Rosh Chodesh Tammuz

Karaite Korner Newsletter #392

New Moon Report
June 2009
Fourth Biblical Month

On Tuesday June 23, 2009 the new moon was sighted from Israel. The moon was
first sighted from Jerusalem at 20:14 by Nehemia Gordon and then immediately
thereafter by Joelle Crawshaw, Adam Kinghorn, and Eliyahu Netanel. The moon was
also sighted from Ashdod by Magdi Shamuel at 20:13.

Rosh Chodesh Sameach!
Happy New Moon!

Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

The fast of 17 Tammuz will therefore be on Friday, July 10th during the daylight hours.  The Tanakh does mention this fact, that there is one fast in the 4th  month – so we should be observing it.  Later it will be a feast of celebration, because it was part of Elohim’s plan to being redemption to the world.  But for now, it is a fast of mourning.  According to Zechariah:

כה־אמר יהוה צבאות צום הרביעי וצום החמישׁי וצום השׁביעי וצום העשׂירי יהיה לבית־יהודה לשׂשׂון ולשׂמחה

ולמעדים טובים והאמת והשׁלום אהבו׃

Kollel Korach

Kollel Korach

First Timothy chapters 1 & 2

Introduction

We must always remember the warning of Peter when we start a new Pauline epistle – that false teachers distort Shaul’s words to make it appear he was teaching Torahlessness.

2Pe 3:15  Regard the patience of Adonai as salvation; even as our beloved brother Sha’ul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you;   2Pe 3:16  as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.   2Pe 3:17  You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the Torahless, you fall from your own steadfastness.   2Pe 3:18  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Adonai and Savior Yeshua the Messiah. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amein.

“Athesmos,” of course, is a greek word that means “lawless,” – to us, “Torahlessness.”

If Shaul had been teaching Torahlessness, that would make him a false prophet, according to Yeshua, as YHWH Incarnate, made quite clear – so we can be sure he did not.

Deu 13:1 If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder,   Deu 13:2  and the sign or the wonder come to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them;   Deu 13:3  you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams: for YHWH your Elohim proves you, to know whether you love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul.   Deu 13:4  You shall walk after YHWH your Elohim, and fear him, and keep his mitzvot, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and cleave to him.   Deu 13:5  That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against YHWH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which YHWH your Elohim commanded you to walk in. So shall you put away the evil from the midst of you.

That means there is an  interpretation of every one of Shaul’s teachings that is consistent with Torah, if we look at the texts from a Hebraic point of view and using clues from Hebrew language.  The early church father Jerome stated that all of Shaul’s authentic epistles had originally been written in Hebrew, and that must be our guide for proper understanding of Shaul’s teachings.  He was not a false prophet, he taught the Written Torah – much to the chagrin of the Pharisees and their Oral Law, and much to the chagrin of modern pastors and preachers who teach Torahlessness.

First Timothy, continued:

First Tim 1:1 Sha’ul, an emissary of Messiah Yeshua according to the mitzvah of Elohim our Savior, and Messiah Yeshua our hope;

First Tim 1:2  to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and shalom, from Elohim our Father and Messiah Yeshua Adonai.

First Tim 1:3  As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

First Tim 1:4  neither to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than Elohim’s stewardship, which is in faith—

The “endless geneologies” are two things – one, Rabbinic teachings are all given “in the name of Rabbi X, who obtained it from Rabbi Y, who learned it from Rabbi Z, all the way back as far as they can. It’s a mythology of sorts, since they claim the Oral Law was given by Moses, in secret, along with the publicly given Written Torah.  Two, the Rabbis themselves often claim their authority to teach based on their own personal geneologies, as if they were real priests and Levites, which most of them are not.  The disputes occur because the teachings in the Talmud are all contradictory to each other and often to the real Written Torah itself.

That doesn’t mean there is nothing written by the Sages of old that has value.  Certainly many pondered issues of good and evil, prophecy, cosmology, and such that are clearly inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh, just as the Spirit has inspired many Christian writers through the ages even though they were not Torah observant (or didn’t call it that).

Timothy, continued:

First Tim 1:5  but the end of the charge [of Elohim’s stewardship] is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith;

First Tim 1:6  from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned aside to vain talking;

First Tim 1:7  desiring to be teachers of the Torah, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm.

Such are most Christian ministers today, teaching replacement theology and Torahlessness in complete opposition to YHWH’s will.

Timothy, continued:

First Tim 1:8  But we know that the Torah is good, if a man uses it lawfully,

First Tim 1:9  as knowing this, that Torah is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

First Tim 1:10  for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;

First Tim 1:11  according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

The Torah teaches sinners what sin is.  And once they have learned what sin is, they are responsible for repenting from their sins and, as Yeshua commanded, they must “go and sin no more.”   Torah is the plumbline by which we judge all things, even here in the modern world.  It is our eternal standard.

Timothy, continued:

First Tim 1:12  And I thank him who enabled me, Messiah Yeshua Adonai, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service;

First Tim 1:13  although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

And, obviously, repented of his sins and commits these sins no longer.

Timothy, continued:

First Tim 1:14  The grace of Adonai abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Messiah Yeshua.

First Tim 1:15  The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Messiah Yeshua came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

First Tim 1:16  However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Yeshua the Messiah might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.

First Tim 1:17  Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to Elohim who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amein.

First Tim 1:18  This charge I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to you, that by them you may wage the good warfare;

First Tim 1:19  holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith;

First Tim 1:20  of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered to Hasatan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

A person who is truly gifted with the Ruach HaKodesh’s gift of prophecy (perhaps Paul himself) apparently made predictions concerning Timothy’s life which Paul relies on as authentic.

On the issues of Hymenaeus and Alexander, they are apparently guilty of NOT having “faith and a good conscience.”  What exactly they did is not described, but we can infer from the preceeding verses that it might have had something to do with continuing to live in sin and teaching others to continue to live in sin.

Timothy, continued:

First Tim 2:1 I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men:

First Tim 2:2  for kings and all who are in high places; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.

We must not curse or be disobedient (within the bounds of Torah) toward our leaders, whether they are elected leaders or hereditary leaders.  Instead, we should pray when they are ruling badly.

Timothy, continued:

First Tim 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of Elohim our Savior;

First Tim 2:4  who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

This should be obvious but for some reason there are still people who endorse strict Calvinism, teaching Elohim only wants select people to be saved.  Clearly, He wants everyone to be saved, therefore it is possible for everyone to be saved – Elohim would not want something that could not come to be.  Sadly, many will choose a life of sin and debauchery, but that was NOT Elohim’s will for their life.  It was their own free will.

Timothy, continued:

First Tim 2:5  For there is one Elohim, and one mediator between Elohim and men, the man Messiah Yeshua,

First Tim 2:6  who gave himself as a ransom for all; the testimony in its own times;

First Tim 2:7  to which I was appointed a preacher and an emissary (I am telling the truth in Messiah, not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

First Tim 2:8  I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.

First Tim 2:9  In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety; not just with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing;

First Tim 2:10  but (which becomes women professing godliness) with good works.

Modest clothing is a requirement of Obedient Believers.  This does not mean one has to dress like an extra on Little House on the Prarie or like someone from the Middle Ages.  It does mean that certain areas of the body need to be fully covered.  Women in the Near and Far East, from about 800n BCE forward, wore pants (turkish trousers) or a skirt with a long tunic that did not allow men to directly view their rear end or front area (you know).  The tunics has sleeves at least the elbow and did not have a plunging neckline.  When going to the Temple, they wore a scarf to cover their hair, and a veil over their faces.  We don’t veil today, of course, but at a minimum some sort of headcovering is required (as discussed previously in the Pauline Epistles).   This passage and others does not say that a woman should not wear ANY jewelry, but it should be tasteful and not obnoxious or intended to show off wealth.  Certainly a righteous woman has better uses for her money than to buy name-brand designer shoes and clothes at inflated prices, as Paul here alludes.

Men, too, usually wore long robes with long tunics.   Today, the “style” is pants with no other covering, but during prayer and worship a large Tallit should be wrapped around a man.   Priests were required to wear turbans, today a kippah will suffice – though all male Obedient Believers are “kings and priests,” unless one is actually on the Temple mount a turban is not necessary.

Timothy, continued:

First Tim 2:11  Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection.

First Tim 2:12  But I don’t permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness.

This does not mean a woman can’t teach at all or lead prayer or worshop services – she can teach and lead other women, children, or the unsaved.  In the absence of an Obedient Believing circumcised man being present, she may certainly assume whatever authority is necessary.  But like the Priesthood of the Firstborn and the Priesthood of the Levites, the leadership of any congregation is under normal circumstances assigned by Elohim to men.

Timothy, continued:

First Tim 2:13  For Adam was first formed, then Chavah.

First Tim 2:14  Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience;

First Tim 2:15  but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and sanctification with sobriety.

Since we’re not sure how the original Hebrew read, we might consider some variants of “saved” for this verse:

G4982 σώζω sōzō sode’-zo

From a primary word σῶς sōs̄ (contraction for the obsolete σάος saos, “safe”); to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): – heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

Since the context is what women should be doing, as opposed to what they should not be doing, (like teaching men), the meaning clearly suggests she should be content teaching children – preferably her own.  “Do well” may be the best choice here.  This, of course, will make many feminists unhappy, who believe they need a career to be “made whole,” but even the “woman of valor” in Proverbs worked at home and didn’t dump her kids in daycare just so they could be perceived as successful by the outside world.  The world’s standards should not be our standards.

Next week:  Parashat Chukat.

Epistle Korach

Epistle Korach

John 10:1-21

Joh 10:1 “Most certainly, I [Yeshua] tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

Joh 10:2  But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

Joh 10:3  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.

Joh 10:4  Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

Joh 10:5  They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.”

Joh 10:6  Yeshua spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.

The theme of the “good shepherd” is scattered throughout the writings of each of the prophets.  The Good Shepherd is the one who leads the sheep on the correct path – the correct halacha – the Way of Elohim.  And, of course, he is willing to lay down his life for his sheep, unlike the false shepherds, who exploit the sheep and then leave them defenseless.  Since the prophets are not read through every year, a portion every week in the synagogue like the Torah is, many ordinary people who could not afford what we would call “school” for themselves or their kids might not be aware of all the prophetic writings in the Tanakh which spoke about the Good Shepherd.

John, continued:

Joh 10:7  Yeshua therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door.

Joh 10:8  All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.

Joh 10:9  I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.

Joh 10:10  The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Joh 10:12  He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.

Joh 10:13  The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep.

Joh 10:14  I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own;

Joh 10:15  even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.

Joh 10:16  I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.

Joh 10:17  Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.

Joh 10:18  No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this mitzvah from my Father.”

Joh 10:19  Therefore a division arose again among the Judeans because of these words.

Joh 10:20  Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?”

Joh 10:21  Others said, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn’t possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?”

Demons and those on the “other team” can do signs and wonders, even some miracles – the False Messiah and the False Prophet will rope in many doing just that.  But some things are beyond the occult arts, and the healings that Yeshua did are far and away beyond the ability of any occult practitioner.  Otherwise, there would be no blindness or paralyzation anywhere today because the charletans would have “proved” their power by duplicating these miracles.

Next:  Kollel Korach.

Talmidim Korach

Talmidim Korach

Acts 14:1-16:15

Act 14:1 It happened in Iconium that they entered together into the Jewish synagogue, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.

Act 14:2  But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers.

Act 14:3  Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in Adonai, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Act 14:4  But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the [unbelieving] Jews, and part with the emissaries.

Act 14:5  When some of both the Goyim and the [unbelieving] Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them,

Act 14:6  they became aware of it, and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region.

Act 14:7  There they preached the Good News.

Act 14:8  At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked.

Act 14:9  He was listening to Sha’ul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,

Act 14:10  said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and walked.

Act 14:11  When the multitude saw what Sha’ul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”

Act 14:12  They called Bar-Nabba “Jupiter,” and Sha’ul “Mercury,” because he was the chief speaker.

Didn’t stop speaking might be more like it.

Acts, continued:

Act 14:13  The Priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.

Act 14:14  But when the emissaries, Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul, heard of it, they tore their clothes, and sprang into the multitude, crying out,

Act 14:15  “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living Elohim, who made the sky and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them;

Act 14:16  who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.

Act 14:17  Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

Act 14:18  Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them.

This is a foretaste of what will happen when the False Messiah appears – except when he does signs and wonders and the people aclaim him as a god, he will not disuade them at all.  In fact, he will begin to persecute anyone who retains their faith in the real YHWH Tzeva’ot, Elohim of Israel.

Acts, continued:

Act 14:19  But some [unbelieving] Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Sha’ul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

Act 14:20  But as the talmidim stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Bar-Nabba to Derbe.

Act 14:21  When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many talmidim, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

Act 14:22  confirming the souls of the talmidim, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of Elohim.

Act 14:23  When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to Adonai, on whom they had believed.

Act 14:24  They passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia.

Act 14:25  When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

Act 14:26  From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of Elohim for the work which they had fulfilled.

Act 14:27  When they had arrived, and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that Elohim had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations.

Act 14:28  They stayed there with the talmidim for a long time.

Act 15:1 Some men came down from Yehudah and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moshe, you can’t be saved.”

The key word here is “custom,” and the “some men” were Pharisee Believers who would not give up their Oral Law, which insists that gentiles are unclean and not fit to enter a synagoge to worship or learn Torah or socialize with anyone unless they were circumcised first.  This was in opposition to the teaching of the Sadducees, which was the method being used by the apostles – namely, that a gentile had to read and learn Torah for a full Torah Cycle (1-3 years, minimum), learning, as Yeshua said, to “count the cost,” and only at the END of the process were they offered the chance to be circumcised and be part of the covenant kiddush of Passover.  (Recall, no uncircumcised person may, by YHWH’s direct written command, participate in Pesach.  No uncircumsised person could have been in the Upper Room with Yeshua, or at any Passover Seder where His covenant Kiddush was re-enacted every year.)

So the issue was never IF a man had to be circumcised, because every man, native born or bought into the House of Abraham, is required per the written Torah (Genesis 17) to be circumcised.  The question was WHEN.  And here the Pharisees stuck like glue to their Oral Law and refused to submit to the apostles methodology.  In fact, they went around behind Paul and the apostles everywhere they went and teaching this tradition, even after being told not to.  Like Korach, they refuse to give up their self-appointed positions of authority.  Their arrogance leads them to elevate the things they made up themselves to being equal with Elohim’s real Torah – and it’s just not true.  But they won’t admit that, and they won’t submit.

Acts, continued:

Act 15:2  Therefore when Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba, and some others of them, to go up to Yerushalayim to the emissaries and elders about this question.

Act 15:3  They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Shomron, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers.

Act 15:4  When they had come to Yerushalayim, they were received by the assembly and the emissaries and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them.

Act 15:5  But some of the sect of the Perushim who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the Torah of Moshe.”

Here those who translated the original Hebrew texts into Greek may have taken some liberty with their translation, because as we saw above, the issue was never Elohim’s written Torah, which is eternal and commanded to us for all time, but rather the issue was the Pharisees interpretation of it in their Oral Law.

Acts, continued:

Act 15:6  The emissaries and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.

Act 15:7  When there had been much discussion, Kefa rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago Elohim made a choice among you, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News, and believe.

Act 15:8  Elohim, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Ruach HaKodesh, just like he did to us.

Act 15:9  He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

Act 15:10  Now therefore why do you tempt Elohim, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the talmidim which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Act 15:11  But we believe that we are saved through the grace of Adonai Yeshua, just as they are.”

Now, this is important to notice – the Oral Law is, very much, impossible to bear.  It regulates everything from how you put your shoes on in the morning to how you cover yourself when you sleep at night.  There is no rest from the Rabbinate’s burdens.  But Elohim’s written Torah, as Yeshua Himself as YHWH Incarnate tells us, is NOT burdensome.

Deu 30:11  For this mitzvah which I command you this day, it is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.   Deu 30:12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?   Deu 30:13  Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?   Deu 30:14  But the word is very near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it.   Deu 30:15  Behold, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil…

And the apostles agree, we are very much able to do Elohim’s written Torah.

1Jo 5:3  For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous.   1Jo 5:4  For whatever is born of Elohim overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith.

Grace is not license for sin (Romans 6).  Sin is, by definition, the Transgression of the Torah (I John 3).  Ergo, grace is not license for transgressing the Torah.  We MUST NOT continue living in sin.  That means we MUST obey Elohim – we do NOT, however, have to obey any human teacher, especially one whose teachings are in violation of Elohim’s revealed will.

Acts, continued:

Act 15:12  All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul reporting what signs and wonders Elohim had done among the nations through them.

Act 15:13  After they were silent, Ya`akov answered, “Brothers, listen to me.

Act 15:14  Shim`on has reported how Elohim first visited the nations, to take out of them a people for his name.

Act 15:15  This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written,

Act 15:16  ‘After these things I will return. I will again build the tent of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up,

Act 15:17  That the rest of men may seek after Adonai; All the Gentiles who are called by my name, Says Adonai, who does all these things.

Act 15:18  All his works are known to Elohim from eternity.’

So the purpose of raising David’s fallen tent – that is, re-establishing the Kingdom – is for the Gentiles may seek after Adonai.  The Prophets tell us how a gentile may do this – these are the words of Yeshua, as YHWH Incarnate, to Isaiah:

Isa 56:1 Thus says YHWH, Keep you justice, and do righteousness; for my yeshu`ah is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.   Isa 56:2  Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the Shabbat from profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.   Isa 56:3  Neither let the foreigner, who has joined himself to YHWH, speak, saying, YHWH will surely separate me from his people…   Isa 56:6  Also the foreigners who join themselves to YHWH, to minister to him, and to love the name of YHWH, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Shabbat from profaning it, and holds fast my covenant;   Isa 56:7  even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

This is how David’s tent is raised and the Gentiles seek after Elohim – by learning Torah.  But a person is, truly, better off never committing to Elohim at all than he is if he commits and then figures out there are things in the Torah he is not willing to obey.  That’s the honest truth.  The Pharisees method was unacceptable to Yeshua, who wanted his followers to “count the cost.”  They needed to participate in worship, and fellowship with other believers, and observe the moedim (except Passover) with the congregation while learning Torah, and only at the end choose whether or not to be adopted into the Household of Abraham and the House of Israel by being circumcised and partaking of the Covenant Kiddush Yeshua established at Passover.

