Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (January 14, 2018)
Gospel (Joh 1:35-42)
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples.
36 And looking at Jesus as he walked, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
Gen 22:7-8
7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”
And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”
And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, [and if there is no lamb, then it will be] my son.” And the two of them went on together [in the same spirit of happiness—even Isaac, who now knew that he was going to be slaughtered].
Rashi’s Commentary
Will provide for himself the lamb—i.e., he will look out for and choose the lamb for himself, and if there will be no lamb for a burnt offering, my son will be the offering. Although Isaac then understood that he was travelling on to be slaughtered, the two of them went on together, with the same ready heart (Genesis Rabbah 56:4).
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38 And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you want?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ).
42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
Reading 1 (1Sa 3:3-10, 19)
3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was,
Exo 27:20-21
Oil for the Lampstand
20 “And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you clear [without lees] oil of pressed [in a mortar and not ground in a mill, so that there be no lees] olives for the light [but the olives may be ground in a mill for the (oil of the) grain offering], to make a lamp burn [the flame rising of itself] continually [i.e., each night].
Rashi’s Commentary
Clear—Without lees; and this was effected not by straining the oil but as we learn in Treatise Menachot 86a “He lets it (the olive) ripen on the top of the olive-tree etc.”
Pressed—He pounds the olives in a mortar and must
not grind them in a mill, so that there may be no lees; and after he has thus extracted the first drop of oil he may bring them into the mill and grind them. The second oil (that obtained by grinding) is unfitted for use in the lampstand but is permissible for the grain offerings (which had to be mingled with oil) since it is said here, “pressed olives for the light,” and hence it is not essential that it should be pressed for the grain offerings (Menachot 86a; cf. Rashi on Exo 29:40).
To make a lamp burn (lit., to ascend) continually—He must enkindle it until the flame ascends by itself (Shabbat 21a).
Shabbat 21a:9
Rami bar Ḥama taught a baraita: Those wicks and oils, which the Sages said one may not light with them on the Sabbath, one may not light with them in the temple either because it is stated with regard to the temple lampstand: “And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually” (Exo 27:20). Rami bar Ḥama taught that baraita and he also said its explanation: What is the proof from the verse? One may interpret the verse homiletically: The requirement is to light the lampstand so that the flame ascends of itself when it is kindled, and not that it ascends by means of something else, i.e., adjusting the wick after it was lit.
21 In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order [so that it burn] before the Lord from evening until morning; it shall be a lasting ordinance for their generations, from the children of Israel.
Rashi’s Commentary
From evening until morning—Give it its due measure of oil so that it may burn from evening until morning. Our Rabbis estimated half a log of oil as sufficient for the nights of Teveth which are long, and they ordained a similar quantity for every night of the year, and if any were left over on the shorter nights it did not matter (Menachot 89a).
The Call of Samuel by Moody Publishers/Free Bible Images. All rights reserved.
Rashi’s Commentary
When . . . lights means when he lights them by making their flame ascend (cf. Rashi on Exo 27:20 and on Num 8:2).
He must burn incense—“Continual,” means every day regularly: a half he burnt in the morning and a half he burnt in the evening (Keritot 6b).
Lev 24:2-4
2 Command the children of Israel that they bring to you clear oil [the first of the three oils issuing from the olive] of pressed olives for the light, to make the lamps burn continually [from night to night, like the “continual”—from day to day—burnt offering. This is the section of the commandment concerning the lamps (Exo 27:20 in this connection) is to be understood as: “And you are destined to command, etc.” (the actual command taking place here). It is mentioned there, in connection with the account of the construction of the tabernacle, only to explain the function of the lampstand.]
Rashi’s Commentary
Command the children of Israel that they bring to you clear oil of . . . olives . . . to make the lamps burn continually—This is the section containing the commandment concerning the lamps, whilst the section beginning with “And you will command . . .” (Exo 27:20 ff.) which also deals with the lamp is only mentioned there for the sake of giving an orderly account of the work of the tabernacle, to explain what the purpose of the lampstand was. And the meaning of that passage is: “You will eventually command the children of Israel” about this.
Clear oil of . . . olives—Three different qualities of oil are extracted from the olive tree, the first of which is called זָךְ, “clear.” They are all fully explained in Treatise Menachot 86a and in Torath Cohanim (Sifra, Emor, Section 13 1-3).
Exo 30:7-8
7 Aaron must burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps [the cups of the lampstand (he would clean them of their ashes every morning)], he must burn incense on it.
