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Shabbat Isaiah 56

In the words of Rabbi Shalom Arush [author of "Garden of Emunah"]
"גן האמונה העולמי" (page 416) :

"The Nations of the World have a portion of Shabbat as it says in Is...'it is a mitzvah for each non-Jew to receive Shabbat , for Shabbat is universal to all of Mankind....Everyone needs to Remember the Shabbat, and the day of relaxation is the 7th Day'....'Remember the Day of Shabbat to Sanctify it' - is incumbent for all the Nations."

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The Ger Lexicon

Remember the Covenant of the Ancients!

אוניברסיטת בר-אילן

הפקולטה למדעי היהדות

לשכת רב הקמפוס

---

ד ף   ש ב ו ע י

מאת היחידה ללימודי יסוד ביהדות

מספר 728

פרשת חיי שרה, תשס"ח

גֵר וגיור  בתרגום אונקלוס

הרב ד"ר רפאל ב' פוזן

המדרשה לנשים והמחלקה לתנ"ך

This is an article by HaRav Dr. Rafael Pozen:

Ger is a term used in Torah. As many know by now, it can mean anything from stranger, alien, convert, Noahde, and more. Onkelos was a Bible Commentator approximately 2,000 years ago who perhaps was the first to document the "Ger Code."

Ger Code is effectively a system of explaining the Torah's text on a simple and systematic level while remaining true to the literal meaning within the original text. Although the Torah comes across vague when entertaining the various Ger references, Onkelos is able to shed brilliant light on perhaps the Torah's most concealed Nation - The Eternal Ger.

This essay attempts to provide a beginners look at a lexicon that forms from the Onkelos Commentary. From this point onward, one should begin to see the various uses of the Ger as he goes through grammatical chaos [AKA the Hebrew Language at its best].

We will be introduced to:

• Ger
• Ger Toshav
• Ger Tzedek
• Ger - Conversion [Giur]
• Ger - Dweller
• Ger - Fear
• Ger - religious
• Ger - resident
• Onkelos' perspective of these terms as they come up in Torah
• Ger Mitzvot

There really is only one Ger, and he is simply called "Ger." However there are many types of Ger, for technically Ger is a term that represents all of Mankind. As we splinter into many types of Ger, remember, there is only one Ger. Where there Torah mentions him, is in regards to Mitzvot. After becoming familiar with the map do not forget the territory! When you read the Torah, and you come upon a mitzvah [and a Ger moment] - if your heart and soul cries out "Ger!" - then embrace the moment, for this is Ger. The rest is just commentary. Baruch Hashem.

Onkelos:
הצירוף "גר ותושב אנכי עמכם" (כג:ד) מזמן התבוננות בכמה מתרגומי אונקלוס (להלן: ת"א) לשם  גֵּר ולפועל "גור"
We can join the words "Ger" and "Toshav" [Genesis 23:4 - Abraham 'the resident and alien'] based on Onkelos' Bible Commentary.  
א. גֵּרוּת הוא מושג דתי - קבלת אמונת ישראל, וגם מושג משפטי - ישיבה בארץ זרה. מכאן מתרגם אונקלוס גֵּר בשלושה אופנים:
 Conversion - Ger is the acceptance of the "Jewish Faith" [religious] and/or the status of living in a foreign land. This can be explained in 3 ways:

• נכרי שהתייהד מתורגם גִּיוֹרָא, כגון "וכי יגור אתך גר ועשה פסח לה'" (שמ' יב:מח) - "וַאֲרֵי  יִתְגַּיַּיר עִמְּכוֹן גִּיוֹרָא"

A non-Jew that takes up Judaism from interest is called "גיורא" by the Onkelos Commentary. An example is used [Shemos 12:48] in relation to Passover Offering. The Biblical word is "גר" and the Aramaic is "גיורא"

• גר תושב, נכרי שלא קבל עליו עול מצוות, מתורגם עֲרַל תּוֹתַב (ערל תושב) או תּוֹתַב עֲרַל, כגון "ונמכר לגר תושב" (ויק' כה:מז) - "וְיִזְדַּבַּן לַעֲרַל תּוֹתַב"; "לגר אשר בשעריך תִּתְּנֶנָּה" (דב' יד:כא) - "לְתוֹתַב עֲרַל דִּבְקִרְוָךְ תִּתְּנִינַּהּ". על גר מסוגו נאמר בתוכחה "הגר אשר בקרבך יעלה עליך מעלה מעלה" (דב' כח:מג) "תּוֹתַב עֲרַל דְּבֵינָךְ יְהֵי סָלֵיק עֵיל מִינָּךְ לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא". 

