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Elohim–God, or Gods? Part 1

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And what about Human Mediation?

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In Exodus 32 we find the children of Israel pleading with Aaron to make them “gods” to go before them. They had been waiting for Moses to come down from the Mountain of God (Sinai) for several weeks and had grown tired of waiting. Their faith in what they had experienced seeing the lightning and hearing the thunderous voice of God was now weak, and apparently they were accustomed to having a visible, tangible god that they could experience in human terms. We see the same humanistic need for a touchable, feel-able God today in many religions. The idea of a God that is beyond comprehension is outside the scope of people’s understanding, it always has been. I want to get back to this idea, but first let us examine something that most versions of the Bible have wrong to my understanding. 

In verse 4, in the passage where Aaron has made the requested golden calf, we see words that the majority of Bible translations claim to say: “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”

But it was not two or more calves. It was a single golden calf, so why is it referred to in the plural? Maybe a good look at the Hebrew will help us:

וַיִּקַּ֣ח מִיָּדָ֗ם וַיָּ֤צַר אֹתוֹ֙ בַּחֶ֔רֶט וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֖הוּ עֵ֣גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֵ֤לֶּה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶעֱל֖וּךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

For those who do not read Hebrew, the highlighted words אֵ֤לֶּה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ can be translated as singular or plural. The first word “ele” is a participle that defines the word that follows, and can mean either “these” or “this” in English. The world “Elohim” is plural and is rendered “Elohecha” in this case, which is still plural but shows possession by adding the “cha” on the end. But why would something that is clearly singular in nature (a golden calf) be called “gods” rather than “god”? This stems from the use of the word “Elohim” and a common misunderstanding of what it means. When used for the God of the Universe, it is often understood in Christianity to refer to the “Triune Godhead.” But in the case of the Golden Calf, it is clearly one object. So does this lead to the idea that the calf was really more than one calf? Or does it help us to understand that the Eternal YHVH who is also called Elohim is not several entities, but One Entity with many aspects? I won’t go into defining God here, He is beyond comprehension to our human minds. But we do know that He is everywhere, He is all knowing, No secrets can be hidden from Him. He hears, sees, speaks, loves, judges….just to specify a few aspects. 

It is true that in the Bible there are times when Elohim is used to indicate human judges, leaders, or false gods. But in the case of the golden calf, it is clearly used in the singular as well as in the case of the Creator and His dealings. By the way, in Genesis 1:1 Christians claim that Elohim was all three persons creating mankind. But if you understand Hebrew and do not go to the English for understanding, you will see the following:

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

“In the beginning, Elohim (God) created the heavens and the earth.” 

(The words “in the beginning, are also misunderstood, but that is for another time since we need to focus on the highlighted words)

In Hebrew, biblical or modern, the words that accompany the noun, in this case “Elohim” must show whether it is expressed as singular or plural and feminine or masculine. In this instance, the word that precedes Elohim is bara בָּרָ֣א: “He created” or brought forth (masculine singular). 

To say that Jesus was in the beginning with God creating the universe, as is declared in John 1;1-3, does not fly when you look deeply into what is really said in the original Hebrew text of Genesis. 

If we look at other verses where Elohim is used in the plural, maybe we will see that the verbs, adjectives, participles, etc. verify the plurality of these verses. Here is one example: 

Psa 97:7 “Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.” In Hebrew:

 יֵבֹשׁוּ כָּל־עֹבְדֵי פֶסֶל הַמִּתְהַלְלִים בָּאֱלִילִים הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־לוֹ כָּל־אֱלֹהִים׃

The highlighted words say “worship him all ye elohim” referring to the false gods mentioned in the verse.  Note the obvious plural in the English rendition. (Above) And to help simplify the words הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־לוֹ  where (Hishtavu), the masculine plural is used in qualifying the word “elohim” which is used for the idols or false gods.

There are several more examples in the Bible where Elohim is used for angels, leaders, judges, wicked or righteous leaders, etc. 

I promised in the first paragraph that we would touch on the unfathomable nature of the Divine. Really there are no words other than what the Bible itself says. When Moses asked Yehovah to reveal Himself, Elohim told him a few things about himself:

Exo 34:6-7: ” And YHVH passed by before him, and proclaimed, YHVH, YHVH, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, 7 keeping loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.”

Basically that is all that was given for a definition as far a character goes. Perhaps that is enough for humanity other than knowing all the other things that describe the activity of the Almighty as revealed in Scripture. Can it be enough? It has to be!

