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''Devarim'' (also called as ''Dvarim'' or ''Debarim'' he, דְּבָרִים, Dəwārim, ) is the 44th
''Devarim'' (also called as ''Dvarim'' or ''Debarim'' he, דְּבָרִים, Dəwārim, ) is the 44th weekly Torah portion
It is a custom among religious Jewish communities for a weekly Torah portion to be read during Jewish prayer services on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The full name, ''Parashat HaShavua'' ( he, פָּרָשַׁת הַשָּׁבוּעַ), is p ...
(, ) in the annual Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
cycle of Torah reading
Torah reading (; ') is a Jewish religious tradition that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Torah scroll. The term often refers to the entire ceremony of removing the scroll (or scrolls) from the Torah ark, chanting th ...
and the first in the Book of Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy ( grc, Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, second law) is the fifth and last book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called (Hebrew: hbo, , Dəḇārīm, hewords Moses.html"_;"title="f_Moses">f_Moseslabel=none)_and_ ...
. It comprises . The parashah recounts how Moses
Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu ( Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pr ...
appointed chiefs, the episode of the Twelve Spies
The Twelve Spies, as recorded in the Book of Numbers, were a group of Israelite chieftains, one from each of the Twelve Tribes, who were dispatched by Moses to scout out the Land of Canaan for 40 days as a future home for the Israelite people, dur ...
, encounters with the Edom
Edom (; Edomite: ; he, אֱדוֹם , lit.: "red"; Akkadian: , ; Ancient Egyptian: ) was an ancient kingdom in Transjordan, located between Moab to the northeast, the Arabah to the west, and the Arabian Desert to the south and east.N ...
ites and Ammon
Ammon (Ammonite: 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''ʻAmān''; he, עַמּוֹן ''ʻAmmōn''; ar, عمّون, ʻAmmūn) was an ancient Semitic-speaking nation occupying the east of the Jordan River, between the torrent valleys of Arnon and Jabbok, in ...
ites, the conquest of Sihon and Og, and the assignment of land for the tribes of Reuben
Reuben or Reuven is a Biblical male first name from Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven), meaning "behold, a son". In the Bible, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob.
Variants include Rúben in European Portuguese; Rubens in Brazilian Portugu ...
, Gad, and Manasseh.
The parashah is made up of 5,972 Hebrew letters, 1,548 Hebrew words, 105 verses, and 197 lines in a Torah Scroll (, ''Sefer Torah
A ( he, סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה; "Book of Torah"; plural: ) or Torah scroll is a handwritten copy of the Torah, meaning the five books of Moses (the first books of the Hebrew Bible). The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of To ...
''). Jew
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
s generally read it in July or August. It is always read on ''Shabbat Chazon
Special Shabbatot are Jewish Shabbat days on which special events are commemorated. Variations in the liturgy and special customs differentiate them from the regular Sabbaths and each one is referred to by a special name; many communities also ad ...
'', the Sabbath just before ''Tisha B'Av
Tisha B'Av ( he, תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב ''Tīšʿā Bəʾāv''; , ) is an annual fast day in Judaism, on which a number of disasters in Jewish history occurred, primarily the destruction of both Solomon's Temple by the Neo-Babylonian ...
''.
Readings
In traditional Sabbath Torah reading, the parashah is divided into seven readings, or , '' aliyot''. In themasoretic text
The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; he, נֻסָּח הַמָּסוֹרָה, Nūssāḥ Hammāsōrā, lit. 'Text of the Tradition') is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism. ...
of the Tanakh
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' peh'')), and thus can be considered one whole unit. Parashat Devarim has five subdivisions, called "closed portions" (, ''setumah'') (abbreviated with the Hebrew letter (''
The first reading (, ''aliyah'') tells how, in the 40th year after
The Israelites set out from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea, and Moses told them that God had placed the land at their disposal and that they should not fear, but take the land. The second reading ends here.
The Israelites remained at Kadesh a long time, marched back into the wilderness by the way of the
God instructed the Israelites to set out across the wadi Arnon, to attack Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and begin to occupy his land. Moses sent messengers to King Sihon with an offer of peace, asking for passage through his country, promising to keep strictly to the highway, turning neither to the right nor the left, and offering to purchase what food and water they would eat and drink. But King Sihon refused to let the Israelites pass through, because God had stiffened his will and hardened his
The Israelites made their way up the road to
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refer to the "children of Anak" (, ''yelidei ha-anak''), refers to the "sons of Anak" (, ''benei anak''), and , , , and refer to the "Anakim" (). John A. Wilson suggested that the Anakim may be related to the ''Iy-‘anaq'' geographic region named in Middle Kingdom Egyptian (19th to 18th century BCE) pottery bowls that had been inscribed with the names of enemies and then shattered as a kind of curse. Dennis Pardee suggested that the Rephaim cited in
20
(as well as ; ) may be related to a name in a 14th century BCE
The 
The 
The Tosefta taught that just as the Israelites were commanded to establish courts of justice in their towns (as Moses reported in ) all children of
in, e.g., Jacob Neusner, translator, ''Sifre to Deuteronomy'', volume 1, page 44. The Sifre read the words "well-known to your tribes" in to refer to men who were known to the people. The Sifre taught that Moses told the people that if a candidate were wrapped in a cloak and took a seat before Moses, he might not know from which tribe the candidate came (or whether he was fit for the job). But the people would know him, for they grew up with him. Rav Hisda taught that at first, officers were appointed only from the
Rabbi Judah interpreted the words "you shall not respect persons in judgment" in to teach judges not to favor their friends, and Rabbi Eleazar interpreted the words to teach judges not to treat a litigant as a stranger, even if the litigant was the judge's enemy.
Resh Lakish interpreted the words "you shall hear the small and the great alike" in to teach that a judge must treat a lawsuit involving the smallest coin in circulation ("a mere ''perutah''") as of the same importance as one involving 2 million times the value ("a hundred ''mina''"). And the
in, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli: Tractate Sanhedrin: Volume 1'', elucidated by Asher Dicker and Abba Zvi Naiman, edited by Hersh Goldwurm, volume 47, page 8a1. Rabbi Hanan read the words "you shall not be afraid of . . . any man" in to teach judges not to withhold any arguments out of deference to the powerful. Resh Lakish (or others say Rabbi Judah ben Lakish or Rabbi Joshua ben Lakish) read the words "you shall not be afraid of the face of any man" in to teach that once a judge has heard a case and knows in whose favor judgment inclines, the judge cannot withdraw from the case, even if the judge must rule against the more powerful litigant. But before a judge has heard a case, or even after so long as the judge does not yet know in whose favor judgment inclines, the judge may withdraw from the case to avoid having to rule against the more powerful litigant and suffer harassment from that litigant. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Jose the Galilean deduced from the words "the judgment is God's" in that once litigants have brought a case to court, a judge must not arbitrate a settlement, for a judge who arbitrates sins by deviating from the requirements of God's Torah; rather, the judge must "let the law cut through the mountain" (and thus even the most difficult case). Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Haninah read the words "the judgment is God's" in to teach that God views the action of wicked judges unjustly taking money away from one and giving it to another as an imposition upon God, putting God to the trouble of returning the value to the rightful owner. (
in, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli: Tractate Sanhedrin: Volume 1'', elucidated by Asher Dicker and Abba Zvi Naiman, edited by Hersh Goldwurm, volume 47, pages 8a1. Rabbi Haninah (or some say Rabbi Josiah) taught that Moses was punished for his arrogance when he told the judges in "the cause that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it." Rabbi Haninah said that reports Moses's punishment, when Moses found himself unable to decide the case of the
A Baraita taught that when hedonists multiplied, justice became perverted, conduct deteriorated, and God found no satisfaction in the world. When those who displayed partiality in judgment multiplied, the command of , "You shall not be afraid of the face of any man," was discontinued; and the command of , "You shall not respect persons in judgment," ceased to be practiced; and people threw off the yoke of Heaven and placed upon themselves the yoke of human beings. When those who whispered to judges (to influence the judges in favor of one party) multiplied, the fierceness of Divine anger increased against Israel, and the Divine Presence (''
The Mishnah taught that it was on Tisha B'Av (just before which Jews read parashah Devarim) that God issued the decree reported in that the generation of the spies would not enter the 
Reading , "And the Lord spoke to me, ‘Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle,'" Ulla argued that it certainly could not have entered the mind of Moses to wage war without God's authorization. So we must deduce that Moses on his own reasoned that if in the case of the Midianites who came only to assist the Moabites (in ), God commanded (in ), "Vex the Midianites and smite them," in the case of the Moabites themselves, the same injunction should apply even more strongly. But God told Moses that the idea that Moses had in his mind was not the idea that God had in God's mind. For God was to bring two doves forth from the Moabites and the Ammonites — Ruth the Moabitess and Naamah the Ammonitess.
Even though in and , God forbade the Israelites from occupying the territory of Ammon and Moab,
26
Rabbi Joshua of Siknin said in the name of Rabbi Levi that God agreed to whatever Moses decided. For in , God commanded Moses to make war on Sihon, but Moses did not do so, but as reports, Moses instead “sent messengers.” God told Moses that even though God had commanded Moses to make war with Sihon and instead Moses began with peace, God would confirm Moses’ decision and decree that in every war upon which Israel entered, Israel must begin with an offer of peace, as says, “When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.” A Baraita deduced from that just as the sun stood still for Joshua in , so the sun stood still for Moses, as well. The Gemara (or some say Rabbi Eleazar) explained that the identical circumstances could be derived from the use of the identical expression "I will begin" in and in . Rabbi Johanan (or some say Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani) taught that this conclusion could be derived from the use of the identical word "put" (''tet'') in and . And Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani (or some say Rabbi Johanan) taught that this conclusion could be deduced from the words "the peoples that are under the whole heaven, who, when they hear the report of you, shall tremble, and be in anguish because of you" in . Rabbi Samuel (or some say Rabbi Johanan) taught that the peoples trembled and were in anguish because of Moses when the sun stood still for him.
A Midrash interpreted the Israelites' encounter with Sihon in and . Noting the report of that "Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying: ‘Let me pass through your land,'" the Midrash taught that the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon just as they had to Edom to inform the Edomites that the Israelites would not cause Edom any damage. Noting the report of that the Israelites offered Sihon, "You shall sell me food for money . . . and give me water for money," the Midrash noted that water is generally given away for free, but the Israelites offered to pay for it. The Midrash noted that in , the Israelites offered, "We will go by the king's highway," but in , the Israelites admitted that they would go "until
Rabbi Phinehas ben Yair taught that the 60 rams, 60 goats, and 60 lambs that reports that the Israelites sacrificed as a dedication-offering of the altar symbolized (among other things) the 60 cities of the region of Argob that reports that the Israelites conquered.
Abba Saul (or some say Rabbi Johanan) told that once when pursuing a deer, he entered a giant thighbone of a corpse and pursued the deer for three 
A Midrash deduced from the words in , "only Og king of Bashan remained . . . behold, his bedstead . . . is it not in Rabbah of the children of Ammon?" that Og had taken all the land of the children of Ammon. Thus there was no injustice when Israel came and took the land away from Og.
Noting that and both use the same expression "at that time" (, ''ba'eit ha-hiv''), a Midrash deduced that the events of the two verses took place at the same time. Thus Rav Huna taught that as soon as God told Moses to hand over his office to Joshua, Moses immediately began to pray to be permitted to enter the Promised Land. The Midrash compared Moses to a governor who could be sure that the king would confirm whatever orders he gave so long as he retained his office. The governor redeemed whomever he desired and imprisoned whomever he desired. But as soon as the governor retired and another was appointed in his place, the gatekeeper would not let him enter the king's palace. Similarly, as long as Moses remained in office, he imprisoned whomever he desired and released whomever he desired, but when he was relieved of his office and Joshua was appointed in his stead, and he asked to be permitted to enter the Promised Land, God in denied his request.
Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman taught that Moses first incurred his fate to die in the wilderness, about which God told him in , from his conduct at the
Interpreting together with , 
Even though in , God told Moses to "begin to possess" the land of Sihon, nonetheless in , Moses "sent messengers . . . to Sihon." Rashi explained that even though God had not commanded Moses to call to Sihon in peace, Moses learned to do so from what God did when God first was about to give the Torah to Israel. God first took the Torah to Esau and Ishmael, although it was clear to God that they would not accept it, because God wished to begin with them in peace.
The 20th century
24–25
— chose the officials who would share the tasks of leadership and dispute resolution. Jeffrey Tigay, Professor Emeritus at the
24–25
he could not have acted without recommendations by the people, for the officers would have numbered in the thousands (according to the Talmud, 78,600), and Moses could not have known that many qualified people, especially as he had not lived among the Israelites before the Exodus. Professor
The 1639 Fundamental Agreement of the 
20
;
(hardening of heart); (appointment of the chiefs); (command to lead the people to the Promised Land). * (departure for the Promised Land); (the spies); ; (victories over Sihon and Og); ; . *. *
(hardening of heart); . * (the establishment of justice as necessary for God's Presence). * (God as the epitome of justice).
3:14:1–2
* Romans 1st Century. (hardening of heart). * Late 1st Century. (changing hearts to God's purpose).
Taanit 4:68Sotah 7:8
Land of Israel, circa 200 C.E. In, e.g., ''The Mishnah: A New Translation''. Translated by Jacob Neusner, pages 315–16, 459. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. . *
Land of Israel, circa 250–350 C.E. In, e.g., ''Sifre to Deuteronomy: An Analytical Translation''. Translated by Jacob Neusner, volume 1, pages 15–65. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987. . *16:326:744:2349:251:11
Land of Israel, 5th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Genesis''. Translated by Harry Freedman and Maurice Simon, volume 1, pages 4, 126–27, 217, 377–78, 420, 450; volume 2, pages 588, 687, 799, 966. London: Soncino Press, 1939. . *
*Babylonian
Berakhot 32aShabbat 85a89bEruvin 30a100bYoma 86bRosh Hashanah 2b28bTaanit 20a26b29a30bMegillah 2b10aMoed Katan 15bChagigah 6bYevamot 47a86bNedarim 20bNazir 23b61aSotah 34b35b47b48bGittin 38aKiddushin 18aBava Kamma 38a–bBava Batra 121a–bSanhedrin 6b7b–8a17a102aShevuot 16a47bAvodah Zarah 25a37bHorayot 10bZevachim 115bMenachot 65aChullin 60b90bArakhin 16b32b33bTamid 29aNiddah 24b
chapter 34
700–900 CE. In, e.g., ''The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan''. Translated by Judah Goldin, pages 136–37. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1955, 1983.
