Ki Tavo - Day #1

Ki Tavo כִּי-תָבוֹא - When You Enter In  

Torah Portion: 

Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8

Deuteronomy 26:1–11

26:1 It shall be, when you have come in to the land which Hashem your Elohim gives you for an inheritance, possess it, and dwell in it, 2 that you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land that Hashem your Elohim gives you. You shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place which Hashem your Elohim shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. 3 You shall come to the priest who shall be in those days, and tell him, “I profess today to Hashem your Elohim that I have come to the land which Hashem swore to our fathers to give us.” 4 The priest shall take the basket out of your hand, and set it down before Hashem your Elohim’s altar. 5 You shall answer and say before Hashem your Elohim, “My father was a Syrian ready to perish. He went down into Egypt and lived there, few in number. There, he became a great, mighty, and populous nation. 6 The Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and imposed hard labor on us. 7 Then we cried to Hashem, the Elohim of our fathers. Hashem heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 Hashem brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs, and with wonders; 9 and He has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 Now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, Hashem, have given me.” You shall set it down before Hashem your Elohim and worship before Hashem your Elohim. 11 You shall rejoice in all the good which Hashem your Elohim has given to you, and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the foreigner who is among you.

Today's Meditation:

Your testimony/story is so important. When you have a story about how incredible Hashem has been in your life, you need to tell others. Today, we learn that when they come into the land, the Israelite is to bring their first fruits to the Tabernacle. When he brings it in, he is to give the testimony to the priest. The story of redemption and being freed from slavery in Egypt. It is a beautiful and incredible testimony of the greatness of Elohim. As we read it today, let us remember how we were all once slaves and delivered into freedom through Hashem and His Torah.

Today’s Challenge:

After you share your personal testimony, we are to praise Him. In verse 11, we read, “You shall rejoice in all the good which Hashem your Elohim has given to you, and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the foreigner who is among you.” Hashem wants to be happy and praised for all He does and provides, not only to us but also to those around us. My challenge for you today is to take some time to tell Hashem how much you love Him. Thank Him for your family, friends, dwelling place, and all you have. Thank Him that you are so privileged to know Him and to know and follow His Torah. He gives us life. Without Him and all He is, we have nothing. That is a lot to be grateful for. 

Ki Teitzei - Day #1

Ki Teitzei כִּי-תֵצֵא - When You Go Out  

Torah Portion: 

Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19

Deuteronomy 21:10–21

21:10 When you go out to battle against your enemies, and Hashem your Elohim delivers them into your hands, and you carry them away captive, 11 and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you are attracted to her, and desire to take her as your wife, 12 then you shall bring her home to your house. She shall shave her head and trim her nails. 13 She shall take off the clothing of her captivity, and shall remain in your house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month. After that, you shall go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 It shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go where she desires; but you shall not sell her at all for money. You shall not deal with her as a slave, because you have humbled her.

15 If a man has two wives, the one beloved and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated, and if the firstborn son is hers who was hated, 16 then it shall be, in the day that he causes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not give the son of the beloved the rights of the firstborn before the son of the hated, who is the firstborn; 17 but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.

18 If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and though they chasten him, will not listen to them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his place. 20 They shall tell the elders of his city, “This our son is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” 21 All the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall remove the evil from among you. All Israel shall hear, and fear.

Today’s Meditation:

Some interesting verses (commandments) today. What to do if you bring back a female enemy and want to take her as your wife? Or if you have two wives and one is hated, but she has the firstborn. It seems Hashem is fair even in these unusual situations. Not that we can understand all this, but we know we can trust in Hashem and His greatness. Some things in the Torah we may not be able to comprehend, but we can still depend on Hashem’s Word. 

Today’s Challenge:

In the last part of today’s portion, we read about what happens to a disobedient, drunkard son. There is no mercy. He is taken out of the city and stoned. This may seem harsh to us today, but Hashem has His reasons once again. He wants to maintain peace and set an example. In verse 21, He explains why, “So you shall remove the evil from among you. All Israel shall hear, and fear.” First of all, He does not want any evil in His presence, and secondly, the rest of the people will see the punishment and be afraid to ever do the same. 

