acquire it. (Solomon uses the metaphor of how a person who cannot walk imagines everyone else's legs to be.)
G-d created all of us, wise and foolish alike. Unlike human employers, who have no use for fools, G-d does have a role for them in His world. A dog eats something disgusting, brings it up, then eats it again. Similarly, fools repeat the same mistakes over and over. But as bad off as a fool is, a person who considers himself wise is even more hopeless. (At least a fool knows he has improvement to make - the person who thinks he knows it all has no place to go!)
A lazy person finds excuses never to get anything done, with the result that he just stays in bed. When he reaches into his pot for food, he will find it empty, because he hasn't earned anything. And yet, the lazy person thinks he's smarter than any seven people put together! (Well, it does take some ingenuity to come up with so many excuses...)
Getting involved in a fight that doesn't concern you is like grabbing a dog by the ears - not a good idea. A person who deceives others and says, "Just kidding!" is like a person playing with deadly weapons. Just like a fire goes out without fuel, a fight will die down without an instigator. An instigator's words are like projectiles causing injuries to a person in battle.
Smooth words and evil intent are used to entice people to folly like a silver coating on a clay pot. When an enemy tries to persuade you, don't listen; he does not have your best interests at heart. In fact, he wishes a multitude of bad things upon you! He plots his evil in secret, but G-d will cause it to be revealed to all. The plotter will fall into his own pit or be crushed by his own stone. (Rashi refers to Balaam and Avimelech, who were undone by their own evil schemes.) A person who accepts words of slander hates those he crushes as a result, and accepting words of flattery distances one from G-d. (Rashi cites Saul, who destroyed the city of Nov as a result of slander. See Balaam in Numbers 22-24, although his demise is not recorded until Number 31:8; Avimelech killed at a rock and was killed by a rock in Judges 9; Saul accepts slander and overreacts in I Samuel 22.)
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Proverbs Chapter 25 Fri, May 08, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 32:12 |
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Too Much of a Good Thing
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
This chapter marks the start of the third section of the book. It begins with the introductory phrase, "These, too, are the Proverbs of Solomon, transcribed by the court of Chizkiyahu, King of Judah." (Chizkiyahu, or Hezekiah, was a righteous descendant of David and Solomon and is considered to be as great or nearly as great as they were.) There are different opinions as to whether Chizkiyahu's court transcribed the entire Book, or just from this point forward.
The honor of G-d is to conceal such matters as the Creation account and the account of the "chariot" (in the first chapter of Ezekiel), but the honor of kings is to investigate a matter. (Rashi explains this to mean that we should delve into reasons for the rules that the Rabbis established, but we have to accept that there are certain things G-d has commanded us that we're just never going to understand.) Certain things cannot be known - the heights of the heavens, the depths of the Earth and the honor of kings, which Rashi applies to the intricacies of the political process.
If you remove the impurities from silver, then the craftsman has the precious metal he needs to ply his trade. Similarly, remove the wicked from the king's court and he will be able to judge his people with righteousness. Don't elevate yourself in front of those who outrank you - it would be far better to be invited up to join them than to be told to step down.
Don't be quick to get into arguments, because who knows how they'll end? If you must enter into debate, be sure that your position is correct and that you can defend it. If you get involved in an argument with a friend, stick to the topic and don't bring in personal or privileged information. If you use something inappropriate in your debate and others overhear it, it can't be retracted. Words spoken properly are like golden apples served on silver platters; words of rebuke are like jewelry of the finest gold to a receptive ear. A faithful messenger is a refreshing source of pleasure to the one who dispatched him, but a person who boasts and promises things he can't deliver is like a sky full of clouds that never release their rain.
So long as G-d has not yet taken action, a sinner can get back in His "good graces" with prayer and repentance. If you find honey, don't eat more than you can handle or it will make you sick. Similarly, be careful not to wear out your welcome with others. A person who testifies falsely against a friend is like a weapon used against him; placing one's faith in a traitor during a time of need is like running on unsteady legs. A worn-out garment won't protect a person from the cold and it's equally useless to teach Torah to a student who has no intention of keeping it.
If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he's thirsty, give him a drink. G-d will see this and will facilitate the making of peace, so that he should no longer be an enemy. Just as the north wind brings rain, so does a spiteful tongue cause anger. (Rashi says that it causes G-d to become angry!)
As in some earlier chapters, Solomon describes how it is better for G-d to withdraw His Presence from the Temple than to share it with the idols that would be established there. (See, for example, 15:6, 21:9, et al.) Good news from abroad revives the spirit like a splash of cold water. (Rashi uses the example of Jacob, whose spirit was revived when he learned that Joseph was still alive.) When a righteous person is too intimidated to correct an evil person, it's as unpleasant as a muddy spring of water.
A difficult verse: "Eating too much honey is not good, but understanding their honor is honor" (v. 27). Huh? Rashi refers us back to the earlier part of the chapter, where we discussed certain mysteries of Torah, such as Creation and the "chariot" in Ezekiel. The scholars are extremely limited in how much they are allowed to expound upon these topics. One should not go too deeply into them; it is better to expound upon the words of the Sages.
The chapter ends that a person with no "censor switch" is like a city without a wall. He'll just say whatever pops into his head, which leads to destruction.
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Proverbs Chapter 24 Thu, May 07, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 32:39 |
Text Pages |
Pearls of Wisdom
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon advises us not to be envious of the success of evil people because they're full of violence and deceit. It takes wisdom to build a house and understanding to run a home. If one has knowledge, then all the rooms will be filled with treasure. A wise person has strength, namely his deference to the word of G-d. (Remember, the start of wisdom is to be in awe of G-d - see 1:7, 9:10 and, most famously, Psalms 111:10.) With wisdom, one can battle his urges and temptations, emerging victorious.
Wisdom is rare among fools, like pearls; they dare not open their mouths in the presence of scholars. Evil people plot evil things; the planning itself is a sin and their mockery distances them from G-d. If a person slacks off when it comes to Torah, he will find his strength depleted in a time of need. If a person doesn't speak up to save others, can he claim ignorance? G-d knows all and He will hold a person responsible for such inaction (i.e., others will not help help him in his hour of need - this is the strength deserting him, as in the previous verse).
Wisdom is good for the soul like honey is good for the body and sweet to the taste. If you find wisdom, your future is secure. Solomon advises the wicked not to lurk around the righteous, waiting to take advantage of them. The righteous go through many ups and downs, but when evil people fall, they stay down. A person should not rejoice when he sees his enemy fall; you don't want to make G-d "feel bad" for your enemy and start helping him out against you! Don't emulate the people who perpetrate evil because they have no future; they will be snuffed out like a flickering light.
Solomon advises the reader to be in awe of G-d and also of the mortal king, so long as their orders to not conflict. (If they do, G-d's word outranks the king's.) Don't listen to those who say that there are two "powers," one good and one evil (or, perhaps, "one G-d and one devil"). Misfortune will suddenly arise and consume both the idol and the idolator.
More words of wisdom: Do not show respect for people involved in a court case, as it is a form of favoritism. A person who calls an evil man righteous will be cursed by others because his praise only encourages that evil one to continue in his rotten ways. One who chastises the wicked will find things pleasant and good; such a person deserves a kiss. (Not kidding. See verse 26.)
Solomon advises us to prepare our work outside, make it right in the field, and then build the house. Rashi offers two explanations, both from the Talmud in Sotah (44a). The first is that the three levels of outside, field and house refer to different areas of Torah study: Tanach (Bible), Mishna and Gemara (Talmud). The second is that they advise a person to acquire property, stock it with livestock, and then marry. (The Talmud there offers still further explanations.)
Don't agree to be a witness for your friend in a matter about which you know nothing, even though you believe him. This would inappropriate to do, even if you're reciprocating a favor.
Solomon says that he passed by the fields of the lazy and the vineyards of the foolish and he saw that they were overgrown with thorns and the walls had been torn down. From this, he says, he took a lesson: don't sleep more than necessary and even your down periods will not last long. (As elsewhere, the second layer of meaning applies to Torah study. The lazy person who lets thistles grow and allows his fence to be breached is one who does not review what he has learned. See Rashi.)
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Proverbs Chapter 23 Wed, May 06, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 33:59 |
Text Pages |
The Morning After
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
More words of wisdom from Solomon:
When dining with powerful people, understand who it is sitting across the table from you. If he's stingy and you gorge yourself on his food, you might as well just stab yourself with your knife. Instead of nourishing you, such a meal will be detrimental.
Don't tire yourself out to become rich because you'll blink and it will all disappear. (As elsewhere, Rashi says that wealth is a metaphor for Torah. If you "cram" in your studies, you will not retain what you have learned.)
Solomon returns to the subject of dining with a miser. If you do, you won't enjoy it because you'll be too self-conscious. The bitterness of the experience outweighs the taste of the food. Don't bother speaking words of wisdom to a fool; it's a waste of time. If anything, he'll resent it! Do not remove the boundaries that earlier generations have established for us and don't try to deprive orphans of their property because, though they may be powerless, G-d looks out for them and He is supremely powerful.
Solomon encourages the reader to be receptive to words of wisdom intended to correct one's ways. Do not fear to rebuke your child appropriately; it may be painful for a parent to do, but discipline won't kill a child and it will keep him away from worse fates. (It goes without saying that one should not chastise a child with uncalled-for harshness.) Solomon says that if the reader's heart has become wise by heeding his words, then his own heart will rejoice; he will likewise rejoice when the reader has learned to speak things that are upright. Don't be jealous that sinners are having more fun; keep on doing the right thing. Keeping what G-d has instructed us ensures that one has a future. If you internalize wisdom, your heart will always lead you in the right direction.