Early 9th century. In, e.g., ''Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer''. Translated by Gerald Friedlander, pages 111–12. London, 1916, New York: Hermon Press, 1970. * Deuteronomy Rabbah 1:1–25; 2:5. Land of Israel, 9th Century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Deuteronomy''. Translated by Harry Freedman and Maurice Simon, volume 7, pages 1–28, 33, 69, 77, 108, 115, 145, 185. London: Soncino Press, 1939. . *
Deuteronomy 1–3
*
The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela
'. Spain, 1173. In ''The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela: Travels in the Middle Ages''. Introductions by Michael A. Singer, Marcus Nathan Adler, A. Asher, page 91. Malibu, Calif.: Joseph Simon, 1983. . (giants). *
''Hilchot Teshuvah'', chapter 4, ¶ 2
Egypt, circa 1170–1180. In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Teshuvah: The Laws of Repentance'', pages 96–103, 140–48, 200–11. Translated by Eliyahu Touger, volume 4. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 1990. *Maimonides. ''Mishneh Torah''
Egypt, circa 1170–1180. In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Sefer Zeraim: The Book of Agricultural Ordinances''. Translated by Eliyahu Touger. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 2005. .
*Maimonides. ''Mishneh Torah''
ttp://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1007199/jewish/Beis-Habechirah-Chapter-6.htm chapter 6, ¶ 15 Egypt, circa 1170–1180. In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Sefer Ha'Avodah: The Book of (Temple) Service''. Translated by Eliyahu Touger. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 2007. . *Maimonides. ''Mishneh Torah''
''Hilchot Sanhedrin veha’Onashin haMesurin lahem'', chapter 2, ¶¶ 6–9
In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Sefer Shoftim''. Translated by Eliyahu Touger, pages 24–29, 168–71, 172–73, 186–89, 192–93. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 2001. . *Maimonides. ''
*Avraham Yehoshua Heschel. ''Commentaries on the Torah''. Cracow, Poland, mid 17th century. Compiled as ''Chanukat HaTorah''. Edited by Chanoch Henoch Erzohn. Piotrkow, Poland, 1900. In Avraham Yehoshua Heschel. ''Chanukas HaTorah: Mystical Insights of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel on Chumash''. Translated by Avraham Peretz Friedman, pages 291–96. 
*
* Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter. ''Sefat Emet''. 
*
*
28
. *John R. Bartlett
“The Brotherhood of Edom.”
'' Journal for the Study of the Old Testament'', volume 2 (number 4) (February 1977): pages 2–27. (
8
. *Thomas W. Mann
"Theological Reflections on the Denial of Moses."
''
"Imagining the Promised Land: The Spies in the Land of the Giants."
'' History & Memory'', volume 6 (number 2) (Fall-Winter 1994): pages 5–23. *Judith S. Antonelli. "The Ashtarot." In ''In the Image of God: A Feminist Commentary on the Torah'', pages 401–06. Northvale, New Jersey:
"Where Did Moses Speak (Deuteronomy I 1–5)?"
''
* W. Gunther Plaut. ''The Haftarah Commentary'', pages 428–38. New York: UAHC Press, 1996. .
*
"The Inclusio and Other Framing Devices in Deuteronomy I–XXVIII."
''Vetus Testamentum'', volume 46 (number 3) (July 1996): pages 296–315. *
"The Re-Interpretation of the Edomite-Israelite Encounter in Deuteronomy II."
''Vetus Testamentum'', volume 47 (number 4) (October 1997): pages 441–55. *Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden. ''Teaching Torah: A Treasury of Insights and Activities'', pages 293–98.
"On the Use of Birth Surrogates."
New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 1997. EH 1:3.1997b. In ''Responsa: 1991–2000: The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement''. Edited by Kassel Abelson and David J. Fine, pages 529, 535–36. New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 2002. . (that Jews will become as numerous as "the stars of heaven" requires human help). *Susan Freeman. ''Teaching Jewish Virtues: Sacred Sources and Arts Activities'', pages 195–210, 269–82, 299–317. Springfield, New Jersey: A.R.E. Publishing, 1999. . (; ). *Analia Bortz. "Essence and Transcendence." In ''The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions''. Edited by
*Lainie Blum Cogan and Judy Weiss. ''Teaching Haftarah: Background, Insights, and Strategies'', pages 220–29. Denver: A.R.E. Publishing, 2002. .
* Louis H. Feldman
“Philo's Version of the Biblical Episode of the Spies.”
''
* Michael Fishbane. ''The JPS Bible Commentary: Haftarot'', pages 270–77. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2002. .
* Admiel Kosman
“The Story of a Giant Story: The Winding Way of Og King of Bashan in the Jewish Haggadic Tradition.”
''Hebrew Union College Annual'', volume 73 (2002): pages 157–90. * John J. Collins
“The Zeal of Phinehas: The Bible and the Legitimation of Violence.”
''
"The Literary Criticism and Rhetorical Logic of Deuteronomy I-IV."
''Vetus Testamentum'', volume 56 (number 2) (April 2006): pages 203–24. *W. Gunther Plaut. ''The Torah: A Modern Commentary: Revised Edition''. Revised edition edited by David E.S. Stern, pages 1159–83. New York:
*Suzanne A. Brody. "Travelogue." In ''Dancing in the White Spaces: The Yearly Torah Cycle and More Poems'', page 102. Shelbyville, Kentucky: Wasteland Press, 2007. .
*
“Spies and Lies: Faithful, Courageous Israelites and Truthful Spies.”
'' Journal for the Study of the Old Testament'', volume 35 (number 2) (December 2010): pages 187–95. *Jonah Kain. ''Spies in the Promised Land''. Amazon Digital Services, 2011. (novel about Caleb).
* William G. Dever. ''The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel: When Archaeology and the Bible Intersect'', pages 43–44. 
*Joshua Berman
"Histories Twice Told: Deuteronomy 1–3 and the Hittite Treaty Prologue Tradition."
''Journal of Biblical Literature'', volume 132 (number 2) (2013): pages 229–50. *Mordechai Beck
"Og and Sihon: Myth and reality: A new age has dawned, new challenges. Seize it with both hands."
'' The Jerusalem Report'', volume 25 (number 9) (August 11, 2014): page 47. * Shlomo Riskin. ''Torah Lights: Devarim: Moses Bequeaths Legacy, History, and Covenant'', pages 3–29.
*
Deuteronomy: translationNotes
'' Orlando, Florida: unfoldingWord, 2017. *Bill Dauster
"Why Is Justice Important?"
''
“Biblical Mistranslations to 'Euphrates' and the Impact on the Borders of Israel.”
''American Journal of Biblical Theology'' (2019). *Jonathan Sacks. ''Covenant & Conversation: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible: Deuteronomy: Renewal of the Sinai Covenant'', pages 17–47.
Masoretic text and 1917 JPS translationHear the parashah chanted
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Devarim (Parsha) Weekly Torah readings in Av Weekly Torah readings from Deuteronomy
'' Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' peh'')), and thus can be considered one whole unit. Parashat Devarim has five subdivisions, called "closed portions" (, ''setumah'') (abbreviated with the Hebrew letter (''
samekh
Samekh (Phoenician ''sāmek'' ; Hebrew ''samekh'' , Syriac ''semkaṯ'') is the fifteenth letter of the Semitic abjads, including the Hebrew alphabet.
Samekh represents a voiceless alveolar fricative . Unlike most Semitic consonants, the p ...
'')). The first closed portion spans the first four readings, the fifth reading contains the next three closed portions, and the final closed portion spans the sixth and seventh readings.
First reading — Deuteronomy 1:1–10
The first reading (, ''aliyah'') tells how, in the 40th year after the Exodus
The Exodus (Hebrew: יציאת מצרים, ''Yeẓi’at Miẓrayim'': ) is the founding myth of the Israelites whose narrative is spread over four books of the Torah (or Pentateuch, corresponding to the first five books of the Bible), namely E ...
from Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
, Moses addressed the Israelite
The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan.
The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stel ...
s on the east side of the Jordan River
The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...
, recounting the instructions that God had given them. When the Israelites were at Horeb — Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai ( he , הר סיני ''Har Sinai''; Aramaic: ܛܘܪܐ ܕܣܝܢܝ ''Ṭūrāʾ Dsyny''), traditionally known as Jabal Musa ( ar, جَبَل مُوسَىٰ, translation: Mount Moses), is a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It ...
— God told them that they had stayed long enough at that mountain, and it was time for them to make their way to the hill country of Canaan
Canaan (; Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍 – ; he, כְּנַעַן – , in pausa – ; grc-bib, Χανααν – ;The current scholarly edition of the Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus T ...
and take possession of the land
Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various isla ...
that God swore to assign to their fathers, Abraham
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Je ...
, Isaac
Isaac; grc, Ἰσαάκ, Isaák; ar, إسحٰق/إسحاق, Isḥāq; am, ይስሐቅ is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was ...
, and Jacob
Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ...
, and their heirs after them.
Then Moses told the Israelites that he could not bear the burden of their bickering alone, and thus directed them to pick leaders from each tribe who were wise, discerning, and experienced. The first reading ends with .
Second reading — Deuteronomy 1:11–21
In the second reading (, ''aliyah''), Moses appointed the leaders as chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens. Moses charged the magistrates to hear and decide disputes justly, treating alike Israelite and stranger, low and high. Moses directed them to bring him any matter that was too difficult to decide..
The Israelites set out from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea, and Moses told them that God had placed the land at their disposal and that they should not fear, but take the land. The second reading ends here.
Third reading — Deuteronomy 1:22–38
In the third reading (, ''aliyah''), the Israelites had asked Moses to send men ahead to scout the land, and he approved the plan, selecting 12 men, one from each tribe. The scouts came to the wadi Eshcol, retrieved some of thefruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...
of the land, and reported that it was a good land. But the Israelites flouted God's command and refused to go into the land, instead sulking in their tent
A tent () is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over, attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using ...
s about reports of people stronger and taller than they and large cities with sky-high wall
A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative. There are many kinds of walls, including:
* Walls in buildings that form a fundamental part of the s ...
s. Moses told them not to fear, as God would go before them and would fight for them, just as God did in Egypt and the wilderness
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...
. When God heard the Israelites' complaint, God became angry and vowed that not one of the men of that evil generation would see the good land that God swore to their fathers, except Caleb
Caleb (), sometimes transliterated as Kaleb ( he, כָּלֵב, ''Kalev'', ; Tiberian vocalization: Kālēḇ; Hebrew Academy: Kalev), is a figure who appears in the Hebrew Bible as a representative of the Tribe of Judah during the Israelite ...
, whom God would give the land on which he set foot, because he remained loyal to God. Moses complained that because of the people, God was incensed with Moses too, and told him that he would not enter the land either. God directed that Moses's attendant Joshua
Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...
would enter the land and allot it to Israel. The third reading ends here.
Fourth reading — Deuteronomy 1:39–2:1
In the fourth reading (, ''aliyah''), God continued that the little ones — whom the Israelites said would be carried off — would also enter and possess the land. The Israelites replied that now they would go up and fight, just as God commanded them, but God told Moses to warn them not to, as God would not travel in their midst and they would be routed by their enemies. Moses told them, but they would not listen, but flouted God's command and willfully marched into the hill country. Then theAmorite
The Amorites (; sux, 𒈥𒌅, MAR.TU; Akkadian: 𒀀𒈬𒊒𒌝 or 𒋾𒀉𒉡𒌝/𒊎 ; he, אֱמוֹרִי, 'Ĕmōrī; grc, Ἀμορραῖοι) were an ancient Northwest Semitic-speaking people from the Levant who also occupied lar ...
s who lived in those hills came out like so many bee
Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfami ...
s and crushed the Israelites at Hormah in Seir.
The Israelites remained at Kadesh a long time, marched back into the wilderness by the way of the Sea of Reeds
In the Exodus narrative, Yam Suph ( he, יַם-סוּף, ''Yam-Sūp̄'', Reed Sea) or Reed Sea, sometimes translated as Sea of Reeds, is the body of water which the Israelites crossed following their exodus from Egypt. The same phrase appears in o ...
, and then skirted the hill country of Seir a long time. The fourth reading ends here, with the end of the first closed portion (, ''setumah'').
Fifth reading — Deuteronomy 2:2–30
In the fifth reading (, ''aliyah''), God then told Moses that they had been skirting that hill country long enough and should now turn north. God instructed that the people would be passing through the territory of their kinsmen, the descendants ofEsau
Esau ''Ēsaû''; la, Hesau, Esau; ar, عِيسَوْ ''‘Īsaw''; meaning "hairy"Easton, M. ''Illustrated Bible Dictionary'', (, , 2006, p. 236 or "rough".Mandel, D. ''The Ultimate Who's Who in the Bible'', (.), 2007, p. 175 is the elder son o ...
in Seir, and that the Israelites should be very careful not to provoke them and should purchase what food
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is in ...
and water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...
they ate and drank, for God would not give the Israelites any of their land. So the Israelites moved on, away from the descendants of Esau, and marched on in the direction of the wilderness of Moab. The second closed portion (, ''setumah'') ends in the middle of .
God told Moses not to harass or provoke the Moabites, for God would not give the Israelites any of their land, having assigned it as a possession to the descendants of Lot. The Israelites spent 38 years traveling from Kadesh-barnea until they crossed the wadi Zered
Wadi al-Hasa ( ar, وادي الحسا), known from the Hebrew Bible as the valley and brook of Zered ( he, זרד), is a wadi in western Jordan. It is located between the Karak and Tafilah governorates.
Geography
The wadi is very big and lon ...
, and the whole generation of warriors perished from the camp, as God had sworn. concludes the third closed portion (, ''setumah'').
Then God told Moses that the Israelites would be passing close to the Ammonites, but the Israelites should not harass or start a fight with them, for God would not give the Israelites any part of the Ammonites' land, having assigned it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.
God instructed the Israelites to set out across the wadi Arnon, to attack Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and begin to occupy his land. Moses sent messengers to King Sihon with an offer of peace, asking for passage through his country, promising to keep strictly to the highway, turning neither to the right nor the left, and offering to purchase what food and water they would eat and drink. But King Sihon refused to let the Israelites pass through, because God had stiffened his will and hardened his heart
The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as ca ...
in order to deliver him to the Israelites. The fifth reading ends here, with the end of the fourth closed portion (, ''setumah'').
Sixth reading — Deuteronomy 2:31–3:14
In the sixth reading (, ''aliyah''), Sihon and his men took the field against the Israelites at Jahaz, but God delivered him to the Israelites, and the Israelites defeated him, captured and doomed all his towns, leaving no survivor, retaining as booty only thecattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...
and the spoil. From Aroer
Aroer ( he, עֲרוֹעֵר, עֲרֹעֵר) is a biblical town on the north bank of the River Arnon to the east of the Dead Sea, in present-day Jordan. The town was an ancient Moabite settlement, and is mentioned in the Bible.
