Yom HaKippurim 5778
Yom HaKippurim 5778
Yom HaKippurim 5778
Triennial Cycle (Triennial Torah Cycle) / Septennial Cycle (Septennial Torah Cycle)
Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings Third Year of the Reading Cycle
Tishri 10, 5778– Sept. 29/30, 2017 Third Year of the Shmita Cycle
See: http://www.chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.htm
Roll of Honor:
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His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David and beloved wife HH Giberet Batsheva bat Sarah
His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Dr. Elisheba bat Sarah
His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham
His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Karmela bat Sarah,
His Honor Paqid Adon Tsuriel ben Abraham and beloved wife HH Giberet Gibora bat Sarah
Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah & beloved family
His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann & beloved family
His Excellency Adon John Batchelor & beloved wife
Her Excellency Giberet Leah bat Sarah & beloved mother
Her Excellency Giberet Zahavah bat Sarah & beloved family
His Excellency Adon Gabriel ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Elisheba bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Yehoshua ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Rut bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Michael ben Yosef and beloved wife HE Giberet Sheba bat Sarah
Her Excellency Giberet Prof. Dr. Emunah bat Sarah & beloved family
His Excellency Adon Robert Dick & beloved wife HE Giberet Cobena Dick
His Excellency Adon Eliezer ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Chava bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Aviner ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Chagit bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Ovadya ben Abraham and beloved wife HE Giberet Mirit bat Sarah
His Excellency Adon Brad Gaskill and beloved wife Cynthia Gaskill
His Excellency Adon Marvin Hyde
His Excellency Adon Ya’aqob ben Abraham
Her Excellency Giberet Eliana bat Sarah and beloved husband HE Adon James Miller
For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that GOD’s richest blessings
be upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael and her Torah Scholars, amen ve
amen!
Also, a great thank you and great blessings be upon all who send comments to the list about the contents and
commentary of the weekly Torah Seder and allied topics. If you want to subscribe to our list and ensure that you
never loose any of our commentaries, or would like your friends also to receive this commentary, please do
send me an E-Mail to [email protected] with your E-Mail or the E-Mail addresses of your friends. Toda
Rabba!
We pray for His Eminence our beloved Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David, who is very sick at home awaiting for his arteries
to be more defined before an operation in October. Mi Sheberach – He who blessed our forefathers Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, may He bless and heal His Eminence our beloved Rabbi
Dr. Hillel ben David, May the Holy One Most blessed is He, be filled with compassion for him, to restore his health,
to heal him, to strengthen him, and to revivify him. And may He send him speedily a complete recovery from
heaven, among the other sick people of Yisrael. A recovery of the body, and a recovery of the spirit and mind,
swiftly and soon, and we say amen ve amen!
Please pray the above prayer and recite some Tehillim (Psalms), and if possible give some charity on their
behalf. This is quite urgent and we appreciate very much your prayers and charity on His Eminence’s behalf!
Also pray for HH HaRabbanit Giberet Batsheba bat Sarah who is totally exhausted and distraught.
We also pray for His Excellency Adon Mikha ben Hillel who has an unidentified skin problem which is affecting him
seriously. He is supposed to get a diagnose from the local university hospital in Japan, as the medicine the local
doctors administered to him made things worse. Mi Sheberach – He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac
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and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, may He bless and heal His Excellency Mikha ben Hillel, May the
Holy One Most blessed is He, be filled with compassion for him, to restore his health, to heal him, to strengthen
him, and to revivify him. And may He send him speedily a complete recovery from heaven, among the other sick
people of Yisrael. A recovery of the body, and a recovery of the spirit and mind, swiftly and soon, and we say
amen ve amen!
We pray for His Excellency Adon Jonah Lindemann (age 18), and His Excellency Adon Bart Lindemann. Jr. (age 20).
[the sons of His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann] who have recently been diagnosed with Asperger’s disease (a
“spectrum disorder”). Their father asks that we pray that he can find for his two young sons the appropriate and
good professional assistance that they urgently need. Mi Sheberach – He who blessed our forefathers Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, may He bless and heal Their Excellencies Adon Adon Bart
Lindemann Jr. & Adon Jonah Lindemann, May the Holy One, Blessed is He, be filled with compassion for them to
restore their health, to heal them, to strengthen them, and to revivify them. And may He send them speedily a
complete recovery from heaven, among the other sick people of Yisrael, a recovery of the body and a recovery of
the spirit and mind, swiftly and soon, and we say amen ve amen!
We pray also for H.E. Giberet Rachel bat Batsheva who is afflicted with un-systemic mastocytosis. Mi Sheberach –
He Who blessed our holy and pure Matriarchs, Sarah, Ribkah, Rachel and Leah, bless Her Excellency Giberet
Rachel bat Batsheva and send her a complete recovery and strengthening of body and soul. Please G-d heal her,
please. Please G-d heal her, please. Please G-d heal her, please. Cure her, strengthen her, make her healthy and
return her to her original strength, together with all the sick of Yisrael. And may it be so willed, and we will say,
Amen ve Amen!
We pray also for H.E. Giberet Leah bat Sarah who is in a dangerous financial situation. May the Bore HaOlam, the
Master of the universe who sees all things, and who is in control of all things have mercy on Her Excellency’s
finances and grant her salvation from a complex situation, and may she be granted from heaven to prosper most
copiously on all things, together with all Yisrael, amen ve amen!
Yom HaKippurim
Day of Atonements - 5778
For further study see:
http://www.betemunah.org/kohen.html; http://www.betemunah.org/atonemen.html;
http://www.betemunah.org/kippur.html; http://www.betemunah.org/awesome.html;
Jonah 1:1 ¶ The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai:
2
Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim judgment upon it; for their wickedness has come before Me.
3
Jonah, however, started out to flee to Tarshish from the LORD's service. He went down to Joppa and found a ship
going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went aboard to sail with the others to Tarshish, away from the service of the
LORD.
4
But the LORD cast a mighty wind upon the sea, and such a great tempest came upon the sea that the ship was in
danger of breaking up.
5
In their fright, the sailors cried out, each to his own god; and they flung the ship's cargo overboard to make it
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lighter for them. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the vessel where he lay down and fell asleep.
6
The captain went over to him and cried out, "How can you be sleeping so soundly! Up, call upon your god!
Perhaps the god will be kind to us and we will not perish."
7
The men said to one another, "Let us cast lots and find out on whose account this misfortune has come upon us."
They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
8
They said to him, "Tell us, you who have brought this misfortune upon us, what is your business? Where have
you come from? What is your country, and of what people are you?"
9
"I am a Hebrew," he replied. "I worship the LORD, the God of Heaven, who made both sea and land."
10
The men were greatly terrified, and they asked him, "What have you done?" And when the men learned that he
was fleeing from the service of the LORD -- for so he told them --
11
they said to him, "What must we do to you to make the sea calm around us?" For the sea was growing more and
more stormy.
12
He answered, "Heave me overboard, and the sea will calm down for you; for I know that this terrible storm came
upon you on my account."
13
Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to regain the shore, but they could not, for the sea was growing more and
more stormy about them.
14
Then they cried out to the LORD: "Oh, please, LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man's life. Do not
hold us guilty of killing an innocent person! For You, O LORD, by Your will, have brought this about."
15
And they heaved Jonah overboard, and the sea stopped raging.
16
The men feared the LORD greatly; they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and they made vows.
Jonah 2:1 The LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah; and Jonah remained in the fish's belly three days and
three nights.
2
Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish.
3
He said: In my trouble I called to the LORD, And He answered me; From the belly of Sheol I cried out, And You
heard my voice.
4
You cast me into the depths, Into the heart of the sea, The floods engulfed me; All Your breakers and billows
Swept over me.
5
I thought I was driven away Out of Your sight: Would I ever gaze again Upon Your holy Temple?
6
The waters closed in over me, The deep engulfed me. Weeds twined around my head.
7
I sank to the base of the mountains; The bars of the earth closed upon me forever. Yet You brought my life up
from the pit, O LORD my God!
8
When my life was ebbing away, I called the LORD to mind; And my prayer came before You, Into Your holy
Temple.
9
They who cling to empty folly Forsake their own welfare,
10
But I, with loud thanksgiving, Will sacrifice to You; What I have vowed I will perform. Deliverance is the
LORD's! {S}
11
The LORD commanded the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon dry land. {P}
Jonah 3:1 ¶ The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
2
"Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it what I tell you."
3
Jonah went at once to Nineveh in accordance with the LORD's command. Nineveh was an enormously large city
a three days' walk across.
4
Jonah started out and made his way into the city the distance of one day's walk, and proclaimed: "Forty days
more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"
5
The people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast, and great and small alike put on sackcloth.
6
When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat
in ashes.
7
And he had the word cried through Nineveh: "By decree of the king and his nobles: No man or beast -- of flock or
herd -- shall taste anything! They shall not graze, and they shall not drink water!
8
They shall be covered with sackcloth -- man and beast -- and shall cry mightily to God. Let everyone turn back
from his evil ways and from the injustice of which he is guilty.
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Who knows but that God may turn and relent? He may turn back from His wrath, so that we do not perish."
10
God saw what they did, how they were turning back from their evil ways. And God renounced the punishment
He had planned to bring upon them, and did not carry it out.
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Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our GOD, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us through Your commandments,
and commanded us to actively study Torah. Amen!
Please Ha-Shem, our GOD, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your
people Israel. May we and our offspring, and our offspring's offspring, and all the offspring of Your people, the
House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling
Your delight. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amen!
Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our GOD, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations, and gave us the
Torah. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!
Ha-Shem spoke to Moses, explaining a Commandment. "Speak to Aaron and his sons, and teach them the
following Commandment: This is how you should bless the Children of Israel. Say to the Children of Israel:
May Ha-Shem bless you and keep watch over you; - Amen!
May Ha-Shem make His Presence enlighten you, and may He be kind to you; - Amen!
May Ha-Shem bestow favor on you, and grant you peace. – Amen!
This way, the priests will link My Name with the Israelites, and I will bless them."
These are the Laws for which the Torah did not mandate specific amounts: How much growing produce must be
left in the corner of the field for the poor; how much of the first fruits must be offered at the Holy Temple; how
much one must bring as an offering when one visits the Holy Temple three times a year; how much one must
do when doing acts of kindness; and there is no maximum amount of Torah that a person must study.
These are the Laws whose benefits a person can often enjoy even in this world, even though the primary
reward is in the Next World: They are: Honouring one's father and mother; doing acts of kindness; early
attendance at the place of Torah study -- morning and night; showing hospitality to guests; visiting the sick;
providing for the financial needs of a bride; escorting the dead; being very engrossed in prayer; bringing peace
between two people, and between husband and wife; but the study of Torah is as great as all of them together.
Amen!
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2 And the Lord said to Moses: Speak to your brother Aaron, that he should not come [at all times into the
Holy] so that he should not die the way his sons died.-[Torath Kohanim 16:3]
so that he should not die for if he does enter, he will die.-[Torath Kohanim 16:3]
for I appear...in a cloud -"For I continuously appear there with My pillar of cloud, and therefore, since My Divine
Presence is revealed there, he must be careful not to accustom himself to enter." This is its simple meaning. Our
Rabbis, however, interpreted [it as follows]: He shall not come except with the cloud of incense on Yom Kippur. -
[Yoma 53a]
3 with this - בְּ זֽ את. Its gematria [numerical value] is 410, an allusion to [the number of years that] the first Temple
[would stand when the kohanim were righteous like Aaron, and it was as if Aaron lived all these years and entered
the Holy of Holies]. -[Vayikra Rabbah 21:9]
With this shall Aaron enter [the Holy] And even [with] this, not at all times, but [only] on Yom Kippur, as is
specified at the end of this section (verse 29 below),"in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month..." [i.e., the
tenth of Tishri, namely, Yom Kippur].
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4 [He shall wear a...] linen shirt... [By enumerating only the four garments of an ordinary kohen, Scripture]
informs [us] that [the Kohen Gadol] does not perform the service inside [i.e., in the Holy of Holies] wearing the
eight garments with which he performs the service outside [the Holy of Holies (see Exod. Chap. 28)], for those
[garments] contain gold, and a prosecutor cannot become a defender. [I.e., since the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy
of Holies on Yom Kippur to effect atonement for all Israel, he may not enter wearing gold, reminiscent of the
golden calf]. Instead, [he wears] four garments, like an ordinary kohen, all of which are [made] of linen.-[R. H. 26a]
He shall wear a holy [linen shirt...] i.e., these garments shall be [purchased] from the Temple treasury. -[Torath
Kohanim 16:13]
and wear Heb. יִ צְ נֽ ף, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders it: יָחֵ ית בְּ ֵרישֵׁ יהּ, he shall place on his head. This is similar to
“So she placed )(וַתַּ נַּחhis garment” (Gen. 39:16), [which Onkelos renders:] וְ אַ חְ ְתתֵ הּ.
he shall immerse in water On that day he was required to immerse himself every time he changed [his garments].
