Devarim - Day #6

Devarim דְּבָרִים - Words  

Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

Deuteronomy 2:31–3:14

2:31 Hashem said to me, “Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before you. Begin to possess, that you may inherit his land.” 32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz. 33 Hashem our Elohim delivered him up before us; and we struck him, his sons, and all his people. 34 We took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones. We left no one remaining. 35 Only the livestock we took for plunder for ourselves, with the plunder of the cities which we had taken. 36 From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. Hashem our Elohim delivered up all before us. 37 Only to the land of the children of Ammon you didn’t come near: all the banks of the river Jabbok, and the cities of the hill country, and wherever Hashem our Elohim forbade us.

3:1 Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. Og, the king of Bashan, came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 2 Hashem said to me, “Don’t fear him; for I have delivered him, with all his people and his land, into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”

3 So Hashem our Elohim also delivered into our hand Og, the king of Bashan, and all his people. We struck him until no one was left to him remaining. 4 We took all his cities at that time. There was not a city that we didn’t take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, in addition to a great many villages without walls. 6 We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon, king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones. 7 But all the livestock, and the plunder of the cities, we took for plunder for ourselves. 8 We took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon. 9 (The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.) 10 We took all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 (For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its width, after the cubit of a man.) 12 This land we took in possession at that time: from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead with its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites; 13 and the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh—all the region of Argob, even all Bashan. (The same is called the land of Rephaim. 14 Jair, the son of Manasseh, took all the region of Argob, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth Jair, to this day.)

Today’s Meditation:

This is where people struggle with Torah history. Why the battles? Why the killing of children and women? The only answer is this. Hashem told them to do so. There are things we cannot understand with our earthly minds. And that is when we have to trust Hashem. We know that the conquered people were most likely approached first with bargaining points. They most likely offered to travel through peacefully and pay for water and food. If they refused, then Hashem delivered them into the Israelites' hands. War is hard to understand and makes us very sad. That is why we must strive toward unity with our enemies. We must treat others better than ourselves. We must be kind and generous. And we must be forgiving. This will all be groundwork for peace.

Today’s Challenge:

In verse 36, we read, “Hashem our Elohim delivered up all before us.” He went ahead of the Israelites and prepared the way. Even if we do not understand everything, there is one central truth here. If He asks you to do something, He will prepare the way for you to go. Here’s my challenge today. If you feel that Hashem is taking you in a specific direction but you are hesitant, don’t be. Believe in your heart that He will not only direct your path but also prepare the way ahead of time. He will then walk with you through it. Someone once told me: He doesn’t call you unless He equips you. I believe that, don’t you?

Matot-Massei - Day #6

Matot-Massei  

Torah Portion: Numbers 30:2-36:13

Numbers 34:16-35:8

34:16 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. 18 You shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land for inheritance. 19 These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20 Of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. 22 Of the tribe of the children of Dan, a prince, Bukki, the son of Jogli. 23 Of the children of Joseph: of the tribe of the children of Manasseh, a prince, Hanniel, the son of Ephod. 24 Of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, a prince, Kemuel, the son of Shiphtan. 25 Of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, a prince, Elizaphan, the son of Parnach. 26 Of the tribe of the children of Issachar, a prince, Paltiel, the son of Azzan. 27 Of the tribe of the children of Asher, a prince, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28 Of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, a prince, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.” 29 These are they whom Hashem commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

35:1 Hashem spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel to give to the Levites cities to dwell in out of their inheritance. You shall give pasture lands for the cities around them to the Levites. 3 They shall have the cities to dwell in. Their pasture lands shall be for their livestock, and for their possessions, and for all their animals.

4 “The pasture lands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it. 5 You shall measure outside of the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall be the pasture lands of their cities.

6 “The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the man slayer to flee to. Besides them, you shall give forty-two cities. 7 All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their pasture lands. 8 Concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many, and from the few you shall take few. Everyone, according to his inheritance, which he inherits, shall give some of his cities to the Levites.”

Today’s Meditation:

Today, we read about how Hashem organized the division of the land for the Israelites. This is all in preparation for when they get there and acquire the land. He chooses princes out of every tribe, and Joshua and Eleazar. They are all qualified leaders whom He must trust. The lesson to learn here is that Hashem first makes plans, prepares, and executes them. That is a model for us. There is Scripture that without plans or vision, people fail (Proverbs 29:18). Follow Hashem’s practice of planning. It will improve your life greatly.

Today’s Challenge:

Today, I challenge you to go to Hashem and ask Him for His vision/plan for your life. Are you right where He wants you? Or has He been nudging you to do something else? Pray and ask Him. He will answer. Just put your spiritual antennas up and listen. See what comes into your life, or what people are saying to you. Look for what makes your heart jump and what gives you peace. Do a little soul-searching and see if you are in the place He wants you to be and serving His purpose. 

