Halakhah do Malachiasza 3:26

If nine who have eaten something made of grain, and one just greens, they include him for the purpose of saying “nivarekh.” And precisely just for the sake of inclusion, but in order for him to enable the majority to fulfill their obligation, we need him to eat at least an “olive’s measure” of something made of grain.²³⁹B. Berakhot 48a, and so the Tur and O.H. 197. And with three, it goes without saying that in order for him to enable the others to fulfill their obligation, even to be added in, we need him to eat at least an “olive’s measure” of something made of grain. And thus it is our custom that when a person enters to be included, that he takes at least an olive’s measure of something made from grain and eats it.

And now I shall explain to you the three meals of Shabbat. Our rabbis said:²⁵⁵B. Shabbat 119b. A person is required to eat three meals on Shabbat, as it is said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath of the Lord, you will not find it today on the plain.”²⁵⁶Ex 16:25, referring to the manna. There are three mentions of “today,” each corresponding to one of the three meals on Shabbat. And about the reward for this mitzvah they said:²⁵⁷B Shabbat 118a. Whoever fulfills the mitzvah of three meals on Shabbat is rescued from three tribulations: from the birth pangs of the Messiah, from the judgment of Gehenna, and from the wars of Gog and Magog, and for each of these three the Scripture mentions “day.” For the birth pangs of the Messiah – “before the coming of the day of the Lord.”²⁵⁸Mal 3:23: “Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the Lord.” From the judgment of Gehenna – “For lo! That day is at hand, burning like an oven” and it is written, “and the day that is coming shall burn them.” ²⁵⁹Mal 3:19: “For lo! That day is at hand, burning like an oven. All the arrogant and doers of evil shall be straw, and the day that is coming – said the Lord of Hosts – shall burn them to ashes and leave of them neither stalk nor boughs.” And from the wars of Gog and Magog: “Lo, a day of the Lord is coming.”²⁶⁰Zech 14:1, referring to the apocalyptic wars at the end of time. The reason for the three meals of Shabbat corresponds to the three higher states that the soul will have in the eternal and true life that is called “the life of the world to come” (hayye ha-olam ha-ba) and “bundle of life” (tzror ha-hayim).

And now I shall explain to you the three meals of Shabbat. Our rabbis said:²⁵⁵B. Shabbat 119b. A person is required to eat three meals on Shabbat, as it is said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath of the Lord, you will not find it today on the plain.”²⁵⁶Ex 16:25, referring to the manna. There are three mentions of “today,” each corresponding to one of the three meals on Shabbat. And about the reward for this mitzvah they said:²⁵⁷B Shabbat 118a. Whoever fulfills the mitzvah of three meals on Shabbat is rescued from three tribulations: from the birth pangs of the Messiah, from the judgment of Gehenna, and from the wars of Gog and Magog, and for each of these three the Scripture mentions “day.” For the birth pangs of the Messiah – “before the coming of the day of the Lord.”²⁵⁸Mal 3:23: “Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the Lord.” From the judgment of Gehenna – “For lo! That day is at hand, burning like an oven” and it is written, “and the day that is coming shall burn them.” ²⁵⁹Mal 3:19: “For lo! That day is at hand, burning like an oven. All the arrogant and doers of evil shall be straw, and the day that is coming – said the Lord of Hosts – shall burn them to ashes and leave of them neither stalk nor boughs.” And from the wars of Gog and Magog: “Lo, a day of the Lord is coming.”²⁶⁰Zech 14:1, referring to the apocalyptic wars at the end of time. The reason for the three meals of Shabbat corresponds to the three higher states that the soul will have in the eternal and true life that is called “the life of the world to come” (hayye ha-olam ha-ba) and “bundle of life” (tzror ha-hayim).

