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PAR'SHAT TETZAVEH: The Priest.

2/13/2019

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והיתה להם כהנה לחקת עולם ומלאת יד־אהרן ויד־בניו׃

The office of cohen is to be theirs by a permanent regulation.
Thus you will consecrate Aharon and his sons.
(Exo 29:9)

THE PRIEST.

 THE PRIEST
​In this parasha we are given many details concerning the levitical priesthood of Aaron. An important detail to remember is that Aaron’s priesthood is permanent. Permanent means that it never stops.  That it never stops means that it continues forever. Why then did the writer of the Letter to the Messianic Jews of the 1st century C.E refer to Yeshua as descendant of Judah, as a high-priest in these terms?


This is why he had to become like his brothers in every respect -- so that he might become a merciful and faithful cohen gadol in the service of God, making a kapparah for the sins of the people.  (Heb 2:17)

TWO PRIESTHOODS

Has Yeshua, a descendant of the tribe of Judah, replaced the Aaronic levitical priesthood which descends from Levi? How can it be, since the office of priest is to remain with the levitical House of Aaron forever (Exo 29:9). The answer to that question is in that pivotal letter to the Messianic Jews of the day (Heb 4:14-5:10 (Yeshua is a priest in the Order of Melchizedek, not of the Order of Aaron).) Jeremiah’s prophecies talk of a future day, perhaps at the fulfillment of the Messianic Age, when the two houses, the House of Judah and the House of Levi, will serve together each one in their own function. He says,

When those days come, at that time, I will cause to spring up for David a Branch of Righteousness. He will do what is just and right in the land. When those days come, Y'hudah will be saved, Yerushalayim will live in safety, and the name given to her will be Adonai Tzidkenu [Adonai our Righteousness]." For this is what Adonai says: "There will never be cut off from David, a man to occupy the throne of the house of Isra'el. Nor will there ever be cut off from the cohanim who are L'vi'im, a man before me to offer burnt offerings, burn grain offerings and offer sacrifices every day."(Jer 33:15-18)

Let’s now define the role of “priest.”


WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A PRIEST?
Since a deity exists in a different realm than the people it governs, a priest is meant to be the contact, a link between a laity and its deity. The priest is the agent, he represents the deity he acts on behalf of. It is a very important role. Aaron and the levitical priesthood, therefore represented HaShem to the people of Israel; and they were His agents of contact.
    Aaron was the first levitical priest and he set the standard, the bar for all future priests. Aaron was known to be a man of peace. Psalm 133 about the beauty of united brothers together, was written about him. He was known to invent stratagems in order to get people to get along. As such, the Aaronic priesthood acted as a sort of ‘peacemaker’ between HaShem and Israel.


The levitical priesthood serves to present Israel’s atonement to HaShem. One striking picture of that is after the Korah rebellion, when HaShem was destroying the people, the plague stopped immediately as Aaron stood between the people and the plague . The priest stood between the people and an angry God to atone, to cover for them.
While conscious of the sins of the people, the priest covers for their sins.  The sages of Israel pictured Moshe as often sternly rebuking the Children of Israel, expecting them to toe the line, but when he would speak with HaShem, he would praise them to Him. The priest is a little like the mother who pleads for the angry father to have mercy on the children. The priest is an intercessor. He brings the sins of the people to HaShem. He atones for the people. In this same manner Yeshua,  

…  is totally able to deliver those who approach God through him; since he is alive forever, and thus forever able to intercede on their behalf.  (Heb 7:25)

THE TABERNACLE: A MICROCOSM
When HaShem gave Moshe the instruction about building the Tabernacle, its furnishings and surroundings, He told him,
See that you make them according to the design being shown you on the mountain. (Exo 25:40)

Reading the texts in Exodus, the sages of Israel have often concluded that HaShem had come down on the mountain with His throne and entourage. If He asked therefore, for Moshe to do everything as he was shown on the mountain, then what we have in the form of the Tabernacle setting and its priesthood is a microcosm, an illustration of the real thing, which was shown Moshe. It’s as close as we can get to Heaven, so to speak.


If we have on earth a Tabernacle with two chambers, a Holy Ark, a candelabrum, an altar of incense, a table for showbread, an altar for sacrifices, and a levitical priesthood officiating the whole thing, it stands to reason that they are the replica of a greater reality in the heavenlies. It seems that some of the prophets such as Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Yochanan the Immerser, saw it all as they were raptured for a temporary visit in the throne room (Is 6:1-7; Ez 1:4-28; Rev 4).
Taking this understanding into consideration, we can see that the earthly levitical priesthood is a shadow-picture illustrating the heavenly Judaic priesthood in the heavenlies.

A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS

In our parasha this week, HaShem establishes the priesthood for Israel, but a couple of weeks ago, in par’shat Yitro, even before HaShem even gave His commandments, Israel is challenged.

Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant, then you will be my own treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you will be a kingdom of cohanim for me, a nation set apart.' These are the words you are to speak to the people of Isra'el."  (Exo 19:5-6)


If the Aaronic levitical order was the priesthood for Israel, Israel in turn was the priesthood for the world. What did that mean for Israel? As the Aaronic priests had special lifestyles and were held to a higher standard than the rest of Israel, so would Israel be when compared to the nations of the world.

Later, when Peter addresses the mixed  congregation of Rome (composed of Jews and Gentiles), he tells them,

You are a chosen people, the King's cohanim, a holy nation, a people for God to possess! Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1Pe 2:9)


As the congregation of Messiah we inherit the mantle of priesthood and as such, we are also held to higher standards than the rest of the world.
What are those higher standards? We discover them as we read the Divine Instructions given to Aaron. Here are some of them. This is far from exhaustive, but I am sure you can find more as you yourself exegate from the Text.


A PRIESTLY LIFESTYLE
The Menorah
"You are to order the people of Isra'el to bring you pure oil of pounded olives for the light, and to keep a lamp burning continually. Aharon and his sons are to put it in the tent of meeting, outside the curtain in front of the testimony, and keep it burning from evening until morning before Adonai. This is to be a permanent regulation through all the generations of the people of Isra'el. (Exo 27:20-21)

Much has been written about the meaning of the seven branched candelabrum, but its main purpose is to give light. Light signifies enlightenment, knowledge, and understanding. In this case, the enlightenment of knowing HaShem, the knowledge of His commandments, and the understanding of His plan for humanity.

In the vision Yochanan received on the Isle of Patmos, each congregation in Asia Minor was represented by a candelabrum (Rev 1:20). In the same manner, the candelabrum in the Tabernacle represents Israel as a congregation, and its role in being a light for the world.

The priests tended to that light of knowledge of understanding. They were to constantly trim the wicks and make sure that it burned clean and clear, not giving smoke. In the same manner, as HaShem’s representatives, we are to make sure to always be ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you -- yet with humility and fear, (1Pe 3:15)

As ‘priests’, we must be faithful arduous students of the Text of the Torah, so that we can give a reasoned answer. A reasoned answer is not, “It is so because it is so; don’t try to figure it out!” A reasoned answer is just that: an answer deduced by reason coming from intelligent study. Also, this “answer” must not be polluted by the smoke of man’s doctrine, but be clear and bright.

The Priestly Garments.
You are to make for your brother Aharon, garments set apart for serving God, expressing dignity and splendor. Speak to all the craftsmen to whom I have given the spirit of wisdom, and have them make Aharon's garments to set him apart for me, so that he can serve me in the office of cohen. (Exo 28:2-3)


Aaron and his priests were not to officiate in their everyday clothes. They had to wear special clothing when they represented HaShem in front of the people. The priestly garments were not only special, but they were beautiful, even expensive.


    Any officiator who stands in as HaShem agent for the people should wear his “Saturday best.” Not only is it respectful for HaShem, but it is a sign of love for the people they stand in front of. It doesn’t have, of course, to be something expensive or a tuxedo, but something at least semi-formal.

    As a priest in the Order of Melchizedek, Yeshua also appeared to Yochanan in beautiful special priestly royal garments (Rev 1:13).

The Ephod (ritual vest)

"They are to make the ritual vest of gold, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely woven linen, crafted by a skilled artisan. Attached to its front and back edges are to be two shoulder-pieces that can be fastened together. Its decorated belt is to be of the same workmanship and materials -- gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen. Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Isra'el --six of their names on one stone and the six remaining names on the other, in the order of their birth. An engraver should engrave the names of the sons of Isra'el on the two stones as he would engrave a seal. Mount the stones in gold settings, and put the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the vest as stones calling to mind the sons of Isra'el. Aharon is to carry their names before Adonai on his two shoulders as a reminder. (Exo 28:6-12)

This vest must have been heavy to wear, yet Aaron was to carry it before HaShem. It is a sign that he carries the burden of presenting the people to HaShem, a heavy burden indeed, a burden not unlike that of any shepherd, leader, and teacher who feels the weight and responsibility of leadership. Yet it was his job, as it is ours to bear.

    Not only do congregation leaders bear the burden of their congregations, but any true disciple of the Master needs to feel the burden of representing their ‘neck of the wood’, their circle of acquaintances to HaShem. A heavy burden indeed, but a labour of love as is said, “Aharon will carry the names of the sons of Isra'el on the breastplate for judging, over his heart, when he enters the Holy Place, as a continual reminder before Adonai.”(Exo 28:29). We are also to carry our burden for the people as a labour of love, not of reluctant obligation.

Love in Judgment
You are to put the urim and the tumim in the breastplate for judging; they will be over Aharon's heart when he goes into the presence of Adonai. Thus Aharon will always have the means for making decisions for the people of Isra'el over his heart when he is in the presence of Adonai.(Exo 28:30)


Urim and Tummim means “Light and Perfection (For more details: 

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-urim-and-thummim

These were instruments of judgment. Again I want to draw the reader's attention to the fact that these instruments of judgment were to be placed over Aaron’s heart so that his judgment would be based, or at least balanced by love, not pure cold justice.
    So should we as we assess people, something congregation servants often have to do. Do it in a spirit of love, remembering that without His mercy, we ourselves would be lost in the darkness.


The Robe
"You are to make the robe for the ritual vest entirely of blue. (Exo 28:31)


The word used for ‘blue’ in Hebrew is actually  תכלת, which refers to a particular expensive dye originating from a sea snail. (For more details:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/what-color-was-tekhelet/


The whole robe was to be made in that expensive dye. Later, after a man found breaking the Shabbat had to be stoned, in order to help the Children of Israel to remember His Commands, he said to Moshe,

"Speak to the people of Isra'el, instructing them to make, through all their generations, tzitziyot on the corners of their garments, and to put with the tzitzit on each corner a blue [ תכלת] thread. It is to be a tzitzit for you to look at and thereby remember all of Adonai's mitzvot and obey them, so that you won't go around wherever your own heart and eyes lead you, to prostitute yourselves; (Num 15:38-39)

As we wear these tzitziot with a string dyed with the same dye as the robe of the high-priest, we in fact show that we are joined to the priesthood; that we are in fact ‘mini-priests’, just as Peter said,

You are a chosen people, the King's cohanim, a holy nation, a people for God to possess! Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1Pe 2:9)

MAY WE BE WORTHY AND REPRESENT HaShem TO THE WORLD IN THE SPIRIT OF YESHUA OUR MASTER AND HIGH-PRIEST OF THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.


R' Gavriel Lumbroso


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PAR'SHAT T'RUMA: Golden Inside and Outside.

2/5/2019

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ועשׂו ארון עצי שׁטים אמתים וחצי ארכו ואמה וחצי רחבו ואמה וחצי קמתו׃
וצפית אתו זהב טהור מבית ומחוץ תצפנו ועשׂית עליו זר זהב סביב׃

"They are to make an ark of acacia-wood three-and-three-quarters feet long, two-and-a-quarter feet wide and two-and-a-quarter feet high. You are to overlay it with pure gold -- overlay it both inside and outside -- and put a molding of gold around the top of it.
(Exo 25:10-11 CJB)

GOLDEN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE.

WHY OVER LAY WITH GOLD ON THE INSIDE?
A great principle is taught to us in the idea that the Holy Ark is to be overlaid with pure gold inside and out. After all, why not use brass or even a cheaper metal?
Who ever sees the inside anyway?

THE MANY FACES OF GOLD.
First, let’s look at the ideas referring to gold in the Tanach. Where is gold mentioned in the Tanach? Where was it found? What’s its place in prophecy?
Gold is mentioned very early in the text of the Tanach. The Garden of Eden had a river flowing out of it that fed four other major waterways (the Pishon, Gihon, Tigris and the Euphrates, Genesis 2:10 - 14). Pishon flowed into a land called Havilah, where there were great quantities of high-quality gold (verse 11). There are seven Hebrew words in the Tanach that are translated as the English word “gold.”
  • Zahav זהב (Strong's Concordance #H2091). It stems from a root word that means to shimmer or shine. This is the one used on Exodus 25:11.
  • Paz פז (#H6337), refers to the mineral in its pure or refined state and sometimes refers to spiritual purity and glory.  Job 28:17 ; Psalms 19:10 ; 21:3
  • Betser בצר (#H1220), found in Job 36;19, refers to “riches’, or as gold dug out of the mine.
  • Charuts חרוץ (Strong's #H1220) is used to refer to gold when it is chopped or cut off in pieces Zechariah 9:3.
  • Kethem כתם (#H3800) refers to the metal that it is in a state as pure as originally mined (Isaiah 13;12)
  • Sagor  סגור(#H5462)( ).as being enclosed or treasured up; thus precious or "fine gold"  references the metal as a solid. (1 Kings 6:20; 7:49)
  • Lastly, Dehab דהב (#H1722), which occurs only in the books of Daniel and Ezra, is yet another reference to gold.
There are at least six places, in ancient times, where this precious metal was known to be found. They are Havilah (Genesis 2:11 - 12), Ophir (1Kings 9:28, 10:11, 1Chronicles 29:4, 2Chronicles 8:18, Job 22:24), Parvaim (2Chronicles 3:6), Sheba (1Kings 10:10, 2Chronicles 9:9, Psalm 72:15), Tarshish (2Chronicles 9:21, Isaiah 60:9) and Uphaz (Jeremiah 10:9).

Gold, in Bible times, was often valued by weight using a unit of measure known as a Talent. A talent weighed about 75 U.S. pounds or 34.3 kilograms, which is equivalent of 1,094 troy ounces. If we assume a gold price of $1,500 per troy ounce, a talent would be worth $1,639,500.This should give us a perspective on Matthew 25:14-30.

The book of Revelation makes 22 references to this precious metal. The seven lampstands (1:12, 1:20 and 2:1). Yochanan clothed in a girdle or band made of the gold (1:13). As well as. Revelation 4:4, 5:8, 8:3, 9:7, 9:20, 14:14 and 17:3 - Lastly, on the renewed heaven and earth,  New Jerusalem has streets composed of the rare mineral (Revelation 21).

GOLD AND THE SHECHINA
Gold has always represented wealth and purity. Its yellowish color which compares with the oil of anointing, with fire, and with the Shechina seem to be a special theme in Hashem's kingdom which abounds in purity.

Could it be why it was important that the Holy Ark should be overlaid with gold? To represent wealth, purity and the Kingdom of God?. But why inside?

The Talmud states that Exodus 25:11is a symbol that a Torah scholar must be pure inside as well as outside (Yoma 72b). A true Torah teacher is not someone who just speaks wisdom on the outside, but he must also internalize his wisdom and live with it.

