From this point on, the remaining chapters of Exodus deal exclusively with the construction and dedication of the Tent of Meeting, also called the Tabernacle.

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The details that are specified throughout these chapters are extensive and very exacting. The number of cubits for each area of the tabernacle, from the section we call the Holy of Holies (where the Ark of the Covenant was placed) to the outer courts and the surrounding area, is very exact, as are the types of metal and weight of the materials for the various articles that are to be used in the service of the Lord.

The message here for us is…well, I’m not sure. There are a number of places in the Torah, as well as within the writings of some of the Prophets, where exacting detail of a structure are found, and sometimes, I confess, I wonder why so much attention is paid to such minutia. I am sure there is a purpose for it, and now that I think about it, maybe I have a reasonable explanation:

God gave Moses such exacting detail in order to test the dedication and obedience of the people.

The reason I think this is the explanation is that when we get to the end of the book, in Exodus 39:43 we are told that they did it all, just as they were told to. This leads me to believe that listing every single exacting detail of every single item associated with the Tabernacle was how God tested the people. He wanted to see if they would obey, would be willing to do the hard work without complaint, and how willing they were to donate, or maybe I should say give away, the goods and valuables they had attained from the Egyptians.

I am sure that living their entire lives as slaves, after they had looted Egypt and received jewels, fine linens, expensive skins, etc. they might not have wanted to give them up. But the requirements for the tabernacle were gold, silver, fine linen, precious jewels, colored threads, and expensive woods, just to name a few. Having these wonderful articles for the first time, maybe, ever, and then being asked to give them away for the Tabernacle’s use, is quite a request and called for some real dedication.

If we were asked to give up something valuable that we had just attained in order to further God’s work, how willing would we be to do that? It is easy to say, “Sure, I’d give something to God if I had a lot to give.” but that doesn’t count. Remember how in Mark 12:41-43 Yeshua told how the rich gave their tithes, which they could easily afford, but the poor widow gave all she had? And that because of her dedication, she would be remembered?

Many years ago, I received an inheritance that at the time, to me, was significant, and I am somewhat proud to say I tithed it correctly. I also have to confess that there was somewhat of a trust issue, meaning I wanted to make sure the monies I gave to my synagogue were being used correctly for the furthering of God’s work. Fortunately, I was on the Council at the time so was able to make sure those funds were used in God’s name, but I can understand how someone without that ability to verify where the money goes to might think twice about making a large donation to any house of worship, or charity.

I think when giving to a charity, no matter how wonderful their sales pitch is, one should first find out how the monies are utilized.

For instance, as a veteran, I am open to giving to Veteran charities, such as one I often see advertised on TV (to be fair I won’t give the name), but when I checked them out this is what I discovered: In 2016 only 54% of all monies went to the program, the rest to administrative and marketing expenses. In 2018, that went up to 64%, and here’s a surprise: the CEO makes $280,000 per year.

And when I checked that out, according to the charity watchdogs, that CEO’s salary is NOT unusual!

Now, if we look at another charity, one we all know but shall remain un-named (I will say it is really popular around Halloween), they spend 88.9% of the money received on their charity programs, the rest going to administrative and marketing expenses.

In general, a charity is expected to spend 15% or less on administrative and marketing expenses. So, when you give to a charitable organization, make sure that what you are giving is going where you expect it to go.

The Israelites knew where all they gave went because they got to see it, and in fact, worked with it.

Charity is something that we are commanded to partake in since the Torah often tells us to care for the orphan and the widow, and that is NOT tithing- that is charitable giving. We are also told that God loves a cheerful giver, yet be wise and use discernment when you give.

The Israelites gave so willingly that Moses had to tell them to stop contributing (Exodus 36:5), and that is how I believe, God wants us to be- cheerfully willing to share the blessings he has given to us with others.

And here’s the really good news: God never runs out of blessings so there is no way you can ever give away more than what God can resupply to you.

Thank you for being here and please share these messages, subscribe, and I always welcome your comments.

That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and Shabbat Shalom!

These ordinances are regarding slavery, accidental death caused by someone else, other torts, and reimbursement for different types of personal injury and loss.

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There are ordinances against witchcraft, sodomy, polytheism, and unfair treatment of people with financially less than yourself. We are also told about the treatment of people, in general, such as fairness in the courts, avoiding mob mentality (lynching), and respect for the property of others, even if they are your enemy.

The final ordinances are regarding the Shabbat and the pilgrimage festivals, and at the end of this parashah, we are told that Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the tablets of the law from God, and was there for 40 days and nights.

There are three different types of “laws” within the Torah: Mitzvot, Mishpatim, and Chukim.