One should not engage in conversation after the cup of blessing, and one should not say the blessing over a “cup of tribulations.” What is a “cup of tribulations”? A second cup. The reason for this is that pairs are bad luck. As they taught in a baraita, “Whoever drinks double – that is, a pair of cups – should not say the blessing, because of the verse “Be proper to meet your God, O Israel.”³²³Am 4:12: “Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (JSB), but this midrashic use of the verse picks up on the connotation of nakhon – being proper or correct – from the root of the imperative verb hikon “prepare.” And the reason for prohibiting pairs is because of witchcraft and beings composed of two who rule over anyone who eats and drinking something in pairs. And another reason to distance oneself from “twos” is that that are separated from the power of One, for pairs come from the power of “twos.” So in order to fix one’s heart on unity and distance oneself from dualistic faith, like what is alluded to in Scripture, “Do not mix with shonim,”³²⁴Pr 24:21: “Do not mix with dissenters” (JSB). However, R. Bahya is clearly playing on the connection between “shonim” – literally, “those who differ” and shnayim – “two. In other words, he reads the verse as, “Do not mix with dualists.” The Talmudic prohibitions on pairs probably had something to do with their Babylonian cultural context, i.e., the dualistic Zoroastrianism of the Sassanid Persian empire. those who believe in twos or more. Therefore they prohibited pairs even for things eaten and drunk, for it is appropriate for natural matters to be a sign and symbol of appropriate practices and beliefs,³²⁵Literally, “appropriate matters.” But some mss. of R. Bahya’s text read “intellectual and spiritual matters,” making his point clearer. in that you already knew that true beliefs thus require actions. And you see that in the story of Creation, it was not said, “that it was good” on the second day.³²⁶That expression ki tov, which appears after the descriptions of what was created on the other five days in Genesis 1, is conspicuously absent at the end of the account of day two. For we follow what they said in Genesis Rabbah, that on it dissent and Gehennah were created, and without a doubt, with things like these created on it, it is a dangerous day, on which it is prohibited to begin any work, as our rabbis z”l said, “One does not begin things on the second day, because whoever adds something to one, there’s no good in him [or it], and thus it was called yom sheni – “day two,” which is from the expression shinui – “change.” For in One there is no change, which is what is written: “For I am the Lord, I have not changed.”³²⁷Mal 3:6. But the second day was the beginning of change, and from then on, change in what was created is desirable, and on the rest of the days after it we have found basis for an accusation against all of them, e.g., on the third day God said, “Let the earth bring forth fruit trees,” but it actually brought forth only “trees bearing fruit.”³²⁸Gen 1:11,12. R. Bahya picks up on the slightly different phrasing: “fruit tree bearing fruit” (1:11) vs. “tree bearing, to imply that the earth did not do exactly as God commanded. Similarly on the fourth day the moon made an accusation saying, “It isn’t fair for two kings to use one crown.”³²⁹B. Hullin 60b. This is the midrash told there:
And God made the two great lights? but later it says: “the great light and the small light”! The moon said before the Holy One: Master of the world, is it possible for two kings to use one crown? God said to her: Go and diminish yourself! She said before God: Because I asked a good question, I should diminish myself? God said: Go and rule both in day and in night. She said: What advantage is that? A candle in the daylight is useless. God said: Go and let Israel count their days and years by you. She said: They use the daylight [of the sun] to count seasonal cycles as well…Seeing that she was not appeased, the Holy One said: Bring a (sacrificial) atonement for me that I diminished the moon! This is what R. Shimon ben Lakish said: What is different about the ram of the new moon that it is offered “for God” (And one ram of the flock for a sin offering for God…Numbers 28:14). Said the Holy One: This ram shall be an atonement for me that I diminished the moon. And likewise on the fifth day, God killed the male Leviathan,³³⁰Though in his commentary to the Torah on Gen 1:4, R. Bahya uses the version of this midrash found in b. Bava Batra 74b: God castrated the male Leviathan and killed the female Leviathan. For had they mated with one another, they would have destroyed the world. which can be interpreted as He hid the heavenly light. And likewise on the sixth day, Adam sinned and changed the will of Ha-Shem, and about this it is said, “altering his face, you sent him out.”³³¹Job 14:20, which R. Bahya interprets as “you (Adam)– changed God’s face, and so ‘made” Him (God) send you out of the Garden of Eden.” See how the second day is the cause behind all of this, because all of these things come from its power and follow it. To the extent it said “Prepare to meet your God, O Israel,”³³²Am 4:12. who is one, and it added “O Israel,” who is the one singular nation of the one God, as it is said, “And who is like Your people, one nation on earth,”³³³I Chr 17:21. you should prepare and direct yourself to meet the One. So you should not eat or drink things in pairs, so that you will not think dualistic things in your heart.