A Ger Toshav is a Nochri [non-Jew] who has not accepted all of the Mitzvot [613] to which he is termed uncircumcised [Vayikra 25:47]. The Onkelos Commentary calls him "ערל תותב" [uncircumcised resident]. This is also the way it is written in regards to the mitzvah to give meat to the "Ger in your gate" [Devarim 14:21].

• תושב שאינו קבוע, שגם הוא מכונה גֵּר, מתורגם דַּיָּיר כבפניית אברהם לבני חת בפרשתנו: "גר ותושב אנֹכי עמכם" (כג:ד) - "דַּיָּיר וְתוֹתַב אֲנָא עִמְּכוֹן". וכן בברית בין הבתרים: "יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כי גר יהיה זרעך בארץ לא להם" (בר' טו:יג) "אֲרֵי דַיָּירִין יְהוֹן בְּנָךְ". והואיל וגם מעמדו של אדם בעולם אינו קבוע, תרגם "כי גרים ותושבים אתם עמדי" (ויק' כה:כג) "אֲרֵי דַיָּרִין וְתוֹתָבִין אַתּוּן קֳדָמָי"

A non-permanent resident is also called "Ger" [Genesis 23:4 - "דייר" - dweller].

ב. הפועל "גור" בא במקרא בשלוש הוראות: (א) שָׁכַן 

(ב) יָרֵא (ג) הִתְגָּרָה זָמַם לְהַתְקִיף.המתרגם מבחין בין שני המשמעים הראשונים של גו"ר, על פי ההקשר ועל פי אותיות היחס: גו"ר הבא בהקשר למָקום מוצרכות לו מילות היחס 'ב-' ו'עם'. 'לגור ב-', עניינו דיור ומגורים, כגון "ויגר אברהם ב ארץ פלשתים" (בר' כא:לד) "וְאִתּוֹתַב אַבְרָהָם" . כנגד זאת לָגוּר מִפְּנֵי   משמעו מורא, כגון "וַיָּגָר מואב מפני העם" (במ' כב:ג) - " וּדְחֵיל מוֹאֲבָאָה" . הבחנתו הבהירה של המתרגם שימשה בדורות מאוחרים יסוד להערות מסורה, הבאות להבחין בין משמעיה השונים של המילה 'וַיָּגָר'.

The usage "Gur" [derivitive of Ger] comes in 3 ways: neighbor, fear, fright

ג. "גור" בהוראה הראשונה, לשון מגורים, מתורגם בשלושה אופנים: בלשון דירה כגון, "וַיָּגָר שם במתירָהָם", ובלשון גִּיּוּר כגון "וכייגור אתך גר" (שמ' יב:יט) - "וַאֲרֵי יִתְגַּיַיר עִמְּכוֹן גִּיוֹרָא". ההבחנה בין דו"ר ל מעט" (דב' כו:ה) - "וְדָר תַמָּן"; בלשון ישיבה כגון, "וַיָּגָר אברהם" (בר'  כא:לד) - "וְאִתּוֹתַב אַבְבין ית"ב שלכאורה אינה ברורה, מתבררת מהצירוף "גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב" (בר' כג:ד) המבטא על פי תפיסת הקדמונים שני סוגי סטטוס: 'גר' - תושב ארעי; 'תושב' - אזרח קבע. ומעין זה בת"א: "דַּיָּיר וְתוֹתַב".  הבחנה זו כללית היא בארמית. כל דו"ר מציין ישיבה ארעית, וכל ית"ב מציין ישיבת קבע, השווה "ארץ מְגֻרֵיהֶם אשר גָּרוּ בה" (שמ' ו:ד) - "אֲרַע תּוֹתָבוּתְהוֹן דְאִתּוֹתַבוּ בָהּ" המציין מגורים קבועים, לעומת "עם לבן גרתי" (בר' לב:ה) - "עִם לָבָן דַּרִית", כישיבת ארעי.   

The usage [Grammatical Ger: (to) Gur] of "to dwell" can be seen in the Biblical as "Gar" and "Giur" [the former being more literal and the latter showing that "to convert" is not the definition on any level in these instances].

 ואולם המשמע השלישי - גיור – תמוה, כי מה  עניין גיור למגורים? ידוע שהמונח "גֵּר"   עבר גלגולי משמע: במקרא, ובייחוד בתורה, "גֵּר" הוא בן המעמד השפל. רק לאחר דורות מרובים קלט מונח זה תוכן דתי, וה"גר" נעשה 'גר צדק' במשנה ובתלמוד.  סביר שהתפתחות זו עומדת ביסוד התרגום של "גר" – "גִּיוֹרָא", שהוא המונח הנפוץ בת"א לבן נכר המצטרף לקהל ישראל.  ועדיין יש לשאול: מה טעם תרגם גם את "יָגוּר" כלשון גיור ("יִתְגַּיַּיר", מבניין אתפעל), תחת שיתרגם "וכי יגור" - וַאֲרֵי יְדוּר" בפועל "דור" בבניין קל? והרי פשוטו של הציווי על אהבת "הַגֵּר הַגָּר אתכם"' (ויק' יט:לד) מכוון לגר היושב בארץ או דר בה, ומתבקש תרגום ב"יתב" או "דור", בעוד שתרגומו הקבוע ל"גר" בלשון 'גיור' מלבד שאינו מדויק, עלול גם לגרור פרשנות המצמצמת את הציווי

