Devarim - Day #5

Devarim דְּבָרִים - Words  

Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

Deuteronomy 2:2–30

2:2 Hashem spoke to me, saying, 3 “You have encircled this mountain long enough. Turn northward. 4 Command the people, saying, ‘You are to pass through the border of your brothers, the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. Therefore, be careful. 5 Don’t contend with them; for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau for a possession. 6 You shall purchase food from them for money, that you may eat. You shall also buy water from them for money, that you may drink.’”

7 For Hashem your Elohim has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has known you are walking through this great wilderness. These forty years, Hashem your Elohim has been with you. You have lacked nothing.

8 So we passed by from our brothers, the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir, from the way of the Arabah, from Elath and from Ezion Geber. We turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

9 Hashem said to me, “Don’t bother Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give you any of his land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.”

10 (The Emim lived there before, a great and numerous people, and tall as the Anakim. 11 These also are considered to be Rephaim, as the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 The Horites also lived in Seir in the past, but the children of Esau succeeded them. They destroyed them from before them, and lived in their place, as Israel did to the land of his possession, which Hashem gave to them.)

13 “Now rise up, and cross over the brook Zered.” We went over the brook Zered.

14 The days in which we came from Kadesh Barnea until we had come over the brook Zered were thirty-eight years: until all the generation of the men of war were consumed from the middle of the camp, as Hashem swore to them. 15 Moreover, Hashem’s hand was against them to destroy them from the middle of the camp until they were consumed. 16 So, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people, 17 Hashem spoke to me, saying, 18 “You are to pass over Ar, the border of Moab, today. 19 When you come near the border of the children of Ammon, don’t bother them, nor contend with them; for I will not give you any of the land of the children of Ammon for a possession, because I have given it to the children of Lot for a possession.”

20 (That also is considered a land of Rephaim. Rephaim lived there in the past, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, 21 a great people, many, and tall, as the Anakim; but Hashem destroyed them from before Israel, and they succeeded them, and lived in their place; 22 as he did for the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them; and they succeeded them, and lived in their place even to this day. 23 Then the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza: the Caphtorim, who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.)

24 “Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. 25 Today I will begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole sky, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.”

26 I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon, king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, 27 “Let me pass through your land. I will go along the highway. I will turn neither to the right hand nor to the left. 28 You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink. Just let me pass through on my feet, 29 as the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites who dwell in Ar, did to me; until I pass over the Jordan into the land which Hashem our Elohim gives us.” 30 But Sihon, king of Heshbon, would not let us pass by him; for Hashem our Elohim hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as it is today.

Today’s Meditation:

Today, we read about specifics, where to go, and what to do. Do not attack, but be willing to pay for food and water. And the reasons why. And then there is this huge promise in verse 25, “Today I will begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole sky, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.” It’s like Hashem is taking care of everything. He gives very detailed instructions for travel, then says the people will be fearful of them because Hashem will make it known He is with them. I don’t think He has ever stopped doing this. He prepares the way for all of us and shields us from the enemy. But there is a contingency in all of this. We must follow and obey Him and His Torah. We must serve Him and Him only. We must love Him with all our hearts, souls, and strength. Then and only then might His promises be fulfilled.

Today’s Challenge:

If we follow and obey, then verse 7 will come to fruition: “For Hashem your Elohim has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has known you are walking through this great wilderness. These forty years, Hashem your Elohim has been with you. You have lacked nothing.” He will bless all you do. He will walk with you. And you will lack nothing. My challenge to you is to make sure this happens. Change your life to follow only Him. And serve only Him. Then you will no longer be walking alone. You will have the comfort and protection of Hashem.

Matot-Massei - Day #5

Matot-Massei  

Torah Portion: Numbers 30:2-36:13

Numbers 33:50-34:15

33:50 Hashem spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51 Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, “When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their stone idols, destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places. 53 You shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54 You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.

55 “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be like pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land in which you dwell. 56 It shall happen that as I thought to do to them, so I will do to you.”

34:1 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders), 3 then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border shall be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward. 4 Your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and it shall pass southward of Kadesh Barnea; and it shall go from there to Hazar Addar, and pass along to Azmon. 5 The border shall turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the sea.

6 “‘For the western border, you shall have the great sea and its border. This shall be your west border.

7 “‘This shall be your north border: from the great sea you shall mark out for yourselves Mount Hor. 8 From Mount Hor you shall mark out to the entrance of Hamath; and the border shall pass by Zedad. 9 Then the border shall go to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your north border.

10 “‘You shall mark out your east border from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 The border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain. The border shall go down, and shall reach to the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward. 12 The border shall go down to the Jordan, and end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders around it.’”