The mitzvot are the laws that are plain to understand why we are given them, such as the law against murder.

The mishpatim, which we read in today’s parashah, can be understood to a point, but not all can be totally understood and some are considered to be Edot. For the most part, as we see today, they deal with laws that are more like misdemeanors and civil actions, such as torts, slavery, and social contracts.

The Chukim are those laws for which we have no idea why they exist. These include the rules about the showbread in the Sanctuary, the prohibition against wearing two types of cloth, and the Laws of Kashrut (Kosher.)

Over the past two-plus decades that I have known the Lord, accepted his Messiah, and studied his word, I have seen so many people try to explain why God gave us these rules. They say it is for health reasons, because the Hammurabi Laws already established them, because as a nation we now needed a constitution and penal code, and so on. These all may make sense and be valid, or they may just be someone’s imaginings, but here is what I say:

It doesn’t matter why God gave us these rules.

We have been given laws, ordinances, commandments, and rules regarding how we are to worship God and how we are to treat each other. There could be any number of reasons why God told us to do these specific things, but all we need to know is that he is God and he always wants what is best for us. We must trust that what he says we should do is the best way for us to act, and the best way for us to be able to be with God for all time in the hereafter.

I once read that any God who can be understood by the mind of man is not worthy of the worship of man. That being said, to try to understand why God gives us these laws is almost an insult to him, implying that we mere mortals, less than worms compared to God, could ever be on the same mental and spiritual plane that God is on.

Here is today’s simple, easy-to-understand message:

Stop trying to figure out why God does what he does
or says what he says!

You never will, and all you will end up doing is confusing yourself and possibly others. The only important thing to know about the rules we are told to obey that come from God is that they come from God, and if you can’t trust him enough to simply accept that and work within it, then you have issues of faith that you really need to work on.

Humans always want to understand the “why” of something, and I confess I am no different- my favorite TV shows are on the History and Discovery channels, especially “How It Works” and “How It’s Made”- I LOVE those shows!

The problem with us humans is that once we understand how something works, we think we are better than the one who first invented it! Oh, sure, I can take a car engine apart and put it back together, explaining how all the parts work, but I didn’t create it! I didn’t have that idea, that origination of thought that saw the internal combustion engine and was able to fathom how it works, designing the intricate parts and combining them in a way that made it function.

And when we try to understand why God says what he says, we are doing that same thing, which leads into the sin of thinking we are as good as God!

And you wanna know something? We aren’t!

So, if you are one of those who just have to know why God gave a specific instruction or regulation, please stop asking why and just accept that it is given for your benefit, to help you become more holy and to secure your salvation.

And, frankly, if that isn’t good enough for you, then you will just have to live with disappointment because you will never understand God, unless God, himself, tells you why.

And one last thing: if he does tell you why, keep it to yourself because I don’t want to understand why: I would rather obey from trust than from understanding.

Thank you for being here and please subscribe, share these messages with everyone you know, and I always welcome your comments.

That’s it for today, so l’hitraot and Shabbat Shalom!

As we continue with the plagues against Egypt, God sends locusts, three days of darkness, and the final and most terrible plague, the death of the firstborn.

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Before the angel of death passes, Pharaoh tells Moses that the next time Moses sees his face, he will die, and Moses says that is fine with him, but since Pharaoh has changed his mind all these times and still refuses to let the Israelites go, the final plague will be the death of all the firstborn of Egypt, from the lowliest animal to the son of the Pharaoh, himself.

God gives Moses the instructions regarding the lamb’s blood and how the Seder is to be performed. He tells Moses this is the first day of their year from now on, and that when they leave they are to ask for jewels and valuables from the Egyptians, who were more than happy to give so long as the people leave.

After the firstborn die, and Pharaoh tells Moses that all the people and all they have are to leave his land, God tells Moses that from now on every firstborn child or animal is to belong to God, as redemption for all the firstborn God took away from the Egyptians. Later we will see that this redemption was made through a tax.

I wanted to talk about how God kept his word to Moses when in Exodus 12:12 he said he would bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt, as well as Pharaoh, but as I read through the parashah something else “hit” me, so I will talk about that, but first, it is really interesting to see how God judged the false gods through the plagues.

Some of you may already know this, but I will present it quickly for those that aren’t familiar with the many gods the Egyptians have worshipped.

As you can see, these gods of the Egyptian polytheistic religion were, in one way or another, shown to be less powerful than the God of the Israelites.

That is interesting and of value for study, but there was something, as I mentioned earlier, that I find to be a spiritual message in what God told the Israelites to do, specifically regarding the feast of unleavened bread (Hag HaMatzot.)

