Parasha Vayishlach

 Vayishlach - He sent
B'resheet 32:4(3)-36:34

This parasha begins with Ya'akov returning to the land of Kena'an and facing his brother, Esav. This is a trying time for Ya'akov. When he left the land, he was fleeing from the wrath of Esav. He had every expectation that his brother would still hold a grudge. When his servants informed him that Esav was bringing an army of 400 men, Ya'akov feared the worst. He split his family, servants, livestock, and belongings into two camps.

At the end of the last parasha, Vayetze, we see Ya'akov refer to  the place they entered the land as "Elohim's camp", a singular designation, but then he named it Machanayim, or "two camps". This turns out to be a prophetic name since he then ended up splitting into two camps. Was he simply foreshadowing what was about to happen to his family? No, he had a different meaning in mind when he named the place. I hope you'll allow me a moment to discuss Vayetze before digging further into this week's portion.

When Ya'akov left the land many years earlier, he saw angels going up and down a ladder. We have all heard of this "Jacob's ladder" story many times. What was this about? Why were they going up and down? There is a rabbinic tradition that I believe is probably accurate. They say that there was one set of angels whose job was to guard and protect Ya'akov in the land of Kena'an. They had a specific assigned territory. When it was time for Ya'akov to leave their territory, they ascended the ladder to heaven and another group of angels descended to replace them for the journey outside the land. This second group stayed with Ya'akov during his time in the house of Lavan. When Ya'akov returned to Kena'an, there was another changing of the guard. The angels from outside the land ascended and the angels for inside the land descended and returned to Ya'akov. There were two camps of angels, each serving a specific purpose. This could be one explanation for the plural name he gave it. Another possibility, still fitting with the angels using that place as a guard post, is that he named it for Elohim's camp and Ya'akov's camp being in the same place. He recognized that this was a place where YHVH's will and Ya'akov's life were linked. It was the place where he had to put his faith in YHVH when he left the land and his life was forever changed.

Now let's get back to this week's portion and the second "two camps." Ya'akov splits everything in the hopes that if Esav attacks one camp, the other may have a chance to get away. Who knows? It might have worked. After splitting the camps, Ya'akov spends time in prayer. He tells YHVH "I’m not worthy of all the love and faithfulness you have shown your servant, since I crossed the Yarden with only my staff. But now I have become two camps." Another translation says "I have become small from all the kindnesses and from all the truth that You have rendered Your servant, for with my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps." Once again, as is common in Hebrew thought and writing, I think there are multiple meanings to this verse. The first half of the verse shows Ya'akov being humble (becoming small) and saying that YHVH's love and faithfulness are more than Ya'akov deserves. Ya'akov left the land with only his staff and now he has enough family, servants, and livestock to fill two camps! He has been blessed far beyond what he deserves. But there is another meaning to the last part of this verse. He is also telling YHVH of his fear. When he escaped Esav, he was alone and had nothing to lose. Now, he has so much to lose that he has had to split into two camps in the hopes of saving at least part of it. He reminds YHVH in his prayer of the promises that YHVH made that "I will do you good" and would make his family as numerous as the grains of sand by the sea. This is a not so subtle cry for help. "I think he wants to kill me and my family. Do something!"

Ya'akov then ends up spending the night wrestling with "some man." After being blessed by the "man" when he refuses to give up the fight, he calls the place they fought P'ni-El (face of God). He saw the face of Elohim and lived. He survived a situation that he knew should have killed him. He recalls this moment when he faces his brother the next day. In verse 33:10, Ya'akov tells Esav "Just seeing your face has been like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me." Esav doesn't realize that Ya'akov is saying that he expected to die, but miraculously lived.

Bo (Go?)

Bo (Go?)

Sh'mot 10:1-13:16

This Torah portion is named for the command that Yahweh gives to Moshe to "go" in to Pharaoh and warn him of the next plague. However, as we can see just two verses later, this word also (and probably more correctly) means "come". If we change translations in verse one, does it change the meaning of what Yahweh is telling Moshe? Of course it does! Why else would I ask the question? Let's take a look at the connotations of the different translations.

If Yahweh is saying go in to Pharaoh, we get a picture of Moshe being sent away from Yahweh into the presence of Pharaoh. This is the equivalent of me telling my kids "Go to your room" or "Go outside and play". It's clear that I'm not going outside or to their rooms with them. They are departing from my presence. Does this sound like the way Yahweh operates? I don't think so. That would be a pretty significant violation of His promise to always be with His chosen people. It doesn't seem right that He would say "I will never leave you nor forsake you, now go away."

If Yahweh is saying come in to Pharaoh, we can visualize Yahweh leading Moshe into Pharaoh's throne room. If I say "Come to the synagogue", it is implied that we will be together. Therefore, we can translate this as Yahweh saying "Come with Me to Pharaoh". I think this is a better fit with what I know about Yahweh (granted that's not as much as I would like). So, "bo" along with me as we delve deeper into this week's parasha.

As we begin this portion, Moshe and Aharon have come to give Pharaoh another warning. Locusts! Aharon warns Pharaoh that the locusts will cover the entire land, worse than has ever been seen before. We immediately see a small, but very significant, change in the dynamics of Egyptian life. Before Pharaoh has a chance to respond, his servants begin to argue with him. Imagine, servants speaking apparently rather boldly to their "god-king". What would cause them to do the unthinkable? Remember the preceding plague? That's right, hail, the first plague to kill people. Which people would have been killed by the hail? I would suggest that few regular Egyptians were out working in the fields with livestock. It would have been the servants that had to face the danger. Who had to die. These servants who had placed their trust in Pharaoh to protect them. And now, Pharaoh is still arguing with Moshe and Aharon instead of ending the plagues. How important were the lives of servants to their king? The evidence was not favorable for Pharaoh.

These servants were witnesses to opposing attitudes from two different deities. One, their Pharaoh, was seemingly indifferent to the suffering of lowly servants. He was only strongly vocal when the plagues inconvenienced Pharaoh. The other, Yahweh, who was willing to destroy an entire nation to free and protect a bunch of slaves. The lowest of the low, the most despised in all the land. These were the people important enough to Yahweh to make His presence felt with extreme prejudice. As we read through the accounts of the plagues, we see Yahweh systematically attacking various aspects of Egyptian society. He attacks them economically, psychologically, and theologically. Now he continues the trend and attacks their faith and trust in their king. I wonder how many of the mixed multitude that left Egypt were servants.

To Pharaoh's credit, he actually listens to his servants and offers to let the Israelites go and worship Yahweh. Until he hears who is going. His reaction to the news that ALL the Israelites are leaving? "Ain't happening! Yahweh will have to be with you to get all of you out of here." Who knew that Pharaoh was a prophet? Albeit not a very enlightened one, apparently. He didn't bother to listen to his own statements. With his refusal to let them go, the plagues must go on. Here "bo" the locusts. A strong east wind brings locusts that cover the entire land, destroying all plants and trees in Egypt. We now see an amazing change in Pharaoh. He summons Moshe and admits to sinning against both Yahweh and Moshe. He actually asks for forgiveness and asks Moshe to intercede with Yahweh to remove the locusts. Humility from Pharaoh! Who'd a thunk it? Yahweh responds and removes the locusts with a strong west wind. There "bo" the locusts. But He hardens Pharaoh's heart again. His plan is not yet complete.

The penultimate plague is another no-warning plague. At Yahweh's command, Moshe lifts his staff and darkness descends on the land. There is no light anywhere in Egypt, except Goshen. The Israelites have light in all their homes. I will leave you this week to ponder the significance of the Israelites being the only source of light in a darkened world. Is there a chance for His people to be a light in a darkened world again? Must we wait, or are we expected to be that light now?

Va'era (I appeared)

Va'era (I appeared)

Sh'mot 6:2-9:35

Get the video or audio of this teaching at http://bima.sermon.net/20295400.

