Readings for Saturday, February 28, 2026
Shabbat
Zachor - Two scrolls are used on this Shabbat.
The first is for the regular weekly portion. The second is for the special reading for
Shabbat Zachor.
First Scroll
Tetzaveh
(Command or Instruct)
27:20-30:10 Shemot (Exodus)
Tetzaveh is the eighth sedrah in the Book of
Shemot (Exodus). The sedrah
takes its name from the second Hebrew word in the first verse of the
reading. “And you shall command
(Tetzaveh) the children of Israel….” Last
week in Terumah we read the instructions for building the Tabernacle and the
Ark. This week we read about those who
will be responsible for using and maintaining these holy precincts - the
Priests or Kohanim. Tetzaveh divides
into four basic parts. It opens with
instructions concerning the Oil for Lighting (27:20-21). It then shifts to The Clothing for the
Priests (28:1-43) followed by The Ordination of the Priests (29:1-46). The sedrah ends with instructions concerning
The Altar for Burning Incense (30:1-10). Some scholars contend that the material
contained in this sedrah was inserted centuries after the events described were
supposed to have occurred. They contend
that this was an attempt by the Priestly Class officiating at the Temple in
Jerusalem to provide themselves with a lineage that would justify their
position. The pageantry of the
Priesthood described in this sedrah is difficult for many modern Jewish readers
to comprehend. The garments, the bells,
the incense, etc. are things that many of us relate to practices in Rome or
Canterbury and not to Judaism. While
many of our customs and ceremonies are derived from those of the Priests,
probably a majority of American Jews would have difficulty actually seeing them
implemented in our time. Fortunately
several of the Chumahism in use today provide ample notes about the literal
meaning of the text as well as graphics depicting the vestments of the Kohanim.
Although
God addresses Moshe in the sedrah, Tetzaveh
is the only weekly portion from Shemot through Devarim that does
not mention him by name. Two reasons are
offered. One is that this omission is a
tribute to Moshe’s humility. Tetzaveh is
devoted to the Kohanim and this is Aaron’s turn to be in the spotlight. A second explanation has to do with the death
of Moshe. According to some, Moshe died
on what is now the seventh of Adar. This
date always falls within the week when Tetzaveh is read; hence the absence of
his name.
Oil For Lighting
(27:20-21)
The
sedrah begins with what appears to be a bit of unfinished business from last
week. Last week the Israelites were told
about making the Menorah. This week they
are told about the kind of oil to be used and the instruction for kindling the
lights. From this source, among others,
has come many customs about kindling lights that we follow today. These include the “Ner Tamid” or Eternal
Light that we find over the Ark, the candles we burn at the start of Shabbat,
the Havdalah Candle, the candles lit at the start of each Festival, the
Chanukah lights and the Yahrzeit Candle.
Light and fire have traditionally been connected with the presence of
God. Unfortunately, in the 20th
century light and fire have taken on another meaning for the Jew as well. The haunting words of Eli Weisel’s The
Night show that God can also be absent in the fire and the light it
provides.
The Clothing for the
Priests (28:1-43)
The
entire chapter is devoted to describing the vestments of the Kohanim. They include a Breastplate, an Ephod, a Robe,
a Tunic, a Turban, a Sash, Breeches and a Headplate. The Ephod was to be made of gold, blue,
purple and scarlet threads. These are
popular colors for the various coverings later used in the synagogue or
shul. A bell was attached to the Robe so
that people would know when the Kohan Gadol was moving in and out of a holy
place. A reminder of this bell can be seen
in the bells that are attached to the crown or crowns on each Torah
scroll. The Breastplate contained two
stones - The Urim and the Tumim. They
were used as a type of oracle. How they
functioned is not quite clear. There are
few references to their use in the TaNaCh.
From a modern point of view, the breastplate used in covering the Sefer
Torah is a reminder of this priestly garb.
The Headplate is another example of wearing a reminder of God and his
law on our forehead. The Rosh (the
tefillin worn on the forehead) is said by some to be a reminder of this piece
of priestly garb. The Breeches are worn
as a sign of modesty. Remember the
earlier commandment about not exposing oneself when leaving an altar. From a modern perspective, these special
vestments may be seen as God’s way of telling us that performing His rituals is
not a casual business and that casual dress is not appropriate. Just as the Kohanim dressed in special attire
when performing their duties in the Tabernacle and the Temple, so we wear
special items such as the Tallit and dress in our best clothes for such events
as Shabbat and Holiday services. Before
we carry this too far we should note that just because the Kohanim performed
their rituals barefooted does not mean we should stop wearing shoes when we
attend services or daven on our own.