As most of us know, chametz (leavening) represents sin and the feast of unleavened bread begins on the night of the Seder, lasting seven days. Seven, the number of completion, is also a special number with regards to the cleansing rituals which are described in Leviticus. When becoming unclean due to a discharge or after a woman’s’ time of Nidah (menstrual cycle) or after a skin disease clears up, the waiting period from the time of becoming unclean until being declared clean, after being inspected by the Cohen, is seven days.

I believe that God decreed Hag HaMatzot is to last seven days because it is representative of them being cleansed of the sin of Egypt that was on them all, for many of them had adopted the Egyptian lifestyle, diet, and even their religion. Now, this shouldn’t be a big surprise because they had been slaves for 400 years, but still and all, now they were being brought back into a relationship with the God of their Fathers, and he didn’t want any of the spiritual stench of slavery on them. By removing the chametz from their diet, they were undergoing both a physical and spiritual cleansing of the sin they had become accustomed to while in Egypt.

The Passover sacrifice is a thanksgiving sacrifice, not a sin sacrifice, and the purpose of this type of sacrifice is to bring us back into a relationship with God. The fasting of anything with chametz cleanses us, spiritually as well as physically, so that our communion can be complete.

Passover is coming around, again, and when you have your Seder and spend the next week eating matzabrie, matzo sandwiches, and other matzo recipes (my favorite is matzo with butter and salt), remember that you are not just obeying God, but you are cleansing yourself of both physical and spiritual chametz.

One last thought: generally, before the Seder, the Rabbi will inspect the home to ensure that all the chametz is removed, which reminds me of the Cohen’s inspection before someone was allowed back into the camp.

Thank you for being here and please subscribe, share these messages, buy my books, and don’t forget that I always welcome your comments.

Until next time, L’hitraot and Shabbat Shalom!

We now come to the time of judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt, which God pronounced and performed through the 10 Plagues.

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At first, God allowed Pharaoh to see his power with Moses’ staff turning into a snake, which the magicians of Egypt easily mimicked with their Black Magic. However, Moses’ snake ate their snakes, to show that they may be able to copy God’s power, but he is the most powerful.

As Pharaoh continues to refuse to allow the Israelites to sacrifice, God sends his plagues, each one becoming more severe than the one before it, not just testing the obstinacy of the pharaoh, but to show his authority and power over their gods.

First, the Nile turns to blood. Then the frogs, followed by gnats. With this third plague, the magicians are stumped, unable to create or stop it, and they now go to Pharaoh, convinced that God is superior and they tell him so.

With the fourth plague of flies, not only does God show his authority and power, but he ramps it up a bit, now separating his people in Goshen from the Egyptians, demonstrating without doubt that they are his chosen people and he can protect them. Next, the cattle of the Egyptians (but not of the Israelites) are stricken with disease and they all die.

The next two plagues, boils and hail that turns into fire, have destroyed not just cattle and people, but the crops of the Egyptians, as well.

You’ve got to ask, what the heck is wrong with the Pharaoh? I mean, really? His stubbornness has caused the people to suffer more than all the suffering they had ever undergone, and yet he doesn’t let the Israelites go. How could he be so cruel to his own people? Why didn’t he submit to the power of this remarkably powerful God?

Perhaps for the same reason that so many people do not submit to God, even to this day: they just don’t want to change what they have, or what they think they have.

Let’s take Pharaoh’s side for a moment: for generations, the Pharaoh was raised being told that he was a god. Although he never showed any magical or divine powers, he was convinced he was a god; and the people? Well, they were there to serve him. Let’s not forget that they were also his slaves. Remember how when Joseph was in charge, and the people were buying the stored grain during the 7-year famine? When they first ran out of money, they traded their cattle for grain, then their homes, their land, and in the end they became indentured to Pharaoh. There is nothing in the Torah to indicate that between the Pharaoh of Joseph and the Pharaoh of Moses that this condition changed. So, as far as Pharaoh was concerned, although you would think he should care about his people, again, his whole life they were nothing more than property to him.

Pharaoh was shown all the wonders of the power of God, and also that Moses was God’s representative, so as a politician, leader, and just someone with enough sechel (Hebrew for common sense) to see what was happening, he should have relented and let the people go, as Moses asked, three days into the desert to worship.

Now, here’s a question for you… did God cheat the Pharaoh?

Moses asked Pharaoh to allow the people to go three days into the desert to worship God (Exodus 8:23); Moses didn’t ask Pharaoh to release the people forever, he just said let us go into the desert to worship our God. All the way back in Exodus 4:1, all that Moses asked was to let the people go to the desert to hold a feast unto God. Even later, after the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh relents and says take everyone and everything to go worship God, but he never says don’t come back.

