tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24006297846202508522024-02-18T23:30:11.856-08:00 Rabbi Eric David Lakatos' BlogRabbi Eric's commentary on Messianic Judaism and life in our community here in Cleveland, Ohio.
Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.comBlogger270125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-53717981884622473242021-08-17T10:41:00.003-07:002021-08-17T16:46:48.751-07:00How do you prepare for High Holy Days? <h4 style="text-align: left;">This post is designed to give helpful advice directly to members and regular attenders, and those interested in observing God's Appointed Fall Feasts of Israel here at Tikvat Yisrael Messianic Synagogue. Anyone however may benefit from this post.</h4><div>A Messianic synagogue is unique in the sense that it is made up of individuals from various backgrounds, Jewish and Gentile, and all from a variety of religious communities. Our Jewish members, some of whom were raised Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, or completely Secular. Our Gentile families also have derived from a complex history of Christian denominational backgrounds, more than can be listed here in this blog post! Nevertheless, according to the Bible in Ephesians 2, we are taught that we all makeup Messiah's body and we are One New Man together, as One in Messiah Yeshua. One body, one mikveh (immersion), and One Faith. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nevertheless, within the Body of Messiah, there are a variety of different expressions of this One Faith, and there are cultural and even doctrinal differences as we all know and can imagine. This reality can bring its challenges to a Messianic Jewish synagogue that is committed to Jewish identity and culture while at the same time, welcoming non-Jews who want to be with us in this community. Since 1 Cor. 7 prohibits converting Gentiles into Jews and Acts 15 & 21 give us the Apostolic decision not to require Gentiles to become "Jews"; we, therefore, are a bit of a "mish-mash" of peoples from among all nations coming under the banner of Messianic Judaism. This is beautiful when it works smoothly. </div><div><br /></div><div>It has its challenges, and when the High Holy Days roll around each year, and over the years those challenges become more noticeable. That is what I would like to address for the remainder of this post.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 23rd chapter of Leviticus is one that outlines the Hebrew calendar and all of God's Appointed Times, known as "moadim", (literally: 'appointed times'). </div><div><br /></div><div>"<i><b>23 Adonai spoke to Moses saying: 24 “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: <u>In the seventh month</u>, <u>on the first day of the month</u>, you are to have a <u>Shabbat rest</u>, a memorial of <u>blowing (shofarot)</u>, <u>a holy convocation</u>. 25 <u>You are to do no regular work</u>, and you are to <u>present an offering</u> made by fire to Adonai.</b></i>” (Lev. 23:23-25).</div><div><br /></div><div>Each year, many of our people, who are unfamiliar with the High Holy Days and appointed times of God, and have never observed these biblical holy days, are sometimes caught off guard when they roll around and how to prepare for them...</div><div><br /></div><div>So, this should help many, hopefully. First, notice what this particular holy day is... there are 7 things that are laid out to describe this holy day for us:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. In the 7th month (Hebrew month), that would be Tishrei. It occurs usually around September-October - NOTE IT CAN FALL ANYWHERE AROUND THIS TWO MONTH PERIOD, AND NOTICE SOMETHING ELSE...</div><div><br /></div><div>2. It is the FIRST DAY of the 7th month. That means it can fall just about ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. It is NOT always on a Saturday. </div><div><br /></div><div>3. What do we do on this day? First, we are commanded to have a Shabbat rest, (i.e., remember it may fall any day of the week, a Shabbat "rest" doesn't mean it's always on "Saturday". </div><div><br /></div><div>4. Second, we are to blow and hear the Shofar that day. The worship must include the traditional sounds of the Shofar. These blasts actually have names and syncopations: "Tikeeah", "Taruah", "Shevarim" and "Tikeeah Gedolah". Each has its own sound. So it's not just "blowing" it once, there is a whole series of blasts and they all have meaning.</div><div><br /></div><div>5. Third - we are to convene. That means God commands us to "Come Together" into a Holy Convocation. In other words, this is a pretty serious appointment/gathering (it cannot properly be observed alone in isolation), or in a "prayer closet". </div><div><br /></div><div>6. Fourth - No work - that means literally no labor/earning money, buying or selling. This is where most people are caught off guard. Since it can fall during the week....</div><div><br /></div><div>7. Present an offering. NOTE: The Torah calls this a "Korban Isheh" An offering made by fire. <span style="font-size: large;">וְהִ<b>קְרַבְ</b>תֶּם אִשֶּׁה, לַיהוָה.</span> V'hi'krabetem Isheh L'Adonai. The root of this first word is: <span style="font-size: large;"><b>קרב</b> </span>Kof Resh Bet, and it means "to draw near". Korban means to draw near but it has a dual meaning, to draw near with your offering. The vav and the hey before the root means "<b>and you will"</b>...the tav and final mem as the suffix indicates <b>you</b> meaning a group of people, "<b>you all</b>", in other words, the people God is addressing through Moses, namely <b>Israel</b>! What is the point of this?</div><div><br /></div><div>The Korban is NOT the Tithe, it is a separate special offering just for this occasion. It is not the regular daily Tamid offering or the regular Tithe offering, it is its own Rosh Hashanah offering...</div><div><br /></div><div>Have you prepared your special Rosh Hashanah offering to Adonai, yet? Have you thought and prayed about what you plan to bring before the King at this appointed time? </div><div><br /></div><div>Preparing for the High Holy Day is not the same as just showing up and thoughtlessly throwing in any extra change we find in our pockets along with the lint that comes with it. </div><div><br /></div><div>The fact it is called Isheh (fire) means that it is wholly given over, completely burned in smoke up to the Lord, nothing is held back or shared. In other words, it is not a "fellowship offering" where everyone shares a piece of challah that someone brings. No, it is completely 100% for Adonai. </div><div><br /></div><div>So this is what it means to prepare for Rosh Hashanah. One last thing. Since this year Rosh Hashanah and many of the rest of the High Holy Days fall on weeknights and weekday mornings... HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING YOUR RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION REQUEST TO YOUR EMPLOYER TO GET THESE DAYS OFF? </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Every year I provide letters</u> on Tikvat letterhead explaining that you are a member of Tikvat and as a member, your religious obligation requires you to be excused from work on these holy days. The State of Ohio as well as most all States in the Union have laws that protect and guarantee religious accommodation to be made on behalf of all employees. In other words, it is the LAW that your employer must give you these days off upon your request. A letter from your rabbi will assist in helping you request the High Holy Days off. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>Are employers required to accommodate the religious beliefs and practices of applicants and employees? Yes. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on religion. This includes refusing to accommodate an employee's sincerely held religious beliefs or practices unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship (more than a minimal burden on the operation of the business). A religious practice may be sincerely held by an individual even if newly adopted, not consistently observed, or different from the commonly followed tenets of the individual's religion. see more at: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/what-you-should-know-workplace-religious-accommodation </div></div><div><br /></div><div>So, there you have it, friends. There is nothing holding you back from being at this Holy Convocation. It is time to be getting ready. Get your days off now, put in your requests, if you need a letter, call the office and let me know, I'll even email it to you. 216-297-9929. This is for those who are committed to regular attendance and membership at Tikvat Yisrael. </div><div><br /></div><div>Shalom,</div><div>R' Eric </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-49180401442581516932021-04-08T17:34:00.002-07:002021-04-08T17:34:36.015-07:00"To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate, That is the Question"<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>“To Vaccinate or
Not to Vaccinate – That is the Question.”<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In his play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare made the line famous, “To be or not to
be…”. The great question facing most Americans today is whether to vaccinate,
or not, against the Covid-19 virus. Before giving a spiritual, pastoral answer
to this dilemma, I first want to summarize the description of the landscape
surrounding this conundrum within this brief article. Since the beginning of
this global pandemic, the Covid virus has literally brought out the best and
the worst of humanity. This issue, as with just about every other issue, has
become highly dramatized and politicized in and by the media. Social media has
not helped this situation either, it has only made it worse. It has gotten to
the point, that no matter where one stands on the issue, you are damned if you
do or damned if you don’t; and inevitably someone around you will take offense
in disagreement over your choice either way on the matter. Gone are the days of
civil disagreements. Today, if someone disagrees with you, you are villainized
and hated by your opposition. We can go even farther back to the fall of 2016,
after the Presidential elections, remember all the coverage of the inability of
family celebrations of Thanksgiving? The effects of the political climate
deteriorated to the level where most every family in the United States was impacted.
For the subsequent four years virtually every holiday season saw families torn
apart and unable to even sit at the table together. Remember reading all the
advice columns on how to interact with aunts and uncles, parents and adult
children who differed on politics? It is sad to see that the condition has not
improved and now Covid has only contributed to the polarizing of American
society. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now,
we turn our attention to the issue at hand, the choice to vaccinate or not. I
will answer this in context of a Messianic rabbi serving a Messianic Jewish
community, within our relatively small Messianic movement worldwide. As
Messianic Jews, we are all too familiar with being marginalized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By nature, our very existence stirs up
controversy. Many Messianic biblical commentators have paraphrased Rav Shaul’s
words in 1 Cor. 4, to describe the survival of the Messianic Jew: <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">For
it seems to me that God has put us, the <s>emissaries</s>, [Messianic Jews] on
display last of all—like men sentenced to death. For we have become a spectacle
to the world, both to angels and to people. We are fools for Messiah’s sake,
but you are wise in Messiah! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored,
but we are dishonored! To this very hour we are both hungry and thirsty,
dressed in rags and mistreated and homeless. We toil, working with our own
hands. When we are cursed, we bless. When we are persecuted, we endure. When we
are slandered, we speak kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the dregs
of all things—even to this moment. (1 Cor. 4:9-13).<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/350d117b41545928/Desktop/To%20Vaccinate%20or%20Not%20to%20Vaccinate.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">We have chosen our lot, and most of
us have counted the cost with our decision to follow Yeshua of Nazareth. As
difficult as that naturally is, it not as unbearable as when your opponent comes
from your own mishpocha. We all know what Yeshua warned, “…and a man’s enemies
will be the members of his household.” (Matt. 10:36). However, my hermeneutical
understanding, and I would venture to say most of our understanding of this
pesuk is referring to our literal family members who are not born-again
believers in the Messiah. Unfortunately, we are coming to learn very quickly
that we must reevaluate our own exegesis and expand our definition of
“mishpocha”. It is now our spiritual family within our own Messianic
congregations. With the onset of the global pandemic, we now see that another
virus has infected the Body of Messiah, and it isn’t Covid. The Jewish element
of the Body of Messiah is suffering from the same acute case of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="mso-bidi-language: HE;">שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> “sinat chinam”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/350d117b41545928/Desktop/To%20Vaccinate%20or%20Not%20to%20Vaccinate.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>, the same dysfunction we are
witnessing in society in general. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Messianic Jewish movement has
reflected the same behavior as the wider gentile world when it comes to the
divisions over Covid-19. Opinions are broad on the topic of this pandemic, if
it can even be described this way; some would take exception. To some in our
movement it is a serious pandemic to others it is nothing but a conspiracy, a
“plan-demic”; and for others it is anything in between. Regardless, of how one
feels about it, many are frightened less of the virus itself, but more scared
to even share their opinion about it! This condition has considerably affected
the communal life within the Messianic synagogue as well. Speaking for myself,
as a rabbi, I can say with certainty that while most laymen have tremendous
opinions on the subject of Covid, little if any of them understand what it is
like to be in the seat where the buck stops, and the leaders’ decisions can
impact the health and well-being of every member of the kehillah, from the 90
year-old Holocaust survivor, to the infant who just had his bris, both those in
perfect health, and those who suffer terrible conditions. Lots of people have
lots of opinions, but it is usually based on their own personal perspective
with little to no consideration of how their actions, opinions, denunciations
of those they disagree with affect others. A critical spirit has infected the
Messianic movement and this essay is a word of warning to all of us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It has been almost one year since
the Governor of our State issued orders requiring all Ohioans to wear a mask in
all public places. Only one week before that order was issued in the summer of
2020, I and my board had made our own decision that we would require the same
policy at our synagogue. We made our decision, not out of fear, but in
consideration for every one of our sheep, <i><u>even those whom we knew were
fighting major life-threatening conditions such as cancer,</u></i> of whom
several were already getting radiation, and chemo therapy. We had no idea at
that time how this decision would have such a ripple effect. Within one week I
had several letters on my desk from families who were offended by this decision
and immediately withdrew their membership (without even a discussion), all at
the same time! The angry tones of the letters and the amount of kvetching was
tangible. One would think that we as a board had unilaterally decided to burn
down our own synagogue by the way many in our community were behaving. However,
others were grateful and expressed their appreciation and agreement with the
Board’s decision. This reminded me that again, when it comes to this issue, you
are “damned if you do or damned if you don’t.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We cannot please everyone. The decision over the mask though was only
the beginning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now, we all face another decision,
to vaccinate ourselves and our children or not. As soon as word came out that
vaccines were coming, I braced myself for what I knew was about to come:
additional controversies and rhetoric, especially on social media. What I now
see happening among the flock are sometimes vicious responses to anyone who
disagrees with a perspective on the vaccine. Some believe it is a “godsend”,
while others believe it is the “mark of the beast”. May God help you if you
choose to express your own opinion, especially on social media! Here we go
again! So, rabbi where do you stand? Everyone asks the rabbi all kinds of
things. Do you know what it is like to have your cell phone on and active on
the Eve of Pesach when everyone is trying to remove chometz from their homes?
All the halachic questions that come in…you either turn your phone off or you
hire a hotline to field them all. Imagine now, what it is like, should I get
the vaccine or not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s ask the rabbi…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So here is what the rabbi is going
to say. We all know that there is a disproportionate number of Jews in the
medical field. With all the Jewish doctors, we also know come all the Jewish
attorneys who are hired to sue the Jewish doctors for malpractice! Jews have
always dominated the medical industry and have contributed arguably more than
all others, just count the number of Jewish Nobel Prize winners for science and
medicine! For a population that is less than 1% of the earth’s population that
says something. It is simply not Jewish to oppose medicine. There are cults
such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and others like Scientologists who refuse medical
treatment based on religious observance; and that is their Constitutional
right, in so far as the law limits that in some cases. Nevertheless, it is
virtually the same as finding kosher pork in the meat section, as it would be
to find a Jew who refuses medical attention due to “religious reasons”. Even
Orthodox rabbis will give a “rabbinical dispensation” to any Frum Jew who
requires medicine that contains non-kosher resin to sustain life! Yet, we now
find many militant Messianics who believe they are the judge and the jury ready
to condemn anyone who does choose to vaccinate; and humiliate them on social
media. Yet, before Covid came around, would we find these same people consider
expressing attacks against those who choose chemotherapy? Somehow, now that
this issue is so political, many Messianics feel it is their duty to shame
anyone who chooses to get vaccinated. This is the plain fact. In so far as
Jehovah Witnesses and Scientologists have the God-given right to choose to
refrain from medical attention on certain matters, so too does any American
have the right to choose to refrain from any vaccine, in my opinion. (Yes, you
finally heard the rabbi’s opinion). No one should be forced against their own
conscience to be vaccinated. Likewise, those who do choose to exercise their
own right to receive such a vaccination should also be free to do so expecting
the same respect that others are given. There should be mutual love and respect
given, ESPECIALLY TO A BROTHER/SISTER IN THE LORD, who chooses either way. The
judgmental spirit that is being exercised in our movement is sickening and is worse
than Covid-19 itself! There is more to the issue, however. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is not only un-Jewish to be
anti-medicine, but also unbiblical. The Bible says many things about medicine:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;">2
Kings 20:7 Then Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.” So, they took one and laid it
on the boil, and he recovered.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;">Revelation
22:2 down the middle of the city’s street. On either side of the river was a
tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and
the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;">Jeremiah
51:8 Suddenly Babylon is fallen! Shattered! Howl over her! Bring balm for her
wound. Perhaps she may be healed?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;">Isaiah
1:6 From the foot to the head there is no soundness. Wounds, bruises, and raw
sores: not pressed, nor bandaged, nor softened with oil.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;">1
Timothy 5:23 (No longer drink only water but use a little wine for your stomach
and for your frequent ailments.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;">Luke
10:33 But a Samaritan who was traveling came upon him; and when he noticed the
man, he felt compassion. 34 He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring
on olive oil and wine. Then setting him on his own animal, he brought him to a
lodge for travelers and took care of him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;">Let
me be clear, however, I am NOT advocating that everyone go get vaccinated. What
I am saying is that everyone needs to make their own decision based on their
own relationship with God and be directed by their own conscience. Furthermore,
Godly Leadership, AND GODLY GOVERNMENT – AND GODLY BROTHERS AND SISTERS SHOULD
NEVER DO OR SAY ANYTHING TO VIOLATE SOMEONE’S CONSCIENCE! Everyone deserves the
respect due to their own choice, and along with that choice, there are
consequences. There are consequences on both sides of the issue, and all these
consequences need to be weighed carefully and in prayer by each individual. If
you choose to vaccinate, there are consequences such as the possibility you may
be allergic to it. There is a small number of those who have even died from
reactions to one. There could be other consequences not even foreseen, perhaps
it may not work as well as we thought? On the other hand, those who choose not
to vaccinate will no doubt experience consequences as well. Those without
vaccinations could experience discrimination from some public services or
access to certain services as well. Other consequences could include infection
from exposure to the Covid virus even carried by others who enjoy a level of
immunity due to their vaccination. These are just some preliminary possibilities
off the cuff; more consequences could be discovered in the future. We must all
realize that these decisions are not easy for anyone. There are also many
variables for everyone, individually. Each person must consider their own
individual health issues, their age, their employment status (some work in the
medical field), whether they have dependents, etc. <b>It is just completely out
of order for ANY Messianic believer to shame, condemn, ridicule, slander,
embarrass or call out anyone, let alone another believer for their personal
choice that may differ from yours!</b> I question the intentions of the heart
of Messianic believers who behave this way, it is a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שאַנדע</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span>“<span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;">Shanda”!<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/350d117b41545928/Desktop/To%20Vaccinate%20or%20Not%20to%20Vaccinate.docx#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> I cannot express the level of
disappointment I feel when I witness believers acting and speaking this way in the judgment of others who make their own decisions they may not agree with. Therefore,
I will give my final word on this matter, first to those who are being
attacked, I remind you from the words of Rav Shaul, in paraphrase form: “Therefore,
do not let anyone pass judgment on you in matters of food or drink, or in
respect to a festival or new moon or Shabbat, [or Vaccine]. (Col. 2:16). And
for those of you who are behaving foolishly, the words of our same Shaliach,
even while originally speaking of food; his admonishment also applies: “For the
one who is weak is destroyed <i><u>by your knowledge</u></i>—the brother for
whom Messiah died. In this way, when you sin against the brothers and sisters
and <b><i><u>wound their conscience</u></i></b> when it is weak, <b><i><u>you
sin against Messiah</u></i></b>.” (1 Cor. 8:11-12). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="https://d.docs.live.net/350d117b41545928/Desktop/To%20Vaccinate%20or%20Not%20to%20Vaccinate.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
All Scripture is from the TLV, unless otherwise noted. This verse paraphrased
for emphasis. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="https://d.docs.live.net/350d117b41545928/Desktop/To%20Vaccinate%20or%20Not%20to%20Vaccinate.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Heb. “Baseless hatred”; an idea that Judaism offers as to the reason for the
destruction of the 2<sup>nd</sup> Temple. That Jews hated each other so much
that God allowed the Romans to come and destroy Jerusalem. <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="https://d.docs.live.net/350d117b41545928/Desktop/To%20Vaccinate%20or%20Not%20to%20Vaccinate.docx#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Yiddish, a word that expresses a shameful act of one Jew against another Jew
that makes all Jews look bad in the eyes of the goyim (gentiles). <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-84322847757705291052021-04-02T13:48:00.001-07:002021-04-02T14:25:58.622-07:00Do Messianic Jews celebrate Yeshua's Resurrection<p><span style="font-size: large;"> This is a question that seems to always come at this time of year. Here is a 2-point teaching I have given on the subject:</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; text-indent: -0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Century; mso-fareast-font-family: Century;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">I.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sefirat HaOmer & Messiah Yeshua<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">John 12:</span> </b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">23<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeshua gave them this
answer: “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Century, serif; font-size: 14pt;">24 Yes, indeed! I tell you
that unless a grain of wheat that falls to the ground dies, it stays just a
grain; but if it dies, it produces a big harvest</span></b><span style="font-family: Century, serif; font-size: 14pt;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Barley harvest begins right during
Pesach, and we know that this is the season in which Messiah Yeshua died and
gave His life as atonement for our sin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Alfred Edersheim comments…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Sheaf of Firstfruits<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A little later on in the evening of that same
day, just as it was growing dark, a noisy throng followed delegates from the
Sanhedrim outside the city and across the brook Kedron. It was a very different
procession, and for a very different purpose, from the small band of mourners
which, just about the same time, carried the body of the dead Saviour from the
cross to the rock-hewn tomb wherein no man had yet been laid. While the one
turned into 'the garden' (John 20:15), perhaps to one side, the other emerged,
amidst loud demonstrations, in a field across Kedron, which had been marked out
for the purpose. They were to be engaged in a service most important to them. It
was probably to this circumstance that Joseph of Arimathea owed their
non-interference with his request for the body of Jesus, and Nicodemus and the
women, that they could go undisturbed about the last sad offices of loving
mourners. The law had it, 'Ye shall bring a sheaf [literally the omer] of the
firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest; and he shall wave the omer before
Jehovah, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest
shall wave it' (Lev 23:10,11). This Passover-sheaf, or rather omer, was to be
accompanied by a burnt-offering of a 'he lamb, without blemish, of the first
year,' with its appropriate meat- and drink-offering, and after it had been
brought, but not till then, fresh barley might be used and sold in the land. Now,
this Passover-sheaf was reaped in public the evening before it was offered, and
it was to witness this ceremony that the crowd gathered around 'the elders,'
who took care that all was done according to traditionary ordinance. <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes;">(Edersheim, 1889 circa)</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What we see here is that it was Yeshua
himself, his own death that fulfilled the first fruit of the Omer of Barley,
right at the exact time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And it was his resurrection that shows
the significance of this holiday…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I Corinth. 15:</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">20 ¶<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of
those who have died. 21<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For since death
came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">22<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For just as in
connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be
made alive. 23<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But each in his own
order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his
coming</span>; 24<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>then the culmination,
when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after having put an end to
every rulership, yes, to every authority and power. 25<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For he has to rule until he puts all his
enemies under his feet</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Messiah’s death & resurrection was
the culmination and the requirement of the Sefirat HaOmer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sefirat HaOmer is the commandment to (Count the Omer see Lev. 23:15) and it foreshadows for us what
was to come in the Messiah. As a bride counts down the days to her wedding, we likewise begin counting from the Passover until Shavuot (Pentecost).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I want you to notice that a Bikur is just the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Messiah is
the first fruit, there is coming a big Harvest…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; text-indent: -0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Century; mso-fareast-font-family: Century;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">II.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></strong><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Harvest Time</b><strong><span style="font-family: "Century",serif; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mark 4:</span></b> <b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">26<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he said, “The Kingdom of God is like a
man who scatters seed on the ground. 27<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nights he sleeps, days he’s awake; and meanwhile, the seeds sprout and
grow!- how he doesn’t know.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">28<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By itself the soil
produces a crop!- first the stalk, then the head, and finally the full grain in
the head. 29<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as soon as the crop is
ready, the man comes with his sickle, because it’s harvest-time.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The second harvest is the harvest of
Wheat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Edersheim says,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Pentecost<o:p></o:p></span></i></h3>
<p><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The
'Feast of Unleavened Bread' may be said not to have quite passed till
fifty-days after its commencement, when it merged in that of Pentecost, or 'of
Weeks.' According to unanimous Jewish tradition, which was universally received
at the time of Christ, the day of Pentecost was the anniversary of the giving
of the Law on Mount Sinai, which the Feast of Weeks was intended to
commemorate. Thus, as the dedication of the harvest, commencing with the
presentation of the first omer on the Passover, was completed in the
thank-offering of the two wave-loaves at Pentecost, so the memorial of Israel's
deliverance appropriately terminated in that of the giving of the Law— as,
making the highest application of it, the Passover sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
may be said to have been completed in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the
day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Jewish tradition has it, that on the 2nd of the
third month, or Sivan, Moses had ascended the Mount (Exo 19:1-3), that he
communicated with the people on the 3rd (Exo 19:7), reascended the Mount on the
4th (Exo 19:8), and that then the people sanctified themselves on the 4th, 5th,
and 6th of Sivan, on which latter day the ten commandments were actually given
them (Exo 19:10-16). * <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">(Edersheim, 1889 circa)</span></p>
<h3><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The
Wave-loaves Were Leavened<o:p></o:p></span></i></h3>
<p><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Contrary
to the common rule of the Sanctuary, these loaves were leavened, which, as the <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Mishnah</span>, informs us (<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Men</span>. v. 1), was the case in all
thank-offerings. The common explanation— the wave-loaves were leavened because
they represented the ordinary food of the people— partially accounts for this.