This is going to be one of my longer posts. This week's Torah portion has much that we can learn beyond the basics of the plague stories that we all know so well. I will be discussing two topics that I have named "The Plague Pattern" and "The Staff of God". I will go into detail about both of these topics as we go along.

But first, I want to address the beginning of the Torah portion when YHVH seems to contradict his own Torah. In Sh'mot (Exodus) 6:3 Yahweh says “…I did not make myself known to them by my name, YHVH.” Yet, His name is shown repeatedly in Torah during the stories of Avraham, Ya’akov, etc. We even see in B'resheet (Genesis) 32:9 that Ya'akov refers to Him as Yahweh. So how can they not have known His name? To understand this statement, we must understand that a name is more than just a name. It is not enough for someone to know that my name is Robbie. There are plenty of people named Robbie running around, mostly unsupervised. There is even another one running around inside my own house. Therefore, if I tell someone that I am Robbie, I haven't really told them that much about me. To make a name known is to show the full meaning of the one who owns the name. If I tell you my last name, where I live, that I am a husband and father, you begin to know more of who I am. In the context of Torah study and instruction, I can tell you that at our synagogue, I am the Gabbai (like an MC, I control the order of service, lead announcements and liturgy, etc.), I am an elder, I am a teacher, and I am the son of the head Rabbi. Now you can start to understand more of me and my authority to write this blog. Each new bit of information gets you closer to "knowing my name".

For the Patriarchs, they did not yet know the full extent of YHVH’s power and might. They had only begun to see some of who He is. While they had the promise of YHVH, they had not yet seen the fulfillment of His promise. That fulfillment would be seen by their descendants. Someone's name is his reputation. In other words, we are known by our actions. Looking back from our present day, we can see that fulfilling the promise to give the land to Avraham's descendants made His name known.

Read verses 4-8 of this chapter and you will see YHVH explaining to the Israelites how He will make His name known. He reminds them of the covenant, describes how He will fulfill that covenant, and then finishes His description with His name, showing the completion of His introduction.

According to the prophets of the Tanakh and Revelation, He will make His name known again.

Now let's get to the topics I mentioned above.

The Staff of God

This topic actually starts with last week's Torah portion. As we all know, when Yahweh spoke to Moshe at the burning bush, He got Moshe's attention through the staff that Moshe carried. As a shepherd, he would always have his staff when in the field. It made for a good teaching tool. It also shows us a pattern that Yahweh still uses today. Something ordinary, when used by Yahweh and for Yahweh, becomes extraordinary. A staff, a rock in the desert, a teenager too small to fight a giant. These are only a few examples. But there are times when even the extraordinary isn't quite enough.

In Sh'mot 4:2-4, we see Moshe's staff turn into a snake. When Moshe picks it up, it reverts back to a staff. This is important; Moshe is now holding his staff in his hand. Now read verse 17. It's OK. I'll wait.

Are you back? Good. If Moshe is already holding his staff in his hand, as verse 4 tells us that he is, what staff is Yahweh telling him to take? If you were holding a bottle of your favorite beverage (mmm... Mt. Dew) and said "Here, take this Mt. Dew", would you think I was referring to the one in your hand, or to a new one that I am giving you? If I wanted you to take the one in your hand, I would say "your Mt. Dew", not "this Mt. Dew." See the difference? Read verse 17 again. There is no use of "your". Now go to verse 20 and read the second sentence. I'm waiting again.

Welcome back. Did you see anything interesting in that verse. Whose staff did Moshe take with him to Egypt? Who's staff was needed to perform miracles in Egypt? Why did Moshe need to take God's staff to Egypt instead of his own? We already saw it turn into a snake once. Why couldn't it be used for the same purpose again? I think the better question to ask is, in who's authority was Moshe to act in Egypt?

In Midian, Moshe's staff was his tool for exercising power and control over his flocks. Moshe didn't go to Egypt to display his own power. He was given authority by Yahweh, and therefore needed a symbol of Yahweh's power. Hence, the staff of God.

The Hebrew word for staff is matteh. Interestingly, this word can be translated as rod, staff, branch, or tribe. It can refer to a rod of correction, a ruling sceptre, a lance, a walking staff, or figuratively as a support of life. In the case of God's staff in Egypt, we can see it being used for correction of Pharaoh, a ruling sceptre to show Yahweh's authority given to Moshe, and as a support of life in saving the Israelites from Pharaoh. Remember, Yahweh doesn't give us a single lesson to learn with each of His actions. Everything we read in Torah has many meanings and layers of meaning. I challenge you to spend some time rereading these chapters, substituting each meaning of matteh, and looking for new understanding. This is also a good way to find connections to other verses throughout the Tanakh and B'rit Chadasha that use the same word in different contexts.

Speaking of Moshe using the power of Yahweh in Egypt, that leads us to our next topic.

The Plague Pattern

Anyone who has studied Torah for any length of time or has heard me teach a time or two is aware that Yahweh uses patterns. The cyclical pattern is very clear and applies in micro and macro scale throughout scripture. As we continue to study, though, we can see other patterns emerging. In this Torah portion, we can see patterns in the order and types of plagues that are brought upon Egypt. The plagues in this portion are grouped into three sets of three. The final plague is a capstone that closes out the pattern while keeping itself separate.

Let's begin with the first three plagues. These three are different from the rest in that they affected the Israelites as well as the Egyptians. Within these three we can see a pattern that is unique to this set. The first plague, turning the water to blood, was duplicated by Pharaoh's magicians. It appeared from the start that Pharaoh was as powerful as Yahweh. It is important to remember that Yahweh allowed this to be seen by the Israelites. They needed to see the power of Pharaoh. The second plague, frogs, was also duplicated by the magicians. However, there was a problem. They could not get rid of the frogs. Pharaoh was forced to ask Moshe to have Yahweh remove the frogs. The Israelites and Egyptians began to see that Yahweh was stronger than Pharaoh. Now came the third plague, lice. This was the final plague to affect Israel. Pharaoh's magicians were forced to admit that they could not duplicate this feat. They had no choice but to acknowledge that this was a work of God. More importantly, Israel had no choice but to acknowledge it also.

When the fourth plague, insects (or flies, or wild beasts - the meaning of the word is unclear) comes, we begin to see another pattern. If you look at the first nine plagues in groups of three as I mentioned earlier, you will see that the first of each set starts with Moshe and Aharon speaking to Pharaoh at the river. These were very public pronouncements made to Pharaoh where everyone could see and hear them. They were public challenges to his authority and power. The second of each set is preceded by Moshe and Aharon approaching Pharaoh in his throne room. While the announcements are less public, they are more threatening to Pharaoh's seat of power. They are a direct confrontation where he is strongest. Finally, the third plague comes without warning. No proclamations are made and Pharaoh is given no chance to avoid the plague by releasing the Israelites. These plagues show Pharaoh that Yahweh can do anything he wants in Egypt, with our without Pharaoh's knowledge, and there is nothing Pharaoh can do about it.

Another pattern is seen in the types of plagues in each group and the escalating severity. In each group there is a large-scale annoyance plague, an all-pervasive plague, and a deadly plague, all increasing in intensity and severity. These do not stay in the same order in each group, possibly as a way of intensifying the fear and uncertainty gripping the land. The annoyance plagues consist of frogs, insects, and locusts. Each gets harder to deal with until the last destroys their food supply. The next group are the all-pervasive plagues. The lice, like the frogs, are everywhere. They are much smaller and nearly impossible to remove. The boils come upon everyone in a fine dust that is unavoidable. Finally, the darkness that was impenetrable. These escalated from very annoying, to painful, to terrifying. Finally, there were the deadly plagues. The first plague was turning the water to blood. We see that all the fish died. While unpleasant and rough on the seafood industry, it was not a long-term hardship for the Egyptians. The next was the livestock disease. Killing all the animals was a significant hit to the Egyptian economy and food supply. Finally, in group three, we have the hail. This is the first plague to kill humans and is therefore the worst of the death plagues. Until we get to the final plague which combines features of every group.