[paraphrased]: The original "Ger" of the Onkelos Commentary [Onkelos was a Ger] was a non-Jew who joined onto the congregation of Israel. Only after many years [or many years of developmental Judaism] did the Ger/Ger process imply a Ger Tzedek - conversion status. A direct result of the Ger-semantics [when explaining Ger-usage in regards to dwelling with Jews,etc.] is an innate confusion from the extrapolation of the term Ger as it becomes Gior (Gee-ore) [גיור] grammatically in context to dwelling. Often it can be mistaken for Yitgayair [Ger derivitive in grammar] (גיור/יתגייר) and this causes a limitation onto the mitzvah to "Love the Ger."

יש והקפדתו של אונקלוס על המינוח 'גיורא' לגר צדק - לעומת גר המתורגם 'דייר' (תושב זמני) - עושה את התרגום לבלתי מובן, כדרך שהעיר רפל: "בארבעה מקומות, מנמקת התורה את חובת היחס ההוגן אל הגר במלים: כי גרים הייתם בארץ מצרים. אונק' מתרגם בכל המקראות האלה גרים – 'דיירין', ועל ידי תרגום זה נעלם הטיעון המרכזי שבפסוק: הדמיון שבין גורל בני ישראל במצרים ובין גורל הגר הגר בתוכם" (דב רפל, תרגום אונקלוס כפירוש לתורה, תל אביב תשמ"ה, עמ' 98). וראו למשל תרגומו לפסוק "כאזרח מכם יהיה לכם הגר הגר אתכם ואהבת לו כמוך כי גרים הייתם בארץ מצרים" (ויק' יט:לד) – "כיציבא מנכון יהי לכון גיורא דיתגייר עמכון, ותרחם ליה כותך, ארי דיירין הויתון בארעא דמצרים". בלשון דומה מעיר גם אוריאל סימון, "משמעותם הדתית של הפשטות המתחדשים", בתוך המקרא ואנחנו , תל אביב תשל"ט, עמ' 152: "התורה מצוה: 'ואהבתם את הגר כי גרים הייתם בארץ מצרים' (דב' י:יט). ועל מנת לקיים את פירוש חז"ל, שהכתוב מדבר בגר צדק, נאלץ אונקלוס לתרגם את התיבה גר בצורה שונה ברישא ובסיפא: ... גיורא, ארי דיירין... . הפרה זו של המשוואה שבכתוב משקפת היטב את גודל הסטייה מן הפשט, המתייחס בלי ספק לכל המועט לגר תושב".

***[point of paraphrase] Ger Tzedek to Onkelos' Commentary [in regards to the mitzvah 'love the Ger'] is at the very least a Ger Toshav, someone who has tenure living on the Land or with Torah Jews.

ולדוגמא השווה רס"ג: "וכי יגור אתך וכו' (שמ' יב:יט) – וכי יבוא בתוככם זר ורצה לעשות פסח". ספק רב אם "יבוא בתוככם" עניינו גיור, אפשר בהחלט שהכוונה היא "יבוא לגור בתוככם". מכל מקום מן העובדה שרס"ג לא כתב מפורשות "יתגייר" (אף על פי שבודאי לא בא לחלוק על מסורת ההלכה שמדובר בגר צדק), מוכח שלא ראה ב"יתגייר" תרגום ההולם את המקרא. גם אין לתלות בתרגום "יתגייר" רמיזה למסורות הלכה. ואף על פי שמצינו במכילתא (מסכתא דפסחא פרשה טו): "וכי יגור אתך גר ועשה פסח לה'" -שומע אני כיון שנתגייר יעשה פסח מיד? ת"ל והיה כאזרח הארץ. מה אזרח בי"ד אף גר בי"ד" - אין הלכה זו מעידה על משמעו של "יגור" במשמע נתגייר. כל שעולה ממנה הוא ש"גֵּר" באותו מקרא הוא גר צדק, וכדי לשקף הלכה זו, די היה לאונקלוס לתרגם "ואריידור עמכון גיורא"

ולא היה צריך לתרגם "וארי יתגייר עמכון גיורא"

***[point of paraphrase] The Passover Offering [to be brought] is by halacha a Ger Tzedek. Onkelos however refuses to use the term of conversion, rather he goes with a dweller who becomes permanently attached to his new [Torah] dwelling.

