Blog Archives

PAR'SHAT CHUKAT: It is meritorious to persevere in our efforts to help someone, even if they vex us.

6/28/2017

אמר אחיך ישׂראל אתה ידעת את כל־התלאה אשׁר מצאתנו׃ ...

"This is what your brother Isra'el says: you know all the troubles we have gone through --
(Num 20:14 CJB)

It is meritorious to persevere in our efforts to help someone, even if they vex us.

In this parasha HaShem punishes Moshe for not 'sanctifying him in front of the children of Israel. There are many versions, interpretations, and understanding as to what he did or did not do, and the most popular is that he got angry. He lost patience; he lost his cool.
Any leader, teacher, chief, overseer may at times experience frustration with the job of leading others. Leadership of any kind is a thankless job where no matter how much one gives, he is always on the losing end of the stick and people resent him. It is often the same with parenting, and it seems that even God has that problem with the people that He created and tries to lead.

I saw a very encouraging article one day:

"After hundreds of years, a model rabbi has been found to suit everyone.

His drashes last exactly 20 minutes and then sits down.
He condemns sin, but never hurts anyone's feelings.
He works from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in every type of work from teaching Torah to cleaning the synagogue.
He gives $60 a week to the synagogue fund.
He also stands ready to contribute to every mitzvah that comes along.
He is 26 years old and has been a rabbi for 30 years.
He is tall and short, thin, heavyset, and handsome.
He has one brown eye and one blue,
His hair is parted down the middle,
The left side is dark and straight, the right brown and wavy.
He has a burning desire to teach the young generation and spends all his time with older folks.
He smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his work.
He makes 15 calls a day on the members of the synagogue, spends all his time reaching out to outsiders telling them to return to their roots, and of course, he is always available in his office.

The article is of course sarcastic, but these are often the dilemmas that congregation leaders face.

Though he failed in some way in his application of a command, Moshe never failed to be a good shepherd. Right after hearing the divine pronouncement of his sentence, Moshe continued with the job at hand.

Here is an article from the Jewish commentary: Bamidbar Rabbah on the issue.

"It is customary that if someone does business with another person and that person vexes him, he will leave that person and not want to deal with that person again. Moshe however was punished (he would not be allowed to enter Eretz Israel) because of the Israelites (they pressured him for water and as a consequence Moshe erred), but he did not resign as their leader and their benefactor. He continued to do all he could for the people to enable them to enter Eretz Israel."

Here is now an anecdote related by rabbi B's son:

'Rabbi A was once arrested for political reasons. Rabbi B whose views opposed those of Rabbi A on various matters, brought a Torah scroll to the prison so that the imprisoned Rabbi should not miss the public Torah reading. The visiting Rabbi noticed that the cell was very dark and at his request, the warden agreed to move the imprisoned Rabbi to a different cell.
The next day, Rabbi B came again to visit Rabbi A. When Rabbi B came near the cell, Rabbi A covered his eyes with his hands and said loudly, "It is forbidden to look at the face of the wicked!"
The warden was shocked, since Rabbi B was widely known to be a righteous person. "Why do you trouble yourself to visit this man who doesn't seem to have any gratitude for all that you've done for him?" asked the warden.
"Don't you realize his greatness?" replied rabbi B. He is consistent with his views, and he is not influenced by the fact that I have done favors for him."

I think that rabbi B showed an example of HaShem's consistent mercy with us, but also of what our Master Yeshua taught,
... if you are offering your gift at the Temple altar and you remember there that your brother has something against you, leave your gift where it is by the altar, and go, make peace with your brother. Then come back and offer your gift. (Mat 5:23-24 CJB)
(Notice here that it mentions 'if your brother has something agaisnt you' something that often we cannot help, but in HaShem's world, we are still responsible to somehow address it!)

We serve an audience of One, therefore our duty to help others is not dependent on their reaction or gratefulness. If Hashem did so, we would all be in trouble. Our Master and rabbi Yeshua clearly told us of His Father's ways in this matter in the following teaching:

"You have heard that our fathers were told, 'Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you not to stand up against someone who does you wrong. On the contrary, if someone hits you on the right cheek, let him hit you on the left cheek too! If someone wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well! And if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it for two! When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something from you, lend it to him. "You have heard that our fathers were told, 'Love your neighbor -- and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that! And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that! Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.(Mat 5:38-48 CJB)

Moshe did not return wrong for wrong, but continued serving Israel. Why? Because he served for an audience of One

On the subject of serving an audience of One, Rav Shaul, Paul, Yeshua's chosen apostle to teach Torah to the world outside of Israel taught,

Slaves, obey your human masters with the same fear, trembling and single-heartedness with which you obey the Messiah. (Eph. 6:5)

And masters, treat your slaves the same way. Don't threaten them. Remember that in heaven both you and they have the same Master, and he has no favorites. Eph. 6:9

Slaves, obey your human masters in everything, not serving only when they are watching you, to win their favor, but single-heartedly, fearing the Lord. Col. 3:22

Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly. Remember that you too have a Master in heaven.
Col. 4:1

He also told Timothy to:

Tell slaves to submit to their masters in everything, to give satisfaction without talking back or pilfering. On the contrary, they should demonstrate complete faithfulness always, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Deliverer more attractive. (Tit 2:9-10 CJB)

NOTE ON THE WORD "SLAVE": These texts about slaves are not to be understood within the context of the slavery that used to exist in America and other countries of Europe. Slaves here refer to live-in workers, indentured workers, or people paying off debts through work. The biblical laws concerning slavery could be equated with what we refer to today as worker's comp and benefitd. A careful study of these laws demonstrate that the slave in Israel was better off with more benefits than the average workers in our modern society.

