Category: A Thought…

‘To the Jew first…’ You can help!!

My regular readers are familiar with Rabbi Itzhak Shapira and his book, The Return of the Kosher Pig, from a number of posts referring to him in one way or another.   Frankly, I love this brother in Messiah and his passion for bring the good news to his people.

In the recent past he has had several really special opportunities for which he has needed to raise funds.  It has been a blessing to participate.

Today, I received an email about another such opportunity and I want to share it with you.  Please participate as you feel led!!

Ahavat Ammi logo-2x

Dear Friends, Rabbis, and close partners of Ahavat Ammi Ministries,

Last year, we had a chance to make a History in Paris, France with the revival project and the donation of a Torah scroll to congregation El Beth-El. During this event, sveral Orthodox Jewish Men received Yeshua as their Messiah. Then, earlier this year, we went to Belgium to establish another Messianic Synagogue (first in the country) to make history. Here are some highlights of our previous outreaches:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ14zo2BNOU

On December this year, we have been given the opportunity to make yet another history together in another area in Europe in the heart of the Jewish community in Italy! Continue reading “‘To the Jew first…’ You can help!!”

His Tender Mercies… Ha’azinu

This week’s Torah portion (Ha’azinu, Deu. 32) has been particularly interesting to study with it yielding a number of heretofore unseen gems.  I don’t really have the motivation to share all I learned, though I filled several margins of my Bible with notes.  I do want to share an item or two regarding the Memra and Moshe.

As many here recall, I have really enjoyed reading/studying the ‘angel of the Lord’ passages which led to me reading and searching the Targumim for the translator’s understanding of the presence of the Memra.  Now, if you are not familiar, the crash course is simple:  During the intertestamental period between the Babylonian exile and the destruction of the Temple, several authoritative Aramaic translations of the Torah were composed.  What makes them of particular interest is that they are dynamic equivalent translations allowing the translators to interject some of their theological understanding, thus giving us an avenue into the minds of some some Second Temple thought.

The part that has been most fascinating to me is the use of ‘the Word of the Lord,’ or ‘the Memra d’Yah,’ as a personification of YHVH working in the affairs of men.  Here is a basic article with additional pingback links in the comments.

With this fascination, I often search the Targumim in certain Torah portions to see what they yield, and this one was special.

Yeshua’s Presence is clearly visible, even without the Memra additions, as we see four significant uses of ‘the Rock,’ which Rav Sha’ul definitively connects to Yeshua in I Cor. 10:4.  Besides the ‘Rock’ references, I want to share a few ‘Memra’ occurrences as well as a few thoughts…

32:6-7  Can you indeed so requite the Name of the Word of the Lord, O foolish people, and receive the law, yet not be made wise? Is He not your Father who bought[2] you, who created you and established you?

Moshe is relating future prophecy to Israel.  Through the chapter we see many events that happened later, however there are a couple yet future events.  In the above quoted paraphrase from Targum Pseudo-Jonathan/Yonatan, we see the prophecy that Israel ‘repays’ the Word of the Lord wrongly by acting corruptly.  Continue reading “His Tender Mercies… Ha’azinu”

Shabbat Shalom

A bit ago a friend sent this beautiful image and Psalm.  Enjoy.

Shabbat Shalom

Psalm 121
(1) If I raise my eyes to the hills,
from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from Adonai,
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip —
your guardian is not asleep.
4 No, the guardian of Isra’el
never slumbers or sleeps.
5 Adonai is your guardian; at your right hand
Adonai provides you with shade —
6 the sun can’t strike you during the day
or even the moon at night.
7 Adonai will guard you against all harm;
he will guard your life.
8 Adonai will guard your coming and going
from now on and forever.

 

 

A Psalm for today…

I am not sure why, maybe by tradition, but Psalm 27 is THE Psalm for the month of Elul, which ends this afternoon at sunset.  Frankly, until a meeting I had today, the Psalm and its twice-a-day reading during this month completely fell off my radar.  It has been a crazy busy and challenging month as we have gone through so much.  Still, Abba has been good.

