This is my first drash, and also my Bar Mitzvah drash. This week’s parsha is Bamidbar. Bamidbar means in the desert, as they were in the desert when Adonai told Moshe to take a census. A census is an official count or survey of a population, typically recording various details of individuals.
Moshe counted the people, 20-60 years of age, all of Israel except for the Levites. The total count was 603,550, over half a million! The Levites were counted separately because they were the ones appointed to work in the Mishkan. Their responsibilities included singing and guarding the Mishkan. They would also take apart the Mishkan and carry it and the holy items place to place when traveling to Canaan. Aaron would have to cover the items before they could carry it or else they would die. The rest of the tribes would be protecting them. The people of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were to the east, Ruben, Simeon and Gad were to the south, Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin were to the west, and Dan, Asher and Naphtali were to the north.
During their travels they stayed together as a people, they had their troubles with each other, but they still stayed together. During these times we should stay with each other to comfort each other when we’re at our low points and laugh with each other at our high points. Even if it is six feet apart or digitally or even right beside each other we should be there.
When I read this week’s parsha this year, I remembered that I had the privilege to do the drash for Behar last year! It made me a little excited because this meant that I was more familiar with the portion – a lovely side effect of doing drashes 😊. My usual routine for preparing a drash is to read the portion Sunday night, work on the Torah Study Monday and Tuesday, then sometime during this process Adonai brings something to my attention to drash about. I followed my usual routine this week but nothing came to my attention.
This week has been one of those weeks where everything is just heavy. Not a bad week, not without joy, it has actually been a good productive week but there has been a heaviness. The heaviness partly stems from walking through a difficult situation and it not being resolved well, and partly from walking along side someone who is going through a very difficult situation.
So, what does this have to do with this week’s parsha? Good question! Well I went back and read what I wrote last year looking for inspiration. The part that jumped out at me was how the Lord promised to order His blessing upon Israel the year prior to the Sabbatical year in Leviticus 25:21.
21 then I will order my blessing on you during the sixth year, so that the land brings forth enough produce for all three years.
I was reminded of how trustworthy and faithful our Father in Heaven is. He places us all in positions of influence, service, authority, and leadership. Wherever He places us, whatever He asks of us, He will always provide what we need to walk through it. Our job is to follow Him, obey Him, and trust Him even when it doesn’t look/feel/turn out the way we want or hope.
This week also reminded me of how much we all need the Kinsman-Redeemer Yeshua to rescue us from ourselves and from the clutches of the enemy. If you think about it, everyone you encounter, from the most pious to the most unlovely, equally need Him to rescue them. It is my prayer that I will be able to see past the outward, to see what our Master Yeshua sees as He looks at us… someone worth saving.
To close I am posting my drash from last year – it’s not as heavy 😊. I pray you all have a beautiful week full of peace, joy, and love.
Shabbat Shalom,
Sam Dotson
2019 Drash – Behar “On the Mountain”
HaShem covers so much in this little parsha… Shabbat for the land, Jubilee years, conducting affairs justly, Kinsman-Redeemer (excellent subject to learn about as we approach Shavuot – the reading of Ruth), sustaining the poor, giving of loans, proper treatment of one who has sold himself as a slave to pay his debts. There are so many things to glean from this one chapter. So much Messiah and the Kingdom, in this chapter.
As was read, this parsha starts with instructions for a Shabbat of complete rest for the land. I can only imagine what the Israelites must have been thinking upon hearing this via Moshe. Some farmers may have been reveling at a whole year off, others reeling at the idea of loss of income/wealth. I’m guessing HaShem answered the question most of us would have been asking… What will we eat?!
Leviticus 25:20
20 “‘If you ask, “If we aren’t allowed to sow seed or harvest what our land produces, what are we going to eat the seventh year?” 21 then I will order my blessing on you during the sixth year, so that the land brings forth enough produce for all three years.22 The eighth year you will sow seed but eat the the old, stored produce until the ninth year; that is, until the produce of the eighth year comes in, you will eat the old, stored food.
Right before this passage HaShem is telling us to keep His regulations…
Leviticus 25:18-19
18 “‘Rather, you are to keep my regulations and rulings and act accordingly. If you do, you will live securely in the land. (RY: ii, LY: iii)19 The land will yield its produce, you will eat until you have enough, and you will live there securely.
What a reminder to us that the Lord is our provider and if He is asking us to do something, He will always provide for it. Our job is to follow and obey Him. How amazing it must have been on the 6th year, how busy they must have been reaping 3x the usual harvest. (3 is always an interesting Biblical number)
After 7 cycles of these Sabbatical Years, there is a year a Jubilee, in which debts are forgiven, loans are cancelled, slaves set free, and land returns to the original tribal owner. As believers in Yeshua, this must sound familiar to us.. Our debts (sins) are forgiven, we are released from being slaves (to sin), we are returned to our rightful owner.
