| | Prayer Request (for site updates, see below) I was laid off from my full-time job awhile ago. After a lot of prayer, soul searching, and discussions with my wife, we have decided to operate this ministry entirely by faith in God's provision through the love and kindness of His people. I am not paid for doing this work, and therefore I ask you to consider supporting us. If you can help, please offer a donation or purchase some of the Hebrew study materials offered here. Encouraging other web sites to link here also helps us become more visible on the web. Above all, agree with us for the Lord's will to be done in our lives. Todah, chaverim.
    
Note: My wife and I have have two young children (Josiah and Judah). The LORD has graciously provided for us as Adonai Yireh (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה), "the One who sees [our need]." We are living one day at a time by the grace and mercy of God, and I want to publicly praise Yeshua and acknowledge His faithful love in caring for my family -- despite the trials during this time. The LORD God of Israel is faithful and true! And for those of you who have sent us a word of encouragement or donation during this difficult time, please accept our heartfelt appreciation! Your chesed and prayers truly help sustain us.
יְהִי שֵׁם יְהוָה מְברָךְ - "Blessed be the Name of the Lord."
 |
May 2012 Site Updates
The Spirit of the Word...
05.23.12 (Sivan 2, 5772) Hebrew is written using only consonants; the vowel sounds are supplied by the one speaking the words (i.e., by inhaling/exhaling). "For the word is very near you" – כִּי־קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאד - "it is in your mouth and in your heart" (Deut. 30:14). Note that the word "breath" is ruach (רוּחַ) in Hebrew (i.e., wind, spirit). The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Cor. 3:6). It is the spirit that breathes life into what is written (John 6:63). "Behold, I will cause breath (רוּחַ) to enter you, and you shall live" (Ezek. 37:5).
When the Apostle Paul quoted this verse regarding how someone personally receives salvation (Rom. 10:8), he deliberately omitted the phrase "so that you can do it" (לַעֲשׂתוֹ), because the message of the gospel is precisely that we cannot "do it," but praise be to God, Yeshua can and has indeed finished the work on our behalf (John 19:30). Instead of attempting to merit our own righteousness, we now confess our trust in Yeshua's righteousness offered for our justification (Rom. 10:8-10). This is the miracle of the "exchanged life" based on the korban principle of the sacrifice of Messiah for our deliverance (2 Cor. 5:21). We now live by the power of the Holy Spirit according to the law of love. "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Yeshua the Messiah from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2). The Messiah alone is our Savior, the Substance of our hope. He "hears the groaning of the prisoner and sets free those who are subject to death" (Psalm 102:20).
"The righteousness of God" is revealed to the heart of faith, since "the righteous shall live by his faith" - tzaddik be'emunato yicheh (צַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה) [Rom. 1:17; Hab. 2:4]. This is the righteousness of God manifested apart from the law (Rom. 3:21), or the "righteousness [of God] imputed apart from works" (Rom. 4:6). Faith in God's righteousness is the essence of all true Torah from heaven, since apart from faith we are spiritually dead and "powerless (ἀδύνατος) to please God" (Heb. 11:6).
The way of salvation (דֶּרֶךְ הַיְשׁוּעָה) is always a matter of the heart and will, and therefore the Holy Spirit always cries out: Choose Life! "For this commandment (of teshuvah) is not too hard (lit. "too wonderful") for you, neither is it far away. It is not in heaven...nor across the sea.... Rather, the Word (הַדָּבָר) is very near you - in your mouth and your heart.... If you are willing to open you heart and believe, you will discover that "the kingdom of God is inside of you - ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν (Luke 17:21), and that Yeshua is the breath of your life.
Personal Note: I humbly ask for your prayers, chaverim. Like many of you I have been struggling lately... Please ask the LORD to help sustain this work and to give me victory over the powers of hell arrayed against me. Thank you.
 |
|
The Seeking Savior...
05.22.12 (Sivan 1, 5772) "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick" (Matt. 9:12). Even though we are weak, sickly, broken, and sinful people, we must never lose hope and begin to fear that we do not belong to the Kingdom of the Messiah... Indeed, our infirmities are often a blessing in disguise, a gift that reveals our need... He has torn us so that we may be healed; He has struck us down so that He may bind us up: לְכוּ וְנָשׁוּבָה אֶל־יְהוָה
כִּי הוּא טָרָף וְיִרְפָּאֵנוּ
יַךְ וְיַחְבְּשֵׁנוּ le·khu · ve·na·shu·vah · el · Adonai
ki · hu · ta·raf · ve·yir·pa·ei·nu
yakh · ve·yach·be·shei·nu "Come, let us return to the LORD;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up."
(Hosea 6:1)
 Our infirmities draw us closer to God our Healer. If you are sinful and sick, you are invited to come before the Master for life and rescue from the power of sin... Take your place among the lepers, the tax collectors, the outcasts... you will never hear Him criticize you or shame you for coming to Him for healing of your sinful state... "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). Yeshua is the Good Shepherd (הָרעֶה הַטּוֹב) who leaves his flock of 99 sheep in order to find the one sheep who is lost (Matt. 18:12-14). He is always like that – He is always seeking and saving the lost sinner; He is always offering life and healing to those who have been made sick with the plague of sin. Thank God we have a Savior who seeks us out in our desperate need!
King David wrote, "You have given those who fear you a banner (נֵּס לְהִתְנוֹסֵס) for the sake of the truth" (Psalm 60:4), which Rashi interprets, "You have given hardships and suffering to those who fear you to elevate them in the way." Indeed the word nes (נֵּס) can mean "banner" (as on the mast of a ship), a "sign" (or miracle), or a "test" (nisayon). God tests those who fear Him in order to help them become a miraculous sign to the world at large. Ultimately, the sign or miracle is the gift of Messiah's suffering on our behalf and His resurrection for our justification (Isa. 11:10). Even in the face of our enemies who have breached the land, we have the promise of victory in Adonai Nissi (יְהוָה נִסִּי), God my Miracle.
May you, broken and contrite one, hear the word of His hope calling out for your soul... He is your Shepherd, your Healer, and your Miracle. May you come beneath His banner of truth and love to find eternal refuge.... |
Parashat Bamidbar - במדבר
[ The following is related to this week's Torah reading, parashat Bamidbar ("in the wilderness"). Please read the Torah portion to "find your place" here. ]
05.21.12 (Iyyar 28, 5772) It is customary to refer to "books" of the Hebrew Bible according to their initial word(s). For example, the first book of the Torah is called Bereshit ("in the beginning"), from the first word in the scroll (בְּרֵאשִׁית). When the Hebrew was later translated into Koine Greek (c. 3rd-2nd century BC), individual books were assigned names based on the interpretations of the sages. Therefore the Septuagint (i.e., the ancient Greek translation) named the first book of the Torah Γένεσις ("birth" or "origin"), which later made its way into English (and other languages) via Latin as the word "Genesis."
It's important to understand that the names of the various books of the Bible were "coined" by the Greek translators and are not part of the original texts of Scripture themselves. Therefore the "Book of Leviticus" is a transliteration of the Greek phrase βιβλίον το Λευιτικόν, ("book of the Levites"), though in a Torah scroll it was simply identified according to its first significant word: Vayikra (וַיִּקְרָא - "and he called"); likewise, the "Book of Numbers" comes from the Greek word Ἀριθμοί ("numbers"), though in a Torah scroll it was identified by the keyword Bamidbar (בְּמִדְבַּר - "in the wilderness"); and so on. Of course, we refer to the names of the books in Hebrew (not Greek, etc.): Bereshit (for Genesis), Shemot (for Exodus), Vayikra (for Leviticus), and so on.
Bamidbar means "in the wilderness" and is the name associated with the fourth book of the Torah scroll. Since several censuses are recorded in it, the sages sometimes called the book sefer ha-pekudim (the book of counting), so named because of the phrase bemispar shemot (בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת) - "they were counted according to their names" (Num. 1:2). The sages stress that unlike earlier censuses (e.g., Exod. 30:12-14), this one was personal because it was based on individual names (shemot). Accordingly, and because the idea of personal counting was considered central, the book was translated in the Septuagint using the Greek word Ἀριθμοί ("numbers") as its title. As Yeshua said, even the very hairs on our heads are all numbered (Matt. 10:30).
The Tribe of Levi was the smallest of the tribes of Israel (both before and after the sin of the Golden Calf). According to midrash, this was because the Levites were faithful to God while in Egypt and therefore did not come under the special blessing of God to supernaturally multiply those who persecuted the tribes (Exod. 1:12). Even when going out of Egypt, the LORD preserved a remnant for the sake of His Name.
The book recounts Israel's adventures in the wilderness (מִדְבָּר) from their second year of the Exodus until the 40th year. In general, it details how the tribes of Israel were counted and meticulously arranged into military camp formation around the Mishkan (tabernacle).
 |
Note: Each tribe had its own prince (nassi) and its own unique flag (degel), and each tribe's flag color corresponded with the color of its respective stone in Aaron's breastplate (Exod. 28:15-21). For example, Judah's stone was a sky-blue carbuncle and therefore the color of his flag was like the color of the sky with a "fiery lion" embroidered upon it (Gen. 49:9).
Led by the Shekhinah (שְׁכִינָה) cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, at first the Jews were en route to the Promised Land - the land of Canaan - which the LORD swore to give to Abraham and his descendants forever. However, the people rebelled (i.e., their complicity in the "Sin of the Spies") and were therefore condemned to wander for 40 years in the desert. This 40 year period is often thought of as a time of punishment, though it was also a time of refinement for the nation, and it was during this time that God demonstrated great love for Israel by feeding the people with manna, giving them water from rock (i.e., the so-called Well of Miriam), protecting them with the Clouds of Glory, instructing them through the teaching of Moses, and so on. God loves his people -- even when they are faithless -- and his punishments are ultimately healing and redemptive.
The Great Assembly (כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה) decreed that parashat Bamidbar would be read on the Sabbath before the festival of Shavuot "so that the year and its curses will be terminated." This phrase refers to the "Great Rebuke" - called the Tochachah (תּוֹכָחָה) - that was delivered in the previous Torah reading (i.e., Bechukotai, the last portion of Vayikra). Recall that this portion used 11 verses to describe the blessings for obedience (i.e., "if you follow my laws...") but used three times as many (33 verses) to describe the curses for disobedience to the Sinai covenant ("but this is what will happen if you do not listen to me"). Since the curses (קְלַלוֹת) included the destruction of the Temple and the great exile (galut) from the land, and since Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah at Sinai, it was thought that recommitting to the Sinai covenant during Shavuot would "reverse the curse" and cause blessing to come upon Israel. This explains why Shavuot was regarded as time for Israel to recommit themselves to talmud Torah (the study of Torah) and to renew the decision to live as a Jew. And this also explains why the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) was given to Yeshua's disciples precisely during this time after His resurrection. Instead of recommiting to Sinai we were given evidence that the New Covenant was beginning to be established at Zion....
The Hebrew word midbar ("wilderness") shares the same root as davar (דּבר) which means "word." Sometimes we need to be alone to hear God speaking kol demamah dakkah (קוֹל דְּמָמָה דַקָּה) - "the sound of a low whisper" (1 Kings. 19:12), and indeed some of the sages regard the journey into the wilderness (as opposed to the direct route to the Promised Land) as God's way of separating His people away in order to speak to them "privately." The desert (i.e., "word") of Sinai is the word of humility (עֲנָוָה). When God spoke Torah to Moses (mattan Torah), it was from a nondescript mountain - a place of emptiness, brokenness and need. Indeed, another word for Sinai is Chorev (חרֵב), a word that refers to the dryness and desolation. That is the starting point -- not the lush places of future promise. We receive Torah "bamidbar" because we can only hear God's davar in a place of humility and inner quiet. God brings us to an arid place -- inhospitable, and dangerous -- to reveal our need for Him. This is a necessary excursion to prepare us to look for the greater hope of Zion.
The giving of the law was meant to offer gracious discipline until the Messiah would come to fulfill the law's true intent (Gal. 3:19, 24-25). Yeshua is the Greater Hope, the One who delivers us from the curse of Sinai to bring us to Zion (Gal. 3:10). We enter into the realm of promise when we personally put our trust in God's love for us -- not by redoubling our efforts to obtain favor through adherence the terms given at Sinai (Heb. 8:13). "For the Torah made nothing perfect; but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, and that is how we draw near to God" (Heb. 7:19). |
Ascension and Mem B'Omer...
05.18.12 (Iyyar 25, 5772) Today marks the 40th day of the Omer Count (i.e., Mem B'Omer), the time associated with the ascension of Yeshua. Recall that Yeshua told His followers that it was good that he would leave them, so that the Holy Spirit (רוּחַ הַקּדֶשׁ), the "Comforter" or "Advocate" (παράκλητος), would be given to them. "But I tell you the truth, it is for your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate (ὁ παράκλητος) will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7). Notice that the word translated as "advantage" here is the Greek word συμφέρω (from σύν, "with" and φέρω, "to carry"), which suggests that we would be given power that "carries us" with the Lord during the trials of this life... Bo, Ruach Elohim: "Come, Holy Spirit..."
"Table Talk" for Behar-Bechukotai
[ This Shabbat we read the final two portions of the Book of Leviticus (i.e., Vayikra), namely, parashat Behar and Bechukotai. Please read the portions to find your place here... ]
05.18.12 (Iyyar 24, 5772) It is encouraging and edifying to discuss the weekly Torah portion with your family and friends during the Friday night Sabbath meal. To make it a little easier to discuss some topics, I created a new Shabbat "Table Talk" guide for both parashat Behar and parashat Bechukotai. The guides include a brief summary of the Torah portion, a few questions (with answers), and some additional topics for discussion. Hopefully this material will prompt some interesting (and enjoyable) discussion around your Sabbath table, chaverim. You can download the discussion guides here:
Parashat Bechukotai begins, "If you walk in my statutes ... you shall eat your bread ... and I will give peace ... and none shall make you afraid." The midrash notes that the blessings listed in this section (Lev. 26:3-13) begin with the letter Aleph (in the word אִם) and end with the letter Tav (in the word קוֹמְמִיּוּת), which suggests that they encompass all other possible blessings (from Aleph to Tav). This reminds me of a Psalm that lists "from A to Z" the blessings that are bestowed upon the righteous:
אַשְׁרֵי־אִישׁ יָרֵא אֶת־יְהוָה
בְּמִצְוֹתָיו חָפֵץ מְאד Ash·rei · ish · ya·rei · et · Adonai,
Be·mitz·vo·tav · cha·fetz · me·od "How blessed is the one who fears the LORD,
who takes great delight in keeping his commands" (Psalm 112:1)
Notice that Psalm 112 is an "acrostic" (alphabetical) song. After the call to praise the LORD (Hallelujah), every stanza (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (i.e., Aleph, Bet, Gimmel, and so on). The first verse includes both Aleph and Bet, the second verse includes Gimmel and Dalet, and so on, with each stanza separated by an atnach accent mark. Note further that the word translated "happy" (i.e., ashrei: אַשְׁרֵי) comes from a verb (אָשַׁר) that means to go straight (yashar), or to advance in your walk with the LORD (the word yesharim [יְשָׁרִים] means "the upright ones"). Ashrei can also mean "enriched." As Psalm 1 teaches us, "Enriched is the person who has not walked after the advice of the wicked, nor stood on the path of sinners, nor sat among the scorners, but finds delight (חָפֵץ) in the law (תּוֹרָה) of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night... (Psalm 1:1-2). The one who reveres the LORD and honors His truth will be like a tree transplanted beside flowing streams, yielding fruit at the proper time, with leaves that never fall off" (Psalm 1:3, cp. Jer. 17:7-8). "If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness (צֶדֶק) has been born of him" (1 John 2:29).
Personal Update: Please keep this ministry in your prayers. There are times when the spiritual oppression seems so severe all I can do is plead, plead, and plead before God for His deliverance and healing. "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise" (Jer. 17:14). Shabbat Shalom, chaverim...
|
Carelessness and Exile...
[ The following is related to this week's Torah reading (Bechukotai). Please read the Torah portion to "find your place" here. ]
05.18.12 (Iyyar 24, 5772) Our Torah portion this week (Bechukotai) includes the first great "rebuke" (i.e., tochachah: תּוֹכָחָה) of Israel given in the Scriptures (the second is found in Ki Tavo, i.e., Deut. 28:15-68). In this ominous section, God promises the people great blessing if they would obey Him (Lev. 26:3-13), but He forewarns that exile, persecution and other progressively worse punishments would befall them if they would break faith with Him (Lev. 26:14-46). The sages note that divine censure would come if the people "forgot" about God or otherwise became careless in their observance of His laws. They point out that the refrain "if you walk contrary to me" (וַהֲלַכְתֶּם עִמִּי בְּקֶרִי) - which occurs several times during the rebuke - really means "if you walk carelessly (i.e., keri: קְרִי) with me." Rashi notes that the verb קָרָה means "to befall" or "to happen" and therefore suggests a sense of randomness (the related word mikreh [מִקְרֶה] means "coincidence"). If the people regarded the events of life as "random," then God would reciprocate by bringing senseless trouble into their lives... For this reason the sages regard a careless attitude about God's will as the very first step to inevitable apostasy. In other words, regarding whatever happens in life as mere "coincidence" essentially denies God's Presence, and this attitude will eventually call for God's corrective intervention. People can be "hot or cold" regarding their relationship with Him, but God will never give the option of affecting indifference toward Him...
Note: For more on this subject, see the article "Thoughts on the Tochachah." |
Troubles of Love - יִסּוּרִים שֶׁל אַהֲבָה
[ The following is related to this week's Torah reading (Bechukotai). Please read the Torah portion to "find your place" here. ]
05.18.12 (Iyyar 24, 5772) Parashat Bechukotai is the final portion of the Book of Leviticus, which is the central book of the Torah. In light of all that God had done for the Jewish people - from their great deliverance in Egypt to the ordination of the priesthood in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) - God expected them to live up to their high calling as His chosen people: "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy" (Lev. 19:2).
It has been said that the opposite of love is not hate, but rather indifference, and that explains why the punishments would come if the people "left their first love." Indeed, the "rebuke" portion of the tochachah begins with v'im lo tishme'u li (וְאִם־לא תִשְׁמְעוּ לִי), "if you do not listen to me" (Lev. 26:14), which recalls the Shema and the duty to love the Lord bekhol levavkha, "with all your heart." If the people walk carelessly (i.e., keri: קְרִי) with God, then God will afflict them with "the troubles of love" (i.e., yissurei ahavah: יִסּוּרֵי אַהֲבָה), afflictions that would haunt them because of God's jealousy. A student once asked his rebbe: "Do we get punished for our sins in this world?" His succinct response was, "Only if we are made fortunate..." It is the worst possible fate for God to be indifferent to you! Can anything be more tragic than to be forgotten or to go unnoticed by God? It is far better that He afflict and harass you with the "troubles of love!"
Jewish tradition generally regards the entire chapter of Leviticus 26 as a great rebuke (i.e., "the" tochachah: הַתּוֹכָחָה), even though the chapter itself begins with promises of blessing for obedience to God's law (Lev. 26:3-13). The sages of the Talmud regard the "rebuke section" of this chapter (Lev. 26:14-46) as even more severe than the rebuke found in the Book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 28:15-68), because it was spoken directly by the LORD to the Jewish nation as a whole, whereas the latter warning was spoken by Moses himself and addressed in singular form (Megillah 31b). It is often difficult to find volunteers to publicly read this Torah portion during synagogue services, and the custom arose to have just one person read the entire rebuke section as one long aliyah (reading), as opposed to breaking it up for several people to read in smaller parts. It is also customary for the one making this aliyah to recite the passage in a lowered tone of voice...
The tochachah of Bechukotai begins with 11 verses that promise blessings for obedience to God's laws, but three times as many (i.e., 33 verses) that promise punishment for disobedience. To help "offset" this discrepancy, the midrash notes that blessing section begins with the letter Aleph (in the word אִם) and ends with the letter Tav (in the word קוֹמְמִיּוּת), which suggests that the blessings encompass all other possible blessings (from Aleph to Tav). On the other hand, the punishment section begins with the letter the Vav (in the word וְאִם) and ends with the letter Hey (in the word משֶׁה), the last two letters found in the Sacred Name (יהוה), which suggests that God's compassion would be present even in the suffering to come in the latter days. Another way to look at this is to regard the letter Vav as the symbol of man, and the letter Hey as the symbol of the Spirit: in the end - after the punishments were complete - God's compassion would prevail over His judgment for sin, and the Spirit of God would rest upon Israel. The midrash further states during the days of the Messiah, Israel will keep the Torah, "from Aleph to Tav" (i.e., from beginning to end), and at that time all the blessings God promised to them would finally be fulfilled.
The idea of tochachah is not simply something for ethnic Israel, of course, since the New Testament likewise warns us that God will punish those who likewise walk carelessly (i.e., keri: קְרִי) with Him. Have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as God's children? "My son, do not regard lightly (ὀλιγώρει) the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary by his reproof (תּוֹכֵחָה). For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and reproves (יוֹכִיחַ) every child whom he receives" (Heb. 12:5-6; Prov. 3:11-12). The Lord charged the assembly at Ephesus that they had let go of their first love. Yeshua therefore urged them: "Remember from what high state you have fallen and repent! Do the deeds (ἔργα) you did at the first; if not, I will come to you and remove your menorah from its place – unless you repent" (Rev. 2:4-5). Because God is never indifferent toward those who are trusting in His salvation, he will discipline and correct us to keep close to Him. He will afflict us with the "troubles of love." As it is written, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God" (Heb. 10:30).
Regarding the curses of this section, I'd like to relate a beautiful story I once read. The child of a famous Torah sage was used to hearing his father read the weekly Torah portion at synagogue, but on the Shabbat of Bechukotai his father happened to be out of town, and the boy listened intently as a substitute Torah reader recited the various punishments listed in the parashah. Afterwards, the boy was so emotionally distraught that he fell into a deep depression that lasted for over a month. The child was later asked, "Why were you not disturbed this way when the admonition was read in past years?" The boy replied, "When father reads it, no curses are heard." Yes, when "father reads," namely, the Father that sees our hearts in the darkest of places, we will hear His voice of blessing....
At the end of this parashah, as with every other parashah that concludes a book of the Torah, we say, Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazek - "Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened!" Despite the "heaviness" associated with the idea of God's judgment and punishment, we must press on in faith.... The great commandment is always "Choose Life!" (Deut. 30:19), and that life comes from being in a loving relationship with our Heavenly Father through our Yeshua our Savior, blessed be He (1 John 5:12). May God help us return to our first love for Him b'khol levavkha - with all our hearts. "I love those who love me; and those who seek me will find me" (Prov. 8:17). "The LORD is good to those who hope (קוה) for him, to the soul who seeks him" (Lam. 3:25). |
New Hebrew Meditation:
The Cry of the Heart...
05.17.12 (Iyyar 23, 5772) Today I wrote a brief Hebrew meditation ("Cry of the Heart") based on the verse: "He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them" (Psalm 145:19). God allows troubles into our lives so that we will "keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking..." The door of blessing will be opened to us through perseverance of heart... "For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened" (Matt. 7:8).
Personal Update: Recently I twisted my ankle on a hike and have had trouble sleeping because of the pain. Your prayers for my healing are appreciated, friends... Thank you.
