תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם: ל׳׳ת בליל הושענא רבה

4) The 'choicest' way to perform this commandment is to complete the reading before the Shabbat meal. If you missed out on the opportunity to do so, you have until Mincha. Others say until Wednesday the week afterwards; while others even say you have until Shmini Atzeret (Rem"a: Shmini Atzeret is Simchat Torah. So you are completing the Torah reading with the community).

(11) Yet [God] did not raise a hand against the leaders*leaders Meaning of Heb. ’aṣilim uncertain. of the Israelites; they beheld God, and they ate and drank.

(4) The meaning of the expression and they drank, is that they made it an occasion for rejoicing and festival, for such is one’s duty to rejoice at the receiving of the Torah, just as He commanded when they finished writing all the words of the Torah upon the stones, And thou shalt sacrifice peace-offerings, and shalt eat there; and thou shalt rejoice before the Eternal thy G-d.545Deuteronomy 27:7. And with reference to Solomon it is written, Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee etc.,546II Chronicles 1:12. and immediately after that, he came to Jerusalem… and made a feast for all his servants.547I Kings 3:15. “Said Rabbi Eleazar:548Shir Hashirim Rabbah 1:9. From here you learn that we make a feast at the finishing of the Torah.” With reference to David, Solomon’s father, it is likewise said that when the people gave of their free-will towards the building of the Sanctuary, And they offered sacrifices unto the Eternal, and offered burnt-offerings unto the Eternal etc., and they did eat and drink before the Eternal on that day with great gladness.549I Chronicles 29:21-22. Similarly, here too on the day of the “wedding” of the Torah,550Taanith 26b. they did likewise.

(12) I now do as you have spoken. I grant you a wise and discerning mind; there has never been anyone like you before, nor will anyone like you arise again. (13) And I also grant you what you did not ask for—both riches and glory all your life—the like of which no king has ever had. (14) And I will further grant you long life, if you will walk in My ways and observe My laws and commandments, as did your father David.” (15) Then Solomon awoke: it was a dream! He went to Jerusalem, stood before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented offerings of well-being; and he made a banquet for all his courtiers.

The idea of Simchat Torah, according to my grandfather the holy Kotzker Rebbe (Rebbe Menachem Mendel Morgenstern of Kotzke) is a celebration of what one will learn in the future, because who can say that they completed something in the past? And even when it comes to a siyum celebration feast when Torah is completed, we learn this from Shlomo Hamelech who had a dream about a bird that was chirping and he understood what it said (referencing the incredible wisdom God had just granted him) And while we did not receive wisdom like this, we can learn a lesson from this story because Shlomo hosted a celebration focused on how he would use the newly gained wisdom in the future!

(1) We will return to you, Tractate ____ [fill in the name of the tractate], and you will return to us; our mind is on you, Tractate ____, and your mind is on us; we will not forget you, Tractate ____, and you will not forget us – not in this world and not in the next world.

(2) May it be Your will, our G-d, and the G-d of our fathers, that we should be loyal to Your Torah in this world, and it should be with us in the next world...

(3) Please make it sweet, G-d our G-d, the words of Your Torah. In our mouths, and in the mouths of your nation the House of Israel. And it should be that we, all of us, our children and the children of your nation the House of Israel, that we should all know Your name and learn Your Torah.

The Gemara offers several answers to this question: David had a sign indicating when it was midnight. As Rav Aḥa bar Bizna said that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida said: A lyre hung over David’s bed, and once midnight arrived, the northern midnight wind would come and cause the lyre to play on its own. David would immediately rise from his bed and study Torah until the first rays of dawn. Once dawn arrived, the Sages of Israel entered to advise him with regard to the various concerns of the nation and the economy. They said to him: Our master, the king, your nation requires sustenance. He said: Go and sustain one another, provide each other with whatever is lacking. The Sages of Israel responded to him with a parable: A single handful of food does not satisfy a lion, and a pit will not be filled merely from the rain that falls directly into its mouth, but other water must be piped in (ge’onim). So too, the nation cannot sustain itself using its own resources. King David told them: Go and take up arms with the troops in battle in order to expand our borders and provide our people with the opportunity to earn a livelihood.

David said to Nathan, “I stand guilty before the LORD!” And Nathan replied to David, “The LORD has remitted your sin; you shall not die.

(1) For the leader. A psalm of David, (2) when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had come to Bathsheba.aCf. 2 Sam. 12. (3) Have mercy upon me, O God,as befits Your faithfulness;in keeping with Your abundant compassion,blot out my transgressions. (4) Wash me thoroughly of my iniquity,and purify me of my sin; (5) for I recognize my transgressions,and am ever conscious of my sin. (6) Against You alone have I sinned,and done what is evil in Your sight;so You are just in Your sentence,and right in Your judgment. (7) Indeed I was born with iniquity;with sin my mother conceived me. (8) bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.Indeed You desire truth about that which is hidden;teach me wisdom about secret things.-b (9) Purge me with hyssop till I am pure;wash me till I am whiter than snow. (10) Let me hear tidings of joy and gladness;let the bones You have crushed exult. (11) Hide Your face from my sins;blot out all my iniquities. (12) Fashion a pure heart for me, O God;create in me a steadfast spirit. (13) Do not cast me out of Your presence,or take Your holy spirit away from me. (14) Let me again rejoice in Your help;let a vigorous spirit sustain me. (15) I will teach transgressors Your ways,that sinners may return to You. (16) Save me from bloodguilt,O God, God, my deliverer,that I may sing forth Your beneficence. (17) O Lord, open my lips,and let my mouth declare Your praise. (18) You do not want me to bring sacrifices;You do not desire burnt offerings; (19) True sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit;God, You will not despisea contrite and crushed heart. (20) May it please You to make Zion prosper;rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. (21) Then You will want sacrifices offered in righteousness,burnt and whole offerings;then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