The last plague included an annoyance; can't go out after dark. It was all-pervasive; every Egyptian home was affected. And it was the most devastating death plague. It was a targeted killing that struck the very fabric of Egyptian society, including Pharaoh's own house. Yahweh pulled out all the stops. The message from this final plague was clear. Pharaoh tried to destroy Yahweh's firstborn, Israel. Yahweh succeeded in destroying Pharaoh's firstborn. He disrupted the line of succession and inheritance. The last plague had permanent effects for Egypt. And for Pharaoh.

The patterns don't end with the plagues themselves. Yahweh was also setting up a pattern for Israel's future. As I mentioned earlier, Yahweh will make His name known again. We read of a Greater Exodus that will take place. What patterns can you see in the prophecies of this time?

Hukkat - Regulation

Hukkat (Chukat) - Regulation

Throughout the Torah, there are instructions to be learned, teachings to take to heart, and rules and ordinances to observe and obey. Most of these instructions and regulations are understandable, albeit sometimes only after some study and prayer. However, once in a while, we see something that just doesn't make sense to us. One example from an earlier Torah portion is kosher foods. YHVH doesn't tell us why unclean animals are unclean, he simply states that they are so. In the 3500 years since the regulation was given, there have been many interpretations put forth as to why these rules exist. Some may even be correct. The point is, we don't know for sure from a reading of the text.

This week's parasha includes two items that lead to such speculation and varied interpretation. The first comes at the very beginning of the portion regarding the red heifer. Why does sprinkling someone with water mixed with the ashes of a burnt heifer make them clean? Why does mixing the ashes in the water make the person doing the mixing unclean? Why does the heifer have to be burned outside the camp as an unclean item, but the blood sprinkled toward the tent of meeting is clean? As I said before, there have been many different interpretations presented over the millennia. There may be some truth to some, none or all of these interpretations. We simply don't know.

This leads me to the focus of this teaching. Today we are going to focus on the third aliyah, or third reading, of this week's Torah portion, which is Chapter 20:7-13. The story actually begins in verse 2 with the people of Israel running out of water. As is the norm among our people, when facing hardship, we blamed Moshe for bringing us out to the desert to die. This has been the default response for any difficulty faced by Israel for nearly 40 years. Low on food? Moshe brought us out here to die. Low on water? Moshe brought us here to die. Hangnail? Stubbed toe? Splinters and blisters from setting up and tearing down our tents 40+ times? Moshe brought us out here to die. Do you see a pattern forming? But there is another pattern that we see. Moshe's response to the complaints of the people. In verse 6 we see the same thing that is repeated throughout the Torah. Moshe (and Aharon) fell on their faces before YHVH.

And now begins the third aliyah, and the confusion. YHVH provides a way to give water to His people, same as He did forty years earlier. He told Moshe to bring forth water from a rock. This was something Moshe could understand. After all, he had seen it before. However, this time there was a difference. The first time, he was told to strike the rock with his staff and it would produce water. For this latest incident, YHVH changed things. He once again told Moshe to take his staff, but then He told Moshe to speak to the rock. He tells Moshe to "tell the rock to produce its water." (CJB) What happens next is the source of thousands of years’ worth of discussion and debate. When Moshe gathered the people, he deviated from the instructions he had just received. Was it out of frustration? Was it anger? Was it lightheadedness from standing under the desert sun? A cursory reading of the text makes it appear that he was at the very least frustrated with these people, as evidenced by his use of the phrase "you rebels." Hardly a complimentary description of the nation he has led all these years. It says in verse 10 in the Complete Jewish Bible: "Listen here, you rebels! Are we supposed to bring you water from this rock?" And then it happens. Moshe does not speak to the rock as he was commanded. He instead strikes the rock with his staff... twice. What happens next? We would expect that violating YHVH's plan would cause the rock to stay dry and the people to remain thirsty, correct? Wrong. It was YHVH's plan for His people to get water from that rock. Therefore, something as small as Moshe's temper tantrum (?) would ot be enough to circumvent His will. As we have seen many times before and after, when YHVH intends something to happen, it will happen. He just may have to circumvent our will to make it so.

After bringing water to the people, Moshe finds out the extent of his transgression. YHVH tells him that he will no longer be allowed to bring the people into the Promised Land. He would get them to the border but would not be allowed to cross over the river with them. What a harsh punishment. There could hardly be a stronger earthly punishment for such as Moshe. The culmination of his life's work has just been placed out of reach. Just like the rest of the first generation who wouldn't reach the Promised Land, neither would their first leader.

So what exactly was Moshe's sin? This has been the big debate. One school of thought says he sinned by striking the rock instead of speaking to it, in direct defiance of a command from YHVH. Another says that the problem was that he acted out of anger, and not out of faith in YHVH. Still another makes the argument that he stole glory from YHVH by stating that he and Aharon would bring water from the rock. Personally, I think it is more complicated than any one answer. I believe there was some of each of these and possible more involved in his transgression.

Clearly, striking the rock when he was told to speak to it was a direct violation of YHVH's command. Even if it wasn't one of the 613 commandments in the Torah, it was still a directive that came from YHVH Himself. Moshe didn't do what he was told, and therefore sinned. But that, I believe would not be enough to cost him the Promised Land. After all, YHVH had forgiven Israel and their ancestors of much worse in the past. Could his anger and frustration have kept him from the land? Again, others had shown anger and been forgiven. And if anyone had reason to be frustrated, it had to be Moshe after leading this motley crew for 40 years. I think he could have been forgiven for this as well. But, he compounded all his errors by taking credit for YHVH's work. YHVH does not share glory. This is leading us to the strongest transgression of all. Moshe showed a lack of faith in YHVH. This caused YHVH Himself to call Moshe out for not trusting Him. Moshe allowed his frustration and anger to turn his focus from YHVH and onto his own troubles. This lack of focus caused him to strike the rock, falling back on his own prior understanding, instead of speaking to it as he was told.

Rabbi Lord Sacks presents an interesting interpretation of the event. He says that the first generation that had been slaves were used to lessons coming by being struck with a staff. That was the way slaves were taught. It was a technique they could understand. The second generation, however, were a free people. They needed to be taught by a leader speaking. This fits with the new instruction that Moshe was given. By striking the rock, he was treating the new generation as a group of Egyptian slaves, rather than the free Israelites. Therefore Israel needed a new leader that would be able to lead a free people as they entered the land.

I think there is probably some truth to each of the possibilities, but as with so many things about YHVH and his grand design, we may have to wait until Yeshua can explain it to us.

Tazria - She Conceives

Vayikra (Leviticus) 12:1-13:59

This Torah portion is the middle of three discussions of clean and unclean. In last week's parasha, Sh'mini, we learned about clean and unclean foods. Things outside of us that make us tahor (clean) or tameh (unclean). In this portion, we begin to deal with our own internal uncleanness. I will be focusing on the first aliyah or first reading of the parasha. The Torah portion begins with a woman becoming unclean by childbirth.

I'd like to take a moment to point out something that was brought to my attention by a good friend, Stan Randall at Coffee and Devotions. The title of this Torah portion, Tazria, means "She conceives". It refers to the moment of conception being the defining moment, not "this trimester" or "so many weeks" or even birth. Birth is listed second as a completion of conception. Understanding this simple statement in one section of one portion of Torah could completely end the entire abortion debate and make this world a better, more blessed place.

