Beginning
24 And after chamash yamim, the Kohen Gadol Chananyah came down with some Zekenim and an orator, a certain Tertullus, who explained to the Moshel the charges keneged (against) Rav Sha’ul.
2 And when Rav Sha’ul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "Your Excellency, much shalom has been attained through you, and reforms have come to this nation by your foresight.
3 "This in every way and everywhere, we acknowledge, most excellent Felix, with todah rabbah.
4 "But in order that I may not detain you any longer, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly.
5 "For having found this man a troublemaker and an inciter of riots among all the Yehudim throughout kol ha’aretz, a manhig of the kat [of Judaism], the Natzrati Kat.
6 "He even tried to desecrate the Beis Hamikdash! And so we apprehended him, [and would have tried him according to our own law;]
7 ["But the sar haelef Lysias came, and with great ko’ach took him away out of our hands, and ordered his adversaries to come unto you.]
8 "When you examine him, you will be able to find out yourself regarding all these things of which we accuse him."
9 And the rest of the Judeans joined in the attack, saying that these things were so.
10 And when the Moshel nodded to him to speak, Rav Sha’ul answered, "Knowing that for many years you have been a shofet (judge) to this nation, I cheerfully make my hitstaddekut.
11 "You will be able to learn that not more than twelve days have elapsed since I made an aliyah to worship in Yerushalayim.
12 "And neither in the Beis Hamikdash did they find me conversing with anyone nor did they find me stirring up the multitude either in the shuls or anywhere in Yerushalayim.
13 "Nor are they able to prove to you concerning the things of which now they are accusing me.
14 "For Ani modeh (I confess) this to you, that according to the Derech Hashem, which they call a ‘kat’ [of Judaism], I serve the Elohei Avoteinu, having emunah in everything written according to the Torah and the Nevi’im.
15 "I have a tikvah (hope) in Hashem, which also these ones themselves anticipate, the coming Techiyas HaMesim of both the Tzaddikim and the Resha’im.
16 "In view of this, I always do my best to keep a matzpun naki (clear conscience) before Hashem and before anashim.
17 "Now after many years, I came bringing nedavot (donations) to my people and also to make korbanot (sacrifices).
18 "And this is how they found me, having undergone purification in the Beis Hamikdash, not with rioters nor with any disturbance.
19 "But there were some Yehudim from the Province of Asia who ought to be present before you to make accusation, if they might have something against me.
20 "Or let these themselves say what crime they found in me when they stood me before the Sanhedrin,
21 "unless it is about this one statement, which I stood and cried out among them, and that statement was concerning the Techiyas HaMesim, and it is for this that I am being judged today by you."
22 But Felix, who was already rather well informed about the Derech Hashem, adjourned the meeting, saying, "When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case."
23 Then Felix gave orders to the centurion to guard Rav Sha’ul, but to grant him considerable liberty and not to prevent his chaverim from ministering to his needs.
24 And after some yamim, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was Jewish. He summoned Rav Sha’ul and listened to him concerning his emunah (faith) in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.
25 And as Rav Sha’ul was conversing about tzedek [DANIEL 9:24] and kibush hayetzer (self-control) and about the Yom HaDin coming, Felix suddenly became afraid, and said, "That will do for the moment. Go now. When I find time, I’ll send for you."
26 At the same time Felix was also hoping that bribe money would be given to him by Rav Sha’ul. Therefore, Felix used to frequently send for Rav Sha’ul to converse with him.
27 When two years passed, Felix received a successor, Porcius Festus, and, wanting to grant a favor to the Judeans, Felix left Rav Sha’ul in custody.
25 Therefore Festus, having arrived in the Province, after shloshah yamim went up from Caesarea to Yerushalayim,
2 Where the Rashei Hakohanim and manhigim of the Yehudim explained to Festus the charges keneged Rav Sha’ul, and they were begging him,
3 Asking a favor from him, that Festus might summon Rav Sha’ul to Yerushalayim, while at the same time they were forming a kesher to kill him along the way.
4 Festus answered that Rav Sha’ul was to be kept in Caesarea and that Festus himself intended quickly to go there.
5 "Therefore, those in authority among you," Festus says, "should come down with me, and if there is anything in the wrong about Rav Sha’ul, then let them bring charges against him."