And [in total, the Kohen Gadol] changed his garments five times [when transferring] from the service inside [the
Holy of Holies] to the service outside, and from outside to inside, changing from golden garments to white
garments, and from white garments to golden garments. And at every change [of garments], he was required to
immerse in a mikvah [once] and to sanctify his hands and feet twice [by washing his hands in the water] from the
washstand [i.e., once when removing the garments he wore and a second time when he donned the next set of
garments].-[Yoma 32a]
6 his sin-offering bull That is the one mentioned above (verse 3). And [Scripture’s reference to “his”] teaches you
here that [this bull] had to be [purchased] from Aaron’s own money, rather than from public funds.-[Torath
Kohanim 16:19; Yoma 3b]
and initiate atonement...for himself and for his household [i.e., over this bull,] he confesses his own sins and
those of his household.-[Torath Kohanim 16: 20; Yoma 36b]
8 And Aaron shall place lots upon the two he-goats He would place one [he-goat] on his right and one on his left.
Then, he would insert both his hands into an urn [which contained two lots, one bearing the inscription “to the
Lord” and the other “to Azazel.” These lots were mixed up, and Aaron, with both hands inside the urn] took one lot
in his right hand and the other in his left hand, and he would place them upon them [the he-goats]: [The one] upon
which [he placed the lot] with the inscription “to the Lord,” would be for God, while the one upon which [he placed
the lot] with the inscription “to Azazel,” would be sent off to Azazel.-[Yoma 39a] Azazel This is a strong and hard
mountain, [with] a high cliff, as the Scripture says [in describing Azazel] (verse 22 below),"a precipitous land (אֶ ֶרץ
)גְּ ז ֵָרה," meaning a cut-off land [i.e., a sheer drop].- [Torath Kohanim 16:28; Yoma 67b]
9 and designate it as a sin-offering When he places the lot upon it, he designates it by calling it [a sin- offering],
saying, "To the Lord—a sin-offering".-[Yoma 39a]
10 while still alive [is to be understood] like [ ָיעֳמַ ד חַ יi.e., the word ָיעֳמַ דis in the hof’al conjugation, which is a
passive form, meaning that the goat] was “stood up by others.” [Thus,] the Targum translates it as, יִתָּ קַ ם כַּד חַ י, “shall
be stood up while alive.” And what does the verse teach us when it says “alive?” Since it says: “to send it away to
Azazel,” and we do not know whether it was to be sent away to be killed or to remain alive. Therefore, Scripture
says, “shall be placed while still alive,” [meaning that] it is to be placed while still alive [and shall remain alive
only] until it is sent away. From here, we learn that it was sent away to its death.-[Torath Kohanim 16:26] to
[initiate] atonement [lit., “to effect atonement upon it,” here meaning] that he is to confess upon it, as Scripture
says, “and confess upon it....” (verse 21 below). -[Torath Kohanim 16:27; Yoma 40b]
11 ...and shall [initiate] atonement for himself This is a second confession [i.e., besides that stated in verse 6
above for himself and his household], and is for himself [again] and for his brothers, the kohanim, all of whom are
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called “his household,” as the verse says, “O house of Aaron, bless the Lord,” (Ps. 135:19). From here, we see that
[all] the kohanim receive atonement through this [sin-offering bull of the Kohen Gadol] (Torath Kohanim 16:29;
Shev. 13b) And all its atonement is exclusively for defiling the Sanctuary and its holy things, [e.g., if a kohen forgot
that he was unclean and entered the Sanctuary or ate sacrifices], as the verse says, “And he shall effect atonement
upon the Holy, from the defilements [of the children of Israel]” (verse 16 below). -[Shev. 14a]
12 from upon the altar [referring to] the outside altar.-[Yoma 45b]
from before the Lord From the side [of the altar] that is before the entrance [to the Holy], namely, the western side
[of the altar].-[Yoma 45b]
fine Heb. דַּ קָּ ה. But what does Scripture teach us here, when it says [that the incense had to be] fine? Was not all
incense fine, as Scripture says [regarding the spices], “And you shall crush some of it finely” (Exod. 30:36)?
Rather, [Scripture is telling us here that this incense] was to be the finest of the fine, for on the eve of Yom Kippur,
they would return [already crushed incense] to the mortar [in order to crush it even finer, for use on Yom Kippur].-
[Torath Kohanim 16:34; Keritot 6b]
13 [And he shall place the incense] upon the fire that is inside the pan.
so that he shall not die Hence, if [the Kohen GAdol] did not make it according to its formula, he would be liable to
death.-[Torath Kohanim 16:35; Yoma 53a]
and sprinkle [it] with his index finger One sprinkling is meant.
and before the [ark] cover, he shall sprinkle seven [times] Thus, once above and seven times below.-[Torath
Kohanim 16:41; Yoma 55a]
15 the people’s [sin-offering he-goat] For what the bull atones for the kohanim [namely, defilements of the
Sanctuary and its holy things], the he-goat atones for the Israelites, and this goat was the one upon which the lot
“For the Lord” had fallen. -[Yoma 61a]
as he had done with the bull’s blood [namely, sprinkling it] once above and seven times below.-[Torath Kohanim
16:41; Yoma 55a]
16 from the defilements of the children of Israel- [i.e., atoning] for those who, while in [a state of] uncleanness,
had entered the Sanctuary, and it never became known to them [that they had been unclean], for it says: לְ כָל־חַ ֽטּאתָ ם,
חַ טָּ אַ תdenotes an unintentional sin.-[Torath Kohanim 16:42; Shev. 17b]
and from their rebellions [i.e., atoning] also [for] those who, in a state of uncleanness, willfully entered [the
Sanctuary, thereby defiling it].-[Torath Kohanim 16:42; Shev. 17b]
He shall do likewise to the Tent of Meeting i.e., just as he had sprinkled from [the blood of] both [the bull and the
he-goat] inside [the Holy of Holies, with] one sprinkling above and seven below, so shall he sprinkle from [the
blood of] both [the bull and the he-goat] on the dividing curtain from the outside once above and seven times
below.-[Torath Kohanim 16:43; Yoma 56b]
which dwells with them, [even] amidst their defilements Although they are unclean, the Divine Presence is
among them.-[Torath Kohanim 16:43; Yoma 56b]
18 to the altar that is before the Lord This is the golden altar, which is “before the Lord” in the heichal [i.e., in
the Temple, it was in the heichal, was the equivalent of the Holy in the Mishkan]. And [since the Kohen Gadol was
to remain inside the Holy for the next procedure,] what does Scripture mean when it says, “And he shall then go
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out?” Since he had just performed the blood sprinklings on the dividing curtain, standing on the inner side of the
altar to sprinkle [i.e., between the altar and the dividing curtain], for the applications on the altar, [Scripture]
required him to “go out” to the outer side of the altar and to begin with the north-eastern corner.-[Torath Kohanim
16:45; Yoma 58b. See Mizrachi, Gur Aryeh. Also Chavel, who asserts that, according to the Reggio edition of
Rashi, the Kohen Gadol did not stand beyond the altar, but alongside it, from where he commenced to apply the
blood from the north-eastern corner.]
and effect atonement upon it And what is the [procedure that effects the] atonement? [As the verse continues:]
“He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the he-goat’s blood,” one mingled with the other.-[Torath
Kohanim 16:46; Yoma 57b]
19 He shall then sprinkle some of the blood upon it After he has applied the blood with his index finger on its
horns, he shall then sprinkle seven sprinklings on its top.
and he shall cleanse it from any [defilements] that had occurred in the past,
and sanctify it for the future.-[Torath Kohanim 16:48] [According to Mizrachi, this means that now that the altar
had been purified from past defilements, care would be taken not to defile this now pure altar. Maskil LeDavid
explains that, after the altar was cleansed of its previous defilements, it had to be resanctified for future use. This
the Kohen Gadol would effect. Raavad explains that, by cleansing it of its defilements, he would sanctify it for
future use.]
23 And Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting Our Rabbis stated (Torath Kohanim 16: 60; Yoma 32a) that
this is not the [correct chronological] place for this verse, and they gave a reason for this in Tractate Yoma (32a).
And they said: "This whole passage is in correct chronological order, except for this entry, for this followed the
performance of his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering, and the burning of the sacrificial parts of the bull
and the he-goat, which were performed outside [the Holy of Holies, with the Kohen Gadol attired] in golden
garments. Then he would immerse himself, sanctify [his hands and feet with water from the washstand], remove
them [his golden garments], don his white garments"-
and...shall come into the Tent of Meeting to take out the spoon and the pan, with which he had caused the incense
to go up in smoke in the inner Holy. [Then,]
[Aaron shall...] remove the linen garments After he took them [the spoon and the pan] out, and then he would
don his golden garments the afternoon [תָּ ִמידi.e., the daily burnt offering sacrificed twice every day]. The following,
[therefore,] is the order of the services: 1) The morning תָּ ִמידin golden garments; 2) the service involving the bull
and he-goat whose blood was sprinkled inside [the Holy] and the incense procedure [with the burning coals] in the
pan, in white garments. 3) Then, his ram, the people’s ram and some of the additional sacrifices [of the day (see
Num. 29:7-11)] in golden garments; 4) then, the removal of the spoon and the pan in white garments; 5) the
remainder of the additional sacrifices, the afternoon תָּ ִמיד, and the incense procedure in the heichal upon the inner
altar in golden garments. Hence, the [chronological] sequence of the verses, corresponding to [the chronological
order of] the services is as follows: (Verse 22), “and he shall send off the he-goat into the desert”; then (verse
24),"And he shall immerse his flesh...He shall then go out and sacrifice his burnt offering..."; then (verse 25),"the
fat of the sin-offering..."; then the remainder of this passage, up till (verse 26),"And after this, he may come into the
camp"; only then [comes our verse 23 into the chronological sequence,] “And Aaron shall enter [the Tent of
Meeting, and remove the linen garments],”
and there, he shall store them away This teaches [us] that they require being stored away [forever], and he shall
not use those four garments for any other Yom Kippur.-[Torath Kohanim 16:61; Yoma 12b]
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24 And he shall immerse his flesh... Above (see Rashi verse 4), we learned from “he shall immerse in water and
then don them,” that when he changes from golden garments to white garments, he is required to immerse himself,
for with that immersion, he removed the golden garments, with which he had performed the service of the morning
תָּ ִמיד, and subsequently changed into white garments, to perform the service of the day (see verse 4). Here, we learn
that when he changes from white garments to golden garments, he [also] is required to immerse [in a mikvah].-
[Torath Kohanim 16:60; Yoma 32a]
in a holy place sanctified with the [degree of] holiness of the Courtyard [of the Holy Temple], and it was on the
roof of [a chamber in the Holy Temple, called] Beth HaParvah. And so were [all] four immersions which were
obligatory for the day, except for the very first immersion, which was performed in an unsanctified [place because
this immersion, in preparation to sacrifice the morning תָּ ִמיד, took place every day and was not, therefore, specific to
the Yom Kippur service].- [Torath Kohanim 16:62; Yoma 30a]
and don his garments [meaning “his” regular] eight garments, in which he officiates all the days of the year.
He shall then go out of the heichal, to the Courtyard in which the altar for burnt offerings was located.
and sacrifice his burnt offering namely, the ram for a burnt offering, stated above (verse 3), [when Scripture says
there,] “Aaron shall come with this...,”
and the people’s burnt offering namely, “and one ram for a burnt offering,” stated above (verse 5), [when
Scripture says,] “And from the community of the children of Israel....”
25 the fat of the sin-offering [This refers to] the sacrificial fats of the bull and the he-goat.
And he shall cause [the fat of the sin- offering] to go up in smoke upon the altar On the outer altar, for,
concerning the inner altar, it is written: “You shall offer up on it no alien incense, burnt offering, or meal offering”
(Exod. 30:9), [and likewise, no sin-offering shall be brought on the internal altar since “burnt offering” includes any
sacrifice of which any part is burned].
27 whose blood was brought into the heichal and into the very interior.
