Re’eh (meaning “see”)

Parashah #47 for this year.

Deuteronomy 11:26 – 16:17.

          In this Parashah, Re’eh (meaning “see”), we find the following verse:

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 (CJB) “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing, if you listen to the mitzvot of ADONAI your G-d that I am giving you today; and the curse, if you don’t listen to the mitzvot of ADONAI your G-d, but turn aside from the way I am ordering you today and follow other g-ds that you have not known.”

  Israel was positioned right between Mt G’rizim (that’s the blessing) and Mt ‘Eival (that’s the curses).

     There is no middle ground when it comes to making choices.  This comes up often in the Bible, and in our lives as well at different stages.

     We have to trust in G-d to take care of us, and stay in His will and follow His commandments.  We can isolate examples where He saw us through some hardships and didn’t abandon us.  People come into our lives just when we need them to, for example, or a job or some money comes through for us.  Sometimes we have to wait a very long time, and then, like in Isaiah 54:11, “He set our stones in the finest way and lays our foundations with sapphires.” 

     Our very lives are a gift and this Shenandoah valley to which we were led is beautiful and rich like sparkling jewels.  I was so impressed with it when I first saw it in my 20s.  I didn’t know the groundwork was being laid to live here much later, after visiting my daughter at college several times.

     I can follow my now three children to the also breathtakingly lovely West Coast, or I can be thankful to be here in this very spiritual place where I can make an impact, more than with my children whom I am not supposed to make idols of.  It’s good for them to observe how I’m trusting G-d to care for them, so far from their home.  They don’t appear to need me, unless Yeshua tells me otherwise at some point.  That’s also true of my oldest child, who recently moved to Richmond from Charlottesville.

     I can also make the mistake of worshipping the house that has more room than I need, but that I love, and has lost me much money waiting to be sold.  I could have bought it out way below market, and now it won’t sell for much due to lowered prices, but I will be grateful for the sale and whatever I get to keep.  It’s also in a nice town that I chose, that’s no longer right for me like it once was.  I know these things also from a pattern of timely phone calls and notices, including the ones that cemented my decision to move here and stay here, and the calls that caused my youngest child to leave Virginia and move in with her sister, clear across the country.  I note and respect how things have fallen into place for her there so far, which overrides my shock and sadness due to her leaving so suddenly.

     In conclusion, we must all do what we were called to do for Yeshua’s purpose.  We are not alone, because He is here with us, giving us guidance and instruction, even in these difficult times we’re in right now, when our normal activities are curtailed.  We need to turn to Him more than ever, while we’re waiting for things to turn around and not get discouraged.

Shabbat Shalom!

Deuteronomy 9:4-29. In this Torah portion, we are reminded of some of Israel’s transgressions. As we have been studying the Torah, I have wondered why did G-d choose them? They were obedient and faithful sometimes. But sometimes they weren’t. Sometimes they were so disobedient that G-d wanted to destroy all of them! And there were times when G-d disciplined them. Through all of it, G-d was faithful to Israel. I may not know why they were chosen, but I am thankful that they were. It almost seems like they were chosen because He knew they wouldn’t follow Him perfectly. In our Torah club lesson last week, we learned that He chose Israel and gave them His Torah so that He could reveal Himself to the rest of the world. One thing He has revealed to the rest of the world is that He is faithful. One thing He has revealed to me is that He is faithful. I would like to close with  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the G-d of shalom make you completely holy; and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept complete, blameless at the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Faithful is the One who calls you- and He will make it happen!” TLV. Shabbat Shalom!

Scholars believe that the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) is covenant document – it follows the pattern of Middle Eastern written treaties and covenants.  In the Complete Jewish Study Bible, there is a commentary on page 235, called The Nature of Covenant, that I would like to read to you.

 

 

 

    That’s when the words of the V’Ahavta really jumped out at me.  You are to…what?  You are to LOVE ADONAI your God.

    This was not just a business relationship.  If you perform these 613 things, then I will perform my side of the agreement. 

     This was not just a religious agreement.  If you sing these songs and pray these prayers and offer these sacrifices, then I will be your God and bless you.

     This was a love relationship.  We are supposed to LOVE God.

     That’s a pretty radical idea, if you think about it.  How can you love someone as powerful and holy and unattainable as God?  What does it MEAN to love God?  Have you ever thought that you loved God?  Or have you ever told God that you loved Him?  What was that like?

     Let’s compare it with marriage.  Marriage is also a covenant, and it often serves as a good and tangible example of love.  Like the commentary said, covenants were usually started by some gracious action on the part of the king.  It was the same for Garrett and I. 

                First, he messaged and then called me – reaching out to me, initiating contact.

                Then he came to see me.

 Next he found a way to drive down and help my family set up an outdoor ministry event.  He made a long drive.  He gave up his own time to help me.  And he was so heroic, fixing the roof of the booth I would be in so I didn’t get rained on, and putting nails in the walls for me to hang things on.  That is probably the day that I started actually falling in love with him.

