Manna and Materialism

When the Israelites saw it, they asked, "What is it?" The Hebrew word for manna essentially means "whatchmacallit." It could be cooked, boiled or baked. However, it could not be stored. If anyone tried to hoard it, it turned rancid overnight.

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Beshalach (בשלח | When he sent)
• Torah: Exodus 13:17-17:16
• Haftarah: Judges 4:4-5:31
• Gospel: Matthew 5

Manna and Materialism

The journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai symbolizes spiritual growth. Israel leaving Egypt can be compared to the new believer, a born-again infant. The baby has to learn to walk, to talk, and to eat solid foods. Israel's first forty-nine days in the wilderness were filled with growing experiences. Soon after leaving Egypt, their food supplies were exhausted. Facing starvation, the children of Israel cried out, again complaining that it would have been better to have died in Egypt with a full stomach than to die of starvation in the wilderness. Miraculously, the LORD sent a flock of quail for meat, and introduced them to the angelic bread with which He would sustain them in the wilderness for the next forty years.

Every morning, a layer of dew settled over the camp of Israel. When the dew evaporated, it left behind a thin, flake-like covering that the Torah compares to frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they asked, "What is it?" The Hebrew word man (מן) means "what." Manna essentially means "whatchmacallit."

Manna was amazing stuff. It had all the nutrition necessary to sustain a large population for forty years. It appeared every morning and in an adequate amount so that no one went hungry. It could be cooked, boiled or baked. However, it could not be stored. If anyone tried to hoard it, it turned rancid overnight.

Manna can teach us about money and materialism. God provides the bounty of the material world for our welfare. He provides adequately for our needs, sometimes in scarcity, sometimes with abundance, but always with sufficiency. "He who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack" (Exodus16:18). When we try to hoard wealth, though, it can turn into something spiritually ugly. Just as the manna turned rancid and wormy, hoarded wealth sickens the soul. It causes us to cling to material things. We no longer need to rely on God because we can rely upon our savings and investments. We no longer need to pray for our daily bread, as Yeshua taught us to do. As Yeshua warned us, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:23).

Not that there is any special merit in being poor. But it is much more difficult to be affluent and keep your spiritual footing. The wealthy disciple must exercise constant vigilance against the deceits of wealth. He must keep his hand open and generous, and he must be able to lay it all aside for the sake of the kingdom.

The Domain of Darkness

Exactly how dark is a plague of darkness? In the Bible, darkness symbolizes spiritual ignorance. Light symbolizes revelation from God.

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Bo (בוא | Come)
• Torah: Exodus 10:1-13:16
• Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28
• Gospel: Mark 3:7-19

Darkness

The ninth plague on Egypt was the plague of darkness. It was not normal darkness like that of an eclipse. It was a supernatural darkness, "even a darkness which may be felt" (Exodus 10:21). The darkness persisted for three days. Not even artificial lights such as lamps and torches could pierce the blackness. The Egyptians stayed indoors for the three-day duration. But the Israelites had light.

The plague of darkness symbolized a defeat of the Egyptian sun god, chief over the pantheon. It also symbolized the spiritual darkness of Egypt. Though the Israelites were the slaves and the Egyptians the masters, the plague of darkness illustrated that it was the Egyptians who were in servitude. They were enslaved to the adversary and their false gods. They were under the dominion of the kingdom of darkness. Though the Hebrews were slaves, they were spiritually free. As servants of the truth, they were part of the kingdom of light.

A person in spiritual bondage might not know (or will not admit) that he is in bondage. He feels as if he is in control of his life, calling the shots and making decisions, but ultimately, he serves a great emptiness.

For example, a man with an alcohol addiction tells himself that he could stop at any time, and that he only needs a drink to "take the edge off." It is obvious to everyone around him that he has a compulsive disorder and his alcohol consumption is out of control, but the man continues to deny the problem.

In the same way, human beings without faith and without God live in a state of denial. They refuse to admit that a great vacuum exists within them. Their souls are starving for light, but they don't know it, nor do they know how to feed it.

The Apostle Paul tells us to give "thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:12-14).

The Promise Keeping God---The Weekly eDrash

The Weekly eDrash

What does God's holy four-letter name mean? Why didn't He reveal His sacred name to the forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Va'era (וארא | I appeared)
• Torah: Exodus 6:2-9:35
• Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25-29:21
• Gospel: Matthew 12:1-14

What's His Name?

The LORD reminded Moses that He appeared to the forefathers as God Almighty (El Shaddai, אל שדי), but He did not reveal His personal name the LORD (HaShem): "I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them" (Exodus 6:3–4).

