faith

Choices

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By Ariella Casey

There is a philosophy among religious groups that proclaims that people are born into a certain path and that no matter which choices they make, they will end up according to their predetermined destiny. Sadly, this is embraced by a lot of people, religions and even some branches of Judaism. 

Alongside this belief in Destiny, comes the fact that many Jews believe that being born Jewish actually makes them chosen and that this automatically makes all of their choices lead them to fulfill their predetermined destiny. I have heard that all Jews inherit the hereafter. But none of this is Biblical. 

Speaking to Israel, Moses challenged them before he died: 

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou may live, thou and thy seed; to love Jehovah thy God, to obey his voice, and to cleave unto him; for he is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou may dwell in the land which Jehovah swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” (DEU 30:19-20)

Adam Rishon chose in Gan Eden to eat the fruit that would open two options for their descendants–two consciousnesses, if you would, are out there speaking to the human will; the power for good and the power for evil. If a young person chooses correctly even as a small child–that is, to follow the path of good, it becomes easier and easier each time faced with a decision, to choose the correct path. The evil voice becomes quieter and quieter until there is almost no drive for the evil inclination. The same thing happens if a child is rebellious and tries out the evil that is before him. The next choice becomes easier and easier, and if he does not correct his path, he will end up fully under the power of evil. It becomes as a steel trap for which he cannot choose the right even if he thinks to do so. 

But it is clear that this is all up to the individual. The Bible does not support the idea of people who are destined to hell. It often seems that way when we see evil parents abusing their little ones and causing them to rebel and try out the path of evil. Maybe we should say that parents have a lot to do with the choices their kids make! 

Exodus 20:5 tells us that evil continues to the third and fourth generation of those who hate the God of the Universe. But is that predestination? Or is that the result of a person’s choices? Is one’s destiny affected by the choices his parents make?

So what about those before the Great Flood?

When we study the lives of those before the Flood, we see two lines of people, the righteous and the wicked. Perhaps this suggests predestination. But let’s not jump to that conclusion, yet. Those who chose well opened a path for their descendants, just as those who did evil to their offspring. If we take the mathematical rule established above, (of 3 to 4 generations of evil after a parent rebels), then, if the offspring do not turn and repent of the evil of their fathers, and leave that system, the evil will continue from them another 3 or 4 generations and thus, from one generation to another, maybe onward thus forever. But once in a while we see someone rebel against the evil that has been placed upon them, turn 180 degrees and do what is right. Let’s see if this is right!

“And if he has begotten a son that is violent, a shedder of blood, and that does only one of any of these things, and that does not any of those duties, but also has eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbor’s wife, hath oppressed the poor and needy, exercised robbery, hath not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, committed abomination, given forth upon usury, and taken increase; shall he then live? He shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall certainly die; his blood shall be upon him.” 

“But lo, if he has begotten a son that sees all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considers, and does not such like: — he hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; he hath not defiled his neighbor’s wife, and hath not oppressed any, nor withholden the pledge, neither hath exercised robbery; he hath given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a garment; he hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, and walked in my statutes: he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall certainly live. As for his father, because he practiced oppression, exercised robbery upon his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity. And ye say, Why doesn’t the son bear the iniquity of the father? But the son hath done judgment and justice, hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them; he shall certainly live.” (Eze 18:10-19)

It is really simple, do good and live, do evil and die! The choice is yours! But it will take some self-denial and complete overhaul of one’s inclinations! 

The mistaken idea that Jews are somehow born sanctified is erroneous. In fact, all mankind is allowed to follow the Torah if they so choose! God forbid that the King of the Universe should alienate anyone who desires to serve Him!

People say that the Tanakh was written for Jews (including all the 12 tribes), but is this true? What about that person out in La La Land who suddenly sees that there is a better way and chooses to join himself to the covenant and follow as best he can? Some call them Gerim. Some call them Gentiles. But is this person exempt from the covenant just because he was not born Jewish? 