In other words, it is not our macho "nobody's is going to tell me what to do" attitude that will bring the kingdom of God on earth. In fact, it is the weak who always feel that they have to demonstrate their strength. They do so because they are not confident in themselves. But rather, the Kingdom comes in our strength to humble ourselves before HaShem and before each other, not to yield to the spirits of anger and vengeance.

Paul also said it in the following words: Recompense to no man evil for evil. ...
Rom 12:17
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Rom 12: 21
"

0 Comments

PAR;SHAT KORACH: Disputes Within the Congregation.

6/22/2017

0 Comments

BEWARE OF THE MOTIVATIONS OF THOSE WHO INSTIGATE DISPUTES, BE THEY DOCTRINAL OR OTHERWISE.

* * * * * * *

Korach tried to arouse others to rebel against Moshe. He protested that Moshe took too much glory and power to himself and to his brother Aharon. Doing so, Korah tried to give the impression that he was only interested in equality and in the welfare of the whole nation. On this parasha, Midrash Tanchuma explains that it was not so, but exposes the fact that Korach rebelled against Moshe simply because he was jealous of the princeship of Elitzofon, the son of Uzziel which he felt should have fallen upon himself.
From here we see a fundamental principle that applies to many disputes. Quite often the person instigating the dispute, while proposing noble goals, is not motivated by the overall good, as if he really were, he would not create a congregation riff, which in many case is an abomination to HaShem (Prov 6:19).
Digging deeper, we often discover that dispute instigators, whether in families, congregations, societies, groups, are more often than not motivated by some sort of selfish personal gain that they hide under a cloak of altruism. In the case of Korach, the dispute instigator hypocritically pretended to have the welfare of the people in mind, when in fact, he was sick with pride and jealousy, feeling that he had been passed over for a leadership position that he felt should have fallen upon him. The greatest irony in all this is that whereas he was sick with pride, Korah accused Moshe or pride, he of whom HaShem had said in the previous parasha that he was the humblest of all man (Num 12:3).

We travel to many congregations, and it seems that this story is a repeating one. We have met so many brokenhearted congregation leaders who have had to face dispute instigators using trivial elements of doctrine or trivialities period, in order to create a riff that usually brings them some sort of benefit, be it social (leadership/recognition), financial, or otherwise.
I personally believe that this attitude constitutes a great danger for our congregational body. Hiding themselves under a cloak of altruism as though they were seeking the good of the people, as in the case of Korah, they divide HaShem's family. In the case of the places we have visited, it often involved close friends or trusted members who like Achitophel towards David (2 Sam:15:31), turned their traitorous back towards those who trusted them.

In Psalm 55, we have King David's prayer when he was faced with a similar situation.

My heart within me is pounding in anguish, the terrors of death press down on me, fear and trembling overwhelm me, horror covers me. I said, "I wish I had wings like a dove! Then I could fly away and be at rest. Yes, I would flee to a place far off, I would stay in the desert. (Selah) I would quickly find me a shelter from the raging wind and storm." ...

... and further on ...

Ruin is rife within it, oppression and fraud never leave its streets. For it was not an enemy who insulted me; if it had been, I could have borne it. It was not my adversary who treated me with scorn; if it had been, I could have hidden myself. But it was you, a man of my own kind, my companion, whom I knew well. We used to share our hearts with each other; in the house of God we walked with the crowd. (Psa 55:4-14 CJB).

My wife and I wrote a song about this, a song called, 'Give me Wings', which can heard on our Chag Sameach CD. (Click HERE to download 'Give me Wings'.)

In the Hebrew of Numbers 16:40 (17:5 for Jewish edition texts) we read an injunction that escapes us in the English text.

It says, ולא־יהיה כקרח וכעדתו which reads literally,  'It [the congregation of Israel] shall not act as Korah and his group', sentence which can be read in Hebrew as a commandment to not act like Korach. To not be like Korah then becomes that transcends differences in theology, halacha, and doctrine. Because of what he did, Korach was severely punished along with all the people who joined him. The same thing also happened with Miryam who made seditious claims against Moshe (Numb 12), and happens to us of we act as they did (1 Cor 10:6).

Our master spoke of such and of their role within the community of believers,

"Beware of the false prophets! They come to you wearing sheep's clothing, but underneath they are hungry wolves! (Mat:7:15)
For there will appear ... false prophets performing great miracles - amazing things! - so as to fool even the chosen, if possible.  (Mat:24:24)

Paul had problems with those too:

  In my many travels I have been exposed to danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the desert, danger at sea, danger from false brothers. (2 Co:11:26)

  They do indeed have the outward appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed religious observances, false humility and asceticism; but they have no value at all in restraining people from indulging their old nature. (Col-2:23)

Paul prided himself in not following the example of Korach:

For, as you know, never did we employ flattering talk, nor did we put on a false front to mask greed - God is witness. (1 Th:2:5)

In my life I have earned that love and unity are a choice, a conscious choice that we make. It is not dependent on feelings , emotions, facts, conditions, or doctrines. It is a conscious choice that we make. We need to make that choice in order to not allow Korah-like wolves in sheep's clothing to devour us.