Aroer is identif ...
on the edge of the Arnon valley to Gilead, not a town was too mighty for the Israelites; God delivered everything to them.
The Israelites made their way up the road to Bashan
Bashan (; he, הַבָּשָׁן, translit=ha-Bashan; la, Basan or ''Basanitis'') is the ancient, biblical name used for the northernmost region of the Transjordan during the Iron Age. It is situated in modern-day Syria. Its western part, now ...
, and King Og of Bashan and his men took the field against them at Edrei, but God told Moses not to fear, as God would deliver Og, his men, and his country to the Israelites to conquer as they had conquered Sihon. So God delivered King Og of Bashan, his men, and his 60 towns into the Israelites' hands, and they left no survivor. Og was so big that his iron bedstead was nine cubit
The cubit is an ancient unit of length based on the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. It was primarily associated with the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Israelites. The term ''cubit'' is found in the Bible regarding ...
s long and four cubits wide.
Moses assigned land to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh. The sixth reading ends with .
Seventh reading — Deuteronomy 3:15–22
In the seventh reading (, ''aliyah''), Moses defined theborder
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ca ...
s of the settlement east of the Jordan, and charged the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh that even though they had already received their land, they needed to serve as shock-troops at the head of their Israelite kinsmen, leaving only their wives, children, and livestock in the towns that Moses had assigned to them until God had granted the Israelites their land west of the Jordan.
Moses charged Joshua not to fear the kingdoms west of the Jordan, for God would battle for him and would do to all those kingdoms just as God had done to Sihon and Og. The maftir
Maftir ( he, מפטיר, , concluder) is the last person called up to the Torah on Shabbat and holiday mornings: this person also reads (or at least recites the blessings overs) the ''haftarah'' portion from a related section of the Nevi'im (pro ...
() reading concludes the parashah with , and concludes the fifth closed portion (, ''setumah'').
Readings according to the triennial cycle
Jews who read the Torah according to thetriennial cycle
The Triennial cycle of Torah reading may refer to either
* The historical practice in ancient Israel by which the entire Torah was read in serial fashion over a three-year period, or
* The practice adopted by many Reform, Conservative, Reconstruct ...
read the parashah according to the following schedule:
Ancient parallels
The parashah has parallels in these ancient sources:Deuteronomy chapter 1
Moshe Weinfeld Moshe Weinfeld (also ''Weinfield'', Hebrew: משה ויינפלד) (August 27, 1925 - April 29, 2009), was a professor of Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1994, he won the Israel Prize for Bible.
Biography
Moshe Weinfeld was born ...
noted that the instructions by Moses to the magistrates in were similar to those given by a 13th-century BCE Hittite king to commanders of his border guards. The Hittite king instructed: "If anyone brings a lawsuit . . . the commander shall judge it properly . . . if the case is too big difficulthe shall send it to the king. He should not decide it in favor of a superior . . . nobody should take bribes. . . . Do whatever is right."
In , the spies reported that the Canaanites were taller than they were. A 13th century BCE Egyptian text told that Bedouin
The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arabs, Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert ...
in Canaan were 4 or 5 cubits (6 or 7½ feet) from nose to foot.
Deuteronomy chapter 2
an28
refer to the "children of Anak" (, ''yelidei ha-anak''), refers to the "sons of Anak" (, ''benei anak''), and , , , and refer to the "Anakim" (). John A. Wilson suggested that the Anakim may be related to the ''Iy-‘anaq'' geographic region named in Middle Kingdom Egyptian (19th to 18th century BCE) pottery bowls that had been inscribed with the names of enemies and then shattered as a kind of curse. Dennis Pardee suggested that the Rephaim cited in
20
(as well as ; ) may be related to a name in a 14th century BCE
Ugarit
)
, image =Ugarit Corbel.jpg
, image_size=300
, alt =
, caption = Entrance to the Royal Palace of Ugarit
, map_type = Near East#Syria
, map_alt =
, map_size = 300
, relief=yes
, location = Latakia Governorate, Syria
, region = ...
ic text.
Inner-Biblical interpretation
The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these Biblical sources:Deuteronomy chapter 1
The Book of Numbers ends in with similar wording to the beginning of Deuteronomy in . ends: "These are the commandments and the judgments which the Lord commanded the children of Israel by the hand of Moses in theplains of Moab
The Plains of Moab ( he, עַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב, translit=Arboth Mo'av, lit=Dry areas of Moab) are mentioned in three books of the Hebrew Bible ( Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua) as an area in Transjordan, stretching along the Jordan "a ...
by the Jordan, across from Jericho." begins: "These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite Suph, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab." The Pulpit Commentary
The ''Pulpit Commentary'' is a homiletic commentary on the Bible created during the nineteenth century under the direction of Rev. Joseph S. Exell and Henry Donald Maurice Spence-Jones. It consists of 23 volumes with 22,000 pages and 95,000 entri ...
taught that the wording serves to distinguish the two books: The ending of Numbers indicates that what precedes it is occupied chiefly with what God spoke to Moses, while the beginning of Deuteronomy intimates that what follows is what Moses spoke to the people. This characterizes Deuteronomy as "emphatically a book for the people."
Exodus
Exodus or the Exodus may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible
* The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan
Historical events
* E ...
and both tell the story of appointment of judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
s. Whereas in , Moses implies that he decided to distribute his duties, makes clear that Jethro suggested the idea to Moses and persuaded him of its merit. And and both report the burden on Moses of leading the people. Whereas in , the solution is heads of tribes, thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, in , the solution is 70 elders.
In , Moses reported that God had multiplied the Israelites until they were then as numerous as the stars. In , God promised that Abraham's descendants would as numerous as the stars of heaven. Similarly, in , God promised that Abraham's descendants would as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore. In , God reminded Isaac that God had promised Abraham that God would make his heirs as numerous as the stars. In , Jacob reminded God that God had promised that Jacob's descendants would be as numerous as the sands. In , Moses reminded God that God had promised to make the Patriarch's descendants as numerous as the stars. In , Moses reported that God had made the Israelites as numerous as the stars. And foretold that the Israelites would be reduced in number after having been as numerous as the stars.
and both tell the story of the Twelve Spies. Whereas says that God told Moses to send men to spy out the land of Canaan, in , Moses recounted that all the Israelites asked him to send men to search the land, and the idea pleased him. Whereas reports that the spies spread an evil report that the Israelites were not able to go up against the people of the land for they were stronger and taller than the Israelites, in , Moses recalled that the spies brought back word that the land that God gave them was good.
Professor Patrick D. Miller
Patrick D. Miller, Jr. (24 October 1935 – 1 May 2020) was an American Old Testament scholar who served as Charles T. Haley Professor of Old Testament Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1984 to 2005. He was an ordained minister in t ...
, formerly of Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of t ...
, saw the reassurance of echoed in and and ; ; and .
Deuteronomy chapter 2
, and each report the Israelites' interaction with Edom and Moab. and report that the Israelites sent messengers to the kings of both countries asking for passage through their lands, and according to the passage in Numbers the Israelites offered to trade with Edom, but both kings declined to let the Israelites pass. reports that the Israelites were instructed to pay Edom for food and drink.Deuteronomy chapter 3
The blessing of Moses for Gad in relates to the role of Gad in taking land east of the Jordan in and . In , Moses commended Gad's fierceness, saying that Gad dwelt as a lioness and tore the arm and the head. Immediately thereafter, in , Moses noted that Gad chose a first part of the land for himself.In classical rabbinic interpretation
The parashah is discussed in theserabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...
nic sources from the era of the Mishnah
The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...
and the Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...
:
Deuteronomy chapter 1
The Mishnah taught that when fulfilling the commandment of to "assemble the people . . . that they may hear . . . all the words of this law," the king would start reading at . TheTosefta
The Tosefta ( Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: תוספתא "supplement, addition") is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah.
Overview
In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah ( ...
read the words of , “These are the words . . . ,” to teach that all these words — the words of the written Torah and the words of the Oral Torah
According to Rabbinic Judaism, the Oral Torah or Oral Law ( he, , Tōrā šebbəʿal-pe}) are those purported laws, statutes, and legal interpretations that were not recorded in the Five Books of Moses, the Written Torah ( he, , Tōrā šebbī ...
— were given by God so that the one should open the chambers of one's heart and allow into it the words of both the House of Shammai
The House of Hillel (Beit Hillel) and House of Shammai (Beit Shammai) were, among Jewish scholars, two schools of thought during the period of tannaim, named after the sages Hillel and Shammai (of the last century BCE and the early 1st century C ...
and the House of Hillel, the words of those who declare unclean and the words of those who declare clean. Thus even if some words of Torah may appear contradictory, one should still learn Torah to try to understand God's will.
The Avot of Rabbi Natan
Avot de-Rabbi Nathan (), usually printed together with the minor tractates of the Talmud, is a Jewish aggadic work probably compiled in the geonic era (c.700–900 CE). Although Avot de-Rabbi Nathan is the first and longest of the " minor tractat ...
read the listing of places in to allude to how God tested the Israelites with ten trials in the Wilderness, and they failed them all. The words "In the wilderness" alludes to the Golden Calf
According to the Bible, the golden calf (עֵגֶל הַזָּהָב '' ‘ēgel hazzāhāv'') was an idol (a cult image) made by the Israelites when Moses went up to Mount Sinai. In Hebrew, the incident is known as ''ḥēṭə’ hā‘ēgel'' ...
, as } reports. "On the plain" alludes to how they complained about not having water, as reports. "Facing Suf" alludes to how they rebelled at the Sea of Reeds (or some say to the idol that Micah made). Rabbi Judah cited , "They rebelled at the Sea of Reeds." "Between Paran" alludes to the Twelve Spies
The Twelve Spies, as recorded in the Book of Numbers, were a group of Israelite chieftains, one from each of the Twelve Tribes, who were dispatched by Moses to scout out the Land of Canaan for 40 days as a future home for the Israelite people, dur ...
, as says, "Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran." "And Tophel" alludes to the frivolous words (, ''tiphlot'') they said about the manna. "Lavan" alludes to Koraḥ's mutiny. "Ḥatzerot" alludes to the quails. And in , it says, "At Tav'erah, and at Masah, and at Kivrot HaTa'avah." And "Di-zahav" alludes to when Aaron
According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...
said to them: "Enough (, ''dai'') of this golden (, ''zahav'') sin that you have committed with the Calf!" But Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya'akov said it means "Terrible enough (, ''dai'') is this sin that Israel was punished to last from now until the resurrection of the dead."
Similarly, the school of Rabbi Yannai interpreted the place name Di-zahab () in to refer to one of the Israelites' sins that Moses recounted in the opening of his address. The school of Rabbi Yannai deduced from the word Di-zahab that Moses spoke insolently towards heaven. The school of Rabbi Yannai taught that Moses told God that it was because of the silver and gold (, ''zahav'') that God showered on the Israelites until they said "Enough" (, ''dai'') that the Israelites made the Golden Calf. They said in the school of Rabbi Yannai that a lion does not roar with excitement over a basket of straw but over a basket of meat. Rabbi Oshaia likened it to the case of a man who had a lean but large-limbed cow. The man gave the cow good feed to eat and the cow started kicking him. The man deduced that it was feeding the cow good feed that caused the cow to kick him. Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba likened it to the case of a man who had a son and bathed him, anointed him, gave him plenty to eat and drink, hung a purse round his neck, and set him down at the door of a brothel. How could the boy help sinning? Rav Aha the son of Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Sheshet that this bears out the popular saying that a full stomach leads to a bad impulse. As says, "When they were fed they became full, they were filled and their heart was exalted; therefore they have forgotten Me."
The Sifre
Sifre ( he, סִפְרֵי; ''siphrēy'', ''Sifre, Sifrei'', also, ''Sifre debe Rab'' or ''Sifre Rabbah'') refers to either of two works of '' Midrash halakha'', or classical Jewish legal biblical exegesis, based on the biblical books of Number ...
read to indicate that Moses spoke to the Israelites in rebuke. The Sifre taught that Moses rebuked them only when he approached death, and the Sifre taught that Moses learned this lesson from Jacob, who admonished his sons in only when he neared death. The Sifre cited four reasons why people do not admonish others until the admonisher nears death: (1) so that the admonisher does not have to repeat the admonition, (2) so that the one rebuked would not suffer undue shame from being seen again, (3) so that the one rebuked would not bear ill will to the admonisher, and (4) so that the one may depart from the other in peace, for admonition brings peace. The Sifre cited as further examples of admonition near death: (1) when Abraham reproved Abimelech
Abimelech (also spelled Abimelek or Avimelech; ) was the generic name given to all Philistine kings in the Hebrew Bible from the time of Abraham through King David. In the Book of Judges, Abimelech, son of Gideon, of the Tribe of Manasseh, ...
in , (2) when Isaac reproved Abimelech, Ahuzzath, and Phicol in , (3) when Joshua admonished the Israelites in , (4) when Samuel
Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bib ...
admonished the Israelites in 1 Samuel
The Book of Samuel (, ''Sefer Shmuel'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the narrative history of Ancient Israel called the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books ( Jo ...
, and (5) when David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
admonished Solomon
Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...
in 1 Kings
The Book of Kings (, '' Sēfer Məlāḵīm'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Kings) in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of Israel also including the book ...
.
The Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer identified Og, king of Bashan, mentioned in and , with Abraham's servant Eliezer
Eliezer (, "Help/Court of El") was the name of at least three different individuals in the Bible.
Eliezer of Damascus
Eliezer of Damascus () was, according to the Targums, the son of Nimrod. Eliezer was head of the patriarch Abraham's house ...
introduced in and with the unnamed steward of Abraham's household in . The Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer told that when Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees
Ur Kasdim ( he, ''ʾūr Kaśdīm''), commonly translated as Ur of the Chaldeans, is a city mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the birthplace of the Israelite and Ishmaelite patriarch Abraham. In 1862, Henry Rawlinson identified Ur Kaśdim with ...
, all the magnates of the kingdom gave him gifts, and Nimrod
Nimrod (; ; arc, ܢܡܪܘܕ; ar, نُمْرُود, Numrūd) is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush and therefore a great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of ...
gave Abraham Nimrod's first-born son Eliezer as a perpetual slave. After Eliezer had dealt kindly with Isaac by securing Rebekah to be Isaac's wife, he set Eliezer free, and God gave Eliezer his reward in this world by raising him up to become a king — Og, king of Bashan.
Reading , "Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses took upon himself to expound (, ''be’er'') this law," the Gemara noted the use of the same word as in with regard to the commandment to erect the stones on Mount Ebal, "And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law clearly elucidated (, ''ba’er'')." The Gemara reasoned through a verbal analogy that Moses also wrote down the Torah on stones in the land of Moab and erected them there. The Gemara concluded that there were thus three sets of stones so inscribed.