This seems like a contradiction because Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did know God Almighty by His holy name, “the LORD.” Abraham invoked the Name the LORD when he first entered the land of Canaan.  He swore an oath in the name of the LORD.  When the Almighty made the covenant between the parts with Abraham, He said, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” Abraham replied, “O Lord LORD (HaShem), how may I know that I will possess it?” (Genesis 15:7–8).

Obviously the forefathers did know His name, “the LORD.” If so, why did He say to Moses, “By My Name, the LORD, I did not make Myself known to them?”

Rashi reconciles the seeming contradiction. He explains that the LORD did reveal His name, “the LORD (HaShem),” to the forefathers, but He did not reveal the meaning of His Name to them. Rashi understands the name, “the LORD,” to imply God’s unchanging nature. The LORD is “I will be as I will be.” The unchanging God is faithful to keep His word. The Name of the LORD implies, “[I am] faithful to uphold [verify] my words (ne’eman le’ammet debarai, נאמן לאמת דברי).” He is the Promise Keeping God.

According to Rashi’s explanation, the ineffable name, “the LORD” implies God’s unchanging character, His covenant devotion, and His mercy. God revealed His name, “the LORD,” to the patriarchs, but He did not reveal the meaning of His name.

For example, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation with descendants as countless as the stars. He promised that the land of Canaan would be given to those descendents. He also predicted that Abraham’s seed would be enslaved by a foreign nation and ultimately liberated from that nation:

God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.” (Genesis 15:13–14)

The forefathers did not see these promises fulfilled. They knew the name, “the LORD,” but God did not reveal the essential meaning of that name in that they did not see the covenant promises fulfilled: “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

In the days of Moses, the time had come for God to fulfill the covenant promises He made to Abraham. God was ready to reveal the essential meaning of His name: “I am faithful to uphold my words.” 

Is religion a crutch for people who fear death?---The Weekly eDrash

Is belief in God and an afterlife merely a crutch for people who fear death? What does the Torah say about going to heaven when you die?

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Vayechi (ויחי | He lived)
• Torah: Genesis 47:28-50:26
• Haftarah: 1 Kings 2:1-12
• Gospel: Luke 4:31-5:11

Preparing for Life After Death

Jacob made his son Joseph swear that he would not bury him in Egypt, but that he would be carried to the land of Israel and buried with his fathers Abraham and Isaac in the Machpelah cave. He said, "Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place" (Genesis 47:29-30). Jacob's insistence on being buried in the family tomb back in the land of Canaan indicates that, even in death, he still believed in the Abrahamic promises. He believed the land of Canaan would one day belong to his children, and he wanted to be buried there. Moreover, Jacob believed in life after death. That is what he means when he told his sons, "I am about to be gathered to my people" (Genesis 49:29). Jacob anticipated being reunited with his forefathers.

Some cynics say that religion is a crutch for people who fear death. That may sometimes be the case, but it certainly does not apply to those who study Torah. The Torah does not say much about life after death. It's really not a book about how to go to heaven or what happens after we die. The Torah is more concerned with how we live in this lifetime, not the next. It is possible to read the entire Torah and conclude that there is no afterlife or resurrection from the dead. In the days of the apostles, a sect of Judaism called the Sadducees did exactly that. They read the Torah, did not see anything about an afterlife, and concluded that there is no afterlife, no heaven or hell, no resurrection from the dead.

Another sect of Judaism from the days of the apostles disagreed. They were called the Pharisees. They read the same Torah as the Sadducees, but came to a different conclusion. Though the Torah is not a book about the afterlife or how to receive eternal life, the Pharisees found many hints and clues that pointed toward the afterlife and the resurrection from the dead.

Once, a Pharisee named Rabbi Simai was arguing with the Sadducees. They asked him to prove from the Torah that the dead would be raised.

Rabbi Simai said, "From where in Torah do we learn the resurrection of the dead? From the verse, 'I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan.' It doesn't say '[to give] you'; it says 'to give them.' Therefore [since Abraham, Isaac and Jacob haven't yet received the land] the resurrection of the dead is proved from the Torah." (b.Sanhedrin 90b, Talmud, quoting Exodus 6:4)

Rabbi Simai's point is that God promised to give the land to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—not just to their descendents. Yet, as the writer of the book of Hebrews points out, the patriarchs "died in faith, without receiving the promises" (Hebrews11:13). God must keep His promise, but in order to do so, He will have to raise the patriarchs from the dead. This explains why Jacob was so adamant about being buried in the tomb of his fathers in the land of Canaan.

Part of life is preparing for death, and part of preparing for death is preparing for life after death. Jacob prepared for death in full confidence because he had a relationship with the living God.

