Bar’chu
et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed!
Baruch
ata YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu
eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Bless YHVH the blessed One;
Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. Blessed are you, YHVH, our
Elohim, King of the Universe, you have selected us from among all the peoples,
and have given us your Torah.)
We start off with the prophecy of
Ezekiel describing the sad pattern of rebellion throughout history of those who
are called to serve and worship YHVH.
Eze 20:5 “And you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the
Master יהוה, “On the day
when I chose Yisra’ĕl and lifted My hand in an oath to the seed of the house of
Yaʽaqoḇ, and
made Myself known to them in the land of Mitsrayim, I lifted My hand in an oath
to them, saying, ‘I am יהוה your Elohim.’
Eze 20:8 “But they rebelled against Me, and would
not obey Me. All of them did not throw away the abominations which were
before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Mitsrayim. So I resolved
to pour out My wrath on them to complete My displeasure against them in the
midst of the land of Mitsrayim.
Eze 20:9 “But I
acted for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the
gentiles among whom they were – before whose eyes I had made Myself known to
them, to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim.
Eze 20:10 “So I
took them out of the land of Mitsrayim, and I brought them into the wilderness.
Eze 20:11 “And I
gave them My laws and showed them My right-rulings, ‘which, if a man does, he
shall live by them.’
Eze 20:12 “And I
also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign1 between them and Me, to
know that I am יהוה who sets them
apart. Footnote: 1See Ex. 31:13-17.
Eze 20:13 “But the
house of Yisra’ĕl rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in
My laws, and they rejected My right-rulings, which, if a man does, he shall
live by them. And they greatly profaned
My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My wrath on them in the
wilderness, to consume them.
Eze 20:14 “But I
acted for My Name’s sake, not to profane it before the gentiles, before whose
eyes I had brought them out.
Eze 20:15 “And I
Myself also lifted My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, not to bring
them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, the
splendour of all lands,
Eze 20:16 because they rejected My right-rulings and
did not walk in My laws, and they profaned My Sabbaths. For their heart went
after their idols.
Eze 20:17 “And My eye pardoned them, from destroying
them. And I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
Eze 20:18 “And I said to their children in the
wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the laws of your fathers, nor observe their
rulings, nor defile yourselves with their idols