Don't hang out with gluttons or drunkards, as their ways lead to ruin, the same as a person who is too lazy to earn a living. Listen to the Torah your parents have taught you; since they brought you up, they have your best interests at heart. Furthermore, don't disregard their words when they've grown older. The parents of children who are righteous and wise will have cause to rejoice.
Solomon asks the reader to give him not just his ear, but his heart. Stay away from promiscuous women, who can draw one in like falling in a well. (This advice works on both the literal level and the metaphorical level of avoiding heretical ideas.) You know who gets into arguments? A person who talks too much. And you know who's a mess? The one who stayed out drinking the night before. The wine looks good in the cup - and everything looks good when one is under the influence - but in the end, the habit will come back to bite heavy drinkers. They will see things that aren't as they appear and they will make some bad decisions. Of course, once a drunk no longer feels the consequences of his drinking, he'll get sloshed again and resume the cycle all over.
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Proverbs Chapter 22 Tue, May 05, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 39:53 |
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Teach Your Children Well
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Your name and reputation are potentially more valuable than gold and silver. Don't be too impressed by either wealth or poverty, because those decisions are made by G-d. A clever person sees the potential to commit a sin and hides from the possibility of transgressing it; a fool plunges in head first and pays the price for it. A humble person will be led in turn to deference to G-d, wealth, honor and life. Traps are set to catch those whose ways are twisted; a person who avoids these traps will save his own life.
Teach a child according to his own individual needs and he will retain the lessons even into his old age. A rich man (in Torah, i.e., a scholar) will lead a poor man (i.e., one who is unlearned), who must go to him for knowledge. A person who plants injustice will harvest violence; he will lose his influence over others. The generous, who give food from their own mouths to feed the poor, will be blessed for it. Get rid of a troublemaker and controversy will cease. (Rashi says the troublemaker is the yetzer hara, our inclination to do wrong.)
If someone loves the pure of heart, who speak wisely, he will earn the favor of G-d, Who also loves such people. G-d makes special note of the wise, and preserves them. He does not, however, let the plots of the treacherous come to fruition. A lazy person doesn't want to work, so he fabricates excuses. The mouth of a strange woman (a recurring metaphor for heresy) is like a deep pit; those whose actions have earned G-d's ire will fall into it. Children by nature do stupid things, but they can be trained to behave more intelligently. A person who exploits a poor person in order to enrich himself will end up turning around and handing his money over to others more powerful than he is.
Learn Torah from anyone who knows it, but only emulate the deeds of the righteous. It will be good for you when you have internalized these teachings and you speak them freely. Solomon has made it clear that one should place his trust in G-d and learn Torah, not worrying that it will impact on one's income. There are three sections to Tanach - the Bible - Torah, Neviim and Kesuvim (The Law, The Prophets, and The Writings), each replete with knowledge, wisdom and words of truth that one may use.
Do not oppress the weak because G-d will take up their cause and avenge them. Don't befriend angry, quick-tempered people, as their bad habits will rub off on you and trap you. Don't co-sign a loan if you can't afford to pay when the borrower defaults. Do not remove the protective barriers established by the earlier generations. Finally, have you ever seen a person enthusiastic at his job? That's someone who will succeed.
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Proverbs Chapter 21 Mon, May 04, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 33:27 |
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Nothing Compare 2 U
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
In this Proverb, Solomon compares the heart of a king to a stream, which G-d can direct any way He wishes. Every person's actions are proper in his own eyes, but G-d can view them all objectively. G-d would rather people behave properly in the first place than bring Him sacrifices. The wicked plant the sins of their arrogance and lusts. A person who acts with proper diligence will have success, while one who acts impulsively will come up empty-handed. A person who uses deceit to enrich himself is inviting death. The wealth that the wicked have gained dishonestly will ultimately become a source of fear to them, as punishment for their crimes.
A person who does not behave properly can change his ways, but a person doing the right thing should keep on with the way he's been going. In a verse referring to the destruction of the first Temple, Solomon says that it is better for G-d to withdraw His Presence than to continue to dwell with Israel, whom he compares to an argumentative wife. Unlike righteous people, wicked people do not approve of the deeds of one another. A fool needs to see a stubborn person be punished in order to "get the hint," but a wise person will take constructive criticism when it is offered to him. G-d sets His eye on the wicked and overturns them.
A person who refuses to hear the cries of the needy will himself cry out unheeded. The charity one gives quietly will turn aside even great anger that G-d may have towards a person. A righteous person rejoices when G-d punishes him in order to correct his ways; evil people suffer needlessly, because they stubbornly refuse to be corrected. A person who strays from Torah will end up in a bad place, one who parties hearty will come to ruin, and one who always satisfies his desires will never be rich (Rashi says with wisdom - remember, wealth is a recurring metaphor for Torah in this Book!).
An evil person will be exchanged as ransom for a righteous one. (Rashi gives the example of Haman being hanged instead of Mordechai.) One is better off living alone in the wilderness than to live with an argumentative spouse. (Again, this is a metaphor for G-d's Presence withdrawing from the Temple.) A wise man conserves his resources, while a foolish person consumes them immediately. A person who chases after righteousness and kindness will meet with honor.
Solomon says that a wise man ascended to a city of the mighty and came back with the source of their strength; Rashi tells us that this refers to Moses, who ascended Sinai, dwelled among the angels and returned with the Torah. A person who watches what he says is protecting his very soul. Someone who is full of himself will become the kind of person who mocks because he will not heed rebuke. Laziness leads to one's demise through passivity. G-d despises the offerings of evil people who have not repented of their sins - how much more so He despises it when one brings a sacrifice with evil intentions! (Rashi gives us the example of Balaam, who brought sacrifices while planning to curse Israel.)
False witnesses will disappear, but those who obey G-d's word will endure forever. Evil people reveal their true colors when they get angry, but the righteous will demonstrate their understanding. There is no human wisdom analogous to Divine wisdom; G-d is so far beyond us, there's just no comparison. An army might prepare their horses for battle, but the outcome is up to G-d.
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Proverbs Chapter 20 Sun, May 03, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 37:43 |
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Campaign Promises
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon says that a person who drinks is one who mocks. He calls out for more booze and never acquires knowledge. The king is as mighty as a lion and to provoke his wrath is to invite one's own demise. A wise person avoids controversy; when fools enter into arguments, they expose their ignorance. A lazy person doesn't work, using the excuse that it's too cold out; later on, they'll have nothing to show for their efforts, because there were no efforts!
Teachings are deep in the hearts of the scholars, but wise students will draw them out. People flock towards those who make big promises, but how many of them many actually keep those promises? A person who behaves properly is considered righteous; his children will be praised and enjoy merit in his honor. When a king sits in judgment, all the evils of the world are laid out in front of him. (Rashi says that this verse can be understood as referring to G-d or to judges.) G-d knows when a person has sincerely repented and forsaken his evil ways. G-d hates when people have dishonest weights and measures, in order to cheat people.
Even a child can conceal his youthful immaturity by acting properly. G-d made the eye that sees and the ear that hears, so use them properly. Don't love sleep too much because laziness leads to poverty. Wake up and your needs will be satisfied.
One who sacrifices in order to learn Torah may lament the things he has to give up, but when he has reached his goal, he can be proud of his accomplishments. Gold and jewels are valuable because they're rare, but they're still more common than mouths that speak wisely. The co-signer can be held responsible for the debtor, since he willingly accepted the role. Food obtained dishonestly may taste sweet at first, but it leaves a gritty aftertaste. (Rashi says that this verse metaphorically refers to adultery.) A person who makes a "battle plan" will succeed. (Rashi says this refers to the spiritual battle against temptations.) Don't associate with gossips and other people who misuse their gift of speech.
Honoring parents brings great reward, so a person who curses his parents brings great darkness upon himself. One who hastily chooses his portion may have difficulties enjoying it. (Rashi gives us the example of the two and a half Tribes who chose their portion on the other side of the Jordan, before the rest of the nation. They were among the first to be exiled by Assyria, before most of the other Tribes.) Don't plot revenge against those who have wronged you; put your trust in G-d and He'll take care of things. G-d guides a person's steps; ultimately, man is not in control. A person who sins makes himself less holy and he must take the appropriate steps to return his soul to its proper condition.
G-d, in His wisdom, separates evil people and uses their own evil characteristics against them. (Rashi uses the example of Pharaoh and his army.) A person's soul testifies to G-d about that person's actions. Acts of kindness and truth performed by a king are the things that will cause his dynasty to endure. Young men may be proud of their youthful strength, but old men can be proud of their acquired wisdom. Wounds and injuries come in response to a person's acts of evil.
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Proverbs Chapter 19 Sat, May 02, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 38:37 |
Text Pages |
Chinese Water Torture
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
It's better to be poor but honest than to attempt to profit through deceit. It's not good to live without Torah; sinners say that certain rules are insignificant and then violate them. A person's sins cause him harm, but his lack of wisdom clouds his judgment. When he's punished for his sins, he doesn't recognize that he brought this upon himself and he blames G-d for his troubles. People crowd around a rich person, but a poor man loses even the friends he started out with. (As elsewhere in Proverbs, wealth can be seen as a metaphor for Torah and rich people are scholars.) False witnesses will be punished (by G-d if not by man) and the plot of liars will be found out. Generous people will be so successful that even the great will go to them for aid; everyone loves a person who freely dispenses gifts. People stay away from someone who has nothing to give. (Again, wealth represents Torah, so the generous person is a teacher to the masses.)