And now back to our regularly scheduled teaching. YHVH tells Moshe to tell the people that a woman who has a son is unclean for seven days. On the eighth day, she is to have the boy circumsized. He then goes on to say that the woman must wait thirty-three more days before she can be purified. She is not unclean, but neither is she clean. She cannot touch anything holy or come into the sanctuary during this time. If she gives birth to a girl, for reasons not given by YHVH, her period of uncleanness and her wait for purification are doubled. She is unclean for fourteen days and must wait an additional sixty-six days before purification. Many different opinions have been offered through the years as to the reason for the difference, ranging from patriarchal superiority to punishment for Eve's sin in the garden. Personally, I think there is probably some compensation involved for male children having to go through circumcision while the females get to skip that requirement. But that may just be the modern-male squeamishness talking. (Choose among them as you will, your mileage may vary, author is not responsible for intentional or unintentional misuse of information gathered from outside sources and the opinions formed or held by readers thereof.)

We now learn of the requirement for the woman to be purified so that she can return to the sanctuary. There are two offerings required; a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or dove for a sin offering. If she can't afford a lamb, two pigeons or doves will suffice. This leads to an interesting question. Why the sin offering? What sin has the woman committed? Has she not in fact obeyed one of the earliest of all commands, to go forth and multiply? How can she then be guilty of committing a sin? I humbly submit that she is not guilty of any sin in the childbirth itself. However, as she has been unable to approach the sanctuary or the altar, she has been unable to bring her normal sin offering for up to two and a half months. Is it likely that she has committed no sins at all during that time? Had no impure thoughts during the painful childbirth or when the baby is crying all night? Never had a disparaging thought about her husband who got her into this mess in the first place? This is her opportunity to gain atonement for all those things for which she has been unable to atone during her separation. If she has managed to be completely sinless during her entire time of separation, is the sin offering still necessary? Look at Vayikra 5:3. It clearly states that if someone touches human uncleanness, as soon as he is aware of it, he is guilty and must bring a sin offering. If a woman has been declared unclean - as any woman who has given birth has - she cannot be made clean without a sin offering. That's why the scripture tells us in the last part of verse eight; "the cohen will make atonement for her, and she will be clean."

But what about the husband? The father of the baby who brought forth so much uncleanness to the woman? There's no mention of him being unclean. Or is there? Remember verse 5:3 earlier? If he touches his wife at all during her time of separation, he is unclean. He must then bring a sin offering to be made clean again. How's that patriarchal privilege working for you now? So why can he be made clean immediately? Why doesn't he have to wait 40 or 80 days like his wife? Well, if he has to remain separated and cannot be a part of the community for all that time, who is going to provide for the needs of the family? YHVH made a way for the family to continue to function while still observing the necessities of cleanness and holiness. He's good that way. He takes care of His people.

The last part of this aliyah begins the discussion of tzara'at, commonly translated as leprosy. It is pretty clear through reading the descriptions of tzara'at, however, that it has no connection to the modern disease of leprosy, also known as Hanson's disease. Everyone today can envision the leper with missing body parts and incurable organ damage. Where in this parasha are either of these symptoms mentioned? Leprosy is an incurable disease that always leads to painful, lingering death. Tzara'at can be cured by atonement and purification after repentance. How can they possibly be the same disease? The rabbis have taught for generations that tzara'at is a spiritual disease caused by inward sin. Haughtiness, arrogance, slander, and gossip are all causes of tzara'at according to the rabbis. Remember that Miriam was cursed with tzara'at for speaking out against her brother Moshe's leadership. Tzara'at was an outward sign of an inward condition. It is interesting to note that there has been no recorded case of biblical tzara'at since the loss of the Temple and our means for ritual purification. I believe that is further evidence that tzara'at is a sin condition more than a skin condition.

Without tzara'at in our midst today, does this part of the Torah portion have any relevance to us? Of course it does. Torah is a manual for life, not just in the wilderness outside Egypt 3500 years ago, but today, tomorrow, and forever. Is there still a problem of arrogance, gossip, or slander in the community today? Do we not need to have a plan for dealing with these issues? When these afflictions appear in our midst, we must remove them. The offender needs to be put outside the camp until they have repented and are made "clean".

P'kudei

Sh'mot 38:21-40:38

This is the last of 5 parashot regarding the building of the tabernacle. It begins by listing the amounts of the precious metals used to build the tabernacle.

• Gold - 1930 pounds
• Silver - 6650 pounds
• Bronze - 4680 pounds

They need the BIG trucks to move everything! But we see that this isn't all that the people brought. They brought so much that B'tzal'el had to have Moshe tell the people to stop bringing it. There was too much! Do we bring more than is required when YHVH calls us? Or do we complain about bringing the little that is required?

The next section describes the making of the priestly garments. It repeats the detailed description of the High Priest's garments. As we know when reading Torah, repetition implies significance. From this we can infer that those who are called to serve Him as priests are not to take the calling lightly, and are not to be taken lightly. Aharon's robes, breastplate, etc. contained gold and gems. It was very heavy. Therefore, his robes were a constant reminder that he carried a heavy burden for Israel.

We are told repeatedly that the people did exactly as YHVH had ordered Moshe. When we follow YHVH's commands as stated, the results are spectacular. YHVH's design plans created the tabernacle, man's design plans created the Roman coliseum. Let's compare the two. The coliseum is bigger and "grander". It was built to be permanent. It is a monument to pompous arrogance and is a place of death and depravity. The tabernacle, on the other hand, is more magnificent and moved with the people. It was an expression of our willingness to give of ourselves to YHVH. It was a place of Life and holiness. Which would you rather visit if given the choice?

Now let's compare two dwelling places of YHVH among the Israelites. The Tabernacle versus Solomon's temple. As I said before, the Tabernacle was YHVH's design and plan. YHVH desired to move with the people as they traveled. The Tabernacle was always in the center of the people wherever they were. It was built by willing artisans with materials donated as heart-felt gifts. Only materials willingly given were allowed in its construction. It was assembled by Moshe as YHVH insructed. Moshe blessed the people for the work they had done when construction was complete. YHVH's presence filled the Tabernacle per His desire. The temple was Solomon's design. It was a permanent structure in Israel. When the people were forced out of the land, the temple stayed behind. It was built with forced labor, not willing participants. There was no command from YHVH to build the temple. It was allowed because David wanted it and YHVH honored him. Solomon took credit for building the temple, but the work was outsourced to King Hiram of Tyre. His architects and builders did most of the work. While YHVH's presence did fill the temple, it was in respect for David's desire, not YHVH's.

Finally, we end the Torah portion with the cloud by day and fire by night. YHVH's presence descended to the Tabernacle and dwelt among His people. When the cloud of His presence moved, the people moved. If it stayed in place, the people stayed in place. The people of Israel literally followed YHVH daily. Do we?

Vayak'hel - He Assembled

Sh'mot (Exodus) 35:1-38:20

This Torah portion can be difficult to teach, simply because it is very short and spends most of its time restating what we already read in Parasha T'rumah three weeks ago. In normal years this portion is read along with the next portion, Pekudei. Since this is a leap year, we read them separately. So let's see what YHVH has for us in this Torah portion.

The portion tells us again about the voluntary offerings brought to build the tabernacle, all the implements to be used in the tabernacle, and the garments for the priests to serve. It says that the people brought gold, silver, and bronze; fine linen; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine gems and stones, and acacia wood. Do you know where acacia trees grow? They are common in Australia, Africa, and the desert areas of the Near and Middle East. Where were the Israelites when they built the tabernacle? That's right, the desert of the Middle East. Do you think it is a coincidence that anyone who did not have the fine materials, precious metals, or gems could still provide some of the needed materials? All they had to do was give of their time to go out into the desert around them and gather wood. It's YHVH's way of making sure that anyone who was willing would be able to honor Him.

