“In the fifth year
(2013, starting with Rosh Hashanah 2012), there will be plenty (of rain) and
people will eat, drink, and be joyous, and the Torah will return to those who
learned it.”
Now again OvadYah
Avrahami brings us the news of rain in the Land of Israel:
“Thunderstorms
in Israel. Shomron - almost Shavuot and rain is predicted for Shavuot!
OvadYah Avrahami – “It
is Monday evening 15 May. There is thunder and lightning outside and refreshing
rain has been coming down over the last 20 minutes! This type of thunder storm,
which we are used to in South Africa in summer time, is seldom experienced even
in the winter rain season in Israel. The heavy daytime clouds over the
last week and intermittent cool summer weather reminds us of South African
summer weather which is totally different to Israel.
I checked with our Tour Guide who has lived in Shomron for the last 30 years.
"It is unusual." he comments, remarking that a friend, a weather man told
him that he does not recollect ever having had rains at Shavuot time.
A short but strong down pour came on Shabbat,, 3 days ago - while the sun was
shining plus intermittent heavy rain clouds. The weather is cool for this time
of the year - it should have been heavy summer heat already, and on Shabbat, I
had to dress warmer mid-day! Certainly strange to our knowledge!
I have commented on this change recently, posing the question whether perhaps
this may be "The year of Blessing" after Israel's new Gas line to its
abundant new gas fields was also connected right before Pesach (Passover
2013).
Now rain for Shavuot! Somewhere HaShem promises that His Blessings will be more
than we can receive – If?”
Rabbi Yochanan ben
Zaccai of Yavnah wrote the following prophecy just after the destruction of the
city of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in 70 CE.
Sanhedrin 97a – “Rebi Yochanan ben Zaccai of Yavnah
said: In the generation that Ben Dovid will come, talmidei chachamim, the
“pupil of wisdom” known as the Torah sage or scholar, will decrease, and the
eyes of the remainder will protrude from sighing and sorrow; many chastisements
and many evil decrees will be renewed; one will not cease before another
begins.”
Then we complete the Prophecy of
Rabbi Judah ben Zaccai of Yavneh of the last Seven Years before the coming of
the Messiah as we read these words:
In the first
year (2009 starting with Rosh Hashanah 2008), the following prophecy in Amos
4:7 will be fulfilled “I caused it to rain on one city, but, on another city, I
did not cause it to rain.
In the second
year (2010, starting with Rosh Hashanah 2009), there will be a “slight famine”
in which according to Rashi, “no place will be completely satisfied”.
In the third
year (2011 starting with Rosh Hashanah 2010), “famine will be great, and men,
women, children, pious people, and men of good deeds will die; Torah will be
forgotten by those who learned it.”
In the fourth
year (2012, starting with Rosh Hashanah 2011), “some will be satiated while
others are not.”
In
the fifth year (2013, starting with Rosh Hashanah 2012), there will be plenty
and people will eat, drink, and be joyous, and the Torah will return to those
who learned it.”
In the sixth
year (2014, starting with Rosh Hashanah 2013), there will be voices which
according to Rashi depict either the blowing of the shofars (war) or the
hints and voices about the coming of the messiah.
In the seventh
year (2015, starting with Rosh Hashanah 2014), there will be war (Gog-Magog or
Armageddon).”
All across the Land of Israel preceding the Festival of
Shavuot, the Jewish people began the preparation to celebrate the Festival of
Shavuot. This was the day when the G-d of Israel gave to the Children of Israel,
His Torah. This included the Lost Ten
Tribes of the House of Israel and the House of Judah. During that time the Children
of Israel had received a spiritual state of prophecy, with an elevated state of
consciousness where the revelation of the Holy and Divine One of Israel would
have been in the most receptive mode where they received the true revelation of
the Divine and the “Blueprint” of their true existence of reality; the spiritual
neshama soul that was created in the “Image of G-d.”
One of the promises was that someday in the future, Klal
Yisrael, all 12-tribes of the House of Jacob would see that “Land” that had
lain bare of foliage, unwanted by the Ishmaelites, and neglected as a “no-man’s
land” by all the nations of the world, would now witness this same land receiving
rain with great abundance. They would see this awe and premonitions, that they
were witnessing a Divine sign that the G-d of Israel was returning to be with
His chosen people.
What was unknown to them was that that, HaShem, the G-d of Israel
was beginning to unsheathe and uncloak His Divine Existence and reveal to His
Chosen People the revelation that He was their G-d and it was time for them to
become prepared to anticipate with blessings of joy as He unleashes His Divine
Power and Glory as He elevates their existence to a new State of Consciousness.
When the “showers of blessings” are now seen in literal
reality, it will also open up the dawn of new reality to the House of Judah
that their final Redemption must be fully grasped with the fullness it’s
manifestation. Yet, this will only come when the House of Judah and the House
of Israel lay down their suspicions about each other, and join together with
great joy and gladness at the reunion and reunification of the entire House of Jacob. This will be
the sign that Eliyahu the Prophet is arriving to “prepare the way of the L-rd”
as a new state of reality will open up with a new consciousness upon All Israel
(Klal Yisrael).
So as Shavuot is celebrated across the Land of Israel, the
Book of Ruth is also being read. Her life
was a story of redemption that even after an entire nation is cursed by the Divine
for ten generations, so also Ruth the Moabite, the 11th generation was
redeemed and restored as one of the Children of Israel. For her faith and honor
of her aliyah, she was blessed to become the ancestral grandmother of King
David and the Davidian Dynasty of kings from the lineage of Kings David and
Solomon.
This multi-generational “curse” was placed upon the Nation
of Moab whose beginnings began with the incestuous relationship between Lot,
the nephew of Abram and one of his daughters who was rescued by the angels from
the clutches of annihilation when the fiery bolides of sulphur destroyed Sodom
and Gomorrah and destroyed the entire beautiful Vale of Siddim. Ruth, now redeemed after 10 generations of
curses was restored back into the family of Children of Israel.
So today, the 2013 Festival of Shavuot (Pentecost) was
heralded with heavy showers that were accompanied with thunder and lightning in
various locales though the Land of Israel. The weather forecasters were
expecting a high likelihood of flooding in the desert regions of the Negev with
cool temperatures five-to-seven degrees lower in most regions of Israel. It was
also expected that this unseasonably cool season would continue in the days
after the festival season of Shavuot.
The traditional First Fruits ceremonies that was hosted over
a scattering of dozens of kibbutzim were either rained out or rescheduled for over
the weekend. Even so, a majority of the kibbutzim
still held their Shavuot ceremonies as over 200,000 Israelis participated in
the services. Kibbutz Snir in the region
of the panhandle in Northern Galilee were one of many who persisted and held
their ceremonies with the rain drenched skies.
While the Land of Israel was experiencing one of the wettest
winters in decades, 2012, the United States was recording the hottest year ever
record in America. In this same land,
the newly created United States was initially populated by the descendants of
the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. Today, the descendants of those early Pilgrims
and Puritans that settled the land along the Eastern Seaboard of the United
States today have an unsettled mood in their hearts. The song that they have
sung for decades, “This land is your land, this land if my land,” is now being
sung “This Land is (Not) your Land, this Land is (Not) my land”. From all
prophetic speculations, the era of reunification between the Lost Ten Tribes of
the House of Israel and the Jewish people of the House of Judah was now
imminent.
Called by many “Global Warming”
this warming trend documented in the United States goes back to the official
weather and temperature records that go back to 1895. The yearly average today
is based upon reports documented from more than 1,200 weather stations across
the 48 states on the continental United States. It also was documented by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that the year of 2012
experienced the second-most extreme weather in history after the hurricane
dominated year of 1998. Using a complex formula of records that included temperature records,
drought, downpours, and land-falling hurricanes, the national picture depicts that
a true weather change was being experienced in the land once called the “Land
of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”
What was documented in the United States was the fact
that the year of 2012 ranked second to 2011 as having the highest number of
high-damage events to occur. This included eleven different $1billion disasters
led by the Superstorm Sandy and the multi-year long drought across the whole
continent of North America, the worst since the 1950s era of drought and only
slightly behind the Dust Bowl drought and Great Depression of the 1930s.
Blamed upon La Nina and what was erroneously called
“Global Warming”, the true reality appears that it is the hand of G-d’s
judgment that may soon be placed upon this nation’s population of the former immigrants
from the Tribe of Ephraim of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. But, it also includes those indigenous peoples
of the Hopi and the Navahos in the Western United States and the Confederation
of the Six “First Nations in America” who were from the Tribe of Manasseh, in
the eastern part of the continent who are both descendants from the House of
Joseph.
There in the land populated by the descendants of the
Tribe of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, we are seeing the most weather extremes
in the past 108 years. Over the last century alone, the temperature trends have
gone upwards to 1.3 degrees according to NOAA. The only year in the 20th
century that was cooler than 2012 was the year of 1997. The last record cold
month of December was 1983. What was even more stunning which the scientists
are calling incredulous, is the evidence of how far above other past “hot
years” the year of 2012 became. In the 117 years of national temperature record
documentation, all previous records were clustered between the temperature degrees
of 51 to 54 degree Fahrenheit, yet 2012 soared well above 55 degrees; a full
degree above the prior record set in 1998.
With this fact in mind, we wonder, will the rabbanim in
2013 proclaim with great joy, as the Prophet Zechariah prophesied over 2,300
years ago, and declare that in 2013 it is now time to “Replace your Feasts of Fasting
with Feasts of Joy and Thanksgiving”, when He asked the Prophet Zechariah to be
His mouthpiece as he penned the following verses in the ancient
Book of Zechariah.
All of have wondered
how the G-d of Israel will bring all the prophetic events to their fulfillment
at the time of the end. Watching the “Finger of the Divine” stirring up nations
of the world is far more fascinating than watching a movie drama. The end
results will be that all nations will pool all their economic resources at the
“gates of Israel” and be prepared to once again to evoke the “Final Solution”
this time amongst the remnant of the Jewish peoples that include all the Jews
of the Diaspora that have fled to Israel as a land of safety before their lives
will be thrust into “the world to come”.
And during this same time, the G-d of
Israel is wooing each one of you, the Lost Ten Tribes of the House of Israel,
to return and be restored back into brotherhood with the Jews of the House of
Judah so that He will send His Messiah to clean house of all the wickedness and
corruption on Planet Earth.
If you want to learn
more divinely led prophecies, we invite you to Contact “Kol
Ha Tor Vision”,
the Voice of the Turtledove.Here you will discover is a joint Orthodox Jewish and
10-Triber Vision to bring awareness of the imminent fulfillment of the Biblical
Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and
Re-United). This super Event of all Times will bring the restoration and the
Shomron Region, the Ancient Biblical Heartland of the Patriarchs plus the
Judean Wilderness as part of the entire Land of Israel. There we will witness
the Divine as the “Land” will be restored and prepared for the Return of the
Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of All Israel.
For inquiries about
Kol Ha Tor Vision for the Lost Tribes of Israel, Visit – “Shomron Lives!”, a
Spiritual Retreat and Guest House in Samaria, that hosts Shomron (Samaria)
Tours to reacquaint the Returning Lost Tribers of the House of Israel.
Haftarah; Ashkenazi - II Kings 4:42-5:19
Sephardic - II Kings 7:3-7:20
NOTE: Kol HaTor, in its
commentaries on the weekly Parashot, endeavors to search for and accentuate the
Torah Messages contained in the Parashot as applicable to the main Theme of
Tanach of the Return of the House of Israel, i.e. the Lost Ten Tribes of
Northern Israel and their Reconciliation with Judah to form the reunited
12-Tribed Kingdom of Israel.
DISCLAIMER - The authors to whom we
quote from for this Commentary are not associated with KOL HA'TOR and need not
agree with our views expressed herein or in our other publications.
While we publish their views for its relative value to the interpretation
of the Parashah, KOL HATOR does not necessarily agree with the views expressed
by these authors.
************
The following extracts from Rabbinic commentaries on
Parashat Tazriah & Metzorah have been compiled into a comprehensive Commentary
by Kol HaTor with our own comments and insights between [brackets].
There are 54 separate Torah
portions in the annual Jewish Torah reading program. In non-leap years there
are only 50 Sabbaths. For this reason some Torah portions are combined and read
together for one week. This week Parashot Tazria and Metzora, which are
two of the least popular portions for modern Jews, are combined.
[For
detailed weekly Torah Reading specifications for every year in advance, refer
to: Hebrew Calendar
For this week we have selected Rabbinic
commentaries which not only link onto our last Parashah, with the amazing
Message protruding from the death of Nadav and Avihu in the Tabernacle, but also bring
a sequence of these “dry” and uninteresting, legalistic Parashot into exciting
perspective. Come share once more in the life-giving experience that
Rabbinic insight gives to the written Word that is so often skimmed over or
even excluded by readers of the Bible.
Before setting out on this exciting spiritual high-ride, we
need to make mental notes of key Hebrew terms that not only underlie this
commentary and much of the main theme of the Bible, but should also form part
of the sincere Bible searcher's future vocabulary:
Tzara'at - defilement,
skin disease akin to leprosy
Metzorah - someone
afflicted by tzara'at.
Summary of this week's double Torah
portion: After last week's portion regarding tumah (spiritual defilement) resulting from dead animals, Parshat Tazria introduces the various categories
of tumah emanating from human beings. A woman after giving birth is
ritually impure for a certain period of time prescribed for her to stay away
from the Tabernacle or Temple.
The rest of the portion describes in great detail the
varying and numerous manifestations of a skin disease called tzara'at -
the physical manifestation of a spiritual malaise, a punishment from G-d for
the sin of speaking evil speech, amongst various other anti-social
transgressions.
A metzorah, (someone afflicted by a tzaraat-like
skin disease) is subject to a series of examinations by a Cohen (priest), who
declares the patient to be either tahor (pure) or tamei (impure). If tamei,
he is isolated outside of the camp, an appropriate punishment for someone whose
foul tongue caused dissension amongst others. After the period of defilement,
the formerly afflicted person offers sacrifices before being declared ritually
pure again by the High Priest.
The second, parashat Metzora, further deals with treatment for tzara'at.
Metzora also contains the first mention of ritual immersion of a person in
water for spiritual purification from a physical impurity ('baptism').
In parashat Shemini last week we read about Aaron's two
righteous sons, Nadav and Avihu, bringing “alien fire” into the Holy of Holies,
a service which only the High Priest was permitted to perform once a year on
Yom Kippur. They paid with their lives for their excessive zeal based on
their advanced thinking on matters Divine.
We considered this as a cautionary reprimand for today's
reawakening Ten Tribers who are so greatly blessed with discovering and
restoring Hebraic Truths which were hidden to them while in exile amongst the
nations. Many of these non-Jewish restorers of ancient Hebraic Truths
become unteachable, considering their “discoveries” as exclusive Divine gifts
and privileges.
It is not strange for these restorers to “barge in where
Angels fear to tread” with their hasty and often shallow condemnations,
judgments, conclusions and rejection especially, of Rabbinic guidance, formulated
during the ‘life-long’ extensive period of 3500 years, tight back from the time
of Moses himself!.
Let us now embark on this week's Parashot as the wisdom of
Rabbinic insight instills ‘life’ into an otherwise dormant seeming portion of
legalistic Scripture.
Rabbi Reuven Mann with Mesorah.org writes about the
following observance:
Rabbi Reuven Mann - “According
to the Rabbis these phenomena [of sin-induced skin diseases] are no longer in
existence, for we are not on a high enough level to warrant this degree of
Divine Providence. We must therefore be even more careful about the
type of speech we indulge in. The Torah regards cleanliness of
speech as essential to a life of holiness. The words we utter can
have profound consequences not only on others but on ourselves as
well. We should always be cognizant of the temptation and danger of
slanderous speech and take all the necessary precautions to avoid it.”
Rabbi David Silverberg, from Virtual Beyt
Midrash, gives us insight into the Torah laws
concerning
Rabbi David Silverberg -
“Parashat Tazria introduces us to the laws of tzara’at, a type of
skin-disease which renders the patient tamei (ritually impure).
Throughout the ages, scholars have uncovered for us the symbolism underlying
this institution and its particular laws, showing how the procedures for
dealing with tzara’at reflect the proper approach towards spiritual
defilement in general.
These analyses generally
take into account the prominent role of the kohen throughout this process. The
kohen was the only one who could formally declare the presence of tzara’at.
A non-kohen, no matter how proficient he may be in the relevant laws, cannot
establish tum’at tzara’at [skin defilement].
Only once the kohen
determines the presence of tzara’at does the patient become ritually impure.
Similarly, as the Torah outlines in the beginning of Parashat Metzora, the
kohen is the one who conducts the metzora’s [individual defiled person] process
of purification. The kohen’s role is often seen as symbolic of the function
served by the spiritual guides and leaders in “purifying” the community from
their spiritual ills.
The Midrash attributes tzara’at
to the “drying of a fountain.” Leaving aside the physiological issue of to what
exactly this Midrash refers, let us address the more crucial question: what
does this represent in terms of tzara’at and its symbolic meaning?
Rav Stollman suggests
that Chazal teach us in this passage that impurity results from a “drained
fountain.” The process of defilement does not take place in a vacuum, it does
not occur suddenly without reason. A person or community becomes “tamei” when
its authentic fountains of spirituality are drained, when the “hairs” begin to
“drink” from alternative sources of “life” rather than their traditional
teachings. Tum’a thus means the detachment from one’s source, from one’s
origins.”
[This is a condition that the 10 Northern Tribes
of Israel in exile amongst the nations have been facing for the last 2800
years, being banned by the Divine One from the Land of Israel. The modern phenomenon
of the world wide Hebraic Roots Restoration Movement is bringing awareness of
their Hebrew Roots to millions of these lost and scattered sheep of the House
of Israel, drawing them to Torah observation and a desire to return to the
Promised Land. This all in fulfillment of the Main Theme of Biblical
Prophecy; refer:
View the Comprehensive
Extract of the Divine Promises in Ancient Scriptures
The kohen’s role, symbolic of the responsibility assigned to the
religious leaders of every generation, is to identify this detachment, to check
and see whether or not the people draw their values and ideals from the
“fountain” of tradition. They must carefully study both the tradition and the
current reality to determine whether or not there exists a parity between the
two. Should they determine the presence of tum’a,
that the fountain has indeed dried, then they must lend the metzora a hand as he undergoes the
process of purification, the process of refilling the wellsprings with the
spiritual waters of our traditions, enabling him to reenter the Jewish
[Hebrew]people and recommit himself to the teachings of our heritage.”
Rav Chanoch Waxman from Virtual Beyt Midrash rounds up our review. He presents a very broad
perspective, linking several Scripture sections together and serving as a
continuation of our discussions on Nadav
and Avihu in Parashat
Shemini last week.
Rav Chanoch Waxman – “Immediately after the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, Moshe received an important
communication from G-d regarding the appropriate conditions for entering the
holiest part of the Mishkan.
Leviticus
16:1 – “And HaShem spoke to Moshe after the death of the two sons of Aharon,
who died when they drew too close to the presence of HaShem. And HaShem said to
Moshe: Tell Aharon your brother that he should not come at will into the Holy
Place within the curtain in front of the covering upon the ark, lest he die,
for I appear in the cloud over the cover. Thus only shall he enter the Holy Place…’”
This
passage is, of course, the opening of Parashat Acharei Mot [two Parashot
further on].
Strangely
enough, the Torah does not place this passage in textual sequence with the
death of Nadav and Avihu. Despite the apparent
chronological sequence implied by the subject matter, the issue of entering
into holy space and the possibility of death, the Torah only presents the
parasha of Acharei Mot a full five
chapters after the death of Nadav and
Avihu.
Despite
the near synchronicity with the death of Nadav
Avihu implied by the term “after” (see Ramban 16:1), the Torah chooses to
delay the parasha of Acharei Mot,
literally “after the death,” until after the corpus of Chapters Eleven through
Fifteen.
This intervening bulk, primarily consisting of
the parashiyot of Tazria and Metzora and the laws of "tzara'at"
[defilement], can be categorized as the laws of tum'a and tahara [defiled
and undefiled]. All of its component parts relate to the concepts of “clean”
and “unclean” or perhaps more accurately, “pristine” and “defiled.” A quick
sketch of the structure of this intervening segment should demonstrate the
point. The overall segment breaks down as follows.