In his book, “Growing Through Torah,” Rabbi Zelig Pliskin challenges his readers with, “Whenever you speak about lofty thoughts, ask yourself whether you really experience them. In your own behavior, do you actually follow the principles you are talking about? If not, do not stop speaking about those ideals, but elevate your behavior.”

OUR WORKS TESTED BY FIRE.
Paul used the property of metals such as gold and silver as a midrash to tell us about a very important principle in life. As he challenges the disciples in Corinth to vet their Torah teachers, he compares himself, and other Torah teachers, to farmers, then to builders of HaShem’s Kingdom on earth.  

After defining his role as a “planter” and Appolos’ as a “waterer”, he midrashes on the idea of rewards and recognition for a job well done saying,

Planter and waterer are the same.
However, each will be rewarded according to his work.
For we are God's co-workers; you are God's field, ...

Then he continues changing the midrash from field imagery to carpentry imagery where he lays the foundation upon which Appolos builds,

… God's building.
Using the grace God gave me, I laid a foundation, like a skilled master-builder; and another man is building on it. (1Co 3:8-10 CJB)

Afterward Paul gives a warning concerning the quality of the work we build on the foundation of Messiah. All work, but not all receive equal recognition. He warns,

But let each one be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah. Some will use gold, silver or precious stones in building on this foundation; while others will use wood, grass or straw. (1Co 3:10-12 CJB)

Notice the difference in material, some commun (the teachings of man), some precious (true Torah teaching). What is the element that reveals the true nature of teachers’ work?

But each one's work will be shown for what it is; the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire -- the fire will test the quality of each one's work. (1Co 3:13 CJB)

If the work someone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward; if it is burned up, he will have to bear the loss: he will still escape with his life, but it will be like escaping through a fire.
(1Co 3:14-15 CJB)

ADONAI, THE CONSUMING FIRE!
Adonai your God is a consuming fire,(Deu 4:24 CJB) the Torah tells us. He tests our endeavors through the fire of His majesty. Is our “work” based on selfish proud purposes or is it like the emmissary says, “Trusting faithfulness expressing itself through love. (Gal 5:6)” The same emmissary mentions later to the same Corintians,

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.
(1Co 13:1-3 CJB)

Yes, our works on earth will be tested through fire. If they are like wood, grass or straw, they will burn and be destroyed and we will have nothing to show for ourselves. But just as metal gets purer under fire, if our works for Him are made of  gold, silver, they will be refined in to even more purity.

This is the difference with the teacher who teaches from a heart which is golden on the outside, and wood on the inside.

May we be teachers who teach from a heart that is golden on the outside,
and on the inside:

His heart!

R' Gavriel


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PAR'SHAT MISHPATIM: The Stranger in Your Midst.

1/31/2019

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וגר לא־תונה ולא תלחצנו כי־גרים הייתם בארץ מצרים׃

(22:20) "You must neither wrong nor oppress a foreigner living among you, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
(Exo 22:21)




​THE GREAT COMMANDMENT OF HOSPITALITY
The parasha this week addresses something that has become today more of a matter of personal choice, but that in the days of ancient Israel would have been considered as paramount to a Torah observant life. I am talking about hospitality.)

As HaShem delivers His people from slavery, He wants them to never forget their former state. Why? The end of the story, the end of the game, is that every knee shall bow to Him and that every tongue shall confess and praise Him. Not Israel only, but the whole of humanity. As the smallest of all nations, as the weakest of all peoples, HaShem chose Israel in order to show the rest of the world that if He could use such a small nation, such a small people, and I would add, such a stubborn and stiff necked people, he could use us too.


Adonai didn't set his heart on you or choose you because you numbered more than any other people - on the contrary, you were the fewest of all peoples. Rather, it was because Adonai loved you, and because he wanted to keep the oath which he had sworn to your ancestors, that Adonai brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from a life of slavery under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deu 7:7-8)

HASHEM’S GREAT LOVE AFFAIR WITH ISRAEL

The intense love affair between HaShem and Israel is beautifully depicted in Ezekiel 16 where in a poetic way, under HaShem's inspiration, the prophet describes the Exodus from Egypt; the time when HaShem looked at Israel, soiled a dirty and took her in his bosom. Here is a sample.

" 'Again I passed by you, looked at you and saw that your time had come, the time for love. So I spread my cloak over you to cover your private parts and entered into a covenant with you,' says Adonai Elohim, 'and you became mine. Then I bathed you in water, washed the blood off you, and anointed you with oil. I also clothed you with an embroidered gown, gave you fine leather sandals to wear, put a fine linen headband on your head and covered you with silk. I gave you jewelry to wear, bracelets for your hands, a necklace for your neck, a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears and a beautiful crown for your head. Thus you were decked out in gold and silver; your clothing was of fine linen, silk and richly embroidered cloth; you ate the finest flour, honey and olive oil. You grew increasingly beautiful -- you were fit to be queen. Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty, because it was perfect, due to my having bestowed my own splendor on you' says Adonai Elohim.  (Eze 16:8-14)

He adopted us not because we were deserving, but solely because He loved us.

REMEMBERING WHERE WE COME FROM

HaShem wants us to never forget these early humble beginnings. He wants us to reflect often on these times. It is only by remembering these early beginnings that we can have the mercy that it takes in order for us to have compassion on the stranger within our midst, and remember to  “neither wrong nor oppress a foreigner living among you” (Exo 22:20 (21)).  We are only able to show hope to others as we remember our early beginning. We can show them mercy only as we remember our sinful ways. We can only show care and compassion as we contemplate our former oppression. When we forget where we come from, when we forget our former state, when we forget our sinful condition, we only show disdain, arrogance, and indifference.

THE MANDATE
As He has been with us, we are mandated to be with others from the nations. Israel is mandated to show the nations, and to the stranger in its midst,  the same care, love, and hospitality that HaShem showed to her. We received his blessings for free, freely we should share them with the world.


Israel left Egypt with a great multitude from the nations (Exo 12:38)). So as Israel became a nation, it right away had to deal with the issue of non-Israelites in its midst, an issue which HaShem addressed right away, because he knows the sectarian separatist heart of man. HaShem made sure that, in his status of “chosen people”, Israel did not develop a spirit of elitism.

This commandment seems to peer into the future, to a time when the nations will flock to the house of Jacob in order to hear the word of the Lord. Not counting that for 2000 years now, ⅔ of the world has learned about the God of Abraham, in some form or another, live by a seven day week, and have a judicial and moral code based on the 10 commandments  However, now many are flocking around His Jewish children in some form or other in order to learn from the Torah.

As Jews, we are mandated in the command of Exodus 22:20(21) to receive these people from the nations with the same grace that HaShem received us. We should never look down on them or have a distant aloof attitude towards them. We must freely extend to them the same hand of fellowship that HaShem freely extended  to us.

THE STRANGER IN THE ENDTIME
Through the inspiration of HaShem, Isaiah said,

A foreigner joining Adonai should not say, "Adonai will separate me from his people"; likewise the eunuch should not say, "I am only a dried-up tree." For here is what Adonai says: "As for the eunuchs who keep my Shabbats, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant: in my house, within my walls, I will give them power and a name greater than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that will not be cut off. "And the foreigners who join themselves to Adonai to serve him, to love the name of Adonai, and to be his workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples." Adonai Elohim says, he who gathers Isra'el's exiles: "There are yet others I will gather, besides those gathered already."  (Isa 56:3-8)

Thé Talmud tells stories of how Abraham used to invite people to his tent to eat and hear about his God. Later we hear about Rachab and Ruth as examples of those foreigners accepted in the fellowship of Israel. They are even mentioned in the genealogy of the Messiah (Mat 1-5) (those whom HaShem accepts, who are we to reject?) 
    Later, King David built a Tabernacle that Amos prophesied would be the rally point for Israel and the nations. When faced with the decisions concerning gentiles turning to HaShem, James was reminded of the Amos prophecy concerning the broken tabernacle of David.

Ya`akov broke the silence to reply.
"Brothers," he said, "hear what I have to say. Shim`on has told in detail what God did when he first began to show his concern for taking from among the Goyim a people to bear his name. And the words of the Prophets are in complete harmony with this, for it is written,

' "After this, I will return; and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David. I will rebuild its ruins, I will restore it, so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, that is, all the Goyim who have been called by my name," says Adonai, who is doing these things.' All this has been known for ages.
(1 Chron 15-16)/(Amos 9:11)/(Act 15:13-18)

,
From Abraham to John the Revelator, all the prophets have seen and foreseen  the day when the nations will join themselves to Israel. Regardless of practical and theological issues, it is the grand plan, a plan which Yeshua came to initiate.
Just before he ascended to the Father, Yeshua told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem. Ten days later on Shavuot a miracle happened which Peter interpreted as initiating the time when the Spirit of God will no longer be allowed only upon the Jewish people, but also on those from the nations who turn to Him.(Joel 8:28; Acts 2)


May we accept others even as He accepted us!

​R' Gavriel Lumbroso



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PAR'SHAT YITRO: Love in Action.

1/24/2019

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  ויבא משׁה ויקרא לזקני העם

 Moshe came, summoned the leaders of the people
Exodus 19:7

Moshe had the people come to him and thus himself had to walk to the burning bush to come closer to HaShem. The prophet Samuel, on the other hand, went to the people and thus merited having HaShem come to him.

R' Chaim Shmuelevitz says that this teaches us that our relationship with HaShem has much to do with our relationship with people.
What he figured to himself was that we cannot claim to love God while remaining indifférent to the plight of those made in His image. In the mind of the Rabbi, the two situations mentioned above concerning Moshe and Shmu'el challenge us with, "As Moshe and Shmu'el treated the people, so did HaShem treat Moshe and Shmu'el." What would it look like if that were to happen to any one of us?
 
We sometime think that our love for HaShem and our love for people around us are two separate things. But what does it mean when we are told, "You are to love Adonai with all our heart, being, and resources"? (Deut 6:4).  Does HaShem need physical affection? Is He insecure so that he always needs to be reminded that we love Him, as if He couldn't see what was in our hearts?
Yeshua Himself gave us a clue on how to answer these questions by juxtaposing this elementary commandment from Deuteronomy (Deut 6:5) with  the other one from Leviticus, "Love your neighbour  as yourself. (Lev 19:18)
         In essence, the practical application of loving God is to love our neighbor like ourselves. It is really as simple as that. HaShem does appreciate the worship, the emotional prayers, the affirmations, the testimonies of faith, but really, the most effective way to tell Him "I love you", is to do actions of love towards those  made in His Image; to imitate Him and show as much love as He's shown unworthy "us" to others who may also seem to us unworthy.
 
HaShem is a great "psychologist." He knows about our ego. We all love ourselves. We give ourselves great leverage and forgiveness. We can find a never ending supply of excuses to use as absolutions for our misdeeds. That's why the Torah then tells us to treat others in the way we treat ourselves.
 
Yeshua had much to say about that. As He taught on the mountain, He said,
 
Forgive us what we have done wrong,
as we too have forgiven those who have wronged us.
(Mat 6:12)
 
And furthermore He said,
 
For the way you judge others is how you will be judged --
the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you.
(Mat 7:2)
 

James, the brother of the master,  concurred with R' Chaim Shmuelevitz when he said,
 
The religious observance that God the Father considers pure and faultless is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being contaminated by the world.
(Jas 1:27)
 
John also added,
 
We ourselves love now because he loved us first. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if a person does not love his brother, whom he has seen, then he cannot love God, whom he has not seen. Yes, this is the command we have from him: whoever loves God must love his brother too.
(1Jn 4:19-21)
 

We probably don't mind loving as long as it is within our circle. We all love within our own circles but we might find it difficult to love outside of our cultural or intimate entourage. Yeshua challenged us with that, reminding us that even non believers do that. Actually, even animals love their own. But Yeshua's sample of love and care transcended culture, race, religion, and politics. He spoke to the Roman officer (Rom 8:5-7); healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman (Mat 15:21-28); and even went all the way to filthy, pagan Decapolis to heal a man afflicted with a demon (Mk 5:1-20).
He called us to follow His example. When praying to the Father He said,
 
Just as you sent me into the world,
I have sent them into the world.
(Joh 17:18)
 
To act and live this way is the one and only proof that we have been regenerated in Yeshua, that old things are passed away and all things are become new (2 Cor 5:17). Paul admonished the mixed congregation (a congregation made up of Jews and Gentiles) in the following words,
 
The new self allows no room for discriminating between Gentile and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, foreigner, savage, slave, free man; on the contrary, in all, the Messiah is everything. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, forgive him. Indeed, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive. Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly;
(Col 3:11)
 
Here is something else from Rabbi, Chayim "The Midrash says that Shmu'el got his great love for other people from a garment his mother lovingly made for him and which he always kept with him."
Here is how Paul puts it to the Colossians,
 
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, forgive him. Indeed, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive. Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly;
(Col 3:11-14)
 
May we ourselves put on this garment of
compassion,
kindness,
humility,
gentleness,
patience,
and love.
And like Shmu'el with his mother's garment, always keep it with us.
 
As we ensample this in our lives towards others and also towards our children,  we provoke tikkun Olam (repairing the world) not only for our generation but for that of our children and that of our children's children's, as Rabbi Chayim says,
 
"The love we show our children implants in them a deep feeling of being loved which, in turn, allows them to love others."
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PAR'SHAT B'SHALACH: Bitter Lessons.

1/15/2019

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כב  וַיַּסַּע מֹשֶׁה אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּם-סוּף, וַיֵּצְאוּ אֶל-מִדְבַּר-שׁוּר; וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת-יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְלֹא-מָצְאוּ מָיִם.
כג  וַיָּבֹאוּ מָרָתָה--וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לִשְׁתֹּת מַיִם מִמָּרָה, כִּי מָרִים הֵם; עַל-כֵּן קָרָא-שְׁמָהּ, מָרָה.
כד  וַיִּלֹּנוּ הָעָם עַל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר, מַה-נִּשְׁתֶּה.
כה  וַיִּצְעַק אֶל-יְהוָה, וַיּוֹרֵהוּ יְהוָה עֵץ, וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶל-הַמַּיִם, וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם; שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט, וְשָׁם נִסָּהוּ.
כו  וַיֹּאמֶר אִם-שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע לְקוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, וְהַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו תַּעֲשֶׂה, וְהַאֲזַנְתָּ לְמִצְוֺתָיו, וְשָׁמַרְתָּ כָּל-חֻקָּיו--כָּל-הַמַּחֲלָה אֲשֶׁר-שַׂמְתִּי בְמִצְרַיִם, לֹא-אָשִׂים עָלֶיךָ, כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה, רֹפְאֶךָ.  {ס}
כז  וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵילִמָה--וְשָׁם שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה עֵינֹת מַיִם, וְשִׁבְעִים תְּמָרִים; וַיַּחֲנוּ-שָׁם, עַל-הַמָּיִם.

Moshe led Isra'el onward from the Sea of Suf . They went out into the Shur Desert; but after traveling three days in the desert, they had found no water. They arrived at Marah but couldn't drink the water there, because it was bitter. This is why they called it Marah [bitterness]. The people grumbled against Moshe and asked, "What are we to drink?" Moshe cried to Adonai; and Adonai showed him a certain piece of wood, which, when he threw it into the water, made the water taste good. There Adonai made laws and rules of life for them, and there he tested them. He said, "If you will listen intently to the voice of Adonai your God, do what he considers right, pay attention to his mitzvot and observe his laws, I will not afflict you with any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians; because I am Adonai your healer." They came to Eilim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and camped there by the water. (Exo 15:22-27)

LEADERSHIP JOB DESCRIPTION.
I heard someone say on time, “I know it pays to worry; most of the things you worry about never happen!” That may sound a little sarcastic, but if when we take stock of things, there is a truth to it. Most of the time, the things we worry about do not happen. Why do we worry then? In his book, “Growth Through Torah” Rabbi Zelig Pliskin says that “Patience decreases worry.” Worry is basically a lack of patience and trust that HaShem is ultimately in control of our lives.

