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PAR'SHAT PESACH/PASSOVER: The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Valley of Dead Bones, and the resurrection of the Dead.

3/29/2018

יאמר אלי בן־אדם התחיינה העצמות האלה ואמר אדני יהוה אתה ידעת׃
ויאמר אלי הנבא על־העצמות האלה ואמרת אליהם העצמות היבשׁות שׁמעו דבר־יהוה׃
כה אמר אדני יהוה לעצמות האלה הנה אני מביא בכם רוח וחייתם׃

He [HaShem] asked me, "Human being, can these bones live?" I answered, "Adonai Elohim! Only you know that!" Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones! Say to them, 'Dry bones! Hear what Adonai has to say! To these bones Adonai Elohim says, "I will make breath enter you, and you will live. (Eze 37:3-5 CJB)

Whatever calendar one favors, the resurrection of the Master happens within the festival of Unleavened Bread. The ancient sages of Israel must have had some messianic insight of some sort to have chosen Ezekiel 37 as a aftara for the Shabbat that is in the feast of Unleavened bread as it pertains to the resurrection not just of the Master but of all Israel at the end of days.

Paul the emissary reminded his pupils that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. (1Co 15:20 CJB) Yeshua was the firstfruit. Look at what happened right when he died:

But Yeshua, again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up his spirit. At that moment the parokhet in the Temple was ripped in two from top to bottom; and there was an earthquake, with rocks splitting apart. Also the graves were opened, and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life; and after Yeshua rose, they came out of the graves and went into the holy city, where many people saw them. (Mat 27:50-53 CJB)

DOUBTING THE IDEA OF RESURRECTION?

But if it has been proclaimed that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you are saying there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead?

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then the Messiah has not been raised; and if the Messiah has not been raised, then what we have proclaimed is in vain; also your trust is in vain; furthermore, we are shown up as false witnesses for God in having testified that God raised up the Messiah, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then the Messiah has not been raised either; and if the Messiah has not been raised, your trust is useless, and you are still in your sins.

Also, if this is the case, those who died in union with the Messiah are lost. If it is only for this life that we have put our hope in the Messiah, we are more pitiable than anyone. But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming; then the culmination, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power. (1Co 15:12-24 CJB)

But some people ask, "Oh no! Why do you say Yeshua was the firstfruit like if he were the first one to resurrect? Yeshua was not the first one. Elijah and Elisha also brought people back; even Yeshua did it with a child and with Lazarus!".

These were not resurrections. These could be considered resuscitations. These people will still die. At the resurrection of the dead, we will have bodies like that of Yeshua when He resurrected. Look at what it says here:

But he said to them, "Why are you so upset? Why are these doubts welling up inside you? Look at my hands and my feet -- it is I, myself! Touch me and see -- a ghost doesn't have flesh and bones, as you can see I do." (Luk 24:38-39 CJB)

No blood? Blood is what creates corruption. To conserve meat you take out the blood. The whole idea of clean and unclean/tahor and tamei is about corruption caused by blood.

THE DAY WE ARE WAITING FOR:

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will also be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Rom 6:5 CJB)

Many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and abhorrence. (Dan 12:2 CJB)

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling angels, and with God's shofar; those who died united with the Messiah will be the first to rise; then we who are left still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord. (1Th 4:16-17 CJB)

I like to imagine the disciples every year remembering the resurrection event, "Oh ye;, that was the day when we saw him by the Sea of Galilee and ...!"
All the resurrected appearances of Yeshua happened during the counting of the Omer so I put together a little list of verses to read during that time that takes us to Shavuot. These are verses that tell about his resurrected appearances. That will help us to remember these events the way the disciples did.

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PAR'SHAT TSAV: (A Seder Message) It is Wrong to Publicly Embarrass People!