No doubt these wave-loaves expressed the Old Testament acknowledgment of the
truth which our Lord embodied in the prayer, 'Give us this day our daily
bread.' But this is not all. Let it be remembered that these two loaves, with
the two lambs that formed part of the same wave-offering, were the only public
peace- and thank-offerings of Israel; that they were accompanied by burnt- and
sin-offerings; and that, unlike ordinary peace-offerings, they were considered
as 'most holy.' Hence they were leavened, because Israel's public
thank-offerings, even the most holy, are leavened by imperfectness and sin, and
they need a sin-offering. This idea of a public thank-offering was further
borne out by all the services of the day. First, the two lambs were 'waved'
while yet alive; that is, before being made ready for use. Then, after their
sacrifice, the breast and shoulder, or principal parts of each, were laid
beside the two loaves, and 'waved' (generally towards the east) forwards and
back wards, and up and down. * <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">(Edersheim, 1889 circa)</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Keep this idea of
waiving the offerings while alive in your mind for a moment….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;">The point I am
trying to make here is that Shavuot speaks of a “Harvest” that is to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;">We are that
Harvest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a revival of G-d’s Jewish
people coming to Him in repentance and faith in the Messiah.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Is it any wonder
then why so many came to Messiah on Shavuot when the Spirit of G-d was poured
out in ACTS 2?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Ephesians 1:14</span></strong><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
That [Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance [the <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">firstfruits</span>, the pledge and foretaste, the down payment on our
heritage], in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring [complete]
possession of it--to the praise of His glory.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;">What Rabbi Shaul is saying here is
that the Ruach is the first fruits of our salvation and guarantee, a deposit of
our inheritance of eternal life and atonement for our sins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Just as during the wheat harvest a sin
offering was given with the omer of wheat, so too during this season was the
Ruach given along with the atonement in Messiah Yeshua for the forgiveness of
our sin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;">This was the only time leavened grain
was offered in the Temple…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;">The point is that we are that
leavening, we represent sin, but the sin offering that accompanied the wheat is
the Messiah.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;">We are the Harvest and we too are
first fruits…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;">James 1:18</span></strong><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
And it was of His own [free] will that He gave us birth [as sons] by [His] Word
of Truth, so that we should be a kind of <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">firstfruits</span> of His creatures [a sample of what He created to be
consecrated to Himself].</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<h3><span style="font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Messianic Jewish movement today is the
continuation of this Harvest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Messiah is
gathering his people, Israel, and those from among the nations who will join
His People to be an offering of first fruits unto the L-rd.<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3><span style="font-family: "Century",serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">That is what this season represents, let us remember
today the offering that was made on our behalf and give thanks to Hashem for
Messiah Yeshua!</span></h3>
<h1>Bibliography<o:p></o:p></h1>
<p class="MsoBibliography"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Edersheim, A. (1889
circa). <i>The Temple.</i> Eerdmans Pub Co.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><p>NOTE: Resurrection then is not just a one-day event - Yeshua's resurrection took place during Passover, and during Passover at our Seder, we Messianic Jews remember Yeshua's Yahrzeit (memorial of His death) at this time and we break the Afikomen, (the Matzah that is broken, buried and then brought back) as His body as He taught us to do. We drink the Third Cup of the Seder that is a reminder of His Blood... but then we begin counting the days to Shavuot which is a reminder of our Resurrection. You see it was on that day in Acts 2 that 3,000 Jews were born again in one day. That event, not only was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit but restoration, a kind of resurrection of the 3,000 Jewish souls that perished at the hands of the Levites for worshiping the Golden Calf, Ex. 34. I'm not saying those who worshiped the calf were resurrected, but what I am saying is that God restored 3,000 new souls into the Kingdom of Heaven that day on Shavuot (Pentecost). This is the promise of what is to come for us. So there you have it, Messianic Jews do observe the Resurrection!</p>Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-37746640867853765702020-12-30T11:10:00.000-08:002020-12-30T11:10:01.998-08:00Update from one of Tikvat's Shaliachim (Missions) in Jerusalem... CONTINUED FROM EMAIL...<p>The story continued from email ...</p><p>"And so began the search for Yeshua. As his final exams were getting close, Mordechai reached out to the congregations in Jerusalem to see if anyone would talk to him about Yeshua. Only our ministry responded.</p>
<div>Mordechai and our Shaliach meet three times a week, each time for several hours discussing, arguing, reading, studying the Scriptures. As his faith grew in Yeshua, he also felt more uncomfortable in the Yeshiva. So he quit his job with Chabad and began sharing his faith with his family and with some of his fellow yeshiva students. Mordechai wants to be immersed and to go on to study in a Bible College to become a Shepherd in Messianic Judaism. His dream is now to plant a congregation in a Jewish neighborhood and create a community of Jews and Gentile followers of Messiah. A nice dream to be sure. Our Shaliachim can assist in getting Mordechai a scholarship to study at a Bible College. We cannot provide meaningful employment in Jerusalem due to the pandemic and lockdowns. Mordechai has no further income from Chabad as he has left that position. So it is time for the Body of Messiah to step up and be counted.</div><div><br /></div>
<div>We need to provide Mordechai with a basic salary to survive in Israel for six months. As Acts 2vs42 says, "They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching, and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and to the prayers." So during the 6 months before Bible College, Mordechai will be immersed, he will join the Messianic community, he will continue to learn the Gospels, the Bible and make the connections between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Mordechai also needs to meet other believers, both Jewish, and Gentile (including Arab believers). We will teach him the prayers, both liturgical and personal (although he does that already)."</div><div><br /></div><div>PLEASE HELP TIKVAT GIVE MORE TO OUR MISSIONS <a href="https://tikvatcleveland.org/donate" target="_blank">GIVE HERE</a> </div>
<div> </div>Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-7600116251863855032020-11-06T10:54:00.002-08:002020-11-06T10:54:25.388-08:00Post-Election Anxiety Stress Disorder Syndrome<p style="text-indent: .5in;">There is a new diagnosis out now for people who are
psychologically stressed out with anxiety, fear and lack of sleep, and other
symptoms. Like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder we now have Post-Election Stress
Disorder! Many people are feeling this because this election has been so
hotly contested, the country has been so divided politically for years, and the
record number of turn out all proves that tensions are exceedingly high in this
race. Power and control are at the center of this. People want
certain power and control within the government. At least they want their
"man" to be the one in the Oval Office. Many Americans right at
this moment are enraged at the way this election has been handled. There are
stories of corruption, poll authorities refusing to allow legal poll watchers
from witnessing and preventing fraud during the count. Other stories of
mysterious caches of ballots appearing out of nowhere (after the deadline of
election day) and every single one suspiciously just happens to be a vote for
only one candidate. And many other testimonies of ballots without certified
signatures and even ballots cast from deceased and illegal aliens, and even
pets! There appears to be a lot of fraud going on! This is what has so
many people stressed out! So how should Messianic believers handle this
situation?<o:p></o:p></p><p> First, we need to be reminded about what
the Word of God says about these matters. When it comes to power and
control from a spiritual perspective, we see that those who vie for these
things are <u>engaging in witchcraft</u>. <u>Witchcraft really
is all about power and control and taking whatever means to acquire it.</u>
One of the most sinister Biblical figures who practiced witchcraft is Jezebel.
When you see lies and fraud like this, you are seeing the Jezebel Spirit at
work! Messianic Rabbi Curt Landry defines the Jezebel Spirit this way,
"<i>The Jezebel spirit attacks governmental leaders—both men and women. It
wants to steer groups of people, usually those who are for God’s Kingdom
prospering, away from their destiny. It uses the role of leadership to control
and manipulate behind the scenes. You see this same behavior in Queen Jezebel
as she manipulated King Ahab</i>."<span style="font-size: 7.5pt;">1 </span>This
election, just like any election is about power and control, however, there are
fair and Godly ways to go about the transfer of power. The Spirit of
Jezebel, however, does not settle for that, that spirit acquires it stealthily
and through intrigue, and deception. <o:p></o:p></p><p>Recall what Jezebel did...<o:p></o:p></p><p>1 Kings 21 Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite
had a vineyard in Jezreel, next to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. 2 Ahab
spoke to Naboth saying, “Give me your vineyard, so I may have it for a garden
of herbs, since it’s right next to my house. I’ll give you a better vineyard
than it in exchange, or if it seems better to you, I’ll give you its price in
money.”<o:p></o:p></p><p>3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “Adonai forbid that I should give you the
inheritance of my fathers.”<o:p></o:p></p><p>4 <b><u>So Ahab went into his house sullen and resentful</u></b> because
of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him, when he said, “I
will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed,
turned away his face and would eat no food.<o:p></o:p></p><p>5 Then his wife Jezebel came to him and asked him, “Why is your spirit so
sullen that you are eating no food?”<o:p></o:p></p><p>6 Then he told her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and asked him:
‘Give me your vineyard for money, or if it pleases you, I’ll give you another
vineyard for it,’ but he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”<o:p></o:p></p><p>7 Then his wife Jezebel said to him, “<b><u>Now, do you really govern the
kingdom of Israel</u></b>? Arise, eat some food, and let your heart be
merry! <b><u>I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.</u></b>”
8 So <b><u>she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal</u></b> and
sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were living with Naboth in
his city. 9 She wrote in the letters saying, “Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at
the head of the people. 10 Then seat two sons of Belial before him, and <b><u>let
them testify against him saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him
out and stone him to death.”</u></b><o:p></o:p></p><p>11 So the men of his city—the elders and the nobles who lived in his
city—did just as Jezebel had bid them, just as was written in the letters that
she had sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast then seated Naboth at the head
of the people. 13 <b><u>Then the two worthless men came in and sat before
him, and the worthless men testified against him, against Naboth</u></b>,
before the people saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” Then they carried
him out of the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel
saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”<o:p></o:p></p><p>15 Now when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, <b><u>Jezebel
said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite
which he refused to sell you for money—for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”</u></b> 16
As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose up to go down to the
vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.<o:p></o:p></p><p> What does the Bible say about giving false
testimony? What do we know about fraud and forgery? Notice how
Jezebel's plot involved the forgery of her husband's signature. Notice
the false testimony she arranged with the "worthless men"; and notice
that this whole plot even involved murder! This Jezebel spirit stops at
nothing to get what they want, and it NEVER plays by the rules. Jezebel's plot
eventually failed, she was killed and stomped underfoot by the horse of Jehu,
and the dogs ate her flesh. What is the lesson for us?<o:p></o:p></p><p> God sees everything. There is no
fraud, there is no corruption, there is no criminal activity that Hashem fails
to notice. Yeshua said, <o:p></o:p></p><p>"For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor secret that
shall not be known and come into open view." (Luke 8:17). <o:p></o:p></p><p>We all can take comfort in knowing that no matter what happens, even with
this election, God will avenge His enemies. We do not have to worry. Our
Messiah also encouraged us with these words, <o:p></o:p></p><p>“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, <u>so be
wise as serpents and innocent as doves</u>. <u>But beware of men</u>, for
they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues. You
will be brought before governors and kings because of Me, as a witness to them
and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, <u>do not worry about
how or what you should say, for it shall be given to you in that hour what you
should say.</u> For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father
speaking through you." (Matt. 10:16-20). <o:p></o:p></p><p>We have the Ruach Hakodesh, with us to take a stand against that Spirit of
Jezebel. This is a Spiritual Battle we are in; our lives are all one big
Spiritual Warfare. We must fight in the Spirit, through prayer, fasting
and proclaiming the Word of God, and counting on the Ruach to give us the exact
words to say at the exact time they should be said. <o:p></o:p></p><p>We are His servants, and we stand for righteousness. We do not condone
fraud, forgery, and false testimony on either said of the political spectrum,
Conservative or Liberal. Do not be worried, do not fear and do not let
your heart be troubled by what you are seeing. Our God will have the ultimate
victory, let your faith be your comfort and your sight! Amen.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Rabbi Eric <o:p></o:p></p><p><o:p> </o:p></p><p> <span style="font-size: 7.5pt;">1 “Jezebel Spirit in Men,” Curt Landry
Ministries (blog), February 27, 2020,
https://www.curtlandry.com/jezebel-spirit-in-men/.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p><br /></p>Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-85951886039953968182020-09-11T09:00:00.000-07:002020-09-11T09:00:12.557-07:00Introducing the Shabbos Table Project & Light to the Nations<p>Shalom,</p><p>I would like to introduce you to a new campaign I am excited to be embarking on. Don't worry, it's not political! Nor am I running for any office! I think we are all tired of "campaigns" in that sense. No, it is a campaign to repair and revive the American Family Unit! It is commonly known among believers that over the last 7 decades the American Family has been under assault from all kinds of attacks to erode morality, family-values, the Bible, God, faith, creationism, and everything that promotes pro-American values and citizenship, and the Constitution of the U.S. </p><p>The attack has been a strategy of loosening moral norms in our society with "revolutions" of open sexual relationships without any boundaries (immorality and whatever feels good is engaged and celebrated). Since the '60s we've introduced the summer of free love, removed prayer and the Bible from ever being mentioned in our schools, (taught our children they evolved from monkeys), changed our laws to encourage an increase of divorce rates, (in the past adultery was ILLEGAL), not anymore most all States in the Union are all "no-fault" States. Even sodomy was illegal at one time and still is, but those laws are all ignored. We've murdered our own children in the millions, destroyed the value of fatherhood, removed our mothers from the home by making it economically impossible to survive without them working full time and either having 2 incomes or at least collecting child support, we've increased dependence of the government just to eat... (we've seen since COVID, the effects of this when schools were shut down, millions of American children were going hungry without school-supplied breakfast and lunch). Speaking of schools, American Civics hasn't been taught in our educational system for at least a generation! American children and high school, and even college graduates do not even know the basics of the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence anymore!</p><p>So is it any surprise that our cities are now burning down by "peaceful protesters"? </p><p>As a Messianic Jewish believer, and a rabbi, I see it as my job to encourage the family any way I can, not only for Messianic Jews in my own community - but as an American, a spiritual leader, and one who speaks to the Christian Gentile Church - we have a strategy to restore our families first! Once the American family is restored, then I believe we will begin to see a restoration of our nation. </p><p>How can this happen? Messianic Jews have a little secret that we can share with our Gentile Christian brothers. We have something hidden, that most believers do not know or understand. It is a spiritual tool and a strategy that is quite practical, and it is so simple that if a family devotes itself to it, and also making it fun and a new family tradition, it can and it will transform our families from being a group of people who just roommate with each other under the same roof; ignoring each other while our faces are buried in tiny little screens of light from devices that we pull out of our pockets; into a real family that actually interacts deeply with each other, and wants to spend time together. What is this tool, you ask? It is called a "Shulcan" - or in English... a Table.</p><p>Yes, a Table. Now don't roll your eyes at this post just yet. Hear me out. Don't think I'm meshugganah just quite yet!!!</p><p>You see the Table was something all families had at one time. We all still have the physical table, but we are rarely using it the way a Table should be used. Therein lies the key to understanding this little secret we have. You see, around the early '50s, with the advent of the TV, and the frozen TV dinners, (and fast-food joints) American families began to change the way they spent time together and the way they ate their meals and the way they interacted with each other through communication and strengthening family relationships and bonds. Children learned to love and respect their parents, at the Table. At the Table, families shared with each other about their day, they laughed with each other and they interacted with each other in deep and meaningful ways. Each family developed their own traditions, (similar to the concept of Thanksgiving), everyone tries to sit down at the table for turkey and "the fixins"; but even that is no longer sacred with the advent of "BLACK FRIDAY".... now many American families just order "take out" for Thanksgiving! Oy!</p><p>The sacredness of The Table, and how it is used has been virtually, totally lost and we've paid a heavy price for that!!!</p><p>So, this brings me to the campaign. I have had a ministry since 2011, called Light to the Nations. It wasn't much, just a little ministry where I would reach out to Christians and share the Bible with them from a Messianic Jewish perspective. Now, however, there has been such a shift in the American culture, our society is so divided over our values and our norms and our Biblical way of life, that I feel now very strongly that I need to take what I know, to be the secret strategy to keep the family strong and share it with EVERYONE!</p><p>So, I have decided to call it, "THE SHABBOS TABLE PROJECT". American Jews, who are at least the tiniest bit observant all have this special table. Even if they never use their tables all week long, there is at least one night out of the week, where the entire family gathers around that table for dinner, and it is special. Like Thanksgiving, its a holiday every Friday evening. No distractions, no cell phones, no interruptions. The family starts by mom lighting candles, (yes candlelight dinner!), it improves the ambiance and sets the mood for the specialness of this family tradition. Songs are then sung with joy, even families can clap their hands. Some special prayers are recited for thanking God for our family and for this special time. After that, the special meal is shared and there's no rushing away, nowhere to go, and no time limits, the family can enjoy their meals together and making this a new family tradition.</p><p>My campaign is to go online, on Shabbat (Friday evenings) for about 30 minutes, and teaching families the "How To's" of starting this little Shabbos Table Project together so that they can begin to do it on their own. I want to give them the knowledge and the tools to use their Shabbos Table properly, and to maximize its effects on your family. Imagine all your kids getting excited all week long for Friday night at home with their own family! Imagine what it would feel like to have Thanksgiving every Friday night, with the whole family actually "WANTING" to be together! Can you imagine the kind of impact on the way your family starts to relate to each other? </p><p>Now, I'm not going to lie to you. It may sound simple, have dinner on Friday night, right? Not so. There are always distractions and "other things" that pull your family apart. The teenagers want to go out with their friends. Dad would rather watch the game on TV! Your wife may not want to do any cooking on Friday due to just being tired from working all day, Dad too! There is always some kind of opposition to this - be prepared for that.</p><p>It is NOT easy to start new family traditions. Mom and Dad have to be dedicated and in agreement that this is an effort to use their Table to strengthen their family. It can be done. You start out with "baby-steps". Perhaps, you can't do it every week? That's ok, once a month is better than nothing! But just starting is the step in the right direction.</p><p>The Shabbos Table Project also has a dual benefit. Not only are you investing in your family and strengthing it...but you are leaning to do something that really pleases God, and that you are commanded to do! What is it?</p><p>It is learning how to sanctify the Sabbath! Yes, how to initiate, sanctify, and start the Sabbath by separating it from the rest of the week! This is actually commanded in the Bible. But most Christians have lost all connection to what a Sabbath really is! I will teach you "HOW TO" do the Sabbath with your family, I will encourage you with a short word to spiritually prepare you for the special time together over your meal. I will teach you some prayers and songs. Your whole family can learn together...and eventually, you won't need me anymore at your Shabbos Table, eventually, your family with grow in the tradition hopefully, feel the benefits, and do it all on your own one day. Even if you're single, you can get your friends together to do this as well! Anyone, couples without children are also encouraged - better to start now creating your family tradition BEFORE you bring the kids into the picture!</p><p>That's it. The Shabbos Table Project. So, how do we get in on this?</p><p>Go to my website www.L2N.org and scroll down to the banner that says Shabbos Table Project, click it and learn more, and how to register and start participating with me. </p><p>This campaign begins Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, @ 6:46 PM. EST (18 minutes before sundown), you can log in and I'll be there with you at your Shabbos Table!</p><p>There are instructions and even some guides on how to prepare on the website. Please, check it out! Please also pray for this effort. Pray that it is effective and that many families will be strengthened and restored, the benefits are infinite for generations to come.</p><p>Thank you so very much,</p><p>Rabbi Eric </p>Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-41505025920568482162020-07-07T13:48:00.000-07:002020-07-07T13:48:47.189-07:00Mandatory Mask Announcement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gov. Dewine's New Executive Order</h2>
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Tue, 7 July 2020</div>
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15th of Tamuz, 5780</div>
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From the Elders of Tikvat Yisrael:</div>
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Attention: All Members & Friends of Tikvat Yisrael,</div>
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Due to Gov. Dewine's order today, making the wearing of masks mandatory in Level 3 virus affected areas, and the recent increase in cases of Covid-19, we believe the best way to protect our Tikvat family and visitors that choose to attend is to now require all members to wear a mask. </div>
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There are still many members with current health issues--and we understand and support you and your decision to remain at home at this time. Again your health is our main concern. </div>
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While the mask is an inconvenience, we are thankful we can continue to meet. Social distancing of 6-feet does not completely protect us in closed area for 90-120 minutes where the germs linger in the air. </div>
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With that said, we believe following this key recommendation of several health organizations and some common senses-with help to insure the safety of everyone who attends. We continue to pray for the Lord's mercy on Tikvat, Cleveland, our nation and the world-and we look forward to moving to a less restrictive time.</div>