Jerusalem Day - Solar Eclipse
[ Jerusalem Day is observed Saturday, May 19th through Sunday, May 20th this year... ]
05.16.12 (Iyyar 22, 5772) In Israel, "Jerusalem Day" (Yom Yerushalayim) commemorates the re-unification of old city of Jerusalem on June 7th, 1967 during the Six Day War. In 1968 the Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared Iyyar 28 to be a minor holiday to thank God for answering the 2,000-year-old prayer of "Next Year in Jerusalem." On March 23, 1998, the Knesset passed the Jerusalem Day Law, making it a national holiday. This year, Iyyar 28 runs from Saturday, May 19th (after sundown) through Sunday, May 20th (until sundown). Note that this year the moon will eclipse nearly 95% of the sun on Sunday (in the United States, the solar eclipse will begins around 7:30 pm (CDT) and will last for two hours).
Note further that the very next day, Monday, May 21st, marks Rosh Chodesh Sivan, the new moon of Sivan, which means that within two consecutive days we will have the sun eclipsed by the moon, followed by the disappearance of the moon! "Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders" (Isa 24:23)." Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth" (Psalm 50:2).
Note: Click here to learn 25 reasons why Jerusalem matters... |
Be not Afraid...
05.16.12 (Iyyar 22, 5772) Most of us understand that loving God is our essential obligation, the end or "goal" of all the other commandments, the very reason why God has spoken and why we exist. Yeshua plainly taught that this was the point of "the law and the prophets," the rest being commentary (Matt. 7:12, Matt. 22:36-40). However, while love is our greatest duty - the yoke of heaven - you might be surprised to learn that the most frequent commandment is simply al-tirah, "Be not afraid." Over and over again in the Scriptures we hear the LORD saying to those who trust in Him, al tira, "be not afraid." אַל־תִּירָא כִּי עִמְּךָ־אָנִי
אַל־תִּשְׁתָּע כִּי־אֲנִי אֱלהֶיךָ
אִמַּצְתִּיךָ אַף־עֲזַרְתִּיךָ
אַף־תְּמַכְתִּיךָ בִּימִין צִדְקִי al · ti·ra · ki · im·me·kha · a·ni; al · tish·ta · ki · a·ni · E·lo·he·kha
im·matz·ti·kha · af · a·zar·ti·kha; af · te·makh·ti·kha · bi·min · tzid·ki "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand"
(Isa. 41:10)
Hebrew Study Card This is a word for the exiles of every age: Be not afraid - al-tirah – not of man, nor of war, nor of tribulation, nor even of death itself (Rom. 8:35-39). If God be for us, who can be against us? Indeed, Yeshua came to die to destroy the power of death "and to release all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery" (Heb. 2:14-15). The resurrection of the Messiah is the focal point of history - not the "dust of death." Death does not have the final word. Indeed, because Yeshua is alive, we also shall live (John 14:19). Because of Yeshua's victory, we can now live without fear: al-tirah, "Be not afraid, it is I." "There is no fear in God's perfect love," as the Apostle John wrote (1 John 4:18). If we love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19), then we find courage because of the heart He imparts to us... God will uphold you – even in the trials of your faith.
Of course this doesn't mean that we should pretend that evil doesn't exist or that there's no real danger in this world. No, the Scriptures are clear that there are spiritual enemies in the world and we are engaged in a genuine spiritual war (1 Pet. 5:8-9; Eph. 6:10-18). Indeed every day the media attempts to frighten us by broadcasting lies and fearmongering propaganda. We must fight these messages of fear by remembering the truth and promises of God; we must never fear mere men but rather the LORD our God, who is our Maker, our King, and our Redeemer. We must train our minds to see beyond mere appearances, to ignore the messages of this dark world, and to look for God's Presence in everything. יְהִי־חַסְדְּךָ יהוה עָלֵינוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִחַלְנוּ לָךְ ye·hi · chas·de·kha · Adonai · a·lei·nu, · ka·a·sher · yi·chal·nu · lakh May your chesed, O LORD, be upon us,
as we wait for You (Psalm 33:22)
 Download Study Card We must trust in the LORD and His care for our lives, which always comes "as we hope" in Him... May it please God to impart to each us the courage that comes from Heaven itself. May He help us not to live in fear, but rather to walk in faith, full of confidence. So remember: al-tirah, "be not afraid!" Let us be strong and be strengthened in Yeshua our King.
Shavuot and Firstfruits...
[ The following is related to the holiday of Shavuot (i.e., "Weeks" or "Pentecost"), which occurs Saturday, May 26th at sundown this year. ]
05.16.12 (Iyyar 22, 5772) We are nearing the end of the 49 day "countdown" that runs from the second day of Passover until the holiday of Shavuot ("Weeks" or "Pentecost"). This seven week period is called "Counting the Omer" (סְפִירַת הָעוֹמֶר) in Jewish tradition (Lev. 23:15-16). During the Temple period, on each of these days a priest would wave a sheaf (omer) of barley before the LORD as a symbolic gesture of dedicating the coming harvest to Him. This ceremony was called tenufat ha-omer ("waving of the sheaf"). On the 50th day, however, a sample of the first fruits of the wheat harvest was baked into two loaves of leavened bread (called "Shtei Ha-Lechem," שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם) and waved before the altar as the climactic rite of the season (Lev. 23:15-20). Notice that this was the only time that otherwise forbidden chametz (leaven) was used by the priests for worship (see Lev. 2:11).
 The holiday of Shavuot (שָׁבֻעוֹת), "weeks," is regarded as the culmination of the experience of redemption since it is directly linked with Passover and ends with the ripened first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים) of the wheat harvest. The word "first fruits" includes the idea of being first born (בְּכוֹר) or "chosen" (בָּחַר), that is, the first fruit of the human family (James 1:18). Adam was a pattern (i.e., τύπος, "type" or imprint) of the One to come (Rom. 5:14); but the "first of the first fruits" is Yeshua, who was resurrected as the first "new Man" on the holiday of first fruits (1 Cor. 15:22; 45-47; Rom. 5:12-19). Shavuot, then, is central among the holidays, since without the giving of the Holy Spirit at Zion (Acts 2:1-4) we would not be able to partake of the other festivals of the year... In other words, the goal (τέλος) of our redemption was to set us free to become God's own chosen and treasured people (i.e., am segulah: עַם סְגֻלָּה), a light to the nations: ambassadors for Heaven's voice. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit (רוּחַ הַקּדֶשׁ) is therefore the climax of redemption, imparting the presence of the Comforter (παράκλητος) to help us live sanctified lives (Acts 1:8).
The number seven is said to represent wholeness and completion, just as God created the heavens and the earth in six days but rested (finished) on the seventh (and indeed, the first complete verse of the Torah contains exactly seven words). The concept of the "week" (שָׁבוּעַ) therefore is an ongoing reminder that God is our King, the Creator of the world. The word Shavuot (שָׁבֻעוֹת) includes (and perfects) the idea of sheva (שֶׁבַע), or "seven." We are to count seven groups of seven, or exactly 49 days, from the second day of Passover until we reach the climactic day of Shavuot when revelation was given. We see the same cycle of sevens with regard to the laws of Shemittah (Lev. 25:4) and the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:8). The "seventy weeks of years" (i.e., 490 years) in Daniel's vision also reveals the complete prophetic vista of human history - from the time of the crucifixion of the Messiah through the period of the Great Tribulation at the End of the Age (Dan. 9:24-27). |
Captives of Hope...
05.15.12 (Iyyar 21, 5772) An old Jewish prayer, uttered somewhat wistfully, begins, "O Lord, I know that Thou wilt help us; but wilt Thou help us before Thou wilt help us?" It's not always easy to wait for God: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prov. 13:12). Where it is written, "hope to the LORD (קַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה); be strong and strengthen your heart; and (again) hope to the LORD" (Psalm 27:14), we see that hope gives us inward strength: קַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה חֲזַק וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ
וְקַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה ka·veh el Adonai cha·zak ve'ya·metz lib·be·kha,
ve-ka·veh el Adonai "Hope to the LORD; be strong and let your heart be strengthened;
and (again) hope to the LORD"
(Psalm 27:14)
In this famous verse, the imperative verb kaveh (often translated as "wait") might better be rendered as "look for with anticipation!" or "hope!" (the root of this verb actually appears in the Hebrew word for hope: "tikvah"). Hope in the Lord and chazak! - "be strong" (the Septuagint translates chazak as andridzou - "act like a man"). That is, hope in the Lord, be stouthearted and decisive in your conviction, and then the LORD will instill courage within your heart (the verb ametz is hiphil, meaning that it is God who produces the courage within you). But note the order here: You must first step out in faith, obeying the commandment to hope in the LORD, and then God will fill your heart with courage. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלהֵנוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂנוּ אֲסִירֵי תִּקְוָה ba·rukh at·tah Adonai E·lo·hei·nu me·lekh ha·o·lam,
a·sher a·sa·nu a·si·rei tik·vah "Blessed art You, LORD our God, King of the universe,
who has made us captives of hope."
When we put our hope in the LORD, strong in our conviction, we will be given courage to bear whatever may befall us - and this is help indeed during these perilous days! "Hope to the LORD (קַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה); be strong and strengthen your heart; and (again) hope to the LORD." There can be no turning to God without genuine hope (תִּקְוָה). Indeed, as the Apostle Paul wrote: "We are saved by hope" (Romans 8:24).
Damnable Nonsense...
05.15.12 (Iyyar 21, 5772) In general it may be said that "pantheism" is a metaphysical doctrine that identifies God with the universe, or that regards the universe as a manifestation of God. A variant of this doctrine is that everything is "in" God, or that the physical universe is likened to a divine "body" whereas God represents its "soul..." C.S. Lewis once called such doctrine "damned nonsense," meaning it was literally nonsense that led to damnation. Contrary to such universalism that reduces all things to an undifferentiated unity (i.e., "the One"), the Scriptures clearly teach that God is holy, and moral goodness and evil are eternally separated by means of a "Great Divorce." The LORD is not both the cancer and the cure, the sickness and the disease... Among other things, this means that we live in a "high-stakes" universe where truth is of eternal significance. If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say anything you find in this world is a part of God. But, of course, if you think some things really bad, and God really good, then you cannot talk like that. You must believe that God is separate from the world and that some of the things we see in it are contrary to His will. Confronted with a cancer or a slum the Pantheist can say, 'If you could only see it from the divine point of view, you would realise that this also is God.' The Christian replies, 'Don't talk damned nonsense.' For Christianity is a fighting religion. It thinks God made the world, that space and time, heat and cold, and all the colours and tastes, and all the animals and vegetables, are things that God 'made up out of His head' as a man makes up a story. But it also thinks that a great many things have gone wrong with the world that God made and that God insists, and insists very loudly, on our putting them right again." (Lewis: Mere Christianity)
In this connection, beware of Kabbalistic theology that claims that "everything is God," or that claims that the Shema (i.e., Deut. 6:4) implies either that God creates evil or that evil is somehow not real. When a Kabbalist says, "HaShem is One," ask him to clarify his terms. For instance, some interpret this to mean that since God is the source for everything, what we call "good" or "evil" is relative to God's ultimate unity: "Even that which appears as evil is really goodness and kindness, because from the One who is good it is impossible that evil can emanate" (Malbim). In other words, moral evil in the universe is really an "aspect" of the greater divine "unity," since categorically everything flows from God... According to Kabbalah, whether you know it or not, this is the "best of all possible worlds," despite the existence and prevalence of moral evil. Indeed what we call "evil" is really just an illusion or a statement of our ignorance about what is ultimate. It should be clear that the theological denial of evil based on cosmic "oneness" is contrary to the plain teaching of Scripture: הוֹי הָאמְרִים לָרַע טוֹב וְלַטּוֹב רָע
שָׂמִים חשֶׁךְ לְאוֹר וְאוֹר לְחשֶׁךְ
שָׂמִים מַר לְמָתוֹק וּמָתוֹק לְמָר hoy · ha·om·rim · la·ra · tov · ve·la·tov · ra,
sa·mim · cho·shekh · le·or · ve·or · le·cho·shekh,
sa·mim · mar · le·ma·tok · u·ma·tok · le·mar "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (Isa. 5:20)
It is not an exaggeration to say that the spirit of the age" is invariably based on the "devil's logic" of pantheism, and much of modern politics is based the metaphysical philosophy of G.W. Hegel (1770-1831), an idealist and pantheistic thinker who "triangulated" truth to mean its assimilation into a higher unity (i.e., the dialectic). Among others, Karl Marx was Hegel's disciple. Indeed, all the deception of the devil begins with the denial of God's rightful rule and authority as the King of the Universe, that is, from a rejection of God's revelation and truth given in the Scriptures. Contrary to the "politically correct" spirit of this world, however, God's truth is inviolable and one day every soul will be judged in in its light: יִרְאַת יְהוָה שְׂנאת רָע
גֵּאָה וְגָאוֹן וְדֶרֶךְ רָע
וּפִי תַהְפֻּכוֹת שָׂנֵאתִי yir·at · Adonai · se·not · ra
ge·ah · ve·ga·on · ve·de·rekh · ra
u·fi · tah·pu·khot · sa·nei·ti "The fear of the LORD is the hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
(Prov. 8:13)
The fear of the Lord (יִרְאַת יְהוָה) shows itself in hatred of evil, since evil represents what is contrary to God's love, life, healing, truth, mercy, salvation, and so on. In a sense, the fear is born by the hatred of evil and all that evil means. You cannot serve two masters. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge," which means primarily the fear of God's retributive justice and punishment of the sinner. Fearing God's wrath for evil is the foundation of all the commandments (see Rambam on Deut. 10:12). It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. The minimum fear of heaven, yirat hashamayim, is to fear God's power to punish transgressors and those who love and practice sin: as Yeshua said: "fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28). "The living are destined to be judged. Do not let your evil inclination convince you that the grave is a place of refuge for you... Against your will you will have to give account and reckoning before the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. As it is written, 'Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil'" (Avot 4:22).
For those who are saved, the fear of the LORD does not mean distrusting His love and grace, of course, but implies reverential affection for Him, godly awe over all He has done to pardon your sin through the awful cost of the cross... It is the "fear and trembling" that comes from appreciating all God has done for you so that you can live as His child.
Sometimes we need to correct other people's doctrine, and a good shepherd will throw stones at wolves that threaten the sheep. It is written: "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead refute (ἐλέγχω) them" (Eph. 5:11). Yeshua clearly condemned the practices and dogma of many religious teachers of his day, calling them whitewashed tombs, a brood of vipers, hypocrites, etc. (Matt. 23:22, 27). Those who teach false doctrine, such as kabbalists, are enemies of the gospel and therefore deceivers... The apostle John would not so much as greet those who deviated from the message of the gospel, and instructed followers of Messiah to do likewise (2 John 1:10-11). Paul minced no words when he wished that the "legalists" who advocated circumcision would "go all the way and emasculate themselves" (Gal. 5:12). Paul literally cursed those who perverted the teaching of the gospel of grace (Gal. 1:8-9) and said in another place: "If anyone does not love the Lord Yeshua -- a curse be on him" (1 Cor. 16:22). It is not unloving to rebuke your neighbor, if it is done in a spirit of humility: "You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reprove your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him" (Lev. 19:17).
Surely our great need today is to have heart, strength, resolution, and earnest conviction in order to walk boldly through these darkened days (2 Tim. 3:1-5). As Lewis further said, "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." Without courage, people become "men without chests," heartless clones of real men who are essentially cowards because they have no passion to live for the truth...
The mantra of today's politically correct world is, "Everyone is special and has a unique vision," thereby relegating all truth claims into the same homogenous class. But if categorically everyone has "the truth," then no one really does, because "truth" has been qualified to death and redefined into oblivion... In light of today's insipid political correctness, the confession of Yeshua results in a collision with the world.
Does this make Christianity intolerant then? Not unless you are a hypocrite. All faith expressions - including skepticism, universalism, or "politically correct" humanism - are exclusivistic commitments to whatever the believer embraces as his or her "ground of ultimate concern." Every person has their own "narrow gate," though this does not necessarily lead to life in God. No, the "narrow gateway of life" (שַּׁעַר אֶל־הַחַיִּים) is found only by the few (Matt. 7:13-14). There is safety in numbers, the mob reasons, and the cost of genuine conviction may be ostracism from the group, but then you are in good company, since the true prophets were persecuted as outcasts as well (Matt. 5:11-12).
We live in a "high-stakes" universe where truth is of eternal significance. Christian (and Jewish) theology insists that truth matters, and knowing the truth about God is absolutely essential for life itself. Nothing is more important. Nothing is more vital. "This is eternal life (חַיֵּי עוֹלָם), that they may know you, the only true God (אֶל־אֱמֶת), and Yeshua the Messiah whom you have sent (John 17:3). The Hebrew word for knowledge is da'at (דַּעַת), a word that implies intimate knowledge (the opposite of da'at is folly). Euphemistically, it implies romantic love. Knowing the "only true God" implies being passionately committed to the truth and abandoning other promiscuous possibilities... |
Feeding on Faithfulness...
05.14.12 (Iyyar 20, 5772) Our Lord Yeshua taught us: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth ... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt. 6:19-21). In this connection, Soren Kierkegaard tells the story of a poor old couple that possessed nothing but poverty. As they grew older, their anxiety about the future increased: They did not assail heaven with their prayers, for they were too pious for that; but nevertheless they continually cried to heaven for help. Then it happened one morning that the wife, going out to the oven, found a precious stone of great size upon the hearth. She immediately showed the stone to her husband, who saw at once that they were well supplied for the rest of their life. A bright future for this old couple – what joy! Yet, God-fearing as they were, and content with little, they resolved that since they had enough to live upon for another day, they would sell the jewel not that day, but the following. And then a new life would begin.
That night the woman dreamed that she was transported to paradise. An angel took her around and showed her all the glories an oriental imagination could invent. Then the angel led her into a hall where there were long rows of armchairs adorned with pearls and precious stones, which, the angel explained, were for the devout. Finally the angel showed her the chair that was intended for her. Looking more closely, the woman saw a large jewel was missing from the back of the seat. She asked the angel how that had come about.
Now be alert, here comes the story! The angel answered, "That was the precious stone you found on the hearth. You received it in advance, and so it cannot be inserted again." In the morning the woman related the dream to her husband. She felt they should hold on to the stone for a few years longer rather than let the precious stone be absent throughout eternity. And her devout husband agreed. So, that evening they laid the stone back on the hearth and prayed to God that he would take it back. In the morning, sure enough, it was gone. Where it had gone the old couple knew: it was now in its right place. (Attack upon Christendom, 246)
In the end, you can only "keep" what you give away (John 12:25). This old couple's treasure was stored in the "right place," free from the vanity and illusions of this world and its comforts, and free from the concessions made to human frailty that would result in an eternal loss... So where is your treasure being stored, chaverim?
The trials and testings of this life are meant to prepare us for eternity. They are God-given opportunities to exercise faith! We have one chance to walk this life and then we face judgment. "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Gal. 6:9). I sincerely pray that we will not miss the reward that comes from living in genuine faith in God's Presence and provision!
לא אַרְפְּךָ וְלא אֶעֶזְבֶךָ lo · ar·pe·kha · ve·lo · e·ez·ve·kha "I will not fail you nor abandon you" (Josh. 1:5)
Note: For more on this, see the article "Feeding on Faithfulness."
Strange Settlers...
[ This week we read the final two portions of the Book of Leviticus (i.e., Vayikra), namely, parashat Behar and Bechukotai. Please read the portions to find your place here... ]
05.14.12 (Iyyar 20, 5772) In this week's Torah portion (Behar) the LORD states: "...you are strangers (גֵּרִים) and settlers (תּוֹשָׁבִים) with Me" (Lev. 25:23). This is a paradoxical phrase, since a ger (גֵּר) is one who is just passing through, like a visitor or tourist, whereas a toshav (תּוֹשָׁב) is one who is a resident or a citizen. How can someone be both a visitor and a resident of a place, or a stranger and a citizen at the same time? How can one "pass through" a place he is said to dwell?
Concerning this paradox the Maggid of Dubna comments: "If you see yourselves in this world as strangers and remember that you are here only for a short visit, passing through the hallway of this world, then I will settle among you. However, should you see yourselves as settlers on this world, "owners" who are here to stay, then I am but a stranger among you. Either you are the settlers and I the stranger, or you the stranger and I the settler." In other words, God "settles" among the exiles in this world, and those who "settle" here, who lay claim to this world, therefore make God their stranger (James 4:4).
Note: God's people are "strangers" in this world; they are literally estranged and live as "resident aliens" -- here, yet not here. For more on this, see the article "Strange Settlers." |
Our Daily Bread...
05.14.12 (Iyyar 20, 5772) God humbles us and tests us to show us how much we need His daily care (Deut. 8:3). Recall that the curse put upon the nachash (serpent) was that it would go about on its belly, eating the dust of the earth (Gen. 3:14)... But what kind of a curse was this - to put food before its face at all times? The sages say the worst curse of all is to never feel the need for the Creator. As David said, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them" (Psalm 69:22). The fact that we have needs, deficiencies - especially regarding our daily sustenance - is a "blessed fault," since it makes us look to the LORD, who is our only real provider.
God's Thoughts and Ways...
05.13.12 (Iyyar 19, 5772) It would be simple if God always and automatically rewarded a good deed and immediately punished a bad one, but since human beings were created b'tzelem Elohim (in the likeness of God), they are not trained like dogs... Consequently, it is often difficult to discern God's ways in this world, first because we "see through a glass darkly," and secondly, because God deliberately obscures His Presence so that people might seek His face (Psalm 27:8-9). The Book of Job, the Book of Ecclesiates, and the lives of the prophets all testify that we must be careful to distinguish between appearance and reality, and not to assume that obedience to the moral law invariably yields blessing and prosperity. After all, riches can be a deadly snare and affliction can be a blessing; and it is common to see the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer. Indeed, beholding the Divine Presence requires faith to enlighten the perception of the heart (Heb. 11:6), and God's love and grace remain undetected in a heart hardened by cynicism and despair. Yet it is written, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD." כִּי לא מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם
וְלא דַרְכֵיכֶם דְּרָכָי נְאֻם יְהוָה ki · lo · mach·she·vo·tai · mach·she·vo·te·khem
ve·lo · dar·khei·khem · de·ra·khai · ne·um · Adonai "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD"
(Isa. 55:8)
This verse contrasts God's thoughts and ways with those of sinful and hardhearted men, as mentioned in the immediately preceding verses: "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the perverse man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isa. 55:6-7). In other words, unlike men, God's thoughts and ways are forgiving, gracious, and there is a heaven-wide difference between the divine and human ways of thinking. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa. 55:9). God's amazing love is revealed in His Word, which descends from heaven like rain or snow to water the earth and give life (Isa. 55:10-11).
There is a classic Jewish folktale that is sometimes told to illustrate that we cannot easily understand God's ways in this world: One day, the Torah sage Joshua ben Levi watched as a mysterious stranger did a secret act of kindness for someone in the marketplace. Joshua wondered if this stranger might be none other than the prophet Elijah, who never died and whom God commissioned to go about as a hidden tzaddik doing acts of mercy in this world. Joshua approached the man and asked to take him along on his journey. The prophet agreed, but only on the condition that no matter how strange he might think his actions were, Joshua was to ask for no explanation. If he asked, Elijah said, then they would part company.