A person who pursues wisdom is one who loves his soul. If he preserves his knowledge, he will benefit from it. Fools don't deserve to enjoy goodness; even more so, a slave does not deserve to rule over princes. (The slave doesn't know how to do that job wisely and enjoying pleasures will impede the fool from getting over the nonsense in which he is immersed.) It's good to be even-tempered and it's even better to be able to overlook slights. When G-d gets angry, it's like having a lion roaring at us, but when our actions please Him, it's as beneficial as the dew on the grass.
The actions of a foolish child can ruin his parents and an argumentative spouse is like a constant, annoying drip. One can inherit money from his ancestors, but only G-d can give him a wife with good judgment. Laziness makes one sloppy and negligent, and one who tries to take "short cuts" will suffer in the end. Performing G-d's commandments preserves our lives; giving charity to a poor person is like lending to G-d and He will repay you. Discipline your children because there is always the hope of correcting them; do not give up on them.
Those who are easily angered will receive punishments, but those who can put their anger aside will increase his fortune. Listen to advice and accept criticism so that you may be wise in your later years. People make many plans, but it's G-d's plan that will see fruition. (This verse is sung as a popular song, "Rabos Machshavos.") The best thing about a person is his kindness, so it's better to be generous and poor than to make promises and not keep them. A person who defers to G-d's word will enjoy life without fear.
A person must work for a living; a lazy person will reach into his pot and find it empty. If a person who mocks is punished, he may not take the lesson, but others who witness it just might. (Rashi applies this verse to Yisro - Jethro - the father-in-law of Moses. He saw what happened to Pharaoh and Amalek when they antagonized G-d, and decided to convert.) A disgraceful son shames his father and causes his mother to flee. (Rashi refers to Ishmael's mockery of Isaac, which led to Hagar's expulsion with him.) Solomon urges the reader to not stray from wisdom (Torah), but rather to remain and learn the proper ways. A faithless witness testifies in such a way as to appear honest, but violence will be his end. There are punishments designated for those who mock and those who refuse wisdom.
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Proverbs Chapter 18 Fri, May 01, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 33:53 |
Text Pages |
The Rest of the Story
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon says that a person who has become separated from G-d pursues his physical lusts and desires until his shame is exposed for all to see. (Rashi applies the verse to Abraham's nephew Lot, who pursued materialism in Sodom and ended up illegitimately fathering Amon and Moav with his daughters.) A fool takes no joy in acquiring wisdom, preferring to share what little he possesses. The birth of evil people brings shame and disdain into the world.
Secular knowledge is like a deep well from which one must draw water, but Torah knowledge is like a flowing stream, which rushes towards a person. It's good when the wicked benefit, because the more they receive in this world, the less they'll get in the Next. (Conversely, the more the righteous lose in this world, the more they'll be rewarded in the Next.) Fools love arguments and their words frequently get them into trouble. Complaints are like a punch in the gut. A scholar who slacks off in his learning destroys words of Torah through his inactivity.
G-d's Name is like a tower of strength, protecting those who seek refuge in it. Wealthy people seek refuge in their money. A person becomes arrogant then falls into ruin, but a humble person will be honored. A person who answers a question before he understands it embarrasses himself. A person whose will is strong can endure many hardships, but if his spirit breaks, he cannot bear it. Understanding people will acquire wisdom; at the very least, wise people will go for expert opinions and will compile knowledge that way. The charity that a person gives clears the way for him before great people in the Next World.
Sometimes a person's position sounds good, but then you hear the other side of the story. Dividing property by drawing lots can settle arguments; a brother who rebels can lose a city and arguments between brothers can "lock the door" between them forever. (Rashi applies this verse to Lot and Abraham. "Locking the door" may refer to the prohibition against Amon and Moab joining the nation of Israel.) A person will be fed by the words of his mouth - accordingly, depending on whether his words are good or bad. Life and death are in the power of speech, so teach your mouth to speak words of Torah rather than gossip.
A good wife is a treasure and a person who has one has been given a great gift by G-d. (Metaphorically, the wife represents Torah. Remember, these Proverbs are multi-layered, with both simple and deeper meanings.) A poor person approaches humbly, while a rich person barks orders. (These can represent a student and a teacher.) A person can acquire many casual friends, but only one of them will be as loyal as a brother.
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Proverbs Chapter 17 Thu, Apr 30, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 29:14 |
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Know When To Zip It
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
It's better to have a dry crust of bread and a peaceful environment than a house full of sacrifices and antagonism. (Rashi says that this refers to G-d's reason for destroying the Temple.) A wise slave will rule over the disgraced son and he will have a share in the inheritance among the brothers. (Again, Rashi says this verse refers to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian conquest of Judah.) A pot is used to refine silver, a furnace is used to refine gold, and G-d Himself refines the human heart. Evil people speak the language of violence. Those who oppress the poor mock G-d, Who allocates to each person his lot in life. A person who takes joy in the suffering of others will find himself the victim of those same misfortunes.
Grandchildren honor their grandparents by following the proper path, while righteous parents are an honor for their children. Proud words are not fit for a disgusting person and lies do not befit a generous person. (In other words, the type of speech used to describe a person should be appropriate.) When a person repents and returns to G-d, he is precious to G-d as a jewel and G-d grants him favor. If you don't remind someone of their past indiscretions, he will love you for it, but if you bear a grudge, you antagonize G-d. Criticism can effect more change in a wise person than a beating will make in a fool. If a person lives to stir up trouble, he will be judged harshly in the Next World.
One would be better off confronting a mad bear than a fool armed with all of his nonsense. If a person betrays someone who has done good for him, he will be eternally plagued with evil. (This is because no one else will ever come to his aid, having learned his true colors.) A person who starts an argument is like one who breaches a dam, letting the water flow. Stop the fight before it gets out of hand.
G-d hates both exonerating evil people and vilifying righteous people - not only in court, but even in words of praise and criticism. Why do foolish people bother learning Torah that they never intend to keep? Be good to your friends because they will be with you in times of trouble, just like a brother. A person lacking in common sense holds collateral for a loan, which creates strife and ultimately lands himself in court. A person who loves sin also loves arguments and those who are arrogant are courting disaster. (See the previous chapter, in which "pride goeth before a fall.") People whose thoughts are twisted will never enjoy the good of this world, since they are incapable of knowing it when they see it. Two-faced liars will suffer the evil they intended for their victims.
If a person has a foolish child, or worse still, one of base and lowly character, it is a source of distress to him. Happiness enhances the intelligence, while dissatisfaction is a source of rot. G-d accepts the private prayers of the wicked, sparing them their evil fates. Wisdom is directly in front of us; the wise look right at it, while the foolish look all over the world. (Rashi says that the foolish perceive the goal as being insurmountable, so they never start to learn. The wise do a little at a time until they have mastered it all.) A foolish child is a source of aggravation to his parents. It's not good to punish the innocent along with the guilty. (Rashi says that this is why G-d has not destroyed the nation in His anger.) A wise person knows when to hold his tongue; even to silence a fool from speaking nonsense is considered a wise move. If you know when to keep quiet, you will be considered a person of understanding.
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Proverbs Chapter 16 Wed, Apr 29, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 35:24 |
Text Pages |
Who is Strong?
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
A person can plan what he wants to say, but G-d has the final say in how well he speaks. Whatever a person does, he justifies in his own eyes; G-d is more objective. Include G-d in your plans and He will assist you in succeeding. Everything in the world exists to glorify G-d, even evil. Evil people will (tacitly) testify to G-d's greatness when He punishes them for their deeds. The arrogant are especially repugnant to G-d and they will not escape unscathed.
A person's sins can be forgiven and forgotten if he repents. When G-d welcomes a person back, He will even make peace between that person and his enemies. It 's better to enjoy a little acquired honestly than a lot gained through deceit. A person plans his journey, but G-d decides if his steps will be secure of if he will slip. The judge can see hidden things, ensuring that he does not err in judgment. (This last verse may refer to Solomon himself judging wisely, as in the case of the two women claiming the same baby in I Kings chapter 3.) The scales of justice belong to G-d and it is an affront to Him when people judge dishonestly.
The kings, who judge, love those who speak and act truthfully. The king's wrath can lead to death, but the wise, honest man will appease the king in judgment. Life comes from G-d's good graces; He is like beneficial rain to those whose actions please Him. We can learn how to "get on His good side" by pursuing knowledge; this is a much more profitable activity than pursuing wealth! The path of the righteous is to turn away from evil. ("The Path of the Righteous" - "Mesillas Yesharim" in Hebrew - is the name of the seminal work of musar, i.e., Jewish "self-improvement.") Pride precedes a person stumbling - in other words, it "goeth before a fall." One is better off living humbly with modest people than to live it up with the arrogant. (Unlike Billy Joel, Solomon says that it is NOT better to "laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints" because an outrageous reversal of fortune is unavoidable.)