Let us not raise another golden calf and claim that these be our god’s that have led us or saved us from the wrath of the Eternal! Or that these are the ones who deserve to lead us because they are like us, and we can understand them, and God forbid we claim that God needed a human to help him understand what people need! No! There is no one standing beside the Eternal in Heaven telling Him what humanity needs, nor is there (like some in Judaism claim) a famous Rabbi who has an office next to God in Heaven–someone who answers emails when we need instruction! 

May I ask what science people study that denies the Bibles clear instructions to not communicate with the dead? The belief in communication with the supernatural and out-of-body experiences comes from ancient pagan cults and is with us today in many religions including, sadly, some sects of Judaism. 

Kabbalah goes against much of what the Bible says, it includes spiritualistic practices including communication with the dead. See the following statement from Kabbalahexperience.com: 

“It has long been decided in Jewish law that talking with the dead (by oneself or through a medium) is only prohibited if you think that the dead body is in itself the conduit to the discussion. If one is communicating with the soul of the deceased, it is permissible.” But what does the Bible say?

Deu 18:10 “There shall not be found among you, he that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, that uses divination, that uses auguries, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, 11 or a charmer, or one that inquires of a spirit of Python, or a soothsayer, or one that consults the dead. 12 For every one that does these things is an abomination to Yehovah, and because of these abominations Yehovah thy God doth dispossess them (the nations) from before thee.”

If, as I am asserting, our Creator is all knowing and all compassionate, forgiving and just and does not allow evil into his Kingdom, then why do we need human mediation? After all, He is the one with the manufacturer’s warranty on the universe!

For an unshakable faith,

Ariella

Will You Wear this Crown?

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Society today is an uncomfortable, if not outright frightening, atmosphere in which to find one’s bearings. Nearly everybody comes with the excuse of parents who were dysfunctional, and so we all were neglected. I do not say this tongue in cheek. I see the world spinning out of control, and all of us long for a safe place to grow and prosper. But growth is hard to find while constantly dodging emotional turmoil, either our own or others around us. Most likely both. It seems people have little opportunity to live in peace. The daily struggle just to survive is more than most can cope with, thus the field of psychology blooms and grows, but is psychology the answer? Cultivate yourself. Stop looking to others for love and approval. Well said, but there still is something lacking… 

Does anyone really get well doing that? Or do we produce a bunch of independent automatons? Needs are still there and nobody is filling them. We make mistakes as we live our lives, and family is the first to point the finger at how we have messed up. Children blame parents for their own difficulties and they are right, except when you look at the parenting that the parents had and left a vacant hole in their hearts which led them to be the way they were with their children. 

The Bible talks about the sins of the fathers passing down the to third and fourth generation, well that means everything has mounted up upon this generation to the point where we are fighting everything that we inherited and the animosity of those in our world who also carry the same burden and perhaps blame us for their own discomfort. Is there any hope? I hear people say, if only I had a million dollars so I could live comfortably and not need people! If money could fix the problem, we would have a lot of well-adjusted millionaires, but we see people like Howard Hughes locking himself up in his ivory tower suite! The quest for money is similar to the addiction to  alcohol, drugs or any other addiction. It feels good to succumb  for the moment but then you must pay dearly in emotional backwash! And the money game is about being on the hamster wheel, never having enough!

Someone I knew once asked me if I could be happy living off the interest from a well invested million dollars. At the time, it came to over $50,000 per year. That is the interesting question. And no, apparently money does not satisfy because it often leads to endless chasing after more and more. 

At this time of chaos, where is our Creator? It feels to some that He has gone away and left us to our own devices. Surely not! If we don’t find Him, maybe it is because we are not taking the time to connect with Him? If we never call out to Him, there is no way he will impose on us. He respects our free will. Can we believe that when all hell breaks loose? Do we blame him for the chaos in the world? Or can we be happy even if life does not go as planned? –That sometimes bad things come to us regardless of whether our Maker is in the picture or not, but having Someone to help shoulder the burden just might make it possible to endure. Right? 

When Moses spoke his last words to Israel before they crossed the Jordan, he told them:

Deu 31: “6 Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be affrighted at them: for YHVH thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” After 3000 plus years, is this still true? 

Mal 3: “6 For I, YHVH, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.”

