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PAR'SHAT D'VARIM: The Rebuke Appropriately Spoken.

7/27/2017

... אלה הדברים אשׁר דבר משׁה אל־כל־ישׂראל
אחרי הכתו את סיחן מלך האמרי אשׁר יושׁב בחשׁבון ואת עוג מלך הבשׁן אשׁר־יושׁב בעשׁתרת באדרעי׃

These are the words Moshe spoke to all Isra'el ... after he had defeated Sichon, king of the Emori, who lived in Heshbon, and `Og, king of Bashan, who lived in `Ashtarot, at Edre`i.
(Deu 1:1-4 CJB)

The Rebuke Appropriately Spoken (Prov 25:11)

The Book of D'varim was to be placed by the side of the Holy Ark. It was to serve as a rebuke and reminder of Israel's covenant with Hashem to later generations. A good examples of its effect is told us in 2nd Kings 22 when King Josiah and all Israel was pushed to repentance through it seven hundred years later.

The Book of D'varim given to the second generation of the Children of Israel in the desert were readying to enter the Promised Land, was also to serve as a warning for these children of the Children of Israel to not do as their fathers did in fearing entering the Land.

Let us see some of what the sages say about this rebuke,

(Sifre, cited by Rashi)
The Torah emphasizes that Moshe rebuked the Jewish people after he had smitten Sichon and Og. Here is how Moshe reasoned, "If I rebuke them before they enter at least part of the Land, they will say, 'What does this man have against us?' What good did he do for us? He has come only to vex us and to find pretext since he doesn't have the power to bring us into the Land.'" Therefore Moshe waited until he had conquered Sichon and Og, and then he rebuked the people.
On this principle, Rabbi Zelig Pliskin explains, "Had the people felt the Moshe's rebuke was insincere and that he had ulterior motives, his words would have been ineffective. A PERSON WILL ONLY ACCEPT REBUKE IF HE FEELS THAT THE REBUKER HAS HIS BEST INTEREST IN MIND."

We see from here that timing is a major factor in rebuke. In Many instances by waiting for an opportune time to deliver an admonition a person will be more successful than he would have been had he admonished earlier.
As a good leader, Moshe understood the importance of rebuke in the right time, place, tone of voice, form , format etc ...

Let us go over some tips about good, less good, and bad timing for rebuke. These can be used for congregation, work relationships, as well domestic situations.

When is a bad time to approach someone for a rebuke:

On the heat of the moment; when either the rebuker or rebukee is emotionally upset.
When it makes us happy or we draw pleasure in doing it.
Before having fully investigated and understood the issue.
When we have a personal advantage in the person doing the right thing; it makes our rebuke insincere and motivated, and it probably is. Here are some examples:
- Do we you teach our children to be clean and tidy because you want them to develop good healthy habits that will help them in their lives as adults, or is it just because you don't want to have to clean after them?
- Do we chide our spouses or colleagues about an expense because we want to teach financial responsibility, or just because we don't agree with it and would have spent the money for something that WE want instead?

Often our rebukes are made out of frustration because the actions of the other person affect us in an undesirable way, but is being annoyed a good reason to rebuke?

When is it a good time to approach someone for a rebuke?

After emotions calm down and we see investigate and understand things more clearly.
When it hurts us to do it.
When we don't draw any personal advantage in doing it.

There is also a point in letting it go; to let HaShem take care of it. Sometimes we are the only person who benefits from our tongue lashes, when it is actually supposed to be a benefit for others.

Here is another important point concerning rebuke:
(Deu 1:5) There, beyond the Yarden, in the land of Mo'av, Moshe took it upon himself to expound (ba'ar/באר: to explain, elucidate, interpret) this Torah and said:

The Mishna also explains that the 10 Commandments were given through flames of fire in the 70 languages of the world
The Midrash says that Moshe also interpreted this Torah in the 70 languages of the world.
The Brit tells us that as soon as the Torah was written in their hearts, It expressed itself through the disciples in many languages. Acts 2

All this came as a reversal of the Tower of Babel curse.