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Am I my brother's keeper? Gen. 4:9</div>
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Thank you for all your prayers and support.</div>
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Sincerely, </div>
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Board of Elders: Dr. Larry & Cheryl Morrison, Rabbi Elliott & Nancy Katz, Joyce Iammarino, Rabbi Eric & Gisela Lakatos</div>
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Tikvat Yisrael Messianic Synagogue</div>
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9319 Mayfield Rd.</div>
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Chesterland, OH. 44026</div>
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<br />Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-67945757590631128842020-06-16T14:00:00.001-07:002020-06-16T14:00:17.241-07:002ND CAR ACCIDENT FOR EVA!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From Chery Morrison (Eva's grandmother):</div>
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Cheryl here: </div>
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My granddaughter, Eva & my daughter Lauren were just in a car accident!! Both cars were totaled. Coming off a bridge, Lauren went through a light she swears was green. Witnesses were half & half on whether it was green or red. Lauren got sited! The guy she hit was a young man who had no license & tested positive for drugs & alcohol. He’s in jail. Lauren thinks her sternum is cracked. They can’t fix that. It just has to heal, but painful. Air bags went off, of course. Eva is ok, but the will be talking to her Trauma team & she has to go to the hospital every week to have her liver checked. Thank God her tube didn’t get jerked out of her liver! The car they were in, my son-in-law just got to replace the one from Eva’s accident. Please pray for both of them & that this guy sitting in jail.</div>
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We’ve all had enough!! I believe this is Satan. Truly I do!</div>
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<br />Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-48045897430878207242020-05-21T08:55:00.003-07:002020-05-21T08:55:40.001-07:00Post from Pastor Tim Walker, Church Alive Cleveland OH.<div class="t_y58e5mjog _5eit m_y58e5ilhb clearfix" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: -1px; zoom: 1;">
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A lot of people are sending me videos of nationally respected leaders asking "every church to open their doors immediately." Some members are upset and threatening to go somewhere else, if we don't open our buildings by Pentecost Sunday.</div>
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Trust me; I understand the frustration and probably want to resume corporate worship more than most anyone else in our congregation. BUT...I'm accountable to God for making decisions that are in the best interests of the whole congregation; not just me, or the few most vocal members.</div>
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As I've been praying about it, I've borrowed some suggestions and wisdom from other Pastors, combined them with my own thought process and want to give you a few things to consider.</div>
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1. This is one of the most difficult decisions we as Pastors will ever have to make.</div>
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The timing of when and how to open our buildings is without a doubt the most grueling decision I've ever had to grapple with. There is no instructional manual and none of us have ever led through a global pandemic before. We love our people and have to consider the strongest and the weakest among them. We also have to consider those who are young and healthy as well as those who are older, sickly, or have compromised immunity. We also have to live with the long-term consequences of every decision we make. I've labored in prayer ever since this began, seeking God continually for guidance and direction. I'm very confident most others local Pastors have as well. No one wants the local church to succeed more than we do. Please give us the liberty to lead and prayerfully follow us.</div>
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2. While I appreciate national church leaders and try to support them and glean from them, they do not have the right or authority to speak on behalf of the local church. They don't know our people, our circumstances, or the challenges of our situations.</div>
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Pastoring a large congregation, or being on national television doesn't make you an international spokesperson for the Body of Christ. It's the local pastors who marry, counsel, bury, advise, wipe away the tears, visit the hospitals, pray for, and walk with people through life; not television personalities who don't know your name or your kids names, and are so insulated if you're lucky you can get an autograph but won't ever have their phone number.</div>
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I love them, and they create great opportunities for us, but they don't know our specifics, they don't have to manage our resources, and don't have to deal with the repercussions of our decisions. They do not speak for me or most other local Pastors.</div>
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3. Don't compare your church’s decision with that of other churches. Each church is unique in size, layout, staffing, age demographics, and resources. One size doesn't fit all. What may work brilliantly for one could be disastrous for another. No one knows your church and its members like your Pastors and leaders. Different areas of the country have had different levels or exposure to this virus. What is right for a rural area, may not be right for an urban area. The population density is different, the laws are different, and the rate of exposure is different. Your pastors have to make these decisions considering all of these factors and more. Pray for them, support them, offer to help them, and most of all trust them!</div>
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4. Support your church during the transition. While we are waiting for the right timing, please support your Pastors and your local church. It's estimated that at least 30% of congregations under 100 adults either will not re-open, or will not survive through the end of the year. Don't allow your church to be a casualty. Your community needs the voice and the ministry of the local church. Don't allow it to be silenced! The global church will prevail, but the success of the local church depends on OUR faithfulness. Support it with prayer, finances, service, and loyalty. Check on your Pastors and leaders. They are carrying a massive load and every prayer, offering, or word of encouragement matters...it really does!</div>
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5. Even if you disagree with their timing for reopening, stand in unity and don't allow the enemy to bring strife, confusion, or divisiveness. Our nation has increasingly become more polarized over the past 15 years. The media, politics, social media, the internet, pride, and most of all, spiritual distancing...yes, spiritual distancing...(my new term for those who have continued to neglect their walk with God and have instead chosen to live in the flesh), have created massive disunity in the body of Christ. Don't fall for it! Protect your heart, your relationships, your values and don't trade gold for brass!</div>
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Choose love over hatred...trust over suspicion, grace over judgment. Give your Pastors, leaders, and other believers the benefit of the doubt. They're not perfect and they're going to make mistakes. Allow them a safe place to grow and learn as well. They really are trying to do what's best for you!</div>
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6. When your church does re-open live services, please ATTEND, serve, give, connect to a group or a team. Sunday services are not for entertainment purposes...they're for ministry. Get involved in the ministry of your church.</div>
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We will re-open our buildings as soon as we feel services can be held in a safe and secure environment. Until then, let's plaster social media with the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and let's remain focused on what's really important.</div>
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Just a few thoughts from a tired, frustrated but determined Pastor.</div>
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P. Tim</div>
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Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-45975425787657118742020-05-04T06:16:00.000-07:002020-05-04T11:27:04.676-07:00New Eva update from May 2, 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrWfrkowaVotRGWsVWWrNkIJeYvWwGiJ0TuswTErX5x63LJGh2REuxXCelU0zD_UUu5qYfrtHA-wPMxHUiZloHu2OkWJeO7iVNa2vneNsXS2CKhjKzdIaflHYUOPmbHzRyDYn0nJf7kk/s1600/IMG_5391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="571" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrWfrkowaVotRGWsVWWrNkIJeYvWwGiJ0TuswTErX5x63LJGh2REuxXCelU0zD_UUu5qYfrtHA-wPMxHUiZloHu2OkWJeO7iVNa2vneNsXS2CKhjKzdIaflHYUOPmbHzRyDYn0nJf7kk/s320/IMG_5391.JPG" width="227" /></a></div>
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SITREP: Eva Jeffery.<br />
Saturday May 2, 2020. 3:00pm<br />
C. Mo. - Morrison Family PIO</div>
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Direct communication copied and pasted from Lauren.</div>
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—-> Eva is out of surgery with 6 liters of fluid drained off her abdomen. Picture that in pop bottles which are 2 liter bottles! She will feel like a new person. These will now be sent off to see what the blood/bile ratio is. We will now watch to see if there is any more bile leakage which could mean that there is still a little bowel leak somewhere. The blood was old blood that was from the original injury. There was no new blood! Praise God for this! The liver has clotted nicely. We Will now just watch fo new bile! God is good! Thank you for continued prayers!</div>
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Also from Eva's grandmother...</div>
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<a class="_6qw4" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1451234531&extragetparams={"directed_target_id": " "}" href="https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.sangermorrison.1?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoxMDIyMTQ3MjQwNTUwNjgxOF8xMDIyMTQ3MjU1Mjc5MDUwMA%3D%3D" style="background-color: #f2f3f5; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">Cheryl Sanger-Morrison</a><span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span dir="ltr" style="background-color: #f2f3f5; font-size: 13px;"><span class="_3l3x" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We really haven’t had a big update. Still in Intensive care. They were keeping close check on her fever. She has some tubes back in, but they tell us this is not unusual. Of course they are closely watching all of her internal injuries, & we are praying for no more internal bleeding. Thank you so much for your prayers, & caring enough to ask! <span class="_5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 1px;"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t6c/1/16/2764.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; height: 16px; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;">❤️</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Last message from my daughter Lauren. Now waiting through the day. Yes, they are actually thinking of Cleveland Clnic Main Campus if the do this surgery. They are the only ones who can do this procedure for pediatrics.</div>
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Lauren’s message: So here I sit as the unknown unfolds yet again, knowing the Lord has his hands on this decision as well and I am meant to go along for this roller coaster ride, hang on and have faith. Eva might be transferred to Cleveland clinic today for<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"> yet another surgery. She is doing so much better, but they still feel that her bowel is perforated some where sending out that nasty bile. I’m not sure when they say the clinic if they mean in Cleveland or here in Akron? When they do Grand Rounds with her team of doctors I’m sure we will find out more. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. I know the Lord is working hard as I see it every day! Thank you and love to all!</span></div>
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Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-49867031251945550292020-04-30T10:09:00.001-07:002020-04-30T10:09:51.982-07:00Update on Eva <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wed. April 29th. from Cheryl Morrison: Update on my granddaughter, Eva.</div>
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SITREP: My niece, Eva Jeffery</div>
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Wednesday April 29, 2020 1550 hrs.</div>
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C. Mo. - Morrison family PIO</div>
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Hello Family, friends and prayer warriors. Don't let up on prayer please. We tend to have a thing where when someone doesn't seem quite as critical anymore, to let up on the prayer. Please don't do that. I have some ups and downs and a phenomenal story to pass on from Eva. Here's today's update:</div>
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1) She had a pretty rough night last night and didn't sleep hardly at all. 0300 this morning she woke up with some pretty bad shortness of breath and a temperature. Blood cultures were done (to find out, if there is funk growing in her blood, what type it is which helps determine the best agent to fight it with). The also ran a CBC (for non medical peeps - its a blood test to look and see if your white blood cell count is up - which is a factor for determining infection). Cultures and other tests came back and unfortunately she has developed MRSA or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, a sometimes very difficult to treat staph infection running around inside her. They have placed her on yet another antibiotic - Vancomycin, which has proven to be pretty successful in fighting MRSA. They said 48 hours ought to take care of this issue.</div>
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2) She has also developed pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas (for my non medical peeps), which lies behind the lower part of the stomach. This is a fairly common ailment and is somewhat expected to surface in patients with injuries such as Eva's. Remember how back on Friday we talked about over the next several days injuries and complicating factors could and probably would arise? Yep - here we are. This is exactly what they were talking about. They are not overly concerned... they will be watching it right now, at this stage to see if it self resolves or needs other treatment regimens. They will be doing another ultrasound to determine the extent, later this afternoon.</div>
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Everything listed above is treat-able. Not to worry! it's just more bumps in the road as it were. Prayer will help, no doubt. This is why I say not to let up, folks.</div>
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3) Knee seems to be continuing to heal well. I hadn't gotten the actual injury for which the surgery was done. Her knee was lacerated so badly by car frame parts that it cut through tendons and ligaments. So... it was tendon and ligament types of repairs. THAT's gonna be a long healer! Good news? She's already walking on it with a walker. She continues to work hard with PT and OT for this issue and they are thrilled with her cooperation and effort.</div>
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4) They discovered that she may have a new small bleed in her liver. It's okay... it appears to be a small one. The plan right now is to watch it to self tamponade (quit bleeding on it's own for you non medicals), and if it doesn't they will do a minor surgical procedure to insert a draining tube so fluid doesn't start to build up in her abdominal cavity again and push that abdominal pressure back up. She currently still has what was described as "moderate" abdominal distention. She HAS, though, lost a liter of the edema fluid (fluid causing swelling in her belly) So that is a plus. So this is a new prayer request. Thanks.</div>
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5) ICU stay extension. Yup... With all this going on, previous injuries, momentary clinical death, multiple surgeries, and pleural effusion, perforated bowel, and now adding to that fever, thrush, MRSA, and Pancreatitis.... only makes sense that ICU is not letting go of her quite yet. They have suggested a 2-3 day long extension hoping for the former. Day by day we will see how things go. This is all day by day friends. If you've been following since day one, you've seen positive/negative, positive/negative, positive/negative... but the big picture positives outweigh the volume of negatives, so that is the answered prayer there.</div>
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And now... the story - People amaze me. Atheists. Agnostics. Non believers of all sorts. Eva said the other day "Mom... I talked to Jesus." Lauren of course was like "wait...what???" Eva than unfolded how while she was "asleep" (that was from cardiac arrest until two days after surgery) she had a period where she found herself in a very beautiful green field. The sky was REALLY bright, unlike anything she'd ever seen. She said while she was there in the field, her previously deceased cousin, Stevie (who died a few years ago of an accidental drug overdose) and she said that Stevie came up to her and said "Eva... What are you doing???"... then while she was there with Stevie, her previously deceased grandfather approached her and looked her right in the eye and said "Eva... What are you doing?"... Then her somewhat recently deceased dog whom she just adored to death appeared and came up and jump up on her and was acting super happy to see her. She said while she was there with all three of them she heard a voice from the light that called her name. The voice said "Im sending you back. I will be providing support for your family to help get you through the events to come. I love you and I forgive you for what you've done. Above all remember this - I've given you a second chance." WOW!!!! Don't tell me God isn't real. Somewhere down the road is a ministry for this young lady. We need to get her out of the woods and back home and healed up first.</div>
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So as we move into these next two to three days of ICU time, pray for Eva, for good attitude, hard work to recover, and healing. Pray for Lauren and Jim and the rest of the family. Pray for her staff, surgeons, attendings, nurses, therapists, etc. Pray that her meds work correctly and that she gains strength. Pray without ceasing. The Greek word for "without ceasing" used in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is "adialeiptos". This word doesn't mean "NON Stop". It actually means "constantly recurring". So, in other words we can punctuate our moments with intervals of recurring prayer. This means you can incorporate your prayers into just about anything. Incorporate short prayers into your every day chores... Pray while you're standing in line waiting or sitting at a traffic light... When you break it down like this you aren't really in a long prayer from the moment you get up... but rather, a series LOTS of real small prayers at regularly irregular intervals. Pray without ceasing. The Jeffery and Morrison families are so grateful for your intercession and your specific prayers. We KNOW that God is hearing them. We were ALL praying for her life on Friday. God said "Eva, Im sending you back". He heard our prayers. He is listening. Pray without ceasing. 🙂 Thanks everyone. 🙃🙏🏼✝️♥️</div>
<br />Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-48025832801413497862020-04-27T07:51:00.000-07:002020-04-27T07:51:07.816-07:00Update on Eva 4-27-20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The update we have been waiting for from my son! Wow! The last paragraph!!! We stand in AWE!!!<br />
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SITREP: My niece, Eva Jeffery<br />
Sunday April 26th, 2020<br />
C. Mo - Family PIO<br />
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Hello all. I see my sister, Lauren, had a few minutes to post some thank you's. I too thank you all for your continued patience for these reports. I wait until everyone that needs to see Eva each day has been in. This allows me to do one daily report that is detailed, and keeps me from having to do a bunch of mini reports as each practitioner see's Eva and gives their update to Lauren. Here's the specifics of where we are today.<br />
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I was at the fire department this morning coming off duty when Lauren called and said that they were extubating Eva (removing the breathing tube from her airway and taking her off the vent). Shortly after, Eva wanted to FaceTime with her Uncle Chris. So I called her on FT and surprisingly she was in good spirits and was rather conversational. She said she was in a LOT of pain. Understandably. We spoke for just a few minutes and then I came home. Since then, all the practitioners have seen her.<br />
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1) Endotracheal tube has been removed. Ventilator has been removed. Nasogastric tube (feeding tube through her nose) has been removed.<br />
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2) A PICC line (a peripherally inserted central catheter, or... very large IV that goes into larger vessels in your body, frequently under your clavicle) was established this morning. This will mainly be for fluids, nutritional feeding, and maybe certain medications. PICC line may go home with her for a while. This remains to be decided upon. All other intravenous line except one have been removed. It was left specifically for pain control meds. They are considering putting her on a morphine (or other) pump to allow her to control micro doses on a more frequent basis on her own. The pump "caps" the amount you can give yourself into chronological increments.<br />
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3) Ortho came down and looked at her knee again. No signs of infection, everything looks pretty good. Even so, they are putting her on a five day antibiotic regimen to be safe.<br />
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4) She remains in a cervical collar. The attending examined her neck and pressed around and it is very bruised and sore. The X-rays have cleared her of any fractures, but they are choosing to leave the collar in place for a while yet to just help give her neck support since it is so bruised and sore.<br />
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5) Abdominal pressure has decreased from 17 mmHg to 13 mmHg. This is good but they want it down into lower single digits. They are continuing to watch her abdomen very carefully because for several more days, other hidden injuries can still surface. They remain cautiously optimistic regarding her belly.<br />
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6) Urinary catheter has been removed.<br />
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7) Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy came down to see her this morning and sat her up on the side of the bed and got her into a chair for a bit. This was very slow and very painful, but it is extremely common and been proven as a best practice because these patients tend to do better over all the faster you can get them up and moving. Less chances of developing other complicating factors like pneumonia.<br />
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8 ) She has been given the green light to orally take in 2 teaspoons an hour of ice chips. She was thrilled and said she never would have believed that ice chips could be such an amazing thing.<br />
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9) They are looking at possibly stepping her down to a different unit this evening which wouldn't require a nurse to be sitting beside her 24 hours a day. This unit would have a nurse in the room every 4 hours but she would have a call button.<br />
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Finally to all the prayer warriors... The surgeon during grand rounds this morning told his team that Eva is an extremely unique case. There is no reason she should be healing this quickly. He said she is DAYS ahead of schedule in her healing process. He doesn't know why. We do. This is Gods sovereignty over this situation. We have people and whole churches not only praying, some even FASTING, from all over the world: I have spoken to a number of people and pastors around the globe that have asked me through FB about Eva in the last couple days. Some I know, many others I do not. They have represented: USA, Israel, England, the Philippines, Liberia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and India. I am sure there are others. THIS is why she is so far ahead of schedule. Thank you for your continued prayer support. Please keep your prayers coming. God bless you each for interceding.Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-9005282774605617492019-10-07T07:08:00.005-07:002019-10-07T07:08:53.162-07:00Legend of the Scapegoat and the Scarlet Thread on Yom Kippur<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the Book of Leviticus 16, the Yom Kippur service that was to be conducted by the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) in the Temple and the Kodesh Kodeshim (Holy of Holies); is described. The Torah describes a strange ritual in where the Kohen Gadol takes two goats, and casts lots choosing which one is sacrificed for Hashem, and the other the Hebrew says "for Azazel"; which is traditionally interpreted as taken out to the "wilderness". While the Torah does not elaborate further on the goat for Azazel, there are more details about a mystical phenomenon that would take place mostly each year when the goat for Azazel was taken into the wilderness and pushed off a cliff alive and backwards. The Talmud in tractate Yoma 39 says: "<i>The Sages taught: During the tenure of Shimon HaTzaddik, the lot for God always arose in the High Priest’s right hand; after his death, it occurred only occasionally; but during the forty years prior to the destruction of the Second Temple, the lot for God did not arise in the High Priest’s right hand at all. So too, the strip of crimson wool that was tied to the head of the goat that was sent to Azazel did not turn white, and the westernmost lamp of the candelabrum did not burn continually.And the doors of the Sanctuary opened by themselves as a sign that they would soon be opened by enemies, until Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai scolded them. He said to the Sanctuary: Sanctuary, Sanctuary, why do you frighten yourself with these signs? I know about you that you will ultimately be destroyed, and Zechariah, son of Ido, has already prophesied concerning you: “Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars” (Zechariah 11:1), Lebanon being an appellation for the Temple</i>." (Yoma 39b).</div>