32 And the Kohen [Gadol] who is anointed This atonement on Yom Kippur, is valid only through a Kohen Gadol
[since anointment in this context exclusively refers to that of a Kohen Gadol (see Lev. 21:10)].-[Yoma 32b] Since
this entire passage is stated concerning Aaron, Scripture found it necessary to state that the Kohen Gadol who
succeeds him is like him. -[Torath Kohanim 16:79]
or who is invested [Without this phrase,] we would know only that [the Kohen Gadol] anointed with the anointing
oil (see Exod. 30:22-33) may perform the Yom Kippur service]. How would we know that [a Kohen Gadol who
was invested only by] wearing the many garments [i.e., eight, as opposed to the four of an ordinary kohen, may also
perform Yom Kippur service]? Scripture, therefore, says here, "or who is invested to serve [for their authorized
wearing of the eight golden garments of a Kohen Gadol is their very investiture (see Rashi Exod. 29:9)].-[Torath
Kohanim 16:79] These [Kohanim Gedolim referred to here,] are all the Kohanim Gedolim who were appointed from
the time of Josiah and onwards, for in the days [of Josiah], the jug of anointing oil was hidden away.- [see Yoma
52b]
to serve in his father’s stead This teaches us that if his son can take his place [meaning that he is his equal], he
takes precedence over everyone else.-[Torath Kohanim 16:80]
34 And he did as the Lord had commanded [Moses] [i.e.,] when Yom Kippur arrived, [Aaron] performed [the
service] according to ths order, and [this verse is written] to tell Aaron’s praise, namely, that he did not don those
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[special garments of the Kohen Gadol] for his self-aggrandizement, but rather, as one who is fulfilling the King’s
decree [thus, “he did as the Lord had commanded”].-[Torath Kohanim 16:85]
XXVI:I
R. Simeon b. R. Abin opened [the discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture]: "Since one fate comes to
all, to the righteous/generous and the wicked, [to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who
sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice].” (Qoh. 9:2). One fate to the righteous/generous refers to Noah: And
Noah was righteous/generous (Gen. 6:9). R. Phineas, R. Yohanan, son of R. Eliezer, son of R. Yose the Galilean:
When Noah went forth from the ark, the lion bit and maimed him, so that he was not fit [having suffered blemishes
to make an offering], so his son, Shem, made an offering in his place. [Simeon continues.] And to the wicked refers
to Pharaoh Necho (2 Kgs. 23:29). When he wanted to sit in Solomon's throne, he did not know how its mechanism
worked, and a lion bit and maimed him. So this one [Noah] died lame, and that one [Necho] died lame. [Is it not so,
then, that] one fate comes to all?
To the good ... to the clean and the unclean (Qoh. 9:2). To the good refers to Moses, for it is said, And she looked at
him, for he was good (Ex. 2:2). It was because he had been born already circumcised. The clean refers to Aaron,
who was responsible for the cuI tic purifieation of Israel. And to the unclean refers to the spies. These [spies]
reported bad things about the land of Israel and did not enter the land of Israel, while those [Moses and Aaron] were
totally righteous/generous, but also did not enter the land of Israel. Is it not so, then, that one fate comes to the
righteous/generous and to the clean, to the good and to the unclean?
[To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice (Qoh. 9:2):] To him who sacrifices refers to Josiah: And
Josiah sacrificed of the flock, lambs and kids (2 Chron, 35:7). And to the one who does not sacrifice (Qoh. 9:2)
refers to Ahab, who brought about the cessation of sacrifices from the altar. But is it not written, And Ahab
sacrificed for himself [an abundance of animals from the flock and herd] (2 Chron. 18:2)? The reference to for
himself indicates that it was for himself that he made the sacrifice, and he did not sacrifice for the sake of offerings
[to God]. Now this one died in a hail of arrows, and that one died in a hail of arrows. Now this one died in a hail of
arrows: The archers shot at king Josiah (2 Chr. 35:23). ... and that one died in a hail of arrows: A certain man drew
his bow not intending the result and smote the king of Israel between the lower armor and the breatplate (2 Chr.
18:33). Is it not so, then, that one fate comes to him who sacrifices and to him who does not sacrifice?
As to the good man, so is the sinner and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath (Qoh. 9:2): As to the good man
refers to David: And he sent and brought him, and he was ruddy, with a lovely face, and good appearance (1 Sam.
16:12). So is the sinner refers to Nebuchadnezzar: Break off your sin through righteousness/generosity (Dan. 4:24).
This one [David) built the house of the sanctuary and ruled for forty years, while that one destroyed it and ruled for
forty-five years. Is it not the case of a single fate affecting them both?
[And he who swears is as he who shuns an oath (Qoh. 9:2):) He who swears refers to Zedekiah: And he also
rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar to whom he had taken an oath by God (2 Chron. 36:13). By what had he
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Aramaic: With the help of Heaven”
taken the oath? R. Yose b. R. Hanina said, By the altar had he taken the oath. As he who shuns an oath (Qoh. 9:3)
refers to Samson: And Samson said to them, 'You take an oath to me that you yourselves will not attack me' (Jud.
15: 12). This one died with his eyes having been put out, and that one died with his eyes having been put out. This
one died with his eyes having been put out: And he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah (2 Kgs. 25:7), ... and that one died
with his eyes having been put out: And the Philistines seized him and put out his eyes (Judges 6:21). Is it not the
case of a single fate's affecting them both?
Another interpretation of the verse Since one fate comes to all, to the righteous/generous and the wicked, [to the
good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice] (Qoh. 9:2):
The righteous/generous refers to [supply: the sons of] Aaron, concerning whom it is written, He walked with me in
peace and uprightness [and did turn many away from iniquity] (Mal. 2:6). And to the wicked refers to the
congregation of Korach, concerning whom it is written, Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men (Num.
16:26). The latter went in to make an offering when they were divided by contentiousness, and they ended up
burned. And these went in to make an offering not divided by contentiousness, and they too ended up burned. That
is in line with the following verse of Scripture: [The Lord spoke to Moses] after the death of the two sons of Aaron
[when they drew near before the Lord and died] (Leviticus 16:1-5)
XXVI:II
I said of laughter, It is mad, [and of pleasure, What use is it?] (Qoh. 2:2): R. Abba bar Kahana said, [Interpreting
the word for mad to mean minglcd.] how mingled [with confusion) is the laughter of the nations of the world in
their theaters and circuses. ...and of pleasure, What use is it? (Qoh, 2:2): What business have disciples of Sages to
do there?
Another interpretation of the verse, I said of laughter, It is mad, and of pleasure, What use is it? (Qoh. 2:2): Said R.
Aha, Said Solomon, 'Matters that the attribute of divine justiee has treated as punishable I have treated as mere
lunacy [and so violated the Law by doing what I did not think mattered).' "It is written: He will not take a great
many wives (Deut. 17:17). And it is written, And he had as wives seven hundred princesses and three hundred
concubines (1 Kgs. 11:3). It is written, He will not have a great many horses (Deut. 17:16). And it is written, And
Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen (1 Kgs, 5:6). It is
written, He will not collect a great deal of silver and gold (Deut. 17:17). And it is written, The king made silver in
Jerusalem as commonplace as stones (1 Kgs. 10:27). But were the silver stones not stolen? Said R. Yose b. R.
Haninah, They were complete stones ten cubits high by eight cubits broad. It was taught on Tannaite authority by
R. Simeon b. Yohai, Even the scales in the time of Solomon were made of gold: Silver was not regarded as worth a
thing in the time of Solomon (1 Chr. 9:20). ... of pleasure, What use is it? (Qoh. 2:2): Said the Holy One, blessed be
He, to him, "What is this crown doing in your possession? Go, descend from your throne." At that moment an angel
descended in the guise of Solomon and sat on the throne, and Solomon made the rounds of all the synagogues and
school houses which were in Jerusalem saying to the people, I, Qohelet, was king over Israel in Jerusalem (Qoh.
1:12). And the people replied to him, King Solomon is sitting on his throne, and you say I am King Solomon?"
What did they do to him? They beat him with reeds and set before him a bowl of grits. At that moment he said,
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, said Qohelet (Qoh. 1:2).
Another interpretation of the verse, I said of laughter, It is mad, and of pleasure, What use is it? (Qoh, 2:2): Said R.
Phineas, If joy is only mixed, then what use is rejoicing? There was the case of one in Kabul, who married off his
son. On the fourth day [of the week of rejoicing], he invited the groomsmen as guests to his house. [After they had
eaten and drunk and made merry.] he said to his son, "Go up and bring us a jug of wine from the upper room."
When he got up there, a snake bit him and he died. He waited for him to come down, but he did not come down.
His father said, "Will I not go up and see what's going on with my son?" He went up and found that a snake had
bitten him and he had died, and he was sprawled out between the jugs. What did he do? He waited until the guests
had eaten and drunk [and finished their meal]. When the guests had eaten and drunk, he said to them, "Is it not to
say a blessing for my son as a groom that you have come? Say a blessing for him as mourners. Is it not to bring my
son into the marriage canopy that you have come? Rather, bring him to his grave." R. Zakkai of Kabul came and
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Another interpretation of the verse, I said of laughter, It is mad, and of pleasure, What usc is it? (Qoh. 2:2): How
mixed [with sorrow] was the laughter that the attribute of justice brought forth for the generation of the flood. For it
is written: Their bull gendered and did not fail, their cow calved and did not abort. They sent forth their little ones
already grown up like a flock of sheep, and the children could dance. They dance to the timbrel and harp and
rejoiced at the sound of the pipe. They spent their days in prosperity and went down to the grave in peace (Job
21:10-13). When they said, What is the Almighty that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have if we
pray to Him (Job 21:15), said to them the Holy One, blessed be He, " ... and of pleasure. What use is it? (Qoh. 2:2)?
"By your lives! I will wipe you out of the earth." So it is written, And he blotted out all that existed (Gen. 7:23).
Another interpretation of the verse, I said of laughter. It is mad. and of pleasure. What use is it? (Qoh, 2:2): How
mixed [with sorrow] was the laughter that the attribute of justice brought forth for Sodom and Gomorrah, for it is
written, As for the earth out of it comes bread; but underneath it is turned up as by fire. Its stones are the place of
sapphires. and it has dust of gold. That path no bird of prey knows. and the falcon's eye has not seen it. [The proud
beasts have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it. Man puts his hand to the flinty rock and overturns
mountains by the roots. /Ie cuts out channels in the rocks and his eye sees every precious thing. lie binds up the
streams so that they do not trickle and the thing that is hid he brings to light] (Job 28:5-11). When they said, "Let
us blot out travellers from among us," as it is written, They open shafts in a valley away from where men live; they
are forgotten by travelers; they hang afar from men. they swing to and fro (Job 28:4), said to them the Holy One,
blessed be He, ... and of pleasure. What use is it? (Qoh. 2:2). By your lives, I will drive you out of the world. That
is in line with what is written in the following verse: The Lord caused to rain on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone
and fire ... he turned those cities upside down (Gen. 24, 25).
Another interpretation of the verse, I said of laughter. It is mad, and of pleasure. What use is it? (Qoh. 2:2): How
mixed [with sorrow] was the laughter that the attribute of justice brought forth for Elisheba, daughter of
Amminadab. Elishcba, daughter of Amminadab, saw four occasions for rejoicing in a single day: her husband as
high priest, her levirate husband as king, her brother as patriarch, and her two sons as prefects of the priesthood.
When her sons went in to make an offering, they came out burned, and her rejoicing turned to mourning. That is in
line with the following verse of Scripture: After the death of the two sons of Aaron (Lev. 16:2).
XXVI:III
R. Levi commenced discourse [by citing the following:] I say to the boastful (הֹוללִ ים
ְ ַ)ל, Do not boast, [and to the
wicked, Do not lift up your horn] (Ps, 75:5): I say to the boastful (הֹוללִ ים
ְ ַ)ל: [The word for boastful is to be
interpreted as confused, mixed up, hence]. ‘I say to those who are confused [in combining joy with grief].' This
refers to those whose hearts arc filled with bad thoughts [Mandelbaum, p. 8]. R. Levi would call them, "Woe-
sayers." They are those who bring woe to the world.
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Laqish said, They were eleven. And rabbis say, Ten. But there is no real disagreement between them. The one who
maintains that there were thirteen treats the reference, Every precious stone was your covering, to count as three.
The one who holds that there were eleven treats that reference as indicating only one. And the one who maintains
that there were ten does not treat that reference as counting even one of them. Yet after all this glory: For you
are dirt, and you go back to dirt (Gen. 3:19).
[I say to the boastful ()לַ הֹולְ ִלים, Do not boast, and to the wicked, Do not lift up your horn:] Abraham did not make
merry in My world, and yet you make merry in My world. To Abraham was born a son when he was one hundred
years old, and yet in the end, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, Take your son, [your only son, whom you
have loved, and offer him .. for a burnt¬offering] (Gen. 22:2). Now Abraham, our father, made a journey of three
days. That is in line with this verse of Scripture: On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place
from a distance (Gen. 22:4). What did he see? He saw a cloud on top of a mountain. [He said, It appears to me that
this is the place at "which the Holy One, blessed be He, told me to offer up Isaac, my son.] He said to Isaac, "Do
you see what I see?" He said to him, "Yes." He said to him, "And what do you see?" He said to him, "I see a cloud
on top of the mountain." He said to his lads, [Ishmael and to Eliezer], "Do you se what I see?" They said to him,
"Not a thing." He said to them, "Since you do not see anything, and this ass here does not see anything, You stay
here with the ass (Gen. 22:5) - you are people that are like an ass." What did he do? He took Isaac, his son, and
took him up the mountain and built an altar and laid out the wood and arranged the offering and took a knife to slay
him. Now if the Holy One, blessed be He, had not spoken to him, saying, Do not put your hand to the boy [and do
nothing to him] (Gen. 22:12), [Isaac] would have been slaughtered. When Isaac came back to his mother, she said
to him. "What did father do to you, my son?" And he said to her, "Father took me and walked me up mountains and
down valleys. He took me up a certain mountain, built an altar, arranged matters properly, laid out wood, tied me
on the altar, and took a knife in his hand to slaughter me. Now if the Holy One, blessed be He, had not spoken to
him, saying, Do not put your hand to the boy [and do nothing to him] (Gen. 22:12), [I] would have been
slaughtered." She said, "Woe is the son of this unfortunate woman! If the if the Holy One, blessed be He, had not
spoken to him, saying, Do not put your hand to the boy and do nothing to him (Gen. 22: 12), [you] would have been
slaughtered." She had not finished the matter off before she died. That is in line with the following verse of
Scripture: And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her (Gen. 23:2). Whence did he come? From
Mount Moriah did he come.
