Noach - Reading #5

Noach נֹחַ - Rest

Torah Portion Genesis 6:9-11:32

Reading #5 -  Genesis 9:8–17         

My Thoughts: 

A covenant with Hashem is a sacred agreement. It will never be broken by Him. This covenant He makes with Noah and “every living creature of all flesh” is to never flood the earth again, never. It is said by many that this is the first formal covenant between Hashem and man. There are approximately six covenants that follow later.

A rainbow is a sign of Hashem’s promise to His creation. It can be used by various groups of peoples in different times to mean other things - but the true Biblical and authentic meaning is a sign of Hashem’s eternal promise never to flood the earth.

When my husband and daughters were praying about adopting two baby brothers from Korea, we saw a double rainbow in the sky! We knew it was a sign from Hashem that adopting these two wonderful boys was going to be a blessing and that He would be with us every step of the way! I can testify that after 35 years this is true! My sons have blessed us and others in many special ways! 

Think about what this special covenant that Hashem made with Noah - means to you. Bring what happened thousands of years ago to our present day. What have we learned?

Challenge:

Have you ever made an agreement with Hashem? Did you ever say to Him, “G-d if you give me this or if you do this, then I promise I will never -------- again.” Try to remember the time(s) you did this. And if you haven’t held fast to your agreement with Him, I would suggest you get on your knees and repent. And make it right.

Reading #5 - Genesis 9:8–17

9:8 Elohim spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9 “As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth. 11 I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 Elohim said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 15 I will remember my covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between Elohim and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 Elohim said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Noach - Reading #4

Noach נֹחַ - Rest

Torah Portion Genesis 6:9-11:32

Reading #4 - Genesis 8:15–9:7           

My Thoughts: 

A common thread through the first nine chapters of Genesis is “be fruitful and multiply” (verse 9:1). It is believed by many that this is actually the first commandment that Hashem gives to man. It is considered the “great Mitzvah”. Meaning the greatest commandment of all. And what is really interesting is in the Talmud it is believed that when every soul from heaven is delivered to creation on the earth, then the Mashiach (Messiah) will come! That is truly an interesting thought.

This is an area that each of us really need to give prayerful consideration. Do we allow Hashem to dictate how many children we have or do we do things (birth control, abortion, etc.) that inhibit His plans? Think of the “souls” that Hashem could have placed into His creation that were interrupted by our selfishness and “family planning” ideas. This is something to really take a pause and pray about.

Challenge:

Do some research today on the forms of birth control available. Look at what they actually do. Do they prohibit and destroy a fertilized egg from implanting into the uterus? If so, then is birth control actually destroying conception - a created being? You may be surprised by what you discover.

Reading #4 - Genesis 8:15–9:7  

8:15 Elohim spoke to Noah, saying, 16 “Go out of the ship, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth.”

18 Noah went out, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went out of the ship.

20 Noah built an altar to Hashem, and took one of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 Hashem smelled the pleasant aroma. Hashem said in His heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. I will never again strike every living thing, as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.”

9 Elohim blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you. 4 But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat. 5 I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. 6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for Elohim made man in His own image. 7 Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.”

Noach - Reading #3

Noach נֹחַ - Rest

Torah Portion Genesis 6:9-11:32

Reading #3 - Genesis 7:17–8:14              

My Thoughts: 

Water has great significance in the Bible. The flood, the crossing of the Red Sea, the commandments of washing, the water from the rock, Yeshua as the “living water” and more. And we must remember that our bodies are made up of about 60% water. We just read last week about how Hashem separated the waters. Bottom line water is an important part of our existence. We can’t live without it. 

In today’s reading Hashem uses water to “cleanse” the earth. Just like when you go into a mikvah before you enter the Temple area. You must be cleansed to enter into the presence of Hashem. So, what do we do today? Some will still use mikvahs in synagogues, some get “water baptized” and some of us think about how we can be cleansed daily simply by true repentance. Whichever way you choose, it is important to be cleansed from sin and renewed daily by repentance.

Challenge:

Take some time today to think about active sin in your life. Or even sin that you have held on to. See if you can find a way to be cleansed of your sin. Come clean before Hashem today.

