Post by alon on Jan 9, 2020 4:16:35 GMT -8
Name of Par’shah- 12.3 Vayechi- He Lived
Par’shah- Gen 47:28-50:26
Haftara- 1 Kings 2:1-12
D’rash: Our par’shah this week contains several blessings which, for whatever reason Christianity tends to skip over. While, as always there are many lessons in this reading, it is the blessing of Ephriam and Manassah I want to look closer at. No actual commandments again, but again a wealth of understanding.
Genesis 48:17-20 (ESV) When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” So he blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,
‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’”
(WLC 48:20) וַיְבָ֨רֲכֵ֜ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַהוּא֮ לֵאמוֹר֒ בְּךָ֗ יְבָרֵ֤ךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְשִֽׂמְךָ֣ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כְּאֶפְרַ֖יִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־אֶפְרַ֖יִם לִפְנֵ֥י מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃
יְשִֽׂמְךָ֣ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כְּאֶפְרַ֖יִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁ֑ה
Y’simcha Elohim k’Ephraim v’ch’Menashe
“May Hashem make you be like Ephraim and Menashe.”
This is the blessing said every Shabbat by every observant Jew over his sons. Menashe and Ephraim were sons born to Yoseph in Mitzrayim who were granted status as though adoptive sons of Ya’akov. They were patriarchs of two of the twelve tribes of Yisroel.
The reversal of the firstborn status could have been devastating. Since Kain and Havel, sons had fought, often with dire results. However despite being raised in a pagan culture rife with such pettiness these two brothers overcame, and throughout their lives demonstrated true brotherly love. They remained strong, secure, and dedicated to their mission in life, just as Jews today who keep
and the scriptures, leading set apart lives through centuries of persecution.
As an aside, here I think we can see one reason why the Jewish people feel so much animosity towards Meshiachim. After suffering so much at the hands of those who profess “Jesus the Christ,” here so many of us copy their customs and way of worship while professing Yeshua as HaMoshiach. We are seen as interlopers playing at being Jews, appropriating their heritage but not the full observance of the 613 mitzvoth. And many pervert their customs, wearing tzitzyoth on belt loops being a good (and sadly all too common) example.
The main principle I glean here is to keep my focus on El Chaiyai, the God Of My Life (Pslm 42:8) and not on those who hate me or us. As I recently told someone, my love for the Jewish people does not depend on how they feel about me. God chose the Jews. That in itself is enough. But thinking back on all they’ve been through and they still remain faithful to their belief in Atik Yomin, Ancient of Days (Dan 7:9). I know, many are secular yet hold to their heritage as a people, not as believers. But in their own way they too have remained Jewish when the easy thing would have been to renounce it all. So instead of being angry, I try to understand.
I also get that we Meshiachim are, in effect, our own “tribe” (sect). I am not bound by rabbinical rulings such as that list of 613 mitzvoth. Not that I don’t study them. However they are not. If it is said to do something in scripture, then I should. And I may consider what the rabbonim have said, but I am not bound to do it. Why then would I copy contemporary Judaism in dress or customs? That is their heritage. Mine is that of the Notsarim, a sect lasting for centuries after HaMoshiach, and founded by His shaliachim (apostles). On the other hand, understanding that per Rav Shaul we are grafted onto the root-stalk of (Rom 11), I do not think it good to flaunt those customs we do share, and especially not to pervert them!
Many fall into the trap of trying to “out-Jew the Jews.” They look to texts like the Book of Enoch for supposed ancient wisdom. Or they go into mystical Jewish books like Kaballah which even the Jews won’t allow until one is properly seasoned and steeped in the scriptures and Talmud- another book read with little or no understanding and preached by so called “Messianic Rabbis” as though they have great knowledge of it.
Another thing that bothers me about many Messianics is the idea that each of the moedim is an excuse to dress in some parody of a 1st cen Jew (and always looking worse than even Michael Rood in one of his clown suits). They wear some kind of cloth over their head, tied with a rope at the waist but, having 4 corners it has no tzitzit anywhere. Would that sandals completed the ensemble, however they all have a variety of shofroth (shofars) which they blow with wild abandon so that it sounds more like slaughtering goats than a call to worship. The ancients blew their shofar with a series of well defined blasts and notes so that everyone knew the purpose of that call, whether an alarm, call to worship, or in some cases as part of the worship itself. In point of fact, many of us ARE playing Jew! I came to Messianic Judaism for the truth in scripture. That is my focus. That is what I was called to. And like with those Jews who hate me, I try to understand these so-called Messianics. However sometimes I see these people as just one step removed from the “Lost Tribes” crowd, or the Sacred Names nonsense; the Ebionites, the bigamists, or any of the other cults and insanity that has latched onto our movement and tries to fly our flag.
I seek the truth, not someone else’s heritage. I seek to be a member of the family of the Most High God (Gen 14:18), which includes Jews and Gentiles who were adopted into the blessings in both the “Old and New Testaments,” the Old looking forward in faith, the New looking back in that same faith. And all grafted onto HaShem’s (Lev 24:16) olive tree. And yes, mine is a Jewish faith, because that is what El Erekh Apayim avi HaTanchumim, the God of All Patience and Consolation (Rom 15:5) set up. And believe me, I am thankful for that patience, because I do make a lot of mistakes. And my consolation is His grace is sufficient (2 Cor 12:19). He leads me into and through all this slowly, so that the truth is revealed in manageable bites. But it is the truth of El Rachun, the God of Compassion (Deu 4:31): compassion for His people the Jews who have not accepted His Moshiach; compassion for Christians, many of whom have, despite the lies been looking for the truth in their own way; compassion for those in Messianic Judaism who either fall into some clownish parody or who actually fall into the trap of evil doctrines; and lastly compassion for those who, like me want the actual truth but too often miss it.
