Perush Yeshaya 41

The fragment Yeshaya 41 verses 21-29:

קָרְבוּ רִיבְכֶם, יֹאמַר יְהוָה; הַגִּישׁוּ, עֲצֻמוֹתֵיכֶם, יֹאמַר, מֶלֶךְ יַעֲקֹב. יַגִּישׁוּ וְיַגִּידוּ לָנוּ, אֵת אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרֶינָה; הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת מָה הֵנָּה, הַגִּידוּ וְנָשִׂימָה לִבֵּנוּ וְנֵדְעָה אַחֲרִיתָן, אוֹ הַבָּאוֹת, הַשְׁמִיעֻנוּ. הַגִּידוּ, הָאֹתִיּוֹת לְאָחוֹר, וְנֵדְעָה, כִּי אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם; אַף-תֵּיטִיבוּ וְתָרֵעוּ, וְנִשְׁתָּעָה ונרא (וְנִרְאֶה) יַחְדָּו. הֵן-אַתֶּם מֵאַיִן, וּפָעָלְכֶם מֵאָפַע; תּוֹעֵבָה, יִבְחַר בָּכֶם. הַעִירוֹתִי מִצָּפוֹן וַיַּאת, מִמִּזְרַח-שֶׁמֶשׁ יִקְרָא בִשְׁמִי; וְיָבֹא סְגָנִים כְּמוֹ-חֹמֶר, וּכְמוֹ יוֹצֵר יִרְמָס-טִיט. מִי-הִגִּיד מֵרֹאשׁ וְנֵדָעָה, וּמִלְּפָנִים וְנֹאמַר צַדִּיק; אַף אֵין-מַגִּיד, אַף אֵין מַשְׁמִיעַ--אַף אֵין-שֹׁמֵעַ, אִמְרֵיכֶם. רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן, הִנֵּה הִנָּם; וְלִירוּשָׁלִַם, מְבַשֵּׂר אֶתֵּן. אֵרֶא וְאֵין אִישׁ, וּמֵאֵלֶּה וְאֵין יוֹעֵץ; וְאֶשְׁאָלֵם, וְיָשִׁיבוּ דָבָר. הֵן כֻּלָּם, אָוֶן אֶפֶס מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם; רוּחַ וָתֹהוּ, נִסְכֵּיהֶם

The bold-faced verse appears in our list. The English Standard Version is as follows, with some comments intertwined. Discussed is, in my view, the "Psak Din" regarding P.

Set forth your case, says the Lord; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed will discuss and terrified see together.

Hence, P will be accepted as Torah, provided that there is anything to it. It could be that there is something from the "gods." "Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come."

Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you.

As you are nothing, who chooses you, chooses nothing, and is an abomination.

I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay. Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforehand, that we might say, “He is right”? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed, none who heard your words. I was the first to say to Zion, “Behold, here they are!” and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news. But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer. Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images libations are empty wind.

In the court case, "there is no man," "there is no counselor," nobody answers the questions. We could answer for them. One could make the point that first verse of Parshat Tetzaveh would seem to be in P. One could answer that P_E, definitely divine, would seem to be part of P. "I was the first to say to Zion, `Behold, here they are!`" They did not believe in their case and hence they were silent, and it is their very silence that is suspect. See, the silence of the rabbanim, the worshippers of P, was foretold. They can give no answer to a single real question. "They are all a delusion." The word נִסְכֵּיהֶם is to be translated as "their libations," as P prescribed to do them. Therefore, P is mere "empty wind," "their works are nothing." But the word can also be translated as "their metal images," as the English Standard Version has it, and then P is like idol worship. Thirdly, the word could also be translated as "their masks," particularly apt on Purim.

Purim Sameach!

Perush Yeshaya 61

The fragment Yeshaya 61 verses 1-5:

רוּחַ אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, עָלָי--יַעַן מָשַׁח יְהוָה אֹתִי לְבַשֵּׂר עֲנָוִים, שְׁלָחַנִי לַחֲבֹשׁ לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי-לֵב, לִקְרֹא לִשְׁבוּיִם דְּרוֹר, וְלַאֲסוּרִים פְּקַח-קוֹחַ. לִקְרֹא שְׁנַת-רָצוֹן לַיהוָה, וְיוֹם נָקָם לֵאלֹהֵינוּ, לְנַחֵם, כָּל-אֲבֵלִים. לָשׂוּם לַאֲבֵלֵי צִיּוֹן, לָתֵת לָהֶם פְּאֵר תַּחַת אֵפֶר שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן תַּחַת אֵבֶל--מַעֲטֵה תְהִלָּה, תַּחַת רוּחַ כֵּהָה; וְקֹרָא לָהֶם אֵילֵי הַצֶּדֶק, מַטַּע יְהוָה לְהִתְפָּאֵר. וּבָנוּ חָרְבוֹת עוֹלָם, שֹׁמְמוֹת רִאשֹׁנִים יְקוֹמֵמוּ; וְחִדְּשׁוּ עָרֵי חֹרֶב, שֹׁמְמוֹת דּוֹר וָדוֹר. עָמְדוּ זָרִים, וְרָעוּ צֹאנְכֶם; וּבְנֵי נֵכָר, אִכָּרֵיכֶם וְכֹרְמֵיכֶם

The first verse appeared in this post. The English Standard Version is as follows:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;

"The Lord has anointed me." Says the prophet, Zerubabel, the Moshiach of Hashem. He proclaims liberty, citing the verse Vayikra 25:10, in English Standard Version:

And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan.

Zerubabel is consciously writing a secret, for us to proclaim. The secret is based on the connection between the Yovel year, the jubilee, and the previous section, of Yeshaya 60. The period from 5708 to 5734, from the start of the Medinah until the Yom Kippur war, was the period of 999/2. The central year was year 5727, with the six-day war, three quarters into the period of 999/2. The year 5727 was the year of Hashem, the beginning of the counting. Fifty years later is the year 5777, and that is now. The clock ticks, now is the period of 507, ז"ך. Therefore, now is the auspicious time to "proclaim liberty," to "proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." Now is the year of unlimited building allover the Land, the year we return to our property. Purim is the time of liberty, Dror, for Chazal tell us that the name Mordechai, the hero of Purim, sounds like the Aramaic "Mar D'khia", translation of the Hebrew "Mar Dror" (Shemot 30:23). Chazal also tell us that Yom Kippur is really called Yom Ki-Purim, a day like Purim, and Vayikra 25:9 teaches that tenth of the seventh month of the Yovel year is the day to sound the Shofar. On Purim everything is seen through special lenses, and it is apt to sound the Shofar on Purim, just as we sound it on Yom Ki-Purim, to proclaim liberty and to announce "the day of vengeance of our God." The real day of Purim, "the day of vengeance of our God," is in the year זי"ת ז"ך, three quarters into the period of 507, that is, six years from now. If the message was not clear, read the text again on Purim, after a drink or two. Purim Sameach!

Perush Yeshayah 45

The fragment Yeshaya 45 verses 18-25:

כִּי כֹה אָמַר-יְהוָה בּוֹרֵא הַשָּׁמַיִם הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים, יֹצֵר הָאָרֶץ וְעֹשָׂהּ הוּא כוֹנְנָהּ--לֹא-תֹהוּ בְרָאָהּ, לָשֶׁבֶת יְצָרָהּ; אֲנִי יְהוָה, וְאֵין עוֹד. לֹא בַסֵּתֶר דִּבַּרְתִּי, בִּמְקוֹם אֶרֶץ חֹשֶׁךְ--לֹא אָמַרְתִּי לְזֶרַע יַעֲקֹב, תֹּהוּ בַקְּשׁוּנִי; אֲנִי יְהוָה דֹּבֵר צֶדֶק, מַגִּיד מֵישָׁרִים. הִקָּבְצוּ וָבֹאוּ הִתְנַגְּשׁוּ יַחְדָּו, פְּלִיטֵי הַגּוֹיִם; לֹא יָדְעוּ, הַנֹּשְׂאִים אֶת-עֵץ פִּסְלָם, וּמִתְפַּלְלִים, אֶל-אֵל לֹא יוֹשִׁיעַ. הַגִּידוּ וְהַגִּישׁוּ, אַף יִוָּעֲצוּ יַחְדָּו: מִי הִשְׁמִיעַ זֹאת מִקֶּדֶם מֵאָז הִגִּידָהּ, הֲלוֹא אֲנִי יְהוָה וְאֵין-עוֹד אֱלֹהִים מִבַּלְעָדַי--אֵל-צַדִּיק וּמוֹשִׁיעַ, אַיִן זוּלָתִי. פְּנוּ-אֵלַי וְהִוָּשְׁעוּ, כָּל-אַפְסֵי-אָרֶץ: כִּי אֲנִי-אֵל, וְאֵין עוֹד. בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי--יָצָא מִפִּי צְדָקָה דָּבָר, וְלֹא יָשׁוּב: כִּי-לִי תִּכְרַע כָּל-בֶּרֶךְ, תִּשָּׁבַע כָּל-לָשׁוֹן. אַךְ בַּיהוָה לִי אָמַר, צְדָקוֹת וָעֹז; עָדָיו יָבוֹא וְיֵבֹשׁוּ, כֹּל הַנֶּחֱרִים בּוֹ. בַּיהוָה יִצְדְּקוּ וְיִתְהַלְלוּ, כָּל-זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל

The first verse appeared in this post. The English Standard Version is as follows:

For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right. “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: there is none besides me. “Turn to me and be saved, hall the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.

This is based on the first verse in Sefer Bereshit. All concepts of this verse exist also here, בּוֹרֵא הַשָּׁמַיִם הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים, יֹצֵר הָאָרֶץ , God is the creator of the Heavens and the Earth; בִּמְקוֹם אֶרֶץ חֹשֶׁךְ--לֹא אָמַרְתִּי לְזֶרַע יַעֲקֹב, תֹּהוּ בַקְּשׁוּנִי, the earth of darkness, לֹא-תֹהוּ בְרָאָהּ, not-empty it was created; תֹּהוּ בַקְּשׁוּנִ seek me in vain, he did not say. What is missing here is the light that was created. Instead, Hashem presents Himself, as e.g. in "I the Lord speak the truth" and in “Turn to me and be saved, hall the ends of the earth!" Thus, His Presence, the Shechina, is "the light," which must be missing here on purpose. The relation between light and the presence of Hashem is made explicit in Yeshaya 60, in verses like: וְהָיָה-לָךְ יְהוָה לְאוֹר עוֹלָם, "and the Lord will be your everlasting light," and וְעָלַיִךְ יִזְרַח יְהוָה, וּכְבוֹדוֹ עָלַיִךְ יֵרָאֶה. וְהָלְכוּ גוֹיִם, לְאוֹרֵךְ, "and the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you, and nations shall come to your light." Hence, the new light that will come over Zion, is the same old light that was created in the beginning, יְהִי אוֹר.