God never told Moses to ask that Pharaoh let the people go, forever.

But, from the very moment God chose Moses, he already planned to release the people forever, so why didn’t he send Moses to tell Pharaoh that he had to free the slaves? Moses never asked for freedom, just to be allowed to go into the desert to worship.

But it seems that Pharaoh knew their plan was to escape, and I say this because, after the flies, he says they can sacrifice, but only in the land of Egypt, and then when Moses says that isn’t good, Pharaoh says go, but not too far.

Later, in the following parashot, Pharaoh tries to negotiate with Moses, saying to go worship but leave the children, then to take the children but leave the cattle, so it seems to me that somewhere Pharaoh got the idea that once they were gone, they weren’t coming back.

I mean, who would want to go back to a life of cruel slavery, right?

But my point is, when all was said and done, God never had Moses say let my people go, forever, and I don’t see anywhere that Moses even implied the people would never come back.

I don’t know what this means if it even means anything. Again, it seems that God cheated Pharaoh, having Moses ask to allow them to go three days into the desert to worship, but never saying they wouldn’t come back. Why didn’t God have Moses, right from the git-go, tell Pharaoh, “Look- I’m God, I’m all-powerful, and these are my people. You’ve had them long enough, so let them go so I can fulfill my promise to their ancestors.”?

That would have been straight forward, completely truthful, and I think still would have allowed God the opportunity to kick Pharaoh’s butt because when given that demand, I can easily see Pharaoh replying with, “No way, Pal!”

So, nu? I have a question that I can’t answer; yet, maybe you can? Do you have any idea why God would not tell Pharaoh, straight-out, that he had to release the Israelites forever so that God could fulfill his promises to them?

Perhaps as we continue to read about this event we will receive some revelation to lead us to understanding why God handled things in this way.

For now, thank you for being here, and please subscribe, share these messages with others, and I always welcome (especially today!) your comments.

Until next time, L’hitraot and Shabbat Shalom!

We now come to one of the most well-known biblical tales, known even to those who aren’t of the Judeo-Christian faiths: the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, brought about by God working his miracles through Moses and Aaron against the kingdom and gods of Egypt.

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In this parashah, which is quite a long one, we start with the names of those children of Israel who went into Egypt. Joseph has died and over the next couple of hundred years (remember that in Genesis 15:13 God told Abraham his descendants would be in a foreign land for 400 years) the Israelites blossom from a large family into a nation, and the Pharaoh in power did not remember Joseph. All he saw was a mighty nation living in his land and the potential danger to his rule. So, in order to protect his rulership, he enslaved the people and worked them mercilessly. However, even under the harshness of Egyptian slavery, the population grew, so Pharaoh ordered the Israelite midwives to kill all the male children but leave the females alive. The midwives disobeyed, so Pharaoh then ordered his own people to kill any new-born male Israelite children.

During this time, Moses is born and hidden, and after three months the child couldn’t be hidden anymore, so his mother placed him in a waterproof basket and sent him down the Nile (or up the Nile, as the case may be), leaving his future in God’s hands. The daughter of Pharaoh sees the basket and knows the child is an Israelite but raises him as her own son. Miriam, Moses’s older sister, had followed the basket and was wise enough to offer to have one of the Israelite women nurse the baby, which Pharaoh’s daughter agreed to. Once weaned, which was probably at about 4 years of age, Moses was raised in the household of the Pharaoh, but he knew who he was and who his people were.

One day when Moses was a full-grown man, he saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite, and his anger flared up within him. He killed the Egyptian and hid the body, thinking no one would ever know, but the very next day he saw two Israelites fighting and tried to stop them. One of them asked who did Moses think he was judging them, and would he kill one of them as he did the Egyptian?

Realizing that the murder was known, and knowing that sooner or later he would have to be tried and killed for the crime, he fled to Midian.

There he helped the daughters of the Chief, or Priest of Midian when they were accosted at a well, and in return, the chief gave one of his daughters to Moses in marriage. Moses stayed there, as a shepherd, until he was 80 years old, which is when he saw the burning bush.

Of course, we all know the story from here- Moses approaches the bush, God speaks to him and tells him to go to Egypt to free his people. Moses hems and haws until God pretty much says, “Enough!” God sends Aaron to help Moses by acting as his mouthpiece, and when they first approach Pharaoh and ask that he let the people go to worship their God, Pharaoh refuses; as punishment for even asking, he adds to the harshness of their slavery by requiring the same tally of bricks, but doesn’t supply the straw. That meant that the people had to glean straw all night, even though they have worked sunup to sunset.
Moses and Aaron, who were welcomed by the Israelites when they came saying God had sent them to free the people, now are hated and blamed for the additional problems. Moses asks God why he hasn’t done what he said he would do, and free the people, but God says that now Moses will see his wonders at work.