The Ordination of the
Kohanim (29:1-46)
The
sedrah now describes the seven days of ceremonies and sacrifices that will
comprise the ordination of the Kohanim.
Moshe is responsible for performing the various anointings and
sacrifices. Those being consecrated are
Aaron and his four sons - Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. While all of them will be Kohanim, only Aaron
will be Kohan Gadol. In a later reading
Nadab and Abihu will be killed by God for taking “strange fire” into the
Tabernacle. Why is God commanding all of
this? As the text states, He is
commanding all of this because “I the Lord am their God, who brought them out
of the land of Egypt.” The description
of these ceremonies concerning the Kohanim end with the same words that started
the Sinaitic Revelation, also called the giving of the Ten Commandments. This symmetry would indicate that regardless
of how we might view all of this, the author(s) of the Torah, may have seen the
Commandments, the Tabernacle, the Ark and the attendant rituals as vital parts
of God’s plan to make the Israelites a holy nation, a nation of priests.
The Altar For Burning
Incense (30:1-10)
The
sedrah ends with the instructions for building one more altar. Some commentators wonder why the instructions
for building this altar were not included earlier with the other items that
were in the Tabernacle. Like the other
items last week, this altar was portable complete with rings and poles. The burning of incense must have been of great
importance. As proof of this, consider
the following. First, this particular
altar was placed just outside the curtain in front of the Holy of Holies. Secondly, traditional Jews recite these words
(30:7-8) every day in a part of the Morning Service called Ketoret or Incense
Offerings.
Themes:
Commandments
98. The commandment to kindle a lamp
(menorah) in the sanctuary (27:20-21).
99. The specification of special garments to
be worn by the priests (28:4-5).
100. The commandment that the High Priest’s
breast piece should not come loose from his ephod (28:28).
101. The requirement to include a binding in
the opening for the head of the High Priest’s robe to prevent tearing (28:32).
102. The prohibition against others’ eating
the special food set aside for the priests (29:32-33).
103. The commandment that the priests burn
aromatic incense at the sanctuary (30:7).
104. The prohibition against offering
sacrifices on the sanctuary’s altar of gold (30:3 and 30:9).
From
Biblical Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
The Moral Message of the Two Altars
Parashat
Terumah described the building of an altar of copper. Parashat Tetzaveh concludes with the
instructions for making the altar of gold on which incense was to be burned in
the Sanctuary. The Torah is relevant to
all Jews and all times, but what is the contemporary application of this
passage? We have no Temple and no
altar. Seemingly these laws have nothing
to tell us in the present. But this is
not so. There are two kinds of Temple -
one that can be destroyed and one kind that cannot be destroyed. As we know from our history the Temple that
can be destroyed refers to the brick and mortar constructed in Jerusalem. The one that cannot be destroyed is the
Temple within each Jew, where he or she still performs his or her service in an
inward reflection of the service of the Sanctuary. What follows is an explanation of how one of
the laws about the altar can be translated into an important principle about
the Jewish soul.
In
the Mishnah, it states that the altar of gold and the altar of copper did not
require ritual immersion because they could not become impure. According to Rabbi Eliezer, this was because
they were considered to be like the earth (which cannot become ritually unclean). The other Sages held that it was because the
altars were plated with metal. The metal
covering was considered subsidiary to the inner structure (which was made of
shittim wood), and this could not become unclean. Since the Torah can be interpreted on four
levels, we know that the laws about these altars have more than just a literal
significance. Otherwise, they could not
speak to the generations who live without the Temple and the altars. There are amongst Jews, men of copper and men
of gold. Those who are rich in spiritual
worth are like gold: their every act is like a precious coin. The poor in spirit are the copper coins of
the religious life. But every Jew,
however he behaves inwardly or outwardly, preserves intact at the heart of his
being an essential desire to do G-d’s will - a spark of faith, sometimes
hidden, sometimes fanned into flame. The
previous Lubavitcher Rebbe said: “A Jew
does not want, nor is he able, to be torn away from
G-dliness.” This spark is where the
altar of the Jew’s inner Temple is to be found.
