- there are 70 faces to 
Post by alon on Aug 3, 2019 11:23:55 GMT -8
Fom Mark:
This week’s readings: Par’shah 43
Date of reading: August 10, 2019/9 Av, 5779
Name of Par’shah: Masa’ei (Stages)
Par’shah: B’midbar 33:1-36:13
Haftarah: Yirmayahu 2:4-28; 3:4; 4:1-2
Brit Chadashah: Ya’akov 4:1-12
D’rash: There are three points in this par’shah I would like to write about and they all relate to each other in that they teach us principles (mitzvot) necessary to protect our spiritual growth in HaShem:
1). B’midbar 33:50-56---Here, the command is to drive out the inhabitants of the Land Yisra’el will possess and destroy all images of false idols. The application for us today is primarily in our homes and places of worship and most believers have set boundaries against allowing such influences to gain a foothold in their “land”, knowing that such things will create contention and chaos, or as the Scriptures say, “thorns in your eyes and stings in your side---they will harass you in the land where you are living.” Some of the more serious influences are the works of the flesh found in Galatians 5:19-21.
2). B’midbar 35:9-29---Six cities of refuge were to be designated in the Land for the individual guilty of unintentional murder. He would flee to one of these cities to avoid death by the hand of the victim’s next-of-kin avenger while his case would be heard and approved. He would then be required to live in that city until the death of the cohen hagadol at which point he could safely return to the land of his possession. If he left the city limits before that time, the avenger could kill him without any judicial punishment. Spiritually, this teaches us that when we knowingly sin or become aware of unintentional sin, we fall short of YHVH’s standard of righteousness and, therefore must flee to a refuge to avoid the just punishment we deserve. Fortunately, that Refuge is found in Yeshua HaMashiach, the Cohen Hagadol that lives forever (Tehillim 110:4; Hebrews 5:6; 7:17); and since He lives forever, we must permanently remain in Him as our Refuge; and why would we not want to? We would all agree with the words of Shim’on Kefa, “L-rd, to whom would we go? You have the word of eternal life. We have trusted, and we know that you are the Holy One of G-d.” (Yochanan 6:68-69); and 1 Yochanan 2:2 states that, “He is the kapparah for our sins---and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.” In the first point we strive to keep outside negative influences from coming in. In this point we strive through confession, repentance, renewal of the mind and obedience to root out the negative influences from within.
3). B’midbar 36:1-12---The family of Tz’lof’chad, of the tribe of M’nasheh, had only daughters and no sons. In an earlier par’shah they were the subject of a case and which a ruling was passed, that the father’s inheritance, should there be no son, be passed on to the daughter or to the next nearest of kin. This present case now involved retaining that possession, depending on whom the daughters would marry. If they married members of a different tribe, then their inheritance would become part of that tribe. Therefore, an additional ruling was passed requiring them to marry within their own tribe and thus retain the possession of their father’s family. Though in either case the possession would remain in Yisra’el, we can apply this principle to a more serious level:
2 Corinthians 6:14-16a---Do not yoke yourselves together in a team with unbelievers. For how can righteousness and lawlessness be partners? What fellowship does light have with darkness? What harmony can there be between the Messiah and b’liya’al? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement can there be between the Temple of G-d and idols?
Two common examples of this are marriage and partners in business. Sometimes it can work out if the unbelieving spouse becomes saved and the business partners share the same morals and ethics. But it is more likely that, despite a seemingly smooth beginning, serious conflicts will arise causing difficulties for the believers, who will then have to work harder to maintain a standard of holiness. It may even pull down the believer to participate in acts of unrighteousness. As serious believers, we can sense this separateness in our families who believe differently or not at all, and similarly in our places of work with coworkers, but we usually manage successfully despite the perceived “distance”. As the saying goes, “Be in the world but not of it”. Unhealthy connections in relationships can open the doors to ungodly influences both from without and from within (see points 1 and 2). A few of the many examples in Scriptures include when some of the people of Yisra’el in the desert joined themselves to the women of Mo’av in the P’or incident (B’midbar 25:1-2), the marriage of Achav, king of Yisra’el, and Izevel from Tzidon (M’lakhim Alef 21:25-26), and Rechav’am, son of Shlomo, when he listened to the evil counsel of those he grew up with rather than the older counselors that served his father (M’lakhim Alef 12:1-15).