This teaches us an important principle: if we speak Torah in order to teach people, we should speak it in a language that helps the recipient to receive the message.

- In their own language: If our audience is not familiar with Hebrew terminology, we should not try to impress or patronize them by using Hebrew words.
- In the right manner: Our Master was good at that. He used examples that were familiar to his hearers: fishermen, farmers, inheritances, servant/master relationships... Yeshua spoke parabolic imagery in order to help his less educated hearers understand. All too often our inferiority complex gets the better of us and we try to impress others and/or patronize them, to give ourselves some importance by flaunting some sort of knowledge. But he who really knows never feels the need to boast or brag, because the more we know, the more we should know that we don't know.
- Gently: Paul admonishes: "... and a slave of the Lord shouldn't fight. On the contrary, he should be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and not resentful when mistreated. Also he should be gentle as he corrects his opponents. For God may perhaps grant them the opportunity to turn from their sins, acquire full knowledge of the truth, come to their senses and escape the trap of the Adversary, after having been captured alive by him to do his will." (2Ti 2:24-26 CJB) "... but we urge you, brothers, to confront those who are lazy, your aim being to help them change, to encourage the timid, to assist the weak, and to be patient with everyone. See that no one repays evil for evil; on the contrary, always try to do good to each other, indeed, to everyone."(1Th 5:14-15 CJB)

As Moshe was patient with Israel
As our Master is patient with us
May we be patient with one another.

.May we also remember His precious words, "... the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you."

Why do you see the splinter in your brother's eye but not notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the splinter out of your eye,' when you have the log in your own eye?

You hypocrite!

First, take the log out of your own eye; then you will see clearly, so that you can remove the splinter from your brother's eye! (Mat 7:2-5 CJB)

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PAR'SHAT MATTOT-MA'ASSEI The Death of the Righteous Atones for the Sinner.

7/20/2017

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והצילו העדה את־הרצח מיד גאל הדם והשׁיבו אתו העדה אל־עיר מקלטו אשׁר־נס שׁמה וישׁב בה עד־מות הכהן הגדל אשׁר־משׁח אתו בשׁמן הקדשׁ׃

and the community is to save the killer from the next-of-kin avenger. The community is to return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he is to live there until the cohen hagadol, who was anointed with the holy oil, dies.
(Num 35:25 CJB)

Our text quotes Moshe as saying (from the mouth of Hashem of course) that one guilty of involuntary manslaughter is to live in the city of refuge' until the cohen hagadol, who was anointed with the holy oil, dies. .'(Num 35:25 CJB)

Many who are dubious of the Jewish nature of the Brit contend the so-called Christian idea that one may die for the sins of another. Our text today offers us a beautiful example of vicarious atonement taken straight from the Torah.

The high-priest wore a turban on which was written: "Kadosh l'Adonai קדשׁ ליהוה׃: meaning, "set-apart for Adonai" (Ex 28:36). The High-priest was set-apart (erroneously translated today as Holy /sinless) from common Israel and even from the priests in order to fulfill the very particular function of being the Holiest man in earth. He also represented one of the three function that could be called: משיח Mashiach/Messiah: anointed one,the three functions that require an oil anointing being those of king, priest, and prophet (Yeshua embodied the three). The high-priest was to be chosen from among the priests. He is the one who performed the atoning rituals such as selecting, offering, and blessing the Passover Lamb and going in the Holy of Holy to atone for Israel as a nation on Yom Kippur. In this sense, within the function of being an atoning anointed set apart person, the high-priest of Israel represented a fore runner of Messiah Himself.

(NOTE:The high-priest's set-apart-ness has nothing to do with personal righteousness but rather with a Divine appointment having to do with biological descent. It would be better if the high-priest were a good representative of his function, but can we really blame him when he doesn't? None of us do come up to the plate that Hashem has set up for us either. What we respect in the high-priest is the uniform and the divinely ordained function, not the man.There would be less anarchy in our present civic institutions if we remembered this principle more!)

Chassidim used this idea that the accidental murderer was freed from the city of refuge at the time of the death of the high-priest in order to explain from the Torah Itself the atoning nature of Messiah. Here is how they put it.