     In Deuteronomy, we see the same thing.  God called His people out of Egypt.  He rescued them.  And He was patient with them, forgiving them, and teaching them.  He was bringing them to a good land. He was the hero in the story.

     And in your own life, God has done this for you.  He called you by name.  You probably wouldn’t even be alive today if it weren’t for Him.  He has rescued you.  He has been patient with you, forgiving you, teaching you. And He’s bringing you to a good place as well.

     There are a few important things in this week’s Parshah about how to keep that love alive.

1. Rehearse how it started.  I know that remembering that day that Garrett was fixing the roof on my booth still makes my heart warm and fuzzy.  In this week’s Parshah, ADONAI and Moshe tell the people to keep rehearsing what ADONAI has done for them.  Don’t forget. 
2. Rehearse your shared life, nature, customs, and will.  Rehearse His mitzvot.  Rehearse His character.  If the goal of a covenant is to make two people into one, then focus on that oneness.

I know that Garrett and I are in close fellowship when we are on each other’s minds all the time.

• He comes home from work, telling me that it was a hard day but he was thinking about the fact that he was doing it for me and it helped him finish the job. 
• He comes home from a long drive and tells me that the sky over the road was full of my favorite type of clouds and he kept thinking about how much I would enjoy seeing them.   
• I make foods that I know he likes. 
• And I hear quotes from him in my head over every little thing I encounter (“well, if Garrett were here, he would say…”). 
• I counter every big decision with “let me check with Garrett.” I’m focusing on that ONEness with him.

Someone who loves God does the same.  Those flowers by your porch make you smile because He made them.  Quotes from His Word pop into your head all day long.  You rest on the Shabbat because you know He likes that.  You are actively pursuing His way of doing and being right.  That is part of this covenant of love.

3. Don’t allow someone else to steal your focus away.  Deut 7:5 says, in reference to the Canaanite lands with their foreign gods, “No, treat them this way: break down their altars, smash their standing-stones to pieces, cut down their sacred poles, and burn up their carved images completely.

You can’t let other temptations hang around.  One of my closest friends, when she got married, she went through all her belongings and got rid of stuff.  She got rid of a cute little teddy bear that some guy from her youth group had given her, years earlier.  She ripped up a photograph of an old crush of hers.  She got rid of any romantic reminders that weren’t from her new husband.

And it doesn’t stop there — when you are married, sometimes new temptations arise and you have to cut them down immediately, too.  Maybe it’s a really nice coworker that just seems to work so well with you.  Maybe it’s a really cute bass player at your congregation.  Maybe it’s an old friend that just popped up out of nowhere.  You don’t entertain the thought of “I wonder what we would be like together.”  You don’t even leave that thought sitting there and “just try to ignore it.”  You do just like ADONAI told the children of Isra’el and you cut that thought down completely and smash it.

We have to do the same with God. 

o   Is there a cute magic movie, and you wish you could just snap your fingers and have your wishes come true?  No, cut that idea down right away. 

o   Does your friend worship nature, and that actually seems kind of appealing?  Don’t let that idea just sit there and co-exist with your worship of ADONAI. 

o   Is there a pagan ritual or a pagan god that sounds really cool to you?  You can’t leave those things in your life because it is impossible to serve God and them. 

It would be like Garrett coming home and saying, “hey, I’ve decided to love you and this other gorgeous girl who I’ve found…who, by the way, is one of your enemies.  She’s moving in now, and we’ll give her the spare bedroom.”  That just doesn’t work in a strong marriage relationship!

 

    These are just some practical applications of love – remembering your history together, practicing the things that make you ONE with each other (loving what each other loves), and keeping faithful in that ONEness.

    But there is something more to love, isn’t there?  Love isn’t just a list of duties.  I could stand up here and say, in a monotone voice, “Once upon a time, Garrett drove all the way down to see Esther and he fixed a roof.”  Or I could say, “Garrett likes to come home to a clean house.  I will now clean it just because it annoys me when he comes home grumpy.”  Or I could say, “I didn’t talk to any other cute guys today.  And I really don’t want to talk to you either.”

     That wouldn’t be love, would it?

     By the same token, we can read the Bible from cover to cover.  We can follow the commands to the letter.  We can shun other gods.  And still not love God.

     I want each of you to try a little demonstration for me.  I want you to turn to someone in this room.  I want you to think that you don’t care two pins about this person.  And I want you to say in a flat voice, “Hi, I hope you have a good week,” without meaning it at all.  Go ahead and try it.

     That was terrible.

     Now we’re going to try this again.  But before we do, I want you to think about this person.  And you love this person.  Maybe it’s your mom.  Maybe it’s your brother.  Maybe it’s a good friend.  You genuinely like this person.  You genuinely care about this person.  When you think about them, your heart swells with love for them.  You want to be patient with them, kind to them, humble and selfless in your approach to them.  It would be pretty hard for them to make you angry because you like them so much.  If they make a mistake, you would forgive it and forget about it.  You trust them.  You love them.  Everything in you wants to be around them.  Everything in you wants them to be happy and succeed.