Speaking of willing, the Torah portion repeatedly states that only those who gave willingly were to bring an offering. In the Complete Jewish Bible it says "everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit made him willing." We never find out if all of Israel gave, or just some of them. The implication is that some chose not to give, since it keeps mentioning only those who were willing. Interestingly enough, there was no mention of punishment for anyone who chose not to bring an offering. It was truly a voluntary offering. It didn't even require that people brought "things". It stated that those women with skill in spinning brought the yarn and linen. Some women who didn't have yarn, came and gave of their time and energy to spin the goat's hair.

Everyone who gave for the building of the tabernacle, regardless of their gift, knew what it was for and how it would be used. Too many people today give without understanding why. The don't know two important things:
Where is the money going?
What is its purpose?
Unfortunately in many churches and synagogues, the leadership hasn't bothered to answer these questions, either. They often just continue to collect offerings because it's better to have more rather than less. They don't have a plan for how that money will be used for the advancement of YHVH's Kingdom or the betterment of His people. When was the last time you heard a church say "Stop bringing your offerings, it's too much"? And yet that is exactly what B'tzal'el told Moshe to tell the people. They brought too much for the project at hand.

Speaking of B'tzal'el, we learn more about him and his assistant Oholi'av and their roles in building the tabernacle. Wasn't it good luck that B'tzal'el was born with all the knowledge necessary for building the tabernacle? Metal work, sewing, spinning, weaving, setting gemstones, woodworking. He knew it all from birth and was just standing by waiting to be called upon to help, right? No? Well then he must have learned all those skills when he was a slave in Egypt. He obviously apprenticed with all the best teachers to learn metal working, sewing, spinning, weaving, setting gemstones, and woodworking. No? Well then how could he possibly have known all the things necessary for the building of the tabernacle? If we accept a common teaching of modern Christianity that the Holy Spirit is a New Testament thing - as we all know, it came about in Acts 10, right? - then the patently ridiculous options I listed would have to be the only possibilities. However, as readers and students of Torah, we know that the Spirit of God came upon B'tzal'el and gave him the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of every kind of artisanry. B'tzal'el and his Oholi'av were both given the ability to teach others. Throw in some prophecy and speaking in tongues and they could have had an entire Pentecostal revival right there in the desert!

Clearly, the Holy Spirit is not something new in the New Testament, the B'rit Chadasha. However, we can see a difference in how the Spirit was given and manifested before and after the coming of Messiah Yeshua. In the Tanakh, we see that the Spirit was given to individuals as needed to complete a specific task. B'tzal'el for example. In the B'rit Chadasha, we see the Spirit poured out upon large groups and offered to all believers for all needs. The 120 men of Acts 10. Just as the Tanakh tells the story of a small nation chosen to be YHVH's people, and the B'rit Chadasha shows how all people can choose to be a part of that nation through Messiah Yeshua.

The last thing I want to discuss about this Torah portion is the composition of much of the furniture in the tabernacle and how that relates to the living Tabernacle that YHVH says will be built for His eternal reign. As we see in this portion, the ark, the altar of incense, the table for the showbread, and even the walls themselves were made from acacia wood and covered in fine gold. Why this arrangement? Why not just use wood as most furniture and walls were, or just gold if it had to be so pure?

Acacia wood is very strong, but it is not refined and pure like gold. Gold is pure and very beautiful. However, in its purest form, it is very soft and malleable. By combining the two, they create a strong, beautiful item that is pure enough to serve in YHVH's house. As the building blocks of YHVH's living tabernacle, we must be the same. We cannot just have the strength of the acacia wood. Strength without purity is selfish and worldly. It will break under pressure and show all the scratches and gouges gained through time and exposure. We cannot be pure like the fine gold without support. Purity alone is too weak to stand. It will bend under pressure and can be easily re-formed into a new shape. When we have strength and purity, then - and only then - will we be ready to serve in YHVH's kingdom.

B'ha'alotkha - When You Set Up

B'Midbar (Numbers) 8:1-12:16

This week's Torah portion is a big one. There is so much information that I could easily fill several pages of teachings. I'll try to keep it briefer than that, however. I'm going to discuss a few points from the portion and then try to show how some of them relate together in ways that you may not have seen before. 

Right after discussing the proper setup of the menorah, the Torah portion talks about the L'vi'im, the Levites. We are told how they are to be purified and presented to YHVH as a wave offering. The people must also make atonement for the L'vi'im before they can begin to serve in the tabernacle. But you can read about that yourselves in the Torah. I'm going to move on to something else that is said about them. The L'vi'im were not supposed to be priests or work in the tabernacle any more than any other tribe. The original plan was for the firstborn of all tribes to take on that duty. It was their  birthright. However, as we all know, they gave up that birthright at Mt. Sinai when they convinced Aharon to make the golden calf. All the tribes, except one, participated in that event. Only one tribe, Levi, stood up on the side of YHVH against their own brethren. For that, they were given the honor of serving Him in the tabernacle. The other tribes all questioned YHVH. After Moshe was called to the top of the mountain and stayed for so long, they began to doubt that YHVH had protected him and would send him back to them. In this case, YHVH's plan - the firstborn being a priesthood - was subverted by man. And yet, YHVH continued his plan with someone else in their place. It is important to remember that, no matter what, YHVH's will is going to be done.

Next, we are reminded of the rules for observing Pesach (Passover). The people observed the festival as required, but there were some who were not able to participate as they were unclean from being around a dead body. These people also questioned YHVH, but with a different spirit than those who questioned at Mt. Sinai. This time, they wanted to know how they could follow YHVH's commandments completely without breaking another commandment. They were told to observe Pesach, but also told they could not participate if they were unclean. It's interesting to see that in this case, YHVH's plan (Pesach observance) was subverted by YHVH (rules for the unclean). YHVH honored their questioning by allowing a second Pesach one month later. His will was achieved by making provision for all of His commandments to be observed.

As you can see, there are different ways to question YHVH. It is okay to question Him, if it is done in the right way and for the right reason. It is acceptable to ask how you can serve Him better or more fully, as the unclean did about Pesach. It is not acceptable to question His ability or His plan. And remember, arrogance before YHVH is NEVER acceptable. Do not ever try to do His job for Him as the people did when they built the golden calf.

If I were to ask how many of YHVH's festivals could be found in this Torah portion, most people would answer "one". It's very clear with what we just read about Pesach. I would suggest that there are actually two. I'll explain in a moment.

YHVH commanded the people to make two silver trumpets. They would be used to call the people together or to war. If one trumpet was blown, only the leaders were to gather. If both, then all the people are being called. Why two trumpets? Doesn't Torah require two witnesses? It is acceptable for one witness to bring something to the leadership, just as one trumpet will call the leaders together. However, it takes two witnesses before it can be brought to the people for action. Therefore, it takes two trumpets to call all the people together for action. See how everything YHVH does leads us to seeing and remembering other things He has done? If you remember the two witness rule, you can remember when to use one or two trumpets.

Now, what about that second festival? How about Yom Teruah, the feast of trumpets? I know, you're thinking "That's too easy. Just mentioning trumpets doesn't automatically make it about Yom Teruah." I agree there needs to be more. I'm not just talking about any Yom Teruah. I'm talking about the Yom Teruah when the final trumpet is sounded. It says that there will be A trumpet sounded, not two, when Yeshua returns. "But calling the people together requires two trumpets", you say. Remember though who is called with one trumpet. Those who lead. When He returns, is He going to gather all people to Him, or just certain ones? Were we not called to lead people to Him? So who is the trumpet calling?

The Torah portion then moves on to discuss when and how the people moved through the desert on their journey. It is important to note that they were not to go anywhere unless YHVH was leading them. Wouldn't our lives be better today if we followed that same rule? How many times do we take action because it seems right to us, but we didn't check to see if YHVH was leading it? If you are like me, that usually leads to disaster. At best, it leads to less than optimal results. We need to make sure we're keeping our eyes on Him and going where He wants, WHEN he wants.

