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HAFTARAH CHAYEI SARAH             השקר המשיח; the false Messiah or, the Anti-Christ!

10/27/2021

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"ADVANCED IN YEARS ..."
The parasha introduced Abraham as "advanced in years." The haftarah introduces King David as "advanced in years." Though the CJB translation doesn't, the Hebrew uses the same wording for the phrase in both verses.

By now Avraham was old, advanced in years; and Adonai had blessed Avraham in everything. 
(Gen 24:1 CJB)

King David grew old, the years took their toll, and he couldn't get warm even when they covered him with bedclothes. (1Ki 1:1 CJB)

Succession Battle, Adonijah Stages a Coup!
David was sickly, ready to die. This provoked a succession crisis which Adonijah, one of the sons of King David, exploited. Adonijah was handsome and thus easily won the hearts of some of the people. Taking advantage of his father's sickness and thus thinking that no one was looking, he gathered to himself a retinue to go before him. Joab, David's military commander and Abiathar, David's priests became part of this retinue.

Adoniyah the son of Haggit was beginning to claim that he would be king; to this end he organized chariots and horsemen, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never in his life confronted him by asking, "Why are you behaving this way?" Moreover, he was a very handsome man; he was born next after Avshalom.) He conferred with Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah and Evyatar the cohen; and they both supported Adoniyah. (1Ki 1:5-7 CJB)

Some others did not fall for Adonijah's attempts to steal the throne by taking advantage of his father's illness, but stayed loyal to David, whom HaShem had chosen.

But Tzadok the cohen, B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada, Natan the prophet, Shim`i, Re`i and David's elite guard were not on Adoniyah's side. (1Ki 1:8 CJB)

Adonijah went through all the religious, legal, and public motions of a bona-fide coronation. He also knew who not to invite so as not to be challenged.

One day Adoniyah killed sheep, oxen and fattened calves at the Stone of Zochelet, by `Ein-Rogel. He summoned all his brothers the king's sons, and all the men of Y'hudah the king's servants; but he did not summon Natan the prophet, B'nayah, the elite guard or Shlomo his brother. (1Ki 1:9-10 CJB)

CONNECTIONS WITH PARASHA
The parasha this week also brings us to Abraham, advanced in years and having to deal with his inheritance and a legitimate successor between his 8 children. His main successor was Isaac, who received the custody of the covenant along with the Land of Canaan The others received "gifts" as their inheritance.
Since that time, the descendants of the other children of Abraham have been in a battle with Isaac 's descendants called "The Middle-East Conflict," which is nothing more than a sibling rivalry between brothers over Abraham's inheritance.

Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. (2) She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. (3) Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. (4) The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. (5) Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. (6) But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. (Gen 25:1-6 ESV)

BATHSHEBA (בת שבע, Daughter of the Oath) REMINDS DAVID, HER HUSBAND, OF HIS "OATH" TO HER

Natan went to Bat-Sheva the mother of Shlomo and said, "Haven't you heard that Adoniyah the son of Haggit has become king without the knowledge of David our lord? Now, come, please let me give you advice, so that you can save both your own life and that of your son Shlomo. Go, get in to see King David, and say to him, 'My lord, king, didn't you swear to your servant, "Your son Shlomo will be king after me; he will sit on my throne"? So why is Adoniyah king?' Right then, while you are still talking with the king, I will also come in after you and confirm what you are saying." Bat-Sheva went in to the king in his room. (The king was very old; Avishag the Shunamit was in attendance on the king.) Bat-Sheva bowed, prostrating herself to the king. The king asked, "What do you want?" She answered him, "My lord, you swore by Adonai your God to your servant, 'Your son Shlomo will be king after me; he will sit on my throne.' But now, here is Adoniyah ruling as king; and you, my lord the king, don't know anything about it. He has killed oxen, fattened calves and sheep in great numbers; and he has summoned all the sons of the king, Evyatar the cohen and Yo'av the commander of the army; but he didn't summon Shlomo your servant. (1Ki 1:11-19 CJB)

With the help of Nathan, the loyal prophet, Bathsheba pleads with the king to use his divine, God-given executive authority to rectify the situation in order to:

A: Fulfill the promise of the true heir of the kingdom
B: Avoid civil war

As for you, my lord the king, all Isra'el is watching you; they are waiting for you to tell them who is to sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. If you don't, then, when my lord the king sleeps with his ancestors, I and my son Shlomo will be considered criminals." Right then, while she was still talking with the king, Natan the prophet entered. They told the king, "Natan the prophet is here." After coming into the king's presence, he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. Natan said, "My lord king, did you say, 'Adoniyah is to be king after me; he will sit on my throne'? For he has gone down today and killed oxen, fattened calves and sheep in great numbers; and he has summoned all the king's sons, the commanders of the army and Evyatar the cohen; right now they are eating and drinking in his presence and proclaiming, 'Long live King Adoniyah!' But he didn't summon me your servant, or Tzadok the cohen, or B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada or your servant Shlomo. Is this authorized by my lord the king without your having told your servant who would sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?" (1Ki 1:20-27 CJB)

A STORY PORTENT TO THE FUTURE OF CUSTODY OF THE ABRAHAMIC PROMISES
From the time that Abraham established Isaac as his sole inheritor (Gen 25:5-6), stealing custody of the Abrahamic promises by his siblings has become the backdrop behind history's wars over the ownership of Jerusalem, and indeed, of antisemitism itself.
The rulings concerning the dividing of Abraham's inheritance amplified by the conspiracy by Adonijah to illegitimately steal the Davidic throne are portent to Jerusalem's last 2000 years historical conquests by different empires. The history of Jerusalem will culminate at the end of times, with a ruler in Talmudic traditions referred to as "Armilus" (in Hebrew ארמלוס, a cryptogram derived from רמאלוס Romulus, one of the founders of Rome, according to legend) and in the Brit Chadasha, the "Anti-Christ" (in Hebrew שקר משיח or, the Counterfeit Messiah/anti-Christ). Click HERE for more info on Armilus.
According to Jewish tradition and early messianic writings, this counterfeit Messiah will establish himself as ruler of the world from the throne in Jerusalem, thus stealing that position from Yeshua himself, the only legitimate Abrahamic and Davidic King of Jerusalem by divine mandate, seven years before his coronation on the Jerusalem throne at then end of times.