But how do we disentangle ourselves from looking to people and from our sick dependence upon close relatives, (wives, husbands, children, parents, siblings). When we observe others carefully, we realize that  they are as broken or more so than we are and if they don’t know God, they won’t be able to give us a thing other than a temporary fix. But there are always consequences of getting a quick fix. When they give, they expect something in return—maybe more than we can give them. And then we may all find ourselves blaming one another.  Blame is not a game that works because it always comes back to accuse us. If we place the ball in the right court, so to speak-our happiness in Heaven’s court, then we will make it through. 

Psalm 138: 8: “YHVH will perfect that which concerns me, Your mercy, O YHVH endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” 

Zechariah 3 speaks of  Joshua the high priest, a historical figure at the time of the return from Babylon. I believe there is a message beyond the history of those times. Joshua stands before the Eternal as awaiting judgment. We see the Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. YHWH tells the attendants to take away Joshua’s filthy garments. I believe these garments represent the faults and mistakes that  we have committed over our lives and that continually dog our steps, the adversary (whether this be close friends, or relatives or our reputation in society) is quick to accuse us. But, in the text, the guilty garments are removed. Verse 4 says Joshua’s “guilt” is removed–the guilt of Joshua’s past failures. Does this mean that none can accuse him now? Probably not, but perhaps this is about restoration of Joshua’s self-image, which comes with the realization of God’s forgiveness! 

Proverbs 28:13: “He that covers his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall obtain mercy.”

So then what happens to Joshua? After the filthy garments (his sins and mistakes) are removed, his heavenly attendants cloth him in priestly garments and place a royal crown  on his head. He is commissioned to keep God’s charge and if he does, he will rule over the House of God and move among the other priests which he sees sitting before him. This is only a part of the Biblical story, but there is an application to this story for each of us today.  

When we realize that our filthy garments are removed, then we will be  immune to the accusations of others. That does not mean we can lean on them ever again for approval. If we have God’s approval, we need nothing more! We may not rule the courts of the Most High, but we can rule our own lives without regrets. 


Hab 3: “17 For though the fig-tree shall not flourish, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labor of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no food; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls:  18 Yet I will rejoice in YHVH, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  19 YHVH, the Lord, is my strength; And he makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And will make me to walk upon my high places. “

Ariella

Modern Descendants of the 10 Lost Tribes: Who Are They?

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Image Credit to: https://blog.nli.org.il/en/lost_ten_tribes

There are historians who claim that the story of the scattering of the Northern tribes of Israel was a myth. Others say or that it was somehow written into the Biblical account in the Tanakh. But I think, there is far too much prophecy that must be taken into account to dismiss the idea of 10 Lost Tribes. 

When I have spoken to other Jews about them, some express the opinion that these tribes are all represented today among the Jews, or that they became Gentiles and are permanently lost. Or that yes, they are important, but they are in places like India and Ethiopia, Evidence of the Silk Road Jews in India and China are well known but most of them have relatively recent history such as from about 800 CE to around 1100 CE, but there are others there who apparently have been there much longer and still observe much of the ancient Israelite religion. These are themselves the Bene Menashe and what they claim provides what I would claim as evidence that they are of the tribe of Manasseh.

“… the Bnei Menashe have come to believe that the legendary Hmar ancestor Manmasi[6] was the Hebrew Menasseh, son of Joseph.” These people struggled to be recognized by Israel for around 50 years until finally they were accepted by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel to make Aliyah in 2005, provided they complete a ritual conversion. Link

Of the Falasha people in Ethiopia, some claim to descend from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, but the general belief among them is that a group from the tribe of Dan fled to Ethiopia (the land of Cush) during the 10th century BCE. (See Link) How can we prove any of this? Is it mere hearsay, or does it follow what the Bible says? These may be facts that have been ignored and Israel has continually held anyone who claims to be of the 10 Tribes  at arm’s length, doubting their origins. Notice the verse in Isaiah 11:11, highlighted below. Cush is known in the Bible as Ethiopia. And what about all the other tribes, where are they?

Isa 11:11-14 -“11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that YHVH shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. – 13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and they that vex Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. 14 And they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines on the west; together shall they despoil the children of the east: they shall put forth their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.”

And what can we say about the Samaritans who claim to be a remnant of what was left in the land of Israel at the time of the captivity? There are Cohanim (Levites) among these Samaritans who actually can prove their lineage. We remember that the Levites were assigned to cities across Israel in the days of Joshua after the conquest of the land. See the command for this in Numbers 35 and Joshua 21. It is interesting that Jeremiah was a Levite but lived in Anathoth (his birthplace) which was a Benjamite city. Perhaps antipathy towards the Samaritans’ assertion that they are from the original tribes has been fostered through works such as those of Josephus and even the Christian Bible’s story of the woman at the well and the Good Samaritan where the Samaritans are not seen as Jewish. And yet when we look at who were actually exiled among those captured by Assyria, we see that not everyone was taken. The artisans and the wealthy who could help establish the economy of Assyria were taken but the humble people were left in the land to care for it. How many were left is another question, but if we see that only the elite were taken, we may get they idea that many were left in the land. 