The Torah of Zerubavel

This deals with an internal Jewish issue, which 'Eliyahu will come to resolve.' "A sound from the temple! The sound of the Lord, rendering recompense to his enemies!" The sound, the voice of Hashem that heralds, refers to Eliyahu. Eliyahu is from the root soul of Moshiach ben Yosef (Kol Hator). But on the level of Pshat, it is 'just' the voice of Hashem, which causes an uproar, from the city. Why does Eliyahu come, about what does he herald? What does the voice of Hashem say? He is said to be "rendering recompense to his enemies!" Who are they, his enemies? The voice of Hashem comes to reinstall, as it were, Zerubavel, Moshiach ben David, who lost the power struggle against the Kohanim. He will come to reinstall the Torah of Zerubavel, and to denounce the Torah of the Kohanim, what we call P. The hateful and smooth-tongued hypocrisy "Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy" will stop working: "it is they who shall be put to shame." It says "He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man," because they murdered in the struggle for power, they killed in the struggle for the truth. The power that was bought with the blood of Zerubavel and others, obviously is still in their hands. "He who slaughters an ox," "he who sacrifices a lamb", "he who presents a grain offering", "he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense" are subjects that are still being learned and taught in the Yeshivot. The blood of Zerubavel, it has left a stain, real Tum'ah. Zerubavel would say that the Kohanim are "like one who blesses an idol." It would make them furious; it would make them wanting to ban him, the criticizer, the man of truth: they "cast you out for my name’s sake." And they have done so many times throughout history, the wolf has caused hazard to the flock of the lambs. But Eliyahu will come, "קוֹל מֵהֵיכָל", a sound will come, from the study hall. It is the sound of Hashem removing the Tum'ah! It will be confirmed that they are indeed like idol worshippers, the worshippers of P. The voice of Hashem will establish that they "chose that in which I did not delight." "Because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen." Zerubavel spoke, and they did not listen. "Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?"

Social justice and Shabbat are at the heart of the Torah. Religious hypocrisy is emphatically denounced: "Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers." You wolves cause harm to the lambs. Only when you "satisfy the desire of the afflicted" then "shall your light rise in the darkness." The need for social justice is sandwiched between two descriptions of the Shabbat. The first, "who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” "Keeps his hand from doing any evil" is again doing social justice. In the second one, "you call the Sabbath a delight", "if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly," details appear about what it means to keep Shabbat, and about the reward: "I will make you ride on the heights of the earth." This is not some idle claim, promising later reward for keeping the Shabbat. Rather, you will see the effect of keeping Shabbat now, on earth. You will see a glimpse of Olam Haba. Who understands the 'sight' will understand that without social justice there cannot be a true Shabbat. Therefore, who keeps Shabbat, "keeps his hand from doing any evil." That is why Shabbat is so central. You "call the Shabbat a delight" because of the "delight in the Lord" that you experience. The awesome rewards for Shabbat makes one refrain from "seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly." On Shabbat, one should be seeking the pleasure of the 'other,' rather than "seeking your own." Social justice is justice for the 'other,' and Shabbat was created to solve the problem of man hating the 'other,' and to lift us up to a new reality once that problem disappears. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together.

Perush Yeshaya 66

The fragment Yeshaya 66 verses 1-9:

כֹּה, אָמַר יְהוָה, הַשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאִי, וְהָאָרֶץ הֲדֹם רַגְלָי; אֵי-זֶה בַיִת אֲשֶׁר תִּבְנוּ-לִי, וְאֵי-זֶה מָקוֹם מְנוּחָתִי. וְאֶת-כָּל-אֵלֶּה יָדִי עָשָׂתָה, וַיִּהְיוּ כָל-אֵלֶּה נְאֻם-יְהוָה; וְאֶל-זֶה אַבִּיט--אֶל-עָנִי וּנְכֵה-רוּחַ, וְחָרֵד עַל-דְּבָרִי. שׁוֹחֵט הַשּׁוֹר מַכֵּה-אִישׁ, זוֹבֵחַ הַשֶּׂה עֹרֵף כֶּלֶב, מַעֲלֵה מִנְחָה דַּם-חֲזִיר, מַזְכִּיר לְבֹנָה מְבָרֵךְ אָוֶן--גַּם-הֵמָּה, בָּחֲרוּ בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם, וּבְשִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם, נַפְשָׁם חָפֵצָה. גַּם-אֲנִי אֶבְחַר בְּתַעֲלֻלֵיהֶם, וּמְגוּרֹתָם אָבִיא לָהֶם--יַעַן קָרָאתִי וְאֵין עוֹנֶה, דִּבַּרְתִּי וְלֹא שָׁמֵעוּ; וַיַּעֲשׂוּ הָרַע בְּעֵינַי, וּבַאֲשֶׁר לֹא-חָפַצְתִּי בָּחָרוּ. גַּם-אֲנִי אֶבְחַר בְּתַעֲלֻלֵיהֶם, וּמְגוּרֹתָם אָבִיא לָהֶם--יַעַן קָרָאתִי וְאֵין עוֹנֶה, דִּבַּרְתִּי וְלֹא שָׁמֵעוּ; וַיַּעֲשׂוּ הָרַע בְּעֵינַי, וּבַאֲשֶׁר לֹא-חָפַצְתִּי בָּחָרוּ. שִׁמְעוּ, דְּבַר-יְהוָה, הַחֲרֵדִים, אֶל-דְּבָרוֹ; אָמְרוּ אֲחֵיכֶם שֹׂנְאֵיכֶם מְנַדֵּיכֶם, לְמַעַן שְׁמִי יִכְבַּד יְהוָה--וְנִרְאֶה בְשִׂמְחַתְכֶם, וְהֵם יֵבֹשׁוּ. קוֹל שָׁאוֹן מֵעִיר, קוֹל מֵהֵיכָל; קוֹל יְהוָה, מְשַׁלֵּם גְּמוּל לְאֹיְבָיו. בְּטֶרֶם תָּחִיל, יָלָדָה; בְּטֶרֶם יָבוֹא חֵבֶל לָהּ, וְהִמְלִיטָה זָכָר. מִי-שָׁמַע כָּזֹאת, מִי רָאָה כָּאֵלֶּה--הֲיוּחַל אֶרֶץ בְּיוֹם אֶחָד, אִם-יִוָּלֵד גּוֹי פַּעַם אֶחָת: כִּי-חָלָה גַּם-יָלְדָה צִיּוֹן, אֶת-בָּנֶיהָ. הַאֲנִי אַשְׁבִּיר וְלֹא אוֹלִיד, יֹאמַר יְהוָה; אִם-אֲנִי הַמּוֹלִיד וְעָצַרְתִּי, אָמַר אֱלֹהָיִךְ

The first verse appeared in our list. The English Standard Version is as follows:

Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig’s blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations; I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight.” Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name’s sake have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy’; but it is they who shall be put to shame. “The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple! The sound of the Lord, rendering recompense to his enemies! “Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she delivered a son. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?” says the Lord; “shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?” says your God.

This deals with an internal Jewish issue, which 'Eliyahu will come to resolve.' "A sound from the temple! The sound of the Lord, rendering recompense to his enemies!" The sound, the voice of Hashem that heralds, refers to Eliyahu. Eliyahu is from the root soul of Moshiach ben Yosef (Kol Hator). But on the level of Pshat, it is 'just' the voice of Hashem, which causes an uproar, from the city. Why does Eliyahu come, about what does he herald? What does the voice of Hashem say? He is said to be "rendering recompense to his enemies!" Who are they, his enemies? The voice of Hashem comes to reinstall, as it were, Zerubavel, Moshiach ben David, who lost the power struggle against the Kohanim. He will come to reinstall the Torah of Zerubavel, and to denounce the Torah of the Kohanim, what we call P. The hateful and smooth-tongued hypocrisy "Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy" will stop working: "it is they who shall be put to shame." It says "He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man," because they murdered in the struggle for power, they killed in the struggle for the truth. The power that was bought with the blood of Zerubavel and others, obviously is still in their hands. "He who slaughters an ox," "he who sacrifices a lamb", "he who presents a grain offering", "he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense" are subjects that are still being learned and taught in the Yeshivot. The blood of Zerubavel, it has left a stain, real Tum'ah. Zerubavel would say that the Kohanim are "like one who blesses an idol." It would make them furious; it would make them wanting to ban him, the criticizer, the man of truth: they "cast you out for my name’s sake." And they have done so many times throughout history, the wolf has caused hazard to the flock of the lambs. But Eliyahu will come, "קוֹל מֵהֵיכָל", a sound will come, from the study hall. It is the sound of Hashem removing the Tum'ah! It will be confirmed that they are indeed like idol worshippers, the worshippers of P. The voice of Hashem will establish that they "chose that in which I did not delight." "Because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen." Zerubavel spoke, and they did not listen. "Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?"

