Jacob Ben Avraham

EREV PESACH (First Night of Passover) Tonight is April 22nd, The First night of Passover. It must have been a night like this about 3500 years ago that thousands of lambs were sacrificed, and their blood placed on the doorposts of those houses. This was done per instructions via Moses, and Moses received these instructions directly from God. That night would be the night of all nights. A night to remember. Freedom from slavery was at the door. God himself would pay a visit to the Egyptians, a visit of death. Death to the firstborn of Egypt. A debt would be collected. Lives would be demanded. Yet there would be a substitute. Or rather, substitutes. Those were the lambs and goats that were sacrificed. Their blood on the doorposts of the houses in Goshen would be a reminder that "blood was already shed in this house." That household was obedient to the instructions. That household was redeemed by the blood of that lamb. So, on to the next house. Would that household be obedient? That Passover night a cry went out in all the land of Egypt. Judgment was dished out to Pharaoh's household and all the Egyptians. Were there Egyptians who put blood on their doorposts? Perhaps a few since a "mixed multitude" left Egypt in the morning. There were some Egyptians who placed their trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel. The final plague gave the death blow to Egypt. Egypt was defeated and humiliated, and God's people were set free, free from the bondage of slavery, free to follow a new master, a master who would love them and who would, someday, give up his own life for them. About 1500 years later, another scene was taking place on a night like this, the first night of Passover. Our Messiah was in a large room and was gathered with his disciples. It would be the final Passover supper with them. They would have roasted lamb with bitter herbs and a sweet mixture of fruit and nuts with honey. Unleavened bread of course was there along with wine. The Unleavened bread spoke of Yeshua the Bread of Life. All participated, all but one, the betrayer, Y'hudah, a man from Kariot, who learned nothing from the Master, who placed more importance in pocket change than a change of heart. The bread was broken to symbolize Messiah's body which would soon be broken and torn apart by Roman fists and a flagellum. Wine was drunk to symbolize the blood of Messiah which would be spilled. The blood that brought back memories of the blood of lambs and goats 1500 years before on the first Passover night in Egypt. Yeshua would be those Passover lambs. As the Passover lambs were the substitutes for death back then, Yeshua would be the one and only Passover lamb to be our substitute in death. He would take the curse of sin and death upon himself, and by His sacrifice, we would gain eternal life. Is the Passover Lamb part of your life? Have you invited the Passover Lamb to live inside you? If not, Passover would be the perfect time for such an invitation. Happy Passover. If you have never celebrated Passover, it's not too late.

EREV PESACH (First Night of Passover) Tonight is April 22nd, The First night of Passover. It must have been a night like this about 3500 years ago that thousands of lambs were sacrificed, and their blood placed on the doorposts of those houses. This was done per instructions via Moses, and Moses received these instructions directly from God. That night would be the night of all nights. A night to remember. Freedom from slavery was at the door. God himself would pay a visit to the Egyptians, a visit of death. Death to the firstborn of Egypt. A debt would be collected. Lives would be demanded. Yet there would be a substitute. Or rather, substitutes. Those were the lambs and goats that were sacrificed. Their blood on the doorposts of the houses in Goshen would be a reminder that "blood was already shed in this house." That household was obedient to the instructions. That household was redeemed by the blood of that lamb. So, on to the next house. Would that household be obedient? That Passover night a cry went out in all the land of Egypt. Judgment was dished out to Pharaoh's household and all the Egyptians. Were there Egyptians who put blood on their doorposts? Perhaps a few since a "mixed multitude" left Egypt in the morning. There were some Egyptians who placed their trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel. The final plague gave the death blow to Egypt. Egypt was defeated and humiliated, and God's people were set free, free from the bondage of slavery, free to follow a new master, a master who would love them and who would, someday, give up his own life for them. About 1500 years later, another scene was taking place on a night like this, the first night of Passover. Our Messiah was in a large room and was gathered with his disciples. It would be the final Passover supper with them. They would have roasted lamb with bitter herbs and a sweet mixture of fruit and nuts with honey. Unleavened bread of course was there along with wine. The Unleavened bread spoke of Yeshua the Bread of Life. All participated, all but one, the betrayer, Y'hudah, a man from Kariot, who learned nothing from the Master, who placed more importance in pocket change than a change of heart. The bread was broken to symbolize Messiah's body which would soon be broken and torn apart by Roman fists and a flagellum. Wine was drunk to symbolize the blood of Messiah which would be spilled. The blood that brought back memories of the blood of lambs and goats 1500 years before on the first Passover night in Egypt. Yeshua would be those Passover lambs. As the Passover lambs were the substitutes for death back then, Yeshua would be the one and only Passover lamb to be our substitute in death. He would take the curse of sin and death upon himself, and by His sacrifice, we would gain eternal life. Is the Passover Lamb part of your life? Have you invited the Passover Lamb to live inside you? If not, Passover would be the perfect time for such an invitation. Happy Passover. If you have never celebrated Passover, it's not too late.

2 KINGS 4:42-5:19 We read about “Naaman” the Syrian who was healed of his Tzara-at, whatever kind he had, He was healed, not because of anything he could pay Elisha, but because of what he did in OBEDIENCE and FAITH. He went and bathed in the River Jordan, when down 7 times, again, “7” is YHVH’s perfect number, symbolizing baptism in a way. When he came up the seventh time, he was healed of his disease. We also see that Gehezi, Elisha’s servant was stricken with “Tzara-at” because of his selfish motives and because he lied to his master. So, what do we see in the motives of Gehezi? Outwardly, he was clean, with no disease, yet he was selfish and greedy inside. When he approached Namaan and asked for gifts, Namaan gave him clothes and 132 pounds of silver.(2 talents, 66 pounds = one talent) Perhaps this made Namaan think that his healing cost him that, or that this was an "offering petitioned." (By Gehezi, not by Elisha). God's healings are always free, and never should a servant of God ask someone for money in exchange for prayer, for healing, or for favors, for helping out a needy person. Namaan, who was sincere, was now clean inside and outside. Gehezi, who appeared clean on the outside, was now diseased on the outside as well as inside. One can have spiritual leprosy which can be worse than the physical malady. We can become clean inside when we obey God’s Word, and accept Yeshua as Savior and LORD, Yeshua is the “Living Water” and when we “bathe in Him” we become clean, our “Tamei” becomes “tahor” LUKE 17:11-17 Not the official Parashah reading, but this deals also with the healing of 10 who suffered from some skin ailment, which made them “Tamei” and “outcasts”. Yeshua healed them all, only for the asking, YET only ONE returned to say “thanks”. Do we take our Salvation for granted? Do we think we deserve it? Remember that only through the grace of YHVH does he allow us into HIS family. Do we really live like children of the King, or….do we succumb to the deceiver and lair of all times? Do we praise and thank Him for so great a gift such as YESHUAH (Salvation)? do we thank and praise YESHUA for YESHUAH? Something to think about. Being children of the KING is an honor. If we are HIS kids, then, are we following his family rules and regulations? Yeshua said; "If ye love me, obey my commandments." Have a blessed week, Ben Avraham

2 KINGS 4:42-5:19 We read about “Naaman” the Syrian who was healed of his Tzara-at, whatever kind he had, He was healed, not because of anything he could pay Elisha, but because of what he did in OBEDIENCE and FAITH. He went and bathed in the River Jordan, when down 7 times, again, “7” is YHVH’s perfect number, symbolizing baptism in a way. When he came up the seventh time, he was healed of his disease. We also see that Gehezi, Elisha’s servant was stricken with “Tzara-at” because of his selfish motives and because he lied to his master. So, what do we see in the motives of Gehezi? Outwardly, he was clean, with no disease, yet he was selfish and greedy inside. When he approached Namaan and asked for gifts, Namaan gave him clothes and 132 pounds of silver.(2 talents, 66 pounds = one talent) Perhaps this made Namaan think that his healing cost him that, or that this was an "offering petitioned." (By Gehezi, not by Elisha). God's healings are always free, and never should a servant of God ask someone for money in exchange for prayer, for healing, or for favors, for helping out a needy person. Namaan, who was sincere, was now clean inside and outside. Gehezi, who appeared clean on the outside, was now diseased on the outside as well as inside. One can have spiritual leprosy which can be worse than the physical malady. We can become clean inside when we obey God’s Word, and accept Yeshua as Savior and LORD, Yeshua is the “Living Water” and when we “bathe in Him” we become clean, our “Tamei” becomes “tahor” LUKE 17:11-17 Not the official Parashah reading, but this deals also with the healing of 10 who suffered from some skin ailment, which made them “Tamei” and “outcasts”. Yeshua healed them all, only for the asking, YET only ONE returned to say “thanks”. Do we take our Salvation for granted? Do we think we deserve it? Remember that only through the grace of YHVH does he allow us into HIS family. Do we really live like children of the King, or….do we succumb to the deceiver and lair of all times? Do we praise and thank Him for so great a gift such as YESHUAH (Salvation)? do we thank and praise YESHUA for YESHUAH? Something to think about. Being children of the KING is an honor. If we are HIS kids, then, are we following his family rules and regulations? Yeshua said; "If ye love me, obey my commandments." Have a blessed week, Ben Avraham