A person who considers his alternatives before pursuing a course of action will be better off for it. He will find things better still if he places his trust in what G-d says to do, even if it involves great effort or costs him money. A wise student, who learns from his teacher, will come to be known as a person of understanding. Common sense is a source of life to those who exercise it, while fools will suffer the consequences of their nonsense. Words of Torah are sweet like honey; they will aid people in matters both physical and spiritual.
There is a path that appears straight to a person, but leads to death. A person works for his needs, stopping when he needs to eat. (Of course, he eats what he just earned, so it is counter-productive.) Lowly people plan evil in their hearts and execute it with their evil words. "Twisted people" are so called because they misrepresent facts and instigate fights, while complainers drive G-d away from themselves. A violent person lures others to join him in his evil ways. An elder person has acquired wisdom, so his white hair is like a crown on his head. The presence of elders is a sign of righteousness.
A person who can control his temper is mightier than a warrior; it's better to rule over one's self than over a city. (Again, like the mishna in Avos chapter 4: "Who is considered strong? The one who can conquer his urges.") A person may cast lots to make decisions, but his real "lot" has already been decided by G-d.
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Proverbs Chapter 15 Tue, Apr 28, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 34:36 |
Text Pages |
Who is Rich?
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon tells us that a gentle reply can appease an angry person. Wise people say things that increase knowledge, while foolish people spout nonsense. G-d sees everything, both good and bad, and pays people accordingly. A person's words can be used to heal or to destroy. Fools hate it when their parents attempt to correct their behavior; those who accept the rebuke become more clever.
The house of a righteous man is full of strength, but it is ruined by what the evil man brings into it. (Rashi says that this refers to the Temple, which David planned and financed, but which would be ruined when Menashe established idols in it.) G-d would rather have simple prayer from righteous people (like Moses) than sacrifices from the wicked (like Balaam). G-d loves the actions of righteous people, but He hates it when people pursue evil and He will harshly rebuke them. G-d knows what is in every person's heart, as well as their ultimate fates.
Those who mock don't like being chastised for their actions, so they don't approach the wise for advice. If one's actions please G-d, He will do things to please that person, but if they "sadden" Him, He will do things that break that person's spirit. Wise people pursue knowledge, but fools are perfectly content with their nonsense. If a person is not satisfied with his lot, his entire life is miserable, but if he considers himself wealthy, he is always content. (Compare this with the mishna in the fourth chapter of Avos: "Who is considered wealthy? The one who is satisfied with what he has.") It is better to have a little, acquired honestly, than to have a lot, acquired through dishonest means. It is better to eat a simple meal and be friendly than to gorge on a feast with hard feelings.
Angry people escalate arguments, but calm people avoid controversy. To a lazy person, the road to a goal appears full of obstacles, but the righteous see their path as clear. A wise child makes his parents proud, but a foolish one embarrasses them. (People attribute his foolishness to his upbringing, which reflects poorly on the parents.) Foolish people wander aimlessly, all over the place, but the wise head straight towards their goals. The plans of fools fail because they don't seek advice. It's good to ask questions in a timely fashion!
The path of life leads wise people up, away from the grave. G-d will uproot the arrogant (even though he appears strong), but He will make the widow stand firm, despite her apparent helplessness. Those who pursue wealth by any means are a curse to their own families; those who shun even gifts from people, preferring to rely on G-d than on man, will receive the gift of life from Him. A righteous person thinks before he speaks, an evil person spews venom at will. G-d distances Himself from the prayers of evil people, but happily accepts the prayer of the righteous.
Study of Torah makes one's eyes bright and gladdens the heart. A person who hears what G-d wants and acts upon it will live among others who have heeded this wisdom. To reject this guidance is to reject life itself. Deference to G-d is the way of wisdom; if one humbles himself before G-d's will, he will enjoy honor in the long run.
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Proverbs Chapter 14 Mon, Apr 27, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 37:57 |
Text Pages |
All Talk, No Action
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
The actions of wise women firmly establish their homes, while those of foolish women tear theirs down. (That is, they encourage their families to take either appropriate paths or paths leading to destruction.) A fool is arrogant and his speech reflects it; the mouths of wise people protect them from harm. Without oxen, the barn is empty - the work can't get done. (Rashi says that, allegorically, the oxen are Torah scholars. Without them to instruct the nation, things would collapse.) An honorable person is a reliable witness, but you can't trust a known liar (like "The Boy Who Cried Wolf").
People who mock will be unable to find wisdom when they need it, because they are unaccustomed to it. A person who is used to acting with wisdom will always find it close at hand. Stay away from fools - they'll drain the wisdom right out of you. Fools do the wrong thing, then have to pay for it or otherwise make it up to the injured party; it's so much better to act with your eyes open and avoid problems at the outset. The heart knows how much effort a person has put into his Torah studies; those who haven't will not share in that reward.
The evil nations, though powerful, will topple. The righteous, whose existence appears to be tenuous, will thrive. People justify their sins, but they still lead to death. G-d may permit idolators to laugh in this world, but tears are coming. An improper person may enjoy the fruits of his actions, but a proper person is above him. (Rashi applies this verse to Esau and Jacob, respectively - and, presumably, to the nations descended from them.) A fool accepts everything at face value; a clever person investigates a matter. Quick-tempered people end up doing stupid things. In the future, the evil people will defer to the righteous.
A person who is bereft of knowledge is not well-liked because he doesn't know how to interact with others. Those who are full of knowledge have far more friends. To disregard a person who deserves honor is a shameful thing to do; it is a very good thing to show favor to the humble.
Actions lead to results; idle talk accomplishes nothing. The wise can wear their knowledge in Torah like a crown, while the fools have nothing but their own foolishness. Honest witnesses are heroes; liars are villains. People who have proper awe of G-d can be relied upon to keep their words; this will be a merit for their families. G-d is glorified among a crowd of people; a dearth of people is an embarrassment to Him. (This verse, "b'rov am hadras Melech," is the source of preferably performing certain mitzvos, such as reading the Megillah on Purim, in large groups.) A forgiving heart, one that "heals" and overlooks transactions, is a cause of life, but hanging on to anger metaphorically rots a person's bones.
Oppressing the needy is an affront to G-d Himself; helping them out honors Him. The wicked person is cast down in death, but the righteous can pass away confident that good things await them. Giving charity elevates the nation because they do it altruistically. To do acts of kindness with ulterior motives, such as to be honored, removes the merit from the act. The king is pleased with an intelligent servant, while a foolish servant angers and embarrasses him.
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Proverbs Chapter 13 Sun, Apr 26, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 33:15 |
Text Pages |
Hope Deferred and Spoil the Child
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon says that a wise son actively pursues his father's input and corrections. (Rashi suggests that it is the father's direction that makes the son wise.) A person who mocks despises criticism. A person will benefit from the words of Torah he learns, while untrustworthy people will reap violence. To watch your mouth is to protect your very soul; the more you open it, the more you court disaster. Lazy people want things, but they are not willing to take the steps necessary to acquire them. Diligent people work to satisfy their needs. (Rashi says that this may refer to the reward for Torah study, which not everyone is motivated enough to pursue.)
Righteous people hate falsehood, while wicked people love to spread gossip and slander. A person who robs and oppresses others may appear to be rich, but in the end he has nothing. A person who is generous and charitable appears to have given it all away, but he has great rewards waiting for him. Your wealth can ransom your soul from punishment, if it is used charitably. (The wealth in the previous verse can also be understood as referring to the merit of Torah study, rather than to money.) The soul of the righteous glows brightly like the sun, while that of the wicked flickers out like a candle.
Verse 11 literally says that one who profits from dishonest means will lose it but one who earns his money will see it increase. As many of these Proverbs are multi-faceted, they have additional, allegorical meanings. Rashi interprets this verse to also refer to Torah study. One who gathers his learning by the batch will gradually forget it, one piece at a time. A person who carefully masters his studies will retain them over time. Of course, we see this is true, as students who "cram" for their exams may perform well on their tests, but they do not retain the knowledge over time, as opposed to those who study diligently over the course of the semester.
In a famous verse, Solomon says that hope deferred makes a heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is like a tree of life. Rashi says that a "hope deferred" means when one relies completely on another to fulfill a task, putting in no effort on his own part. A person who resents words of Torah will see that he owes his very life to them, while one who loves G-d's words will be rewarded. A scholar teaches people the way of life, away from traps that lead to death. Acting with good sense will endear you to people. Clever people plan ahead, while fools are impulsive. Faithless messengers cause trouble, while faithful representatives solve problems, (Rashi uses Balaam and Moses, both prophets of G-d, as examples of these extremes.)
Every person is happy when his desires are fulfilled, which is why foolish people refuse to refrain from doing evil: self-gratification. You can follow the wise people and become one of them, or follow the fools and meet their fate along with them. A good person leaves many merits for his descendants, while all a wicked person leaves behind is money, which will ultimately find its way into the hands of the righteous. (Rashi gives the example of Mordechai and Esther inheriting Haman's wealth.)
A few closing Proverbs from this chapter:
* Much food comes into the world because of the efforts of the lowly farmhands, though some is lost because the owners do not act properly. (Metaphorically, the food represents Torah insights and the efforts of the poor farmhands refers to the debates of the students.)
* A person who doesn't correct his child when called for isn't doing him any favors. If you love your kid, set him straight early on. (This verse is the source of the common expression, "Spare the rod and spoil the child," although we would oppose literally disciplining your child with a rod.)
* Righteous people eat to feed their hunger and are satisfied with what they have; wicked people feed their desires and are never satisfied. (It's the difference between "eating to live" and "living to eat.")