Chassidim who adhered to the idea that death and sometimes suffering were mostly the result of sin asked why then is it that a holy man would suffer and die? From there, they concluded that he who does not suffer and die for his own sin suffers and dies atoning for the sins of others. Until this day the practice of Orthodox Jews going to the tomb of the patriarchs in order to extricate virtue from them persists.

The Midrash Rabah mentions, 'Rabbi Chia Bar Abba said, 'The sons of Aaron died on the first of Nissan. Why is their death mentioned in connection with the day of atonement? This is to teach you that just as the day of atonement brings atonement, so to, the death of the righteous brings atonement. And how do we know that the death of the righteous brings atonement? From the fact that it is written, 'Then they buried the bones of Sha'ul and Y'honatan his son in the territory of Binyamin in Tzela, in the tomb of Kish his father; they did everything the king ordered.' Only after that was God prevailed on to show mercy to the land." (2 Sa 21:14 CJB)

Whether we agree with the argument and hermeneutic style of it all, it is from these ideas as well as from many others found in Jewish texts that Torah scholars understood the atoning nature of Messiah, principle which the disciples of the Master were familiar with in their day.

Chabad teacher Rabbi Emmanuel Schochet said that, "Messiah, as a faithful shepherd, he already cares so much about his people, that he volunteered to suffer all kinds of agonies to assure that not a single Jew of all times would be lost." On the consequences of sin, citing Isaiah 53 Reb Rov teaches from this beautiful and challenging statement, "One sinful blemish causes anguish to our righteous Messiah who suffers from our sins". In essence, any and each of our disobedience represents a lash with the cat of nine tails on Yeshua's back. Each voluntary discarding of the commandments represents a cut from the metal blades of the Roman whip; a broken piece of skin from the nails in His hands and feet or from the spear that entered His side; a spitting at His face; an injury; a thorn in the crown on His head. Quite a thought.

Something else about the cities of refuge. It is written:

"If Adonai your God expands your territory, as he swore to your ancestors that he would, and gives you all the land he promised to give to your ancestors - provided you keep and observe all these mitzvot I am giving you today, loving Adonai your God and always following his ways - then you are to add three more cities for yourselves, besides these three; (Deu 19:8-9 CJB)

It is from these injunctions that early Jews have declared a belief in the Messianic era; belief in a time when we will all know Hashem and follow Torah. This time of nine cities of refuge has not happened yet, but it will happen at the time when Star out of Jacob, the Scepter out of Israel(Numb 24:17) will be revealed and manifested to all (as of today, the Star has been seen by some; the Scepter is not a full reality yet) as ...

At that point, Adonai your God will reverse your exile and show you mercy; he will return and gather you from all the peoples to which Adonai your God scattered you. If one of yours was scattered to the far end of the sky, Adonai your God will gather you even from there; he will go there and get you. Adonai your God will bring you back into the land your ancestors possessed, and you will possess it; he will make you prosper there, and you will become even more numerous than your ancestors.
(Deu 30:3-5 CJB)

MAY IT BE SOON HASHEM, EVEN IN OUR DAYS!

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PAR'SHAT PINCHAS: True Zeal for Hashem!

7/13/2017

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וידבר יהוה אל־משׁה לאמר׃

פינחס בן־אלעזר בן־אהרן הכהן השׁיב את־חמתי מעל בני־ישׂראל בקנאו את־קנאתי בתוכם ולא־כליתי את־בני־ישׂראל בקנאתי׃

Adonai said to Moshe, "Pinchas the son of El`azar, the son of Aharon the cohen, has deflected my anger from the people of Isra'el by being as zealous as I am, so that I didn't destroy them in my own zeal.
(Num 25:10-11 CJB)

ONLY SOMEONE FILLED WITH HASHEM'S LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE CAN TRULY BE ZEALOUS FOR HIS HONOR.

The Problem with the Story of Pinchas.