But a branch will emerge from the trunk of Yishai, a shoot will grow from his roots. The Spirit of Adonai will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fearing Adonai --he will be inspired by fearing Adonai. He will not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear, but he will judge the impoverished justly; he will decide fairly for the humble of the land. He will strike the land with a rod from his mouth and slay the wicked with a breath from his lips. (Isa 11:1-4 CJB)

But in connection with the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and our gathering together to meet him, we ask you, brothers, not to be easily shaken in your thinking or anxious because of a spirit or a spoken message or a letter supposedly from us claiming that the Day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come until after the Apostasy has come and the man who separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom. He will oppose himself to everything that people call a god or make an object of worship; he will put himself above them all, so that he will sit in the Temple of God and proclaim that he himself is God. Don't you remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is restraining, so that he may be revealed in his own time. For already this separating from Torah is at work secretly, but it will be secretly only until he who is restraining is out of the way. Then the one who embodies separation from Torah will be revealed, the one whom the Lord Yeshua will slay with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the glory of his coming. When this man who avoids Torah comes, the Adversary will give him the power to work all kinds of false miracles, signs and wonders. He will enable him to deceive, in all kinds of wicked ways, those who are headed for destruction because they would not receive the love of the truth that could have saved them. This is why God is causing them to go astray, so that they will believe the Lie. The result will be that all who have not believed the truth, but have taken their pleasure in wickedness, will be condemned. (2Th 2:1-12 CJB)

The HaftaraH continues by telling us how King David foiled the conspiracy and set his legitimate successor upon his throne in Jerusalem: Solomon.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS STORY?
This story is a detailed foreshadow of end time events. Indeed, the messianic story culminates with HaShem setting His own legitimate king, Yeshua, on the Jerusalem throne, to rule with a rod of iron over the world from Jerusalem, but not before a counterfeit Messiah called the Anti-Christ tries to steal that throne while "nobody's looking," or so he thinks.

History has been plagued with would-be messiahs and prophets. Gamaliel makes mention of some to Saul in his days. Our contemporary times are no exceptions. 

But one of the members of the Sanhedrin rose to his feet, a Parush named Gamli'el, a teacher of the Torah highly respected by all the people. He ordered the men put outside for a little while and then addressed the court: "Men of Isra'el, take care what you do to these people. Some time ago, there was a rebellion under Todah, who claimed to be somebody special; and a number of men, maybe four hundred, rallied behind him. But upon his being put to death, his whole following was broken up and came to nothing. After this, Y'hudah HaG'lili led another uprising, back at the time of the enrollment for the Roman tax; and he got some people to defect to him. But he was killed, and all his followers were scattered. (Act 5:34-37)

So just as it was important for the Jewish people of Yeshua's day to properly vet any pretense of messiahship, it is important we do so in our days.

DIAGNOSTICS OF AN ANTICHRIST
The word "Antichrist" means counterfeit Messiah. To be effective, a "good" counterfeit has to be able to deceive; he therefore has to bear the marks of the original.

"At that time, if someone says to you, 'Look! Here's the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' don't believe him. For there will appear false Messiahs and false prophets performing great miracles — amazing things! — so as to fool even the chosen, if possible. There! I have told you in advance! (Mat 24:23-25)

If HaSatan came to us with hooves and pitchforks in red pajamas, we would easily identify him. That is why he has often been identified as a wolf in sheep's clothing. That is exactly what we are talking about when broach the subject of the Antichrist. He is the wolf trying to appear as the Lamb of God.
An example of a bad counterfeit would be the wolf in the Little Red Riding Hood story. He could put on the clothes and get in the bed of the grandmother, but didn't do a good job at hiding his long nose and ears. Innocent Red Riding Hood knew something was wrong and she questioned the long-eared and long-nosed grandmother. The thing is that as soon as she smelled the rat (or the wolf), she should have turned back and called for the wood chopper. Red Riding Hood may have been harmless as a dove, but she was not as wise as a serpent, as we are mandated to be.
This rabbi's idea of the final Anti-Messiah is that he will be one who will deceive with his words and pretend to be for the right things, even the things of God, as he tries to deceive the most important people on earth who could and should expose him: God's people, the disciples of Yeshua.
It is important, then, for those who have the mandate of establishing the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven, through the teaching of the Word, to be able to ask the right questions to that wolf in grandmother's clothing. They should be able to right away discern the long ears and long nose. And indeed, they will be as evident as a nose on the face if, and only IF, they themselves have the right idea of what the Messiah of Israel looks and acts like. But if they have an erroneous idea of what the Messiah is to look and act like, THEY WILL be deceived.

Indeed, we do have a description in the Brit Chadasha of an antichrist who tries to appear similar to our Messiah. In his revelation on the Isle of Patmos, Yochnanan sees the Antichrist, not only as he who will rule the world, but he who has ruled it from long ago. Then Yochanan gives a description of his "media/mage manager" also called the false prophet. Just as Elijah/John announced Messiah, the false prophet announces the antichrist.