And you already knew that the words of our rabbis follow the Torah’s means of expression, and so in the Torah there are permitted and prohibited foods: this you shall eat; this you shall not eat, and it is written, “from their flesh you shall not eat.”²⁷Lev 11:8. You wouldn’t say that this is an allegory – God forbid! – but it’s the actual literal meaning. And so they went on to say The Holy One, blessed be He, will in time to come make a sukkah for the righteous from the skin of Leviathan; for it is said: “Can you fill sukkot with his skin?”²⁸Job 40:31. Sukkot here is spelled with a sin, not a samekh as in sukkah meaning “tent,” and means “darts.” Thus, the meaning of the verse in context is “Can you fill his skin with darts?” If a man is worthy, a sukkah is made for him; if he is not worthy, a shadow [tzel] is made for him, for it is said: “And his head with a fish covering [bi-tziltzel].”²⁹Job 30:41. R. Bahya following the Talmud takes the two parts of this verse in Job as contrasting: the first part hints at the reward of the worthy, the second part to the punishment of the unworthy – “shade.” After this he skips a few lines of Talmud that expand on this theme of the worthy and unworthy’s “rewards.” The rest [of Leviathan] will be spread by the Holy One, blessed be He, upon the walls of Jerusalem, and its splendor will shine from one end of the world to the other; as it is said: “And nations shall walk by Your light.”³⁰Is 60:3, in b. Baba Batra 75a.

Out of all this it will be explained explicitly that the words are meant literally: about the actual flesh of Leviathan, about his actual skin.³¹In his insistence on the literal meaning of the Talmudic description of the banquets in the world to come, R. Bahya follows the position of his teacher, R. Solomon ben Adret (Chavel). However, there’s a certain irony here that R. Bahya uses rather non-literal midrashic interpretations of scriptural verses to support his contention that the statements about the food and setting of the banquets in the world to come are indeed to be taken quite literally. The actual flesh of Leviathan will be the food of the righteous who “bothered themselves” with the Torah and mitzvot, and his actual skin to make their dwelling place glow in order to proclaim their high status among the nations, how they served the Holy One Blessed be He and took hold of His Torah and His qualities, to what is written here refers: “And you shall come to see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between him who has served God and him who has not served Him.”³²Mal 3:18. And likewise it is written, Behold my servants shall eat, and you shall hunger; My servants shall drink, and you shall thirst… My servants shall cry out in gladness and you shall cry out in anguish, howling in heartbreak.³³Is 65:13-14.