It is as if to say that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not make merry in his world, and yet you are making merry in
My (God's) world. The Lord has rejoiced in His works is not written, but rather, The Lord will rejoice in his works
(Ps. 104:31). The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to rejoice in the works of the righteous/generous in the age
to come.
[I say to the boastful ()לַ הֹולְ ִלים, [Do not boast, and to the wicked, Do not lift up your horn]. The Israelites did not
make merry in My world, and yet you want to make merry. Israel rejoiced in His maker is not written here, but
rather will rejoice (Ps. 149:2). They are going to rejoice in the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the age to
come.
Elisheba daughter of Amminadab did not rejoice, and do you want to rejoice in My world? Elisheba daughter of
Amminadab saw four occasions for rejoicing in a single day: her husband as high priest, her levirate husband as
king, her brother as patriarch, and her two sons as prefects of the priesthood. When her sons went in to make an
offering, they came out burned, and her rejoicing turned to mourning. That is in line with the following verse of
Scripture: After the death of the two sons of Aaron (Lev. 16:2).
XXVI:IV
R. Yudan of Galia opened [discourse by citing the following verse:] Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
[and makes his nest on high? On the rock he dwells and makes his home in the fastness of the rocky crag. Thence
he spies out the prey; his eyes behold it afar off] (Job 38:27-29). Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Aaron,
'Aaron, at your word I brought My Presence to rest on the ark, or at your word I took My Presence away from the
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ark.'
The first sanctuary: On the rock he dwells and makes his home (Job 38:28) - one night's stay. The second sanctuary:
In the fastness of the rocky crag - many nights' st ay. For we have learned in the Mishnah [M. Yoma 5:2]: Once the
ark was taken away, there remained a stone from the days of the earlier prophets, called Shetiyyah. It was
three fingerbreadths high, and on it did (the high priest) put (the firepan). [T. Yoma 2:14:] And why was the
rock called S hetiyyah ("foundation")? Said R. Yose b. Halapta, "For from it the world was founded [as it is
written, Out of Zion, the perfection of the world (Ps. 50:2)]. [Y. Yoma 5:3:] What was the prayer of the high priest
on the Day of Atonement when he came out of the sanctuary? [He says,] "May it be pleasing to You, our God
and God of our fathers, that the year be a year of rain, drying out, and dew, a year of inexpensive market prices, a
year of abundance, a year of pleasure, a year of blessing, a year of trading, and a year in which Your people, the
house of Israel, do not stand in need of one another's help, and a year in which Your people Israel do not lord it
over one another." And the Rabbis of Caesarea say, "(We pray) for our brothers of Caesarca, that they not lord it
over one another." And the Rabbis of the south say, "We pray for our brothers of the south that their houses not tum
into their tombs."
Thence he spies out the prey (Job 38:29): From there he would spy out (or foresee) food for the entire year. His eyes
behold it afar off (Job 38:29) - from the beginning of the year he would know what would come at the end of the
year. How so? When he would look at the pillar of smoke ascending from the pile, if it arose toward the south, he
would know that the south would enjoy plenty. If it arose toward the west, he would know that the west would
enjoy plenty. If it arose toward the north, he would know that the north would enjoy plenty. If it ascended toward
the east, he would know that the east would enjoy plenty, and so forth for each direction. If it went straight up to
the firmament, he would know that the entire world would enjoy plenty. After all of this glory: His young ones
suck up blood; [and where the slain are, there is he] (Job 38:30): [Aaron] saw his young writhing on the ground
and he kept silent. ... and where the slain are, there is he (Job 38:30) refers to the presence of God. R. Yudan in the
name of R. Joshua b. Levi, R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Hiyya b. R. Abba said, "Come near and take up your
brothers from before the ark' is not written here, but rather, from before the presence of the Holy One (Lev. 10:4). It
was like a man who says to his fellow, 'Remove this corpse from before this mourner! How long should this
mourner be pained?’ After the death of the two sons of Aaron (Lev. 16:2).
XXVI:V
R. Ahwa b. R. Zeora opened [discourse by citing the following verse:] At this also my heart trembles and leaps out
of its place (Job 37:1). What is the meaning of trembles (ִתר
ַ ) ְויand leaps? The usage is in line with the meaning of
the same words In the following verse: Wherewith to leap ()לנ ֵַּתר ְ on the ground (Lev. 11:21). This we translate, to
leap. Said Job, The sons of Aaron were not like his staff. The staff of Aaron came in dried up and went out full of
sap, as it is said, [And on the morrow Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for
the house of Levi] had sprouted and put forth buds [and produced blossoms and it bore ripe almonds] (Nurn. 17:8).
The wicked Titus went into the house of the Holy of Holies with his drawn sword in his hand and cut into the
curtain and his sword came out covered with blood. He went in in peace and came out in peace. Yet the sons of
Aaron went in to make an offering and came out burned up. After the death of the two sons of Aaron (Lev. 16:2).
XXVI:VI
R. Berekhiah opened [discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture]: To punish a righteous/generous man is
not good; [to flog noble men for the sake of uprightness] (Prov. 17:26). Said the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Even
though I punished Aaron and took his two sons from him, it is not good.' To punish a righteous/generous man is not
good. But it was to flog noble men for the sake of uprightness (Prov. 17:26). After the death of the two sons of
Aaron (Lev. 16:2).
XXVI:VII
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It was taught in the name of R. Eliezer: Nadab and Abihu died only because they gave instruction in the presence of
Moses, their master. There was the case of a disciple who gave instruction in the presence of his master. R. Eliezer.
He said to Imma Shalom. his wife. "He is not going to live out the week." The Sabbath had not come before he
died. His students came and said to him. "Rabbi. are you then a prophet?" He said to them. "I am not a prophet nor
the disciple of a prophet (Amos 7:14). but this is the tradition which I have received: 'Any (disciple) who
teaches a Law in his master's presence is liable to the death penalty.”
It was taught on Tannaitc authority in the name of R. Eliezer: It is forbidden for a disciple to teach a Law in the
presence of his master - until he will be twelve mils away from him. the breadth of the camp of Israel. That is in
line with the following verse of Scripture: They encamped by the Jordan from Beth-Jeshimoth as far as Abet-shiuim
[in the plains of Moab] (Num. 33:49). [And how long is that distance? It is twelve mils. (that is. the breadth of the
camp of Israel)].
R. Tanhurn bar Jeremiah was in Happar, and a question was brought to him. and he gave instruction. so too a
second time. Someone said to him. "And did you not teach us. Rabbi. 'It is forbidden for a disciple to teach a Law
in the presence of his master - until he will be twelve mils away from him. the breadth of the camp of Israel?' Now
lo. R. Mana. your master. dwells in Sepphoris!" He said to him. "May a curse come upon me. if I knew it!" From
that moment he gave no further instruction (in that place. at that time).
XXVI:VIII
[Said R. Jeremiah b. Elcazar.] At four passages (Lev. 10:1. 16:1; Num. 3:4. 26:61) Scripture makes mention of the
death of the sons of Aaron. and at each point Scripture also makes mention of their offense. Why so? To let you
know that this was the only sin for which they were responsible. Said R. Eleazar the Moditc, Come and see how
painful is the death of the sons of Aaron before the Omnipresent. for each passage in which Scripture makes
mention of their death. it also specifies their offense. Why so? So that no one in the world should have an excuse to
say that they were responsible for a whole range of improper actions in secret. on which account they perished.
Bar Qappara in the name of R. Jeremiah b. Eleazar: On account of four matters did the two sons of Aaron die:
because of drawing near to the holy place, because of the offering they made, because of bringing strange fire, and
because they did not take counsel with one another. Because of drawing near: for they entered the inner sanctum.
Because of the offering: for they offered a sacrifice which had not been commanded. Because of the strange fire:
it was fire from the kitchen that they brought in. Because they did not take counsel with one another, as it is
written, And Nadab and Abihu, each one of them, took his censer (Lev. 10:1). Each one took his censer - each one
on his own account, for they did not take counsel with one another. [The word for censer is similar to word for
destruction.]
XXVI:IX
R. Mani of Sheab, R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: On account of four matters did the sons of Aaron
die, and in connection with each one of them the death penalty is specified in Scripture: Because they entered the
sanctuary drunk, and in that regard the death penalty is specified in Scripture: Wine and strong drink you will not
drink ... [lest you die] (Lev. 10:9); Because they entered the sanctuary not having [washed their hands and
feet: And they will wash their hands and feet, lest they die] (Ex. 30:21). And it is written, When they go into the tent
of meeting, they will wash with water, lest they die (Ex. 30:20); Because they were not wearing the required
garments for the priestly service, and in that regard the death penalty is specified in Scripture: And they will be
worn by Aaron and his sons when [they go into the tent of meeting ... lest they bring guilt upon themselves and die]
(Ex. 28:43)." Which garments had they left off? Said R. Levi, They had left off the robe, concerning which the
death penalty is specified in Scripture: And Aaron will wear it when he officiates ... [lest he die] (Ex. 28:35)." [The
authorities continue:] and because they had no children, concerning which the death penalty is specified. That is
in line with the following verse of Scripture: And Nadab and Abihu died, and they had no children (Num, 3:4).
Abba Hanan said, It was because they had no wives, while it is written: And he will atone for himself and for his
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R. Levi said, They were snooty. Many unmarried women were sitting gloomy (sad) and waiting for them. But
what did they have to say about themselves? 'Our father's brother is king, our mother's brother is patriarch. our
father is the high priest. we two are deputy high priests! What woman is worthy of us? R. Menahama in the
name of R. Joshua b. Nehemiah: Fire devoured their young men, [and their maidens had no marriage song] (Ps.
78:63). And why did fire devour their young men? Because their maidens had no marriage song.
[And the fact that they were power hungry may] further [be shown in] the following: And He said to Moses, Come
up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, [and seventy of the elders of Israel] (Ex. 24:1). This teaches that
Moses and Aaron went first, then Nadab and Abihu went after them, while all Israel followed after them. So the
two brothers said, "In a little while these two old men will die, and you and I are going to lord it over this
community." R. Yudan in the name of R. Aibu said, "They said this out loud to one another. " R. Phineas said,
"They merely thought it in their hearts." Said R. Berekhiah, "The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, Do not
take pride today concerning what will be tomorrow (Prov. 27:1). Many foals have died and had their hides turned
into saddles for their mothers' backs.
[And the fact that they were power hungry] may further [be shown in] the following: And He did not lay his hand
on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God and ate and drank (Ex. 24: 11). Said R. Phineas, "On the
basis of this verse we learn that they were entitled to have the hand laid on them [but God did not do so]." R.
Hoshaia said, "Did a loaf of bread go up with them at Sinai, that it should be stated, And they beheld God and ate
and drank (Ex. 24:11)? "This teaches that they feasted their eyes on the Presence of God, like a man who stares at
his fellow while eating and drinking." R. Yohanan said, "It was actual eating (not merely thinking about food). That
is in line with the following verse of Scripture: In the light of the king's face is life (Prov. 16:15)." Said R.
Tanhuma, "This teaches that they took pride and stood up and feasted their eyes on the Presence of God."
R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: "Moses did not feast his eyes on the Presence of God, but he benefited
from the Presence. He did not feast his eyes on the Presence of God: And Moses hid his face (Ex. 3:6). He benefited
from the Presence? And Moses did not know that a beam of light shown from his face (Ex. 34:29).” Another matter:
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid (Ex. 3:6): And the people were afraid to come near him (Ex. 34:30). ...to look
... (Ex. 3:6): And he will look upon the likeness of the Lord (Num. 12:8). Nadab and Abihu, for their part, did feast
their eyes upon the Presence of God, but then they did not benefit from the Presence of God."