The first night they visited the house of a poor couple whose only possession was a cow. The man and wife welcomed the two weary wanderers, fed them, and insisted they sleep in the cottage's only bed, while they themselves slept on the floor. The next morning, Elijah prayed that the couple's cow might die, and before they left the house, the cow was dead.... Joshua wondered, "Is this the way God repays acts of kindness to us?" but he remained silent.
The second night they came to the house of a wealthy man. After much begging, the man agreed to let the two strangers sleep in his barn, though he offered them no food or blankets. The next morning the rich man ordered his servants to repair a breach in the wall around his property, but before they could begin, Elijah prayed and the wall was miraculously rebuilt... Joshua wondered, "Is this the way God rewards those who refuse hospitality?" but remembering his promise, he said nothing.
The following day they reached a beautiful synagogue, with seats of silver and gold, but the people there seemed to have hearts of stone. No one offered to feed them, and it was only with diligent begging that they were allowed to remain in the synagogue overnight, sleeping on the hard benches. The next morning Elijah blessing the congregation, praying they would all become leaders. Joshua was bewildered and disturbed, but he held his peace and did not question Elijah.
In the next town, the synagogue was a simple, wooden one, but the congregation warmly welcomed the wayfarers and invited them to dine with them. Several members of the synagogue offered them their homes to spend the night. The next morning, Elijah prayed that God would choose any one of the congregation to be its leader...
This was too much for Joshua, who was exasperated at what he had seen and finally demanded an explanation for Elijah's prayers. "Great prophet - far be it from me to tell you what to do. Yet it seems to me that you add insult to injury; that you reward good with evil, and evil with good. Please explain to me your strange ways." Elijah then turned to him and said, "Now we must go our separate ways, for you have broken your word to me. But before we part, I will explain what you have seen, and how little you have understood."
"Regarding the couple who showed us great hospitality and gave us their last crumbs of bread, I prayed their cow might die, for I knew that one that very day the wife was to be stricken deathly ill by a decree from heaven, and because of my prayers, the cow was taken instead of her. And as for the rich man. I rebuilt his wall for him since beneath the broken section was hidden a vast treasure which his servants would have discovered while making the repairs. As for the congregation of the rich, I prayed they might all become leaders, for a multiplicity of leaders brings a multiplicity of disputes. For the congregation of the poor, I prayed they might have only one leader, for with just one to guide them, success will overtake all they do."
"Learn from this," Elijah concluded, "if you see an evil person prosper, it is not always to his advantage; and if you see a righteous person suffer yissurim (troubles), do not imagine God is unjust. For while man judges by the sight of his eyes, God looks into the heart, and He always rules the world with justice and mercy." (Adapted from Sanhedrin 98a and Sefer Ha-Ma'asiyot)
Jewish tradition tends to be indomitably optimistic in its outlook. Here is another classic story intended to teach that God always works "behind the scenes" for our good: There was a certain man called Nachum Gam Zu, so called because he had the supposed ability to see that whatever happens to an individual is tied to a cosmic calculation for good that only God comprehends. Whenever something went wrong for him, he would always say, "Gam zu le'tovah," meaning, "this too is for good."
One day, Rabbi Akiva traveled and sought to find a place to spend the night at a certain town, but no one would let him in. Akiva remembered the words of Nachum Gam Zu and said, gam zu le'tovah, "this too is for good," and went to sleep in a field. He had with him a donkey, a rooster, and a lamp. That evening his lamp was blown out by a strong wind, his rooster was eaten by a cat, and a lion killed and devoured his donkey - but despite all this, he still, gam zu le'tovah. Later that night plunderers attacked the town, capturing the inhabitants. Akiva realized that had he not been turned away from the town, he would have shared the town's fate, and moreover, had the lamp not gone out or the animals been killed, he would have been detected by the marauders and surely killed. Therefore Akiva regarded these misfortunes as a blessing in disguise, and he gratefully testified that everything God does is indeed for the best. (Talmud: Chagiga 12a; Sefer HaAggadah)
|
Parashat Behar-Bechukotai
[ This week we read the final two portions of the Book of Leviticus (i.e., Vayikra), namely, parashat Behar and Bechukotai. Please read the portions to find your place here... ]
05.13.12 (Iyyar 19, 5772) Why is it, the sages asked, that God bypassed all of the world's great and lofty mountains and chose to give His Torah on the obscure mountain of Sinai? Because God's Spirit (רוח) rests with the lowly, the humble of heart. Therefore humility (ענוה) is considered one of the greatest of middot ha-lev (heart qualities).
It is perhaps in this connection that we should understand the commandments given in this parashah to refrain from harvesting the land every seventh year (the shemittah - שׁמטּה) and to cancel all outstanding debts every 50 years (during the Yovel - יובל). Each of us must live in conscious dependence on God's provision and care for our lives... The earth is the LORD's and the fulness thereof, and in the end everything reverts back to God, since He alone owns all things. "From Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things" (Rom. 11:36).
God reveals Himself to the contrite (i.e., dakka: דַּכָּא) and the lowly of spirit (רוּחַ שְׁפָלִים), that is, to those who understand their own nothingness and live in utter dependence on Him.... Notice that the word dakka refers to being crushed to the very dust, as Yeshua was verily crushed for our iniquities (Isa. 53:10). From the point of view of our dependence on God for salvation, dakka refers to our contrition as we turn to God in genuine teshuvah... Pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness are antithetical to the awareness of God in the truth. |
Divine Transposition...
05.11.12 (Iyyar 19, 5772) A central and recurring theme in the Torah of Messiah is that "the last shall be first and the first shall be last" (Matt. 20:16). This is the principle of divine "transposition" or holy irony. What God esteems as great, man regards as vain, and therefore heaven delivers the judgment: "To be great in the kingdom of heaven you must become the servant of all, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave (Matt. 20:26-27). God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Pet. 5:5; James 4:6). The principle of spiritual greatness is always this: "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted" (Matt 23:12). Indeed, the ego and its agenda is called to die: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:24-25).
We must be careful here, however, since the "first" and the "last" might not be the ones you think they are... For example, it can happen that a poverty-stricken person, weak and despised, who has even suffered persecution for Messiah may come to regard himself as "first" because of his self-satisfaction, whereas a rich man who is honored and enjoys the world's good things may come to regard himself as contemptible and last before heaven. In these circumstances, the one who regards himself as "first" may indeed be last, while the one who regards himself as "last" may indeed be first.
Of course, the heart is deceitful above all things, and incurably sick - mi yadeinu? - who can know it? But how is the heart sick? By seeking excuses to evade the truth of its great need. "No person is saved except by grace; the apostle, too, was accepted only by grace. But there is one sin that makes grace impossible, that is dishonesty; and there is one thing God must unconditionally require, and that is honesty. עָקב הַלֵּב מִכּל וְאָנֻשׁ הוּא מִי יֵדָעֶנּוּ
אֲנִי יְהוָה חקֵר לֵב בּחֵן כְּלָיוֹת
וְלָתֵת לְאִישׁ כִּדְרָכָיו כִּפְרִי מַעֲלָלָיו a·kov · ha·lev · mi·kol · ve·a·nush · hu - mi · ye·dei·nu?
a·ni · Adonai · cho·ker · lev · bo·chen · ke·la·yot
ve·la·tet · le·ish · ki·dra·khav · kif·ri · ma·a·la·lav "The heart is deceitful above all things and incurably sick - who can understand it?
I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man
according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."
(Jer. 17:9-10)
The heart truly needs a miracle to be healed of self-deception and inner dishonesty, and praise God that He is indeed our great miracle-making Savior! May it please the LORD to empty us of pride and self-righteousness, trusting only in Yeshua's grace and mercy that makes us truly "first" in His eyes... Shabbat Shalom, chaverim!
Living in the Present...
05.11.12 (Iyyar 19, 5772) "Today if you hear His voice..." I have a friend who is literally obsessed with the end times, regularly sending me emails predicting dates, times, etc., and urging me to get ready. I like to remind him that for many people, the "end of the world" is actually today. How so? Because today some people will literally die and face their own personal Rosh Hashanah, whereas other people will genuinely take up the cross and die to their own agenda, fully trusting in God's plan and purposes for the world at large. A life of a human being begins with the illusion that a long, long time and a whole world lie before him in the distance, begins with the foolhardy decision that he has ample time for his many claims... But when a person in the infinite transformation discovers the eternal itself so close to life that there is not the distance of one single claim, of one single evasion, of one single excuse, of one single moment of time from what he -- in this instant, in this second, in this holy moment -- shall do, then he is on the way to becoming a Christian...
How rare is the person who actually is contemporary with himself; ordinarily most people are apocalyptically, in theatrical illusions, hundreds of thousands of miles ahead of themselves, or several generations ahead of themselves in feelings, in delusions, in intentions, in resolutions, in wishes, in longings. But the believer (the one present) is in the highest sense contemporary with himself. To be totally contemporary with oneself today with the help of the eternal is also the most formative and generative: it is the gaining of eternity. (Kierkegaard: Discourses).
When Yeshua said, "concerning that day and hour no one knows ... but the Father only" (Matt. 24:26), he meant to put to rest various end-times speculations so that His followers would be enabled to live today before the Divine Presence... "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority" (Acts 1:7). We are called to follow Yeshua today... Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts... Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matt. 6:34). We must learn to live one day at a time because yesterday is gone, the future is uncertain, but the present is a gift from heaven. Repentance is a daily turning to God, and we must trust that whatever plans God has in store for the world will be disclosed to the one looking to Him at just the right time. Therefore we can take comfort in David's words: שִׁוִּיתִי יְהוָה לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד
כִּי מִימִינִי בַּל־אֶמּוֹט shi·vi·ti Adonai le·neg·di ta·mid
ki mi·mi·ni bal e·mot "I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken."
(Psalm 16:8)
Hebrew Study Card King David envisioned the Divine Presence standing before him, as close as his right hand. He "set the Lord always before him," which means that he consciously chose to regard all he did in relationship with the Master of the Universe. David's focus made his heart steadfast and unshaken during the great trials of his life. The LORD was his Rock and his Salvation.
Love the Stranger as Yourself
[ The following is related to this week's Torah reading (Emor). Please read the Torah portion to "find your place" here. ]
05.11.12 (Iyyar 19, 5772) Our Torah portion this week tells the disturbing story of a man who was executed for blasphemy (see Lev. 24:10-16). We are told that two people, one of whom was described simply as "an Israelite man," and the other the "son of an Israelite woman" named Shelomit (שְׁלמִית), got into a fight in the middle of the camp. During the fight, the son of the Israelite woman "blasphemed" God's Name and cursed. As a result, the man was brought to Moses who then asked God what was to be done. The LORD answered by commanding that those who heard the man blaspheme should personally lay their hands on his head and then the entire community was to stone the man to death...
The sages wonder what might have drove this man to revile God's Name, and they first note that since he was a son of an Egyptian man and an Israelite woman, he was essentially a Jew without a tribe. Moreover, since the right to inherit derived from the father, this man would have had no hope of inheritance in the promised land, no "place" among the people of God... Shelomit was from the tribe of Dan, and the midrash says that her son had appealed to the tribal leaders to provide him with a sense of identity and belonging. Sadly, he was refused, and his hurt and anger at being treated as an outsider eventually led to the fight "in the middle of the camp." Some of the sages place the blame for this man's death on those who refused to help him, since they refused to make him feel like a "member of the tribe." These people should have welcomed him as a brother and remembered their hardship as slaves and strangers in Egypt. Because of their hardness of heart, however, the man was abandoned, and this eventually led to his self-destructive actions. The sages note that the LORD required that the accusers were to first lay hands on this "unnamed man" to make them confront the fact that they were also responsible for his death.
Did you know that one of the most frequently occurring commandments is for the Jew to love the stranger? The commandment is repeated in various forms over 30 times in the Jewish Scriptures, for instance "You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD" (Lev. 19:18); "You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God" (Lev. 19:34); "Love the stranger, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt" (Deut. 10:19); "You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt" (Exod. 22:21); "When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong" (Lev. 19:33); "Do not oppress the stranger" (Zech. 7:10); "Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due the stranger" (Deut. 24:19); "The stranger shall be as the native born children of Israel among you" (Ezek. 47:22), and so on. Clearly the LORD does not want people to feel ostracized, excluded, out of place, or otherwise left out of His providential and loving plans... Indeed, the message of the universal love of God is at the heart of the gospel itself, harkening back to God's earliest promises to redeem humanity and restore paradise lost. "Religion," tribalism, prejudice, ethnic pride, and so on, are anathema to the Kingdom of God.
Jewish tradition says that King David was born on Shavuot, the holiday of shtei ha-lechem, the "two loaves" that prophetically foretold of the advent of the "one new man" (Eph. 2:14-22) and of the mysterious inclusion of the Gentiles into the covenant promises of God (Eph. 3:6). God has a great compassion for the outsider, for the lost, and for those who are without inheritance in this world. During Shavuot it is customary to read the Book of Ruth which tells the story about redeeming love and the advent of King David. Recall that King David was a direct descendant of Ruth, who as a Moabitess was an outsider and "stranger" to the promises of God (Ruth 4:17). Despite being part of an despised and rejected group of people (see Deut. 23:3), Ruth overcame the law's demand by believing in the love and acceptance of a redeemer of Israel (Ruth 3:9). Ruth's great grandson was named David (דָוִד), meaning "beloved," which has the same numerical value as the word "hand" (יָד). It is no wonder that the LORD chose David to represent God's extended hand of love for the stranger, for the convert, for the outsider, the leper, and the lost, since his descendant Yeshua the Messiah came to love and redeem the entire world by means of His outstretched hand. "Blessed be the Name of the LORD."
It's been said that a "stranger" is a friend whose name you don't yet know. Just as we are commanded va'ahavta le'reakha kamokha (וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ), to love our neighbor as ourselves (Lev. 19:18), so we are commanded ve'ahavta lo kamokha (וְאָהַבְתָּ לוֹ כָּמוֹךָ), to love the stranger as ourselves (Lev. 19:34), and that means opening our hearts toward others to make them feel welcome in our presence. May the LORD our God help each of us to extend love, compassion, and acceptance to everyone we encounter today. Amen. |
The Ladder of Sinai...
[ The following is related to the holiday of Shavuot (i.e., "Weeks" or "Pentecost"), which occurs Saturday, May 26th at sundown this year. ]
05.11.12 (Iyyar 19, 5772) The revelation at Sinai and Jacob's vision of the ladder share something in common. Just as Yeshua was the "Voice of the Living God (קוֹל אֱלהִים חַיִּים) speaking (davar) from the midst of the fire" at Sinai (Deut. 5:26), so He was the ascended LORD standing above the ladder speaking the word of promise given earlier to Israel (Gen. 28:12-15). The sages note that the Hebrew word for "ladder," i.e., sullam (סֻלָּם), has the same numerical value as the word Sinai (סִינָי), which suggests that there is a connection between the two great visions. And indeed, Yeshua is sha'ar ha-shamayim - "the Gateway to Heaven," the Bridge or Ladder to God, the very means by which the Living Torah both descends and ascends for the sake of our deliverance (see John 1:51). In other words, the "ladder of Sinai" is not meant for us to ascend to heaven by means of our own effort to attain deliverance, but rather is meant for the LORD our Savior to descend and ascend on our behalf. Yeshua is the way, the truth, and the life (הדֶּרֶךְ וְהָאֱמֶת וְהַחַיִּים): no one can draw near to the Heavenly Father apart from Him (John 14:6). |
Keeping your Balance...
05.10.12 (Iyyar 18, 5772) An old chassidic tale says that every person should walk through life with two notes, one in each pocket. On one note should be the words bish'vili niv'ra ha'olam (בִּשְׁבִילִי נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם) -- "For my sake was this world created," and on the other note the words, anokhi afar ve'efer (אָנכִי עָפָר וָאֵפֶר) -- "I am but dust and ashes." Regarding the former statement, never say, "What does all this have to do with me?" Instead, do your share to supply something missing - be salt and light - and leave the world a little better for your sojourn within it. With regard to the latter statement, always understand that it is only on account of God's love that you exist during this time at all...
Walking by Faith...
05.10.12 (Iyyar 18, 5772) The Hebrew word for "faith" is emunah (אֱמוּנָה), which comes from the verb aman (אָמַן), meaning to uphold, support, to make steady and sure. The Hebrew word for "truth" (אֱמֶת) comes from the same root, as does the word "amen" (אָמֵן), implying that reality is upheld and subsists by the Word of God's power (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17). Faith enables the soul to perceive the eternal within the transitory, the invisible within the visible, and the Divine Presence in the midst of the whirlwind. When applied to the heart, "faith" is better understood as "faithfulness," since it implies integrity and trustworthiness, and so on. God's faithfulness is connected with His love (חֶסֶד), which means that He can be relied upon to uphold you as you sojourn through this world.
Exercising faith means actively listening to the Eternal Voice, the Word of the LORD that calls out in love in search of your heart's trust... To have faith means justifying God's faith in you, that is, understanding that you are worthy of salvation, that you truly matter to God, and that the Voice calls out your name, too.... Living in faith means consciously accepting that you are accepted by God's love and grace. Trusting God means that you bear ambiguity, heartache, and darkness, yet you still allow hope to enlighten your way. כִּי־אַתָּה תָּאִיר נֵרִי
יְהוָה אֱלהַי יַגִּיהַּ חָשְׁכִּי ki · at·tah · ta·ir · ne·ri
Adonai · E·lo·hai · ya·gi·ah · chosh·ki "For it is you who light my lamp;
the LORD my God enlightens my darkness."
(Psalm 18:28)
Hebrew Study Card
The Rizhiner Rebbe once said, "Let your light penetrate the darkness until the darkness itself becomes the light and there is no longer a division between the two. As it is written, "And there was evening and there was morning, one day." Yea, the darkness and the light are both alike unto Thee, O LORD, as it is written: "If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night, even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you" (Psalm 139:11-12). "To have faith is to perceive the wonder that is here, and to be stirred by the desire to integrate the self into the holy order of being. Faith does not spring out of nothing. It comes with the discovery of the holy dimension of our existence. Faith means to hold small things great, to take light matters seriously, to distinguish between the common and the passing from the aspect of the lasting. It is from faith from which we draw the sweetness of life, the taste of the sacred, the joy of the imperishably dear. It is faith that offers us a share in eternity." - Abraham Heschel
We walk by faith, not by sight - by hearing the Word of God, heeding what the Spirit of God is saying to the heart... For now we "see through a glass darkly," which literally means "in a riddle" (ἐν αἰνίγματι). A riddle is an analogy given through some resemblance to the truth, though quite often the correspondences are puzzling and obscure. Hence, "seeing through a glass darkly" means perceiving obscurely or imperfectly, looking "through" something else instead of directly apprehending reality. This is contrasted with the "face to face" (פָּנִים אֶל־פָּנִים) vision and clarity given in the world to come, when our knowledge will be clear and distinct, and the truth of God will no longer be hidden. Being "face to face" with reality means being free of the riddles, the analogies, the semblances, etc., which cause us to languish in uncertainty... Now we know in part, but then shall we know in whole.
In light of the obscurity of life in this temporary age, we are encouraged not to lose heart, since though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being raised into newness (ἀνακαινόω) day by day (2 Cor. 4:16). "For our light and transient troubles are achieving for us an everlasting glory whose weight is beyond description, because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal" (2 Cor. 4:17).
Therefore we "walk by faith, not by sight," as if the invisible is indeed visible. We must stay strong and keep hope, for through hope we are saved (Rom. 8:24). Faith is the conviction (ἔλεγχος) of things unseen (Heb. 11:1). Do not be seduced by mere appearances; do not allow yourself to be bewitched into thinking that this world could ever be your home. No, we are strangers and pilgrims here; we are on the journey to the reach "the City of Living God, to heavenly Jerusalem, to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven" (Heb. 12:22-23). Therefore do not lose heart. Keep to the narrow path. Set your affections on things above since your real life is "hidden with God" (Col. 3:1-4). Do not yield to the temptation of despair. Look beyond the "giants of the land" and reckon them as already fallen. Keep pressing on. Chazak, chazak, ve-nit chazek - "Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened!" Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called (1 Tim. 6:12). |
Is Life Worth Living?
05.10.12 (Iyyar 18, 5772) On account of the great transgression of Adam and Eve, and in light of the ongoing wickedness of mankind, the early sages Hillel and Shammai debated whether humans should have been created. The school of Shammai took the view that it would have been better for humans not to have been created, whereas the school of Hillel opposed them, saying it was better that humans were created. Finally a vote was called for and the decision rendered was this: It would have been better for humans not to have been created than to have been created, but since we are indeed here, let us search our ways regarding what we are to do (Eruvin 13b).
The debate between Hillel and Shammai is not trivial, nor should it be dismissed out of hand. After all, King Solomon was described as the wisest man on earth and yet he despaired over the meaning of life: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." Similarly Shakespeare once said that life was little more than "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." William James once said, "In the deepest heart of all of us there is a corner in which the ultimate mystery of things works sadly." This mysterious ache of the soul asks the haunting question: is life worth living, after all? הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קהֶלֶת
הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכּל הָבֶל he·vel · ha·va·lim · a·mar · ko·he·let
he·vel · ha·va·lim · ha·kol · ha·vel
"Vanity of vanities," says Kohelet,
"vanity of vanities! All is vanity."
(Ecclesiastes 1:1-2)
Of course, Christianity clearly agrees with the school of Hillel regarding the question of whether life is worth living. For example, the Westminster Catechism states, "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever" (an end, it may be said, that is also man's chief good). Christianity is not a life-denying faith, though it soberly acknowledges that olam hazeh - this world - is very often a vale of tears and a place of testing. Suffering and affliction in this present age are eschatologically justified as the means of apprehending a greater good. The taking up of the cross is the means to a great future good: "For our light momentary affliction (θλῖψις: oppression, "squeezing" (as of grapes), "tsuris") prepares us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (2 Cor. 4:17). This world is not our home, and we are afflicted with hardship while we sojourn in our exile. Our hearts "groan" (or "sigh," στενάζομεν) to be in heaven with the LORD, though our present state of suffering should be regarded as a temporary and "light" burden that will be fully comforted in the promised world to come.
Vanity has an end, chaverim, and this end affects the entire universe. The prophetic future holds hope that salvation will be literally cosmic in its sweep: "For the creation was subjected to vanity (לַהֶבֶל) not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God" (Rom. 8:20-21). May that day soon come for us, friends! |
A few thoughts on Prayer...
05.09.12 (Iyyar 17, 5772) God wants your heart, and prayer is the means by which your heart is offered to Him. "When you pray, rather let thy heart be without words than thy words be without heart" (John Bunyan). Set your affections upward, lift up your soul, and inwardly bow in awe before the Presence of the King who sits upon the Throne of Grace. Pour out your concerns before Him, since He cares for you. Our prayers are answered when we are able to let go and trust God's heart for us (Phil. 4:6-7).
