Bamidbar - Day #2

Bamidbar בְּמִדְבַּר - In the Wilderness  

Torah Portion: Numbers 1:1-4:20

Numbers 1:20–54

1:20 The children of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 21 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22 Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those who were counted of it, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 23 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24 Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 25 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

26 Of the children of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 27 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Judah, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28 Of the children of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 29 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30 Of the children of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 31 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32 Of the children of Joseph: of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 33 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand five hundred.

34 Of the children of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 35 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36 Of the children of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 37 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38 Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 39 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40 Of the children of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 41 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

42 Of the children of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 43 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44 These are those who were counted, whom Moses and Aaron counted, and the twelve men who were princes of Israel, each one for his father’s house. 45 So all those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war in Israel— 46 all those who were counted were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty. 47 But the Levites, after the tribe of their fathers, were not counted among them. 48 For Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 49 “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not count, neither shall you take a census of them among the children of Israel; 50 but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it. 51 When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death. 52 The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions. 53 But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel. The Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”

54 Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that Hashem commanded Moses, so they did.

Today’s Meditation:

Today, we are reading about all the tribes and their princes being counted for possible war. And we learn that the Levites are not counted but set aside to take care of the Tabernacle. They are the only ones who can pack up, carry, and set up the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Hashem has set them apart to do this work. It makes me think about our spiritual leaders today. Our rabbis and our pastors, whose job it is to take care of their family of believers. And even the buildings they meet in. Hashem has called them into this service, just like He did with the Levites so many years before. We should respect them and help provide for them. Do you have a rabbi or pastor in your life?

Today’s Challenge:

Why all the organizing of the tribes? Why does Hashem divide His people into tribes? Maybe so that each person living with their family would feel part of a bigger community. They would be loyal to the larger group and defend their families. Hashem always knows the very best way to motivate and protect His people. And this is the way He chose. 

Sometimes we have authority over us that will direct us in specific ways. If they are not part of our family (for example, our boss), are we obligated to obey them? Of course we are. Do a check on yourself and your authority. Make sure you are following them and obeying their requests (unless they are illegal or immoral). Remember, they are in charge and have been appointed to be the authority. We should respect them.

Bamidbar - Day #1

Bamidbar בְּמִדְבַּר - In the Wilderness  

Numbers 1:1-4:20

Torah Portion: Numbers 1:1-19

1:1 Hashem spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, every male, one by one, 3 from twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go out to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall count them by their divisions. 4 With you there shall be a man of every tribe, each one head of his father’s house. 5 These are the names of the men who shall stand with you:

Of Reuben: Elizur, the son of Shedeur.

6 Of Simeon: Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai.

7 Of Judah: Nahshon, the son of Amminadab.

8 Of Issachar: Nethanel, the son of Zuar.

9 Of Zebulun: Eliab, the son of Helon.

10 Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim: Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

11 Of Benjamin: Abidan, the son of Gideoni.

12 Of Dan: Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai.

13 Of Asher: Pagiel, the son of Ochran.

14 Of Gad: Eliasaph, the son of Deuel.

15 Of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan.”

16 These are those who were called of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel. 17 Moses and Aaron took these men who are mentioned by name. 18 They assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their ancestry by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, one by one. 19 As Hashem commanded Moses, so he counted them in the wilderness of Sinai.

Today’s Meditation:

In the Book of Numbers, we read about organization and leadership. This vast group of Hebrew people and mixed multitude will travel through some challenging territory to reach the Promised Land of Israel. They will need to be organized, demonstrate strong leadership, and follow orders. As we already know, the story is that some of the leadership fail, and some of the soldiers fail. Nonetheless, the structure is in place. Hashem, in all His perfect Wisdom, is starting to reveal His plan for success. And that is how it is today. He picks leaders for us to serve under, and through this, we are to follow His instructions. A thought for today is that we must respect the leaders Hashem appoints, whether we like them or not. We pray for them that they will hear from Adonai at all times. Remember, everything we do we do in service to Hashem.

Today’s Challenge:

Think about the leaders you have in your life. Are you respecting them? Are you following their instructions without grumbling or objection? Yes, if you have valuable input to offer, it is good to share it. But if, in the end, your leader chooses to go a different way (unless it violates Torah), you are to go with him/her. I am thinking about someone in leadership in my life whom I have not been respecting very well lately. I challenge myself to do better. And I challenge you to do the same.

Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) Completed

Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) Completed

After completing the reading of a book of the Torah, it is tradition to say, "Chazak, chazak, venitchazek!" which means "Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened!" This is a customary expression of encouragement to continue studying the Torah and to return to it in the future. And that is just what we hope you will do. 

Behar/Bechukotai - Day #7

 Behar/Bechukotai

Torah Portion: Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14

Shabbat: Leviticus 27:16-34

27:16 “‘If a man dedicates to Hashem part of the field of his possession, then your valuation shall be according to the seed for it. The sowing of a homer of barley shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. 17 If he dedicates his field from the Year of Jubilee, according to your valuation, it shall stand. 18 But if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, then the priest shall reckon to him the money according to the years that remain to the Year of Jubilee; and an abatement shall be made from your valuation. 19 If he who dedicated the field will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of your valuation to it, and it shall remain his. 20 If he will not redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more; 21 but the field, when it goes out in the Jubilee, shall be holy to Hashem, as a devoted field. It shall be owned by the priests.

22 “‘If he dedicates a field to Hashem, which he has bought, which is not of the field of his possession, 23 then the priest shall reckon to him the worth of your valuation up to the Year of Jubilee; and he shall give your valuation on that day, as a holy thing to Hashem. 24 In the Year of Jubilee, the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land belongs. 25 All your valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs to the shekel.

26 “However, the firstborn among animals, which belongs to Hashem as a firstborn, no man may dedicate, whether an ox or a sheep. It is Hashem’s. 27 If it is an unclean animal, then he shall buy it back according to your valuation, and shall add to it the fifth part of it; or if it isn’t redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation.

28 “‘Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that a man devotes to Hashem of all that he has, whether of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. Everything that is permanently devoted is most holy to Hashem.

29 “‘No one devoted to destruction, who shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed. He shall surely be put to death.

30 “‘All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is Hashem’s. It is holy to Hashem. 31 If a man redeems anything of his tithe, he shall add a fifth part to it. 32 All the tithe of the herds or the flocks, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy to Hashem. 33 He shall not examine whether it is good or bad, neither shall he exchange it. If he exchanges it at all, then both it and that for which it is exchanged shall be holy. It shall not be redeemed.’”

34 These are the commandments which Hashem commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.

Today’s Meditation:

The tenth of the crops and animals that are dedicated to Hashem in this passage are actually given to the Tabernacle for the priests to manage. I do not understand all the details of this, except that Hashem asks His people to do this. And if you think of it, it makes sense. We have crops, animals, and blessings, only because Hashem has given them to us. To give back to Him or to serve Him is appropriate and actually an honor. It reminds us that everything is His. He owns “all the cattle on the hill”. 

Today’s Challenge:

We may not have instructions here on how to give a tithe of the things we own when there is currently no Temple, but we can still find ways to honor these commands in our lives. We can tithe to people and organizations that serve Hashem and His Torah to the best of their ability. That’s my challenge for you today. Are you giving back to Hashem at least 10% of what He has loaned to you in this life? Many wonderful organizations in Israel support aging Holocaust victims, the poor, the Temple, small businesses in the areas where Jews are not highly populated, and, of course, the incredible establishments in our own country that help people who are not fortunate. Pray and seek ways to financially support someone else or an agency that serves Hashem. You will be blessed in return, and you will be obeying His Torah.

This Week’s Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14

16:19 Hashem, my strength, and my stronghold,

    and my refuge in the day of affliction,

the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth,

    and will say,

“Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies,

    vanity and things in which there is no profit.

20 Should a man make to himself gods

    which yet are no gods?”

21 “Therefore, behold, I will cause them to know,

    this once I will cause them to know My hand and My might.

    Then they will know that My name is Hashem.”

17:1 “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron,

    and with the point of a diamond.

It is engraved on the tablet of their heart,

    and on the horns of your altars.

2 Even their children remember their altars

    and their Asherah poles by the green trees on the high hills.

3 My mountain in the field,

    I will give your substance and all your treasures for a plunder,

    and your high places, because of sin, throughout all your borders.

4 You, even of yourself, will discontinue from your heritage that I gave you.

    I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you don’t know,

    for you have kindled a fire in My anger which will burn forever.”

5 Hashem says:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man,

    relies on strength of flesh,

    and whose heart departs from Hashem.

6 For he will be like a bush in the desert,

    and will not see when good comes,

but will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,

    an uninhabited salt land.

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem,

    and whose confidence is in Hashem.