(1) The elements of repentance by which a person may be cleansed of his iniquities and purified of his sin before God are correction of thought, speech and act. Correction of thought means that he should feel regret on account of his sins. Correction of speech signifies that he should confess his transgressions; while correction of act denotes that he should take it upon himself never again to return to his folly, but should do instead such acts as would indicate that the former were done in error and unintentionally.

(2) It is clearly expressed in the Prophets that regret is essential to repentance. Jeremiah says: “No man repenteth him of his wickedness, saying: ‘What have I done?’ ” Joel says: “Who knoweth whether He will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him.” Confession is specifically mentioned in the Torah: “Then they shall confess their sin which they have done;” “And they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers;” “He shall confess that wherein he hath sinned.” A promise not to repeat the sin is also mentioned by the prophet: “Neither will we call any more the work of our hands our gods;” and in the Psalms we read: “For He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly.”

(3) The things hindering and preventing repentance are three: ignorance of having committed a sin, excusing oneself, and the love of money and glory. It is clear that every one of these hinders repentance. If a man does not recognize or know that he has sinned, he will never regret doing the thing he does, nor repent, as a sick man can not be cured as long as he does not feel or know that he is sick, for he will never seek a cure. So if one does not know that he has sinned, he will never repent. For this reason God found fault with Israel for not recognizing their sins, for this was a reason why they did not repent: “I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their fault, and seek My face,” i. e. until they regard themselves as transgressors and sinners, when they will repent and seek My face. David also said: “For I know my transgressions.” God said: “Cry aloud,” indicating that a knowledge of one’s sin is essential to repentance.

(4) It is also clear from the thing itself that self-excuse prevents repentance. For if a man thinks that excusing himself for his sin will avail him, he will never regret the doing of it, nor confess his sin. Such a one is called a man “who covers his transgressions,” as Solomon says: “He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper.” Covering one’s sin means to make something else responsible for one’s sin, as Job says: “If after the manner of Adam I covered my transgressions.” The reference is to Adam, who excused himself for his sin by saying: “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree …” But his excuse did not do him any good, for man was given reason so that he should always watch his conduct and not sin. This is why one who commits a misdeed through error is called a sinner and requires atonement. Similarly one must be careful not to be misled by any one, and hence Adam was told: “Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife … cursed is the ground …,” although Adam had not been told not to listen to the voice of his wife. This shows that it does not avail one to excuse himself by saying, So and so made me sin, for nothing excuses a sin except absolute compulsion, concerning which the Rabbis say that heaven acquits a man in case of compulsion. We shall treat of the subject of compulsion in the next chapter.

(5) Love of money and of glory prevents repentance. For if a person repents in order to get some financial benefit or honor, his act is not repentance at all. One must undertake not to return again to folly for the love of God and not for any other motive. Thus David said that his repentance should be accepted because there was no element in it to prevent its acceptance: “I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid …” The words: “I acknowledged my sin,” allude to the necessity of knowing that one has sinned. “And mine iniquity have I not hid,” indicates that he did not excuse himself for his sin. Then he says: “I said: ‘I will make confession concerning my transgressions,’ ” to show that his repentance and confession were solely for the love of God and not for the sake of money or glory.

(6) Saul’s repentance when he sinned in reference to Amalek lacked these three requirements, and therefore even though he confessed his sin before Samuel twice, saying: “I have sinned,” his repentance was not accepted. At first he denied the sin, not knowing that he had committed one. When Samuel said to him: “Wherefore then didst thou not hearken to the voice of the Lord …? he replied: “Yea, I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me …” And when Samuel said to him that this obstinacy was a greater sin than his disobedience in the first place, which was the sin proper: “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbournness is as idolatry and teraphim,”—i. e.: rebellion, which was the main sin of Saul, is like the sin of witchcraft, which is an ordinary negative commandment, whereas stubbornness, viz. his insisting that he had not sinned, is like idolatry and teraphim, which is more serious than witchcraft to which his main sin is compared—when Samuel said these things to him, Saul was led to admit that he had sinned, and said, “I have sinned,” but he excused himself for his sin by words of falsehood, when he said: “Because I feared the people …” Therefore Samuel refused to return with him when he asked him: “And return with me, that I may worship the Lord,” and replied: “I will not return with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord … And as Samuel turned about to go away …” This was because the acknowledgement of his sin was not genuine, since he excused himself with words of falsehood. Later on, when Saul admitted that he had sinned, and said simply, “I have sinned,” Samuel consented to return with him. But since Saul showed that his repentance was for the sake of receiving honor, as he said: “Honour me now, I pray thee …,” and not for the love of God, his repentance was not accepted, and Samuel was told at once to anoint David as king.