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Curriculum For New Ger Series [lite] 2.0

Are you ready to find the path to Jerusalem? Is your heart in the Temple? Do you wonder which Gate you will enter?

This new series will bring answers and light to the age old questions - "Who is included in the Kingdom of Israel" and "Who was standing at Sinai?"

Now Mankind can know where he stands in the Coming Temple, and to which Tribe he will stand with.



Bereishis 23:4
  גֵּר-וְתוֹשָׁב אָנֹכִי, עִמָּכֶם; תְּנוּ לִי אֲחֻזַּת-קֶבֶר עִמָּכֶם, וְאֶקְבְּרָה מֵתִי מִלְּפָנָי
 'I am a [Ger] with you: give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight

Bereishis 15:13
 וַיֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָם, יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי-גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם, וַעֲבָדוּם, וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם--אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת, שָׁנָה
 And He said unto Abram: 'Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a [Ger] in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years


Bereishis 35:27
  וַיָּבֹא יַעֲקֹב אֶל-יִצְחָק אָבִיו, מַמְרֵא קִרְיַת הָאַרְבַּע--הִוא חֶבְרוֹן, אֲשֶׁר-גָּר-שָׁם אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק  
And Jacob came unto Isaac his father to Mamre, to Kiriatharba--the same is Hebron--where Abraham and Isaac [Ger]

Shemos 23:12
  שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂיךָ, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי תִּשְׁבֹּת--לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ, שׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרֶךָ, וְיִנָּפֵשׁ בֶּן-אֲמָתְךָ, וְהַגֵּר  
Six days thou shalt do thy work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest; that thine ox and thine ass may have rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the [Ger], may be refreshed

Shemos 2:22
  וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן, וַיִּקְרָא אֶת-שְׁמוֹ גֵּרְשֹׁם:  כִּי אָמַר--גֵּר הָיִיתִי, בְּאֶרֶץ נָכְרִיָּה    
And she bore a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said: 'I have been a [Ger] in a strange land'

Shemos 18:3
  וְאֵת, שְׁנֵי בָנֶיהָ:  אֲשֶׁר שֵׁם הָאֶחָד, גֵּרְשֹׁם--כִּי אָמַר, גֵּר הָיִיתִי בְּאֶרֶץ נָכְרִיָּה
 and her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Gershom; for he said: 'I have been a [Ger] in a strange land

Shemos 12:48
  וְכִי-יָגוּר אִתְּךָ גֵּר, וְעָשָׂה פֶסַח לַיהוָה--הִמּוֹל לוֹ כָל-זָכָר וְאָז יִקְרַב לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ, וְהָיָה כְּאֶזְרַח הָאָרֶץ; וְכָל-עָרֵל, לֹא-יֹאכַל בּוֹ
 And when a [Ger] shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised 
person shall eat thereof

Shemos 22:20
  וְגֵר לֹא-תוֹנֶה, וְלֹא תִלְחָצֶנּוּ:  כִּי-גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם, בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם  
And a [Ger] shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt

Shemos 23:9
  וְגֵר, לֹא תִלְחָץ; וְאַתֶּם, יְדַעְתֶּם אֶת-נֶפֶשׁ הַגֵּר--כִּי-גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם, בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם  
And a [Ger] shalt thou not oppress; for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt

Shemos 12:19
  שִׁבְעַת יָמִים--שְׂאֹר, לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּבָתֵּיכֶם:  כִּי כָּל-אֹכֵל מַחְמֶצֶת, וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מֵעֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל--בַּגֵּר, וּבְאֶזְרַח הָאָרֶץ  
Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses; for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a [Ger], or one that is born in the land

Shemos 20:9
  וְיוֹם, הַשְּׁבִיעִי--שַׁבָּת, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ:  לֹא-תַעֲשֶׂה כָל-מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ, עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ, וְגֵרְךָ, אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ
 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy [Ger] that is within thy 
gates


Vayikra 25:47
  וְכִי תַשִּׂיג, יַד גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ, וּמָךְ אָחִיךָ, עִמּוֹ; וְנִמְכַּר, לְגֵר תּוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ, אוֹ לְעֵקֶר, מִשְׁפַּחַת גֵּר
 And if a [Ger] who is a settler with thee be waxen rich, and thy brother be waxen poor beside him, and sell himself unto the stranger who is a settler with thee, or to the offshoot of a stranger's family

Vayikra 19:33
  וְכִי-יָגוּר אִתְּךָ גֵּר, בְּאַרְצְכֶם--לֹא תוֹנוּ, אֹתוֹ  
And if a [Ger] sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not do him wrong