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Proverbs Chapter 12 Sat, Apr 25, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 36:48 |
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Don't Worry, Be Happy
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
A person who is receptive to criticism is one who loves wisdom. Those who bristle at it will retain their negative traits. The actions of good people please G-d and bring blessings to the world; the actions of evil people have the opposite effect. A legacy can only endure if it is based on righteousness, not on evil. A woman of good integrity is like a crown of pride to her husband, but a wife whose acts shame her husband is like a degenerative disease to him.
A person is well-regarded (or the opposite) based upon the intelligence and judgment he displays. If one pursues a foolish course of action, he will not be respected for it. It is better to work at a job you consider beneath you and be able to eat than to stand on your own perceived self-importance and starve. Righteous people care not only for the welfare of people, but also that of animals. Even the so-called "mercy" of the wicked, however, is a display of their inherent cruelty. Evil people profit by preying on others, while righteous people bring appropriate things into existence.
Words of Torah study cause a person to enjoy good things from G-d. The foolish person pursues a path that he perceives to be straight, but it isn't. A wise person listens to advice. A fool wears his heart on his sleeve and shows his anger to the world, but a wise man keeps it to himself because he is not eager to get involved in controversy. A person's words can be used as a weapon to harm others or they can be used to heal. The truthful words of the righteous endure, while the lies of the wicked fade away.
A person who is clever will keep his knowledge to himself until the appropriate time; a fool will just blurt out his foolishness. Those who deal diligently and honestly will prosper, while the deceitful will have to pay. If your heart is full of worry, forget about it; the study of Torah will cheer your soul. Righteous people are generous in their dealings with others and they will not be tempted by the wicked. Being charitable leads to life and there is no detour on that path that leads to death.
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Proverbs Chapter 11 Fri, Apr 24, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 34:30 |
Text Pages |
Inherit the Wind
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Remember the reference to inaccurate scales in the last chapter? Well, here Solomon tells us that false scales, used by a merchant in an attempt to overcharge customers, are anathema to G-d, Who desires honesty in dealings among His creatures. Those who willfully abuse others with this sort of trickery are disgraceful. Good people are led by their honesty, then crooks like this take advantage of them. The money these dishonest businessmen obtain will not enrich them, it will testify against them.
When an evil person dies, there's no hope that his children will be supported in his merit, since he has no merit. The righteous person has no such worries. He will not succumb to flattery intended to lead him astray. When things go well for the righteous, everyone rejoices, since G-d rewards the entire city in their merit. The blessing of the upright metaphorically supports the ceiling of the Temple, while the deceit of the dishonest chips away at it. (In other words, the righteousness or dishonesty of the leadership has a tremendous impact on the fate of the nation.) If a person resents a wise and righteous neighbor, then he's a fool. A wise person does not respond to slights.
More Proverbs: Violate a confidence? Then you're a gossip. But if you're a faithful person, you can keep things to yourself. If the nation doesn't have a game plan, then they're doomed, but if they have advisors, they will succeed. One who places his trust in a "stranger" (a metaphor for idolatry) will be disappointed. People who strengthen themselves draw closer to G-d and Torah. A good person benefits his family, but an evil person is a source of trouble to his loved ones. People who pretend to be upright, but who are secretly planning evil, are an abomination to G-d, Who desires sincerity in word and deed.
A beautiful woman who has gone astray (representing a scholar who has strayed from the path of Torah) is like a gold ring in a pig's snout - the beauty is marred by the context. Righteous people only desire the good, while the desires of the wicked lead to destruction. A charitable person gains more than he spends, while one who refuses to give his share loses more than he saves. The generous person enriches both himself and others. A person who rebukes others does so because he wants to bring them closer to G-d. A person who seeks to harm his fellow man will find harm himself.
A person who relies on his money, rather than on his merits, will be disappointed. A lazy person neither works for a living nor tries to improve himself spiritually; he will inherit the wind (i.e., lots of nothing). A righteous person will eat the fruits of the tree of life and will inspire others. Both the righteous and the wicked will be paid according to their deeds.
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Proverbs Chapter 10 Thu, Apr 23, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 35:43 |
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Love Conquers All (and other Proverbs)
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
This chapter starts with the introductory phrase, "Proverbs of Solomon," indicating that it is the start of the second section of the Book. In this section, the chapters have less of a thematic connection, and often contain a series of individual lessons.
Solomon starts by saying that a wise son makes his father (or, possibly, his Father) proud, but a foolish son pains his mother. Ill-gotten gains will not help a person, but the merit of giving charity can save one from death. A person lacking in Torah will make himself false scales, both literally and metaphorically. Those who judge justly will be richly rewarded.
The wise son gathers his crops at the proper time, while the foolish son sleeps through the harvest. (Sounds a little like the fable of the grasshopper and the ant, doesn't it? Well, Solomon did tell us in chapter 6 to look to the ant and emulate her ways.) The wise embrace G-d's commandments, while the foolish consider them a burden. The former will be secure, while the latter will be broken. A person who entices others to sin brings evil to the world, but the words of the righteous are a source of life.
When people quarrel, even things supposedly "forgiven and forgotten" get brought up again, but when people act with love towards one another, all their past indiscretions can be overlooked. (It's the same with G-d: when we please Him by improving our deeds, He will overlook our previous mistakes.) A wise person acknowledges the error of their ways when it is pointed out to them, while the foolish deny and deny even as they're suffering the consequences of their actions. (Rashi gives an example of each of these. David acknowledged his sin when the prophet Nathan brought it to his attention in II Samuel chapter 12. The Pharaoh of the Exodus, however, suffered plague after plague rather than change his ways.) The actions of the righteous rush them towards life, while those of the wicked lead to sin, and therefore death. (Rashi contrasts the righteousness of Solomon himself with his descendant, the evil King Menashe. Solomon built the Temple, a source of life, while Menashe desecrated it with idols.)
If a person fails to rebuke others for their misdeeds, going so far as to flatter them for their actions, then he is misleading them and not doing them any favors. A gossip will not be respected by others for this repulsive habit. Verbosity invariably leads to sin, so you'd be wise to speak little. Righteous people carefully choose their words and their prayers bring much good into the world. Foolish people perish because they refuse to listen when others try to correct them.
Material blessings come from G-d and, no matter how hard we work, we cannot walk away with more than He has decreed for us. Foolish people carry out sinful acts without even thinking about them; the wise consider their actions and proceed accordingly. The wicked will receive that which they most fear, while the righteous will have their hearts' desires. (Rashi gives us an example of the wicked receiving that which they dread. The builders of the "Tower of Babel" in Genesis chapter 11 feared being scattered across the land, the very fate they brought upon themselves. That is the very definition of irony.) The wicked disappear suddenly, as if in a whirlwind, but the righteous stand fast.
The righteous can expect to ultimately see joy; that which the wicked hope to see will not come to pass. The righteous may be down from time to time, but they will not remain there. Conversely, the wicked constantly skate along the edge of disaster. The words of the righteous are pleasant and spread wisdom, while the wicked speak lies and it's only a matter of time before their tongues get them into trouble.
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Proverbs Chapter 9 Wed, Apr 22, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 30:13 |
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You Are Cordially Invited
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon says that the wisdom of Torah was used by G-d to establish the world, comparing the initial week of Creation to seven pillars. The table of the world was set with food and drink (the land and seas) and maidens were dispatched to invite the guests. (Rashi offers two explanations for the metaphor of the inviting maidens: Adam and Eve, or Moses and Aaron.) The wisdom of Torah invites all the simple people to come partake of her banquet and to become wise.
A person who attempts to rebuke a scoffer is just going to embarrass himself, so it's better to just stay away from such people altogether. Scoffers will hate you for attempting to correct their behavior, but wise people will love you for it. Wise and righteous people are receptive and they use what they hear to become wiser and more righteous. As we have said before, the first step in becoming wise is being in proper awe of G-d; getting to know His holy ones leads to understanding. Becoming wise leads to great things; blowing off what others have to say because you don't want to hear it will lead to suffering alone.
The "foolish woman" (representing one's desires) likewise beckons people, but she doesn't know anything at all. She invites people lacking sense to enjoy "stolen waters" under the guise that ill-gotten gains are more enjoyable. Therefore, these senseless people eat their bread in secret, where they won't be found out. Those who follow this path don't even know that they are headed straight for their own destruction.
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Proverbs Chapter 8 Tue, Apr 21, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 39:37 |
Text Pages |
The Torah Says
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon says that the Torah proclaims its merits as if calling out in a loud voice from a high vantage point. Torah practically grabs us by the lapels and says, "Pay attention! If you listen to me, I'll teach you amazing things! Every word is utter truth because falsehood is detestable to me! My teachings are more valuable than silver and gold! Nothing is more valuable than wisdom! But wisdom alone can lead to being deceitful, so you also need moral teachings to drive away the temptation to do evil. If you have awe of G-d, you will despise acts of evil, as well as arrogance, ego, slander and all other forms of wickedness. I bring you sound reasoning and good advice, which give a person strength."
The narrative that Solomon gives speaking as if he were the Torah continues: Kings and princes rule justly through the wisdom of Torah, which reciprocates the love it receives. Those who seek Torah will find it and benefit from it more than through riches. Torah leads the way down the paths of righteousness and justice. Torah is a great inheritance and it enriches those who love it.