(7) For this reason the years of Saul’s reign after this time are not counted as part of his reign. This we infer as follows: David was a fugitive from Saul two years or more, for the Bible says that he was a year and four months in the country of the Philistines, not to count the long time that he hid himself in Palestine in the wilderness of Ziph, in the fortress and in Carmel with the shepherds of Nabal. And yet the Bible tells us: “When Saul had reigned a year (Saul reigned two years over Israel), Saul chose three thousand men …” The meaning is that one year after he was anointed king, he chose the three thousand men and began to wage wars, and after that, we are told, he reigned over Israel two years and no more. Now it is impossible that he should have waged all those wars which the Bible mentions: “And fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines …”—all this in two years, while pursuing David at the same time. The only explanation is that the moment David was anointed king, Saul’s reign was not counted, though he was still king in fact. In the same way we find that Ish-bosheth reigned over Israel all those years that David reigned in Hebron over Judah, namely seven years, and yet he is credited only with the two years that he was king without any wars, as we read: “Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years.” After his two years’ reign, war broke out between the house of Saul and the house of David. The house of Saul was getting weaker and weaker, while the house of David was getting stronger. These years were not counted in Ish-bosheth’s reign. In the same way Saul’s years were no counted to his credit after David was anointed king.

(8) There is a question, however, why was Saul punished for his sin by having the kingdom taken away from him, and not in some other way, as David was punished for the Bathsheba affair, without losing his kingdom? The reason, according to my opinion, is that David’s sin did not regard a specific commandment which was given to him after he was king, or a specific command given in the Torah which concerned him as king. His sin concerned a commandment which he had in common with all men, for the prohibition of adultery or homicide is common to all men. Therefore it was fitting that his punishment should be like that given to the generality of men. Saul, on the other hand, sinned in reference to a specific command given to him by Samuel after he was king, or given to him because he was king, for Samuel said to him: “Seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come unto thee.” He also told him: “Now go and smite Amalek … and spare them not …” For this reason he was punished by having the kingdom removed from his descendants and by dying prematurely. Hence, when he transgressed Samuel’s command and offered a burnt-offering in Gilgal before Samuel came, he was told: “But now thy kingdom shall not continue,” i. e. the kingdom would be cut off from his descendants, but he was not told that he would die before his time. But when he sinned in relation to Amalek, he was told: “Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.” This means that he would die prematurely and that henceforth the kingdom would not be credited to him, for a thing that has been rejected can not be maintained by man. Therefore, when Saul brought up Samuel with the aid of the witch, Samuel said to him: “Because thou didst not hearken to the voice of the Lord, and didst not execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek …; and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.” In these words he indicated to him that because the commandments in question were specifically given to him, he would die before his time, and his kingdom would be cut off from him.

(9) An allusion to this reason is found in the promise God made to Jehu, that the kingdom would be established in the hand of his descendants unto the fourth generation, because he observed the specific command he had been given to destroy the house of Ahab and the worshippers of Baal. Similarly, because Solomon transgressed the commandment against multiplying wives and other specific commandments given to him as king, the kingdom of the ten tribes was taken away from his descendants, and he had left only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin because of the oath God had sworn to David. This is my opinion in this matter.

(10) Some have given another explanation of this matter, as follows: Saul committed a misdeed in relation to the kingly art, hence it was fitting that he should lose that art, whereas David did not sin in relation to the kingly art, his sin was different and had nothing to do with the kingly art, hence he was forgiven. It is like the case of two scribes of whom one is found guilty of forging a document and the other of an incestuous marriage. When the king administers to each of them the punishment that befits the crime, punishing with stripes the one guilty of incest, there is no reason why he should lose his position, and he therefore retains his position as before. The scribe, on the other hand, who forged a document, in addition to being punished for his crime, deserves to be removed from his position and not to be trusted with such an office. In the same way, since Saul committed a wrong pertaining to the kingly art, in that he spared Agag and did not execute proper vengeance on Amalek, he deserved to be removed from it.

(11) This explanation, however, without further qualification, will not do, because he was told before the war with Amalek: “But now thy kingdom will not stand,” as a punishment for bringing a burnt-offering in Gilgal before Samuel came. But it is possible to amend this explanation and reduce it to the first, as follows: viz. by explaining the qualities requisite in a king in such a way that the first sin will be included under one of them.

(12) It seems, then, that there are six qualities a king, as such, must have. The purpose of appointing a king is to fight the enemy and to judge the people justly. When Israel demanded a king, they said: “That our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.” Hence he must have the qualities necessary for this purpose. Now we know that judges must have four qualities: They must be men of valor, God-fearing, men of truth, and hating unlawful gain. If we add to these the qualities necessary in war, we shall have six.