13 Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which Hashem has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe; 14 for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers’ houses, the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15 The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.”

Today’s Meditation:

The Israelites are being given instructions to drive out the people that are in the land He has promised to them. He orders them to destroy all the false gods and high places. Then He says something very curious in verse 55, “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be like pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides.” In other words, if you don’t do what I tell you, you will be very, very sorry. There is a reason Hashem gives us the commandments. He knows what is best for us. If we don’t follow them, there will be trouble in the future.

Today’s Challenge:

They are entering a land with false gods. Isn’t that the land that we live in today? We don’t have the right to drive out people who are not worshiping our Hashem, so we live side by side. We need to be so careful. Others can influence us so much. Be sure you are following the one true Elohim. Make sure you do not mix with those who do not follow our Hashem. That is my challenge to you today. Be sure to love others and serve your neighbors, but be careful about whom you associate closely. We want to be lights for Hashem, and for the people we know who are aware that we follow Hashem, and who look to us to see what that means. We can be a witness to His love for them, but not if we are participating in sin with them. Be who you say you are.

Pinchas - Day #5

Pinchas פִּינְחָס - Phinehas  

Torah Portion: Numbers 25:10-30:1

Numbers 28:1–15

28:1 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘See that you present my offering, my food for my offerings made by fire, as a pleasant aroma to me, in their due season.’ 3 You shall tell them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to Hashem: male lambs a year old without defect, two day by day, for a continual burnt offering. 4 You shall offer the one lamb in the morning, and you shall offer the other lamb at evening, 5 with one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil. 6 It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Hashem. 7 Its drink offering shall be the fourth part of a hin for each lamb. You shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to Hashem in the holy place. 8 The other lamb you shall offer at evening. As the meal offering of the morning, and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to Hashem.

9 “‘On the Sabbath day, you shall offer two male lambs a year old without defect, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering mixed with oil, and its drink offering: 10 this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

11 “‘In the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to Hashem: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without defect, 12 and three tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering mixed with oil, for each bull; and two tenth parts of fine flour for a meal offering mixed with oil, for the one ram; 13 and one tenth part of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering to every lamb, as a burnt offering of a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Hashem. 14 Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, the third part of a hin for the ram, and the fourth part of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year. 15 Also, one male goat for a sin offering to Hashem shall be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

Today's Meditation:

Today, we are reading about regular sacrifices. One of them includes the sacrifices at the beginning of the month, or “Rosh Chodesh”. The monthly celebration of a new month, including a new moon. We are commanded to remember the beginning of each month. There are online calendars that show when Rosh Chodesh is. It is important for us to pray at the beginning of each Biblical month. It is a prayer of thanksgiving, thanking Hashem for the month He has just given us and for the month to come.

Today’s Challenge:

So often we get busy (including myself) and forget to honor Rosh Chodesh as commanded in Numbers 10:10 “On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your Elohim: I am Hashem your Elohim.” So my challenge today is simple. Start observing Rosh Chodesh every month. As mentioned above. Set a calendar reminder for yourself and say a simple prayer. Hashem gives us every day of our lives. Blessed be Hashem.

Chukat-Balak - Day #5

Chukat-Balak Statute/Balak — חֻקַּת־בָּלָק  

Torah Portion: Numbers 19:1-25:9

Numbers 22:13-38

22:13 Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land; for Hashem refuses to permit me to go with you.”

14 The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

15 Balak again sent princes, more and more honorable than they. 16 They came to Balaam, and said to him, “Balak the son of Zippor says, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17 for I will promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come, therefore, and curse this people for me.’”

18 Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word of Hashem my Elohim, to do less or more. 19 Now therefore please stay here tonight as well, that I may know what else Hashem will speak to me.”

20 Elohim came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.”

21 Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. 22 Elohim’s anger burned because he went, and Hashem’s angel placed himself in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 The donkey saw Hashem’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned out of the path, and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey to turn her into the path.  

24 Then Hashem’s angel stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 25 The donkey saw Hashem’s angel, and she thrust herself against the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. He struck her again.

26 Hashem’s angel went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 The donkey saw Hashem’s angel, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

28 Hashem opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

29 Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.”

30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long until today? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?”

He said, “No.”

31 Then Hashem opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw Hashem’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. 32 Hashem's angel said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away before me these three times. Unless she had turned away from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive.”

34 Balaam said to Hashem’s angel, “I have sinned, for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again.”

35 Hashem’s angel said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you shall only speak the word that I shall speak to you.”

So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. 36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I earnestly send for you to summon you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?”

