Torah Tidbit

Nasso (count, total), Numbers 4:21-7:89
This week’s parashah begins with the conclusion of Israel’s first census in the desert.  The purpose of the census isn’t to determine how many men can muster for military duty, but rather who “counts’ as a Jew, both by birthright and by personal commitment to living out a life the Torah way.  Part of this way includes stepping out into public service to the community whenever the community calls upon the individual to do so.  Those who are counted step over to be part of the congregation (adah), a group of people joined together and ultimately held together by a common calling.
“Take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel, according to their families, according to their fathers’ household,  by number of the names, every male according to their head count.  From twenty years of age and up – everyone who goes out to the legion in Israel – you shall count them according to their legions, you and Aaron.” – Numbers 1:2-3
S.R. Hirsh interprets “Legion” (tzeva)  as “any united body of individuals under higher orders for public service or for such services to be rendered by such a body”.  Military duty is just one of many examples of such groups.  Another example is the organizing of levites for temple service (Numbers 4:23, 30).  

Walking the Walk

We too have just participated in our nation’s census.  Technically this census should be of United States citizens only, those who by legitimate birth or immigration have committed to upholding the laws and principles of the land.  These principles and laws in turn help draw us together to the common cause.  Many of these principles and laws are based upon timeless biblical values that are still upheld enough such that America is yet a great beacon of hope and freedom, a shining city on a hill, to all the rest of the world.  And that’s in spite of the degradation of morals and increasing lawlessness we’re now living through. 
For those of us striving to walk with God, we have dual citizenship – one for this nation, a second for the congregation of all who follow His ways.  Fortunately many of our values overlap and reinforce this great nation’s ways, regardless of the place and time.  As we do so “calls” (opportunities) for us to step out into public service in honor of the second citizenship can appear.  Not necessarily official public service, although that counts too, but rather opportunities to serve our neighbors, coworkers, stocker at the grocery store, you name it.  And when we do so we naturally build up this nation as well.

Torah Tidbit Exodus 19:1 – 20:23

The regular parashah sequence is interrupted by revisiting the giving of Torah at Sinai.  The Jewish festival of Shavuos ([feast of] weeks), which falls on this Friday (May 30 / 6 Sivan) honors this event.  But this Torah, given to the Jews, also contains a section that isn’t for the Jews.  God also codified the Noahide Laws within this Torah, ensuring their preservation on earth, for He knew that Israel would be faithful to preserve and live all the Torah. If as a Gentile you’re offended or surprised by that, you shouldn’t be.  Let’s be brutally honest with ourselves as Gentiles – no culture or nation throughout history, other than the Jews, has been able to carry out these more basic Noahide laws (7 basic laws vs. 613 for the Jews) for more than a few generations, let alone several thousand years.  Those of us learning and delighting in the Noahide laws, with their accompanying wisdom and inspiration, owe a great debt of gratitude to the Jews for their amazing sacrifice of blood, toil, tears and sweat to bring that intact body of knowledge to us today.  
Also on Shavous the fruit of the trees is “judged” – God decides how much fruit each nation will receive for the year.  

Walking the Walk

The day God gave the Torah to Israel, He “appeared” as cloud, smoke, fire and lighting on the top of Mt. Sinai.  While God worked out final details with Moses, the thunder and a continual shofar (ram’s horn) blast grew deafening loud.  Moses came back down to stand in front of the people.  At the height of what must have been body shaking thunder, all went quiet.  Not a bird chirped, dog barked, coyote howled.  No wind, not even a breeze.  
Then God spoke.  Not with loud thunderous booming loudspeaker in-your-face shouting but instead speaking in a calming, reassuring, totally peaceful quiet voice. To over one million souls that morning, every man, woman and child.  God spoke, “I am Hashem…”.  This was a truly singular event in history without its equal.  
God spoke.  We’ve all, at some time, thought how great it would be to have God speak to us – tell us which way to go or perhaps carry us through a difficult time.  But would we recognize His voice?  How often has He sent clear messages to us but our minds and souls are too dulled to hear them, let alone recognize their source?  Is there any hope for us?  The Israelites took a big risk in time, effort and their very lives by wandering out into the desert for Him.  Although we cannot really do the same, we can each day go out into a “desert”  – a place where we separate ourselves physically and mentally from the normal distractions of our lives.  There we can talk and work out things with Him.  So get busy this week.  Get prepared for Torah day.  Go separate yourself for awhile each day this week and give that time solely to Him. 

