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- Tell us about yourself
- Im a Jew from the tribe of jehudah by the name of Perez according to Genesis 39' and both my famly names appear recorded in Aragon Spain were the church that forced Jews to convert kept records of the Jews who had no choice but to convert to catholism .
- How would you describe yourself theologically?
- Just trying to learn anf to inform all about the sses f my people Israel on a daily baisis
- Who is the greatest theologian in the last 2000 years? (Besides Biblical People!)
- Yashua Hamachiach
- What is your web-address?
- http://Baruchattaadonaileolamvaed.ning.com
Uriel,Osher's Blog
DID YOU KILL YOUR JESUS DONT DELETE THIS YOU MIGHT LEARN
Question:
Dear Rabbi,
What can you answer to a "Christian" who claims that the Jews killed Jesus? I was too angry to think clearly of a good answer for that.
Thank you.
P.S. . . . It's hard to be a Jew in Hawaii sometimes!
Answer:
You shouldn't get so angry at that Christian who insisted that the Jews killed Jesus. Your outrage is being directed at the wrong source. Your accuser was simply taking his New Testament a little too seriously. The Christian scriptures are quit… Continue
Posted on September 27, 2008 at 2:09am — 14 Comments
Were is Yashua in all of this
by Rabbi Chanan Morrison
True peace comes through divergent views.
The concluding passage of tractate Berachot teaches a remarkable insight into the nature of peace:
"Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Haninah: Torah scholars increase peace in the world. As it says, 'All of Your children are students of God; great is the peace of Your children.' [Isaiah 54:13] Read this not banayich -
Like an interlocking puzzle, together they present a complete picture.
'Y… Continue
Posted on September 17, 2008 at 11:17am — 1 Comment
Tell me something here
Posted on September 12, 2008 at 10:30am — 15 Comments
THIS IS WHAT THE RABBIS SAY IN ISRAEL JERUSALEM LEARN
"SUFFERING SERVANT”
OF ISAIAH 53 [1]
ISSUES: Christian missionaries are very attracted to the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah’s book
because it refers to the “affliction, oppression, and persecution of a suffering servant who
submitted to his grave.” Superficially, Isaiah’s description sounds enticingly like the Christian
view of Jesus. However, Chapter fifty-three is part of Isaiah’s fourth servant song, which does
not refer to the Messiah ben David; it refers to a “suffer… Continue
Posted on September 9, 2008 at 6:00pm — 13 Comments
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
Breaking News from Israel Jerusalem 7 Elul 5768 Sept 7, 2008
Psalms 122'6 sha a lu shalom Jerusalem J… Continue
Posted on September 7, 2008 at 6:09pm — 4 Comments
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Shalom and how are you all I have contacted my attorneys in regards to the slander going around saying that Iam a criminal extortionist and so on from Yah Space Eli Yahu I will have both my attorneys look into this matter and get this issue solved I haved lived in Israel and I have done so with dignity and is not a crime to ask for donations what this site is claiming that Iam and I just want to thank you for allowing me to use this your web page in messiahs name once again thank you so much shalom.
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“How sweet are Your words to my taste…” Psalm 119:103
Ki Tavo “When You Come”
20 September 2008 / 20 Elul 5768
- KEREN HANNAH PRYOR -
Readings: Deuteronomy 26:1 – 29:8; Isaiah 60:1-22; Romans 11:1-15
The introductory verse of this week’s parasha was recited as one of the blessings in the Temple in Jerusalem when offerings were made of the annual tithes and first-fruits (bikkurim). These offerings were an expression of gratitude for the land the people had inherited and for the material benefits they derived from it. The verse demonstrates clearly that it was God’s will and by His power that the people of Israel were established in the land: “When you come to the Land that God, your God, is giving you as an inheritance …” (26:1).
The Triple Covenant – People, Scriptures, Land
This is the third covenant that God makes with the people of Israel. The first is with Abraham, “the covenant between the pieces” (Genesis 15:1-21). God guarantees Abraham progeny and boundaries. He will be the father of countless children and through him “all the nations would be blessed.” The Abrahamic covenant establishes the reality of an ele ct people of God, a people chosen to enter into a personal, intimate relationship with Him. An extended family that can ‘know’ God and call Him “our God”. The sign of the covenant is circumcision, the essence of which is circumcision of the heart of flesh (Genesis 17:4-13).
God establishes the second covenant at Sinai. Abraham’s family is now ready to receive His guidance and instructions for life. God takes His place as King and reveals the laws of His Kingdom, intended for the good and prosperity of His people (Exodus 34:27-29). The sign of this covenant is Shabbat (the Sabbath). The spirit of Shabbat is peace and wholeness.
God’s gift of His Word, the Torah, is the ketubah (the marriage document and pledge) as it were. Shabbat is the wedding ring of the union – the external sign of God’s eternal love and commitment to His people, and theirs to Him (Exodus 31:16-17). God’s Word is incarnated, and given living expression in the Brit Chadasha, the Renewed Covenant, in Adon ha’Shabbat (the Lord of the Sabbath) Yeshua.
The third covenant is described in this week’s parasha. It is established at Israel’s entry into the land God is giving them as an inheritance, and is a covenant of mutual responsibility between the people and God, as well as each individual towards the other. Once the people are settled in the Land, a central feature of this covenant is the ceremony of “first-fruits” – offerings of thankfulness to the Lord for the land and for its produce. Another feature is the giving of tithes to the Levites and to the poor (26:1-15) – an illustration for us that gra titude and responsible giving go hand in hand.
The symbol of this covenant is a natural stone altar as opposed to an altar of man-made material (Isaiah 65:3). This is the first thing the Israelites are commanded to set up once they cross over and take possession of the Promised Land. The altar is the place of sacrificial and yet joyful offering. This speaks to us of the free-willed offering of our lives in obedience to the One who first laid down His life for us – the Redeemer, who now reigns in our hearts in the power of the same Holy Spirit that raised Him to the right hand of the Father. Yeshua demonstrated that willing sacrifice leads to joy unspeakable.