Jesus in Disguise---The Weekly eDrash

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Miketz (מקץ | From the end)
• Torah: Genesis 41:1-44:17
• Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
• Gospel: Luke 4:16-31

Joseph in Disguise

When Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt, they did not recognize him, nor did Joseph reveal his identity to them. Joseph appeared to them like an Egyptian. He wore Egyptian clothing. He had no beard. He wore the hair and cosmetics of Egyptian royalty. He spoke the Egyptian language. To the ten brothers, Joseph seemed to be a Gentile prince. They had no inkling that he might be their own brother. The brothers had long ago come to regard Joseph as dead. They had convinced themselves with their own story regarding his disappearance.

All of Joseph’s trials came upon him only for the salvation of Israel’s family. God sent Joseph to Egypt to store up provisions that could save Jacob and his sons during the famine. Likewise, the sorrows and trials endured by the suffering Messiah occurred for the sake of the nation of Israel. Therefore, if Joseph’s character symbolizes the suffering Messiah, the brothers of Joseph (the sons of Israel) must symbolize the Jewish people for whom He suffered.

Why did Joseph not reveal his identity to them at once? He sustained the ruse in order to test their hearts for repentance. The long years of our Master’s concealment from the Jewish people accomplishes the same objective.

Although Yeshua of Nazareth is the only serious candidate in the running for Messiah, and despite the fact that billions of Christians revere Him as the promised Messiah, most Jewish people for the last two thousand years have solidly rejected that possibility. The reasons behind Judaism’s rejection of Yeshua of Nazareth are complex and completely explicable in view of historical events and the sociological circumstances. Nevertheless, the Torah seems to hint toward a divine plan that God Himself set in motion.

To a large extent, Gentile Christianity has inadvertently wrapped on additional layers to the disguise which conceals the identity of Yeshua from His brothers, the Jewish people. Christian artwork represents Jesus as a Gentile. Christian theology presents Him as an enemy to the Jewish people. Church tradition has removed Him from His Jewish context and made Him unrecognizable to His own brothers. Historically, the harder Christians have tried to convince Jews otherwise, the more that we have strengthened the Jewish people in their conviction that Jesus is not a Jew and that He is certainly not the Messiah.
The ten brothers did not recognize Joseph, but he recognized them. The Midrash Rabbah notes the irony of the situation between Joseph and his brothers:

“Joseph had recognized his brothers” when they fell into his hand, “although they did not recognize him” when he fell into their hands. (Genesis Rabbah 91:7) 

Joseph’s brothers did not “recognize” him in that they did not treat him like a brother. He recognized his brothers in that he treated them with mercy when they fell into his power. Joseph did not return evil for evil. This alludes to the grace and mercy which our Master Yeshua makes available to the faithful of His people despite Israel’s continuing rejection of His name. Though the Jewish nation has not yet recognized Him as a brother and as the Messiah, He recognizes His brothers.

The Temptation of Joseph---The Weekly eDrash

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Vayeshev (וישב | He settled)
• Torah: Genesis 37:1-40:23
• Haftarah: Amos 2:6-3:8
• Gospel: John 2:13-4:42

Sexual temptation is persistent. Sexual temptation seems to be the most common obstacle to living a life of godliness for many men. Perhaps the average man does not need to worry about being harried by sexually deviant Egyptian women like Joseph was, but men are daily assaulted by all manner of temptation. Yeshua warns that even looking on a woman with lust is an adultery of the heart.

The worst thing about sexual temptation is its pernicious nature. Though a person may conquer it one day, it returns the next day for another round. So, too, Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce Joseph day after day.

Sometimes a person tells himself, "It's hopeless; I cannot stand against this temptation." When a person has tried, failed, tried again, and failed again, he may feel that he is incapable of walking in purity. The Apostle Paul encourages such a person by saying, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). If we despair in the battle with our flesh, we will surely fail. The trick is to never give up on oneself.

Joseph faced unrelenting temptation day after day. One of the strategies he employed was distance. Not only did he refuse to lie with Potiphar's wife, he refused to even be with her. Sometimes when a person has prevailed over temptation, he tells himself, "I can withstand it. I don't need to worry about it anymore." The Apostle Paul warns us, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). A person who struggles with sexual temptation should take whatever precautions are necessary to ensure that he will not fall victim.

When Joseph found himself alone in the house with Potiphar's wife, he tried to leap out of the house, but she caught his garment and it slipped from his body. He did not even bother attempting to retrieve it. Instead, he fled from her presence. It was not a passive resistance to sexual temptation or a rigid determination that brought him through the test. Rather, he fled from the possibility of sin.

Joseph's leap from the adulteress lies behind the Apostle Paul's admonitions to "flee immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18) and to "flee from youthful lusts" (2 Timothy 2:22). In regard to other temptations, Paul tells us to stand firm. In 1 Corinthians 16:13 he says, "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." In regard to sexual temptation, though, he tells us to run for our lives. Like leaping Joseph, our goal should be to get out of any situation where we face sexual temptation as quickly as possible.

