So Who Pulled the Wool over our Eyes?

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One steamy evening, actually a few days before the war started in Israel, the 3rd evening of Sukkot, five of us, my husband Ben and I, an elderly female friend and an Orthodox Jewish couple, sat on makeshift chairs in the small Sukkah of this elderly friend in the Golan Heights of Israel. The discussion was warm and friendly and soon revolved around New Moon observance and festival times and then something was said about blue dye and tzitziot which led to a discussion on Shatnez (“cloth containing both wool and linen (linsey-woolsey), which Jewish law, derived from the Torah, prohibits wearing” Wikipedia.) The man who claimed authority on this used Shatnez as the reason unclean things could be used in the Temple justifying the use of snails blood for dying Tzitzit. I had a bad feeling about this. He spoke of the Mishna as the qualifier for what he said. The broader discussion centered on the color Tekhelet and it’s source. We had suggested that Tekhelet (the color blue in the Torah) was not sourced from the Murex snail, being that the Torah condemns the use of unclean animals.

We, my husband and I had recently researched the ancient use of the dye for the color Tekhelet from Woad (check it out here). We found pretty solid evidence that the dye used for the Tzitzit, priestly garments and the blue used in the Tabernacle (Mishkan) was made from a vegetable source (most likely Woad) — not from an unclean snail as most Rabbinic Jews have believed. But this guy held out that it was totally acceptable because Shatnez was used in the Temple. He assured us that this example (the use of the dye from the unclean Murex snail) shows that other seeming inconsistencies regarding kosher and non kosher according to Torah were used in the temple service and thus also for us individually that were qualified by the written Torah.

I felt a bit confused and miffed with this explanation and began digging the next day. From where did this idea come, that a wool and linen mixture, completely forbidden for garments was allowed for the priestly service and in their garments? And even if Shatnez were allowed, how does this justify the use of extracts from an unclean marine mollusk?

Did the priests in Mishkan really wear wool in their garments? I always thought so from the Bible versions that I had read. I reached out to a friend who told me that I was mistaken, that wool was never permitted to wear inside the precincts of the Mishkan or Temple. Astounded I did a word search and found this to be correct–wool is not mentioned anywhere in the Torah as a clothing for priests. In fact the first reference was in Judges 6:37. So I went to Strongs to see if maybe it was wool but called something else. It was there under the Hebrew צֶמֶר. But what does it refer to in the 5 times it is mentioned in the Torah? Four times in Leviticus it is mentioned in relation to the plague of Leprosy (Tzarat) that can occur in a garment whether it be wool or otherwise. It was speaking, not of priestly garments but of common garments. Then the last reference is

Deuteronomy 22:11: “Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woolen and linen together.” (Shatnez).

But there is no reference to wool in any of the priests garments, unless of course we look at the English translation in the Artscroll Chumash and a couple of other Jewish Bibles. Wow! What did they do to our Bible? I always thought the Ephod was made of wool. Not so.

So looking at the Hebrew or a more reliable translation, what it does not say becomes very interesting:

Exodus 28:6, 8 (Hebrew) reads thus:

וְחֵשֶׁב אֲפֻדָּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו כְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ מִמֶּנּוּ יִהְיֶה זָהָב תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי וְשֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָֽר

וְחֵ֤שֶׁב אֲפֻדָּתוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָלָ֔יו כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֖הוּ מִמֶּ֣נּוּ יִהְיֶ֑ה זָהָ֗ב תְּכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ מׇשְׁזָֽר׃

וְשֵׁש מָשְׁזָֽר means fine twined linen. Nothing about wool in Hebrew.

The Koren Jerusalem Bible translates the verse this way (no mention of wool):

Exodus 28: 6,8: “And the finely wrought girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to its work; namely, of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen…And the finely wrought girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to its work; namely, of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

But on the other hand, the Rashi Chumash version translates this way:

Exodus 28:6,8: “And they shall make the ephod of gold, blue wool, purple wool, scarlet wool, and twisted linen, artistic work…And the cheishev [the belt] of his adornment which is above it [i.e., which is on the upper edge of the ephod], after its manner [i.e., artistic work, of the five varieties (of material)], of it [i.e., woven together with the ephod] shall it be: gold, blue wool, purple wool, scarlet wool, and twisted linen.” (Lots of things added!)