38 Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you. Have I now any power at all to speak anything? I will speak the word that Elohim puts in my mouth.”

Today’s Meditation:

Did Hashem change His mind? He told Balaam not to go. But King Balak wants something different. So, he sends more princes and more gifts. Then Balaam tells them to wait overnight to see if Hashem has something else to say (verse 19). Haven’t you done the very same thing? Clearly, Hashem is telling you not to do something, but you return to Him to reason with Him and ask Him to clarify His decision. We know that Hashem is full of mercy and grace, and just like a parent, He may want to give us what we want, beyond reason. And of course, a lesson will be learned when this happens. Just like Balaam.

Today’s Challenge:

Balaam is, in a sense, challenging Hashem when he decides to see whether Hashem has anything more to say. Clearly, Hashem said not to go with these men. Not to curse Israel. But Balaam challenged Him. The challenge today is for you to look at your life. What has Hashem clearly told you no on, and yet you wait for Him to change His mind? Listen to what He says and obey, even if you don’t like it. If not, you may suffer consequences.

Korach - Day #5

Korach קֹרַח - Korach  

Torah Portion: Numbers 16:1-18:32

Numbers 17:1-9

17:1  Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each father’s house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod. 3 You shall write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses. 4 You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you. 5 It shall happen that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me.”

6 Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was among their rods. 7 Moses laid up the rods before Hashem in the Tent of the Testimony.

8 On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, Aaron’s rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds. 9 Moses brought out all the rods from before Hashem to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod.

Today’s Meditation:

Suddenly, the people of Hashem understand the seriousness of His holiness and the need for obedience. The rod shows that He has chosen Aaron as High Priest. And it is kept as a reminder by His covenant. A reminder that Hashem does the choosing of leaders and that He is the Elohim of miracles. Next time you are asking Him for something important, remember this story. He can do anything. But you need to stay in His obedience.

         

Today’s Challenge:

At the end of today’s reading, we learn about the story of proving to the Israelites who their leader is. Hashem tells Moses to assemble the leaders with their rods. He gathers them and sets them before the testimony. This is to settle who is truly Hashem’s leader, once and for all, so that the complaining ceases. Everyone brings their rods, and the next day, only Aaron’s buds with almonds. The leader is confirmed. How wonderful of Hashem is to give this wonderful display to prove His point. It is a really interesting visual. Can you think of a time when Hashem showed the reason why He told you something? Maybe He didn’t turn a stick into flowers, but perhaps He did give you a visual sign? Take some time to think of this and remember His miracles.

Shelach - Day #5

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.

Beha'alotcha - Day #5

Beha’alotcha בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ - In Your Uplifting  

Torah Portion: Numbers 8:1-12:16

Numbers 10:11–34

10:11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the covenant. 12 The children of Israel went forward on their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran. 13 They first went forward according to the commandment of Hashem by Moses.

14 First, the standard of the camp of the children of Judah went forward according to their armies. Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, was over his army. 15 Nethanel, the son of Zuar, was over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar. 16 Eliab, the son of Helon, was over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun. 17 The tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward. 18 The standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies. Elizur, the son of Shedeur, was over his army. 19 Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, was over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon. 20 Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, was over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad.

21 The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived.

22 The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies. Elishama, the son of Ammihud, was over his army. 23 Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh. 24 Abidan, the son of Gideoni, was over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin.

25 The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their armies. Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, was over his army. 26 Pagiel, the son of Ochran, was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher. 27 Ahira, the son of Enan, was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali. 28 Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; and they went forward.

29 Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which Hashem said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for Hashem has spoken good concerning Israel.”

30 He said to him, “I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.”

31 Moses said, “Don’t leave us, please, because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. 32 It shall be, if you go with us—yes, it shall be—that whatever good Hashem does to us, we will do the same to you.”

33 They set forward from the Mount of Hashem three days’ journey. The ark of Hashem’s covenant went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. 34 The cloud of Hashem was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp.

Today’s Meditation:

The cloud lifts and the children go forward. We have talked about this before, but it is still so amazing. To be that close to Hashem, that you would watch Him literally tell you when to go and when to stay. Again, look at your life and see whether you are so close to Hashem that you know which direction He is taking you. Know His timing and observe Him. When you become familiar with His plans for you, it will be easier to follow Him.

Today’s Challenge:

So interesting in verse 32 when Moses is begging his father-in-law not to part, and he says, “that whatever good Hashem does to us, we will do the same to you.” This makes me think. When Hashem is super blessing my life, do I turn around and bless others? What a great idea. It’s kind of like paying it forward. Think about today, how you can bless someone, because Hashem has blessed you. And watch everything unroll just as it should.