MAY HASHEM HELP OUR CONGREGATIONS.
MAY HE HELP US TO MAKE THE CHOICES NECESSARY TO BE STAY UNITED.

B'SHEM YESHUA HAMASHIACH!

0 Comments

PAR'SHAT SH'LACH: The Parable of The Two Eyes.

6/15/2017

0 Comments

וימתו האנשׁים מוצאי דבת־הארץ רעה במגפה לפני יהוה׃...

... those men who gave the unfavorable report about the land died by the plague in the presence of Adonai.
(Num 14:37 CJB)

"We are given two eyes; one is very powerful for introspection, so that we can find even or smallest faults; the other is very weak, for viewing others.
Unfortunately, we often switch their functions."

* * * * * * *

It is noticeable that our section this week concerning the spies' evil report is next to the one concerning Miriam speaking evil against Moses. The people should have learned from Miriam's lesson, but they didn't. As Miriam was punished for giving an evil report about her divinely appointed little brother, the spies were punished for giving an evil report about the piece of Land they were to inherit by divine appointment.
The Talmud also teaches, 'If those people who spoke against wood and stones received harsh retribution, how much more retribution is deserved by someone who slanders his fellow man! (Erchin 15a).The ideas being that,

'One who finds fault in things (e.g., meals, accommodations, etc.) will also find fault in other people; conversely, one who sees the good in things will see the good in his fellow man.'

Thus, the lesson the spies should have learned was to notice virtues rather than faults.

Here is a true story called, The Other Side of the Prayerbook to illustrate the point. It is a story published by, Yerachmiel Tilles but told by Simon Wiesenthal, the famous Nazi-hunter when he spoke at a conference of European rabbis in Bratislava, Slovakia. The rabbis presented the 91-year-old Wiesenthal with an award, and he, visibly moved, told them the following story.

"It was in Mauthausen, shortly after liberation. The camp was visited by Rabbi Eliezer Silver, head of Agudat Harabbanim (Union of Orthodox Rabbis of North America), on a mission to offer aid and comfort to the survivors. Rabbi Silver also organized a special service, and he invited Wiesenthal to join the other survivors in prayer. Wiesenthal declined, and explained why."

"In the camp," Wiesenthal said to Rabbi Silver, "there was one religious man who somehow managed to smuggle in a siddur (a Jewish prayerbook). At first, I greatly admired the man for his courage-that he'd risked his life in order to bring the siddur in. But the next day I realized, to my horror, that this man was 'renting out' this siddur to people in exchange for food. People were giving him their last piece of bread for a few minutes with the prayerbook. This man, who was very thin and emaciated when the whole thing started, was soon eating so much that he died before everyone else-his system couldn't handle it."

He continued: "If this is how religious Jews behave, I'm not going to have anything to do with a prayerbook."

As Wiesenthal turned to walk away, Rabbi Silver touched him on the shoulder and gently said in Yiddish, "Du dummer (you silly man). Why do you look at the Jew who used his siddur to take food out of starving people's mouths? Why don't you look at the many Jews who gave up their last piece of bread in order to be able to use a siddur? That's faith. That's the true power of the siddur." Rabbi Silver then embraced him.

"I went to the services the next day," said Wiesenthal.

MORE ABOUT THE EVIL OF EVIL REPORTS.
The sages of Israel have a different twist than what is regularly taught for the events between Ham and his father. They teach that the sin of Ham was nothing more than publicly shaming his father by giving his two brothers an evil report about their father (Gen 9:22). The two other brothers had more respect for their father as instead of gawking at their father, walking backward, they 'covered; his compromising situation' (Gen 9:23). In this situation, we see a perfect example of,

He who conceals an offense promotes love, but he who harps on it can separate even close friends. (Pro 17:9 CJB).

King Solomon had in fact more to say about the evils of an 'evil-tongue' than about anything else.

NOTE: According to these standards, how could any true faithful disciple be involved in the type of politics which nowadays revolves around exposing others and putting them in a bad light in order to make ourselves look better. Even enemies do not deserve what these people say against each other. They need to remember Yeshua's injunction about discipleship and belonging to His Kingdom, "

But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. (Mat 5:44-45 CJB).

If the Master hadn't done that towards us in the Name of His Father who

"... so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. (Joh 3:16 CJB)

...we would be in trouble!

Our Master had much to say against slander and negativity. He taught His disciples,

... that whoever calls his brother, 'You good-for-nothing!' will be brought before the Sanhedrin; that whoever says, 'Fool!' incurs the penalty of burning in the fire of Gei-Hinnom! (Mat 5:22 CJB)

When Miriam of Magdala came to Him, the Master didn't see the bad woman, but the lost soul. When Zaccheus called on Him, the Master didn't see the thieving Roman collaborator, but the seeking man. Likewise, He didn't see the 'doubting' in Thomas, but the exceptional disciple who gave his life for His Master in India. He also did not see the sinner in you or me, but the lost soul seeking for its Maker (and we can be thankful for that). I heard it said once at a writer's conference that we need to stop seeing people as 'wrong', but start seeing them as 'lost'.
May we therefore learn to see the Light of God in each person that we meet, in each situation that we face, in each judgment that we have to call. Our world will be then like,

"... the path of the righteous [which] is like the light of dawn, shining ever brighter until full daylight.
(Pro 4:18 CJB)

0 Comments

:PAR'SHAT B'A'ALOTECHA: Ethics of leaders and Towards leaders

6/8/2017

0 Comments

ויצעק משׁה אל־יהוה לאמר אל נא רפא נא לה׃
Moshe cried to Adonai, "Oh God, I beg you, please, heal her!"
(Num 12:13 CJB)

In this parasha we have the element that could have ended the whole redemptive process of the Exodus: criticism, gossip, what is called in Hebrew: לשון הרע lashon harah. Even today, many a family, association, group, and even congregation is broken because of this evil practice.