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like those of a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon (A WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHING (PS 55:21). It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence; and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, the one whose fatal wound had been healed ("FATAL WOUND HEALED?: IMITATING RESURRECTION!). It performs great miracles (LIKE YESHUA), even causing fire to come down from heaven onto the earth as people watch (LIKE THE PROPHETS OF GOD/ELIJAH). It deceives the people living on earth by the miracles it is allowed to perform in the presence of the beast, and it tells them to make an image honoring the beast that was struck by the sword but came alive again. It was allowed to put breath into the image of the beast (IMITATING GOD AT CREATION), so that the image of the beast could even speak; and it was allowed to cause anyone who would not worship the image of the beast to be put to death. Also it forces everyone — great and small, rich and poor, free and slave — to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead (LIKE TEPHILINS) preventing anyone from buying or selling unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This is where wisdom is needed; those who understand should count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person, and its number is 666. (Rev 13:11-18)

DIAGNOSTICS OF THE MESSIAH
Beware of Opportunists
The Jews of Israel in the days of Yeshua wanted the Messiah to come to deliver them from Roman oppression. This gave rise to many trying to exploit this hunger for deliverance to their own glory.

Identification Signs
John mentions that the changing of the water into wine was the beginning of Yeshua's signs. Since it seems that other miracles happened before, some scholars suggest that John is drawing from an older written source listing miracles that would identify a would-be messiah. Some therefore suggest that this is what John means when he identifies certain miracles as proof that Yeshua is the Messiah. I will present to you the primary proofs. Other listings and arrangements are possible, but the idea remains that these were messianic identifications that could not be performed by anyone else. Many also smack of Moses; miracles for the Children of Israel in the desert.
  1. Changing the water into wine at Cana. John 2:1-11
  2. Healing the official's son at distance. John 4:43-54
  3. The healing at the Pool of Bethesda. John 5:1-15
  4. The feeding of the 5000. John 6:1-15
  5. Walking on water. John 6:16-21
  6. Healing of the man born blind. John 9:1-12
  7. Resurrection. John 20


Lineage and Character
In Yeshua's day also, a would-be be Messiah would have to come from the line of Judah and from the household of David, thus the genealogies in the Gospel texts. That is why the Messiah is referred to in Jewish texts as "The Son of David". This is because of 2 main prophecies. One from Jacob and one from Nathan the prophet.

Just as the Israelites of old had to be careful about someone stealing the crown of Messiah in their days, so do we in our days.
What are therefore signs of a legitimate Messiah. I cannot enumerate them all but here are some. Along with all the aforementioned signs, the Messiah:
  • Must be from the lineage of David/Judah
  • Must come from the clouds. Acts 1:11
  • Must carry the marks of the crucifixion. John 20:24-28
  • Live by the tenets of the Torah. Is 53:11
  • Exercise justice. Is 11:3-5


Someone like Moshe
Deuteronomy tells us that the coming Messiah/Prophet should be like Moshe (Deut 18:15). This means that:
  • He should be a Jew
  • He should have direct communication with HaShem (Num 12:6-8)
  • His ministry and style should be similar to Moshe (Teacher/prophet/legislator).


It is important to notice that Jewish history contains many details about Moshe's birth that are very similar to that of Yeshua's. The Messiah is one who according to the tenets of the Torah cares for the meek, the poor, the disenfranchised, the stranger...Anyone who acts like a proud, arrogant, and conceited ravenous wolf while claiming godliness acts more like an anti-messiah, the likes of which were already numerous in the days of John.

Finally, Paul warned Timothy that:

In the acharit-hayamim will come trying times. People will be:
self-loving,
money-loving,
proud,
arrogant,
insulting,
disobedient to parents,
(THAT ONE GOES FOR ADULTS TOO!
ungrateful,
unholy,
heartless,
unappeasable,
slanderous,
uncontrolled,
brutal,
hateful of good,
traitorous,
headstrong,
swollen with conceit,
loving pleasure rather than God,
as they retain the outer form of religion but deny its power.
Stay away from these people! 

(2Ti 3:1-5)

V)
And the king swore, saying, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, (1Ki 1:29 ESV)
as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.” (1Ki 1:30 ESV)
Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!” (1Ki 1:31 ESV)


AMEN!
​AS BAT-SHEBAH AND NATHAN WITH KING DAVID,
MAY WE DISCERN THE TRUE AND RIGHTFUL KING OF ISRAEL.

LIKE RED RIDING HOOD,
MAY WE SEE THE WOLF IN GRANDMOTHER'S DISGUISE.
MAY WE KNOW TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.

MAY HASHEM GIVE US ALL DISCERNMENT AND FLEE FROM THE IMPORTER!!!

Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king's presence and stood before the king. (1Ki 1:28 ESV)
SHABBAT SHALOM

R' GABRIEL LUMBROSO
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October 21st, 2021

10/21/2021

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ויהי היום ויעבר אלישׁע אל־שׁונם 

 One day Elisha went on to Shunem ...
(2 Kings 4:8)

The 2 stories of this week's Aftara have a common thread with the idea of hospitality. Hospitality was one of Abraham's and Sarah's signs of godliness, thus the connection with Parasha Lech Lecha... We begin with the first story.

“BORROW EMPTY VESSELS ... !" 
The beginning of the Aftara this week reminds us of our responsibilities as "prophets" (Mat 5:12) towards the poor and needy:

The wife of one of the guild prophets complained to Elisha. "Your servant my husband died," she said, "and you know that he feared Adonai. Now a creditor has come to take my two children as his slaves." (2Ki 4:1 CJB)

To take people who couldn't pay their debts as slaves was part of the harsh realty of the day, but in the Torah, HaShem tries to mitigate the effects of that harsh economic reality by putting rules and fences around it in order to prevent abuse (Leviticus 25:35-46).

