Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

35 (Of Dovid) Contend, Hashem, with them that contend with me; fight against them that fight against me.

² Take hold of mogen and tzinnah (large shield) and arise to my aid.

³ Draw out also the khanit (spear), and block the way against them that persecute me; say unto my nefesh, I am Thy Yeshuah (salvation).

⁴ Let them be put to shame and disgraced that seek after my nefesh; let a rout in retreat be theirs and let them be brought to dismay that plot my ruin.

⁵ Let them be like motz (chaff) before the ruach; and let the Malach Hashem drive them away.

⁶ Let their derech be choshech and slippery; and let the Malach Hashem pursue them.

⁷ For without cause have they hid for me their reshet (net) in a shachat (pit), which without cause they dug for my nefesh.

⁸ Let sho’ah (disaster) come upon him unawares; and let his own reshet (net) that he hath hid ensnare him; into that very sho’ah let him fall.

⁹ And my nefesh shall rejoice in Hashem; it shall be joyful in His Yeshuah (salvation).

¹⁰ All my atzmot shall say, Hashem, mi khamocha (who is like Thee), Who deliverest the oni (poor) from him that is too strong for him, yes, the oni and the evyon (needy) from him that despoileth him?

[BALAK]

22 And the Bnei Yisroel set forward, and encamped in the plains of Moav on the bank of the Yarden by Yericho.

² And Balak ben Tzippor saw all that Yisroel had done to the Emori.

³ And Moav was exceedingly afraid of the people, because they were many; and Moav was filled with dread because of the Bnei Yisroel.

⁴ And Moav said unto the Ziknei Midyan, Now shall this kahal lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the sadeh. And Balak ben Tzippor was Melech of Moav at that time.

⁵ He sent malachim (messengers) therefore unto Balaam ben Beor to Petor, which is by the River [Euphrates] in his native land, to summon him, saying, Hinei, there is a people come out from Mitzrayim; hinei, they cover the face of ha’aretz, and they are settling next to me;

⁶ Come now, therefore, please, curse for me this people; for they are too mighty for me; perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of ha’aretz; for I know that he whom thou blessest is m’vorach (blessed), and he whom thou cursest is cursed.

⁷ And the Ziknei Moav and the Ziknei Midyan departed with the divination remuneration in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spoke unto him the words of Balak.

⁸ And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Hashem shall speak unto me; and the sarim of Moav abode with Balaam.

⁹ And Elohim came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?

¹⁰ And Balaam said unto HaElohim, Balak ben Tzippor, Melech Moav, hath sent unto me, saying,

¹¹ Hinei, there is a people come out of Mitzrayim, which covereth the face of ha’aretz; come now, curse for me them; perhaps I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.

¹² And Elohim said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for baruch hu (it [the people] is blessed).

¹³ And Balaam rose up in the boker, and said unto the sarim of Balak, Go back to your land; for Hashem refuseth to give me permission to go with you.

¹⁴ And the sarim of Moav rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

¹⁵ And Balak sent yet again sarim, more, and more distinguished than they.

¹⁶ And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak ben Tzippor, Let nothing, please, hinder thee from coming unto me;

¹⁷ For I will exceedingly reward thee, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me; come, therefore, please, curse for me this people.

¹⁸ And Balaam answered and said unto the avadei Balak, If Balak would give me his palace full of kesef and zahav, I cannot go beyond the Devar Hashem Elohai, to do ketanah or gedolah.

¹⁹ Now, therefore, please, tarry ye also here this night, that I may have da’as of what more Hashem will say unto me.

²⁰ And it was lailah when Elohim came unto Balaam, and said unto him, Since the men come to summon thee, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.

²¹ And Balaam rose up in the boker, and saddled his donkey, and went with the sarim (princes) of Moav.

¹⁷ And when we arrived in Yerushalayim, the Achim b’Moshiach there gave us a kabbalat panim welcome with lev same’ach.

¹⁸ And on the following day Rav Sha’ul was going in with us to Ya’akov [see p.848], and all the Ziknei HaKehillah came.

¹⁹ And having given them a "Shalom" greeting, Rav Sha’ul was explaining one by one the things Hashem did through his avodas kodesh as Moshiach’s Shliach to the Goyim.

²⁰ And the ones who heard were saying, "Baruch Hashem!" And they said to him, "You see, Ach b’Moshiach, how many thousands there are among the Yehudim who have emunah [in our Moshiach] and they all have kanous (zealousness), are shomer mitzvot for the Torah [Sinai Covenant and its mitzvot].

²¹ "And these Orthodox Jewish ma’aminim hameshichiyim have heard a rumor informing them about you, that you teach the Yehudim living among the Goyim in the Golus to be shmad and to commit apostasy from Moshe [Rabbeinu, i.e., Orthodox Judaism], telling them to abandon bris milah for Bnei Yisroel and not to be shomer regarding the darkhei haTorah [“ways of the Torah,” i.e. the Sinai Covenant and its mitzvot]. [BAMIDBAR 6:2,5]

²² "What then is to be done? Certainly these Orthodox Jewish ma’aminim hameshichiyim [i.e., who have emunah in our Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua, Ac 21:20] will get word that you have come.

²³ "This, therefore, do what we tell you. There are with us arba’ah anashim who are under a neder Nezirim.

²⁴ "Go! Take these for hitkaddeshut (purification) and purify yourself with them and pay expenses for them, that they may cut their hair; then all shall have da’as that there is no emes to the rumor; then it shall be clear that you yourself are in agreement and frum regarding the darkhei haTorah and that you are charedi and shomer mitzvot, in the ranks of those who practice Orthodox Judaism." [BAMIDBAR 6:1-21, Mishnah tractate Nazir]

²⁵ “And concerning the Goyim coming to [Orthodox Jewish] emunah, we have sent an iggeret with our decision that they avoid what is offered to elilim and dahm and what is strangled and zenut."

²⁶ Then Rav Sha’ul took the anashim on the following day, and he went with them for hitkaddeshut (purification) and was entering the Beis Hamikdash, giving notice of the completion of the yamim of the tohorah until was offered for each one of them the korban. [BAMIDBAR 6:13 20]