HaShem will use these areas to test our devotion to Him (Yirmeyahu 12:3) to see how diligent we are to apply them and maintain our separateness to Him. We would do well to remember the instructions of Yochanan:
2 Yochanan 8---Watch yourselves, so that you won’t lose what you have worked for, but will receive your full reward.
References: Scriptures taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern
MRD
This week’s readings: Par’shah 43
Date of reading: August 10, 2019/9 Av, 5779
Name of Par’shah: Masa’ei (Stages)
Par’shah: B’midbar 33:1-36:13
Haftarah: Yirmayahu 2:4-28; 3:4; 4:1-2
Brit Chadashah: Ya’akov 4:1-12
D’rash: There are three points in this par’shah I would like to write about and they all relate to each other in that they teach us principles (mitzvot) necessary to protect our spiritual growth in HaShem:
1). B’midbar 33:50-56---Here, the command is to drive out the inhabitants of the Land Yisra’el will possess and destroy all images of false idols. The application for us today is primarily in our homes and places of worship and most believers have set boundaries against allowing such influences to gain a foothold in their “land”, knowing that such things will create contention and chaos, or as the Scriptures say, “thorns in your eyes and stings in your side---they will harass you in the land where you are living.” Some of the more serious influences are the works of the flesh found in Galatians 5:19-21.
2). B’midbar 35:9-29---Six cities of refuge were to be designated in the Land for the individual guilty of unintentional murder. He would flee to one of these cities to avoid death by the hand of the victim’s next-of-kin avenger while his case would be heard and approved. He would then be required to live in that city until the death of the cohen hagadol at which point he could safely return to the land of his possession. If he left the city limits before that time, the avenger could kill him without any judicial punishment. Spiritually, this teaches us that when we knowingly sin or become aware of unintentional sin, we fall short of YHVH’s standard of righteousness and, therefore must flee to a refuge to avoid the just punishment we deserve. Fortunately, that Refuge is found in Yeshua HaMashiach, the Cohen Hagadol that lives forever (Tehillim 110:4; Hebrews 5:6; 7:17); and since He lives forever, we must permanently remain in Him as our Refuge; and why would we not want to? We would all agree with the words of Shim’on Kefa, “L-rd, to whom would we go? You have the word of eternal life. We have trusted, and we know that you are the Holy One of G-d.” (Yochanan 6:68-69); and 1 Yochanan 2:2 states that, “He is the kapparah for our sins---and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.” In the first point we strive to keep outside negative influences from coming in. In this point we strive through confession, repentance, renewal of the mind and obedience to root out the negative influences from within.
3). B’midbar 36:1-12---The family of Tz’lof’chad, of the tribe of M’nasheh, had only daughters and no sons. In an earlier par’shah they were the subject of a case and which a ruling was passed, that the father’s inheritance, should there be no son, be passed on to the daughter or to the next nearest of kin. This present case now involved retaining that possession, depending on whom the daughters would marry. If they married members of a different tribe, then their inheritance would become part of that tribe. Therefore, an additional ruling was passed requiring them to marry within their own tribe and thus retain the possession of their father’s family. Though in either case the possession would remain in Yisra’el, we can apply this principle to a more serious level:
2 Corinthians 6:14-16a---Do not yoke yourselves together in a team with unbelievers. For how can righteousness and lawlessness be partners? What fellowship does light have with darkness? What harmony can there be between the Messiah and b’liya’al? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement can there be between the Temple of G-d and idols?
Two common examples of this are marriage and partners in business. Sometimes it can work out if the unbelieving spouse becomes saved and the business partners share the same morals and ethics. But it is more likely that, despite a seemingly smooth beginning, serious conflicts will arise causing difficulties for the believers, who will then have to work harder to maintain a standard of holiness. It may even pull down the believer to participate in acts of unrighteousness. As serious believers, we can sense this separateness in our families who believe differently or not at all, and similarly in our places of work with coworkers, but we usually manage successfully despite the perceived “distance”. As the saying goes, “Be in the world but not of it”. Unhealthy connections in relationships can open the doors to ungodly influences both from without and from within (see points 1 and 2). A few of the many examples in Scriptures include when some of the people of Yisra’el in the desert joined themselves to the women of Mo’av in the P’or incident (B’midbar 25:1-2), the marriage of Achav, king of Yisra’el, and Izevel from Tzidon (M’lakhim Alef 21:25-26), and Rechav’am, son of Shlomo, when he listened to the evil counsel of those he grew up with rather than the older counselors that served his father (M’lakhim Alef 12:1-15).
HaShem will use these areas to test our devotion to Him (Yirmeyahu 12:3) to see how diligent we are to apply them and maintain our separateness to Him. We would do well to remember the instructions of Yochanan:
2 Yochanan 8---Watch yourselves, so that you won’t lose what you have worked for, but will receive your full reward.
References: Scriptures taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern
MRD