Torah was in G-d's "mind" before the Earth was formed; it predates the depths, the water and the mountains, as well as the dust of the land. Torah was there when G-d made the Heavens and spread out the sky. When He spread out the world, Torah was by His side, like a beloved child playing near its parent. (The Torah was in its "youth" during the early days of mankind, before Abraham.) Now that the Torah has been given, pay attention to what it has to say and you will be wise. The person who pays careful attention to listen to Torah is fortunate.
One who has found Torah has found life and also finds favor before G-d. To go against Torah's teachings damages one's own soul and ultimately leads to his spiritual demise.
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Proverbs Chapter 7 Mon, Apr 20, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 31:03 |
Text Pages |
Ooh, Ooh, Witchy Woman
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon advises the reader to keep the Torah close to his heart and it will cause him to live. He should protect his Torah learning as he guards his eyes from injury. We should always keep the mitzvos at our fingertips and metaphorically inscribe them on our hearts. We should love wisdom like a sister and understanding like a relative. They will guard us from that strange woman, representative of heretical ideas, as in previous chapters.
Solomon says that he looked out his window and saw foolish people enticed by that temptress. Young people in particular rush to her house, though they may wait until it starts to get dark so that no one can see them. The brazen woman approaches and beckons. Her room is done up with the fanciest Egyptian linens and the sweetest incense. She's ready to make love with the visitor because her husband is away on business. (Remember that this is all a metaphor. In this metaphor, the heretical ideas seduce people by saying that G-d has removed His Presence from Israel and placed His goodness among the nations - see Talmud Sanhedrin 96b.) The husband has taken his money (representing the righteous in our metaphor) and he's not expected back for some time.
And so, the seductress catches her prey and the young man follows willingly, to his doom. He will not understand his folly until he suffers the consequences of his actions.
Solomon asks the reader to listen and not stray from the proper path to follow the woman of our metaphor. Many have done so and paid the ultimate price. To go to the house of this "woman" is to go to the grave.
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Proverbs Chapter 6 Sun, Apr 19, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 33:33 |
Text Pages |
...Or A Lender Be
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon says that if you have co-signed a loan, you have placed yourself in a sticky situation. The only way out is to just suck it up and pay the guy. Do not rest until you have taken care of this obligation. (The loan is a metaphor for the giving of the Torah at Sinai, where the generation of the Exodus used their descendants as a guarantee. The only option is to pay G-d what we "owe" him.)
Don't be lazy about fulfilling your obligations - look to the lowly but industrious ant and take a lesson! She has no boss looking over her shoulder, but look how hard she works! You think YOU should lay around? While you lay there thinking, "Just a few more minutes," everything falls apart.
An immoral person speaks twisted words. He says one thing and means another, planning things that drive people away from G-d. The plans of such a person will be discovered when he least expects and then his downfall will arrive.
There are six things that G-d hates and a seventh thing that He absolutely will not tolerate. They are: (1) arrogance; (2) lying; (3) acts of violence; (4) plotting violence; (5) rushing to eagerly commit acts of evil; (6) falsely accusing others and; (7) inciting arguments among people.
As in previous chapters, Solomon urges the reader to keep the Torah, which was transmitted to us by previous generations. We should metaphorically bind it to our hearts and have it before us at all times. Solomon uses the imagery of walking, retiring for the night, and getting up in the morning, similar to the way the Torah does in the paragraphs we recite twice daily as part of Shema. However, in Solomon's metaphor, the Torah guards and protects us in all of these activities.
Solomon says that Torah is light and that when G-d punishes us, it is to nudge us back onto the path of life. We are meant to be protected from the temptations of heretical beliefs (compared again to the foreign woman). Don't let her lure you away because such "women" ruin people.
If you play with fire, you're going to get burned, so stay away from other men's wives. A hungry person who steals to eat will not be hated for it because he did it to survive. He'll just pay his fines and go. Even if it means depleting all his assets, his action can be set right. Not so the adulterer. First of all, he doesn't have the justification of survival to mitigate his actions. Even if his motivation is to satisfy his lusts, this is fallacious, as all he does is exacerbate them. His punishments will not be erased and they will be remembered. Unlike the hungry thief, no amount of money can make this go away.
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Proverbs Chapter 5 Sat, Apr 18, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 29:09 |
Text Pages |
Friends, Israelites, Countrymen...
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon asks the student to lend an ear to his teachings. If you learn to watch your internal thoughts, then your speech will always be wise. The "strange woman" (the anthropomorphism of heresy, as in chapter 2) may seem smooth, but in the end you'll find "her" bitter and as sharp as a double-edged sword. Following her leads to destruction. Solomon urges the reader to listen to him and stay away from this "seductress." You don't want to waste your life and efforts serving a lost cause; if you do, you'll ultimately regret it and say, "What was I thinking? How could I not have listened to the wisdom of Torah?"
Instead of that fate, drink from the "spring" of wisdom that G-d has given us. If you do, your own springs of wisdom will overflow to others (students). The source of your water (Torah) will be blessed and you'll rejoice with the learning you acquired in your youth, compared here to a bride; you will always delight in her love.
So why go off with the strange woman (heretical ideas)? Our choices are right in front of G-d and He can see our merits and our flaws. The wicked will be strung up by the ropes of their own actions. This is what happens to one who is too foolish to embrace wisdom.
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Proverbs Chapter 4 Fri, Apr 17, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 35:11 |
Text Pages |
Weight Watchers
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon asks the reader to listen to discipline that G-d has instructed us; by doing so, we will become wiser. G-d gave us the Torah, which is all good, so we should not ignore it. Solomon doesn't want the reader to think that he's some sort of cold-hearted rules freak, so he speaks autobiographically: he was once a son to his father. As the only son of his mother, he was especially beloved by his parents, but they still had to discipline him on occasion to correct his behavior and ensure that he grew up well. It was Solomon's father, David, who enjoined him to keep the Torah and to acquire wisdom. Just as David rebuked Solomon out of love, Solomon teaches us from the same motivation.
The first step in becoming wise is to go out and get wisdom. First you have to know what others have said, so you'll need a teacher. So, get busy looking for wisdom and your efforts will be repaid many times over. Follow the path of Torah and you'll always walk safely and never fall, even when you break into a run. Hold tight to Torah as if your life depends on it, because it does.
The ones who love evil are so bothered if they are unable to commit acts against others that it keeps them awake at night. Everything they eat is acquired through robbery and oppression. This is no way to live. The path the righteous follow is bright like the dawn and its light only increases. Don't follow the dark path of evil - eventually you'll stumble and you won't even see what tripped you.
And so, follow the teachings that Solomon will impart, as they are a source of life and healing. Keep away from things that are prohibited, as they are a danger to you. Give up gossip and slander and keep your eyes on the prize. Follow the path and do not deviate. If you do, you'll be safe from all evil influences.
In the closing verses, Solomon tells us to "weigh" our choices. Rashi explains this to mean that we must calculate the effort of a mitzva against the value of its reward and the temptation of a sin against the cost of its penalty. If we always do this, we will always come to make the right choices.
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Proverbs Chapter 3 Thu, Apr 16, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 41:25 |
Text Pages |
Healthy, Wealthy and Wise
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Now, Solomon, again speaking for G-d, urges the student to remember the lesson and to keep the commandments. The Torah is a source of life and peace; those who adhere to it will also embrace the traits of kindness and truth, causing them to be dear to both G-d and man. Trust G-d - get yourself a teacher to learn His ways, rather than relying on your own understanding of Torah. Get to know G-d in all that you do and He will show you the straight path in all your endeavors.
Don't consider yourself so smart - if you do, you're likely not to defer to G-d's instructions when they go counter to your own thoughts. (Solomon knows this first-hand, as we saw in the Book of Kings.) If you subordinate yourself to G-d, then your wisdom will be a source of healing for you. Honor G-d with whatever talents He has given you and He will reward you with abundance. Don't hate it when G-d disciplines you, because it is a sign of His love, as a Father to a son.
You know who's fortunate? The one who has acquired wisdom to the extent that he can now impart it to others. This is an even better trade than the commodities market. Wisdom goes hand in hand with longevity and material success. (Healthy, wealthy and wise - see?) This wisdom - Torah - is a tree of life to those who grasp it and its ways are peaceful and pleasant. (These last two verses are recited when the Torah is returned to the Ark, although in Proverbs they appear in the reverse order from the way they are said in the liturgy.)
G-d founded the world with this wisdom - meaning that He used Torah as the "blueprint" for the universe. He used this guideline when He placed everything from the Heavens to the deep. Therefore, never let this wisdom out of your sight because it is precious. If you possess it, you will travel securely and go to bed without any fear. Do not be afraid of sudden terror because G-d will "have your back."
Do not refrain from doing good for others if you have the ability to do so - don't even delay doing so! Keep away from arguments and evil schemes against the innocent. Don't envy the apparent success of evil people and certainly don't copy their ways! G-d will ultimately cause the wicked to stumble, while He will bless the righteous. If you join those who mock, then you'll mock with them - end of story. But if you join the humble, you'll ultimately be elevated in people's eyes. G-d will honor the wise, who choose His ways, and He will disgrace the foolish, who turn away from Him.
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Proverbs Chapter 2 Wed, Apr 15, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 37:28 |
Text Pages |
Dead End
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Solomon speaks on behalf of G-d: "If you accept My wisdom and listen to My commandments, seeking understanding like you would treasure, then you will achieve knowledge of G-d." G-d is the source of wisdom and knowledge, which He saved up until He dispensed it in the form of the Torah. G-d's wisdom is a source of protection for the just. When people pursue and acquire wisdom, they will understand what it means to follow the good path.
