Musaf 2nd Day R.H. 5783

You should know that the language of prayer is based on the language of Scripture. Therefore you will find written in this commentary on every word a verse like it or relating to its essence. There are a few words that did not have a biblical basis, and therefore I will bring for them a basis from the Talmud. [R. Elie Kaunfer]

Moshe asked to know the ways of the Holy One of Blessing, which ha-Shem granted to him, as it says: “Show me Your ways and I will know You” (Exodus 33:13).
Moshe said: Multiplier of Universes! Why is there a righteous person, and it goes well for them? And [another] righteous person, who suffers? Why a wicked person, and it goes well for them? And [another] wicked person, who suffers?

(15) And God said further to Moses, “Thus shall you speak to the Israelites: יהוה, the God of your fathers’ [house]—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you:
This shall be My name forever,
This My appellation for all eternity.

(32) “And now, our God, great, mighty, and awesome God, who stays faithful to His covenant, do not treat lightly all the suffering that has overtaken us—our kings, our officers, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all Your people—from the time of the Assyrian kings to this day.

(22) But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I swear to יהוה, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth: (23) I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap of what is yours; you shall not say, ‘It is I who made Abram rich.’

(1) Some time later, the word of יהוה came to Abram in a vision:
“Fear not, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great.”

(25) Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”

(2) Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

(1) Some time afterward, God put Abraham to the test, saying to him, “Abraham.” He answered, “Here I am.”

(7) A brutish man cannot know,
a fool cannot understand this: (8) though the wicked sprout like grass,
though all evildoers blossom,
it is only that they may be destroyed forever.
(9) But You are exalted for all time, ha-Shem.

(3) ...For ha-Shem is an all-knowing God;
By ha-Shem are actions measured. (4) The bows of the mighty are broken,
And the faltering are girded with strength. (5) Those once sated must hire out for bread;
Those once hungry, hunger no more.
While the barren woman bears seven,
The mother of many is forlorn. (6) ha-Shem deals death and gives life,
Casts down into Sheol and raises up.

Rav happened on a certain place where he decreed a fast but rain did not come. The prayer leader descended to lead the service before him and recited: "the One Who makes the wind blow," and the wind blew. And he continued, "Who makes the rain fall," and the rain came. Rav said to him: What are your works? He said to him: I am a teacher of children, and I teach Tanach to the children of the poor as to the children of the rich, and anyone cannot pay, I do not take anything from them. And I have a fishpond, and any child who neglects their studies, I bribe them with the fish and calm them, and soothe them until they come and read.

(14) ha-Shem supports all who stumble,
and makes all who are bent stand straight. (15) The eyes of all look to You expectantly,
and You give them their food when it is due. (16) You give it openhandedly,
feeding every creature to its heart’s content. (17) ha-Shem is beneficent in all God's ways
and faithful in all God's works.

(21) Yitzhak pleaded with יהוה on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and יהוה responded to his plea, and his wife Rivkah conceived.

(7) When the local leaders asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say “my wife,” thinking, “The local leaders might kill me on account of Rivkah, for she is beautiful.”

(21) Yitzhak said to Yaakov, “Come closer that I may feel you, my son—whether you are really my son Esav or not.”

(7) But the House of Israel will refuse to listen to you, for they refuse to listen to Me; for the whole House of Israel are brazen of forehead and stubborn of heart. (8) But I will make your face as hard as theirs, and your forehead as brazen as theirs. (9) I will make your forehead like adamant, harder than flint. Do not fear them, and do not be dismayed by them, though they are a rebellious breed.” (10) Then He said to me: “Mortal, listen with your ears and receive into your mind all the words that I speak to you. (11) Go to your people, the exile community, and speak to them. Say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD—whether they listen or not.” (12) Then a spirit carried me away, and behind me I heard a great roaring sound: “Blessed is the Presence of the LORD, in His place,”^-a

(8) ha-Shem restores sight to the blind;
ha-Shem makes those who are bent stand straight;
ha-Shem loves the righteous; (9) ha-Shem watches over the stranger and gives courage to the orphan and widow,
but makes the path of the wicked tortuous.
(10) ha-Shem shall reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Hallelujah.