(13) One is that the king must be cruel to strangers, but merciful to his own people and willing to give his life to save them, as a shepherd ought to risk his life to remove harm and to fight with the lion and the bear in order to preserve the flock and show kindness to them: “Gathereth the lambs in his arm, and carrieth them in his bosom, and gently leadeth those that give suck.” The second quality is to be good to those who are good to him, to his servants and those who fight his battles, for if he will not do this, who will risk his life for the king’s glory and who will take his part against those who are treacherous? The third quality is that he should hate unlawful gain and not be covetous. A shepherd that is appointed to guard the sheep must not strip their skin and their flesh from their bones, for in that case the relation would be reversed, the flock would support the shepherd instead of the shepherd guarding the flock. For this reason the Bible says: “Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold,” for if he takes pains to gather silver and gold, even though it be from the enemy, he will take from his own people if he can not find it among the enemy. The fourth quality is that he should be a man of valor, strong and mighty to “break the jaws of the unrighteous.” He must not respect the faces of the poor, nor honor the faces of the great, nor fear to do justice. The fifth quality is that he should speak the truth, no wrong must be found upon his lips, and he should judge a righteous judgment, for the man who lies or speaks falsehoods, does so either from fear or because he can not obtain his desire without it, but the judge must not be afraid of any man, as we read in the Bible: “Ye shall not be afraid of the face of any man,” not to speak of the king, for there is no one to prevent him from doing what he will. Hence he must not speak falsely. Besides, no one will trust the words of the king if he speaks falsely. The sixth quality is that he should fear God and tremble at His words. He should be submissive to those who serve God, and observe those commandments which he was given in the capacity of king or after he became king. And in regard to the other commandments, too, he must not consider himself as superior to his brethren and think he is free from the commandments any more than they, as the Bible says: “That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left.” A similar thought is expressed in the saying of the wise man: “The king and the law are faithful brothers.” If, therefore, the people see the king disregarding the law and the teachers thereof, they will all come to ignore it, and the whole Torah will fall.

(14) Now if we examine Saul’s qualities, we find that he was lacking in all of them. 1. He spared Agag [The Rabbis say, commenting on the verse: “And he lay in wait in the valley”—“In the valley,” means concerning the doings in the valley. Saul used a foolish a fortiori argument. If, said he, when one life is taken, the Torah says: Take a heifer and break its neck …], and was cruel to his own people, in that he destroyed Nob, the city of the priests. David acted differently. He smote Moab and put them under saws and under harrows of iron, but when he saw the destroying angel, he said: “Lo, I have sinned, and I have done iniquitously; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Thy hand, I pray Thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.” 2. He did not treat David kindly, who risked his life when he slew Goliath. David, on the contrary, gave an order at the time of his death: “But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite.” 3. The Bible says concerning Saul: “But didst fly upon the spoil.” David was different. He was generous and divided the spoil, saying: “Behold, a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.” 4. Saul said: “Because I feared the people, and hearkened to their voice,” whereas David was not afraid to do justice, as the Bible says: “And David executed justice and righteousness unto all his people.” 5. Saul lied to Samuel so as to cover his transgressions, while David confessed at once when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 6. He did not obey Samuel, but violated the specific commands which were given to him, whereas David obeyed all the commands of Nathan the prophet, Gad the seer, and Samuel. In this way it is clear that by reason of this sixth quality, the second explanation is reduced to the first.

(15) When we examine the texts we also find that David was perfect in all these qualities, while Saul lacked them all. This was why God saw to it that the kingdom did not remain with Saul and why Saul left no descendants worthy of the kingship. Even Abner, the chief of his army, died in order that the kingdom might be firmly established in the hand of David and his children, as a lesson and example to the kings who came after him, that they should not in their pride disobey God’s will, for the kingdom is His. Hence a human king should not slight those who serve God and observe His Torah, for He alone is the King of Glory, as I explained before, and the Bible says: “He removeth kings and setteth up kings.”

(16) To return to the subject of the chapter, we say that just as the repentance of Saul was not accepted because it lacked the three requirements that we mentioned, so the repentance of David after the Bathsheba affair was accepted because it fulfilled the three requirements mentioned. This is clear from the expressions he uses on that occasion: “Be gracious unto me, O God, according to Thy mercy.” These words indicate that repentance is accepted only as a matter of grace, as we said before. Then he says: “According to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgressions,” i. e. even though my transgressions are great and many, blot them out according to the multitude of Thy compassions, which are infinite, so that my power to sin may not be greater than Thy power to forgive. Then he adds: “For I know my transgressions,” alluding to the first requirement, and stating that the sin was not unknown to him. “And my sin is ever before me,” indicates that he offered no excuses for his sin, nor pretended that he had not sinned, but was always aware that he had sinned. “Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned,” alludes to the third requirement. It shows that his repentance was not due to the desire for honor or money or the fear of human punishment, but to the love of God, for his transgressions were those which concerned the relations between God and man, i. e. private matters, which men did not know, but only God.