The people didn't just wander through the desert as a giant mob. They were commanded to move in a particular marching order. They marched the same way that they camped, by tribe, in order. The tribes that camped in front of the tabernacle (to the east) set out first. These moved under the banner of the tribe of Y'hudah. Next came two clans of L'vi'im, Gershon and M'rari. Gershon brought the walls and coverings, etc. of the tabernacle, while M'rari carried the framework. They had to arrive at the next camp early enough to get the tabernacle rebuilt before the furniture and implements arrived. Then came the tribes on the south side of the tabernacle under the banner of Re'uven. They were followed by the L'vi'im of K'hat. These carried the furniture from the tabernacle, including the menorah, the altar of incense, and other implements. Then came the tribes who camped behind the tabernacle to the west under the banner of Ephrayim, and finally the tribes from the north under the banner of Dan.

There are a couple of things we can learn from this arrangement. The largest group of tribes camped in front of the tabernacle and led the march while the smallest group camped behind the tabernacle. Why is that? Because where He is leading you is more important than what is behind you. Your greatest effort must always be focused on what is ahead. But, you must still guard against the things you have left behind you. Just like the Israelite's had to guard against attack from the rear, you must not let yourself be destroyed by things you thought you left behind.

Speaking of things we thought we left behind; remember the mixed multitude that came out of Egypt? We've been taught that they all became a nation at Mt. Sinai. Those who were not natural-born Israelites were grafted in and became part of the nation, like Caleb who became a leader of the tribe of Y'hudah. However, we see in this portion that there were still some who had not joined the nation. They are still referred to as a mixed crowd in B'Midbar 11:4. It is this group that began the grumbling that got the Israelites demanding meat. The Israelites allowed the outsiders to corrupt their thinking and brought destruction into their camp.

When the people began to complain (again), Moshe questioned YHVH. Remember what I said about questions being okay if done correctly? Well, we know that Moshe was the humblest of men, so it was with that spirit that he brought his concerns to YHVH. This spirit is also seen in the B'rit Chadasha (New Testament) when Yeshua was in the garden. As He is quoted in Matthew 26:39 "If possible, let this cup pass from me." Even our Messiah had reason to question what was happening at times. But, as we see from his next statement, "Yet - not what I want, but what you want!", we can see that he still kept his proper reverence for YHVH. Just as Moshe did. He was human and had doubts of his own abilities, but he didn't doubt YHVH. YHVH answered Moshe's concerns by pouring out His Spirit on 70 elders to assist Moshe. When they received the Spirit, they began to prophecy. It also says that two of the men stayed in the camp and prophesied there for the people to hear. Does this event sound similar to something that happened in the book of Acts? Say, around the time of Shavuot (Pentecost)?

The Hebrew word for spirit is ru'ach. This is what YHVH poured out on the elders. The word also means wind. Which is what YHVH used to bring the quail from across the sea. It says YHVH sent a ru'ach to get them. He caused the quail to fall all around the camp, but outside the camp. The word translated as fall here also means abandoned or forsaken. So YHVH abandoned the quail outside the camp. Just as he abandoned those who chose to remain outside the camp and not join the nation of Israel. The people had to choose to leave the camp, where YHVH provided manna, to go get the quail. They turned away from His blessing and received what became a curse. YHVH sent a plague among them while they ate the quail. So, will we choose to be inside or outside His camp? Will we accept his blessing - the manna, or his curse - the quail?

It's interesting to note that YHVH sent quail at the beginning of their journey and it was accepted as a blessing. It was when they demanded it with a wrong heart that it became a curse. When the people were just starting their journey, any gift from YHVH was amazing. The people were humble slaves who feared YHVH. After following Him for two years in the desert, they became arrogant. They no longer accepted his blessing of manna as a gift and began to make demands of Him.

When we start our walk with YHVH, especially as we return to his Torah, everything we see Him do is amazing. As we get more used to Him, the newness wears off. We begin to get arrogant. Remember what it was like being new to studying his Word and his ways?

• Look at all these things He's showing us in Torah.
• Look at that beautiful Torah scroll.
• Dancing before the Lord is so incredible.
• Praise YHVH!

As we get older, things begin to change.

• I've studied Torah for years, I know what it says.
• Look! We have a beautiful Torah scroll.
• That's not the right way to dance, we do it THIS way!
• I don't sing in front of people, I praise Him my own way.

Am I saying that praising YHVH by ourselves is wrong? Absolutely not. Am I saying praising Him our own way because we are too good to do it in front of other people is wrong? You bet your boots! Remember, it's all about the spirit and attitude that is at the root of our worship, our praise, and our study. Keep it about Him and keep a humble heart. Then we will always see His blessings and not force Him to make them a curse for us.

Vayetze (He Went Out ) - Part 1

This week's Torah portion is Vayetze, from Beresheet (Genesis) 28:10-32:3. In this portion, we learn about the twenty years of Ya'akov's life spent in Haran with his uncle Lavan. We see him leave the land of Kena'an, witness the dream of "Jacob's ladder", and read of his vow to YHVH. The portion continues with his marriages to the daughters of Lavan, the births of most of his children, his amassing of great wealth, and final flight from Haran back to Kena'an. This is an action-packed epic Torah portion. I won't discuss everything that happens, but we'll hit quite a bit. Let's get started.

Ya'akov stops to sleep on his way out of the land at a place that he later names Beit-El (house of God). It is here that he dreams of a ladder to Heaven with angels ascending and descending. The sages say that this was a changing of the guard in the angelic realm. The angels that were assigned to watch over Ya'akov in the land of Kena'an could not follow him out of the land. They ascended to Heaven and a new set descended to begin watching over Ya'akov outside the land. We see when Ya'akov returns to Kena'an at the end of the portion, that he once again sees angels. This is said to be the guard changing again, back to the original set.

Ya'akov fled Kena'an to get away from the wrath of his family. His brother Esau had sworn to kill him as punishment for Ya'akov's deceptions. It seems ironic that the man who is fleeing family because of mistreating them, attempts to gain safety by running to his family in another land. What he doesn't consider, is that Lavan puts his family first above all things; including his sister's family visiting from Kena'an.

Lavan does everything he does for the sake of his family. He deceives Ya'akov into marrying Leah so that his first-born daughter is not humiliated. He makes Ya'akov work an additional seven years so that he cannot leave and take his daughters away from him. He then convinces him to stay longer and care for Lavan's sheep. He gives him a job so he will stay close with Lavan's daughters and grandchildren. He knows that Ya'akov came with nothing and has a brother who wants him dead. If Ya'akov leaves and returns to Kena'an, can he support Lavan's daughters? Can he even keep himself, his wives, and his children alive?

Now let's look at the family that Ya'akov finds in Haran. He is welcomed into the house of his uncle Lavan where he expects to be treated as family. Instead, he gets treated as a stranger in the land. Ya'akov makes a deal with Lavan to work for him seven years in exchange for the right to marry Rachel, Lavan's younger daughter. Lavan agrees to the deal and puts Ya'akov to work. Ya'akov barely notices the passage of the seven years. As it says in the Scriptures, it seemed like only a few days. This is evidence that Ya'akov accepted the work as being enjoyable. As they say, time flies when you're having fun. He did not begrudge the work or consider it tedious waiting for the day he could marry Rachel. Very soon the special day arrived. It says that Lavan gathered all the men of the community for a banquet. He then, when it was pitch dark, brought his older daughter Leah to Ya'akov instead of bringing Rachel. Ya'akov didn't notice until morning. By then, it was too late. Haran had become the Las Vegas of the Bible.