PARASHOT: “Tazriah” Lev 12:1-13:59 (she bears seed) and “Metsora” Lev 14:1-15:33 (infected ones). This week we have a double Torah portion; “Tazriah” which talks about when a woman gives childbirth, and “Metsora” which talks about “Tzara-at” which most Bibles interpret as “leprosy” but in actuality, the word “Tzara-at” covers ALL skin afflictions and diseases, including the dreaded disease called leprosy, medically known as “Hanson’s disease. Go to google “images” and see it, but be sure you don’t eat anything beforehand, it is quite horrible. Leviticus Chapter 12 covers childbirth, and YHVH deems “unclean” a woman after giving birth, and she has to stay put in her tent, for 7 days plus 33 days. Altogether, “40” days, “40” is the number for testings and trials. Why, we might wonder, should a woman be rendered “Tamei” or “Unclean” because of giving birth? Only YHVH has the pure and true answer. It isn’t that she has sinned by giving birth, on the contrary, she has given life! Some rabbinical midrashim (commentaries) state that there is both “death” and “life” during childhood. “Life” is the new baby, yet “death” because the woman loses fluids (blood) which symbolizes life. Not that the woman dies, but the “lost blood” however much or little, still symbolizes life. The child is in the womb for 9 months, this is a protected area, a world in itself. Then the child enters the world, a new world contrary to where it was. It has life both inside the womb and outside the womb, yet the child comes forth with the sin nature, and the sin nature brings death. There is another explanation, but you need to go to the website: "Sefaria" and look at "The Book of Jubilees 3:12-21" Here, An explanation is given of why the time frame of being unclean for a woman for a male child and for a female child. In other words; For a female child, the purification time is longer, 2 weeks plus 66 days, altogether, “80” days, the number “8” is the number of “new beginning” If we remember when Yeshua was born, Miryam and Yosef brought two turtle doves to be sacrificed after she went through her ritual cleansing, Yosef brought Yeshua to be circumcised on the 8th day. We can look at it this way: "Remez” (symbolism) being Messiah Yeshua. His blood was lost, causing death, just as a woman who loses blood through childbirth, symbolizes death. Yet Yeshua rose again, from the grave, thus bringing “life” and “hope” to all mankind. The woman brings forth a baby, which is “new life”. New life, but as I mentioned, new life with a sin nature, which brings death. Yet through the death of Messiah, the curse of sin has been broken. It has been broken so that “spiritually” we will have hope of eternal life, yet physically, we will still die. How fortunate that Adonai prevented Adam and Eve from eating of the Tree of Life, had not this happened, we would all have to live forever in a state of sin, bodies wearing out, yet still living in them. How horrible that would have been. On the 8th day, the mitzvah of “Brit Milah” (Circumcision) is performed in all born males. As we know, this was a sign of the covenant with Abraham. Some Jewish denominations still place a high priority on Brit Milah, yet how important is it? Moshe stresses that which is most important, and that is the “circumcision of the heart” (Brit Milah b’lev). He does not, however, state that circumcision is no longer necessary nor important, only that the emphasis should be placed on the heart and not so much in the flesh. Removing the “fore-skin” of the heart is surrendering our fleshly nature to Adonai, that we are to walk more in the spirit and less in the flesh. So, what is the importance today of circumcision? It does have health benefits; it keeps the male genital area cleaner and less prone to infections. Circumcision still joins us with the Abrahamic covenant, yet what joins us even more is our relationship with Messiah Yeshua. The Brit which joins us with Yeshuah (Salvation) is our born-again experience with “Yeshua” (kind of play on words). Symbolically, we might look at the woman as being “Israel” since Mary was Israelite, of the House of David, “Beit David” who bore “Messiah Ben David.” How was Israel unclean? Israel was unclean in that “Bat Zion”(Daughter of Zion went after idols and followed the ways of Baal for a long time. Even during Yeshua's time, there was moral and spiritual corruption. Many rejected Yeshua as Messiah, yet many accepted him too. On the 8th day, Yeshua was circumcised as we read in the gospels. “8” is the number of a “New Beginning.” 7 days is the number that fulfills a complete week. Day 8 is Sunday, the first day of the week. If we count from Sunday to Sunday, we have 8 days. Our Messiah was resurrected on the first day of the week, on day “8.” He was “unclean” during the time of hanging on the cross, carrying, and bearing our sins. (He was made sin on our behalf) He bore our “Metsorat” our “infections” both physical and spiritual. As in the words of Isaiah the Prophet; “he bore our infirmities.” The perfect one “7” was “unclean!” Now, all of Israel, and all of the world, have a “New Beginning” through Messiah Yeshua Ben David. That New Beginning is our choice if we so desire. It is a choice. Life is all about choices. We can accept or reject Messiah Jesus, the blessing, or the curse. Remember, it is about “choices” Chapter 13 "Metzora" (from 2 words; Motzi-Ra meaning; One who speaks slander or evil against another. This section deals with "two kinds of “Tzara-at” skin diseases (all kinds, both major and minor) and “mold & mildew on clothing. In ancient times, the person with a skin disease had to be isolated outside the camp until he or she got better, and was “healed” There were probably some ointments available then, probably primitive, the priests were not doctors, but acted as “judges” who would “judge” the person “healed” if the disease was temporary, today we have many kinds of skin ailments, Psoriasis, Eczema, simple rashes caused by allergies, scabies, ringworm, etc., were all based under the word “Tzara-at” when the person was well and the disease was no more, the person would offer a sacrifice and return to the camp. Here again, we see a form of “death” (cast out, rejected) and “rebirth” entering into the body of Israel once again after healing. But let’s take a look at this a step further. When talking about symbolism, one could symbolize the “Metsora” (the one infected) as “Yeshua” in the following manner; In the beginning of Chapter 13, “and YHVH spoke unto Moshe and Aaron saying; When a MAN shall have in the skin of his flesh…” Since every word in the Torah is put there for a purpose, the fact that the word “Adam” (man) is used is important. It could have been “Ish” or “Enosh” but it is “Adam”. This also has meaning. If we were to take the acronyms A.D.M (since that is how “Adam” is spelled in Hebrew) and apply a bit of meaning to the letters “Alef” “Dalet” and “Mem” we can see “Adam’ “David” and “Mashiach” two titles of “Mashiach” are “Mashiach HaAdam Sheni” (Messiah Yeshua, the Second Adam) and “Mashiach Ben David” (Messiah Yeshua, Son of David) Our Messiah accepted and brought upon himself all of our “leprosy” of sinfulness, which affects not only our exterior but also our inner being. He was nailed to the cross “outside” of the city, just as one afflicted with leprosy was cast outside of the city. Then he was made whole once again, arising on the third day. Isaiah 53 says that he bore our grief, carried our sorrows, and was stricken and smitten of God, just as a leper is in the same condition, in a state of sorrow and smitten with a deadly disease that consumes the flesh. We remember that the Roman whips “ate up” the flesh of our Messiah, all for our sakes. In another way, the “Metsora” is US! We have been afflicted with “spiritual leprosy” being our “sinful nature” at birth. When the pure soul from Heaven is introduced into the human body, it becomes part of it and partakes of the sin nature. Both the body and the soul suffer, the body ages, contracts diseases, etc., and without the “born-again” experience, we are “cast outside” of the city, we are forbidden entrance into the Kingdom of God. When we become members of the family of God through Yeshua, He acts as the “priest” who “heals” us. In ancient times, the priest had to visit the leper to see if the leprosy had left the body, “leprosy” being “any kind of skin disease. The priest had no power to heal, only to observe and pronounce “tahor” (clean) or declare “Tamei” (unclean). However, Yeshua HAS the power to heal, as Isaiah says, “By His stripes, we are healed” of the “Tza-arat Nefesh” (the leprosy of the soul). So, we are the “Metsorat” that are HEALED, and integrated into the body of Messiah, and HIS Kingdom someday soon. This is an eternal promise! Clothing also had to be checked as well. God knew about the dangers of mold and mildew long before man found out. People had to carefully check the fabric of their clothing, the sewing together of the yard was called “woofs” and “warps” and if there was a red or green discoloration, it was “mold and mildew” (also called “tsara-at”) A person’s house could also be affected with “tsara-at” with mold and mildew, if it was, the walls had to be scraped and the affected stones removed and replaced. How does this affect us spiritually? There is a “spiritual leprosy” that is rebellion against YHVH, living in contrary to His Word, doing what is “right in our own eyes” disregarding the commandments as if they were “only for the past” claiming that “Now we are under grace” and not guided by the Torah. Grace and Torah always co-existed, and they still do! Abraham was saved by grace, and this was before the written Torah. Even though many commandments cannot be followed today, there are still many that CAN BE followed, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater! If we were to analyze our spiritual lives and maturity honestly, how many of us would have to cry out “Tamei” (unclean) and go run and hide? Yet there is forgiveness and a new beginning in our Messiah Yeshua, who paid our sin price and penalty on Calvary’s cross once and forever. We can “come in the camp again” when we confess of sins before a Holy God, and accept His forgiveness, and accept his inner “healing”. Some rabbinical commentaries claim that “Tzara-at” came upon people’s skin, clothing, and houses because of ‘Leshon Hara” (evil tongue) because of spreading lies, slander, gossip, backbiting, backstabbing, etc. Take in account “Miriam” who was struck with “Tzara-at” when she spoke against Moshe! Yet Moshe interceded on her behalf, and she was healed. The same way Yeshua heals us when he goes on our behalf before the Father. Are we saying that skin diseases come from speaking evil and slandering other? We have no medical proof that this is correct, however, we serve a G-d of creation and he created our bodies and has the right to inflict illnesses upon the guilty parties whenever He wishes. I think that if he DID do EXACTLY THAT, then, we would ALL be covered with rashes and sores from time to time. We should be careful when speaking and only say positive things about others, if another is in error, go to that person personally and confront the person in love, not talk about what he or she is doing wrong with others. No wonder we have only ONE mouth, yet two EARS. Listen carefully yet speak little. We are "born of woman" into this world, to fulfill our destiny; to get "right with God" so that HE becomes our "Heavenly Father" and not just our "creator" through Jesus our LORD and Savior, who bore all of our leprosies of sin, in one afternoon on the Cross of Calvary. How can some people reject such love? but many do, and "die in their sins" don't you do that! Ben Avraham "Rio Caluco" where our congregation went last Sunday for baptisms and fellowship (Caluco, El Salvador)