(17) He repeats: “And done that which is evil in Thy sight,” to indicate his confession of both kinds of sins, those concerning the relations between man and God, and those between man and his fellow. He alludes to the former in the words: “Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned.” To the latter, such as, “You shall not steal,” “You shall not oppress,” and so on, he refers in the words: “And done that which is evil in Thy sight,” the meaning being that though they are precepts which govern the relations between man and man, nevertheless since God is the author of those commandments, the man who violates His commandments is evil in the sight of God. “That Thou mayest be justified when Thou speakest, and be in the right when Thou judgest,”—these words go back to the prayer: “Blot out my transgressions, Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin,” and the meaning is: Blot out my transgressions in order that Thou mayest be justified in Thy statement that Thou receivest penitents and forgivest their sins. And in order that Thou mayest be right when Thou judgest a man for his sin, since he can repent and does not, cleanse me from my sin, since I do repent before Thee. Some say that the words in question allude to the statement made to Cain: “If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up?” and to the judgment decreed upon him.

(18) Since a sin may be committed in thought, in speech and in act, or in all the three combined, repentance must include the three. Regret corresponds to thought, confession to speech, and corresponding to act it is not sufficient that one discontinue the sin, but he must do acts of a nature opposed to the transgressions which he has committed.

(19) For this reason David prayed for all three. In relation to thought he said: “Create me a clean heart, O God …” In regard to speech, he said, “O Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.” With regard to action, he said: “I will teach transgressors Thy ways,” i. e. he will do acts opposed to the transgressions in order that men may see and take instruction and learn to return to the Lord. The prophet also makes it clear that repentance requires the doing of acts opposed to the transgressions: “And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way.” Our Rabbis explain this verse as follows: It does not say: “He saw their sackcloth and fasting,” but, “He saw their works.” This shows that if one of them, by force, took away a beam from his neighbor and inserted it into a palace he was building, he threw down the whole palace [in order to return the beam to its owner.] Isaiah also said: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts.” The first part of the verse refers to a transgression carried out in deed, in which case the remedy is recommended of doing acts opposed to the transgression and choosing another mode of conduct. For example, if his sin consisted in eating forbidden food, he should fast and not eat enough even of those things which are permitted, as the Rabbis say: “Sanctify thyself in those things which are permitted to thee.” And if his sin was that he did not give alms, he should give lavishly of his money to the poor. And if he taught men to neglect the commandments, he should teach them the proper way to be punctilious about the commandments and to return to God, for he who makes others sin can not do complete repentance. For how can he correct the wrong he has done in causing a man to sin? Hence David says: “Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways,” and similarly in other cases of transgressions. If a man’s sin is one of thought only, he should purify his thoughts before Him who knows man’s thoughts: “And the man of iniquity [shall forsake] his thoughts.”

(20) “And let him return unto the Lord and He will have compassion upon him”—this alludes to the fact that repentance must be solely for the love of God and not for the pleasure of money or the love of glory. “And to our God [let him return] for He will abundantly pardon”—this is intended to encourage penitents, who must not despair of repentance because of their many sins, for God’s forgiveness is more abundant than their iniquities. Hence a man must know that if he does not repent, he deserves severe punishment, since it lies in his power to repent and he does not; he should fear that God will punish him if he does not repent when he is able: “For with Thee there is forgiveness, that Thou mayest be feared.” At first sight the expression just quoted seems strange, for how does it follow that because forgiveness is with God, He is to be feared? The contrary would seem to be the case, namely that if a man knows that God will forgive all his iniquities, he will not be afraid to sin. But the passage is to be explained as we suggested. A man is not afraid of a thing that is inevitable, for example death. If then punishment were inevitable when one has sinned and there were no hope of forgiveness, a person would not be afraid of God, as he would know that he can not escape punishment, since he can not help sinning. But since as a matter of fact he knows that God forgives sinners if they repent and he can escape punishment, he will necessarily be afraid that if he continues to sin and does not think of repenting, God will refuse to forgive him. Therefore the sinner will be afraid of God, since he knows that punishment is not inevitable for a sinner, and that if he repents before God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, God will have pity upon him and abundantly forgive him, for forgiveness is His.

There were three people over whom the evil inclination had no sway. They are: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as it is written with regard to them, respectively: “With everything,” “from everything,” “everything.” The completeness of their blessings means that they did not have to contend with their evil inclinations. And some say that even David was not subject to his evil inclination, as it is written: “And my heart has died within me” (Psalms 109:22), meaning that the evil inclination in his heart was nullified as if his heart had died. And how does the other authority, who does not include David in his list, explain this verse? He is mentioning his travails. David means to say that his heart died within him owing to all the suffering that he endured, but he says nothing about his evil inclination.

He resolved the contradictions in the following manner: This is not difficult. That which David said: “The dead praise not the Lord,” this is what he is saying: A person should always engage in Torah and mitzvot before he dies, as once he is dead he is idle from Torah and mitzvot and there is no praise for the Holy One, Blessed be He, from him. And that is what Rabbi Yoḥanan said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Set free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom You remember no more” (Psalms 88:6)? When a person dies he then becomes free of Torah and mitzvot.