A further [proof for the fact that they were snooty and so were punished derives from the following]: Nadab and
Abihu died before the Lord (Num. 3:4). Said R. Yohanan, "Now did they die before the Lord? [Was it not before
their father?] But this teaches that it is hard for the Holy One, blessed he He, when the children of the
righteous/generous die while the parents are yet alive." R. Nahman of Jaffa raised the following question before R.
Phineas b. R. Hama in the name of R. Simon: "Here Scripture says, Before the Lord, Before the Lord (Nurn. 3:4),
two times, while elsewhere Scripture states, Before their father (1 Chron. 24:2), only one time. [Why so?] What this
teaches is that it was twice as hard on the Holy One, blessed be He, as it was on their father."
In the wilderness of Sinai (Num. 3:4). Was it in the wilderness of Sinai that they died? [Surely it was at the tent of
meeting.] But this teaches that it was at Mount Sinai that they received their death sentence. The matter may be
compared to the king who was marrying off his daughter, and some sort of irregularity turned up with regard to the
best man. Said the king, "If I kill them now, I will mingle my daughter's joy with sorrow. So tomorrow I will have
my happy day, and it is better that the deed be done on my happy day than on my daughter's." So said the Holy
One, blessed be He, "If I kill Nadab and Abihu now, I will mingle the rejoicing of the Torah with sorrow.
Tomorrow my time of rejoicing will come, and it is better (that the deed be done) on my happy day than on the
happy day of the Torah." That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: On the day of his wedding, [and on
the day on which his heart was happy] (Song 3:11). On the day of his wedding refers to Mount Sinai, and on the
day on which his heart was happy refers to the consecration of the tent of meeting.
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XXVI:X
[But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered unholy fire before the Lord in the wilderness of
Sinai.] and they had no children (Num. 3:4). R. Jacob b. R. Abayye in the name of R. Aha, "Lo, if they had had
children, the sons would have taken precedence over (the brothers) Eleazar and Ithamar [as high priests]. [For we
have learned there (T. Sheq. 2:15)]: Whoever takes precedence in inheritance takes precedence in matters of
dignity (inheriting office), so long as that person conforms to the customs of his fathers."
So Eleazar and lthmar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father (Num. 3:4). R. Issac said. "It was
when he was alive." R. Hiyya b. R. Abba Said, "It was after he died." In conformity with the view of R. Isaac, who
said that it was while he was yet alive. here the word "presence" is written. and elsewhere it says, And Haran died
in the presence of Terah his father (Gen. 11:28). Just as the use of the word "presence" in that other context
indicates that this was while (Tcrah) was alive, so here the meaning is the same. In the view of R. Hiyya b. R.
Abba. who has said that they ministered only after his death, we find support in the following: here the word
"presence" is used, and in another verse you find the following: And Abraham arose from before the presence of
his deceased (Gen. 23:3). Just as in that latter usage the word indicates that it was after death. so here we find the
same meaning. In the view of R. Isaac, who said that it was while Aaron was yet alive, [how do we explain the fact
that they ministered during their father's lifetime]? The reason was that when Aaron suffered some form of cultic
disqualification, Eleazar served in his place. When Eleazar likewise suffered a cultic disqualification. Ithamar
served in his place.
[Y. Yoma 1:1] There is the case of Simeon b. Qimhit, who went to take a walk with an Arabian king,
[following Y.'s version: on the Day of Atonement at twilight], and a spurt of spit [from the king's mouth]
splattered on the priest's garment and so rendered him unclean. Judah his brother went in and served in his
stead as high priest. On that day, their mother [Qimhit] had the pleasure of seeing two sons in the office of
the high priest. The sages say: Seven sons did Qimhit have, and all of them served in the high priesthood. They
went and said to Qimhit, "Now what kinds of good deeds [did you do to merit such glory]?" She replied to them,
"May [a terrible thing] happen to me, if even the beams of my house ever once gazed upon the hair of my head or
the thread of my chemise in my entire life [because of modesty]." They said, "All meal (QMH) is fine, but the meal
of Qimhit is the finest of fine flour." They recited in her regard the following verse: The princess is decked in her
chamber with gold-woven robes (Ps, 45:14).
In the view of R. Hiyya b. R. Abba, who said that it was after he had died, (first) Aaron died and Eleazar served in
his place, then Eleazar died, and Ithamar served in his place.
XXVI:XII
Said R. Abba bar Zabina, "On what account is the story of the death of Miriam [Num. 20] juxtaposed to the rules
[Num. 19] governing preparation of the ashes of the red cow [to be issued for purification rites in the case of corpse
uncleanness]? It is to teach that, just as the red cow achieves atonement, so the death of Miriam achieved
atonement." Said R. Yudan, "On what account is the story of the death of Aaron juxtaposed to the story of the
breaking of the tablets [of the law]? It is to teaeh that the death of Aaron was as hard on the Holy One, blessed be
He. as the breaking of the tablets." Said R. Hiyya b. R. Abba, "On the first day of Nisan the two sons of Aaron died.
So why does the Scripture make mention of their death only in connection with the Day of Atonement [Lev. 16]? It
is to teach that just as the Day of Atonement achieves atonement, so the death of the righteous/generous
achieves atonement. How do we know that the Day of Atonement achieves atonement? For on this day will
atonement be made for you (Lev. 16:30). And how do we know that the death of the righteous/generous achieves
atonement? And they buried the bones of Saul [and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of
Kisn his father; and they did all that the king commanded.] And after that God heeded supplications for the land (2
Sam. 21:14)."
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1. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a horn, “Prophet, call with your throat, spare not, lift up your
and declare unto My people their transgression, and to voice like the sound of the trumpet; declare to My
the house of Jacob their sins. people their apostasies, to the house of Jacob their sins.
2. Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My 2. Yet before me they seek teaching daily, as if they
ways; as a nation that did righteousness/ generosity, and wished to know ways which are correct before Me, as if
forsook not the ordinance of their God, they ask of Me they were a people that did virtue and were not forsaken
righteous/generous ordinances, they delight to draw near from the judgment of their God; they ask before Me a
unto God. true judgment, as if they wished to draw near to the fear
of the LORD.
3. ‘Wherefore have we fasted, and You see not? 3. They say, ‘Why have we fasted, as is disclosed
Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and You take no before You? Why have we afflicted ourselves, as is
knowledge?’ - Behold, in the day of your fast you known before You?’ Prophet, say to them: Behold, in
pursue your business, and exact all your labors. the day of your fasts you seek your own pleasures, and
bring near all your stumblings.
4. Behold, you fast for strife and contention, and to 4. Behold, you fast only for quarrel and for contention
smite with the fist of wickedness/lawlessness; you fast and to hit with the wicked/lawless fist. You will not fast
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not this day so as to make your voice to be heard on with fasts like these to make their voice to be heard on
high. high.
5. Is such the fast that I have chosen? The day for a man 5. Is this it, the fast that I take pleasure in, a day for a
to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a man to afflict himself? Is it to bow down his head like a
bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? rush that is bowed down, and to lodge upon sackcloth
Will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the and ashes? Do you call this a fast, and a day that is a
LORD? pleasure before the LORD?
6. Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the 6. Is not this it, the fast that I take pleasure in: disperse a
fetters of wickedness/lawlessness, to undo the bands of wicked/lawless congregation, undo bands, writings of
the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you perverted judgment, let those who were robbed depart
break every yoke? free, and remove every perverted judgment?
7. Is it not to deal your bread to the hungry, and that you 7. Will you not nurture from your bread the hungry, and
bring the poor that are cast out to your house? When you bring needy outcasts into the midst of your house; when
see the naked, that you cover him, and that you hide not you will see the naked, cover him, and not suppress your
yourself from your own flesh? eye from a relative of your flesh?
8. Then will your light break forth as the morning, and 8. Then will your light be revealed as the dawn, and the
your healing will spring forth speedily; and your healing of your stroke go up speedily; your virtues will
righteousness/generosity will go before you, the glory of go before you, in glory before the LORD you will be
the LORD will be your rearward. gathered.
9. Then will you call, and the LORD will answer; you 9. Then you will pray, and the LORD will accept your
will cry, and He will say: ‘Here I am.’ If you take away prayer; you will beseech before Him and He will carry
from the midst of you the yoke, the putting forth of the out your request. If you take away from your midst
finger, and speaking wickedness/lawlessness; perversion of judgment, pointing with the finger and
speaking sayings of oppression,
10. And if you draw out your soul to the hungry, and 10. if your soul is kindled before the hungry and
satisfy the afflicted soul; then will your light rise in satisfies the soul of the afflicted, then will your light
darkness, and your gloom be as the noon-day; arise in the darkness and your gloom will be as the
noonday.
11. And the LORD will guide you continually, and 11. And the LORD will lead you continually, and satisfy
satisfy your soul in drought, and make strong your your soul in the years of drought, and your body will
bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a live in everlasting life; and your soul will be full of
spring of water, whose waters fail not. pleasures like a channeled garden which is watered, like
a spring of water, whose waters cease not.
12. And they that will be of you will build the old waste 12. And they will build from you ancient ruins; you will
places, you will raise up the foundations of many raise up the foundations of many generations; they will
generations; and you will be called The repairer of the call you the one who establishes the correct way, the
breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in. restorer of the wicked/lawless to the Law.
13. If you turn away your foot because of the Sabbath, 13. If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from
from pursuing your business on My holy day; and call doing your pleasure on My holy day, and celebrate the
the Sabbath a delight, and the holy of the LORD Sabbath with delights, honor the holy day of the LORD;
honorable; and will honor it, not doing your wonted if you give honor before it, not going your own way, or
ways, nor pursuing your business, nor speaking thereof; supplying your own pleasure, or talking sayings of
oppression;
14. Then will you delight yourself in the LORD, and I 14. then you will take delight before the LORD, and He
will make you to ride upon the high places of the earth, will make you dwell upon the strongholds of the earth;
and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your He will feed you with the fruits of the heritage of Jacob
father; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it. your father, for by the Memra (Word) of the LORD it is
so decreed."
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“Now unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless,
and to establish you without a blemish,
before His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer,
by means of Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion,
and honor, and majesty, both now and in all ages. Amen!”
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* Those congregations who choose to read Jonah 1:1 – 4:11 on the Evening Service beginning Yom Kippur do not
need to reread this Prophetic lesson in the afternoon service, except for Micah 7:18-20.
Please Ha-Shem, our GOD, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your
people Israel. May we and our offspring, and our offspring's offspring, and all the offspring of Your people, the
House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling
Your delight. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amen!
Blessed are You, Ha-Shem our GOD, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations, and gave us the
Torah. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, Giver of the Torah. Amen!
Ha-Shem spoke to Moses, explaining a Commandment. "Speak to Aaron and his sons, and teach them the
following Commandment: This is how you should bless the Children of Israel. Say to the Children of Israel:
May Ha-Shem bless you and keep watch over you; - Amen!
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May Ha-Shem make His Presence enlighten you, and may He be kind to you; - Amen!
May Ha-Shem bestow favor on you, and grant you peace. – Amen!
This way, the priests will link My Name with the Israelites, and I will bless them."
These are the Laws for which the Torah did not mandate specific amounts: How much growing produce must be
left in the corner of the field for the poor; how much of the first fruits must be offered at the Holy Temple; how
much one must bring as an offering when one visits the Holy Temple three times a year; how much one must
do when doing acts of kindness; and there is no maximum amount of Torah that a person must study.
These are the Laws whose benefits a person can often enjoy even in this world, even though the primary
reward is in the Next World: They are: Honouring one's father and mother; doing acts of kindness; early
attendance at the place of Torah study -- morning and night; showing hospitality to guests; visiting the sick;
providing for the financial needs of a bride; escorting the dead; being very engrossed in prayer; bringing peace
between two people, and between husband and wife; but the study of Torah is as great as all of them together.
Amen!
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you will go; I will give counsel, My eye being upon will go; I will advise you and put My eye upon you for
you.’ good.
9. Be you not as the horse, or as the mule, which have 9. Do not be like a horse or mule who have no
no understanding; whose mouth must be held in with bit intelligence; both muzzle and halter are its trappings to
and bridle, that they come not near unto you. be kept silent; let it not come near you.
10. Many are the sorrows of the wicked/lawless; but he 10. Many are the pains of the wicked/lawless; but favor
that trusts in the LORD, mercy compasses him about. will surround the one who trusts in the LORD.
11. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, you 11. Rejoice in the Word of the LORD, and be glad, O
righteous/generous; and shout for joy, all you that are righteous/generous; and give praise, all you with upright
upright in heart. hearts.
