Dec 19, 2021 | Torah Portion
When Moses was forty years old, he went out from Pharaoh's court to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. He was appalled to see the mistreatment they endured. He realized that God had placed him in a position of power in order to help his people. Moved with compassion for his countrymen, Moses went to the defense of one man who was being beaten by an Egyptian. Moses struck the Egyptian, killed him and buried him in the sand.
He returned to the Hebrews the next day. He had a deep sense of purpose. Somehow he must help his people. He was on a mission from God. When Moses came across two Hebrew men fighting, he attempted to mediate between them. Instead they turned their resentment toward him. Clement, the disciple of Peter, says that they resented him out of a sense of envy:
Envy compelled Moses to flee from the face of Pharaoh king of Egypt, when he heard these words from his fellow countryman, “Who made you a judge or a ruler over us? Will you kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?” (1 Clement 4:10)
Yeshua taught that a prophet is without honor in his own home ( Matthew 13:57). Just as the Israelites initially rejected the authority of Moses, so too the Jewish leadership in the days of the apostles rejected the authority of Yeshua. Just as Moses disappeared, only to reappear a generation later and bring about the redemption from Egypt, so too Yeshua has been concealed and will be revealed in the last generation to bring about the final redemption.
When Moses realized that his attempts to help his people were not welcomed, nor could he trust them to conceal his secret about the Egyptian he had killed, he fled from Egypt. His noble delusions of being the redeemer of Israel all came crashing down.
“He supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand” (Acts 7:25).
Moses' life can be divided into three forty-year segments. At the age of forty, Moses thought he was the redeemer of Israel. He had a dream of saving his people. His dream was frustrated, and in exasperation, he gave up. He fled into the wilderness, where he became a shepherd, herding sheep for a pagan. He married a Midianite woman. His dream of redeeming Israel died in the wilderness. Only after the dream was dead and Moses was no longer trying to achieve it at all did God call him. Only then—long after the all the pride and bravado were gone—was Moses ready to be a tool in the hand of God. He spent the last forty years of his life fulfilling the dream that had been birthed in him forty years before.
This can be compared to a carpenter who hired a young apprentice. The apprentice was eager to get busy with building houses, too eager to take the time to learn the carpentry trade. “Very well,” said the carpenter, “if you are so certain of yourself, go ahead and build.” Halfway through the construction project, the lopsided frame he was erecting collapsed. The young apprentice turned in his tools and shamefacedly said, “I have to quit. I'm not a carpenter. I can't build anything.” “Excellent,” the carpenter replied. “Now you are ready to learn how to build.”
Shemot – שמות : “Names” Torah : Exodus 1:1-6:1 Haftarah : Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23 Gospel : Mark 1,2
Dec 12, 2021 | Torah Portion
Jacob gave each blessing prophetically through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The blessings granted him glimpses into the prophetic future of each tribe. He searched those prophetic insights for hints about the Messiah. As he turned to bless his son Dan, he foresaw Samson, Dan’s most famous descendant. He supposed that Samson, the strongest man in the world, must be King Messiah.
Jacob uttered the words, “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.” Then Jacob foresaw the waywardness of Samson, his failure, and his demise. He declared, “Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward” (Genesis 49:17). After the utterance over Dan, the patriarch interrupted himself. His prophetic song stopped, and he exclaimed, “For Your salvation I wait, O LORD.” (Genesis 49:18).
Jacob exclaimed, “For your salvation (yeshu’ah) I wait, O LORD” (Genesis 49:18). Yeshua’s name means “salvation.” The sages understood Jacob’s exclamation to reflect his longing for Messiah, the true judge of Israel and ultimate salvation. The daily prayer for the coming of Messiah borrows language from Jacob’s expression. Observant Jews pray the blessing three times a day. Notice how the name of Messiah finds its way into the blessing:
Cause the branch of your servant David to blossom forth speedily, and lift up his horn through your salvation (yeshu’ah), for we await your salvation (yeshu’ah) every day. Blessed are you LORD, who causes the horn of salvation (yeshu’ah) to blossom forth. (Shemoneh Esrei 15)
The Hebrew word translated as “wait” (kavah) can also means “hope.” In that sense, Jacob says, “I hope for your Yeshu’ah.” Messiah is the “hope of Israel.” We wait for Yeshua, and hope in Yeshua. He is our hope of salvation.
We should not consider our wait for Messiah as a passive waiting, as if we were simply passing time at the bus stop while waiting for the bus to arrive. We ache for His coming and His appearing. Our hearts break with the anticipation. We pine away for Him like a romantic young girl longs for the return of her fiance from a foreign land, continually scanning the horizon for some sign of his appearing, starting at the sound of every footfall, sighing by day, and shedding tears by night. Hope of being united with Him infuses each passing day. Maimonides says that a person who does not believe in Messiah and await His coming denies the Torah.