PARASHOT: “Tazriah” Lev 12:1-13:59 (she bears seed) and “Metsora” Lev 14:1-15:33 (infected ones). This week we have a double Bible study; “Tazriah” which talks about when a woman gives childbirth, and “Metsora” which talks about “Tzara-at” which most Bibles interpret as “leprosy” but in actuality, the word “Tzara-at” covers ALL skin afflictions and diseases, including the dreaded disease called leprosy, medically known as “Hanson’s disease. Go to google “images” and see it, but be sure you don’t eat anything beforehand, it is quite horrible. Leviticus Chapter 12 covers childbirth, and YHVH deems “unclean” a woman after giving birth, and she has to stay put in her tent, for 7 days plus 33 days. Altogether, “40” days, “40” is the number for testings and trials. Why, we might wonder, should a woman be rendered “Tamei” or “Unclean” because of giving birth? Only YHVH has the pure and true answer. It isn’t that she has sinned by giving birth, on the contrary, she has given life! Some rabbinical midrashim (commentaries) state that there is both “death” and “life” during childhood. “Life” is the new baby, yet “death” because the woman loses fluids (blood) which symbolizes life. Not that the woman dies, but the “lost blood” however much or little, still symbolizes life. The child is in the womb for 9 months, this is a protected area, a world in itself. Then the child enters the world, a new world contrary to where it was. It has life both inside the womb and outside the womb, yet the child comes forth with the sin nature, and the sin nature brings death. There is another explanation, but you need to go to the website: "Sefaria" and look at "The Book of Jubilees 3:12-21" Here, An explanation is given of why the time frame of being unclean for a woman for a male child and for a female child. In other words; For a female child, the purification time is longer, 2 weeks plus 66 days, altogether, “80” days, the number “8” is the number of “new beginning” If we remember when Yeshua was born, Miryam and Yosef brought two turtle doves to be sacrificed after she went through her ritual cleansing, Yosef brought Yeshua to be circumcised on the 8th day. We can look at it this way: Looking at Messiah Yeshua/Jesus. His blood was lost, causing death, just as a woman who loses blood through childbirth, symbolizes death. Yet Yeshua rose again, from the grave, thus bringing “life” and “hope” to all mankind. The woman brings forth a baby, which is “new life”. New life, but as I mentioned, new life with a sin nature, which brings death. Yet through the death of Messiah, the curse of sin has been broken. It has been broken so that “spiritually” we will have hope of eternal life, yet physically, we will still die. How fortunate that Adonai prevented Adam and Eve from eating of the Tree of Life, had not this happened, we would all have to live forever in a state of sin, bodies wearing out, yet still living in them. How horrible that would have been. On the 8th day, the mitzvah of “Brit Milah” (Circumcision) is performed in all born males. As we know, this was a sign of the covenant with Abraham. Some Jewish denominations still place a high priority on Brit Milah, yet how important is it really? Moshe stresses that which is most important, and that is the “circumcision of the heart” (Brit Milah b’lev). He does not, however, state that circumcision is no longer necessary nor important, only that the emphasis should be placed on the heart and not so much in the flesh. Removing the “fore-skin” of the heart is surrendering our fleshly nature to Adonai, that we are to walk more in the spirit and less in the flesh. So, what is the importance today of circumcision? It does have health benefits; it keeps the male genital area cleaner and less prone to infections. Circumcision still joins us with the Abrahamic covenant, yet what joins us even more is our relationship with Messiah Yeshua. The Brit which joins us with Yeshuah (Salvation) is our born-again experience with “Yeshua” (kind of play on words). “If a woman has conceived seed, and born a man child; then she shall be unclean 7 days.” In Hebrew, it reads; “Isha Ki Tazria V’yaldah Zakhar V’tamah Shivat Yamim.” Within these 8 words, we find the letters that spell out “Yeshua!” Also, when we take the first letters of the first 5 words; “Isha Ki Tazria V’yalda Zakhar” (Aleph) (Kaf) (Tav) (Vav) (Zayin) summing the gematria value of each letter we get “434”. One of the titles of Yeshua is “Mashiach Ben David” The gematria value of “Mashiach Ben David” = 424. Almost the same, the difference is “10”. What is “”10” in gematria? It is the letter “Yod” (hand). What did Yeshua, who is Messiah Ben David do on Calvary? He stretched forth his hands to receive the nails, to pay in full our sin debt. The number “5” is the number of grace. The woman (Mary) conceived seed, through the Ruach HaKodesh, the seed was Yeshua, the man-child who was “G-d-Man-Child” and through His Grace, we are saved. Symbolically, we might look at the woman as being “Israel” since Mary was Israelite, of the House of David, “Beit David” who bore “Messiah Ben David.” How was Israel unclean? Israel was unclean in that “Bat Zion” went after idols and followed the ways of Baal for a long time. Even during Yeshua's time, there was moral and spiritual corruption. Many rejected Yeshua as Messiah, yet many accepted him too. On the 8th day, Yeshua was circumcised as we read in the gospels. “8” is the number of a “New Beginning.” 7 days is the number that fulfills a complete week. Day 8 is Sunday, the first day of the week. If we count from Sunday to Sunday, we have 8 days. Our Messiah was resurrected on the first day of the week, on day “8.” He was “unclean” during the time of hanging on the cross, carrying, and bearing our sins. He bore our “Metsorat” our “infections” both physical and spiritual. As in the words of Isaiah the Prophet; “he bore our infirmities.” The perfect one “7” was “unclean!” Now, all of Israel, and all of the world, have a “New Beginning” through Messiah Yeshua Ben David. That New Beginning is our choice if we so desire. It is a choice. Life is all about choices. We can either accept or reject Mashiach, accept the blessing, or accept the curse. Remember, it is about “choices” Chapter 13 "Metzora" (from 2 words; Motzi-Ra meaning; One who speaks slander or evil against another. This section deals with "two kinds of “Tzara-at” skin diseases (all kinds, both major and minor) and “mold & mildew on clothing. In ancient times, the person with a skin disease had to be isolated outside the camp until he or she got better, and was “healed” There were probably some ointments available then, probably primitive, the priests were not doctors, but acted as “judges” who would “judge” the person “healed” if the disease was temporary, today we have many kinds of skin ailments, Psoriasis, Eczema, simple rashes caused by allergies, scabies, ringworm, etc., were all based under the word “Tzara-at” when the person was well and the disease was no more, the person would offer a sacrifice and return to the camp. Here again, we see a form of “death” (cast out, rejected) and “rebirth” entering into the body of Israel once again after healing. But let’s take a look at this a step further. When talking about symbolism, one could symbolize the “Metsora” (the one infected) as “Yeshua” in the following manner; In the beginning of Chapter 13, “and YHVH spoke unto Moshe and Aaron saying; when a MAN shall have in the skin of his flesh…” Since every word in the Torah is put there for a purpose, the fact that the word “Adam” (man) is used is important. It could have been “Ish” or “Enosh” but it is “Adam”. This also has meaning. If we were to take the acronyms A.D.M (since that is how “Adam” is spelled in Hebrew) and apply a bit of meaning to the letters “Alef” “Dalet” and “Mem” we can see “Adam’ “David” and “Mashiach” two titles of “Mashiach” are “Mashiach HaAdam Sheni” (Messiah Yeshua, the Second Adam) and “Mashiach Ben David” (Messiah Yeshua, Son of David) Our Messiah accepted and brought upon himself all of our “leprosy” of sinfulness, which affects not only our exterior but also our inner being. He was nailed to the cross “outside” of the city, just as one afflicted with leprosy was cast outside of the city. Then he was made whole once again, arising on the third day. Isaiah 53 says that he bore our grief, carried our sorrows, and was stricken and smitten of God, just as a leper is in the same condition, in a state of sorrow and smitten with a deadly disease that consumes the flesh. We remember that the Roman whips “ate up” the flesh of our Messiah, all for our sakes. In another way, the “Metsora” is US! We have been afflicted with “spiritual leprosy” being our “sinful nature” at birth. When the pure soul from Heaven is introduced into the human body, it becomes part of it and partakes of the sin nature. Both the body and the soul suffer, the body ages, contracts diseases, etc., and without the “born-again” experience, we are “cast outside” of the city, we are forbidden entrance into the Kingdom of God. When we become members of the family of God through Yeshua, He acts as the “priest” who “heals” us. In ancient times, the priest had to visit the leper to see if the leprosy had left the body, “leprosy” being “any kind of skin disease. The priest had no power to heal, only to observe and pronounce “tahor” (clean) or declare “Tamei” (unclean). However, Yeshua HAS the power to heal, as Isaiah says, “By His stripes, we are healed” of the “Tza-arat Nefesh” (the leprosy of the soul). So, we are the “Metsorat” that are HEALED, and integrated into the body of Messiah, and HIS Kingdom someday soon. This is an eternal promise! Clothing also had to be checked as well. God knew about the dangers of mold and mildew long before man found out. People had to carefully check the fabric of their clothing, the sewing together of the yard was called “woofs” and “warps” and if there was a red or green discoloration, it was “mold and mildew” (also called “tsara-at”) A person’s house could also be affected with “tsara-at” with mold and mildew, if it was, the walls had to be scraped and the affected stones removed and replaced. How does this affect us spiritually? There is a “spiritual leprosy” that is rebellion against YHVH, living in contrary to His Word, doing what is “right in our own eyes” disregarding the commandments as if they were “only for the past” claiming that “Now we are under grace” and not guided by the Torah. Grace and Torah always co-existed, and they still do! Abraham was saved by grace, and this was before the written Torah. Even though many commandments cannot be followed today, there are still many that CAN BE followed, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater! If we were to analyze our spiritual lives and maturity honestly, how many of us would have to cry out “Tamei” (unclean) and go run and hide? Yet there is forgiveness and a new beginning in our Messiah Yeshua, who paid our sin price and penalty on Calvary’s cross once and forever. We can “come in the camp again” when we confess of sins before a Holy God, and accept His forgiveness, and accept his inner “healing”. Some rabbinical commentaries claim that “Tzara-at” came upon people’s skin, clothing, and houses because of ‘Leshon Hara” (evil tongue) because of spreading lies, slander, gossip, backbiting, backstabbing, etc. Take in account “Miriam” who was struck with “Tzara-at” when she spoke against Moshe! Yet Moshe interceded on her behalf, and she was healed. The same way Yeshua heals us when he goes on our behalf before the Father. Are we saying that skin diseases come from speaking evil and slandering other? We have no medical proof that this is correct, however, we serve a G-d of creation and he created our bodies and has the right to inflict illnesses upon the guilty parties whenever He wishes. I think that if he DID do EXACTLY THAT, then, we would ALL be covered with rashes and sores from time to time. We should be careful when speaking and only say positive things about others, if another is in error, go to that person personally and confront the person in love, not talk about what he or she is doing wrong with others. No wonder we have only ONE mouth, yet two EARS. Listen carefully yet speak little. Our congregation went to this river last Sunday for baptism and fellowship (Rio Caluco)