So too the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, I created an evil inclination, which is the wound, and I created Torah as its antidote. If you are engaged in Torah study you will not be given over into the hand of the evil inclination, as it is stated: “If you do well, shall it not be lifted up?” (Genesis 4:7). One who engages in Torah study lifts himself above the evil inclination. And if you do not engage in Torah study, you are given over to its power, as it is stated: “Sin crouches at the door” (Genesis 4:7). Moreover, all of the evil inclination’s deliberations will be concerning you, as it is stated in the same verse: “And to you is its desire.” And if you wish you shall rule over it, as it is stated in the conclusion of the verse: “But you may rule over it” (Genesis 4:7).

(7) For the Creator, blessed be He, who created the evil inclination also created the Torah as its antidote as our sages of blessed memory have stated: "I have created the evil inclination, and I have created the Torah as its antidote" (Kidushin 30b).

(8) Behold, it is obvious that if the Creator created for this affliction only this remedy, then it is impossible under any circumstances for a man to heal himself from this affliction without employing this treatment. One who thinks to save himself without Torah study is only mistaken, and will see his error only in the end, when he dies in sin.

(9) For in truth, the evil inclination is exceedingly powerful on a man. Without a man's knowledge, it advances and strengthens over him and comes to rule over him. Even if he employs all possible strategies in the world, but does not take the medication created for it, namely, the Torah as I wrote, he will not know nor feel the intensification of his illness until he dies in sin and his soul will be lost.

§ The mishna taught that Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were no days as happy for the Jewish people as the fifteenth of Av and as Yom Kippur. The Gemara asks: Granted, Yom Kippur is a day of joy because it has the elements of pardon and forgiveness, and moreover, it is the day on which the last pair of tablets were given.

(18) She is a tree of life to those who grasp her,And whoever holds on to her is happy.

And scripture stated (Mishlei 3:18): “It is a tree of life for those who hold fast to it”, because a person has to fix in his heart/mind, and visualize using his power of imagination, that if he were drowning in a rushing river and he saw before him in the river a strong tree, it is certain that he would make a great effort to hold fast and attach himself to it with all of his strength, and he will not weaken his grip from it even for a single moment, being that his entire life is now dependent on it. Who could be a fool and not understand that if he should get lazy (heaven forefend) for even one moment, and weaken his grip from holding fast to it, he would immediately drown.

The Gemara discusses the second of Ezra’s ordinances: And that they should read the Torah on every Monday and Thursday. The Gemara asks: Did Ezra institute this practice? But it was instituted from the beginning, i.e., long before his time. As it is taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water” (Exodus 15:22). Those who interpret verses metaphorically said that water here is referring to nothing other than Torah, as it is stated metaphorically, concerning those who desire wisdom: “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come for water” (Isaiah 55:1).

MISHNA: At four times of the year the world is judged: On Passover judgment is passed concerning grain; on Shavuot concerning fruits that grow on a tree on Rosh HaShana, all creatures pass before Him like sheep [benei maron], as it is stated: “He Who fashions their hearts alike, Who considers all their deeds” (Psalms 33:15); and on the festival of Sukkot they are judged concerning water, i.e., the rainfall of the coming year.

And for what reason did the Torah say: Pour water onto the altar in the Temple on the festival of Sukkot? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Pour water before Me on the festival of Sukkot so that the rains of the year, which begin to fall after Sukkot, will be blessed for you. And recite before Me on Rosh HaShana verses that mention Kingships, Remembrances, and Shofarot: Kingships so that you will crown Me as King over you; Remembrances so that your remembrance will rise before Me for good; and with what will the remembrance rise? It will rise with the shofar.

The Order of Prayer on Hoshana Rabbah, 11 Seifim: 1. On the seventh day, Hoshana Rabbah, it is customary to sing lots of psalms, like on Yom Tov. Rem"a: We do not say "Nishmat, " we do say "Mizmor l'Todah," we say "Ein Kamocha" and "Shma Yisrael" [in the Torah service] like on Yom Tov. We sing the kaddish after Mussaf in the Yom Tov tune. One normally does not do weekday labor until after leaving the synagogue. We say the song "Zchor Brit" when there is a circumcision on Hoshana Rabba, and we say it before "Ana hazon hin...." The early rabbis z"l wrote that the shadow of the moon on Hoshana Rabba evening holds a sign for what will happen to a person and their family in that year. There is one who writes not to be concerned with this so as not to upset one's fortune and also because many do not understand this matter fully. It is better to be pious and not to investigate the future. This is how it seems to me. We have lots of candles, similar to Yom Kippur. Those who are careful have the practice of immersing themselves before dawn, just like on the day before Yom Kippur (Minhagim). There are some who wear a kittel like on Yom Kippur. This is because on the holiday [of Sukkot], the matter of water is decided. It is customary to unbind the lulav. We circle seven times and say many prayers about water.

(40) On the first day you shall take the product of hadar*hadar Others “goodly”; exact meaning of Heb. hadar uncertain. Traditionally the product is understood as “citron.” trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy*leafy Meaning of Heb. ‘aboth uncertain. trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before your God ה' seven days.