The JPS 1917 Version states these two verses:

Exodus 28:6, 8: “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful workman. And the skillfully woven band, which is upon it, wherewith to gird it on, shall be like the work thereof and of the same piece: of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.”

The Metsudah Chumash 2009:

Exodus 28:6, 8:“They shall make the ephod out of gold, greenish-blue wool, dark red wool, crimson wool, and fine twined linen, the work of a craftsman. The ephod’s belt, which is on it, shall be made in the same manner [as the ephod]—it shall be woven with it. [with] gold, greenish blue wool, dark red wool, crimson wool and fine twined linen.”

These are all Jewish translations. Why did some translate fine twined linen as wool? And why did they add several colors to the mix?

So where did this confusion come from? And why was this changed? Who authorized it? For a start, let us look at some commentaries about this:

Aramaic Targum
Onkelos Exodus 28:6 They shall make the ephod out of gold, greenish-blue WOOL, dark red WOOL, crimson [colored] WOOL, and fine twined linen, the work of a craftsman. Onkelos Exodus 28:15 Make a breastplate of judgment, the work of a craftsman. Make it in the same manner you made the ephod. [Out of] gold, greenish-blue WOOL, dark red WOOL, crimson [colored] WOOL and fine twined linen, shall you make it.

Talmud

Zevachim 88b:2 § With regard to the priestly vestments, the Sages taught in a baraita : The robe of the High Priest was sewn entirely of sky-blue WOOL, as it is stated: “And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work…, all of sky-blue WOOL” .

Rashi

Exodus 28:31 “And you shall make the me’il of the ephod [i.e., belted by the ephod] entirely of blue WOOL.”

The Rashi chumash by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein

Exodus 28:15 “a choshen which atones for subversion of judgment]; artistic work, like the work of the ephod shall you make it: gold, blue WOOL, purple WOOL, scarlet WOOL, and twisted linen shall you make it.”

The Rashi chumash by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein

Exodus 39:5 “Its skillfully woven waist band was of one piece with the Ephod, and like its material of gold, blue, purple, scarlet WOOL, and fine twined linen, as the Eternal commanded Moses.” Torah Yesharah, translated and edited by Chas. Kahane. New York, 1963

Rambam

Mishneh Torah, Vessels of the Sanctuary and Those Who Serve Therein

9:9: “They are called the belt of the ephod ….The entire garment is woven with gold, sky-blue WOOL, red WOOL, scarlet WOOL, and linen with 28 threads as described with regard to the breastplate.He should sew to it two shoulder straps …”

Mishneh Torah, Vessels of the Sanctuary and Those Who Serve Therein

9:10 “Afterwards, he places the ends of the cords of the breastplate in the upper rings that are on the shoulders of the ephod and he should place the two strands of sky-blue WOOL that are on the hem…”

Somehow I see fingerprints of who may have messed with the Torah! And now we know why the gentleman—the Mishna-ite in the Sukkah on the evening of the 3rd day of Sukkot excused the use of snails blood to dye holy garments and Tzitzit.

Apparently the laws about Shatnez had been violated even in the days of the prophet Ezekiel:

Eze 44:15-18 “But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD: They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causes sweat.”

So no wool, no combination of wool and linen, and no unkosher snails blood! Can we clean this up a little?

Ariella Tiqvah

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A NAME Used Long Ago for Pagan Gods

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Many Jews pray to The ETERNAL in religious services addressing Him as Adonai. This is the Hebrew replacement for the Holy NAME in the Tetragrammaton יְהוָה. Where does this practice come from and does it have anything to do with the name, Adonis which was used by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, etc? If so how did it come to be a respectful title for the Hebrew G-d? I want to clarify that there is one caveat and that is when the word for “my master” אדוני is actually used in the Hebrew text, but that often refers to rulers and prophets as well and is a title of position more than a name. The same thing is applicable to the word LORD which is used copiously by Christians to refer to Jesus. They write it as “LORD” in their “Old Testament” wherever the Hebrew uses the Tetragrammaton, and “Lord” in their New Testament to refer to Jesus.