In addition, all affairs concerning these things are subject to the nearness of the Jubilee year, keeping it ever as a focus – not to be forgotten. HaShem is just and instructs us to conduct our affairs justly…
Lev 25:15-17
15 Rather, you are to take into account the number of years after the yovel when you buy land from your neighbor, and he is to sell to you according to the number of years crops will be raised. 16 If the number of years remaining is large, you will raise the price; if few years remain, you will lower it; because what he is really selling you is the number of crops to be produced. 17 Thus you arenot to take advantage of each other, but you are to fear yourGod; for I am Adonai your God.
HaShem is giving us a reminder/example of how we can and must love our neighbor as ourself.
Also, the land may never be sold permanently… Why? Because it belongs to HaShem…
Lev 25:23-24
23 “‘The land is not to be sold in perpetuity, because the land belongs to me — you are only foreigners and temporary residents with me. 24 Therefore, when you sell your property, you must include the right of redemption.
And … if we become poor and have to sell our property..
Lev 25:25
25 That is, if one of you becomes poor and sells some of his property, his next-of-kin can come and buy back what his relative sold.
This is referred to in Biblical times at a kinsman-redeemer. He would pay the price to redeem the land – the man whose land was redeemed would still owe the kinsman-redeemer but this would save him from a worse fate, property in the hands of strangers or even slavery.
Yeshua is our Kinsman-Redeemer, He bought us back, paid the price to rescue us.
As it often happens when reading the Torah, I mourn a little what the world would be like if we had kept His rulings, but HaShem in His infinite wisdom and mercy knew and always had a plan. As someone who was a slave to sin but now is a slave to Messiah, I eagerly await the day of His return, when all the captives will be set free – that will be a year of Jubilee!
Romans 11:26-27
26 and that it is in this way that all Isra’el will be saved. As the Tanakh says,
“Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Ya‘akov 27 and this will be my covenant with them, . . . when I take away their sins.”[h]
As I was preparing for this week’s D’rash, I thought what in the world can I find in this Torah Portion to share. I was feeling very down and depressed.My thoughts were, “Lord how much more can I take”?I don’t have anymore to give.My week’s are long and stressful. So many hurting people and I can’t always help all of them. My team is on the front line everyday and even if we take every precaution to protect ourselves, there may be that one time.So many thoughts running through my mind. Emotions are running high and I see a lot of tears of those who may lose everything they have. But as I opened my bible and turned to this week’s Torah Portion my hand fell on Leviticus 24: 1 and 2.
The Lord said to Moses, “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. This scripture hit me like a ton of bricks. Olives need to be pressed to bring forth pure oil.
The word Gethsemane is derived from two Hebrew words: gat, which means a place for pressing oil and Shemanim, which means oils.During Yeshua’s time, heavy stone slabs were lowered onto olives that had already been crushed in an olive crusher. Gradually, the slabs weight squeezed the olive oil out of pulp and the oil ran into a pit. There the oil was collected in clay jars.
This image of the Gethsemane on the slope of the mount of olives where Yeshua went the night before his crucifixion provides a vivid picture of Yeshua’s suffering. The weight of the sins of the world pressed down upon him like a heavy slab of rock pressed down on olives in their baskets.Yeshua’s sweat “ like drops of blood falling to the ground” Luke 22:44, flowed from Him like olive oil as it was squeezed out and flowed into the pit of an olive press.
Wow, this made my week seem very trivial in comparison. God knows what we are going through.Sometimes he allows things in our lives to teach us lessons and bring us back to where we need to be.He even speaks through a pandemic if we are only willing to listen.
One small scripture from this weeks Torah Portion has given me a better understanding of how Yeshua felt as he gave His life for ours and that He understands how we feel as we walk through these uncertain times, trying to help others get through another day.I now know the answer to why I am on the frontline of the pandemic? Because that is exactly where God wants me to be. God my prayer is that you squeeze me so that your pure healing oil will flow from me to a hurting world.
One of the many things I love about my grandchildren is their thankful hearts. When we give them a gift, no matter what it is, they are genuinely thankful. You can easily tell that they appreciate the gifts they receive. This is the heart attitude we can have if we begin at the place where we realize we don’t deserve anything. Any gift is undeserved.
As I was reading this weeks Torah portion, I was intrigued by the verses that talk about not sacrificing an ox, goat, or lamb to the goat-demons. They were no longer to offer sacrifices to other gods, only to Adonai. Why was this so important? I think that we can find the answer to that question in our reading from Matthew 15. Yeshua said that what comes out of a man’s mouth is what makes him unclean. I would expand that beyond words to include our actions.
I think that sacrificing to other gods was prohibited because it made them unclean. How does this have anything to do with being thankful for every gift? In my mind, this is how that connects. It has to do with our heart attitude. Our willingness to be obedient and give up what Adonai tells us to give up, and what comes out of our mouths. It all comes back to what’s in our hearts. Everything is a gift from Him. Our very existence is a gift. Every single thing that happens, every person in our lives, all of it is part of His gift to us. Our response depends on our heart attitude.
Be thankful for everything. He is working everything together for your good.
