Shelach שְׁלַח-לְךָ - Send For Yourself
Torah Portion: Numbers 13:1-15:41
Numbers 15:8–16
15:8 When you prepare a bull for a burnt offering or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace offerings to Hashem, 9 then he shall offer with the bull a meal offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil; 10 and you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Hashem. 11 Thus it shall be done for each bull, for each ram, for each of the male lambs, or of the young goats. 12 According to the number that you shall prepare, so you shall do to everyone according to their number.
13 “‘All who are native-born shall do these things in this way, in offering an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Hashem. 14 If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Hashem, as you do, so he shall do. 15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner, a statute forever throughout your generations. As you are, so the foreigner shall be before Hashem. 16 One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner with you.’”
Today’s Meditation:
This is what I love about Torah. It is not only for His chosen people, the Jews, but also for the stranger who joins with them. In verses 15 and 16, we read, “As you are, so the foreigner shall be before Hashem. One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner with you.” Torah is clearly for everyone who wants to follow and love Hashem. Yes, there is a lot to learn from His chosen people. They have been studying the Torah for centuries upon centuries. So, it is imperative to study from the sages and those who live now who are teaching His Word. We must learn from the native-born and join with them. By joining, I mean supporting the Jewish people with prayer, finances, and material aid. Support Israel in every way possible. Oppose those who boycott Israel and pray for peace for Jerusalem. Every day I pray this prayer, “Adonai, please return the land to the people. Please return the people’s hearts to you (and to people all over the world). And please return the Mashiach to the Temple, to rule and reign from Jerusalem forever.
Today’s Challenge:
If there is one Torah for the stranger and the native born, then it is essential to study, know, and follow the commandments. That’s why I have written Torah 365, which covers the weekly Torah portions daily. It is a one-year cycle, and every year you study it, I promise you will learn something new. Most importantly, we must apply what we are learning to our lives. Today, we study the offerings and how to do them. We can’t do these offerings without a Temple. But, how about this? Let’s offer as a sacrifice our prayers, our giving to others, our repentance, and our love for Hashem to others. We are called to be a light to the nations. Let’s begin doing that today.