Lack of payment was also equivalent to breaking an oath; a very serious thing. Yeshua agreed with the rabbis of His day when He said that it was preferable not to make vows (Matthew 5:34). He was actually going according to King Solomon's advice:

Better not to make a vow than to make a vow and not discharge it. (Ecc 5:5 CJB)

In this event, Elisha becomes a prime example of HaShem's mercy and compassion towards the poor and needy, the orphan and the widow (Ps 82:3-4; Zech 7:10; Deut 10:16; Is 1:17; James 1:27):

"You are not to abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them in any way, and they cry to me, I will certainly heed their cry. My anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword -- your own wives will be widows and your own children fatherless. "If you loan money to one of my people who is poor, you are not to deal with him as would a creditor; and you are not to charge him interest. If you take your neighbor's coat as collateral, you are to restore it to him by sundown, Exo 22:22-26 CJB

It is also important to know that the husband of the woman in question was none other than Obadiah, Ahab's steward. Targumic tradition tells us that this Obadiah had secretly hidden 100 prophets in caves and supplied them all with food and water while Queen Jezebel was hunting them. Doing so, Obadiah ran enormous debts, thus the desperate plea of the woman to Elisha who may have known about the situation (Josephus; Antiquities 9:47).

For God is not so unfair as to forget your work and the love you showed for him in your past service to his people -- and in your present service too. (Heb 6:10 CJB)

THE MISHKAN (Tabernacle) OF HOSPITALITY
The next story is one we are familiar with. It is the story of the hospitable Shunamite woman who had no son. The house of the Shunamite woman had become a regular stop-over for Elisha during his travels through the country. So much so that:

She said to her husband, "I can see that this is a holy man of God who keeps stopping at our place. Please, let's build him a little room on the roof. We'll put a bed and a table in it for him, and a stool and a candlestick. Then, whenever he comes to visit us, he can stay there." 
(2Ki 4:9-10 CJB)

HEBREW NOTE:
  • Bed: מיטה
  • Table: שולחן
  • Chair: כסא
  • Candlestick:נר

In the very order in which these items for the prophet's room were mentioned, taking the first letter of each of these items spells the Hebrew word: Mishkan: משכן, the very word that was used to refer to the Tabernacle that the children of Israel were required to build in the desert. Thus the saying in Judaism that the mitzvah of hospitality is equivalent to building the Tabernacle.

"GO OUT TO THE COUNTRY ROADS ...!"
Jewish texts have many stories about Abraham and Sarah's hospitality. They say that Abraham used to send his servant Eliezer by the highways and byways to find people to invite to his tent. He would then serve them a lavish ,meal. When the guest wanted to thank Abraham, the patriarch would direct them to thank the God of the Universe who supplies all things.

Yeshua commands us with the same idea. As His servants, he tells us:

'Quick, go out into the streets and alleys of the city; and bring in the poor, the disfigured, the blind and the crippled!' The slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.' The master said to the slave, 'Go out to the country roads and boundary walls, and insistently persuade people to come in, so that my house will be full. (Luk 14:21-23 CJB)

THE COMMANDMENT OF HOSPITALITY

Rather, treat the foreigner staying with you like the native-born among you -- you are to love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt; I am Adonai your God. (Lev 19:34 CJB)

"Here is the sort of fast I want -- releasing those unjustly bound, untying the thongs of the yoke, letting the oppressed go free, breaking every yoke, sharing your food with the hungry, taking the homeless poor into your house, clothing the naked when you see them, fulfilling your duty to your kinsmen!" (Isa 58:6-7 CJB)

Share what you have with God's people, and practice hospitality.  (Rom 12:13 CJB)

A congregation leader must be above reproach, he must be faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, orderly, hospitable and able to teach. (1Ti 3:2 CJB)

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you made me your guest, I needed clothes and you provided them, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the people who have done what God wants will reply, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you our guest, or needing clothes and provide them? When did we see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' The King will say to them, 'Yes! I tell you that whenever you did these things for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did them for me!' (Mat 25:34-40 CJB)

WHAT MORE SHALL I SAY?

THE BOY WHO DIDN'T DIE
The Shunamite woman knew that Elisha was a man of God, a prophet, and she received him as such. Because she received Elisha as a prophet, she received the reward of a prophet, the reward of Abraham who was given a son through the miraculous intervention of HaShem.

Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive the reward a prophet gets, and anyone who receives a tzaddik because he is a tzaddik will receive the reward a tzaddik gets. Indeed, if someone gives just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my talmid -- yes! -- I tell you, he will certainly not lose his reward!"  (Mat 10:41-42 CJB)

Indeed, just like Abraham, the Shunamite woman received a miraculous boy whom Elisha resurrected. A carbon copy of the story of Isaac, born miraculously and saved by the "ram" when he was "as good as dead!"



BY DOING THE WORKS OF ABRAHM AS CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM,
MAY WE ALSO,
LIKE THE SHUNAMITE WOMAN,
BE WORTHY OF THE REWARD OF A PROPHET.

AMEN!
R' GABRIEL LUMBROSO
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HAFTARAH LECH LECHA:

10/12/2021

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​למה תאמר יעקב ותדבר ישׂראל נסתרה דרכי מיהוה ומאלהי משׁפטי יעבור׃ 


Why do you complain, Ya`akov; why do you say, Isra'el, "My way is hidden from Adonai, my rights are ignored by my God"?

(Isa 40:27 CJB)


ROYAL BETRAYAL!!!
In chapter 39, Hezekiah, the King of Judah, is making friends with the Babylonians. After their state visit in Jerusalem, Isaiah has this conversation with the Judean king:

Then Yesha`yahu the prophet came to King Hizkiyahu and asked him, "What did these men say? Where did they come from?" Hizkiyahu answered, "They came to me from a distant country, Bavel." Yesha`yahu asked, "What have they seen in your palace?" "They have seen everything in my palace," said Hizkiyahu. "There isn't a thing among my treasures that I haven't shown them." Yesha`yahu said to Hizkiyahu, "Hear what Adonai-Tzva'ot says: 'The day will come when everything in your palace, along with everything your ancestors stored up until today, will be carried off to Bavel. Nothing will be left,' says Adonai. 'They will carry off some of your descendants, your own offspring; and they will be made eunuchs serving in the palace of the king of Bavel." Hizkiyahu said to Yesha`yahu, "The word of Adonai which you have just told me is good"; because he thought, "At least peace and truth will continue during my lifetime." 
(Isa 39:3-8 CJB)

WILD FIRE IN JERUSALEM
Foreseeing Jerusalem's destructive punishment and exile, the heart of the prophet expresses words of comfort straight from the compassionate heart of HaShem.