I started preparing very early for the D’Rash this week. Over the next several days, I read the parasha several times and was praying for HaShem to lay something on my heart. I had a maze of thoughts in my head, but each time I would start to go one way he would bring me back to the word quarantine, and what is happening in our world today. This parasha has never felt so relevant than it does today. In years past I always had a great sense of distance from the confusing descriptions of biblical skin afflictions, the quarantine of afflicted Israelites, and the purification process. As we all struggle with the challenges of social distancing and the uncertainty of the future, I believe we can look at this parasha and see how it provides points of reflection to our recent situation.
There are three stages involved with tzar’at (leprosy); they are examination, quarantine, and purification. The Cohen (priest) is called upon to examine the severity of the tzar’at affliction. If the affliction is not severe, the person is permitted to return to the camp after a waiting period. However, if the affliction is pronounced impure, the sufferer is quarantined from the community. They remain in quarantine until the disease heals, so they are not a danger to others. Upon healing, the Cohen re-examines the afflicted individual and begins the two-step process. This process entails the priest, while still outside the camp, the priest slaughters one bird and lets a second bird fly free into the open country. The individual is then allowed back in the camp, but required to stay outside the home for an additional seven days. At the end of the seven days the person again purifies themselves and brings three animals to the Tabernacle as an offering. Once this is completed, they are declared pure and allowed back to enter their homes and community.
The Torah’s description of the priest’s examination of the afflicted person reveals an insight into the way many of us think about disease. In the Tree of Life Bible Leviticus 13:4 states “to isolate the infected person for seven days”. I know for myself, when I think of the word infected or currently COVID-19 positive, my first instinct would be to run as far away as I could from that individual, but what I must remember is that during all of this we are not to lose sight of the individuals. We need to stop thinking about our needs and what we want, but think about how this global pandemic is impacting individuals and families. Currently we do not have any COVID-19 positive cases in our family, yet we are separated from our daughter who is a health care worker and working with patients that do have the COVID-19 virus. As we struggle to adhere to the demands of social distancing, we cannot lose sight of the stakes. We are and need to continue to work together to save millions of lives and the families and friends attached to those lives.
Once the individual is diagnosed as unclean Leviticus 13:46 states: “He shall be unclean as long as the disease is on him. Being unclean, he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” The inflicted must live outside the camp to protect others from the infection and remain alone indefinitely until the disease heals. One can only imagine the loneliness they felt, and that those hospitalized or living in nursing facilities must be feeling today. We feel it daily, as we are distanced from our loved ones and our community of believers. We can take comfort in the description of Miriam’s quarantine when she was afflicted with tzara’at in Numbers 12:15-16 “So Miriam was restricted to outside the camp for seven days. The people did not move on until Miriam was brought back. Afterward, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Wilderness of Paran.” The people of Israel waited for Miriam before they moved on, she was not alone they walked beside her. In our current situation we can and must assure each other that we are not alone. Although scattered over the Valley we are all in this together, and we all are waiting for a time when we can emerge from our social distancing and once again fellowship together.
Finally, we have the purification phase and emergence back into the community. At the conclusion of the purification process, the Cohen applies the blood of the sacrifice to the ear, thumb, and toe of the purified (Lev. 14:17). The act of purification is meant to remind the now-cured person to listen to the word of HaShem and deliberate in their deeds, now that they have been given a second chance. We too can take this time as a time of reflection in our daily lives. We can think about our past commitments and how we spent our time before the “stay at home order”. We can take steps to thrive during this time to grow closer to HaShem, increase in our prayer life, and look at how HaShem wants to use you and the skills and talents he has given you. So that when we emerge from this time we will be stronger, and prepared to continue to do his work. It is also a time we can appreciate the silence without the use of all the technology, thinking of where we need to go and who we need to see, and listen to hear His voice. I know for myself that due to being home during Pesach and the Feast of Unleavened Bread I was able to slow down, appreciate, and learn more about the festivals. If it had been “normal times” I wouldn’t have been able to have that time to bask in the delight of the Festivals.
I look forward to the time when we are once again preparing to meet for Shabbat. To see familiar faces, hear the squeals of children’s laughter, and to feel the hugs we will once again share.
On the eighth day, Moshe called Aharon, his sons and the leaders of Isra’el, and said to Aharon,” Take a male calf for a sin offering…
…and a ram for a burnt offering…
…both without defect, and offer them before ADONAI.
Then tell the people of Isra’el, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering…
…and a calf and a lamb, both a year old and without defect, for a burnt offering…
…and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before ADONAI;
…also a grain offering mixed with olive oil…
– because today ADONAI is going to appear before you.
There were a few things in this parshah that seemed specific to those who represent G-d in the sight of others. One was the way these sacrifices were done, and the other was the catastrophe that followed Nadav and Avihu’s unauthorized fire.
You and I may not be priests like Aharon, but each of us has a way that we represent G-d in the sight of others. Maybe we teach our children or grandchildren. Or maybe we write Bible stories in a creative format. Or maybe we have coworkers who watch us closely. Or a friend who looks up to us.