It is a terrible lie that only Jews can be chosen! Read all the verses in Tanakh about the Ger, the stranger, the foreigner, or however your Bible reads! 

“Thus saith Jehovah, Keep ye justice, and do righteousness; for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that does this, and the son of man that holds it fast; that keeps the sabbath from profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the foreigner, that hath joined himself to Jehovah, speak, saying, Jehovah will surely separate me from his people; neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith Jehovah of the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and hold fast my covenant: Unto them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also, the foreigners that join themselves to Jehovah, to minister unto him, and to love the name of Jehovah, to be his servants, every one that keeps the sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. The Lord Jehovah, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, saith, Yet will I gather others to him, besides his own that are gathered.” (Isa 56:1-8)

Read that again! YHWH is going to gather together “others, besides his own”!

We see Jews making people into Noahides because they can’t accept the idea of being challenged by the multitudes that want salvation. The Tanakh makes it clear that people can take hold of the covenant and live among the people of Israel. According to the Torah, even some of the enemies of Israel could become part of the people and worship with them after several generations. 

“An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of Jehovah; even to the tenth generation shall none belonging to them enter into the assembly of Jehovah forever:” (Deu 23:3). 

A close reading of this verse shows that until the 10th generation, they would not be permitted in the Beit HaMiqdash. When it says forever, it cannot mean never. As I understand it, it is this rule that applies forever. So what does it mean? That a Moabite chooses to live among the people of Israel is not allowed to enter into the Temple for 10 generations. Why so strict? Evidently, with these idolaters, the evil was so great that it was uncorrectable for 10 generations! What about Ruth–(a Moabitess)? Did this somehow not apply because she married a Jew? Only three generations later, David was born and lived as a Jew and entered the Holy Temple. He even planned the building of the first temple. Did that somehow invalidate the declaration made by Moses in Deuteronomy? Does marriage change a bit of the effect of one’s ancestry?  Could it be that the combination in marriage changes the curse of the tenth generation? Obviously, the children will be raised differently in a mixed marriage.

To sum it up, the door of Heaven is always open to those who repent and turn from their evil ways and take hold of the covenant. Choices have to be made and resolute firmness in following the path of the just:

“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.” (Pro 4:18)

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Parashat Chukat

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Introduction by Ariella Casey

In the following articles, we focus on the Red Heifer of Parsha Chukat, Numbers 19:1-22:1. The first article explores some of the studied beliefs of Jewish sages, as well as gives over some of the thoughts of our guest author. The second article, also from Serafini’s research, is strictly Karaite. Your comments are appreciated.

By Guest author Nathanael Serafini

Parashat Chukat begins with the laws of the *parah adumah* – the red heifer – including the process necessary for preparing the waters of purification and the purification ritual itself. The Torah introduces the topic in this way: “This is the law of the Torah” (Numbers 19:2).

These words evoke an obvious exegetical question: why did the Torah not say “This is the law of the red heifer”? After all, the subject that follows consists of the laws of the red heifer, not the entirety of the Torah’s laws.

Additionally, if a person touches a dead human body, they are considered *tamei met* (impure from death) for seven days. During this period, such a person cannot enter the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple), and it goes without saying that they cannot participate in the sacrifices offered there. The person is purified again when they are sprinkled with water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer on the third and seventh days of their impurity.

The red heifer had to be of a very rare color, completely red and free of black (or white) hairs. Furthermore, no yoke was to have been placed upon the animal. This was no small feat in a country where cows were among the most used animals for fieldwork. Finding such a cow was evidently an arduous task, and when it was found, its price soared. Our Sages tell us that over the hundreds of years during which our nation lived on its land, the red heifer was discovered only a few times, after which it was slaughtered so that the ashes could be prepared.

Anyone reading this passage for the first time must find it perplexing. And even those who read it year after year may feel uneasy trying to interpret this law. What is this law supposed to be? Why ashes? Why a cow? And why did it have to be red?