Vayikra 25:23
  וְהָאָרֶץ, לֹא תִמָּכֵר לִצְמִתֻת--כִּי-לִי, הָאָרֶץ:  כִּי-גֵרִים וְתוֹשָׁבִים אַתֶּם, עִמָּדִי  
And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is Mine; for ye are [Gerim] and settlers with Me

Vayikra 17:8
  וַאֲלֵהֶם תֹּאמַר--אִישׁ אִישׁ מִבֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמִן-הַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר-יָגוּר בְּתוֹכָם:  אֲשֶׁר-יַעֲלֶה עֹלָה, אוֹ-זָבַח
 And thou shalt say unto them: Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the [Ger] that sojourn among them, that offereth a burnt-offering or sacrifice

Vayikra 20:2
  וְאֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, תֹּאמַר, אִישׁ אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִן-הַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן מִזַּרְעוֹ לַמֹּלֶךְ, מוֹת יוּמָת; עַם הָאָרֶץ, יִרְגְּמֻהוּ בָאָבֶן
 Moreover, thou shalt say to the children of Israel: Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the [Ger] that sojourn in Israel, that giveth of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone 
him with stones

Vayikra 18:26
  וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אַתֶּם, אֶת-חֻקֹּתַי וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי, וְלֹא תַעֲשׂוּ, מִכֹּל הַתּוֹעֵבֹת הָאֵלֶּה:  הָאֶזְרָח, וְהַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם  
Ye therefore shall keep My statutes and Mine ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the home-born, nor the [Ger] that sojourneth among you

Vayikra 22:18
  דַּבֵּר אֶל-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל-בָּנָיו, וְאֶל כָּל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַרְתָּ, אֲלֵהֶם:  אִישׁ אִישׁ מִבֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִן-הַגֵּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר יַקְרִיב קָרְבָּנוֹ לְכָל-נִדְרֵיהֶם וּלְכָל-נִדְבוֹתָם, אֲשֶׁר-יַקְרִיבוּ לַיהוָה, לְעֹלָה  
Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them: Whosoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the [Gerim] in Israel, that bringeth his offering, whether it be any of their vows, or any of their 
free-will-offerings, which are brought unto the LORD for a burnt-offering

Vayikra 16:29
  וְהָיְתָה לָכֶם, לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם:  בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ תְּעַנּוּ אֶת-נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם, וְכָל-מְלָאכָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ--הָאֶזְרָח, וְהַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם  
And it shall be a statute for ever unto you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and shall do no manner of work, the home-born, or the [Ger] that sojourneth among you

Vayikra 24:16
  וְנֹקֵב שֵׁם-יְהוָה מוֹת יוּמָת, רָגוֹם יִרְגְּמוּ-בוֹ כָּל-הָעֵדָה:  כַּגֵּר, כָּאֶזְרָח--בְּנָקְבוֹ-שֵׁם, יוּמָת  
And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him; as well the [Ger], as the home-born, when he blasphemeth the Name, shall be put to death

Bamidbar 9:14
  וְכִי-יָגוּר אִתְּכֶם גֵּר, וְעָשָׂה פֶסַח לַיהוָה--כְּחֻקַּת הַפֶּסַח וּכְמִשְׁפָּטוֹ, כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה:  חֻקָּה אַחַת יִהְיֶה לָכֶם, וְלַגֵּר וּלְאֶזְרַח הָאָרֶץ  
 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD: according to the statute of the passover, and according to the ordinance thereof, so shall he do; ye shall have one statute, both for the [Ger], 
and for him that is born in the land'

Bamidbar 15:14
  וְכִי-יָגוּר אִתְּכֶם גֵּר אוֹ אֲשֶׁר-בְּתוֹכְכֶם, לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם, וְעָשָׂה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ-נִיחֹחַ, לַיהוָה--כַּאֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּ, כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה  
And if a [Ger] sojourn with you, or whosoever may be among you, throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall do

Bamidbar 19:10
  וְכִבֶּס הָאֹסֵף אֶת-אֵפֶר הַפָּרָה, אֶת-בְּגָדָיו, וְטָמֵא, עַד-הָעָרֶב; וְהָיְתָה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכָם--לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם  
And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even; and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the [Ger] that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever

Bamidbar 35:15
  לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלַגֵּר וְלַתּוֹשָׁב בְּתוֹכָם, תִּהְיֶינָה שֵׁשׁ-הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, לְמִקְלָט--לָנוּס שָׁמָּה, כָּל-מַכֵּה-נֶפֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָה
 For the children of Israel, and for the [Ger] and for the settler among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that every one that killeth any person through error may flee thither