When I read about the way that Aharon had to offer their own sin offering and burnt offering first – before helping the people prepare for G-d’s presence, it made me think of my own life. It can be so easy to pour all of your attention into helping others find G-d, and you forget to seek Him yourself. You have so much hope for the next generation of believers that you neglect to cultivate your own relationship with G-d. But here, G-d clearly lays out an order of things that is SO important.
It’s kind of like that parable that Yeshua taught. How can you do a good job at helping your brother get a speck or a splinter out of his eye when you have a log in your own? (Matthew 7:3-5 and Luke 6:41-42)
Next, I read about the way that Nadav and Avihu each took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and offered unauthorized fire before ADONAI – something He had not ordered them to do. And I thought about the importance of the way we represent G-d.
Sometimes we are the only example of G-d that people will see. How important is it that we portray Him accurately? If we are the ones who claim to be close to Him, we should be the ones reflecting Him the most clearly!
Each of us can probably think of a godly person who influenced us – for good or for evil. We can probably remember leaders who shared an inaccurate representation of who God is. And we can probably remember leaders who were solid and dependable in their teaching of the Word. Those memories stick with us.
Let’s think about Bible stories. Did you hear Bible stories growing up? I did. And there were some elements so popular in stories that I came to think they were truth. For example, see if you know what the Bible itself says about these questions:
· How many wisemen does the Bible say came to visit Yeshua? (Matthew 2:1-12)
· What did Mary ride on the way to Bethlehem? (Luke 2:1-6)
How did you do? Were the answers as you expected from the Bible stories? I’ve found many answers in the Bible that were not what I expected, based on teachers from my past.
Stories make a lasting impression on people. And WE make a lasting impression on people. It is our responsibility to seek G-d in His Word and then to share what He showed us was important.
So take a lesson from the priests and prepare your own heart to dwell with G-d first, and then take care to only do what G-d told you to do. I leave you with this quote from part of Leviticus 10:3,
“This is what Adonai said:
‘Through those who are near me I will be consecrated, and before all the people I will be glorified.’”
Shabbat Shalom! I’ll start by praising the Lord that even though we are physically distant we can still connect with each other for service and Torah Club. We miss you all very much but are thankful to be able to worship with you virtually until we can all be together again.
This week in Tzav we have more instructions concerning the sacrifices – the burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, and peace offerings. As always, the Lord has an order to things, and the peace offering is always last in that order. There is a wonderful statement in Torah Club: Shadows of Messiah this week, where it is explaining that the order of the sacrifices teaches us about approaching God, “Only after the impurity of sin has been cleansed and the self has been surrendered to God is the worshiper ready to enjoy peace and fellowship with the Almighty as symbolized by the peace offering.” The peace offering is sometimes called the fellowship offering. A portion of the offering is for the Lord, a portion is given to the priesthood, and the rest is for the giver and shared with others in fellowship. Therefore, the peace offering gives the worshiper the opportunity to fellowship with the Lord, the priesthood, and his fellow man.
Psalm 34 describes peace as something we should pursue…
Psalm 34:12(11)-15(14)
12 (11) Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of Adonai. 13 (12) Which of you takes pleasure in living? Who wants a long life to see good things? 14 (13) [If you do,] keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceiving talk; 15 (14) turn from evil, and do good; seek peace, go after it!
To pursue peace means we have to take action, we have to look for it, find it, cultivate it. Obviously, peace is something that everyone wants, right now especially, with the world full of uncertainty. This week during devotional time with the kids the devotion (Jesus Calling for Kids, April 2nd) noted that one our greatest needs is for His Peace. It went on further to describe the Lord as the Gardener of our hearts and where He is planting seeds of peace but the world is also sowing seeds that become weeds of pride, worry, and selfishness. If you have ever gardened, you know the best way to get rid of weeds is to not let them grow or they will take over your life! It’s also easier to pull them up after rain or watering. When the ground is soft and wet it takes very little effort to rid your garden of the pesky invaders. It is the same for the garden of our hearts, taking in the living water of His Word is the surest way to more easily rid ourselves of the weeds of pride, worry, and selfishness and leave us only with the fruit of His Peace.
Like the peace offering described in this week’s parsha, the opportunity to enjoy the fruit of His Peace does require us to sacrifice, but instead of an animal from our flock, it is a sacrifice of our time. When we make this sacrifice and sit at His feet, fellowship with Him in His Word, peace is cultivated in our hearts. Only then will we have the fruit of His Peace to share with those the Lord has given us the opportunity to fellowship. If we pursue His Peace, we will have His Peace to share. We know there are so many right now in desperate need of His Peace. As His children, let’s pray that He will show us how we can be used at this time to spread His Peace to those who do not know Him.
I hope and pray that you all are well and stay well. I pray that as we feel the weeds choking in on the peace that is available to us in Messiah, that He will remind us to drink from His Living Water and be refreshed by His Peace. In Yeshua’s Name… Amen
I will end with the entirety of Psalm 34. May it remind us all that He is taking care of us and will take care of us through it all… Shabbat Shalom
Samantha Dotson
Psalm 34 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
34 2 (1) I will bless Adonai at all times;
his praise will always be in my mouth.
3 (2) When I boast, it will be about Adonai;
the humble will hear of it and be glad.
