Chukat-Balak - Reading #1

Chukat-Balak Statute/Balak — חֻקַּת־בָּלָק

Torah: Numbers 19:1 - 25:9

Reading #1 - Numbers 19:1 - 20:6

My Thoughts:

The red heifer was sacrificed so that would have the ashes for those who touched a dead body and wanted to enter the Tabernacle. They were to cleanse for impurity. This is one of those requests from Hashem that we don’t really understand but we are to obey. In Israel today the Temple Institute has found a red heifer that meets Torah requirements, I believe. There are articles you can read to see if the ashes have been prepared. The point being, when the next Temple is built the red heifer ashes will have to be available to cleanse the priests before serving Hashem in the Temple. It is unknown how this will all come about, but have faith in Hashem that it will. Remember to daily pray for the Mashiach to return to the Temple in Jerusalem to rule and reign forever. Amen.

Challenge:

Touching a corpse makes you unclean. And Hashem does not permit people who are unclean to come into the Tabernacle -- into His presence. Doesn’t that make you ponder the holiness of Hashem? He represents LIFE and death can not come near Him. Without a Temple today we come before Hashem in prayer and worship -- and we too, must be clean. How is that possible? It seems like our only way is to repent and ask forgiveness of our sins. We must try to live the holy life and stay close to Hashem in our hearts. Do that today. Repent and ask Hashem to forgive you for all that you have done that disobeys Him and His Torah. Try to live in His light, and not in darkness. We must do our best without a Temple, without a red heifer, without His glory shining over the Tabernacle -- but continue seeking His glory that is within our hearts. Amen.

Reading #1 - Numbers 19:1 - 20:6

19 Hashem spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “This is the statute of the law which Hashem has commanded. Tell the children of Israel to bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no defect, and which was never yoked. 3 You shall give her to Eleazar the priest, and he shall bring her outside of the camp, and one shall kill her before his face. 4 Eleazar the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle her blood toward the front of the Tent of Meeting seven times. 5 One shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her meat, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn. 6 The priest shall take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the middle of the burning of the heifer. 7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the evening. 8 He who burns her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the evening.

9 “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up outside of the camp in a clean place; and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for use in water for cleansing impurity. It is a sin offering. 10 He who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. It shall be to the children of Israel, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them, for a statute forever.

11 “He who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. 12 He shall purify himself with water on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he doesn’t purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. 13 Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and doesn’t purify himself, defiles Hashem’s tabernacle; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is yet on him.

14 “This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent, and everyone who is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days. 15 Every open vessel, which has no covering bound on it, is unclean.

16 “Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

17 “For the unclean, they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin offering; and running water shall be poured on them in a vessel. 18 A clean person shall take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, and on him who touched the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave. 19 The clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day. On the seventh day, he shall purify him. He shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at evening. 20 But the man who shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of Hashem. The water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him. He is unclean. 21 It shall be a perpetual statute to them. He who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.

22 “Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the soul that touches it shall be unclean until evening.”

20 The children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2 There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before Hashem! 4 Why have you brought Hashem’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals? 5 Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.”

6 Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. Hashem’s glory appeared to them.

Chukat-Balak - Week #7

Chukat-Balak Statute/Balak — חֻקַּת־בָּלָק

Torah: Numbers 19:1 - 25:9

Haftarah: Micah 5:6 - 6:8

Apostolic Reading: John 19:38-42, Matthew 21:1-11

1: 19:1-20:6 · 28 p’sukim ·  

2: 20:7-21 · 15 p’sukim ·  

3: 20:22-21:20 · 28 p’sukim ·  

4: 21:21-22:12 · 27 p’sukim ·  

5: 22:13-38 · 26 p’sukim ·  

6: 22:39-23:26 · 29 p’sukim ·  

7: 23:27-25:9 · 38 p’sukim ·

Beha-alotcha - Reading #2

Beha’alotcha בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ - In Your Uplifting

Numbers 8:1-12:16

Reading #2 -  Numbers 8:15–26

My Thoughts:

This is so interesting in verse 19 Hashem explains that the priests (Levites) will make atonement for the people of Israel so that they are not hit with a plague as they approach the sanctuary area. In other words, Hashem is protecting His people from severe repercussions for attempting to get near the Temple when they are not prepared to do so. The Levites, through Hashem’s instruction, will “pave the way” for them to come near. The Levites will make sacrifices that atone for the sins and the uncleanness of the people. Hashem has made a way for everyone to approach Him. We need to think about that for today.