Devarim 27:19
  אָרוּר, מַטֶּה מִשְׁפַּט גֵּר-יָתוֹם--וְאַלְמָנָה; וְאָמַר כָּל-הָעָם, אָמֵן
 Cursed be he that perverteth the justice due to the [Ger], fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say: Amen

Devarim 10:18
  עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפַּט יָתוֹם, וְאַלְמָנָה; וְאֹהֵב גֵּר, לָתֶת לוֹ לֶחֶם וְשִׂמְלָה  
He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the [Ger], in giving him food and raiment

Devarim 24:17
 לֹא תַטֶּה, מִשְׁפַּט גֵּר יָתוֹם; וְלֹא תַחֲבֹל, בֶּגֶד אַלְמָנָה  
Thou shalt not pervert the justice due to the [Ger], or to the fatherless; nor take the widow's raiment to pledge

Devarim 23:8
  לֹא-תְתַעֵב אֲדֹמִי, כִּי אָחִיךָ הוּא; לֹא-תְתַעֵב מִצְרִי, כִּי-גֵר הָיִיתָ בְאַרְצוֹ  
Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother; thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian, because thou wast a [Ger] in his land

Devarim 18:6
  וְכִי-יָבֹא הַלֵּוִי מֵאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ, מִכָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר-הוּא, גָּר שָׁם; וּבָא בְּכָל-אַוַּת נַפְשׁוֹ, אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר-יִבְחַר יְהוָה  
And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he [Ger], and come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which the LORD shall choose

Devarim 28:43
  הַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבְּךָ, יַעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ מַעְלָה מָּעְלָה; וְאַתָּה תֵרֵד, מַטָּה מָּטָּה  
The [Ger] that is in the midst of thee shall mount up above thee higher and higher; and thou shalt come down lower and lower

Devarim 26:12
  כִּי תְכַלֶּה לַעְשֵׂר אֶת-כָּל-מַעְשַׂר תְּבוּאָתְךָ, בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁת--שְׁנַת הַמַּעֲשֵׂר:  וְנָתַתָּה לַלֵּוִי, לַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה, וְאָכְלוּ בִשְׁעָרֶיךָ, וְשָׂבֵעוּ  
Then thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, to the [Ger], to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, 
and be satisfied

Devarim 29:12
  טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם--וְגֵרְךָ, אֲשֶׁר בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ:  מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ, עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶיךָ  
your little ones, your wives, and thy [Ger] that is in the midst of thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water

Devarim 5:13
  וְיוֹם, הַשְּׁבִיעִי--שַׁבָּת, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ:  לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל-מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ-וּבִתֶּךָ וְעַבְדְּךָ-וַאֲמָתֶךָ וְשׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרְךָ וְכָל-בְּהֶמְתֶּךָ, וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ--לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ, כָּמוֹךָ  
but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, 
nor thy [Ger] that is within thy gates; that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou

Devarim 14:21
  לֹא תֹאכְלוּ כָל-נְבֵלָה לַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר-בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ תִּתְּנֶנָּה וַאֲכָלָהּ, אוֹ מָכֹר לְנָכְרִי--כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ; לֹא-תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי, בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ  
Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself; thou mayest give it unto the [Ger] that is within thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto a foreigner; for thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not 
seethe a kid in its mother's milk 

Devarim 31:12
  הַקְהֵל אֶת-הָעָם, הָאֲנָשִׁים וְהַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף, וְגֵרְךָ, אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ--לְמַעַן יִשְׁמְעוּ וּלְמַעַן יִלְמְדוּ, וְיָרְאוּ אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וְשָׁמְרוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת, אֶת-כָּל-דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת  
Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and thy [Ger] that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law

Devarim 24:14
  לֹא-תַעֲשֹׁק שָׂכִיר, עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן, מֵאַחֶיךָ, אוֹ מִגֵּרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּאַרְצְךָ בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ  
Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy [Ger] that are in thy land within thy gates

Devarim 26:11
  וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל-הַטּוֹב, אֲשֶׁר נָתַן-לְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ--וּלְבֵיתֶךָ:  אַתָּה, וְהַלֵּוִי, וְהַגֵּר, אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבֶּךָ  
And thou shalt rejoice in all the good which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the [Ger] that is in the midst of thee



Isaiah 14:1
  כִּי יְרַחֵם יְהוָה אֶת-יַעֲקֹב, וּבָחַר עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהִנִּיחָם, עַל-אַדְמָתָם; וְנִלְוָה הַגֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם, וְנִסְפְּחוּ עַל-בֵּית יַעֲקֹב  
For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land; and the [Ger] shall join himself with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob

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[Honoring] Precious Sons of Noah

Giving Educated Resources: Understanding How Life is Precious

Rabbi David Katz

One can make a solid argument against the Torah's naysayers, that the ancient wisdom invested within her holy ink is actually more relevant in today's Google Universe, than in the days of Moshe Rabbeinu himself. As bombastic as this claim is, and as not entirely true as it may be, there is a truth to this. In fact, what we are after as a People is not the dogma contained in draconian religious practices, rather the Torah's brilliance in our current model of society. Fate does come with a sense of irony however, for it seems the further we drift away from Sinai's echo, the more the Torah fills the layman [un-Moses] infrastructure.