Perush Yeshaya 56 and 58

The fragment Yeshaya 56 verses 1-5 and Yeshaya 58, which seem to belong together:

כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, שִׁמְרוּ מִשְׁפָּט וַעֲשׂוּ צְדָקָה: כִּי-קְרוֹבָה יְשׁוּעָתִי לָבוֹא, וְצִדְקָתִי לְהִגָּלוֹת. אַשְׁרֵי אֱנוֹשׁ יַעֲשֶׂה-זֹּאת, וּבֶן-אָדָם יַחֲזִיק בָּהּ--שֹׁמֵר שַׁבָּת מֵחַלְּלוֹ, וְשֹׁמֵר יָדוֹ מֵעֲשׂוֹת כָּל-רָע. וְאַל-יֹאמַר בֶּן-הַנֵּכָר, הַנִּלְוָה אֶל-יְהוָה לֵאמֹר, הַבְדֵּל יַבְדִּילַנִי יְהוָה, מֵעַל עַמּוֹ; וְאַל-יֹאמַר הַסָּרִיס, הֵן אֲנִי עֵץ יָבֵשׁ. כִּי-כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה, לַסָּרִיסִים אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁמְרוּ אֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, וּבָחֲרוּ, בַּאֲשֶׁר חָפָצְתִּי; וּמַחֲזִיקִים, בִּבְרִיתִי. וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם בְּבֵיתִי וּבְחוֹמֹתַי, יָד וָשֵׁם--טוֹב, מִבָּנִים וּמִבָּנוֹת: שֵׁם עוֹלָם אֶתֶּן-לוֹ, אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִכָּרֵת. קְרָא בְגָרוֹן אַל-תַּחְשֹׂךְ, כַּשּׁוֹפָר הָרֵם קוֹלֶךָ; וְהַגֵּד לְעַמִּי פִּשְׁעָם, וּלְבֵית יַעֲקֹב חַטֹּאתָם. וְאוֹתִי, יוֹם יוֹם יִדְרֹשׁוּן, וְדַעַת דְּרָכַי, יֶחְפָּצוּן; כְּגוֹי אֲשֶׁר-צְדָקָה עָשָׂה, וּמִשְׁפַּט אֱלֹהָיו לֹא עָזָב, יִשְׁאָלוּנִי מִשְׁפְּטֵי-צֶדֶק, קִרְבַת אֱלֹהִים יֶחְפָּצוּן. לָמָּה צַּמְנוּ וְלֹא רָאִיתָ, עִנִּינוּ נַפְשֵׁנוּ וְלֹא תֵדָע; הֵן בְּיוֹם צֹמְכֶם תִּמְצְאוּ-חֵפֶץ, וְכָל-עַצְּבֵיכֶם תִּנְגֹּשׂוּ. הֵן לְרִיב וּמַצָּה תָּצוּמוּ, וּלְהַכּוֹת בְּאֶגְרֹף רֶשַׁע; לֹא-תָצוּמוּ כַיּוֹם, לְהַשְׁמִיעַ בַּמָּרוֹם קוֹלְכֶם. הֲכָזֶה, יִהְיֶה צוֹם אֶבְחָרֵהוּ--יוֹם עַנּוֹת אָדָם, נַפְשׁוֹ; הֲלָכֹף כְּאַגְמֹן רֹאשׁוֹ, וְשַׂק וָאֵפֶר יַצִּיעַ--הֲלָזֶה תִּקְרָא-צוֹם, וְיוֹם רָצוֹן לַיהוָה. הֲלוֹא זֶה, צוֹם אֶבְחָרֵהוּ--פַּתֵּחַ חַרְצֻבּוֹת רֶשַׁע, הַתֵּר אֲגֻדּוֹת מוֹטָה; וְשַׁלַּח רְצוּצִים חָפְשִׁים, וְכָל-מוֹטָה תְּנַתֵּקוּ. הֲלוֹא פָרֹס לָרָעֵב לַחְמֶךָ, וַעֲנִיִּים מְרוּדִים תָּבִיא בָיִת: כִּי-תִרְאֶה עָרֹם וְכִסִּיתוֹ, וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ לֹא תִתְעַלָּם. אָז יִבָּקַע כַּשַּׁחַר אוֹרֶךָ, וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ מְהֵרָה תִצְמָח; וְהָלַךְ לְפָנֶיךָ צִדְקֶךָ, כְּבוֹד יְהוָה יַאַסְפֶךָ. אָז תִּקְרָא וַיהוָה יַעֲנֶה, תְּשַׁוַּע וְיֹאמַר הִנֵּנִי: אִם-תָּסִיר מִתּוֹכְךָ מוֹטָה, שְׁלַח אֶצְבַּע וְדַבֶּר-אָוֶן. וְתָפֵק לָרָעֵב נַפְשֶׁךָ, וְנֶפֶשׁ נַעֲנָה תַּשְׂבִּיעַ; וְזָרַח בַּחֹשֶׁךְ אוֹרֶךָ, וַאֲפֵלָתְךָ כַּצָּהֳרָיִם. וְנָחֲךָ יְהוָה, תָּמִיד, וְהִשְׂבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ, וְעַצְמֹתֶיךָ יַחֲלִיץ; וְהָיִיתָ, כְּגַן רָוֶה, וּכְמוֹצָא מַיִם, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יְכַזְּבוּ מֵימָיו. וּבָנוּ מִמְּךָ חָרְבוֹת עוֹלָם, מוֹסְדֵי דוֹר-וָדוֹר תְּקוֹמֵם; וְקֹרָא לְךָ גֹּדֵר פֶּרֶץ, מְשֹׁבֵב נְתִיבוֹת לָשָׁבֶת. אִם-תָּשִׁיב מִשַּׁבָּת רַגְלֶךָ, עֲשׂוֹת חֲפָצֶךָ בְּיוֹם קָדְשִׁי; וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת עֹנֶג, לִקְדוֹשׁ יְהוָה מְכֻבָּד, וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ מֵעֲשׂוֹת דְּרָכֶיךָ, מִמְּצוֹא חֶפְצְךָ וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר. אָז, תִּתְעַנַּג עַל-יְהוָה, וְהִרְכַּבְתִּיךָ, עַל-במותי (בָּמֳתֵי) אָרֶץ; וְהַאֲכַלְתִּיךָ, נַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב אָבִיךָ--כִּי פִּי יְהוָה, דִּבֵּר

The last verse and the bold-faced one appear in our list. The English Standard Version is as follows:

Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Social justice and Shabbat are at the heart of the Torah. Religious hypocrisy is emphatically denounced: "Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers." You wolves cause harm to the lambs. Only when you "satisfy the desire of the afflicted" then "shall your light rise in the darkness." The need for social justice is sandwiched between two descriptions of the Shabbat. The first, "who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” "Keeps his hand from doing any evil" is again doing social justice. In the second one, "you call the Sabbath a delight", "if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly," details appear about what it means to keep Shabbat, and about the reward: "I will make you ride on the heights of the earth." This is not some idle claim, promising later reward for keeping the Shabbat. Rather, you will see the effect of keeping Shabbat now, on earth. You will see a glimpse of Olam Haba. Who understands the 'sight' will understand that without social justice there cannot be a true Shabbat. Therefore, who keeps Shabbat, "keeps his hand from doing any evil." That is why Shabbat is so central. You "call the Shabbat a delight" because of the "delight in the Lord" that you experience. The awesome rewards for Shabbat makes one refrain from "seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly." On Shabbat, one should be seeking the pleasure of the 'other,' rather than "seeking your own." Social justice is justice for the 'other,' and Shabbat was created to solve the problem of man hating the 'other,' and to lift us up to a new reality once that problem disappears. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together.

Perush of Yeshaya 44, 55 and 61

In this Torah, the ministers of our God, the Meshartei Eloheiu, the servants of our God, are identical to the priests of the Lord, the Cohanei Hashem. These are the former victims of anti-Semitism, of "robbery and wrong." "Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy." The priestly role that once belonged to a clan, is now given to all who suffered from robbery and injustice, and their offspring. "I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them." When will this covenant be? "For as the earth brings forth its sprouts." The earth here is first of all the land of Israel, and this is to reveal the end: "So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations."

Here is the same everlasting covenant. Now, the promises to David are the subject, and it is stated about Moshiach ben David, the leader of the victims of robbery and injustice: "Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples." Note that Moshiach ben David is the follow-up of Moshiach ben Yosef, the "undercover agent" in the chapters Yeshaya 52. 53 and 54.

This is the definition of Jacob and Israel: "I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants." See, among the perpetrators of robbery and injustice are so-called Jews, fake Jews. This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s,’ another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’and name himself by the name of Israel.” But the ones who are accepted by Hashem, are the victims of robbery and injustice, those with clean clothing. "They shall spring up among the grass, like willows by flowing streams."

Yeshaya 44

The fragment Yeshaya 44 verses 1-5.

וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע, יַעֲקֹב עַבְדִּי; וְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּחַרְתִּי בוֹ. כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה עֹשֶׂךָ וְיֹצֶרְךָ מִבֶּטֶן, יַעְזְרֶךָּ: אַל-תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב, וִישֻׁרוּן בָּחַרְתִּי בוֹ. כִּי אֶצָּק-מַיִם עַל-צָמֵא, וְנֹזְלִים עַל-יַבָּשָׁה; אֶצֹּק רוּחִי עַל-זַרְעֶךָ, וּבִרְכָתִי עַל-צֶאֱצָאֶיךָ. וְצָמְחוּ, בְּבֵין חָצִיר, כַּעֲרָבִים, עַל-יִבְלֵי-מָיִם. זֶה יֹאמַר לַיהוָה אָנִי, וְזֶה יִקְרָא בְשֵׁם-יַעֲקֹב; וְזֶה, יִכְתֹּב יָדוֹ לַיהוָה, וּבְשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְכַנֶּה

The last verse appeared in our list. The English Standard Version is as follows:

But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s,’ another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel.”

In this Torah, the ministers of our God, the Meshartei Eloheiu, the servants of our God, are identical to the priests of the Lord, the Cohanei Hashem. These are the former victims of anti-Semitism, of "robbery and wrong." "Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy." The priestly role that once belonged to a clan, is now given to all who suffered from robbery and injustice, and their offspring. "I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them." When will this covenant be? "For as the earth brings forth its sprouts." The earth here is first of all the land of Israel, and this is to reveal the end: "So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations."

Here is the same everlasting covenant. Now, the promises to David are the subject, and it is stated about Moshiach ben David, the leader of the victims of robbery and injustice: "Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, la leader and commander for the peoples." Note that Moshiach ben David is the follow-up of Moshiach ben Yosef, the "undercover agent" in the chapters Yeshaya 52. 53 and 54.

This is the definition of Jacob and Israel: "I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants." See, among the perpetrators of robbery and injustice are so-called Jews, fake Jews. This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s,’ another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’and name himself by the name of Israel.” But the ones who are accepted by Hashem, are the victims of robbery and injustice, those with clean clothing. "They shall spring up among the grass, like willows by flowing streams."