Acts, continued:

Act 15:19  “Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to Elohim,

Act 15:20  but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.

Act 15:21  For Moshe from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Shabbat.”

As we see clearly from verse 21, these are the minimum requirements for fellowshipping and learning with the congregation, WHILE they hear Torah read every week in the synagogue.  There is an article on the sidebar of the homepage of this blog which discusses these passages of Acts in linguistic and translational detail, for your reference.  The intent of the apostle’s message was to twart the Pharisees method of conversion, NOT to invalidate Elohim’s written Torah.  The minimum requirements for fellowship is where a new believer STARTS their adoption, not where they end it.  It ends with a decision – either choose to be circumsised and partake in the Covenant Kiddush of Passover, or choose to remain a god-fearer without being adopted into the House of Israel and committing to Torah.

This is hard for modern Christians to understand, but god-fearers were considered as “Righteous Gentiles” and in Hebraic theology, Rightous Gentiles have a place in the Olam Haba (the world to come).  They do not get to participate in the Parousia – so they miss the Messianic Kingdom, obviously.  But they don’t “go to hell,” they are resurrected to life in the New Heavens and the New Earth.

It is the lack of understanding of this aspect of Hebraic thought which makes it difficult for modern Christians to understand why prosthelytes would be given a choice at the end of the Torah cycle.  Christians often teach that everyone raised up at the Great White Throne Judgement is thrown into the lake of fire, but that is not substantiated at all by scripture or by Hebraic Theology.  Rather, they are judged by their works, period.  At the Great White Throne, Righteous Gentiles (those who were god-fearers, or were righteous people who lived in times or places prior to Messiah or prior to Torah or who never had an opportunity to be saved) DO enter the Olam Haba.  Elohim does not fry people who never reached the age of accountability, or good people who never heard of Messiah or Torah.   It’s a sick perversion to claim otherwise.

Acts, continued:

Act 15:22  Then it seemed good to the emissaries and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba: Yehudah called Bar-Sabba, and Sila, chief men among the brothers.

Act 15:23  They wrote these things by their hand: “The emissaries, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings.

Act 15:24  Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised [by the Pharisee methodology] and keep the [Oral] Torah,’ to whom we gave no mitzvah;

Act 15:25  it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul,

Act 15:26  men who have risked their lives for the name of Adonai Yeshua the Messiah.

Act 15:27  We have sent therefore Yehudah and Sila, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth.

Act 15:28  For it seemed good to the Ruach HaKodesh, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things [to fellowship with us]:

Act 15:29  that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.”

Act 15:30  So, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. Having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.

Act 15:31  When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement.

Act 15:32  Yehudah and Sila, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words, and strengthened them.

Act 15:33  After they had spent some time there, they were sent back with greetings from the brothers to the emissaries.

Act 15:34  OMITTED TEXT

This verse does not appear in the earliest manuscripts. It is apparently a gloss by a later redactor, who simply wanted to make clear what Paul was doing.  It reads:  “Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.”

Acts, continued:

Act 15:35  But Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of Adonai, with many others also.

Act 15:36  After some days Sha’ul said to Bar-Nabba, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of Adonai, to see how they are doing.”

Part of the issue above when the Jerusalem Council said, “They can hear Moshe every week at synagogue” was the question of how long an apostle needed to stay with a fledgling congregation.  Did he need to stay for the entire Torah Cycle and teach it himself?  The answer to that was apparently “no,” because doing so would have meant an apostle would need to stay with a new congregation over up to 2 years (for towns using the annual reading cycle) or as much as 4 years (for those on the tri-ennial cycle).  It was simpy too long for them to stay in one place.  There were too many towns and cities to visit and not enough fully trained apostles.  And the basic teachings of the written Torah are the same everywhere.  All a person had to do was listen, learn, and implement it in their lives.  It didn’t require the apostle’s presence to do this, and if they had any questions regarding interpretations or traditions they could always write and ask!

Acts, continued:

Act 15:37  Bar-Nabba planned to take Yochanan, who was called Mark, with them also.

Act 15:38  But Sha’ul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work.

Act 15:39  Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Bar-Nabba took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus,

Act 15:40  but Sha’ul chose Sila, and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God.

Act 15:41  He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.

You’ll notice that sharp disagreements can arise among believers and nobody was yelling that the other person wasn’t saved if they didn’t agree.  Neither should we.  We answer to one judge alone – Yeshua HaMashiach.

Acts, continued:

Act 16:1 He came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain talmid was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed; but his father was a Greek.

Act 16:2  The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.

Act 16:3  Sha’ul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts; for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

Unlike Titus, a gentile who needed to go through an entire Torah cycle first, Timothy was a Jew by birth and already knew the Torah.  Therefore he needed to be circumcised right away, to show he was an Obedient Believer.

Acts, continued:

Act 16:4  As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the emissaries and elders who were at Yerushalayim.

Act 16:5  So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

Act 16:6  When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Ruach HaKodesh to speak the word in Asia.

Act 16:7  When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn’t allow them.

Act 16:8  Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

Act 16:9  A vision appeared to Sha’ul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him, and saying, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.”

Act 16:10  When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that Adonai had called us to preach the Good News to them.

Act 16:11  Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;

Act 16:12  and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.

Act 16:13  On the day of Shabbat we went forth outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down, and spoke to the women who had come together.

Act 16:14  A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped Elohim, heard us; whose heart Adonai opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Sha’ul.

Act 16:15  When she and her household were immersed, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to Adonai, come into my house, and stay.” So she persuaded us.

The Gentiles that the apostles normally spoke to and taught about Messiah were god-fearers or prosthelytes of Judaism, as the books of Acts shows over and over again.  They meet in the synagogues, they hear about Messiah in the synagogues, and even though they are cast out of the synagogues later for becoming Believers, they NEVER stop being OBEDIENT.  That means they learned the written Torah every week in the synagogue and implemented it in their lives, and that includes circumcision for men, and immersion in the Miqvah for all new believers.  They are the living examples of Isaiah 56 above, and Elohim’s requirements for us are exactly the same.

Next:  Epistle Korach.

Haftarah Korach

Haftarah Korach

First Samuel 11:14-12:22

1Sa 11:14  Then said Shemu’el to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.

1Sa 11:15  All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Sha’ul king before YHWH in Gilgal; and there they offered sacrifices of shalom offerings before YHWH; and there Sha’ul and all the men of Yisra’el rejoiced greatly.

1Sa 12:1 Shemu’el said to all Yisra’el, Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.

1Sa 12:2  Now, behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and gray-headed; and behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth to this day.

1Sa 12:3  Here I am: witness against me before YHWH, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose donkey have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind my eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

1Sa 12:4  They said, You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything of any man’s hand.

1Sa 12:5  He said to them, YHWH is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. They said, He is witness.

As Moses mentioned in the Torah Portion, he did not take anyone’s donkey.  In other words, he asked no one in the congregation for any money or household goods or any gift of any kind.  Doing so would imply undue influence for the wealthy or those with high social standing, because they have far more to tithe than an ordinary person.

Samuel, continued:

1Sa 12:6  Shemu’el said to the people, It is YHWH who appointed Moshe and Aharon, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

1Sa 12:7  Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before YHWH concerning all the righteous acts of YHWH, which he did to you and to your fathers.

1Sa 12:8  When Ya`akov was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to YHWH, then YHWH sent Moshe and Aharon, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place.

1Sa 12:9  But they forgot YHWH their Elohim; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Chatzor, and into the hand of the Pelishtim, and into the hand of the king of Mo’av; and they fought against them.

1Sa 12:10  They cried to YHWH, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken YHWH, and have served the Ba`alim and the `Ashtarot: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.

1Sa 12:11  YHWH sent Yerubba`al, and Bedan, and Yiftach, and Shemu’el, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.

1Sa 12:12  When you saw that Nachash the king of the children of `Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us; when YHWH your Elohim was your king.

1Sa 12:13  Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for: and behold, YHWH has set a king over you.

1Sa 12:14  If you will fear YHWH, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the mitzvah of YHWH, and both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of YHWH your Elohim, [well]:

1Sa 12:15  but if you will not listen to the voice of YHWH, but rebel against the mitzvah of YHWH, then will the hand of YHWH be against you, as it was against your fathers.

1Sa 12:16  Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which YHWH will do before your eyes.

1Sa 12:17  Isn’t it wheat harvest today? I will call to YHWH, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of YHWH, in asking you a king.

1Sa 12:18  So Shemu’el called to YHWH; and YHWH sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared YHWH and Shemu’el.

Rain, of course, ruins standing wheat sheaves.  People who live in rural areas know that often the fire department has to be called out when damp bales of hay or straw spontaneously combust, also, catching stacks of bales or sometimes entire fields on fire.

Samuel, continued:

1Sa 12:19  All the people said to Shemu’el, Pray for your servants to YHWH your Elohim, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins [this] evil, to ask us a king.

1Sa 12:20  Shemu’el said to the people, “Don’t be afraid; you have indeed done all this evil; yet don’t turn aside from following YHWH, but serve YHWH with all your heart:

1Sa 12:21  and don’t turn aside; for [then would you go] after vain things which can’t profit nor deliver, for they are vain.

1Sa 12:22  For YHWH will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased YHWH to make you a people to himself.

Recall:

Mat 26:21  As they were eating, he said, “Most certainly I tell you that one of you will betray me.”   Mat 26:22  They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each began to ask him, “It isn’t me, is it, Adonai?”   Mat 26:23  He answered, “He who dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same will betray me.   Mat 26:24 The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”

There are certain events which are destined to happen in the world, events leading up to the Grand Finale of Elohim’s prophetic plan.  But we have free will, and we choose what part we will play in the plan.  If these people had not asked for a king, a later generation would have.  But they are still guilty for the sins they willfully committed by rejecting Elohim and his High Priest from ruling over them directly.  We today would do well to remember these passages, because even though the culture all around us is evil, and we are often put in a position where we believe we have to do things forbidden in scripture, such as taking out a loan with interest, in truth we are choosing to be disobedient and there are always other alternatives.  We may not be happy with the other choices, such as never being able to save up enough to own property, but the choices are there.  We take them or leave them, and will be held accountable for what we have done.

Next:  Talmidim Korach

Torah Portion Korach

Torah Portion Korach

Bemidbar – Numbers 16:1-18:21

Num 16:1 Now Korach, the son of Yitzhar, the son of Kehat, the son of Levi, with Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eli’av, and On, the son of Pelet, sons of Re’uven, took [men]:

Num 16:2  and they rose up before Moshe, with certain of the children of Yisra’el, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown;

Num 16:3  and they assembled themselves together against Moshe and against Aharon, and said to them, You take too much on you, seeing all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and YHWH is among them: why then lift yourselves up above the assembly of YHWH?

Under the Priesthood of the Firstborm, of course, the Tribe of Reuben would have been the priestly tribe, had not Reuben forfeited his place by dishonoring his father’s couch.

Numbers, continued:

Num 16:4  When Moshe heard it, he fell on his face:

Num 16:5  and he spoke to Korach and to all his company, saying, In the morning YHWH will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him: even him whom he shall choose he will cause to come near to him.

Num 16:6  This do: take you censers, Korach, and all his company;

Num 16:7  and put fire in them, and put incense on them before YHWH tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom YHWH does choose, he [shall be] holy: you take too much on you, you sons of Levi.

Num 16:8  Moshe said to Korach, Hear now, you sons of Levi:

Num 16:9  [seems it but] a small thing to you, that the Elohim of Yisra’el has separated you from the congregation of Yisra’el, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tent of YHWH, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

Num 16:10  and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? and seek you the priesthood also?

Num 16:11  Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against YHWH: and Aharon, what is he who you murmur against him?

Num 16:12  Moshe sent to call Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eli’av; and they said, We won’t come up:

Num 16:13  is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must needs make yourself also a prince over us?

Num 16:14  Moreover you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: will you put out the eyes of these men? we won’t come up.

Num 16:15  Moshe was very angry, and said to YHWH, “Don’t respect their offering: I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”

Num 16:16  Moshe said to Korach, You and all your company go before YHWH, you, and they, and Aharon, tomorrow:

Num 16:17  and take every man his censer, and put incense on them, and bring you before YHWH every man his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aharon, each his censer.

Num 16:18  They took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moshe and Aharon.

Num 16:19  Korach assembled all the congregation against them to the door of the tent of meeting: and the glory of YHWH appeared to all the congregation.

Num 16:20  YHWH spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying,

Num 16:21  Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

Num 16:22  They fell on their faces, and said, Elohim, the Elohim of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?

Num 16:23  YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 16:24  Speak to the congregation, saying, Get away from around the tent of Korach, Datan, and Aviram.

Num 16:25  Moshe rose up and went to Datan and Aviram; and the elders of Yisra’el followed him.

Num 16:26  He spoke to the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.

Num 16:27  So they got them up from the tent of Korach, Datan, and Aviram, on every side: and Datan and Aviram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.

Num 16:28  Moshe said, Hereby you shall know that YHWH has sent me to do all these works; for [I have] not [done them] of my own mind.

Num 16:29  If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then YHWH hasn’t sent me.

Num 16:30  But if YHWH make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain to them, and they go down alive into She’ol; then you shall understand that these men have despised YHWH.

Sheol is the grave, and nothing else.

Numbers, continued:

Num 16:31  It happened, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground split apart that was under them;

Num 16:32  and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who appertained to Korach, and all their goods.

Num 16:33  So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into She’ol: and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.

Num 16:34  All Yisra’el that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up.

Num 16:35  Fire came forth from YHWH, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

Just as the two oldest sons of Aharon died for offering “strange” or “unauthorized” fire before Elohim, these men committed the same crime and received the same punishment.

Numbers, continued:

Num 16:36  YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 16:37  Speak to El`azar the son of Aharon the Kohen, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter you the fire yonder; for they are holy,

Num 16:38  even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before YHWH; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Yisra’el.

Num 16:39  El`azar the Kohen took the bronze censers, which those who were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,

Num 16:40  to be a memorial to the children of Yisra’el, to the end that no stranger, who isn’t of the seed of Aharon, comes near to burn incense before YHWH; that he not be as Korach, and as his company: as YHWH spoke to him by Moshe.

Num 16:41  But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Yisra’el murmured against Moshe and against Aharon, saying, You have killed the people of YHWH.

Num 16:42  It happened, when the congregation was assembled against Moshe and against Aharon, that they looked toward the tent of meeting: and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of YHWH appeared.

Num 16:43  Moshe and Aharon came to the front of the tent of meeting.

Num 16:44  YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 16:45  Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. They fell on their faces.

Num 16:46  Moshe said to Aharon, Take your censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from YHWH; the plague is begun.

Num 16:47  Aharon took as Moshe spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.

Num 16:48  He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

Num 16:49  Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korach.

Num 16:50  Aharon returned to Moshe to the door of the tent of meeting: and the plague was stayed.

Num 17:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 17:2  Speak to the children of Yisra’el, and take of them rods, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods: write you every man’s name on his rod.

Num 17:3  You shall write Aharon’s name on the rod of Levi; for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.

Num 17:4  You shall lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.

Num 17:5  It shall happen, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Yisra’el, which they murmur against you.

Num 17:6  Moshe spoke to the children of Yisra’el; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aharon was among their rods.

Num 17:7  Moshe laid up the rods before YHWH in the tent of the testimony.

Num 17:8  It happened on the next day, that Moshe went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aharon for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.

Num 17:9  Moshe brought out all the rods from before YHWH to all the children of Yisra’el: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

Num 17:10  YHWH said to Moshe, Put back the rod of Aharon before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die.

Num 17:11  Thus did Moshe: as YHWH commanded him, so did he.

Num 17:12  The children of Yisra’el spoke to Moshe, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.

Num 17:13  Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tent of YHWH, dies: shall we perish all of us?

Num 18:1 YHWH said to Aharon, You and your sons and your fathers’ house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

The same is true to a lesser degree of any elder, teacher, or minister of a congregation.  Those who are supposed to be leaders and show the people they way they ought to go are responsible for the guilt incurred when the people are not taught properly or fail to heed what they have been taught.

Numbers, continued:

Num 18:2  Your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring you near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you: but you and your sons with you shall be before the tent of the testimony.

Num 18:3  They shall keep your charge, and the charge of all the Tent: only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they, nor you.

Num 18:4  They shall be joined to you, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent: and a stranger shall not come near to you.

Num 18:5  You shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that there be wrath no more on the children of Yisra’el.

Num 18:6  I, behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Yisra’el: to you they are a gift, given to YHWH, to do the service of the tent of meeting.

Num 18:7  You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil; and you shall serve: I give you the priesthood as a service of gift: and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

“Stranger” in this context means anyone not of the Tribe of Levi.

Numbers, continued:

Num 18:8  YHWH spoke to Aharon, I, behold, I have given you the charge of my wave offerings, even all the holy things of the children of Yisra’el; to you have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever.

Num 18:9  This shall be yours of the most holy things, [reserved] from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render to me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.

Num 18:10  As the most holy things shall you eat of it; every male shall eat of it: it shall be holy to you.

Num 18:11  This is yours: the wave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the children of Yisra’el; I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion forever; everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.

Num 18:12  All the best of the oil, and all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first fruits of them which they give to YHWH, to you have I given them.

Num 18:13  The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to YHWH, shall be yours; everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.

Num 18:14  Everything devoted in Yisra’el shall be yours.

After the entry into Eretz Israel, the Levites would receive their portions of the offerings during the times they served their rotation at the Tabernacle/Temple, two weeks each year, plus the pilgrimage festivals when all Levites served together.  During the rest of the year, the Levites had shops, businesses and farms in the Levite towns from which they earned their living.  They did not subsist solely on the largess of the congregation.

Numbers, continued:

Num 18:15  Everything that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to YHWH, both of man and animal shall be yours: nevertheless the firstborn of man shall you surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals shall you redeem.

Num 18:16  Those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old shall you redeem, according to your estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary (the same is twenty gerahs).

The Firstborns are still sactified to Elohim, even though the Levites serve in their place.   The Priesthood of the Firstborns was not invalidated.  The Levites themselves would be demoted, so to speak, once the Ultimate Firstborn assumed the High Priesthood, Yeshua HaMashiach.

Numbers, continued:

Num 18:17  But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy: you shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor to YHWH.

Num 18:18  The flesh of them shall be your, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours.