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Now there is no denying that Yeshua of Nazareth died and was resurrected and witnessed by over 500 people* <u><b>approximately "40 years" prior to the destruction of the Temple</b></u>. But what does this really mean? There are basically two polar opposite arguments that ignores the plain and simple truth of this matter. First, there is the traditional Christian view, that simply because Jesus is our "Sin Offering" and our Atonement therefore God nullified Yom Kippur and there is no longer a need for this ritual or sin offering any longer. Unfortunately, this does not take into account Yeshua's own words in Matthew 5:17 that nothing in the Torah would be abrogated. Additionally, Scripture shows Jewish believers participating in the ritual sacrifices of the Temple long after Yeshua's resurrection, (Paul's Nazarite vows for himself and four other Jews in Acts 21 is just one example); and this view fails to consider the sacrifices and offerings that are promised to take place in the millennial kingdom of Messiah in passages such as Ezekiel 46-47. </div>
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Anti-missionaries such as the infamous Tovia Singer (Jews for Judaism), and other Orthodox critics of both Christianity and Messianic Judaism claim that this passage in Yoma 39b proves nothing about Yeshua being the Messiah; pointing to Shimon Hatzadik as the crux of their argument. This view says that virtually all miraculous phenomena of the Temple appeared to have ceased or became increasingly infrequent as far back as 200 years BCE in the days of Shimon Hatzadik; and that simply by the time of 30-33 CE/AD they ceased altogether. The argument Singer makes is that Messianic Jews and evangelicals like to quote this passage from Talmud when it is convenient for us; but he claims we reject Oral Law altogether and therefore we can't have our cake and eat it too. He/they claim that we either accept the "authority" and inerrancy of the Talmud or we don't, but in their view, we cannot use the Talmud only when it supports our position. </div>
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This argument too fails to consider many things. Number one, Messianic Jews do not outright reject Jewish oral tradition! We simply keep Scripture as our ultimate Authority for faith, life and practice, and we do not elevate the traditions of the rabbis to the same level as the Bible. Messianic Jews light candles the same way on Friday nights, we wear tzit-tzit and tefillin just as the rabbis taught us. We observe the traditions the way the rabbis and sages taught, so long as the tradition does not violate the Scripture we will observe. Why? For two reasons, we remain Jews and this is what Jews do and this will never change; and because Yeshua our Messiah taught us, "they sit in the seat of Moses, so do everything they tell you, but do not be like them..." (paraphrase)*. Therefore, we are certainly qualified to use Talmudic and other extra-Biblical literature to support our position that Yeshua is the Messiah with integrity. The second reason the anti-missionary position against Yeshua having any influence on the cessation of miraculous phenomena in Yoma 39b; is that it fails to explain the primary question at hand. "Why forty years prior to the destruction?". Singer makes no attempt to answer this other than pointing to Shimon Hatzadik who actually died 200 years before! We can't deflect and ignore the obvious. There is a connection to Yeshua of Nazareth; the question is how does He affect Yoma 39b?</div>
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There is a more balanced argument and explanation that keeps the integrity and authority of the Scripture (including Ezekiel 46-47), while not discounting the tradition of Yoma 39b. First, there is the prophetic word of Hosea:</div>
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<b>Hosea 3:4 For Bnei-Yisrael will remain for many days without king, without prince, without sacrifice, without sacred pillar, and without ephod or teraphim. 5 Afterwards, Bnei-Yisrael will return, and they will seek Adonai their God and David their king. Then they will turn in awe to Adonai and to His goodness in the last days</b>.</div>
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To add to this, there is also:</div>
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<b>2 Chronicles 15 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b><br />
<b>15 The Ruach Elohim came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 2 He went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Listen to me Asa, all Judah and Benjamin. Adonai is with you as long as you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will spurn you. 3 For many days Israel was without the true God, without a teaching kohen and without Torah. 4 But in their distress they turned to Adonai, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them. 5 In those times there was no shalom for anyone coming or going, for there were many conflicts among all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. 7 But you, chazak! Do not let your hands be slack for there is reward for your labor.”</b><br />
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<b>8 When Asa heard these words as well as the prophecy of the prophet Oded, he took courage and removed the abominations from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns that he had seized in the hill country of Ephraim. He also repaired Adonai’s altar that was in front of Adonai’s entryway. 9 He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, as well as those dwelling with them from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon—for many had defected to him from Israel when they saw that Adonai his God was with him. 10 So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 On that day they sacrificed to Adonai 700 bulls and 7,000 sheep from the spoil that they had brought. 12 They entered into a covenant to seek Adonai, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul</b>.<br />
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Just as it was in the days of Asa, so it is in these last days. There would be a temporary cessation of the Temple, the ritual and the sacrifices, and Yeshua Himself even said that "there would not be one stone left standing on another".* But, in the days of Messiah Yeshua's return, we will see a restoration of the Temple and even the sacrifice, for these things must happen to fulfill the prophecies of John's vision in the Book of Revelation. Messiah cannot return until the Temple is restored. Yeshua's prophecy and His death and resurrection were (among many other things) a sign that this was all about to take place (the destruction); but also His own prophetic credentials were validated and established according to...<br />
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<b>Deuteronomy 18:15 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b><br />
<b>15 “Adonai your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst—from your brothers. To him you must listen.</b><br />
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and...<br />
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<b>18 I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him. 19 Now whoever does not listen to My words that this prophet speaks in My Name, I Myself will call him to account. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My Name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet will die.’</b><br />
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<b>21 “Now should you say in your heart, ‘How would we recognize the word that Adonai has not spoken?’ 22 When a prophet speaks in Adonai’s Name and the word does not happen or come true, that is a word that Adonai has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously—do not be afraid of him</b>.<br />
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Yeshua's words and His death and resurrection at the same exact time-period as the events described in Yoma 39b, are indication and evidence that HE IS WHO HE SAID HE IS. </div>
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“<b><i>Though your sins be like scarlet,</i></b></div>
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<b><i> they will be as white as snow.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Though they be red like crimson,</i></b></div>
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<b><i> they will become like wool</i></b>."</div>
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Isaiah 1:18b</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">* I Corinthians 15:6</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">* Matt. 23:2</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">* Matt. 24:2</span></div>
Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-6752171898624315452019-08-16T06:24:00.000-07:002019-08-16T06:24:07.151-07:00Do you have a Good Eye or a Bad Eye?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What does it mean to have a good eye, or a bad eye? Yeshua the Messiah answered this very question; and the answer has everything to do with whether we are in the Light or in Darkness. Yeshua said, "The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore if your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matt. 6:22-23). Still this doesn't explain what is a good eye or what it means to have a bad eye. Most people today think this has some kind of supersistious principle, as in giving someone the "evil eye"; but that is not at all what this expression is about. In order to understand what Messiah Yeshua is asking us; we need to understand the culture behind this expression.<br />
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Dr. David Stern, a foremost Messianic Jewish scholar explains: "The eye is the lamp of the body." Apparently Yeshua quotes a common proverb and comments on it. If you have a "good eye." This is in the Greek text, but the explanation, that is, if you are generous, is added by me the translator because in Judaism "having a good eye," an 'ayin tovah, means "being generous," and "having a bad eye," an 'ayin ra'ah, means "being stingy." That this is the correct interpretation is confirmed by the context, greed and anxiety about money being the topic in both the preceding and following verses."<br />
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So to look at this in "context" we do see what Stern is talking about. The pesukim preceding 22-23 speak about money:<br />
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...19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[c] destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matt. 6:19-21).<br />
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Then again we see the same theme in the pesuk following verses 22-23:<br />
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...24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick by one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matt. 6:24).<br />
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Obviously, a good eye, or a bad eye simply means you are either generous, or you are stingy. Why interpret it any other way?<br />
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The point Yeshua is making is if you have a bad eye, you, your soul; is full of darkness! But if you are a generous person, (i.e. having a good eye), then you are in the Light, and your soul is full of light. Who doesn't want to be in the light with Yeshua?<br />
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One of the main characteristics of the righteous is that they are generous, they are givers, not takers. Nor are they controlled by money, they cannot be bribed!<br />
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Infact in Hebrew, the word for righteousness is Tzedakah <span style="font-size: large;">צדקה</span><br />
A good definition for tzedakah can be found here: <a href="https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Meditations/Tzedakah/tzedakah.html" target="_blank">Tzedakah Definition</a><br />
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As you can see from the definition, the greatest Tzadik was Yeshua Himself. But we are called to be as He is, and He said our righteousness must surpass even that of the P'rushim. In order for that to happen, we definitely need the Ruach Hakodesh to change us and give us a "Good Eye".<br />
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In a couple of weeks, our congregation will once again have a 5th Shabbat on Aug. 31st. For years, we have been setting aside those days and all donations on those days to be made "Holy" for the building fund. This has been a huge blessing as it has provided us a way to finally move into our own place of worship and establish Cleveland's first ever, permanent Messianic Synagogue.<br />
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However, repairs are needed, new equipment is needed and we need a new Parking Lot! The goal for this coming 5th Shabbat is $4,000.00<br />
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If everyone in our community who loves and cares for this ministry will give "Above and Beyond their Regular Tithes) for this special offering; not only will the need be met, but your righteousness will be evident to Hashem! We will all be demonstrating to our Abba, that we, like Him, all have a Good Eye.<br />
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Please prepare now, pray and ask Hashem what you should do on 8-31-19.<br />
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Gratefully,<br />
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Rabbi EricRabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-46422402070758754162018-10-27T05:59:00.003-07:002018-10-27T05:59:37.002-07:00New "Ask the Rabbi" Question:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Subject: Ask the Rabbi Submission</div>
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ASK THE RABBI RESPONSE FROM WEBSITE Is this the "Stump the Rabbi" forum? Well I do have a question that bothers me. (Perhaps not new to you.) The prophet Ezekiel talks about a temple to be built. If this Temple is to be in the future, why does it mention daily blood sacrifices as offerings for cleansing of sin when Jesus has already been the sacrificial lamb for all sins for all time? </div>
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Shalom. <br />
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Thank you for your submission and question regarding the Third Temple and sacrificial offerings that appear in prophetic Biblical texts speaking of a future time. Your question is very common among believers, and even secular people also have interest in this subject. <br />
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The reason questions like this even exist is mostly due to the last 1900 years of Dispensational and Replacement theologies that permeate much of Christian doctrine. The answer requires a believer to think outside of the dispensational box and also think outside a 21st century individualistic mindset that is so pervasive today within American Christianity. <br />
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The answer also requires an open mind, a teachable heart and a willingness to study the Levitical Sacrificial System in greater detail to understand better what it is, and what it’s purpose was and will be in the future. <br />
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A short email answer from me cannot fully do it justice or completely satisfy your curiosity. In other words, for a satisfactory answer, I will make suggestions on some studies and books that you may want to consider on the subject. However, I will give you some “food for thought” that I hope may wet your appetite for more study on the subject. Ok? So here it goes…<br />
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The future Third Temple, and its rituals and sacrifices will serve the same purposes as both the Tabernacle of Moses in the Exodus, in Gilgal and later in Shiloh, and the Temple’s final resting place in the City of David on Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem. The key to reconciling the Sacrifice of the Messiah and those of the Levitical system is first understanding that everything in the Torah, including the Levitical sacrificial system… all of it points us to the Messiah and who He is.<br />
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<b>Romans 10:4 For the goal at which the Torah aims is the Messiah, who offers righteousness to everyone who trusts. (CJB)</b> (Greek for “goal” is “Telos” which means the goal rather than “end”, end of the law is like the “endzone” of a football field, therein is the “goal post” the goal is to get to the “endzone”. Therefore, the goal of the Torah/Law is to get everyone to the Messiah. This is what Paul is saying not that the Torah is “ended”.)<br />
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In other words, everything done in the Levitical system is all about the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) and was designed to teach and point us all to Him, both Jew and non-Jew. The purpose of the Levitical system established before the Messiah came on earth points us to Him – and therefore, the Levitical system that will be reestablished will also point us all back to Him and what He has done. If you understand this principle, you will be able to digest the rest….<br />
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Most modern believers forget, discard or look over the fact that the Levitical System operated fully and completely AFTER THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS; for 40 years. The first disciples Never had a theology that did not include the Levitical system. Furthermore, they fully participated in the sacrificial system even after the death and resurrection of Jesus as good Jews always did. And the New Testament gives even more evidence that even the Priests (Cohanim) many, became believers in the Messiah, and yet they continued in their duties as Levitical priests daily making the required offerings.<br />
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<b>Acts 6:7 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b><br />
<b>7 The word of God kept on spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem greatly multiplied; even a great number of the kohanim were becoming obedient to the faith</b>.<br />
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One of the greatest examples of Messianic Jews participating in the Levitical sacrificial system “post-resurrection” of Messiah, is when Jacob (James), commands Shaul of Tarsus, to go and make a Nazarite vow, and also pay for the sacrifices of 4 other Jews, to show the world that the rumors of him teaching against the Law of Moses to Jews, was FALSE.<br />
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<b>Acts 21: 18 On the next day, Paul went in with us to Jacob; all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he reported to them in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his service. 20 And when they heard, they began glorifying God.</b><br />
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<b>They said, “You see, brother, how many myriads there are among the Jewish people who have believed—and they are all zealous for the Torah. 21 They have been told about you—that you teach all the Jewish people among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to walk according to the customs. 22 What’s to be done then? No doubt they will hear that you have come.</b><br />
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<b>23 “So do what we tell you. We have four men who have a vow on themselves. 24 Take them, and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. That way, all will realize there is nothing to the things they have been told about you, but that you yourself walk in an orderly manner, keeping the Torah.</b><br />
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Most American Christians have no idea what “vow” Paul was commanded to take here in these verses, nor do they have much of a clue the detailed ritual that went into taking these vows or how financially costly it was for Paul to pay for himself and four others “out of his own pocket”; this was in order to fully establish without any doubt what the truth is regarding our theology towards the Law of Moses as “Messianic Jews”. To understand this I recommend you study the laws of the Nazarite Vow in Numbers Ch. 6.<br />
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Dr. David Stern give an excellent commentary on what was happening here with Shaul from a Jewish perspective:<br />
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Stern says: “The accusation against Sha'ul, then, was that he was a traitor to the Jewish people who taught Jews all over the Diaspora to cease functioning as Jews. Here are three points to refute the charges:<br />
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(1)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sha'ul himself did not violate the Torah but continued to keep it after coming to trust in Yeshua. He had Timothy circumcised (16:3). He kept numerous Jewish customs-taking a vow (18:18) observing festivals (20:16) paying for the vow-ending sacrifices of four men at the Temple (here in vs 23-27), evidently fasting on Yom-Kippur (27:9) He regularly attended synagogue services and was welcome to teach in them (17:2). As a Messianic Jew he remained a Pharisee (23:6), Thus he could say that he believed everything that accords with the Torah (24:14) that he had committed no offense against the Torah (25:8) and that he had a clear conscience in the sight of God and man (24:16) against his claims his accusers failed to make a case in court (26:31-32) At the end of his ministry he continued to assert exactly the opposite of what he is charged with here, saying, "I have done nothing against either our people or the traditions of our fathers" (28:17) more evidence at 13:9.<br />
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(2)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sha'ul's teaching not to circumcise (I Cor. 7:18, Ga. 5:2-6, 6:12-15) and not to observe Jewish laws and customs were never directed to Jews but invariably and only to Gentiles. Gentiles had to be reassured that they were saved and incorporated into the people of God by trusting God through the Messiah Yeshua, not by observing this or that set of Jewish practices or by converting to Judaism; for, although Judaism acknowledged that the righteous Gentile had a share in the world to come, there was in the first century a strong movement for Jewish proselytism (Matt. 23:15)<br />
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(3)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sha'ul did not need to instruct Diaspora Jews to observe the Law, for there was no shortage of rabbis and teachers to exhort them (Acts 15:21) Moreover, what in the Tanakh (O.T.) could be clearer than that Jews are expected to keep the Torah? The New Testament does not repeat truths already evident from the Tanakh; it assumes them. Sha'ul assumed them too.<br />
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It's important too to understand that Stern does not suggest Jews keep Torah to merit their “salvation”, that is legalism. Rather, Messianic Jews keep Torah as a “RESULT” of our Salvation. Israel was given the Sacrificial System and the Torah in order to be a light to the Gentiles, to teach the nations about Salvation. Everything in the Tabernacle is about Messiah and our Salvation. By living it and doing it, we are demonstrating to the world – THIS IS OUR GOD AND THIS IS HOW HE DEALS WITH SIN, AND HE EARNS OUR SALVATION. We (Messianic Jews) keep the Law as a result of our salvation, NOT AS A MEANS TO IT. We obey because we are saved already by Messiah’s work, and because this is the culture of our people that we remain a part of the nation of Israel as “Natural Branches”. (Ro. 11:21-24).<br />
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In summary, there are also many other examples in the New Testament of Messianic Jews participating in the Levitical system, such as<br />
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<b>Acts 3:1 One afternoon at three o’clock, the hour of minchah prayers, as Kefa and Yochanan were going up to the Temple…</b><br />
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Minchah was the “afternoon/evening sacrifice”, it always began at 3 p.m. in the Temple and the evening Tamid offering (see Leviticus 6) was offered. If the first Messianic Jews believed that Jesus did away with the sacrificial system it would make no sense for them to be going up to Temple at that hour and to participate in those prayers and sacrifices. Nor would it be appropriate for Paul of Tarsus to agree to obey Jacob and go and not only sacrifice his own offerings and shave his head and also pay for the offerings of four other Jews to perform the Nazarite vow – if he really believed that the Sacrifice of Jesus “did away” with the Levitical System! Furthermore, if he only did it to save face with the Jews in Jerusalem and the Messianic leadership (Jacob, Shimon Peter, & Yochanan John), as some teachers have suggested, then Paul is a “HYPOCRITE”, and everything he wrote (which is half of the New Testament), should be “THROWN OUT” because he says one thing (the law is done away with); yet his actions don’t line up with his words. <br />
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Of course this is not true. Paul is not a hypocrite, nor was he a traitor to the Jews, nor was he unfaithful to the Torah! His words have been misunderstood, misapplied, and the rumors that he taught against the Law back then are the same “rumors” that have continued to this day in the Church plagued by Dispensationalism and Replacement Theology. <br />
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The truth was, is and will be, that the Levitical system never took away sins in and of themselves. As it is written in<br />
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<b>Hebrews 8:5 But what they are serving is only a copy and shadow of the heavenly original; for when Moshe was about to erect the Tent, God warned him, “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain.”</b><br />
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Moshe’s Tabernacle and the Levitical system itself is only a copy of, and a shadow of something that is more real that what is here on earth. Namely, the Heavenly Tabernacle that Yeshua entered by His Own Blood. As it is written:<br />
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<b>Rev. 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.</b><br />