We should not feel uneasy if we have never succeeded in understanding how – or why – this works. It is one of the most peculiar laws of the Torah, and even our Sages testified that it is a decree made by God Himself, a decree that surpasses human understanding. Nevertheless, we will try to make sense of it all and evaluate what lies behind this enigmatic subject.

Two teachings will help us understand the topic.

In one of these teachings, we can ask the following question: “Why were all the sacrifices male sheep or goats, while this one was a female cow?” In the Scriptures, the responsibility of motherhood is often associated with the faults of their children, for example in the case of Hagar with her son Ishmael (Genesis 21:10), and other matriarchs like Leah and Rachel held the same responsibility regarding their sons (Genesis 30:16). Although we Karaites have faith only in the Miqra (Tanakh), it is interesting to read for informational purposes the opinions of the midrashim that sometimes illustrate Torah concepts. In this regard, we find: “Let the cow come and atone for the sin of the calf” (Bamidbar Rabba 19:8).

It would therefore be appropriate to understand that the burning of the red heifer is symbolically on the same level as the sin of the golden calf and the impurity it produced, and we now ask the cow to wipe it away, in the sense of erasing, of making *teshuvah*. How do we do that? And what is the connection between these two things?

Why could the red heifer atone for the sin committed with the golden calf? Isn’t this sin scarlet red? Aren’t all sins scarlet red? So it is this symbolic red color of sin that gives the desired dimension to this “red” heifer. Life is found in the blood (Leviticus 17:11) and is carried by the blood, which is its home; it is the bearer of life but also an indicator of death, which comes to an individual who has played with life (Genesis 4:10). And when the ashes of the heifer are burned, they become white, as it is said: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).

These two symbols point us in the same direction: the sin of the golden calf is the most significant of all sins, especially since it was the first sin committed after the Torah was given at Mount Sinai. It serves as a model for other human failings. The essence of this failure is people’s attachment to a material and sensory world: in showing the golden calf, the people exclaimed: “These are your gods, O Israel” (Exodus 32:4).

The desire to cling to materialism has led us to imagine that material objects are what truly matter, while spirituality and the living soul are merely ephemeral phenomena. A confrontation with death could intensify this feeling: faced with death, man feels how ephemeral and arbitrary the physical world is.

Man might, unfortunately, come to think that material life is the foundation of our existence in the world, and that without the physical component, the world has no meaning. The feeling of emptiness one feels in the face of death is what the Torah calls *tumah* – impurity – and this is what the Torah attempts to eradicate. The red heifer reminds us that decay in the world is the product of sin.

What is eternal in man is shaped by his morality and by the model or image of the Creator that exists in each of us. By burning the red and turning it white, we are reminded that a person can correct their failures. Although these corrections are not enough to save a person’s life, the spiritual and moral aspects derived from the Creator are immortal.

This is why the section begins with the words “This is the law of the Torah.” This verse does not only address the laws of the red heifer. The true subject we are discussing is the essence of human life.

This life, do we place it under the control of the “red,” that is, of the materialistic, individualistic world, without faith or law? Or does each person understand that they have a vested interest in knowing what to do with the time allotted to them? Time that belongs to the timeless values of the Torah and the eternal divine spirit of the Creator, which is rooted in every human being He created and to whom He asks for an account, as a Judge full of mercy.


Nathanaël Serafini

The following article, also submitted by Nathanael Serafini, expresses a Karaite View from the Firkovich collection of Karaites of St. Petersburg 1876.