Challenge:

If the Levites were giving offerings for the atonement of the people so they could come close to the sanctuary (come close to Hashem) -- how do we approach Hashem today? There is not a Temple where His glory can reside, but as throughout Torah and Scripture we read about Hashem communicated with His people. He either sent messengers, angels, dreams or spoke in a still small voice. The point is -- He did reach out to His people and always has. I don’t think we have been “trained” to hear from Hashem, or “see” what He is doing. Today is the day to start your training. Do something called “listening prayer”. Get in a quiet place. Pray and ask for repentance. Clear your mind. Ask Hashem to remove the “enemy” from the prayer and then ask Hashem about what is on your heart. Take a short moment to listen to what He says. He may speak to you in a word picture, a Scripture verse, or just one word. Write it down. And then see how it applies to your life. Most important DO what He says. I have done this for years and it is a very special way to communicate with Hashem. And it brings me close to His heart. It is amazing. Try it.

Reading #2 -  Numbers 8:15–26

8:15 “After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering. 16 For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me. 17 For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself. 18 I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 19 I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”

20 Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that Hashem commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them. 21 The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before Hashem and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons: as Hashem had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

23 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This is what is assigned to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting; 25 and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no more, 26 but shall assist their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall perform no service. This is how you shall have the Levites do their duties.”

Sheni Shel Shau'ot - Torah Portion for the Week

Sheni Shel Shavu'ot

SHENI SHEL SHAVU'OT

Second Day of Feast of Weeks — שָׁבוּעוֹת ב

Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17

22 You shall surely tithe all the increase of your seed, that which comes out of the field year by year. 23 You shall eat before Adonai your Elohim, in the place which He chooses to cause His name to dwell, the tithe of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock; that you may learn to fear Adonai your Elohim always. 24 If the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it because the place which Adonai your Elohim shall choose to set His name there is too far from you, when Adonai your Elohim blesses you, 25 then you shall turn it into money, bind up the money in your hand, and shall go to the place which Adonai your Elohim shall choose. 26 You shall trade the money for whatever your soul desires: for cattle, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul asks of you. You shall eat there before Adonai your Elohim, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. 27 You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no portion nor inheritance with you. 28 At the end of every three years you shall bring all the tithe of your increase in the same year, and shall store it within your gates. 29 The Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, as well as the foreigner living among you, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your gates shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Adonai your Elohim may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

15 At the end of every seven years, you shall cancel debts. 2 This is the way it shall be done: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not require payment from his neighbor and his brother, because Hashem’s release has been proclaimed. 3 Of a foreigner you may require it; but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall release. 4 However there will be no poor with you (for Hashem will surely bless you in the land which Adonai your Elohim gives you for an inheritance to possess) 5 if only you diligently listen to Adonai your Elohim’s voice, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you today. 6 For Adonai your Elohim will bless you, as He promised you. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. You will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. 7 If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which Adonai your Elohim gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; 8 but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks. 9 Beware that there not be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing; and he cry to Hashem against you, and it be sin to you. 10 You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing Adonai your Elohim will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to. 11 For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land. 12 If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13 When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty. 14 You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your wine press. As Adonai your Elohim has blessed you, you shall give to him. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Adonai your Elohim redeemed you. Therefore I command you this thing today. 16 It shall be, if he tells you, “I will not go out from you,” because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you, 17 then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise. 18 It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for he has been double the value of a hired hand as he served you six years. Adonai your Elohim will bless you in all that you do. 19 You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to Adonai your Elohim. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 You shall eat it before Adonai your Elohim year by year in the place which Hashem shall choose, you and your household. 21 If it has any defect—is lame or blind, or has any defect whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to Adonai your Elohim. 22 You shall eat it within your gates. The unclean and the clean shall eat it alike, as the gazelle and as the deer. 23 Only you shall not eat its blood. You shall pour it out on the ground like water.