General Requirements
For All of the Ten Men of the Esnoga
Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (Mosheh ben Ya’aqob Cordovero), (1522–1570) was a central figure in the historical
development of Kabbalah, and leader of a mystical school in 16th-century Safed, Israel. He is known by the
acronym the Ramak. He was born in Safed to a distinguished family of Spanish decent, from the city of Cordova
(Spain). He is author to many land-mark works on Torah and the Kabbalah. He starts this work by concentrating on
the 13 Supernal Attributes of Mercy and the need for man to emulate G-d (Imitatio Dei). He, therefore starts
stating:
It is proper for man to emulate his Creator, for then he will attain the secret of the Supernal Form in both image
(tzelem) and likeness (demut). For if a person's physical form reflects the Supernal Form, yet his actions do not, he
falsifies his stature. People will say of him, "A handsome form whose deeds are ugly." For the essential aspect of
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the Supernal 'Form' and 'Likeness' is that they are the deeds of the Holy One, Blessed Be He. Therefore, what
good is it for a person to reflect the Supernal Form in physical form only if his deeds do not imitate those of his
Creator? Thus, it is proper that man's actions imitate the Thirteen Supernal Attributes of Mercy - the functions of
the sefirah of Keter - hinted at in these verses:
Who is G-d like You, who pardons iniquity and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does
not maintain His anger forever, for He delights in kindness. He will again show us compassion, He will vanquish
our iniquities, and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Show faithfulness to Ya'aqob, kindness to
Avraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old. (Michah 7:18-20)
Consequently, it is proper that these Thirteen Attributes, which we will now explain, should also be found in man.
Note: For Ramak as well as for Hakham Shaul, the sphere of Keter, (i.e. the Crown of Messiah) permeates
the whole of the Sephirotic tree (i.e. the rest of the Ten Sephirot). Therefore, since in Ephesians Hakham
Shaul concludes that “Messiah is the head of the body” all candidates to occupy any of the ten offices of the
Esnoga should be required to embody these 13 Attributes in their behaviours as a general norm, and
constantly remember them so as to ensure that these are being followed by each of these ministers and their
assistants.
Thus, no man ever sins against G-d without G-d, at that very moment, bestowing abundant vitality upon him,
giving him the power to move his limbs. Yet even though a person uses this very vitality to transgress, G-d does not
withhold it from him. Rather, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, suffers this insult and continues to enable his limbs to
move. Even at the very moment that a person uses that power for transgression, sin, and infuriating deeds, the Holy
One, Blessed Be He, bears them patiently.
One cannot say, G-d forbid, that G-d cannot withhold His benevolence from a person, for it is within His power to
shrivel up a person's arms or legs instantly, just as He did with Yaravam (Jereboam). Yet even though it is within
G-d's power to withdraw vitality, and He could argue, "Since you sin against Me, sin with that which belongs to
you, not with that which belongs to Me," He does not withhold His goodness from man. He bears the insult and
continues to bestow His power and benevolence on man. Such an insult and the forbearance thereof defy
description.
For this reason, the ministering angels refer to the Holy One, Blessed Be He, as the long-suffering King. This is the
meaning of "Who is G-d like You" - "You, G-d, are kind and benevolent, possessing the power to exact revenge
and claim what is rightfully Yours, and yet You are patient and tolerant until man repents."
This, then, is a virtue man should emulate - namely, tolerance. Even when he is insulted to the degree mentioned
above he should not withdraw his benevolence from those upon whom he bestows it.
Note: Ramak finds that the virtue of this attribute is “Tolerance.” And he further defines “Tolerance” as
“Even when insulted to the degree mentioned above he should not withdraw his benevolence from those
upon whom he bestows it.” Equally, the Master taught: “You are blessed when people are hateful towards you
and when they exclude you, berate you, and call you wicked names on the account of the Son of Man. Rejoice
in that day and leap for joy because your reward is in the heavens (the Y’mot HaMashiach and the ever coming
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world); for this is what our forefathers did to the prophets.” (Luke 6:22-23)
Considering that no being in the world exists except by virtue of the fact that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, grants
it life, how does this force of destruction stand before Him? The strict letter of the Law would justify that the Holy
One, Blessed Be He, should claim, "I do not nourish destructive creatures! Go to him who made you, and derive
your sustenance from him." Then the destructive creature would immediately descend and take the life of the
sinner, or cut him off from his spiritual source, or punish him according to his just desserts, until the destructive
being would cease to be.
Nevertheless, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, does not make this claim. Rather, He bears the sin and endures it, and
just as He sustains the entire world, He sustains this destructive creature until one of three things happens:
1) The sinner repents, destroying or nullifying the destructive creature by his acts of penance.
2) The righteous/generous Judge nullifies it through the suffering or death of the sinner.
3) The sinner descends to Gehinom to pay his debt. This is also the explanation of Kayin's plea, "Is my sin too great
to bear?" (Beresheet 4:13), which our sages interpreted as: "You bear and desire and nourish and sustain the entire
world! Is my sin so severe that You cannot sustain it [i.e., the destructive creature] until I repent and rectify the
sin?"
It is thus with tremendous tolerance that G-d nourishes and sustains the evil creature created by the sinner until he
repents. From this, man should learn to what extent he, too, should be tolerant and bear the yoke of his fellow
and his evil, even though his transgressions are of such magnitude that the evil remains. He should tolerate
one who sinned against him until the sinner mends his ways or the sin disappears of its own accord.
Note: The Ramak finds this second attribute of Mercy, “Who pardons iniquity” to go far beyond the first
attribute – i.e. "Who is G-d like You. "He further describes this attribute as" being able to bear the yoke of
his fellow and his evil, even though his transgressions are of such magnitude that the evil remains, he should
tolerate one who sinned against him until the sinner mends his ways or the sin disappears of its own accord.
A person should behave in exactly the same way. He should certainly not say, "Why should I be the one to rectify
so-and-so's sins or perversions?" For when man sins, the Holy One Himself, Blessed Be He, rectifies the
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perversion, not by way of an emissary, and He washes away the filth of a person's sins. From this, one can also
understand that a person should be too ashamed to return to his sinful ways, for the King Himself cleanses the filth
of his garments.
Note: The Ramak finds this third attribute of Mercy, “And forgives ... transgression” greater and more
difficult to implement that the previous two. This personal characteristic requires one to be actively and
personally involved in rectifying the sins or perversions of others.
Attribute # 4. “And forgives the transgression of the remnant of His heritage - וְׁ עֹ בֵ ר עַ ל
ַנ ֲח ָּלתֹו, לִ ְׁשאֵ ִרית, פֶ שַ עV'Over Al Pesha'a LiSh'erit Nachalato"
The Holy One, Blessed Be He, conducts Himself towards Israel in this way: He says, "What will I do for [the
people of] Israel, who are My relatives? I have the obligations of My own flesh [she'er bassar] towards them!" For
the people of Israel are the spouse of the Holy One, Blessed Be He, and He calls them, "My daughter," "My sister,"
and "My mother." As our sages explain the phrase "the children of Israel, a people close to Him" (Tehillim
148:14), "He has an actual blood relationship with them, and they are His children."
This, too, is the meaning of the words "the she'erit [remnant] of His heritage," implying she'er bassar, a blood
relationship. In the final analysis, the children of Israel are G-d's inheritance. Says the Holy One, Blessed Be He: "If
I punish them, the pain is Mine!" as it is written, "In all their trouble, He is afflicted ... " (Yeshayahu 63:9). The
verse is written (( )לא צָ רwith an aleph), implying that the pain of Israel extends to the level of keter called peleh,
and how much more so to the level of the 'dual visage,' tiferet and malchut, through which the world is mainly run.
[But] the verse is read (( )לֹו צָ רwith a vav), signifying that the pain is His. This is also the intention of the verse " ...
His soul became impatient with the misery of Israel" (Shofetim 10:16), for He cannot bear [the Israelites'] suffering
and disgrace, since they are the she'erit of His heritage.
A person should conduct himself the same way towards his friend, since all [the people of] Israel are blood
relatives, being that all souls are united, and each person has a part of all others. This is why an individual who
carries out the commandments can't compare to a multitude of people who do so, since they all complement one
another. And thus, our sages explain regarding one who numbers among the first ten to arrive at the synagogue that
even if one hundred come after him, he receives a reward equivalent to [the combined reward of] them all. One
hundred is to be understood literally, since the souls of each of the first ten are included in each other, so there are
ten times ten, equalling a hundred.1 Thus, the ten include a hundred souls. Therefore, even if a hundred people
come after one of the first ten, his reward equals all of theirs. This is why "all [the people of] Israel are
guarantors for one another," since each individual Jew has a portion of all the others. When one individual sins,
he blemishes not only his own soul but the portion of him that every other Jew possesses. It follows that his
fellow Jew is a guarantor for that portion.
Hence, all Israelites are family, and one should therefore desire the best for his fellow, view his neighbour’s good
fortune benevolently, and cherish his friend's honour as his own - for they are one and the same! For this reason,
too, we are commanded to "love your fellow Israelite as yourself" (VaYikra 19:18) - and it is proper that a person
desire the well-being of his fellow, and he should never speak ill of him or desire that evil befall him. Just as the
Holy One, Blessed Be He, desires neither our disgrace nor our suffering, because we are His relatives, a person
should not desire to see his fellow's disgrace, suffering, or downfall. Rather, a person should be pained by it as if he
himself were the victim. The reverse applies to his fellow's good fortune.
1
What is intimated by this example is that the Ten Men of the Synagogue should be the first to arrive for Synagogue prayers and other
meetings, and as they are supposed to be leaders of tens – it follows that a Esnoga should normally do not have more than 100 heads of
families.
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Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that “it is proper that a person desire the well-being of his
fellow, and he should never speak ill of him or desire that evil befall him. Just as the Holy One, Blessed Be
He, desires neither our disgrace nor our suffering, because we are His relatives, a person should not desire to
see his fellow's disgrace, suffering, or downfall. Rather, a person should be pained by it as if he himself were
the victim. The reverse applies to his fellow's good fortune.
Attribute # 5. “He does not maintain His anger forever - –ל ֹא הֶ ֱחזִיק לָּעַ ד אַ פֹוLo
Hecheziq La'ad Apo"
This attribute is different from those mentioned above, for even though a person persists in sinning, the Holy One,
Blessed Be He, does not persist in His anger. And even when He does become angry, it is not forever. Rather, He
assuages His anger even if a person does not repent, as we find in the days of Yaravam ben Yoash, when the Holy
One, Blessed Be He, restored the borders of the Land of Israel (II Melachim 14): Even though the people were
unrepentant worshippers of calf idols, He had compassion for them. Why? Because of this attribute of not
maintaining His anger forever. On the contrary, He deliberately mitigates His anger, even though the sin still exists.
And He does not exact punishment; rather, He waits hopefully and compassionately for sinners to repent. This is
the intention of the verse "Not forever will He do battle, nor will He bear a grudge for eternity" (Tehillim 103:9).
Rather, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, conducts Himself with both tenderness and severity, as Israel's benefit
requires.
This is a fitting attribute for a person to acquire in his conduct towards his fellow. Even if one is permitted to
chastise his friend or his children severely, and they would accept the rebuke, this is no reason to harshen his
chastisement and persist in his wrath, even if he is naturally angry. Instead, he should assuage his anger and not
linger over it, even where it would be permissible to do so.
This idea is comparable to our Sages' explanation of the verse "When you see the donkey of your hated enemy
struggling under his load ... עִ ּמֹו,עָזֹ ב תַּ עֲזֹ ב- you will surely help him" (Shemot 23:5). They explain the cause of the
hatred mentioned in the verse as being that he saw his enemy transgressing, and, being a lone witness, he cannot
testify in the rabbinical court. Thus, he is permitted to hate the fellow as regards his sin. Even so, the Torah
demands, עִ ּמֹו,עָזֹב תַּ עֲזֹ ב- "you will surely help him," meaning, "abandon ( )עָ זֹבthe anger in your heart." Indeed, it
is a religious obligation to draw the person closer with love, for perhaps this method will succeed. This is exactly
the attribute of "He does not maintain His anger forever."
Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that if a person is naturally angry, he should assuage his anger
and not linger over it, even where it would be permissible to do so. Indeed, it is a religious obligation to draw
the person closer with love, for perhaps this method will succeed. Therefore, King Shlomoh teaches: Be not
hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools” (Kohelet 7:9). And Hakham Shaul,
likewise teaches: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26).
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This can be compared to when the Holy Temple was destroyed, when G-d said to the angel Gavriel: "Go in
between the galgal, beneath the keruv, and fill your hands with burning coals from among the keruvim, and throw
them on the city ... " (Yechezkel 10:2). For Gavriel is the angel of judgment and severity, and G-d gave him
permission to receive the powers of severity from the fire on the Altar, which is between the galgal, below the
keruinm. This is judgment according to the severities of malchut, which became so severe that it sought to destroy
everything and annihilate the seed of Israel, which had incurred the penalty of destruction. However, the passage
continues, "The form of a man's hand appeared under the wings of the keruvim" (ibid. 10:8). The meaning of this is
that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, said to Gavriel, "Since they do kindness towards one another, even though they
are guilty, they will be saved, and a remnant of them will be left." The reason for this is the attribute of "He
delights in kindness," that is, the kindness that one Israelite shows another, for He remembers it in [the Israelites']
favour, even though, from another point of view, they are unworthy.