OMG!!! Where do I start? How do I stop?

Let’s do this, first: a point of interest. When we read this, God not only tells Moses he will work wonders but also tells Moses that he will kill the firstborn of the Pharaoh (Exodus 4:23), so Moses knows what the endgame play will be, before the game even starts.

What I want to do today is open a can of worms by discussing the name of God, which we are given, by God, himself, in Exodus 3:14. And I call this a can of worms because of the divisive and eternal argument within the Believing communities as to how to pronounce God’s name, the Tetragrammaton, which is יהוה, the Hebrew letters Y-H-V-H.

In the Torah, God doesn’t answer Moses’ question with the Tetragrammaton but instead says this:

So why, if God’s name is Y-H-V-H, didn’t he tell Moses that was his name?

The answer is what I have been trying to tell people for years, which is the very crux of the problem with the “Holy Namers”: the use of the word “name” in ancient days didn’t just mean what someone was called, but who and what they were.

The Chumash explains it this way (this is from the Soncino 1965 Second Edition, and is not a quote): when Moses asked “מה שמו?” (What name?), it wasn’t an inquiry for knowing what God is called because the people must have already known what God was called. When Moses proclaimed that he was sent by the God of their fathers, it is unthinkable that this would be some unknown God. In those days, “name” meant fame or reputation. And in Exodus 9:16, it is used to indicate that God’s name represents his power.

So, from God’s view, what his name is, as in first or last name, is less important than what his reputation and fame are to those whom he wants to know about him. God is telling Moses, who wants to know what to call him, that what to call him isn’t important. What is important is that he is who he is: this is a statement not of personal identity but of eternal nature and omnipotence.

God wants not just the Israelites, but Pharaoh and the whole world to know that he IS. And you might ask, “‘What is ‘IS“?” It means he is whatever he needs to be, whenever or wherever he needs or wants to be. He is eternal, he is all-powerful, and he is able to do whatever needs to be done.

He is THE God; the only God, the one, true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Creator, the King, the Father, the Judge, the Executioner, the Savior…you name it, and God IS.

In other words, I am that I am, which is everything to everyone, all the time, forever and ever. Amen!

So, when people argue about how to pronounce the Tetragrammaton and accuse you of praying to Ba’al if you use the word “Lord”, or that you pray to idols when you use the word “God”, you can ignore them. They are too prideful to think they could be wrong and too stubborn to hear the truth. But you never know- you could meet an exception- so I would suggest you test the waters by asking them, “Would you like to know which name God, himself, told us he wants us to know him by?” And if they answer they would, then quote them Exodus 3:14, and hopefully, they will learn something.

The traditional names for God that Jews have used for millennia are God, Lord, Adonai, and HaShem (the Name); these are what we call God and we do not ever try to pronounce the Hebrew word Y-H-V-H simply out of respect for him. Christians do not understand this and misinterpret the use of the term “call on his name” or “the name of the Lord” because they do not know the Torah, so they do not know that God, himself, doesn’t care about the Tetragrammaton. He is more concerned with our knowing who he is than what to call him.

So don’t be like the ignorant who concentrate their time and energy trying to call God by his first name, as it were, because God doesn’t care about that. The Holy Name controversy has done NOTHING to edify or help people come closer to God, but it has been a divisive and hateful point of contention within the body of Believers. It has served no useful purpose with regard to salvation but has been very helpful to the Enemy, in that it divides and separates the people of God.

God tells us what is important to him in the Torah, in Genesis 15:16 where we are told that because Abraham believed him, his faithfulness was credited as righteousness to him. Abraham was faithful and thus righteous, and there is no mention of which name Abraham called God.

We are saved by faith, not by pronunciation, so know who God is, know what God can do, and know what God wants from you: that is all you need to know. That, along with accepting that Yeshua is the Messiah God promised to send and through his sacrifice, our sins can be forgiven. If you know that, you are set.

That’s really all you need to know, but you should continue to study so you and grow in spiritual strength and maturity and can be a good example to the world of God’s peace, the joy you receive through the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), God’s overwhelming love, and (of course) his salvation through Messiah Yeshua. Also, we can demonstrate God’s power to change us, for the better.