Num 18:19  All the wave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Yisra’el offer to YHWH, have I given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever: it is a covenant of salt forever before YHWH to you and to your seed with you.

Num 18:20  YHWH said to Aharon, You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them: I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Yisra’el.

The Levites received several cities in Eretz Israel, but these were in the territories of other tribes. They received no territorial alotment of their own.

Numbers, continued:

Num 18:21  To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Yisra’el for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the tent of meeting.

Num 18:22  Henceforth the children of Yisra’el shall not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.

Num 18:23  But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations; and among the children of Yisra’el they shall have no inheritance.

Num 18:24  For the tithe of the children of Yisra’el, which they offer as a wave offering to YHWH, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance: therefore I have said to them, Among the children of Yisra’el they shall have no inheritance.

As was mentioned above, each Levite received what he offered on the altar during his time of service.  It was never a sufficient amount to support all the Levites all year round.  Those who look to this passage and ignore the later writings of Samuel and David and Paul to claim that Torah teachers should be supported 100% by their congregation are not just wrong, they are arrogant and greedy.  A true Torah teacher would not wish to burden a congregation with having to support an able-bodied adult who should have a shop or business or farm of his own as income.  Paul made this clear many times, both as a teaching and as his personal example.  A congregation should be very wary of someone who claims they are entitled to be supported and will not work for a living.  These people are acting outside of Elohim’s will.

Numbers, continued:

Num 18:25  YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 18:26  Moreover you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, When you take of the children of Yisra’el the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a wave offering of it for YHWH, a tithe of the tithe.

Num 18:27  Your wave offering shall be reckoned to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress.

Num 18:28  Thus you also shall offer a wave offering to YHWH of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Yisra’el; and of it you shall give YHWH’s wave offering to Aharon the Kohen.

Num 18:29  Out of all your gifts you shall offer every wave offering of YHWH, of all the best of it, even the holy part of it out of it.

Num 18:30  Therefore you shall tell them, When you heave the best of it from it, then it shall be reckoned to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the winepress.

Num 18:31  You shall eat it in every place, you and your households: for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting.

Num 18:32  You shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it the best of it: and you shall not profane the holy things of the children of Yisra’el, that you not die.

Everything that a Torah teacher or minister receives from a congregation in the way of tithes and offerings must itself have 10% given over to some other charity or ministry (not to his own ministry).    Again, anyone who refuses to do this should be considered as outside Elohim’s will and unfit to teach or serve.

Next:  Haftarah Korach.

Kollel Shelach LeCha

Kollel Shelach LeCha

Second Thessalonians chapters 2 & 3

Second Th 2:1 Now, brothers, concerning the coming of Adonai Yeshua the Messiah, and our gathering together to him, we ask you

Second Th 2:2  not to be quickly shaken in your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the Day of Messiah had come.

“Our gathering” refers to the prophecies of the Ingathering, found throughout the prophets, which is represented by Sukkot on Elohim’s calendar.  After the second advent, Yeshua will visit those Torah True Jews in Southern Jordan (probably Petra) who fled Jerusalem at the Abomination of Desolation and make his case to them.  Then will come the judgement of the sheep and the goats, wherein all the survivors of the Tribulation/WW III will be judged.  The goats, as it says in Matthew, will be destroyed in the lake of fire.  The sheep will enter the Kingdom as mortal subjects (the immortal rulers will be those included in the Parousia prior to the Trib and the Resurrection of the Just at Yom Kippur afterward).  Yeshua’s inaguration as King of Kings will be held in Jerusalem, and the nations will bring their offerings and accept him as their ruler at Sukkot.  On the 7^th day of Sukkot, the water-pouring ceremony will take place and the River of Life will spring from the Temple Mount.  On the 8^th day, Simchat Torah, the nations will all begin learning in a new Torah cycle of readings.  On Chanukkah, the Shekinah will return to the Temple, and at the New Year of Trees (Tu B’Shvat), the Trees with fruit and leaves for the healing of nations along the River of Life will be mature.  It’s all right there on Elohim’s calendar.  We are supposed to learn and rehearse these events every year of our lives.

Second Th 2:3  Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction,

Second Th 2:4  he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called Elohim or that is worshiped; so that he sits as Elohim in the temple of Elohim, setting himself up as Elohim.

The man is the False Messiah, aka the Beast, and the event described here is the Abomination of Desolation, both  spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, and referred to by Yeshua as not yet having its final fulfillment (though Antiochus did foreshadow it during the time of the Macabees).

Paul’s message to them here is plainly that they can’t possibly be in the Day of Adonia, or they would have seen these things happening.  Ergo, they have NOT missed the Parousia, and it is not yet time for the Tribulation or the Messianic Kingdom to begin.  The “Day that dawns in darkness” is the Day of YHWH.  In Hebraic reckoning, a day begins at sundown the evening before.  Night is the beginning of a day, not sunrise.  Every year on Elohim’s calendar has the Tribulation as its first seven regular days after Rosh HaShanah, and then Yom Kippur and Sukkot.  So the Tribulation will actually be the first seven years of the 7^th day, the “nighttime” of the Sabbath day, which will last 1000 years.  The rest is all daylight – sunshine, or “son” shine, if you will.

Thessalonians, continued:

Second Th 2:5  Don’t you remember that, when I was still with you, I told you these things?

Second Th 2:6  Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season.

Second Th 2:7  For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way.

Second Th 2:8  Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom Adonai will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming;

This passage has produced a great deal of speculation as to who or what it is exactly that restrains the False Messiah from appearing.   Some consider it to be the Ruach HaKodesh, but that cannot be correct, because those who become Obedient Believers during the Tribulation are sealed with the same Spirit as the rest of us, and those who become martyrs are able to watch the persecution and deaths of their friends and family (and endure it themselves) and still be strong through the strength and peace of the Ruach.

The word translated as “taken” in most English Bibles is very complex.

G1096 γίνομαι ginomai ghin’-om-ahee

A prolonged and middle form of a primary verb; to cause to be (“gen” -erate), that is, (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literally, figuratively, intensively, etc.): – arise be assembled, be (come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, be done, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.

It might be more correct to say “becomes” out of the way, rather than “taken.”  Alternately, “fulfilled” to be out of the way works well in this passage which is clearly discussing yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy.  All we can know for sure is that at a pre-ordained set of events, Elohim will arrange for the False Messiah to appear.

Thessalonians, continued:

Second Th 2:9  even he whose coming is according to the working of Hasatan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Second Th 2:10  and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Second Th 2:11  Because of this, Elohim sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie;

Second Th 2:12  that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Like Pharoah’s heart was hardened, so will theirs be – not because Elohim would not want them to repent and be saved, but because they had no intention of doing so, but rather would capitulate and despise the False Messiah for the wrong reasons, not because of his teachings and his position towards Elohim.  He will seem wonderful at first – a smoothe talking fellow who wins the hearts and minds of countless millions.  Those who have to endure the events of the Tribulation, however, might be minded to renounce him only to spite him and hopefully alleviate their own suffering, not because they truly repent and turn to Elohim.

Thessalonians, continued:

Second Th 2:13  But we are bound to always give thanks to Elohim for you, brothers loved by Adonai, because Elohim chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth;

Second Th 2:14  to which he called you through our Good News, for the obtaining of the glory of Adonai Yeshua the Messiah.

Second Th 2:15  So then, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word, or by letter.

Second Th 2:16  Now our Adonai Yeshua the Messiah himself, and Elohim our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,

Second Th 2:17  comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.

The true traditions and interpretations of the Written Torah, as opposed to the Oral Law of the Pharisees.

Thessalonians, continued:

Second Th 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of Adonai may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you;

Second Th 3:2  and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith.

Second Th 3:3  But Adonai is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one.

Of course, trails and tribulations and birth pangs will be suffered by all of us.  But truly Obedient Believers are promised to be kept from the very hour that wrath is poured on the earth, removed from normal space and time by Yeshua himself to spend out 7 day wedding festival in his chambers with him in Heaven while the earth is refined like gold for 7 years.

Thessalonians, continued:

Second Th 3:4  We have confidence in Adonai concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command.

Second Th 3:5  May Adonai direct your hearts into the love of Elohim, and into the patience of Messiah.

And what is our Love of Elohim?  That we obey His Commandments. 1Jo 5:3  For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep his mitzvot. His mitzvot are not grievous.

Thessalonians, continued:

Second Th 3:6  Now we command you, brothers, in the name of Adonai Yeshua the Messiah, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in idleness, and not after the tradition which they received from us.

Second Th 3:7  For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn’t behave ourselves idly among you,

Second Th 3:8  neither did we eat bread from anyone’s hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you;

Second Th 3:9  not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us.

Even those who have committed themselves to teaching Torah and faith in Yeshua HaMashiach are supposed to have a “day job” and not be a burden to the community.  We are to eat our own bread and work with our own hands, as Paul continually writes to us and gave as his own personal example.

Thessalonians, continued:

Second Th 3:10  For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone will not work, neither let him eat.”

Second Th 3:11  For we hear of some who walk among you in idleness, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies.

Second Th 3:12  Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in Adonai Yeshua the Messiah, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

This is a very plain teaching – those who won’t pull their weight deserve no charity.  We must be careful to discern between those who are truly in hard times through no fault of their own as opposed to those who feel they are entitled to live at the expense of the congregation.  The former we help, the latter we shun.

Thessalonians, continued:

Second Th 3:13  But you, brothers, don’t be weary in doing well.

Second Th 3:14  If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.

Second Th 3:15  Don’t count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Admonish him using the proper procedure given to us by Yeshua – confront him privately, then if that doesn’t help bring two or three witnesses, and if that still does not convince him of the error of his ways, he should be confronted in the presence of the entire congregation and rebuked for his idleness and/or Torahlessness.

Thessalonians, continued:

Second Th 3:16  Now may Adonai of shalom himself give you shalom at all times in all ways. Adonai be with you all.

Second Th 3:17  The greeting of me, Sha’ul, with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter: this is how I write.

Second Th 3:18  The grace of Adonai Yeshua the Messiah be with you all. Amein.

Next week:  Parashat Korach.

Epistle Shelach LeCha

Epistle Shelach LeCha

John 9:24-41

Recall, Yeshua healed a man blind from birth by spitting on the ground and making a poultice of clay and putting it on the man’s eyes.  The Pharisees claimed this was doing “work” since by their definition, mixing two ingredients together constitutes “work” on Shabbat.  Of course, there is no such prohibition against medical care on Shabbat in the actual written Torah.  But their traditions and precedents in the Oral Law often have little or nothing to do with Elohim’s actual commandments.

John, continued:

Joh 9:24  So they called the man who was blind a second time, and said to him, “Give glory to Elohim. We know that this man is a sinner.”

Joh 9:25  He therefore answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

Joh 9:26  They said to him again, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

Joh 9:27  He answered them, “I told you already, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t also want to become his talmidim, do you?”

Joh 9:28  They insulted him and said, “You are his talmid, but we are talmidim of Moshe.

Joh 9:29  We know that Elohim has spoken to Moshe. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes from.”

Joh 9:30  The man answered them, “How amazing! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

Joh 9:31  We know that Elohim doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of Elohim, and does his will, he listens to him.

That’s an important caveat – Elohim’s will is very clear, it was written out for us in the Torah.  The Pharisees could not do such miracles precisely because they had substituted their Oral Law which they made up themselves for Elohim’s written Torah.

John, continued:

Joh 9:32  Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind.

Joh 9:33  If this man were not from Elohim, he could do nothing.”

Joh 9:34  They answered him, “You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?” They threw him out.

As it is to this day, followers of Yeshua HaMashiach are thrown out of not just their synagogue but also their own family when they are discovered in any Rabbinic community.

John, continued:

Joh 9:35  Yeshua heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Elohim?”

Joh 9:36  He answered, “Who is he, Adonai, that I may believe in him?”

Joh 9:37  Yeshua said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.”

Joh 9:38  He said, “Adonai, I believe!” and he worshiped him.

Joh 9:39  Yeshua said, “I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may become blind.”

Joh 9:40  Those of the Perushim who were with him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”

Joh 9:41  Yeshua said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

Exactly.  Had their sins been in ignorance, they would not be held liable for them until the time came that they knew better, as the Torah Portion says.  But they know the Torah, and they claim to be interpreting it correctly, and indeed force others to adopt their interpretations  – so their sins are willful and arrogant!  They are not repentant, they do not approach their students and say with humility, “I think this is the correct way, but I could be wrong.”  No, they lord it over their students and their communities, and their sins, therefore, remain.

Next:  Kollel Shelach LeCha.

Talmidim Shelach LeCha

Talmidim Shelach LeCha

Acts 11:1-13:52

Act 11:1 Now the emissaries and the brothers who were in Yehudah heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of Elohim.

Act 11:2  When Kefa had come up to Yerushalayim, those who were of the circumcision [party] contended with him,

Act 11:3  saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!”

Recall, this subsect of the Pharisees refused to give up the Oral Law.  They required potential converts to be circumcised prior to being allowed to fellowship, worship, learn Torah, pray or socialize with other Pharisees, and absolutely did not allow themselves to eat meals with any man who was not circumcised, though there is absolutely no such Torah commandment.

Acts, continued:

Act 11:4  But Kefa began, and explained to them in order, saying,

Act 11:5  “I was in the city of Yafo praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me.

Act 11:6  When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.

Act 11:7  I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Kefa, kill and eat!’

Act 11:8  But I said, ‘Not so, Adonai, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.’

Act 11:9  But a voice answered me the second time out of heaven, ‘What Elohim has cleansed, don’t you call unclean.’

Act 11:10  This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

Act 11:11  Behold, immediately three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.

Act 11:12  The Spirit told me to go with them, without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house.

Act 11:13  He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying to him, ‘Send to Yafo, and get Shim`on, whose surname is Kefa,

Act 11:14  who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.’

Act 11:15  As I began to speak, the Ruach HaKodesh fell on them, even as on us at the beginning.

Act 11:16  I remembered the word of Adonai, how he said, ‘Yochanan indeed immersed in water, but you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh.’

Act 11:17  If then Elohim gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in Adonai Yeshua the Messiah, who was I, that I could withstand Elohim?”

Recall, this vision had absolutely NOTHING to do with eating unclean carcasses.  Peter himself interprets it here for the third time, to make absolutely certain that everyone understood the vision referred to uncircumcised gentiles, who according to Pharisee teaching and tradition were unclean and unfit to associate with at all.

Acts, continued:

Act 11:18  When they heard these things, they held their shalom, and glorified Elohim, saying, “Then Elohim has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”

Not all Pharisees reacted so enthusiastically, as we will see later.  There were still pleny of Pharisee Believers who disagreed vehemently, and who went around behind Paul and the other apostles teaching that gentiles had to be circumcised immediately before they could be admitted to the assembly.

Acts, continued:

Act 11:19  They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.

Act 11:20  But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching Adonai Yeshua.

Act 11:21  The hand of Adonai was with them, and a great number believed and turned Adonai.

Act 11:22  The report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Yerushalayim. They sent out Bar-Nabba to go as far as Antioch,

Act 11:23  who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of Elohim, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to Adonai.

Act 11:24  For he was a good man, and full of the Ruach HaKodesh and of faith, and many people were added to Adonai.

Act 11:25  Bar-Nabba went out to Tarsus to look for Sha’ul.

Act 11:26  When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. It happened, that for a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The talmidim were first called Messianic in Antioch.

Act 11:27  Now in these days, prophets came down from Yerushalayim to Antioch.

Act 11:28  One of them named Agav stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the land, which also happened in the days of Claudius.

The original Hebrew no doubt read “Eretz,” referring specifically to the land of Israel.  Otherwise, it would not have been possible for people from other lands to gather and send famine relief if they themselves were also afflicted with the drought.

Acts, continued:

Act 11:29  As any of the talmidim had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Yehudah;

Act 11:30  which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul.

Act 12:1 Now about that time, Herod the king stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly.

Act 12:2  He killed Ya`akov, the brother of Yochanan, with the sword.

Act 12:3  When he saw that it pleased the Judeans, he proceeded to seize Kefa also. This was during the days of matzah.

Act 12:4  When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Pesach.

Act 12:5  Kefa therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to Elohim for him.

Act 12:6  The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Kefa was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.

Act 12:7  And behold, an angel of Adonai stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Kefa on the side, and woke him up, saying, “Stand up quickly!” His chains fell off from his hands.

Act 12:8  The angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” He did so. He said to him, “Put on your cloak, and follow me.”

Act 12:9  And he went out and followed him. He didn’t know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.

Act 12:10  When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

Act 12:11  When Kefa had come to himself, he said, “Now I truly know that Adonai has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Judean people were expecting.”

Act 12:12  Thinking about that, he came to the house of Miriam, the mother of Yochanan whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

Act 12:13  When Kefa knocked at the door of the gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.

Act 12:14  When she recognized Kefa’s voice, but she didn’t open the gate, but ran in, for joy, and reported that Kefa was standing in front of the gate.

Act 12:15  They said to her, “You are crazy!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.”

Act 12:16  But Kefa continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.

Act 12:17  But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how Adonai had brought him out of the prison. He said, “Tell these things to Ya`akov, and to the brothers.” Then he departed, and went to another place.

Act 12:18  Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Kefa.

Act 12:19  When Herod had sought for him, and didn’t find him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Yehudah to Caesarea, and stayed there.

Act 12:20  Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tzor and Tzidon. They came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king’s personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food.

Act 12:21  On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them.

Act 12:22  The people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”

Act 12:23  Immediately an angel of Adonai struck him, because he didn’t give Elohim the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

Act 12:24  But the word of Elohim grew and multiplied.

Act 12:25  Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul returned to Yerushalayim, when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them Yochanan whose surname was Mark.

Act 13:1 Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Bar-Nabba, Shim`on who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Menachem the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Sha’ul.

Act 13:2  As they served Adonai and fasted, the Ruach HaKodesh said, “Separate Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”

Act 13:3  Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Act 13:4  So, being sent out by the Ruach HaKodesh, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.

Act 13:5  When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of Elohim in the Jewish synagogues. They had also Yochanan as their attendant.

Act 13:6  When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Yeshua,

Act 13:7  who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul, and sought to hear the word of Elohim.

Act 13:8  But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.

Act 13:9  But Sha’ul, who is also called Sha’ul, filled with the Ruach HaKodesh, fastened his eyes on him,

Act 13:10  and said, “Full of all deceit and all cunning, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of Adonai?

