"For Instruction shall come forth from Zion, The word of the L-rd from Jerusalem." -- Isaiah 2:3

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DEUTERONOMY — 33:12 beloved

DEUT1723 The concepts of Joseph and Benjamin are two diametrically opposite systems. Both are children of Rachel, but Joseph always symbolizes the one who provides physical sustenance to the Jews (and to the Egyptians) (Genesis 47:12, 41:57). Joseph argues that the redemption comes about because of the building up of nationhood as well as physical building, and initially through Egypt and Shechem. Benjamin, the only son of Jacob born in Israel and who never bowed to Eisav, is known as "Yedid Adonai--the beloved of the Lord," [this verse] symbolizing pure holiness and spirituality. (See the chapter, "Judaism: A Religion or a Nation" for a fuller discussion of these two philosophies.) Thus, the argument rages then and today about how Jerusalem will be built -- from the material, bricks, and mortar symbolized by Joseph, or spiritually, symbolized by Benjamin and by the Messiah of David when he will build the Holy Temple. (The Davidic Messiah actually has both components, as he fights wars and also builds the Temple.) The builders will argue about how Jerusalem is to be built. Both sides seem to be mutually exclusive. The argument takes place by the angels, arguing about the Jerusalem above, but also by actual Rabbis, arguing about the Jerusalem below. And both Jerusalems have to be built properly for God to return to either city (Midrash, Tehillim 122:4). The final decision is that Jerusalem will be built according to both concepts together, according to all opinions, with any one vision of building alone insufficient. And whoever does not understand that both Messiahs (Joseph and David) are necessary does not understand how to build Jerusalem. Joseph's materialism, nationality, culture, must be the basis, but Benjamin's (ben David's) spirituality must be there as well, in the lead. The light that comes from this combination, Shimsotayich, is the essential vision of the Jewish people that originated at Sinai, that Jews must be both a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6).

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DEUTERONOMY — 33:12 beloved

DEUT1724 We must be merciful toward others to deserve mercy from God. The Torah is referring to the Bais Hamikdosh which was in the portion of Binyamin. (Rashi). The Midrash states that the Bais Hamikdosh was in the portion of Binyamin rather than in the portion of any other tribe because the other brothers took part in the sale of Yosef. Binyamin was the only brother who was free from guilt. Since the function of the Bais Hamikdosh was to serve as a place where people could pray to God for mercy, God did not want His abode to be in the portion of those who are themselves were not merciful. (Yalkut Shimoni)

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DEUTERONOMY — 33:18 tents

DEUT1726 According to Maimonides (Hilchot De'ot 5:13), one of the characteristics that make someone a talmid chacham, a Torah scholar, is that he deals honestly in business. Apparently, Maimonides understood that being ethical in business is a vital component in being a Torah scholar. The Midrash (Midrash Tanchuma, Veyechi 11) based on [this] Torah verse, that portrays the tribe of Zevulun going out, and the tribe of Issachar staying in a tent, describes the unique relationship between the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun. The people of the tribe of Zevulun were the business people, and they supported the people from Issachar who sat in the "tent" and learned Torah. The Midrash implies that Zevulun, the businessman, receives and even greater reward than Issachar, the Torah scholar, and is thus placed first in the verse. Rashi concurs (his commentary on this verse). In an amazing statement, it is recorded that the blessing pronounced by the High Priest upon leaving the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur was a prayer that the Jews should prosper in business during the coming year, that is, that the economy should flourish (Taanit 24b). Of all the possible prayers that the holiest person, upon leaving the holiest place on the holiest day, could have uttered, why did the Kohen Gadol select this particular prayer, which seems non-holy? One of the answers advanced is that the High Priest understood very well that with the repentance of the people on Yom Kippur and a desire to improve during the coming year, if their business needs were not satisfied, they would not be able to actualize their desire for change. An adequate economy had to be a reality in order to make their prayers come to fruition. Hence, the High Priest understood the relationship between business and spirituality. The rabbis were not merely mouthing words when they spoke of the highest ideals of business ethics. They practiced what they preached. Maimonides records (Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:9) that the greatest Torah scholars in the time of the Talmud (far greater than any of today or any who emerged since that time) worked in the marketplace, often with most menial jobs, even though they studied Torah every free moment.

