Kehillah in Rome 9-11

Orthodox Jewish Bible

9 I speak HaEmes in Moshiach, I do not speak sheker, my matzpun (conscience) bearing me eidus (witness) in the Ruach HaKodesh,

² That there is great agmat nefesh to me and unceasing anguish in my heart.

³ For I could wish that my neshamah be put under cherem (ban of destruction), under Churban, and Onesh Gehinnom, cut off from Moshiach for the sake of my achim, my own kinsmen, my people and flesh and blood relatives,

⁴ In as much as they are Bnei Yisroel: theirs is the Mishpat HaBanim Adoption, the Ma’amad HaBanim Standing as Sons, and the Kavod (glory) and the Shechinah (glorious presence of G-d) and the Beritot (covenants), the Torah, the Avodas Kodesh (worship) and the Havtachot (promises);

⁵ Theirs are the Avot (the Patriarchs), and from them came, in so far as his humanity is concerned, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, al hakol hu HaElohim mam’vorach l’Olam va’ed. Omein.

⁶ But it is not as though the Dvar Hashem has failed. For not all those descended from Yisroel are truly redeemed Yisroel (of the eschatological Geulah Redemption).

⁷ Nor is it as though all the banim of K’lal Yisroel are the ZERA of Avraham Avinu, but (as it is written) BEYITZCHAK YIKARE L’CHA ZERA ("In Yitzchak shall your seed be called, named, summoned" BERESHIS 21:12).

⁸ That is, it is not the b’nei habasar (old humanity without hitkhadshut) who are the b’nei HaElohim (children of G-d) but the b’nei HaHavtachah (children of the promise) who are reckoned as ZERA (seed, children, including the right of the heir in relation to the father).

⁹ For this word is one of havtachah (promise): KA’ET SHOV ASHUV UL’SARAH BEN ("About this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son" BERESHIS 18:10,14).

¹⁰ Not only so, but also in the case of Rivkah (Isaac’s wife) who conceived by the one act of sexual intercourse with Yitzchak Avinu.

¹¹ For when they were not yet born nor had they done anything tov or rah, in order that the etzah (wisdom) of the tochnit Hashem (purposeful and willed plan of G-d Ro 8:28) should stand in terms of bechirah (divine election, selection, choosing),

¹² Not from Ma’asim (Works) but from the One who makes the kri’ah (divine summons, call), it was said to her, RAV YA’AVOD TZA’IR ("the elder will serve the younger" BERESHIS 25:23),

¹³ As it is written, VA’OHAV ES YA’AKOV V’ES ESAV SANEITI ("Ya’akov have I loved, but Esau have I hated" MALACHI 1:2-3).

¹⁴ What then shall we say? There is no avla (injustice) with G-d, is there? Chas v’shalom!

¹⁵ For to Moshe Rabbeinu Hashem says, V’CHANNOTI ES ASHER ACHON V’RICHAMETTI ES ASHER ARACHEM ("I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion" SHEMOT 33:19).

¹⁶ So then, it is not a matter of the one who wills or the one who runs. It is a matter of the YAD HASHEM HACHANINAH (the hand of the G-d of gracious, free mercy).

¹⁷ For the Kitvei Hakodesh says to Pharaoh, BA’AVUR ZOT HE’EMADTICHA BA’AVUR HAROTECHA ES KOCHI ULEMA’AN SAPER SHMI BECHOL HA’ARETZ ("For this purpose I raised you up, in order that I might demonstrate in you my power and in order that my Name might be proclaimed in all the earth" SHEMOT 9:16).

¹⁸ So then, to whom Hashem wills Hashem shows chaninah (mercy, free grace), but whom Hashem wills he hardens (that is, makes unresponsive or more mired down in KESHI (stubbornness, hardness)[DEVARIM 9:27].

¹⁹ You will say to me, “Then why does Hashem still find fault? For who has resisted His will?"

²⁰ On the contrary, who are you, a human being, to answer back to G-d? VEYETZER AMAR LEYOTZRO ("Can the pot say to the potter" YESHAYAH 29:16), "Why have you made me thus?"

²¹ Or does the potter not have the right over the clay [YIRMEYAH 18:6] to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

²² But what if naniach (supposing) Hashem, willing to demonstrate His Charon Af Hashem (burning anger of G-d) and to make known His ko’ach (power)[1:18,16], put up with and endured with zitzfleisch (patience) vessels which are objects of G-d’s Charon Af (burning anger), objects made ready for Churban [9:3],

²³ And in order that He might make known the wealth of His kavod (glory) on vessels which are objects of Hashem’s chaninah (mercy, free grace) which He prepared beforehand for kavod? [8:29-30]

²⁴ By which I mean us, whom also He called, not only from the Yehudim but also from the non-Jews,

²⁵ As it says in Hoshea, V’AMARTI L’LO AMMI AMI ATAH ("And I will call the ‘not my people’ my people" HOSHEA 2:25 [23]) and the ‘not loved’ loved;

²⁶ "And it shall be in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they shall be called B’NEI EL CHAI ("sons of the living G-d—HOSHEA 2:1)"

²⁷ Yeshayah proclaims concerning Yisroel, "Even if the number of the Bnei Yisroel are as the sand of the sea, only the She’erit (Remnant) will return (be saved),

²⁸ For Hashem will complete and cut short and will perform His Word on the earth YESHAYAH 10:22-23.