Since prayer is the expression of the heart, it is vital to understand that it means far more than reciting certain "religious" words in formulaic petition. God is not interested in empty prayers any more than he desires heartless sacrifice (Isa. 29:13; Hos. 6:6; Matt. 15:9). King David said (Psalm 35:13): "May what I prayed for happen to me!" (literally, tefillati al-cheki tashuv - "may it return upon my own breast"). Some of our prayers are conscious words spoken to God, whereas others are unconscious expressions of inner heart attitudes. Be careful how you think! It is sobering to realize that our thoughts are essentially prayers being offered up to God... When we will the good of others we find God's favor, healing and life. Yeshua spoke of "good and evil treasures of the heart" that produce actions that are expressed in our words (Luke 6:45). A midrash states that if someone speaks well of another, the angels above will then speak well of him before the Holy One.
"Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: I bade you pray in the assembly of your city, but if you cannot pray there, pray in your field, but if you cannot pray there, pray on your bed, but if you cannot pray there, "be still and know that I am God" (Midrash). Therefore pray often -- and sometimes use words...
The late Henri Nouwen wrote, "I am beginning to see that much of praying is grieving," since the confession of the truth when we "come to ourselves" (Luke 15:17) is often painful. When we pray to the LORD, however, it's obvious that we are not imparting to Him any information, since the Master of the Universe knows all things. As King David wrote: ki ein milah bilshoni, hen, Adonai, yadati khulah: "For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, you know it altogether" (Psalm 139:4). Yeshua taught us to abstain from using "vain repetitions" in our prayers, since our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask Him (Matt. 6:7-8). Some people think that God is impressed with a large crowd of people who are praying for the same thing, as if this were not another form of "vain repetition." The same can be said of being part of a large prayer list. No, there is no need for the crowd to offer prayer, since God regards the individual heart of faith as sufficient to move a mountain and cast it into the sea (Matt. 21:21). One heartfelt prayer that makes real contact with the LORD is better than thousands of people praying for someone or some situation of which they know next to nothing on a prayer chain... True prayer, then, is a means of reverent listening, or quieting ourselves, so that we might hear what the Spirit of God is saying... When you pray bekhol levavkha, with all your heart, you apprehend God's glory and express your desire to Him. You are then enabled to intercede for others by means of the Holy Spirit with "groanings too deep for words" (Rom. 8:26).
Finally, we must remember that prayer is essentially a response to God's call for us... In that sense, prayer is a kind of teshuvah (תְּשׁוּבָה), a word often translated as "repentance," though it's more accurately understood as turning (shuv) to God in response to His call. God's love for us is the question, and our turning of the heart toward Him is the answer. We are able to turn to God because the LORD first turns to us: "Father in Heaven! You have loved us first, help us never to forget that You are love so that this sure conviction might triumph in our hearts over the seduction of the world, over the inquietude of the soul, over the anxiety for the future, over the fright of the past, over the distress of the moment. But grant also that this conviction might discipline our soul so that our heart might remain faithful and sincere in the love which we bear to all those whom You have commanded us to love as we love ourselves.
You have loved us first, O God, alas! We speak of it in terms of history as if You have only loved us first but a single time, rather than that without ceasing You have loved us first many things and every day and our whole life through. When we wake up in the morning and turn our soul toward You - You are the first - You have loved us first; if I rise at dawn and at the same second turn my soul toward You in prayer, You are there ahead of me, You have loved me first. When I withdraw from the distractions of the day and turn my soul toward You, You are the first and thus forever. And yet we always speak ungratefully as if You have loved us first only once.
- Soren Kierkegaard (Prayers of Kierkegaard)
|
Countdown to Shavuot...
05.08.12 (Iyyar 16, 5772) We are in the midst of the 49 day "countdown" that runs from the second day of Passover until the holiday of Shavuot ("Weeks" or "Pentecost"). This seven week period is called "Counting the Omer" (סְפִירַת הָעוֹמֶר) in Jewish tradition (Lev. 23:15-16). During the Temple period, on each of these days an appointed priest would wave a sheaf (omer) of barley before the LORD as a symbolic gesture of dedicating the coming harvest to Him. This ceremony was called tenufat ha-omer ("waving of the sheaf"). On the 50th day, however, a sample of the first crop of the wheat harvest was baked into two loaves of leavened bread (called "Shtei Ha-Lechem," שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם) and waved before the altar as the climactic rite of the season (Lev. 23:15-20). Notice that this was the only time that otherwise forbidden chametz (leaven) was used by the priests for worship (see Lev. 2:11).
The holiday of Shavuot is regarded as the culmination of the experience of redemption, sometimes called Atzaret Pesach, the "Conclusion of Passover." It is therefore the end (τέλος) or goal of the redemption experience for believers. Just as the redemption by the blood of the lambs led to Israel's deliverance and the giving of the Torah at Sinai (סִינַי), so the redemption by the blood of Yeshua led to the world's deliverance and the giving of the Holy Spirit at Zion (צִיּוֹן). And just as the covenant at Sinai effectively created the nation of Israel, so the new covenant at Zion created the worldwide people of God, redeemed from "every tribe and tongue" (Rev. 5:9).
The goal of Passover redemption was to set us free to become God's own treasured people (i.e., am segulah: עַם סְגֻלָּה), a light to the nations: ambassadors for Heaven's voice. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit (רוּחַ הַקּדֶשׁ) is therefore the climax of redemption, imparting the presence of the Comforter (παράκλητος) to help us live sanctified lives (Acts 1:8).
 |
|
Rooted in Love...
05.08.12 (Iyyar 16, 5772) Faith receives; love gives... Love walks out faith. We can only give away what we are able to receive, and therefore we ask God to help us receive so that we can impart hope to those in need (2 Cor. 1:3-5). We receive from Him so that we might be able to give. Even our afflictions are permitted so that we can offer consolation to others who are in need. As St. Francis once prayed, "O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life." Amen.
God's love is such that it is never diminished as it is given away, but instead grows and multiplies in miraculous ways. This is alluded to by the Hebrew word for love (i.e., ahavah: אהבה), the gematria of which is thirteen (1+5+2+5=13), but when shared with another it is multiplied: 13 x 2 = 26 - the same value for the Sacred Name (יהוה), i.e., (10+5+6+5=26).
Thank you for being here, for regularly visiting this web site... You encourage my heart every day. I earnestly ask the LORD God of Israel, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to bless you, keep you, and shine the light of His countenance upon you... "May He grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the kedoshim what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Messiah that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:16-19). |
Sincerity of Heart...
05.08.12 (Iyyar 16, 5772) The heart of a child... God prefers sincerity of the heart, passion borne of mercy, the "weightier matters" of Torah, more than mere religious rites or sacrifice. "God of my ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hear my voice. My heart is filled with love for you, but I am not a learned man, and I am lost for words before you... The only thing that I know is the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, so, please, Master of the Universe, accept the letters from me, and combine them to be words of blessing and praise to Your Name. Aleph... Bet... Gimmel... Dalet..." (Adapted from a Chassidic folktale) כִּי־רָם יְהוָה וְשָׁפָל יִרְאֶה
וְגָבהַּ מִמֶּרְחָק יְיֵדָע ki · ram · Adonai · ve·sha·fal · yir·eh
ve·ga·vo·ah · mi·mer·chak · ye·e·dah "For though the LORD is exalted, He regards the lowly,
but the haughty He knows from afar."
(Psalm 138:6)
Hebrew Study Card
Just as the LORD, at the beginning of creation, made the world yesh me'ayin, "out of nothing," so His creative power continues unchanged. God takes what is infinitely nothing, what is worthless, despised, and dead, and creates it new, for the sake of His glory. He is able to take a dead heart, a heart of stone, and make it tender and soft through the breath of His Spirit... Therefore His eyes look upon the lowly, the humble, the poor in spirit, but He disregards those who lift themselves up in pride.
Blessed Hunger and Thirst
05.07.12 (Iyyar 15, 5772) What prompts us to keep pressing on, to keep searching for the LORD? Is it not a sense that something is still missing from life? Our desire for undying, unconditional love draws us to the Savior, and therefore our yearning for deliverance is a blessing in disguise. After all, would we seek God apart from hunger, thirst, yissurim, troubles? Many of us are impelled because we seek release from acute and painful inner conflict, yet the "thorn in the flesh" is meant to reveal the sufficiency of grace. תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם יְהוָה אֱלהֶיךָ ta·mim · ti·he·yeh · im · Adonai · E·lo·he·kha "You shall be wholehearted with the LORD your God"
(Deut. 18:13)
In the Sefer Torah (i.e., the handwritten Torah scroll), the first letter of the word tamim ("wholehearted") is written extra LARGE in order to emphasize the importance of the word. The word tamim (תָּמִים) means "finished," "complete," "perfect" or "thoroughly made." The Scriptures state that a "double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8). The word translated "double-minded" is dipsuchos (δίψυχος), a word formed from δίς, "twice" and ψυχή, "soul." The word describes the spiritual condition of having "two souls" that both want different things at once. It is therefore a state of inner contradiction, of having two separate minds holding contradictory thoughts. "How long will you go limping between two opinions?" Obviously being two-soulled is the opposite of being singlehearted...
The antidote for having a "double-mind" is explicitly given in the Scriptures: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). For how long? For as long as we have breath, since we will always need His healing touch during the days of our sojourning here on earth. Often we are not able to let go of our sins until we hurt enough and get "sick of our sickness." In the world to come we will forever be healed of our inner conflicts, though in this world we must press on and keep asking the LORD to give us purity of heart to will one thing.... Don't lose hope. God is there to help us, one day at a time, chaverim.
A warning about making resolutions is given by Kierkegaard: "The devil uses many arts to tempt a human being, by means of high-minded resolutions, or rather by talk about them and admiration of them, together with the subsequent distaste when a person sees how little he can do, wants to induce him to give up everything. No, we creep before we learn to walk, and to want to fly is precarious. To be sure, there are great decisions, but even in regard to them the main thing is to activate one's resolution, lest one become so high-flying in the resolution that one forgets to walk" (Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses). Allow me to quote Kierkegaard again in this connection: "Faith expressly signifies the deep, strong, blessed restlessness that drives the believer so that he cannot settle down at rest in this world, and therefore the person who has settled down completely at rest has also ceased to be a believer, because a believer cannot sit still as one sits with a pilgrim's staff in one's hand - a believer travels forward..." (Upbuilding Discourses) |
Pathways of Chesed
[ The following is related to this week's Torah reading (Emor). Please read the Torah portion to "find your place" here. ]
05.07.12 (Iyyar 15, 5772) Our Torah portion this week lists the eight main holidays revealed in the Jewish Scriptures. In the Torah, these "holidays" are called "appointed times" (i.e., mo'edim: מוֹעֲדִים), a word which comes from a root meaning witness (עֵד). Other words formed from this root include edah (עֵדָה), a congregation, edut (עֵדוּת), a testimony, and so on. The related verb ya'ad (יָעַד) means to meet, assemble, or even to betroth. The significance of the holy days, then, is for the covenant people of the LORD to bear witness to God's love and faithfulness. As it is written:
כָּל־אָרְחוֹת יְהוָה חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת
לְנצְרֵי בְרִיתוֹ וְעֵדתָיו kol · or·chot · Adonai · che·sed · ve·e·met
le·no·tze·rei · ve·ri·to · ve·e·do·tav "All the paths of the LORD are love and truth
to the ones guarding His covenant and His testimonies."
(Psalm 25:10)
Hebrew Study Card
Metaphorically the paths of the Lord (orechot Adonai) are likened to ruts or grooves created by the wheels of a caravan (ארְחָה) passing repeatedly over the same ground. These paths signify the Divine Presence journeying with God's children in this world. In temporal terms, we are able to discern the path by means of the divine calendar. God's love and faithfulness attend to His covenant (brit) and to the commemorations of the yearly "appointed times" which testify to God's love and faithfulness. Keeping God's testimonies, then, means that we will be careful to observe the holidays in order to witness to God's truth...
Keeping your Perspective...
05.07.12 (Iyyar 15, 5772) "To be rich, to be famous? What do these profit a year hence, when other names sound louder than yours, when you lie hidden away under ground, along with idle titles engraven on your coffin? But only true love lives after you - follows your memory with secret blessings - or precedes you, intercedes for you" (William Makepeace Thackeray). As Yeshua our Lord said, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (Matt. 16:26).
The Principle of Rest...
[ The following is related to this week's Torah reading (Emor). Please read the Torah portion to "find your place" here. ]
05.07.12 (Iyyar 15, 5772) In Jewish tradition, the Sabbath is regarded as the first and most important of the holy days, since it is both a memorial of God's work of creation (Exod. 20:11; 31:17) and of the redemption from Egypt by the blood of the lamb (Deut. 5:15). It is "the foremost day of the holy festivals marking the Exodus from Egypt" recalling the LORD as our King and our Redeemer. In our Torah portion this week we read that the seventh day is "a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation (מִקְרָא־קדֶשׁ). You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places" (Lev. 23:3). Notice that the gematria of the phrase, "you shall do no work" (i.e., כָּל־מְלָאכָה לא תַעֲשׂוּ) is 953, the same numeric value as the verse: "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act" (Psalm 37:5).
וגּוֹל עַל־יְהוָה דַּרְכֶּךָ
וּבְטַח עָלָיו וְהוּא יַעֲשֶׂה gol · al · Adonai · dar·ke·kha
u·ve·tach · a·lav · ve·hu · ya·a·seh "Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in Him, and He will act on your behalf."
(Psalm 37:5)
Hebrew Study Card
If we trust in the LORD by refraining from our own devices, He will work for us, acting on our behalf, so that we find rest for our souls. This is the true principle of Shabbat - resting in God's provision of grace. As the Sabbath above, so the Sabbath below. Yeshua cried out, "It is finished," referring to the work of redemption performed on our behalf. "Therefore there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from His" (Heb. 4:9-10).
Use the good eye...
05.07.12 (Iyyar 15, 5772) "If you treat me as if I were what I ought to be and could be, I will become what I ought to be and could be" (Johann von Goethe). The central rule of Torah is "you shall love your fellow as yourself" (Lev. 19:18). Loving others requires having a "good eye," as opposed to a "grudging eye" that squints in criticism. In Hebrew, a "grudging eye" (ayin tzara) literally means using a "narrow look," that is, refusing to see the bigger picture. How we choose to see others is often prophetic and is an exercise of faith. Love "hopes all things... believes all things (1 Cor. 13:7). Choosing to see the potential good in others creates the opportunity for the good to come to life.
וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ
אֲנִי יְהוָה ve·a·hav·ta · le·re·a·kha · ka·mo·kha
a·ni · Adonai "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD."
(Lev. 19:18)
Hebrew Study Card
The "like-for-like" nature of love means that it is reciprocal. "If I dwell in Thy Presence today, I will dwell there all days. How that may be I do not know, but that it may be is my hope." Even in our worst moments the LORD uses the "good eye" to see us, and therefore we can affirm: "Thou art with me, and thy rod and staff comfort me." As King David mused, "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I descend to Sheol, you are there" (Psalm 139:8-9). Christ commands you to "love your neighbor as yourself." But this "as yourself"? Certainly no wrestler can get so tight a grasp upon his opponent as that which this commandment gets on our selfish hearts. The commandment is so easy to understand, and yet we must be broken in spirit to follow it. As Jacob limped after he had wrestled with God, so shall our selfishness be broken when it has wrestled with this commandment. Yet this commandment does not teach that a man should not love himself; rather, it teaches him the proper kind of self-love. Christianity presupposes that a man loves himself, and adds that in loving himself he should also love his neighbor. - Kierkegaard: Works of Love
The central commandment of Torah is "you shall love," but such love requires that we believe in the vindication of the good. Therefore refuse to accept the world's dark propaganda and dialectic; repudiate the temptation to embrace cynicism or despair. Don't let the devil and this world blacken your heart or cause your eye to squint at others in fear. The spirit of the world traffics in fear, hatred, and death, but we overcome evil with good. Walk counterculturally, full of faith in the invisible hand of God. As Luther once said, "If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere fight and disgrace if he flinches at that point."
Parashat Emor - אמור
[ The following is related to this week's Torah reading (Emor). Please read the Torah portion to "find your place" here. ]
05.06.12 (Iyyar 14, 5772) Parashat Emor contains more mitzvot (commandments) regarding holiness than any other Torah portion (the sages identify no less than 63). In addition, the portion provides a list of the eight main holidays, or "appointed times" (i.e., mo'edim: מוֹעֲדִים), found in the Jewish Scriptures. These "festivals of life" are sometimes called mikra'ei kodesh (מִקְרָאֵי קדֶשׁ), "times in which holiness is proclaimed" (Lev. 23:2). Note that this is the first time that the Torah reveals a comprehensive description of the festivals of the year, which include the following: - The Sabbath - weekly observance of Shabbat that commemorates God as the Creator of the world. According to the sages, Shabbat is the most important of the appointed times, even more important than Yom Kippur and the Ten Days of Awe. There are 54 weekly Sabbaths in a "leap year" and 50 for regular years...
- Pesach (Nisan 15), also called Passover.
- Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15-22); note that the Counting of the Omer is first mentioned in this section of Torah (Lev. 23:9-16).
- Firstfruits (Nisan 17), also called Reishit Katzir.
- Shavuot (Sivan 6), also called Pentecost.
- Yom Teru'ah (Tishri 1), also called Rosh Hashanah (note that this is the first time this is revealed in Torah).
- Yom Kippur (Tishri 10) also called the Day of Atonement.
- Sukkot (Tishri 15-22) also called Tabernacles (note that this is the first time the commandments to dwell in a Sukkah and to wave the arba minim (four species) are mentioned in the Torah).
Notice that there is a restatement of the commandment to leave food for the poor and the stranger (pe'ah, leket, etc.) that appears right in the midst of the list of the holidays (see Lev. 23:22), which the sages said was intended to remind us to help those in need, especially during these times. Hence the giving of tzedakah is a regular part of the Jewish holidays (e.g., giving ma'ot chittim [מַעוֹת חִטִּים] "money for wheat" during Passover, matanot la'evyonim [מַתָּנוֹת לָאֶבְיוֹנִים] for Purim, and so on). The sages ask, "Why did the Torah place the mitzvah of helping the poor while speaking about the holidays and their particular sacrifices? To teach us the greatness of charity: 'God credits whoever gives charity to the poor as if they built the Holy Temple and presented offerings therein to God.' Giving a gift to the poor is giving a gift to God Himself!"
Since there are at least 50 weekly Sabbaths in a Jewish year in addition to the seven prescribed holidays (not to mention Rosh Chodesh and the other holidays such as Purim, Chanukah, Israel Independence Day, etc.), it is no wonder that the Scriptures declare: "A person with a cheerful heart has a continual celebration" (Prov. 15:15). The moedim are times to cheerfully give thanks to the LORD for all He has done....
|
In this connection, notice that the calendar is divided into two equal parts of exactly six lunar months each, both of which center on redemptive rituals and end with harvests. The first half of the divine calendar begins on Rosh Chodashim (i.e., Nisan 1; Exod. 12:2), which is followed by the instructions to select the Passover lamb on Nisan 10 (Exod. 12:3), slaughter it in the late afternoon of 14th (Exod. 12:6-7) and eat it on the 15th (Exod. 12:8). The Passover itself initiated the seven day period of unleavened bread (from Nisan 15-22), wherein no leaven was to be consumed (Exod. 12:15-20). On an agricultural level, Passover represents spring, the season of the firstfruit harvests (i.e., chag ha-katzir: חַג הַקָּצִיר), and so on. On the "other side of the calendar," Yom Teruah (or Rosh Hashanah) marks the start of the second half of the year (Exod. 23:16, Lev. 23:24), which is followed by the Yom Kippur sacrifice ten days later, on Tishri 10 (Lev. 23:27), followed by the weeklong festival of Sukkot ("Tabernacles") that occurs from Tishri 15-22 (Lev. 23:34-36). On an agricultural level, Sukkot represents the reaping of the fall harvest (i.e., chag ha'asif: חַג הָאָסִף) at the "end of the year" (Exod. 23:16). In other words, in some respects the fall holidays "mirror" the spring holidays on the divine calendar, and indeed, both sides of the calendar represent different aspects of God's redemptive plan for the world. As I've written about elsewhere, the spring holidays represent the first advent of Yeshua (i.e., Yeshua as Suffering Servant, Lamb of God, Messiah ben Yosef), whereas the fall holidays represent His second advent (Yeshua as Conquering Lord, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Messiah ben David).
In an attempt to include Chanukah and Purim as apart of the divine calendar revealed in the Torah, the Jewish sages note that immediately after the LORD revealed these holidays, he instructed Moses to keep the menorah in the Holy Place of the Mishkan burning continually (ner tamid) and to provide weekly "showbread," or twelve loaves of bread on the shulchan inside the Holy Place. The sages say that the instructions regarding the oil of the menorah alludes to Chanukah, whereas the lechem ha-panim ("showbread") alludes to hester panim - or "hiding of face" and the nes nistar (hidden miracle) of the Esther story.
Cycles of Time...
Instead of thinking of time as a linear sequence of events (i.e., the measurement of linear, progressive motion), Jewish thinking tends to regard it in terms of a spiral or "helix," with a forward progression delimited by an overarching (and divine) pattern that recurs cyclically throughout the weeks, months, and years of life. This can be seen in the Hebrew language itself. Some of the sages note that the Hebrew word for "year" - shanah (שָׁנָה) - shares the same root as both the word "repeat" (שָׁנָה) and the word "change" (שִׁנָּה). In other words, the idea of the "Jewish year" implies ongoing "repetition" - mishnah (מִשְׁנָה) - or an enduring "review" of the key prophetic events of redemptive history as they relived in our present experiences... (The idea that the events of the fathers were "parables" for us is expressed in the maxim: מַעֲשֵׂה אֲבוֹת סִימָן לַבָּנִים / ma'aseh avot siman labanim: "The deeds of the fathers are signs for the children.") The Jewish year then repeats itself thematically, but it also changes from year to year as we progress closer to the coming Day of Redemption... We see this very tension (i.e., constancy-change), for example, in the "dual aspect" of the ministry of Yeshua our Messiah. In His first advent Yeshua came as our Suffering Servant and thereby fulfilled the latent meaning of the spring holidays, and in His second advent He will fulfill the latent meaning of the fall holidays. Nonetheless, we still commemorate both the "type and its fulfillment" every year during Passover by extending the ritual of the Seder to express the reality of Yeshua as the world's "Lamb of God," just as we commemorate the fall holidays in expectation of His rule and reign as our King....
None of this is meant to suggest, by the way, that there isn't an "end point" in the process - a Day in which we will be with God and enjoy His Presence forever... The idea of the "cycles" of time, or "timeless patterns in time," suggests, however, that the "seed" for our eternal life with God has already been sown - and was indeed foreknown even from the Garden of Eden, despite the fact that we presently groan while awaiting the glory of heaven. |
Shabbat Table Talk (אחרי מות־קדשים)
[ This week we have a "double portion" of Torah: Acharei Mot and Kedoshim (i.e., Leviticus 16:1-20:27). Please read the Torah portions to find your place here... ]
05.04.12 (Iyyar 12, 5772) This week we have a "double portion" of Torah. The first portion (i.e., Acharei Mot) describes the Yom Kippur ritual to purify the Tabernacle, and the second portion (i.e., Kedoshim) provides a series of commandments concerning the practical expression of holiness in daily life: "Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy" (Lev. 19:2). You can download the Shabbat Table Talks for both these portions here: The call to live a holy, separate life before the LORD requires that we are imbued with the truth of God. We are living in stressful times, chaverim. The Apostle Paul wrote that the time before the "End of Days" would be "perilous" (χαλεπός) and full of human depravity (2 Tim. 3:1-5). In light of the raging spiritual war going on all around us, the following needs to be restated: "The important thing is to not lose your mind..."