Jerusalem would witness the burning of its beloved Temple, the deportation of its monarchic family, nobles, and city leaders. For 70 years, the city would lay desolate and without walls, an ash-filled desolate plot of land where jackals roam freely. Many fires have devastated much of America these days. My wife and I barely escaped from our home being burning to the ground. When we returned, we took a drive through the places where the fires burned and destroyed the homes of less fortunate people. The sight of a burned house or a town such as the town of Paradise in California can give us a small idea of what Jerusalem might have looked like after its fiery destruction by Babylon. Jeremiah envisioned exilic Jerusalem as an abandoned widow sitting on an ash heap that represented her fiery destruction. Though Jerusalem brought this tragedy upon itself, the prophet Jeremiah, also called the weeping prophet, burst into a emotional cry about its destruction in a poem called Lamentations.

WHY COMPLAIN?
Yet, in view of all this destruction and desolation, HaShem's Spirit, through the prophet, chides Jerusalem with:

Why do you complain, Ya`akov; why do you say, Isra'el, "My way is hidden from Adonai, my rights are ignored by my God"? (Isa 40:27 CJB)

THE ANTIDOTE AGAINST COMPLAINING
Sometimes we complain about the things of life--the COVID-19 restrictions, having to wear a mask, the state of the economy. When we complain, in our minds we compare life to better times and our present situation to better situations. I heard it once said that the only constructive way to play the comparing game is to compare ourselves, our situation, or our lives to someone or a situation, or a life that is worst than ours. Somehow, this never fails to bring us into a spirit of gratitude.

There is another antidote against complaining--the one HaShem reminds Jerusalem of through the prophet. We must remember here that Isaiah lived almost 200 years before the destruction of Jerusalem. His consolation prophecies were therefore not relevant at the time he gave them, but they were stored for a later (and even "latter") use when these things would happen. HaShem's Spirit moves Isaiah to remind people that their complaining is but a sign that they forgot the love and omnipotence of their God. I would dare advance that this thought that complaining is akin to atheism.

Haven't you known, haven't you heard that the everlasting God, Adonai, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not grow tired or weary? His understanding cannot be fathomed. He invigorates the exhausted, he gives strength to the powerless. Young men may grow tired and weary, even the fittest may stumble and fall; but those who hope in Adonai will renew their strength, they will soar aloft as with eagles' wings; when they are running they won't grow weary, when they are walking they won't get tired. (Isa 40:28-31 CJB)

THE ONE RAISED FROM THE "EAST"
Announcement is made. The court is in session; the defendant is HaShem Himself defending His reputation and His honor in keeping His covenant with His people, though they seem to think that He doesn't. How much like a time when the unbelief of believers provokes them to take matters into their own hands in order to solve their problems.

"Keep silence before me, coastlands! Let the peoples replenish their strength! Let them approach; then let them speak. Let us assemble for judgment." (Isa 41:1 CJB)

HaShem asks a rhetorical question about the one who will come and provide redemption to Jerusalem:

Who has raised from the east one who is just and called him to be in his service? (Isa 41:2 CJBa)

DUAL INTERPRETATION
It is the nature of prophecy to have many fulfillments. Prophecies can have a past, present, future, and even latter fulfillment and the oracle of Isaiah 41 is no exception.
Who is the "one raised from the East" to offer redemption?"

Abraham, a man from the East, Ur of the Chaldees, came one to bring redemption to Lot his kin, as well as to the Gentile cities that had been conquered and enslaved by 5 kings (Gen 14:1-16).

Emperor Cyrus, a man from Persia, which is today called Iran, has been prophesied by Isaiah that he will free all Israel from Assyrian and Babylonian captivities in order to return to their ancestral lands and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple (Isaiah 45:1).

Probably both interpretations can apply, but the nature of the choices the sages made for Aftara readings always has some relation with the parasha. The parasha this week is about Abram. It is about Abram who leaves his ancestral lands to come to the Land that HaShem shows him; a Land that will be significant for the redemption of Israel and the Gentile world, just like what happened when he freed his nephew Lot and the Gentiles who had been taken captive by the five kings (Gen 14:17-24). I will therefore go with Abraham.

The prophecy starts by recalling the victory Abram won against these kings as we read in Genesis 14:15)

He hands nations over to him and subjects kings to him; his sword reduces them to dust, his bow to driven straw. He pursues them, passing on unscathed, hardly touching the path with his feet. (Isa 41:2-3 CJB)

The prophecy then jumps to the one redeemer of Israel and the Gentiles who was called from before the foundations of the world:

"Everyone living on earth will worship it except those whose names are written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb slaughtered before the world was founded. "(Rev 13:8 CJB)

Whose work is this? Who has brought it about? He who called the generations from the beginning, "I, Adonai, am the first; and I am the same with those who are last." (Isa 41:4 CJB)

MAYBE A THIRD INTERPRETATION?
As Cyrus evoked fear in the nations that he conquered in order to redeem Israel, our Messiah will also evoke fear into the nations that He will come to conquer in order to redeem Israel at the end of times.

