Parashat Chukat / פרשת חקת
Pesukim פסוקים are the "verses" of Scripture divided into Parashaot (Portions) read in the synagogue each week. On Monday's & Thursdays there are 3 divisions of the week's Parasha read and on Shabbat all 6 are read including a Maftir (added), which makes up the final Pesukim (verses) of the Parasha totaling (7) Aliyot each week. Rabbi Eric will give a short d'rash on each of the daily Pesukim that make up the week's Parasha for a good daily dose of Torah. For more explanation on how the Torah is read and divided daily and weekly in the Synagogue see the following links:
The Daily Pesuk for, Wednesday June 20, 2018 / 7,Tamuz 5778
Numbers 20:14-21 (8 p'sukim)
Numbers 20:14-21 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
Edom Denies Passage
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. “Thus says your brother, Israel:
‘You know all the hardship that came on us. 15 Our forefathers went down to Egypt, so we lived there for a very long time. The Egyptians mistreated us, and our fathers. 16 But we cried out to Adonai, He heard our cry, sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. See now, we are at Kadesh, a town on the frontier of your territory. 17 Permit us to pass through your territory. We will not cross through any field or vineyard or drink water of any well. But we will travel on the king’s highway. We will not deviate to the right or left until we will have passed through your territory.’”
18 But Edom said to him, “You may not pass through me—or I will march out against you with the sword.”
19 Bnei-Yisrael then said to him, “We will travel on the main road, and if we or our livestock even drink any of your water, we will pay its price. It’s nothing, just to pass through on foot!”
20 He answered, “You may not pass through!” Yet Edom came out to oppose them with a large and well-armed people. 21 Since Edom refused to permit Israel to cross through her territory, Israel turned away from them.
14 וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח מֹשֶׁ֧ה מַלְאָכִ֛ים מִקָּדֵ֖שׁ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ אֱד֑וֹם כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אָחִ֣יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַתְּלָאָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר מְצָאָֽתְנוּ׃
15 וַיֵּרְד֤וּ אֲבֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וַנֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים וַיָּרֵ֥עוּ לָ֛נוּ מִצְרַ֖יִם וְלַאֲבֹתֵֽינוּ׃
16 וַנִּצְעַ֤ק אֶל־יְהוָה֙ וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח מַלְאָ֔ךְ וַיֹּצִאֵ֖נוּ מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וְהִנֵּה֙ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ בְקָדֵ֔שׁ עִ֖יר קְצֵ֥ה גְבוּלֶֽךָ׃
17 נַעְבְּרָה־נָּ֣א בְאַרְצֶ֗ךָ לֹ֤א נַעֲבֹר֙ בְּשָׂדֶ֣ה וּבְכֶ֔רֶם וְלֹ֥א נִשְׁתֶּ֖ה מֵ֣י בְאֵ֑ר דֶּ֧רֶךְ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ נֵלֵ֗ךְ לֹ֤א נִטֶּה֙ יָמִ֣ין וּשְׂמֹ֔אול עַ֥ד אֲשֶֽׁר־נַעֲבֹ֖ר גְּבוּלֶֽךָ׃
18 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֱד֔וֹם לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר בִּ֑י פֶּן־בַּחֶ֖רֶב אֵצֵ֥א לִקְרָאתֶֽךָ׃
19 וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֵלָ֥יו בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ בַּֽמְסִלָּ֣ה נַעֲלֶה֒ וְאִם־מֵימֶ֤יךָ נִשְׁתֶּה֙ אֲנִ֣י וּמִקְנַ֔י וְנָתַתִּ֖י מִכְרָ֑ם רַ֥ק אֵין־דָּבָ֖ר בְּרַגְלַ֥י אֶֽעֱבֹֽרָה׃
20 וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֣א תַעֲבֹ֑ר וַיֵּצֵ֤א אֱדוֹם֙ לִקְרָאת֔וֹ בְּעַ֥ם כָּבֵ֖ד וּבְיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃
21 וַיְמָאֵ֣ן׀ אֱד֗וֹם נְתֹן֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עֲבֹ֖ר בִּגְבֻל֑וֹ וַיֵּ֥ט יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעָלָֽיו׃ פ
Why did the King of Edom not allow Israel to pass through the Land? Understandably, perhaps at first he didn't want this nation to mingle through the populated cities, so when Moshe "counter-proposed" that they just travel on the main road and even pay for their water (even though they had their own miraculous source of water that followed them)...Edom still reacted harshly with their "sword"!
Why? We should take note that these pesukim begin with Moshe writing "Thus says your BROTHER..." Remembering, that the Edomites were once closely related to the Jews. The father of the Edomites was Esau, the brother of Jacob. There was a breakdown in the relationship between Esau and Jacob, due to Jacob's taking of the blessing, even though Esau scorned his inheritance. Jacob managed to pacify his brother's rage when they reunited 20 years later, but the Torah says that Esau went to Mt. Seir and Jacob turned his own way to Sukkot. The two became two separate nations, and had this event here in Numbers 20 been handled differently by the King of Edom, by not holding a grudge and showing kindness to their brothers, a blessing would've followed them.