Reading #3 - Genesis 7:17–8:14

7:17 The flood was forty days on the earth. The waters increased, and lifted up the ship, and it was lifted up above the earth. 18 The waters rose, and increased greatly on the earth; and the ship floated on the surface of the waters. 19 The waters rose very high on the earth. All the high mountains that were under the whole sky were covered. 20 The waters rose fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. 21 All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All on the dry land, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. 23 Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ship. 24 The waters flooded the earth one hundred fifty days.

8 Elohim remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and Elohim made a wind to pass over the earth. The waters subsided. 2 The deep’s fountains and the sky’s windows were also stopped, and the rain from the sky was restrained. 3 The waters continually receded from the earth. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters receded. 4 The ship rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on Ararat’s mountains. 5 The waters receded continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were visible.

6 At the end of forty days, Noah opened the window of the ship which he had made, 7 and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 He himself sent out a dove to see if the waters were abated from the surface of the ground, 9 but the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned into the ship to him, for the waters were on the surface of the whole earth. He put out his hand, and took her, and brought her to him into the ship. 10 He waited yet another seven days; and again he sent the dove out of the ship. 11 The dove came back to him at evening and, behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters were abated from the earth. 12 He waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; and she didn’t return to him any more.

13 In the six hundred first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ship, and looked. He saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.

Noach - Reading #2

Noach נֹחַ - Rest

Torah Portion Genesis 6:9-11:32

Reading #2 -  Genesis 7:1–16               

My Thoughts: 

“Entered into the ship”.  I have always thought of Noah and his family just walking up the plank behind the animals, silent and willing. But today I had another thought. What if Noah said “It’s time to get in the boat!” and some of his sons started to wail, “No, I don’t want to! This is crazy!”. And what if they resisted? Would then Noah try to calm them down and remind them of Hashem’s promises to save them? “But what about all our friends? What will they think?” Would the peer pressure be really great on the sons and daughters? What would ultimately bring them into the boat? Would Noah be yelling at them? Ordering them to enter?

I think what brought them into the boat was OBEDIENCE. Their father did this extravagant thing. He got instructions from Hashem how to build a boat, and with the help of his sons and daughters - they built it! It must have been truly witnessing a miracle. When they saw the completed boat and the animals from all over the world entering it - they must have been overwhelmed! The next step was only to OBEY their father and get on the ship! Would you have done that? Would you have left everything behind?

Challenge:

Think today about what you would be willing to give up to “get on the ship” with Hashem? Would you give up everything? You may think you have already done that when you decided to join His Covenant and follow His Commandments. But, really have you?

Reading #2 -  Genesis 7:1–16   

7 Hashem said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before Me in this generation. 2 You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female. 3 Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth. 4 In seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. I will destroy every living thing that I have made from the surface of the ground.”

5 Noah did everything that Hashem commanded him.

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth. 7 Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, because of the floodwaters. 8 Clean animals, unclean animals, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground 9 went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as Elohim commanded Noah. 10 After the seven days, the floodwaters came on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the sky’s windows opened. 12 It rained on the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth—the sons of Noah—and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship— 14 they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 15 Pairs from all flesh with the breath of life in them went into the ship to Noah. 16 Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as Elohim commanded him; then Hashem shut him in.

Noach - Reading #1

Noach נֹחַ - Rest

Torah Portion Genesis 6:9-11:32

Reading #1 - Genesis 6:9-22                

My Thoughts:

What does it mean to “walk with G-d” (v. 9)? The word walk in Hebrew is “halakh”. It means to be in a relationship and fellowship. For Noah in a time when it appears there is a lot of corruption, it meant he was in a good relationship with Hashem. He wasn’t going with the mainstream, he was instead walking closely to Hashem.

I imagine that Noah paid a price to be walking with G-d. Maybe some people didn’t like him because of that, probably shunned him or even made fun of him. And think about what criticism he fought when he started to build a gigantic boat. The laughter and jeers were most likely unbearable. It didn’t matter. He still walked with G-d. Because of his righteousness - Hashem saved him and his family from destruction. He preserves the lineage for the Mashiach (Messiah). Praise Him for doing so!

Challenge: 

Today, think about how you can be walking a little closer to Hashem. Imagine you are taking Him everywhere you go. Would that make a difference?

Reading #1 - Genesis 6:9-22

6:9 This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with Elohim. 10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth was corrupt before Elohim, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 Elohim saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

13 Elohim said to Noah, “I will bring an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth. 14 Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. 15 This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels. 17 I, even I, will bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. 