Rabbi Yitzchak said, “Everything is bound up with waiting. Suffering is bound up with waiting, martyrdom with waiting, the merit of the fathers with waiting, and the desire of the World to Come with waiting. Thus it is written [in Isaiah 26:8], “Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD, we have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls.” (Genesis Rabbah 98:14)
Believers wait and hope for the one called Salvation. In Him we place our hope in suffering, in persecution, in the covenants of the forefathers, and in the World to Come. We hope in Him for grace and forgiveness. We agree with our forefather Jacob, and we say with him, “For Your salvation I wait, O LORD.” May the hope of Israel come speedily, soon, and in our lifetimes.
Vayechi – ויחי: “And he lived” Torah : Genesis 47:28-50:26 Haftarah : 1 Kings 2:1-12 Gospel : Luke 4:31-5:11
Dec 5, 2021 | Torah Portion
When we are wronged by someone, it is natural to tell others about it. We want to tell others about how it happened to garner their sympathy and support. Somehow it makes us feel better to know that others are aware of the injustice committed against us. We seek out sympathy and commit a small act of retaliation.
“Now when the news was heard in Pharaoh's house that Joseph's brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants.” (Genesis 45:16)
Pharaoh was delighted when he heard that Joseph's brothers had come to Egypt. He immediately made provision to bring the entire family to Egypt so they could survive the famine in safety and comfort. He provided wagons for the move. He promised them the best of the land of Egypt.
Pharaoh's warm welcome of Joseph's brothers reveals an important detail about Joseph's time in Egypt. Apparently, the entire time he had been in Egypt, he had never told anyone the story of what his brothers did to him. Pharaoh, at least, had never heard the tale of how Joseph's brother abducted him and sold him. Had he known the story of the villainous deed, he would not have extended the warm welcome.
Joseph loved his brothers and his family so much that he could not bear the thought of having them defamed. He did not want Egyptians saying to one another, “Did you hear about the nasty thing that Joseph's lowlife brothers did to him?” Joseph kept the entire episode to himself. The only thing he ever said about his past was the vague explanation, “I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews” (Genesis 40:15). His love for his brothers compelled him to protect their reputation.
Instead of emulating Joseph, who was concerned about protecting the dignity of his loved ones, it seems we do just the opposite. A husband and wife are eating out at a restaurant when the husband drops his cup, spilling his beverage on the table. Embarrassed, the wife rolls her eyes and says to the stranger sitting at the next table, “He is such a klutz.” A man is out with his friends when they begin discussing the foils of marriage. All in good fun, the man complains to the guys about his wife's bad habits. Everyone laughs. Why would we sell out the people we love like this? The wife shows more concern for the opinion of a stranger in a restaurant than she does for the dignity of her husband. The husband has higher regard for a few laughs from his buddies than he does for the reputation of his wife.
A woman was having a hard time at the Messianic synagogue she attended in the southern United States. She was involved in a heated conflict with some other members. This went on for some time. Frustrated with her congregation, she told her unbelieving friend about the problems she was having. Eventually the leadership arbitrated the situation. She made peace with the people. Some time later, she invited her unbelieving friend to attend a service. Her friend said, “Are you crazy? After the way you talked about those people and that place, I wouldn't set foot in there.”
Joseph never told the Egyptians about the incident with his brothers because it was none of their business. By maintaining discretion, he was protecting the name and reputation of God in Egypt. Had he told his sad story to everyone, the Egyptians would have had cause to say, “If that's how the followers of your God behave, I want nothing to do with Him or your religion.”
Vayigash – ויגש : “And came near” Torah : Genesis 44:18-47:27 Haftarah : Ezekiel 37:15-28 Gospel : Matthew 23-25
Nov 28, 2021 | Torah Portion
Joseph explained to Pharaoh that his dreams were actually warnings from God. Seven years of abundance and plenty were about to begin in Egypt, but they were to be followed by seven years of desperate famine. The solution was to lay up stores during the seven years of plenty so that there would be sufficient food in the coming years of famine.
Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph's wisdom that he made him a minister over Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. Joseph oversaw the building of storehouses in which the abundant grain of Egypt's seven years of plenty was stored.
Life is uncertain, and it is only prudent to lay up savings and provisions. The Proverbs say, “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has” (Proverbs 21:20, NIV). Contrary to the advice of Joseph, modern society promotes a lifestyle of squandering all available wealth, overspending and relying on credit. Though we live in the most affluent times that the human race has ever enjoyed, few people have the wisdom to lay up savings for leaner times ahead.