All the self-help books and seminars in the world don’t really change anyone- almost all of them eventually go back to who they were and what they were doing, which is why that drek keeps selling. It’s like fad diets- they work for a while, then people go back to what they were.

But with God, once changed by his spirit, almost everyone stays changed- that is who HE is! He has the power to make effective and lasting change; in fact, he is the only one who can make an eternal change.

He is that he is, and that is how he wants us to know him.

Thank you for being here and please subscribe, share these messages with everyone you know, and I always welcome your comments.

Until next time, L’hitraot and Shabbat Shalom!

In these final chapters to the Book of Genesis, Jacob dies at a ripe old age of 147. But before dying, he blesses the children of Joseph, placing his right hand on the head of Ephraim, the younger of the two, and telling Joseph that he is doing this on purpose, because the younger will be greater than the older.

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Jacob also gives a specific blessing to each of his children, renouncing Reuben for having slept with his father’s concubine, telling Levi and Simeon that their anger and violence was a sin (when they slew all the men of Shechem), telling Judah that he would be prince among the tribes and rule over them until the coming of Shiloh, which is generally considered to mean the Messiah (not all Jewish commentators agree that this is a messianic prophecy), and establishing what will become the identifying traits of the other sons.

He makes them swear to bury him in the cave at Machpelah, where his father and grandfather are buried, along with their wives. He then dies, is embalmed, and carried to the cave along with a giant retinue, and the whole country mourns for him.

When all are back in Goshen, the brothers of Joseph are concerned that now, with his father dead, Joseph might take revenge on them and they approach him promising to be his slaves, but he tells them that what they intended for evil, God turned to good so that many lives could be saved. Joseph promises his brothers to take care of them and their little ones. He tells them that one day God will bring them all back to their homeland, the land God gave to Abraham and makes them swear that when that day comes, they will carry his bones out of Egypt.

The book ends with the death of Joseph at 110 years of age.

חזק חזק ונית חזק!

(Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened!)

For me, one of the most meaningful messages for us from the story of Joseph is how God has a plan, for every one of us, but we never really know what it is until it happens.

I am pretty sure that when Joseph was thrown in the pit by his brothers, he wasn’t looking forward to the future, but was wondering if he would even have a future! Yet, he managed to end up as the second most powerful man in the known world and in a position to save God’s chosen people from extinction.

I find it interesting (because I don’t really believe in coincidence) that we are coming to the end of this story just as we are entering a new year. For just as Joseph didn’t know what plan God had for him until it happened, coming through this past year we all are somewhat concerned about what the future holds. Normally, we look forward to the new year, but right now I think most people aren’t looking forward to the new year as much as they are looking forward to ending the one we just came through!

So what does Joseph’s story have for us today? Simply this: we don’t know what God is planning for us, and we don’t know when it will come about, and we don’t even know if it will be easier or if we still have more fire to pass through. But, what we do know, what we can learn from Joseph, is that so long as we maintain our faith in God, which we demonstrate through obedience to his instructions, and trust that he is working all things for our good, eventually, then we will come out of this tsouris better than when we went into it.

Personally, I believe this horrible year is just the start. We have, as a country, kicked God out of nearly everything important, from our system of justice, to our schools, and even from society, in general. We are more concerned about offending sinful people and those who want to kill us than we are about offending God! And sooner or later, as we see throughout the Tanakh, when we reject God he will reject us. And for those who are still righteously faithful and God-fearing, we also see throughout the Tanakh how the innocent become collateral damage when the sinful leaders must be punished.

So, let us hope I am wrong and that we are coming out of the fire, cleansed of dross and purer than when this year started.

As we leave 2020 behind, pray that the light at the end of the tunnel is, in fact, the opening to a new and better place, and not actually an express train barreling down on us.

Thank you for being here and please share these messages to help this ministry grow, subscribe here and on my YouTube channel (use the link above), and remember that I always welcome your comments.

For those who celebrate the New Year, may it bring you joy and blessings.

Until next time, L’hitraot and Shabbat Shalom!

Joseph is still in jail, and it has been two years since the Cupbearer to the Pharaoh was returned to his station, as Joseph had told him when he interpreted the man’s dream.

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At this time, Pharaoh has two separate dreams, and no one in the kingdom can interpret them, when suddenly (or should we say, finally?) the Cupbearer remembers Joseph and tells Pharaoh about him. Pharaoh calls for Joseph, who properly interprets the dreams about the 7 cows and the 7 ears of corn.

Pharaoh is so impressed he promotes Joseph from prisoner to Grand Vizier and places him in charge of storing grain for the next 7 years while the crops are successful. Joseph is also given a wife who bears him two children, Manasseh and Ephraim.

