Thursday of the Third Week of Advent (December 21, 2017)
Gospel (Luk 1:39-45)
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a town of Judea, 40 and she entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of those promises which were told her from the Lord!”
Responsorial Psalm (Psa 33:2-3, 11-12)
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him with a lyre of ten strings.
Exo 15:20
Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister [Miriam having prophesied the birth of Moses, etc., while she was only Aaron’s sister], took a timbrel in her hand [the righteous women of that generation having taken timbrels out of Egypt in their certitude that God would work miracles for Israel], and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dancing.
Rashi’s Commentary
Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took—But where had she prophesied? When she was known only as “Aaron’s sister”—before Moses was born she said, “My mother will at some time bear a son who will deliver Israel etc.,” as is stated in Treatise Sotah 12b (cf. Megillah 14a). Another explanation: It is written Aaron’s sister since he jeopardised his life for her when she was stricken with leprosy, she is called by his name (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 15:20:1; cf. Rashi Gen 34:25).
A timbrel—An instrument for a particular kind of music.
With timbrels and dancing—The righteous women in that generation were confident that God would perform miracles for them and they accordingly had brought timbrels with them from Egypt (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 15:20:2).
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully with a shout of joy.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The purposes of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.
Exo 19:5-6
6 and you will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words [not less and not more] that you shall speak to the children of Israel.
Rashi’s Commentary
And you will be to me a kingdom of priests—i. e. chief officers, just as you say, (2Sa 8:18) “and David’s sons were chief officers (כֹּהִנִים),” which cannot denote priests since his sons were of the tribe of Judah and not of Levi, the priestly tribe.
Rashi’s Commentary
Blessed are you, O Israel—After he recited the blessings to Israel, he said to them, “Why should I detail everything to you? Everything is yours.”
Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you . . . ! Your salvation depends on God, who is the shield that helps you and the sword of your majesty.
Your enemies will lie to you, e.g., the Gibeonites who said (Jos 9:9), “Your servants have come from a . . . distant country, etc.”
Jos 9:9
They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard the report of him and all that he did in Egypt,
Jos 10:24
When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and placed their feet on their necks.
2Sa 8:18
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officers.
This work, "Thursday 3rd Week Advent," is a derivative of "The Rashi Chumash" and "The Rashi Ketuvim" by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein used under CC BY 3.0
These are the words—These neither fewer nor more (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 19:6).
Deu 7:6-8
6 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
7 The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
Rashi’s Commentary
Not . . . because you were more in number—This is to be understood according to its plain sense. But its Midrashic explanation (taking וְלֹא מֵרֻבְּכֶם in the sense of “not because you are great”) is: Because you do not regard yourselves as great when I shower good, upon you. This is why I delighted in you says God.
For you were the fewest—Here you have the word כִּי used in the sense of “because.”
8 But because of the Lord’s love for you, and because he keeps the oath he swore to your ancestors, the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
Rashi’s Commentary
But because of the Lord’s love—Here, however, you have the word כִּי used in the sense of “but.” Thus, the verses read The Lord did not set his affection on you . . . because you were more in number, but because of the Lord’s love for you.
And because he keeps the oath means, and because of his keeping the oath.
Deu 33:29
[(Moses now says:) Why need I enumerate details? Everything is yours!] Blessed are you, O Israel!
Who is like you,
O people whose salvation is through the Lord,
the shield who helps you
and the sword of your pride!
Your enemies will lie to you [in fear of you, viz. the Gibeonites (Jos 9:9)],
and you will tread on their high places [viz. Ibid. 10:24)].
Mary Visits Elizabeth by the LumoProject
Red Sea Crossing by Sweet Publishing/Free Bible Images is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Red Sea Crossing by Sweet Publishing/Free Bible Images is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0