The Logic of the Red Heifer

Impurity is the consequence of the encounter between a living human and death. A stone cannot become impure because it has never known life. Death is the opposite of life, and the shock caused by encountering it shakes life. An Israelite is more impure than a non-Jew. Similarly, a woman who gives birth to a boy is impure for seven days because she carried a living body within her. When she gives birth to a girl, she is impure for two weeks because the girl herself has the potential to carry life. Her impurity is thus doubled.
The purification from the impurity of death is achieved through the red heifer by “resurrection.”
The Torah says: Warn the children of Israel to choose a heifer for you: A heifer – a female – a symbol of fertility, not a bull. The heifer gives life.
Red: the color of life.
Unblemished: perfect vitality.
Which has not yet borne the yoke: whose vitality has not been diminished.
You will give it to the priest Eleazar… it shall be slaughtered: the slaughtering is the annulment of life.
It is burned entirely: its skin, flesh, and blood, along with its dung, are burned. Absolutely everything.
Outside the camp: outside the place of life, where it is reduced to ashes. Ashes, unlike dust, do not coalesce and are not fertile. It is the absolute division.
Death also dominates the plant world. The largest tree is the cedar. The smallest is the hyssop. He shall take cedarwood, hyssop, and scarlet, and cast them into the fire burning the heifer (Num. 19:6). These are the extremes of the plant world. The heifer and the scarlet represent the extremes of the animal kingdom. The worm is what remains of man.
The maximum of life is reduced to the pinnacle of death.
A human being consists of a body and a soul. The body is like an earthen vessel, opaque. The soul is like a flow of living water. Man is a vessel containing living water.
We take the ashes, the trace of death, and resurrect them with living water – like the soul, in a vessel – like the body. That is why this water is used to purify from the impurity of death.
The mystery of the red heifer is elucidated.
If it is so simple, why did Solomon say: “I said, ‘I will be wise,’ but it was far from me” (Ecclesiastes 7:23), alluding to the mystery of the red heifer? It is because the key to the mystery is still distant. The transition from life to death and from death to life remains a mystery, as does the mystery of life within matter, as our sages, the Hakhamim, said: “Prodigious in action (creator) – who binds the spiritual to the material.”

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Parsha Koraj–6 Julio 2024

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La Rebelión de Koraj (Números 16:1-18:32)

El libro de Números, ya sea que revele eventos dados en secuencia real o no, revela varias rebeliones del pueblo de Israel mientras aún estaba en el desierto. Están las quejas por la falta de agua y luego las murmuraciones pidiendo alimento “sustancial” además del maná; están las dudas de Mirian sobre la autoridad de Moisés y su posterior separación del campamento durante siete días. Está el hombre que claramente recogió leña para encender un fuego en sábado. Luego sigue la historia del malvado informe de los 10 espías y la consiguiente rebelión. Ahora asistimos a otro levantamiento y revuelta catastrófica. Varios levitas, primos de los hijos de Aarón, se sienten ofendidos por ser excluidos del sacerdocio, y vemos cómo esto nuevamente conmueve a todo el pueblo de Israel. Vemos la forma en que YHWH maneja la rebelión, destruyendo por completo a quienes instigaron el caos y a sus seguidores; Koraj, Datán y Abiram y 250 más que eran líderes de la congregación. Después, comienza una plaga entre la gente y 14.700 más son destruidos.

Al examinar los relatos de estas rebeliones escritos uno tras otro, veo que Israel tiene problemas para seguir su liderazgo divinamente designado. Uno se preguntaría cómo alguien podría involucrarse en una revuelta después de tantos años de esclavitud en Egipto, donde, bajo el látigo, recibieron órdenes de malvados capataces y las siguieron con precisión. ¿Donde si desobedecían, el resultado era la muerte? Cuando, después de una salvación milagrosa de la mano de Faraón, se relajan en una atmósfera de misericordia y protección de Dios y son guiados por su líder designado, Moisés, quien estuvo dispuesto a morir por el pueblo, adoptan la actitud de mimados, niños con derechos (al igual que la sociedad hoy en día) y se rebelan ante cualquier cosa que suponen que ha pisoteado sus derechos. Ahora rechazan la disciplina, son un pueblo testarudo (Exo 32:9). Lo que los ha hecho así es un misterio y continúa en nuestro mundo hoy. ¿Por qué alguien se rebelaría cuando todo está a tu favor? Fueron liberados de Faraón en el Mar Rojo, tenían alimento provisto diariamente, tuvieron protección del sol y del frío por una nube que les sigue en sus viajes, tuvieron un lugar de adoración ya preparado. Se les da protección contra Egipto y las otras naciones. Quizás lo único que no tuvieron era trabajo duro. Quizás ese sea el problema o parte de él. Cuando eran esclavos, no tenían tiempo para pensar, ni para quejarse y quejarse. Quizás esta sea la razón del mandamiento del sábado que declara: “seis días trabajarás”, que puede ser el secreto del verdadero descanso. Tenían demasiado tiempo libre y lo emplearon dudando y quejándose en lugar de construir su nueva sociedad. Las malas decisiones conducen al desastre.

