‫‪KNOW‬‬

‫‪YOUR‬‬

‫ורה‬ ‫ת‬
‫באים‬ ‫נ‬

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬
 The 24 Books of Tanach and Their Authors
According to Bava Basra 14b-15a

The Sefer The Author

Bereshis Moshe Rabeinu from the mouth of HaShem

‫תורה‬ Shmos Moshe Rabeinu from the mouth of HaShem

Five VaYikra Moshe Rabeinu from the mouth of HaShem
Books of
Torah BeMidbar Moshe Rabeinu from the mouth of HaShem

Devarim Moshe Rabeinu from the mouth of HaShem

Yehoshua Yehoshua

Shoftim (Judges) Shmuel HaNavi (the Prophet)

Shmuel Shmuel HaNavi (the Prophet)

‫נבאים‬ Melachim (Kings) Yirmiyahu

The Yeshiyahu Chizkiyahu and his assistants
Prophets
Yirmiyahu Yirmiyahu

Yechezkel Anshei Kennesses HaGadolah (Sages of the Great Assembly)

Trei Asar (12 Prophets) Anshei Kennesses HaGadolah (Sages of the Great Assembly)
Tehillim (Psalms) Dovid HaMelech (& 10 elders)

Mishlei (Proverbs) Shlomo (transcribed by Chizkiyahu and his assistants)

Iyov (Job) Moshe Rabeinu (or Iyov himself)

Shir HaShirim Shlomo (transcribed by Chizkiyahu and his assistants)

Megilas Rus Shmuel HaNavi (the Prophet)

‫כתובים‬ Megilas Eichah Yirmiyahu
The
Writings Koheles Shlomo (transcribed by Chizkiyahu and his assistants)

Megilas Esther Anshei Kennesses HaGadolah (Sages of the Great Assembly)

Daniel Anshei Kennesses HaGadolah (Sages of the Great Assembly)

Ezra & Nechemia Ezra

Divrei HaYamim
Ezra & Nechemia
(Chronicles)
The Great Assembly included Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Zerubavel, Mordechai and others
 Average
The Sefer Chapters Verses
Verse/chapter
Bereshis 50 1534 30.68
Shmos 40 1209 30.22
‫תורה‬ VaYikra 27 859 31.81
Five Books of Torah
BeMidbar 36 1288 35.78
Devarim 34 992 29.18
Yehoshua 24 656 27.33
Shoftim (Judges) 21 618 29.43
Shmuel 55 1506 27.38

‫נבאים‬ Melachim (Kings) 47 1536 32.68

The Prophets Yeshiyahu 66 1290 19.55
Yirmiyahu 52 1364 26.23
Yechezkel 48 1271 26.48
Trei Asar (12 Prophets) 67 1049 15.66
Tehillim (Psalms) 150 2526 16.84
Mishlei (Proverbs) 31 915 29.52
Iyov (Job) 42 1068 25.43
Shir HaShirim 8 117 14.63
Megilas Rus 4 85 21.25
‫כתובים‬ Megilas Eichah 5 154 30.80
The Writings
Koheles 12 222 18.50
Megilas Esther 10 167 16.70
Daniel 12 357 29.75
Ezra & Nechemia 23 685 29.78
Divrei HaYamim
65 1764 27.14
(Chronicles)
KNOW
YOUR

‫ורה‬ ‫ת‬
TORAH
 CHUMASH STATISTICS

‫חומש סדרה פרקים פרשיות פסוקים אותיות‬

78,864 1,534 91 50 12 ‫בראשית‬
63,529 1,209 164 40 11 ‫שמות‬
44,790 859 98 27 10 ‫ויקרא‬
63,530 1,288 158 36 10 ‫במדבר‬
54,892 992 159 34 11 ‫דברים‬
304,805 5,882 670 177 54 TOTAL

Note: Torah Temimah lists 945 verses in Devarim and a total of

5,845 verses in Torah

Sources: Torah Temimah, The Living Torah

 Total Number of Words - 79,976
‫סימן – ע"ט סו"פר מהיר יפ"יפית‬
Total Number of Letters - 304,805
There are other traditions of the number of letters. For a discussion of various sources on this matter, see
THE HANDBOOK OF JEWISH THOUGHT by Rabbi Ayreh Kaplan
Chapter 7, note 108

Total Number of Sedros – 54

‫סימן – למען יזמרך כבוד ולא יד"ם‬
Total Number of Each Particular Letter
27,057 ‫א‬
16,344 ‫ב‬
2,109 ‫ג‬
7,032 ‫ד‬
28,052 ‫ה‬
30,513 ‫ו‬
2,198 ‫ז‬
7,186 ‫ח‬
1,802 ‫ט‬
31,530 ‫י‬
8,610 ‫כ‬
3,350 ‫ך‬
21,570 ‫ל‬
14,472 ‫מ‬
10,623 ‫ם‬
9,854 ‫נ‬
4,257 ‫ן‬
1,833 ‫ס‬
11,247 ‫ע‬
3,976 ‫פ‬
834 ‫ף‬
2,985 ‫צ‬
1,067 ‫ץ‬
4,694 ‫ק‬
18,128 ‫ר‬
15,596 ‫ש‬
17,849 ‫ת‬
KNOW
YOUR

‫ורה‬ ‫ת‬

‫ספר בראשית‬
SEFER BERESHIS
 Sefer Bereshis
(based mainly on the Seider ha'Doros)

Bereshis
0-1 Creation…1st Shabbos…1st Havdalah…Kayin kills Hevel and goes into exile…Kayin’s generations
130 Sheis born…listing of his generations until Noach
930 Adam HaRishon dies
1056 Noach born…Nefillin start the corruption of civilization…Noach finds favor in G-d’s eyes
Noach
1656- Year of the Flood…Mesushelach dies and seven days later the rains start…Noach entered the Ark…rains
57 for forty days…after a year and 11 days all leave the Aark…incident with Cham
1948 Avram born
1973 Avram marries Sarah
1996 Year of the Dispersion (Tower of Babel)
2001 Start of 2000 years of Torah…Avram & Sarah make new souls in Charan
Lech Lecha
Avram leaves Charan for Eretz Yisrael ... Famine ... Avram goes down to Egypt ... splits up with Lot ... the
2023
battle with the kings ... the king of S'dom
2033 Hagar and Sarah
2034 Hagar gives birth to Yishmael
Avram circumcises himself, Yishmael, at 13, and all the members of his household on the thirteenth of
2047
Nisan ... his name is changed from Avram to Avraham, and Sarai's to Sarah.
Va’Yeira
The 3 angels ...overturning of S'dom ...Lot's daughters, the birth of Amon & Mo'av ...Avimelech & Sarah
2048 The birth of Yitzchak on the 15th Nisan
Yishmael mocks Yitzchak ... Hagar and Yishmael are sent away ... Yishmael moves to Midbar Paran ...
2050
Avraham lives in Be'er Sheva ... Avraham and Avimelech
2083 Terach dies in Charan.
2085 The Akeidah ... Rivkah is born to Besuel and Milkah
Chayei Sarah
Sarah dies ... Efron and the people of Cheis.
2087 Lot dies
2088 Eliezer, Rivkah, Lavan, Besuel ... Yitzchak marries Rivkah ... Avraham (re)marries Keturah & has children
Toldos
2108 Yitzchak and Rivkah daven for children ... Eisav and Yaacov are born
2121 Eisav and Yaacov grow up.
Eisav goes hunting ... returns exhausted after murdering Nimrod ... Avraham dies ... Yaacov buys the
2123
birthright from Eisav.
2126 Yitzchak sends Yaacov to the Yeshivah of Shem and Eiver. Yitzchak and Avimelech and the wells.
2148 Eisav age forty, marries Yehudis and Bosnas.
Eisav and Yaacov and the B'rachos ... Yaacov returns to the Yeshivah of Shem and Eiver ... Elifaz, Eisav's
2171
son, takes all his possessions ... Yishmael marries Eisav's daughter, Machalas ... he dies the same year.
 Va'Yeitzei
2185 Yaacov leaves Yeshivah ... the dream ... he arrives in Charan ... works seven years for Rachel.
Yaacov marries Leah, and Rachel - for whom he has to work another seven years.
2192
Reuven is born to Leah (on the 14th Kislev)
2193 Shimon is born to Leah (on the 28th Teives)
2194 Yaacov marries Bilhah ... Levi is born to Leah (on 16th of Nisan), and Dan to Bilhah (on the 9th of Elul).
2195 Yehudah is born to Leah (15th Sivan), & Naftali to Bilhah (on the 5th Tishrei) ...Yaacov marries Zilpah
2196 Gad is born to Zilpah (on the 10th Cheshvan) and Yisachar to Leah (on the 10th Av)
2197 Zevulun is born to Leah (on the 7th Tishrei), and Asher to Zilpah (on the 20th Sh'vat).
Yosef is born to Rachel (on the first or the 27th Tamuz), and Dinah to Leah ... Yaacov works six years for
2198
his own needs ... Lavan attempts to swindle him constantly.
Yaacov runs away from Lavan ... Rachel steals her father's idols ... Lavan chases after Yaacov ... the
2204
confrontation & the treaty ....
Va’Yishlach
2205 Yaacov fights with the angel…Yaacov's confronts with Eisav ... parting of their ways ... Yaacov in Sukos
B’nai Yisrael arrive in Sh'chem and he builds a Mizbe'ach ... Dinah and Sh'chem and Chamor ... Shimon
2206 and Levi kill Sh'chem ... Devorah, Rivka's nurse dies, and so does Rivkah ... Yaacov's name is changed to
Yisrael ... He travels to Beis-E-l and fulfils his promise to set up the stone as the House of G-d.
2208 Binyamin is born (on the 11th Cheshvan) ... Rachel dies ... Yaacov arrives home in Chevron, after 36 years
2228 Yitzchak dies ... the generations of Eisav, and the kings of Edom.
Va’Yeshev
Yaacov gifts special garment to Yosef…Yosef sold into slavery when he was 17…Brothers show the torn
2216
“special garment” to Yaacov…Leah dies
2217 Yosef serves Potiphar for one year
2218 Yosef begins time in prison
The baker and cupbearer enter prison…at end of year the baker is released and the cupbearer is killed
2226
Tamar marries Er, first-born son of Yehudah
Miketz
On Rosh HaShanah Yosef is released from prison and meets with Paroh…Yosef interprets the
2229 dreams…Yosef is appointed second-ranking in Egypt…Yosef establishes storehouses for food…
Yosef marries Osnas
2235 Final year of the seven years of plenty…Kehas son of Levi born
Two years (which were suppose to be seven years) of famine begin…10 brothers come to Egypt for food…
2236
Shimon imprisoned…Brothers return to Egypt with Binyomin
Va’Yigash
2237- Confrontation with Yaacov and Yehuda…Yosef reveals himself to the brothers…Is my father still
38 alive?...Yaacov comes to Egypt for the “best” years of his life…Yocehved daughter of Levi is born
Ya’Yechi
Yaacov blesses Efraim & Manesheh…Yaacov blesses all the brothers…Yaacov dies and is buried in the
2255
burial cave in Chevron
2309 Yosef dies
 11 GENERATIONS OF THE DISPERSION OF MANKIND (FROM
NOACH TO AVRAHAM)
Year Year
Since Since
Creation Flood
NOACH 1056
SHEM 1558
ARPACH 1658 2
SHAD
SHELAH 1693 37

EBER 1723 67
PELEG 1757 101

REU 1787 131

SERUG 1819 163 1

NACHOR 1849 193 1
TERACH 1878 222 2
AVRAM
2
1948

940 438 338 303 279 239 209 177 147 118 48 The Dispersion

950 600 438 433 464 239 239 230 148 205 175

Important Dates
1656 Year of Flood
1996 Year of Dispersion Death of Peleg (all others above still alive) 340 years after Flood
Avram 48 years old
2001 Start of 2000 Years of Torah – Avram makes new souls in Charan
Avram 53 years old
2006 Noach died Avram 58 years old
2018 Bris Bein HaBasarim Covenant Between the Parts Avram 70 years old
2023 Avram Goes Out (commanded to leave Charan) Avram 75 years old
2047 Avram undergoes circumcision Avram 99 years old
2048 Yitzchak born Avraham was 100 years old
 The Events of the Year 2171
And
Yaacov Studied 14 Years in House of Ever (2171-2185)
From Creation
Avrohom 1948 Birth of Avrohom

2034 Birth of Yishmael

86 Yishmael
2048 Birth of
100 14 Yitzchak
Yitzchak

160 74 60 Eisav Yaacov

2108 Birth of Eisav & Yaacov
175 89 75 15 15
2123 Death of Avrohom
114 100 60 60
2148 Eisav’s 1st
137 123 63 63 Marriage

2171 Yitzchak blessed Yaacov

Yaavov left home

133 77
151 91 91 Yosef
157 97 6
168 108 17
180 120 120 29
121 30

130 39
Yishmael died
Eisav took for a wife Mahalath (daughter of Yishmael)
Leah & Rochel are born
2185 Yaacov arrives in Charan

2199 Birth of Yosef

2205 Yaacov left Lavan

 2216 Selling of Yosef
2228 Death of Yitzchak
2229 Yosef became Viceroy
2238 Yaacov went to Egypt

130 Yaacov’s age when stood before Paroh

- 63 Age of Yaacov when he left his father’s home
- 14 Years prior to birth of Yosef that Yaacov was by Lavan
- 39 Years of Yosef at time Yaacov arrived in Egypt
= 14 Years not accounted for in the Chumash

Per Chaza”l Yaacov spent 14 years in the Yeshivah of Ever

THE MATRIACHS
Year
FOUR MOTHERS from Event
Creation
SARAH 1958 B i r t h o f S a r a h
25 1973 S a r a h m a r r i e d
90 2048 Birth of Yitzchak
127 RIVKAH 2085 Death of Sarah & Birth of Rivkah
3 2088 R i v k a h m a r r i e d
23 2108 Birth of Yaacov & Eisav
86 LEAH ROCHEL 2171 Birth of Leah & Rochel
100 14 14 2185 Y a a c o v a r ri ve d in C ha ra n
107 21 21 2192 Leah & Rochel marry Yaacov
114 28 28 2199 7TH year of children
120 34 34 2205 Family leaves Lavan
122 36 36 2207 Death of Rivkah & Roche l
45 2216 D e a t h o f L e a h
Year from Year in Year Yosef
Creation Yosef’s Life in Prision
17
Yosef sold when he was 17
2216 Yosef served Potiphar for one year *
18
2217 1
The imprisonment of Yosef
19
2218 2
20
2219 3
Yosef destined to spend 10 years in
21
2220 4 prison (one year for “slander” of 10
22 brothers)
2221 5
23
2222 6 Yosef spent 9 years in prison prior to
24
the imprisonment of the chief
2223 7
25 cupbearer and of the chief baker
2224 8
26
2225 9
27
One year together prior to the release
2226 10 of the baker and the execution of the
28 cupbearer**
2227 11 Two years Yosef in prison prior to his
29 appearance before Paroah at the age
2228 12 of 30
30
2229

* See 39:5 “and from the time the Egyptian put him in charge of the house…
“in the house” – from the effects of the heat (season of summer)
“and outside” - from the effects of the cold (season of winter)
from Seder Olam Rabbah and Be’ur ha-Gra
** See 40:4 “When they had been in custody for some time…” Rashi -twelve
months
KNOW
YOUR