The mind is the "gateway" to your heart, and it is therefore essential to guard your thinking by immersing yourself in the truth... Fear is often the result of believing the lie that God is not in control or is unable/unwilling to help you... "Not losing your mind" therefore means being grounded in what is real, and it therefore means understanding your identity and provision as a child of God. "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power (גְּבוּרָה / δύναμις) and of love (ἀγάπη), and of a "sound mind" (σωφρονισμός), lit. a "delivered" mind, "healed" from fragmentation (2 Tim. 1:7). The Greek word "sound mind" (σωφρονισμός) comes from the verb sodzo (σῴζω), meaning "to save," from saos (σάος) "safe," in the sense of being under restraining influence of the Spirit of God... The closest Hebrew word might be musar (מוּסָר), moral "discipline."
If you are afraid of man, understand that this comes not from the Spirit of God, but rather from the enemy of our souls... God is as close as your heart and mouth, and therefore we stand in His Presence, and we must live in awe of Him... We are not to be like the world that lives in terror of man, lusting after security from the vain devices of mere men. No - look to the LORD God Almighty, the Master of the Universe.... "What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:27-28).
Yeshua said to Pontius Pilate, "For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world - to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice" (John 18:38). "You are to distinguish between the holy (i.e., ha-kadosh: הַקּדֶשׁ) and the common (i.e., ha-chol: הַחל), and between the unclean (i.e., ha-tamei: הַטָּמֵא) and the clean (i.e., ha-tahor: הַטָּהוֹר)" (Lev. 10:10, see also Ezek. 44:23). Just as God separated the light from the darkness (Gen. 1:4), so we are called to discern between (בֵּין) the realms of the holy and the profane, the sacred and the common, and the clean and the unclean. Indeed, the Torah states "God called the light Day, and the darkness he called night," thereby associating His Name with the light but not with the darkness (Gen. 1:5). "For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness" (1 Thess. 5:5). We are instructed therefore to wear the "armor of light" (Rom. 13:12) and to be equipped to wage spiritual warfare in God's Name (Eph. 6:11-18).
Time is nearly up for this world, chaverim... "The nations rage, their kingdoms totter; He utters his voice, the earth melts. Adonai Tzeva'ot imanu - the LORD of hosts is with us; our fortress is the God of Jacob. Selah" (Psalm 46:6-7). If you were to die tonight, what would happen to your eternal soul? Are you certain of your acceptance before the Father, and if so, on what basis? There is a way that seems right ... even for the professing Christian. The Messiah admonished us to "enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many" (Matt. 7:14).
Shabbat Shalom, chaverim, and may the Light of the Divine Presence, the "armor of light" (Rom. 13:12), surround you like a fiery shield as you walk by faith, not by sight, in this dark world... In the Name of Yeshua, the very Light of the World: Amen. |
Seeing God's Face...
[ This week we have another "double portion" of Torah: Acharei Mot and Kedoshim (i.e., Leviticus 16:1-20:27). Please read the Torah portions to find your place here... ]
05.03.12 (Iyyar 11, 5772) A Roman emperor once asked Rabbi Joshua if the universe had a ruler. The sage answered, indeed, the LORD is the Creator of all things, as it is written, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." The emperor then asked, "Why is God not like the emperor of Rome, who is seen twice a year so that people may know and worship him?" Rabbi Joshua said that unlike human kings, the LORD was too powerful for people to see; as it is written in the Torah: "No person shall see Me and live." The emperor was skeptical, however, and insisted that unless he could physically see God, he would be unable to believe. Rabbi Joshua then pointed to the sun high in the sky: "Look into the sun and you will see God." The emperor tried to look into the sun, but was forced to cover his eyes to keep them from burning: "I cannot look into the sun," he said. Joshua then replied: "Listen to yourself: If you cannot look into the sun which is but one of God's creations, how can you expect to look at God?" (Sefer HaAggadah)
It is interesting to compare this story with another... Leo Tolstoy tells the parable of an old cobbler who despaired of life and yearned to finally see God. In a dream one night a heavenly voice told that he would see God's face the very next day. The cobbler began the day on the alert, hoping to catch a glimpse of God, but he was distracted when he encountered a needy family. They were cold and desperate, so he took them in and cared for them. The day passed and as he finally laid down to sleep, the cobbler realized he had completely forgotten to look for God. He apologized to God and once again asked to die... As he fell asleep he dreamed that he saw the family he had helped walking by when the heavenly voice then said, "Rest assured: you saw God today in the faces of those you helped." "Truly, as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me" (Matt. 25:40).
וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ
אֲנִי יְהוָה ve·a·hav·ta · le·re·a·kha · ka·mo·kha
a·ni · Adonai "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD."
(Lev. 19:18)
Hebrew Study Card
"He who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen... Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever truly loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love" (1 John 4:7-8). By faith we are able to behold the Divine Light within other people who are created in God's image. May God first open our hearts and then our eyes.
The Heart of Prayer...
05.02.12 (Iyyar 10, 5772) The late Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) wrote, "I am beginning to see that much of praying is grieving," and that rings true to my heart. When we pray to the LORD, it's obvious that we are not imparting to Him any information, since He knows everything, of course. As King David wrote: ki ein milah bilshoni, hen, Adonai, yadati khulah: "For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, you know it altogether" (Psalm 139:4). Yeshua taught us to abstain from using "vain repetitions" in our prayers, since our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask Him (Matt. 6:7-8). The real business of prayer is to give voice to the cry of our heart, to express our need for God's love, and to offer up sincere thanks to Him for the gift of eternal life... שִׁמְעָה־תְפִלָּתִי יְהוָה וְשַׁוְעָתִי הַאֲזינָה
אֶל־דִּמְעָתִי אַל־תֶּחֱרַשׁ כִּי גֵר אָנכִי עִמָּךְ
תּוֹשָׁב כְּכָל־אֲבוֹתָי shim·ah · te·fil·la·ti · Adonai · ve·shav·a·ti · ha·a·zi·nah
el · dim·a·ti · al · te·che·rash · ki · ger · a·no·khi · i·makh
to·shav · ke·khol · a·vo·tai "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry;
hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you,
a guest, like all my fathers."
(Psalm 39:12)
Hebrew Study Card
Soren Kierkegaard once wrote that the purpose of prayer is not to influence God but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. When we get past our words -- our chatter, the insecurities that rise from our hearts, the cares of the day, even our hopes and dreams -- then we are sufficiently quieted to encounter God. It is then that we can truly listen and begin to apprehend something of God's glory.... It is then that we can grieve over our lives and the lives of others in naked dependence upon God.
Ultimately prayer is a way of listening for the heart of the LORD. As Kierkegaard also wrote, "A person usually desires far too many things, lets his soul flutter with every breeze. But he who prays knows how to make distinctions; little by little he gives up that which according to his earthly conception is less important, since he does not really dare to come before God with it... To pray is not to listen to oneself speak but is to become silent and to remain silent, to wait until the one praying hears from God."
|
Pilfering Grace from the Gospel...
05.02.12 (Iyyar 10, 5772) The New Testament says that "the righteousness of God" is revealed to the heart of faith, since "the righteous shall live by faith" - tzaddik be'emunato yicheh (צַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה) [Rom. 1:17; Hab. 2:4]. This is the righteousness of God manifested apart from the law (Rom. 3:21), or the "righteousness [of God] imputed apart from works" (Rom. 4:6). Regarding the justification of Abraham, the apostle Paul writes, "Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due, but to the one who does not work but trusts in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness" (Rom. 4:4-5). "He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do, and therefore it was credited to Abraham as righteousness" (Rom. 4:20-22). "For by grace (חֶסֶד) you have been saved through faith (אֱמוּנָה), and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). Salvation is not the result of human merit or the mere adherence to certain religious rituals, since "the righteous shall find life" by trusting in the Lord's imputed righteousness. As it is written, "salvation belongs to the LORD." הִנֵּה עֻפְּלָה לא־יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ
וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה hin·nei u·pe·lah lo ya·she·rah naf·sho bo
ve·tzad·dik be·e·mu·na·to yich·yeh "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall find life by means of his trust."
(Hab. 2:4)
Hebrew Study Card v'tzaddik be'emunato yich'yeh: "The righteous shall find life through trusting." Faith is the essence of all true Torah from heaven, since apart from faith we are spiritually dead and "powerless (ἀδύνατος) to please God" (Heb. 11:6). Indeed the very purpose of creation is to receive the love of the Creator, and consequently whoever disregards or suppresses this truth necessarily fails to apprehend the essential reason for his or her existence. As David said, "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him - to all who call upon Him in the truth" (Psalm 145:18). God is near to the honest soul who confesses the truth about his need, though God distances himself from the proud and "puffed up" soul...
In general, Jewish tradition seems to go two ways with the idea of Torah as halakhah (i.e., law). On the one hand, it tends to enumerate the various legalities of the Scriptures and to engage in halakhic (legal) discussions regarding "case law," yet on the other hand it seeks to distill the various commandments to more general principles that are fewer and fewer in number. For example, in the Talmud (Makkot 23b-24a) the discussion goes from an enumeration of the 613 commandments identified in the written Torah, to David's reduction of the number to 11 (Psalm 15), to Isaiah's reduction of the number to six (Isaiah 33:15-16); to Micah's reduction to three (Micah 6:8); to Isaiah's further reduction to two (Isaiah 56:1); to the one essential commandment by Habakuk ("But the righteous shall live by his faith" - Hab. 2:4). In this connection is instructive to note that the apostle Paul had earlier distilled the all of the commandments of the Torah to this same principle of faith (Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38).
In light of the New Testament's emphatic teaching that faith in God's love is central, we have to wonder how much Rabbinical Judaism (unwittingly) "borrows" hope from the message of Yeshua and the gospel... After all, after the Second Temple had been destroyed (in direct fulfillment of the prophecy of Yeshua), Judaism had to "reinvent" itself apart from the legalities of the Torah (e.g., the laws of the sacrificial system constitute more than 40% of the commandments). If the rabbis appeal to the authority of the "oral law," however, we must remember that the Mishnah was not compiled until 200 years after the time of Yeshua and the apostles... Even today we see this "borrowing of grace" among the rabbis. They assume that the Torah's commandments have somehow been "suspended," despite the fact that the need for blood atonement, etc., is central to all Torah-true faith, and indeed, is the central idea of the revelation given at Sinai itself... The rabbis want a "righteousness apart from the law" but are unwilling to turn to Yeshua as their Savior and LORD... They must do teshuvah and understand that apart from Yeshua, there is no life. (This is not unlike the atheist who likewise "steals" hope despite the implications of their dismal worldview... After all, the atheist still wants to be able to talk about love, hope, goodness, and so on, though these words are used to hide from the metaphysical tragedy of their lives.)
Of course institutionalized Christianity may also "pilfer grace," since it can cling to oblique forms of legalism or proffer forgiveness without the need for real conviction.... As I said yesterday, Christianity is easy if it is merely regarded as "interesting" or "insightful," since then it pleases people and requires nothing in return. Even easier it is to flatter others, to tickle their ears, and to build up their ego in the name of spirituality or religion. However, when the demand comes, when people understand that there is a real and eternal obligation to authentically live in light of its truth - even to their own potential loss - then the interest quickly fades...
There is simply no grace of God given apart from Yeshua, and it is only through Him that any soul may find salvation (Acts 4:12). Whoever has the Son has the life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:12). |
The LORD will preserve you...
[ Life in Messiah is a journey back home... The following is meant to assure you that God is with you, even in moments of darkness, and He will help you reach the goal... ]
05.02.12 (Iyyar 10, 5772) "I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion (ἐπιτελέω) at the Day of Yeshua the Messiah" (Phil 1:6). The LORD is able to guard you (φυλάξαι) from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy (Jude 1:24). "He will preserve you (βεβαιόω) to the end, guiltless in the Day of our Yeshua the Messiah" (1 Cor. 1:8). He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it (1 Thess. 5:24). "The Lord is faithful (נֶאֱמָן הוּא): He will establish you and guard you against the evil one" (2 Thess. 3:3). סוֹמֵךְ יְהוָה לְכָל־הַנּפְלִים
וְזוֹקֵף לְכָל־הַכְּפוּפִים so·mekh · Adonai · le·khol · ha·no·fe·lim
ve·zo·kef · le·khol · ha·ke·fu·fim "The LORD upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down."
(Psalm 145:14)
Hebrew Study Card
A midrash relates that just after creation the sheep complained to God saying, "O Creator of the universe, you have created many evil creatures who pursue me to slay me... but you have given me no defense." God asked the sheep, "What shall I do for you? Would like sharp teeth or fierce claws or poisoned fangs?" The sheep said, "No, I haven't the fierce nature to use such things; I would rather be helpless than cruel..." God then said, "You please me because you wish to remain gentle and kind, but I will not leave you without protection. See, I have given you a coat of thick wool, white and soft as snow. Go now and show yourself to Adam, and he will love you for it. He will make clothing and blankets for himself and his family. So he will keep you close and protect you from all your enemies." And the sheep did so. Therefore just as sheep are given a shepherd to protect them from predators, so the LORD is our Shepherd who protects us from evil.
Therefore of the LORD it is written, "He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young" (Isa. 40:11). As the Good Shepherd has said, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans for shalom and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jer. 29:11). יְהוָה יִגְמר בַּעֲדִי
יְהוָה חַסְדְּךָ לְעוֹלָם
מַעֲשֵׂי יָדֶיךָ אַל־תֶּרֶף Adonai · yig·mor · ba·a·di
Adonai · chas·de·kha · le·o·lam
ma·a·sei · ya·de·kha · al · te·ref "The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me;
Your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not let go of the work of Your hands!"
(Psalm 138:8)
Hebrew Study Card
Note that I translated the verb teref (תֶּרֶף) - which comes from the verb rafa (רָפָה) - as "let go," as if the hands were slackened. "The LORD is your keeper (יְהוָה שׁמְרֶךָ); the LORD is your shade on your right hand" (Psalm 121:5). "As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me" (Psalm 40:11). Because God's chesed (love) endures forever, we have confidence that His passion will never relent for our eternal good. O LORD, tighten your grip on me and never let me go!
Who is like the LORD our God among the so-called gods of the nations? Let us make our boast in Him alone (1 Cor. 1:31; Psalm 105:3; Jer. 9:23-24). YHVH is the First and the Last, and every knee shall bow to Him in praise (Isa. 44:6; 45:22-24; Phil. 2:10). His is the Name above all other names, and it is only through the grace of the LORD our God Yeshua that any soul finds salvation, since there eternal life in no one else (Acts 4:12). Whoever has the Son has the life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:12). Therefore yehi shem Adonai mevorakh: "Let the Name of the LORD be blessed." מִי־כָמכָה בָּאֵלִם יְהוָה
מִי כָּמכָה נֶאְדָּר בַּקּדֶשׁ
נוֹרָא תְהִלּת עשֵׂה פֶלֶא mi · kha·mo·khah · ba·e·lim · Adonai
mi · ka·mo·khah · ne·dar · ba·ko·desh
no·ra te·hil·lot · o·seh · fe·leh "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in praise, doing wonders?"
(Exod. 15:11)
Hebrew Study Card
Love's Greater Strength...
05.01.12 (Iyyar 9, 5772) Among other things, the cross of Messiah teaches us to distrust the realm of mere appearance in order to discern what is real, abiding, and true... The cross transposes the values of this world by revealing that the inner is not the outer, and vice versa. At the cross the holy becomes the profane, the righteous becomes the condemned, and - baruch Hashem - the other way around. The cross is the place of great exchange (2 Cor. 5:21). For those enslaved by the "matrix" of this world, the message of the cross is regarded as "foolishness," since the world cannot comprehend how grace can overturn "karma" (i.e., law); however, to those who are saved, the cross represents the very power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). The cross of Messiah overturns the heartless wisdom of this world by offering God's heart and love for the world's outcasts...
We "walk by faith, not by sight," and therefore we must live as if the invisible is visible... The LORD God Almighty is on the throne, despite the prevalence of wickedness and depravity in this world. The Scriptures foretell of the increase of wickedness during the prophesied "End of Days" before the Great Tribulation (2 Tim. 3:1-5), yet meanwhile the LORD continues to offer His forbearance and salvation to the world, "not willing that any should perish, but that all should turn to Him in teshuvah" (2 Pet. 3:9). God's forbearance is a demonstration of His great strength, since "in order to forgive sin, it is necessary to have power, just as one must have power in order to return strength to the sick." As Tolstoy once wrote, "Do not think that courage lies only in boldness and power. The highest courage is the courage to be above your rage and to love a person that has offended you." גֵּוִי נָתַתִּי לְמַכִּים וּלְחָיַי לְמרְטִים
פָּנַי לא הִסְתַּרְתִּי מִכְּלִמּוֹת וָרק ge·vi · na·ta·ti · le·mak·kim · u·le·cha·yai · le·mo·re·tim
pa·nai · lo · his·tar·ti · mik·li·mot · va·rok "I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those
who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting."
(Isa. 50:6)
This verse unquestionably refers to the public scourging of Yeshua our LORD, since there is no evidence that Isaiah ever underwent such treatment (see Luke 18:32). Yeshua was brutally whipped, his beard was literally ripped or torn off his face (the Septuagint renders it, "and my cheeks to blows"), and he was shamefully spat upon – despite being the King of kings of kings... Despite being mocked and humiliated, the Messiah did not retaliate, nor did he invoke divine power to avenge himself or protect his honor and office. The Apostle comments: "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to the One who judges justly" (1 Pet. 2:23). There is strength that cannot be overcome by the carnal world and its devices; there is the heart of God that decrees his love is stronger than death itself.
Part of the Torah of Yeshua (תּוֹרַת ישׁוּעַ) is to love our enemies and to do good to them (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27). Likewise, the apostle commands to overcome evil with goodness (Rom. 12:21). Being able to love our enemies is truly miraculous, because we are naturally wired to seek revenge when others hurt us... Loving an enemy is surely the highest form of love, and therefore only God can help us do this, chaverim. "What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:27-28).
Leo Tolstoy tells this story about suffering wrong for the sake of God's love: "Abu Ganifakh died in a prison in Baghdad in which he'd been put by Caliph al-Mansur for refusing to accept the teaching of Kaad. Once, before his death, when this famous spiritual teacher received a heavy blow from a guard, he told the man who hit him, "I could render you an injury after you have done an injury to me. I could complain to the Caliph, but I will not complain. In my prayers, I could tell God about this offense which you have done to me, but I will refrain from this. During the day of the Final Judgment I could ask divine revenge for your act, but even if this day comes today, and even if I knew that my prayer would be heard, even then I would enter paradise only with you." (A Calendar of Wisdom)
It is natural to love our friends and to hate our enemies, but it requires a radically transformed heart to be able to love one's enemies: "If you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?" (Matt. 5:46-47; Luke 6:32). As Tolstoy said, it takes more courage, more heart, to rise above your rage and to forgive and love a person that has harmed you. That requires a miracle, lev chadash v'ruach chadashah (לֵב חָדָשׁ וְרוּחַ חֲדָשָׁה), a "new heart and and a new spirit" directly imparted by the hand of the Living God (Ezek. 36:26).
Anthony de Mello asks, "Is it possible for the rose to say, 'I will give my fragrance to the good people who smell me, but I will withhold it from the bad?' Or is it possible for the lamp to say, 'I will give my light to the good people in this room, but I will withhold it from the evil people'? Or can a tree say, 'I'll give my shade to the good people who rest under me, but I will withhold it from the bad'? These are images of what love is about." In other words, love suffers long and is kind; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Cor. 13:4,7).
Underneath a lot of our anger is hurt, or anyway the fear of being hurt... Our fear is often rooted in this world and our dread over temporal loss. May the LORD our God help us walk by faith, not by sight, as if the invisible is indeed visible... We affirm that the LORD is forever on the Throne and will never be deposed; therefore may we be looking to Him alone as the Source of our strength and power -- even to love our enemies.
Postscript: Christianity is easy if it is merely regarded as "interesting" or "insightful," since then it pleases people and requires nothing in return. Even easier it is to flatter others, to tickle their ears, and to build up their ego in the name of spirituality or religion! However, when the demand comes, when people understand that there is a real and eternal obligation to authentically live in light of its truth - even to their own potential loss - then the interest quickly fades... Here is a test case, a way to examine our hearts: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27). |
The Central Duty to Love...
[ This week we have another "double portion" of Torah: Acharei Mot and Kedoshim (i.e., Leviticus 16:1-20:27). Please read the Torah portions to find your place here... ]
05.01.12 (Iyyar 9, 5772) Our Torah portion this week (Acharei Mot - Kedoshim) contains the central verse, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD" (Lev. 19:18). The commandment of "Ahavat Yisrael" (i.e., "Love others as yourself") is generally regarded as the most fundamental of the Torah. The Talmud recounts that when challenged by a pagan to teach the meaning of the Scriptures "while standing on one foot," Hillel said, "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah and the rest is commentary; go and learn it." Hillel summed up the Torah as "doing no harm" toward others (i.e., the "Silver Rule"), which agrees with the Apostle Paul's statement, "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment (πλήρωμα) of the law" (Rom. 13:10). Of course Yeshua earlier taught His followers, "whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matt. 7:12; 22:36-40).
Some of the mystics have said that when two people love one another, the Holy One reigns between them. This is alluded to by the Hebrew word for love (i.e., ahavah: אהבה), the gematria of which is thirteen (1+5+2+5=13), but when shared with another it is multiplied: 13 x 2 = 26 - the same value for the Sacred Name (יהוה), i.e., (10+5+6+5=26). In other words, when we love, esteem, and respect one another, the LORD's presence is multiplied and revealed among us (1 John 4:7-8).
וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ
אֲנִי יְהוָה ve·a·hav·ta · le·re·a·kha · ka·mo·kha
a·ni · Adonai "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD."
(Lev. 19:18)
Hebrew Study Card
In this connection, it is interesting to note that the gematria for the Hebrew commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (i.e., וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹך) equals 820, the same value as the word yekidashti (וְקִדַּשְׁתִּי), "And I [the LORD] will sanctify" (Exod. 29:44). When God commands us to "love your neighbor as yourself," he graciously includes the addendum: "I am the LORD," which the sages understood to mean, "I will help you to do this," or (in this case) "I will sanctify you through your acts of lovingkindness."
Of course followers of Yeshua have a profound obligation to love and care for one another (John 13:34, 15:12,17, Rom. 13:8; 1 Thess. 4:9; 1 Pet. 1:22, 1 John 3:11, etc.). After all, in this world the only tangible way we can express our love for God is by extending gemilut chasadim (loving acts) to others (James 2:15-17, 1 John 3:17, 4:20). Indeed, our obligation to love and care for others can even preempt our outward duty to love God Himself. For example, what good is it to "tithe mint and cumin" and yet neglect the needs of those who are suffering (Matt. 23:23)?