Those who attain this wisdom will find their new knowledge to be pleasant for their souls; it will guard them from the path of evil and from those who would corrupt them. There are, after all, those who delight in evil, not only for profit, but for its own sake. There's no logic to it; they're simply perverse. Heresy (compared here to a "foreign woman") is particularly enticing, but wisdom can save one from the lure. To follow "her" leads to a dead end - literally! Those who go that way perish in this world and the Next. On the other hand, if one follows the path of wisdom, it leads to righteousness. The upright will dwell securely, while the evil will be uprooted
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Proverbs Chapter 1 Tue, Apr 14, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein - Length: 40:27 |
Text Pages |
Welcome to Proverbs
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Mishlei, the Book of Proverbs, was written by King Solomon and edited by the court of his descendant King Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah). The Book starts by introducing the author as "Solomon, the son of David, King of Israel." In this case, the apple did not fall far from the tree - David and Solomon were both known for their wisdom and piety (although wisdom was Solomon's predominant characteristic and piety was David's).
Solomon authored three Books of the Bible: Mishlei (Proverbs), Koheles (Ecclesiastes), and Shir HaShirim (The Song of Songs). There is a difference of opinion as to which book was composed at which stage of Solomon's career. The commentators try to derive hints from the introductory phrases of these books. For example, Proverbs names Solomon's father, suggesting that he might not have been as well known as when he wrote Song of Songs, which just says "by Solomon." However, there is no conclusive consensus on the matter.
This chapter addresses the purpose of the Book: so that Solomon can share some wisdom and insight. Through his words, simple people will be warned against being deceived and wiser people will add to their knowledge. There will be allegories and metaphors that can be understood on more than one level. And the start of learning is to place ourselves in awe of G-d. Those who cannot humble themselves before Him are incapable of learning.
In a famous verse, Solomon says, "Listen, my son, to the discipline of your father and do not forsake the Torah of your mother!" These gifts of learning, which are transmitted to the Jewish people from previous generations, are an adornment for the nation. But if evil people try and persuade you to participate in their activities, do not listen to them; their path leads to doom, not only for their victims, but for themselves. The path of robbery and violence inevitably leads to self-destruction.
The wisdom of Torah rings out in public places, asking the people how much longer they would like to immerse themselves in ignorance and nonsense. They should hear the words of rebuke and return to G-d. They have been called, but they don't answer! Because they didn't listen to the words of Torah, they should not expect wisdom to respond when they cry out for it in their times of trouble. When disaster strikes suddenly, it will be nowhere to be found. The people spurned knowledge and submission to G-d. They wouldn't take the advice when it was offered to them, so they will deal with the consequences of their own decisions. Their own complacency will prove their undoing. But those who heed the words of wisdom will have no reason to fear
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Psalms Chapter 150 Mon, Apr 13, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 11:49 |
Text Pages |
The Final Psalm
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
David concludes the Book by saying that G-d should be praised by the angels in the highest levels of holiness, as well as in the firmament, which is where we interface with Him. He should be praised for His mastery over nature and the miracles He has wrought for Israel by changing nature. He should be praised with every type of instrument, from the blasts of the shofar to harps, tambourines, flutes, cymbals, and more. (David lists nine types of instruments in all - even castanets!) A person's entire soul should be dedicated towards one goal: praising G-d!
What an appropriate note upon which to conclude.
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Psalms Chapter 149 Sun, Apr 12, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 11:42 |
Text Pages |
A New Song
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
David says that, even though the Book of Psalms is nearly through, we should all continue to compose and sing new songs of praise to G-d. The Jews should rejoice in He Who made them and selected them as His special nation. They should praise Him will all forms of instruments, both percussion and string.
G-d desires the service of His people and He grants them salvation. The pious will even praise G-d in their sleep, as they slumber soundly without any worries or fears. The praises of G-d are as powerful in their hands as a double-edged sword is in the hand of a warrior. The praises they sing will empower them to avenge themselves on those who have oppressed them; the nations will receive the punishments foretold for them in the Books of the Later Prophets (Rashi refers specifically to Ezekiel). G-d is a source of glory towards His devoted, so they should praise Him!
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Psalms Chapter 148 Sat, Apr 11, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 22:06 |
Text Pages |
Everybody Sing!
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
In this Psalm, David directs all of G-d's various creations to praise Him: angels of various ranks, celestial spheres, the heavens, the waters and more are all called upon to sing to Him for saying the word and causing them to exist. G-d has set the universe in motion and His program will not change. Just as the things above should praise G-d, so should the things below: sea creatures, fire and water (in all its forms), mountains and trees, birds and beasts - oh, yeah, and people, too. David specifies the kings of the various nations and their officers, because in the Messianic era, everyone will recognize G-d.
Young men and young women, who are normally preoccupied with the things that preoccupy youth, will all praise G-d. Old men and young men will praise Him together. (It doesn't say that the young men and women will do so together for reasons of propriety, just as the Temple had, and our synagogues have, separate sections for men and women.)
G-d alone will be praised. (Not only does this preclude idols, but even the rulers of nations will forgo honor in favor of G-d.) G-d will have raised the prestige of Israel, who were formerly humbled in exile, and He will cause His adherents to be praised. Therefore, the Jewish people, who are close to G-d, should praise Him!
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Psalms Chapter 147 Fri, Apr 10, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 33:14 |
Text Pages |
Frost and The Snow, Man
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
This is the second in our series of "Hallelujah" Psalms. David says that it is appropriate for us to praise G-d, Who builds up Jerusalem and Who will return the Jews from the lands of their exile. He heals all those who are broken-hearted over the destruction and exile, and He will bind the wounds of their tragedies. Only G-d can count and name all the stars. (In Genesis chapter 15, G-d demonstrated to Abraham that counting all the stars is beyond man's ability.)
G-d is not only infinitely powerful, He is also infinitely wise. He reinforces those who have been beaten down, while He lowers those who have oppressed them. Therefore, it is appropriate to sing songs of praise to Him. He covers the world with clouds, which appears ominous, but then the rain makes the grass grow, which is a blessing. G-d feeds the animals and the birds, though He has no "need" of either horse or rider, who are too impressed with their own prowess. G-d pays special attention to those who place their trust in Him, rather than in the imagined might of man.
Jerusalem, the Holy City, has additional reasons to praise G-d, for the salvation He has promised there. He has promised to strengthen the city and to bless its inhabitants. They will know peace and prosperity. Even the snow will insulate the ground in the winter, like a warm blanket; the morning dew will freeze into frost as fine as ash. But if He chooses to use the cold to punish mankind, as through hail, no one would be able to endure it. G-d can just "say the word" and melt the ice into streams of water.
At Sinai, G-d gave His Torah to the Jewish people and provided them with the means to get closer to Him. They are the only nation with this particular gift, so for that, praise G-d!
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Psalms Chapter 146 Thu, Apr 09, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 14:42 |
Text Pages |
Get Un-Bent
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Psalms 146-150 - basically the rest of the Book - are a series that start and end with the word Hallelujah, a Hebrew compound word meaning "praise G-d!" These Psalms are recited every day as part of the morning service, immediately following Psalm 145 (which ends with a line appended from Psalm 115, segueing into the theme of "Hallelujah").
David says, "Praise G-d, my soul!" He continues that he will praise G-d so long as he lives. We should not place our hope in human beings, not even in those who appear to have power, because ultimately they have no ability to save. People can (and do) just drop dead, returning to the dirt from which they came. Instead, let us turn to the One Who promised Jacob that He would be with him.
G-d made Heaven and Earth, the sea and all of its varied life forms - G-d is in all these places! G-d's word is eternally true. He performs justice for the oppressed, He feeds the hungry and He frees the captive. G-d gives sight to the blind, straightens those who are bent and He loves the righteous. G-d provides special protection for widows, orphans and converts; He will frustrate the plans of evil people. He will rule forever, so praise G-d!
The Talmud (Brachos 12a) derives our practice to bend and straighten up in prayer from verse 8 of this Psalm: Hashem zokeif kefufim, G-d straightens those who have been bent.
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Psalms Chapter 145 Wed, Apr 08, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 35:35 |
Text Pages |
Prescription: Take 3X Daily
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Psalm 145 is commonly known as "Ashrei," even though the two verses that start with that word are actually from two other Psalms (84 and 144). This Psalm is an alphabetic acrostic missing the letter Nun, and the Talmud in Brachos (4b) says that one who recites it thrice daily is assured of a place in the Next World. (We will discuss both of these points at the conclusion of the synopsis.)
David says that he will praise G-d and bless His Name every day, forever. G-d is great beyond our comprehension and He is rightly praised for it. Each generation will tell the next of His mighty deeds and the wonders He has made. They will relate how He punishes the wicked and bestows kindness. G-d is merciful and slow to anger; He is good to all and has mercy on His creatures, who thank Him for it.
Those whom G-d has created will tell of His might and the glory of His kingdom. His kingdom is eternal and He rules throughout history. G-d supports those who have fallen and He straightens those who have been bent. Everyone and everything turns to G-d for sustenance, and He supplies it in the proper time. He opens His hand to feed every creature. G-d is righteous and kind in all His actions; He is close by for those who call Him with faith. He acts on behalf of those who are in awe of Him and saves them. He protects those who love Him and destroys the evil ones. David concludes by saying that he hopes to always be able to bless G-d and that eventually all mankind will be inspired to join him in doing so.