Topic
Verses
Sample mention
of "tamei"
and "tahor"
Section 1- Permissible and
Forbidden Animals
11:1-47
11:4-8,
24-38, 47
Section 2- The laws of the
Postpartum women
12:1-8
12:2, 4-8
Section 3.1- Tzara'at (lesions)
of the body and Tzara'at
upon garments
13:1-59
13:3, 6-8, 11-14,
46, 51, 55, 58-59
Section 3.2- Purification
from Tzara'at-the post
Tzara'at procedure
14:1-32
14:1, 4, 7-9, 11,
19-20, 31-32
Section 3.3- Tzara'at
of the house- home
14:33-57
14:36, 40, 48,
53, 57
Section 4- The laws of
male and female discharges
and menstruation
15:1-33
15:2-6, 13-14,
16-18, 19,
25-26, 29-31
If so, we face an obvious problem. Why does the
Torah choose to “interrupt” the natural flow of the narrative from the death of
Nadav and Avihu (10:1-20) to the laws for Aharon's entrance into the holy
area (16:1-34) with the laws of tum'a and tahara (11:1-15:33)?
Alternatively, we may prefer to the “code of tum'a
and tahara” the strange phenomenon of tzara'at. In other words,
why does the Torah place the laws of tzara'at, and the overall code, in
close juxtaposition to the death of Nadav
and Avihu?
If
so, we face an obvious problem. Why does the Torah choose to “interrupt” the
natural flow of the narrative from the death of Nadav and Avihu (10:1-20)
to the laws for Aharon's entrance into the holy area (16:1-34) with the laws of
tum'a and tahara (11:1-15:33)?
Alternatively,
we may prefer to the “code of tum'a and tahara” the strange
phenomenon of tzara'at. In other words, why does the Torah place the
laws of tzara'at, and the overall code, in close juxtaposition to the
death of Nadav and Avihu?
Quite
possibly we may have already done much of the conceptual work necessary to
answer these questions. The answer may well lie in connecting the two concepts,
“tum'a and tahara” and “entrance into a holy place,” discussed
until this point.
In
describing the purification period of the postpartum women, the Torah states
the following:
Leviticus
12:4 – Our [current Parashah] – “She shall remain in a state of purification
from her blood for thirty-three days, she shall not touch any consecrated thing
(kodesh), nor enter the
sanctuary (mikdash) until her
period of purification is completed.”
Given
that she is “tamei” and has not yet reentered the pristine, pure and
holy state of “tahara,” the postpartum women is banned from contact with
sanctified objects and sanctified space. Or to phrase this a little bit
differently, the sanctified personal state of "tahara"
constitutes a necessary condition for contact with the holy.
This
mutual exclusivity of holiness and tum’a is also present as a theme in
the other segments of the overall section outlined above. The sufferer of tzara’at
lesions is banned from the camp, whose center consists of the abode of G-d.
This is not only alluded to by the text of Vayikra [Leviticus](see 13:46), but
stated explicitly in Bamidbar [Numbers], during the arrangement of the camp.
Bamidbar
5:2-3 – “And the Lord spoke to Moshe, saying: ‘Instruct the Israelites to
remove from the camp anyone with tzara’at
lesions… put them outside the camp so that they do not defile the camp of those
in whose midst I dwell.’”
Likewise,
in summing up the laws of discharges, section four of the overall code of
tum'a and tahara, the Torah reiterates the tension between a state
of tum’a and the sanctuary, and mandates the death penalty for the
improper mixing of the two.
Vayikra
[Leviticus] 15:31 – “And you shall warn the Children of Israel regarding
uncleanness, lest they die through their uncleanness by defiling My Mishkan
which is among them.”
Moreover,
the verse of c partially quoted above also mandates the expulsion of the zav
and the zava, those suffering from emissions, from the camp.
Finally,
this connection, or perhaps need to disconnect, between tum’a and
sanctity can be located not just in sections, two, three, and four of the code,
but even in section one, the laws of permitted and forbidden animals. In
closing out the segment, G-d informs Israel that he has high expectations:
Va'yikrah
11:44-45 – “For I HaShem your G-d: you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy,
for I am holy. You shall not make yourselves unclean through (eating) any
swarming thing… For I am HaShem… you shall be holy for I am holy.”
Sacredness
does not end at the borders of the sanctuary nor even at the borders of the
camp. The category of the holy extends to the very person of each and every
individual member of Israel. As members of the holy nation, another type of
mobile sanctuary, another method of encapsulating G-d's presence in the world,
the Israelites are enjoined from improper mixing of the sacred and profane, of
contacting or ingesting certain kinds of animals.
To
put this all together, the common denominator of Chapters Eleven through
Fifteen, the laws of tum’a and tahara, consists not just of the
categories of tum’a and tahara but also of the need to separate
between the tamei and the holy. Whether in the context of the sanctuary
itself, the camp within which it resides, or the people within whose camp G-d
resides, holiness demands special care, and particular conditions for
encountering and preserving it.
This
brings us back to the sin and death of Nadav and Avihu. They died
because of lack of care for the details of “hilkhot kodashim,” the laws
for the proper treatment of sanctity and approach to sanctified space. They
entered the sanctuary and G-d's space when not commanded. It is no wonder,
then, that in between the story of their death (10:1-20) and the story of the
proper conditions for entering the holiest space (16:1-34), the Torah teaches
the full corpus of “hilkhot kodashim,” the laws of sanctity and relation to holiness (11:1-15:33).
Alternatively,
we may wish to link the “laws of tum’a and tahara” (11:1-15:33)
to the death of Nadav and Avihu in a slightly different, albeit
related fashion. At the close of the laws of permitted and forbidden animals,
section one above, the Torah teaches the following:
Va'yikrah
11:46-47 [of our Parashah] – “This is the Torah of the beasts, and of the
birds, and of every living creature… to distinguish between the unclean (tamei)
and clean (tahor), between the living things that may be eaten and the
living things that may not be eaten.”
The
phrase ‘to distinguish between the unclean and clean’ should bring to mind the
immediate aftermath of the deaths of Nadav
and Avihu. As mentioned, the Torah
follows the story of the deaths with a code of priestly conduct. The latter
part of the code consists of two imperatives:
Va'yikrah
10:10-11 – “And you must distinguish between holy and unholy and between
unclean and clean. And you must teach (lehorot) the Children of Israel
[all 12 Tribes] all the laws which HaShem has imparted to them through Moshe.”
While
these two imperatives are linguistically and conceptually distinct, they are
nevertheless practically intertwined. The priests carry a special
responsibility both for differentiating between the sacred and non-sacred,
between the tamei and the tahor, and for the teaching of those
very laws to the Children of Israel.
However
the obligation to teach and enforce the laws stems from more than just their
general Torah-teaching role. The custodians of the sanctuary and the laws of “differentiation”
cannot guarantee the integrity of the sanctuary and the sanctified status of
the sanctuary, camp and people unless the laws of sanctity are observed by all.
All
of this should explain the juxtaposing of at least section one of the larger “laws
of tum’a and tahara” with the death of Nadav and Avihu. The death serves as the occasion for
defining the role of the priests. This definition is followed by the actual
laws of "differentiation" entrusted to the priests, and for which
they bear special responsibility.
In
fact, this theme easily can be expanded to cover the remaining segments of the
laws of tum’a and tahara. Like section one, section three, the
corpus of the laws of tzara'at, ends with an echo of the priest's code
of Chapter Ten. After a summary of the various types of tzara’at
(14:44-46), the Torah states the following:
Va’yikrah
14:57 – “To teach (lehorot) when it is unclean and when it is clean,
this is the Torah of tzara'at.”
While
this verse may refer to the Torah's purpose in expounding upon the laws of tzara'at
at length, it most probably refers to the role of the priests in making the
determination as to whether a particular lesion is clean or unclean. After all,
the Torah elaborates upon this role extensively throughout the one hundred and
sixteen verses of the laws of tzara'at (13:1-14:57).
Moreover,
the linguistic parallel to the terms “teaching,” “unclean” and “clean” found in
the code of priestly conduct (10:10-11), and the apparent fusing of the
concepts into a montage of teaching, ruling and governing the arena of tum’a
and tahara, further strengthens the connections outlined above. If so,
like section one, section three provides a corpus of “differentiation laws”
that the priests are charged with guarding and teaching.
In
a similar vein, it is Aharon the priest, along with Moshe, who is charged with
“warning” the children of Israel regarding their uncleanness and the
possibility of death in section four, the laws of emissions (see 15:1, 31).
Finally, regarding section one, the laws of the postpartum women, it is the
priest who plays the key role in restoring her state of “tahara” (see
12:6-7), guides her in her passage from tamei to tahor and facilitates
her approach to the sanctuary.
In
sum, the placement of the laws of “tum'a and tahara” in the
middle of the narrative of Nadav and Avihu's death stems from more than just
the concern of both of these parts of the Torah with “hilkhot kodshim,”
the rules for the treatment of sanctity. The juxtaposition also stems from the
definition of the role of priests in the aftermath of the death of Nadav and Avihu. It stems from the overarching concern of both segments with
the role of priests, their job description and their special responsibility for
the ‘laws of differentiation.’
While
the dual theory outlined above more than handles the problem of the structure
of the middle part of Sefer [book of] Vayikra,
I would nevertheless like to try to elaborate on some additional literary and
philosophical connections between the “laws of tum’a and tahara”
and the deaths of Nadav and Avihu. Let us begin by taking a look at
the treatment given to one who manifests tzara’at upon his body.
Va'yikrah
13:45 – “And the leprous man whom the lesion is upon, his clothes shall be
rent, his head shall be left bare and he shall cover his upper lip, and shall
cry, ‘Unclean, unclean.”
The
four actions required of the “metzora,” the sufferer of tzara’at, can all be thought of as
connected to disgrace and shame. The rending of the garments and baring of his
head constitute symbols of dishevelment and disgrace, similar to the baring of
the head of the women suspected of adultery (see Bamidbar 5:18).
Similarly,
the covering of the upper lip, probably done by the garment worn upon the upper
body (see Ibn Ezra 13:45), involves the covering of the metzora’s mouth
and his silencing. Having been visited by an affliction from G-d, the metzora
stands speechless in front of divine retribution. He possesses no explanation
and no rationale for his behavior and affliction. He is like the false prophets
of Mikha 3:7 who “shall be put to
shame” and “cover their lips.” Having been afflicted by a divine plague, the metzora
can do no more than proclaim his own disgrace and utter, “Unclean, unclean.”
However,
some of these actions symbolize not just shame, disgrace and self-negation, but
also the related phenomenon of mourning. This brings us back to the deaths of Nadav and Avihu. Right after the deaths, Moshe tells Aharon, Elazar and
Itamar:
Va'yikrah
10:6 – “Do not bare your heads and do not rend your clothes, lest you die… But
your brothers, all the house of Israel shall bewail the burning that G-d has
wrought.”
Aharon
and his sons are forbidden from mourning. They cannot express their pain and
anguish nor demonstrate physically the impossibility of continuing normal
existence as if nothing has occurred. Consequently, they cannot bare their
heads nor rend their clothes. If so, the acts of the metzora resemble
acts of mourning; they resemble the response of one visited by death.
In
fact “nega,” translated
as “lesion” above, constitutes the Torah's standard term for tzara’at
affliction and appears innumerable times throughout the laws of tzara’at.
Interestingly enough, the term literally means “touch” and is used in the
contexts of Bereishit [Genesis] and Shemot [Exodus] to connote a plague from
G-d, the concrete manifestation of the metaphorical “finger” or “hand” of G-d
(see Bereishit 12:17, Shemot 11:1). Shemot 11:1 uses the phrase “od nega
echad,” one more touch/plague, to herald the plague of the firstborn, the
visitation of death upon the Egyptians. In other words, visitation by a “nega,”
the touch or hand of G-d, logically results in death.
This
connection between nega-tzara'at and death is further strengthened by
both the story of tzara’at found in Sefer Bamidbar and the phenomenology
of tzara’at. Upon speaking ill of Moshe and being chastised by G-d,
Miriam is stricken with tzara’at (Bamidbar 12:1-10). At this point,
Aharon, who had been party to the slander, beseeches Moshe not to hold a grudge
against them and to pray for Miriam's welfare.
Va'yikrah
12:11-12 – “And Aharon said to Moshe: Please my master, account not to us the
sin which we committed in our folly. Let her not be as one DEAD, who emerges
from his mother's womb with half his flesh eaten away.”
Apparently,
tzara'at symbolizes death. The appearance of tzara'at resembles
the appearance of a grisly miscarriage or stillborn baby. The death of the
flesh in tzara’at comprises a harbinger and portent of the ultimate
punishment soon to be visited upon the sinner. No wonder the metzora
responds to his tzara’at as one responds to death. In a last-ditch
effort to stave off his fate, he proactively mourns his soul and his impending
doom.
This
connection between death and tzara’at should help shed some light on the
topics contained within the latter parts of the “laws of tum'a and tahara,”
the subject matter of Parashat Tazria
and Parashat Metzora.
As
has often been pointed out, death defiles. The corpse constitutes the “father
of all tumot.” Similarly, the shadow of death, the affliction of tzara’at,
defiles. But the metzora is not the only one in these sections of the
Torah who has encountered death and had its shadow cast upon him. The people
mentioned at the end of Parashat Metzora, those suffering from emissions, have
also encountered the shadow of death. The menstruating women faces the loss of
potential life implicit in her bleeding, and zav and zava the “loss
of life” implicit in their diseases and consequent inability to procreate.
Similarly,
the postpartum woman, mentioned at the beginning of Parashat Tazria, has passed
through the harrowing and life-threatening experience of childbirth. Within her
experience of birthing life, she has encountered the shadow of death. If so, the
topics of Tazria and Metzora are united by their connection
to death and the consequence of defilement.
But
this is not all that unites the postpartum women, the metzora and the
sufferer from emissions. In general, the texts focus not just on the cause of
the defilement, but also on the process of return, the means of restoring a
state of tahara. Each parasha depicts the process of “passing through,”
not so much the encounter with death, but the return from its touch, the
approach to the sanctuary and the bringing of offerings (see 12:6-8, 14:1-20,
15:13-15, 28-30).
Putting
this all together and linking up with the story of the deaths of Nadav and Avihu yields something rather interesting. The dynamic implicit in
the legal material of Tazria and Metzora parallels the dynamic implicit
in the narrative frame of the text, the story of the death of Nadav and Avihu. From the perspective of narrative, the text is about Aharon,
a father who at his very moment of triumph has suffered a devastating loss. In
his own words: “Such things have befallen me” (10:19).
Due
to his sacred status he is even forbidden from explicit mourning (10:6-7). Yet
somehow he must pass through, he must continue through death, return to the
sanctuary and perform the divine service. Likewise and in keeping with the
implicit theme, the legal material is about “passing through death” and
approaching the sanctuary.
But
this is not all. In a striking parallel to the story of Nadav and Avihu, a story
of the “eighth day” (see 9:1, 9:23-10:2), each of these “passing through” or “purification”
passages contains a reference to a period of seven days and a climactic eighth
day. The postpartum woman who bears a male is tamei for seven days. On
the eight day her son is circumcised (12:2-3). After a seven day waiting period
outside his own tent upon his return to the camp, the metzora brings his
climactic offering, approaches the sanctuary and achieves “tahara"
on the eighth day (14:8-11). Likewise the zav and the zava count
seven days and only then, on the eighth day, bring their offerings, approach
the sanctuary and reenter a pristine and undefiled state (15:13-15, 28-30).
Is
the eighth day some sort of magic number in Sefer Vayikra? Maybe! But perhaps
there is something more here. The eighth day of the miluim ceremony was
intended to be the day of G-d's descent to the Mishkan, the day when the very
source of all being, of life itself, came and dwelt amongst the people. The
death of Nadav and Avihu on the eighth day not only
constituted a tragedy in its own right, but a staining of the essence of the
eighth day, an undercutting of the status of the Mishkan and G-d's presence. The day of G-d's arrival and His very
presence are now associated with death and mourning in the consciousness of
Israel.
Upon
the death of Korach and his cohorts,
the Children of Israel gave vent to this exact sentiment:
Bamidbar
17:27-28 – “And the Children of Israel said to Moshe: Behold we die, we perish,
we all perish! Everyone who so much ventures near the Lord's Mishkan dies.
Alas, we are doomed to perish!”
If
so, we may formulate yet one more reason for the juxtaposing of Tazria and Metzora with the story of the death of Nadav and Avihu. The “passing
through" stories of the postpartum woman, the metzora, the zav
and the zava serve as a counterweight to the death of Nadav and Avihu.
The dynamic of passing through death and returning upon the eighth day to the
sanctuary and G-d's presence, to full and pure life, reverses the linkage
between the eighth day and death in the story of Nadav and Avihu.
The
legal material reminds the Children of Israel of the ideal relation between
G-d's presence in the sanctuary and the categories of life and death. Rather
than holiness causing death, death causes distance from the presence of G-d.
The transcendence of death and affirming of life finds its concrete expression
in approaching the sanctuary and entering into G-d's presence.
May
it be the will of the Almighty that we merit to pass through the shadow of
death that hovers over us these days and return to full and holy life in the
presence of G-d."
(End of Quote)
We referred to this concept
of "The eighth Day" also in our previous Parashat Shemini, quoting
from Rabbi Tzwei, at Torah.org:
Rabbi
Tzwei – “The number eight [the title of this Parashah, named after the
introductory words of this Scripture portion] Kabbalistically refers to the “World
to Come” and therefore is used to define the events of the day of the erecting
of the Tabernacle, “bayom hashemini” [on the eighth day], for on this day a “New
World Order” was initiated.”
[We are also reminded of
this New World Order of the Kingdom of G-d in the metaphoric depiction by the
Succot Festive period, of the future Kingdom dispensation. The 7 days of
Succot (depicting the Marriage Festivities, as at Sinai, between G-d and His
Bride, are followed by “the eighth day”, the conclusion of the Torah annual
cycle with all its New World Order ‘symbolism’].
To understand more
about the Return of the 10 Tribes of Israel to their Homeland in Shomron
(Samaria), Israel, Contact “Kol Ha’Tor”, the Voice of the Turtledove. Here
is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring awareness of the
imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all
Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United).
This reunification
will truly be the supernal Event of all Times for it will entail Establishing
Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the Patriarchs) and the Judean
Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and preparing the “Land” for the
Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of All
Israel.
For inquiries about
Kol Ha Tor’s Vision for the Lost Tribes of Israel, we invite you to make a
personal Visit to Israel and stay at “Shomron Lives!”, a Spiritual Retreat and Guest House
in Samaria, that hosts Shomron (Samaria) Tours to reacquaint the Returning Lost
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Weekly Bible Reading #25 - Year 5773 (2012/2013) – April 6, 2013
Parashat Shemini (Eighth); Leviticus 9:1-11:47
Haftarah; Ashkenazi - II Samuel 6:1-7:17
Sephardic -II Samuel 6:1-6:19
NOTE: Kol HaTor, in
its commentaries on the weekly Parashot, endeavors to search for and accentuate
the Torah Messages contained in the Parashot as applicable to the main Theme of
Tanach of the Return of the House of Israel, i.e. the Lost Ten Tribes of
Northern Israel and their Reconciliation with Judah to form the reunited
12-Tribed Kingdom of Israel.
DISCLAIMER
- The authors whom we quote from for this Commentary are not associated
with KOL HA'TOR and need not agree with our views expressed herein or in
our other publications. While we publish their views for its
relative value to the interpretation of the Parashah, KOL HATOR does not
necessarily agree with the views expressed by these authors.
The
following extracts from Rabbinic commentaries on Parashat Shemini have been
compiled into a comprehensive Commentary by Kol
HaTor with further comments between [ ]. As we read in the Parashat Shemini
written by Rabbi Eli Mansour titled, “Obeying
Torah Authority” on Daily Halacha.org,
we read:
Daily
Halacha – “Parashat Shemini tells of the inauguration of the Mishkan (the
Tabernacle) and the special events that were held to mark the “opening day” (on
the eighth day) of the Mishkan's operation. Moshe tells Aharon, who on this day
became the Kohen Gadol, to prepare a number of animals as his personal
sacrifice, and to instruct Benei [the Children of] Yisrael to prepare animals
for their sacrifice. Benei Yisrael's sacrifice included an Egel – a calf – as
well as a goat.
