Table of Contents – Introduction || HOSHEA | 2 || 14 ||| YOEL | 1 || 2 || 3 ||| AMOS | 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 9 ||| OVADYAH ||| YONAH | 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 ||| MICHAH | 1 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 |||

NACHUM ||| CHAVAKUK | 1 | 2 || 3 ||| TZEFANYAH ||| CHAGAI | 1 || 2 ||| ZECHARYAH | 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 14 ||| MALACHI | 1 || 2 || 3

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THE BOOK OF MICHAH

Introduction:

Michah was one of four prophets who prophesied at the same time: the other three were Hoshea, Amos and Yeshayahu. (Rashi on Hoshe’a 1:2)

Michah deals with the same social problem that Amos talks about in his prophecies: the problem of leaders (of Shomron and Yehudah) who oppress the poor. (Da’at Mikra)

There are three major sections in the book of Michah: Chapters 1-3 are chapters of rebuke and warnings of troubles; chapters 4-6 are chapters of consolation; and chapters 6-7 are chapters of mussar, introspection and prayer.

This curriculum will bring excerpt from all three sections.

Chapter 1, Verse 1:

דבר ה' אשר היה אל מיכה המורשתי בימי יותם אחז יחזקיה מלכי יהודה אשר חזה על שומרון וירושלים

דבר ה' אשר היה אל מיכה המורשתי

Michah was from the city of Maresha, in the kingdom of Yehudah. (Rashi, Radak)

Chapter 3

Verse 1:

ואומר שמעו נא ראשי יעקב וקציני בית ישראל הלוא לכם לדעת את המשפט

ואומר שמעו נא ראשי יעקב וקציני בית ישראל

1. Michah turns to the leaders, and says that as leaders it is in their hands to save the oppressed from their oppressors. (Radak)

2. Michah is speaking to the leaders of Shomron (Efrayim). (Abarbanel)

הלוא לכם לדעת את המשפט

These leaders are responsible to know whether justice is being carried out in the land, and to warn about injustices. (Metzudat David)

Verse 2:

שונאי טוב ואוהבי רע גוזלי עורם מעליהם ושארם מעל עצמותם

שונאי טוב ואוהבי רע

The leaders themselves hate good and love evil. (Metzudat David)

גוזלי עורם מעליהם ושארם מעל עצמותם

1. They steal the skin and meat off the bones of the poor people. This is an exaggerated imagery, to reflect the extent of their stealing. (Metzudat David)

2. The imagery is referring to their theft of the poor people’s property and their exploitation of the poor people’s hard work. (Ibn Ezra)

Verse 3:

ואשר אכלו שאר עמי ועורם מעליהם הפשיטו ואת עצמותיהם פיצחו ופרשו כאשר בסיר וכבשר בתוך קלחת

ואשר אכלו שאר עמי ועורם מעליהם הפשיטו ואת עצמותיהם פיצחו

1. The “meat of My nation” is the righteous people. (Metzudat David)

2. They crack the bones to get at the marrow – this is also an exaggerated expression of the extent of their stealing. (Metzudat David)

ופרשו כאשר בסיר וכבשר בתוך הקלחת

1. They break the bones in order to put them into the pot and cook them. (Metzudat David)

2. They boil the bones for a long time, to get the marrow out, meaning that they oppress the poor, both financially and physically, until they reach a breaking point. (Malbim)

3.* This imagery conveys the oppressors’ feeling that the poor are not human beings. (Da’at Sofrim)

Verse 4:

אז יזעקו אל ה' ולא יענה אותם ויסתר פניו מהם בעת ההיא כאשר הרעו מעלליהם

אז יזעקו אל ה' ולא יענה אותם

This is a punishment of measure for measure: Since they did not listen to the cries of the poor, Hashem will not listen to their own cries when the enemy comes upon them. (Radak)

ויסתר פניו מהם

Hashem will take his Divine Providence (hashgacha) away from them, and leave them in the hands of blind fate. (Malbim)

The students should discuss why this punishment is so severe, and why these leaders deserved it.