(8) Woe to them that join house to house, that lay field to field till there is no room, that you may dwell alone in the midst of the earth!...(12) And the lyre, and the lute, the tambourine, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands...(14) And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be brought low. (15) But the God of hosts shall be exalted in the judgment, and ha-Shem that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

(13) Behold! Here I stand at the fountain of water, as the daughters of the townspeople come out to draw water.

Your ancestors’ God shall help you, the
Sustaining One shall bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that roves beneath, blessings of the breast and womb.

Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well! Sing unto it!”

Where were you when I made the earth’s
foundations? Speak, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements or declared
its boundaries?

For the source of life is with You; in Your
light we see light.

My heart cleaves to You; Your right hand
supports me.

You are my light, God, who dispels my
darkness.

I form light and create darkness, I make
peace and create evil; I am God who does all
these things.

(1) A pronouncement: The word of ha-Shem, who will reside in the land of Hadrach and Damascus; for God’s are the wellspring of humanity and all the tribes of Israel.

(4) Listen, Israel! יהוה is our God, יהוה is One.

(2) And Sarai said to Abram, “Look, יהוה has kept me from bearing. Consort with my maid; perhaps I shall have a child through her.” And Abram heeded Sarai’s request...(5) And Sarai said to Abram, “The wrong done me is your fault! I myself put my maid in your bosom; now that she sees that she is pregnant, I am lowered in her esteem. יהוה decide between you and me!” (6) Abram said to Sarai, “Your maid is in your hands. Deal with her as you think right.” Then Sarai treated her harshly, and she ran away from her. (7) A messenger of יהוה found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the road to Shur,

(6) Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter; everyone who hears will laugh with me.” (7) And she added,
“Who would have said to Abraham
That Sarah would suckle children [plural]!
Yet I have borne a son in his old age.”

(4) God has won renown for God's wonders.
ha-Shem is gracious and compassionate;

(4) God has won renown for God's wonders.
ha-Shem is gracious and compassionate; (5) giving food to those who fear God and being ever mindful of ha-Shem's covenant.

(45) And [(when they repented)] ha-Shem remembered the covenant to them, and repented God's self in the abundance of ha-Shem's lovingkindness.

(2) Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem,
saying: hus says God: I remembered the
kindness of your youth, the love of the days
of your commitment, how you followed after
Me in the wilderness in an unsown land.

(60) I remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I shall establish an everlasting covenant for you.

Is not Ephraim my precious son, a
delightful child? Whenever I speak of him I
remember him further, and therefore My
innermost thoughts yearn for him. I shall
surely be merciful to him, says God.

(64) Rivkah raised her eyes and saw Yitzchak. She fell from off the camel.

(23) and ha-Shem answered her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;
One people shall be mightier than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”

(6) God ascends with a blast, with the sound
of the shofar.

(6) With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, call out before God!

Sound the shofar at the New Moon, the day of our sacred celebration; this is an instruction to Israel, a commandment from the God of Jeshurun.

(13) On that day, a great shofar will be sounded, and the exiles in Assyria and the castaways in Egypt will return, and worship God at the holy mountain in Jerusalem.

God will appear to them, her arrow lying
forth like lightning; YAH shall sound the shofar
and go south with the storm-winds. God of
All Worlds will protect them: ha-Shem's slingstones shall devour and conquer; They shall drink, shall rage as with wine, And be filled [with it] like a dashing bowl, like the corners of an altar.

Praise ha-Shem with the blowing of the shofar, with the harp and the lyre.

(15) Thus says ha-Shem:
A cry is heard in Ramah—
Wailing, bitter weeping—
Rachel weeping for her children.
She refuses to be comforted
For her children, who are gone. (16) Thus says ha-Shem:
Restrain your voice from weeping,
Your eyes from shedding tears;
For there is a reward for your labor
—declares ha-Shem:
They shall return from the enemy’s land.

(19) In the innermost part of the House, he fixed a Shrine in which to place the Ark of ha-Shem’s Covenant.