If a person falls prey to sexual temptation, he should immediately confess his sin, renounce it and start over. He should say to himself, "I will begin again. In Messiah, I am a new creature. I will start over right now, cleansed of sin, a new creature in Yeshua, who removes my sin." Even if he needs to do this several times a day, a person should never give up the fight. Though you may stumble, never give up the fight:

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12) 

The Time of Jacob’s Distress

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Vayishlach (וישלח | He sent)
• Torah: Genesis 32:3-36:43
• Haftarah: Hosea 11:7-12:12, Obadiah 1:1-21
• Gospel: John 1:19-2:12

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Birth Pains of Messiah

Jacob's beloved wife Rachel died in childbirth, while giving birth to Benjamin. This was the time of our father Jacob's trouble. Along similar lines, the prophet Jeremiah predicted a coming tribulation he called “the time Jacob’s distress.” The sages referred to the days of tribulation before the coming of the Messiah as the birth pains of Messiah (Chevlei Mashiach).

I have heard a sound of terror, of dread, and there is no peace. Ask now, and see if a male can give birth. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale? Alas! for that day is great, there is none like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved from it. (Jeremiah 30:5–7)

Anointing from Heaven---The Weekly eDrash

The story of Jacob's mysterious dream about a ladder between heaven and earth and the story of Jacob anointing the pillar contain hints and clues about the Messiah.

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Vayetze (ויצא | He went out)
• Torah: Genesis 28:10-32:2
• Haftarah: Hosea 12:12-14:10
• Gospel: Matthew 3:13-4:11

The LORD revealed the vision of the ladder to Jacob as he slept. In his sleep angels ascended and descended upon him. God confirmed the covenant with him while he slumbered with his head upon a stone. In the morning he erected the same stone as a monument and anointed it with oil.

Sleep represents death. Just as Jacob slept at Bethel, Messiah slept the sleep of death and rested upon the stone. Through the “slumber” of the Messiah, the LORD revealed the ladder to heaven, which is Messiah’s atoning suffering and death (the descent) and His triumphant resurrection (the ascent). Angels ascended and descended upon Him, and when He rose up, He moved the stone from before His tomb.

The stone on which Jacob’s dreaming head rested became the token of the promises bestowed in the dream. Jacob set up the stone to mark the spot where his encounter with God had occurred. To consecrate the stone as a sacred site, Jacob poured out a libation of oil over the top. He intended to return there and worship God in the future. Later in the Torah, Moses consecrated every implement and furnishing of the Tabernacle through anointing: “And you shall anoint it, to consecrate it” (Exodus 29:36).

This is the first anointing ceremony in the Torah, and it alludes to Messiah, the Anointed One. The Midrash says Jacob anointed the stone with oil to indicate that in the future his descendants would be anointed to priesthood and kingship.

Where did Jacob procure this anointing oil? According to his own testimony, when he left the land of Canaan he had nothing with him except the staff in his hand (Genesis 32:10). The Midrash Rabbah explains that he received the anointing oil directly from heaven:

The oil was supplied to him from heaven in abundance, as though from a cruse full to the very top. (Genesis Rabbah 69:8)

Isaac Prays for Rebekah---The Weekly eDrash

The Talmud says, “Why were our ancestors barren? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, longs to hear the prayer of the righteous” (b.Yevamot 64a).

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Toldot (תולדות | Family history)
• Torah: Genesis 25:19-28:9
• Haftarah: Malachi 1:1-2:7
• Gospel: Luke 3:1-18

Isaac Prays for Rebekah

Just as Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was barren, Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, was also unable to bear children. For twenty years she and Isaac tried to have a child. It is normal for a couple to desire children, but for Isaac it was critical. He was the inheritor of the great promises given to his father Abraham. If he did not have children, those promises could not be passed on to the next generation. Isaac turned to the LORD and entreated Him on behalf of Rebekah.

Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. (Genesis 25:21)

The Talmud says, “Why were our ancestors barren? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, longs to hear the prayer of the righteous” (b.Yevamot 64a).

Rashi makes two notes on the Hebrew wording of Genesis 25:21. When it says that Isaac prayed, it uses a word that implies entreaty. Rashi explains that this means Isaac persistently prayed on her behalf. We can assume that Isaac had been praying throughout the twenty years of her barrenness. That’s persistent prayer.

Yeshua teaches us to pray persistently. He said persistent prayer can be compared to a widow who continually entreated the local judge to hear her case. Though the judge neither feared God nor respected men, he decided to hear her case lest she wear him out with her nagging. If persistent entreaty works on an unjust judge who neither fears God nor men, how much more so will the just Judge of the universe be moved to answer our entreaties.