Act 13:11  Now, behold, the hand of Adonai is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

Act 13:12  Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of Adonai.

Act 13:13  Now Sha’ul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. Yochanan departed from them and returned to Yerushalayim.

Act 13:14  But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the day of Shabbat, and sat down.

Act 13:15  After the reading of the Torah and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.”

Act 13:16  Sha’ul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Yisra’el, and you who fear Elohim, listen.

Act 13:17  The Elohim of this people chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it.

Act 13:18  For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.

Act 13:19  When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Kena`an, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred fifty years.

Act 13:20  After these things he gave them judges until Shemu’el the prophet.

Act 13:21  Afterward they asked for a king, and Elohim gave to them Sha’ul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Binyamin, for forty years.

Act 13:22  When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Yishai, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’

Act 13:23  From this man’s seed, Elohim has brought salvation to Yisra’el according to his promise,

Act 13:24  before his coming, when Yochanan had first preached the immersion of repentance to Yisra’el.

Act 13:25  As Yochanan was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

There was still a large percentage of people who believed that Yochanan himself was the Messiah – people who had been in Judea for the festivals and personal business and had heard and seen Yochanan at the Jordan.  The apostles usually had to spend a bit of time wherever they went showing that Yochanan was in fact acting in the Spirit of Elijah, and was not the Messiah.

Acts, continued:

Act 13:26  Brothers, children of the stock of Avraham, and those among you who fear Elohim, the word of this salvation is sent out to you.

Act 13:27  For those who dwell in Yerushalayim, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Shabbat, fulfilled them by condemning him.

Act 13:28  Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.

Act 13:29  When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb.

Act 13:30  But Elohim raised him from the dead,

Act 13:31  and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from the Galil to Yerushalayim, who are his witnesses to the people.

Act 13:32  We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers,

Act 13:33  that Elohim has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up Yeshua. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’

Act 13:34  “Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’

Act 13:35  Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’

Act 13:36  For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of Elohim, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay.

Act 13:37  But he whom Elohim raised up saw no decay.

David, like all the righteous dead, is still dead and in his grave.  He will receive immortality at the Parousia, with all other Obedient Believers, living and dead.  Those who become obedient believers during the Tribulation and become martyrs will receive their resurrection at the second advent.

Acts, continued:

Act 13:38  Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins,

Act 13:39  and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the Torah of Moshe.

Recall from the Torah Portion of Parashat Shelach LeCha that sacrifices were intended for those who sinned through ignorance or mistake.   The Torah sacrifices are simply not effective for someone who sins willfully and does not repent.  In order to repent, one has to stop living in sin, and for one to stop living in sin, one has to learn and accept and be obedient to Torah.  But the guilt for past sins remains, and a whole herd of sheep and goats and bulls would not be enough to erase the past sins of most people – only the blood of Messiah can give everyone a clean slate so that they can move forward with a clean slate.  And the purpose of having a clean slate is NOT to commit more sins, that is, continue transgressing Torah.

Acts, continued:

Act 13:40  Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets:

Act 13:41  ‘Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.’”

Act 13:42  So when the Judeans went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Shabbat.

Act 13:43  Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Judeans and of the devout proselytes followed Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of Elohim.

Act 13:44  The next Shabbat almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.

Act 13:45  But when the Judeans saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Sha’ul, and blasphemed.

Of course, they were teaching from the point of view of their Oral Law, which does in many respects contradict the plain written Torah being taught by Paul and the other apostles.

Acts, continued:

Act 13:46  Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that Elohim’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

Act 13:47  For so has Adonai commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.’”

Act 13:48  As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of Elohim. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Act 13:49  Adonai’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region.

Act 13:50  But the Judeanss stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba, and threw them out of their borders.

Act 13:51  But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.

Act 13:52  The talmidim were filled with joy with the Ruach HaKodesh.

We have read that in most towns and villages the apostles visited, both native born Jews, prostelytes, and gentiles became believers.  But in this town, the Pharisee party with their Oral Law was very much in control, and so this town earned the disapprobation which Yeshua spoke of concerning those places in which no Jews would repent:

Mar 6:11 Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sedom and `Amorah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

Next:  Epistle Shelach LeCha.

Haftarah Shelach LeCha

Haftarah Shelach LeCha

Joshua 2:1-24

Jos 2:1 Yehoshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly, saying, Go, view the land, and Yericho. They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rachav, and lay there.

Jos 2:2  It was told the king of Yericho, saying, Behold, there came men in here tonight of the children of Yisra’el to search out the land.

Jos 2:3  The king of Yericho sent to Rachav, saying, Bring forth the men who are come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to search out all the land.

Jos 2:4  The woman took the two men, and hid them; and she said, Yes, the men came to me, but I didn’t know whence they were:

Jos 2:5  and it happened about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; where the men went I don’t know: pursue after them quickly; for you will overtake them.

Jos 2:6  But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.

Jos 2:7  The men pursued after them the way to the Yarden to the fords: and as soon as those who pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

Jos 2:8  Before they were laid down, she came up to them on the roof;

Jos 2:9  and she said to the men, I know that YHWH has given you the land, and that the fear of you is fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

Jos 2:10  For we have heard how YHWH dried up the water of the Sea of Suf before you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amori, who were beyond the Yarden, to Sichon and to `Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

Jos 2:11  As soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you: for YHWH your Elohim, he is Elohim in heaven above, and on earth beneath.

Biblical critics often point to the book of Joshua and claim it is an example of genocide and evil on the part of Israel and Elohim.  However, it is clear from this verse that nothing is further from the truth.  The Cana’anites KNEW that Joshua was coming and that Elohim had given them the land.  There were no passports in those days, no visa requirements – all they had to do was pack up and leave, pure and simple.  It’s reasonable to assume that many thousands did just that.  The ones who stayed, however, did so KNOWING that they were going to have to fight Joshua and that Elohim was on his side.  They stayed specifically to defy YHWH Tzeva’ot, the same reason the Arabs refuse to leave Eretz Israel to this day.  Nobody had to die – the ones who refused to emigrate chose their fate.  They could have left free and clear to start a new life elsewhere but chose not to do so – they chose to fight both Joshua and Elohim, in the full knowledge that this was likely to be both stupid and deadly.

Joshua, continued:

Jos 2:12  Now therefore, please swear to me by YHWH, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true token;

Jos 2:13  and that you will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from death.

Jos 2:14  The men said to her, Our life for yours, if you don’t utter this our business; and it shall be, when YHWH gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.

Jos 2:15  Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was on the side of the wall, and she lived on the wall.

Jos 2:16  She said to them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers light on you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may you go your way.

Jos 2:17  The men said to her, We will be guiltless of this your oath which you have made us to swear.

Jos 2:18  Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you did let us down by: and you shall gather to you into the house your father, and your mother, and your brothers, and all your father’s household.

There is an interesting contrast here – the blue thread of the tzitziyot in the Torah Portion and the scarlet thread here in the Haftarah.  In Hebraic thought, nothing is just “symbolic.”  Symbolic items and symbolic acts here on earth have power and effectiveness on the Heavenly planes.

Joshua, continued:

Jos 2:19  It shall be, that whoever shall go out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his head, and we shall be guiltless: and whoever shall be with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be on him.

Jos 2:20  But if you utter this our business, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which you have made us to swear.

Jos 2:21  She said, According to your words, so be it. She sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.

She knew it would likely be days if not weeks before they returned with Joshua’s army, yet she rushed to fulfill her obligation immediately.  If only modern people had such faith!

Joshua, continued:

Jos 2:22  They went, and came to the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but didn’t find them.

Jos 2:23  Then the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Yehoshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had happened to them.

Jos 2:24  They said to Yehoshua, Truly YHWH has delivered into our hands all the land; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land do melt away before us.

Next:  Talmidim Shelach LeCha.

Torah Portion Shelach LeCha

Torah Portion Shelach LeCha

Bemidbar – Numbers 13:1-15:41

Num 13:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 13:2  Send you men, that they may spy out the land of Kena`an, which I give to the children of Yisra’el: of every tribe of their fathers shall you send a man, everyone a prince among them.

“Spy” isn’t the best translation here.

H8446 תּוּר

tûr toor

A primitive root; to meander (causatively guide) about, especially for trade or reconnoitring: – chap [-man], sent to descry, be excellent, merchant [-man], search (out), seek, (e-) spy (out).

What Elohim told them to do is casually inspect the land, as a buyer inspects merchandise.  It was never intended to be a mission to see how strong the enemy was militarily – after all, that made no difference whatsoever with Elohim leading them.

Numbers, continued:

Num 13:3  Moshe sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the mitzvah of YHWH: all of them men who were heads of the children of Yisra’el.

Num 13:4  These were their names: Of the tribe of Re’uven, Shammua the son of Zakkur.

Num 13:5  Of the tribe of Shim`on, Shafat the son of Chori.

Num 13:6  Of the tribe of Yehudah, Kalev the son of Yefunneh.

Num 13:7  Of the tribe of Yissakhar, Yig’al the son of Yosef.

Num 13:8  Of the tribe of Efrayim, Hoshea the son of Nun.

Num 13:9  Of the tribe of Binyamin, Palti the son of Rafu.

Num 13:10  Of the tribe of Zevulun, Gaddi’el the son of Sodi.

Num 13:11  Of the tribe of Yosef, [namely], of the tribe of Menasheh, Gaddi the son of Susi.

Num 13:12  Of the tribe of Dan, `Ammi’el the son of Gemalli.

Num 13:13  Of the tribe of Asher, Setur the son of Mikha’el.

Num 13:14  Of the tribe of Naftali, Nachbi the son of Vofsi.

Num 13:15  Of the tribe of Gad, Ge’u'el the son of Makhi.

Num 13:16  These are the names of the men who Moshe sent to spy out the land. Moshe called Hoshea the son of Nun Yehoshua.

Num 13:17  Moshe sent them to spy out the land of Kena`an, and said to them, Go up this way by the South, and go up into the hill country:

Num 13:18  and see the land, what it is; and the people who dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many;

Num 13:19  and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds;

Num 13:20  and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood therein, or not. Be of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes.

Moshe appears to here have given instructions far in excess of what Elohim commanded.  This was no doubt the cause of the later insurrection.  Had he emphasized to them that Elohim was with them and there was not going to be any military difficulty in securing the land, they would not have come out with such a pessimistic mentality.

Numbers, continued:

Num 13:21  So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Tzin to Rechov, to the entrance of Chamat.

Num 13:22  They went up by the South, and came to Chevron; and Achiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of `Anak, were there. (Now Chevron was built seven years before Tzo`an in Egypt.)

Num 13:23  They came to the valley of Eshkol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a staff between two; [they brought] also of the pomegranates, and of the figs.

Num 13:24  That place was called the valley of Eshkol, because of the cluster which the children of Yisra’el cut down from there.

Num 13:25  They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.

The date of the “evil report” is traditionally considered to be Av the 9^th, a day that many subsequent evil events occurred upon – most especially the destruction of both the first and second Temples began on Av the 9^th.

Numbers, continued:

Num 13:26  They went and came to Moshe, and to Aharon, and to all the congregation of the children of Yisra’el, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word to them, and to all the congregation, and shown them the fruit of the land.

Num 13:27  They told him, and said, We came to the land where you sent us; and surely it flows with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

Num 13:28  However the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified, [and] very great: and moreover we saw the children of `Anak there.

Num 13:29  `Amalek dwells in the land of the South: and the Chittite, and the Yevusi, and the Amori, dwell in the hill country; and the Kena`ani dwells by the sea, and along by the side of the Yarden.

Num 13:30  Kalev stilled the people before Moshe, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

Num 13:31  But the men who went up with him said, We aren’t able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

Num 13:32  They brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Yisra’el, saying, The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up the inhabitants of it; and all the people who we saw in it are men of great stature.

Num 13:33  There we saw the Nefilim, the sons of `Anak, who come of the Nefilim: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

The Nephilim, as we learn in Parashat Noach, are descendents of fallen angels and human women, or, alternately, descendents of men who were followers of YHWH and women who were not.  Either way, they were of great stature, perhaps having occult arts, and “men of name.” By this they are generally believed to be famous people whose identities later came down to us as the names of pagan gods.

Numbers, continued:

Num 14:1 All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

Num 14:2  All the children of Yisra’el murmured against Moshe and against Aharon: and the whole congregation said to them, Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would that we had died in this wilderness!

Num 14:3  Why does YHWH bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be a prey: wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?

Num 14:4  They said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

Num 14:5  Then Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Yisra’el.

Num 14:6  Yehoshua the son of Nun and Kalev the son of Yefunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes:

Num 14:7  and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Yisra’el, saying, The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land.

Num 14:8  If YHWH delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which flows with milk and honey.

Num 14:9  Only don’t rebel against YHWH, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is removed from over them, and YHWH is with us: don’t fear them.

Num 14:10  But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. The glory of YHWH appeared in the tent of meeting to all the children of Yisra’el.

Num 14:11  YHWH said to Moshe, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked among them?

Num 14:12  I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.

Num 14:13  Moshe said to YHWH, Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them;

Num 14:14  and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, YHWH, are in the midst of this people; for you, YHWH, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.

Num 14:15  Now if you shall kill this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,

Num 14:16  Because YHWH was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.

Num 14:17  Now please let the power of Adonai be great, according as you have spoken, saying,

Num 14:18  YHWH is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and that will by no means clear [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.

Num 14:19  Pardon, Please, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and according as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.

Num 14:20  YHWH said, I have pardoned according to your word:

Num 14:21  but in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of YHWH;

Num 14:22  because all those men who have seen my glory, and my signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice;

Num 14:23  surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it:

Num 14:24  but my servant Kalev, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him will I bring into the land into which he went; and his seed shall possess it.

Num 14:25  Now the `Amaleki and the Kena`ani dwell in the valley: tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way to the Sea of Suf.

Num 14:26  YHWH spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying,

Num 14:27  How long [shall I bear] with this evil congregation, that murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Yisra’el, which they murmur against me.

Num 14:28  Tell them, As I live, says YHWH, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you:

Num 14:29  your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me,

Num 14:30  surely you shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, save Kalev the son of Yefunneh, and Yehoshua the son of Nun.

This is important to notice. This was a military revolt, an attempted coup, and only those of the military census were sentenced to death.  It is commonly thought that everyone under the age of 20 was commanded to death, but that is simply not the case.  Not included in those who were women, children, Levites, the deformed or disabled who could not serve in the military, and the very old.  Granted, to the very old this was likely a death sentence which would be carried out before they got to enter the land, but the elders of any community have an obligation to keep the young hotheads in line, and they obviously failed to do that.

Numbers, continued:

Num 14:31  But your little ones, that you said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected.

Num 14:32  But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.

Num 14:33  Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies be consumed in the wilderness.

Num 14:34  After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, shall you bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you shall know my alienation.

The “year for a day” principle is an important one in Hebrew prophecy and on Elohim’s calendar.  The entire Tribulation is portrayed as 7 days on Elohim’s calendar – Tishri 3^rd through Tishri 9^th.  The next day is Tishri 10^th – Yom Kippur – and is both the day and the year which inagurates the Messianic Kingdom.  Two days prior to the third is Tishri 1^st, Yom Teruah, which kicks off Rosh Hashanah (Tishri 1^st-2^nd) and represents the Parousia on Elohim’s calendar, showing that the Parousia can occur up to 2 years prior to the start of the Tribulation.  The Tribulation itself lasts seven years and will be preceded by the “birth pangs” of the “Season of Repentence” (which begins Elul 1^st) which will not exactly be a picnic themselves.  This could represent the 30 years prior to the Parousia in which the earth groans under the labor pains of natural disasters, economic woes, and political upheavals.

Numbers, continued:

Num 14:35  I, YHWH, have spoken, surely this will I do to all this evil congregation, who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

Num 14:36  The men, whom Moshe sent to spy out the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land,

Num 14:37  even those men who did bring up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before YHWH.

Num 14:38  But Yehoshua the son of Nun, and Kalev the son of Yefunneh, remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land.

Num 14:39  Moshe told these words to all the children of Yisra’el: and the people mourned greatly.

Num 14:40  They rose up early in the morning, and got them up to the top of the mountain, saying, Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which YHWH has promised: for we have sinned.

Num 14:41  Moshe said, Why now do you disobey the command of YHWH, seeing it shall not prosper?

Num 14:42  Don’t go up, for YHWH isn’t among you; that you not be struck down before your enemies.

Num 14:43  For there the `Amaleki and the Kena`ani are before you, and you shall fall by the sword: because you are turned back from following YHWH, therefore YHWH will not be with you.

Num 14:44  But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of YHWH, and Moshe, didn’t depart out of the camp.

Num 14:45  Then the `Amaleki came down, and the Kena`ani who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down, even to Chormah.

Num 15:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 15:2  Speak to the children of Yisra’el, and tell them, When you are come into the land of your habitations, which I give to you,

Num 15:3  and will make an offering by fire to YHWH, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a freewill offering, or in your set feasts, to make a sweet savor to YHWH, of the herd, or of the flock;

Num 15:4  then shall he who offers his offering offer to YHWH a meal offering of a tenth part [of an efah] of fine flour mixed with the fourth part of a hin of oil:

Num 15:5  and wine for the drink offering, the fourth part of a hin, shall you prepare with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.

Num 15:6  Or for a ram, you shall prepare for a meal offering two tenth parts [of an efah] of fine flour mixed with the third part of a hin of oil:

Num 15:7  and for the drink offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a sweet savor to YHWH.

Num 15:8  When you prepare a bull for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for shalom offerings to YHWH;

Num 15:9  then shall he offer with the bull a meal offering of three tenth parts [of an efah] of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil:

Num 15:10  and you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to YHWH.

Num 15:11  Thus shall it be done for each bull, or for each ram, or for each of the male lambs, or of the young goats.

Num 15:12  According to the number that you shall prepare, so shall you do to everyone according to their number.

Num 15:13  All who are native-born shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to YHWH.

Num 15:14  If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to YHWH; as you do, so he shall do.

Num 15:15  For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner [with you], a statute forever throughout your generations: as you are, so shall the foreigner be before YHWH.

Num 15:16  One Torah and one ordinance shall be for you, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner with you.

There is one Torah for both the native-born and those grafted-in to the House of Israel.  It applies to each alike.  A House divided against itself cannot stand, as Yeshua reminds us.  Elohim’s House is not divided.  Grace is not license for sin (Romans 6).  Sin is, by definition, the transgression of the Law – the Torah (I John 3). Egro, grace is not license for transgressing the Torah.  The Torah applies to All Israel, natural born or adopted, then and now and in the future.