(12) Even though it is a mitzvah to rejoice on all the festivals,1as Deuteronomy 16:14 teaches: "And you shall rejoice on your festivals." Though that verse is mentioned with regard to Sukkot, Deuteronomy 16:11 states with regard to Shavuot: "and you shall rejoice before God," and Rosh Hashanah 4b explains that an analogy is established to include Pesach as well. there was an additional celebration in the Temple on the festival of Sukkot,2The Rambam's words present a question: The Mishnah (Sukkah 5:1) refers to this celebration as Simchat Beit Hasho'evah, connecting it with the drawing of water for the water libation. (See Hilchot T'midim Umusafim 10:6-10.) Indeed, the Talmud (Sukkah 50b; see also the Rambam's commentary on the above-mentioned Mishnah) emphasizes that connection, quoting Isaiah 12:3: "And you shall draw water with happiness." However, here, the Rambam makes no mention of that water at all!We are forced to say that the Rambam views the verse from Isaiah as a mere asmachtah (an allusion from the Bible with which our Sages connected a verse to an independent concept) and that the celebration came about because of the unique nature of the Sukkot festival. Though this celebration was associated with the water libation, the latter is not the source for the practice. Indeed, the choice of the name Simchat Beit HaSho'evah (the celebration of the house of drawing the water), and not Simchat Hasho'evah (the celebration of the drawing of the water) allows for such an interpretation. (Likkutei Sichot, Vol. XVII). as [Leviticus 23:40] commands: "And you shall rejoice before God, your Lord,3i.e., in the Temple for seven days."4Although this verse is used to derive the requirement of taking the lulav in Jerusalem for each of the seven days of the festival (Chapter 7, Halachah 13), its simple meaning remains.Nevertheless, this charge is not considered to be an independent commandment, but rather an extension (and an intensification) of the mitzvah of celebrating on the festivals. Thus, in Sefer Hamitzvot (Positive Commandment 54), the Rambam describes that mitzvah and explains that it includes "to celebrate with musical instruments and to dance in the Temple....This is Simchat Beit Hasho'evah."This explanation resolves another question: Mo'ed Kattan 8b teaches that one celebration should not be interposed upon another. For this reason, weddings are not held during the festivals so that the wedding celebrations should not clash with those of the festival.Thus, were one to consider the celebration of Simchat Beit Hasho'evah as associated with the water offering, one might ask why the Sages instituted such a celebration which might appear to overshadow the celebration of the festival itself. However, the above explanation resolves this difficulty as well, for as stated above, the Simchat Beit Hasho'evah celebration is an extension of the festival celebrations and not an independent matter. (See Likkutei Sichot, ibid.)What was done? On the eve of the first day of the festival,5Two reasons are given why the courtyard was not set up during the festival itself:a) It involved construction, which is forbidden on Chol Hamo'ed (Knesset Hagedolah)b) Preparing the courtyard before the festival would allow the celebrations to begin immediately after the departure of the festival (Kinat Eliyahu). they would set up a place in the Temple6in the open courtyard before the entrance to the Temple courtyard proper. This was called Ezrat Nashim - the women's courtyard - because in contrast to the Temple courtyard, women were allowed to enter the Ezrat Nashim even when they were not offering sacrifices. The Rambam describes the Ezrat Nashim in Hilchot Beit Habechirah 5:7. where women [could watch] from above, and men from below, so they would not intermingle with each other.7Originally, the men and the women would stand in separate sections on the same level. However, the Sages feared that, particularly during a time of celebration, such closeness might lead to frivolous interaction between the sexes, and decided to have a balcony constructed for the women (Sukkah 51b).The celebration would begin on the night after the first day of the festival.8Since, as explained in the following halachah, the celebration was not held on the first night of the festival. Similarly, on each day of Chol Hamo'ed, after offering the daily afternoon sacrifice, they would begin to celebrate for the rest of the day and throughout the night.9Sukkah 53a quotes Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananyah as saying: "While we were celebrating at Simchat Beit Hasho'evah, our eyes saw no sleep."

(9) The precepts of the LORD are just,rejoicing the heart;the instruction of the LORD is lucid,making the eyes light up.

1. Tisha b'Av is forbidden for washing, anointing, wearing leather shoes, and marital relations. It is also forbidden to read from the Torah, Nevi'im, and Ksuvim and to learn mishna and midrash and gemara and halacha and aggada, because it says, "The precepts of God are right, gladdening the heart" (Tehillim 19:9). Schoolchildren are idle on it. One may read Iyov and the bad things which are in Yirmiyah, but if there are between them passages of consolation, one must skip them.

rejoice the heart: – for the wise man rejoices over his understanding; and when it gains control over the body and leads it in the ways of understanding there is no joy in the world like that joy, which is the joy of the soul. For this reason he says rejoicing the heart, and does not say rejoicing "man," for man rejoices in the lusts of the world; but the understanding – that is, the heart – rejoices only in the ways of understanding. And so it says (Ps. cxix. iii): "For they are the rejoicing of my heart." And he says:

This is because at the root of all the mitzvot is joy. For “the ordinances of God are upright, gladdening the heart” (Psalms 19:9). And every one of the six hundred thirteen mitzvot has a limb of the joy, each mitzvah in accordance with its aspect. Therefore, if one blemishes some mitzvah, whether a positive or prohibitive commandment, then when he is joyous and traverses the structure of joy and comes upon the particular limb which parallels that mitzvah which he transgressed, it is impossible for him to rejoice because he blemished there, in that mitzvah whose core is joy.