3/22/2018

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Adonai said to Moshe, "Tell Aharon and his sons, 'This is the law for the sin offering: the sin offering is to be slaughtered before Adonai in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is especially holy."(Lev 6:24-25)

וידבר יהוה אל־משׁה לאמר
דבר אל־אהרן ואל־בניו לאמר זאת תורת החטאת במקום אשׁר תשׁחט העלה תשׁחט החטאת לפני יהוה קדשׁ קדשׁים הוא׃  (Lev 6:17-18)

The sages of the Jerusalem Talmud suggest that the reason for this commandment was to save people from public exposure causing embarrassment and public humiliation.
Someone who publicly brings a sin offering is inferred to have committed sort sort of sin or transgression. By coming to the Temple with their sin offering, that person automatically exposes themselves to public embarrassment, if not humiliation. This in itself might prevent someone from coming forward. But if the sin offering is to be offered at the same place as the burnt offering, anyone witnessing someone bringing a sin offering to the Temple could also assume that it was a burnt offering brought as a donation.  This is the reason why in synagogues, people are told to recite the sh'money-esrei prayer quietly in order for people not to feel embarrassed if they confess their sins during prayer The goal is to come clean before HaShem.
We to love to get involved in other people's affairs, but offenses committed between two parties independently of us are really none of our business. When we get involved, we commit the sin of triangulation. The offenses that people commit by breaking HaShem's laws are between Him and them alone.
This verse in Leviticus seems to teach us to be respectful of others; not to embarrass them by bringing their faults publicly. If HaShem does it, as good disciples, maybe we should too?

A PASSOVER SEDER MESSAGE.
While these conclusions may seem to be obvious for most of us, I thought of bringing up some ideas exposing how, even with the most benign intentions, we sometimes embarrass people by bringing up their faults. A mother who is friend of mine was complaining that her children, especially her boys, seldom come to visit her. This seems to be a general complaint of parents of young adult children. Later in the conversation this dear mother mentioned how when her children come, she tries to tell them about this and that and the other thing that she doesn't like, or bring back funny things from their past.
I am a father of six: five boys and one girl (which are now adults starting families of their own). My circle of friends is mostly composed of parents and grand-parents. I have noticed that mothers feel entitled with the privilege of embarrassing their kids, especially their boys, during family/friends gatherings, and even more in front of their boy/girl friends or spouses.
These mother seem to thoroughly enjoy publicly bringing up the embarrassing things their children did (is it some sort of subtle pay-back?) In return, the boys smile but might they feel diminished in front of their wives or fiancees? Could that situation coupled with that of those mothers who complain at the lack of communications and visits from their boys be related?
Our children are out there in the adult world where they get some respect as individuals in their own rights. They do not like to come home to be humiliated and embarrassed by being treated like children again, especailly in front of their spouses or fiances

SOME OTHER WAYS WE EMBARRASS PEOPLE PUBLICLY.
Sometime, while intending to encourage someone with a child who has drug problems for example we may say something like, "Your John may be doing bad right now but you should have seen my Rick a few years ago when he ... but now after this and that treatment, you wouldn't ever know ...!" The thing is that while our intentions are right, Rick may not like to be reminded of his past, especially not publicly. I also think of us. As middle-aged (and maybe older) adults (baby-boomers), we all have 'skeletons' in our closets that we would rather not have brought out by our parents at public or family events. Competitive politicians feel no scruples at dissing their opponents by bringing up their (distant or not so distant) past in order to boost themselves up , that is, until someone does it to them!

Here is a true story on the subject:

Rabbi Blauser once invited Rabbi Aharon Bakst to eat lunch at his home. Since Rabbi Blauser's wife was sick in bed, a poor maid served the meal. They heard Mrs Blauser call out to the maid, "Have you served the fish and meat?" The maid replied that she had.

The truth however was that the maid had only served them bread and soup, having maybe taken the fish and meat for herself. Although Rabbi Blauser heard the maid lie, he did not mention anything to his wife so as not to embarrass the maid (Kochvai ohr, vol 2, p.16)

It is important to notice also that the rabbi did not publicly embarrass the maid by giving her a tongue lash in front of his guest. Of course, he might have spoken to her later,and maybe hired another maid in the future.

