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10 Now while Ezra was davening and making vidduy, weeping and prostrating himself before the Beis HaElohim, a Kahal rav me’od, anashim, nashim, and yeladim, gathered to him from Yisroel, for the people wept bitterly.
2 And Shechanyah ben Yechiel, of the Bnei Elam, answered and said to Ezra, We have been unfaithful to Eloheinu, have married foreign am ha’aretz women; yet now there is mikveh for Yisroel in spite of this.
3 So now let us make a Brit with Eloheinu to put away all nashim and that born of them, according to the counsel of Adonoi and the charedim at the mitzvot of Eloheinu; and let it be done according to the Torah.
4 Arise! For this matter is your responsibility; but we will be with you; chazak and act.
5 Then Ezra rose and made the leading Kohanim, the Levi’im, and kol Yisroel take an oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath.
6 Then Ezra arose from before the Beis HaElohim and went into the chamber of Yehochanan ben Elyashiv. Although he went there, he did not eat lechem, nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of those of the Golus.
7 And they issued a proclamation throughout Yehudah and Yerushalayim to all the Banim of the Golus, that they should assemble at Yerushalayim
8 And that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the sarim and the zekenim, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the Kahal of those of the Golus.
9 So all the men of Yehudah and Benyamin assembled at Yerushalayim within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and kol HaAm sat in the rechov before the Beis HaElohim, distressed by the occasion and the heavy rain.
10 Then Ezra HaKohen stood up and said to them, You have been unfaithful and have married foreign women adding to Ashmat Yisroel.
11 Now, therefore, make confession to Hashem Elohei Avoteichem and do His will; separate yourselves from the am ha’aretz and from the foreign women.
12 Then Kol HaKahal answered and said with a kol gadol, Ken! As you have said, so it is our duty to do.
13 But there are Am rav, it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand bachotz (outside). Nor can the matter be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter.
14 Let our leaders represent the Kol HaKahal and let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at appointed times, together with the ziknei ir and shofetim of each town until the charon af Eloheinu on account of this matter is turned away from us.
15 Only Yonatan ben Asah’el and Yachzeyah ben Tikvah supported by Meshulam and Shabtai the Levi stood opposed.
16 But the Banim of the Golus did so. And Ezra HaKohen selected anashim who were Rashei HaAvot for each of their father’s households, all of them by shemot. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter.
17 And they finished investigating all men who had married foreign women by the 1st day of the 1st month.
18 And among the Bnei HaKohanim who had married foreign women were found of the Bnei Yeshua ben Yotzadak, and his brothers; Ma’aseiyah, Eliezer, Yariv, and Gedalyah.
19 And they pledged to put away their women, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their asham.
20 And of the Bnei Immer there were Chanani and Zevadyah;
21 and of the Bnei of Charim; Ma’aseiyah, Eliyah, Shemayah, Yechiel, and Uzziyah;
22 and of the Bnei of Pashchur; Elyoeinai, Ma’aseiyah, Yishmael, Netanel, Yozavad, and Elasah.
23 And of Levi’im there were Yozavad, Shimei, Kelayah (that is, Kelita), Petachyah, Yehudah, and Eliezer.
24 And of the singers there was Elyashiv; and of the gatekeepers; Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 And of Yisroel, of the Bnei of Parosh there were Ramyah, Yizziyah, Malchiyah, Miyamin, Eleazar, Malkiyah, and Benayah;
26 And of the Bnei Elam; Mattanyah, Zecharyah, Yechi’el, Avdi, Yeremot, and Eliyah;
27 And of the Bnei Zattu; Elyoeinai, Elyashiv, Mattanyah, Yeremot, Zavad, and Aziza;
28 And of the Bnei Bevai; Yehochanan, Chananyah, Zabbai, and Atlai;
29 And of the Bnei Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adayah, Yashuv, Sheal, and Ramot;
30 And of the Bnei Pachat-Moav; Adna, Kelal, Benayah, Ma’aseiyah, Mattanyah, Betzalel, Binnui, and Menasheh;
31 And of the Bnei Charim; Eliezer; Yishiyah, Malkiyah, Shemayah, Shim’on,
32 Benyamin, Malluch, and Shemaryah;
33 Of the Bnei of Chashum; Matnai, Mattattah, Zavad, Eliphelet, Yeremai, Manasheh, and Shimei;
34 Of the Bnei Bani; Ma’adai, Amram, U’el,
35 Benayah, Bedyah, Keluhi,
36 Vanyah, Meremot, Elyashiv,
37 Mattanyah, Mattnai, Ya’asai,
38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei,
39 Shelemyah, Natan, Adayah,
40 Machnavdai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azarel, Shelemyah, Shemaryah,
42 Shallum, Amaryah, and Yosef.
43 Of the Bnei Nevo there were Ye’iel, Mattityah, Zavad, Zevina, Yadai, Yoel, and Benayah.
44 All these had taken foreign women, and some of them wives by whom they had banim.
6 Does anyone of you having a dispute with an Ach b’Moshiach dare to be judged before the resha’im (unrighteous, evildoers) and not before the Bet Din of the Kadoshim?