4 (3) Proclaim with me the greatness of Adonai;
let us exalt his name together.
5 (4) I sought Adonai, and he answered me;
he rescued me from everything I feared.
6 (5) They looked to him and grew radiant;
their faces will never blush for shame.
7 (6) This poor man cried; Adonai heard
and saved him from all his troubles.
8 (7) The angel of Adonai, who encamps
around those who fear him, delivers them.
9 (8) Taste, and see that Adonai is good.
How blessed are those who take refuge in him!
10 (9) Fear Adonai, you holy ones of his,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
11 (10) Young lions can be needy, they can go hungry,
but those who seek Adonai lack nothing good.
12 (11) Come, children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of Adonai.
13 (12) Which of you takes pleasure in living?
Who wants a long life to see good things?
14 (13) [If you do,] keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from deceiving talk;
15 (14) turn from evil, and do good;
seek peace, go after it!
16 (15) The eyes of Adonai watch over the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry.
17 (16) But the face of Adonai opposes those who do evil,
to cut off all memory of them from the earth.
18 (17) [The righteous] cried out, and Adonai heard,
and he saved them from all their troubles.
19 (18) Adonai is near those with broken hearts;
he saves those whose spirit is crushed.
20 (19) The righteous person suffers many evils,
but Adonai rescues him out of them all.
21 (20) He protects all his bones;
not one of them gets broken.
22 (21) Evil will kill the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
One day I was working. It was a truck day, so I was taking boxes off of a pallet and putting them on carts. I was humming this song. G-d dropped some wonderful truth in my spirit. I am alive to worship Him! This, to me, is very exciting news! At a time when all we hear about is “the virus”, the truth about who I am and why I’m here remains unchanged. I can fulfill my purpose no matter what is happening in the world around me. In our Torah club lesson for this week, it said “the worshiper desires to present a gift to G-d”. G-d created us for worship. His desire is for our lives to be a burnt offering. For our lives, our worship, to be “wasted” on Him. We can do that every day, in any circumstance.
Let’s read Isaiah 43:23-24. “You have not brought me sheep for your burnt offerings, you have not honored me with your sacrifices. I didn’t burden you by requiring grain offerings or weary you by demanding frankincense. You have not spent money to buy me sweet cane or filled me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your crimes.” The Israelites were to bring their burnt offerings just because they wanted to give something to G-d. It was an entire and total sacrifice of worship. The sacrifice was completely burned up. I believe that this is what we are to offer as well. That He desires for us to offer all of ourselves to Him completely, without holding anything back from Him. I found it very comforting to know that I can fulfill my purpose, even in these times we are living in. I hope you do as well.
The theme of the book of Exodus essentially turns on two great events.1. The deliverance of the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt.2. The subsequent revelation at Sinai (mattan Torah, giving of the Torah)
Moses actually ascended Mt. Sinai no less than eight times.
Just after G-d finished explaining the final details of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and named Betzalel as its chief architect, He turned His attention back to the Ten Commandments. And before He actually handed the physical tablets to Moses, however, the LORD elaborated on the importance of observing the Shabbat day.
Moses assembled the people of Israel together, to teach them the Torah that he received upon Mount Sinai. Moses called on them to rebuild and restructure the fragmented life, the disorder, which was disrupted from sin; and began to reconstruct the spiritual life in order that the children of Israel might once again become in harmony with their Master.
The first item on the list was the importance of observing Shabbat. This is to be a day of “complete rest” with the stricture that whoever does any work (melakhah) on it shall be put to death.
Since Moses gave the prohibition that no fire was to be kindled on the Shabbat, the last Mitzvah (commandment) traditionally performed before the ordained Day of Rest begins is the kindling of the Shabbat candles.
The woman of the house first lights the candles 18 minutes before sundown when the Shabbat begins, and they say the blessing over the flames, officially commencing the holiness of the day of rest.
“Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Shabbat day.” (Deuteronomy 5:15)
In other words, the Shabbat is a weekly reminder that the LORD is both our Creator and our Redeemer.
In this Torah Portion, there are 3 concepts very important to understand:1. Shabbat – this represents the time2. Tabernacle – this represents the place3. Israelites – this represents the man
These 3 concepts have a force that connects them in perfect harmony. Without one, you would not have the other two, at least not in the same way. These three have influence on each other, and they are linked in nature.
The construction of the tabernacle is similar to the creation of the universe. Both brought happiness, because the essences of the sanctity of G-d was there in the tabernacle and the light of G-od illuminated the whole world. Both were intended to be places where G-d could meet with His people and where people could know their Creator.
The commandment of Shabbat is very important – to respect the Shabbat. Even the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) had to wait for Shabbat because the construction of the Mishkan(Tabernacle) is a created work that shows mastery over creation, rather than respecting the creation work which G-d finished. To put this in perspective, the Shabbat is a day to rest and watch the trees bloom, not a day to cut them down and form new structures of your own.
Creating something new on Shabbat is prohibited because you are changing creation.
–This type of work is not permitted on Shabbat
–It is important to engage only in those types of activities that enhance the joy, rest, and holiness of the day.