Tragically, the idea of "loving" or "serving" God can even be used as a pretext for rejecting those with whom we might disagree... What else explains religious hatred, hidebound denominational prejudices, and other forms of sanctimonious humbug at work in the various world religions of today? Even in so-called Christian churches we see this sort of bigotry at work. As Yeshua forewarned: "the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God" (John 16:2). Sadly this sometimes applies even to those who claim to love and worship the Prince of Peace (שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם). The world's religious zealots are routinely trying to "do God a favor" by hating and even killing others... This is the "Jihad-version" of religiosity - a terrible sickness of spirit. In light of the redemptive love and grace of God, can there really be anything more perverse than this?
Love is the central idea of all true Torah. Though there are some slight language differences between the Exodus and Deuteronomy versions of the Ten Commandments, both begin with "I AM" (אָנכִי) and both end with "[for] your neighbor" (לְרֵעֶךָ). Joining these together says "I am your neighbor," indicating that the LORD Himself is found in your neighbor. When we love our neighbor as ourselves (אָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ), we are in effect demonstrating our love for the LORD. We must learn to disregard the claims of our ego and cling to the idea of chesed. So who is your neighbor? You are -- to every other soul you may encounter this day...
 |
|
April 2012 Site Updates
Don't trade your soul...
 04.30.12 (Iyyar 8, 5772) Knowing about God is not the same thing as personally trusting Him with your life... This is the distinction between emunah (אֱמוּנָה) and bittachon (בִּטָּחוֹן) I tried to explain last week. Theologians sometimes rationalize God so that we can hide from Him, perhaps because they are afraid to really trust Him and believe. Mere knowledge about God, however, can never substitute for passionate faith. If all we have is objective knowledge about God, then we are simply professors, since genuine faith wrestles through the pain, the ambiguity, the heartache - yet still holds on to God's love. "Though he slay me, yet I will hope in Him." Of course this does not mean that we are irrational in our faith, because passion is given by the Spirit of truth. "The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing," just as true love needs no justification. This works the other way around, too. People who refuse to trust God are seeking ways to justify their spiritual mutiny.
Simply knowing about God can lead to a sense of "distance," to theological abstractions, to dogmas and creedal formulas. Often denominational differences are founded on such supposed "knowledge about" God, and therefore they are invariably based on ignorance, pretense, and self-righteousness. Besides the enmity caused by the game of theological one-upmanship, the split between the head and heart can lead people to seek for emotional satisfaction in things other than an authentic relationship with the Living God. Many of our more carnal sins center on the loss of hope for love. Because of our despair, we may return to the old comforts of the flesh, instead of pressing through the immediate desire to discover our longing for eternity, that is, for God's love... I wonder how many sins have been committed because people feel homesick for eternity.
Perhaps the greatest danger is for people to become so numb that they subsist in a state of indifference, no longer concerned about questions concerning their eternal destiny. Love then becomes "for other people" (not for them), and the connection between their desire and their deepest need becomes entirely severed. People lose heart and then feel powerless to change. And because they give up hope, they trade their eternal passion for vain trivialities; they become more concerned about television or the outcome of some sporting event than with their eternal souls... They become willing to traffic their souls for the sake of the world and its meretricious promises (Luke 9:25).
Chaverim, it is time to wake up: There is appearance, and there is reality; there is the significant, and there is the trivial; there is the good and their is the evil. Even the ancient philosopher Plato noted, "The struggle to be good or bad is important, indeed much more important than people think." It is astonishing that so many neglect the eternal questions and then pass into oblivion...
יֵשׁ דֶּרֶךְ יָשָׁר לִפְנֵי־אִישׁ
וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ דַּרְכֵי־מָוֶת yesh · de·rekh · ya·shar · lif·nei · ish
ve·a·ha·ri·tah · dar·khei · ma·vet "There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death."
(Prov. 16:25)
Hebrew Study Card
This is a truly frightening possibility – that a man can become so self-deceived that he esteems the mere fantasy of his conceit to be true "righteousness" before heaven, and therefore he never bothers to undergo self-examination and to seriously question whether he may be mistaken. Alas, is it not a truism of human nature that people are inherently proud, full of themselves, and forever right in their own eyes? Everyone believes they are right, that they are justified, that they have a right to their own personal convictions and opinions -- which may be a sign of pride that will lead to a fall. Leaning on your own understanding is a recipe for spiritual disaster. This line of thinking enables the adulteress to ply her sin and then wipe her mouth, excusing herself in her own eyes (Prov. 30:20). Dreadful self-deception! And yet it is not only non-Christians who seek to excuse themselves by suppressing the voice of conscience; no - many professing Christians will be shocked to discover that they fooled themselves with their false piety and the charade of their faith: "On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"(Matt. 7:22-23).
Blaise Pascal once wrote: "I can feel nothing but compassion for those who sincerely lament their doubt, who regard it as the ultimate misfortune, and who, sparing no effort to escape from it, make their search their principal and most serious business. But as for those who spend their lives without a thought for this final end, I view differently. This negligence in the matter where they themselves, their eternity, their all are at stake, fills me more with irritation than pity: yea, it astounds and appalls me... (Pensees, 427).
Regarding the seriousness of life and our need for spiritual sobriety, Kierkegaard comments: "Listen to the cry of a woman in labor at the hour of giving birth - look at the dying man's struggle at his last extremity, and then tell me whether something that begins and ends thus could be intended for enjoyment." No, we are in a school here, and disciples are called learners. We have one opportunity to learn before our allotted time is up and then we will face our eternal judgment (Heb. 9:27).
Unfulfilled love in your heart is a disguised longing for eternity, for God's love... God loves you ahavat olam - with an everlasting love and perfect love - and therefore we find ourselves homesick for eternity. This longing is a hint, a call, for you to return home:
מֵרָחוֹק יְהוָה נִרְאָה לִי
וְאַהֲבַת עוֹלָם אֲהַבְתִּיךְ
עַל־כֵּן מְשַׁכְתִּיךְ חָסֶד me·ra·chok · Adonai · nir·ah · li
ve·a·ha·vat · o·lam · a·hav·tikh
al · ken · me·shakh·tikh · cha·sed "The LORD appeared to me from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have drawn you in my love."
(Jer. 31:3)
Hebrew Study Card
Note that the word translated "I have drawn you" comes from the Hebrew word mashakh (מָשַׁךְ), meaning to "seize" or "drag away" (the ancient Greek translation used the verb helko (ἕλκω) to express the same idea). As Yeshua said, "No one is able to come to me unless he is "dragged away" (ἑλκύσῃ, same word) by the Father" (John 6:44). God's love, His chesed, woos us, takes us captive, and then leads us to the Savior...
Now, more than ever before we need to be sober, vigilant, and on guard from the enemy of our souls (1 Pet. 5:8). The evil one knows his time is short, and he is working with greater diabolical fervor to enslave and destroy souls. May God give us the power to tread on him, to confound his schemes, and to upend his designs for this world. May the LORD help us stand strong and to fight yet another day against the power of the lie. And most importantly, may the LORD show us His mercy, compassion, and love by helping each of us to earnestly, honestly, and truly trust in Him.... May He keep us from distractions, from lusts of various kinds, from exchanging the best for some finite good, and for settling to merely know about Him rather than to truly trust His heart... In Yeshua's Name: Amen.
Note: I should add that there is nothing wrong with appreciating some of the things of this world, though in comparison with knowing God, these things should be regarded as "dung" (σκύβαλα), that is, excrement. On the other hand, only those who die to this world really know how to love it, since they understand what the world really is, and it is impossible to truly love something that is not real. |
Accepting True Freedom
04.30.12 (Iyyar 8, 5772) "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). The sages say, "Being free means that I am in the place I am supposed to be." In other words, freedom means surrendering, accepting, and yielding to God's path of blessing for you. This a place of great spiritual contentment where you are liberated from the slavery of fear and disappointment. Yeshua lived in this freedom, since He completely yielded Himself to His father's daily care (John 5:19; 8:29; 14:10).
Surrendering yourself to God's care is also the means of finding self-acceptance. God knows all your sins and has paid for them upon the cross, and therefore His love for you is the basis for which you can properly forgive and accept yourself... A Yiddish proverb reads, "If I try to be someone else, who then will be like me?" When you die, God won't ask why you weren't more like Moses, Elijah, etc., but rather, why you weren't more like the person He recreated you to be. No one else can do the things you are called to do, and therefore God created you as a distinct individual who reflects His glory in a unique way... "To the one who conquers I will give a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it" (Rev. 2:17). Those who trust Yeshua as their Savior can intellectually understand and emotionally trust that God is working all things together for good in their lives (Rom. 8:28).
כְּרַחֵם אָב עַל־בָּנִים
רִחַם יְהוָה עַל־יְרֵאָיו ke·ra·chem · av · al · ba·nim
ri·cham · Adonai · al · ye·re·av "As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him."
(Psalm 103:13)
May God help us "let not our hearts be troubled" because He has promised never to leave nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). As the old spiritual song goes, "He's got the whole world, in His hands... he's got you and me baby, in His hands..." May the LORD our Heavenly Father help us trust in Him. Amen.
Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim
[ This week we have another "double portion" of Torah: Acharei Mot and Kedoshim (i.e., Leviticus 16:1-20:27). Please read the Torah portions to find your place here... ]
04.30.12 (Iyyar 8, 5772) This week's Torah portion (Acharei Mot-Kedoshim) moves from the preceding instructions regarding ritual purity (tahora) to recall the earlier tragic incident of Nadab and Abihu, the two sons of Aaron who were killed when they offered "strange fire" upon the Altar of Incense during the dedication of the Tabernacle (Lev. 10:1-2). Because these priests came close to the Holy Place in an incorrect manner and were killed, the LORD further instructed Moses to tell Aaron that he should enter the Holy of Holies only in the prescribed manner once a year, during Yom Kippur (i.e., the "Day of Atonement").
On this solemn day, considered the holiest of the year, Aaron was instructed to perform special purification rituals which would atone for the sins of Israel. Unlike any other priestly functions performed throughout the year, part of the avodah of Yom Kippur was performed within the Kodesh Ha-kodashim (i.e., the Holy of Holies) itself, which the sages called avodat penim (the "inner" service). The other part of the service was called avodat chutz, the "outer service." During the "outer" parts of service, Aaron was required to wear the regular High Priestly garments, called bigdei zahav (the "golden garments," because they were made using gold threads), and during the "inner" part of the service he was required to wear four linen garments called bigdei lavan, the "white garments," instead.
At the start of the Yom Kippur avodah, Aaron was instructed to remove his "golden garments" and to immerse himself in a mikveh. Next he would clothe himself in the white linen garments (symbolizing humility), slaughter a bull for a personal sin offering, and collect its blood in a special basin (which he brought into the Holy Place). Aaron then went back to the courtyard, took a shovelful of embers from the Copper Altar, and returned to the Holy Place to gather some holy incense (ketoret) from the Golden Altar. After this, Aaron first approached the Holy of Holies and went past the veil (parochet) to enter the inner sanctuary, where he carefully burned two handfuls of ketoret to fill the chamber with thick smoke. He then left the Holy of Holies to bring the basin of blood from the sin offering and re-entered the inner chamber to sprinkle the blood once upward and then seven times downward before the kapporet (i.e., "Mercy Seat") of the Ark.
Two goats - similar in every respect - were selected earlier and were waiting in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. Aaron was instructed to "draw lots" to identify the purpose for each goat. One lot was inscribed "for the LORD" (לַיהוָה) and the other was inscribed "for Azazel" (לַעֲזָאזֵל). After the lottery, the goat designated "for the LORD" was slaughtered as sin offering on behalf of the people and its blood collected in a basin, whereas the goat "for Azazel" was marked with a red band around its horns and left at the gate of the courtyard. Later in the service, Aaron would confess the sins of the community of Israel over the this goat, which would then be "sent to Azazel" in the desert (Lev. 16:5-10; 21-22). For this reason, the other goat is called se'ir mishtale'ach - the "sent goat," which was translated into English as the "scapegoat" by William Tyndale....
After Aaron slaughtered the goat for the people's sin offering, he repeated the same procedure he had performed earlier for his personal sin offering. Aaron brought the blood of the goat "for the LORD" before the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it once upward and then seven times downward before the kapporet. After doing this, Aaron combined the sacrificial blood of the goat and the bull into another basin and applied this mixture to the corners and top of the Golden Altar of Incense.
Later, the fat and entrails of both the bull and the goat were burned on the Copper Altar in the courtyard, though the hide and the flesh of both were taken out of the Tabernacle to be entirely burned outside the camp.
After purifying the Tabernacle, Aaron returned to the gate of the courtyard and laid both hands upon the head of the other goat (designated "for Azazel" [לַעֲזָאזֵל], a name that may refer either to the accusing angel or to a mountainous location) and confessed all of the sins and transgressions of the people. This "scapegoat" was not slaughtered, however, but was driven away into exile in the wilderness, carrying "all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited" (Lev. 16:22). Aaron next returned to the Tent, immersed himself in a mikveh, and changed back into "golden clothes." He then proceeded to offer two whole burnt offerings – one for himself and one for the people – to complete the purification process. After these sacrifices, Aaron underwent yet another mikveh, changed back into his white linen garments, and removed the censer of burnt incense from the Holy of Holies. Finally he changed back into his golden garments to finish his evening work as the High Priest. Aaron would offer the regular evening offerings, kindle the lamps of the Menorah, burn incense on the Golden Altar, and so on.
This elaborate ritual was ordained to be a decree (chok) for Israel, and the day of Yom Kippur was to be observed every year as a time of "affliction and mourning" for all the people. In three separate passages in the Torah, the people are told "the tenth day of the seventh month" (Tishri) is the Day of Atonement (יוֹם הַכִּפֻּרִים). It shall be a sacred occasion for you: you shall afflict your souls" (Lev. 16:29-34, 23:26-32, Num. 29:7-11).
The portion ends with further instructions about making sacrifices, including the prohibition against offering any animal sacrifices apart from the rites of the Tabernacle. The consumption of blood was explicitly forbidden, since blood was reserved for sacrificial purposes upon the altar. Finally, the portion presents a list of forbidden sexual relationships, concluding with the general prohibition against following the abhorrent practices of other nations.
Yom Kippur and the Gospel
Note: For more about the relationship between Passover and Yom Kippur, see the article entitled, Yom Kippur and the Gospel. |
One day at a time...
04.27.12 (Iyyar 5, 5772) In the Gospel of Matthew we read these words of our LORD Yeshua the Messiah: "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matt. 6:34). Kierkegaard comments: "If there is no next day for you, then all earthly care is annihilated. When the next day comes, it loses its enchantment and its disquieting insecurity. If there is no next day for you, then either you are dying or you are one who by dying to temporality has grasped the Eternal, either one who is actually dying or one who is really living... The one who rows a boat turns his back to the goal toward which he is working. So it is with the next day. When, with the help of the Eternal, a person lives absorbed in today, he turns his back to the next day. The more he is eternally absorbed in today, the more decisively he turns his back to the next day." Amen. May God help us live for Him today. Today is the day of salvation; today may we hear His voice.
שִׁירוּ לַיהוָה שִׁיר חָדָשׁ
שִׁירוּ לַיהוָה כָּל־הָאָרֶץ
שִׁירוּ לַיהוָה בֲָּרכוּ שְׁמוֹ
בַּשְּׂרוּ מִיּוֹם־לְיוֹם יְשׁוּעָתוֹ shi·ru · ladonai · shir · cha·dash;
shi·ru · ladonai · kol ·ha·a·retz
shi·ru · ladonai · ba·ra·khu · she·mo;
ba·se·ru · mi·yom · le·yom · ye·shu·a·to
"Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Sing to the LORD, bless his Name; tell of his salvation from day to day."
(Psalm 96:1-2)
Hebrew Study Card
It is the saddest thing of all if a human being goes through life without discovering his need for God. Therefore blessed indeed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3). It is a "blessed fault" to understand our inner poverty, to know anguish of heart, and to be able to abide in God's salvation one day at a time....
Gossip and Chicken Feathers...
[ The following is related to this week's Torah (Tazria-Metzora).... Please read the Torah portions to "find your place" here. ]
04.27.12 (Iyyar 5, 5772) According to the sages, the punishment for evil gossip, or "lashon hara" (לָשׁוֹן הָרָה) was a spiritual malady called tzara'at, which could only be healed using spiritual methods. In midrashic literature, lashon hara is likened to idol worship and other grievous sins. Indeed, spreading an evil report about another person is likened to soul murder, since the shamed person's face turns white, as if blood was drained from their countenance. The sages call the gossiper hamotzi ra, "one who brings forth evil" (a play on the Hebrew word hametzora), and they often illustrate the danger of spreading evil reports through various folk tales, such as the following. A woman came to her rabbi to confess that she was addicted to gossiping and spreading rumors about her neighbors. She pleaded for his help. How could she change her ways? "Pluck a chicken," the rabbi said, "and scatter its feathers along the road from your home to the town square. Then return the way you came, gather the feathers in a basket, and bring them to me. When you have done this, I will give you my answer.
The woman agreed to do this and the next day she returned, but lo! the basket was nearly empty. "Rabbi, " she said, I followed your instructions. I plucked the chicken and scattered its feathers, but when I returned the way I had come, the wind had scattered the feathers in all directions." She pointed to the basket: "These are all I could collect."
Now you see, my dear child, the rabbi said sadly, "gossip is like those feathers; once it is scattered, it cannot be retrieved. It flies off in all directions, doing damage wherever it reaches. As our sages have said, 'What is spoken in Rome may kill in Syria' (Midrash Rabbah). The rabbi raised a finger to his lips, "When you hear gossip, practice silence." (Rossel: Essential Jewish Stories, 276)
People who enjoy gossiping about others are sometimes likened to a group of chickens that flap their 'feathers,' squawking about, preening, and posturing. Often these people cluck out judgments regarding others in the "chicken coop," putting them down in a vain attempt to feel better about themselves, but in reality they are guilty of harming other people. King David likened them as "fiery beasts" with teeth as spears and arrows, and whose tongues are like sharp swords (Psalm 57:4).
Almighty God, the King of the Universe, has the right and authority to judge us all, though He bears our sins and instead offers us grace, love and forgiveness... In response, understand the need to sanctify your speech and to observe the practice of shemirat ha-lashon (שְׁמִירַת הַלָּשׁוֹן), guarding your words.. Whatever you say is echoed throughout eternity and will be reheard on the day of judgment (Matt. 12:36-37). Therefore, as you forgive, so you shall be forgiven; as you judge others, so shall you be judged...
Shabbat Shalom, chaverim. May the LORD interrupt whatever we are planning so that we can find our rest Him... And blessed be God for the LORD Yeshua, who is willing to touch lepers and make them whole. Amen. |
O Blessed Fault...
04.27.12 (Iyyar 5, 5772) "O LORD, is it possible to really change? There is so much of me that is in need of help, I know not where to begin. Not just my past, O God, but my present hour is haunted by frailty and failure. Is there any likelihood that tomorrow will find me stronger, more righteous, or more reconciled with you? No, for you won't love me any more that you do right now... Help me, then, to abide in your love, trusting that you will do within my heart what I am unable (or unwilling) to do for myself. And even if tomorrow I should repeat the same old sins, help me understand that you love me just the same, and that you will never give up on me; you will never repudiate me. Help me to know that your love is stronger than the sickness of my sin. Amen."
כִּי־פְשָׁעַי אֲנִי אֵדָע
וְחַטָּאתִי נֶגְדִּי תָמִיד ki · fe·sha·ai · a·ni · ei·da'
ve·cha·ta·ti · neg·di · ta·mid "For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me"
(Psalm 51:3)
O blessed fault - the dread sin that breaks my heart before the LORD... Were it not for anguish of heart, how would I have sought the solace and healing of my Savior? Sorrow was God's messenger to my need. The fault of my sin occasioned God's mercy and grace, "for where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:20). The law was given by Moses, but love and faithfulness (חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת) come through Yeshua our Messiah (John 1:17). In tears a man once confessed a sin to the Rabbi of Apt and told him how he atoned for it. The tzaddik laughed. The man went on to tell what more he intended doing to atone for his sin, and the rabbi kept on laughing. The man wanted to continue, but the laughter robbed him of the power to speak. He stared at the tzaddik in horror. And then his soul held its breath, and he heard a voice deep within. He realized how trivial all his fuss about atoning had been, and instead he turned to God...
Because Yeshua sacrificed Himself for our sins on the cross, the question no longer concerns what we must do to find atonement through religious rites or acts of penitence -- as if these might somehow assuage or propiate God's disappointment over our sin. No, the remedy is far more profound and costly, and only God Himself could pay the price for our atonement. But because of Yeshua, we now may simply turn to God for the love and healing we so desperately need... This is the meaning of teshuvah. God has made the way for us to be received, loved, and accepted - despite the stain of our sins (Heb. 9:11-28). Jesus paid the penalty for your sins, and the only real question remains: Will you believe it? Will you accept that you are accepted by the love of God?
The Name YHVH means "God is Present" and near, as close as your heart. The LORD is near, even when you feel lost and far away. Turn away from any evil you have done: do not keep it in mind, but instead see it in light of the greater good of God's love, patience, and forgiveness for you... See your sin only in relation to the cross. Resolve today by the power and truth of God's very love to turn away from darkness to His marvelous light. |
The Power of Forgiveness
04.26.12 (Iyyar 4, 5772) In the Gates of Repentance it is written: "I hereby forgive all who have hurt me, all who have wronged me, whether deliberately or inadvertently, whether by word or by deed. May no one be punished on my account. And as I forgive and pardon those who have wronged me, may those whom I have harmed forgive me, whether I acted deliberately or inadvertently, whether by word or by deed." Amen...
Yeshua taught us to pray "forgive us as we forgive others," which implies that our forgiveness (of others) is the measure of our own forgiveness. In other words, as we forgive others, so we experience forgiveness ourselves... Forgiveness releases the hurt, the anger, and the disappointment so these feelings do not inwardly consume and exhaust our souls. And yet forgiveness must be self-directed, too, since refusing to forgive yourself denies or negates the forgiveness given from others. Forgiving yourself means admitting that you act just like other people, that you are human, and that you are in need of reconciliation too. We have to move on, past the shame, and to turn back to hope. As a Yiddish proverb puts it, "You are what you are, not what you were..."
It is written, "in many things we offend all," and therefore we must confess our sins one to another to find healing (James 5:16). However the practice of love overlooks a multitude of sins, and if we do not condemn those who offend us, then we will not need to forgive them for their offenses. Walking in God's love sets us free from the slavery of negative emotions such as resentment, bitterness, anger, unresolved grief, and so on.
I love this affirmation and prayer attributed to Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 263-339 AD): "May I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me; and if I do, may we be reconciled quickly. May I never devise evil against anyone; and if any devise evil against me, may I escape uninjured and without any desire to hurt them. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for the happiness of all and the misery of none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends." |
Faith of Skin Horse...
04.26.12 (Iyyar 4, 5772) God gives us special graces, especially in light of the poignant passing of days, with our thwarted hopes, aching bones, and keenings of the heart for lasting deliverance. This gift of divine despondency helps us to "make contact" with the Real, the True, and the Abiding, the One who is so infinitely great that He is infinitely small at the same time... "Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with but REALLY loves you, then you become Real. It doesn't happen all at once. You become. It takes a long time.... Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." (Margary Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit)
In light of the Velveteen Rabbit imagery, it is God Himself who is the Child who loves us into the state of reality... Sometimes, in darker moments of the soul, the Spirit announces this to the heart of faith as "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15), while at other times, we are able to hear the words of the wise Skin Horse as words meant for us...