‫ורה‬ ‫ת‬

‫ספר שמות‬
SEFER SHMOS
 Sefer Shmos
(based mainly on the Seider ha'Doros)
Shmos
2309 Death of Yosef
2331 Death of Levi (last of the 12 brothers); slavery beings
2361 Birth of Miriam; “Harsh” slavery begins
2363 “New” Paroh begins issuing decrees against the Jews
2365 Aharon born
2368-7 Adar Moshe born
6th Sivan Moshe put into a basket into the Nile; drawn out of the Nile by Basya, daughter of Paroh
2386 Childhood and Maturity of Moshe; Moshe kills the Mitzri and leaves Egypt and goes to Kush
2395 Moshe becomes King of Kush at the age of 27 and rules for 40 years
2406 Yehoshua born
2418 B’nai Efraim revolt and leave Egypt and die in the desert
2428 Chur born
2435 Moshe left Kush and went to Yisro and married Tziporah
2436 Betzalel born
2447 Burning Bush begins on 15th of Nissan where Moshe remained for 7 days; Moshe returns to Egypt
V’eara
Moshe appears before Paroh
Tamuz First Plague – Blood
Av Second Plague – Frogs
Elul Third Plague – Lice
2448 Tishrei Fourth Plague – Wild Animals
Chesvan Fifth Plague – Pestilence
Kislev Sixth Plague – Boils
Teves Seventh Plague – Fiery Hail
Bo
2448 Shvat Eight Plague - Locust
Adar Ninth Plague – Darkness
Nisan Tenth Plague – Death of the First Born
B’Shlach
th
15 Nissan Jews leave Egypt
21st Nissan Jews cross the Sea; the pursuing Egyptians are drown
24th Nissan Jews arrive at Marah after 3 days without water; Moshe sweetens the bitter waters
14th Iyar Supply of Matzos are finished
16th Iyar Mahn begins to fall daily
22nd Iyar First Shabbos of full observance; Birds help out
28th Iyar War with Amalek
 Yisro
2448 Yisro arrives and makes suggestions regarding situation of judging the Jews
st
1 Sivan Jews arrive at Har Sinai
Moshe ascends Har Sinai; HaShem offers the Jews to be nation of G-d; The Jews answer that all
2nd Sivan
that HaShem spoke, we will do
Moshe delivers response of the Jews to HaShem; HaShem tells Moshe that He will address him
3rd Sivan
& the Jews will listen; Moshe tells the Jews; they request that HaShem speak directly to them
Moshe ascends and delivers response; HaShem commands three days of preparation and a
4th Sivan boundary around HaSinai; the nation answers ‫“ נעשה‬we will do”; Moshe writes ‫ספר הברית‬
(Bereshis until Matah Torah)
Moshe builds a mizbeach; Moshe builds a 12-stone monument; the first-born bring sacrifices;
Moshe sprinkles half the blood on the mizbeach; Moshe reads ‫ ;ספר הברית‬The nation
5th Sivan
responds ‫( נעשה ונשמע‬We will do and we will listen); Moshe sprinkles other half of blood on
the people
6th Sivan Moshe ascends to receive the Torah; HaShem speaks the 10 Commandments
Mishpatim
th
2448 7 Sivan Civil laws and promise of conquest of the Land of Israel
4th Sivan Preparations for giving of the Torah
7th Sivan Moshe ascends for first 40-day period to learn the entire Torah and receive the first Luchos
Terumah
2449 Command from HaShem to Moshe to collect contributions of the materials for the Mishkah;
th
11 Tishrei instructions on the construction of the building and of the vessels of the Mishkan
Tetzveh
2449 Command from HaShem to Moshe to make the clothing of the Cohanim.the inauguration of the
11th Tishrei Cohanim, and the inner alter
Ki Sisa
2449
th Command from HaShem to Moshe to make the Kiyar, the anointing oil, and the Ketores
11 Tishrei
Appointment of Bezalel (age 13) to build the Mishkan
17th Tammuz Incident of the Golden Calf; Moshe descends and breaks the first Luchos
18th Tammuz Moshe ascends Har Sinai for the second 40-day period to please for forgiveness
29th Av Moshe descends from Har Sinai; Moshe carves for himself the Second Luchos
30th Av Moshe ascends Har Sinai for the third 40-day period with the Luchos
10th Tishrei Moshe descends with the second Luchos
VaYakhel
2449 Command from Moshe to B’nai Yisrael to contribute materials for the Mishkan, to build
th
11 Tishrei the Mishkan and its contents, and the clothes of the Cohanim
12th-14th
Collection of the Terumos for the Mishkan
Tishrei
15th Tishrei Moshe said enough; Shabbos; command not to carry in Reshus HaRabim
Pekudai
2449 Audit of the materials for the Mishkan
Mishkan completed; HaShem commands Moshe to erect the Mishkan and anoint the Mishkan,
25th Kislev
all that is within, and the Cohanim
1st Nissan Moshe erects the Mishkah

KNOW
YOUR

‫ורה‬ ‫ת‬

‫ספר ויקרא‬
SEFER VAYIKRA
 Sefer Shmos
(based mainly on the Seider ha'Doros)
Shmos
2309 Death of Yosef
2331 Death of Levi (last of the 12 brothers); slavery beings
2361 Birth of Miriam; “Harsh” slavery begins
2363 “New” Paroh begins issuing decrees against the Jews
2365 Aharon born
2368-7 Adar Moshe born
6th Sivan Moshe put into a basket into the Nile; drawn out of the Nile by Basya, daughter of Paroh
2386 Childhood and Maturity of Moshe; Moshe kills the Mitzri and leaves Egypt and goes to Kush
2395 Moshe becomes King of Kush at the age of 27 and rules for 40 years
2406 Yehoshua born
2418 B’nai Efraim revolt and leave Egypt and die in the desert
2428 Chur born
2435 Moshe left Kush and went to Yisro and married Tziporah
2436 Betzalel born
2447 Burning Bush begins on 15th of Nissan where Moshe remained for 7 days; Moshe returns to Egypt
V’eara
Moshe appears before Paroh
Tamuz First Plague – Blood
Av Second Plague – Frogs
Elul Third Plague – Lice
2448 Tishrei Fourth Plague – Wild Animals
Chesvan Fifth Plague – Pestilence
Kislev Sixth Plague – Boils
Teves Seventh Plague – Fiery Hail
Bo
2448 Shvat Eight Plague - Locust
Adar Ninth Plague – Darkness
Nisan Tenth Plague – Death of the First Born
B’Shlach
th
15 Nissan Jews leave Egypt
21st Nissan Jews cross the Sea; the pursuing Egyptians are drown
24th Nissan Jews arrive at Marah after 3 days without water; Moshe sweetens the bitter waters
14th Iyar Supply of Matzos are finished
16th Iyar Mahn begins to fall daily
22nd Iyar First Shabbos of full observance; Birds help out
28th Iyar War with Amalek
 Yisro
2448 Yisro arrives and makes suggestions regarding situation of judging the Jews
st
1 Sivan Jews arrive at Har Sinai
Moshe ascends Har Sinai; HaShem offers the Jews to be nation of G-d; The Jews answer that all
2nd Sivan
that HaShem spoke, we will do
Moshe delivers response of the Jews to HaShem; HaShem tells Moshe that He will address him
3rd Sivan
& the Jews will listen; Moshe tells the Jews; they request that HaShem speak directly to them
Moshe ascends and delivers response; HaShem commands three days of preparation and a
4th Sivan boundary around HaSinai; the nation answers ‫“ נעשה‬we will do”; Moshe writes ‫ספר הברית‬
(Bereshis until Matah Torah)
Moshe builds a mizbeach; Moshe builds a 12-stone monument; the first-born bring sacrifices;
Moshe sprinkles half the blood on the mizbeach; Moshe reads ‫ ;ספר הברית‬The nation
5th Sivan
responds ‫( נעשה ונשמע‬We will do and we will listen); Moshe sprinkles other half of blood on
the people
6th Sivan Moshe ascends to receive the Torah; HaShem speaks the 10 Commandments
Mishpatim
th
2448 7 Sivan Civil laws and promise of conquest of the Land of Israel
4th Sivan Preparations for giving of the Torah
7th Sivan Moshe ascends for first 40-day period to learn the entire Torah and receive the first Luchos
Terumah
2449 Command from HaShem to Moshe to collect contributions of the materials for the Mishkah;
th
11 Tishrei instructions on the construction of the building and of the vessels of the Mishkan
Tetzveh
2449 Command from HaShem to Moshe to make the clothing of the Cohanim.the inauguration of the
11th Tishrei Cohanim, and the inner alter
Ki Sisa
2449
th Command from HaShem to Moshe to make the Kiyar, the anointing oil, and the Ketores
11 Tishrei
Appointment of Bezalel (age 13) to build the Mishkan
17th Tammuz Incident of the Golden Calf; Moshe descends and breaks the first Luchos
18th Tammuz Moshe ascends Har Sinai for the second 40-day period to please for forgiveness
29th Av Moshe descends from Har Sinai; Moshe carves for himself the Second Luchos
30th Av Moshe ascends Har Sinai for the third 40-day period with the Luchos
10th Tishrei Moshe descends with the second Luchos
VaYakhel
2449 Command from Moshe to B’nai Yisrael to contribute materials for the Mishkan, to build
th
11 Tishrei the Mishkan and its contents, and the clothes of the Cohanim
12th-14th
Collection of the Terumos for the Mishkan
Tishrei
15th Tishrei Moshe said enough; Shabbos; command not to carry in Reshus HaRabim
Pekudai
2449 Audit of the materials for the Mishkan
Mishkan completed; HaShem commands Moshe to erect the Mishkan and anoint the Mishkan,
25th Kislev
all that is within, and the Cohanim
1st Nissan Moshe erects the Mishkah
KNOW
YOUR

‫ורה‬ ‫ת‬

‫ספר במדבר‬
SEFER BEMIDBAR
 The Chronological order of events in Sefer BeMidbar
(based mainly on the Seider ha'Doros)
2449
YOM SHENI &
ROSH CHODESH IYAR 1ST of IYAR SHILISHI Parshas Bemidbar & Naso
(2 DAYS)
Parshas Beha’aloska
Yisro accedes to Moshe's request and
The Jews enter Midbar Paran 20TH of IYAR YOM RISHON leaves together with them. The Aron
ha'Kodesh goes three days ahead of
Yisrael. "Vayehi bi'neso'a ha'Aron .”
Yisrael grumble about the journeys.
They complain that they want meat.
Kivros ha'Ta'avah 22th of IYAR YOM SHILISHI
The seventy Elders, Eldad and
Meidad. Thirty days of quail begin.
YOM REVII
ROSH CHODESH SIVAN 1ST of SIVAN
(1 DAY)
Miriam and Aharon speak lashon ha'ra
Chatzeiros 22 YOM REVII about Moshe ... Miriam is expelled
from the camp for seven days
Yisrael travel from Chatzeiros. They
28 YOM SHILISHI
arrive in Midbar Paran

The episode with the Spies

29 YOM REVII
Parshas Shlach
begins They spy the Land for forty days
YOM
ST
1 of CHAMISHI &
ROSH CHODESH TAMUZ SHISHI
TAMUZ
(2 DAYS)

YOM SHABBOS
ROSH CHODESH AV 1ST of AV
(1 DAY)

8TH of AV YOM SHABBOS SPIES RETURN

9TH of AV YOM RISHON FALSE REPORT

YOM RISHON &

ROSH CHODESH ELLUL 1ST of ELLUL
SHENI (2 DAYS)

17TH of ELLUL YOM REVEI 10 SPIES DIE

Parshas Korach - Multiple opinions about when it takes place
Ibn Ezra – still at Sinai right after Aharon became Cohen Gadol
Shaaray Aharon – follows the “mekoshaish” who violated the second Shabbos
Rashi – either directly prior to (Chatzeiros) or directly after the Spies
(Kadesh)
Batei Midrashos – the fortieth year

2449-2467 - wanderings in the desert including 19 encampments

2449 - Iyov (Job) dies shortly before the spies began their journey

2468-2487 - encampment at Kadesh Barnea for 19 years

2473 – (not recorded in the Torah) Yabus from the seed of Avimelech built the walls
of Yerushalim due to the fear of the approaching Jewish nation (was called
Tzion); walls not breached until Dovid HaMelech)

2484 - Sichon defeated the b’nai Moav with the help of Bilaam. Several cities were
transferred to Sichon from Moav as tribute at the end of the war.

2487 - Parsha Chukas

Rosh Chodesh Nissan the Jews depart Kadash Barnea
Tenth of Nissan Miriam Died; water from the spring stopped and the incident with the Rock
Tenth of Iyar – 30 days of mourning ended; Moshe sends messengers to Edom to cross their land.
Edom refused rights of passage, and the Jews go another way
Rosh Chodesh Av – arrive at Har HaHar; Aharon dies; mourning for 30 days
Cananite nation assembles a large army to attack the Jews, since they thought G-d’s
protection was removed. The Jews are afraid and retreated 7 encampments, and waited there
for thirty days. B’nai Levi fight their fellow Jews, forcing them back to Har HaHar. There,
they make a Neder that HaShem should give them victory. The battle in Nachlei Arnan takes
36 hours
Elul - Ammon refuses rights of passage and battles the Jews; the Jews are victorious defeating Sichon

2488 - Jews observe holidays of Tishrei

Twenty-Third of Tishrei, the Jews encounter Og, King of Bashan, and miracles occur

Parsha Balak
Moav very afraid of the Jews, appoint Balak King; he hires Bilaam to curse the Jews
Moav using their daughters entices some of the Jews at Nachal Shitim. Incident with Pinchas

Parshas Pinchas, Mattos, Masai until Rosh Chodesh Shvat

TOTAL OF 38 YEARS, 9 MONTHS
KNOW
YOUR

‫ורה‬ ‫ת‬

‫ספר דברים‬
SEFER DEVARIM
 TIME LINE OF SEFER DEVARIM
& THE ENTRY INTO ERETZ YISRAEL

YEAR 2488 ACTIVITY

ST
1 OF SHVAT UNTIL MOSHE EXPOUNDED TORAH
THE 6TH OF ADAR (36 DAYS)
MOSHE DIES (120 COMPLETE YEARS)
7TH OF ADAR
BEGINS 30 DAYS OF MOURNING
TH TH
5 TO THE 8 OF DAYS OF THE RECONNAISSANCE
NISSAN MISSION
TH TH
7 TO 9 OF NISSAN 3 DAYS OF PREPARATION
TH
10 DAY OF NISSAN DAY OF CROSSING JORDAN RIVER
3 DAYS OF CIRCUMCISION &
11TH TO 13TH OF NISSAN
RECUPERATION
TH
14 OF NISSAN OFFERED KORBAN PESACH
7 DAYS OF PESACH – FIRST IN ERETZ
15TH THRU 21ST OF
YISROEL
NISSAN
7 DAYS OF SIEGE OF YERICHO
KNOW
YOUR