In a previous parasha we read,

Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, "If someone develops on his skin a swelling, scab or bright spot which could develop into the disease tzara`at, צָרָעַת he is to be brought to Aharon the cohen or to one of his sons who are cohanim. (Lev 13:1-2 CJB)

Most English texts use the word 'leprosy' but biblical leprosy does not refer to what we know as leprosy so I will use the Hebrew word 'tzara'ah'. In the Talmud, tzara'ah is connected to gossip and evil speech, what is commonly referred to as 'lashon harah'. The connection for this is in our parasha this week in the episode of Miriam becoming Tzara'due to her criticism of Moshe.

Aharon and Miriam's criticism had to do with a 'cushite' woman who was married to Moshe. Who was she? Many speculate, but at present there is no evidence that Moshe married anyone else but Zipporah, Jethro's daughter.

Aben Ezra, Ben Melech, and the Jerusalem Targum represent her not as a native of Ethiopia, the country of the Abyssines, but as a Cushite native of Arabia Chusea, in which country Midian was, where also Zipporah came from. Hence the tents, of Cushan, and the curtains of Midian, are spoken of together, . I saw trouble in the tents of Kushan and the tent hangings shaking in the land of Midyan. (Hab_3:7. Being a desert woman, she might have had dark skin. Until today, the Hebrew word used for 'black', toward a black person is the word: 'cushi', someone from 'Cush'.

Let us now examine Aharon and Miriam's criticism.

Miryam and Aharon began criticizing Moshe on account of the Ethiopian woman he had married, for he had in fact married an Ethiopian woman. They said, "Is it true that Adonai has spoken only with Moshe? Hasn't he spoken with us too?" Adonai heard them. (Num 12:1-2 CJB)

These 2 verses have one thing in common: the laws of clean and unclean.
Here is how it works:

Moses was married, but he was also in constant communication with HaShem.
Sexual relations create uncleanliness, Moshe therefore became a 'eunuch' for the sake of the kingdom as Yeshua once talked about (Mt 19:12).
In pride and jealousy, Miryam questions "Is it true that Adonai has spoken only with Moshe? Hasn't He spoken with us too?"
In essence, "Who do you think you are? Why do you give yourself such importance? Aren't you guilty of spiritual pride? You are not so indispensable!"

HaShem heard it, and gave His own commendation of Moshe for people to read forever:

Now this man Moshe was very humble, more so than anyone on earth.

(Num 12:3 CJB)

Just like Aharon and Miryam some people like to find fault in Moshe, but after reading this, I would be careful to utter anything against Moshe lest I contradict HaShem! Now HaShem explains what's going on:

Suddenly Adonai told Moshe, Aharon and Miryam, "Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting." The three of them went out. Adonai came down in a column of cloud and stood at the entrance to the tent. He summoned Aharon and Miryam, and they both went forward. He said, "Listen to what I say: when there is a prophet among you, I, Adonai, make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream.
(Num 12:4-6 CJB)

In other words, "Yes; I do speak with other people than Moshe, and here is how it goes!"

But it isn't that way with my servant Moshe. He is the only one who is faithful in my entire household. With him I speak face to face and clearly, not in riddles; he sees the image of Adonai. So why weren't you afraid to criticize my servant Moshe?" (Num 12:7-8 CJB)

"I speak face to face with Moshe. It is different!"

Moshe was a prophet of a different caliber.
He was constantly on-call with HaShem.

The anger of Adonai flared up against them, and he left. But when the cloud was removed from above the tent, Miryam had tzara`at, as white as snow. Aharon looked at Miryam, and she was as white as snow.

(Num 12:9-10 CJB)

Then, Aharon enters his role as a levite and intercedes with Moshe:

Aharon said to Moshe, "Oh, my lord, please don't punish us for this sin we committed so foolishly. Please don't let her be like a stillborn baby, with its body half eaten away when it comes out of its mother's womb!"

(Num 12:11-12 CJB)

Moshe then intercedes with HaShem.

WE HAVE SO FAR LEARNED WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIS THE ANOINTED OF GOD. (This does not apply to self-appointed 'anointed of God'!)

LET US SEE HOW THE TRUE 'ANOINTED OF GOD REACTS TO THIS TREACHERY FROM HIS OWN FAMILY, FROM THOSE CLOSEST TO HIM.

MUCH LEADERSHIP ETHICS CAN BE LEARNED IN HOW MOSHE REACTS TO HIS OLDER SISTER'S VERBAL ATTACKS.