Numbers, continued:

Num 15:17  YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 15:18  Speak to the children of Yisra’el, and tell them, When you come into the land where I bring you,

Num 15:19  then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a wave offering to YHWH.

Num 15:20  Of the first of your dough you shall offer up a cake for a wave offering: as the wave offering of the threshing floor, so shall you heave it.

Num 15:21  Of the first of your dough you shall give to YHWH a wave offering throughout your generations.

It is difficult to do this today with no altar available to us, but we can obey the spirit of the commandment by taking a pinch of dough when we make bread and saying the “Challah” blessing, then burning the pinch either in the oven or over some flame, such as a fireplace or grill.  Some simply discard the pinch, but others do not feel comfortable throwing an offering to Elohim in the trash.  It is the practice of some to save all the “pinches” in the freezer until a more convenient time to burn them.  Each person who makes bread will have to be convinced in their own minds what is the best way to perform this commandment with the options they have available.

Numbers, continued:

Num 15:22  When you shall err, and not observe all these mitzvot, which YHWH has spoken to Moshe,

Num 15:23  even all that YHWH has commanded you by Moshe, from the day that YHWH gave mitzvah, and onward throughout your generations;

Num 15:24  then it shall be, if it be done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a sweet savor to YHWH, with the meal offering of it, and the drink offering of it, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering.

Num 15:25  The Kohen shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Yisra’el, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to YHWH, and their sin offering before YHWH, for their error:

Num 15:26  and all the congregation of the children of Yisra’el shall be forgiven, and the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them; for in respect of all the people it was done unwittingly.

If your assembly or congregation finds out you have been doing something seriously wrong, the fact that you did not know it does not make your sin go away – when you become aware, you incur guilt for your past infractions.  An offering must be made – in our case, prayers and a monetary charitable donation will have to suffice, since we lack a Temple at which to make offerings.  Ideally, the amount of money offered would be the cost of buying an actual bull.  If that is not practicle, a day of fasting and prayer will suffice.  As Hoshea says, our lips must compensate for the bulls [we lack].

Numbers, continued:

Num 15:27  If one person sins unwittingly, then he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering.

Num 15:28  The Kohen shall make atonement for the soul who errs, when he sins unwittingly, before YHWH, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven.

Num 15:29  You shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native-born among the children of Yisra’el, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them.

Again, when a person finds out their traditions or things they learned in the past are not correct, they incur guilt for the past transgressions.  A person must, of course, repent from their mistakes just like the community as a whole would, and offer a prayer and perhaps a monetary gift to charity in the amount of the cost of a lamb.  Failing that, a day of fasting and prayer should be observed.

Numbers, continued:

Num 15:30  But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, the same blasphemes YHWH; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Num 15:31  Because he has despised the word of YHWH, and has broken his mitzvah, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.

A person who sins by accident or through ignorance is in a different class than someone who knows the Torah and disobeys anyway.  Such a person is arrogant and a bad influence and must be Karet – cut off or expelled – from the congregation until they repent completely.  Be careful, however, that such a person is truly acting outside the bounds of the written Torah and NOT just outside somebody’s interpretation or tradition.  We are not bound by traditions and precedents – only the written text of Elohim’s Torah is our plumbline.

Numbers, continued:

Num 15:32  While the children of Yisra’el were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the day of Shabbat.

It is clear that the intent for observing the Sabbath is that no household chores, no work for pay, no schoolwork, no yard or garden or farm chores (except to feed and water livestock), and no preparation for doing any of these at a later time is permitted.  This man either did not prepare for the Sabbath or decided to do a chore that should have been done on a weekday.  We do not know if his family lacked the firewood needed for keeping themselves or their food warm, or if he was simply trying to get a jump on the workweek – either way, however, his actions were a violation of the Torah commandment to not work on Shabbat.  If his family was in need, he could surely have asked of his family, friends, or neighbors and shared their tent or food.  If he was trying to prepare for the workweek, his actions are deliberately disobedient.

Numbers, continued:

Num 15:33  Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moshe and Aharon, and to all the congregation.

Num 15:34  They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.

Num 15:35  YHWH said to Moshe, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp.

Num 15:36  All the congregation brought him outside of the camp, and stoned him to death with stones; as YHWH commanded Moshe.

Num 15:37  YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 15:38  Speak to the children of Yisra’el, and bid those who they make them tzitziyot in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the tzitzit of each border a cord of blue:

Num 15:39  and it shall be to you for a tzitzit, that you may look on it, and remember all the mitzvot of YHWH, and do them; and that you not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you use to play the prostitute;

Num 15:40  that you may remember and do all my mitzvot, and be holy to your Elohim.

Num 15:41  I am YHWH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your Elohim: I am YHWH your Elohim.

Like the commandments for Shabbat, the commandment for men (benai – masculine plural) to wear tzitzits is still very much in force.

The Rabbinate claims that the word here translated as “blue” refers only to a specific kind of dye from a specific sea creature and since we no longer know what that is, that tzitzits should be plain white.  Karaites reject this reasoning and say that tzitzits without a blue string violate the commandment.  If a man already owns all-white tzitziyot and changes his mind to want blue threads, there is no specific way to weave tzitziyot mentioned in the written Torah – simply add a blue yarn to the already existing tzitziyot either by using a needle to thread it through or by unwinding the tzitziyot and re-braiding them with the blue yarn added.

Either way, however, a man is required to wear tzitzits every day.

They do not necessarily have to be visible to the public – many men wear a “tallit kattan,” (“little tallit”) with tzitziyot on it as an undershirt.  The swaying and dangling of the fringes underneath the clothing, they feel, is a sufficient reminder – and you see them at any time when you loosen or remove any of your clothes, which to some would be a time when being reminded of sin is a good idea.  These can be found at http://www.premierjudaica.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=neatzit and some local retailers.

However, if an undershirt annoys you, there are Karaite (with a blue thread) tzitziyot available which attach to belt loops or buttons to be visible to everyone.   These can be found at www.karaite-korner.org and some local retailers.

There is a PDF document online showing how to make tzitziyot at home.  This can be found at http://www.wholebible.com/PdfLibrary/TyingTzitzit.pdf

There are also some videos online that teaches a way to make your own tzitziyot.

Next:  Haftarah Shelach LeCha

Kollel BeHaalotcha

Kollel BeHaalotcha

First Thessalonians chapter 5

Second Thessalonians chapter 1

First Thessalonians, continued:

First Th 5:1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you.

They didn’t need it written to them because they all knew or were in the process of learning Elohim’s festival calendar, which we re-inact every year and is the blueprint for prophetic interpretation.  The Parousia is represented by the Yom Teruah (Rosh HaShanah), the Feast of Trumpets on Tishri 1^st.  This is the “last trump” the sages wrote plainly about – the “first trump” being Shavuot and the “Great Trump” being Yom Kippur.  These ideas were well known in Hebrew liturgy and prophetic thought.  He didn’t need to tell them what they already knew.

Thessalonians, continued:

First Th 5:2  For you yourselves know well that the day of Adonai comes like a thief in the night.

First Th 5:3  For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape.

First Th 5:4  But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief.

The point here is precisely that we, Obedient Believers, should KNOW Elohim’s calendar and KNOW where we are in His prophetic timeline.  We cannot know the day or the hour of the Parousia because like all days which are Rosh Chodesh, the new moon has to be sighted and verified as being seen and consecrated in Jerusalem before the Moedim can be declared, which can be either on the 29^th or 30^th of Elul and anytime within an hour or so after sunset, or even be completely put off to the next day on the 29^th if there are clouds.

Another point that is often lost on English commentators is that the Parousia will happen at the Rosh Chodesh IN JERUSALEM – meaning if you are on the East Coast of the USA, you must subtract about 7 hours from the expected time of Jerusalem’s sunset, meaning (depending upon whether or not your community is on daylight savings time, and whether or not Israel also is) the time may be anywhere from 11am-1pm during daylight hours prior to Yom Teruah being declared in New York!  Out on the west coast, subtract another 4 hours, which bring you to sometime around 7-8am the moring before.  In East Asia, it would still be the night before!  We aren’t used to thinking about or ordering our lives on Jerusalem time.  It gives me a headache just thinking about it.

Thessalonians, continued:

First Th 5:5  You are all children of light, and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness,

First Th 5:6  so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober.

First Th 5:7  For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunk in the night.

First Th 5:8  But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

First Th 5:9  For Elohim didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Adonai Yeshua the Messiah,

First Th 5:10  who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

We will, of course, experience birth pangs, but we were promised in Isaiah, in Revelation, and here in Thessalonians that Obedient Believers will NOT experience the Tribulation itself.  That is the wrath that we are hidden from per both John and Isaiah, besides Paul.

But do not imagine this will be like the “Left Behind” book series.  They imagined millions of people disappearing, and every young child.  That scenario doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.  Only children with at least one Obedient Believing parent are considered “holy,” according to Paul (1Co 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.).

And the only adults who are part of the Bride of Messiah are Obedient, that is, observant of the written Torah, Believers.  No one else will be included in the Parousia.   At present there are only about half a million people who profess to be Obedient Believers, and only about half of them truly are Torah observant as best they can be in this day and age with no Temple.  That means of the nearly 7 Billion people on this planet, maybe 250,000, a very small remnant, will be included in the Parousia.  If it weren’t for the angel and the Shofar that everyone on earth will hear, most people would never have known it had happened.  The Shofar, however, will tell them that they missed the boat (so to speak) and must now endure the Tribulation.  You can bet at that point many millions will repent and be saved.  We also know 144,000 Israelite youths will be sealed with a special seal and given a direct mission to teach Torah and preach Yeshua.  But the fate of the vast majority of those left behind will, as the books portrayed, be martyrdom and wrath of the Beast, the False Messiah, and his False Prophet.

Thessalonians, continued:

First Th 5:11  Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do.

First Th 5:12  But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in Adonai, and admonish you,

First Th 5:13  and to respect and honor them in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

First Th 5:14  We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient toward all.

First Th 5:15  See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.

First Th 5:16  Rejoice always.

First Th 5:17  Pray without ceasing.

First Th 5:18  In everything give thanks, for this is the will of Elohim in Messiah Yeshua toward you.

First Th 5:19  Don’t quench the Spirit.

First Th 5:20  Don’t despise prophesies.

First Th 5:21  Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.

First Th 5:22  Abstain from every form of evil.

First Th 5:23  May the Elohim of shalom Himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of Adonai Yeshua the Messiah.

First Th 5:24  He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.

First Th 5:25  Brothers, pray for us.

First Th 5:26  Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

First Th 5:27  I solemnly charge you by Adonai that this letter be read to all the holy brothers.

First Th 5:28  The grace of our Adonai Yeshua the Messiah be with you. Amein.

Second Thessalonians, continued:

Second Th 1:1 Sha’ul, Sila, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in Elohim our Father, and Adonai Yeshua the Messiah:

Second Th 1:2  Grace to you and shalom from Elohim our Father and Adonai Yeshua the Messiah.

Second Th 1:3  We are bound to always give thanks to Elohim for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds;

Second Th 1:4  so that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of Elohim for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure.

Second Th 1:5  This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of Elohim, to the end that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of Elohim, for which you also suffer.

Second Th 1:6  Since it is a righteous thing with Elohim to repay affliction to those who afflict you,

Second Th 1:7  and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when Adonai Yeshua is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,

Second Th 1:8  giving vengeance to those who don’t know Elohim, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of Adonai Yeshua,

Second Th 1:9  who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of Adonai and from the glory of his might,

Second Th 1:10  when he comes to be glorified in his holy ones, and to be admired among all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day.

As we see here again plainly, those who do NOT believe and who do NOT obey Torah will have wrath poured out on them during the Tribulation and especially those still alive at the advent of the King of Kings.  The phrase “the Good News” may or may not be original to the text, but it is certain that the whole message of the “Good News” was REPENTANCE from sin, not continuing to live in sin.  And sin, by definition, is the transgression of the Torah.  Grace is NOT license for sin.

Thessalonians, continued:

Second Th 1:11  To this end we also pray always for you, that our Elohim may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power;

Second Th 1:12  that the name of Adonai Yeshua may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our Elohim and Adonai Yeshua the Messiah.

Next week:  Shelach LeCha

Epistle Behaalotcha

Epistle BeHaalotcha

John 9:1-23

Joh 9:1 As he [Yeshua] passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.

Joh 9:2  His talmidim asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Joh 9:3  Yeshua answered, “Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of Elohim might be revealed in him.

Joh 9:4  I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work.

As you know, a day in Hebrew begins at sundown, not sunrise.  And the “Day that Dawns in Darkness” is one of the terms used to refer to the Tribulation, as it is the first 7 years of the Messianic Kingdom, the “Day of YHWH.”

John, continued:

Joh 9:5  While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Joh 9:6  When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud,

Joh 9:7  and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Shiloach” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.

Recall, the Rabbis do not permit the mixing or compounding of anything, not even medicines, on the Sabbath.  However, the Torah does not support this definition of “work” and obviously, Yeshua does not support it, either.  Providing someone with needed medical care is not work, all medical and emergency workers are exempt from Sabbath prohibitions.   That doesn’t mean a doctor can keep office hours on Shabbat, but if a situation arises where someone needs medical care, a physician has a duty to provide it even on Shabbat.

John, continued:

Joh 9:8  The neighbors therefore, and those who saw that he was blind before, said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?”

Joh 9:9  Others were saying, “It is he.” Still others were saying, “He looks like him.” He said, “I am he.”

Joh 9:10  They therefore were asking him, “How were your eyes opened?”

Joh 9:11  He answered, “A man called Yeshua made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Shiloach, and wash.’ So I went away and washed, and I received sight.”

Joh 9:12  Then they asked him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”

Joh 9:13  They brought him who had been blind to the Perushim.

Joh 9:14  It was a Shabbat when Yeshua made the mud and opened his eyes.

Joh 9:15  Again therefore the Perushim also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see.”

Joh 9:16  Some therefore of the Perushim said, “This man is not from Elohim, because he doesn’t keep the Shabbat.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There was division among them.

As it is to this very day, the Rabbis have imposed on the Jewish people their own decisions about what is “work” and what is not, and are merciless in the implementation of their traditions and precedents.

John, continued:

Joh 9:17  Therefore they asked the blind man again, “What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

Joh 9:18  The Judeans therefore did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight,

Joh 9:19  and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

Joh 9:20  His parents answered them, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Joh 9:21  but how he now sees, we don’t know; or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. He is of age. Ask him. He will speak for himself.”

Joh 9:22  His parents said these things because they feared the Judeans; for the Judeans had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Messiah, he would be put out of the synagogue.

Joh 9:23  Therefore his parents said, “He is of age. Ask him.”

This is why many followers of Yeshua did so in secret – fear of being ostracized and cut off from their family and friends.  There is no prohibition against being a secret Believer in Yeshua, but if you are directly asked a question that you cannot answer without revealing your status as a Believer, you must answer truthfully.  Granted, language is very bendable, but there are lines that cannot be crossed and if you are obfuscating, be sure in your own mind that you are not actually lying – for that would be the same as denying Messiah.

Next:  Kollel BeHa’alotcha.

Talmidim BeHaalotcha

Talmidim BeHaalotcha

Acts 9:1-10:48

Act 9:1 But Sha’ul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the talmidim of Adonai, went to the Kohen Gadol,

Act 9:2  and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Yerushalayim.

“Way” is another means of saying “Walk” or “Halacha.”  Their “halacha” was to observe only the written Torah and the rest of the Tanakh, and to reject the takanot and ma’asim (traditions and precedents) of the Pharisee’s Oral Law.  Shaul was, of course, a Pharisee, and as we know from the events of the Destruction of the Temple, the Pharisees were tight with the Roman authorities and had de facto control of the country.

Acts, continued:

Act 9:3  As he traveled, it happened that he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him.

Act 9:4  He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Sha’ul, Sha’ul, why do you persecute me?”

Act 9:5  He said, “Who are you, Adon?” Adonai said, “I am Yeshua, whom you are persecuting.

Act 9:6  But rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Act 9:7  The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one.

Act 9:8  Sha’ul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

Act 9:9  He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.

Act 9:10  Now there was a certain talmid at Damascus named Chananyah. Adonai said to him in a vision, “Chananyah!” He said, “Behold, it’s me, Adonai.”

Act 9:11  Adonai said to him, “Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Yehudah for one named Sha’ul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying,

Act 9:12  and in a vision he has seen a man named Chananyah coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.”

Act 9:13  But Chananyah answered, “Adonai, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your holy ones at Yerushalayim.

Act 9:14  Here he has authority from the chief Kohanim to bind all who call on your name.”

Act 9:15  But Adonai said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Yisra’el.

Act 9:16  For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

Act 9:17  Chananyah departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Sha’ul, Adonai, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Ruach HaKodesh.”

Act 9:18  Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was immersed.

Act 9:19  He took food and was strengthened. Sha’ul stayed several days with the talmidim who were at Damascus.

Act 9:20  Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Messiah, that he is the Son of Elohim.

Act 9:21  All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Yerushalayim made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief Kohanim!”

Act 9:22  But Sha’ul increased more in strength, and confounded the Judeans who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah.

Act 9:23  When many days were fulfilled, the Judeans conspired together to kill him,

Act 9:24  but their plot became known to Sha’ul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him,

Act 9:25  but his talmidim took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.

Act 9:26  When Sha’ul had come to Yerushalayim, he tried to join himself to the talmidim; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a talmid.

Act 9:27  But Bar-Nabba took him, and brought him to the emissaries, and declared to them how he had seen Adonai in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Yeshua.

Act 9:28  He was with them entering into Yerushalayim,

Act 9:29  preaching boldly in the name of Adonai. He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him.

Hellenists were also collaborators, the political party that sought to make Judea a Greek-style nation and to be a secular world power in the same manner that the State of Israel seeks to be one today, not trusting or obeying Elohim.

Acts, continued:

Act 9:30  When the brothers knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus.

Act 9:31  So the assemblies throughout all Yehudah and the Galil and Shomron had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of Adonai and in the comfort of the Ruach HaKodesh.

Act 9:32  It happened, as Kefa went throughout all those parts, he came down also to the holy ones who lived at Lud.