Torah TidbitParashah Bamidbar (in the wilderness/desert) – Numbers 1:1-4:20

The Israelites have received the Torah.  They’ve built and are performing service in the tabernacle. Now they prepare for the trip to the land of Canaan.  First task?  Get everyone organized by tribes and arranged by camps around the tabernacle.  Thus the census of this parashah.  Along with the tally of levites and priests, the duties of packing up and carrying the tabernacle are described. The ark is the first item described for packing:
When the camp is to journey, Aaron and his sons shall come and take down the partition-curtain and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it.  They shall place upon it a tachash-hide overing, and spread a cloth entirely of turquoise wool over it, and adjust it staves.  – Num 4:5-6
The ark, and the tablets of the 10 commandments within, are often called described in Tanach as ark or tablets of testimony.  In other words they bear witness, they remind, they declare of God and His truth.  

Walking the Walk

And while writing I keep thinking of the classic adventure movie…you know…Raiders.  So here’s some quotes from the movie that remind me of the truths the ark “testifies” about…

Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes? In the Garden the snake represented the animal soul and animal inclination.  Daily we must wrestle with and train our own animal souls (evil inclination is the same thing).  Ever do something stupid you have no idea why?  That’s most likely the animal soul allowed to run amok.  

Your persistence surprises even me. Yes!  We must be doggedly persistent in our living out of His truths – praying (pestering even) Him for our needs, regularly reminding ourselves of true reality through studying His truth, getting back up and walking again in His ways after falling down for the umpteenth time, working to see the good qualities in others especially those close to us.  Get it?  Do I need to be more persistent with you?

I don’t know, I’m making this up as I go. God continually places before us circumstances, uniquely suited to each one of us, as opportunities to learn and grow.  Although often they feel like he’s throwing them at us like a high inside fast ball.  But regardless, we should prepare ourselves to be flexible and receive the circumstances with an open mind, creatively finding good responses that resonate with His truth.

Shut your eyes, Marion. Don’t look at it, no matter what happens! We ultimately learn and apply His truths through hearing, not by sight.  Our eyes can deceive and mislead us in ways that can ultimately destroy us.  Instead true wisdom is absorbed through hearing.  What about gaining wisdom from reading?  I’ll let you work out how that becomes hearing before the wisdom is absorbed.

You can’t do this to me, I’m an AMERICAN. Every one of us is special and unique in His eyes.  Truly we can say the world was created just for each one of us.  But…

Indiana, we are simply passing through history. This, this *is* history. He and His ways are eternal and unchanging.  The more we meditate on how God works and walk in His ways, the more we become aware of our own insignificance.

Bad Dates. His ways and truths teach us what does and doesn’t make a good friendship – what keeps people together for years to come.  Instead of focusing on the fleeting alluring sensual pleasures, we look for common values and outlooks on life in a potential mate.  And we don’t even bother with wasting time on a bad date.

Oh, yes. The Bible speaks of the Ark leveling mountains and laying waste to entire regions. An army which carries the Ark before it… is invincible. Well, not really.  The closest we get is with the Philistines, who had it for just a few days and then sent it back.  Funny how those nasty hemorrhoids changed their mind.  However, one who carries before himself what the Ark represents – God and His truth –  is invincible.  There is nothing that person can’t overcome.  It sounds trite, but it is true.  The more we do all of the above things, the more we become a “seer” of God in everything, unintimidated by what comes our way – including our own fears.

Torah Tidbit

Parshahs Behar (on mountain) &  Bechoukosai (on my decrees/personal behavior commandments)  Leviticus 25:1-27:34
Behar contains the commandments for the sabbath year (no normal use of agricultural lands every seventh year) and jubilee year (return of property to original owners and release of all jewish slaves every 50th year).  These commandments apply to: 1)only for the Jews; 2)only on the land of Israel; 3)only when Israel is governing itself by the Torah.  Thus the enacting of these laws must wait for the Messianic age.  Additional commandments are given on the humane treatment of slaves.
It was very difficult for Israel to perform the sabbath and jubilee years as prescribed.  For many individuals it meant a sudden and substantial loss of income – an extreme challenge for one to voluntarily choose when looking at many mouths to keep fed.  God knew full well it would be a challenge and so promised:
If you will say: What will we eat in the seventh year – behold, we will not sow and not gather in our crops! I will ordain My blessing for you in the sixth year and it will yield a crop sufficient for the three-year period.  You will sow in the eighth year, but you will eat from the old crop; until the ninth year, until the arrival of its crop, you will eat the old. – Lev 25:20-22.

Walking the Walk

At last week’s meeting we broached the subject of prayer and meditation.  The two activities overlap each other and they work, often wonders.  It’s one of the best ways to align ourselves with His ways and see Him in action throughout our day.  But the challenge is taking the time out of our hectic days for it.  There’s all kinds of work, chores, people, etc. that fill our days.  We naturally think, “How can I afford to take the time (half to full hour) out of my day to focus solely on Him?  How will I keep up with all my other demands?” But just as God promises to care for the Israelites if they follow through with the sabbatical year, so does promise to do so for anyone – gentile or Jew – who takes the time to connect with Him:
“The Lord is close to all who call upon Him, who call upon Him sincerely.  The will of those who fear Him He will do, and their cry He will hear and save them.”  -Ps 145
Let’s all rise up this week and take the time out of our schedules for HIM.  Make our faith become active!  