     Now, as you are thinking these things, turn to that person and say, “I hope you have a good week!”

     See the difference?

     Love is a choice.  Love is an action.  Love is long-lasting.  Love comes from every layer of your being.  That’s why the Shema says to love ADONAI your God with all your

HEART

BEING

RESOURCES

     Love comes from all those places.  It comes from your heart and your mind and your will and your emotions and your strength and your resources.

     This covenant that we have been called to isn’t a mere business agreement or governmental contract or even a set of religious observances.  It is a covenant of love that is all or nothing.

    And that. Is. Amazing.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

And practice your love toward ADONAI this week!

Moses was said to be a very humble man. He loved his people and went to bat for them many times. But he could also be firm and sometimes showed his righteous anger when the Isrealites were disobeying God’s commands. So, what does humility really

 mean? Google says that humility is a modest or low view of one’s own importance.

I’ve been studying about humility and one thing that stood out to me was that “all virtues and duties are dependent on humility. The first leg of our spiritual journey involves the cultivation of humility.

The Talmud says: One who sacrifices a whole offering shall be rewarded for a whole offering. One who offers a burnt- offering shall have the reward of a burnt-offering. But one who offers humility to God and man shall be rewarded with a reward as if he had offered all the sacrifices in the world. A contrite and humbled spirit is a sacrifice to God. God does not ignore a broken heart.

Humility is a primary soul-trait to work on because it requires us to take an honest assessment of who we are. Real Humility is always associated with healthy self-esteem.

Let me clarify; true humility does not mean being a nobody, it just means being no more of a somebody than you ought to be.

Let’s try this. Next time you sit on a bench, watch how much of it you occupy. There is no need to cringe on the edge, because, you are entitled to sit. Yet there is also no justification for sprawling into a space that ought to accommodate someone else. When someone shares a piece of news with you, do you quickly come back with your own concerns, filling the space they’ve opened, or do you make room to follow up what the person has introduced.

If you are unsure whether humility is a soul-trait you need to work on, ask yourself this: Do you leave enough space in your life for others, or are you jamming up your world with your-self?

How could Moses possibly be a humble man?  It was because he knew what space he occupied.  As a leader he sometimes had to occupy a lot of space. He gave orders, made hard decisions concerning the people and sometimes he showed his distaste in what the people were doing, but he also knew how to leave enough space for others in his life. He would fall on his face and pray for the people, even though it seemed they did not deserve it. He loved them.

I will leave you with this!

A small deed done in humility is a thousand times more acceptable to God than a great deed done in pride!

Shabbat Shalom

In this week’s Torah passage, we read about the many sacrifices that Adonai required from the Israelites. Hebrews 9:13-14 says “For if sprinkling ceremonially unclean persons with the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer restores their outward purity; then how much more the blood of the Messiah, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself to G-d as a sacrifice without blemish, will purify our conscience from works that lead to death, so that we can serve the living G-d!” The sacrifices offered previously could make someone ritually pure, but they couldn’t renew someone’s mind. They couldn’t change a person from the inside out. Yeshua offered himself as a sacrifice so we could be renewed and changed. Romans 8:6 says “Having one’s mind controlled by the old nature is death, but having one’s mind controlled by the Spirit is life and shalom.” Studying Torah is changing me.
My mind is being renewed. I am not struggling to control my mind, and keep myself from thinking things I know I shouldn’t think about. It feels like a miracle to me. And this gives me confidence to trust G-d for other areas of my life as well. If He can do that, then He can do anything. “I will not forget your precepts, for with them you have made me alive. ” Psalms 119:63.

  If you read this week’s Torah Portion, you are familiar with the story of the rebellion against Moshe and Aharon, and you read about G-d’s demonstration in their defense and G-d’s outline of the expectations for the Levites and the priesthood.

     What I want to talk about today is not just how the children of Israel responded to Moshe but how we respond to leaders in our own lives, spiritual and otherwise.

     We all tend to have expectations of leaders.  We believe they have authority to make things better for us, and so we, of course, expect them to do it.  And sometimes our expectations don’t play out like we hoped.

     I remember, before I was a midwife, when I was working as an assistant to a local midwife.  We had one little mommy in labor who labored much more effectively when the senior midwife wasn’t in the room.  When it was only me in there, she thought to herself, “Oh, this is just an assistant.”  She was super nice to me, she was grateful for every little thing that I did, she bravely faced all the pains of her labor, and she progressed really well. But when the senior midwife came in the room, that all changed.  The woman thought, “This is an experienced midwife – she ought to be able to do more!”  So she cried out and begged for more help, and she completely rejected every suggestion the midwife made for her because it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.  So she labored better with me than she did with the midwife.  And it wasn’t because I had a better personality or skill – it was simply because she had unjust expectations for the one whom she perceived to be in authority.

     Listen to the emotions in this week’s parshah.  How dare you?  What kind of leader are you?  This is your fault!  You are lording over us unfairly!  These are the kinds of things that the children of Israel were saying about Moshe.