(Hay-Nun) ‘Behold man is the one’ in which there is one shrine, as we have elucidated in most of the sections of this introduction of ours. And [it is] as it is [found] in the Zohar, Parashat Korach 94 (3:176a-b), “The One only dwells among the one.” See there. And the unity that [comes] as a result of the commandments permitted the Divine Presence to dwell among Israel through the twenty-two letters of the Torah. As included in it are the six hundred and thirteen commandments – the three hundred sixty-five positive commandments and the two hundred and forty-eight negative commandments – corresponding to the sinews and limbs of a man.⁹⁷Targum Yonatan on Genesis 1:27; Zohar 1:170b. And so was it explained in Paragraph Tzaddi in explanation of the verse (Isaiah 59:2) “But your iniquities have been a barrier between you,” that [the Jews] are united through the commandments and divided one from another through sins.⁹⁸This specific verse is not explained in our text. However the topic is broached in Paragraph Tsadi, and it is possible that this is the reference here, and not Paragraph Bet, as appears in the printed editions. However, it is even more likely that the reference is to Binah Le’Etim (Drash 48) of Rabbi Azariah Figo, as per the correction found in the New York Shivelei David edition, as both the verse and the idea are found there. (Hence the notation Si. Bet, which was understood as a reference to Siman Bet, should have been S. Bet, which could mean Sefer Binah Le’Etim.) And this was the intention of Hillel who said to the convert, “[‘And you shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Lev. 19:18)] – that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its explanation. Go study.”⁹⁹Shabbat 31a. [Its] explanation is that the other commandments are explanations of the unity through which Israel joins together and becomes one. And this is also elucidated in the midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 13:3) that says, “What does the Holy One, blessed be He care if he slaughters, etc.? Behold, [the commandments] were only given to refine (letsaref, which can also mean, unite) the creatures, as it is stated (Prov. 30:5), ‘the word of God is refined.’” [Its] explanation is that through the commandments, the Children of Israel will be unified. And also there in Midrash Rabbah on Parashat Vayechi,¹⁰⁰The reference seems to be to Bereishit Rabbah 98:3. Differing versions of the midrash are brought in several other places such as Midrash Tanchuma, Vayehi 8:2. “Yaakov said to his sons, ‘Maybe because you come from four mothers, you have a tinge of idolatry?’ They said to him, ‘It is written (Num. 1:20), “according to the house of their fathers” – just like there is only One in your heart.’” And the author of the Yafeh Toar¹⁰¹A commentary on Bereishit Rabbah by Rabbi Shmuel Yafeh Ashkenazi (Turkey, 16th century). did not know its explanation. But it appears to me that [it can be explained] according to what [Maharal] writes in Netsach Yisrael¹⁰²See Netsach Yisrael, Chapter 32 (p. 153 in London edition). – [that the] reason that Rachel gave the signs to Leah¹⁰³In Bava Batra 123a, the rabbis write that Yaakov had given Rachel a type of code (signs) in case an impostor be sent to his tent in her place on their wedding night. When Rachel found out the plot to have Leah be that impostor, she gave Leah the signs to prevent her from being embarrassed. was because she knew that it was not fitting for Yaakov to father all twelve of the tribes from one woman. And had it been so, they would have all been one, whereas that is not fitting for this lowly [world] – as its nature inclines away from the way of oneness. And this causes sin in Israel until the future to come (messianic times) speedily in our days. See there. And this is [the meaning of that which Yaakov said to his sons, “Maybe because you come from four mothers, it is impossible that you will be unified; and sin caused it, as the One can only dwell among one.” But they answered him, “It is written, ‘according to the house of their fathers’ – and there is one Father to all of us and there is One in our hearts. And God, may He be blessed, will be unified through us.” And it is as our teacher Rabbi Yitschak Abarbanel writes in explanation of the verse (Gen. 2:24), “and they shall become one flesh,” like Rashi explained – through the embryo that is created from both of them. And the portion of each one is in the many limbs. Even though the embryo loves itself; yet through this the father and the mother [also] love each other, as a branch produces love in [its] roots. And this is the intention of the statement of [the Sages], may their memory be blessed, “‘And you shall love [the Lord your God], etc.’ (Deut. 6:5) – [that the name of the Heavens be loved through you¹⁰⁴This is the text found in the Talmud, and it is possibly what was written by the author. However, most versions of the Shev Shmat’ta have, “both of them will be beloved through the Torah scholar,” possibly relating to the mother and father.]” (Yoma 86a). And that means that the higher forces become unified, as all of them gave their portion to man and he is a branch from them – and love will sprout from the roots. And hence one should have intention for this unification before every [Torah] study [session] and good deed, as a fulfillment of the commandment of “and you shall love your neighbor, etc.” And [then] all of Israel will be one, and also all of the ones that gave birth to them will love each other and be unified.¹⁰⁵The author returns here to the theme with which he began this essay in the introductory paragraph and Paragraph Gimmel. And with what I have elucidated, their statement at the end of Tractate Eduyot is understood, “[Eliyahu] will not come to make distant or to bring close, but to make peace [among them], as it is stated (Mal. 3:23-24), ‘Behold, I will send, etc. [He shall bring back the hearts of the children to their fathers’” (Mishnah Eduyot 8:7). [This is] meaning that [the children] will be called by the name of their fathers, but there is [only] one Father to us all. And the world will then be fit for it. And then we shall see the joy of Zion and the building of Jerusalem, speedily in our days. Amen, Selah.