ADONAI/Adon

“Etymology. From Hebrew אֲדֹנָי‎ (ādônay, “My Lord”); used in place of the Tetragrammaton יְהוָה as a name of the God of the Hebrews during prayer recitation.”(see Wiktionary)

So, according to Wiktionary, Adonai is a replacement for יְהוָה. Why would we choose to replace the Holy name with something that sounds like the way the ancient pagans addressed their deities? What does the Torah say about using the names of other gods as a substitute?

Exo 23:13:

“Be on guard concerning all that I have told you. Make no mention of the names of other gods; they shall not be heard on your lips.”

Adonis comes from the ancient Phoenician, Greek, and Roman mythology and was adapted into Jewish and other religions. It is a way of saying “Master” or “Lord”.

“In the Bible the Israelite God, Yahweh is sometimes referred to as Adon, though the term is used as a title, not as the personal name of Yahweh. Eventually, the appellation “Adonai” (my Lord) became a substitution name for pronouncing in prayer the unutterable name Yahweh, which by the early rabbinical period (first and second centuries A.D.) had become too sacred to pronounce. To this day, when Jews encounter the consonants of “Yahweh’ (YHWH) in prayer, they pronounce it “Adonai.” They might be shocked to learn that this substitution word is related to the Phoenician “Adon” and the Greek Cypriot ‘Adonis.’” see: Phoenicia.org

A River in Lebanon and it’s History

“The Abraham River also known as Adonis River, is a small river in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate in Lebanon, with a length of about 14 mi. The river emerges from a huge cavern, the Afqa Grotto, nearly 5,000 ft above sea level before it drops steeply through a series of falls and passes through a sheer gorge through the mountains. It passes through the town of Nahr Ibrahim before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. The city takes its name from the river. The ancient city of Byblos stood near its outlet and was a site for the veneration of Adonis, the god of love, rebirth and beauty in Phoenician Mythology. He was said to have been killed near the river by a boar sent by Ares, the god of war. According to the myth, Adonis’s blood flowed in the river, making the water reddish for centuries and spawning a carpet of scarlet buttercups along the river’s banks.” Wikipedia

History of Adonis:

Does ADONAI really refer to Adonis? And if so what was the influence that brought about the change to The Eternal’s name during a time when other nations used that to refer to their gods?

“Adonis is a young fertility god, a comely youth beloved by Astarte, and represents death and rebirth in an oriental vegetation cult. He is also known as the agricultural divinity named Eshmun.

Adonis is derived from the Canaanite title, Adon. It is the Semitic word for master or ‘lord’ and (the) i means ‘my’, therefore Adonai (Adonis is the Hellenized version of the same) translates as ‘my lord’; similarly the meaning of Baal, with whom he shares traits, is also ‘lord’ or ‘master’.” See Reference

According to the above article, the mythical god Adonis was also a name for Tammuz. During those times Adon became a way to address the pagan gods, meaning “master” and Adonai “my master,” We see masters referred to this way in the Hebrew Tanach as well. But knowing the history of how the title came into common usage for other gods, should we be using this title for the name of the ONE and only Eternal G-d?

According to another source, the title Adon and later Adonai has roots as early as the Canaanites, Greeks, Syrians, and Persians. The myth was around earlier in the Near East and throughout Mesopotamia but developed by the Greeks. The mythology apparently affected early Christianity’s dying and rising god, as well as other religions. See: World History/Adonai (Please click on either of these links to see the entire article.)

So does God listen to us when we call Him by the wrong name? The fact that something has been done for a long time, does that mean it makes it right and perfect? Perhaps we need to take another long look at where things come from!

The etymology of words is certainly important. We must keep in mind that Hebrew was to be a distinct language for a distinct and Holy People, SO why borrow titles for our DEITY from other nations’ pagan deities?

Deuteronomy 12:29-31:

“When יְהוָה your God has cut down before you the nations that you are about to enter and dispossess, and you have dispossessed them and settled in their land, beware of being lured into their ways after they have been wiped out before you! Do not inquire about their gods, saying, “How did those nations worship their gods? I too will follow those practices.”