May the LORD help us all share the faith of Skin Horse.
Shemirat Ha-Lashon - שְׁמִירַת הַלָּשׁוֹן
[ The following is related to this week's Torah (Tazria-Metzora).... Please read the Torah portions to "find your place" here. ]
04.26.12 (Iyyar 4, 5772) According to the sages, tzara'at ("leprosy") was a punishment for evil gossip, or "lashon hara" (לָשׁוֹן הָרָה). In midrashic literature, lashon hara is regarded as equal to idol worship, sexual immorality, and murder, and the one who indulges in it defiles his mouth so that even words of Torah and prayer are corrupted. "From the same mouth come blessing and cursing; brothers, these things ought not to be so" (James 3:10). The sages even go further: "Lashon Hara is worse than murder. One who murders, murders but one; however, one who speaks lashon hara kills three: the one who speaks it, the one who hears it, and the one of whom it is spoken." Lashon hara is likened to "emotional homicide" caused by publicly shaming another. According to the Talmud, the shamed person's face is drained of blood and turns white, and therefore humiliation is called halbanat panim, "whitening the face." Therefore the sages identify the metzora (i.e., leper) with hamotzi ra, "one who brings forth evil," and they stress shemirat ha-lashon, the "guarding of the tongue," as a cardinal virtue of the righteous.
The story is told of a peddler who used to travel throughout the land crying out, "Who wants to buy the elixir of life?" Huge crowds would draw around him. Rabbi Yannai was sitting and explaining Torah in his room and heard the peddler's calls. So he went to him and asked to purchase some of this elixir. The peddler responded, "Neither you nor people like you require what I have to sell." The rabbi pressed him so that the peddler went to him and took out a book of Psalms reading the verse: "Who is the man that desires life and wants to see good? Keep your tongue from evil!" Rabbi Yannai responded with amazement, "All my life I have read this verse and didn't understand how this was to be explained, until this peddler came and made it clear to me" (Midrash Rabbah). Before he met the peddler, the rabbi thought the verse referred solely to the reward in the world to come, but it never occurred to him that it referred to this life as well. Guarding the tongue promoted health and avoided those stresses that hasten death.
Yeshua the Messiah went well beyond these requirements and told us that whatever is spoken in this life is "echoed" throughout eternity and will be reheard upon the day of judgment: "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless (ἀργὸν) word they utter, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matt. 12:36-37). We are especially warned against making promises we might break: "Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil" (Matt. 5:37). Therefore the Holy Spirit says through David: "What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit."
מִי־הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים
אהֵב יָמִים לִרְאוֹת טוֹב
נְצר לְשׁוֹנְךָ מֵרָע וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ מִדַּבֵּר מִרְמָה mi · ha·ish · he·cha·fetz · chai·yim
o·hev · ya·mim · lir·ot · tov
ne·tzor · le·shon·kha · me·ra · us·fa·te·kha · mi·da·ber · mir·mah "What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit"
(Psalm 34:12-13)
Hebrew Study Card
The tongue also refers to our "self talk," or the inner monologue within us that reveals our heart's condition: "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34). If we are admonished to guard our lips, then for all the more reason we must guard our hearts (Prov. 4:23-24). If troubles presently beset you, learn to regard them as the "troubles of love" (i.e., yissurei ahavah: יִסּוּרֵי אַהֲבָה), that is, challenges that God is using for your good. After all, your life itself is evidence of God's chesed, his gracious love, for you, and you believe that God works all things together for good to those who love Him (Rom. 8:28). Conversely, "Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles" (Prov. 21:23). "Death and life are in the hand of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21), and therefore refraining from evil talk not only prevents death but also adds to life.
When we speaking with deceit (or with guile), we speak with a "forked-tongue," saying one thing with the lips but intending something else within the heart. The inner and the outer are to be unified in our lives, and we are to be free of duplicity. Do not be a hypocrite who pretends to be something you are not (Prov. 3:9).
Guarding your tongue is evidence that you are truly fearing the LORD, since the passage is preceded with the statement: "Come, children, listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD" (Psalm 34:11). Fearing the LORD means being filled with the wonder of the Divine Presence. The one who fears the LORD will "see good," that is, he will see the goodness of his surroundings in the light of God's Presence. Seeing the good in others, using ayin tovah (a good eye), is therefore the contrary of lashon hara, or slander. Our words should be used to upbuild, edify, and esteem others, not to tear them down. Lashon hara is evidence, then, of a critical spirit, an evil eye, and a suspicious heart. We must look to God for the miracle of seeing the truth of His goodness in all things.
Those who think it easy to control the tongue have likely never really tried to do so. "The tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell" (James 3:5-6). Ultimately, controlling your tongue is a matter of controlling your inner thoughts, your heart, and your attitude (shemirat ha-lev). Therefore we are admonished to be "quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger," since the anger of man never works the righteousness of God (James 1:19). May the LORD our God help us always to speak with grace, "seasoned with salt" (Col. 4:6); and may we all "speak the truth in love to grow up in every way" (Eph. 4:15). |
A Real Savior for Real Sinners...
04.25.12 (Iyyar 3, 5772) Why do we pretend that we aren't incorrigible sinners in need of a miracle? Why do we have trouble admitting the truth about our great need? The Scriptures admonish: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness" (James 5:16). Notice that the prayer of the righteous is effective because it is grounded in reality. "Confession" (i.e., ὁμολογία) means forsaking pretense by accepting the truth about yourself; it means "saying the same thing" (ὁμολογέω) that reality reveals... It has been said that we are only as sick as the secrets we keep. The LORD is called the God of Truth (אֵל אֱמֶת), and the Spirit of Truth testifies to the honest of heart... God does not encounter fictional sinners, but only real and awful ones... He is not interested in the "outside of the cup" as much as what the cup contains, that is, with the inner recesses of heart. If you haven't discovered how difficult obedience is, then you've but trifled with the idea of obedience. The Savior is not merely a "helper" who enables us to "keep it together," but rather is the One who delivers us from the real, grievous, and most damnable of iniquities by means of the intervention of his Divine Power. The seriousness of our condition is measured by the seriousness of its cure - namely, by the sacrifice of God the Son upon the cross for our sins.
לֵב טָהוֹר בְּרָא־לִי אֱלהִים
וְרוּחַ נָכוֹן חַדֵּשׁ בְּקִרְבִּי lev · ta·hor · be·ra·li · E·lo·him,
ve·ru·ach · na·khon · cha·desh · be·kir·bi "Create for me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me"
(Psalm 51:10)
Hebrew Study Card When King David cried out to the Lord, "Create in me a clean heart, O God," he did not use the Hebrew word yatzar (יָצַר), which means to "fashion" or "form" something from pre-existing material (Gen. 2:7), but he instead used the word bara (בָּרָא), a verb exclusively used in the Torah to refer to God's direct creation of the cosmos (Gen 1:1). In other words, King David understood that no amount of reformation of his character would be enough, and therefore he appealed to that very power of God that alone could create yesh me'ayin, or "out of nothing." Such is the nature of the remedy we require.
Cleansing of the Leper...
[ The following is related to this week's Torah (Tazria-Metzora).... Please read the Torah portions to "find your place" here. ]
04.25.12 (Iyyar 3, 5772) Although the priest needed to go "outside the camp" to examine a metzora (i.e., "leper"), the person still needed to "be brought" to the priest to meet him there (Lev. 14:2-3). In other words, the afflicted one was required to meet the priest "half-way," a principle of teshuvah (repentance) expressed in Hashivenu (הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ): "Return us to You, LORD, and we shall return" (Lam. 5:21). Like the prodigal son who returns home, God waits for us at the "edge" of the camp to meet us half-way.
The case of the metzora reveals that God sometimes disciplines his child with temporary "exile" so we can rediscover our need for His healing touch. God imparted the spiritual disease of tzara'at to "remind" us of our sin and need for atonement, and the purification ritual was meant to illustrate our need for spiritual rebirth. The gracious aim of affliction, then, is to "wake us from our slumbers" in order to reveal the way of life... As C.S. Lewis once said, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." שׁוּבָה יְהוָה חַלְּצָה נַפְשִׁי
הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי לְמַעַן חַסְדֶּךָ shu·vah · Adonai · ha·le·tzah · naf·shi
ho·shi·ei·ni · le·ma·an · chas·de·kha "Turn, O LORD, deliver my life;
save me for the sake of your steadfast love."
(Psalm 6:4)
Hebrew Study Card
A student once asked his rebbe: "Do we get punished for our sins in this world?" His succinct response was, "Only if we are made fortunate..." Paradoxically, punishment from God may be a blessing in disguise, since there is no worse state in this life than to be untouched by need, suffering and testing; there is nothing more dreadful than to be forgotten or overlooked by God (Rom. 1:28). Being afflicted with "tzara'at" is a blessed state, since it reveals the nature of our lethal disease - and leads us back to the "edge of the camp" where God gives us healing....
Note: For more on this subject, see "Cleansing of the Leper."
Happy Birthday, Israel!
[ Yom Huledet Same'ach, Israel! Happy 64th Birthday to the miraculous people of the miraculous promised land! May God make your numbers like the stars in heaven! ]
04.24.12 (Iyyar 2, 5772) Tomorrow at sundown we celebrate Israel's Independence Day, called Yom Ha'atzma'ut (yohm ha-atz-ma-OOT) in Hebrew (יוֹם הָעַצְמָאוּת). The word atzma'ut (independence) comes from atzmi - "my bones" (i.e., etzem: עֶצֶם). The name reminds us of the God's glorious promise to revive the "dry bones" (עֲצָמוֹת) of Israel by bringing the Jewish people back from their long exile (Ezek. 37:1-6). Son of man, can these bones live?
But why should Christians care about ethnic Israel? After all, many Christian denominations advocate some version of "Replacement Theology" and regard the promises God made to the Jewish people as belonging exclusively to their church... The existence of the modern State of Israel therefore evokes little thanks to God from these groups, and some of their ranks even regard Israel's revived presence on the world stage as an embarrassment to their typically "liberal" theology. Hence we see the (remarkably bad) phenomena of so-called "Christian" church denominations that express anti-Israel sentiment, even asking their followers to divest investments in Israel on behalf of the "Palestinians," etc.
Briefly, we should care about Israel because the existence of Jewish people - and of the nation of Israel in particular - demonstrates that God is faithful to the covenant promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (e.g., Gen. 15:9-21). The perpetuity of the Jewish people - despite so much worldwide and satanic hatred over the millennia - is an awesome testimony of God's faithful love (Jer. 31:35-37). עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי / am Yisrael chai: "The people of Israel live!" Israel is a sign of the "sure mercies of David" (חַסְדֵי דָוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים) that are revealed in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah (Isa. 55:1-6). Moreover, the New Covenant itself, as foretold by the prophet Jeremiah, explicitly promises the perpetuity of the Jewish people thoughout the ages (Jer. 31:31-37): Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD (יהוה), when I will make a new covenant (בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה) with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law (תּוֹרָה) within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
Thus says the LORD (יהוה), who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar– the LORD of hosts (יהוה צְבָאוֹת) is his name: "If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel (זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל) cease from being a nation (גּוֹי) before me forever." Thus says the LORD: "If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel (זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל) for all that they have done, declares the LORD. – Jer. 31:35-36
According to this theologically critical passage, if you saw the sun shine today or the stars in the night sky, you can be assured that God's promise to preserve the "offspring of Israel" -- i.e., zera Yisrael -- is in effect. Indeed, in the world to come, heavenly Jerusalem will have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved upon its gates (Rev. 21:12). Note well that this is the only occurrence in the entire Tanakh (i.e., "Old Testament") that the New Covenant (בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה) is explicitly mentioned... It is a foundational passage of Scripture for those who claim to be followers of the Jewish Messiah.
In this connection, let me ask you a simple question. If the King of the Jews is our hope and lives inside our hearts by faith, and if the King of the Jews calls Jerusalem the "City of the Great King" (Psalm 48:2, Matt 5:35), then it only makes sense that we would heed King David's admonition to "ask for the peace of Jerusalem..." שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלָםִ יִשְׁלָיוּ אהֲבָיִךְ sha·a·lu · she·lom · ye·ru·sha·la·yim, · yish·la·yu · o·ha·va·yikh "Ask for the well-being of Jerusalem;
May those who love you be at peace" (Psalm 122:6).
 Download Study Card King David was a great prophet. Note that the phrase "sha'alu shalom Yerushalayim" actually reveals truth about our Savior Yeshua the Messiah. The word sha'alu actually means "ask" (as in ask a sheilah, a question). Shalom is a Name of Yeshua, since He indeed is Sar Shalom (the Prince of Peace). The word Jerusalem means "teaching of peace" (the "Jeru" at the beginning of the word comes from the same root as the word Torah, which means teaching), so the phrase could be construed as "ask about the Prince of Peace and His Teaching." Yeshua is indeed the rightful King of Jerusalem who is coming soon to reign over all the earth. מָרַן אֲתָא יְשׁוּעַ / Maranatha Yeshua! "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done" (Rev. 22:12).
Postscript: All the blessings Christians enjoy ultimately come from the root of God's covenants with Israel... Yeshua our Savior was born the King of the Jews, and plainly said salvation is "from the Jews" (Matt. 2:2; 27:11; John 4:22). The Apostle Paul clearly warned those who think the church has "replaced" Israel: "Remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you" (Rom. 11:18). This doctine is so foundational that it may be righly said that how you think about Israel will affect every other area of your theology. For more on this subject, see the article, "Is Christianity Anti-Jewish?" |
The Leper Messiah...
[ The following is related to this week's Torah (Tazria-Metzora).... Please read the Torah portions to "find your place" here. ]
04.24.12 (Iyyar 2, 5772) "The Messiah -- what is his name?... The sages say, the Leper Scholar..." (Sanhedrin 98b). But how was it that Yeshua was able to touch the metzora ("leper") and yet remain clean himself (Matt 8:1-4)? Only because He is the LORD (יהוה), the true Healer. Just as Yeshua spoke with greater authority than Moses (Matt. 5:21-48), so He was able to do what Moses (and those under the Levitical system of worship) could not do -- namely, reach down in compassion and take away the uncleanness from our lives.... Yeshua's blood creates the "waters of separation" (מֵי נִדָּה). He is the fulfillment of the "Red Heifer" sacrifice. Only Yeshua enters the "leper colony" of humanity and takes away our tzara'at (sin) by becoming ish machovot (אישׁ מַכְאבוֹת), a leper Himself, the Just for the Unjust, that He might make us acceptable before the LORD. כִּי־אַתָּה אֲדנָי טוֹב וְסַלָּח
וְרַב־חֶסֶד לְכָל־קרְאֶיךָ ki · at·tah · Adonai · tov · ve·sal·lach
ve·rav · che·sed · le·khol · ko·re·e·kha "For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you."
(Psalm 86:5)
Hebrew Study Card
Just as a body can become sick with illness, so can the soul: "I said, 'O LORD, be gracious to me; heal my soul (רְפָאָה נַפְשִׁי), for I have sinned against you!'" (Psalm 41:4). If you feel your sins biting you, and your heart is wavering and beginning to tremble, take your place on the outside of the camp, where the lepers are standing, for they are the ones for whom the Gospel is intended.... Yeshua enters the leper colony to touch the leper. He seeks and saves the lost. The message of God's love and forgiveness is received only by those who understand how much they need it, to the self-confessed lepers of the soul... The gospel is sure remedy for the sick, not the healthy; it is for the sinner, not the saint. For those who accept Yeshua as their Redeemer, sin is turned right through the pain He bore on the cross, and forgiveness is a matter of sheer grace, not merit. There is joy in heaven for one sinner who turns to God in repentance, and this implies that every time you go to the LORD in your brokenness, in the truth of your need for Him, He will receive you with divine happiness.
Note: For more on this subject, see the article, "The Leper Messiah." |
Shadows and Reality...
04.23.12 (Iyyar 1, 5772) Sometimes we seem to forget that we are not home yet... Socrates said that philosophy, when done correctly, was "practice for death," since the passing shadows of this world pointed to unchanging good, our true end. Likewise Yeshua our Messiah taught us to take up the cross and die daily (Luke 9:23).
It is difficult for us to die, to let go, however, because we are attached to this world, and we often abide under the worldly illusion that we will live forever, that tomorrow will resemble today, and that heaven can wait... History is littered with crumbling monuments offered to the idols of this world. The Scriptures are clear, however: "The present form (τὸ σχῆμα) of this world is passing away" (1 Cor. 7:31), and the heart of faith seeks a city whose Designer and Builder is God Himself (Heb. 11:10). "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day... For the things that are seen are turning to dust, but the things that are unseen endure forever (2 Cor. 4:16-18). Because of our sin, creation was made "subject to vanity," though God has overcome the dust of death by giving us an unshakable hope (Rom. 8:20). אָדָם לַהֶבֶל דָּמָה
יָמָיו כְּצֵל עוֹבֵר a·dam · la·he·vel · da·mah
ya·mav · ke·tzel · o·ver "Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow."
(Psalm 144:4)
The truth that hakol over (הַכּל עוֹבֵר), "everything passes" like a shadow, should help us keep our perspective regarding the various moments of testing we all face in this life. As Nachman of Breslov once said, "The whole earth is a very narrow bridge, and the important thing is never to be afraid" (כָּל־הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ גֶּשֶׁר צַר מְאד וְהָעִקָּר לא לְפַחֵד כְּלָל). Yeshua is the Bridge to the Father, the narrow way of passage that leads to life. He has overcome the world and its vanities. He calls out to us in the storm saying, "Take heart. It is I; be not afraid" (Matt. 14:27). When Peter answered the call and attempted to walk across the stormy waters, he lost courage and began to sink, but Yeshua immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt (lit., think twice)?"
Sufficient unto the day...
04.23.12 (Iyyar 1, 5772) Who among us has not experienced loss? While we cannot escape suffering in this life, God can give us heart to face the struggle... "You shall love the LORD thy God will all thy heart – particularly while you are in the midst of bewilderment, testing, and affliction. As the prophet Job once exclaimed, "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the Name of the LORD be blessed." יְהוָה נָתַן וַיהוָה לָקָח
יְהִי שֵׁם יְהוָה מְברָך Adonai · na·tan, vadonai · la·kach:
ye·hi · shem · Adonai · me·vo·rakh "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the Name of the LORD be blessed."
(Job 1:21)
Hebrew Study Card
We had nothing when we were born into this world, and all that we now have was given to us by hashgacha pratit - the providential plan of God. As the LORD graciously gave, so He has the prerogative to take away. Pain, suffering, and even death itself surely do not come by accident but are rather part of the inscrutable will of God, who works all things together for the good of creation. Gam zu l'tova – this too is "for the good," even if the good is not revealed in the moment. Job refused to blame God for his troubles, but instead he understood that whatever God does (or allows) must itself good, and there is no reason to doubt this, even if in the present there is tribulation – indeed, even the throes of death. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" (James 1:17). As it is written, lo yimna-tov laholekhim be'tamim (לא יִמְנַע־טוֹב לַהלְכִים בְּתָמִים), "no good thing does he withhold from those who walk in completeness" (Psalm 84:11), and you are made complete (תָּמִים) because of the finished work of Messiah on your behalf. Do not be afraid of His providence: no good thing will the LORD withhold from you....
When Paul wrote, "in everything give thanks" (1 Thess 5:18), surely he understood the prospect of real suffering. It is through "much tribulation" that we enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). We do not ask God to insulate us from all troubles, but rather to be given the courage to carry on despite the troubles. Hence one of our standard prayers in the tradition is: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה הַנּוֹתֵּן לַיָּעֵף כּחַ/ barukh attah Adonai ha-notef lai'ya'ef koach: "Blessed are You, LORD, who gives strength to the weak."
We cannot escape suffering in this life, but God gives us heart to face the struggle. Each day contains the opportunity to serve God even in the midst of trouble (Matt. 6:34). We cannot control much of what happens to us in this life, so our task is to sanctify time and trust that God will meet our true needs. Taking refuge in God means personally trusting in His goodness for your soul, despite circumstances that might tempt you to lose heart. שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי וְהַצִּילֵנִי
אַל־אֵבוֹשׁ כִּי־חָסִיתִי בָךְ sha·me·rah · naf·shi · ve·hatz·tzi·lei·ni
al · e·vosh · ki · cha·si·ti · vakh "Guard my soul and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you"
(Psalm 25:20)
Hebrew Study Card
al evosh, ki chasiti vakh - "Let me not be ashamed, for I take refuge in You" - I am trusting in your mercy, your goodness, your forgiveness... The sages liken this to a man who was found wandering about at night, whom the city wardens sought to arrest. The man shouted out to them: "Leave me be: I am the son of the king's daughter!" The next day they brought the man before the king and told him the story. When the king asked him why he had lied, the man said, "When I saw they wanted to arrest me, to save myself I said I was your grandson." The king then turned to the wardens and said, "Let him alone. I do not want him to be humiliated for having put his trust in me." The point of this mashal (parable) is that if an earthly king can deliver someone based on such trust, how much more shall the Lord, who delivers us with the salvation procured at the expense of His dear Son?
In this life we must learn to trust and let go... It is said in Rabbi Meir's name: "With clenched fists we enter this world, as if to say, 'the whole world is mine to acquire'; with hands wide open we leave the world, as though to say, 'I have acquired nothing in this world.'" As the Apostle Paul earlier had said, "for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out" (1 Tim. 6:7). Let us then live each day for what is eternally significant, letting go of what needs to be let go, so that we are made ready to come before the Divine Presence. May God "grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference." May He renew a steadfast spirit within you and keep you from bitterness and despair, chaverim.
Note: Our consolation in suffering, given by God, is intended to bring solace to others (2 Cor. 1:3-4). As Kierkegaard once wrote, "What is a poet? An unhappy man who in his heart harbors a deep anguish, but whose lips are so fashioned that the moans and cries which pass over them are transformed into ravishing music. His fate is like that of the unfortunate victims whom the tyrant Phalaris imprisoned in a brazen bull, and slowly tortured over a steady fire; their cries could not reach the tyrant's ears so as to strike terror into his heart; when they reached his ears they sounded like sweet music. And men crowd around the poet and say to him, "Sing for us soon again" - which is as much as to say, "May new sufferings torment your soul, but may your lips be fashioned as before; for the cries would only distress us, but the music, the music, is delightful" (Either/Or). Often it is the secret wound that gives movement to the spaces between the words, and that movement is what ministers to others. At any rate, we trust that God will redeem our troubles and help us be a blessing to those around us. |
Israeli Independence Day
Wed. - Thur. April 25th-26th, 2012
[ Yom Huledet Same'ach, Israel! Happy 64th Birthday to the miraculous people of the miraculous promised land! ]
04.23.12 (Iyyar 1, 5772) After the Jewish people had suffered for nearly 2,000 years of exile as foretold by both Moses (Lev. 26:38, 44; Deut. 28:64-64) and the Hebrew prophets (Isa. 43:5-6; Jer. 30:11; Joel 3:2; Ezek. 36:8-10; Hos. 9:1-10, etc.), Israel was miraculously reborn as a nation in their ancient homeland on May 14, 1948 (Iyyar 5, 5708). Today Jews across the world celebrate Iyyar 5 as Israel Independence Day.