This story (of Pincha's) can have disastrous effects as it seems to promote a vigilante type of religiosity where someone feels justified, without due process of law, to take God's justice in his own hands and kill those whom he considers to be idolaters bringing evil on the community. This has the secondary effect of rationalizing and legitimizing murder, as well as other acts of bigotry and hatred. Sad to say, history tells us that many religious people including Jews, Christians, and Muslims, have been guilty of such behavior, some even until this day. But what is it that motivated Pinchas? Was it the proud, spiritually arrogant and self-righteous anger of man, or was it true love for His people? It is very important to make the difference between the two!

From Nimrod to Pharaoh; going through Haman, Antiochus Epiphanes, and Nero; continuing with the Catholic Inquisition; the Crusades; the Protestant Peasants' War in Germany; the European murderous conflicts between Catholics and Protestants; all the way to the Western enslavement of the blacks; to the attempted genocide of the Jews; to the wars in Bosnia; in Sudan; and today's insane extremists; history is filled with people who justify heinous murder by covering it with a cloak of religiosity so-called! Many people also use the story of Pinchas as a justification for their bigoted hatred, but were Pinchas' actions those of a hateful and self-righteous angry religious bigot?

Misapplying Bible Stories.

Let's take another example. The command for the Children of Israel to conquer the Land of Cana'an; to occupy it as well as to destroy the idolatrous temples that filled it (not the peole), has also often been used by new religious movements against the body of believers they emerged from and disagreed with. In their eyes, the nascent group suddenly becomes Israel and the entity they come out from becomes Egypt. Even the people who came out of Europe to populate America saw themselves as the Children of Israel crossing the sea instead of the desert, in order to come to the New World: the Promised Land. But this commandment to go into the Promised Land was given at a certain time, to a certain people, for a certain purpose, and is not to be taken as a cosmic modus operandi by everyone who suddenly think that they own the 'truth' while everyone else lives in the lies of idolatry.

The stories in the Torah have to be read in wisdom, balancing one with the other. If we don't, we will suddenly believe that like Abraham it is honorable to sacrifice our children for God (or to neglect them for the sake of the service of God), or do like Jephta who offered his daughter as a thanksgiving to God for winning the war. We will even start promoting polygamy like King Solomon, as well as slavery. The stories in the Tanach are meant to teach us principles; principles that serve as parameters to help us lead our lives today. Reading them with wisdom means to find the golden principles embedded in them. Reading them with wisdom also means to compare story with story; parable with parable; statement with statement; commandment with commandment; and balancing scripture with scripture. Another good thing to do is to read the commentaries of the contemporaries of these parable. This helps us to understand them within their own rights, their own perspective instead of ours today.

Personal Impulses vs the Leading of the Spirit.

Abraham knew the difference between his own impulses and HaShem's leadings. When he arrived in Cana'an from Ur, the patriarch saw that the Land was already occupied. Though he had received a divine oracle telling him that it was his to possess, he did not go forcefully to conquer it but instead went to Egypt in order to come back at a more opportune time. That's the instruction he received at the time.

But later, when the five kings came to conquer that very land that was his by divine right, he did not go by yesterday's information but gathered an army to protect it, as well as to preserve his kin. His cues came from the direct command of God at the time and place of action. In each situation, Abraham reset the equation so to speak, and tried to find out what it is that he was supposed to do at the time. As believers, we must do the same.

Getting the rights Cues.

As for us today, we must also be sure that we get our cues from the right place. When faced with any given situation, we cannot always rely on the information of the past. We need to reset the equation and be sure to be led by the Spirit. So the question is, as believers, as disciples of the Master, how do we make our decisions? Where do our cues come from? From Pinchas? Joshua? The words of King David? Solomon? Jeremiah? Mattatias Maccabeus? If we look hard enough, we can always find something in the Tanach that will justify our own inclinations. But we are not to use the sacred texts as justifications for what we want to do or even believe in doing. We need to pattern ourselves after the Word not have the Word pattern itself to us. When faced with war, the Children of Israel were sometimes told to go to war, defend themselves and annihilate whole civilizations. But at other times, they were told to not get ready for war but to send their worship leaders to confront the enemy. And yet, in other situations, they were told to either stay put, not do anything, or even to surrender to the enemy. They had to get their cues for the day itself and not rely on past information.

