Mattityahu 13

1 On that day, having gone out of the bais, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach sat beside the lake.2 And many multitudes gathered together to him so that he got into a sirah (boat) to sit down, and the entire multitude stood along the shore.3 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach told them many things in meshalim (parables), saying Hinei! The Sower went out to sow [seeds].4 And while he sowed, on the one hand, this [seed] fell along the road, and the birds having come, devoured them.5 And others fell upon the rocky places, where there is not much soil, and immediately it sprouts on account of the lack of the soil's depth.6 And when the shemesh (sun) arose, the zera (seed) was scorched, and because it did not have a root, it withered.7 And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.8 But others fell on the adamah tovah (good ground), and they yielded fruit: the one, one hundred, the other, sixty, the other, thirty.9 The one having oznayim (spiritual ears), let him hear!10 And, approaching, the talmidim said to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Why in meshalim (parables) are you speaking to them?11 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach answered them, Because to you it has been granted to have daas of the razim (mysteries) of the Malchut HaShomayim, but to those it has not been granted.12 For whoever has, [more] will be given to him, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him (see Mt 25:14-29).13 For this reason in meshalim I am speaking to them, for while seeing they do not see, and [while] hearing they do not hear, nor do they have binah (understanding).14 And in them is fulfilled the nevuah (prophecy) of Yeshayah HaNavi, saying, SHIMU SHAMOA VAL TAVINU UREU RAO VAL TEIDAU (In hearing you will hear and by no means understand, and seeing you will see and by no means perceive).15 HASHMEIN LEV HAAM HAZEH VAZNAV HACHBEID VEINAV HASHA, PEN YIREH VEINAV UVEAZNAV YISHMAH ULEVAVO YAVIN, VSHAV NRAFAH LOH. (For the heart of this people has been made dull, and with [their] ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes are shut, lest they see with the their eyes and with [their] ears they hear, and with the lev (heart) they understand and they turn and I will give them refuah [healing] YESHAYAH 6:9-10).16 But ashrey are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.17 For truly I say to you that many Neviim and tzaddikim desired to see what you see, and they did not see [it], and to hear what you hear, and they did not hear it.18 You, therefore, listen to the mashal of the sower.19 When anyone hears the Dvar HaMalchut and does not have binah, HaRah (the Evil one) comes and seizes that which was sown in his lev (heart). This is the zera (seed) sown along the path.20 And the zera sown upon the rocky places is the person listening to the Dvar Hashem and immediately with simcha receives it.21 Yet he has no root in himself but is short-lived, and when ES TZARAH comes or persecution on account of the Dvar Hashem, immediately he ceases being a maamin Meshichi (Messianic believer) and becomes meshummad (apostate), falling away and giving up the [true Orthodox Jewish] faith. [YIRMEYAH 30:7]22 And the [zera] sown among the thorns is the one hearing the dvar (word), and the rogez HaOlam Hazeh (the anxiety of this age, DEVARIM 28:65) and the mirmah (deceit) of riches, choke the Dvar Hashem and it becomes unfruitful. [YESHAYAH 53:9]23 And the zera sown upon the adamah tovah (the good ground), this is the one who hears the Dvar Hashem and, understanding [it], indeed bears pri and, one produces a hundred, the other sixty, the other thirty.24 Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach placed before them, saying, The Malchut HaShomayim is like a man sowing zera tov (good seed) in his field.25 But while men slept, his oyev (enemy) came and oversowed weeds in between the wheat and went away.26 But when the wheat sprouted and produced pri, then the weeds also appeared.27 So the servants of the Baal Bayit said to him, Adoneinu, did you not sow zera tov (good seed) in your field? How then does it have weeds?28 And he said to them, An oyev did this. So the servants say to him, Do you want us to go and pull them all?29 But he says, No, lest gathering the weeds you should uproot the wheat together with them.30 Permit both to grow together until the Katzir (harvest); and in time of the Katzir, I will say to the kotzerim, Collect first the weeds, and bind them into bundles to burn them. But the wheat gather into my storehouse.31 Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach placed before them, saying, The Malchut HaShomayim is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.32 This that is indeed less than all the zeraim (seeds), but when it grows, it is larger than the garden vegetables and it becomes an etz (tree), so that the OPH HASHOMAYIM IYOV 35:11) come and dwell in its branches.33 Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach spoke to them. The Malchut HaShomayim is like seor (leaven), which having taken, a woman hid in three satas of wheat flour until the whole was leavened.34 All these things Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach spoke in meshalim to the multitudes. And apart from meshalim Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach did not speak to them:35 So that might be fulfilled what was spoken through the Navi, saying, EFTCHA VMASHAL PI AVIAH CHIDOT (I will open my mouth with parables, I will utter things having been hidden) from the foundation of the world. [TEHILLIM 78:2]36 Then having sent away the multitudes, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach came into the bais (house). And Moshiach's talmidim approached him, saying, Explain to us the mashal of the weeds of the field.37 And answering, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, The Sower of the zera tov is the Ben HaAdam (Moshiach).38 The field is HaOlam Hazeh. And the zera tov, the good seed, these are the Bnei HaMalchut, and the weeds, these are the bnei HaRah (sons of the Evil one, BERESHIS 3:15).39 And the Oyev (the Enemy) sowing them is Hasatan. And the Katzir (Harvest), this is HaKetz HaOlam (the end of the age). And the kotzerim (reapers, harvesters) are malachim (angels).40 As the weeds are pulled up and gathered and are consumed with Eish (Fire), so also it will be at the Ketz HaOlam.41 The Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] will send forth his malachim, and they will pull up and gather out of the Moshiach's Malchut all the things making meshummad (apostate) and the ones who are without Torah and antinomian.42 And Moshiach's malachim will throw them into the furnace of Eish; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.43 Then the tzaddikim will shine as the shemesh (sun) in the Malchut of their Father. The one having oznayim (spiritual ears), let him hear.44 The Malchut HaShomayim is like otzar (treasure) hidden in the field, which, having found, a man hid. And from the simcha he experienced, he goes away and sells everything he has and buys that field.45 Again, the Malchut HaShomayim is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.46 And having found one precious peninah (pearl), he went away and liquidated everything he had and acquired it.47 Again, the Malchut HaShomayim is like a reshet (net) having been cast into the lake, a reshet collecting and gathering dagim (fish) of all descriptions,48 which, when this reshet (net) was filled, they hoisted it upon the shore, sat down, collected the tov (good) into a creel, and the rah (evil), they threw out.49 Thus it will be at HaKetz HaOlam Hazeh (The End of This World). The malachim will go out and they will separate the reshaim from among the tzaddikim.50 And they will throw the reshaim into the furnace of Eish. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.51 Did you have binah of all these things? They say to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Ken.52 So Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Therefore, every sofer (scribe, Torah teacher, rabbi) who becomes a talmid of the Malchut HaShomayim is like a man [who is] a Baal Bayit, who takes out of his otzar (treasure), chadashot (new things) and also yeshanot (old things).53 And it came about when Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach finished these meshalim, that he went away from there.54 And having come into Moshiach's shtetl, he began ministering as a moreh (teacher) in their shul, so that they were amazed and said, From where did this chochmah come to this one, this chochmah and these moftim (miracles, wonders, omens)?55 Is this not the ben hanaggar (the carpenter's son)? Is not his Em called Miryam? And are not his achim Yaakov*, Yosef, Shimon and Yehuda**?56 And are not his achayot (sisters) with us? From where, therefore, came to this one all these things?57 And they were taking offense at Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, A Navi (prophet) is not without honor except in his hometown and in his bais.58 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach did not accomplish in that place many moftim, because of their lack of emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust).