En la historia de hoy, figuren Koraj, un Levita y sus amigos, Datán y Abiram y On.

“Y Koraj, hijo de Izhar, hijo de Coat, hijo de Leví, y Datán y Abiram, hijos de Eliab, y On, hijo de Pelet, hijos de Rubén, tomaron hombres: y se levantaron delante de Moisés. , con algunos de los hijos de Israel, doscientos cincuenta príncipes de la asamblea, famosos en la congregación, varones de renombre:” (Números 16:1-2)

“Y se juntaron contra Moisés y contra Aarón, y les dijeron: Vosotros tomáis demasiado sobre vosotros, siendo santa toda la congregación, cada uno de ellos, y YHWH está en medio de ellos; por tanto, os levantéis sobre los congregación de YHWH? Y cuando Moisés lo oyó, cayó sobre su rostro:” (Números 16:3-4)

La rebelión se abordó rápidamente, resultaba en la muerte no sólo de Koraj y sus dos amigos, sino también de los otros 250 a quienes se les ordenó quemar incienso en braseros. El terreno mismo se abrió y se tragó a los tres cabecillas y todo lo que poseían, incluidas esposas, hijos y pertenencias. Los 250 partidarios fueron consumidos por un fuego de YHWH.

Es fácil decir que tal vez el castigo fue demasiado duro. ¿Cómo afrontaríamos esto hoy, cuando casi todos los países han eliminado la pena de muerte? Antes, la traición solía conllevar la pena de muerte. ¡Quizás por eso el mundo se ha vuelto loco hoy! Seamos amables con los que se rebelan, al fin y al cabo, ¡sus sentimientos también importan más que la paz de la sociedad! Pero, afortunadamente, esta no fue la forma en que Dios manejó las cosas; tal vez nos hemos desviado mucho de la manera en que Dios obra en este mundo.

Lo que realmente sorprende de esta historia, es que el resto del pueblo, con su historia de rebelión, es decir, el maná, el informe de los espías y la rebelión de Koraj, protagonizaron una revuelta, alegando que Moisés y Aarón habían matado al pueblo de YHWH.

“Pero al día siguiente toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel murmuró contra Moisés y contra Aarón, diciendo: Habéis matado al pueblo de YHWH. Y aconteció que cuando la congregación se reunió contra Moisés y contra Aarón, miraron hacia el tabernáculo de reunión; y he aquí, la nube lo cubrió, y apareció la gloria de YHWH.” (Números 16:41-42)

¿Cómo podría alguien creer que el asesinato de los tres cabecillas y sus 250 cohortes fue una maniobra inventada por Moisés y Aarón para mantener su liderazgo? ¿Estaba la gente completamente loca? ¿Cómo habría abierto Moisés la tierra y se habría tragado a estos hombres y sus familias? ¿Qué tal el incendio que vino y quemó el 250? De donde vino eso? ¿Creían que Moisés era un mago y que al rebelarse podrían obtener lo que querían y reemplazarlo?

En ese momento comenzó una plaga entre el pueblo y Moisés ordenó a Aarón que interviniera, saliendo entre el pueblo con su brasero e incienso. Y la plaga se detuvo después de que 14.700 personas murieran.