The penalty for desecrating the Shabbat was severe, normally death itself.
“For whoever does any work on it shall be cut off from among his people.”
This cutting off means being severed from his or her roots. And therefore the profane person has effectively become dead to the things of the spirit (aka, spiritually dead).
The commandment to guard the Shabbat is placed at this point in the narrative in light of that was required to create the Tabernacle. Even though its construction was sanctified work, the workman could not overlook the sacred institution of the Shabbat. Since that would confuse the “means” with the “end”of the Sanctuary itself. To create the good and holy, you must still do the work in a good and holy way.
The word Shavat (rest) is a technical term, understood to be the opposite of melakhah (work).
So what is work? There are 39 creative activities that were required for the creation, set up, and maintenance of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and its furnishings. These 39 activities are called Avot Melakhah, the “father of work,” and are regarded as foundational categories for understanding other types of work which are similar and derived from them.
The 39 Prohibited Activities(from Mishnah Tractate Shabbat 7:2)
-Shearing wool-Washing wool-Beating wool-Dyeing wool-Spinning-Warping (part of the set-up for weaving)-Making 2 loops-Weaving 2 threads-Separating 2 threads-Tying-Untying-Sewing stitches-Tearing
-Trapping-Slaughtering-Flaying-Tanning-Scraping hide-Marking hides-Cutting hide to shape
-Writing two or more letters-Erasing 2 or more letters-Building-Demolishing-Extinguishing a fire-Kindling a fire-Putting the finishing touch on an object-Transporting an object between a private domain and the public domain or for a distance of 4 cubits within the public domain.
Groups:
The 39 categories of activity prohibited on Shabbat can be divided into four groups• 11 categories are activities required for baking bread.• 13 categories are activities required to make a garment.• 9 categories are activities required to make leather.• 6 categories are activities required to build a structure or building.
Permitted Activities
The following activities are encouraged on Shabbat:o Spending Shabbat together with one’s own immediate family.o Temple attendance for prayers.o Visiting family and friends (within walking distance).o Hosting guests (hachnasat orchim “hospitality”)o Singing zemirot for Shabbat (special songs for Shabbat)o Reading, studying, and discussing Torah and commentary, Mishnah and Talmud, learning some Halakha and Midrash.
Putting the Shabbat in the Middle
We were not meant to work hard all week, with no thought for Shabbat, until the day itself actually appears, and then promptly forget about Shabbat when Sunday arrives. Instead, your whole week should be focused around the Shabbat. The Shabbat preparation begins 3 days before Shabbat – on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. That is where the light of the coming Shabbat begins shining.
Then, in the Middle, is the glorious Shabbat.
And the 3 days after Shabbat – Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday – they continue receiving the spiritual light of the past Shabbat.
In this way, even though Shabbat is the 7th (and last) day of the week, it remains the center of your focus throughout the week.
Here, the Shabbat represents the Menorah of the sacred Temple because the Shabbat is the fount of blessings for the whole week, and the Shabbat is the center of the week. The Shabbat is the blessing and the essence of the time.
Yeshua is our Sabbath Rest.
For Messianic believers, Shabbat represents the finished work of Yeshua on our behalf and our new lives as a “New Creation” before the LORD God of Israel.1. The Shabbat remembers G-d as our Creator (Genesis 2:2 and Exodus 31:12-17)2. The Shabbat is one of the first things G-d blessed (Genesis 2:3)3. The Shabbat remembers Yetziat Mitzrayim – the Exodus from Egypt and G-d’s Salvation (Deut 5:15)4. The Shabbat is one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11, Deut 5:12)5. Yeshua and His disciples observed the Shabbat day and its customs (Mark 1:21, Mark 6:2, Luke 4:16)6. The Apostle Paul observed the Shabbat (Acts 13:13-42 and Acts 18:4)7. The Shabbat provides a means of identifying with the Jewish people, learning about the Shabbat improves your Jewish literacy to make you a more effective witness to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:19)8. The Shabbat is a delight – not a burden, a time for celebrating your personal rest in our Messiah Yeshua (Isaiah 58:13, Hebrews 4:9)
Indeed, all those who honor the Shabbat including the foreigners of Israel will be given a name that is better than sons and daughters and that will never be cut off (Isaiah 56:3-8).9. The Shabbat will be honored in the Millennial Kingdom to come, from new moon to new moon, and from Shabbat to Shabbat, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, declares the LORD (Isaiah 66:23)10. The Shabbat will be honored in the heavenly Jerusalem. The tree of life is said to yield 12 kinds of fruit, a different fruit each month. (Revelations 22:2).
Notice that the 12 fruits from the Tree of Life are directly linked to the 12 months of the Jewish year – each month rendering its fruit.
In other words, the sequence of the holidays (moedim), including Shabbat, were always intended to teach us grand revelation about G-d. That is why G-d created the sun and the moon for signs and for appointed times (Genesis 1:14 and Psalm 104:19)
HAFTARAH READING SUMMARY The Haftarah of Parashat Vayakhel is about the first Temple (bet hamikdash) that Solomon constructed. In particular, details about the Temple furnishings made by King Hiram of Tyre on behalf of Solomon are detailed in this reading.