Par’shah- Gen 47:28-50:26
Haftara- 1 Kings 2:1-12
D’rash: Our par’shah this week contains several blessings which, for whatever reason Christianity tends to skip over. While, as always there are many lessons in this reading, it is the blessing of Ephriam and Manassah I want to look closer at. No actual commandments again, but again a wealth of understanding.
Genesis 48:17-20 (ESV) When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” So he blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,
‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’”
(WLC 48:20) וַיְבָ֨רֲכֵ֜ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַהוּא֮ לֵאמוֹר֒ בְּךָ֗ יְבָרֵ֤ךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְשִֽׂמְךָ֣ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כְּאֶפְרַ֖יִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־אֶפְרַ֖יִם לִפְנֵ֥י מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃
יְשִֽׂמְךָ֣ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כְּאֶפְרַ֖יִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁ֑ה
Y’simcha Elohim k’Ephraim v’ch’Menashe
“May Hashem make you be like Ephraim and Menashe.”
This is the blessing said every Shabbat by every observant Jew over his sons. Menashe and Ephraim were sons born to Yoseph in Mitzrayim who were granted status as though adoptive sons of Ya’akov. They were patriarchs of two of the twelve tribes of Yisroel.
The reversal of the firstborn status could have been devastating. Since Kain and Havel, sons had fought, often with dire results. However despite being raised in a pagan culture rife with such pettiness these two brothers overcame, and throughout their lives demonstrated true brotherly love. They remained strong, secure, and dedicated to their mission in life, just as Jews today who keep
and the scriptures, leading set apart lives through centuries of persecution.As an aside, here I think we can see one reason why the Jewish people feel so much animosity towards Meshiachim. After suffering so much at the hands of those who profess “Jesus the Christ,” here so many of us copy their customs and way of worship while professing Yeshua as HaMoshiach. We are seen as interlopers playing at being Jews, appropriating their heritage but not the full observance of the 613 mitzvoth. And many pervert their customs, wearing tzitzyoth on belt loops being a good (and sadly all too common) example.
The main principle I glean here is to keep my focus on El Chaiyai, the God Of My Life (Pslm 42:8) and not on those who hate me or us. As I recently told someone, my love for the Jewish people does not depend on how they feel about me. God chose the Jews. That in itself is enough. But thinking back on all they’ve been through and they still remain faithful to their belief in Atik Yomin, Ancient of Days (Dan 7:9). I know, many are secular yet hold to their heritage as a people, not as believers. But in their own way they too have remained Jewish when the easy thing would have been to renounce it all. So instead of being angry, I try to understand.
I also get that we Meshiachim are, in effect, our own “tribe” (sect). I am not bound by rabbinical rulings such as that list of 613 mitzvoth. Not that I don’t study them. However they are not
. If it is said to do something in scripture, then I should. And I may consider what the rabbonim have said, but I am not bound to do it. Why then would I copy contemporary Judaism in dress or customs? That is their heritage. Mine is that of the Notsarim, a sect lasting for centuries after HaMoshiach, and founded by His shaliachim (apostles). On the other hand, understanding that per Rav Shaul we are grafted onto the root-stalk of (Rom 11), I do not think it good to flaunt those customs we do share, and especially not to pervert them! Many fall into the trap of trying to “out-Jew the Jews.” They look to texts like the Book of Enoch for supposed ancient wisdom. Or they go into mystical Jewish books like Kaballah which even the Jews won’t allow until one is properly seasoned and steeped in the scriptures and Talmud- another book read with little or no understanding and preached by so called “Messianic Rabbis” as though they have great knowledge of it.
Another thing that bothers me about many Messianics is the idea that each of the moedim is an excuse to dress in some parody of a 1st cen Jew (and always looking worse than even Michael Rood in one of his clown suits). They wear some kind of cloth over their head, tied with a rope at the waist but, having 4 corners it has no tzitzit anywhere. Would that sandals completed the ensemble, however they all have a variety of shofroth (shofars) which they blow with wild abandon so that it sounds more like slaughtering goats than a call to worship. The ancients blew their shofar with a series of well defined blasts and notes so that everyone knew the purpose of that call, whether an alarm, call to worship, or in some cases as part of the worship itself. In point of fact, many of us ARE playing Jew! I came to Messianic Judaism for the truth in scripture. That is my focus. That is what I was called to. And like with those Jews who hate me, I try to understand these so-called Messianics. However sometimes I see these people as just one step removed from the “Lost Tribes” crowd, or the Sacred Names nonsense; the Ebionites, the bigamists, or any of the other cults and insanity that has latched onto our movement and tries to fly our flag.
I seek the truth, not someone else’s heritage. I seek to be a member of the family of the Most High God (Gen 14:18), which includes Jews and Gentiles who were adopted into the blessings in both the “Old and New Testaments,” the Old looking forward in faith, the New looking back in that same faith. And all grafted onto HaShem’s (Lev 24:16) olive tree. And yes, mine is a Jewish faith, because that is what El Erekh Apayim avi HaTanchumim, the God of All Patience and Consolation (Rom 15:5) set up. And believe me, I am thankful for that patience, because I do make a lot of mistakes. And my consolation is His grace is sufficient (2 Cor 12:19). He leads me into and through all this slowly, so that the truth is revealed in manageable bites. But it is the truth of El Rachun, the God of Compassion (Deu 4:31): compassion for His people the Jews who have not accepted His Moshiach; compassion for Christians, many of whom have, despite the lies been looking for the truth in their own way; compassion for those in Messianic Judaism who either fall into some clownish parody or who actually fall into the trap of evil doctrines; and lastly compassion for those who, like me want the actual truth but too often miss it.