A Midrash
''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...
taught that , , and call the ''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...
Euphrates
The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...
"the Great River" because it encompasses the Land of Israel. The Midrash noted that at the creation of the world, the Euphrates was not designated "great." But it is called "great" because it encompasses the Land of Israel, which calls a "great nation." As a popular saying said, the king's servant is a king, and thus Scripture calls the Euphrates great because of its association with the great nation of Israel.
The Tosefta taught that just as the Israelites were commanded to establish courts of justice in their towns (as Moses reported in ) all children of Noah
Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5 ...
(that is, all people) were admonished (as the first of seven Noahide laws) to set up courts of justice.
Rabbi Meir
Rabbi Meir ( he, רַבִּי מֵאִיר) was a Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishnah. He was considered one of the greatest of the Tannaim of the fourth generation (139-163). He is the third most frequently mentioned sage in the Mis ...
taught that when, as reports, Moses saw all the work of the Tabernacle
According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...
and the Priestly garments that the Israelites had done, “Moses blessed them” with the blessing of , saying, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, make you a thousand times so many more as you are, and bless you, as God has promised you!”
Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani, citing Rabbi Johanan, noted that in , God told Moses, "Get you from each one of your tribes, wise men and understanding, and full of knowledge," but in , Moses reported, "So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men and full of knowledge." Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani thus concluded that Moses could not find men of "understanding" in his generation. In contrast, Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani noted that 1 Chronicles
The Book of Chronicles ( he, דִּבְרֵי־הַיָּמִים ) is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Chronicles) in the Christian Old Testament. Chronicles is the final book of the Hebrew Bible, concluding the third sect ...
reports that "the children of Issachar
Issachar () was, according to the Book of Genesis, the fifth of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's ninth son), and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Issachar. However, some Biblical scholars view this as an eponymous metaphor pro ...
. . . had understanding." Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani noted that reports that Jacob and Leah
Leah ''La'ya;'' from (; ) appears in the Hebrew Bible as one of the two wives of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. Leah was Jacob's first wife, and the older sister of his second (and favored) wife Rachel. She is the mother of Jacob's first son ...
conceived Issachar after "Leah went out to meet him, and said: ‘You must come to me, for I have surely hired you.'" Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani thus concluded that a woman who solicits her husband to perform the marital obligation, as Leah did, will have children the like of whom did not exist even in the generation of Moses.
Rabbi Berekiah
R. Berekiah (or R. Berekhyah; he, רבי ברכיה, read as ''Rabbi Berekhyah'') was an '' Amora'' of the Land of Israel, of the fourth generation of the Amora era. He is known for his work on the Aggadah
Aggadah ( he, ''ʾAggāḏā'' or ' ...
taught in the name of Rabbi Hanina that judges must possess seven qualities, and mentions three: They must be "wise men, and understanding, and full of knowledge." And enumerates the other four: "Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain." Scripture does not state all seven qualities together to teach that if people possessing all the seven qualities are not available, then those possessing four are selected; if people possessing four qualities are not available, then those possessing three are selected; and if even these are not available, then those possessing one quality are selected, for as says, "A woman of valor who can find?"
Arius
Arius (; grc-koi, Ἄρειος, ; 250 or 256 – 336) was a Cyrenaic presbyter, ascetic, and priest best known for the doctrine of Arianism. His teachings about the nature of the Godhead in Christianity, which emphasized God the Father's ...
asked Rabbi Jose what the difference is between "wise" and "discerning" in . Rabbi Jose answered that a wise person is like a rich money-changer. When people bring coins to evaluate, the rich money-changer evaluates them, and if people do not bring coins to evaluate, the rich money-changer seeks out coins to evaluate. A discerning person is like a poor money-changer. When people bring coins to evaluate, the poor money-changer evaluates them, but if people do not bring coins to evaluate, the poor money-changer sits and daydreams.Sifre to Deuteronomy 13:3in, e.g., Jacob Neusner, translator, ''Sifre to Deuteronomy'', volume 1, page 44. The Sifre read the words "well-known to your tribes" in to refer to men who were known to the people. The Sifre taught that Moses told the people that if a candidate were wrapped in a cloak and took a seat before Moses, he might not know from which tribe the candidate came (or whether he was fit for the job). But the people would know him, for they grew up with him. Rav Hisda taught that at first, officers were appointed only from the
Levite
Levites (or Levi) (, he, ''Lǝvīyyīm'') are Jewish males who claim patrilineal descent from the Tribe of Levi. The Tribe of Levi descended from Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. The surname ''Halevi'', which consists of the Hebrew de ...
s, for says, "And the officers of the Levites before you," but in Rav Hisda's time, officers were appointed only from the Israelites, for it was said (paraphrasing ), "And officers over you shall come from the majority" (that is, the Israelites).
Interpreting , the Rabbis taught in a Baraita
''Baraita'' ( Aramaic: "external" or "outside"; pl. ''Barayata'' or ''Baraitot''; also Baraitha, Beraita; Ashkenazi: Beraisa) designates a tradition in the Jewish oral law not incorporated in the Mishnah. ''Baraita'' thus refers to teachings ...
that since the nation numbered about 600,000 men, the chiefs of thousands amounted to 600; those of hundreds, 6,000; those of fifties, 12,000; and those of tens, 60,000. Hence they taught that the number of officers in Israel totaled 78,600.
Rabbi Johanan interpreted the words "And I charged your judges at that time" in to teach that judges were to resort to the rod and the lash with caution. Rabbi Haninah interpreted the words "hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously" in to warn judges not to listen to the claims of litigants in the absence of their opponents, and to warn litigants not to argue their cases to the judge before their opponents have appeared. Resh Lakish
Shim‘on ben Lakish ( he, שמעון בן לקיש; arc, שמעון בר לקיש ''Shim‘on bar Lakish'' or ''bar Lakisha''), better known by his nickname Reish Lakish (c. 200 — c. 275), was an amora who lived in the Roman province of Judae ...
interpreted the words "judge righteously" in to teach judges to consider all the aspects of the case before deciding. Rabbi Judah interpreted the words "between your brethren" in to teach judges to make a scrupulous division of liability between the lower and the upper parts of a house, and Rabbi Judah interpreted the words "and the stranger that is with him" in to teach judges to make a scrupulous division of liability even between a stove and an oven.
Rabbi Eliezer the Great taught that the Torah warns against wronging a stranger in 36, or others say 46, places (including ). The Gemara went on to cite Rabbi Nathan's interpretation of , "You shall neither wrong a stranger, nor oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt," to teach that one must not taunt one's neighbor about a flaw that one has oneself. The Gemara taught that thus a proverb says: If there is a case of hanging in a person's family history, do not say to the person, "Hang up this fish for me."
Rabbi Judah interpreted the words "you shall not respect persons in judgment" in to teach judges not to favor their friends, and Rabbi Eleazar interpreted the words to teach judges not to treat a litigant as a stranger, even if the litigant was the judge's enemy.
Resh Lakish interpreted the words "you shall hear the small and the great alike" in to teach that a judge must treat a lawsuit involving the smallest coin in circulation ("a mere ''perutah''") as of the same importance as one involving 2 million times the value ("a hundred ''mina''"). And the Gemara
The Gemara (also transliterated Gemarah, or in Yiddish Gemo(r)re; from Aramaic , from the Semitic root ג-מ-ר ''gamar'', to finish or complete) is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah ...
deduced from this rule that a judge must hear cases in the order that they were brought, even if a case involving a lesser value was brought first.Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 8ain, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli: Tractate Sanhedrin: Volume 1'', elucidated by Asher Dicker and Abba Zvi Naiman, edited by Hersh Goldwurm, volume 47, page 8a1. Rabbi Hanan read the words "you shall not be afraid of . . . any man" in to teach judges not to withhold any arguments out of deference to the powerful. Resh Lakish (or others say Rabbi Judah ben Lakish or Rabbi Joshua ben Lakish) read the words "you shall not be afraid of the face of any man" in to teach that once a judge has heard a case and knows in whose favor judgment inclines, the judge cannot withdraw from the case, even if the judge must rule against the more powerful litigant. But before a judge has heard a case, or even after so long as the judge does not yet know in whose favor judgment inclines, the judge may withdraw from the case to avoid having to rule against the more powerful litigant and suffer harassment from that litigant. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Jose the Galilean deduced from the words "the judgment is God's" in that once litigants have brought a case to court, a judge must not arbitrate a settlement, for a judge who arbitrates sins by deviating from the requirements of God's Torah; rather, the judge must "let the law cut through the mountain" (and thus even the most difficult case). Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Haninah read the words "the judgment is God's" in to teach that God views the action of wicked judges unjustly taking money away from one and giving it to another as an imposition upon God, putting God to the trouble of returning the value to the rightful owner. (
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzchaki ( he, רבי שלמה יצחקי; la, Salomon Isaacides; french: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see below), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a compre ...
interpreted that it was as though the judge had taken the money from God.)Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 8ain, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli: Tractate Sanhedrin: Volume 1'', elucidated by Asher Dicker and Abba Zvi Naiman, edited by Hersh Goldwurm, volume 47, pages 8a1. Rabbi Haninah (or some say Rabbi Josiah) taught that Moses was punished for his arrogance when he told the judges in "the cause that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it." Rabbi Haninah said that reports Moses's punishment, when Moses found himself unable to decide the case of the
daughters of Zelophehad
The Daughters of Zelophehad ( he, בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד ''Bənōṯ Ṣəlāfəḥāḏ'') were five sisters – Mahlah (מַחְלָה ''Maḥlā''), Noa (נֹעָה ''Nōʿā''), Hoglah (חָגְלָה ''Ḥoglā''), Milcah (מִל ...
. Rav Nahman objected to Rabbi Haninah's interpretation, noting that Moses did not say that he would always have the answers, but merely that he would rule if he knew the answer or seek instruction if he did not. Rav Nahman cited a Baraita to explain the case of the daughters of Zelophehad: God had intended that Moses write the laws of inheritance, but found the daughters of Zelophehad
worthy to have the section recorded on their account.
Rabbi Eleazar, on the authority of Rabbi Simlai, noted that says, "And I charged your judges at that time," while similarly says, "I charged you he Israelitesat that time." Rabbi Eleazar deduced that meant to warn the Congregation to revere their judges, and meant to warn the judges to be patient with the Congregation. Rabbi Hanan (or some say Rabbi Shabatai) said that this meant that judges must be as patient as Moses, who reports acted "as the nursing father carries the sucking child."
A Baraita taught that when hedonists multiplied, justice became perverted, conduct deteriorated, and God found no satisfaction in the world. When those who displayed partiality in judgment multiplied, the command of , "You shall not be afraid of the face of any man," was discontinued; and the command of , "You shall not respect persons in judgment," ceased to be practiced; and people threw off the yoke of Heaven and placed upon themselves the yoke of human beings. When those who whispered to judges (to influence the judges in favor of one party) multiplied, the fierceness of Divine anger increased against Israel, and the Divine Presence (''Shechinah
Shekhinah, also spelled Shechinah ( Hebrew: שְׁכִינָה ''Šəḵīnā'', Tiberian: ''Šăḵīnā'') is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling" and denotes the presence of God, as it were, in a pla ...
'') departed, because, as Psalm
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived f ...
teaches, "He judges among the judges" (that is, God abides only with honest judges). When there multiplied people of whom says, "Their heart goes after their gain," there multiplied people who (in the words of ) "call evil good, and good evil." When there multiplied people who "call evil good, and good evil," woes increased in the world.
Resh Lakish interpreted the words "Send you" in to indicate that God gave Moses discretion whether or not to send the spies. Resh Lakish read Moses' recollection of the matter in that "the thing pleased me well" to mean that sending the spies pleased Moses well but not God.
Rabbi Ammi
Rabbi Ammi, Aimi, Immi (Hebrew: רבי אמי) is the name of several Jewish Talmudists, known as amoraim, who lived in the Land of Israel and Babylonia. In the Babylonian Talmud the first form only is used; in the Jerusalem Talmud all three ...
cited the spies' statement in that the Canaanite cities were "great and fortified up to heaven" to show that the Torah sometimes exaggerated.
Reading the words, "And how I bore you on eagles' wings," in , the Mekhilta Mekhilta ( arc, מְכִילְתָּא דְּרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל IPA /məˈχiltɑ/, "a collection of rules of interpretation"; corresponding to the Mishnaic Hebrew ' 'measure', 'rule'), is used to denote a compilation of scriptura ...
of Rabbi Ishmael taught that eagles differ from all other birds because other birds carry their young between their feet, being afraid of other birds flying higher above them. Eagles, however, fear only people who might shoot arrows at them from below. Eagles, therefore, prefer that the arrows hit them rather than their children. The Mekhilta compared this to a man who walked on the road with his son in front of him. If robbers, who might seek to capture his son, come from in front, the man puts his son behind him. If a wolf comes from behind, the man puts his son in front of him. If robbers come from in front and wolves from behind, the man puts his son on his shoulders. As says, "You have seen how the Lord your God bore you, as a man bears his son."
The Mishnah taught that it was on Tisha B'Av (just before which Jews read parashah Devarim) that God issued the decree reported in that the generation of the spies would not enter the Promised Land
The Promised Land ( he, הארץ המובטחת, translit.: ''ha'aretz hamuvtakhat''; ar, أرض الميعاد, translit.: ''ard al-mi'ad; also known as "The Land of Milk and Honey"'') is the land which, according to the Tanakh (the Hebrew ...
.
Noting that in the incident of the spies, God did not punish those below the age of 20 (see ), whom described as "children that . . . have no knowledge of good or evil," Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani taught in Rabbi Jonathan
Rabbi Jonathan (Hebrew: רבי יונתן, ''Rabi Yonatan'') was a '' tanna'' of the 2nd century and schoolfellow of R. Josiah, apart from whom he is rarely quoted.
Jonathan is generally so cited within
further designation; but there is ample re ...
's name that God does not punish people for the actions that they take in their first 20 years.