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You see, God is not limited by time or space. Time and space is His Creation, but He transcends His Creation. Therefore, His Blood and Salvation was existing from BEFORE CREATION. The same blood that saved you and me, is the SAME BLOOD that saved Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And it was NOT blood of bulls and goats. Nor was it the purpose of bulls and goats to EVER TAKE AWAY SINS…<br />
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<b>Hebrews 10:3 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.</b><br />
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The purpose of blood of bulls and goats in the Levitical system was only a “picture lesson” they were always just “symbols” pointing us to the Real Blood that was already available from before the World was Created! The job of the Levitical system is to teach unbelievers about this Real Blood, and what God requires, that there must be a death for atonement. <br />
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And therein lies the mystery to understand the purposes of the future Third Temple that will eventually come. There will be unbelievers on the earth, and even during the Millennial Reign of Messiah, those sacrifices are just a picture of what Messiah has ALREADY DONE FOR US. The Book of Zechariah says any nation that refuses to observe Sukkot/Tabernacles will be punished at that time (i.e. during the Millennium). Zech. 14.<br />
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They still have much purpose and value, just as Yeshua taught us to pray: “ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN” What is in Heaven must be manifested here on the earth, which was why it was necessary for Yeshua to take on flesh and manifest what was already in Heaven, literally here on the earth when He was crucified. It was One single act, done for all time, but it accomplished atonement for all sins of the past, present and future (during the days of Adam to Abraham) as well as for ALL TIME. <br />
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There is actually much more to all this beyond just the Levitical System, even the structure of the Tabernacle itself has great significance of who the Messiah is and His Work! I highly recommend if you are locally in N.E. Ohio to register for my class coming up next year in 2019:<br />
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Instructor Name: Rabbi Eric David Lakatos Date_Jan. 27 - Apr 28, 2019<br />
Course Name: THE MISHKAN/TABERNACLE (Its Structure, Sacred Vessels, Garments & Sacrifices) Semester & Year_Spring- 2019 @ BETHESDA COLLEGE – Akron Campus. <br />
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I can send you more details if you’re interested in the class. If you are not in our area or cannot take the class, there is a great book/study I recommend for you. “What About the Sacrifices”, by D. Thomas Lancaster. Published by First Fruits of Zion. FFOZ.org it is a fantastic resource and will greatly assist any believer to dig deeper into the purposes of the Levitical system and how it relates to the Brit Chadasha. New Covenant.<br />
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My answer may have caused more questions for you, as I said it was only to wet the appetite, and I suggest the class and/or the book resource mentioned.<br />
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Again, thank you for your submission, and may you draw closer to Him in your studies and be blessed.<br />
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Shalom,<br />
<br />
Rabbi Eric<br />
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Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-40133796066818878572018-10-16T12:27:00.002-07:002018-10-16T12:27:38.786-07:00ASK THE RABBI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This one came from Mark:<br />
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"Dear Rabbi, What is your response to the point that in Isaiah 7:14, the term is "young woman" and not "virgin?" I am a believer in Christ, yet find this confounding. Thank you for your time. Mark"<br />
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My response:<br />
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"Shalom Mark, and thank you for your question.<br />
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I highly recommend Dr. Michael Brown’s book “Answering Jewish Objections” as what you are referring to is very common among Jews. Yes it is true the word Almah (as in Isaiah 7:14); technically does translate to young woman, however elsewhere it is used to describe a virgin as well, as virgins are more often than not also technically “young women”. So the word can be used interchangeably. <br />
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Commenting on Matthew 1:23, Dr. David Stern in his brilliant Jewish New Testament Commentary says further: “The virgin will conceive and bear a son. This verse introduces a major controversy concerning the use of the Hebrew Bible in the New Testament. Following are three objections which non-Messianic Jews and other skeptics often make to Mattityahu's quoting Isaiah 7:14; in this verse, along with Messianic Jewish replies.<br />
(1) Objection: A virgin birth is impossible.<br />
Reply: In liberal scholarship miracles are characteristically explained away as natural phenomena in disguise. One might pursue this line here by pointing to observed instances of parthenogenesis in the animal kingdom or modern cloning experiments. But there is no instance of human parthenogenesis. Therefore one must regard a virgin birth as supernatural.<br />
Usually objection to a virgin birth as impossible follows as a logical consequence of objecting to any and all supernaturalism. But the God of the Bible is literally "supernatural," above nature, since he created nature and its laws. Therefore, if it suits his purpose he can suspend those laws. The Bible in both the Tanakh and the New Testament teaches repeatedly that God does intervene in human history and does sometimes overrule the natural course of events for his own reasons.<br />
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Frequently his reason, as in this instance, is to give humanity a sign of his sovereignty, presence and concern. In fact, Isaiah 7:14 immediately preceding the portion quoted, reads, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign." The Hebrew word for sign (" 'ot") means an extraordinary event that demonstrates and calls attention to God's direct involvement in human affairs. The "God" of Deism, pictured as starting the universe like a man winding a watch and leaving it to run by itself, is not the God of the Bible.<br />
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(2) Objection: Isaiah, in using the Hebrew word " 'almah," was referring to a "young woman"; had he meant "virgin" he would have written "b'tulah."<br />
Reply: " 'Almah" is used seven times in the Hebrew Bible, and in each instance it either explicitly means a virgin or implies it, because in the Bible " 'almah" always refers to an unmarried woman of good reputation. In Gen. 24:43 it applies to Rebecca, Isaac's future bride, already spoken of in Gen. 24:16 as a b'tulah. In Exodus 2:8 it describes the infant Moshe's older sister Miryam, a nine-year-old girl and surely a virgin. (Thus the name of Yeshua's mother recalls this earlier virgin.) The other references are to young maidens playing on timbrels (Psalm 68:25) maidens being courted (Proverbs 30:19) and virgins of the royal court (Song of Songs 1:3; 6:8), In each case the context requires a young unmarried woman of good reputation, i.e., a virgin.<br />
Moreover, Mattityahu here is quoting from the Septuagint, the first translation of the Tanakh into Greek. More than two centuries before Yeshua was born, the Jewish translators of the Septuagint chose the Greek word "parthenos" to render " 'almah." "Parthenos" unequivocally means "virgin." This was long before the New Testament made the matter controversial.<br />
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The most famous medieval Jewish Bible commentator, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki ("Rashi," 1040-), who determinedly opposed Christological interpretation of the Tanakh, nevertheless explained that in (Song of Songs 1:3), 'alamot" (the plural of " 'almah") means "b'tulot" (" virgins") and refers metaphorically to the nations.<br />
Victor Buksbazen, a Hebrew Christian, in his commentary The Prophet Isaiah, quoted Rashi as writing that in Isaiah 7:14 "'almah" means "virgin." In the first four editions of the Jewish New Testament Commentary I cited this Rashi. It has been pointed out to me that Rashi did not write what I represented him as having written, so I have removed the citation from the main body of the JNTC and herewith apologize for not checking the original source.<br />
In fact, the Hebrew text of Rashi as it appears in MikraCot G'dolot says something quite different and far less supportive of the case I am making that in Is. 7:14, "'almah" means "virgin." Following is a literal translation of Rashi's remarks in MikraCot G'dolot:<br />
[Isaiah:] God gives you (plural) a sign.<br />
[Rashi:] He gives it to you (plural) by himself upon you against your will.<br />
[Isaiah:] Pregnant.<br />
[Rashi:]In the future she will be like we found with Manoach's wife, that was spoken to her by the angel and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and it was written, and he will say to her: here you are pregnant, etc. [Isaiah:] The young girl ['almah].<br />
[Rashi:]My wife pregnant this year? and it will be the fourth year of King Achaz?<br />
[Isaiah:] And she will call his name.<br />
[Rashi:] The Holy Spirit will descend upon her.<br />
[Isaiah:] Immanu'el.<br />
[Rashi:] This will be to say that God is with us. And this is the sign that after the na'arah who will have never prophesied in all her life and with him (the son) will come the Holy Spirit. And that has been said in [Talmud tractate] Sotah, "and he will draw near to the prophetess," etc. We never find a prophet's wife is called a prophetess unless she prophesied. And there are some who understand this to be referring to Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah). But this is impossible. After you count the years you will find that Chizkiyahu would have been born nine years before his father's kingship began. And there are some who interpret this to mean that this is the sign, that she was an 'almah for whom it was not appropriate that she give birth ó or, with Hebrew r'uyah translated differently, the 'almah was not suited to giving birth, i.e., she was too young.<br />
Contrary to the Buksbazen citation, Rashi never explicitly says that the na'arah has never in her life had intercourse with any man (i.e., is a virgin). Rather, he simply defines the 'almah as a na'arah and then says that some interpret this to mean either that it was improper for her to give birth (presumably because she was unmarried, in which case what would be proper is that she would be a virgin) or that she was too young to be physically capable of giving birth (in which case, unless she had been abused, she would be a virgin).<br />
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I regret misrepresenting Rashi. (Stern says), Nevertheless, even without the Rashi paragraph, I believe the overall case I have made for understanding the 'almah of Isaiah 7:14 as a virgin remains convincing.<br />
(A friend says that Rashi did write the paragraph as quoted, but it is not in MikraCot G'dolot. However, until someone directs me to a genuine Rashi source for it, the matter remains as I have left it in this note.)<br />
Also in the earlier editions I referred to a 1953 article in the Journal of Bible and Religion, in which the Jewish scholar Cyrus Gordon held that cognate languages support translating "'almah" in Isaiah 7:14 as "virgin." However, Michael Brown, a Messianic Jewish scholar with a Ph.D. in Semitics, informs me that Gordon's observations were based on an early incorrect reading of a key Ugaritic text. In this case, my error stemmed from unfamiliarity with recent scholarship.<br />
However, the Bible itself shows us how we can know when an 'almah is a virgin. Rivkah is called an 'almah at Gen. 24:43 but it can be deduced from Gen. 24:16 ("Neither had any man known her") that she was a virgin. In the same way, we know that the 'almah Miryam was a virgin from Luke 1:34 where she asks the angel how she can be pregnant, "since I am a virgin?"<br />
A possible reason for Isaiah's using the word " Almah" instead of b'tulah is that in Biblical (as opposed to later) Hebrew, "b'tulah" does not always unambiguously mean "virgin," as we learn from Joel 1:8 Lament like a b'tulah girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth." & Deut. 22:19 speaks of a woman after her wedding night as a b'tulah.” (Stern, 1992).<br />
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There are actually more “objections” in this argument that Dr. David Stern addresses and I have only quoted two here for you. I recommend both resources to you if you are interested in doing more research. Dr. Michael Brown’s “Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus”, as well as Dr. David Stern’s “Jewish New Testament Commentary”. <br />
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I hope I have helped you. Above all pray for the salvation of all of our Jewish people!<br />
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Be well,<br />
<br />
R’ Eric<br />
Tikvat Yisrael Messianic Synagogue<br />
Cleveland, OH.<br />
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Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-6343453699556283532018-10-16T12:25:00.002-07:002018-10-16T12:25:32.839-07:00Your Daily Pesuk Sept. 17, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h1 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 36px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px 10px; text-align: center;">
<span class="hidden-xs" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Parashat</span> Ha'Azinu / <bdo dir="rtl" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="hidden-xs" dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">פרשת</span> <span dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">האזינו</span></bdo></h1>
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<li class="big-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 29px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6px;"><span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; white-space: nowrap;">Mon, 17 September 2018</span> = <span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; white-space: nowrap;">8th of Tishrei, 5779</span></li>
<li class="hebrew big-list jumbo" dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: Alef, "SBL Hebrew", David, serif; font-size: 37px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6px;">ח׳ בְּתִשְׁרֵי תשע״ט</li>
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Deuteronomy 32:7-12 (6 p'sukim)</div>
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<b>Deuteronomy 32:7-12 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b></div>
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<b>7 “Remember the days of antiquity,</b></div>
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<b>understand the years across generations.</b></div>
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<b>Ask your father and he will tell you,</b></div>
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<b> your elders and they will say to you.</b></div>
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<b>8 <span style="background-color: yellow;">When Elyon gave nations their heritage,</span></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: yellow;">when He separated the sons of man,</b></div>
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<b style="background-color: yellow;">He set boundaries for the people</b></div>
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<b style="background-color: yellow;"> by the number of Bnei-Yisrael.</b></div>
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<b>9 But Adonai’s portion is His people—</b></div>
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<b>Jacob is the share of His inheritance.</b></div>
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<b>10 He found him in the wilderness land,</b></div>
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<b>in the void of a howling waste.</b></div>
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<b>He surrounded him, cared for him,</b></div>
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<b> guarded him as the pupil of His eye.</b></div>
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<b>11 As an eagle stirs up its nest,</b></div>
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<b> hovers over its young,</b></div>
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<b>He spreads His wings, catches him,</b></div>
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<b> lifts him up on His pinions.</b></div>
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<b>12 Adonai alone guided him—</b></div>
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<b>there was no foreign god with him.</b></div>
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<b>7 זְכֹר֙ יְמ֣וֹת עוֹלָ֔ם בִּ֖ינוּ שְׁנ֣וֹת דּוֹר־וָד֑וֹר שְׁאַ֤ל אָבִ֙יךָ֙ וְיַגֵּ֔דְךָ זְקֵנֶ֖יךָ וְיֹ֥אמְרוּ לָֽךְ׃</b></div>
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<b style="background-color: yellow;">8 בְּהַנְחֵ֤ל עֶלְיוֹן֙ גּוֹיִ֔ם בְּהַפְרִיד֖וֹ בְּנֵ֣י אָדָ֑ם יַצֵּב֙ גְּבֻלֹ֣ת עַמִּ֔ים לְמִסְפַּ֖ר בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃</b></div>
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<b>9 כִּ֛י חֵ֥לֶק יְהוָֹ֖ה עַמּ֑וֹ יַעֲקֹ֖ב חֶ֥בֶל נַחֲלָתֽוֹ׃</b></div>
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<b>10 יִמְצָאֵ֙הוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִדְבָּ֔ר וּבְתֹ֖הוּ יְלֵ֣ל יְשִׁמֹ֑ן יְסֹֽבְבֶ֙נְהוּ֙ יְב֣וֹנְנֵ֔הוּ יִצְּרֶ֖נְהוּ כְּאִישׁ֥וֹן עֵינֽוֹ׃</b></div>
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<b>11 כְּנֶ֙שֶׁר֙ יָעִ֣יר קִנּ֔וֹ עַל־גּוֹזָלָ֖יו יְרַחֵ֑ף יִפְרֹ֤שׂ כְּנָפָיו֙ יִקָּחֵ֔הוּ יִשָּׂאֵ֖הוּ עַל־אֶבְרָתֽוֹ׃</b></div>
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<b>12 יְהוָ֖ה בָּדָ֣ד יַנְחֶ֑נּוּ וְאֵ֥ין עִמּ֖וֹ אֵ֥ל נֵכָֽר׃</b></div>
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Pesuk 8 gives us an often forgotten Biblical fact. God set the boundaries of the nations, according to the number of the Children of Israel. Rashi explains:</div>
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When the Most High gave nations their lot: When the Holy One, Blessed is He, gave those who provoked Him to anger their portion, He flooded them and drowned them [i.e., that was their lot].</div>
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בהנחל עליון גוים: כשהנחיל הקדוש ברוך הוא למכעיסיו את חלק נחלתן הציפן ושטפם:</div>
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when He separated the sons of man: When [God] scattered the Generation of the Dispersion [which built the tower of Babel], He had the power to remove them from the world [altogether], but He did not do so. Rather, “He set up the boundaries of peoples,” [i.e.,] He let them remain in existence and did not destroy them.</div>
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בהפרידו בני אדם: כשהפיץ דור הפלגה היה בידו להעבירם מן העולם ולא עשה כן, אלא יצב גבולות עמים קיימם ולא אבדם:</div>
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according to the number of the children of Israel: [God let man remain in existence] for the sake of a [small] number of the children of Israel who were destined to descend from the children of Shem, and [the sake of] the number of the seventy souls of the children of Israel who went down to Egypt, He “set up the boundaries of peoples,” [i.e., He separated man into seventy nations with] seventy languages.</div>
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למספר בני ישראל: בשביל מספר בני ישראל שעתידים לצאת מבני שם, ולמספר שבעים נפש של בני ישראל שירדו למצרים, הציב גבולות עמים שבעים לשון:</div>
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Often the sages of Israel reminds us that if it wasn't for Israel, there would be no "nations". The nations exist for the sake of Israel! </div>
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Keil & Delitzsch explain it similarly:</div>
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“ <i>When the Most High portioned out inheritance to the nations, when He divided the children of men; He fixed the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the sons of Israel: for the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob the cord of His inheritance .”</i> Moses commences his enumeration of the manifestations of divine mercy with the thought, that from the very commencement of the forming of nations God had cared for His people Israel. The meaning of Deuteronomy 32:8 is given in general correctly by Calvin: “In the whole arrangement of the world God had kept this before Him as the end: to consult the interests of His chosen people.” The words, “when the Most High portioned out inheritance to the nations,” etc., are not to be restricted to the one fact of the confusion of tongues and division of the nations as described in Gen 11, but embrace the whole period of the development of the one human family in separate tribes and nations, together with their settlement in different lands; for it is no doctrine of the Israelitish legend, as Kamphausen supposes, that the division of the nations was completed once for all. The book of Genesis simply teaches, that after the confusion of tongues at the building of the tower of Babel, God scattered men over the entire surface of the earth (Deuteronomy 11:9), and that the nations were divided, i.e., separate nations were formed from the families of the sons of Noah ( Genesis 10:32); that is to say, the nations were formed in the divinely-appointed way of generation and multiplication, and so spread over the earth. And the Scriptures say nothing about a division of the countries among the different nations at one particular time; they simply show, that, like the formation of the nations from families and tribes, the possession of the lands by the nations so formed was to be traced to God, - was the work of divine providence and government, - whereby God so determined the boundaries of the nations (“the nations” are neither the tribes of Israel, nor simply the nations round about Canaan, but the nations generally), that Israel might receive as its inheritance a land proportioned to its numbers.</div>
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This is precisely why that it is both foolish and dangerous for the nations to dispossess and exile the Jews from their God-given Land anymore. As it is written:</div>
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Joel 4 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</div>
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Valley of Jehoshaphat</div>
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4 “For behold, in those days and at that time,</div>
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when I restore Judah and Jerusalem from exile,</div>
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2 I will gather all nations</div>
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and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.</div>
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I will plead[a] with them there on behalf of My people,</div>
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even My inheritance, Israel,</div>
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whom they scattered among the nations</div>
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and they divided up My land.</div>
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3 They cast lots for My people,</div>
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traded a boy for a prostitute,</div>
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and sold a girl for wine, which they drank.”</div>
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(The word "plead" here is translated in Hebrew as "enter into judgement") </div>
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You see friend, God is a Zionist. It is not just a "political" issue regarding the Promised Land to the Children of Israel. Anyone who tries to touch God's Land and those whom He has given it to; are playing a dangerous game. It is arrogant and insolent to argue against God, His Word, Israel's right to exist as a nation, as the ONLY DEMOCRACY IN THE ENTIRE MIDDLE EAST. The only place in the mid-east where there is freedom of religion. </div>
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Some people accuse Israel of being an apartheid state. They accuse the Jews of genocide and they deny that the Holocaust ever happened. They plot against Israel in many ways, they terrorize her, they boycott and divest and sanction her; but no matter how much they try to undermine God's Covenant with Israel - they will ultimately fail and bring judgement upon themselves.</div>
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As believers, whether Messianic or if you are a Christian, it is critical that we align ourselves with God's Word, and with political and religious forces that are also in line with God's Word, otherwise, we can find ourselves on the WRONG SIDE of God's Plan for Israel, the Land and His Word.</div>
Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-641107895710665192018-10-16T12:25:00.001-07:002018-10-16T12:25:11.709-07:00Your Daily Pesuk Sept. 16, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1EMFqh3IcfEs_iJwwpf7u77D9my3D8a6rNzmxPvQUGepNZuMjIhbQ4DUjVFi4SwW8LOd4D-TvW_EnFAehSkgesEItoEeJ2a1x1UQIgCG39J4Y-4gIIW_cW0vcGJSjG-ZKvzRHPmpjoE/s1600/Pesuk+Final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="932" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1EMFqh3IcfEs_iJwwpf7u77D9my3D8a6rNzmxPvQUGepNZuMjIhbQ4DUjVFi4SwW8LOd4D-TvW_EnFAehSkgesEItoEeJ2a1x1UQIgCG39J4Y-4gIIW_cW0vcGJSjG-ZKvzRHPmpjoE/s320/Pesuk+Final.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="hidden-xs" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Parashat</span> Ha'Azinu / <bdo dir="rtl" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="hidden-xs" dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">פרשת</span> <span dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">האזינו</span></bdo></h1>
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<li class="big-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 29px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6px;"><span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; white-space: nowrap;">Sun, 16 September 2018</span> = <span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; white-space: nowrap;">7th of Tishrei, 5779</span></li>
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Deuteronomy 32:1-6 (6 p'sukim)</div>
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<b>32 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak!</b></div>
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<b>Let the earth hear the words of my mouth.</b></div>