Serve with Joyful Hearts
The offering of Bikkurim, First Fruits, is at the start of the Festival of Shavu’ot (Feast of Weeks – Pentecost) (Numbers 28:26). The people of Israel come up to Jerusalem from all directions, bringing the fruits of their harvest as offerings. They come in joyful procession, with music, singing and dancing. It is a joyful, exuberant time as thousands of pilgrims fill the holy city and celebrate the goodness of God and H is bounteous provision.
In the same way we are exhorted to appreciate all the Lord provides and to give in return with cheerful hearts. Everything we have is a gift from our faithful Father, who delights in giving with a free and open hand to His children and to all His creatures.
The reason for the awful curses given toward the conclusion of the parasha is: “the fact that you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart when you had plenty of everything!” (28:47).
What a challenge this presents to us. Do we rejoice in the fact that we are children of God, and that we can enjoy the fullness of that relationship in our Lord and Redeemer, Yeshua? Are our hearts lifted up in gratitude every day for the life He has given us and the good things we enjoy? Do we celebrate the “good way” He has set down in Scripture, and walk in that way with joy?
Repent and Rejoice
Every new day is filled with innumerable signs of the love of God. The beauty of the sky, the dawn, the sunset … all of nature is filled with His glory. Every move we make, the smallest aspect of the daily pattern of our lives, literally every breath we take, is infused with His grace and Presence. When we allow ourselves to approach these moments with a sense of wonder, common-place occurrences become transcendent and filled with holiness. To our amazement we realize that not only are these indications of His love for us, they are symbols of His desire to be loved by us in return. Each moment therefore carries the opportunity to express our love to the Beloved of our souls.
During this month of Elul we have an opportunity to specifically examine our hearts and to trust the Holy Spirit to lead us in recognizing any area of weakness or sin of the past year. Now is the time to take responsibility for our actions and repent – to turn our hearts and guide our steps back to the way of God and, where we can, to put things right.
May we repent of any ingratitude or envy, or feelings that we “deserve more.” In other words, repent of anything that shows that we have set our selves at the center of our lives, in the Lord’s place. Our highest joy is to be found in Him alone. With God at the center we can rejoice together with free hearts, filled with joy and peace as we enter the gates of the New Year, in anticipation of another Shanah Tovah – a “good year” in His Presence.
“Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-O’lam,
asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim,
v’natan lanu eht Torah-to.
Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah.
Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you, O’ LORD, our God, King of the Universe,
you have selected us from among all the peoples,
and have given us your Torah.
Blessed are you, LORD, giver of the Torah.
Ameyn.)
This is Parashat Ki Tetze (say “Key-Tates-say” ). In many ways, this portion picks up with the theme introduced in last week’s portion: justice. Much in every way, this week’s portion centers on the practical application of such communal justice in the Land of Isra’el. Practical application of Scripture is often referred to as halakhah, a Hebrew phrase that describes the “way in which to walk out the mitzvot (commandments) practically”.
For some, this notion of practical application of Scripture is unsettling. Perhaps it stems from the overwhelming traditional application and misuse of Scripture prevalent in much of Rabbinic Judaism today (in essence, tradition is given more weight than Scripture). Because of such notions, I will briefly address this issue again before going into our teaching this week. Borrowing notes from last week’s portion, I shall summarize halakhah and the concept of “oral tradition”:
“Chapter 17 of Deuteronomy talks about the details surrounding official and legal matters. Of particular interest is the subject dealt with in verses 8-13. To be sure, the sages of old understood this to be talking about the matter of halakhah and the authority of what is known in rabbinical circles as Oral Torah. From a cursory reading, it appears to be a valid teaching about establishing a governing body of legal authority based on the spoken opinion of the judge of the day. This is where the halakhah gains its strength and application. This term is roughly translated the way in which to walk. The rabbis see in this passage an opportunity to establish the tradition of the Oral Torah. As they see it, this passage instructs its readers “In accordance with the Torah they teach you, you are to carry out the judgment they render, not turning aside to the right or the left from the verdict they declare to you (v.11).” Taking the verse in its most
natural and literal sense, it does seem to validate the right for the rabbis to impose their judgments on all succeeding generations. And to strengthen the suggested interpretation, a first century Rabbi by the name of Yeshua had this to say to his crowd, “The Torah-teachers and the P’rushim,” he said, “sit in the seat of Moshe. So whatever they tell you, take care to do it. But don’t do what they do, because they talk but don’t act!” What Yeshua is addressing here is the issue of hypocrisy when it comes to correctly interpreting the Torah, yet failing to implement it into our lives. But our LORD does not condone the Oral Tradition as binding.”
Back to our Torah portion.
Marriage and Divorce
Of great concern to the community living during this time period (as well as for any time period for that matter) was the area of sexual relations. To be sure, a great deal of time is spent addressing possible situations that might arise during the course of everyday dealings with each other. Moreover, in all of the five books that Moshe authored, only here in D’varim chapter 24 is marriage and divorce specifically addressed head on, and then only in a scant four verses.
The matter became a major source of disagreement by the time Yeshua entered the communal scene. During his time period, two major schools of thought existed and vied for the majority opinion. The conservative School of Rabbi Shammai (Beit Shammai) and the liberal School of Rabbi Hillel (Beit Hillel) both supplied their interpretation of Moshe’s words here in our Torah portion. The Talmud gives us our most complete look into the minds of the early Judaisms of Yeshua’s day, thus the Talmud states concerning this passage in D’varim:
“The School of Shammai say a man may not divorce his wife unless he has found unchastity in her, as it is said, ‘…because he has found in her indecency in a matter.’ But the School of Hillel say he may divorce her even if she burns his food, as it is said, ‘…because he has found in her indecency in a matter.’”[1]
Rabbi El’azar, a member of Beit Hillel has been noted in the Gemara as saying, “When a man divorces his first wife, even the altar sheds tears” (Gittin 90b), his source for such logic stemming from D’varim 24:13-14. Modern translator and commentator David H. Stern has noted in his Jewish New Testament Commentary that there is a Jewish tradition that in Messianic times the stricter rulings of Beit Shammai will become the standard (JNTC, p. 59).