My challenge to you today is to see if you are setting an example with your family and friends. If your child does something wrong, is there strict punishment? Or do you just casually say, “Oh, Johnny, please don’t do that.” I believe Hashem wants discipline for those who are rebellious. So they can learn and set an example. In this case, it was death. But we can look at it today as the death of a habit or sin. Be consistent and fair in your discipline. And let your children know that you do it because you love them.

Shoftim - Day #1

Shoftim שֹׁפְטִים - Judges  

Torah Portion:

Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9

Deuteronomy 16:18–17:13

16:18 You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Hashem your Elohim gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. 20 You shall follow that which is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which Hashem your Elohim gives you. 21 You shall not plant for yourselves an Asherah of any kind of tree beside Hashem your Elohim’s altar, which you shall make for yourselves. 22 Neither shall you set yourself up a sacred stone which Hashem your Elohim hates.

17:1 You shall not sacrifice to Hashem your Elohim an ox or a sheep in which is a defect or anything evil; for that is an abomination to Hashem your Elohim

2 If there is found among you, within any of your gates which Hashem your Elohim gives you, a man or woman who does that which is evil in Hashem your Elohim’s sight in transgressing His covenant, 3 and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the stars of the sky, which I have not commanded, 4 and you are told, and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire diligently. Behold, if it is true, and the thing certain, that such an abomination is done in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil thing to your gates, even that same man or woman; and you shall stone them to death with stones. 6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death. At the mouth of one witness, he shall not be put to death. 7 The hands of the witnesses shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall remove the evil from among you.

8 If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise, and go up to the place which Hashem your Elohim chooses. 9 You shall come to the priests who are Levites and to the judge who shall be in those days. You shall inquire, and they shall give you the verdict. 10 You shall do according to the decisions of the verdict which they shall give you from that place which Hashem chooses. You shall observe to do according to all that they shall teach you. 11 According to the decisions of the law which they shall teach you, and according to the judgment which they shall tell you, you shall do. You shall not turn away from the sentence which they announce to you, to the right hand, nor to the left. 12 The man who does presumptuously in not listening to the priest who stands to minister there before Hashem your Elohim, or to the judge, even that man shall die. You shall put away the evil from Israel. 13 All the people shall hear and fear, and do no more presumptuously.

Today’s Meditation:

Today is all about the Israeli judicial court system. They were to go to the priests and the judge, listen to them, and do what they say. There must be at least two witnesses to an offense. It’s all about fairness. We may think it super harsh to enforce the death penalty, but remember, they are entering a land filled with paganism. Hashem wants to protect them against this. And to set an example. It is His decision to do things this way. At the time, life and death were handled quite differently from how they are today. His desire has always been, and will always be, that people follow Him, not false gods. And that is what we also desire to do.

Today’s Challenge: 

We are told in verse 19, “You shall not pervert justice.” Taking bribes or favors to help a guilty person be freed is not allowed. It is not allowed in our United States judicial system.  However, that does not mean that it is not happening. Look at our lobbyists who so influence our lawmakers. Money and promises during election years determine support for potential candidates. Our justice system is perverted every day. In our system, if the accused (defendant) in a case has money and influence, they are likely to win. The less advantaged person without money will face a very different type of trial and is likely to be sentenced, whether guilty or not. In the USA, our judicial system has its roots in Judeo-Christian teachings, but what really happens when someone goes to court can be a different story. 

My challenge to you today is to do your part in defending the defenseless. Hashem will show you who they are and how you can help them. And if you can help bring justice to our court system, I pray that Hashem will help you do so. Let’s each do what Hashem enables us to do to ensure people are treated fairly and that our constitutional rights are protected.

Re'eh - Day #1

Re'eh רְאֵה - See!  

Torah Portion: 

Deuteronomy 11:26-16:1

Deuteronomy 11:26–12:10

11:26 Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of Hashem your Elohim, which I command you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of Hashem your Elohim, but turn away out of the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. 29 It shall happen, when Hashem your Elohim brings you into the land that you go to possess, that you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal. 30 Aren’t they beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the Arabah near Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh? 31 For you are to pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Hashem your Elohim gives you, and you shall possess it and dwell in it. 32 You shall observe to do all the statutes and the ordinances which I set before you today.

