Torah Study B'Reisheet

2. In reading chapters 1 & 2 we find a description of the Creation of Everything leading up to man. Why is this done twice and why is there a difference?

a. Chapter 1 is a very general almost schedule of events in a simple form without much detail. Chapter 2 is more of a purposeful explanation for humanity.

b. Chapter 1 can also be a description of us and our own formation, as well as our own experience in coming to trust in HaShem.

Genesis 2:21–22 “Adonai Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall on the man and he slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. Adonai Elohim built the rib, which He had taken from the man, into a woman. Then He brought her to the man.”

3. How literal is the rib here and is it even the correct word?

a. The word used for rib is צֵלָע sela and actually means sides. It is Used 40 times in the Tanach and 38 times it is used for side. Only in verse 21 and 22 is it translated as rib.

b. 38 of the 40 uses is in reference to the Tabernacle, temple or dwelling for some Holy purpose. Perhaps all 40 times?

c. Might be the translation is influenced by other myths.

Genesis 3:9 “Then Adonai Elohim called to the man and He said to him, “Where are you?””

4. Why does HaShem ask man “Where are you?” Is he speaking to just Adam or Hawwah too?

a. Alter Rebbe story about gentile scholar and believer

5. How does the Mitzvah to Honor our Father and Mother apply to the Father and the Mother of people?

Genesis 4:2 “Then she gave birth again, to his brother Abel. Abel became a shepherd of flocks while Cain became a worker of the ground.”

6. Why does Abel become a sheperd of flocks considering man was not permitted to eat meat yet?

a. Live off of Milk and use the wool for clothing.

b. needed livestock for Sacrifice.

c. possibly undertood and knew the ground was cursed and so did not want to waste time with it.

Genesis 4:6–7 “Then Adonai said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, it will lift. But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the doorway. Its desire is for you, but you must master it.””

7. Adonai is speaking to Cain and asks “Why are you angry?” and then essentially tells him to do better. What is the message we get from this interchange that is applicable today and probably for all time? #1

a. do not blame others for our failures

b. do not envy after others

c. even if we have an unfair disadvantage we are to do what we can to do well

d. did not say do the best you can

RASHI Surely, if you do right. Onkelos explains this verse correctly: “If you act better, you will be forgiven. If you do not, your sin will be kept for the day of judgment, when you will be punished if you have not yet repented. But if you repent, you will be forgiven.” Sin couches at the door. It is waiting for you at the entrance to your grave. Its urge is toward you. Sin’s urge, the urge of the evil inclination. It is always thirsting to cause your downfall. Yet you can be its master. You can overcome it if you wish to.

RASHBAM Surely, if you do right, there is uplift. Rather, “if you do better, it will be bearable.” As long as you transgress very little, you will find your punishment easier to bear. But if you do not do right sin couches at the door. Rather, “[you will be] crouching at the door of sin.” If you commit many transgressions, you will be crushed under the weight of your sin and under punishments you cannot bear.

Michael Carasik, ed., Genesis: Introduction and Commentary, trans. Michael Carasik, The Commentators’ Bible (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2018), 49–50.

Genesis 6:5 “Then Adonai saw that the wickedness of humankind was great on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their heart was only evil all the time.”

8. What does it mean the thoughts of their heart was only evil all the time? #2

a. in the ancient world the heart was the source of thought and the stomach was the source of emotion

b. mankind was always looking for a way around doing what was right i.e. obey HaShem.

i. trying to justify SIN

ii. trying to take advantage of others

iii. pursuing counter to HaShem’s will

KIMHI The Lord saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time. When the period of 120 years drew to a close, He saw that they had gotten not better but worse “all the time”—literally, “every day” was worse than the previous one. And “every plan” is more correctly “each impulse,” of the two impulses, one good and one evil, in the human heart. Now everything was on the evil side and nothing on the good. The Hebrew word for “impulse” is yetzer (“formation”), because these impulses are formed in the mind (or, as OJPS more literally translates, the heart), which works to carry them out. The Lord, of course, knew that even after 120 years they would not repent. But He wanted human beings to learn from His ways and be patient with those who do them wrong. They should not take revenge immediately even when it is in their power, for the wrongdoer might repent. God created His world to be a good one—at least largely, if not entirely—so if it were to be “nothing but evil” He would not want it. But the generation of the Flood was committing such crimes of sex and violence that they were destroying the world order. Their deeds were opposed to His. He therefore decided to destroy the lower world, leaving only whatever good might be found in it, even if that was just a fraction of it, in order to keep it going into the future. He did leave Noah, finding him good, along with his sons and their wives, so that it would be possible for them to have offspring. Lamech, Noah’s father, had already died five years before the Flood, and the life of Methuselah, who lived five years longer than his son Lamech, came to an end just as the Flood began. So there was no one left on earth who was righteous other than Noah and his sons.