8 For he will be as a tree planted by the waters,

    who spreads out its roots by the river,

and will not fear when heat comes,

    but its leaf will be green,

and will not be concerned in the year of drought.

    It won’t cease from yielding fruit.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things

    and it is exceedingly corrupt.

    Who can know it?

10 “I, Hashem, search the mind.

    I try the heart,

even to give every man according to his ways,

    according to the fruit of his doings.”

11 As the partridge that sits on eggs which she has not laid,

    so is he who gets riches, and not by right.

In the middle of his days, they will leave him.

    At his end, he will be a fool.

12 A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning,

    is the place of our sanctuary.

13 Hashem, the hope of Israel,

    all who forsake you will be disappointed.

Those who depart from me will be written in the earth,

    because they have forsaken Hashem,

    the spring of living waters.

14 Heal me, O Hashem, and I will be healed.

    Save me, and I will be saved;

    for You are my praise.

Today’s Haftarah Meditation:

In verse 17:6, we read that man is cursed who follows man, not Elohim. In 17:7, we read that the man who follows Hashem is blessed. Simple. If we follow Hashem, we will be happy and fulfilled; if we do not, then we will find life hard and barren. What do you choose? To follow or not to follow? I choose Hashem.

Today’s Haftarah Challenge:

Verse 16:19 says Hashem is a refuge in the day of affliction. That means when things are really going wrong, you can run to Him, and He will comfort and shelter you. But, only if you are following Him and obeying His Torah, loving and serving Him. It’s like you can feel whether He is there for you. If you sin, it seems He leaves the room. If you do things to please Him, it looks like He is ever-present. My challenge to you today is, if you are going through a difficult time, to look for Adonai. Try to trust in your heart that He is there for you. He does have a plan; it’s just that His time is different from ours. Try to be patient. And start praising Him for things you have asked Him to do. I am confident He will hear you. And also try your hardest to follow Torah to the best of your ability. He will reward you.

Behar/Bechukotai - Day #6

Behar/Bechukotai

Torah Portion: Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Leviticus 27:1-15

27:1 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘When a man consecrates a person to Hashem in a vow, according to your valuation, 3 your valuation of a male from twenty years old to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 4 If she is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels. 5 If the person is from five years old to twenty years old, then your valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels. 6 If the person is from a month old to five years old, then your valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver. 7 If the person is from sixty years old and upward; if he is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels. 8 But if he is poorer than your valuation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall assign a value to him. The priest shall assign a value according to his ability to pay.

9 “‘If it is an animal of which men offer an offering to Hashem, all that any man gives of such to Hashem becomes holy. 10 He shall not alter it, nor exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good. If he shall at all exchange animal for animal, then both it and that for which it is exchanged shall be holy. 11 If it is any unclean animal, of which they do not offer as an offering to Hashem, then he shall set the animal before the priest; 12 and the priest shall evaluate it, whether it is good or bad. As the priest evaluates it, so it shall be. 13 But if he will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of it to its valuation.

14 “‘When a man dedicates his house to be holy to Hashem, then the priest shall evaluate it, whether it is good or bad. As the priest evaluates it, so it shall stand. 15 If he who dedicates it will redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of your valuation to it, and it shall be his.

Today's Meditation:

Today, we read about dedicating people, animals, and houses to Hashem. I’m not sure exactly what this meant, but here are instructions on how to do it. It makes me think. Do we dedicate everything we have to Hashem? Do we dedicate our children, our spouses, our homes, our jobs, and our belongings to Him? Or do we believe we earned it all through our hard work and initiative? When we bought the house we live in, we had some special friends come over, anoint it with oil, walk the property boundaries, and dedicate it to Hashem. I believe this house has been set apart for Him. And now that we are selling it and moving it, I pray that a family who loves Hashem will continue to know it is really His and belongs to Him.

Today’s Challenge:

Today, I challenge you to reflect on the things in your life that you own. Your home, kids, family, and material items. If you haven’t already dedicated them to Hashem, then do so today. Take time to pray and even to anoint your children, your home, etc., with oil. Give it all to Hashem and thank Him for all He has given you.

Behar/Bechukotai - Day #5

Behar/Bechukotai

Torah Portion: Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Leviticus 26:10-46

26:10 You shall eat old supplies long kept, and you shall move out the old because of the new. 11 I will set My tent among you, and My soul won’t abhor you. 12 I will walk among you, and will be your Elohim, and you will be My people. 13 I am Adonai your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you walk upright.