Yeshua told another parable about the power of persistent prayer. He compared it to a man who needed to borrow food from his neighbor to feed an unexpected guest, but his neighbor had already gone to bed. The man continued to entreat his neighbor until the man eventually got out of bed and gave him what he needed. If persistent entreaty works on a lazy, reluctant neighbor, how much more so on God, who neither slumbers nor sleeps. (Luke 11:5–8) Yeshua encouraged us to pray persistently, saying, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9).

Rashi makes a second observation on the Hebrew wording of Genesis 25:21. He notes that the Hebrew says that “Isaac entreated the LORD opposite his wife.” Rashi explains, “Isaac stood in one corner and prayed while Rebekah stood in the opposite corner and prayed.” In other words, Isaac and Rebekah prayed together.

The LORD heard the prayers of Isaac and Rebekah and answered by allowing Rebekah to conceive. Just as Sarah’s conception of Isaac was a direct miraculous intervention of God, so too with Rebekah. There is great power in the entreaties of a husband and wife who commit to praying together.

The Weekly eDrash

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Vayera (וירא | He appeared)
• Torah: Genesis 18:1-22:24
• Haftarah: 2 Kings 4:1-37
• Gospel: Luke 2:1-38

Abraham's Great Test

Abraham's life was a life of faith, and the life of faith is a life of testing. At every juncture we are tested. Passing each test requires stubborn optimism, resolute confidence in God and steadfast obedience. Life's problems are opportunities to prove our faith and to improve our faithfulness. We fail life's tests when we give in to despair, lose confidence in God or turn away from obedience. Every difficulty and trial is a test of faith. Will we assess the problem through the eyes of faith or not? Will we respond in faith or faithlessness?

He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." (Genesis 22:2)When God first called Abraham he said, "Go forth from your country." The Hebrew for "go forth" is lech-lecha (לך לך). That was the first test of Abraham's faith. Near the end of Abraham's life, the LORD again tells Abraham, "Lech-lecha." He commands him to bring his son Isaac to the land of Moriah. The land of Moriah is the area of Jerusalem. God tells Abraham to bring Isaac to "one of the mountains of which I will tell you." Mount Moriah is the mount on which King Solomon built the holy Temple. Abraham built his altar on the very spot where the Holy Temple would one day be built.

Abraham did not object to God's commandment. Instead he rose early in the morning to carry out the terrible duty. Remember that he also rose early in the morning to send off Hagar and Ishmael. When we have a commandment from God, even if it seems disagreeable, we should not procrastinate.

Abraham passed the test. He demonstrated his confidence in God.

When Isaac asked about the lamb for the sacrifice, Abraham confidently replied, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son" (Genesis 22:8).

He demonstrated he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, even binding him, placing him on the altar and taking the knife to slaughter him. How could a loving father do this? The writer of the book of Hebrews explains:

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said [in Genesis 21:12], "In Isaac your descendants shall be called." He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. (Hebrews 11:17-19)Abraham believed God with such absolute faith that he did not hesitate to obey. He knew God had made promises to bless and multiply his seed through Isaac, and He knew God would keep those promises, even if He had to raise Isaac from the dead.

The Weekly eDrash---The Marriage Test

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Lech Lecha (לך לך | Go forth)
• Torah: Genesis 12:1-17:27
• Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27-41:16
• Gospel: Matthew 1:1-17

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The Marriage Test

Abraham and Sarah had waitied a long time for the LORD to fulfill His promise by granting them the conception of a child. In the days of the patriarchs, men practiced polygamy. Abraham was free to take a second wife at any time. In eighty-seven years, though, despite Sarah's bareness, he had chosen to remain faithful to his one wife. Maimonides says that the long wait for the birth of a promised son was Abraham's fifth great test of faith: the marriage test.

Abraham's wife, Sarah, had no hope of having children. Her child-bearing years were gone. Like many women in her position, Sarah's thoughts turned to consider adoption. She had a handmaid named Hagar who was young and fertile. "The best solution," Sarah thought, "would be to have Hagar conceive a child for Abraham and bear it on my behalf." Sarah said to Abraham, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai" (Genesis 16:2).

In desperation Sarah asked Abraham to take her maidservant Hagar as a second wife and impregnate her. She said to Abraham, "Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her" (Genesis 16:2). In the Hebrew, she says, "Perhaps I will be built through her." She meant the building of a family and a home. Sarah desperately longed to conceive and bear children, and without children, she felt like a building left unbuilt, like blueprints never executed.

Sarah's plan to have another woman conceive on her behalf seems strange to us, but probably not as strange as our use of artificial insemination and in-vitro fertilization would seem to her.

Abraham gave in to Sarai's wishes. At first the plan seemed to be working well. Young and fertile Hagar conceived quickly. Sarah did not feel any joy over the good news, though. The plan backfired. Instead of bearing a son for Sarah, Hagar regarded herself as a wife in equal standing. The child was to be hers, and Abraham was to be hers. Sarah had taken a risk and lost.