HE IS NOT ANGRY AT HER.
HE DOESN'T HIT BACK AND RETALIATE. Our natural reaction to verbal attacks is usually to attack back; find fault with the "messenger".
Moshe actually lives by the words of the Master: "You have heard that our fathers were told, 'Love your neighbor -- and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. (Mat 5:43-45 CJB)
HE PRAYS AND INTERCEDES FOR HER.

"Oh God, I beg you, please, heal her!" .
(Num 12:13 CJB)

MUCH CAN BE LEARNED FROM THIS!

Back to Miryam:

From our Sages on this Parashah:

David the Psalmist compares slanderous talk to "Sharp arrows of the warrior, coals of broom" (Psalms 120:4).
All other weapons smite from close quarters, while the arrow smites from the distance. So is it with slander: it is spoken in Rome and kills in Syria.
All other coals, when extinguished, are extinguished without and within; but coals of broom are still burning within when they are extinguished without. So is it with words of slander: even after it seems that their effects have been put out, they continue to smolder within those who heard them. It once happened that a broom tree was set on fire and it burned eighteen months -- winter, summer and winter.

HERE IS THE DEFINITION OF LASHON HARAH:

IT IS NOT CRITICISM.
IT IS HAVING SO MUCH ARROGANCE THAT WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE TRUE ANOINTED OF GOD TO THE POINT THAT WE EQUATE OURSELVES WITH HIM/HER, CONSIDER THEM AS PEERS AND ALLOW OURSELVES TO JUDGE THEM.

Many people, especially religious leaders or religiously inflamed political leaders use this story and the threat of tzara'at to deflect all and any criticism against them. They call it 'persecution for righteousness' sake'.

But criticism done in a positive manner is a positive thing.
It helps us stay in tune with the reality of our sinful selves and drives away the main enemies of any spiritual leader: spiritual pride and self-righteousness.

Let's look at the mechanism of this gossip and criticism:

They looked at Moshe's personal life and found fault
Moshe knew his own weakness; he had already told HaShem that he was not worthy not capable to do the job.
That's why his brother was helping him.

The main mode of attack to leaders and it is not because we are so concerned about their spiritual life, but because we are jealous. It's not about 'justice', it's about 'just-us!'

We often 'buck' against some truth they tell by attacking them back using their humanity against them.
We don't do it for a concern for justice. We do it because we try to protect our own pride and sense of righteousness, (just-us!).
That's lashon Harah.
Miryam and Aharon's statement were true, but ill-motivated, out of jealousy which is born of pride.

The state of being afflicted with tza'rah is called 'motzera'. In Hebrew, this is written מוצארע which when cut in two words reads, מוצא רע which actually means: 'He who finds evil.'

In our pride and jealousy we demand much more from our leaders than even HaShem demands of them, or of us. We also tend to do that sometimes with our spouses also which is very toxic to a marriage.

Criticism of leaders mostly focuses on their personal lives.
But in our leaders, it is not the person that we respect. When we do, we become 'man-worshipers'
What we respect is the 'uniform'. When we do that we respect HaShem and His role in the person, not the person.

EXAMPLES:

Samson behaved sinfully, but he was still the judge of Israel and a Nazarite at that. We know that because what he was punished for was breaking his Nazarite vow.
In spite of himself, he fulfilled his role in a mighty valiant way.

So what happens if a great spiritual leader is caught with .....

Should be corrected?
Even dismissed?
If he is either self-appointed (like many), not from the sons of Aaron who are automatically appointed, there is no concern for 'lashon hara'
But if he is Torah/HaShem appointed because he is a son of Aharon then there is a concern to be careful in our criticsm.

Paul did just that:

Sha'ul looked straight at them and said, "Brothers, I have been discharging my obligations to God with a perfectly clear conscience, right up until today." But the cohen hagadol, Hananyah, ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. Then Sha'ul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Will you sit there judging me according to the Torah, yet in violation of the Torah order me to be struck?" The men nearby said, "This is the cohen hagadol of God that you're insulting!" Sha'ul said, "I didn't know, brothers, that he was the cohen hagadol; for it says in the Torah, 'You are not to speak disparagingly of a ruler of your people.' "
(Act 23:1-5 CJB)

David also feared doing or saying anything bad to Saul, the anointed of God. He also killed he who gleefully announced his death.

We must learn from Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah, and Ester who all worked for ungodly pagan rulers unto whom they owed their lives. They had to respect their position. By their examples of humility and faithfulness, they were used to save Israel from destruction.

This is the attitude that they exemplified for us to have, even under pagan worldly leaders .

How much more should respect our earthly leaders, especially those who lead us in the ways of Torah.

0 Comments

I, JOHN ...

6/1/2017

1 Comment

In, Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word appropriately spoken, King Solomon give a description of what constitutes an appropriate word of teaching.

The word appropriately spoken as is observed by Bible commentators: an observation, caution, reproof, or advice, that comes in naturally, runs smoothly along, is not forced nor dragged in, that appears to be without design, to rise out of the conversation, and though particularly relative to one point, will appear to the company to suit all.

Here is another view. Asiatics excel in filigree silver work. Aben Ezra and Gershom envision a golden fruit which appears through the apertures of an exquisitely wrought basket made in the style of filigree works. The silver wire by which it is done forms into the appearance of numerous flowers through which wires are soldered everywhere at their junctions with each other. This is done with such delicacy and skill as to be scarcely perceptible at a distance. King Solomon seems to have this kind of work particularly in view. As one draws closer to admire the beautiful settings, the contrast of the golden fruit suddenly appears through the exquisitely wrought silver basket. This has a fine and pleasing effect upon the eye, as does the contained fruit upon the palate at an entertainment in a dry and dusty climate.