Our Cues Come From our Commander-in Chief!

As believers, our Commander-in Chief is Yeshua. He is the Captain of the Armies of God. His emissaries to us are Yochanan, Shaul, Ya'akov, and Keifa of whom we still have letters of instructions, and who promoted the teaching of their and our commander in Chief: Yeshua; Yeshua of whom we still have many words of direction and instruction. To know how to act in these situation concerning the End of Days which started at the advent of the birth, death, and resurrection of our Master until today, we must study the acts and teachings of the Master as well as those of His disciples. Our days and the battles we face are very similar to theirs so their words apply to us. Their words were words of prophecy that concern their times, and ours.

The Brit haChadasha gives us plenty of information on which to base our decisions, but also Fox's Book of Martyrs, Ecclesiastical History (Eusebius), The Josephus volumes, as well as The Didache have much to offer in order to learn how the disciples handled living in a world much like ours today. This is where we take our cues from.

Pinchas' zeal may have deferred Hashem's anger from Israel in his times, but the zeal of the zealots in the days of the Master blinded the eyes of many to the Mashiach that had come to them. It also caused Jerusalem and the Temple to be destroyed in 70 AD, and Israel to vanish from history for 2000 years.

What is the Difference Then?

The difference might be in the attitude. Pinchas' attitude was one of true love for the people of Israel, while the zealots' was one of spiritual pride, anger, and wrath. It is the difference between a man and a cat. Both want to get rid of the mouse. One is to protect the house and he is satisfied once the mouse is gone while the other does it for the joy and thrill of killing, He will not be satisfied; he will desire to kill another mouse.

Much instructions on how to do with our problems today can be found in the Brit's passages. I will end this midrash with this one statement from Ya'akov, the Master's own brother and leader of the Israeli congregations after Yeshua's departure:

A person's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness! (Jas 1:20 CJB)

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PAR'SHAT BALAK: We should pray that your enemies become our friends

7/6/2017

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ועתה לכה־נא ארה־לי את־העם הזה כי־עצום הוא ממני אולי אוכל נכה־בו ואגרשׁנו מן־הארץ כי ידעתי את אשׁר־תברך מברך ואשׁר תאר יואר׃

Therefore, please come, and curse this people for me, because they are stronger than I am. Maybe I will be able to strike them down and drive them out of the land, for I know that whomever you bless is in fact blessed, and whomever you curse is in fact cursed."
(Num 22:6 CJB)

WE SHOULD PRAY INSTEAD THAT OUR ENEMIES BECOME OUR FRIENDS.

* * * * * * *

The Chofetz Chayim had some to say about this passage concerning Balak's decision to curse Israel. Here is what Balak believed concerning Balaam's powers, "... I know that whomever you bless is in fact blessed, and whomever you curse is in fact cursed." The Chofetz brings out the true antisemitic and violent nature of Balak by pointing out that according to what he believed were Balaam's powers, Balak had the choice to have Balaam either curse Israel, or bless his own people with protection.

We often are faced with similar choices and like Balak, naturally let our hatred and vindictive spirit dictate our response towards the destruction of others rather than the protection of our own. In doing so, we forget that they are also creatures of the Most-High.

Here is an anecdote to illustrate the point:
The non-Jews of the city of Telshe greatly respected Rabbi Eliezer Gordon, the Rabbi of Telshe and founder of its Yeshiva, and many of them would ask him to pray for their welfare. One a non-Jewish farmer came to Rabbi Gordon and asked him to pray that his enemy should die. Rabbi Gordon explained to him that the proper thing for him to do was not to curse his enemy, but to pray that his enemy become his friend. (Tnuas Hamusar, vol 2, p.433)

King David sang about this in,

תערך לפני שׁלחן נגד צררי

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
(Psa 23:5 ESV)
His son, King Solomon followed suit in:

When a man's ways please Adonai,
he makes even the man's enemies be at peace with him.
(Pro 16:7 CJB)