Yeshua himself addresses this issue of marriage and divorce at Matthew 19:1-12. In order to properly grasp the halakhah of Moshe in D’varim, and spring into the halakhah of our LORD in Matthew, I will first address Judaism’s common view of marriage itself. I pick up the theme of D’varim 23:18(17) and 19(18) as I move into 24:1-4. To carry the full continuity of my thoughts, I have supplied a sample reader’s question:
QUESTION: “What is the Messianic Jewish position about remaining single. I've always heard that the rabbinical teaching is that a person is not truly a man until he has procreated. I am single and it looks like I may be remaining so. Does this mean that I'm less a man? Does God want everyone to marry? What about a homosexual person who foregoes all sexual activity in order to be faithful to the Lord? I'd be interested in your thoughts on these issues.”
ANSWER: “I want you to read 1 Corinthians Chapter 7. In it you’ll find some very good instructions given to the married and unmarried alike. It is true that the rabbis had, and still have, a high view of marriage. The Talmud stresses this view. The unmarried person lives without joy, without blessing, and without good’ (Jeb. 62b); An unmarried man is not a man in the full sense; as it is said, Male and female created He them, and blessed them and called their name man (Gen. 5:2) (Ibid. 63a). A wife meant a home; hence the saying, A mans home is his wife (Joma I.I), and R. Jose said, Never have I called my wife by that word, but always my home (Shab. 118b). But don’t let all this scare you. Remember this is commentary on the Torah, not the authoritative Torah itself! These are men’s opinions. High remarks are made in the Torah, to the single individual who fully devotes himself to HaShem in his singleness! Pray about your potential mating. It is
a very important decision to make! To be sure, the Torah designed it to be a lasting one.
Now as far as the issue concerning homosexuality goes, the Torah is explicitly clear: this lifestyle is not pleasing to HaShem, and is thereby forbidden. In the TaNaKH the instances are told of pagan temple prostitution, by those women (and sometimes men) who had separated themselves unto the temple cult. This sanctification is where we get the Hebrew word kadosh from, meaning, set apart for a specific work. This separation was certainly not prescribed by the Torah of Moshe, and was not condoned by the Holy One! If you mean a homosexual turning from that lifestyle, and forgoing all further sexual activity in order to pursue faithfulness to HaShem, then let his t’shuvah (repentance) be true renounce his sin of homosexuality and turn to HaShem with a renewed heart! True biblical separation always agrees with the Will of HaShem, and accomplishes the purposes of HaShem. Because homosexuality is outside the pale of a biblically correct lifestyle, it is not
sanctified or blessed, but rather condemned by the Torah. This Torah Teacher does not recommend such a lifestyle for anyone, but forgiveness through the shed blood of Messiah Yeshua has been made abundant for all, regardless of your past sins!”
Thus we see that our passages here in the Torah portion are not in contradiction to Yeshua’s rulings on the matter. Moreover, Moshe’s rulings do not undermine HaShem’s original intentions for the married couple. Rather, quoting Dr. Stern again, “Yeshua in adducing Scripture harks back to the beginning, in Gan-Eden [Garden of Eden] to support his view that a marriage must not be dissolved for anything less than the most direct insult to its one-flesh integrity, adultery. He goes on to point out, as I [Stern] have above, that “Judaism has always considered marriage both normal and desirable… [Quoting the Talmud] “The unmarried person lives without joy, without blessing and without good….An unmarried man is not fully a man” (Yevamot 62b-63a).
For the sake of clarity I have decided to extend this Torah portion to include a lengthy discussion about marriage and divorce:
WHAT PROPERTIES DEFINE MARITAL STATUS?
Marital status refers to the lawful recognition of the agreement between a man and a woman to be husband and wife. Along with the legal marital status of being married, the husband and wife acquire rights and obligations to their respective spouses. The rights and obligations begin when the couple is married and may continue, to a certain extent, even after the termination of the marriage.
Marital status is one of the basic issues involved in a lawsuit for divorce (marital dissolution) or an annulment (nullity). At the end of a marital dissolution or nullity proceeding, the legal status of husband and wife is terminated and the spouses are returned to the legal status of being unmarried or single persons.
Marital status is automatically terminated upon the death of one spouse; the survivor becomes an unmarried person once again.
WHAT ARE THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BEING MARRIED?
The legal requirements for a man and a woman to marry vary from state to state in the US. Although there are differences between the requirements in the various states, a marriage between a man and a woman performed in one state must be recognized by every other state under the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the United States Constitution.
Some requirements set by state law can include:
* A marriage license issued by the county clerk or clerk of the court (along with payment of a fee)
* Both man and woman are 18 or older, or have the consent of a parent or a judge if younger (discussed below)
* Proof of immunity or vaccination for certain diseases
* Proof of the termination of any prior marriages by death, judgment of dissolution (divorce) or annulment.
* Sufficient mental capacity (often this is determined as the ability to enter into a contract)
* The couple are not close blood relatives
* Blood test for venereal disease
* Satisfaction of a waiting period from the time the marriage license is issued to the time the marriage ceremony is performed
* Performance of a marriage ceremony with witnesses and a person recognized by the state to have the authority to perform marriage ceremony (such as a priest, rabbi or a judge)
* Recording of the marriage license after marriage ceremony is performed
* Consummation of the marriage by the act of sexual relations (only a few states require this)
* A marriage performed in another jurisdiction— even overseas—is usually valid in any state as long as the marriage was legal in the jurisdiction where it occurred. For example, if a couple is married in Canada and then moves to California, California will recognize the validity of the marriage as long as the requirements for a valid marriage in Canada were present at the time the couple entered into the marriage
How does divorce work in Judaism today?
Divorce is accomplished by the Bet Din through a document known in Hebrew as a 'Get'. The official documentation of divorce according to Jewish law is required for either party to remarry. It is therefore extremely important that couples who divorce follow the proper procedure with a respected Bet Din, or Religious Court. Much grief can be avoided by performing and documenting the Get properly, thereby avoiding the tragic situation where one party is left unable to remarry without an acceptable Get, and must remain an Agun or Agunah until a Get is executed.