What Solomon may have been referring to was of the words within the words; a part of the 'sod' interpretation of the reading of the Torah; a level of interpretation which often reveals messianic truth. Indeed, like artfully wrought silver filigree work, the face value of the text of Torah teaches principles and lessons in themselves incomparable in wisdom. It gives hope, faith, strength, courage, and understanding. It teaches us about the true nature and character of our Maker. But whereas the text of the Bible, the natural weave of its beautiful story draws our attention, as we study it and come closer to its profound meaning, we realise that it contains an even more beautiful story, a story to feed a hungry thirsty soul in a parched desert: the messianic story.

It is the opinion of this writer that from the creation accounts in Genesis to the prophetic words of the Book of Revelation, this principle of the gold apple set in silver filigree work defines the text of our Torah. At face value, the Torah reveals to us the beautiful stories that exhales the character and nature of the Almighty. But as we draw closer to it, as we read of the carefree times when the Lord roamed the earth with man in the cool of the day at the beginning of time. The story tells us of
the sad divorce between God and man. It continues with HaShem pursuit of man to reestablish communication with him. Then it takes us to their restored relationship all the way to the restoration of their marriage in Revelation 19.

Until this day, the beautiful refreshing golden fruit of the messianic story of Hashem’s eternal love for us appears through the artful latticed work of the story of the Jewish people to please our eyes, quench our thirst, and bring joy, love, grace, and beauty to our souls.

I hope that it is that joy, love, grace and beauty that I express in these pages.

EXAMPLES OF FILGREE APPLES

1 Comment

PAR'SHAT NASSO: Ethics of a God-like Husband

6/1/2017

0 Comments

וכתב את־האלת האלה הכהן בספר ומחה אל־מי המרים׃

The cohen is to write these curses on a scroll,wash them off into the water of embitterment
(Numbers 5:23)

The portion starts with a census. Then HaShem tells Moshe to instruct the Children of Israel,

'When a man or woman commits any kind of sin against another person and thus breaks faith with Adonai, he incurs guilt. He must confess the sin which he has committed; and he must make full restitution for his guilt, add twenty percent and give it to the victim of his sin. (Numbers 5:5-7)

The confessing is not done unto a man but unto HaShem. That is because, created in HaShem's image, as we commit a sin towards a human being, we commit it against HaShem. The sins we are talking about could include cussing at people, disrespect towards our spouses, road rage, being condescending, dominating, disrespecting, controlling, mocking; also lying or concealing truth, ...

Here is a lit of what could be construed as sins against another person?

- Revenge (HaShem says revenge is His!)
- Holding a grudge (it's funny that we say to 'hold' a grudge... why don't we just let it go?)
- Talking evil behind people's backs (it is even worse when they are dead. People often do that towards their parents)
- Coveting things they don't have (materialism)
- Murder (also character assassination; killing someone's name)
- Theft (even the robbing of someone's time by being late to an appointment)
- Not supporting and helping our parents in their old age; it doesn't say whether they deserve it or not. The joy of grand-parents is to see their grand-children but sometimes children use it against their own parents by withholding the grand-children from their grandparents.
- Not keeping an oath or a promise we make whether it is a money repayment or not following through a commitment. Also breaking a promise. Marriage is a promise made before God and witnesses.

The text then goes on with the rulings towards a woman suspected of adultery. Numbers 5:12-31.

"Tell the people of Isra'el, 'If a man's wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him; that is, if another man goes to bed with her without her husband's knowledge, so that she becomes impure secretly, and there is no witness against her, and she was not caught in the act; then, if a spirit of jealousy comes over him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she has become impure -- or, for that matter, if the spirit of jealousy comes over him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she has not become impure --

Much of this refers to suspicion whether the woman is guilty or not ...

... he is to bring his wife to the cohen, along with the offering for her, two quarts of barley flour on which he has not poured olive oil or put frankincense, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a grain offering for remembering, for recalling guilt to mind. The cohen will bring her forward and place her before Adonai.

The Cohen had to bring the suspected woman before Adonai. This was done by bringing her to the Temple priesthood.
If you lived in Jerusalem it wasn't too much of a problem, but if you lived in Galilee or in diaspora, it became a more difficult commandment if you did not have access to a local Cohen, or someone with a Nazarite vow.
The logistics alone could serve as a deterrent against abusive suspicion; a form of protection against abusive over suspicious husbands.

... The cohen will put holy water in a clay pot, and then the cohen will take some of the dust on the floor of the tabernacle and put it in the water. The cohen will place the woman before Adonai, unbind the woman's hair and put the grain offering for remembering in her hands, the grain offering for jealousy; while the cohen has in his hand the water of embitterment and cursing.
(Numbers 5:17-18)

This whole thing works on expressing the situation by means of symbols.