These are the things that have no definite quantity: The corners [of the field]. First-fruits; [The offerings brought] on appearing [at the Temple on the three pilgrimage festivals]. The performance of righteous deeds; And the study of the torah. The following are the things for which a man enjoys the fruits in this world while the principal remains for him in the world to come: Honoring one’s father and mother; The performance of righteous deeds; And the making of peace between a person and his friend; And the study of the torah is equal to them all.

(5) He used to say: A brute is not sin-fearing, nor is an ignorant person pious; nor can a timid person learn, nor can an impatient person teach; nor will someone who engages too much in business become wise. In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.

(7) Then he took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, “All that ה' has spoken we will faithfully do!”*we will faithfully do Lit. “we will do and obey.”

Rabbi Simai taught: When Israel accorded precedence to the declaration “We will do” over the declaration “We will hear,” 600,000 ministering angels came and tied two crowns to each and every member of the Jewish people, one corresponding to “We will do” and one corresponding to “We will hear.” And when the people sinned with the Golden Calf, 1,200,000 angels of destruction descended and removed them from the people, as it is stated in the wake of the sin of the Golden Calf: “And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward” (Exodus 33:6). Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: At Horeb they put on their ornaments, and at Horeb they removed them. The source for this is: At Horeb they put them on, as we have said; at Horeb they removed them, as it is written: “And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb.” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: And Moses merited all of these crowns and took them. What is the source for this? Because juxtaposed to this verse, it is stated: “And Moses would take the tent [ohel]” (Exodus 33:7). The word ohel is interpreted homiletically as an allusion to an aura or illumination [hila]. Reish Lakish said: In the future, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will return them to us, as it is stated: “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads” (Isaiah 35:10). The joy that they once had will once again be upon their heads.

I was asleep,But my heart was wakeful.Hark, my beloved knocks!“Let me in, my own,My darling, my faultless dove!For my head is drenched with dew,My locks with the damp of night.”

Rabbi Hanina, the vice-high priest said: pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear it inspires, every man would swallow his neighbor alive. R. Hananiah ben Teradion said: if two sit together and there are no words of Torah [spoken] between them, then this is a session of scorners, as it is said: “nor sat he in the seat of the scornful…[rather, the teaching of the Lord is his delight]” (Psalms 1:1); but if two sit together and there are words of Torah [spoken] between them, then the Shekhinah abides among them, as it is said: “then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another; and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name” (Malachi 3:16). Now I have no [scriptural proof for the presence of the Shekhinah] except [among] two, how [do we know] that even one who sits and studies Torah the Holy One, blessed be He, fixes his reward? As it is said: “though he sit alone and [meditate] in stillness, yet he takes [a reward] unto himself” (Lamentations 3:28).

Rabbi Halafta of Kefar Hanania said: when ten sit together and occupy themselves with Torah, the Shechinah abides among them, as it is said: “God stands in the congregation of God” (Psalm 82:1). How do we know that the same is true even of five? As it is said: “This band of His He has established on earth” (Amos 9:6). How do we know that the same is true even of three? As it is said: “In the midst of the judges He judges” (Psalm 82:1) How do we know that the same is true even of two? As it is said: “Then they that fear the Lord spoke one with another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard” (Malachi 3:16). How do we know that the same is true even of one? As it is said: “In every place where I cause my name to be mentioned I will come unto you and bless you” (Exodus 20:21).

(2) Shimon the Righteous was one of the last of the men of the great assembly. He used to say: the world stands upon three things: the Torah, the Temple service, and the practice of acts of piety.

Shimon the Righteous was one of the last surviving members of the Men of the Great Assembly. He would say: The world stands on three things: on the Torah, on the Temple service, and on acts of kindness.On the Torah. How so? It says (Hosea 6:6), “I desire kindness, not a well-being offering (zevach), and the knowledge of God [which comes from studying Torah] more than burnt offerings (olot).” From here we learn that the burnt offering is more beloved than the well-being offering, because the burnt offering is entirely consumed in the fires, as it says (Leviticus 1:9), “The priest shall turn the whole thing into smoke on the altar.” And in another place (I Samuel 7:9), it says, “Samuel took one milking lamb, and offered it to be consumed, as a burnt offering to the Eternal.” And the study of Torah is more beloved before the Omnipresent God than offerings, for if a person studys Torah, he comes to have knowledge of the Omnipresent God, as it says (Proverbs 2:5), “Then you will understand the awe of the Eternal and you will discover the knowledge of God.” From here we learn that when a sage sits and expounds before the congregation, Scripture considers it as if he brought fat and blood upon the altar.If two Torah scholars are sitting and laboring in the Torah, and a bridal or funeral procession passes by, if there are already enough people participating, these two should not leave their studying; but if not, they should get up and offer words of Torah and praise to the bride, or escort the dead.