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<b>2 May my teaching trickle like rain,</b></div>
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<b>my speech distill like dew—</b></div>
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<b> like gentle rain on new grass,</b></div>
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<b> like showers on tender plants.</b></div>
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<b>3 For I will proclaim Adonai’s Name,</b></div>
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<b>ascribe greatness to our God!</b></div>
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<b>4 The Rock—blameless is His work.</b></div>
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<b>Indeed, all His ways are just.</b></div>
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<b>God of faithfulness without iniquity,</b></div>
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<b> righteous and upright is He.</b></div>
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<b>5 Did it corrupt Him? No!</b></div>
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<b>The blemish is His children’s—</b></div>
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<b>a generation crooked and twisted.</b></div>
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<b>6 Is this how you pay back Adonai,</b></div>
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<b>O foolish, unwise people?</b></div>
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<b>Isn’t He your Father who ransomed you?[a]</b></div>
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<b>He made you and established you.</b></div>
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<b>32 הַאֲזִ֥ינוּ הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וַאֲדַבֵּ֑רָה וְתִשְׁמַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ אִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃</b></div>
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<b>2 יַעֲרֹ֤ף כַּמָּטָר֙ לִקְחִ֔י תִּזַּ֥ל כַּטַּ֖ל אִמְרָתִ֑י כִּשְׂעִירִ֣ם עֲלֵי־דֶ֔שֶׁא וְכִרְבִיבִ֖ים עֲלֵי־עֵֽשֶׂב׃</b></div>
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<b>3 כִּ֛י שֵׁ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה אֶקְרָ֑א הָב֥וּ גֹ֖דֶל לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃</b></div>
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<b>4 הַצּוּר֙ תָּמִ֣ים פָּעֳל֔וֹ כִּ֥י כָל־דְּרָכָ֖יו מִשְׁפָּ֑ט אֵ֤ל אֱמוּנָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין עָ֔וֶל צַדִּ֥יק וְיָשָׁ֖ר הֽוּא׃</b></div>
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<b>5 שִׁחֵ֥ת ל֛וֹ לֹ֖א בָּנָ֣יו מוּמָ֑ם דּ֥וֹר עִקֵּ֖שׁ וּפְתַלְתֹּֽל׃</b></div>
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<b>6 הֲ־לַיְהוָה֙ תִּגְמְלוּ־זֹ֔את עַ֥ם נָבָ֖ל וְלֹ֣א חָכָ֑ם הֲלוֹא־הוּא֙ אָבִ֣יךָ קָּנֶ֔ךָ ה֥וּא עָֽשְׂךָ֖ וַֽיְכֹנְנֶֽךָ׃</b></div>
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Pesuk 6 mentions that our Father has redeemed Israel. How did He redeem our ancestors? The Passover Seder reminds us with the Second Cup, the "Cup of Plagues" that Adonai poured out plagues upon the Egyptians, our captors. The last and final plague was a retribution for Pharaoh's decree to murder the first born males of the Hebrew slaves, (when Moshe was saved). Pharaoh's son would have been the next Pharoah, and each Pharaoh was worshipped as a "god". Our God punished each and every idol that was worshipped in Egypt demonstrating that He is the Only God and there is none other!</div>
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The B'nei Yisrael were redeemed by the blood of the first born sons of Egypt. They were purchased by God through blood. Which is why we diminish our cups during the seder and splash the wine onto our napkins or plates, which is a symbol of splashed blood, also the lambs that were slaughted and the blood was applied to the doorposts. The wooden doorposts (mezuzaot), where the mezuzah is nailed (which contains the Shema), is pierced onto that stake where also this first Pesach lamb's blood was applied.</div>
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So it is in the Brit Chadasha with us today, we all, Jew and non-Jew have been purchased and redeemed, ransomed by the Blood of the Lamb!</div>
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<b>Matthew 20:25 But Yeshua called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones play the tyrant over them. 26 It shall not be this way among you. But whoever wants to be great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you shall be your slave— 28 <span style="background-color: yellow;">just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">And this is in accord with the teachings of our Shaliachim, and Rav Shaul:</span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white;">1 Timothy 2:</span>4 He desires all men to be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and there is one Mediator between God and men—a human, Messiah Yeshua, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony at the proper time. </b></div>
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Amen, may all Israel be saved! Shavuah Tov!</div>
Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-79442810542085329912018-10-16T12:25:00.000-07:002018-10-16T12:25:02.316-07:00Your Daily Pesuk Sept 15, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="hidden-xs" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Parashat</span> Vayeilech / <bdo dir="rtl" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="hidden-xs" dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">פרשת</span> <span dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">וילך</span></bdo></h1>
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<li class="big-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 29px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6px;"><span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; white-space: nowrap;">Sat, 15 September 2018</span> = <span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; white-space: nowrap;">6th of Tishrei, 5779</span></li>
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Deuteronomy 31:25-30 (6 p'sukim)</div>
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maf: 31:28-30 (3 p'sukim)</div>
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<b>Deuteronomy 31:25-30 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b></div>
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<b>25 Moses commanded the Levites, carriers of the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai saying, 26 “Take this scroll of the Torah, and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai your God. It will remain there as a witness against you, 27 for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. Indeed, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against Adonai—how much more then after my death? 28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your officials, so that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will certainly act corruptly and turn aside from the way I have commanded you. So evil will fall upon you in the latter days, because you will do what is evil in the sight of Adonai, provoking Him to anger by the work of your hands.”</b></div>
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<b>30 Moses spoke in the hearing of the whole community of Israel the words of this song, right to the end:</b></div>
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<b>25 וַיְצַ֤ו מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֔ם נֹֽשְׂאֵ֛י אֲר֥וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃</b></div>
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<b>26 לָקֹ֗חַ אֵ֣ת סֵ֤פֶר הַתּוֹרָה֙ הַזֶּ֔ה וְשַׂמְתֶּ֣ם אֹת֔וֹ מִצַּ֛ד אֲר֥וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָֽיָה־שָׁ֥ם בְּךָ֖ לְעֵֽד׃</b></div>
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<b>27 כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֤י יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶֽת־מֶרְיְךָ֔ וְאֶֽת־עָרְפְּךָ֖ הַקָּשֶׁ֑ה הֵ֣ן בְּעוֹדֶנִּי֩ חַ֨י עִמָּכֶ֜ם הַיּ֗וֹם מַמְרִ֤ים הֱיִתֶם֙ עִם־יְהוָֹ֔ה וְאַ֖ף כִּי־אַחֲרֵ֥י מוֹתִֽי׃</b></div>
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<b>28 הַקְהִ֧ילוּ אֵלַ֛י אֶת־כָּל־זִקְנֵ֥י שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֖ם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶ֑ם וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה בְאָזְנֵיהֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֔ם אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃</b></div>
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<b>29 כִּ֣י יָדַ֗עְתִּי אַחֲרֵ֤י מוֹתִי֙ כִּֽי־הַשְׁחֵ֣ת תַּשְׁחִת֔וּן וְסַרְתֶּ֣ם מִן־הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֖יתִי אֶתְכֶ֑ם וְקָרָ֨את אֶתְכֶ֤ם הָֽרָעָה֙ בְּאַחֲרִ֣ית הַיָּמִ֔ים כִּֽי־תַעֲשׂ֤וּ אֶת־הָרַע֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לְהַכְעִיס֖וֹ בְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵיכֶֽם׃</b></div>
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<b>30 וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֗ה בְּאָזְנֵי֙ כָּל־קְהַ֣ל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַשִּׁירָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את עַ֖ד תֻּמָּֽם׃ פ</b></div>
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Shabbat Shalom, today is "Shabbat Shuvah" the Sabbath of Repentance, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur! Today's pesukim give us two types of witnesses against the B'nei Yisrael.</div>
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First, the Torah itself, Pesuk 26, and "Heaven & Earth" themselves. Why did Moshe give us the Torah as a witness against us and our ancestors, and why did he also call Nature itself, Creation, also as a witness against us?</div>
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The answer for New Covenant believers is obvious, the purpose of Torah was "NOT" to make us righteous, for the Torah cannot do that itself. The purpose of the Torah being a witness against us was to show us what Righteousness is, and that we are "NOT" righteous!</div>
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As Rav Shaul taught us in...</div>
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<b>Romans 7:7 Therefore, what are we to say? That the Torah is sinful? Heaven forbid! Rather, the function of the Torah was that without it, I would not have known what sin is. For example, I would not have become conscious of what greed is if the Torah had not said, “Thou shalt not covet.”[a] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, worked in me all kinds of evil desires — for apart from Torah, sin is dead. 9 I was once alive outside the framework of Torah. But when the commandment really encountered me, sin sprang to life, 10 and I died. The commandment that was intended to bring me life was found to be bringing me death! 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me; and through the commandment, sin killed me. 12 So the Torah is holy; that is, the commandment is holy, just and good. </b>(CJB).</div>
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So the Torah is a "witness against us". Think of it as in a court room. You are defending yourself (God is the judge), Satan is your accuser, and in walks Satan's first witness to testify against you that you are a lawbreaker. The bailiff introduces up the first witness, The Torah. The Torah gives it's testimony that you are unrighteous. Which without Yeshua, it is true we all are.</div>
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Then Satan calls his Second Witness against you, and in walks "Creation", (heaven & earth), and it also testifies against you. How?</div>
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Rav Shaul again says:</div>
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<b>Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is <span style="background-color: yellow;">revealed from heaven</span> against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. In unrighteousness they suppress the truth, 19 because what can be known about God is plain to them—for God has shown it to them. 20 His invisible attributes—His eternal power and His divine nature—<span style="background-color: yellow;">have been clearly seen ever since the creation of the world, being understood through the things that have been made</span>.[d] <span style="background-color: yellow;">So people are without excuse</span>— 21 for even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. Instead, their thinking became futile, and their senseless hearts were made dark. [e] 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools. 23 They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image in the form of mortal man and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things.[f]</b></div>
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<b>24 Therefore God gave them over in the evil desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies with one another. 25 They traded the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to shameful passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for what is against nature. 27 Likewise the men abandoned natural relations with women and were burning with passion toward one another—men committing shameful acts with other men[g] and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.</b></div>
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<b>28 And just as they did not see fit to recognize God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what is not fitting. 29 They became filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents. 31 They are foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree—that those who practice such things deserve death—they not only do them but also approve of others who practice the same.</b></div>
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Footnotes:</h4>
<ol style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; list-style-type: lower-alpha; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 20px;">
<li id="fen-TLV-28005a" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: lower-alpha;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&version=TLV%3BKJV%3BAMP%3BNIV#en-TLV-28005" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Go to Romans 1:13">Romans 1:13</a> <span class="footnote-text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Lit. brothers (in Messiah’s community).</span></li>
<li id="fen-TLV-28009b" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: lower-alpha;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&version=TLV%3BKJV%3BAMP%3BNIV#en-TLV-28009" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Go to Romans 1:17">Romans 1:17</a> <span class="footnote-text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Or from trusting-faith to trusting-faith.</span></li>
<li id="fen-TLV-28009c" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: lower-alpha;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&version=TLV%3BKJV%3BAMP%3BNIV#en-TLV-28009" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Go to Romans 1:17">Romans 1:17</a> <span class="footnote-text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Grk. pistis; cf. <a class="bibleref" data-bibleref="Hab.2.4" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hab.2.4&version=TLV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Hab. 2:4</a>(2:4 LXX).</span></li>
<li id="fen-TLV-28012d" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: lower-alpha;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&version=TLV%3BKJV%3BAMP%3BNIV#en-TLV-28012" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Go to Romans 1:20">Romans 1:20</a> <span class="footnote-text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">cf. <a class="bibleref" data-bibleref="Ps.19.1-Ps.19.6" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps.19.1-Ps.19.6&version=TLV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Ps. 19:1-6</a>; <a class="bibleref" data-bibleref="Jer.5.21-Jer.5.22" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jer.5.21-Jer.5.22&version=TLV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Jer. 5:21-22</a>.</span></li>
<li id="fen-TLV-28014e" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: lower-alpha;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&version=TLV%3BKJV%3BAMP%3BNIV#en-TLV-28014" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Go to Romans 1:22">Romans 1:22</a> <span class="footnote-text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">cf. <a class="bibleref" data-bibleref="2Kgs.17.15" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Kgs.17.15&version=TLV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">2 King. 17:15</a>; <a class="bibleref" data-bibleref="Isa.59.1-Isa.59.15" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isa.59.1-Isa.59.15&version=TLV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Isa. 59:1-15</a>; <a class="bibleref" data-bibleref="Jer.2.5" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jer.2.5&version=TLV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Jer. 2:5</a>; <a class="bibleref" data-bibleref="Ps.14.1-Ps.14.3" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps.14.1-Ps.14.3&version=TLV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Ps. 14:1-3</a>.</span></li>
<li id="fen-TLV-28015f" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: lower-alpha;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&version=TLV%3BKJV%3BAMP%3BNIV#en-TLV-28015" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #511811; cursor: pointer; outline-offset: -2px; outline: -webkit-focus-ring-color auto 5px;" title="Go to Romans 1:23">Romans 1:23</a> <span class="footnote-text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">cf. <a class="bibleref" data-bibleref="Deut.4.16-Deut.4.18" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deut.4.16-Deut.4.18&version=TLV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Deut. 4:16-18</a>.</span></li>
<li id="fen-TLV-28019g" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: lower-alpha;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&version=TLV%3BKJV%3BAMP%3BNIV#en-TLV-28019" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Go to Romans 1:27">Romans 1:27</a> <span class="footnote-text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">cf. <a class="bibleref" data-bibleref="Lev.18.22" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lev.18.22&version=TLV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Lev. 18:22</a>; <a class="bibleref" data-bibleref="Lev.20.13" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lev.20.13&version=TLV" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">20:13</a>.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So as we can see, both Moshe and Rav Shaul teach us clearly, that the Torah and Creation itself testify against us, the only hope we have is our advocate, the one who has cancelled the "death </span>sentence<span style="font-family: inherit;">" against us, who took our place, took the </span>sentence<span style="font-family: inherit;"> upon Himself and gave to us our Eternal Righteousness, based on our faith in Him. Yeshua Hamashiach. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">G'mar chatima Tovah!</span></div>
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<br />Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-8840605827302500672018-09-20T10:56:00.004-07:002018-09-20T10:56:31.951-07:00September 20th, 2018: The 100th anniversary of Allenby’s victory at Megiddo.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7eKAEWGr_iV2-4nHhJlA2fzz_lwiMCQIddL5MX7RVv8dEb2Qzg_TEldgcHrkL_v1S-i7LPHRXdjichM0M8AEv-7KU-KCUxwGRZtA3u8srmNc_zq3OgXCSb2ay6UHAQqawf08P3GqFf-A/s1600/History_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7eKAEWGr_iV2-4nHhJlA2fzz_lwiMCQIddL5MX7RVv8dEb2Qzg_TEldgcHrkL_v1S-i7LPHRXdjichM0M8AEv-7KU-KCUxwGRZtA3u8srmNc_zq3OgXCSb2ay6UHAQqawf08P3GqFf-A/s1600/History_4.jpg" /></a></div>
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September 20th, 2018: The 100th anniversary of Allenby’s victory at Megiddo.<br />
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Before dawn on the morning of September 20th, 1918, Indian and Australian cavalry found their way east from the plain of Sharon across the Musmus pass; they approached the ancient hill or Megiddo (Har Megiddo, or Armageddon) guarding the legendary Esdraelon plain. Field Marshall Edmond Allenby was in command. Two months earlier, Allenby had been able to be reinforced with troops from France because of the arrival of the Americans in Europe. Opposing Allenby in the Levant were primarily Ottoman troops under the command of general Otto Liman von Sanders and several notable Turkish generals, including Mustafah Kemal Pasha (Ataturk). von Sanders and Kemal had crushed the allied British forces attacking the Bosporus; and they had now been sent to stop the British advance in the east and to put down the rebellion of Faisal and Lawrence (“of Arabia”).<br />
While waiting for reinforcements, Allenby had been reading a newly published book, the first ever translation of Hieroglyphic inscriptions on a column in Luxor. This translation brought to light a successful strategy used by Pharaoh Thutmose II to attack the Canaanites at Megiddo in 1479 BC. The Pharaoh had sent his cavalry across the Musmus pass to attack from the rear. The strategy had been hidden in plain site on an inscrutable pillar for three millennia; it had not been used in any of the nearly 30 subsequent battles that had been fought at Megiddo.<br />
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Allenby had been hiding most of his army and artillery on farms in the plain of Sharon. He made it appear to von Sanders as though he would attack in the east, near the Jordan valley. He achieved complete surprise when he attacked with artillery and infantry along the Mediterranean coast on the 19th of September. The Ottoman retreat was so rapid that von Sanders himself was almost captured at Nazareth. The infantry attack allowed the cavalry access at night to the Musmus pass.<br />
By dawn on the 20th, the cavalry had navigated the pass and emerged at Megiddo on the Plain of Esdraelon. They encountered a Turkish regiment. The Indian cavalry charged with lances alone. The surprise was complete; the unsuspecting Turks shot one Indian, while forty Turks were killed by the charging Lancers. The Turks surrendered. This was the last cavalry charge in history.<br />
British forces poured onto the Palin of Esdraelon, where so many armies for four continents had fought before. They blocked the counterattack from the east (which was also hampered by Faisal and Lawrence) and cut the rail lines, preventing Turkish retreat to the north. The entire Turkish seventh and eight armies were encircled and captured.<br />
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Thereafter, Allenby and the allies drove the Ottomans and Germans out of Syria and Lebanon, despite heroic stands by the outnumbered Turks. Realizing that the Turkish mainland was indefensible, and that the English would have Kurdish support if they continued north into eastern Asia Minor, they negotiated an armistice.<br />
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This last cavalry charge in history was modeled after one of the first cavalry attacks in recorded history. Without it, the nation of Israel could not have been re-established 30 years later. Without it, the Ottoman Empire might have survived and continued to have controlled much of the Middle East, at least for a time. But it was also notable in that it followed in a remarkable and underappreciated tradition of major battles at Megiddo. Because of its location at the one major, pivotal intersection of routes between Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, armies from every major people group on the planet - except the Americas - have fought at Megiddo. The prophesy is no accident!<br />
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2350 BC Pharaoh Pepi I: Egyptians vs Canaanites<br />
1479 BC Pharaoh Thutmose II: Egyptians and Africans vs. Canaanites<br />
1125 BC: Barack and Deborah vs Sisera: Israelites vs Canaanites<br />
1090 BC: Gideon vs. Midianites (Arabs)<br />
1016 BC: Saul and Jonathan vs Philistines<br />
925 BC: Pharaoh Shoshenq 1 vs. Israel<br />
841 BC: Jehu vs Joran (Israel vs. Judah)<br />
8th century BC: A series of Assyrian incursions<br />
609 BC: Pharaoh Necho II (Egyptians and Africans) vs Josiah (on the campaign that led to Carchemish)<br />
(Babylonians, after Carchemish, and later the Persians, conquer without a battle at Megiddo)<br />
(330 BC: Alexander conquers without a battle at Megiddo)<br />
218 BC: Antiochus II vs Ptolemy IV (Greeks)<br />
2nd century BC: Romans<br />
67 AD: Vespasian vs Jews (Romans)<br />
975 AD: Byzantines vs Fatimids<br />
1100-1300: various Northern Europeans (including Richard the Lion Hearted) vs. Arabs and allies<br />
1258 AD: Hulegu (grandson of Genghis Khan; Mongols and Chinese) vs Mamlukes<br />
1799 AD: Napoleon vs Ottomans<br />
1918 AD: Allenby (with Indian and Australian allies) vs Ottomans and Germans<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">credits: Pastor Joe Abraham via Benjamin Gaston MD</span><br />
<br />Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-25734021660325791802018-09-15T18:51:00.001-07:002018-09-15T18:51:07.926-07:00BIG HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM TIKVAT YISRAEL!!!!!<b>Deuteronomy 2:7 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b><br />