Why are the nations in an uproar, the peoples grumbling in vain? The earth's kings are taking positions, leaders conspiring together, against Adonai and his anointed. They cry, "Let's break their fetters! Let's throw off their chains!" He who sits in heaven laughs; Adonai looks at them in derision. Then in his anger he rebukes them, terrifies them in his fury. "I myself have installed my king on Tziyon, my holy mountain." "I will proclaim the decree: Adonai said to me, 'You are my son; today I became your father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance; the whole wide world will be your possession. You will break them with an iron rod, shatter them like a clay pot.' " Therefore, kings, be wise; be warned, you judges of the earth. Serve Adonai with fear; rejoice, but with trembling. Kiss the son [or: Kiss purely], lest he be angry, and you perish along the way, when suddenly his anger blazes. How blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psa 2:1-12 CJB)

Next I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself. He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, "THE WORD OF GOD." The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations -- "He will rule them with a staff of iron." It is he who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of Adonai, God of heaven's armies. And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds that fly about in mid-heaven, "Come, gather together for the great feast God is giving, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of important men, the flesh of horses and their riders and the flesh of all kinds of people, free and slave, small and great!" I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to do battle with the rider of the horse and his army. But the beast was taken captive, and with it the false prophet who, in its presence, had done the miracles which he had used to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his image. The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword that goes out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Rev 19:11-21 CJB)

All this is given to us as the answer to the rhetorical questions at the beginning of the oracle:

Why do you complain, Ya`akov; why do you say, Isra'el, "My way is hidden from Adonai, my rights are ignored by my God"?

Haven't you known, haven't you heard that the everlasting God, Adonai, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not grow tired or weary?
(Isa 40:27-28 CJB)


The coastlands have seen and became afraid. The ends of the earth have trembled. They have approached, and now they have come.
(Isa 41:5 CJB)

THE GENTILES UNITE
In fear of Cyrus, the nations started working together, strengthening their idols. As Yeshua comes to put an end to man's inhumanity to man, to social and economic injustice, the nations will also ready themselves to fight Him in the Valley of Jezreel (Rev 16:16):

Every one helps his fellow workman, everyone says to his brother, "Be strong!" The woodworker encourages the goldsmith, the polisher encourages the hammerer; he says of the soldering, "Yes, that's good," then puts nails in [the idol] to keep it from moving. (Isa 41:6-7 CJB)

ENCOURAGE ISRAEL
But the oracle tells Israel not to fear, as redemption is nigh.

But you, Isra'el, my servant; Ya`akov, whom I have chosen, descendants of Avraham my friend, I have taken you from the ends of the earth, summoned you from its most distant parts and said to you, 'You are my servant' -- I have chosen you, not rejected you. Don't be afraid, for I am with you; don't be distressed, for I am your God. I give you strength, I give you help, I support you with my victorious right hand. All those who were angry with you will be disgraced, put to shame; those who fought against you will be destroyed, brought to nothing. You will seek them but not find them, those who contended with you; yes, those who made war with you will be brought to nothing, nothing at all. For I, Adonai, your God, say to you, as I hold your right hand, 'Have no fear; I will help you. Have no fear, Ya`akov, you worm, you men of Isra'el!' I will help you," says Adonai; "Your redeemer is the Holy One of Isra'el."I will make you into a threshing-sledge, new, with sharp, pointed teeth, to thresh the mountains and crush them to dust, to reduce the hills to chaff. As you fan them, the wind will carry them off, and the whirlwind will scatter them. Then you will rejoice in Adonai, you will glory in the Holy One of Isra'el. (Isa 41:8-16 CJB)

HOW DO WE PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE COMING REDEMPTION?
As Lot and the Gentiles of Sodom and Gomorrah were rescued by Abraham; as Israel saw its deliverance from a long captivity through Cyrus, we are also promised a deliverance from the ails of this world through an irrevocable covenant. Let us look to it when we are tempted to complain.

When Paul was telling the congregations in Thessalonica to be ready for the Day of Redemption, he gave them a checklist defining the lifestyle they ought to live in the expectancy of their soon redemption. He said:

God has not intended that we should experience his fury, but that we should gain deliverance through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who died on our behalf so that whether we are alive or dead, we may live along with him. Therefore, encourage each other, and build each other up -- just as you are doing. We ask you, brothers, to respect those who are working hard among you, those who are guiding you in the Lord and confronting you in order to help you change. Treat them with the highest regard and love because of the work they are doing. Live at peace among yourselves; 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. Always be joyful. Pray regularly. In everything give thanks, for this is what God wants from you who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. Don't quench the Spirit, don't despise inspired messages. But do test everything -- hold onto what is good, but keep away from every form of evil. May the God of shalom make you completely holy -- may your entire spirit, soul and body be kept blameless for the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. The one calling you is faithful, and he will do it. (1Th 5:9-24 CJB)

MAY WE LIVE WORTHY OF HE WHO GAVE HIS LIFE TO REDEEM US.

R' Gabriel Lumbroso
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HAFTARAH NOACH: "Just as I Swore ...!"

10/10/2021

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כי־מי נח זאת לי אשׁר נשׁבעתי מעבר מי־נח עוד על־הארץ כן נשׁבעתי מקצף עליך ומגער־בך׃ 
 כי ההרים ימושׁו והגבעות תמוטנה וחסדי מאתך לא־ימושׁ וברית שׁלומי לא תמוט אמר מרחמך יהוה׃ ׃ 

"For me this is like Noach's flood. Just as I swore that no flood like Noach's would ever again cover the earth, so now I swear that never again will I be angry with you or rebuke you. For the mountains may leave and the hills be removed, but my grace will never leave you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed," says Adonai, who has compassion on you. 
(Isa 54:9-10)
​THREE JERUSALEMS
The haftarah this week takes us to the Jerusalem of the future.

As we learn, study, and watch the destruction, exile, resurrection, and struggle for survival of Jerusalem, we must keep the promises of HaShem in focus. His promises remind and assure us that no matter how dark the tunnel, the light of HaShem shines at the end of it. Through these promises, we have certainty that the future of Jerusalem is as bright as the promises of HaShem.

According to prophecy, Jerusalem finds its place in the world in three different modes:
  1. The storm-tossed Jerusalem of this world
  2. The Jerusalem of the Messianic Era during the 1000 years of Yeshua's reign on earth
  3. The Jerusalem of the world to come as described in Revelation 21-22.


