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PAR'SHAT V'ETCHANAN: Our Torah to the World.

7/24/2018

ואהבת את יהוה אלהיך בכל־לבבך ובכל־נפשׁך ובכל־מאדך׃ ...

... and you are to love Adonai your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources. (Deu 6:5 CJB)

Our Torah to the World: An Exemplary Behavior.

LOVE
Everybody likes to receive love, and some of us even apply ourselves to be loving persons. Playing on a famous saying, we may need to remember that love is a multi-faceted diamond, and some things that some people call "love" may make us feel like, "With this kind of love, who needs hatred!"

Here are some questions to ask ourselves.

Can love be defined by certain parameters of conduct? If the answer to this question is "no,", the next question is, “Is love a free-for-all expression?” But if the answer to the first question is "yes," the next question should then be, “What are these parameters of conduct that define love?”

HOW TO LOVE HASHEM
Does HaShem need our "gooey-shmooey-marshmallow-sugar-and-whipped-cream" emotional type of love?
Does He need to be constantly reminded about it like an unsecured lover, or as if He had memory loss issues?
Does He even need to see spiritual manifestations of our faith in Him in order for Him to know it?
Let’s take a look at what the sages have gleaned from Deuteronomy 6:5.
And you are to love Adonai your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources.
(Deu 6:5)

Some of the sages of Israel teach the words in Deut 6:5 as an injunction to behave in a manner that causes the Name of Heaven to be beloved.
Here is what they say. "One should study Torah, serve Torah scholars, be honest in his business dealings, and speak pleasantly to others. Then people will say about him, 'Fortunate is his father who taught him Torah. Fortunate is his teacher who taught him Torah. Woe to those who have not learned Torah. See how pleasant are the ways and how pleasant are the actions of one who has learned Torah.'
If however, someone studies Torah and serves Torah scholars, but is not honest in his business dealings and does not speak pleasantly to others, what do people say about him? "Woe to that person who learned Torah. Woe to his father who taught him Torah. Woe to his teacher who taught him Torah. See how corrupt are the actions and how ugly are the ways of this person who learned Torah." (Yomah 86a)

As we read this passage, I think that we should notice what the author considered our 'witness' to the world.

To be honest in business
To speak pleasantly to others.

What can we learn from this?

We all have our own ideas of how to express our love and obedience to HaShem, as well as to how to make it manifest to others. To accomplish these, most of us usually naturally rely on outward external signs of obedience such as open public displays of tzitzits, head coverings, a certain type of clothing, diet restrictions, holiday schedules, and even an 'hebraicised' lingo. I noticed that the less one is secure in his Messianic Jewish identity, the more outward signs he feels he has to produce. It is a natural human attitude with religion, politics, or philosophy. The less it is in the heart, the more we feel the need to use outward expressions.
Having been raised in Sephardic Conservative Judaism, I know that in the Jewish community, while not denying and even while being proud of who we are, we often try to keep a more discreet profile. This attitude comes from our history which tells us that being Jewish is like having a target on our chest.
In general, people do not really care about what we eat or don't eat; about how, why, and when we take a day of rest, and neither about how we dress. All religions and philosophies express themselves through particular diets, schedules, and clothing preferences. For secular folks, one is as good as the other, so, we should ask ourselves, “Are these today the things that are important when it comes to our witness HaShem’s greatness to the world?” The talmudic passage from Yomah that we previously read gives us other ideas to consider as our witness of HaShem’s greatness to the world. Among other things, it tells us that in order to show exemplary behavior one should, "be honest in his business dealings, and speak pleasantly to others."

I'd like to bring to light another passage that tells us how unbelievers should react to our Torah “performance.”
Therefore, observe them [the commandments]; and follow them; for then all peoples will see you as having wisdom and understanding. When they hear of all these laws, they will say, 'This great nation is surely a wise and understanding people.' For what great nation is there that has God as close to them as Adonai our God is, whenever we call on him? What great nation is there that has laws and rulings as just as this entire Torah which I am setting before you today? (Deu 4:6-8 CJB)

...If instead of this, our Torah “performance” comes out as abrasive, argumentative, arrogant, harsh, inconsiderate, and provokes division, awkwardness, hatred, and anger; or if it rationalizes dishonesty, selfishness, cheating, or murder, maybe we should consider re-visiting the script of that performance.