At this point, you would expect Ya'akov to demand a divorce or to file a grievance with the city council, the sheriff's department, the homeowners association. Everyone who would listen to his complaint. Well, he did file with everyone who would listen. He realized, probably for the first time, that he was truly a stranger in this land. Lavan made that clear with the statement "In our place, that isn't how it's done..." Despite being family, he had been born in Kena'an to a man born in Kena'an, to a man who chose to leave Haran and settle in Kena'an. Ya'akov was not of Haran in the eyes of those present. He also remembered that all the men of the community had come to the wedding and seen him take Leah to the tent with him. He had no choice but to agree to Lavan's new deal of working another seven years for Rachel. But this time, Lavan sweetened the deal by allowing him to marry Rachel at the beginning of the seven years instead of the end. How generous.

To be continued...

Lekh L'kha

B'resheet (Genesis) 12:1-17:27

The title of this Torah portion is commonly translated as "Get Yourself Out" or "Go Forth". However, there is another translation or interpretation that gives an interesting perspective on the information in this portion. The Chassidic interpretation is "Go to you". I know what you're thinking. What is "go to you" supposed to mean? How does that make any sense? I'm glad you asked. Keep reading and I'll try to explain it with only a few short (or long) minor (or major) rabbi trails and random discussions.

Avram is being called to go to a place that is the essence of himself. The land he is leaving, Haran, is the land of his father, Terach. It is Avram's old nature. It is a land that has importance because it is the place of his family. His destination, Kena'an, is the land of Avram's new nature. It is important because Avram goes there. Prior to Avram's arrival, the land of Kena'an has no significance or special importance to mankind. It is simply another place like so many others. However, to YHVH, it is already a chosen place. He just hasn't revealed it yet. It is an example of YHVH's progressive revelation. I love progressive revelation. It always keeps you wondering what's coming next!

Avram has been called the first Jew. However, we know that is not technically accurate. After all, to be a Jew, Avram would have to be a descendant of his own great-grandson Judah. Unless Avram was somehow related to Dr. Who, I don't think that could happen. So the correct statement is that Avram was the first Hebrew. So what does Hebrew mean, exactly? Hebrew comes from the Aramaic word ibri, from the root word abar meaning "to cross over" or "to pass over". This is also related to the word eber meaning "one who traverses". So we can see that Hebrew means crossed over or passed over. Now that we've cleared that up, we get a few more questions.

What did Avram cross over? Avram made multiple crossings, both physically and spiritually. First, he crossed the Euphrates river to enter Kena'an. However, after doing so, he left again. Therefore, he had to cross over again coming from Egypt back into Kena'an. That's two physical crossings. Spiritually, Avram made an even more important crossing. Avram's father Terach made idols for a living. As such, Avram grew up being taught polytheism and idol worship. Whether he actually worshiped multiple gods or not is not mentioned in scripture. What is known is that at some point, Avram made the decision to worship and follow YHVH. This was a huge change from the culture of his family. This is also a strong example of the mercy of YHVH. He could have left Avram (and all his descendants) to suffer condemnation for idol worship. Instead, He chose to be merciful and deliver Avram to the Truth of Himself.

Why was Avram called to leave his land, his city (the place of his kin), and his father's house? Isn't that backwards of the way he would have to leave? You have to leave your home, then your city, and then your country. You can't do it the other way around. So why did YHVH state it the way He did? Since everything YHVH does has a reason, there must be some meaning we can get from this order. According to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, this order is indicative of a spiritual, emotional, and intellectual meaning. I'll discuss each item in the order below.

Land - Represents natural desires and base instincts. The Hebrew word for land, eretz, is related to the word ratzon which means will and desire.

City - Represents the influence of society and family - This is learned behavior.

Father's house - Represents intellect. Chassidic teaching says that intellect is the father within the man. Intellect has authority over feelings and behavior.

Using the explanations above we see that Avram was told to leave his natural desires and base instincts, his sinful nature. He is told to leave the learned behavior of his kin, idol worship and false gods. Finally, he is told to leave his intellectual knowledge (what he thinks he knows) behind.

Avram is told to go to a new place that would be given to him by YHVH. He was called to be a new man in a new place. That is what is meant by "go to you". He was literally going to himself, the new Avram. He would later even be given a new name.

We see this same concept in the B'rit Chadashah. We are called to be "born again". We are to leave our old man (our old nature) and cross over to become a new creation. We must leave behind our base instincts and sinful nature. We must leave behind our learned behavior from society. We must know the difference between right and wrong, moral and immoral. Just because something is called "normal" does not mean that it is right. The last step is most often the hardest and most people never make it. The last step is what makes us true Hebrews. We must leave behind our intellectual knowledge of Christianity or Judaism if it doesn't match YHVH's Word. Like Avram, we must accept His promise and covenant.

Like Avram, our journey after crossing over is not always easy. Avram went through troubles. When he first arrived in Kena'an, he found a famine. Avram was not yet ready for his inheritance, so the land was not ready to be inherited. He had to go to Egypt. While there, (as a result of his own deception),his wife was taken from him and given to Pharoah. YHVH, in order to get his plan back on track, was forced to send plagues on Pharaoh until he released Sarai. Pharaoh sent Avram away with cattle, sheep, donkeys, etc. to end the plagues.

When Avram went to Kena'an, he took his nephew Lot with him. As so often happens, having family along leads to trouble. Avram and Lot were both very prosperous and the land could not support both of them. There was not enough room for all their herds and flocks together. To settle the issue, the men agreed to separate and divide the land between them. Lot chose S'dom, despite knowing that the men were evil, "committing great sins against YHVH", because the land was good for grazing. It would allow him to become even wealthier. This simple decision for gain in the present led to a devastating loss in the future.

While Lot was living in S'dom, the king of S'dom and four others rebelled against the king of K'dorla'omer and his three allies. The four kings defeated the five rebellious kings and took their people captive, including Lot and his family. When Avram learned of it, he went after Lot and defeated the four kings with 318 men. Why does Torah tell us such a specific number of men? Is there some significance to 318? Actually, there is. The gematria of the number 318 means "Elohim's help". Therefore, this scripture can be read as Avram defeated the four kings with Elohim's help.

When Avram returns home after defeating the kings, he is met by Malki'Tzedek, the King of Shalem with bread and wine. The name Malki-Tzedek means King of Righteousness. Shalem means peace. Therefore, the King of Righteousness and King of Peace gave him bread and wine. Avram then gave him a tithe of all he had. I think it's pretty obvious who Avram met that day. If you are unsure, there are some good teachings on the subject available at www.tallitministries.com and a new one coming soon to rabbiearl.blogspot.com.

There is more in this Torah portion, but that will be for another time as this has already gotten much longer than I intended. Until next time, Shalom!

Parasha Re'eh - Devarim 11:26-16:17

Re'eh - see, behold, pay attention

The word re'eh is usually translated into English as "see". However, just like the word shema means more than just "hear", re'eh means more than just "see". Hebrew does not always translate well into English, not through the fault of the language, but through the diffence in mindset. Hebrew is understood with a Near-eastern cultural mindset that is different from our Western mindset. English often uses multiple words to convey a thought that Hebrew will convey with a single word. Shema is a good example. It is most often translated as "hear", but to a Hebrew mind, it means hear and obey. It is a stronger action verb than its common English counterpart. Re'eh is another good example. The Hebrew connotation is see (pay attention) and understand. In this week's Torah portion, it refers to spiritual vision. It is not enough to get the words that Moshe is speaking. He wants all of Israel to have a spiritual understanding of the meaning of the words.