Yeshaya 55

The fragment Yeshaya 55 verses 1-5.

הוֹי כָּל-צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם, וַאֲשֶׁר אֵין-לוֹ כָּסֶף; לְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ, וֶאֱכֹלוּ, וּלְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ בְּלוֹא-כֶסֶף וּבְלוֹא מְחִיר, יַיִן וְחָלָב. לָמָּה תִשְׁקְלוּ-כֶסֶף בְּלוֹא-לֶחֶם, וִיגִיעֲכֶם בְּלוֹא לְשָׂבְעָה; שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ אֵלַי וְאִכְלוּ-טוֹב, וְתִתְעַנַּג בַּדֶּשֶׁן נַפְשְׁכֶם. הַטּוּ אָזְנְכֶם וּלְכוּ אֵלַי, שִׁמְעוּ וּתְחִי נַפְשְׁכֶם; וְאֶכְרְתָה לָכֶם בְּרִית עוֹלָם, חַסְדֵי דָוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים. הֵן עֵד לְאוּמִּים, נְתַתִּיו; נָגִיד וּמְצַוֵּה, לְאֻמִּים. הֵן גּוֹי לֹא-תֵדַע תִּקְרָא, וְגוֹי לֹא-יְדָעוּךָ אֵלֶיךָ יָרוּצוּ--לְמַעַן יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, וְלִקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי פֵאֲרָךְ

The boldfaced verse appeared in our list. The English Standard Version is as follows:

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

In this Torah, the ministers of our God, the Meshartei Eloheiu, the servants of our God, are identical to the priests of the Lord, the Cohanei Hashem. These are the former victims of anti-Semitism, of "robbery and wrong." "Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy." The priestly role that once belonged to a clan, is now given to all who suffered from robbery and injustice, and their offspring. "I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them." When will this covenant be? "For as the earth brings forth its sprouts." The earth here is first of all the land of Israel, and this is to reveal the end: "So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations."

Here is the same everlasting covenant. Now, the promises to David are the subject, and it is stated about Moshiach ben David, the leader of the victims of robbery and injustice: "Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples." Note that Moshiach ben David is the follow-up of Moshiach ben Yosef, the "undercover agent" in the chapters Yeshaya 52. 53 and 54.

Yeshaya 61

The fragment Yeshaya 61 verses 6-9.

וְאַתֶּם, כֹּהֲנֵי יְהוָה תִּקָּרֵאוּ--מְשָׁרְתֵי אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יֵאָמֵר לָכֶם; חֵיל גּוֹיִם תֹּאכֵלוּ, וּבִכְבוֹדָם תִּתְיַמָּרוּ. תַּחַת בָּשְׁתְּכֶם מִשְׁנֶה, וּכְלִמָּה יָרֹנּוּ חֶלְקָם; לָכֵן בְּאַרְצָם מִשְׁנֶה יִירָשׁוּ, שִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה לָהֶם. כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה אֹהֵב מִשְׁפָּט, שֹׂנֵא גָזֵל בְּעוֹלָה; וְנָתַתִּי פְעֻלָּתָם בֶּאֱמֶת, וּבְרִית עוֹלָם אֶכְרוֹת לָהֶם. וְנוֹדַע בַּגּוֹיִם זַרְעָם, וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם בְּתוֹךְ הָעַמִּים; כָּל-רֹאֵיהֶם יַכִּירוּם, כִּי הֵם זֶרַע בֵּרַךְ יְהוָה. שׂוֹשׂ אָשִׂישׂ בַּיהוָה, תָּגֵל נַפְשִׁי בֵּאלֹהַי--כִּי הִלְבִּישַׁנִי בִּגְדֵי-יֶשַׁע, מְעִיל צְדָקָה יְעָטָנִי: כֶּחָתָן יְכַהֵן פְּאֵר, וְכַכַּלָּה תַּעְדֶּה כֵלֶיהָ. כִּי כָאָרֶץ תּוֹצִיא צִמְחָהּ, וּכְגַנָּה זֵרוּעֶיהָ תַצְמִיחַ--כֵּן אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, יַצְמִיחַ צְדָקָה וּתְהִלָּה, נֶגֶד, כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם

The first verse appeared in our list. The English Standard Version is as follows:

But you shall be called the priests of the Lord; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy. For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.

In this Torah, the ministers of our God, the Meshartei Eloheiu, the servants of our God, are identical to the priests of the Lord, the Cohanei Hashem. These are the former victims of anti-Semitism, of "robbery and wrong." "Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy." The priestly role that once belonged to a clan, is now given to all who suffered from robbery and injustice, and their offspring. "I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them." When will this covenant be? "For as the earth brings forth its sprouts." The earth here is first of all the land of Israel, and this is to reveal the end: "So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations."

Perush Yeshaya 63

The fragment Yeshaya 63 verses 1-6.

מִי-זֶה בָּא מֵאֱדוֹם, חֲמוּץ בְּגָדִים מִבָּצְרָה, זֶה הָדוּר בִּלְבוּשׁוֹ, צֹעֶה בְּרֹב כֹּחוֹ; אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר בִּצְדָקָה, רַב לְהוֹשִׁיעַ. מַדּוּעַ אָדֹם, לִלְבוּשֶׁךָ; וּבְגָדֶיךָ, כְּדֹרֵךְ בְּגַת. פּוּרָה דָּרַכְתִּי לְבַדִּי, וּמֵעַמִּים אֵין-אִישׁ אִתִּי, וְאֶדְרְכֵם בְּאַפִּי, וְאֶרְמְסֵם בַּחֲמָתִי; וְיֵז נִצְחָם עַל-בְּגָדַי, וְכָל-מַלְבּוּשַׁי אֶגְאָלְתִּי. כִּי יוֹם נָקָם, בְּלִבִּי; וּשְׁנַת גְּאוּלַי, בָּאָה. וְאַבִּיט וְאֵין עֹזֵר, וְאֶשְׁתּוֹמֵם וְאֵין סוֹמֵךְ; וַתּוֹשַׁע לִי זְרֹעִי, וַחֲמָתִי הִיא סְמָכָתְנִי. וְאָבוּס עַמִּים בְּאַפִּי, וַאֲשַׁכְּרֵם בַּחֲמָתִי; וְאוֹרִיד לָאָרֶץ, נִצְחָם

The boldfaced verse appeared in our list. The English Standard Version is as follows:

Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel." "For [read also: But] the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come." "I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me. I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

"Who is this who comes from Edom?" It is Esav, or the Sar of Esav, the Satan. The 'almighty' wolf speaks with staggering Chutzpah about his 'righteous' plan to devour the flock: “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” The verse in bold says in response that Hashem does it all alone, against Satan, because "there was no one to help." What does Hashem do? "I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.” And which peoples deserve this terrible fate? "Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?" The "red apparel," the "crimsoned garments," are references to the clothing וַתִּקַּח רִבְקָה אֶת-בִּגְדֵי עֵשָׂו בְּנָהּ הַגָּדֹל, הַחֲמֻדֹת, the Chamudot, of Esav. The term Chamudot refers to Chamutzot (Zakovitch), the sour clothing of Esav, the red clothes of Edom, whose name means Adom, red. Now we see why Edom is called red: "their lifeblood spattered on my garments." It is because of anti-Semitism, because of the Holocaust, that the clothes of Edom are stained: "and it stained all my apparel." It is this stain, Jewish blood, which identifies Edom. וְיֵז נִצְחָם עַל-בְּגָדַי, let everybody check his/her clothes. The Sar of Esav, the Satan, says "For the day of vengeance was in my heart," but Hashem says "But the day of vengeance was in my heart." When will "the day of vengeance" be? The Satan and Hashem agree: in "the year of My redemption." Sic.

Perush Yeshaya 48

The fragment Yeshaya 48 verses 1-11.

שִׁמְעוּ-זֹאת בֵּית-יַעֲקֹב, הַנִּקְרָאִים בְּשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמִמֵּי יְהוּדָה, יָצָאוּ; הַנִּשְׁבָּעִים בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה, וּבֵאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יַזְכִּירוּ--לֹא בֶאֱמֶת, וְלֹא בִצְדָקָה. כִּי-מֵעִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ נִקְרָאוּ, וְעַל-אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נִסְמָכוּ: יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, שְׁמוֹ. הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת מֵאָז הִגַּדְתִּי, וּמִפִּי יָצְאוּ וְאַשְׁמִיעֵם; פִּתְאֹם עָשִׂיתִי, וַתָּבֹאנָה. מִדַּעְתִּי, כִּי קָשֶׁה אָתָּה; וְגִיד בַּרְזֶל עָרְפֶּךָ, וּמִצְחֲךָ נְחוּשָׁה. וָאַגִּיד לְךָ מֵאָז, בְּטֶרֶם תָּבוֹא הִשְׁמַעְתִּיךָ--פֶּן-תֹּאמַר עָצְבִּי עָשָׂם, וּפִסְלִי וְנִסְכִּי צִוָּם. שָׁמַעְתָּ חֲזֵה כֻּלָּהּ, וְאַתֶּם הֲלוֹא תַגִּידוּ: הִשְׁמַעְתִּיךָ חֲדָשׁוֹת מֵעַתָּה, וּנְצֻרוֹת וְלֹא יְדַעְתָּם. עַתָּה נִבְרְאוּ וְלֹא מֵאָז, וְלִפְנֵי-יוֹם וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתָּם--פֶּן-תֹּאמַר, הִנֵּה יְדַעְתִּין. גַּם לֹא-שָׁמַעְתָּ, גַּם לֹא יָדַעְתָּ--גַּם, מֵאָז לֹא-פִתְּחָה אָזְנֶךָ: כִּי יָדַעְתִּי בָּגוֹד תִּבְגּוֹד, וּפֹשֵׁעַ מִבֶּטֶן קֹרָא לָךְ. לְמַעַן שְׁמִי אַאֲרִיךְ אַפִּי, וּתְהִלָּתִי אֶחֱטָם-לָךְ--לְבִלְתִּי, הַכְרִיתֶךָ. הִנֵּה צְרַפְתִּיךָ, וְלֹא בְכָסֶף; בְּחַרְתִּיךָ, בְּכוּר עֹנִי. לְמַעֲנִי לְמַעֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה, כִּי אֵיךְ יֵחָל; וּכְבוֹדִי, לְאַחֵר לֹא-אֶתֵּן

