December 8

OT-- Hosea 10:1-14:9

Check out this video teaching of the Book of Hosea.



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Maybe this is because I despise poetry so much but this was so much better than what I have been reading.

Psalm 127
Also known as the children praise psalm. Clearly whoever wrote it was not in the middle of the teenage years with their kids. But beautiful none the less.

1. A song of ascents about Solomon. If the Lord will not build a house, its builders have toiled at it in vain; if the Lord will not guard a city, [its] watcher keeps his vigil in vain. א. שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לִשְׁלֹמֹה אִם יְהֹוָה | לֹא יִבְנֶה בַיִת שָׁוְא | עָמְלוּ בוֹנָיו בּוֹ אִם יְהֹוָה לֹא יִשְׁמָר עִיר שָׁוְא | שָׁקַד שׁוֹמֵר:
A song of ascents about Solomon: This song David recited about his son, Solomon, for he saw through the holy spirit that he [Solomon] was destined to build the Temple, and on that very day, Solomon would marry Pharaoh’s daughter, and concerning this was said (Jer. 32:31): “For this city has aroused My anger and My wrath since the day they built it.” Therefore, he recited this song. My son, why should you build a house and turn away from following the Omnipresent? Since He does not desire it, its workers have toiled at it in vain.
[its] watcher keeps his vigil in vain: The watchman watches it in vain.
2. It is futile for you who arise early, who sit late, who eat the bread of toil, so will the Lord give to one who banishes sleep from himself. ב. שָׁוְא לָכֶם | מַשְׁכִּימֵי קוּם מְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁבֶת אֹכְלֵי לֶחֶם הָעֲצָבִים כֵּן יִתֵּן לִידִידוֹ שֵׁנָא:
It is futile for you: The craftsmen, who rise early and stay late at their work and sustain themselves with toil and labor, with bread of toil, [i.e.,] of the toil of work.
so will the Lord give: The Holy One, blessed be He, [will give] sustenance to him who banishes his sleep from his eyes in order to engage in the Torah.
to one who banishes sleep: Heb. לידידו שנא. to one who banishes (מנדד) sleep from his eyes.
3. Behold, the heritage of the Lord is sons, the reward is the fruit of the innards. ג. הִנֵּה נַחֲלַת יְהֹוָה בָּנִים שָֹכָר פְּרִי הַבָּטֶן:
Behold, the heritage of the Lord: for that man [who banishes sleep from his eyes].
sons: These are the disciples whom he sets up, who are to him like sons.
the reward is the fruit of the innards: The reward is the fruit of the Torah that is in his heart as it is said (Prov. 22:18): “For it is pleasant that you guard them in your innards.”
4. Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the sons of one's youth. ד. כְּחִצִּים בְּיַד גִּבּוֹר כֵּן בְּנֵי הַנְּעוּרִים:
Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man: with which to battle his enemies.
so are the sons of one’s youth: The disciples that a man sets up in his youth.
5. Praiseworthy is the man who has filled his quiver with them; they will not be ashamed when they talk to the enemies in the gate. ה. אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר מִלֵּא אֶת אַשְׁפָּתוֹ מֵהֶם לֹא יֵבֹשׁוּ כִּי יְדַבְּרוּ אֶת אוֹיְבִים בַּשָּׁעַר:
Praiseworthy is the man who has filled his quiver: with those arrows. אשפה is the arrowcase, called cuyvre in Old French.
they will not be ashamed when they talk to the enemies in the gate: Torah scholars who defeat one another in halachah and appear as enemies to one another (addendum).