The
Sages explain that these two offerings served to atone for two different
sins: the calf (for worshipping of strange gods), of course, atoned
for … the sin of the golden calf, whereas the goat served to atone for the
sale of Yosef. Over two centuries earlier, Yosef's brothers sold him as a
slave to Egypt, and to conceal their crime they slaughtered a goat and dipped
Yosef's garment in its blood, so that it would appear as though he were killed
by an animal. On the day of the Mishkan's inauguration, Benei Yisrael atoned
for their ancestors' sin through the offering of a goat as a special sacrifice
to God.”
[The
‘selling of Yosef into slavery’ according to Rabbinic interpretation,
represents the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel’s exile into oblivion amongst the
nations. Yosef, through his two sons Ephraim and Menasheh, represents the
re-identifying body of 10-Israel in dispersion, which will return to the Land
in the End Time. Yosef’s life, his later rulership in Egypt under the Pharaoh
and his revealing himself to his brothers, represent the ultimate Return and
Reconciliation with Judah (the Jews) in the Redemption and the settlement of
the Promised Land of Greater Israel) ].
The work “Be'er Yosef” explains that both
these unfortunate events – the sin of the calf and the sale of Yosef – resulted
from the same mistake: disregarding the guidance of Torah leaders. As many
Rabbis explained, Benei Yisrael did not actually worship a golden calf.
Rather, they sought to create some kind of structure that would replace Moshe
as the source of guidance and instruction from God, the site at which God would
convey His commands.
Such an idea is not intrinsically wrong; in
fact, this is precisely the function served by the Mishkan. However, when Benei
Yisrael contemplated this idea, they consulted with Chur, one of the leaders appointed
to guide the people in Moshe's absence, and he opposed the initiative. But the
people were very enthusiastic about the idea to fashion the calf, and therefore
killed Chur for expressing opposition. Aharon, the other leader appointed over
the nation, had no choice but to acquiesce, in order to spare himself the same
tragic fate as his colleague. The severity of the sin thus lay not in the act
itself, but rather in the brazen disregard for Chur's authority.
Similarly,
Yosef's brothers acted as they did on the basis of sound Halachic reasoning. Yosef
had spoken negatively about them to their father, seemingly in an effort to
have them expelled from the family, and his dreams indicated that he
sought to rule over them, in violation of Yehuda's exclusive rights to
the monarchy. The brothers therefore convened a Beit Din (Rabbinical court)
and concluded that he is liable to the death penalty. They erred, however, in
not consulting with the Rabbinic leadership of the time – Yaakov, Yitzchak,
Shem and Ever. As in the case of the golden calf, what appeared as a valid and
warranted course of action was followed either without the guidance of the
Torah leaders.”
[The sin of the Northern
10 Tribes of Israel, centuries later, after the Hebrew nation had settled
in the Promised Land, was identical: They rebelled against the
judicial mandate of Judah (Micah 1:2-7) and set up their own
interpretations of Torah.
As a result G-d cut them
off from His Covenant and exiled them amongst the nations – but, with the
Divine Promise that He would regather them and re-unite them at the End of Time
with Judah, in fulfillment of His Promise and Blessing to Avraham of an
innumerable generations, and (Genesis 12:7; 13:16; 15:5), settled in
a vastly expanded land mass: The Greater Israel. With the historical guilt
record cleared, seeming disaster strikes the joyful celebrations at the inauguration
of the Tabernacle. Aharon’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu, both righteous souls,
are struck dead in the Tabernacle by ‘the fire of G-d’, for bringing untimely,
wrong sacrifice].
Rabbi Berel Wein – “After the seven
days of excitement and joy upon the consecration of the Mishkan and the
installation of Aharon and his sons as the priests of Israel devoted to the
service of God and humans, tragedy strikes the family of Aharon and all of
Israel. The commentators to Torah as well as the Talmud itself searched for the
causes that created this sad situation.
The questions underlying the events
described in the parsha of Shmini go to the heart of Jewish faith and
worldview. They require investigation and serious analysis. A review of
the opinions expressed in Talmud and by the commentators, do not at first
glance reveal any major transgressions on the part of Nadav and Avihu. True,
Aharon’s role in helping create the Golden Calf may explain his being brought
to grieving for his two eldest sons, but it was Nadav and Avihu who died, not
Aharon.
Small mistakes often lead to great
tragedies. And the Torah teaches us that personal failures that can be tolerated
in most humans are magnified and are not overlooked when they occur to people
in positions of power and leadership. The scale of Heavenly tolerance, so to
speak, is a sliding one, dependent on the status, accomplishments, abilities
and public position of the human person being judged.
There is a special sin offering
reserved for the leader of Israel. The accepted usual sin offering is
insufficient if we are dealing with the sins of leadership. This is one of the
key lessons of this parsha. God’s justice is personal and exacting. Nadav and
Avihu are the prime examples of this truism.”
Rabbi
Yochanan Zweig - “The Torah records that Nadav and Avihu brought an "eish
zarah" - "alien fire" into the Holy of Holies, a service which
only the Kohein Gadol was permitted to perform once a year on Yom Kippur.The
Ramban finds it inconceivable that Nadav and Avihu would perform such a
blatantly brazen act without authorization, and therefore offers another
interpretation.Nevertheless, the Sifra maintains that they did
enter the Holy of Holies.How can the actions of Nadav and Avihu be
explained?
Perhaps
even more perplexing is the Tannaic interpretation that Nadav and Avihu entered
the Sanctuary “shisuyei yayin” – “having imbibed wine”.Apparently,
they violated the commandment forbidding a person to perform the sacrificial
service while inebriated. Moshe Rabbeinu attests to the fact that Nadav and
Avihu were greater than himself and his brother Aharon; how can this behavior
be attributed to men of such stature?
The
number eight [the title of this
Parashah, named after the introductory words of this Scripture portion] Kabbalistically
refers to the World to Come and therefore is used to define the events
of the day of the erecting of the Tabernacle, “bayom hashemini”, for on this
day a new world order was initiated.Nadav and Avihu's error was
a result of their belief that this new world order indicated the perfection of
the world, created a utopian society.
In
a perfect world imperfection does not exist and therefore everything can be
used to serve Hashem at the highest level; no special sanctification or time
limitation exists to prevent a person from entering the Holy of Holies to
perform service to Hashem. However, the building of the Tabernacle marked only
the beginning of the process toward a perfect world, only a link to the World
to Come. Therefore, limitations and imperfections still existed.”
[Rabbinic interpretation of the Scriptures is done on 4
levels of biblical exegesis in rabbinic Judaism that ranged from the basic
literal to more advance interpretations. This is called PaRDeS that includes;
Peshat, the plain (simple) or literal reading; the
Remez, the allegorical reading through text's hint or
allusion; the
Derash, the metaphorical reading through a (Rabbinic
sermon's) comparison/illustration (midrash); and the
Sod, the hidden meaning reading through text's secret or
mystery (Kabbalah).
The study of Torah (and the
Bible) affects man’s consciousness in various progressive ways. This includes:
Da’yah
– knowledge, the initial stage;
Binah
– understanding; and
Haskel
– mind consciousness, convicting realization and effort.
This latter category of
consciousness is a stage of spirituality which progressive study of the Bible
can bring about. This, to Christianity, Ten Tribers and Hebraic Restorers may
be known as a religious experience or conviction which they refer to as
‘conversion’ (repentance), viz. spiritual conversion. In Judaism this condition
is better known as Teshuvah].
Let us now bring forth the
wisdom of Rabbi Pinchas Winston also from Torah.org on his sage counsel titled, “Learning
Perceptions” that came from the Parashat Shemini:
Rabbi
Pinchas Winston - “Haskel, [is derived] from the word seichel, which
means ‘mind’. Haskel, therefore, refers to a level of consciousness on
which a person becomes mindful of an idea, to the extent that it becomes an
axiom of his perspective on life. On such a level, violation of the idea is
a violation of self.
This is different from Dayah and
Binah, two lesser levels of awareness, which mean knowledge and understanding
respectively. Dayah is really just awareness of an idea before one actually
begins to understand its meaning or role in life; something that is a function
of Binah or understanding. Understanding something or even its consequences
alone is not necessarily enough to change a person’s path in life.
A heart attack or something similar,
God forbid, does change lives. To intellectually confront death lacks impact;
to experientially confront it is real enough to cause a person to identify
their errant behavior with catastrophic results. This has the capacity to
change a person’s life, and to force them to take responsibility for their
actions to the point of biting the bullet and quitting what they should have
quit a long time ago, or to start doing that which they should have begun doing
a while back.
This is the level of Haskel, or
Da’as. It is the level of intellectual realization on which an idea merges with
one’s mindset. A person has a difficult time living with himself if his life
runs contrary to the concept, which is what forces a person to eventually do
teshuvah [repentance, turning around].
If he doesn’t, then he has to shut
himself down emotionally, which can and usually will have extreme consequences,
such as, at best, becoming a hypocrite, and at worst, a sociopath. When that
happens, a person can do just about anything without any real sense of remorse,
making him a danger to society and himself.
It is only on the level of Haskel
that ideas become part of reality, and they make life exciting. Ideas that are
based in truth, when implemented, impact us and the world in which we live. The
more truth-based they are, the greater the impact they will have, some of which
is visible to us, much of which takes place in spiritual realms beyond our
ability to perceive.
This can be both exhilarating and
dangerous at the same time. If the idea being actualized is implemented at the
wrong time, or even in the wrong place, it can damage the world and the person
responsible. The intention can be good and the act great, but if the conditions
are wrong then the impact is wrong and destructive.
There is no question that Nadav and
Avihu, the two eldest sons of Aharon HaKohen, were great people. They learned
their Torah directly from the mouth of their uncle, Moshe Rabbeinu, and they
had been sanctified for their roles in the Mishkan. If they suffered from anything,
it was a little too much religious fervor, too great a desire to achieve Haskel
on some of the holiest ideas known to mankind.
They had been trained to connect to
God. They knew things that others did not, and could not. Officiating in the
Mishkan required more than obedience and a memorization of responsibility. It
required a deep and profound understanding of what was supposed to be
accomplished, and how. If they had been drunk on anything, it was on all of the
sublime knowledge they had been exposed to in a very short period of time.
It was only natural for them to want
to become unified with that knowledge, to experience what they had already
gained on the levels of Dayah and Binah on the level of Haskel. And, in time,
they would have done exactly that, with the permission of God, just as Adam …
would have been permitted to eat from the [Tree of Good and Evil] on the first
Shabbat, had he waited for Divine permission to do so.
For, G-d does not create knowledge
and then keep it away from man. What we are not supposed to know at all we do
not know about. What we are told about is something that we can know, but only
at the right time, when we’re ready to know it, and when history is ready for
us to learn it. To jump the gun is to bring about exactly the opposite of what
the knowledge is meant to do: bring us closer to G-d, and make life a Godly
experience.
This is also true of levels of
knowledge as well. We may already know about something on the level of Dayah
and Binah, but not yet on the level of Haskel. As hungry as we may be to make
that leap of knowledge experience, and we should be, we have to be careful to
not emotionally bite off more than we can chew at the time.
I believe that the majority of the
time people are ready for higher levels of knowledge, or at least could be, but
they do not pursue them. Instead, they accept their current level of
understanding and intellectual appreciation, and intellectually, and therefore
emotionally, stagnate.”
[The above Rabbinic analysis provides great guidelines to
re-awakening Ten Tribers and Hebraic Restorers. In fulfillment of Prophetic
Promise, these souls are finding (often on their own, by G-d’s Guidance as
promised) great revelationary Truths in the Bible. These discoveries
rocket them out of Churchianity and into the Wilderness, on the Way back Home
to the Promised Land. It also, logically so, boosts their personal egos.
This, unfortunately to the extent that many of them having
been burnt by the contorted teachings of their Church leaders have become very
hesitant about learning from established religious institutions. Also,
having been brainwashed against Rabbinic teaching while living in a society
which condemn the ‘man-made contortions of Scripture by the Rabbis’, a society
which generally hates Judaism for some or often no reason at all, these
restorers of Truth are very reluctant to fall under ‘man-made’ religious
domination once more.
This Parashah and these Rabbinic interpretations, presented
on the Sod level beyond the very limited extent of the ‘Written Word’, hold
invaluable guidelines and Divine reprimands for these discoverers of new-found
Truth, about the danger of extravagant zeal – even for the Truth – as with
Nadav and Avihu.
Now here, below, follows the spiritual remedy. Do
take careful and serious note!]. Rabbi Pinchas Winston continues:
Rabbi Pinchas Winston - “We are now
into the period of Sefiras HaOmer [the Counting of the Omer – i.e. the 50
days from Pesach to Shavuot, Pentecost], the goal of which is to develop a leiv
tov— a good heart. The 32 days from Pesach to Lag B’Omer is for
developing a heart (the gematria [i.e. the numerical value of the Hebrew
letters spelling of] leiv, or heart, is 32), so-to-speak, and the 17
days after Lag B’Omer, the gematria of tov, or good, is for transforming
our hearts into good hearts, as it says:
“He [Rebi Yochanan] said to them
[his students], “Go out and discern which is the best way to which a person
should cling.”
Rebi Eliezer said: “A good eye
(i.e., be tolerant of others).” Rebi Yehoshua said: “A good friend
(i.e., he should be one and have one).”
Rebi Yosi said: “A good neighbor
[from whom he can learn good traits].”
Rebi Shimon said: “One who considers
consequences [of his actions].”
Rebi Elazar said: “A good heart
[that will lead him to all of the above].” (Pirkei Avos 2:13)
If ever there is a time of year to
achieve a good heart, it is now. Ultimately speaking, it is about becoming real
with truth, which means knowing what you know not just on the level of Dayah
and Binah, but on the level of Haskel as well. That is when a person has difficult
time acting contrary to what he knows is the Godly way to behave.”
[A good starting point for those who are not conversant with
the above concepts of: Omer, Shavuot, Gematriah is to start learning about it
and the many related topics].
To strive for UNITY
In closing, Rabbi Yissocher
Frand with Torah.org makes the
following observation of the underlying Divine Call for UNITY in this Parashah
and its Message. He responds to the question: "Why is this symbolism (the
Goat that atones for Yosef's Sale) appropriate now at the dedication of the
Mishkan? Maybe it would have been appropriate when they left Egypt to have the
Paschal Offering be a goat rather than a lamb?"
Rabbi
Yissocher Frand – “The Oznaim L'Torah gives a very logical answer. The
underlying cause of the sin of Yosef's sale was unfounded hatred (sinas Chinam). Part of the function of the
Mishkan was to act as a unifying force
within the Jewish [Hebrew} people. That is why emphasis is placed on the
fact that it was "in the midst of the camp." The Mishkan was the
focal institution of the nation, geographically as well as spiritually. It served to unify Klal Yisrael [The
12-Tribed Community].
This year, unfortunately, because of our sins we all spent Pessach separately.
But G-d willing, the Temple will speedily be rebuilt and we will all spend
Pessach together in Jerusalem -- unified as a single and cohesive nation [i.e.
ALL 12 Tribes as required for the Redemption]. The Oznaim L'Torah quotes the
pasuk from Parsahs Terumah "The middle bar inside the beams shall extend
from end to end (min hakatzeh el hakatzeh)" [Shmos (Exodus) 26:28] This
phrase is symbolic of the ability to
unify diverse components of the people -- from the far left to the far
right --who can all come together and rally around a single national focus of
attention, i.e. -- the Mishkan.
Now, at the dedication of the Mishkan, whose purpose in part was to unify the people, was indeed the appropriate venue to achieve
atonement once and for all for that unseemly incident in the nation's history
which typified disunity within the
family -- the sale of their own brother (Joseph) into slavery.”
To understand more about the Return of the 10 Tribes of
Israel to their Homeland in Shomron (Samaria), Israel, Contact “Kol Ha’Tor”, the Voice of the Turtledove.
Here is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring awareness of the
imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all
Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United).
This reunification will truly be the supernal Event of all
Times for it will entail Establishing Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of
the Patriarchs) and the Judean Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and
preparing the “Land” for the Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel
and then the Redemption of All Israel.
For inquiries about Kol Ha Tor’s Vision for the Lost Tribes
of Israel, we invite you to make a personal Visit to Israel and stay at “Shomron Lives!”, a Spiritual Retreat and
Guest House in Samaria, that hosts Shomron (Samaria) Tours to reacquaint the
Returning Lost Tribers of the House of Israel to their future and Prophetic
Homeland.
Latest word from Israel from Kol Ha Tor
Director, Ovadyah Avrahami:
“This is 2nd in a series of Blessings observed in Israel
since Pesach. Is this the year of Blessing; the start of the Blessings foretold
by HaShem for the Time of gathering in the nation?
Surely this places His Nation under obligation for reciprocal Thanksgiving
Teshuvah ('turn around') especially in this time when our rulers are NOT tuned
in on the Will of HaShem, but rather on the will of Obama and the nations for
Israel - even for the interest of our enemies? In this respect, Jews are great exemplary executors of the NT "turn the other
cheek" (which Judaism does NOT interpret in Christian terms). Whatever the
case - the Blessings are coming!
Since Independence Day from last Monday, April 15 to
Shabbat on April 20, 2013 we have had untimely rains, more than the average
summer volume for a week! In fact, we
are back on our full winter clothing after summer had been breaking around
Pesach time!
I remember well in the 80’s, when we first came to Israel
on Aliyah. Summer would beat down relentlessly for 8 months a year without a
cloud in the sky. The seasonal change
over at end summer and end winter would take no longer than on e week. Over the
last few years we have noted a definite change in all these weather
patterns. Now abundant summer rains
after Independence day and back to winter.
This is time for Thanksgiving - and 10-Israel should join
with Judah in this celebration. HaShem's favor cannot be bought by our
'righteousness' - but, we surely could stand guilty of throwing His Kindness
and Blessings back in His Face, or for taking it simply as for granted, leaving
His Interest to find its own success.”
May His nation and people and all mankind
exalt Him!
May His people help tirelessly to build His Kingdom!
Ovadyah Avrahami
Destination Yisrael - During this weekend,
the storms and rains did wonders for the Sea of Galilee as she continued to
inch upwards from the water tables of the once “black line” and now standing at
212.12 meters upwards of 35 millimeters in one week. Reported storm, hail and
strong winds also caused significant damage upwards to NIS 35 million of damage
to fields of produce, that include avocados, citrus, fruits and vegetables,
field crops and ornamental plants plus hail damage that also did extensive
damage to numerous outdoor nurseries. These figures came from KANAT, the
insurance for natural damages in agriculture according to survey in 400
different points of crop damages.
Between the dates of
February 23 to March 4, 2013, the Mountain of Israel in Shomron and Judea
garnered the largest gains in water between 150 to 200 centimeters of water,
plus another 130-160 millimeters of rain water in Galilee and the Golan Heights
region to the northeast.
It appeared that the
final divine blessing of the “Latter Rain” may now be upon us, and will be
exemplified in a complete climate change in the Land of Israel. What we may be
witnessing is the prophetic fact that the Land of Israel and throughout the
regions of the future Greater Israel will again become a “Land flowing with
Milk and Honey”, not just by Jewish agricultural ingenuity but by the direct
blessings that Israel will be tectonically moved into a new latitude and
longitude and soon become again a tropical paradise. This fact dovetails with
the prophetic end time messages of Joel and Zechariah:
Joel
2:23
– “Be glad then ye
children of Zion and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He hath given you the
former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the
former rain, and the latter rain in the first month” [Thus Nissan and the
beginning of Pesach (Passover) season].
Zechariah
10:1 –Ask the Lord for Rain in
the time of the Latter Rain.The Lord will make flashing clouds;He will give them Showers of Rain,Grass in the Field for
Everyone.
And then we must take
another look at the famous prophecy of the Last Seven Years before the Coming
of the Messiah by the famous Prophecy
of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zaccai of Yavnah after the city of Jerusalem and the Holy
Temple were destroyed in 70 CE:
Sanhedrin 97a – “Rebi Yochanan ben Zaccai of Yavnah
said: In the generation that Ben Dovid will come, talmidei chachamim, the
“pupil of wisdom” known as the Torah sage or scholar, will decrease, and the
eyes of the remainder will protrude from sighing and sorrow; many chastisements
and many evil decrees will be renewed; one will not cease before another
begins.”
Today we can begin to perceive the
unfolding drama of the last few years before the coming of the Messiah son of
David (Maschiah ben Dovid). Now that we know when
the fifty year Jubilee Cycles will end, it now appears that the new Messianic
Age will begin in the year of 2017; according to the 13th century
prophecy by “Rabbi
Judah ben Samuel of the last 10 Jubilees before the revealing of the Messiah”.
