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PISKA 5
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116 PISKA 5 Summary Israel’s reckoning of time by the moon; the advent of the new moon in Nisan as the time of Israel’s redemption According to R. Johanan, when the world was made, the orb of the sun was created to give light while the moon was created to enable Israel to determine thereby the incidence of New Moons and of New Years’ Days. R. Hanina [ben Hama], while agreeing that when the world was created, only the sun was intended to give light, maintains that the moon was created to divert the nations from worshiping the sun. R. Simon, however, said that both luminaries were created to give light, for God intended from the beginning that the nations of the earth should reckon the year by the sun and that Israel should reckon it by the moon (Sec. 1). The petihah’s introductory verse, Thy wonderful works . . . and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward (Ps. 40:5), is construed in several ways as referring to God’s purpose in a number of things He did: (1) His purpose when He showed the future of Israel to Abraham was to make Abraham choose the yoke of the kingdoms. If Abraham had not chosen this yoke, Israel might not have endured in the world at all. (2) His purpose in intensifying sexual desire was to assure the continuation of the race. (3) Though His purpose in offering the Torah to the nations was frustrated by their rejection of it, the result was that Israel’s acceptance of it brought them a double reward. (4) PISKA 5 117 His purpose, after 2448 years of His reckoning of time, was to turn over to Israel the task of reckoning it (Sec. 2). In connection with the long awaited new moon of Nisan, whose advent begins the time of Israel’s redemption, the introductory verse of the next petihah, Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; but desire fulfilled is a tree of life (Prov. 13:12), is also interpreted in several different ways: (1) The verse is taken as referring to a man who betroths a woman and weds her some time later and to a man who betroths a woman and weds her right away. (2) It is taken as referring to David who had been anointed king, but began to rule only after a number of years, and to Saul who was anointed king and at once began to rule—a privilege vouchsafed to him because of his many virtues. The listing of Saul’s virtues leads to a meditation on the consequences of sin: as long as a man refrains from sin, he is an object of fear and awe. The moment he sins, he is subject to fear and awe. In proof of this apothegm, instances are cited from the life of Adam, from the experience of Israel, and from the life of David, of Solomon, of Saul. Finally the verse Hope deferred, etc. is taken as referring to Israel before and after the advent of the new moon of Nisan—that is, before and after redemption (Sec. 3). God’s messengers of redemption were Moses and Aaron, whom Israel asked for in the words O send out Thy light and Thy truth (Ps. 43:3) (Sec. 4). The redemption of Israel, which led to Israel’s separation from the nations, is intended for the nations’ good. When the nations improve and raise themselves up, they, too, may expect to be redeemed. In the meantime, all Israel’s activities are unique in comparison with the corresponding activities of the peoples of the earth (Sec. 5). The themes of Israel’s recurring separation from God through sin, of God’s enduring feeling of kinship with Israel, of His unremitting call to Israel, of Israel’s response, and of God’s dew of revelation at Sinai are found in allegorical interpretation of I sleep, yet my heart waketh; Hark! My beloved knocketh: Open to Me, My sister . . . Yea, My head is filled with dew (Song 5:2) (Sec. 6). [3.238.64.201] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 13:33 GMT) 118 PESIKTA DE-RAB KAHANA The introductory verse of the next petihah. My beloved! . . . he cometh, leaping upon the mountains (Song 2:8), is construed in a number of ways as referring to the first and last of Israel’s redemptions. Thus in the days of Moses, the “leaping over the mountains” is interpreted as God’s...