Distressed and broken-hearted, Sarah went to Abraham to lodge a complaint and to inquire about his intentions. She said, "May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me" (Genesis 16:5).

What would you do if you were Abraham? He had consented to the affair only at Sarah's behest. Now she comes lodging accusations at him, calling down curses on him and blaming him for her mistake. Most husbands would respond with a sharp rejoinder: "Hey, it was your bright idea, now it's your problem. Don't blame me." But Abraham was not like most husbands. Instead of returning Sarah's recriminations, he listened past the verbal abuse and heard the pain of her heart. She was wounded, hurting and desperately afraid of losing her husband to her maidservant.

Husbands ... live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)

Learn from Abraham's example. Abraham saw that Hagar no longer considered herself Sarah's servant. She considered herself as Sarah's peer. He told Sarah, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight" (Genesis 16:6). Abraham affirmed that Hagar was still subordinate to Sarah. Sarah had not been replaced by the younger woman in Abraham's eyes—and he passed the test by remaining true to his wife.

Rules Which Define Morality---The Weekly eDrash

The Bible says that “Noah was a righteous man.” Does this mean that Noah never committed a single sin? What does it really mean to be righteous?

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Noach (נח | Noah)
• Torah: Genesis 6:9-11:32
• Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1-55:5
• Gospel: Luke 1:5-80

Noah the Righteous Man

The Torah calls Noah a tzaddik (צדיק), that is, “a righteous man.” God spared Noah from the flood because he “was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time” (Genesis 6:9). Righteousness (tzedakah, צדקה) implies behavior conforming to an ethical norm, that is, living by the rules of virtue and morality. A righteous man conducts himself according to ethical principles and treats others fairly and impartially by the same standards.

A righteous person lives a life of obedience to God: “Noah did according to everything God commanded him, so he did” (Genesis 6:22). God makes the rules which define morality. The Bible refers to breaking God’s rules as sin. Righteousness is the opposite of sin.

The LORD said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time” (Genesis 7:1). This illustrates how the righteousness of a single person can save others and even the whole world. The righteousness of Noah saved his family and made a future for humanity. In his merit, all humanity and life on earth survived God’s judgment.

God would have created the world even for just one righteous man … The world endures for even just one righteous man, as it is said [Proverbs 10:25]: “But the righteous is the foundation of the world.” (b.Yoma 38b)

Does this mean that Noah was sinless? According to the scriptures, there “is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans3:23).

Judaism differentiates between the righteous man (tzaddik) and the completely righteous man (tzaddik gamur). Noah was righteous, not perfect. The sages say that God saved Noah from the flood because he found grace in the eyes of God—but not because he deserved to be saved. Righteousness does not demand perfection. Instead, Judaism teaches that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4). The writer of the book of Hebrews associates Noah’s righteousness with his faith in things not yet seen.

By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. (Hebrews 11:7)

Noah demonstrated his faith in the unseen by obediently building the ark. His obedience demonstrated that he possessed the fear of the LORD: “In reverence [he] prepared an ark.” His reverent obedience manifested his assurance of things hoped for and his conviction of things not seen. “Faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected” (James 2:22). Therefore, he “became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith,” which is to say that he believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

The Day that is Entirely Sabbath

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• B'reisheet (בראשית | In the beginning)
• Torah: Genesis 1:1-6:8
• Haftarah: Isaiah 42:5-43:10

God created the heavens and the earth in six days, and on the seventh day He rested. Each Sabbath may be likened unto a down payment on the Messianic Era. We rest on Shabbat to symbolize the peace that we will have in the days of the Messiah.

In the Talmud, some of the sages viewed the seven days of creation as a broad outline for human history, as the Scripture says, “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by” (Psalm 90:4). Accordingly, they compared each of the six days to a millennia of history. Different rabbis offered differing opinions, but they generally agreed that the seventh day, the day of the Sabbath, corresponds to the seventh millennium—the thousand-year Messianic Era. In the poetic words of the sages, the Messianic Era will be a “day that is altogether Sabbath.”

Tz’enah Ur’enah says, “Man was created on the sixth day, for within six thousand years the Messiah will come.” The apostolic community held a similar view of redemptive history. The book of Hebrews compares the age to come to the Sabbath and speaks of the Sabbath as a foretaste of final salvation and the Messianic Era. The book of Revelation speaks of a coming millennium of peace—a thousand-year reign of Messiah during which the adversary is bound in chains. The Apostle Peter reminds us that “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

Why doesn’t it say in regard to the Sabbath “and there was evening and there was morning” like it does for the other days? Because the Sabbath alludes to the world to come, and it is called the day that is completely Shabbat, and there is no night. (MinchahBelulah)

Though the Messiah may tarry, we eagerly await the coming return of Messiah, who will initiate that seventh millennium, a thousand-year era “that is altogether Sabbath.” May He come speedily, soon, and in our lifetimes.