2 SAMUEL 6:1-7:17 We see another case of “good intentions” which ended up bad. The Aron Ha Kodesh (Ark of the Covenant) had been in the hands of the Philistines for some time, YHVH cursed them and caused them to return it to Israel. David received it with glory and honor, HOWEVER, He did not transport it CORRECTLY, to Yerushalayim. It should have been brought back on the shoulders of the Levites, bearing it on the appropriate staves. Instead, it was on an ox cart being driven by oxen. As we read the story, the oxen stumbled, and to keep the Ark from falling off the cart, Uzzah put out his hands and touched the ark, holding it to keep it from falling. ZAP! Uzzah was fried! He meant well, he was sincere, but…he was sincerely WRONG. NO ONE was allowed to touch the Ark, NO ONE! Only the Levite priests could carry it on poles. Today, many might want to come to the LORD on THEIR STANDARDS, doing THEIR OWN THING. If today’s times were like times back in the old days, back in the old Bible days, we might all have been ZAPPED! Years ago Yet we serve a loving, forgiving God, who will put up with our issues, ways of doing things, our tongues, attitudes, etc., By the death of Yeshua our Mashiach, we have free access to the Throne of Grace. But “Kodesh” (Holiness) still comes ONLY through YESHUA. The grace of God is longlasting and longsuffering. When we deserve death, he gives us life. No wonder Paul said the New Covenant was better than the Old Covenant. In the Old Covenant, sins were only covered, in the New Covenant, our sins were blotted out completely by Yeshua/Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. In the days of the Old Covenant, the punishment of sin was strict. In the New Covenant, Yeshua/Jesus took all that punishment upon himself once and forever. MARK 14:1-72 YESHUA and his talmidim celebrate Passover. The original Passover in Goshen consisted only of roasted lamb or goat, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread. But during this time of fellowship, the “last Supper” a few more elements had been added, the “sop” (Charoseth) which is a mix of apples, nuts, cinnamon, honey, and wine. He has his twelve together, and Y’hudah Ish Kariot, made his exit, the worst mistake a man can make, He lived and followed Messiah for three years and learned nothing. The unleavened bread symbolized his body, which was/would be broken, for THEM and ALL OF US. The wine symbolized his Blood, which was shed/would be shed for THEM and ALL OF US. The shepherd was struck, and the sheep were scattered! Yet 50 days later, the shepherd returned in Spirit form and HE is STILL WITH US. Yeshua rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and returned with his Holy Spirit. Indeed, the curse of sin and death had been conquered, Baruch HaShem!! As Yeshua submitted to the will of the FATHER, right there in the Garden, let us also be guided by the perfect will of YHVH, in ALL areas of our life. Shavua Tov Have a good week.

2 SAMUEL 6:1-7:17 We see another case of “good intentions” which ended up bad. The Aron Ha Kodesh (Ark of the Covenant) had been in the hands of the Philistines for some time, YHVH cursed them and caused them to return it to Israel. David received it with glory and honor, HOWEVER, He did not transport it CORRECTLY, to Yerushalayim. It should have been brought back on the shoulders of the Levites, bearing it on the appropriate staves. Instead, it was on an ox cart being driven by oxen. As we read the story, the oxen stumbled, and to keep the Ark from falling off the cart, Uzzah put out his hands and touched the ark, holding it to keep it from falling. ZAP! Uzzah was fried! He meant well, he was sincere, but…he was sincerely WRONG. NO ONE was allowed to touch the Ark, NO ONE! Only the Levite priests could carry it on poles. Today, many might want to come to the LORD on THEIR STANDARDS, doing THEIR OWN THING. If today’s times were like times back in the old days, back in the old Bible days, we might all have been ZAPPED! Years ago Yet we serve a loving, forgiving God, who will put up with our issues, ways of doing things, our tongues, attitudes, etc., By the death of Yeshua our Mashiach, we have free access to the Throne of Grace. But “Kodesh” (Holiness) still comes ONLY through YESHUA. The grace of God is longlasting and longsuffering. When we deserve death, he gives us life. No wonder Paul said the New Covenant was better than the Old Covenant. In the Old Covenant, sins were only covered, in the New Covenant, our sins were blotted out completely by Yeshua/Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. In the days of the Old Covenant, the punishment of sin was strict. In the New Covenant, Yeshua/Jesus took all that punishment upon himself once and forever. MARK 14:1-72 YESHUA and his talmidim celebrate Passover. The original Passover in Goshen consisted only of roasted lamb or goat, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread. But during this time of fellowship, the “last Supper” a few more elements had been added, the “sop” (Charoseth) which is a mix of apples, nuts, cinnamon, honey, and wine. He has his twelve together, and Y’hudah Ish Kariot, made his exit, the worst mistake a man can make, He lived and followed Messiah for three years and learned nothing. The unleavened bread symbolized his body, which was/would be broken, for THEM and ALL OF US. The wine symbolized his Blood, which was shed/would be shed for THEM and ALL OF US. The shepherd was struck, and the sheep were scattered! Yet 50 days later, the shepherd returned in Spirit form and HE is STILL WITH US. Yeshua rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and returned with his Holy Spirit. Indeed, the curse of sin and death had been conquered, Baruch HaShem!! As Yeshua submitted to the will of the FATHER, right there in the Garden, let us also be guided by the perfect will of YHVH, in ALL areas of our life. Shavua Tov Have a good week.