So, back to our two statements. The Psalm is an alphabetical acrostic, but it does not contain a verse beginning with the letter Nun, which represents falling, as in Amos 5:2, "Fallen is the maiden of Israel; she will not arise again." That's some bad mojo. But the missing letter is alluded to in the verse subsequent to where Nun would be: "Someich Hashem l'chal hanoflim" - "G-d supports all who have fallen."
Finally, what's so special about Psalm 145 that reciting it three times a day ensures one a place in the Next World? Two things: it is an alphabetical acrostic, which praises G-d "from A to Z," and it contains the verse "You open Your hand and satisfy the needs of all living things." Others Psalms may have one of these sentiments or the other, but only Psalm 145 has both.
Disclaimer: Merely reciting the Psalm thrice daily may not be enough to reserve your place! It is assumed that the constant repetition reinforces the sentiments in the Psalm and causes a person to act upon them. Don't take Ashrei for granted!
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Psalms Chapter 144 Tue, Apr 07, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 26:33 |
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Saplings and Cornerstones
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
David praises G-d, Whom he calls his rock, for preparing him for his struggles and battles. David then refers to G-d by a long string of titles: fortress, refuge, shield, and others. David takes shelter in G-d, Who caused the nation to accept him as king.
What is a person that G-d should care about us? We're frail creatures whose lives don't last all that long. G-d, on the other hand, is the other end of the scale. He's off the scale altogether! Exposure to His glory could disintegrate a mountain - quite the opposite of man's powerlessness! G-d could scatter all of David's enemies in an instant.
David asks for G-d to intervene and save him from his troubles. By way of thanks, David will compose new Psalms of praise to G-d. Since David refuses to harm Saul, Saul is safe (even if he doesn't know it). David would like to enjoy similar security. May G-d continue to redeem him from danger as He has done so far!
The sons of the Jewish people are like saplings, grown with care; the daughters are like the cornerstones of palaces (in other words, the foundation of the Jewish home). The nation is rich with the bounty of the harvest and their flocks are full. The people are happy and secure in their land. Happy is the nation that enjoys all this and that worships the one true G-d. (The closing verse of Psalm 144 is one of two verses recited thrice daily as an introduction to Psalm 145, commonly referred to as "Ashrei.")
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Psalms Chapter 143 Mon, Apr 06, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 22:23 |
Text Pages |
David Keeps It To Himself... Mostly
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Continuing the theme of the previous Psalm, David asks G-d to hear his prayers and to answer him because of G-d's own inherent goodness, rather than because of any merits on David's part. Because he is human, David has also sinned; he asks that G-d not judge him now, in his time of peril. Besides, David has already been punished plenty, in the form of his pursuers, who have made his life pretty miserable.
David is emotionally drained from all his trouble. Then, he remembers "the good old days" and the miracles G-d wrought for the Jews. He learns Torah and "studies up" on G-d, then he prays for the salvation he needs. David hopes for a speedy reply, otherwise his end is near! G-d should please point out the way to safety and rescue him.
David doesn't let anybody know how desperate he is; he only confides in G-d. All he wants is to learn G-d's will so that he may perform it. (Of course, the necessitates surviving to do so!) If G-d delivers David from his enemies, he will praise G-d's Name in the sight of all. If G-d eliminates David's pursuers, David will be free to serve Him.
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Psalms Chapter 142 Sun, Apr 05, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 16:31 |
Text Pages |
Cave Men
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Psalm 142, a maskil (Psalm of enlightenment), is popular as a prayer in times of trouble. It was composed when David hid from Saul in a cave and they had a closer-than-comfortable encounter (see I Samuel 24).
David says he calls out to G-d, pouring out his heart to Him. He shares his pain with G-d when his spirit is weary from his troubles. G-d knows that David has chosen the path of righteousness for himself, but He can also see that David's enemies have laid traps for him all along the way. There is no one to assist him and no human means of escape. But David places his trust in G-d, with the result that his portion is among the living.
David asks G-d to heed his cry, for circumstances have brought him very low, indeed. Militarily, Saul's forces have David completely outgunned. And now, David is trapped in a cave with Saul - the only way he's getting out of this one is with G-d's help! When He does, David will thank Him and the righteous will share in his triumph.
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Psalms Chapter 141 Sat, Apr 04, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 19:08 |
Text Pages |
Sweet-Smelling Words
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
David has called to G-d for rescue from his enemies and he prays for quick relief. He hopes that G-d will consider his words as incense offered before Him, and his motions like the afternoon sacrifice. David asks that G-d station a guard near his mouth to prevent him from abusing his power of speech. He further asks that G-d reinforce his heart not to be tempted into any evil, not even to join with evil people at a feast. Pains that he receives from G-d, which are intended to push him back onto the proper path, are more desirable to David than any delicacy an evil person might offer him.
David blames the inaction of the judges for the deplorable state of things. He tried to encourage them to fix things, but they ignored him. As a result, innocents are endangered by the wicked. David turns to G-d for rescue from his antagonists. He asks that the evil people fall into the traps they set for him until he is safely away from their influence.
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Psalms Chapter 140 Fri, Apr 03, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 3.91 MB |
Text Pages |
How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
David asks for relief from an evil pursuer (possibly Doeg, who informed on David and instigated the massacre at Nov) and from a person who seeks him harm (presumably Saul). They plot against him and are quite persistent in their attacks. They sharpen their tongues against David like a serpent's tooth.
David asks to be guided safely away from those who keep him on the run. They set traps for him, possibly referring to the people of Zif, who betrayed David. David called out to G-d, Who rescued him in his time of danger. (The commentators differ as to what the referent is.) David prays that the plans of the wicked not be permitted to succeed and the wicked themselves not increase in power and prestige.
David concludes by referring to a leader of his opposition, whom he prays will be undone by his own words. This appears to refer to Achitofel, a senior advisor of David's who deserted him and defected to join the rebellion of Avshalom. David prays for G-d's wrath to descend like fire from Heaven on such enemies, casting them into depths from which they will never arise (presumably Hell, but not necessarily). There's no place for slanderers in this world or the Next. David is confident that G-d will answer his plea, since He defends the oppressed. The righteous will praise G-d and enjoy His Presence.
The word "yadati" ("I know") in the penultimate verse is a kri/ksiv, in which the word is written and pronounced two different ways, leading to two different understandings of the text. Here, the word is spelled "yadata" ("You know"), meaning that G-d will take action because He knows the evil ways of David's pursuers first-hand.
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Psalms Chapter 139 Thu, Apr 02, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 31:09 |
Text Pages |
Adam Says
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
This Psalm is traditionally attributed to Adam, in theme if not in the actual words, which are David's. G-d showed Adam all his future descendants and Adam gifted David, who was fated to die at birth, with 70 years of his own life.
G-d knows all of a person's thoughts and deeds. Even as we are still formulating our ideas, G-d knows what we have to say. He formed us and He knows us inside and out, good and bad, past and future. We, however, are not privileged to share this insight.
There is no place we can go where G-d is not, from the highest heavens to the lowest depths. Wherever one may go, the "hand of G-d" is always upon him, guiding him. When things seem blackest, G-d causes them to brighten. Even darkness is no obstacle to G-d; to Him, things at night are as clear as day.
G-d formed us in utero and gave us incredibly sophisticated organs; for this we will thank Him. Even in the womb we are not hidden from G-d, as it is there that He causes our bodies to form. Adam was a shapeless lump of clay before G-d crafted him into a person; even then, the fate of all of his descendants was known to G-d. All of history is a single moment to Him.
Adam praises his descendants who will be pious leaders of the people. (The Talmud in Sanhedrin 38b says he made special note of Rabbi Akiva.) If the merits of these, who are precious to G-d, could be counted, they would outnumber the sands of the beach. From the beginning of history to the end, Adam sees the faithful cling to G-d. If only the evil ones would not be permitted to endure!
These evil plotters invoke G-d's Name as if He approves of their deeds! They take His Name in vain. They cause people to hate G-d and for this the Psalmist (presumably David speaking at this point) hates them. He opposes them at every turn. G-d's enemies are his enemies, so he confronts them. Since G-d knows our innermost thoughts, He knows this to be true. If G-d were to test him, David would demonstrate his faith. May G-d lead him and his descendants on the proper path.
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Psalms Chapter 138 Wed, Apr 01, 09 |
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - Length: 22:18 |
Text Pages |
Really Outdoing Himself
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
David says that he will thank G-d wholeheartedly and sing to Him in the presence of the scholars and judges of the land, who appreciate His ways. David says that he will bow down in prayer facing the direction of the Temple, thanking G-d for His kindness and truth. (The Radak says that G-d was kind when He promised David the throne and true when He fulfilled His word.) G-d really "outdoes Himself," Rashi says when it comes to forgiving sin.
When David cried out to G-d, he was answered and encouraged. The kings of the world saw how David was answered and had to acknowledge G-d. When they see David's triumph, they will sing to G-d. Even though He is on high, He still takes special note of the humble and punishes their oppressors.
Even though he is surrounded by troubles, David knows that G-d reinvigorates him and gives him the ability to confront his foes. David prays that G-d will "finish what He started" by extending His kindness to the future exiles.
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