Para mostrar finalmente el liderazgo de Aarón el Cohen Gadol y sus descendientes directos, YHWH da una señal. Le dice a Moisés:

“Habla a los hijos de Israel, y toma de cada uno de ellos una vara según las casas de sus padres, y de todos sus príncipes, según las casas de sus padres, doce varas; escribe el nombre de cada uno en su vara. Y tú escribirás el nombre de Aarón en la vara de Leví; porque una vara será para los jefes de las casas de sus padres, y las guardarás en el tabernáculo de reunión delante del testimonio, donde me reuniré contigo. Y sucederá que florecerá la vara del hombre que yo escoja, y haré cesar de mí las murmuraciones de los hijos de Israel con que murmuran contra vosotros. (Números 17:2-5)
“Y aconteció que al día siguiente Moisés entró en el tabernáculo del testimonio; y he aquí, la vara de Aarón para la casa de Leví reverdeció, y produjo renuevos, y floreció en flores, y dio almendras. … Y YHWH dijo a Moisés: Trae de nuevo la vara de Aarón delante del testimonio, para que sea guardada como señal contra los rebeldes; y quitarás de mí sus murmuraciones, para que no mueran.” (Números 17: 8, 10).

¿Pero qué vemos hoy? No tenemos un templo santo, solo tenemos sinagogas. La mayoría de los judíos religiosos no han aceptado realmente la Torá de Moisés, sino su propia sustitución, a la que llaman Torá Oral (o tora shebal peh). ¿No es esto nuevamente un movimiento similar al de Koraj para destronar a Moisés y al Dios del Universo? Creo que todo el caso de persecución de los judíos desde la destrucción del Templo tiene que ver con una Torá Oral erudita babilónica y un rechazo de la única religión verdadera establecida en el Sinaí. Pero pocos saben lo que pasó en Babilonia y a pocos, si es que a alguno, les importa. ¡Quizás necesitemos algún terremoto para abrir la tierra nuevamente!

Parsha Korach — 6 July 2024

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The Rebellion of Korach (Numbers 16:1-18:32)

The book of Numbers, whether it reveals events given in actual sequence or not, reveals several rebellions of the people of Israel while still in the desert. There is the complaining about lack of water, then murmuring for “substantial” food other than the manna; there is Miriam’s doubting of Moses’ authority and her subsequent seven-day separation from the camp. There is the man who clearly gathered wood to build a fire on the Sabbath. Then follows the story of the evil report of the 10 spies and the consequent rebellion. Now we see another catastrophic uprising and revolt. Several Levites, cousins of Aaron’s sons, are offended that they should be excluded from the priesthood, and we see how this again stirs up the entire people of Israel. We see the way YHWH handles the rebellion, completely destroying those who instigated the chaos and their followers; Korach, Dathan and Abiram and 250 more who were leading men of the congregation. Afterward, a plague starts among the people and 14,700 more are destroyed. 

As I examine the accounts of these rebellions written one after the other, I see that Israel has a problem following their divinely-appointed leadership. One would wonder how any could become involved in revolt after so many years of slavery in Egypt, where under the whip, they took orders from evil task masters, and followed them precisely? Where, if they disobeyed, the result was death?  When, after a miraculous salvation from the hand of Pharaoh, they relax in an atmosphere of God’s mercy and protection and are led by His designated leader, Moses, who himself was willing to die for the people, they take on the attitude of spoiled, entitled children (much like society today) and rebel at whatever they assume has trampled their rights. They now refuse discipline, they are a stiff-necked people. What has made them this way is a mystery and continues in our world today. Why would anyone rebel when you have everything going for you? You were delivered from Pharaoh at the Sea of Reeds, you have food provided daily, you have protection from the sun and the cold by a cloud that follows you on your travels, you have a ready-made place of worship. You are given protection from Egypt and the other nations. Perhaps the only thing you do not have is hard labor. Maybe that is the problem or part of it. When they were slaves, they had no time to think, no time to grumble and complain. Maybe this is the reason for the Sabbath commandment that declares: “six days you shall labor,” which may be the secret of real rest. They had too much time on their hands and spent that time in doubting and complaining rather than building up their society. Bad choices lead to disaster. 