The parasha this week takes us on the journey the Children of Israel started through the desert. They had to leave quickly. They did not even have time to let their bread rise so they could have something to eat on their way, much less bring water with them for nearly 3,000.000 people. The text tells us that,  “Moshe led Isra'el onward from the Sea of Suf . They went out into the Shur Desert; but after traveling three days in the desert, they had found no water. They arrived at Marah but couldn't drink the water there, because it was bitter. This is why they called it Marah [bitterness]. The people grumbled against Moshe and asked, "What are we to drink?" (Exo 15:22-27)
    Moshe Is now getting a bitter taste of one of the burdens of leadership, the one that says, “You can please some of the people all the time; you can please all the people some time; but you can never please all the people all the time!”
It is part of the job description for a leader to become the punching-ball of the disgruntled; the brunt of their ungrateful accusations. Any would-be leader has to realise that he does not get to win at this game; he has to “suck it up” as part of the job HaShem has called him to do. Yeshua did it, as well as all the leaders he left behind such as the disciples, and Paul.

WHAT DID MOSHE DO?
How did Moshe react to that situation as the leader? Did he get angry? Did he fly off the handle? Did he give up? The text tells us that, “Moshe cried to Adonai; and Adonai showed him a certain piece of wood, which, when he threw it into the water, made the water taste good.”
    Moshe was the humblest of all men on the earth Numbers 12-3 says. As such, Moshe knew that he was not leading the Children of Israel, HaShem was. He knew that he was not responsible for providing food and water for 3,000.000 people in the desert, HaShem was. After all, to bring the Children of Israel into the captivity of the Egyptians was HaShem’s idea and way to allow His people to grow numerous enough so that they could become a nation. To deliver them through these very unconventional ways was also His idea. Moshe knew it, so all he had to do was to get back to HaShem for the next phase of a program that was beyond the capacity of any man.

A BITTER LESSON .
When they arrived at the bitter pool of water of Mara, the people had a very human reaction. Think of it as trying to give a spiritual answer concerning trusting HaShem about the situation to a frustrated mother with a crying thirsty and hungry 2-year-old in her arms.
In those situations, it is easy for one to imagine that HaShem has abandoned them. That everything is just random and without a plan. That Moshe is making it up as he goes (and he might be but shhhhh; don’t tell anyone!). But there wis a plan; there is a lesson to be learned. The text tells us, “There Adonai made laws and rules of life for them, and there he tested them. He said, "If you will listen intently to the voice of Adonai your God, do what he considers right, pay attention to his mitzvot and observe his laws, I will not afflict you with any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians; because I am Adonai your healer."
From Goshen, walking North-east through the Gaza Strip you can get to Israel in less than a month walking slowly. But we read that, “After Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not guide them to the highway that goes through the land of the P'lishtim, because it was close by -- God thought that the people, upon seeing war, might change their minds and return to Egypt. Rather, God led the people by a roundabout route, through the desert by the Sea of Suf.” (Exo 13:17-18)  This shows us that life might not have been so hard in Egypt.They had everything, everything except the freedom to leave. But as they say, “Gold shackles are still shackles!”
The israelites had grown a slave mentality where everything was everything was provided for them. In the episode of the bitter waters of Marah, HaShem was getting their attention. He was telling them that now their fate and even their health had a lot to do with their integrity towards Him. That was different.

THE BLESSING COMES AFTER THE LESSON IS LEARNED.
After that we read, “They came to Eilim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and camped there by the water.” (Exo 15:22-27)
    HaShem had a plan, but the plan required them to go through a lesson; a lesson that would be the foundation of their being the nation HaShem had destined them to be. A universal lesson that applies to us today: DEPENDENCE ON HIM.
After the lesson is learned HaShem brings the people to a place with plenty of water. The commentator, Chofetz Chayim says that, “Mortal have limited vision. Because of man’s limitations, people are always full of complaints. They whine and fret about things not being as they would wish. There is always something that they are missing. If the Israelites would have been aware that they would soon have water in Eilim, they would not have come with their complaints to Moshe that they were missing water. They just had to be a bit more patient. The source of people's complaints is that they are not able to see what will be in a short time. Many things that people complain and worry about turn out much better than they imagine.” Chofetz Chayim al HaTorah.

Here is a little poem to illustrate the point,
           Oh, a trouble's a ton, or a trouble's an ounce.
           Or a trouble is what you make it. 
           
And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts.
           But only how did you take it? -

                                                                  -Edmund Vance Cooke


And now a musician’s analogy.
A maker of violins searched all his life for wood that would serve for making violins with a certain beautiful and haunting resonance. At last he succeeded when he came into possession of wood gathered from the timberline, the last stand of the trees of the Rockies, 12,000 feet above sea level. Up there where the winds blow so fiercely and steadily that the bark to windward has no chance to grow, where the branches all point one way, and where a tree to live must stay on its knees all through its life, that is where the world's most resonant wood for violins is born and lives and dies.

Here is another article about the resilient wood that the famed luthier Antonius Stradivarius used to make the best violins in the world. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/making-violins/

Troubles makes some people whine, and it makes others sing. In their jails, Paul and Silas sang praises knowing that one way or another HaShem had a plan for therm.  “Around midnight, Sha'ul and Sila were praying and singing hymns to God, while the other prisoners listened attentively. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open and everyone's chains came loose. (Act 16:25-26)


May we as we sing our way through trouble, that the world may hear our beautiful music and be blessed by it!


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"PAR'SHAT BO: "He Ordains Exile and Orders Deliverance."

1/8/2019

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וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, בֹּא אֶל-פַּרְעֹה; וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֵלָיו, כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים, שַׁלַּח אֶת-עַמִּי, וְיַעַבְדֻנִי.


Adonai said to Moshe, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Here is what Adonai says: "Let my people go, so that they can worship me. (Exo 8:1 CJB)



FLIGHT OR ASSIGNMENT?

During the second World war, Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Bloch had to close his yeshiva in Europe. Upon arrival in America, he commented on his fate using a passage from 1 Samuel 20. He said, “When Jonathan arranged to signal David that he was in danger because King Saul wished to kill him he said, ‘If I tell the boy the arrows are beyond you, go, for HaShem has sent you!’ Why didn’t he say, ‘Flee’, rather than ‘go’, which would have been more accurate?”
    This may sound like a trivial question, but when we speak of the Word that we are told is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; (2 Tim 3:16), it is important to pay attention to details.
    David had to actually flee for his life, but Jonathan interpreted that situation as HaShem sending his friend on a particular mission. In this choice of words, we see that Jonathan had perfect peace concerning the course of events. This is very important.
    When we realize that HaShem has His divine hands in all the aspects of our lives, that He is the guiding Presence supervising every step of our lives, we realise that what we may otherwise call a ‘flight,’ even from seeming impending danger, is actually the signal that we are dispatched to a different mission or assignment.
    This realization procures peace that all is indeed in His very able hands.

THE DEVIL DID IT TO ME!
I very often hear the statement, “The devil is doing this and that to me.” Isn’t it a bit silly and rather inconsistent in principle that we attribute the bad things (or the things we don’t like and don’t agree with) to the Evil one, and the good things (or the things we like and agree with) to HaShem? Wouldn’t it mean that sometimes HaShem is not able to prevent HaSatan from doing us evil, or that the two are in a constant battle with either one winning at any time? Wouldn’t it mean that life is random? This sounds fearfully depressing! What we rather see in the first chapter of the Book of Job, HaShem allows HaSatan to do things to us in order to “send” us on a particular assignment (Job 1:12).

THERE IS MORE TO THIS STORY.
In the parashah this week we read of HaShem's great miracles. We read how He did wonderful things in order to free the Children of Israel from their Egyptian captives. This is the story of our God who always fulfills His promises.  This makes for a great story. But there is more to this story than the miracle of the deliverance; it is also the story of the captivity of a whole people.
    Just as there cannot be resurrection without death, there cannot be great deliverance without captivity. The first has to be for the other to happen. The Children of Israel did not flee to Egypt because of the famine in Cana’an. Just as Joseph said, they were sent there by HaShem to accomplish their great mission. “God sent me ahead of you to ensure that you will have descendants on earth and to save your lives in a great deliverance.” (Gen 45:7 CJB)
    And what was the mission of the Children of Israel? What was the reason HaShem sent them to Egypt? “I will make Pharaoh so hardhearted that he will pursue them; thus I will win glory for myself at the expense of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will realize at last that I am Adonai.". (Exo 14:4 CJB)
    Since the time of the Exodus, this story has been read by billions. We still study it today. HaShem brought the Israelites to Egypt. HaShem hardened Pharaoh’s heart to keep the Israelites prisoner. HaShem freed them. These were all HaShem's mighty works from the beginning.


“WHAT HAS BEEN IS WHAT WILL BE.” (Ecc 1:9)
Even now we are nearing the end of what has been called the Roman Exile. Even now we are seeing the preparations of a greater exodus. The prophets could only dream of these days and longed to see them (Mat 13:17). And this time, it is not soleley for the Egyptian to at last realize that He is Adonai for HaShem said through the prophet, “I will make my holy name known among my people Isra'el; I will not allow my holy name to be profaned any longer. Then the Goyim will know that I am Adonai, the Holy One in Isra'el. Yes, this is coming, and it will be done,' says Adonai Elohim; 'this is the day about which I have spoken.” (Eze 39:7-8 CJB)  All the nations will know then that He is Adoanai, the God of Israel, the God of heaven and earth! The present-day Jewish Diaspora is to bring about the nations to glorifying the God of Israel.

AND WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS?
May we as we live our lives, as we go through its ups and downs, never think during times of difficutly that HaShem has abandoned us. He never abandons us but rather sends us on missions. (Deut 31:6)
Whatever catastrophes, accidents, deaths, sicknesses, financial problems, they are but signals that He sends us on a mission that He may be glorified either in our hearts or in the hearts of others around us. Haven’t we been sent to glorify him?
He ordains exile and orders the deliverance.
He ordains sickness and orders healing.
He ordains penury and orders providence.
He ordains death and orders resurrecting.

 "COME" OR "GO" :בא ?
The parashah is called “BO”, from its first sentence, בֹּא אֶל-פַּרְעֹה. This sentence is usually translated as, “Go to Pharaoh…” but really it’s meaning is, “Come to Pharaoh.” When someone tells us to come somewhere, that means that he is already waiting for us there. This teaches us that HaShem was also in Egypt as he said, "I have seen how my people are being oppressed in Egypt and heard their cry for release from their slavemasters, because I know their pain.” (Exo 3:7 CJB)
This teaches us that whateve ‘exile” we are in, HaShem sees us, and is even with us. He is the One who takes us in, and He is the One who brings us out!


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PAR'SHAT VA'ERA: Suffering, a Tool Toward a Purpose.

1/2/2019

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לֵךְ אֶל-פַּרְעֹה בַּבֹּקֶר, הִנֵּה יֹצֵא הַמַּיְמָה, וְנִצַּבְתָּ לִקְרָאתוֹ, עַל-שְׂפַת הַיְאֹר; וְהַמַּטֶּה אֲשֶׁר-נֶהְפַּךְ לְנָחָשׁ, תִּקַּח בְּיָדֶךָ
Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he goes out to the water. Stand on the riverbank to confront him, take in your hand the staff which was turned into a snake,
(Exo 7:15 CJB)

A WORD FROM A MARRIAGE COUNSELOR
One day I was listening to a radio program where a lady broadcaster gave marriage advice to callers. A woman called complaining about the controlling behavior of her husband. To the surprise of the caller, the counselor said, "Your husband must be a miserable man; you need to feel sorry for him!" The caller who probably was trying to get some sympathy asked what the counselor meant and here was the reply she received. "Controlling people are controlling are very fearful. They fear for their standing; they fear for their appearances; they fear the opinions of man; they fear failure. This makes them want to have everything under their control, which puts them under constant pressure and makes their lives miserable."
        Pharaoh was such a fearful man. Claiming to be God, he was fearful of anything that would challenge his claim, especially people like Moshe.

PHARAOH'S PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION
The text of the parasha this week tells us of Pharaoh going out to the river (Gen 7:15). Why was he going to the river? Couldn't he take a bath at home? Because he claimed to be God, Pharaoh pretended not to be like everybody else having to comply with some of these encumbering and humiliating bodily functions. Therefore, medieval times Torah commentator Rashi says that Pharaoh used to go to the River each morning in order to relieve himself.
         One can imagine the suffering of this poor man. This is the cost of recognition-seeking, the cost of indulging ourselves in the adulation of man. We have to "play the game" so to speak. In order to indulge in his extreme need for control, the control of a monarch with absolute power whose slightest word could bring death to an insubordinate subject, Pharaoh he had to suffer living a life of pretense. He couldn't even relieve himself during the day. And what did he get for it? What did it give him? Just a little more honor than others, and that at a very costly price.

THE DECEIT OF PRETENSE.
It reminds of the movie, "The Final Cut." The movie is placed in the future when people would have the option of receiving an eye implant that records every moment of their lives. When they die, someone takes the "film" and edit it for their memorial service. At that time, their story is in the hand of the "editor." The movie goes on to tell of one girl who lived her life like any other person until she learned that when she was 18, unbeknownst to her, she received an implant. It is at that time that she became religious. That time of her life was very short. She couldn't take the pressure of being "good" all the time so she killed herself.
Seeking recognition, honor, or authority through pretense causes suffering, and people afflicted with such a desire should be pitied.

***********

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARD SUFFERING
Pharaoh was a pitiful man whose life hinged on his ability to control everything. This caused him intense suffering but Pharaoh responded to suffering. Here is what happened  when he was under pressure,

Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said to them, "This time I have sinned: Adonai is in the right; I and my people are in the wrong." (Exo 9:27 CJB)

But as soon as it was over, he went back to his old ways, (just like most of us).
When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail and thunder had ended, he sinned still more by making himself hardhearted, he and his servants. (Exo 9:34 CJB)

Why did he do that? Why do we do that?

It is because of a wrong attitude towards suffering. Pharaoh saw suffering as a punishment. Sometimes just like Pharaoh, we also look at suffering as a punishment instead of what it really is: a tool for growth and self-improvement.  
   Suffering is actually a personal message from HaShem that He is working on some improvement in our lives. When we see suffering as a tool of growth, we find meaning in our suffering.

Here are Paul's admonitions on the subject. Paul knew about suffering. To suffer for the Name of Yeshua was in life's mission as prophesied to him by Ananias (Acts 9:15-16).