Rashi’s Commentary
When he tends—This word is an expression for cleansing the bowls of the lampstand from the ashes of the wicks which had burnt out during the night; and he used to clean them (the lamps) out every morning.
The lamps—Luces in old French. And this is the meaning of נֵרוֹת whenever it is mentioned in connection with the lampstand, except in any passage where the term הַעִלָאָה “causing to ascend,” which denotes lighting is used, and there it signifies “lights.”
8 When Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he must burn incense [every day, half a portion in the morning, half in the afternoon]. There shall be continual incense before the Lord for your generations.
God Speaks to Young Samuel by Sweet Publishing/Free Bible Images is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Continually not continuously here implies from night to night. It has the same meaning as in עוֹלַת תָּמִיד a “continual” burnt offering which was only sacrificed from day to day (cf. Rashi on Exo 27:20).
3 Outside the curtain, [which is before] the testimony [i.e., the ark], in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall tend it [so that it burn] before the Lord from evening until morning, continually. This shall be a lasting ordinance for your generations.
Rashi’s Commentary
Aaron shall tend it from evening until morning—He shall tend it in such a manner (lit., by such an arrangement) that will prove adequate for the length of the whole night. Our Rabbis by experiment (cf. Menachot 89a) fixed the quantity at a half log oil for each lamp, ascertaining that this would suffice also in the long nights of the Teveth quarter; and this quantity therefore became to them the fixed measure for all the seasons of the year.
4 He shall set up the lamps on the pure [gold] lampstand before the Lord continually.
Rashi’s Commentary
Pure lampstand—It was so called because it was made of pure gold. Another explanation is: he shall set up the lamps on the purity of the lampstand, implying that he must first purify (cleanse) it and remove its ashes beforehand (the words therefore mean: on a clean lampstand; cf., however, Sifra, Emor, Section 13 12 where the word is explained differently).
4 that the Lord called Samuel.
And he answered, “Here I am.”
Gen 22:1
And it was, after these things, that God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
And he replied: “Here I am.”
Rashi’s Commentary
After these things or, words—Some of our Rabbis say (Sanhedrin 89b) that it means after the words of Satan who denounced Abraham saying, “Of all the banquets which Abraham prepared not a single bullock nor a single ram did he bring as a sacrifice to you.” God replied to him, “Does he do anything at all except for his son’s sake? Yet if I were to bid him, ‘Sacrifice him to me,’ he would not refuse.” Others say that it means “after the words of Ishmael” who boasted to Isaac that he had been circumcised when he was thirteen years old without resisting. Isaac replied to him, “You think to intimidate me by mentioning the loss of one part of the body! If the Holy One, blessed be he, were to tell me, ‘Sacrifice yourself to me’ I would not refuse” (Sanhedrin 89b).
Here I am—Such is the answer of the pious: it is an expression of meekness and readiness (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 22).
5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6 The Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him.
8 So the Lord called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.
9 And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
9 I desire to do your will, my God;
and to have your law [even] within my heart [i.e., I have not eaten unclean beasts or untithed produce].
10 I brought tidings of righteousness [the song at the sea, the song of the well, the song of Deborah] in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips, O Lord,
you know.
Alleluia (Joh 1:17, 41)
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Deu 4:44
Introduction to the Law
And this [that which follows] is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel.
Rashi’s Commentary
And this is the law—This which he was about to set down after this chapter.
10 Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
19 Thus Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
Responsorial Psalm (Psa 40:2, 4, 7-10)
2 I [Israel] waited patiently for the Lord [in Egypt];
and he turned [his ear] to me and heard my cry.
4 He put a new song in my mouth,
even a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see it and fear
and will trust in the Lord.
7 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire [at the giving of the law]—
my ears you have opened [to listen to your voice]—
burnt offering and sin offering you did not require.
8 Then [at the giving of the law] I said [before you], “Behold, I have come [to be bound in your covenant]—
in the scroll of the book [the law] it is [so] written of me [viz. Exo 24:27].
Deu 33:4
the law which Moses gave us,
even the possession of the assembly of Jacob [we have possessed it and will not abandon it].
Rashi’s Commentary
The law which Moses gave us, even the possession of the assembly of Jacob: We have taken it and we will not abandon it.
Reading 2 (1Co 6:13-15, 17-20)
13 Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will destroy both it and them. Yet the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your
The Call of Samuel by Moody Publishers/Free Bible Images. All rights reserved.
Jesus Teaches About Adultery and Divorce by Good News Productions International and College Press Publishing is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore honor God in your body.
This work is a derivative of "The Rashi Chumash" and "The Rashi Ketuvim" by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein used under CC BY 3.0