This idea of a table set before one's enemy comes from Isaac, the patriarch. King Abimelech tried to steal Isaac's wells which he inherited from his father Abraham. When he realized that Isaac was truly the heir of Abraham and therefore the inheritor of the covenant made between his family than that of the belated patriarch, he repented. Abimelech then came to Isaac and wanted to act as if nothing had happened. He said,

"We saw very clearly that Adonai has been with you; so we said, 'Let there be an oath between us: let's make a pact between ourselves and you (29) that you will not harm us, just as we have not caused you offense but have done you nothing but good and sent you on your way in peace.
Now you are blessed by Adonai.' "

(What gall!) Isaac did not give vent to natural senses of indignation

(30) Yitz'chak prepared a banquet for them, and they ate and drank.
(Gen 26:28-30 CJB)

Instead of seeking revenge and vindication, Isaac set up a banquet in front Abimelech. The full story can be found in Genesis 26. Later, his father Jacob acted according to the same principle towards his brother Esau in Genesis 32 and 33. In doing so, the patriarchs of our faith followed in the footsteps of Abraham of whom we talked in a precedent newsletter.

It is according to these story which constitute the basic context and foundation of the Torah that our own beloved rabbi and Master Yeshua also taught. He said,

"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 5:43-48 CJB)

Paul followed suit in:

Till this very moment we go hungry and thirsty, we are dressed in rags, we are treated roughly, we wander from place to place, we exhaust ourselves working with our own hands for our living. When we are cursed, we keep on blessing; when we are persecuted, we go on putting up with it; when we are slandered, we continue making our appeal. We are the world's garbage, the scum of the earth -- yes, to this moment! ... Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
(1Co 4:11-16 CJB)

We all have those people in our lives with whom we have issues. We have them in our societal life with neighbors and friends: in our professional life at work; in our domestic life with flesh relatives, and even within our own congregations.

It is the belief of this writer that we need to fight those issues in our midst. They are like spots at our festive gatherings. (Jude 1;12)

Congregation: We often cannot help negative situations to occur, but we have to not accept them and do everything we can to repair these breaches in our fellowship. The survival of the congregation depends on it; a little stone can break the whole windshield, and as the story goes, the loss of the nail, was the loss of the shoe, and the loss of the shoe became the loss of the horse which incurred the loss of the soldier, and in the end the loss of the battle. According to the Master as well as to Peter and to Paul, it is better to be wrongly accused and accept being defrauded rather than allow a breach in our fellowship. (Mat 5:10-11, 40; 1 Cor 6:7; 1 Pet 1:20)
Families: Paul teaches, Now if the challah offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole loaf. (Rom 11:16 CJB) When we have been given the truth to receive, we become the firstfruit of our larger flesh relatives. By keeping them in close relations and doing everything we can to maintain relationships with them, we become the "challah" through which they are also given a foretaste of the Kingdom. This is a very important principle that I called, "No Redemption Without Representation" As He sent his disciples to all the families of Israel, the Master charged them with, "Whoever receives you is receiving me, and whoever receives me is receiving the One who sent me. (Mat 10:40 CJB) It becomes then absolutely imperative that we become 'receivable' to them. We cannot let trivial issues separate us. This transcends doctrinal rectitude and we have to juggles our sometimes different views on things while still keeping relations with relatives. We must remember that the Father took it upon Himself to repair the relationship with us, relationship that we have been responsible to break through our sin. He did that by sending Yeshua who had no sin to take our sins upon Himself. This is the very same Yeshua who charged us with, "Just as the Father sent me, I myself am also sending you." (Joh 20:21 CJB)
Professional: At work there is usually much politics, competition, dislike of the boss, criticism. We are to show ourselves better by not participating in those things but keeping ourselves 'perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Mat 5:48 CJB) . And as far as work ethics towards earthly bosses Paul gives the advice, Slaves, obey your human masters with the same fear, trembling and single-heartedness with which you obey the Messiah. (Eph.6:5)
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) The word "slave" here can refer to "employee". We must remember that Joseph, Daniel, Esther, and many others were asked to work under pagan kings. By being able to do in the Spirit of HaShem, they earned the love of their masters which helped them to deliver Israel from harm.
Societal: The Master says, If someone sues you, come to terms with him quickly, while you and he are on the way to court; or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer of the court, and you may be thrown in jail! (Mat 5:25 CJB) To which Paul adds, If you are bringing lawsuits against each other, it is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? (1Co 6:7 CJB) In essence, it is better to be accused of wrong, even wrongfully, and keep the peace rather than to try to validate our rightness and have discord. Peter also agreed and said, For what credit is there in bearing up under a beating you deserve for doing something wrong? But if you bear up under punishment, even though you have done what is right, God looks on it with favor. (1Pe 2:20 CJB).