The Weekly eDrash

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Sukkot on Shabbat (סוכות שבת חל המועד | Intermediate Day of Sukkot on Shabbat)
• Torah: Exodus 33:12-34:26
• Haftarah: Ezekiel 38:18-39:16

Grace Negotiations

After forty days of fasting in his tent of meeting, Moses began to negotiate with God. Ever since the sin of the golden calf, the LORD had not referred to Israel as His people. Rather, they were Moses’ people: “Your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 32:7).

Moses, on the other hand, remained in God’s favor. As he negotiated for forgiveness and atonement, he banked heavily on God’s favor for him. He complained that, although he remained in God’s favor, he felt disfavored because he was told to lead the people without God’s presence.

The Hebrew word translated as “favor (chen, חן)” can also be translated as “grace.” Thus Moses argued for mercy and forgiveness on the basis of God’s grace toward him.

You have said, “I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.” If I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people. (Exodus 33:12–13)

On the basis of Moses’ complaint, the LORD relented ever so slightly. Whereas previously He had declared that He would not go with Israel as they went up from Sinai, now He conceded that He would go with Moses. He said to Moses, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14). Note that the pronoun “you” appears is in the singular form. The LORD only promised to go with Moses and give Moses rest. He did not say so regarding Israel, nor did He acknowledge them as His people.

Moses rejected the offer. Speaking in the first-person plural form, he said, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). It was not adequate for God to accompany Moses, He needed to accompany the whole people. Moses deliberately identified himself with the people. It was as if Moses said, “If you want to show me favor and go with me, you need to show us all favor and go with all of us, because I am with the people.” Moses would accept nothing less than grace for the whole nation. He knew that he enjoyed the favor of the LORD; he sought to include the nation in the merit of God’s favor for him:

For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth? (Exodus 33:16)

Moses deliberately identified himself with the people, saying “us,” “we,” and, “I and Your people.” He no longer appealed to the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He no longer appealed to the “what-will-the-Egyptians-think” argument. He appealed merely to God’s expressed favor for him. On his own merit in God’s eyes, Moses hoped to atone for the entire nation. It was the only thing he had left with which to negotiate.

The LORD conceded again and responded, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name” (Exodus 33:17). God agreed to forgive the nation, go with them, and acknowledge them as His people on the basis of His favor for Moses.

This story illustrates the Chasidic concept of tzaddikism where the merit and favor of a single righteous person can be extended to others. On the basis of God’s gracious favor for one man, the entire nation received the forgiveness of sin and a restoration of relationship with the Almighty. On the merit of one righteous man’s standing with God, all Israel is granted standing with God. These are the mechanics of the gospel. The ultimate redeemer is like the first redeemer, making atonement for the entire nation on the basis of His merit alone.

The story also illustrates the meaning of the word grace. Christian teachers sometimes define “grace” as God’s unmerited favor. On the contrary, grace (chen, חן) implies merited favor. Someone did merit it. Our righteous Messiah merited God’s favor, and He identified Himself with us so that we might share in that favor.

Watering our Souls---The Weekly eDrash

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Ha'azinu (האזינו)(Listen)
• Torah: Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52
• Haftarah: 2 Samuel 22:1-51
• Gospel: John 20:26-21:25

A special portion for Shabbat Shuvah is applicable this Shabbat!

• Shabbat Shuvah (שבת שובה | Shabbat of Return)
• Haftarah: Hosea 14:2-10; Micah 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-27

Moses compared the people of Israel to the grass and the Torah that he had taught them to life-giving water. Moses prayed that his teaching would be to Israel like rain and dew, which water the grass and vegetation: "Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, as the droplets on the fresh grass and as the showers on the herb" (Deuteronomy 32:2). 

The Apostle Paul used the same metaphor in 1 Corinthians 3. Because he was the first to bring the Corinthian believers to faith, he compared himself to a man who plants seed. Because his colleague Apollos had brought teaching to the Corinthians, Paul compared Apollos to one who waters the seed:

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

We need to be watered daily with the teaching of God's Word.

Consider the story of a foolish gardener. In the spring he planted some seeds and watered them. He was pleased when they began to grow, and he assumed that he could simply wait for the harvest. He did not think to water the young plants again. "After all, I have already watered them," he said to himself. The plants shriveled up and died.

Many believers behave like the foolish gardener. They espouse faith in Messiah and find relationship with God, but they do not nurture that faith and relationship by regularly watering it with the study of the Word. To live successful lives of faith, we need to drink from the water of the Bible on a regular, daily basis.