You shall not act thus toward יְהוָה your God, for they perform for their gods every abhorrent act that יְהוָה detests; they even offer up their sons and daughters in fire to their gods.”

So why would we have a name for our G-D that is very similar to the way the ancient pagans called their gods? If we know that The Name of the Eternal is spelled with the Tetragramaton (יְהוָה), which some have pronounced “Yahweh” and others “Yehovah” then why would we use a title that others have used to exalt their pagan deity’s? Why would we even come close?

Some have said that since the word Adonai is used in the Holy Scriptures when addressing the Most High God, that it is correct and required that we do so, but if the word or even most of the word was a customary way of addressing pagan gods at the time (even part of the ancient languages), it is no more significant than today, using “Lord”, or “master”, or “Your Highness.”

What would happen if we should challenge ourselves to examine deeply what the Torah is actually saying–how words are used and what is the etymology of each word? What if we used our G-d-given intellect when studying these things, rather than follow a supposed correct practice that has been done from time immemorial?

There is an important verse in Ezekiel about knowing the right name…:

Eze 39:7 “I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I יְהוָה am the Holy One in Israel.”

I pray that it is the reader’s desire to understand more fully the will of Him who gave us His Torah and acknowledge and use His sacred NAME!

Ariella Tiqvah


¿Guerra civil en Israel? Shemá ¡Oh Brazo del SEÑOR!

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Haftorá Shoftim, Isaias 51

¿Es Israel simplemente la tierra de los judíos, o es la tierra del Di-s de Israel, confiada a los judíos, más bien a aquellos de Israel que tienen como autoridad la Torá escrita de la Biblia? ¿Y pertenece también a las otras 10 tribus que pronto se descubrirán y que algún día regresarán a su tierra patrimonial, aquellas únicas que han dejado su idolatría y han abrazado no solo al pueblo judío sino al Eterno Di-s de Abraham, Isaac y Jacob?

Los acontecimientos de los últimos meses han dividido al país en dos si le creemos a los medios que Israel se encuentra en un estado de emergencia civil. Sin embargo, ¿es esta la verdad? Gran parte de lo que nos dicen los canales de medios está inflado o es pura mentira. ¿Existe realmente una lucha entre la izquierda y la derecha? Sí, hay una lucha y la medida en que esto es un problema tiene mucho que ver con el apoyo de quienes odian a Israel y niegan el derecho de Israel a una verdadera democracia. La lucha es exagerada y agrandada por las mentiras que se cuentan. La izquierda afirma que quiere democracia, pero el resultado de aquello a lo que se aferra no es democracia en absoluto. La democracia se trata de un país dirigido por sus funcionarios electos. La reforma judicial es la solución para poner al país bajo el gobierno de su gobierno electo. Pero, ¿y si ese gobierno no está siguiendo la Torá? ¡Eso es una gran pregunta!

¿Qué pasa si la gente no quiere servir a Aquel que es el Dador y Dueño legítimo de la Tierra?

¿Entonces que? ¿Estamos creando otro estado autónomo elegido por una población que no se hace responsable de obedecer la Torá? ¿Crearemos un estado dirigido por sionistas seculares que no teman a Hashem? ¿O quizás aquellos que deseen formar otra nación, no “Bajo Di-s”, finalmente verán el Brazo del Señor trabajando y empacarán sus maletas y empresas multimillonarias y regresarán a lo que creen que es la “Tierra de la Abundancia”?

La Haftorah de esta semana, Isaias 51, habla sobre este problema y el llamado a confiar y volver a la rectitud. (Isaías 51). El capítulo comienza especificando a quién es el llamado y la bendición:

“1 Oídme, los que seguís la justicia, los que buscáis a Jehová; mirad la peña de donde fuisteis cortados, y el hoyo de la fosa de donde fuisteis excavados”.

Aquellos que siguen la rectitud son llamados a escuchar שמעו (Shemá en plural). Nuevamente vemos esto en el versículo 7 y se define como aquellos “en cuyo corazón está mi ley”.