On the altar, burnt offerings were brought. They were animals, consumed by a fire from God. And this happens within the Jew. The sacrifice is of himself. The animal is his “animal soul,” his
egocentric desires. And the fire which
consumes him is the fire of the love of God Whose undying source is the spark
of holiness at the essential core of his soul.
Whether a Jew belongs to the ”altars of gold” or is one of the “altars
of copper,” as long as he reminds himself that essentially he is an altar where
the fire of G-dly love consumes the “animal soul” of his self-centered
passions, he cannot become impure.
Excerpted
from Torah Studies (p.124-127), a compendium of talks by Rabbi Menachem
M. Schneerson
The Role of Aaron
Aaron
plays many roles throughout the saga of the Exodus and the Wandering in the
Desert. These roles, and the reasons for
them, have been an on-going source of discussion for us since we began studying
together. This week’s sedrah raises the
question as to why God commanded Moshe to transfer the position of Kohein Gadol
to Aaron. Some contend that the transfer
was a form of punishment because Moshe had at first refused to return to Egypt
as the messenger of God. Others contend
that it was not punishment at all but rather an acknowledgement of Moshe’s role
in the divine plan. Moshe was the
intermediary between God and the Children of Israel. As such he was on too high a plan of
spirituality to deal with the more mundane matters of life, which is part of
the role of the Kohein. Furthermore,
Moshe was too busy teaching the laws of God to the Children of Israel to have
time to fill the role of Kohein. So for
both of these “practical reasons” Moshe had to relinquish the position. Considering the role Aaron had played in
confronting Pharaoh, he was the logical choice.
After all, when the text said, Moshe spoke to Pharaoh; it was actually
Aaron who was doing the speaking. However,
Moshe had to proclaim that Aaron was to be Kohein Gadol or the people would not
have accepted him in that role. That is
also the reason for the seven days of instruction. It validated the proclamation in the eyes of
the people.
Eating
and the Jewish People
From
the earliest days of the Jewish people to modern times, food and its
consumption have been a recurring theme.
From Abraham feeding the three visitors on their way to Sodom and
Gomorrah to the Broadway monologues of Jackie Mason, it is eat, eat and eat
some more. Tetzaveh provides food for
thought on the subject of eating. In
this week’s portion we read, “And they (Aaron and his sons) shall eat those
things with which atonement was made” (29:33).
According to the Talmud, this
means that while the Priests eat the offerings, atonement is granted to those
who brought the offering. The Torah
verse and the subsequent Talmudic commentary have given rise to a variety of
tales on the subject of fasting and the importance of eating as enjoyable
pleasure in which people indulge. Here
are a couple of examples which hopefully will provoke thought and commentary
the next time you eat, or do not eat, a meal.
A
famous sage asked his students, “How is it possible nowadays for a man to offer
a sacrifice to a pagan god?” When no one
answered, he continued. “If a man
withholds himself from eating because of anger; or if a man is commonly
considered to be a scholar and a tzaddik, and though he is hungry he refrains
from eating in order that those around him should consider him saintly and
abstemious - then such a man is offering a sacrifice to a pagan god.” In
other words, eating is a good thing to do.
If you forgo a good thing for a bad reason, then you are acting in
manner that is anathema to Judaism and the Lord.
A
man complained to his Rabbi. “We are
told that if a man fasts for the requisite number of days, the Prophet Elijah
will reveal himself in person to the person.
I have fasted for that many days and more and yet Elijah has not
appeared.” The Rabbi replied with a
story. The Baal Shem Tov got into his
horse-drawn coach and began a long journey.
The horses were used to pulling the coach from town to town. At each town, they would stop and they would
be fed in the manner in which men feed their horses. But this was one of those magical trips where
the Baal Shem would seem to fly through the air defying the laws of time and
space to reach the destination. As they
appeared to pass by town after town and nobody fed them, the horses began to
wonder. At first they thought they had
become magical horses. When they
continued to pass through the air without feeling tired, they began to think
that maybe they were not horses at all.
Instead they were angels. But
when they arrived at their destination, the horses were taken to the stable and
given bags of feed. The horses attacked
the bags of feed in the manner of real horses.
“And so it is with a person who fasts, and already imagines himself to
be an angel worthy of being visited by Elijah, the prophet. What counts is that when he has completed his
fasts, and is confronted by food, he should not attack it like a horse, because
then he remains the same horse that he always was.”
