Amos

Question 1

כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה פִּשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל אַרְבָּעָה לֹא אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ עַל מִכְרָם בַּכֶּסֶף צַדִּיק וְאֶבְיוֹן בַּעֲבוּר נַעֲלָיִם

Answer 1

Amos

For three transgressions of Israel, yeah upon 4, I will not return them. For selling an innocent man for money and a poor man for sandals.

Ethical critique of the people.

Midrashically - this refers to Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers.

Question 2

הוֹי הַמִּתְאַוִּים אֶת יוֹם יְהֹוָה לָמָּה זֶּה לָכֶם יוֹם יְהֹוָה הוּא חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא אוֹר

Answer 2

Amos 5:18

Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord. Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light..

The idea that there will be a day of reckoning/day of the Lord. Amos is saying, you really don’t want this…this is not going to be a good thing.

Question 3

שָׂנֵאתִי מָאַסְתִּי חַגֵּיכֶם וְלֹא אָרִיחַ בְּעַצְּרֹתֵיכֶם: כב כִּי אִם־תַּעֲלוּ־לִי עֹלוֹת וּמִנְחֹתֵיכֶם לֹא אֶרְצֶה וְשֶׁלֶם מְרִיאֵיכֶם לֹא אַבִּיט: כג הָסֵר מֵעָלַי הֲמוֹן שִׁרֶיךָ וְזִמְרַת נְבָלֶיךָ לֹא אֶשְׁמָע: כד וְיִגַּל כַּמַּיִם מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה כְּנַחַל אֵיתָן: כה הַזְּבָחִים וּמִנְחָה הִגַּשְׁתֶּם־לִי בַמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל

Answer 3

Amos 5:21-25

I hate/reject your festivals, and I will not smell (the sacrifices) of your assemblies. For if you offer up to Me burnt- offerings and your meal-offerings, I will not accept [them], and the peace offerings of your fattened cattle I will not regard. Take away from Me the din of your songs, and the music of your lutes I will not hear. And justice shall be revealed like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream. Did you offer Me sacrifices and meal-offerings in the desert forty years, O house of Israel?

This reveals that Amos thinks there were no sacrifices during the desert wandering years.

Core of Amos’ philosophy - Denying the system of sacrifice because of all the sin and injustice.

Question 4

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲמַצְיָה אֶל־עָמוֹס חֹזֶה לֵךְ בְּרַח־לְךָ אֶל־אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וֶאֱכָל־שָׁם לֶחֶם וְשָׁם תִּנָּבֵא: יג וּבֵית־אֵל לֹא־תוֹסִיף עוֹד לְהִנָּבֵא כִּי מִקְדַּשׁ־מֶלֶךְ הוּא וּבֵית מַמְלָכָה הוּא: יד וַיַּעַן עָמוֹס וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־אֲמַצְיָה לֹא־נָבִיא אָנֹכִי וְלֹא בֶן־נָבִיא אָנֹכִי כִּי־בוֹקֵר אָנֹכִי וּבוֹלֵס שִׁקְמִים

Answer 4

Amos 7:12-14

And Amaziah said to Amos, “Seer, go, run away to the land of Judah and eat bread there; and prophesy there. But do not continue to prophesy in Bethel for it is the sanctuary of a king and the capital of the kingdom. And Amos replied and said to Amaziah, “I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I am a cattle herder and an inspector of sycamores.

Showdown: Priest of Beit El warns king about Amos speaking badly about Israel. Amos says that he is not a professional prophet.

Question 5

וַיֹּאמֶר מָה־אַתָּה רֹאֶה עָמוֹס וָאֹמַר כְּלוּב קָיִץ וַיֹּאמֶר ה אֵלַי בָּא הַקֵּץ אֶל־עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא־אוֹסִיף עוֹד עֲבוֹר לוֹ

Answer 5

Amos 8:2

And He said: What do you see, Amos? And I said, “A basket of late figs.” And the Lord said to me: The end has come to My people Israel. I will no longer pardon them.

Vision signifying that the end is near.

Question 6

רָאִיתִי אֶת־הי נִצָּב עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיֹּאמֶר הַךְ הַכַּפְתּוֹר וְיִרְעֲשׁוּ הַסִּפִּים וּבְצָעַם בְּרֹאשׁ כֻּלָּם וְאַחֲרִיתָם בַּחֶרֶב אֶהֱרֹג לֹא־יָנוּס לָהֶם נָס וְלֹא־יִמָּלֵט לָהֶם פָּלִיט

Answer 6

Amos 9:1

I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: Strike the lintel, and the sideposts shall quake, and break to pieces those who are at the head of all of them, and their remnant I will slay by the sword; no one of them shall flee, and no one of them shall escape.

Vision of God - God tells him to destroy the temple. A sign that destruction is coming.

Question 7

הֲלוֹא כִבְנֵי כֻשִׁיִּים אַתֶּם לִי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם־ה הֲלוֹא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל הֶעֱלֵיתִי מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וּפְלִשְׁתִּיִּים מִכַּפְתּוֹר וַאֲרָם מִקִּיר

Answer 7

Amos 9:7

Are you not like the children of the Cushites to Me, O children of Israel? says the Lord. Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and Aram from Kir?

Amos saying to Israel “If you think you’re so special, you are not nearly as special as you think. Just because you are Israel, its not enough to get you off the hook.”

Question 8

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָקִים אֶת־סֻכַּת דָּוִיד הַנֹּפֶלֶת

Answer 8

Amos 9:11

On that day, I will raise up the fallen Tabernacle of David.

In the “Ha Rakhaman” section of Birkat HaMazon for Sukkot.