Nasso - Day #3

Nasso נָשֹׂא - Elevate!  

Torah Portion: Numbers 4:21-7:89

Numbers 5:1–10

5:1 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is unclean by a corpse. 3 You shall put both male and female outside of the camp so that they don’t defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.”

4 The children of Israel did so, and put them outside of the camp; as Hashem spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.

5 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against Hashem, and that soul is guilty, 7 then he shall confess his sin which he has done; and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, add to it the fifth part of it, and give it to him in respect of whom he has been guilty. 8 But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to Hashem shall be the priest’s, in addition to the ram of the atonement, by which atonement shall be made for him. 9 Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his. 10 Every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his.’”

Today’s Meditation:

Hashem does not want His Tabernacle or the camp in which He dwells to become defiled with people who have leprosy. So, if someone does have it, they have to go outside the camp (verse 3). We really have no concept of Hashem's holiness. He is so holy that you cannot get anyone or anything near Him that is contaminated. That makes me think about our own lives. When we disobey Hashem and His commandments, we are, in a sense, defiled. In this state, we cannot be in the presence of Hashem. For us, that would be during prayer, praise, or our daily walk with Him. If you want this special time to be filled with Hashem’s power and glory, you must stay clean, and that means to be holy. Repent today so that you can be clean before Hashem.

Today’s Challenge:

Again, the Torah teaches us to make restitution when we sin (verse 7). It provides details on whom to give the restitution to and how to add a fifth and a sacrifice. Torah is teaching me a lot about this. The other day, I did something foolish and immediately felt remorse. I repented, but I felt horrible. It was then that I remembered Torah and the commandment to make restitution. So, to make a long story short, I did something for someone that I really did not want to do, but it could be a part of making restitution. It would have been impossible to do something for the person I offended, so instead, I feel Hashem directed me to someone who really needed some help. And if I were to help out that person, it would be the same as making restitution to the person I harmed. So, a little reluctantly, I did just that. I helped the person who needed it. And I had to make an attitude adjustment. I had to remember that I was doing this “unto the L-rd.” That really helped. I did my task unto Hashem. And honestly, it made me feel so wonderful. Sin is wrong, but doing something sacrificial will help you find freedom sooner.

Shavuot Week - Day #3

Shavout Week - Day #3

Main Reading: Ruth 2:14-23

2:14 She sat beside the reapers, and they passed her parched grain. She ate, was satisfied, and left some of it. 15 When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don’t reproach her. 16 Also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it. Let her glean, and don’t rebuke her.”

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah[a] of barley. 18 She took it up and went into the city. Then her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned, and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left after she had had enough.

19 Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? Where have you worked? Blessed be he who noticed you.”

She told her mother-in-law, with whom she had worked, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by Hashem, who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen.”

21 Ruth the Moabitess said, “Yes, he said to me, ‘You shall stay close to my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’”

22 Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they not meet you in any other field.” 23 So she stayed close to the maidens of Boaz, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law.

Today’s Meditation:

In this story, we are continuing to learn that people are watching out for Ruth. Boaz seems to be keeping her in his field, with trusted workers and also maidens there for her to associate with. It seems like this is a reward for her faithfulness to Naomi, her mother-in-law. Ruth has developed a reputation for being dedicated and hard-working. The community around her respects her for this. Notably, we should be the same.

The whole story of Ruth reflects Hashem’s commandments coming alive in His people and in those who want to be part of Israel. The instructions Hashem has given through the Torah, and the way to live, are evident in the characters. This is an example of how Hashem wants us to live, and the reason He has given us His rules for doing so. We must be aware and attentive.

Bamidbar - Day #3

Bamidbar בְּמִדְבַּר - In the Wilderness  

Torah Portion: Numbers 1:1-4:20

Numbers 2:1–34

2:1 Hashem spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall encamp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance from it.”

3 Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 4 His division, and those who were counted of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

5 Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar. The prince of the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel, the son of Zuar. 6 His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

7 The tribe of Zebulun: the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab, the son of Helon. 8 His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

9 All who were counted of the camp of Judah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out first.

10 “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur, the son of Shedeur. 11 His division, and those who were counted of it, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

12 “Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon. The prince of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai. 13 His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

14 “The tribe of Gad: the prince of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel. 15 His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

16 “All who were counted of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their armies. They shall set out second.