During
the week a man divided his time between earning a living, praying and studying
the holy books. He barely ate at all and
he ate so quickly that he actually spent more time making the blessing over the
bread and reciting the Grace After Meals than he did in eating. But on Shabbat, each meal was a long,
leisurely affair. There was food and
drink in abundance, but not one word of Torah was spoken. One Shabbat, a visiting sage joined the man
for the meal after the morning service.
When he saw all the others were busy eating, he saw what he thought was
a golden opportunity to provide a discourse on the reading of the week. As the sage opened his mouth to begin
speaking, his host thrust a piece of challah into his mouth. When the sage opened his mouth again to
speak, his host thrust a piece of fish into his mouth. Each time the sage opened his mouth, he found
it filled with food. Finally he gave up
and ate his meal. After Shabbat, the
sage asked his host why he behaved as he did.
The man replied as follows, “We are taught that a man should fill his
days with an occupation, prayer and study to avoid the evil inclination. We are to do these things with total
concentration. But on Shabbat, we are
told that we should enjoy the bounty of our table as well engage in prayer and
study. If we are to pray, study and work
without distraction, should we not also enjoy the bounty of the table in the
same manner? So on Shabbat, we eat
without speaking of Torah so that we will not be distracted. For if we spoke of Torah during the meal,
then surely we would stop eating and then we would not be observing the Shabbat
in the prescribed manner.”
Environment Matters
This
week’s reading reminds us again that there is a difference between liberation
and The Exodus. Liberation means being
freed from bondage. Exodus means leaving
the place where you have been living. So
why didn’t God force the Pharaoh to free the Israelites and then let them stay
in Goshen? “And they shall know that I
am the Lord and their God, who brought them out from the land of Egypt that I
might abide among them” (29:46). While
God is everywhere, He knew that the Israelites were going to need a change of
scenery if they were going to be able to learn to live according to his
commandments. He knew that the
environment does have an impact on human behavior. That has led to the admonitions about
avoiding certain places lest you be tempted to follow the wrong path. It also led to the tale of the sage who
spurned an offer of great wealth if he would move to a new town because it was
not a place where Torah was studied.
Showing Who’s Boss
In
describing the attire of the Kohanim (Priests), this week’s portion says, “You
shall make them girdles” about which the Talmud says, “The girdle of the
Kohanim atones for the sinful thoughts” (Tractate Arachim). This interpretation has given rise to the
following story.
“A
man once came to Reb Dov Ber, the Maggid Mezritch with the complaint that he
was unable to clear his mind of the sinful thought that bothered him
constantly. The Maggid told him to go to
Zhithomer and visit with an innkeeper named Reb Ze’ev. The man followed the Maggid’s command, but by
the time he had arrived at the Reb Ze’ev’s inn, it was late at night and the
building was locked. The man knocked
repeatedly but there was no answer. As
he stood outside freezing in the cold he called out, “How can you people have
no pity on a fellow Jew who is stranded outside on this winter’s night?” No word was heard from the inn. No one came to unbolt the door. At daybreak, the door opened as it always
did. The freezing visitor who had
survived the night entered and stayed at the inn for a few days. But Reb Z’ev did not ask him any questions, a
fact that puzzled the man sent by the Maggid.
“Why,” he asked himself, “did the Maggid send me here?” Finally, the man decided to leave for
home. Before departing he told Reb Z’ev,
“The Maggid sent me to visit you - but I don’t know why.” Reminding the visitor about the locked door
that had kept him out of the inn, Reb Z’ev said, “I’ll tell you why the Maggid
sent you here. He wanted you to learn
from me that a man is the master of his house, and whomever he does not want
inside he simply does not admit.” (Based
on the writings of Rabbi Shlomo Yozef Zevin, of Blessed Memory.)
Rabbi
Hirsh and Tetzaveh
On
Saturday, February 13, 1897, Emil G. Hirsch who served as Rabbi at Temple Sinai
in Chicago preached the sermon at Temple Beth-El in New York. He based his talk on Chapter 28 of the Book
of Exodus which was part of the Torah reading for that day. Hirsch was considered a radical by some so
this excerpt from his talk which appeared in the New York Times, provides a
fascinating window into the mind of one of the leaders of the Reform Movement
during the last decades of the 19th century and the first decades of
the 20th century.