Modern man was destined for greatness; while his standard for "honor" is wasted, his ability to grasp Hashem's precious ways shall serve as Mankind's path to eternity. What makes this possible, is our ability to recognize that which is precious, and our current civilization specializes in just that. In a World that has forgotten its Torah, what else is would there be?

To summarize the current state of affairs, the Torah is gone, we have nice stuff, and we are left with empty religious practices that promise us more Torah, better stuff, and greater religion in a World that is portrayed as just a slightly better place [albeit more fantastic] than our current abode.

One of the Torah's agencies of greater living as per the Mitzvot, is obvious instruction of better practical living. Contrast this particular theme with that of "how to bring a sin-offering" and we can begin to see at least two running story lines in basic "Mitzvah-theory" - there is practical, every day mundane living, and alongside it is the holier side of the equation; religion proper. Being that the true religion contained within Torah is not practiced in its normative way today, the default has gravitated toward an emphasis on character refinement and quality life with merit and blessing.

One mitzvah that entails all of the latter, is the esteemed command to honor one's mother and father. To do so is promised merit and blessing, and one need not think too long for the obvious ethical gain in its proper performance. Yet this is where the limitations of a frail human mind causes the divine soul to starve, for questions of reality, worth, value, practicality, purpose, and every other type of existential angst pollute the common sense of the practitioner and places preventative measures on an otherwise blazed trail. The destination never changes, as we trek along through time hoping to achieve a state of normal, but oddly, we always seem to end up boldly going where no man has gone before.

The mitzvah to honor one's father and mother is one of the Ten Commandments and is coupled with an enigmatic signature, claiming that should one successfully find honor, he or she will have a length of days on the Land that Hashem gives. Most often, when people recall this mitzvah, the detail of longevity does not come up, it is thought to be strangely simple to perform [which is then a cause to exclude as being deemed not important or inadequate for further research], and positive Biblical precedent is not even a consideration.

Being that this is a major component when analyzing Israel's main antagonists in the Torah, with cliché enemies such as Esav and Yishmael, who rose to prominence through their persistent honor given to Abraham and Isaac respectively, Torah observance through Judaism expects one to just know/do it - and move on about your living. If only it were so simple, perhaps The Land of Israel would be permanently inhabited and occupied with the Third Temple as promised!

For the purist who seeks the truth and does not loathe the commandments, the Torah offers a complete system that allows one to fully connect with original intent of the precept of how/when/who/etc. to properly honor and in a healthy way. Between the Talmud's explanation and discourse on the subject [Kiddushin 31a] along with the episode of Noah's debasing and revenge through the episode of Noah and his three sons [Genesis Noah 9:20-27], anyone can grasp the true ancient wisdom.

Under these terms the religious element will yield to spiritual development. For one should not seek to honor from a position of moral obligation [that can prove to become an antithetical endeavor], rather from the reality of the opportunity for real evolutionary enlightenment. When this precept is performed properly, the vessel of the mitzvah stands to shine under the light of the truly precious image that God designed and engineered into the fabric of the Torah, reality, and our [created] consciousness. The longer our loved ones are increasingly welcomed into our lives, they become the channel of the ancient wisdom that displays itself through the intimacy of the pre-existing family relationship. In other words, this becomes the Matriarch / Patriarch program. And one must not remember - "length of days on the Land where you reside"; this occurs in the same way as the transfer of Blessing from Malki Tzedek [Shem] and Abraham. Stop and consider this.

The path to prosperity within this Mitzvah is found on the path of its refinement. If "honor"  is wheat, we must struggle to make the bread.

The first step in this process is to turn to the sources that extend out from the Torah, and serve to illuminate her words. We have already identified a little bit of this process, by recognizing the Torah's sister story to this in Noah and sons along with the Talmud. However the quickest spark plug in the creative process is to stay on the page and look into the peripheral; the Torah is never without tools of commentary - each serving a specific and subjective function. The results should be an objective model of the CURRENT UNIVERSE.