     But Moshe said, “I have not taken one donkey from them nor have I hurt one of them.”

     The children of Israel wanted milk and honey, they wanted meat, they wanted leeks and garlics, they wanted rest, they wanted to do their own thing.  And Moshe wasn’t providing for them like they wanted.  But was Moshe a terrible leader?  Was he punishing people to serve his own ego?  Was he plundering them to increase his own power and wealth?  Was he making deals with other nations that benefited himself but put the rest of the Israelites in danger?  Was he a bad leader?

     No.

     Sometimes we have expectations that won’t be met.

     In Matthew 20 is the story of the laborers.  A landowner went out to hire laborers at the beginning of the day.  He agreed with them for a fair price for the labor and so they worked for him.  Throughout the day, the landowner kept bringing more laborers in.   At the end of the day, he brought the men in to be paid, starting with the men who had worked the shortest amount of time.  And, surprise, he paid them a full day’s wage.  By the time, he got to those who had worked since morning, their expectations were high.  If he paid so much for such a short time, how much might he pay those who had worked hard the whole day?!?  But the landowner just paid them the day’s wage that they had agreed upon. They were so angry with him, but he said to them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Didn’t you agree with me for this amount?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I want to give to this last man the same as to you.  Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?”

     It can be so easy to fall into this trap of expectations with people.  I’ve done it with my parents.  I’ve done it with my husband.  I’ve done it with coworkers and bosses.  I’ve done it with leaders among the believers.

If mama really loved me, she would let me do what I wanted!

He’s not listening to me.  He’s scrolling through his phone while I’m talking.  I am his wife – he should be attentive!

My coworker (or my work boss) isn’t pulling his weight.  I’m doing twice the work that he is.  I don’t mind doing the work on the days that he’s not here, but when he’s here and he’s just standing around while I’m working, it makes me frustrated beyond belief and I just wish he would work as part of this team!

The music at the congregation is too loud (or too soft). The service is too long (or too short).  Nobody calls me when they are planning activities (or everybody is always hounding me about every activity).

And, yet, is your mama making rules to hurt you or to help you grow up better?

Is your husband a bad man?  Is he actually breaking one of G-d’s Laws? 

In the light of eternity, is your coworker/boss actually harming you? Can you simply do your best, as unto the Lord, and trust that G-d sees you?

Are your congregation leaders violating the expectations that G-d listed for us?  Or are they simply not meeting your personal expectations?

     One of my friends told me that most marriage conflicts arise from unmet expectations.  “I thought that you would ____, but you aren’t.”  But this is an age-old issue.  We can see it in this week’s parshah.

     At the end of this week’s parshah, we see God’s actions to confirm the roles that He had assigned.  And then, in chapter 18, we see a clear outline of expectations.  Here are the duties and rewards that belong to the priests and to the Levites.  There are other passages where expections are laid out: In I Samuel 8, we see Samuel describing what can be expected from a king. First Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, and 1 Peter have outlines of what a husband should be like.  The Bible is full of expectations for parents.  And in 1 Timothy and Titus, we see expectations for leaders in congregations.

     Why do we have expectations?

Sometimes it is just hope – an inner desire for life to be better.

Sometimes it is a defense mechanism – a way to determine if the situation warrants action.  We don’t want to be cheated or hurt, so we have expectations and we get angry when they aren’t met.

     Hope is good.  We all fall short, and there is much grace extended to us by our heavenly Father.  And we should have forgiveness toward one another (after all, we have been forgiven much ourselves).  But we can still hope.  We can still strive toward things that matter to us.  That’s why we communicate – hey, husband, can you please put your phone down for a minute and listen to me?  Hey, coworker, this is really heavy…can you help me lift it?  Hey, congregation coordinator, can you let me know when you are planning your next get-together?  Hey, mom, can I talk to you about why I want such-and-such?

     Defense mechanisms can be good, too, if they line up with G-d’s definitions.  Should you follow a congregation leader who is quick-tempered and greedy for gain? No, that’s not a good idea.  Should you sit back and say “oh, that’s fine with me” when your husband is headed in a direction that is contrary to G-d’s Laws?  No.  There is a reason that G-d gave us a list of expectations.  In the Parshah this week, you can see the things that G-d said “these fairly belong to the Levites” but you can also see the things that weren’t on that list.  That’s one of the ways that we know Eli’s sons (at the beginning of the book of 1 Samuel) were wicked.

     Just make sure your expectations line up with His.

     The children of Israel were so angry with Moshe.  But Moshe was humble.  Moshe followed G-d.  Moshe had not cheated people.  Moshe had not used power for his own gain.  Moshe was following G-d’s expectations, and G-d defended him.

     So, align your expectations with G-d’s and let go of the ones you invented yourself — so that He is fighting for you, and you are not fighting against Him.

Shabbat Shalom!

Fear of Freedom?

The episode of the ten spies was one of the most tragic in the entire Torah. In this week’s Parsha, an entire generation was deprived of the chance to enter the Promised Land. The entry itself was delayed by forty years.