Let us also boast in our troubles; because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope; and this hope does not let us down, because God's love for us has already been poured out in our hearts through the Ruach HaKodesh who has been given to us.
(Rom 5:3-5 CJB)

James, the brother of the Master who martyred in the Temple precinct also knew about suffering.
Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing.
(Jas 1:2-4 CJB)

As an example of suffering mistreatment and being patient, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of Adonai. Look, we regard those who persevered as blessed. You have heard of the perseverance of Iyov, and you know what the purpose of Adonai was, that Adonai is very compassionate and merciful.
(Jas 5:10-11 CJB)


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PAR'SHAT SHEMOT: Broken Into Leadership

12/24/2018

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 ויאמר יהוה ראה ראיתי את־עני עמי אשׁר במצרים ואת־צעקתם שׁמעתי מפני נגשׂיו כי ידעתי את־מכאביו׃ 
 וארד להצילו מיד מצרים ולהעלתו מן־הארץ ההוא אל־ארץ טובה ורחבה אל־ארץ זבת חלב ודבשׁ אל־מקום הכנעני והחתי והאמרי והפרזי והחוי והיבוסי׃ 
 ועתה הנה צעקת בני־ישׂראל באה אלי וגם־ראיתי את־הלחץ אשׁר מצרים לחצים אתם׃ 



Adonai said, "I have seen how my people are being oppressed in Egypt and heard their cry for release from their slavemasters, because I know their pain. I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that country to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the place of the Kena`ani, Hitti, Emori, P'rizi, Hivi and Y'vusi. Yes, the cry of the people of Isra'el has come to me, and I have seen how terribly the Egyptians oppress them. 
(Exo 3:7-9 CJB)



In this passage HaShem claimed He has seen the oppression of His people. That He heard their cries. He says, "I know their pain" which resulted in "I have come down..."
     In two weeks we will go over Par'shat "Bo". Though English texts of that parasha translate it as "Go", in Hebrew, "Bo" means "Come". The sages have therefore concluded that if HaShem tells Moshe, "Come to Pharaoh..." (Ex 10:1), as opposed to "Go to Pharaoh...", HaShem must be in Egypt. From there we learn that HaShem did not just content Himself with observing the situation from afar. He came down and took part of the afflictions of His people. 
     This sets an example for would-be leaders of HaShem's people. We cannot be satisfied with leaders which display mere remote empathy. A leader of HaShem's congregations need to be able to not just say "Sorry for your problem...!", or "I feel and understand your pain ...!", (when we really sometimes don't) but he needs to really truly empathize, and that from a heart of personal experience. If a leader is to empathize from a heart of personal experience, one cannot be a  true leader of HaShem's people without having personally gone through harrowing experiences and done some pretty awful blunders themselves. How else could they understand and have mercy on us simple people! In fact, mistakes and blunders seem to be the hallmark of those HaShem chooses to lead His people.    

I am remembered of the famous story of Jim Elliot and Nate Saint who went to teach about the God of Yeshua to the Mincayanis, a Waodani tribesman from the jungles of Ecuador in 1956.  The tribe  was so engrossed in personal vendettas that they did not know what it meant to have grandchildren. They actually killed Jim and Nate with their spears.         Later, Jim Elliot's wife of  decided to continue her husband's work and went to live among the  Mincayanis in order to care for them. That was something that took them by surprise. Her main message was about the God who could understand them  because 'He Himself had lost his son by a spear. But though it was painful to Him, He did not choose to go for revenge but rather to use His son's death as an element of life for those who killed him.'  You can watch the docu-drama rightly called 'The End of the Spear' here: http://christian-flix.com/end-of-the-spear/ 
     Because of His similar experience, those tribes people felt that that God could understand them, so they were willing to listen to His Words and let them change their lives. A beautiful true story.

Here is an anecdote to illustrate the point. (Heard from Rabbi Shalom Shwadron)

A little boy was playing in front of Rabbi Shwadron's house in Jerusalem. The child fell, and received a nasty cut. Hearing the child's cry, Rabbi Shwadron ran outside, put a towel over the cut, and rushed over with the boy to a doctor that lived nearby. As he was running, an elderly lady noticed his concern and distress and, thinking it was one of Rabbi Shwadron's children, called out, "Don't worry, don't worry, Hashem will help!"
     It so happened that the boy was the woman's grandson. Rabbi Shwadron was curious to see her reaction when she would realize the child's identity. Sure enough, as soon as she realized that it was her grandson, she stopped saying, "Don't worry," and started screaming at the top of her lungs, "My Meir! My Meir!" while neighbors tried to calm her down.
   
When someone else's child is involved, you may detachedly say, "Don't worry"; but when your own child is involved, then you'll shout!

Such kinds of leaders were the foremen of the Children of Israel in Egypt. 

The text of the Torah tells us, 

'The foremen of the people of Isra'el, whom Pharaoh's slavemasters had appointed to be over them, were flogged and asked, "Why haven't you fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday and today, as you did formerly?"
(Exo 5:14 CJB)

Rashi, the medieval commentator writes: These officers were Israelite. They had pity for their fellow Israelites and did not force them to fill their quotas. When the officers handed over bricks to the Egyptian taskmasters, the taskmasters beat them for not having pressed the workers to fill their quotas. (Shemot Rabbah 5:20 cited by Rashi).

About the issue of leadership, the Chofetz Chayim also writes that leaders very often take unfair advantage of the people working under them. The just mode of behavior, however, is to never act condescendingly toward others, even if you are elevated to a rank above them. 
     Arrogance is a trait which is strictly forbidden. According to some authorities, the prohibition against arrogance is listed among the 613 commandments of the Torah. We should learn from the officers of the Children of Israel who not only did not take unfair advantage of those under them, but who even suffered physical pain to aid them. (Machaneh Israel, pt 2 ch 3.)



It is recorded in the Torah that when Moshe followed Jethro's advice to share the load of the care of the people by delegating responsibility onto others,  he looked for ... able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, ....(Exo 18:21) When Moses asked the people to chose these kinds of leaders, Jewish historians tells us that the people chose these officers who had suffered the lash of the Egyptians on their behalf.


Bringing this situation closer to our concerns as disciples of the Master, about the events that happen in the desert Paul teaches that ... these things took place as examples for us, ...(1 Co 10:6). This choice by the Children of Israel should therefore serve us as a good sample of the kinds of leaders we should chose for our congregations.
 
The Master Himself taught about choices in leadership in the following words. He said,
    
"You know that among the Goyim, those who are supposed to rule them become tyrants, and their superiors become dictators. Among you, it must not be like that. On the contrary, whoever among you wants to be a leader must become your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave! (Mat 20:25-27)

..whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. (Mat 23:12)

The Master Himself, our Leader and King, set the example for us by suffering the lash of the Romans on our behalf. 

It is the conviction of this writer that only when, like the Children of Israel of old,  we will desire and establish such types of leaders over  our congregations, that is, 
  • Leaders who give their lives in service for the people they serve; 
  • Leaders who do not consider their office as gain;  
  • Leaders who reject pride and arrogance in favor of humility and service; 
  • Leaders who know that mercy is a bridge they cannot deny others without denying it to themselves;
  • Leader who, through their personal abnegation can show the miracle of the resurrection in their own lives of service to the body; 

... our messianic movement will be strong and fulfill its mission of being the Light of Messiah to the world just as it did before! 


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PAR'SHAT VAYECHI: Yissachar Who bears the Burden!

12/20/2018

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ישׂשכר חמר גרם רבץ בין המשׁפתים׃ 
וירא מנחה כי טוב ואת־הארץ כי נעמה ויט שׁכמו לסבל ויהי למס־עבד׃


"Yissakhar is a strong donkey lying down in the sheep sheds. On seeing how good is settled life and how pleasant the country, he will bend his back to the burden, and submit to forced labor.  (Gen 49:14-15 CJB)





YISSACHAR WHO BEARS THE BURDEN


FOR THE END OF DAYS.
Before his death, Jacob commented on each of his children. As he introduced what we call his “blessings” over his children, he says, “ "Gather yourselves together, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the acharit-hayamim.”(Gen 49:1) “Achareit-Hayamim” is a Hebrew terminology that means, “At the end of days”. Jacob was prophesying things that had to do with the end-time.

BLESSING OVER YISSACHAR.
Of Yissachar he said, "On seeing how good is settled life and how pleasant the country, he will bend his back to the burden, and submit to forced labor (Gen 49:15). A more literal translation from the Hebrew would read, “Yissachar saw that rest was good. He bowed his shoulder to bear!”
          Jacob foresaw that as a tribe, Yissachar would have a love for Torah study. He saw that Yissachar would understand that proper Torah understanding depends on rest and peace of mind. That’s what Jacob meant when looking into the future he said that Yissachar, “Saw that rest was good.” Jacob envisioned Yissachar as a tribe in the desert looking forward to the rest in the Land of Milk and Honey. But life in the desert would be anything but peaceful so by, “He bowed his shoulder to bear”, Jacob saw that Yissachar would make sure to learn to bear with everything that came his way while not letting it affect this personal peace of mind that is essential for Torah understanding. By training himself to bear with any difficulties, Yissachar would reach the highest levels of peace of mind in all situations.
          Daat Torah on Bereshit says, “When one reaches the proper level of training, nothing will be able to take away his serenity. Therefore in reference to Yissachar the Torah states, ‘He saw that rest was good.’”
Yissachar would teach himself to have that inner peace, that shalom that passes all understanding (Phil 4:7),  even while in the midst of complicated difficulties.

As a result, Yissachar became the tribe of studies. Its reputation is mentioned later in “Of the descendants of Yissakhar, men who understood the times and knew what Isra'el ought to do, there were 200 leaders, …” (1Ch 12:32)

WHERE DOES INTERNAL PEACE/SHALOM COME FROM?
In the desert, Issachar would learn that peace of mind has very little to do with external circumstances.
People who rely on external circumstances in order to find peace will always be disappointed. Why? Because we cannot control anything around us. Issachar learned about peace in the desert, in the place where there is very little comforts, conveniences, and luxuries. In the place where he is totally dependant on HaShem.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS?
If we are used to only have peace of mind when everything is OK, we are bound to remain in constant confusion because things are seldom OK. But when a person like Yissachar, learns to find peace in the midst of a “storm” he has now acquired a peace that is independent of his environment and that is the peace of mind that is essential to understand Torah.
          That is why HaShem had to take Israel through the desert. It is only in the midst of dire situations where we are in total dependence to Him that we learn to find the kind of internal peace that is necessary to learn Torah. Our lives may never be ideal. Our needs may never be fully met. Our outward living conditions may never be conducive to Torah study. Like Yissachar, we have to train ourselves to bear difficulties with peace.
But how do we do it?

LOOK TO THE MASTER!
Ancient Greek athletes drew their strength by training in unfavorable condition. They used to train with weights on their ankles so on the day of the race, they took off these weights and literally flew on the tracks (Heb 12:1).
          At a contest for the greatest painting illustrating peace, many had painted quiet pastoral scenes. The painting that won the prize was one of a roaring and raging torrent breaking everything in its path. If one looked carefully at the painting, he could see a nest with a bird peacefully singing on a branch taken down by the raging waters.


Service dogs are taught to focus on their prime duty to their master while being subjected to noisy distractions and temptations. This teaches them to stay focused even when conditions are less than ideal. His trainer puts a piece of meat on the ground and says, “No!” The dog knows that he is not supposed to eat that piece of meat so he intently stares at the face of his master. He dares not look at that meat. He knows that then the temptation would then be too strong, so he just stares at his master.
          The dog has a lesson for us here. If we want to have that peace that passes all understanding, if we want to have the internal peace that is essential to the proper study of Torah, if we want to stay focused on our mission and responsibility, we must keep our eyes on the Master.


PATRIARCHS OF FAITH.
Jacob foresaw Yissachar as a tribe dedicated study; as a tribe who understood the times; as a tribe who symbolized the peaceful spiritual scholarly attributes of Israel. But peace, true peace has eluded Israel since its inception. As such, Jacob and Yissachar can be called patriarchs, as they died not having received the promises of peace for Israel (Heb 11;123).


May we also believe in those promises of a Land of peace and rest no matter what happens around us. The early pioneer of modern Israel believed it or they would never have moved in.

May we like Yissachar, bear the burden that we may have the peace that passes all understanding in spite of external condition until that Day, until such a day when peace will be the hallmark of the Land where HaShem has chosen to put His Name.  



R' Gavriel lUMBROSO

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PAR'SHAT VAYIGASH: Life is not Random!

12/12/2018

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ויאמר יוסף אל־אחיו גשׁו־נא אלי ויגשׁו ויאמר אני יוסף אחיכם אשׁר־מכרתם אתי מצרימה׃
ועתה אל־תעצבו ואל־יחר בעיניכם כי־מכרתם אתי הנה כי למחיה שׁלחני אלהים לפניכם׃
כי־זה שׁנתים הרעב בקרב הארץ ועוד חמשׁ שׁנים אשׁר אין־חרישׁ וקציר׃
וישׁלחני אלהים לפניכם לשׂום לכם שׁארית בארץ ולהחיות לכם לפליטה גדלה׃

Yosef said to his brothers, "Please! Come closer." And they came closer. He said, "I am Yosef, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But don't be sad that you sold me into slavery here or angry at yourselves, because it was God who sent me ahead of you to preserve life. The famine has been over the land for the last two years, and for yet another five years there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me ahead of you to ensure that you will have descendants on earth and to save your lives in a great deliverance. (Gen 45:4-7)

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LIFE IS NOT RANDOM
“Finding meaning in life's difficulties makes them easier to cope with. The Chofetz Chaim commented that from the time the brothers first came to Egypt to get food and Yoseph accused them of being spies, they were puzzled about what exactly was happening. However, once the brothers heard the words "I am Yoseph", their questions about the chain of prior events in Egypt were immediately clarified.
Similarly, when the world hears the words "I am HaShem", all of our questions and difficulties will be answered. Realizing that HaShem has a "master plan" -- even if it beyond our comprehension -- gives meaning to our hardships and suffering. Even if you don't know the exact meaning of a particular event, the knowledge that there is an ultimate meaning will enable you to view the situation in a positive, albeit painful, manner.” Zelig Pliskin.

LIFE HAPPENS!
Life has a way of happening, and very often, against many of our wishes. These are times when our personal satisfaction and happiness hangs on whether we fight it, flow with it, or accept it. I would dare to venture and say that each of these modus operandi are good, in their proper time and place. It is like the poor soldier who was asked to go deliver a message across enemy lines. He was told to zig-zag in order to avoid the flying bullets. When he was later found wounded and bleeding from several shots he was asked what happened, he replied, “I guess I must have zigged when I should have zagged, and zagged when I should have zigged.” There are probably times when we should fight what seems to be a ill destiny, but there are also times to flow with it or even accept it. Wisdom is to have the right attitude at the right time.
I am reminded of King David who when insulted by Nabal, Abigail's husband wanted to destroy the man and all he owned (1 Samuel 25:34), but at another time, he allowed Shimei to insult him because he knew it was HaShem reminding him of his sin (2 Samuel 16:5-13).

ATTITUDE DEFINES OUR ALTITUDE!
Of all the attitudes to have about the seemingly negative things that can happen in one's life, I think Joseph had the best. He had the universal one; the one that is true and that works at all times. His attitude serves as a model for all those who have decided to let HaShem have the final say in their lives. When his brothers came to him in fear, he said to them, “Don’t be sad that you sold me into slavery here or angry at yourselves, because it was God who sent me ahead of you to preserve life. The famine has been over the land for the last two years, and for yet another five years there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me ahead of you to ensure that you will have descendants on earth and to save your lives in a great deliverance. So it was not you who sent me here, but God;“ (Genesis 45: 5-8).

Joseph, who had all the reasons in the world to complain and even abandon God, was aware of the often forgotten truth: we are not the masters of our fate. The quicker we come to that realisation, the quicker our lives will seem to flow with some sort of reason. The quicker we realize that God is the one who has everything under control, the good, the bad, and even the ugly, the quicker we are able to make sense of life.