As the famine comes, Jacob (also called Israel) sends his sons to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph but doesn’t allow Benjamin to go. As the brothers come to Joseph they don’t recognize him, but Joseph knows them.

The rest of this parashah is about how Joseph tests the brothers to see if they are still quarreling and jealous by accusing them of being spies, releasing them with grain, so they don’t die, but keeping Simeon as a hostage until they bring Benjamin to prove their story.

The brothers tell Jacob what happened, but he refuses to allow Benjamin to go down with them to get Simeon released. Eventually, they need more food and reluctantly, only after Judah guarantees the boy’s safety, does Jacob allow Benjamin to go down with the brothers to get more food.

Joseph continues to test them, and after treating them all to lunch, sends them on their way but plants his goblet in Benjamin’s pack so that after overtaking them, he can accuse Benjamin of stealing.

The parashah ends with Joseph telling the brothers they can go home, but Benjamin must stay as his slave for life.

There are two passages in this parashah that I want to discuss with you today, and they are found in Genesis 42:21 and Genesis 44:16:

42:21– They said to each other, “We are in fact guilty concerning our brother. He was in distress and pleaded with us; we saw it and wouldn’t listen. That’s why this distress has come upon us now.”

44:16: Y’hudah said, “There’s nothing we can say to my lord! How can we speak? There’s no way we can clear ourselves! God has revealed your servants’ guilt; so here we are, my lord’s slaves – both we and also the one in whose possession the cup was found.”

The first statement was between all the brothers when they were in jail during their first visit, and the second statement was after they had told Joseph (in their absolute certainty of their innocence) if anyone is found with his goblet, that one will be killed and the rest of them will be his slaves for life.

What both of these statements have in common, besides having been heard by Joseph (while the brothers didn’t know he understood them) is that they represent recognition of the sin they committed against Joseph many years ago and that the consequences of that sin have now come back to bite them in the tuchas.

The lesson today is simple: there are no free lunches. Just because through Messiah Yeshua’s sacrifice we can be freed from the eternal consequence of our sin, in the real world we can never escape those consequences. They may come immediately, or maybe (as with Joseph’s brothers) not for many years, but sooner or later, they will come.

What this means for us is that despite being a believer in Messiah Yeshua and a faithful worshiper of God, when we screw up we will pay for it here on earth. Sin is a horrible thing; like yeast, it spreads and affects much more than just what it initially touches. And in many cases, innocent loved ones are collateral damage of the sins we commit.

David sinned against Uriah and the consequences of that sin came many months later when the child conceived by that sin was killed.

Eli sinned by allowing his sons to be sinful, and after years of this not only did they die in battle, but when he heard of it, Eli fell off his stool and broke his neck. Meanwhile, the Ark of the Covenant was in enemy hands!

Look at how many times, in both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, the sins of the leaders caused so many innocent people to suffer and die.

We all sin, we are born into sin with the Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination), and iniquity (the desire to sin) is part of our very DNA. If anyone could ever live a sinless life, then the Messiah died for no reason because if any one human being can live without ever sinning, then every human being can live without ever sinning. And if no one is sinning, we don’t need forgiveness through a Messiah.

But, of course, no one can live without sinning and that is why we DO need the Messiah.

Moving forward, the good news is that although we will sin, we can be eternally forgiven of that sin; the bad news is that we will still have to live with the consequences of it while we are alive. So, try your best not to sin. And if you are thinking:
“DUH! Gee, thanks, Steve, what a revelation: try not to sin. Lot of good that will do us!”
I do have a recommended way to sin less: pray for forgiveness every day, pray that God will guide and strengthen you through his Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) every day, give thanks every day, and remember all the times people misjudged you for no good reason before you judge anyone else.

Oh, yes, and one more thing, probably the most important one: forgive those who wrong you and do not return their evil with more evil. Trust in God to dispense justice because even if someone seems to be getting away with it here on earth, they won’t escape the consequences of their actions when they come before his throne…and we all WILL come before his throne.

Thank God he has provided the Messiah so that when we come before the Throne of Judgment he will be our Defense Attorney.

And what’s really great is that he’s a Jewish lawyer!

Thank you for your interest and please subscribe here and on my YouTube channel, as well. Check out the website, buy my books, and share these messages with everyone you know.

Until next time, L’hitraot and Shabbat Shalom!

In last week’s reading, Jacob was on his way back to his father’s land and heard that Esau was coming to meet him, with 400 men. That didn’t sound good to Jacob- not good, at all!

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So Jacob comes up with a plan: He will appease Esau by sending ahead of himself a large gift, a little at a time, and also split his camp into two, so that in case one is destroyed, the other may survive.