<b>For Adonai your God has blessed you <span style="font-family: inherit;">in </span>all the work of your hand—He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These 40 years Adonai your God has been with you—you have lacked nothing.”’</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "david"; font-size: 26.4px;">כִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בֵּרַכְךָ, בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ--יָדַע לֶכְתְּךָ, אֶת-הַמִּדְבָּר הַגָּדֹל </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "david"; font-size: 26.4px;">הַזֶּה: זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עִמָּךְ--לֹא חָסַרְתָּ, דָּבָר.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "david";"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Ki Adonai Elohecha B'rakacha B'kol Ma'aseh Y'decha, Ya'dah Lekatecha, Et Hamidbar Hagadol Hazeh. Zeh Arba'im Shanah, Adonai Elohecha Imech, Lo Chasartah, Davar!</i></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A NEW HOME FOR TIKVAT YISRAEL!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last April, Tikvat celebrated it's 40th Anniversary on the exact date of our incorporation in the State of Ohio, April 7th! That day also just happened to fall on both a "Shabbat" (Saturday), and the last day of Passover! We went "all out" in observing our 40th year with a community Passover Seder/Anniversary Banquet including a full concert with Paul Wilbur! 600 people from Tikvat and the community all joined us for an 8 hour long celebration all day, beginning with a Torah Service, a mini-Seder luncheon, and ending with Paul Wilbur in concert! It was an incredible day recalling our entire 40 year history with our founding Rabbi Walter Liber, and his wife Linda, along with many others who spoke and were there at the very beginning in 1978, and even before! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Passover came and went and we began a new chapter in our ministry here at Tikvat, however we had no idea then that day was indeed a breakthrough moment for our congregation besides just achieving a "milestone" anniversary! Within 2 months, the property pictured above came to the attention of the Board of Elders at Tikvat. It was just listed on the market within a 10 mile </span>radius of our current location in Lyndhurst at First Assembly, and it is owned by a church who was using it as a "satellite" campus; but it was not their main property. They had others who were interested, but they all wanted to turn it into something other than a place of worship. The owners had put a lot of upgrades and TLC into the property and they hated the thought of seeing it turn into a business or something other than a sanctuary of worship unto the Lord. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Over the last several months, the Elders of Tikvat Yisrael met with the Owner's Board of Elders after inquiring about the property. Both congregations began talks and investigating if this is all "from Adonai" for both congregations. The dialog continued, and eventually our committee of Meshartim (deacons), were called in to view the property as well and help the Board of Elders of Tikvat weigh in on their thoughts and prayers. Even later other ministry leaders at Tikvat were included in the prayer and fasting process to determine if this is the place God had intended for Tikvat, and if this really was indeed the end of our 40 year journey wandering and renting all over the city of Cleveland?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Immediately, the leadership put out the proverbial "fleece", as Gideon did in Judges 6. At first, it did NOT appear to be for us as there was a concern over zoning for the property as it is currently listed in a "residential area". Tikvat did not want to get into a situation where our "land use purpose" would someday be questioned and have to justify our continued use of the property. The Board even went to meet with the local zoning enforcement officer who assured us that there would never be any bias or discrimination against us regarding the "zoning" of the property. Being "Wise as Serpents", we still did not believe the zoning officer, because as Jews, and as believers who live in a "dark world", we weren't born yesterday and we know the enemies we face out there! We did not like the fact that we had no assurance that someday, someone who ever got elected to that zoning board and for whatever reason didn't like us...(some 'Pharaoh' who did not know Joseph); might desire to have that property have residential homes and tax revenue coming in and force us out! Even though the property has been operating on and off as a church/place of worship for about 40 years! (the same amount of time Tikvat has existed); we still had no assurance even with such precedent. We were starting to think that perhaps this really is just not for us. However, we gave God more time, and began to inquire about the legalities of such a situation in order to evaluate our risk with more information. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">While continuing to pray, fast, and include the Tikvat Intercessors within this process, we contacted some reputable Believing (Born Again) attorneys who informed us of a law we had never heard of, called RLUIPA (R</span>ELIGIOUS LAND USE AND INSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS ACT, 2000). The attorneys who are believers, advised us that The land use provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc, et seq., protect individuals, <b><u>houses of worship</u></b>, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws! And it would be foolishness of any zoning board to commit such a violation as they could be liable...(let's just say for a lot of $). </div>
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The Lord apparently had removed that obstacle completely, and He did the same thing on other smaller issues that seemed to crop up. This showed the leadership that God was keeping the doors open. What's better is that the Seller's have found favor with us and our ministry. They wanted to bless us! They lowered the sales price to their very "break even" point, so as to be able to "give us" this property if we would simply pay off their mortgage!!! They even told us what that amount would be! What kind of real estate seller does that?!?! We have found major Favor with them and with God! Not only that, but the amount of funds we have in our Building Fund already is enough to pay off the church's mortgage, and the property will transfer into our name on the date of closing! We will own that property clear and free!!! Baruch Hashem!!! BH"S!!! </div>
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In addition to the favor we found with the church on agreeing to the sales price on the property to be equivalent to the cash we have on hand; the church knew we were going to immediately need most of the contents of the furniture and other items in the building, and they knew that just purchasing this building would wipe out our building fund savings. The church called us and said, "listen, we know how hard it is to be an owner of property, and we DO NOT want you guys to have to go out and get in debt in order to purchase all of the furniture and contents that you all need..." Instead, they offered to sell us what they have, all the contents, chairs, kitchen appliances, tables, office furniture, nursery and children's ministry equipment and furniture, etc... for a reasonable price, to be paid to them in easy installments...AT 0% INTEREST! In other words, we will own the property outright, and they will sell us all of their furniture and contents, (most of which is in top mint conditions), for a price that is just about "break even" for them again, and with NO INTEREST!!! For easy to manage monthly payments!!! This was an even further amazing favor that we saw from them and from the Lord!!! Where could we get all of this for the price and terms they were offering us?!?! </div>
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Suffice it to say, when you see doors open like this, and obstacles removed, and favor with other believers with whom you are doing business - it is obviously the HAND OF GOD! The Board made the decision along with the rest of the leaders to NOT WALK AWAY FROM THIS! </div>
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This is what brings me to the purpose of this posted article. To explain to you, the friends and members of Tikvat Yisrael Messianic Synagogue. You all have toiled with us all these years, you have prayed, you have saved, you have fasted and you have sought the Lord on behalf of Tikvat; and I am writing to inform you today....ADONAI HAS HEARD AND HE HAS REMEMBERED US AND HE HAS DELIVERED A NEW HOME FOR US, EVEN THIS YEAR, OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY!</div>
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Now, we want to invite you, all of you, members, friends, family, and even those who don't attend regularly but you care for Tikvat and support this ministry - WE WANT TO INVITE YOU TO COME AND SEE IT FOR YOURSELVES AT A SPECIAL SERVICE AT THE NEW PROPERTY.</div>
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We want you to come out and see the miracle that our God has done for us, we want you to see it for yourselves, then we will all join together in a meeting, answer questions, and PRAY AND BLESS THE LORD TOGETHER FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE.</div>
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There are many more details to share with you, but for now, please accept this invitation to join us on:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyMDeHdvR4DUdqjlconPk9EhrmJ7gcrPa6jRN0_KHDzro-IhssubPQ849w9WwEriuOdhnq-JuUy5q_fTAm4038sZl3ThkepghNTbUZrK2-ZqBC5PD8Z8vVIf0CE3oqcPu0EtEiMkdUYg/s1600/building+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyMDeHdvR4DUdqjlconPk9EhrmJ7gcrPa6jRN0_KHDzro-IhssubPQ849w9WwEriuOdhnq-JuUy5q_fTAm4038sZl3ThkepghNTbUZrK2-ZqBC5PD8Z8vVIf0CE3oqcPu0EtEiMkdUYg/s320/building+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzp_FSlsk3BtrtdekzXdGJvMKKSlpKqYIsXJTGGnFh9IwcdiUrZH9Vr6rfYsbOpgzNu9AbS_3JjrHT_XYpAeuoxZWtetfy5wWUZld1M8l8FGbeMJvcvqcRWS-q34eN2JJikxkzsBlsoX0/s1600/building.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzp_FSlsk3BtrtdekzXdGJvMKKSlpKqYIsXJTGGnFh9IwcdiUrZH9Vr6rfYsbOpgzNu9AbS_3JjrHT_XYpAeuoxZWtetfy5wWUZld1M8l8FGbeMJvcvqcRWS-q34eN2JJikxkzsBlsoX0/s320/building.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Saturday, September 29, 2018</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10:30 a.m. Shacarit Torah Service</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9319 Mayfield Rd.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Chesterland, OH. 44026</span></b></div>
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<b>The property is currently owned by "Prince of Peace" Church</b></div>
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<b>From our current address at First Assembly drive straight down Mayfield Rd. for about 10 miles east.</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/1370+Richmond+Rd,+Lyndhurst,+OH+44124/9319+Mayfield+Road,+Chesterland,+OH/@41.535261,-81.4914037,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x8831021e8c6721f9:0xa35500b392cf2d35!2m2!1d-81.4978304!2d41.5228823!1m5!1m1!1s0x8831060377c6fcd9:0xd98e5f637500d471!2m2!1d-81.3446385!2d41.5217914!3e0" target="_blank">DIRECTIONS CLICK HERE</a></div>
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<b>WHERE IS THIS PROPERTY IN RELATION TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY?</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxFTjFeUVkgjaHcpCfLlBKqeJMY0DBBmyNaSyHN6fFjtBTRf0XTj6Peg00ymBRF5Rwk__tGgxY5ss7m3mJIRZN3LGkG9NvCq9XAh3Q1n9SVSSRBW0LIHBcI5gPWRF7ON3zsstH_z4dlk/s1600/Slide1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxFTjFeUVkgjaHcpCfLlBKqeJMY0DBBmyNaSyHN6fFjtBTRf0XTj6Peg00ymBRF5Rwk__tGgxY5ss7m3mJIRZN3LGkG9NvCq9XAh3Q1n9SVSSRBW0LIHBcI5gPWRF7ON3zsstH_z4dlk/s320/Slide1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Stars of David pictured below indicates the location of this property!</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtFj2LbC7iSX3GiNkI3vDbBaLuBqEYACO9nb4shcMYSyl3Y6yRuHv-lFOEcs2cWLfxnc-pmeq27YL_nPiSFpDV5TGkx-bQXkYXfw7DToHnx3ljj9kR6gCsP2W8psNQQfsXK8Y4XcLHG4/s1600/Slide2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtFj2LbC7iSX3GiNkI3vDbBaLuBqEYACO9nb4shcMYSyl3Y6yRuHv-lFOEcs2cWLfxnc-pmeq27YL_nPiSFpDV5TGkx-bQXkYXfw7DToHnx3ljj9kR6gCsP2W8psNQQfsXK8Y4XcLHG4/s640/Slide2.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULE25lFs5-Qa8yvox96DOZukurGOUeOW7HlKSrO0Nt6ijhvgoWZzADveKv0w2mQn05mbQr4vg06Y6s-2NZmuifzpd31rEyk8m5mx3gJgAAKJsys1bZhyphenhyphenKwBXu-usZpyXKE3ujHKzllvs/s1600/Slide3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULE25lFs5-Qa8yvox96DOZukurGOUeOW7HlKSrO0Nt6ijhvgoWZzADveKv0w2mQn05mbQr4vg06Y6s-2NZmuifzpd31rEyk8m5mx3gJgAAKJsys1bZhyphenhyphenKwBXu-usZpyXKE3ujHKzllvs/s640/Slide3.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> <span style="font-size: large;">This new property is "sandwiched" between "East Side Suburbs" (5,300 Jewish families), and the "Northern Heights" (10,400 Jewish families) respectively. </span></b></div>
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Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-6747085679003959202018-09-14T13:33:00.003-07:002018-09-14T13:33:35.978-07:00Your Daily Pesuk Sept 14, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1EMFqh3IcfEs_iJwwpf7u77D9my3D8a6rNzmxPvQUGepNZuMjIhbQ4DUjVFi4SwW8LOd4D-TvW_EnFAehSkgesEItoEeJ2a1x1UQIgCG39J4Y-4gIIW_cW0vcGJSjG-ZKvzRHPmpjoE/s1600/Pesuk+Final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="932" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1EMFqh3IcfEs_iJwwpf7u77D9my3D8a6rNzmxPvQUGepNZuMjIhbQ4DUjVFi4SwW8LOd4D-TvW_EnFAehSkgesEItoEeJ2a1x1UQIgCG39J4Y-4gIIW_cW0vcGJSjG-ZKvzRHPmpjoE/s320/Pesuk+Final.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 36px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px 10px; text-align: center;">
<span class="hidden-xs" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Parashat</span> Vayeilech / <bdo dir="rtl" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="hidden-xs" dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: Alef, "SBL Hebrew", David, serif;">פרשת</span> <span dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: Alef, "SBL Hebrew", David, serif;">וילך</span></bdo></h1>
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<bdo dir="rtl" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: Alef, "SBL Hebrew", David, serif;"><ul class="list-unstyled" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px;">
<li class="big-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 29px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6px;"><span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; white-space: nowrap;">Fri, 14 September 2018</span> = <span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; white-space: nowrap;">5th of Tishrei, 5779</span></li>
<li class="hebrew big-list jumbo" dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: Alef, "SBL Hebrew", David, serif; font-size: 37px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6px;">ה׳ בְּתִשְׁרֵי תשע״ט</li>
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Deuteronomy 31:20-24 (5 p'sukim)</div>
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<b>Deuteronomy 31:20-24 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b></div>
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<b>20 “For when I bring them to the land flowing with milk and honey that I swore to their fathers, and they eat and are satisfied and grow fat—then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and they will spurn Me and break My covenant. 21 Now when many evils and troubles have come on them, this song will confront them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their descendants. For I know the intention they are devising this day, even before I bring them into the land that I swore.” 22 That day Moses wrote this song and taught it to Bnei-Yisrael.</b></div>
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<b>23 Then he commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Chazak! Be courageous! For you will bring Bnei-Yisrael into the land I swore to them—and I will be with you.”</b></div>
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24 Now when Moses had finished writing the words of this Torah on a scroll, right to the end . . .</div>
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<b>20 כִּֽי־אֲבִיאֶ֜נּוּ אֶֽל־הָאֲדָמָ֣ה׀ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֣עְתִּי לַאֲבֹתָ֗יו זָבַ֤ת חָלָב֙ וּדְבַ֔שׁ וְאָכַ֥ל וְשָׂבַ֖ע וְדָשֵׁ֑ן וּפָנָ֞ה אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֲחֵרִים֙ וַעֲבָד֔וּם וְנִ֣אֲצ֔וּנִי וְהֵפֵ֖ר אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי׃</b></div>
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<b>21 וְ֠הָיָה כִּֽי־תִמְצֶ֨אןָ אֹת֜וֹ רָע֣וֹת רַבּוֹת֮ וְצָרוֹת֒ וְ֠עָנְתָה הַשִּׁירָ֨ה הַזֹּ֤את לְפָנָיו֙ לְעֵ֔ד כִּ֛י לֹ֥א תִשָּׁכַ֖ח מִפִּ֣י זַרְע֑וֹ כִּ֧י יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶת־יִצְר֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה֤וּא עֹשֶׂה֙ הַיּ֔וֹם בְּטֶ֣רֶם אֲבִיאֶ֔נּוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבָּֽעְתִּי׃</b></div>
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<b>22 וַיִּכְתֹּ֥ב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וַֽיְלַמְּדָ֖הּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃</b></div>
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<b>23 וַיְצַ֞ו אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן וַיֹּאמֶר֮ חֲזַ֣ק וֶֽאֱמָץ֒ כִּ֣י אַתָּ֗ה תָּבִיא֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֣עְתִּי לָהֶ֑ם וְאָנֹכִ֖י אֶֽהְיֶ֥ה עִמָּֽךְ׃</b></div>
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<b>24 וַיְהִ֣י׀ כְּכַלּ֣וֹת מֹשֶׁ֗ה לִכְתֹּ֛ב אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַתּוֹרָֽה־הַזֹּ֖את עַל־סֵ֑פֶר עַ֖ד תֻּמָּֽם׃</b></div>
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Franz Delitzsch gives a great summary of Devarim 31, which include our pesukim today:<br />
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"<i>Moses' Farewell and Death - Deuteronomy 31-34</i><br />
<i>With the renewal of the covenant, by the choice set before the people between blessing and curse, life and death, Moses had finished the interpretation and enforcement of the law (Deuteronomy 1:5), and brought the work of legislation to a close. But in order that the work to which the Lord had called him might be thoroughly completed, it still remained for him, before his approaching death, to hand over the task of leading the people into Canaan to Joshua, who had been appointed as his successor, to finish writing out the laws, and to hand over the book of the law to the priests. The Lord also directed him to write an ode (Song), as a witness against the people, on account of their obstinacy, and teach it to the Israelites. To these last arrangements and acts of Moses, which are narrated in ch. 31 and 32, there are added in ch. 33 the blessing with which this man of god bade farewell to the tribes of Israel, and in ch. 34 the account of his death, with which the Torah closes</i>."<br />
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John Gill's comments about this Song that remains a testimony "against" Israel are also noteworthy:<br />
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"...<i>and whereas the death of Moses was very near, and the Lord foreseeing the people would quickly fall into idolatry, which would bring great calamities upon them, he directed Moses to write a song, which should be a witness for him, and against them, in ages to come; which Moses accordingly did, Deuteronomy 31:14; and Moses having given a charge to Joshua, and finished the writing of the law in a book, gave it to the Levites to put it in the side of the ark, Deuteronomy 31:23; and then ordered the chief of the tribes to be gathered together, that he might deliver the song, which by the direction and under the inspiration of God he had written, Deuteronomy 31:28; which song is recorded in Deuteronomy 32:1</i>."<br />
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The important thing to remember about this song is that it indeed is a testimony "against" us. It is incredibly interesting to read that Moshe and this generation of B'nei Yisrael knew and received the prophetic foreknowledge that in future generations and specifically in the end of days, Israel would fail to keep this Torah and the words of this Song would "confront" us and never be forgotten by our children. As in pesuk 21:<br />
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<b>21 Now when many evils and troubles have come on them, this song will confront them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their descendants</b>.<br />
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There are actually three "songs" Moshe wrote: "Song at the Sea" (Exodus 15; "Psalm 90" & "Song of Moses" (Deut. 32).<br />
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Az Yashir Moshe (Ex. 15), recited daily in the Shacarit morning prayer service, and furthermore we see that in the very end of days, we will continue to sing all the Songs of Moshe...<br />
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<b>Revelation 15:3 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b><br />
<b>3 And they are singing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying,</b><br />
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<b>“Great and wonderful are Your deeds,</b><br />
<b> Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot!</b><br />
<b>Just and true are Your ways,</b><br />
<b> O King of the nations!</b><br />
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One of the best modern examples of our generations singing this song even in these last days, is this clip from Youtube that you can enjoy: (this is the cutest!!!) how precious!<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ilj7XKP4PgE/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ilj7XKP4PgE?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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If you're not familiar with the Hebrew, the English translation is below it, Exodus 15:</div>
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<span style="text-align: right;"> אָ֣ז יָשִֽׁיר־מֹשֶׁה֩ וּבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אָשִׁ֤ירָה לַֽיהוָה֙ כִּֽי־גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה ס֥וּס וְרֹכְב֖וֹ רָמָ֥ה בַיָּֽם׃</span></div>
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2 עָזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֔הּ וַֽיְהִי־לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה זֶ֤ה אֵלִי֙ וְאַנְוֵ֔הוּ אֱלֹהֵ֥י אָבִ֖י וַאֲרֹמְמֶֽנְהוּ׃</div>
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3 יְהוָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ מִלְחָמָ֑ה יְהוָ֖ה שְׁמֽוֹ׃</div>
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4 מַרְכְּבֹ֥ת פַּרְעֹ֛ה וְחֵיל֖וֹ יָרָ֣ה בַיָּ֑ם וּמִבְחַ֥ר שָֽׁלִשָׁ֖יו טֻבְּע֥וּ בְיַם־סֽוּף׃</div>
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5 תְּהֹמֹ֖ת יְכַסְיֻ֑מוּ יָרְד֥וּ בִמְצוֹלֹ֖ת כְּמוֹ־אָֽבֶן׃</div>
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6 יְמִֽינְךָ֣ יְהוָ֔ה נֶאְדָּרִ֖י בַּכֹּ֑חַ יְמִֽינְךָ֥ יְהוָ֖ה תִּרְעַ֥ץ אוֹיֵֽב׃</div>
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7 וּבְרֹ֥ב גְּאוֹנְךָ֖ תַּהֲרֹ֣ס קָמֶ֑יךָ תְּשַׁלַּח֙ חֲרֹ֣נְךָ֔ יֹאכְלֵ֖מוֹ כַּקַּֽשׁ׃</div>
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8 וּבְר֤וּחַ אַפֶּ֙יךָ֙ נֶ֣עֶרְמוּ מַ֔יִם נִצְּב֥וּ כְמוֹ־נֵ֖ד נֹזְלִ֑ים קָֽפְא֥וּ תְהֹמֹ֖ת בְּלֶב־יָֽם׃</div>
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9 אָמַ֥ר אוֹיֵ֛ב אֶרְדֹּ֥ף אַשִּׂ֖יג אֲחַלֵּ֣ק שָׁלָ֑ל תִּמְלָאֵ֣מוֹ נַפְשִׁ֔י אָרִ֣יק חַרְבִּ֔י תּוֹרִישֵׁ֖מוֹ יָדִֽי׃</div>
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10 נָשַׁ֥פְתָּ בְרוּחֲךָ֖ כִּסָּ֣מוֹ יָ֑ם צָֽלֲלוּ֙ כַּֽעוֹפֶ֔רֶת בְּמַ֖יִם אַדִּירִֽים׃</div>
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11 מִֽי־כָמֹ֤כָה בָּֽאֵלִם֙ יְהוָ֔ה מִ֥י כָּמֹ֖כָה נֶאְדָּ֣ר בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁ נוֹרָ֥א תְהִלֹּ֖ת עֹ֥שֵׂה פֶֽלֶא׃</div>
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12 נָטִ֙יתָ֙ יְמִ֣ינְךָ֔ תִּבְלָעֵ֖מוֹ אָֽרֶץ׃</div>
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13 נָחִ֥יתָ בְחַסְדְּךָ֖ עַם־ז֣וּ גָּאָ֑לְתָּ נֵהַ֥לְתָּ בְעָזְּךָ֖ אֶל־נְוֵ֥ה קָדְשֶֽׁךָ׃</div>
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14 שָֽׁמְע֥וּ עַמִּ֖ים יִרְגָּז֑וּן חִ֣יל אָחַ֔ז יֹשְׁבֵ֖י פְּלָֽשֶׁת׃</div>
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15 אָ֤ז נִבְהֲלוּ֙ אַלּוּפֵ֣י אֱד֔וֹם אֵילֵ֣י מוֹאָ֔ב יֹֽאחֲזֵ֖מוֹ רָ֑עַד נָמֹ֕גוּ כֹּ֖ל יֹשְׁבֵ֥י כְנָֽעַן׃</div>
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16 תִּפֹּ֨ל עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם אֵימָ֙תָה֙ וָפַ֔חַד בִּגְדֹ֥ל זְרוֹעֲךָ֖ יִדְּמ֣וּ כָּאָ֑בֶן עַד־יַעֲבֹ֤ר עַמְּךָ֙ יְהוָ֔ה עַֽד־יַעֲבֹ֖ר עַם־ז֥וּ קָנִֽיתָ׃</div>
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17 תְּבִאֵ֗מוֹ וְתִטָּעֵ֙מוֹ֙ בְּהַ֣ר נַחֲלָֽתְךָ֔ מָכ֧וֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ֛ פָּעַ֖לְתָּ יְהוָ֑ה מִקְּדָ֕שׁ אֲדֹנָ֖י כּוֹנְנ֥וּ יָדֶֽיךָ׃</div>
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18 יְהוָ֥ה׀ יִמְלֹ֖ךְ לְעֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃</div>
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19 כִּ֣י בָא֩ ס֨וּס פַּרְעֹ֜ה בְּרִכְבּ֤וֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁיו֙ בַּיָּ֔ם וַיָּ֧שֶׁב יְהוָ֛ה עֲלֵהֶ֖ם אֶת־מֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם וּבְנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָלְכ֥וּ בַיַּבָּשָׁ֖ה בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּֽם׃ פ</div>
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Then Moses and Bnei-Yisrael sang this song to Adonai:</div>
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I will sing to Adonai, for He is highly exalted!</div>
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The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea.</div>
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2 Adonai is my strength and song,</div>
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and He has become my salvation.</div>
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This is my God, and I will glorify Him,</div>
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my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.</div>
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3 Adonai is a warrior—Adonai is His Name!</div>
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4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army</div>
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He has hurled into the sea,</div>
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and his chosen captains have sunk</div>
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into the Sea of Reeds.</div>
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5 The deeps cover them.</div>
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They sank to the depths like a stone.</div>
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6 Your right hand, Adonai, is glorious in power.</div>
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Your right hand, Adonai, dashes the enemy to pieces.</div>
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7 In the greatness of Your excellency</div>
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You overthrow those who resist You.</div>
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You send forth Your wrath—</div>
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it consumes them as stubble.</div>
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8 With the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up.</div>
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The floods stood upright as a heap.</div>
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The deeps became firm ground in the heart of the sea.</div>
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9 The enemy said, “I will pursue,</div>
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I will overtake, I will divide the spoil.</div>
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My lust shall gorge on them!</div>
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I will draw my sword—my hand will destroy them.”</div>
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10 You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them.</div>
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They sank like lead in the mighty waters.</div>
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11 Who is like You, Adonai, among the gods?</div>
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Who is like You,</div>
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glorious in holiness,</div>
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awesome in praises,</div>
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doing wonders?</div>