LIFE IS NOT RANDOM.
We might not know the sense, but the fact of knowing that life is not random but that there is a maker, a decided, someone watching makes the difference. This is the realisation that has kept me going through a rather turbulent life, knowing that whatever the turbulence, I am not a ship helplessly abandoned to the elements of a vast wild ocean. There is a Plan. There is a Planner. There is an Idea. There is a Purpose. Joseph's tests of faith also taught him that there was a Plan, a Planner, an Idea, and a Purpose.

When Yeshua addressed the Israelite multitude of His days, He did not promise that God would alleviate their present day suffering. He did not tell them that he would kick the Romans out. He did not tell them that if they gave their lives to HaShem they would be healed of all their sicknesses, would not know hunger or thirst anymore, nor suffer under the pain of diseases. What He told them was,

"How blessed are the poor in spirit! for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. "How blessed are those who mourn! for they will be comforted. "How blessed are the meek! for they will inherit the Land! "How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! for they will be filled. "How blessed are those who show mercy! for they will be shown mercy. "How blessed are the pure in heart! for they will see God. "How blessed are those who make peace! for they will be called sons of God. "How blessed are those who are persecuted because they pursue righteousness! for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. "How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me! (Mat 5:3-11)

No matter what their present conditions were, and no matter even if they lived or died, not even a sparrow does falls to the ground, not even a hair falls off our head without the Father knowing about it.

All Yeshua told people is that life is not random. A child can be afflicted from cancer and it is not random. A husband or a wife can die of a car accident because someone chose to drink and drive, and it is not random. A baby can be born with a handicap and it is not random. Understanding that there is a purpose in everything changes the way think about life.

This was Joseph's attitude. An attitude that kept him from harboring hateful revenge against his brothers. An attitude that kept him from abandoning the God of his ancestors when things went wrong. An attitude that brought him from the lowest of hell to the highest command in Egypt under pharaoh himself.

MAY WE LEARN FROM THIS.
May we learn from Joseph. May we learn his lesson.
May we use today's small and great troubles as tests, as training grounds to prepare us, so that when  the times called, Jacob’s Troubles come, we will be strong in the face of he who will tempt us to backslide towards hatred, anger, and vengeance.
A story is told that once the passengers of a vessel steaming along the St. Lawrence River were very angry because, in spite of the fact that heavy fog was encircling the boat, full speed ahead was maintained. At last they went to the first mate, & complained, "Oh, don't be afraid!" the mate replied, with a smile. "The fog lies low, & the captain is high above it, & can see where we are going."
               Would we be tempted to complain of the way our Great Captain is leading us? He can see the end of the way. Our ship may seem to be aimlessly tossed to and fro in the fog and winds of adversity, but we should not jump ship. We should instead  remember that Yeshua is a seaworthy captain who sits high above and sees where we are going.

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PAR'SHAT MIKETZ: In the Footsteps of Joseph.

12/5/2018

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 ויאמר פרעה אל־עבדיו הנמצא כזה אישׁ אשׁר רוח אלהים בו׃

And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?"  (Gen 41:38)

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​IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JOSEPH

The parasha this week has so much to offer along the lines of ethical life within the congregation.




WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS FATHERS.
Wherever he goes, whatever he does, Joseph is found to be  a reliable, faithful, honest worker and servant. His masters come to admire him and his nameless invisible God who is constantly in  his lips. No matter what happened to him, Joseph never deviated from his father’s, grandfather’s , and great-grandfather's examples of integrity,  honesty and faithfulness.

HOW DOES HE DO THAT?
It seems that Joseph lived his life according to Murphy's law, “If anything can go wrong, it will.” In spite of it, we don't have any records of any complaints from Joseph. He kept plugging in never complaining, demanding his rights, or pleading his cause. In this we can see the attitude of Isaac with Abimelech (Gen 26), and of Jacob with Laban (Gen: 31:38-42).

This patient resilient attitude seems to be a hallmark of the patriarchs. This spirit of humility and abnegation appears to be a blueprint, almost a messianic blueprint for all the would-be kings and prophets of Israel's history,of  in fact, Israel itself, who constantly seems to have to earn its very own divine given right just to exist. Messiah himself was presented to us as one who opened not his mouth in protests against the injustice done against him (Is 53:7).

IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF THE WORLD.
I have written in the past about the need to emulate the silent resilience of the patriarchs, but I think that this parasha has an extra layer of truth to offer us.

Yeshua said,we are in the world but of the world (John 17). The spirit of the world is anti-God. We live in a society that is diametrically opposite to our beliefs. How do we live in it? How do we keep the peace with it and yet preserve our integrity? Joseph's life presents us with a blueprint on how to do that.

We must remember the early disciples whom Yeshua asked to leave Israel and go abroad. They were asked to go live in a place where everything Jewish was complicated, where kosher meat would hard to find, and where everything wreaked of the idolatry they so despised.

In the same manner today, the disciples of the master are asked to live in a world where pride, violence, and lying subterfuges reign. Everywhere we turn we are subject to the vanity and sensuality of this depraved generation which in it's attempt to re-invent God, calls evil “good” and good “evil.”

The most beautiful part of this parasha is this. When Joseph the convict, Joseph the ex-con, Joseph the prisonnier from a foreign land of uneducated folks admonishes Pharaoh to find a "... man both discreet and wise to put in charge of the land of Egypt. …  to receive a twenty percent tax on the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. (Gen 41:33-34) A job that could only be entrusted to someone honest and faithful,
...
“Pharaoh said to his officials, "Can we find anyone else like him? The Spirit of God lives in him!" So Pharaoh said to Yosef, "Since God has shown you all this -- there is no one as discerning and wise as you --you will be in charge of my household; all my people will be ruled by what you say. Only when I rule from my throne will I be greater than you." Pharaoh said to Yosef, "Here, I place you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Yosef's hand, had him clothed in fine linen with a gold chain around his neck and had him ride in his second best chariot; and they cried before him, "Bow down!" Thus he placed him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. (Gen 41:38-43)



Pagan idolatrous Pharaoh saw the spirit of God in Joseph. He saw the spirit of God in Joseph because of Joseph’s behavior. Joseph really never attempted to verbally teach Pharaoh about the God he served, but his godly behavior was the visual testimony of his invisible nameless God and for this, Pharaoh put Joseph over his whole empire. This often made me think of what King Solomon said, ”When a man's ways please Adonai, he makes even the man's enemies be at peace with him.” (Pro 16:7)


AND WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS?
In every generation the children of God have had to deal with harassment, ridicule,  or persecution from ungodly folks. The Talmud has many stories about resilient Rabbis who humbly accepted martyrdom.
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10447-martyrs-the-ten
Many are even found in the Foxe's Book of Martyrs. I have also heard of many stories of Jews and Christians martyrs under stalinist Russia or Nazi Germany.

It is believed by many that we are heading back to a time when those who want to remain faithful to live in the ways of the God of Abraham will find themselves in the minority. We therefore need to learn from people like Joseph, as well as Daniel and Esther. These were people who by their humility, faithfulness, and wisdom ascended to the top of their world and were therefore able to be a positive influence on the government, and even save their people.

We have seen this story with Oscar Schindler whose patient and resilient Jewish accountant became the bridge to save the lives of many. So as it was with Joseph, in times of persecution it could be that our sense of ethical living, honesty, trust, and integrity could be the key to move the mighty hands of the powers that be in the favor of God's children.

Pharaoh who did not know the God of Abraham recognised godliness in Joseph. This visual witness tops any verbal profession of belief.

May we live lives where even the ungodly may be able to to see our good works and praise our Father who is in Heaven.
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May we live lives that makes the non-believer want to know the Gd serve.

May we live lives in ways that please HaShem so much that he makes even our enemies to be at peace with us.

May we remember the Maccabees who fought for our way of life at a time when many in Israel had compromised with worldly hellenism.



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PAR'SHAT V'YESHEV: Measure for Measure.

11/28/2018

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​וישׁלחו את־כתנת הפסים ויביאו אל־אביהם ויאמרו זאת מצאנו הכר־נא הכתנת בנך הוא אם־לא׃ 

Then they sent the long-sleeved robe and brought it to their father, saying, "We found this. Do you know if it's your son's robe or not?"  (Gen 37:32)



This week the text of the Torah seems to easily get distracted from the main story of Joseph and his brother in order to go into the particulars of Judah’s family. As I said, it “seems” to get distracted, because it really doesn't.

BUT WHAT IS THE STORY REALLY ABOUT?
This text is more than the narrative of the Abrahamic family. It is more than a historical account. It is also an ethical blueprint for mankind. It depicts the notions of right and wrong. It reveals how the patriarchs drew HaShem's favor upon them. It is an ethical guidebook written to imbed us with the moral compass that should lead our lives.

GOD GETS GLORY FROM CONCEALING THINGS. (Pro 25:2)
Messianic related concealment of identity seems to be a principle behind the dynamics of the Abrahamic family. It started with Abraham. The Talmud tells us of a story where Terah concealed his son's Abram identity in order to protect he, through whom all the families of the Earth will be blessed, from Nimrod’s wrath.
(Read story HERE)
          Later, Abraham concealed his wife's identity to protect the womb that would cradle HaShem's promises of good will towards fallen humanity. Isaac follows in the example of his father and grandfather in order to protect the Messianic womb that will  conceive the family's of Israel.
         Jacob, who also deceived his father Isaac in order  to protect the covenant, is himself deceived by his son Judah, who reaps the fruits of his deception by being deceived by his daughter-in-law, Tamar, which brings us to par’shat Vay'shev.

THE REVELATION OF JOSEPH
This week, the Torah narrative  takes us through the revelation of Joseph. It was not an easy revelation. His brothers hated him for what they considered to be his guilt of pride, and as a result sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelites. When they returned home, they couldn't bring themselves to tell the truth to their father so they concocted a lie.

They took Yosef's robe, killed a male goat and dipped the robe in the blood. Then they sent the long-sleeved robe and brought it to their father, saying, "We found this. Do you know if it's your son's robe or not?" He recognized it and cried, "It's my son's robe! Some wild animal has torn Yosef in pieces and eaten him!" Ya`akov tore his clothes and, putting sackcloth around his waist, mourned his son for many days. 
(Gen 37:31-34)

         It was Judah’s idea to sell Joseph. Later with his brothers he presented Joseph's bloody coat to Jacob. As he did, he was careful not to lie but let poor Jacob draw his own conclusions as he said" הַכֶּר-נָא /recognize these!” (Gen 37:32)

THE CONCEALMENT OF JOSEPH, and what about these goats?
Joseph, one hated without a cause, the innocent victim of the jealousy of his brothers,  is now presented to his father. He is presented to his father under the disguise of a coat soiled by the blood of a goat. It is important to remember at this point of the story that   Jacob himself hid under the skin of a goat in order to deceive Isaac in pretending to be Esau.
         As Joseph’s true where about are concealed from his father, Joseph is hidden in plain sight,as an Egyptian, while concealed from the wrath of his brothers
         To the furtherance of the displeasure of his father, Judah married Tamarthe Canaanite. His two first boys, Er and Onan die before she can give them any offspring. Call him superstitious if you want to, but Judah hesitates before letting letting Shilah, his third son, marry Tamar. But Tamar, though a Canaanite, seems to know what is at stake here: the Abrahamic promises. She might have understood that Joseph being out of the picture, Reuben, Simeon, and Levy having disqualified themselves, Judah was now next in line for the firstborn rights. She did not want to let that pass.She makes sure that the Abrahamic promises are kept.

So she took off her widow's clothes, completely covered her face with her veil, and sat at the entrance to `Einayim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she still was not being given to him as his wife. When Y'hudah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face. So he went over to her where she was sitting and said, not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, "Come, let me sleep with you." She answered, "What will you pay to sleep with me?" He said, "I will send you a kid from the flock of goats." She said, "Will you also give me something as a guarantee until you send it" He answered, "What should I give you as a guarantee?" She said, "Your seal, with its cord, and the staff you're carrying in your hand." So he gave them to her, then went and slept with her; and she conceived by him. She got up and went away, took off her veil and put on her widow's clothes. Y'hudah sent the kid with his friend the `Adulami to receive the guarantee items back from the woman, but he couldn't find her. He asked the people near where she had been, "Where is the prostitute who was on the road at `Einayim?" But they answered, "There hasn't been any prostitute here." So he returned to Y'hudah and said, "I couldn't find her; also the people there said, 'There hasn't been any prostitute here.' " Y'hudah said, "All right, let her keep the things, so that we won't be publicly shamed. I sent the kid, but you didn't find her." About three months later Y'hudah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been acting like a whore; moreover, she is pregnant as a result of her prostitution." Y'hudah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned alive!" When she was brought out, she sent this message to her father-in-law: "I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong. Determine, (הַכֶּר-נָא) I beg you, whose these are -- the signet, the cords and the staff."  (Gen 38:14-25)

Judah recognizes that he had been deceived. He recognizes it as he hears the exact same words (הַכֶּר-נָא) (Gen 38:25)he told his father when he deceived him concerning Joseph (Gen 37:32).  Judah could have been proud and still demand Tamar’s death but he did not. He allowed his heart to be convicted and confessed ...
"She is more righteous than I, because I didn't let her become the wife of my son Shilah." (Gen 38:26)

AND WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS?
Why did HaShem chose to do things this way? I don't know. Maybe to mettle our character; to cause us to search, to fight for the cause, and not give up. Maybe it is to bring suspense to the story. Whatever the reason, these stories keep us seeking, guessing, and maybe that is the reason why.

Measure for measure.
A very important principle we can learn from these texts is that of “Measure for measure.”The bread that we send upon the waters returns to us after many days”, and “A person reaps what he sows” (Ecc 11:1; Gal 6:7).
         Both the good and the evil that we spread returns to us. The good things that come our way may be the results of us sowing good things in the lives of others, and the bad things that come our way may be the results of our wicked actions towards others. So when bad things happen to us, we should not automatically blame HaShem or even haSatan. What we reap is usually the result of our sowing. This whole idea of concealed identity did start with Terah, and had repercussion down to the 4th generation (Ex 34:7).

Now, what about these goats?
What more specific messianic identity maker could we find in these stories than the returning motif of the goats when later Messiah Himself is symbolized as the Yom Kippur goat (Leviticus 10 and 16).
         This story is the story of the revelation of the concealed Messiah, Messiah concealed under a goat.
        The concealed Messiah is a returning motif in the texts of the Talmud and of the Midrash. King Solomon taught us that “God gets glory from concealing things; kings get glory from investigating things.” (Pro 25:2) HaShem surely keeps us guessing, but we get the glory from investigating what HaShem has concealed.
         It is a game of hide and seek. The “appearing and disappearing” properties of Messiah are alluded to in another illustration given us from King Solomon “My darling is like a gazelle or young stag. There he is, standing outside our wall, looking in through the windows, peering in through the lattice. “(Son 2:9)
         Gazelles and young stags live in the woods. They are not easily found. Hunters have to outsmart them. Sometime they see them only to see them disappear the next minute because of their colors that mix with that of the forest. The sages of the midrash did not miss the analogy. Here is what they said about Son 2:9:

“‘My beloved is like a gazelle;’
What is this gazelle that appears and disappears,
appears and disappears again,
So the first redeemer appeared, disappeared, and appeared again.”
(Song of Songs Rabbah 2:9)

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PARSHAT VAYISH'LACH: The Dichotomy of Virtue.

