Passover–More than a Memory!

As we look at the things that were commanded in the ancient past of the religion of Israel and compare it to what is done today, we find major differences. Whether they are acceptable or “off the derech” is up to the individual to sort out. But let me ask a few questions of you!

We are currently at the time of Passover and there are a lot of things that don’t line up when reading the passages in the Tenakh that define what was commanded to be done and what was done in the original instance. 

The past few days I have been thinking about several of these things. I wrote an article about leaven, arranged a wave sheaf on the dining table as a reminder of what was required on the first day of unleavened bread. My husband gathered wild barley from an open field near us here in Israel. We will plan to wave it and break off some of the grains. 

Some would say, but there is no Temple, so you can’t do this! But a close look at the passages concerning Passover show that the barley sheaf which was only to be gathered “in the land” was not connected to the temple. 

The article I wrote was mainly about leaven vs fermentation (see it here). When a follower on my website, commented that there was more to look at, for example, the lamb sacrifice, I did a retake.  

The lamb sacrifice was originally done in Egypt without a Temple. It was done by individual families and did not require a priest to officiate! Correct! But the excuse we have heard for years is that we don’t do any of this without a Temple. Maybe we have been wrong about this!

What would happen if families got together and sacrificed a lamb on the 14th day of Aviv (Nissan)? That is a scary thought! What does the lamb sacrifice mean anyway? Does it have anything to do with killing the abomination of the Egyptians, which is idolatry? Does it mean that we are to cleanse out all idolatry before taking part in Passover? And what is Passover anyway, other than a commemoration of the leaving of Egypt? What about the call to leave Babylon? –the galute? Or do we even consider that the Jews (Israelites) should have abandoned all these places long ago? 

From my contemplation of the lamb sacrifice, what seems to appear is that its purpose was to rid ourselves of the idolatry imposed upon us by Egypt (the nations), actually bringing us to a cleansing. Why do many Jews prefer to live in other nations? Do they/we love the way the nations live? Why were so many rules about Halakha created to keep Jews as a separate and often strange people, allowing us to continue outside the land? Basically, why do the nations not respect us? Is it because we have added so much to the law of our God that we are unrecognizable as a pure and holy nation? Would we be able to continue in the diaspora if we only accepted the laws given on Sinai? Except for one thing, you can’t really follow Torah outside the land. Many of those laws aresignificant only in Israel. I mean how can you enforce the rule to not eat fruit from your trees until the fourth year when you buy fruit from a big supermarket in Europe or America? How do you know it has been harvested correctly? How do you wave the barley sheaf when it is clearly an Israeli harvest which is specified? But again, these laws and many others were for Jews in their homeland–Israel!

But back to Passover and the lamb…

What if we began to sacrifice a lamb on Passover? That is a scary thought, but with the Temple out of the picture, what prevents it as a command which should be practiced? I can’t imagine the pain it would cause me if I had to kill an innocent lamb! If people had to do this every year, would it make them think? And consider what it means to get rid of the leavening before the 7 days of the week of Unleavened Bread. Yeast is that which inflates, changes the nature (the truth) about the kernel of the grain used for bread baking. Is it possible that the yeast is what has happened to the Word of YHVH in changing it to an inflated law that requires years of Yeshiva to study and learn it? So the requirements of Passover and Unleavened Bread may be a way to get back to the real Torah of YHVH, and more than just a memorial!

Happy Peshach and Unleavened Bread!

Ezekiel 11:17: “Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord YHVH: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”

Ariella

Sion: Tierra de Visión

¡Qué no importemos la diáspora!
Por Ariella Casey

Durante casi 2000 años el pueblo de Dios estuvo esparcido por todas las naciones. Podemos culpar a Roma como la causa principal de esto y de gran parte de la persecución posterior que se produjo, pero ¿por qué aparentemente YHVH se alejó de nosotros? Y aunque esta dispersión fue profetizada y dada como advertencia (Levítico 24:14-33), la trágica historia continúa entristeciendo los corazones de quienes intentan regresar al camino de los justos. Pero ¿cómo sabremos el camino de regreso? ¿Y dónde está este camino de todos modos? ¿Qué fue lo que condujo originalmente a esta trágica historia? ¿Será que Dios de alguna manera se olvidó de nosotros? ¿Elegimos dejar de seguir la luz? Al leer la Biblia parece que ‘cambiamos de caballo en medio del arroyo’, pero ¿cómo y cuándo? ¿Y cómo volvemos a donde necesitamos estar? ¿Cuándo reemplazaron los rabinos a los profetas? 