2 Or do you not have da’as that the Kadoshim will sit in mishpat over the Olam Hazeh? And if the Olam Hazeh is to be judged by you, are you incompetent dayanim to try the smallest cases?
3 Do you lack da’as that the malachim will come before our Bet Din? Not to mention the things of Olam Hazeh!
4 If, then, you have cases concerning matters of the Olam Hazeh, how could you appoint as your Bet Din dayanim men who have no standing in the kehillah?
5 I speak to your bushah (shame). Is there not among you even one chacham (wise man) who will be able to sit in mishpat between his Achim b’Moshiach?
6 But an Ach b’Moshiach takes another Ach b’Moshiach to court, and this before the courtroom of Apikorosim (Unbelievers)?
7 Already, therefore, it is a total defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be cheated?
8 But you yourselves do wrong and practice hona’ah (cheating), and this to your Achim b’Moshiach.
9 Or do you not have da’as that the resha’im (unrighteous ones) will not inherit the Malchut Hashem? Do not be deceived! Neither zannayim (fornicators) nor ovdei elilim (idolaters) nor mena’afim (adulterers) nor effeminate call boys nor homosexuals [IYOV 13:9; VAYIKRA 18:20; DEVARIM 22:22; VAYIKRA 18:22]
10 Nor ganavim (thieves) nor kamtzanim (misers) nor shikkorim (drunkards) nor megadefim (revilers) nor the ones doing hona’ah (swindling)—none of these will inherit the Malchut Hashem.
11 And some of you were these things. But you were washed and made tehorim (clean), you were made to be Am Kadosh, you were made to be yitzdak im Hashem in the name of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua Adoneinu and in the Ruach Hakodesh of Eloheinu.
12 "All things to me are proper (10:23)!" But not all things are beneficial. "All things to me are proper!" But I will not be mastered by anything.
13 "Okhel (food) for the stomach and the stomach for okhel," but Hashem will destroy both one and the other (1:8; 3:13; 5:5); but the body is not for zenut but for Hashem, and Hashem for the body.
14 And Hashem brought about the Techiyah from HaMesim for Moshiach Adoneinu and will also bring about the Techiyas HaMesim for us through His gevurah (power).
15 Do you not have da’as that your gufot (bodies) are evarim (members, limbs) of Moshiach? Should I then take the evarim (members) of Moshiach and make them evarim (members) of a zonah (prostitute)? Chas v’Shalom! (G-d forbid!)
16 Or do you not have da’as that of the one joining himself to a zonah, that V’HAYU L’VASAR ECHAD ("And they will be as one flesh" BERESHIS 2:24)?
17 But the one with deveykus ("cleaving, attachment" DEVARIM 11:22) to Hashem has achdus (union) in the Ruach Hakodesh with Elohim.
18 Flee zenut (MISHLE 6:23-7:27)! Every chet is outside the body, but the one guilty of zenut commits chet against the body itself.
19 Or have you no da’as that your body is a Heikhal Hashem of the Ruach Hakodesh in you, whom you have from Hashem, and you are not your own?
20 For [the Geulah redemption of] you [from the Golus of Chet] was purchased with a price; therefore, bring kavod to Hashem with your gufot. [TEHILLIM 74:2]
9 (10) Channeni, Hashem, for I am in tzoros; mine eye is consumed with ka’as (grief), my nefesh and my beten.
10 (11) For my life is spent with grief, and my years with groaning; my ko’ach faileth because of mine avon (iniquity), and my atzmot waste away.
11 (12) I was a cherpah (reproach, scorn, disgrace) among all mine enemies, but especially among my shchenim (neighbors), and a dread to mine acquaintance; they that did see me outside fled from me.
12 (13) I am forgotten like a dead man out of mind; I am like a keli oved (broken vessel).
13 (14) For I have heard the dibbah (evil report, slander) of many; terror was on every side; while they conspire against me, they plot to take my nefesh.
14 (15) But I trust in Thee, Hashem; I said, Thou art Elohai.
15 (16) My times are in Thy yad; deliver me from the yad of mine oyevim (enemies), and from them that persecute me.
16 (17) Make Thy face to shine upon Thy eved; hoshi’eini (save me) for the sake of Thy chesed.
17 Let me not be put to shame, Hashem; for I have called upon Thee; let the resha’im be put to shame, and let them keep silent in Sheol.
18 (19) Let the siftei sheker (lying lips) be put to silence; which speak insolent things with ga’avah (pride) and contemptuously against the tzaddik.
3 To do tzedakah and mishpat is more acceptable to Hashem than zevach.
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