MATTHEW 13

A Story about a Farmer

(Mark 4.1-9; Luke 8.4-8)

1 That same day Jesus left the house and went out beside Lake Galilee, where he sat down to teach.t 2 t Such large crowds gathered around him that he had to sit in a boat, while the people stood on the shore.

3 Then he taught them many things by using stories. He said:
A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4 While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5 Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked the plants. 8 But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants produced 100 or 60 or 30 times as much as was scattered.

9 If you have ears, pay attention!

Why Jesus Used Stories

(Mark 4.10-12; Luke 8.9,10)

10 Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you use stories to speak to the people?”

11 Jesus answered:
I have explained the secrets about the kingdom of heaven to you, but not to others. 12 t Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose even what little they have. 13 I use stories when I speak to them because when they look, they cannot see, and when they listen, they cannot hear or understand.

14 t So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,
“These people will listen
and listen,
but never understand.
They will look and look,
but never see.

15 All of them have
stubborn minds!
They refuse to listen;
they cover their eyes.
They cannot see or hear
or understand.
If they could,
they would turn to me,
and I would heal them.”
16  t But God has blessed you, because your eyes can see and your ears can hear!

17 Many prophets and good people were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you they did not see or hear.

Jesus Explains the Story //about the Farmer

(Mark 4.13-20; Luke 8.11-15)

18 Now listen to the meaning of the story about the farmer:
19 The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message about the kingdom, but don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the message from their hearts. 20 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once.

21 But they don't have deep roots, and they don't last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
22 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything.

23 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and understand the message. They produce as much as 100 or 60 or 30 times what was planted.

Weeds among the Wheat

24 Jesus then told them this story:
The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a farmer scattered good seed in a field.

25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and scattered weed seeds in the field and then left.
26 When the plants came up and began to mature, the farmer's servants could see the weeds.

27 The servants came and asked, “Sir, didn't you scatter good seed in your field? Where did these weeds come from?”

28 “An enemy did this,” he replied.
His servants then asked, “Do you want us to go out and pull up the weeds?”
29 “No!” he answered. “You might also pull up the wheat.

30 Leave the weeds alone until harvest time. Then I'll tell my workers to gather the weeds and tie them up and burn them. But I'll order them to store the wheat in my barn.”

Stories about a Mustard Seed //and Yeast

(Mark 4.30-32; Luke 13.18-21)

31 Jesus told them another story:
The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a farmer plants a mustard seed in a field.

32 Although it is the smallest of all seeds, it grows larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree. Birds even come and nest on its branches.

33 Jesus also said:
The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a woman mixes a little yeast into three big batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises.

The Reason for Teaching //with Stories

(Mark 4.33,34)

35 t So God's promise came true, just as the prophett had said,
“I will use stories
to speak my message
and to explain things hidden
since the creation
of the world.”

Jesus Explains the Story //about the Weeds

36 After Jesus left the crowd and went inside, t his disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the story about the weeds in the wheat field.”

37 Jesus answered:
The one who scattered the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seeds are the people who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one,

39 and the one who scattered them is the devil. The harvest is the end of time, and angels are the ones who bring in the harvest.
40 Weeds are gathered and burned. That's how it will be at the end of time. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everyone who does wrong or causes others to sin. 42 Then he will throw them into a flaming furnace, where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain.

43 t But everyone who has done right will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. If you have ears, pay attention!

A Hidden Treasure

44 The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when someone finds a treasure hidden in a field and buries it again. Such a person is happy and goes and sells everything in order to buy that field.

A Valuable Pearl

46 After finding a very valuable one, the owner goes and sells everything in order to buy that pearl.

A Fish Net

50 Then those evil people will be thrown into a flaming furnace, where they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.

New and Old Treasures

51 Jesus asked his disciples if they understood all these things. They said, “Yes, we do.”

52 So he told them, “Every student of the Scriptures who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like someone who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom.”

The People of Nazareth Turn //against Jesus

(Mark 6.1-6; Luke 4.16-30)

57 t So the people were upset because of what he was doing.
But Jesus said, “Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their own family.” 58 And because the people did not have any faith, Jesus did not work many miracles there.