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12 You stretched out Your right hand,</div>
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the earth swallowed them.</div>
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13 You in Your lovingkindness</div>
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led the people You have redeemed.</div>
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You guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.</div>
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14 When the peoples hear, they will tremble—</div>
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anguish will seize</div>
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the inhabitants of Philistia.</div>
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15 Then the chiefs of Edom are terrified.</div>
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Trembling grips Moab’s mighty men.</div>
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All of Canaan’s inhabitants will melt away.</div>
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16 Terror and dread will fall on them.</div>
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By the greatness of Your arm they become still as a stone,</div>
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till Your people cross over, Adonai,</div>
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till the people whom You purchased cross over.</div>
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17 You bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance,</div>
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the place, Adonai, that You have made</div>
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for Yourself to dwell in—</div>
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the Sanctuary, Adonai,</div>
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which Your hands have prepared.</div>
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18 Adonai will reign forever and ever!</div>
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19 For Pharaoh’s horses with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, but Adonai brought the waters of the sea back over them. Yet Bnei-Yisrael walked in the midst of the sea on dry ground.</div>
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<br />Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-38629247180513842852018-09-13T13:24:00.003-07:002018-09-13T13:24:29.466-07:00Your Daily Pesuk Sept. 13, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="hidden-xs" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Parashat</span> Vayeilech / <bdo dir="rtl" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="hidden-xs" dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">פרשת</span> <span dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">וילך</span></bdo></h1>
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<li class="big-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 29px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6px;"><span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; white-space: nowrap;">Thu, 13 September 2018</span> = <span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; white-space: nowrap;">4th of Tishrei, 5779</span></li>
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Deuteronomy 31:14-19 (6 p'sukim)</div>
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<b>Deuteronomy 31:14-19 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b></div>
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<b>14 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Behold, your time to die is near. Call Joshua, and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, and I will commission him.” Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting.</b></div>
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<b>15 Adonai appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the opening of the Tent. 16 Adonai said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will abandon Me and break My covenant that I cut with them. 17 Then My anger will flare against them on that day, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them. So they will be devoured, and many evils and troubles will come on them. They will say on that day, ‘Isn’t it because our God is not among us that these evils have come on us?’ 18 I will surely hide My face on that day because of all the evil they have done, for they have turned to other gods.</b></div>
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<b>19 “Now, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to Bnei-Yisrael—put it in their mouth, so that this song may be a witness for Me against Bnei-Yisrael.</b></div>
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<b>14 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה הֵ֣ן קָרְב֣וּ יָמֶיךָ֮ לָמוּת֒ קְרָ֣א אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ וְהִֽתְיַצְּב֛וּ בְּאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד וַאֲצַוֶּ֑נּוּ וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ מֹשֶׁה֙ וִֽיהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ וַיִּֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ בְּאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃</b></div>
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<b>15 וַיֵּרָ֧א יְהוָ֛ה בָּאֹ֖הֶל בְּעַמּ֣וּד עָנָ֑ן וַיַּעֲמֹ֛ד עַמּ֥וּד הֶעָנָ֖ן עַל־פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹֽהֶל׃ ס</b></div>
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<b>16 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה הִנְּךָ֥ שֹׁכֵ֖ב עִם־אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ וְקָם֩ הָעָ֨ם הַזֶּ֜ה וְזָנָ֣ה׀ אַחֲרֵ֣י׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י נֵֽכַר־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה֤וּא בָא־שָׁ֙מָּה֙ בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ וַעֲזָבַ֕נִי וְהֵפֵר֙ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖תִּי אִתּֽוֹ׃</b></div>
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<b>17 וְחָרָ֣ה אַפִּ֣י ב֣וֹ בַיּוֹם־הַ֠הוּא וַעֲזַבְתִּ֞ים וְהִסְתַּרְתִּ֨י פָנַ֤י מֵהֶם֙ וְהָיָ֣ה לֶֽאֱכֹ֔ל וּמְצָאֻ֛הוּ רָע֥וֹת רַבּ֖וֹת וְצָר֑וֹת וְאָמַר֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא הֲלֹ֗א עַ֣ל כִּֽי־אֵ֤ין אֱלֹהַי֙ בְּקִרְבִּ֔י מְצָא֖וּנִי הָרָע֥וֹת הָאֵֽלֶּה׃</b></div>
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<b>18 וְאָנֹכִ֗י הַסְתֵּ֨ר אַסְתִּ֤יר פָּנַי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא עַ֥ל כָּל־הָרָעָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה כִּ֣י פָנָ֔ה אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃</b></div>
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<b>19 וְעַתָּ֗ה כִּתְב֤וּ לָכֶם֙ אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וְלַמְּדָ֥הּ אֶת־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שִׂימָ֣הּ בְּפִיהֶ֑ם לְמַ֨עַן תִּהְיֶה־לִּ֜י הַשִּׁירָ֥ה הַזֹּ֛את לְעֵ֖ד בִּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃</b></div>
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Today's pesukim seem a bit "contradictory" in nature. Just a couple days ago in Devarim 31, earlier in the chapter, Adonai said He would never leave us or forsake us! (pesuk 8). Now here God says, in pesuk 17 that He will "abandon" us and "hide His face from us"; what!!!!<br />
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Before we "freak out". We must remember that the Bible NEVER CONTRADICTS ITSELF. So if it seems to be contradictory, it is likely because of something we are reading into it, or not considering. For example, in pesuk 16 He clearly points out that it is "WE WHO ABANDONED HIM FIRST..."<br />
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<b>"They will abandon Me and break My covenant"</b><br />
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Furthermore, in context He doesn't "fully leave us". Instead He has Moshe begin writing a "Song" (Pesuk 19). We are reminded that when it feels that God has abandoned us, it is not really Him who leaves, it is always that we have rejected Him first.<br />
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Many unbelievers today question...where is God? Look at all the suffering in this world. How can there be a God, and how can He be a God of Love...look at all that is wrong in the world! Why did He allow the Holocaust to happen.<br />
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My friend, you are not looking at it correctly. Yes those things all have happened and we have indeed suffered, not because He left us - but rather we left Him first; HOWEVER, HE HAS NOT FORGOTTEN US!!! He has resurrected Israel from the ashes of the Holocaust, He has kept a remnant of His people alive and now, today Israel is a thriving nation, Hebrew language has been revived, Israel is a top techno-superpower! Her intelligence and alliance with the U.S. is by far the best in the whole middle-east, in fact it's the only real Democracy in the Middle-East! Look at all God has done, despite the fact that we turned our backs on Him. Yet, He still loves us! Indeed He's never left us!<br />
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Who are we to deserve all of this kindness. Let us read the pesukim today and tomorrow and examine the words of this "Song" to see the real reason's behind our suffering, and begin to understand and put our Hope and Trust in Adonai, the God of Israel, His Son Yeshua, our Messiah.<br />
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Amen.</div>
Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-77340801821167635502018-09-13T13:24:00.002-07:002018-09-13T13:24:22.469-07:00Your Daily Pesuk Sept. 12, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1EMFqh3IcfEs_iJwwpf7u77D9my3D8a6rNzmxPvQUGepNZuMjIhbQ4DUjVFi4SwW8LOd4D-TvW_EnFAehSkgesEItoEeJ2a1x1UQIgCG39J4Y-4gIIW_cW0vcGJSjG-ZKvzRHPmpjoE/s1600/Pesuk+Final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="932" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1EMFqh3IcfEs_iJwwpf7u77D9my3D8a6rNzmxPvQUGepNZuMjIhbQ4DUjVFi4SwW8LOd4D-TvW_EnFAehSkgesEItoEeJ2a1x1UQIgCG39J4Y-4gIIW_cW0vcGJSjG-ZKvzRHPmpjoE/s320/Pesuk+Final.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="hidden-xs" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Parashat</span> Vayeilech / <bdo dir="rtl" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="hidden-xs" dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">פרשת</span> <span dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">וילך</span></bdo></h1>
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<li class="big-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 29px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6px;"><span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; white-space: nowrap;">Wed, 12 September 2018</span> = <span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; white-space: nowrap;">3rd of Tishrei, 5779</span></li>
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Deuteronomy 31:10-13 (4 p'sukim)</div>
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<b>Deuteronomy 31:10-13 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b></div>
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<b>10 Then Moses commanded them saying, “At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of cancelling debts, during the feast of Sukkot, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before Adonai your God in the place He chooses, you are to read this Torah before them in their hearing. 12 Gather the people—the men and women and little ones, and the outsider within your town gates—so they may hear and so they may learn, and they will fear Adonai your God and take care to do all the words of this Torah. 13 So their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear Adonai your God—all the days you live on the land you are about to cross over the Jordan to possess.”</b></div>
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<b>10 וַיְצַ֥ו מֹשֶׁ֖ה אוֹתָ֣ם לֵאמֹ֑ר מִקֵּ֣ץ׀ שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֗ים בְּמֹעֵ֛ד שְׁנַ֥ת הַשְּׁמִטָּ֖ה בְּחַ֥ג הַסֻּכּֽוֹת׃</b></div>
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<b>11 בְּב֣וֹא כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֵרָאוֹת֙ אֶת־פְּנֵי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בַּמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְחָ֑ר תִּקְרָ֞א אֶת־הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּ֛את נֶ֥גֶד כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּאָזְנֵיהֶֽם׃</b></div>
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<b>12 הַקְהֵ֣ל אֶת־הָעָ֗ם הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֤ים וְהַנָּשִׁים֙ וְהַטַּ֔ף וְגֵרְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֨עַן יִשְׁמְע֜וּ וּלְמַ֣עַן יִלְמְד֗וּ וְיָֽרְאוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וְשָׁמְר֣וּ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃</b></div>
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<b>13 וּבְנֵיהֶ֞ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יָדְע֗וּ יִשְׁמְעוּ֙ וְלָ֣מְד֔וּ לְיִרְאָ֖ה אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם כָּל־הַיָּמִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֤ם חַיִּים֙ עַל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם עֹבְרִ֧ים אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ פ</b></div>
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As mentioned yesterday, the public reading of the Torah is introduced to us, but today we also have the pesukim that mentions Chag Hasukkot! (the Feast of Sukkot). Remember, that Sukkot is one of the three Pilgrimage Festivals (Pesach, Shavuot, & Sukkot). Three times a year all males were required to travel to Jerusalem (when the Temple stood) and offer sacrifices there at the Temple in Jerusalem. This is why you read very often Yeshua "going up to Jerusalem" to a "feast". Sukkot was a time for the nation to be reminded of the Torah, to hear it and be taught...</div>
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So it will be in the age to come, in the age of Messiah, during the 1,000 Millennial Reign of the Messiah, that all nations will someday be "required" to go to Jerusalem at this time and learn Torah...</div>
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<b>Zechariah 14:16 Then all the survivors from all the nations that attacked Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot, and to celebrate Sukkot. 17 Furthermore, if any of the nations on earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptians do not go up and celebrate, they will have no rain. Instead, there will be the plague that Adonai will inflict on the nations that do not go up to celebrate Sukkot. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate Sukkot. 20 In that day “Holy to Adonai” will be inscribed on the bells of the horses and the pots in House of Adonai will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21 In fact every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be Holy to Adonai-Tzva’ot, so that everyone who comes to sacrifice will take them, and cook in them. In that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the House of Adonai-Tzva’ot.</b></div>
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Yes we see that in that day, in a future age, all nations will be REQUIRED to go up to Jerusalem during Sukkot. But how do they learn Torah? Zechariah doesn't seem to say anything about that...</div>
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Remember, one of the purposes of going during Sukkot was to learn Torah...</div>
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<b>Micah 4 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b></div>
<b>4 <span style="background-color: yellow;">But at the end of days </span></b><b>the mountain of Adonai’s House will be established as chief of the mountains, </b><b>and will be raised above the hills.</b><br />
<b>Peoples will flow up to it.</b><br />
<b>2 Then many nations will go and say:</b><br />
<b>“Come, let us go up to the mountain of Adonai,</b><br />
<b> to the House of the God of Jacob!</b><br />
<b style="background-color: yellow;">Then He will direct us in His ways,</b><br />
<b style="background-color: yellow;"> and we will walk in His paths.”</b><br />
<b style="background-color: yellow;">For Torah will go forth from Zion,</b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: yellow;">and the word of Adonai from Jerusalem</span>.</b><br />
<b>3 He will judge between many peoples</b><br />
<b>and decide for mighty nations far off.</b><br />
<b>They will beat their swords into plowshares,</b><br />
<b>and their spears into pruning shears.</b><br />
<b>Nation will not lift up sword against nation,</b><br />
<b> nor will they learn war again.</b><br />
<b>4 But each man will sit under his vine</b><br />
<b> and under his fig tree,</b><br />
<b> with no one causing terror,</b><br />
<b>for the mouth of Adonai-Tzva’ot has spoken.</b><br />
<b>5 Though all the peoples will walk</b><br />
<b>each in the name of his god,</b><br />
<b>so we ourselves will walk in the Name of Adonai Eloheinu,</b><br />
<b> forever and ever.</b><br />
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<b>6 “In that day”</b><br />
<b>—it is a declaration of Adonai—</b><br />
<b>“I will gather her who is limping,</b><br />
<b>and her who was banished will I collect,</b><br />
<b>even those whom I have afflicted.</b><br />
<b>7 I will make her who was limping into a remnant,</b><br />
<b> and her who was banished a mighty nation.</b><br />
<b>Adonai will reign over them on Mount Zion</b><br />
<b> from that time and forever.”</b><br />
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It is important to remember, that this is speaking of a "future age", the age of Messiah who has returned in Jerusalem. Today, we are still living in the age of the Gentiles. And until "that day", we live by the ruling of the Apostles (Acts 15 & 21), that we do not put obstacles or burdens on the Gentiles. They are NOT required to live Jewish lifestyles in order to be saved. Not all of Torah is obligatory on them, nor should we get ahead of ourselves today and start telling Christians and Churches that they got the Sabbath wrong and that they need to change their ways...<br />
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No, it is clear, that it is the Messiah's job to change that. Our job today is to get this good news of Salvation in Messiah Yeshua out to our Jewish people first, and then "whosoever". Leave the arguments about Torah with Gentiles to the Messiah. He'll take care of that Himself, and besides, He does a better job at that then we could ever hope to do ourselves.<br />
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Have a good fast, (Tzom Gedaliah today),<br />
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R' EricRabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400629784620250852.post-21929507584740901802018-09-13T13:24:00.001-07:002018-09-13T13:24:15.780-07:00Your Daily Pesuk Sept 11, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1EMFqh3IcfEs_iJwwpf7u77D9my3D8a6rNzmxPvQUGepNZuMjIhbQ4DUjVFi4SwW8LOd4D-TvW_EnFAehSkgesEItoEeJ2a1x1UQIgCG39J4Y-4gIIW_cW0vcGJSjG-ZKvzRHPmpjoE/s1600/Pesuk+Final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="932" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1EMFqh3IcfEs_iJwwpf7u77D9my3D8a6rNzmxPvQUGepNZuMjIhbQ4DUjVFi4SwW8LOd4D-TvW_EnFAehSkgesEItoEeJ2a1x1UQIgCG39J4Y-4gIIW_cW0vcGJSjG-ZKvzRHPmpjoE/s320/Pesuk+Final.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="hidden-xs" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Parashat</span> Vayeilech / <bdo dir="rtl" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="hidden-xs" dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">פרשת</span> <span dir="rtl" lang="he" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: rtl; font-family: "alef" , "sbl hebrew" , "david" , serif;">וילך</span></bdo></h1>
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<li class="big-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 29px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6px;"><span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; white-space: nowrap;">Tue, 11 September 2018</span> = <span class="nobr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; white-space: nowrap;">2nd of Tishrei, 5779</span></li>
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Deuteronomy 31:7-9 (3 p'sukim)</div>
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<b>Deuteronomy 31:7-9 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b></div>
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<b>7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong! Be courageous! For you are to go with this people into the land Adonai has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you are to enable them to inherit it. 8 Adonai—He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not fear or be discouraged.”</b></div>
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<b>9 Moses wrote down this Torah and gave it to the kohanim, the sons of Levi who carry the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai, and to all the elders of Israel.</b></div>
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<b>7 וַיִּקְרָ֨א מֹשֶׁ֜ה לִֽיהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו לְעֵינֵ֣י כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ חֲזַ֣ק וֶאֱמָץ֒ כִּ֣י אַתָּ֗ה תָּבוֹא֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֧ע יְהוָ֛ה לַאֲבֹתָ֖ם לָתֵ֣ת לָהֶ֑ם וְאַתָּ֖ה תַּנְחִילֶ֥נָּה אוֹתָֽם׃</b></div>
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<b>8 וַֽיהוָ֞ה ה֣וּא׀ הַהֹלֵ֣ךְ לְפָנֶ֗יךָ ה֚וּא יִהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֔ךְ לֹ֥א יַרְפְּךָ֖ וְלֹ֣א יַֽעַזְבֶ֑ךָּ לֹ֥א תִירָ֖א וְלֹ֥א תֵחָֽת׃</b></div>
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<b>9 וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב מֹשֶׁה֮ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָ֣ה הַזֹּאת֒ וַֽיִּתְּנָ֗הּ אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים֙ בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִ֔י הַנֹּ֣שְׂאִ֔ים אֶת־אֲר֖וֹן בְּרִ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה וְאֶל־כָּל־זִקְנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃</b></div>
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As in yesterday's pesukim, the theme of being strong "Chazak", and not fearing along with the understanding that Adonai will NOT leave us, is continued today. Additionally, we have pesuk 9 which begins to explain to us the importance of the Public Reading of the Torah.</div>
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Today is also the Second Day of Rosh Hashanah here in the Diaspora (only one day in Israel), ironically, this was also the season when we see a Biblical account of a public reading of the Torah on Rosh Hashanah...</div>
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<b>Nehemiah 8:8 Then all the people were brought as a single body into the plaza that was before the Water Gate. They said to Ezra the scribe, “Bring out the Torah scroll of Moses that Adonai had commanded Israel.”</b></div>
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<b>2 Ezra the kohen brought the Torah before the assembly, which included men and women and all who could understand what they heard. T<span style="background-color: yellow;">his happened on the first day of the seventh month</span>. 3 So he read from it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from first light until midday, in the presence of the men and women, and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the scroll of the Torah. 4 <span style="background-color: yellow;">Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform constructed for this purpose</span></b>.... (skip to pesuk 5...)...</div>
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<b>5 Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people for he was above all the people. When he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 <span style="background-color: yellow;">Ezra blessed Adonai, </span>the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, amen!” as they lifted up of their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped Adonai with their faces to the ground.</b></div>
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<b>7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbetai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—<span style="background-color: yellow;">instructed the people in the Torah while the people were standing in their place. 8 They read from the Torah scroll of God, distinctly explaining it and giving insight. Thus they understood what was read.</span></b></div>
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<b>9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the kohen-scribe, and the Levites who were teaching the people said to all the people, “Today is kadosh to Adonai your God. Do not mourn or weep!” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the Torah.</b></div>
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<b>10 So he said to them, “Go! <span style="background-color: yellow;">Eat choice food, drink sweet drinks</span>, and send portions to those who have nothing ready. For today is kadosh to our Lord. Do not grieve, <span style="background-color: yellow;">for the joy of Adonai is your strength.”</span></b></div>
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<b>11 Then the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Hush! For today is kadosh. Do not grieve.” 12 So all the people departed to eat and drink, to send portions and to <span style="background-color: yellow;">celebrate with great joy</span>, because they came to understand the words that were explained to them.</b></div>
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What a beautiful account of a Rosh Hashanah where the Torah was restored after the Babylonian captivity and the people were now being instructed on the Torah and how to celebrate this Mo'ad (appointed Time). A wooden Bima was built just like we have in our synagogues, before the reading we have the blessing, just like Ezra the Scribe did... and they ate and drank sweet drinks, just as we eat apples & honey and wish each other a L'shanah Tovah today!</div>
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And just as our ancestors continued in the public reading and teaching of the Torah, so too are we reminded today as Messianic believers...</div>
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<b>1 Timothy 4:13 Tree of Life Version (TLV)</b></div>
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<b>13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to encouragement, and to teaching.</b></div>
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May Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur NOT be the only time you darken the door of the synagogue. Let's not neglect the assembly and come together in a mikra kodesh (holy convocation) for the spiritual nourishing of our souls!</div>
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Get More Public Reading of Torah!</div>
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Shanah Tovah!</div>
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Rabbi Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12341664283146972186noreply@blogger.com0