‫באים‬ ‫נ‬
PROPHETS

Chapters Verses Average

Yehoshua 24 656 27.33
Shoftim (Judges) 21 618 29.43
Shmuel 55 1506 27.38
Melachim (Kings) 47 1536 32.68
‫נבאים‬
The Prophets Yeshiyahu 66 1290 19.55
Yirmiyahu 52 1364 26.23
Yechezkel 48 1271 26.48
Trei Asar (12 Prophets) 67 1049 15.66
TOTAL 380 9290 24.45
 TIMELINE NEVIIM
Sefer After Creation B.C.E. Total years
Yehoshua 2488-2516 1273-1245 28 years
Shoftim (Judges) 2516-2832 1245-929 316 years
Shmuel 2832-2924 929-837 92 years
Melachim (Kings) 2924-3338 837-423 414 years
Yeshiyahu 3143-3228 618-533 85 years
Yirmiyahu 3298-3338 463-423 40 years
Yechezkel 3327-3338 434-423 10 years
Trei Asar
3130-3448 631-313 318 years
(12 Prophets)
Indicative of the greatness of these generations is that at least one million
Jews experienced prophecy. Nevertheless the prophecies of forty-eight
prophets that comprise the books of the Neviim as follows:
1. Yehoshua 25. Yachaziel
2. Assir 26. Eliezer ben Dodavahu
3. Elkanah 27. Yonah
4. Aviasaph 28. Zechayah
5. Pinchas 29. Amotz
6. Elkanah 30. Hoshea
7. Shmuel 31. Amos
8. Dovid HaMelech 32. Yeshiyahu
9. Gad 33. Micah
10. Asaph 34. Oded
11. Yedusun 35. Yoel
12. Herman 36. Nachum
13. Eisan 37. Chabakuk
14. Nasan 38. Tzefanyah
15. Achiah HaShiloni 39. Yirmiyahu
16. Shemaiah 40. Uriah
17. Iddo 41. Yechezkel
18. Azariah ben Oded 42. Baruch
19. Chanani HaRoeh 43. Seraiah
20. Yehu ben Chanani 44. Daniel
21. Eliyahu 45. Mordechai
22. Elisha 46. Chaggai
23. Ovadayah 47. Zecharyah
24. Michaihu 48. Malachi
KNOW
YOUR

‫באים‬ ‫נ‬

‫ספר יהושע‬
SEFER YEHOSHUA
27.33
24 chapters 656 verses
average
 SEFER YEHOSHUA

WHERE IN
YEAR 2488 ACTIVITY SEFER
YEHOSHUA
1ST OF SHVAT MOSHE EXPOUNDED
UNTIL THE 6TH OF TORAH
ADAR (36 DAYS)
MOSHE DIES
7TH OF ADAR BEGINS 30 DAYS OF
MOURNING
5TH TO THE 8TH OF DAYS OF THE
CHAPTER TWO
NISSAN RECONNAISSANCE MISSION
7 TO 9TH OF
TH
3 DAYS OF PREPARATION CHAPTER ONE
NISSAN
TH
10 DAY OF DAY OF CROSSING JORDAN CHAPTERS THREE
NISSAN RIVER & FOUR
11 TO 13TH OF
TH
3 DAYS OF CIRCUMCISION
CHAPTER FIVE
NISSAN & RECUPERATION
TH
14 OF NISSAN OFFERED KORBAN PESACH CHAPTER FIVE
7 DAYS OF PESACH – FIRST
CHAPTER FIVE
15TH THRU 21ST OF IN ERETZ YISROEL
NISSAN 7 DAYS OF SIEGE OF
CHAPTER SIX
YERICHO
 Yehoshua 2488-2516
Entry into Eretz Yisrael 10th of Nissan 2488
7 years conquest, then 7 years apportionment
Shmittah cycle starts 2503
FOUR VERSIONS

VERSION VERSION VERSION VERSION D

A B C
# of days in Adar 29 30 29 30
Day of week on which
Moshe died (7th of Shabbos Shabbos 6th day 5th day
Adar)
30 days of Mourning
7th - Shabbos 8th – 1st day 7th – 6th day 7th – 5th day
Start (Adar)
7th – 1st day 7th – 2nd day 7th – Shabbos 6th – 6th day
Finish (Nissan)
Shabbos thru Shabbos thru
3 days of Preparation 1st thru 3rd 2nd thru 4th
2nd day of 2nd day of
7th 8th & 9th of Nissan day of week day of week
week week
Cross the Jordan River 4th day of 5th day of rd
3 day of rd
3 day of
10th of Nissan week week week week
4 days of circumcision,
6th day thru
recovery and Korban 5th day thru 1st 4th day thru 4th day thru
2nd day of
Pesach day of week Shabbos Shabbos
week
11th thru 14th of Nissan
2nd day thru 3rd day thru
7 days of Pesach 1st day thru 1st day thru
1st day of 2nd day of
15th thru 21st of Nissan Shabbos Shabbos
week week
Days in Nissan of
22nd thru 27th 22nd thru 26th 0 0
Idleness
7 days of siege of Jericho 22nd of 22nd of
28th of Nissan 27th of Nissan
Start (1st day of week) Nissan Nissan
4th of Iyar 3rd of Iyar th th
Finish (Shabbos) 28 of Nissan 28 of Nissan
# of days from Moshe’s
death until conquest of 57 57 51 52
Jericho
 THE MIZBAYACH ON HAR EIVAL
VERSION DATE TIME SOURCE
On the day they crossed the
A 10TH Nissan 2488 Sotah 36a
Jordan River
During the year of the
Malbim commentary to
B 2488 or 2489 crossing, after the conquest of
Yehoshua 8:30
Ai
14 years after the crossing
Sotah 33b Tosafos
(seven years of conquest and
C 2502 (according to R.
seven years of the
Yishmael)
apportionment of the Land)

CAMPAIGNS OF CONQUEST
DIVISION OF LAND TO THE 12 TRIBES

CROSSING THE JORDAN RIVER

KNOW
YOUR

‫באים‬ ‫נ‬

‫ספר שופטים‬
SEFER SHOFTIM

29.43
21 chapters 618 verses
average
 Yehoushua 2488-2516
Entry into Eretz Yisrael 10th of Nissan 2488
7 years conquest, then 7 years apportionment
Shmittah cycle starts 2503

We all know that Sefer Yehoshua describes how Bnei Yisrael conquer Eretz Canaan;
In Sefer Shoftim, Eretz Canaan turns around and 'conquers' the people of Israel!
Let's explain.
Recall from the Chumash that G-d's hope (and plan) was for Bnei Yisrael to conquer
the Land of Israel in order to establish a "goy kadosh" - a 'holy nation' that would
keep G-d's laws, and by doing so, serve as G-d's 'model' nation that would represent
Him before all mankind. [See Devarim 4:5-8.]
Even though Bnei Yisrael had successfully conquered major areas of Eretz Canaan,
they were far less successful in establishing this ideal nation. In Sefer Shoftim the
spiritual character of the nation during this time period falls way short of G-d's
original expectations. Time and time again, we find that Bnei Yisrael follow Canaanite
G-ds and customs, while rejecting their own heritage. Tragically, the new land (and its
local population) exerted too strong an influence.
Therefore, it should not surprise us to find a "sefer nevuah" [a prophetic work]
dedicated to the explanation of what went wrong during this time period.
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT?
Chazal tell us that Sefer Shoftim was written by the navi [prophet] Shmuel. This
information is more than just technical, for to appreciate a "sefer nevuah", it always
important to understand when, by whom, and for what purpose it was written. Let's
explain how these considerations can help us appreciate Sefer Shoftim.
First of all, Chazal's statement that Shmuel composed Sefer Shoftim implies that
the sefer was written AFTER all of its events had taken place. Even though this is a
very simple point, it is important to note for we usually understand "nevuah"
[prophecy] as foreseeing 'future' events, rather than recording events that had already
transpired. However, this is the very point of Sefer Shoftim. Shmuel reviews (and
analyzes) the events that had taken place since the time of Yehoshua - not to predict
what will happen - but rather in order that Bnei Yisrael will 'learn a lesson' from
what did happen.
With this observation in mind, we can better understand the manner in which Sefer
Shoftim presents its stories. Instead of finding an organized chronological 'history
book', we find a more complex composition, including an introduction, the presentation
of a thesis, its proof, and a very interesting conclusion. In other words, Shmuel
presents a prophetic 'agenda' to his own generation in this Sefer.
THE TIME PERIOD OF SHMUEL
To appreciate this point, recall one of most critical events in Jewish history
that took place during the life of Shmuel, i.e. Bnei Yisrael's request to establish a
kingdom. At first, Shmuel appears to be against the idea, yet nonetheless, G-d
encourages him to grant to the people's request. Shmuel faces a predicament, for a
kingdom offers both positive and negative aspects. One the one hand, it can provide the
nation with the necessary infrastructure for national growth and prosperity; but on the
other hand, it also carries the potential for corruption & spiritual downfall.
With this background, we can understand why Shmuel writes Sefer Shoftim. On the
one hand he relates to the potential misconception that a kingdom alone will solve all
of Bnei Yisrael's problems; yet on the other hand, he also discusses the anarchy that
results when there is no strong central leadership. [See the final pasuk of Sefer
Shoftim: "bayamim ha'heym ein melech b'Yisrael, ish ha'yashar b'einav yaaseh".]
AN OVERVIEW
A basic analysis of Sefer Shoftim immediately identifies its division into three
distinct units: [each unit then subdivides into three sections]
I. 1:1->2:5 / The unfinished conquest of Eretz Canaan
A. What Yehuda captured
B. What everyone else didn't
C. What the "malach" has to say about this
II. 2:6->16:31 / The SHOFTIM
A. Presenting the thesis - the 'cycle'
 B. The 'good' shoftim (thru Gideon)
C. The 'not so good' shoftim
III. 17:1->21:25 / Three stories (because there's no king)
A. Micha's idol
B. Pilegesh b'Givah
C. The civil war against Binyamin

The Judges of Israel

Judge (verses)
Home Tribe Notes Enemy
Years Ruled

(3:7-11) Brother of Caleb; the spirit of the L-rd was on him Aram-
Othniel Judah
2516-2556 Defeated the Arameans naharaim
(3:12-30) Left-handed
Ehud Benjamin Moab
2556-2636 Killed Eglon, king of Moab, by trickery
(3:31)
Shamgar "son of Anath" Judged for ½ a year Philistia
2636
Woman tribal leader, both military and legal
Campaigned against Sisera, Canaanite general
(4-5)
Deborah ? under Jabin, the King of Hazor Canaan
2636-2676
Barak was military leader under Deborah
Jael, a Kenite woman, killed Sisera as he fled
Came from a family of Baal worshippers
(6-8) Afraid to trust G-d, portrayed as an arrogant
Gideon 2676-2716 Manasseh coward Midian
** G-d gave him a plan to defeat the Midianites
Ended up worshipping Baal
(9:22)
Avimelek ?
2716-19
(10:1-2)
Tola Yissachar ?
2719-2742
(10:3-5)
Yair Gilead Buried at Shamir ?
2742-2764
(10:6-12:7)
Yiftach Gilead 300 years after entering the Land Ammon
2782-2788
(12:8-10)
Ibzan Yehudah ?
2788-2794
(12:9-10)
Elon Zebulun ?
2794-2804
(12:13-15) "son of Hillel
Abdon Buried in Ephraim ?
2804-2812 the Pirathonite"
Born to a barren woman by promise
Nazarite, but broke his vows
(13-16)
Shimshon Dan Womanizer and a drunk Philistia
2812-2832
G-d helped him bring relief from the Philistines
Fatal attraction to Delilah
The rest of the book of Judges (17-21) describes a situation deteriorating on two fronts, the breakdown of religious sensitivity
(17-18) and finally the breakdown of social concerns that led to civil war among the tribes (19-21) in which the tribe of
Benjamin was nearly annihilated.  The recurring comment that "there was no king" anticipates the rise of the monarchy that,
while not the best religious move, brought some stability to a bad situation.
**Years according to Radak, where 7 years of subjugation by Midian are included in Gideon’s 40 years. According to Rashi,
Gideon’s judgeship began in year 2683 and Yiftach’s judgeship occurred after 300 years from conquest of land (2788)
KNOW
YOUR

‫באים‬ ‫נ‬

‫ספר שמואל‬
SEFER SHMUEL

27.38
55 chapters 1506 verses
average
 TIMELINE IN SEFER SHMUEL

Leader After Creation B.C.E. Total years

Eli 2832-2871 929-890 39
Shmuel 2871-2881 890-880 10
Shaul 2881-2884 880-877 2 1/2
Dovid 2884-2924 877-837 40
 SHMUEL ‫שמואל‬
The beautiful and evocative tale of Hannah and G-d's answer to her prayer and vow with the birth of the
prophet Shmuel is familiar as the Haftara of the first day of Rosh HaShanah (Gevurah, "might"), anniversary
of the birth of Isaac (Gevurah) and Shmuel the Levite (Gevurah).
Like the story of PILEGESH BE-GIV'AH, the story of the birth of Shmuel begins with a Levite from Mt.
Ephraim, but whereas the Levite husband of the Pilegesh brought great suffering to Israel, Elkanah brought
great TIKKUN (repair). It is said that "the sons of Korach did not die" (Numbers 26:11), from which we
learn that "when Korach descended into hell, a place was formed for them where they stood and sang"
(Megillah 14a). Elkanah was a grandson of a grandson of Korach. At a time when the Israelites were
neglecting to go up to Shilo for the thrice-yearly pilgrim festivals, our rabbis teach that Elkanah made it his
personal mission to go from town to town – each year to new towns – encouraging the people to go up with
him to the Sanctuary, thus reviving the national consciousness of the divine plan for a Temple "in the place
that He will chose". It was in this merit that Elkanah, himself a prophet, was worthy of his son Shmuel.
Hannah was one of the seven outstanding prophetesses of Israel.
Kabbalistically, Elkana is the partzuf of ABBA ("Father", Chochmah, wisdom) and Hannah is IMMA
("Mother", Binah, understanding, as alluded to by the Gematria of her name, Hess 8 + Nun 50 + Heh 5 = 63
= the second Milui of HaVaYaH -- SaG corresponding to Imma/Binah.) Elkana and Hannah had to come
together in ZIVUG to bring Shmuel – ZEIR ANPIN (Gevurah in relation to Abba) – into the world. (ARI,
Likutey Torah Shmuel). Thus it was Shmuel who played the key role in establishing the kingdom,
MALCHUS, by appointing Saul and then David as the first kings of Israel. In the reign of David and his son
Shlomo, G-d's kingship was completely revealed in the world (GADLUS of Zeir Anpin) through the
successful establishment of the earthly kingship which perfectly reflected and served G-d’s Kingship.
Shmuel – Shmuel – was the last of the Judges and first of the Prophets who led Israel. Thus in her prayer
Hannah invoked "the Lord of Hosts", HASHEM TZEVAKOS (I Shmuel 1:11), being the first in Israel to use
this appellation. The kabbalistic writings teach that this name signifies the attributes of NETZACH and
HOD, the "breasts" from which the prophets suckle. Thus the later prophets from the time of Shmuel
onwards repeatedly invoke this Name.
Hannah's magnificent and profoundly allusive prayer was elicited through the constant taunting of her rival,
Peninah, who appears as the villain of the piece yet is said by our rabbis to have acted purely LISHMOH in
order to stir Hannah to prayer. Hannah's whispered prayer is the very archetype of silent prayer and is
darshened in great detail in Talmud Berachos 31b as a lesson in many of the most fundamental HALACHOS
(laws) of prayer, in particular those relating to the daily AMIDAH prayer.
As discussed in the commentary on Yiftah (Jephthah), Hannah is one of the examples of those who vowed
successfully. Her son Shmuel proved to be the "seed of men" that she requested. Eli had been appointed
judge on the very day that Hannah came to the Sanctuary to pray ("And Eli the Priest YOSHEIV, was sitting,
on the chair…" v. 9, i.e. now but not before), and on that same day G-d granted Hannah's prayer for a son – a
son who was to come to prophesy the doom of Eli's house. While Eli was a true Tzaddik who had received
the tradition from the Beis Din (court) of Pinchas and of Shimshon, he nevertheless showed that he was
lacking in RUACH HAKODESH – he mistook Hannah for a drunken woman, causing her to say, "LO
ADONEE" (v. 15), as if to say, "You are not my master!".
When the young Shmuel was brought to the Sanctuary as a two year old boy, he already showed his child-
prodigy Torah genius by darshening that the ox did not need to be slaughtered by a Cohen specifically,
unlike the ensuing sacrificial rituals, which could only be performed by a Cohen – thereby incurring Eli's
wrath for "ruling in front of his teacher". Eli wanted to curse the boy to death, and when Hannah protested,
said he would give her a better son. Until Hannah cried out, "It was for THIS lad that I prayed" (v 27)
"This lad" was to become the towering leader of Israel at a time of searing national crisis within and from
external enemies like the Ammonites and Philistines etc. – a prophet who is mentioned in the same breath as
Moses and Aaron: "Moses and Aaron among His priests and SHMUEL among those who call upon His
Name" (Psalms 99:6).
KNOW
YOUR