Yeshua told his disciples to lay up treasures in heaven instead of on earth:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
Our lives on earth can be compared to the seven years of plenty. We have an abundance of opportunities to do good to others, to repent and practice righteousness and to give charity to the needy. However, these golden years of opportunity are limited. Whether in seven days, seven years or seventy years, the opportunity to lay up treasure in heaven will vanish. After we die, our opportunities to do good deeds are gone.
In Judaism, a good deed like giving charity to the needy is called a mitzvah (מצוה). The plural form is mitzvot (מצות) The word mitzvah literally means “commandment.” Every time we keep one of God's commandments, it is a “good deed.” Therefore the word mitzvah has come to be associated with any act of goodness.
Our opportunities to do mitzvot are limited to our lifetime here on earth. Yeshua teaches that our mitzvot are like money placed into a savings account in heaven. When we pass on into the next life, we will be able to cash in on the mitzvot we have stored up in heaven.
The world says, “You can't take it with you.” The Messiah says that you can. Yeshua teaches that “you can take it with you” by giving your money to charity and investing your time and resources into the things of the kingdom of heaven. You are storing it up in heaven. When you arrive in the next life, you will be rewarded for your acts of kindness and piety.
Joseph encouraged all of Egypt to diligently lay up stores and provisions for the lean years to come. So too, we should be storing up our resources in heaven for the years to come.
Miketz – מקץ : “At the end” Torah : Genesis 41:1-44:17 Haftarah : I Kings 3:15-4:1 Gospel : Luke 4:16-31
Nov 21, 2021 | Torah Portion
The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. (Genesis 39:2)
As a slave in the house of Potiphar, Joseph should have lived in a state of dejection and bitterness. He had been betrayed by his brothers, kidnapped, exiled and sold. He had gone from the position of a favored son to that of a lowly slave. But Joseph did not let his circumstances dictate his life. He refused to succumb to depression. Instead, he diligently set his hands to his work and quickly won the confidence of his new owner.
From where did Joseph find the inner strength to rise above bitterness? Some people cannot seem to let go of past wrongs, real or imagined. They wallow in self-pity and anger, holding on to old resentments. This seems to be a normal human reaction to misfortune and conflict. Someone like Joseph, who could shrug off even the worst of circumstances and make the best of whatever situation in which he finds himself, is exceptional.
The difference was that Joseph had an unshakable confidence in the goodness and faithfulness of God. He knew the stories of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He knew the promises that he stood to inherit. He did not suppose that God had forgotten or abandoned him. Instead, he humbly submitted himself to God's higher, mysterious purpose.
Many of us struggle with an artificial sense of entitlement. We assume that we have the right to be happy. We assume that we deserve the good and comfortable circumstances of life. Why? What makes us think we have the right to happiness or that we deserve anything? When things go amiss, we react with shock, bitterness and anger, as if our rights have been violated.
This can be compared to a situation in which a benevolent and anonymous millionaire decided to send one thousand dollars cash every week to a certain person. The recipient never knew where the money was coming from, or why. Of course he was grateful for the influx of cash, but week after week, month after month, year after year, he began to expect that the cash would be coming in the mail next week. He made investments, purchases and life choices based on the regular thousand-dollar installments. One day the cash suddenly stopped. As inexplicably as it had begun, it ended. Would the man be justified in being outraged or bitter? Would he have the right to be angry? Of course not. He did not deserve the money in the first place. It was not a right or an entitlement of his.
Like the man in the parable, we take things like good health, adequate sustenance, food, shelter, relationships and all of life's comforts for granted. Because we experience them day by day, week after week and year after year, we think of them as rights rather than privileges. In reality, they are no more deserved than misfortune or woe. We have no right to be bitter when life's circumstances turn unpleasant.
Because of Joseph's steadfast confidence in God, he possessed an undying optimism that transformed even the low estate of slavery into success. As the Torah says, he became “a successful man.”
Vayeshev – וישב : “And he dwelt” Torah : Genesis 37:1-40:23 Haftarah : Amos 2:6-3:8 Gospel : John 2:13-4:42
Nov 14, 2021 | Torah Portion
The Proverbs say that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). In Rachel’s case, that appears to have been especially true.
Jacob and his family were making their way south through the land of Canaan, toward Hebron where his father Isaac still lived. While the family traveled, Rachel went into labor with her second child. She had named her previous son Joseph, meaning “May He add [another son].” God had answered her prayer, and she gave birth to a second son. Rachel suffered a severe labor. As the child was born, the midwife tried to cheer her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” Rachel knew she was dying.