They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort will come to you, to keep them alive. 21 Take with you some of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them.” 22 Thus Noah did. He did all that Elohim commanded him.

Noach - Week #2

• Noach נֹחַ - Rest

• Genesis 6:9-11:32

• Isaiah 54:1-55:5

• Luke 17:20-27

1.1 First reading — Genesis 6:9–22

1.2 Second reading — Genesis 7:1–16

1.3 Third reading — Genesis 7:17–8:14

1.4 Fourth reading — Genesis 8:15–9:7

1.5 Fifth reading — Genesis 9:8–17

1.6 Sixth reading — Genesis 9:18–10:32

1.7 Seventh reading — Genesis 11:1–32

Week of Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur

Torah Reading:  Leviticus 16:1-34

Haftarah: Isaiah 57:14-21

Apostolic Writings: Matthew 12:38-45, Matthew 25:31-46

Yom Kippur: October 11-12, 2024

Sukkot: October 16-23, 2024

Shmini Atzeret - October 23-24, 2024

Simchat Torah - October 24-25, 2024

We will publish the Torah Portion V'Zot HaBerachah starting Sunday October 13, 2024.

And our new year of Torah Portions including Beresheit will continue the following week.

“G'mar chatima tovah!” (A good final sealing). We are in the high holiday week of Yom Kippur.

There aren’t any daily Torah Parashat (portions) this week. There is, however, a Torah Reading, Haftarah, and Apostolic Reading for Yom Kippur (read below). I encourage you to read it every day this week and ask Hashem to reveal something special to you!

Torah Reading:  Leviticus 16:1-34

16 Hashem to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came near before Hashem, and died; 2 and Hashem said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.

3 “Aaron shall come into the sanctuary with a young bull for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the holy linen tunic. He shall have the linen trousers on his body, and shall put on the linen sash, and he shall be clothed with the linen turban. They are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and put them on. 5 He shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

6 “Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house. 7 He shall take the two goats, and set them before Hashem at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for Hashem, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for Hashem, and offer him for a sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat shall be presented alive before Hashem, to make atonement for him, to send him away as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

11 “Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. 12 He shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before Hashem, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil. 13 He shall put the incense on the fire before Hashem, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the covenant, so that he will not die. 14 He shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. 16 He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins; and so he shall do for the Tent of Meeting that dwells with them in the middle of their uncleanness. 17 No one shall be in the Tent of Meeting when he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, and has made atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.

18 “He shall go out to the altar that is before Hashem and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the bull’s blood, and some of the goat’s blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar. 19 He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and make it holy from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

20 “When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21 Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is ready. 22 The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

23 “Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting, and shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there. 24 Then he shall bathe himself in water in a holy place, put on his garments, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people. 25 The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.

26 “He who lets the goat go as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp. 27 The bull for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp; and they shall burn their skins, their flesh, and their dung with fire. 28 He who burns them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

29 “It shall be a statute to you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and shall do no kind of work, whether native-born or a stranger who lives as a foreigner among you; 30 for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you. You shall be clean from all your sins before Hashem. 31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. 32 The priest, who is anointed and who is consecrated to be priest in his father’s place, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, even the holy garments. 33 Then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the Tent of Meeting and for the altar; and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

34 “This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.”

It was done as Hashem commanded Moses.

Haftarah: Isaiah 57:14-21

He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way!

    Remove the stumbling-block out of the way of My people.”

15 For the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity,

    whose name is Holy, says:

“I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit,

    to revive the spirit of the humble,

    and to revive the heart of the contrite.

16 For I will not contend forever, neither will I always be angry;

    for the spirit would faint before me,

    and the souls whom I have made.

17 I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness and struck him.

    I hid myself and was angry;

    and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him.

    I will lead him also,

    and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.

19 I create the fruit of the lips:

    Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,”

    says Hashem; “and I will heal them.”

20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea;

    for it can’t rest and its waters cast up mire and mud.

21 “There is no peace”, says my Elohim,

    “for the wicked.”

Matthew 12:38-45

38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

39 But He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.

43 “When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, and doesn’t find it. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came;’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.”

Matthew 25:31-46

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. I was a stranger and you took Me in. 36 I was naked and you clothed Me. I was sick and you visited Me. I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’

40 “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you didn’t give Me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t take Me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit Me.’

44 “Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’

45 “Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to Me.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”