The first verse appeared in our list. The English Standard Version is as follows:

Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right. For they call themselves after the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; the Lord of hosts is his name. “The former things I declared of old; they went out from my mouth, and I announced them; then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass, I declared them to you from of old, before they came to pass I announced them to you, lest you should say, ‘My idol did them, my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’ “You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time forth I announce to you new things, hidden things that you have not known. They are created now, not long ago; before today you have never heard of them, lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’ You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened. For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, and that from before birth you were called a rebel. “For my name’s sake I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

The bold sections show that the prophet knew the old story of the birth of Ya'akov and Esav, the story that now appears in Bereshit 38, but with the names changed to Peretz and Zarach. The prophet meant that Ya'akov's name and perfidious nature were decided by his iniquitous deeds in his mother's womb (Yair Zakovitch, Va'yavo Ya'akov Shalem). The rebel will deal treacherously, and therefore is treated in the same fashion by Hashem. The rebel will yet rule over the correct land, but the land is only a symbol. Ya'akov may be treacherous as a child, for about the child it says: "You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened." As an adult, though, he does hear, he does know, his ear will be opened. In the end of days, the science of Torah provides the tools for analyzing Scripture. Yisrael will become adult, and reject the childhood. He will accept and acknowledge the truth, and so proclaim the absolute Truth, and vindicate Hashem. "For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another."

Perush of Yeshaya 60 and 65

See, a description of revolutionary change, really the entrance to Olam Haba. Man will receive a longevity that may be difficult to conceive. It is a longevity that is predicated on a change of heart. The science of man can fix the errors in man, but it cannot bring him true happiness. It is written that there is "the tree of life, inside the garden." There is the place, inside the garden, which is pointed at by the Cheruvim, and by "the flaming sword that turns every way." The flaming sword "protects the way to the tree of Life," so as to prevent longevity without a change of heart, which would be a sure recipe for disaster. Know that the flame of the sword can only be identified clearly in darkness. Because, the main usefulness of a flame is in darkness.

Such is also the message of "your light has come." This is the light that was created in Bereshit 1:3, or the idea of light as in Torat Hasod. And "the darkness that shall cover the earth" is the total absence of this light among the nations: "and darkness was over the face of the deep (Bereshit 1:2)." The prophet speaks most clearly about non-physical darkness carrying non-physical light: "And thick darkness (shall cover) the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you."

Who merits to identify the flame and who finds the tree, and also succeeds taking from it, he as it were awakens Hashem, the God of truth, in himself/herself: "but the Lord will arise upon you." True happiness shall be his/hers, and death does not force him/her. Such is the time after the redemption, when hatred of the other is no longer, when anti-Semitism has disappeared from the human heart. This is truly "the creation of new heavens and a new earth," when "we no longer speak of the former things," when "we shall bless ourselves by the God of truth."

When will it happen? הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף, Moshiach ben Yosef will be until a thousand, that is, the big Aleph minus a little bit. The big Aleph is in 5796, in my calculations. The little bit was at first 7 years, but later it became 10 years. In its time, I will hasten it. On the other hand, a thousand minus one refers to the wars in the beginning of the State, the latest of which was the Yom Kippur war. In that war, וְהַצָּעִיר היה לְגוֹי עָצוּם, there were 600,000 men from age 20 to 60.

Yeshaya 65

The fragment Yeshaya 65 verses 13-25:

לָכֵן כֹּה-אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, הִנֵּה עֲבָדַי יֹאכֵלוּ וְאַתֶּם תִּרְעָבוּ--הִנֵּה עֲבָדַי יִשְׁתּוּ, וְאַתֶּם תִּצְמָאוּ; הִנֵּה עֲבָדַי יִשְׂמָחוּ, וְאַתֶּם תֵּבֹשׁוּ. הִנֵּה עֲבָדַי יָרֹנּוּ, מִטּוּב לֵב; וְאַתֶּם תִּצְעֲקוּ מִכְּאֵב לֵב, וּמִשֵּׁבֶר רוּחַ תְּיֵלִילוּ. וְהִנַּחְתֶּם שִׁמְכֶם לִשְׁבוּעָה לִבְחִירַי, וֶהֱמִיתְךָ אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה; וְלַעֲבָדָיו יִקְרָא, שֵׁם אַחֵר. אֲשֶׁר הַמִּתְבָּרֵךְ בָּאָרֶץ, יִתְבָּרֵךְ בֵּאלֹהֵי אָמֵן, וְהַנִּשְׁבָּע בָּאָרֶץ, יִשָּׁבַע בֵּאלֹהֵי אָמֵן: כִּי נִשְׁכְּחוּ, הַצָּרוֹת הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת, וְכִי נִסְתְּרוּ, מֵעֵינָי. כִּי-הִנְנִי בוֹרֵא שָׁמַיִם חֲדָשִׁים, וָאָרֶץ חֲדָשָׁה; וְלֹא תִזָּכַרְנָה הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת, וְלֹא תַעֲלֶינָה עַל-לֵב. כִּי-אִם-שִׂישׂוּ וְגִילוּ עֲדֵי-עַד, אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי בוֹרֵא: כִּי הִנְנִי בוֹרֵא אֶת-יְרוּשָׁלִַם גִּילָה, וְעַמָּהּ מָשׂוֹשׂ. וְגַלְתִּי בִירוּשָׁלִַם, וְשַׂשְׂתִּי בְעַמִּי; וְלֹא-יִשָּׁמַע בָּהּ עוֹד, קוֹל בְּכִי וְקוֹל זְעָקָה. לֹא-יִהְיֶה מִשָּׁם עוֹד, עוּל יָמִים וְזָקֵן, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יְמַלֵּא, אֶת-יָמָיו: כִּי הַנַּעַר, בֶּן-מֵאָה שָׁנָה יָמוּת, וְהַחוֹטֶא, בֶּן-מֵאָה שָׁנָה יְקֻלָּל. וּבָנוּ בָתִּים, וְיָשָׁבוּ; וְנָטְעוּ כְרָמִים, וְאָכְלוּ פִּרְיָם. לֹא יִבְנוּ וְאַחֵר יֵשֵׁב, לֹא יִטְּעוּ וְאַחֵר יֹאכֵל: כִּי-כִימֵי הָעֵץ יְמֵי עַמִּי, וּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם יְבַלּוּ בְחִירָי. לֹא יִיגְעוּ לָרִיק, וְלֹא יֵלְדוּ לַבֶּהָלָה: כִּי זֶרַע בְּרוּכֵי יְהוָה, הֵמָּה, וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם, אִתָּם. הָיָה טֶרֶם-יִקְרָאוּ, וַאֲנִי אֶעֱנֶה; עוֹד הֵם מְדַבְּרִים, וַאֲנִי אֶשְׁמָע. זְאֵב וְטָלֶה יִרְעוּ כְאֶחָד, וְאַרְיֵה כַּבָּקָר יֹאכַל-תֶּבֶן, וְנָחָשׁ, עָפָר לַחְמוֹ; לֹא-יָרֵעוּ וְלֹא-יַשְׁחִיתוּ בְּכָל-הַר קָדְשִׁי, אָמַר יְהוָה

Two verses of this fragment appear in our list. The English Standard Version is as follows:

Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame; behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit. You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord God will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name, so that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain tor bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord.

See, a description of revolutionary change, really the entrance to Olam Haba. Man will receive a longevity that may be difficult to conceive. It is a longevity that is predicated on a change of heart. The science of man can fix the errors in man, but it cannot bring him true happiness. It is written that there is "the tree of life, inside the garden." There is the place, inside the garden, which is pointed at by the Cheruvim, and by "the flaming sword that turns every way." The flaming sword "protects the way to the tree of Life," so as to prevent longevity without a change of heart, which would be a sure recipe for disaster. Know that the flame of the sword can only be identified clearly in darkness. Because, the main usefulness of a flame is in darkness.

Who merits to identify the flame and who finds the tree, and also succeeds taking from it, he as it were awakens Hashem, the God of truth, in himself/herself: "but the Lord will arise upon you." True happiness shall be his/hers, and death does not force him/her. Such is the time after the redemption, when hatred of the other is no longer, when anti-Semitism has disappeared from the human heart. This is truly "the creation of new heavens and a new earth," when "we no longer speak of the former things," when "we shall bless ourselves by the God of truth."

Yeshaya 60

The fragment Yeshaya 60 verses 1-5a and 18-22, which seem to belong together:

קוּמִי אוֹרִי, כִּי בָא אוֹרֵךְ; וּכְבוֹד יְהוָה, עָלַיִךְ זָרָח. כִּי-הִנֵּה הַחֹשֶׁךְ יְכַסֶּה-אֶרֶץ, וַעֲרָפֶל לְאֻמִּים; וְעָלַיִךְ יִזְרַח יְהוָה, וּכְבוֹדוֹ עָלַיִךְ יֵרָאֶה. וְהָלְכוּ גוֹיִם, לְאוֹרֵךְ; וּמְלָכִים, לְנֹגַהּ זַרְחֵךְ. שְׂאִי-סָבִיב עֵינַיִךְ, וּרְאִי--כֻּלָּם, נִקְבְּצוּ בָאוּ-לָךְ; בָּנַיִךְ מֵרָחוֹק יָבֹאוּ, וּבְנוֹתַיִךְ עַל-צַד תֵּאָמַנָה אָז תִּרְאִי וְנָהַרְתְּ. לֹא-יִשָּׁמַע עוֹד חָמָס בְּאַרְצֵךְ, שֹׁד וָשֶׁבֶר בִּגְבוּלָיִךְ; וְקָרָאת יְשׁוּעָה חוֹמֹתַיִךְ, וּשְׁעָרַיִךְ תְּהִלָּה. לֹא-יִהְיֶה-לָּךְ עוֹד הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, לְאוֹר יוֹמָם, וּלְנֹגַהּ, הַיָּרֵחַ לֹא-יָאִיר לָךְ; וְהָיָה-לָךְ יְהוָה לְאוֹר עוֹלָם, וֵאלֹהַיִךְ לְתִפְאַרְתֵּךְ. לֹא-יָבוֹא עוֹד שִׁמְשֵׁךְ, וִירֵחֵךְ לֹא יֵאָסֵף: כִּי יְהוָה, יִהְיֶה-לָּךְ לְאוֹר עוֹלָם, וְשָׁלְמוּ, יְמֵי אֶבְלֵךְ. וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים, לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ; נֵצֶר מטעו (מַטָּעַי) מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי, לְהִתְפָּאֵר. הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף, וְהַצָּעִיר לְגוֹי עָצוּם; אֲנִי יְהוָה, בְּעִתָּהּ אֲחִישֶׁנָּה

Two verses of this fragment appear in our list. The English Standard Version is as follows:

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip; then you shall see and be radiant. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the Lord; in its time I will hasten it.