When on location with our honor decree, one can easily turn to the standard Aramaic translation of "honor" [Onkelos; dictionaries serve to help crack the nut]. There he removes the biased party lines of 'honor' and replaces the context by means of proper translation: from pre-conceived notions of 'honor' we arrive to 'precious.' Suddenly we stand before a slightly new premise, to hold our parents as precious commodities in our lives. The Torah just shifted from its ethical playground of self-righteous beliefs, and the hidden light reveals itself through a lens of sublime reality. As fast as 'the one who changed your diapers' flies out the window, we stand before the divine revelation of patriarchal testimony of the mysteries of life AND IT'S INHERITANCE STRUCTURE.

The Talmud gives account of the nature of the mitzvah in its state of revealed light, by defining that which is truly precious. In the words of the Rabbis, precious is that which comes from a place of dignity, and remains dignified, not having been trespassed by the breeches of indignation and evoked cruelty by life's own standards. Simply, put, do not rob a person of his honor; and in even simpler terms - do not treat someone as an ISIS victim on any parallel [physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, etc.] level ever. Hence, one is to arrive at having a constant state of preciousness in their family life at all times, and in life and death. The Torah is eternal and its message stays in memory and practice.

The moral of the story is best displayed in the precious moments that we share with Noah and sons. Not only do their actions display the ancient definitions we seek, but Jafeth the son of Noah actually hits the nail on its head best, for he achieved a unification with the ambiguous dictum of "length on land" that signatures the commandment on location.

Once Noah lands on the new world's soul, he strangely debases himself through the planting of a vineyard and subsequently consuming its conscious shifting properties. The Torah makes a figurative account of the events that ensued, for his son Ham tampered with the naked state Noah [A sign of lacking honor; and more specifically harming that which was most precious to Noah his father. This is shown explicitly in the curse that comes upon Ham's lineage] and Shem [who became Malki Tzedek - and thus re-iterated this wisdom through Abraham in their mutual rise to Patriarchal leadership] understood the Torah in its most profound state, and thus simply displayed the proper action to restore cover to Noah his father. The readers are without any trail of how Shem came to this conclusion to avenge what was left of his father's precious dignity.

The hero of the story is the third son of Noah, Jafeth [which is fitting, for he would become the Patriarch to Ancient Greece, a culture famed for its portrayal of heroism]. When the Torah's narrative picks up with Shem covering his father's nakedness, and Ham is clearly on the sidelines of despair and guilt, Japheth is on location in assisting Shem. Immediately after salvation, the story goes into hyper focus through Noah's blessings and curses to the sons of Noah; this would serve as their eternal legacy [as Man] and the Torah takes liberty to capitalize in its literary display of events to teach countless insights into reality here.

Shem receives the Blessing from Noah to remain steadfast in his relationship with Hashem, for he inherits the Tents of Shem." In Torah tradition, this is mastery of Torah, the mission of [creating] Israel [hence Abraham was destined to connect himself to Shem; another revelation of turning honor into precious], and to prepare the World for Torah. As we will now see, Jafeth will fully merit cooperation with Shem in reward for his involvement with this precious deed he performed.

As Ham is cursed by Noah stating that "cursed is Canaan" - the descendants of Ham, it is interesting to note the original Land of Israel was referred to as "The Land of Canaan"; later this would become the Land of Israel. It is here we learn of the fate of Jafeth, for Canaan would be a servant of his descendants as well.

Jafeth's name can mean "to make beautiful" and this often a testimony to Greece's legacy it left on Mankind. However his name literally means to "be extended" and he was, for Jafeth was extended into eternity for being promised a share in the Tents of Shem - as promised by Noah.  Simply put, Jafeth was given a longevity in the Land that God will place him, the Land of Torah. Apropos to this, it was Ham's curse that appropriated this Land to both Shem, Jafeth, and essentially to the Torah Universe. Through Jafeth's precious actions, his name would signify all that he stands for through his prophetic and holy name.

Jafeth honored Noah, but more importantly we see through his hand what that means. Jafeth has shown more than perhaps anybody in Torah history what honoring one's matriarch/patriarch looks like: honor the precious state of existence. In the end, that which is the most precious, will yield the most precious. God has one thing in this world, and that is Zion and the Land of Israel.

Should He make His permanent abode there, and per force in our day and age [as opposed to the normative Biblical feel to reality] the Divine Wisdom mandates that this is achieved through the Mitzvah of Honoring one's parents, and is displayed through the sons of Noah along with the details of the Talmud [the Talmud's account was through agency of the Non-Jew, keeping pace with the overall theme, that precious consciousness comes from outside of one's self].

The Torah does not ask for nomadic honor or a system to ensure it; the Torah reminds you of what is eternally precious, and attempts to continuously grace you with its invaluable ancient wisdom that comes from having simply been born to those who brought you into this World. For one may be wise, but the precious value of yesterday will always be delivered from those who were there to give birth to God's ongoing story of Creation.

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