(3) Take words with you
And return to ha-Shem.
Say to Him:
“Forgive all guilt
And accept what is good;
Instead of bulls we will pay
[The offering of] our lips.^-a

(8) Hark!
Your watchmen raise their voices,
As one they shout for joy;
For every eye shall behold ha-Shem's
return to Zion.

(3) then your God יהוה will restore your fortunes and take you back in love. [God] will bring you together again from all the peoples where your God יהוה has scattered you.

(31) Seeing that Leah was unloved, יהוה opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

MISHNA: One who recites ... We give thanks, we give thanks twice, they silence him. GEMARA: ...As it appears like they are acknowledging and praying to two authorities. And they also silence one who says: May Your name be mentioned with the good, as clearly they are thanking God only for the good and not for the bad, and we learned in a mishna: One is required to bless God for the bad just as one blesses God for the good.

The living, only the living
Can give thanks to You
As I do this day;
A parent makes known to children
Your acts of truth.

(3) She said, “Here is my maid Bilhah. Consort with her, that she may bear on my knees and that through her I too may have children [lit: be built up].”

Could you possibly think that Reuben lay with Bilhah? As long as Leah and Rachel were alive, the Shechinah hovered over them; once they died, the Shechinah never departed from the house, but dwelt in Bilhah's abode. Although it was appropriate that the Shechinah should be mistress of the house, She would not hover openly about the house if Yaakov had not formed a union of male and female. Therefore, the Shechinah was to be found in Bilhah's tent.
When Reuben saw that Bilhah had inherited his mother's place, he upset Yaakov's bed. As the Shechinah was upon it, it is written as if he "lay with Bilhah."

When Jacob died, what is written (in Gen. 50:15)? WHEN JOSEPH'S BROTHERS SAW THAT THEIR FATHER WAS DEAD. What did they see? They saw that, as long as Jacob was alive, Joseph dined with them, and they would eat at his table. Then, when Jacob was dead, they did not eat at his table. Thus it is stated: WHEN JOSEPH'S BROTHERS SAW THAT THEIR FATHER WAS DEAD, they said: There is evil hidden in Joseph's heart; (ibid., end:) AND HE WILL SURELY REPAY US FOR ALL THE EVIL WHICH WE RENDERED HIM. (Vs. 16:) SO THEY SENT A MESSAGE UNTO JOSEPH, SAYING. To whom did they entrust the message? To Bilhah.

The sound of Leah’s cry beats in her heart. Rachel her sister cries for her children. Zilpah beats her face. Bilhah hold out both of her hands and wails. [God Replies:] What can I do for you, my children, it is a decree before me?
Return, o pure ones to your slumber, I will surely fulfill all of your requests. I have been exiled to Babylonia because of you, and I will return with the exiled of your children.

(14) As for me, may my prayer come to You, ha-Shem,
at a favorable moment;
O God, in Your abundant faithfulness,
answer me with Your sure deliverance. (15) Rescue me from the mire;
let me not sink;
let me be rescued from my enemies,
and from the watery depths. ...(20) You know my reproach,
my shame, my disgrace;
You are aware of all my foes. ... (28) Add that to their guilt;
let them have no share of Your beneficence; (29) may they be erased from the book of life,
and not be inscribed with the righteous.

God grants strength to His people;
God blesses His people with peace.

(12) “On his royal throne” ...Rabbi Hoshaya the Great said: It was made according to the specifications of the chariot of the One who spoke and the world came into existence, the Holy One blessed be He. And so it says: “There were six stairs to the throne” (I Kings 10:19; II Chronicles 9:18) – six stairs corresponding to six heavens. But aren’t there seven? Rabbi Avun said: That where the King resides is separate.
Six [stairs] corresponding to six lands [i.e., types of lands]: Land, Ground, Earth, Valley, Desert, Desolation, and World, and it is written: “He will judge the world in righteousness, He will administer fair judgment to the nations” (Psalms 9:9).
...Six, corresponding to the six days of Creation.
Six corresponding to the six matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, Rachel, Bilha, Zilpa.