17 “Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place, by their standards.

18 “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama, the son of Ammihud. 19 His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty thousand five hundred.

20 “Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. 21 His division, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

22 “The tribe of Benjamin: the prince of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan, the son of Gideoni. 23 His army, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

24 “All who were counted of the camp of Ephraim were one hundred eight thousand one hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out third.

25 “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai. 26 His division, and those who were counted of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

27 “Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher. The prince of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel, the son of Ochran. 28 His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

29 “The tribe of Naphtali: the prince of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan. 30 His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

31 “All who were counted of the camp of Dan were one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set out last by their standards.”

32 These are those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were counted of the camps according to their armies were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty. 33 But the Levites were not counted among the children of Israel, as Hashem commanded Moses.

34 Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that Hashem commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out, everyone by their families, according to their fathers’ houses.

Today’s Meditation:

Today, we learn about the tribes camping around the Tabernacle. Interesting to me is that Judah is placed on the east side of the Tabernacle. In Jerusalem, the Temple would face east. And in prophecy, the Mashiach will come back from the east. There is something very special about the East. Also in prophecy, the river from the throne will flow to the east (see Ezekiel 47:1-12). I encourage you to do a special study about this.

Today’s Challenge:

Moses listened to Hashem and directed the tribes. In the last verse (34), we learn that the people of Israel obeyed Moses and camped right where He told them. Again, we are being taught about leadership and authority. Hashem has taught throughout the Scriptures about the importance of following and respecting authority. In the past few weeks, I have challenged you to review your relationship with the authority in your life and correct anything that is not right. Are you respecting your leaders? Are you obedient (unless they are asking you to sin)? Today’s challenge is to do something nice for the person in authority. It is a great responsibility to be in charge and to make things run smoothly. So, get a gift or do a special extra task for your boss, spouse, rabbi, or pastor. Go out of your way to give it to them and tell them how much you appreciate them. It will be so special, and you will be blessed in return.

Behar/Bechukotai - Day #3

Behar/Bechukotai

Torah Portion: Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Leviticus 25:29-38

25:29 “‘If a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it has been sold. For a full year, he shall have the right of redemption. 30 If it isn’t redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be made sure in perpetuity to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee. 31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall around them shall be accounted for with the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.

32 “‘Nevertheless, in the cities of the Levites, the Levites may redeem the houses in the cities of their possession at any time. 33 The Levites may redeem the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, and it shall be released in the Jubilee; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. 34 But the field of the pasture lands of their cities may not be sold, for it is their perpetual possession.

35 “‘If your brother has become poor, and his hand can’t support himself among you, then you shall uphold him. He shall live with you like an alien and a temporary resident. 36 Take no interest from him or profit; but fear your Elohim, that your brother may live among you. 37 You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. 38 I am Hashem your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your Elohim.

Today’s Meditation:

Again, in verses 35-38, Hashem tells us how to help out the poor. We are not to take an interest in loaning money, nor give him food for profit. It seems like Hashem is always making sure all His people are taken care of. If we are blessed with money, we are to share it with those who are less fortunate. He loves all of us and does not want any of us to be in need. That must be what the command to “love one another” means. It means not only loving someone but also taking care of them.

Today’s Challenge:

Here is a challenge for you today. It will take a little bit of work, but it aligns with what Torah has taught us today. Look in your cupboards. Do you have any extra food or an abundance of food? Separate out what you have in addition and put it in bags. Take it down to your local food kitchen or to a neighbor in need. Share your food with those in need today. Do a mitzvah today for those in need. Or even better, take a minute to pray and ask Hashem who needs some monetary help today. He will bring someone to mind. Follow through and help that person out. Do it today, do not delay. You will be blessed.

Emor - Day #3

Emor Say — אֱמוֹר  

Torah Portion: Leviticus 21:1–24:23

Leviticus 22:17–33

22:17 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘Whoever is of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners in Israel, who offers his offering, whether it is any of their vows or any of their free will offerings, which they offer to Hashem for a burnt offering: 19 that you may be accepted, you shall offer a male without defect, of the bulls, of the sheep, or of the goats. 20 But you shall not offer whatever has a defect, for it shall not be acceptable for you. 21 Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to Hashem to accomplish a vow, or for a free will offering of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect. 22 You shall not offer what is blind, is injured, is maimed, has a wart, is festering, or has a running sore to Hashem, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to Hashem. 23 Either a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in his parts, that you may offer for a free will offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted. 24 You must not offer to Hashem that which has its testicles bruised, crushed, broken, or cut. You must not do this in your land. 25 You must not offer any of these as the bread of your Adonai from the hand of a foreigner, because their corruption is in them. There is a defect in them. They shall not be accepted for you.’”