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DEUTERONOMY — 33:21 executed

DEUT1727 A further [sign that a person loves God] is that he guides and directs others to God's service, gently or forcefully as is needed according to the time and the place and the different types and levels of people, from kings to ordinary folk. As the Wise One said: “That a wise man may hear and add to his knowledge, and that a man of understanding acquire perceptiveness” (Mishlei 1:5); “To lend shrewdness to the simple, to a youth knowledge and discernment” (ibid. 1:4). You should know, my brother, that even if a believer were to attain the utmost limit in the improvement of his own soul in its devotion to God, make He be exalted; even if he were to approach [the level of] the prophets insofar as their personal virtues, their praiseworthy conduct, their effort in serving God, and their pure love for Him are concerned, his merits would not equal those of one who guides others to the right path and directs the wicked to the service of the Creator. For the merits of such a person are multiplied every day and at all times by the merits of those [whom he has guided]. Consider the following analogy. Two merchants came to town. The first merchant sold the single item in his possession at a profit of ten times the cost price. The total amount he received was a hundred zuz. The second merchant sold his merchandise at a profit only equal to the cost price, but he had many items, and so the total he received amounted to ten thousand zuz. The first merchant, despite his high rate of profit, gained [only] ninety and ten-eleventh zuz. The second merchant, despite his low rate of profit, gained five thousand zuz. So too, my brother, if one rectifies himself alone, his merit will be little; but if he rectifies himself and many others as well, his merit will be multiplied by the merits of every person he has rectified for [the service of] God. As our Masters, of blessed memory, said: “Whoever leads many people to virtue, no sin occurs through him.... Moshe was virtuous and led many people to virtue--the people’s virtue is attributed to him, as it says (Devarim 33:21), ‘He executed God’s justice, and His laws with Israel’” (Avos 5:18). The Wise One said, “For those who would reprove there will be delight, and good blessing will come upon them” (Mishlei 24:25). And it says: “True instruction was in his mouth... and he turned many back from iniquity” (Malachi 2:6); “And those who turn the many to righteousness [shall shine] like the stars, forever and ever” (Daniyel 12:3). The Creator has therefore commanded us to reprove those who fall short in the fulfillment of their duties, as it says: “You must reprove your fellow” (Vayikra 19:17). Our Masters, of blessed memory, said (see Arachin 16b): “Until what point is [the obligation of] reproof? Rav said, ‘Until one is cursed.’ Shemuel said, ‘Until one is stricken.’” And it says, “He who admonishes a man to [serve] Me will find favor” (Mishlei 28:23).

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DEUTERONOMY — 34:1 showed

DEUT1729 We should always be happy with the good fortune of others. The Ramban writes: Moshe was shown the entire land that the Jewish people would eventually acquire. Since God realized the great love that Moshe had for the Jewish people, he wanted Moshe to rejoice over their good fortune by enabling him to personally view the land. From the words of the Ramban we see one of the virtuous qualities of Moshe. Although he fervently desired to enter Eretz Yisroel himself, this was denied to him. Most people in Moshe's situation would feel at least a tinge of jealousy that others would attain that which they would not. But Moshe truly loved the Jewish people and felt only joy over their good fortune.

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DEUTERONOMY — 34:5 died

DEUT1730 What do we learn from the death of Moses? For each of us, even for the greatest, there is a Jordan we will not cross, a promised land we will not enter, a destination we will not reach. That is what R. Tarfon meant when he said: "It is not for you to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it" (Mishna Avot 2:16). What be began, others will continue. What matters is that we undertook the journey. We did not stand still.

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DEUTERONOMY — 34:5 mouth

DEUT1731 The philosophers have already explained how the bodily forces of man in his youth prevent the development of moral principles. In a greater measure this is the case as regards the purity of thought which man attains through the perfection of those ideas that lead him to an intense love of God. Man can by no means attain this so long as his body humors are hot. The more the forces of his body are weakened, and the fire of passion quenched, in the same measure does man's intellect increase in strength and light; his knowledge becomes pure, and he is happy with his knowledge. When this perfect man is stricken in age and his near death, his knowledge mightily increases, his joy in that knowledge grows greater, and his love for the object of his knowledge more intense, and it is in this great delight that the soul separates from the body. To the state our Sages referred when in reference to the death of Moses, Aaron and Miriam, they said the death was in these three cases nothing but a kiss. They say this: We learned from the words, "And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab by the mouth of the Lord," that his death was a kiss. The same expression is used of Aaron: "And Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor… By the mouth of the Lord, and died there." (Numbers 33:38. Our sages said that the same was the case with Miriam; but the phrase "by the mouth of the Lord" is not employed [Numbers 20:1-AJL], because it was not considered appropriate to use these words in the description of her death as she was a female. The meaning of the saying is that these three died in the midst of the pleasure derived from the knowledge God and their great love for Him. Maimonides.

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