In today’s story, Korach a cousin of Aaron, and his two friends, Dathan and Abiram and On who were Reubenites, rebel.

“Now Korach, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:” (Num 16:1-2)

“And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and YHWH is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of YHWH? And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:” (Num 16:3-4)

The rebellion is swiftly dealt with, resulting in the death of not only Korach and his two friends, but the 250 others who were ordered to burn incense in fire pans. The ground itself opened up and swallowed the three ringleaders and all that they owned, including wives,, children and belongings. The 250 supporters were consumed by a fire from YHWH. 

It is easy to say that maybe the punishment was too harsh. How would we deal with it today, when almost every country has done away with the death penalty? Treason used to carry the death penalty. Maybe this is why the world has gone mad today! Let’s be kind to those who rebel, after all, their feelings matter too! But this was not the way God handled things–perhaps we’ve wandered a long way from God’s ways of dealing in this world. 

What really is surprising about this story, is that the rest of the people, with their history of rebelling, i.e., the manna, the report of the spies, and the rebellion of Korach, they staged a revolt, claiming that Moses and Aaron had killed the people of YHWH. 

“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 YHWH. 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 YHWH appeared.” (Num 16:41-42)

How could anyone believe that the killing of the three ringleaders and their 250 cohorts was a maneuver trumped-up by Moses and Aaron to maintain their leadership? Were the people completely mad? How would Moses have made the ground open and swallow these ringleaders? How about the fire that came and burned up the 250? Where did that come from? Did they think Moses was a magician and that by rebelling they could get what they wanted and replace him? 

At this point, a plague began among the people and Moses commanded Aaron to intervene, going out among the people with his fire pan and incense. And the plague stopped after 14,700 had died. 

To finally show the leadership of Aaron the Cohen Gadol and his direct descendants, YHWH gives a sign. He tells Moses:

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod. And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.” (Num 17:2-5)

“And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. … And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.” (Num 17: 8, 10).

But what do we see today? We have no holy temple, we have only synagogues. The majority of religious Jews have not truly accepted the Torah of Moses, but rather their own substitution, which they call Torah. Is this not again a Korach like movement to dethrone Moses and the God of the Universe? I believe the whole case of persecution of Jews ever since the destruction of the Temple has to do with a Babylonian learned Oral Torah and a rejection of the one true religion established at Sinai. But few know about what happened in Babylon and few, if any, care. Perhaps we need some earthquakes to open the ground again!

Parasha Shlaj

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30 June 2024

Números 13:1-15:41

La Parashá Shlaj comienza con una orden de YHWH a Moisés de enviar líderes de las tribus a espiar la tierra de Canaán. Observamos que estos son líderes del pueblo de Israel. Se dan los nombres de estos líderes tribales. Estos incluyen a Caleb, hijo de Jefuná, y Oseas, hijo de Nun. Menciono estos dos por su importancia en lo que sucede en la historia después de los 40 días en Canaán. Antes de emprender su viaje, Moisés cambia el nombre de Oseas a Yehoshua.
Este detalle es importante. Con el nuevo nombre, el significado cambia de “salvación” a “YHWH salva”.

¿Por qué se cambió el nombre de Oseas en ese momento?

*Oseas había sido un niño bajo el cuidado de Moisés, y ya era hora de que creciera.
*El significado del cambio de nombre claramente puso la responsabilidad de la salvación en YHWH, y no en Yehoshua.
*Parece que Yehoshua era el emisario personal de Moisés, YHWH quería señalarlo como líder y usar su nombre como mensaje a Israel.

Después de 40 días, los espías regresaron llevando un enorme Eshcol (racimo) de uvas que era tan pesado que tuvo que ser transportado en un poste entre dos de los hombres. Pero no todo es como se esperaba. Diez de los 12 llevan un informe alarmante. Su informe conmueve a la gente acerca de los gigantes de la tierra. Afirman que se les aparecieron a ellos mismos y a los que vivían en la tierra como “saltamontes”. Esta declaración muestra su falta de fe en Aquel que los envió. Muestra su idea de que ellos mismos estaban a cargo y que Dios no era parte de este viaje. Si su líder se llamaba Yehoshua (YHWH salva), entonces ¿de qué tenían miedo?