After his group crosses a fork in the Jordan River, with Jacob remaining behind to ensure all have gotten across safely, at night a man comes and wrestles with Jacob throughout the evening, without success in overcoming him. While Jacob has control, in a desperate attempt to get free, the man causes Jacob’s hip to be damaged, but Jacob holds tight until the man asks to be let go because the morning is coming. Jacob refuses to accept the surrender until the man, who Jacob recognizes now as an angelic being, gives him a blessing. The angel gives Jacob a new name, Israel.

Jacob, limping from his injury, crosses the Jabbok River and joins the camps.

When Esau and Jacob meet, Esau is glad to see his brother, embraces and kisses him, and says he doesn’t require the gifts, but after Jacob insists, he takes them. Jacob introduces his family, and when Esau asks Jacob to go with him, Jacob politely begs off, giving the excuse that he needs to take the animals at a slow pace, as well as the young children in the camp. Jacob then settles in what is today called Shechem.

While settled there, Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, goes for a walk by herself in the countryside and is raped by the son of the leader of Shechem. The man falls in love with her and asks what bride price Jacob would want in order that the man can marry her. The sons of Jacob, Levi and Simeon (who the Chumash says were the brothers of Dinah from the same mother) state that all the men in the city must be circumcised in order for their sister to be part of that society. When the men agree to this, thinking more of being able to gain the riches of the family then doing the right thing, on the third day after the procedure, which is (supposedly) the most painful day, the brothers and their servants ransack the town and kill all the men, taking their sister back home with them. Jacob chides them for making his family a target for retribution, and after God advises him to go to Beth-El, Jacob moves his camp there. God protects them on the way so they aren’t harassed by any of the other people in that area.

Along the way to Beth-El, Rachel dies while giving birth to Benjamin. Jacob is approached by God, who confirms his promise to Jacob to give all the land to Jacob’s descendants, who will be a nation of kings.

The parashah ends with the lineage of Esau.

The Chumash comments that the name change from Jacob, which means one who supplants through guile, to Israel, one who has wrestled with God and succeeded, really indicates that Jacob had a spiritual metamorphosis.

Maimonides says that this was a prophetic vision, and other commentators have believed this contest to be symbolic: the struggle within each of us between our baser passions and nobler ideals. It seems to me, though, this had to be more than symbolic because there was a name change and Jacob did receive physical damage.

In any event, the name change was confirmed by God, and Jacob’s actions after this do represent a change of heart.

With Esau Jacob took advantage, and while with Laban, he took advantage, but now, as Israel, he condemns his sons for their violence and anger with regard to what they did to the men of Shechem (this is especially evident in the blessings he gives before his death.) As one who supplants, Jacob would have congratulated his sons for their guile, but he does the opposite, which shows the change of heart he has undergone.

Jacob used guile and his wits before he wrestled with the angel in that he sent the gifts to Esau, but after he sent his camp across the river he was alone in the dark, fearful and concerned, and he prayed to God for help and protection. Jacob figured to get out of trouble by sending gifts, but now he is out of ideas and has no more tricks, and finally looks solely to God for help.

Here we see the change from depending on himself to depending on God.

This is the change we must all make within ourselves. When we stop depending on ourselves or others and look totally to God, we will be winners.

This doesn’t mean to sit back and wait for God to do everything for us. Jacob didn’t do that- after he prayed for protection, he demonstrated his trust in God by continuing to meet his brother. Letting God be in charge doesn’t mean becoming idle; our God is a God of action, not of sitting around waiting for things to happen, and after we look to him for help and guidance we must then get off our tuchas and do whatever it is we have to do, trusting that God will see us through it.

And he will see us through it, or he might, if we are on the wrong path, prevent us from making things worse for ourselves. Sometimes God clears the way, and other times he will place thorns and briers in your path to redirect you. It is up to us to always be aware of what we are doing and to be open to God’s guidance.

The Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, is the best guide anyone can have, and when we accept Yeshua as our Messiah and ask for the gift of the Ruach, we will receive it. But, again, it is up to us to listen to it.

Jacob was scared for himself and his loved ones, and in his solitude wrestled with what to do, finally coming to the conclusion that he needed to trust God to protect him. The Torah says he wrestled with an angel, but maybe he really was wrestling with himself- the old image of an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other.

Even though we are told that Jacob defeated the angel, in the long run Jacob (the one who supplants) surrendered to God’s will and became Israel, the Prince of God.

Thank you for being here and please subscribe, check out my books, and share these messages with everyone.

Until next time, L’hitraot and Shabbat Shalom!