Act 9:33  There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, because he was paralyzed.

Act 9:34  Kefa said to him, “Aeneas, Yeshua the Messiah heals you. Get up and make your bed!” Immediately he arose.

Act 9:35  All who lived at Lud and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to Adonai.

Act 9:36  Now there was at Yafo a certain talmid named Tavita, which when translated, means Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and acts of mercy which she did.

Act 9:37  It happened in those days that she fell sick, and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber.

Act 9:38  As Lud was near Yafo, the talmidim, hearing that Kefa was there, sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.

Act 9:39  Kefa got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper chamber. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

Act 9:40  Kefa put them all out, and kneeled down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, “Tavita, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Kefa, she sat up.

Act 9:41  He gave her his hand, and raised her up. Calling the holy ones and widows, he presented her alive.

Act 9:42  And it became known throughout all Yafo, and many believed in Adonai.

Act 9:43  It happened, that he stayed many days in Yafo with one Shim`on, a tanner.

Act 10:1 Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,

Act 10:2  a devout man, and one who feared Elohim with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to Elohim.

Cornelious was probably a “god-fearer,” a gentile who adopted the ways of Torah but did not take the final step of being circumcised yet.  The Pharisees shunned such people and would not associate with those who were learning Torah but not yet undergone circumcicision.

Acts, continued:

Act 10:3  At about the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of Elohim coming to him, and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

About 3pm, the time traditionally associated with Minchah, the afternoon prayers.

Acts, continued:

Act 10:4  He, fastening his eyes on him, and being frightened, said, “What is it, Adonai?” He said to him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for a memorial before Elohim.

Act 10:5  Now send men to Yafo, and get Shim`on, who is surnamed Kefa.

Act 10:6  He lodges with one Shim`on, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. “

Act 10:7  When the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of those who waited on him continually.

Act 10:8  Having explained everything to them, he sent them to Yafo.

Act 10:9  Now on the next day as they were on their journey, and got close to the city, Kefa went up on the housetop to pray at about noon.

Act 10:10  He became hungry and desired to eat, but while they were preparing, he fell into a trance.

Act 10:11  He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth,

Act 10:12  in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky.

Act 10:13  A voice came to him, “Rise, Kefa, kill and eat!”

Act 10:14  But Kefa said, “Not so, Adonai; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”

Act 10:15  A voice came to him again the second time, “What Elohim has cleansed, you must not call unclean.”

Act 10:16  This was done three times, and immediately the vessel was received up into heaven.

This passage is almost universally taken out of context by Christians in order to claim that they do not have to obey the laws of Kashrut (food laws of the Torah).  However, as Peter himself clearly interprets, this vision has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with eating unclean carcasses.

Acts, continued:

Act 10:17  Now while Kefa was very perplexed in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Shim`on’s house, stood before the gate,

Act 10:18  and called and asked whether Shim`on, who was surnamed Kefa, was lodging there.

Act 10:19  While Kefa was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men seek you.

Act 10:20  But arise, get down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”

Act 10:21  Kefa went down to the men, and said, “Behold, I am he whom you seek. Why have you come?”

Act 10:22  They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man and one who fears Elohim, and well spoken of by all the Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to invite you to his house, and to listen to what you say.”

Act 10:23  So he called them in and lodged them. On the next day Kefa arose and went out with them, and some of the brothers from Yafo accompanied him.

Act 10:24  On the next day they entered into Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his relatives and his near friends.

Act 10:25  When it happened that Kefa entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him.

Act 10:26  But Kefa raised him up, saying, “Stand up! I myself am also a man.”

Act 10:27  As he talked with him, he went in and found many gathered together.

Act 10:28  He said to them, “You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but Elohim has shown me that I shouldn’t call any man unholy or unclean.

Here Peter is telling them the Pharisee’s Oral Law, which most people did abide by who wanted to be accepted into synagogues and homes of Pharisee believers and non-believers.  Peter himself obviously was in the habit of observing this tradition, and occasionally (as we will read later) had a lapse in judgment concerning it.  But we see here that it is exactly this precedent which Elohim wished to be overturned – learners and seekers were to be welcomed in the homes and services of Believers (except for the uncircumcised at Passover, which is a Torah commandment and not just a tradition of the Rabbis).  Elohim intends for gentiles to be socially acceptable to the community of observant believers.

Acts, continued:

Act 10:29  Therefore also I came without complaint when I was sent for. I ask therefore, why did you send for me?”

Act 10:30  Cornelius said, “Four days ago, I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour, I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

Act 10:31  and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your gifts to the needy are remembered in the sight of Elohim.

Act 10:32  Send therefore to Yafo, and summon Shim`on, who is surnamed Kefa. He lodges in the house of Shim`on a tanner, by the seaside. When he comes, he will speak to you.’

Act 10:33  Therefore I sent to you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of Elohim to hear all things that have been commanded you by Elohim.”

Act 10:34  Kefa opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that Elohim doesn’t show favoritism;

Act 10:35  but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.

Act 10:36  The word which he sent to the children of Yisra’el, preaching good news of shalom by Yeshua the Messiah–he is Adonai of all–

Act 10:37  that spoken word you yourselves know, which was proclaimed throughout all Yehudah, beginning from the Galil, after the immersion which Yochanan preached;

Act 10:38  even Yeshua of Natzeret, how Elohim anointed him with the Ruach HaKodesh and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for Elohim was with him.

Act 10:39  We are witnesses of everything he did both in the countryside of Judea, and in Yerushalayim; whom they also killed, hanging him on a tree.

Act 10:40  Elohim raised him up the third day, and gave him to be revealed,

Act 10:41  not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by Elohim, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

Act 10:42  He charged us to preach to the people and to testify that this is he who is appointed by Elohim as the Judge of the living and the dead.

Act 10:43  All the prophets testify about him, that through his name everyone who believes in him will receive remission of sins.”

Act 10:44  While Kefa was still speaking these words, the Ruach HaKodesh fell on all those who heard the word.

Act 10:45  They of the circumcision [party] who believed were amazed, as many as came with Kefa, because the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh was also poured out on the nations.

Those who believe that a person must be circumcised immediately upon professing faith in Elohim (or Yeshua, if they are Believers) and only then be allowed to associate and fellowship with others and learn Torah.  Paul spends a great deal of energy and effort over the rest of his life fighting this party, because Yeshua commanded us to “count the cost” before deciding to commit to Elohim and a Torah lifestyle.

Acts, continued:

Act 10:46  For they heard them speaking in other languages and magnifying Elohim. Then Kefa answered,

Act 10:47  “Can any man forbid the water, that these who have received the Ruach HaKodesh as well as we should not be immersed?”

Act 10:48  He commanded them to be immersed in the name of Yeshua the Messiah. Then they asked him to stay some days.

We learn from this passage that if living waters are not immediately available for a miqvah immersion, a person is still nonetheless endowed with the Ruach HaKodesh and becomes a grafted-in heir of the House of Israel.  However, as we see, even though they clearly had received the Spirit and clearly were believers they still needed to be immersed, as soon as was practical.

Next:  Epistle BeHaalotcha.

Haftarah BeHaalotcha

Haftarah BeHaalotcha

Zechariah 2:14-4:7

Zec 2:10  (2:14) ‘Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you, says YHWH.

Zec 2:11  (2:15) And many nations shall join themselves to YHWH in that day, and shall be My people, and I will dwell in the midst of you’; and uou shall know that YHWH Tzeva’ot has sent me unto you.

Zec 2:12  (2:16) And YHWH shall inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

Zec 2:13  (2:17) Be silent, all flesh, before YHWH; for He is aroused out of His holy habitation.

Zec 3:1 He showed me Yehoshua the Kohen Gadol standing before the angel of YHWH, and Hasatan standing at his right hand to be his adversary.

Recall that this is the position of Hasatan at this time, in the Throne room accusing Believers night and day of their continued sins.  Rev 12:10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now is come the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our Elohim, and the authority of his Messiah; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our Elohim day and night.

Zechariah, continued:

Zec 3:2  YHWH said to Hasatan, “YHWH rebuke you, Hasatan! Yes, YHWH who has chosen Yerushalayim rebuke you! Isn’t this a burning stick plucked out of the fire?”

Zec 3:3  Now Yehoshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the angel.

Zec 3:4  He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, “Take the filthy garments off of him.” To him he said, “Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich clothing.”

Zec 3:5  I said, “Let them set a clean turban on his head.” So they set a clean turban on his head, and clothed him; and the angel of YHWH was standing by.

Recall, fine white linen clothing represents the righteousness of the saints.  Rev 19:7  Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.”   Rev 19:8 It was given to her that she would array herself in bright, pure, fine linen: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the holy ones.

Zechariah, continued:

Zec 3:6  The angel of YHWH protested to Yehoshua, saying,

Zec 3:7  “Thus says YHWH Tzeva’ot: ‘If you will walk in my ways, and if you will keep my charge, then you also shall judge my house, and shall also keep my courts, and I will give you a place of access among these who stand by.

This is Elohim’s definition of righteousness, as we are told plainly in the Torah.  Deu 6:24  YHWH commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear YHWH our Elohim, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as at this day.   Deu 6:25  It shall be righteousness to us, if we observe to do all this mitzvah before YHWH our Elohim, as he has commanded us.

Zecharian, continued:

Zec 3:8  Hear now, Yehoshua the Kohen Gadol, you and your fellows who sit before you; for they are men who are a sign: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant, the Branch.

The Branch is universally considered, by both Rabbis and Believers, to be referring to the Messiah.

Zechariah, continued:

Zec 3:9  For, behold, the stone that I have set before Yehoshua; on one stone are seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the engraving of it,’ says YHWH Tzeva’ot, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

Zec 3:10  In that day,’ says YHWH Tzeva’ot, ‘you will invite every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.’”

Recall, “under the vine and the fig tree” is a promise Elohim made to those who live in the Messianic Kingdom. Mic 4:2 Many nations will go and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, and to the house of the El of Ya`akov; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For out of Tziyon will go forth the Torah, and the word of YHWH from Yerushalayim;   Mic 4:3  and he will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations afar off. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war any more.   Mic 4:4 But they will sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and no one will make them afraid: For the mouth of YHWH Tzeva’ot has spoken.

Zechariah, continued:

Zec 4:1 The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep.

Zec 4:2  He said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I have seen, and behold, a menorah all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are on the top of it;

Zec 4:3  and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side of it.”

Zec 4:4  I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

Zec 4:5  Then the angel who talked with me answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”

Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is the word of YHWH to Zerubbavel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says YHWH Tzeva’ot.

Zec 4:7  Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbavel you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace, to it!’”

Next:  Talmidim BeHa’alotcha

Torah portion BeHaalotcha

Torah Portion BeHaalotcha

Bemidbar – Numbers 8:1-12:16

Num 8:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 8:2  “Speak to Aharon, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the menorah.’”

Num 8:3  Aharon did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the menorah, as YHWH commanded Moshe.

Num 8:4  This was the workmanship of the menorah, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work: according to the pattern which YHWH had shown Moshe, so he made the menorah.

Everything in the Tabernacle and the Temple is an earthly reflection of the reality in heaven.  These points of maximum congruity between our dimension and that dimension are an actual link – like an umbilical chord, between here and there.  They bring the two dimensions into alignment.

Numbers, continued:

Num 8:5  YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 8:6  “Take the Levites from among the children of Yisra’el, and cleanse them.

Num 8:7  Thus shall you do to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

Rather like the Nazir’s cleansing ritual.

Numbers, continued:

Num 8:8  Then let them take a young bull, and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering.

Num 8:9  You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Yisra’el.

Num 8:10  You shall present the Levites before YHWH. The children of Yisra’el shall lay their hands on the Levites,

Num 8:11  and Aharon shall offer the Levites before YHWH for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Yisra’el, that it may be theirs to do the service of YHWH.

Num 8:12  The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering to YHWH, to make atonement for the Levites.

Num 8:13  You shall set the Levites before Aharon, and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to YHWH.

Num 8:14  Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Yisra’el, and the Levites shall be mine.

Num 8:15  “After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting: and you shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering.

Num 8:16  For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Yisra’el; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Yisra’el, I have taken them to me.

Interestingly, here human offerings are made “in place” of the entire assembly – as a representative of it.  So it’s difficult to see any arguments against Yeshua’s sacrifice on the stake for us based on the sacrificial system in the Torah.  Quite the contrary, this passage argues in favor of such a substitutionary offering.

Numbers, continued:

Num 8:17  For all the firstborn among the children of Yisra’el are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself.

Num 8:18  I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Yisra’el.

Num 8:19  I have given the Levites as a gift to Aharon and to his sons from among the children of Yisra’el, to do the service of the children of Yisra’el in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Yisra’el; that there be no plague among the children of Yisra’el, when the children of Yisra’el come near to the sanctuary.”

Num 8:20  Thus did Moshe, and Aharon, and all the congregation of the children of Yisra’el, to the Levites. According to all that YHWH commanded Moshe concerning the Levites, so the children of Yisra’el did to them.

The Levites perform their priesthood in place of the Priesthood of the Firstborns of each family.  As we saw with Cain and Abel and then Seth, and when Judah’s older brothers disqualified themselves in various ways, the Firstborn is supposed to be the priest of the family, but the priesthood could be handed down to subsequent brothers if necessary.  Similarly, the Levites are now taken in place of the Firstborns, until that day when the Levites themselves will again be made subservient to the ultimate Firstborn, Yeshua HaMashiach.

Numbers, continued:

Num 8:21  The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aharon offered them for a wave offering before YHWH; and Aharon made atonement for them to cleanse them.

Num 8:22  After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aharon, and before his sons: as YHWH had commanded Moshe concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

It is, actually, necessary for all of us to be cleansed and dedicated in order to do our service to Elohim.  We do this by means of immersion to cleanse us from past impurity and through teshuvah (repenting from sin) and with faith in Yeshua HaMashiach to have offered Himself as our required sin offering to pay our penalties for us.  Each of these aspects is clearly reflected in the Torah’s sacrificial system.

Numbers, continued:

Num 8:23  YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 8:24  “This is that which belongs to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting;

Num 8:25 and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting on the work, and shall serve no more,

Num 8:26 but shall minister with their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites concerning their duties.”

We saw in Parashat Naso that a man serves from ages 30-50, therefore we can presume from this passage that from age 25-29 a young man undergoes an apprenticeship of sorts, to learn the proper services before he becomes of age to actually be responsible himself for some aspect of running the Tabernacle or Temple.

Numbers, continued:

Num 9:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

Num 9:2  “Moreover let the children of Yisra’el keep the Pesach in its appointed season.

Num 9:3  On the fourteenth day of this month, between the evenings, you shall keep it in its appointed season–according to all its statutes, and according to all its ordinances, you shall keep it.”

Num 9:4  Moshe spoke to the children of Yisra’el, that they should keep the Pesach.

Num 9:5  They kept the Pesach in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, in the wilderness of Sinai. According to all that YHWH commanded Moshe, so the children of Yisra’el did.

There is an aritcle in the right-hand side section of the Simchat webpage which discusses the Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Feast of Firstfruits chronology in the Tanakh and as it relates to the execution of Yeshua – showing exactly when each aspect should be observed and how the dates played out the year of Yeshua’s execution.

Numbers, continued:

Num 9:6  There were certain men, who were unclean because of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Pesach on that day, and they came before Moshe and before Aharon on that day.

Another reason a person cannot keep the passover is due to being uncircumcised, if you recall.  A person going through the conversion process to Messianic Judaism must read through an entire Torah cycle and observe all the feasts and fasts EXCEPT Passover (unless they had previously been circumcised).  Most goyim are not circumcised until the END of the conversion process, after they have read through the entire Torah and learned to “count the cost,” as Yeshua put it.  (See commentary on acts 15 et al.)  So they may not participate in Pesach.  This was not some kind of oversight on Yeshua’s part – not by a long shot.  Rather it is a clear message that Torah observance is required in order to be grafted in to the House of Israel, since a person who is not circumcised cannot be there nor partake of the Covenant Kiddush established by Yeshua at Pesach which we are commanded to re-enact at the Seder.

Numbers, continued:

Num 9:7  Those men said to him, “We are unclean because of the dead body of a man. Why are we kept back, that we may not offer the offering of YHWH in its appointed season among the children of Yisra’el?”

Num 9:8  Moshe answered them, “Wait, that I may hear what YHWH will command concerning you.”

Num 9:9  YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 9:10  “Say to the children of Yisra’el, ‘If any man of you or of your generations is unclean by reason of a dead body, or is on a journey far away, he shall still keep the Pesach to YHWH.

Num 9:11 In the second month, on the fourteenth day at evening they shall keep it; they shall eat it with matzah and bitter herbs.

Notice that Elohim in no way endoreses their idea that uncleanness doesn’t matter.  It very much matters. He does NOT excuse their uncleanness, instead he gives them an alternate date to observe the rites.

Numbers, continued:

Num 9:12  They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break a bone of it. According to all the statute of the Pesach they shall keep it.

Num 9:13  But the man who is clean, and is not on a journey, and fails to keep the Pesach, that soul shall be cut off from his people. Because he didn’t offer the offering of YHWH in its appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

Num 9:14  If a foreigner lives among you, and desires to keep the Pesach to YHWH; according to the statute of the Pesach, and according to its ordinance, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the foreigner, and for him who is born in the land.’”

Called Pesach Kattan, it is the only moedim in the Torah in which Elohim allows a “make-up test.”  It takes place on the 14^th of the month, not the 15^th, and is not accompanied by the 7 days of Unleavened Bread because those nust be observed anywhere you are, no matter what your state of ritual purity.  Passover itself, however, requires a visit to the Temple Mount, takes place on the 14^th day of the month, and if you happen to be ceremonally unclean you would be excluded from participating.   This make-up test allows you to go to the Temple and offer your sacrifice and eat the bitter herbs on the 14^th day of the second month.  It is presumed you will have already observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread from the 15^th to the 21^st day of the first month.

Numbers, continued:

Num 9:15  On the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the Tent of the Testimony: and at evening it was over the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until morning.

Num 9:16  So it was continually. The cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.

Num 9:17  Whenever the cloud was taken up from over the Tent, then after that the children of Yisra’el traveled; and in the place where the cloud remained, there the children of Yisra’el encamped.

Num 9:18  At the command of YHWH, the children of Yisra’el traveled, and at the command of YHWH they encamped. As long as the cloud remained on the tabernacle they remained encamped.