‫באים‬ ‫נ‬

‫ספר מלכים‬
SEFER MELACHIM
32.68
47 chapters 1536 verses
average

The Book of Kings is conventionally divided in printed Bibles into Parts I and II for
the sake of convenience, but in handwritten parchment scrolls of Sefer Melachim, it is
all one continuous book. The division in the printed Bible at this point is relatively
arbitrary since it happens to come near the middle of the book (and it actually comes
in the middle of a parshah=paragraph of the Hebrew text). However, the subject matter
at the beginning of II Kings is a direct continuation of the narrative at the end of I
Kings
Kings Of the Jewish State
Year After
Creation King in Yehudah Kings Prophet in that
Events
(before (years reigned) (10 Tribes) time period
common era)
2883 – Dovid kills Golias
2882 Shaul
Shmuel 2884 – Shmuel dies 4 months
(879) (2)
before Shaul
2884 Dovid rules in 2889 – Ish Boshes (son of
(877) Hebron (7½) Shaul) a King for 2½ years
2892 (869) Dovid (33½ years) Gad, Nasan 2912 – Shlomo born
2924 Shlomo Gad, Achiyah 2935 – completion of Bais
(837) (40) Hashiloni HaMikdash
2967 – Yeravam sets up 2
2964 Rechavam Yeravam Ido, Achiyah
Golden Calves and guards not
(797) (17) (22) Hashiloni, Shemayah
to go to Yerushalayim
2981 (780) Aviyah (3) Ido
Nadav (1), Baasha
Asa 3021 Eliyahu successfully
2983 (23), Yehu, Eliyahu.
(41) refuted the priests of Baal on
(778) Elah (1), Zimri, Azaryahu
righteous Mount Carmel
Omri (11), Achav (20)
3024 Yehoshaphat Achazyahu I (2) Eliyahu, Elisha, 3043 – Eliyahu went to
(737) (23) righteous Yehoram I (12) Ovadiah, Michiyahu Heaven in a chariot of fire
3047 (714) Yehoram II (8) Eliyahu
3055 (706) Achazyahu II (1) Yehu (28) Eliyahu
3056 (705) Queen Athalya (6) Yonah
3061 (700) Yehoash (40) Yehoachaz (15) Yona, Zecharyah
3100 (661) Amatzya (15) Yehoash II (17) Amutz
Yeravam II (38),
Zecharayahu (½)
Yeshiyahu, Amos,
3115 (646) Uziyahu (52) Shalom (1 month),
Hoshea
Menachem (10)
Pekachya (2)
Yotam (16)
3167 (594) Pekach (21) Yeshiyahu, Hoshea
righteous
3187 – Gad, Reuven and half
Yeshiyahu, Hoshea, of Menasheh were exiled
3183 (578) Achaz (16)
Micah 3195 – Zevulun and Naftoli
were exiled
Chizkiyahu 3205 – Balance of ten tribes
3199 (562) (29) Hoshea (18) Yeshiyahu, Hoshea were exiled
righteous 3313 – Sancheriv invades
3228 (533) Menasheh (55) Yoel, Nachum
3283 (478) Amon (2) Yirmiyahu
Yoshiyahu (31) Yirmiyahu, Chuldah, 3316 – The Ark and other
3285 (476)
righteous Tzephania holy items are hid
3316 (445) Yehoachaz (3 months) Yirmiyahu
3316 (445) Yehoyakim (11) Yirmiyahu
3327 (434) Yehoyachin Yirmiyahu King for 3 months
Yirmiyahu, 3338 – Bais HaMikdash
3327 (434) Tzidkiyahu (11)
Yechezkel destroyed
KNOW
YOUR

‫באים‬ ‫נ‬

‫ספר ישיהו‬
SEFER YESHIYAHU
19.55
66 chapters 1290 verses
average
 YESHIYAHU ‫ישיהו‬
Yeshiyahu's father Amotz was himself a prophet. According to rabbinic tradition, Amotz was the brother of
King Amatziahu (son of King Jo'ash) of Judah (Megillah 10b), and thus Yeshiyahu was a scion of the royal
House of David. His Hebrew name Yishayahu (="G-d will save") signifies the promise of salvation and
consolation that is the main theme of his prophecies. Yeshiyahu's wife's name is unknown: she is simply
referred to as "the prophetess" (Is. 8:3). A number of their children are mentioned in our texts and they were
given names alluding to various aspects of Israel 's national destiny (Is. 7:3; 7:14; 8:3).

Yeshiyahu was one of the key links in the chain of the Torah tradition: he received it from the prophet Amos
and transmitted it in turn to the prophet Micah (Rambam, Introduction to Mishneh Torah). Yeshiyahu's
prophetic ministry began on the day of the great "quake" when King Uzziah entered the Temple Sanctuary to
try to offer incense (see Rashi on Yeshiyahu 6:1 and on Amos 1:1) and continued throughout the reigns of
Yotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah into the reign of Menasheh (who killed him, Yevamos 49b). Yeshiyahu
prophesied for longer than all the other prophets and is said to have lived until the age of 120. He mainly
prophesied before the king and his ministers. He is considered the greatest of the prophets (Yalkut Shimoni).
Yeshiyahu saw all that Yechezkel saw in his prophecy of the Divine Chariot, but while Yechezkel was like a
simple villager who once saw the king (because he prophesied outside the land of Israel) and was so
impressed that he told all the details, Yeshiyahu was like a man from the great capital (he prophesied in
Israel): being accustomed to seeing royalty, he was less overwhelmed by what he saw (Chagigah 13b).

In Yeshiyahu's time the people were far from Torah observance, and King Ahaz energetically promoted
idolatry and licentiousness. There were no limits on people's maltreatment of one another and corruption was
rife. Yeshiyahu repeatedly warned and rebuked the people, asking them to remember G-d's great goodness to
Israel in each generation. Although he delivered many prophecies relating to the surrounding gentile nations
and their destined destruction, the majority of his prophecies consist of consolation to Israel. All the harsh
prophecies that Yirmiyahu delivered against Israel were preceded and sweetened in advance by Yeshiyahu's
prophecies of salvation (Eichah Rabbah 1). "What was unique about Yeshiyahu causing him to prophesy
more than all the other prophets about Israel 's destined future wellbeing? It was because he accepted the
kingship of heaven upon himself with greater joy than the other prophets" (Tanna d'vei Eliahu 16).

The language of Sefer Yeshiyahu is beautiful but difficult. Its many obscure passages and metaphors have
lead many to claim allusions to what they claim to be their “messiahs.” However, a clearer understanding
shows how they have misconstrued the passages and taken them out of context.

Famous Phrases from this Sefer

This is the last Passuk of the prayer “Uvah Letzion” said three times a day, just before we say
Aleynu Leshabeach.” Taken from 42:21 “Hashem chafetz le’ma’an tzidko yagdiltorah v’ya’adir”.
“Hashem desired, for the sake of Israel’s righteousness, that the Torah be made great and
glorious”.
KNOW
YOUR

‫באים‬ ‫נ‬

‫ספר ירמיהו‬
SEFER YIRMIYAHU
26.23
52 chapters 1364 verses
average
 YIRIMIYAHU SON OF HILKIYAH ‫ירמיהו‬
Yirmiyahu was born in the town of Anathot in the territory of Benjamin north of Jerusalem to a family of
priests whose line went back to Eviathar and Ahimelech who were banished to Anathot by King Shlomo
(Kings I, 2:27). Although from a family of priests, it appears that Yirmiyahu may not have served in the
Temple sacrificial rituals, although Targum Yonathan (Jer. 1:1) describes him as being "from the heads of
the guard of the priests from among the AMARKALAYA that were in Jerusalem". In the Temple, the
AMARKALIM were officers no less than seven in number who held the keys to the Temple Courtyard
(Rambam, Laws of the Temple Vessels 4:17). Radak on Jer. 1:1 states that Yirmiyahu's father Hilkiyah is the
same as Hilkiyah the son of Shafan who found the Sefer Torah in the Temple in the time of King Josiah (II
Kings 22:8). He line also went back to Rachav, wife of Yehoshua. He was born 640 B.C.E. on Tisha B’av.

Yirmiyahu received Torah from the prophet Tzepahniah (Rambam, Intro. to Mishneh Torah), and his
outstanding student was Baruch ben Neriyah, who was the teacher of Ezra. Yirmiyahu prophesied during the
stormy final years of the First Temple, from the thirteenth year of the reign of the great revivalist King
Yosiah in the year 3298 = 462 B.C.E., through the eleven years of Yehoyakim and the eleven years of
Tzedekiah, the last king of Judah, who was exiled with the destruction of the Holy Temple in 3338 = 422
B.C.E. Thus Yirmiyahu prophesied for 40 years. He wrote the work called by his name and also the Book of
Kings and Eichah (Lamentations). It is said that the wise Ben Sira ("Ecclesiasticus") was Yirmiyahu's son
(SIRA has the same gematria as YIRMIYAHU).

Throughout this Sefer, Yirmiyahu’s own feelings of deep sadness are apparent of the forthcoming tragedy of
destruction and exile. The Sefer does end with words of consolation and hope.

Famous phrases from this Sefer:

“ko amar, ko amar Hashem, matzah chain bamidbar…” Thus said Hashem "This people that
survived the sword found favor in the wilderness, as I lead Israel to its place of tranquility." (31:1)
KNOW
YOUR

‫באים‬ ‫נ‬

‫ספר יחזקל‬
SEFER YECHEZKEL
26.48
48 chapters 1271 verses
average
 YECHEZKEL ‫יחזקל‬

Yechezkel's prophetic ministry commenced a few years prior to the destruction of the First Temple and
spanned a period of over twenty years. Yechezkel received Torah from the prophet Yirmiyahu, and there is a
tradition that he was actually his son and was called "the son of Buzi" because people despised (BUZ)
Yirmiyahu (RaDaK on Yechezkel 1:3 in the name of Targum Yerushalmi). The opening prophesy in the
book of Yechezkel, which came to him in Babylon, is dated to five years after the exile there of King Yeho-
yachin (v 2). This took place eleven years before the destruction of the Temple. Yechezkel went into exile
with Yeho-yachin together with sages and prophets like Daniel, Hananya, Mishael, Azariah and Mordechai.
It is surmised that Yechezkel began to prophesy prior to leaving the Land of Israel, in accordance with the
principle that the Shechinah does not rest upon a prophet outside the Land unless it first rested upon him in
Israel (Moe'ed Katan 25a). Some hold that Yechezkel's first prophecy is contained in chapter 2, while others
hold that it is in chapter 17 (Rashi on Yechezkel 1:3).

"And it was in the thirtieth year…" (verse 1). Our commentators prove that Yechezkel is dating his prophesy
to the thirtieth year since the previous YOVEL (Jubilee year), which was the year in which Hilkiyahu the
High Priest found the Torah scroll in the Temple in the eighteenth year of the reign of King Josiah (see II
Kings 22:8ff and II Chronicles 34:14ff; Rashi on Yechezkel 1:2 and RaDaK on Yechezkel 1:1). Although
this led to a spiritual revival for a time, it also marked the sealing of the decree of destruction and exile. Thus
Yechezkel tells us that when he received this prophecy of the departure of the Shechinah from the Temple,
he was already in exile. Much of his prophetic mission was to rebuke the wicked people of his generation for
the sins that were to lead to the destruction of the Temple and the subsequent exile of the rest of the people.
He also prophesied against the nations and about the war of Gog and Magog. However, the climax of his
ministry came "in the twenty fifth year after our exile" (Yechezkel 40:1). This was in the next Jubilee year
(see Rashi ad loc.), when he had a vision of being taken back to Jerusalem, where he saw every detail of the
Future Temple, prophesying the final restoration of Israel at the end of days and the order in which Melech
HaMoshiach, the Cohanim, Levites and the Twelve Tribes will dwell in the Land forever.

The Sefer begins with the vision of the famous Merchavah angel-driven chariot of HaShem. The final
chapter contains words of consolidation describing the eventual arrival of the third and final Temple in the
days of Moshiach.

The first 24 chapters are about the future siege and fall of Jerusalem. The second part of the book, chapters
25 -48, talk of the hope that Hashem will favor the mountains of Israel and remove the idol worshipping and
repopulate the land. Yechezkel goes on to predict the annihilation of the hostile Heathen nations. We are told
about the rejoining of the two halves of the divided Land of Israel, Judea and Samaria. Finally, we hear about
the plans for the Third Temple and the redistribution of the land among the tribes. There are major warnings
to the exiles in Babylon, which take place before the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple.

Famous phrases:
"Vatesaeni ruach Vaeshma kol ra'ash Gadol". "And a spirit lifted me and I heard a great
sound".
KNOW
YOUR

‫באים‬ ‫נ‬

‫ספר תרי עשר‬

SEFER TRI ASAR
15.66
67 chaptes 1049 verses
average
 3130-3448 67
Trei Asar - Twelve 1049
631-313 BCE Total
Minor Prophets Total verses
318 YEARS Chapters
Hoshea 3130-3200 197 14
Yoel 3250 73 4
Amos 3141-3200 145 9
Ovadyah 3030 21 1
Yonah 3055 48 4
Micah 3168-3200 105 7
Nachum 3250 47 3
Chabakuk 3250 56 3
Tzefanyah 3300 53 3
Chagai 3407-3448 38 2
Zecharyah 3407-3448 211 14
Malachi 3448 55 3

OTHER EVENTS
3206 – Exile of the 10 Tribes
3338 – Destruction of First Temple
3392-3406 – Purim
3408-12 – Construction of Second Temple
3348 – end of Prophecy