See, a description of revolutionary change, really the entrance to Olam Haba. Man will receive a longevity that may be difficult to conceive. It is a longevity that is predicated on a change of heart. The science of man can fix the errors in man, but it cannot bring him true happiness. It is written that there is "the tree of life, inside the garden." There is the place, inside the garden, which is pointed at by the Cheruvim, and by "the flaming sword that turns every way." The flaming sword "protects the way to the tree of Life," so as to prevent longevity without a change of heart, which would be a sure recipe for disaster. Know that the flame of the sword can only be identified clearly in darkness. Because, the main usefulness of a flame is in darkness.

Such is also the message of "your light has come." This is the light that was created in Bereshit 1:3, or the idea of light as in Torat Hasod. And "the darkness that shall cover the earth" is the total absence of this light among the nations: "and darkness was over the face of the deep (Bereshit 1:2)." The prophet speaks most clearly about non-physical darkness carrying non-physical light: "And thick darkness (shall cover) the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you."

When will it happen? הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף, Moshiach ben Yosef will be until a thousand, that is, the big Aleph minus a little bit. The big Aleph is in 5796, in my calculations. The little bit was at first 7 years, but later it became 10 years. In its time, I will hasten it. On the other hand, a thousand minus one refers to the wars in the beginning of the State, the latest of which was the Yom Kippur war. In that war, וְהַצָּעִיר היה לְגוֹי עָצוּם, there were 600,000 men from age 20 to 60.

If It Be Your Will

The Torah of Deutero-Yeshaya

Let us ask the question: What was the Torah of Deutero-Yeshaya?

First let us check the references to the sources. There are references to J, as in 43:16-17,

כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, הַנּוֹתֵן בַּיָּם דָּרֶךְ, וּבְמַיִם עַזִּים, נְתִיבָה. הַמּוֹצִיא רֶכֶב-וָסוּס, חַיִל וְעִזּוּז; יַחְדָּו יִשְׁכְּבוּ בַּל-יָקוּמוּ, דָּעֲכוּ כַּפִּשְׁתָּה כָבוּ

and to E, as in 45:18-19,

כִּי כֹה אָמַר-יְהוָה בּוֹרֵא הַשָּׁמַיִם הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים, יֹצֵר הָאָרֶץ וְעֹשָׂהּ הוּא כוֹנְנָהּ--לֹא-תֹהוּ בְרָאָהּ, לָשֶׁבֶת יְצָרָהּ; אֲנִי יְהוָה, וְאֵין עוֹד. לֹא בַסֵּתֶר דִּבַּרְתִּי, בִּמְקוֹם אֶרֶץ חֹשֶׁךְ--לֹא אָמַרְתִּי לְזֶרַע יַעֲקֹב, תֹּהוּ בַקְּשׁוּנִי; אֲנִי יְהוָה דֹּבֵר צֶדֶק, מַגִּיד מֵישָׁרִים

which refers to the first day of Creation, of E, not of P. (See the case of Yirmyahu, who also cites the first day of Creation.) We have seen that Deutero-Yeshaya refers to the Mabul, and in 61:1,

רוּחַ אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, עָלָי--יַעַן מָשַׁח יְהוָה אֹתִי לְבַשֵּׂר עֲנָוִים, שְׁלָחַנִי לַחֲבֹשׁ לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי-לֵב, לִקְרֹא לִשְׁבוּיִם דְּרוֹר, וְלַאֲסוּרִים פְּקַח-קוֹחַ

he refers to H (Vayikra 25:10). We conclude that E and J, including the Mabul, and the non-priestly part of H seem to be the works which the reader is assumed to know. These would be, in a sense, his Torah.

However, Deutero-Yeshaya would probably not agree. He would have said that his writings are his Torah. To help one to learn this astounding and unique Torah, I wrote this post. It has verses which are like titles, each referring to a subject of his Torah.

As a first example, I wrote a post expounding on the verse:

נָּאווּ עַל-הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר, מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם מְבַשֵּׂר טוֹב--מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה; אֹמֵר לְצִיּוֹן, מָלַךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ

It shows the uniqueness, in my humble opinion. I will likely write more posts of this type, Im Yirtzeh Hashem.

Perush Yeshaya 52

Some comments to Yeshaya 52 verses 7-13:

מַה-נָּאווּ עַל-הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר, מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם מְבַשֵּׂר טוֹב--מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה; אֹמֵר לְצִיּוֹן, מָלַךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ

Here, רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר can refer to two Meschichin, but the subject of מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה is singular. This is Moshiach ben Yosef. (Kol Hator 2, 61)

קוֹל צֹפַיִךְ נָשְׂאוּ קוֹל, יַחְדָּו יְרַנֵּנוּ: כִּי עַיִן בְּעַיִן יִרְאוּ, בְּשׁוּב יְהוָה צִיּוֹן

This refers to Kibbutz Galuyot. (Kol Hator 5, part 2)

פִּצְחוּ רַנְּנוּ יַחְדָּו, חָרְבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם

This refers to Binyan Yerushalayim and the removal of Ruach Hatum'ah. (Kol Hator 5, part 2)

כִּי-נִחַם יְהוָה עַמּוֹ, גָּאַל יְרוּשָׁלִָם

This refers to redemption of the Truth, as Yerushalayim he is called the city of Truth. This is all the task of Moshiach ben Yosef. (Kol Hator 5, part 2)

חָשַׂף יְהוָה אֶת-זְרוֹעַ קָדְשׁוֹ, לְעֵינֵי כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם וְרָאוּ, כָּל-אַפְסֵי-אָרֶץ, אֵת, יְשׁוּעַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ

This is Kiddush Hashem, a hint at the victory of Yisrael in the war of Gog and Magog, by Moshiach ben Yosef. (Kol Hator 5, part 2)

הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל, עַבְדִּי; יָרוּם וְנִשָּׂא וְגָבַהּ, מְאֹד

Moshiach ben Yosef is to be wise. He will be bigger than Avraham, bigger than Moshe, higher than the ministering angels (Midrash Tanchuma Toldot, 14), because he solves the problem of the sin of Kain, the hatred of the other, the infancy of man. Because man, in his infancy, thinks that it is an insult that the other even exists.

This is a proper introduction of chapter 53, where Moshiach is the suffering Moshiach, and of chapter 54, where, in our perush, is the great victory in the war against Gog.

Blind Torah Scholars

Taken from here, by Rav Yuval Cherlow:

בשל כך, נתפסת ביקורת המקרא על ידי נושאי דבר ד' כארורה שבתפיסות הרוחניות וכשיטות הלמדניות. היא נגעה בליבת הקודש — בספר הספרים, בקודש הקודשים, בשורש האמונה והמשקע שנותר בנו מהתגלות הקב"ה לבני אדם. מעמדה של ביקורת המקרא כל כך בזוי, עד שהיא כלל לא ראויה ללימוד. ברוב מוחלט של הישיבות, מכל סוג ומכל זרם, כלל וכלל לא מתייחסים לדבריה, ומתעלמים ממנה לחלוטין. אני מעריך כי רוב מוחלט של בחורי הישיבה כלל לא מכירים את קיומה ברמה הנמוכה ביותר. לא מכירים את קושיותיה וראיותיה; לא עוסקים בקריאה המדויקת שהיא תובעת לקרוא את העולה מפשט המקרא; לא רואים בה דבר מה שיש להתייחס אליו ברצינות, ולעתים אף מציירים אותה בבוז אינטלקטואלי ומציירים את דמותה בצורה קריקטוריסטית כדי להניח את הדעת ולהצדיק את היחס המתעלם ממנה לחלוטין

This is a remarkable analysis. What has happened to the truth? The Geula is the Geula of the truth! In this context, it is written in the name of the GR"A, in Kol HaTor chapter 5, second part:

ומה חזק הוא נח הסט"א שעלה בידו להסתיר מעיני האבות הקדושים את סכנת הקליפות: מעיני אברהם אבינו, את קליפת ישמעאל, מעיני יצחק אבינו את קליפת עשו, ומעיני יעקב אבינו את קליפת התרפים, ובעקבות משיחא גובר הסט"א ביותר להכות גם תופשי תורה בסנוורים

The blind Torah scholars are blinded by the light of the truth. Blinded themselves, they think they have to protect the people by blinding them. And it works! What is Hashem doing? He gave us the internet. Truth is coming, to Yisrael. There is a crack in everything, that is how the light comes in.

וּפְדוּיֵי יְהוָה יְשֻׁבוּן, וּבָאוּ צִיּוֹן בְּרִנָּה, וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם, עַל-רֹאשָׁם; שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ, וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה (35:10)

קוֹל קוֹרֵא--בַּמִּדְבָּר, פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה; יַשְּׁרוּ, בָּעֲרָבָה, מְסִלָּה, לֵאלֹהֵינוּ

(Yeshaya 40:3)

וְנִגְלָה, כְּבוֹד יְהוָה; וְרָאוּ כָל-בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּו, כִּי פִּי יְהוָה דִּבֵּר

(Yeshaya 40:5)

וְגֹאֲלֵךְ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל

(Yeshaya 41:14)

רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן, הִנֵּה הִנָּם; וְלִירוּשָׁלִַם, מְבַשֵּׂר אֶתֵּן.