In Numbers 13:28, Moses told the spies to go and see the land and bring back a report about it: Are the people many or few, strong or weak? What is the land itself like? Are the cities open or fortified? Is the soil fertile? They were also tasked with bringing back some of its fruit. The spies returned with a positive report about the land itself: “It is indeed flowing with milk and honey, and this is its fruit” but this was  followed by one of the most famous ‘buts’ in Jewish history: “But – the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak [‘the giant’] there”.

Sensing that their words were demoralizing the people, Caleb, one of the spies, interrupted with a message of reassurance: “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” However, the other spies insisted: “We cannot attack those people; they are stronger than we are.… All the people we saw there are of great size.… We seemed like grasshoppers…”. The next day, the people, persuaded that the challenge was completely beyond them, expressed regret that they had ever embarked on the Exodus and said, “Let us appoint a leader and go back to Egypt”.

Maybe we should ask the obvious question. How could ten of the spies come back with a defeatist report? They had seen with their own eyes how God had sent a series of plagues that brought Egypt, the strongest and longest-lived of all the empires of the ancient world, to its knees. They had seen the Egyptian army with its cutting-edge military technology, the horse-drawn chariot, drown in the sea while the Israelites passed through it on dry land. Egypt was far stronger than the Canaanites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and other minor kingdoms that they would have to confront in conquering the land. Nor was this an ancient memory. It had happened not much more than a year before.

What is more interesting, they were entirely wrong about the people of the land. We discover this from the book of Joshua, in the passage read in the haftarah. When Joshua sent spies to Jericho, the woman who sheltered them, Rahab, described for them what her people felt when they heard that the Israelites were on their way:

I know that the Lord has given this land to you. A great fear of you has fallen on us…We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt.… When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. (Josh. 2:9–11)

The people of Jericho were not giants. They were as fearful of the Israelites as the Israelites were of them.

What is more, the spies were not only normal people plucked at random. The Torah states that they were “men who were heads of the People of Israel.” They were leaders. They were not fearful people.

The questions are straight-forward but let me throw you a curve. Have you ever stopped to think that the spies were not afraid of failure?  Could it be they were afraid of success?

Never had a people lived so close to God. If they entered the land, their lifestyle of camping around the Sanctuary, eating manna from heaven, living in continuous contact with the Shechinah would vanish. They would have to fight battles, maintain an army, create an economy, farm the land, worry about the weather and their crops, and all the other thousand distractions that come from living in the world. What would happen to their closeness to God? They would be preoccupied with mundane and material pursuits. Here they could spend their entire lives learning Torah, lit by the radiance of G-d. There they would be one more nation in a world of nations with the same kind of economic, social, and political problems that every other nation must deal with.

Were they afraid of success, and the subsequent change it would bring about? They wanted to spend their lives in the closest possible proximity to G-d. What they did not understand was that G-d seeks. One of the great differences between Judaism and other religions is that while others seek to lift people to heaven, Judaism seeks to bring heaven down to earth.

Much of Torah is about things not conventionally seen as religious at all: labor relations, agriculture, welfare provisions, loans and debts, land ownership, and so on. It is not difficult to have an intense religious experience in the desert, or in a retreat. Most religions have holy places and holy people who live far removed from the stresses and strains of everyday life.

But that is not the Jewish project, the Jewish mission. God wanted the Israelites to create a model society where human beings were not treated as slaves, where rulers were not worshipped as “gods”, where human dignity was respected, where law was impartially given to rich and poor alike, where no one was destitute, no one was abandoned to isolation, no one was above the law, and no realm of life was a morality-free zone. This requires a society, and if you are going to be a society, you need a land. It requires an economy, an army, fields and flocks, labor, and enterprise. All these, in Judaism, become ways of bringing the Shechinah into the shared spaces of our collective life.

The spies did not doubt that Israel could win its battles with the inhabitants of the land. Their concern was not physical but spiritual. Maybe they did not want to leave the wilderness. Maybe they did not want to become just another nation among the nations of the earth. Maybe they did not want to lose their unique relationship with God in the silence of the desert, far removed from civilization and its discontents.

As you know this is not the plain sense of the narrative, but we should not dismiss it on that account.  Could it be that this may have been what the ten spies were thinking? Could the spies possibly have feared freedom and its responsibilities?

Torah is about the responsibilities of freedom. Judaism is not a religion of hiding from the world. It is a religion of engagement with the world. God chose Israel to make His presence visible in the world. Therefore, Israel must live in the world.

Maimonides speaks of people who live as hermits in the desert to escape the corruptions of society. But these were the exceptions, not the rule. It is not the destiny of Israel to live outside time and space as the world’s recluses.

Maybe they didn’t want to contaminate Judaism by bringing it into contact with the real world. Maybe they sought the eternal dependency of God’s protection and the endless embrace of His all-encompassing love. There is something noble about this desire, but also something irresponsible. The spies disheartened the people and provoked the anger of God.

So what is the mission and Project of the Jewish People?