En ese momento Yehoshua y Caleb se levantaron, tratando de detener la locura.

“Y Yehoshua hijo de Nun y Caleb hijo de Jefone, que eran de los que reconocían la tierra, rasgaron sus vestidos, y hablaron a toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel, diciendo: La tierra por la que pasamos para reconocerla, es una tierra muy buena. Si YHWH se agrada de nosotros, entonces nos traerá a esta tierra y nos la dará como tierra que mana leche y miel; pero no os rebeléis contra YHWH, ni temáis. el pueblo de la tierra; porque ellos son pan para nosotros; su defensa ha sido quitada de ellos, y YHWH está con nosotros; no les temáis.” (Números 14:6-9).

Note que Yehoshua declaró que la defensa (protección) de esos enemigos (los cananeos, los anakim, los nefilim, etc.) les había sido quitada.

De hecho, ¿por qué tenemos miedo hoy cuando los descendientes de este mismo pueblo intentan destruirnos? ¿Dónde está Yehoshua? ¿No tenemos una promesa que nos mantendrá a salvo? ¿Somos el Pueblo de Alianza o no? Cuando vemos incendios que llegan pero no nos tocan, cuando vemos bombas que caen en campos abiertos y tan pocas han muerto, ¿por qué no podemos creer que se les ha quitado la defensa de Hamás y Hezbolá?

Sabemos que el pueblo creyó el malvado informe de los 10 espías y estaban listos para apedrear a Yehoshua y Caleb. De repente, la presencia de Dios descendió sobre el Mishkán para mostrar su desaprobación por su falta de fe y el deseo del pueblo de matar a aquellos que permanecían en fe para la misión que su Dios había ordenado. Y los diez cabecillas de la rebelión, los espías que llevaban un mal informe, fueron heridos por una plaga de YHWH. Recordemos que estos eran los estimados líderes de las tribus. Sólo Yehoshua y Caleb se salvaron. En cuanto al resto del pueblo que murmuraba y se quejaba, estaban destinados a morir en el desierto, sólo sus hijos pequeños menores de 20 años subirían a poseer la tierra.

Y nuevamente, después de que Moisés les dijo que era inútil, un grupo de ellos se rebeló y se dirigió a la tierra de Canaán y fueron exterminados sumariamente por los amalakitas.

La parashá continúa con ofrendas por diferentes cosas, que no discutiremos aquí, pero luego habla de blasfemia y rebelión (capítulo 15:30-31) que se castiga con la muerte, y luego presenta el ejemplo del hombre que recogía leña en sábado. . Si se ve en contexto, el motivo de la lapidación no fue una obra accidental que alguien hizo, tiene que ver con la rebelión contra lo que el hombre sabía que estaba prohibido. Fue sacado y apedreado según la palabra de YHWH. Muchas veces los estudiantes de la Biblia no miran el contexto. En este caso fue claramente un acto de rebelión, ya que sigue el mandato de dar muerte a quienes blasfeman y se rebelan.

Los últimos versos de la parashá terminan con la orden de usar Tzitzit, un hilo azul en las esquinas de la prenda. Tienen que ver con aprender a seguir a YHWH y no a las intenciones del corazón:

“Habla a los hijos de Israel, y diles que se hagan flecos en las cenefas de sus vestidos por sus generaciones, y que pongan en la cenefa de cada cenefa un cordón de azul: y os será por flecos. , para que miréis y os acordéis de todos los mandamientos de YHWH, y los cumpláis, y no sigáis vuestro propio corazón ni vuestros propios ojos, después de lo cual os prostituís; para que os acordéis y cumpláis todos mis mandamientos, y seáis santos para vuestro Dios.” (Números 15:38-40)