         

Pinchas - Day #6

Pinchas פִּינְחָס - Phinehas  

Torah Portion: Numbers 25:10-30:1

Numbers 28:16–29:11

28:16 “‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is Hashem’s Passover. 17 On the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days. 18 In the first day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work, 19 but you shall offer an offering made by fire, a burnt offering to Hashem: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old. They shall be without defect, 20 with their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil. You shall offer three tenths for a bull, and two tenths for the ram. 21 You shall offer one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs; 22 and one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 23 You shall offer these in addition to the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. 24 In this way, you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of the offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Hashem. It shall be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering. 25 On the seventh day, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.

26 “Also in the day of the first fruits, when you offer a new meal offering to Hashem in your feast of weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work; 27 but you shall offer a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma to Hashem: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28 and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for each bull, two tenths for the one ram, 29 one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs; 30 and one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31 Besides the continual burnt offering and its meal offering, you shall offer them and their drink offerings. See that they are without defect.

29:1 “‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no regular work. It is a day of blowing of trumpets to you. 2 You shall offer a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma to Hashem: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without defect; 3 and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three tenths for the bull, two tenths for the ram, 4 and one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs; 5 and one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6 in addition to the burnt offering of the new moon with its meal offering, and the continual burnt offering with its meal offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Hashem.

7 “‘On the tenth day of this seventh month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls. You shall do no kind of work; 8 but you shall offer a burnt offering to Hashem for a pleasant aroma: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old, all without defect; 9 and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three tenths for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, 10 one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs; 11 one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and its meal offering, and their drink offerings.

Today’s Meditation:

Today, we read a review about the Feasts. In each one, you are to have a holy convocation. A special gathering of Hashem’s people. At this meeting, there are sacrifices made and a remembrance of why Hashem picked this particular Feast at this particular time. In Pesach (Passover), we remember the miracle of the splitting of the Sea. In Unleavened Bread, we remember how the Israelites did not have time to bake bread because they were on the run. In First Fruits, we remember that all we have is from Hashem. On the Day of Trumpets, we are reminded of our sins, do ten days of repentance and pray for the return of the Mashiach. On Yom Kippur, we are given a second chance; our sins are forgiven, nationally and personally. These Feasts help us to remember Hashem’s deliverance and redemption. So that we may never forget.

Today’s Challenge:

My challenge for you today is to mark your calendar for the remaining Feast Days of the year. This is so we can take the days off from work and plan the convocations. I have learned so much from friends when studying on the Feast Days. And it helps so much to have community when remembering Hashem's goodness and faithfulness. Plan ahead this year. Try to be prepared and to honor Adonai.

Chukat-Balak - Day #6

Chukat-Balak Statute/Balak — חֻקַּת־בָּלָק  

Torah Portion: Numbers 19:1-25:9

Numbers 22:39-23:26

22:39 Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him. 41 In the morning, Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there part of the people.

23:1 Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.”

2 Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram. 3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Hashem will come to meet me. Whatever He shows me, I will tell you.”

He went to a bare height. 4 Elohim met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.”

5 Hashem put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

6 He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 He took up his parable, and said,

“From Aram has Balak brought me,

    the king of Moab from the mountains of the East.

Come, curse Jacob for me.

    Come, defy Israel.

8 How shall I curse whom Elohim has not cursed?

    How shall I defy whom Hashem has not defied?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him.

From the hills I see him.

Behold, it is a people that dwells alone,

    and shall not be listed among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,

    or count the fourth part of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous!

    Let my last end be like his!”

11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.”

12 He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which Hashem puts in my mouth?”

13 Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me.”

14 He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar. 15 He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet Hashem over there.”

16 Hashem met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.”

17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has Hashem spoken?”

18 He took up his parable and said,

“Rise up, Balak, and hear!

    Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

19 Elohim is not a man, that He should lie,

    nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Has He said, and He won’t do it?

    Or has He spoken, and He won’t make it good?

20 Behold, I have received a command to bless.

    He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it.

21 He has not seen iniquity in Jacob.

    Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel.

Hashem, his Elohim, is with him.

    The shout of a king is among them.

22 Elohim brings them out of Egypt.

    He has, as it were, the strength of the wild ox.

23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob;

    Neither is there any divination with Israel.

Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel,

    ‘What has Elohim done!’

24 Behold, a people rises up as a lioness.

    As a lion, he lifts himself up.

He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey,

    and drinks the blood of the slain.”

25 Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”

26 But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that Hashem speaks, that I must do?’”

Today’s Meditation:

This is quite the story and somewhat hard to understand. Except it seems like Balaam really does want to follow Hashem and not curse the Israelites. It is curious in verse 4 that “Balaam met Elohim”. It almost sounds casual. Like anyone at that time, could meet with Hashem. And then Hashem speaks to Balaam. And says He will put His words in his mouth. Maybe in a time of less distraction, it was easier to meet with Hashem. Maybe our world is so busy, so full of other things, that if we just got into a peaceful, quiet place, we too could meet with Hashem. And hear what He has to say. Let’s try it.

Today’s Challenge:

Let’s talk briefly about blessing people. In this reading, Balaam blesses people with words. But there are other obvious ways to bless people. That is my challenge to you today. Think about and pray about how Hashem wants you to bless others. It could be through listening to someone and their concerns. Or maybe someone needs some authentic financial help. Maybe someone needs prayer and/or an encouraging word. Look around you and see how you can bless someone today. Let’s help make the world a better place.