Rabbi Judah ben Samuel - “When the Ottomans
(Turks) – who were already a power to be reckoned with on the Bosporus in
the time of Judah Ben Samuel – conquer Jerusalem they will rule over
Jerusalem for eight jubilees. Afterwards Jerusalem will become no-man’s
land for one jubilee, and then in the ninth jubilee it will once again
come back into the possession of the Jewish nation – which would signify
the beginning of the Messianic end time.”
Then we complete the
Prophecy of Rabbi Judah ben Zaccai of Yavneh of the last Seven Years before the
coming of the Messiah as we read these words:
In the first year (2009 starting with Rosh Hashanah 2008),
the following prophecy in Amos 4:7 will be fulfilled “I caused it to rain on
one city, but, on another city, I did not cause it to rain.
In the second year (2010, starting with Rosh Hashanah 2009),
there will be a “slight famine” in which according to Rashi, “no place will be
completely satisfied”.
In the third year (2011 starting with Rosh Hashanah 2010),
“famine will be great, and men, women, children, pious people, and men of good
deeds will die; Torah will be forgotten by those who learned it.”
In the fourth year (2012, starting with Rosh Hashanah 2011),
“some will be satiated while others are not.”
In the fifth year (2013, starting with Rosh Hashanah 2012),
there will be plenty and people will eat, drink, and be joyous, and the Torah
will return to those who learned it.”
In the sixth year (2014, starting with Rosh Hashanah 2013),
there will be voices which according to Rashi depict either the blowing of the
shofars (war) or the hints and voices about the coming of the messiah.
In the seventh year (2015, starting with Rosh Hashanah
2014), there will be war.”
The eighth year will be the Year of the Messiah when it will be expected that he will be fully revealed by the G-d of Israel in the year beginning with Rosh Hashanah 2015 and Planet Earth’s calendar year of 2016. The inaugural reign of King Messiah will begin as all the kings of Israel in the next year when the Jubilee Year ends on Rosh Hashanah 2016. Will we enter the new era of the Messiah in the Jewish Year 5777 (5000 + 777) or the Planet Earth’s calendar year of 2017?
To the Jews of the
Land of Israel, by Rosh Hashanah, you will be fully in perception that the G-d
of Israel is holding out His hand of mercy to you and the Land of Israel. At that time we will then see the fulfillment
of the prophetic promise of Ezekiel given to him by the G-d of Israel (Ezekiel
36) to be given to the Lost Ten Tribes of the House of Israel; the land of
Israel will be restored to Gan Eden, the restoration of the Garden of Eden.
Also at the time will
be the great ingathering of “All Israel”; the Lost Ten Tribes of the House of
Israel plus the ingathering of all the Jews of the diaspora. Hundreds of
millions of Lost Israelites will be returned to the “land of their forefathers
and return in love and fellowship with their brothers the Jews of the House of
Israel.
Ezekiel
36:22-23, 24-28 (parts); 33- - “Therefore, tell the house of Isra’el that
Adonai Elohim (L-rd G’d) says this:I am not going to do this for your sake, house of Isra’el, but for the sake
of my holy name, which you have been profaning among the nations where you
went. I will set apart my great name to be regarded as holy, since it has
been profaned in the nations – you profaned it among them. They will know that I
am Adonai,’ says Adonai Elohim, ‘when, before their eyes, I am set apart
through you to be regarded as holy.
For
I will take you from among the nations, gather you from all countries,
and return you to your own soil. Then I will sprinkle clean water upon
you…I will cleanse you from your uncleanliness…I will give you a new heart and
put a new spirit inside your…You will live in the land I gave to your
ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your G-d…
When
the day comes for me to cleanse you from all your guilt, I will cause cities
to be inhabited and the ruins to be rebuilt. The land that was desolate
will be tilled, whereas formerly it lay desolate for all passing by to see.
They will say, ‘the land that used to be desolate has become like Gan Eden
(Garden of Eden)…Then the nations around that remain will know that I,
Adonai, have rebuilt the ruins and replanted what was abandoned. I, Adonai,
have spoke; and I will do it!”
If that
fact does not make your heart palpitate, will anything else?
************
The G-d of Israel is
working with imperfect people in order to restore this planet to a messianic
era in which our lives can be focused on holiness, righteousness and justice.
If so, you might desire to reconnect with the Biblical portrayals of what is
and will be happening in your near future.
This Biblical portrayal
includes Prophecies that the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel are about to
return to the Land of their Biblical Inheritance. This is Divine Destiny in
living reality as the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel return to their Homelands first
in Shomron (Samaria), Israel.
If you want to learn
more, Contact “Kol Ha Tor Vision”, the Voice of the Turtledove. Here
is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring awareness of the
imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all
Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United). This super Event of all Times
will entail Establishing the Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the
Patriarchs) and the Judean Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and
preparing the “Land” for the Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel
and then the Redemption of All Israel.
For inquiries about
Kol Ha Tor Vision for the Lost Tribes of Israel, Visit – “Shomron Lives!”,a Spiritual Retreat and Guest House
in Samaria, that hosts Shomron (Samaria) Tours to reacquaint the Returning Lost
Tribers of the House of Israel.
Weekly Bible Reading
#24
- Year 5773 (2012/2013)
– March 23, 2013
Parashat Tzav (Command!): Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36
Haftarah: Jeremiah 7:21-8:3; 9:22-23
NOTE: Kol HaTor, in its commentaries on
the weekly Parashot, endeavors to search for and accentuate the Torah Messages
contained in the Parashot as applicable to the main Theme of Tanach of the
Return of the House of Israel, i.e. the Lost Ten Tribes of Northern Israel and
their Reconciliation with Judah to form the reunited 12-Tribed Kingdom of
Israel.
DISCLAIMER
- The authors whom we quote from for this Commentary are not associated
with KOL HA'TOR and need not agree with our views expressed herein or in
our other publications. While we publish their views for its
relative value to the interpretation of the Parashah, KOL HATOR does not
necessarily agree with the views expressed by these authors.
This year, Parashat Tzav coincides
with Shabbat HaGadol, the
Sabbath preceding Pesah.
The Parashah describes the sacrificial offerings and rituals to be performed in
the Tabernacle or Temple by the nation, in order to maintain a close
relationship with G-d. When Tzav coincides with Shabbat HaGadol,
the normal Haftarah from Jeremiah 7:21-8:3; 9:22-23 is replaced by Malachi 3:4-24 (which is Malachi
3:24-4:6 in non-Hebrew Version).
This Haftarah from Jeremiah
is disturbingly condemning of Judah, specifically. It raises perplexing
questions about the entire Sacrificial System and, of course, the problem that
for the last 2000 years Judah was not able to bring Sacrifices, due to the destruction
of the Temple and the Jewish Exile.
Jeremiah 7:28-34 – “The people
of Judah have done evil in my eyes, declares HaShem. They have set up their
detestable idols in the house that bears my Name and have defiled it. They
have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their
sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my
mind.
So beware, the days are coming, declares HaShem, when
people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the
Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no
more room. Then the carcasses of this people will
become food for the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to
frighten them away. I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and
to the voices of bride and bridegroom in the towns of Judah and the streets of
Jerusalem, for the land will become desolate.”
Jeremiah 8:1-3 - “At that
time, declares HaShem, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones
of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be
removed from their graves. They will be exposed to the
sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and
served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped.
They will not be gathered up or buried, but
will be like dung lying on the ground. Wherever I banish them, all
the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares HaShem
Almighty.”
Jeremiah 7:22-23 – “When I brought your
forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not give them commands about
burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command:
‘Obey me, and I will be your
G-d and you will be My people. Walk in all the ways I command you that it may
go well with you.’”
Britain's Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks – “Commentators
have been puzzled by the glaring contradiction between these words and the
obvious fact that G-d did command the Israelites about sacrifices after
bringing them out of Egypt. Several solutions have been offered.
According to Maimonides, the sacrifices
were a means, not an end, to the service of G-d. Radak argues that sacrifices
were not the first of G-d’s commands after the exodus; instead, civil laws
were. Abarbanel goes so far as to say that initially G-d had not intended to
give the Israelites a code of sacrifice, and did so only after the sin of the
Golden Calf. The sacrifices were an antidote to the Israelites’ tendency to
rebel against G-d.
The simplest explanation is to note that the
Hebrew word ‘lo’ does not invariably mean “not”; sometimes it means “not only”
or “not just”. According to this, Jeremiah is not saying that G-d did not
command sacrifices. He did, but they were not the sole or even most important
element of the religious life. The common denominator of the prophetic critique
of sacrifices is not opposition to them as such, but rather an insistence that
acts directed to G-d must never dull our sense of duty to mankind. Micah gave
this idea one of its most famous expressions:
Micah 6:6-8 (parts) – “With what shall I
come before HaShem and bow down before the exalted G-d?...Will HaShem be
pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?...He has shown
you, O man, what is good. What does HaShem require of you:
To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your G-d.”
Yet the question remains. Why
sacrifices? To be sure, they have not been part of the life of Judaism since
the destruction of the Second Temple, almost 2,000 years ago. But why, if they
are a means to an end, did G-d choose this end? This is, of course, one of the
deepest questions in Judaism, and there are many answers. Here I want explore
just one, first given by the early fifteenth century Jewish thinker, R. Joseph
Albo, in his Sefer ha-Ikkarim.
Albo’s theory took as its starting point, not
sacrifices but two other intriguing questions. The first: Why, after the flood,
did G-d permit human beings to eat meat? (Genesis 9: 3-5). Initially, neither
human beings nor animals had been meat-eaters (Gen. 1: 29-30). What caused G-d,
as it were, to change His mind?
The second: What was wrong with the
first act of sacrifice -- Cain’s offering of “some of the fruits of the soil”
(Gen. 4:3-5). G-d’s rejection of that offering led directly to the first
murder, when Cain killed Abel. What was at stake in the difference between Cain
and Abel as to how to bring a gift to G-d?
Albo’s theory is this. Killing
animals for food is inherently wrong. It involves taking the life of a
sentient being to satisfy our needs. Cain knew this. He believed there was a strong
kinship between man and the animals. That is why he offered, not an animal
sacrifice, but a vegetable one (his error, according to Albo, is that he should
have brought fruit, not vegetables – the highest, not the lowest, of non-meat
produce).
Abel, by contrast, believed that there
was a qualitative difference between man and the animals. Had G-d not told the
first humans: “Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over
every living creature that moves in the ground”? That is why he brought an
animal sacrifice. Once Cain saw that Abel’s sacrifice had been accepted while
his own was not, he reasoned thus. If G-d (who forbids us to kill animals for
food) permits and even favors killing an animal as a sacrifice, and if (as Cain
believed) there is no ultimate difference between human beings and animals,
then I shall offer the very highest living being as a sacrifice to G-d,
namely my brother Abel. Cain killed Abel not out of envy or animosity but
as a human sacrifice.
That is why G-d permitted meat-eating after
the flood. Before the flood, the world had been “filled with violence”.
Perhaps violence is an inherent part of human nature. If there were to
be any humanity at all, G-d would have to lower his demands of mankind. Let
them kill animals, He said, rather than kill human beings – the one form of
life that is not only G-d’s creation but also G-d’s image. Hence the
otherwise almost unintelligible sequence of verses after Noah and his family
emerge on dry land:
Genesis 8:20-22 – 9:1,3,6 (parts) – “Then Noah built an
altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he
sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and
said in his heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even
though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood…”
According to Albo the logic of the
passage is clear. Noah offers an animal sacrifice in thanksgiving for having
survived the flood. G-d sees that human beings need this way of expressing
themselves. They are genetically predisposed to violence (“every
inclination of his heart is evil from childhood”). If, therefore, society is to
survive, human beings need to be able to direct their violence toward
non-human animals, whether as food or sacrificial offering. The crucial
ethical line to be drawn is between human and non-human.
The permission to kill animals is accompanied by an absolute prohibition
against killing human beings (“for in the image of G-d, has G-d made man”.
It is not that G-d approves of killing animals, whether for sacrifice or food,
but that to forbid this to human beings, given their genetic predisposition to
violence, is utopian. It is not for now but for the end of days.
In the meanwhile, the least bad
solution is to let people kill animals rather than murder their fellow humans.
Animal sacrifices are a concession to human nature (on why G-d never chooses to
change human nature, see Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed, Book III, ch.
32). Sacrifices are a substitute for violence directed against mankind.”
The contemporary thinker who has done most to
revive this understanding (without, however, referring to Albo or the Jewish
tradition) is René Girard, in such books as Violence and the Sacred, The Scapegoat, and Things Hidden since the
Foundation of the World. The common denominator in sacrifices, he
argues thus:
René Girard – “…internal violence –
all the dissensions, rivalries, jealousies, and quarrels within the community
that the sacrifices are designed to suppress. The purpose of the sacrifice is
to restore harmony to the community, to reinforce the social fabric. Everything
else derives from that." (Violence
and the Sacred, pg. 8).
The worst form of violence within and
between societies is vengeance, “an interminable, infinitely repetitive
process”. Hillel (whom Girard also does not quote) said, on seeing a human
skull floating on water, said in Avot 2:6:
Rabbi Hillel the Great (Avot 2:6) – “Because
you drowned others, they drowned you, and those who drowned you will in the end
themselves be drowned”
Sacrifices are one way of diverting the
destructive energy of revenge. Why then do modern societies not practice
sacrifice? Because, argues Girard, there is another way of displacing
vengeance:
René Girard – “Vengeance is a
vicious circle whose effect on primitive societies can only be surmised. For us
the circle has been broken. We owe our good fortune to one of our social
institutions above all: our judicial system, which serves to deflect the menace
of vengeance. The system does not suppress vengeance; rather, it
effectively limits itself to a single act of reprisal, enacted by a sovereign
authority specializing in this particular function. The decisions of the
judiciary are invariably presented as the final word on vengeance.” (Ibid.
pg. 15)
(End of Quote)
Not only does Girard’s theory re-affirm
the view of Albo. It also helps us understand the profound insight of the
prophets and of Judaism as a whole. Sacrifices are not ends in themselves, but
part of the Torah’s programme to construct a world redeemed from the otherwise
interminable cycle of revenge. The other part of that programme, and G-d’s
greatest desire, is a world governed by justice. That, we recall, was His first
charge to Abraham, to “instruct his children and his household after him to
keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.” (Genesis 18:19).
Have we therefore moved beyond that stage in human history in which animal
sacrifices have a point? Has justice become a powerful enough reality that we
need no longer need religious rituals to divert the violence between human
beings? Would that it were so!
In his book, The Warrior’s Honour (1997), Michael Ignatieff tries to understand
the wave of ethnic conflict and violence (Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Rwanda)
that has scarred the face of humanity since the end of the Cold War. What
happened to the liberal dream of “the end of history”? His words go the very
heart of the new world disorder:
Michael Ignatieff – “The chief moral
obstacle in the path of reconciliation is the desire for revenge. Now,
revenge is commonly regarded as a low and unworthy emotion, and because it is
regarded as such, its deep moral hold on people is rarely understood. But revenge
– morally considered – is a desire to keep faith with the dead, to honour their
memory by taking up their cause where they left off. Revenge keeps faith
between generations…
This cycle of intergenerational recrimination has no logical end…But it is the
very impossibility of intergenerational vengeance that locks communities into
the compulsion to repeat…
Reconciliation has no chance against vengeance unless it respects the
emotions that sustain vengeance, unless it can replace the respect entailed
in vengeance with rituals in which communities once at war learn to mourn their
dead together. (The Warrior’s Honour, pg.
188-190)
Far from speaking to an age long gone and
forgotten, the Laws of Sacrifice tell us three things as important now
as then:
First, violence is still part of human
nature, never more dangerous than when combined with an ethic of revenge;
Second, rather than denying its
existence, we must find ways of redirecting it so that it does not claim yet
more human sacrifices; and
Third, that the only ultimate
alternative to sacrifices, animal or human, is the one first propounded
millennia ago by the prophets of ancient Israel. No one put it better than
Amos:
Amos 5:23-24 – “Even though you bring Me burnt offerings and offerings of grain, I will not accept them…but let justice roll down like a river, and righteousness like a never-failing stream.”
(End of Quote)
Shabbat HaGadol and the Healing Message
of the Malachi Parashah
Ismar
Schorsch – “Malachi, who lived in Judea some
time after the return from the Babylonian exile, was the last of the prophets
to make it into the Hebrew canon. We have but a few specimens of his message.
His final words, which constitute our haftarah, relate to the end of days, a
devastation that will spare only those who have remained faithful to God.
The return of Elijah, the prophet who
never died, will both foretell the impending doom as well as provide salvation
from it. In speaking of that day, Malachi uses the Hebrew word “gadol(great)”:
Malachi 3:23 – “So, I will send the
prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome (gadol), fearful day of the
Lord.”
Malachi 3:24 – “He shall reconcile
parents with children and children with their parents, so that when I (the Lord
of Hosts) come, I do not strike the whole land with utter destruction.”
In short, the onset of the Messianic
Era begins at home with Familial Reconciliation.”"
(End of Quote)
In these Times of the
reawakening and Return of the House of Israel, we can look at these
"familial reconciliations" also as applying to the Greater Family
of Israel: The House of Judah and the House of Israel; the proverbial
'Prodigal Son" and the "Faithful Son".
Similarly, we can apply the following recommendations to the desperately poor
relationship between the two Houses of the Family of G-d (The House of Judah
and the House of Ephraim (Lost 10-Israel). In a commentary on Parashat Tzav, Jill
Minkoff of The Acadamy of Jewish Learning notes as follows:
Jill Minkoff – “Malachi’s verses also
speak to this relationship (with G-d) and are as poignant today as during his
lifetime. Rev. Dr. A. Cohen, in commentary on The Twelve Prophets,
describes the Jewish community of Malachi’s era as negligent: the Temple
service was in disrepute, Temple priests were careless with their duties,
people were not tithing appropriately, there was general skepticism and
indifference with regard to religion, morals were lax, and divorce and
intermarriage were common (Dr. A. Cohen,
pg. 335).
Gunther Plaut, in The Haftarah Commentary,
likens this to contemporary times: we often doubt G-d’s presence and justice,
there is instability within communities, and the rate of divorce and
intermarriage has increased (Gunther Plaut pg. 576). With these similarities
across time, Malachi’s messages are still important and meaningful to us. In
Malachi 3:6-7, G-d states:
Malachi 3:6-7 – “…I am
HaShem - I have not
changed… From the very days of your fathers you have turned away from My laws…Turn back to Me, and I will turn back to
you…” [These are very comforting assurances after the Divine Condemnations
and utter Rejections of the normal 'Jeremiah Haftarah'].”
These are words of hope. G-d does not and has not
changed; yet G-d can and is willing to “turn back”, make teshuvah, just as humans can. Cohen emphasizes
that G-d wants (us) to turn from apathy and “rekindle” the spirit of religion;
G-d is not necessarily concerned with the specific detail of ritual (as
found in Parashat Tzav), but with ritual
spirit that shows reverence to G-d (336). This ritual spirit, a process of teshuvah,
is not easy.
“How shall We turn Back?”
In Malachi [3:7]), one is able to uncover the following
seven-step process for teshuvah:
Step 1:
Acknowledge that one has turned away from G-d (3:4-5).
Step 2:
Determine whom the problem involves and who will need to take
the corrective action (3:5-7).
Step 3:
Determine how to take the corrective actions (3:8-9).
Step 4:
Know the reward for changing back to G-d’s ways (3:10-12).
Step 5:
Know that G-d is aware of the current realities and barriers to change
(3:13-16).
Step 6:
Know the consequences of not changing (3:17-21).
Step 7:
Know what to do and do it
(3:22-24).
When Elijah appears (and hopefully before), reconcile
relations between parent and child into a vision of family “unity and
affection” (Plaut pg. 579). Yet, family reconciliation is difficult. Rabbi
Missaghieh points out the immense nature of this challenge. There are no
demonstrations of this teshuvah in biblical narration; so there are no
“good old days” to look back upon and from which to learn (ibid pg. 288).
For us, other additions to this process may include being
aware that a change is needed, understanding the laws of Moses and Israel,
determining how to live according to these laws and rules, embracing the need
to foster family unity, and living accordingly. It is not an easy task. It
never has been.