11/21/2018

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 קטנתי מכל החסדים ומכל־האמת אשׁר עשׂית את־עבדך כי במקלי עברתי את־הירדן הזה ועתה הייתי לשׁני מחנות׃ 
 הצילני נא מיד אחי מיד עשׂו כי־ירא אנכי אתו פן־יבוא והכני אם על־בנים׃

I'm not worthy of all the love and faithfulness you have shown your servant, since I crossed the Yarden with only my staff. But now I have become two camps. Please! Rescue me from my brother `Esav! I'm afraid of him, afraid he'll come and attack me, without regard for mothers or children. 
(Gen 32:10-11 CJB)




JACOB THE HUMBLE MAN.
Jacob was a humble man. Though he returned from Laban’s mightily blessed, as he prayed asking for HaShem’s protection he said, “ I'm not worthy of all the love and faithfulness you have shown your servant...” (Gen 32:10). These words testify that he didn’t pray to from a demanding position. That is important to remember. It is important to remember that humility is one of the hallmarks of godliness. The sages of Israel often said that the proud and HaShem cannot occupy the same space.
Jacob emulated his grandfather’s humility. Abraham’s humility was proverbial. It was recognizable in his dealings with the inhabitants of Cana’an (Gen 12:6-8); with the Egyptian pharaoh (Gen 12:10-20); with his nephew Lot (Gen 13); with Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-20 and with his Sarah, his wife (Gen 21;12). Abraham’s prayers also came from the heart of a humble soul.
          Jacob’s humility translated in his life in how he dealt with Laban’s unjust treatment (Gen 31:38-42) and how he felt compelled to make peace with his brother Esau (Gen 32-33). Jacob’s humility foreshadowed that of his descendant Moses whom the Torah says was the humblest man on earth (Ex 12;3). Abraham, Jacob, Moses were spiritual power-houses but they knew that their power was not their own. Their humility caused them to empty their hearts of their own will and ego, which in turn caused HaShem’s Spirit to dwell in them. HaShem can only live in a heart that empty of self and utterly yielded to Him. We should always approach HaShem in a spirit of humility, no matter what our position is in the world.

JACOB THE BLESSED MAN
While Jacob was humble in the presence of HaShem, he knew his position among men. He believed that he was more worthy of the Abrahamic covenant than his brother Esau was (Gen 25:29-34), (Gen 27); that in spite of all that had happened, he was the Abrahamic heir (Gen 28:10-22). He also believed that his humility and righteousness with his crooked boss Laban had earned him HaShem’s favor (Gen 31:38-42).
          This same dichotomy between humility and confidence of one’s greatness is found in Abraham who left his land to own one already inhabited, under a promise of personal greatness (Gen 12:1-3); in Isaac who knowing that he was the inheritor of the Abrahamic covenant dealt humbly with Abimelech (Gen 26); in Moses who one day flees pharaoh in order to protect his life, only to return forty years later to tell him that he had no choice but to yield to HaShem’s demands. Moses also dealt humbly with his sister when she challenged his authority (Num 12:13).

THE BALANCE
Here is the important balance to own as servants of HaShem, as representatives of His Kingdom on earth. We may have our divinely ordained spiritually elevated position among men, but we must shed that pride when we come in His presence. Case in point? Even the High-priest, when coming before the Ark on Yom Kippur, exchanges his glorious ministerial garments for a simple linen one (Lev 16:3-4).
          But how do we do we show ourselves humble before HaShem? It is easy to claim humility before HaShem but how do we prove it to others if we apply the teachings of our Rabbi Yeshua about prayer when He said, “Go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.” (Mat 6:6) We prove our humility before God through our humility before men made in HaShem's image, the godly and the ungodly one.

THE DICHOTOMY.
From Abraham to Joseph, the patriarchs, the fathers of our faith have proved their humility before God by their humility before men. We cannot claim humility before God when acting proud before men, so it behooves us to do the same as  

We are called to judge the universe (1 Cor 6:2); we are called to maybe sit and rule with Messiah (Rev 5:10; 20:6); we are called to be the light of the world (Mat 5:14); but this proud and lofty destiny is only activated through a spirit of humility before HaShem evidenced through humility before those made in His image, the godly ones and the ungodly ones.

Yeshua was the prime example of mastering this dichotomy of virtue. From His lofty position, He did not have to deal with all of our human shenanigans, but He willingly subjected Himself to answer the Adversary (Luk 4); to respond to the accusations of the Sadducees, to the questions of some Pharisees, to Pilate’s, as well as to anyone who would ask Him a question. Whether for Jew or Gentiles, He walked miles to answer pleas for comfort and healing.

May we, like Jacob and the patriarchs also learn to live out our lofty destiny in all humility and meekness. May we in the same way they did and as our Master exhorted us to,  

Let our light shine before people, so that they may see the good things we do ...
And as they see them,
... praise our Father in heaven. 
(Mat 5:16 CJB)


R' Gavriel Lumbroso 

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PAR'SHAT VAY'TSEI: A Covenant Worth Fighting For!

11/15/2018

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ותאמר רחל נפתולי אלהים נפתלתי עם־אחתי גם־יכלתי ותקרא שׁמו נפתלי׃

Rachel said, "I have wrestled mightily with my sister and won," and called him Naftali [my wrestling].
(Gen 30:8 CJB)

​


WHY? 
I was asked a question recently, “Why is it that so many of the mothers of our faith had difficulties having children. Of course, since we are not told the answer will vary from rabbi to rabbi. In a sense, this is the beauty of the Torah that we are not told everything; it keeps us seeking. “God gets glory from concealing things; (Pro 25:2 CJB)

Some of the sages mention that it was because the child they would give birth was so special that HaShem wanted to draw attention to it. After all, from Sarah to Rachel going through Rivka, the reason the fact that it was miraculous or an answer to prayer is why we talk about it.

I would like to also give a shot at a suggestion.

In Gen 30:8, Rachel mentions that she, “wrestled mightily”. Why did she wrestle? Was it to earn or keep the love of Jacob? She already had it from the beginning. Was she in such competition with her sister? I am not so sure as they both felt that Jacob rescued them from their father (Gen 31:14-16) Leah surely made sure to be part of the contest. Though she already had four children she engaged the help of her servant (Gen 30:9).

JACOB, NOT ANY MAN! 
Jacob was not any man. The reason why Laban wanted to keep him is that he saw HaShem's blessing on Jacob. He knew HaShem would bless his household and his business as long as Jacob was there because HaShem blessed Jacob. We will see the same blessing follow Joseph, the son of Jacob.

Leah and Rachel knew that. Both had become entitled to Jacob’s household and they were not about to let it go. They also knew that the blessing upon Jacob was intergenerational. It came from the generation of Abraham and would follow and be multiplied through their children. Since death was commun, they also wanted to ensure their dynasty, and the continuation of the covenant through the multitude of their children.

FIGHTING FOR THE COVENANT. 
From the days those covenantal words were spoken to Abram, "I have given this land to your descendants -- from the Vadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River --the territory of the Keni, the K'nizi, the Kadmoni, the Hitti, the P'rizi, the Refa'im, the Emori, the Kena`ani, the Girgashi and the Y'vusi." (Gen 15:18-21 CJB) he who opposes HaShem’s purposes (HaSatan) has done everything he could to thwart the fulfillment of that prophecy.
    First this enemy of all HaShem’s purposes made Sarah sterile but Abrahm never lost trust, “for he was fully convinced that what God had promised he could also accomplish.” (Rom 4:21 CJB) “By trusting, Avraham obeyed, after being called to go out to a place which God would give him as a possession; indeed, he went out without knowing where he was going. By trusting, he lived as a temporary resident in the Land of the promise, as if it were not his, staying in tents with Yitz'chak and Ya`akov, who were to receive what was promised along with him. For he was looking forward to the city with permanent foundations, of which the architect and builder is God. By trusting, he received potency to father a child, even when he was past the age for it, as was Sarah herself; because he regarded the One who had made the promise as trustworthy. Therefore this one man, who was virtually dead, fathered descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and as countless as the grains of the sand on the seashore. “(Heb 11:8-12 CJB)
Abram’s love for these covenantal words; his love for HaShem’s purposes was so great that he felt they were worth the fight, so he fought no to lose trust and his trust was rewarded. Sarah stood right there with her husband in that trust. Though laughing at first at the announcement of the fulfillment of the promises made to Abram for a posterity, it could be said of her, “HaShem did many miracle there because of her trust!” (paraphrase on: Mat 13:58).
Yitzchak and Rivka were also a fighter for the covenant. Yitzchak implored HaShem for his wife. Rivka also who had a difficult pregnancy asked HaShem for help. They both knew that the promises made to their Abraham were at stake. This writer also believes that it is not fear that compelled both Abraham and Yitzchak to deceive Kings concerning third wives, but this inner consumption to preserve and protect the covenantal promises. They were at the hand of these kings who would maybe kill them for their wives. This writer alo believes that it is this burning desire towards HaShem’s covenant that compelled Rivka and Jacob to make sure that Abraham’s blessing fell on Jacob and not the canaanite-women lover Esau. If the covenant was to be fulfilled, they needed to stay alive no matter what.
    When Jacob received his vision of the ladder, he was given the promises made to Abraham. He then took courage and for the sake of that covenant worked 20 years for an ungrateful and ungodly boss.
This brings us to Leah and Rachel. If indeed these two girls were competing, they were competing for being the mothers of the covenantal promises. For the first 400 hundred years of Israel as a nation most of its leaders were descendant of Rachel. It is when King David took the throne that the descendant of leah came into the pictures. The later division of the kingdom reflected the two houses; the house of Leah and the House of Rachel. Ezekiel prophesied that in the Messianic Ages the two houses will be finally reunited,

The word of Adonai came to me: "You, human being, take one stick and write on it, 'For Y'hudah and those joined with him [among] the people of Isra'el.' Next, take another stick and write on it, 'For Yosef, the stick of Efrayim, and all the house of Isra'el who are joined with him.' Finally, bring them together into a single stick, so that they become one in your hand. When your people ask you what all this means, tell them that Adonai Elohim says this: 'I will take the stick of Yosef, which is in the hand of Efrayim, together with the tribes of Isra'el who are joined with him, and put them together with the stick of Y'hudah and make them a single stick, so that they become one in my hand.' The sticks on which you write are to be in your hand as they watch. Then say to them that Adonai Elohim says: 'I will take the people of Isra'el from among the nations where they have gone and gather them from every side and bring them back to their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Isra'el; and one king will be king for all of them. They will no longer be two nations, and they will never again be divided into two kingdoms. (Eze 37:15-22 CJB)

    The fight for the fulfillment of the covenantal promises will continue through Joseph and Judah until this day when the enemy of all HaShem’s purposes continues to try to kill the descendants of Abraham.

AND WHAT DOES THIS TEACH US?
We today, live in the continuation of the promises made to Abraham. We are the fulfillment of the promises made to the fathers. We exist and are partakers of HaShem’s inheritance because of their fight and their determination to not let go of the covenantal promises. We must also therefore honor them and honor HaShem with our own fighting spirit, with a faithful trust that does not let go of the promises of God. That is why James exhorted the Jewish Israeli disciples of his day with,

Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach; and it will be given to him. But let him ask in trust, doubting nothing; for the doubter is like a wave in the sea being tossed and driven by the wind. Indeed that person should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord, because he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways. (Jas 1:2-8 CJB)

So, brothers, be patient until the Lord returns. See how the farmer waits for the precious "fruit of the earth" -- he is patient over it until it receives the fall and spring rains. You too, be patient; keep up your courage; for the Lord's return is near. Don't grumble against one another, brothers, so that you won't come under condemnation -- look! the Judge is standing at the door! As an example of suffering mistreatment and being patient, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of Adonai. Look, we regard those who persevered as blessed. You have heard of the perseverance of Iyov, and you know what the purpose of Adonai was, that Adonai is very compassionate and merciful. (Jas 5:7-11 CJB)


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PAR'SHAT TOLDOT: Blessed Are They Who Refuse to Quarrel.

11/8/2018

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ויעשׂ להם משׁתה ויאכלו וישׁתו׃ 
 וישׁכימו בבקר וישׁבעו אישׁ לאחיו וישׁלחם יצחק וילכו מאתו בשׁלום׃

Yitz'chak prepared a banquet for them, and they ate and drank. The next morning, they got up early and swore to each other. Then Yitz'chak sent them on their way, and they left him peacefully. (Gen 26:30-31 CJB)


BLESSED ARE THEY WHO ... REFUSE TO QUARREL.
ANOTHER STORY ABOUT WELLS.
Wells are so midrashic. From Rivka to Rachel, wells offer beautiful love stories. It is by a well that Yeshua revealed Himself to a whole Samaritan city. The parasha this week offers us another beautiful story about wells. A story that we should do well to heed and learn from. A story that is pertinent to our generation. What is this story? It is found in the 26th chapter of the book of origins called Genesis.It starts at verse 13. (Italicised texts in between verses are mine)

(13) The man (Yitz'chak) became rich and prospered more and more, until he had become very wealthy indeed. (14) He had flocks, cattle and a large household; and the P'lishtim envied him.
Throughout their history, the success of Jewish lifestyle has often drawn jealousy from the people around them..
(15) Now the P'lishtim had stopped up and filled with dirt all the wells his father's servants had dug during the lifetime of Avraham his father. (16) Avimelekh said to Yitz'chak, "You must go away from us, because you have become much more powerful than we are."

ISAAC, SON OF ABRAHAM
There was a treaty between the people of the Land and Abraham (Gen 21:22-34). This treaty was supposed to be passed on from Abraham to his son Isaac. Avimelch knew of that treaty but in his envy he tried to find some excuse to  not honor it. The midrash teaches that many people in the Land did not believe that Isaac was Abraham's legitimate son. They did not believe in Isaac's miracle birth in his parents’ old age. They preferred to believe that Sarah got pregnant when she was in captivity. This gave them the excuse to not honor the covenant made with Abraham and then take his wells and lands.
The midrash also says that in order to stop gossips concerning  about the descendance of Isaac,HaShem made Isaac look exactly like his father so that there was a saying in those days about them, “He who has seen the son has seen the father!” It is amazing that until this day, many people do not want to believe in the miracle birth of Yeshua but still believe the ancient gossip that Miryam got pregnant by a Roman soldier. But Yeshua proved who he was by His faithful characterial representation of His father so that he could also say to Phillip, (“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.)
Isaac had the legitimate title of “Son of Abraham,” but this title he is going to be tested as to whether he is a “Son of Abraham “ in title only or in deed and truth also.

TEST 1: WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ABRAHAM
(17) So Yitz'chak left, set up camp in Vadi G'rar and lived there. (18) Yitz'chak reopened the wells which had been dug during the lifetime of Avraham his father, the ones the P'lishtim had stopped up after Avraham died, and called them by the names his father had used for them.
As the descendant of his father, he “drank from the same well” as his father; learned from the same doctrine. Yeshua also taught the same doctrine as His Father. He did not create a new religion.

TEST 2: TRUST THAT HASHEM IS ABLE TO FULFILL THAT WHICH HE HAS PROMISED.
(19) Yitz'chak's servants dug in the vadi and uncovered a spring of running water. (20) But the herdsmen of G'rar quarreled with Yitz'chak's herdsmen, claiming, "That water is ours!" So he called the well `Esek [quarrel], because they quarreled with him. (21)
Isaac continued in the work of his father. His work was hijacked and stolen but Isaac and his people did not respond aggressively. They just then left and ...
They dug another well and quarreled over that one too. So he called it Sitnah [enmity]. (22)
Same story so ... After having tested Isaac's peaceful character in the same way that He tested  his father Abraham's, HaShem is now ready to bless Isaac, as He had blessed Abraham.
He went away from there and dug another well, and over that one they didn't quarrel. So he called it Rechovot [wide open spaces] and said, "Because now Adonai has made room for us, and we will be productive in the land."