Some may then wonder, “What about Jeremiah, Elijah, Pinchas (of whom we talked about in a previous midrash); and what about Yeshua who sometimes acted in ways that could be considered harsh, divisive, and combative ?”. The difference is that Yeshua and the prophets had their mandates from HaShem; we have ours, and it is not the same. Theirs is not our mandate. Our mandate concerning the fruits of our witness in the world has been given to us by Moshe in Deut 4:6-8 as well as by our Rabbi and Master Yeshua in,

"You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Likewise, when people light a lamp, they don't cover it with a bowl, but put it on a lampstand, so that it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way,

let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven. (Mat 5:14-16 CJB)

He also mandated us with,

Everyone will know that you are my talmidim by the fact that you have love for each other."
(Joh 13:35 CJB)

I started this midrash by trying to define the proper expression of love.
Our love for each other is defined in the Torah. A synopsis of it can be found in Ex 20:1-14 which has commandments that further further elaborated upon in the rest of the Torah. After this whole discussion, I'd like to conclude that the proper expression of our love for HaShem is to live in a way that inspires other people to love Him. Paul had much to say about this notion. Here are some of his teachings about love to the Corinthians' congregation, and to us:

I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels; but if I lack love, I have become merely blaring brass or a cymbal clanging.
I may have the gift of prophecy, I may fathom all mysteries, know all things, have all faith -- enough to move mountains; but if I lack love, I am nothing.
I may give away everything that I own, I may even hand over my body to be burned; but if I lack love, I gain nothing.

Love is:
patient
and kind,
not jealous,
not boastful,
not proud,
rude or selfish,
not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not gloat over other people's sins
but takes its delight in the truth.
Love always bears up, always trusts,
always hopes,
always endures.
Love never ends;
...
for now, three things last -- trust, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love. (1Co 13:1-13 CJB)

To Timothy, a congregational leader, 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)

These words define our divine mandate for today.
Indeed, if our Torah “performance” to the world does not produce the “fruits of the spirit” in our lives and in that of others, we need to seriously re-visit our script.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things. Moreover, those who belong to the Messiah Yeshua have put their old nature to death on the stake, along with its passions and desires. Since it is through the Spirit that we have Life, let it also be through the Spirit that we order our lives day by day. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Gal 5:22-26 CJB)

For you used to be darkness; but now, united with the Lord, you are light. Live like children of light, for the fruit of the light is in every kind of goodness, rightness and truth --(Eph 5:8-9 CJB)

INDEED, MAY OUR LIGHT SO SHINE THAT THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TORAH, PEOPLE AROUND US MAY GIVE GLORY TO HASHEM.

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

7/18/2018

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... 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 Appropriately Spoken Correction. (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 example of its effect is told us in 2nd Kings 22 when because of it, seven hundred years later King Josiah and all Israel were pushed to repentance.

The Book of D'varim was given to the second generation of the Children of Israel in the desert, a generation that had not known Egypt. It's goal was to ready the Children of Israel before they entered the Promised Land, as well as to serve as a rebuke for them not to 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 and correction. 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 correction 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 corrections. These can be used for congregation, work relationships, as well domestic situations.

When is it a bad time to approach someone for a correction:

On the heat of the moment; when either the corrector or the corrected are 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 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 we get irritated about it and don't want to have to clean up 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?

We often correct others out of frustration simply because the actions of the other person affect us in an undesirable way, but is being annoyed a good reason to correct others?

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

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 about correcting others:
(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 which are unfamiliar to them.
- 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'ASSEY: The Death of the Innocent Victim That Atones for the Sinner.

7/9/2018

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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)

THE DEATH OF THE INNOCENT VICTIM THAT ATONES FOR THE SINNER

Our text this week 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 what is called the New Testament, contend with 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 on earth. He also represented one of the three functions 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 Holies 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 was a forerunner 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 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 ancient righteous patriarchs 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.

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 the 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)...

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!

R' GAVRIEL LUMBROSO

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PAR'SHAT PINCHAS: Godly Zeal or Man's Anger?

7/2/2018

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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, Muslims, Hindus, and buddhists 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 people), 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 violent and selfish 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 concerned 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 V'ETCHANAN: Our Torah to the World.

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

PAR'SHAT MATTOT/MA'ASSEY: The Death of the Innocent Victim That Atones for the Sinner.

PAR'SHAT PINCHAS: Godly Zeal or Man's Anger?

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