2 SAMUEL 6:1-7:17 We see another case of “good intentions” which ended up bad. The Aron Ha Kodesh (Ark of the Covenant) had been in the hands of the Philistines for some time, YHVH cursed them and caused them to return it to Israel. David received it with glory and honor, HOWEVER, He did not transport it CORRECTLY, to Yerushalayim. It should have been brought back on the shoulders of the Levites, bearing it on the appropriate staves. Instead, it was on an ox cart being driven by oxen. As we read the story, the oxen stumbled, and to keep the Ark from falling off the cart, Uzzah put out his hands and touched the ark, holding it to keep it from falling. ZAP! Uzzah was fried! He meant well, he was sincere, but…he was sincerely WRONG. NO ONE was allowed to touch the Ark, NO ONE! Only the Levite priests could carry it on poles. Today, many might want to come to the LORD on THEIR STANDARDS, doing THEIR OWN THING. If today’s times were like times back in the old days, back in the old Bible days, we might all have been ZAPPED! Years ago Yet we serve a loving, forgiving God, who will put up with our issues, ways of doing things, our tongues, attitudes, etc., By the death of Yeshua our Mashiach, we have free access to the Throne of Grace. But “Kodesh” (Holiness) still comes ONLY through YESHUA. The grace of God is longlasting and longsuffering. When we deserve death, he gives us life. No wonder Paul said the New Covenant was better than the Old Covenant. In the Old Covenant, sins were only covered, in the New Covenant, our sins were blotted out completely by Yeshua/Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. In the days of the Old Covenant, the punishment of sin was strict. In the New Covenant, Yeshua/Jesus took all that punishment upon himself once and forever. MARK 14:1-72 YESHUA and his talmidim celebrate Passover. The original Passover in Goshen consisted only of roasted lamb or goat, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread. But during this time of fellowship, the “last Supper” a few more elements had been added, the “sop” (Charoseth) which is a mix of apples, nuts, cinnamon, honey, and wine. He has his twelve together, and Y’hudah Ish Kariot, made his exit, the worst mistake a man can make, He lived and followed Messiah for three years and learned nothing. The unleavened bread symbolized his body, which was/would be broken, for THEM and ALL OF US. The wine symbolized his Blood, which was shed/would be shed for THEM and ALL OF US. The shepherd was struck, and the sheep were scattered! Yet 50 days later, the shepherd returned in Spirit form and HE is STILL WITH US. Yeshua rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and returned with his Holy Spirit. Indeed, the curse of sin and death had been conquered, Baruch HaShem!! As Yeshua submitted to the will of the FATHER, right there in the Garden, let us also be guided by the perfect will of YHVH, in ALL areas of our life. Shavua Tov Have a good week.

PARASHA: “Shemini” (Eighth) LEVITICUS 9:1-11:47 We know that a week is seven days, We count starting Sunday, and seven days later, we come to “Yom Shabbat” the 7th day, a day to rest. So, what is the “eighth” day? It is another way of saying “Sunday” The number “8” symbolizes “a new beginning” the beginning of the week, the old week is gone, and a new week is before us. So, we begin the week with “Shemini”. Now this word is interesting, within this word “Shemini” we find two words, “Shem’ (name) and “Shemen” (oil) what could these words convey to us as believers? One could say that “HaShem” (The NAME) (Adonai) has just finished anointing Aaron and sons as high priests with oil, and now, they are ready to officiate the office of the priesthood, they are waiting for YHVH to come down and consume the animal offerings. It is a “New Beginning” because Adonai will come to live amongst them all. When a believer is “born again” that believer has a “new beginning” a new life in Messiah Yeshua. We all hold the office of the “priesthood” representing Adonai on this earth. Aaron and his sons had been preparing for the priesthood for seven days. So, we see a period of “7” days, that Aaron and his sons have been in the Mishkan, preparing, praying, and being “ordained” by YHVH to take on the ministry of High Priest (Aaron) and “priests” Nadav, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Is it surprising that we see the number “7” here since it is God’s number of perfection? The Hebrew letter “Zayin” is the number 7 in Gematria” and symbolizes “weapon”. The Holiness of Yeshua is our “weapon” against HaSatan. On the “Eighth” day, the sacrifices begin, the whole ministry begins, and YHVH himself will ignite the first fire on the brazen altar, saying, “I AM HERE, in your presence” Chapter nine tells of the animal sacrifices the priests offered. They symbolize “Yeshua” who took our place and paid our sin debt. The brazen altar is the “Cross” upon which “Yeshua” was judged for our iniquities. Yet we can also recall that during the Feast of Tabernacles, there was an “eighth day” the day which is called “Shemini Atzeret” A little more about the animal sacrifices, Yes, they are no longer because Yeshua, the sacrificial Lamb was the ultimate sacrifice, yet the animal sacrifices are meaningful in that they represent Yeshua in different ways. The bullock = the strength of Adonai, the ram; the atonement for Isaac, Isaac symbolizes us all, and the ram, which took the place of Isaac, Yeshua, who took our place. The lamb = Yeshua, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the goats on Yom Kippur = One was sacrificed, as Yeshua was sacrificed, the “scapegoat” which took upon itself all of our sins, and led away to the desert, never to return. The Talmud tells us that a Levite would take the scapegoat far away, and push it over a cliff to die, and that way, never return. But if this did not happen, would the goat follow the Levite back to the camp? Perhaps it would. It is like our sin nature, the “Yetzer Hara” We need to take the goat of our sin nature and “push it over a cliff” so it will never follow us home, yet this is easier said than done, it always finds a way to grab hold and follow us home, especially the sin of evil or lustful thought. It is a constant battle of the mind vs “Yetzer Hara” The sin nature is part of our being; it is the goat that climbs back over the cliff to follow us home. “7” symbolizes the ending of the week, the Sabbath, the “Perfect” Sabbath which Adonai had ordained for man since the beginning. The 7-day week symbolizes a complete unit, and the “eighth” day, is like “starting over at a new level” The Children of Israel have accomplished “leaving Egypt” via “Yad Elohim” (The Hand of G-d), “Receiving the Torah” (At Sinai) “Building the Mishkan” (Per instructions of Elohim via Moshe) and now, “The beginning of offerings” They will come “close” to G-d through the offerings, via the cohenim. As believers, we get “Close” to G-d through Yeshua/Jesus, who is the realization and culmination of ALL the Levitical offerings. Getting “close” to Adonai was what the animal offerings symbolized. But wait a minute, something is about to go wrong! Inauguration day is about to smudge. The football is about to be fumbled. The waiter carrying the wedding cake is about to slip and fall. Vs 10, “Then Nadab and Abihu, “b’nei Aaron” (sons of Aaron) each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane (Tamei) fire before YHVH which He had not commanded them. So, fire went out from YHVH and devoured them, and they died before YHVH” Many Bible students look for a meaning in all of this. What was the “Esh Tamei” (profane fire)? The Torah is not crystal clear on that, so we can only assume, or come to an educated guess taking into account “clues” Perhaps, Nadab and Abihu were not asked or commanded to offer incense PERIOD! Or at least at that time, perhaps they thought, “Yo bro, this might be a good idea! Let’s try this!” well, they got fried! Many believe that they can come to God “their own way” or might think; “there are many ways to get to God” YHVH has set the record straight, the ONLY way is through YESHUA, through simple FAITH. Yeshua said; “I AM the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE, NO ONE comes to the Father but by ME, (John 14:6) Another thought is that perhaps Nadav and Abihu had too much to drink, that they might have been drunk when they offered the incense, that they were not in their right minds, with clouded reason, so the “incense offering became “profane” their “holiness” was marred, so, being a God of Holiness, HE could not accept the sacrifice, and so, HE burned THEM up! We can understand this concept by Moshe’s words: ” By those who come near Me, I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people, I must be glorified” We see that the LORD speaks and says; “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you when you go into the tabernacle of Meeting, lest you DIE”. The other thought is that they made their own “fire” instead of taking the fire from the brazen Altar and placing the incense on IT. This also could be “profane fire” that would symbolize that entrance to the Holiness of YHVH could be from OTHER sources, other than the Brazen Altar, remember, it symbolizes the cross and Yeshua was crucified on it to pay our sin debt. By making their own fire, they were saying, “We can come to God by OUR OWN WAY. Not the “Yeshua” way. This answers the question; Can one come to God in any manner? NO, only through faith in Yeshua. If this is indeed the meaning, perhaps they erred in their reasoning because they were not in their right mind, because of “strong drink?” so we are back to the “strong drink prohibition” Well, it makes sense, when ministers serve in the pulpit, behind the Bema, and they are teaching Torah, they need to be in their right mind, clear thinking and not have their reasoning clouded because of alcohol or other drugs. It isn’t that alcoholic beverages are prohibited to believers, they are prohibited when we are “Ministering” before the LORD and others. Wine helps the digestion of food; did you know that? But many believe that it is better to abstain at all times, so as “not to fall” into the temptation of “overdoing it” by taking “one cup too many.” Here is another interesting fact. Aaron refused to eat of the offering because of what had befallen him, (losing his two sons in one day). Torah says that “Moshe INQUIRED about the goat of the purification offering” (10:16) the word “Inquired” is written as, in the Hebrew “Derosh, Darash” which means “inquire, search out, find out” These two words are right in the middle of the Torah!(The Pentateuch) There are 1188 verses before this and 1188 verses after these words. It reminds us of John 5:39 “You SEARCH the scriptures because you think you have everlasting life through them, and these are the ones that bear witness to me” Every single offering/sacrifice symbolizes Yeshua in one way or another, so, when we “derosh, derash” the scriptures, they lead us to Messiah Yeshua. When we look at 9:10, we can see a message; …” And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, between unclean and clean, and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statues which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.” Would not this be the message that every preacher, pastor, rabbi, Sunday school teacher, and Torah teacher should direct to the sheep of the fold? Teaching the WHOLE of scripture, which has been passed down to us all, especially, directing the lost to a saving knowledge of Yeshua / Jesus as Savior and LORD? I would say YES. The other aspect of this Parashah is Chapter 11. It talks about the food we are to eat. This is where some believers get upset, and start misinterpreting scripture, by saying; “God has cleansed ALL FOOD” so now we can eat “porky the pig” and dive into the seafood restaurants and indulge in lobster, crabs, oysters, clams, crawdads, shrimp, and other marine cockroaches, which God never intended for human consumption. “ALL FOODS” are what HE has ALREADY DEEMED as our FOOD! Which are the animals listed in Lev 11! Not what “man” has come up with to be “food” as if God’s menu is lacking! Many will go to Acts 10 to the vision of Sh’mon Kefa and say, “You see, God told him to eat all those creepy, crawly things!” but Adonai was using food as a “focal point” to get Kefa’s attention, it wasn’t about food at all. Kefa only ate “kosher’ food, from Lev 11, He knew it, God knew it, so, in a way, God is saying to Kefa, “The same way you feel about all these creepy crawly beasts in the sheet, you won’t touch them, you feel that way about the Gentiles! He says, “Don’t call unclean, what I call Clean” In other words, "I consider the Gentiles clean! (it wasn’t about food at all). ALL PEOPLES from ALL OVER THE EARTH, are considered “Tahor” (clean) when we come to Yeshua as LORD and Savior, not just the Israelis from Israel. So why the prohibition of many of the popular “food” items we see today; like pork, pork sausage, ham, shellfish, catfish, shrimp, etc.? God made our bodies and our physical makeup, so as our creator, HE KNOWS what should go into our bodies and what needs to stay OUT. Those animals are “scavengers” and will eat almost ANYTHING dead or alive, many have toxins in their fatty flesh, high levels of cholesterol, etc, so, even though all that Italian prosciutto and hard salami looks and smells great! Resist it! Choose turkey sausage and Turkey bacon rather than pork sausage and pork bacon. Yeah, Yeah, it doesn’t taste the same. Yes, we are free to eat anything we want to, it is a free world, we are in a free society, and we have free choice So did Adam and Eve, and see where it got them, they ate something they weren’t supposed to have eaten! If we want optimum health and feel good, stay with God’s diet, if we want something less than God’s best for our health, go for Porky P. Our LORD and God wants the best for our Spiritual health as well as for our physical health, that’s why he gave us his Torah. Read it, study it, and learn from it, put it into practice. Have a blessed week.