The Twelve "minor" prophets are not minor in the sense that they were any less in spiritual stature than the
"major" prophets Yeshiyahu, Yirmiyahu, Yechezkiel but only because their surviving written prophecies are
much shorter. These twelve short prophetic works are accounted as one book and written together in a single
scroll so that they should not get lost, which would be easy if each was on a separate small scroll.
 HOSHEA ‫הושע‬
Hoshea's father is Be'erah mentioned in I Chronicles 5:6 as prince of the tribe of Reuven, and he was also a
prophet (Yishiyahu 8:19-20). The rabbis learned that Hoshea was the first of four great prophets who
prophesied in the same period. The other three were Amos, Yishiyahu, and Michah. Hoshea received Torah
from Zecharyah son of Yehoyada the High Priest, who received it from Elisha. Hoshea was the greatest of
the four prophets of his time, and he taught Amos, who in turn taught Yishiyahu, who taught Michah
(Rambam, Introduction to Mishneh Torah). Hoshea prophesized for 90 years (Pesachim 87a) primarily
directed against the Ten Tribes under the leadership of Ephraim. The gravesite of Hoshea is said to be in a
burial cave in the old cemetery of Sfas in the Galilee, which can be visited until today. However some
authorities dispute this identification, stating that the grave in question is that of Rabbi Yehoshua ben
Chananiya. Some believe the grave of the prophet Hoshea to be east of the River Jordan.
Chapters 1-3: Explain how Hoshea became a prophet.
Chapters 4-13: Predicts punishments for the sins of the 10 Tribes.
YOEL ‫יואל‬
Some identify the prophet Yoel -- Yo'el son of Pethu-el – as the firstborn son of Shmuel the Prophet (cf. I
Shmuel 8:2), who did not initially go in his father's ways but was said to have repented later and "persuaded
G-d" (PETHU-EL) with his prayers (Bamidbar Rabbah 10:5, Rashi on Yoel 1:1). According to another
opinion, Yoel prophesied in the time of Yehoram son of Ahab, during whose reign there were seven years of
famine (II Kings 8:1) – four of them said to have been caused by the four species of locusts enumerated in
Yoel 1:4, while the last three were marked by drought (Rashi ad loc. RaDaK). A third opinion is that of
Midrash Seder Olam ch 20, which states that Yoel prophesied together with Nachum, and Chabakuk towards
the end of the First Temple period in the reign of the wicked king Menasheh son of Chizkiyaha (Rashi,
RaDaK).
Whenever he lived, Yoel was granted eternal prophecy teaching lessons for all time. His prophecy divides
into two main parts: (1) Chapters 1-2: Warnings about a coming terrible plague of locusts and calls for the
people to repent. (2) Chapters 3-4: Prophecies about the end of days, the ingathering of the exiles to Israel,
the attack of the nations of the world against Israel and their defeat in Emek Yehoshaphat, the restoration of
Zion and the time of Moshiach.
AMOS ‫אמוס‬
The prophet Amos was a wealthy cattle farmer and cultivator of sycamore trees (Amos 7:14). He came from
the city of Tekoa in the territory of the tribe of Asher (see Radak on Amos 7:10). He received Torah from the
prophet Hoshea and was an older contemporary of the prophets Yishiyahu and Michah (Pesachim 87a).
Amos prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah king of Yehudah and Yerav'am son of Yo'ash king of Israel,
both of whom succeeded in restoring the power and prosperity of their respective kingdoms and subduing the
rebellious neighboring subject peoples. While Amos prophesied against the gentile nations as well, his
prophecies were mainly directed against Israel and the moral decline that had set in as exemplified by the
exploitation of the poor and weak by the wealthy and powerful. Amos encountered fierce opposition, and
was mocked by his contemporaries as a stutterer (Vayikra Rabbah 1:2). His name, from the Hebrew root
AMAS meaning to carry a heavy load, has the connotation of being of heavy tongue (cf. Rabbi Nachman's
story of the Beggar who could not speak). However, the rabbis enumerated Amos among eight "princes of
men" together with Yishai (Jesse), Shaul, Shmuel, Zephaniah, Tzedekiah, Elijah and Moshiach.
 OVADYAH ‫עבדיה‬
The rabbis taught that Ovadyah was a GER TZEDEK (righteous convert) from Edom (Sanhedrin 39b) – he
was a descendant of Eliphaz the Teimanite, the companion of Job (Yalkut Shimoni) – and that he received
Torah from Elijah the Prophet. Ovadyah prophesied in the time of Ahab king of Israel and Yehoshaphat king
of Yehudah. He lived in the kingdom of Israel under the rule of Ahab and Jezebel – he was Ahab's
chamberlain – yet he resisted their evil influence. The rabbis pointed out that whereas Abraham was
described only as "fearing G-d" (Genesis 22:12), Ovadyah was characterized as "fearing G-d VERY MUCH"
(I Kings 18:3; Sanhedrin 39b). Although prophesy normally rested only on those of Israelite lineage,
Ovadyah attained prophesy in the merit of his self-sacrifice to save the true prophets whom Jezebel sought to
kill. He hid one hundred prophets in two caves and after using up his own considerable wealth to feed them,
he borrowed on interest from King Yehoram, signing over his own children as collateral for the loan (II
Kings 4:1). Ovadyah dies young, leaving a widow and two children and debts. Eliyahu helped her with a
miracle of pouring oil into empty barrels.
Ovadyah's prophecy relates mainly to the nation from which he came: Edom. "The Holy One blessed be He
said: Let one who dwelled between two villains (Ahab and Jezebel) yet did not learn from their deeds come
to prophesy against Esau, who dwelled between two Tzaddikim (Yitzchak and Rivka) and did not learn from
their deeds". Ovadyah's prophecy ends with the great salvation of Israel at the end of days and the revelation
of G-d's glorious kingship over all the world.
The book of Ovadyah (consisting of one chapter and 20 verses) is read as the Haftara of parshas
VAYISHLAH speaking of Jacob's encounter with Esau and the latter's descendants.
YONAH ‫יונה‬
The book of Yonah is read every year in the synagogue on Yom Kippur as the Haftara after the afternoon
Minchah service reading from the Torah. Yonah is appropriate reading on the Day of Atonement as the
message of this profoundly deep and heavily veiled prophetic metaphor is ultimately simple and completely
universal: Repent!
Our sages tell that Yonah (=dove) son of Amitai (from the root EMeT=Truth) was the son of the widow from
Tzorphath with whom Elijah the prophet stayed during the years of famine (I Kings 17:8ff), and that it was
this boy that Elijah revived (ibid. vv 17-24; Midrash Shohar Tov 26). Yonah learned Torah from Elisha and
was considered Tzaddik Gamur – completely righteous. It was Yonah that Elisha sent to anoint Yehu ben
Nimshi, nemesis of the house of Ahab (II Kings 9:1-10), and Yonah's prophecy that Yehu's grandson,
Yerav'am ben Yo'ash would restore the boundaries of Israel is recorded in II Kings 14:25. Here Yonah is
said to have come from "Gath HaHefer", prompting the rabbis to discuss if he was from the tribe of Zevulun
or Asher. Yonah is said to have received prophecy in the merit of going up to Jerusalem for the festival of
Succoth (at a time when the kingdom of Israel prevented the people from doing so) and rejoicing greatly at
Simhat Beith HaSho'eva, the celebration of drawing the water for the Succoth water libation on the Temple
Altar (Yerushalmi Succah 8:1).
Through the weave of Rabbi Eliezer's Midrash we can see how the story of Yonah is an allegory of Israel
among the Seventy Nations, and how the terrible global storm sent by G-d as a result of Israel's flight from
Him into sin eventually brings Yonah and all the nations to know and fear G-d. With many contemporary
world "leaders" repeating regularly that "all of the world's problems are rooted in the Middle East problem (=
Israel), and if that can be solved, everything else will be solved", we clearly see how G-d's "dove" (=Yonah,
cf. Song of Songs 2:14) remains until today at the very center of the global storm.
Another dimension of the prophecy of Yonah is brought out in the Holy Zohar (Vayakhel 199a ff). In the
words of the Zohar: These verses allude to the whole of man's life from his emergence into the world until
the resurrection of the dead. Yonah's going down into the boat is man's soul entering the body to live in this
world. Man goes in this world like a boat in the great sea that seems likely to be wrecked. When man sins in
this world and thinks he will flee from his Master without taking account of the world to come, G-d sends a
great storm-wind – the decree of harsh justice – and demands justice from this man, striking the boat and
causing illness. Even on his sickbed, his soul is still not stirred to repent – Yonah goes down into the depths
of the boat and slumbers. Who is the captain of the boat that wakes him up? This is the good inclination, who
tells him, "Now is not the time to sleep – they are taking you to judgment over all that you have done in this
world: repent!" "What is your work? From where do you come? Which is your land? From which people are
you" (Yonah 1:8). "What work have you done in this world – confess to G-d about it! Think where you come
from – a putrid drop – and don't be arrogant before Him! Remember that you were created from the very
earth! Ask yourself if you are still protected by the merits of the founding fathers of your people!" When the
person is about to die, his defending angels try to save him – the sailors try to row back to the land – but the
storm-wind is too strong and can only be assuaged when man is taken down into his grave. Throwing Yonah
into the sea corresponds to burial in the grave. The belly of the fish is hell, as it says, "From the belly of hell
I cried out" (Yonah 2:3). The three days and nights Yonah was in the belly of the fish corresponds to the first
three days in the grave, when his innards burst onto his face and they say, "Take what you put inside
yourself: you ate and drank all your days and did not give to the poor. You made all your days like festivals,
while the poor went hungry and did not eat with you…" The judgment continues for thirty days with the soul
and body being judged together. Afterwards the soul ascends and the body rots in the ground, until the time
when G-d will revive the dead. "He has swallowed up death for ever" (Yishiyahu 25:8) – "And G-d spoke to
the fish and it vomited Yonah out onto the dry land" (Yonah 2:11). And in this fish there are remedies for the
whole world…
MICAH ‫מיכה‬
The prophet Micah was from the tribe of Yehudah from the city of Moreshah in the kingdom of Yehudah.
Micah received Torah from Yishiyahu and was the youngest of the "quartet" of prophets (the senior two
being Hoshea and Amos) in the days of Uzziah, Yotham, Ahaz and Chizkiyahu (Pesachim 87a, see Tosfos
there), immediately prior to the exile of the Ten Tribes and about a century and a half before the destruction
of the First Temple.
The prophecies of Micah include reproofs against the people of Shomron and Jerusalem over their sinful
behavior to their fellow man, reproofs against the leaders and false prophets who deceived the people,
prophecies of consolation about Moshiach, the future greatness of Zion, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount
and the peace and tranquility that will then rule, G-d's complaints over the ingratitude of His people, His
desire that the people should pursue justice and kindness, and the prophet's prayer for the people, concluding
with his invocation of the 13 Attributes of Mercy in order for G-d to forgive Israel. Plus, of the 613 mitzvos
told to Moshe, Micah stressed three “to do justly, to love kindness and walk humbly with HaShem.”
NACHUM ‫נחום‬
Nachum the Alkoshi was so called after the name of his town or family. Seder Olam (ch 20) states that
Nachum prophesied in the days of Menasheh king of Yehudah, who was the son of Chizkiuahu. Rambam in
his introduction to the Mishneh Torah states that Nachum received Torah from the prophet Joel, who had
received it from Micah, and that Nachum transmitted the Torah to Chabakuk, who gave it over to
Tzephaniah, who taught Yirmiyahu.
The main theme of Nachum's prophecy is the overthrow of Nineveh, which was the capital of the empire of
Ashur, Assyria. Yehuda was subject to Assyria and had to pay her taxes, but Nachum prophesied that G-d
would take vengeance and that Nineveh would be overthrown, as happened about a century after his time,
when Nebuchadnezzar conquered the city and Babylon took Assyria 's place as the major world empire.
While the classical commentators explain Nachum's prophecies about the coming doom of Nineveh as
referring to its overthrow by Nebuchadnezzar, Targum Yonasan also interprets the same prophecies as
alluding to the future destruction at the end of days of all the nations that harmed Israel. As a prophecy of
vengeance against her enemies, Nachum's message, although fearsome and doom-laden, is a consolation to
Israel. Thus the name Nachum is from the Hebrew root NACHEM meaning to comfort. The form Nachum is
adjectival (like BARUCH, RACHUM, CHANUN) indicating that the bearer of the name is a source of
comfort (just as RACHUM, from RACHEM, to show mercy, applies to He who is the source of all mercy).
 CHABAKUK ‫חבקוק‬
Our text gives no indication of the identity of Chabakuk's father, tribe or city. The Holy Zohar teaches that
he was the son of the Shunemite woman born through the blessing of Elisha and later revived by him (II
Kings 4:8-37; Zohar I, 7a). He was called Chabakuk because "you will embrace (HOBEKETH) a son" (II
Kings 4:16). This would place Chabakuk in the time of Yehoram son of Ahab. However, Seder Olam states
that Chabakuk prophesied considerably later, in the time of Menasheh son of Chizkiyaha. In accordance with
this, Rambam (Intro. to Mishneh Torah) states that Chabakuk received Torah from the prophet Nachum and
was the teacher of Tzephaniah. It could be that the Zohar is hinting at the provenance of Chabakuk's soul
while Seder Olam is telling us when he lived.
TZEFANYAH ‫צפניה‬
The opening verse of the prophecy of Tzefanyah traces his lineage to Chizkiyaha: according to the biblical
commentator Ibn Ezra, this was King Chizkiyaha of Yehudah. Tzephaniah received the Torah from
Chabakuk and was the teacher of Yirmiyahu. As stated in verse 1, Tzefanyah prophesied in the time of
Josiah, who was the last righteous king of Yehudah a generation before the destruction of the First Temple.
Our sages teach that Tzefanyah was a Tzaddik and the son of a Tzaddik (Megillah 15a) and they counted him
with eight "princes of men" together with Adam, Jesse, Saul, Shmuel, Elijah, Amos and Mashiah (Succah
52a). Prophesying at the same time as Tzephaniah were Yirmiyahu and Huldah the Prophetess. According to
our sages, Tzefanyah prophesied in the synagogues and study halls, Yirmiyahu in the streets and markets and
Huldah to the women. The destruction of the Temple was very imminent and G-d sent prophets to all the
people in the hope that they would repent and avert the decree, but each person went his own way and did
not pay attention, and the prophecies of doom were fulfilled.
Tzefanyah's prophecies are mainly about "the Day of HaShem" – the harsh Day of Judgment that was
coming on account of the people's idolatry and corruption – and Tzefanyah appeals to the people to repent.
He also speaks of G-d's vengeance on the nations surrounding the Land of Israel, and prophesies that a
remnant of Israel will finally dwell securely in the Land and G-d will rejoice in them and all will know and
recognize His greatness.
HAGGAI ‫הגי‬
Haggai was one of the last prophets of Israel. The identity of his father and tribe are unknown, but he was
called MALACH HASHEM, G-d's "emissary" (Haggai 1:13). He was a member of the court of Ezra the
Scribe together with Zecharyah and numerous other prophets and sages, who are known as the Men of the
Great Assembly. Some say that Haggai received Torah from Yechezkel, but Rambam says that he and the
other members of Ezra's court received Torah from Baruch ben Neriah, the student of Yirmiyahu (Mishneh
Torah, Introduction). Haggai is said to have been one of the prophets who was with Daniel when he saw his
vision of the angel (Daniel 10:7; Sanhedrin 93b). It is also said that the Targum of Yonasan ben Uzziel on
the prophets was received from the mouths of Haggai, Zecharyah and Malachi (Megillah 3a).
The prophecies contained in the book of Haggai were all delivered in a four month period beginning on 1 st
Elul, a most significant date in the Torah calendar as it marks the start of the days of compassion and
repentance culminating in the High Holidays. Haggai's prophecies were directed particularly at Zerubavel
and Yehoshua the High Priest, who as leaders of the people were being called upon to take the initiative in
acting on the divine call to rebuild the Temple.
 ZECHARYAH ‫זכריה‬
Zecharyah's first recorded prophecy came in the same period as Haggai was prophesying that the time had
come to rebuild the Temple. Haggai had prophesied at the beginning of Elul, the sixth month of that same
year, and again on 21 Tishri, the seventh month, telling the people to start preparing building materials. To
reinforce the message of restoration and revival, Zecharyah prophesied in Heshvan, the eighth month.
Haggai then prophesied again on 24 Kislev, when the work of the actual building began, followed by
Zecharyah two months later on 24 Shevat (Zech. 1:7).
"…Zecharyah the son of Berechyah the son of Iddo the prophet…" From the fact that the names of
Zecharyah's father and grandfather are given in the text, it is inferred that they too were prophets. Some
identify Iddo with Iddo mentioned in Nechemyah 12:16 as one of the priests, which would mean that
Zecharyah was the leader of his priestly family. Together with the other Men of the Great Assembly,
Zecharyah received Torah from Baruch ben Neriyah, the student of Yirmiyahu (Rambam, Introduction to
Mishneh Torah). Zecharyah was also called Meshullam since he was complete (SHALEM) in his deeds.
The meaning of Zecharyah's prophecies are very hidden. Their mysterious imagery bears comparison with
the visions of Daniel, for both lived at a time when the power of prophecy was declining owing to the exile,
and for this reason they were unable to clarify the full meaning of their visions (Metzudas David on Zech.
1:8). In the words of Rashi: "Zecharyah's prophecy is very obscure, for it contains images similar to a dream
that should be susceptible to interpretation, but we will not be able to attain the true interpretation until the
Righteous Teacher (Mashiah) will come" (Rashi on Zecharyah 1:1).
The fourteen chapters of Zecharyah make up four separate prophecies: (1) Zech. 1:1-6; (2) Zech. 1:7-6:15;
(3) Zech. 7:1-11:21; (4) Zech. 12:1-14:21. The themes of his prophecy are the restoration of Jerusalem and
the repentance required on the part of the people in order to establish the new Temple; the destiny of the
people in the Second Temple era and thereafter until the end of days, the war of Gog and Magog and the
final redemption.
Per Gemara Sanhedrin, Zecharyah was assassinated inside the Temple.
MALACHI ‫מלאכי‬
Malachi was the last prophet of Israel. His name is from the word MAL'ACH meaning a "messenger" or
"angel", and the YUD at the end means that he is "My" (i.e. G-d's) special messenger. Malachi prophesied at
the beginning of the Second Temple period together with Haggai and Zecharyah, but unlike in the case of
their prophecies, no date is included in that of Malachi. Nor are their any indications in the text about his
identity. The opinion of Rav Nachman in the Talmud is that Malachi was a pseudonym for Mordechai (who
according to this opinion was called Malachi, "my agent," because he was "second to the king" Esther 10:3).
However the opinion of R. Yehoshua ben Korchah is that Malachi was Ezra (Megillah 15a). Targum
Yonasan (on Mal. 1:1) likewise identifies Malachi with Ezra, although other sages considered that he was a
separate prophet (Megillah ibid.). He was a member of the Great Assembly and came up to Jerusalem from
Babylon, where he had learned Torah from Baruch ben Neriyah, the student of Yirmiyahu (Rambam, Intro.
to Mishneh Torah).
The fact that Malachi’s identity and date were perhaps intentionally left obscure gives his message a
timelessness that makes it as relevant today as ever, since his was the very last prophetic message to Israel.
With Malachi everything has come full circle, because the first prophet who came to reprove Israel after the
death of Joshua was also anonymous and was simply called G-d's MAL'ACH or "messenger" (Judges 2:1)
Malachi 1:1-2:7 was chosen by the sages as Haftara to Parshas Toldos (Genesis 25:19-28:9) which tells of
the birth of Jacob and Esau and how Jacob took the birthright and the blessings from his brother. In
Malachi's prophecy, G-d reproves the descendants of Jacob for failing to live up to their mission.
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬
KESUVIM
Chapters Verses Average
Tehillim (Psalms) 150 2526 16.84
Mishlei (Proverbs) 31 915 29.52
Iyov (Job) 42 1068 25.43
Shir HaShirim 8 117 14.63
Megilas Rus 4 85 21.25