16 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to Adonai your Elohim; for in the month of Abib Adonai your Elohim brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 You shall sacrifice the Passover to Adonai your Elohim, of the flock and the herd, in the place which Hashem shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. 3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it. You shall eat unleavened bread with it seven days, even the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste) that you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. 4 No yeast shall be seen with you in all your borders seven days; neither shall any of the meat, which you sacrifice the first day at evening, remain all night until the morning. 5 You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates which Adonai your Elohim gives you; 6 but at the place which Adonai your Elohim shall choose to cause His name to dwell in, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at evening, at the going down of the sun, at the season that you came out of Egypt. 7 You shall roast and eat it in the place which Adonai your Elohim chooses. In the morning you shall return to your tents. 8 Six days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to Adonai your Elohim. You shall do no work.

9 You shall count for yourselves seven weeks. From the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain you shall begin to count seven weeks. 10 You shall keep the feast of weeks to Adonai your Elohim with a tribute of a free will offering of your hand, which you shall give according to how Adonai your Elohim blesses you. 11 You shall rejoice before Adonai your Elohim: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, in the place which Adonai your Elohim shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt. You shall observe and do these statutes.

13 You shall keep the feast of booths seven days, after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and from your wine press. 14 You shall rejoice in your feast, you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your gates. 15 You shall keep a feast to Adonai your Elohim seven days in the place which Hashem chooses, because Adonai your Elohim will bless you in all your increase and in all the work of your hands, and you shall be altogether joyful. 16 Three times in a year all of your males shall appear before Adonai your Elohim in the place which he chooses: in the feast of unleavened bread, in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of booths. They shall not appear before Hashem empty. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to Adonai your Elohim blessing which He has given you.

Sheni Shel Shavu'ot

SHENI SHEL SHAVU'OT

Second Day of Feast of Weeks — שָׁבוּעוֹת ב

Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17 Haftarah: Habakkuk 2:20 -3:19 Apostolic Scripture: John 4:25-42 This whole week from Sunday through Saturday May 27, 2023 - there are not any daily portions listed except for: Friday May 26 Shavuot I Ex. 19:1–20:23 maf. Num. 28:26-31 Ezek. 1:1-28; 3:12 And the verses listed above for Shabbat May 27, 2023. I will not be posting a daily portion this week. Have a very blessed week as we look forward to Shavu’ot  a celebration of the “Feast of Weeks". And a conclusion of counting the Omer! Most importantly, the day the Torah was revealed to the nation of Israel.

Emor - Reading #7

Emor Say — אֱמוֹר

Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23

Haftarah - Ezekiel 44:15-31

Apostolic Writings - Matthew 26:59-66

Reading #7 - Leviticus 24:1–23

My Thoughts:

Today we read the story of the men who cursed and blasphemed His Name. This is very serious. And the penalty from Hashem was they were to be stoned to death. Why? My thoughts are that Hashem wants His people truly to be holy. And if someone is not and also blaspheming Hashem, it only brings division and confusion among the people. That’s what sin does. It affects everyone. They were getting ready to go into Israel, the promised land. They were given a set of rules to keep things in order and to stay close to Hashem. This behavior did not promote unity, nor respect for our Elohim. The penalty seems strong. Today when people do this they just walk out without punishment. And the world is getting darker and darker. When the Mashiach comes He will bring Hashem’s Light and the world will change. And people will gladly follow the Torah. I can’t wait for this to happen. You?