Durante más de 2000 años no hemos tenido un profeta genuino. Algunos pueden argumentar, pero cuando aplicamos el estándar bíblico para los profetas (Deuteronomio 18:22), vemos que ninguno de los que han sido considerados como poseedores del don de profecía en realidad califica. Yo le diría a cualquiera que piense lo contrario, que me muestre la evidencia de que no agregaron ni restaron a la Torá original. Dejando a un lado los milagros y las profecías cumplidas, si cambian aún un solo principio de la Torá, no califican. 

Pero a pesar del horrible sufrimiento pasado, hoy hay esperanza. Pero esta esperanza solo está disponible en la tierra de Israel. ¿Cómo es eso? Eche un vistazo a lo que Isaías, uno de los últimos profetas, dice sobre la esperanza y la restauración en la tierra:

“El desierto y la tierra árida se alegrarán; y el desierto se alegrará, y florecerá como el tulipán. Florecerá abundantemente, y se regocijará con alegría y canto: le será dada la gloria del Líbano, la excelencia del Carmelo y el Sarón, verán la gloria de YHVH y la excelencia de nuestro Dios. 

Fortalece las manos débiles y fortalece las rodillas débiles. Di a los de corazón temeroso: Esforzaos, no temáis: he aquí, vuestro Dios vendrá con venganza, con recompensa divina; él vendrá y os salvará.

Entonces se abrirán los ojos de los ciegos y se abrirán los oídos de los sordos.

Entonces el cojo saltará como un ciervo, y la lengua del mudo cantará; porque en el desierto brotarán aguas, y arroyos en la soledad.

Y la tierra seca se convertirá en estanque, y la tierra sedienta en manantiales de agua; la habitación de los chacales se convertirá en pasto para ganado, en recinto de juncos y juncos.

Y habrá allí calzada y camino, y será llamado Camino Santísimo; el inmundo no pasará por él; y él será para ellos un guía, y los necios no se equivocarán en ello.

No habrá allí león, ni bestia rapaz subirá sobre ella, no se hallarán allí; pero los redimidos caminarán allí; y los redimidos de YHVH volverán, y vendrán a Sión con cánticos y gozo eterno sobre sus cabezas: tendrán gozo y alegría, y la tristeza y el gemido huirán.” (Isaías 35:1- 10 Biblia Koren)

¿Hay entonces alguna esperanza? Si hay en Sion. ¿Puede haber esperanza en algún otro lugar? ¿Quién regresará a la Tierra Santa? Los que son rescatados por el Todopoderoso YHVH que se acuerda de su alianza con Israel y el pueblo judío. ¿Puede haber cumplimiento de esta promesa fuera de la tierra? Solo hay un lugar seguro para los judíos. 

Así en la tierra de Israel se abrirán los ojos de los ciegos, según Isaías 35:5. ¿Los ojos de los ciegos? ¿Somos todos ciegos? La mayoría de nosotros no estamos físicamente ciegos, pero casi todos hemos estado en condición de la ceguera  espiritual. Hemos pensado que Dios nos ha dejado, o que no estamos siguiendo la Halajá (las reglas inventadas por los sabios) correctamente y que una vez que lo hagamos bien, tendremos una conexión con lo divino. Pocos sabemos que lo que hemos seguido entre las naciones no es requerido para vivir en la tierra de Israel. Gran parte de lo que siguieron los judíos en otros países fue inventado por los rabinos para proteger a sus feligreses de la asimilación. Pero al crear nuevas leyes, a menudo cambiaron las leyes mucho más allá de lo especificado en la Torá. Y eso, que ahora no es necesario para los que vienen a Israel, debe ser dejado a un lado mientras aprendemos de la Mano de Aquel que sigue presente para instruirnos. Es posible que necesitemos que nos despojen de todas nuestras ideas antes de poder ver por primera vez. Las vendas de nuestra vista espiritual sobre el estilo de vida deben ser quitadas antes de que podamos ver. 

Pero ¿qué pasa con aquellos que aún no han venido a Israel? ¿Qué pasa con las diez tribus que todavía flotan entre las naciones? Esto no es para condenar a los que aún no han venido. El proceso de canje está en curso. Pero, un día, todos los que son de Israel tendrán que venir si quieren ver de verdad. 

Pero debo decirles que Israel no es un lugar de consuelo. Es un lugar de prueba, un lugar para romper las cadenas, o despojarnos de ellas, de aprender a depender de la Mano que nos trajo hasta aquí. ¿Tenemos siquiera un poquito de confianza en el Eterno? 