The cohen will make her swear by saying to her, "If no man has gone to bed with you, if you have not gone astray to make yourself unclean while under your husband's authority, then be free from this water of embitterment and cursing. But if you have in fact gone astray while under your husband's authority and become unclean, because some man other than your husband has gone to bed with you . . ." then the cohen is to make the woman swear with an oath that includes a curse; the cohen will say to the woman, ". . .may Adonai make you an object of cursing and condemnation among your people by making your private parts shrivel and your abdomen swell up! May this water that causes the curse go into your inner parts and make your abdomen swell and your private parts shrivel up!" -- and the woman is to respond, "Amen! Amen!"
(Numbers 5:19-22)

The woman is to pronounce a curse against herself that will come to pass if she is guilty.
The woman is to be proven guilty or innocent through the intervention of a priest asking for a miracle.

The cohen is to write these curses on a scroll, wash them off into the water of embitterment
(Numbers 5:2

The priest is to write out the words of the curse on a scroll;
He is to wash the ink from the scroll into water;
The woman is then to drink the whole solution;
As she drinks, the woman symbolically ingests the curse to prove to all whether she is guilty or innocent.
If she is guilty, the water harms her in her belly and her thingh;
If she is innocent, the water has no malignant effect on her and she is blessed with fertility.

THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

Because of the command concerning respect toward the Sacred Name, it is ordinarily forbidden in Judaism to erase of deface HaShem's Ineffable Name. Here is where this is taken from:

Here are the laws and rulings you are to observe and obey in the land Adonai, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess as long as you live on earth. You must destroy all the places where the nations you are dispossessing served their gods, whether on high mountains, on hills, or under some leafy tree. Break down their altars, smash their standing-stones to pieces, burn up their sacred poles completely and cut down the carved images of their gods. Exterminate their name from that place. "But you are not to treat Adonai your God this way.
(Deuteronomy 12:1-4)

These commands have always been interpreted in Judaism in the following manner. When a scribe copies the Scriptures in Hebrew, he can erase any mistake he makes unless it contains HaShem's Name. If he errs while writing a line of text with HaShem's Name in it, he can erase the rest of the line, but not the Name. It is because of this same biblical injunction that observant Jews do not write the HaShem's Name on a chalkboard, a white board where it could be erased, or on any surface that can be soiled such as clothing or a bumper sticker.

Documents containing the Ineffable Name of God also take on a more precious status. They are not carelessly dropped or destroyed or irreverently tossed in the garbage. Holy books containing the Name Name are not even left face down on a table or placed beneath other less sacred books. Holy books are never taken into bathrooms. Even photocopies containing the Name take on a holy status.

When a scroll or book or piece of paper containing the Name is ready for disposal, the item is accorded a proper "burial" of sorts in a repository for sacred writings.

While these traditions teach us to respect and revere HaShem's Name, they seem to contradict the ritual necessary to clear the woman suspected of adultery. The sages of the Talmud draw a very interesting conclusion for this seeming contradiction. They teach,... that God is so concerned for peace between a husband and wife that He is even willing for His own Name to be erased to bring it about (Sifre 17).

In Judaism, harmony between husband and wife is called shalom bayit (שלום בית), a term that literally means "peace of the house." It is even used to refer to the intimate relationship between a husband and a wife.
Many marriages are disrupted by religious differences between spouses, but what we see here is that God is more interested in the success of our marriages than He is in our particular religious choices.
He is so committed to the sanctity of marriage that He is even willing for his Name to be erased to preserve peace in the home.
How much more then should we make every effort to bring peace into our homes in spite of whatever differences we may have.

It is the opinion of this writer that even though both parties are responsible for the peace-keeping of a family, at the end of the day, the buck stops with us men. If God is willing to have his Holy Name besmirched just to preserve our marriages, we should be able to, if necessary to be wronged and take it if that's what it takes to keep it together.

Jewish sages teach that, "One must always be careful of wronging his wife, for her tears are frequent and she is quickly hurt." The passage goes on to say that God is quick to respond to a wife's tears and that her tears are more efficacious than our (men's) prayers. God takes the tears of a woman very seriously. The passage concludes by saying, "One must always be respectful towards his wife because blessings rest on a man's home only for the sake of his wife." (b.Baba Metzia 59a)

Then the cohen is to remove the grain offering for jealousy from the woman's hand, wave the grain offering before Adonai and bring it to the altar. The cohen is to take a handful of the grain offering as its reminder portion and make it go up in smoke on the altar; afterwards, he is to make the woman drink the water. When he has made her drink the water, then, if she is unclean and has been unfaithful to her husband, the water that causes the curse will enter her and become bitter, so that her abdomen swells and her private parts shrivel up; and the woman will become an object of cursing among her people. But if the woman is not unclean but clean, then she will be innocent and will have children.
(Numbers 5:25-28)

The Hebrew for verse 28 reads:
וְאִם-לֹא נִטְמְאָה הָאִשָּׁה, וּטְהֹרָה הִוא--וְנִקְּתָה, וְנִזְרְעָה זָרַע.

As far as I understand human biology, women do not conceive 'seed'. I think that HaShem knows that too! So why is it written?

On two times only this expression is used in the Torah. In Genesis 3 ...

וְאֵיבָה אָשִׁית, בֵּינְךָ וּבֵין הָאִשָּׁה, וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ, וּבֵין זַרְעָהּ: הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ, וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב.

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise their heel.' ... and in the passage of the women suspected of adultery.