Hallelu-Yah!!!!!  Now for the blessing of all blessings:

(23) From there Yitz'chak went up to Be'er-Sheva. (24) Adonai appeared to him that same night and said, "I am the God of Avraham your father. Don't be afraid, because I am with you; I will bless you and increase your descendants for the sake of my servant Avraham." (25) There he built an altar and called on the name of Adonai. He pitched his tent there, and there Yitz'chak's servants dug a well.
Isaac is no more the “Son of Abraham” in title only. He proved his true nature by doing the “works of Abraham” (John 8:39)

TEST 4: TO RECEIVE AN ENEMY.
(26) Then Avimelekh went to him from G'rar with his friend Achuzat and Pikhol the commander of his army. (27) Yitz'chak said to them, "Why have you come to me, even though you were unfriendly to me and sent me away?" (28) They answered, "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,...
When a man's ways please Adonai, he makes even the man's enemies be at peace with him. (Pro 16:7 CJB)
By walking in the footsteps of Abraham, by acting like his father before him, Isaac dissipated all doubts concerning his identity. Now Avimelch has to admit that this is truly the son of Abraham. He has to honor the contract. As he tries to make peace with Isaac, he glosses over the true facts and pretends nothing has happened between them ...
... 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.' "

TEST 5: NOT SEEKING TO INDULGE IN REVENGE.
(30) Yitz'chak prepared a banquet for them, and they ate and drank.   (An application of Ps 23:5)    
(31) The next morning, they got up early and swore to each other. Then Yitz'chak sent them on their way, and they left him peacefully. (32) That very day Yitz'chak's servants came and told him about the well they had dug, "We have found water." (33) So he called it Shiv`ah [oath, seven], and for this reason the name of the city is Be'er-Sheva [well of seven, well of an oath] to this day.

A STORY FORESHADOWING THE FUTURE.
The  Jewish nation faces the same situation today. The children of Abraham want to again drink from the wells of their father Abraham but face opposition from those in the land who do not honor the land ownership contract made with their father.

Paul and James teach us that trials and tribulation for righteousness' sake exist in order to build our character, teach us patience, and mature our faith. Just like these trials and tests tested Isaac’s character before receiving the divinely appointed blessing, Yeshua also learned obedience from the things He suffered. Today, Israel’s character as a nation is also shaped by the trials and tests created by its neighbors opposition.  

There is a peaceful ending to this story. Avimelech decides to stop persecuting Isaac. We will find a similar ending when Jacob and Esau embrace upon Jacob’s return to the Land from his exile at Laban’s.

\
AND WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS?
These stories do tell us the end from the beginning but is this story just the accounts of a quarrel concerning water rights? Is this just a foreshadow of the future of Israel?
Like Isaac, if we want to be recognized  as the “Children of Abraham,” we must prove it by acting like Abraham in times of trials, especially in times of conflict with the world around us. Then this proverb,  "When a man's ways please Adonai, he makes even the man's enemies be at peace with him." (Pro 16:7 CJB) will also apply to us.

We will not win the world to HaShem through violence, anger, harsh retaliatory actions or rhetoric. It is not the way of He who instead of retaliating and destroying His enemies (us!), gave His unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. (John 3:16)  It is not the way of His prophets who died proclaiming the truth rather than adopting the vengeful ways of their opponents. It is not the way King David who said that it is the meek, not the strong and powerful, who shall inherit the land (Ps 37:11) It is not the way of the Master  who though mistreated, was submissive did not open his mouth and like a lamb led to be slaughtered, remained silent before its shearers (Is 53:7). It is not the way of his early disciples who all willingly died for the sake of the congregation (Col 1:24). It is not the way of the disciples of the disciples  who also died as martyrs (Foxe’s Book of Martyrs). It not our way.

May we like Abraham and  Isaac allow our character to be tested through  injustice that we may like Yeshua carry the cross of unwarranted suffering and death. He was promised a crown but he had to learn obedience before he received it (Heb 5:8) We have also been promised a crown and it will not come without the testing of our character either now or in the days to come. May we not fight it nor find it unjust but on that day, may we remember the words of Yaakov,

Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. ...  How blessed is the man who perseveres through temptation! For after he has passed the test, he will receive as his crown the Life which God has promised to those who love him.
(Jas 1:2-12 CJB)

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PAR'SHAT CHAYEI SARAH: פרקי אמאות  EHTICS OF THE MIOTHERS.

11/1/2018

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ויבאה יצחק האהלה שׂרה אמו ויקח את־רבקה ותהי־לו לאשׁה ויאהבה וינחם יצחק אחרי אמו׃


Then Yitz'chak brought her into his mother Sarah's tent and took Rivkah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. Thus was Yitz'chak comforted for the loss of his mother.  (Gen 24:67 CJB)

​


SARAH OUR MOTHER.
While it mostly concerns us with the aftermath of the death of Sarah, our Torah section this week starts with the words “Chayei Sarah…” which means, "The Life of Sarah.”  Our parasha also introduces us to she who will becoem the wife of Isaac,  Rivka. To understand Rivka whom Isaac brings to his mother’s tent, we first must understand Sarah.

There are beautiful midrashes concerning Sarah. She is often depicted as Jerusalem. Here is a passage about it,

“Traditional tales illustrate Sarah’s work in bringing strangers closer to the experience of God. In part, this is done by depicting Sarah’s tent a precursor to the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting, home of the Mishkan, which housed the Ark of the Covenant) and Beit Hamikdash (Temple in Jerusalem).

In this midrash, Sarah’s tent becomes a place in which God’s blessings and imminence can be experienced. Sarah’s death temporarily halts the miracles and good works associated with the tent; Rivka then reactivates the holiness of the tent with her marriage to Isaac, Sarah’s son.”


The midrash then adds,

“And Isaac brought her [Rivka] to the tent of Sarah, his mother. All the days in which Sarah lived, there was a cloud attached to the entrance of her tent. Since she died, the cloud ceased; and when Rivka came, the cloud returned. All the days in which Sarah lived, the doors of the entrance [to her tent] were open to the wind (ruah)….  And all the days in which Sarah lived, there was a blessing sent through the dough [with which she baked]…. All the days in which Sarah lived, there was a light burning from one Shabbat evening to the next Shabbat evening….” (Genesis Rabbah 80:16 on Genesis 24:67).

These characteristics of Sarah’s (and later Rivka’s) tent are parallel to characteristics of the Tabernacle and Temple. Sarah’s bread is like the shewbread, the light prefigures the Menorah, and the wind resembles the Holy Spirit, Ruah HaKodesh.


RIVKA THE BRIDE.
We previously talked about Isaac representing Messiah.
  • Isaac climbed the same mountain Yeshua climbed.
  • Like Yeshua he carried his own sacrificial wood.
  • He was willing to do the will of his father above his own will.

In our  text this week, Isaac also disappears after the Akeida (After the episode on the mountain.) The next time the text of the Torah makes mention of him is when he meets his bride Rivka as Eliezer arrives from Haran. In the same manner as Isaac, Yeshua also disappears from the public eye after the scene on Mt Golgotha, and He is said to reappear when He returns to meet His “bride” who by marriage to the King of Kings becomes the Queen (Rev 19: 6-9)

If Isaac then prefigures Messiah, Rivka pre-figures the Bride: The Body; the Congregation.

THE CHOOSING OF A QUEEN.
Isaac’s bride-to-be had big shoes to fill and Eliezer understood that. She was to comfort Isaac for the loss of Sarah his mother. As the new matriarch of the Abrahamic tribe, she couldn’t  just be anybody. She had to have a certain caliber of character. How would then Eliezer find a Sarah-like person in so little time? That’s when HaShem inspired him with the idea,

I will say to one of the girls, 'Please lower your jug, so that I can drink.' If she answers, 'Yes, drink; and I will water your camels as well,' then let her be the one you intend for your servant Yitz'chak."(Gen 24:14 CJB)

To serve water to a stranger in the desert is good, but to offer to water his 10 camels who can each drink up to 15 gallons of water is very, very, very good. The test that Eliezer set in order to find the acceptable bride for his master was a test of humility, voluntary service, and devotion.

Like Abraham her husband, Sarah was known to be a person of humble devoted service. In return, her dough was blessed; her light never went out and HaShem Presence was upon her. She was the ultimate “Eshet Chayeel/Woman of Valor” from Proverbs 31. Anyone who would fill her shoes needed to be of the same serving, humble, and devoted temperament. None other will do.

RIVKA’S TWO TESTS.
Rivka passed the test of humility and service test when she served Eliezer and his camel. The second test came when she was asked,  "Will you go with this man?" and she replied, "I will." (Gen 24:58 CJB) Without hesitation, she agreed to leave right away. In this, she passed the test of devotion.

When she arrived, Isaac  brought her to the tent of his mother. At that moment, HaShem confirmed Eliezer’s successful mission when the Presence of the Shekinah, the blessing upon the dough, and the eternal Light that were upon Sarah and her tent during her living all returned.

AND WHAT DOES THIS TEACH US?
If Isaac foreshadows Messiah and Rivka foreshadows the Bride, we have much to learn from Rivka.

For one, we must enter Sarah’s shoes. In the same way that Yeshua challenges us with, "If you are children of Avraham, then do the things Avraham did!" (Joh 8:39 CJB), as the Bride, we are challenged today to enter Sarah's tent, not raise a whole different tent. 

For the blessing of Sarah to come upon us as it did on Rivka, we must be of the same temperament as Rivka. Humbly devoted to serve Abraham’s many children; willing to open our tent to the stranger. Like with Rivka, to inherit the blessing that came on Sarah, we must live in the humble spirit of devotion of Sarah.

“Sarah’s tent” inherited by Rivka serves us today as an example as to what type of people we should be as those who are meant to represent Yeshua today.

Abraham’s tent was always opened to the stranger. Sarah’s tent was open to the Spirit. When the time came, both Abraham and Sarah hurried to serve. They did not dilly-dally or farm the task to someone else. (Gen 18)

MAY WE AS CONGREGATION LEADERS BE LIKE RIVKA.

MAY WE BE TRUE ESHET CHAYEEL AND REFLECT THE SPIRIT OF SARAH THE WIFE OF ABRAHAM.

MAY WE BE HUMBLY DEVOTED TO SERVE AND GIVE TO THE MILLIONS OF CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM WHICH ARE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEASHORE IN MANY NATIONS.

MAY WE ALSO LIKE ISAAC DRINK FROM ABRAHAM’S’ WELL AND DO THE DEEDS OF ABRAHAM  THAT THE NATIONS ALSO PROCLAIM WITH ABIMELECH, "We saw very clearly that Adonai has been with you.” (Gen 26:28 CJB)


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PAR'SHAT VAYERA: Promise Little, Deliver Much!

10/24/2018

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 ואל־הבקר רץ אברהם ויקח בן־בקר רך וטוב ויתן אל־הנער וימהר לעשׂות אתו׃ 
  ויקח חמאה וחלב ובן־הבקר אשׁר עשׂה ויתן לפניהם והוא־עמד עליהם תחת העץ ויאכלו׃

Avraham ran to the herd, took a good, tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then he took curds, milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it all before the men; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. 
(Gen 18:7-8 CJB)


CHICKEN IN THE DESERT.
Three strangers approached Abraham in the desert. I crossed the desert on foot when I was a teenager (18 years-old). My life had taken such confusing turns that I felt I needed to check with God on some things so as crazy as it sounds, I decided to walk from Jerusalem to the Saint-Catherine's Greek Orthodox monastery where people say is Mt Sinai. God was not there. It was probably the wrong mountain since Mt Horeb is said to be in Midian (Ex 3:1), not in the Sinai peninsula.

In any case, I crossed the desert on foot. I had with my guitar, a backpack, a shoulder bag, a small cantine of water and no food. I also had a small compass to make sure that from sand dune to sand dune I was going due south. At this point of the story, you must wonder what kind of nutty teenager I was. I have often wondered that myself.

You can walk on 5th Avenue in NY City and see millions of people while never meeting not talking to any. It is not the same in the desert. When you see someone in the desert, you talk to them, make sure they are OK and have everything they need. It was so for me. Each day I would meet a Bedouin shepherd who filled my cantine with goat milk and gave me some “tent-made” cereal to mix with it. One night I was even got invited for an authentic shish-kabab dinner in the tent and spent the night there.

One night I went to sleep near a sand dune. I used a stone for a pillow as is customary in the Sinai desert. In the morning I woke up and had nothing to eat. Suddenly I hear the clucking of a chicken. I tried to catch it but then realized that it was useless I wouldn't know what to do with it once I did. I then turned my attention to find eggs which I did in the shade of a stone. I made holes on both sides of the eggs and drank them. That was my breakfast that day. Even in the desert, HaShem can provide eggs.

THE HOSPITALITY OF ABRAHAM.
Abraham was also great at the desert tradition of hospitality. Till this day Abraham is spoken as the chief-host of the Bible. He would have gotten a great AirBnB rating. Abraham did not wait for visitors to pass by his tent that was opened on 4 sides. He was known to send his servant Eliezer by the highways and byways to compel them to come in to be refreshed in his master’s tent.

When he saw the people he “ran from the tent door to meet them, prostrated himself on the ground, and said, "My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, please don't leave your servant. Please let me send for some water, so that you can wash your feet; then rest under the tree, and I will bring a piece of bread. Now that you have come to your servant, refresh yourselves before going on." (Gen 18:2-5 CJB)

He offers some water to wash their feet and a morsel of bread. But what does he really do? He prepares a feast for them. “Avraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quickly, three measures of the best flour! Knead it and make cakes." Avraham ran to the herd, took a good, tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then he took curds, milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it all before the men; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.” (Gen 18:6-8 CJB)

He didn’t relay the task to one of his servants but did it himself though he was sick He was sick as it was the 3rd day after his circumcision, the day when the fever is at its highest. That is why it says, “Adonai appeared to Avraham by the oaks of Mamre as he sat at the entrance to the tent during the heat of the day.” (Gen 18:1 CJB) The Lord paid a visit to sick Abraham. This is where the important mitzvah of visiting comes from.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS?
Today’s common sense advertisement driven market economy says, “Promise the moon though you can’t only deliver the ceiling! It is the same with politicians who promise above what they can really deliver. It should not be so with us. Yeshua chided certain adversarial Pharisees by telling them, "If you are children of Avraham, then do the things Avraham did!  (Joh 8:39 CJB) As children of Abraham, we should also do the deeds of Abraham who promised little but delivered much!

Jewish historical writings tell us that when a visitor came to his tent, Abraham would offer them a feast then ask them to thank the God who provided it. He shared with others the greatness of the God he served by serving them a meal worthy of his God. (Mat 20:28; John 10:10) .

“May we like Abraham consider the mitzvah of hospitality one of the greatest mitzvah of all. May we find glory, joy in serving those HaShem loved so much  "that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. (Joh 3:16 CJB). May we find fulfillment in cooking, setting the table, doing the dishes, and cleaning after those whom Yeshua suffered and died for.”