12:1 These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall observe to do in the land which Hashem, the Elohim of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods: on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 3 You shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, and burn their Asherah poles with fire. You shall cut down the engraved images of their gods. You shall destroy their name out of that place. 4 You shall not do so to Hashem your Elohim. 5 But to the place which Hashem your Elohim shall choose out of all your tribes, to put His name there, you shall seek His habitation, and you shall come there. 6 You shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your free will offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock there. 7 There you shall eat before Hashem your Elohim, and you shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which Hashem your Elohim has blessed you. 8 You shall not do all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes; 9 for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which Hashem your Elohim gives you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan and dwell in the land which Hashem your Elohim causes you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you, so that you dwell in safety.

Today’s Meditation:

In verse 12:5, we learn that there is a place where Hashem will dwell, where He will put “His name”, but to the place which Hashem your Elohim shall choose out of all your tribes, to put His name there, you shall seek His habitation, and you shall come there.” That special place is at first the Tabernacle, then the Temples (first and second). Right now, we do not have a Temple. But we will. It is promised in Scripture. And there He will place His name, and there He will be seen, and we will be there also. It will be in Jerusalem, and it will be when the Mashiach comes. We will be commanded to go there at least for the three required Feasts. But I am sure we will all want to live in Israel during the Messianic Age. Study more and learn about this by reading Ezekiel.

Today’s Challenge:

Today, we are challenged to listen to Elohim's commandments, and we will receive a blessing. We can listen either by hearing Him speak through Scripture or through prayer. Sometimes we can hear Him speak to us through other people, too. But your “spiritual antennas” must be in place to hear Him. That is why it is so important to study Torah every day. And that is what I challenge you to do today and every day: read the Torah Portion and pray. Pray that you will hear His voice through your reading and prayer. That you will get direction in your life and learn how to live and worship Him. And as you study and pray, you will learn how to love and serve others. By doing all this, the blessing comes, and you will surely recognize it.

Ekev - Day #1

Ekev עֵקֶב - As a Result  

Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25

Deuteronomy 7:12–8:10

7:12 It shall happen, because you listen to these ordinances and keep and do them, that Hashem your Elohim will keep with you the covenant and the loving kindness which He swore to your fathers. 13 He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your livestock and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your fathers to give you. 14 You will be blessed above all peoples. There won’t be male or female barren among you, or among your livestock. 15 Hashem will take away from you all sickness; and He will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you know, on you, but will lay them on all those who hate you. 16 You shall consume all the peoples whom Hashem your Elohim shall deliver to you. Your eye shall not pity them. You shall not serve their gods; for that would be a snare to you. 17 If you shall say in your heart, “These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?” 18 You shall not be afraid of them. You shall remember well what Hashem your Elohim did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: 19 the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which Hashem your Elohim brought you out. So shall Hashem your Elohim do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. 20 Moreover, Hashem your Elohim will send the hornet among them, until those who are left, and hide themselves, perish from before you. 21 You shall not be scared of them; for Hashem your Elohim is among you, a great and awesome Elohim. 22 Hashem your Elohim will cast out those nations before you, little by little. You may not consume them at once, lest the animals of the field increase on you. 23 But Hashem your Elohim will deliver them up before you, and will confuse them with a great confusion, until they are destroyed. 24 He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under the sky. No one will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them. 25 You shall burn the engraved images of their gods with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourself, lest you be snared in it; for it is an abomination to Hashem your Elohim. 26 You shall not bring an abomination into your house and become a devoted thing like it. You shall utterly detest it. You shall utterly abhor it; for it is a devoted thing.

8:1 You shall observe to do all the commandments which I command you today, that you may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Hashem swore to your fathers. 2 You shall remember all the way which Hashem your Elohim has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 He humbled you, allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you didn’t know, neither did your fathers know, that He might teach you that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of Hashem’s mouth. 4 Your clothing didn’t grow old on you, nor did your foot swell, these forty years. 5 You shall consider in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so Hashem your Elohim disciplines you. 6 You shall keep the commandments of Hashem your Elohim, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him. 7 For Hashem your Elohim brings you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of springs, and underground water flowing into valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey; 9 a land in which you shall eat bread without scarcity, you shall not lack anything in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you may dig copper. 10 You shall eat and be full, and you shall bless Hashem your Elohim for the good land which He has given you.