“For there is no enchantment with Jacob” (Num. 23:23). Our Creator commanded us, “neither shall ye practice divination” (Lev. 19:26). With our wrongs that are multiplied as of this day, they are divining in Israel.¹Jonah Gerondi, Sefer ha-Yirah, ed. Benjamin Silber (Jerusalem: Horeb Publishers, 1952), Chapter CCXXVIII, p. 25a. They search their perversions and recall at the conclusion of the Sabbath not to eat eggs, nor take fire twice²In the event that the fire does not kindle the first time, he is not permitted to go back and take fire a second time. Not eating eggs refers to the rest of the week. if someone is sick in the house or gave birth within nine days, and many such things that the mouth cannot speak of wherein they transgress the commands of our King. And there is another form of divination quite prevalently practised. Standing and looking into the fire and seeing burning coals, they say, “We will have a guest,³Toseftah, Shabbath 7:2. however, if you extinguish it with water the guest will fall into the water,” and there is no divination graver than this. And the contention that this is true and firm and that numerous people have proven it, is but Satan’s doing, it is he who leads them astray. When Satan sees this one divining, and saying, “The guest will fall into the water,” then Satan says, “I will go and throw the guest into the water in order to deceive him that this be a sign to him to divine for ever.”⁴Abodah Zarah 55a. And woe unto those who do so, for they transgress numerous prohibitions such as, “Neither shall ye practice divination” (Lev. 19:26).⁵These are negative commandments. “There shall not be found among you etc…. one that useth divination” (Deut. 18:10). “Neither shall ye walk in their statutes” (Lev. 18:3). Moreover, they render false the testimony of the Torah, “For there is no enchantment with Jacob” (Num. 23:23). Those who vow when a headache occurs never to eat from the head of an animal, or when they suffer with their intestines never to eat intestines, follow the customs of the Amorite.⁶Daath Zekenim Baale Tosafoth, Genesis 32:33. Trust only in the Holy One, blessed be He, and He will cure you. Also we need not be apprehensive about a sign, except in the way our scholars intended (directed us) as in the case where they said, “On New Year’s let them eat of the head of a ram, because of the thought, ‛Let it be the head of a good year,’ also of various sweets because of ‛a sweet year,’ ‛let him raise a cock,’ also let him ‛kindle a light in the house that the wind does not extinguish.’”⁷Horayoth 12a. Those people that need to fulfill a command such as start the studies of their children, or some such other command, but say, “let us wait until the new month,” even though this is not divining it is not good, for who knows whether he will live or die within the month, with the result that he may die and not fulfill the command. The best procedure is to perform a meritorious deed when it presents itself and not postpone it, thus our scholars expounded,⁸Rashi, Yoma 33b. “And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread” (Exod. 12:17). Do not say matzos, unleavened bread, but mitzvos, commandments, which is to say, if a meritorious deed presents itself to you, do not allow it to become sour but perform it immediately.⁹The two words share five letters in common. Adding a vav to the word matzos (unleavened bread) gives us a new Hebrew word meaning “commandments.” And if he intended to perform a meritorious deed but was accidentally prevented from doing so Scripture credits him as if he had performed¹⁰Kiddushin 48a. it, for it is said, “And that thought upon His name” (Mal. 3:16). The Holy One, blessed be He, equates a good thought with action.

It is customary to read the Haftarah from Malachi 3:4, Ve'arvah etc. because it is written there, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse etc." That is appropriate for the day, for (according to some authorities), the time at which all tithes had to be removed from the house was on erev Pesach of the fourth year of the Shemitah cycle, and on erev Pesach of the seventh year of the Shemitah cycle. All the tithes which were separated from your grain during the three years, and which were kept in your house, had to be given to the Levi at the above-mentioned times.

One does not decree two bans in one day, as it is written,¹Sanhedrin 45b. “I will not again curse anymore … neither will I again smite anymore” (Gen. 8:21). It is written in the Twelve Minor Prophets, in the book of Malachi (3:6) “For I, the Lord, change not” and near to it is written, “Ye are cursed with the curse” (Mal. 3:9) which has the numerical value of “ban.” And it is written “Trouble shall not rise up the second time” (Nah. 1:9). We do not decree a ban except during the day, for it is written “And cursed his day” (Job 3:1) “Cursed be the day” (Jer. 20:14).