בעת ההיא כאשר הרעו מעלליהם

1. Just like these leaders harmed the poor, so the enemy will harm them. (Radak)

2. Evil happenings are an automatic result of evil ways; they brought this fate upon themselves. (Malbim)

Verse 5:

כה אמר ה' על הנביאים המתעים את עמי הנושכים בשיניהם וקראו שלום ואשר לא יתן על פיהם וקידשו עליו מלחמה

כה אמר ה' על הנביאים המתעים את עמי

1. The prophets referred to are the false prophets who misled the Jews. (Metzudat David)

2. These prophets turned others away from doing good, and they did this for their own benefit. (Malbim)

הנושכים בשיניהם וקראו שלום ואשר לא יתן על פיהם וקידשו עליו מלחמה

Those people who would give the prophets food would receive a good prophecy from them; those who did give them food received bad predictions. (Metzudat David)

Verse 6:

לכן לילה לכם מחזון וחשכה לכם מקסום ובאה השמש על הנביאים וקדר עליהם היום

לכן לילה לכם מחזון וחשכה לכם מקסום

When the enemy will come, darkness will descend upon them; everyone will know that they are liars. (Radak)

ובאה השמש על הנביאים וקדר עליהם היום

The sun will set upon them – there will be great darkness because of the troubles. (Radak)

Verse 7:

ובושו החוזים וחפרו הקוסמים ועטו על שפם כולם כי אין מענה אלוקים

ובושו החוזים וחפרו הקוסמים ועטו על שפם כולם

When the false prophets will see that their prophecies did not come true, they will be embarrassed. They will cover their moustaches (their faces) like mourners. (Radak)

כי אין מענה אלוקים

Their words did not come from a Divine source. (Metzudat David)

Verse 8:

ואולם אנוכי מלאתי כוח את רוח ה' ומשפט וגבורה להגיד ליעקב פשעו ולישראל חטאתו

ואולם אנוכי מלאתי כוח את רוח ה' ומשפט וגבורה

Michah, in contrast to the false prophets, is full of strength from Hashem. His words come from Hashem, and he will not be intimidated. (Metzudat David)

להגיד ליעקב פשעו ולישראל חטאתו

1. Michah is able to rebuke the Jews, and he is not out to flatter them. (Metzudat David)

2.* The false prophets flatter the people by praising their evil ways. Michah, however, is concerned with truth and righteousness. (Radak)

Verse 9:

שמעו נא זאת ראשי בית יעקב וקציני בית ישראל המתעבים משפט ואת כל הישרה יעקשו

שמעו נא זאת ראשי בית יעקב וקציני בית ישראל

1. Michah continues to rebuke the leaders. (Radak)

2. These words are directed at the leaders of Yehudah. Michah is using the same language that he used in his rebuke for the leaders of Shomron, to teach us that the leaders of Yehudah learned their evil ways from them. (Abarbanel)

The students should raise the question of the repetition of verse 1 here. They should read the Abarbanel themselves, and answer the question.

המתעים משפט ואת כל הישרה יעקשו

1. The leaders pervert justice and are involved in stealing. (Radak)

2. The leaders despise justice and think that the straight honest truth is actually crooked. (Metzudat David)

Verse 10:

בונה ציון בדמים וירושלים בעוולה

בונה ציון בדמים...

1. The leaders kill people and take their wealth; with this wealth they purchase houses for themselves. They also build houses with money received from oppressing others. (Metzudat David)

2. Stealing is like taking someone’s life from him. The oppressors used stolen money to build houses, so it was as if they had used blood to build these houses. (Radak)

3.* This should be read as a rhetorical question: Would Hashem build up Tzion if there is injustice there? (Mahari Kra)

The students should note the use of the singular – boneh – that supports the view of the Mahari Kra. The students should discuss the moral lesson that can be learned from the verse according to each commentary (the evils of murder and stealing, the proper relationship to the poor, the evils of corruption, and the purity of Jerusalem).