We, the children of Jacob, must make the first ‘act-ion’
in the process of teshuvah; then God will
also turn and we will finally be face-to-face enjoying the radiance and
blessings that are our due.”
(End of Quote)
This portion from Malachi, the final
paragraphs of the Tanach) therefore ends with the admonition: “Remember
the law of my servant Moses, the Decrees and Laws I gave him at Horeb for all
Israel.”This Divine Admonition is directed at the
'faithful Remnant':
Malachi 4:16-18 - “Then those who feared HaShem talked with each other, and
HaShem listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence
concerning those who feared HaShem and honored His Name. On the day when I
act,” says HaShem Almighty, ‘they will be my treasured possession. I will spare
them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. And
you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked,
between those who serve G-d and those who do not.”
And, under the apt heading that was inserted
into the English Translation of this Final Admonition:
Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes
Malachi 4:6-12 – “I HaShem do not change. So you, the
descendants of Jacob [ALL 12 Tribes, both Houses of Israel], are not destroyed. Ever
since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from My Decrees and have
not kept them. Return to me, and I will
return to you,” says HaShem Almighty.
But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’
“Will a mere mortal rob G-d? Yet you rob me.
But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
In tithes and
offerings. You
are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing Me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in
My House. Test Me in this,” says HaShem Almighty, “and see if I will not throw
open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not
be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from
devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit
before it is ripe,” says HaShem Almighty. ‘Then all the
nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful Land,” says
HaShem Almighty.”
It should be significant
to all those interested in and striving for the Reconciliation of the Two
divided Houses of Israel, that a Divine
Call for Tithing underlies the Final Call of the Bible for the
Final Days towards Redemption!
To understand more about the Return of the 10 Tribes of
Israel to their Homeland in Shomron (Samaria), Israel, Contact “Kol Ha’Tor”, the Voice of the Turtledove. Here is a joint Orthodox
Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring awareness of the imminent fulfillment of
the Biblical Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all Israel (12 Tribes
Re-conciled and Re-United).
This reunification will truly be the supernal Event of all
Times for it will entail Establishing Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of
the Patriarchs) and the Judean Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and
preparing the “Land” for the Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel
and then the Redemption of All Israel.
For inquiries about Kol Ha Tor’s Vision for the Lost Tribes
of Israel, we invite you to make a personal Visit to Israel and stay at “Shomron
Lives!”, a Spiritual Retreat and Guest
House in Samaria, that hosts Shomron (Samaria) Tours to reacquaint the
Returning Lost Tribers of the House of Israel to their future and Prophetic
Homeland.
On the eve of the 2013 Passover Season, the police
detectives in Jerusalem were monitoring the activities of Noam Federman, a well known Jewish activist who yearly has been seeking the legal rights to prepare the
halakhically prescribed biblical ritual of sacrificing the Passover lamb or
goat on Passover on or near the Temple Mount.
So on Monday afternoon, the eve of Passover, the vehicle of Noam
Federman was seen and stopped for investigation. Inside he was transporting a
sacrificial goat halakhically prepared according to the commands of the Torah.
There Noam Federman was
arrested at the Dung Gate nearby to the Temple Mount. As he arrived with his
children along with the goat that he was preparing to sacrifice near the Temple
Mount as the Korban Pesach, he was apprehended by the police. After a scuffle,
Federman was arrested and taken to the police station nearby in a Jerusalem
police squad car.
After his investigation,
Federman was released with his children, aged 12, 10 and seven-years-old, that
accompanied him to the holy site. For one week, the Jerusalem Police banned
Federman from going near the Old City in Jerusalem. According to the response
by Federman, we read:
Noam Federman – “We demand to offer the Passover
sacrifice, one of the most important commandments. The Jewish police are
harming the freedom of religion. It’s a disgrace that the police prevent Jews
from keeping the Passover sacrifice mitzvah.”
As Federman later stated
in this Pesach Festival drama, the Jerusalem detectives came and claimed he was
violating a court order. When he asked what court order was he violating they
responded to him; “you’ll see it at the police station.” As it turned out, a court order did not
exist, yet he was detained for they admitted that questioning him in from of
all the public would have disturbed the peace.
According to separate
reports, the police admitted that they were planning on taking the young goat
to the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarters and there it would create a
provocation. In the meantime, a group of girls were also stated to have been
making their way to the Mount with a third goat. At the time Federman’s goat
was confiscated, his response was that later he would demand that he be given
back his own goat from his farm for as he admitted, “I chose the best goat of
the Alpine species.”
Meanwhile why Federman
was being investigated by the police, Rabbi Yehuda Glick, director of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem was arrested as he
entered the Jaffa Gate. Earlier in the week on March 24, he sought to obtain a
permit to officially perform an actually Pesach sacrifice on the Temple Mount.
It was denied.
In protest Glick,
director of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, plus many of his members then
decided to lead a procession along with a goat, and then hold a prayer service
and perform a “mock Pesach sacrifice” without the goat, in the courtyard of the
Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.
On March 29, Glick plus
his two daughters and a goat were stopped at the Jaffa Gate as they were
entering the Old City of David. They
were taken to the Kishle Police Station just inside the Joffa Gate. There also,
Glick was apprehended for three hours, his goat confiscated and he barely made it back to his home at Othniel
for the evening Seder. In the meantime, his goat was taken to the Wildlife
Supervision Department and there slaughtered by the orders of the Israeli
Agricultural Minister.
At the same time others Temple Mount
activists were assembling near the promenade next to the Jaffa Gate in
Jerusalem’s Old City. There at 1:30 p.m. they also had their goats and lambs
where they were prepared to sacrifice outside the walls of the Temple
Mount. There they waited for Noam
Federman and when he arrived they were to advance and move towards the Temple
where they were preparing to set up a “minimal kosher altar”.
They were fully aware that the chance of
their achieving this goal was slim, for they had been doing this for years. Now
the police are waiting for them, blocking their movements by force and even arresting
some of them, charging them with warrants of unauthorized transport of animals
and cruelty to animals.
Earlier on Thursday, March 21, various Jewish
groups were participants in a “mock Passover sacrifice” that was held on the
Mount of Olives opposite of the Kidron Valley from the Temple Mount overlooking
Jerusalem. According to their admission, this yearly enactment was not just for
the public interest but was done in order to for the actual Leviim or the Cohanim
who are actual literal descendants of the priestly tribe of Levi, would have
the ability to practice and participate in the actual ritual of the Pesach lamb
so that they would be prepared after the soon to be reconstruction of the
Jewish temple in Jerusalem is completed.
Today, the Leviim are Jews, that is observant
Orthodox Jews in Judaism yet, they are still descendants of the Biblical tribe
of Levi, whose forefathers were participants of the Temple services during the
days of King Solomon’s Temple, Zerubabbel’s Temple, and later the expansion
into King Herod’s Temple in the 1st century BCE and CE era.
To the shock of the Jewish Leviim, this year (2013)
they were met with a surprising veto by Israel’s Veterinary Services who for
the first time this year refused to authorize the event, as they had previously
done for multiple years prior in honor of Passover. As Passover delegation accused the Veterinary
Services:
Temple Mount Leviim and Passover activists –
“After
preventing us from fulfilling the mitzvah [commandment] of the Passover
sacrifice in its proper place, in violation of the law and of a Supreme Court
ruling, now the authorities are plotting to stop us from even learning about
the way the mitzvah is to be performed. This stands in contrast to the approach
to events surrounding the Muslim sacrifice holiday [Eid ul-Adha], during which
thousands of sheep and cattle are sacrificed freely in Jerusalem and across the
country.”
If the Temple Mount, under the sovereign control of the
State of Israel, then this picture leads us to wonder, why are not Jews and
Christians allowed to worship their also? Is it because the G-d of Israel does
not want to mix the sacred with the profane? Yet the prophets are in unison
proclaiming that that day of almost over.
What is little known in the Western World is the fact that
both the Jews and Muslims both have Festivals of Sacrificing and the
sacrificing of animals are yearly reenacted by Muslims in Jerusalem. The
Islamic Feast of Sacrifice, the second most holy day in the Muslim Calendar,
comes at the end of Ramadan and is to celebrate an event honored by both Jews
and Muslim; the willingness of Abraham, the Patriarch to the Jews, and a
Prophet to the Muslims, to sacrifice his son.
The difference is in outlook on these two people who are both
descendants of Abraham; one through his son Isaac, the chosen one by the G-d of
Israel and the other Ishmael, as the Islamic religion claims was not Isaac, but
instead the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael when Abraham
went to Mount Moriah to sacrifice. After prayers on the Temple Mount, the
Muslims then slaughter thousands of sheep and goats in the surrounding regions
and the meat is then distributed to the family, neighbors and those in poverty
and in need.
************
2013 Passover Series: The Jewish Quest to Observe
Torah Law on the Temple Mount
The Exodus and the Pesach Festival are an indelible link of
the ancient Israelites to the modern Jewish people. Even the Lost Ten Tribes of
the House of Israel who are predominately worshipping in Christian Churches
today, worship the Passover in a corrupted festival of Easter initiated by the
First Church of Rome in the 3rd century CE. Yet, there is still real
spiritual imagery that if taken back to their Hebrew-Judaic roots could become
the pathway of the Lost Christian Israelites to be reunited back with their
Jewish brothers of the House of Judah.
To understand more about the Return of the Lost 10
Tribes of Israel to their
Homeland in Israel, Contact “Kol Ha Tor”, the Voice of the Turtledove. Here is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber
Vision destined to bring
awareness of the imminent
fulfillment of the Biblical
Prophecies regarding the
Redemption of all Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United). This super
Event of all Times will entail Establishing the Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the Patriarchs) and the Judean Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and preparing
the “Land” for the Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of
All Israel.
For inquiries about Kol Ha Tor Vision for the Lost Tribes of Israel, Visit – “Shomron Lives!”,
a Spiritual Retreat and Guest House in Samaria, that hosts Shomron (Samaria) Tours to reacquaint the Reawakening
and re-identifying Lost Tribers of the House of Israel with the actuality of
the Land and its population – the Jews, and how this integration can possibly
take place.
With
the recent election of the new Pope, Pope Francis I will now sit on the throne
of the Vatican in Rome. This new “Jesuit Saint” whose ministry to the poor and
the downtrodden in Argentina, has been carefully scripted into his future image
is now being transmitted around the world as the new personification of the
Roman Catholic “Jesus Christ” who will bring “Peace” to the Middle East.
Looking
through the telescope of history, it is thereby important for descendants of
the “Lost Sheep of the House of Israel” to bear in mind that it was this same Orthodox
Jewish rabbi who spoke to his disciples concerning the “last days” but gave
with this prophecy a warning:
Matthew 24:4 – “Watch out! Don’t let anyone fool you! For
many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will lead many
astray. You will hear the noise of wars nearby and the new of wars far off; see
to it that you don’t become frightened. Such this must happen, but the end is
yet to come.
For people will fight each other, nations will fight each
other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various parts of the world;
all this is but the beginning of the ‘birth pain.’ At that time you will be
arrested and handed over to be punished and put to death, and all peoples will
hate you because of me.
At that time many will be trapped into betraying and
hating each other, many false prophets will appear and fool many people; and
many people’s love will grow cold because of increased distance from the
Torah.”
With these words in mind, recently the
outgoing Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon left his official post in the
Israeli government and when he did, it was revealed that he has left a stain of
deception which screamed out in the recent headlines in the Jerusalem Post that announced:
Jerusalem Post – “Jerusalem is on verge of signing agreement
to formalize diplomatic relations with the Holy See.”
Why would the
State of Israel be signing diplomatic relations with the Vatican? The international news has been quiet for
almost eight years on any diplomatic moves by the Vatican with the State of
Israel. With this announcement there
came the report of “conflicting and disturbing reports” concerning the status
of the “Upper Room” (Cenacle Shrine of the Coenaculum) where it is believed
that the Jewish rabbi, Yahshua HaNotzri (Jesus the Nazarene) once hosted with
his disciples the “Last Supper” that occurred on Wednesday evening according to
the Passover traditions of the Essenes.
What is most
interesting is that this Prince of David was actually presiding over a
“Passover” season meal with his disciples in a place that the Nazarene history
called the “House with the Upper Room.” What was even more amazing was that this
“Upper Room” was located physically in the midst of the Essene Quarters of southwestern
section of the ancient walled city of Jerusalem. Not only that, this Prince of King David,
known as Rabbi Yahshua was sitting right over the traditional Tomb of King
David; a powerful political statement.
Today, this same
site is now the central campus of the Diaspora Yeshiva on the hill called Mount
Zion. Back in October, 2005, BibleSearchers Reflections
quoting Israel National News stated this report:
Israel National News – “An official
Vatican newspaper has reported that during his upcoming visit to the Vatican, President Moshe Katsav will sign an
agreement giving parts of David’s Tomb over to papal control. If such an
agreement is signed, it will put an end
to drawn out negotiations that began in 1998. Israeli and Vatican
representatives began discussing issues
of jurisdiction over certain sites around seven years ago. These sites include various buildings and parcels
of land that the Catholic Church claims it used to control.
The church is now seeking to reclaim
its ownership of these sites. Among the places under debate is an area
that the church refers to as the site
of the “last supper,” which is situated at the burial site of Kings David, Solomon, Rechavam (Rehoboam), Assa (Asa),
Chezekiyahu (Hezekiah) and Amatzia (Amaziah). The Vatican newspaper, El
Messagero, reports that President
Katsav is expected to sign an agreement during his visit that will give the
church control over the upper part of David’s Tomb. The church has
already shown Israel a trial agreement, according to which the Vatican will
receive.”
The news after that
time went underground. Now eight years later it is resurfacing again. This time
it was not open to the media or to the Jewish people but in the back offices of
the Foreign Ministry department. In 2005, there was an uproar that was led in
part by the indomitable Jewish Israeli reporter
Barry Chamish, that uncloaked the underhanded diplomatic agreements
that were about to be signed by the Israeli President Moshe Katsav. This
included also the threat, later to Israeli President Olmert of creating a “Jewish
Holocaust in Rome” if the State of Israel did not accept the Vatican sovereignty
to the site of the “House with the Upper Room”, and did not accept the “Spanish
Initiative” to remove Israeli soldiers in Gaza and replace them with soldiers
from Vatican Europe.
The Times on Line – “Vatican is hoping to regain control of the Room of the Last Supper in
Jerusalem, one of the most sacred sites in
Christianity. It will, in exchange,
hand over to the Jewish community
the historic synagogue at Toledo in Spain, at present a Catholic church.
The proposals, contained in a draft
agreement between the Israeli
Government and the Vatican, come on the eve of a state visit to the Vatican next month by President Katsav. Final
details on a long-delayed accord on the status of Roman Catholic properties in
the Holy Land are expected to be agreed during the visit, marking a new era of reconciliation between Christians and Jews after centuries of hostility.”
The
current site of the “Church with the Upper Room” was rebuilt by the Roman
Christian Crusaders in the 13th century upon the earlier foundations
of the original Jewish
Hebrew Nazarene Synagogue that was spared
by the Roman general Titus in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70
CE. Today, it is also believed that
three walls of this current structure still exist from its earliest Jewish
roots built by the guardians of King David’s Tomb.
The
Holy Zion Octagonal Church was later built by Theodosius I about 382 CE, and
later enlarged by Bishop John II into a rectangular basilica with five naves
alongside and outside the original and ancient foundations of the historic
Synagogue of the Nazarene’s Apostles. This latter building was razed by the
Persian in 614 CE, and partially rebuilt by the Patriarch Modestus.
It
is stated that the entire structure was razed to the ground by the Muslim
caliph, Al-Hakim in the 7th century CE, and afterwards was replaced
by the current structure built by the Roman Christian Crusaders in the 12th
century as a five aisled basilica in what is called today the Dormition Abbey named
after the Jewish Princess of David whom the Roman Christian Church recognizes
as Mary, the mother
of Jesus.
In
ancient times, there were four
religious parties in the 1st century Temple of Herod era culture
in Jerusalem. These were the Sadducees that included the aristocratic families
of the high priests of Jerusalem, the Pharisees Beit Shammai,
the competing yeshiva (Jewish seminary) to Beit Hillel, the party of the Scribes
and the Lawyers (Mechoqeck), and what was known as the 4th Philosophy or
the 4th
Party of Judaism; the Essenes and the Hassidim. As BibleSearchers
Reflections wrote in 1999:
BibleSearchers Reflections – “The tradition
of the Essenes goes back to about 150
BC when the Chasidim, rebelled and split off from the Jewish hierarchy
in protest to their secular accommodation with Persian and Roman
authorities. They were the most
mysterious of all the sects in Judea. Outside of Josephus and Philo, the early Jewish
and Christian scholars had very little documentation until the Dead Sea Scrolls
were uncovered in the Qumran site near the Dead Sea about this mysterious sect.
The most prominent thesis accepted today is that Qumran was a library and manuscript production site, and
possibly the major headquarters of the Essenes in Judea. Hundreds
of documents, scrolls and fragments have been discovered and catalogued on every book of the Old Testament except the
Book of Esther. Also included were scores of books and commentaries outside the Old Testament Canon.
What was even
more revealing were the words and their meaning of their literature such as, ‘the poor’, ‘the meek’, the ‘four thousand’,
the ‘five thousand’, the ‘elect’, which were used in the teachings and
ministry of the Nazarene. They were a prophetic group with a defined
apocalyptic mission. They felt they were to wait the soon coming messiah
and to protect him when he arrived.
The Essenes, about one hundred fifty years before Yahshua HaNotzri’s
(Jesus the Nazarene’s) birth, split as part of the Chasidim separatists, over the Sadducee party who were working as
‘accomplices’ with the Romans to rule and for the security of Judea. To
them, the Sadducees were usurpers of
the role of the temple priests. Later the High Priest from the descendants
of the Levitical priestly line of Zadok, the appointed High Priest of King
David, but they too, were collaborators with Herod the Great, who brought them
over from the Jewish
temple in Leontopolis in Egypt.”
Understandable, during this era, Imperial
Rome was trying to take control of Judea using Herod the Great as their ally
and accomplice. In the year of 37 BCE,
Herod the Great sent a courier to Alexandria, Egypt and to the Jewish temple at
Leontopolis. The noted priest by the name
of Boethus was requested to return to the land of Israel and assume the control
of the office of the high priest in the Temple in Jerusalem that Herod the
Great was now expanding to become the largest and most opulent temple in the world.
The Zadokians, according to some experts had set up a separate Temple service outside of Jerusalem,
at Khirbet Mird, a Hasmonean Palace, which they claimed was ministered
by the pure line of Zadok temple priests. Yet, it was in year of 6 CE that
the high priests now ruling as the official high priests of the House of Zadok became
corrupted when the famed high priestly dynasty of Ananus (Ananias) the Great
took control of the office of high priest by out bidding “bribing” the
Procurator of Rome sent to rule the Roman province of Judea and whose dynastic
family virtually controlled the office of the high priest until the temple was
destroyed in 70 CE.
The
Cenacle was later destroyed again in 1219, yet was again spared and rebuilt in
1340 CE, when the Franciscan Order of Friars took custody and possession of this site. This
possession by the Roman Catholic Church lasted only 200 years when in 1552, the
Ottoman Turks took possession and transformed this building into an Islamic Mosque.
The
truth of this fact is that within the Cenacle is a semicircular niche called a
mihrab that indicated to the Muslim worshippers the qibla, or the direction where the Kaaba in Mecca was located. This
was important to know by every Muslim worshipper for they were to pray towards
that direction; not towards the Temple Mount and the sight of Solomon’s Temple but
towards Mecca. This again suggests the
disregard that the Arabs who lived during the Middle Ages had towards the
Temple Mount. Even then the Arabs did not place any sanctity to this place but
only further to the East in Mecca.
It
was in 1967, when the State of Israel won the 6-day war against her Muslim
neighbors who once again sought to annihilate the Jewish people in Israel.
Amazingly, it was seven hundred years earlier that a famous 12th
century Jewish rabbinic sage, Rabbi
Judah ben Samuel predicted, in that in the year
of 1967 the Jewish people would once again take possession of all Jerusalem and
the Temple Mount.