“7 Oídme שמעו, los que conocéis justicia, pueblo en cuyo corazón está mi ley; No temáis la burla de los hombres, ni desmayéis ante sus injurias. 8 Porque como a vestido los comerá polilla, y como a lana los comerá gusano; pero mi favor será para siempre, y mi salvación por todas las generaciones. 9 Despierta, despierta, vístete de fuerza, oh brazo del SEÑOR; despierten, como en los días de antaño, las generaciones de los tiempos antiguos.”

Varias personas con las que he hablado en las últimas semanas han reaccionado negativamente a mi insistencia en que Israel ya no necesita a los Estados Unidos (realmente nunca lo hizo). Cuando he dicho que el Eterno está cuidando a Israel y que es hora de que Israel se levante y brille, bajan la cabeza y dicen: “pero…”.

Vimos anteriormente que aquellos que conocen la justicia no deben temer a los medios de comunicación burlones y aquellos en las naciones e incluso en Israel que odian la Verdad, sino que deben confiar y velar (שמעו) por el Brazo del Señor. Puedes ver una lista de referencias a quién es este Brazo en mi artículo: Definiendo Isaías 53…Un Brazo, un Siervo y ¿Quiénes son Nosotros? Pronto lo tendré en español.
¿Por qué se le dice al Brazo del Señor que despierte y se fortalezca? ¿Hay alguien por ahí que conoce y escucha la justicia pero tiene miedo de levantarse y ser fortalecido para hacer el trabajo que está llamado a hacer? ¿Quién despertó en tiempos antiguos, en generaciones pasadas para liderar al pueblo de Di-s? Si miramos el llamado de Moisés, de Jeremías, de Isaías, veremos su timidez en aceptar el llamado a levantarse y liderar. ¿Quién se levantará y liderará hoy? ¿Hay alguna agencia que no sea sobornada por globalistas y naciones y entidades sin Dios que quieran dividir y destruir esta nación y vendérsela a aquellos que no tienen derecho a ella? Cuando dividimos la tierra para hacer la paz (es decir, la solución de dos estados) ¿estamos participando en el plan profetizado en Daniel 11:39?

“39 Y tratará con las fortalezas más fuertes con la ayuda de un dios extranjero; a quien reconocerá, aumentará la gloria; y los hará gobernar sobre muchos, y repartirá la tierra por precio.” ¿Qué significa dividir la tierra por un precio (ganancia, soborno, dinero, etc.)?

Quizás la firma de los Acuerdos de Oslo por parte de Yitzhak Rabin tuvo algo que ver con esto. Y sabemos que no duró mucho. Fue asesinado por un celoso sionista israelí. Ver artículo aquí. Los Acuerdos de Oslo fueron claramente un intento de hacer que Israel se acostara y bebiera el kool-aid del deseo de las naciones de dividir y destruir la Tierra Prometida.

Pero la Haftorah continúa con su llamada de atención:

“17 Despierta, despierta, levántate, oh Jerusalén, que bebiste de la mano de Jehová el cáliz de su furor; has bebido la copa, la copa del tambaleo, y la has vaciado. 18 No hay quien la guíe entre todos los hijos que ha dado a luz; ni hay quien la tome de la mano de todos los hijos que crió. 19 Estas dos cosas te han acontecido; ¿Quién se lamentará de ti? desolación y destrucción, y hambre y espada; ¿Cómo te consolaré? 20 Tus hijos se han desmayado, yacen en las cabeceras de todas las calles, como un antílope en una red; llenos están del furor de Jehová, de la reprensión de tu Dios.”

¿Por que tenemos miedo?

Los hijos de Israel, hasta los sionistas tienen miedo, creen que tenemos que llevarnos bien con las naciones para que podamos tener nuestra tierra aun cuando las naciones quieran quitárnosla y dársela a quienes nunca la merecieron. Y algunos de esos árabes se dan cuenta de que no les pertenece. Vea lo que se dice que dijo el Jeque Ahmad al-Adwan en una publicación de MIDA: Lea el artículo completo aquí.