It is the belief of this rabbi that no other leader will ever succeed to establish lasting peace in Jerusalem and give it its rightful place in the world except Yeshua, the Mashiach of Israel, the King of Jerusalem. To suggest otherwise is akin to blasphemy. Let's now hear the proclamation of the prophet.

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE PROPHET
"Sing, barren woman who has never had a child! Burst into song, shout for joy, you who have never been in labor! For the deserted wife will have more children than the woman who is living with her husband," says Adonai. (Isa 54:1)

The prophet continues HaShem's proclamation of the future of Jerusalem. He tells us that the city will not just be a place for Jews but that righteous gentiles will also have a share in it. As such, he reminds people of the hospitality of Abraham and Sarah. Genesis Rabah 60:16 says of barren Sarah, "...as long as Sarah lived her doors were wide open ..."

Enlarge the space for your tent, extend the curtains of your dwelling; do not hold back, lengthen your cords, make your tent pegs firm. For you will spread out to the right and the left, your descendants will possess the nations and inhabit the desolated cities. (Isa 54:2-3)

The prophet Isaiah, who foresees Jerusalem in its future abandoned and rejected widowhood encourages her:

"Don't be afraid, for you won't be ashamed; don't be discouraged, for you won't be disgraced. You will forget the shame of your youth, no longer remember the dishonor of being widowed." (Isa 54:3-4)

Through the prophet, HaShem reminds Jerusalem of His faithfulness to the marriage covenant He once ratified with her.

He will be the "גאל go'el", the Redeemer.

For your husband is your Maker, Adonai-Tzva'ot is his name. The Holy One of Isra'el is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of all the earth. For Adonai has called you back like a wife abandoned and grief-stricken; "A wife married in her youth cannot be rejected," says your God. (Isa 54:5-6)

HaShem reminds Jerusalem of His compassion:

"Briefly I abandoned you, but with great compassion I am taking you back." (Isa 54:7)

I was angry for a moment and hid my face from you; but with everlasting grace I will have compassion on you," says Adonai your Redeemer. (Isa 54:8, see also Ex 34:6-7)

One might wonder how 2000 years could seem like only a "moment." Here is how it works. A man once asked HaShem, "God, I know that with you a day is as 1000 years and 1000 years is as a day, and I also know that with you a penny is as $1,000,000,000 and $1,000,000,000 is as a penny. Could You please give me a penny?" HaShem kindly answered, "Of course; I'll give you one tomorrow!"

THE PROMISE
Here now is our connection with the parasha of Noach. Just as in the days after the flood when HaShem promised humanity that He will never flood the earth again, He makes a promise to Jerusalem that He will never be angry with her again.

"For me this is like Noach's flood. Just as I swore that no flood like Noach's would ever again cover the earth (Gen 9:9-17), so now I swear that never again will I be angry with you or rebuke you. For the mountains may leave and the hills be removed, but my grace will never leave you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed," says Adonai, who has compassion on you. (Isa 54:9-10)

A GIANT LEAP
In a giant time-prophecy leap, the prophet takes this world's Jerusalem to a vision of the last Jerusalem. The vision is very similar to that of Revelation 21:9-21.

"Storm-ravaged [city], unconsoled, I will set your stones in the finest way, lay your foundations with sapphires, make your windows shine with rubies, your gates with garnet, your walls with gemstones. (Isa 54:11-12)

The prophet then tells Jerusalem that on that day of the Jerusalem of the world to come, all her children will know Him. Jeremiah later repeated the same idea. (Jer 31:34). This knowledge of HaShem will result in peace for Jerusalem.

Thus we are taught that the true knowledge of God results in peace. As we remember that Jerusalem was destroyed due to the zealots' causeless hatred due to ignorance of HaShem's Word, we deduce that the restoring of Jerusalem will be the result of love among brethren and the knowledge and understanding of the Word of HaShem. (Ps 133:1).

All your children will be taught by Adonai; your children will have great peace. In righteousness you will be established, far from oppression, with nothing to fear; far from ruin, for it will not come near you. (Isa 54: 13-14)

HaShem often used the wrath of foreign nations as His instrument of wrath, but He now assures Jerusalem that in that day, her enemies will no longer be His doing against her.

Any alliance that forms against you will not be my doing; whoever tries to form such an alliance will fall because of you. It is I who created the craftsman who blows on the coals and forges weapons suited to their purpose; I also created the destroyer to work havoc. (Isa 54:15-17a)

In that day, through Mashiach, HaSatan, the Accuser will not have anymore credit in the sight of the great Judge of the Universe.

"No weapon made will prevail against you. In court you will refute every accusation. The servants of Adonai inherit all this; the reward for their righteousness is from me," says Adonai. (Isa 54:17)

This will also be the time when social and economic disparity will disappear. No more will people work for meat that perishes (John 6:27).

The picture of the world to come presents to us a society that no political or economic system of man has ever been able to accomplish in its 6000 years of history (give or take a few hundred years), a society where peace, alongside justice, abundance, as well as love and laughter for ever after abound.