Deuteronomy chapter 2
Interpreting the words "You have circled this mountain (, ''har'') long enough" in , Rabbi Haninah taught that Esau paid great attention to his parent (''horo''), his father, whom he supplied with meals, as reports, "Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his venison." Rabbi Samuel the son of Rabbi Gedaliah concluded that God decided to reward Esau for this. When Jacob offered Esau gifts, Esau answered Jacob in , "I have enough (, ''rav''); do not trouble yourself." So God declared that with the same expression that Esau thus paid respect to Jacob, God would command Jacob's descendants not to trouble Esau's descendants, and thus God told the Israelites, "You have circled . . . long enough (, ''rav'')." Rav Hiyya bar Abin said in Rabbi Johanan's name that the words, "I have given Mount Seir to Esau for an inheritance," in establish that even idolaters inherit from their parents under Biblical law. The Gemara reported a challenge that perhaps Esau inherited because he was an apostate Jew. Rav Hiyya bar Abin thus argued that the words, "I have given Ar to the children of Lot as a heritage," in establish gentiles' right to inherit. Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba, citing Rabbi Johanan, taught that God rewards even polite speech. In , Lot's older daughter named her son Moab ("of my father"), and so in , God told Moses, "Be not at enmity with Moab, neither contend with them in battle"; God forbade only war with the Moabites, but the Israelites might harass them. In , in contrast, Lot's younger daughter named her son Ben-Ammi (the less shameful "son of my people"), and so in , God told Moses, "Harass them not, nor contend with them"; the Israelites were not to harass the Ammonites at all.
Reading , "And the Lord spoke to me, ‘Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle,'" Ulla argued that it certainly could not have entered the mind of Moses to wage war without God's authorization. So we must deduce that Moses on his own reasoned that if in the case of the Midianites who came only to assist the Moabites (in ), God commanded (in ), "Vex the Midianites and smite them," in the case of the Moabites themselves, the same injunction should apply even more strongly. But God told Moses that the idea that Moses had in his mind was not the idea that God had in God's mind. For God was to bring two doves forth from the Moabites and the Ammonites — Ruth the Moabitess and Naamah the Ammonitess.
Even though in and , God forbade the Israelites from occupying the territory of Ammon and Moab, Rav Papa
Rav Pappa ( he, רַב פַּפָּא) (c. 300 – died 375) was a Babylonian rabbi, of the fifth generation of amoraim.
Biography
He was a student of Rava and Abaye. After the death of his teachers he founded a school at Naresh, a city near ...
taught that the land of Ammon and Moab that Sihon conquered (as reported in ) became purified for acquisition by the Israelites through Sihon's occupation of it (as discussed in ).
Explaining why Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel said that there never were in Israel more joyous days than Tu B'Av (the fifteenth of Av) and Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day' ...
, Rabbah bar bar Hanah said in the name of Rabbi Johanan (or others say Rav Dimi bar Joseph said in the name of Rav Nahman) that Tu B'Av was the day on which the generation of the wilderness stopped dying out. For a Master deduced from the words, "So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead . . . that the Lord spoke to me," in that as long as the generation of the wilderness continued to die out, God did not communicate with Moses, and only thereafter — on Tu B'Av — did God resume that communication. Thus God's address to Moses in (in which he instructed Moses to speak to the rock to bring forth water) may have been the first time that God had spoken to Moses in 38 years.
Citing an26
Rabbi Joshua of Siknin said in the name of Rabbi Levi that God agreed to whatever Moses decided. For in , God commanded Moses to make war on Sihon, but Moses did not do so, but as reports, Moses instead “sent messengers.” God told Moses that even though God had commanded Moses to make war with Sihon and instead Moses began with peace, God would confirm Moses’ decision and decree that in every war upon which Israel entered, Israel must begin with an offer of peace, as says, “When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.” A Baraita deduced from that just as the sun stood still for Joshua in , so the sun stood still for Moses, as well. The Gemara (or some say Rabbi Eleazar) explained that the identical circumstances could be derived from the use of the identical expression "I will begin" in and in . Rabbi Johanan (or some say Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani) taught that this conclusion could be derived from the use of the identical word "put" (''tet'') in and . And Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani (or some say Rabbi Johanan) taught that this conclusion could be deduced from the words "the peoples that are under the whole heaven, who, when they hear the report of you, shall tremble, and be in anguish because of you" in . Rabbi Samuel (or some say Rabbi Johanan) taught that the peoples trembled and were in anguish because of Moses when the sun stood still for him.
A Midrash interpreted the Israelites' encounter with Sihon in and . Noting the report of that "Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying: ‘Let me pass through your land,'" the Midrash taught that the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon just as they had to Edom to inform the Edomites that the Israelites would not cause Edom any damage. Noting the report of that the Israelites offered Sihon, "You shall sell me food for money . . . and give me water for money," the Midrash noted that water is generally given away for free, but the Israelites offered to pay for it. The Midrash noted that in , the Israelites offered, "We will go by the king's highway," but in , the Israelites admitted that they would go "until hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title ...
shall pass over the Jordan," thus admitting that they were going to conquer Canaan. The Midrash compared the matter to a watchman who received wages to watch a vineyard, and to whom a visitor came and asked the watchman to go away so that the visitor could cut off the grapes from the vineyard. The watchman replied that the sole reason that the watchman stood guard was because of the visitor. The Midrash explained that the same was true of Sihon, as all the kings of Canaan paid Sihon money from their taxes, since Sihon appointed them as kings. The Midrash interpreted , which says, "Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan," to teach that Sihon and Og were the equal of all the other kings of Canaan. So the Israelites asked Sihon to let them pass through Sihon's land to conquer the kings of Canaan, and Sihon replied that the sole reason that he was there was to protect the kings of Canaan from the Israelites. Interpreting the words of , "and Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together," the Midrash taught that God brought this about designedly so as to deliver Sihon into the Israelites' hands without trouble. The Midrash interpreted the words of , "Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon," to say that if Heshbon had been full of mosquitoes, no person could have conquered it, and if Sihon had been living in a plain, no person could have prevailed over him. The Midrash taught that Sihon thus would have been invincible, as he was powerful and dwelt in a fortified city. Interpreting the words, "Who dwelt at Heshbon," the Midrash taught that had Sihon and his armies remained in different towns, the Israelites would have worn themselves out conquering them all. But God assembled them in one place to deliver them into the Israelites' hands without trouble. In the same vein, in God said, "Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon . . . before you," and says, "Sihon gathered all his people together," and reports, "And Israel took all these cities."
Deuteronomy chapter 3
A Midrash taught that according to some authorities, Israel fought Sihon in the month ofElul
Elul ( he, אֱלוּל, Standard ''ʾElūl'', Tiberian ''ʾĔlūl'') is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 29 days. Elul usually occurs in August ...
, celebrated the Festival in Tishri
Tishrei () or Tishri (; he, ''tīšrē'' or ''tīšrī''; from Akkadian ''tašrītu'' "beginning", from ''šurrû'' "to begin") is the first month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year ...
, and after the Festival fought Og. The Midrash inferred this from the similarity of the expression in , "And you shall turn in the morning, and go to your tents," which speaks of an act that was to follow the celebration of a Festival, and the expression in , "and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people." The Midrash inferred that God assembled the Amorites to deliver them into the Israelites' hands, as says, "and the Lord said to Moses: ‘Fear him not; for I have delivered him into your hand." The Midrash taught that Moses was afraid, as he thought that perhaps the Israelites had committed a trespass in the war against Sihon, or had soiled themselves by the commission of some transgression. God reassured Moses that he need not fear, for the Israelites had shown themselves perfectly righteous. The Midrash taught that there was not a mighty man in the world more difficult to overcome than Og, as says, "only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim." The Midrash told that Og had been the only survivor of the strong men whom Amraphel
In the Hebrew Bible, Amraphel ( he, אַמְרָפֶל, translit=’Amrāp̄el; el, Ἀμαρφάλ, Amarphál; la, Amraphel) was a king of Shinar (Hebrew for Sumer) in Book of Genesis Chapter 14, who invaded Canaan along with other kings unde ...
and his colleagues had slain, as may be inferred from , which reports that Amraphel "smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim," and one may read to indicate that Og lived near Ashteroth. The Midrash taught that Og was the refuse among the Rephaim, like a hard olive that escapes being mashed in the olive press. The Midrash inferred this from , which reports that "there came one who had escaped, and told Abram
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jews ...
the Hebrew," and the Midrash identified the man who had escaped as Og, as describes him as a remnant, saying, "only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim." The Midrash taught that Og intended that Abram should go out and be killed. God rewarded Og for delivering the message by allowing him to live all the years from Abraham to Moses, but God collected Og's debt to God for his evil intention toward Abraham by causing Og to fall by the hand of Abraham's descendants. On coming to make war with Og, Moses was afraid, thinking that he was only 120 years old, while Og was more than 500 years old, and if Og had not possessed some merit, he would not have lived all those years. So God told Moses (in the words of ), "fear him not; for I have delivered him into your land," implying that Moses should slay Og with his own hand. The Midrash noted that in , God told Moses to "do to him as you did to Sihon," and reports that the Israelites "utterly destroyed them," but reports, "All the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves." The Midrash concluded that the Israelites utterly destroyed the people so as not to derive any benefit from them.
Rabbi Phinehas ben Yair taught that the 60 rams, 60 goats, and 60 lambs that reports that the Israelites sacrificed as a dedication-offering of the altar symbolized (among other things) the 60 cities of the region of Argob that reports that the Israelites conquered.
Abba Saul (or some say Rabbi Johanan) told that once when pursuing a deer, he entered a giant thighbone of a corpse and pursued the deer for three parasang
The parasang is a historical Iranian unit of walking distance, the length of which varied according to terrain and speed of travel. The European equivalent is the league. In modern terms the distance is about 3 or 3½ miles (4.8 or 5.6 km).
His ...
s but reached neither the deer nor the end of the thighbone. When he returned, he was told that it was the thighbone of Og, King of Bashan, of whose extraordinary height reports.
A Midrash deduced from the words in , "only Og king of Bashan remained . . . behold, his bedstead . . . is it not in Rabbah of the children of Ammon?" that Og had taken all the land of the children of Ammon. Thus there was no injustice when Israel came and took the land away from Og.
Noting that and both use the same expression "at that time" (, ''ba'eit ha-hiv''), a Midrash deduced that the events of the two verses took place at the same time. Thus Rav Huna taught that as soon as God told Moses to hand over his office to Joshua, Moses immediately began to pray to be permitted to enter the Promised Land. The Midrash compared Moses to a governor who could be sure that the king would confirm whatever orders he gave so long as he retained his office. The governor redeemed whomever he desired and imprisoned whomever he desired. But as soon as the governor retired and another was appointed in his place, the gatekeeper would not let him enter the king's palace. Similarly, as long as Moses remained in office, he imprisoned whomever he desired and released whomever he desired, but when he was relieved of his office and Joshua was appointed in his stead, and he asked to be permitted to enter the Promised Land, God in denied his request.
Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman taught that Moses first incurred his fate to die in the wilderness, about which God told him in , from his conduct at the Burning Bush
The burning bush (or the unburnt bush) refers to an event recorded in the Jewish Torah (as also in the biblical Old Testament). It is described in the third chapter of the Book of Exodus as having occurred on Mount Horeb. According to the ...
, for there God tried for seven days to persuade Moses to go on his errand to Egypt, as says, “And Moses said to the Lord: ‘Oh Lord, I am not a man of words, neither yesterday, nor the day before, nor since you have spoken to your servant’” (which the Midrash interpreted to indicate seven days of conversation). And in the end, Moses told God in , “Send, I pray, by the hand of him whom You will send.” God replied that God would keep this in store for Moses. Rabbi Berekiah in Rabbi Levi's name and Rabbi Helbo give different answers on when God repaid Moses. One said that all the seven days of the consecration of the priesthood in , Moses functioned as High Priest, and he came to think that the office belonged to him. But in the end, God told Moses that the job was not his, but his brother's, as says, “And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron.” The other taught that all the first seven days of Adar
Adar ( he, אֲדָר ; from Akkadian ''adaru'') is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar, roughly corresponding to the month of March in the Gregorian calendar. It is a month of 29 ...
of the fortieth year, Moses beseeched God to enter the Promised Land, but in the end, God told him in , “You shall not go over this Jordan.”
In medieval Jewish interpretation
The parashah is discussed in thesemedieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
Jewish sources:
Deuteronomy chapter 1
In theZohar
The ''Zohar'' ( he, , ''Zōhar'', lit. "Splendor" or "Radiance") is a foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five ...
, Rabbi Jose expounded on "And let every wise-hearted man among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded." Rabbi Jose taught that when God told Moses in , "Get you wise men and men of discernment," Moses searched all of Israel but did not find men of discernment, and so in , Moses said, "So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and full of knowledge," without mentioning men of discernment. Rabbi Jose deduced that the man of discernment (''navan'') is of a higher degree than the wise man (''hacham''), for even a pupil who gives new ideas to a teacher is called "wise." A wise man knows for himself as much as is required, but the man of discernment apprehends the whole, knowing both his own point of view and that of others. uses the term "wise-hearted" because the heart was seen to be the seat of wisdom. Rabbi Jose taught that the man of discernment apprehends the lower world and the upper world, his own being and the being of others.
Interpreting together with , Maimonides
Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...
taught that judges must be on the highest level of righteousness. An effort should be made that they be white-haired, of impressive height, of dignified appearance, and people who understand whispered matters and who understand many different languages so that the court will not need to hear testimony from an interpreter. Maimonides taught that one need not demand that a judge for a court of three possess all these qualities, but a judge must, however, possess seven attributes: wisdom, humility, fear of God, loathing for money, love for truth, being beloved by people at large, and a good reputation. Maimonides cited , “Men of wisdom and understanding,” for the requirement of wisdom. continues, “Beloved by your tribes,” which Maimonides read to refer to those who are appreciated by people at large. Maimonides taught that what will make them beloved by people is conducting themselves with a favorable eye and a humble spirit, being good company, and speaking and conducting their business with people gently. Maimonides read , “men of power,” to refer to people who are mighty in their observance of the commandments, who are very demanding of themselves, and who overcome their evil inclination until they possess no unfavorable qualities, no trace of an unpleasant reputation, even during their early adulthood, they were spoken of highly. Maimonides read , “men of power,” also to imply that they should have a courageous heart to save the oppressed from the oppressor, as reports, “And Moses arose and delivered them.” Maimonides taught that just as Moses was humble, so, too, every judge should be humble. continues “God-fearing,” which is clear. mentions “men who hate profit,” which Maimonides took to refer to people who do not become overly concerned even about their own money; they do not pursue the accumulation of money, for anyone who is overly concerned about wealth will ultimately be overcome by want. continues “men of truth,” which Maimonides took to refer to people who pursue justice because of their own inclination; they love truth, hate crime, and flee from all forms of crookedness.
Deuteronomy chapter 2
Reading God's instruction in that the Israelites should buy food, Abraham ibn Ezra commented that this would be only if the Edomites wanted to sell. Ibn Ezra noted that some view as asking a question, for Israel had no need for food and drink (having had manna daily).