²⁹ And as Yeshayah said beforehand, "Except Adonoi Tzvaot had left us SARID KIM’AT ("some survivors" (Ro 9:7), we would have become like S’dom and we would have been the same as Amora" [YESHAYAH 1:9].

³⁰ What then shall we say? That Goyim who do not pursue Tzedek (righteousness) have attained Tzedek which is Tzedek through emunah,

³¹ Whereas Yisroel pursuing a Tzedek (righteousness) based on the Torah (see Ga 3:12-13) did not arrive at that Torah?

³² Why so? Because it was not on the mekor (basis) of emunah but on the mekor (basis) of [zechus-earning] ma’asim (works 3:20,28; 4:2,6; 9:11-12). They have stumbled over the EVEN NEGEF ("Stone of Stumbling" Isa 8:14; 28:16),

³³ As it is written "Hinei, I place in Tziyon a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and he who believes in Me shall not be put to shame" (Isa 8:14; 28:16).

10 Achim b’Moshiach, the great tshuka (desire, longing) of my lev and my tefillah to Hashem is for the Yeshu’at Yisroel (salvation of Israel).

² For I can be meid (provide testimony, attest) regarding them that they have a kinat Hashem (zeal for G-d), but not in accordance with saving binah and da’as.

³ For, having no saving da’as of the Tzidkat Hashem (the righteousness of G-d), and seeking to establish their own (that is, self-attained) they have not subjected themselves to the Tzidkat Hashem (righteousness of G-d 1:17; 3:5,21,25-26; 6:18).

⁴ For Moshiach is the goal of the Torah as a means to being YITZDAK IM HASHEM, for all who have emunah.

⁵ For Moshe Rabbeinu writes with reference to the (accessibility of) Tzidkat Torah (righteousness which is from the Torah), "The man YA’ASEH OTAM VACHAI ("who does these things will live" by them VAYIKRA 18:5).

⁶ Whereas the Tzidkat Emunah (righteousness which is from faith) speaks thus: "Do not say (looking for Messianic salvation being merited by superhuman attainments in works) in your lev, ‘Who will go up into Shomayim?' (that is, to bring Moshiach down)?

⁷ Or ‘Who will go down into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Moshiach up from the Mesim).

⁸ But what does it say? "The Dvar is near you, in your MOUTH and in your HEART " [DEVARIM 30:14]. That is, the Dvar of Emunah which we proclaim.

⁹ Because if you make hoda’ah (confession) "with your PEH" of Adoneinu Yehoshua, and have emunah "in your LEV" that G-d raised him from the Mesim, you will be delivered.

¹⁰ For with the "heart" one has emunah unto being YITZDAK IM HASHEM and with the "mouth" hoda’ah is made unto Yeshu’at Eloheinu.

¹¹ For the Kitvei Hakodesh says, "Everyone who has emunah in Him shall not be put to shame" YESHAYAH 28:16.

¹² For there is no distinction between Yehudi and Yevani [cf 3:9], for the same one is Adon Echad l’chulam (one L-rd over all), rich to all who call upon Him.

¹³ For V’HAYAH KOL ASHER YIKRA B’SHEM ADONOI ("Everyone whoever calls upon the Name of the L-rd" YOEL 3:5 [2:32]) shall be delivered.

¹⁴ How therefore shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without someone doing the hatafah (preaching)?

¹⁵ And how shall they do the hatafah (preaching) unless they have been sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach" Besuras HaGeulah YESHAYAH 52:7.

¹⁶ But not all have mishma’at (obedience) to the Besuras HaGeulah. For Yeshayah says (YESHAYAH 53:1): MI HE’EMIN LISHMU’ATEINU ("Who has believed that which is heard, our report?" [cf. DEVARIM 9:4]

¹⁷ So, then, emunah comes from hearing, and hearing comes through the Dvar HaMoshiach.

¹⁸ But I say, is it the case that they have not heard? On the contrary: "Their sound has gone out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the inhabited world" TEHILLIM 19:4.

¹⁹ But I say, is it the case that Yisroel has not known? First, Moshe Rabbeinu says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation; by a senseless nation I will make you angry." DEVARIM 32:21.

²⁰ And Yeshayeh HaNavi is bold as to say: "I have been found by those who do not seek Me; I have revealed Myself to those who do not ask for Me"[YESHAYAH 65:1].

²¹ But concerning Yisroel he says: "All the day I stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people" YESHAYAH 65:2.

11 I ask, therefore, has Hashem repudiated His people? Not at all! Chas v’shalom! For I too am a ben Yisroel, of the zera Avraham (seed of Avraham Avinu), of the tribe of Binyamin.

² Hashem has not repudiated His people whom He foreknew [TEHILLIM 94:14; Ro 8:29). Or do you not have da’as what the Kitvei Hakodesh says in the section about Eliyahu HaNavi, how he appeals to Hashem against Yisroel?