CHAG SAMEACH. חג שמח
HAVE A MEANINGFUL AND UNEMBARRASSING  SEDER WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

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PAR'SHAT VAYIKRA: The Danger of Gossip.

3/15/2018

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ויקרא אל־משׁה וידבר יהוה אליו מאהל מועד לאמר
דבר אל־בני ישׂראל ואמרת אלהם

Adonai called to Moshe and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, "Speak to the people of Isra'el; say to them,...
(Lev 1:1-2 CJB)

Many nuances of the Hebrew elude us as we read the text in English. For this reason I wanted to share a little of what the sages say about the first verse of Leviticus. It may sound elementary, but so many problems could be avoided if we lived by the following principles that Jewish sages found in the fist two verses of this section.

The Talmud (Yomah 4b) states that from the words, 'He said (which infers: "say to others", we learn that HaShem gave permission to Moshe to repeat the things he said to the Children of Israel. It may be a small thing, from this, the sages have deduced that we have no right to repeat what someone tells us unless we are given explicit permission to do so.
Below are the basic laws pertaining to secrets interspersed with my commentary:

1) Chofetz Chayim, ch. 2
If someone tells you a private information about his business or any personal matter, you are forbidden to disclose it to others. Your doing so could cause the person who confided in you financial loss, embarrassment, or other damage. Even if the speaker did not request that the matter remain secret, you are not allowed to repeat it.

FROM THE EDITOR: Many of us in the course of casual conversation, may have found ourselves repeating something we have been told by someone else while thinking nothing of it. It may be about someone's financial blessing or misfortune; a situation with their children at school, or something related to their professional life either positive or negative. The idea is that when we expose other people issues in our own light, it causes others to establish a certain opinion of the people we talked about. As a result, these people's relationship with others will be affected by our incomplete bias judgement. Basically, it is none of our business to talk about others.

2) B'air Mayim Chayim 2:27
When someone reveals to you seemingly harmless information in a manner which shows that he would like it to be kept secret, you are forbidden to repeat it to others even if he did not explicitly tell you to keep it a secret. In Lev 1:1, HaShem spoke to Moshe in the privacy of the Tent of Meeting. It was only permissible for Moshe to divulge what he heard from HaShem because HaShem told him to do so.

FROM THE EDITOR: It's like the old adage: '"hen in doubt, don't." But why do we like so much to divulge precious information? Does it have to do with our sinful nature? Oh, how we like to be able to be the ones telling others something they don't know. It gives us a sense of control, a sense of power. And the secret information is all the more attractive when it pertains to something negative concerning someone. Why? Because we tend to think that we make our candle shine brighter when we put down that of the others. It is bad enough that our politician live and campaign by doing that, but it is worse when it is done by competitive religious leaders.

3) The Chofetz Chayim also writes that it is a good habit never to repeat what people tell you unless they give you permission to do so. In this way you will never relate information that might cause harm (ibid.)

FROM THE EDITOR: A friend of mine says that 'A secret becomes like a rash that we're itching to tell others!'  So many problems between people, families, and friends could be avoided if we were just a bit more careful about not talking about others, freely giving judgments and opinions in casual conversation.

'Great people talk about ideas.
Average people talk about things
Small people talk about people!'
Author unknown

4) Pele Yoatz, section sod
You have no right to repeat someone's secret just because you add the phrase, "Don't repeat this to anyone else." The person to whom you related the secret might follow your example and pass on the secret also adding, "Don't repeat this to anyone else." In very short time, the secret becomes public knowledge and causes harm and embarrassment to the person who confided in you. .

FROM THE EDITOR: Our Master said, "Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that sums up the teaching of the Torah and the Prophets.(Mat 7:12 CJB)
This statement is not singular to the Master but an addition to the wisdom of many such as Tobit (3 BCE) who said, "What you hate, do to no one"; and of Isocrates, Aristotle and Confucius. Rabbi Hillel, an older contemporary to the Master is known to have said, "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary. Go and learn it!' " (Shabbat 31a)
The Golden Rule paraphrases Lev_19:18, "You are to love your neighbor as yourself," which Yeshua called the second-greatest commandment (Mar_12:28-31). These dogmas should definitely be applied to speech and conversation.