Even though in , God told Moses to "begin to possess" the land of Sihon, nonetheless in , Moses "sent messengers . . . to Sihon." Rashi explained that even though God had not commanded Moses to call to Sihon in peace, Moses learned to do so from what God did when God first was about to give the Torah to Israel. God first took the Torah to Esau and Ishmael, although it was clear to God that they would not accept it, because God wished to begin with them in peace. Nachmanides
Moses ben Nachman ( he, מֹשֶׁה בֶּן־נָחְמָן ''Mōše ben-Nāḥmān'', "Moses son of Nachman"; 1194–1270), commonly known as Nachmanides (; el, Ναχμανίδης ''Nakhmanídēs''), and also referred to by the acronym Ra ...
disagreed, concluding that Moses sent messengers to Sihon before God instructed Moses to go to war with Sihon.
In modern interpretation
The parashah is discussed in these modern sources:Deuteronomy chapter 1
In , Moses reported that God had multiplied the Israelites until they were then as numerous as the stars. In , God promised that Abraham's descendants would be as numerous as the stars of heaven. And in , God promised that Abraham's descendants would be as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore. The astronomerCarl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ex ...
reported that there are more stars in the universe than sands on all the beaches on the Earth.
The 20th century Reform
Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement ...
Rabbi Gunther Plaut observed that in , the people — not Moses, as recorded in an24–25
— chose the officials who would share the tasks of leadership and dispute resolution. Jeffrey Tigay, Professor Emeritus at the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...
, however, reasoned that although Moses selected the appointees as recorded in an24–25
he could not have acted without recommendations by the people, for the officers would have numbered in the thousands (according to the Talmud, 78,600), and Moses could not have known that many qualified people, especially as he had not lived among the Israelites before the Exodus. Professor
Robert Alter
Robert Bernard Alter (born 1935) is an American professor of Hebrew language, Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He published Hebrew Bible (Alter), his translation of the ...
of the University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
, noted several differences between the accounts in and , all of which he argued reflected the distinctive aims of Deuteronomy. Jethro conceives the scheme in , but is not mentioned in , and instead, the plan is entirely Moses's idea, as Deuteronomy is the book of Moses. In , Moses entrusts the choice of magistrates to the people, whereas in , he implements Jethro's directive by choosing the judges himself. In , the qualities to be sought in the judges are moral probity and piety, whereas stresses intellectual discernment.
The 1639 Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony
The New Haven Colony was a small English colony in North America from 1638 to 1664 primarily in parts of what is now the state of Connecticut, but also with outposts in modern-day New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
The history of ...
reported that John Davenport, a Puritan
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...
clergyman and co-founder of the colony, declared to all the free planters forming the colony that , , and described the kind of people who might best be trusted with matters of government, and the people at the meeting assented without opposition.
Deuteronomy chapter 2
Archeologists
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscape ...
Israel Finkelstein
Israel Finkelstein ( he, ישראל פינקלשטיין, born March 29, 1949) is an Israeli archaeologist, professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University and the head of the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa. Fin ...
of Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Locate ...
and Neil Asher Silberman
Neil Asher Silberman (born June 19, 1950 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American archaeologist and historian with a special interest in biblical archaeology. He is the author of several books, including ''The Hidden Scrolls'', '' The Message a ...
noted that ; ; and report that the wandering Israelites battled at the city of Heshbon, capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who tried to block the Israelites from passing through his territory on their way to Canaan. Excavations at Tel Hesban south of Amman
Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 as of 2021, Amman is ...
, the location of ancient Heshbon, showed that there was no Late Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
city, not even a small village, there. And Finkelstein and Silberman noted that according to the Bible, when the children of Israel moved along the Transjordanian plateau they met and confronted resistance not only in Moab but also from the full-fledged states of Edom and Ammon. Yet the archeological evidence indicates that the Transjordan plateau was very sparsely inhabited in the Late Bronze Age, and most parts of the region, including Edom, mentioned as a state ruled by a king, were not even inhabited by a sedentary population at that time, and thus no kings of Edom could have been there for the Israelites to meet. Finkelstein and Silberman concluded that sites mentioned in the Exodus narrative were unoccupied at the time they reportedly played a role in the events of the Israelites wanderings in the wilderness, and thus a mass Exodus did not happen at the time and in the manner described in the Bible.
Commandments
According to Maimonides
Maimonides cited verses in the parashah for three negativecommandments
Commandment may refer to:
* The Ten Commandments
* One of the 613 mitzvot of Judaism
* The Great Commandment
* The New Commandment
The New Commandment is a term used in Christianity to describe Jesus's commandment to "love one another" which, ac ...
:
*That the judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
not be afraid of a bad person when judging
*Not to appoint as judge one who is not learned in the laws of the Torah, even if the person is learned in other disciplines
*That warriors shall not fear their enemies nor be frightened of them in battle
According to Sefer ha-Chinuch
According to Sefer ha-Chinuch, there are two negative commandments in the parashah. *Not to appoint any judge who is unlearned in the Torah, even if the person is generally learned *That a judge presiding at a trial should not fear any evil person
Liturgy
Some Jews recite the blessing of fruitfulness in among the verses of blessing recited at the conclusion of the Sabbath. "Mount Lebanon . . . Siryon," another name for Mount Hermon, as explains, is reflected in , which is in turn one of the six Psalms recited at the beginning of the Kabbalat Shabbat prayer service . Reuven Hammer, ''Or Hadash: A Commentary onSiddur Sim Shalom
Siddur Sim Shalom ( he, סדור שים שלום) refers to any siddur in a family of ''siddurim'', Jewish prayerbooks, and related commentaries, published by the Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
There are fo ...
for Shabbat and Festivals'' (New York: The Rabbinical Assembly, 2003), page 20.
The Weekly Maqam
In the Weekly Maqam,Sephardi Jews
Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefa ...
each week base the songs of the services on the content of that week's parashah. For parashah Devarim, Sephardi Jews apply Maqam Hijaz, the maqam that expresses mourning and sadness. This maqam is appropriate not due to the content of the parashah, but because this is the parashah that falls on the Shabbat prior to Tisha B'Av
Tisha B'Av ( he, תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב ''Tīšʿā Bəʾāv''; , ) is an annual fast day in Judaism, on which a number of disasters in Jewish history occurred, primarily the destruction of both Solomon's Temple by the Neo-Babylonian ...
, the date that marks the destruction of the Temples.
Haftarah
Devarim is always read on the final Shabbat of Admonition, the Shabbat immediately prior to Tisha B'Av. That Shabbat is called ''Shabbat Chazon'', corresponding to the first word of thehaftarah
The ''haftara'' or (in Ashkenazic pronunciation) ''haftorah'' (alt. ''haftarah, haphtara'', he, הפטרה) "parting," "taking leave", (plural form: ''haftarot'' or ''haftoros'') is a series of selections from the books of ''Nevi'im'' ("Pro ...
, which is . Many communities chant the majority of this haftarah in the mournful melody of the Book of Lamentations
The Book of Lamentations ( he, אֵיכָה, , from its incipit meaning "how") is a collection of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. In the Hebrew Bible it appears in the Ketuvim ("Writings") as one of the Five Megill ...
due to the damning nature of the vision as well as its proximity to the saddest day of the Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar ( he, הַלּוּחַ הָעִבְרִי, translit=HaLuah HaIvri), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance, and as an official calendar of the state of Israel ...
, the holiday on which Lamentations is chanted.
References
;Notes ;SourcesFurther reading
The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these sources:Biblical
* (Rephaim, Emim, Horites); (numerous as stars); (numerous as stars); (numerous as stars). *; ; ;20
;
(hardening of heart); (appointment of the chiefs); (command to lead the people to the Promised Land). * (departure for the Promised Land); (the spies); ; (victories over Sihon and Og); ; . *. *
(hardening of heart); . * (the establishment of justice as necessary for God's Presence). * (God as the epitome of justice).
Early non-rabbinic
*Josephus
Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for '' The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...
, ''Antiquities of the Jews
''Antiquities of the Jews'' ( la, Antiquitates Iudaicae; el, Ἰουδαϊκὴ ἀρχαιολογία, ''Ioudaikē archaiologia'') is a 20-volume historiographical work, written in Greek, by historian Flavius Josephus in the 13th year of the ...
'3:14:1–2
* Romans 1st Century. (hardening of heart). * Late 1st Century. (changing hearts to God's purpose).
Classical rabbinic
*Mishnah
The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...
Taanit 4:6
Land of Israel, circa 200 C.E. In, e.g., ''The Mishnah: A New Translation''. Translated by Jacob Neusner, pages 315–16, 459. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. . *
Tosefta
The Tosefta ( Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: תוספתא "supplement, addition") is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah.
Overview
In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah ( ...
: Sukkah 3:13; Sotah 4:6, 7:12, 17, 14:4; Menachot 7:8; Arakhin 5:16. Land of Israel, circa 250 C.E. In, e.g., ''The Tosefta: Translated from the Hebrew, with a New Introduction''. Translated by Jacob Neusner. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2002. .
*Sifre
Sifre ( he, סִפְרֵי; ''siphrēy'', ''Sifre, Sifrei'', also, ''Sifre debe Rab'' or ''Sifre Rabbah'') refers to either of two works of '' Midrash halakha'', or classical Jewish legal biblical exegesis, based on the biblical books of Number ...
br>to Deuteronomy 1:1–25:6Land of Israel, circa 250–350 C.E. In, e.g., ''Sifre to Deuteronomy: An Analytical Translation''. Translated by Jacob Neusner, volume 1, pages 15–65. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987. . *
Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...
: Sheviit 47a; Maasrot 4b; Challah 45a; Bikkurim 12a; Rosh Hashanah 3a; Taanit 17a; Megillah 2a; Sanhedrin 2b; Avodah Zarah 15b. Tiberias
Tiberias ( ; he, טְבֶרְיָה, ; ar, طبريا, Ṭabariyyā) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's F ...
, Land of Israel, circa 400 CE. In, e.g., ''Talmud Yerushalmi''. Edited by Chaim Malinowitz, Yisroel Simcha Schorr, and Mordechai Marcus, volumes 6b, 9, 11, 12, 24–26, 44, 47. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2006–2020. And in, e.g., ''The Jerusalem Talmud: A Translation and Commentary''. Edited by Jacob Neusner and translated by Jacob Neusner, Tzvee Zahavy, B. Barry Levy, and Edward Goldman. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009. .
*Genesis Rabbah
Genesis Rabbah (Hebrew: , ''B'reshith Rabba'') is a religious text from Judaism's classical period, probably written between 300 and 500 CE with some later additions. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletical inter ...
br>1:2Land of Israel, 5th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Genesis''. Translated by Harry Freedman and Maurice Simon, volume 1, pages 4, 126–27, 217, 377–78, 420, 450; volume 2, pages 588, 687, 799, 966. London: Soncino Press, 1939. . *
Leviticus Rabbah
Leviticus Rabbah, Vayikrah Rabbah, or Wayiqra Rabbah is a homiletic midrash to the Biblical book of Leviticus (''Vayikrah'' in Hebrew). It is referred to by Nathan ben Jehiel (c. 1035–1106) in his ''Arukh'' as well as by Rashi (1040–1105) ...
. Land of Israel, 5th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Leviticus''. Translated by Harry Freedman and Maurice Simon, volume 4, pages 141–43, 410, 443. London: Soncino Press, 1939. .
*Babylonian Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...
Berakhot 32a
Sasanian Empire
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
, 6th Century. In, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli''. Edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr, Chaim Malinowitz, and Mordechai Marcus, 72 volumes. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2006.
* Song of Songs Rabbah. 6th–7th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Song of Songs''. Translated by Maurice Simon, volume 9, pages 65–66, 123. London: Soncino Press, 1939. .
*Ecclesiastes Rabbah
Ecclesiastes Rabbah or Kohelet Rabbah (Hebrew: קהלת רבה) is an aggadic commentary on Ecclesiastes, included in the collection of the Midrash Rabbot. It follows the biblical book verse by verse, only a few verses remaining without commenta ...
. 6th–8th centuries. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Ecclesiastes''. Translated by Maurice Simon, volume 8, pages 4, 11, 88, 225, 281, 294. London: Soncino Press, 1939. .
*Avot of Rabbi Natan
Avot de-Rabbi Nathan (), usually printed together with the minor tractates of the Talmud, is a Jewish aggadic work probably compiled in the geonic era (c.700–900 CE). Although Avot de-Rabbi Nathan is the first and longest of the " minor tractat ...
chapter 34
700–900 CE. In, e.g., ''The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan''. Translated by Judah Goldin, pages 136–37. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1955, 1983.
Medieval
* Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezerbr>chapter 16Early 9th century. In, e.g., ''Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer''. Translated by Gerald Friedlander, pages 111–12. London, 1916, New York: Hermon Press, 1970. * Deuteronomy Rabbah 1:1–25; 2:5. Land of Israel, 9th Century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Deuteronomy''. Translated by Harry Freedman and Maurice Simon, volume 7, pages 1–28, 33, 69, 77, 108, 115, 145, 185. London: Soncino Press, 1939. . *
Exodus Rabbah
Exodus Rabbah (Hebrew: שמות רבה, ''Shemot Rabbah'') is the midrash to Exodus.
Contents
Exodus Rabbah is almost purely aggadic in character.
It contains 52 sections. It consists of two sections with different styles, dubbed "Exodus Rabba ...
. 10th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Exodus''. Translated by S.M. Lehrman, volume 3, pages 254, 272, 303, 309, 418, 430, 450, 473, 488, 490, 571. London: Soncino Press, 1939. .
*Lamentations Rabbah
The Midrash on Lamentations or Eichah Rabbah (Hebrew: איכה רבה) is a midrashic commentary to the Book of Lamentations ("Eichah").
It is one of the oldest works of midrash, along with Bereshit Rabbah and the Pesiḳta ascribed to Rab Ka ...
. 10th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Deuteronomy/Lamentations''. Translated by A. Cohen, volume 7, pages 15–16, 66. London: Soncino Press, 1939. .
*Rashi
Shlomo Yitzchaki ( he, רבי שלמה יצחקי; la, Salomon Isaacides; french: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see below), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a compre ...
. ''Commentary''Deuteronomy 1–3
Troyes
Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near ...
, France, late 11th Century. In, e.g., Rashi. ''The Torah: With Rashi's Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated''. Translated and annotated by Yisrael Isser Zvi Herczeg, volume 5, pages 1–44. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1997. .
* Rashbam. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Troyes, early 12th century. In, e.g., ''Rashbam’s Commentary on Deuteronomy: An Annotated Translation''. Edited and translated by Martin I. Lockshin, pages 27–47. Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
: Brown Judaic Studies, 2004. .
*Judah Halevi
Judah Halevi (also Yehuda Halevi or ha-Levi; he, יהודה הלוי and Judah ben Shmuel Halevi ; ar, يهوذا اللاوي ''Yahuḏa al-Lāwī''; 1075 – 1141) was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born in Spain, ...