BRIT CHADASHA SUMMARY
The Brit Chadasha reading first repeats the idea of “cheerful giving” that the children of Israel depicted when they gave their freewill offering for the construction of the mishkan(Tabernacle).
The second reading (from 1 Corinthians) reminds us that Yeshua the Mashiach is the true foundation of the Temple and we are the “living stones” of which it is made up.
VERSES REFERENCED IN THIS D’RASH
Deuteronomy 5:15
You are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Adonai your God brought you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore Adonai your God has ordered you to keep the day of Shabbat.
Genesis 2:2
On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Exodus 31:12-17
12 Adonai said to Moshe, 13 “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘You are to observe my Shabbats; for this is a sign between me and you through all your generations; so that you will know that I am Adonai, who sets you apart for me. 14 Therefore you are to keep my Shabbat, because it is set apart for you. Everyone who treats it as ordinary must be put to death; for whoever does any work on it is to be cut off from his people. 15 On six days work will get done; but the seventh day is Shabbat, for complete rest, set apart for Adonai. Whoever does any work on the day of Shabbat must be put to death. 16 The people of Isra’el are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the people of Isra’el forever; for in six days Adonai made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and rested.’”
Genesis 2:3
God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce.
Deuteronomy 5:15
You are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Adonai your God brought you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore Adonai your God has ordered you to keep the day of Shabbat.
Exodus 20:8-11
8 “Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work — not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.
Deut 5:12
“‘Observe the day of Shabbat, to set it apart as holy, as Adonai your God ordered you to do.
Mark 1:21
They entered K’far-Nachum, and on ShabbatYeshua went into the synagogue and began teaching.
Mark 6:2
On Shabbat he started to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They asked, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom he has been given? What are these miracles worked through him?
Luke 4:16
Now when he went to Natzeret, where he had been brought up, on Shabbat he went to the synagogue as usual. He stood up to read,
Acts 13:13-42
3 Having set sail from Paphos, Sha’ul and his companions arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. There Yochanan left them and returned to Yerushalayim, 14 but the others went on from Perga to Pisidian Antioch, and on Shabbat they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Torah and from the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent them a message, “Brothers, if any of you has a word of exhortation for the people, speak!” 16 So Sha’ul stood, motioned with his hand, and said:
“Men of Isra’el and God-fearers, listen! 17 The God of this people Isra’el chose our fathers. He made the people great during the time when they were living as aliens in Egypt and with a stretched-out arm he led them out of that land.[a]18 For some forty years[b] he took care of them in the desert, 19 and after he had destroyed seven nations[c] in the land of Kena‘an he gave their land to his people as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. After that, he gave them judges,[d] down to the prophet Sh’mu’el. 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Sha’ul Ben-Kish, a man from the tribe of Binyamin. After forty years, 22 God removed him and raised up David as king for them, making his approval known with these words, ‘I found David Ben-Yishai to be a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want.’[e]
23 “In keeping with his promise, God has brought to Isra’el from this man’s descendants a deliverer, Yeshua. 24 Now before the coming of Yeshua, Yochanan proclaimed to all the people of Isra’el an immersion in connection with turning to God from sin. 25 But as Yochanan was ending his work, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? Well — I’m not! But after me is coming someone, the sandals of whose feet I am unworthy to untie.’
26 “Brothers! — sons of Avraham and those among you who are ‘God-fearers’! It is to us that the message of this deliverance has been sent! 27 For the people living in Yerushalayim and their leaders did not recognize who Yeshua was or understand the message of the Prophets read every Shabbat, so they fulfilled that message by condemning him. 28 They could not find any legitimate ground for a death sentence; nevertheless they asked Pilate to have him executed; 29 and when they had carried out all the things written about him, he was taken down from the stake[f] and placed in a tomb.
30 “But God raised him from the dead! 31 He appeared for many days to those who had come up with him from the Galil to Yerushalayim; and they are now his witnesses to the people.
32 “As for us, we are bringing you the Good News that what God promised to the fathers, 33 he has fulfilled for us the children in raising up Yeshua, as indeed it is written in the second Psalm,
‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’[g]
34 And as for his raising him up from the dead, to return to decay no more, he said,
‘I will give the holy and trustworthy things of David to you.’[h]
36 For David did indeed serve God’s purposes in his own generation; but after that, he died, was buried with his fathers and did see decay. 37 However, the one God raised up did not see decay.
38 “Therefore, brothers, let it be known to you that through this man is proclaimed forgiveness of sins! 39 That is, God clears everyone who puts his trust in this man, even in regard to all the things concerning which you could not be cleared by the Torah of Moshe.
40 “Watch out, then, so that this word found in the Prophets may not happen to you:
41 ‘You mockers! Look, and marvel, and die! For in your own time, I am doing a work that you simply will not believe, even if someone explains it to you!’ ”[j]
42 As they left, the people invited Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba to tell them more about these matters the following Shabbat.