‫כתובים‬ Megilas Eichah 5 154 30.80

The Writings Koheles 12 222 18.50
Megilas Esther 10 167 16.70
Daniel 12 357 29.75
Ezra & Nechemia 23 685 29.78
Divrei HaYamim (Chronicles) 65 1764 27.14
TOTAL 362 8060 22.27
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬

‫ספר תהילים‬
SEFER TEHILLIM
 THE PSALMS
THE STRUCTURE
The Five Books
A1} Psalms 1 - 41.  THE GENESIS BOOK: CONCERNING MAN.  The counsels of G-d concerning
him.  All blessing bound up in obedience (cp.1:1 with Gen. 1:28).  Obedience is man's "tree of life" (cp. 1:3
with Gen. 2:16).  Disobedience brought ruin (cp. Ps. 2 with Gen. 3).  The book concludes with a Benediction
and double Amen.
     B1} Psalms 42 - 72.  THE EXODUS BOOK: CONCERNING ISRAEL AS A NATION.  The counsels
of G-d concerning Israel's Ruin, Israel's Redeemer, and Israel's Redemption (Ex. 15:13).   It begins with
Israel's cry for deliverance, and ends with Israel's king reigning over the redeemed nation.  The book
concludes with a Blessing and a double Amen.
          C1} Psalms 73 - 89.  THE LEVITICUS BOOK:  CONCERNING THE SANCTUARY.  The
counsels of G-d concerning the Sanctuary in its relation to man, and the Sanctuary in relation to G-d.  The
Sanctuary, Congregation, Assembly, or Zion, etc., referred to in nearly every Psalm.  The book concludes
with a Blessing and a double Amen.
     B2} Psalms 90 - 106.  THE NUMBERS BOOK: CONCURRING ISRAEL AND THE NATIONS OF
THE EARTH.  The counsels of G-d concerning the Earth, showing that there is no hope or rest for the Earth
apart from G-d.  Its figures and similes are from the world as a wilderness (cp. the references to mountains,
hills, floods, grass, trees, pestilence, &c.).  It begins with the prayer of Moses (the Man of the Wilderness),
Ps 90, and closes with a rehearsal of Israel's rebellions in the wilderness (Ps. 106).  Where the theme is
contained in one sentence which gives an Acrostic, spelling G-d’s name: "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the
earth be glad".  The book concludes with a Blessing and Amen, Hallelukah.
A2} Psalms 107 - 150.  THE DEUTERONOMY BOOK: CONCERNING G-D AND HIS WORD.  The
counsels of G-d concerning His Word. showing that all blessings for Man (Book 1), all blessings for Israel
(Book 2), all blessings for the Earth and the Nation (Book 4), are bound up with living on the words of G-d
(Deut. 8:3).  Disobedience to G-d's words was the source of Man's sorrows, Israel's dispersion, the
Sanctuary's ruin, and Earth's miseries.  Blessing is to come from that Word written on the heart (cp. Jer.
31:33,34).  Psalm 119 (the longest Psalm) is in this book. The book begins with Ps. 107, and it concludes
with five Psalms (one for each of the five books), each Psalm beginning and ending with "Hallelukah".
    The Midrash on Ps 1:1 says "Moses gave to the Israelites the five books of the Law; and corresponding
with these David gave them the five books of the Psalms." The similar endings to each book are noted
above.  There are in all seven "Amens", and twenty-four Hallelukahs.  All the latter (except the four in Book
4) are in book 5.
Ten Elders that also wrote chapters in Tehillim:
Adam Chapter 92 or 139
Malchizedek Chapter 110
Avrohom Chapter 89
Moshe Chapters 90-100
Heiman Chapter 88
Yedusun Chapter 39
Asaph Chapters 50, 73-83
Three sons of Korach Chapters 42-49, 85, 87
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬

‫ספר משלי‬
SEFER MISHLEI
The Biography of Shlomo ben David, King Shlomo: Born 2912 Died 2964
The meaning of his name is "peace" or "prosperity", which sounds like SHALOM. He had seven names,
Shlomo, Yedidyah, Kohelet, Agur, Yakeh, Lemuel, and Ithiel. His father was King Dovid. It is said that
Shlomo was the smartest man to ever lived.
Shlomo was born to Dovid and Batsheva. In Shalshelet Hakabbalah (p. 98) it is written that Dovid presented
his son Shlomo to Nasan the Prophet, who became his main instructor. Shlomo was made the third Jewish
King at the (2924). He ruled for 40 years and passed away at the age of 52 (It is written in the Sifri that
Shlomo and Shmuel lived the same number of years).
As king he led the building of the Bait Hamikdash, starting at 16 years of age, and was completed in the
eleventh year of his reign (2935).
There were 3 books written by Shlomo: Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs), which he wrote in his youth,
Mishlei (Proverbs), which dates from his maturity, and Koheles (Ecclesiastes), which he composed in his old
age. The initial MEM of the opening word of Mishlei is written large in the Hebrew text to indicate that
Shlomo fasted 40 days in order to attain Torah wisdom like Moses, who fasted 40 days and nights (Yalkut
Shimoni).
Shlomo presided over the court where the two women who were fighting for custody over the surviving
infant. As we all know he was able to reveal the true mother by asking his guards to bring a sword so that he
could "split the baby in half". He was extremely wealthy. By some estimations his wealth increased by $250
million dollars a year. Shlomo was famous for his stables which housed 40,000 horses and 12,000 horseman.
Shlomo was able to give 3000 explanations to every Pasuk in the Torah. He knew all 70 languages spoken in
the world at that time as well as he was able to communicate with all the living creatures in the animal
kingdom. Shlomo also wrote books on the nature of trees, herbs, animals, beasts, and birds, and also on
conjurations against demons and spirits, called Shlomo’s Key. It is written in the Zohar (parshat Pinchas
33a) that the Great Eagle came to Shlomo daily, and Shlomo would ride on its wings. He was the builder of 3
cities; Megiddo, Hazor and Gezer in the north of Israel. The Queen of Sheba, who came to see his wisdom,
was the queen of a different land, and she asked Shlomo riddles and parables, all of which he answered
fittingly. She gave him presents and plants that produced every medicine that Shlomo had in his kingdom
(Seder Hadorot, p. 34d).
Two of the mitzvos that King Shlomo instituted were the Eiruv and Netilas Yadyim (Shabbos 14b). The
Eiruv is a halachic device to “wall” an outer perimeter of an area designating it as that you can carry things
on Shabbos. He also made it customary for people to wash their hands before eating bread. Until the time of
Shlomo wars raged; under the reign of Shlomo there was peace, and Shlomo instituted laws to reinforce
community in terms of holiness and settlement. After these mitzvos, a Bas Kol came out and pronounced,
“My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine” (Proverbs 23,15).
Shlomo was amazing in many ways. His mother Batsheva was 7 years old when she gave birth to Shlomo
(Sanhedrin 69b). Shlomo was 11 years old when he gave birth to his son, Rehobam (who became King).
Shlomo was 12 years old when he became King, and ruled for 40 years. He was 52 years old at the time of
his death.

The English word "proverb" is an attempt to render the Hebrew word MASHAL. The word "proverb"
suggests a succinct, pithy and memorable saying that teaches deep wisdom. Much of MISHLEY is indeed
made up of such sayings: Proverbs chapters 1-9 are a lengthy prologue to the work, while almost all of the
rest of the book from chapter 10 onwards is made up of such "proverbs" in the usual English sense of the
word. However, the Hebrew word MASHAL does not only have the connotation of a "proverb" in this sense
but also means a metaphor, graphic likeness or image that facilitates deeper understanding and insight into
the NIMSHAL, some subject or concept that is elucidated through being compared to or represented by the
metaphoric image. "All his words are similes and metaphors: for example, he compares the Torah to a good
wife while idolatry is compared to a harlot" (Rashi on Proverbs 1:1).
 Eishes Chayil (Chapter 22) as representative of the virtues of famous Jewish women
"‫"בטח בה לב בעלה‬
Heart of her husband trusts in her
"‫"גמלתהו טוב ולא רע‬
She trusts in him with goodness
"‫"דרשה צמר ופשתים‬
She seeks out wool and flax
"‫"היתה כאניות סוחר‬
She is like merchant ships
"‫"ותקם בעוד לילה‬
She rises while still night
"‫"זממה שדה ותקחהו‬
She considers a field and buys it
"‫"חגרה בעז מתניה‬
She girds her loins with strength
"‫"טעמה כי טוב סחרה‬
She realizes that her enterprise is
profitable
"‫"ידיה שלחה בכישור‬
She puts her hand on the spindle
"‫"כפה פרשה לעני‬
She holds out her hand to the poor
"‫לא תירא לביתה משלג כי כל ביתה‬
‫"לבוש שנים‬
She does not fear for household in
the frost for her entire household
is clothed in scarlet
"‫"מרבדים עשתה לה‬
She makes her own tapestries
"‫ "נודע בשערים בעלה‬Her husband is
well-known at the gates
"‫"סדין עשתה ותמכור‬
Mother of Shimshon
She makes linen and sells them
"‫"עוז והדר לבושה‬
Strength and dignity are her garb
"‫"פיה פתחה בחכמה‬
Her opens her mouth with
wisdom
"‫"צופיה הליכות ביתה‬
Wife of the Prophet She saved her children and did not serve
She watches the conduct of her
household
"‫"קמו בניה ויאשרוה‬
Her children rise and acclaim her
"‫רבות בנות עשו חיל ואת עלית על‬
‫"כולנה‬  Many daughters have done
worthily but you surpass them all
Sara our mother Avrohom was made rich for her sake
She did kindness to Yitzchak when grieving
Rivka our mother
for his mother
She was received by Yaacov with a good
Leah our mother
face
She was embarrassed daily about children;
Rochel our mother thus, merited to have a son like a ship, full of
all the good in the world
Batyah, daughter of
Converted to Judaism and raised Moshe
Paroh
Yocheved, mother of Gave birth to Moshe who is equated to all
Moshe the Jews
Miriam Prophesized about the birth of Moshiach
Chana She is the prototype of method prayer
She did not use weapons of war, but by use
Yael
of her hand she completed the task
Courageously gave Elijah her last remaining
The widow of
food even at the height of a famine. (He
Tzorphis
revived her son, the prophet Yonah)
When the Jews came to conquer Yericho,
Rachav she did not fear them but provided a sign of
hope, a string of scarlet
Batsheva Gave birth to Shlomo
Michal Saved Dovid from death
The Jewish nation was saved by him
Four simchas in one day: her brother became
a Nasi; her husband became Cohen Gadol
Elisheva
(wearer of priestly garments); her sons the
only other Cohanim; brother-in-law the king;
The wise woman persuaded the inhabitants
to deliver Sheva ben Bichri to Yoav because
Serach bas Asher
otherwise the entire town would be killed.
She sought to make peace and end the war.
Ovadiah idols during per King Achav
She was a great woman that forced Elisha to
Shonamis
eat
She left her prior life and accepted the
Rus
mitzvos and merited for King Dovid
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬

‫ספר איוב‬
SEFER IYOV
 Chacham Time Period for Sefer Iyov Jew or Non-Jew
R’ Levi Time of Moshe Jew
Rava Time of the Spies Non-Jew
R’ Yochanan Returned with the exiles from Bavel Jew
R’ Elazar Time of the Judges Jew
R’ Yehoshua Time of Achashverosh Jew
R’ Nasan Time of Kingdom of Sheva Jew
Chachamim Time of Kingdom of Casdim Jew
Yesh Omrim Time of Yaakov (married Dina) Non-Jew
One Chacham Iyov did not exist (a parable)

The book of Iyov is unique in the entire Bible canon as being a complete work devoted to one question: Why
do good people suffer? This question has proved to be a most difficult and, at times, insuperable challenge to
many people's faith in the God of justice.
The identity of Iyov himself and that of the author of the book bearing his name are both obscure in the
extreme. Perhaps it hardly matters when Iyov actually lived or, because in truth he is a universal figure and
the lessons to be learned from his book apply in all ages.
Iyov's own testimony about his upright path (chapter 29) provides a shining ideal to which all mankind
should aspire.
When Iyov's companions came to comfort him in his suffering, they argued that suffering is sent to man
because of his sins and that Iyov could therefore not have been completely righteous. Yet Iyov himself was
unwavering in his protestations of his own innocence, and most of the rabbis agreed that Iyov did not sin. It
is his very innocence that makes him the exemplar of the suffering Tzaddik, whereas had he sinned, it would
have detracted from his quest to unravel the mystery of why the righteous suffer.
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬

‫ספר שיר השירים‬

SEFER SHIUR
HASHIURIM
Rabbi Akiva said: "The world was never so worthy as on the day on which the Song of Songs was given to
Israel, for all the Biblical writings are holy, but Song of Songs is Holy of Holies!" (Yadayim 3:5). The rabbis
taught: "When a person reads a verse from Song of Songs and makes it into a kind of song lyric, he brings
evil into the world, because the Torah swathes herself in sackcloth and says before the Holy One blessed be
He, 'Master of the World, your children have turned me into a kind of guitar played by jokers'" (Sanhedrin
101a).