“Bring ye the whole tithe into the storehouse etc.… And try Me now herewith” (Mal. 3:10). So important is tithing, that here the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Try Me,” unlike all other instances where it is forbidden to test Him, for it is written “Ye shall not try the Lord your God” (Deut. 6:16).¹Taanith 9a. That tithe alluded to is the poor man’s tithe, to give to the poor a tithe from everything wherein a person profits, whether from interest or his own hire or from anything which comes to a person profitably. If he found or they returned to him goods stolen from him,²Valuables that he had given up for lost. he must tithe, as it is written in Scripture.³The words “whole tithe” is taken to imply all sorts of revenue accruing from all sources, foreseen and unforeseen. (Perush.) For Israel had not yet been among the nations of the world lending at interest.⁴The Bible does not mention income from interest since it was then not prevalent. Woe unto them that withhold their tithes, for ultimately nothing will remain in their hands but the poor man’s tithe, as it is written, “And everyman’s hallowed things shall be his” (Num. 5:10).⁵Berakoth 63a.

¹The first three of the eighteen verses dealing with God-fearing are missing. The Perush suggests that the following verses be included: ( 1 ) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7). (2) And did not choose the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:29). (3) Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord (Prov. 2:5). “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, arrogancy and the evil way, and the forward mouth, do I hate” (Prov. 8:13). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the All-holy is understanding” (Prov. 9:10). “The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened” (Prov. 10:27). “He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord, but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth Him” (Prov. 14:2). “In the fear of the Lord a man hath strong confidence and his children shall have a place of refuge” (Prov. 14:26). “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death” (Prov. 14:27). “Better is a little with fear of the Lord, than great treasure and turmoil therewith” (Prov. 5:16). “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and before honor goeth humility” (Prov. 5:33). “By mercy and truth iniquity is expiated and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil” (Prov. 16:6). “The fear of the Lord tendeth to life and he that hath it shall abide satisfied, He shall not be visited with evil” (Prov. 19:23). “The reward of humility is the fear of the Lord, even riches, and honour, and life” (Prov. 22:4). “Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the Lord all the day” (Prov. 23:17). “Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the Lord, and depart from evil” (Prov. 3:7). “My son, fear thou the Lord and the king, and meddle not with them that are given to change” (Prov. 24:21). “Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised” (Prov. 31:30). Behold there are eighteen forms of “fear” corresponding to the eighteen forms of Trefa.²Hullin 42a. Terefah, Lit., torn. The term signifies flesh of clean beasts rendered unfit for food as a result of either being mauled or killed by beasts of prey, injured, found defective or unskillfully slaughtered although in valid fashion. This is to say, even if they take the life of an individual let him not rebel against Him who gives life and sends death.³Berakoth 61b. If you lose your life because of Him, He will resurrect you and if you remain alive in a situation where you are obliged (by law) to part with your life and be sanctified by His name, He will take your life, and who (none) will rescue you from His hand. And because life is dependent upon eighteen points in the body man is called “living”⁴Numerical value of the Hebrew word “living” is eighteen. for as long as there is no injury to them (eighteen points) he is able to live. Moreover, “eighteen fears” correspond to the eighteen points⁵Hullin 42a. upon which life is dependent, for if you fear the Holy One, blessed be He, He will guard your life and this is as it is said, “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death” (Prov. 14:27). When Abraham wished to take the life of his son Isaac, he was then called God-fearing, for it is said, “for now I know that Thou art a God-fearing man, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son” (Gen. 22:12). The “eighteen fears” correspond to the Eighteen Benedictions of the Silent Prayer. And if you say, what of the verse, “A wise man feareth and departeth from evil but the fool behaveth overbearingly and is confident” (Prov. 14:16) where the blessing of the Lord does not occur, there is, however, the blessing against the heretics.⁶“Fear” in Proverbs stands in apposition to the blessing against the heretics in the “Eighteen Benedictions.” This makes for Nineteen Benedictions! See Daily Prayer Book, ed. Hertz, p. 143. (And if you ask what of the verse) “Who so despiseth the word shall suffer thereby; But he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded” (Prov. 13:13), (it is) in apposition to the first blessing of the Eighteen Benedictions which commences with “Blessed be He.” Why are these “eighteen fears” made to correspond with the Eighteen Benedictions, for when a man prays, he must stand in fear,⁷Berakoth 30b.