14 “‘But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these commandments, 15 and if you shall reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances, so that you will not do all My commandments, but break My covenant, 16 I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it. 17 I will set My face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.

18 “‘If you in spite of these things will not listen to Me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins. 19 I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your sky like iron, and your soil like bronze. 20 Your strength will be spent in vain; for your land won’t yield its increase, neither will the trees of the land yield their fruit.

21 “‘If you walk contrary to Me, and won’t listen to Me, then I will bring seven times more plagues on you according to your sins. 22 I will send the wild animals among you, which will rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number. Your roads will become desolate.

23 “‘If by these things you won’t be turned back to Me, but will walk contrary to Me, 24 then I will also walk contrary to you; and I will strike you, even I, seven times for your sins. 25 I will bring a sword upon you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant. You will be gathered together within your cities, and I will send the pestilence among you. You will be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 When I break your staff of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver your bread again by weight. You shall eat, and not be satisfied.

27 “‘If you in spite of this won’t listen to Me, but walk contrary to Me, 28 then I will walk contrary to you in wrath. I will also chastise you seven times for your sins. 29 You will eat the flesh of your sons, and you will eat the flesh of your daughters. 30 I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and My soul will abhor you. 31 I will lay your cities waste, and will bring your sanctuaries to desolation. I will not take delight in the sweet fragrance of your offerings. 32 I will bring the land into desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it will be astonished at it. 33 I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you. Your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste. 34 Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land. Even then, the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. 35 As long as it lies desolate, it shall have rest, even the rest which it didn’t have in your Sabbaths when you lived on it.

36 “‘As for those of you who are left, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf will put them to flight, and they shall flee, as one flees from the sword. They will fall when no one pursues. 37 They will stumble over one another, as it were, before the sword, when no one pursues. You will have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 You will perish among the nations. The land of your enemies will eat you up. 39 Those of you who are left will pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers they shall pine away with them.

40 “‘If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, in their trespass which they trespassed against Me; and also that because they walked contrary to Me, 41 I also walked contrary to them, and brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled, and they then accept the punishment of their iniquity, 42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham; and I will remember the land. 43 The land also will be left by them, and will enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them; and they will accept the punishment of their iniquity because they rejected My ordinances, and their soul abhorred My statutes. 44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly and to break My covenant with them; for I am Hashem their Elohim. 45 But I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their Elohim. I am Hashem.’”

46 These are the statutes, ordinances, and laws, which Hashem made between Him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by Moses.

Today’s Meditation:

We read today all about the cost of not following Hashem and His commandments. And it is so sad and horrible. The worst is the scattering out of the Land. If we can’t be in the Land, we can’t go to the Temple or even have a Temple. The punishment for sinning against Hashem has always been severe. But He continues to be full of mercy and grace. Verses 40 and 41 give us the solution, the resolve. First, we must repent. Earnestly, confess to Hashem our sins and make restitution. Secondly, we must walk humbly before Him. In other words, put Hashem first in our lives. Revolve our lives around Him and His Scriptures, not expect Him to revolve Himself around what we choose. And lastly, we must accept our punishment. We learn when we are punished, and most likely we will be more careful not to sin again in fear of Hashem and His punishment. We know sin has consequences, and it is super hard to accept these. But, we must do so that we can return to Him, and return to the Land. We want to stay attached to the Covenant with Hashem. Let’s try to be careful from now on.

Today’s Challenge:

It’s about priorities. This week, I was miserable. We are in the middle of getting our house ready to sell, and, as most of you know, that is an incredible amount of work. I have been working hard and have been overwhelmed. What really happened was that I started worrying about a lot of things, which put a lot of stress on me. All my priorities were getting out of order. I put stuff before Elohim, instead of keeping Him in first place. Then, through talking with some prayer partners, I realized that I was not trusting Hashem. I have been trying to do everything in my own strength rather than relying on Him. It has been suffocating to live this way. Last night I made a decision. My life is Elohim’s, and whatever and however He wants to move in my life, it is time to surrender it all to Him. I want Him to be in my everyday life, showing me the way. I want to go back to trusting Him and following Him. I want to depend on Him to lead my way, and not try to do this all on my own. That is my challenge to you today: to turn everything over to Hashem. If you are struggling, ask Him for help and then wait on Him. Try to stop doing things on your own and trust in Him. Put Elohim back in the first spot in your life. Make Him number one. Then everything else will fall into line.