PARASHA: “Shemini” (Eighth) LEVITICUS 9:1-11:47 We know that a week is seven days, We count starting Sunday, and seven days later, we come to “Yom Shabbat” the 7th day, a day to rest. So, what is the “eighth” day? It is another way of saying “Sunday” The number “8” symbolizes “a new beginning” the beginning of the week, the old week is gone, and a new week is before us. So, we begin the week with “Shemini”. Now this word is interesting, within this word “Shemini” we find two words, “Shem’ (name) and “Shemen” (oil) what could these words convey to us as believers? One could say that “HaShem” (The NAME) (Adonai) has just finished anointing Aaron and sons as high priests with oil, and now, they are ready to officiate the office of the priesthood, they are waiting for YHVH to come down and consume the animal offerings. It is a “New Beginning” because Adonai will come to live amongst them all. When a believer is “born again” that believer has a “new beginning” a new life in Messiah Yeshua. We all hold the office of the “priesthood” representing Adonai on this earth. Aaron and his sons had been preparing for the priesthood for seven days. So, we see a period of “7” days, that Aaron and his sons have been in the Mishkan, preparing, praying, and being “ordained” by YHVH to take on the ministry of High Priest (Aaron) and “priests” Nadav, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Is it surprising that we see the number “7” here since it is God’s number of perfection? The Hebrew letter “Zayin” is the number 7 in Gematria” and symbolizes “weapon”. The Holiness of Yeshua is our “weapon” against HaSatan. On the “Eighth” day, the sacrifices begin, the whole ministry begins, and YHVH himself will ignite the first fire on the brazen altar, saying, “I AM HERE, in your presence” Chapter nine tells of the animal sacrifices the priests offered. They symbolize “Yeshua” who took our place and paid our sin debt. The brazen altar is the “Cross” upon which “Yeshua” was judged for our iniquities. Yet we can also recall that during the Feast of Tabernacles, there was an “eighth day” the day which is called “Shemini Atzeret” A little more about the animal sacrifices, Yes, they are no longer because Yeshua, the sacrificial Lamb was the ultimate sacrifice, yet the animal sacrifices are meaningful in that they represent Yeshua in different ways. The bullock = the strength of Adonai, the ram; the atonement for Isaac, Isaac symbolizes us all, and the ram, which took the place of Isaac, Yeshua, who took our place. The lamb = Yeshua, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the goats on Yom Kippur = One was sacrificed, as Yeshua was sacrificed, the “scapegoat” which took upon itself all of our sins, and led away to the desert, never to return. The Talmud tells us that a Levite would take the scapegoat far away, and push it over a cliff to die, and that way, never return. But if this did not happen, would the goat follow the Levite back to the camp? Perhaps it would. It is like our sin nature, the “Yetzer Hara” We need to take the goat of our sin nature and “push it over a cliff” so it will never follow us home, yet this is easier said than done, it always finds a way to grab hold and follow us home, especially the sin of evil or lustful thought. It is a constant battle of the mind vs “Yetzer Hara” The sin nature is part of our being; it is the goat that climbs back over the cliff to follow us home. “7” symbolizes the ending of the week, the Sabbath, the “Perfect” Sabbath which Adonai had ordained for man since the beginning. The 7-day week symbolizes a complete unit, and the “eighth” day, is like “starting over at a new level” The Children of Israel have accomplished “leaving Egypt” via “Yad Elohim” (The Hand of G-d), “Receiving the Torah” (At Sinai) “Building the Mishkan” (Per instructions of Elohim via Moshe) and now, “The beginning of offerings” They will come “close” to G-d through the offerings, via the cohenim. As believers, we get “Close” to G-d through Yeshua/Jesus, who is the realization and culmination of ALL the Levitical offerings. Getting “close” to Adonai was what the animal offerings symbolized. But wait a minute, something is about to go wrong! Inauguration day is about to smudge. The football is about to be fumbled. The waiter carrying the wedding cake is about to slip and fall. Vs 10, “Then Nadab and Abihu, “b’nei Aaron” (sons of Aaron) each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane (Tamei) fire before YHVH which He had not commanded them. So, fire went out from YHVH and devoured them, and they died before YHVH” Many Bible students look for a meaning in all of this. What was the “Esh Tamei” (profane fire)? The Torah is not crystal clear on that, so we can only assume, or come to an educated guess taking into account “clues” Perhaps, Nadab and Abihu were not asked or commanded to offer incense PERIOD! Or at least at that time, perhaps they thought, “Yo bro, this might be a good idea! Let’s try this!” well, they got fried! Many believe that they can come to God “their own way” or might think; “there are many ways to get to God” YHVH has set the record straight, the ONLY way is through YESHUA, through simple FAITH. Yeshua said; “I AM the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE, NO ONE comes to the Father but by ME, (John 14:6) Another thought is that perhaps Nadav and Abihu had too much to drink, that they might have been drunk when they offered the incense, that they were not in their right minds, with clouded reason, so the “incense offering became “profane” their “holiness” was marred, so, being a God of Holiness, HE could not accept the sacrifice, and so, HE burned THEM up! We can understand this concept by Moshe’s words: ” By those who come near Me, I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people, I must be glorified” We see that the LORD speaks and says; “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you when you go into the tabernacle of Meeting, lest you DIE”. The other thought is that they made their own “fire” instead of taking the fire from the brazen Altar and placing the incense on IT. This also could be “profane fire” that would symbolize that entrance to the Holiness of YHVH could be from OTHER sources, other than the Brazen Altar, remember, it symbolizes the cross and Yeshua was crucified on it to pay our sin debt. By making their own fire, they were saying, “We can come to God by OUR OWN WAY. Not the “Yeshua” way. This answers the question; Can one come to God in any manner? NO, only through faith in Yeshua. If this is indeed the meaning, perhaps they erred in their reasoning because they were not in their right mind, because of “strong drink?” so we are back to the “strong drink prohibition” Well, it makes sense, when ministers serve in the pulpit, behind the Bema, and they are teaching Torah, they need to be in their right mind, clear thinking and not have their reasoning clouded because of alcohol or other drugs. It isn’t that alcoholic beverages are prohibited to believers, they are prohibited when we are “Ministering” before the LORD and others. Wine helps the digestion of food; did you know that? But many believe that it is better to abstain at all times, so as “not to fall” into the temptation of “overdoing it” by taking “one cup too many.” Here is another interesting fact. Aaron refused to eat of the offering because of what had befallen him, (losing his two sons in one day). Torah says that “Moshe INQUIRED about the goat of the purification offering” (10:16) the word “Inquired” is written as, in the Hebrew “Derosh, Darash” which means “inquire, search out, find out” These two words are right in the middle of the Torah!(The Pentateuch) There are 1188 verses before this and 1188 verses after these words. It reminds us of John 5:39 “You SEARCH the scriptures because you think you have everlasting life through them, and these are the ones that bear witness to me” Every single offering/sacrifice symbolizes Yeshua in one way or another, so, when we “derosh, derash” the scriptures, they lead us to Messiah Yeshua. When we look at 9:10, we can see a message; …” And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, between unclean and clean, and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statues which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.” Would not this be the message that every preacher, pastor, rabbi, Sunday school teacher, and Torah teacher should direct to the sheep of the fold? Teaching the WHOLE of scripture, which has been passed down to us all, especially, directing the lost to a saving knowledge of Yeshua / Jesus as Savior and LORD? I would say YES. The other aspect of this Parashah is Chapter 11. It talks about the food we are to eat. This is where some believers get upset, and start misinterpreting scripture, by saying; “God has cleansed ALL FOOD” so now we can eat “porky the pig” and dive into the seafood restaurants and indulge in lobster, crabs, oysters, clams, crawdads, shrimp, and other marine cockroaches, which God never intended for human consumption. “ALL FOODS” are what HE has ALREADY DEEMED as our FOOD! Which are the animals listed in Lev 11! Not what “man” has come up with to be “food” as if God’s menu is lacking! Many will go to Acts 10 to the vision of Sh’mon Kefa and say, “You see, God told him to eat all those creepy, crawly things!” but Adonai was using food as a “focal point” to get Kefa’s attention, it wasn’t about food at all. Kefa only ate “kosher’ food, from Lev 11, He knew it, God knew it, so, in a way, God is saying to Kefa, “The same way you feel about all these creepy crawly beasts in the sheet, you won’t touch them, you feel that way about the Gentiles! He says, “Don’t call unclean, what I call Clean” In other words, "I consider the Gentiles clean! (it wasn’t about food at all). ALL PEOPLES from ALL OVER THE EARTH, are considered “Tahor” (clean) when we come to Yeshua as LORD and Savior, not just the Israelis from Israel. So why the prohibition of many of the popular “food” items we see today; like pork, pork sausage, ham, shellfish, catfish, shrimp, etc.? God made our bodies and our physical makeup, so as our creator, HE KNOWS what should go into our bodies and what needs to stay OUT. Those animals are “scavengers” and will eat almost ANYTHING dead or alive, many have toxins in their fatty flesh, high levels of cholesterol, etc, so, even though all that Italian prosciutto and hard salami looks and smells great! Resist it! Choose turkey sausage and Turkey bacon rather than pork sausage and pork bacon. Yeah, Yeah, it doesn’t taste the same. Yes, we are free to eat anything we want to, it is a free world, we are in a free society, and we have free choice So did Adam and Eve, and see where it got them, they ate something they weren’t supposed to have eaten! If we want optimum health and feel good, stay with God’s diet, if we want something less than God’s best for our health, go for Porky P. Our LORD and God wants the best for our Spiritual health as well as for our physical health, that’s why he gave us his Torah. Read it, study it, and learn from it, put it into practice. Have a blessed week. (I don't know how to get rid of the shade around the text, if someone out there can do it for me, I'll send you a gift) Study to show thyself approved, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, but rightfully dividing the WORD of Truth.