It is the Torah as the constitution of the Jewish nation under the sovereignty of God – it is about building a society in the land of Israel that so honors human dignity and freedom and that it will one day lead the world to say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people” (Deut. 4:6).

The Jewish task is not to fear the real world, but to enter and transform it, healing some of its wounds and bringing Divine light to places often shrouded in darkness.

Shabbat Shalom!

Jackie

One day I was listening to Surrounded by Michael W. Smith. “It may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by You.” As I was thinking about that line, and Adonai Himself creating a boundary around me, I started thinking about other boundaries.

In Psalms 16:6 we read “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” ESV.

In this verse, I think of property lines; the boundary around the property. I imagine that there is a good area to build a house, a good area for growing food,  a good area to graze animals, and a good source of fresh water. So these are some examples of boundaries.

I believe that there is another type of boundary. One that G-d places around us and that we live our life within. That there is a limit to what our adversary can do to us. The story of Job gives us a glimpse of this. We see that there was a boundary that could not be crossed.  In our Torah portion, we read about Miriam and Aaron. They were jealous of Moses. He had different boundaries than they did in his relationship with Adonai and they didn’t like it. They wanted their boundaries to be the same as his. G-d had something to say about that. 

He has placed us within the boundaries that are appropriate for us; and complaining about it, or being jealous of someone else’s boundaries displeases Him. Psalms 139:5-6 CJB “You have hemmed me in both behind and in front and laid your hand on me. Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me, far too high for me to reach.”

Numbers 5:6-7

⁵ Adonai said to Moshe, ⁶ “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘When a man or woman commits any kind of sin against another person and thus breaks faith with Adonai, he incurs guilt. ⁷ He must confess the sin which he has committed

 Confession is good for the soul, right?  So why isn’t it all the rage?  Why is it that we humans usually spend more time and energy on the things we do right then the things we do wrong?  Bruce’s sweet mom used to say, “the hardest 5 words for most of us to say are ‘I’m sorry, I was wrong.’” Maybe we should take a moment to ask why? 

Now, if you are really good at confessing your sin on a regular basis, to God and people, with little to no compunction, please feel free to skip down to the Shabbat Shalom.  You get a gold star.  I would ask that you start conducting classes to teach the rest of us humans so that our world may improve. Thanks in advance!

As for the rest of us, or maybe it’s just me 😊, let’s talk about the stumbling blocks that we allow to keep us from confessing our sin.  First let’s talk about what is sin.  Now let’s keep it simple… sin is breaking the Law of Adonai – the Torah.  When I was first saved, I thought this was very simple.  Metaphorically speaking… don’t drink, don’t smoke, and don’t dance the hoochee coo.  Get rid of all the external sins, the noticeable sins.  Then God showed me all my hidden sins, the ones that take place in your mind – pride, non-righteous anger, self-pity, bitterness, resentment.  I think here is where we will find the stumbling blocks.

To put it plainly, our flesh hates confession, and so does the enemy.  Personally, I find that anytime those two are on the same side, I better beware.  It is all too easy talk yourself out of needing to confess.  Unless you are well practiced at tuning out the voices of pride, anger, self-pity, bitterness, resentment, they are all cheering your flesh on.  Telling you, “It’s not really your fault.  You didn’t really do anything wrong.  You didn’t mean to do it.  What you did wasn’t as bad as what other people do.  It’s their fault you did it.  They started it. Nothing good will come out of admitting it.”  Pride refuses to admit wrong.  Anger takes it out on others.  Self-pity justifies the behavior.  Bitterness and resentment argue against the good of confession.  They are a nasty gang of liars.

Sometimes those voices say even worse things.  Heaping shame on us.  Telling us that even if we do confess we won’t be forgiven… even nastier lies.

So, going back to the verse at the beginning, the thing that stuck out to me is that it says we MUST confess.  Not should or could… MUST, not optional.  Now, if we acknowledge that the Torah is holy, good, and just, and that its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace, and that God gave us the law to help us stay close to Him, then this commandment that we MUST confess our sin MUST be good for us.  We don’t like confession because it makes us vulnerable and most of us have learned in life that being vulnerable is a bad thing or at least an extremely uncomfortable thing.  But if our relationships with people are to be successful vulnerability is necessary.  To have a successful relationship with our Heavenly Father vulnerability is compulsory and a fact – He is all powerful, we are not, we ARE vulnerable – fact.  Unlike some of our relationships here on earth, He is completely trustworthy because He is completely loving.  There are numerous verses that attest to the fact that God will forgive us when we confess.  Here’s one from 1 John…

 1 John 1:9 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

⁹ If we acknowledge our sins, then, since he is trustworthy and just, he will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing.

I like that it says He will not only forgive us but also purify us from all wrongdoing – make us clean.

When I first started on the Messianic path, I asked someone why do we need to celebrate Yom Kippur if all our sins are already forgiven?  Some time later, I attended my first Yom Kippur service and the reason became very clear to me.  The prayers on Yom Kippur are prayers of confession, confessing every possible way we could transgress the Torah.  It was mind-blowing for me.  It occurs to me that we could probably use those prayers daily.