Today’s Meditation:

Ever wonder why Hashem gave the Hebrew people manna all those years in the desert? Here is your answer in 8:3 “He humbled you, allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you didn’t know, neither did your fathers know, that He might teach you that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of Hashem’s mouth.” Wow. He taught them not to worry about the bread they were eating, but to depend on His Word instead. And as we know, He actively spoke to them through Moses. Hashem brought many miracles into existence, and the people saw them. Even the manna was a huge miracle. We must learn that the Torah is Hashem’s spoken Word and His commandments are to be heeded. All glory and honor go to Him. Our one true Elohim.

Today’s Challenge:

Hashem teaches people that if they are obedient, many good things will happen to them. Including in verse 14 that they will be “blessed above all peoples” and “there won’t be male or female barren among you”. A few years ago, a friend of mine got married and was having difficulty conceiving. I began praying this prayer over their lives, and soon she became pregnant. It was a miracle. The doctors had told her she could not have children, and she did. Hashem’s promises are real. If you are trying to get pregnant or know someone who is, my challenge to you is to start praying this Scripture over their lives. But first, pray that they will follow and obey Torah. Then pray that Hashem will bless the fruit of their womb.

Va'etchanan - Day #1

Va'etchanan וָאֶתְחַנַּן - Pleaded  

Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

Deuteronomy 3:23–4:4

3:23 I begged Hashem at that time, saying, 24 “L-rd Hashem, You have begun to show your servant Your greatness, and Your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth that can do works like Yours, and mighty acts like Yours? 25 Please let me go over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that fine mountain, and Lebanon.”

26 But Hashem was angry with me because of you, and didn’t listen to me. Hashem said to me, “That is enough! Speak no more to me of this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift up your eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and see with your eyes; for you shall not go over this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.” 29 So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.

4:1 Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and to the ordinances which I teach you, to do them; that you may live, and go in and possess the land which Hashem, the Elohim of your fathers, gives you. 2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Hashem your Elohim which I command you. 3 Your eyes have seen what Hashem did because of Baal Peor; for Hashem your Elohim has destroyed all the men who followed Baal Peor from among you. 4 But you who were faithful to Hashem your Elohim are all alive today.

Today’s Meditation:

Moses recounts his attempts to persuade Hashem to change His mind about entering the Holy Land of Israel. In fact, he says he begged him. But Hashem says not to talk about it anymore. And that he should commission Joshua to lead the people. It was sort of one last try. Have you ever done that with Hashem? Have you been punished for a sin or felt the consequences and begged Him to stop them? I think that once you have sinned, His hand is released regarding that issue. When we are obedient, His hand stays on us to protect, bless, and gift us. Which do you prefer?

Today’s Challenge:

Chapter 4 verses 1 and 2 are so powerful, “Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and to the ordinances which I teach you, to do them; that you may live, and go in and possess the land which Hashem, the Elohim of your fathers, gives you. 2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Hashem your Elohim which I command you.” It is so clear that we can not change the Law. We can’t add to it, subtract from it, or call it null and void. 

I heard a protestant pastor say yesterday that the Law was obsolete. We no longer had to follow it. That we could go home and eat bacon sandwiches. But this verse is really powerful and tells us not to make any changes. My challenge to you today is to review whether you are adding or taking away from Torah. And if you find out you are doing this, stop it today. Go back to fully following the commands in Torah, to the best of your ability.

Devarim - Day #1

Devarim דְּבָרִים - Words  

Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

Deuteronomy 1:1–10

1:1 These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suf, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. 2 It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. 3 In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that Hashem had given him in commandment to them, 4 after he had struck Sihon the king of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth, at Edrei. 5 Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to declare this law, saying, 6 “Hashem our Elohim spoke to us in Horeb, saying, ‘You have lived long enough at this mountain. 7 Turn, and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the places near there: in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the lowland, in the South, by the seashore, in the land of the Canaanites, and in Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. 8 Behold, I have set the land before you. Go in and possess the land which Hashem swore to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—to give to them and to their offspring after them.’”

9 I spoke to you at that time, saying, “I am not able to bear you myself alone. 10 Hashem your Elohim has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as the stars of the sky for multitude.