However, that was not the case, and the final pesuk remains significant: "Israel turned away from them." This shows that the final nail in the coffin between these former "cousins" had been hammered in. No longer could Israel trust their Edomite brothers. In fact things only got worse from there...
Fast forward to the Babylonian captivity, or shortly before. Israel has sinned greatly against Adonai, and God is about to deliver Israel into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon. How does Edom respond to this threat to the Israelites?
Psalm 137:7 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
7 Remember, Adonai, the children of Edom,
what they said on the day Jerusalem fell:
“Strip her, strip her to her very foundation!”
Edom was rejoicing at the exile and destruction of Israel and Jerusalem, and even according to the tradition, when Israel was attempting to escape the city of Jerusalem from the Babylonian hordes the Edomite armies waited to ambush them as they fled the city.
God did indeed remember and later gave a whole chapter of prophecy against Edom to the Prophet Obadiah.
Obadiah pesuk 8-7: 8 In that day,”—declares Adonai—
“will I not destroy the wise men from Edom
and understanding from the hill country of Esau?
9 Then your mighty men, O Teman, will be shattered
—so everyone will be cut off from the hill country of Esau by slaughter.
Esau & Edom represent all that is evil in the world and all that is Anti-Israel and "ANTI-MESSIAH".
Interestingly, the Rambam Moses ben Maimon, commonly known as Maimonides, composed in Middle-Age Egypt (c.1176 - c.1178 CE) in his Mishne Torah, Ch. 11: "The King Messiah will arise and re-establish the monarchy of David as it was in former times. He will build the Sanctuary and gather in the dispersed of Israel. All the earlier statutes will be restored as they once were. Sacrifices will be offered, the Sabbatical and Jubilee years will be observed, as commanded in the Torah. Anyone who does not believe in him or one who does not anticipate his coming not only denies the Prophets, but also the Torah and Moses our Teacher. For the Torah has given testimony about him saying, “And the Lord your G-d will turn your captivity and have compassion with you. He will return and gather you from all the peoples…If any of you should be dispersed at the ends of Heaven, from there G-d will gather you, from there He will fetch you. And the Lord, your G-d will bring you…” (Deut. 30:3-4). These matters are explicit in the Torah and include everything said by all the Prophets. It is even written in the Chapter of Balaam who prophesized about both the Messiahs. The first Messiah was David who saved Israel from her adversities. The final Messiah will be from his sons and will deliver Israel from the hands of the descendants of Esau. There it says, “I shall see him, but not now” (Numbers 24:17) - this refers to David; “I behold him, and not soon” (ibid.) - this is the King Messiah; “A star from Jacob shall step forth” (ibid.) - this is David; “and a scepter shall arise out of Israel” (ibid.) - this the King Messiah; “and shall smite through the corners of Moab” - this is David; and so it says, “And he smote Moab and measured them with a rope” (II Samuel 8:2); “and break down all the sons of Seth” (Numbers 24:17) - this is King Messiah of whom it says, “and his dominion shall be from sea to sea” (Zechariah 9:10); “and Edom shall be a possession” (Numbers 24:18) - this is David, as it says, “And Edom shall become slaves to David” (see II Samuel 8:6 and II Samuel 8:14); “Seir also, even his enemies, shall be a possession” (Numbers 24:18) - this is King Messiah, as it says, “And the saviors shall come upon Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau…” (Obadiah 1:21).
Here Rambam alludes to "two" Messiahs (some rabbis illustrate that the Suffering Messiah will come first he is referred to as Messiah ben Yosef, then later a Redeeming Messiah will come and conquer and he will be referred to as Messiah ben David.
Certainly, we as Messianic Jews do not see "two messiahs" rather 1 Messiah who comes and delivers Israel twice. First, from all of our sins, by his death effects our atonement (as we studied yesterday), and a second time to redeem us from Edom.
Who is Edom? The sages of Israel teach that the present exile we are in is the "Roman Exile" and that Rome is the descendants of the Edomites. Our Messiah, when He returns will ultimately end the Roman Exile and defeat the descendents of Esau. More on the connection between Rome and Esau can be found here: History Crash Course #30 The Romans.
So how does this all boil down for us today?
Today, we see many Esau's in the world. Anti-Semites, also those who support BDS (Boycott, Divest & Sanction) against Israel, Iran, PLO, Hezbollah, Hamas, other Islamic terrorists, White Supremacists, Neo-Nazi's and yes even Anti-Semitic Christians. And another Edom we see is the UN SECURITY COUNCIL which thankfully the U.S. just withdrew from just yesterday.
Our Pesukim today ends with Israel withdrawing from Edom, turning their backs to them. The U.S. just did the same with the U.N. Security Council, we turned our backs on Edom, we shall be blessed!!!
We should all turn our backs on those who hate Israel, remembering that those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed. (Gen. 12).
While at the same time, holding out our hands in peace towards those (regardless of bloodline), who have not yet decided which side they will stand for. May all nations turn and repent to the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, in the Name of Yeshua.
Romans 9:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God; rather, the children of the promise are counted as seed. 9 For the word of promise is this: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only this, but also Rebecca having twins, from one act with our father Isaac. 11 Yet before the sons were even born and had not done anything good or bad—so that God’s purpose and choice might stand not because of works but because of Him who calls— 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Amen.
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