Taking the form of a dialogue between a youthful lover and his beloved, Song of Songs is particularly
susceptible to gross misinterpretation by those who are so sunk in the material that they are unable to
conceive of the love between male and female as anything but physically erotic. But Song of Songs is "holy
of holies" precisely because the relationship is purely and completely spiritual. Thus the work can be
understood on many different levels, in particular as a dialogue of spiritual love between G-d and the Soul or
between G-d and His chosen people of Israel. Besides the simple meaning of the verses, every single word
and letter is laden with a multiplicity of allusions on all the levels of PARDES, Pshat (the plain meaning),
Remez (allusion), Drash (homiletic lessons) and Sod (the mystical, esoteric and kabbalistic "secret" level).

Rashi writes in the introduction to his commentary on Song of Songs: "'G-d spoke one thing; I heard two'
(Psalms 62:12). A single verse may be susceptible of numerous explanations, but in the end no verse ever
departs from its plain meaning. And even though the prophets spoke all their words metaphorically, it is
necessary to explain the metaphor according to its own internal logic as it develops verse by verse… I have
seen many aggadic midrashim on this book, but they do not always fit with the language and order of the
verses… I say that Shlomo saw with holy spirit that Israel were destined to go into exile after exile and suffer
destruction after destruction, and that in exile they would grieve over their first glory and remember G-d's
first love when they were His treasure above all the nations. They would say, Let me go and return to my
first Husband, for it was better for me then than now (Hosea 2:9) and they would remember His kindnesses
and their wrongdoing and all the goodness He promised to do to them at the end of days. Shlomo therefore
wrote this work with holy spirit, using the metaphor of a woman bound up as a widow while her husband is
still alive. She longs for him and remembers her youthful love for him, acknowledging her wrongdoings.
Likewise her lover is pained over her pain and remembers the kindnesses of her youth and her beauty and
good deeds, in virtue of which he is bound with her with strong love, in order to let her know that he is not
tormenting her intentionally and that her divorce is no divorce, for she is still his wife and he is still her
husband and he is destined to return to her."

"Song of songs…" This is the ninth of ten great songs. (1) The song of Adam when he was forgiven his sin
and sang the song of the Shabbos day (Psalm 92). (2) The song of Moses and Israel after crossing the Red
Sea. (3) Israel's song over the well given in the wilderness, Numbers 21:17ff. (4) Moses' song before leaving
the world Deut. 32; (5) Joshua's song after the battle at Giv'on Josh. 10:12. (6) The song of Deborah, Judges
ch 5. (7) Hannah's song on the birth of Shmuel, I Sam. 2. (8) David's song, Psalms 18, II Sam. 22; (9) SONG
OF SONGS. (10) Israel's future song on going out of exile, Yeshiyahu 30:29.
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬

‫ספר מגילת רות‬

SEFER MEGILAS RUS
The book of Ruth – an enchanting agricultural allegory replete with some of the deepest Torah mysteries –
centers on the theme of embrace of the Torah itself through conversion and the practice of the Kindness it
teaches, which is the very pillar of the Universe. It is the union of Torah and Kindness that leads to
redemption. Ruth is the archetypal convert who accepts the Torah. Her need to benefit from the agricultural
gifts to the poor, an integral part of the pathway of kindness it teaches, leads her to the field of Boaz. And out
of their encounter springs the line that leads to David, the Messianic king and redeemer of Israel (Ruth 4:13-
22).

It is customary to read the book of Ruth in the synagogue on the morning of the festival of Shavuos, the
summertime harvest festival celebrating the Receiving of the Torah at Sinai. Ruth is read prior to the Torah
reading, which describes the revelation at Sinai, where all those who accepted the yoke of the Torah were
"converts". Shavuos is also by tradition the anniversary of the birth and death of King David.

"Why was she called Ruth? Because she merited that out of her came David, who delighted (REEVAH) the
Holy One blessed be He with songs and praises" (Berachos 7b). Ruth herself was a royal princess, daughter
of Eglon king of Moab, who merited such a righteous descendant as David because he rose from his throne
in honor of G-d when Ehud called him (Judges 3:20). Yet Ruth gave up her royal status and its luxuries in
order to follow Naomi into a life of abject poverty. She was willing to do this in order to attain the greatest
wealth of all, the life of Torah. She was prepared to descend to the very bottom of the social ladder and play
the role of 'ANI, the poor man, who is needed by the BAAL HABAYIS, the rich householder, in order to
fulfill the mitzvos involved in the practice of kindness and charity. First and foremost among these in a
simple agricultural society are the gifts to the poor of PE'AH, the unharvested corner of the field, LEKET,
the gleanings of fallen ears of corn, and SHICH'HAH, the forgotten sheaf.

Ruth starts off as the receiver of kindness, but "More than the rich householder does for the poor man, the
poor man does for the rich householder" (Midrash Ruth 4), because in the merit of the householder's
kindness to the poor man, he receives a blessing that he could not have attained without the poor man serving
as the recipient of his gift. In the merit of Boaz' kindness to Ruth, she becomes attached to him and bears him
a son who fathers the father of Moshiach.
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬

‫ספר איכה‬
SEFER EICHA
The original Hebrew name of Lamentations is KINOTH, "Mourning Dirges" (see II Chronicles 35:25), but the work is
more generally known by the name of EICHAH after the first Hebrew word of chapters 1, 2 and 4, meaning "How???"
The book of EICHAH was written in stages by the prophet Yirmiyahu. He wrote Chapter 4 as a mourning elegy over
King Josiah, the last righteous king of Judah, who was slain in battle at the height of his efforts to cleanse Israel, and
whose death signified that the sun had gone down for the House of David (Ta'anis 22b). "And Yirmiyahu lamented for
Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their laments to this day, and he made them an
ordinance in Israel, and behold they are written in the laments (KINOTH)" (II Chron. 35:25). Rashi writes on this
verse: "When they are struck by some trouble or occasion for weeping and they mourn and cry over what happened,
they recall this trouble with it, as for example on the Fast of Tisha B'Av, when mourning dirges are recited over those
who died in the decrees that have occurred in our days, and likewise they weep over the death of Josiah" (Rashi).
The other chapters of EICHAH were written prophetically by Yirmiyahu not many years after the death of Josiah, in
the fourth year of the reign of his son, the wicked King Yeho-yakim, as a warning of the disaster that was to strike
Judah and Jerusalem if the people did not repent. The full account of how Yirmiyahu composed Eichah and how it
came to be read before Yeho-yakim, who cut the scroll to shreds and burned it in the fire, is contained in Yirmiyahu
chapter 36. Now in this scroll he depicted the relentless destruction of Jerusalem as if it had already happened, penning
words of mourning and lamentation that the people would have to repeat from generation to generation in order to
make amends for having failed to repent in time to avert it.
Chapters 1-4 of EICHAH are written in the form of alphabetical acrostics. Chapters 1, 2 and 4 each consist of 22
verses starting with successive letters of the Aleph-Beis, while Chapter 3 consists of 66 verses, the first three of which
begin with Aleph, the second three with Beis and so on. Prior to the availability of printed texts for everyone,
alphabetical acrostics were a useful mnemonic device. Moreover, "Rabbi Yochanan said, Why were Israel punished
with troubles depicted in verses beginning with the letters of the Aleph Beis? Because they violated the Torah, which
was given with the letters of the Aleph-Beis!" (Sanhedrin 104a).
"Rabbi Abahu began expounding on the scroll of EICHAH quoting the verse, 'And they, like the man (KE-ADAM),
have violated the Covenant' (Hosea 6:7). What does 'like the man' mean? The verse is comparing the people to Adam,
the first man. The Holy One blessed be He said: I brought Adam into the Garden of Eden and gave him a
commandment, but he violated My commandment so I drove him out and banished him and mourned over him with
the phrase, 'Where are you?' (=AYEKAH, Genesis 3:9, consisting of the same Hebrew letters as EICHAH). Likewise I
brought his children to the Land of Israel and gave them commandments, but they violated My commandments and I
banished them, and I mourned over them with the word EICHAH!!!" (Introduction to Eichah Rabbah).
This Midrash is teaching us that the disaster which befell Judah and Jerusalem must be seen as part of the greater cycle
of human sin and consequent suffering and chastisement that began with Adam and continues until today. The scroll of
EICHAH is a call to repentance, challenging us to see the meaning and purpose of the suffering with which Israel has
been afflicted. There are many ways in which humans react to terrible reverses and suffering. Sometimes they fall into
the depths of helpless grief, despair and depression. In other cases, they react with rage and anger, kicking and
rebelling against G-d or "fate" for sending them such troubles. But in putting the laments of EICHAH onto the lips of
Israel, the prophet Yirmiyahu was providing them with words and images by means of which they could not only give
expression to their pain and grief but also come to terms with their suffering by understanding its meaning and purpose
through the recognition that it was divinely sent to chasten and purify them from their sins. The prophet (NAVEE)
draws his words from the level of BINAH, "understanding", sweetening the bitter pill of suffering by justifying the
ways of G-d. "For great as the sea is your breach: Who (MEE) can heal you?" (Lam. 2:13). Kabbalistically, the word
MEE alludes to BINAH, which lies at the root of G-d's judgments and through which they are "sweetened" when we
gain deeper understanding of their meaning and purpose.
Not only is EICHAH full of allusions to the historical disasters that struck Israel with the destruction of the Temple
and the exile. The multi-layered text is also replete with allusions to the metaphysical roots of Israel's fall, which lie in
the "Breaking of the Vessels" as explained in the Kabbalistic writings. For "He cast from heaven to earth the glory
(TIFERET) of Israel and did not remember the stool of His feet (=MALCHUS) on the day of His anger. The Lord has
swallowed up (BEELA) and has not shown pity" (Eichah 2:1-2). BEELA has the same Hebrew letters as Bela son of
Be'or, first of the Seven Kings of Edom, who correspond to the shattered vessels of the Sefirot.
Rabbi Hayim ben Attar, author of the commentary OHR HA-HAYIM on the Five Books of Moses, explains in his
commentary RISHON LE-ZION on EICHAH that the way the Elegist accomplishes his purpose, which is to arouse
weeping in his listeners, is by crafting each and every verse as "a lamb's tail with a thorn caught in it". Without
digressing to give expansive explanations and background, each verse is designed to pierce the listener in the heart
with a sharp evocation of some detail of the calamity.
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬

‫ספר קהלת‬
SEFER KOHELES
KOHELES (or Koheleth) is the "pen name" of King Shlomo. The name comes from the Hebrew root
KAHAL, which means a "gathering" or "assembly". The Hebrew grammatical form of KOHELES means
"the gatherer", and the name signifies that "he gathered much wisdom" (Rashi on v 1). It also signifies that
he assembled the people (cf. Deut. 31:12). In the words of Midrash Koheles Rabbah: "Why was Shlomo
called Koheles? Because his words were spoken in the assembly of the people, as it is written, 'Then Shlomo
gathered (yaK'HAL) the elders of Israel ' (I Kings 8:1)". Likewise the traditional name for Koheles,
ECCLESIASTES, is from the Greek word ECCLESIA, a regularly convoked assembly, and
ECCLESIASTES is one who takes part in this assembly – i.e. the Preacher.

"The WORDS (DIVREI) of Koheles…" (v 1) – "Wherever the text says DIVREI, 'the words of', these are
words of REBUKE" (Rashi ad loc.). Shlomo son of David – "a king the son of a king, a tzaddik the son of a
tzaddik" (Midrash) – had pursued wisdom all his life. "When G-d said to Shlomo, 'Ask what I should give
you' and he asked not for silver and gold but only that 'You should give Your servant an understanding
heart', holy spirit immediately rested upon him and he composed the book of Proverbs, Song of Songs and
Koheles" (Midrash Koheles Rabbah). Shlomo wrote Song of Songs in his youth, on the day of the dedication
of the Temple; then in his prime he composed Proverbs, the rich fruits of his wisdom. But having reached the
very heights, he fell to the lowest depths (as we shall see in the commentary on v 12). Finally, at the end of
his life, after having seen everything, he composed Koheles – his last testament to his people: REBUKE.

The wisest man that ever lived comes in Koheles to clarify what is man's destiny and purpose in this world,
and what he should do to fulfill it. Everything leads up to the conclusion of the work: "The end of the matter,
when all is said and done: Fear G-d and keep his commandments, for that is the whole duty of man"
(Koheles 12:13). The intent of Koheles may to some extent be compared with that of the book of Job, which
also examines man's existential situation and possible solutions as to how we may come to terms with it.
While the approach and structure of the two works are radically different, they both consider the most
fundamental questions in life with astonishing boldness and candor.

Perhaps it was this very boldness and candor that almost lost the book of Koheles its place in the Bible canon
ordained by the sages, who argued as to whether it should be included. "The sages sought to hide away
Koheles because his words contradict one another. Then why did they not hide it away? Because it begins
with words of Torah and ends with words of Torah…" (Talmud Shabbos 30b, where the "contradictions"
between Koheles 7:3 and 2:2 and between 8:15 and 2:2 are reconciled). The dispute over the inclusion of
Koheles in the canon is also discussed in Mishneh Yadayim 3:5, where the Tosephta explains that those
opposed to its inclusion maintained that it consisted of Shlomo's own wisdom.

The prevailing opinion, however, is that it was composed through holy spirit. For this very reason we must
bear in mind that in our study of the divinely-inspired last testament of the wisest man that ever lived, we can
touch little more than the surface of a work that is replete with infinite layers upon layers of Pshat (simple
meaning), Remez (allusion), Drush (midrashic interpretation) and Sod (esoteric wisdom). As we learn these
holy words, our aim should be to derive personal lessons that we can apply in our own lives as to how to
know and fear G-d and serve Him through practical action: ASIYAH.
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬

‫ספר מגילת אסתר‬

SEFER MEGILAS
ESTHER
 MEGILAS ESTHER
‫יג‬-‫גמ' מגילה דף י‬

‫ויהי בימי‬ Indicates painful events (“woe” ‫ וי‬and “mourning” ‫) הי‬

Rav ‫ אחיו של ראש‬brother of the head; similar to Nebuchadnetzar

(former head bad guy) that opposed the Jews

‫אחשורוש‬ Shmuel ‫ הושחרו פניהם‬blackened the faces of the Jews

Rabbi Yochanan ‫ אח בראשו‬all the remember him get a headache
Rabbi Chanina ‫ נעשה רשין‬all were made “poor” in his days (taxes)

‫הוא אחשורוש‬ He was in his evilness from beginning to end

‫ מלך מעצמו‬he was self-appointed (not from royal blood)

‫המולך‬ Some say to his credit: no one else fit to be king
Some say to his disgrace: bribed his way into office

The two countries are at different ends of the world; or,

‫מהודו ועד כוש‬ The two countries are next to each other (just as he rules over these
countries, so he rules over the whole world; or he rules to the
west to one country and to the east to its neighbor)

‫שבע ועשרים ומאה‬ In the beginning he ruled over 7 countries, afterwards over 20, and
‫מדינה‬ then afterwards over 100 countries

‫ איש ימיני‬... ‫איש יהודי‬ How was Mordechai from both?