(Yeshaya 41:27)

יְהוָה חָפֵץ, לְמַעַן צִדְקוֹ; יַגְדִּיל תּוֹרָה, וְיַאְדִּיר

(Yeshaya 42:16)

כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם נִקְבְּצוּ יַחְדָּו, וְיֵאָסְפוּ לְאֻמִּים--מִי בָהֶם יַגִּיד זֹאת, וְרִאשֹׁנוֹת יַשְׁמִיעֻנוּ; יִתְּנוּ עֵדֵיהֶם וְיִצְדָּקוּ, וְיִשְׁמְעוּ וְיֹאמְרוּ אֱמֶת

(Yeshaya 43:9)

זֶה יֹאמַר לַיהוָה אָנִי, וְזֶה יִקְרָא בְשֵׁם-יַעֲקֹב; וְזֶה, יִכְתֹּב יָדוֹ לַיהוָה, וּבְשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְכַנֶּה

(Yeshaya 44:5)

יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא חֹשֶׁךְ, עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא רָע; אֲנִי יְהוָה, עֹשֶׂה כָל-אֵלֶּה

(Yeshaya 45:7)

שִׁמְעוּ-זֹאת בֵּית-יַעֲקֹב, הַנִּקְרָאִים בְּשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמִמֵּי יְהוּדָה, יָצָאוּ

(Yeshaya 48:1)

צְאוּ מִבָּבֶל, בִּרְחוּ מִכַּשְׂדִּים, בְּקוֹל רִנָּה הַגִּידוּ הַשְׁמִיעוּ זֹאת, הוֹצִיאוּהָ עַד-קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ; אִמְרוּ, גָּאַל יְהוָה עַבְדּוֹ יַעֲקֹב

(Yeshaya 48:20)

וָאָשִׂם דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ, וּבְצֵל יָדִי כִּסִּיתִיךָ; לִנְטֹעַ שָׁמַיִם וְלִיסֹד אָרֶץ, וְלֵאמֹר לְצִיּוֹן עַמִּי-אָתָּה

(Yeshaya 51:16)

מַה-נָּאווּ עַל-הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר, מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם מְבַשֵּׂר טוֹב--מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה; אֹמֵר לְצִיּוֹן, מָלַךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ

(Yeshaya 52:7)

מִי הֶאֱמִין, לִשְׁמֻעָתֵנוּ; וּזְרוֹעַ יְהוָה, עַל-מִי נִגְלָתָה

(Yeshaya 53:1)

הַטּוּ אָזְנְכֶם וּלְכוּ אֵלַי, שִׁמְעוּ וּתְחִי נַפְשְׁכֶם; וְאֶכְרְתָה לָכֶם בְּרִית עוֹלָם, חַסְדֵי דָוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים

(Yeshaya 55:3)

תַּחַת הַנַּעֲצוּץ יַעֲלֶה בְרוֹשׁ, תַחַת הַסִּרְפַּד יַעֲלֶה הֲדַס; וְהָיָה לַיהוָה לְשֵׁם, לְאוֹת עוֹלָם לֹא יִכָּרֵת

(Yeshaya 55:13)

וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם בְּבֵיתִי וּבְחוֹמֹתַי, יָד וָשֵׁם--טוֹב, מִבָּנִים וּמִבָּנוֹת: שֵׁם עוֹלָם אֶתֶּן-לוֹ, אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִכָּרֵת.

(Yeshaya 56:5)

צֹפָו עִוְרִים כֻּלָּם, לֹא יָדָעוּ--כֻּלָּם כְּלָבִים אִלְּמִים, לֹא יוּכְלוּ לִנְבֹּחַ; הֹזִים, שֹׁכְבִים, אֹהֲבֵי, לָנוּם.

(Yeshaya 56:10)

בּוֹרֵא, נוב (נִיב) שְׂפָתָיִם; שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לָרָחוֹק וְלַקָּרוֹב, אָמַר יְהוָה--וּרְפָאתִיו

(Yeshaya 57:19)

אָז, תִּתְעַנַּג עַל-יְהוָה, וְהִרְכַּבְתִּיךָ, עַל-במותי (בָּמֳתֵי) אָרֶץ; וְהַאֲכַלְתִּיךָ, נַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב אָבִיךָ--כִּי פִּי יְהוָה, דִּבֵּר

(Yeshaya 58:14)

כִּי-הִנֵּה הַחֹשֶׁךְ יְכַסֶּה-אֶרֶץ, וַעֲרָפֶל לְאֻמִּים; וְעָלַיִךְ יִזְרַח יְהוָה, וּכְבוֹדוֹ עָלַיִךְ יֵרָאֶה

(Yeshaya 60:2)

הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף, וְהַצָּעִיר לְגוֹי עָצוּם; אֲנִי יְהוָה, בְּעִתָּהּ אֲחִישֶׁנָּה

(Yeshaya 60:22)

וְאַתֶּם, כֹּהֲנֵי יְהוָה תִּקָּרֵאוּ--מְשָׁרְתֵי אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יֵאָמֵר לָכֶם; חֵיל גּוֹיִם תֹּאכֵלוּ, וּבִכְבוֹדָם תִּתְיַמָּרוּ

(Yeshaya 61:6)

שׂוֹשׂ אָשִׂישׂ בַּיהוָה, תָּגֵל נַפְשִׁי בֵּאלֹהַי--כִּי הִלְבִּישַׁנִי בִּגְדֵי-יֶשַׁע, מְעִיל צְדָקָה יְעָטָנִי: כֶּחָתָן יְכַהֵן פְּאֵר, וְכַכַּלָּה תַּעְדֶּה כֵלֶיהָ

(Yeshaya 61:10)

וְאַבִּיט וְאֵין עֹזֵר, וְאֶשְׁתּוֹמֵם וְאֵין סוֹמֵךְ; וַתּוֹשַׁע לִי זְרֹעִי, וַחֲמָתִי הִיא סְמָכָתְנִי

(Yeshaya 63:5)

אֲשֶׁר הַמִּתְבָּרֵךְ בָּאָרֶץ, יִתְבָּרֵךְ בֵּאלֹהֵי אָמֵן, וְהַנִּשְׁבָּע בָּאָרֶץ, יִשָּׁבַע בֵּאלֹהֵי אָמֵן: כִּי נִשְׁכְּחוּ, הַצָּרוֹת הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת, וְכִי נִסְתְּרוּ, מֵעֵינָי

(Yeshaya 65:16)

זְאֵב וְטָלֶה יִרְעוּ כְאֶחָד, וְאַרְיֵה כַּבָּקָר יֹאכַל-תֶּבֶן, וְנָחָשׁ, עָפָר לַחְמוֹ; לֹא-יָרֵעוּ וְלֹא-יַשְׁחִיתוּ בְּכָל-הַר קָדְשִׁי, אָמַר יְהוָה

(Yeshaya 65:25)

כֹּה, אָמַר יְהוָה, הַשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאִי, וְהָאָרֶץ הֲדֹם רַגְלָי; אֵי-זֶה בַיִת אֲשֶׁר תִּבְנוּ-לִי, וְאֵי-זֶה מָקוֹם מְנוּחָתִי

(Yeshaya 66:1)

The Suffering Moshiach

The verse Yeshaya 49:7

כֹּה אָמַר-יְהוָה גֹּאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל קְדוֹשׁוֹ, לִבְזֹה-נֶפֶשׁ לִמְתָעֵב גּוֹי לְעֶבֶד מֹשְׁלִים, מְלָכִים יִרְאוּ וָקָמוּ, שָׂרִים וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ--לְמַעַן יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר נֶאֱמָן, קְדֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּבְחָרֶךָּ

and Chaggai 2:23

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם-יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אֶקָּחֲךָ זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן-שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל עַבְדִּי, נְאֻם-יְהוָה, וְשַׂמְתִּיךָ, כַּחוֹתָם: כִּי-בְךָ בָחַרְתִּי, נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת

share an idea. Hashem chose him, Moshiach ben David, Zerubavel. Chaggai stops here, but in Yeshaya he continues. Having called out to the Jews of Bavel (Yeshaya 48:20)

צְאוּ מִבָּבֶל, בִּרְחוּ מִכַּשְׂדִּים

they stayed, by and large, where they were. Therefore, in Yeshaya 50:6, he has a different message

גֵּוִי נָתַתִּי לְמַכִּים, וּלְחָיַי לְמֹרְטִים; פָּנַי לֹא הִסְתַּרְתִּי, מִכְּלִמּוֹת וָרֹק

detailing the insults he suffered in Bavel, which end in Yeshaya 53. Moshiach ben David, the one chosen by Hashem, becomes the suffering Moshiach, Moshiach ben Yosef. Who would believe our report? To who is the arm of Hashem revealed? Through Yeshaya 54, it gets clarified. With the help of Heaven, Moshiach ben Yosef will accomplish a Tikkun in the human heart.

On The Name

In Shemot 3:13-15,

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָא אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם, אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם; וְאָמְרוּ-לִי מַה-שְּׁמוֹ, מָה אֹמַר אֲלֵהֶם. וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה; וַיֹּאמֶר, כֹּה תֹאמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶהְיֶה, שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם. וַיֹּאמֶר עוֹד אֱלֹהִים אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, כֹּה-תֹאמַר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב, שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם; זֶה-שְּׁמִי לְעֹלָם, וְזֶה זִכְרִי לְדֹר דֹּר

appears what can be seen as an old Perush, probably by RJE, as it is necessitated by the merge of E and J. The name revealed in this E fragment, skipping the bold part, is יְהוָה, and in the E context it makes perfect sense. In the J text, however, Hashem's name always was יְהוָה, and therefore the fragment, without the bold part, is quite incomprehensible to readers of the combined text of E and J. In their eyes, Moshe must have been asking for something deeper, for the meaning of the Divine name. And the answer is given in the bold part: אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה. Read more here.