Los israelíes que nacieron en esa tierra probablemente eran descendientes de quienes lucharon por establecer un hogar para el pueblo judío. Muchas de estas personas no cumplen estricta obediencia a las reglas de los rabinos. Pero son personas reales. Aman la tierra. Hacen todo lo posible para ayudarte cuando estás deprimido. Y son impulsivos e imprudentes mucho del tiempo. Y es posible que no toleren las tonterías diásporas. Hacen cosas no ordinarias como tomar prestado su lugar de estacionamiento y se detendrán y hablarán con un amigo en medio de la carretera cuando otros estén impacientes por pasar. Y piten o encienden las luces si simplemente vas al límite de velocidad para que ellos pueden rebasar. Pero todo es corazón, y eso es algo que muchos de nosotros hemos perdido mientras vivíamos en el extranjero. ¿Cómo se desarrolló esta cultura? Fue al luchar por el derecho de existir. Lucharse por la tierra que les fue entregada por Dios a nuestros antepasados. Muchos dieron su sangre por esta tierra y no están dispuestos a renunciar ni un centímetro de aquello para lo cual sus compatriotas dieron su sangre. 

La tierra de Israel es pura luz. ¿Cómo es eso? Es casi como si nada de lo que hacemos aquí estuviera oculto, ni de Dios ni de nadie. Todo queda bajo el escrutinio divino y la conciencia se aviva cuando se nos revelan nuestras faltas. Es el lugar de aprender a caminar, aprender a ver, aprender a oír. Una vez aquí, por un tiempo, no hay vuelta atrás. 

Pero Israel no es para todos, muchos han venido y no pueden acomodarse. Muchos han tratado de vivir una halajá estricta mientras vivían en la tierra y se han ido. Otros quieren las comodidades del estilo de vida de su diáspora, grandes juegos y espectáculos y hermosas casas y patios traseros. Pronto regresan a sus comunidades para restablecerse en el confort al que estaban acostumbrados. Y con razón, Israel no se trata de eso. Se trata de aprender, crecer y ser el pueblo de Dios. Y todos venimos con el deseo de lo viejo y familiar, los comestibles que acostumbramos en Egipto, simbólicamente. Pero cuando aprendemos que las vegetales y frutas son mucho más grandes, más dulces y las granadas y pomelos menos amargos, nos damos cuenta del sabor de la tierra de leche y miel. 

Algunos, para sentirse en casa, han desarrollado comunidades en las ciudades más “santas” del país. Estos lugares están llenos de judíos de la diáspora. Han recreado comunidades para los que observan las reglas religiosas más estrictas, siguiendo lo que consideran la voluntad de Dios. Pero muchos de nosotros nos mantenemos alejados de estas ciudades. De alguna manera no encajamos. 

Si tengo algo que destacar en esta publicación es el énfasis de que Sion no es un país cualquiera. Es una tierra mágica que abraza a sus hijos, pero vomita a los que no pertenecen aquí. A mí, me parece que la guerra del 7 de octubre fue una respuesta de la oscuridad para bloquear el llamado a los judíos a regresar a su legítima tierra. Muchos han llegado a Israel durante este tiempo. El miedo a la guerra no los ahuyentó. Esta fue una de nuestras muchas pruebas. La gente vino de todos modos. ¡Yo digo “Kol HaKavod” (bien hecho)! Muchos perciben el peligro que les espera y la urgencia de venir antes de que las naciones vendrían contra ellos. 

¡De hecho, es hora de volver a casa, hermanos míos! La tierra nos espera como una madre con los brazos abiertos.

¿Vendrán?

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Zion, the Land of Seeing

Stop importing the Diaspora!
by Ariella Casey

For nearly 2000 years God’s people were scattered to all nations. We can blame Rome as chiefly the cause of this and much of the subsequent persecution that came about, but why did Hashem apparently walk away? And though this scattering was prophesied and given as a warning (Leviticus 24:14-33), the tragic history continues to sadden the hearts of those who try to return to the path of the righteous. But how will we know the way back? And where is back, anyway? What was it that originally led to this tragic history? Is it that God somehow forgot about us? Did we choose to stop following the light? It seems from reading the Bible that we ‘changed horses in the middle of the stream’, but how and when? And how do we get back to where we need to be? When did rabbis replace prophets? 

For more than 2000 years we have not had a genuine prophet. Some may argue, but when we apply the Biblical standard for prophets (Deut. 18:22), we see that none who have been held up as having the gift of prophecy actually qualify. I would say to anyone who thinks otherwise, show me the evidence that they did not add to nor subtract from the original Torah. Miracles aside, and fulfilled prophecy aside, if they change even one principle of Torah they do not qualify. 