According to Wikipedia: “Around 720 BCE, Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire.[4] The records of Assyrian king Sargon II indicate that he deported 27,290 Israelites to Mesopotamia.[5][6] This deportation resulted in the loss of one-fifth of the kingdom’s population and is known as the Assyrian captivity, which gave rise to the notion of the Ten Lost Tribes.” 

27 thousand, if the above quote included all of them, “a fifth of the population” would leave a lot of the tribes in the land. The big question is, where did they go later? We know that some fled to Judah but when later explorers found Israel to be almost depopulated (people like Mark Twain), the question arises: Where were they hiding? Is it possible that they had gone to surrounding Arab nations? There are many myths of the ten tribes, including the American Indians, the English, the Irish. Silk Road discoveries found Jewish evidence even in China. Link

What I have found in the bible distinctly separates the tribes from the North of Israel (often referred to as Ephraim) who were first conquered and exiled by Assyria ( from the Jews who were later taken to Babylon. Bible students know the details of the separation of these tribes from Judah when Rehoboam, son of Solomon imposed unfair taxes upon them and the kingdom was divided around 930 BCE. (Link)

The two groups of Israelites that went astray and were taken into captivity were the northern tribes by Assyria in 720 BCE and later Judah to Babylon in 587 BCE: The prophet Jeremiah describes both Israel and Judah’s unfaithfulness in chapter 3. See link.

Prophecies speak of a people who were, for all extents and purposes, lost. And yet there is the indication that YHVH never forgot them and will bring back a remnant to the land of Israel. It is obvious from the writings of the prophets that there will be a remnant that returns from the nations. They may not even know who they are.


During the past couple of years since Hamas invaded Israel in the ensuing war since the October 7 massacre, I have seen many people across the globe take at least a verbal stand in support of Israel. This war seems to have created a dividing line between those who love Israel and its values and those who support the corruption of the terrorist regimes which threaten to annihilate not only Israel but all of Western Society.

Maybe I am thinking too far outside the box, but I believe there is a spark of Israel in everyone that stands with Israel. It is as if the blood of the descendants cries out against the evil onslaught against their brethren. Could these be those of the ten lost tribes, just beginning to recognize something that has been hidden ever since they went astray? Who is this remnant, and how will Israel recognize their lost brethren? Israel is not an easy place to immigrate to. What will change this? Perhaps we need a Messiah with Divine insight, or at least a Movement that opens the doors to all who support Israel and are willing to take their lot among the Jews of this nation.

Many of those who love Israel are found within the Christian Church. Some have converted to Judaism, maybe not because they see it as a pure religion, but because something inside them cries out to be with their brethren. But whether their religion is Judaism or not, these people stand with Israel. And it is interesting to note that, apparently according to the Bible the ingathering happens before these lost brethren wake up to some of their mistaken beliefs. Hosea speaks of this:

Hos 14:1-2, 4-9 – “Hos 14:1-2 “1 O Israel, return unto YHVH thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 2 Take with you words, and return unto YHVH: say unto him, take away all iniquity, and accept that which is good: so will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips.”4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. 5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. 6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. 7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. 8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found. 9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of YHVH are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.”

Below are a sampling of texts on the subject of the lost tribes and their return. There is still much to be discovered and as many others believe, I also am of the opinion that with or without a particular Messiah figure, these lost exiles will return. Whether it be a universal movement or an actual human figure that brings these things about, we will have to wait and see.

Isa 43:1, 5-6 “1 But now thus saith YHVH that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. … 5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;”

Jer 31:7-11- “7 For thus saith YHVH; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O YHVH, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. 8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travails with child together: a great company shall return thither. 9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. 10 Hear the word of YHVH, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. 11 For YHVH hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.”

Eze 11:16-17:
“16 Therefore say, Thus saith YHVH GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. 17 Therefore say, Thus saith YHVH GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”


Eze 28:25-26 – “25 Thus saith YHVH GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. 26 And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am YHVH their God.”

Eze 37: 11-23:  “And thou, son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 and join them for thee one to another into one stick, that they may become one in thy hand.” (Link to whole passage)

Eze 45:8 – “8 In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.”