Num 9:19  When the cloud stayed on the tabernacle many days, then the children of Yisra’el kept the charge of YHWH, and didn’t travel.

Num 9:20  Sometimes the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle; then according to the command of YHWH they remained encamped, and according to the command of YHWH they traveled.

Num 9:21  Sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they traveled: or by day and by night, when the cloud was taken up, they traveled.

Num 9:22  Whether it was two days, or a month, or a year that the cloud stayed on the tabernacle, remaining on it, the children of Yisra’el remained encamped, and didn’t travel; but when it was taken up, they traveled.

Num 9:23  At the command of YHWH they encamped, and at the command of YHWH they traveled. They kept the charge of YHWH, at the mitzvah of YHWH by Moshe.

Num 10:1 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

Num 10:2  Make you two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shall you make them: and you shall use them for the calling of the congregation, and for the journeying of the camps.

Num 10:3  When they shall blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the tent of meeting.

Num 10:4  If they blow but one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Yisra’el, shall gather themselves to you.

Num 10:5  When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall take their journey.

Num 10:6  When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

Num 10:7  But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.

Num 10:8  The sons of Aharon, the Kohanim, shall blow the trumpets; and they shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations.

Num 10:9  When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before YHWH your Elohim, and you shall be saved from your enemies.

Num 10:10  Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your shalom offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your Elohim: I am YHWH your Elohim.

From this passage we learn that it is acceptable (mandatory, actually) to blow a trumpet or shofar to sanctify the sabbaths and yom tovim.  It stands to reason, then, that someone in each household or congregation needs to learn how to blow one.   The fact that a Cohen needs to blow one at the Tabernacle and Temple to signify the times doesn’t mean that one doesn’t need to be blown in all the other towns and households of Israel.  It just means that the Cohanim are obligated to blow on at the Tabernacle/Temple Mount.  The tradition of lighting candles comes from Elohim’s commandment to Aharon to light the Menorah each evening – and that’s fine.  But there’s no commandment for us to light candles, and here there is a commandment to blow a trumpet to sanctify the sabbaths and moedim.  If you choose only one instead of both, you should choose to blow a trumpet or shofar for your home or synagogue.

Numbers, continued:

Num 10:11  It happened in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, that the cloud was taken up from over the tent of the testimony.

This shows again that the feast of unleavened bread was not observed along with Passover Kattan, because if it were, the 21^st day of the month would have been a required sabbath and no journeying would have taken place.  Yet here they are clearly breaking camp and traveling.

Numbers, continued:

Num 10:12  The children of Yisra’el set forward according to their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran.

Num 10:13  They first took their journey according to the command of YHWH by Moshe.

Num 10:14  In the first [place] the standard of the camp of the children of Yehudah set forward according to their armies: and over his army was Nachshon the son of `Amminadav.

Num 10:15  Over the army of the tribe of the children of Yissakhar was Netan’el the son of Tzu`ar.

Num 10:16  Over the army of the tribe of the children of Zevulun was Eli’av the son of Chelon.

Num 10:17  The tent was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tent, set forward.

Num 10:18  The standard of the camp of Re’uven set forward according to their armies: and over his army was Elitzur the son of Shede’ur.

Num 10:19  Over the army of the tribe of the children of Shim`on was Shelumi’el the son of Tzurishaddai.

Num 10:20  Over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad was Elyasaf the son of De`u’el.

Num 10:21  The Kehati set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and [the others] did set up the tent against their coming.

Num 10:22  The standard of the camp of the children of Efrayim set forward according to their armies: and over his army was Elishama the son of `Ammihud.

Num 10:23  Over the army of the tribe of the children of Menasheh was Gamli’el the son of Pedatzur.

Num 10:24  Over the army of the tribe of the children of Binyamin was Avidan the son of Gid`oni.

Num 10:25  The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rearward of all the camps, set forward according to their armies: and over his army was Achi`ezer the son of `Ammishaddai.

Num 10:26  Over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pag`i’el the son of `Okhran.

Num 10:27  Over the army of the tribe of the children of Naftali was Achira the son of `Enan.

Num 10:28  Thus were the travels of the children of Yisra’el according to their armies; and they set forward.

Num 10:29  Moshe said to Chovav, the son of Re`u’el the Midyanite, Moshe’ father-in-law, We are journeying to the place of which YHWH said, I will give it you: come you with us, and we will do you good; for YHWH has spoken good concerning Yisra’el.

Num 10:30  He said to him, I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.

Num 10:31  He said, Don’t leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you shall be to us instead of eyes.

Num 10:32  It shall be, if you go with us, yes, it shall be, that whatever good YHWH shall do to us, the same will we do to you.

The ancient land of Midian is in what is now Saudi Arabia.  The mountiain in the “Sinai” penninsula now called “Mt. Sinai,” is, frankly, a tourist trap.   Recent research shows that the actual location of Mt. Sinai is at the mountain now called “Jabl al Lawz” in Saudi Arabia.  Moshe’s relative was able to “be their eyes” in their travels because Sinai was in his homeland of Midian, now part of modern Saudi Arabia.  That should be fairly obvious from the fact that Elohim spoke to Moshe on Mt. Sinai while he was still living in Midian and Elohim told him the sign of his mission would be that the Israelites would worship “on this mountain,” but somehow that rather obvious fact is lost on the millions of people who travel to Egypt’s “Sinai” penninsula.

Numbers, continued:

Num 10:33  They set forward from the Mount of YHWH three days’ journey; and the ark of the covenant of YHWH went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them.

Num 10:34  The cloud of YHWH was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp.

Num 10:35  It happened, when the ark set forward, that Moshe said, Rise up, YHWH, and let your enemies be scattered; and let those who hate you flee before you.

Num 10:36  When it rested, he said, Return, YHWH, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Yisra’el.

These verses are now part of the liturgy for reading the Torah portions in synagogues that have a Torah scroll.

Numbers, continued:

Num 11:1 The people were as murmurers, [speaking] evil in the ears of YHWH: and when YHWH heard it, his anger was kindled; and the fire of YHWH burnt among them, and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp.

Num 11:2  The people cried to Moshe; and Moshe prayed to YHWH, and the fire abated.

Num 11:3  The name of that place was called Tav`erah, because the fire of YHWH burnt among them.

Traditionally considered to be the outside edges, where the mixed multitude lived.

Numbers, continued:

Num 11:4  The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the children of Yisra’el also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Num 11:5  We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:

Num 11:6  but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all save this manna to look on.

Num 11:7  The manna was like coriander seed, and the appearance of it as the appearance of bdellium.

Num 11:8  The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

Num 11:9  When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.

The people are complaining that they lack fish, and lack fresh fruits and vegetables, which is rather obvious considering they have been living in temporary camps and therefore don’t plant gardens.

Numbers, continued:

Num 11:10  Moshe heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent: and the anger of YHWH was kindled greatly; and Moshe was displeased.

Num 11:11  Moshe said to YHWH, Why have you dealt ill with your servant? and why haven’t I found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?

Num 11:12  Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them forth, that you should tell me, Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which you swore to their fathers?

Num 11:13  Where should I get meat to give to all this people? for they weep to me, saying, Give us meat, that we may eat.

Num 11:14  I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

Num 11:15  If you deal thus with me, please kill me out of hand, if I have found favor in your sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

There is a problem with either the translation or the transmission of the original paleo-Hebrew texts, because they didn’t ask for meat.  And clearly they were still in possession of their flocks and herds for use both as meat and as sacrifices.  We can generalize, however, that what they wanted was something “different.”

Numbers, continued:

Num 11:16  YHWH said to Moshe, Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Yisra’el, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you.

Num 11:17  I will come down and talk with you there: and I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you not bear it yourself alone.

This is the origin of the Sanhedrin, 70 members plus the leader – in this case, Moshe.

Numbers, continued:

Num 11:18  Say you to the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and you shall eat flesh; for you have wept in the ears of YHWH, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore YHWH will give you flesh, and you shall eat.

Num 11:19  You shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days,

Num 11:20 but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome to you; because that you have rejected YHWH who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

Num 11:21  Moshe said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and you have said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.

Num 11:22  Shall flocks and herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

Num 11:23  YHWH said to Moshe, Has YHWH’s hand grown short? now shall you see whether my word shall happen to you or not.

Aside from the fact that they hadn’t asked for meat, even Moshe seem incredulous that Elohim’s pronouncement can be carried out – because he is only thinking of the flocks and herds they already have available to them.  For some reason, it didn’t occur to him that Elohim could provide other sources of food, hence Elohim’s annoyance at Moshe’s inability to think outside the box.  Of course Elohim can provide anything He chooses, in any quantity!

Numbers, continued:

Num 11:24  Moshe went out, and told the people the words of YHWH: and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the Tent.

Num 11:25  YHWH came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders: and it happened that when the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did so no more.

Num 11:26  But there remained two men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the Spirit rested on them; and they were of those who were written, but had not gone out to the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp.

Now, here is a strange problem.  There are 12 tribes.  If each tribe provided 6 elders, the total members of the Sanhedrin would have been 72 and not 70.  We are not told what tribe Eldad and Medad were from, but it appears that their apparent refusal to “be gathered” to the Tent of Meeting means their tribe(s) lost representatives in the Sanhedrin permanently.  When the Ruach HaKodesh descended on the 70, it also descended on the 2 missing men – presumably to demonstrate to the camp that they should have gone to “be gathered.”

Numbers, continued:

Num 11:27  There ran a young man, and told Moshe, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.

Num 11:28  Yehoshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moshe, one of his chosen men, answered, My lord Moshe, forbid them.

Num 11:29  Moshe said to him, Are you jealous for my sake? would that all YHWH’s people were prophets, that YHWH would put his Spirit on them!

A true leader wants the good of the entire community.  If your leader appears selfish and tries to hoard power or authority, then you either need a new leader or a new community.

Numbers, continued:

Num 11:30  Moshe got him into the camp, he and the elders of Yisra’el.

Num 11:31  There went forth a wind from YHWH, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth.

Num 11:32  The people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails: he who gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

To dry.

Numbers, continued:

Num 11:33  While the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of YHWH was kindled against the people, and YHWH struck the people with a very great plague.

Num 11:34  The name of that place was called Kivrot-Hatta’avah, because there they buried the people who lusted.

Num 11:35  From Kivrot-Hatta’avah the people traveled to Chatzerot; and they abode at Chatzerot.

It is speculated that the reason Elohim was angry was not because they ate what He provided for them – since He promised to do just that, after all – but because in their haste and greed, they did not kill the animals properly.  Some speculate they tore limbs from living birds, or ate the blood instead of draining it away, or didn’t cook the meat to render out the blood.

Numbers, continued:

Num 12:1 Miryam and Aharon spoke against Moshe because of the Kushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Kushite woman.

Now, the Rabbis try and claim this is really Tzipporah, but there is no real basis for that reasoning other than the obvious one – racism.  The text is plain – Moshe married a black woman from Ethopia.   We can presume, however, that a man such as Moshe would not have married a pagan, and since Elohim upholds the marriage, she must have been a godly woman.

Numbers, continued:

Num 12:2  They said, Has YHWH indeed spoken only with Moshe? Hasn’t he spoken also with us? YHWH heard it.

To many in the Rabbinic community even today, marrying a non-Jew or a person of non-Caucasion descent renders one “unfit” for service.  Sad, but true.  The Rabbis claim that it is a Torah violation for any Jew to marry a non-Jew, but in fact only Levites were commanded to always marry within their tribe.  Elohim gives instructions for taking wives who are war captives, etc., from other nations, so it’s clear he didn’t intend other tribes to refuse to take converts into their communities.  And, of course, during the Bronze Age a person’s lineage went by their father – matrilineal descent is an innovation which came later by way of the Rabbis, not Elohim.  Do note that the “sons of Aharon” were commanded to only marry within their tribe – Moshe would not have been bound by that commandment.  Only Aharon and his sons are priests – Moshe, amazingly enough, was not, nor were his offspring.

Numbers, continued:

Num 12:3  Now the man Moshe was very humble, above all the men who were on the surface of the earth.

Num 12:4  YHWH spoke suddenly to Moshe, and to Aharon, and to Miryam, Come out you three to the tent of meeting. They three came out.

Num 12:5  YHWH came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aharon and Miryam; and they both came forth.

Num 12:6  He said, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I YHWH will make myself known to him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream.

Num 12:7  My servant Moshe is not so; he is faithful in all my house:

Num 12:8  with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the form of YHWH shall he see: why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moshe?

Num 12:9  The anger of YHWH was kindled against them; and he departed.

Elohim put it in no uncertain terms:  Moshe did nothing wrong here.  It was their racist attitudes that were wrong, not Moshe’s actions.

Numbers, continued:

Num 12:10  The cloud removed from over the Tent; and behold, Miryam was leprous, as [white as] snow: and Aharon looked at Miryam, and behold, she was leprous.

White enough for you, Miryam?

Numbers, continued:

Num 12:11  Aharon said to Moshe, Oh, my lord, please don’t lay sin on us, for that we have done foolishly, and for that we have sinned.

Num 12:12  Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.

Num 12:13  Moshe cried to YHWH, saying, Heal her, Elohim, I beg you.

Num 12:14  YHWH said to Moshe, If her father had but spit in her face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.

Num 12:15  Miryam was shut up outside of the camp seven days: and the people didn’t travel until Miryam was brought in again.

Num 12:16  Afterward the people traveled from Chatzerot, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.

Our mental attitudes are a reflection of our spiritual beliefs – and Elohim has no patience whatsoever for people who judge a person by their skin color or race.  Torah observance and Faith in Yeshua are the ONLY measuring line that Elohim accepts to judge a person.   Only Levites who are Cohanim are commanded to marry within their tribe – for everyone else, a person’s skin color should never, ever be a factor in our acceptance of someone.  Period.  Doing so is an affront to the Image of Elohim by which we are ALL made – and affront to Yeshua, in other words!

Next:  Haftarah BeHaalotcha.

Kollel Naso

Kollel Naso

First Thessalonains chapters 3 and 4

If you have not read the introduction from last week’s parashat or for every Pauline epistle, please do so.

First Th 3:1 Therefore, when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone,

First Th 3:2  and sent Timothy, our brother and Elohim’’s servant in the Good News of Messiah, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith;

First Th 3:3  that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task.

First Th 3:4  For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know.

First Th 3:5  For this cause I also, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain.

The “name it and claim it” crowd has it all wrong – yes, there are physical and financial blessings we get from observing the Torah commandments, but that is no guarantee that we will not suffer from trials and tribulations.

Thessalonians, continued:

First Th 3:6  But when Timothy came just now to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you;

First Th 3:7  for this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith.

First Th 3:8  For now we live, if you stand fast in Adonai.

First Th 3:9  For what thanksgiving can we render again to Elohim for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our Elohim;

First Th 3:10  night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Recall, “Faith” in Hebraic thought is not ever something in your head, it’s the message your actions and attitudes give about you.  It is the way you live day by day.

Thessalonians, continued:

First Th 3:11  Now may our Elohim and Father himself, and Adonai Yeshua the Messiah, direct our way to you;

First Th 3:12  and Adonai make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you,

First Th 3:13  to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our Elohim and Father, at the coming of Adonai Yeshua with all his holy ones.

Holiness means without sin – and sin is the transgression of the Torah.  Therefore, we must be found not to be living in sin when Yeshua comes, that is, not to be willfully and knowingly transgressing the Torah.

Thessalonians, continued:

First Th 4:1 Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in Adonai Yeshua, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please Elohim, that you abound more and more.

Your “walk” is your “halacha” in Hebrew – the way you live your life.  And we know what is pleasing to Elohim; it is spelled out clearly for us in the Torah and the rest of the Tanakh.  His will is perfectly clear.

Thessalonians, continued:

First Th 4:2  For you know what charge we gave you through Adonai Yeshua.

First Th 4:3  For this is the will of Elohim: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,

First Th 4:4  that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

First Th 4:5  not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know Elohim;

First Th 4:6  that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because Adonai is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.

First Th 4:7  For Elohim called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

Uncleanness and sexual immorality were big problems in the pagan world – and in today’s world, for that matter.  Western culture from its very beginning was seeped in sensuality and we have not yet conquered this in the modern world.  If anything, it is probably worse now.   We have instantaneous access to smut and perversion at our fingertips.  The tools we can use for education and learning can also be used for the lowest forms of “entertainment.”  We must strive to be pure in our daily lives and in our “entertainment,” turning away from all forms of sin and sexual immorality.

Thessalonians, continued:

First Th 4:8  Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but Elohim, who has also given his Ruach HaKodesh to you.

Again, freedom is not meant to be “anything goes.”  Real freedom is freedom from the bondage OF sin, not freedom TO sin!

Thessalonians, continued:

First Th 4:9  But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by Elohim to love one another,

First Th 4:10  for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;

First Th 4:11  and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we charged you;

First Th 4:12  that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

This is an important thing for teachers and preachers to remember – these activities, though for Elohim’s kingdom, were never meant to be a sole career.  Even Levites lives in cities, towns and farms and when not on rotation at the Temple earned a living at their own businesses and farms.  Our community is not supposed to be a big ponzi scheme – each person is supposed to pull their own weight to the best of their ability.  Of course, we help the poor – help set them up in a business or profession or farm.  That is the greatest charity of all, as the Sages also wrote.   We are to be as economically self-sufficient as possible, and band together to meet the community’s common needs where not possible.

Thessalonians, continued:

First Th 4:13  But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

First Th 4:14  For if we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, even so Elohim will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Yeshua.

First Th 4:15  For this we tell you by the word of Adonai, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of Adonai, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.

First Th 4:16  For Adonai himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the chief angel, and with Elohim’s shofar. The dead in Messiah will rise first,

First Th 4:17  then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet Adonai in the air. So we will be with Adonai forever.

First Th 4:18  Therefore comfort one another with these words.

This is often described as a “new” teaching of the apostles, but in fact the only thing “new” about it was that living persons would be included, not just the dead.  As Paul says here, this teaching already exists in the Word of Elohim. It is found in Isaiah chapter 26:

Isa 26:15  You have increased the nation, YHWH. You have increased the nation! You are glorified! You have enlarged all the borders of the land.

This is generally considered to refer to the re-establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 or possibly the reclamation of Jerusalem in 1967.

Isaiah, continued:

Isa 26:16  YHWH, in trouble they have visited you. They poured out a prayer when your chastening was on them.