I would like to complete this challenge to peace and unity with a little expose on the words in the Besora:

From that time on, Yeshua began making it clear to his talmidim that he had to go to Yerushalayim and endure much suffering at the hands of the elders, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers; and that he had to be put to death; but that on the third day, he had to be raised to life. Kefa took him aside and began rebuking him, "Heaven be merciful, Lord! By no means will this happen to you!" But Yeshua turned his back on Kefa, saying, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God's perspective!" Then Yeshua told his talmidim, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him say 'No' to himself, take up his execution-stake, and keep following me. For whoever wants to save his own life will destroy it, but whoever destroys his life for my sake will find it. What good will it do someone if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or, what can a person give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come in his Father's glory, with his angels; and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.(Mat 16:21-27 CJB)

In this passage, Yeshua warns his disciples that as he goes to Jerusalem, he will be wrongfully accused of sedition, blasphemy, etc, and that as a result he will be given the death penalty in the manner the worst criminal in the land would receive. A very unjust punishment indeed that even cruel Pilate was reluctant to inflict on the Master. Peter tries to defend the Master who tells him, You are an obstacle in my path.

By this the Master implies that this unjust death was his destiny, the purpose of his coming, and that this is the action that will repair our broken relationship with HaShem. This is a totally Jewish sentiment as the Talmud teaches that, The death and suffering of the innocent righteous provides atonement for the sinner.

After reminding Peter to not think as man thinks but as God thinks, the Master adds, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him say 'No' to himself, take up his execution-stake, and keep following me. In essence, the 'execution-stake' He carried was the taking upon Himself the sins of others through an execution under false accusations; the wrongful death of an innocent victim. The Master in essence says that anyone who wants to come after him needs to be willing to be wrongfully accused, to be defrauded and become an innocent victim for the sake of the redemption of others. A very hard saying indeed, but an imperative for us who have become part of the Kingdom through following the path of Yeshua.

MAY WE THEREFORE EACH OF US TAKE UP OUR EXECUTION-STAKE AND BE SENT TO OTHERS AS HE WAS SENT TO US.

THIS IS THE LEAST WE CAN DO.

REMEMBER THE PARABLE OF THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT

Because of this, the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared with a king who decided to settle accounts with his deputies. Right away they brought forward a man who owed him many millions; and since he couldn't pay, his master ordered that he, his wife, his children and all his possessions be sold to pay the debt. But the servant fell down before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' So out of pity for him, the master let him go and forgave the debt. "But as that servant was leaving, he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him some tiny sum. He grabbed him and began to choke him, crying, 'Pay back what you owe me!' His fellow servant fell before him and begged, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused; instead, he had him thrown in jail until he should repay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were extremely distressed; and they went and told their master everything that had taken place. Then the master summoned his servant and said, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt just because you begged me to do it. Shouldn't you have had pity on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And in anger his master turned him over to the jailers for punishment until he paid back everything he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat you, unless you each forgive your brother from your hearts." (Mat 18:23-35 CJB)

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PAR'SHAT D'VARIM: The Rebuke Appropriately Spoken.

PAR'SHAT MATTOT-MA'ASSEI The Death of the Righteous Atones for the Sinner.

PAR'SHAT PINCHAS: True Zeal for Hashem!

PAR'SHAT BALAK: We should pray that your enemies become our friends

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