Verse 11:

ראשיה בשוחד ישפוטו וכהניה במחיר יורו ונביאיה בכסף יקסומו ועל ה' יישענו לאמור הלוא ה' בקרבנו לא תבוא עלינו רעה

ראשיה בשוחד ישפוטו וכהניה במחיר יורו ונביאיה בכסף יקסומו

The judges would judge in favor of those who bribed them. The priests would give halachic decisions according to how much was paid to them; and the prophets, too, would predict good things for people who paid them well. (Metzudat David)

The students should note that these three groups – judges, priests and prophets – are the three groups in charge of leading the Jewish nation. Their corruption is a reflection of the corruption of the entire society. There was no proper leadership to guide the people to better ways.

ועל ה' יישענו לאמור הלוא ה' בקרבנו ולא תבוא עלינו רעה

Although the leaders were corrupt, they believed that Hashem would save them. Hashem, they thought, would not destroy the Temple, in which His Divine Presence resided. (Metzudat David)

Radak brings another, similar example of such mistaken notions, from Yirmiyahu 7:4:

"היכל ה' היכל ה' היכל ה' המה"

Verse 12:

לכן בגללכם ציון שדה תחרש וירושלים עיין תהיה והר הבית לבמות יער

לכן בגללכם ציון שדה תחרש

Because of the people’s sins, Tzion will be destroyed – the enemy will come and plow it down like a field. (Metzudat David)

וירושלים עיין תהיה והר הבית לבמות יער

1. Jerusalem will be filled with heaps of stones from the destroyed buildings, and the Temple Mount will be filled with many piles of rubble, resembling stumps of trees. (Metzudat David)

The Maharal states that there are three calamities mentioned in this verse, corresponding to the three cardinal sins that were the cause of the destruction of the Temple – עבודה זרה, גילוי עריות, שפיכות דמים. (Maharal, Netzach Yisrael, Chapter 3)

2. This prophecy was said to Chizkiyahu and had a tremendous impact on him – so much so that Jerusalwas saved for the time being. This prophecy then shows the positive impact a prophet can have, and that his words are heeded. See Yirmiyahu 26:18. (Da’at Mikra)

As a summary of this chapter, the students should divide it into three sections, according to the three groups of leaders mentioned. For each group, they should write what their sins were, the punishment they would receive, and the aspect of measure for measure in these punishments.

Chapter 4, Verses 1-4

Verse 1:

והיה באחרית הימים יהיה הר בית ה' נכון בראש ההרים ונישא הוא מגבעות ונהרו עליו עמים

This prophecy is almost identical to a prophecy of Yeshayahu 2:2-4. The two prophets had the same vision, which they expressed almost identically, with minor word changes. (Radak)

והיה באחרית הימים

1. Acharit Hayamim (End of the Days) is the days of the Mashiach. (Metzudat David)

2. After the dreadful prophecy that Michah pronounced for Jerusalem, he immediately gives words of comfort. (Radak)

יהיה הר בית ה' נכון בראש ההרים ונישא הוא מגבעות

1. The mountain on which the Temple is built will become the greatest and the most important mountain of all. (Metzudat David)

2. The place that had come to resemble a clearing filled with tree stumps will become instead a valued and respected place. This mountain will be viewed by the nations as greater than all the other mountains upon which they had worshipped their idols. (Radak)

3.* This mountain is always prepared for greatness and holiness. (Abarbanel)

ונהרו עליו עמים

1. The nations will be drawn to it, like a river. (Metzudat David)

2.* The nations will run there; this is why a river is called a nahar, for the waters rush along. (Radak)

Verse 2:

והלכו גויים רבים ואמרו לכו ונעלה אל הר ה' ואל בית אלוקי יעקב ויורנו מדרכיו ונלכה באורחותיו כי מציון תצא תורה ודבר ה' מירושלים

והלכו גויים רבים ואמרו לכו ונעלה אל הר ה' ואל בית אלוקי יעקב

1. The nations will say to each other “Let’s go”. (Metzudat David)

2. The nations will go to the mountain not because of its status as a mountain, but in order to honor Hashem’s presence in that place. (Abarbanel)

3.* This is a recognition of Yaakov’s being the only spiritual heir of Avraham Avinu. Yaakov was the first person to call this mountain a Beit Elokim. See Bereishit 28:17. (Da’at Sofrim)

ויורנו מדרכיו ונלכה באורחותיו

The nations state that Hashem will teach them Torah through the leaders in Jerusalem, who are the disseminators of Torah. (Metzudat David)