He
proclaimed that they, the Jewish people, would hold possession of this site for
one Jubilee (fifty years) before the Messiah son of David would begin his
messianic reign in Jerusalem in the year of 2017. Nowhere in any biblical or Jewish prophecy
does it suggest that the Jews with the State of Israel will relinquish
sovereignty of the Temple Mount. The Nazarene Judaism prophetic testimony
stated that there would be “Two Witnesses” who would protect Jerusalem and the
Holy Land for 1260 days (3½ years) up until about 18 hours before the revealing
of the Messiah, when they would be executed as the Islamic hordes dance over
their bodies. That said, there are numerous hints that a Jewish temple or a
Temple for all religions (Masonic Temple) would be built upon the Temple Mount
in an ecumenical bid to “Peace, with Great Security” for the whole earth.
Since
1967, the Jewish government in Jerusalem has faithfully guarded and allowed
peoples from all religions to worship in every holy site in the State of Israel.
This is a historical fact to the credit of the Jewish people and the State of
Israel. It contrasts, non-the-less,
against the Arab guardians of the Temple Mount called the Islamic Waqf, who
have desecrated every bit of Jewish evidence upon the Temple Mount even though
the State of Israel still maintains sovereign control and that they have been
given only semi-autonomous rule over the Temple Mount.
When
we look at the history of the Roman Christian Church, we also see an even more
predator like role, of possession for the sake of power, greed and control.
This gave rise to the Roman
Catholic Inquisition in the 13th century and its role of
destroying all forms of free speech and the right to the free expression of
worship.
What
is the historical truth today? Of all
peoples that come to worship in the Holy Land of Israel, as former Labor MK
Daniel ben Simon shockingly observed, only the Jewish
people are discriminated from worshipping upon the Temple Mount in Jerusalem; the holiest sacred place in Judaism today.
Another historical truth, the Cenacle where the disciples of the Jewish rabbi
called Jesus the Nazarene participated in a sacred ritual called the “Last
Supper” that was akin to the Wednesday evening Passover rituals as celebrated
by the ancient Essenes in Judea.
As
a matter of symbolism, it was a statement of authority when Yahshua, the Prince
of David sat in his reclining couch as was the custom in that age. Why? He was
sitting directly over the Tomb of David. The fact that it was protected and
guarded by the Essenes in its original site in the 1st century city
of Jerusalem and that it was the Essenes who were the guardians of all Princes
of David, suggest, that layers of hidden truth still remains as to the identity
of this mysterious rabbi who claimed that his only mission was that he was
“sent by his Father, to find the “Lost Sheep of the House of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24)
When
all the apparent and literal knowledge we know of this “One Man” who has made
the most profound impact upon human history, whether it be in its most simple
understanding (peshat) or in his most
hidden and mysterious meanings (sod)
and understandings, the most profound implication is that the Roman Christian
“Jesus Christ” and the Jewish Orthodox Nazarene “Jesus the Nazarene” are about
the same historical man, but the Roman Christian Jesus of corruption of the
Prince of David Yahshua.
There
is overwhelming evidence that the Jewish messiah of the Nazarenes was lifted
out of the philosophic and religious domain of historical Judaism in the 1st
century Temple of Herod era and corrupted and replaced with the philosophical
and religious understanding of the Greco-Roman Hellenistic world at that time.
The
archetypical and historical reality is that when the Jewish (yehudi) neshama soul was placed in time
and space in Judea and Galilee as an observant Jew, a prince of David, and a
Jewish Pharisee who evoked the halakhic understanding of Torah after the
Yeshiva (school) of Hillel the Great, his imprint upon the majority of the
peasantry class of Jews was profound in its impact. Yet this understanding was three
centuries later carefully remolded and amalgamation with the surrounding pagan
ideas of Mithraism and the Roman gods of the Greco-Roman world.
It was the First
Church of Rome that destroyed the documentation and original historical archives of
this Jewish prince of David and messiah and replaced its authentic Jewish
history with a power structure that rose up in history as the Roman Catholic
(world-wide) Church who sought to smother all of his authentic Jewish roots.
The
facts still exist that the pathway of halakhic Torah truth as espoused by 1st
century Judaism was permitted by the G-d of Israel to become the pathway of
restoration eventually for the Lost Ten Tribes of the House of Israel. It was they who completely lost their identity,
their way, and their G-d. Even so, the G-d of Israel promised them that He
would restore them also to their chosen destiny as Klal Yisrael (All Israel).
Since
the day of the liberation of Eastern Jerusalem from the Occupiers of the State
of Jordan in 1967, this site, the “Upper Room” sitting directly over the Tomb
of King David has also been for almost one Jubilee the site of Jewish religious
schools called yeshivas. Today they are teaching the new generations of
observant Jews how to live and keep the commands of the Torah.
Yet,
like the Temple Mount, who also the State of Israel claims sovereignty rights
over its possession, did give control of the Temple Mount to the Islamic Waqf,
only to have the Waqf begin a process of systematically destroying all the
evidence of its Jewish heritage and replace it with Islamic mosques forbidden
by Jews and Christians alike from entering. So today, the sites of these Jewish
seminaries (yeshivas) are now being threatened to be turned over to the control
of the apostate Christianity called the Roman Catholic Church.
Yet,
Jews have already walked that walk before, when in 1967, they turned over the
managing control of the Temple Mount to the Islamic Waqf of Jerusalem. What did
they receive in return; riots, Jewish people arrested, rocks thrown down from
the Temple Mount to the praying worshippers below and more recently
throwing “fire bombs” as Israeli police
protecting the Temple Mount that turned one policeman into a fireball? All of
these things are committed by the Islamic occupiers while the Jews have to observe
that the sanctity of the site where once stood the two sacred temples of
Judaism; Solomon’s Temple and King Herod’s Temple while they also observe children
playing games, adults loitering with abandonment, and no real care given to the
real sanctity of this site to the G-d of Israel.
At
that time, the official negotiator of the “Upper Room” was the President of
Israel, President Moshe Katsav. Yet this same Israeli president later received
his reward by the Divine when on December 3, 2011, President Moshe Katsav began
serving a seven year sentence in the Israeli Maasiyahu Prison in Ramlafor two counts of rape,
obstruction of Justice plus other charges in a landmark decision that was
upheld by the Israeli Supreme Court. Will this same scenario also be repeated
today? Or will the City of Jerusalem truly have to descend once again to the 49th
level of Tuma (Degradation) as it did in the 40
years between 30 CE and 70 CE
when the entire city of David and Herod’s Temple were destroyed in a fiery
inferno. As BibleSearchers Reflections wrote in 2005 in the article titled: “The
Vatican seeks to reclaim it own; “The Vatican wants Jerusalem”:
BibleSearchers Reflections – “Within all the conflicts of the Middle East, the first
implication is what Jesuit Father
Francesco Rossi de Gasperis of the Pontifical Biblical Institute of Jerusalem called
a “theological negation of the people
of Israel, a kind of cultural and spiritual Shoah, not dissimilar to what was
seen in the churches of Europe during the age of ‘Christendom’.”
By creating a Catholic Church within Israel and “for
Israel” comes from its deep seated denial for even the very existence of the
state of Israel. Over the course of Christian history, the original “Church”
was actually a Hebrew community composed of Jews that were faithful to the
Torah, believers in the Jewish rabbi, Yahshua haMaschiah (Jesus the
Messiah). Is the guiding hand of
the G-d of Israel even calling the core of the Catholic faithful back to
a “historical turning point,” nominating
a Catholic bishop ´ad Judaeos´? Is the soul of the Catholics also at stake in
that the overarching bid to gain
control over the holy sites of Jerusalem will in turn radically change the nature of Christian
Catholicism today?
While this shift may isolate the Jewish
secular Zionists, it also isolates
a Latin patriarchate that is intentionally of an “overwhelming
Palestinian character.” This political
and religious battle for the hearts of souls of both the Arabs and the Jews,
the Vatican is playing very carefully. It is a battle that does have its costs.
Over
the years the Latin patriarchate has
overtly declared its diminishing interest in any dialogue with the Jewish
people. In the city of
Jerusalem, there is no Catholic library at all. In 2001, the Pontifical Institute “Ratisbonne” in
Jerusalem was shut down and placed for sale. The contenders to buy
were the Opus Dei (of Dan
Brown’s “De Vinci Code” fame), the Salesians
and the Neocatechumenal Way.
Abbot Gourion came under the
wrath of the patriarchate for receiving an honorary award in one of the halls of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament
while the Melkite pastor of
Nazareth, Émile Shoufani, who though an Arab is not anti-Semitic
nor anti-Israeli when he was
attacked mercilessly for taking an ecumenical pilgrimage of Jews and Palestinians together to Auschwitz.
While
the prophetic vision of bringing all
men to Jerusalem as the “house of the Lord of hosts” is seriously
considered in the revival of Hebrew
Christianity, the Jewish
rabbinate see a threat to the survival of Judaism with the rise of Jewish
believers who believe in Jesus as the Jewish and Christian messiah.
The pathway to the expectations of the
coming of the coming messiah may bring some unexpected surprises to both Christians and Jews.
This rift or fissure in the Catholic community is
serious and thought provoking
especially within the orthodox circles
of the Roman Church. The Christian Church is already fractured by
many different denominations. Now within the Catholic community the dialogue centers around whether the
Hebrew-speaking Catholic ecclesiastical church should remain separate or in
close affiliation with the Arab Latin patriarchate. Though the Jewish Catholic members number about 250
members, it is a vibrant community with its leader, French Benedictine abbot, Fr. Jean-Baptiste Gourion of
the Monastery of the Resurrection in Abu Ghosh. What is
fascinating is that in Israel, two of
the three main Catholic representatives in Israel are of Jewish descent.
This tension between the Jewish and the
Arab interests keeps the
Roman Catholic Church embroiled in the
broader issues between the
Israeli-Palestinian and the
Jewish-Christian.”
With
the inauguration of the new Pope Francis I, as the visible supreme head of the
Roman Catholic Church, we may be in for a big surprise if the Prophecy of St.
Malachi comes to its final prophetic fulfillment.
Today,
the outgoing Deputy Foreign Minister, Daniel Ayalon, who has retired and
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman,
who has recently taken a leave of absence awaiting trial for charges of fraud
and breach of truth are about to face off in court over charges that include money
laundering and bribery. Both of these
“servants of the State of Israel” officially represented the State of Israel
with the Vatican in Rome’s legal dispute for sovereignty rights to multiple
sites in Judea and Samaria.
According
to the LA Times, outgoing Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon will now
become an instrumental witness against his former boss and Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior ally with Lukud-Beitinu Party, Avigdor Lieberman.
It was this controversial Israeli foreign minister who was indicted in
December, 2012 on charges of fraud and breach of trust that included prior
charges of money-laundering and bribery.
Yet,
Danny Ayalon
also has shadows of corruption hovering over him. Over the years he has been
implicated in cozy relations now not only as the chief negotiator with the Vatican
in Rome but with numerous Christian Evangelical Organization who also continually
seek possession to claim and possess the sacred land in the Land of Israel, but
also the political rights, to “missionize” and proselytized Jews into becoming “apostate
Christians.” According to JewishIsrael:
Both Daniel Ayalon and
his wife, Anne, are intimately involved with the Evangelical and Catholic
communities and have comfortably appeared on missionary television. Anne hassignificant business and real estate dealingswith the Christian community and was listed as a "Talking Head" for the
Pope's Visit on Christian-Israeli Relations” in a pamphlet put out by The
Israel Project (T.I.P.) at the time of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit in May 2009
In November 2005, this
writerreacted
to reportsof an apparent swap deal
between Israel and the Vatican which would grant the Vatican control of the
Upper Room. I was in correspondence with David Chappell, then deputy managing
editor of the Times of London,
who confirmed my concerns of a draft agreement. At the time, a number of
activists formed theCommittee to Save Mt. Zionand effective pressure was exerted on the
Israeli government to abandon the plans to relinquish control of the Upper Room.”
It
is important to look at the context of the above international diplomatic push
for the Roman Catholic Church to take possession of one of Israel’s most
important landmarks, the tomb of King David. It is also important to see these
present international Vatican thrusts to not only grab Mount Zion that not only
includes the ancient site of the “Church with the Upper Room” and sits
literally over the “Tomb of King David”.
So
we ask, will we soon see Pope Francis I, who is being reincarnated as the new
Francis of Assisi in the Roman Catholic Church, now carry forth the mantle of the
Franciscan Order of Friars who have over
the centuries sought complete control and rights to the Land of Israel?
Will
this current pope, representing the Roman Catholic “Saint” Francis of Assisi, one
of the most venerated religious figures in religious history also carry the
mantle of the transformed human life by giving up wealth and fortune and become
one of the iconic poor where wealth is evil and poor is righteous except for global
possession, when “The Church” has every spiritual right to become the temporal and
spiritual ruler over the entire world?
Though
Barry Chamish and Benjamin Fulford do not walk in the corridors of international
power that seek Power, Greed, and Control over the entire world, they both,
being Jewish, do appear to pose the microscope of international investigation
with the same premise, the global powers that have controlled the world of the
past, are still active and well today. As Benjamin
Fulford recently posted his perspective on the New Pope, the New Israeli
government and their relationships as the One World Order is created to rule
during the “Last Days”, as we read the hints of this fact in the following:
Benjamin Fulford – “It may
be just a coincidence but it may also be a sign that something big is about to
happen. There will be a new Pope, a new Bank of Japan governor and a new
Israeli government taking office on March 19th, a date of occult significance
for Asian secret societies (and also, by sheer coincidence, this writer’s
birthday).
Pope Francis has
already made it clear the soon to be reformed Vatican bank will now be spending
its money helping the poorest and weakest people on the planet. Haruhiko
Kuroda, the new BOJ governor, also supports plans to use Japan’s overseas
assets, the world’s largest, to finance a major campaign to end poverty and
stop environmental destruction. The new
Israeli government is bankrupt and cannot finance anything but perhaps they
are about to become serious about peace for the first time since that troubled
country came into being.
There are also many
reports of bad guys dropping off the radar screen recently.
In Japan, for
example, the Zionist slave and war-mongering right-wing crypto-North Korean pseudo-nationalist politician Shintaro Ishihara has gone into hiding, according
to Japanese military intelligence. This is clear a sign the entire post-war
cabal apparatus for secret control of Japan is falling apart. In the US and
Europe the arrests and resignations are continuing as well. See this site
for a partial list:
As far as Queen
Elizabeth, (who like the Pope supports a big push to end poverty), is
concerned, this is what an MI5 source had to say:
“She is well. She has
some ‘lingering’ symptoms which she said last week that the doctors can’t
explain. This serves to confirm our previous reports of avoiding the Rome trip
[for security reasons]. She has missed some public appointments in the UK also
but is working hard behind the scenes.”
However, the biggest
change in the past week has been at the Vatican. Pope Francis, the first Jesuit
to become Pope, chose March 19th to formally take the job
because it is theFeast
day of St. Joseph, the guardian of Jesus.
The name Francis was
chosen for a series of reasons, according to a P2 freemason source. First of
all, St. Francis of Assisi, among other things, introduced the concept
of caring for nature to Catholicism. Another namesake, Francis Xavier,
was the top Jesuit for Japan and India. Finally, the third head of the Jesuits,
Francis Borgia (from the aristocratic Italian family) challenged corrupt
popes.
The Jesuits are also
featured as prominent fighters against Satan, notably in the movie the
Exorcist, which was supposedly based on a true story.
However, there is
also a spooky side to the name because the Pope’s family comes from Rome and
one of his birth names was Peter. For believers in the prophecies of St.
Malachi, it means he is Peter the Roman, the last pope. The prophecy of
Malachi, according to Wikipedia, ends thus:
“Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many
tribulations, and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills [i.e.
Rome] will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The
End.”
If Pope Francis is
serious about reforming the Vatican bank, he will confront the Satanic cabal
that has illegally commandeered the Western financial system. The last time
somebody tried to do that, the (Rothschild) cabal staged the 911 terror
attacks to preserve their financial control. It is thus extremely urgent to
make sure the cabalists are prevented from any attempt to destroy Rome and its
priceless cultural and social heritage.”
As
we see with the “Signs of the Times” swirling around us, it suggests that there
is truly more undercurrents flowing in the vast prophetic river than we can
imagine. It appears that all the mini-streams of prophetic history are now
merging into the final raging vortex of the “time of the end”. The important
thing to remember, the G-d of Israel is the sovereign G-d of the Universe. His
power and control is universal and in the end, the rule of our planetary system
will be by the Maschiah ben David, who will rule with the “Rod in his mouth” as
evil people and as evil systems will be destroyed. Only then will the Era of Messianic
Torah Enlightenment begin in Israel.
************
Re-unification of the 2-Houses of Israel without
proselytizing
BibleSearchers
Reflections and Destination Yisra’el is a supporter of The Kol HaTor Vision and
recognizes the great Stumbling Block that evangelizing of Jews presents in the
Reconciliation Process between Judah and Messianic 10-Israel. The most extensive
damage done to the Jewish people over the centuries has been the attempts Christians
to convert the Jews to Apostate Roman Christianity.
Kol HaTor, as a
representative Voice not only of Judah, but also of Returning 10-Israel, does
not support any of these missionary activities, either historically or
currently. Kol HaTor associates of the House of 10-Israel declare their commitment
not to proselytize Jews, or to influence Jews in any way whatsoever to
abandon their historic and correct faith.
Rather, Kol Ha Tor
strives to influence re-identifying 10-Tribers to return to their Hebraic
Roots of the Original One True Faith, to Torah and to Jewish Halakhah and
Rabbinic authority.
************
We
invite You to Read both Parts of this Destination Yisrael Series: “Pope Francis
I and the Final Days”
The Battle for the
Minds of the Human Race is now coming to its fullest revelation. The forces of
Darkness will battle with the Forces of HaShem’s angels of Light as the final
battle for the souls of men are played out on Planet Earth. Out of these epic
war will come the restoration and redemption of All Israel; the Ten Lost Tribes
of the House of Israel and the Jews of the House of Judah.
The Roman Catholic
Church has been a major part of this Drama of the Ages and will continue to do
so until the Final Act of that Divine Drama. It will include the Jews of the
House of Israel, the Lost Sheep of the Lost Ten Tribes of the House of Northern
Israel; both of the House of Jacob (Israel). It will also include the
Roman Edomites of the House of Esau, the brother of Jacob of the House of
Isaac. It will also include the Arabs of the House of Ishmael, the brother to
Isaac of the House of Abraham.
If you want to learn
more, Contact “Kol Ha Tor Vision”, the Voice of the Turtledove. Here
is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring awareness of the
imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all
Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United).
The author of this
blog is a supporter of Kol Ha Tor Vision and while we are publishing material
that may be relevant to the Lost Ten Tribes of the House of Israel, the
leadership of Kol Ha Tor do not necessarily agree with everything we have
published. Yet, we understand, until the Messiah son of David comes to give us
full insight into what is happening to our lives and our world today, we may
know only in part while we continue to support the rabbanim of Israel and seek
reconciliation with the Jews of the House of Israel until we are finally one
family; the family of our Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
This reunification
will truly be a super Event of all Times that will entail Establishing the
Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the Patriarchs) and the Judean
Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and preparing the “Land” for the Return
of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of All
Israel.
For inquiries about
Kol Ha Tor Vision for the Lost Tribes of Israel, we invite you to make a
personal Visit to Israel and stay at “Shomron Lives!”,a Spiritual Retreat and Guest House
in Samaria, that hosts Shomron (Samaria) Tours to reacquaint the Returning Lost
Tribers of the House of Israel.
Weekly Bible Reading #23 - Year 5773
(2012/2013) – March 16, 2013
Parashot Va'yikrah (And He called ): Leviticus 1:1-5:26
Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23
NOTE:
Kol HaTor, in its commentaries on the weekly Parashot, endeavors to search for
and accentuate the Torah Messages contained in the Parashot as applicable to
the main Theme of Tanach of the Return of the House of Israel, i.e. the Lost
Ten Tribes of Northern Israel and their Reconciliation with Judah to form the
reunited 12-Tribed Kingdom of Israel.
DISCLAIMER
- The authors whom we quote from for this Commentary are not associated
with KOL HA'TOR and need not agree with our views expressed herein or in
our other publications. While we publish their views for its
relative value to the interpretation of the Parashah, KOL HATOR does not
necessarily agree with the views expressed by these authors.
************
The last five Parashot of
the Book of Exodus explained the structure of the Tabernacle and its vessels,
and Exodus concluded with an account of how the completed Sanctuary was finally
erected and arranged by Moses on the 1st of Aviv, almost one year after the
Exodus from Egypt. This was all done according to the Instructions of HaShem.
With the dedication of the Sanctuary, the Cloud of G-d's Glory (His Shechinah)
covered the Tent of Meeting.