Many misconceptions exist concerning the traditional divorce method and how it is administered now. I am including a short description of the procedure here for your information.
The Jewish Divorce Decree (Get) and Proceeding
* The divorce and dissolution of marriage are effected through a document. The document makes no reference to responsibility, blame, fault or settlement details. It has no bearing on any aspect of the civil divorce and settlement.
* No religious blessing or divine reference is included. No prayer or profession of faith is required. The Get is strictly a religious legal document that breaks the existing bond created through marriage, and acknowledging that the couple divorcing are now free to remarry according to Jewish law.
* The Get itself is a twelve-line document. The decree must be letter perfect, written in the same manner and with the same requirements as a Torah scroll. An experienced scribe under the supervision of a specially trained Rabbi is required.
* A Get is only prepared if both parties are seeking to end their marriage of their own free will. Before qualified witnesses and the officiating Rabbi, the Get is prepared at the request of the husband.
* The witnesses sign the document and it is reviewed carefully for every requirement. The Get is given to the man, who establishes his ownership of the completed document.
* The Get is then given to the wife, to transfer ownership of the document itself to her possession. Giving ownership of the Get to the wife makes a spiritual break and separation between the couple. The woman then walks to exit the room with her Get. This demonstrates that she is free to leave with the document, which assures her ownership without restraint.
* Returning to the Rav and witnesses, she displays the Get and the divorce is concluded and documented. Proof of the proper procedure is given to both parties.
* The required statements made during the proceedings are neutral and non-recriminating or demeaning. In instances where geography or other reasons make it impossible or undesirable to have both parties together, the procedure can be performed through a proxy or power of attorney. It is possible to arrange a proper Get without any contact between the divorcing husband and wife. The entire procedure normally takes only a couple of hours, and does not require hearings or other additional proceedings.
Conclusions:
In its most normative sense of application, the Torah addresses the individual on a complete level (overview), yet leaves room for each individual and unique situation. Surely each unique situation needed addressing. That is why HaShem set into place certain mechanisms which would help deal with the fluidity of ever-changing community life among the followers of HaShem. Halakhah is meant to fit the times in which it is being applied. It is rightly called “the humanization of Scripture”. This gives it the feel of stability, based on the Scriptures from which it is derived, yet at the same time, room is allowed for individual and unique application on every level.
Thus, our Torah portion forms the basis for our modern halakhic rulings today, as Yeshua proved to his first century listeners. I have heard some today attack halakhah on the basis that tradition has no merit in the lives of a believer in Yeshua. I have also heard the very Scriptures attacked on the basis of antiquity and out of date rulings. Yet there can exist harmony in the seemingly simplistic commands of the Torah of Moshe, when combined with the halakhic decisions that are derived from the Torah. To be sure, don’t we all as believers cite the very same Torah as evidence for our rulings? And yet, there exists great diversity among our ranks. Should this diversity give rise to disagreements and disunity? In my opinion, I think it should not.
Rather than separate we believers from one another, the Scriptures and the halakhic decisions we derive from them, should be uniting us, especially in the eyesight of the disbelieving world in which we are surely being examined for our faith. Difficult issues to come to halakhic rulings on, such as marriage and divorce, should not discourage us from setting the example among all men, even as the Torah commands us to do. Far from becoming another statistic, as many believers have become (God help us!), we should be leading the way in our examples of what a loving couple, joined by God, should look like.
Justice should not only exist as some noteworthy concept that can be pointed out in the lives of those who follow HaShem. Like HaShem, our justice should be an extension of who we are as believers in Messiah Yeshua. It should be a part of our make-up, internal and not merely outward in its appropriation and application.
As is stated in Parashat Shof’tim “justice should be pursued!”
The closing blessing is as follows:
“Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-O’lam,
asher natan lanu Toraht-emet,
v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu.
Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah.
Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you O’ LORD, our God, King of the Universe,
you have given us your Torah of truth,
and have planted everlasting life within our midst.
Blessed are you, LORD, giver of the Torah.
Ameyn.)
“Shabbat Shalom!”
Torah Teacher Ariel ben-Lyman yeshua613@hotmail. com
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
[1]Talmud Bavli, Mishna: Gittin 90b (9:10).
------------
HAFTARAH: Ki Tetze (When you go out)
ADDRESS: Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 54:1-10
READING DATE: Shabbat
AUTHOR: Torah Teacher Ariel ben-Lyman
*Updated: July 4, 2006
The theme of Yesha’yahu’s prophecy in this portion is that of marriage. To be sure, HaShem is comforting his “wife” Isra’el as he prepares to take her back to himself in covenant faithfulness. This provides the visible link to our Torah portion, where Moshe deals with marriage and divorce in D’varim (Deuteronomy) 24:1-4. But the question underlying this passage in Isaiah is, “Did God divorce Isra’el?”
The body of all believers throughout history is sometimes referred to as “The Bride of Messiah (Christ)". This imagery using wedding themes, with the Messiah as the “bridegroom” can be found in numerous passages in the B’rit Chadashah, that is the New Covenant (Matt. 22:1-14, 25:1-13; Mark 2:18-20; John 3:28-30; 1 Cor. 6:13-20; 2 Cor. 11:2 and Eph. 5:25-33). Similar language can be found throughout the TaNaKH as well, with Isra’el as the bride of HaShem (see Isaiah 54:1-8, 62:4-5; Jer. 31:32; Ezek. 16 and the whole book of Hosea, especially chapters 1-3). The terms and images used are employed to intimately identify HaShem and his Son, with those who are part of the community of true believers, made up of Jews and non-Jews. To be “in” means to have intimate fellowship, by means of trusting faithfulness, to HaShem through Yeshua, i.e. to be “married” to Yeshua. Historically before the Messiah, this was also true, as the followers of
HaShem demonstrated their faithfulness by trusting in HaShem while awaiting the coming Messiah and remaining obedient to His Covenants. As a side note, the Midrash Rabbah to the Song of Songs 4:10 names ten places in the TaNaKH which speak of Isra’el directly or allegorically as a bride.