But what little black box are you talking about? if you could send me a pic I could click it on and get rid of the shade

JEREMIAH 7:21-8:3; 9:22,23 Adonai states that "In the beginning" when Israel left Egypt, he did not talk about animal sacrifices when the 10 Commandments were given. There is not one single commandment in the "Decalog" which required animal sacrifices. The only animal sacrifice before arriving at Sinai was in Egypt. The sacrificial lambs and goats at Passover. The reason for the animal sacrifices/offerings was that there had to be a "substitute" for the payment of sin. Since the "wages of sin is death" then, the animals would be those "substitutes" and instead of the offerer being judged guilty of sin, the penalty was passed on to the animal. The animal's throat was cut and the blood spilled on the Brazen Altar. This was symbolic of Messiah Yeshua's death on the Cross of Calvary, the "Passover Lamb" who was slain on our behalf. So, the whole idea of the animal sacrificial system was to "shadow" the coming of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus who would "fulfill" all those sacrifices in one day, on the day of Passover 2000 years ago. Adonai speaks to Yirimyahu (Jeremiah) telling Israel to repent and return to God, yet God told him that Israel would not listen to him. So sad, that was the case. Sacrifices were continued but without true repentance. Kind of like the Mafia big bosses murdering and gunning down people, and then going to mass at church and confessing before the priests (if they even did that). Israel was taken into slavery to live in Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, and only many years later did a remnant return to Israel. We need to get back to God today through true repentance, from the heart and not just with words. Adonai did not ask for sacrifices when he took his people out of Egypt, only obedience to his voice and words, yet Israel failed to obey. The “Korbanot” were HIS way to point his people back to him through Yeshua, the “Emet” (Truth), and the foundation stone from the beginning. MARK 13:1-37 Yeshua tells his Talmidim/disciples about the future. “The end is near,” he tells them. Yet many will say; “Well, that was thousands of years ago, and the end is not in sight!” We need to remember that our perspective of time is not the same perspective of Adonai’s time. If one thousand years are like a day, then, in reality, time is of no matter to YHVH. Yeshua is saying that “Many will come in my name”. We see that it is true with many false Messiahs, false cults, false doctrines, “adding” to the Word of God saying, “Yeshua isn’t enough, you need…” Many cults and denominations change God’s Word to fit their beliefs and mis-interpret original words. When we listen to preachers and teachers, we must ask ourselves, “Is this what God’s Word is really saying?” does it support solid Bible doctrine, if it does not, then it is mere commentary, “man’s opinion, nothing more. I believe the best way to understand God’s word is to get back to the original language and culture to understand what the original writers were saying. Yeshua is coming back, are you ready? We must live and prepare our lives as if Yeshua will return in the far future yet be ready if He returns tomorrow. It is good to make plans, yet YHVH has the final say. Shavua tov...Have a blessed week.