26 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “When a bull, a sheep, or a goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother. From the eighth day on it shall be accepted for the offering of an offering made by fire to Hashem. 28 Whether it is a cow or ewe, you shall not kill it and its young both in one day.

29 “When you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Hashem, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30 It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until the morning. I am Hashem.

          

31 “Therefore, you shall keep My commandments, and do them. I am Hashem. 32 You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am Hashem, who makes you holy, 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your Adonai. I am Hashem.”

Today’s Meditation:

We are learning about animal sacrifice. Just as Hashem wants people serving in the Temple to be unblemished, so also does He like the animals to be as perfect as possible. The requirements are listed. But think of this. If you have to give up a magnificent animal, worth more money than a damaged animal, wouldn’t this mean more to you? Which is harder for you to do, give $10 to your synagogue or $1,000? Hashem requires our best, and we should be willing to give it to Him in all areas of our lives.

Today’s Challenge:

Verse 31 reads, “Keep My commandments and do them.” So, is keeping different from doing? To me, keeping means you are willing to obey Hashem's instructions. And of course, doing is actually following them. Here is the question: Are you simply keeping the commandments, or are you also doing them? I try to keep the Sabbath, but am I really doing all that it requires? Am I truly resting and not working, or am I slipping some tasks into my Sabbath day that I shouldn’t be? Time to reevaluate and take a hard look. He wants us to keep and do. That’s really important to think about. 

Acharei Mot/Kedoshim - Day #3

ACHAREI MOT/KEDOSHIM  

Torah Portion: Leviticus 16:1-20:27

Leviticus 17:8 - 18:21 

17:8 “You shall say to them, ‘Any man there is of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9 and doesn’t bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to Hashem, that man shall be cut off from his people.

10 “‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set My face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life. 12 Therefore, I have said to the children of Israel, “No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood.”

13 “‘Whatever man there is of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood, and cover it with dust. 14 For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life. Therefore, I said to the children of Israel, “You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.”

15 “‘Every person that eats what dies of itself, or that which is torn by animals, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. Then he shall be clean. 16 But if he doesn’t wash them, or bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity.’”

18:1 Hashem said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am Hashem your Elohim. 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived. You shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes. 4 You shall do My ordinances. You shall keep My statutes and walk in them. I am Hashem your Elohim. 5 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am Hashem.

6 “‘None of you shall approach any close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am Hashem.

7 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

8 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife. It is your father’s nakedness.

9 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or born abroad.

10 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter, or of your daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness; for theirs is your own nakedness.

11 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister.

12 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister. She is your father’s near kinswoman.

13 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s near kinswoman.

14 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt.

15 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

16 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.

17 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near kinswomen. It is wickedness.

18 “‘You shall not take a wife in addition to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is still alive.

19 “‘You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.

20 “‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her.

21 “‘You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your Elohim. I am Hashem.

Today’s Meditation:

Interesting that in Chapter 21, we read about not having sexual relations with other people (that is what uncovering the nakedness means). Then, in 21:21, we are told, “You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech.” Why would Hashem give this commandment right after He is directing His people not to have sexual relations outside of marriage? Most likely because when people committed adultery, the woman got pregnant. As a solution to this, instead of abortion, why not just put the baby in the arms of a hot, burning Molech statue? Either way, the baby would die. We strongly advise against doing this. 

Today’s Challenge:

Right after Hashem gives the command not to sacrifice children, He commands us not to “profane the Name of Elohim.” I’m thinking that profane here means disregarding His Name of Creation. He is the Creator of everything, and when we destroy His creation, we are profaning the Creator Himself. If you have ever had an abortion or were part of one in some way, maybe today is a good day to go to the Father and ask for forgiveness. Or perhaps you have been a part of destroying another kind of creation. Repent and make retribution. Or maybe you can restore what was taken. Let’s try not to profane His Name and make things right.