The Scriptural fact that the Father (HaShem) is the husband of Isra'el and that the Son (Yeshua) is the bridegroom of the Bride of the New Testament speaks of the mysterious metaphor that has been given to us by God as a way of teaching the unique one-ness of the Eyn-Sof. That the Bible uses such teaching tools is evident indirectly in the following passages:
HaShem as husband of Isra'el:
Isaiah 49:18 Isaiah 62:5 Jeremiah 3:20
Now, some might ask, "Where does the Bible plainly call God the husband?" At the following verses there is no mistake as to the identity of the Bride and the Groom:
Isaiah 54:5 Jeremiah 31:31, 32 Hosea 2:2 Hosea 2:7
In the Renewed Covenant Yeshua, who is in fact YHVH veiled in flesh, takes on the role of the Bridegroom in these parabolic verses:
Mark 2:18-20 Luke 5:33-35 John 3:28-29 Ephesians 5:32 (this verse even refers to the "mystery" of the Body of Messiah) Revelation 21:2, 9, 10, 24
But some might ask, "Where does the Bible plainly call Yeshua the Bridegroom with the Church as his Bride?" At the following verses there is no mistake as to the identity of the Bride and the Groom:
Romans 7:1-4 2 Corinthians 11:1-2
Well known author and commentator David H. Stern, has written concerning the Bride of Messiah in his commentary to the passage at Revelation 19:7, found in his Jewish New Testament Commentary, JNTC Publications:
"Arnold Fruchtenbaum, a Jewish believing scholar whose theology might be categorized as a modified Dispensationalism, distinguishes radically between the "wife of Jehovah," Isra'el, and the "bride of the Messiah," the Messianic Community; see his commentary on Revelation called The Footsteps of the Messiah, Appendix III ("The Wife of Jehovah and the Bride of Christ").
"My view is that the distinction between the Church and the Jewish people is less sharp and more subtle than Dispensationalism has generally depicted it (see Romans 11:23-24), and that Yeshua the Messiah sometimes represents and sometimes is intimately identified with the Jewish people (see Matt. 2:15).
"For these reasons I see no significant substantive distinction to be made between the bride of the Messiah and the wife of YHVH. Rather, the Bible employs a variety of metaphors to express the future intimacy of God with his people; different ones are used at [Rev.] 21:2-3, 22:3-5."[1]
Our haftarah passage is short enough to quote it at length:
“54:1- Sing, barren one, you who have not given birth. Break into a song, and cry aloud, you who have never been in labor; for the children of the abandoned are more numerous than the children of the married wife, says God.
54:2- Enlarge the place of your tent, and stretch out the curtains of your habitations; do not hesitate; lengthen your cords, and secure your tent pegs.
54:3- For you will expand abroad to the right and to the left, until your descendants possess the nations, and populate the desolate cities.
54:4- Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed. Do not be confounded, for you will not be put to shame; you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
54:5- For your Creator is your husband, the Lord of Hosts is His name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He will be called the God of the whole earth.
54:6- For God called you as a wife abandoned and grieved in spirit. Can a wife of youth be rejected? says your God.
54:7- For a brief moment I forsook you, but I will gather you with great compassion.
54:8- In an outburst of wrath, for a moment I hid My face from you; but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says God, your Redeemer.
54:9- This is like the waters of Noah to me: I swore that the waters of Noah would never again submerge the earth; similarly, I swore that I would not be angry with you and would not rebuke you.
54:10- For the mountains may depart, and the hills may be removed; but My kindness will not depart from you, nor will My covenant of peace be withdrawn, says God, who has compassion on you.” (Yesha’yahu 54:1-10, Pentateuch)
The difficult question posed above must be answered in light of several other Torah passages that harmonize God’s position on marriage and divorce. I shall attempt to briefly trace their concept somewhat chronologically, drawing my conclusions at the end.
Genesis 2:21-24: it is stated that a man should leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, thus becoming one (Heb: echad) flesh.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4: a man finds his wife displeasing and writes her a bill of divorce (Heb: get). If she remarries and the same thing happens to her new husband, she is not free to remarry the first husband because she has been with another man since him.
Isaiah 54:1-10: the faithful husband (HaShem) is seen promising the unfaithful wife (Isra’el) reconcilement unto himself after a brief period of rejection (verses 7, 8). Why did he reject her? Because she willfully walked out of the covenant agreement in order to pursue alien love, causing HaShem to act in accordance with his own Torah and give her a bill of divorcement (see Deut. 24:1-4).
Jeremiah 3:1-20: God is the husband and Isra’el is the wife. Verse 1a reinforces what Moshe stated in Deuteronomy. Verses 1b through 7 show that the unfaithful bride did not remain pure, but adulterated with another “lover”, spurning the sorrow and fury of her first husband HaShem. In verse 8, after desiring her to return to him, HaShem hands her bill of divorcement, based on her refusal to remain a faithful bride to him alone. In verses11-15 the faithful husband pleads with his unfaithful wife to return to him and find forgiveness but she persists in her adultery. Thus, the unfaithful bride walked out on the marriage covenant to pursue other sexual interests, causing the faithful husband to write her a bill of divorcement. Did HaShem wish to write her this bill? According to Genesis he desires unity for eternity. But hard-heartedness drove his wife to force, as it were, God’s hand of divorce upon her. She willingly left God; he always remained
faithful waiting for her return.