Challenge:

In verse 20 we read, “ It shall be done to him as he has injured someone.” I believe Hashem orders this because it would make someone think twice about punching someone in the face and causing damage. A lot of Hashem’s laws let you know that there are severe consequences for doing wrong. Today we don’t get punished for many sins (except murder, etc). Yet we know the affects our sins have on others and the world can be very detrimental! Examine your life and repent of any sins. Make a strong commitment to Hashem that you will not do them again. Repay or make reparation for whatever you are able. Help repair our relationships and our world. Do it today.

Reading #7 - Leviticus 24:1–23

24:1 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. 3 Outside of the veil of the Testimony, in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before Hashem continually. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 4 He shall keep in order the lamps on the pure gold lamp stand before Hashem continually.

5 “You shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it: two tenths of an ephah shall be in one cake. 6 You shall set them in two rows, six on a row, on the pure gold table before Hashem. 7 You shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may be to the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire to Hashem. 8 Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before Hashem continually. It is an everlasting covenant on the behalf of the children of Israel. 9 It shall be for Aaron and his sons. They shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him of the offerings of Hashem made by fire by a perpetual statute.”

10 The son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelite woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp. 11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 They put him in custody until Hashem’s will should be declared to them. 13 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Bring him who cursed out of the camp; and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Whoever curses his Elohim shall bear his sin. 16 He who blasphemes Hashem’s name, he shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him. The foreigner as well as the native-born shall be put to death when he blasphemes the Name.

17 “‘He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death. 18 He who strikes an animal mortally shall make it good, life for life. 19 If anyone injures his neighbor, it shall be done to him as he has done: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. It shall be done to him as he has injured someone. 21 He who kills an animal shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death. 22 You shall have one kind of law for the foreigner as well as the native-born; for I am Hashem your Adonai.’”

23 Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they brought him who had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him with stones. The children of Israel did as Hashem commanded Moses.

Haftarah

My Thoughts:

These verses in Ezekiel are for the world to come, possibly the Messianic Era. It describes the duties of the priests which is very close to the descriptions in the Torah. That is because in the future, when the Temple is rebuilt – and it will be rebuilt – the Torah Temple rules will be followed and enforced. We are not done with sacrifices or priestly rule. Just read the Prophets.

Challenge:

In verse 23 we learn that the priests will take on a teaching role. They will instruct the people about holiness, clean and unclean. Don’t you think that would be a good idea to start learning that now? In preparation for the Temple and to follow what we can in our lives today. For example the dietary laws. Torah says they are forever. And they will be taught again in the future. It is imperative and I believe a sin if we do not distinguish between clean and unclean foods. If we think we can indulge in any meats or shellfish, etc. we are making a terrible mistake. That’s why it is good to follow Hashem and His Torah. Every day. Study, learn and obey. Start today.

Haftarah - Ezekiel 44:15-31

15 “‘“But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who performed the duty of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me. They shall stand before Me to offer to me the fat and the blood,” says Hashem Adonai. 16 “They shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister to Me, and they shall keep My instruction.

17 “‘“It will be that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments. No wool shall come on them while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. 18 They shall have linen turbans on their heads, and shall have linen trousers on their waists. They shall not clothe themselves with anything that makes them sweat. 19 When they go out into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they minister, and lay them in the holy rooms. They shall put on other garments, that they not sanctify the people with their garments.

20 “‘“They shall not shave their heads, or allow their locks to grow long. They shall only cut off the hair of their heads. 21 None of the priests shall drink wine when they enter into the inner court. 22 They shall not take for their wives a widow, or her who is put away; but they shall take virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest. 23 They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

24 “‘“In a controversy they shall stand to judge. They shall judge it according to my ordinances. They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts. They shall make my Sabbaths holy.