Exodus
40:34 – “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the Glory of HaShem
filled the Tabernacle.Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting
because the cloud had settled on it and the Glory of HaShem filled the
Tabernacle.”
We have contemplated how
one of the main purposes for the Tabernacle was, that “in this way the
omnipresent Spirit Being, the G-d of Israel, could dwell amongst His People,
guiding them by day in a Pillar of Cloud, and by night in a Pillar of Fire.”
We have also considered the possibility that HaShem, similarly, wishes to “indwell
the physical bodies” (tabernacles) of His People individually. In the same
manner, ultimately, He would “completely fill” such a person.
Now that the Sanctuary was
complete, the next step is for us to learn what is to be done in it - what our responsibilities are. The
book of Va'yikrah (Leviticus) begins with the detailed Commandments relating to
the sacrifices, since these were to be the main activity in the Sanctuary and
in the Temple throughout the generations.
Our Haftarah, in Isaiah
43:21 proclaims: “The people I formed for Myselfthat they may
proclaim My Praise.” But, in the succeeding verses He complains:
Isaiah
43:23 – “You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings (‘Horban Olah’
elevation offerings) nor honored me with your sacrifices. You have not bought
any fragrant calamus for Me or lavished on Me the fat of your sacrifices. But
you have burdened Me with your sins and wearied Me with your
offenses."
Clearly, He requires our
thanksgivings and praises. Sins, He forgives ... but where are the
Praises and exultations?
Almost the complete book of
Va'yikrah is about sacrifices, offerings and libations. When we search it
in the spirit of finding our responsibilities in regard to our “living
Tabernacles dedicated to HaShem”, we are bound to turn what otherwise
presents the “driest” section of the entire Bible, the book of Va'yikrah
(Leviticus) into “a Fountain of Living Waters.”
Rabbi
Avraham Greenbaum from Azamra Institutewrites in his commentary on Va'yikrah:
Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum – “G-d’s challenge to ALL of the Children of Israel was to
be ‘a kingdom of PRIESTS and a holy nation.’ (Exodus 19:6). While only the
Cohen-priest may officiate at the offering of sacrifices, they could be brought
by all. Many of the other Commandments in Leviticus relating to ‘holiness’ apply
not only to the Cohen-Priests but to all of us.
At
the very heart of Leviticus is Parshas KEDOSHIM, ‘Be holy.’ (Exodus ch's 19-20)
which contains the fundamental laws governing man's behavior to his fellows.
This is explicitly addressed to all of the Children of Israel (Leviticus 19:2).
The book of VAYIKRA also contains Commandments that apply to Gentiles. These
include the laws of sacrifices with which our present Parshah of VAYIKRA,
opens: the first commandment is that of KORBAN OLAH, the ‘elevation’ or
whole-burned offering, which both Israelites and Gentiles are eligible to
bring.”
At
the Woodlands
Community Temple at White Plains, New York, Rabbi Billy Dreskin states the
following concerning the temple sacrifices given to the G-d of Israel:
Rabbi Billy Dreskin – “Leviticus,
the third book of the Torah, is not the most compelling by a long shot ...
Leviticus’ limitations aside, it’s my favorite book of the Torah, not because
it’s a page-turner, but because it’s about human responsibility. Its words have
God challenging us, saying, “You want to have a relationship with Me? Then
there’s stuff you need to do. You want blessings in your life? You’re going to
have to work for them.”
The
Torah has a way of working things out through purgation offerings. But with the
fall of the Jerusalem Temple, we had to find an alternative path to taking care
of our shortcomings. So now, the sacrificial offerings have become a symbol
of our efforts in life to make things right.
We
need a pathway to return. We may find it in prayer, in relationship, or in
brave yet difficult action. However we proceed, that path is likely to be far
more constructive (and healing) than running from the problem. Leviticus is
about sticking things out. While yes, we make mistakes—and plenty of them—we
don’t run away but, to the contrary, we try to make things right. For our
ancestors, a goat or a ram offering did the trick. For us, there are offerings
of the heart that accomplish the needed repair.”
Rabbi David Kaufman – “What do we do to make things right? With what have we
replaced these offerings? Certainly, we replace them with prayers and
songs, but words alone hardly do justice to the actions and intentions
symbolized by the ancient sacrifices.
Actions must accompany our words. I am reminded of the passage from Isaiah, Chapter
58:6–9: ‘This is the fast I desire: to unlock the fetters of wickedness, ... ;
it is to share your bread with the hungry, and to take the wretched poor into
your home; when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to ignore your own
kin. Then shall your light burst through like the dawn ... Then when you call
out, the Eternal will answer; when you cry, G-d will
say: Hineini, Here I am.’”
Mark Kirschbaum, Tikkun Daily,
concludes the following in regard to
the Sacrificial system of the Torah:
Mark Kirschbaum – “Once we are ‘trained’ in recognizing sacred otherness in
our spiritual lives, we have the capacity to recognize that every person has
their own unique set of needs and drives, their needs are not our needs, and we
find ourselves living properly in community (perhaps this is what is meant when
Avraham is congratulated for not holding back his son from God at the Akedah –
that Avraham reached the point where he truly allowed another living being to
individuate, that is the sacrifice, the sacrifice of the illusion that one has
control over another).
Thus
the true moment of atonement comes when one realizes that the world is not
narcissistically absorbed in one’s own sins, etc., but rather, when one
realizes that all living beings, in their own unique and free way, are part of
a whole community of life, each with their own specific needs and desires,
where the truest atonement (and sacrifice) is the recognition of the Other’s
existence and autonomy.”
Consider this concise
delineation of the main purpose of the Tabernacle or Temple in the light of our
previous discussion (Parashat Va'yakhel) regarding the related root
meanings of Shechinah, viz. dwell, neighborhood, neighbor). Thus:
the indwelling Spirit of HaShem in our human tabernacles requires the corrective
attitudes and actions towards our neighbors (community) in life.
This underlies our whole duty and purpose in life - towards our fellow
earthlings and towards our Maker. This is what Torah is all about.
The interpretation of
Torah has been Divinely mandated to Judah until Mashiach ben David comes who
will rule over the nations (Genesis 49:10; refer to our Enlightening Study on this Topic, “Judah -The Lawgiver of God–Part One”
The ancient northern Ten
Tribes of Israel rebelled against this authority of Judah for which they were
exiled into oblivion by HaShem, cut off from His Covenant. Their
reconciliation, however, and Return to the Land was foretold by Divine
Oath, filling the major part of Biblical Prophecy - a process which now is in
fulfillment as millions of souls across the world are turning to Torah in
search of their original Hebraic Roots.
There can be no greater
commitment in these Times, by BOTH the Houses of Judah and 10-Israel, then to
dedicate our human ‘temples’ to the original Divine Intent, i.e. as a Dwelling
Place for HaShem; a sincere study of Va'yikrah (Leviticus) will assist the sincere
seeking soul to find its responsibilities to ensure the ultimate full
habitation of the Shechinah of HaShem (as in the Tabernacle of old).
To understand more
about the Return of the 10 Tribes of Israel to their Homeland in Shomron
(Samaria), Israel, Contact “Kol Ha’Tor”, the Voice of the Turtledove. Here
is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring awareness of the
imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all
Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United).
This reunification
will truly be the supernal Event of all Times for it will entail Establishing
Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the Patriarchs) and the Judean
Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and preparing the “Land” for the
Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of All
Israel.
For inquiries about
Kol Ha Tor’s Vision for the Lost Tribes of Israel, we invite you to make a
personal Visit to Israel and stay at “Shomron Lives!”, a Spiritual Retreat and Guest House
in Samaria, that hosts Shomron (Samaria) Tours to reacquaint the Returning Lost
Tribers of the House of Israel to their future and Prophetic Homeland.
Weekly Bible Reading #21
- Year 5773 (2012/2013) – March 9, 2013
Parashot Va'yakhel (And He assembled): Exodus 35:1 -
38:20
Parashot Pekudei: Exodus 38:21-40:38
Haftarah: I Kings 7:40-7:50
(Sephardic I Kings 7:13-7:26)
I Kings 7:51-8:21
(Sephardic) Kings 7:40-7:50)
NOTE: Kol HaTor, in its commentaries
on the weekly Parashot, endeavors to search for and accentuate the Torah Messages
contained in the Parashot as applicable to the main Theme of Tanach of the
Return of the House of Israel, i.e. the Lost Ten Tribes of Northern Israel and
their Reconciliation with Judah to form the reunited 12-Tribed Kingdom of
Israel.
DISCLAIMER - The authors whom we quote from
for this Commentary are not associated with KOL HA'TOR and need not agree with
our views expressed herein or in our other publications. While we publish their
views for its relative value to the interpretation of the Parashah, KOL HATOR
does not necessarily agree with the views expressed by these authors.
************
This week's Torah reading includes both the
Parashah of Va'yakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20) and the Parashah
of Pekudei (Exodus 38:21-40:38).
With these, we conclude the reading of the first 2 Books of the Torah.
The final 5 Parashot of the Book of Exodus (chapters 25 to
40) and the first ten chapters of the book of Leviticus, focus on one specific
theme: the Mishkan (the Tabernacle - God's Sanctuary). Volumes are written
about the meaning and importance of the Tabernacle in Jewish liturgy. The most
prominent concept, which we will also use as our theme today, is that of
providing “A Dwelling Place for G-d to live amongst His People.”
Parashat Pekudei concludes therefore, with the inspiring end
result of the newly completed Tabernacle:
Exodus 40:34-28 – “Then the cloud
covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of HaShem filled the Tabernacle.
Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it and
the glory of HaShem filled the Tabernacle.
In all the travels of the
Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tabernacle, they would set
out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it
lifted. So the cloud of HaShem was over the Tabernacle by day, and fire was in
the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their
travels.”
In this way the omnipresent Spirit Being, the G-d of Israel,
dwelt amongst His People, guiding them by day in a Pillar of Cloud, and by
night in a Pillar of Fire. In this Tabernacle, Moses would convene with G-d.
Exodus 34:35 – “But when Moses went
in before HaShem to speak with Him, he took the veil off, until he came out.
And he came out, and spoke unto the children of Israel that which he was
commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of
Moses' face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in
to speak with Him.”
The Shechinah Presence of G-d in the Tabernacle
As Rabbi Juda ben Shalom once stated:
Rabbi Juda son of Rabbi Shalom – “It
was on the Day of Atonement that Moses was commanded ‘Let them make me a
sanctuary.’ ... You will find that on the Day of Atonement their sin [of
worshipping the golden calf] was forgiven, and on the same day the Holy One
Blessed be He said to them: ‘And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell
among them’ in order that all the nations should know that the sin of the golden
calf had been atoned for.”
In our previous Parashah we have seen how this atonement was
brought about by an offering of half Shekel on every member of the community -
like a national census.
The word, Shechinah, is derived from the Hebrew root שכן (sh-ch-n). In
Biblical
Hebrew it means
literally to settle,inhabit, or
dwell, In modern Hebrew, other concepts based on the same root are ‘neighbor’
(shochen) and ‘neighborhood’ (shechunah).
This close neighborly relationship is
portrayed in the community setting of the 12 Tribes in their encampment around
the Tabernacle.
Can this indicate that HaShem is purposing to dwell amongst
His People by way of indwelling the personal beings of His righteous People?
That each righteous follower would be a Living Temple for the Shechinah of
HaShem?
In previous Parashot commentary of Lech Lechah, we deliberated:
Kol Ha Tor in Lech Lechah – “When
Ephraim (the House of Israel, the re-identified Lost Ten Tribes) and Judah
(Jews) are individually regenerated and regathered into the rebuilt Tabernacle
of David, then we will begin to recognize each other as blood brothers, as
physical Israelites from different sides of the same family nation! This vision
does includes the truth of Israel's two houses and demands that Ephraim
renounce all paganism and embrace the fabric of Israelite living and holiness,
which is Torah.”
We then also considered this reconstructed and ruling ‘Tabernacle
of David’ from the vision of the prophet Daniel, as recorded in Daniel chapter
7:
Daniel 7:13-18 (parts) – “I saw in
the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son
of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before Him. And
there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people,
nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting
dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be
destroyed.
I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit
in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood
by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the
interpretation of the things… the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom,
and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.”
Is this not the Tabernacle that HaShem envisaged for Himself
to dwell amongst His People?
According to Jewish
tradition the radiance of the Shechinah, with its untold blessings,
"rests" upon all those who are pious and righteous. According to
ancient Rabbis the Shechinah appears in the midst of at least a minyan of
worshipers when they pray in congregation and of two or more Jews when they
engage in the study of Torah, or on a man when he recites the Shema.
The
Shechinah is said also to rest upon the chaste, the benevolent, and the
hospitable, and upon husband and wife when they live in peace and harmony. The
ancient Rabbis also said that the Shechinah appeared before Moses at the
burning bush, rested upon the Tabernacle in the Wilderness on the day of its
dedication, and in the holy of holies in the Temple at Jerusalem, and it has
illuminated the bliss of the righteous (Heb. tzaddikim) in the
world-to-come ever since.
The Talmudic Sages
conceived of the Shechinah as a spiritual essence of indescribable beauty and
exalting effect. In a commentary on
Va'yakhel, Rabbi Label Lam makes the following observation:
Rabbi Label Lam
- “The Nefesh HaChaim writes: ‘And so a person from the Holy Nation that
contains the whole organization of the creation…he is also constructed like the Tabernacle and the Temple and its
vessels, corresponding to the order and connections of the segments of
the limbs and the ligaments and their functions. So it is detailed in the Zohar how the Tabernacle and its vessels are each
referring to Man.”
There is a lot of talk in the world and great fears amongst
Arabs that the Jews will build a Third Temple in Jerusalem on the spot where
currently a Muslim Temple, the Dome of the Rock, stands. Now consider the
following statement of Jewish thought - a concept that could hint at the
possibility of such a collective body of a ‘Human’ Temple:
Rabbi Yissocher Frand - “The last 5 parshios -- Terumah, Tezaveh, Ki
Tisa, Va'yakhel and Pekudei -- have been dealing with the mitzvah of ‘You shall
make for me a Sanctuary and I will dwell therein’ [Shmos 25:8]. Apparently,
this is a mitzvah that none of us will ever have the opportunity to fulfill.
Even if, G-d willing, we will live to see the coming of Moshiach, it seems that
we will still not be able to fulfill this commandment. The reason for this is because our Sages tell us that the Third
Beis HaMikdash will descend from Heaven - theoretically complete.
This would appear to mean that in His Kindness, G-d is removing this mitzvah
from us. G-d will do it for us!”
In Lech Lecha we also noted:
Kol Ha Tor in Lech Lecha – “We have yet another
confirmation – an awesome eye-opener! It comes from the Song of Ascents, Psalm
(Tehillim) 126 - Translation and commentary by Rabbi Avraham Sutton. This Song
opens the Thanksgiving for the Meal on Shabbat – a Song of Joy by the Returnees
to Zion.”
Rabbi Sutton makes the revealing observation:
Rabbi Avraham Sutton – “When Hashem will come out of concealment (the
Return of His Shechinah, when Peace and Reconciliation is restored between the
2 Houses of Israel) and return with the
captivity of Tzion, (the exiles) we will all awaken as if from a deep
slumber; it will be so wondrous, as if an impossible dream has finally come
true.”
Rabbi Avraham Sutton continues to explain in a foot note:
Rabbi Avraham Sutton - “The verse does not state “behashiv
Hashem shivat Tzion—when Hashem will restore the captivity of Zion” but
rather “beshuv Hashem et shivat Tzion—when Hashem will return with the
captivity of Zion.” This implies that the Shechinah is in exile with the
Jewish people, and will be redeemed with us at the time of the Redemption.
The source for this teaching is found in the Talmud (Megillah 29a)."
(Refer to Lech
Lecha for full quote).
It is doubtful that this could refer to the Returnees that
have returned to the Land of Israel since 1948. It most likely could refer to
the body of ‘Holy Ones’ that the prophet Zechariah refers to in that fearful
forecast of the Day that ‘all the nations’ will draw up in battle against
Jerusalem”:
Zechariah 14:3-5 (parts) – “Then
HaShem will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights on a day of
battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of
Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west,
forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving
south. You will flee by my mountain valley, ... Then HaShem my God will come,
and all the holy ones with him.”
Can this
possibly refer to the ‘Heavenly’ Beit HaMikdash which will descend? - as that ‘Body’
that He will rule through - that Purpose for which He persisted to continue
Creation (for the sake of one righteous man and his family, Noah) rather than
destroy it? (As we have observed in our first Parashot on Creation).
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky – “The
portion of Parashat Pekudei (Reckoning) begins in Exodus 38:21 – ‘These are the
reckoning of the Mishkan -- the Mishkan of testimony.’ The Medrash is bothered
by Moshe's repetitive expression. Why does he repeat the words Mishkan --
Mishkan? He should have said, “These are the reckoning of the Mishkan of
testimony."? The Medrash answers, homiletically, that the word Mishkan
has a close relative in the word Mashkon -- collateral. Moshe was
alluding, ‘to the two Temples that were taken back by G-d as collateral for the
sins of Israel.’”
Rav Zvi Shimon – “Judah son of Rabbi
Shalom said: “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them” in
order that all the nations should know that the sin of the golden calf had been
atoned for. It is therefore called the ‘Mishkan Eidut’ (Tabernacle of
Testimony, see Numbers 1:53), a testimony to all the inhabitants of the world
that the Holy One Blessed be He dwells in our sanctuary. Said the Holy One,
Blessed be He, ‘Let the gold of the Mishkan come and atone for the gold of
which the calf was made ...’ (Midrash Tanchuma, Exodus 25:8).”
As Rabbi Zvi Shimon continued in his remarks:
Rabbi Zvi Shimon - “According to the
Tanchuma, the construction of the Mishkan is an act of atonement by the people
for the sin of the golden calf. The people sinned with gold by building a
golden calf and atone with gold by constructing the Mishkan which included many
gold instruments. The Mishkan is a testimony to the fact that God forgave the
people for their sin and dwells among them."
The True Temple of HaShem, whether a physical building or a
Body of People, would by necessity have to be a place of supreme righteousness,
to befit the Presence (Shechinah) of the Living G-d! As such, and as such only,
could it serve as a Testimony to the nations, a Testimony of what G-d expects
of mankind:
Micah 6:8 – “What does HaShem
require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your
G-d.”
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky – “These
final portions in the Book of Exodus summarize the amazing accomplishments of
the Children of Israel in building the Mishkan -- the edifice that would house
the Divine presence in this temporal world -- while in the desert. It was a
mammoth feat, an act that consumed an entire nation. Men and women, young and
old each had a share in this great endeavor.
The Torah tells us: ‘Every man whose heart inspired him
came; and everyone whose spirit
motivated him brought the portion of Hashem for the work of the Tent of
Meeting, for all its labor and for the sacred vestments. The men came with the
women; everyone whose heart motivated him brought bracelets, nose-rings, rings,
body ornaments -- all sorts of gold ornaments -- every man who raised up an
offering of gold to Hashem.’ (Exodus 35:21-22)
And then there were those who did
the work. ‘Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man whose
heart Hashem endowed with wisdom, everyone whose heart inspired him, to come
close to the work, to do it (Exodus 36:2). The wording needs clarification. Why
use the term, ‘whose heart inspired him, to come close to the work, to do it?’
Why not just say ‘whose heart inspired him, to do the work?’ What is the meaning of coming close to do the
work? Just do the work!
Building a Mishkan, like any project
that entails difficult work for the sake of Heaven, can be arduous. It can
become depressing at times and it is easy to become dispirited and desperate.
The key to the success of the building Mishkan lies in the words of the posuk,
‘everyone whose heart inspired him, to come close to the work, to do it.’ In
order to do the work, you must draw yourself close to the work. If you take
small steps with love and bring a project close to your heart, then rest
assured you will complete the work in joy!’”
Rabbi Label Lam – “What is the first thing we need before starting to build a
building? I know some people will say, ‘Money!’ There's something more basic
than that. No, not a building permit. Right! A plan! You can't get money or a
permit without submitting first an architect's scheme. The drawing itself first
requires something even more fundamental before it becomes a reality. Yes. A
motivation! A will to create or become! And that all flows from an imaginative
picture, an ideal of how things will look or be after all the work is done.