Rachel died some distance from Ephrath, an older name for Bethlehem. Jacob entombed her there, beside the road and set up a sacred stone over her tomb. The story provides the etiology behind a landmark. The Torah remarks, “Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day” (Genesis 35:20).
Jewish tradition connects the tragic death of Rachel with a story from the previous Torah portion. In the previous Torah portion, we read that Rachel stole her father Laban’s household idols when Jacob and his family fled back to Canaan. Jacob did not know about the theft. When Laban overtook Jacob, he demanded the return of his household gods. Rachel was hiding them in her tent. No one knew she had them.
Jacob swore an oath to Laban, “The one with whom you find your gods shall not live” (Genesis 31:32). With those words, Jacob inadvertently spoke a curse over his beloved wife:
Though our mother Rachel was not guilty [of any of the transgressions for which someone might ordinarily die in childbirth], nevertheless, because Jacob said, “With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live,” she was punished, but her judgment was not carried out until she was in childbirth. (Midrash Lekach Tov)
The story of Rachel’s death illustrates the Master’s warning against swearing oaths. He said, “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes ‘ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil” (Matthew 5:36-37).
Rachel’s tragic and premature death sets her apart from the other six mothers. According to tradition, Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah all rest with their husbands in the Machpelah in Hebron. Rachel lies alone beside the way to Bethlehem. She appeared again, alone, mourning the exiles being led off to Babylon (Jeremiah 31:15). She raised her voice again over the slaughter of the innocents of Bethlehem (Matthew 2). People still visit her tomb today.
Vayishlach – וישלח : “And he sent” Torah : Genesis 32:4-36:43 Haftarah : Hosea 11:7-12:12 Gospel : John 1:19-2:12
Nov 7, 2021 | Torah Portion
Here's how it happened. Laban had two daughters: Rachel and Leah. Leah was older, but the Torah says that she had “weak eyes.” Rachel, on the other hand, was beautiful. What does it mean that Leah had weak eyes? The Hebrew word translated here as “weak” can also mean delicate, tender, or soft. Some translations understand it in the sense of “beautiful eyes.” In that case, the Torah would be saying, “Leah had beautiful eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and face.” Leah had beautiful eyes, but was not as attractive as her sister.
Rashi explains that Leah's eyes were weak because she thought she was destined to marry Esau and therefore she was constantly crying:
She believed that she was destined to marry Esau. She would cry because everybody said, “Rebekah has two sons and Laban has two daughters. The older will marry the older and the younger the younger.” (Rashi on Genesis 29:17)
This is probably not the real reason for Leah's weak eyes, but it does raise an interesting point. We know that Esau married Canaanite girls. We know that his mother and father would have preferred him to marry within the greater Abrahamic family. Leah would have been the logical choice for him. It seems natural that the firstborn would have married the firstborn and the second-born the second-born.
Jacob fell in love with the second-born Rachel, but, legally, he had already taken Esau's position as firstborn over the family when he purchased Esau's birthright. Leah was the one God had chosen to be the wife of the progenitor of Abrahamic blessing. When Jacob took that position from Esau, he unwittingly acquired Leah as well. Jacob worked seven years to pay the bride price for Rachel. On their wedding night, Laban surreptitiously switched his daughters. He disguised Leah as Rachel, just as Jacob had disguised himself as Esau to trick Isaac. The ruse worked. Jacob accidentally married Leah.
Laban switched his daughters on the wedding night simply to get another seven years of work out of Jacob. Executing the swap would not have been difficult. In the custom of the ancient world, the bride would have been completely veiled and in extravagant dress, unrecognizable. Her unveiling would have happened only in the bridal chamber and in the dark.
Many Jewish communities today still have the tradition of completely veiling the bride on her wedding day. However, the bridegroom is allowed to lift the veil just prior to the ceremony to make sure he is marrying the right girl.
Jacob's accidental marriage to Leah is a good example of how God works in our lives. We make plans, dream dreams and set out to accomplish certain things. Then our plans are frustrated, our dreams come to naught and we find ourselves far away from our original goals. But this does not mean that God has abandoned us. Your plans for your life may not necessarily be His plans. God may be attempting to work something great through your situation that you never expected.
Through Leah, Jacob sired Judah and Levi, who in turn fathered the line of the Davidic monarchy and the Aaronic priesthood. He never intended to marry her, but the spiritual greatness of Israel came through Leah.
Vayetze – ×•×™×¦× : “And he went out” Torah : Genesis 28:10-32:3 Haftarah : Hosea 12:12-14:10 Gospel : Matthew 3:13-4:11