25 “‘“They shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister who has had no husband, they may defile themselves. 26 After he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him seven days. 27 In the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering,” says Hashem Adonai.

28 “‘They shall have an inheritance. I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel. I am their possession. 29 They shall eat the meal offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 The first of all the first fruits of every thing, and every offering of everything, of all your offerings, shall be for the priest. You shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, to cause a blessing to rest on your house. 31 The priests shall not eat of anything that dies of itself, or is torn, whether it is bird or animal.

Apostolic Writings

My Thoughts:

I suppose you could say that the chief priest and elders believed that Yeshua was blaspheming Hashem. And as we read in today’s Torah portion the penalty for this is death. If they had read Torah and studied Scriptures they would have known He was the prophesied Mashiach. They would have followed and sat at His feet, instead of condemning Him. That is why it is important to know the whole Word of Hashem and His prophets. And why now we must study to know what Hashem really says about the coming Mashiach and His role. We don’t want Yeshua to come back and we don’t recognize Him. If so, we will lose out – eternally.

Challenge:

In verse 64 Yeshua says that we see Him coming on the clouds of the sky. Many people have pondered this verse. Some think He comes halfway, grabs some of the “church” and returns to heaven. I don’t see any Scripture to support this. Others believe He will come (as prophesied) and gather His people to Jerusalem where He will rule and reign in the Temple. That’s what I believe. And we see that in the many verses of Ezekiel and other prophets. Be sure you study all of this and go to Hashem with your questions. We must be ready when the Mashiach comes and know what Scripture says. Not man — Scripture! Amen.

Apostolic Writings - Matthew 26:59-66

59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Yeshua, that they might put Him to death, 60 and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of Elohim, and to build it in three days.’”

62 The high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?” 63 But Yeshua stayed silent. The high priest answered him, “I adjure you by the living Elohim that you tell us whether you are the Mashiach, the Son of Adonai.”

64 Yeshua said to him, “You have said so. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky.”

65 Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard His blasphemy. 66 What do you think?”

They answered, “He is worthy of death!”

Emor - Reading #6

Emor Say — אֱמוֹר

Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23

Reading #6 -  Leviticus 23:33–44

My Thoughts: 

This is one of my favorite feasts to celebrate. It is such a joyous occasion. You decorate a “booth” -- eat and/or sleep in it for seven days. It is to remind us how the Israelites slept in such a type of temporary dwellings for 40 years. Each year I try to get creative in building a “sukkah”. We have friends over and celebrate. It is a really special time. This year maybe you can contemplate having a special booth to honor this very special time of the year.

Challenge:

We just spent this week learning about all the feasts. The wonderful thing is that they are cyclical. And each year they can be better. If you do not live in a Jewish or Messianic community it can be hard to celebrate these feasts correctly. So, I just do the best I am able. There is a lot of information of course on the internet and you can learn from it. My challenge for you is that if you are not already taking the feasts seriously – to start doing so now. The next feast is the feast of first fruits - Shavuot. Study about it, and figure out a way to remember it. I promise you and your family will be super blessed. The feasts help us to draw closer to Hashem by remembering His miracles and deliverances. Study and learn. Amen.

23:33 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of booths for seven days to Hashem. 35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. 36 Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to Hashem. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall offer an offering made by fire to Hashem. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no regular work.

37 “‘These are the appointed feasts of Hashem which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to Hashem, a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day— 38 in addition to the Sabbaths of Hashem, and in addition to your gifts, and in addition to all your vows, and in addition to all your free will offerings, which you give to Hashem.

39 “‘So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruits of the land, you shall keep the feast of Hashem seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 You shall take on the first day the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before Hashem your Adonai seven days. 41 You shall keep it as a feast to Hashem seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations. You shall keep it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in temporary shelters for seven days. All who are native-born in Israel shall dwell in temporary shelters, 43 that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in temporary shelters when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am Hashem your Adonai.’”

44 So Moses declared to the children of Israel the appointed feasts of Hashem.