HASHEM KNOWS HIS BIOLOGY; HE KNOWS WOMEN DO NOT SEED.
EVE IS TOLD THAT 'HER' SEED (A MIRACULOUS BIRTH?) WILL WILL DEFEAT THE DEVIL
IT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH MIRIAM WHOSE MIRACULOUS CONCEPTION BROUGHT THE DEMISE OF HASATAN.
MIRIAM, THE WIFE OF YOSEPH, WAS NOT ONLY SUSPECTED BUT ACCUSED OF ADULTERY, AND SHE WAS VINDICATED BY THE DIVINE INTERVENTION OF AN ANGEL.
IN THE SAME WAY THE WOMAN SUSPECTED OF ADULTERY IS VINDICATED BY THE INTERVENTION OF THE PRIEST ASKING FOR A DIVINE INTERVENTION TO PROVE THE WOMAN.

* * * * * * *

HERE IS AN ARTICLE I FOUND INTERESTED WRITTEN BY A PROMINENT RABBI

MY COMMENTS IN BOLD ITALICS.

THE HIDING WIFE
The prophets speak of the bond between G-d and Israel as a marriage, and of Israel's sins as a wife's betrayal of her husband. Following this model, the sages of the Talmud see the sotah-the "wayward wife" discussed in ourParshah-as the prototype of all transgression against the divine will. ...

The sotah is not a woman who is known to have actually committed adultery, but rather one whose behavior makes her suspect of having done so. Her faithfulness to her husband must therefore be established before the marriage relationship can be resumed.

A woman becomes a sotah through a two-stage process: "jealousy" (kinui) and "hiding" (setirah). The first stage occurs when a husband suspects his wife of an improper relationship with another man, and warns her not to be alone with that individual. If the woman disregards this warning and proceeds to seclude herself with the other man, she becomes a sotah, forbidden to live with her husband unless she agrees to be tested with the "bitter waters."

The woman is warned that if she has indeed committed adultery, the "bitter waters" will kill her; if, however, she has not actually been unfaithful, the drinking of these waters exonerates her completely. In fact, the Torah promises that, having subjected herself to this ordeal, her marriage will now be even more rewarding and fruitful than before her "going astray."

As applied to the marriage between G-d and His people:
Israel can never truly betray her G-d; at worst she can be only like a sotah, a wife whose behavior gives the appearance of unfaithfulness and causes a temporary rift between herself and her husband. The process began at Mount Sinai, when G-d, like a "jealous" husband, warned: "Do not have any other gods before Me." But no matter how far the Jewish soul strays, she never truly gives herself to these "other gods"; she is only "hiding" from G-d, indulging the illusion that there exists a dimension of reality that is outside of G-d's all-pervading presence and providence.

Even this she can do only because G-d has "set her up" to it by His "jealousy." In the case of the sotah, simply secluding herself with another man does not make her a "wayward wife"-unless such seclusion has been preceded by a warning from her husband. In other words, it is the husband's "jealousy" which makes her act a betrayal, not the act in and of itself. By the same token, a soul's "hiding herself" from G-d is possible only because G-d has allowed for this possibility by proclaiming "Do not have any other gods before Me," thereby giving credence to the illusion that there can be anything other. Were it not for this divine contrivance, sin-that is, a denial of the divine reality-would not be possible.

As Paul said in Rom 7:7-8

Therefore, what are we to say? That the Torah is sinful? Heaven forbid! Rather, the function of the Torah was that without it, I would not have known what sin is. For example, I would not have become conscious of what greed is if the Torah had not said, "Thou shalt not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, worked in me all kinds of evil desires -- for apart from Torah, sin is dead. (Rom 7:7-8 CJB)

To continue the analogy: When the Jewish people act as a sotah, they are tested with the bitter waters of galut ("Because of our sins we were exiled from our land"). Indeed, two thousand years of exile have proven that, despite all appearances, the Jewish soul is inseparable from her G-d. The Jew may be persecuted for centuries, may assimilate for generations, but ultimately there comes a moment of truth, a moment which lays bare the question of who and what we are, stripped of all distortion and self-delusion, and our innate faithfulness to G-d comes to light.

And like the bitter waters of the sotah, galut is more than just a test. It is a "descent for the sake of ascent," a crisis in the marriage which ultimately deepens and enhances it by unearthing deep wells of loyalty and commitment which remain untapped in an unchallenged relationship. The trials of galut call forth the quintessential powers of the Jewish soul, intensifying the bond between G-d and His people.

I would personally continue the with Isaiah and the Book of Revelation where after the bitter 'drinking' of exile, the 'wife' is reunited with her husband and is blessed with children in:

Then you will ask yourself, "Who fathered these for me? I've been mourning my children, alone, as an exile, wandering to and fro; so who has raised these? I was left alone, so where have these come from?" (Isaiah 49:21)

MAY WE BE GOOD HUSBANDS FASHIONED AFTER MESSIAH:

As for husbands, love your wives,
just as the Messiah loved the Messianic Community,
indeed, gave himself up on its behalf,
(Eph 5:25 CJB)

0 Comments

PAR'SHAT CHUKAT: It is meritorious to persevere in our efforts to help someone, even if they vex us.

PAR;SHAT KORACH: Disputes Within the Congregation.

PAR'SHAT SH'LACH: The Parable of The Two Eyes.

:PAR'SHAT B'A'ALOTECHA: Ethics of leaders and Towards leaders

I, JOHN ...

PAR'SHAT NASSO: Ethics of a God-like Husband

Archives

Categories

Contact us

Telephone

Email