Shelach - Day #6

Shelach שְׁלַח-לְךָ - Send For Yourself  

Torah Portion: Numbers 13:1-15:41

Numbers 15:17–26

15:17 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land where I bring you, 19 then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a wave offering to Hashem. 20 Of the first of your dough you shall offer up a cake for a wave offering. As the wave offering of the threshing floor, so you shall heave it. 21 Of the first of your dough, you shall give to Hashem a wave offering throughout your generations.

22 “‘When you err, and don’t observe all these commandments which Hashem has spoken to Moses— 23 even all that Hashem has commanded you by Moses, from the day that Hashem gave commandment and onward throughout your generations— 24 then it shall be, if it was done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma to Hashem, with its meal offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25 The priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to Hashem, and their sin offering before Hashem, for their error. 26 All the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, as well as the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them; for with regard to all the people, it was done unwittingly.

Today’s Meditation: 

Today, we read about the “wave offering”. The priests performed it, and it was a special offering made to Hashem. Apparently, the priest would wave the offering to and fro, above his head. It was a sign of servitude, commitment, and peace. It makes me think about when people win something. They show it off by waving it above their heads. It’s like, “See everyone what I got!” So, when the priests were waving their offerings before Hashem, they could have been saying, “See Hashem, this is for You!” A special, set-aside offering to show before Hashem.

Today’s Challenge:

In verses 23-26, we learn about mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes we do them unintentionally, and sometimes we do them willingly. The point here is that Hashem makes a way for forgiveness. Through the priests and the sacrificial system, sins could be forgiven. So, what do we do about forgiveness now? We pray and ask. Psalm 130:3-4, “If You, Hashem, kept a record of sins, Hashem, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve You.” We confess, repent, teshuvah, and He forgives. Join me in praying for forgiveness today.

Beha'alotcha - Day #6

Beha’alotcha בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ - In Your Uplifting  

Torah Portion: Numbers 8:1-12:16

Numbers 10:35–11:29

10:35 When the ark went forward, Moses said, “Rise up, Hashem, and let your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!” 36 When it rested, he said, “Return, Hashem, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.”

11:1 The people were complaining in the ears of Hashem. When Hashem heard it, his anger burned; and Hashem’s fire burned among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 The people cried to Moses; and Moses prayed to Hashem, and the fire abated. 3 The name of that place was called Taberah, because Hashem’s fire burned among them.

4 The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; 6 but now we have lost our appetite. There is nothing at all except this manna to look at.” 7 The manna was like coriander seed, and it looked like bdellium. 8 The people went around, gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it. Its taste was like the taste of fresh oil. 9 When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.

10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent; and Hashem’s anger burned greatly; and Moses was displeased. 11 Moses said to Hashem, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why haven’t I found favor in Your sight, that You lay the burden of all these people on me? 12 Have I conceived all these people? Have I brought them out, that You should tell me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers?’ 13 Where could I get meat to give all these people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 I am not able to bear all these people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15 If You treat me this way, please kill me right now, if I have found favor in Your sight; and don’t let me see my wretchedness.”

16 Hashem said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; and bring them to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you don’t bear it yourself alone.

18 “Say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, and you will eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of Hashem, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore, Hashem will give you meat, and you will eat. 19 You will not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you; because you have rejected Hashem who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”’”

21 Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.’ 22 Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?”

23 Hashem said to Moses, “Has Hashem’s hand grown short? Now you will see whether My word will happen to you or not.”

24 Moses went out and told the people Hashem’s words; and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them around the Tent. 25 Hashem came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did so no more. 26 But two men remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad; and the Spirit rested on them. They were of those who were written, but had not gone out to the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran, and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”

28 Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, “My lord Moses, forbid them!”

29 Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all Hashem’s people were prophets, that Hashem would put his Spirit on them!”

Today’s Meditation:

The first part of today’s reading is about complaining. Hashem's chosen people, led through the wilderness on a journey to the promised land, begin to yearn for more. Isn’t that why we complain too? We are in the midst of something, but we want more: more success, more material things, more of Hashem. I have been so convicted lately about complaining. I feel like when I do, it immediately separates me from Hashem. It’s like grumbling is a considerable offense to Him. And no wonder. He has given us so very, very much. And we want more. And if we don’t get it, we complain. Oh, how it must hurt His heart. I’m working on it. When I catch myself doing this, I try to repent immediately. And I try to correct my behavior. Maybe every time we think about complaining, we should give praise to Hashem instead. That would be life-changing.

Today’s Challenge:

There is an excellent story at the end of this reading. Hashem places the spirit that rests on Moses on the seventy elders. Then someone notices a few extra people who seem to have the spirit on them already and are prophesying. But Moses doesn’t see this as a problem; in fact, he wishes everyone were moving in the spirit. 

Could this be the same as the Spirit of Hashem that is resting on people today? If we are close to Him, study His Word, obey Torah, repent, and give to others, maybe His Spirit would rest on us. Let’s think and pray about that today. Ask Hashem to place His Spirit on you today. See what that does in your life.