Another example: Consider the discipline it takes to achieve a black belt in martial arts. How do you become a black belt in karate? It requires regular lessons, daily practice, and that certain tests must be successfully passed. Do you really think it is easier to be a believer and a disciple of the Master than it is to become a black belt in karate?

Just as any skill we want to acquire takes commitment and a routine of daily discipline, so does discipleship. We need to be spending time in prayer, doing good deeds, and reading and studying our Bibles on a regular basis, not just once in a while. Would a person who practiced his karate skills as regularly as you are reading your Bible would ever advance by even a single belt?

The Torah of Moses is like dew and rain that water our souls and enable us to grow into spiritual maturity.

The Weekly eDrash---What does it mean to walk in God's ways?

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:
Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is called Merciful, so should you be merciful, just as He is called Gracious, so should you be gracious, just as He is called Righteous, so should you be righteous; just as He is called devout, so should you be a devout one. (Sifre on Deuteronomy 10:12).

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Ki Tavo (כי תבוא | When you come in)
• Torah: Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8
• Haftarah: Isaiah 60:1-22
• Gospel: Luke 23:26-56

Imitating God

That you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and listen to His voice. (Deuteronomy 26:17)

What does it mean to walk in God's ways? It means that we are to imitate the ways of God, in as much as we are able. The commandment to imitate God is one of the most fundamental principles of the life of faith. A classic passage of the Talmud (b.Sotah 14a) explains:

Just as He clothes the naked, as it is written [in Genesis 3:21], "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them," so too should you also clothe the naked. The Holy One, blessed be He, visited the sick, as it is written [in Genesis 18:1], 'Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre,' [while he was still recovering from circumcision,] so too should you also visit the sick. The Holy One, blessed be He, comforted mourners, as it is written [in Genesis 25:11], "After the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac," so too should you also comfort mourners. The Holy one, blessed be He, buried the dead, as it is written [in Deuteronomy 34:6], "And He buried [Moses] in the valley in the land of Moab," so too should you also bury the dead. (b.Sotah 14a)

He is also the God who feeds the hungry, assists the poor, has mercy on the sinful, rescues the perishing, heals the broken-hearted, restores homes and families, and does good to all. He is the God of absolute integrity, truth, holiness and justice. He is righteous in His every decision.

The Master lived this principal out perfectly in every situation. He walked in the ways of God, making the Father's will His will in every decision. He said, "I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." (John 8:28-29) 

As such, His very life glorified God in that it accurately represented God. Thus He spoke in truth when He said to His disciple Philip, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)

Having such an example before us, we are better able to discern the ways of God. As we imitate the ways of Yeshua, we learn the ways of God and keep the commandment to imitate God. That is the very essence of discipleship and unity with God.

Invitation to God’s House

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:
Why do people face towards Jerusalem while praying? When King Solomon dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem, he petitioned God that He might place His Name upon the Temple. He asked that God would hear from heaven and answer anyone who prayed toward that place. The LORD answered Solomon’s prayer saying, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually” (1 Kings 9:3).

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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

• Re'eh (ראה | See)
• Torah: Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17
• Haftarah: Isaiah 54:11-55:5
• Gospel: John 16:1-17:26

In Deuteronomy 12, Jerusalem is described as “the place which the LORD your God will choose.” It is the place of God’s Name. Deuteronomy 12 is an invitation to God’s house in Jerusalem. God invites His people to come to Jerusalem to seek Him there. Anyone seeking God in prayer or desiring to draw near to His presence was invited to His house in the holy city. “My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” (Isaiah 56:7) He invited Israel to bring their sacrifices and gifts to Him there, to bring their tithes and offerings and to rejoice before Him in that place.

Imagine a common man receiving an invitation from a great king. “Come to my palace and spend time with me. Bring your family and eat at my banquet table.” How privileged such a man would feel! Would he not hurry to that place? This is the essence of Deuteronomy 12. God invites Israel to appear before Him in His holy house:

There also you and your households shall eat before the LORD your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you. (Deuteronomy 12:7)

And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates … (Deuteronomy 12:12)

Messiah offers us a similar invitation. He invites us into the Father’s house eternally. He tells His disciples, “In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2) He invites us into the LORD’s house, not just as invited guests, but as family members. Thanks to Yeshua, we will rejoice before the Father in His holy house for all eternity. We will sit at the table in the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all Israel. How could we ever refuse such a fabulous invitation?

The invitation reminds us that, in a metaphoric sense, Yeshua is the holy Temple of God. Yeshua is the chosen one from among all the children of Israel, just as Jerusalem is the place God chose from all the tribes. God’s presence remains in Yeshua forever, as it says, “In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” (Colossians 2:9) His Name remains on Yeshua forever, as it says, “God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.” (Philippians 2:9) Just as God invited Israel to His holy house in Jerusalem, so too we are invited to draw near to His holy son Yeshua.