Rav Nachman Yehudi signifies a “name of honor” from a kingly tribe
Rabah Bar Rav His father from the tribe of Binyomin;
Huna his mother from the tribe of Yehuda
He was from the tribe of Binyomin, but tribe of Yehuda also claimed
him since David did not kill Shimi ben Gera (Mordechai’s ancestor);
Rabanan The tribe of Yehudah claimed merit in this honor,
Or some say both are culpable since Mordechai provoked Haman,
and Benyomin (Shaul) did not kill Agag
He was from the tribe of Binyomin,
R’ Yochanan
but called a Yehudi since he denied idolatry
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬

‫ספר דניאל‬
SEFER DANIEL
 DANIEL ‫דניאל‬
There could be few better introductions to the book of Daniel than the opening words of R. Avraham Ibn
Ezra's commentary thereon: "This is the book of the man greatly beloved, in which the most glorious of
things are spoken, with prophecies some of which have already come about and others that are still destined
to come about. Each thing is expressed with brevity in mysteries and riddles, while its secrets reside with the
angels above – secrets that stand upon all the foundational elements – and its commentators have not
succeeded in penetrating its secret. Each one explains as far as his hand reaches, but the feet of all of them
are unsteady when it comes to the time of the destined end…"

The rabbis said: "If all the wise men of the nations of the world were on one side of the scale and Daniel on
the other, he would outweigh them all" (Yoma 77a). Daniel himself was considered not a PROPHET
(NAVEE) but a wise and saintly SAGE (HACHAM), yet he saw what even the prophets did not see"
(Sanhedrin 93b; see Daniel 10:7).

From the point of view of historical narrative, the book of Daniel takes up the story of the exile of Judah in
Babylon from time of the first phase of the exile, which took place under King Yeho-yakim, as told in II
Kings ch 24. This was eighteen years before the destruction of the Temple and, together with the exile of
Yeho-yakim's son Yeho-yachin a year later, brought to Babylon the very flower of the Judean population,
including all those righteous Judeans who heeded the message of the prophets of the time and accepted the
decree of exile with resignation instead of trying to fight it.

Nebuchadnezzar was a ruthless but highly complex and very deep world ruler who was determined to use the
minds and intellects of the very cream of the captive Judeans to serve his needs in governing and expanding
his empire. "Because you did not serve HaShem your G-d… you shall serve your enemies" (Deut. 28:47). "If
you had been worthy, you would have been called My servants, but now that you have not been worthy, you
are servants of Nebuchadnezzar and his companions" (Yalkut Shimoni).

Nebuchadnezzar ordered his chief minister to choose an elite of good-looking, super-intelligent and wise
Judean children who would be well fed and specially educated for service in his court. One of the
requirements was that "they must have the ability to stand in the palace of the king" (v 4). The Talmud
picturesquely explains this to mean that they would have to be able to control themselves so as not to laugh,
chat or fall asleep during lengthy court sessions as well as holding themselves in if they felt the need to
relieve themselves (Rashi ad loc., Sanhedrin 93b).

Daniel was determined not to defile and sully himself with the royal food that was provided for these
privileged Judean captive children, exemplifying the very first rule of Jewish spiritual survival in exile:
METICULOUS OBSERVANCE OF THE LAWS OF KASHRUS (spiritual purity of food). Daniel and his
companions understood that the food we ingest nourishes not only our physical bodies but fuels and
influences our very minds and souls. They knew that ingesting the royal food, whose ingredients and
methods of preparation went contrary to Torah law, would corrupt their subtlest spiritual sensitivities and
indeed their entire outlook on everything, destroying their Jewish purity. With a courage comparable to that
of Joseph in his years of captivity in Egypt, they secured the agreement of the king's catering officer to test
them out on a diet of vegetables and water for ten days in what must have been one of the first macrobiotic
experiments in history. They had astounding success, proving healthier than all the other children who did
eat the king's food.

When Daniel and his companions were finally taken before Nebuchadnezzar, they brought about a great
sanctification of the Name of G-d even in exile, showing that it was precisely the Torah-observant Jewish
captives who outweighed all the sages, wizards and diviners of the Babylonian empire.
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬

‫ספר עזרא ונחמיה‬

SEFER EZRA &
NECHEMIA
 EZRA ‫עזרא‬
"And Moshe ascended to G-d…" (Exodus 19:3). "This Ezra ascended from Babylon …" (Ezra 7:6). Citing
these two verses and the word they have in common, "ascended", the rabbis compared the stature of
Ezra to that of Moshe, saying that Ezra too was fit to be the one through whom the Torah was given to
Israel (Sanhedrin 21b).

The achievements of Ezra will be discussed later on. His book is a direct continuation of the book of
Daniel – the opening verse of Ezra begins with a VAV, "AND in the first year of Cyrus…" (v 1),
connecting the narrative in Ezra with what went before in Daniel (Rashi on Ezra 1:1). The book of Ezra
tells the story of the return of the exiles from Babylon to Judea and other parts of the Land of Israel
and how the Second Temple was built. This book is therefore a most important paradigm for our time,
since our task too is to return out of exile and to restore and rebuild our heritage and our Temple . The
greatness of the achievement of Ezra and his generation is enhanced by the fact that so far they had
experienced only destruction but as yet no redemption. Even so, they defied all of the many the
accusers who sought to thwart and discourage them, and with great courage they went up to their
land. For us their achievement should serve as a precedent that can guide us in the restoration that we
must accomplish.

The return from the exile in Babylon took place IN STAGES, the FIRST of which is recorded in our
present chapter and those that follow it. Although this book was written by Ezra and is called by his
name, Ezra himself does not enter the narrative until Chapter 7, which describes the SECOND stage of
the return.

We have already seen how with the fall of Babylon to Darius the Mede, Daniel "contemplated in
books…" in order to calculate the number of years that had passed since G-d's word to Yirmiyahu "to
accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem"(Daniel 9:2). As discussed in our commentary
there, Darius' capture of Babylon took place exactly seventy years after Nebuchadnezzar had taken
Yeho-yakim king of Judah into exile – that was EIGHTEEN years before the destruction of the First
Temple in the reign of King Tzidkiyahu.

The narrative in the book of Ezra begins "in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia" (v 1), whose reign
began within a year of Darius the Mede's conquest of Babylon. With the fall of the Babylonian empire
after seventy years, the FIRST WAVE of returnees now went back to Judea and they started laying the
foundations of the Second Temple, but – as we will read in the ensuing chapters – their enemies
denounced them to Cyrus and he ordered the work to be suspended. There were no further building
activities during the whole of the remainder of the reign of Cyrus and throughout that of Ahashverosh,
and the building of the Temple was resumed only in the reign of his son, Darius ("the Persian") son of
Queen Esther. Thus from the time of the aliyah of the first wave of returnees under Cyrus as recounted
in our present chapter, it took another EIGHTEEN YEARS until the Temple was finally rebuilt, exactly
seventy years after the destruction of the First Temple.

The leadership of the first wave of returnees will be discussed in the next chapter (Ezra 2). Ezra himself
did not go up to Jerusalem with the first wave of returnees because the teacher from whom he received
the Torah tradition – Baruch ben Neriyah, who had received it from the prophet Yirmiyahu – was still
alive in Babylon, and Ezra wanted to receive everything possible from his teacher. It was only after
seven years, with the death of Baruch, that Ezra went up to Jerusalem with the SECOND WAVE of
returnees.
 NECHEMYAH ‫נחמיה‬
The book of Nechemyah is a direct continuation of the book of Ezra. In Ezra 2:2 Nechemyah was numbered
among the leaders of the FIRST WAVE of returnees who had gone up out of exile to Jerusalem together with
Zerubavel and Yehoshua the High Priest while Ezra remained in Babylon. In Ezra 2:63 Nechemyah was
mentioned under his name HATIRSHATHA (see Nechemyah 10:2) as having forbidden those priests who
were unable to bring written proof of their priestly lineage from eating sacrificial meat.
Nechemyah evidently returned to exile at some point thereafter to join and presumably lead the sizeable
communities that remained in Babylon, Persia and other centers. Nechemyah rose to a top position in the
Persian royal court – in the same tradition of outstanding Tzaddikim like Daniel and Ezra who also had the
ear of the emperor kings of their times.
The first wave of returnees had come up to Jerusalem in the first year of the reign of Cyrus of Persia in 3390
(370 B.C.E.). They had laid the foundations of the Temple Altar, but owing to the opposition of the
adversaries it was not until eighteen years later that they were able to build the Temple in the year 3408 (352
B.C.E.). Ezra came up from Babylon to Jerusalem seven years later in 3415 (345 B.C.E.), and it was then
that he began his work of separating the people from their foreign wives.
The book of Nechemyah opens "in the twentieth year" but does not specify in the twentieth year of what!
The rabbis learned from GEZEIRAH SHAVAH with the identical phrase that this was in the twentieth year
of ARTAHSHASTA = Darius king of Persia (Rosh Hashanah 3a, see Rashi on Nechemyah 1:1). This was in
the year 3426 (334 B.C.E.) – i.e. ELEVEN YEARS after Ezra's Aliyah to Jerusalem.
We are not told until the closing words of our present chapter (Nechemyah 1:11) exactly who Nechemyah is.
It turns out that he is no less than the personal wine-butler of Darius king of Persia – a prestigious position of
influence if ever there was one, since you get the king at his most mellow moments. Of course a king's butler
has to taste the wine every time before he serves it to prove that it has not been poisoned, and since the
Persian king's wine was YAYIN NESECH (idolatrous wine), the rabbis of the time gave a special license to
Nechemyah to drink it even though YAYIN NESECH is normally strictly forbidden for Jewish consumption.
This is the reason why Nechemyah was given the name HATIRSHATHA: HATIR means "permitted",
SHATHA means "he drank" (see Rashi on Ezra 2:63, Yerushalmi Kiddushin 41b).
It was precisely because Nechemyah was not only a great, open-hearted Tzaddik but also one who had the
ear of the king of Persia, head of the great superpower of the day, that it was so fortuitous that Hanani and
his companions, visiting the Golus from Jerusalem, came to him and told him the latest news about his
brothers in Jerusalem (Nechemyah v 2).
The great jubilation at the time of the aliyah of Ezra eleven years earlier carrying a letter of authorization
from that same king Darius had given way to a cry of pain from the harassed residents of Judah. The walls of
Jerusalem were broken down and marauding adversaries were engaged in an intense intifada, burning down
the houses without regard for the authority of the king of Persia, who was many, many hundreds of miles
away and who in any case had little interest in backing up his letter of authorization by engaging his armies
to deal with a local squabble in one of his many provinces.
The news of the plight of the returnees threw Nechemyah into mourning, weeping and fasting, and he offered
the eloquent prayer recorded in our chapter, phrases from which are included in some of the prayers and
supplications in our Siddur (prayer book) and Selichos (penitential prayers). Nechemyah delicately alludes to
G-d's promise that if the exiles of Israel would repent, He would gather them in to His chosen place (v 9); as
if to say, now that they have returned, please PROTECT THEM!!! Nechemyah continued – since he had
some PROTEKTZIA with the king of Persia – asking for G-d to grant him favor with the king – showing
that it is permissible for us to pray for success in our dealings with other people.
In the ensuing chapters we will see how Nechemyah asked the king of Persia for a temporary leave of
absence (which lasted twelve years) in order to go to Jerusalem, where he not only built the city walls to
protect the population physically, but also built the spiritual walls of the nation by campaigning against the
cruelty of creditors to defaulting debtors and against the desecration of the holy Shabbos.
KNOW
YOUR

‫תובים‬ ‫כ‬

‫ספר דברי הימים‬

SEFER DIVREI
HAYAMIM
DIVREY HAYAMIM – literally, "The Words, or Matters of the Days" – known in English as the Book of
Chronicles, may be seen as the royal archive of the records of the House of David, tracing the genealogy of
King David and his seed from Adam and the Patriarchs, and following their history until the destruction of
Shlomo's Temple, the exile to Babylon, and the return of the Jews to Jerusalem under the leadership of
Zerubavel, who as grandson of King Yeho-yachin was himself heir to the Davidic kingship.

DIVREY HAYAMIM was written by Ezra the Priest at the time of the return of the exiles in order to
establish the pedigree of Zerubavel and the House of David and also that of the Levites and Priests who
would minister in the rebuilt Temple, the foundations of which had already been laid. Thus DIVREY
HAYAMIM seals the unbreakable bond between the House of David and the Temple Priesthood, embodied
in the marriage of Aaron the Priest to Eli-sheva, daughter of Aminadav, Prince of the House of Judah.

In Rashi's opening comment on the Book of Chronicles (I, 1:1) he explains: "Ezra wrote this book of
genealogies with the help of the prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi during the eighteen years from
when Zerubavel and Yehoshua the Priest came to Jerusalem in the time of Cyrus I [the "first aliyah" shortly
after the collapse of Babylon, when the first foundations of the Second Temple were laid] until the reign of
Cyrus son of Esther [who authorized the completion of the Second Temple, which had been held up for
eighteen years through the machinations of Haman and his sons until after the death of Ahasuerus, Cyrus'
father.] And the entire purpose is to provide the genealogy of King David and that of the Levite Temple gate-
keepers, guards and singers and the Cohen-Priests in accordance with the order that David laid down for
them."

Rashi continues: "Accordingly he traces their lineage from Adam until Abraham. And because he had to
trace the line of Abraham, he also mentions the other peoples – his [other] sons and their sons. And on
account of Abraham's sons, he had to trace the other peoples – the children of Canaan – to show how
Abraham inherited their land. And since he had to trace the line of Canaan, he also traces that of the other
peoples. He mentions them little by little and casts them aside until he reaches the main subject of interest.
This can be compared to a king who was traveling from one place to another when he lost a precious jewel.
The king stopped and took a sieve to sift the dust… until he found the jewel. Likewise the Holy One blessed
be He said, Why do I need to trace the line of Shem, Arpachshad… Terach? Only in order to find Abraham,
of whom it is said '…and You FOUND his heart faithful before You' (Nechemyah 9:8). And for the sake of
the honor of Isaac, he traces the sons of Esau and Ishmael and the sons of Keturah, casting them aside little
by little and leaving them behind…"

For many students, the opening chapters of DIVREY HAYAMIM, which consist entirely of detailed
genealogies, can often seem a formidable barrier to entry into the study of the book. Those who find it
difficult to assimilate long lists of names may find comfort in the fact that the continuous, dense genealogies
run only until the end of chapter 9 (only four and a half days of study at the rate of two chapters a day!) after
which the narrative sections begin with the account of the death of King Saul (ch 10) and the beginning of
David's kingship (chs 11-12, which give the names of his warriors). From chapter 13 on, the entire remainder
of I Chronicles & the whole of II Chronicles consist of almost continuous narrative tracing the history of
David, Shlomo and their successors until the destruction of the First Temple. The historical narrative in
Chronicles runs parallel to and supplements the narrative in the "historical" books of the NaCh – II Shmuel
and Kings I & II – but Chronicles is more focused on the kingdom of Judah, while Kings traces the history of
Judah pari passu with that of the Ten Tribes.

As we stand at the beginning of nine chapters consisting mainly of names and lineages, let us remember that
these records of the names of the primary souls of the progeny of Adam and of the house of the messianic
King David are an integral part of the precious treasure-house of the King of kings. The very names and
Hebrew letters, with all the Midrashim that arise out of them, possess the same intrinsic holiness as all of the
writings of the Prophets, and even their mere recital brings holiness into the soul, even if it seems difficult to
assimilate or remember every detail.