Today’s Meditation:

Here is Moses at the end of a 40-year incredible, miraculous journey to the Promised Land. He is talking to a new generation. They are the second generation who were delivered from Egypt. He reiterates the Law and its commandments and looks forward to this generation making a covenant with Hashem. He promised he would give his descendants the Promised Land, Israel. Now, hundreds of years later, they are about to see that promise fulfilled. What faith the people of Elohim must have had waiting so long for this incredible promise to happen. Do we even have a tiny bit of that kind of faith?

Today’s Challenge:

Can you think of something going on in your life, either now or in the past, that required a lot of faith? How did you do during the waiting time? Was it difficult, or did you rest in peace knowing Hashem would fulfill His promise to you? Or did you get impatient and try to make things happen yourself? This past year, I have had to wait on Hashem to move in many different ways. I knew in my heart He would carry things out to completion, but I had to learn patience. Yes, I got impatient and, at times, wondered if I really heard His voice. But I can testify He has shown His hand to me several times this year, even in miraculous ways. He has been faithful, even when I was not. If you are waiting for something, try to be patient. Try to just thank Hashem for all He is doing and ask Him to help you to wait. He will, and it will be worth it.

Matot-Masei - Day #1

Matot-Masei  

Torah Portion: Numbers 30:2-36:13

Numbers 30:2-31:12 

30:2 When a man vows a vow to Hashem, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

3 “Also, when a woman vows a vow to Hashem and binds herself by a pledge, being in her father’s house, in her youth, 4 and her father hears her vow and her pledge with which she has bound her soul, and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge with which she has bound her soul shall stand. 5 But if her father forbids her in the day that he hears, none of her vows or of her pledges with which she has bound her soul, shall stand. Hashem will forgive her because her father has forbidden her.

6 “If she has a husband, while her vows are on her, or the rash utterance of her lips with which she has bound her soul, 7 and her husband hears it, and says nothing to her in the day that he hears it; then her vows shall stand, and her pledges with which she has bound her soul shall stand. 8 But if her husband forbids her in the day that he hears it, then he makes void her vow which is on her and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul. Hashem will forgive her.

9 “But the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, everything with which she has bound her soul shall stand against her.

10 “If she vowed in her husband’s house or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, 11 and her husband heard it, and held his peace at her and didn’t disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge with which she bound her soul shall stand. 12 But if her husband made them null and void in the day that he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband has made them void. Hashem will forgive her. 13 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. 14 But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her pledges which are on her. He has established them, because he said nothing to her in the day that he heard them. 15 But if he makes them null and void after he has heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity.”

16 These are the statutes which Hashem commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, being in her youth, in her father’s house.

31:1 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward, you shall be gathered to your people.”

3 Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Hashem’s vengeance on Midian. 4 You shall send one thousand out of every tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel, to the war.” 5 So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. 7 They fought against Midian, as Hashem commanded Moses. They killed every male. 8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam, the son of Beor, with the sword. 9 The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder. 10 All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire. 11 They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal. 12 They brought the captives with the prey and the plunder to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.

Today’s Meditation:

Today, we learn about vows to Hashem and the husband's/father's role in all of this. Vows are very sacred to Hashem. We are not to say them without first considering their importance. Hashem, with all His grace and mercy, has made some considerations for women who make rash vows without thinking. A husband can actually release his wife from a vow, as can a father for a daughter. This shows Hashem's fairness and equity. But it also shows the seriousness of what words come out of our mouths. Let us be super careful about what we promise to others and what we vow to Hashem. Follow through on what you say. Your word stands before Hashem. 

Today’s Challenge:

A great war is fought between the Midianites and the Israelites. These are difficult passages to read. But we must remember this. The Midianites had enticed Israel to sin. Yes, Hashem’s people fell into the sin and could have resisted. But they did not. Hashem inflicted a plague on His people. Now, there must be punishment for the people who did this to Israel. Sin does not go forward without consequence. We might think we are getting away with something when we sin, but this is never the case. What we do affects our lives, other people’s lives, and our relationship with Hashem. Remember this the next time you are tempted to do something wrong or disobey Hashem. Try to repent quickly and make things right by making restitution. There will be consequences, but most likely not as severe as if you did not repent. As we know, sin separates us from Hashem. We do not want this, and neither does He. Let’s be careful about what we do and say.