“‘Los palestinos son asesinos de niños, ancianos y mujeres. Atacan a los judíos, usan a los niños como escudo humano y se esconden detrás de ellos sin piedad, como si no fueran de su propia carne y sangre. Y todo esto para entregar un mensaje falso, como si los judíos fueran los hostiles y no ellos’… ‘Todos deben saber que la Tierra Santa es su tierra [la de los judíos] y que Jerusalén es la dirección hacia la cual oran y durante sus lecturas y ceremonias, como dijo Dios en el Corán; “Vuelve, pues, Tu rostro en dirección a la Mezquita sagrada” (en La Meca) [Corán 2:144]. Este verso cancela efectivamente la oración hacia al-Aqsa (el Monte del Templo) y todas las tradiciones con respecto a al-Aqsa para los musulmanes”. Su declaración inusual fue publicada en el diario pro-palestino al-Quds al-Arabi, después de lo cual hizo su camino a cientos de sitios web árabes, foros y páginas de Facebook, todos ellos atacándolo y criticándolo ferozmente”.

Pero la buena noticia es que hay algunos que confían en YHVH y, aunque son tímidos y se ven a sí mismos como indignos de ponerse de pie y hacer el trabajo que tienen delante, están escuchando. ¡Que vean la Mano de Hashem trabajando para que se levanten y cumplan sus órdenes! La Haftorah termina con el siguiente versículo en Isaías 51:

“22 Así ha dicho tu Señor, el SEÑOR, y tu Dios, que aboga por la causa de su pueblo: He aquí, he quitado de tu mano la copa del aturdimiento; la copa, la copa de mi furor, no volverás a beberla; 23 Y lo pondré en manos de los que te afligen; que han dicho a tu alma: ‘Inclínate, para que pasemos’; y pusiste tu espalda como suelo y como calle a los que pasan.

Tal vez lo que les da a los que buscan la justicia la fuerza para levantarse es cuando ven a Hashem colocar la copa del tambaleo en la mano del enemigo. ¡Observemos y veamos!

¡Escucha שמעו, oh Israel!

Civil war in Israel? Shema Oh Arm of the LORD!

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Haftorah Shoftim

Is Israel merely the land of the Jews, or is it the land of the G-d of Israel, entrusted to the Jews, rather those of Israel who hold as authoritative the written Torah of the Bible? And does it also belong to the soon to be discovered other 10 tribes who will one day return to their patrimonial land, those only who have left their idolatry and embraced not only the Jewish people but the Eternal G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?

The events over the past few months have split the country in two if we believe the media, that Israel is in a state of Civil Emergency. Yet is this the truth? Much of what Media channels tell us is inflated or outright lies. Is there indeed a struggle between left and right? Yes, there is a struggle and the extent to which this is a problem has much to do with support from those who hate Israel and deny Israel’s right to a true democracy. The struggle is exaggerated and made bigger by the lies being told. The left is claiming they want democracy but the outcome of what they are clinging to is not at all democracy. Democracy is about a country run by it’s elected officials. Judicial reform is the solution to bring the country under the rule of it’s elected government. But what if that government is not following Torah? That is a big IF!

What if the people do not want to serve One who is the Giver and rightful Owner of the Land? What then? Are we creating another self-governed state elected by a populace that does not hold themselves accountable to obey the Torah? Will we create a state run by the secular Zionists who have no fear of Hashem? Or will, perchance those who wish to form another nation, not “Under G-d”, finally see the Arm of the Lord working and pack their bags and multi-million dollar enterprises and return to what they believe is the “Land of Plenty”?

The Haftorah for this week speaks about this problem and the call to trust and return to righteousness. (Isaiah 51). The chapter begins specifying to whom is the call and the blessing:

“1 Hearken to Me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD; look unto the rock whence ye were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged.”

Those who follow after righteousness are called to hearken שמעו (Shema in the plural). Again we see this in verse 7 and defined as those “in whose hear is My law.”

“7 Hearken שמעו unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear ye not the taunt of men, neither be ye dismayed at their revilings. 8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but My favour shall be for ever, and My salvation unto all generations. 9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times.”