Matthew 19:1-12: Yeshua enforces the above theology, by stating that in Genesis God desired unity for eternity, yet because of man’s hard heart, the Torah (through Moshe) allowed for divorce. Such allowance preserves moral and sexual purity among men and women, provided the guidelines of Deuteronomy are followed. Isra’el did not follow the rules, and instead slept with another lover even while with her husband HaShem. This is why HaShem gave her a bill of divorcement, based on her refusal to return and based on her own lust. She would not return to him, so he let her go temporarily, which brings me to my final passage in Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 7:10-16: Rabbi Sha’ul (Apostle Paul) restates first Yeshua and HaShem’s position concerning divorce, buy summing up both the Deuteronomy passage and harmonizing it with what we know about Yeshua’s opinion in Matthew. To be sure he says that this ruling of his (Sha’ul’s) is from “the LORD”. But, unlike Moshe, Sha’ul addresses the issue of the wives firstly and directly instead of the husbands (see verse 10). Question: did HaShem ever leave his wife? The emphatic answer should be “no”! Yet, his unfaithful wife not only had extra-marital affairs while she was married to him, afterward, she left him despite his heart-felt pleas to return in forgiveness! She clearly violated the command of 1 Corinthians 7:10-11a, while HaShem clearly upheld the command of verse 11b. Then, as verses 12-16 demonstrate, Sha’ul takes personal halakhic license by giving an example which exonerates God showing he would never leaves his
unbelieving wife (as, apparently she is content to remain married to him). But, as verse 15 demonstrates, if the unbelieving spouse leaves the believer, the Torah instructs the believer to let the unbeliever go his or her way (just like HaShem allowed his unfaithful wife to follow her lustful heart’s desires).
Conclusions:
HaShem wrote his wife a bill of divorce in accordance with his own Torah in Deuteronomy. He allowed her to leave in accordance with his own Torah in 1 Corinthians. His heart’s desire was that she should remain with him as an echad, a unity for eternity, in accordance with his own Torah of Genesis. But the glorious promise given to us here in our haftarah portion is that he has accepted her back unto himself in compassion, in accordance with his Holy nature, as expressed in all of the Scriptures (read Isaiah 54:6, 7)!
I want to close by quoting the last verse of our haftarah:
54:10- “For the mountains may depart, and the hills may be removed; but My kindness will not depart from you, nor will My covenant of peace be withdrawn, says God, who has compassion on you.”
Shalom we need to continue to trust Hashem Adonai for he is our only source we Israel need to come back and humble ourselves before the almighty Hashem Adoni .Shlomo hameleck says that theres is nothing new under the heavens so why do we try doing things ourselves this includes me
The Temple mount belongs to my people Israel not our enemies the arabs who claim is theirs no way rene I say we will overcome for the God that we serve YHWH will never forsake us Israel.
No weapon formed against Israel will ever prosper and every tongue that rises against Israel in Judgment Hashem Adonai will condemn. by uriel ben avraham perez
Rabbi Tendler to Rabbis: Permit Temple Mount Visits!
by Hillel Fendel
(IsraelNN.com) Rabbi Moshe David Tendler, a prominent Torah scholar and lecturer in Yeshiva University in New York, and a Ph.D. in microbiology, says that the recent renewal by top rabbis of a ban on entry to the Temple Mount is either based on wrong information or guided by the government's political considerations.
"The citation of Jewish Law that is being spouted to prohibit Jewish entry to the Temple Mount is sometimes embarrassing," Rabbi Tendler told IsraelNationalRadio's Yishai Fleisher this week.
He said the Chief Rabbinate must exercise its authority for the sake of the entire Nation of Israel.
Three Sages Ask for Renewed Ban
Last month, Rabbi Shalom Elyashiv, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, and former Sephardic chief rabbi Rabbi Ovadia Yosef - all renowned rabbis of the hareidi non-nationalist religious sector - sent a letter asking that the ban on Jewish entry to the Temple Mount be re-issued. The letter was sent to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich, the Rabbi of the Holy Sites on behalf of the government of Israel.
The rabbis' letter is based on the grave Biblical prohibition on setting foot, while in the present impure state, on certain parts of the Temple Mount - and the lack of clarity as to where those parts might be. "As time passed," the letter states, "we have lost knowledge of the precise location of the Temple, and anyone entering the Temple Mount is liable to unwittingly enter the area of the Temple and the Holy of Holies. Entrance to the Temple Mount, and the defilement of the Holy of Holies, is more severe than any of the violations in the Torah."
Research Tells the Story
Rabbi Tendler has sharp words for this approach: "When we were in Exile and the Kotel [Western Wall] was a topic for 'future Messianic times,' it was thought that the Kotel was the wall of the actual Temple. But now that we know the true situation, we have been there many times, we know what's going on, and even minimal research tells us that the Kotel is merely the outer wall of the Temple Mount, not the Holy Temple itself."
"We must be very respectful of the great work done by [former Chief] Rabbi Shlomo Goren and others; they have performed measurements and they know where the Holy of Holies was. There is a very large area where we are certain it was not located, and in that area even a funeral can be held... We can certainly visit these areas, but of course only after going to the mikveh [ritual bath] the day before, and without wearing any leather, and being careful to speak properly while there and to dress respectfully... There are no doubts [as to which places are forbidden to enter], and anyone who raises such doubts does so for ulterior motives..."
"In addition, to say that it is a violation of the Talmudic dictum not to force our will on the nations, as Rabbi Aviner has written, is also embarrassing; everyone knows that when we go up there, it is only with permission, and being very careful not to antagonize the 'foxes who walk there' or to mumble any prayers, Heaven forbid."
Rabbi Feinstein's Responsum
Rabbi Tendler emphasized that entry to the Temple Mount is not a Halakhic problem: "My great father-in-law, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein of saintly blessed memory, showed that entry is permitted in many places." The reference is to a responsum published by Rabbi Feinstein, considered the pre-eminent authority on Jewish Law in his generation in the United States, in his work Igrot Moshe. The full text can be seen here.
Authority Without Responsibility
Rabbi Tendler says that the Chief Rabbinate should not suffice with signs warning against entry, which are all but ignored, but should rather encourage Jews to visit only permitted areas: "I level a charge that the Chief Rabbinate is [acting with] 'authority without responsibility.' Thousands of people currently go up to the places on the Mount that are gravely forbidden to visit, with secular tour-guides; if the Chief Rabbinate were doing its job as the Rabbinate of the Jewish People, it would put up signs announcing tours conducted in accordance with Jewish Law and asking Jews to participate only in these tours. They would thus save many Jews from grave prohibitions; even Reform Jews - when they come to Eretz Yisrael [the Land], some kind of holiness rests on their shoulders; if they would hear about a chance to walk on the Temple Mount in a way that is proper [even though it means not coming so close to the Dome of the Rock], they would do it. Instead, the Rabbinate puts up a sign that no one reads and that has no effect."