. ''Kuzari
The ''Kuzari'', full title ''Book of Refutation and Proof on Behalf of the Despised Religion'' ( ar, كتاب الحجة والدليل في نصرة الدين الذليل: ''Kitâb al-ḥujja wa'l-dalîl fi naṣr al-dîn al-dhalîl''), also k ...
''. 2:14. Toledo, Spain, 1130–1140. In, e.g., Jehuda Halevi. ''Kuzari: An Argument for the Faith of Israel.'' Introduction by Henry Slonimsky, page 91. New York: Schocken, 1964. .
*Numbers Rabbah
Numbers Rabbah (or Bamidbar Rabbah in Hebrew) is a religious text holy to classical Judaism. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletic interpretations of the book of Numbers (''Bamidbar'' in Hebrew).
In the first prin ...
. 12th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Numbers''. Translated by Judah J. Slotki, volume 5, pages 44, 55, 73, 186, 441; volume 6, pages 564, 630, 661, 675, 677–78, 686, 688, 696, 702–04, 736, 759, 764–65, 769–71, 773, 777–79, 781–82, 784, 788, 838, 867, 873. London: Soncino Press, 1939. .
* Abraham ibn Ezra. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Mid-12th century. In, e.g., ''Ibn Ezra's Commentary on the Pentateuch: Deuteronomy (Devarim)''. Translated and annotated by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver, volume 5, pages 1–19. New York: Menorah Publishing Company, 2001. .
*Benjamin of Tudela
Benjamin of Tudela ( he, בִּנְיָמִין מִטּוּדֶלָה, ; ar, بنيامين التطيلي ''Binyamin al-Tutayli''; Tudela, Kingdom of Navarre, 1130 Castile, 1173) was a medieval Jewish traveler who visited Europe, Asia, an ...
. The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela
'. Spain, 1173. In ''The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela: Travels in the Middle Ages''. Introductions by Michael A. Singer, Marcus Nathan Adler, A. Asher, page 91. Malibu, Calif.: Joseph Simon, 1983. . (giants). *
Maimonides
Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...
. ''Mishneh Torah
The ''Mishneh Torah'' ( he, מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, , repetition of the Torah), also known as ''Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka'' ( he, ספר יד החזקה, , book of the strong hand, label=none), is a code of Rabbinic Jewish religious law ('' ...
''''Hilchot Teshuvah'', chapter 4, ¶ 2
Egypt, circa 1170–1180. In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Teshuvah: The Laws of Repentance'', pages 96–103, 140–48, 200–11. Translated by Eliyahu Touger, volume 4. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 1990. *Maimonides. ''Mishneh Torah''
Egypt, circa 1170–1180. In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Sefer Zeraim: The Book of Agricultural Ordinances''. Translated by Eliyahu Touger. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 2005. .
*Maimonides. ''Mishneh Torah''ttp://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1007199/jewish/Beis-Habechirah-Chapter-6.htm chapter 6, ¶ 15 Egypt, circa 1170–1180. In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Sefer Ha'Avodah: The Book of (Temple) Service''. Translated by Eliyahu Touger. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 2007. . *Maimonides. ''Mishneh Torah''
''Hilchot Sanhedrin veha’Onashin haMesurin lahem'', chapter 2, ¶¶ 6–9
In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Sefer Shoftim''. Translated by Eliyahu Touger, pages 24–29, 168–71, 172–73, 186–89, 192–93. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 2001. . *Maimonides. ''
The Guide for the Perplexed
''The Guide for the Perplexed'' ( ar, دلالة الحائرين, Dalālat al-ḥā'irīn, ; he, מורה נבוכים, Moreh Nevukhim) is a work of Jewish theology by Maimonides. It seeks to reconcile Aristotelianism with Rabbinical Jewish the ...
'', part 1, chapters 18, 45; part 2, chapters 41, 47; part 3, chapter 50. Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...
, Egypt, 1190. In, e.g., Moses Maimonides. ''The Guide for the Perplexed''. Translated by Michael Friedländer, pages 27, 58–59, 235, 247–48, 383. New York: Dover Publications, 1956. .
*Hezekiah ben Manoah Hezekiah ben Manoah, or Hezekiah bar Manoah, was a French rabbi and Bible commentator of the 13th century. He is generally known by the title of his commentary, Chizkuni ( he, חזקוני).
In memory of his father, who lost his right hand through ...
. ''Hizkuni''. France, circa 1240. In, e.g., Chizkiyahu ben Manoach. ''Chizkuni: Torah Commentary''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 4, pages 1046–60. Jerusalem: Ktav Publishers, 2013. .
*Nachmanides
Moses ben Nachman ( he, מֹשֶׁה בֶּן־נָחְמָן ''Mōše ben-Nāḥmān'', "Moses son of Nachman"; 1194–1270), commonly known as Nachmanides (; el, Ναχμανίδης ''Nakhmanídēs''), and also referred to by the acronym Ra ...
. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Jerusalem, circa 1270. In, e.g., ''Ramban (Nachmanides): Commentary on the Torah: Deuteronomy.'' Translated by Charles B. Chavel, volume 5, pages 6–45. New York: Shilo Publishing House, 1976. .
*Zohar
The ''Zohar'' ( he, , ''Zōhar'', lit. "Splendor" or "Radiance") is a foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five ...
, part 1, page 178a; part 2, pages 31a, 68b, 183b, 201a, 214a; volume 3, pages 117b, 190a, 260b, 284a, 286b. Spain, late 13th Century. In, e.g., ''The Zohar''. Translated by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon. 5 volumes. London: Soncino Press, 1934.
*Bahya ben Asher
Bahya ben Asher ibn Halawa (, 1255–1340) was a rabbi and scholar of Judaism, best known as a commentator on the Hebrew Bible.
He is one of two scholars now referred to as Rabbeinu Behaye, the other being philosopher Bahya ibn Paquda.
Biog ...
. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Spain, early 14th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbeinu Bachya: Torah Commentary by Rabbi Bachya ben Asher''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 7, pages 2348–74. Jerusalem: Lambda Publishers, 2003. .
*Mark R. Cohen
__NOTOC__
Mark R. Cohen (born March 11, 1943) is an American scholar of Jewish history in the Muslim world.
Cohen is Khedouri A. Zilkha Professor Emeritus of Jewish Civilization in the Near East and Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at P ...
. ''The Voice of the Poor in the Middle Ages: An Anthology of Documents from the Cairo Geniza'', pages 197–98. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005. . (invocation of as a blessing in 14th Century letters).
* Isaac ben Moses Arama. ''Akedat Yizhak (The Binding of Isaac)''. Late 15th century. In, e.g., Yitzchak Arama. ''Akeydat Yitzchak: Commentary of Rabbi Yitzchak Arama on the Torah''. Translated and condensed by Eliyahu Munk, volume 2, pages 798–801. New York, Lambda Publishers, 2001. .
Modern
* Isaac Abravanel. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Italy, between 1492 and 1509. In, e.g., ''Abarbanel: Selected Commentaries on the Torah: Volume 5: Devarim/Deuteronomy''. Translated and annotated by Israel Lazar, pages 15–24. Brooklyn: CreateSpace, 2015. . And excerpted in, e.g., ''Abarbanel on the Torah: Selected Themes''. Translated by Avner Tomaschoff, pages 395–420. Jerusalem:Jewish Agency for Israel
The Jewish Agency for Israel ( he, הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל, translit=HaSochnut HaYehudit L'Eretz Yisra'el) formerly known as The Jewish Agency for Palestine, is the largest Jewish non-profit organization in the world. ...
, 2007. .
* Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Venice, 1567. In, e.g., ''Sforno: Commentary on the Torah''. Translation and explanatory notes by Raphael Pelcovitz, pages 827–45. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1997. .
*Moshe Alshich
Moshe Alshich he, משה אלשיך, also spelled Alshech, (1508–1593), known as the ''Alshich Hakadosh (the Holy)'', was a prominent rabbi, preacher, and biblical commentator in the latter part of the sixteenth century.
The Alshich was born ...
. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Safed
Safed (known in Hebrew as Tzfat; Sephardic Hebrew & Modern Hebrew: צְפַת ''Tsfat'', Ashkenazi Hebrew: ''Tzfas'', Biblical Hebrew: ''Ṣǝp̄aṯ''; ar, صفد, ''Ṣafad''), is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elev ...
, circa 1593. In, e.g., Moshe Alshich. ''Midrash of Rabbi Moshe Alshich on the Torah''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 3, pages 944–60. New York, Lambda Publishers, 2000. .
*Avraham Yehoshua Heschel. ''Commentaries on the Torah''. Cracow, Poland, mid 17th century. Compiled as ''Chanukat HaTorah''. Edited by Chanoch Henoch Erzohn. Piotrkow, Poland, 1900. In Avraham Yehoshua Heschel. ''Chanukas HaTorah: Mystical Insights of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel on Chumash''. Translated by Avraham Peretz Friedman, pages 291–96. Southfield, Michigan
Southfield is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,618.
As a northern suburb of Detroit, Southfield shares part of its southern border with Detroit. The city was original ...
: Targum Press
Menucha Publishers is an Orthodox Jewish
Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Writt ...
/Feldheim Publishers
Feldheim Publishers (or Feldheim) is an American Orthodox Jewish publisher of Torah books and literature. Its extensive catalog of titles includes books on Jewish law, Torah, Talmud, Jewish lifestyle, Shabbat and Jewish holidays, Jewish history, ...
, 2004. .
* Chaim ibn Attar. ''Ohr ha-Chaim''. Venice, 1742. In Chayim ben Attar. ''Or Hachayim: Commentary on the Torah''. Translated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 5, pages 1752–75. Brooklyn: Lambda Publishers, 1999. .
*Samson Raphael Hirsch
Samson Raphael Hirsch (; June 20, 1808 – December 31, 1888) was a German Orthodox rabbi best known as the intellectual founder of the ''Torah im Derech Eretz'' school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism. Occasionally termed ''neo-Orthodoxy'', hi ...
. ''Horeb: A Philosophy of Jewish Laws and Observances''. Translated by Isidore Grunfeld, pages 265–67. London: Soncino Press, 1962. Reprinted 2002 . Originally published as ''Horeb, Versuche über Jissroel's Pflichten in der Zerstreuung''. Germany, 1837.
* Samuel David Luzzatto (Shadal). ''Commentary on the Torah.'' Padua
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
, 1871. In, e.g., Samuel David Luzzatto. ''Torah Commentary''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 4, pages 1139–59. New York: Lambda Publishers, 2012. .
* Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter. ''Sefat Emet''. Góra Kalwaria
Góra Kalwaria (; "Calvary Mountain", yi, גער, ''Ger'') is a town on the Vistula River in the Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is situated approximately southeast of Warsaw and has a population of around 12,109 (as of 201 ...
(Ger), Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, before 1906. Excerpted in ''The Language of Truth: The Torah Commentary of Sefat Emet''. Translated and interpreted by Arthur Green, pages 283–87. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1998. . Reprinted 2012. .
* Hermann Cohen. ''Religion of Reason: Out of the Sources of Judaism''. Translated with an introduction by Simon Kaplan; introductory essays by Leo Strauss
Leo Strauss (, ; September 20, 1899 – October 18, 1973) was a German-American political philosopher who specialized in classical political philosophy. Born in Germany to Jewish parents, Strauss later emigrated from Germany to the United States. ...
, pages 121, 125, 430. New York: Ungar, 1972. Reprinted Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
: Scholars Press, 1995. . Originally published as ''Religion der Vernunft aus den Quellen des Judentums''. Leipzig: Gustav Fock, 1919.
*James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the Modernism, modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important ...
. '' Ulysses'', chapters 7 (Aeolus), 14 (Oxen of the Sun). Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
: Shakespeare and Company, 1922. Reprinted, e.g., ''Ulysses: The Corrected Text''. Edited by Hans Walter Gabler with Wolfhard Steppe and Claus Melchior, pages 122, 322. New York: Random House, 1986. . (“No, Stephen said. I call it A Pisgah Sight of Palestine or the Parable of The Plums.”; “Look forth now, my people, upon the land of behest, even from Horeb and from Nebo and from Pisgah and from the Horns of Hatten to a land flowing with milk and money.”).
*Alexander Alan Steinbach. ''Sabbath Queen: Fifty-four Bible Talks to the Young Based on Each Portion of the Pentateuch'', pages 139–42. New York: Behrman's Jewish Book House, 1936.
*Joseph Reider. ''The Holy Scriptures: Deuteronomy with Commentary'', pages 1–44. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1937.
*Martin Buber
Martin Buber ( he, מרטין בובר; german: Martin Buber; yi, מארטין בובער; February 8, 1878 –
June 13, 1965) was an Austrian Jewish and Israeli philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of existentialism ...
. ''On the Bible: Eighteen studies'', pages 80–92. New York: Schocken Books, 1968.
*J. Roy Porter. "The Succession of Joshua." In ''Proclamation and Presence: Old Testament Essays in Honour of Gwynne Henton Davies''. Edited by John I. Durham and J. Roy Porter, pages 102–32. London: SCM Press, 1970. . (; 28
. *John R. Bartlett
“The Brotherhood of Edom.”
'' Journal for the Study of the Old Testament'', volume 2 (number 4) (February 1977): pages 2–27. (
8
. *Thomas W. Mann
"Theological Reflections on the Denial of Moses."
''
Journal of Biblical Literature
The ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' (''JBL'') is one of three academic journals published by the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). First published in 1881, ''JBL'' is the flagship journal of the field. ''JBL'' is published quarterly and incl ...
'', volume 98 (number 4) (December 1979): pages 481–94.
*Nehama Leibowitz
Nechama Leibowitz ( he, נחמה ליבוביץ׳; September 3, 1905 – April 12, 1997 ) was a noted Israeli Bible scholar and commentator who rekindled interest in Bible study.
Biography
Nechama Leibowitz was born to an Orthodox Jewish fa ...
. ''Studies in Devarim: Deuteronomy'', pages 1–43. Jerusalem: The World Zionist Organization
The World Zionist Organization ( he, הַהִסְתַּדְּרוּת הַצִּיּוֹנִית הָעוֹלָמִית; ''HaHistadrut HaTzionit Ha'Olamit''), or WZO, is a non-governmental organization that promotes Zionism. It was founded as the ...
, 1980.
* Pinchas H. Peli. ''Torah Today: A Renewed Encounter with Scripture'', pages 201–03. Washington, D.C.: B'nai B'rith Books, 1987. .
* Alan R. Millard. "Kings Og's Iron Bed: Fact or fancy?" '' Bible Review'', volume 6 (number 2) (April 1990).