Several people I have spoken with in the past few weeks have reacted negatively to my insistence that Israel does not need the United States anymore (never did really). When I have stated that the Eternal is looking after Israel and that it is time for Israel to rise and shine, they hang their heads and say, “but…”

We saw above that those who know righteousness are not to fear the mocking media and those in the nations and even in Israel who hate the Truth, but rather to trust and watch (שמעו) for the Arm of the Lord. You can see a list of references to who is this Arm in my article: Defining Isaiah 53…An Arm, a Servant and Who is We?

Why is it that the Arm of the Lord is told to awaken and put on strength? Is there someone out there that knows and hearkens to righteousness but is afraid to rise and become strengthened to do the work that he is called to do? Who awoke in times of old, in past generations to lead G-d’s people? If we look at the call of Moses, of Jeremiah, of Isaiah, we will see their timidity in accepting the call to rise and lead. Who will arise and lead today? Are there any agencies who are not paid off by globalists and godless nations and entities that want to divide and destroy this nation and barter it off to those who have no right to it? When we divide the land to make peace (ie the two state solution) we are taking part in the scheme prophesied in Daniel 11:39?

“39 And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god; whom he shall acknowledge, shall increase glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price.” What does it mean to divide the land for a price (profit, bribe, money, etc)?

Perhaps the signing of the Oslo Accords by Yitzhak Rabin had something to do with this. And we know he did not last long. He was assassinated by a zealous Israeli Zionist. See article here. The Oslo Accords was clearly an attempt to get Israel to lie down and drink the kool-aid of the nations desire to divide and destroy the Land of Promise.

But the Haftorah continues its wake up call:

“17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, that hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of His fury; thou hast drunken the beaker, even the cup of staggering, and drained it. 18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up. 19 These two things are befallen thee; who shall bemoan thee? desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword; how shall I comfort thee? 20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as an antelope in a net; they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.”

The sons of Israel, even the Zionists are afraid, they believe we have to get along with the nations so that we can have our land even when the nations want to take it away and give it to those who never deserved it. And some of those Arabs realize that it does not belong to them. See what Sheikh Ahmad al-Adwan is reported to have said in a publication by MIDA: Read the whole article here.

“ ‘The Palestinians are murderers of children, elderly and women. They attack the Jews, use children as a human shield and hide behind them without mercy, as though they weren’t their own flesh and blood. And all this to deliver a false message, as though the Jews are the hostiles and not them.’ … ‘All should know that the Holy Land is their [the Jews’] land and that Jerusalem is the direction towards which they pray and during their readings and ceremonies, as God said in the Koran; ‘Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque” (in Mecca) [Koran 2:144]. This verse effectively cancels out the prayer towards al-Aqsa (the Temple Mount) and all traditions regarding al-Aqsa for Muslims.’ His unusual statement was published in the pro-Palestinian daily al-Quds al-Arabi, after which it made its way to hundreds of Arabic websites, forums and facebook pages – all of them fiercely attacking and criticizing him.”

But the good news is that there are some out there who trust YHVH and though they are timid and see themselves as unworthy to stand up and do the work that is before them, they are listening. May they see the Hand of Hashem working so that they will arise and do his bidding! The Haftorah ends with the following verse in Isaiah 51:

“22 Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of His people: behold, I have taken out of thy hand the cup of staggering; the beaker, even the cup of My fury, thou shalt no more drink it again; 23 And I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; that have said to thy soul: ‘Bow down, that we may go over’; and thou hast laid thy back as the ground, and as the street, to them that go over.”

Perhaps what gives those who seek righteousness strength to arise is when they see Hashem place the cup of staggering into the hand of the enemy. Let us watch and see! Hearken שמעו oh Israel!

Lessons from a Failed Sourdough

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What did Egypt have to do with it anyway?

When Israel hastily left Egypt, they wrapped up their dough without adding a leavening agent. This was the precursor for the observance of the feast of unleavened bread or Hag HaMatzot which was defined at Sinai as a statute binding for all time for Israel. The Feast of Passover, as commanded in the Bible included a complete cleansing of leaven from the homes of the Israelites and a seven day diet of unleavened bread, this was given as a perpetual memorial of their escape from Egypt. But what, if anything did leavening have to do with Egypt and what is involved in it’s prohibition?