This Torah portion begins like so many in Devarim, with Moshe talking about the blessings and the curses. Considering the blessings and curses are mentioned in almost every parasha in the book of Devarim, do you think they might be important? The common theme of the entire book is a simple promise: Obey and get the blessings of YHVH, disobey and get the curses of Egypt. It's your choice. That sums up the entire book. Since Devarim is a summary of Torah, that sums up one of the central messages of Torah as well. Notice that there is no mention of salvation in the summary. When one of my christian friends or relatives tell me that I can't be "saved by the Law", I tell them they are right! The Law (itself a terrible translation of the word Torah) is not about salvation. It is about obedience for the sake of the blessings of YHVH. You can receive salvation without getting the blessings and conversely, you can get the blessings without receiving salvation. Salvation is only through Yeshua Ha'mashiach (Jesus the Messiah for you Westerners). The blessings come from obedience to YHVH's written word, the Torah. Therefore, to receive salvation and the full blessing requires faith in Yeshua AND obedience to Torah. They are not interchangeable, nor are they contradictory. For too many years, Christianity has tried to say that "Jesus" did away with the law and we don't have to follow it anymore, as if Yeshua's presence can somehow replace Torah. That's the implication that they are interchangeable. Pull out the old part and insert the new improved one. On the other hand, Judaism has claimed that belief in Yeshua means abandoning Torah altogether. This implies they are contradictory. These arguments are two ends of the same lie. Torah obedience and faith in Yeshua are both necessary to receive the fullness of YHVH's blessing and salvation and to fully realize His plan for His redeemed people, Israel.

Moshe tells the people to put the blessing on Mt. G'rizim and the curse on Mt. 'Eival. He reminds the people that the mountains are across the Yarden (Jordan River), so they will have to cross the river to make the choice. If they are unwilling to enter the land, the decision is no longer theirs to make! The mountains are a visible reminder of the choice we must constantly make. It is also necessary for the people to walk on the mountains because of the statement in the last Torah portion, "Wherever the sole of your foot steps will be yours". Devarim 11:24 As soon as the people walked on those mountains to proclaim the blessings and curses, they became property of Israel.

YHVH commands the people to destroy eveything the dispossessed nations used to worship their gods. He tells them to destroy them on the high mountains, on hills and under some leafy tree. He is reminding them that the people in the land had many gods that they worshipped in many places. Unlike the people of Israel, the dispossessed nations had no understanding of the One True Elohim, YHVH. The people were told to tear down the altars, smash the pillars, burn poles, destroy carved images and idols, and exterminate their name from that place. YHVH's name is to be in one place; the place He will choose. The people are not to even try to learn how they worshipped their gods. As I said before, there is a spiritual aspect to all they are being told. We must destroy all the idols and false worship in our own lives. If we make something so important in our life that it is preventing us from worshipping YHVH, it is an idol that must be destroyed. If we have been worshipping falsely and we learn better, we must remove the false worship. As we learn more, we must remove those things we know were learned in error. For example, Christmas, Easter, "tattoos for Jesus". Even if these things were done in the past with a heart for Him, as soon as we know it is wrong, we MUST remove it from our lives.

I could go on with more teaching from this Torah portion, but I'm already late posting it so I'll stop here. I think I covered the most important aspects of the teaching. If you have any questions about what Moshe is teaching in this portion, just remind yourself of the main point. You have a choice, obey and receive YHVH's blessings or disobey and receive the curses. There is no middle ground.

May YHVH bless you and keep you! Shalom.

Parashat Ekev - Devarim 7:12-11:25

Ekev – because; heel; “on the heels of”

Ekev is often translated as because or if. However it also means heel or "on the heels of". This makes sense if you change the words of the opening verse to "On the heels of you listening to these rulings…". By reading it this way you can see that blessings follow “on the heels of” obedience. Picture a mother animal, such as a cow, with her calf right behind. The calf always follows on the heels of the mother. In this same way, if you are obedient to His commandments, you know that the blessings will be following right behind.

Two sections to the portion

This Torah portion is divided into two sections with two different stories. Moshe is using contrast to further the point that he's trying to make.

Chapters 7-8 are one section. This section begins and ends with "because".
Because you are listening…
…because you will not have heeded…

Chapters 9-11 are a separate section. This section begins and ends with defeating nations greater and more numerous than the Israelites.

Parallels and Contrasts between the two sections

Obedience vs Disobedience

Section 1 - Blessings and miracles of YHVH
Because you listened, YHVH blessed you.
Moshe reminds the people of Israel that YHVH blessed them in the desert by providing food and water. Their clothes never wore out and their feet never swelled. As long as they were obedient, the blessings continued. These blessings will continue as they enter the Land if they continue in obedience.

Section 2 - Disobedience of Israel
You rebelled and YHVH wanted to destroy you.
Moshe reminds the people that they often rebelled against YHVH or His appointed messenger, Moshe. Each time they did, YHVH punished them and even considered destroying them completely and starting over with just Moshe and creating a new nation. The people were saved only through Moshe's direct intercession. Moshe destroyed the first tablets containing the Ten Commandments because of the rebellion of the people. When he saw the golden calf idol they had made while he was on the mountain, he refused to give them YHVH’s commandments. It took 40 days of fasting and intercession by Moshe before YHVH agreed to give them the commandments again and not destroy them.

Promised Land

Section 1 - Land of milk and honey
In this section, Moshe describes the Promised Land as a near-paradise that will sustain the people and enrich their lives. The land provides wheat and barley, grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates, olive oil and honey. The stones have iron and the hills have copper. The people will lack nothing in natural resources when they enter the land.

Section 2 - Rain only if YHVH allows it

Moshe tells the people of the rains that will water the fields. The land is a good land through YHVH’s  blessing. He reminds Israel that the fields in Egypt had to be irrigated because it’s flat. The water stays in the rivers and doesn’t get to the fields without help. There are pros and cons to this arrangement;  while it takes more work to get the water to the fields, the Nile River doesn’t dry up between seasons. There is never a shortage of water. On the other hand, the Promised Land has hills so when it rains, the water runs down to the fields without man’s help. However, because the water comes from the hills only when it rains, without rain, the fields will dry up. Rain is a blessing from YHVH. If Israel continues to follow His commandments, He will continue to send rain in its seasons. As He said, He will send the spring rains and the fall rains. If, however, Israel is disobedient, He will stop the rain and allow their fields to wither and die.

Give YHVH Credit in the Proper Manner

Section 1 - Don't give yourselves credit for prosperity
Moshe admonishes the people to remember the commandments so we will remember YHVH. If we are unwilling to keep His commandments, how are we remembering Him? By being obedient and keeping His commandments, we are constantly reminded of Him. We can’t wear tzitziyot or eat kosher and not be reminded of where these statutes originated. Moshe reminds the people again that blessings and prosperity are results of obedience and His blessing. They (and we) are not to tell others and especially themselves that they have prosperity or blessings because of their hard work.  They are to remember that the blessings came from YHVH.

Section 2 - Don't give credit to YHVH for military victory and claim it's because of your piety
In the second section, Moshe discusses giving YHVH credit incorrectly. The people are to give credit to YHVH for their military successes against the people they are driving out of the land. However, they are not to claim they were blessed for their own piety and righteousness. They must acknowledge that it's because of their enemies' wickedness that YHVH has removed them from the land and destroyed them.

Both of these situations indicate boasting and self aggrandizement. The first includes taking credit for being prosperous instead of praising YHVH. The second gives credit to YHVH, but claims credit for deserving it despite being unworthy.

This Torah portion shows us a big change in how Moshe addresses the people. Beginning with 9:1, the "Children of Israel" are now referred to as "Israel". This is Moshe’s way of showing that it is time to be spiritual adults and take responsibility for being obedient to YHVH. The current generation that are about to enter the Land are the generation that were children when they became “the Children” at Mt. Sinai. All of that generation are now adults, both physically and spiritually. They were trained for 40 years as they grew into spiritual adulthood. They no longer have any excuses for disobedience. Moshe continues from the previous Torah portions to remind the people of what has happened during the last 40 years in the desert.

For more on Moshe’s discussion of the 40 years, check out the video of this week’s Torah teaching on the B’nai Israel Messianic Assembly Sermoncast site at www.sermon.net/bima.