*Patrick D. Miller
Patrick D. Miller, Jr. (24 October 1935 – 1 May 2020) was an American Old Testament scholar who served as Charles T. Haley Professor of Old Testament Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1984 to 2005. He was an ordained minister in t ...
. ''Deuteronomy'', pages 19–52. Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
: John Knox Press
Westminster John Knox Press is an American publisher of Christian books located in Louisville, Kentucky and is part of Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, the publishing arm of the Louisville, Kentucky-based Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The P ...
, 1990.
*Mark S. Smith
Mark Stratton John Matthew Smith (born December 6, 1956) is an American biblical scholar, anthropologist, and professor.
Early life and education
Born in Paris to Donald Eugene Smith and Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Reichert, Smith grew up in Washing ...
. ''The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel'', pages 48, 143. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1990. .
*Moshe Weinfeld Moshe Weinfeld (also ''Weinfield'', Hebrew: משה ויינפלד) (August 27, 1925 - April 29, 2009), was a professor of Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1994, he won the Israel Prize for Bible.
Biography
Moshe Weinfeld was born ...
. ''Deuteronomy 1–11'', volume 5, pages 125–89. New York: Anchor Bible
The Anchor Bible Series, which consists of a commentary series, a Bible dictionary, and a reference library, is a scholarly and commercial co-venture which was begun in 1956, with the publication of individual volumes in the commentary series. Ove ...
, 1991. .
*''A Song of Power and the Power of Song: Essays on the Book of Deuteronomy''. Edited by Duane L. Christensen. Winona Lake, Indiana
Winona Lake is a town in Wayne Township, Kosciusko County, in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the major suburb of Warsaw. The population was 4,908 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Winona Lake is located at (41.220818, -85.817118). It is now contig ...
: Eisenbrauns, 1993. .
* Ilana Pardes"Imagining the Promised Land: The Spies in the Land of the Giants."
'' History & Memory'', volume 6 (number 2) (Fall-Winter 1994): pages 5–23. *Judith S. Antonelli. "The Ashtarot." In ''In the Image of God: A Feminist Commentary on the Torah'', pages 401–06. Northvale, New Jersey:
Jason Aronson
Jason Aronson was an American publisher of books in the field of psychotherapy. Topics dealt with in these books include child therapy, family therapy, couple therapy, object relations therapy, play therapy, depression, eating disorders, perso ...
, 1995. .
*Zecharia Kallai"Where Did Moses Speak (Deuteronomy I 1–5)?"
''
Vetus Testamentum
''Vetus Testamentum'' is a quarterly academic journal covering various aspects of the Old Testament. It is published by Brill Publishers
Brill Academic Publishers (known as E. J. Brill, Koninklijke Brill, Brill ()) is a Dutch international ...
'', volume 45 (number 2) (April 1995): pages 188–97.
* W. Gunther Plaut. ''The Haftarah Commentary'', pages 428–38. New York: UAHC Press, 1996. .
*Ellen Frankel Ellen Frankel (born 1951) was the Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Publication Society (JPS) from 1991 until 2009, and also served as CEO of the JPS for 10 years. She retired in 2009 to pursue her own writing and scholarly projects, serving as JPS's f ...
. ''The Five Books of Miriam: A Woman’s Commentary on the Torah'', pages 247–50. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1996. .
*Jack R. Lundbom"The Inclusio and Other Framing Devices in Deuteronomy I–XXVIII."
''Vetus Testamentum'', volume 46 (number 3) (July 1996): pages 296–315. *
Jeffrey H. Tigay
Jeffrey Howard Tigay (born December 25, 1941) is a modern biblical scholar who is best known for the study of Deuteronomy and in his contributions to the Deuteronomy volume of the ''JPS Torah Commentary'' (1996).
Biography
Jeffrey H. Tigay wa ...
. ''The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation'', pages 3–38, 422–30. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996. .
*David A. Glatt-Gilad"The Re-Interpretation of the Edomite-Israelite Encounter in Deuteronomy II."
''Vetus Testamentum'', volume 47 (number 4) (October 1997): pages 441–55. *Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden. ''Teaching Torah: A Treasury of Insights and Activities'', pages 293–98.
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
: A.R.E. Publishing, 1997. .
*Elie Kaplan Spitz"On the Use of Birth Surrogates."
New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 1997. EH 1:3.1997b. In ''Responsa: 1991–2000: The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement''. Edited by Kassel Abelson and David J. Fine, pages 529, 535–36. New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 2002. . (that Jews will become as numerous as "the stars of heaven" requires human help). *Susan Freeman. ''Teaching Jewish Virtues: Sacred Sources and Arts Activities'', pages 195–210, 269–82, 299–317. Springfield, New Jersey: A.R.E. Publishing, 1999. . (; ). *Analia Bortz. "Essence and Transcendence." In ''The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions''. Edited by
Elyse Goldstein
Elyse Goldstein is a Canadian Reform rabbi. She is the first woman to be elected as president of the interdenominational Toronto Board of Rabbis and president of the Reform Rabbis of Greater Toronto.
Early life and education
Goldstein was bo ...
, pages 331–37. Woodstock, Vermont
Woodstock is the shire town (county seat) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,005. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and West Woodstock.
History
Cha ...
: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2000. .
*Richard D. Nelson. “Deuteronomy.” In ''The HarperCollins Bible Commentary''. Edited by James L. Mays, pages 191–94. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, revised edition, 2000. .
*Lainie Blum Cogan and Judy Weiss. ''Teaching Haftarah: Background, Insights, and Strategies'', pages 220–29. Denver: A.R.E. Publishing, 2002. .
* Louis H. Feldman“Philo's Version of the Biblical Episode of the Spies.”
''
Hebrew Union College Annual
The ''Hebrew Union College Annual'' (HUCA) is an annual peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of Jewish studies. It was established in 1924 and is published by the Hebrew Union College. The editors-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also kn ...
'', volume 73 (2002): pages 29–48.
* Michael Fishbane. ''The JPS Bible Commentary: Haftarot'', pages 270–77. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2002. .
* Admiel Kosman“The Story of a Giant Story: The Winding Way of Og King of Bashan in the Jewish Haggadic Tradition.”
''Hebrew Union College Annual'', volume 73 (2002): pages 157–90. * John J. Collins
“The Zeal of Phinehas: The Bible and the Legitimation of Violence.”
''
Journal of Biblical Literature
The ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' (''JBL'') is one of three academic journals published by the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). First published in 1881, ''JBL'' is the flagship journal of the field. ''JBL'' is published quarterly and incl ...
'', volume 122 (number 1) (Spring 2003): pages 3–21. ().
*Alan Lew. ''This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation'', pages 38–45, 51–52. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 2003. .
*Robert Alter
Robert Bernard Alter (born 1935) is an American professor of Hebrew language, Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He published Hebrew Bible (Alter), his translation of the ...
. ''The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary'', pages 879–95. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004. .
*Analia Bortz. "Haftarat Devarim: Isaiah 1:1–27." In ''The Women's Haftarah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Haftarah Portions, the 5 Megillot & Special Shabbatot''. Edited by Elyse Goldstein, pages 213–15. Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2004. .
*Bernard M. Levinson
Bernard Malcolm Levinson serves as Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Studies and of Law at the University of Minnesota, where he holds the Berman Family Chair in Jewish Studies and Hebrew Bible. He is the author of ''Deuteronomy and the Herme ...
. "Deuteronomy." In ''The Jewish Study Bible''. Edited by Adele Berlin
Adele Berlin (born May 23, 1943 in Philadelphia) is an American biblical scholar and Hebraist. Before her retirement, she was Robert H. Smith Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Maryland.
Berlin is best known for 1994 work ''Poet ...
and Marc Zvi Brettler
Marc Brettler (Marc Zvi Brettler) is an American biblical scholar, and the Bernice and Morton Lerner Professor in Judaic Studies at Duke University. He earned his B.A., M.A., and PhD from Brandeis University, where he previously served as Dora Gold ...
, pages 363–70. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. .
*Francine Rivers
Francine Sandra Rivers (born 1947) is an American author of fiction with Christian themes, including inspirational romance novels. Prior to becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Rivers wrote historical romance novels. She is best known for ...
. ''The Warrior: Caleb''. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005. . (novel about Caleb).
*''Professors on the Parashah: Studies on the Weekly Torah Reading'' Edited by Leib Moscovitz, pages 299–303. Jerusalem: Urim Publications, 2005. .
*Nathan MacDonald"The Literary Criticism and Rhetorical Logic of Deuteronomy I-IV."
''Vetus Testamentum'', volume 56 (number 2) (April 2006): pages 203–24. *W. Gunther Plaut. ''The Torah: A Modern Commentary: Revised Edition''. Revised edition edited by David E.S. Stern, pages 1159–83. New York:
Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms establishe ...
, 2006. .
*Suzanne A. Brody. "Travelogue." In ''Dancing in the White Spaces: The Yearly Torah Cycle and More Poems'', page 102. Shelbyville, Kentucky: Wasteland Press, 2007. .
*James L. Kugel
James L. Kugel (Hebrew: Yaakov Kaduri, יעקב כדורי; born August 22, 1945) is Professor Emeritus in the Bible Department at Bar Ilan University in Israel and the Harry M. Starr Professor Emeritus of Classical and Modern Hebrew Literature at ...
. ''How To Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now'', pages 159, 247, 297, 308, 311, 348, 355, 376, 579, 650. New York: Free Press, 2007. .
*''The Torah: A Women's Commentary''. Edited by Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Andrea L. Weiss, pages 1039–62. New York: URJ Press, 2008. .
*Eugene E. Carpenter. "Deuteronomy." In ''Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary''. Edited by John H. Walton, volume 1, pages 421–40. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is th ...
: Zondervan
Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). They are a part of HarperCollins Christian Publ ...
, 2009. .
* Reuven Hammer. ''Entering Torah: Prefaces to the Weekly Torah Portion'', pages 251–55. New York: Gefen Publishing House, 2009. .
*David Shneer. "From Whom Do We Learn History? Why Queer Community Needs Texts More Than Other Communities: Parashat Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22)" In ''Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible''. Edited by Gregg Drinkwater, Joshua Lesser, and David Shneer; foreword by Judith Plaskow, pages 231–34. New York: New York University Press
New York University Press (or NYU Press) is a university press that is part of New York University.
History
NYU Press was founded in 1916 by the then chancellor of NYU, Elmer Ellsworth Brown.
Directors
* Arthur Huntington Nason, 1916–1 ...
, 2009. .
*Howard J. Curzer“Spies and Lies: Faithful, Courageous Israelites and Truthful Spies.”
'' Journal for the Study of the Old Testament'', volume 35 (number 2) (December 2010): pages 187–95. *Jonah Kain. ''Spies in the Promised Land''. Amazon Digital Services, 2011. (novel about Caleb).
* William G. Dever. ''The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel: When Archaeology and the Bible Intersect'', pages 43–44. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is th ...
: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is a religious publishing house based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1911 by Dutch American William B. Eerdmans (November 4, 1882 – April 1966) and still independently owned with William's daught ...
, 2012. .
*Shmuel Herzfeld
Shmuel Herzfeld (born October 9, 1974) is an American Modern Orthodox rabbi. He previously served as the Senior Rabbi of Ohev Sholom - The National Synagogue in Washington, D.C. He is a teacher, lecturer, activist, and author.
Early life and ...
. "The Uplifing Message of Tishah b'Av." In ''Fifty-Four Pick Up: Fifteen-Minute Inspirational Torah Lessons'', pages 253–56. Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House
Gefen Publishing House (הוצאת גפן) is an English language publishing firm located in Jerusalem, which also has a department in New York City. History
Gefen was founded in 1981 by Murray and Hana Greenfield.
Its CEO is Ilan Greenfield ...
, 2012. .
*Joshua Berman"Histories Twice Told: Deuteronomy 1–3 and the Hittite Treaty Prologue Tradition."
''Journal of Biblical Literature'', volume 132 (number 2) (2013): pages 229–50. *Mordechai Beck
"Og and Sihon: Myth and reality: A new age has dawned, new challenges. Seize it with both hands."
'' The Jerusalem Report'', volume 25 (number 9) (August 11, 2014): page 47. * Shlomo Riskin. ''Torah Lights: Devarim: Moses Bequeaths Legacy, History, and Covenant'', pages 3–29.
New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is in western Connecticut, north of Danbury, on the banks of the Housatonic River, and it shares its border with the northeastern shore of Candlewood Lake. It is th ...
: Maggid Books, 2014. .
*''The Commentators' Bible: The Rubin JPS Miqra'ot Gedolot: Deuteronomy.'' Edited, translated, and annotated by Michael Carasik, pages 3–25. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2015. .
*Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks ( he, יונתן הנרי זקס, translit=Yona'tan Henry Zaks; 8 March 19487 November 2020) was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United ...
. ''Lessons in Leadership: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible'', pages 241–45. New Milford, Connecticut: Maggid Books, 2015. .
*Jonathan Sacks. ''Essays on Ethics: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible'', pages 277–80. New Milford, Connecticut: Maggid Books, 2016. .
*Shai Held Shai Held (born July 2, 1971) is a rosh yeshiva (Rabbinic dean) and Chair in Jewish Thought at Mechon Hadar.
He founded Mechon Hadar in 2006 with Rabbis Elie Kaunfer and Ethan Tucker.
Education
Held attended Ramaz High School and studied a ...
. ''The Heart of Torah, Volume 2: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion: Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy'', pages 199–208. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2017. .
*Steven Levy and Sarah Levy. ''The JPS Rashi Discussion Torah Commentary'', pages 149–51. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2017. .
*Ernst Wendland. Deuteronomy: translationNotes
'' Orlando, Florida: unfoldingWord, 2017. *Bill Dauster
"Why Is Justice Important?"
''
Washington Jewish Week
''Washington Jewish Week'' (''WJW'') is an independent community weekly newspaper whose logo reads, "Serving the nation's capital and the greater Washington Jewish community since 1930."
'', July 19, 2018, page 28.
*Pallant Ramsundar“Biblical Mistranslations to 'Euphrates' and the Impact on the Borders of Israel.”
''American Journal of Biblical Theology'' (2019). *Jonathan Sacks. ''Covenant & Conversation: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible: Deuteronomy: Renewal of the Sinai Covenant'', pages 17–47.
New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is in western Connecticut, north of Danbury, on the banks of the Housatonic River, and it shares its border with the northeastern shore of Candlewood Lake. It is th ...
: Maggid Books, 2019.
External links
Texts
Masoretic text and 1917 JPS translation
Commentaries
Academy for Jewish Religion, New York
Rabbi Dov Linzer
Reconstructionist Judaism
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devarim (Parsha) Weekly Torah readings in Av Weekly Torah readings from Deuteronomy