“What is the real function
of religion in life? What is the real position we Jews should occupy with
respect to our religion?
“The chapter read this
morning flavors of archaeology, and has initiated us into the mysteries of
priestly millinery, but we are to discover what the lessons therein mean. Each chapter of the Bible has its
significance. The first injunction is to
bring ‘pure and clean’ oil to light the lamp to the Lord. In the Bible, oil, olive oil especially, is
the great healing element. To anoint
with oil was to offer healing influences. Religion is the conciliatory, the soothing
element, and it is to soothe us and modify our pride.
“God has made humanity as
He has made the world. As there are all
phases of nature, so there are all phases of society, and they are all bound
together in the realization of the plan formed by the Almighty.
“In order to extract oil
from the olive the fruit must be crushed, pressed, and lacerated. As is the olive, so is Israel. Destined to be prosecuted and placed over oil
and the light, and must give to the world a religious conception of the
universe. If Israel had a religion only
for itself, I would say that it is time it should disappear from the world. But Israel has furnished the text which all
preachers preach to-day. All the ethics
of to-day are flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone. It is Israel who is lighting the lamp, for
which he has furnished the oil, not for his own good alone, but for the good of
the world. The light of Israel’s ethical
religion must shine forth from the cover, from the evening until the full dawn
of morning.
“Oil does not mix with
water. The Gulf Stream in the ocean,
whose waters are distinct from the waters of the sea, is a phenomenon, akin to
Messianic Israel. The one influences
navigation, the other the world, yet they will not mix, but remain always
distinct. Israel is still the oil. It cannot mix with the waters. It must stand alone.
“Jewish Theology may be
the theology of the world, but Jewish ethics are not entirely the ethics of the
world, and we cannot yet lay down the burden which has been placed upon our
shoulders. So long as there is darkness
on the earth, Israel will be the Messiah for the world - Israel, anointed with
this oil to dispel the darkness and living the light. Then, and not until then, will Israel’s
mission on earth be completed.
“That is the Israelite’s
conception of religion and that is the Israelite’s duty on earth. He is the priest, the Messiah, and shall lead
upward and onward. That is what the
Prophet had in mind when he exclaimed, ‘I, Jehovah, have not ceased to be, nor
you, Israel, have not ceased to be.’”
For more about Rabbi Hirsch see
http://americanjewisharchives.org/publications/journal/PDF/1952_04_02_00_martin.pdf
Priest:
From Power to Pawn
In
his commentary on Tetzaveh, Lord Jonathan Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi, points
out that this week the Priests move from being marginal figures into a central
role of leadership based on heredity.
The ancient Israelites had several different leaders, each with a unique
function - Prophets, Kings, Priests - to name the three major ones. The Kingship effectively ended with the
Babylonian Exile. Prophecy came to an
end with Malachi sometime around 450 BCE.
The position of Priests is the only one to carry on into the Common
Era. Unfortunately, the position of High
Priest became a political football as different leaders competed to use what,
in the days following Judah Maccabee became a way for temporal leaders to rule
the Jewish state. Sometime during the
last century before the Common Era the Priesthood ceased to be the institution
described in this week’s portion. The
rituals performed by the High Priests which were supposed to reinforce right
behavior and bring them closer to God became, from a theological point of view,
a nullity. In other words, all of those
sacrifices, all of those priestly incantations, etc. had to have been rejected
by HaShem since they did not conform to the rules states in the Torah nor were
they offered by those designated by Him.
The Priesthood is gone - a distant memory brought to mind only when we
are calling the first Aliyah to the Torah.
But the lesson of leaders who use religion for political purposes or
religious leaders who use their position for political or personal gain are as
valid today as they were when the Priests betrayed the Priesthood and the
temporal leaders co-opted the role of High Priest in the days of the Second
Commonwealth.
Second
Scroll
Special
Reading for Shabbat Zachor
25:17-19
Devarim (Deuteronomy)
Shabbat
Zachor or the Sabbath of the Remembrance always comes on the Shabbat before
Purim. It is the second special Shabbat
that precedes Pesach. On Shabbat Zachor
we remove two scrolls from the ark. The
first scroll is for the regular weekly reading.