Well, a friend pointed me to the Psalm knowing a small bit of my family’s present situation and I sat quietly at the library to read…  WOW!!  Speaks directly to me and where I am right now!

Check it out:

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident. Continue reading “A Psalm for today…”

Moses was right…

On several occasions in the Torah we see Moshe having a conversation with Yehovah concerning Israel’s obstinance.  Numbers 14:11ff relays one such conversation, while Exodus 32:9-14 relays another.

9 The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are [a]an obstinate people. 10 Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” 11 Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your [b]descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your [c]descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.

Moshe’s defense in both instances cited is that Yehovah would defame His Name among the nations if He went back on His word or broke His oath.  Essentially, if God does NOT keep His promises to physical Israel, then He is a liar!

Some may claim the promises Continue reading “Moses was right…”

An update and a couple nuggets from Ki Tavo

Before sharing a couple (Ki Tavo, Deut. 26:1-29:8)  nuggets from last week’s Parsha, I wanted to give a quick update and prayer request fro friends and family who read my blog.

Several weeks ago the house we were renting was sold and we were given a 20 day notice to be out.  Due to our having livestock (dairy goats) and MAJOR construction project in the area sucking most all rentals off the market, we have been ‘homeless.’  One family from our fellowship has taken us in while we hunt housing, however, an approaching major surgery for one of them will cause us to move to stay with another dear family.  The situation has radically challenged all of us in terms of space, harmony, etc.  But, stretching is good, even if uncomfortable for the moment.

While we search for a house, we are praying several things:  Buy?  Rent?  Go mobile?  Honestly, we are open to anything, but need Abba to give us some clear direction as to HIS will.  This has been a good time of ‘soul searching’ and surrender.  Please pray with us for HIS clear direction and answer to one of several ‘fleeces.’

One of the negatives of this whole situation is that I am staying considerably farther from work for my twice a day commute, and my eldest is farther from college, meaning we both spend a lot more time in the road as well as my wife and I house searching, etc…  Therefore, I have not had time to write and at time not even had the focus to read or write, but the passion is still very much there!  My desire is to regain stability so I can better focus and rededicate to the passion of studying and sharing what I am learning.  Thanks for your prayers.

On to the parsha.

While I plan to share more deeply in another post, this first thought, here is a basic sketch that jumped off the page at me…  On several occasions in the past I have read an interesting phrase in Scripture that recently has taken a turn in meaning.  Here is a verse with the phrase, Continue reading “An update and a couple nuggets from Ki Tavo”

Israelis: Who is Jesus to you?

Here is an excellent video of Israelis answering the question, “Who is Jesus to you?”  I found the video through a post on Rosh Pina Project.  Comments following.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Christendom has historically failed miserably at the ‘Jew first’ part.  Why?  Christendom assumes stiff-neckedness and hard-heartedness on the part of the Jew.  While that may be a contributing factor, it is FAR from being the main or even a top ten reason that it is so hard to communicate the message of Salvation.

Rather than trying to lay the blame for lack of Jewish acceptance at someone else’s door, Christendom needs to take a hard look in the mirror to find the reasons why.

Point blank: Christendom misrepresents Jesus.  No wonder the Jews avoid Him like the plague!  (But that is changing, more in a minute.)

How has He been misrepresented?  Continue reading “Israelis: Who is Jesus to you?”

The ‘ger’ was expected to do what??

We’ve discussed ‘one law for all.’  Honestly, the alien/sojourner, the ger who joined him/herself to Israel is expected to do it all…  Look at this list of requirements from the Torah:

  • Keep the Sabbath (Ex. 20:10; Deu. 5:14)  (Targumim translate ‘within your gates’ as ‘in your cities/towns’)
  • Observe Pesach (Ex. 12:48-49)
  • Observe Feast of Unleavened/Chag HaMotzot  (Ex. 12:19) or be ‘cut off.’
  • Observe Shavuot (Deu. 16:10-11)
  • Observe Yom Kippur (Lev. 16:29)
  • Observe Sukkot (Deu. 16:13-14) (Same note as above on Targumim)
  • Participate in sacrifices (Lev. 17:8-9; 22:17-18, 31; Num. 15:14-16)
  • Observe all laws of purity!!  (Lev. 17:12, 15; 18:26; Num. 19:10;  (Proper observance of sacrifices and festivals required ritual purity!)
  • Obey moral laws (Lev. 24:16; Num. 15:14-16, 26, 29-30)