6 And having stayed with them no more than shmonah or asarah yamim, Festus went down to Caesarea; the next day he sat on the Kes HaMishpat and ordered Rav Sha’ul to be brought in.
7 When Rav Sha’ul came in, the Judeans who had come down from Yerushalayim stood around him and brought serious charges keneged (against) him, which they were not able to prove.
8 Rav Sha’ul defended himself, saying, "Neither keneged the Torah nor keneged the Beis Hamikdash nor keneged Caesar have I done anything wrong."
9 But Festus, wishing to grant the Judeans a favor, said in reply to Rav Sha’ul, "Do you want to go up to Yerushalayim to be judged by me there concerning these things?"
10 And Rav Sha’ul said, "I am standing before the Kes HaMishpat of Caesar, where it is necessary for me to be tried. I have done no wrong to my Jewish people, as you also have da’as very well.
11 "Now if I have done wrong and am worthy of mavet, I am not trying to escape the penalty. But if there is nothing to the charges these bring against me, no one is able to hand me over to them. Therefore, I appeal to Caesar."
12 Then Festus, having talked with his council, answered, "To Caesar you have appealed, to Caesar you will go."
13 After several yamim had passed, Agrippa HaMelech and Bernice arrived in Caesarea, having paid their respects to Festus.
14 And while they were spending many yamim there, Festus laid out to the Melech the things with respect to Rav Sha’ul, saying, "There is a man here who was left behind in the beis hasohar by Felix.
15 "When I went to Yerushalayim, the Rashei Hakohanim and the Zekenim of the Yehudim informed me about this man, requesting keneged him a sentence of condemnation.
16 "I answered them that it violated Roman law to hand over any man before the accused met face to face with his accusers and had an opportunity for a hitstaddekut (defense) concerning the accusation.
17 "Therefore, they were assembled here; I allowed no delay, and on the next day, I sat down on the Kes HaMishpat and ordered the man brought in.
18 "But when the accusers stood up, no charge were they bringing of any crimes I was expecting.
19 "Instead it was an internal matter having to do with questions regarding Orthodox Judaism, and certain disagreements they had with Rav Sha’ul, and regarding a certain Yehoshua who was deceased, but whom Rav Sha’ul asserted was alive.
20 "Since I was not qualified to investigate these religious questions, I was saying he might wish to go to Yerushalayim and there to be judged concerning these things.
21 "But Rav Sha’ul appealed that he be kept in custody for the decision of Caesar, so I ordered him to be kept until I send him to Caesar."
22 And Agrippa said to Festus, "I was desiring also myself to hear Rav Sha’ul." Then Festus says, "Tomorrow you will hear him."
23 Then on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered into the auditorium along with both the military tribunes and the chashuve anashim of Caesarea. And Festus the Moshel gave orders to have Rav Sha’ul brought in.
24 And Festus says, "Agrippa HaMelech and all here present with us, you see this man about whom K’lal Yisroel has petitioned me, both in Yerushalayim and here, shouting that he is no longer fit to live.
25 "But I found he has done nothing worthy of mavet, and when he appealed to Caesar, I decided to send him.
26 "But I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign; therefore, I especially brought him before you, O Agrippa HaMelech, so that, after you have examined him, I may have something I may write.
27 "For it seems unreasonable to me sending a prisoner and not having charges to report against him."
26 And Agrippa said to Rav Sha’ul, "It is permitted for you to speak concerning yourself." Then Rav Sha’ul, having stretched out his hand, was making his hitstaddekut (defense), saying,
2 "I have considered myself fortunate that it is before you, Agrippa HaMelech, that I am able to make my hitstaddekut today concerning everything of which I am accused by Yehudim.
3 "Most of all, you are a bukki (expert, meivin) in all the minhagim and issues of the Yehudim; therefore, I beg you to listen patiently to me.
4 "All the Yehudim have da’as of my Yiddishkeit from my earliest youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Yerushalayim.
5 "They have had da’as of this for a long time, if they are willing to bear edut, that according to the most machmir kat of our Orthodox Jewish faith my life has been lived out as a Parush.