Michael Carasik, ed., Genesis: Introduction and Commentary, trans. Michael Carasik, The Commentators’ Bible (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2018), 64.

Haftorah Portion 1 Samuel 20:18-42

1 Samuel 20:26 “Nevertheless, Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “It must be an accident; he must be ceremonially unclean—yes, that’s it, he’s unclean.””

1. If this meal is for a New Moon Festival/ Rosh Chodesh and it is in King Saul’s “house” or outside the Tabernacle, why would it matter if David was ceremonially unclean?

a. The sacrfice can only be eaten by those that are clean.

b. By coming in contact with someone else an unclean person can make someone unclean.

2. Where is the Torah commandment or expectation to eat a meal on Rosh Chodesh found?#3

a. it is not commanded in the Torah it is a Rabbincal commandment, however we see that this was done even before the the Existence of the Rabbinate or even the Taninite Authorities.

A. Rosh Chodesh as a Festival The status of Rosh Chodesh as a festival in Judaism is that it is considered a moed, a holy day. Work is permitted for men on this day, but not for women. There is no command for feasting or joy. Eating is not commanded on this day as it is on other holy days, but fasting is forbidden. However, if one had begun the fast before the arrival of the witnesses, then it need not be broken off.

B. The Rabbinic Laws There are four rabbinic laws concerning Rosh Chodesh in Judaism. The first rabbinic law concerns feasting. Again, feasting was not actually commanded by Scripture, but the Jewish practice of making a special meal on Rosh Chodesh is based on 1 Samuel 20:5, 18, and 24–27. If Rosh Chodesh falls on a Sabbath day, the feast is postponed until Sunday. The second rabbinic law concerns fasting; while eating is optional, fasting itself is forbidden by rabbinic law. The third rabbinic law has to do with mourning. Certain aspects of mourning, such as a funeral dirge, are allowed on the New Moon. But certain aspects, such as the type of lamenting where one woman speaks and others respond in chorus, are forbidden on this day; all eulogies are forbidden as well. Fourthly, women are not allowed to do hard work, such as washing. They may do light work, such as sewing. According to the rabbis, the reason women are restrained from having to do hard work on this day is because they refused to give their husbands gold jewelry to make the golden calf.

Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Messianic Bible Study Collection, vol. 178 (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1983), 13–14.

Besorah Portion Matthew 24:29-36

Matthew 24:32–33 ““Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the door.”

1. What things is Yeshua referring to here? How specific is it?

a. Matthew 24:3-31

b. It is not ver specific

Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son, except the Father alone.”

2. If only the Hashem knows the time and not even Yeshua knows the time, then what good is it for us to calculate it the time of the coming of the Messhiac? #4

But when that day and hour will come, no one knows—not the angels in heaven, not the Son, only the Father. (In some printings of the Jewish New Testament the words “in heaven, not the Son, only the Father” were inadvertently omitted.) Compare Daniel 12:8–10, Acts 1:6 and the following citations, again from Tractate Sanhedrin in the Talmud: “Rabbi Shmu’el bar-Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, ‘May the bones of those who calculate the end [that is, the time of the Messiah’s coming] be blasted away! As soon as the time [which they have determined] arrives and the Messiah has not come, they say, “He will never come!” Rather, wait for him, as it is written, ‘Though he tarry, wait for him’ (Habakkuk 2:3).” (Sanhedrin 97b; the same phrase from Habakkuk is echoed in Article XII of Maimonides’ creed.) “Whenever Rabbi Zera‛ came upon scholars trying [to calculate when the Messiah would arrive], he would say to them, ‘It has been taught that three things come when the mind is diverted: the Messiah, finding a lost article, and a scorpion. So don’t postpone his coming by thinking about it!’ ” (Sanhedrin 97a) According to the Zohar, Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Y’hudah were in a cave, where they found a supernatural book and began studying it, but it disappeared in a flame and a gust of wind. When they came and told Rabbi Shim‛on what had happened, “he said to them, ‘Perhaps you were examining the letters that deal with the coming of the Messiah? … It is not the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, to reveal too much to the world. But when the days of the Messiah approach, even children will be able to discover secrets of wisdom, and through them be able to calculate the time of the end; then it will be revealed to all.’ ” (Zohar 1:117b-118a)

David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary : A Companion Volume to the Jewish New Testament, electronic ed. (Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1996), Mt 24:36.

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