NOTE:  I was going to put an asterisk next to each verse where the Chumash incorrectly translates ger as ‘proselyte’ or ‘convert,’ but after looking all of them up I realized that at least they were consistent in their bias.  All of the preceding verses cited incorrectly translate ger. In doing so, they ‘anachronistically’ apply Second Temple Judaic proselyte conversion to the ger of the Torah, thus ‘adding’ to the Word of God.  But, we have written about that.  Hardly a… nuance.

But, there is hope.  Maybe the translators of the Chumash got tired or careless….  They got it right near the end of the Torah: Continue reading “The ‘ger’ was expected to do what??”

The solid Rock of…. the Rabbis?!?

I’m on whopping page 39 of Tim Hegg’s shifting-sandFellow Heirs and already have dozens of margin notes and thoughts.  While some come directly from his writing, others  not necessarily related to his topic have been generated  by something he says.  This is one of those thoughts…

Now, before I lay this thought out there, I have to state clearly, I am NOT unfairly addressing the Rabbis.  I am an “equal opportunity offender” and have dressed down many Christian theologians, Reformers, translators and doctrines. So, in addressing something with the Rabbis, it is not personal, just the business of seeking truth!  Fair?

Hegg, on page 21 said,

The Sages, following the destruction of the Temple, ruled that in lieu of the sacrifice an equivalent payment of money was required: “Our Rabbis taught: A proselyte in these days has to put aside a fourth [of a denar] for his sacrifice of birds.  Said R. Simeon: R. Johanan b. Zakkai held a vote on this rule and abolished it for fear of misuse.  Said R. Idi b. Gershom in the name of R. Adda son of Ahaba, The decision is according to R. Simeon.”   Once again, the fact that a Sage of the stature of Johanan B. Zakkai should seek to abolish the halachah because he saw it as potentially dangerous, should tell us that this requirement was also in some state of flux before the destruction of the Temple.  [Rabbinic quote footnoted from b. Keritot 9a in Fellow Heirs, by Tim Hegg]

Those two mentions of ‘abolish’ in regard to halachah hit me like a bolt of lightning!  Of course!  Halachah can change and is therefore Continue reading “The solid Rock of…. the Rabbis?!?”

Tales from the Bus. Wilfredo.

I got emotional this morning as I picked up a new 2nd or 3rd grade passenger, a smiling chap named Wilfredo.0ebe777a684f562898a53431348553af

Just yesterday afternoon, the second day of school, I was introduced to this young immigrant from Guatemala who speaks not a word of English!  Apparently, the previous day he had accidentally gotten on the wrong bus and had no clue how to communicate anything, never-mind his new address, etc to the new bus driver.  After he wound up at the bus office with frantic parents and school officials trying to sort the situation, you can imagine why yesterday the whole family was standing in front of the house, visibly relieved, when I dropped him off at the right place and time.  Smiles, waving and the littlest children leaping for joy.  Wilfredo was home!!!

I was an immigrant once.  Growing up as the eldest son of missionaries in the jungles of South America, I remember not knowing anyone, the language, culture, etc.  I learned, but it took time and I never felt like I fit in.  Even today, being a ‘third culture kid,’ I never feel quite like I fit in, so my heart really went out to Wilfredo as he boarded my bus.  Brave!

“Buenos dias, Como le va?” I greeted and he replied, amazed as are a few other Hispanics on my bus that I speak semi-fluent Spanish with a correct accent.  I am so glad that I can help him adjust and feel safe and secure in this transition.

After I dropped him off, as we began rolling I was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion Continue reading “Tales from the Bus. Wilfredo.”