Isa 26:17  Like as a woman with child, who draws near the time of her delivery, is in pain and cries out in her pangs; so we have been before you, YHWH.

Isa 26:18  We have been with child. We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind. We have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

This, of course, obviously describes the birth pangs leading up to the Tribulation. Neither Jews nor “Christians” have been able to bring the world to peace and salvation.  Elohim will have to step in and do that Himself.

Isaiah, continued:

Isa 26:19  Your dead shall live. My dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast forth the dead.

This refers to the Parousia, which Paul describes above.  The living and the dead together will be secluded with Elohim in the wedding chambers of Heaven, to observe the 7 day (7 year) wedding festival while the Tribulation occurs on the earth.

Isaiah, continued:

Isa 26:20  Come, my people, enter into your chambers, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation is past.

Isa 26:21  For, behold, YHWH comes forth out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also will disclose her blood, and will no longer cover her slain.

This is the same promise we read again in Revelation:

Rev 3:7  “To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write: “He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things:

Rev 3:8  “I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut), that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn’t deny my name.

To keep Elohim’s Word is to keep Torah.

Revelation, continued:

Rev 3:9  Behold, I give of the synagogue of Hasatan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.

Replacement theology is a LIE, and, more to the point, it is a damnable LIE.

Revelation, continued:

Rev 3:10  Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Those who are Obedient Believers in Yeshua HaMashiach are here and in Thessalonians and in Isaiah (notice Isaiah himself expects to be included in the Parousia) are promised that they will not be on earth nor in earth’s “time” when the Tribulation occurs.  You don’t have to believe this is true to be saved, but if you don’t believe it, you will certainly be pleasantly surprised.

Revelation, continued:

Rev 3:11  I am coming quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown.

Rev 3:12  He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my Elohim, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my Elohim, and the name of the city of my Elohim, the new Yerushalayim, which comes down out of heaven from my Elohim, and my own new name.

Rev 3:13  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

As we know from the prophets, those who are uncircumcized physically and spiritually will not enter the Temple.   This is another proof that Torah observance is expected of Believers.  It’s going to be very hard to be a sovereign or a priest in the New Jerusalem if you are uncircumsized, since those who are uncircumsized cannot enter either the city or the Temple.

Gen 17:14 [concerning ALL who are born or bought into the House of Abraham] The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

Isa 52:1 [concerning the Messianic Kingdom] Awake, awake, put on your strength, Tziyon; put on your beautiful garments, Yerushalayim, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Eze 44:9 [concerning the Millennial Temple]  Thus says Adonai YHWH, No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners who are among the children of Yisra’el.

Hear, O Israel!  There is only one Deity, there is only one Law, and everyone who intends to be part of the House of Israel is bound by it, as Isaiah also tells us:

Isa 56:1 Thus says YHWH, Keep you justice, and do righteousness; for my Yeshuah is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

Isa 56:2  Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the Shabbat from profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.

Isa 56:3  Neither let the foreigner, who has joined himself to YHWH, speak, saying, YHWH will surely separate me from his people…

Isa 56:6  Also the foreigners who join themselves to YHWH, to minister to him, and to love the name of YHWH, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Shabbat from profaning it, and holds fast my covenant;

Isa 56:7  even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Isa 56:8  Adonai YHWH, who gathers the outcasts of Yisra’el, says, Yet will I gather [others] to him, besides his own who are gathered.

Even so, Come Adonai Yeshua!

Next week:  Parashat BeHa’alotcha.

Epistle Naso

Epistle Naso

John 8:31-59

Joh 8:31  Yeshua therefore said to those Judeans who had believed him, “If you remain in my Word, then you are truly my talmidim.

As YHWH Incarnate, His Word is the entire Tanakh.  If you are outside the bounds of His written commandments, you are not His talmidi – just as the sorcerer Simon in the Talmidim portion of Naso.

John, continued:

Joh 8:32  You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Joh 8:33  They answered him, “We are Avraham’s seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free?’”

Some people have a strange idea that freedom means anarchy – doing whatever you want.  But that is not real freedom.  Let my people go THAT THEY MAY SERVE ME.  That is true freedom, as defined by Elohim Himself (Exodus 8:1 et al.).

John, continued:

Joh 8:34  Yeshua answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.

Even so-called “believers.”  Grace is not license for sin (Rom 6).  Sin is the Transgression of the Torah (I John 3).  Egro, grace is not license for transgressing the Torah.

John, continued:

Joh 8:35  A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever.

Joh 8:36  If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Joh 8:37  I know that you are Avraham’s seed, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.

Joh 8:38  I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”

Joh 8:39  They answered him, “Our father is Avraham.” Yeshua said to them, “If you were Avraham’s children, you would do the works of Avraham.

And what are the works for which Elohim so praised Abraham?  Why did Elohim love Abraham so much?  “Gen 26:5 because Avraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my mitzvot, my statutes, and my laws.”

John, continued:

Joh 8:40  But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from Elohim. Avraham didn’t do this.

Joh 8:41  You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, Elohim.”

Joh 8:42  Therefore Yeshua said to them, “If Elohim were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from Elohim. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me.

Joh 8:43  Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word.

Joh 8:44  You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Joh 8:45  But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me.

Joh 8:46  Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

Joh 8:47  He who is of Elohim hears the words of Elohim. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of Elohim.”

Joh 8:48  Then the Judeans answered him, “Don’t we say well that you are a Shomroni, and have a demon?”

Joh 8:49  Yeshua answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.

Joh 8:50  But I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges.

Joh 8:51  Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”

Of course, Yeshua meant the second death – at the judgement seat at the Resurrection.

John, continued:

Joh 8:52  Then the Judeans said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Avraham died, and the prophets; and you say, ‘If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.’

Joh 8:53  Are you greater than our father, Avraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?”

Joh 8:54  Yeshua answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is our Elohim.

Joh 8:55  You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, ‘I don’t know him,’ I would be like you, a liar. But I know him, and keep his word.

Joh 8:56  Your father Avraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad.”

Abraham is considered to be a prophet who could see the future, and understood the coming Kingdom. Yeshua here confirms those traditions.

John, continued:

Joh 8:57  The Judeans therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Avraham?”

Joh 8:58  Yeshua said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Avraham came into existence, I AM.”

Joh 8:59  Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Yeshua was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Probably in the same manner that Philip and Elijah disappeared and then reappeared at a different location.

Next:  Kollel Naso

Talmidim Naso

Talmidim Naso

Acts 7:20-8:40

Stephen is giving his speech to the Sanhedrin, if you recall.

Act 7:20  At that time Moshe was born, and was exceedingly handsome. He was nourished three months in his father’s house.

Act 7:21  When he was thrown out, Par`oh’s daughter took him up, and reared him as her own son.

Act 7:22  Moshe was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works.

Act 7:23  But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Yisra’el.

Act 7:24  Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian.

Act 7:25  He supposed that his brothers understood that Elohim, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand.

Act 7:26  “The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’

Act 7:27  But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

Act 7:28  Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’

Act 7:29  Moshe fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midyan, where he became the father of two sons.

Act 7:30  ”When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.

Act 7:31  When Moshe saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of Adonai came to him,

Act 7:32  ‘I am the Elohim of your fathers, the El of Avraham, the El of Yitzchak, and the El of Ya`akov.’ Moshe trembled, and dared not look.

Act 7:33  Adonai said to him, ‘Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

Act 7:34  I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’

Act 7:35  “This Moshe, whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—Elohim  has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

Act 7:36  This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Sea of Suf, and in the wilderness for forty years.

Act 7:37  This is that Moshe, who said to the children of Yisra’el, ‘Adonai our Elohim will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. ‘

Act 7:38  This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living oracles to give to us,

Act 7:39  to whom our fathers wouldn’t be obedient, but rejected him, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,

Act 7:40  saying to Aharon, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this Moshe, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’

Act 7:41  They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.

Act 7:42  But Elohim turned, and gave them up to serve the army of the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘Did you offer to me slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Yisra’el?

Act 7:43  You took up the tent of Molekh, the star of your god Reifan, the figures which you made to worship. I will carry you away beyond Bavel.’

Act 7:44  “Our fathers had the tent of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moshe commanded him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen;

Act 7:45  which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Yehoshua when they entered into the possession of the nations, whom Elohim drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David,

Act 7:46  who found favor in the sight of Elohim, and asked to find a habitation for the El of Ya`akov.

Act 7:47  But Shlomo built him a house.

Act 7:48  However, the Elyon doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

Act 7:49  ‘heaven is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me?’ says Adonai; ‘or what is the place of my rest?

Act 7:50  Didn’t my hand make all these things?’

Act 7:51  “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Ruach HaKodesh! As your fathers did, so you do.

Act 7:52  Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.

Act 7:53  You received the Torah as it was ordained by voices, and didn’t keep it!”

Act 7:54  Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Ruach HaKodesh, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of Elohim, and Yeshua standing on the right hand of Elohim,

Act 7:56  and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of Elohim!”

Act 7:57  But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord.

Act 7:58  They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Sha’ul.

Act 7:59  They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Adonai Yeshua, receive my Spirit!”

Act 7:60  He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Adonai, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

The Spirit that Adonai receives back when we die is the Ruach HaKodesh that He bestows upon us when we become Obedient Believers.

Acts, continued:

Act 8:1 Sha’ul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Yerushalayim in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Yehudah and Shomron, except for the emissaries.

Act 8:2  Devout men buried Stephen, and lamented greatly over him.

Act 8:3  But Sha’ul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison.

Act 8:4  Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word.

Often what we perceive as a bad event is meant for the good of the Kingdom.

Acts, continued:

Act 8:5  Philip went down to the city of Shomron, and proclaimed to them the Messiah.

Act 8:6  The multitudes listened with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard and saw the signs which he did.

Act 8:7  For unclean spirits came out of many of those who had them. They came out, crying with a loud voice. Many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.

Act 8:8  There was great joy in that city.

Unclean spirits have not gone away – they are still very much with us.

Acts, continued:

Act 8:9  But there was a certain man, Shim`on by name, who used to practice sorcery in the city, and amazed the people of Shomron, making himself out to be some great one,

Act 8:10  to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is that great power of Elohim.”

Act 8:11  They listened to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.

Act 8:12  But when they believed Philip preaching good news concerning the Kingdom of Elohim and the name of Yeshua the Messiah, they were immersed, both men and women.

Act 8:13  Shim`on himself also believed. Being immersed, he continued with Philip. Seeing signs and great miracles occuring, he was amazed.

Notice it does not say that Shimon’s belief was not genuine.  But he did not give up his occult arts as the Torah commands – he will still living in sin and entangled in the world system.

Acts, continued:

Act 8:14  Now when the emissaries who were at Yerushalayim heard that Shomron had received the word of Elohim, they sent Kefa and Yochanan to them,

Act 8:15  who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Ruach HaKodesh;

Act 8:16  for as yet he had fallen on none of them. They had only been immersed in the name of Messiah Yeshua.

Act 8:17  Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Ruach HaKodesh.

It appears in this day and age that we have lost sight of the fact that the Ruach HaKodesh doesn’t just appear when you become a believer.  It has to be transferred to a new Believer by the hands of a Torah Observant Believer.  Without Torah Observance, there is no transferrence of the Ruach HaKodesh.  The purpose of the Ruach HaKodesh is to be the seal or evidence of your inclusion in the Parousia and the Kingdom, and to remind you of Torah teachings.  Obviously, if you have no intention of obeying Torah, the Ruach is not going to dwell with you.

Acts, continued:

Act 8:18  Now when Shim`on saw that the Ruach HaKodesh was given through the laying on of the emissaries’ hands, he offered them money,

Act 8:19  saying, “Give me also this power, that whoever I lay my hands on may receive the Ruach HaKodesh.”

Act 8:20  But Kefa said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of Elohim with money!

Act 8:21  You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart isn’t right before Elohim.

Act 8:22  Repent therefore of this, your wickedness, and ask Elohim if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

Act 8:23  For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”

This is the status and situation of the vast majority of believers today.  They do not have Torah, and because they do not have obedience and will not give up the things the Torah commands to be given up, they are not right before Elohim.

Acts, continued:

Act 8:24  Shim`on answered, “Pray for me to Adonai, that none of the things which you have spoken happen to me.”

And like most believers today, Simon did not promise to observe Torah – he simply wished to avoid being punished.

Acts, continued:

Act 8:25  They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the Word of Adonai, returned to Yerushalayim, and preached the Good News to many villages of the Shomroni.

Act 8:26  But an angel of Adonai spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Yerushalayim to `Aza. This is a desert.”

Act 8:27  He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Kush, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Kushim, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Yerushalayim to worship.

Act 8:28  He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Yeshaiyahu.

Act 8:29  The Spirit said to Philip, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.”

Act 8:30  Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Yeshaiyahu the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

Act 8:31  He said, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” He begged Philip to come up and sit with him.

Act 8:32  Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth.

Act 8:33  In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth.”

This is from the famous “suffering servant” passage, chapter 53 of the book of Isaiah.

Acts, continued:

Act 8:34  The eunuch questioned Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?”

Act 8:35  Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him Yeshua.

Act 8:36  As they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being immersed?”

Act 8:37  OMITTED TEXT

This translation omits the above verse because it does not appear in the earliest manuscripts – it is clearly a later addition by later Bishops of the Roman Church.  The insertion read: And Philip said, If you believe  with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Yeshua HaMashiach is the Son of Elohim.  The fact that the Kushite man was reading Isaiah indicates he was a Jew – as many ethiopians are of Israelite descent (recall Moshe even married a Kushite woman himself).  He didn’t need to be told to keep the Torah because he was already keeping it.  The Roman church, however, wanted it to appear as if keeping Torah is not part of Elohim’s covenant, so the verse was added by Roman clerics.

Acts, continued:

Act 8:38  He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he immersed him.

Act 8:39  When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of Adonai caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.

Act 8:40  But Philip was found at Ashdod. Passing through, he preached the Good News to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.

Philip was not the first of Elohim’s servants to be taken instantaneously from place to place by the Ruach HaKodesh.  Elijah also had this ability, as was recorded in the book of Kings.

Next:  Epistle Naso

Haftarah Naso

Haftarah Naso

Shoftim – Judges 13:2-25

This passage describes some of the restrictions on a Nazir – a Nazarite – someone who has made a vow (or in this case had his parents impose the vow on him).

Judges, continued:

Jdg 13:2  There was a certain man of Tzor`ah, of the family of the Dani, whose name was Manoach; and his wife was barren, and didn’t bear.

Jdg 13:3  The angel of YHWH appeared to the woman, and said to her, See now, you are barren, and don’t bear; but you shall conceive, and bear a son.

Jdg 13:4  Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing:

Jdg 13:5  for, behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head; for the child shall be a Nazir to Elohim from the womb: and he shall begin to save Yisra’el out of the hand of the Pelishtim.

Jdg 13:6  Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of Elohim came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of Elohim, very awesome; and I didn’t ask him whence he was, neither did he tell me his name:

Jdg 13:7  but he said to me, Behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazir to Elohim from the womb to the day of his death.

Jdg 13:8  Then Manoach entreated YHWH, and said, Oh, Adonai, please let the man of Elohim whom you did send come again to us, and teach us what we shall do to the child who shall be born.

Jdg 13:9  Elohim listened to the voice of Manoach; and the angel of Elohim came again to the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoach, her husband, wasn’t with her.

Jdg 13:10  The woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said to him, Behold, the man has appeared to me, who came to me the [other] day.

Jdg 13:11  Manoach arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, Are you the man who spoke to the woman? He said, I am.

Jdg 13:12  Manoach said, Now let your words happen: what shall be the ordering of the child, and [how] shall we do to him?

Jdg 13:13  The angel of YHWH said to Manoach, Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.

Jdg 13:14  She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe.

Jdg 13:15  Manoach said to the angel of YHWH, I pray you, let us detain you, that we may make ready a kid for you.

Jdg 13:16  The angel of YHWH said to Manoach, Though you detain me, I won’t eat of your bread; and if you will make ready a burnt offering, you must offer it to YHWH. For Manoach didn’t know that he was the angel of YHWH.

Jdg 13:17  Manoach said to the angel of YHWH, What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?

Jdg 13:18  The angel of YHWH said to him, Why do you ask after my name, seeing it is wonderful?

Many commentators try and use this verse to “prove” that Yeshua appeared in human form prior to his conception but there is no linguistic justification for that.  The voice of YHWH is a separate manifestation.  Those who try and claim this is Yeshua are trying to cram all of Elohim’s manifestations into their pagan trinity teachings.  It is simply not correct.

Judges, continued:

Jdg 13:19  So Manoach took the kid with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to YHWH: and [the angel] did wondrously, and Manoach and his wife looked on.

Jdg 13:20  For it happened, when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, that the angel of YHWH ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoach and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground.

Jdg 13:21  But the angel of YHWH did no more appear to Manoach or to his wife. Then Manoach knew that he was the angel of YHWH.

Jdg 13:22  Manoach said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen Elohim.

It was also common in those days to confuse the various manifestations of Elohim.  The people knew from the days of Adam that it was death to look upon the Kavod of the Ain Sof, as YHWH Himself explains to Moshe on Mt. Sinai/Choreb.  The Kavod is the male counterpart to the Shekinah, deadly to touch and nearly impossible to look upon in an unresurrected state.  But the Voice (angel/messenger) of YHWH is not the Kavod, nor is Yeshua.

Judges, continued:

Jdg 13:23  But his wife said to him, If YHWH were pleased to kill us, he wouldn’t have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, neither would he have shown us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these.

Jdg 13:24  The woman bore a son, and named him Shimshon: and the child grew, and YHWH blessed him.

Jdg 13:25  The Spirit of YHWH began to move him in Machane-Dan, between Tzor`ah and Eshta’ol.

Elohim’s Spirit, also called the Ruach HaKodesh in both the Tanakh and the NT, is nothing “new” to the 1^st century CE.  It is described numerous places in the Tankah well before Yeshua’s time.  For example:

Psa 51:10  (51:12) Create me a clean heart, O Elohim; and renew a stedfast spirit within me.

Psa 51:11  (51:13) Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Ruach HaKodesh from me.

Unlike the Shekinah and the Kavod, the Ruach can be in the presence of sin and guilt – indeed, we can grieve it with our actions and attitudes.  But it won’t fry us on the spot, it will only prompt and prod us to remember the Torah and obey.

Next:  Talmidim Naso