It is the opinion of this rabbi that we could almost attain it today if we would learn to live as HaShem intended us to. Just obeying the 10 commandments would suffice. It is reported in the Book of Josephus that a long time ago, Seth, the son of Adam, somewhat succeeded at this. Here is the report:

Now this Seth, when he was brought up, and came to those years in which he could discern what was good, became a virtuous man; and as he was himself of an excellent character, so did he leave children behind him who imitated his virtues. (9) All these proved to be of good dispositions. They also inhabited the same country without dissensions, and in a happy condition, without any misfortunes falling upon them, till they died. They also were the inventors of that peculiar sort of wisdom which is concerned with the heavenly bodies, and their order. (Josephus, Antiquity of the Jews, book 1; chapt 2; par 3)

Now, for the description of the world to come ordered by Messiah by the mouth of the prophet, a declaration that is foreshadowed in the concepts of Shabbat and Jubilee years

"All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You without money, come, buy, and eat! Yes, come! Buy wine and milk without money -- it's free! Why spend money for what isn't food, your wages for what doesn't satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and you will eat well, you will enjoy the fat of the land. Open your ears, and come to me; listen well, and you will live -- I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the grace I assured David. I have given him as a witness to the peoples, a leader and lawgiver for the peoples. You will summon a nation you do not know, and a nation that doesn't know you will run to you, for the sake of Adonai your God, the Holy One of Isra'el, who will glorify you." (Isa 55:1-5)


MAY IT BE SOON HASHEM, EVEN IN OUR DAYS
(It is possible to do it just by living by His Words)

(Really!)

​R' GABRIEL LUMBROSO

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HAFATARAH BERESHEET: Justice on Earth!

10/5/2021

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אמת יוציא משׁפט׃ 
לא יכהה ולא ירוץ עד־ישׂים בארץ משׁפט ולתורתו איים ייחילו׃ 

He will bring forth justice according to truth; he will not weaken or be crushed until he has established justice on the earth, and the coastlands wait for his Torah." 

Isa 42:1-4)


THE CRY OF THE WORLD
In every nation, there is a cry for justice. There is a cry for racial, economic, and social justice. It feels that the world is tired of doing things as usual. Just like what happened in first-century Israel, modern-day zealots in several modern countries are taking things into their own hands and are threatening to unravel the very fabric of society as we know it. How will it end? In Israel, that type of revolt from the fundamentalist zealots ended in their internal infighting, which gave the Romans freedom to burn the Temple, ransack Jerusalem, and shut down of the country for 2000 years.

Forty years before these fatal events, an itinerant rabbi from Nazareth heard the cries of his people for justice and taught them a different sort of response to the injustices of His days. He proclaimed to them, "How blessed are the poor in spirit! for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs."  
  • To those who were mourning the death of loved ones either due to sickness, to war, or to Roman oppression, He said, "How blessed are those who mourn! for they will be comforted." 
  • To those who felt that they no had place in a society that demeaned and ignored them, He said:  "How blessed are the meek! for they will inherit the Land!" 
  • To those who hungered and thirsted for social and economic justice he said: "How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! for they will be filled." 
  • To those who were so distraught by their social and economic conditions and could only cope by hardening their hearts in desire for revenge, though HaShem forbade it, He said: "How blessed are those who show mercy! for they will be shown mercy." 
  • For those whose heart became soiled by anger and hatred due to their unjust social and economic conditions, He said: "How blessed are the pure in heart! for they will see God." 
  • And for those who see no other way of seeing a just and fair world but by violence and conflict, He said: "How blessed are those who make peace! for they will be called sons of God." (Mat 5:3-9)

UTOPIAN IDEALISM, CYNICISM, OR BELIEF?
Some do believe that changes in society only come through conflict or violence; that one must be willing to forget scruples and ethics in order to accomplish the right; that the end justifies the means. "Might Makes Right" seems to be the moto of the day but as a student of American History I remember the words of Abraham Lincoln who said, "Right Makes Might!"

One who reads what I just wrote may instead take a cynical view of the world and think that I am just a hopeless idealist. Am I?

Someone asked me one day if I believed in Heaven. I said that I did, so next, they asked why. I answered that I believe in Heaven because I believe in justice ordered by a just God. Too many issues in this world, either in personal lives or in the twists of History, are left unresolved. We cannot claim that God is a just God as long as these issues remain unresolved. As we see happening now, the world seems to yearn for a time when old issues and conflicts are brought to the tabl in front of the Judge of the Universe. We need a time when right is rewarded and wrong retributed. Only in the resolution of all issues will we find the universal peace we all desire, and only HaShem can do that.

The aftara this week broaches on this subject. Both Sephardic and Ashkenazi aftarot start at Isaiah 42:5, a text that follows an introduction at the beginning of the chapter. Adding this introduction to the reading makes for a perfect messianic aftara. That introduction proclaims: "Here is my servant, whom I support, my chosen one, in whom I take pleasure."

This servant will eventually be characterized in the 53rd chapter of the Book of Isaiah. Today, traditional Judaism refers to "the Servant" as Israel, an interpretation that started in post-Yeshua times, but in the first century CE, it was known by Jewish teachers as a prophecy concerning the Messiah of Israel (Acts 3:18;1 pet 2:19-25): "I have put my Spirit on him"

HaShem puts His Spirit on His Servant to deliver His people from injustice just as He put His Spirit on Moshe to deliver His people from injustice: 
  • "He will bring justice to the Goyim." The servant brings justice not just for Israel, but to the nations as well. 
  • "He will not cry or shout;" He will not use a megaphone. He will not yell slogans nor scream profanities. 
  • "No one will hear his voice in the streets." The sound of Silence (Simon and Garfunkel. Very deep song!): 
  • "He will not snap off a broken reed or snuff out a smoldering wick." The justice of this Servant cares for and is gentle with the poor, the weak, the displaced, the handicap, the stranger...: 
  • "He will bring forth justice according to truth" Truth according to Torah, not according to man who calls good evil and evil good. 
  • "He will not weaken or be crushed until he has established justice on the earth, and the coastlands wait for his Torah."  (Isa 42:1-4)

So I believe that all is in HaShem's very able hands. Can I be accused of being a hopeless idealist just because I believe in the Word of God?

Let's put our trust in the only one that HaShem appointed to bring justice on all the earth, and remember the words He spoke to Israel 40 years before its demise.

Who knows that if they would have lived according to these words instead of letting themselves be taken over by the violent ethic-less and scruple-less zealots, things could have been different.
​

R' Gabriel Lumbroso
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