/8/ Ibid., 29b. for it is said “Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling” (Ps. 2:11), and it is written “They shall fear Thee while the sun endureth” (Ps. 72:5), which our Rabbis explained (to mean) “pray at the setting of the sun.” Moreover, why as against (in apposition to) “Fear of the Lord” does it state “Blessed is the Lord,” (it is to say) that he should not run in prayer as if (to show) he is happy that he is finished. But with every word and everything that he says let him concentrate to put devotedness into his heart. One should consider, if there is a matter to entreat and ask for of a king of flesh and blood, would he favor you or countenance you if you hurry your words before him? Let alone would he not do your bidding, but he will say that you can mean only to mock, and he would drive you away. Do not regard the Crowner of kings less than the kings who are beneath Him. If you come to praise and adore Him, consider this for a moment, if you were to hear a sweet voice and song of praise rushed and hurried without intonation, how acceptable would it be? Therefore it (prayer) is not to be done hurriedly, but with deliberation and a sweet and loud voice, for it is said “And many shouted aloud for joy” (Ezra 3:12). It is said⁹J. T. Berakoth 1:1. that when they walked in the temple court they walked heel to toe so that the worship of the Lord not appear as a burden. Concerning this it is said “And their course is evil and their force is not right” (Jer. 23:10). Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, created the cock’s crowing that we learn a lesson from him, for it is said, “And maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven” (Job 35:11). You would not be proper if you spoke before a king of flesh and blood, and your words were hurried, and if you sang for your pleasure you would prolong your voice, how then can you hurry before the supreme King of kings. You should therefore bless Him with your voice, and not make it as a chore that issues from your mouth. It is only right that when you utter words of supplication you say them in an entreating manner, for it is said “The poor useth entreaties” (Prov. 18:23). When a man entreats a ruler he does not hurry his words but on each matter he concentrates so as not to be mistaken with his words. Before he entreats a ruler or king he sets forth his petition orderly¹⁰Rosh ha-Shanah 35a. that he not falter nor forget nor skip a letter. So should you do, for it is written, “Will thy riches avail, that are without stint” (Job 36:19), and he says further, “Take with you words” (Hos. 14:3). When you recite blessings and praises, make it as though you stand before a king and he says to you, “Let me hear your voice.” Do not hurry your words and do not be anxious to speak. If you need sustenance, do not put your heart only to that blessing such as the blessing of “years.”¹¹Daily Prayer Book, ed. Hertz, p. 141. If you have an illness do not set your heart only to the blessing for “illness,”¹²Ibid., p. 140. because they (will) say about you on high, “This individual imagines that he has need only of this.”¹³Erubin 65a. Therefore let him (a person) be devoted in all the blessings. For behold the “eighteen fears of God” should be before him and he should be reverent of all the blessings. Do not direct your thoughts only to the supplications, for the essence of devotion is for the blessings and praises. They therefore said,¹⁴Berakoth 34b. let him direct his heart toward all of them. If it is impossible let him direct himself to the blessing of Ovos or toward the blessing of “thanksgiving.”¹⁵Daily Prayer Book, ed. Hertz, p. 148. For if you direct yourself only to the (personal) entreaties there will be a hindrance from above,¹⁶Sanhedrin 44b. it will be said that it is not proper to accept his prayer, for with the honor of the Lord he is not concerned to seek Him with devotedness and with supplication. How can we do his will if he is concerned only with his own welfare and not in adoration. Therefore it is good to pray and to direct oneself with joy and honor to the Holy One, blessed be He, to pray with devotion and not to speak to anyone before completing the service but recite those things that initially subdue the heart with mercy. And when you pray add in each and every blessing your request in keeping with the nature of the prayer ¹⁷Berakoth 29b. for they do best to prepare the heart. If you cannot add because the congregation already finished (the prayer), add in only one or two in order that you do not hurry in another blessing. You may add as we have outlined in the Order of Supplication.¹⁸See S. H. Bologna, Section 171. If you cannot add, search out for yourself other melodies and when you pray recite them (the prayers) in that melody which is pleasing and sweet in your eyes, in that melody recite your prayers and recite your prayers with devotion and let your heart be drawn after that which comes out of your mouth. For a matter of request and entreaty select a melody which prepares the heart. For praise, a melody which rejoices the heart, in order that your mouth brims with love and joy for Him who sees your heart. And you are to praise Him with broad love and rejoicing. All of those things prepare the heart.
Lamed, why is this letter called lamed? Because of the verse “That thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always”¹⁹The Hebrew word “to learn” shares a common root with the letter Lamed. (Deut. 14:23). For this reason David indicated with the letter lamed the teaching of fear “Come, ye children, harken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Ps. 34:12). Why does he say “children”? Because one who studies in childhood is not like one who learns in his old age. A son whose father led him in good deeds from his early years onward is like one who is accustomed to travel in a wilderness and is trained to find his way to the city. Similarly, he is like one who is accustomed to go by ship on the sea and knows how to direct the ship to the desired harbor. But he who does not know how to go, will go hither and yon, for it is said, “For he knoweth not how to go to the city” (Ecc. 10:15). And again, one who learns in his early years is likened to the sun, moon, stars, and zodiac, for they go in an upright path as it is said, “But they that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might” (Judg. 5:31). And this is as it is said, “But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings” (Mal. 3:20). Therefore it is said, “Come, ye children, etc.… I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Ps. 34:12). This is the teaching of the secret of fear. The letter lamed is larger than all the letters,²⁰Height-wise, lamed is taller than all other letters. for the discipline of fear is greater than all, for it is said, “O, that they had such a part as this always, to fear Me etc.…” (Deut. 5:26). Behold before him is the greatest of all, therefore lamed is greater than all the letters and its name is greater than all and it is written, “Happy is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in His commandments” (Ps. 1:12).