I’ll end with prayer…

Father God, Thank You that You are so merciful.  Please continue to draw us close to You and Your ways.  Please help us see the sin we need to confess, give us the courage to confess it.  Please make us deaf to the lies that would enable us not to admit our wrongdoing.  Thank you, Father, that you not only forgive us but also wash us clean and put our iniquity in a sea of forgetfulness.  In Yeshua’s Name… Amen.

Shabbat Shalom,

Sam Dotson

Thursday night this week started the festival of Shavu’ot.  It was originally a 1-day feast, which would have been celebrated from Thursday night to Friday night this week, but, later, an extra day was added (today) to encompass those of us who are far from Jerusalem.  You can read more about this feast in Leviticus 23:15-21 and Deuteronomy 16:9-12.

Since we are celebrating Shavu’ot, I want to talk about a very special Shavu’ot in history.  We will find this story in Acts 2.

Acts 2:1 The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place.

So this was a day much like today.  In this same festival.  With believers gathered together.

^Acts2:2 Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Have you ever heard a strong wind like that?  A wind that was so powerful that it roared around your house?

^Acts2:3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. ⁴ They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

The Ruach HaKodesh is the Holy Spirit of God.  His coming was part of the plan and had been foretold by prophets, as we will see as we read on.

^Acts2:5 Now there were staying in Yerushalayim religious Jews from every nation under heaven.

Why were there religious Jews, from every nation under heaven, there in Jerusalem that day?  Because it was Shavu’ot.  There are three Feasts that required the people of Israel to travel to Jerusalem, and this is one of them.  So, based on instructions given to Moshe (Moses) so many generations before, Jews from every nation were gathered in Jerusalem for this day when the Ruach HaKodesh was poured out.

^{Acts 2:6} When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered; they were confused, because each one heard the believers speaking in his own language. ⁷ Totally amazed, they asked, “How is this possible? Aren’t all these people who are speaking from the Galil? ⁸ How is it that we hear them speaking in our native languages? ⁹ We are Parthians, Medes, Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Y’hudah, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome; ¹¹ Jews by birth and proselytes; Jews from Crete and from Arabia. . . ! How is it that we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things God has done?” ¹² Amazed and confused, they all went on asking each other, “What can this mean?” ¹³ But others made fun of them and said, “They’ve just had too much wine!”

That is amazing, isn’t it?  A bunch of Galileans were glorifying G-d, telling of the great things He had done.  The Ruach HaKodesh enabled them to talk in different languages, and it was heard in native languages from all these different places!

I have always loved the fact that, when the Ruach HaKodesh gave them the words to speak, those words were talking about the great things G-d has done.  If you look in other places in Acts, you will see the sorts of things that Ruach HaKodesh gives us to speak – to glorify G-d, to give thanks well, to speak G-d’s message with boldness, to give wisdom/warning/instruction, to testify that Yeshua is Lord, and to pray well.  No wonder Yeshua said that the Ruach HaKodesh was a good gift (Luke 11:11-13)!

And now, just as everyone is wondering why these Galileans are testifying in other tongues and what this means, Kefa (Simon Peter) stands up and explains:

^{Acts 2:14} Then Kefa stood up with the Eleven and raised his voice to address them: “You Judeans, and all of you staying here in Yerushalayim! Let me tell you what this means! Listen carefully to me!

¹⁵ “These people aren’t drunk, as you suppose — it’s only nine in the morning. ¹⁶ No, this is what was spoken about through the prophet Yo’el:

¹⁷ ‘Adonai says:
“In the Last Days,
I will pour out from my Spirit upon everyone.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
¹⁸ Even on my slaves, both men and women,
will I pour out from my Spirit in those days;
and they will prophesy.
¹⁹ I will perform miracles in the sky above
and signs on the earth below —
blood, fire and thick smoke.
²⁰ The sun will become dark
and the moon blood
before the great and fearful Day of Adonai comes.
²¹ And then, whoever calls on the name of Adonai will be saved.”’^[a]

²² “Men of Isra’el! Listen to this! Yeshua from Natzeret was a man demonstrated to you to have been from God by the powerful works, miracles and signs that God performed through him in your presence. You yourselves know this. ²³ This man was arrested in accordance with God’s predetermined plan and foreknowledge; and, through the agency of persons not bound by the Torah, you nailed him up on a stake and killed him!

²⁴ “But God has raised him up and freed him from the suffering of death; it was impossible that death could keep its hold on him. ²⁵ For David says this about him:

‘I saw Adonai always before me,
for he is at my right hand,
so that I will not be shaken.
²⁶ For this reason, my heart was glad;
and my tongue rejoiced;
and now my body too will live on in the certain hope
²⁷ that you will not abandon me to Sh’ol
or let your Holy One see decay.
²⁸ You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will fill me with joy by your presence.’^[b]

²⁹ “Brothers, I know I can say to you frankly that the patriarch David died and was buried — his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Therefore, since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that one of his descendants would sit on his throne, ³¹ he was speaking in advance about the resurrection of the Messiah, that it was he who was not abandoned in Sh’ol and whose flesh did not see decay. ³² God raised up this Yeshua! And we are all witnesses of it!