Rabbi Tendler then questioned why the above-mentioned rabbis would choose to strengthen this approach: "And now that some of the Gedolei Yisrael [great Torah scholars] see fit to try to support this approach, the question is why are they doing that? Are they worried about a few yeshiva boys [who might mistakenly go into the wrong areas], or are they worried about Klal Yisrael [Entirety of Israel]? Don't they realize that most people are not impressed by what our rabbis say [in their announcements]? They are speaking not based on Jewish Law, but for reasons of politics or based on inaccurate information."
What the Torah Scholars in Judea and Samaria Say
Rabbi Tendler continued, "Hundreds of rabbis in Judea and Samaria signed a call asking Jews to go up to Temple Mount, lest it become indeed foreign territory and, de facto, entirely Moslem. These rabbis are on the scene, living the life of Eretz Yisrael [the Land of Israel], putting their lives on the line and going to the army to defend the Nation of Israel, and they are also great Torah scholars ... I think that instead of interviewing me, which is of no consequence, the great rabbis [who ban entry] should be interviewed and asked to explain what they are doing. Do they not understand that those feeding them information have ulterior motives? They're not on the scene, they don't go up there, and they don't see what's going on."
On the other hand, the late Rabbi Avraham Elkana Shapira, formerly the Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel and Dean of the Merkaz HaRav Kook Yeshiva, was unequivocally against going up to the Temple Mount and this for strictly Jewish legal reasons.
On the last Jerusalem Day that he spoke in Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva in the Spring of 2007, Rabbi Shapira quoted the words of the late Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook, founder of the Merkaz HaRav Kook Yeshiva, who, when presented with maps purporting to show where one could walk permissibly on the Temple Mount, said in Yiddish “Noch a shticketl kares, noch a shtickel kares” (translation: another bit of ‘karet’, another bit of ‘karet’—i.e. the severe Divine punishment for treading on forbidden areas of the Temple Mount).
Rabbi Shapira told his students that Rabbi Shlomo Goren's students can follow their Rabbi's opinion, but that he disagreed. Rabbi Shapira intended to publish a short Jewish legal work on the subject and had prepared the writings before he passed away last year, according to his close students.
More Respect
"From my experience," Rabbi Tendler said, "when I started going up to the Temple Mount, Arab kids were playing soccer, and guards were eating sunflower seeds... You don't see that anymore. Now, there is more respect, because we have started visiting. So this is the contribution that we have already made for the sanctity of the Temple Mount..."
Show host Fleisher, explaining why he felt it was so important to publicize Rabbi Tendler's call, said, "First of all, as Jews, we seek out holiness, and the Temple Mount is the holiest place in the world; it is where the world was created from, and where Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac, and where King Solomon erected the Holy Temple. Secondly, it strengthens our sovereignty in our eternal capital, Jerusalem. And thirdly, we see that many of our great leaders, such as Maimonides, made sure to visit this site - so let's do the same."
PARSHAT KI TETZEI
(by Yehuda HaKohen)
"If a bird's nest happens to be before you on the road, on any tree or
on the ground – young birds or eggs – and the mother is roosting on
the young birds or the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the
young. You shall surely send away the mother and take the young for
yourself, so that it will be good for you and you will prolong your
days." (DEVARIM 22:6-7)
We learn from the statement at the end of these verses, "you will
prolong your days", that adherence to this commandment is one that
will cause an Israeli to enjoy long life. In his Guide to the
Perplexed, the Rambam explains that it would be cruel to slaughter a
mother with its young. Animals instinctively love their offspring and
would suffer by watching them killed or taken away.
The Ramban adds that this directive is meant to infuse compassion in
us. He then makes a reference to the Talmud where it states: "If one
says, `Your mercy rests upon the bird's nest,'... we silence him."
(Berachot 33b) The Talmud comments, "It is because he attributes G-D's
conduct to mercy when it consists only of decrees."
This is a very interesting idea. Why would we silence a person for
praising G-D? The commandment to send away the mother bird obviously
demonstrates HaShem's great mercy. Still, our Sages are teaching us a
valuable lesson. One who fulfills G-D's commandments because he finds
their "mercifulness" agreeable transforms HaShem's decrees into
something dependent on man's approval. By such means, he attempts to
cancel out the whole rationale for accepting upon ourselves the Torah.
Our Torah is not a man-made "religion". Nor is it merely a series of
"dos" and "don'ts". Rather, the Torah is the Divine Ideal of Creation
lowered into our world by the Master of the Universe. It is the
blueprint and instruction manual on how we, as a holy Nation, must
bring G-D's Blessing to flow through existence. Every mitzvah is like
a faucet that when opened, sends Divine goodness into our world and
elevates Creation to levels beyond where it previously existed. These
faucets, however, must be connected to the correct plumbing in order
to achieve their lofty function. Each mitzvah must be performed at the
proper time, place and appropriate situation. A person who performs
the mitzvah of shaking a lulav in the spring time does not bring any
Divine content into the world. A lulav must be waved on Sukkot, which
is in the fall. Shaking a lulav in the spring is like turning on a
faucet with no pipe behind it. Nothing comes out. The physical act was
completed, but not according to the Torah Ideal. So too with a Jew who
observes mitzvot outside of Eretz Yisrael. He is performing the
actions but not changing the world on any spiritual level. There are
no pipes behind his mitzvot because they are meant to be fulfilled in
a specific geographic location. This is why so many great Torah
luminaries call mitzvot outside the Land of Israel mere practice (to
guarantee that we do not forget them during our exile). Their full
expression is only realized when performed inside the Land of Israel
as nearly the entire Book of DEVARIM instructs.
An important function of HaShem's commandments is that they work to
fetter our egos. If today a Jew fulfills a decree because he
intellectually agrees with it, what will he do tomorrow when he
encounters one that is hard for him to digest? Will he still obey a
mitzvah he does not agree with if he is used to doing mitzvot only
because he finds them acceptable? While mitzvot like mercy to animals
and respecting one's parents might be agreeable to most people today,
what would an egoistic person do when confronted with the commandment
of packing up one's life and moving to Eretz Yisrael? What about
mizvot like revenge against our enemies or destroying churches in the
Holy Land? Will a person be able to fulfill such decrees if he finds
them offensive or difficult to understand?