6 "And now I stand here on trial on account of my tikvah in the havtacha made to Avoteinu,
7 "A havtacha Sheneym Asar Shevateinu have tikvah to attain, as they with earnestness worship Hashem yomam valailah. It if for this tikvah, your Excellency, that I am accused by Yehudim!
8 "Why is it considered incredible by any of you that Hashem makes the Mesim to stand up alive?
9 "Indeed, I myself thought it necessary to do many opposing things against ha-Shem of Yehoshua from Natzeret.
10 "And this I also did in Yerushalayim; and armed with samchut received from the Rashei Hakohanim, many of the kadoshim I locked up in the beis hasohar; and I cast my vote keneged (against) them when they received the death penalty.
11 "And throughout all the shuls I often punished them, forcing them to commit Chillul Hashem gidduf (blasphemy), and since I was so enraged against them, I was bringing redifah on them even as far as foreign cities.
12 "This it was, that as I was traveling to Damascus with authorization and permission from the Rashei Hakohanim,
13 "At noon on the derech, O Melech, I saw from Shomayim an ohr, more brilliant than the shemesh, shining around me and around the ones traveling with me.
14 "And we all fell down to the ground. Then I heard a kol saying to me in the language of the Hebrews, ‘Sha’ul, Sha’ul, why are you bringing redifah upon me? It is hard for you to kick keneged (against) the prod.’
15 "And I said, ‘Who are you Adoni?’ And HaAdon said, ‘I am Yehoshua upon whom you are bringing redifah.
16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For this tachlis, then, I appeared to you, to give you s’michah as a mesharet, an eved, and an eidus (witness), both of what things you have seen and the things which I will reveal to you. [Ezek 2:1; Dan 10:11]
17 ‘I will deliver you from your own people and from the Goyim to whom I am sending you, [YIRMEYAH 1:8,19]
18 ‘To open their eyes, to turn them from choshech to ohr and from the samchut of Hasatan to Hashem, that they receive selichat avon and nachalah among the ones having been set apart in kedushah by emunah in me.' [YESHAYAH 35:5; TEHILLIM 18:28; YESHAYAH 42:7,16]
19 "O Agrippa HaMelech, I was not disobedient to the chazon from Shomayim. [YESHAYAH 50:5]
20 "But beginning with the ones in Damascus and also with those in Yerushalayim, and with all the region of Yehudah and with the Goyim, I was preaching they should make teshuva and turn to Hashem, doing ma’asim mitzvot worthy of teshuva. [YIRMEYAH 18:11; 35:15]
21 "Because of these things, the unbelieving Yehudim seized me while I was in the Beis Hamikdash, and were trying to kill me.
22 "To this day I have obtained ezer (help) from Hashem, to stand and give solemn edut (testimony) before both ketanim and Gedolim, testifying about nothing beyond the Orthodox Jewish faith based on what the Nevi’im and Moshe Rabbenu said would happen:
23 "That is, the yissurim (sufferings) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and that by being rishon to stand up alive in the Techiyas HaMoshiach, he would proclaim ohr both to K’lal Yisroel and the Nations."
24 And while he was saying these things in his hitstaddekut, Festus in a kol gadol shouts, "Rav Sha’ul, all your yeshiva learning has made you meshuggah!"
25 But Rav Sha’ul says, "I am not meshuggah, most excellent Festus; I am speaking dvarim of Emes and Ta’am (Reason).
26 "For HaMelech has da’as of these matters, to whom also I am speaking freely, for I am sure that absolutely none of these things escape his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.
27 "Agrippa HaMelech, do you believe in the Nevi’im? I have da’as that you do believe."
28 And Agrippa said to Rav Sha’ul, "You think, do you, that as quick as that you can make me mekabel Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach?"
29 But Rav Sha’ul said, "I would daven that Hashem, quickly or not, might make not only you but all listening to me today as I am, apart from these sharsherot (chains)."
30 HaMelech and the Moshel and Bernice and the ones sitting with them got up.
31 And having withdrawn, they were saying to one another, "This man does nothing worthy of the death penalty or imprisonment."
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released, if he had not appealed to Caesar."
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