³³ “Moreover, he has been exalted to the right hand of God; has received from the Father what he promised, namely, the Ruach HaKodesh; and has poured out this gift, which you are both seeing and hearing. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into heaven. But he says,

³⁵ ‘Adonai said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’^[c]

³⁶ Therefore, let the whole house of Isra’el know beyond doubt that God has made him both Lord and Messiah — this Yeshua, whom you executed on a stake!”

On hearing this, the people had a chance to choose how to respond.

^Acts2:37 On hearing this, they were stung in their hearts; and they said to Kefa and the other emissaries, “Brothers, what should we do?”

Would you respond like this?  If you found that you had been wrong, that in your attempts to follow G-d (or in pursuit of your own goals), you had gotten yourself crosswise with G-d, would you seek wholeheartedly to make it right?  Even if it meant changing your ways?

^{Acts 2:38} Kefa answered them, “Turn from sin, return to God, and each of you be immersed on the authority of Yeshua the Messiah into forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh! ³⁹ For the promise is for you, for your children, and for those far away — as many as Adonai our God may call!”

I love that last verse.  The promise is for you.  It is for future generations.  It is for people who are far away.  It is a promise.  It is part of His plan.  And it is for me.

^{Acts 2:40} He pressed his case with many other arguments and kept pleading with them, “Save yourselves from this perverse generation!”

⁴¹ So those who accepted what he said were immersed, and there were added to the group that day about three thousand people.

⁴² They continued faithfully in the teaching of the emissaries, in fellowship, in breaking bread and in the prayers. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe, and many miracles and signs took place through the emissaries. ⁴⁴ All those trusting in Yeshua stayed together and had everything in common; ⁴⁵ in fact, they sold their property and possessions and distributed the proceeds to all who were in need. ⁴⁶ Continuing faithfully and with singleness of purpose to meet in the Temple courts daily, and breaking bread in their several homes, they shared their food in joy and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having the respect of all the people. And day after day the Lord kept adding to them those who were being saved.

Somewhere along the way, I think we have slowed down and gotten complacent.  I think we have forgotten to spread the Word to every person across the whole world, and we’ve traded the rushing, mighty wind for something as soft and tickling as a whisper.

But maybe I’m wrong.  If you are walking with Him, doing things in His timing, not holding back when He tells you to move or to speak, and your life is bearing fruit like the Messiah and his disciples, then may you continue to prosper in everything you set your hands to.  I am glad that you are here and that you are allowing Him to work through you.  Thank you!

Maybe you are doing well, following the things that you know how to do, but scared to follow G-d into things that are new or strange to you.  Fear is not from Him (2 Timothy 1:7), and the Spirit He gave us is here with the boldness we need.  Timidity is not righteous.  I encourage you to seek G-d and study His Word.  See what is right.  See the path that He puts before us.  And follow Him.  It doesn’t come from your own strength anyway – trust Him!  He has good things for you!

And perhaps, you are not doing well.  Perhaps you find yourself in opposition to G-d.  You picked a path and you find yourself on the wrong side of the fence — with the G-d who made heavens and earth NOT on your side.  What then? Don’t despair – we’ve all found ourselves on the wrong side at some point in our lives – maybe more than once. But we do just as Kefa told the others in this chapter to do.  Turn from sin, return to G-d, be baptized on the authority of Yeshua into forgiveness of your sins, and receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh.  For the promise is for you, too, if you will come and follow Him.

Leviticus 23:15-21

¹⁵ “‘From the day after the day of rest — that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving — you are to count seven full weeks, ¹⁶ until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to Adonai. ¹⁷ You must bring bread from your homes for waving — two loaves made with one gallon of fine flour, baked with leaven — as firstfruits for Adonai. ¹⁸ Along with the bread, present seven lambs without defect one year old, one young bull and two rams; these will be a burnt offering for Adonai, with their grain and drink offerings, an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for Adonai. ¹⁹ Offer one male goat as a sin offering and two male lambs one year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. ²⁰ The cohen will wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before Adonai, with the two lambs; these will be holy for Adonai for the cohen. ²¹ On the same day, you are to call a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live.

Deuteronomy 16:9-12

⁹ “You are to count seven weeks; you are to begin counting seven weeks from the time you first put your sickle to the standing grain. ¹⁰ You are to observe the festival of Shavu‘ot [weeks] for Adonai your God with a voluntary offering, which you are to give in accordance with the degree to which Adonai your God has prospered you. ¹¹ You are to rejoice in the presence of Adonai your God — you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, the L’vi’im living in your towns, and the foreigners, orphans and widows living among you — in the place where Adonai your God will choose to have his name live. ¹² Remember that you were a slave in Egypt; then you will keep and obey these laws.