It was for this danger that our Sages declare we must silence a person
who makes such a statement. The precepts are not dependent on our
personal approval, nor are they dependent on the approval of Western
civilization. We must do what is right because we love G-D and know
His decrees to be correct. This sacred Truth should always be our
primary consideration in life. We pursue peace and virtue by accepting
the yoke of HaShem's Torah upon ourselves in order that we may submit
our egos to our Creator. And through this submission, we should merit
complete Redemption and the full expression of G-D's Name in our world
through the glory of His Kingdom from the Nile to the Euphrates..
With Love of Israel,
-Yehuda HaKohen
The will of those who fear him he fulfills;
He hears their cry and delivers them;
Adonai watches over all those who loves him and will destroy all the wicked.
This is my prayer today
“How sweet are Your words to my taste…” Psalm 119:103
Ki Tetze “When You Go Out”
13 September 2008 / 13 Elul 5768
- KEREN HANNAH PRYOR -
Readings: Deuteronomy 21:10 – 25:19; Isaiah 54:1-10; Galatians 3:21–4:7
The parasha begins: “When you go out (ki tetze) to war against your enemies … the LORD your God will deliver him into your hand” (21:10). The title is repeated later in the portion: “When you go out (ki tetze) against your enemies and are in camp (machaneh), then you shall guard yourself from every evil thing” (23:9). The word “war” (milchamah) is replaced with “camp.” This places the emphasis not on the action against one’s enemy but on the importance of being in a secure place when at rest. One’s “camp” should not be scattered and vulnerable, but ordered and protected.
The injunction to guard against “every evil thing” implies that the real enemy is that which opposes good, that which is set to attack and destroy the spiritual values and the norms of the Kingdom of God. The greatest danger posed by the enemy of our souls, haSatan (the Adversary), is not physical annihilation but spiritual and moral destruction. When we are in alien territory – e.g. the unredeemed secular world – his attacks are often subtle and deceptive, and can infiltrate through breaches we have allowed in the protective fence around our ‘camp’ due to neglect and failure to be on guard.
We are reminded, however: “The Lord your God will deliver the enemy into your hand.” We will gain the victory with His help, but we need to be aware, and stand strong and united, constantly on guard against every subtle force of evil.
The Paradox of Faith and Action
The Word of the Lord makes it clear that our every deed and action is important in His eyes. This parasha is replete with details of how to deal with various situations that arise when dealing with family relationships, strangers, and even mother birds!
The last (22:6-7) underscores the command for sensitivity and compassion towards animals. Although called the “least” commandment by the Sages it is understood that the principle of it should be reflected in all dealings with humans too. In fact it is an important element of the “great” commandment of loving one another.
Our actions are important; and yet, once our wills are yielded to God’s, we need to have unwavering faith that it is only His will that determines our future. Our health, our material gain, our very lives are in His hands. He is our Protector and Provider. We, however, have the responsibility to study and grow in wisdom and understanding of His Word, to eat nourishing food, work conscientiously for our living, care for others, and not take unnecessary risks with our lives. Walk in faith … but diligently act. That is the paradox and the challenge!
The Month of Elul
The month of Elul, the sixth month of the Hebrew calendar, started on the eve of September 1st this year. It leads up to Rosh HaShanah (the New Year) on September 29th, when the seventh month of Tishrei begins (Leviticus 23:24). Why is this biblical New Year significant and of interest to believers in Yeshua?
In Jewish tradition the purpose of Rosh HaShanah, also called the Day of Remembrance, is to acknowledge that the world is governed only by God’s Will. He is Creator and Sovereign over all of nature and humanity. This may seem elementary at first glance, but in fact the implications are vast and deep.
A whole month is devoted to implanting this powerful principle within our hearts. Every day Psalm 27 is recited and the shofar (ram’s horn) is blown (Numbers 29:1). The alternating plaintive cries and victorious blasts of the shofar are fitting sounds to stir our souls to awareness and repentance. We are re-awakened to the glory and majesty of the King of the Universe, and can reaffirm the peace of the Prince of Peace reigning in our hearts.
These solemn assemblies are observed “in camp,” in community. But it is important to note that the days of Elul focus in a specific way on the individual as well as they prepare one for the pending appointed times of the annual Festival Cycle: Rosh HaShanah, followed by Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) ten days later.
While we honor the universal sovereignty of our Creator, we also are reminded that on the day that Yeshua returns in glory to Jerusalem as the King of kings, He will be the Judge of each and of all. Every nation (e.g., Isaiah 2:4) and each individual (e.g., Romans 14:12) will stand before His throne of judgment. We will be held accountable for our deeds. What did we do with the gift of life and the talents we were given by God?
Inventory Time!
Every responsible citizen submits his or her tax return. And every business knows the positive need for – and also the effort involved in – an annual inventory assessment. Similarly, the month of Elul is a time we are encouraged to do a serious inventory of our lives. It is an opportunity to review the past year and take note of the health and growth of one’s character and relationships, and of one’s dealings with others. Have I grown positively, in loving-kindness and in truth? Have my actions been in line with God’s Word? Is my life reflecting more of the light of our Messiah and Lord, Yeshua?
Wherever we can answer in the affirmative, we can rejoice. And when we notice the “breaches in the fence,” we can repair them in sincere repentance and begin to reinforce the weak areas with the Lord’s help.
The tone and essence of Elul, culminating at Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, is not that of dismal foreboding but celebration and gratitude. Indeed, the name Elul can be read as a Hebrew acrostic: Ani le’dodi ve’dodi li – “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine” (Song of Songs 2:16).
This is our inspiration and motivation. We can rejoice in the gracious favor of our Beloved, and rest in the knowledge that our lives are in His hand. We can indeed ‘camp’ securely, knowing that by the power of His Holy Spirit we have been given the victory over our enemies, both physical and spiritual. May we live our days to the honor of His Name and to the glory of our Father in heaven.
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