Torah Tidbit

Parshah Emor (speak)  Leviticus 21:1-24:23
Up to this point Leviticus has mainly focused on the duties and activities in the tabernacle/courtyard.  The focus appears to be interrupted at the end of Emor with an incident of God’s name being degraded publicly and Israel’s response to the sin.  Blasphemy, other than being a great word used in movies to create a gasp effect, is when we cause ourselves and/or others to think less of God.  It’s very similar to gossiping, but instead of talking poorly of a person, we talk poorly of God.  
But why is this story placed towards the end of the commandments about tabernacle activities?  
The tabernacle/courtyard, with its activities, is to be both literally and figuratively at the core of the Israeli nation’s life and activities.  It reminds, instructs and encourages Israel on how they are to walk with their God.  When doing so, Israel naturally reflects an uplifting perception of God to the rest of the world.  And when they are not walking with God, they lower the “image” of God in the eyes of the nations.

Walking the Walk

We too have opportunities every day to exemplify or denigrate His ways to the world.  Although the prohibition (for both gentiles and Jews) against blasphemy mostly concerns what we say, still we don’t realize how often our actions can speak as loudly as words.   And as a counter-balance to the prohibition, we are expected to actively uphold His ways and our perception of Him.  The opportunities are endless, especially in these unsettled times.  All of us are looking for hope, assurance and direction.  Such things naturally result when we keep God in mind – we “see” Him as it were – as we make numerous daily decisions and act upon them.

Torah Tidbit

Parshahs  Acharei (after) and Kedoshim (holy-plural form)  Leviticus 16:1 – 20:27
This week’s double parashah is jam-packed with relevant (for us – all mankind) commandments and insights.  We’ll focus on the preface to the sexual purity laws:
Hashem spoke to Moses, saying:  Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them:  I am Hashem, your God.  Do not perform the practice of the land of Egypt in which you dwelled; and do not perform the practice of the land of Canaan to which I bring you, and do not follow their traditions.  Carry out My laws and safeguard My decrees to follow them; I am Hashem, your God.  You shall observe (guard) My decrees and My laws, which man shall carry out and by which he shall live – I am Hashem.  – Leviticus 18:1-5

Walking the Walk

Laws (mishpatim) are commandments that apply to public society and can typically be judged in a court of law.  Decrees (chokim) are commandments that apply to more personal behavior such as eating, earning money and one of the strongest – sexual conduct.  Typically the laws stated in Torah make logical sense to us, but often the decrees don’t make sense and seem unnecessarily restrictive.  God is well aware of that fact and so, prior to stating restrictive decrees on possibly the strongest impulse – sexual desire – He emphasizes that both are equally important and if we really want to be alive we’d better first get our personal lives in order.
As for the nation of Israel, He is also emphasizing that personal behavior does affect public societal behavior.  In this case, the controlling and containing of sexual activities within the boundaries of marriage makes for pure, solid families and solid families are the foundation of a solid society.  And when pure families falter, so does the society.

Torah Tidbit

Parshahs Tazria (conceives, as in a baby) & Metzora (person carrying skin affliction) – Leviticus 12:1 – 15:33
Much of these two parshahs regards the tzaaras affliction – nasty blemishes or sores that appear on one’s skin, clothing or walls of the house.  Many English versions translate tzaaras as “leprosy”, however close reading of the text reveals some oddities not consistent with the behavior and treatment of a disease – regardless of the “social distancing”:- A priest, not a doctor, determines whether the blemish counts as tzaaras- The priest examines only normally exposed parts of the body (hands, feet, face, neck, etc.) – any other locations don’t count.- Examinations to determine clean/unclean can only be done during daylight hours.  – Tzaaras do not apply to non-jews.- Tzaaaras can be declared clean while it is still present on the body.- If tzaaras appears on a house wall, the owners are given ample opportunity to remove all contents before the house is declared unclean.

Walking the Walk

Recently we’ve talked about how illness is placed upon us as a motivator for self-examination and repentance.  The tazaaras blemishes are a special category, brought upon someone due to their speaking bad of other people.  Although this “illness” applies only to the Jews, it’s lessons are universal and immediately applicable for all mankind.  Don’t gossip.  Don’t take down others to make yourself look better.  
But as we’ve also learned, where a negative directive is stated, there’s positive ones to provide balance.  What might those be in this case?