5)  Pele Yoatz, ibid
Husbands and wives have no right to tell each others secrets that someone told him or her in confidence.

FROM THE EDITOR: It is hopeful that couples live by relationships that makes this advice impossible to follow. We have to therefore warn our interlocutor by asking, "Do you mind if I share this with my spouse?". The problem stems that whereas one spouse may have healthy conversation habits, the other may not.

6) Rabainu Yonah to Prov 11:13: A gossip goes around revealing secrets, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.
If you hear someone speaking r'chilut (speaking against others) never trust him with your secrets. A person who is unable to discipline himself not to speak against others will certainly not be careful to conceal secrets.

FROM THE EDITOR: Those who talk negatively about others in casual conversation should be stopped in their tracks. It is poison to the fellowship of the saints; spots in our feasts. The way they talk to us about others reveals the way they talk to others about us.

FINALLY:
Ya'akov Hatzaddik, James the Just who is the brother of our Master said:

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, since you know that we will be judged more severely. For we all stumble in many ways; if someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who can bridle his whole body.

If we put a bit into a horse's mouth to make it obey us, we control its whole body as well. And think of a ship -- although it is huge and is driven by strong winds, yet the pilot can steer it wherever he wants with just a small rudder. So too the tongue is a tiny part of the body, yet it boasts great things. See how a little fire sets a whole forest ablaze!

Yes, the tongue is a fire, a world of wickedness. The tongue is so placed in our body that it defiles every part of it, setting ablaze the whole of our life; and it is set on fire by Gei-Hinnom itself. For people have tamed and continue to tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures; but the tongue no one can tame -- it is an unstable and evil thing, full of death-dealing poison!

With it we bless Adonai, the Father; and with it we curse people, who were made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing! Brothers, it isn't right for things to be this way. A spring doesn't send both fresh and bitter water from the same opening, does it? Can a fig tree yield olives, my brothers? or a grapevine, figs? Neither does salt water produce fresh.
(Jas 3:1-12 CJB)

MAY WE BE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL SHABBAT AS WE MAKE SURE NOT TO FORGET THE ADVICE:

Don't speak impulsively --
don't be in a hurry to give voice to your words before God.
For God is in heaven, and you are on earth;
so let your words be few.

(Ecc 5:2 CJB) (5:1 in Jewish editions)

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PAR'SHAT V'AKHEL/PEKUDEI: Being Filled with the Spirit!

3/6/2018

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ובצלאל בן־אורי בן־חור למטה יהודה עשׂה את כל־אשׁר־צוה יהוה את־משׁה׃
ואתו אהליאב בן־אחיסמך למטה־דן חרשׁ וחשׁב ורקם בתכלת ובארגמן ובתולעת השׁני ובשׁשׁ׃

B'tzal'el the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Y'hudah, made everything that Adonai ordered Moshe to make. Assisting him was Oholi'av the son of Achisamakh, of the tribe of Dan, who was an engraver, a designer and a weaver in colors -- in blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and in fine linen. (Exo 38:22-23)

BEING "FILLED" WITH THE SPIRIT.
The expression 'filled with the Spirit', usually calls on certain assumptions. We picture someone 'filled with the Spirit' as someone endowed with some sort of a sixth sense. We attribute to such people spiritual gifting such as discernment, prophecy, teaching, leadership, maybe even miracles. We do have certain examples of such people in the Tanach.
Saul, who when filled with the Spirit, was found prophesying with the prophets of the Lord (1 Sam 10:11).
David, whose music had a soothing effect on King Saul and who wrote countless inspired songs, begged that the Spirit might not be taken from him due to his sin (Ps 51:11).
The prophets who received many wonderful prophecies, and even performed miracles in order to lead the people of their day.
Moses, Aaron, Abraham, all the wonderful spirit-filled patriarchs and matriarchs.