Some have said that the practice of leavening bread was part of the idolatrous practices of Egypt. That this bread was used in sacrifices to the Egyptian gods. This is something I once believed, and certainly is an aspect to consider—But if that was the bottom line reason for Israel’s command to observe the Feast of Passover, then why is there in the second biblical feast Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks), the command to make two loaves made with leavening? This makes no sense if leaven represents Egypt and idolatry. I mean, if the principle of leavening was evil, so now why were we to resume the practice? What can possibly be involved here?

Perhaps if we look at the way ancient breads were leavened we may see something in the ingredients that would give us a clue…

For several years now I have experimented with the process of making sourdough bread. As I understand it, this was always the way that bread was leavened before the invention of modern yeast.

For me, learning to ferment sourdough, has been interesting and a challenge! If you don’t have any bacteria, the flour base will rot, and you can’t put a tight lid on the jar while it ferments, you have to let the outside air which supplies oxygen and the environmental bacteria in this air. If that air has bad bacteria, it is contaminated—and when exposed to unhealthy bacteria, I have found that it produces a strange taste and smell. I have lived and made bread in parts of Israel where there is a clean desert atmosphere, and there the taste is excellent. But not all the areas in Israel create good sourdough, at least not from my experimentation.

Sourdough starter takes its flavor from fermentation caused by bacteria in its environment. I have lived in several countries and the taste of my sourdough has varied in each place. Since I make my starter from scratch and do not import it, it depends on local bacteria in the flour and the atmosphere to make it ferment. It seems that the atmosphere of the country is absorbed in the fermentation process. Now maybe I am taking a deep dive here—jumping to conclusions in that thinking. But let’s work through this!

What was wrong with Egypt for the people of Israel? Basically, they suffered under slavery in a system of idolatry, correct? There were other things, unclean, non kosher standards, perhaps also things having to do with Egyptian burial practices…

But what was right with Israel’s making their own leavened dough starting in the desert as commanded at Sinai in regards to the Feast of Weeks? Actually, the offering of the wave sheaf which precluded and thus was also mandatory for the feast of weeks, according to the Torah, was not to be kept until they entered the land. Leviticus 22:10-17.

But the instruction was given there so we would assume that it was legitimate for the Israelites to make bread sometime in the desert (though there was little if any grain to make flour from as far as I know). Was the desert a cleaner place? It definitely had less idolatry, except when Israel made the golden calf.

Do idolatrous practices pervade the atmosphere? Can disobedience cause alterations in the environment? What about immorality? Can it actually affect the physicality of the world? Can the physical world be destroyed by sin? I leave that to your judgment. Is it possible that the very air becomes contaminated with altered bacteria in an unclean or immoral environment?

We have been living in an apartment near Tel Aviv a city that celebrates its Pride Parade and leads the world in this sin. Sorry if that offends people, but being part of the land of Israel, Tel Aviv should honor the commands given by Him who gifted Israel to the people who keep His covenant. But can the air and the food be contaminated this way?

And what does that have to do with my sourdough? Well, I can’t seem to get the bread to come out right here. Perhaps this old decaying apartment is the cause, perhaps the air outside is too humid. But, the bread tastes wrong. It is not at all like the bread I made in the north of Israel. There is a strange strain of bacteria here which I cannot define other than to say that the very air is contaminated by something that tastes rotten.

Perhaps, like I said, I am taking a deep dive here into something that is half physical and half spiritual, but let me tell you, the atmosphere is not good here in many ways. It is almost as if a curse is hanging in the very air around us. And it is affecting the bread I make. I suppose I could import a sourdough starter and then I would not have the problem in my bread making, or would I?

When we think of the laws of the Torah, though many of them are a mystery, we see that observance of these laws brings both spiritual and physical blessings. We can restore the land! How? Not by saying extra prayers (Isaiah 1:15-17) in the synagogue or being sure to kiss more mezzuzot, but by obedience to the Torah and it’s simple commands, even though the spiritual meaning may be a mystery to the human mind. So what’s the bottom line?… Obedience is better than sacrifice.

1Sa 15: “22 But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry…”

As Always…Digging for Gems in the Mine of Truth

Ariella