PARASHAH: “Tzav” (command) LEVITICUS 6:8-8:36 Last week we studied Parasha “Vayikra” (and he called) and this week, we read Parasha “Tzav” (command). We are studying the same offerings, yet the titles are different. One is “Called” and this study falls under “command.” What is the relationship here? One way to look at this is that “offering up to Adonai” is a calling. We are called to “offer up to Him” yet not all respond. But for those who DO respond to the calling, there is a set way to offer up to HIM. HaShem is saying in a way; “You are called, but I know that not all of you will respond, yet to those who DO respond, THIS is how it is done! Remember that today, there are no more animal offerings/sacrifices, yet the offerings are symbolic in how we relate to HaShem today, through prayer, mitzvoth, and our relationship with Messiah Yeshua. We continue to look at the “Korbanot Shel Mishkan” (the offerings of the Tabernacle) which are… “The Burnt Offering” (Korban Olah), “The Grain Offering” (Minchah), “The Peace offering” (Zevah Shelamim), the “Sin Offering” (Korban Chatat), “The Trespass or guilt offering” (Korban Asham). One thing about the burnt, sin, and guilt offerings, there had to be “Teshuvah” (repentance) or “a change of heart”. A “Turning away from sin” like when Yeshua told the woman who was caught in the act of adultery; “Go and sin no more!” (by the way, I wonder why the crowd didn’t bring the man?) If the woman was caught in the “act” the man was there too! Yet he was not brought forth. The burnt offerings symbolized recognizing our sin nature and a willingness to give oneself to God. The sin and trespass/guilt offerings symbolized the offeror’s recognition that “I have sinned” in a specific way, unintentionally, and forgiveness was sought. If the trespass was property damage or stolen, the person offering the animal has to first “compensate” the person offended, and “restitution” was in order. I The grain and peace offerings were to “thank God” for blessings received or anticipated. Every time people go to the park and fire up the BBQ grills and invite guests to eat hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, tostadas, and grilled peppers, they are, in a way, lifting up a “peace offering”. These offerings were not without fine flour, olive oil, salt, and Frankincense. I guess a good outing in the park could not be complete without garlic bread brushed with a bit of olive oil and salt. Salt in the bible symbolizes “incorruptibility” and what better way to lay down to rest at night than to light an incense stick of Frankincense. We can see Yeshua in all of these offerings. The clean animals symbolize Yeshua as the “perfect sacrificed lamb of God” the grain offerings symbolize “Yeshua the Bread of Life” and the peace offerings “Yeshua, the Prince of Peace” (Yeshua Sar Shalom). The olive oil the “Ruach HaKodesh” (The Holy Spirit) and the Frankincense “Our prayers and supplications” go “up” like burning incense. In this Parashah we see “Esh Tamid” (the eternal fire) the burnt offering roasted all night and the ashes that remained in the morning were removed to a clean place outside the camp. The fire symbolizes purification, destruction, heat, light, and judgment of sin. It can also symbolize our zeal and love for God and the things of God, service to Adonai, I am sure you have heard the expression “being on fire for God!” The things we did yesterday are gone, and the things of today remain to be done. We can consider the “ashes” the things of yesterday, and the things of today, are being done, and the things of tomorrow, “yet to be done” YHVH considers all things done for His name’s sake, honor, and glory. The ashes of “yesterday” can be our “future rewards” in Heaven in the world to come. Chapter 8 is the highlight of the Torah. The Torah (Genesis – Deuteronomy) has 304,805 Hebrew letters, 79,977 words, and 5845 verses. Lev 8:15 is the “midpoint” with the word “Yesod” (foundation or base). It talks about Aaron being anointed as the high priest. He is symbolically a “type of Messiah.” The blood from the offering was sprinkled onto the 4 horns of the altar, and the rest was poured out at the "Base" (Yesod) of the altar. This gives us imagery of Yeshua/Jesus who was nailed to the Cross of Calvary, the blood from his extended hands marked the two ends of the cross, the blood from his head marking the top part, and the blood from his feet marking the bottom part or "base" of the cross. His blood marked all 4 parts of the cross, just as his redemption and atonement affected all 4 corners of the earth, ALL people of the earth can receive his atoning redemption, (if they choose to receive it). “to anoint” is “m sh k” (Mashakh) in Hebrew letters. We get the Word "Mashiach" or "Messiah" from those letters. The word “Mishkan” (Tabernacle) also has those letters. The Mishkan was anointed for the place of worship. In the high priest, we have the mediator between man and God, and now “Yeshua” is our “Cohen Gadol” (High Priest) The blood of the animals used to anoint Aaron and his sons was sprinkled on the horns of the brazen altar and poured out at the “base” or “foundation” of the altar, pointing us to Yeshua who is the “Chief Corner-stone” or the “Foundation Stone” (Yeshua HaYesod) It is also interesting to see that the first word in the Torah is “B’reisheet” (in the beginning) the middle was now known is “Yesod” (foundation) and the last word in Deuteronomy is “Yisrael” giving us the message that “Yeshua is the Foundation of Israel” but where is “Yeshua” in Genesis? If we take the last letters of the first three words of Genesis “B’reisheet Bara Elohim” we get the word “Emet” (truth) and one of Yeshua’s titles is “The Truth” the “Alef” “Mem” and “Tav”. Yeshua said; “I AM the Way the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). Aaron and his sons were anointed with blood on their right ear lobes, their right thumbs, and the big toe on their right feet. This can symbolize our “hearing” (Shema) and putting into action what we hear from God’s Word, our “doing” through mitzvoth (good needs, following the commandments) and “walking” according to HIS direction, walking a “Torah based lifestyle, or “Halacha” as some put it. This was the ministry of Aaron and his sons, and also our ministry as well. The end of the day begins the next, to continue to serve the LORD

PARASHAH: “Tzav” (command) LEVITICUS 6:8-8:36 Last week we studied Parasha “Vayikra” (and he called) and this week, we read Parasha “Tzav” (command). We are studying the same offerings, yet the titles are different. One is “Called” and this study falls under “command.” What is the relationship here? One way to look at this is that “offering up to Adonai” is a calling. We are called to “offer up to Him” yet not all respond. But for those who DO respond to the calling, there is a set way to offer up to HIM. HaShem is saying in a way; “You are called, but I know that not all of you will respond, yet to those who DO respond, THIS is how it is done! Remember that today, there are no more animal offerings/sacrifices, yet the offerings are symbolic in how we relate to HaShem today, through prayer, mitzvoth, and our relationship with Messiah Yeshua. We continue to look at the “Korbanot Shel Mishkan” (the offerings of the Tabernacle) which are… “The Burnt Offering” (Korban Olah), “The Grain Offering” (Minchah), “The Peace offering” (Zevah Shelamim), the “Sin Offering” (Korban Chatat), “The Trespass or guilt offering” (Korban Asham). One thing about the burnt, sin, and guilt offerings, there had to be “Teshuvah” (repentance) or “a change of heart”. A “Turning away from sin” like when Yeshua told the woman who was caught in the act of adultery; “Go and sin no more!” (by the way, I wonder why the crowd didn’t bring the man?) If the woman was caught in the “act” the man was there too! Yet he was not brought forth. The burnt offerings symbolized recognizing our sin nature and a willingness to give oneself to God. The sin and trespass/guilt offerings symbolized the offeror’s recognition that “I have sinned” in a specific way, unintentionally, and forgiveness was sought. If the trespass was property damage or stolen, the person offering the animal has to first “compensate” the person offended, and “restitution” was in order. I The grain and peace offerings were to “thank God” for blessings received or anticipated. Every time people go to the park and fire up the BBQ grills and invite guests to eat hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, tostadas, and grilled peppers, they are, in a way, lifting up a “peace offering”. These offerings were not without fine flour, olive oil, salt, and Frankincense. I guess a good outing in the park could not be complete without garlic bread brushed with a bit of olive oil and salt. Salt in the bible symbolizes “incorruptibility” and what better way to lay down to rest at night than to light an incense stick of Frankincense. We can see Yeshua in all of these offerings. The clean animals symbolize Yeshua as the “perfect sacrificed lamb of God” the grain offerings symbolize “Yeshua the Bread of Life” and the peace offerings “Yeshua, the Prince of Peace” (Yeshua Sar Shalom). The olive oil the “Ruach HaKodesh” (The Holy Spirit) and the Frankincense “Our prayers and supplications” go “up” like burning incense. In this Parashah we see “Esh Tamid” (the eternal fire) the burnt offering roasted all night and the ashes that remained in the morning were removed to a clean place outside the camp. The fire symbolizes purification, destruction, heat, light, and judgment of sin. It can also symbolize our zeal and love for God and the things of God, service to Adonai, I am sure you have heard the expression “being on fire for God!” The things we did yesterday are gone, and the things of today remain to be done. We can consider the “ashes” the things of yesterday, and the things of today, are being done, and the things of tomorrow, “yet to be done” YHVH considers all things done for His name’s sake, honor, and glory. The ashes of “yesterday” can be our “future rewards” in Heaven in the world to come. Chapter 8 is the highlight of the Torah. The Torah (Genesis – Deuteronomy) has 304,805 Hebrew letters, 79,977 words, and 5845 verses. Lev 8:15 is the “midpoint” with the word “Yesod” (foundation or base). It talks about Aaron being anointed as the high priest. He is symbolically a “type of Messiah.” The blood from the offering was sprinkled onto the 4 horns of the altar, and the rest was poured out at the "Base" (Yesod) of the altar. This gives us imagery of Yeshua/Jesus who was nailed to the Cross of Calvary, the blood from his extended hands marked the two ends of the cross, the blood from his head marking the top part, and the blood from his feet marking the bottom part or "base" of the cross. His blood marked all 4 parts of the cross, just as his redemption and atonement affected all 4 corners of the earth, ALL people of the earth can receive his atoning redemption, (if they choose to receive it). “to anoint” is “m sh k” (Mashakh) in Hebrew letters. We get the Word "Mashiach" or "Messiah" from those letters. The word “Mishkan” (Tabernacle) also has those letters. The Mishkan was anointed for the place of worship. In the high priest, we have the mediator between man and God, and now “Yeshua” is our “Cohen Gadol” (High Priest) The blood of the animals used to anoint Aaron and his sons was sprinkled on the horns of the brazen altar and poured out at the “base” or “foundation” of the altar, pointing us to Yeshua who is the “Chief Corner-stone” or the “Foundation Stone” (Yeshua HaYesod) It is also interesting to see that the first word in the Torah is “B’reisheet” (in the beginning) the middle was now known is “Yesod” (foundation) and the last word in Deuteronomy is “Yisrael” giving us the message that “Yeshua is the Foundation of Israel” but where is “Yeshua” in Genesis? If we take the last letters of the first three words of Genesis “B’reisheet Bara Elohim” we get the word “Emet” (truth) and one of Yeshua’s titles is “The Truth” the “Alef” “Mem” and “Tav”. Yeshua said; “I AM the Way the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). Aaron and his sons were anointed with blood on their right ear lobes, their right thumbs, and the big toe on their right feet. This can symbolize our “hearing” (Shema) and putting into action what we hear from God’s Word, our “doing” through mitzvoth (good needs, following the commandments) and “walking” according to HIS direction, walking a “Torah based lifestyle, or “Halacha” as some put it. This was the ministry of Aaron and his sons, and also our ministry as well. One day ends only to start a new day to serve the LORD.