In this week's parasha we find a more authentic form of what was called being filled with the Spirit. It tells us of the fullness of the Spirit, which enables us to do a job well done under HaShem's anointing because of simple obedience.
We find in the text the description of the two artisans who were chosen to lead the Ark building project.

Moshe said to the people of Isra'el,

"See, Adonai has singled out B'tzal'el the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Y'hudah. He has filled him with the Spirit of God -- with wisdom, understanding and knowledge concerning every kind of artisanry. He is a master of design in gold, silver, bronze, cutting precious stones to be set, woodcarving and every other craft. [Adonai] has also given him and Oholi'av the son of Achisamakh, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with the skills needed for every kind of work, whether done by an artisan, a designer, an embroiderer using blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen, or a weaver -- they have the skill for every kind of work and design. (Exo 35:30-35)

According to this text, an important definition of being filled with the spirit, seems to be the possession of certain manual skills needed for the construction of the Holy Ark.

We have many people in the body of Messiah who are gifted in many things. It is sad that so often those in the body who are gifted in fixing cars, building things, setting chairs, organizing, repairing broken equipment, fixing computers, working with sound systems and electricity, are not referred to as spiritual. Without their spiritual gifts, those of us who do the teaching, leading, and all the other so-called spiritual things, would really be in a fix.

Paul the Apostle of the Master makes a list of the spiritual gifts.

And God has placed in the Messianic Community first, emissaries; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those who work miracles; then those with gifts of healing; those with ability to help; those skilled in administration; and those who speak in various tongues. (1Co 12:28)
(The order in this verse is not meant to be of hierarchical importance.)

Many people desire these most showy and seemingly glorious gifts, but I have seldom heard someone desiring the gift of 'helping'. As we travel from place to place exercising our gift of leading worship and sharing teaching, my wife and I truly desire to be a blessing to the congregations we visit. We also value those who come to us and help us load and unload equipment and help us with accommodations during our stays at any given congregation.
The levites in the Land did not own land themselves but lived on the gifts of people for their spiritual ministry of teaching the Torah. That said, I also believe that the most successful levites were those who helped their "flock" all around with whatever needed to be done. They were involved in the life of the people they ministered to, whether it be helping with harvest time, teaching their children, cleaning, caring for the sick, giving a break to overwhelmed young parents, etc. The vision I have of the levitical ministry is similar to that of the parson in the communities of the old West, the parson who helped teach the children, read letters for people who couldn't read, tended to the sick, stood in for a parent with the children in case of emergency.... who wouldn't be thankful for such a spiritually gifted person (or parson) :-)
In Judaism it is taught that a Rabbi needs to be able to lead a synagogue service as well as teach a child, bandage a wound, build a house, comfort a crying woman, and slaughter a cow. One does not go without the other. John the Apostle, who was no doubt a great spiritual teacher, also worked stocking the furnace in a Roman bath in Ephesus.

Pekudei seems to be a repetition of V'yakhel. It almost seems redundant. Why doesn't it just say that they did everything as it was told to do?
Nothing is ever unnecessary or redundant in the Torah. It seems that this parasha introduces another element in being filled with the Spirit of God: obedience. Obedience to do exactly as we are told. Obedience today is often mistaken for 'legalism', but really, there is no being filled with the Spirit without an extreme dedication to obeying the Word of HaShem.

MAY YOU BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF HASHEM AS YOU OBEY THE COMMANDMENT TO HONOR AND REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY

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PAR'SHAT PESACH/PASSOVER: The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Valley of Dead Bones, and the resurrection of the Dead.

PAR'SHAT TSAV: (A Seder Message) It is Wrong to Publicly Embarrass People!

PAR'SHAT VAYIKRA: The Danger of Gossip.

PAR'SHAT V'AKHEL/PEKUDEI: Being Filled with the Spirit!

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