Hence, a person should emulate this attribute in his own conduct. Even if one is aware that another person is doing
him evil, and this angers him, if that person has some redeeming quality, e.g., he is kind to others, or he possesses
some other virtue, this should be sufficient cause for one to dissipate his anger and find the other person pleasing,
i.e., to delight in the kindness he does. One should say, "It is enough for me that he has this good quality." How
much more so does all this apply to one's spouse; as our sages have said: "It is enough that they raise our
children and save us from sin." So, too, should a person say to himself with regard to every man, "It is enough
that he has been good to me or to someone else in such-and-such a way, or that he has such-and-such a positive
quality." In this way, one should delight in kindness.
Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to delight in doing kindness seeing all as having
good qualities and the potential for perfection, and this particularly to one’s spouse. Thus, Hakham Shaul
instructs: “Let the husband heap due kindness to his wife, and likewise the wife also to the husband” (1 Cor.
7:3).
Attribute # 7. “He will again show us compassion - –יָּשּוב יְׁ ַרחֲמֵ נּוYashuv
Y’rachamenu”
The Holy One, Blessed Be He, does not behave as man behaves. For when a person is provoked, he cannot bring
himself to love the one who offended him to the same degree as before, even after he is appeased. But if a person
sins and afterwards repents, his stature before the Holy One, Blessed Be He, is even greater than before.
This is the intention of a statement our sages made, "The perfectly righteous cannot stand where repentant sinners
stand." They explain as follows:
"Why is the letter hei ( )הshaped like a porch? So that anyone who wants to go astray can do so!" The explanation
of this is as follows: The physical world was created with the letter hei ()ה, for the Holy One, Blessed Be He,
created the world in such a way that it is wide-open to evil and sin. There is no area where the opportunity to sin,
the evil urge, and blemishes of the soul are absent! It is just like a wide-open, unfenced porch, which has no barriers
against danger, as symbolized by the gap at the bottom of the hei. Anyone who desires to forgo the World to Come
has many exits, since wherever he turns, he can find evil and sin through which he can enter the domain of the
Outside Forces.
And yet, the hei also has a gap in the top left comer, symbolizing repentance, which will be accepted by C-d. But
why shouldn't a person re-enter by the same path through which he left? Answer our sages: "Because this will have
no effect!" For it is not enough for a repentant sinner to guard himself against sin the same way a perfectly
righteous/generous person does. A saint who has not sinned requires only a minor barrier, whereas for a repentant
sinner, a small barrier is insufficient - he needs a number of tough restraints, since this frail defence was already
smashed through once, and if he approaches the fence again, his evil urge might seduce him.
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Therefore, he should not re-enter via the same path by which he left, through the part of the porch he broke through.
Rather, he should ascend to the narrow gap at the top of the hei, representing the restraints and penances he accepts
upon himself in mending the broken fence, and he should enter through there.
For this reason, "The perfectly righteous/generous cannot stand where repentant sinners stand" - for the latter did
not enter through the same door as the righteous/generous such that they should stand together. Instead, they
mortified themselves in order to ascend through the upper door, and they inflicted penances on themselves and
distanced themselves from sin much more than the righteous/generous. They have therefore ascended and attained
the level of the hei that is called "the Fifth Palace of Gan Eden," that is to say, the roof of the hei, whereas the
righteous/generous have entered only through the lower opening of the hei - the entrance to the porch.
Therefore, when a person does teshuvah ()תשובה, that is to say, tashuv hei ()ה תשוב, when he returns the hei to its
proper place, then the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will return His Shechinah to him. And the Holy One, Blessed Be
He, will restore His love for the repentant person not only as it was originally but in an even greater measure. This
is the explanation of the attribute "He will again show us compassion": He will increase His compassion for
Israel, perfecting us and drawing us closer to Himself.
This is also how a person should behave towards his fellow. He should not nurse the hatred born of anger he
once felt. Rather, when he sees that his fellow desires his friendship, he should show him even greater
compassion and love than before, saying, "He is like the penitents in whose place even the perfectly
righteous/generous cannot stand." In this way, a person will draw his fellow very close to himself - much
closer than he would draw those who have behaved perfectly righteously/generously towards him, never
wronging him.
Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to love the genuine penitent even more than the
righteous/generous, as King Shlomoh instructs that our chief aim is: “The fruit of the righteous/generous is a
tree of life; and he that is wise (Heb. “a Hakham”) wins souls” (Prov. 11:30).
Attribute # 8. “He will vanquish our iniquities - –יִ כְׁ בֹ ש עֲֹונֹ תֵ ינּוYik’bosh
A’avonoteinu”
The relationship of the Holy One, Blessed Be He, to Israel is according to this attribute, namely, the secret of
vanquishing iniquity. For the precepts are compared to a grapevine that's "budding, its blossoms bursting forth"
(Beresheet 40:10) - it shoots upwards without limit, entering His blessed Presence. However, sins have no entrance
there, G-d forbid! Rather, He suppresses them, denying them entry, as it is written: " ... no harm will befall you
( יְ ג ְֻרָךTehillim 5:5), which our sages interpret as implying that "no harm will befall man in Your dwelling place
מגורך." Thus, sin has no entry into the Inner Sanctum.
Since the precepts reside in His blessed Presence, they have no reward in this world. For how could G-d grant
spiritual reward in the material world? Behold, the entire world is unworthy of a single precept and the spiritual
bliss of His Presence.
For the same reason, G-d does not take the precepts as bribes. For instance, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, does not
say, G-d forbid, "He has fulfilled forty commandments and committed ten transgressions; thus, thirty
commandments remain, for ten are deducted in repayment for the ten transgressions!" Rather, if even a perfectly
righteous/generous individual commits a single sin, it is as if he has burnt the Torah. But when he pays his debt, he
receives reward for all the precepts he has fulfilled. This is a great kindness that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, does
for the righteous/generous - He does not deduct from the precepts they fulfil, for these are very precious to Him and
ascend directly to His blessed Presence. Indeed, how could transgressions, whose punishment is a portion of that
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which is most despicable - Gehinom - detract from precepts, whose reward is the radiance of the Shechinah, which
is so highly valued? How could one be exchanged for the other? Instead, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, collects the
debt due for transgressions, and then He bestows the reward for all the precepts a person has fulfilled.
This is the attribute of "vanquishing iniquity" -that is, transgressions do not prevail before G-d as the
commandments do. Rather, He suppresses transgressions, preventing them from ascending and entering His
Presence. And although He watches all the ways of man, both bad and good, He does not suppress the good.
Rather, it rises up, ascending to the very heights where all the precepts merge to build an edifice and form a
precious garment. Transgressions, however, lack this special quality - instead, He vanquishes them, so they'll have
no success and no entry into the Inner Sanctum.
A person should also conduct himself according to this attribute - he should not suppress his fellow's virtues but
remember the evil he has done. On the contrary, he should vanquish the evil, erasing it from memory and
abandoning it, so that he will find no evil in his fellow, and his good qualities will be spread out before him.
Thus, a person should always remember the good, intensifying it over all the evil actions his fellow has done
to him. He should not detract from this good in his heart, saying, “Although he did me a good turn, he also did bad
to me," thereby forgetting his fellow's qualities. This one should not do. Rather, he should allow himself to be
appeased in every possible way regarding his fellow's misdeeds, never overlooking his good qualities. And he
should turn a blind eye to his faults as much as possible, just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, does in
vanquishing our iniquities.
Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to “vanquish the evil, erasing it from memory
and abandoning it, so that he will find no evil in his fellow, and his good qualities will be spread out before
him. Thus, a person should always remember the good, intensifying it over all the evil actions his fellow has
done to him.”
Attribute # 9. “And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea - וְׁ תַ ְׁשלִ יְך
כָּל חַ ט ֹאותָּ ם, ִב ְׁמצֻלֹות יָּם- V'TashLikh BiM'tsulot Yam, Kol Chato'tam"
This attribute is the goodness of the Holy One, Blessed Be He. For when [the children of] Israel sinned, he
delivered them into the hands of Pharaoh. But when they repented, why should He have punished Pharaoh, or
Sancheriv, or Haman and others like them? Yet the Holy One, Blessed Be He, is not content with saying to [the
children of] Israel, "Repent!" and then no further evil will befall them, for Haman, Pharaoh, or Sancheriv will be
removed from them. This is not enough; instead, the iniquity of Haman reverts onto his own head, and so, too, with
Pharaoh and Sancheriv.
The reason the Holy One, Blessed Be He, conducts Himself in this manner is to be found in the secret contained in
the verse "The goat will bear all the sins of Israel upon it to the land of Gezerah ...” (VaYikra 16:22). The
explanation is that the goat itself bears the punishment for their sins! Now this is very hard to understand, for if
Israel sinned, why should the goat be responsible?
This is understood as follows: When a person confesses with the intention of accepting upon himself the cleansing
of his sin - as King David states: "Cleanse me thoroughly of my wrongdoing ... " (Tehillim 51:4), and as we pray,
"Erase my sin in Your great compassion" - he hopes his punishment will be light in order that it not interfere with
his Torah study. As we say in our prayers: " ... but not by way of severe suffering." This was also King David's
intentions when he stated, "You are just with regard to all that befalls me," expressing a willingness to accept
suffering upon himself for those sins that can be purged only by means of severe affliction or death. And so it is -
when a person confesses his wrongdoing in vidduy, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, immediately decrees severe
suffering upon him for his sins. Then Samae-I appears to claim his due, for this is the portion allotted him, as the
Zohar on "Pikudei" explains. But all the person's sins ultimately devolve upon his head. This way, Israel is purified.
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This is just like the goat that bore the sins of Israel to its death in Gezerah.
The reason for this is that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, decreed upon His world that all who punish Israel will be
annihilated. That's why any animal that is party to a transgression must be killed. Similarly, the stones used to carry
out the sentence of those condemned to death by stoning, and the sword used to carry out the sentence of those
condemned to decapitation, must be buried in order to nullify their existence and power after they have carried out
the judgment.
This is also the secret of the statue Nebuchadnetzar saw in his dream (Daniel 2:32-34): When the people of Israel
were given into the hand of the Babylonian king, symbolized by "a head of gold," this same king was eventually
subjugated by the king of Persia, symbolized by "a silver chest and arms," who was in tum expelled by another
nation, and so on, until Israel descended to the "legs ... of iron and clay.” And what will be the final happy ending?
Eventually, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will execute favourable judgment upon Israel, as it is written: " ... I will
spend My arrows upon them" (Debarim 32:23), meaning that the arrows will be spent but not on Israel. "And then
the parts of iron, clay, brass, silver, and gold together will be crushed ... " (Daniel 2:35). First, it is written, "And he
smote the idol to its legs" (ibid. 2:34), implying that there was nothing left of the idol but its legs, the head, arms,
and torso having lost all their power. Nevertheless, later it is written, "together [they] will be crushed" (ibid. 2:35),
for in the future, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will indict Samae-l and all his evil agents, who carry out his deeds,
and He will execute justice upon them.
This is the attribute of "and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea," implying that the Holy One,
Blessed Be He, will send forth the attribute of judgment to cast down those who are called "the depths of the sea,"
as the verse states: "The wicked are like the troubled sea, for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mud and mire"
(Yeshayahu 57:20). This refers to those who execute judgment on Israel: He will return their recompense upon their
own heads, for after the people of Israel receive their judgment, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, regrets His original
demand that they be shamed. And this is not all, for " ... I was only a little angry, and [the nations of the world]
helped make it worse" (Zechariah 1:15).
A person also ought to behave this way with his fellow. Even if the latter is wicked and crushed through
suffering, he should not despise him, for "having been whipped, he is like your brother." On the contrary, he
should draw close the downcast and those who are punished, have compassion for them, and save them from
their enemies. He should not say, "His sin caused his suffering," but he should have compassion upon him in
accordance with this attribute.
Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought “not to despise anyone suffering, for "having
been whipped, he is like your brother." On the contrary, he should draw close the downcast and those who
are punished, have compassion for them, and save them from their enemies. He should not say, "His sin
caused his suffering," but he should have compassion upon him in accordance with this attribute.
Attribute # 10. “Show faithfulness to Ya'aqob - ִתתֵ ן אֱ מֶ ת לְׁ ַיעֲקֹ ב- Titen Emet
L'Ya'aqob"
The name Israel refers to a higher level than the name Ya'okob. This attribute, "show faithfulness to Ya'akob,"
applies to those individuals of average spiritual stature, who do not know how to go beyond what the Law requires.
They are called 'Ya' akob.' for they adhere faithfully only to the strict requirements of the Law. The Holy One,
Blessed Be He, also has this aspect of faithfulness regarding correctness in judgment. Towards those whose
conduct in this world is correct, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, also conducts Himself with this quality of
faithfulness, having compassion for them in executing justice and fairness.