I for one am waiting with baited breath for the return of our lost brethren. May it be within my lifetime. And let me say that as I see Israel pushing back the borders and taking back land that was once given to them, I see this all unraveling. As it says in Isaiah 54:


Isa 54:1-3 – “1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith YHVH. 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. 3 For thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.”

Ariella Golani

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Who’s on First?

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Parshat Balak

By Ariella Golani

President Trump has been nominated by Netanyahu for the Nobel Peace Prize, hmmm!– but should all the hullabaloo really be about Trump? Is there no God in Israel? Are we courting the nations again? 

For some, Trump holds a position almost as if he is a Messiah. I don’t argue that it was an awesome thing to come alongside and help Israel slow down Iran’s nuclear development, but what else is on the back burner? We hear creeping suggestions of ceasefire and some even voice ideas that a two-state solution might be waiting in the wings, Really? Right when Israel is set to regain sovereignty over the black holes (those places that for time immemorial have fomented hatred for Jews, continually attacking and killing us while chanting “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea”–the slogan behind pushing us into the Mediterranean!

But lest we get terribly stressed at what is going on in the political world, let’s ask our selves something.  Do we not know what the Bible says? — That YHVH raises up kings to do His will, and when they no longer do that will they fade from view. Let’s take a look at the verse: 

“20 … Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his. 21 And he changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings, and sets up kings; he gives wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding;” Dan 2:20-21.

Are we truly in God’s mind? Sometimes it doesn’t seem like it, but Inspiration says:  “He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” Psa 121:4.

Maybe we will be surprised if we see things happen that take away some of Trump’s pomposity. King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient history, succeeded until he came to the point of boasting about all that he had done, shortly afterward he was found wandering around eating grass like a beast.

“30 The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee: 32 and thou shalt be driven from men; and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen; and seven times shall pass over thee; until thou know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will.” 

Dan 4:30-32. 

In Parshat Balak we have the prophecy of Balaam who endeavors to curse Israel. Balaam’s donkey speaks to him which he strangely doesn’t find odd. Balaam’s was warned by the Angel of YHVH that he must speak only what he is given, and he stubbornly continues on his journey.  He was not able to curse Israel even after three attempts, each time blessing them instead. In his final attempt, the Spirit of God spoke through him about Israel in end times.

“17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth. 18 Edom shall be dispossessed, Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed, while Israel does valiantly. 19 By Jacob shall dominion be exercised, and the survivors of cities be destroyed!” 20 Then he looked on Amalek, and took up his discourse, and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, but in the end he shall come to destruction.” Num 24:17-20 

Does the Eternal have a hand in what is going on right now? What are the signs? Has Israel become like a lion, as it says in verses 8- 9:

“8 God brings him out of Egypt; he has as it were the horns of the wild ox, he shall eat up the nations his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them through with his arrows. 9 He couched, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed be every one who blesses you, and cursed be every one who curses you.” Num 24:8-9.

So, the secret of our strength is not about alliances with Nobel Prize candidates, but in humbling ourselves under the direction of the mighty God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. No man should be held up as Savior of Israel. 

YHVH made Balaam do his will and say what he wanted to be said. The same will happen today. Just let us place our focus where it should be! This is the point of the Parsha, that none can curse or bless Israel unless they are given the power to do so. Our destiny lies in the hands of YHVH, the Eternal God of His people! 

When we are tempted to complain about what’s going on, maybe there is something behind the scenes that will soon come into focus! I have to believe that, for God does not lie, and He keeps covenant with His people even when they fall short. 

Let’s keep hanging on! Despite all the craziness going on, it will all work out in the end!

250 Brass Fire Pans

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A Memorial for All Time?
By Ariella Golani

Take a deep breath and hang on to your seats while we dive into last week’s Parsha (Numbers 16 – 18.)

Parsha Korah is about defiance of law and order–Divinely appointed law and order and the historic results. This event, compared to today’s violent protests, seems to bring to the forefront the seed of human dissatisfaction with leadership and for the first time in Biblical history, the description of public efforts to take down a monarchy, a rulership or God forbid, an entire government. But, perhaps modern movements are not necessarily evil, nor, on the other hand, led by holy purposes. And since world governments at this time do not fall under the classification of Divine Order nor Divine Appointment, per se, then they cannot be judged by the same laws that were set up for the People of YHVH at Sinai. Nothing today resembles the Nation of Israel when it was set up through Moses.