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PAR'SHAT LECH LECHA: "Lot, a righteous man ... "

10/18/2018

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ויהי בשׁחת אלהים את־ערי הככר ויזכר אלהים את־אברהם וישׁלח את־לוט מתוך ההפכה בהפך את־הערים אשׁר־ישׁב בהן לוט׃

But when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Avraham and sent Lot out, away from the destruction, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.
(Gen 19:29 CJB)


"LOT A RIGHTEOUS MAN ... "
Maybe I like to stand for the downtrodden, but I’d like to talk about Lot today. Lot is often given a bad wrap but this week I took an extra look at what the Tanach says about him.

First of all, it is not ethical to utter judgment about people when they are not present to defend themselves. We would certainly not like it to be done to us. All we really know about Lot is what we are told in the Bible so let’s see.

Lot decided to follow his uncle Abraham. We could conclude by that that Lot saw something important in that uncle of his. Later Lot, seemingly motivated by greed and selfishness, moved to the city of Sodom where he and his whole family were captured by the five kings of the East who came to conquer the area. This prompted Abraham to battle for the deliverance of his nephew. The sages of Israel say that Abraham went to rescue Lot because he saw the Light of Messiah on him.

LET’S LOOK AT LOT’S SPIRITUAL RECORD.
First Lot seems to make a wrong choice when he leaves Abraham to go to live in Sodom. And even after Abraham delivers him, Lot returns to live in Sodom. When the city is about to get destroyed, 2 angels mercifully try to drag him out of there.

"Get up," they said, "and take your wife and your two daughters who are here; otherwise you will be swept away in the punishment of the city." But he dallied, so the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand and the hands of his two daughters --Adonai was being merciful to him -- and led them, leaving them outside the city. When they had brought them out, he said, "Flee for your life! Don't look behind you, and don't stop anywhere in the plain, but escape to the hills! Otherwise you will be swept away." Lot said to them, "Please, no, my lord! Here, your servant has already found favor in your sight, and you have shown me even greater mercy by saving my life. But I can't escape to the hills, because I'm afraid the disaster will overtake me, and I will die. Look, there's a town nearby to flee to, and it's a small one. Please let me escape there -- isn't it just a small one? -- and that way I will stay alive." (Gen 19:15-20 CJB)

After the merciful angels deliver him, Lot still wants to go live in another one of these wicked cities. Finding themselves in a desperate situation, Lot’s daughters entice their father into an incestuous relationship which gives birth to 2 tribes that would eventually be cursed away from Israel. As far as Lot’s spiritual life is concerned, it seems one can hardly get any “lower” but yet, the sages of Israel proclaim, as I wrote before, that Abraham could see the Light of Messiah in him.

WHAT MORE DOES THE TANACH SAY ABOUT LOT?
When Abraham bargained with HaShem to spare Sodom, he had Lot and his family in mind. Knowing that his righteous God could not destroy the righteous with the wicked, Abraham tried to use Lot’s family’righteousness as a bargaining chip against impending judgment. In Abraham’s eyes, Lot, his wife, his daughters, and their husbands were righteous (see 2 Pet 2:7). That was 6 people. HaShem did not go further down than 10.

Avraham approached and said, "Will you actually sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Maybe there are fifty righteous people in the city; will you actually sweep the place away, and not forgive it for the sake of the fifty righteous who are there?Far be it from you to do such a thing -- to kill the righteous along with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike! Far be it from you! Shouldn't the judge of all the earth do what is just?" (Gen 18:23-25 CJB)

Much is said about Lot in the writings of the apostles. Yeshua talked about this story.  He talks about it comparing the rescued righteous of the end to Lot. He says,”Likewise, as it was in the time of Lot -- people ate and drank, bought and sold, planted and built; but the day Lot left S'dom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.” (Luk 17:28-29 CJB)

Peter also said that HaShem “ rescued Lot, a righteous man who was distressed by the debauchery of those unprincipled people; “ (2 Pe 2:7 CJB)

It seems that the sages of Israel were on par with what Yeshua and Peter said. Here is something else the sages of Israel said. “The Light of Messiah enters into the world in these broken and lowly places and situations and the lower it goes, the higher it will rise!”

What they meant by that is that the Light of Messiah doesn’t necessarily enter into the world through the elevated, proud people self-assured of their religiosity. The Spirit of God enters the world through regular people like you and me. Like water, the Spirit of God always seeks for the lowest level where to flow, the humblest soul where to nest. HaShem knew and He portrayed it in the humble bearthly birth of Yeshua. Yeshua knew it and so He did not choose His disciples from the great yeshivahs of Galilee but stumble-bum people of the street like you and me.

The sages of Israel also said the HaShem cannot live in the same space with the proud who is full of himself, as it leaves no room for Him. The sinner may not be perfect, but at least he knows it.

Abraham did not know it at the time, but there is another reason why he may have seen the light of Messiah in Lot. The Seed of Messiah does comes from Abraham, but the seed of Lot intermarried with the seed of Abraham. Lot’s daughters gave birth to the Moabites and the Ammonites (Gen 19:38) of whom the Torah says, "No `Amoni or Mo'avi may enter the assembly of Adonai, nor may any of his descendants down to the tenth generation ever enter the assembly of Adonai, (...) So you are never to seek their peace or well being, as long as you live. (Deu 23:3-6 CJB).

When all is said and done, Ruth the Moabite married Boaz and became the great-grandmother of King David and King Solomon married Naamah the Ammonitess. The ten generations deadline had expired by the Boaz and Solomon married them. Both Boaz and King Solomon are in the genealogy of Messiah.

This means that part of the lineage of Yeshua the Messiah stems from Lot; that Lot is an actual ancestor of Yeshua. The sage of Israel already knew that the Messiah would be a descendant of Lot as they said, “The source of Messiah is rooted in Lot. All the genealogies and generation are [for the sake of] David and Messiah. The reason that Lot walked with Abraham was so that the spark of Messiah would go forth from him.” Rokeach in Yalkut Moshiach: Lech lecha, 35par, 19.

That could be the reason why Matthew mentioned them in his genealogies alongside 3 other special women. It’s all the more special when genealogies usually only include men.

Personally, I do not like passing judgment on some of these Bible characters, especially when Yeshua uses them as an analogy of the righteous and peter qualifies them as righteous souls.

This lesson should teach us that according to HaShem, more righteousness is found in the lowly souls, in the valleys of humankind than in its proud mountains. In its message about the coming Kingdom of Heaven, John the Immerser took up the message of Isaiah when he said, “Every valley must be filled in, every mountain and hill leveled off; the winding roads must be straightened and the rough ways made smooth.” (Luk 3:1-6). Yeshua taught the same message when he said, “Whoever promotes himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be promoted.” (Mat 23:12 CJB)

SHABBAT SHALOM!

R' Gavriel Lumbroso 
with the inspiration of R' Zelig Pliskin and others.

IF YOU LIKE THESE ARTICLES, 
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT R' GAVRIEL IN HIS WRITING THROUGH PATREON.

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PAR'SHAT NOACH: Embarrassing Embarrassment!

10/11/2018

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ואך את־דמכם לנפשׁתיכם אדרשׁ מיד כל־חיה אדרשׁנו ומיד האדם מיד אישׁ אחיו אדרשׁ את־נפשׁ האדם׃
שׁפך דם האדם באדם דמו ישׁפך כי בצלם אלהים עשׂה את־האדם׃

I will certainly demand an accounting for the blood of your lives: I will demand it from every animal and from every human being. I will demand from every human being an accounting for the life of his fellow human being. Whoever sheds human blood, by a human being will his own blood be shed; for God made human beings in his image. 
(Gen 9:5-6 CJB)

EMBARRASSING EMBARRASSMENTS

Biology shows that our blood flow changes when we become embarrassed. That's why we blush or, in certain instances,  become pale. While provoking blushing or paling is a far cry from spilling someone's blood, by way of a fence against the commandment of not spilling someone's blood, sixteenth century Rabbi Moshe Alshich applies the prohibition in Genesis 1:6 to embarrassing people and/or shaming them publicly.

This idea fits well with a part of this week's parasha, the part where Noah’s children discover their father in a compromising situation. Ham’s first reaction was to publicize his father's situation while his brothers, Shem and Japheth, did not even deign to look at him and made sure to cover his shame.

Here is something from Rabbi Zelig Pliskin on the subject. “When you embarrass someone you cause him much pain. This suffering can be even much worse than that felt from a physical wound. ... When you humiliate someone you lower his self-esteem...The ramifications of this are awesome!”

The modern phenomenon of cyber bullying is a testament to that. Embarrassing and shaming others can, in some cases, lead to suicide which can be construed as “Murder by victim.” It doesn't only happen in schools. Our present mean, proud, and arrogant modern society is rife those who think it is their right, if not their duty to elevate themselves by putting down those around them. But do they really get elevated?

We all have a certain element of self-depreciation, an innate inferiority complex, a subconscious feeling of inadequacy. As a result, much of what we do, say, and try to portray about ourselves to the outside world through the way we dress and present ourselves has to do with giving us an air of self-assurance. A wise person will recognize these mechanisms in himself and therefore in others. A wise leader, teacher, spouse, father, will tread softly and make sure to respect others, and yes, even children. He will be keenly aware that people go to great lengths to preserve their image, or to recover from the hurt caused by the breaking of their self-esteem. The violent and bloody history of mankind is a testament and testimony to that fact. After all, being made of glass ourselves, we shouldn't play at throwing stones!

Rabbi Moshe Alshich lived in the 16th century. He didn’t know about cyber-bullying but he knew about people. As we have shown before, the idea of embarrassing and shaming others publicly is as old as Ham, the son of Noah.

He was not the first one. King Solomon spoke much about the power of the tongue. At the beginning of his reign, he desperately prayed and asked HaShem,

So now, give me wisdom and knowledge; so that I will be able to lead this people. For who is equal to judging this great people of yours?" (2Ch 1:10 CJB)

As a result, HaShem gave Solomon a wisdom of speech that brought, for a time, the Kingdom of  Israel to its zenith, a foretaste of the Messianic age. The following King was not so wise. He refused the wise counsel of his advisers,

They said to him, "If you will treat these people kindly, pleasing them and giving them favorable consideration, they will be your servants forever." But he didn't take the advice the older men gave him; instead he consulted the young men he had grown up with, who were now his attendants. (2Ch 10:7-8 CJB)

Here is a little more from Solomon on the benefit of wise speech,

The speech of the righteous is a fountain of life, 
but the speech of the wicked is a cover for violence.
 (Pro 10:11 CJB)

Idle talk can pierce like a sword, 
but the tongue of the wise can heal. 
(Pro 12:18 CJB)

The wise man's heart teaches his mouth, 
and to his lips it adds learning. 
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, 
sweet to the taste and healing for the body.
(Pro 16:23-24 CJB)

Yeshua also taught of the power of the tongue. He says,

There is nothing outside a person which, by going into him, can make him unclean. Rather, it is the things that come out of a person [through his mouth] which make a person unclean!"
(Mar 7:15 CJB)

James who became the leader of the Messianic congregations in first-century Israel also thought that,

... all stumble in many ways; if someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who can bridle his whole body. If we put a bit into a horse's mouth to make it obey us, we control its whole body as well. And think of a ship -- although it is huge and is driven by strong winds, yet the pilot can steer it wherever he wants with just a small rudder. So too the tongue is a tiny part of the body, yet it boasts great things. See how a little fire sets a whole forest ablaze! Yes, the tongue is a fire, a world of wickedness. The tongue is so placed in our body that it defiles every part of it, setting ablaze the whole of our life; and it is set on fire by Gei-Hinnom itself. For people have tamed and continue to tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures; but the tongue no one can tame -- it is an unstable and evil thing, full of death-dealing poison! With it we bless Adonai, the Father; and with it we curse people, who were made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing! Brothers, it isn't right for things to be this way. A spring doesn't send both fresh and bitter water from the same opening, does it? Can a fig tree yield olives, my brothers? or a grapevine, figs? Neither does salt water produce fresh.
(Jas 3:2-12 CJB)

“Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble.” Unknown.

May we use our words 
to help, 
to heal, 
and to build.

R' Gavriel Lumbroso 
with the inspiration of R' Zelig Pliskin and others.

IF YOU LIKE THESE ARTICLES, 
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT R' GAVRIEL IN HIS WRITING THROUGH PATREON.


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PAR'SHAT B'REISHEET: Looking at the Bright Side of Things.

10/2/2018

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וירא אלהים את־כל־אשׁר עשׂה והנה־טוב מאד


God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good. 
Genesis 1:31




At each step, as He formed the earth HaShem said, “... it was good!” After creating man, when it was all finished he even said, “...it was very good!”

The sages teach that even before creation HaShem created the Name of Messiah and Repentance. What does this tell us? It tells us that even before He created us, HaShem knew that we would go astray. He knew of all the horrors that we would be responsible for but yet, He chose to create us.

Rabbi Simon tells a midrash about this. He says, “When the Holy One, blessed be He, came to create man, the ministering angels were divided into camps and factions. Some said, “Let Him create man;” others said, “Let Him not create man.” Kindness said: “Let God create man, for he will perform acts of kindness.” Truth said, “Let Him not create man, for he will be full of deceit.” Justice said, “Let Him create man, for he will perform righteousness;” peace said, “Let Him not create him, for he will be full of divisiveness....” According to this midrash, some angels maintained that man would be a worthy creation, since he would possess positive qualities, and would be able to achieve good in the world. Others argued that he was not worthy of being created, since his deficiencies - and, consequently, his potential for evil - would be too great.

"What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do?" asks Rabbi Simon. He took truth, and cast it to the ground....HaShem decides in favor of the angels that support the creation of man; those that view his positive qualities. In other words, the verdict of the great Judge of the earth is that the positive aspects of man will outweigh the negative.

There is a great lesson here to learn from the Almighty Creator. We are made in His image and thus, like Him, we can chose our scope of vision. We can look at the bad in the world and in people, or we can look at the good.

A water-carrier was asked one day, maybe on a rainy day, “How are things going?” "I'm getting older and I feel so weak," the man replied. "My children constantly study and don't help me out. I have to support my in-laws, and find the financial obligations a real burden. My wife is so sickly, and I feel like I'm falling apart." On another day, maybe a sunny day, the same man was asked the same question. With a big smile, he replied "I am so grateful to HaShem for all of His kindness. Even though I am old, I am not only able to support myself, but I am even able to support the Torah study of my children and in-laws who study with such diligence. My wife is wonderful to me; with great sacrifice she makes me so happy." We constantly choose how to view our life situation; even though nothing external has changed, we can still view our life in very positive ways.

This remind me of the woman who was given a piece of tapestry one day. As she looked at it she could only see a confusion of knots and colored threads. “What does this mean?” she wondered. It is only as she turned it around that she could see a beautiful embroidery of the words, “God is Love.” Sometimes, just as HaShem and the water-bearer did, we just need to change the perspective with which we look at our lives to see the work of God in it.

The psalmist exhorts us with,

Bless Adonai, my soul! Everything in me, bless his holy name! Bless Adonai, my soul, and forget none of his benefits! (Psa 103:1-2)

Paul gave us a very good tool in order to keep our eyes and hearts in the right place. he said,

In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy. (Php 4:8)

HaShem who lives in eternity where there is no past, present, nor future lives in the eternal now. Just as the mother who rejoices that her child is born instead of mourning that he will die one day, HaShem rejoices at the potential of His creation Today. May we learn to not allow future sorrows to destroy the positive aspects of the present.

R’ Gavriel Lumbroso,
 
with the inspiration of R’ Zelig Pliskin and others.

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