Lest we be seduced into
thinking that the building itself is more important than its true function,
Moshe set the record straight. The vessels and their special internal use are
the real purpose of the project. The Almighty is not served by a meaningless building.
There is no ‘edifice complex’ at play here.
The main part, the
essence is the realm within. The outer world serves and thrives on the inner.
For practical logistical considerations the external structure needs to be worked
on first.”
This "Realm Within" would
be the Testimony to the Nations.
To understand more
about the Return of the 10 Tribes of Israel to their Homeland in Shomron
(Samaria), Israel, Contact “Kol Ha’Tor”, the Voice of the
Turtledove. Here is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring
awareness of the imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the
Redemption of all Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United).
This reunification
will truly be the supernal Event of all Times for it will entail Establishing
Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the Patriarchs) and the Judean
Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and preparing the “Land” for the
Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of All
Israel.
For inquiries about
Kol Ha Tor’s Vision for the Lost Tribes of Israel, we invite you to make a
personal Visit to Israel and stay at “Shomron
Lives!”, a Spiritual Retreat and Guest House in Samaria, that
hosts Shomron (Samaria) Tours to reacquaint the Returning Lost Tribers of the
House of Israel to their future and Prophetic Homeland.
Weekly Bible Reading #20 - Year 5773 (2012/2013) – March 2, 2013
Parashat Ki Tisah (When you elevate): Exodus 30:11-34:35
Haftarah: I Kings 18:1-18:39
Sephardic: (I Kings 18:20-18:39
NOTE:
Kol HaTor, in its commentaries on the weekly Parashot, endeavors to search for
and accentuate the Torah Messages contained in the Parashot as applicable to
the main Theme of Tanach of the Return of the House of Israel, i.e. the Lost
Ten Tribes of Northern Israel and their Reconciliation with Judah to form the
reunited 12-Tribed Kingdom of Israel.
DISCLAIMER
- The authors whom we quote from for this Commentary are not associated with
KOL HA'TOR and need not agree with our views expressed herein or in our other
publications. While we publish their views for its relative value to the
interpretation of the Parashah, KOL HATOR does not necessarily agree with the
views expressed by these authors.
************
The title of this Parashah, Ki Tisah, as is the
Jewish tradition for naming each Parashah, is taken from the opening words of
the portion. Various translations render it:
‘When you take a census of the Israelites to count them ...’
‘When thou take the sum of the children of Israel ...’
‘When you raise the head of the children of Yisrael’
Our heading title above,
taken from yashanet.com, reflects a
more literal translation of this text as, 'when you elevate'. So, what
has 'elevate' or 'raise'to do with a census?
The following review will show how fallible and even
misleading the translations are which we so much depend on in order to read and
understand the Bible - which is G-d's Message to mankind. Many non-Jewish Bible
students forget that the Bible was NOT written in their language, but in
Hebrew. They then draw their conclusions on their translations, which could be
off the mark in some instances.
Our Ki'Tisah portion bears proof of this and confirms how
important it is to understand Hebrew. But, even with a fluent understanding of
the Hebrew language, it still lacks much, viz. the communal 'academic' research
into the wider aspects surrounding the written Bible record. What better source
for this wider insight, than the 3500 year academy of higher Jewish learning,
containing the insights, debates, deliberations and conclusions of dedicated
students throughout the centuries, many with above average intelligence and
specialized knowledge?
We are referring to Rabbinic insight on these wider levels,
founded upon practical experience over more than 3000 years with the very nation
of the G-d of the Bible, the ‘G-d of Israel’. This knowledge, which initially
has been transferred orally from generation to generation, was later recorded
in various volumes which collectively became known as Rabbinic Oral Torah. Ki 'Tisah is a perfect example of the need
for Oral Torah as compiled by the Rabbinic academy - not by those interpreters,
no matter how specialized they are, who generally do not have an in-depth
Hebrew knowledge, neither any in-depth and practical experience with the
culture of the nation of G-d. These specialists each have their own ‘oral’
interpretations but without in-depth knowledge of the Jewish religion which was
born out of the nation which is the main actor in the entire Bible.
So, let us delve deeper into Ki'Tisah. We quote from Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem, Israel by Rabbi Yaakov
Asher Sinclair:
Exodus 30:12 – “When you raise the head of the
Children of Yisrael”
Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair – “Why
does the Torah choose the expression raise the head to mean that Moshe should
take a census of the Jewish People?
G-d explained to Moshe that the
People had placed their lives in jeopardy by worshipping the golden calf. The
process of counting them by the coins they were to donate would “raise their
heads,” elevate them spiritually from the depths to which they sunk, and earn
them atonement from their sin.
Moshe supposed that such atonement
would require a coin of a very large denomination indeed. Perhaps it would be a
kikar of silver, the equivalent of three thousand silver coins. ...
Since G-d's Name was defamed when they proclaimed “These are your gods,
Yisrael,” this might be the level of the atonement required.
At the very least, Moshe
conjectured, G-d would demand a coin to the value of thirty shekalim.
The owner of a goring ox must pay thirty shekels. By worshipping a calf, the
Jewish People had traded G-d's glory for the image of a calf.
In the event, Moshe's fears were
unfounded. G-d said to him "You need not pay Me coins worth a hundred, or
fifty, or even thirty silver pieces. All I ask is that you donate one small
coin to the value of a half-shekel.
Those half-shekel coins from the
census were melted down and used for the silver sockets, the “adonim”,
that were the foundation for the walls of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). In other
words, the Mishkan literally stood on the half-shekalim that the People
donated.”
In Parashat Terumah (week 19) we saw the importance for G-d’s
people to make offerings of gold, silver and exquisite fabrics for the
completion and maintenance of the Temple and Tabernacle. Ki'Tisah this week
opens with a minimal amount as a form of census - thus, it was levied on each
and every individual from the age of 20 on, as an atonement.
Exodus 30:15 - 16 - “The rich shall
not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel when [you]
give this offering to HaShem to make atonement for yourselves. And you shall
take the atonement money of the Israelites and use it [exclusively] for the
service of the Tent of Meeting, that it may bring the Israelites to remembrance
before HaShem, to make atonement for yourselves.”
Many experienced fund raisers will confirm that it is the
cumulative value of small contributions which raise the required funds. Rabbi
Avraham Greenbaum, AZAMRA, comments as follows on the half Shekel atonement:
Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum - “When G-d
spoke to Moses, He “showed him a kind of coin of fire, the weight of a half
shekel” and He said to him: “THIS shall all who pass through the count give --
a half shekel” (Exekiel 30:13 and Rashi there). This fiery HALF SHEKEL COIN,
which made every single citizen an equal partner in the Sanctuary and its
upkeep, was the remedy for material lust and the appetite for wealth. Everyone
was to join and be a partner in an enterprise that elevates material wealth --
the finest vessels of gold, silver and copper, the finest fabrics, choicest
animals, flour, oil, wine and spices -- by incorporating them in the worship of
the One G-d. This is where the display of wealth is truly fitting, a place
where each may take a just pride in having a share. Having a joint share with
everyone else in the national treasure, the Temple, keeping one's eyes focused
on its splendid golden vessels and their implicit messages -- these are the
medicine for the selfish lust for wealth for its own sake.
Differences in wealth and assets
were of no significance in this annual half shekel tax that made each citizen
an equal partner in the Temple enterprise. The rich could not give more nor the
poor less. Souls cannot be quantified and counted -- each soul has its own
unique significance that would be violated by trying to quantify it or assign
it a number. What counts is that each person adds his or her own SELF and WILL,
and is willing to play his or her part by paying the “head tax” and “casting a
vote”. Numbers and wealth do not count in the eyes of G-d. What counts is each
person's WILL to make a contribution -- to have an equal share with everyone
else, without pride and without shame, in being part of the whole, feeding the
Altar and bringing the fire of G-d's presence into the world.”
The Half Shekel atonement was a united national effort - as
in a national census. Every one participated - the result? - the Mishkan (Tabernacle,
later the Temple in Jerusalem).
The Talmud says “if you never saw the Second Beit
HaMikdash (Holy Temple), you never saw a beautiful building in your life.”
The Beit HaMikdash was called the “eye of the world.” The eye is a physical
organ but it receives something that is about as non-physical as you can get:
Light. The Beit Hamikdash was called “the eye of the world” because it was the
portal for the Light. The Beit HaMikdash was the most beautiful building
not because of its dimensions and proportions or its finishes but because it
revealed the resting of the Divine Presence in this world.
Faith is like a shadow. Faith is the knowledge of something
that you cannot see”, Rabbi Yaakov Sinclair further remarks.
Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair – “The nation
that dwells in the shadow of faith proclaims that existence extends beyond the
here-and-now, beyond what can be perceived by the five senses of man. Faith is
something that takes place in the shade. In the shadow.”
Today, both the Houses of Judah and reawakening 10-Israel
reveal this Faith. What lacks though, is the “national unity.” They have to
find each other and co-operate in unison like HaShem expected of 12-tribed
Israel of old. Too often today, each House sees itself as the only cogwheel in
the machine. Both Houses think that they can achieve Redemption by themselves;
that the Divine Blessing applies to themselves only. We need to recall the
words of Rabbi Avraham Feld, founder of the Kol HaTor Vision:
Rabbi Avraham Feld - “Judah without
10-Israel is like an airplane without wings, a car without wheels.”
We need a “national census atonement”; …he will give Terumah of G-d’:
Exodus 30:14 – “Every one that
passes among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall
give the offering (Terumah) of HaShem. The rich shall not give more, and
the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering
(Terumah) of HaShem, to make atonement for your souls.”
Note how these Atonement offerings are referred to as ‘Terumah’
in the same context. Now experience the following Rabbinic insight into Terumah,
which is a Divine requirement on all of Israel - all twelve Tribes which
were involved in Exodus. Surely, today it applies to both Judah and the
re-identifying House of 10-Israel? Let us note what was written about Parashat
Ki'Tisah (for 2012) by Rabbi Yaakov
Asher Sinclair:
Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair - "The
entire Oral Torah begins with the question, “When do we read the Shema
prayer in the evening?” The Mishna answers, “When the kohanim (priests)
go in to eat their Teruma (the priestly gifts).”
What is the connection between
saying the Shema and the mitzvah (Command) of Teruma? Why didn’t
the Mishna (Oral Torah writings) just say, “The time to say Shema in the
evening is when it gets dark”?
The Torah obligation to give Teruma
is as little as a single grain. The Rabbinic obligation, however mandates
between one-sixtieth, which is considered miserly, and one-fortieth, which is
generous. The median amount is one-fiftieth. The word “Teruma” is an
allusion to this median amount, for Teruma stands for trei mi-me’ah,
two out of one hundred — one-fiftieth.
If the Torah was hinting through the
word Teruma to the median gift of one-fiftieth, why did it express that
fraction as two parts out of a hundred? Why didn’t it coin instead a word that
used the words for ‘one’ and ‘fifty — Chad and Chamishim? Why
wasn’t Teruma called “Chadshim” or something like that? And why
specifically the proportion of two out of a hundred? Why not four parts out of
two hundred, or eight out of four hundred?
The Vilna Gaon (author of the book
Kol Ha'Tor) explains that the core of Shema lies in the first verse, Shema
Yisrael, and in the next phrase Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto le’olam
va’ed, “Blessed is Hashem’s name of the Honor of His Kingdom forever and
ever,” which we say immediately afterward.
The essence of Shema is to affirm
our belief that everything in existence is One and the smallest aspect of
creation ultimately leads to Him alone.
The Gaon of Vilna observed that the
twenty-five letters in the first verse of Shema and the twenty-four letters in Baruch
Shem together equal forty-nine.
The number fifty connotes something
beyond this world. We count forty-nine days of the Omer from Pesach till
Shavuot, but we do not count the final day, the day of Shavuot itself, because Shavuot
represents something beyond this world — the supernal moment of the closest encounter between G-d and man.
In this world, we can approach
fifty, but we cannot count it; we cannot define or delineate it.
When I say the Shema, I surrender
the ineffable, indisputable knowledge of my own existence and proclaim that
there is only One Existence, and that I am no more than just one expression of
that Ultimate Existence. That is the ‘one’ that I give to make the fifty
complete.
My recitation of the Shema – my own
closest encounter with G-d — represents the “one” that raises the forty-nine to
fifty. And as I say the Shema twice daily, it represents the trei mi-me’ah
– the two out of a hundred.
Trei mi me’ah– twice a day,
the Teruma that I give is the forty-nine letters that make up my declaration of
G-d’s total and absolute Unity, together with the ‘one’ — the surrender and
elevation of my own existence that joins me to ‘fifty’ — the Ultimate
Existence.”
In this, there may be a hint also of the supreme ‘oneness’
that we may achieve through the Redemption; that ‘oneness’ that seems to be the
underlying motive of HaShem's Creation Plan, which we have referred to in Parashat Commentary Lech’Lecha.
These important guidelines and Divine requirement of
offerings recorded in the opening Scriptures of Parashat Ki’Tisah, are reviewed
in another commentary on Ki'Tisah titled, YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HA'YEHUDI, Jerusalem,
Israel by HaRav Yehuda Kreuser SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva and presented by
Rabbi Levi Chazen.
It also further confirms the deep insight that Rabbinic
interpretation holds in the background to the actual Scriptures - knowledge
without which it would be impossible to fully understand the Bible.
HaRav Yehuda Kreuser SHLIT"A –
“Every Jewish child knows the elementary rule in Judaism, that one does not
count the Jewish people by numbers, one... two...three. Rather, each person
gives a small coin worth half a shekel and once they are collected, the coins
are then counted to know the sum of the population. Rashi comments: ‘And there
will be no plague among them; otherwise there will be a plague, for the evil
eye can affect that which has been counted and pestilence can come upon them,
as we have found in the days of King David.’
And what took place in the time of
King David? We find in the book of II Samuel that King David ordered his
general, Yoav, to take a census of the Jewish people. This was in spite of the
fact that Yoav objected to the taking of a direct census because of the
biblical transgression of not counting the Jewish people. But King David was
adamant and the counting of the census went on. Immediately thereafter, 70,000
people died in a plague.
The question arises: How is it
possible that the mighty King David ordered his top general to take a direct
census, something that is clearly forbidden in the Torah, as even every young
child knows?
It is clear that a dark decree was
hanging over the Jewish people [12-Israel], and for this reason King David had
forgotten a very simple rule in Jewish law and caused a plague to befall the
people. But what was it that could have been so bad that it caused the death of
some 70,000 people?
Our Rabbis in the Midrash fill in
the blanks and teach us that the sin of the people at that time was that
they had no desire to build a House for G-d; each family was content with
their own homes and gardens, letting the Holy Temple wait for some other
generation, some other time. So great was G-d's wrath at His people that this
horrendous plague killed off 70,000 people!
And as in every generation, they had
all the excuses in the world for putting off the building of the Temple: It's
not the right time... the nation is not ready... the prophet Natan had told
King David that he would not be the one to build a House for G-d. They already
had the tabernacle, a temporary dwelling place, so why the urgency for a
permanent place? And still, in spite of all these seemingly ‘correct’ excuses,
the wrath of G-d came upon the Jewish people.
Interestingly, these same excuses
are still thrown around today by Rabbis and laymen alike.
‘In order to ensure that a
reoccurrence of this horrible plague will not happen again, the Rabbis tried to
awaken our desire for the Holy Temple.
Three times a day we [the Jews] pray
for the return to the Land of Israel, to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and its
House of G-d. At every wedding, our happiest moment, we break the glass to
remember the Temple.
When we build our home, we leave a
small area unfinished to remember that as long as the Temple is still not
built, our homes are also missing the final touch. And as we sit together at the
Passover Seder, we declare: ‘Next year in Jerusalem’. Alas. how many of us are
just saying the words, going through the motions - but in reality, it is
actually the last thing that we want, for the Temple and its service would not
fit into our daily lives. If we truly desired it, nothing would stand in our
way to make it happen.”
Practical fulfillment and evidence in this week's News
Once more and right on time, this week featured a statement
by a ‘shocked’
former member of Israel Knesset. He visited the Temple Mount for
the first time in many years and was ‘astounded’ at the shocking discriminating
treatment that Jews received on “the Holiest Site in the world - the Temple
Mount.”
A “Save the
Temple Mount” Call went out from a concerned source in Jerusalem and their
following response was reported:
“After many attempts to contact the Orthodox
Union, (largest Jewish Orthodox organization in the US) including emails and
phone calls to convince them to join our efforts to oppose both the destruction
of the Temple antiquities and the persecution of Jews who ascend to the Temple
Mount, we received today a loud and clear NO.
“The Orthodox Union will not speak to us nor
have anything to do with efforts for the Temple Mount."
The silence from Jewish authorities, the
Knesset and even Rabbis on this disgrace and desecration of the Temple Mount is
simply deafening!
Whereas our Parashah reading relates the idolatrous affair
of the 12 Tribes at Sinai, our Parashah relates the idolatrous affairs of the
10 Tribes under King Ahab before their exile. The king himself had built an
altar to Baal, and his Phoenician wife, Jezebel, encouraged pagan cults and
persecuted Israelite prophets. It is against this idolatrous and dangerous
state of affairs that the prophet Elijah battles.
1 Kings 18:18-20 – “I have not made
trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you [Ahab] and your father’s family
have. You have abandoned HaShem’s Commands and have followed the Baals. Now
summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring
the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of
Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”So Ahab sent word throughout
all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.”
It may not be so commonly known that Elijah took on the Baal
prophets of Northern 10-Israel on this occasion. Ten Tribers are normally very
defensive about why the Ten Tribes rebelled against Judah and Jerusalem. They
insist that it was because of the heavy taxation that Jerusalem laid on them.
Elijah though, spells it out in the above encounter with Ahab (as it stands
confirmed in several other Scriptures in the Bible also), i.e. because of their
rebellion against Torah and acquiring themselves “other Lords” to follow.
Though they claim to serve the same God as Judah, they have
created for themselves an entire un-Jewish ‘trinitarian multiple godhead’ and a
Messiah whom most claim has “done away with” Torah and its Divinely mandated
judicial authority (the Mechoqeck) of Judah. On this occasion the prayers of
10-Israel's Baal prophets were NOT heard and despite an entire day of praying,
running around the altar, increasing their voices, NOTHING occurred. ‘Their god’
did NOT hear!
The Message of Ki'Tisah calls loudly for 10-Israel in these
days to join Judah in a ‘census atonement offering’ to build the Land and
eventually the Temple. Significantly this Message presents Elijah's
confrontation and confirmation that: "HaShem
— He is G-d! HaShem — He
is G-d!” (The concluding text of the Haftarah).
To understand more
about the Return of the 10 Tribes of Israel to their Homeland in Shomron
(Samaria), Israel, Contact “Kol Ha’Tor”, the Voice of the
Turtledove. Here is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring
awareness of the imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the
Redemption of all Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United).
This reunification
will truly be the supernal Event of all Times for it will entail Establishing
Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the Patriarchs) and the Judean
Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and preparing the “Land” for the
Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of All
Israel.
For inquiries about
Kol Ha Tor’s Vision for the Lost Tribes of Israel, we invite you to make a
personal Visit to Israel and stay at “Shomron
Lives!”, a Spiritual Retreat and Guest House in Samaria, that
hosts Shomron (Samaria) Tours to reacquaint the Returning Lost Tribers of the
House of Israel to their future and Prophetic Homeland.
You are Israel!
The History was Revealed by the Prophets and Confirmed by Archeology, the Judgment of the God of Israel was Sealed as they were Exiled to Khurasan in Northern Iran, Eastern Afghanistan and Western Pakistan. They Disappeared into the Mists of History as they Migrated in Waves up through Georgia through the Caucasus and Followed the Tracks of their Cousin Dan who left his Name on the Rivers of his Passage (Don, Dniester, Dnieper, and the Danube) as they Migrated Northwestward towards Denmark. They Erupted into Northern Europe in the 3rd Century BCE as the Royal Scythians, Celts, Cymrics, Cimmerians, Goths, Angles, Saxons, Ostrogoths, Visigoths and Frisians.
They Populated the Lands of Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark), the Isles of the West (Britain, Ireland, and Scotland) the Lowlands (Netherlands and Belgium), the Colonies of Great Britain (United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa) plus the Lands of Northern France, and Germany. These today are the Lost Tribes of Israel!
If your Ancestry comes from any of these Lands,
Welcome, You are a “Lost Ten Triber” of the House of Israel!
The Prophets have Proclaimed, at the Time of the End, You will Return Home!