But regardless of the horrific past suffering, there is hope today. But this hope is available only in the land of Israel. How so? Take a look at what Isaiah, one of the latter prophets, says about hope and restoration in the land:

“The wilderness and the arid land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom like the tulip. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of the Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellency of the Carmel and the Sharon, they shall see the glory of YHVH, and the excellency of our God. 

Strengthen the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even with a divine recompense; he will come and save you.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then shall the lame man leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: the habitation of jackals shall become a pasture for cattle, an enclosure of reeds and rushes.

And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness: the unclean shall not pass over it; and he shall be to them a guide, and fools shall not err in it.

No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up on it, they shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: and the ransomed of YHVH shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isa 35:1-10 Koren Bible)

So is there any hope? There is in Zion. Can there be hope anywhere else? Who will come home to the land? Those who are ransomed by the Almighty YHVH who remembers his covenant with Israel and the Jewish people. Can there be a fulfillment of this promise outside the land? There is only one place of safety for the Jews. 

So in the land of Israel the eyes of the blind will be opened according to Isaiah 35:5. The eyes of the blind? Are we all blind? Most of us are not physically blind, but almost all of us have been spiritually blind. We have thought that God has left us, or that we are not following Halakha closely enough and that once we get it right, we would have a connection to the divine. Little do we know that what we have followed among the nations is not required in the land of Israel. Much of what was followed by Jews in other lands was invented by rabbis to safeguard their congregants from assimilation. But, in creating new laws, they often went too far, far beyond what was specified in the Torah. And that now being irrelevant for Israel, it needs to be laid aside as we learn first-hand from the ONE who is there to instruct us. We may need to have everything stripped away before we can see for the first time. The blindfolds of our former lifestyle must be removed before we will be able to see. 

But what about those who have not yet come to Israel? What about the ten tribes that still float around in the nations? This is not to condemn those who have not yet come. The redeeming process is ongoing. But, one day, all must come if they want to really see. 

But, I must tell you that Israel is not a place of comfort. It is a place of trial, a place of breaking down, or stripping off, of learning dependence upon the Hand that led us here. Do we have even a little bit of trust in the Eternal? 

Israelis who were born in the land probably were offspring of those who fought to establish a home for the Jewish people. Many of these people are not observant in the Orthodox sense. But they are real people. They love the land. They go out of their way to help you when you are down. And they are wild and reckless much of the time. And they may not tolerate your diasporic nonsense. They will borrow your parking place and stop and talk to a friend in the middle of the road when others are impatient to get by. And they will hoot at you or flash their lights if you are merely going the speed limit, and they want to get around. But they are all heart, and that is something many of us have lost while living abroad. How did this culture develop? By fighting for the right to exist. By fighting for the land that was given to the forefathers. Many gave their blood for this land and are unwilling to give up even an inch of what their compatriots gave their blood for. 

The land of Israel is pure light. How so? It is almost as if nothing we do here is hidden, no not from God and not from anyone. Everything comes under Divine scrutiny, and the conscience is quickened as our faults are revealed to us. It is the place of learning to walk, learning to see, learning to hear. Once here for a while, there is no going back. 

But Israel is not for everyone, many have come and do not make it here. Many have tried to live strict Halakha while living in the land and have left. Others want the comforts of their diaspora lifestyle, big games and shows and lovely heated homes and backyards. They soon go back to their communities, to reestablish themselves in the comfort they were accustomed to. And rightly so, Israel is not about that. It is about learning and growing and being the people of the Book. And we all come with a desire for the old and familiar, the leeks and the onions of Egypt. But when we learn that the leeks are much bigger, the fruit is sweeter, and pomegranates and grapefruits less bitter, we realize the taste of the land of milk and honey. 

And others have developed communities in the most “Holy” cities of the land. These places are full of these Diaspora Jews. They have recreated communities for the blind, following that which they feel is the will of God. But many of us stay away from these cities. We somehow do not fit in. 

If I have anything to stress in this publication, it is the emphasis that Zion is not just any country. It is a magical land that hugs its children but spews out those that do not belong here. That the war of October 7 was a response from the dark to block the call for the Jews to return to the land. Many have made their way to Israel during this time. The fear of war did not drive them away. This was one of our many tests. People came anyway. I say Kol HaKavod! Many read the handwriting on the wall that the nations would come against them if they did not come home. 

It is indeed time to come home, my friends! The land awaits us like a mother with outstretched arms.

Will you come?

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