³ "Adonoi, they have killed your Nevi’im, they have torn down your mizbe’achot (altars), and I alone have been left, and they seek my life." [MELACHIM ALEF 19:10]

⁴ But what is Hashem’s answer to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Ba’al." [MELACHIM ALEF 19:18]

⁵ Thus, therefore, also in the zman hazeh, there has come into being a she’erit (remnant, remainder) in accordance with the bechirah (election) of chesed (free, unmerited favor or grace).

⁶ But if on the mekor (basis) of chen v’chesed (unmerited favor, grace), then not on the mekor (basis) of [loin (wages), batsolen (pay) for] ma’asim (works), vi-bahlt (since) otherwise chesed would no longer be chesed (4:4-5).

⁷ What then? What Yisroel sought for, that is what it did not obtain; but hannivcharim (the elect, the chosen ones) obtained it. And the rest were hardened (9:17-18)

⁸ As it is written, "G-d gave to them a ruach tardemah (spirit of deep sleep), eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, until this very day" Isa 29:10.

⁹ And Dovid said, "Let their shulchan (table) become a snare and a net, a trap and a retribution for them;

¹⁰ " Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever." TEHILLIM 68:23-24 TARGUM HASHIVIM; [69:22-23].

¹¹ I ask, therefore, have they stumbled so as to fall? Chas v’shalom! But by their peysha (transgression), Yeshu’at Eloheinu is coming to the Goyim in order to provoke them to jealousy.

¹² And if their peysha (transgression) means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Goyim, how much more will their fullness mean!

¹³ I am speaking to you Goyim. So then, in as much as I am Shliach of the Ethnic Groups, I magnify my avodas kodesh, in the tikvah

¹⁴ that I might provoke my kinsmen to jealousy and might save some of them.

¹⁵ For if their rejection means ritztzuy (reconciliation, cessation of enmity, hostility between a wrathful holy G-d and sinful men) for the gontzer velt (whole world), what shall their acceptance mean other than Chayyim min haMesim (Life from the dead ones)?

¹⁶ If the terumah haissa (portion, offering of the dough) that is reshit (first) is kodesh (holy), so is the whole; and if the shoresh (root) is kodesh (holy), so also are the ana’fim (the branches).

¹⁷ But if some of the ana’fim have been broken off, and you, a wild olive, have been grafted among them and have become sharer in the richness of the olive tree’s root,

¹⁸ Do not boast (4:2) over the ana’fim. If you do boast, it is not the case that you sustain the shoresh, but the shoresh sustains you.

¹⁹ You will say, then, "Anafim were broken off in order that I might be grafted in."

²⁰ Quite so: they were broken off on the mekor (basis) of no emunah, but you stand only by emunah. Do not cherish proud thoughts, but fear.

²¹ For if G-d did not spare the natural anafim, neither will He spare you.

²² Consider then the nedivut (generosity), the chesed of Hashem, and also the fearful judgment of Hashem: to those who fell (11:15), severity; but to you the goodness of Hashem, provided that you continue in that goodness; otherwise, you too will be cut off.

²³ Whereas, they also, if they do not continue in a condition of no emunah, shall be grafted in; for Hashem is able to graft them in again.

²⁴ For if you [Goyim] were cut off from the wild olive tree and grafted unnaturally into the cultivated olive tree, how much more shall those who belong to it naturally be grafted into their own olive tree.

²⁵ For I do not want you to be unaware, Achim b’Moshiach, of this raz (mystery), lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a hardening in part has come over Yisroel, until the full number of the Goyim has come in;

²⁶ And so Klal Yisroel shall be delivered, as it is written: "Out of Tziyon shall come the Go’el (Deliverer, Redeemer); He will turn away, remove peysha from Ya’akov (Jacob),

²⁷ "And this will be My Berit (covenant) with them, when I take away their sins" YESHAYAH 59:20-21; 27:9.

²⁸ With regard to the Besuras HaGeulah they are oyevim (enemies) for your [you Goyim] sake, whereas with regard to the bechirah (election) they are beloved for the sake of the Avot (Fathers).

²⁹ For the matnat Hashem and the kri’at Hashem are irrevocable.

³⁰ For just as you Goyim were once without mishma’at to Hashem, but now have received chaninah (mercy, pardon) by their lack of mishma’at,

³¹ So also they have now been without mishma’at for your chaninah (mercy, pardon) in order that they also might receive chaninah (mercy) (Ro 9:15-16).

³² For G-d has confined all in disobedience in order that He might have chaninah (mercy) on all;

³³ O the depth of the riches and the chochmah (wisdom) and da’as (knowledge) of Hashem. How unfathomable are His mishpatim and unsearchable His ways.

³⁴ For who has known the Ruach of Hashem? Or who has been ISH ATZATO ("His Counselor") [Isa 40:13]?

³⁵ Or who has given in advance to Him so that His presents come only as a (choiv) debt repaid? [IYOV 41:3 (11); Ro 4:4]

³⁶ Because from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Lo HaKavod l’Olamim. Omein. ("To Him be glory forever. Amen.")