Acts 18:4
Sha’ul also began carrying on discussions every Shabbat in the synagogue, where he tried to convince both Jews and Greeks.
Matthew 10:19
But when they bring you to trial, do not worry about what to say or how to say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you should say.
Isaiah 58:13
“If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, Adonai’s holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them.
Hebrews 4:9
So there remains a Shabbat-keeping for God’s people.
Isaiah 56:3-8
A foreigner joining Adonai should not say, “Adonai will separate me from his people”; likewise the eunuch should not say, “I am only a dried-up tree.”
4 For here is what Adonai says: “As for the eunuchs who keep my Shabbats, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant: 5 in my house, within my walls, I will give them power and a name greater than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to Adonai to serve him, to love the name of Adonai, and to be his workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” 8 Adonai Elohim says, he who gathers Isra’el’s exiles: “There are yet others I will gather, besides those gathered already.”
Isaiah 66:23
“Every month on Rosh-Hodesh and every week on Shabbat, everyone living will come to worship in my presence,” says Adonai.
Revelations 22:2
Between the main street and the river was the Tree of Life producing twelve kinds of fruit, a different kind every month; and the leaves of the tree were for healing the nations —
Genesis 1:14
God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to divide the day from the night; let them be for signs, seasons, days and years;
Psalm 104:19
You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set.
My study on the Holy Spirit is a work in progress, and my D’rash is not all-inclusive. G-d continues to give me more understanding of His Spirit and how it applies to me and my walk with Him. During my journey with G-d, I have attended many different types of congregations and experienced many different beliefs. I sometimes became confused and overwhelmed. Over the last six years, I have asked G-d exclusively to show me how His Spirit works in the lives of his people.
I feel I have a better understanding but still learning. I think the most important thing I learned over the years is balance—a balance of studying His Word and allowing His Holy Spirit to work through me. So here goes; hope you enjoy it!
As I read this week’s Torah portion, one thing jumped off the page at me: the mention of the spiritual gifts given to, Bezaleel from the tribe of Judah, and Aholiab from the tribe of Dan. In Exodus 31, G-d is speaking to Moses and tells him that He, “God” has chosen these two men and filled them with His Spirit to walk in the gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, and all manner of workmanship. How had I missed that over the last 30 years? God administered the Gifts of the Spirit in the Torah? I had to think back to all the teachings concerning the Holy Spirit in the B’rit Chadasha. I had been taught previously that the Gifts of the Spirit were given first on the day of Pentecost. Yes, the Spirit of God came upon the disciples, his chosen ones that day. It appeared as Tongues of Fire and enabled them to speak in languages that were not familiar. But this was not just a New Testament idea! The Torah uses the same terminology to describe the endowment of God’s Spirit on Joshua and Caleb. In those examples, the Torah compares a person to a vessel; God’s Spirit can fill a human being like water can fill a jar. In Isaiah 42:1 the Lord is speaking of the Messiah saying, “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him.” The term “Holy Spirit” used in the B’rit Chadasha and other first-century writings means the same thing as it does in the Tanach.
So,what does this all mean?
The disciples of Yeshua on that day experienced a second giving of the Torah. That day was the anniversary of the giving of the Torah. They knew the rabbinic legends about the words of fire dividing into seventy languages as they left the mouth of God. Those legends gave significance to the miracles and signs and wonders of the Torah. It’s a connection between His Holy Spirit and His Holy Torah.
How do we, as believers, balance all this? Like a three-legged table! Let me explain. The legs are representative of: The Giving of the Torah, the giving of the Spirit and The Gospel Message (The Kingdom of God is at hand) I believe we need all three legs to function correctly. The problem is that if you take one leg away, the table will tip over.
Let’s examine a few problems of a three-legged table as it pertains to balancing our spiritual walk.
The Church has the Spirit leg and the Gospel leg, but most of the time excludes the Torah leg. (Wow before my study of Tora h my table was wobbly- Did and saw a lot of weird things. Why is that? Because I was missing a leg-The Torah) Messianic Judaism has the Spirit leg and the Torah Leg, but is it possible that sometimes we exclude the Gospel leg?
(During the first couple of years of studying Torah I threw the Holy Spirit and Gospel out with the bathwater) Why? Because I was missing a leg to my table.
Maybe these missing legs account for some of the problems and abuses we associate with the Holy Spirit! I feel we need to balance all three: Torah, Spirit, and Gospel.
I just know that I want to be a vessel unto God. I want him to fill me with His Spirit so I can be the woman of God that He wants me to be. I want to use the Gifts that God has given me to further the Gospel through the study of the entire Bible.
I desire to continue to study the Torah, listen to God’s Spirit, and live out the Gospel of Yeshua.
Don’t be afraid to step out and let the Spirit of God work through you at your job, at home, or in the congregation. Be open to what the Spirit is telling you to do. Why? Because you may be the one that G-d chooses to minister to that person who works with you or the person that is set beside you today or someone standing in line with you at the grocery store tomorrow.
I would love to hear your comments about your understanding of the Spirit of God and how He has worked in your life!
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