The second scroll is for the special reading Shabbat Zachor that comes
from Devarim 25:17-19. This reading
begins with the words “Remember (Zachor) what Amalek did to you on the way, as
you came out of Egypt!” The two
sentences recount the attack of the Amalekites that was made without
provocation at the rear of the column of the Israelites, the weakest place,
when we had just left Egypt. Because of
the nature of this unprovoked attack we are commanded to “eradicate the memory
of Amalek from beneath the heavens.…”
This reading comes just before Purim, because traditionally Haman is
supposed to be a descendant of Amalek.
Also, tradition tells us that we are to eradicate the memory of Haman
just as we are commanded to eradicate the memory of Amalek. Although women are exempt from most
time-driven commandments, they must fulfill the command to hear the reading for
Shabbat Zachor. The command to “Remember
Amalek” is of such importance that it is part of the Six Remembrances that are
recited daily.
Amalekites
in Modern Times
The commandments
to Blot out the Amalekites have the harsh sound of a call for genocide to our
modern ears. In addition to which we are
puzzled by the command to both blot out the Amalekites and yet to Remember the Amalekites. What was the great sin of the
Amalekites? For example, there is no
command to blot out the Egyptians who enslaved us for four centuries so why the
Amalekites? The Amalekites attacked the
Israelites when they were at their low ebb, shortly after leaving Egypt in what
one commentator describes as an unnecessary sneak attack. In other words, Amalek is the archetype of
the evil doer who preys on the weak, the helpless and the unsuspecting. When the Jew remembers Amalek, he or she is
remembering this kind of evil and the Jew blots out Amalek by protecting the weak
from the parasites who prey upon them.
In modern parlance, Jews are blotting out Amalek when we support laws
that promote honesty in the world of commerce, that protect the rights of
workers and that ensure the safety and healthfulness of food, drugs and water.
Haftarah for
Shabbat Zachor
I Samuel
15:2-34 (Ashkenazim)
I Samuel
15:1-34 (Sephardim and Chabad Chassidim)
The Men:
The reading centers on Samuel, the last of the pre-monarchical leaders
and Saul, the first King of Israel.
Their relationship was a stormy one at best. Samuel did not want a king and Saul was not
the stuff of which great monarchs are made.
The Message:
The reading relates Saul’s fight with the Amalekites and their King,
Agag. God told Saul that He was
punishing the Amalekites for what they had done to the Israelites when they
left Egypt. He told Saul to attack them
and wipe them out - men, women, children and all of their livestock. Saul disobeyed and kept the best of the
livestock and took Agag prisoner. When
Samuel confronted him, Saul tried to deny that he had disobeyed God and then he
tried to rationalize his behavior.
Samuel would have none of it. He
told Saul that God “regrets” His decision to make him king. Saul pled, but it was too late. God and Samuel turned their respective backs
on him.
Theme-Link:
Usually the prophetic portion is connected to the weekly Torah
portion. On some occasions, the
prophetic portion is linked to the special nature of the Shabbat or an event on
the calendar. This is one of those
occasions. The special Torah reading is
about the Amalekites. The haftarah is
also about the Amalekites. One describes
the evil that they did. The other
describes an attempt to finally punish them for this evil. For many people this is the most puzzling
prophetic reading of the year.
This
is not the last time Saul will be connected with the Amalekites. Saul fought his last battle against the
Philistines at Mount Gilboa. When he saw
that all was lost, Saul fell upon his sword rather than be taken captive. Three days after the battle a man came to
David’s camp and told him that Saul was dead.
When David asked how Saul had died, the man said he had killed
Saul. He gave David Saul’s crown and
bracelet as proof of his deed. The man
identified himself as being "the son of an Amalekite.” Why did this Amalekite lie about what had
happened? According to some, he thought
David would reward him for killing Saul - the monarch who had tried to kill
David. Instead of rewarding him, David
had the Amalekite killed for having killed “the Lord’s anointed.” Some say this episode is further proof of the
venality of the Amalekites. There are
those who contend that this troubling haftarah exists to remind us that Evil
does exist. This means that Right and
Wrong exist; a concept that makes modern man who lives in an era of situational
ethics uncomfortable to say the least.
And this leads back to Saul and David.
When Samuel confronted Saul for failing to follow God’s command, Saul
equivocated and tried to rationalize his behavior. When Nathan confronted David in the matter of
Uriah and Bathsheba, the monarch admitted his sin and repented for his
deeds. For some, this explains why the
House of Saul fell and the House of David did not.
2/28/2026
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