So, too, a person should act towards his fellow with fairness and faithfulness, and he should not pervert the
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justice due his friend. He should have compassion for his fellow and be faithful, just as the Holy One, Blessed
Be He, shows compassion for His creatures of average stature, according to this quality of faithfulness, in
order to perfect them.
Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to “act towards his fellow with fairness and
faithfulness, and he should not pervert the justice due his friend. He should have compassion for his fellow
and be faithful, in order to perfect him/her,” as it is said: “And indeed he (Messiah) gave some to be
Hakhamim ... with a view to the perfecting of the Tsadiqim.” (Eph. 4:11-12)
So, too, with man: Although he conducts himself properly and correctly, with justness towards all men, towards
those who are particularly righteous/generous and pious, his conduct should go beyond the strict requirements of
the Law. Wherever he displays patience towards all men, with the righteous/generous and pious he should have
much more patience, showing them compassion beyond what the Law requires in his dealings with others. They
should be exceedingly important to him and especially beloved, and they should be among his friends.
Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to “conduct oneself beyond the strict
requirements of the Law particularly with those who are righteous/generous, pious, and fellow labourers in
G-d’s vineyard,” as it is said: “Let the elders who take the lead well be counted worthy of double honor,
especially those laboring in Word and teaching.” (1 Timothy 5:17)
Attribute # 12. “Which You have sworn to our fathers - –אֲ שֶ ר נִ ְׁשבַ עְׁ תָּ לַאֲ בֹ תֵ ינּוAsher
Nishba’ta La’Avoteinu”
Some people are unworthy, yet the Holy One, Blessed Be He, has compassion for all. On the verse " ... I will have
mercy and show kindness to whomever I desire" (Shemot 33:19), the Talmud comments:
The Holy One, Blessed Be He, says, "This storehouse is for those who are unworthy." But there is another
storehouse - of grace - from which the Holy One, Blessed Be He, bestows grace on the righteous/generous as an
unearned gift. For the Holy One, Blessed Be He, said, "Behold, they have the merit of their fathers. I made an oath
to the Patriarchs, so even if they are unworthy, they will merit, because they are of the seed of the Patriarchs, to
whom I swore. Therefore, I will lead them and guide them until they are perfected." (Berachot 7a; Shemoi Rabbah
45)
This is also how a person should conduct himself. Even if he meets wicked people, he should not behave cruelly
towards them or abuse them and so on. Rather, he should show them compassion, saying, "Ultimately, they are the
children of A vraham, Yitzchak, and Ya' akov. Although they may not behave properly, their fathers were upright
and worthy. Hence, one who despises the sons despises the fathers, too. I do not wish their fathers to be despised
because of me!" Thus, he should conceal their disgrace and improve them as much as he can.
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Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to be characterized by the absence of any form
of cruelty or abuse towards any human being even if wicked, but rather showing compassion to all, as it is
said: “And finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, showing mutual affection, compassionate, humble,
not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but on the other hand blessing others, because for this reason
you were called, so that you could inherit a blessing.” (1 Tsefet 3:8-9).
So, too, should a person improve his conduct towards others. For even if he cannot find a reason for showing love
and compassion to his fellows from amongst those mentioned previously, he should say, "There was surely a time
when they had not yet sinned, and in that time or in former days they were worthy." For their sake, he should recall
the love of " .. .those just weaned from milk and torn away from the breast" (Yeshayahu 28:9). This way, he will
not find a single person unworthy of kindness, prayers, or compassion.
Note: The Ramak finds this attribute to mean that one ought to show always compassion towards others.
Conclusion:
Until now, we have explained the Thirteen Attributes in which a person should emulate his Creator. These are the
Supernal Attributes of Mercy, and their special property is that just as a person conducts himself here below, so
will he be worthy of opening up the channel of the same Supernal Attribute Above for himself. Exactly
according to his behavior will the outflow of mercy be bestowed from Above, and he will cause this attribute
to shine in the world. For this reason, he should not ignore these Thirteen Attributes or allow these verses to depart
from his mouth. Rather, they should be a constant reminder to him when the occasion for making use of one of
these attributes arises. He should remember and say to himself, "This situation requires this particular
attribute. I will not budge from it, lest this attribute become concealed or disappear from the world."
In summary, a person must continually remember and imitate in his conduct the 13 Attributes of G-d’s Mercy, as it
is written: “Therefore become imitators of G-d, as beloved sons” (Ephes. 5:1). And these are as follows:
“Even when insulted to any degree he should not withdraw his benevolence from those upon whom he bestows it.”
Equally, the Master taught: “You are blessed when people are hateful towards you and when they exclude you,
berate you, and call you wicked names on the account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy
because your reward is in the heavens (the Y’mot HaMashiach and the ever coming world); for this is what our
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BS”D (B’Siyata D’Shamaya)
Aramaic: With the help of Heaven”
One ought to be able to bear the yoke of his fellow and his evil, even though his transgressions are of such
magnitude that the evil remains, he should tolerate one who sinned against him until the sinner mends his ways or
the sin disappears of its own accord.
This requires one to be actively and personally involved in rectifying the sins or perversions of others.
It is proper that a person desire the well-being of his fellow, and he should never speak ill of him or desire that evil
befall him. Just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, desires neither our disgrace nor our suffering, because we are His
relatives, a person should not desire to see his fellow's disgrace, suffering, or downfall. Rather, a person should be
pained by it as if he himself were the victim. The reverse applies to his fellow's good fortune.
If a person is naturally angry, he should assuage his anger and not linger over it, even where it would be permissible
to do so. Indeed, it is a religious obligation to draw the person closer with love, for perhaps this method will
succeed. Therefore, King Shlomoh teaches: “Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry; for anger rests in the bosom of
fools” (Kohelet 7:9). And Hakham Shaul, likewise teaches: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun set on your
anger” (Ephesians 4:26).
One ought to delight in doing kindness seeing all as having good qualities and hret potential for perfection, and this
particularly to one’s spouse. Thus, Hakham Shaul instructs: “Let the husband heap due kindness to his wife, and
likewise the wife also to the husband” (1 Cor. 7:3).
One ought to love the genuine penitent even more than the righteous/ generous, as King Shlomoh instructs that our
chief aim is: “The fruit of the righteous/generous is a tree of life; and he that is wise (Heb. “a Hakham”) wins
souls” (Prov. 11:30).
One ought to vanquish the evil, erasing it from memory and abandoning it, so that he will find no evil in his fellow,
and his good qualities will be spread out before him. Thus, a person should always remember the good, intensifying
it over all the evil actions his fellow has done to him.”
Attribute # 9. “And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” -
One ought to not despise anyone suffering, for “having been whipped, he is like your brother." On the contrary, he
should draw close the downcast and those who are punished, have compassion for them, and save them from their
enemies. He should not say, "His sin caused his suffering," but he should have compassion upon him in accordance
with this attribute.
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BS”D (B’Siyata D’Shamaya)
Aramaic: With the help of Heaven”
One ought to “act towards his fellow with fairness and faithfulness, and he should not pervert the justice due his
friend. He should have compassion for his fellow and be faithful, in order to perfect him/her,” as it is said: “And
indeed he (Messiah) gave some to be Hakhamim ... with a view to the perfecting of the Tsadiqim.” (Eph. 4:11-12)
One ought to conduct oneself beyond the strict requirements of the Law particularly with those who are
righteous/generous, pious, and fellow labourers in G-d’s vineyard, as it is said: “Let the elders who take the lead
well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those laboring in Word and teaching.” (1 Timothy 5:17)
One ought to be characterized by the absence of any form of cruelty or abuse towards any human being even if
wicked, but rather showing compassion to all, as it is said: “And finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic,
showing mutual affection, compassionate, humble, not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but on the other
hand blessing others, because for this reason you were called, so that you could inherit a blessing.” (1 Tsefet 3:8-
9).
Even if we cannot find a reason for showing love and compassion to our fellows from amongst those mentioned
previously, we should say, "There was surely a time when they had not yet sinned, and in that time or in former
days they were worthy." For their sake, we should recall the love of " .. .those just weaned from milk and torn away
from the breast" (Yeshayahu 28:9). This way, we will not find a single person unworthy of kindness, prayers, of
compassion.
May our Maker, most blessed be He, show mercy upon us and to all Yisrael and help us to succeed in this path of
perfection and triumph over our Yetser Hara, amen ve amen!
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BS”D (B’Siyata D’Shamaya)
Aramaic: With the help of Heaven”
11. But the centurion was rather persuaded by the helmsman and the ship master, than by the things spoken by
Hakham Shaul.
12. And the port not being fit for wintering, the most gave counsel to set sail from there, if somehow they may be
able to pass the winter, arriving at Phoenix, a port of Crete looking toward the southwest and toward the northwest.
13. And a south wind blowing gently, thinking to have gained the purpose, raising anchor they sailed along close by
Crete.
14. And not much after, a stormy wind being called Euroclydon beat down on it.
15. And the ship being seized, and not being able to beat against the wind, giving way we were borne along.
16. But running under an islet being called Clauda, we were hardly able to get mastery of the boat;
17. Which taking, they used helps, undergirding the ship. And fearing lest they fall into Syrtis, lowering the tackle,
so they were borne along.
18. But we having been exceedingly storm tossed, they made a casting on the next day.
19. And on the third day they threw out the ship's tackle with their hands.
20. And neither sun nor stars appearing over many days, and no small tempest pressing hard, now all hope of our
being saved was taken away.
21. And there being much fasting, then standing up in their midst, Hakham Shaul said, Truly, O men, being
obedient to me you ought not to have set sail from Crete, and to have come by this injury and loss.
22. And now I exhort you to be cheered, for there will be no casting away of soul from among you, only of the ship.
23. For tonight stood by me an angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24. Saying, Do not fear, Shaul, You must stand before Caesar. And, behold, God has granted to you all those sailing
with you.
25. Therefore, be cheered, men, for I believe God, that it will be so according to the way it was spoken to me.
26. But we must fall on a certain island.
27. And when the fourteenth night came, we being carried about in the Adriatic Sea, toward the middle of the night
the sailors supposed us to come near some country.
28. And sounding, they found twenty fathoms; and moving a little and sounding again, they found fifteen fathoms.
29. And fearing lest they should fall on rock places, and casting four anchors out of the stern, they wished day to
come.
30. But the sailors seeking to flee out of the ship, and lowering the boat into the sea, pretending to be about to cast
out anchors from the prow,
31. Hakham Shaul said to the centurion, and to the soldiers, Unless these remain in the ship, you cannot be saved.
32. Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it fall.
33. And until day was about to come, Hakham Shaul begged all to partake of food, saying, Today is the fourteenth
day you continued waiting without food, not having taken anything.
34. Because of this I beg you to take of food, for this is to your deliverance, for not a hair of your head will perish.
35. And saying these things, and taking bread, he gave thanks to God before all; and breaking, he began to eat.
36. And all having become cheered, they also took food.
37. And we were, all the souls in the ship, two hundred seventy six.
38. And being filled with food, they lightened the ship, throwing the wheat out into the sea.
39. And when day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noted a certain bay having a shore, into which
they purposed, if they were able, to drive the ship.
40. And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the bands of the rudders, and
raising the foresail to the breeze, they held to the shore.
41. And coming on a place between two seas, they drove the vessel. And indeed the prow having stuck firmly, it
remained. But the stern was broken by the violence of the waves.
42. And the mind of the soldiers was that they should kill the prisoners, lest any swimming out should escape.
43. But being minded to save Hakham Shaul, the centurion kept them back from their purpose and commanded
those able to swim, first casting themselves overboard, to go out on the land.
44. And the rest went, some indeed on boards, and others on some of the things from the ship. And so it happened
that all were saved on the land.
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BS”D (B’Siyata D’Shamaya)
Aramaic: With the help of Heaven”
“Now unto Him who is able to preserve you faultless, and spotless,
and to establish you without a blemish,
before His majesty, with joy, [namely,] the only one God, our Deliverer,
by means of Yeshua the Messiah our Master, be praise, and dominion,
and honor, and majesty, both now and in all ages. Amen!”
On behalf of myself and on behalf of His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David, His Eminence Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu
ben Abraham, His Honor Paqid Adon David ben Abraham, His Honor Paqid Adon Ezra ben Abraham, His Honor
Paqid Adon Tsuriel ben Abraham, and His Excellency Adon Gabriel ben David, we want to beseech you for
forgiveness if in anything, we may have offended or transgressed against anyone associated with us during the
year of 5776. We are human with many frailties, and susceptible as leaders to mistakes. If in anything, or in
anay way shape or manner we have offended or done wrong, we most sincerely beg for your forgiveness, as we
promise ourselves to do better, to become better and trustworthy leaders, and that our quality of teaching
bring much honor to G-d, and His Messiah, so that this vineyard may grow in strength and in quality, amen ve
amen!
May you and your loved ones reach Rosh HaShana having accomplished a good returning/repentance, amen ve
amen!
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