Charity prevents threatened punishment from Heaven, and in famine it delivereth from death, as in the story of the widow of Zarephath.¹I Kings 17.

It is from the roots of the commandment [that] since God, may He be blessed, chose the tribe of Levi from among his brothers for his service in the Temple always, therefore it was from His kindness to them to give them their sustenance in an honorable way. As so is it proper for the servants of the King that their meals should be readied for them by others - that they should prepare it for them and that [the Levites] should not have to toil in anything besides the precious service of the King. And even though they were twelve tribes - and according to their equal portion, it would have been fitting that they take one twelfth part - this advantage to them is also for their glory. As since they are from the house of the King, it is fitting that their portion be more than all [the rest] of them. And it is a big advantage that the tenth part come to them free from all of the expenses of the land. And the blessing of God, may He be blessed, rests upon everything that belongs to the one who sustains the servants of God with his money. And this is what they, may their memory be blessed, said (Mishnah Avot 3:13), "Tithes are a safeguarding fence around wealth." They, may their memory be blessed, also said (Taanit 9a) that it is forbidden for a person to think in his heart and say, "I will test if God does good to me [for] my involvement in His commandments"; and about that which is similar to this is it stated (Deuteronomy 6:16), "Do not test the Lord, your God" - except for in this commandment. As it is permitted to test if God will bless him [for] his doing it and [for] his being alacritous about it. And it is made explicit by the prophets, as it is stated (Malachi 3:10), "Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse, etc. and put Me to the test with it, said the Lord."

And likewise included in this commandment is not to do the commandments of God, blessed be He, by way of testing, such that a person do a commandment to test whether God, may He be blessed, will reward him in His righteousness; and not from his love of God and his fear of Him. And let it not be difficult to you that which they, may their memory be blessed, said in the first chapter of Tractate Taanit 9a, "'A tithe shall you tithe (te'aser)' (Deuteronomy 14:22)? Take a tithe (asser) so that you will become wealthy (titasher)." As they have already answered it there and said that in all the commandments is it stated, "Do not test," except in this [one] of tithes, as it is stated (Malachi 3:10), "Bring the whole tithe into the storeroom,[...] and test Me now by this, etc." And the reason for this is like the matter that is written (Proverbs 19:17), "He is lending to God, he who is gracious to the poor" - meaning to say that God, may He be blessed, has informed us that it is through our financing the servants of His house with tithes that purpose and blessing is found in our money, no matter what, and [that] no matter of sin or iniquity will impinge on it. And the reason for the prohibition of testing about the commandments is because the reward for the commandments is not in this world; and as they expounded in Tractate Avodah Zarah 3a, "Today is the day to do them, but tomorrow" - meaning the world to come - "is [the day] to take their reward." And [about] that which they, may their memory be blessed said (Bava Batra 10b), "One who says, 'This coin is for charity in order that my son should live,' behold, he is completely righteous" - the wise commentators have answered [that it is when he decides in his heart to give it whether [his son] lives or does not live, as this is not testing God.