In Shemot 6:2-4,

וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים , אֶל-מֹשֶׁה; וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, אֲנִי יְהוָה. וָאֵרָא, אֶל-אַבְרָהָם אֶל-יִצְחָק וְאֶל-יַעֲקֹב--בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי; וּשְׁמִי יְהוָה, לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם. וְגַם הֲקִמֹתִי אֶת-בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם, לָתֵת לָהֶם אֶת-אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן--אֵת אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶם, אֲשֶׁר-גָּרוּ בָהּ

it is claimed, in a text that seems to come from H, that the name יְהוָה was not known to the fathers. A similar deep problem would seem to arise. The name was known to the fathers! One did not see the problem: P follows the H fragment as a literal instruction. He uses the name יְהוָה only after this fragment, and uses אֵל שַׁדָּי and אֱלֹהִים before. It must be that P wanted to rewrite the Torah without J, and without J there is no problem. The later editor, R, does not relate to the problem. One could maintain that R's answer would be similar to the answer of RJE. The fathers knew the meaning of אֵל שַׁדָּי but they did not know אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה as the meaning of יְהוָה.

Ramchal's Tikkun 57

By all the strong hand, see, the faithful shepherd comes, and starts to speak: Rabbi, rabbi, Yisrael certainly stands against several challenges in the Galut, and they gave themselves over to death. And come and see, the Sin of Adam caused death to exist in the world. But the Sin of Kain caused how many Tzaddikim from Yisrael to be killed at the hands of the nations, idol worshippers. But, come and see, Kain himself, what caused him to sin? It was because his sacrifice was not clean, and thus is written: Because of this, he got more corrupted, and the Sitra Achra became stronger on him, and he killed Chevel. At the same time, the left arm became impaired by him, surely, as Kain was dependent on that arm. Because that impaired arm, they had to die. And the secret of the matter: Who die at your hand, Hashem (Tehilim 17:14), that is the left hand, which got impaired. After all, because of this hand, many from Yisrael had to die.
[Gog is the master of antisemitism. Kain killed his brother; the first Mashal of antisemitism. The first time that Gog came to the gate of Yerushalayim, he killed many, but not Moshiach ben Yosef in Zion, who will defeat Gog in the end; see also the Mashal of the waters of Noach.]

And the secret of the matter: Who is clean by way of his mother, he goes up {Chagiga 15b}. Hence is the secret: Who wants to go up one level higher, when he is not clean, he surely gets more corrupted. This is what happened to Elisha, the "other" (Chagiga 14b,15). And this is the secret: Every word of God is refined {Mishlei 30:5}. Who merits, his jewels will be towards life; who does not merit, his jewels will be towards death. In the future, Kain will become clean. In those days, I will clean their blood, which I did not clean (Yoel 4:21). They are who are murdered by the nations, which will all return to their place, and the above arm will receive a proper Tikkun, and that is the strong hand. By all the awesome power - that is Moshiach ben Yosef, because he is invited to achieve this Tikkun, in its entirety.
[Therefore, Moshiach ben Yosef still has a crucial task to do, to destroy the baseless hatred of the other, in the human heart, which is the base of antisemitism, and then to defeat Gog.]

My translation [and my comments]

Yeshayah 54 ++

“Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the Lord. “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit— a wife who married young, only to be rejected,” says your God. “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer.

When Gog comes to the gate of Yerushalayim, see it is because a accusation woke up, because of the sin of Kain. When he comes the first time, a strong fire will appear, between the Heavens and the Earth, for three days. And Gog will stand outside, opposite the gate, and Melech Hamoshiach will be inside. The fire will separate them, they will not harm each other. When he will see that he cannot cause damage, he will go back to his place. “This will be to me the waters of Noah. Just like I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth, so now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.“

And after that, he will return a second time, and then strong darkness will appear, and how intense will be the anger in the world, and some great mountains will be split. Then he will retreat. “Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

“Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace. In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.

But come and see, the evil one will think to become stronger, as time goes on. Just like Pharaoh the evil one used to do, as is written about him: and Pharaoh saw that there was a break, and he made his heart heavy. For he imagined that his mazal could become stronger, perhaps not today, but then after a while. Come and see, that is Gog the evil one, he will come a third time, certainly. But before he will come, The Holy One, blessed is He, will rise, and will obliterate the sin of Kain from the world. It is a secret: He will sit, melting and purifying. And when the evil one will come, the sin can already not be found. It is a secret: Why do nations gather, and regimes talk in vain? In vain, certainly, while they thought to use the sin to be stronger, see, the sin is no longer. For the same reason, the side of holiness gets stronger, with certainty.

By all the strong hand, two times when the sin is still not removed. By all the awesome power, He will melt to refine, before he will come the third time. And when he will come, it will be said about him: the righteous one is removed from affliction, but the evil one comes in his place, really. If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. “See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.

English Standard Version + Ramchal's Tikkun 60 + minor changes

The Waters of Noach

I was kind of critical of Yeshaya 54:9-10, the passage referred to by Ramchal, in his description of the second attempt of Gog,

ואחר כך יבוא פעם שניה, ואז חושך חזק יראה וכמה כעס יהיה בעולם, וכמה הרים גדולים יבקעו, שנאמר לגביהם: ההרים ימושו והגבעות תמוטינה. ואז: חסדי מאתך לא ימוש וכו'. ואז ישוב אחורה

because it refers to the waters of Noach, a thing that never was. Moreover, it was not in the Torah at the time of Yeshayahu! Hence, I deemed the reference to the waters of Noach a copy error.

However, Yeshayah 54 is a prophecy of Deutero-Yeshayah, and at the time of Deutero-Yeshayah, the Torah did have the story of the waters of Noach. It could even be that the story of Noach was included in the Torah by Deutero-Yeshayah himself. This would be the "first" story of Noach, translated here.

The question is what would be the Perush? The waters of Noach represent the Galut, and the promise is that there will be a remnant, even after the Shoah, after what the Ramchal describes as the first attempt of Gog. This remnant is the State of Israel, and inside of Eretz Yisrael, or if you want, the ark, Gog could not do harm, but outside there was a disaster. Then, Hashem said, this will be to Me the waters of Noach (Yeshayah 54:9). Never again!

Therefore, I withdraw my assessment that the waters of Noach in Yeshaya 54 must be a copy error.

The Law and The Truth

Gog has backed out for now. As the Ramchal said in Tikkun 60:

ואחר כך יבוא פעם שניה, ואז חושך חזק יראה וכמה כעס יהיה בעולם, וכמה הרים גדולים יבקעו, שנאמר לגביהם: ההרים ימושו והגבעות תמוטינה. ואז: חסדי מאתך לא ימוש וכו'. ואז ישוב אחורה

Strong darkness, and anger in the world, how apt is the description of the Islamic barbarism, which has distracted Barak Obama, and which Donald Trump has vowed to remove from the world.

And we, we have the time to remove something else from the world, the sin of Kain, the hatred among ourselves, antisemitism. And, religiously, to do the Tikkun, to accept the truth without fear. Mind you, the truth is not orthodox, as the orthodox have it that the truth equals the law, the Halacha. Would that the entire people of Hashem were prophets, if Hashem would put His spirit on them.

In the end, the rule of Law, will be, subjugate to the Truth.

Yeshayah 66:1-16

Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig’s blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations; I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight.” Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name’s sake have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy’; but it is they who shall be put to shame. “The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple! The sound of the Lord, rendering recompense to his enemies! “Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she delivered a son. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?” says the Lord; “shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?” says your God.

“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance.”

For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies. “For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the Lord shall be many.

Translation: English Standard Version

Whiter than White Wine

The texts

בָּאתִי לְגַנִּי, אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה--אָרִיתִי מוֹרִי עִם-בְּשָׂמִי, אָכַלְתִּי יַעְרִי עִם-דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יֵינִי עִם-חֲלָבִי; אִכְלוּ רֵעִים, שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דּוֹדִים

(Shir HaShirim 5:1)

אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ

(Shemot 3:8, 3:17, 13:8; Vayikra 20:24; Bamidbar 13:27, 14:8, 16:13,14; Devarim 6:3, 11:9, 26:9, 26:15, 27:3, 31:20)

אֹסְרִי לַגֶּפֶן עִירֹה, וְלַשֹּׂרֵקָה בְּנִי אֲתֹנוֹ; כִּבֵּס בַּיַּיִן לְבֻשׁוֹ, וּבְדַם-עֲנָבִים סוּתֹה. חַכְלִילִי עֵינַיִם, מִיָּיִן; וּלְבֶן-שִׁנַּיִם, מֵחָלָב

(Bereshit 49:11-12)

have something in common; the word חָלָב. According to Rav Reuven Margoliot (Hamikra Vehamesorah (Jerusalem, 5749), 62-64; first published in Hahed 12, (Jerusalem, 5696)), the meaning of חָלָב in the contexts of the first two texts is not "milk," but rather "white wine," and the meaning of דְבָשׁ is not "bee's honey," nor "date honey," but "fig nectar." I think the same meaning, of חָלָב, applies to the third text, as it is all about wine. Ya'akov's final words to Yehudah, חַכְלִילִי עֵינַיִם מִיָּיִן; וּלְבֶן-שִׁנַּיִם מֵחָלָב, thus mean "eyes darker than (dark) wine and teeth whiter than white wine." The Septuagint translates the difficult word חַכְלִילִי differently, making Yehudah a cheerful man, who shows his teeth: "eyes more cheerful than wine and teeth whiter than white wine."

The Origin Of Man

This is the where the phylogeny tree for the human Y-chromosomal stands right now. This is pure DNA, and the tree is solidly rooted in Africa. This supports that man arose in Africa. Do not forget to click on the haplogroups at the right, such as this one and this one, and to take a look at the core list of 417 branch-defining Y-SNP markers. I cannot explain it better than they do and they do. Look at the references per haplogroup, where the mutation happened, and what is the oldest human fossil with the particular haplogroup.

Noach, supposedly living a mere 4,100 years ago, the inventor of wine, was not the Y-chromosomal Adam. The bigger picture is that there are some 10 million mutations of nucleotides (SNPs) in all human chromosomes together. Only 1-2 million mutations are contributed from outside of Africa, i.e., from Asia and Europe and the rest of the world. The message is clear, I hope. These are small percentages of the 3,000 million nucleotide base pairs in the human genome, but they are way too big for Noach.

There are more contributors to human genetic diversity. There is the gene-flow from the Neanthalers in Europe, from the Denisovans in the far East, and from extinct species in Africa. Our past is ancient and complicated. To know it is of the essence. The knowledge of the human genome, a self-awareness of a kind, is a crucial step in the revolutionary ascent of man. Study it.