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.

Welcome!

Welcome to the new Torah Walk! This will be my new location for any and all of my original teachings on Torah and living a Torah-observant life. I hope you'll join me on this Torah Walk!

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!

B'resheet - In the Beginning

This week's parasha is B'resheet - In the Beginning. This seems like a good time to get a new beginning on the blog. I am going to attempt to post updates more often than I have in the past. Even if it's just a short note about why I haven't posted anything relevant or reasonable.

We just got back this week from Sukkot. This year, we went to Walnut Creek State Park on the north end of Keystone Lake. It was a small gathering with friends and family. I must say, "best Sukkot ever!" We spent the week in fellowship and relaxation. It was nice to not have to stress over teaching schedules, meal planning, registration problems, etc. like we've had in the past. Sometimes, you just need to get out of into the wilderness and leave civilization behind.Nothing says wilderness like sleeping in a pop-up camper and eating meals prepared in my sister's travel trailer kitchen, on the grill, or in a crock pot. Yep, just like the Israelites back in the day!

On another blogging note, I helped Dad setup his new blog last night. He will now be blogging teachings at http://rabbiearl.blogspot.com. As soon as he posts, there will be a link on the right side of this page to his blog. I'm looking forward to seeing what he'll be writing. For any who don't know who Dad is, it's Rabbi Earl Walters.

As you may have noticed, there is a picture and link on the right for NaNoWriMo 2013. That's right, I'm doing it again! I will once again subject myself to the mental anguish, torture, and sheer delight of trying to write a 50,000 word novel in only 30 days. If you've never heard of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), you should check it out. If you've ever thought you might want to write a book, but were afraid it was too hard or you just can't get yourself to start, you should try Nano. I won last year and plan on winning again this year. BTW, I even talked Dad into entering this year. It's going to be a blast watching him freak out when it's half way through November and he's only got 5000-10,000 words. That's what happened to me last year. If you think 50,000 words in 30 days is hard, try 40,000 in 15 days! It was still a great experience and I'm glad I did it. As I said, I will be doing it again this year. I wrote a sci-fi novel last year and this year, I will be writing the sequel. I have the first one edited and almost complete. If you ask really nicely, I might even let some of you read it. We'll see. I might even publish it and sell it for the bargain price of $25.00. Just kidding, I'd never go above $24.50.

Back to the original topic, this is a new beginning for the blog. I will once again be posting Torah teachings each week that I'm teaching at the synagogue and maybe even some weeks when I don't. I will also include updates on my Nano progress and any other projects that strike my fancy in the future. Until the next post, Shalom and YHVH bless you all!