The United States was founded on the constitutional principle of “a government by the people and for the people.” Noble and praiseworthy, as it was founded to be, it was never and still is not what was established at Sinai. The Sinai government, although idealistically perfect, also falls short of its ideal when men are no longer connected to the Source of Holiness. And we see the results today. But at the time of Moses and Aaron, things were of a different order.

What happened in Numbers 16 and 17 and why? How was it wrong then for the common people to rise up and take over that government?

It was clear from the start of the Exodus from Egypt that Moses and Aaron were in charge by Divine appointment. As always happens even in modern times, when people become disgruntled about being governed, they rise up, protest, create anarchy, and sometimes succeed in an overthrow.

Klal Israel, while in Egypt, had been under oppressive tyrannical rule, made into slaves, yes-men, if you will, and not given the opportunity to think for themselves. When they were given freedom, they swung to the opposite extreme. Now they became rebellious, complaining was the agenda for anything that went wrong, and blame was placed on anyone who came between them and their comfort zone. And because Moses was the specified leader, he was caught trying to bring order out of chaos, As we well know, this bit of complaining about leadership is a typical human problem. Will humanity ever get it that righteous leadership is not the same as oppressive tyrannical governments?

So they were hungry, or at least didn’t see where they would find food in the near future while camped in the desert! The water was about gone and based on what they could see, they would surely die of thirst! This showed they were not ready to trust God, nor His leadership. A people of slaves, when set free, becomes a narcissistic group of complainers. Do it my way or else! Haven’t we seen this elsewhere in the world? Slaves, who are set free, now demand that their governments do everything for them?

So, in Parsha Korah, we see a disgruntled Levite of the lineage of Kohath, son of Levi, organize a group to defy the authority of Moses and Aaron and perhaps bring about a coup d’etat. He and two Rubenites: Dathan and Abiram, plus 250 leaders of the community join him to question the authority of Moses and Aaron, asserting that since the entire nation is holy, basically then, anyone may serve in the office of priesthood in the Tabernacle. Thus, a seething rebellion against Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s son, Eliezer was fomenting and must be dealt with. 

Moses asked Korah directly if he was seeking the priesthood, since his duties, though set apart as a Levite, were to serve the Tabernacle and minister to the people in a different role. He felt cheated because he was not allowed the highest and holiest order. His narcissistic views led to open rebellion and many lost their lives because of it.

The story goes that the 250 were told to bring fire pans to burn incense and there would be a Divine selection of whom God chose to serve. Korah, Dathan and Abiram and the 250 were to present themselves before the LORD at the Tabernacle the next morning, Korah and his rabble showed up but Dathan and Abiram refused.

The upshot of the story is that the people were to move away from the tents of these three.  The ground opened up and swallowed them their children and all their belongings. The 250 who offered incense in their fire pans were consumed by a fire that came out from YHVH. Then Eliezer, Aaron’s successor, was told to collect the pans and pound them out for a covering for the altar:

“The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before YHVH, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel. And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar: To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as YHVH said to him by the hand of Moses.” – Num 16:38-40.

But as if this were not enough to get their attention:

41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of YHVH. 42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of YHVH appeared.” Num 16:41-42.

You know, it almost seems that the people thought that Moses and Aaron had some kind of magical powers and that they really were not dealing with the God of the Universe. How could they not reverence the Eternal when they had seen His direct leading? When they had witnessed His power and glory?

So then after still maintaining that Moses and Aaron had killed the people of God, we see the miracle of Aaron’s rod budding and the people fearing to even come near to the Tabernacle.

But, there is something important here, the brazen fire pans were pounded out and used to cover the altar, not the golden altar of incense, but the altar of sacrifice, located in the courtyard. This clearly signifies that the courtyard is the place available to the common people for all time. The priests were the only ones allowed in the Holy Places of the Tabernacle. And only the High Priest, a direct descendant of Aaron, was allowed in the Most Holy place.

Is it any different now? If and when we build a third temple, will religious leaders be smitten before YHVH for pretending to have the right to serve as priests, when their qualification for religious leadership comes from certificated Yeshiva education? Are they Levites by blood? And even if they are Levites, are they truly Kohanim? (Descendants of Aaron)?

Have things changed with Heaven’s order for the worship of the Temple just because we live in modern times and do not follow the Torah’s clear instructions in this regard? Is it really true that scholastic institutions can train students to think like Moses and guarantee the mantle of Heaven? Maybe this needs a hard look in light of where we are today.

If we no longer hear a Voice from Heaven, how can we get back on track?