כי מציון תצא תורה ודבר ה' מירושלים

1. The nations will realize that the Torah comes from Tzion, and there is nothing like it in the world. (Metzudat David)

2.* All the nations will learn to speak the name of Hashem. Jerusalem will be the capital city – the central metropolis – of the entire world. (Abarbanel)

Verse 3:

ושפט בין עמים רבים והוכיח לגויים עצומים עד רחוק וכיתתו חרבותיהם לאתים וחניתותיהם למזמרות לא ישאו גוי אל גוי חרב ולא ילמדון עוד מלחמה

ושפט בין עמים רבים והוכיח לגויים עצומים עד רחוק

1. The Mashiach will be the chief arbitrator among the nations. All disputes will be brought before him. He will reprove the nations. (Radak)

2. The Mashiach will rule forever. (Targum Yonatan)

The students should note the two ways of understanding עד רחוק – distance of space, or distance of time.

וכיתתו חרבותם לאתים וחניתותיהם למזמרות לא ישאו גוי אל גוי חרב ולא ילמדון עוד מלחמה

1. The Mashiach will make peace among the nations, and there will be no more wars. (Radak)

2. The Mashiach will judge the nations’ disputes, and therefore there will be no more need for war. They will turn their weapons into farming equipment. (Metzudat David)

3. The nations won’t even need to learn the strategies of war anymore. (Malbim)

Verse 4:

וישבו איש תחת גפנו ותחת תאנתו ואין מחריד כי פי ה' צבקות דיבר

וישבו איש תחת גפנו ותחת תאנתו ואין מחריד

Both the nations and the Jews will live in peace, and there will be no more war. (Metzudat David)

כי ה' צבקות דיבר

1. “Because Hashem... spoke” – see the promise in Vayikra 26:6: ונתתי שלום בארץ. (Rashi)

2. The state of peace mentioned above can only come about through Divine Providence. (Abarbanel)

Chapter 5, Verses 6-14

Verse 6:

והיה שארית יעקב בקרב עמים רבים כטל מאת ה' כרביבים עלי עשב אשר לא יקווה לאיש ולא ייחל לבני אדם

והיה שארית יעקב בקרב עמים רבים

1. This “remnant of Yaakov” will be those who survive the refinement process of exile. (Radak)

2. The “many nations” refers to Gog and the kings who will come with him to attack the Jewish people. (Radak, Metzudat David)

כטל מאת ה' כרביבים עלי עשב אשר לא יקווה לאיש ולא ייחל לבני אדם

The Jews will put their faith in Hashem and trust only Him – just as dew and rain are totally dependent on Hashem’s will. The Jews will realize that no human being can save them. (Metzudat David)

The students should note the two parallel sections in this phrase.

Verse 7:

והיה שארית יעקב בגויים בקרב עמים רבים כאריה בבהמות יער ככפיר בעדרי צאן אשר אם עבר ורמס וטרף ואין מציל

והיה שארית יעקב בגויים בקרב עמים רבים כאריה בבהמות יער ככפיר בעדרי צאן...

1. The Jewish people will become a strong nation. They will be like a lion in a forest, whom no one can hope to be safe from. If they come upon the other nations, no one will be able to withstand them. (Metzudat David)

2.* a kfir is a smaller creature, powerful only among sheep; a lion can vanquish even the biggest beasts of the forest, such as tigers, bears and wolves. (Radak)

Verse 8:

תרום ידך על צריך וכל אויביך ייכרתו

תרום ידך על צריך...

1. The Jewish people will be able to overcome their enemies and destroy them. (Metzudat David)

2. A tzar is a person who bears an active and visible hatred towards another. One hand will be enough to destroy these active haters. An oyev is a person who does not express his hatred outwardly in any way. Such haters will be destroyed automatically (ייכרתו – a passive tense), without the Jews even having to act against them. (Malbim)

Verse 9:

והיה ביום ההוא נאום ה' והכרתי סוסיך מקרבך והאבדתי מרכבותיך

והיה ביום ההוא נאום ה' והכרתי סוסיך מקרבך...