The word atzma'i (עַצְמָאִי) means "independent" in Hebrew; and atzmaut (עַצְמָאוּת) means independence, from atzmi - "my bones" (עֶצֶם). Hence the "Day of Independence" is called Yom Ha'atzmaut in Hebrew. The name reminds us of God's promise to revive the "dry bones" (עֲצָמוֹת) of Israel by bringing the Jewish people back from their long exile: הִנָּבֵא עַל־הָעֲצָמוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם
הָעֲצָמוֹת הַיְבֵשׁוֹת שִׁמְעוּ דְּבַר־יְהוָה
כּה אָמַר אֲדנָי יהוה לָעֲצָמוֹת הָאֵלֶּה
הִנֵּה אֲנִי מֵבִיא בָכֶם רוּחַ וִחְיִיתֶם hin·na·vei · al · ha·a·tza·mot · ha·el·leh · ve·a·mar·ta · a·ley·hem:
ha·a·tza·mot · ha·ye·ve·shot · shim·u · de·var · Adonai;
ko · a·mar · Adonai · E·lo·him · la·a·tza·mot · ha·el·leh
hin·neh · a·ni · me·vi · va·khem · ru·ach · vich·yi·tem "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them,
O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones:
Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live"
(Ezek. 37:4-5)
"So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel (כָּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל). Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel (אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל). And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live (וְנָתַתִּי רוּחִי בָכֶם וִחְיִיתֶם), and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD" (Ezek. 37:10-17).
עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי / am Yisrael chai: "The people of Israel live!" The nation of Israel is God's "super sign" that He is faithful to His covenant promises (Jer. 31:35-37). Celebrating Israel's independence acknowledges God's loyal love for us all...
 |
Note: In 1951 the Israeli Knesset established the day immediately before Israel's Independence Day as Israel's Memorial Day (i.e. Iyyar 4). In practical terms, then, both holidays are combined and linked on the calendar (Iyyar 4-5), though their starting date can be postponed or begun early, depending on whether there is a conflict with the weekly Sabbath day. For instance, this year the two holidays will start a day earlier (i.e., Iyyar 3rd) because Iyyar 5th is the Sabbath. For best results, always check a good Jewish calendar.
Parashat Tazria-Metzora
[ The following is related to this week's Torah (Tazria-Metzora).... Please read the Torah portions to "find your place" here. ]
04.22.12 (Nisan 30, 5772) This week we have a "double portion" of Torah: Tazria and Metzora. According to traditional Jewish commentators, this section of Scripture primarily concerns the relationship between the sin of lashon hara ("the evil tongue") and the divinely imparted affliction of tzara'at, sometimes (inaccurately) translated as "leprosy."
I used to think lashon hara concerned cases of obvious abuse of the tongue, for example, slandering another person or using profanity. Now while these are certainly cases of lashon hara, the concept is larger than that, and includes saying something bad about another person even if it happens to be true. In other words, lashon hara is gossip, spreading evil (even if true) reports, or expressing a negative or critical spirit about others. Such behavior is explicitly forbidden in Lev. 19:16.
The penalty for lashon hara was tzara'at, a skin condition that could only be diagnosed by a kohen (priest), not a doctor. In other words, it was a spiritual malady that required spiritual discernment to treat. If someone was diagnosed with tzara'at, they were forced to leave society and undergo a period of mourning and teshuvah (repentance).
In traditional Jewish thinking, lashon hara is one of the worst of sins, and God is said to punish those who speak such with middah-keneged-middah -- "measure for measure" justice. Since spreading evil reports divided others and caused isolation and loneliness, the metzora shall be afflicted (with tzuris, troubles) and separated from the fellowship of Israel. Indeed, some of the sages point out that the word metzora (one afflicted with tzara'at) is related to the phrase, motzi ra (one who speaks evil), and thereby conclude that evil speech is the principal cause of the disease itself. Obviously we should flee from the sin of lashon hara! May God help each of us to always "speak the truth in love" (Eph 4:15, 25).
Yeshua told us that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34), and further warned us about the unthinking use of our words: "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall account for in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by you words you shall be condemned" (Matt. 12:36-37). Note, however, that this does not mean that we are excused from making righteous judgments (John 7:24). Sometimes it is the mark of a coward to refrain from speaking the truth. As Albert Einstein once said, "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." We must "speak the truth in love," even if that means sometimes offending those who wish to excuse or overlook evil behavior...
A midrash states that when the children of Israel first heard the laws of tzara'at, they despaired and became very afraid. Moses reassured them by telling them that tzara'at was a sign from God that they were indeed a holy nation, since it is His way of encouraging them to do teshuvah in order to be in fellowship with Him. Likewise God sometimes disciplines us for our sins (Heb 12:7-8) for the purpose of granting us the gift of teshuvah (2 Cor. 7:10). We must therefore strive to make our conversation and the inmost intent of our hearts "captive to the obedience of the Mashiach," blessed be He (Matt. 5:37; Eph. 4:29; Col. 3:8; 2 Cor. 10:5; 1 Tim 4:2; etc.).
In the Brit Chadashah, we read how Yeshua healed various "lepers" and even touched them (Matt. 8:2-3, Mark 1:40-41). But how could He do this without Himself becoming tamei (unclean)? Ah, this is a good sheilah (question), but it is directly answered when we apprehend that Yeshua is none other than YHVH who came in the flesh. For remember, it was the prerogative of the LORD God of Israel to "touch" those afflicted with tzara'at and heal them based on their teshuvah, and in like measure, Yeshua entered the "leper colony" of humanity to heal those who cried out to Him. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and His love reaches down to those who are afflicted and oppressed on account of their uncleanness. If you call upon Him, He will likewise touch you and restore you to fellowship with God. Blessed be His Name forever.
One final note of hope: Many of us are in various states of denial regarding our own sinful condition and need for deliverance, which can be illustrated by the case of the metzora and its progression in the life of the afflicted.
A doctor friend of mine once reminded me that tzara'at was an infectious condition. As long as the affliction was spreading across the body, the person was metzora and therefore tamei (unclean), but if the tzara'at (finally) covered the person from head to toe, he was to be considered "clean" (Lev. 13:12-13). In other words, in some cases the metzora needed to be entirely covered with their affliction before they were set free, and this further reminds me of our need to be fully identified with the death of Yeshua in order to experience the resurrection life! It is only by understanding how radical the need for our deliverance that Yeshua's healing touch can be manifest. |
What do you (really) want?
04.20.12 (Nisan 28, 5772) If you were to ask God for just one thing, what would it be? Personal happiness? A peaceful family life? Physical or emotional health? Money to relieve your financial distress? Personal power and respect? Romance or a satisfying love life? Honestly, what is the ruling passion of your life? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What are you really seeking? What gives you hope in the life? King David gives his answer: אַחַת שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת־יְהוָה אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ
שִׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית־יְהוָה כָּל־יְמֵי חַיַּי
לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם־יְהוָה וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלו a·chat · sha·al·ti · me·et · Adonai, · o·tah · a·va·kesh
shiv·ti · be·vet · Adonai · kol · ye·mei · chai·yai
la·cha·zot · be·no·am · Adonai · u·le·va·ker · be·he·kha·lo "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to envision the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his Temple."
(Psalm 27:4)
Hebrew Study Card
In this verse, King David says, "One thing I ask of the Lord; that is what I will seek." Notice immediately that David asked for one thing – not many things. He did not come with a litany of requests. He was not double minded, wanting and hating the good. As Kierkegaard said, "purity of the heart is to will one thing." David sought the best he could find. He wanted the "pearl of great price."
The verb translated "I will seek" (avakesh) comes from the verb bakash meaning "to desire." The noun form, bakashah, means a request (in modern Hebrew the word bevakasha means "as you wish" or "you're welcome"). The verse could therefore be read as, "The one thing I ask from the Lord is that which I will desire."
This is a prayer for surrender. "Lord, I pray to you not as I understand You, but as You understand Yourself..." The "one thing" that David wanted above all else was to know the Lord - to "behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His Temple." This is what we need. We need eyes of wonder; we need eyes that are open to the glory and Presence of God - in everything.
Desire itself is a "neutral" thing, of course. "The flesh lusts against the spirit, and spirit against the flesh" (Gal. 5:17). Most of us desire things that do not ultimately satisfy us. This is the "default" mode. We settle for trifles. We yield to petty desires that do not quench the eternal thirst within us. We cheat ourselves of the eternal for the sake of temporal. Kierkegaard calls such boredom the root of all evil. It is the "spirit" of the flesh - the inner restlessness that leads to discontent.
Having spiritual desire is a great gift from heaven, because through it we first realize what we really want and need. Our eye becomes "single" (Luke 11:34). The mark of spirituality (ruchaniyut) is wonder and contentment. The "beauty of the Lord" is to be filled with glory and peace. If we consciously delight ourselves in the Lord, He has promised to give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). Seek first the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33).
David understood that seeking God required "all the days of my life" (כָּל־יְמֵי חַיַּי) – as preparation for eternity. This life (olam hazeh) is a likened to a shadowy corridor leading to the world to come. David wanted to dwell (יָשַׁב) or to abide before the Divine Presence all his days, so that he would be prepared for his promotion to come.
So again, if you were to ask God for just one thing, what would it be? |
Know Him in all your ways...
04.19.12 (Nisan 27, 5772) The Hebrew word emunah (אֱמוּנָה), often rendered as "faith" in many English translations, comes from the root word aman (אָמַן), which means to rest securely or rely upon (and from which we get the word "amen"). The root word occurs for the first time in the Torah in connection with Abraham: "And he believed (וְהֶאֱמִן) the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness" (Gen. 15:6). Abraham was declared tzaddik (righteous) because he believed and understood that the LORD would fulfill His promise to him to become the father of a multitude, despite his old age. Abraham's faith was cognitive in the sense that he knew the character of God and relied upon God's promise.
If emunah describes the cognitive dimension of faith, the word bittachon (בִּטָּחוֹן) describes its emotional dimension. The word bittachon comes from a root word (בָּטָח) that means to trust, "to lean upon," to feel safe and secure. Bittachon describes emotional acceptance of the goodness of the LORD. Some of the sages have said that while emunah represents a state of understanding (בִּינָה) that God is intimately involved in all the events of the universe, bittachon means personally trusting in God in every situation for your good.... Rabbi Bechaya put the distinction this way: "Everyone who trusts has faith, but not everyone with faith trusts." Bittachon is an intuitive awareness of the personal love of God for your life, coupled with complete trust that He cares for you (Rom. 8:28). It is an expectation that the love of God is for you, too. בְּטַח אֶל־יְהוָה בְּכָל־לִבֶּךָ
וְאֶל־בִּינָתְךָ אַל־תִּשָּׁעֵן
בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶיךָ דָעֵהוּ וְהוּא יְיַשֵּׁר ארְחתֶיךָ be·tach · el · Adonai · be·khol · lib·be·kha
ve'el · bi·na·te·kha · al · tish·a·en
be·khol · de·ra·khe·kha · da·ei·hu · ve·hu · ye·ya·sher · or·cho·te·kha "Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
Know Him in all your ways, and He will straighten your paths."
(Prov. 3:5-6)
Hebrew Study Card
"In all your ways know Him," that is, in all that you put your hand to do look for the Divine Presence and guidance (1 Cor. 10:31). As King David stated, "I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved" (Psalm 16:8). Likewise you must consciously make up your mind that you are standing before your Creator and King: da lifnei mi attah omed, "know before Whom you stand." If you are trusting God bekhol libekha, with all your being -- with an undivided heart -- without ambivalence or double-mindedness, then have confidence that you are doing God's will (1 John 5:15). "All your deeds should be done le'shem shamayim (לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם) - for the sake of heaven" (Pirke Avot 2:17). The Malbim comments that the phrase "know Him in all your ways" uses the word derakhim (דֶּרֶכִים), a word used to refer to general ways of knowing God through His revealed character (e.g., generosity, kindness, humility, etc.), while the phrase, "he will make your paths straight" uses the word orekhim (אוֹרְחוֹת), a word that suggests particular application in daily life. Trusting in the LORD brings inner light from the Holy Spirit wherein the our way is made "yashar" (upright), the same word used in names "Jeshurun" and "Yisrael."
Note: Though we are to know the LORD in all our ways, both cognitively and emotionally, surely it is possible for someone to have emunah but not bittachon, head but not heart. This is the case of the mere "professor" of faith who does not know the LORD existentially within his or her heart. Theologians and philosophers can "understand" that God exists, they can "assent" that He (alone) is the Creator of the universe who acts in justice, they can even claim that the Scriptures are true, and yet they can be in a state of profound spiritual darkness (James 2:19). "The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still." On the other hand, it is also possible to have bittachon without emunah, that is, heart without head... This is the case of a gullible soul that is willing to accept any "wind of doctrine" even if it clearly contradicts the truth of the Scriptures. For example, people who stress the "sweetness and light" of God are often offended at the prospect of God's judgment for sin, or those who chase after spiritual gifts or seek manifestations of the spirit are often misled by charlatans... To be balanced, we need both emunah and bittachon - we need doctrine with affection, head with heart, "spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24). For more on this subject, see the article "Emunah and Bittachon." |
Cowardice of the Crowd
[ Yom HaShoah, or "Holocaust Remembrance Day," is observed on Nisan 27, which this year runs from sundown on Wed. April 18th until sundown Thur. 19th... ]
04.19.12 (Nisan 27, 5772) Yom HaShoah, or "Holocaust Remembrance Day," marks Israel's day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews, including over a million children, who perished as a result of the actions carried out by Nazi Germany and its accomplices. It was inaugurated in 1953 and is annually observed on the 27th day of the month of Nisan, just a few days after Passover Week in the spring. In stark contrast to the celebration of freedom commemorated during Passover, Yom HaShoah marks a very difficult time when we revisit specters of absolute evil and again ask haunting questions about the power and presence of malevolence in our world. Often we are left speechless over the cruelty and depravity of human beings. It all seems so inexplicable, so needlessly horrible, so senseless and so vile... We may feel powerless, despondent, or full of indignation, but still we ask ourselves, how could this have happened?
Simply put, the Holocaust was the result of cowardice and self-deception... The systematic, institutionalized, and "politically correct" murder of the Jewish people was made possible solely because people forfeited their God-given responsibility to live as authentic individuals by surrendering their will to "the crowd." Giving up your identity to join a gang inevitably leads to fragmentation of the soul, potentially inviting in a "legion of demons." Regardless of whether it's a gang of thugs running an inner city neighborhood, or the pressure to keep quiet over ethical misconduct at your place of work, or the desire to feel "approved" as a good citizen of the state, or even the pressure to conform to a particular religious group, in either case, "losing yourself" in the midst of the crowd is an evasion, a cop-out, and a desecration of the image of God within you. Indeed following the crowd is a form of slavery where you surrender your freedom for the sake of a supposed sense of security... You become self-deceived because you no longer "own" yourself but became the ward of "another." Becoming a member of a crowd makes you into a copy or similitude, a shadow rather than a person of substance.
Popular leaders know how to work and bribe the crowd - whether they are big business leaders, professional politicians, or leaders of large religious organizations. Often they have the charisma that appeals to human vanity and oratory to "tickle the ears" of those who hear them speak. Politicians and "community organizers" understand how the crowd marginalizes the individual, how the voice of reason and conscience are suppressed, thereby eradicating the conviction and character of the solitary individual. Therefore the true prophet is always "a voice crying in the wilderness," an outsider to the crowd, always in collision with the world and its devices. The crowd-pleaser, on the other hand, carefully crafts his words for the applause of the mob. The crowd-pleaser is a flatterer and therefore the very antithesis of the prophet. Politicians and demagogues are masters at appealing to the gut instincts and lusts of a crowd, and therefore they are inveterate liars. They entice subgroups to follow their directives, to form self-regulating gangs, and to reward those who unquestioningly accept their "group-think." Leaders of the crowd invariably "see past" the individual and regard only numbers, general popularity, special interests, and the abstract role of "the people" in general. This also occurs in various church settings, too, where the approval of the crowd is more important that the needs of individual people. Indeed, it is often the case that the larger the church group, the more bureaucratic its portrayal of a personal Savior; likewise, the more the church becomes like a bureaucracy, the more it obscures the ability of the individual to be touched by the Spirit of God. Many churches today follow their pastors for the same reasons the world follows its leaders. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "Every cult of personality that emphasizes the distinguished qualities, virtues, and talents of another person, even though these be of an altogether spiritual nature, is worldly and has no place in the Christian community; indeed, it poisons the Christian community... Where there is a crowd there is a hunger for a crowd identity and the lust to have a worldly king over them who will give them that identity" (Life Together). הִכָּנְסוּ דֶּרֶךְ הַפֶּתַח הַצַּר
כִּי רָחָב הַפֶּתַח
וּמְרֻוַּחַת הַדֶּרֶךְ הַמּוֹלִיכָה לַאֲבַדּוֹן
וְרַבִּים הַהוֹלְכִים בָּה hi·kan·su · de·rekh · ha·pe·tach · ha·tzar
ki · ra·chav· ha·pe·tach
u'me·ru·va·chat · ha·de·rekh · ha·mo·li·chah · la'a·va·don
ve·rab·bim · ha·ho·le·khim · bah "Enter by the narrow gate.
For the gate is wide
and the way is easy that leads to destruction,
and those who enter by it are many."
(Matt. 7:14) Notice that Yeshua said the path to heaven is narrow. It is not "the great highway" that crowds of people tread. Few go there, and even those few individuals who tread the way do so in solitude, misunderstood and often rejected by others. Ultimately the "strait gate" (στενῆς πύλης) is Yeshua Himself, who is ha'sha'ar (הַשַּׁעַר), the gateway to the Kingdom (John 10:7). The narrow gate is small, humble, and therefore inconspicuous to the adulterous crowd that seeks only "signs and wonders." The gate is narrow, and few there be that find it. "If any man will open the door, I will come into him..." The sages ask, "Why is the world to come created with the letter Yod? (the least of the alphabet)? Because "the righteous which are in it are few." The gate is narrow because we are laden with pride and need to divest ourselves of our self-will to enter through... We must come to the end of our own agenda to enter the way of God's salvation.
Likewise the Apostle Paul wrote, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it" (1 Cor. 9:24). This is not a race in competition with others as much as it is a race for you to become an individual before God, since only "one" receives the prize. The prize is for all who run the race, but only those who run as individuals before God may obtain it... Just as an earthly race indicates perseverance and individual stamina, so each of us must be earnest in our race to God.
It is the fear of man that drives many of us to say and think in ways that are self-deceptive and sinful. By assigning for ourselves labels, by aligning ourselves with certain doctrines or ideologies, by engaging in certain formulaic rituals, etc., we hope to rid ourselves of the dread that we are eternally responsible for our own personal decisions. "Group-think" and accepting the propaganda of mass media are tools used by social engineers to enslave you. The devil's logic is always that of mediation, compromise, consensus, synthesis. How many of us are willing to sell our very souls for the creature comforts vainly promised by this world and its princes? How many of us have the resolute faith to turn away from the will of the crowd and face ourselves?
The Holy Spirit speaks to individuals, as if your singular soul was the chief end of God's creation. God's words are never directed to the crowd. As Kierkegaard notes: "The truth can neither be communicated nor be received without being before the eyes of God, nor without God's help, nor without God being involved as the middle term (mediator), since God is the truth. It can therefore only be communicated by and received by "the single individual" in contrast to the abstract, the fantastic, impersonal, "the crowd" - "the public," which excludes God as the middle term - since the personal God cannot be the middle term in an impersonal relation. Honoring every individual human is the fear of God and the love of "the neighbor..." Yet never have I read in the Holy Scriptures this command: "You shall love the crowd;" even less: "You shall recognize in the crowd the court of last resort in relation to the "truth." It is clear that to love the crowd is the way to all sorts of temporal and worldly advantage, yet it is untruth; for the crowd is untruth" (That Solitary Individual).
We must never forget what happened to the Jewish people under Hitler. The Holocaust was made possible because people timidly refused to stand apart from the group to serve as bold witnesses of the truth. And the great risk of our age is the revival of political fascism that attempts to again control, disarm, and violate people's freedom all for the supposed greater good of the "state." We must remember that silence in the face of evil is itself evil: "First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me" (Martin Niemöller).
There are instances when we must be willing to sacrifice our lives rather than to violate a commandment of Torah, such as being forced to murder someone upon pain of death. In other words, it is better to undergo kiddush Hashem (die as a martyr) than to commit certain sins, such as murder, incest, or being forced to renounce our faith. In these cases the sages say yehareg ve'al ya'avor (יֵהָרֵג וְאַל יַעֲבוֹר), "be killed rather than transgress." May the LORD God of Israel help each of us to "remember and never forget" that we must personally stand for the truth - even should that mean kiddush Hashem for us. Amen. |
Beginning at the beginning...
04.18.12 (Nisan 26, 5772) It's been quipped that self-righteous people are those who know the Bible's commandments, decrees, and judgments, and can "fake" observance better than those who don't.... Are you uptight about laws, rituals, and rule-following behaviors? Do you squint the eye when you see people act in ways that you disapprove? God wants your heart, chaverim. Obey the first commandment - to love the LORD your God with all your heart - before you go about trying to correct others. כִּי חֶסֶד חָפַצְתִּי וְלא־זָבַח
וְדַעַת אֱלהִים מֵעלוֹת ki · che·sed · cha·fatz·ti · ve·lo · za·vach
ve'da·at · E·lo·him · me·o·lot "For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice;
and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."
(Hosea 6:6)
Hebrew Study Card
The heart is what needs cure: "The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still" (Tozer). "The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly" (Kierkegaard). Faith is the real work of our lives - living, breathing, eating, drinking the truth.... We get caught up in doctrinal matters, when the real concern is our heart of faith. "It is so hard to obey because it is so hard to believe..." Let's quit the pretense, and put away the religious charades. In Alcoholics Anonymous, it is well known that only a drunk can help a drunk. The same is true for sinners: only sinners can really help sinners. Formal religions often do not help, since they are structured on the assumption that there is an "in group" and an "out group," and, should the religious elite forget that we all sick and in need of healing, they are nothing but blind guides who will lead people right into the ditch.
We must always remember that knowledge should serve the greater aim of love. Beware of people who want to "fix" your theology without taking the time to know your heart... Beware of those who want to correct you with a few words "in the love of Jesus" that serve as the darts thrown from the enemy. You can no more understand a person's theology through an isolated statement or comment than you can understand their heart based on an isolated episode in their life. You have to take the time to understand things in context, and just because you do not understand does not make the other person beholden to you... The first duty of love is to listen to another... Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath (James 1:19). |
Note: April 2012 updates continue here.
Follow the site's progress: Site Updates for 2012 Site Updates for 2011 Site Updates for 2010 Site Updates for 2009 Site Updates for 2008 Site Updates for 2007 Site Updates for 2006 Site Updates for 2005 Site Updates for 2004 Hebrew4Christians Forum |
No comments:
Post a Comment