1. After the war of Gog and Magog, there will be peace, and there will be no need for war-horses. (Radak)

2.* After the war, there will be no need to rely on any powers besides Hashem. (Mahari Kra)

Verse 10:

והכרתי ערי ארצך והרסתי כל מבצריך

והכרתי ערי ארצך...

1. There will be no more need for fortified cities in which one can hide, since there will be no more wars. (Metzudat David)

2. An additional benefit of peace will be that people will not have to live within walled cities; unwalled cities are healthier to live in, because of the better air circulation in them. (Radak)

Verse 11:

והכרתי כשפים מידיך ומעוננים לא יהיו לך

והכרתי כשפים מידיך...

1. In that time, when everyone will see Hashem’s Providence, there will be no need to use witchcraft in order to predict the future. (Metzudat David)

2.* Hashem will cut out our “heart of stone”, thus negating the need for witchcraft. (Radak)

Verse 12:

והכרתי פסיליך ומצבותיך מקרבך ולא תשתחווה עוד למעשה ידיך

והכרתי פסיליך ומצבותיך...

Since the Jews will recognize no god except Hashem, there will be no more idol worship. (Metzudat David)

Verse 13:

ונתשתי אשיריך מקרבך והשמדתי עריך

והשמדתי עריך

The cities that worshipped idols will be destroyed (like the ir hanidachat – the wayward city – described in Devarim 13:13-19). (Malbim)

The students should note that this verse is repetitive of verse 12, if one understands it according to pshutu shel mikra – the simple meaning of the words.

Verse 14:

ועשיתי באף ובחמה נקם את הגויים אשר לא שמעו

ועשיתי באף ובחמה נקם את הגויים...

The retribution and vengeance that Hashem will wreak on the nations will be unprecedented in history. (Metzudat David)

Chapter 6, Verses 1-8

Verse 1:

שמעו נא את אשר ה' אומר קום ריב את ההרים ותשמענה הגבעות קולך

שמעו נא את אשר ה' אומר קום ריב את ההרים...

1. The prophet is told to argue so loudly with the people that the mountains will be able to hear his words. This is an exaggerated expression. (Metzudat David)

2. The mountains referred to here are the foundations of the world, namely the forefathers and mothers. The prophet should tell them how the Jewish people are not living up to their expectations. (Rashi, Targum Yonatan)

Verse 2:

שמעו הרים את ריב ה' והאיתנים מוסדי ארץ כי ריב לה' עם עמו ועם ישראל יתווכח

שמעו הרים את ריב ה' והאיתנים מוסדי ארץ

The prophet says: “Listen, mountains, to the words of Hashem”. (Metzudat David)

כי ריב לה' עם עמו ועם ישראל יתווכח

1. Hashem’s argument with the people is about how they strayed from Him. (Malbim)

2. The word yitvakach comes from tochecha – rebuke (not from vikuach – argument). (Mahari Kra)

Verse 3:

עמי מה עשיתי לך ומה הלאתיך ענה בי

עמי מה עשיתי לך

1. The Jews should pay attention to all the good that Hashem has done for them. (Rashi)

2. Hashem is asking the Jewish people what bad things has He done to them. (Radak)

The students should put in the proper punctuation mark after לך according to each commentator.

ומה הלאיתיך

1. How has your worshipping of Hashem tired you? (Rashi)

2. Which mitzvah has tired out the people? (Radak)

3.* What bad things has Hashem done to the Jewish People? In reality, He has only done good things, and actually we should be obligated to do hard labor for Him in recognition of what we owe Him. However, Hashem does not demand very difficult work from us. (Malbim)

ענה בי

Hashem wants the Jews to testify if indeed they have been tired out by His demands. (Metzudat David)

Verse 4:

כי העליתיך מארץ מצרים ומבית עבדים פדיתיך ואשלח לפניך את משה אהרן ומרים

כי העליתיך מארץ מצרים ומבית עבדים פדיתיך

1. The Exodus from Egypt is an example of the kindness that Hashem has shown the Jewish people. (Metzudat David)

2.* Egypt is called beit avadim – a house of slaves – for two reasons: 1) It is the place where the Jews were enslaved, 2) It is the place where the Jews were enslaved to slaves. (Th